Arthur Connan Doyle Sherlock Holmes and The mystery of the Boscombe Pool

Project

Sherlock Holmes And
The Mystery of the Boscombe Pool
By Arthur Conan Doyle














Daniel Kapusta
I.C 2001/2002
Characters: Sherlock Holmes - detective (main character)
Dr.Watson - doctor, friend of Sherlock
Charles McCarthy - victim
Mr. James McCarthy - suspect Mr. John Turner - owner of the farm (rich
man)



It all happened in Boscombe Valley. Someone murdered Charles McCarthy. Two different people spotted Charles. He was going to Boscombe Pool. Few minutes after him was spotted his son with a gun going his way to Boscombe Pool. Those two have met near Boscombe Lake between trees. A young girl saw him. They were very angry and were yelling on each other. James Have lift his hand and ready to hit his father. That girl felt, so she ran because he was frightened. When she got home have told her mother everything what she saw. Just as she was speaking young McCarthy came running up to their house. He said that his father is dead near Boscombe Pool. His hand was red with blood. When they found Charles body he have many wounds on back of his head. They were made by something thick and heavy, like a wooden part of Mr James gun. His gun was founded not very far from dead body. The police have held young man for questioning and arrested him. Everything pointed that young man is guilty.
Miss Turner, daughter of Mr James Turner, believed that Mr James is innocent. She ask detective Lesterade to take a look on the case. Lestrade ask Sherlock for help and he agreed. Sherlock was hurry to get to the Boscombe Pool first because Sherlock knows that Lestrade is not a good detective and Sherlock was afraid that he miss something and make a wrong end. Dr.Watson think that this is a clear case, but Sherlock think not.
Sherlock gave Dr.Watson a newspaper and read the story that Mr James has told. He said that he was away from home for three days. He becomes only last Monday in the morning. His father was not at home. A servant told him that he was in Ross. After some time he looked out of the window because he heard wheels of a carriage. He saw his father moving fast to away from house. He did not know where he was going. He took his gun and went for a walk and shoots some birds on the other side of Boscombe Pool. He have passed William Crowder, servant of Mr Turner. He doesn’t know that his father is a front of him.

When he was something about 100 yards from Boscombe Pool he heard someone calling “Cooee.” It was call that both uses for calling on each other. He started running his way.
When he spot his father he look very surprised to see his son and look very angry. He asked him “What are you doing here?” Mr James explained his father. Mr James and his father became angry and James wanted to hit his father, but he leave. When he went back home after few steps he heard a terrible scream, so he ran back to the Pool again. He found his father lying on the ground. He was dying. He dropped his gun and takes his father, but he die almost immediately. James called for help Mr and Mrs. Moran. When returned none was near body. He has many ugly wounds on back of his head.
Charles was not very liked neighborhood, but not that much. Almost dead Charles has said something like “a rat,” but James think that his father doesn’t know what he is saying. James has said that he spots a dark jacket lying on the ground, but when he looks again it was gone.
When Sherlock and Dr.Watson finally came to the Ross detective Lestrade was already there and waiting for him on the platform. When they get to the hotel he took room and have a cup of tea with Lestrade.
As he was speaking a young lady, miss Turner, hurried into the room. She said that James is innocent. She said that James and his father have many quarrels about me. McCarthy wanted to get married, but old Turner no. Sherlock have ask that if he can come tomorrow, but young lady said no because her father is ill for long time and it look seriously. Only Charles knows Father in old times in Australia-in Victoria. Sherlock have said that is important information.
In Australia just cultimate the Gold Rush. Those two was gold miners. “That’s why Turner became rich so fast,“ said Sherlock. At the evening Dr.Watson was thinking about the case and he asked for newspaper, because he wanted to know something more about those wounds on back of McCarthy head. The wounds were in a group on the left side of back of the head. Murderer must hit him from behind and from left. Dr.Watson asked him self: “How cam James hit Charles from behind when they have face-to-face talk?” Dr.Watson also want to know the mystery of the spoke word “a rat.” He asked him self again: “Why dying man was telling no meaning words?” He probably trying to said how it all happened. Also the gray jacket is very strange, maybe murderer dropped it when he was running away. Dr.Watson have changed his meaning about James guilty, he believed more and more of young man innocent.
Sherlock just come back.

He was with James, but it seems that he don’t learn new from him.
James is deeply in love with Miss Turner but he can’t marry with Miss Turner because he made a stupid thing. Two years ago. He was in Britons and he fall in love with a bartender and married her secretly. So, he can’t marry Miss Turner and that’s why he has a quarrel with his father. But now she left him, that’s good for him.
“Tomorrow we should have take a look at the crime scene,“ said Holmes. Morning at nine’ o clock Lestrade came for Holmes and for Dr.Watson and left for Hatherley farm.
Lestrade told Sherlock that Mr Turner is dangerously ill. He is dying. Lestrade also told the Mr Turner gave McCarthy Hatherley farm for free to use. Look’s like Mr Turner and Charles were good friends.
After some time carriage arrived to Hatherley farm. It was long, low and gray building. Look’s comfortable. Sherlock knock at the door and a young servant girl came out. She showed to Sherlock pairs of boots, which Charles was wearing at the time of his death. She also showed boots that belong to James. Sherlock have study theses boots very carefully. He wanted to see path, which leads to Boscombe Pool.
Sherlock, Dr.Watson and detective Lestrade went to the Boscombe Pool. When Sherlock get to Boscombe Pool, he was studying the ground. Ground was soft and wet. All marks were good to see. Lestrade showed Sherlock where body was laying. Sherlock have spotted two different lines of footmarks. He took a magnifying glass and lay down to the grass. After few minutes of searching Sherlock have stand up. He said that he found a one strange line of footmark. Left side of it have been deeper than the right. That means the owner of theses footmarks must have something with a right leg and must have a staff. Sherlock also found a end of cigar, the Indians cigar. He also found rocks that have been lying on the fresh grass, that mean the rock wasn’t there for long. And the strange footsteps were coming from Turner house. Sherlock seams to know the murderer.
Murderer was left-handed because the wounds on Charles head were on left side. He also has a hurt left leg or something. He wears black jacket and smoke Indians cigars with cigar holder. Sherlock knows it because he has found an ash. The murderer was or is from Australia, because he knows the call of “Cooee,” that is used in Australia. He is tall and big because the spaces between his footmarks were quite big. “That all pointing on Mr Turner,” said Lestrade “he is really left-handed and have something with his left leg.”
Sherlock and others have visit Mr Turner. He was in not a good shape. He looks very bad. He said that it was he.

He admits everything.
Sherlock ask why. Old man has said that he wasn’t a good man. In Australia when he didn’t have any luck with finding a gold he begun stealing. He has a nick in Australia: Black Jack from Ballarat. That is the mystery of the word “a rat.” It was Ballarat. One day “Ballarat boys” have stopped a carriage full of gold heading from Ballarat to Melbourne. The driver of carriage was Charles McCarthy. Old Turner was afraid that McCarthy might recognize him and send him to prison and hurt his daughter feelings because he loved her very much.
Sherlock know that Mr Turner will die soon and have let him go. Sherlock have kept the Mystery of Boscombe Pool forever. After three days Mr Turner have died and James have married Miss Turner.