Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-08-28

IL was in the spring OF the year 1874
that al London was interested, and
the fashionable world dismaycd, by
the murder Of the Honorable Ronald
AdAir under most unusual and mex
plicAble circumstances. The public
has already learned those particulars
Of the crime which came out in the
police investigation, but good deal
was suppressed upon that occasion,
nnce the case for tho prosecution was
No overwhelmingly strong that it was
not necessary to bring forward all the
facts. Only now, at the end Of nearly
ten years. am allowed to supply those
missing links which make up the whole
OF that remarkable chain. The crime
was Of interest in itself, but that in
tercet was rs nothing to me compared
to the inconceivab,e sequel, which al
fordcd me the greatest shock and sur
prise OF any event in my adventurous
life. Even now, after this long interval,
| find myself thrilling as / think OF 1t,
and feeling once more that sudden
flood OF 10Y, amaxemcnt, and incredul-
ity which utterly submerged my mind.
Let me say to that public, which was
shown some interest in tose gllmpses
which l have occasionally given them
OF the thoughts and actions of very
remarkable man, that they are not 10
blame me If | have not shared my
knowledge with them, for | should have
considered 1t my first duty to have
done so, had | not been barred by a
positive prohibition from his own lips,
which was only withdrawn upon the
third of last month.
Ii can be imagined that my close
intimacy with Sherlock Holmes had in
terestcd me deeply in crime, and that
after his disappearance | never failed
10 read with care the various problems
which came before the public. And
even attempted more than once, for
nv own private satisfaction, TO employ
his methods in their solution, though
with indifferent success. There was
none, however, which appealed to me
like this tragedy OF Ronald Adalr AS
| read the evidence at the inquest,
which led up 10 verdict OF wilful mur-
der against some person or persons un-
known, | realized moro clearly than /
had ever done the loss which the COM
munitv had sustained by the death OF
Sherlock Holmes. There We're points
about this strange business which
would, | was sure, have specially APP
nealed to him, and the efforts of the
police would have been supplemented,
or more probably anticipated, by the
trained observation and the aler, mind
of the first criminal agent IN Europe.
Al day as ] drove upon my round,
turned over the case IN my mind, and
found no explanation which appeared
20 me TO he adequate. At the risk ol
telling a twice-toid tale, | will recapit-
ulate the facts as they were known to
the public nj the conclusion of the in
quest.
The Honorable Ronald Adair swa the
second son of the Earl Of Maynooths
at that time governor Of one of the
Australian colonies. Adalr's mother
had returned from Australia 10 undergo
the operation for cataract, and she, hel
son Ronald. and her daughter Hilds
were living together at 427 Park Lane
The youth moved IN the best society
had, so far as was known, no enemies
and no particular vices: He had beer
engaged TO Miss Edith Woodley, oi
Carstairs, but the engagement had beer
broken of by mutual consent some
months before, and there was no sigr
that il had left any very profound feel
ing behind Il. For the rest the man
life moved in narrow and conyen
tional circle, for his habits were quiet
and his nature Unconditional. Yet i
was upon this easy going young aris
tocrat that death came, IN most strang,
and unexpected form, between th,
hours Of tensand eleven twenty on tn
night OF March 80, 1894.
Ronald Adair was found OF cards
playing continually, but never for sucl
stakes as would hurt him. He was :
member of the Baldwin, the Cavendish
and the Bagatelle card clubs. II wa
shown that after dinner on the day o
his death, he had played rubber o
\ whist at the latter club. He had ais
Nplayed there in the afternoon. tn
evidence Of those who had played wit
him-Mr. Murray, Sir John Hardy, AM
Colonel Moran-showed that the gam
was whist, and that there was a fairl
equal fan Of the cards. Adsir nigh
have lost five pounds, but not more
His fortune was a considerable one
and such a loss could not in any wa,
affect him He had played nearly ever
day at one club or other, but he was
cautious player, and usually rose
winner. IL came out in evidence that
in partnership with Colonel Moran, h
had actually won as much as four hun
dred and twenty pounds in sitting
some weeks before, from Godfrey Milne
and Lord Balmoral. So much for hi
recent history as II came out at tn
inquest.
On the evening of the crime he II
turned from the club exactly at ter
His mother and sister were out spend
ing the evening with q relation. Th
servant deposed that she heard hin
enter the front room on the secon
floor, generally used as his sittin.
room. She had lit a fire there, and {
il smoked she had opened the window
No sound was heard from the ROOF
until eleven-twenty. the hour OF th