The Washington times., 1907-04-17

from his fathers farm at Kits Ham
mock. Del, March 4.
William II. Briggs. having visited
Dover and the surrounding country, APP
proaches the case from the standpoint
OF the detective Of fiction. with view
10 constructing a theory that viii ex-
plain the lads fate. He has come TO the
conclusion that the boy was kidnapped
and is not dead.
Mr.. Briggs writes TO the. Milwaukee
Journal from Dover.
Sherlock Holmes Methods.
II sherlock Holmes in real life came
10 this town he would md here a my5-
terry. now OF worldwide interest, which
would tax TO the utmost his power OF
astute deduction.
As a detective. not as newspaper
man, L arrived in Dover a week ago 10
make a complete and painstaking study
OF the case I have gone over every
foot of ground at the scene Of the al
legged kidnapping. and have in my pos
session every known detail of evidence.
The first step in a solution Of a mys-
terry BY deduction is to cut out all the
impossible solutions. BY these means
we have left probable explanations from
which we must decide the most prob
able.
Eliminate Murder
Sherlock Holmes would find that there
is no possibility of outright murder, Of
suicide, and almost none of immediate
accidental death.
Here are the facts. after all rumOrs
and theories have been eliminated DR..
Horace n. Marvin, aged sixty, recently
came 10 Dover. was regarded as a very
wealthy man-nC doubt a millionaire.
He came from the West. His eldest
son was the owner of big ranch some
where out there. His late wife's rela-
tives were established New York PEG
He DR.. Marvin sought to buy large
farm, priced and obtained options on
several. OF course, the toWnfolk con-
cluded DR.. Marvin was rich.
Motive for kidnapping.
Elimination of Tumors from facts
rhows that Dr. Marvin Is worth prob
ably about S10,c00.
Sherlock Holmes would conclude that
there IS every reason TO believe that lit
tie Horace is ROW alive.
Was he LOST Was he accidentally
killed? Did not little Horace run away?
These questions must be eliminated.
After going over the ground carefully
the conclusion is that the boy could not
have been lost. II lost. where2 There Is
no answer To this. Every nook and cor
ner of more than twice the territory the
boy could have traversed has been
searched as 10 ground was ever searched
before. He IS not lost
Feel Sure Of kidnapping.
Nor was he accidentally killed. Within
the radius possible for an accident TO
have occurred there is absolutely no
evidence of such a thing The same
search would have revealed something if
Horace had been killed.
Did ne run away? Little Horace is
not three years old. and he could not
possibly have gone any distance before
discovery.
There is but one answer-he was kid
mapped and is alive. No resident OF Del
aware captured Kim. Sherlock Holmes
would confidently state this because the
law making kidnapping punishable by
death was recently endcted-IreSh IN tie
minds OF every citizen of the State. No
one IN Dover had a grudge against the
kindly old doctor. This eliminates the
revenge theory But Dr.. Marvin came
70 Dover with every mark of. a million
aire.
Was on a Hobo Route.
The State, at the time of the kid
naping was on the route of a moving
army Of hobOes coming from the South
for the more comfortable summer eli
mate Of the North. Struggling detach-
ments of this army were passing con-
Ftantly. pilfering as they went They
knew Kits Hammock of old II was
a shelter and doubtless some of the
criminal privates of this army knew OF
It's possibilities as a safe retreat and
rendezvous Dover was full Of talk OF
the rich doctor They heard it,
Tranps Took Horace.
Left playing alone on the straw
stack. this child was fair prize In
sJhe eyes Of passing vagabonds. IN ar
instant they realized the golden posi-
Dllities that lay in carrying him away.
These are my findings. If they are
incorrect the Holmes method of de-
,duction is responsible / may say.
However, that the man who believes
most implicitly in the theory / have
advanced is DR. Marvin. Here are
the old mans words, uttered 10 me as
left him at his doorstep
All ! want is TO get my boy back
Il am positive that he was stolen. !
sm not vengeful. I freely forgive. from
my heart, the persons who have my
boy and win pay them the ransom d
they Will bring him back to me The
samount I offer is all that I have now
.but / would strip myself bare if little
Horace were brought back 10 me-"
Miners Son Gone.