The Boscombe Valley Mystery
Student’s Book
Student’s Book
BV Mystery
Activity 1
Sequence the following events which summarize the relationship between John Turner and
Charles McCarthy.
Sequence
A
Turner and his gang got the gold and became wealthy. Turner went to
England and decided to turn over a new leaf. He did his best to make up
for the past. He got married but his wife died soon. He had a daughter
called Alice.
B
Turner challenged McCarthy to do his worst, and they were to meet at
the pool midway between their houses to talk it over.
C
After James left, Turner attacked McCarthy with a big stone and killed
him.
D
Twenty years ago he met James McCarthy and the latter threatened to
tell his secret to the police.
E
Turner and his gang robbed the gold convoy which McCarthy worked in.
They killed some of the guards, but Turner set McCarthy free.
F
Thirty years ago John Turner and James McCarthy were both in
Australia. Turner was a miner, but later became a highway robber, and
was known as Black Jack of Ballarat. McCarthy was a wagon driver.
G
When Turner arrived, he heard McCarthy talking to his son James,
forcing him to marry Alice as if she was a dirty woman off the street.
This made Turner very angry.
H
But now McCarthy asked Turner to let his son marry Alice. Turner was
strongly against this because he did not want Alice to fall into the grip
of McCarthy and mix with his family.
I
Turner stood firm, so McCarthy threatened him.
J
In order to pacify McCarthy, Turner let him live in Hatherly Farm free,
and gave him whatever he wanted.
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Student’s Book
BV Mystery
Activity 2
Sequence the following events about what happened on the afternoon of the tragedy.
Sequence
A
When the inspector told James that he was a prisoner, he remarked
that he was not surprised to hear it, and it was no more than what he
deserved. But he denied he had killed his father.
B
Patience Moran, a girl of fourteen, daughter of the lodge-keeper of
the Boscombe Valley Estate, stated that she saw Mr. McCarthy and his
son at the edge of the wood close by the lake.
C
On following him they found the dead body stretched out upon the
grass beside the pool. The head had been beaten in by repeated blows
of some heavy and blunt weapon. The injuries seemed to have been
made by the butt-end of his son's shotgun, which was found lying on
the grass within a few feet from the body.
D
He said he had a quarrel with his father, but refused to say what the
quarrel was about.
E
James was instantly arrested, and a verdict of 'wilful murder' has
been returned at the inquest on Tuesday. On the next day he was
brought before the magistrates.
F
On June 3rd, McCarthy left his home about three in the afternoon and
walked down to the Boscombe Pool near his farmhouse. He had told his
servant that he was in a hurry, as he had an important appointment to
keep at three.
G
Mr. McCarthy came running up to the lodge to say that he had found
his father dead in the wood, and to ask the lodge-keeper for help.
H
A few minutes after he passed Boscombe Pool, his son, James
McCarthy, was seen going the same way with a shotgun under his arm.
I
James said he had gone to Boscombe Pool with his shot-gun with the
intention of visiting the rabbit-holes there.
J
He was much excited, without either his shotgun or his hat, and his
right hand and sleeve were stained with fresh blood.
K
She said that they appeared to be having a violent quarrel. She heard
Mr. McCarthy the elder using very strong language to his son, and she
saw the latter raise his hand as if to strike his father.
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Student’s Book
BV Mystery
Activity 3
Mr Turner’s Statement
Sherlock Holmes has asked Mr Turner to write a statement admitting the crime. Imagine you
are Turner and write the statement. A convenient way to do so is by telling the story (from
Turner’s point of view) in a chronological way. You may begin like this:
Statement by John Turner
I, John Turner, confess I have killed Charles McCarthy of Hatherly Farm in
Herefordshire.
It all happened about thirty years ago. I was in Australia working at the mines…
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Student’s Book
BV Mystery
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Student’s Book
BV Mystery
Activity 4
Decoding the Clues
Holmes solved the mystery with the help the clues he picked up in the investigation. What are
these clues? Make up a list of them.
Holmes’
Deductions
That shows James’ story was true.
Clues
Circumstantial clues
at the crime scene
The murder killed McCarthy, and
then returned to get the grey cloak.
He wears thick-soled shootingboots.
He is a tall man.
The murderer may be lame.
He may be left-handed.
The weapon was the jagged stone.
The murderer smokes a cigar.
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Student’s Book
BV Mystery
He uses a cigar-holder and pen
knife.
He uses a blunt pen-knife.
Other clues
If James statement is true, the
murderer is a man with a grey
garment.
“Cooee” is a Australian cry used
between Australians. There is a
strong possibility that the person
whom McCarthy expected to meet
at Boscombe Pool was someone
who had been in Australia.
James probably only caught the
last two syllables of McCarthy’s
words. He was trying to utter the
name of his murderer. So and so,
of Ballarat. Ballarat is a place in
Australia, where McCarthy had
lived.
The murderer probably lives in the
neighbourhood.
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Student’s Book
BV Mystery
Activity 5
Read the part where Watson described Holmes investigating at the crime scene. Why do you
think the writer gives such details about Holmes in action? (p.13)
To Holmes, as I could see by his eager face and peering eyes, very many other
things were to be read upon the trampled grass. He ran round, like a dog that is
picking up a scent, and then turned upon Lestrade.
“What did you go into the pool for?” he asked.
“How on earth…”
“Oh, tut, tut! I have no time! That left foot of yours with its inward twist is all
over the place, and there it disappears among the bushes. Oh, how simple it
would all have been had I been here before they came like a herd of buffalo and
trotted all over it. Here is where the party with the lodge-keeper came, and
they have covered all tracks for six or eight feet round the body. But here are
three separate tracks of the same feet.”
He drew out a lens and lay down upon his raincoat to have a better view, talking
all the time rather to himself than to us. “These are young McCarthy's feet.
Twice he was walking, and once he ran swiftly, so that the soles are deeply
marked and the heels hardly visible. That bears out his story. He ran when he
saw his father on the ground. Then here are the father's feet as he paced up
and down. What is this, then? It is the butt-end of the shotgun as the son stood
listening. And this? Ha, ha! What have we here? Tiptoes! tiptoes! Square, too,
quite unusual boots! They come, they go, they come again… of course that was
for the cloak. Now where did they come from?”
He ran up and down, sometimes losing, sometimes finding the track until we were
well within the edge of the wood and under the shadow of a great beech, the
largest tree in the neighbourhood. Holmes traced his way to the farther side of
this and lay down once more upon his face with a little cry of satisfaction. For a
long time he remained there, turning over the leaves and dried sticks, gathering
up what seemed to me to be dust into an envelope and examining with his lens
not only the ground but even the bark of the tree as far as he could reach. A
jagged stone was lying among the moss, and this also he carefully examined and
kept. Then he followed a pathway through the wood until he came to the
highroad, where all traces were lost.
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Student’s Book
BV Mystery
Activity 6
Genre of Detective Stories
This story is a typical detective story. From your knowledge of detective stories, can you
suggest the common elements of detective stories? Look up on the Internet about the genre of
detective stories.
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Student’s Book
BV Mystery
Activity 7a Grammar
Conditional Tense
Conditional tense has been use several times in the story. Identify the type of conditional
tense in each case and analyse the nature of the condition.
Line from the story
Page
1. Had he appeared surprised at his
own arrest, or pretended to be very
angry about it, I should have looked
upon it as highly suspicious, because
such surprise or anger would not be
natural under the circumstances.
4
2. But if he is innocent, who has done
it?
10
3. “I thought people would talk if I
went to your house.”
18
4. I give you my word that I would
speak out if it went against him at
the district court.
18
5. I would have spoken now had it not
been for my dear girl…
18
6. It would break her heart…
18
7. … it will break her heart when she
hears that I am arrested.
18
10
Type of
conditional
tense
What does it mean?
Student’s Book
BV Mystery
Activity 7b Grammar
Use of ‘so’ & other means to avoid repetition
In the story, the writer has used “so” and some other means in several instances to avoid
repeating part of the sentence. Explain the part of the sentence that has been replaced.
Lines from the story
1. McCarthy was also an ex-Australian, and the
two men had known each other when they were
in Australia, so apparently when they came to
settle down they did so as near each other as
possible.
Page
1
2. McCarthy had one son, a lad of eighteen, and
Turner had an only daughter of the same age,
but neither of them had wives living.
1
3. “If ever circumstantial evidence pointed to a
criminal it does so here.”
3
4. “Many men have been hanged on far less
evidence,” I remarked.
4
5. “So they have. And many men have been
wrongfully hanged.”
6. I have driven here to tell you so. I know that
James didn't do it.
8
7. … I know his faults as no one else does.
8
8. No doubt you will go to the prison to see
James. Oh, if you do, Mr. Holmes, do tell him
that I know he is innocent.”
9
9. … “just sit down in this chair and let me talk to
you for a little. I don't know quite what to do,
and I should value your advice.” “Please do so.”
15
10. “And why did you wish to see me?” He looked
across at my companion with despair in his
tired eyes, as though his question was already
answered.
18
“Yes,” said Holmes, answering the look rather
than the words. “It is so. I know all about
McCarthy.”
11
What does it mean?
Student’s Book
BV Mystery
Activity 7c Grammar
Use of ‘both’, ‘either’ & ‘neither’
In the story, the writer has used “both”, “either” and “neither” in several instances to avoid
repeating part of the sentence and for emphasis. Explain the meaning of these sentences.
Lines from the story
1. McCarthy had one son, a lad of eighteen, and
Turner had an only daughter of the same age,
but neither of them had wives living.
Page
1
2. … both the McCarthys were fond of sport and
were frequently seen at the race-meetings of
the neighbourhood.
1
3. They were an old woman and a game-keeper.
Both these witnesses said they saw Mr.
McCarthy walking alone.
2
4. He was much excited, without either his
shotgun or his hat,
2
5. “Both you and the coroner have been at some
pains,” said he, “to single out the very
strongest points in the young man's favour.
7
6. It was damp, marshy ground, as is all that
district, and there were marks of many feet,
both upon the path and amid the short grass
around it.
12
7. … in considering this case there are two points
about young McCarthy's narrative which
struck us both instantly.
15
8. But my memory and my girl! Both could be
saved if I could but silence that foul tongue.
20
12
What does it mean?
Student’s Book
BV Mystery
Activity 7d Grammar
Spot the Clues (present perfect tense)
Holmes found a stone near the scene of the murder and deduced it to be the weapon
used by the murderer. His argument was: "The grass was growing under it. It had only
lain there a few days. There was no sign of a place where it had been taken. It
corresponds with the injuries. There is no sign of any other weapon." (P.14)
Now it is your turn to be the detective. A thief has broken into a rich man’s living room.
Picture A shows what the room looked like before the burglary. Picture B shows the
same room afterwards. How many clues can you spot which tell you a thief has been
there? What has he stolen? Has he replaced anything with a fake? How many things has
he disturbed? There are at least 20 clues.
Picture A
Picture B
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Student’s Book
BV Mystery
Activity 8
Further Reading
Read up some other stories of Sherlock Holmes or other detective stories and share with your
classmates. Some of the most interesting Sherlock Holmes stories are:
The Redheaded League
The Man with
the Twisted Lip
The
Speckled
Band
The Blue
Carbuncle
Mr Wilson, who has red hair, has been given a quite well paid job
working for a “Red-Headed League”. After eight few weeks, he was
dismissed without a reason. He went to see Sherlock Holmes, who
helped him solve the mystery.
Mrs Whitney was walking down a street in London. When she looked
up an old building, she saw her husband at an open window. She was
surprised to find him there so she went up to look for him. But when
the door opened, she found instead a dirty beggar man with a
twisted lip. She called the police to help her look for her husband,
but he was nowhere to be found…
Miss Helen Stoner was getting married. But she felt her life was
threatened because several year ago just before her sister was
about to get married, she died a mysterious death. Now over the
past few nights she heard a strange whistling which she had heard
before her sister died…
About four o'clock on Christmas morning, Peterson was walking home.
He saw a man carrying a white goose over his shoulder and the man
had a row with a group of men. The man raised his stick to defend
himself and smashed the shop window behind him. As he rushed off
in a hurry he dropped his goose. Peterson took home the goose and
his wife cooked it. But they found a valuable blue diamond in the
goose’s stomach…
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Student’s Book
BV Mystery
Activity 9
Do a thematic project on Sherlock Holmes by searching the Internet sites and reading up
some of the adventures of Holmes.
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