The Five Orange Pips

           WhenIglanceovermynotesandrecordsoftheSherlockHolmescasesbetweentheyears’82and’90,Iamfacedbysomanywhichpresentstrangeandinterestingfeaturesthatitisnoeasymattertoknowwhichtochooseandwhichtoleave. Some,however,havealreadygainedpublicitythroughthepapers,andothershavenotofferedafieldforthosepeculiarqualitieswhichmyfriendpossessedinsohighadegree,andwhichitistheobjectofthesepaperstoillustrate. Some,too,havebaffledhisanalyticalskill,andwouldbe,asnarratives,beginningswithoutanending,whileothershavebeenbutpartiallyclearedup,andhavetheirexplanationsfoundedratheruponconjectureandsurmisethanonthatabsolutelogicalproofwhichwassodeartohim. Thereis,however,oneoftheselastwhichwassoremarkableinitsdetailsandsostartlinginitsresultsthatIamtemptedtogivesomeaccountofitinspiteofthefactthattherearepointsinconnectionwithitwhichneverhavebeen,andprobablyneverwillbe,entirelyclearedup. 

           Theyear’87furnisheduswithalongseriesofcasesofgreaterorlessinterest,ofwhichIretaintherecords. AmongmyheadingsunderthisonetwelvemonthsIfindanaccountoftheadventureoftheParadolChamber,oftheAmateurMendicantSociety,whoheldaluxuriousclubinthelowervaultofafurniturewarehouse,ofthefactsconnectedwiththelossoftheBritishbarkSophyAnderson,ofthesingularadventuresoftheGricePatersonsintheislandofUffa,andfinallyoftheCamberwellpoisoningcase. Inthelatter,asmayberemembered,SherlockHolmeswasable,bywindingupthedeadman’swatch,toprovethatithadbeenwounduptwohoursbefore,andthatthereforethedeceasedhadgonetobedwithinthattime—adeductionwhichwasofthegreatestimportanceinclearingupthecase.