This discovery, evident confusion which the cripple showed, made the inspector realise matter was serious The rooms were carefully examined, and results all pointed to an abominable crime The front room was plainly furnished as sitting-room and led into small bedroom, which looked out back of wharves wharf bedroom window is narrow strip, dry at low tide but is covered at high tide with four and half feet of water The bedroom window was broad one and opened from below On examination traces of blood were seen windowsill, and several scattered drops were visible wooden floor bedroom Thrust away behind curtain front room were all the clothes of Mr Neville St Clair, exception coat His boots, his socks, his hat, watch-all were there There were no signs of violence upon any garments, and there were no other traces of Mr Neville St Clair window apparently for no other exit discovered, ominous bloodstains sill gave little promise that save himself by swimming, tide was at its very highest moment tragedy

And now villains who seemed immediately implicated matter The Lascar was known man vilest antecedents, but as, by Mrs St Clairs story, known foot stair within very few seconds of her husbands appearance window, hardly more than an accessory crime His defence was one of absolute ignorance, and he protested that he had no knowledge doings of Hugh Boone, his lodger, account in presence missing gentlemans clothes

Lascar manager Now sinister cripple who lives second floor opium den, and who was certainly the last human being whose eyes rested upon Neville St Clair His name is Hugh Boone, hideous face is one familiar to every man who goes much City professional beggar, though to avoid the police regulations he pretends to small trade in wax vestas Some little distance down Threadneedle Street, left-hand side, , remarked, small angle wall Here creature takes his daily seat, cross-legged tiny stock of matches lap, and as piteous spectacle small rain of charity descends greasy leather cap which lies pavement beside him watched the fellow more than once before ever of making his professional acquaintance, and surprised harvest which he has reaped in short time His appearance, , is so remarkable that no one can pass him without observing him shock of orange hair, pale face disfigured by horrible scar, which, by its contraction, has turned up the outer edge upper lip, bulldog chin, and pair of very penetrating dark eyes, which present singular contrast colour hair, all mark him out from amid the common crowd of mendicants and so, too, does his wit, for ever ready with reply to any piece of chaff thrown at him passers-by man whom we now learn the lodger opium den, and the last man the gentleman of whom in quest

But cripple ! said I What could he single-handed against man prime of life ?

cripple sense that he walks with limp; but in other respects he appears powerful and well-nurtured man Surely your medical experience would tell you, Watson, that weakness in one limb is often compensated for by exceptional strength others

Pray continue your narrative Josef Friedrich, 1906

Mrs St Clair had fainted sight blood window, and she was escorted home in cab police, as her presence of no help in their investigations Inspector Barton, who had charge case, made very careful examination premises, but without finding anything which threw any light matter One mistake made in not arresting Boone instantly, as allowed some during which communicated friend the Lascar, but this fault was soon remedied, and seized and searched, without anything being found which could incriminate him There were, true, some blood-stains upon his right shirt-sleeve, but he pointed ring-finger, which cut near the nail, and explained bleeding came from there, adding that he window not long before, and stains which observed there came doubtless same source He denied strenuously having ever seen Mr Neville St Clair and swore presence clothes room was mystery to him police Mrs St Clairs assertion that she had actually seen her husband window, he declared that either mad or dreaming removed, loudly protesting, police-station, while the inspector remained premises the ebbing tide might afford some fresh clew

And it did, though they hardly found mud-bank what they had feared Neville St Clairs coat, and not Neville St Clair, which lay uncovered tide receded And what they found pockets ?

imagine

No, I dont think guess Every pocket stuffed with pennies and half-pennies-421 pennies and 270 half-pennies no wonder swept away tide But human body is different matter fierce eddy wharf house It seemed likely enough weighted coat had remained stripped body sucked away river

But I understand that all the other clothes were found room Would the body be dressed in coat alone ?

No, sir, but the facts met speciously enough Suppose man Boone had thrust Neville St Clair window, no human eye which seen the deed What would he do then ? It would instantly strike him that get rid tell-tale garments seize the coat, then, and be act of throwing it out, when it would occur to him would swim and not sink He has little time, for he has heard the scuffle downstairs wife tried to force her way up, and perhaps he has already heard Lascar confederate police are hurrying up the street not an instant lost He rushes to some secret hoard, where he has accumulated the fruits beggary, and he stuffs all the coins lay his hands pockets sure coats sinking He throws it out, and done the same other garments he heard the rush of steps below, and only just had time to close the window police appeared

It certainly sounds feasible