Narrator (0:01)

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. At ChoiceClassicRadio.com we present the eighth of a set of nine dramatized Sherlock Holmes stories adapted for radio by Michael Hardwick. The Wee Gate Squires I see from my notes that it was on 14th April 1887 that I received a telegram from Leon telling me that Sherlock Holmes was lying ill there. Within 24 hours I was in his sick room. His iron constitution had broken down under the strain of a two months investigation. And when I got him back to 221B Baker street three days later, it became obvious to me that for all his love of London, he would be better off for a change in the country. Well, Holmes, how are we feeling today? I don't mind admitting that it's left me feeling a bit knocked up. A bit knocked up? You had been working, what, 15 hours a day average? True, Watson, true. And now you're paying the penalty. I'm exhausted. Still, I suppose all this is some compensation. What's that? The telegrams. Congratulations. Still coming in by the bucketful. Oh, those. Now really, Holmes, you succeed where the police of three continents have failed. You outmaneuver the most accomplished swindler in Europe at every point, and all you say is, oh no, let the politicians and the financiers do the rejoicing. The Netherlands Sumatra Company and its affairs are a thing of the past for me. Now all I want, Watson, is a good rest. Well, I. As a matter of fact, Holmes, that's just what I wanted to have a word with you about. Uh huh. Colonel Hayter, old friend. Came under my care in Afghanistan. Well, he's taken a house down near Reigate. Keeps asking us to go down for a bit of a break anytime we like. He's just renewed the invitation. But I thought a week or so of springtime in the country might be just the thing. What about it, eh? I'm sure your friend means very well, Watson. Springtime in Surrey. Delightful. Can you see me lounging about on sofas being fussed to death? By well, meaningful. It's a bachelor establishment home. Bachelor. Ah, well then, hate is a fine old soldier. Seen the world. Yes. Talk all night if you want him to, but knows when to keep out of the way and leave a man in peace if that's what he prefers. Well, what do you say, Holmes? Do you suppose his breakfast's come up to my standards, old Holmes? You'll come then? With pleasure, Watson, just as soon as you can arrange to transport these weary old bones of mine between Baker street and Re. And what about this derringer, Watson? Little beauty, eh? What? By Jove, Yes. I say, Hayter, you've gathered quite an armoury about you, hasn't he, Holmes? A most impressive collection. You think so, eh? Well, you never know when it might come in handy in these parts. How do you mean? Oh, we've been having quite a scare lately, Watson. You know old Acton is one of our local squires. He had his house broken into last Monday. No great damage. You know, the fellows are still at large. Oh, no clues, Colonel? Not so far. They ransacked his library, turned the whole place upside down. I didn't get much for their pains though. What then? If I can remember, it'll make you laugh. Yes, two plated candlesticks, an ivory letter weight, a small oak barometer and a ball of twine. Oh yes, and a volume of Pope's Homer. Well, county police ought to be able to make something of that. Surely it's obvious you're here for a rest, remember? Oh dear me, Watson. Well, I suppose I've got to do what you tell me for a change. Yeah, that's right, Holmes. I had this treatment from him on the front here. You know, he's a regular martinet, this Watson. Well, it's time these breakfast things were shifted and I'll see that you're left in peace. It's going to be a lovely day. Beg pardon, sir. Now Charles, I was just going to ring for you. Why, what's the matter, man? Have you heard the news, sir? Heard the coming of us? Not another burglary? Oh, murder, sir. By Jove. Who, the JP or his son? Neither, sir. It was William the coachman shot through the heart. Who shot him? It was a burglar, sir, got clean away. Well, he just forced the pantry window they say. When William disturbed him. Shot him dead and made off. When was this, Charles? Last night, sir, somewhere about 12. Oh, it's a bad business. No. All right, Charles, leave those things for now. I'll ring for you later. Oh, very good. Poor old Cunningham. He's our leading squire about here. Decent fellow. He'll be cut up about this, you know. The man had been in his service for years. Might have been one of those same chaps who broke into the other place, I fancy it's some local chap myself. Actons and Cunninghams are just about the places he would go for. The largest in these parts, you know. And the richest. Well they ought to be. But they've had a lot of the blood sucked out of them in recent years. Oh, how's that? Well, they've had a lawsuit dragging on for no end of time. Old Acton had some claim on half of Cunningham's estate. The lawyers have been at it with both hands. Well, if it's a local man there shouldn't be much difficulty in running him down. Inspector Forrester, sir. Oh, thank you. Come in. Inspector. Good morning, Colonel Hayter. I hope I don't intrude, sir, but we hear that Mr. Holmes of Baker street is here. Yes, there he is, Inspector. And this is Dr. Watson. How to do? I'm very pleased to meet you gentlemen. We, we wondered if we could ask you to step across, Mr. Holmes. You, you've heard the I expect. Now, Holmes, the fates are against you, Watson. We were chattering about the matter when you came in, Inspector. Perhaps you would care to take a seat and let us have a few details. Ah, thank you, sir. Well, we had no clue to follow in the Acton affair, but we've plenty to go on this time. Oh, the man was seen. Aha. When the alarm broke out Mr. Cunningham had just got into bed and Mr. Alec Cunningham, but that's his son, was smoking a pipe in his dressing room. They both heard William, the coachman called for help and Mr. Eric ran down in his dressing gown. The back door was open and as he got to the foot of the stairs he saw the two men wrestling together outside. One of them fired a shot, the other dropped to the ground and the murderer was off across the garden and over the hedge. Mr. Cunningham saw him too from his bedroom window as he reached the road. Couldn't young Alec catch him? No, he'd stopped to do what he could for William, so the fellow got clean away. Middle sized man dressed in some dark stuff. That's the description we've got. But did William say anything before he died? Not a word. I suppose he walked up from the lodge to make sure everything was all secure. Faithful fellow, you know, sir. Yes, this Acton business certainly had us all on our guard. And he caught the chap red handed. Seems like it Doctor. Yeah, well, but one thing we did get was this. May I see it please, Inspector? Certainly, Mr. Holmes. It seems to be a fragment of paper torn from a larger sheet. It was between the dead man's finger and thumb. So either the other chap tore the rest of the paper out of William's hand or William tore this bit from a sheet he was holding. I can't see what either of them was doing waving sheets of paper about. Nor can I. Yeah, but if you look at the words though, it reads as if it's been some sort of appointment. Look, sir, look here at quarter to 12, you see. Then down there it says, learn what? This writing is of extraordinary interest. These are much deeper waters than I thought. How's that, Mr. Holmes? Do you reckon there was some sort of understanding between William and the burglar? William was to let him in, but they had a quarrel instead. It's not entirely impossible that this writing. No, there's something about this that fascinates me extremely, Colonel. If you'll permit me, I'll leave Watson and you and step round with the Inspector to put one or two little fancies of mine to the test. Holmes, you'll do nothing of the sort. I shan't let you go. Never fear, Watson, I'll deliver myself up to you in half an hour precisely. Not a minute longer. Come along, Inspector, let's be getting along, shall we? Well, and about time too, Inspector. Half an hour, Mr. Holmes said. And that was exactly an hour and a half ago. Where is he? I'll have a few words to say to him. Well, Dr. Watson, as a matter of fact, he's not come back with you. Has anything happened, sir? Mr. Holmes sent me back here to ask you gentlemen to join him in the field outside. Why? He was walking up and down when I left him. He wants us all to go up to Mr. Cunningham's house together. What on earth for? Search me, colonel. Between ourselves, Dr. Watson, I think you're right to be concerned about Mr. Holmes. He seems to be, well, all excited. I don't like it. Is that all? I've seen him behave in some pretty odd ways at times, but there's generally been some method behind the madness. Come on, hater, let's go and humor this lunatic of our Watson. My dear fellow, I had a charming morning. This country trip idea of yours was a capital suggestion. You've been up to the scene of the crime, I understand. Yes, the Inspector and I made quite a little reconnaissance together. Any luck, Holmes? We saw some very interesting things indeed. Do tell Us? Yes. What's it all about? First of all, we saw the body of the unfortunate William. There's no doubt that he died from a revolver wound? Didn't know there was any question about that. Oh, it's as well to test everything, Colonel. Ah, indeed. Our inspection wasn't wasted. Well, then we had an interview with Mr. Cunningham and his son. They were able to point out the exact spot where the murderer broke through the garden hedge in his flight. That was of great interest. So what did your investigations add up to then? The conviction that the crime is a very peculiar one. Perhaps our visit may now do something to make it less obscure. Well, let's hope so, Inspector. I think we both agreed that the fragment of paper in the dead man's hand is of extreme importance. Well, Mr. Holmes, it has got the very hour of death written on it. Precisely. Whoever wrote that note was the man who brought William out of his bed at that hour. But where is the rest of that sheet of paper? I examined every inch of ground nearby for it. It was torn out of the dead man's hand. Why was someone so anxious to get possession of it? Because it incriminated him just so, Watson. And what would he do with it? Thrust it into the corner of his pocket, most likely. Never noticing that a corner had been left in the grip of the corpse. Yes, the man who wrote it wouldn't have written it if he could have delivered the message by word of mouth. So who brought it? Or did it come to the post? Now that I can tell you, sir. We found out that William did get a letter by the afternoon post. He seems to have thrown the envelope away, though. Capital. Inspector, it's a pleasure working with you. Well, thank you, Mr. Holmes. Ah, here are the Cunninghams. Hello there, Cunningham. Very nice. Good day. Hayter. And Dr. Watson, I presume. This is my son, Alec. How do you do, sir? How do you do? So you're still at it, Mr. Holmes. Bless me. Thought you Londoners were quick as a flash. Oh, you must give us a little time, you know. Well, Mr. Cunningham, we have found one thing. There was a. Here, Mr. Holmes. Catch him, Colonel. He's fainted. Right away. 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. Are you feeling all right now, Jeb? I. I can't apologize enough, Mr. Cunningham. I'm afraid it's another of these confounded nervous attacks. Yes, yes. Dr. Watson's been telling us how ill you've been. Want me to call my trap for you? Perhaps in a little while. Better be getting back, Holmes. Since I'm here, there's just one little point I'd like to get sure about. We can easily verify it. Very well, then. I should like to ask Mr. Cunningham Jr. Where he was sitting when he heard William call for help. I was smoking in my dressing room. Lamps were lit then. Yes, then. Doesn't it strike you as extraordinary that a burglar should break into a house when the lights were on and the family might still be afoot? Well, a bit of a cool customer, perhaps. Possibly. Well, we'll leave that speculation for the moment. There's something I'd like you to do, Mr. Cunningham. Anything at all, Mr. Holmes. I should like you to offer a reward. I've jotted down a wording here, if you wouldn't mind reading it. And signing £50 would be quite enough, I think. Oh, certainly. Let me see. See. Thank you. I tell you, Mr. Holmes, I'd willingly make it 500. That won't be necessary. Well, this is fine, but there's one little mistake. I scribbled it in a hurry. You begin. Whereas at about a quarter to one on Tuesday morning, an attempt was made, et cetera. Well, it was a quarter to 12, as a matter of fact. Jimmy. Of course, you're right. I don't allow myself to make elementary mistakes like that, Mr. Cunningham. Do forgive me. Oh, it's quite all right. I'll correct it. You know. I've got a pencil here. Thank you, Holmes, I really must insist. No, my dear Watson, my brain may be wanting a little, but I still have a few reserves left. I suggest we all now go over the house together. Now, really, I really feel much better. I'll just have that note for my pocketbook. Thank you. And now let's have a good look round. Well, now, Mr. Holmes, this is my bedroom here. My son's is next door, with the dressing room in between. Ah, yes. I should like to glance into the dressing room, if you please. Of course, if you like. I should just like to see where the window is placed. With your permission. Very well. Ah, yes, I see. Thank you. Now, I. I think that's all. Yes, we can go down now. No, after you, my dear sir. Oh, thank you. Already, my clumsy friend here, I'm afraid, must have swept that decanter off with your jacket. Watson, quick, before the car is ruined. Well, really, I'm, I, I. Use my handkerchief. No, no, no, I'll use mine. I can't think how it happened. I'm sure. Never mind, never mind. I ring for one of the servants to mop it up. Dad, what's up? I say, where's Holmes disappeared to? Here, dad, quick. The first thing. What's going on in there? No, sir, this is going too far. The devil's got into them now. Gentlemen, Gentlemen. Inspector, arrest these men. Arrest them, sir? For the murder of their coachman. What's that? I say, Holmes, aren't you going a bit? No, Colonel Hayter, it's they who have gone too far. This piece of paper will assure you of that. The missing piece, it was where I was sure it must be. Hello, Couch. I've got a gun. Drop that. Drop that, I say. Oh, that's better. Mr. Holmes. It looks as if there's something in what you say. Yes, I'll be able to make the whole matter clear to you in a little while, Colonel. I suggest you take Watson home with you. The Inspector and I need a few words with our prisoners and I'll rejoin you if it's quite convenient. You may expect me back for luncheon. I hope there's a glass of sherry waiting for you. Oh, hello, Acton. I didn't notice you. Good day, Hayter. I hope you don't mind. Mr. Holmes asked me to come. I wanted Mr. Acton to be present while I demonstrated this small matter to you. He has some cause to be interested in the details. I must say we're all eager for this demonstration. Holmes, Watson and I were just agreeing. We haven't the vestige of a clue between us. No, indeed. To begin with, I must remind you that it is of the highest importance in the art of deduction to be able to recognize which facts are incidental and which are vital. Otherwise your energy and attention must be dissipated instead of being concentrated. Oh, it's quite quiet. No, I hadn't the slightest doubt that the key to this whole matter must be looked for in that scrap of paper from the dead man's hand. I have it here. Have another look at it, gentlemen. Don't you observe something very revealing about it? Can't say I can. Yeah, pretty irregular sort of hand. Exactly, Watson. Of course, he's better up in my methods than you gentlemen. No, I cannot be in the least doubt in the world that the note was written by two persons doing alternate words. Look at the strong t's of at and 2. Compare them with those in quarter and 12. By Jove, I see what you mean. But why should two men write a letter like that? Obviously one of them distrusted the other. The idea was that each of them should have an equal hand in the business. Ah, I see. And the two? I'd say the one that wrote at and two was the ringleader. However, can you say that we might deduce it from the mere character of the one hand as compared with the other. But we have more assured reasons than that. If you examine this scrap with attention, you'll come to the conclusion that the man with the stronger hand wrote all his words first and left blanks for the other to fill up. The blanks weren't always quite big enough. Look here. The second man had a squeeze to get the word quarter in between the at and the two. Oh yes. So we conclude that the man who wrote his words first planned the whole affair. Bravo. Deduction. Well, I never. But it's very superficial. We come now to a point which is of real importance. You mayn't be aware that the deduction of a man's age from his writing is one which has been brought to a considerable accuracy by experts. So Indeed. Ah, yes, Mr. Acton, in normal cases one can place a man in his true decayed with tolerable confidence. Remarkable. I say normal cases because ill health and physical weakness reproduce the signs of old age even when the invalid is young. In this case, looking at the bold strong hand of the one and the rather broken backed appearance of the other, we can say that the one was a young man and the other was advanced in years without being positively decrepit. Well, I never heard anything to touch this. Did you read anything else in the handwriting? Oh, yes, there were at least 23 other deductions. 23? Well, they would be of more interest to experts than to you, Colonel. Except perhaps that some of them reveal quite clearly that the two writers were blood relatives. Oh, I have no doubt at all that a family mannerism can be traced in these two specimens of writing. Good gracious. May be obvious to you in the Greek ease, but to me there are many small points which indicate the same thing. Yes. Do you connect it with the Cunninghams then, Holmes? They naturally came pretty quickly to my mind, Watson. Well, then I went up to the house with the inspector and saw all that was to be seen. As I twist, there was a bullet Wound in the dead man. Oh, what about that? It had been caused by a shot from at least four yards away. There was no powder blackening on the clothes. Alec Cunningham had lied when he said the two men had been struggling when the shot was fired. Both father and son agreed about the place where the man had escaped into the road. Right. There was a broadish ditch at that point, moist at the bottom, but there were no signs of bootmarks anywhere. I was not only sure that both the Cunninghams had lied, but that there had been no unknown man at the scene at all. Then you mean to say that one of them shot William? Now why in heaven's name would they want to do that? That was what I asked myself. I began to think about the original burglary at your house, Mr. Acton. And I remembered the Colonel here telling us about a long standing lawsuit between you and the Cunninghams. Ah, yes, yes, that's right enough. I have the clearest possible claim upon half their present estate. And by breaking into your library, the Cunninghams perhaps hope to find something, some document which would be of importance in the case. Could that be so? It most certainly could. If they could have found one certain paper, they'd have crippled my case. But fortunately it's in the strong box at my solicitors. There you are. It was a dangerous, reckless attempt. Having found nothing, they tried to divert suspicion by making it look like an ordinary Burberry. They swept a few things into a bag, no doubt, and made off. So that explains the curious collection of missing things. Yes, all that seemed quite clear to me. But what I had got to get above all was the missing part of that note. I was certain that Alec had torn it out of the dead man's hand. He was wearing his dressing gown at the time. We've been told 10 to 1 he would have thrust it into his pocket. It was worth an effort to find whether it was still there. Which is why I arranged for us all to go up to the house, of course. I see you remember the Cunninghams joining us outside the kitchen door. Yes indeed. As bad luck would have it, the inspector started to tell them about the one clue we'd found. It was imperative that he shouldn't have a chance to mention the paper to them. Or if they still had it, they'd remember it and destroy it at once. Then, by the luckiest chance in the world, I tumbled down in some sort of faint and changed the conversation. Good hems. Holmes. Do you mean to say you are bluffing? Well I, Holmes, in all my years of practice I've seen plenty of fellows collapse at my feet. Feet I didn't mind saying, you took me in completely astounding. Oh, it's an art I often find useful. Well, when I recovered I managed by some little ingenuity to get old Cunningham to Change the word 1 to 12 on that reward notice in his own hand. I wanted to compare his writing of 12 with the 12 on our fragment of the other note. Oh, heavens, what a blind ass I've been. I do apologize, my dear Watson. I was sorry to cause you such pain at the thought of my wandering mind. Well, to be brief, when we got upstairs I contrived by upsetting a decanter. I knew it. I knew I hadn't knocked the blessed thing over. I contrived to divert attention while I slipped into the dressing room to search the pockets of the dressing gown which I had spotted hanging there. I just found what I wanted when the Cunninghams chased in after me. Well, Mr. Holmes, this is the most remarkable thing I've ever heard in my life. By the way, though, what was in the rest of that note? Here it is complete. It says, if you will come round at quarter to 12 to the east gate, you will learn what will very much surprise you and may be of the greatest service to you and also to Annie Morrison. Annie Morrison? Oh, she's a girl in the village, isn't she? Old Arthur Morrison's girl? Yes. What's she got to do with it? What the relations may have been between poor William Kirwan and Annie Morrison need not concern us. Alec Cunningham knew. No doubt it shows how skillfully the trap was baited. They decoyed William up there and shot him. But what on earth for that? Much I learned from the older Cunningham after he'd been arrested and you and Watson had gone home. It seems that William knew all about his master's raid on Mr. Acton's house. He threatened to expose them. Dear me. What's the matter, Holmes? Suddenly, Watson? I'm rather tired, very tired, I think. If you gentlemen will excuse me, I shall take myself off to bed. Yes, yes, of course, certainly. Still, I think our quiet rest in the country has done me a great deal of good. A distinct success, Watson, thanks to you. Yes, I shall certainly return, much invigorated, to Baker street tomorrow. That was the eighth of nine dramatized Sherlock Holmes stories entitled the Reigate Squires. It may be heard again tomorrow. The ninth and last of these stories, the Thor Bridge, will be broadcast next Monday night at half past seven. Throughout the series, the part of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are being played by Robert Langford and Kenneth Baker.