The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-10-11
Til Reigate Puzzle
BY SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE
Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate

'Tf it's a local villain there should
not be much difficulty in running him
down." said Holmes with yawn. All
right, Watson, l don't intend to med
die"
Inspector Forester, sir" said the
butler, throwing open the door.
The official, a smart, keen-faced
young fellow, stepped into the room.
Good morning, Colonel" said he; Il
hope / don't intrude. but we hear that
Mr. Holmes of Baker street is here
The Colonel waved his hand toward
my friend, and the Inspector bowed.
I'VE thought that perhaps you would
care to step across, Mr.. Holmes"
"The fates are against you, Wat
son. said he, laughing. I'VE were
chatting about the matter when you
came in, Inspector. Perhaps you can
let US have a few details" AS he
leaned back in his chair in the famii-
lar attitude / knew that the case was
hopeless.
1--WE 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 seen"
"Ah!"
YES, sir. But he was off like a
deer after the shot that killed poor
William Kirwan was fired. Mr.. Cum
bingham saw him from the bedroom
window, and Mr.. Alec Cunningham
saw him from the back passage. 1t
was quarter to twelve when the alarm
broke out. Mr.. Cunningham had just
got into bed, and Mr. Alec was smok-
ing 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 he saw
| two men wrestling together outside.
| One of them fired 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 gain
! ed the road, but lost sight of him at
| once. Mr.. Alec stopped to see if he
! could help the dying man, and so the
| villain got clean away. Beyond 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 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 very
faithful fellow we imagine that hi
| walked up to the house with the in
| tention of seeing that all was right
| there. OF course this Acton business
has put every one on their guard. The
robber must have just burst open thu
door-the lock has been forced-wheI
| William came upon him"
Did William say anything to hi
mother before going out?"
She is very old and deaf, and W,
can get no information from her. TIL
shock has made her half-witted, but
understand that she was never yer,
bright. There is one very importan
circumstance, however. Look at this!
He took small piece of torn pape
from a notebook and spread it GU
upon his knee.
!, This was found between the finge
. and thumb of the dead man. 1t az
pears to be a fragment torn from
, larger sheet. You will observe tina
the hour mentioned upon it is the yer
time at which the poor fellow met hi
, fate. You see that his murderer nigh
have torn the rest of the sheet fror
) him or he might have taken this frae
ment from the murderer. 1t reads a
/ most as though it were an appoint
ment'
r Holmes took up the scrap of paper
: fac-simile of which is here repro
) duced.