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On May 18th…

From A Day by Day Chronology of Mr. Sherlock Holmes according to Zeisler and Christ by William S Dorn:

May 18, 1900: Heidegger’s body was discovered on lower Gil Moor. [PRIO]

Illustration by Sidney Paget for The Strand Magazine (1904)

Our search was not a very long one. The tracks of the tyre began to curve fantastically upon the wet and shining path. Suddenly, as I looked ahead, the gleam of metal caught my eye from amid the thick gorse bushes. Out of them we dragged a bicycle, Palmer-tyred, one pedal bent, and the whole front of it horribly smeared and slobbered with blood. On the other side of the bushes a shoe was projecting. We ran round, and there lay the unfortunate rider. He was a tall man, full bearded, with spectacles, one glass of which had been knocked out. The cause of his death was a frightful blow upon the head, which had crushed in part of his skull. That he could have gone on after receiving such an injury said much for the vitality and courage of the man. He wore shoes, but no socks, and his open coat disclosed a night-shirt beneath it. It was undoubtedly the German master.
Holmes turned the body over reverently, and examined it with great attention. He then sat in deep thought for a time, and I could see by his ruffled brow that this grim discovery had not, in his opinion, advanced us much in our inquiry.

May 18, 1900: Rueben Hayes was arrested in Chesterfield for murdering Heidegger. [PRIO]
Birmingham Parks Police photo

As to Hayes I say nothing. The gallows awaits him, and I would do nothing to save him from it. What he will divulge I cannot tell, but I have no doubt that your Grace could make him understand that it is to his interest to be silent. From the police point of view he will have kidnapped the boy for the purpose of ransom.

 

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On May 17th…

From A Day by Day Chronology of Mr. Sherlock Holmes according to Zeisler and Christ by William S Dorn:

May 17, 1900: Dr Thorneycroft Huxtable fainted on the hearth rug at 221B Baker Street. [PRIO]

Illustration by Sidney Paget for The Strand Magazine (1904)

We have had some dramatic entrances and exits upon our small stage at Baker Street, but I cannot recollect anything more sudden and startling than the first appearance of Dr. Thorneycroft Huxtable, M.A., Ph.D., etc. His card, which seemed too small to carry the weight of his academic distinctions, preceded him by a few seconds, and then he entered himself – so large, so pompous, and so dignified that he was the very embodiment of self-possession and solidity. And yet his first action when the door had closed behind him was to stagger against the table, whence he slipped down upon the floor, and there was that majestic figure prostrate and insensible upon our bearskin hearthrug.
We had sprung to our feet, and for a few moments we stared in silent amazement at this ponderous piece of wreckage, which told of some sudden and fatal storm far out on the ocean of life. Then Holmes hurried with a cushion for his head and I with brandy for his lips.

Now here we have a sample of the famous Watson’s remedy. I think, in this case, from a non-medical point of view, the best medicine for the situation.

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Msgr Knox and the Sherlock Holmes Story

Since there no points of interest listed in our Sherlockian Calendar for today, I had an idea for a change of pace. I have a friend, a retired teacher of special education, who made a presentation to a class of middle schoolers who were studying Sherlock Holmes in their literature class. Larry made his own copy of the points that Reverend Ronald Knox wrote up as being parts of a Sherlock Holmes story. Larry took out the Latin translations that were part of the fanciful article that Reverend Knox wrote as a basis for creating Sherlockian Scholarship. Larry listed the parts in such a clear way I wanted to pass it along to our group.

We hope you enjoy.

The Eleven Essential Parts of a Sherlock Holmes Story by Reverend Ronald Knox

As compiled by Larry Feldman, a retired Special Education teacher and Sherlockian Scholar

Part 1 – The Homely Baker Street Scene – implicit introductions.
a) “invaluable personal touches”
b) a lecture/demonstration by the detective.

Part 2 – Statement of the Case
a) Client’s statement
b) Newspaper account

Part 3 – Personal investigation
a) Scene of the crime
b) Famous “floor walk”

Part 4 – Refutation of Scotland Yard’s Theory of the Crime

Part 5 – Holmes gives a few stray hints to the police (and the reader)
that the police dismiss.

Part 6 – A partial sketch of the true course of the investigation –usually to Watson alone.

Part 7 – Further follow-up of the investigation
a) Cross questioning of witnesses/suspects/family
b) Examination of the corpse
c) Visit to the record office
d) Holmes assumes a character, disguise.

Part 8 – Criminal is caught, exposed revealed

Part 9 – Criminal’s confession or story

Part 10 – Holmes describes clues, his thought process, how he solved the case

Part 11 – Final thought
a) Quotation
b) Ironic observation
c) Sum up of experience

Note: Most Sherlock Holmes stories do not have all eleven sections, or necessarily in this order. Most have 5 to 6 parts. It is a list of the structural pieces of a Sherlock Holmes story.

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Friend and Biographer Series: JHWS ‘Roxie’

Speaking of my old friend and biographer, I would take this opportunity to remark….Watson has some remarkable characteristics of his own, to which in his modesty he has given small attention…

Hello Watsonians,

Today we add to our series of brief biographic interviews with some of the members of JHWS. Our members, like the good Dr. Watson, have some remarkable characteristics of their own, and we would like to give some small attention to them.

We are happy to present this interview with Watsonian columnist Sandy Kozzin. Sandy, ASH ‘Esmerelda’, is a member of several societies and a regular contributor to Welcome Holmes and The Hounds of the Internet.

Enjoy!

Margie

JHWS/ ‘Mopsy’

  1. Name and bull pup moniker—

Sandy Kozinn, Roxie

  1. Current (city, state, country) location—

Demarest, NJ

  1. How long have you been a devotee of Dr. Watson?

25 years

  1. Do you have a favorite canonical story?

Not really, depends on my mood

5. What is your favorite quote from the canon?

“The game is afoot”

  1. If you could speak directly to anyone in the canon, who would you choose and why?

Probably Watson.  I’d want to know the reasons behind the clearly made up names, dates, places, trains, and so forth in so many of the cases — in other words, what was the real story?

  1. Are you fond of any particular canon adaptations­, pastiche, radio, or film?

I grew up with Rathbone and Bruce, and like both current TV series.  I don’t really do “favorite” — there are so many variables.

  1. Do you have a local Watsonian/Sherlockian/Holmesian group you meet with on a regular basis?

I try to make the ASH luncheons, Mrs. Hudson’s Cliffdwellers’ meetings, and the Priory Scholars’s and attend other area meetings as I can.

  1. Do you have any recent Watsonian/Sherlockian/Holmesian projects/events you would like to tell us about?

Had a terrific time at the Gillete Luncheon during the Birthday Weekend.

  1. If you had a magic wand, allowing you to add, subtract, change one thing in your Watsonian/Sherlockian/Holmesian world, what would it be?

Being able to get to even more local meetings.

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On May 15th…

According to A Day-by-Day Chronology of Mr. Sherlock Holmes, according to Zeisler and Christ, compiled and edited by William S Dorn, the “gipsies” left the moor near the Priory School on May 15, 1900.

Francis William Topham, “Spanish Gypsies”

There was an agitated knock at the door, and an instant afterwards Dr. Huxtable was in the room. In his hand he held a blue cricket-cap, with a white chevron on the peak.
“At last we have a clue!” he cried. “Thank heaven, at last we are on the dear boy’s track! It is his cap.”
“Where was it found?”
“In the van of the gipsies who camped on the moor. They left on Tuesday. Today the police traced them down and examined their caravan. This was found.”
“How do they account for it?”
“They shuffled and lied – said that they found it on the moor on Tuesday morning. They know where he is, the rascals! Thank goodness, they are all safe under lock and key. Either the fear of the law or the Duke’s purse will certainly get out of them all that they know.”

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On May 14th…

May 14, 1900: Lord Saltire disappeared. [PRIO]

Alan Howard as the Duke of Holdernesse

” `Holdernesse, 6th Duke, K.G., P.C.’ – half the alphabet! `Baron Beverley, Earl of Carston’ – dear me, what a list! “Lord Lieutenant of Hallamshire since 1900. Married Edith, daughter of Sir Charles Appledore, 1888. Heir and only child, Lord Saltire. Owns about two hundred and fifty thousand acres. Minerals in Lancashire and Wales. Address: Carlton House Terrace; Holdernesse Hall, Hallamshire; Carston Castle, Bangor, Wales. Lord of the Admiralty, 1872; Chief Secretary of State for – ‘ Well, well, this man is certainly one of the greatest subjects of the Crown!”

“The greatest and perhaps the wealthiest. I am aware, Mr. Holmes, that you take a very high line in professional matters, and that you are prepared to work for the work’s sake. I may tell you, however, that his Grace has already intimated that a cheque for five thousand pounds will be handed over to the person who can tell him where his son is, and another thousand to him who can name the man, or men, who have taken him.”

 

Date information provided by the volume A Day-by-Day Chronology of Mr. Sherlock Holmes, according to Zeisler and Christ, compiled and edited by William S Dorn.

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Easter Greetings from Australia

Easter artwork by Phil Cornell (JHWS “Parkes”)

“Chips” writes: I am taking the last of the open days for a while.

I wanted to post a card I have received for Easter. The card was hand drawn by an artist friend of mine in Australia. He has an incredible talent for drawing any thing to do with Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson, and everything in between. Phil Cornell is his name. You have probably seen his work in various publication and books for years. He is an active member of the Australian Sherlockian group called The Sydney passengers. I am a proud out of country member of the group. Here is a sample of his work. I hope you enjoy as much as I do.

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An Uncanny Resemblance

“Chips” writes:

I am taking advantage of this open date in the calendar to post an old picture that has been in my family for a long time. It is of a relative of mine, a Dr John H Watson who I am the exact image of. This picture has been verified by myself to become the only true photograph taken at the flat at 221B with the the only true likeness of the Master himself, Sherlock Holmes. Amazingly, he closely resembles the greatest movie actor to play Sherlock Holmes on the movie and TV screen, Mr Peter Cushing, OBE. Enjoy!! I do.

(This picture was verified and converted by that Distinguished Sherlockian Steve Thorpe, who I will ever be in debt to for his kindness and his labor on this project.)

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The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes and the Public Domain

Cover of Beeton’s Christmas Annual, 1887

This year, 2017, marks 130 years since publication of A Study in Scarlet, 100 years since publication of His Last Bow, and 90 years since publication of The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes.

“Chips” writes–

I am taking advantage of this open date to pass along an item I found while surfing the Internet.

I found this information to be interesting enough to pass it along to everyone who reads us, especially the last item listed.

In response to my question:

Interesting facts about this year. As I understand it the Casebook still has 10 years to go before it is out of copyright in The United States. Can someone confirm that for me?

Our friend the highly respected scholar and collector, Peter Blau, kindly sent me this information:

Copyright protection for each of the ten stories runs for 95 years from the year of first publication . . . the last of the ten stories will go into the public domain at the end of 2022.

What a relief that will be for us!

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On May 10th…

May 10, 1857: Sepoy Mutiny began at Meerut [SIGN]

Illustration from History of the Indian mutiny : giving detailed account of the Sepoy insurrection in India, by Charles Ball (1859)

Well, I was never in luck’s way long. Suddenly, without a note of warning, the great mutiny broke upon us. One month India lay as still and peaceful, to all appearance, as Surrey or Kent; the next there were two hundred thousand black devils let loose, and the country was a perfect hell. Of course you know all about it, gentlemen – a deal more than I do, very like, since reading is not in my line. I only know what I saw with my own eyes. Our plantation was at a place called Muttra, near the border of the North-west Provinces. Night after night the whole sky was alight with the burning bungalows and day after day we had small companies of Europeans passing through our estate with their wives and children, on their way to Agra, where were the nearest troops.

Date information provided by the volume A Day-by-Day Chronology of Mr. Sherlock Holmes, according to Zeisler and Christ, compiled and edited by William S Dorn.

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On May 9th…

Portrait of J M Barrie by Herbert Rose Barraud (1892)

James Matthew Barrie, novelist and playwright, was born May 9, 1860, in Kirriemuir, Angus, Scotland. He met Arthur Conan Doyle in 1891, and the two men co-wrote the play Jane Annie, or The Good Conduct Prize in 1893. The comic opera’s brief run at the Savoy was unsuccessful. George Bernard Shaw called the play “the most unblushing piece of tomfoolery that two respectable citizens could conceivably indulge in public.”

Among the many authors of Sherlock Holmes pastiches, only one had his story included in Arthur Conan Doyle’s autobiography. J M Barrie’s short work, “The Adventure of the Two Collaborators”, is included in Arthur Conan Doyle’s Memories and Adventures. In it, two gentlemen come to call on Holmes and Watson at Baker Street, and Holmes’s first observation is, “They are two collaborators in comic opera, and their play has not been a triumph.”

Before Barrie and Doyle met, Barrie wrote an anonymously-published pastiche called “My Evening with Sherlock Holmes”, in which a Mr Anon persuades Arthur Conan Doyle to take him to meet Holmes. During their conversation, Mr Anon preempts Holmes’s deductions so often that Holmes leaves in a huff. [Is a Huff a new kind of British car? –Chips] [Very punny –Selena Buttons]

Source: A Curious Collection of Dates: Through the Year with Sherlock Holmes by Leah Guinn (JHWS “Amber”) and Jaime N Mahoney (JHWS “Tressa”)

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On May 8th…

Sir Henry Duncan Littlejohn was born May 8, 1826 in Edinburgh.

He studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh, graduating in 1847. He was Edinburgh’s first Medical Officer of Health, the city’s Police Surgeon, and co-founder of the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh. He acted as an expert witness in Scottish criminal cases. He was also a teacher of forensic medicine when Arthur Conan Doyle was studying at the University of Edinburgh.

He was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1895.

While many Sherlockians are familiar with the role Dr Joseph Bell played in the creation of Sherlock Holmes, in a 1929 speech, Arthur Conan Doyle also recognized the influence of Dr Bell’s colleague, Henry Duncan Littlejohn.

Source: A Curious Collection of Dates: Through the Year with Sherlock Holmes by Leah Guinn (JHWS “Amber”) and Jaime N Mahoney (JHWS “Tressa”)

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On May 7th…

May 7, 1902: Holmes confronted Sir Robert Norberton at the crypt. [SHOS]

Illustration by Frank Wiles for The Strand Magazine

Someone was walking in the chapel above. It was the firm, rapid step of one who came with a definite purpose, and knew well the ground upon which he walked. A light streamed down the stairs, and an instant later the man who bore it was framed in the Gothic archway. He was a terrible figure, huge in stature and fierce in manner. A large stable lantern which he held in front of him shone upwards upon a strong, heavily-moustached face and angry eyes, which glared round him into every recess of the vault, finally fixing themselves with a deadly stare upon my companion and myself.
“Who the devil are you?” he thundered. “And what are you doing upon my property?” Then, as Holmes returned no answer, he took a couple of steps forward and raised a heavy stick which he carried. “Do you hear me?” he cried. “Who are you? What are you doing here?” His cudgel quivered in the air.
But, instead of shrinking, Holmes advanced to meet him.
“I also have a question to ask you, Sir Robert,” he said in his sternest tone. “Who is this? And what is it doing here?”
He turned and tore open the coffin lid behind him. In the glare of the lantern I saw a body swathed in a sheet from head to foot, with dreadful, witch-like features, all nose and chin, projecting at one end, the dim glazed eyes staring from a discoloured and crumbling face.

Date information provided by the volume A Day-by-Day Chronology of Mr. Sherlock Holmes, according to Zeisler and Christ, compiled and edited by William S Dorn.

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On May 6th…

Evidence from Watson’s Tin Box (Columbia, MD)

May 6, 1891: An account of Holmes’s death appeared in the Journal de Geneve. [FINA]

I alone know the absolute truth of the matter, and I am satisfied that the time has come when no good purpose is to be served by its suppression. As far as I know, there have been only three accounts in the public Press: that in the Journal de Geneve upon May 6th, 1891 […]

 

May 6, 1902: Holmes and Watson took the train to Shoscombe Old Place. [SHOS]

by Ben Brooksbank, licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 license

Thus it was that on a bright May evening Holmes and I found ourselves alone in a first-class carriage, and bound for the little `halt-on-demand’ station of Shoscombe. The rack above us was covered with a formidable litter of rods, reels, and baskets. On reaching our destination a short drive took us to an old-fashioned tavern, where a sporting host, Josiah Barnes, entered eagerly into our plans for the extirpation of the fish of the neighbourhood.

Date information provided by the volume A Day-by-Day Chronology of Mr. Sherlock Holmes, according to Zeisler and Christ, compiled and edited by William S Dorn

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On May 5th…

May 5 1900: Sir Charles Baskerville died. [HOUN]

Sir Charles lay on his face, his arms out, his fingers dug into the ground, and his features convulsed with some strong emotion to such an extent that I could hardly have sworn to his identity. There was certainly no physical injury of any kind. But one false statement was made by Barrymore at the inquest. He said that there were no traces upon the ground round the body. He did not observe any. But I did – some little distance off, but fresh and clear.”

Detail of Sherlock Holmes statue in Edinburgh

“Footprints?”
“Footprints.”
“A man’s or a woman’s?”
Dr. Mortimer looked strangely at us for an instant, and his voice sank almost to a whisper as he answered: –
“Mr. Holmes, they were the footprints of a gigantic hound!”

 

May 5, 1902: John Mason found part of a mummy that was dug up from the crypt. (SHOS)

Femur illustration from Gray’s Anatomy

“There is a central heating furnace in the cellar under Lady Beatrice’s room. It’s been off for some time, but Sir Robert complained of cold and had it on again. Harvey runs it – he’s one of my lads. This very morning he came to me with this, which he found raking out the cinders. He didn’t like the look of it.”
“Nor do I,” said Holmes. “What do you make of it, Watson?”
It was burned to a black cinder, but there could be no question as to its anatomical significance.
“It’s the upper condyle of a human femur,” said I.

Dates provided by the volume A Day-by-Day Chronology of Mr. Sherlock Holmes, according to Zeisler and Christ, compiled and edited by William S Dorn

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Elementary, She Read (Book Review)

Elementary, She Read

by Vicki Delany
Crooked Lane Books (March 2017)
320 p. ISBN 9781683310969

Publisher’s Summary

Gemma Doyle, a transplanted Englishwoman, has returned to the quaint town of West London on Cape Cod to manage her Great Uncle Arthur’s Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium. The shop–located at 222 Baker Street–specializes in the Holmes canon and pastiche, and is also the home of Moriarty the cat. When Gemma finds a rare and potentially valuable magazine containing the first Sherlock Homes story hidden in the bookshop, she and her friend Jayne (who runs the adjoining Mrs. Hudson’s Tea Room) set off to find the owner, only to stumble upon a dead body.

The highly perceptive Gemma is the police’s first suspect, so she puts her consummate powers of deduction to work to clear her name, investigating a handsome rare books expert, the dead woman’s suspiciously unmoved son, and a whole family of greedy characters desperate to cash in on their inheritance. But when Gemma and Jayne accidentally place themselves at a second murder scene, it’s a race to uncover the truth before the detectives lock them up for good.

Fans of Sherlock Holmes will delight in the sleuthing duo of Gemma and Jayne in Elementary, She Read, the clever and captivating series debut by nationally bestselling author Vicki Delany.

General Review

What a FUN book!  This is what I call a step-to-the-left pastiche, in that the characters aren’t named Holmes and Watson, though they emulate aspects and fulfill the roles of the original characters.  Gemma is our Holmes and Jayne is our Watson.  They own a Sherlock Holmes themed bookshop and tea shop, which is a very cute idea, and it just becomes more fun from there.

First of all, I want everyone to know this up front: there is some very gentle ribbing at folks like us.  Gemma doesn’t quite understand the Sherlock Holmes obsession, and sometimes looks at her customers (especially her more particular clientele!) with bafflement.  Don’t let that put you off, though.  It’s very loving, as the author is clearly laughing at herself too.  Gemma also defends her customers later on in the book.  I wanted to state that up front, in case that’s a deal breaker for you, or if you bounce off the first encounter of the attitude.

Gemma is a great main character.  She’s not always very self-aware, even if she’s very observant, which allows us to make our own decisions about who she is.  I found her to be snobby, clever, brash and stubborn, and she clearly loves her friends and her community, even if she’s occasionally frustrated by them.  Her friendship with Jayne was my favourite part of this book by far, though anyone who enjoys romances might also like her interactions with the detective, Ryan, and the book collector, Grant.

The mystery is actually fairly light, despite the bodies hitting the ground.  If you are someone who prefers twisty, complicated mysteries, this may not be for you, but anyone who just wants the escapism of a straightforward mystery will find this enjoyable.  I also find it delightful that, despite the murders happening, the main mystery actually concerns a copy of the 1887 Beeton’s Christmas Annual.

One of the strongest parts of this book was the community that Delany depicted.  In the first book of the series, it’s tempting to do a lot of set up and exposition about just who everyone is, but instead the author just drops us into the small town of West London and lets us get to know how everyone knows each other, the friendships and the rivalries and the histories, in a more organic fashion.  This is an author who excels at show-don’t-tell when it comes to the people.  If she sets us up by telling us that someone behaves in a particular way, we also get the opportunity to see it and draw our own conclusions from it.  I thought it was an excellent depiction of a small town community.

I wasn’t originally intending to read this book when I saw it show up in the publishing lists, but the author contacted the Society to ask if she could send someone the book to review.  I’m very glad she reached out to us, as this was a book I enjoyed immensely.  I will definitely be looking for the second book in the series when it comes out in September!

What About Our Watson?

As already mentioned, this is a step-to-the-left pastiche, and as such, we don’t have a character named Watson.  The Watson role is instead fulfilled by Jayne Wilson, who is absolutely delightful.

Jayne owns the teashop connected to the Sherlock Holmes bookstore.  She’s a serious businesswoman, who cares deeply about how the business runs, and she’s good at it, too.  She is, in fact, much better at running a business than Gemma is, and frequently has to step up to handle the things that Gemma forgot about.  I personally appreciated the fact that it was Jayne who really had a handle on the business side of things, and it wasn’t just thrown in there for detail.  The fact that Jayne runs her business is an important part of who she is, rather than fluffy characterization.

Despite the fact that she’s serious about running her business, Jayne also clearly enjoys a good adventure, as she’s willing to step up and help Gemma with her illicit investigation when asked.  She is, at times, reluctant—Jayne does not enjoy finding bodies—but she is an excellent friend and wants to help.  She’s got a long way to go before she’s fully invested in being a partner to Gemma, and I’m hoping that the author will let her grow in this capacity in future books, but it was a wonderful start.

For people who are interested in Watson’s romantic relationships, they’ll be thrilled to see a version of it replicated in Jayne’s dating life.  Jayne, with her great business sense and willingness to adventure, doesn’t always have the best taste in men.  We meet one boyfriend in this book, and he’s a trip.

Most importantly, the friendship between Gemma and Jayne is strong and based in mutual respect.  There is a great deal of affection and kindness between the two of them, and it will absolutely remind you of the original Holmes and Watson.

You Might Like This Book If You Like:

Cozy mysteries; romances; bookshops; small town communities

Is there a book you want Lucy to review? Let her know!

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On May 4th… Beginnings and an Ending

Today is a day of great significance in the Canon. We give you these three events:

First…

May 4, 1847: John Ferrier and Lucy were rescued by the Mormons. [STUD]

Illustration by D H Friston

The rescuing party were speedily able to convince the two castaways that their appearance was no delusion. One of them seized the little girl and hoisted her upon his shoulder, while two others supported her gaunt companion, and assisted him towards the wagons.
“My name is John Ferrier,” the wanderer explained; “me and that little un are all that’s left o’ twenty-one people. The rest is all dead o’ thirst and hunger away down in the south.”
“Is she your child?” asked someone.
“I guess she is now,” the other cried, defiantly; “she’s mine ’cause I saved her. No man will take her from me. She’s Lucy Ferrier from this day on. Who are you, though?”

 

Second…

May 4, 1882: An advertisement seeking Mary Morstan’s address appeared in The Times. [SIGN]

Ann Bell as Mary Morstan (1968)

“I have not yet described to you the most singular part. About six years ago – to be exact, upon the 4th of May, 1882 – an advertisement appeared in The Times asking for the address of Miss Mary Morstan, and stating that it would be to her advantage to come forward. There was no name and address appended. I had at the time just entered the family of Mrs. Cecil Forrester in the capacity of governess. By her advice I published my address in the advertisement column. The same day there arrived through the post a small cardboard box addressed to me, which I found to contain a very large and lustrous pearl. No word of writing was enclosed. Since then every year upon the same date there has always appeared a similar box, containing a similar pearl, without any clue as to the sender. They have been pronounced by an expert to be of a rare variety and of considerable value. You can see for yourselves that they are very handsome.”

And FINAlly…
(Sorry, I couldn’t resist. -Selena Buttons)

May 4, 1891: Moriarty died in a plunge over the Reichenbach Falls. [FINA]

An examination by experts leaves little doubt that a personal contest between the two men ended, as it could hardly fail to end in such a situation, in their reeling over, locked in each other’s arms. Any attempt at recovering the bodies was absolutely hopeless, and there, deep down in that dreadful cauldron of swirling water and seething foam, will lie for all time the most dangerous criminal and the foremost champion of the law of their generation.

 

 

Date provided by the volume A Day-by-Day Chronology of Mr. Sherlock Holmes, according to Zeisler and Christ, compiled and edited by William S Dorn.

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On May 3rd…

May 3, 1891: Holmes and Watson arrived in Meiringen. [FINA]

Drawing by Phil Cornell, JHWS “Parkes”

It was upon the 3rd of May that we reached the little village of Meiringen, where we put up at the Englischer Hof, then kept by Peter Steiler the elder.

Date provided by the volume A Day-by-Day Chronology of Mr. Sherlock Holmes, according to Zeisler and Christ, compiled and edited by William S Dorn.

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On May 2nd…

Illustration by Sidney Paget for the Strand (1891)

May 2, 1883: Elias Openshaw drowned in his own garden. [FIVE]

We found him, when we went to search for him, face downwards in a little green-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 he had gone out of his way to meet it.

Date provided by the volume A Day-by-Day Chronology of Mr. Sherlock Holmes, according to Zeisler and Christ, compiled and edited by William S Dorn.

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On May 1st…

Illustration by George Hutchinson for Ward Lock Bowden (1896)

May 1, 1847: Lucy Ferrier’s mother died. [STUD]

“How is it now?” he answered anxiously, for she was still rubbing the towsy golden curls which covered the back of her head.
“Kiss it and make it well,” she said, with perfect gravity, showing the injured part to him. “That’s what mother used to do. Where’s mother?”
“Mother’s gone. I guess you’ll see her before long.”
“Gone, eh!” said the little girl. “Funny, she didn’t say goodbye; she ‘most always did if she was just goin’ over to auntie’s for tea, and now she’s been away three days. […]”

May 1, 1900: Lord Saltire enrolled in the Priory School [PRIO]

“Holdernesse Hall” (Chatsworth House, Derbyshire)

I must inform you, gentlemen, that the Priory is a preparatory school, of iwhich I am the founder and principal. Huxtable’s Sidelights on Horace may possibly recall my name to your memories. The Priory is, without exception, the best and most select preparatory school in England. Lord Leverstoke, the Earl of Blackwater, Sir Cathcart Soames – they all have entrusted their sons to me. But I felt that my school had reached its zenith when, three weeks ago, the Duke of Holdernesse sent Mr. James Wilder, his secretary, with the intimation that young Lord Saltire, ten years old, his only son and heir, was about to be committed to my charge. Little did I think that this would be the prelude to the most crushing misfortune of my life.

Date provided by the volume A Day-by-Day Chronology of Mr. Sherlock Holmes, according to Zeisler and Christ, compiled and edited by William S Dorn.