Speaker 1: Cary shove capital, My dear Watson, let us return to
our humble abode. Two two one b Baker Streets. Come in.
Speaker 2: From London, we present The Bruce Partington Plans, a play
for radio based on the short story by Sir Arthur
Kernham Doyle, The Bruce Partington Plans.
Speaker 3: In the third week of November eighteen ninety five, a
dense yellow fog settled down upon London from the Monday
to the Thursday.
Speaker 1: I doubt whether it was ever possible.
Speaker 3: To see from my windows in Baker Street the room
of the opposite houses homes paced restlessly about our.
Speaker 1: City room in a fever of suppressed energy. Nothing of
interest in the taper, Watson Well, I told her home,
there's nothing that would interest you. Then the London criminal
is certainly a dull fellow. Look out of this window. Yeah,
see how the figures loom up, are dimly seen, and
then blend once more into the cloud bank. A thief
or murderer could roam London like a tiger in the jungle,
unseen until he punches. Come in a telegram for you,
mister Holmes, by jove something that's last to break them anotingly,
thank you, missus Hudson. Will there be any answer, sir, No, noo,
there won't be a reply. Thank you. Listen to this spot.
Must see you over Cadugan West coming at once Microft
your brother, well why not? Why not? Seeing Mycroft? Here
will be ten to mant a meeting at tramcar and
the country lane. He has his rails and he runs
on them. This is well off his track. You've met him,
of course. There's any one that affair of the Greek interpreter.
Something under government, isn't he? Occasionally he is the British government.
Microft draws four hundred and fifty a year. Remains us
the bold and it has no ambitions of any kind,
were received neither honor nor title, but remains the most
indispensable man in the country. Again and again his word
has decided the national policy. I see, but he mentions
the Kadugan wish.
Speaker 3: Who ah, wait a minute, homes that's the young man
found dead on the underground on Tuesday morning.
Speaker 1: Come in, yes, missus Hudson, mister Microck co is an oh,
come in, come in my car, Thank god, and you
let's say thank you to Hermes.
Speaker 4: You remember my friend Watson my cut of course, good morning,
mister Hermson.
Speaker 1: How are you inspector morning doctor? An unexpected pleasure my
cut or take a chair, thank you, sir lock Eh.
Speaker 4: And they say I'm lost here that twice I would
extreme dislike of altering my head. It's but the powers
that be would take in denial. I cann seen the
prime minister, who have said?
Speaker 1: And as the emerald him read the case kadug and West, Yes,
that's as the mastery.
Speaker 4: Bad newspapers Paris Catchlar thirtis melict and Catleton. The man's
name was Arthur Cadagon West. He was twenty seven, unmarried
and a clerk at woolge arsenal Ah, how do be quiet?
Lock West was last seen on Monday night by his
fiance and is Violet Westbury.
Speaker 1: He lift her abruptly in the.
Speaker 4: Fog at seven thirty that evening. There have been no
quarrel between them, and she can give no motives for rejection.
The next thing heard of him was when his dead
body was discovered just outside all gets stationed on the
underground system.
Speaker 1: But all this was in the newspaper.
Speaker 4: Yes, But what is fortunately not emerged is that the
Richie youth head in his pocket the plens of the
Bruce Partings submarine belief.
Speaker 1: Yes, it's importance can hardly be saturated.
Speaker 4: The plans have been kept in an elaborate safe in
a confidential office adjoining the Arsenal. The office has burglar
proof doors and windows, and under no conceivable circumstances were
the plans to be taken from it.
Speaker 1: Really, but if they were part of the dead man's pocket,
surely that means you've recovered them.
Speaker 4: Ten documents are known to be missing from Woodage. Kiddergan
West was carrying unless seven when he was found. The
three most essentul are gone, solem finished.
Speaker 1: I've dotted down one or two facts for you.
Speaker 4: The official guardian of the papers is Sir James Walter,
a man whose patriotism is beyond suspicion. He left the
Arsenal at three o'clock on Monday afternoon and was at
the house of Edmiral Sinker in London at whole evening.
The papers were in the safe when Sir James locked
it before leaving, and the key was never subsequently out
of his position.
Speaker 1: Has anyone else the key?
Speaker 4: Only one the senior clerk and draftsman Sydney Johnson. According
to his own account corroborated only by his wife, he
was at home the whole of Monday evening and is
key never left his watch chain. And the dead man
condug in the West ten years in the service a
good worker. His duties brought him into daily contact with
the plans. No one else had the handling of them
except Sidney Johnson, who locked them up night.
Speaker 3: Oh then surely it must be in West himself who
took them at least so much unexplained doctor Watson in
the first place. Why did he take them or they
must be valuable? He was taking them to London to sell,
but he was carrying them back to Woollis when he.
Speaker 1: Met his death. Well then he taken to recopied by someone,
so they'd never been missed next day. Admirable deduction, But
allowing me to point out that old kit where the
body was found is considerably past London Bridge, which.
Speaker 3: Would have been his route to White Perhaps he got
arguing with someone else in the compartment and got carried
past London Bridge.
Speaker 1: They had a point and the other chucked it out
on the line. Well, suppose the argument's sake that young
West had carried these papers to London to show to
a foreign agent. Even had made an appointment for the
agents and get his evening clear Yet I understand Even
was with his fiance and then left her suddenly in
the farm. That's quite so Stones They were on their
way to the Woolli's theater. Well, Micraft, your traitor is
dead and the plans of the Bruce Partington submarine are
presumably on the continent by now, what is that for
us to f very well? Come Martson and you'll come
with this ball get station to lesbrey lesure is the
homes I suppose, Micraft? Oh no, I was forgetting very well.
I shall let you have a report before evening, but
I warn you not to expect too much. This is
just where the.
Speaker 3: Body lay, you see. It couldn't have fallen from above.
They're blent walls. You could only have come from a
train man, so if we can trace it, their tray
must have passed about midnight on Monday.
Speaker 1: You said the trains have been searched for food. Have
any signs of violence come to life? Nothing?
Speaker 3: Not even a reportable door being found open train ah homes?
Speaker 1: What have you seen? Points the points just along here?
What about them? I sure there aren't many steps of
points on a street system like this, and a curve too,
points and a curve? Bye Joe, what is it, mister Holmes?
An idea? Nothing more? Tell me it was the much
blood here when the body was found? Hardly idiot? No
external wound?
Speaker 3: Oh yes, one big word, but no blood, And yet
one would have expected some bleating this trade.
Speaker 1: Would it be possible for me to examine the train
which is said to have passed the spad at midnight
on Monday? Afraid not, mister Holmes.
Speaker 3: We gave permission for the train to be broken up
and the carriage is put back into service separately.
Speaker 1: Ah. In this case, Watson, We've done all we can here.
We need in trouble you further Lestrade see some lights
in the darkness, but it may possibly tecker out. Meanwhile,
please send to await my return to Baker Street, a
complete list of all foreign spires or international agents known
to be in England with palls addresses.
Speaker 4: S H.
Speaker 1: There wasn't that'll do My pos should get it within
the hour. Are we going back to Baker Street now? No?
To wooldge, I have built up one idea which may
lead this far. The man made his death elsewhere, and
his body was on the roof of a carriage. No
roof isn't a coincidence. But the body is found at
the very point where the train pitches and sways as
it comes around on the point, isn't that the place
for an object on the roof might be expected to
fall off? Showbi's an idea. And you think he was
killed elsewhere because there was no blood beside the line.
Both facts are suggested themselves together. They have accumulative for us.
But homes doesn't always make the whole business more perhaps perhaps,
But come along, we mustend this telegram in and make
our way to Woolich. We have quite a little roundab
afternoon calls to make, and I think Sir James Walter,
James our first direction. Good afternoon, gentleman, good afternoon. We
should be paidful if Sir James Walter could stare us
a few moments, Sir, Sir James, Sir, yes, he passed
away this morning, great Heaven. Would you kindly tell me
how he died? Perhaps you would care to step in,
sir and see his brother, Colonel Valentine Walter. Yes, yes,
we're best, do, sir.
Speaker 3: It was this horrible scandal, mister Holmes. My brother was
a man of very sensitive honor. You could not survive
such an affair. He would also proud of his apartment,
and this was a cracking blow.
Speaker 1: It broke his heart. I quite understand, Colonel. We had
hoped that he might have been able to tell us
something which would have helped to clear the matter up.
I'll show you it was as much a mystery to
him as to you toward us. Can you throw any
new light on this affair yourself, Colonel, I.
Speaker 3: Only know what I've read or heard. My brother had
no doubt that Cadugan west was guody, and neither have I.
And now, gentlemen, I have no desire to be discourteous,
but you will appreciate that I have many matters for tendle.
Speaker 1: I do not distress yourself, Miss Westby, but you were
the last person known to have seen your fiance alive,
and we must look to you for any too.
Speaker 5: I cannot explain it, mister Holmes. I haven't shot an
ey sence the tragedy, thinking, thinking, thinking, night and day,
what the true meaning of it can be? My Arthur
was the most single minded, chivalrous, patriotic man on earth.
Speaker 1: Was he in need of money, not at all, Doctor, His.
Speaker 5: Salary was ample. We were to marry him the new year.
Speaker 1: No signs are any mental excitement.
Speaker 5: Well, I had a feeling there.
Speaker 1: Was something on his mind for long, well.
Speaker 5: Only for the last week or so.
Speaker 1: He was thoughtful and worried.
Speaker 5: Once I pressed him about it, and he admitted it
was something official.
Speaker 1: He said, it's too.
Speaker 5: Serious for me to speak about.
Speaker 1: Given to you something official. Did he make any reference
to plans to secrets?
Speaker 5: Well, he did remark how much some people would be
glad to pay to read some of the papers he
used in his work. He said there was a slackness
about guarding them, that it would be easy for a traitor.
Speaker 1: To get them. I see now, you were on your
way to the theater.
Speaker 6: Oh yes, But the fog was so thick that a
cab would have been useless. So we were walking oh way.
It took us quite close to his office at the Arsenal,
and suddenly he darted away into the fog. I waited,
but he never returned, so I walked home. About twelve
the next day, we heard the terrible news. Oh, mister Holmes,
if you could only only save his honors, it was.
Speaker 1: So much to mister Sherlock Homes. You wish to see
me as senior clerk of the Submarine Department, Mister Johnson,
I thought you might be able to enlighten us on
this matter. Oh it's bad, mister Jones, very bad. The
place is disorganized, the chief dead, kattack at West dead,
and our paper's terror. Mister Johnson, I understand that only
you and Sir James Walter had a key to the
safe for the secret papers we'll get at. That is so,
and you can take it as gospel, mister Dows, that
neither of us ever left that key out of our possession.
Speaker 3: Then good.
Speaker 1: Even West, if he is the COVID must have headed Vietnam,
was found on his body. Another point, mister Johnson, if
a clerk in this office desired to sell the plans,
wouldn't it be simple to copy them here rather than
remove the ovidual. Well, it would take considerable technical knowledge
to copy the plan's profitly, whether I supposed the James
or West or you all had that knowledge. Now that
don't try to break me into it, mister Holmes. The
plans were found on West to run things that he
should take the originals that he could have made copies.
Every inquiry in this case reveals something inexplicable. Now, mister Johnson,
there are three papers still missing. Do I understand that
someone holding these three alone and without the seven others
could constructor bruce Partington the submarine? Well, not entirely, unless
that someone had invented some essential mechanism for himself. But
he'd be able to overcome the difficulty entire So the
missing drawings are the three most important. Oh, undoubtedly I
reported to that effective the Admiralty coffee Please missus Hudson
for two suffocated wanderers. The fog is still as dead,
then as dense as ever. Oh, he has an urgent
message brought by hand a few minutes ago, sir, Oh,
thank you, I'll fetch the coffee director. Ah. It's investigation
like a fog itself. Every few paces forward reveals the
pressure obstacle ahead. What you got there? Home? Ah? My
brother Micraft has been doing his duty. The list of
agents you asked for, yes, most of them small flies.
But listen, the only men worth considering our Adolph Meyer
Louis la Rafier and Hugo Oberstein. The letter lives at
thirteen Corfield Gardens, Kensington, and is known to have been
in town on Monday, though he is now reported as
having left. The cabinet. Awaits your final report with the
atmost anxiety. The whole force of the stage is at
your back if you should need it. I'm afraid that
all the Queen's horses and all the Queen's men can
very little in this net. But wait, what is it?
Things are turning a little in our direction at last?
What's I do? Honestly believe? But I going to pull
it off? After all, I don't pretend to follow you home.
I'm going out now. Oh no, no, it's only a reconnaissance.
I sha't do anything serious without my trusted comrade and
biographer my elbow. Thank you now, stay here, and the
odds are that you will see me again in an
hour or two, if time. Thanksbe get full step from
then and begin your narrative of how we saved the state.
Oh and long November evening. I waited, filled with impatience
for his return.
Speaker 3: In last, shortly after nine o'clock to arrivee a messenger
with a note which said, am dining at Goldie's.
Speaker 1: Restroom across the road. Please come at once and join
me there. Bring with you a jimmy, a dark lad
and a chisel and a roof bolter. It's sick. I've
one of the propatos cigars man. You oh hangout the
least poisonous that one would expect. Hag have you built
the tools?
Speaker 7: Oh?
Speaker 1: Sir? Now here am I overcurtain nice equipment? Were respectable citizens?
And carry back in the falls. Let me give you
a short sketch of what I've done, with some indication
of one we are about to do. Yes, carry on now? Then?
It must be evident here that this young man's body
was placed on the roof of the train faced. But
couldn't you have been dropped from a breach? I should
say impossible. I found that the roofs are mightly rounded,
and there are no railings on them to keep anything
from falling off. But how could he be placed there?
There's only one possible life. You know that the underground
runs clear of tunnels at some points in the west End,
that some of the house windows immediately overlook the line
now supposedly halted under such a window. Would there be
any differently in laying a body on a carriage? No,
but it sounds highly improbable. When I was told that
the leading international agent who had just left London lived
in a row of houses, which my knowledge of London's
topography reminded me of butts upon the underground, I was
so pleased that you were a little astonished at my
sudden frivology hopes. You don't say, hair hugo Oberstein. Are
thirteen Coffield Gardens become my objective? I've already ascertained not
in that the backstair windows of his house open onto
the railway line, but also that, owing to the intersection
of one of the larger rail is the underground trains
are frequently held out at the plenty homes. You got it.
We advance, but the girl is distant. However, the bird
has indeed farned no doubt of a consonant to dispose
of his booty leaving the way. He cared for us
to pay a visit to his house. We'll not get
a warrant to make it legal, hardly on the evidence,
sadad Come on, let us go. We'll walk to CORTI
of guards. But I beg you not to drop the
instruments on the way. What's your arrest is a suspicious character?
Would be enough? Fortunate of conflict. Well, he didn't leave
a servant here in his house. This is the window. Yes,
look at these discolourations blood, without a doubt. This is
where they rested the body. Quickly, a train's coming. Now
for a demonstration the window. Why see what happens? Look
what the carried roofs are not four feet below us?
What do you think a masterpiece? You've never risen of
greater items? Oh, I cannot agree. From the moment I
can see the idea of the body being on the roof.
All the rest is inevitable, or you can say so.
But we must get on. A search of every private
paper we can find might turn up something else. No,
the cunning, darkest company's tracks, he's left nothing to incriminate him.
Homes What is it? Uh, take a look at me?
What have you got? The clippings from a newspaper any color?
Did it? Telegraph? Judging by the print of the paper,
hoped to here sooner? Terms would be too rightfully to
a rescuing on card pierro matter presses must have draw
offer unless contract completed, make appointment by letter Piero.
Speaker 3: And this one says, Monday night after nine two taps
payment in hard cash when.
Speaker 1: Goods delivered Piero Monday night, homes Monday night, the night
of the murder. It's jes a dart, wasn't These kippings
are very recent, and that one appears to be the
last of the secrets. Piero hey Oberstein's pseudonym for this
his business. I don't die. Oh if only we could
find who the messages are four homes. Well, perhaps it
won't be so difficult, after all, I think we might
drive round to the offices of the Daily Telegraph on
our way home, and thus bring a good day's work
to a conclusion. Well, how, mister Holmes.
Speaker 3: It's all right for you breaking into people's houses while
they're away. We can't do these things in the portion now,
No wonder you get results of the beyond us.
Speaker 1: The results justify the means, in other words, But let's
hear what you think about achievement.
Speaker 7: My first in what use will you make in the discovery?
See in today's telegraph, Pierre has advertised again, Oh tonight,
same are same place two taps most vitally important your
own safety stake, Piero, Why Georgia, we've got it.
Speaker 1: That was my idea. When I put it in into
danger to himself will make him set into obey. It's brilliant. So, gentlemen,
if you can make it quite convenient to come at
about eight o'clock to Corfield Gardens, we might possibly get
a little nearer to a souse just as well oversteps
and really decided to come back. We shouldn't been able
to make him feel with his house. Keep your voice
down on any minute they bring on there. We've been
saying that for three hours of times. Something tells me
your little schemes fizzled out, not at all as trade
I put same are in the message, but that ah
could be anything between eight and midnight. But it's gonna live.
Mouse somewhere outside the door. I can see his shadow
on the glass. Or still here he comes, Eddie M. Watson.
Keep in the shadow and see nothing very well right,
spread it down. I turned up my cross. Great, he
look who it is? Well you can write me down
and f this time Watson, this isn't the bird I
was looking for. Sis. Colonel Valentine Walter younger brothers for
James Walter the late end of the submarine departure. I
demand on explanation, what is all this? I can here
to predict OVERTI everything is known, Colonel Walter, how an
English gentleman could behave in such a manner as beyond
my com I don't know what you're baddling about. For
some reason, possibly financial, you entered into a correspondence that Oberstein.
You no doubt took an impression of your brother's keys.
You went down to the office in the fog on
Monday night and was seen and followed by young cadug
and West. He saw you steal the Bruce parkins and plans,
and like the good citizen that he was, he followed
you closely and the fog and kept at your heels
until you reached this stady house. Here he intervened. And
then it was Colonel Walter that to treason you added
a more terrible crime of murder. No, no, I didn't,
I swear I didn't. Then tell us how kadug and
West met his end before you laid his body on
the roof of a railway cabbage. I will, I will,
I did.
Speaker 3: The rest of the competitor, a stock of staged death
had to be repaid.
Speaker 1: I needed the money desperately, obustein of at May five thousand.
It must have saved myself from ruining. Don't see what murder?
Speaker 3: I'm not innocent of you. Then West already had his
suspicions on me. Yes, he followed me as you described.
For I no one knew it, and that's falled until
I was at this very door.
Speaker 1: I'd give them two taps, and Oversteide had come to
the door as arranged. The young man rushed up and
demanded to know what we were going to do with
the pans. Overstegn just fuck him. West was dead in
five minutes. Now, well, then what did you do?
Speaker 3: Overstein had this idea about the trains halting under his window,
But first he examined the papers I brought.
Speaker 1: He said that three of them were a central and
that he must keep them. You can't keep them, I said,
everything will be discovered at woolage if they aren't returned,
but he said he must keep them. They were too
technical to copy quickly.
Speaker 3: And then he had this idea to put the others
heaven on West's body, so that they would certainly be
found and the whole pest would be put.
Speaker 1: Down to him. Where is this overstrine with the papers? Now?
I don't know he he said the letter to the
Ordi'll do the rule and Paddis will reach me.
Speaker 3: Anything else. There has nothing to tell you. How many
if I could believe me? Oh a fellow, nothing. He's
been my dumbfall and ruined.
Speaker 1: Colonel Walter, it is within your power to ease your
conscience and perhaps your punishment. It is how I'm going
to place pen and paper before you, and you are
going to write. At my dictation. You will be writing
to Oberstein care the hotel you move to tell him
that you've discovered one more document which is of vital
importance to the assembly of a Bruce Partington submarine. For
this you will ask for a further payment of five
hundred pounds. Well, I don't understand you will not trust
the document to the post, but it would cause too
much comment if you were to go abroad at this time. Therefore,
you will tell Overstein that you will expect him to
be in the smoking room of the Sharing Trust Hotel
at noon on stable there. I think that will do
very well. I shall be very much supply if it
doesn't quite masterly.
Speaker 3: It is a matter of history that overstim did come
eager to complete the core of a lifetime. He fell
into the trap and was safely engulfed for fifteen years in.
Speaker 1: A British prison.
Speaker 3: In his trunk were found the invaluable Bruce Partington Plans.
Some weeks afterwards, I learned that Holmes had spent the
day at Windsor. Whence he returned with a remarkably fine
emerald type in When I asked him if he bought it, he.
Speaker 8: Answered that it was a prison from a certain gracious
lady in whose interests he had once been fortunate enough
to carry out a small commission.
Speaker 2: That was The Bruce Partington Fans by Michael Hardwick, based
on a short story by Sararthaca and Doyle Sherlock. Holmes
was played by Carlton Hobbs and Doctor Watson by Norman Shelley.
Production for the DBC was by Graham Gould.