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of my essay what made the Golden Age Shot? In this eight thousand word essay, I answer the question of why somebody relatively young has such a great interest and love of the Golden Age entertainment. Talk about the unique properties and qualities that made it so unique, side an examples such as Luke Costello, Jimmy to Randy, Gone with the Wind, and much more. It's available for ninety nine cents in the Kendall Store. Pick up your copy today.
Now it's time for today's episode of the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, The Adventure of the Norwood Builder, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, The Original and Immortal Stories of Sir Raza. Conan Doyle dramatized Daniel with Sir Ralph Richardson as doctor Watson and Sir John Gielgood in the role of Sherlock Holmes. Hello, what's thes what's this Watson? Toman who quite a remarkable scent of education at Holmes? Whoever it is, He's not even waiting for missus Hudson's good offices.
A man from his step, a young one from his energy, and a strong one for his tug on the bell pull mister Holmes, I'm the only man. Sit down, won't you, Mister Holmes, I am the unhappy John Hector McFarland. Pray have a cigarette, mister McFarland, or you mustn't blame me. I'm nearly mad at hill. You'll blame you for nothing. But if you don't sit down and compose yourself, I can't possibly listen to you well, and I'm sorry, yes, of course, of course.
But if you're in you, when you are fully composed, you must tell us, very slowly and quietly, who you are and what it is you want. You mentioned your name as if I should recognize it, but I assure you wh I know nothing whatever, But you beyond the obvious facts that you're a bachelor, solicitor at a freemason, mister Holmes. How and oh you mustn't mind it, mister McFarland. It looks like a conjuring trick,
but it's very quite simple. But he deduced the first fact from the general untidiness of your tithe I may say so on the second from the sheaf of legal papers sticking out of your pocket there, and the third from the charm on your watch chain upon my soul watching you improve. You do indeed well, thank your Holmes. And I fancy mister McFarland's calm enough to tell us his story coherently, mister Holmes, and everything you said. And in addition,
I'm the most unfortunate man in London. I'm calm enough now. But I had to know you'd be working for me, and it's just that I had to get here before they did. Oh and who are they, mister McFarland. The police. They're on their way to arrest me. The police. This is really most gratful, quite interesting. On what charge may I ask of murdering mister Jonas, old accot of Lord Norwood. Dear me, look there at mister Holmes, there at that newspaper. Look at that headline.
Yes, yes, yes, Watson, pray look at this the second page is I recall it runs a mysterious affair at Lower Norwood. Disappearance of well known builder, murder and arson. Yes, and here you see below the clue to the criminal, the mysterious mister McFarland. That's the clue there following Now a man was after me at London Bridge Station? What's that? Who is it? Mister Holmes? We must wait and see. Of course you understand, mister McFarland, and I don't necessarily accept your case, mister
Holmes. I still listen at least and if you go on nate to mcfarn I arrest you for the wilful murder of mister Jonas old Acot of Lower Norwood. Oh, good morning, inspector. Do come in one shall That's all very well, doctor Watson. When I've been following this young man, mister Holmes, and I want him a quarter of an hour more or less can make no difference to you less trade. This gentleman was about to give us his account of the affair. Perhaps I might help to clear it up.
I don't think I shall have any difficulty in clearing it up, mister Holmes. Still it's a warm day, less trade, is it not, and you've been making such haste. You'll find refreshments on the table over there. I think I may say I've done you one or two good turns in my time at the yard, this trade, So just let me have my quarter of an hour, will Well? It's true enough. It's difficult to refuse you, mister Holmes. But I am bound to remain with my prisoner,
of course, and I am bound to warn him. But anything he says may appear in evidence. I don't want anything better, sir. Thank you, mister Holmes, not at all, thank you. Less trade now, Watson, Watson, Ah, there's really no need for you to be learning the entire newspaper by heart while speaking at Holmes. Oh no, this is rarely quite interesting, Come Watson. The facts, the facts, And so
I summarized the facts. It appeared that the night before, at about twelve o'clock, there had been a sudden alarm of fire at the house of mister Jonas old Acre, a wealthy builder of lower Norwood. The fire had started in a small timber yard behind the house, where some stacks of wood were stored It was brought under control by the fire brigade without any trouble, but
among the ashes some charred remains were found. Mister Oldacre himself was missing, and in his room the safe had plainly been burgled, and there were signs of a struggle with some blood. It was known that the builder had had a late visitor the night before, none other than young MacFarlane, and among the litter of papers round the safe, a heavy oaken stick been found,
also smeared with blood, which had been identified as his. It seemed clear that murder had been done, and the body dragged to the woodstack for disposal. Why what could be more natural, mister Holmes. I got on this young man's trail at once and arrived to arrest him in our humble chambers. Well, well, the case certainly has some points of interest. Wats him? I swear I didn't do it, mister Holmes. Yes, yes, quite so, mister McFarland. But let us take the facts first. It's
true I suppose that you did visit mister Oldegger last night. I did. I won't keep anything back, mister Holmes. You no better, not young man. You knew him? Well, I'd take it. I didn't know him at all, or at least I knew of him, but i'd never met him. He was a friend of my parents long ago, but they had drifted apart. I only knew the name. And how did you come to visiting them? He suddenly walked into Marfice in the city yesterday and introduced
himself. I have a place near London Bridge, you know, he said, he's some business for me to do. Any handed me some sheets of paper. Here they are, mister Holmes, the draft of a will. He said. He wanted me to put it all in proper legal shape. You can imagine my amazement when I saw that he'd left everything to you, mister McFarland. Just so Watson, look at this. Remarkable. You'd never met him in your life before, you say never. He was a queer,
little ferret like man. I didn't like him much, but there it was. He'd left me everything. Did he tell you why? He said he hadn't any relations, and he'd known my parents in his youth, and he'd followed my career, and so he felt he'd like to do it for old time's sake, and because I was a deserving case. Oh quite touching. We underestimate the power of sentiment. Watson, Well, what then,
mister McFarland. Well, he said there was some title deeds and so forth at his house Norwood, and that he'd want me to have a look at them too, And he said his mind wouldn't be easy till it was all settled, so he asked me to go out there. He insisted that it should be last night, Yes, after supper. He said he wouldn't hear of anything else, and I wasn't to mention anything to my parents. It was to be a surprise to them. Well why didn't you stay the night
at mister Oldacres? He hadn't invited me, only to look at the papers I put up at a hotel in Nordwood itself. And then the smart one moment you call on him after supper as arranged, of course, about half past nine, i'd see who opened the door to you. I suppose it's his housekeeper. She was a middle aged woman, and I take it she announced your name. Yes. We went into mister Oldacre's study and he was all ready for me, with the papers all set out beside the safe.
We worked in them together till about half past eleven complicated papers, mister McFarland. No, rather simple, i'd say, really, though he seemed to think they were very important. We did them all up and sealed bundles. Most interesting. So you left him for the night. Yes, I couldn't find my stick. I remember the stick beside the safe with the blood stain. Just my devilish luck. A game. I didn't know anything about it till id edit in the papers this morning, and the train back to the
city. I came straight on to you from London Bridge, mister Holmes. I was terrified. I saw just exactly how involved I seemed to be. A man spotted him there, mister Holmes at the station, and a fellow waiting. When I heard he was on his way to his office. I came on here myself to do my duty. Then you plainly must do your duty. My dearest trade, he's yours, mister. No, no, no, it's all right, mister MacFarlane. I've decided to accept your case.
Oh thank hep Now just write your home address on this slip of paper and then you must go quietly along with the inspector. There's nothing else to be done. I'll do everything I can to help you are. You're wasting your time, mister Holmes. I never saw a clearer case. However, it amuses you, it does, it does, though perhaps amusing is hardly the world. Goodbye, my dear lest trade until we meet again, mister McFarlane. Heaven bless you, mister Holmes. Well Watson, is he innocent?
Holmes? I know no more than you do. There's an odd factors, of course. The writing on Old Acre's draft of the will, for instance, I see nothing hard in that. It's a bit of a scribble, perhaps, doesn't sol But written in a railway train and express with only one stop the whole way, but several sets of points on the line. Yes, But my dear fellows sublicity itself to an expert. Look at the variations in the handwriting. If I'm not mistaken, this was written in the
very train we are about to catch ourselves, Watson. But traveling, of course, in the opposite direction. We go from London Bridge through Norwood. Come along, let us see the home of this respected murdered builder for ourselves. The house was a modern villa of staring red brick. We found a group of lustradesmen routing among the ashes of the timber stack, and at the very moment of our arrival struck treasure trove a few discolored metal disks. There
was no doubt that there were trouser buttons. We looked in the builder's study, saw the signs of a struggle, the bloodstains, the trail of a heavy object dragged from the ground floor window to the timber yard. It seemed only too clear that less Trade had a case. There were no other footprints but our clowns and the builders. After one quick glance through the papers scattered from the safe, it was with a furrowed brow that Holmes returned at last
to Baker Street. All the rest of that close thundery day he moped and pondered. Next day it was hotter still, what's all wrongs wrong? You mean he may be guilty after all? No, no, no, I'm certain Macfarland's innocence, and all my instincts are one way, and all all the facts are the other. MacFarlane had so much to gain, of course, a poor young solicitor, and a bequest from the blue like that. He might have hoped that the body would burn completely in the woodstack before the
fire was spotted. Even that the whole house might burn down, And then he didn't head it at once, and yet he chose the worst night in the world for it, a night when the housekeeper knew that he was there, she knew his name, even you heard me ask him if she denounced
him. And then there's the will itself, that odd writing on it, written in the train by old Ecare you mean you're still a hark back to that he is on his way to see McFarlane, scribbled almost illegibly in a swaying railway carriage, And at the last moment extraordinary that a man should draw up so important a document so casually. It suggests he might not have thought it very important, It suggests Watson, we'll see who that is, my dear fellow. Oh this heat, this wretched, wretched heat. It's a
telegram homes thatch out. Here's a ports from this trade, important fresh evidence to hand advise you abandoned case. A very kind of him. Wait, there's more. McFarlane's fingerprint in blood found on wall beside headstand less trade. What's that, Watson, Watson, We're done for homes. He must be guilty. Fingerprints can't lie. You know that it's the latest sire. Of course they can't lie, thank Heaven. And this one means one thing,
and one thing only, Watson, McFarlane's guilt, McFarlane's innocence. Get your hat, Watson. We've another journey before us, my dear Holmes, to Norward again in this heat, black heat. This time McFarlane's an innocent man. There's mercy still in heaven. And from that moment he was a different
man. The indolence and dejection fell away from him. Sherlock Holmes was seldom perhaps jocos, but when he talked blithely of less Strade's little cruel victory in the telegram, he was as near to chirruping as I ever saw him. I was to see yet another side of him that day, as we sat in the parlor of the humble villa in Blackheath, where the young solicitor lived with his parents. Outside in the hot street, some children were playing,
their voices penetrated into the stuffy little room. Mcfarline's father was away work, and Holmes listen to the mother with a quiet sympathy. You must save him, mister Holmes. I've helped so much about John. How you help people. You must save him. Well, I think I can almost promise that, ma'am, that are only a few remaining points to be cleared up. John would never do such a thing. I just knew he wouldn't, and so do I, and so does doctor Watson. Here. Of course,
I know, missus McFarland, things look black. But as long as your boys mister Holmes on his side, he's save enough, I know, sir. I'm so grateful. It was good of you to call. Well. I wanted some information from you, ma'am, to help me in my work. I'll tell you anything I can. Mister Holmes, there, I'm better now. You must forgive me if I was a bit upset when you came first to talk about. And of course, of course it's this mister Oldacre, ma'am, the murdered man. Your son told me that you knew him
at some time, though he himself had never met him. Yes, I knew him, mister Holmes, when we were both young. Well, ma'am too, well, sir, it was once a suitor of mine, Thank heaven, I discovered his character in time. Oh then, in what way, missus McFarland, he's cruelty, sir, he was more like a beast than a human being. Oh indeed, Oh, I've no sort of Jonas Oldacres dead, doctor Watson, only that my boys been blamed for it.
Your son knew nothing about this old acquainted ship, nothing that might have made him well, there's some grudge against mister Oldacre, No, sir, Dad, and I only told him that Jonas was once an acquaintance of ours, and you yourself have had no communication with him since those old days. No, mister Holmes. Oh, if you'd passed me that little poker work box there on the sideboard, I could show you something. Certainly, I've never
ceased to blas heaven that I married a better man, mister Holmes. Is this the box, missus McFarlane, Yes, sir, I've look off with Jonas when I helped how he turned a cat loosen and navy every once, mister Holmes, just for a joke, he said, And the next post I got this, jes see what it's your photograph? Now what he left of it? You see how he cut and slashed it all over A malicious character, disrespected builder very ready must have forgiven you as the years went on,
Missus McFarlane, Since he left all his property to your son. We don't want any of it, doctor, not a any of it, even when John's name's clear, well, maybe little enough to leave in any case, in spite of the fact that mister Oldacre was supposed to be so wealthy. What's that Holmes? Well, there's one more question, missus McFarland. Do you know of anyone, perhaps from back in those early days called Cornelius Cornelius, No, sir, no one. I looked over Oldacre's bank statements
when we were at his house the other day. There have been several large checks drawn lately in favor of a mister Cornelius. His fortune has dwindled considerably. Ah, blackmail home. Possibly possibly You've been very good, ma'am. We won't intrude upon you any longer. I'm so grateful, mister Holmes. Oh it's nothing, ma'am. If only I can clear your son's name, it'll be quite time enough then to thank me. Come Watson back to Norwood. Ah really, Holmes, Norwood again. Oh, one thing more,
ma'am before we go, I wonder if you would oblige me. That's something that I see in your work basket there that measuring tape. Might I bother it? I'm measuring tape? Why certainly, mister Holmes. I'm dear Holmes. What on earth? For? Who knows? Watson? Perhaps to hang the real murderer of Jonas Old Decca. Thank you, ma'am. I'm much obliged to you. Come Watson now, Watson, will you please take the other end? Yes, right into the corner. What do you make it?
Seven foot six and alf excellent, mister Holmes. Mister Holmes, I've got you this time, I think? Have you lest trade? Seven foot six and a half Watson, mister Holmes, this is important, good doctor. Will you look on the white watch there by the hatstand the thumb printing bradd as McFarland took his hat that night. Yes, yes, it's very clear. I'm afraid you can fiddle that tape measure of yours as much as you like, mister Holmes, but you'll know as well as I do,
that no true thumb marks are alike. What? Oh? Yes, yes, I've certainly heard something of the kind. Then when your please compare that print? Well, This wax impression of young mcfarlan's right thumb taken by my orders in his cell this morning. I really don't need to, lest trade, I take your word. But what a providential thing that this young man should press his right thumb against the wall when he was taking his hat from the pig. Is it a very natural action when you come to think of
it, when he might have slipped or stumbled home? Yes? Of course. And who discovered this significant markless trade, missus Lexington the house this morning? Oh? Not the police? Why didn't any of your notice it yesterday? Wow? No particular reason to examine the hole any carefully? Quite so, I must even missed it myself. However, if you will forgive us less trade, Watson and I must go on with our measuring. You beat
me, mister Holmes. You really do here. You are measuring a lot of carters when the case is water tight, and all I have to do is write my report. Oh I wouldn't write it yet, you not not quite yet? Less trade. By the way, how many constables have you here on duty three? I wonder if one of them would perhaps kindly fetch me in some straw from the artist straw saw some there? Yes? And
perhaps you would ask another to bring a couple of buckets of water. Then all of you meet me on the top landing, say in five minutes, I've just won final measurement to make on the floor. There come another conjuring trick, mister Holmes, so to produce a rabbit. But not out of my dear stalker. You would be surprised to hear you do it less trade. Well, if you insist, I never can resist you, mister Holmes. Five minutes, he said, five minutes on the upstairs landing. Exactly,
it's straw and buckets of water. Well, well, oh, my dear Holmes, poor less trade, I enjoying herself, aren't show? Am I? Watson? Well, at least he's quite right that fingerprints never lie. That's why I knew the case was virtually solved when I heard of the appearance of this one. Solved Holmes, how because I know it wasn't there yesterday, and John Hector Macfarland's been in the jail all night. You know my methods. What'son by execute every inch of the place. Come on upstairs,
Lendy. It's splendid less trade. Yes, that's right, Constable. You'd just lay the straw there and put down the buckets beside it. Now, Watson, will you kindly open the window so as to drive a draft along down to the end of the corridors. Holmes, you'll really go too far. Sure you. I have an excellent reason for everything I'm doing. Lest trade. Thank you Watson so much. You have a match. Yeah, yes, having solf. Well then said light to the store, will
you Wat's this said? Light to it? More smoke than fire less trade. Now, gentlemen, if you will all join me in a shout of fire when I give the word fire, are you already? Ah? Thank you so much, But once again, if you fire, Holmes the wall at the end of the corridor. Look it's opening. Yes, it's a door, Watson, a cunningly concealed door. Help. Look there's your man less trade and my rabbits. Gentlemen. Mister Jonas old Acre, I'm joking. I can't see what is it? What are you doing here? What
do you want to be? Want you, mister Oldaca, I haven't done nothing wrong. You God touch me when you've done your best to get an innocent man hanged out. It was all a joke, only a cuke. I'm joking, jucid queer one. Mister Jonas hold Aker, Well, I've seen a lot of villain in my time as to own. But this beats a Bandit does take him last, destmates. Come on, Joe, I hate to come out your cards. Well, I must say, Holmes, I congratulate, Thank you, my dear fellow. Oh it's really too hot
a day for a fire. Pay empty those buckets of water over the straw, Williams. That's better. It's all went bitterest. That is factually I think. Well you've done it again, mister Holmes. Look the left and plasta petitions that he built here to make a little hiding hold for himself at the blind end of the corridor. Yes, Watson, now you'll see the advantages of being a builder. He concealed it very neatly. If I hadn't noticed that discrepancy in the length of the corridors from floor to floor, he
might have stayed there till doomsday, and till MacFarlane had been hanged. The housekeeper was in the plot, of course, as of course, to take him food and drink, and to put that thumb mark onto the wall. And how well Oldacre evidently wanted the evidence to be cast iron. And I dare say that when they were looking over the papers. That night he got
Macfarlan to steal a package of them by using his thumb. Then it was the simplest thing in the world for him to get a wax impression from the seal, prick himself with a pin to get enough blood, and then put the mark on the wall during last night. Just to make sure you know it was for revenge, I suppose on the young fellow's mother. Yes, besides, business hadn't been very good for him lately. He'd been speculating and
there were a host of creditors. I saw that from his papers, and so he'd been paying these large checks to mister Cornelius himself at another bank. Exactly. He intended to start life of pressure with that money under the other name, to defraud his creditors and at the same time take his revenge on his old sweetheart by getting her only son hanged for his murder. He's something of a monster, friend Dance, there's this trade. Well, we'll get
him on conspiracy. At least he'll be inside for long and after the pent of his villain name. But what about the remains in the woodpie? Mister Holmes an old suit for the trouser buttons, and for the blood stains on the stick he'd stole him from the boy, and the charred flesh some animal, a dead dog perhaps, or a rabbit. Make it rabbit, will you, Watson when you tell the tale? Someday rabbits and shall be Holmes. But poor young Macfarther, no wonder, he was nearly mad. Well,
we did our best for him, Watson, our humble best. Oh it feels cooler at last. I do believe the weather's going to break. Come along, Watson, come along. And so we return to Baker Street, and that evening, as we were discussing the case over Hock and Seltzer, once again the door burst open dramatically. Mister Holmes, you save my life. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Don't bother to thank
me, my dear fellow. Good evening to you. Oh pray be sure to give my compliments and this tape measure to your mother, a most charming lady. She'll be the happiest woman in all the world. Yes. Yes. The Case of the Lawwood build up rather curious in its cunning simplicity. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, based on the original stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had been dramatized at You, with original music composed by Sydney Torch.
Sir Ralph Richardson played the part of Doctor Watson and Sir John Gilgood that of Sherlock Holmes. The program was produced by Harry Allen Towers. Welcome Back with the Sign of Four and the Redheaded League. This is probably right up there as one of my absolute favorite home stories, just the way the solution turns
out. If you saw the television adaptation, of course, you'll notice a big, big difference, and that is that on television they actually had the builder kill kill a tramp in order to get the flesh needed for the evidence, but here they stuck with the book. I also thought it was an interesting touch having this Scottish dialect. They have not heard that in any of the other adaptations, but given the name, definitely makes sense as a possibility.
All right, Well we do turn to listener or comments and feedback, and we have this from from Michael, who writes brilliant website which I've just found. I've previously downloaded episodes of the Sherlock Holmes series. I will be visiting more frequently. Well, thanks so much, Michael, and appreciate you listening to the program we and Michael's listening to us from Australian speaking of Australian.
Tomorrow we'll have a third part in Call for a Columnist, and also as we wrap up, Alvin Sommers matter on yours truly, Johnny Dowler. You want to be sure and listen. Then in the meanwhile, I send your comments to Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot net. Please be sure and rate the show on iTunes and follow us on Twitter. Radio Detectives from Boise, Idaho. This is your host, Adam Grahamson and off