No. 4 The Boscombe Valley Mystery by Arthur Conan Doyle
Section [1 | 2 | 3 | 4]
the Boscombe valley mystery

no .4 from_the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

by Arthur Conan Doyle

we were seated at breakfast one morning, my wife and I, when_the maid brought in a telegram . it_was from Sherlock Holmes and ran in_this_way:

have_you a couple of days to spare ? have just been wired for from_the west of England in connection with Boscombe valley tragedy . shall_be_glad if_you_will come with me . air and scenery perfect . leave Paddington by_the 11:15 .

" what do_you say, dear ? " said my wife, looking across at me ." will_you go ? "

"I really don't know what to_say . I_have a fairly long list at present ."

"Oh, Anstruther would do your work for_you . you_have_been looking a little pale lately . i_think that_the change would do_you good, and you_are always so interested in Mr Sherlock Holmes's cases ."

" i_should_be ungrateful if I were_not, seeing what I gained through one_of_them," I answered ." but if I_am to_go, I_must pack at once, for I_have only half an hour ."

my experience of camp life in Afghanistan had at_least had the effect of making me a prompt and ready traveller . my wants were few and simple, so_that in less_than_the time stated i_was in a cab with my valise, rattling away to Paddington station .Sherlock Holmes was pacing up and down the platform, his tall, gaunt figure made even gaunter and taller by his long grey travelling- cloak and close-fitting cloth cap .

" it_is really very_good of you to_come, Watson," said he ." it makes a considerable difference to_me, having someone with me on whom I_can thoroughly rely . local aid is always either worthless or else biased . if_you_will keep the two corner seats I_shall get the tickets ."

we had the carriage to ourselves save for an immense litter of papers which Holmes had brought with_him . among_these he rummaged and read, with intervals of note-taking and of meditation, until we were past Reading . then he suddenly rolled them all into a gigantic ball and tossed them up onto the rack .

" have_you heard anything of_the case ? " he asked .

" not a word . I_have_not seen a paper for some days ."

" the London press has_not had very full accounts . I_have just been looking through all the recent papers in_order to master the particulars . it seems, from what I gather, to_be one of_those simple cases which are so extremely difficult ."

" that sounds a little paradoxical ."

" but it_is profoundly true . singularity is almost invariably a clew . the more featureless and commonplace a crime is, the more difficult it_is to bring it home . in this_case, however, they_have established a very serious case against the son of_the murdered man ."

" it_is a murder, then ? "

" well, it_is conjectured to_be so . I_shall take nothing for granted until I_have the opportunity of looking personally into_it . i_will explain the state of things to_you, as far as I_have_been_able to understand it, in a very few words .

"Boscombe valley is a country district not very far from Ross, in Herefordshire . the largest landed proprietor in_that part is aMr John turner, who_made his money in Australia and returned some_years_ago to_the old country . one_of_the farms which he held, that of Hatherley, was let to Mr Charles McCarthy, who was also an ex- Australian . the men had known each_other in_the colonies, so that_it_was not unnatural that when_they came to settle down they should do_so as near each_other as possible . turner was apparently the richer man, so McCarthy became his tenant but still remained, it seems, upon terms of perfect equality, as_they were frequently together . McCarthy had one son, alad of eighteen, and turner had an only daughter of_the same age, but neither of_them had wives living . they appear to_have avoided the society of_the neighbouring English families and to_have led retired lives, though both the McCarthys were fond of sport and were frequently seen at_the race- meetings of_the neighbourhood . McCarthy kept two servants--a man and a girl . turner had a considerable household, some half- dozen at_the least . that_is as_much as I_have_been_able to gather about_the families . now for_the facts .

" on June 3rd, that_is, on Monday last, McCarthy left his house at Hatherley about three in_the afternoon and walked down to_the Boscombe pool, which_is a small lake formed by_the spreading out_of_the stream which runs down the Boscombe valley . he had_been out with_his serving- man in_the morning at Ross, and he had told the man that he_must hurry, as he had an appointment of importance to_keep at three . from_that appointment he never came back alive .

" from Hatherley farm- house to_the Boscombe pool is a quarter of a mile, and two people saw him as he passed over this ground . one was an old woman, whose name is_not mentioned, and_the other was William Crowder, a game- keeper in_the employ of Mr turner . both these witnesses depose that Mr McCarthy was walking alone . the game- keeper adds that within a few_minutes of_his seeing Mr McCarthy pass he had seen his son, Mr James McCarthy, going the same way with a gun under his arm . to_the best of_his belief, the father was actually in sight at_the_time, and_the son was following him . he thought no more of_the matter until he heard in_the evening of_the tragedy that had occurred .

" the two McCarthys were seen after_the time when William Crowder, the game- keeper, lost sight of_them . the Boscombe pool is thickly wooded round, with just a fringe of grass and of reeds round the edge .a girl of fourteen, patience Moran, who is_the daughter of_the lodge- keeper of_the Boscombe valley estate, was in one_of_the woods picking flowers . she states that while she was there she saw, at_the border of_the wood and close by_the lake, Mr McCarthy and_his son, and that_they appeared to_be having a violent quarrel . she heard Mr McCarthy the elder using very strong language to_his son, and she saw the latter raise up his hand as_if to strike his father . she was so frightened by their violence that she ran away and told her mother when she reached home that she had left the two McCarthys quarrelling near Boscombe pool, and_that she was afraid that_they were going to fight . she had hardly said the words when young Mr McCarthy came running up_to_the lodge to_say that he had found his father dead in_the wood, and to ask for_the help of_the lodge- keeper . he_was much excited, without either his gun or his hat, and_his right hand and sleeve were observed to_be stained with fresh blood . on following him they found the dead body stretched out upon_the grass beside the pool . the head had_been beaten in by repeated blows of some heavy and blunt weapon . the injuries were such as might very_well have_been inflicted by_the butt- end of_his son's gun, which_was found lying on_the grass within a few paces of_the body . under these circumstances the young man was instantly arrested, and a verdict of 'wilful murder' having been returned at_the inquest on Tuesday, he_was on Wednesday brought before_the magistrates at Ross, who_have referred the case to_the next Assizes . those are the main facts of_the case as_they came out before_the coroner and_the police- court ."

" I_could hardly imagine a more damning case," I remarked ." if ever circumstantial evidence pointed to a criminal it does so here ."

" circumstantial evidence is a very tricky thing," answered Holmes thoughtfully ." it may seem to point very straight to one_thing, but if_you shift your own point of view a little, you_may find it pointing in 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 'A 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 metier, 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 adamning 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 ascheming 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 on ."

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 3d . 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 Boscombe pool, with_the intention of visiting the rabbit warren which_is upon_the other side . on my way I_saw William Crowder, the game- keeper, as he had stated in_his evidence; but he_is mistaken in thinking that i_was following my father .I had no idea that he_was in front of me . when about a hundred yards from_the pool I heard a cry of 'Cooee ! ' which_was a usual signal between my father and myself .I then hurried forward, and found him standing by_the pool

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