THE CHINA MAIL,
TUESDAY, MARCH 24, ̈· 1959.
THIS MAN'S NAME IS
Baskerville
AND WHAT HE SAYS TODAY BRINGS A BIG ARGUMENT OVER THE SHERLOCK HOLMES LEGEND
THOUSANDS of de-
voted admirers of Sherlock Holmes, the Baker Street detective to whom all things were elementary, will be sur- prised by a new mystery
a real life one-which sprang up recently,
It is a mystery which may well become as legendary is The bitter, long-running Bacon- Shakespeare controversy.
For, after more than 50 years, the authorship of one of the
Holmes best-known
stories,. "Hound of the Daskervilles," is being disputed.
And disputed by a less on authority than the a The story is named after, Harry Baskerville.
Shadow
The other night I drove to n small,, narrow-strected village In the silent shadow of Dart moor to talk to wispy, white haired Buskerville, who claims that brilliant young journal- ist, whu was soon to die In mysterious circumstances, help- Doyle write the great thril-
ξενο
Pink-faced lancosirak than his 88 Baskerville toki tou in tine Devonshire volcet-
younger-
years, firm,
"Doyle didn't write the story himself. A lot of the shọuty was written by Fletcher Robinson But breves got the credit he
deserved.
by
Peter
Evans
"Shortly after his return from the Boer War, Bertic (Robin son) told me to meet Mr Doyle at the station. He said they were going to work on the story he had told me about,
"Mr Doyle stayed
for eight days and nights, I had to drive him and Berks about the moors And I wred to watch them in the billiards room in the old house, sometimes they stayed lung into the night, writing and talking legether,
Then Mr Doyle left and Berth ski to Inet
"Well, Harry, we've Bnished that book 1 was telling you about, ole we're going to name after you'
But Baskerville's story was buprily denied by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's son Adria,
Riding
in
When 1 phones him Graeva, Switzerland, where he new lives, he saith
"Fistelver Hobinson wrale net one word or the story. He refused my father's offer to enle alate and retired ot an early I together at tage of the project, "They wrote Park 11, over at Ipplepen, 1
father "Furthermore, 47:3 know, because I was there."
Boskerville, who was a coach-layed with Robinson. He Hotel, man to tobinson's father, tolf Rayed at the Duchy
Princetown, Jie accepted No- that long before Doyle
coach an arrived at Pack Hill, in Devon, bina's ulter Fletcher Hobinson had conded: "Hurry, I'm going to write a story about the mor and E would like to use your name."
me
POCKET.CARTOON
by OSBERT LANCASTER
*O.K., it's one of ourt —
went ring with him on the mors simply to get the atmos- phure of the place.
It was
and would not desist. Then he was overtaken with finess.
"He was the last man in the world to want to dle - strong, vigorous, and In exrelent physicul condition but ho died.
"The Immediate cause of death was typhoid fever, but that is the way in which the 'clementais' guarding the mummy might net."
Possible
con-
Could Robinson have tributed more than the world
as realised? A Holmes
told me: expert "This could explain to Mẹ mystery of why Holmes ap-
Infrequently found. bears so
In the
"We know that when Doyle wrote the story he had already killed oft Holmes-whom ho disliked and regarded Д pol- boller in The Final Problem."
1 ts Information is cor- is just ponsible that Feet. It
with « public Doyle, faced autery for killing his bero, had 10 quickly produce another Holnes story.
"He may have agreed with Fletcher Robinson to adapt an jexisting Robinson story but found It Impossible to make Holmes the central figure."
And in Lendon recently the mystery degarned. A member of the Sherlock Holmes Society told m
This sounds like the story James Montgomery was working ca. He was a rich Amertean, a member of the Baker Street Irre- galars (the American Sherlock Holmes Society) and he came to Britain about three years ago to interview Buskerville,
Hints
"He hinted at his discoveries but refused to say very much because he was planning to pub Tisha maograph,
"He was very exclted and abou! stariling dis- coveries. But he returned to America and within three weeks ke was dead. The monograph was never published and his
from "fat, I have letters Robinson proving this. Robinson who told my father ked about West Country legend, but that was just about the ex- tent of his contribution."
Indeed, in short preface to the book, ubor Doyle wrote: "My dear Robinson, it was to your account of a West Country legend that this tale owes (Ts inception. For this and for your |help in the details, all thanks."
Mystery
But was this enough? Basker. ville Is convinced Robinson played & larger part.
notes were never found."
It is a curious story. A mys- lery worthy of the brain of Baker Street himself. But I'm afraid would discover Hitle that is elementary, London Express Service.
W
Doctor Sam Proved Wrong Som after the publication of THEN someone told Dr the hock mystery-man Rubinson
Samuel Johnson that described by a 1907 newspaper Scotland was a country of cutting to the author of many "Shriting detective stories" many fine prospects, he started fateful investigation snarled back his famous inte 201 Egyption munny's remark. that the finest curse.
prospect any Scotsman Hefter he could complete Tils
He was 35. could ever see would be the Teh he died.
Wlan Doyle heard of his high road into England. :th he said: - warned h'ini In Scotland recently it was Drainst concerning himself with plain to me that the Scots were When I Juhl him he was enjoying the last kupons thes Tempur Tale by pursung 13 readled themselves for the Inquiries, but he was fascinated annually-growing invasion of tourists from south of the border
For tourism has become big become big business in Scotland. Really big business,
ranking with whisky (please, never "Scotch") as a national carner,
which' left cold have pald
DOAC
COMET 4 to
BRITAIN, EUROPE
and JAPAN
Commencing 3rd April
BOOK NOW!
BRITISH OVERSEAS. AIRWAYS CORPORATION
The prospects Sam Johnson
off handsomely.
Now the Scots are getting really ambitious about tourism. Soon you'll be hearing about their plans to turn the remolu, forbidding Cairngorm moun- toins into ski-trig centre to rival Switzerland and Austria,
These include the building an access road into the moun- tains and the construction sil-lifts.
-Pathetic
of
ONE of the dreariest aspects
of life in London is the pathetic altempla at sensation- allam by the Chelses and Ken- ington "sets" of debs, ex-deba, quanl-debu and their bay. friends,
Frequently they are guilty of breaches of taste and manners which would be deplorable in Teddy Boys.
Recently, Britain saw them at their crath WOTEL. Someone thought it would be madly funny to hold a botile party on a Lam- don Tube train. So saiggering, giggling, screeching and bellow- lug, bout 150 of them bundled onto an Inner Circle line train, clutching their liquer,"
and
Other passengers were jostled, knocked about, equashed had liquor apllled over them, Policemen had to be called in
to throw the "rovellsst of the train.
11 la reported that
SILES
ACCRA
MRMARPLES
GPO- presents Service Smile
with
"I'm sure Mr. Marples wouldn't like to hear you call me a nasty name lke that just because i keep pushing button B Instead of button_A."
Is
London Express Bervice."
THIS the freedom that Africans want?
Outwarde from the dusty, bustling city of Accra, where jazz blares into the streets, there goes a strident cry which reaches every part of the continent: "Whites stram out of Africa,"
Sir Roy Welensky, Premier of the Central African Federation, has said the troubles in Nyasaland stem from the All-African conference at Acera in December - a conference attended by a strong Russian delegation.
But have the people of Accra- capital of newly independent Ghana so very much freedom themselves? Is the pattern of ruler- ship revealed in this on-the-spot report a sample of what the rest of Africa really wants?
"MY telephone is being tapped," said the Leader of the Parliamentary Opposition in Ghana, quite casually. I nooded. I was not greatly surprised. Cynicism is easily come by in a State merrily skipping down the road to dictatorship.
I was talking to Dr K. A. Busia, a mild, softly-spoken man in a well- cut lounge suit. He looked considerably younger than his 45 years.
We were in the room in the National Assembly, Acero, put aside for the use of the Leader of the Opposition. It seemed to be about the only privilege Icft to lins,
In the distance, through the open window, I could just hear the raised voices of Africans in debate in the Assembly chamber based
а
On our own
House of Commons. A pre- tence at democracy was being made.
But I was hearing more in teresting things in this hot, stuffy little viflce.
CORDON
"Yes, I am certain the tele- phone is being tapped. Als
kny
£1
by BRIAN GARDNER
shops and
open
of
were now in prison, were But you do not have to be near entirely democratio. He the prison to feel the inescapable
made no comment.
quality
corruption orid totalitarianism in Accra. There Koll Baskó is a small, burly is a feeling which, I should im- man, who seems to be bursting agine, is similar to that in Berlin with energy. He is the mañ in the late 1930's, who will probably write the Queen's speeches on her visit In the autumn.
He is the man who talks about locking up
"lawyers who play the fook"
Propaganda cars four the aireets with invective. "Whitez seram out of Africa," they enll in between hectie jazz,
Everywhere there is glorifica- tion of the State, and its hend prisoners, I thought he was Ko- pubile places
When I asked him about the Nkrumah. The main street is Avenue. Other ing to explode.
puble places recall the "Acht. for freedom."
Vehemently he denied that there was any differentiation Nkrumah's profile stares not but between black and white. In only from the hoardings James Fort Prison, where the trom stamps and coine too. His political prisoners aro held, statue-it cost the country about 1205,000-dominates the Lipa
"It is inconceivable," he said. "There was, but not now.
proach to the National Aster-
bly.
"I was a political prisoner
Journalists are deported. Poll- once: I know what I am talk- ticians are locked up. The only Ing about."
Opposition newspaper,
tho Ashanti Pioneer, is not easy to
REFUSED
INFAMOUS
He hesitated, then added: "I obtain in Acera. are frightened of A alexdy flow · of servants
Jurz uz by name.
know the sanitation is not good, Our streamed into the already noisy but it was so in my daya too." mentioning local crganisers are beaten up. streets from One of them died in hospital windows. ofter a beating, up near Kumasi.
Mingling with the crowds
In the Government owned Nkrumah's There have been attempts were
Ambassador Hotel, many policemen, and to withdraw iny passport. In around every corner there was I asked him about censorship, underlings "live it up" well into fact. If it had not been for the
a propaganda hoarding. Accra "Before there was, not now. But the night. Power is a nice thing preted outery in the foreign an exciting place. It is we would not hesitate to use it to have, when you can get it. hotel. built palatial Press, this would have been almost as if the people knew if we thought it necessary for This done by now,"
that here the future of Africa the welfare of the State. Then especially for independence at may well be in the making. we would let the people know a cast of £1,000,000 is one of
that their letters were to be the most luxurious in Africa,
While coated wellers slip ta
The low mumble of voices
drift through the window.
Nkrumah's Minister of Informa~
in
tlon, to hear what he had to I tried to get permisalon to and fro, a band plays, a cocktails "We are, in fact, being sub- say about democracy in Ghana. get into James Fort Prison, but are shaken, and trolleys laden correspondence is being Iceted to a deliberate campaign hurred with had superformity leven op fond him in the
was not granted I stood out with excellent food and drink this for some time," said Dr party members are languishing large, carpoliess, sparsely far-side the whitewashed walls of make their way to the 100 ESHES
this low, dingy building and Busla.
in prison-without irlel.
nished room. On his desk was
the fate of the Not far away from the hotel is "Recently 1 arranged for
"One of them, Boilici men, and
A mountain of jumbled papers contemplated
letters. He was sitting poicians within. They can be one of the most infamous tin copy of an important and very is now
families huddle. together. complaining that he hrough them. I looked for the held there Ave years without towns in Africa. Thousands of wishes to eat a European break- recording machine personal letter to be sent to a
wretched shacks, sharing primi private address. This enched fast. But he is being forced to
been told was there. cal the me, but the original never at-
native dish, which is
A queue of quiet, patient na- live sanitation. rived at my official address," about as tasteless and
"We are taking certain five women squatted outside In pleasant to him as it probably measures
maintain the shade of the wall, waiting Through the window, over would be to Harold Macmillan. democracy," he said. Busla's shoulder, I could see the strong police cordon ringing the bulding. A cane-
xwinging policeman stood every three or four yards.
EXCITING
are
"Whlica in the prison allowed a European breaklust.
"A member of the Govern Is this not colour-consciousness ment," Dr Busia continued, la reverse?” "arrogantly mentioned the
the
are
concentration
hers
to
trial.
that I had
Sullenly, they squat In the Now they have but I won-
for permission to enter to see narrow lanes. their sons or husbands. Beside their "freedom" I poluled oat
that the them were baskets of food. dered if this is what they really vlows of the Opposition Police stood before the benvy, wanted-London Express Ser- party, a good few of whom wooden gate.
vice.
WE DON'T WANT 'SPIES'
pre
private business contained in "It is mainly through the that letter shortly afte.wardia." foreign Press now that we can Fr Buslo was until last year fight back," said Busla. "They
only African professor at
building D University College, Acera. Now camp for us 22 miles away from SOLICITORS throughout Britain have been given a pledge by the Law he has resigned in give his here, you know,"
Society that they will not be asked to "spy" on fellow-lawyers, whole time to polities. Ha was I went through the narrow. educated at
council Oxford, where he crowded streets of Accra, the
busy charged with actual professional The move follows a re that the was a visiting Fellow in 1955.
capital of Ghana, jostling with quest to
kind of profes misconduct. slonal MIs, nothing could
A Lotter "I have no personal ambition its eltizens. There was an extra council of the society any further from the truth. in polities," he said. "I do not ordinary mixture of the old and
"it action ought to be taken suspicion of professional "The purpose was simply it will be more benusicial to like them. But I must fight the new. thip creeping dictatorship in
misconduct as early as pos- to bring home to members the the solicitor concerned, his part they can play in enabling ellents, and the profession as a Ghara."
sible.
preventive action to be taken
whole if it is taken at the
is Incurable,
INTIMIDATED
report to the recruiting a
be
Chauffeur-driven cars," with business Tch und politicians inside. sent the excitable,
But the appeal caused a before a situation arises which earllest possible stage." voluble crowiła, scattering. “Men
A letter from the president in the toga-like robes pecullar storm of protest among
of the Law Society, Mr Leslie to Ghana, wandered around some provincial members. Apart from censorship. Dr, smoking, cigare
Popplatt, to provincial solleitors, and wearing Now the Law Society has "The
that criticizm Busla has
the stressed the possiblity of difficulties of other dark glasses. kinda.
"be niliguing the consequanCEN. DE mado it clear' that the alm Society's resources should His party is Anding it
than dis- cometimes sustained. by the
meetings without the permission loads on -- their
ciplining
Criticism
help Society's compensation fund”---
increasingly difficult to exprest Women carefully trod thewas only to enable it to give devoted to helping members misconduct and the losses its views. It cannot hold dusty roads, carrying enormous prompt help to solicitors in dificulty rather
them when beads. And of the police, The police art. Just as the better-known air who might be in trouble, f, unavailing, has been made it early warning were given by closely controlled by Nkrumah's Ung travelling bags are over the funds of clients. recently.
any solicitor who suspected-pro- fashionable in London, so 'they An explanatioris In-given in "But the
Do fotonal 'misconduct by "anothér, The latter, was private, but "Nativa chiefs who supported aro in Acern. Only hero the the Law Socioly's Gazette, chalco in the matter, if the
are being intimidated and pretty girls carry them on their whose editor: writes: “If the first they hear of a member'a it contenta became públic.
when impresion are leaving the party, Civil heads.
Bas been. given difficulties is
holt London Express Service,
Government.
one
128
bristling businessman knocked
Dat a brace of deh escoria.
VÂu, vas amid, it's pathetic,
counell hava