Part I leads with a heading which establishes the role of Dr Watson as narrator and sets up the narrative stand-point that the work to follow is not fiction, but fact: Being a Reprint from the Reminiscences of John H. Watson, MD, Late of the Army Medical Department. The story begins in 1881, when Dr. Watson, having returned to London from Afghanistan, runs into an old fri Part I leads with a heading which establishes the role of Dr Watson as narrator and sets up the narrative stand-point that the work to follow is not fiction, but fact: Being a Reprint from the Reminiscences of John H. Watson, MD, Late of the Army Medical Department. The story begins in 1881, when Dr. Watson, having returned to London from Afghanistan, runs into an old friend, Stamford, who had been a dresser under him at St. Bartholomews Hospital. Watson confides in Stamford that, due to a shoulder injury that he sustained in the Anglo-Afghan War at the Battle of Maiwand, he has been forced to leave the armed services and is now looking for a place to live. Stamford mentions that an acquaintance of his, Sherlock Holmes, is looking for someone to split the rent at a flat at 221B Baker Street, but he cautions Watson about Holmess eccentricities. Stamford takes Watson back to St. Bartholomews where, in a laboratory, they find Holmes experimenting with a reagent, seeking a test to detect human haemoglobin. Holmes explains the significance of bloodstains as evidence in criminal trials. After Stamford introduces Watson to Holmes, Holmes shakes Watsons hand and comments, You have been in Afghanistan, I perceive? Though Holmes chooses not to explain why he made the comment, Watson raises the subject of their parallel quests for a place to live in London, and Holmes explains that he has found the perfect place in Baker Street. At Holmess prompting, the two review their various shortcomings to make sure that they can live together. After seeing the rooms at 221B, they move in and grow accustomed to their new situation. Watson is amazed by Holmes, who has profound knowledge of chemistry and sensational literature, very precise but narrow knowledge of geology and botany; yet knows little about literature, astronomy, philosophy, and politics. Holmes also has multiple guests visiting him at different intervals during the day. After much speculation by Watson, Holmes reveals that he is a consulting detective and that the guests are clients. Facing Watsons doubts about some of his claims, Holmes casually deduces to Watson that one visitor, a messenger from Scotland Yard is also a retired Marine sergeant. When the man confirms this, Watson is astounded by Holmes ability to notice details and assemble them. Holmes reads the telegram requesting consultation in a fresh murder case. He is reluctant to help because credit would go entirely to the officials. Watson urges him to reconsider so Holmes invites him to accompany him as he investigates the crime scene, an abandoned house off the Brixton Road. Holmes observes the pavement and garden leading up to the house before he and Watson meet Inspectors Gregson and Lestrade. The four observe the crime scene, Holmes using a magnifying lens and tape measure. The male corpse, hes told, has been identified as Enoch Drebber. Blood has been found in the room but there is no mark on the body. They also learn from documents found on his person that he was in London with his secretary, Joseph Stangerson. On one wall, written in blood, is RACHE. Correcting an erroneous theory of Gregsons, Holmes remarks that it is the German word for revenge. He goes on to deduce that the victim died from poison and supplies a description of the murderer: six feet tall, disproportionately small feet, florid complexion, square toed boots, and smoking a Trichinopoly cigar. His right-hand fingernails are long and he came in a cab whose horse had three old shoes and a new one. Holmes says RACHE was a ploy to fool the police. Upon moving Drebbers body, the pair discover a womans gold wedding ring. Soon, Holmes and Watson visit the home of the constable who had first discovered the corpse, paying him a bit for disturbing his nocturnal sleep cycle. They get little information Holmes didnt already know, other than that a seemingly drunk loiterer had attempted to approach the crime scene. Holmes chastises the officer for not realising that this was the murderer himself in disguise. They leave and Holmes explains that the murderer returned on realising that hed forgotten the wedding ring. Holmes dispatches some telegrams including an order for a newspaper notice about the ring. He also buys a facsimile of it. He guesses that the murderer, having already returned to the scene of the crime for it, would come to retrieve it. The advertisement is answered by an old woman who claims that the ring belongs to her daughter. Holmes gives her the duplicate, follows her, and returns to Watson with the story: she took a cab, he hopped onto the back of it, he found that she had vanished when it stopped. This leads Holmes to believe that it was the murderers accomplice in disguise. A day later, Gregson visits Holmes and Watson, telling them that he has arrested a suspect. He had gone to Madame Charpentiers Boarding House where Drebber and Stangerson had stayed before the murder. He learned from her that Drebber, a drunk, had attempted to kiss Mrs Charpentiers daughter, Alice, which caused their immediate eviction. Drebber, however, came back later that night and attempted to grab Alice, prompting her older brother to attack him. He attempted to chase Drebber with a cudgel but claimed to have lost sight of him. Gregson has him in custody on this circumstantial evidence. Lestrade then arrives revealing that Stangerson has more recently been murdered. He had gone to interview Stangerson after learning where he had been rooming. His body was found dead near the hotel window, stabbed through the heart. Above his body was again written “RACHE”. The only things Stangerson had with him were a novel, a pipe, and a small box containing two pills. The pillbox Lestrade still has with him. Holmes tests the pills on an old and sickly Scottish terrier in residence at Baker Street. The first pill produces no evident effect, the second kills the terrier. Holmes deduces that one was harmless and the other poison. Just at that moment, a very young street urchin named Wiggins arrives. Hes the leader of the “Baker Street Irregulars”, a group of similar homeless children Holmes employs to help him occasionally. Wiggins states that hes summoned the cab Holmes wanted. Holmes sends him down to fetch the cabby, claiming to need help with his luggage. When the cabbie comes upstairs and bends for the trunk, Holmes handcuffs and restrains him. He then announces the captive cabby as Jefferson Hope, the murderer of Drebber and Stangerson.

Part I leads with a heading which establishes the role of Dr Watson as narrator and sets up the narrative stand-point that the work to follow is not fiction, but fact: Being a Reprint from the Reminiscences of John H. Watson, MD, Late of the Army Medical Department. The story begins in 1881, when Dr. Watson, having returned to London from Afghanistan, runs into an old fri Part I leads with a heading which establishes the role of Dr Watson as narrator and sets up the narrative stand-point that the work to follow is not fiction, but fact: Being a...  Read More