The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-07-25
The Problem Of Thor Bridge
By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

l. certainly received some time befor
g say one hour or two Why, theI
n was this lady still clasping 1t in he
e left hand? Why should she carry
t so carefully? She did not need t
1 refer to it in the interview. Doe
f it not seem remarkabIe?"
: well, sir, as you put it, perhap
4 it does"
! Il think l should like to sit ouietl,
; for a few minutes and think it out.
3 He seated himself upon the ston,
ledge of the bridge, and / could Sc,
| his quick grey eyes darting thei
; questioning glanees in every direction
suddenly he sprang up again and raj
, across to the opposite parapet, an(
: began to examine the stonework.
This is curious" said he.
Yes, sir; we saw the chip on the
ledge. l expect it's been done by some
passer-dy"
The stonework was grey, but al
this one point it showed white for q
space not larger than a sixpence
When examined closely one could see
that the surface was Clipped as by 4
sharp blow.
1T took some violence to do that, =
| AAOA14ACSl Win his
cane he struck the ledge several times
without leaving mark. Eyes, it was
a hard knock. In a curious place, too.
1t was not from above but from be-
low, for you see that it is on the low
er edge of the parapet."
But it is at least fifteen feet from
! the body"
Eyes, it is fifteen feet from the
body. 1t may have nothing to do with
the matter but it is a point worth
nothing. l do not think that we have
anything more to learn here. There
were no footsteps, you say?"
THE ground was iron hard, sir.
There were no traces at ALL"
Then we can go. We will go up
to the house first and look over these
weapons of which you speak. Then
we shall get on to Winchester, for
should desire to see Miss Dunbar be-
fore we go farther"
Mr.. Neil Gibson had not returned
from town, but we saw in the house
the neurotic Mr.. Bates who had call
ed upon us in the morning. He showed
US with a sinister relish the formida-
BILE array of firearms of various
shapes and size which his employer!
had accumulated in the course of an
adventurous life.
Mr.. Gibson has his enemies, as
anyone would expect who knew him
and his methods" said he He sleeps
with loaded revolver in the drawer
besides his bed. He is q man of vi
olence, sir, and there are times when
all of US are afraid of him. | am
sure that the poor lady who has pass
ed was often terrified"
Did you ever witness physical
violence towards herr"
mo, | cannot say that. But / have
heard words which were nearly as |
bad-words of cold, cutting contempt, |
even before the servants"
Our millionaire does not seem to |
shine in private life" remarked
Holmes, as we made our way to the
station. well, Watson, we have
come on a good many facts, some of
them new ones, and yet I seem some |
way from my conclusion. In spite
of the very evident dislike which
Mr. Bates has to his employer, /
gather from him that when the alarm
came he was undoubtedly in his IL
brary. Dinner was over at eight
thirty and all was normal up to then
1t is true that the alarm was some
what late in the evening, but the trag-
edy certainly occurred about the hour
named in the note. There is no ev-
dence at all that Mr.. Gibson had been
but of doors since his return from
-own at five o'clock. On the other
hand, Miss Dunbar, as l understand
t, admits that she had made an ap-
oointment to meet Mrs. Gibson at the
bridge. Beyond this she would say
nothing, as her lawyer had advised
Ter to reserve her defense. We have
several very vital questions to ask that
7oung lady, and my mind will not be
Easy until we have seen her. l must
confess that the case would seem to
ne to be very black against her if
t were not for one thing"
And what is that, Holiness"
THE finding of the pistol in her
wardrobe"
Dear me, Holiness" 1 cried, that
to me to be the most damn
ng incident of all" l
Not so, Watson. 1t had struck |
ne even at my first perfunctory
eading as very strange, and now that
am in closer touch with the case
is my only firm ground for hope. c
We must look for consistency. Where
here is want of it we must suspect l
eception.'
Il hardly follow you"
well now, Watson, suppose for a :
loment that we visualize you in the l
haracter of a woman who, in cold,
remeditated fashion, is about to get a
id of a rival. You have planned it. a
note has been written. The victim Il
as come. You have your weapon. r
he crime is done. 1t has been work 0
lanlike and complete. Do you tell $
lie that after carrying out so crafty d
crime you would now ruin your rep. II
tation as a criminal by forgetting to r
ing your weapon into those ada
emit reedbeds which would for ever
over it, but you must needs carry it
arefully home and put it in your
wn wardrobe, the very first place
lat would be searched? Your BEST
tends would hardly call you a
2hemer, Watson, and yet could not :
81"