Summary Dale’s Valley of Terror
“Valley of Terror” – Detective story of Arthur Conan Doyle, published in 1915. First Summary. In the first part of Sherlock. The basis is the stories “Dancing Men”, “The Valley of Horror” (an episode with detailed information about the content of the new series is missing, however.
Sherlock Holmes receives an encrypted letter from a certain Porlock, associated with Professor Moriarty, the organizer of many crimes. In a letter consisting of numbers, only two words are written: “Douglas” and “Birlstone.” While the great detective unravels the cipher, a message comes from Porlock, in which he asks to burn the previous letter, since it is already useless. At this moment appears the inspector of police McDonald with the news that Mr. Douglas was killed in the Birlstown manor. Holmes suggests that Professor Moriarty is involved here. Taking his friend Watson, the great detective goes to Birlstone. The manor was built
In order to get into the house, the bridge fell. John Douglas is a rich man, he earned his fortune in the American gold mines.
His first wife died, and Douglas is married for the second time to a woman who is twenty years younger than he. Sometimes in the house a friend of Douglas is visiting, Sesser Barker, who came with him from America. The servants of the house consist of a butler and housekeeper. It was Burker who at night discovered a corpse and brought a policeman and a doctor to the estate.
The murdered man was lying on his back, disfigured with a shot to the head. On his chest rested with a rifle barrel. Seeing on the window a bloody trace from the boot, Burker decided that the killer had fled the ditch, since the bridge had already been raised.
He did not let Mrs. Douglas enter the room. But how did the murderer get into the house? Most likely in the afternoon, across the bridge, and hid somewhere in the house. Near the corpse was found a card with DV’s initials and number 341,
On the right hand of the slain was a brand. The butler noticed that the hands of the murdered man were wearing all his rings, except for the wedding band. Exploring the rifle, Holmes comes to the conclusion that weapons are made in America. He does not find traces on the other side of the moat.
The great detective thinks about the facts: if it was murder, how could the criminal kill Douglas, take off his ring, trample in the corner, and escape through the window if Burker came running into the room? And if there was a suicide, then how to explain the tracks on the window and in the corner? Given the sign on his hand and the card, Holmes comes to the conclusion that in the case of some secret society involved. Especially since Burker, speaking of Douglas, is sure that his past is connected with some secret. While the police inspector finds out what the relationship was between Mrs. Douglas and Barker, Holmes observes that, according to Barker’s story, a candle burned in the room when he entered, and according to the story of the newly appeared butler, the light was on. Mrs. Douglas said that her husband had mentioned the Valley of Terror and a certain Mr. McGinty. Holmes notices that the track on the window belongs to the Barker shoe. The great detective comes to the conclusion that Burker and Mrs. Douglas intentionally lie. The wrong man was Douglas, to voluntarily give the ring, and the candle burned very little.
For a time Douglas and the killer were talking, and then a shot occurred. Not far from the house was found a bicycle belonging to a certain Mr. Hargrave, most likely an American who came to the town from London and stayed at the hotel. According to the description, Hargrave is similar to Douglas. But Hargrave himself disappeared. Holmes spent the night studying the ancient building of the manor. He suggests that the policemen write to Burker a note informing him of the drainage of the moat. In the evening, hiding, they watch someone pull something out of the ditch.
Holmes catches Barker red-handed. In the bundle is clothing made in the American Vermisse.
Vermissa Valley is known as the Valley of Terror sending killers. Finding the clothes, Holmes realized that it was not Mr. Douglas, but Hargrave, who was killed, and Douglas himself hiding in the house.
Hargrave was Douglas’ long-standing enemy in America. He arrived in England, found Douglas, and he shot him with a gun. Since the face of Hargrave was disfigured, he and Burker decided to extradite the man killed for Douglas, dressed the corpse, donned rings to him, but could not wear the engagement. Douglas records his story twenty years ago and hands over the manuscript to Dr. Watson. Part two. Cleaners. In the small mining town of Vermissa from Chicago comes a young man of about thirty, John McMurdo.
He is going to find work there and is counting on the help of his fellow Masons. John takes a room with the Swede Shefter. He has a romantic relationship with the daughter of Shefter, Etty, but the father warns that Etty has an admirer, Tedd Baldwin, one of the Cleaners – an old Masonic order that is known as the Order of the Murderers.
Cleaners are destined for destiny, and the city is full of their victims. Nobody dares to sue them, because he does not hope to live to see the court to make a witness. John does not intend to give up, although Baldwin threatens him with reprisals. He decides to get acquainted with the head of the Cleaners, McGinty. Learning that John is actually a counterfeiter and a cold-blooded killer, McGinty takes him to the ranks of his friends and tells Baldwin that the girl should choose herself. John leaves from Shefter and settles separately.
Covering himself with work, he prints counterfeit money and distributes it to the members of the box. Passing through the terrible test – branding with a red-hot iron – Johnny becomes a full member of the box and learns about her affairs. Together with Baldwin, he is sent to a newspaper man who wrote an article about the Cleaners. McGinty orders us not to kill him, but only to teach him a lesson.
John is arrested, but McGinty saves him. John is gaining popularity among the Cleaners, but now Shefter does not want to deal with him, and John meets Etty secretly. One day, two guys from the box arrive in Vermiss with the assignment. In front of John, they kill the director of a large mine. McGinty instructs John to blow up the policeman’s house with his wife and children.
John is exploring the situation, preparing an explosion, but by a lucky chance at the last moment people are moving to live in another place. John does not refuse his plan, but the Cleaners continue to commit outrage. John learns that the detective Barry Edwards is going to Vermiss from the private agency Nat Pinkerton, and the lodges will be finished. Having preliminarily discussed the escape from Etty, John at the meeting announces the arrival of the detective. None of those present do not know him. John declares that he knows the detective, and undertakes to neutralize him. He believes that the detective is hiding under the guise of a journalist.
John goes on a reconnaissance mission to a nearby town. Returning, he reports that the detective lived there for a long time, he had plenty of money, so that he could learn much.
John invited the detective to his house to kill him with McGinty. Arranging in the house of John an ambush, the Cleaners are waiting for the journalist. Finally he appears, it turns out to be John himself. The house is surrounded by police, and McGinty is arrested. John took root in the box and, as he could, prevented the crimes. When he had finished, he left Vermissu with Etty and her father.
McGinty and his accomplices were brought to trial and executed. But Ted Baldwin escaped execution and was looking for Edwards. Knowing this, Edwards changed his name to Douglas and left for England. At that time, Etty died. After a while comes the news of the death of Douglas. Holmes suggests that this is the work of Professor Moriarty. The American turned to him for help, but he failed.
Now the matter is brought to an end. But the great detective will not sit idly by, he needs time to defeat Moriarty. Gisselle Adan said.
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