The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-05-31
ADVENTURE XII j,
The Reigate Puzzle

still much to learn
az fancy It's some local practition-
err said the colonel. Gin that case,
of course, Acton's and Cunningham Is
are Just the places he would go for,
since they are far the largest about
ssAnd the richest7''
"Well, they ought to be, but they've
had lawsuit for some years which has
sucked the blood out of both of them,
[ fancy. Old Acton has some claim on
half Cunningham IS estate, and the law
yers have been at it with both hands,
eff it's local villain there. should
not be much difficulty in running him
down. said Holmes with a yawn.
"All right, Watson, [ don't intend to
NEEDLE. " " F..
nspsetor ToFrssteF s Gsor said the
The official, smart, keen-faced
Young fellow, stepped into the room.
''Good morning, colonel,' said he; ~
hope T don't intrude, but we hear that
Mr.. Holmes of Baker street is here.'
The colonel waved his hand toward
owe thought that perhaps you would
care to step across, Mr.. Holmes.
SON. said he, laughing. "We were
chatting about the matter when you
| came in, inspector. Perhaps you can
| let us have few Details AS he
| leaned back in his chair in the familiar
attitude | knew that the case was hope
| less. SEX
eve had no clue in the Acton affair.
But here we have plenty to go on, and
there's no doubt it is the same party
in each case. The man was SEEM
"Ah!'
eyes, sir. But he was off like deer
after the shot that killed poor William
Kirwan was fired. Mr.. Cunningham
saw him from the bedroom window,
and Mr. Alec Cunningham saw him
Mr.. Cunningham had just got into bed,
and Mr.. Alec was smoking a pipe in
his dressing gown. They both heard
William the coachman calling for help,
and Mr.. Alec ran down to see what was
the matter. The back door was open,
and as he came to the foot of the stairs
side. One of them fred a shot, the
other dropped and the murderer rushed
across the garden and over the hedge.
Mr.. Cunningham, looking out of
his bedroom, saw the fellow as he
gained the roo d, but lost sight of him
see if he could help the dying man,
You'd the fact that he was a middle
sized man and dressed in some dark
stuff, we have no personal clue; but
we are making energetic inquiries, and
if he is a stranger we shall soon find
him out
"What was this William doing there
Did he say anything before he died?' -
"Not word. He lives at the lodge
with his mother, and as he was a very
faithful fellow, we imagine that he
walked up to the 1 house -, with the in
there. Of course this Acton business
has put every one on their guard. The
robber must have just burst open the
door--the lock had been forced-when
William came upon him. 49, =
did William say anything to his
i. mother before going out 90 '2T~r =
80 nshe is very old+ and deaf and ", w
shock has made her halfiwitted, but ]
understand that she was never very
bright. There is one very important
He took small piece of torn paper
, from notebook and spread it out upo1
his knee. 37"l:r.y .', -.
"This was found between the finger
| and thumb of the dead man. It ap
pears to be a fragment torn from s
larger sheet. You will observe that thu
, hour mentioned upon it is the very
.. time at which the poor fellow met hi
fate. You see that his murderer nigh
! have torn the rest of the sheet from
; him or he might have taken this frag
y ment from the murderer. 1t reads al
most as tho it were an appointment
Holmes took up the scrap Of paper
a facsimile of which is here reproduced