EDWIN DROOD MYSTERY

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 27, 1 February 1913, Page 10

EDWIN DROOD MYSTERY

A NEW THEORY. Couctrniiiy the Edwin Diood in\nl"i\. ■IL-vived by hii W. Robeitson Nicoll's u>-ccnlly-publh'ied bo'ik, a more foaMble theory as to tlu< identification of Doti.licry than Helena Loudleis. in di^niso is aired by a correspondent ol T.P.s Weekly. This is that Lieutenant Tartar v\ns performing tho masquerade. Tho iorU'spondent vviites :—: — "The evidence in its favour is vorv strong. Wo haw llu> testimony of John For&lur, who daimod to bo in the author's confidence, that Neville was to Ikivc perished in assisting Tat tar to unmask t'nrl teize the murderer. And this statement is amply supported by the SLtJiy as it stands. Tartar's motives to luidclaki? the enterprise wpit more than putli'ipnl. As Iho lover of Ropa the best tiadifion" <<f novpl -writing demanded that ho should \i" her rescuer fiom persecution. Wo know, too, that had left London, for Rosa expected him to tall upon her, but ho never came. Where could lie be if not in Cloisterham ? Datchery, again, had a military air. No one except Tartar — who had commanded a corvette— could have assumed the \vr»lk and gait so well. Datchery, alsc, was unfamiliar with Cloisterham. In searching for Mrs. Tope's house, 'he went boggling about and about the cathedral tower.' Only Tartar could have shown such ignorance of the neighbourhood. Another point is that Datchery wished to see Jasper at once, and at close quarters. For what other purpose did he call upon him as Mrs. Tope's reference? Tartar did not know Jasper by sight, and his first object would be to become acquainted with his personal appearance. If Helena had been Datchery, she would have avoided encountering Jasper as much as possible, lest he .should penetrate her disguise. The whole part of Datchery suited Tartar admirably. He was himself 'living idly on his means,' and the 'single buffer's easy, frank, and open manners were natural to Tartar's own 'character.' lie had, too, courage, resolution, and resource; in short, all the qualities which his task required. We can, therefore, safely conclude that in Lieutenant Taitar the elusive Datehery is found, beyond all reasonable doubt."