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About Wallowa chieftain. (Joseph, Union County, Or.) 1884-1909 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 11, 1902)
A STUDY IN BY A. CONAN DOYLE. s CllAITLU III Continual. No. 3 Lauriston Gardens wore an Ill omened ami minatory looi;. It was one of four, which stood back some little way from the street, two being occu pied and two empty. The latter looked out with three tiers of vacant, melancholy windows, which were blank and dieary, save that here and there a "To Let" card had developed like a cataract upon the bleared panes. A small garden sprinkled over with a scattered eruption of sickly plants separated each of these houses from the street, and was traversed by a nar row pathway, yellowish in color, and consisting apparently or a mixture 01 : feeling, pressing, unbuttoning, exam clay and gravel. , ining, while his eyes wore tho same The whole place was very sloppy far away expression which I have al from the rain which had fallen through j ready remarked upon, the night. The garden was bounded So swiftly was the examination made by a three-foot brick wall with a j that one would hardly have guessed Iringe of woo l rails upon the top. and . the minuteness with which it was eon against this wall was leaning a stal-1 ducted. Finally, he sniffed the dead wart police constable, surrounded by j man's lips and then glanced at the a small knot of loafers, who craned j soles of his patent leather boots, their necks and strained their eyes in "He has not been moved at all?" he tne vain nope or catching some glimpse ; of the proceedings within. I had imagined that Sherlock Holmes would at once have hurried Into the house and plunged Into a study of the mystery. Nothing appeared to be further from his intention. With an air of non chalance, which under the eircum stances seemed to me to border upon affectation, he lounged up and down As they raised him a ring tingled the pavement, and gazed vacantly at j down ami rolled across the lloor. Le the ground, the sky, the opposite j strade grabbed it up and stared at it houses and the line of railings, Having finished his scrutiny, he pro ceedly slowly down the path, or rather down the fringe of grass which flanked the path, keeping his eyes riveted upon the ground. Twice he stopped and once I saw hlni smile ami heard him titter an ex clamation of satisfaction. There were i many marks of footsteps upon the wet. clayey soil, but since the police had ! been coming and going over It I was unable to see how my companion could iiope to learn anything from It. Still, I had had such extraordinary evidence of the quickness of his per ceptive faculties that I had no doubt he could see a great deal which was hidden from me. ' At the door of the house we were met by a tall, white-faced, flaxen-haired man. with a notebook in his hand, who rushed forward and wrung my com panion's hand with effusion. "It is Indeed kind of you to come." 'he said. "I have had everything left untouched." "Except that!" my friend answered, "pointing to the pathway. "If a herd -of buffaloes had passed along, there could not be a greater .mess. No doubt, however, you had drawn your own con clusions, Gregson, before you permit ted this." "I have had so much to do inside the house." the detective said, evas ively. "My colleague. Mr. Lestrade, is here. I had relied upon him to look after this." Holmes glanced at me and raised his eyebrows sardonically. "With two such men as yourself and Lestrade upon the ground, there will not be much for a third party to to find out," he said. Gregson rubbed his hands in a self- satisfied way. "I think we have done all that can I he done," he answered. "It's a queer case, though, and I knew your taste for such things." "You did not come here in a cab?" asked Sherlock Holmes. "No, sir." "Nor Lestrade?" "No, sir." "'Then let us go and look at the room." With which inconsequent remark he strode on Into the house, followed by Gregson. whose features expressed his astonishment. Holmes walked in and I followed him with that subdued feeling at my heart which the presence of death in spires. It was a large, square room, looking all the larger for the absence of all furniture. Opposite the door was a showy fire place. On one corner of this was stuck the stump of a red wax candle. The solitary window was so dirty that the liRht was hazy and uncertain, giving a dull gray tinge to everything, which was intensified by the thick layer of dust which coated the whole apartment. All these details I observed after ward. At present my attention was centered upon the single grim, mo- tionless fleure which lay stretched i upon the boards, with vacant, sight- i - . , . : , , less eyes staring up ai tae uiscoiorea ceiling. It was that of a man about forty- three or forty-four years of age, middle-sized, broad shouldered, with crisp, curling black hair, and a short, stubby heard. His hands were clenched and his arms thrown abroad, while his lower limbs were Interlocked as though his death struggle had been a grievous one. On his rigid face there stood an ex pression of horror, and, as It seemed to me, of hatred, gnch as I have never eeen upon human features. 'inis malignant and terrible contor tion, combined with the low forehead, blunt nose, and prognathous jaw, gave the dead man a singularly simious and ape-like appearance, which wes in creased by his writhing, unnatural pos ture. Lestrade. lean and ferret-like as ever, was standing by the doorway and greeted my companion and myself. "This case will make a stir, sir," he remarked. "It beats anything I have seen, and I am no chicken." "There is no clew " said Oregson. "None at all," chimed in Lestrade. Sherlock Holmes approached the tody and kneeling down, examined It Intently. SCARLET. "You are sure that there Is no wound?" he asked, pointing to numer ous gouts and splashes of blood which lay all aiound. "Positive:" cried both detectives. 'Then of course this blood belongs to a second individual presumably the murderer, If murder has been com mitted. It reminds me of the circum stances attending on the death of Van Jansen. in Utrecht, in the year 34. Do you remember the case, Oregson?" "No. sir." "Read It up you really should. There is nothing new under the sun. It has all been done before." As he spoke his nimble fingers were flying here, there and everywhere asKeu, "No more than was necessary for the purpose of our examination." "You can take him to tae mortuary now," he said. "There is nothing more to be learned." Gregson had a stretcher and four men at hand. At his call they entered the room, and the stranger was lifted and carried out. with mystified eyes, "There's been a woman here," he cried. "It's a woman's wedding ring." He held it out as he spoke, upon the palm of his hand. We all gathered round him and gazed at It. There could be no doubt that that circle of plain gold had once adorned the finger of a bride. "This complicates matters," said Gregson. "Heaven knows, they were complicated enough before!" "You're sure it doesn't simplify them?" observed Holmes. "There's nothing to be learned by staring at it. What did you find in his pockets?" "We have it all here," said Greg son, pointing to a litter of objects upon one of the bottom steps of the stairs. "A gold watch. No. 97,163, by Barraud, of London. Gold Albert chain, very heavy and solid. Gold ring, with Ma sonic device. Gold pin bulldog's head, with rubies as eyes. Russian leather card case, with cards of Enoch J. Drebber, of Cleveland, correspond ing with the E. J. D. upon the linen. No purse, but loose money to the ex tent of seven pounds thirteen. Pock et edition of Boccaccio's 'Decameron.' with name of Joseph Stangerson upon the fly leaf. Two letters one address ed to E. J. Drebber and one to Joseph Stangerson." "At what address?" "American Exchange, Strand to be left till called for. They are both from the Guion Steamship Company, and refer to the sailing of their boats from Liverpool. It is clear that this unfor tunate man was about to return to New York." "Have you made any inquiries as to this man Stangerson?" "I did it at once," said Gregson. "I have had advertisements sent to all the newspapers, and one of my .men has gone to the American Exchange, but he has not returned yet." "Have you sent to Cleveland?" "We telegraphed this morning." "How did you word your inquiries?" "We simply detailed the circum stances, and said that w-e should be glad of any information which could help us." "You did not ask for particulars on any point which appeared to you to be crucial?" "I asked about Stangerson." "Nothing else? Is there no circum stance on which this whole case ap pears to hinge? Will you not tele graph again?" "I have said all I have to say," said Gregson, in an offended voice. Sherlock Holmes chuckled to him self, and appeared to be about to make some remark, when Lestrade, who had been in the front room while we were holding this conversation in the hall, reappeared upon the scene, rubbing his hands in a pompous and well-satisfied manner. "Mr. Gregson," he said, "I have just made a discovery of the highest im portance, and one which would have been overlooked had I not made a care ful examination of the walls." The little man's eyes sparkled as he spoke, and he was evidently in a state of suppressed exultation at having scored a point against his colleague. hava " V, -M K,,i,t!;nn Come here," he said, bustling back into the room, the atmosphere of which felt cleaner since the removal of its ghastly Inmate. "Now, stand there!" He struck a match on his boot and held it up against the wall. "Look at that!" he said triumphant ly. I have remarked that the paper had faen away in parts. In this particu lar corner of the room a large piece had peeled off. leaving a yellow square of coarse plastering. Across this bare space there was scrawled in blood-red letters a single word : RACHE. "What do you think of that?" cried the detective, with the air of a show man exhibiting his show. "This was overlooked because it was in the dark est corner of the room, and no one thought of looking there. The mur derer has written it wlth'hfs or her own blood. See this smear where it has trickled down the wall! That disposes of the idea of suicide, anyhow. Why was that corner chosen to write it on? I will tell you. See that candle on the mantelpiece. It was lighted at the time, and if it was lighted this corner would be the brightest instead of the darkest portion of the wall." . "And what does H mean, now taat you have found It?" asked Gregson, in a deprecatory tone. "Mean? Why. it means that the writer was going to put the female name Rachel, but was disturbed before he or she had time to finish. You mark my words, when this case comes to be cleared up you'll find that a woman named Rachel has something to do with It. It's all very well for you to laugh, Mr. Sherlock Holmes. You may be very smart and clever, but the old hound is the best, when all Is said and done." "I really beg your pardon!" said my companion, who had ruffled the little man's temper by bursting Into an ex plosion of laughter. "You certainly have the credit of being the first of us to find out, and. as you say, it bears every mark of having been written by the other participant In last night's mystery. I have not had time to ex amine this room yet, but with your permission I shall do so now." As he spoke he whipped a tape meas ure and a large, round, magnifying glass from his pocket. So engrossed was he with his occu pation that he appeared to have for gotten our presence, for he chattered away to himself under his breath the whole time, keeping up a running fire of exclamations, groans, whistles and little cries suggestive of encourage ment and of hope. As I watched him I was Irresistibly reminded of a pure-blooded, well trained fox hound as it dashes back ward and forward through the covert, wliinlnrr In la r-n rprn nss until it ronies I across the lost scent. For twenty minutes or more he con tinued his researches, measuring with the most exact care the distance be tween marks which were entirely In visible to me, and occasionally apply ing his tape to the walls in an equally incomprehensible .manner. In one place he gathered very care fully a little pile of gray dust from the floor, and packed it away in an envel ope. Finally he examined with his glass the word upon the wall, going over ev ery letter of it with the most minute exactness. This done, he appeared to be satis fied, for he replaced his tape and his lass in his pocket. "They say that genius Is an Infinite capacity ' for taking pains," he re marked, with a smile. "It's a very j bad definition, but it does apply to de tective work." Gregson and Lestrade had watched . the maneuvers of their amateur com- ; panion with considerable curiosity and some contempt. . They evidently failed to appreciate the fact, which I had begun to realize, that Sherlock HoLmes' smallest actions were all directed toward some definite and practical end. "What do you think of it, sir?" they both asked. "It would be robbing you of the cred it of the case if I was to presume to help you," remarked my friend. "You are doing so well now that it would be a pity for any one to interfere." There was a world of sarcasm in his votce as he spoke. "If you will let me know how your investigations go," he con tinued, "I shall be happy to give you any help I can. In the meantime, I should like to speak to the constable who found the body. Can you give me his name and address?" . "John Ranee," he said. "He Is off duty now. You will find him at 46 Audley Court, Kensington Park Gate." Holmes took a note of the address. "Come along, doctor," he said; "we shall go and look him up. I'll tell you one thing which may help you in the case," he continued, turning to the two detectives. "There has been murder done, and the murderer was a man. He was more than six feet high, was in the prime of life, had small feet for his height, wore coarse, squnre-toed boots, and smoked a Trichinopoly cigar. He came here with his victim in a four-wheeled cab. which was drawn by a horse with three old shoes and one new one on his off foreleg. In all probability the .murderer had a flor id face, and the finger nails of his right hand were remarkably long. These are only a few Indications, but they may assist you." Lestra.lc and Gregson looked at each other with an Incredulous smile. "If this man was murdered, how was It done?" asked the former. "Poison," said Sherlock Holmes, curtly, and strode off. "One other thing. Lestrade," he added, turning round at the door; " 'Rache' is the German for 'revenge;' so don't lose your time looking for Miss Rachel." With which Parthian shot he walked away leaving the two rivals open mouthed behind him. (To be continued.) Why He Wanted to Go. Up at primry school No. 9 in Brook lyn the other day, one of the boys pre sented a note from his mother, asking to be allowed to go home at 2 o'clock. The teacher looked at him severely. "See here," she taid, "you've been out a great deal lately, and here you have a note to go out again. Now, we can't do things that way. If you are coming to school I want you to stay here. What do you want to go out for?" "My mother wanted me to go to New York," replied the small boy. "Wouldn't Saturday afternoon do just as well?" "No, ma'am." "Do you have to go at 2 o'clock?" ""es, ma'am." "Wouldn't half past 2 do as well?" "No, ma'am'.' "Well, what do you have to go for anyway?" "Please, ma'am, my cousin's dead." The expression on the teacher's face was wonderful to behold as she gave t lie boy permission to go. New York Even inn Mail. Mskc Bequest of Their Brains. The Cornell Brain Association, ol which rroi. isurt u. liner is presi dent, has received more than 100 be quests of the brains of highly educated people, as a result of the circulation of a unique form of "will and testa ment," which he drew 'up and asked them to sign. BURYING THE DEAD AT MANILA, ' r!Vi W ' r-FJ IHi 2Sk I ml U It has been In harness and 2 I i,T,W?17T ATZt "rSS& -Uw. -rr-Ktl World down to the in p w iiflHnMBini HOW Till: DEAD ARE BURIED AT MANILA. The ManUa cemetery consist f two circular walls, about seven feet thick pierced with holes, in wiiKli tile rothns are placed. After a collin has been dc loMtt.l the hole is hrickt-d up ami fared with a memorial tablet. These graves are leased for five years, at toe end of which time, unless the lease is renewed, tile coffins are taken out and the l.ones thrown into a pile just outside the wall. The walls of the cemetery are constructed of earth and rubble faced with stone, and Hie tropical rains s..ik through find rot the cottius. This method of burial dates back to the days .if the domination of the Spanish friars. All sorts of ilis:-:is are placed on the memorial tablet which seals the tomb and soinetinus after a Ic.is.- expires and another body has been placed in the grave the same tablet is replaced. The women of Manila are ever faithful in their mourning for their dead and fresh wreaths aJora the tombs of the departed ones constantly. Chicago to have a home for desiitute doqs. Destitute dogs that have not the comforts of home will no longer be given the short shrift of the city pound in Chicago, owing to the minis trations of the exclusive set of society women, who have interested them selves in the cause of the lone lorn can ine. Led In the movement by Mrs. C. A. White, of Michigan avenue, lmi wom en will found a retreat for canines, called the Home for Destitute Dogs. Mrs. White Is u lover of nnlinais, and the sufferings of vagabond canines appeal especially to her. She has her self u large nsortment of dogs of high degree, and .has entertained many a "blue rlbboner" in her kennels. She possesses the finest Japanese spaniels in the country, and Is Vice President of the Chicago Kennel Club. When Mrs. White Invited a number of her friends to her home to see If something could not be done for the four-footed friendless, she found enthu siast io support in her nhiluiithmnie plans from the women assembled. She argued that while there was a cat hos pital In the city, homeless dogs were unprovided for, and she proposed that a retreat for them be built. She offered to give up her Intended visit to the sea shore to perfect the scheme. The site for the home has been selected and tin work of putting up the home will soon be started. Sick as well as homeless dogs will be cared for. and the destitute dogs will be offend for adoption to any who will promise to care for them and treat them as a canine pet should be treated. Funds for maintaining tho home will be secured by subscriptions. Dogs which cannot be cured will be made away with painlessly. SAYS LONDON IS SQUALID. Eminent Kngliah Architect Compares It with Cities in America. A candid friend of London appeared recently, says the London Mall, In the person of Mr. Trevail, the new presi dent of the Society of Architects. In his presidential address at St. James hall Mr. Trevail said: "The Impression that always palls upon one when returning from either the European or American continents, to London is the wretchedly narrow and insignificant looking streets, with the low, mean, small shops and dwell ings by-contrast with what we have Just left behind us. It is of little In terest to be told Just how many hun dreds of miles of the same sort of thing London contains more than does any other metropolis in Christendom or elsewhere. "The fact still remains in your mind in a general sense that Loudon looks squnlld and miserable by comparison and that feeling affects one for days, until he once more gets seasoned into the old haunts and relapses Into that comfortable frame of mind that, after all, even the Strand and Chancerj land, or Fleet street and Ludgate cir cus, with all their advertising abomi nations, look at least familiar and homely. MRS. C. A. WHITE. "Take the city of London. It may have some of the finest commercial palaces In the world, rivaling those of old Venice herself, but look how they are huddled together. There Is positively not tho space to appreciate their design, their proportions, noi their detail. Compare the Champs Elysees, Place de la Concorde, or the boulevards of Paris with our best streets and squares and where are we? "Or, say the Ulngstrasses of Vienna, or the Boulevard Andrassy at Buda pest, or, carrying our thoughts across the Atlantic, to Broadway, Fifth av enue. Riverside and Central Park, New York; the Commonwealth av enue, Boston; Victoria square, Mont real; Fast avenue, Buffalo; Drexel boulevard, Washington avenue, or State street. Chicago; Pennsylvania avenue, Washington, or dozens of oth ers that might be named. Alongside of these our Strand, our Whitehall, our Victoria street, Regent street, Pic cadilly, Park lane, Oxford street, etc., are but wretched apologies for what leading streets and thoroughfares should be. "If we except the Thames embank ment. Shaftesbury avenue and the new thoroughfare that Is about to be made between the Strand and Holborn, nothing of an adequate scale to the size and Importance of this metropo lis has yet been attempted. With the dilapidated, rickety, old ramshackle properties that we see In some of the best and most central parts of London, what is wanted is a general rebuild ing and improving scheme fixed after mature deliberation by a competent central authority specially constituted by parliament, after consultation with the chief local authorities and perhaps the representative societies of archi tecture, sculpture and engineering, with a special regard to Its qualifica tions and fitness for the purpose. "This would be merely following the example that has been set In such capitals as Paris, Vienna and Wash ington." DAMAGED BY VIOLIN-PLAYING. Kesular Vibrations of the Instrument Make Trouble with Walls. "What force least expected does the greatest damage to buildings V" Is a question which a representative of the Indianapolis News asked a well-known architect. The architect's answer may be a surprise to those who do not un derstand that it Is the regularity of vi bration that makes It powerful. It Is dillicuit to tell, replied the archi tect but I will venture to say that you would never expect violin-playing to injure the walls of a building. Vet It certainly does. There have been In stances when the walls of stone and brick structures have been seriously damaged by the vibrations from a vio lin Of course these cases are unusual, but the facts are established. The vibrations of a violin nre really serious In their unseen, unbounde-l force, and when they come with regu larlty they exercise an Influence upon structures of brick, stone or iron Of course it takes continuous playing fr many years to loosen masonry or to tiwe6 lr" '" 1Ut " WlH d0 11 ln I have often thought of what the re sult ( might be if a ,., would stand at thebottomofanineteen-sto.-v ni.. on the first floor of the grat i I lemple In Chicago, and ph.y there c , ,. tlnuously. The result could be more easily seen there than almost anvwl ere else, because the vibration gathers force as it sweeps upward A man car, feel the vibrations of n von 0 ,ron.cIud 0C(,an at the same time bo unable to hear tl e music. It Is the regularity which mea n so much. Like the constant dr ping of water which wears away a S e the incessant vibration of the violin The husband of a Jealous wife nearlv always thinks to himself, "Well there is some reason for It; I am a sweet thing." Who is the most worthless ever knew? man you i ne sun is a Faithful Servant preseut tw n. the genius of mmi is destlued to brin, about still greater results than r..I apparent. Several more or less Dri Ileal plans of utilizing the sun', uuve oeen invented, but none M p feet, so full of promise as the Z sua motor now engaged In storing n the sun's heat at the well-known Pu. adeua ostrich' farm In California. Br the sun's heat water Is boiled, tb Kteiini working a powerful engine . liable of pumping some l,4uo gaiiomoj water In a minute. From the distance the California inn motor looks like a huge open umbrell! Inverted and with a piece sawn offlu top. It Is balanced ou a high steel framework and is set nt snei. .. .... that It will catch the sunbeams on lu 1.7.SH mirrors. Kach of these mirrors measures two feet In length and three Inches across and retlects the' sunshine on to a long cylinder, corresponding to the bundle of the umbrella, which holds about BR) gallons of water. He boiler Is made of steel, covered with a heat-absorbing material. The hot, persistent California inn that whines almost every day In the year when reilected fropi the mirrors on the boiler causes such heat that It Is possible to obtain loO pounds of steam pressure in one hour from cold wnter. When the machine Is made ready for work a task for a boy, who has merely to turn a crank until the Indicator shows that the sun Is truly focused on the mirrors It will move around so that Its face is kept turned to the sun ull day without further ma nipulation under the force of an auto matic engine. The boiler is automatic ally supplied with water, a safety valve releasing the steam If the pres sure should become too great. All day every day from an hour aft er sunrise to a half hour before inn down this tireless heat concentrator keeps its shining face turned to the sun, storing up an energy which may bo put to nlmost any use. It works under the powerful California sun a well In winter as in summer. A FUNERAL PYRE. Misers' Hoard Disappeared in Fin Kindled by Ills Heirs. Misers are notorious for their odd wills and strange secretion of proper ty. In "The Story of My Life" an in teresting Incident Is told of hidden val uables and their fate. Mr. and Mrs, Close, nt Nottingham, England, were reputed very rich and great misers. After their death the heirs, a nephew and his wife, came to the house and ransacked it for the money aud dia monds which their deceased relatives were suposed to have secreted there. Cupboards and drawers were searched In vain. Nothing particular was found. At last, in the attic, a great trunk was discovered. "Here It lsr tuey niu. But when the trunk was opened the upper part was found to be full of nothing but hulr-comblngs, as If all the waste from hair-brushes had been saved for years. Below these was lot of very much soiled old curl-papers; and under thciu, again, were several pairs of old and very much worn cor sets. "What a mess!" said young Mm Close, In disgust. "We'll nave It burned. What creatures our relatives must have been!" The trunk was taken down into the courtyard, a huge bonfire made, and the trunk unset In It. As It was burn ing the woman stood by with a stick, poking the rubbish. Accidentally sne poked open one of the curl-papers. It was a fifty-pound note! In ngony she pulled and pokea ai u fire, but it wns too late; most oi v . Art IV notes were burned, sue snvcu about eight hundred pounds. vntiii-niiv lir husband was angry and unjust. Every time ne sa burned heap In the courtyard he bnrst forth afresh. So his wife sent for U ashman and had the debris removeo. . .k Still the diamonds had not d rr, p-inoiiir nn old charwoman wn had worked in the house was foua l the almshouse. She was asked If w knew anything about the dlamonos'.ii there were any, aud where wey kePt- .... 41.. "Oh. yes," she said, "tuere w monds very fine ones; but small go they ever did old Mrs. Close for'" always kept them sewn up and niaaeu away In her old stays." All the stays had been burned the fire. The diamonds mlgnt have been destroyed but the ashman had removed every vestige of w" ashes. Not a trace of them could found. Monotony. j "You ought to have a change scene," Bald the physician. "But, my dear sir," protestea patient, "I am a traveling man oj v fesslon." . ffl( "Well, that's the point Stay awhile and see something to". tel rooms and depots."-WashlngB Star. Much Study of Consumption Within the. last ten years more methods have been devised for ' a ' with consumption than any other man aliment. Some artists couldn't draw a without the aid of tracing-paper-