elapt1c/ElapticAI-512 · Datasets at Fast360

text stringlengths 0 149M
an equally uncompromising manner to something entirely different. It
must be confessed, however, that the case looks exceedingly grave
against the young man, and it is very possible that he is indeed the
culprit. There are several people in the neighbourhood, however, and
among them Miss Turner, the daughter of the neighbouring landowner, who
believe in his innocence, and who have retained Lestrade, whom you may
recollect in connection with the Study in Scarlet, to work out the case
in his interest. Lestrade, being rather puzzled, has referred the case
to me, and hence it is that two middle-aged gentlemen are flying
westward at fifty miles an hour instead of quietly digesting their
breakfasts at home.

“I am afraid, said I, “that the facts are so obvious that you will
find little credit to be gained out of this case.

“There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact, he answered,
laughing. “Besides, we may chance to hit upon some other obvious facts
which may have been by no means obvious to Mr. Lestrade. You know me
too well to think that I am boasting when I say that I shall either
confirm or destroy his theory by means which he is quite incapable of
employing, or even of understanding. To take the first example to hand,
I very clearly perceive that in your bedroom the window is upon the
right-hand side, and yet I question whether Mr. Lestrade would have
noted even so self-evident a thing as that.

“How on earth—

“My dear fellow, I know you well. I know the military neatness which
characterises you. You shave every morning, and in this season you
shave by the sunlight; but since your shaving is less and less complete
as we get farther back on the left side, until it becomes positively
slovenly as we get round the angle of the jaw, it is surely very clear
that that side is less illuminated than the other. I could not imagine
a man of your habits looking at himself in an equal light and being
satisfied with such a result. I only quote this as a trivial example of
observation and inference. Therein lies my métier, and it is just
possible that it may be of some service in the investigation which lies
before us. There are one or two minor points which were brought out in
the inquest, and which are worth considering.

“What are they?

“It appears that his arrest did not take place at once, but after the
return to Hatherley Farm. On the inspector of constabulary informing
him that he was a prisoner, he remarked that he was not surprised to
hear it, and that it was no more than his deserts. This observation of
his had the natural effect of removing any traces of doubt which might
have remained in the minds of the coroner’s jury.

“It was a confession, I ejaculated.

“No, for it was followed by a protestation of innocence.

“Coming on the top of such a damning series of events, it was at least
a most suspicious remark.

“On the contrary, said Holmes, “it is the brightest rift which I can
at present see in the clouds. However innocent he might be, he could
not be such an absolute imbecile as not to see that the circumstances
were very black against him. Had he appeared surprised at his own
arrest, or feigned indignation at it, I should have looked upon it as
highly suspicious, because such surprise or anger would not be natural
under the circumstances, and yet might appear to be the best policy to
a scheming man. His frank acceptance of the situation marks him as
either an innocent man, or else as a man of considerable self-restraint
and firmness. As to his remark about his deserts, it was also not
unnatural if you consider that he stood beside the dead body of his
father, and that there is no doubt that he had that very day so far
forgotten his filial duty as to bandy words with him, and even,
according to the little girl whose evidence is so important, to raise
his hand as if to strike him. The self-reproach and contrition which
are displayed in his remark appear to me to be the signs of a healthy
mind rather than of a guilty one.

I shook my head. “Many men have been hanged on far slighter evidence,
I remarked.

“So they have. And many men have been wrongfully hanged.

“What is the young man’s own account of the matter?

“It is, I am afraid, not very encouraging to his supporters, though
there are one or two points in it which are suggestive. You will find
it here, and may read it for yourself.

He picked out from his bundle a copy of the local Herefordshire paper,
and having turned down the sheet he pointed out the paragraph in which
the unfortunate young man had given his own statement of what had
occurred. I settled myself down in the corner of the carriage and read
it very carefully. It ran in this way:

“Mr. James McCarthy, the only son of the deceased, was then called and
gave evidence as follows: ‘I had been away from home for three days at
Bristol, and had only just returned upon the morning of last Monday,
the 3rd. My father was absent from home at the time of my arrival, and
I was informed by the maid that he had driven over to Ross with John
Cobb, the groom. Shortly after my return I heard the wheels of his trap
in the yard, and, looking out of my window, I saw him get out and walk
rapidly out of the yard, though I was not aware in which direction he
was going. I then took my gun and strolled out in the direction of the

an equally uncompromising manner to something entirely different. It

must be confessed, however, that the case looks exceedingly grave

against the young man, and it is very possible that he is indeed the

culprit. There are several people in the neighbourhood, however, and

among them Miss Turner, the daughter of the neighbouring landowner, who

believe in his innocence, and who have retained Lestrade, whom you may

recollect in connection with the Study in Scarlet, to work out the case

in his interest. Lestrade, being rather puzzled, has referred the case

to me, and hence it is that two middle-aged gentlemen are flying

westward at fifty miles an hour instead of quietly digesting their

breakfasts at home.

“I am afraid, said I, “that the facts are so obvious that you will

find little credit to be gained out of this case.

“There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact, he answered,

laughing. “Besides, we may chance to hit upon some other obvious facts

which may have been by no means obvious to Mr. Lestrade. You know me

too well to think that I am boasting when I say that I shall either

confirm or destroy his theory by means which he is quite incapable of

employing, or even of understanding. To take the first example to hand,

I very clearly perceive that in your bedroom the window is upon the

right-hand side, and yet I question whether Mr. Lestrade would have

noted even so self-evident a thing as that.

“How on earth—

“My dear fellow, I know you well. I know the military neatness which

characterises you. You shave every morning, and in this season you

shave by the sunlight; but since your shaving is less and less complete

as we get farther back on the left side, until it becomes positively

slovenly as we get round the angle of the jaw, it is surely very clear

that that side is less illuminated than the other. I could not imagine

a man of your habits looking at himself in an equal light and being

satisfied with such a result. I only quote this as a trivial example of

observation and inference. Therein lies my métier, and it is just

possible that it may be of some service in the investigation which lies

before us. There are one or two minor points which were brought out in

the inquest, and which are worth considering.

“What are they?

“It appears that his arrest did not take place at once, but after the

return to Hatherley Farm. On the inspector of constabulary informing

him that he was a prisoner, he remarked that he was not surprised to

hear it, and that it was no more than his deserts. This observation of

his had the natural effect of removing any traces of doubt which might

have remained in the minds of the coroner’s jury.

“It was a confession, I ejaculated.

“No, for it was followed by a protestation of innocence.

“Coming on the top of such a damning series of events, it was at least

a most suspicious remark.

“On the contrary, said Holmes, “it is the brightest rift which I can

at present see in the clouds. However innocent he might be, he could

not be such an absolute imbecile as not to see that the circumstances

were very black against him. Had he appeared surprised at his own

arrest, or feigned indignation at it, I should have looked upon it as

highly suspicious, because such surprise or anger would not be natural

under the circumstances, and yet might appear to be the best policy to

a scheming man. His frank acceptance of the situation marks him as

either an innocent man, or else as a man of considerable self-restraint

and firmness. As to his remark about his deserts, it was also not

unnatural if you consider that he stood beside the dead body of his

father, and that there is no doubt that he had that very day so far

forgotten his filial duty as to bandy words with him, and even,

according to the little girl whose evidence is so important, to raise

his hand as if to strike him. The self-reproach and contrition which

are displayed in his remark appear to me to be the signs of a healthy

mind rather than of a guilty one.

I shook my head. “Many men have been hanged on far slighter evidence,

I remarked.

“So they have. And many men have been wrongfully hanged.

“What is the young man’s own account of the matter?

“It is, I am afraid, not very encouraging to his supporters, though

there are one or two points in it which are suggestive. You will find

it here, and may read it for yourself.

He picked out from his bundle a copy of the local Herefordshire paper,

and having turned down the sheet he pointed out the paragraph in which

the unfortunate young man had given his own statement of what had

occurred. I settled myself down in the corner of the carriage and read

it very carefully. It ran in this way:

“Mr. James McCarthy, the only son of the deceased, was then called and

gave evidence as follows: ‘I had been away from home for three days at

Bristol, and had only just returned upon the morning of last Monday,

the 3rd. My father was absent from home at the time of my arrival, and

I was informed by the maid that he had driven over to Ross with John

Cobb, the groom. Shortly after my return I heard the wheels of his trap

in the yard, and, looking out of my window, I saw him get out and walk

rapidly out of the yard, though I was not aware in which direction he

was going. I then took my gun and strolled out in the direction of the