Morris tribune. [volume], September 30, 1905, Image 2

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CThe* 'Return
i
The Adventure of
the Abbey Grange
No. 12 of the Series
•COtffright, 1994. hf A. Ctnan THfle' mmd Ciflta't
fTfkly.)
(Cvfrrffht, 1905, by MtClurt, PhUlif* Of C».)
Abbey Grange. Marsham, Kent,
3:30 a. m.
My Dear Mr. Holmes—I should be very
fflad of your immediate assistance in what
promises to be a most remarkable case.
It is something quite in your line. Except
tor releasing the lady, I will see that ev
•rvthing is kept exactly as I have found
It. but I be you not to lose an Instant, as
it is difficult to leave Sir Eustace there.
Tours faithfully,
Sherlock Holmes
By A. CONAN DOYLE,
Author of "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes,'* "The Hound of
the Bftskervilles." "The Sitfn of the Four," "A Study In Scarlet," Etc.
ILLUSTRATED BY F. 0. STEELE
was on a bitterly cold
and frosty morning to
ward the end of the win
ter of '97 that I was
awakened by a tugging
at my shoulder. It was
Holmes. The candle in
his hand shone upon his eager, stoop
teg face and told me at a glance that
something was amiss.
"Come, Watson come!" he cried.
"The game is afoot. Not a word! Into
your clothes and come!"
Ten minutes later we were both in a
cab and rattling through the silent
streets on our way to Charing Cross
station. The first faint winter's dawn
was beginning to appear, and we could
dimly see the occasional figure of an
early workman as he passed us, blur
red and indistinct in the opalescent
London reek. Holmes nestled in si
lence into his heavy coat, and I was
£l id to do the same, for the air was
most bitter, and neither of us had
broken bur fast.
It was not until we had consumed
some hot tea at the station and taken
our places in the Kentish train that
we were sufficiently thawed, he to
speak and I to listen. Holmes drew a
note from his pocket and read it aloud:
STANLEY HOPKINS.
"Hopkins has called me in seven
times, and on each occasion his sum
mons has been entirely justified," said
Holmes. "I fancy that every one of his
cases has found its way into your col
lection, and I must admit, Watson, that
you have some power of selection,
a
Copyright by Collier's Weekly.
erbich atones for much which I deplore
your narratives. Your fatal habit of
Jeoking at everything from the point
0t
view of a story instead of as a scien
tific exercise has ruined what might
Jure been an instructive and even
classical series of demonstrations. You
shir over wort: of the utmost finesse
and delicacy in order to dwell upon
sensational details which may excite
-fmt cannot possibly instruct the read
er."
'•Why do you not write them your
mtflfT' I said, with some bitterness.
**I will, my dear Watson, I will. At
£msent I am, as you know, fairly busy,
I propose to devote, my declining
yefcrs to the composition of a textbook
srhlch shall focus the whole art of de
fection Into one volume. Our present
sesearch appears to be a case of mur
der."
"You think this Sir Eustace Is dead,
4fcen?"
Ml
F'""r
should say so. Hopkltisr writing
aimww considerable agitation, and he Is
an emotional man. Yes, I gather
tibere has been violence and that the
4bedy Is left for our inspection. A mere
4Micide would not have caused him to
send for me. As to the release of the
Jsdy, It would appear that she has been
decked In her room during the tragedy.
We are moving in high life, Watson
—crackling paper, 'E. B.' monogram,
arms^ picturesque address. I
is
THE LADY LA? BACK EXHAUSTED UPON A COUCp.
thin* that Friend Hopkins will live up
to his reputation and that we shall have
an Interesting morning. The crime was
committed before 12 last night"
"How can you possibly tell?"
"By an inspection of the trains and
by reckoning the time. The local police
had to be called in they had to com
municate with Scotland Yard Hopkins
had to go out, and be in turn had to
send for me. All that makes a fair
night's work. Well, here we are at
Chiselliurst station, and we shall soon
set our doubts at rest."
A drive of a couple of miles through
narrow country lanes brought us to a
park gate, which was opened for us by
an old lodge keeper, whose haggard
face bore the reflection of some great
disaster. The avenue ran through a
noble park between lines of ancient
elms and ended in a low, widespreiKl
house pillared in front after the fash
ion of Palladio. The central part was
evidently of a great age and shrouded
in ivy, but the large windows showed
that modern changes had been carried
out, and one wing of the house appear
ed to be entirely new. The youthful
figure and alert, eager face of Inspect
or Stanley Hopkins confronted us in
the open doorway.
"I'm very glad you have come, Mr
Holmes, and you, too, Dr. Watson.
But, indeed, if I had my time over
again I should not have troubled you,
for since the lady has come to herself
she has given so clear an account of
the affair that there is not much left
for us to do. You remember that Lew
isham gang of burglars?"
'What, the three Randalls?"
'Exactly .the father and two sons.
Ifs their work. I have not a doubt of
it. They did a job at Sydenham a fort
night ago and were seen and described.
Rather cool to do another so soon and
so near, but it is they beyond all doubt,
It's a hanging matter this time."
"Sir Eustace is dead, then?"
"Yes his head was knocked in with
his own poker."
'Sir Eustace Brackenstall, the driver
tells me."
"Exactly one of the richest men in
Kent. Lady Brackenstall is in the
morning room. Poor lady, she has had
a most dreadful experience. She seem
ed half dead when I saw her first. I
think you had best see her and hear
her account of the facts. Then we will
examine the dining room together."
Lady Brackenstall was no ordinary
person. Seldom have I seen so grace
ful a figure, so womanly a presence
and so beautiful a face. She was a
blond, golden haired, blue eyed, and
would no doubt have had the perfect
complexion which goes with such col
oring had not her recent experience
left her drawn and haggard. Her suf
ferings were physical as well as men
tal, for over one eye rose a hideous,
plum colored swelling, which her maid,
a tall, austere woman, was bathing as
siduously with vinegar and water. The
lady lay back exhausted upon a couch,
but her quick observant gaze as we
entered the room and the alert ex
pression of her beautiful features
showed that neither her wits nor her
courage had been shaken by her terri
ble experience. She was enveloped in
a loose dressing gown of blue and sil
ver, but a black sequin covered dinner
dress was hung upon the couch beside
her.
"I have told you all that happened,
Sit. Hopkins," she said wearily.
"Could you not repeat it for me? Well,
if you think it necessary I will tell
these gentlemen what occurred. Have
they been in the dining^jroom.yetV"
"I thought they had better hear your
ladyship's story first."
"I shall be glad when you can ar
range matters. It is horrible to pie to
think of him still lying there." She
shuddered and buried her face in her
hands. As she did so the loose gown
fell back from her forearms. Holmes
uttered an exclamation.
"You have other injuries, madam
What is this?" Two vivid red spots
stood out on one of the white, ronnd
limbs. She hastily covered it.
"It is nothing. It has no connection
with this hideous business tonight. If
you and your friend will sit down, I'.
will tell you all I can.
"I am the wife of Sir Eustace Brack
enstall. I have been married about a
year. I suppose there is no use of my at
tempting to conceal that our marriage
has not been a happy one. I fear that
all our neighbors would tell you that
even if I were to attempt to deny it
Perhaps the: fault may be partly mine.
I was brought up in the freer, less
conventional atmosphere of South Aus
tralia, and this English life, with Its
proprieties and its primness, is not con
genial to me. But the main reason
lies in the one fact which is notorious
to every one, and that is that Sir Eus
tace was a confirmed drunkard. To be
with such a man for an hour is un
pleasant. Can you imagine what it
means for a sensitive and high spirited
woman to be tied to him for day and
night? It is a sacrilege, a crime, a
villainy, to hold that such a marriage is
binding. I say that these monstrous
laws of yours will bring a curse upon
the land. God will not let such wicked
ness endure." For an instant she sat
up, her cheeks flushed and her eyes
blazing from under the terrible mark
upon her brow. Then the stron
soothing hand of the austere maid
drew her head down on to the cushion,
and the wild anger died away into
passionate sobbing. At last she con
tinued:
"I will tell you about last "night. You
are aware, perhaps, that in this house
all the servants sleep in the modern
wing. This central block is made up
of the dwelling rooms, with the kitchen
behind and our bedroom above. My
maid, Theresa, sleeps above my room.
There is no one else, and no sound could
alaVm those who are in the farther
wing. This must have been well known
to the robbers or they would not have
acted as they did.
•'Sir Eustace retired about hair past
10. The servants had already gone to
their quarters. Only my maid was up,
and she had remained in her room at
the top of the house until I needed her
services. I sat until after 11 in this
room, absorbed in a book then I walk
ed round to see that all was right be
fore I went upstairs. It was my cus
tom to do this myself, for, as I have
explained, Sir Eustace was not always
to be trusted.. I went into the kitchen,
the butler's pantry, the gun room, the
billiard room, the drawing room and
finally the dining room. As I ap
proached the window, which Is covered
with thick curtains, I suddenly felt the
wind blow upon my face and realized
that it was open. I flung the curtain
aside and found myself face to face
with a broad shouldered, elderly man,
who had just stepped into the room.
The window is a long French one,
which really forms a door leading to
the lawn. I held my bedroom candle
lit in my hand, and by its light behind
the first man I saw two others, who
were in the act of entering. I stepped
back, but the fellow was on me in an
instant. He caught me first by the
wrist and then by the throat. I opened
my mouth to scream, but he struck me
a savage blow with his fist over the
eye and felled me to the ground. I
must have been unconscious for a few
minutes, for when I came to myself
I found that they had torn down the
bell rope and had secured me tightly
to the oaken chair which stands at the
head of the dining table. I was so
firmly bound that I could not move, and
a handkerchief round my mouth pre
vented me from uttering a sound. It
was at this instant that my unfortu
nate husband entered the room. He
had evidently heard some suspicious
sounds, and he came prepared for such
a scene as he found. He was dressed
in his shirt and trousers, with his fa
vorite blackthorn cudgel in his hand.
He rushed at the burglars, but an
other—it was an elderly man—stooped,
picked the poker out of the grate and
struck him a horrible blow as he
passed. He fell, with a groan, and
never moved again.
'I fainted once more, but again it
Could only have been for a very few
minutes during which I was insensi
ble. When I opened my eyes I found
that they had collected the silver from
the sideboard, and they had drawn a
bottle of wine which stood there. Each
of them had a glass in his hand. I
have already told you, have I not, that
one was elderly, with a beard, and the
others young, hairless lads? They
might have been a father with his two
sons. They talked together in whis
pers. Then they came over and made
sure that I was securely bound. Fi
nally they withdrew, closing the win
dow after them. It was quite a-quar
ter of an hour before I got .my mouth
free. When I did so my screams
brought the maid to my assistance.
The other servants were soon alarmed,
and we sent for the local jolice,. who
THr MORRIS tribune. SATURDAY. SEPTEMBER 301905
autsyj communicated with London
*¥f[at Is really all that I can tell you
gentlemen, and I trust that it will not
be necessary for me to go over so pain
ful a story again."
"Any questions, Mr. Holmes?* asked
Hopkins.
"I will not impose any further tax
upon Lady BrackenstalPs patience and
time," said Holmes. "Before I go into
the dining room I should like to hear
your experience.'* He looked at the
maid.
"I saw the men before ever they
came into the house," said she. "As
I sat by my bedroom window I saw
three men in the moonlight down by
the lodge gate yonder, but I thought
nothing of it at the time. It was more
than an hour after that I heard my
mistress scream, and down I ran to
find her, poor lamb, just as she says,
and him on the floor, with his blood
and brains Over the room. It was
enough to drive a woman out of her
wits, tied there and her very dress spot
ted with him but she never wanted
courage, did Miss Mary Fraser of Ade
laide, and Lady Brackenstall of Abbey
Grange hasn't learned new ways
You've questioned her long enough
you gentlemen, and now she is coming
to her own room just with her old
Theresa to get the rest that she badly
needs."
With a motherly tenderness the
gaunt woman put her arm round her
mistress and led her from the room.
"She has been with her all her life,
said Hopkins. "Nursed her as a baby
and came with her to England when
they first left Australia eighteen
months ago. Theresa Wright is her
name, and the kind of maid you don't
pick up nowadays. This way, Mr.
Holmes, If you please!"
The keen interest had passed out of
Holmes' expressive face, and I knew
that with the mystery all the charm of
the case had departed. There still re
mained an arrest to be effected, but
what were these commonplace rogues
that he should soil his hands with
them? An abstruse and learned spe
cialist who finds that he has been call
ed in for a case of measles would ex
perience something of the annoyance
which I read in my friend's eyes. Yet
the scene in the dining room of the Ab
bey Grange was sufficiently strange to
arrest his attention and to recall his
waning interest.
It was a very large and high cham
ber, with carved oak ceiling, oaken
paneling and a fine array of deer's
heads and ancient weapons around the
walls. At the farther end from the
door was the high French window of
which we had heard. Three smaller
windows on the right hand side filled
the apartment with cold winter sun
shine. On the left was a large, deep
fireplace, with a massive, overhanging
oak mantelpiece. Beside the fireplace
was a heavy oaken chair with arms
and crossbars at the bottom. In and
out through the open woodwork was
woven a crimson cord, which was se
cured at each side to crosspiece be
low. In releasing th^lady the cord
had been slipped off her, but the knots
with which it had been secured still re
mained. These details only struck our
attention afterward, for our thoughts
jvere entirely absorbed by the terrible
object which lay upon the tiger skin
hearth rug in front of the fire.
It was the body of a tall, well made
man about forty years of age. He
lay upon his back, his face upturned,
with his white teeth grinning through
his sho# black beard. His two
clinched hands were raised above his
head, and a heavy blackthorn stick
lay across them. His dark, handsome,
aquiline features were convulsed into
a spasm of vindictive hatred, which
had set his dead face in a terribly
fiendish expression. He had evidently
been in his bed when the alarm had
broken out for he wore a foppish, em
broidered nightshirt, and his bare feet
projected from his trousers. His head
was horribly injured, and the whole
room bore witness to the savage feroc
ity of the blow which had struck him
down. Beside him lay the heavy poker,
bent into a curve by the concussion.
Holmes examined both it and the inde
scribable wreck which it had wrought.
"He must be a powerful man, this
elder Randall," he remarked.
"Yes," said Hopkins. "I have some
record of the fellow, and he is a rough
customer."
"You should have no difficulty in get
ting him."
"Not the slightest. We have been on
the lookout for him, and there was
some idea that he had got away to
America. Now that we know that the
gang are here I don't see how they
can escape. We have the news at
every seaport already, and a reward
will be offered before evening. What
beats me is how they could have done
so mad a thing knowing that the lady
could describe them and that we could
not fail to recognize the description."
"Exactly. One would have expected
that they would have silenced Lady
Brackenstall as well."
They may not have realized," I sug
gested, "that she had recovered from
her faint."
That is likely enough. If she seem
ed to be senseless they would not take
her life. What about this poor fel
low, Hopkins? I seem to have heard
some queer stories about him."
"He was a gdpd hearted man when
he was sober, but a perfect fiend when
he was drunk, or rather when he was
half drunk, for he seldom really went
the whole way. The devil seemed to be
in him at such times, and he was capa
ble of anything. From what I hear, in
spite of all his wealth and his title he
very nearly came our way once or
twice. There was a scandal about his
drenching a dog with petroleum and
setting it on Are—her ladyship's dog, to
make the matter worse—and that was
only hushed up with difficulty. Then
he threw a decanter at that maid. The
resa Wright there was trouble about
On the whole, and between
selves, it will be a^Srighter house with
out him. What are you looking at
now?"
Holmea was down fliMiis ktoees Ex
amining with great attention the knots
upon the red cord with which the lady
had been secured. Then he carefully
scrutinized t!ic? broken and frayed end
where it had snapped off when the bur
glar had dragged it down.
"When this was pulled down the bell
in the kitchen must have rung loudly,
he remarked.
"No one could hear It. The kitchen
stands right at the back of the house.
"How did the burglar know no one
would hear it? How dared he pull at
a bell rope In that reckless fashion
Y*
"Exactly, Mr. Holmes, exactly. You
put the very question which I have
asked myself again and again. There
can be no doubt that this fellow must
have known the house and its habits
He must have perfectly understood
that the servants would all be In bed
at that comparatively early hour and
that no one could possibly hear a bell
ring in the kitchen. Therefore he must
have been in close league with one of
the servants. Surely that is evident.
But there are eight servants, and all of
good character."
"Other things being equal," said
Holmes, "©ne would suspect the one
at whose head'the master threw a de
canter. And yet that would involve
treachery toward the mistress to whom
this woman seems devoted. Well, well,
the point is a minor one, and when
you have Randall you will probably
find no difficulty in securing his ac
complice. The lady's story certainly
seems to be corroborated, if it needed
corroboration, by every detail which
we see before us." He walked to the
French window and threw it open
"There are no signs here, but the
ground is iron hard, and one would
not expect them. I see that these can
dles in the mantelpiece have been
lighted."
"Yes It was by their light and that
of the lady's bedroom candle that the
burglars saw their way about."
"And what did they take?"
"Well, they did not take much—only
half a dozen articles of plate off the
sideboard. Lady Brackenstall thinks
that they were themselves so disturbed
by the death of Sir Eustace that they
did not ransack the house, as they
would otherwise have done."
"No doubt that is true, and yet they
drank some wine, I understand."
"To steady their nerves."
"Exactly. These three glasses upon
the sideboard have been untouched, I
suppose."
"Yes, and the bottle stands as they
left it."
"Let us iook at It. Hello, hello!
What is this?"
The three glasses were grouped to
gether, all of them tinged with wine
and one of them containing some dregs
of beeswing. The bottle stood near
them, two-thirds full, and beside it lay
a long, deeply stained cork. Its ap
pearance and the dust upon the bottle
showed that was no common vintage
which the murderers had enjoyed.
A change had come over Holmes'
manner. He had lost his listless ex
pression, and again I saw an alert
light of interest in his keen, deep set
eyes. He raised the cork and exam
ined it minutely.
"How did they draw it?" he asked.
Hopkins pointed to a half opened
drawer. In it lay some table linen and
a large corkscrew.
"Did Lady Brackenstall say that
screw was used?"
"No you remember that she was
senseless at the moment when the bot
tle was opened."
Quite so. As a matter of fact, the
screw was not used. This bottle was
opened by a pocket screw, probably
contained in a knife and not more than
an inch and a half long. If you will
examine the top of the cork, you will
observe that the screw was driven in
three times before the cork was ex
tracted. It has never been transfixed.
This long screw would have transfixed
it and drawn it up with a single pull.
When you catch this fellow you will
find that he has one of these multiplex
knives in his possession."
"Excellent!" said Hopkins.
"But these glasses do puzzle me, I
confess. Lady Brackenstall actually
saw the three men drinking, did she
not?"
"Yes she was clear about that."
"Then there is an end of it. What
more is to be said? And yet you must
admit that the three glasses are very
remarkable, Hopkins. What? You see
nothing remarkable? Well, well, let It
pass. Perhaps when a man has special
knowledge and special powers like my
own it rather encourages him to seek
a complex explanation when a simpler
one is at hand. Of course it must be a
mere chance about the glasses. Well,
good morning, Hopkins. I don't see
that I can be of any use to you, and
you appear to have your case very clear.
You will let me know when Randall is
arrested and any further developments
which may occur. I trust that I shall
soon have to congratulate you upon a
successful conclusion. Come, Watson
I fancy that we may employ ourselves
more profitably at home."
During our return journey I could
see by Holmes' face that he was much
puzzled by something which he had
observed. Every now and then by an
effort he would throw' off the impres
sion and talk as if the matter were
clear, but then his doubts would settle
down upon him again, and his knitted
brows and abstracted eyes would show
that his thoughts had gone back once
more to the great dining room of the
Abbey Grange in which this midnight
tragedy had been enacted. At last by
a sudden impulse' Just as our train was
crawling out of a suburban station he
sprang on to the platform and pulled
me out after him.
{TO BE OOHTWUia.]
AGREEMENT IS SIGNED
FRANCO-GERMAN NEGOTIATIONS
ON SUBJECT OF MOROCCO
END PEACEFULLY.
ALL POINTS III DISPUTE SETTLEO
OFFICIAL STATEMENT ISSUEO
SHOWING PROVISIONS OF
THE DOCUMENT.
Paris, Sept. 29.—Premier Rouvier
and Prince von Radolin, the German
ambassador, at noon signed the
Franco-German accord concerning the
Moroccan conference, thus definitely
terminating the difficult negotiations.
Preceding the signature Dr. Rosen,
representing Germany, and M. Revoil,
In behalf of France, met at the foreign
office and went over the final details
of the protocol.
The official text of the Franco-Ger
man accord on the subject of Morocco
as given out says:
"The negotiations between France
and Germany concerning the pro
gramme for the conference on Moroc
can affairs has successfully ter
minated. Accord is reached upon a
programme comprising the organiza
tion of the police the regulation and
repression of contraband arms finan
cial reforms, consisting principally of
the organization of a state bank and
also the best means of collecting du
ties and the creation of new means of
revenue and also the determination of
principles destined to safeguard the
economic liberty of Morocco."
The agreement then makes a spe
cial reservation of the frontier region
between Algiers and Morocco where
the maintenance of police will be reg
ulated directly between France and
the sultan without submission to the
conference. The regulation of contra
band in the same region also remains
for France to determine with the sul
tan.
The two governments unite in ask
ing that Spain accept Algeciras as the
place for the conference.
Upon the question of the recent
German loan to Morocco it is agreed
that French bankers shall participate
with the Germans apd there is to be a
similar participation of French firms
in building the harbor works at Tan
gier if a French company offers terms
equal to those of the German con
tractors.
Finally the accord provides for the
submission of the programme without
delay to the sultan and the signatories
of the convention of Madrid. Upon
its submission to the sultan both the
French and German missions now at
Fez will return to Tangier.
VESSEL DEMOLISHES DOCK.
Crashes Into Pier While Going at Al»
most Full Speed.
New York, Sept. 29.—Through a
misunderstanding of signals the Trin
idad Steamship company's steamer
Grenada crashed into her pier at al
most full speed while trying to make
the dock. The pier was almost de
molished. A uur^ber of longshoremen
Wfcue injureu, uo badiy that they
were taken to a hospital. Part of the
pier was knocked over on top of the
barge Mottehaven, which was moored
there. The captain of the barge and
his wife were buried under a pile of
wreckage, but were rescued only
slightly injured. The superintendent
of the pier and several other dock
hands also were buried beneath piles
of debris, but were taken out only
slightly hurt.
OLNEY REPLIES TO BRYAN.
Former Secretary of State Opposes
Railroad Rate Legislation.
New York, Sept. 29—The reply of
the conservative wing of the Demo
cratic party to W. J. Bryan's recent
open letter to the president cm rail
road rate legislation is contained in
an article by Richard Olney in the
October number of the North Amer
ican Review. In what is practically
his first public utterance in two years
Cleveland's former secretary of state
presents his final judgment against
the proposed legislation in the form of
a brief covering not only the law but
the public policy involved in the agi
tation.
TO ENTERTAIN ROOSEVELT.
Montgomery (Ala.) Council May Rfe*
fuse Appropriation.
Montgomery, Ala., Sept. 2$.—At a
special meeting of the city council
Alderman Sullivan opposed the resolu
tion to appropriate money for the en
tertainment of President Roosevelt
when he comes to Montgomery, stat
ing that he would oppose one dollar
from the people's money going this
way.
Acting Mayor Mclntyre, who is ailso
member of tlje council, walked «iut
during the proceedings, leaving ^o
quorum, and the resolution Was laid
over.
Service Must Be Improved.
Washington, Sept. 29.—Falling t*
secure satisfactory mail wagon serv-j
in New York by reason of the.
continued strike of drivers the post
oflice department has announced that
contractors and sureties have been
formally notified that an Improvement
must be made at once or summary
action will be taken under the con
tr&cL