ed to see the letter so he could examine it. He asked Mrs. St. Clair whether or not she was sure this was her husband's writing. She was sure that the writing was his. Holmes also noticed that the letter had a dirty thumb print on it. Surely this was proof that Boone, the beggar, had done the crime. He could not explain how the letter was dated after the fact in her husband’s handwriting. The content of the letter was simple. Mr. St. Clair's short note assured his wife that he would be home and there was a mix up that needed correcting before he returned. Holmes and Watson decided to stay the night at the St. Clair home and head back for the crime scene in the morning. That night Holmes thought on the situation and started to make conclusions. Upon their return to the city, Holmes and Watson went to the jail to speak with the beggar man Boone. When they got there, the chief told them that they were having the hardest time getting the beggar man to bathe. They had tried and tried to no avail. When Holmes and Watson looked at Boone they did not see a pretty sight. He was dirty from head to toe and he had a hideous looking scar on his face that made his lip curl up on the edge and expose his teeth. He also had a bad cut on his hand that was starting to heal. The chief commented that the beggar man had still not given any information on the disappearance of St. Clair.Holmes looked upon the beggar for a while as the beggar slept and then did something interesting. He took a wet sponge and went and scrubbed the face of the beggar. The make-up and the plaster dissolved and the true identity of the beggar was revealed he in fact was St. Clair. Holmes had surprised the chief and Watson. They had no idea that the beggar man was Neville St. Clair. As Holmes retraced his steps he commented that it was odd the coat of St. Clair had washed up on shore and not the body. He also commented that during his discussion with Mrs. ...
