Another Adventure of Sherlock Hunting by Kristen Mertz

In my last blog post back in June of this year, I told you all of my adventures hunting down Sherlock statues around the world. After some planning, a cancellation and some re-planning, I am happy to say I was back at it again earlier this month. Fortunately for me, this statue is much closer to home than the first three I visited last year.  Our destination, Chester, IL, a short 90-minute drive from St. Louis, MO.  For those unfamiliar with this small town, it is the birthplace of Elzie Crisler Segar, the creator of Popeye and, just like us, an avid Sherlock Holmes fan. 

For this trip, I was lucky enough to be joined by a lovely group of Sherlockians from this very group plus a special guest from out of town, Ms. Anastasia Klimchynskaya. We drove to Chester on a very sunny, very warm November day to meet up with some of the group at our first rendezvous point, Reid’s Harvest House. There we had a smorgasbord buffet as we waited for everyone else to arrive at our second rendezvous point, the town post office. (NOTE: It was changed to the bank only a half block away, but I do not read my e-mails whilst adventuring.  My apologies to Rob Nunn.)

After everyone arrived, we headed out on foot for a brief walk and finally arrived at our first stop, our dear Sherlock statue. Many, many photos were taken by all! What a wonderful statue, with so many things to observe! Not only our detective, but the wall behind him with the letters “RACHE” in red. But also, the circle around and behind on the wall, the inscriptions of all those who contributed to the statue itself. I particularly noted, our St. Louis groups, The Parallel Case of St. Louis and the Harpooners of the Sea Unicorn, The Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes and friends abroad as well, including the Sherlock Holmes Society of London and Sherlock Holmes Societe de France.  I would like to make a particular call out to the Japanese Sherlock Holmes Club, who I shall be seeing at the end of the year! (HINT: I am very excited about this and will take any chance I can to talk about it. HINT 2: This WILL definitely be in a future blog post.)

Speaking of hints, you can’t go to Chester without looking at other statues as well, as there are easter eggs to find along the Popeye character trail. Our group continued our walk around town to visit other statues to discover their secrets. From the school, to the firehouse and finally made our way towards a Casey’s gas station, as this day ended up being surprisingly hot and I was desperate for hydration. As we walked out of the Casey’s and were about to head back up the hill to where are cars were parked, a strange man yelled at us from his truck. What luck, it was Michael McClure, the very man who arranged to have the Sherlock statue erected! Not only did I get to meet another Sherlockian but he was kind enough to give us all a tour of his house, which held many more treasures and other collectibles. Far too many to include of the pictures, but some are included for a peak at what you might find.

Finally, we ended the day by locating the last of the easter eggs on the trail.  No spoilers here, but if you want some hints or a bit of a riddle, it is near a building that holds some mysteries, some pictures here may give you a clue, it is my favorite story in the canon and I paid a bit a cash for the full Strand version at the Minneapolis conference. Answer in the comments if you can figure it out.  No cheating to the Sherlockians who were on the adventure with me! For more history on Chester and the Popeye Character Trail, you can look here: https://www.chesterill.com/character-trail/.  

So, dear readers, I have now logged the 4th statue in my continuing Sherlock hunt. Which can only mean that I have decided to keep going. The only question left is, which statue will be next? Stay tuned for future adventures!

Scion Societies by Joe Eckrich

Steve Doyle, leader of The Illustrious Clients of Indianapolis, publisher of The Baker Street Journal, and one-half of Wessex Press, has recently given several talks on the importance of scion societies.  Those talks resonated with me very much.  I joined my first scion society in 1976 and since then I have been and I am a member of numerous societies.  I’ve seen societies come and go.  I even started one. 

 

The first society I joined was The Noble Bachelors of St. Louis, then the only one in the area.  At the time it met in dinner meetings 3 or 4 time a year with up to 40 or more in attendance.  I am still a member although the group doesn’t meet all that often and only had a picnic this year.  In November of 1988 I founded The Parallel Case of St. Louis as a smaller group that discussed a case each meeting, something that could not be done in the larger setting of The Noble Bachelor dinners.  Then, in January 1989, The Harpooners of the Sea Unicorn was started in St. Charles, Missouri, a stone’s throw from St. Louis.  Somewhat earlier The Occupants of The Empty House was begun in Du Quoin, Illinois, about two hours from St. Louis in Southern Illinois. Somewhat later The Chester Baskervilles saw the light of day in Chester, Illinois, about an hour from St. Louis.  

Now there was an abundance of societies within easy driving distance, but I noted a peculiar thing.  Most members of these societies were reluctance to attend other groups’ meetings. Oh, I picked up a few members of The Noble Bachelors but most of my group were new Sherlockians who pretty much only attended my meetings, even though I encouraged them to spread their wings.  The same was true for The Harpooners.  Now there was nothing wrong with that but I do believe it was a missed opportunity.  I ended up attending meetings of all of the area groups extending to The Occupants of The Empty House and made new Sherlockian friends and had many great evenings.

Now I have to admit, we were very fortunate to have so many scion societies within easy reach.  Many Sherlockians are lucky to have one group within driving distance and many don’t have any.  Fortunately with Zoom meetings so readily available it is relatively easy to find a meeting to attend.  Even after COVID, there are many groups either meeting exclusively on Zoom of doing hybrid meetings of in-person and Zoom meetings.  

So why do I think supporting scion societies is so important?  The BSI weekend only occurs once a year and, while there are numerous events other than the invitation-only BSI dinner, attendance is often difficult and certainly expensive.  While the BSI is an important part of our hobby, most of the work of keeping it alive and growing is done by the scion societies.  New members are attracted through the local groups.  Much of the scholarship, including that which appears in the Baker Street Journal, begins in discussions in local groups.  While the BSI hosts periodic conferences, there are many more hosted by scion societies.

Covid affected societies in various ways.  Locally, the Harpooners now meet exclusively via Zoom.  The Occupants died out during Covid.  Fortunately, The Parallel Case, after meeting on Zoom during Covid, went back to in-person meetings and also continue to do Zoom meetings several times a year.  Also, in the last few years, I’ve joined The Illustrious Clients of Indianapolis and The Tankerville Club of Cincinnati and attend several meeting of each during the year.  Also, the Clients host hybrid meetings so when I can’t be there in person I can still attend.  Attending these meetings has broaden my outlook, not to mentions significantly increased my Sherlockian friends.

I was investitured into The Baker Street Irregulars in 1993 as “The Stockbrokers Clerk” and I am very proud to be a member but I have always maintained that had I never become a BSI, I would still be doing exactly as I am doing now.  Attending scion society meetings and enjoying the scholarship, the friends and the fun that can be found in these groups.  

[Editor's Note: As mentioned above, The Parallel Case of St. Louis meets via Zoom three times a year and you can register for this Saturday's Zoom at this link.]

Medicine in the 19th Century: A Canonical Perspective by Srinivasan Raghavan

I first came across the Sherlock Holmes canon in a small town in India during my mid-teens. At the time I would rush through the pages to reach the end and to discover the solution to the mystery. 

Later, after qualifying as a medical doctor, I revisited the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It became evident that many of Sherlock Holmes' deductive processes were inspired by medical history-taking and physical examination, which are core aspects of medical training. In fact, Holmes’ character was partially modeled on Dr. Doyle’s teacher at Edinburgh, Dr. Joseph Bell, a physician renowned for his keen observational skills and ability to diagnose patients with remarkable accuracy.

With this in mind, I began focusing on the medical aspects of the stories and tried to reconcile them with contemporary terminology and practices.

While many instances of medical elements are woven throughout the stories, I’ve chosen a few that I think might interest readers.

One term that appears frequently in the canon is “brain fever.” For instance, in “The Naval Treaty," poor Percy Phelps has an important document stolen from him, after which he experiences both mental and physical collapse. He says, “Here I have lain, Mr. Holmes, for over nine weeks, unconscious and raving with brain fever… in my mad fits, I was capable of anything. Slowly, my reason has cleared, but it is only in the last three days that my memory has quite returned.”

It seems Phelps suffered a mental and physical breakdown, and similar references to "brain fever" appear in other stories as well.

In modern mental health, there is a condition known as acute psychosis, defined as a clinical syndrome involving hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thoughts or behaviors, or some combination of these, within an acute time frame (often less than a month). When comparing Phelps’ description of his condition with this definition, we can see some similarities, although the duration of the illness differs.

So, what is brain fever? In modern medical terminology, it would likely be classified as encephalitis, or inflammation of the brain, often caused by bacterial or viral infections.

Can stress cause encephalitis? Yes, in rare cases, stress can trigger an autoimmune response in which the body’s own immune system turns against itself, resulting in conditions like lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus, or SLE).

Did Percy Phelps and others in the canon suffer from encephalitis due to an overactive autoimmune  system triggered by stress, or was it primarily a mental health crisis? We may never know for sure!

Next, let’s turn to Curare, mentioned in A Study in Scarlet, The Sign of the Four, and "The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire." Curare is an alkaloid derived from South American plants, initially used by indigenous people to paralyze animals and birds by coating their arrows and darts with it. Interestingly, those who consumed the poisoned animals were unharmed.

The first well-known form of curare, called tubocurarine, was shipped in bamboo tubes, hence its name. It was later adopted in anesthesia as a muscle relaxant to aid in surgery, used alongside drugs that induce unconsciousness. Today, synthetic muscle relaxants are used, which function similarly to tubocurarine but with fewer side effects.

An important point to note is that curare only works when injected into the bloodstream, not when ingested orally.

In A Study in Scarlet, Jefferson Hope, the avenging angel, claims to use a capsule of curare to kill his nemesis, Enoch Drebber, by forcing him to swallow it. However, this would not be effective, as curare is harmless when swallowed, a fact that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle seemingly overlooked.

Finally, I’ll discuss "The Adventure of the Speckled Band," in which Dr. Grimsby Roylott uses a poisonous snake to kill one stepdaughter and attempts to murder the other. Holmes quickly identifies the snake as a Swamp Adder, describing it as “the deadliest snake in India,” and notes that Dr. Roylott dies within 10 seconds after the snake turns on him.

Unfortunately, Holmes was wrong on both counts. The deadliest snake in India is the King Cobra, whose neurotoxic venom paralyzes muscles, including those responsible for breathing. However, even this venom takes at least 20 minutes or more to kill an adult human being, certainly not in 10 seconds.

The Swamp Adder belongs to the Viper family, and its venom is hemotoxic, meaning that it causes blood clotting and eventually starves the body of oxygen by clogging the Blood Vessels. Hemotoxic venoms generally act more slowly than neurotoxins.

I have more fascinating tidbits of canonical medicine to share, and I hope to do so at some other time. I welcome any questions or comments.

Thank you for the opportunity to present my small monograph to you all.

Stories for the Long Haul by Brad Keefauver

Tell me . . . what are your favorite Sherlock Holmes stories?

Were they always your favorites, from the moment you first read them? When considering your favorites do you remember that initial burst of joy?

After something like forty-five years of Sherlock-fancy, I have to admit that I don’t remember my early favorites any more. And lately, my reasons for liking a given story have changed with time. Take “Silver Blaze” for example. During a recent story discussion, I realized that I didn’t much care for “Silver Blaze” any more. And that thought disturbed me a bit.

I mean, I still admire the technical mastery of the parts and pieces of the tale, the plot, the train ride, those limping sheep. But it’s like looking at the fifth proposition of Euclid for me. I mean, horses are nice, I like visiting horses in their stables. But Silver Blaze’s personality isn’t great, and there isn’t anyone in the tale who is an interesting hang.

Forty five years of revisiting “Silver Blaze” has left me rather numb to its charms.

Yet I remain a Sherlockian, and I love the Canon, so I must not have become numb to all of the stories. Having been shocked at my feelings about “Silver Blaze,” I decided to ponder the question deeper.

I mean, I love “The Adventure of the Illustrious Client.” Always have, and probably always will. What makes it so different? 

My first thought is the characters: Kitty Winter, Adelbert Gruner, Violet DeMerville, Porky Shinwell . . . heck, even Watson is going the extra mile in this one. Sure, Sherlock Holmes solves the issue at hand -- this being a tale where the mystery is merely the melodramatic “How will Holmes keep Violet from marrying the evil Baron?” No real mystery for Holmes to solve. But for us?

What was Kitty’s past life and what led to her ruination? How did Gruner get away with murdering his wife? What’s Porky do in “Hell, London?” What do Watson and his pal Lomax the sub-librarian talk about when they get together? This story is full of mysteries, full of prompts for analytical articles and fanfic. There’s life in it, and reading it ten years in, twenty years in, thirty years in, you’re always liable to see something different.

“Illustrious Client” is, in its way, a sloppier story than “Silver Blaze,” and in that mess are tidbits for us to find. 

When I think of my perennial favorites in the Canon, they’re always the stories that are rich veins of imaginative gold to be mined. While we might occasionally complain of Moriarty having to be in so many Holmes movies and TV shows, like Mycroft, he’s a mystery that we have to know more of. Silver Blaze . . . well, I’m sorry, but he was a horse. Maybe he won another race or two, got put out to stud if he didn’t break a leg. I don’t often wonder about Silver Blaze unless my imagination gives him sentience and a secret agenda. For it is the triggering of our imaginations which gives these stories their immortal fan-love.

The dweller on the threshold in “Devil’s Foot.” Wicked Susan Stockdale, first lady of the Stockdale gang. How a Dartmoor prison escape works. The folks in Sussex who think vampires are real. Parker, the harmless garroter and musician. The unused air-gun of “The Mazarin Stone.” All of these whisper of stories we have yet to hear, even if someone has told us their version of a might-have-been.

Sherlockians spend entire lives returning to these sixty stories that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle helped Watson bring to us. Sometimes we try to force that same faith on other writer’s works and so often we fail as years pass. But these stories . . . maybe not all of which can support such faith by themselves, but these stories as a whole body of work . . . they offer a never-ending banquet.

I may turn back around on “Silver Blaze” one day. But for now, another course of Holmes is always at the ready.

Canonical or Apocryphal?

At the July meeting, we discussed four stories that appear in different versions of the Apocrypha of the Sherlockian Canon, "The Field Bazaar," "How Watson Learned the Trick," "The Man with the Watches," and "The Lost Special."  And the end of our meeting, we took a vote of all of the members present to decide how we felt about each story, should it be considered part of the canonical stories or is just a tale that has similarities to other Sherlockian pieces, but ultimately doesn't belong?

Up first was "The Field Bazaar."  By a vote of 11-2, we overwhelmingly agreed that this should be considered Canon.  It has Holmes and Watson.  It is familiar to the Baker Street scenes that open so many adventures in the Canon.  And it gives substance to Watson, giving the reader information on his university days.

The Field Bazaar: Canonical

"How Watson Learned the Trick" came next.  Another version of a Baker Street opener, but some members felt that while the last story was true to the feel of canonical adventures, this piece strayed too far into parody territory.  Others noted this scene from the Granada series which was similar to "How Watson Learned the Trick."  Ultimately, the vote was 10-3 in favor of including it.

How Watson Learned the Trick: Canonical

Our next story to discuss was "The Man With the Watches."  Most of us felt that the letter to the press "over the signature of a well-known criminal investigator" did not ring true to Sherlock Holmes, although some did feel like it could have been Lestrade.  With the largest margin of all of the votes of 11-1, we said this tale was apocryphal.

The Man With the Watches: Apocryphal

And finally was "The Lost Special."  Most agreed that this was a good mystery, but again the letter that bore "the signature of an amateur of some celebrity at that date" was everyone's sticking point.  When it was argued that "one of the acutest brains in England" who "had the command of a band of workers who were trustworthy and intelligent" could be Professor Moriarty, discussion heated up.  Ultimately, most couldn't get past Holmes writing an incorrect letter to a newspaper about the crime.  Even if this was a Moriarty story, we voted 9-3 that it wasn't a Sherlock Holmes story.

The Lost Special: Apocryphal

Will "The Field Bazaar" and "How Watson Learned the Trick" ever be part of the published Canon that you can buy at your local bookstore?  The Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopedia lists the Canon as having 62 stories that include these two and Ross Davies's chapter in Canonical Cornerstones he refers to these as "The Two True Tales" of the Apocrypha.  And now that 13 members of The Parallel Case of St. Louis have weighed in, I'm sure it's just a matter of time....

Good Sherlock Hunting by Kristen Mertz

Two years ago, at one of our meetings, Elaine told the group about a Sherlock conference that was being held in Switzerland and it is only $700 but the airfare it over $3000, there no way she could go. I said, no, no, no fly to London, visit there, take the train to Switzerland, make it a big trip. Rob said, “Of course Kristen would make it a whole thing.” Yes, that is exactly what I did. I made last year a WHOLE BIG THING.

On May 28th, I flew in to London and a friend of mine kindly took me around, navigating the whole London underground. I quite literally would have been lost without her. She planned everything for us and when she asked, “Is there anything you absolutely want to do?” I swiftly answered, “I have to see the Sherlock Museum and the Sherlock statue.” Everyone warned me not to expect a traditional Sherlock experience with the museum. They were right, but all my expectations of that statue were spot on, and the sun was shining on London that afternoon.

After running around London and Eastbourne for a few days, I flew to Switzerland for the Reichenbach Irregulars conference. I saw several Sherlockians on the bus ride up to the mountains in Leukerbad and was getting pretty excited. My first European conference! What was it going to be like. I quickly dumped my bags in my room and thought, where can I find some Sherlockians before the opening of the conference, so of course I headed for the bar.  Good deduction right? Of course, people were there and I got to meet a few people before the start.

I won’t go into all the details of the conference, but I will tell you if you ever get the chance to attend a European conference, just do it. It was wonderful. There were the presentations, a violin performance, wonderful food, a trip up to the Gemmi Pass and the hot springs! Of course, the best part was all the lovely company and chats with Sherlockians from around the world. We really do have the best people in our little Sherlock world.

I was going to go to Geneva after the conference, but was convinced by several that I absolutely had to visit Meiringen. I am so glad that I took their advice because the city was beautiful. I got to meet MORE wonderful Sherlockians and even hiked the Reichenbach falls. Of course, I had to visit the Sherlock Museum there as well and see yet another wonderful status of the master.  It apparently did not occur to me that perhaps I should have taken a selfie here sadly. Oh well, I guess I will have to go back!

July rolls around, I go to Tokyo. Now at this point, I remembered a conversation that I had at the Gemmi Pass with some members of the Japan Sherlock Holmes Club. We had a chat about me visiting my son in Japan in July that year as he was going to school for a semester there.  They asked what I was looking forward to and I of course said the food, the anime and all the things. They also told me there was a Sherlock status in Japan. I said, “I need to go see that.” Akane told me it was in Oiwake, pretty far from Yokohama where I would be staying, but that put the idea in my head. I mean, they have bullet trains right? I can get there.

There is a Tuesday that I have nothing planned, so I figure what the heck. I’m going to do it, I’m an going to find that statue. It’s only a few trains and a half hour walk. Of course, I am nervous, I kind of procrastinated and left the hotel a little late. I mean, I’m going by myself and my Japanese is limited to saying good morning and thank you and apologizing. I gathered up my courage and made my way to Tokyo station to buy my shinkansen ticket and then was on my way. (Side note, those bullet trains are so comfortable and quiet, you have no idea you are going 200 mph.) Another very cute local train ride later, I pull up my Google maps and start walking. It says a 30-minute walk, easy peasy, right? Not so, it was more of a 45-minute hike down a questionable road, through a rice farm by a volcano and through a residential area. When I was just about to give up hope, what do you know the crossroads and after I crossed that road, there were signs and one was a little Sherlock. I found it! 

Three Sherlock status in one year! What an accomplishment, but the last two pictures I took didn’t have me in them so do I have proof? Drats, I will have to redo those pictures at some point because Brad Keefauver has said that I should try to set a World Record for the most Sherlock status visited. Then Paul Thomas Miller asked me, wait, does this include plaques and memorials as well? Ah, dear readers, I do not know what I signed myself up for here. I shall have to think on it. Feel free to leave your advice in the comments. In the meantime, I will be looking for more statues and possibly plaques and/or busts to visit.

Chess Archives and Sherlock Holmes by Adam Presswood

Some blog posts are lengthy and academic, laden with research and statistics. Others are lengthy, but emotional and argumentative rather than academic. Still others are brief and more social in nature than anything else. This post really doesn’t fit well into any of those three categories. It’s just a chance for me to share an enthusiasm, one that was teased at the most recent in-person meeting of the Parallel Case of St. Louis.

The story up for discussion that day was "The Retired Colourman." The villain in that tale, Mr. Josiah Amberly, possesses several despicable qualities, but it is one of his seemingly more innocuous qualities that Holmes latches onto as evidence of Amberly’s poor character – his love for chess, which Holmes apparently views as the mark of all deceitful people the world over. "The Retired Colourman" is, of course, not the only one of Doyle’s stories in which chess and villainy are linked. In fact, Dr. Grimesby Roylott, the controlling and murderous stepfather in "The Speckled Band," was also a chess player. The reference in "Colourman," however, is the first one that really gave me pause.

 

In the spirit of full confession, I must admit to being a chess player myself. I’m not one of the greats, to be sure, but certainly a respectable competitor. I have a standing chess game once per month in Creve Coeur, and I have a chess coach in the Central West End. In fact, I met that chess coach during my eighteen-month externship at the World Chess Hall of Fame (WCHOF), the place where my love for all things Sherlock and for all things chess merged in a surprising way.

My chief responsibility at the WCHOF was to comb through old copies of Chess Life and Chess Review, as well as other similar magazines, and unearth curatorial material that could be used for exhibits. It was through this research that I discovered a live chess game played during the 1945 Pan-American Chess Congress in Los Angeles, an extravaganza which took place two years after the release of Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce’s Sherlock Holmes Faces Death, a film that utilizes that same type of live chess game as a solution to the mystery. Rathbone and Bruce actually visited the gala event and posed for photos.

It was also through my work with the WCHOF that I learned, courtesy of the November 1992 issue of Chess Life, of Nigel Bruce’s skill as a chess player. While he might have played the kindly, blundering old fool in the Rathbone films, the reality could not have been more different. The old boy was an avid member of the Hollywood Chess Club and the Herman Steiner Chess Club. Furthermore, Bruce competed in a number of tournaments himself in his day. If Holmes was correct in his assertion that a love for and proficiency at chess are the markers of a devious mind and untrustworthy character, then Bruce’s legacy as the simple-minded old sidekick is certainly in contrast with his true nature😊

Not to be overlooked is Rathbone himself, who not only played chess, but designed his own sets! In the spirit of sharing, and to keep my promise that this post would not be text-heavy or academic, I have included some unique photos combining my twin loves of the Baker Street duo and the “Game of Kings." Enjoy!

She Continues to be Dictated to by Men: A comparison between Violet Smith and Violet Carruthers from The Solitary Cyclist by Heather Hinson

There is a small list of women in the canon who break the mold of passive and demure to catch the attention of one Mr. Sherlock Holmes. Or at the very least their plights do. Usually because they come to him directly to enlist his help. Miss Violet Smith of "The Solitary Cyclist" is one such woman. Violet’s story is familiar, a single young woman harassed by men at every turn. But it wasn’t until Sherlock & Co’s modern adaptation of the story does the story become real.

(Spoiler alert for Sherlock & Co.'s version of The Solitary Cyclist in the following paragraphs)

In the podcast version, Violet is almost near the same; single young woman being harassed by men at every turn. In the second half of the podcast, Sherlock Holmes said something that caught my attention and made me want to delve into this comparison, “She continues to be dictated to by men.” 

In 1895 rights for women in the UK were few to none. A young woman would often go from being a daughter to a wife, handed over like property. It was the rare woman in literature that could stand up against being treated as currency by the men in her life. Even then, there wasn’t much a woman could do if those men chose to push the issue.  

In "The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist" (SOLI), Miss Violet Smith is one of those women. With her father dead, Violet and her mother were left poor until a notice in the Times searching for them was spotted. Two men, Mr. Robert Carruthers and Mr. Woodley informed the women they were there on Violet’s uncle’s behalf to look in on them. 

In the podcast, Violet Carruthers is a young woman who lost her mom and lives with her father and brother. In both parts, Violet is engaged to be married, in the canon story SOLI, it is to a man by the name of Cyril Morton who has no other baring on the story, in the podcast, which I shall title TSC, it is to Zach Woodley, the person who takes care of her fan club and social medias.  In both stories Violet holds down a job, in SOLI it is a music teacher to Mr. Carruthers’ daughter, in TSC, she has an Only Fans account. In both stories, the character of Woodley is both creepy and determined to have what he wants.  

Both women are at the mercy of the men in their lives. There is a level of the unknown, threatening acts towards both Violets that leave these women unable to advocate for themselves. While Violet Smith’s father had passed, she was soon thrown in under the power of both Mr. Carruthers and Mr. Woodley all because her uncle, who had made it rich in South Africa, died without an heir. As there was no will, the money would go to his next of kin, his brother. Or rather, his niece, 

“Well, well, two of you came over. His reverence is our own home-made article. You had known Ralph Smith in South Africa. You had reason to believe he would not live long. You found out that his niece would inherit his fortune. How's that—eh?”

Carruthers nodded and Williamson swore.

“She was next-of-kin, no doubt, and you were aware that the old fellow would make no will.” (SOLI).

With women having no rights once they were married, their money becoming their husband’s, the original plan was for Carruthers and Woodley to woo and marry Violet Smith to gain control of the inheritance. Who would do the wooing was decided upon a game of cards. 

This woman’s life was decided upon by two strangers to her, playing cards to see who would have her. Upon meeting her, Woodley, who had won the game, tried his hand and was rejected. Carruthers, who had welcomed Violet into his house, had fallen for her and no longer wanted Woodley to have her. 

Again, Violet had no say in any of this. At this time, she didn’t even know she was an heiress. 

In TSC, Carruthers is Violet’s family. Her father and Bobby, her brother, who is unnaturally angry about the situation Violet has been placed in.  Violet’s mother is dead and the only people she has in her life are men. Farmers. So she’s used to listening to men. It’s never mentioned if she chose to start the Only Fans account but she does want to stop it.

 “I didn’t want to do it anymore. Made plenty of money from it. Hence Maldvies ha...erm.. Didn’t love doing it.. and yeah. Did a new video and I said I was gonna quit,” (TSC).

In SOLI, Violet was stalked by a solitary cyclist, seemingly following her on her route from the train station to her home and back. Between the cyclist and the unwanted attentions of Woodley, Violet planned to quit her position as a music teacher.

Immediately after quitting her Only Fans in TSC, Violet began receiving hateful emails and comments. They found her Tik Tok and began sending her images of the exterior of her house, doxing her. All culminating in being followed by a solitary cyclist on her rides. 

In both stories, the cyclist hides his features but it is discovered after that they were there to protect instead of to threaten. In both stories it is Robert Carruthers who is the cyclist, employer and admirer in one, brother in the other. 

The story of Violet, both in 1895 and 2024, is tragic because both women are unable to just live their lives as they wish. It is Smith’s biggest wish to marry Morton and become a wife to the man she chooses. It is Carruthers biggest wish to become a mother. She is actively trying for it. And that’s the rub because for both women, these choices are taken from them, Smith is kidnapped and forced to marry Woodley. Carruthers is drugged, first with birth control pills, then with mifepristone to force an abortion because if she becomes a mother, she can’t keep up the lifestyle Woodley has become accustomed to. In both cases Woodley pressed his will onto Violet for money. He wants it, Violet has it so therefore, he needs to control Violet.  

“He asked me if I would marry the girl myself and give him a share. I said I would willingly do so, but that she would not have me. He said, ‘Let us get her married first, and after a week or two she may see things a bit different.” (SOLI)

“She’s seen the error of her ways. I’m pretty sure, this outburst from her fans- cos they’re fans at the end of the day. […] Mhm. But what I’m saying is. This has put her back on track. No more babies- for a bit anyway. Back to being in front of the camera. No one is gonna spend 50 quid a month watching some pregnant girl, are they” (TSC)

Both Violets are married under false pretenses, Smith, very unwillingly and unconscious, forced by a defrocked minister. Carruthers, coerced and under the misapprehension that her fiancé would keep her safe from her upset “fans.” In the end it was all about the money Violet had. Money that, as her husband, Woodley could then control. 

All her life both versions of Violet were led by men. And while we know what happened to Violet Smith, discovering her inheritance and marrying her true fiancé, Cyril Morton, and living a happy life, we never know what happens to Violet Carruthers. It is only after her marriage to Woodley that she discovers what was done to her. She could have the entire wedding annulled. But would she?  

“SHERLOCK: We help Violet but she continues to be dictated to by men. Which begs the question...why help at all? If she’s just going to repeat the behavior, continue with the problematic lifestyle… then why bother?

WATSON What, the camgirl stuff? Is that problematic?

SHERLOCK Not really. But being with Zach is.” (TSC)

In the podcast, Sherlock doesn’t seem to think so. But that was before her brother spilled everything to her at the reception hall. Before he shot her husband. So, if Violet’s life is dictated to by men and if, indeed she is trapped in this behavior, it comes down to which of the men in her life will she be dictated to by?

The Holiday by Elaine Lintzenich

Welcome March! Hopefully, spring will arrive on time!

I was so entranced with the idea of Holmes swimming after we discussed "The Lion's Mane" that a report on other times Holmes had the opportunity of swimming would be of interest. Alas! He may have had opportunities but, unless he did so during the Hiatus, nothing comes to light in Watson's chronicles. If someone runs across such a reference, please let me know.

What did come to light, searching through my Sherlockian ephemera ,was an issue of The Parallelogram from 1999. My name was listed as an attendee at that month's meeting. Holy Cow! I am celebrating my Silver Anniversary as a Sherlockian!   So now I continue rummaging through the past quarter century and I came across a short pastiche, condensed from a longer story. This was written for a Holmes Under the Arch conference.  I still liked it and hope you do, too.

 

                                           THE HOLIDAY

I had been associated with Sherlock Holmes for nearly two years when an even occurred that inspired me to hurl down a gauntlet, so to speak. My Aunt Hannah wrote to tell me of a death in the family and expressed a desire to see me. As Holmes was, at that time, engaged in a problem in Malta, I decided to slip away without leaving a clue as to my whereabouts..

I checked the train schedules to Edinburgh, packed my valise, my medical bag and fishing pole, and simply dashed off a note to Holmes saying I was taking a holiday. I left my note with Mrs. Hudson and started my journey north.

My Aunt Hannah was glad to see me, so I settled in comfortably for a fortnight's visit. On the third day of my sojourn, I returned from an invigorating walk to find my aunt pouring tea for the noon meal. Holding a cup while she poured was Sherlock Holmes.

"My dear Watson, you look very surprised."

"I rather suppose I do. Obviously you've met my Aunt Hannah."

"A reasonable deduction."

"John, " said Hannah, "do shut your mouth and sit down. Your friend said you might be expecting him, but he wasn't sure. Have a scone each of you while I dish up the stew."

It was amazing to me that Holmes portrayed his presence here at my aunt's as perfectly reasonable. We chatted of this and that. Then Hannah cleared the table and ladled the remaining stew into a container for an elderly neighbor. As she left, she invited Holmes to take the second bedroom if he would be staying.

"You left me quite a puzzle, Watson."

"One you readily solved."

"Not that readily. One who didn't know you as well as I would have had more difficulty, I believe.

"Mrs. Hudson gave me your note scrawled on the back of that notice your tobacconist sent you, reminding you at Burry's Gold Leaf was in. I'll have to try that.  I thought a spur-of-the-moment holiday to be out of character, Watson. Something must have initiated your departure. So I surveyed the room to see if anything was disturbed."

 "How could you see anything? I was quite thorough. I took the letter from Aunt Hannah with me."

"Ah, there was a letter. I thought so but I didn't ask Mrs. Hudson. I determined that would be cheating."

"At any rate, I did find a disturbance. My first clue appeared on the bookcase. The book of train schedules was set tidily in place. This was unlikely. Our constant use has made its pages tend to bunch up. The little book always bulges out."

"I simply shook my head.

"I took the book down and found that each page had been smoothed out and the wrinkled corners straightened. Turning the pages carefully, I found a page where the inner edge had been carefully aligned, probably with your fingernail. There was a slight indentation part way down the page. I sat at the desk, the nearest flat surface, where you had most probably sat as well. Some papers on the corner were stacked so neatly that it had to be deliberate.. I took the top piece and holding it at the edge of the desk, brushed some dust and ashes from the desk's surface onto the paper. When I shook it gently, times appeared. You removed at least the first piece of paper under the one on which you'd written the times, but you do tend to press down when writing. I found that Scotland was your destination and that you'd left from Euston Station, therefore taking the London and North Western Railway which would have connected you with the Caledonian at Berwick.

"I asked about you at the Caledonian Station in Edinburgh, your medical bag making you memorable, and found you'd hired a trap for Calder. Once I was in Calder it was an easy matter to inquire at the post office for relatives of Dr. John Watson."

"I suppose my lot in life is to be constantly amazed at your perspicacity."

"Indeed, I have worked diligently, as you know, to develop this gift. But tomorrow, I shall depend on yours."

"How so?" I asked.

"Why, to find another pole! A little rejuvenation would be welcomed after Malta. I shall relate my adventure as we see what the Almond River has to offer. And when we return, we might allow Mrs. Hudson to come in and dust up a bit." 

The True Story(ies) Behind the Politician, the Lighthouse, and the Trained Cormorant

February's meeting of The Parallel Case of St. Louis was a Zoom session discussing "The Veiled Lodger."  The introduction includes the following passage:

"I have Mr. Holmes’s authority for saying that the whole story concerning the politician, the lighthouse, and the trained cormorant will be given to the public. There is at least one reader who will understand."

So what is the whole story behind that?  Well, some of our members had thoughts:

Brad Keefauver:

The was a very active steam barge named "The Cormorant" on Lake Superior from 1873 to 1907, which carried lumber for the Edward Hines Lumber Company, a company which also had lumber trains and most certainly dealt with many a politician. In 1927, the year "Veiled Lodger" came out, Hines had attained just status that the following year he would meet the Pope and Mussolini, and his family would have most certainly have been looking to clear his name some illegalities involving a secret lighthouse where the Cormorant would dock to unload stolen goods on to a train.

Sandy Kozin:  

Once there was a politician, married of course, who found a young lady of interest; they eventually began an affair.  Since both of them were well known in society, he purchased an old lighthouse in  a quiet shore area where they could meet in safety.  To ensure that safety when they were busy with each other, he trained a cormorant to flap around and make noise so the woman could hide and the man come out and announce that this was his private retreat, no visitors welcome.

I believe this because I can easily imagine politicians behaving this way, from events I have personally witnessed. (Yes, that's the truth, and no, I don't think I care to tell THAT  story, but it really happened, during JFK's inauguration.)

Edith Pounden:

The opening paragraphs of The Veiled Lodger make clear that certain people involved in past cases are afraid that John Watson will share too much information in his stories: “I may say that the writers of agonized letters, who beg that the honour of their families or the reputation of famous forebears may not be touched, have nothing to fear.” He then states that he will rescind this protection for one such party, who has attempted to steal papers relating to his own case. Watson describes this case as concerning a politician, a lighthouse, and a trained cormorant, but if this case had involved these three elements literally, then what secret would there be left to keep? 

He must therefore be speaking in a kind of code, which only the receiver would understand. My theory is that the “cormorant” Watson refers to is not a bird at all, but a person. A cormorant is trained to retrieve fish for the benefit of a fisherman; its motivation is to feed itself, but it is prevented from fully swallowing its prey by the fisherman’s noose. So, the “cormorant” that Watson refers to could be a person who had tried to obtain something of value for his own gain, but was manipulated into giving it to someone more powerful. If, for example, this person came to Sherlock Holmes as a client, he may even have made the comparison himself while telling his story. With this one line, Watson communicates to this mysterious person that he can share the true details about the case at any time, while casual readers of the Strand think he describing a case involving a bird.

Alisha Shea:

I think the story of the politician, the lighthouse and the trained cormorant is likely a tale of espionage. Cormorants are sent by their masters to obtain fish. Lighthouses are designed to convey messages. It seems only reasonable, therefore, that cormorant is code for "spy" who "fishes" for information, which is then conveyed via lighthouse to their "master" who waits in a vessel lurking just off the coast.

Bob Sharfman:

ACD was saying in his best "Nicely Nicely" words that politicians don't have the brains of a trained cormorant.  They just head for the brightest light like a moth to a flame.

Case closed!

*Nicely Nicely" Johnson was a bookie in the Damon Runyon stories.

Michael Waxenberg:

“Politician” is Winston Churchill.

“Lighthouse” is the Mehmetçik Lighthouse on the Turkish coast, at the entrance to the Dardanelles and Gallipoli, the site of the worst defeat of the Royal Navy in the Great War, at a time when Churchill was the First Lord of the Admiralty.

“Trained cormorant” is a coded reference. A cormorant is a marine bird that is good at fishing. Admiral John Fisher, the First Baron Fisher, was the First Sea Lord serving under Churchill at the start of the Gallipoli campaign. Fisher had advised against the campaign, which was a disaster and resulted in Fisher resigning as First Sea Lord, and Churchill being fired from the position of First Lord of the Admiralty, in 1915.

Explanation:

In the 1920s, Churchill was busy building his political climb to power, and furiously writing a vast history of the Great War in six volumes, titled The World Crisis, which were published between 1923 and 1931. Churchill was writing to make money, and to bolster his own reputation for leadership. He has been accused of whitewashing his own culpability for the failure of the Gallipoli campaign, and blaming others, including Lord Fisher. For example, see here. 

Lord Fisher died in 1920, and was deceased before the first volume of Churchill’s war history was published, but it is likely that Fisher’s family were distressed at Churchill for putting blame for the Gallipoli campaign disaster on Admiral Lord Fisher. It is likely that they consulted Holmes to protect the reputation and honour of the late Lord Fisher, and to persuade Churchill to correct his writings about Fisher.

Watson’s warning to the “politician” is contained in The Veiled Lodger which was first published in January 1927. That same month, Churchill traveled to the Mediterranean and visited Italy, Greece, and sites of the naval battles of the Gallipoli campaign. It is possible that Churchill was gathering additional information for his history of the war in that part of the world around the “lighthouse.” Watson’s warning to the “politician” would have been just in time to prevent further defamation of the late Admiral Fisher, a/k/a “The Trained Cormorant.” As Watson wrote, "There is at least one reader who will understand." That one and only reader who understood the coded message was Churchill, until now.

Here is an illustration of Churchill and Fisher consulting when they were in charge of the Royal Navy in January 1915, before the Dardanelles (Gallipoli) campaign, which I found on the website cited above:

At long last, now the world knows the true meaning behind the enigmatic phrase from Watson’s writing. One can only hope that the fracas between Holmes and Watson, on one part, and Winston Churchill, on the other part, did not detract from the warm friendship between Churchill and the literary agent and occasional author, Arthur Conan Doyle.

So, readers, what say you?  Do you buy any of these explanations, of do you have one of your own?