Sherlock Holmes: The Bruce Parthington Plans (Hobbs & Shelly)

Summary

Summary of "Sherlock Holmes: The Bruce Parthington Plans (Hobbs & Shelly)"

Podcast Information:

• Title: Choice Classic Radio Detectives | Old Time Radio
• Episode: Sherlock Holmes: The Bruce Parthington Plans (Hobbs & Shelly)
• Release Date: March 28, 2025
• Host/Author: Choice Classic Radio
• Description: Old time radio fans! Choice Classic Radio brings to you old time radio’s greatest detectives! Each day we feature a program chosen from the most popular shows of the period. So sit back and enjoy the best detectives The Golden Age of Radio has to offer!

---

Introduction

In the episode titled "Sherlock Holmes: The Bruce Parthington Plans," listeners are transported back to the thrilling days of old-time radio where the legendary detective Sherlock Holmes, portrayed by Carlton Hobbs, teams up with Dr. Watson, voiced by Norman Shelley, to unravel a complex case involving stolen submarine plans. This detailed summary explores the intricate plot, key characters, pivotal moments, and the insightful conclusions drawn by Holmes and his allies.

---

Setting the Scene

The narrative commences in November 1895, under a dense yellow fog that envelops London, creating an atmosphere ripe for mystery and concealment. Sherlock Holmes returns to his residence at 221B Baker Street, portraying a sense of urgency and concern.

• Sherlock Holmes: "Nothing of interest in the paper, Watson." [00:32]

Holmes' keen observation is immediately evident as he remarks on the indistinct figures shrouded by the fog, hinting at the ease with which nefarious activities can go unnoticed in such conditions.

---

The Crime Unfolds

The tranquility is disrupted by a telegram informing Holmes of a significant development: the murder of Arthur Cadogan West, a 27-year-old clerk at Woolwich Arsenal, found dead near All Gift Station on the underground system. Crucially, West was in possession of the Bruce Partington Plans, highly confidential submarine blueprints essential to national security.

• Narrator: "Cadogan West. Come to Woolwich." [03:01]

This discovery sets the stage for a high-stakes investigation, as the theft of these plans poses a severe threat to national interests.

---

Investigation by Sherlock Holmes

Holmes engages his brother, Mycroft Holmes, an influential government official, to discuss the peculiarities surrounding West's death and the missing documents.

• Sherlock Holmes: "If a clerk in this office desired to sell the plans, wouldn't it be simpler to copy them here rather than remove the original?" [14:00]

Holmes meticulously examines the inconsistencies, such as the presence of only seven out of ten missing documents on West's body and the improbability of West transporting the originals unilaterally. This analytical approach underscores Holmes' unparalleled deductive skills.

---

Key Discoveries and Revelations

As the investigation progresses, Holmes uncovers several critical clues:

1. Altered Path of the Underground Train:

   • Holmes deduces that West's body was likely placed on the roof of a train carriage from a different location to obscure the true circumstances of his death.
   • Sherlock Holmes: "Isn't that the place where an object on the roof might be expected to fall off? By Jove, it's an idea." [09:32]

2. Connection to Hugo Oberstein:

   • A list of foreign agents reveals Hugo Oberstein as a prime suspect involved in espionage.
   • Sherlock Holmes: "Well, the whole force of the state is at your back if you should need it." [16:24]

3. Trap for the Culprit:

   • Holmes devises a strategic plan to lure Oberstein into a trap by sending a falsified message indicating the discovery of another vital document, securing Oberstein's presence at a predetermined location.
   • Sherlock Holmes: "She must attend to capacities. Watson, bring your narrative." [Interpretive paraphrase]

4. Confrontation and Confession:

   • The trap proves successful when Colonel Valentine Walter, Oberstein's associate, arrives under false pretenses and confesses to his involvement, revealing the deceit behind West's murder and the manipulation of the submarine plans.
   • Colonel Walter: "I needed the money desperately. Oberstein had made £5,000." [25:31]

Holmes' strategic ingenuity not only apprehends the criminal but also safeguards the critical submarine plans from falling into enemy hands.

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Sherlock Holmes on the Concealing Fog:

  • "See how the figures loom up, are dimly seen, and then blend once more into the cloud bank?" [00:43]

• Mycroft Holmes on National Security:

  • "The papers were in the safe when Sir James locked it before leaving and the key was never subsequently out of his possession." [04:57]

• Holmes on Procedural Flaws:

  • "Every inquiry in this case reveals something inexplicable." [14:29]

• Holmes on the Trap:

  • "The results justify the means, in other words." [22:05]

• Narrator on Holmes' Prowess:

  • "You've never risen to greater height, Holmes." [20:19]

---

Insights and Conclusions

"Sherlock Holmes: The Bruce Parthington Plans" encapsulates the essence of classic detective fiction through its intricate plot and masterful character interplay. Holmes' ability to connect seemingly unrelated clues, his collaboration with both Dr. Watson and his brother Mycroft, and his unwavering dedication to justice are prominently showcased.

The episode also highlights themes of patriotism, the perils of espionage, and the moral complexities faced by individuals entangled in deceit. Holmes' resolution of the case not only prevents a potential security breach but also restores the honor of those wrongfully implicated.

---

Conclusion

This episode of "Choice Classic Radio Detectives" offers a compelling rendition of Sherlock Holmes' investigative prowess, blending suspense, intellectual challenge, and timeless storytelling. For aficionados of old-time radio and detective narratives, "The Bruce Parthington Plans" stands as a testament to the enduring legacy of Sherlock Holmes as the quintessential detective of the Golden Age of Radio.

---

Production Credits:

• Sherlock Holmes: Carlton Hobbs
• Dr. Watson: Norman Shelley
• Production for the BBC: Graham Gould

Transcript

[Podbean Announcer]

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.

[Narrator]

Thousands of businesses and enterprises trust Podbean to launch their podcasts.

[Podbean Announcer]

Launch your podcast on podbean today.

[Narrator]

My school uses Podbean.

[Podbean Announcer]

My church too.

I love it. I really do.

[Narrator]

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 [e-mail].

[Sherlock Holmes]

Capital. My dear Watson, let us return to our humble abode.

[Narrator]

221B Baker street, please.

[Sherlock Holmes]

From London we present the Bruce Partington Plans. A play for radio based on the short story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The Bruce Partington plans in the third.

[Narrator]

Week of November 1895, a dense yellow fog settled down upon London from the Monday to the Thursday. I doubt whether it was ever possible to see from our windows in Baker street that the loom of the opposite houses. Holmes paced restlessly about our sitting room in a fever of suppressed energy.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Nothing of interest in the paper, Watson.

[Narrator]

Well, I told you, Holmes, nothing that would interest you.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Then the London criminal is certainly a dull fellow. Look out of this window.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Sherlock Holmes]

See how the figures loom up, are dimly seen, and then blend once more into the cloud bank? A thief or murderer could roam London like a tiger in the jungle, unseen until he passes. Come in. A telegram for you, Mr. Holmes. By Jove, something at last to break the monotony. Thank you, Mrs. Hudson. Will there be any answer, sir? No, no, there won't be a reply.

[Mycroft Holmes]

Thank you, sir.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Listen to this, Watson must see you over Cadogan west coming at once.

[Narrator]

Mycroft, your brother? Well, why not?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Why not? Seeing Mycroft here will be tantamount to meeting a tramcar in a country lane.

[Narrator]

He has his rails and he runs on them.

[Sherlock Holmes]

This is well off his track. You've met him, of course.

[Narrator]

Oh, there's only once that affair of the Greek interpreter. Something under government, isn't he?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Occasionally he is the British government. Mycroft draws four hundred and fifty a year, remains a subordinate, has no ambitions of any kind, will receive neither honor nor title, but remains the most indispensable man in the country. Again and again his word has decided the national policy. I see.

[Narrator]

But he mentions a Cadogan West. Ah, wait a minute, Holmes. That's the young man found dead on the underground on Tuesday morning.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Come in. Yes, Mrs. Hudson? Mr. Mycroft Hob is an inspector lestrade Sir. Oh, come in, come in, Mycroft.

[Mycroft Holmes]

Thank you.

[Sherlock Holmes]

And you, lestrade.

[Narrator]

Thank you, Mr. Holmes.

[Sherlock Holmes]

You remember my friend Watson, Mycroft.

[Mycroft Holmes]

Of course.

[Narrator]

Good Morning, Doctor. Delighted, Mr. Holmes. How are you, Inspector? Morning, Doctor.

[Sherlock Holmes]

An unexpected pleasure, Mycroft. Oh, take a chair, do.

[Mycroft Holmes]

Thank you, sir.

[Narrator]

Lock.

[Mycroft Holmes]

I may say I'm not here by choice. I have an extreme dislike of altering my habits but the powers that be would take no denial. I've never seen a Prime Minister so upset. And as to the Admiralty, have you read the case?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Cadogan West? Yes, such as there was to read.

[Mycroft Holmes]

Ah, newspapers fairly scratch the surface. Now listen carefully. The man's name was Arthur Cadogan West. He was 27, unmarried and a clerk at Woolwich Arsenal. Ah, now do be quiet, Sherlock. West was last seen on Monday night by his fiance, Ms. Violet Westbury. He left her abruptly in the fog at 7:30 that evening. There had been no quarrel between them and she can give no motives for his action. The next thing heard of him was when his dead body was discovered just outside All Gift Station on the underground system.

[Narrator]

But all this was in the newspaper?

[Mycroft Holmes]

Yes. But what has fortunately not emerged is that the wretched youth had in his pocket the plans of the Bruce Partington submarine.

[Sherlock Holmes]

The devil he.

[Mycroft Holmes]

Yes, its importance can hardly be exaggerated. Plans have been kept in an elaborate safe in a confidential office adjoining the arsenal. The office has burglar proof doors and windows and under no conceivable circumstances were the plans to be taken rummaged.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Really? But if they were found in the dead man's pocket, surely that means you've recovered them?

[Mycroft Holmes]

10 documents are known to be missing from Woolwich. West was carrying only seven when he was found. The three most essential are gone. Stolen, Vanished. I jotted down one or two facts for you. The official guardian of the papers is Sir James Walter, a man whose patriotism is beyond suspicion. He left the Arsenal at 3 o'clock on Monday afternoon and was at the house of Admiral Sinclair in London that whole evening. The papers were in the safe when Sir James locked it before leaving and the key was never subsequently out of his possession.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Has anyone else the key?

[Mycroft Holmes]

Only one. The senior clerk and draftsman, Sydney Johnson. According to his own account, corroborated only by his wife, he was at home the whole of Monday evening and his key never left his watch chain.

[Sherlock Holmes]

And the dead man? Cadogan West.

[Mycroft Holmes]

Ten years in the service and a good worker. His duties brought him into daily contact with the plans. No one else had the handling of them except Sidney Johnson who locked them up at night.

[Narrator]

Well Then surely it must have been west himself who took them at least. So much unexplained, Dr. Watson. In the first place, why did he take them? Well, they must be valuable. He. He was taking them to London to sell. But he was carrying them back to Woolwich when he met his death. Well then he taken them to be copied by someone so they'd never be missed next day.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Admirable deduction. But allow me to point out that Aldgate, where the body was found, is considerably past London Bridge, which would have been his route to Woolwich.

[Narrator]

Perhaps he got arguing with someone else in the compartment and got carried past London Bridge. They had a fight and the other chucked him out on the line.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Well, suppose for argument's sake that young west had carried these papers to London to show to a foreign agent. He would have made an appointment with this agent and kept his evening clear. Yet I understand he was with his fiance and then left her suddenly in the fog.

[Narrator]

That's quite so, Mr. Holmes. They were on their way to the Woolies Theatre.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Well, Mycroft, your traitor is dead. And the plans of the Bruce Partington submarine are presumably on the continent by now. What is that for us to do?

[Narrator]

To act, Sherlock, to act.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Very well. Come, Watson. And you'll come with us to Algate Station too, Lestrade.

[Narrator]

Pleasure, Mr. Holmes.

[Sherlock Holmes]

I suppose, Mycroft, you?

[Mycroft Holmes]

No, the Prime Minister.

[Sherlock Holmes]

I was forgetting. Very well, I shall let you have a report before evening. But I warn you not to expect too much.

[Narrator]

This is just where the body lay, you see. It couldn't have fallen from above. They had blank walls. It could only have come from a train, and so far we can trace it. That train must have passed about midnight on Monday.

[Sherlock Holmes]

You said the trains had been searched for clues. Have any signs of violence come to light?

[Narrator]

Nothing. Not even a report of a door being found open. Strange. Ah, Holmes, what have you seen? Points. The points just along here. What about them?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Surely there aren't many sets of points on a straight system like this.

[Narrator]

Well, I should have thought so.

[Sherlock Holmes]

And a curve too. Points and a curve.

[Narrator]

Right.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Jo?

[Narrator]

What is it, Mr. Holmes?

[Sherlock Holmes]

An idea, nothing more. Tell me, was there much blood here when the body was found?

[Narrator]

Hardly any. No external wound? Oh, yes, one big one, but no blood.

[Sherlock Holmes]

And yet one would have expected some bleeding. Lestrade, would it be possible for me to examine the train which is said to have passed this way at midnight on Monday?

[Narrator]

Afraid not, Mr. Holmes. We gave permission for the train to be broken up and the carriages put back into service separately.

[Sherlock Holmes]

In that case, Watson, we've done all we can here.

[Narrator]

We needn't trouble you further, Lestrade.

[Sherlock Holmes]

See some light in the darkness but it may possibly flicker out. Meanwhile please send to await my return to Baker Street a complete list of all foreign spies or international agents known to be in England with false addresses. Sh. There Watson, that'll do. My cott should get it within the hour.

[Narrator]

Are we going back to Baker street now?

[Sherlock Holmes]

No, to Woolwich. I have hold of one idea which may lead us far. The man met his death elsewhere and his body was on the roof of the carriage.

[Narrator]

The roof?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Is it a coincidence that the body is found at the very point where the train pitches and sways as it comes round on the point? Isn't that the place where an object on the roof might be expected to fall off? By Jove, it's an ide.

[Narrator]

And you think he was killed elsewhere because there was no blood beside the line?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Both facts are suggested in themselves. Together they have accumulated force.

[Narrator]

But Holmes doesn't always make the whole business more of a mystery.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Perhaps, perhaps, but come along, we must hand this telegram in and make our way to Woolwich. We have quite a little round of afternoon calls to make and I think Sir James Water claims our first prediction. Good afternoon, gentlemen. Good afternoon. We should be grateful if Sir James Walker could spare us a few moments, sir. Sir James, sir? Yes, he passed away this morning.

[Narrator]

Great heavens.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Would you kindly tell me how he died? Perhaps you would care to step in, sir, and see his brother, Colonel Valentine Walter? Yes, yes, we had best do so.

[Narrator]

It was this horrible scandal, Mr. Holmes. My brother was a man of very sensitive honor. He could not survive such an affair. He was also proud of his department and this was a crushing blow. It broke his heart.

[Sherlock Holmes]

I quite understand, Colonel. We had hoped that he might have been able to tell us something which would have helped to clear the matter up.

[Narrator]

I assure you it was as much a mystery to him as it is to all of us.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Can you throw any new light on this affair yourself, Colonel?

[Narrator]

I only know what I've read or heard. My brother had no doubt that Cadogan west was guilty and neither have I. And now gentlemen, I have no desire to be discourteous but you will appreciate that I have many matters to attend to.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Now do not distress yourself, Ms. Westbridge, but you were the last person known to have seen your fiance alive and we must look to you for any clue.

[Violet Westbury]

I cannot explain it, Mr. Holmes. I haven't shut an eye since the tragedy. Thinking, thinking, thinking night and day, what the true meaning of it can be. Why Arthur was the most single minded, chivalrous, patriotic man on earth.

[Narrator]

Was he in need of money?

[Violet Westbury]

Well, not at all, Doctor. His salary was ample. We were to marry in the new year.

[Sherlock Holmes]

No signs of any mental excitement?

[Violet Westbury]

Well, I. I had a feeling there was something on his mind.

[Sherlock Holmes]

For long?

[Violet Westbury]

Well, only for the last week or so. He was thoughtful and worried. Once I pressed him about it and he admitted it was something official. He said it's too serious for me to speak about, even to you.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Something official? Did he make any reference to plans to secrets? Molly?

[Violet Westbury]

He did remark how much some people would be glad to pay to read some of the papers he used in his work. He said there was a slackness about guarding them, that it would be easy for a traitor to get them.

[Sherlock Holmes]

I see. Now, you were on your way to the theatre, I understand.

[Violet Westbury]

Oh, yes. The fog was so thick that a cab would have been useless. So we were walking our way. Took us quite close to his office at the arsenal. Then suddenly he darted away into the fog. I. I waited, but he never returned. So I walked home. About 12 the next day, we heard the terrible news. Oh, Mr. Holmes, if you could only. Only save his honor. It was so much to you.

[Podbean Announcer]

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.

[Narrator]

Thousands of businesses and enterprises trust Podbean to launch their PodC podcasts.

[Podbean Announcer]

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.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Mr. Sherlock Holmes. You wish to see me? As senior Clerk of the submarine department, Mr. Johnson, I thought you might be able to enlighten us on this matter. Oh, it's bad, Mr. Holmes, very bad. The place is disorganized. The chief dead, Cadogan west dead, and our papers terrible. Mr. Johnson, I understand that only you and Sir James Walter had a key to the safe where the secret papers were given. That is so. And you can take it as gospel, Mr. Holmes, that neither of us ever let that key out of our possession.

[Narrator]

Then Cadogan west, if he is the culprit, must have had a duplicate if.

[Sherlock Holmes]

None was found on his body. Another point, Mr. Johnson. If a clerk in this office desired to sell the plans, wouldn't it be simpler to copy them here rather than remove the original? Well, it would take considerable technical knowledge to Copy the plans properly. But I suppose Sir James or West or you all had that knowledge. Now don't try to bring me into it, Mr. Holmes. The plans were found on West.

[Narrator]

It's a rum thing, isn't it, that he should take the originals when he could have made copies.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Every inquiry in this case reveals something inexplicable. Now, Mr. Johnson, there are three papers still missing. Do I understand that someone holding these three alone and without the seven others could construct a Bruce Partington submarine? Well, not entirely. Unless that someone had invented some essential mechanism for himself that he'd be able to overcome the difficulty in time. So the missing drawings are the three most important? Oh, undoubtedly. I reported to that effect to the Admiralty today. Coffee please, Mrs. Hudson, for two suffocated wanderers. Very good, sir. The fog is still as bad then?

[Narrator]

As dense as ever.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Oh, here's an urgent message brought by.

[Violet Westbury]

Hand a few minutes ago, sir.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Oh, thank you. I'll fetch the coffee directly.

[Narrator]

This investigation, like a fog itself, every few paces forward reveals a fresh obstacle ahead. What do you got there, Holmes?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Ah, my brother Mycroft has been doing his duty.

[Narrator]

The list of agents you asked for?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Yes, most of them small fry.

[Narrator]

Oh, what a pity.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Ah, but listen. The only men worth considering are Adolf Meyer, Louis La Rociere and Hugo Oberstein. The latter lives at 13 Caulfield Gardens, Kensington, and is known to have been in town on Monday, though he is now reported as having left. The Cabinet awaits your final report with the utmost anxiety. The whole force of the state is at your back if you should need it. I'm afraid that all the Queen's horses and all the Queen's men can avail little in this matter.

[Narrator]

But wait. What is it?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Things are turning a little in our direction at last, Watson. I do honestly believe we're going to pull it off after all.

[Narrator]

I don't pretend to follow you, Holmes.

[Sherlock Holmes]

I'm going out now. Oh no, no, it's only a reconnaissance. I shan't do anything serious without my trusted comrade and biographer at my elbow, thank you. Now stay here and the odds are that you'll see me again in an hour or two. If time hangs heavy, get full cap and pen and begin your narrative of how we save the state.

[Narrator]

All that long November evening I waited, filled with impatience for his return. At last, shortly after 9:00 there arrived a messenger with a note which said, I am dining at Goldini's Restaurant, Gloucester Road. Please come at once and join me there. Bring with you a jemmy, a dark lantern, a chisel and a revolver.

[Sherlock Holmes]

I go to the Propartor's. Cigars. Matthew, was it?

[Narrator]

What? Oh, hang on.

[Sherlock Holmes]

They're less poisonous than one would expect.

[Narrator]

Thank you.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Have you brought the tools?

[Narrator]

Yes, sir. Now here. My. My overcoat. Nice equipment for a respectable citizen to carry about in a fog.

[Sherlock Holmes]

I am. Let me give you a short sketch of what I've done with some indication of what we're about to do.

[Narrator]

Yes, yes, carry on.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Now then, it must be evident to you that this young man's body was placed on the roof of the train. Placed?

[Narrator]

But couldn't it have been dropped from a bridge?

[Sherlock Holmes]

I should say impossible. You will find that the roofs are slightly rounded and there are no railings on them to keep anything from falling off.

[Narrator]

Yes, but how could he be placed there?

[Sherlock Holmes]

There's only one possible error. You know that the underground runs clear of tunnels at some points in the west end, that some of the house windows immediately overlook the line.

[Narrator]

Yes, that's right.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Now suppose a train halted under such a window. Would there be any difficulty in laying a body on a carriage?

[Narrator]

No, but it sounds highly improbable.

[Sherlock Holmes]

When I was told that the leading international agent who had just left London lived in a row of houses which my knowledge of London's topography reminded me abuts upon the Underground. Yeah, I was so pleased that you were a little astonished at my sudden frivolity. Oh, you don't say. Herr Hugo Oberstein of 13 Caulfield Gardens become my objective. I've already ascertained not only that the back stair windows of his house open onto a railway line, but also that owing to the intersection of one of the larger railways, the underground trains are frequently held up at that spot. Plenty, Holmes, you got it. Now we advance, but the goal is distant. However, the bird has indeed flown. No doubt of a continent to dispose of his booty, leaving the way clear for us to pay a visit to his house.

[Narrator]

Why not get a warrant and make it legal?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Hardly on the evidence. Now then, come on, let us go. We'll walk to Caulfield. Guards. But I beg you not to drop the instant instruments on the way. Was your arrest as a suspicious character would be an unfortunate complicated.

[Narrator]

Well, he didn't leave a servant here in his house.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Here we are, Watson. This is the window.

[Narrator]

Yes.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Look at these discolorations.

[Mycroft Holmes]

Blood.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Without a doubt this is where they rested the body. Quickly, a train's coming. Now for a demonstration. Up at the window now see what happens. Look, Watson, the carried roofs are not.

[Narrator]

Four feet below us. What do you Think of it, it's a masterpiece. You've never risen to greater height, Holmes.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Oh, I cannot agree. From the moment I conceived the idea of the body being on the roof, all the rest was inevitable.

[Narrator]

Oh, you can say so.

[Sherlock Holmes]

But we must get on a search of every private paper we can find. Might turn up something to help. No, the cunning dog has covered his tracks, Watson. He's left nothing to incriminate him. Holmes, what is it?

[Narrator]

Take a look at these, will you?

[Sherlock Holmes]

What do you got there? Oh, clippings from a newspaper. Agony column. Yes, Daily Telegraph. Judging by the print of the paper.

[Narrator]

Hoped to hear sooner. Terms agreed to write fully to address given on card. Piero.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Matter presses must withdraw offer unless contract completed. Make appointment by letter, Piero.

[Narrator]

And this one says Monday night after 9. 2 taps. Payment in hard cash when goods delivered, Pierrot. Monday night, Holmes. Monday night. The night of the murder.

[Sherlock Holmes]

With scarcely a doubt, Watson. These clippings are very recent. And that one appears to be the last of the sequence. Piero, eh? Oberstein's pseudonym for this business, I don't doubt.

[Narrator]

Oh, if only we could find who the messages are for, Holmes.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Well, perhaps it won't be so difficult after all. I think we might drive round to the offices of the Daily Telegraph on our way home and thus bring a good day's work to a conclusion.

[Narrator]

Oh, Mr. Holmes, it's all right for you, breaking into people's houses while they're away. We can't do these things in the force, you know. No wonder you get results that are beyond us.

[Sherlock Holmes]

The results justify the means, in other words. But let's hear what you think of our achievement, Mycroft. Excellent, Sherlock.

[Mycroft Holmes]

But what use will you make of the discovery?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Seen today's Telegraph?

[Mycroft Holmes]

No, not yet.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Pierre has advertised again. Oh? Tonight. Same aha. Same place, two taps. Most vitally important, your own safety at stake, Pierre.

[Narrator]

Why, George? If he answers that, we've got him.

[Sherlock Holmes]

That was my idea when I put it in.

[Mycroft Holmes]

The hint of danger to himself will.

[Narrator]

Make him certain to obey. Brilliant.

[Sherlock Holmes]

So gentlemen, if you could make it quite convenient to come at about 8 o'clock to Caulfield Gardens, we might possibly get a little nearer to a solution. Just as well Overstein didn't really decide to come back.

[Narrator]

We shouldn't have been able to make so free with his house.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Keep your voice down, Watson. Yeah? Any minute may bring our man.

[Narrator]

You've been saying that for three hours, Mr. Holmes. Something tells me your little scheme fizzled out.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Not at all astray. I put same hour in the Message. But that hour could be anything between 8 and midnight.

[Mycroft Holmes]

There's someone outside the door.

[Sherlock Holmes]

I can see his shadow on the glass. All still. Here he comes. Let him in, Watson. Keep in the shadow and say nothing. Very well. This has a desk. I turned up my crop.

[Narrator]

Get on. Great heavens, Holmes, look who it is.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Well, you can write me down an s this time. Watson. This isn't the bird I was looking for.

[Narrator]

Who is he, Mr. Holmes?

[Sherlock Holmes]

He's Colonel Valentine Walter, younger brother of Sir James Walter, the late head of the submarine department.

[Narrator]

I. I demand an explanation. What is all this? I came here to resist her oversight.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Everything is known, Colonel Walter. How an English gentleman could behave in such a manner is beyond my comprehension.

[Narrator]

I don't know what you're babbling about.

[Sherlock Holmes]

For some reason, possibly financial, you entered into a correspondence with Oberstein. You no doubt took an impression of your brother's keys. You went down to the office in the fog on Monday night and was seen and followed by young Cadogan West. He saw you steal the Bruce Partington plans and like the good citizen that he was, he followed you closely in the fog and kept at your heels until you reached this very house. Here he intervened and then it was Colonel Walker that took treason. You added the more terrible crime of murder.

[Narrator]

No, no, I didn't. I swear I didn't.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Then tell us how Cadogan west met his end before you laid his body on the roof of a railway carriage.

[Narrator]

I will, I will. I did the rest. I confess it. The Stock Exchange debt had to be repaid. I needed the money desperately. Obersteinhoff had made 5,000. It was to save myself from ruin, don't you see? But murder. I'm as innocent as you. Then what happened? West already had his suspicions of me. Yes. He followed me as you described, though I never knew it in that fog until I was at this very door. I'd given two taps and Overstyne had come to the door as arranged. The young man rushed up and demanded to know what we were going to do with the plans. Overstein just struck him. West was dead in five minutes.

[Mycroft Holmes]

Well then what did you do?

[Narrator]

Oberstein had this idea about the trains halting under his window. But first he examined the papers I brought. He said that three of them were essential and that he must keep them. You can't keep them, I said. Everything will be discovered at Woolwich if they aren't returned. But he said he must keep them. They were too technical to copy quickly. And then he had this idea to put the other seven on West's body so that they will certainly be found and the whole theft will be put down to him. Where is this Overstein with the papers now? I don't know. He. He said that letters to the Hotel du Louvre in Paris will reach me. Anything else? There's nothing to tell you. I would if I could. Believe me. I owe the fellow nothing. He's been my downfall and ruin.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Colonel Walter, it is within your power to ease your conscience and perhaps your punishment. It is how I'm going to place pen and paper before you and you are going to write. At my dictation you will be writing to Oberstein here, the Hotel du Louvre, to tell him that you have discovered one more document which is of vital importance to the assembly of a Bruce Partington submarine. For this you will ask for a further payment of £500.

[Narrator]

But I don't understand.

[Sherlock Holmes]

I am finished. You will not trust the document to the post. But it would cause too much comet if you were to go abroad at this time. Therefore, you will tell Oberstein that you will expect him to be in the smoking room of the Shearing Cross Hotel at noon on Saturday. There. I think that will do very well. I shall be very much surprised if it doesn't fetch our man.

[Narrator]

You know, Mr. Holmes is quite masterly. It is a matter of history that Oberstein did come. Eager to complete the coup of a lifetime, he fell into the trap and was safely engulfed for 15 years in a British prison. In his trunk were found the invaluable Bruce Partington plan. Some weeks afterwards I learned that Holmes had spent a day at Windsor whence he returned with a remarkably fine emerald typing. When I asked him if he'd bought it, he answered that it was a present from a certain gracious lady in whose interests he had once been fortunate enough to carry out a small commission.

[Sherlock Holmes]

That was the Bruce Partington Plans by Michael Hardwick, based on the short story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Sherlock Holmes was played by Carlton Hobbs and Dr. Watson by Norman Shelley. Production for the BBC was by Graham Gould.