July 12, 1895: Holmes captured Patrick Cairns. [BLAC]
On July 11th…
July 11, 1895: Holmes sent a telegram using the name of Captain Basil. [BLAC]
July 11, 1895: John Hopley Neligan was apprehended at Peter Carey’s cabin. [BLAC]
July 11, 1903: Prof. Presbury was attacked a second time by his wolf hound, Rory. [CREE]
On July 10th…
July 10, 1888: About 2 a.m., Silver Blaze killed John Straker. [SILV]
Another one of my favorite stories in the Canon. I never had heard of a horse as a weapon and innocence of murder by reason of self-defense. At age 12, I did not care about racing laws, rules and such. Now, as an adult? I don’t care about them. It’s a great story.
July 10, 1889: —A letter from a foreign potentate was received in the Foreign Office. [SECO]
July 10, 1895: Holmes visited the scene of Peter Carey’s murder. [BLAC]
On July 9th…
July 9, 1895: John Hopley Neligan attempted to break into Peter Carey’s cabin. [BLAC]
July 9, 1895: Holmes received a wire from Inspector Hopkins. [BLAC]
“One possible loose end lies in the question…”
Hello Watsonians!
Our loose end at the moment is the final warm-up question for the 4th JHWS Treasure Hunt that will begin in just a few weeks on August 1. As I’ve mentioned before, we are looking at the mixture of imagination and reality for this year’s hunt. Warm up question one concerned a real date, warm up question two concerned a mixture of Canonical facts, and now we are at warm up question three. It is time to use your imagination to solve a question. And here we go:
If one were to imagine all the ages aligning, these two might have benefited from the unexpected charity of the professional criminal. Which two? Which criminal? What charity?
It this question appeared on the actual hunt, it would be worth four points–maybe just enough for you to pass the other competitors in the totals. This one is good practice and hopefully fun. I look forward to your answers.
Margie
JHWS/Gwen
2016 Treasure Hunt Master
On July 3rd…
July 3, 1895: At 2 Am Patrick Cairns killed Peter Carey with a harpoon. [BLAC]
Another one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s fantastic word pictures. Quoting from the Canon:
And there in the middle of it was the man himself, his face twisted like a lost soul in torment, and his great brindled beard stuck upwards in his agony. Right through his broad breast a steel harpoon had been driven, and it had sunk deep into the wood of the wall behind him. He was pinned like a beetle on a card. Of course, he was quite dead, and had been so from the instant that he uttered that last yell of agony.
What a description!! His word pictures like that made me at 12 years old on the plains of Kansas move to Baker Street for the rest of my life.
“Creep forward quietly and see what they are doing–“
Said Sherlock Holmes to Watson, as they, with Lestrade in tow, waited for the hound to be released upon the soon-to-be-on-the-path Henry Baskverville. I’m assuming the quietness from JHWS members to the previous 4th Treasure Hunt warm-up question is because you are busy enjoying your summer before the dog days of August set in. (Bad pun very much intended.) Our faithful Chips is the only one who posted an attempt to the second warm-up question. Many thanks to Chips for giving the question a go.
The question was:
Mixture: Kitty + Porky + Birdy= Common 4-letter address. Where?
The answer is: HELL [See the applicable quotes from the Canon below]
We will have one more warm-up question before the 4th Treasure Hunt begins on August 1. In our mixture of reality and imagination theme, the last warm-up question will require some imagination on your part to find the answer. My counselor and question-tester for this edition of the hunt, Sheila Holtgrieve [JHWS Daisy] rated the second and third warm-up questions as ‘medium difficulty’, but then she is a master quizzer and a three year veteran of the Treasure Hunt so her idea of medium might not be the same as most folks. 🙂
I will post it in a day or two after our American members are past their 4th of July celebrations. I hope you will come out and play along.
Margie
JHWS/ Gwen
2016 Treasure Hunt Master
–W., p.989, ILLU: “I’m easy to find,” said the young woman. “Hell, London, gets me every time. Same address for Porky Shinwell. We’re old mates, Porky, you and I. But, by Cripes! there is another who ought to be down in a lower hell than we if there was any justice in the world! That is the man you are after, Mr. Holmes.” Holmes smiled. “I gather we have your good wishes, Miss Winter.”
–W., p 864, VALL: [Birdy Edwards speaking]”Aye, John McGinty, you may call me that if it eases your smart. You and your like have been the enemy of God and man in these parts. It took a man to get between you and the poor devils of men and women that you held under your grip. There was just one way of doing it, and I did it. You call me a `traitor’, but I guess there’s many a thousand will call me a `deliverer’ that went down into hell to save them. I’ve had three months of it. I wouldn’t have three such months again if they let me loose in the Treasury at Washington for it.”
On July 2nd…
July 2, 1894: John Hector MacFarlane was arrested by Lestrade. [NORW]
July 2, 1903: Prof. Presbury was attacked by his own wolf hound, Roy. [CREE]
On July 1st…
July 1, 1894: Jonas Oldacre brought his will to John Hector MacFarlane. [NORW]
July 1, 1895: Patrick Cairns first visited Peter Carrey. [BLAC]