Sir A. Conan Doyle Amazed

From The Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopedia

Sir A. Conan Doyle Amazed is an article published in the Daily Mail on 31 august 1907, including a part of an interview with Arthur Conan Doyle about the Edalji case.


Sir A. Conan Doyle Amazed

Daily Mail (31 august 1907, p. 5)

Home Office Criticised.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle made an important statement at Hindhead last evening to a "Daily Mail" representative.

"I was amazed," he said, "when I saw in the 'Daily Mail' that the Home Office had not communicated the result of my investigations in the Edalji case to the Staffordshire police. I was almost angry about the matter, and immediately took steps to rectify such an extraordinary lapse of an obvious duty on the port of the Home Office.

"At ten o'clock I telegraphed to Captain Anson, the Chief Constable of Staffordshire, stating that I was writing to him on the subject later in the day. This done, I sat down and wrote from memory and the private documents I happened to have with one a summary of my investigations. In this letter I outlined my theories of the various crimes, based upon investigations pursued by one in the locality where the outrages were committed.

"As far as the last two crimes were concerned I admitted that my knowledge of the facts was of a more general character. I pointed out, however, that the crimes appeared to be of the same character, and that there was strong presumptive evidence that they were the work of the same agency; and if not the work of the original blackguard, probably at his instigation.

"I said I was convinced from a most careful examination of the facts that the old crimes were committed by a certain individual. As in duty bound, I gave the name of the man and the place where he was living. I gave his reasons for committing the crimes. I described the weapon with which those crimes were committed, and I gave him (Captain Anson) handwriting specimens to compare with the anonymous letters.

"There were other vital facts in my letter which they could not possibly have had previously in their possession without coming to the conclusion that Edalji was an innocent man. I have seen the instrument used by the criminal, and I pointed out to Captain Anson that the incisions found on the slaughtered animals could only be made with an instrument of a similar kind.

"That there might be as little delay as possible, I sent my letter by express service to Captain Anson, and he should have received it this evening. There the matter rests for the present. Let Captain Anson take his time, let him weigh this new, not unimportant evidence, let him follow up all the clues that I have laid before him, then a great wrong must of a certainty be righted by the conviction of the criminal."

"Justice may come late, but come it."