Holmes stood next to a map of London which hung on the wall of the sitting room at 221 B Baker Street. Watson intermittently surveyed the scene over the pages of his book, while Holmes paced back and forth in front of a group of attentive youths, his black brier in his right hand, his left in the pocket of his mouse-coloured dressing gown.
"London is not a beautiful city,” began Holmes. "Under the soot that covers its buildings is the residue of the Empire, a teeming mass of four million souls trying to survive, mostly off of each other. Behind this assemblage is a force of evil, a legion of scoundrels weaving their web of iniquity over the city, and in the centre of the web is the master criminal himself, Professor James Moriarty, the greatest schemer of all time, the organizer of every deviltry, the controlling brain of the underworld—a brain which might have made or marred the destiny of nations. That’s the man! But so aloof is he from criticism, so admirable in his management and self-effacement that his true character is unknown to the public and police. This fact must be kept in mind in all your investigations.''
"How has he managed to stay so unknown, Mr. Holmes?”
“That is a good question, Wiggins. Moriarty insulates himself from the crimes he controls and the public with an organization of underlings and thugs who make sure that no thread of evidence can be traced to Moriarty. So you can see that we are not dealing with the ordinary criminal mind and we will need all the help we can get.
“Today we will discuss some of the people who will be of help to you in your investigations. At the start of any investigation you must keep in mind that it is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. The people that I will introduce you to at this time will help you collect the facts.
“Our first stop will be
St. Batholomew’s Hospital
or Bart’s." Holmes pointed to 38 EC on the map with the tip of his pipe. “Bart’s is one of the oldest and greatest of London’s hospitals and is one of the medical schools of the London University College. Located here is the office of the Coroner’s Chief Medical Examiner, Sir Jasper Meeks. He is London’s greatest forensic pathologist You can depend on him for all the technical details that can be obtained from a
corpus delecti.
”
“Will the bodies of murder victims always be taken to Bart’s, Mr. Holmes?’’
“Yes, Wiggins. All deaths that have questionable causes must be examined by the Chief Medical Examiner.
“Our next stop is the
Scotland Yard Criminology Laboratory
, located at 22 Regency-street, SW. Here we meet H.R. Murray, Head Chemist. It is rumoured that Murray lives in the lab; any time of day or night you will find him bent over one of his tables trying to extract the history of a crime from the physical evidence available to him. You can learn much from old H.R. if you can follow the twists and jumps of his thinking; there is no better mind when it comes to interpreting the physical evidence from a crime.
"Wouldn’t it be easier just to go to Scotland Yard, Mr Holmes?” asked Wiggins.
A smile came over Holmes’ face as he lowered himself into the wicker chair. “Yes, let’s talk about
Scotland Yard
.
If
the Yard would read the reports or knew how to look at the evidence, then there would be no need for our services. Yes, they will get the reports and sometimes they may even read them, but that doesn’t mean that they will know how to interpret them. Gregson and Lestrade are the pick of a bad lot, but you will find that they often twist the facts to fit
their
preconceived theories. But you are right, Wiggins, Scotland Yard, at 13 SW, is a very valuable source of information. The professional police have methods for gathering facts and information that are not open to us.
“At this time I would like to mention another invaluable source of information,
The Office of Records
at number 14 Chancery-lane, WC. This huge fireproof Tudor-style edifice contains legal records, both criminal and civil, as well as state-papers. Your contact there is Disraeli O’Brian, Head Clerk of the Land Records Department, whom you will find a walking, or should I say sitting, encyclopaedia of the office’s affairs over the last thirty years.
“Another records office you should know about is
Somerset House
on the south side of the Strand at 17 WC. The Office of the Registrar-General of Births, Deaths, and Marriages and the Probate Registry are located there. You will also find the Commons Will Office which is a great repository of testamentary writings of all kinds.”
“Who should we contact at Somerset House?” asked Simpson.
“The records are open to the public so you will need no special contact.”
Holmes rose from his chair and stood facing the map while lighting his pipe. When it was started he turned again to his audience and resumed his lecture, “Let's talk a little about the courts. We will have little to do with the official law enforcement establishment, but it is a source of information.
The Criminal Court
, or “Old Bailey” is located at 36 Old Bailey, EC, and should be kept in mind when dealings with known criminals are concerned. You can pick up a lot of information hanging around Old Bailey.
“When I was studying at Bart’s, I would run across to Old Bailey and watch the trials of the day in progress. It was seeing the unimaginative nature of our criminal and legal classes that made up my mind to become a consulting detective. Small cases that show some degree of imagination and challenge are more rewarding than the large crimes that lack anything new.
“There is one young barrister, Edward Hall, whom you will find most days at Old Bailey, who is a cut above the other unimaginative members of his profession. You will find him of assistance.”
“Mr. Holmes!”
"Yes, Simpson?”
"Could you tell me the difference between a barrister and a solicitor?”
"Yes, of course. A solicitor handles the routine legal business of our society. If you do not have to go before a court, then you will have no need for a barrister. If you must go before a court, then your solicitor would engage the services of a barrister. A barrister is a member of the highest class of lawyers who have the exclusive right to plead in superior courts. The particular business of the barrister is the advocacy of causes in open court and, except in criminal cases, he may not undertake a case without the intervention of a solicitor who actually prepares the case for trial.
"This would be a good time to talk about the Inns of Court. Here on the map you will see
Grey's Inn
, 10 WC,
Lincoln's Inn
, 13 WC and
The Temple
, 33 EC. These four great Inns of Court—the Temple is divided into two Inns, the Inner Temple and the Middle Temple—are incorporations for the study of law possessing the exclusive privelege of calling barristers to the Bar. All barristers must belong to one of the four Inns. The Inns contain dining halls, libraries, offices and living quarters for barristers and law students.
“Now that we have looked at the top of the legal society let’s lower our sights a little and look at some other resources available to us. The first is Porky Shinwell."
“I must say, Holmes, you would have to lower your sights a great deal to find Porky Shinwell." Watson laid his book down on his lap and looked up at Holmes for the first time.
“It all depends on where one keeps one’s eyes, my dear Watson. Porky is not a pillar of society, I dare say. But he is a man who has learned from his mistakes and is trying to start a new life on the right side of the law. He has been of great help to us in the past as I expect he will be again in the future. Shinwell Johnson, known as Porky, after two terms at Parkhurst has given up his life of crime for that of innkeeper. He is now the proprietor of the
Raven and Rat Inn
, 52 Hall-street, EC.
“Whose patrons once filled Parkhurst, Millbank and every other prison in the Empire,” interjected Watson before returning to his book.
“Right, Watson, But what better patrons could you have to keep an ear on the underworld of London. You can always get a case, or help on a case, from Porky Shinwell.
“Speaking of the underworld we should mention Fred Porlock. ‘Fred Porlock’ is the assumed name of a member of Moriarty’s criminal organization who has been of immense help on a number of occasions, I don’t know who he is or why he informs on his master, it is enough to know that he does. He communicates with me by post or by leaving a message, usually in code, at
Parsons and Sons Toy Shoppe
, 18 Shaftesbury Avenue, NW.”
"A toy shop?"
"Yes, at times Porlock’s sense of humour shows through. "Now for one of the most valuable sources of information available to you, the newspapers. Approximately 570 newspapers are published in London and its environs. As you know, I have filled one of the upstairs lumber-rooms with back issues of newspapers and I consult them regularly. The press is a most valuable institution, if you only know how to use it. I read nothing but the criminal news and the agony column. You will find the agony columns are most instructive, and the private consulting detective will not want for work so long as they exist.”
"But aren’t most of the things found in those columns insignificant, Mr. Holmes?”
"Insignificant? Perhaps, Mr. Simpson, perhaps. But it has been more important to me to choose a case for its uniqueness and interest than for its significance. The strangest and most unique things are very often connected not with the larger but with the smaller crimes, and occasionally, indeed, where there is reason to doubt whether am positive crime has been committed. One of the reasons I am training you in the art of detection is to enable you to take over part of my case load.
Re member, the more information you get out of the newspapers the more time you will save in solving your case. "I have also found two reporters to be of assistance from time to time. They are Henry Ellis of
and Quincin Hogg of the
.
"Mr. Ellis is the foreign news editor and is a great reservoir of information of what's happening on the continent. He also has an interest in crime news and is always happy to help when he can, but you must be careful of what you tell him or you might find what you confided to him in the next day’s Times. He can be found at his office at 30 EC.
"Quintin Hogg is crime reporter for the
Police Gazette
. He is an ex-police inspector who found the environment of Scotland Yard less than stimulating. He is a good reporter with a strong deductive mind. A very good resource to keep in mind. His address is 35 EC.
"Any questions?"
“Don’t you think you should mention your brother Mycroft?" asked Watson. "After all, he has been of great help to you in the past, Holmes."
“I would rather think that I have been of great help to him, my dear Watson. But you are right, I should tell them something of my brother. He is a great resource when it comes to information about the government.”
“He is the government," said Watson, imitating Holmes’ manner of speaking, which presented the young men seated in front of Holmes the challenge of trying to conceal their mirth.
"Yes, Watson, I have made that statement in regards to my brother,” answered Holmes, less than amused. "He has an extraordinary faculty for figures, and audits the books in some of the government departments. Mycroft lodges in Pall Mall, and he walks round the corner into Whitehall every morning and back every evening. From year’s end to year’s end he takes no other exercise and is seen nowhere else, except only in the Diogenes Club, which is just opposite his rooms. If you ever need his help, you will find him available at the
Diogenes Club
at 8 Pall Mall, SW.
Another person I would like to mention is Langdale Pike, a person who usually gets in the last word. He’s a human reference work on social scandal, especially of the London scene. He contributes bits of gossip to the 'garbage papers' that cater to an inquisitive public. His working hours are spent at the
Societies Club
at 2 St James, SW.
“What about the Central Carriage Stables, Mr. Holmes?” asked Wiggins. “I’ve always had good luck getting information there.”
"That’s a good one, Wiggins. The
Central Carriage Stables
is located at 5 Grey's Inn-road, WC. It is at this location that all of London's cabs are stabled and despatched. I have gotten much valuable information on people's movements by talking to the cab drivers. A good one, Wiggins, a
good
one.”
Holmes again set himself down in his wicker chair. “I guess that is enough for today. Can you think of anything I missed, Watson?”
“What about Lomax at the London Library?”
"Yes, he can be of value. Lomax is a wealth of information and can find anything you need on the full shelves of this great library.
"I think that is enough for today, but I must tell you again that it is of the highest importance in the art of detection to be able to recognize, out of a number of facts, which are incidental and which are vital. Otherwise your energy and attention must be dissipated instead of being concentrated.
"Well, gentlemen, if you will move over to the table, I will ring Mrs Hudson and have her bring up some tea and biscuits.”
"Thank you, Mr. Holmes.”
“My pleasure", responded Holmes. “I am sure we will soon be able to put your talents to work.”
