Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Wallowa chieftain. (Joseph, Union County, Or.) 1884-1909 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 3, 1902)
A STUDY IN SCARLET BY A. CONAN DOYLE. CHAPTER VX Tie rapers next day were full of the "Brixton Mystery," as they termed it Each had a loop account of the ef- ft-lr. and some had leaders upon it in addition. There was some information in them which was new to me. I still retain in any scrap book numerous c!pping and xtmcrs bearing upon the case. Here is a condensation of a few of theci: The Daily Telegraph remarked thst te the history of crime there had sel dom been a tragedy which presented stranger features. The German name of the victim, the absence of all motive and the sin ister ics'ription cn the wall all point ed to its perpetration by politic.il refugees and revolutionists. The Socialises had many branches In America, and the deceased had. nc doubt, infringed their unwritten laws and be.n tracked down by them. After alluding airily to the Vehm gcricht. aqua tnfano. Carbonari, the llarchioress de BrinvilUers. the Par winian theory, the principles of Ma'. thus r.nd the RatclifT Highway mur ders. the article concluded by adnion rstins the government and advocatinr a closer watch over foreigners In Eng land. Tre Standard commented upon the fact that lawless outrages of the sort nsunliy occurred under a Liberal ad ministration. Thy arose from the unsettling of the minds of the masses and the con iv.ent weakening of all authority. The iecased was an American gen tlem.r: who had been residing for sotce weeks in the metropolis. He hdp. stay---, st the boarding-house off Mme. Cha -. --;::. in Torquay Terrace. Can-.i vr"'l. H as a cocpanil in his travel ry his private secretary, Mr. Joseph Ptanze'son. The two bid adieu to thei landiatiy upon Tuesday, the 4th icst. and departed to Euston station with the avowed intention of catching the Liverpool express. They were after ward seen together on the platform. Nothing more is known of them un til Mr. Drebber's body was. as re corded, discovered in an empty house In the Brixton road, many miles from Euston. Hew he came there, or how he met Ma fate, are questions which are stil! Involved in mystery. Nothing is known of the where abouts of Stangerson. We are giac'. to learn that Mr. Lestrade and M Gregson. of Scotland Yard, are both engaged upon the case, and it is con fidently anticipated that these well known officers will speedily throw light upon the matter. The Daily News observed that there was no doubt as to the crime being political one. The despotism and hat red of Liberalism which animated the Continental governments had had the effect of driving to our shores a number of men who might have made excellent citizens were they not soured by the recollection of ah they had un dergone. Among these men there was ttringect code of honor any infringe xnent of which was punished by death. Every effort should be made to find the secretary. Stangerson. and tc ascertain some particulars of the hab its of the deceased. A great step had been gained by the discovery of the address of the house at which he had boarded, a result which was entirely due to the acute ness and energy of Mr. Gregson, of Scotland Tard. Sherlock Holmes and I read these notices over together at breakfast and they appeared to afford him con aiderable amusement "1 told you that, whatever happened. Iestrade and Gregson would be sure to score." "That depends on how it turns ont." "Oh. bless you. it doesn i matter in the least. If the man is caught, it win be on account of their exertions : if he escapes, it will be in spite of e'.r ex ertions. It's heads I win. tails you lose. Whatever they do. they will have followers. A fool always finds a big ger fool to admire him." "What on earth is this?" I cried, for a', this moment there came the patter ing of many steps in the hall and '-ii ue stairs, accompanied by audible v. preslons of disgust on the part of ou landlady. "It's the Bake--street division of th detective police force." Eaid my com panion. gTavely: and as he spoke there rushed into the room hr.lf a do,: en of the dirtiest and most racee i street arabs that ever I clapped eyes cn. "Tention!" cried Holmes, in 8 harp tone and the six dirty scoun drels stood in a l'r.e like so many dis reputable statuettes. "In future yc: shall send up Wiggins alone to report, and the rest of you must wait in th street. Have you found it. Wiggins?" "No. sir, we hain't," said one of the youths. "I hardly eipe"ted that you would. Tou must keep on until you do. Here ere your waees." He handed each of them a shilling. "Now. off you go, and come back with a better report next time." He waved his hand, and they scam pered away downstairs like fo many rats, and we beard their shrill voice's aext moment in the street. "There's more work to be got out of one of those little beggars than out of a dozen of the fore." Holmes re marked. "The mere sight of an official lookinr person seals men's lips. These youngsters, however, go everywhere snd hear everything. They are as sharp as needles, too; all they wan! 1c organization. "Is it on this Brixton case that you are employing them?" I asked. "Yes; there is a point which I wish to ascertain. It is merely a matter of time. Halloo! we are going to hear some news now with a vengeance! Here U Gregsdn coming down the road with beatitude written npon ev ery feature of his face. Bound for us, I know. Yes, he is stopping. There he 1b!" There was a violent peal at the bell, and In a few seconds the fair-haired dtttective came up the Btalrs three steps at a time, and burst Into oar sitting-room. "My dear fellow," he cried, wringing Holmes' unresponsive band, "congrat ulate me: I have made the whole thing as clear as day." A shade of anxiety seemed to me to cross my companion's expressive face. "Do you mean that vou are on the right track?" he asked. "The right track! Why. sir. we have the man under lock and key!" "And his name is?" "Arthur Charpentier, sub-lieutenart in her majesty's navy," cried Gregson, pompously, nibbing his fat bands and i "Catir.g his chest. Sherlock Holmes gave a sigh of re lief and relaxed into a smile. "Take a seat and try one of these cigars." he said. ""We are anxious to know how you managed it. V.T.l you have some whisky and water?" "I don't mint, if I do." the detective answered. "The tremendous exertions hich I have gone through during the last day or two have worn me out. Not so much bodily exertion, you un derstand, as the strain upon the mind. You will appreciate that. Mr. Sher luck Holmes, for we are both brain workers." "You do me too much honor." said Holmes, gravely. "Let us hear how you arrived at this most gratifying result." The detective seated himself in the armchair and puffed complacently at his cigar. Then suddenly he slapped Lis thigh in a paroxysm of amuse ment. 'The fun of it is." he cried, "that that fool Lestrade. who thinks him self so 6mart. has gone off upon the rong track Rlrorother. He is after -he secretary. ?-?.!r-;-t. who had no more to do with the crime than the tr.be unborn. I have no doubt that b.e has caught him by this time." The idea tickled Greeson so much that he laughted until he choked. "And how did you eet your clue?" "Ah. I'll tell you all about it. Of course. Dr. Watson, this is strictly be tween ourselves. The first difficulty which we had to contend with was the finding of this American's anteced ents. Some people would have waited until their advertisements were an swered or until parties came forward and volunteered information. That is r.ot Tobias Gregson's way of going to work. Tou remember the hat be side the dead man?" "Yes." said Holmes, "by John Tn--ierwood & Sons, 129 Camberwell road." Gregson looked quite crestfallen. '1 had no idea that yon noticed that." he said. "Have you been there?" "No." "Ha!" cried Gregson. In a relieved voice, "you should never neglect a thance. however small it may seem." 'To a great mind nothing is little," remarked Holmes, sententiously. "Well. I went to Underwood and asked him if be had sold a hat of that size and description. He looked over his books and came on it at once. He had sent the hat to a Mr. Drebber, re siding at Charpentier's boarding es tablishment. Torquay Terrace. Thus I got at his address." "Smart very smart," murmured Sherlock Holmes. "I next called upon Sladame Char pentier." continued the detective. "I found her very pale and distressed. Her daughter was in the room, too an uncommonly fine girl she is too: he was looking red about the eyes, ind her lips trembled as I spoke to her. That didn't escape my notice. I began to smell a rat. You know the feeling. Mr Sherlock Holmes, whn you once come upon the right scent i kind of thrill in your nerves. 'Hjt you heard of the mysterious death of year late brother. Mr. Enoch J. Dreb ber. of Cleveland?" I asked. The mother nodded. She didn't seem to get out a word. The daughter burst Into tears. I felt more than ever that these people knew something of the matter. " 'At what o'clock did Mr. Drebber leave your house for the train' I asked. " 'At 8 o'clock.' she said, gulping !n her throat to keep down her r.gita :ion. 'His secretary. Mr. Stangerson, said that there were two train? one at 9:15 and one at 11. He was to :afh the first." " 'And was that the last which you aw of him?' "A terrible change came over the voman's face as I asked th" enostio. fler features turned pe-fectly li'.'M. it was some seconds before she cov.ld ?et out the single word 'Yes.' and when it did corr.e it was in a husky, unnatural tone. "Thre wss silence for a moment, and then the daughter spo';e in a a'.rr.. clear voice. " 'No good can ever come of false hood, mother,' she said. 'Let us be frank with the gentleman. We did see Mr. Drebber again.' "'God forgive you! cried Madame Charpentier, throwing up her hands vv.i sinking back in her chair. ' 'Yuu have murdered your brother!" " 'Arthur would rather that we spoke the truth," the girl nswered, firmly. '"You had bet tell me all about it now,' I said. 'Half confidences are worse than none. Besides, you do not know how much we know of it.' "'On your head be it. Alice !' cried her mother; and then, turning to me. I will tell you all. sir. Do not imagine that my agitation on behalf of my son arises from any fear lest he should have had a hand in this terrible affair. He Is utterly innocent of it. My dread is, however, that in your eyes and in the eyes of others he may appear to be compromised. That, however, is surely impossible. His high character, his profession, his antecedents would all forbid It" " 'Your best way Is to make a clean breast of the facts," I answered. 'De pend npon it. It yonr son Is Innocent be will be none the worse.' " "Perhaps, Alice you had better leave us together." she said, and her daughter withdrew. "Now, sir,' she continued, '1 had no intention of tell ing yon all this, but since my poor daughter has disclosed It I have no alternative. Having once decided to speak. I will tell you all without omit ting any particular." ."It is your wisest course," said L " 'Mr. Drebber has been with ns nearly three weeks. He and his sec retary, Mr. Stangerson. had been trav eling on the Continent. I noticed "Copenhagen" label npon each of their trunks, showing that that had been their last stopping place. Stangerson was a quiet, reserved man. but his em ployer. I am sorry to say, was far otherwise. He was coarse in his hab its and brutish in his ways. The very night of his arrival he became very much the worse for drink, and. In deed, after 12 o'clock in the day he could hardly ever be said to be sober. His manners toward the maid servants were disgustingly free and familiar. W orst of all. he speedily assumed the same manner toward my daughter, Alice, and spoke to her more than once in a way which, fortunately, she is too innocent to understand. On one occasion he actually seized her in his arms and embraced her an outrage which caused his own secretary to re proach him for his unmanly conduct.' " 'But why do you stand all this?" I asked. 'I suppose that you can get r!1 of your boarders when you wish.' "Mrs. Charpentier blushed at my T-rtinent question. ""Would to God that I had given him notice on the very day he came.' she said. 'But it was a sore tempta tion. They were paying a pound a day each 14 pounds a week, and this is a slack season. I am a widow, and my hoy in the navy has cost me much. I grudged to lose the money. I acted for the best. This last was too much, lowever, and I gave him notice to leave on account of it. That was the reason of his going.' " Well?" " "My heart grew light when I saw him drive away. My son is on leave just now. but I did not tell him any thing of this, for his temper is Tiolent and he is passionately fond of his sis ter. When I closed the door behind them a load seme- to be lifted from rr.y mind. ai! in less than an hour there was a ring at the bell, and I learned that jrf. Drebber had re turned. He was much excited and evidently the worse for drink. He forced his way into the room where 1 was sitting with my daughter and made some Incoherent remark about having missed his train. He then turned to Alice, and. before my very face, proposed to her that she should Ky with him. "You are of age," he taid. "and there is no law to stop yon. 1 have money enough, and to spare. Never mind the old girl here, but come along with me now straight away. You shall live like a princess.' Poor Alice was so frightened that she shrank away from him. but he caught her by the wrist and endeavored to to draw her toward the door. I screamed, and at that moment my son rthur came into the room. What happened then I do not know. I heard oaths and confused sounds of a scuffle. I was too terrified to raise my head. When i did look up I saw Arthur standing In the doorway laughlne. with a stick in his hand. "1 don't think that fine fellow will trouble us again." he said. "I will just go after him and see what he does with him self." With these words he took his hat and started off down the street The next morning we heard of Mr. Drebber's mysterious death." "This statement came from Mrs. Charpentier's lips with many gasps and pauses. At times she spoke so low that I could hardly catch the words. I made shorthand notes of all that she said, however, so that there could be no possibility of a mistake." "It's quite exciting." said Sherlock Holmes, with a yawn. "What hap pened next?" "When Mrs. Charpentier paused." the detective continued. "I saw that the whole case hung on one point. Fixing her with my eye In a way which I always found effective with women. I asked her at what hour her son returned. " 'I do not know," she answered. " 'Not know?' " "No: he has a latch key and let himself in." " 'After you went to bed?" " "Yes." " "When did you go to bed?" " 'About eleven." " 'So your son was gone at least two hours?' " "Yes." " 'Possiblv four or five? " 'Yes.' " "What was he doing during that time?" " 'I do not know.' she answered, turnintr white to her very lips. (To be continued.) (3 Things That May g $ Interest Yoa. K In mtatr of treat concern, anc whi.h must be done, tl.ere is no Eurer argument of a weak mind than irresolu tion. Tiliotson. A Tippecanoe monument will "oe erected in memory of General William Henry Harrison's defeat ot his savage adversary, Tecumeh, November 11, 1S1 1, at the confluence of the Tippeca noe and Wabash riveis in Indiana. Congress is to be asked to appropriate t-50,000. The White Star line steamer Cedric, 21,000 tons, tl.e largest liner afloat, was successfully launched at Belfast a few days ago. Her carrying capacity is lH.-iuu tone, and she has accommoda tions for 3.0U0 passengers. It is said the Cedri: will be ready for service in the autumn. Herr Most, the anarchist, who has enjoyed an international experience of prisons, sums it np in the epigram: "The freer the country the worse the jail." "I was first imprisoned in Aus tria," he says. "There I was treated like a gentleman. In Germany they eet me to work at book binding. That was easy. In London they made me pii'k oaknm. That was very hard. The first time I was imprisoned in America I bad to fire a furnace. TLat waa hades." For Connoisseur. "Eichard Harding Davis is going to farming in Connecticut" I "I wonder if he'll have a Charles Da na Gibson ecaiecrow7" A An Fusfprner Taurht California An tastemer laugni lauiorma J sf. m I 'All Land uwners a Lesson. BOL GnTL'PPEATLAMI ThU He Turned Into a Celery Farm and Sta ted a Great InJustry. First Crop of Celery Raised on Land Which Was Foncto' for a Sons Pro duction and Marketing of the Crop la Full of Interest-Many of the East ern States Are Supplied and Some ; L Heavy Profits Are Made. There is many a fortune lost by not be:n? able to reccgnize a good thing whou oue sees it. Souie one, a great many years ago. said that opportunity oails but once upon the same person, lie is supposed to rap at the door and if he gois uo answer be passes on never , to return that way. This sounded to nice and fanciful that it became a proverb, but like many other accepted sayings, lias not a grain of truth in it. As a mutter of fact, opportunity is hanging about each man's door fuir'.y aching for an Invitation to come In, but most men are so obtuse they do not rei-iicnize him. , When the old man. Hervey found, a few years ago. that a goodly portion of bis hinds at Smeltzer. Orange coun ty. In Southern California, lay in the big tule swamp, he was sorry he had bought tlieru. A little later, when a valuable team with which he was en deavoring to break up a port'oii of the ptat lands became bnged nnd went down and down, In spite of all his efforts to save them, till they dis appeared beneath the rich, black, oozy soil, never to reappear, he was 6tlll more regretful. He bad. nevertheless, a good thing, but be did not know it. The bog was opportunity, bnt it took another to discover It. Eight or nine years ago a man from the East wandered down to Santa Ana and there saw Mexicans and Chinese hauling wagon loads of dried peat about town, selling the product for fuel. Peat burns very nicely when properly prepared, and coal and wood being extremely scarce In Southern California, a number of persons man aged to get a fair living out of the big tule swamp. The stranger had never heard of the great peat bog. but be asked some questions and learned all about it Then he went down to Smelteer and saw It for himself. Next ne negan purchasing all the swamp land he could buy. Stranger's Level Bead. Public opiuion was divided regarding the stranger. He must be either Idi otic or insane, the people thought and the vote was about a tie as to which was the case. Nevertheless the own- , ers of the swamp lands made haste to yrum v urn uupposea mental innrmi j ty, and they eagerly unloaded most of ; the bog upon him. Some of them, Her vey among the number, retained a part : of the bog land Just to see if the stran- J ger really had a rational motive In ac-1 quiring the well-nigh worthless real es- I tate. They are now congratulating ; themselves that they did so. ; Some of this swamp land brought the ' owners as much as f 10 an acre. The ' Edit of it, however, went for less than ! half that sum. To-day the land Is ' worth $4ni an acre, and off the S.0)0 acres which are being utilized the ' ! owners will obtain this year a revenue j of ?E!00.000. ! P.oston, New York, Philadelphia, Buf falo, Pittsburg, Chicago. Cincinnati. St I Louis, and a hundred other cities in ! the East are eating celery raised In I the great tule swamp of Orange coun ty. More than 20 cars a day are ship ped from the fields and the most of It goes east or tne .Mississippi river. It has taken some work and expense to put the swamp In condition to bring this income, but nothing compared with the return It yields. The first work was to drain the swamp sufficiently to permit of the land being worked. In order to do this a huge drainage canal, 14 feet wide and 12 feet deep, was run from the swamp to the ocean four miles away. The lateral drains empty into this. Chinese labor was employed in digging the ditches and laying the tile through the soft earth and the same labor was used in clearing the swamp of the tule and other growth and putting the ground in condition to be plowed. Then came the problem, how to plow the land. Notwithstanding the drainage, the lands were still soft and spongy and the danger of bogging the horses was not slight The stranger from the WEALTH B ! AT WORK l.N 'liltHLUi- I Earn was again equal to the emergency. He had. in the course ot bs travels, had experience In navigating u;n snowshoes. and he proceeded to rig hfw for the horses on a modified snowshoe plan. Now the horses plow ; the land, bank the celery, pull the cut- mMnet over the field, and car- I . . . away tne crop in safety. ('hean I.ahnr KmptoyKl. Nearly all the labor employed Is Chi - .'..a i,iqhiwi Thin la not so much because that kind of labor Is cheaper than other kinds though that ' feature of the case Is not objected to as it is that the white men can not I BOO MluLJ WOKN stand the work. The planting begins In June and continues through July and August, and the hot summer sun beats down upon the fields and the heat and the rank odors of the 6wamp, laden with fever and malaria, are more than the average white man can endure. The Orientals, however, keep healthy, as a rule, and do not seem to much mind the heat In a wet'k or so after the plants have been set. the laborers go through the patch and press the dirt around the plants In such a manner as to cause the stalks to grow uprightly and close together. This process is repented two or three times and then the "bankers." as the two-share plows are called, are put Into the field and the soil is thrown up nga!nst the plants, bury-ng Cl'TTINU. all but the tops. As the stalks push upward the banking Is repeated and the stalks are thus kept bleached and tender till it Is time for the cutting. This Is also done with horse power. A four-wheeled vehicle fined with sharp knives which pass under the rows of celery Is drawn through the fields, clipping the stalks from the roots and leaving them still standing in me rows. o rapidly do these ma- r 1 1 1 1 1 ihi (iik rna Ti-.-v.-t- ... . . work but five teams and machines are required to harvest the crop from the entire 3.0;0 acres. Following the cutters come a small army of Celestials who take the sev ered stalks by the tops and lift them from the earth, and with rapid and skillful motions shake tl.e dirt there from, trim the roots and tons , knives made for the purpose, and lay tlle "talks to one side of the row where the Packers find them and tie them Into blindtM nir! n K i . " " ""-uj in crates ready for shipment The harvest begins ill October and lasts till well toward the spring. As the rainy season begins about November 1. It will be seen that the most of this work takes place at the most disagreeable season of the year. roy after day the vellow drag their mud-laden feet up nnd down etu,l0ni,.r8:.f.nd amld Pelting, rs. 8lett(111T and Plainingly on. receiving at the end of the week a pittance the white man would scorn; and yet most of these laborers have a comfortable bank ac count It takes strong soil to raise good celery year after year, and this Is lust what the soil of the peat swamp is i uuuureus, iDousands and Derhnns millions of year, the rains ofS" have carried down to the tule swamp the ve?etnt!r, ""amy BY UOllStJ. r Cr J&&e&.r 9Lz&'?Z ed with th , --uw mix -e7-Muu us. ills mni i ' rushing torrent the rains send ton tbelr steep side. In this natural sink the vegetation has decayed and tank beneath the aext layer brought don ; from the "everlasting bills." Thn. . ture has formed one of the best toil. that could be fonnd for the purp for which It Is now being .ed? I At. 1 .- A" ter the last of the crop has been take iroiu me urius, ius ground Is plowed ; and sown to barley. Just before pUuu. Inir t me. the harlev. which i.. v.-. time attained a rank growth. U plow- t ed under and Its luxuriance gowtota. rich the soil and minister to It d. , manas or tne new celery crop. Last season's output of celerf tnm this erstwhile bog was fully lKVca As each car holds 150 crates aidsch crate contains six dozen stalks, it wu be seen that the product of the swanm reached nearly 13.000,000 stalks. This brought In the markets more thai 300.(.HH). fully one-half of which found Its way into the pockets of the grow ers. Truly a handsome sum to pafl from the cozy mud of a peat bog. DIED OF STARVATION. Sad Fate of a Prospector in that Gnat Deathtrap, the Colorado Desert. J. P. Fay recently returned from i trip across the Colorado desert with news of the death of J. A. Adams, Dep uty County Surveyor of San Benur dlno County and a grandson of John Brown, the abolltiouist of national fame, says a correspondent of the St Louis Republic. Adams met with i horrible death, wandering away from the surveying camp while temporarily deranged and perishing of starvation. "We were out on the desert prospect in? for gold." said Fay. "An Indian, whom we had employed to show at where to find water on the desert caught his foot In the stirrup whilt mounting bis horse and fell on hit back. The horse started to run, dnuj ting the Indian by one foot As the ground was covered by jagged rocU, the Indian would have been killed had not Adams run up and seized th horse by the bit The animal, wild with fright reared and plunged. Ad aniB was twice thrown upon the rocki, and once the horse's hoof Btruck him, but he still gripped the bit until Mr. Lamere and I succeed In releasing the Indian. "After all the danger was over Ad ams sat down upon a rock and began laughing, and when asked If he was hurt replied: "Oh, no; I'm only a littla tired, but I guess you will hare to help me set this arm.' We then started for Yuma, Adams riding some twenty-fiT miles that afternoon and never ones complaining, though we could see by his drawn features that he was suffer ing intense pain. ' "At dusk we camped for the night and within an honr the Bick man wu delirious and raving like a tnanlae. Some time during the night he left ' camp. As soon as we discovered that he had gone we made every effort to find him, but could not do much until daylight when we fonnd his tracks In the sand. We followed the track iH that day and until about 9 o'clock the next day. when we came to a hard, rocky place at the foot of some roc 1 hiiin. Hero w w th tn nrf itt as we might we could not find It again. "For three days we searched th. "For three days we searched hills, but not a trace of the man could we discover, though we well knew that somewhere within a radius of twenty or thirty miles lay the body of on of the bravest men that ever lost his life in that great deathtrap the Colorado desert What Adam Wu Doing. It was midnight. Suddenly In th Adam residence there was a cry, then a series of howls, and one of the neigh bors, passing by, heard the head of the house use language thnt was calculated to loose the thunderbolts of heaven on the whole neighborhood. She stopped, ran up to the door, and. pressing the button, listened eagerly at the speakln tube. "What In the world is yonr hut hand doing?" she asked, as the dulcet voice of Ere Inquired her errand. "Oh." replied Eve, "be is merely r" ing Cain. "It requires strong langn to raise a child like that." And thus an expression was colne which promises to outlast history Itself Portland Oregonlan. Largest farm Known The biggest average farm in ? world Is in South Australia, where th average squatter holds 78,000 acres. There is nothing in the Tide, M world that so speedily pounds Intn fnitok t..i mm mnrriace to s aiong with the Improvident men. U I UU1IOU All U U '