A walk in the woods
From the Journal
of Dr Watson Player A
Hardly had we returned from
our Ploughstead adventure when an entirely different type of one arrived.
Following Moriarty’s attempts on Holmes’ life, Scotland Yard was keeping him
informed of its attempts to track him down. They had been watching a German
Herman Lustewigge whom they knew to be a courier between Moriarty and his allies
in Germany. The messages he carried were written in code but given time the yard
could decipher them. ‘Wundermann’ of Munchen in Bavaria wanted ‘Choirmaster’ in
England, to supply an expert safe cracksman for a very big job (Grosse Geschaft).
Detective Inspector Hastings said that the only really expert cracksman we had,
was safely behind bars. Lennie the Horn more properly known as Leonard Mead who
is serving ten years in Sladewood Prison. It was not thought that he had had any
assistants that he could have trained. Holmes remembered his case from the
newspapers. He had had a bomb factory which blew up when the police were
searching it. A constable had been killed and there were suggestions that Mead
should have been tried for murder. At the time he was already in custody so the
idea was dropped. Especially as the policeman in question was suspected of
irresponsible behaviour. Next ‘Choirmaster’ sent ‘Wundermann’ a message saying ‘Krachenmann’
to be made available soon. Detective Inspector Hastings told Holmes that he had
sent a message to Sladewood Prison warning that there might be a plot to allow
Lennie the Horn to escape.
“That will not keep him safe Watson!”
said Holmes “Mark my words, if Moriarty wants him out he will find some way of
doing it. However it is not our affair.”
“You are probably right Holmes. How
would he do it, a raid using balloons perhaps?”
“Nothing is beyond the realms of
possibility and I suppose that that suggestion does have some merit. For us the
problem is that Moriarty himself will be nowhere near when the rescue takes
place. I wonder how long they mean by ‘soon’?”
The next step in this
adventure came by the afternoon post. It was a letter from Madame Hsing Song
Honourable Expert Detective,
I trust you and Dr Watson are enjoying your customary good health. It was a
pleasure tinged with heavy sadness to see you both at the memorial service, in
Miss Higginbottom’s place of worship. Her friend Jasmine Te has recounted to me
many tales of her kindness and bravery. She is the more a loss in that we find
few English that can speak our tongue or even attempt to do so.
I write to you to
inform you of a curious happening which means little to me. Since your efforts
with Inspector Hastings were so successful in repelling the interference of the
stiff sleeve thugs, we have nevertheless kept up a good and well-armed watch
here. I am sure that your activities in Limehouse have further weakened their
grip. I have made contact with several locals who are willing to keep me
informed as to activities amongst you red-haired devils.
The curious happening is as
follows, at the laundry on four separate days we received a total of sixty sets
of men’s second hand clothing to wash. Each load was brought by a different
woman in a hand cart but the wash was in the name of Mr F.C. Mount of the
Carslake Clothing Factory. In fact there is no Mr Mount or any male connected
with the Carslake factory! The factory is a charitable institution set up by the
will of Miss Fredericka Carslake who specified that no man was to be employed
there. It manufactures only women’s clothing, which makes this male wash seem
even more strange! From enquiries with locals two of the women have been
identified. They are Doris Happening and Lily Jersey who are employed by
the clothing factory. They like most of the others are retired harlots. It seems
that many of the clothes have been bought from second hand shops all over
Whitechapel. They are for working men in a variety of sizes and styles. One can
hardly see them being issued as some new ‘stiff sleeve’ uniform because of the
variety but I cannot think of any other use? I know you enjoy fathoming
mysteries so perhaps you can come up with an explanation?
Your admiring friend Hsing Song
“What do you make of that?”
said Holmes handing it too me.
“It certainly seems a
strange business. Obviously there is hygienic merit in having clothes bought
from second hand shops laundered. With so much cholera and typhoid around in a
place like Whitechapel who knows what the last owners died off?”
“True. Let me look at the letter again.
Yes I am sure this was written by Madame Hsing. I wonder how he induced her to
send it to me?”
“He? Whom do you mean Holmes?”
“Why, Moriarty of course! I fear
Hasting’s Courier surveillance is compromised. He knows we have his Krachenmann
message. This is a challenge to me!”
“Nonsense Holmes you have Moriarty on
the brain again! Do you think this Mount fellow is him and he needs lots of
disguises?”
“Mr F.C, Mount was the owner of the
charcoal processing plant later used by Lennie the Horn for his bomb making
factory. My guess is that Moriarty for some reason intends Lennie to go there
after his prison escape. The clothes are to enable other prisoners to escape so
it is to be a major undertaking. Prison Grey with black broad arrows on it, does
tend to arouse people’s suspicions. Come Watson get ready, the game is afoot! I
cannot remember where Lennie’s factory was but Hastings will know. Take a night
bag in case we manage to get any sleep tonight.”
Well I was rather put out
at this, as was Mrs Hudson too. I had been looking forward to the leg of lamb
with mint sauce she was preparing for dinner! However duty called and so we took
a hansom to New Scotland Yard.
Sergeant
Longscape was there but it was not until six hours later that Hastings arrived.
He had been on surveillance duty on another case. Longscape had discovered for
us that the F.C. Mount factory had been in Arcadia Wood a few miles from
Sharpthorne in the Weald. It was also only a few miles from Sladewood Prison!
Although tired, Hasting soon appreciated the urgency of the situation. He
immediately sent a telegraph to warn the prison that an escape attempt was
imminent. Then he said “We had best head down there as I doubt those Sussex boys
will realise the dangers!”
I had been expecting to go
but had been mulling over the matter, “Surely Holmes, if as you think Moriarty
has ensured you know about this factory, he will have set up a trap for you!”
“Well of course Watson. That is why we
will have the police with us to protect us!”
Inspector Hastings nodded
and said, “Did we not go, no doubt a recently used lair would
be discovered at the factory with insulting messages left for Mr Holmes.
I doubt very much whether the locals properly searched that place after the
explosion. Or explosions for there were three in fact. There could well have
been a secret cellar stuffed with explosives and other burglaring equipment.”
“What do you expect to find there Sir?”
Longscape asked Holmes.
“I hope to get there before Lennie the
Horn comes to collect whatever he is going there for. Before or after, I expect
there to be a reception committee waiting for my benefit. For that reason I
suggest we do not take a carriage too close to it and approach it from an
unlikely direction.”
“Amen to that!” said I.
Hastings sent a telegraph to Sharpthorne
Police Station asking for transport and a guide to be arranged for us. It being
very late we then spent several hours at Victoria Station waiting for the first
train to Sharpthorne. Both Hastings and I managed some uneasy sleep in the
waiting room. When we finally arrived there was a police van with a civilian
driver but no guide. The vanman gave us a note.
For
Detective Inspector Hastings,
Here is the van to take you to Arcadia Wood as requested. The driver is
on hire for police purposes for the present emergency. There has been a mass
breakout at Sladewood Prison and every man we can spare has gone there. I
believe that the Station at Wych Cross will be covering Arcadia Wood as it is in
their patch.
Your obedient servant Sergeant E Jones.
“Right Cabby, let us away
then!” and off we trotted.
Forty minutes later we were
stopped by a policeman holding a martini-henry rifle beside a barn. An officer
came up to question us in the back.
“I am Chief Inspector Tyneside, are you
reinforcements?”
“I am Detective Inspector Hastings of
Scotland Yard and we are bound for Arcadia
Wood.
Is that part of your remit?”
“No thank goodness, my area stops here.
Someone from Wych Cross will have that pleasure. Arcadia Wood starts just ahead
but be very careful there, some of these escaped prisoners are very dangerous.
They have killed some warders! That is why we have firearms issued and orders to
shoot if they will not surrender. Just up to the right is a house Elysia Lodge.
Owned by a crackpot Doctor, we call it suspects Lodge because it is full of
criminals and subversives. You need
a warrant and an armed guard just to speak to them in there. Likely the police
THQ will be at the other end of the wood. Good luck!”
So we trotted onward
towards the gloomy trees ahead and saw Arcadia Lodge on the right.
“Should I stop here?” asked the van man.
“No! Carry on a bit, there should be a
disused factory building somewhere along the road.”
“Righteoh Sir.” And he whipped the hoses
into a canter.
I caught a glimpse of three
policemen gawping at us from beside a hedge. Cigarettes in hand and bicycles
propped against the hedge they had been taking a break. One held up his hand and
shouted something but we just carried on. We kept a keen watch on the woodland
either side but after the house no buildings were in view until the far edge of
the wood. There on the left hand side was an open sided barn and a police
officer holding a revolver called us to a halt.
“You there! I must search your vehicle
for escaped prisoners.”
“I am afraid that we do not have any. I
am Detective Inspector Hastings of Scotland Yard and these are my Sergeant
Longscape, the detective Mr Sherlock Holmes and his assistant Dr Watson. We are
come searching for the ruined F.C. Mount Charcoal processing factory. There is a
suspicion that some of the prisoners may be heading for it. It was used as an
explosives factory by Lennie Mead the safe cracker. Do you know where it is?”
“I am afraid not, I am Chief Inspector
Carslake. I come from Ticehurst and do not know this area at all. There are an
Inspector Ireton and some men out in the wood. He has armed police to block
anyone trying to reach the Ashdown forest. You should have met our cycle patrol
on the road?”
“No?” returned Hasting. So I had to say
that I had seen them parked up at the other end of the wood. It appeared that
none of the others had spotted them, not even Sherlock! This was a feather in my
cap that I stored into my memory for future reference!
“I suppose you had better go look for
your factory. I expect some of our men in the wood will know where it is. I have
only my clerk and a warder from the prison here. I see you have a police van
which I must commandeer. Driver, go to Wych Cross so that you can bring any
reinforcements you meet at the station or on the road to here. We cannot afford
to let any escapees reach the Ashdown Forest! They will be lost for good in
there!”
So our van trotted away and
we set off back up the road. It was now daylight and we could see the cycle
patrol coming towards us.
It is a
dry day, sunny with cloudy intervals. Movement on the paths and track are at
normal rate, minus two inches for furtive or searching rates. Movement through
the overgrown woodlands is at half plus 1” rate with minus two inches for
furtive or searching.
Sherlock Holmes
Act, LEA, Mo 6”, Fa 2/3/5, Ag +2, Th +1, Me +2, revolver Bst –2.
Firing 3” 4+ Pst 0,
6” 5+ Pst 0, 11” 6+ Pst 0, 18” 7+ Pst –2, 5 rounds Magnifying Glass
Class VI, PI
Respectable, Charm M0, F+1, Coercion
+1. MC £5 – 12s – 9d
Police whistle 24”,
Penknife, Watch, Bullseye lamp
Dr Watson
Activist, Vle, Mo 5.5”, Fa 2/3/5, Ag +1, Th +1, Me +1, revolver Bst –2.
Firing 3” 4+ Pst 0,
6” 5+ Pst 0, 11” 6+ Pst 0, 18” 7+ Pst –2, 5 rounds Doctors Bag 1st
Aid
Class VI, PI
Respectable, Charm M+1 F+2, Coercion
0. MC £3 – 10s – 8d, Watch Lamp.
D. Inspector Harold
Hastings
Lea, Ac +1, Mo 6”, Fa 1/1/2 Ag -1, Mar 0, Th, 0, Me +1
M. Revolver BSt –2
Firing 3” 5+ Pst 0, 6” 6+ Pst 0, 11” 7+ Pst 0, 5 rounds. Watch, Lamp, Handcuffs,
Police whistle 24”. Class PI VI, Respectable
Charm 0, Coercion +2.
MC £3 – 10s – 4d,
Warrant.
DS Longscape
WA, Mo 6”, Fa 2/3/5, Ag +2, Th +2,
Me +2 Revolver Bst –2
Revolver Firing 3”
4+ Pst 0, 6” 5+ Pst 0, 11” 6+ Pst 0, 18” 7+ Pst –2, 5 rounds Watch
Notebook, Lamp, Class IV, PI
Respectable, Charm M-1 F 0, Coercion
+1.
MC £1 – 9s – 9d.