Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1922-10-07

4 young man, announcing himself as
the unhappy John Hector McFarlane,
presents himself before Sherlock Holmes
and asks for help. He tells Holmes he
expects to be arrested on the charge of
numbering Mr.. Jonas Oldao re, of
Lower Norwood, but could 60 to Jail
happy il he knew Holmes were working
10 free HIM. He calls the attention of
Holmes and Watson to an article which
he reads from morning paper. Ibis
article saws that late the preceding
night Mr.. Oldacre a builder of Norwood
q rich bachelor of tifty-two was killed
About twelve o'clock an alarm of fire
was turned in for small timber yard
behind his house. The fire could not be
been burned. MIR. Oldacre could not
be found, and an examination of his
room showed that he had not slept
there and that struggle had occurred.
Slight traces of blood were found,
and walking stick, identified as be-
longing to John Hector McFarlane,
was found. There were evidences of
some heavy body having been dragged
from his room through the French
windows to the pile Of lumber, and
charred remains were found in the ashes.
Just as McFarlane finished reading,
Icstrade, q member of the Scotland
Yard detective force, burst into the
room and arrested McFarlane. Holmes
convinced Lestrade to give McFarlane
time to tell his story before taking HIM
TO jail. McFarlanc said that many years
ago his parents knew Oldacrc, but that
he did not. The afternoon before
Oldacrc had come to see him he was a
lawyer-giving HIM his will and asking
HIM TO cast it into shape. What was
McFarlane's surprise to read that Old
acre made him his sole heir. The will
was duly signed and witnessed and Mr..
Oidacre then asked McFarlane TO come
10 his house that night as there were some
documents there that needed explaining.
He made McFarianc promise not 10
mention the affair to his parents until
everything was settled. That evening he
went to Oldacre's house and was shown
in by middle-aged woman. He went to
Oldacres bedroom, where there was
h huge safe. From this Oldacre took
many documents and it WAS almost Md
night when they had finished looking
them over. McFarlane remembered
tlldl VIC WlllliOW itOhtilS WI iit XVI
den was open, with the blinds only
partly down. McFarlanc left Oldacrc
before midnight, and knew nothing
more until he read of the crime IN the
morning paper. McFarlanc then lett
with the police officers, but Lestrade
STAYED to talk to Holmes, who picked
up the will and rcadit.
From the irregularity Of the writing
Holmes deducted that the will had
been written on train, the clearly
written parts ut the stations. This
bore out McFarlsne's statement that
Oldacre had said the will was drawn
UP the preceding day on his way home:
Holmes and Lestrade went over several
different theories of the murder, but
Iestrade always insisted that McFar-
lane was logically the murderer. When
he had gone, Holmes departed for
Blackheath, where McFarlane lived,
but returned later to tell Watson he
could get no clues 10 eXonerate Nc
Farlane. He had seen his mother,
who admitted that Oldacre was an old
sutton of hers. whom she refused be-
cause of his heartless treatment OF
animals. She showed Holmes a pilot
Vraph of herself which she had giver
Oldacre and which he had returned tC
her on her wedding day, slaShed across
with a knife. Then Holmes went Il
Oldacres house and examined IT. IL
tho ashes were found trouser buttons
with the mark OF Oldacres tailor OF
them.
Holmes found some documents miss
ing from the safe, which seemed odd
as McFarlane, if he had been the muir
derer would had no object in robhinl
what he was about to inherit. Their
Holmes examined the housekeeper, anC
felt convinced that she knew NOR
than she would tell. The next morn
ing Lestrade sent for them and toll
them he had conclusive proof Of Nc
farlane's guilt. for on the wall of tn
hall was thumb mark of blood. Tn
mark was that OF McFarlanes thumb
THAT is fnal," said Lestrade. Yes
that IS final" said Holmes.
Lestrade said the housekeeper hat
drawn their attention TO this mark
Holmes insisted that the mark wa
not there the day before when he ex
amined the hall. Holmes then aske'
the men all TO go with him TO an uppe
hall, and asked couple OF police
men to set FIRE to some straw whlcl
they brought from an clubhouse.
man stood ready TO eXtlnguish 1t wit
couple of buckets OF water. As 500
ns il was burning all of them, a
Holiness request, joined in cry o
Fire,