Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1905-08-12

n
| his face twisted like lost soul In tor
neut and his great hrincled beard
stick upward la his agony Right
\ through HIS broad breast a steel har-
! poon had been driven. and il had sunk
deep into the wood OF the wall behind
him. He was pinned like a beetle on
I card OF course he was quite dead and
had been 50 from the instant that he
had uttered that last yell Of agony.
Il know your methods. sir. and ap-
| piled them. Before permitted any
/ thing TO be moved I examined most
carefully the ground outside and also
the door Of the room. There We're no
footmarks
Meaning that you saw noneT'
Il assure you. sir. that there were
none.-
My good Hopkins. I have investi-
gated many crimes. but l have never
/ yet seen one which was committed by
q flying creature. AS long as the Grim
inal remains upon two legs so long
must there be some indentation. some
abrasion. some trifing displacement
which can be detected by the scientific
searcher. II is incredible that this
blood despatched room contained no
trace which could have aided us. IN
derstand. however. from the inquest
that there Were some objects which you
/ failed TO overlook
| The young Inspector WINGED at my
| companions ironical comments.
IT was fool not TO cali you in at the
time. Mr. Holmes However. that's
| past praying for now. Yes. there were
| several objects in the room which call
ed for special attention One was the
harpoon with which the deed was com
| mitted. II had been snatched down
4 from a rack on the wall Two others
| remained there. and there was va
cant place for the third. on the stock
was engraved IS. Sea Unicorn. Dun
dee This seemed TO establish that the
1 crime had been done in a moment Of
| fury and that the murderer had seized
l the first weapon which came in his
way The fact that the crime was COM
mitted at in the morning. and yet Pc
ter Carey was fully dressed. suggested
that he had an appointment with the
murderer. which Is borne out by the
fact that bottle Of rum and ,wo dirty
glasses stood upon the table"
Yes" said Holmes. Il think that
both differences are permissible. Was
there any other spirit than rum In the
roomY"
Eyes. there was a tantalus contain
ing brandy and whisky on The sea
chest It is OF no Importance to us
however. since the decanters were full
and II had therefore not been used"
'For all that. its presence has some
Significance" said Holmes. However
let us hear some more about the objects
which do seem 20 you TO bear upon the
case"
There was this tobacco pouch upon
the table,
what part OF the tableg''
at lay IN the middle. IL was OF
| coarse sealskln-the straight haired
skin. with n leather thong TO bind IT,
Inside were II. c. on the Zap. There
was half an ounce or strong ships to-
bacco In t."
Excellent, What moreT'
Stanley Hopkins drew from his peck
et drab covered notebook. The out
side was rough ana worn. the leaves
discolored. On the first page were writ
| ten the initials y II y" and the date
"1SS3" Holmes laid Il on the table and
| examined Il in his minute way. while
| Hopkins and I gazed over each Shout
der. On the second page were the
printed letters sc. z. r." and then
came several sheets OF numbers. An
other heading was Argentine" anoth-
err COSTA Rica" and another san
Paulo" each with pages OF signs and
figures after H.
what do you make OF theseg' ask
eel Holmes
''Tbey appear 10 be lists OF Stock
Exchange securities. thought that
j. IT. N were the initials OF broker
and that C. p. r. may have been his
| client"
Try Canadian Pacific railway" said
Holmes.
Stanley Hopkins swOre between his
teeth and struck his thigh with his
clinched hand.
What fool I have beenr' he cried.
"Of course il is as you say. Then
y. II. NJ are the only initials we have
70 solve. have already examined the
Did Stock Exchange lists. and can
ind no one in 1888. either in the house
or among the outside brokers, whose
Initials correspond with these Yet I
feel that the clew is the most impor-
tant one that / hold. You VIII admit,
Mr.. Holmes, that there Is a possibility
that these initials are those or the Sec
ond person who was present-in other
words OF the murderer. / would also
urge that the Introduction into the case
OF document relating 10 large masses
OF valuable securities gives US for the
| first time some Indication OF a motive
for the crime"
Sherlock Holmes face showed that
he was thoroughly taken aback by this
new development
81 must admit both your points" said
he. II confess that this notebook,
| which did not appear at the inquest.
mobiles any views which l may have
formed had come to a theory OF the
crime in which ! can find no place for
this Have you endeavored TO trace
any Of the securities here mentionedY'
Enquiries are now being made at
the Offices. but l fear that the com