{"product_id":"2940013693517","title":"The Problem of Dead Wood Hall","description":"A gentleman, bearing the somewhat curious name of Tuscan Trankler,\u003cbr\u003eresided in a picturesque old mansion, known as Dead Wood Hall,\u003cbr\u003esituated in one of the most beautiful and lonely parts of Cheshire,\u003cbr\u003enot very far from the quaint and old-time village of Knutsford. Mr.\u003cbr\u003eTrankler had given a dinner-party at his house, and amongst the guests\u003cbr\u003ewas a very well-known county magistrate and landowner, Mr. Manville\u003cbr\u003eCharnworth. It appeared that, soon after the ladies had retired from\u003cbr\u003ethe table, Mr. Charnworth rose and went into the grounds, saying he\u003cbr\u003ewanted a little air. He was smoking a cigar, and in the enjoyment of\u003cbr\u003eperfect health. He had drunk wine, however, rather freely, as was his\u003cbr\u003ewont, but though on exceedingly good terms with himself and every one\u003cbr\u003eelse, he was perfectly sober. An hour passed, but Mr. Charnworth had\u003cbr\u003enot returned to the table. Though this did not arouse any alarm, as it\u003cbr\u003ewas thought that he had probably joined the ladies, for he was what is\u003cbr\u003ecalled \"a ladies' man,\" and preferred the company of females to that\u003cbr\u003eof men. A tremendous sensation, however, was caused when, a little\u003cbr\u003elater, it was announced that Charnworth had been found insensible,\u003cbr\u003elying on his back in a shrubbery. Medical assistance was at once\u003cbr\u003esummoned, and when it arrived the opinion expressed was that the\u003cbr\u003eunfortunate gentleman had been stricken with apoplexy. For some reason\u003cbr\u003eor other, however, the doctors were led to modify that view, for\u003cbr\u003esymptoms were observed which pointed to what was thought to be a\u003cbr\u003epeculiar form of poisoning, although the poison could not be\u003cbr\u003edetermined. After a time, Charnworth recovered consciousness, but was\u003cbr\u003equite unable to give any information. He seemed to be dazed and\u003cbr\u003econfused, and was evidently suffering great pain. At last his limbs\u003cbr\u003ebegan to swell, and swelled to an enormous size; his eyes sunk, his\u003cbr\u003echeeks fell in, his lips turned black, and mortification appeared in\u003cbr\u003ethe extremities. Everything that could be done for the unfortunate man\u003cbr\u003ewas done, but without avail. After six hours' suffering, he died in a\u003cbr\u003eparoxysm of raving madness, during which he had to be held down in the\u003cbr\u003ebed by several strong men.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe post-mortem examination, which was necessarily held, revealed the\u003cbr\u003ecurious fact that the blood in the body had become thin and purplish,\u003cbr\u003ewith a faint strange odour that could not be identified. All the\u003cbr\u003eorgans were extremely congested, and the flesh presented every\u003cbr\u003eappearance of rapid decomposition. In fact, twelve hours after death\u003cbr\u003eputrefaction had taken place. The medical gentlemen who had the case\u003cbr\u003ein hand were greatly puzzled, and were at a loss to determine the\u003cbr\u003eprecise cause of death. The deceased had been a very healthy man, and\u003cbr\u003ethere was no actual organic disease of any kind. In short, everything\u003cbr\u003epointed to poisoning. It was noted that on the left side of the neck\u003cbr\u003ewas a tiny scratch, with a slightly livid appearance, such as might\u003cbr\u003ehave been made by a small sharply pointed instrument. The viscera\u003cbr\u003ehaving been secured for purposes of analysis, the body was hurriedly,\u003cbr\u003eburied within thirty hours of death.","brand":"WDS Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47069095592176,"sku":"2940013693517","price":2.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940013693517_p0.jpg?v=1763584347","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940013693517","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}