“you are mistaken about my alleged agents” [MAZA]&nbsp;   &nbsp; &nbsp; Along with the calabash pipe, deerstalker cap, and Inverness cape, one of Sherlock Holmes's traits is the use of cocaine. But should it be? &nbsp; William H. Miller, M.D. F.A.C.P. won the Morley-Montgomery Award for his article in Vol. 19, No. 3 of The Baker Street Journal in which he asserted that we're mistaken in believing that Sherlock Holmes used cocaine. Don't believe us? Well, it's just a Trifle. &nbsp; All of our supporters are eligible for our monthly drawings for&nbsp;Baker Street Journals&nbsp;and bonus content.&nbsp;Join our community on&nbsp;&nbsp;or&nbsp;&nbsp;today. &nbsp; This season, we've added "Trifling Trifles" — short-form content that doesn't warrant a full episode — as an additional channel of content&nbsp;exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out (&nbsp;|&nbsp;). &nbsp; &nbsp;  Do you have a topic you'd like to recommend? Email us at trifles@ihearofsherlock.com and if we use your idea on the air, we'll send you a thank-you gift.     Leave&nbsp;Trifles&nbsp;a five-star rating&nbsp;on&nbsp;&nbsp;and&nbsp;;&nbsp;listen to us&nbsp;.  &nbsp; Links / Notes     Previous episodes referenced:       All of our social links:&nbsp; Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com&nbsp;  &nbsp;  &nbsp; Music credits    Performers:&nbsp;Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra&nbsp; Publisher Info.:&nbsp;Washington, DC:&nbsp;&nbsp; Copyright:&nbsp;   &nbsp;

The Alleged Use of Cocaine by Mr. Sherlock Holmes

“I would read as easily as I do the apocrypha” [VALL]  The second in our series on the Apocrypha of Sherlock Holmes — stories that are not in the original Canonical 60 but that have some relevant interest. In this case, we have a story written by Arthur Conan Doyle in 1898 and set in 1892 involving the mysterious death of a passenger on a train. The murderer is nowhere to be found and the man has an unusual number of watches on his person. A "well-known criminal investigator" writes a letter to the press with an explanation. We briefly discuss the story and the many theories as to the authorship of those letters over the years by numerous Sherlockians. It's just a Trifle. &nbsp;  This season, we've added "Trifling Trifles" — short-form content that doesn't warrant a full episode — as an additional channel of content&nbsp;exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out (&nbsp;|&nbsp;). &nbsp; &nbsp;  Do you have a topic you'd like to recommend? Email us at trifles@ihearofsherlock.com and if we use your idea on the air, we'll send you a thank-you gift.   &nbsp; Leave&nbsp;Trifles&nbsp;a five-star rating&nbsp;on&nbsp;&nbsp;and&nbsp;; listen to this episode here or  &nbsp;  Please&nbsp;leave us a rating and review&nbsp;on&nbsp;&nbsp;or&nbsp;, and consider supporting our efforts through&nbsp;&nbsp;or .     Links    (Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopedia)  (Doings of Doyle) All of our social links:&nbsp;  Email us at trifles @&nbsp;&nbsp;    &nbsp;   Music credits Performers:&nbsp;Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.:&nbsp;Washington, DC:&nbsp;. Copyright:&nbsp;  &nbsp;  &nbsp;  &nbsp;

The Man with the Watches (The Apocrypha Part 2)

“before my biographer had come to glorify me” [GREE]   Once again, we find ourselves in a "Mr. Sherlock Holmes the theorist"-themed episode, where we look at a piece of old scholarship. This time, we share a chapter from William S. Baring-Gould's groundbreaking biography of Sherlock Holmes.  Chapter V "On Stage and Off in England and America: 1879–1881" finds us in the two years leading up to Holmes and Watson meeting each other, while Holmes was beginning to run low on funds. His decision would mean a remarkable set of experiences ahead. It's just a Trifle.&nbsp; And we have some bonus content related to a particular footnote of Baring-Gould's in this chapter. It's available exclusively for our supporters. &nbsp; Another "Trifling Trifles" episode — short-form content that doesn't warrant a full episode — is coming your way in a few days. As a reminder, this is&nbsp;exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out (&nbsp;|&nbsp;). &nbsp; Leave Trifles&nbsp;a five-star rating&nbsp;on  and ;&nbsp;listen to this episode here or&nbsp;   Links    by William S. Baring-Gould (Abebooks) Other episodes mentioned:      All of our social links:&nbsp;  Email us at trifles @&nbsp;&nbsp;    &nbsp;   Music credits Performers:&nbsp;Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.:&nbsp;Washington, DC:&nbsp;. Copyright:&nbsp; &nbsp;  &nbsp;  &nbsp;  &nbsp;

On Stage and Off

“general resemblance to an itinerant” [VALL]&nbsp;   A term we don't hear as frequently these days is "gypsy." Unless you're headed to see a Sondheim musical, which is about an entirely different Gypsy (and one with Sherlockian connections too). Anyway, our focus here is on stories in which gypsies are mentioned (there are two; can you name them?) and a bit of historical context of gypsies in the Victorian era, including the documented experience of one exalted person. It's just a Trifle.&nbsp; &nbsp; Another "Trifling Trifles" episode — short-form content that doesn't warrant a full episode — is coming your way in a few days. As a reminder, this is&nbsp;exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out (&nbsp;|&nbsp;). &nbsp; Leave&nbsp;Trifles&nbsp;a five-star rating&nbsp;on&nbsp;&nbsp;and&nbsp;;&nbsp;listen to this episode here or&nbsp;  &nbsp; &nbsp;  Links    (Victorian Web)  (Romani) All of our social links:&nbsp;  Email us at trifles @&nbsp;&nbsp;    &nbsp;   Music credits Performers:&nbsp;Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.:&nbsp;Washington, DC:&nbsp;. Copyright:&nbsp; &nbsp;  &nbsp;  &nbsp;

Gypsies

“a strange, loud whiz” [EMPT]&nbsp;   &nbsp; We came across a quite unusual observation — a Trifle, if you will — in an old issue of The Baker Street Journal. An article by Antony Boucher called "An Aborted Avatar." Boucher discovered a turn of the century play called The King of Gee-Whiz that involved Sherlock Holmes in a quite unusual setting. The play was co-written by L. Frank Baum, of The Wizard of Oz fame. It's just a Trifle.&nbsp; &nbsp; Another "Trifling Trifles" episode — short-form content that doesn't warrant a full episode — is coming your way in a few days. As a reminder, this is&nbsp;exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out (&nbsp;|&nbsp;). &nbsp; Leave&nbsp;Trifles&nbsp;a five-star rating&nbsp;on&nbsp;&nbsp;and&nbsp;;&nbsp;listen to this episode here or&nbsp;  &nbsp;  Links    (Wikipedia)  (Project Gutenberg) All of our social links:&nbsp;  Email us at trifles @&nbsp;&nbsp;    &nbsp;   Music credits Performers:&nbsp;Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.:&nbsp;Washington, DC:&nbsp;. Copyright:&nbsp; &nbsp;  &nbsp;  &nbsp;

An Aborted Avatar

“so ardent a bicyclist must be full of energy” [SOLI]&nbsp;   &nbsp; The latest installment in our review of Morley-Montgomery Award-winning articles is by Andrew Jay Peck, BSI ("Inspector Baynes"): "The Solitary Man-Uscript" from Vol. 22, No. 2 of The Baker Street Journal in 1972. Just who was the Solitary Cyclist? There are two cyclists in the story, and one is a young lady simply trying to get to her train safely; the other is a bearded man with sunglasses hunched over his handlebars. Only one of them can be our cyclist. It's just a Trifle.&nbsp; &nbsp; Don't forget to check out our "Trifling Trifles" series -- shorter content that didn't warrant a full episode, available exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out (&nbsp;|&nbsp;). &nbsp; Leave&nbsp;Trifles&nbsp;a five-star rating&nbsp;on&nbsp;&nbsp;and&nbsp;;&nbsp;listen to this episode here or&nbsp; &nbsp;   Links    (Best of Sherlock) &nbsp;  The Morley-Montgomery Award series of episodes ( | ) All of our social links:&nbsp;  Email us at trifles @&nbsp;&nbsp;    &nbsp;   Music credits Performers:&nbsp;Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.:&nbsp;Washington, DC:&nbsp;. Copyright:&nbsp; &nbsp;  &nbsp;  &nbsp;

The Solitary Man-Uscript

“You have done your best to get an innocent man hanged.” [NORW]&nbsp;   &nbsp; Capital punishment in the United Kingdom evolved over a period of time. From the mid-17th century through 1820, the Bloody Code tracked some 200 crimes punishable by death. In which Sherlock Holmes stories do we hear about capital punishment, and under England's laws of the late Victorian period, who would have been eligible for death by hanging? It's just a Trifle.&nbsp; &nbsp; Don't forget to listen to "Trifling Trifles" — short-form content that doesn't warrant a full episode. This is a benefit&nbsp;exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out (&nbsp;|&nbsp;). &nbsp; Leave&nbsp;Trifles&nbsp;a five-star rating&nbsp;on&nbsp;&nbsp;and&nbsp;;&nbsp;listen to this episode here or&nbsp; &nbsp;  &nbsp;  Links    (Wikipedia)  (Ranker) Other episodes mentioned:   - Sherlock Holmes and Australians&nbsp;  All of our social links:&nbsp;  Email us at trifles @&nbsp;&nbsp;    &nbsp;   Music credits Performers:&nbsp;Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.:&nbsp;Washington, DC:&nbsp;. Copyright:&nbsp; &nbsp;  &nbsp;  &nbsp;

Capital Punishment

“put £100 down in front of him” [BLUE]&nbsp;   &nbsp; Humans are suckers for round numbers. And 100 seems like a perfectly reasonable one to settle on. It's the first three-digit number (in Arabic numbers, that is; Romans were happy to hit a C note). When it comes to £100 in the Sherlock Holmes stories, it's a figure often associated with some sort of scam — enough to get attention and secure the trust of the mark. Which stories feature&nbsp;£100 and what were the circumstances? It's just a Trifle. If you have a question for us, please email us at trifles@ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your inquiry on the show, we'll send you a thank you gift. &nbsp; Don't forget to listen to "Trifling Trifles" — short-form content that doesn't warrant a full episode. This is a benefit&nbsp;exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out (&nbsp;|&nbsp;). &nbsp; Leave&nbsp;Trifles&nbsp;a five-star rating&nbsp;on&nbsp;&nbsp;and&nbsp;;&nbsp;listen to this episode here or&nbsp;  &nbsp;  Links    Related:  All of our social links:&nbsp;  Email us at trifles @&nbsp;&nbsp;    &nbsp;   Music credits Performers:&nbsp;Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.:&nbsp;Washington, DC:&nbsp;. Copyright:&nbsp; &nbsp;  &nbsp;  &nbsp;

£100

“entirely mistaken” [CHAS]&nbsp;&nbsp;   &nbsp; The Morley-Montgomery Award-winning article we're discussing this month is by the legendary Jack Tracy, author of The Encyclopedia Sherlockiana and founder of Gaslight Publications. "St. Saviour's, Near King's Cross" appeared in Vol. 27, No. 4 of the Baker Street Journal&nbsp;in 1977 and looked specifically at the church where Mary Sutherland was supposed to marry Hosmer Angel. Previous Sherlockian scholars were unaware of some hidden London history that Tracy was able to uncover. And it's just a Trifle.&nbsp; If you have a question for us, please email us at trifles@ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your inquiry on the show, we'll send you a thank you gift. &nbsp; Don't forget to listen to "Trifling Trifles" — short-form content that doesn't warrant a full episode. This is a benefit&nbsp;exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out (&nbsp;|&nbsp;). &nbsp; Leave&nbsp;Trifles&nbsp;a five-star rating&nbsp;on&nbsp;&nbsp;and&nbsp;;&nbsp;listen to this episode here or&nbsp;  &nbsp;  Links     The Morley-Montgomery Award series of episodes (&nbsp;|&nbsp;) All of our social links:&nbsp;  Email us at trifles @&nbsp;&nbsp;    &nbsp;   Music credits Performers:&nbsp;Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.:&nbsp;Washington, DC:&nbsp;. Copyright:&nbsp; &nbsp;  &nbsp;  &nbsp;

St. Saviour's, Near King's Cross

“took to the stage” [TWIS]&nbsp;     When faced with four months of an empty theater in a six-month lease in 1910, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle did the only thing he could on a moment's notice: he turned to Sherlock Holmes. The Stonor Case (later renamed The Speckled Band) went into production and is considered part of the group of stories categorized as apocryphal. While the name was the same as the short story, there were departures from the original. This and many tales about this play are all a Trifle.&nbsp; If you have a question for us, please email us at trifles@ihearofsherlock.com. If you use your inquiry on the show, we'll send you a thank you gift. &nbsp; Don't forget to listen to "Trifling Trifles" — short-form content that doesn't warrant a full episode. This is a benefit&nbsp;exclusively for our paying subscribers. Check it out (&nbsp;|&nbsp;). &nbsp; Leave&nbsp;Trifles&nbsp;a five-star rating&nbsp;on&nbsp;&nbsp;and&nbsp;;&nbsp;listen to this episode here or&nbsp; &nbsp;  &nbsp;  Links    (Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopedia)  (Wikipedia)  (Wikipedia) All of our social links:&nbsp; Email us at trifles @&nbsp;&nbsp;    &nbsp;   Music credits Performers:&nbsp;Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.:&nbsp;Washington, DC:&nbsp;. Copyright:&nbsp; &nbsp;  &nbsp;  &nbsp;

The Stonor Case

A weekly program about details in the Sherlock Holmes stories.

New tracks tagged #mytery