September 29, 2023 • 46 mins
In "The Adventure of the Five Orange Pips," Sherlock Holmes receives a visit from Mr. John Openshaw, who seeks Holmes' help regarding a series of ominous events that have befallen his family. Openshaw's uncle and father had both died under strange circumstances after receiving envelopes containing five orange pips (seeds).Holmes investigates the matter and learns that others have experienced similar fates after receiving the same ominous message. Through his deductive reasoning, Holmes connects the incidents to the Ku Klux Klan, an American racist organization. The orange pips were a form of warning sent to individuals associated with the Klan or who might testify against its members.Despite Holmes' efforts to protect Openshaw, tragedy strikes when Openshaw himself receives the deadly message. Despite Holmes' attempts to safeguard him, Openshaw meets a tragic end, drowned in a manner reminiscent of the other deaths.Holmes, however, manages to track down the ship responsible for delivering the fatal letters and investigates further to uncover the origins of the sinister plot. The story concludes with Holmes unraveling the connection between the deaths and the Ku Klux Klan, though Openshaw's death remains a somber reminder of the dangers surrounding the case of the five orange pips.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Adventure five of the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. This LibriVox
recording is in the public domain and is read by
Mark Smith of Simpsonville, South Carolina. The Adventures of Sherlock
Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Adventure five the Five
Orange Pips. When I glance over my notes and records
(00:26):
of the Sherlock Holmes cases between the years eighty two
and ninety, I am faced by so many which present
strange and interesting features that it is no easy matter
to know which to choose and which to leave. Some, however,
have already gained publicity through the papers, and others have
not offered a field for those peculiar qualities which my
(00:47):
friend possessed in so high a degree, and which it
is the object of these papers to illustrate. Some too
have baffled his analytical skill, and would be as narratives
beginnings without an ending, while others have been but partially
cleared up, and have their explanations founded rather upon conjecture
(01:08):
and surmise than on the absolute logical proof which was
so dear to him. There is, however, one of these last,
which was so remarkable in its details, and so startling
in its results, that I am tempted to give some
account of it, in spite of the fact that there
are points in connection with it which never have been
(01:29):
and probably never will be entirely cleared up. The year
eighty seven furnished us with a long series of cases
of greater or less interest, of which I retain the
records among my headings. Under this one twelve months, I
find an account of the adventure of the paradal chamber
of the Amateur Mendicant Society, who held a luxurious club
(01:53):
and the lower vault of a furniture warehouse. Of the
facts connected with the loss of the British Barque Sophie,
and of the singular adventures of the Greis Pattersons in
the island of Ufa, and finally of the Camberwell poisoning case.
In the latter, as may be remembered, Sherlock Holmes was able,
(02:13):
by winding up the dead Man's watch, to prove that
it had been wound up two hours before, and that
therefore the deceased had gone to bed within that time,
a deduction which was of the greatest importance in clearing
up the case. All these I may sketch out at
some future date, But none of them present such singular
(02:34):
features as the strange train of circumstances which I have
now taken up my pen to describe. It was in
the latter days of September, and the equinoctial gales had
set in with exceptional violence.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
All day.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
The wind had screamed and the rain had beaten against
the windows, so that even here in the heart of
great handmade London, we were forced to raise our minds
for the inner instant, from the routine of life, and
to recognize the presence of those great elemental forces which
shriek at mankind through the bars of his civilization, like
(03:11):
untamed beasts in a cage. As evening drew in, the
storm grew higher and louder, and the wind cried and
sobbed like a child in the chimney. Sherlock Holmes sat
moodily at one side of the fireplace, cross indexing his
records of crime, while I at the other, was deep
in one of Clark Russell's fine sea stories, until the
(03:34):
howl of the gale from without seemed to blend with
the text, and the splash of the rain to lengthen
out into the long swash of the sea waves. My
wife was on a visit to her mother's, and for
a few days I was a dweller once more in
my old quarters.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
At Baker Street.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Why, said I, glancing up at my companion, that was
surely the bell. Who could come to night? Some friend
of yours? Perhaps, except yourself? I have none, he answered,
I do not encourage visitors a client. Then, if so,
it is a serious case. Nothing less would bring a
(04:14):
man out on such a day and at such an hour.
But I take it that it is more likely to
be some crony of the landlady's Sherlock Holmes was wrong
in his conjecture, however, for there came a step in
the passage, and a tapping at the door. He stretched
out his long arm to turn the lamp away from
himself and towards the vacant chair upon which a newcomer
(04:36):
must sit. Come in, said he. The man who entered
was young, some two and twenty at the outside, well
groomed and trimly clad, with something of refinement and delicacy
in his bearing. The streaming umbrella which he held in
his hand, and his long shining waterproof told of the
(04:56):
fierce weather through which he had come. He looked about
him anxio in the glare of the lamp, and I
could see that his face was pale, and his eyes heavy,
like those of a man who is weighed down with
some great anxiety. I owe you an apology, he said,
raising his golden pince nez to his eyes. I trust
(05:17):
that I am not intruding. I fear that I have
brought some traces of the storm and rain into your
snug chamber. Give me your coat and umbrella, said Holmes.
They may rest here on the hook and will be
dry presently. You have come up from the southwest. I see, yes,
from Horsham. That clay and chalk mixture which I see
(05:40):
upon your toe caps is quite distinctive. I have come
for advice that is easily got, and help that is
not always so easy. I have heard of you, mister Holmes.
I heard from Major Prendergast how you saved him in
the Tankerville club scandal. Ah. Of course he was wrongfully
(06:03):
accused of cheating at cards. He said that you could
solve anything. He said too much, that you are never beaten.
I have been beaten four times, three times by men,
and once by a woman. But what is that compared
with the number of your successes. It is true that
(06:24):
I have been generally successful, then you may be so
with me. I beg that you will draw your chair
up to the fire and favor me with some details
as to your case. It is no ordinary one. None
of those which come to me are. I am the
last court of appeal. And yet I question, sir, whether,
(06:48):
in all your experience you have ever listened to a
more mysterious and inexplicable chain of events than those which
have happened in my own family. You fill me with interest,
said Holmes. Pray, give us the essential facts from the commencement,
and I can afterwards question you as to those details
which seemed to me to be most important. The young
(07:11):
man pulled his chair up and pushed his wet feet
out towards the blaze. My name, said, he is John Openshaw.
But my own affairs have, as far as I can understand,
little to do with this awful business. It is a
hereditary matter.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
So in order to.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
Give you an idea of the facts, I must go
back to the commencement of the affair. You must know
that my grandfather had two sons, My uncle Elias and
my father Joseph. My father had a small factory at Coventry,
which he enlarged at the time of the invention of bicycling.
He was a patentee of the Openshaw unbreakable tire, and
(07:54):
his business met with such success that he was able
to sell it and to retire upon a handsome competence.
My uncle Elias emigrated to America when he was a
young man and became a planter in Florida, where he
was reported to have done very well. At the time
of the war, he fought in Jackson's army and afterwards
under Hood, where he rose to be a colonel. When
(08:17):
Lee laid down his arms, my uncle returned to his plantation,
where he remained for three or four years. About eighteen
sixty nine or eighteen seventy he came back to Europe
and took a small estate in Sussex, near Horsham. He
had made a very considerable fortune in the States, and
his reason for leaving them was his aversion to the
(08:38):
Negroes and his dislike of the Republican policy in extending
the franchise to them. He was a singular man, fierce
and quick tempered, very foul mouthed when he was angry,
and of a most retiring disposition. During all the years
that he lived at Horsham, I doubt if ever he
set foot in the town. He had a garden and
(09:01):
two or three fields round his house, and there he
would take his exercise, though very often for weeks on
end he would never leave his room. He drank a
great deal of brandy and smoked very heavily, but he
would see no society and did not want any friends,
not even his own brother. He didn't mind me, in fact,
(09:22):
he took a fancy to me, for at the time
when he saw me first, I was a youngster of
twelve or so. This would be in the year eighteen
seventy eight, after he had been eight or nine years
in England. He begged my father to let me live
with him, and he was very kind to me in
his way. When he was sober. He used to be
fond of playing backgammon in drafts with me, and he
(09:44):
would make me his representative both with the servants and
with the tradespeople, so that by the time that I
was sixteen, I was quite master of the house. I
kept all the keys and could go where I liked
and do what I liked, so long that I did
not disturb him in his privacy. There was one singular exception, however,
for he had a single room, a lumber room up
(10:07):
among the attics, which was invariably locked, and which he
would never permit either me or any one else to enter.
With a boy's curiosity, I have peeped through the keyhole,
but I was never able to see more than such
a collection of old trunks and bundles as would be
expected in.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
Such a room.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
One day, it was in March eighteen eighty three, a
letter with a foreign stamp lay upon the table in
front of the colonel's plate. It was not a common
thing for him to receive letters, for his bills were
all paid in ready money, and he had no friends
of any sort from India, said he as he took
it up.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
Pond a cherry postmark. What can this be?
Speaker 1 (10:50):
Opening it hurriedly, out there jumped five little dried orange pips,
which pattered down upon his plate. I began to laugh
at this, but the laugh was struck from my lips
at the sight of his face. His lip had fallen,
his eyes were protruding, his skin the color of putty,
and he glared at the envelope, which he still held
(11:11):
in his trembling hand. Kay Kay, kay, he shrieked. And then,
my god, my god, my sins have overtaken me.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
What is it? Uncle?
Speaker 1 (11:22):
I cried death, said he, and rising from the table,
he retired to his room, leaving me palpitating with horror.
I took up the envelope and saw scrawled in red
ink upon the inner flap, just above the gum, the
letter K three times repeated. There was nothing else save
the five dried pips. What could be the reason of
(11:45):
his overpowering terror? I left the breakfast table, and as
I ascended the stair I met him coming down with
an old rusty key which must have belonged to the
attic in one hand, and a small brass box like
a cash box in the other. They may do what
they like, but I'll checkmate them, still, said he, with
(12:06):
an oath. Tell Mary that I shall want a fire
in my room to day and send down to Fordham
the Horsham lawyer. I did as he ordered, and when
the lawyer arrived, I was asked to step up to
the room. The fire was burning brightly and in the grate,
there was a mass of black, fluffy ashes as of
burned paper, while the brass box stood open and empty
(12:29):
beside it. As I glanced at the box, I noticed
with a start that upon the lid was printed the
treble k which I had read in the morning.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
Upon the envelope.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
I wish you, John, said my uncle, to witness my will.
I leave my estate, with all its advantages and all
its disadvantages, to my brother, your father. Whence it will
no doubt descend to you if you can enjoy it
in peace, well and good. If you find you cannot
(13:00):
take my advice, my boy, and leave it to your
deadliest enemy, I am sorry to give you such a
two edged thing, but I can't say what turn things
are going to take. Kindly sign the paper where mister
Fordham shows you. I signed the paper as directed, and
the lawyer took it away with him. The singular incident made,
(13:20):
as you may think, the deepest impression upon me, and
I pondered over it and turned it every way in
my mind without being able to make anything of it.
Yet I could not shake off the vague feeling of
dread which it left behind. Though the sensation grew less keen.
As the weeks passed and nothing happened to disturb the
usual routine of our lives, I could see a change
(13:44):
in my uncle. However, he drank more than ever, and
he was less inclined for any sort of society. Most
of his time he would spend in his room with
the door locked upon the inside. But sometimes he would
emerge in a sort of drum and frenzy, and would
burst out of the house and tear about the garden
with a revolver in his hand, screaming out that he
(14:07):
was afraid of no man, and that he was not
to be cooped up like a sheep in a pen
by man or devil. When these hot fits were over, however,
he would rush tumultuously in at the door, and lock
and bar it behind him, like a man who can
brazen it out no longer against the terror which lies
at the roots of his soul. At such times I
(14:29):
have seen his face, even on a cold day, glisten
with moisture, as though it were new raised from a basin. Well,
to come to an end of the matter, mister Holmes,
and not to abuse your patience, There came a night
when he made one of those drunken sallies, from which
he never came back. We found him when we went
to search for him, face downward in a little green,
(14:52):
scummed pool which lay at the foot of the garden.
There was no sign of any violence, and the water
was but two feet deep, so that the jury, having
regard to his known eccentricity, brought in a verdict of suicide.
But I, who knew how he winced from the very
thought of death, had much ado to persuade myself that
(15:13):
he had gone out of his way to meet it.
The matter passed, however, and my father entered into possession
of the estate and of some fourteen thousand pounds which
lay to his credit at the bank. One moment, Holmes interposed,
your statement is, I foresee, one of the most remarkable
to which I have ever listened. Let me have the
(15:35):
date of the reception by your uncle of the letter
and the date of his supposed suicide. The letter arrived
on March tenth, eighteen eighty three. His death was seven
weeks later, upon the night of May second. Thank you,
pray proceed. When my father took over the Horsham property, he,
(15:56):
at my request, made a careful examination of the attic,
which had been always locked up. We found the brass
box there, although its contents had been destroyed. On the
inside of the cover was a paper label with the
initials of K K K repeated upon it, and letters, memoranda, receipts,
(16:17):
and a register written beneath these, we presume indicated the
nature of the papers which had been destroyed by Colonel Openshaw.
For the rest, there was nothing of much importance in
the attic, save a great many scattered papers and notebooks
bearing upon my uncle's life in America. Some of them
were of the wartime and showed that he had done
(16:39):
his duty well and had borne the repute of a
brave soldier. Others were of a date during the reconstruction
of the Southern States, and were mostly concerned with politics,
for he had evidently taken a strong part in opposing
the carpetbag politicians who had been sent down from the
North Well. It was at the beginning of eighty four
(17:00):
when my father came to live at Horsham, and all
went as well as possible with us until the January
of eighty five. On the fourth day after the new year,
I heard my father give a sharp cry of surprise
as we sat together at the breakfast table. There he
was sitting with a newly opened envelope in one hand
(17:21):
and five dried orange pips in the outstretched palm of
the other one. He had always laughed at what he
called my cock and bull story about the colonel, but
he looked very scared and puzzled now that the same
thing had come upon himself. Why what on earth does
this mean, John, he stammered, My heart had turned to lead.
(17:44):
It is K K K, said I. He looked inside
the envelope.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
So it is, he cried.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
Here are the very letters, But what is this written
above them? Put the papers on the sundial? I read,
peeping over here, shoulder, What papers? What sun dial? He asked,
the sun dial in the garden. There is no other,
said I. But the papers must be those that are destroyed. Pooh,
(18:13):
said he, gripping hard at his courage. We are in
a civilized land here, and we can't have tomfoolery of
this kind. Where does the thing come from from? Dundee,
I answered, glancing at the postmark. Some preposterous practical joke,
said he. What have I to do with sun dials
(18:34):
and papers? I shall take no notice of such nonsense.
I should certainly speak to the police, I said, and
to be laughed at for my pains. Nothing of the sort,
then let me do so. No, I forbid you. I
won't have a fuss made about such nonsense. It was
(18:54):
in vain to argue with him, for he was a
very obstinate man. I went about, however, with a heart
which was full of forebodings. On the third day after
the coming of the letter, my father went from home
to visit an old friend of his, Major Freebody, who
is in command of one of the forts upon portsdown Hill.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
I was glad that he should go.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
Up, for it seemed to me that he was farther
from danger when he was away from home. In that, however,
I was an error. Upon the second day of his absence,
I received a telegram from the Major imploring me to
come at once. My father had fallen over one of
the deep chalk pits which abound in the neighborhood, and
(19:36):
was lying senseless with a shattered skull. I hurried to him,
but he passed away without having ever recovered his consciousness.
He had, as it appears, been returning from Fareham in
the twilight, and as the country was unknown to him
and the chalk pit unfenced, the jury had no hesitation
(19:56):
in bringing in a verdict of death from accidental cause. Carefully,
as I examined every fact connected with his death, I
was unable to find anything which could suggest the idea
of murder. There were no signs of violence, no footmarks,
no robbery, no record of strangers having been seen upon
the roads. And yet I need not tell you that
(20:19):
my mind was far from at ease, and that I
was well nigh certain that some foul plot had been
woven round him. In this sinister way I came into
my inheritance. You will ask me why I did not
dispose of it. I answer because I was well convinced
that our troubles were in some way dependent upon an
incident in my uncle's life, and that the danger would
(20:42):
be as pressing in one house as in another. It
was in January eighty five that my poor father met
his end, and two years and eight months have elapsed
since then. During that time I have lived happily at Horsham,
and I had begun to hope that his curse had
passed away from the family, and that it had ended
(21:02):
with the last generation. I had begun to take comfort
too soon. However, yesterday morning the blow fell in the
very shape in which it had come upon my father.
The young man took from his waistcoat a crumpled envelope,
and turning to the table, he shook out upon it
five little dried orange pips. This is the envelope, he continued.
(21:25):
The postmark is London Eastern Division. Within are the very
words which were upon my father's last message, K K K.
And then put the papers on the sundial. What have
you done, asked Holmes. Nothing, nothing to tell the truth.
(21:47):
He sank his face into his thin white hands. I
have felt helpless. I have felt like one of those
poor rabbits when the snake is writhing towards it. I
seem to be in the grasp of some resists, useless,
inexorable evil which no foresight and no precautions can guard against.
Tut Tut, cried Sherlock Holmes. You must act, man, or
(22:10):
you are lost. Nothing but energy can save you. This
is no time for despair. I have seen the police, ah,
but they listened to my story with a smile. I
am convinced that the inspector has formed the opinion that
the letters are all practical jokes, and that the deaths
of my relations were really accidents, as the jury stated,
(22:34):
and were not to be connected with the warnings.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
Holmes shook his clenched hands in the air.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
Incredible imbecility, he cried. They have, however, allowed me a
policeman who may remain in the house with me.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
Has he come with you tonight?
Speaker 1 (22:52):
No? His orders were to stay in the house again,
Holmes raved in the air. Why did you come to me,
he cried, And above all, why did you not come
at once?
Speaker 2 (23:06):
I did not know.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
It was only to day that I spoke to Major
Prendergast about my troubles and was advised by him to
come to you. It is really two days since you
had the letter. We should have acted before this. You
have no further evidence, I suppose, than that which you
have placed before us, no suggestive detail which might help us.
(23:28):
There is one thing, said John Openshaw. He rummaged in
his coat pocket, and drawing out a piece of discolored,
blue tinted paper, he laid it out upon the table.
I have some remembrance, said he, that on the day
when my uncle burned the papers. I observed that the small,
unburned margins which lay amid the ashes were of this
(23:50):
particular color. I found this single sheet upon the floor
of his room, and I am inclined to think that
it may be one of the papers which has perhaps
fluttered out from among the others, and in that way
has escaped destruction. Beyond the mention of pips, I do
not see that it helps us much. I think myself
(24:10):
that it is a page from some private diary. The
writing is undoubtedly my uncle's. Holmes moved the lamp and
we both bent over the sheet of paper, which showed
by its ragged edge that it had indeed been torn
from a book. It was headed March eighteen sixty nine,
and beneath were the following enigmatical notices. Fourth Hudson came
(24:35):
same old platform. Seventh set the pips on mc cauley, Paramore,
and John Swain of Saint Augustine ninth. Mc cauley cleared, tenth,
John Swain cleared twelfth, visited Paramore. All well, thank you,
(24:56):
said Holmes, folding up the paper and returning it to
our visitor. And now you must, on no account lose
another instant. We cannot spare time even to discuss what
you have told me. You must get home instantly and act.
What shall I do? There is but one thing to do.
It must be done at once. You must put this
(25:17):
piece of paper which you have shown us into the
brass box which you have described. You must also put
in a note to say that all the other papers
were burned by your uncle, and that this is the
only one which remains. You must assert that in such
words as will carry conviction with them. Having done this,
you must at once put the box out upon the
(25:38):
sun dial as directed.
Speaker 2 (25:40):
Do you understand entirely?
Speaker 1 (25:43):
Do not think of revenge or anything of the sort
at present. I think that we may gain that by
means of the law. But we have our web to weave,
while theirs is already woven. The first consideration is to
remove the pressing danger which threatens you. The second is
to clear up the mystery and to punish the guilty parties.
(26:05):
I thank you, said the young man, rising and pulling
on his overcoat. You have given me fresh life, and
hope I shall certainly do as you advise, Do not
lose an instant, and above all, take care of yourself
in the meanwhile. For I do not think that there
can be a doubt that you are threatened by a
(26:26):
very real and imminent danger. How do you go back
by train from Waterloo? It is not yet nine. The
streets will be crowded. So I trust that you may
be in safety. And yet you cannot guard yourself too closely.
Speaker 2 (26:42):
I am armed. That is well.
Speaker 1 (26:45):
Tomorrow I shall set to work upon your case. I
shall see you at Horsham. Then, No, your secret lies
in London.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
It is there that I shall seek it.
Speaker 1 (26:57):
Then I shall call upon you in a day, or
in two days, with news as to the box and
the papers. I shall take your advice in every particular.
He shook hands with us and took his leave. Outside,
the wind still screamed, and the rain splashed and pattered
against the windows. This strange, wild story seemed to have
(27:18):
come to us from amid the mad elements, blown in
upon us like a sheet of seaweed in a gale,
and now to have been reabsorbed by them once more.
Sherlock Holmes sat for some time in silence, with his
head sunk forward and his eyes bent upon the red
glow of the fire. Then he lit his pipe and
(27:39):
leaning back in his chair, he watched the blue smoke
rings as they chased each other up to the ceiling.
I think, Watson, he remarked, at last, that of all
our cases we have had none more fantastic than this,
save perhaps the sign of four. Well, yes, save perhaps that.
(28:01):
And yet this John Openshaw seems to me to be
walking amid even greater perils than did the Sholtos. But
have you, i asked, formed any definite conception as to
what these perils are? There can be no question as
to their nature, he answered, Then.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
What are they?
Speaker 1 (28:21):
Who is this K K K? And why does he
pursue this unhappy family? Cholock Holmes closed his eyes and
placed his elbows upon the arms of his chair, with
his finger tips together. The ideal reasoner, he remarked, would,
when he had once been shown a single fact in
(28:41):
all its bearings, deduce from it not only all the
chain of events which led up to it, but also
all the results which would follow from it. As Cuvier
could correctly describe a whole animal by the contemplation of
a single bone, so the observer, who has thoroughly understood
one link in a series of incidents should be able
(29:03):
to accurately state all the other ones. Both before and after,
we have not yet grasped the results which the reason
alone can attain to. Problems may be solved in the
study which have baffled all those who has sought a
solution by the aid of their senses. To carry the art, however,
to its highest pitch, it is necessary that the reasoner
(29:25):
should be able to utilize all the facts which have
come to his knowledge. And this in itself implies, as
you will readily see, a possession of all knowledge, which,
even in these days of free education and encyclopedias, is
a somewhat rare accomplishment. It is not so impossible, however,
(29:47):
that a man should possess all knowledge which is likely
to be useful to him in his work. And this
I have endeavored in my case to do. If I
remember rightly, you, on one occasion in the early days
of our friendship, defined my limits in a very precise fashion. Yes,
I answered, laughing. It was a singular document. Philosophy, astronomy,
(30:12):
and politics were marked at zero. I remember botany variable
geology profound as regards the mud stains from any region
within fifty miles of town chemistry, eccentric anatomy, unsystematic sensational literature,
and crime records, unique violin player, boxer, swordsman, lawyer, and
(30:35):
self poisoner by cocaine and tobacco. Those I think were
the main points of my analysis. Holmes grinned at the
last item. Well, he said, I say now, as I
said then, that a man should keep his little brain
addict stocked with all the furniture that he is likely
to use, and the rest he can put away in
(30:56):
the lumber room of his library, where he can get
it if he wants it. Now, for such a case
as the one which has been submitted to us tonight,
we need certainly to muster all our resources. Kindly hand
me down the letter K of the American Encyclopedia, which
stands upon the shelf beside you.
Speaker 2 (31:17):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (31:19):
Now, let us consider the situation and see what may
be deduced from it. In the first place, we may
start with a strong presumption that Colonel Openshaw had some
very strong reason for leaving America. Men at his time
of life.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
Do not change all their habits in exchange.
Speaker 1 (31:37):
Willingly the charming climate of Florida for the lonely life
of an English provincial town. His extreme love of solitude
in England suggests the idea that he was in fear
of someone or something. So we may assume, as a
working hypothesis, that it was fear of someone or something
which drove him from America. As to what it was
(32:00):
he feared, we can only deduce that by considering the
formidable letters which were received by himself and his successors.
Did you remark the postmarks of these letters? The first
was from Pondicherry, the second from Dundee, and the third
from London, from East London? What do you deduce from that?
(32:23):
They are all seaports. That the writer was on board
of a ship. Excellent, We have already a clue. There
can be no doubt that the probability, the strong probability,
is that the writer was on board of a ship.
And now let us consider another point. In the case
of Pondicherry, seven weeks elapse between the threat and its fulfillment.
(32:48):
In Dundee it was only some three or four days.
Does that suggest anything a greater distance to travel? But
the letter had also a greater distance to come.
Speaker 2 (33:01):
Then I do not see the point.
Speaker 1 (33:04):
There is at least a presumption that the vessel in
which the man or men are.
Speaker 2 (33:08):
Is a sailing ship. It looks as.
Speaker 1 (33:11):
If they always send their singular warning or token before
them when starting upon their mission. You see how quickly
the deed followed the sign when it came from Dundee.
If they had come from Pondicherry in a steamer, they
would have arrived almost as soon as their letter. But
as a matter of fact, seven weeks elapsed.
Speaker 2 (33:33):
I think that.
Speaker 1 (33:33):
Those seven weeks represented the difference between the mail boat
which brought the letter and the sailing vessel which brought
the writer.
Speaker 2 (33:42):
It is possible.
Speaker 1 (33:44):
More than that, it is probable. And now you see
the deadly urgency of this new case, and why I
urged young Openshaw to caution. The blow has always fallen
at the end of the time which it would take
the senders to travel the distance. But this one comes
from London, and therefore we cannot count upon delay. Good God,
(34:06):
I cried, what can it mean, this relentless persecution? The
papers which Openshaw carried are obviously of vital importance to
the person or persons in the sailing ship. I think
that it is quite clear that there must be more
than one of them. A single man could not have
carried out two deaths in such a way as to
(34:27):
deceive a coroner's jury. There must have been several in it,
and there must have been men of resource and determination.
Their papers they mean to have be the holder of
them who it may. In this way you see, k
k k ceases to be the initials of an individual
and becomes the badge of a society. But of what
(34:50):
society have you never, said Sherlock Holmes, bending forward and
sinking his voice. Have you never heard of the ku
klux Klan? I never have Holmes turned over the leaves
of the book upon his knee. Here it is said
he presently ku klux Klan, a name derived from the
(35:14):
fanciful resemblance to the sound produced by cocking a rifle.
This terrible secret society was formed by some ex Confederate
soldiers in the Southern States after the Civil War, and
it rapidly formed local branches in different parts of the country,
notably in Tennessee, Louisiana, the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida. Its
(35:37):
power was used for political purposes, principally for the terrorizing
of the Negro voters and the murdering and driving from
the country of those who were opposed to its views.
Its outrages were usually preceded by a warning sent to
the marked man in some fantastic but generally recognized shape
a sprig of oak leaves and some parts melon seeds
(36:01):
or orange pips in others. On receiving this, the victim
might either openly abjure his former ways or might fly
from the country. If he braved the matter out, death
would unfailingly come upon him, and usually in some strange
and unforeseen manner. So perfect was the organization of the society,
(36:23):
and so systematic its methods, that there is hardly a
case upon record where any man succeeded in braving it
with impunity, or in which any of its outrages were
traced home to the perpetrators. For some years the organization flourished,
in spite of the efforts of the United States government
and of the better classes of the community in the South. Eventually,
(36:47):
in the year eighteen sixty nine, the movement rather suddenly collapsed,
although there have been sporadic outbreaks of the same sort
since that date. You will observe, said Holmes, laying down
the volume, that the sudden breaking up of the Society
was coincident with the disappearance of Openshaw from America with
(37:08):
their papers. It may well have been cause and effect.
It is no wonder that he and his family have
some of the more implacable spirits upon their track. You
can understand that this register and diary may implicate some
of the first men in the South, and that there
may be many who will not sleep easy at night
(37:28):
until it is recovered. Then the page we have seen
is such as we might expect it ran. If I
remember right sent the pips to A, B and C,
that is, sent the Society's warning to them. Then there
are successive entries that A and B cleared or left
(37:49):
the country, and finally that C was visited with I
fear a sinister result for C. Well, I think, doctor,
that we may let some light into this dark place.
And I believe that the only chance young Openshaw has
in the meantime is to do what I have told him.
There is nothing more to be said or to be
(38:10):
done to night. So hand me over my violin and
let us try to forget for half an hour the
miserable weather and the still more miserable ways of our
fellow men. It had cleared in the morning, and the
sun was shining with a subdued brightness through the dim
veil which hangs over the great city. Sherlock Holmes was
(38:31):
already at breakfast when I came down. You will excuse
me for not waiting for you, said he. I have,
I foresee a very busy day before me in looking
into this case of young Openshaws.
Speaker 2 (38:45):
What steps will you take?
Speaker 1 (38:47):
I asked, It will very much depend upon the results
of my first inquiries. I may have to go down
to Horsham. After all, you will not go there first. No,
I shall come immense with a city. Just ring the
bell and the maid will bring up your coffee. As
I waited, I lifted the unopened newspaper from the table
(39:09):
and glanced my eye over it. It rested upon a
heading which sent a chill to my heart. Holmes, I cried,
you are too late, ah, said he, laying down his cup.
Speaker 2 (39:22):
I feared as much. How was it done?
Speaker 1 (39:26):
He spoke calmly, but I could see that he was
deeply moved. My eye caught the name of Openshaw and
the heading Tragedy near Waterloo Bridge. Here is the account
between nine and ten last night, police Constable Cook of
the h Division, on duty near Waterloo Bridge, heard a
(39:47):
cry for help and a splash in the water. The night, however,
was extremely dark and stormy, so that in spite of
the help of several passers by, it was quite impossible
to effect a rescue. The alarm, however, was given, and
by the aid of the water police, the body was
eventually recovered. It proved to be that of a young gentleman,
(40:08):
whose name, as it appears from an envelope which was
found in his pocket, was John Openshaw, and whose residence
is near Horsham. It is conjectured that he may have
been hurrying down to catch the last train from Waterloo Station,
and that in his haste and the extreme darkness, he
missed his path and walked over the edge of one
(40:30):
of the small landing places for river steamboats. The body
exhibited no traces of violence, and there can be no
doubt that the deceased had been the victim of an
unfortunate accident, which should have the effect of calling the
attention of the authorities to the condition of the riverside
landing stages. We sat in silence for some minutes. Holmes
(40:53):
more depressed and shaken than I had ever seen him.
That hurts my pride, Watson, he said, at last. It
is a petty feeling, no doubt, but it hurts my pride.
It becomes a personal matter with me now, And if
God sends me health, I shall set my hand upon
this gang, that he should come to me for help,
(41:16):
and that I should send him away to his death.
He sprang from his chair and paced about the room
in uncontrollable agitation, with a flush upon his sallow cheeks,
and a nervous clasping and unclasping of his long, thin hands.
They must be cutting devils, he exclaimed at last. How
(41:36):
could they have decoyed him down there? The embankment is
not on the direct line to the station. The bridge,
no doubt, was too crowded, even on such a night
for their purpose. Well, Watson, we shall see who will
win in the long run.
Speaker 2 (41:52):
I am going.
Speaker 1 (41:53):
Out now to the police. No, I shall be my
own police. When I have spun the web, they may
take the flies. But not before all day I was
engaged in my professional work, and it was late in
the evening before I returned to Baker Street. Sherlock Holmes
had not come back yet it was nearly ten o'clock
(42:15):
before he entered. Looking pale and worn, he walked up
to the sideboard, and, tearing a piece from the loaf,
he devoured it voraciously, washing it down with a long
draft of water. You are hungry, I remarked, starving. It
had escaped my memory. I have had nothing since breakfast,
(42:35):
nothing not a bite. I had no time to think
of it.
Speaker 2 (42:40):
And how have you succeeded? Well, you have a clue.
Speaker 1 (42:46):
I have them in the hollow of my hand, Young Openshaw,
shall not long remain unavenged. Why Watson let us put
their own devilish trade mark upon them? It is well
thought of.
Speaker 2 (42:59):
What do you mean?
Speaker 1 (43:01):
He took an orange from the cupboard, and tearing it
to pieces, he squeezed out the pips upon the table.
Of these, he took five and thrust them into an envelope.
On the inside of the flap, he wrote s H
for j O. Then he sealed it and addressed it
to Captain James Calhoun bark lone Star, Savannah, Georgia. This
(43:25):
will await him when he utters port, said he chuckling.
It may give him a sleepless night. He will find
it as sure a precursor of his fate, as Openshaw
did before him. And who is this Captain Calhoun, the
leader of the gang. I shall have the others, but
he first, how.
Speaker 2 (43:45):
Did you trace it?
Speaker 1 (43:46):
Then he took a large sheet of paper from his pocket,
all covered with dates and names. I have spent the
whole day, said he over Lloyd's registers and files of
the old paper, following the future career of every vessel
which touched at Pondicherry in January and February in eighty three,
(44:08):
there were thirty six ships of fair tonnage which were
reported there during those months. Of these, one, the Lone Star,
instantly attracted my attention, since although it was reported as
having cleared from London, the name is that which is
given to one of the states of the Union, Texas.
I think I was not and am not sure which,
(44:31):
but I knew that the ship must have an American origin.
Speaker 2 (44:35):
What then.
Speaker 1 (44:37):
I searched the Dundee records, and when I found that
the bark Lone Star was there in January eighty five,
my suspicion became a certainty. I then inquired as to
the vessels which lay at present in the port of London, yes,
the Lone Star had arrived here last week. I went
down to the Albert dock and found that she had
(44:59):
been taken down the river by.
Speaker 2 (45:01):
The early tide.
Speaker 1 (45:02):
This morning, homeward bound to Savannah, I wired to Gravesend
and learned that she had passed some time ago. And
as the wind is easterly, I have no doubt that
she is now past the goodwinds, and not very far
from the Isle of Wight. What will you do, then, oh,
I have my hand upon him. He and the two
(45:23):
mates are, as I learn, the only native born Americans
in the ship. The others are Finns and Germans. I
know also that they were all three away from.
Speaker 2 (45:33):
The ship last night.
Speaker 1 (45:35):
I had it from the stevedoor, who has been loading
their cargo. By the time that their sailing ship reaches Savannah,
the mail boat will have carried this letter, and the
cable will have informed the police of Savannah that these
three gentlemen are badly wanted here upon a charge of murder.
There is ever a flaw, however, in the best laid
(45:56):
of human plans, and the murderers of John Openshaw were
never to receive the orange pips which would show them
that another, as cunning and as resolute as themselves, was
upon their track. Very long and very severe were the
equinoctial gales that year.
Speaker 2 (46:13):
We waited long.
Speaker 1 (46:14):
For news of the Lone Star of Savannah, but none
ever reached us. We did at last here that somewhere
far out in the Atlantic, a shattered stern post of
a boat was seen swinging in the trough of a wave,
with the letters L S carved upon it. And that
is all which we shall ever know of the fate
(46:35):
of the Lone Star. End of Adventure five
Adventure five of the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. This LibriVox
recording is in the public domain and is read by
Mark Smith of Simpsonville, South Carolina. The Adventures of Sherlock
Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Adventure five the Five
Orange Pips. When I glance over my notes and records
(00:26):
of the Sherlock Holmes cases between the years eighty two
and ninety, I am faced by so many which present
strange and interesting features that it is no easy matter
to know which to choose and which to leave. Some, however,
have already gained publicity through the papers, and others have
not offered a field for those peculiar qualities which my
(00:47):
friend possessed in so high a degree, and which it
is the object of these papers to illustrate. Some too
have baffled his analytical skill, and would be as narratives
beginnings without an ending, while others have been but partially
cleared up, and have their explanations founded rather upon conjecture
(01:08):
and surmise than on the absolute logical proof which was
so dear to him. There is, however, one of these last,
which was so remarkable in its details, and so startling
in its results, that I am tempted to give some
account of it, in spite of the fact that there
are points in connection with it which never have been
(01:29):
and probably never will be entirely cleared up. The year
eighty seven furnished us with a long series of cases
of greater or less interest, of which I retain the
records among my headings. Under this one twelve months, I
find an account of the adventure of the paradal chamber
of the Amateur Mendicant Society, who held a luxurious club
(01:53):
and the lower vault of a furniture warehouse. Of the
facts connected with the loss of the British Barque Sophie,
and of the singular adventures of the Greis Pattersons in
the island of Ufa, and finally of the Camberwell poisoning case.
In the latter, as may be remembered, Sherlock Holmes was able,
(02:13):
by winding up the dead Man's watch, to prove that
it had been wound up two hours before, and that
therefore the deceased had gone to bed within that time,
a deduction which was of the greatest importance in clearing
up the case. All these I may sketch out at
some future date, But none of them present such singular
(02:34):
features as the strange train of circumstances which I have
now taken up my pen to describe. It was in
the latter days of September, and the equinoctial gales had
set in with exceptional violence.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
All day.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
The wind had screamed and the rain had beaten against
the windows, so that even here in the heart of
great handmade London, we were forced to raise our minds
for the inner instant, from the routine of life, and
to recognize the presence of those great elemental forces which
shriek at mankind through the bars of his civilization, like
(03:11):
untamed beasts in a cage. As evening drew in, the
storm grew higher and louder, and the wind cried and
sobbed like a child in the chimney. Sherlock Holmes sat
moodily at one side of the fireplace, cross indexing his
records of crime, while I at the other, was deep
in one of Clark Russell's fine sea stories, until the
(03:34):
howl of the gale from without seemed to blend with
the text, and the splash of the rain to lengthen
out into the long swash of the sea waves. My
wife was on a visit to her mother's, and for
a few days I was a dweller once more in
my old quarters.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
At Baker Street.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Why, said I, glancing up at my companion, that was
surely the bell. Who could come to night? Some friend
of yours? Perhaps, except yourself? I have none, he answered,
I do not encourage visitors a client. Then, if so,
it is a serious case. Nothing less would bring a
(04:14):
man out on such a day and at such an hour.
But I take it that it is more likely to
be some crony of the landlady's Sherlock Holmes was wrong
in his conjecture, however, for there came a step in
the passage, and a tapping at the door. He stretched
out his long arm to turn the lamp away from
himself and towards the vacant chair upon which a newcomer
(04:36):
must sit. Come in, said he. The man who entered
was young, some two and twenty at the outside, well
groomed and trimly clad, with something of refinement and delicacy
in his bearing. The streaming umbrella which he held in
his hand, and his long shining waterproof told of the
(04:56):
fierce weather through which he had come. He looked about
him anxio in the glare of the lamp, and I
could see that his face was pale, and his eyes heavy,
like those of a man who is weighed down with
some great anxiety. I owe you an apology, he said,
raising his golden pince nez to his eyes. I trust
(05:17):
that I am not intruding. I fear that I have
brought some traces of the storm and rain into your
snug chamber. Give me your coat and umbrella, said Holmes.
They may rest here on the hook and will be
dry presently. You have come up from the southwest. I see, yes,
from Horsham. That clay and chalk mixture which I see
(05:40):
upon your toe caps is quite distinctive. I have come
for advice that is easily got, and help that is
not always so easy. I have heard of you, mister Holmes.
I heard from Major Prendergast how you saved him in
the Tankerville club scandal. Ah. Of course he was wrongfully
(06:03):
accused of cheating at cards. He said that you could
solve anything. He said too much, that you are never beaten.
I have been beaten four times, three times by men,
and once by a woman. But what is that compared
with the number of your successes. It is true that
(06:24):
I have been generally successful, then you may be so
with me. I beg that you will draw your chair
up to the fire and favor me with some details
as to your case. It is no ordinary one. None
of those which come to me are. I am the
last court of appeal. And yet I question, sir, whether,
(06:48):
in all your experience you have ever listened to a
more mysterious and inexplicable chain of events than those which
have happened in my own family. You fill me with interest,
said Holmes. Pray, give us the essential facts from the commencement,
and I can afterwards question you as to those details
which seemed to me to be most important. The young
(07:11):
man pulled his chair up and pushed his wet feet
out towards the blaze. My name, said, he is John Openshaw.
But my own affairs have, as far as I can understand,
little to do with this awful business. It is a
hereditary matter.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
So in order to.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
Give you an idea of the facts, I must go
back to the commencement of the affair. You must know
that my grandfather had two sons, My uncle Elias and
my father Joseph. My father had a small factory at Coventry,
which he enlarged at the time of the invention of bicycling.
He was a patentee of the Openshaw unbreakable tire, and
(07:54):
his business met with such success that he was able
to sell it and to retire upon a handsome competence.
My uncle Elias emigrated to America when he was a
young man and became a planter in Florida, where he
was reported to have done very well. At the time
of the war, he fought in Jackson's army and afterwards
under Hood, where he rose to be a colonel. When
(08:17):
Lee laid down his arms, my uncle returned to his plantation,
where he remained for three or four years. About eighteen
sixty nine or eighteen seventy he came back to Europe
and took a small estate in Sussex, near Horsham. He
had made a very considerable fortune in the States, and
his reason for leaving them was his aversion to the
(08:38):
Negroes and his dislike of the Republican policy in extending
the franchise to them. He was a singular man, fierce
and quick tempered, very foul mouthed when he was angry,
and of a most retiring disposition. During all the years
that he lived at Horsham, I doubt if ever he
set foot in the town. He had a garden and
(09:01):
two or three fields round his house, and there he
would take his exercise, though very often for weeks on
end he would never leave his room. He drank a
great deal of brandy and smoked very heavily, but he
would see no society and did not want any friends,
not even his own brother. He didn't mind me, in fact,
(09:22):
he took a fancy to me, for at the time
when he saw me first, I was a youngster of
twelve or so. This would be in the year eighteen
seventy eight, after he had been eight or nine years
in England. He begged my father to let me live
with him, and he was very kind to me in
his way. When he was sober. He used to be
fond of playing backgammon in drafts with me, and he
(09:44):
would make me his representative both with the servants and
with the tradespeople, so that by the time that I
was sixteen, I was quite master of the house. I
kept all the keys and could go where I liked
and do what I liked, so long that I did
not disturb him in his privacy. There was one singular exception, however,
for he had a single room, a lumber room up
(10:07):
among the attics, which was invariably locked, and which he
would never permit either me or any one else to enter.
With a boy's curiosity, I have peeped through the keyhole,
but I was never able to see more than such
a collection of old trunks and bundles as would be
expected in.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
Such a room.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
One day, it was in March eighteen eighty three, a
letter with a foreign stamp lay upon the table in
front of the colonel's plate. It was not a common
thing for him to receive letters, for his bills were
all paid in ready money, and he had no friends
of any sort from India, said he as he took
it up.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
Pond a cherry postmark. What can this be?
Speaker 1 (10:50):
Opening it hurriedly, out there jumped five little dried orange pips,
which pattered down upon his plate. I began to laugh
at this, but the laugh was struck from my lips
at the sight of his face. His lip had fallen,
his eyes were protruding, his skin the color of putty,
and he glared at the envelope, which he still held
(11:11):
in his trembling hand. Kay Kay, kay, he shrieked. And then,
my god, my god, my sins have overtaken me.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
What is it? Uncle?
Speaker 1 (11:22):
I cried death, said he, and rising from the table,
he retired to his room, leaving me palpitating with horror.
I took up the envelope and saw scrawled in red
ink upon the inner flap, just above the gum, the
letter K three times repeated. There was nothing else save
the five dried pips. What could be the reason of
(11:45):
his overpowering terror? I left the breakfast table, and as
I ascended the stair I met him coming down with
an old rusty key which must have belonged to the
attic in one hand, and a small brass box like
a cash box in the other. They may do what
they like, but I'll checkmate them, still, said he, with
(12:06):
an oath. Tell Mary that I shall want a fire
in my room to day and send down to Fordham
the Horsham lawyer. I did as he ordered, and when
the lawyer arrived, I was asked to step up to
the room. The fire was burning brightly and in the grate,
there was a mass of black, fluffy ashes as of
burned paper, while the brass box stood open and empty
(12:29):
beside it. As I glanced at the box, I noticed
with a start that upon the lid was printed the
treble k which I had read in the morning.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
Upon the envelope.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
I wish you, John, said my uncle, to witness my will.
I leave my estate, with all its advantages and all
its disadvantages, to my brother, your father. Whence it will
no doubt descend to you if you can enjoy it
in peace, well and good. If you find you cannot
(13:00):
take my advice, my boy, and leave it to your
deadliest enemy, I am sorry to give you such a
two edged thing, but I can't say what turn things
are going to take. Kindly sign the paper where mister
Fordham shows you. I signed the paper as directed, and
the lawyer took it away with him. The singular incident made,
(13:20):
as you may think, the deepest impression upon me, and
I pondered over it and turned it every way in
my mind without being able to make anything of it.
Yet I could not shake off the vague feeling of
dread which it left behind. Though the sensation grew less keen.
As the weeks passed and nothing happened to disturb the
usual routine of our lives, I could see a change
(13:44):
in my uncle. However, he drank more than ever, and
he was less inclined for any sort of society. Most
of his time he would spend in his room with
the door locked upon the inside. But sometimes he would
emerge in a sort of drum and frenzy, and would
burst out of the house and tear about the garden
with a revolver in his hand, screaming out that he
(14:07):
was afraid of no man, and that he was not
to be cooped up like a sheep in a pen
by man or devil. When these hot fits were over, however,
he would rush tumultuously in at the door, and lock
and bar it behind him, like a man who can
brazen it out no longer against the terror which lies
at the roots of his soul. At such times I
(14:29):
have seen his face, even on a cold day, glisten
with moisture, as though it were new raised from a basin. Well,
to come to an end of the matter, mister Holmes,
and not to abuse your patience, There came a night
when he made one of those drunken sallies, from which
he never came back. We found him when we went
to search for him, face downward in a little green,
(14:52):
scummed pool which lay at the foot of the garden.
There was no sign of any violence, and the water
was but two feet deep, so that the jury, having
regard to his known eccentricity, brought in a verdict of suicide.
But I, who knew how he winced from the very
thought of death, had much ado to persuade myself that
(15:13):
he had gone out of his way to meet it.
The matter passed, however, and my father entered into possession
of the estate and of some fourteen thousand pounds which
lay to his credit at the bank. One moment, Holmes interposed,
your statement is, I foresee, one of the most remarkable
to which I have ever listened. Let me have the
(15:35):
date of the reception by your uncle of the letter
and the date of his supposed suicide. The letter arrived
on March tenth, eighteen eighty three. His death was seven
weeks later, upon the night of May second. Thank you,
pray proceed. When my father took over the Horsham property, he,
(15:56):
at my request, made a careful examination of the attic,
which had been always locked up. We found the brass
box there, although its contents had been destroyed. On the
inside of the cover was a paper label with the
initials of K K K repeated upon it, and letters, memoranda, receipts,
(16:17):
and a register written beneath these, we presume indicated the
nature of the papers which had been destroyed by Colonel Openshaw.
For the rest, there was nothing of much importance in
the attic, save a great many scattered papers and notebooks
bearing upon my uncle's life in America. Some of them
were of the wartime and showed that he had done
(16:39):
his duty well and had borne the repute of a
brave soldier. Others were of a date during the reconstruction
of the Southern States, and were mostly concerned with politics,
for he had evidently taken a strong part in opposing
the carpetbag politicians who had been sent down from the
North Well. It was at the beginning of eighty four
(17:00):
when my father came to live at Horsham, and all
went as well as possible with us until the January
of eighty five. On the fourth day after the new year,
I heard my father give a sharp cry of surprise
as we sat together at the breakfast table. There he
was sitting with a newly opened envelope in one hand
(17:21):
and five dried orange pips in the outstretched palm of
the other one. He had always laughed at what he
called my cock and bull story about the colonel, but
he looked very scared and puzzled now that the same
thing had come upon himself. Why what on earth does
this mean, John, he stammered, My heart had turned to lead.
(17:44):
It is K K K, said I. He looked inside
the envelope.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
So it is, he cried.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
Here are the very letters, But what is this written
above them? Put the papers on the sundial? I read,
peeping over here, shoulder, What papers? What sun dial? He asked,
the sun dial in the garden. There is no other,
said I. But the papers must be those that are destroyed. Pooh,
(18:13):
said he, gripping hard at his courage. We are in
a civilized land here, and we can't have tomfoolery of
this kind. Where does the thing come from from? Dundee,
I answered, glancing at the postmark. Some preposterous practical joke,
said he. What have I to do with sun dials
(18:34):
and papers? I shall take no notice of such nonsense.
I should certainly speak to the police, I said, and
to be laughed at for my pains. Nothing of the sort,
then let me do so. No, I forbid you. I
won't have a fuss made about such nonsense. It was
(18:54):
in vain to argue with him, for he was a
very obstinate man. I went about, however, with a heart
which was full of forebodings. On the third day after
the coming of the letter, my father went from home
to visit an old friend of his, Major Freebody, who
is in command of one of the forts upon portsdown Hill.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
I was glad that he should go.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
Up, for it seemed to me that he was farther
from danger when he was away from home. In that, however,
I was an error. Upon the second day of his absence,
I received a telegram from the Major imploring me to
come at once. My father had fallen over one of
the deep chalk pits which abound in the neighborhood, and
(19:36):
was lying senseless with a shattered skull. I hurried to him,
but he passed away without having ever recovered his consciousness.
He had, as it appears, been returning from Fareham in
the twilight, and as the country was unknown to him
and the chalk pit unfenced, the jury had no hesitation
(19:56):
in bringing in a verdict of death from accidental cause. Carefully,
as I examined every fact connected with his death, I
was unable to find anything which could suggest the idea
of murder. There were no signs of violence, no footmarks,
no robbery, no record of strangers having been seen upon
the roads. And yet I need not tell you that
(20:19):
my mind was far from at ease, and that I
was well nigh certain that some foul plot had been
woven round him. In this sinister way I came into
my inheritance. You will ask me why I did not
dispose of it. I answer because I was well convinced
that our troubles were in some way dependent upon an
incident in my uncle's life, and that the danger would
(20:42):
be as pressing in one house as in another. It
was in January eighty five that my poor father met
his end, and two years and eight months have elapsed
since then. During that time I have lived happily at Horsham,
and I had begun to hope that his curse had
passed away from the family, and that it had ended
(21:02):
with the last generation. I had begun to take comfort
too soon. However, yesterday morning the blow fell in the
very shape in which it had come upon my father.
The young man took from his waistcoat a crumpled envelope,
and turning to the table, he shook out upon it
five little dried orange pips. This is the envelope, he continued.
(21:25):
The postmark is London Eastern Division. Within are the very
words which were upon my father's last message, K K K.
And then put the papers on the sundial. What have
you done, asked Holmes. Nothing, nothing to tell the truth.
(21:47):
He sank his face into his thin white hands. I
have felt helpless. I have felt like one of those
poor rabbits when the snake is writhing towards it. I
seem to be in the grasp of some resists, useless,
inexorable evil which no foresight and no precautions can guard against.
Tut Tut, cried Sherlock Holmes. You must act, man, or
(22:10):
you are lost. Nothing but energy can save you. This
is no time for despair. I have seen the police, ah,
but they listened to my story with a smile. I
am convinced that the inspector has formed the opinion that
the letters are all practical jokes, and that the deaths
of my relations were really accidents, as the jury stated,
(22:34):
and were not to be connected with the warnings.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
Holmes shook his clenched hands in the air.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
Incredible imbecility, he cried. They have, however, allowed me a
policeman who may remain in the house with me.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
Has he come with you tonight?
Speaker 1 (22:52):
No? His orders were to stay in the house again,
Holmes raved in the air. Why did you come to me,
he cried, And above all, why did you not come
at once?
Speaker 2 (23:06):
I did not know.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
It was only to day that I spoke to Major
Prendergast about my troubles and was advised by him to
come to you. It is really two days since you
had the letter. We should have acted before this. You
have no further evidence, I suppose, than that which you
have placed before us, no suggestive detail which might help us.
(23:28):
There is one thing, said John Openshaw. He rummaged in
his coat pocket, and drawing out a piece of discolored,
blue tinted paper, he laid it out upon the table.
I have some remembrance, said he, that on the day
when my uncle burned the papers. I observed that the small,
unburned margins which lay amid the ashes were of this
(23:50):
particular color. I found this single sheet upon the floor
of his room, and I am inclined to think that
it may be one of the papers which has perhaps
fluttered out from among the others, and in that way
has escaped destruction. Beyond the mention of pips, I do
not see that it helps us much. I think myself
(24:10):
that it is a page from some private diary. The
writing is undoubtedly my uncle's. Holmes moved the lamp and
we both bent over the sheet of paper, which showed
by its ragged edge that it had indeed been torn
from a book. It was headed March eighteen sixty nine,
and beneath were the following enigmatical notices. Fourth Hudson came
(24:35):
same old platform. Seventh set the pips on mc cauley, Paramore,
and John Swain of Saint Augustine ninth. Mc cauley cleared, tenth,
John Swain cleared twelfth, visited Paramore. All well, thank you,
(24:56):
said Holmes, folding up the paper and returning it to
our visitor. And now you must, on no account lose
another instant. We cannot spare time even to discuss what
you have told me. You must get home instantly and act.
What shall I do? There is but one thing to do.
It must be done at once. You must put this
(25:17):
piece of paper which you have shown us into the
brass box which you have described. You must also put
in a note to say that all the other papers
were burned by your uncle, and that this is the
only one which remains. You must assert that in such
words as will carry conviction with them. Having done this,
you must at once put the box out upon the
(25:38):
sun dial as directed.
Speaker 2 (25:40):
Do you understand entirely?
Speaker 1 (25:43):
Do not think of revenge or anything of the sort
at present. I think that we may gain that by
means of the law. But we have our web to weave,
while theirs is already woven. The first consideration is to
remove the pressing danger which threatens you. The second is
to clear up the mystery and to punish the guilty parties.
(26:05):
I thank you, said the young man, rising and pulling
on his overcoat. You have given me fresh life, and
hope I shall certainly do as you advise, Do not
lose an instant, and above all, take care of yourself
in the meanwhile. For I do not think that there
can be a doubt that you are threatened by a
(26:26):
very real and imminent danger. How do you go back
by train from Waterloo? It is not yet nine. The
streets will be crowded. So I trust that you may
be in safety. And yet you cannot guard yourself too closely.
Speaker 2 (26:42):
I am armed. That is well.
Speaker 1 (26:45):
Tomorrow I shall set to work upon your case. I
shall see you at Horsham. Then, No, your secret lies
in London.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
It is there that I shall seek it.
Speaker 1 (26:57):
Then I shall call upon you in a day, or
in two days, with news as to the box and
the papers. I shall take your advice in every particular.
He shook hands with us and took his leave. Outside,
the wind still screamed, and the rain splashed and pattered
against the windows. This strange, wild story seemed to have
(27:18):
come to us from amid the mad elements, blown in
upon us like a sheet of seaweed in a gale,
and now to have been reabsorbed by them once more.
Sherlock Holmes sat for some time in silence, with his
head sunk forward and his eyes bent upon the red
glow of the fire. Then he lit his pipe and
(27:39):
leaning back in his chair, he watched the blue smoke
rings as they chased each other up to the ceiling.
I think, Watson, he remarked, at last, that of all
our cases we have had none more fantastic than this,
save perhaps the sign of four. Well, yes, save perhaps that.
(28:01):
And yet this John Openshaw seems to me to be
walking amid even greater perils than did the Sholtos. But
have you, i asked, formed any definite conception as to
what these perils are? There can be no question as
to their nature, he answered, Then.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
What are they?
Speaker 1 (28:21):
Who is this K K K? And why does he
pursue this unhappy family? Cholock Holmes closed his eyes and
placed his elbows upon the arms of his chair, with
his finger tips together. The ideal reasoner, he remarked, would,
when he had once been shown a single fact in
(28:41):
all its bearings, deduce from it not only all the
chain of events which led up to it, but also
all the results which would follow from it. As Cuvier
could correctly describe a whole animal by the contemplation of
a single bone, so the observer, who has thoroughly understood
one link in a series of incidents should be able
(29:03):
to accurately state all the other ones. Both before and after,
we have not yet grasped the results which the reason
alone can attain to. Problems may be solved in the
study which have baffled all those who has sought a
solution by the aid of their senses. To carry the art, however,
to its highest pitch, it is necessary that the reasoner
(29:25):
should be able to utilize all the facts which have
come to his knowledge. And this in itself implies, as
you will readily see, a possession of all knowledge, which,
even in these days of free education and encyclopedias, is
a somewhat rare accomplishment. It is not so impossible, however,
(29:47):
that a man should possess all knowledge which is likely
to be useful to him in his work. And this
I have endeavored in my case to do. If I
remember rightly, you, on one occasion in the early days
of our friendship, defined my limits in a very precise fashion. Yes,
I answered, laughing. It was a singular document. Philosophy, astronomy,
(30:12):
and politics were marked at zero. I remember botany variable
geology profound as regards the mud stains from any region
within fifty miles of town chemistry, eccentric anatomy, unsystematic sensational literature,
and crime records, unique violin player, boxer, swordsman, lawyer, and
(30:35):
self poisoner by cocaine and tobacco. Those I think were
the main points of my analysis. Holmes grinned at the
last item. Well, he said, I say now, as I
said then, that a man should keep his little brain
addict stocked with all the furniture that he is likely
to use, and the rest he can put away in
(30:56):
the lumber room of his library, where he can get
it if he wants it. Now, for such a case
as the one which has been submitted to us tonight,
we need certainly to muster all our resources. Kindly hand
me down the letter K of the American Encyclopedia, which
stands upon the shelf beside you.
Speaker 2 (31:17):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (31:19):
Now, let us consider the situation and see what may
be deduced from it. In the first place, we may
start with a strong presumption that Colonel Openshaw had some
very strong reason for leaving America. Men at his time
of life.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
Do not change all their habits in exchange.
Speaker 1 (31:37):
Willingly the charming climate of Florida for the lonely life
of an English provincial town. His extreme love of solitude
in England suggests the idea that he was in fear
of someone or something. So we may assume, as a
working hypothesis, that it was fear of someone or something
which drove him from America. As to what it was
(32:00):
he feared, we can only deduce that by considering the
formidable letters which were received by himself and his successors.
Did you remark the postmarks of these letters? The first
was from Pondicherry, the second from Dundee, and the third
from London, from East London? What do you deduce from that?
(32:23):
They are all seaports. That the writer was on board
of a ship. Excellent, We have already a clue. There
can be no doubt that the probability, the strong probability,
is that the writer was on board of a ship.
And now let us consider another point. In the case
of Pondicherry, seven weeks elapse between the threat and its fulfillment.
(32:48):
In Dundee it was only some three or four days.
Does that suggest anything a greater distance to travel? But
the letter had also a greater distance to come.
Speaker 2 (33:01):
Then I do not see the point.
Speaker 1 (33:04):
There is at least a presumption that the vessel in
which the man or men are.
Speaker 2 (33:08):
Is a sailing ship. It looks as.
Speaker 1 (33:11):
If they always send their singular warning or token before
them when starting upon their mission. You see how quickly
the deed followed the sign when it came from Dundee.
If they had come from Pondicherry in a steamer, they
would have arrived almost as soon as their letter. But
as a matter of fact, seven weeks elapsed.
Speaker 2 (33:33):
I think that.
Speaker 1 (33:33):
Those seven weeks represented the difference between the mail boat
which brought the letter and the sailing vessel which brought
the writer.
Speaker 2 (33:42):
It is possible.
Speaker 1 (33:44):
More than that, it is probable. And now you see
the deadly urgency of this new case, and why I
urged young Openshaw to caution. The blow has always fallen
at the end of the time which it would take
the senders to travel the distance. But this one comes
from London, and therefore we cannot count upon delay. Good God,
(34:06):
I cried, what can it mean, this relentless persecution? The
papers which Openshaw carried are obviously of vital importance to
the person or persons in the sailing ship. I think
that it is quite clear that there must be more
than one of them. A single man could not have
carried out two deaths in such a way as to
(34:27):
deceive a coroner's jury. There must have been several in it,
and there must have been men of resource and determination.
Their papers they mean to have be the holder of
them who it may. In this way you see, k
k k ceases to be the initials of an individual
and becomes the badge of a society. But of what
(34:50):
society have you never, said Sherlock Holmes, bending forward and
sinking his voice. Have you never heard of the ku
klux Klan? I never have Holmes turned over the leaves
of the book upon his knee. Here it is said
he presently ku klux Klan, a name derived from the
(35:14):
fanciful resemblance to the sound produced by cocking a rifle.
This terrible secret society was formed by some ex Confederate
soldiers in the Southern States after the Civil War, and
it rapidly formed local branches in different parts of the country,
notably in Tennessee, Louisiana, the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida. Its
(35:37):
power was used for political purposes, principally for the terrorizing
of the Negro voters and the murdering and driving from
the country of those who were opposed to its views.
Its outrages were usually preceded by a warning sent to
the marked man in some fantastic but generally recognized shape
a sprig of oak leaves and some parts melon seeds
(36:01):
or orange pips in others. On receiving this, the victim
might either openly abjure his former ways or might fly
from the country. If he braved the matter out, death
would unfailingly come upon him, and usually in some strange
and unforeseen manner. So perfect was the organization of the society,
(36:23):
and so systematic its methods, that there is hardly a
case upon record where any man succeeded in braving it
with impunity, or in which any of its outrages were
traced home to the perpetrators. For some years the organization flourished,
in spite of the efforts of the United States government
and of the better classes of the community in the South. Eventually,
(36:47):
in the year eighteen sixty nine, the movement rather suddenly collapsed,
although there have been sporadic outbreaks of the same sort
since that date. You will observe, said Holmes, laying down
the volume, that the sudden breaking up of the Society
was coincident with the disappearance of Openshaw from America with
(37:08):
their papers. It may well have been cause and effect.
It is no wonder that he and his family have
some of the more implacable spirits upon their track. You
can understand that this register and diary may implicate some
of the first men in the South, and that there
may be many who will not sleep easy at night
(37:28):
until it is recovered. Then the page we have seen
is such as we might expect it ran. If I
remember right sent the pips to A, B and C,
that is, sent the Society's warning to them. Then there
are successive entries that A and B cleared or left
(37:49):
the country, and finally that C was visited with I
fear a sinister result for C. Well, I think, doctor,
that we may let some light into this dark place.
And I believe that the only chance young Openshaw has
in the meantime is to do what I have told him.
There is nothing more to be said or to be
(38:10):
done to night. So hand me over my violin and
let us try to forget for half an hour the
miserable weather and the still more miserable ways of our
fellow men. It had cleared in the morning, and the
sun was shining with a subdued brightness through the dim
veil which hangs over the great city. Sherlock Holmes was
(38:31):
already at breakfast when I came down. You will excuse
me for not waiting for you, said he. I have,
I foresee a very busy day before me in looking
into this case of young Openshaws.
Speaker 2 (38:45):
What steps will you take?
Speaker 1 (38:47):
I asked, It will very much depend upon the results
of my first inquiries. I may have to go down
to Horsham. After all, you will not go there first. No,
I shall come immense with a city. Just ring the
bell and the maid will bring up your coffee. As
I waited, I lifted the unopened newspaper from the table
(39:09):
and glanced my eye over it. It rested upon a
heading which sent a chill to my heart. Holmes, I cried,
you are too late, ah, said he, laying down his cup.
Speaker 2 (39:22):
I feared as much. How was it done?
Speaker 1 (39:26):
He spoke calmly, but I could see that he was
deeply moved. My eye caught the name of Openshaw and
the heading Tragedy near Waterloo Bridge. Here is the account
between nine and ten last night, police Constable Cook of
the h Division, on duty near Waterloo Bridge, heard a
(39:47):
cry for help and a splash in the water. The night, however,
was extremely dark and stormy, so that in spite of
the help of several passers by, it was quite impossible
to effect a rescue. The alarm, however, was given, and
by the aid of the water police, the body was
eventually recovered. It proved to be that of a young gentleman,
(40:08):
whose name, as it appears from an envelope which was
found in his pocket, was John Openshaw, and whose residence
is near Horsham. It is conjectured that he may have
been hurrying down to catch the last train from Waterloo Station,
and that in his haste and the extreme darkness, he
missed his path and walked over the edge of one
(40:30):
of the small landing places for river steamboats. The body
exhibited no traces of violence, and there can be no
doubt that the deceased had been the victim of an
unfortunate accident, which should have the effect of calling the
attention of the authorities to the condition of the riverside
landing stages. We sat in silence for some minutes. Holmes
(40:53):
more depressed and shaken than I had ever seen him.
That hurts my pride, Watson, he said, at last. It
is a petty feeling, no doubt, but it hurts my pride.
It becomes a personal matter with me now, And if
God sends me health, I shall set my hand upon
this gang, that he should come to me for help,
(41:16):
and that I should send him away to his death.
He sprang from his chair and paced about the room
in uncontrollable agitation, with a flush upon his sallow cheeks,
and a nervous clasping and unclasping of his long, thin hands.
They must be cutting devils, he exclaimed at last. How
(41:36):
could they have decoyed him down there? The embankment is
not on the direct line to the station. The bridge,
no doubt, was too crowded, even on such a night
for their purpose. Well, Watson, we shall see who will
win in the long run.
Speaker 2 (41:52):
I am going.
Speaker 1 (41:53):
Out now to the police. No, I shall be my
own police. When I have spun the web, they may
take the flies. But not before all day I was
engaged in my professional work, and it was late in
the evening before I returned to Baker Street. Sherlock Holmes
had not come back yet it was nearly ten o'clock
(42:15):
before he entered. Looking pale and worn, he walked up
to the sideboard, and, tearing a piece from the loaf,
he devoured it voraciously, washing it down with a long
draft of water. You are hungry, I remarked, starving. It
had escaped my memory. I have had nothing since breakfast,
(42:35):
nothing not a bite. I had no time to think
of it.
Speaker 2 (42:40):
And how have you succeeded? Well, you have a clue.
Speaker 1 (42:46):
I have them in the hollow of my hand, Young Openshaw,
shall not long remain unavenged. Why Watson let us put
their own devilish trade mark upon them? It is well
thought of.
Speaker 2 (42:59):
What do you mean?
Speaker 1 (43:01):
He took an orange from the cupboard, and tearing it
to pieces, he squeezed out the pips upon the table.
Of these, he took five and thrust them into an envelope.
On the inside of the flap, he wrote s H
for j O. Then he sealed it and addressed it
to Captain James Calhoun bark lone Star, Savannah, Georgia. This
(43:25):
will await him when he utters port, said he chuckling.
It may give him a sleepless night. He will find
it as sure a precursor of his fate, as Openshaw
did before him. And who is this Captain Calhoun, the
leader of the gang. I shall have the others, but
he first, how.
Speaker 2 (43:45):
Did you trace it?
Speaker 1 (43:46):
Then he took a large sheet of paper from his pocket,
all covered with dates and names. I have spent the
whole day, said he over Lloyd's registers and files of
the old paper, following the future career of every vessel
which touched at Pondicherry in January and February in eighty three,
(44:08):
there were thirty six ships of fair tonnage which were
reported there during those months. Of these, one, the Lone Star,
instantly attracted my attention, since although it was reported as
having cleared from London, the name is that which is
given to one of the states of the Union, Texas.
I think I was not and am not sure which,
(44:31):
but I knew that the ship must have an American origin.
Speaker 2 (44:35):
What then.
Speaker 1 (44:37):
I searched the Dundee records, and when I found that
the bark Lone Star was there in January eighty five,
my suspicion became a certainty. I then inquired as to
the vessels which lay at present in the port of London, yes,
the Lone Star had arrived here last week. I went
down to the Albert dock and found that she had
(44:59):
been taken down the river by.
Speaker 2 (45:01):
The early tide.
Speaker 1 (45:02):
This morning, homeward bound to Savannah, I wired to Gravesend
and learned that she had passed some time ago. And
as the wind is easterly, I have no doubt that
she is now past the goodwinds, and not very far
from the Isle of Wight. What will you do, then, oh,
I have my hand upon him. He and the two
(45:23):
mates are, as I learn, the only native born Americans
in the ship. The others are Finns and Germans. I
know also that they were all three away from.
Speaker 2 (45:33):
The ship last night.
Speaker 1 (45:35):
I had it from the stevedoor, who has been loading
their cargo. By the time that their sailing ship reaches Savannah,
the mail boat will have carried this letter, and the
cable will have informed the police of Savannah that these
three gentlemen are badly wanted here upon a charge of murder.
There is ever a flaw, however, in the best laid
(45:56):
of human plans, and the murderers of John Openshaw were
never to receive the orange pips which would show them
that another, as cunning and as resolute as themselves, was
upon their track. Very long and very severe were the
equinoctial gales that year.
Speaker 2 (46:13):
We waited long.
Speaker 1 (46:14):
For news of the Lone Star of Savannah, but none
ever reached us. We did at last here that somewhere
far out in the Atlantic, a shattered stern post of
a boat was seen swinging in the trough of a wave,
with the letters L S carved upon it. And that
is all which we shall ever know of the fate
(46:35):
of the Lone Star. End of Adventure five
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
The Brothers Ortiz
The Brothers Ortiz is the story of two brothers–both successful, but in very different ways. Gabe Ortiz becomes a third-highest ranking officer in all of Texas while his younger brother Larry climbs the ranks in Puro Tango Blast, a notorious Texas Prison gang. Gabe doesn’t know all the details of his brother’s nefarious dealings, and he’s made a point not to ask, to protect their relationship. But when Larry is murdered during a home invasion in a rented beach house, Gabe has no choice but to look into what happened that night. To solve Larry’s murder, Gabe, and the whole Ortiz family, must ask each other tough questions.