sbrook were visited by a succession of pressmen representing the
London dailies, the provincial press, and the news agencies.

The two points on which the newspaper accounts of the tragedy laid stress
were the mysterious letter which had been sent to Scotland Yard stating
that Sir Horace Fewbanks had been murdered, and the mystery surrounding
the sudden return of Sir Horace from Scotland to his town house. On the
first point there was room for much varied speculation. Why was
information about the murder sent to Scotland Yard, and why was it sent
in a disguised way? If the person who had sent this letter had no
connection with the crime and was anxious to help the police, why had he
not gone to Scotland Yard personally and told the detectives all he knew
about the tragedy? If, on the other hand, he was implicated in the crime,
why had he informed the police at all?

It would have been to his interest as an accomplice--even if he had been
an unwilling accomplice--to leave the crime undiscovered as long as
possible, so that he and those with whom he had been associated might
make their escape to another country. But he had sent his letter to
Scotland Yard within a few hours of the perpetration of the crime, and
had not given the actual murderer time to get out of England. Was he not
afraid of the vengeance the actual murderer would endeavour to exact for
this disclosure which would enable the police to take measures to prevent
his escape?

No light was thrown on the cause of the murdered man's sudden return from
grouse-shooting in Scotland. The newspaper accounts, though they differed
greatly in their statements, surmises, and suggestions concerning the
tragedy, agreed on the point that Sir Horace had been a keen sportsman
and was a very fine shot. In years past he had made a practice of
spending the early part of the long vacation in Scotland, going there for
the opening of the grouse season on the 12th of August. This year he had
been one of a party of five who had rented Craigleith Hall in the Western
Highlands, and after five days' shooting he had announced that he had to
go to London on urgent business, but would return in the course of a week
or less. It was suggested in some of the newspaper accounts that an
explanation of the cause of his return might throw some light on the
murder. Inquiries were being made at Craigleith Hall to ascertain the
reason for his journey to London, or whether any telegram had been
re