The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1906-06-21
That's no business of mine" said

LeStrade look out MS Official note
book and refreshed his memory from
| It's pages.
The FIRST case reported was four days
ago." said he. 1T was Mt the shop of
Morse Hudson. who has place for the
sale OF pictures and statues I'm the Ken
nington Road. The assistant had left
the front shop for an instant. when he
heard crash. and hurrying In he
found n plaster bust OF Napoleon, which
stood with several other works OF art
upon the counter. lying shivered into
fragments. He rushed out into the road.
but. although several passersby de-
ciared they had noticed n nah run out
OF the shop. he could neither see any
one nor could he ind any means of
Identifying the rascal. IL seemed To be
one OF those senseless acts OF Hooligan-
ism which occur from time TO time. and
u was reported to the constable on the
beat rs such. The plaster cast was
not worth more than q few shillings.
and the whole AFFAIR appeared TO be too
childish for any particular investiga-
ton
THE second case. however. was more
serious. and also more singular. IL oc-
CURED only last night.
I'm Remington Road. and within n
few hundred yards OF Morse Hudson's
shop. there lives n well known medical
practitioner. named DIR. Barnicot, who
has one OF the largest practices upon
the south side OF the Thames. His
residence and principal consulting room
IN Mt Remington Road. but he has n
branch surgery and dispensary at
Lower Brixton Road. two miles away.
This DIR. Bnrnicot IN an enthusiastic
numlrcr cf Napoleon. and his house In
full OF books. pictures and relics OF the
French emperor. Some little time ago
he purchased from Morse Hudson two
al ~ H.. o..
head OF Napoleon by the French sculp-
tor. Dcvinc. One OF these he placed In
his hall I'm the house Mt Remington
Road. and the other on the mantel-
piece OF the surgery at Lower Brixton.
Well. when DIR. Barnicot came down
this morning he was astonished to find
that hts house had been burgled dur
ing the night. but that nothing had
been taken save the plaster head from
the hall. II had been carried out and
had been dashed savagely against the
garden wall. under which It's splintcred
fragments were discovered"
Holmes rubbed his hands.
This is certainly very novel," said
he.
IT thought u would please you. But
I have not got TO the end yet. DIR.
Barnicot was due nj his surgery at
twelve o'clock. and you can imagine
his amazement when. on arriving there.
he found that the window had been
opened In the night. and that the
broken pieces OF his second bust were
Strewn all over the room. II had been
smashed TO atoms where II stood. In
neither case were there any signs which
could give us clew as TO the cslminal
or lunatic who has done the mischief.
Now. Mr.. Holmes. you have got the
facts"
They are singular. not 10 say
grotesque." said Mr.. Holmes. May I
ask whether the two busts smashed I'm
DIR. Barnicot's rooms were the exact
duplicates OF the one which was de-
s;royed In Morse Hudson's shop"
They were taken from the same
mould"
such n fact must tell against the
theory that the man who breaks them
Is influenced by any general hatred OF
Napoleon. Considering how many hun
dreds OF statues OF the great emperor
must exist I'm London. II In too much TO
suppose such coincidence as that n
promiscuous iconoclast should chance
To begin upon three specimens OF the
same bust
We'll. thought as you do" said
Lestrnde. ION the other hand. this
Morse Hudson In the purveyor OF busts
In that part OF London. and these three
were the only ones which had been I'm
his shop for years. So. although. rs you
say. there are many hundreds OF
statues In London. II Is very probable
that these three were the only ones
In that district. Therefore. n local
fanatic would begin with them. What
do you think, DIR. watson?"
There are no limits to the possihiii-
ties OF monomania." answered. There
n the condition which the modern
French psychologists have called the
'idee Axe which may be trlfiing In
character. and accompanied by n COM
plete sanity In every other way. man
who had read deeply about Napoleon.
or who had possibly received some
hereditary family injury through the
great war. might conceivabiy form
such an 'idee Axe and under its In
fiuence be capable OF any fantastic out
rage
That won't do. my dear Watson"
said Holmes shaking his head. for no
amount OF 'idec fixe would enable your
interesting monomaniac 20 ind out
where these busts were situated"
We'll. how do you explain it?'
II don't attempt To do so. i would
only observe that there In a certain
method In the gentleman..s eccentric
proceedings. For Nnmple. In DIR.
Barnicot's hall. where n sound might
arouse the family. the bust was taken
outside before being broken. whereas
IN the surgery. where there was less
danger OF an alarm, II was smashed
where Il stood. The affair seems alb
surdiy trifiing. and yet dare call moth
| Ing trivial when reflect that some OF
my most classic cases have had the
least promising commencement. You
will remember. Watson. how the dread
| full business OF the Abernetty family
was first brought To my notice by the
depth which the parsley had sunk into
| the butter upon n hot day. / can't af-
ford. therefore. To smile nj your three
broken busts. Lestrade. and shall be
very much obliged TO you " you Will
| let me hear or any fresh development
| OF so singular n chain OF events"
The development for which my friend
had asked came In quicker and an
infinitely more tragic form than no
could have imagined. I was still dress
/ Ing In my bedroom next morning. when
there was n tap at the door and Holmes
entered. n telegram IN his hand. He
| read IL aloud:
come instantly. lsI Pit, street. Ken
| sington.
| What II u. them" I asked.
] Don't know-mny be anything. But
\ spect u is the sequel OF the story OF
the statues. In that case our friend.
the imagc-brcaker. has begun opera