Sir A. Conan Doyle Dead
Sir A. Conan Doyle Dead is an article published in the Evening Telegraph (Dundee) on 7 july 1930.
Obituary of Arthur Conan Doyle.
Sir A. Conan Doyle Dead
FAMOUS CREATOR OF SHERLOCK HOLMES
SON'S REMARKABLE TRIBUTE TO FATHER'S FORTITUDE
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle died at Crowborough this morning.
Lady Conan Doyle, two sons and one daughter were at the bedside.
Ill Since November.
Sir Arthur, who was in his 71st year, had been ill since November last and his illness is attributed to his work in Scandinavia in October when he gave series of lectures on spiritualism.
He had lived at Crowborough for the past 22 years and took a great interest in local sports, specially billiards.
Creator of "Sherlock Holmes."
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle would wish his fame to rest upon his beliefs in communication between the living and the dead. It is more likely, however, that "Sherlock Holmes" will be the medium of his immortality.
Sir Arthur was born in Edinburgh on May 22, 1859. His father was Charles Doyle, an artist of fantastic imagination. He wrote his first book of adventure at the age of six and illustrated it himself, but his literary career dated more correctly from 19 years of age, when his first short story was published in Chambers's Journal." After Stonyhurst, Doyle 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.
Enthusiastic Cricketer.
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.
In those days there was a famous bowler named Sherlock. "I cannot really be certain," he said little while ago, but it possible that the name of the bowler Sherlock stuck in my mind, and Holmes also may owe its origin to cricket."
In later years, his hobbies were golf, motoring, and billiards.
Oscar Slater.
After taking his degree as M.D. at Edinburgh, Doyle was in medical practice for eight years at Southsea, and later was senior physician of the Langman field Hospital, South Africa.
At 28 he introduced Sherlock Holmes in "A Study in Scarlet," and a few years later produced his masterpiece "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes." In all he wrote over books and plays.
Sir Arthur vigorously espoused the cause of Oscar Slater, who was sentenced to imprisonment for life for the alleged murder of Marion Gilchrist. Believing that there had been a grave miscarriage of justice, he conducted a strenuous campaign for the reopening of the case.
In this he was ultimately successful and Slater was acquitted. A little later, however, Sir Arthur sued Slater for art the costs of his defence, but the matter was eventually settled amicably.
In a remarkable open letter written June last year, Sir Arthur said—
- "We are about to die, you and I. My age just 70 and I suppose actuary would give me five more years. It may be ten or it may be only one. Who can tell ?"
Spiritualist.
Perhaps this may have been pre-vision by one who was a firm believer in spiritualism and the power of the living conversing with the dead.
He claimed to have had conversations with the spirits of Cecil Rhodes at his grave in the Matoppo Hills and also with Lord Haig and Joseph Conrad.
"I pledge my honour that Spiritualism is true," said Sir Arthur a few months ago, "and I know that Spiritualism is infinitely more important than literature, art, or politics, or, in fact, anything in the world."
Psychic Museum.
In the cause of Spiritualism he travelled extensively and lectured in all parts of the world. In the psychic museum, which he established in Victoria Street, London, are shown many photographs and records of the phenomena in which he was so deeply interested.
In 1900 Sir Arthur contested Central Edinburgh as Liberal Unionist and Hawick Burghs as a tariff reformer in 1906.
Sir Arthur was twice married, and his first wife died in 1906. He leaves a widow, two daughters and two sons.
Son's Tribute.
Mr Adrian Conan Doyle, one of Sir Arthur's sons, paid one of the most remarkable tributes to his father ever made by a son, in an interview to-day.
"He was a great man and splendid father," he said, and was loved by all of us, and was happy because he knew it.
"He had had heart trouble for six or eight months, but recently it had been easier, and he had suffered less pain. Then two days ago came a sudden turn for the worse, and he died peacefully at 9.30 to-day.
- "My mother and father were lovers after forty years, as they were on the day they were married. Their devotion to each other at all times was one of the most wonderful things I have ever known. She nursed right through his illness to the end just as she, like all of us, had been about the world with him.
Last Words.
"His last words were her and they show just how much he thought of her. He simply smiled up at her, and said, 'You are wonderful.'
"He was in much to much pain to say lot.
"Never have I seen anyone take anything more gamely in all my life. Even when we all knew he was suffering great pain he always managed during the time he was conscious, to keep a smile on his face for us."
