I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere

Tonga Was One of the Most Isolated People in the World

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"an isolated phenomenon" [GREE]</h4>
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When we recently came across an entry from <b><a href="http://nowiknow.com/">Now I Know</a></b>, a free daily newsletter that promises "you'll learn something new every day," (click through to subscribe) it was almost as if it had been written for us. So we did what was only natural: we reached out to the editor and asked if we might share the original post here. He gracefully agreed.<br />
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But before we delve into the details behind this rather interesting bit of trivia, let's explore the Canonical mention (<b>CAUTION</b>: there may be <b>spoilers </b>ahead if you haven't yet read <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/2RL8ls9" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Sign of Four</a></b></i>).<br />
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The mystery begins with Holmes and Watson being visited by Mary Morstan, whose father served in the army in India at Fort Agra. Major Morstan disappeared 10 years prior, leaving behind his luggage and some curiosities from the Andaman Islands. Since that time, Ms. Mortan received pearls annually and has been invited to discover the origin of the same by Thaddeus Sholto, son of Maj. John Sholto, who served with Morstan.<br />
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Upon arrival at Pondicherry Lodge, the group learned that Bartholomew Sholto is dead, having himself been hit with a poisoned thorn. All that remained were child-like footprints and a stick with a stone head tied to it like a hammer.<br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="more"></a>Holmes pieced the elements together: small footprints, strange weapons, individuals who have been in India for some time. He concluded that the perpetrator must have come from the Andaman Islands:<br />
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This is the first volume of a gazetteer which is now being published. It may be looked upon as the very latest authority. What have we here? `Andaman Islands, situated 340 miles to the north of Sumatra, in the Bay of Bengal.' Hum! hum! What's all this? Moist climate, coral reefs, sharks, Port Blair, convict barracks, Rutland Island, cottonwoods - Ah, here we are! `The aborigines of the Andaman Islands may perhaps claim the distinction of being the smallest race upon this earth, though some anthropologists prefer the Bushmen of Africa, the Digger Indians of America, and the Terra del Fuegians. The average height is rather below four feet, although many full-grown adults may be found who are very much smaller than this. They are a fierce, morose, and intractable people, though capable of forming most devoted friendships when their confidence has once been gained.' Mark that, Watson. Now, then, listen to this. `They are naturally hideous, having large, misshapen heads, small, fierce eyes, and distorted features. Their feet and hands, however, are remarkably small. So intractable and fierce are they that all the efforts of the British officials have failed to win them over in any degree. They have always been a terror to shipwrecked crews, braining the survivors with their stone-headed clubs, or shooting them with their poisoned arrows. These massacres are invariably concluded by a cannibal feast.' Nice, amiable people, Watson! If this fellow had been left to his own unaided devices this affair might have taken an even more ghastly turn. I fancy that, even as it is, Jonathan Small would give a good deal not to have employed him. </blockquote>
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There we have the setup. Now without further ado, here's "<a href="http://nowiknow.com/the-most-isolated-people-in-the-world/">The Most Isolated People in the World</a>" from Now I Know:<br />
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The part of the Indian Ocean encapsulated by the eastern shore of India and the shores of Bangladesh and Myanmar (Burma) is called the Bay of Bengal (map).  The eastern edge of the Bay of Bengal is defined as a set of islands called the Andaman Islands, an archipelago, most of which are under control of India.  North Sentinel Island, a small dot of land, is part of the Andaman Islands.  North Sentinel Island is set just west of the larger islands in the group, as seen as the red area in the map at the top.  (For further context, the island is flagged <b><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=11.55,92.233333&ll=12.039321,94.570313&spn=24.782025,36.386719&t=p&z=5">on the map here</a></b> – be sure to zoom in.)<br />
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Between 50 and 400 people are estimated to live on North Sentinel Island.  These people, known as the Sentinelese, are perhaps the most isolated people in the world and are believed to be pre-Neolithic — literally, technologically in the Stone Age.  By and large, the Sentinelese have gone uncontacted by outsiders for centuries if not millennia — in part because the Sentinelese do not take kindly to visitors.<br />
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In 1967, Indian authorities began their first meaningful attempt to engage the Sentinelese by leaving coconuts as gifts on the island’s shores.  While some progress was made over the course of a few decades, the quality and quantity of contact was minimal at best.  Seven years later, anthropologist Trilokinath Pandit and a film crew attempted to woo the Sentinelese into friendly contact with gifts, such as fruit, a pig, some toys, and pots and pans.  The result was not positive: a film director was shot in the thigh with an arrow.  In the 1990s, India cut off its permission for these anthropological endeavors, citing risks seen in contacting other uncontacted tribes as well as the fear of introducing diseases from mainland India to the Sentinelese people, whose physiologies almost certainly would be ill prepared to recover from.<br />
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More recent events strongly buttresses that this decision to cut off hopes of contact is just fine with the Sentinelese.  In 2006, a pair of fishermen were plying their trade, illegally, off North Sentinel Island’s shore.  <b><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/1509987/Stone-Age-tribe-kills-fishermen-who-strayed-on-to-island.html">Sentinelese archers killed the fishermen</a></b>.  When a helicopter came to recover the bodies, the helicopter too was met with a hail of arrows, and retreated before fulfilling its mission.<br />
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What do we know about the Sentinelese?  Understandably, very little.  They live in huts and are hunter-gatherers, employing the use of javelins, bows and arrows, and harpoons.  They speak a language unique to them (also called, by outsiders, “Sentinelese”) which we have no way of translating.  The Sentinelese appear to use pig skulls as ornaments of some sort, and have employed the use of red dye in both clothing and what is best guessed to be decoration.<br />
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And that, unfortunately, is all we may ever learn.  As India has given up almost all hope of making further contact with the Sentinelese, these people are considered autonomous and, in a very real sense, the most isolated people on the planet.  It seems like a matter of time before they and their culture die off, becoming a historical footnote. On the other hand, the Sentinelese are resilient — some estimate that they have lived on North Sentinel Island for 60,000 years, and in any event, the Sentinelese somehow survived the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 (which <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:2004_Indonesia_Tsunami_Complete.gif">probably hit the island</a></b>). </blockquote>
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Could Tonga have been part of the Sentinelese people? Given his rather irascible personality, it doesn't sound like a stretch. The blowpipe would seem to equate with the archers and the hammer-like weapon is clearly Neolithic in nature.<br />
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And when one considers that he was "a fine boatman" according to Johnathan Small, it's not unlikely that he left Sentinel Island and made his way to some of the other Andaman Islands where he took ill. It was there that Small nursed him back to health and was able to attain a degree of loyalty from the islander, whom Small said was "as venomous as a young snake."<br />
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While we may never know with certainty which of the Andaman Islands Tonga called home, our preference is for Sentinel Island, home of the most isolated people in the world.<br />
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Tonga Was One of the Most Isolated People in the World

"an isolated phenomenon" [GREE] When we recently came across an entry from Now I Know , a free daily newsletter that promises ...

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by Scott Monty

Remembering Ted Schulz, BSI

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"I'm sorry councillor, but it's Ted" [VALL]</h4>
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[<b><i>Editor's note</i></b>: The following is a guest post by C. Paul Martin, BSI ("Dr. Leslie Armstrong"), who knew Ted Schulz quite well.]<br />
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Theodore G. Schulz, BSI ("The Amateur Mendicant Society") passed beyond the Reichenbach on January 24, 2013. Knowing Ted was to appreciate a true champion and an active practitioner of the art of Sherlockiana and its environs.<br />
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Ted was the genuine template for the formation of the optimal Baker Street Irregular, Sherlockian, Holmesian, Praedian, etc. while imparting his caring and enthusiastic personality to all his associates and acquaintances in many societies.<br />
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Ted had the opportunity to give us his own story before he left us: it's a rich mix of text and videos and can be found at <b><a href="http://tedschulz.com/" target="_blank">TedSchulz.com</a></b>, which has been recently updated by Barry Brilliant (who himself <b><a href="http://bbrilliant.com/Tedschulz/LetterfromBarry.html" target="_blank">penned a letter to Ted</a></b> that summed up their friendship).<br />
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Other adventures with Ted can be viewed via <b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=ted+schulz+sherlock" target="_blank">a number of YouTube videos</a></b> that he made, such as the one below. Yet, in knowing him these past 44 years, I believe he would also like you to know some unique facts.<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7dwmX0ULHLs" width="560"></iframe></center>
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Ted was born at Mt. Zion Hospital in San Francisco in 1923, the same night that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was presenting a lecture on spiritualism and photography at Dreamland Auditorium just a few blocks away from the hospital. Could Doyle’s ethereal spirits have migrated to Ted upon his birth with resultant influence?<br />
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Ted’s only son was named William Sherlock Schulz, a fitting testament to his devotion to his avocation and his wife Mary’s love of him and acceptance of his enthusiasm for the world of Sherlock Holmes and Conan Doyle.<br />
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The many honors bestowed upon Ted, including his Two Shilling Award and his 50 year BSI Membership Recognition only validate the conclusion of the many people who were privileged to meet him that “Ted is the nicest man I have ever met!” Ted received his investiture "The Amateur Mendicant Society" in the BSI in 1961.<br />
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If you'd like to watch the memorial that Ted's local Sherlockian group held, it can be viewed <b><a href="http://bbrilliant.com/Tedschulz/TedMemorial.html">by clicking here</a></b>.<br />
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Remembering Ted Schulz, BSI

"I'm sorry councillor, but it's Ted" [VALL] [ Editor's note : The following is a guest post by C. Paul Martin, BS...

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by Francine Kitts

Review: Sherlock Holmes and the BTK Killer, Son of Sam and Unabomber

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"A very workmanlike bit of analysis" [VALL]</h4>
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<a href="http://bookstore.iuniverse.com/content/site300/productimages/sku-000560409.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://bookstore.iuniverse.com/content/site300/productimages/sku-000560409.gif" width="426" /></a></div>
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The somewhat unwieldy-titled book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/147593226X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=147593226X&linkCode=as2&tag=thebakerstree-20"><i>How Sherlock Holmes Deduced “Break The Case Clues” On The BTK Killer, The Son of Sam, Unabomber and Anthrax Cases - With Analysis on The Mad Bomber and the Unsolved L.I. Gilgo Beach Murders</i></a> (disclosure: <a href="http://cmp.ly/5">cmp.ly/5</a>) is an examination of the cases mentioned in the title, made up of actual reports made to the FBI or other agency involved in the case. The author, Tom Walker, is a retired police captain of the NYPD and a Sherlockian. As he says in his Introduction:<br />
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“What follows is true, it is not fiction. However, I readily acknowledge that none of these deductive successes would have been possible without Sherlock Holmes walking behind me and occasionally whispering in my ear.”<br />
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It is interesting to see the inner workings of a mind that directly applies lessons from Sherlock Holmes to detective work. Mr. Walker provides just enough detail of each crime to express the horror of the scenes, but does not delve into unnecessary gore. The “break the case clues” he arrives at unfortunately never do break a case, but they very well might have if his conclusions had been heeded by the agency in charge.<br />
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The book, for the most part, maintains an academic atmosphere fitting for a ‘course of lectures,’ as Holmes himself would have liked. The exception comes in moments of Sherlock Holmes quite literally whispering in Mr. Walker’s ear, moments which are either supposed to add a touch of levity, or are a very serious Sherlockian taking the influence of Sherlock Holmes very seriously. Either way, Playing The Game is an unexpected quirk within a nonfiction setting.<br />
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Of course, this is a book written by a long-time Sherlockian, for Sherlockians, but there are moments where The Game is just too pronounced for a relative newcomer like me. For example, during what is otherwise a convincing defense of Bruce Ivins, the top suspect for the Anthrax Killer case, Walker details a clandestine consultation with the BSI that anyone unfamiliar with the organization would find unintentionally campy at best. His appeal to whomever knows the identity of the Gilgo Beach murderer(s) at the end of the book to step forward at Holmes’s insistence is off-putting.<br />
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Apart from that, the author is confident in his ability and clearly guides the reader through his methods in each case. He does have a little trouble narratively, the best example of which is the first half of his description of the Son of Sam case. He attempts to frame the case within what was going on in his life at the time, with the result that we get an interesting account of the power structure of NYC law enforcement and a fun game-show story, but this is ultimately a diversion that doesn't seem to contribute anything to the overall theme of the book or the analysis of the case itself. Another occasion of a case not quite fitting within the Sherlockian theme is his examination of the police response to the Mad Bomber. It is a fascinating analysis of effective (and ineffective) procedure, but it lacks the direct references to Canon and Holmes’s methodology that ties the other cases to the Great Detective.<br />
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Overall, anyone interested in seeing Sherlock Holmes’s methods applied to real-life detective work would find this an enjoyable and interesting light read. It should also appeal to anyone who wants to see a new perspective on high profile cases and the inner workings of law enforcement. Mr. Walker’s language is clear and his process easy to follow. He knows what he is doing, and it would be nice to see him get some recognition for it.<br />
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<b><i>How Sherlock Holmes Deduced “Break The Case Clues” On The BTK Killer, The Son of Sam, Unabomber and Anthrax Cases - With Analysis on the Mad Bomber and The Unsolved L.I. Gilgo Beach Murders</i></b> is available in paperback and ebook formats directly from the publisher,<a href="http://bookstore.iuniverse.com/Products/SKU-000560409/How-Sherlock-Holmes-Deduced-Break-The-Case-Clues-On-The-BTK-Killer-The-Son-of-Sam-Unabomber-and-Anthrax-Cases.aspx"> iUniverse</a>, or <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-sherlock-holmes-deduced-break-the-case-clues-on-the-btk-killer-the-son-of-sam-unabomber-and-anthrax-cases-tom-walker/1111725659?ean=9781475932263">Barnes and Noble</a>. It is also available on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/147593226X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=147593226X&linkCode=as2&tag=thebakerstree-20">Amazon</a>, but if I understood the iUniverse royalty policy correctly, you’ll do better by the author if you purchase it from iUniverse or Barnes and Noble.<br />
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<i>Katie writes about Sherlock Holmes in science fiction (among other things) on her <a href="http://kaelma.tumblr.com/">tumblr.</a> </i><br />
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Review: Sherlock Holmes and the BTK Killer, Son of Sam and Unabomber

"A very workmanlike bit of analysis" [VALL] The somewhat unwieldy-titled book How Sherlock Holmes Deduced “Break The Case Cl...

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by Katie Magnusson

A Look at the Cases of Sherlock Holmes by Renegade Press

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"Striking illustration" [ILLU]</h4>
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One of my friends gave me a collection of comic books they found at a used-books store: the “<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001HXLURQ/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B001HXLURQ&linkCode=as2&tag=thebakerstree-20"><i>Cases of Sherlock Holmes</i></a></b>” series by Dan Day. It was run by Renegade Press from 1986 til ‘88 and then by Northstar Publishing from ‘89 til 1990. I expected these to be a set of original tales featuring the Great Detective, based solely on the cover images. Open up the first issue, and the first page looks like the image seen on the right.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The illustrations were rich in detail and very evocative of a Victorian setting. Particularly pleasing is the amount of detail given to the characters - more than even the best Sidney Paget drawings could hope to give us, as we view them in reprints. The only drawback to the early issues of the Cases of Sherlock Holmes series is that the text was in ALL CAPS. No need to shout at me while I'm reading a graphic novel.</span><br />
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Some of you probably know about these already - for those of you who don’t, they’re worth looking for. They are, simply, the stories from the Canon put to illustration. The illustrations themselves are wonderfully detailed, and the layout is generally easy to follow. Most of the time the illustrations simply decorate the columns of text, but every now and then the reader comes across a dynamic spread - <br />
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This is also from the first issue, “The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet”, and shows the confrontation between Holmes and the thief. Granted, there is some artistic license taken with the scene, such as Holmes wrestling over a knife, but it is stunning nonetheless. <br />
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While I’m on the subject of ‘artistic license,’ I should mention an aspect of these comics I find particularly entertaining: the covers. My initial supposition that these comics would be original stories was wrong, but I think I can be forgiven. The title of the story is not printed on the cover, and the illustrations tend towards pulp.<br />
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This one isn’t too bad, as “The Adventure of the Six Napoleons” does feature small statues of Napoleon, who is dead, hence the skeletal figure on the horse with the funny hat. <br />
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But what story could possibly have this cover image?</div>
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.7820025125984102"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Silver Blaze.” The story about a horse.</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Oddly, of the 20 issues, one is an original pastiche. “The Strange Adventure of the Vourdalak” was written by Gordon Derry and is an interesting, thought-out tale that keeps the feel of the Canon while adding a little more action (and cocaine) in a neat setting - a traveling fair of gypsies, Turks and Cossacks in France. It is the only pastiche in the series.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">These are a fun, quirky addition to my collection, and could be enjoyed by any Sherlockian who is a fan of comics or illustrated editions of the stories. They’re certainly worth keeping an eye out for at your local used books or comics store, or online.</span></span></b><br />
<i><br /></i><i>Katie writes about Sherlock Holmes in science fiction (among other things) on her <a href="http://www.kaelma.tumblr.com/">tumblr.</a></i><br />
<i><br /></i><i>When you make purchases from the links we share, it provides us with a stream of revenue to help keep this site running. Thank you for your generosity.</i><br />
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A Look at the Cases of Sherlock Holmes by Renegade Press

"Striking illustration" [ILLU] One of my friends gave me a collection of comic books they found at a used-books store: the “...

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by Katie Magnusson

Episode 51: Who Is a Sherlockian?

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We thought we'd stir up the discussions a bit and try to get to the bottom of a couple of controversies that have been roiling the world of Sherlock Holmes enthusiasts (we're careful to say neither "fans" nor "devotees" at this juncture).<br />
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The first item of interest that grabbed our attention in early 2013 was the so-called "Free Sherlock" movement. Summed up, this is basically an issue that is being brought to court via a case titled <b><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/125645482/KLINGER-vs-CONAN-DOYLE-ESTATE-LTD">Klinger vs. Conan Doyle Estate</a></b>, in which Leslie Klinger, BSI ("The Abbey Grange") is contesting the Conan Doyle Estate's claim that any new content that contains Sherlock Holmes must pay a royalty or license fee to the Estate. Burt and Scott parse through some of the non-technical/legal aspects of the case and discuss what's at stake.<br />
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Speaking of being at stake, the other item on the docket is the debate as to what in fact constitutes a Sherlockian of good standing? That is, can one have arrived at the doorstep of 221B Baker Street via the BBC series (or Granada, or Universal, etc.) or must one have been schooled only in the printed literature and dress the part of a 1940s joiner? It's quite a debate - one that was taken up vehemently by The Baker Street Babes earlier this year, after the "Elite Devotee Redux" was published in recently resurrected  <i>Saturday Review of Literature</i>. We offer our own humble observations on the matter.<br />
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For those who wish to subscribe to the publication and read all of the very interesting articles therein, you may procure a copy by sending $5 postpaid to Donald K. Pollock, 521 College Avenue, Niagara Falls, NY 14305. An image of the cover and inside cover can be seen below.<br />
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<b>The Editor's Gas-Lamp:</b><span style="text-align: left;"> We purposefully revisited the same Gas-Lamp (Vol. 3, No. 2, OS) that we shared on <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2007/12/episode-15-michael-whelan-wiggins-of.html">Episode 15</a>, because Edgar Smith's "Who is a Baker Street Irregular?" seemed to strike the same chord some 65 years later</span><span style="text-align: left;">.</span><br />
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<b>Links:</b><br />
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<li>Les Klinger's <a href="http://free-sherlock.com/"><b>Free Sherlock</b></a> site</li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/07/books/suit-says-sherlock-belongs-to-the-ages.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&"><span id="goog_374484452"></span>The New York Times takes note of the lawsuit</a></b><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/07/books/suit-says-sherlock-belongs-to-the-ages.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&"><span id="goog_374484453"></span></a></li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.mhpbooks.com/lawyer-set-to-challenge-the-sherlock-holmes-estate/">Sherlock Holmes Estate challenged with 'copyfraud'</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="http://bakerstreetbabes.tumblr.com/post/41481263409/the-elite-devotee-or-how-the-sherlock-fandom-is-a">The Baker Street Babes take umbrage with being dismissed by Philip Shreffler</a></b></li>
<li><a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/sherlockians.html"><b>The BSI's statement: A World of Sherlockians</b></a></li>
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And above all, please let our sponsors know that you heard us mumble their hallowed names on the show: <a href="http://www.wessexpress.com/"><b>Wessex Press</b></a> and <a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/" style="font-style: italic;"><b>The Baker Street Journal</b></a>.<br />
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Episode 51: Who Is a Sherlockian?

We thought we'd stir up the discussions a bit and try to get to the bottom of a couple of controversies that have been roiling th...

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by Scott Monty

Using Vincent Starrett's "221B" in a Time of Crisis

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"upon these tragic events" [HOUN]</h4>
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All eyes have been on Boston in the last 36 hours. As with others, we extend our heartfelt sympathy for the victims, their families and loved ones. As we spent 20 years in Boston, it is particularly gut wrenching to observe the goings on from afar, powerless to do anything to help.<br />
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Because we specialize in the written word, we thought that it might be helpful to reflect on a world that Vincent Starrett remembered and lived in some 70 years ago when he penned the sonnet "221B" that appeared in <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/2usynIO" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Profile by Gaslight</a></b></i>. That sentiment is very much still in play in 2013 as we contemplate a world that explodes.<br />
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Yes, we're fortunate to share an interest that keeps us grounded in what seemed like a more genteel and serene age. But the work of our Sherlockian forbears reminds us that every generation has its challenges - challenges that afford us the escapism that good storytelling can provide.<br />
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May we remember that well.<br />
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