commented upon the fact that lawless outrages of the sort usually occurred under a Liberal Administration. They arose from the unsettling of the minds of the masses, and the consequent weakening of all authority. The deceased was an American gentleman who had been residing for some weeks in the Metropolis. He had stayed at the boarding-house of Madame Charpentier, in Torquay Terrace, Camberwell. He was accompanied in his travels by his private secretary, Mr. Joseph Stangerson. The two bade adieu to their landlady upon Tuesday, the 4th inst., and departed to Euston Station with the avowed intention of catching the Liverpool express. They were afterwards seen together upon the platform. Nothing more is known of them until Mr. Drebber's body was, as recorded, discovered in an empty house in the Brixton Road, many miles from Euston. How he came there, or how he met his fate, are questions which are still involved in mystery. Nothing is known of the whereabouts of Stangerson. We are glad to learn that Mr. Lestrade and Mr. Gregson, of Scotland Yard, are both engaged upon the case, and it is confidently anticipated that these well-known officers will speedily throw light upon the matter.
The Daily News
observed that there was no doubt as to the crime being a political one («Дейли Ньюз» замечала, что не было сомнения, что преступление политическое). The despotism and hatred of Liberalism which animated the Continental Governments (деспотизм и ненависть к либерализму, которые являются основными движущими силами континентальных правительств; to animate — вдохновлять) had had the effect of driving to our shores a number of men (пригнали к нашим берегам множество людей: «имели эффектом перемещение на наши берега множества людей»; to drive — гнать) who might have made excellent citizens (которые могли бы стать отличными гражданами; to make — сделать) were they not soured by the recollection of all that they had undergone (если бы они не были озлоблены воспоминаниями о всем том, что они перенесли; to sour — озлоблять; to undergo — испытывать, переносить). Among these men there was a stringent code of honour (среди этих людей существует строгий кодекс чести; stringent — строгий; обязательный, точный), any infringement of which was punished by death (любое нарушение которого карается смертью). Every effort should be made to find the secretary, Stangerson (нужно приложить все усилия: «каждое усилие должно быть сделано», чтобы найти секретаря, Стенджерсона), and to ascertain some particulars of the habits of the deceased (и уточнить некоторые детали касательно привычек покойного; to decease — почить, скончаться, умереть). A great step had been gained by the discovery of the address of the house at which he had boarded (был достигнут значительный прогресс, когда был установлен адрес дома, в котором он остановился; discovery — открытие)— a result which was entirely due to the acuteness and energy of Mr. Gregson of Scotland Yard (результат, который достигнут исключительно благодаря проницательности и энергии мистера Грегсона из Скотленд-Ярда; acute — остроконечный, острый; проницательный, сообразительный).
Sherlock Holmes and I read these notices over together at breakfast (Шерлок Холмс и я вместе внимательно прочитали эти заметки за завтраком; to read over — тщательно изучать)
, and they appeared to afford him considerable amusement (и, по-видимому, они изрядно его позабавили: «принесли ему значительное развлечение»; to afford — доставлять; приносить).