Silver Blaze

foreign [Music] has this tonight he used to have the prettiest frock that money can buy [Music] it's for supper oh never mind that there's a man what business have you here business that might put something in your pocket the favorite for the Wessex cupping trailer so you're one of those damn tots I'll show you how we serve them yeah [Music] yeah yeah [Music] whatever is the matter Mr Striker at the stable's net when I went to take him his supper this man [Music] [Music] thank you [Music] [Music] thank you what about the favorite yes yes you're fine aren't you you're fine no harm done [Music] [Music] a favorite for the Wessex cup has been Spirited Away and his trainer brutally murdered by Joe foreign I'm afraid Watson that I shall have to go obliged we're going well [Music] our present rate is 53.5 miles an hour I've not observed the quarter mile posts nor have I but the telegraph post upon this line are 60 yards apart under well the calculation is a very simple one I presume you'll looked into the matter oh yes what I've seen with the Telegraph and The Chronic I have to say well they've been seeing that the Intruder this fellow Fitzroy Simpson having drugged the landstopper with powdered opium The Voice taste all waited he was unconscious and returned with a duplicate key yeah [Music] that is the case as it appears to the police [Music] I have a stock it's very good of you to meet us Colonel Ross never mind about that now the race is on Tuesday that means you have four days to recover the horse and of course Fireball Strikers murderer [Music] the place was to somebody I understand in every bit as brilliant as his ancestor which is why until he disappeared he led the betting for the westing's cup a three to one on were hardly worth a bet at that price wrongs up enormous sums of money have been laid on him it's quite obvious Watson there are many people who have the strongest motive to prevent Silver Blaze from running how many have also had the opportunity something else again any fresh developments thank you Gregory Mr Holmes Gregory my men found Fitzroy Simpson I have placed him under arrest is that wise or the circumstances are strong against it yes but what is his murder an examination of his book showed that he had five thousand pounds entered against silver Blues that's why I came here wasn't it but try and get some inside information I also visited Capleton Capleton a larger training establishment across the mall the second favorite trains there under Silas Brown but you do not deny that on your first visit here you acted as described it was my only visit and I didn't drug the ladder both he and the maids swear they saw a packet in your hand it was a 10 pound note to buy information a ten pound note was found upon him against that he spent the night on the Moor his story was so I was scared I was carrying this lawyer waited with lead just such a weapon is not a brain demand hey inter clinch it this was found with a dead man's hand I must have dropped it as I ran you must have on the other hand where's the womb and there's no wound upon him a state of Striker's knife would show that at least one of his assailants Bears its mark well there you have it all in a nutshell Watson can you give me an invite and this Striker wounded himself in the compulsive struggles which follow any brain injury um in that case the main point in your favor disappears even the dog is against him don't worry don't worry yes as you said thank you [Music] now the other training stable is quite close by I understand yes and as desperate their horse was second at the betting they'd have an interest in The Disappearance of the favorite now wouldn't they the point has not escaped me Silas Brown the trainer is known to have had very large rates on the event and he was no friend to boost trigger however we have examined his tables very carefully there is nothing to connect him with the affair [Music] excuse me daydreaming perhaps you would prefer to go at lunch to the scene of the crime Mr Holmes I think I should prefer to stay here a little and go into one or two questions of detail Striker was a jockey was enough and today became too heavy for the Ranger did he serve you in that capacity five years and since then no and during that time you never found him to be in I always found him to be an excellent servant I presume you made an inventory of all the things he had in his pocket at the time of his death inspector well I have the things themselves here [Music] box of matches two inches of Tallow candle Brier root pipe seal skin pouch with the half an ounce of long cut cabinet silver watch gold chain five sovereigns aluminum pencil case some papers and the knife [Music] singular I presume as it has blood stains upon us that is the one found in the Dead Man's mask awesome this knife surely is in your line I wouldn't expect to find it in the possession of anyone other than a nice surgeon it is a cataract knife I thought so very delicate blade devised for very delicate work strange thing for a man to carry on a rough Expedition especially as it wouldn't shut in his pocket the tip was guarded by a disc of [ __ ] which we found beside the body his wife tells us that the knife had lean for some days upon the dressing table and that he picked it up as he left the room [Music] a poor weapon indeed but perhaps the only one he could lay his hand on at the moment possibly what about these papers all three of them are receded here dealers accounts one of them is a letter of instruction from kello Ross this is a melanous account for 37 pounds 15 made out by Madame lazurier of Bond Street to William Derbyshire Mrs sticker tells us that Derbyshire was a friend of her husband and his letters were from time to time addressed here so much expensive tastes 22 guineas for a single costume are they heavy not really appears to be nothing more to learn and we may now go down to the scene of a crime I perceive the ground is trampled up a good deal here as for No Doubt several people have been here since the body was discovered a piece of matting has been laying here at the side we have all stood upon that now that's excellent in this bag I have one of the boots take a war one of Fitzroy Simpson's shoes and a cast horseshoe of silver blades my dear inspector you surpass yourself all right [Music] hello what's this used match I cannot think how I overlooked it it was invisible buried in the mud I only saw it because I was searching for it weren't you expected to find it I thought it's not unlikely [Music] [Music] I'm afraid there are no more attacks I've examined the ground very carefully for 100 yards in each Direction indeed I shall not have the impertinence to do it again but I should like to take a little walk across the Moors before it grows dark that I may know my ground and I think I'll put this Horseshoe in my pocket for luck I wish you to come back with me inspector there's several points I wish I should like your advice especially whether we do not owe it to the public to withdraw silver Blaze's name from the entrance for the cup certainly not let it stand Watson [Applause] [Music] it's this way Watson we may leave the question of who killed John Stricker for the instant and confine ourselves to finding out what has become of a horse now suppose that he broke away during or after the tragedy the forces are very gregarious animal left to himself his instincts would have been either to return to his own Stables or go to the nearest Capleton well he's not at his own therefore he's a Capleton let us take that as a working hypothesis and see what it leads us to [Music] dude what no loiter is here I only wish to ask a question should I be too early to meet your master Mr Silas Brown if I were to call at five o'clock in the morning bless you sir if anyone wants to your vote he will be for he's always the first stirring but here he is nowhere to answer your questions for himself well thank you very much I'm much oblige to you no no sir I I couldn't take that it will be more than my place's worth if he will just see me touch your money about your business foreign about the devil you want 10 minutes talk with you my good sir I'm no time to talk to every dad about we want no strangers here or you may find the dog at your heels that's a lie so infernal life very good shall we argue about it here in public or talk it over in your parlor come in if you wish to keep you more than a few minutes Watson [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] shall I change it before or not hmm no don't hmm no tricks now oh you can trust me you can trust me yes I think I can hmm you shall hear from me tomorrow a more perfect compound of the bully sneak coward than Silas Brown I have yet to meet he knows where the horses then oh he tried to blast her but it was this peculiarly Square toed boots of his that gave the game away they exactly corresponded with the Impressions we found here this afternoon but are you not afraid to leave the horse in his power my dear fellow he will guard it as the apple of his eye his only hope is to produce it safe he knows that Colonel Ross did not impress me as a man would be likely to show Mercy in any case I had my own methods that's the advantage of being unofficial besides the Colonel's Manor has been a trifle Cavalier with me and I'm trying to have a little amusement at his expense say nothing to him about this oh certainly not without your permission after all the question of the horse is quite minor compared to the question of who killed John striker and you will devote yourself to that on the contrary we both go back to London by the Night Train [Music] I have every hope that your horse will start on Tuesday and I have little or none well there it is then now I'm ready for to have a stock in the night express I beg you to have your jockey in readiness you have some Sheep In The Paddock who attends to them I use it you noticed anything a Miss with them of late oh not of much you count in the last Fortnight say well three of them have gone lame sir that's a long shot Watson a very long shot goodbye Corner Ross see you at the races inspector Gregory may I recommend to your attention this singular epidemic among the Sheep you consider that to be important exceedingly so is there any other point to which you would wish to draw my attention to the Curious incident of the dog when the horse was led out from the Staples but the dog did nothing when the horse was let out from the stable that was the Curious incident [Music] still see nothing on my horse how's the betting it is a cure as part of it you could have got 15-1 yesterday but the price has got shorter and shorter somebody knows something that's clear Blaze favorite yeah the numbers up they're all six there all six there and the horse is running I don't see him well only five have passed colors are not passed are not these there am I colors not a white hair upon his body well well [Music] here they come who has the Yellow Cap and sleeves desperate this was in the lead oh he shot his boat I fancy [Music] I'm a force challenging your colors Colonel 52 late I think not [Music] it's my race anyhow I confess I can make neither head nor tail of it don't you think you've kept up your mystery long enough Mr Holmes certainly can you shall know everything let us go around and have a look at the winner together little spirits of wine and same old silver Blazers ever You Take My Breath Away I found him in the hands of a faker and took the liberty of running him just as he was yes sir I owe you a thousand apologies if you dummy a great service by recovery my horse you do me a greater still if you could lay your hands on the murderer of John Striker I have done sir all right we've got him where is he where is he it may lessen his guilt if I say that it was done in self-defense and that John Striker was a man entirely Unworthy of your confidence [Music] don't keep us on Ten Oaks man I was prepared to believe that Fitzroy Simpson was the true culprit although of course I saw that the evidence against him was by no means complete the first positive indication of his innocence came paradoxically from the enmity of the dog we saw how the animal reacted to him when the horse was let out it alarmed no one therefore the thief could not have been Simpson it must have been someone the dog knew well which is when the immense significance of the curry occurred to me Simpson a stranger could not have caused that to be served it was two monstrous a coincidence to suppose that he happened to come along with powdered opium upon the very night when a dish happened to be served which would disguise the flavor the culprit had to be a member of the household trainers have been known to enrich themselves by injuring their charges but why and how should straker do so men do not as a rule carry about with them other men's bills seems to have somewhat expensive tastes a visit to Madame nazurier's shop answered the why of the matter John Striker led a double life as William Derbyshire maintaining a lady with expensive tastes in Saint John's wood as to the how a man who acquires a very special surgical knife May reasonably be supposed to be contemplating surgery but surely a Layman would need to practice surgical skills it was the lame sheep which told me the method Striker had in mind it was to slightly cut the favorites tendon and do it subcutaneously so as to leave no trace the lameness will be put down to a strain in exercise or a touch of rheumatism never to Foul Play Stricker had to take the horse out onto the mall so spirited a creature would have roused the soundest of sleepers when it felt the prick of the knife it was absolutely necessary to do it in the open air [Music] he led the animal towards the hollow where his light would be invisible he came across the cravat which Simpson lost in his flight and picked it up perhaps with some idea of using it to secure the horse's leg the marks and the hollow show that the horse was uneasy animals sent fear and by then Striker must have been afraid [Music] he got behind the horse he got the knife out struck a match [Music] that was the final straw [Music] here is your murderer wonderful wonderful you might have been there explained it all but one thing where was he kept ah he bolted and was cared for by one of your neighbors he must have an amnesty in that direction I think must [Applause] okay as always when I am called to a case we were suffering from a plethora of surmise conjecture hypothesis for difficulty was to detach the framework of fact of absolute undeniable fact from the embellishments of reporters theorists and if I may say police inspectors [Music] thank you [Music] [Applause] [Music] thank you foreign [Music]