Scribd
Upload
58 views1 page

The Mystery of the Six Napoleons

The document details a series of peculiar burglaries targeting Napoleon busts, where only the busts were destroyed without any other valuables taken. It introduces characters like Mr. Lestrade, Holmes, and Beppo, an Italian artisan, who is caught attempting to steal a bust containing the hidden black pearl of the Borgias. Holmes ultimately discovers the pearl's history and its connection to previous crimes involving Pietro Venucci and Beppo's quest to recover it.

Uploaded by

AVIJIT PAUL
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
58 views1 page

The Mystery of the Six Napoleons

The document details a series of peculiar burglaries targeting Napoleon busts, where only the busts were destroyed without any other valuables taken. It introduces characters like Mr. Lestrade, Holmes, and Beppo, an Italian artisan, who is caught attempting to steal a bust containing the hidden black pearl of the Borgias. Holmes ultimately discovers the pearl's history and its connection to previous crimes involving Pietro Venucci and Beppo's quest to recover it.

Uploaded by

AVIJIT PAUL
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

1.

On one such occasion, he confessed that he was quite confused by a case he was handling…
a. The person being referred to as "he" was Mr. Lestrade of Scotland Yard. The occasion was when he
told Holmes and Watson about a peculiar case involving repeated destruction of plaster busts of
Napoleon.
b. The first burglary had taken place a few days earlier in Morse Hudson’s shop, where a bust of
Napoleon had been found smashed to pieces. The shop assistant had left the premises for a short
while, and on returning had discovered the bust in fragments.
c. The second case had occurred the following night at Dr. Barnicot’s house in Lower Brixton. The
house was burgled, and nothing was stolen except the head of a Napoleon bust, which was found
smashed in his garden.
d. What was “queer” about both cases was that nothing else of value had been taken during the
burglaries—only the busts of Napoleon were targeted and destroyed, which seemed unusual and
purposeless.
2. “I entered this room and found the windows open…”
a. The speaker was Mr. Harker, a journalist. He had bought the bust only a few days earlier from
Harding Brothers.
b. The murdered man was described as a tall, had sunburnt,strong man not mor than thirty,poorly
dressed, an Italian. He later turned out to be Pietro Venucci, a dangerous criminal from Naples
connected with the Mafia.
c. In the murdered man’s pockets, they found an apple, a map of London, and a photograph.
d. The bust had been found smashed to fragments in the front garden of a house in Campden House
Road.
3. Before long, a lithe, dark figure sped up the garden path…
a. The figure was Beppo, an Italian artisan and skilled sculptor who had previously been convicted of
crimes including stabbing a fellow Italian.
b. He was in the garden path of Laburnum Lodge, Chiswick, where Josiah Brown lived. Holmes,
Watson, and Lestrade were also present nearby, waiting in the shadows to catch him.
c. He had come there to steal and break open the Napoleon bust owned by Josiah Brown, in search of
the hidden black pearl of the Borgias.
d. Immediately afterwards, Holmes sprang upon him, and with Lestrade and Watson’s help they
handcuffed him. The bust he had stolen was recovered intact before he could smash it.
4. Holmes placed a ten pound note on the table…
a. Holmes bought the bust from Mr. Sandeford of Reading. He made him sign an agreement
transferring every possible right to the bust so that Holmes could lawfully break it without dispute.
b. Holmes spread a cloth, struck the bust, and broke it open. Inside, he discovered a round, dark object
—the famous black pearl of the Borgias.
c. Holmes revealed that the pearl had been stolen from the Prince of Colonna’s bedroom by an Italian
maid, who passed it to her brother Pietro. Beppo had acquired it, but while fleeing from the police he
hid it in the wet plaster of a Napoleon bust at the factory. Six such busts existed and were later sold.
After his release from prison, Beppo tracked them down one by one to recover the pearl.
d. The previous crime Holmes recalled was the theft of the black pearl of the Borgias from the Prince
of Colonna, which had led to a chain of events involving Pietro Venucci, Beppo, and the smashed
busts.

Common questions

Powered by AI

The theft of the black pearl was significant because of its immense value and the complex network of criminal activity it entailed. Unlike ordinary thefts, this crime involved an intricate plot involving a Mafia connection, international conspiracies, and the concealment within artistic items like the Napoleon busts. The pearl's theft spurred a sequence of high-profile thefts and matters of jurisdiction, making it a crime of notable seriousness and intrigue .

The black pearl of the Borgias was stolen by an Italian maid from the Prince of Colonna’s bedroom and passed to her brother Pietro. Beppo, who acquired the pearl, hid it in the wet plaster of a Napoleon bust at the factory while fleeing from the police since he could not openly possess it. This led to a chain of events where, after his release from prison, Beppo sought out all the busts to recover the hidden pearl, resulting in a series of burglaries targeting these specific busts .

The destruction of the Napoleon busts can be seen as a reflection of art-related crime where valuable or historically significant artifacts are manipulated for underlying criminal motives. In this case, the busts, symbolizing historical figures, became vessels for concealing the black pearl of the Borgias. This incident highlights how objects of art and historical relevance are often entwined in criminal activities, either as items of theft or as tools to hide illicit goods, pointing to a continuity in crimes related to art .

Beppo, an Italian artisan and skilled sculptor, was responsible for the burglaries and destruction of the Napoleon busts as he sought to recover the black pearl hidden inside one of them. Holmes, Watson, and Lestrade tracked and ultimately caught him at Laburnum Lodge, where he intended to steal and smash yet another bust. Holmes and his team, waiting in the shadows, sprang upon Beppo just as he was stealing the bust, apprehending him with the bust still intact .

Pietro Venucci was identified as the murdered man associated with the events around the Napoleon busts. Described as a strong, sunburnt Italian, he had connections to the Mafia, which intensified the criminal dimension of the events. In Venucci's possession were an apple, a map of London, and a photograph, indicating his criminal activities and associations. His death highlighted the criminal network and potential motive for retrieving the pearl .

Holmes needed to purchase the Napoleon bust from Mr. Sandeford to lawfully examine its contents by breaking it open. By obtaining ownership of the bust, Holmes ensured that any evidence found within could be used without legal disputes. This action was pivotal as it led to the discovery of the black pearl of the Borgias inside the bust, providing the necessary evidence to understand why these specific busts were targeted, thus resolving the mystery .

Holmes conducted a thorough investigation by analysing the pattern of the burglaries and understanding the context of the thefts. A critical step was Holmes purchasing a similar Napoleon bust from Mr. Sandeford in Reading, striking it open lawfully. Inside, he discovered the black pearl of the Borgias, which confirmed the busts' significance and the motivation behind Beppo's actions. This step was crucial as it directly tied the stolen pearl to the busts and resolved the mystery .

To ensure the final bust was recovered intact and to prevent its destruction, Holmes strategically positioned himself, Watson, and Lestrade to ambush Beppo at Laburnum Lodge. They lay in wait for Beppo to attempt stealing the bust, thus catching him in the act before he could break it. This careful planning and timing were critical in preserving the bust and its hidden content, effectively capturing Beppo with substantial evidence of his crime .

In the burglaries involving the Napoleon busts, the peculiar pattern was that nothing else of value was taken during the incidents other than the destruction or theft of the busts themselves. This behavior was considered unusual and purposeless because ordinarily burglars target items of value, whereas in these cases, the perpetrator only targeted plaster busts of Napoleon, leaving other valuable items untouched. This peculiarity puzzled Mr. Lestrade and prompted further investigation .

Beppo's actions had significant impacts on policing and criminal investigation, highlighting the necessity for cross-jurisdictional cooperation and enhanced investigative techniques. Engaging the international dimension of Beppo's criminal activities necessitated collaboration between local law enforcement like Scotland Yard and the subtle detective work of Holmes. This case demonstrated the evolving complexity of crime involving art and criminal networks, pushing for more scrutinized procedures and inter-agency cooperation .

You might also like