It was obvious that the criminal we captured, Jefferson Hope, was resisting almost madly because he did not have any special ill will towards the four of us, because when he realized that he was unable to break free from the handcuffs, he actually smiled gently and expressed his hope that he would be able to break free from the handcuffs.

While resisting desperately, no one was hurt. He said to Holmes: I think you want to send me to the police station! This is very convenient, my carriage is outside. If you let go of my legs, I

You can walk down by yourself and get on the carriage. It's not so easy for you to lift me up and take me down to the carriage.

Leithward and Gregson exchanged glances, as if they thought the criminal's request was a bit bold. However, Holmes immediately accepted his request and untied the towel we tied around his ankles. He stood up.

He stretched his legs for a while, as if he wanted to prove that his legs had indeed regained the freedom of movement. I still remember it clearly. While looking at him at the time, I thought to myself, there are few people who are better than him.

He is a taller and stronger man. His weather-beaten black face shows a determined and energetic look, just like his tenacious physical strength, which is surprising but cannot be underestimated.

He looked at Holmes and said with admiration: "If the post of Director of the Police Department is vacant, I think you are the most suitable candidate. Your investigation method of this case is indeed well-planned and cautious."

Holmes said to Leithward and Gregson: "You'd better come with me."

Leisweid said: "Okay, I'll drive the car."

"Okay, Gregson can ride in the carriage with us. Doctor, and you. Since you have developed a strong interest in this case, you'd better come with us."

I readily agreed to his suggestion. Soon, we went downstairs together. Jefferson Hope showed no signs of running away. He silently got into his carriage, and we followed suit. Lei Siwei

De got on the coachman's seat and whipped up his horse. Not long after, we arrived at our destination. We entered a small room, where a police officer gave the name of the criminal and the names of the two people he killed.

All were recorded. The police officer had a fair complexion and a somewhat cold expression. He carried out his work step by step. He said: "Mr. Jefferson Hope, you will be submitted to the court for trial within this week. Before the trial, you still have

What do you want to say? I must tell you in advance that everything you say will be recorded and may be used as the basis for convicting you."

Jefferson Hope said slowly: "Gentlemen, I have a lot to say, and I am willing to tell you everything."

The police officer said, "It seems better for you to wait until the interrogation."

Jefferson Hope said: "Perhaps, I will never be tried. Don't be surprised, I don't want to commit suicide." He turned his fierce and dark eyes to look at me and asked: "Are you a doctor?

?”

"Yes, I am a doctor."

"Then, please put your hand on me." He said with a smile, and pointed to his chest with his handcuffed hands.

I pressed his chest with my hand and immediately noticed an unusual beating inside. His chest was vibrating, as if a powerful machine was running in a flimsy building. In this quiet room,

I could hear a slight murmur in his chest.

I exclaimed in surprise: "You have aneurysm!"

He said calmly: "That's what the doctors say. Last week, I also saw a doctor. He told me: It won't be long before the blood tumor will rupture. I have been sick for a long time."

I'm a teenager, and my condition is getting worse year by year. I got this disease over time because I was exposed to wind, sun, rain, overwork, and not enough food in the mountains of Salt Lake City. Now, I have completed

I have fulfilled my mission, and I don’t care when I die. But I am willing to explain this matter clearly before I die, so that I can have an explanation after my death. I don’t want others to only regard me as a human being after I die.

A heinous murderer."

Leisweid, Gregson and the police officer had a hasty discussion to consider whether it would be appropriate to allow him to tell his story.

"Doctor, regarding his condition, do you think there is a risk of sudden change?" the police officer asked.

I replied: "Yes, indeed."

"If this is the case, in order to uphold the law, it is obvious that our duty is to obtain his confession first." The police officer said: "Mr. Jefferson Hope, now you can give an honest account. But, let me tell you again, what you have said

All facts presented must be recorded.”

"Please allow me to sit down and talk, will you?" Jefferson Hope said, sitting down boldly, and then said, "This leukemia can easily make me tired, and half an hour ago we were very fierce.

I have been fighting for a while, which will definitely worsen the condition. I am already a person on the edge of the grave, so I will not lie to you. Every word I say is true. You

It doesn't matter to me what will happen to me."

After saying these words, he leaned back in his chair and began to describe the following amazing confession. He described it in a calm and orderly manner, as if what he was describing was ordinary. I can guarantee that this additional statement

The confession is correct, because I took the opportunity to copy it from Leisweid's notebook. In his notebook, Jefferson Hope's confession was recorded word for word according to his original statement.

He said: Why do I hate these two people so much? It has nothing to do with you. They are heinous and have committed unforgivable crimes. At least they have killed two people - my beloved girl.

and his adoptive father, so they finally lost their lives, which they deserved. It has been so many years since they committed the crime, and I can't point out any evidence and then accuse them in some court.

.However, I know best that they have committed an unforgivable crime. I have already made up my mind that I will handle all the work of presiding judge, jury, and executioner entirely by myself. As long as you are a man, once you

From my perspective, you would definitely do the same thing as me.

The girl I mentioned just now was originally going to marry me and live a happy life 20 years ago, but she was forced to marry this damn Delibo. She died with hatred. I picked up the fingers from her body.

I took away the bride's gold ring. I made an oath to God at that time: I must let Drib die looking at this gold ring, and I must make him realize when he is dying that it is because he has done too many bad things.

, and was severely punished. I followed him and his accomplice Stangerson for thousands of miles across two continents, and until I caught up with them, I kept this gold ring with me.

Guys were running around trying to wear me down, but their efforts were in vain. Even if I died tomorrow - which is very possible, but before I died, I finally figured it out. I came to

The mission in this world has been completed, and it has been completed successfully and brilliantly. These two guys are dead, and they were killed by me personally. Apart from this, I no longer have any other requirements or hopes.

.

They were rich and I was broke. So it was very difficult for me to track them down. When I first arrived in London, I was almost broke again. I felt that I must first find a job.

I had to work to maintain my livelihood. Riding a horse or driving a carriage was as commonplace to me as walking. So, I first went to a carriage factory to find a job, and my job search was successful immediately. However, every week I

I have to pay the rent to the car owner, and the rest belongs to me. But there is not much money left, but I always try my best to make ends meet. For me, the most difficult thing is not knowing the road. I thought

, among all the cities I have been to with complicated roads, none are more complicated than the streets of London. So I brought a map with me until I became familiar with many big hotels and several major stations.

, my work became smoother.

It took me a long time to find the place where these two guys lived. I made a secret visit, and finally I met them accidentally. The place where they lived was an apartment in the Camberwell area on the other side of the Thames. I found their

After picking up the traces, I knew that they were finally under my control. I had grown a beard, so they would definitely not recognize me. I stared at them closely, always waiting for the opportunity to strike. I made up my mind that this

I will never let them escape under my nose again.

Despite this, they almost escaped again. Wherever they went, I followed them closely. Sometimes I followed them in the carriage, and occasionally I followed them on foot. Of course, following them in the carriage was the best way, so that

It is difficult for them to get rid of me. Only late at night or early in the morning I do a little business and make a little money, but then I cannot pay the rent to the car owner in time. However, as long as I can personally kill the enemy,

I don't care about anything else.

However, they are also very cunning and shrewd. They must also feel that someone may be following them, so they usually never go out alone, nor do they go out at night. For two weeks, I followed them in the carriage every day

They followed them, but they were never seen moving apart once. Damn Driber was often drunk, but Stangerson never neglected. Although I spent all my time spying on them, I could never find a suitable opportunity.

. However, I did not give up hope because of this. I always felt that the opportunity for revenge was definitely about to appear. The only thing I worried about was the disease in my chest. If it ruptured prematurely, my revenge career would be over.

failed.

Finally, one evening, when I was driving a carriage wandering around the area called Torquori where they lived, I suddenly found a carriage parked in front of their residence. Soon, someone took out some salutes,

Soon, these two guys also came out, and they rode away together. I immediately urged my horse to follow them, and followed them slowly. At that time, I felt a little uneasy, fearing that they would change their place of residence again.

When they arrived at Euston Station, they got off the carriage. I asked a young man to look after my carriage for me, and I followed them into the platform. I heard them asking about the timetable of the train to Liverpool. The staff at the station answered

He said that a bus had just left and there would not be a second one within a few hours. After hearing this, Stangerson seemed to be very upset, but damn Delib looked very happy. I hid in the crowd,

But I was very close to them, so I could hear their conversation clearly. Damn Driber said he had some personal matters to attend to, and if Stangerson would wait for him for a while, he would be back soon. Stangerson

But he blocked his actions and reminded him that they had decided that they had to be together to take care of each other and could not act alone. Damn it, Driber explained that this was a delicate matter and he had to go alone. I didn't hear clearly.

Stangerson said something else, only to hear Driber yelling loudly. He said that Stangerson was just a servant he hired and had no right to accuse him, the master. In this way, Stangerson was asking for trouble and did not dare to do it again.

Say more. So he changed his tone to a discussion and said that if Delib was delayed for the last train, he could go to the Halliday Hotel to find him. Delib said that he could return to the station platform before 11 o'clock in the evening.

, and then he walked straight out of the station.

The opportunity I have been waiting for day and night has finally arrived. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! My enemies are completely under my control. When they are together, they can take care of each other; however, as soon as they are separated, I will defeat them individually.

Even so, I did not act rashly. I had already formulated a systematic plan: at the moment of revenge, if the enemy did not figure out who killed him, and if he did not let him understand why he was treated like this

Punishment, then this kind of revenge will not satisfy me. I have already arranged a series of revenge plans. According to this plan, I will let my enemy who has harmed me have the opportunity to understand that now it is his numerous sins that have suffered.

It's time for retribution. As it happens, a few days ago there was a man who checked several houses in the Brixton Road area in my carriage, and the key to one of the houses was lost in my carriage. Although

He took the key back that night, but before he took it away, I had already made a mold of the key and made one. In this way, in this big city, I at least found a place where

I can do whatever I want without encountering any obstacles. The problem that needs to be solved now is how to get the damn Delib into that house.

Deliber walked on the road and turned into two hotels. He stayed in the latter hotel for about half an hour. When he came out, he was walking unsteadily. It was obvious that he was drunk.

I was confused. There happened to be a small two-wheeled carriage in front of me, and he greeted the driver and got on it. My carriage followed closely. My horse's nose was only 1 inch away from the driver of the carriage in front of me.

meters away.

We passed Waterloo Bridge and ran on the streets for several miles. However, to my surprise, we actually returned to the place where he originally lived. I could not imagine what he wanted to do back there.

Of course, I continued to follow, and I stopped the carriage about 100 meters away from the house. I watched Deliber enter the house, and the pony carriage he was riding in also left. Please give me water,

My mouth is dry.

I handed him a glass of water and he drank it all in one gulp.

Jefferson Hope paused and continued: That's better, okay, I'll continue. I waited for about 15 minutes, maybe longer, and suddenly there was a noise of fighting in the house. Then

, the door was suddenly opened, and two people appeared in front of me. One of them was of course Drib, and the other was a young man. I had never seen this young man before. This young man grabbed Drib by the collar and said,

When they reached the steps, he pushed hard, followed by a big kick, and Delib was kicked into the street. He faced Delib, waved the wooden stick in his hand, and yelled: "Dog"

Thing! Teach you a lesson for daring to insult a good girl!' He was so angry that if Delib hadn't run away desperately, I think this young man would have beaten him up again with a wooden stick. Delib

I ran away until I reached the corner and happened to spot my carriage. He greeted me and jumped into the carriage. He said, 'Take it to Haolidai Hotel.'

When I saw this bad guy getting into my carriage, I was so happy that my heart beat violently. I was particularly afraid that at this once-in-a-lifetime moment, my blood tumor would suddenly burst. So, I calmed down and drove slowly.

I drove the carriage forward, thinking about what should be done. I could take him to the countryside, on a desolate road, and calculate the total with him. When I almost decided to do this,

Dribbe suddenly solved the problem. At this time, his drinking addiction got worse again. Outside a big hotel, he asked me to stop the car. He told me to wait for him, and then went in. He stayed inside all the time.

When the hotel closed and he came out, he was already extremely drunk. I knew that the success of the plan was just around the corner.

Don't think that I will suddenly give him a knife and simply kill him and be done with it. If I do this, it will just be a rigid execution of a strict trial. I will not do that. I have already planned to leave it to Driber.

An opportunity, if he can seize this opportunity, he may have a chance of survival. During the years when I wandered in America, I did all kinds of errands. I once worked as a sweeper in the laboratory of 'York College'.

Guard. One day, when a professor was explaining the knowledge about poisons, he showed the students something called "alkaloid". This was extracted from the poison used by the South American natives to make poisonous arrows. It was particularly toxic.

It was so violent that as long as a tiny bit of it was touched, the blood would immediately seal the throat and lead to death. At that time, I firmly remembered the place where the poison bottle was placed. After the professor and students dispersed, I poured some out. I

Being a good expert at dispensing medicine, I made these poisons into several small pills that were easy to dissolve. I put one pill in each box, and at the same time, I put another small pill with the same appearance but non-toxic.

Meatballs. I made a plan at that time. Once I can get it, these two enemies will each get a box, let them swallow one first, and I will swallow the remaining one. In this way

Doing it is like covering the muzzle of a gun with a handkerchief and shooting. It can kill people without making any noise. From that day on, these boxes containing pills have been carried with me. Now, it’s time for me to use them.

It's time.

It was already after midnight, almost 1 o'clock. It was a stormy late night. The wind was blowing very hard and the rain was pouring. Although it was a bleak scene outside, my heart was full of joy and excitement.

I almost cheered loudly. Gentlemen, if any of you have ever worked hard for one thing, have been waiting hard for more than 20 years, and once success is in sight, then you will understand my mood at that time. I lit

I lit a cigar and blew out smoke rings to calm my nerves. Because I was so excited, my hands could not help shaking and my temples were beating. As I was driving the carriage, I saw John Ferrier.

and my beloved Lucy smiling at me in the dark. I could see clearly, just as I now see all the gentlemen in this room. Along the way, father and daughter always appeared in front of me, one on each side.

Walking on both sides of the horse, I followed me to the empty house on Brixton Road.

There was no one in sight, and no other sound could be heard except the sound of wind and rain. I looked into the car from the window and saw that Delib was curled up in a ball and sleeping soundly. I shook his arm and said to him:'

It's time to get off.'

He said drowsily: 'Okay, coachman, okay.'

I think he thought he had arrived at the Haolidai Hotel he just mentioned, because he didn’t say anything else, so he got out of the car and followed me into the garden in front of the empty house. At this time, he was still a little top-heavy, and I

I had to help him walk to prevent him from falling. When I reached the door, I opened it and led him into the front room. I can assure you that along the way, John Ferrier and his beloved Lucy were always friends.

Walking in front of us.

'It's too dark,' said Drebber, stamping the mud on his feet.

I said: 'It will be light soon.' I struck a match and lit a candle I had prepared. I turned to him, held the candle close to my face, and said:

'Well, Enoch J. Drebber, do you see who I am?'

He stared at me for a long time with drunken eyes. Finally, I noticed a look of fear suddenly appeared on his face, and his whole face convulsed. This meant that he had recognized who I was. His face turned gray with fear.

He staggered back. I also saw large beads of sweat rolling down from his forehead to his brows, and his upper teeth rattled with his lower teeth. I noticed his bear-like appearance, and stopped.

I couldn't help but lean against the door and laugh. I have long known that revenge is a happy thing, but I never thought that such a situation would happen.

I scolded him and said, 'You piece of shit! I chased you from Salt Lake City to St. Petersburg, but you always let you slip away. Now, your days of traveling freely and playing with women are over. Because, it's not you.

, I will never see the sun tomorrow morning again!" When I said this, he took a few steps back. From his face, I could see that he thought I had gone crazy. Yes,

I was indeed no different from a madman, because the blood vessels in my temples were beating like a blacksmith swinging a hammer. I believe that if blood had not come out of my nostrils and made me feel relieved, my illness might have stopped.

It happened on the spot.

I shouted: 'Tell me, how is Lucy Ferrier now?' I locked the door and held the key in front of his eyes a few times. 'The punishment did come too late, but finally

You've been arrested.' When I said this, his cowardly lips trembled, and his eyes showed that he wanted to beg for his life. But he knew very well that it was of no use.

He stuttered: 'You...you want...to...murder...me?'

I replied: 'It's not murder. Can it be murder to kill a mad dog? When you dragged my poor Lucy away from her adoptive father who was brutally murdered, when you dragged

When she snatched her into your despicable new house, did you ever feel any pity for her?'

He cried: 'It wasn't me who killed old John Ferrier!'

I shouted sternly: 'However, you have soiled Lucy's pure heart!' I handed the pill box to his eyes and said, 'Let God judge for us! You must choose one and eat it.

You will be poisoned to death, but one can continue to live. You pick the remaining one and I will eat it. Let's see if there is any justice in this world, or we all have to rely on luck.'

He was so frightened that he hid aside, yelled and begged for his life. However, I pulled out the knife, put the tip of the knife against his throat, and forced him to swallow one pill, and I swallowed the other. I and I

He was relatively speechless and stood there quietly for 1 to 2 minutes, waiting to see who died and who lived. When a painful expression appeared on his face, I knew he had swallowed a poisonous pill.

.I can't forget his look at that time. Seeing his look, I burst into laughter and held Lucy's gold wedding ring in front of his eyes. But all this only lasted a moment, and the effect of the alkaline took effect.

He had to go very fast. He had a painful spasm, and his face was deformed and twisted. He stretched his hands forward and swayed, and then he screamed and fell to the ground. I kicked him over with my feet and squatted down.

I touched his chest with my hand and my heart stopped beating. He was dead!

At this time, blood was pouring out from my nostrils, but I didn't care. Somehow, I suddenly had an idea and wrote bloody words on the wall with my own blood. Perhaps this was because of a kind of

As a prank, I planned to lead the police astray. At that time, I was indeed in a relaxed and happy mood. I remembered that a German was murdered in New York, and the word "Rach" was written on the body of the deceased. The newspaper at that time

There was a heated debate about this in the newspaper, and one side thought it was the work of secret parties. I thought that this word that confused New Yorkers might also lead Londoners astray. So I dipped my fingers in mine.

Blood, I found a spot on the wall and wrote the word. Then, I went back to my carriage. There was no one around, and it was still stormy. I drove the carriage for a while, and suddenly I thought of putting my hand in

I felt in the pocket where Lucy's gold ring was usually kept and found that it was missing. I was surprised because it was the only souvenir she left me. I thought maybe it was when I knelt down to look at Driber's body.

At that moment, it fell. I drove the carriage back. I parked the carriage on a side street nearby. I took courage and walked towards the house. I would rather encounter any danger than lose it.

This gold ring. When I walked outside the house, I bumped into a policeman who had just come out of the house. I had to pretend to be drunk to dispel his suspicion.

This was the situation before and after the death of Enoch J. Drebber. The next thing I have to do is to use the same method to deal with Stangerson and avenge John Ferrier. I know that Stangerson

Jason was at the Holliday Inn at the time. I patrolled around the hotel all day, but he never showed up. I think it was probably because Dribbe never came back, so he felt something was wrong. Stanger

Xun is indeed shrewd and cunning, and he has been carefully guarded. However, if he thought that as long as he stayed in the room and did not come out, he could avoid my pursuit, he was terribly wrong. I quickly found out the window of his room.

Early the next morning, I used a ladder placed in the alley outside the hotel and took advantage of the dim light to climb into his room. I woke up Stangerson and explained to him that he had killed John a long time ago.

Ferrier, now is the time for him to pay for his life. I told him the specific circumstances of Driber's death, and asked him to choose a pill to take. He actually refused to accept the chance I gave him to live. He jumped out of bed.

He jumped up and tried to grab my throat. In order to defend myself, I stabbed his knife directly into his heart. No matter what method I took, the result was the same, because God would never let Stangerson's sinful hands pick him.

Non-toxic pills.

I still have a few words to say, and it would be best if I finish them, because I know that I am about to die. After killing Stangerson, I drove the carriage for a day or two. I wanted to work harder and save money for my trip back.

Go to America. Today, I was parking my carriage in the square. Suddenly, a young man in shabby clothes asked if there was a coachman named Jefferson Hope. The young man said that there was a gentleman at No. 221B Baker Street who wanted to hire him.

Carriage. I didn’t have any doubt at all, so I followed the young man. What I knew from now on was that this young gentleman skillfully handcuffed both of my hands, and the handcuffing was so skillful.

This is rare in my life. Gentlemen, this is all my experience. You can regard me as a criminal, but I think that I am a judge who enforces the law like you.

Jefferson Hopper's story was so touching and his attitude was so impressive that we were all spellbound and the room was silent. Even two experienced professional detectives were stunned.

He listened with great interest. After he finished his narration, we all sat in silence for several minutes. The room was quiet except for the rustling of the last few strokes of Leisweid's shorthand confession on the paper.

"One more thing I want to find out is who came to receive the gold ring after we advertised it?" Holmes finally asked.

Jefferson Hope winked at Holmes mischievously and said: "I can only tell the secrets I hide, but I don't want to implicate my friends. After seeing your advertisement, I also guessed that it was probably a trap, but I really couldn't bear it.

That gold ring. A friend volunteered to come and see what was going on. I think you can’t deny that he did it beautifully!”

"Yes, that's quite true," said Holmes.

At this time, the police officer said seriously: "Well, everyone, you must abide by the legal procedures. This Thursday, this criminal will be submitted to the court for trial. Please attend at that time. Before the trial, he will be under my care." He said
Chapter completed!