Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1922-10-06
The story thus far:

Ry SIR Arthur CONAN Dol

The story thus lar:
A Young man. announcing himself Ms
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 oil
numbering Mr.. Jonas Oldat re, OF
Lower Norwood, but could 60 to jail
happy il he knew Holmes were working
TO free HIM. He calls the attention ot
Holmes and Watson to an article which
be reads from a morning paper. ihls
article SAWS that late the preceding
night Mr.. Oldacre builder Of Norwood
\ rich bachelor of fifty-two was Killed.
About twelve o'clock An alarm OF IRE
was turned in for small timber yard
behind his house. The fire could not be
extinguished until the entire pile had
been burned. Mr.. Oldacre could not
be found. and an examination oil his
room showed that he had not slept
there and that a struggle had occurred.
Slipht 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,
Lestrade, a member of the Scotland
Yard detective force. burst into the
room and arrested McFarlanc. Holmes
convinced Lestrade to give McFarlane
time to tell his story before taking hun
to iall. McFarlane SAID that many years
ago his parents knew Oldacre, but tina,
he did not. The afternoon before
Oldacre had come to see him he was a
lawver-civing hum his will and asking
him 10 cast 1t 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..
Oldscre then asked McFarlsne to come
to his house that night as there were some
documents there that needed explaining.
He made McFariane promise not to
mention the affair TO his parents until
everything was settled. That evening he
went to Oldacre's house and was shown
in by a middle-aged woman. He went to
Oldacre's bedroom, where there was
\ huge safe. From this Oldacre took
many documents and it was almost Md
night when they had finished looking
them over. McFarlane remembered
that the window looking on the gar
den was open, with the blinds only
partly down. McFarlane lett Oldscre
before midnight, and knew nothing
more until he read of the crime in the
morning paper. McFarlsne then left
with the police officers, but Lestrade
STAYED 10 talk TO Holmes, who picked
up the will and read it. :
From the irregularity of the writing,
Holmes deducted that the will had
been written on train, the clearly
written parts at the stations. his
bore out McFarlane's statement that
Oldacre had said the will was drawn
up the preceding day on his way home.
Holmes and lIestradc went over several
different theories of the murder, but
Lestrade always insisted that Mctar-
lane was logically the murderer. When
he had gone. Holmes departed fol
Blackheath, where McFarlane lived
but returned later to tell Watson he
could get no clues TO exonerate Nc
Farlane. He had seen his mother
who admitted that Oldacre was an ole
sutton Of hers, whom she refused be
cause of his heartless treatment o
animals. Snc SnONeu hoilptN ftiu'
graph of herself which she had glver
Oldacrc snd which he had returned Il
her on her wedding day, slashed across
with a knife. Then Holmes went Il
Oldacres house and examined 1t. II
the ashes were found trouser button'
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 robbni
what he was about TO inherit. Thei
Holmes examined the housekeeper, ant
felt convinced that she knew NOR
than she would tell. The next morn
ing Lestrade sent for ihep and toll
them he had conclusive proof of Nc
Farlane's guilt, for on the wall OF IN
hall was thumb mark of blood. Tn
mark was that of McFarlane s thumb
THAT is final" said Les,rade. "Yes
that is final" said Holmes.