《福尔摩斯探案集·蓝宝石案》第11节
“Hotel Cosmopolitan Jewel Robbery. John Horner, 26, plumber, was brought up upon the charge of having upon the 22nd inst., abstracted from the jewel-case of the Countess of Morcar the valuable gem known as the blue carbuncle. James Ryder, upper-attendant at the hotel, gave his evidence to the effect that he had shown Horner up to the dressing-room of the Countess of Morcar upon the day of the robbery in order that he might solder the second bar of the grate, which was loose. He had remained with Horner some little time, but had finally been called away. On returning, he found that Horner had disappeared, that the bureau had been forced open, and that the small morocco casket in which, as it afterwards transpired, the Countess was accustomed to keep her jewel, was lying empty upon the dressing-table. Ryder instantly gave the alarm, and Horner was arrested the same evening; but the stone could not be found either upon his person or in his rooms. Catherine Cusack, maid to the Countess, deposed to having heard Ryder’s cry of dismay on discovering the robbery, and to having rushed into the room, where she found matters as described by the last witness. Inspector Bradstreet, B division, gave evidence as to the arrest of Horner, who struggled frantically, and protested his innocence in the strongest terms. Evidence of a previous conviction for robbery having been given against the prisoner, the magistrate refused to deal summarily with the offence, but referred it to the Assizes. Horner, who had shown signs of intense emotion during the proceedings, fainted away at the conclusion and was carried out of court.”
注释摘要
这一段是华生与我们共同读到的一份报纸摘录，它既是这桩奇案在公共领域的面貌，也是此后一切推理的出发点。福尔摩斯将它从近日堆积的晨报中翻出来，逐字念出，我们便与贝克街客厅里的两位听者一样，隔着印刷文字去揣测一间旅馆房间里究竟发生过什么。 字面上看，这是一则标准的法庭简讯，刊载于一家伦敦日报，报道的是治安法庭对一名二十六岁水管工约翰·霍纳的预审。十二月二十二日，…