The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-05-25

\ my good Hopkins. I have iuve,ti
gated many crimes, but I have ueye,
yet seen one which was committed b,
a n,ying creature. AS long as the Grim
mai remains upon two legs so loul
must there be some indentation. som,
abrasion. some tritling displacement
which can be detected by h soient.h,
searcher. 1t is Incredible that thi.
blood-bespattered room contained nc
trace which could have aided US. un.
derstand, however. from the inquest
that there were some objects which you
failed to overlook"
The young inspector WINGED at my
companions ironical comments.
y was a tool not to call YOU in at
!, the time. MIR. Holmes. However. that's
: past praying for now. Yes, there were
, several objects in the room which called
, for special attention. One was the har-
poon with which the deed was COM
niltted. 1t had been snatched down
from a rack on the wall. Two others
remained there. and there was a va
cant place for the third. On the stock
was engraved SIS. Sea Unicorn. Dun
dee This seemed to establish that the
crime had been done in a moment of
lury. n that the murderer had
seized the first weapon which came in
his way The fact that the crime was
committed at 2 o'clock in the morning.
ana yet Peter Carey was fully dressed.
suggested that he had an appointment
With the murderer. which is borne out
by the fact that a bottle of rum and
Two dirty glasses stood upon the ia
BILE"
Yes" said Holiness: ~ think that
noth lnferences are permissible. Was
there amy other spirit but IAN In the
room?"
Yes. there was a tantalus contain
ing brandy and whisky on the sea
chest. 1t is of no Importance to us.
however, since the ~decanters We're full.
and it had therefore not been used"
FOR all that. it's presence has some
lghi1cance, said Holmes. However.
let US hear some more about the OBJ
1ects which do seem to you to bear
upon the case"
There was this tobacco pouch upon
the table,"
What part Of the table,"
1T lay in the middle. 1t was of coarse
sealskin-the straight-haired skin Win
a leather thong to bind it. Inside was
p. c. on the flap. There was half an
ounce Of strong ships tobacco in it,"
Excellent! What more?"
pocket a d~rab-covered notebook. The
outside was rough and worn, the leaves
discolored.'
On the first page were written the ini-
tiais u. III. N" and the date 1883"
hoines laid 1t on the table and ex-
annlnea II IN his minute way. while
der. On the second page were the
printed letters &c. P. r." and then
came several sheets of numbers. An
other heading was Argentine" another
costa Mica" and another San Paulo,"
after 1T.
What do you make Of these?"
asked Holmes.
They appear to be lists of stock ex-
change securities. I thought that j.
H. NJ were the initials of a 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
clenched hand.
What a fool I have been!" he cried.
course, it is as you say. Then j.
II. NJ are the only initial we have to
solve. have already examined the old
exchange lists. and l can find no
one IN 1889, either in the house or
among the outside brokers, whose ini-
tials correspond with these. Yet I feel
the clue is the most important one
I hold. You will admit, Mr..
Holmes. that there is a possibility that
these initials are those of the second
100 WIN Woo plCSelt-ln O1ner
words. Of the murderer. 1 would also
urge that the introduction into the case
or a relating to large masses
OF valuable securities gives us for the
[irst time some indication Of a motive
the crime"
Sherlock Holmes face showed that
ne was thoroughly taken aback by this
new development.
Il must admit both your points," said
ne. II confess that hi note book.
"hlch did not appear at the inquest.
nodifies n views which 1 may have
formed. I had come to a theory of the
crime in which I can find no place for
his. Have you e~ndeavored to trace
any of the securities here mentioned:?"
Enquiries are now being made at the
.egister OF the stockholders Of these
South American concerns Is in South
and that some weeks must
before we a trace the shares"
dime had been examining the COW
n Of the note book with his magnifying
ems.
Surely there is some ~discoloration
1ere." said he.
Yes. sir. it is a blood stain. I told
you that I picked the book off the
Was h blood stain above or be-
"on the side next the boards.
Which proves. OF course, that the
was dropped after the crime was
committed"
Exactly. Mr.. Holmes. I appreciated
hat point. and I conjectured that it
vas dropped by the murderer in his
hurled flight. 1t lay near the door"
II suppose that none of these securi-
les have been found among the prop
.rty OF the dead man?"
mo, sir"
Have you any reason to suspect
'obbery?"
mo, sir. Nothing seemed to have
been touched" I
Dear me. it is certainly a very in
eresting case. Then there was a
Knife. was there not?"
"a sheath knife. still in its sheath.
t lay d the feet of the dead man, Mrs.
has Identified as being her nus
,and's property"