Sir A. Conan Doyle (Sheffield Independent)

From The Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopedia

Sir A. Conan Doyle is an article published in the Sheffield Independent on 8 july 1930.

Obituary of Arthur Conan Doyle.


Sir A. Conan Doyle Dead

Sheffield Independent (8 july 1930, p. 5)

CREATOR OF SHERLOCK HOLMES DEAD.

FAMILY’S BELIEF.

SPIRITUALIST LEADER "WILL OFTEN SPEAK."

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the pioneer and most famous of the modern detective novelists, and the creator Sherlock Holmes, probably the best-known character of present-day fiction, died yesterday at the age of 71.

Sir Arthur wrote not only detective stories but also many fascinating stories of other types — imaginative and historical.

Of late years he was equally well known as one of the most ardent propagandists of spiritualism. It is stated that his lecture tour in Scandinavia last October in the interests of the movement, was the cause of the illness that ended in his death.

"I pledge my honour that Spiritualism is true," said Sir Arthur a few months ago, "and I know that it is infinitely more important than literature, art or politics, or in fact anything in the world."

He would probably wish his fame to rest on his work for this cause, but it more likely that "Sherlock Holmes" will be the medium of his immortality.

Born in Edinburgh on 22 May, 1859, Sir Arthur studied medicine at Edinburgh University, and it was the inductive methods of his professor, Dr. Bell that, led to the creation later on of the most famous detective in fiction.

TOOK W. G.'s WICKET.

He was an enthusiastic and useful cricketer in his younger days and once took the wicket of the great "W.G."

He was caught behind the stumps and Sir Arthur well remembered that he got some runs himself in that match.

For a few years Conan Doyle practised as a doctor of medicine at Southsea, but the work of general medical practitioner did not prove successful as he hoped it would, and it was in these somewhat arduous times for the young medico that the idea of Sherlock Holmes first came to him. He set out to present scientific detective who solved cases on his own merits and not through the folly of the criminal."

So Watson and Holmes began their world-renowned partnership in "A Study in Scarlet, published three years before Sir Arthur decided to relinquish his medical profession for literature.

The manuscript failed to satisfy several publishers and in one instance was returned unread.

It was in 1891 that the first of the long series of short stories dealing with the criminal investigations of the immortal "Sherlock" commenced and not till 1927 did Sir Arthur in his "Case Book of Sherlock Holmes finally decide to take a leave of his famous creation.

OBSCURED BETTER WORK?

The vogue of Sherlock Holmes has been quite unparalleled by any other fictional notability.

In France he was taken quite seriously as a philosopher and a pioneer in criminal detective work. Sir Arthur himself told us that in Lyons a department of the police buildings was called the Salle Conan Doyle.

Sir Conan Doyle himself believed that if he had never touched Holmes his position in literature would have been a more commanding one.

He himself regarded "The White Company," written in 1889, and "Sir Nigel," produced 14 years later, as forming the most complete, satisfying and ambitious thing that he had ever done.

AN ARMY DOCTOR.

When the Boer War broke out Conan Doyle took charge as honorary senior physician of the Langman Field Hospital. A slim volume was the result, "The Great Boer War," which galloped into many editions and was translated into almost every language of Europe.

It was an outspoken survey of the conduct of that struggle, and drew much sharp criticism. He received his knighthood in 1902.

The stand which he made for human right and justice in the case of the Congo atrocities, and more recently his valiant crusade on behalf of Oscar Slater, are other aspects of a busy and useful career.

In the last War, Sir Arthur toured the lines and made personal visits to three fronts.

He wrote "A visit to three fronts," which appeared in 1916, and a history in six volumes the British campaign in France and Flanders.

"MESSAGES" FROM THE FAMOUS.

From the time he took up the advocacy of spiritualism Sir Arthur seemed to believe implicitly in the "thousands of messages testifying to the existence and the character of the life beyond the grave."

Lenin and the late Lord Northclifte were but two of the famous people in recent times who had "communicated" messages. Others were Earl Haig and Joseph Conrad.

In his latest book, "Our African Winter," he recorded a message which believed to have been sent to him by Cecil Rhodes.

Recently he resigned his membership of the Psychical Research Society after a period of 36 years.

He accused the society of misrepresentation and hindrance of those who had really worked at the most important problem ever presented to mankind.

ATTACK ON SACRAMENTS.

He led a bitter tirade against organised Christianity, the principal attack being levelled against sacraments and the ritual of church services.

In one of his books he asked; "Has any heathen tribe anything more fantastic than in its ritual and can we ever expect the affairs of this world to normal while we profess to hold views in religion which no sane man could Justify?"

Sir Arthur, who had lived at Crowborough, Sussex, for some years, was married in 1886 to a daughter of Mr. J. Hawkins, of Minsterworth, Gloucester.

His first wife died in 1906, and in the following year married a daughter Mr. James Blyth Leckie, of Crowborough.

He was an LL.D. of Edinburgh University, as well as a Doctor of Medicine.

A BRAVE FAREWELL.

Lady Conan Doyle, two sons, and one daughter, were at the bedside when he died.

Mr. Adrian Conan Doyle, one of Sir Arthur's sons, said yesterday: "My father had had heart trouble for six or eight months.

"His last words were to Lady Doyle. He simply smiled at her and said 'You are wonderful.'"

Asked whether Sir Arthur had spoken before his death communicating with his family after his death, Mr Adrian Conan Doyle said, "Why, of course father fully believed that when he passed over he would continue to keep in touch with us.

"All his family believe will often speak to us.

"But one has to be careful because there are practical jokers on the other side as there are here. It is quite possible that they may attempt to impersonate him."