← Choice Classic Radio Detectives | Old Time Radio
Choice Classic Radio Detectives | Old Time Radio
Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Resident Patient (Hobbs & Shelley)
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- [00:02]
Norman Shelley
Your message amplified. Ready to share your message with the world? Start your podcast Journey with Podbean. Podbean. Podbean. PodBean. PodBean, the AI powered all in one podcast platform. Thousands of businesses and enterprises trust Podbean to launch their podcasts. Launch your podcast on podbean today. My school uses Podbean. My church too. I love it. I really do. Welcome to Choice Classic Radio, where we bring to you the greatest old time radio shows. Like us on Facebook. Subscribe to us on YouTube and thank you for donating@ChoiceClassicRadio.com A little later I heard Mr. Blessington coming. And then within a minute, I heard him rushing downstairs again. Who's been in my room, Trevelyan? Answer me, man. Who? He burst into my room like a whirlwind. I demand to know at once who has cleaned my room, almost incoherent with rage or fear. Lies, Lies. Go out and look. Footmarks all over the floor. Someone has been in their Trevelyan. And I demand to know who. Desperate indeed was the frenzy Dr. Trevilian described to my friend Sherlock Holmes? Watson is my name. Dr. Watson. And it was my privilege to share the adventures of Sherlock Holmes. I will tell you about the case of the resident patient. It had been a close rainy day in October. I was wary of our little sitting room at 221B Baker street, and I agreed gladly when Sherlock Holmes suggested an evening ramble. For three hours we strolled about, watching the ever changing kaleidoscope of Life. It was 10 o'clock before we reached Baker street again. Well, nearly home, Watson. I hope you're feeling better now. Certainly shaking some of the cobwebs away. Holmes. I say, it looks as though we've a visitor. Brougham at the door. You weren't expecting anyone, Holmes? Not at all. Hmm. A doctor's brougham. General practitioner, I perceive. Doctor? What doctor? Oh, come, Watson. Look there. Do you see a doctor's bag lying on the seat? Come to consult us, I fancy. Well, let's see what this medical gentleman has in store for us. Good evening, Doctor. Good evening. I'm glad to see you've only been waiting a very few minutes. Who had a word with my coachman? Not at all. It's been dark for several hours. That candle on the table beside you was unused when we went out. It hardly burned down at all. I see your reputation isn't a false one, Mr. Holmes. I trust not. Pray tell me what I can do for you. My name is Dr. Percy Trevelyan, of 403 Brook St. Trevelyan. Trevellian. Didn't you do a monograph on obscure nervous lesions? My hobby has always been nervous disease. I'd like to specialize, you understand, but a man has to take what he can get at first. Quite, sir. The fact is, Mr. Holmes, the most singular train of events has occurred recently at my house in Brook Street. After what happened this evening, I couldn't wait another hour before coming to ask for your advice and help. You're very welcome to birth, Dr. Trevelyan. Now please let me have your account from the beginning. To begin with, I'd better tell you something about my own career. I'm a London University man. Ah, good, good. I won the Bruce Pinkerton Prize. Splendid fellow. And then of course there was a bit of attention for that monograph Dr. Watson mention. It wouldn't be going too far then to say that a distinguished career was forecast for you. That's exactly it, Mr. Holmes. But then there was the old stumbling block. Money. You've hit it. Dr. Watson will tell you, Mr. Holmes, that a specialist who wants to aim high has simply got to start in one of about a dozen streets in the Cavendish Square quarter. Harley Street, Wimple street. That's all Pace, I wrote. But then suddenly something changed. The whole outlook. Just like that. It was a visit from a man by the name of Blessington. He came up to my room one morning and plunged straight into business without more than an exchange of introductions. Not just rebellion are you are the same Percy Trevelyan who won the Bruce Pinkerton Prize not long ago? I had that honor, sir. Splendid. Now then, please answer me frankly. What would you say if I were to start you in Brook Street? What did you say? Oh, it's for my sake, not yours, Dr. Trevelyan. I'll be perfectly frank with him. I've a few thousands to invest, you see, and I'd like to invest them in you. Why not? Most men look for a promising business to invest in. I choose to help a young medical man with a brilliant career ahead of him and help myself in doing so. Reasonable enough, isn't it? Well, yes. Yes, I suppose it is. What would it involve? I'll tell you. I'll take a house in Brook street, furnish it, pay the maids, run the whole place. Yes, all you have to do is to wear out your chair in the consulting room. I'll let you have pocket money and that sort of thing when the fees start rolling in. I take three quarters, you keep what's left, eh? Now, Dr. Trevelyan, just tell Me? How that strikes you, eh? And that was the proposal he put to me, Mr. Holmes. You accepted it? I did. Oh, I thought about it for a few days, you know, but there didn't seem to be any snacks. It seemed the chance of a lifetime. Don't you agree, Dr. Watson? I certainly do. If anyone had offered a chance like that to me when I came out of the army I'd have had me played up on his before he could have changed his mind. Well, I moved in next lady day. Mr. Blessington gave up his place and moved into the house as well as a sort of resident patient. A patient? Yes. His heart was weak, it appeared, and he needed constant medical supervision. That made his whole offer seem much more to the point than just a desire to speculate in my career. Quite so. He turned the two best rooms on the first floor into a sitting room and bedroom for himself. He never seemed to have any company. Did you see much of him yourself? Very little, I can assure you. I've never had the slightest occasion to regret the arrangement. My hospital reputation soon got about. I had a good run of cases and I've never looked back. During the last year or two I've made Mr. Blessington a rich man. Congratulations. A very satisfactory State of Affairs, Dr. Trevelyan. But what has occurred to bring you here tonight? Well, some weeks ago Mr. Blessington came to me pretty agitated about some burglary somewhere in the West End. He said we must have better locks on our windows and doors. Without delay he gave up taking his little stroll before dinner. In fact he seemed thoroughly afraid. Did you question him? Yes, I did. He became so offensive that I dropped the subject and left him to it. Anyway, after a week of it his fears seemed to die away and he became quite himself again. Then I got this letter. Would you care to read it first, Mr. Holmes? Oh, Watson is our champion letter reader. Come along, Watson, let's all hear it together. Very well, Holmes. No address, no date. That's right. Yes. It says a Russian nobleman who is now resident in London would be glad to avail himself of the professional assistance of Dr. Percy Travell. He has been for some years a victim to cataleptic attacks on which, as is well known, Dr. Trevelyan is, he is an authority. He proposes to call at about a quarter past six tomorrow evening if Dr. Trevelyan will make it convenient to be at home. Yes, it will. Thank you. Now this letter interested me deeply. You see, Mr. Holmes, the chief difficulty in studying catalepsy is the rarity of it. Disease. Indeed. So I was quite eagerly awaiting this patient. When it got to 6:15 next evening, he turned out to be an elderly man. Quite commonplace, by no means one's idea of a Russian nobleman. But his companion was a tall, handsome young man, very well set up indeed. He helped the old man into the room and settled him in a chair beside my doctor. May I introduce my father, the Count Egrovich? I'm honored, sir. You are kind to see me, Doctor. This is my son, Iban. Your servant. You will excuse my coming with my father. His health is of the utmost concern to me. I quite understand. If you would care to remain while I conduct my examination. Oh, no, no. I cannot bear the details of my father's suffering. My own nervous system is of an extremely sensitive nature. You understand. No. With your permission, I will remain in the waiting room. By all means. Please make yourself comfortable. Thank you, Doctor. And now, sir, may I first be permitted to make a detailed examination of your condition? True. By all means, doctor. First, I would ask you one thing, though. Yes? These attacks have been frequent of late. If one should occur during this consultation, I beg you not to let my son know. I try to spare him as much anxiety as I can. You will promise? Very well. I can assure you, sir, he would hear nothing from my waiting room. Good, good. Oh, but come, sir, let us assume that there will be no attack. And now, if you will be kind enough to take off your coat and turn back your shirt. We are finished dressing now, sir. I think I have learnt all I can at this stage about your condition. And what is your conclusion, Dr. Trevelyan? Well, I must carry out a few tests and study the results at greater length that I believe. There is every reason for confidence, sir. Oh, Lord. He started. Nitrate of ammo. Nitrate of ammo. Where the devil is this? Oh, down in the laboratory. Hang it, Podbean. Your message amplified. Ready to share your message with the world. Start your podcast journey with Podbean. Podbean, the AI powered all in one podcast platform. Thousands of businesses and enterprises trust Podbean to launch their podcasts. Use Podbean to record your podcast. Use PodBean AI to optimize your podcast. Use PodBean AI to turn your blog into a podcast. Use Podbean to distribute your podcast everywhere. Launch your podcast on Podbean today. If you know your party's extension, press or say 1 to leave a message in our company mailbox. Press orsay 2. Spoiler alert. It will be full representative. Would you speak to your mother in that tone? Speak to a real human being you shouldn't need to shout into the void to get your health insurance. Questions answered. Pacific Source Health Plans. This is a real person. How can I help you? Human service, not automated phone trees. Pacific Source Health Plans. When I got back upstairs, the consulting room was empty. My patient was gone. How long would you say you were out of the room, Doctor? Oh, a good five minutes. I had a job to find the bottle. You immediately looked for your patient elsewhere? About the premises? Of course. In my waiting room, naturally. I went in there at once. It was empty too. They'd both gone. I ran down to the hall and found the door pulled to but not properly shut. It was obvious to me that my visitors had left the building. Where are your servants? Well, there's a page who shows patients in and out. He waits downstairs for them to arrive or for me to ring. But he'd seen and heard nothing. He said nothing or He's a new lad and not very quick. I see. By the way, did you mention this strange occurrence to your patron? No, I didn't. Mr. Blessington came in soon afterwards, but I thought it better to say nothing. Quite so. Well then? Well, I thought I'd never see or hear from the Russian and his son again. But this very evening, long after all my other appointments were over, they came into my consulting room just as they had done before. Good heavens. I can tell you, Dr. Watson, I was very surprised. Well, you might be, sir. Very surprised indeed. Dr. Trevelyard, I have the deepest apology to make to you. Won't you be seated, sir? Oh, thank you. You would have thought me rude in the extreme for leaving your consulting room so abruptly the other evening? Well, I confess that I was very much surprised. Oh, naturally so. And I offer a thousand apologies. The fact is that after these terrible attacks my mind is clouded as to all that has gone before. You understand. I woke up in a strange room. No one was here. I made my way at once into the street and seeing my father pass the waiting room door, I thought the examination was ended and he was looking for me to go home. It was not until we had reached home safely that he told me it had another of these so dreadful attacks while he was with you, Doctor, I too apologize. Well, there's no harm done, gentlemen, I assure you. I admit I was puzzled, but I was sure there must be some good explanation as there was. Excellent. And now my father has come to ask if you will finish the consultation where it was unfortunately necessary to interrupt the other evening. Of course. Thank you. There's very little left to do really? But I've done a little work on the results I obtained at your first visit and it would help me to re examine you in one or two details, if I may. Then shall I go to the waiting room again? If you please. Now sir, if you will kindly remove your jacket again I shall soon be able to find out all I need to know. Doctor, what would you say about his state of health? Not bad at all, Mr. Holmes. Nothing remarkably abnormal about him. Thank you. Pray go on. I kept him for about half an hour on this second occasion, mostly discussing his symptoms with him. I prescribed for him and delivered him back to his son. And then they left together. Quite a pair as you say Dr. Watson, quite a pair. Anyway, a little later I heard Mr. Blessington come in and then within a minute I heard him rushing downstairs again. Who's been in my room, Trevelyan? Answer me, man. Who? He burst into my room like a whirlwind. I demanded Normans. Who has been in my room almost incoherent, in rage or fear? Lies, Lies. God, look foot muscle over my floor. Someone has been in their prevailing and I demand to know who. I went upstairs or he was speaking the truth. He has light colored carpets on his floor and there were quite distinct footmarks on them. Well, I could understand him being upset about it, but not to that extent. He collapsed in a chair and started to cry. Good Lord. It took me some time to make him coherent again and then he begged me at once to come straight round for you, Mr. Holmes, and ask if you go at once. I really do apologize for all this but what else could I do? The man was almost out of his mind. No apologies are necessary Dr. Watson. Come along. This is a singular business. The sooner we get to Brook street to look into it the better. This is Mr. Holmes and this is Dr. Watson, his colleague. Good evening, Mr. Holmes. Good evening, Dr. Watson. Mr. Holmes, no man ever needed your help more than I do. Mr. Blessington. I must ask you to tell me straight away who is it you fear and why? I. Well it's hard for me to say that. You mean you don't know? You see this box? I do. Well I've never been a very rich man, Mr. Holmes. I've only made one investment in my life and that was in Dr. Rebellion here. But I don't believe in bankers, Mr. Holmes. I would never trust a banker. Between ourselves, gentlemen, what little I have is in that box, every penny of it. Now can you see what it means to me to find that people have forced their way into My rooms. My dear sir, I cannot possibly advise you to try to deceive me. Deceive you? Pretty. Come along Watson. Good night Dr. Trevelyan. Mr. Holmes. Don't understand. Mr. Holmes. Mr. Holmes, have you no advice for me? My advice to sir is to speak the truth. Good night. My dear Watson, I'm sorry to bring you out on such a fool's errand. It's an interesting case too at the bottom of it. I'm glad to hear you say so Holmes. Hanged by make head of tailorman. No. Well it's quite evident that there are at least two of them in it. The Russian, those two at any rate. Do you think the son broke into Blessington's rooms while his father was being examined? Without a doubt. And the cataleps are a fraudulent imitation Watson. Though I should hardly dare hint as much to our specialist. It's quite easy to imitate the complaint. I've done it myself. Have you indeed? Oh yes. By the purest chance Blessington was out. On each occasion they chose a late hour for a consultation when there'd be no one else about. In the doctor's rooms. Well the trunk with the money in it was there. Why didn't they take it? My belief is they were after Blessing to themselves. You think he knows? He knows what those men want Watson, and he knows why. And for some reason he's not telling us. Holmes. These Russians, this cataleps you all that. Couldn't it, couldn't it all be a concoction of Trevelyan's to get into Blessington's rooms himself and throw a false scent? My dear fellow, it is one of the first solutions which occurred to me. But then I saw those imprints on the carpet. There were one or two quite distinct impressions. They were at least an inch longer than the doctor's foot and made by square toed shoes. The doctor was wearing pointed ones. No Watson, there's nothing to do but sleep on it. But I'll be surprised if we don't hear something further from Brook street before long. Watson. Watson. Wake up quickly. Oh Holmes. What's the matter? What's the time? Get dressed quickly. My dear fellow. There's a brougham waiting for us at the door. Oh, he's the Brook sheep, isn't it? Holmes? Bletchington hanged himself during the night. Terrible, terrible. It has shaken me completely. You have our sympathy. Dr. Treville Blessington had a cup of tea taken in every morning about seven. When the maid went in she found him hanging by a cord from a Big chandelier hook in the middle of the room. He'd jumped off a box. That box he showed us yesterday, matter of fact. I see. In here? Yes, please. Ah, Inspector Lammer. Mr. Holmes, delighted to see you again. You too, Dr. Watson. Good morning, Inspector. Now what's your opinion, Lammer? As far as I can tell he did this about 5:00. The most common time for suicide, you know. That's about it, Inspector. Dead about three hours from the rigidity of the muscles. You agreed rebellion. Yes, about three hours. Notice anything significant about the room? Ed's been slept in all right. And he seems to have smoked heavily during the night too. There were four cigar heads in the fireplace. Oh, may I see them? Yes, sir. Here. Have you his cigar holder? No sign of one. Oh, his case then. Oh yes, that's here. Was it his jacket pocket? Oh, no, Lana, no. The only cigar in this case is a Havana. These others are imported by the Dutch from their East Indian colonies. See? Much thinner for their length than other brands. I see sir. Two of these have been smoked from a holder and two without. Two have been cut with a mustardly sharp knife. The others have had their ends bitten off by a set of excellent teeth. This is no suicide, Inspector. It's a very deeply planned and cold blooded murder. Impossible, Holmes. Why should anyone murder a man in so clumsy a fashion was by hanging him. That is what we have to find out. But how did they get in here? Through the front door. Unbarred this morning but it was barred after them. I should ask that page boy of yours about that doctor. I fancy he might know. I see. I meant to mention it to you but it quite escaped me with all this. He's nowhere to be found this morning. All his things have gone. Ah, then you, you think he will? I'm sure he's played a not unimportant part in this drama. He let the others in, there were three of them and helped them to get into Mr. Blessington's room. Oh, by the way, I take it this door was locked? Always at night. Ah. However, with the help of a wire they forced the lock. Oh, see? Well, even without this lens you'll perceive by the scratches on this wall where the pressure was applied. I see. But Mr. Holmes, you say there were three of them? The Russians and. Yes, the young man and the old man and one unidentified if I'm not mistaken. They made their way quietly into Blessington's room and either bound and gagged him or so paralyzed him with fright that he was unable to resist or cry out. They then held some sort of consultation over him. Must have lasted quite some time. Just a moment, Mr. Holmes. Where'd you get that notion from? From these cigar butts, Lana. Now one of them sat over here. He kept knocking his ash off against his chest of drawers. See? You've got eyes like a hawk you have, Mr. Holmes. Another Sat in this basket chair, this pink face you see on the carpet. Yes, whilst the third fellow past up and down here. You see, the discussion ended by their taking Blessington off the bed and hanging him. Well you may be right Mr. Holmes, you usually are. You better let me have some particulars of this page boy before I go, Dr. Trevilian. Certainly Inspector. But Mr. Holmes, what about that box? You haven't even looked to see if the money's gone. Oh that. I doubt if there's anything of value in this at all. His story about the box was just part of his attempt to evade telling me the real truth as to why anyone should want to break into his rooms. Well I don't know about these other gentlemen but this is certainly beyond me. Oh me too. Well I won't speculate any further now. Oh, I'll just take this photograph of Blessington from the mantelpiece and meet you all at 221B Baker street at 3:00 this afternoon. Yes, I hope by then I'll have been able to clear up any little obscurity. This matter still holds. Here's the Inspector at last. Any news for us? Sorry I'm a bit late gentlemen. Oh, good afternoon Doctor. Good afternoon. We got the page Boiler Capital and I've got the others for you. Well at least I've got that identity. This so called Blessington is as I expected, well known at headquarters and so are his assailants. Their names are Biddle, Hayward and Moffat. The Worthington bank gang? Yes. Blessington. Must have been Sutton, the worst of the gang. Exactly. Mr. Holmes, I beg you. The Inspector may know what you're talking about. I'm dashed if I do. Yeah, yeah. Oh surely you must remember the great Worthington bank case. There were five of them in it. They got away with £7,000 and murdered the caretaker Tobin in doing so. They were all arrested and one of them turned Queen's evidence. That one was Sutton. You're Mr. Blessington. Doctor. Sutton's evidence got one of the gang hanged and these other three, 15 years apiece. He himself was acquitted of course. I see. When was all this? 1875. They were released a few weeks ago. Before the end of their full term. I remember reading it in the newspaper. And so if I'm not mistaken, did your Mr. Blessington. Do you mean when he got so agitated and wanted better locks on the doors and windows when he gave up taking his evening stroll? Right, sir did talk about being afraid of burglary was just a blind. But why could he not tell you this? Well my dear sir, knowing the vindictive character of his old associates, he was trying to hide his own identity from everybody as long as he could. His secret was a shameful one and he couldn't bring himself to divulge it. However, wretch as he was, he was still living under the shield of British law. And I have no doubt Inspector, that although the shield may fail to guard, the sword of justice is still there to avenge. Such were the singular circumstances in connection with the Resident Patient and the Brook street doctor from that night. However, nothing was ever seen of the three murderers by the police, though it is surmised at Scotland Yard that they were among the passengers of the ill fated steamer Nora Creina which was lost to the proceedings against the page broke down for want of evidence. What was it Holmes said? Although the shield of British law may fail to guard, the sword of justice is still there to avenge. The Resident patient was one of the Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. My real name is Norman Shelley. My friend Carlton Hobbes played Sherlock Holmes and I was Dr. Watson. Michael Hardwick wrote our script for this BBC production from London. And of course I look forward to the pleasure of your company again soon for more of the adventures of Sherlock Holmes.