A STUDY IN SCARLET Simplified Edition

Chapter 6 - TOBIAS GREGSON SHOWS WHAT HE CAN DO

Chapter - 6

TOBIAS GREGSON SHOWS WHAT HE CAN DO

The newspapers the next day were filled with stories about what they called the "Brixton Mystery." Each paper had a long account of what happened, and some even had editorials about it. I found some information that was new to me. I still have many clippings and notes about the case in my scrapbook. Here is a summary of a few of them:

The *Daily Telegraph* noted that in the history of crime, there had rarely been a tragedy with stranger features. The German name of the victim, the lack of any other clear motive, and the strange writing on the wall all suggested that political refugees or revolutionaries might have been involved. It was likely that the deceased had broken some of their unwritten laws and had been tracked down by them. The article also mentioned the Vehmgericht, Aqua Tofana, Carbonari, the Marchioness de Brinvilliers, the Darwinian theory, the principles of Malthus, and the Ratcliff Highway murders. It concluded by advising the government to keep a closer watch on foreigners in England.

The *Standard* commented on how lawless acts like this usually happened under a Liberal government. They thought it was because such governments unsettled the minds of the masses, which weakened authority. The deceased was an American gentleman who had been living in London for a few weeks. He had stayed at Madame Charpentier's boarding house in Torquay Terrace, Camberwell. He was traveling with his private secretary, Mr. Joseph Stangerson. The two had left their landlady on Tuesday, the 4th, and went to Euston Station, intending to catch the Liverpool express. They were last seen together on the platform. Nothing more was known about them until Mr. Drebber’s body was found in an empty house on Brixton Road, miles away from Euston. How he ended up there, or how he died, was still a mystery. Nothing was known about the whereabouts of Stangerson. The article expressed hope that Mr. Lestrade and Mr. Gregson from Scotland Yard, who were both working on the case, would soon shed light on the matter.

The *Daily News* observed that the crime was undoubtedly political. The harshness and hatred of Liberalism from the governments in Europe had driven many men to England who might have been good citizens if they weren’t bitter about what they had been through. Among these men, there was a strict code of honor, and breaking it could lead to death. Every effort should be made to find Stangerson and learn more about the habits of the deceased. A major step forward was the discovery of the address where he had stayed, thanks entirely to the cleverness and energy of Mr. Gregson from Scotland Yard.

Sherlock Holmes and I read these articles together over breakfast, and they seemed to amuse him quite a bit.

"I told you that whatever happens, Lestrade and Gregson would come out ahead."

"That depends on how things turn out."

"Oh, don’t worry. It doesn’t matter at all. If the man is caught, it will be because of their efforts; if he escapes, it will be despite their efforts. It’s a win-win for them. 'A fool always finds a bigger fool who admires him.'"

"What on earth is this?" I exclaimed, as we heard the sound of many footsteps in the hallway and on the stairs, along with our landlady’s voice expressing disgust.

"It’s the Baker Street division of the detective police force," said Holmes seriously. As he spoke, half a dozen of the dirtiest and most ragged street boys I’d ever seen rushed into the room.

"Attention!" cried Holmes sharply, and the six dirty little boys lined up like a row of shabby statues. "From now on, only Wiggins should come up to report, and the rest of you must wait in the street. Have you found it, Wiggins?"

"No, sir, we haven’t," said one of the boys.

"I didn’t really expect you would. Keep looking until you do. Here are your wages." He handed each of them a shilling. "Now off you go, and come back with a better report next time."