Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1905-08-26

Holmes, for they enabled
him TO keep In touch with al that was
going on at the police headquarters.
In return for the news which Lestrade
would bring. Holmes was always ready
10 listen with attention to the details
OF any case upon which the detective
was engaged and was able occasion
ally without any active Interference TO
give some hint or suggestion drawn
from his own vast knowledge and ex-
perience.
On this particular evening Iestrade
bad spoken Of the weather and the
newspapers. Then he had fallen silent.
putting thoughtfully at his cigar.
Holmes looked keenly az him
Anything remarkable on handf" he
asked.
'oh. no. Mr.. Holmes-nothing very
particular"
Then tell me about IL"
Lestrade laughed.
"Well. Mr.. Holmes, there is no use
denying that there is something on my
mind. And yet Il Is such an absurd
business that hesitated to bother you
about IL. On the other hand. although
II is trivial. ii is undoubtedly queer
and l know that you have taste for
all that is out OF the common. But. In
my opinion. Il comes more In DR. Wat
sons line than ours"
"Diseasegr said I.
Madness. anyhow. and a queer mad
ness too. You wouldn't think there
was any one living at this time OF day
who had such a hatred OF Napoleon l.
that he would break any image OF him
that he could see"
Holmes sank back in his chair.
That's no business OF nine" said he
Exactly. That's what / said. BAIT
then, when the man commits burglary
IN order TO break images which are
not his own. that brings IL away from
the doctor and on 10 the policeman"
Holmes sat up again.
Burglary This Is more interesting.
Let me hear the details"
Lestrade took ont his Official note.
book and refreshed his memory from
its pages.
''rhe first case reported was four
days ago" said he. 1T was at the
shop OF Morse Hudson. who has n
place for the sale OF pictures and stat
ues in the Remington road. The as
sistant had left the front shop Tor an
instant when he heard a ash. and.
hurrying IN. he found q ;ter bust
OF Napoleon, which stood several
other works OF art upon counter.
lying shlvered into fragn IS. He
rushed out into the road: bus though
several passersby declared 4 they
had noticed a man run out o. he shop.
he could neither see any one nor could
he find any means OF identifying the
rascal IL seemed 10 be one OF those
senseless acts OF Hooliganism which
occur from s.me 20 time. and ii was re-
ported 20 the constable on the beat as
such. The plaster cast was not worth
more than a few shillings. and the
whole affair appeared TO be too child
ish for any particular Investigation.
The second case, however. was more
serious and also more singular II oc-
Cured only last night
I'm Remington road and within q
few hundred yards OF Morse HudsOn's
shop there lives a well known medical
practitioner named nr. Barnicot, who
has one OF the largest practices upon
the south side of the Thames His res
@0NANS anu IOOLu -
at Remington road, but he has a
branch surgery and dispensary az Low
er BrixtOn road. two miles away. This
Or. Baruicot Is an enthusiastic admir-
er OF Napoleon. and his house is full
OF books. pictures and relies OF the
French emperor. Some little time ago
he purchased from Morse Hudson two
duplicate plaster casts OF the famous
head OF Napoleon by the French sculp-
tor Devine. One OF these be placed in
his hall in the house at Remington
road and the other on the mantelp!ece
OF the surgery at Lower Brixton.
Well, when Or. Barnicot came down
this morning he was astonished 10 find
that his house had been burgied dur
ing the night, but that nothing had
been taken save the plaster head from
the hall IL had been carried out and
had been dashed savagely against the
garden wall, under which !ts splinter
ed fragments We're discovered"
Holmes rubbed his hands,
This is certainly very novel," said
be.
II thought IL would please you. But
have not got to the end yet. DR.. Bar
nicot was due at his surgery at IL
o'clock, and you can imagine his amaze
ment when On arriving there he found
that the window had been opened in
the night and that the broken pieces
OF his secoad bust were strewn eli over
the room. II had been smashed 10
atoms where it stood. In neither case
were there any signs which could give
us ciew as TO the criminal OF iunatlc
WHO had done the mischief. Now, Mr..
Holmes, you have got the facts
They are singular. not to say gro
tesQue." said Holmes. May l ask
whether the two busts smashed in Dr.
Barnicot's rooms were the exact du-
piicates OF tie one which was destroy
ed Ia Morse Hudson's shop
They were taken from the same
mold"
''such fact must tel, against the