Ineffable Twaddle “It is my business to know what other people don’t know.” The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle A monthly publication of The Sound of the Baskervilles A Scion Society of the Baker Street Irregulars  Since March 31, 1980 Serving the Greater Puget Sound Region of Western Washington

Volume 32, Issue 5 Reichenbach Remembered at Our Annual Wreath Throw! May, 2013 Don’t miss our Annual As in years past, we anticipate excellent spring Wreath Throw on Satur- weather! And, the annual rhododendron display! Inside this issue: day, May 4 in Tumwater. Lunch will follow the Wreath Throw at Falls Reichenbach 1 We’ll convene promptly Terrace Restaurant at approximately 1:00 p.m. Remembered at our at 11:30 a.m. in the park  Direcons to The Annual Wreath Throw  Annual Wreath Throw! on the Deschutes River If northbound on I-5, take Exit 103; follow Deschutes 1 (below the Falls Terrace Way SW (straight) north to the Falls Terrace Restau- The Adventure of the Restaurant and the old Olympia Brewery, on rant (on your right). Deadliest Weapon: Part 3 the east side of I-5, Exit 103) in Tumwater. If southbound on I-5, take Exit 103 (2nd Avenue); stay SOBs James Romnes and Al Nelson will act straight to go onto 2nd Avenue SW, turn left onto Cus- It’s “The Mostly Conan 2 as hosts for the day! There’ll be a short stroll ter Way SE (takes you back over I-5), right onto Boston Doyle Pence Quiz”!!! to the falls, toasting of our honour roll, a return St SE, left onto Deschutes Way SW. The entrance to the park is on the south side of the Restaurant. walk to Falls Terrace, and a guest violinist. Librarian’s Corner 2 Things to See, Buy, 3 The Adventure of the Deadliest Weapon: Part 3 Do & Know An Original Pastiche by and bursting with all the wild vitality of a pu- 3 SOB James Romnes aka Constable John Rance ma. Who is the Model for Dr. Watson? It’s We continue where we left off last month (see “Thank you, Mrs. Hudson,” said Holmes, Ineffable Twaddle, Vol. 32, Issue 4, April 2013, Page “Doctor, may I present the widow of Count Elementary Stuff 1), with Holmes and Watson speculating about Sylvius.” Contributed by SOB whether the victim’s death was suicide or murder: The Contessa’s response was extraordi- Treasurer Al Nelson

“Holmes, my mind reels! If it is not assas- nary: she fell to her knees, raised her dainty sination by Venucci, nor murder by the hands heavenward, and cried, “Mr. Sherlock Member News & 4 Contessa, nor death by his own hand, what Holmes, my Patrona, I beg as a lowly peasant Updates remains?” begs, spare my dear Paolo! He has con- “What remains, my fessed only to save me!” dear Doctor, are the Her frock was the finest Parisian but her Count’s final words re- manner and beauty were southern Italianate. ported by our gossiping Her black eyes burned with desperation. cabman. Is it possible Holmes put out his hand to raise her up but you don’t see that the she shook her raven black ringlets. Count was killed by— “No, Mr. Holmes, please, first swear you ?...But wait, we have unexpected visitors.” will show me there is justice in your Eng- Our longsuffering landlady entered, fol- land. I care for nothing else.” lowed by one of the most remarkable indi- Holmes once more extended his long pale viduals ever to grace 221B. hand and said firmly, “Honestly recount for “I’m sorry, Mr. Holmes,” said an embar- us the story of Count Sylvius’s death and you rassed Mrs. Hudson, “I tried to have her will find both justice and mercy in England.” send up her card first.” After Holmes’ masterful words, she docile- “Justice! I demand English justice!” The ly took the wicker chair and began. impassioned speaker was hatless, barefoot, “Forgive my ways… Continued on Page 2 Page 2 Ineffable Twaddle

T.S. McHugh’s Public House is at It’s “The Mostly Conan Doyle Pence Quiz”!!! 21 Mercer Street, The May 19, 2013 Regular Monthly Meeting of The Sound of the Baskervilles will Seattle, (206) 282-1910. begin at 4:00 p.m. at T.S. McHugh’s Public House. The social hour starts at 3:00! Come early, order SOB Lauran Stevens will try to stump us once again with another fabulous quiz!! a meal, and catch This time she titles it, “The Mostly Conan Doyle Pence Quiz”!! You may deduce cor- up with the other rectly that it will be mostly about Conan Doyle, with bits of Holmes and London SOBs! sprinkled in. She hopes to have small prizes—straight from London—for every right answer. In addition, there will be two great prizes for the overall winners: a) “221B Baker Street: The Master Detective Game” and 2) two paperbacks—“Sherlock Holmes: From SOB Elliott Black, Fact or Fiction” by T.S. Blakeney published by Otto Penzler and “The Royal Flush Lincolnwood, IL (Solo Mystery Sherlock Holmes)” by Milt Creighton. So study up!! What glorious kismet to open the De- cember issue of “BBC History Librarian’s Corner Magazine” (vol. 13, no. 12) and see the article entitled “Jujitsu suffragettes”— “It is a great thing to start life with a small number of really good books which are your very own." women who gave as good as they got. —Sir Arthur Conan Doyle To suffragettes—frequently engaged in The Lloyd Hedberg Collection (Stephen Adkins, caretaker) hand-to-hand combat with police and SOB Lloyd Hedberg recently gave SOB Stephen Adkins a collection of over 70 other indignant males (Some contempo- rary gents might thrive with these in- books and monographs of Sherlockian scholarship. The collection is now cata- struments in carnal pursuits...I’m just logued and managed for safe-keeping and preservation. The catalog and items in sayin’)—these weapons were required the collection are available to SOB Members by request to Stephen. armor: dog-whips for keeping rowdies Here is a sample of this fabulous and very generous gift: at bay; Indian clubs; leather flails;  Baker Street and Beyond. A group of essays by Lord Donegall, a founder of the “toffee hammers” for window- Sherlock Holmes Society of London. smashing; and the hairpin.  Baker Street By-Ways by James E. Holroyd, another founder of the London Socie- Hairpins may not strike us as being ty. particularly menacing weapons today,  Essays in Satire by Ronald A. Knox—contains Knox’s essay “Studies in the Litera- but back in the Edwardian era— when ture of Sherlock Holmes,” which some say started Sherlockian scholarship. women's hats were huge and the pins  My Dear Holmes by Gavin Brend, a biography of Holmes by a well-known Eng- themselves could be up to 16 inches lish scholar. long—they were potentially lethal.  Sherlock Holmes and Scotland Yard: A Love-Hate Relationship by John Pforr Newspapers were certainly alive to their and Phillip Weller. dangers, filling their pages with stories of hatpin suicides, accidents, and mur-  The Standard Doyle Company: Christopher Morley on Sherlock Holmes, ed. ders. In The Adven- Steve Rothman, essays by the founder of the Baker Street Irregulars. ture of the Abbey  Watsoniana by Elliot Kimball, essays on John H. Watson. Grange (1904), Sir Special Sets: Eustace Brackenstall  David L. Hammer books  The Sherlock Holmes Natural History Series by stabbed his wife with Donald G. Jewell  and “A Canonical Dog’s Life” and “Horses of a Different Color”, her own hatpin. Had just two of several monographs. she been jujitsu- Stephen’s e-mail contact info is on the SOB Membership list. trained, she could have Sheila Holtgrieve, SOB Librarian, [email protected] leveled the playing field. Jujitsu was all the rage once Japan opened its doors to the west in the 19th The Adventure of the Deadliest Weapon Continued from Page 1 century and became allied with Britain. ...but I was not born in this gray, wet cruel spider. There were always whis- Britain adapted to Japan’s exotic cus- toms and thus Gilbert & Sullivan creat- land of yours. My home was Sicily where perings I heard. Whisperings of his rob- ed the Mikado and suffragettes enthusi- the sky is always blue fire. And I would beries, of his outrages, of his murders. astically practiced its martial arts, prac- have stayed there except for this brute Even here in your country.” ticing jujitsu. Sherlock Holmes, too, who impressed my father with title and Holmes interjected, “Would this in- became a proficient (though of money. I was told he was a great man clude Ricoletti of the club foot?” “bartitsu”, famously misspelled as and it was a great honor that he marry “Dio Caro! You know of that? His abom- “baritsu” in Adventure of the Empty me. But he wasn’t a great man, he was a inable wife shocked Paolo.” House [1903]), where Holmes acknowl- great monster. “Paolo Venucci, your cousin?” asked edges that this talent helped propel “Sicilians are passionate and fierce in Holmes. Moriarty over/into the Reichenbach. our love. But the Count was a cold and Stay tuned for next month’s installment!! Vol Volume 32, May 2013, Issue 5 Page 3 ume

More from Omaha SOB Things to See, Buy, Do & Know Carl Wirth’s Graphic Novel Collection • Received from both SOBs Margie Deck & use his logic, his method of Amber Ackerson: PBS’s “How Sherlock deduction. That's how we Beginning in 1986 Renegade Press Changed the World” is a 2-hour special—slated do it today, solving cases began the series “Cases of Sherlock to premiere this fall—that will “reveal for the first based on Sherlock Holmes' Holmes”—a lot more small print of time the astonishing impact that Holmes has had logic." “How Sherlock the stories to go with its illustra- on the development of real criminal investigation Changed the World” will tions. Also in 1986 and forensic techniques.” Through the use of com- demonstrate how the lega- to mark the 50th pelling archival material and reconstruction, the cy of Holmes, as the first anniversary of program tells the true stories of the scientists, crime profiler, was not Detective Comics, it detectives and even criminals who were inspired solely a reservoir of brilliant stories and wonderfully ran on its cover Bat- or influenced by the legend of Holmes. The pro- drawn characters, but that it has saved lives and man and Sherlock gram explores real crimes that were solved thanks led to the capture of some of the worst criminals in Holmes looking over to a piece of equipment Holmes used, a technique modern history. a casebook, while he popularized or invented, or even his method of • From District Messenger Editor Roger Johnson: inside was “The Adventure of the Red Leech”. reasoning. The special will also assess the history “Dead Man’s Land” by Robert Ryan was re- of Holmes' techniques from the 1880s to the pre- leased in January (Simon & Schuster UK; no U.S. Leaping ahead 10 years, Caliber sent, showing how the scientific techniques he publisher yet, but available on Amazon Kindle for $9.99), Comics issued Sherlock Holmes introduced to the world have evolved into the stun- in which Dr. Watson proves his worth as a detec- Reader. It served up ning CSI-style forensic labs of Scotland Yard and tive on the Western Front. The noted crime writer both comic book (or the FBI. "Sherlock Holmes is the grandfather of Mark Billingham calls it a “hugely powerful depic- more like graphic forensic science," states top forensic scientist Dr. tion of wartime horror, a cunning murder mystery novel) adventures Henry Lee. "Today when I go to a crime scene I and a brilliant… Continued on Page 4   and did highlights from the Sherlock- ian world. And who Who is the Model for Dr. Watson? It’s Elementary Stuff could forget Data as Excerpted from The London Sherlock Holmes Times, Dec. 23, 2012—subtitled found in “Star Trek: “Little is known about The Next Generation literature’s greatest sidekick. Embrace The Wolf”, In writing a novel about Sherlock Holmes’ ‘biographer’, and most recently Boom Robert Ryan solved the Kids gave us “Muppet mystery of his sidekick” Sherlock Holmes” and DC gave us Holmes and We need to ask this question because the we know about him comes from his own writ- the Scooby Doo gang solving novels and stories tell us little. We aren’t sure ings. “The Strange Case of Dorian what the initial of his middle name stands for; In those times when Watson kept a wife and Wormwood”. Ah, so many it was Dorothy Sayers who championed “Ha- a practice (and during The Great Hiatus, 1891- comics...so much Holmes!! mish”. We aren’t certain how his first (or sec- 1894, when Holmes was presumed dead), he ond?) wife Mary Morstan died, or how many did not live with Holmes, who nevertheless at times he has been married. His first name is times came calling when adventure beckoned. hardly mentioned—and, in “The Man with the A possible third marriage is alluded to in “The Twisted Lip”, watch out for his wife calling Blanched Soldier”, set in 1903, the last year of him “James”. Holmes’s active work as a consulting detec- Are Your Dues Paid Up? Try to grasp the screen versions of Watson tive. From then on, until reunited with Holmes The SOBs is nothing as firmly as Holmes and he runs through your in 1914 for “His Last Bow”, Watson was pre- without its valuable fingers like sand. Is he the faithful but farcical sumably working as a GP on Queen Anne Members! And, we Nigel Bruce? The athletic Jude Law? The Street and their contacts were restricted to “the hope you are getting cuddly Martin Freeman? Watson, of course, occasional weekend” visit (mentioned in “The value from your Mem- can even switch sex and become Joan (Lucy Lion’s Mane”) and letters or telegrams from bership—through our Liu in “Elementary”). All this matters to me Watson asking permission to reveal the details meetings, our newsletter, our Christ- because, for my latest novel, I wanted to of a distant case to a public eager for more of mas magazine, our website and our move Watson centre stage, out of Holmes’s Sherlock Holmes. other Club events. But, due to the lengthy shadow. And give him a murder to So who was Conan Doyle’s inspiration for high cost of our monthly mailings, if solve. Dr. John H Watson? If Holmes is Joseph Bell, your dues are not renewed by June Watson is, of course, Holmes’ biographer. Watson is the man who served as his assistant 2013, we’ll have no recourse but to All but four of the adventures are narrated by for a short while, and who witnessed first-hand drop you from our mailing list! him; two are by Holmes himself and two are the man’s capacity for observation and deduc- Don’t let that happen to you! in the third person. Therefore, most of what tion from the flimsiest… Continued on Page 4 The Sound of the Baskervilles is a scion The Sound By appointment society of the Baker Street Irregulars, of the of Her Majesty, serving the greater Puget Sound Region of Western Washington, U.S.A., and has met Baskervilles Queen Victoria monthly since March 31, 1980. $20 per year brings Members the monthly newsletter “Ineffable Twaddle”, a copy of Ineffable Twaddle Beaten’s Christmas Annual, and the incalcu- lable benefits of association with a group of A monthly publication of certifiable Holmes aficionados. The Sound of the Baskervilles Meetings are held the 3rd Sunday of each A Scion Society of the Baker Street Irregulars since March 31, 1980 month. Location of the meetings may vary. Serving the Greater Puget Sound Region of Western Washington Regularly scheduled additional events throughout the year include: “The Mas- President: David Haugen, PFL, SOB, PSC ter’s Dinner” celebrating Holmes’ birthday Treasurer: Allen Nelson ([email protected]) (January), “The Annual Wreath Throw” Secretary/Editor: Terri Haugen ([email protected]) commemorating Holmes’ loss at Reichen- Historian: Lloyd Hedberg ([email protected] bach Falls (May), “The Dr. John H. Watson Lending Librarian: Sheila Holtgrieve ([email protected]) Picnic” (July), and “The Will Crakes Me- Webmaster: Stuart Nelan ([email protected]) morial Jollification” (December). Other Website: www.soundofthebaskervilles.com activities—book crawls, teas, plays and gaming events—are as announced. Direct correspondence to: 6710 – 51st Street Court West To join, send your check for dues—$20 for University Place, WA 98467 individuals, $30 for families (U.S. funds only)—to the address shown at left. Phone: 253-460-2753 Fax: 253-460-2753 Email: [email protected] Things to See, Buy, Do & Know Who is the Model for Continued from Page 3 Dr. Watson? Continued from Page 3 ...re-invention of Dr. John Watson, which sees Sherlock Holmes’ side- ...of clues. Look at Sidney Paget’s drawing, kick finally take centre stage in what I hope will be the start of a long- then at photographs of a younger Arthur Conan running series. Conan Doyle would most definitely approve!” Doyle. Think of Watson’s character traits, his Dates of “A Chronology of the Life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, May 22, kindness, compassion, dependability, thought- Interest 1859, to July 7, 1930” by Brian W. Pugh is available from MX Pub- fulness, solid, workaday thoroughness—all the hallmarks of a good general practitioner. And ● SATURDAY, lishing ($22.95). As Randall Stock notes in his foreword, a chronology Conan Doyle was a GP (in Plymouth and May 4 is not a biography, but this book is more valuable than most of the published lives of Conan Doyle. The new edition adds about fifty pag- Southsea) before he took up writing full time. Annual Wreath Watson played rugby; Conan Doyle was a Throw = 11:30 a.m. es, seven of them containing a chronological summary of the journal recently published as “Dangerous Work: Diary of an Arctic Adven- useful goalkeeper and batsman. And he was in Tumwater; married twice. Conan Doyle once claimed ture”. Here are lists of ACD’s various homes, his sporting career, the lunch follows at “unaffectedness’” as one of his prime virtues. burial places of the Doyles, statues and plaques, and more— Who is more unaffected than Watson, hiding 1:00, Falls Terrace including some fascinating photographs. But the essence of the book Restaurant his own light under a bushel while Holmes is in the orderly calendar of Sir Arthur’s life, in which innumerable soaks up the glory? ● SUNDAY, ambiguities and uncertainties are authoritatively resolved. Brian Pugh Yes, Watson is Conan Doyle, with the dis- May 19 has created that rare thing, a genuinely essential work of reference. tance between real author and fictional biog- Regular Monthly • From SOB Elliott Black, Lincolnwood, IL: The New York Times rapher reduced to a wafer-thin gap. And the Meeting, Social = gave some fanfare to the release of “The Seven-Per-Cent Solution” great detective’s marvelous companion can 3:00 p.m.; on DVD and Blu-ray in January, saying “We’re lousy with Sher- have no better epitaph than the one etched on his creator’s own tombstone: “Steel True, Blade Business = 4:00 at lock Holmeses right now: the Robert Downey Jr. version on the big screen, the competing television interpretations of Benedict Straight.” That’s Dr. Watson. T.S. McHugh’s Cumberbatch (“Sherlock”) and Jonny Lee Miller (“Elemen- ● SUNDAY, tary”) and all the Holmes-inspired geniuses in current and re- Picnic Chair Paul Williams says: June 16 cent TV shows like “The Mentalist”, “Psych”, “House” and July 20 is the date for our Regular Monthly “Monk.” So “The Seven-Per-Cent Solution”...enters a crowded Annual Dr. Watson Picnic Meeting, Social = market...But its Sherlock deserves special consideration because at Seahurst Park in Burien!! 3:00 p.m.; he’s the father of all those modern Holmeses. Besides being a The fun starts at 9:00 a.m., Business = 4:00 at clever comic mystery with an absurdly talented cast, this 1976 and we have the shelter un- T.S. McHugh’s film…established the template for all the twitchy, paranoid, til 2:00 p.m.!! vulnerable, strung-out Holmeses to come.”