Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are visited by John Hector McFarlane, a young lawyer from Blackheath who has been accused of murdering one of his clients – builder Jonas Oldacre. McFarlane explains to Holmes that Oldacre had come to his office the day before and asked him to draw up his will in proper legal form. To his surprise, Oldacre was making him the sole beneficiary to a considerable bequest. Later, McFarlane went to Oldacre's house in Lower Norwood to deliver the will and go over some additional documents. McFarlane left quite late and stayed at a local inn. On the train the next morning, he read in the newspaper about the apparent murder and that the police were looking for him.

The evidence against McFarlane is quite damning: his bloody stick was found in Oldacre's study, and outside is a pile of dry timber burnt to ashes, smelling of burnt flesh. Inspector Lestrade, who comes to arrest McFarlane, gloats in the apparent knowledge that he is on the right track. Holmes begins his own investigation by going to Blackheath instead of Norwood. There he learns that McFarlane's mother was once engaged to Oldacre, but broke up with him once she found out his cruel nature. Holmes also notes that Oldacre's draft will was written in a very haphazard fashion, as if he didn't care about it. Holmes also discovers large payments from Oldacre's bank account to a "Mr Cornelius". Holmes then visits Oldacre's house, where he inspects the study. Lestrade produces Oldacre's trouser buttons, found in the ashes of the fire. Holmes fears the worst: "All my instincts are in one direction, and all the facts are in another." Still, Holmes suspects Oldacre's housekeeper is deliberately withholding information.

David Clarke

philip chenevert

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