- When a notorious retired builder is found dead, his recently-named heir is the prime suspect.
- Knowing that he is about to be arrested for murder, John Hector McFarlane asks for Sherlock Holmes' assistance in establishing his innocence. McFarlane is a solicitor who was visited the previous day by Jonas Oldacre who wanted to draw up a will. McFarlane was astonished to learn that Oldacre was naming him as the beneficiary of his fortune. McFarlane had never met the man who claimed to have known his parents long ago and having no issue of his own, wanted to leave everything to him. McFarlane drew up the papers and called at Oldacre's home that evening to have everything signed but sometime in the night the man was killed and the body burned beyond all recognition. Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard thinks he has an open and shut case but after Holmes interviews McFarlane's mother, he thinks there is something else afoot.—garykmcd
- John McFarlane is sought by the police for the murder of Jonas Oldacre. Shortly before he is arrested he approaches Sherlock Holmes detailing the events of the evening in question and protesting his innocence. Once Inspector Lastrade arrests McFarlane, Holmes and Watson gather evidence but things don't look good for McFarlane.—grantss
- The Norwood Builder is Jonas Oldacre (Jonathan Adams), 52, reclusive retired bachelor, who vanished the night before (July 1894) from his house, is not found when the lumber in his yard caught fire in a tremendous conflagration. His bed was unused, his safe open, papers scattered, signs of struggle, a large object dragged from safe to woodpile then burned, and blood on an oak cane belonging to late-night visitor, junior lawyer John McFarlane (Matthew Solon). The suspect bursts into Baker Street distraught, showing Holmes the news article that diverted him from his homeward train, and begs Holmes to help him.
As McFarlane relates his story, Lestrade (Colin Jeavons), accompanied by constables, suddenly arrests his man, but agrees to listen to his story for half an hour. Yesterday at 3 pm, ferret-faced Oldacre, his name known as an acquaintance of the youth's parents, bade McFarlane turn scribbles into a legal will, with McFarlane learning to his surprise that Oldacre has made him his sole heir as Oldacre lacks any other family and has heard good things about him due to his past connection to McFarlane's parents. Oldacre admits that many years ago he knew McFarlane's mother & had wished to marry her, but then she met McFarlane's father & Oldacre lost the battle of her heart. But there is a slight chance that McFarlane might be Oldacre's son, which is why he is leaving his entire estate to him.
After witnessing and signing, the benefactor asked him for dinner at nine, to see essential paperwork details, and not tell his parents. Around midnight they finished sorting paper into sealed envelopes (which were sealed with wax and the thumb print of McFarlane upon the wax), and, admonished not to disturb the housekeeper, he was ushered, without his cane, out of the French window, safe still ajar.
After the constables leave with their prisoner, Holmes explains the will's rough draft (which Oldacre brought to McFarlane) varies from clear to unreadable where the writer's train stopped at stations, then rumbled roughly. This means that Oldacre wrote the will in haste. Holmes investigates. At Blackheath, fluffy little mother McFarlane (Helen Ryan) reveals Oldacre to be a vicious vengeful ex-suitor, whom she rejected after he loosed a cat in an aviary. Mrs McFarlane reveals that her husband had died recently. She was engaged to Oldacre at some point in her past, but she broke her engagement with him when she came face to face with his cruelty & true nature. Oldacre cursed Mrs McFarlane on her wedding day & wished the destruction of her entire family. She is perplexed that Oldacre would create a will to leave everything to her son.
At Norwood, trouser buttons from Oldacre's tailor are found among charred organic remains. Examination of the remaining documents reveals allusions to missing valuable deeds, and a low bank balance attributable to recent large checks to Mr. Cornelius. Defiant, guilty-eyed housekeeper Mrs. Lexington (Rosalie Crutchley) smelled burnt flesh the night before, and knows more than she says, that the visitor's hat and cane were both left in the front hall. Holmes disguises himself as a vagabond & spends the night with other unfortunate brethren. He finds that one of those have recently gone missing.
Next morning, Lestrade telegrams Holmes to come see McFarlane's bloody right thumbprint below the hat-peg, pointed out by Lexington to the police. Holmes knows the evidence was not there yesterday, and minutely examines the whole house. He asks Lestrade for loud-voiced constables, and all cry "fire" after large straw bundles are lit, to smoke out their missing witness, Oldacre, from behind solid-seeming walls. Holmes explains that the thumbprints sealing the safe papers are of McFarlane's, which Oldacre filled with blood and transferred to the wall behind the hat-peg at night to create the damning evidence against McFarlane. Mr. Cornelius is probably an alter identity Oldacre had intended to take on permanently, the bitter man seeking revenge on his former lover by creating the illusion that he was murdered by her only child.
Holmes notes with amusement that the thumb-print was actually the give-away clue; prior to the print's discovery, even Holmes suspected that McFarlane might be guilty, but Oldacre's inability to know when to stop creating his illusion caused him to expose himself. Under guard in the parlor, the villain whines that he intended it all to be a joke and refuses to admit what flesh burned in the fire, so Holmes clears that up by saying that the body belonged to an old vagabond, whom Oldacre lured with money & then mercilessly killed him before putting his body in the fire. Oldacre will be charged with conspiracy to commit murder and "Mr Connelius" bank account will be confiscated by Oldacre's creditors.
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