1001 Sherlock Holmes Stories & The Best of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

LOT NO. 249 (PT. 1) by ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE
1001 Sherlock Holmes Stories & The Best of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Long before the opening of Tutankhamun's tomb helped ignite the world's fascination with the so-called mummy's curse, Arthur Conan Doyle had already imagined something terrifying awakening from ancient Egypt.
In LOT NO. 249, first published in 1892, Arthur Conan Doyle takes us to Oxford University, where medical student Abercrombie Smith becomes increasingly suspicious of his strange and secretive neighbor, Edward Bellingham, a student of Egyptology surrounded by ancient artifacts and possessing one particularly disturbing acquisition: an Egyptian mummy purchased at auction and identified simply as Lot No. 249. [en.wikipedia.org], [arthur-con...-doyle.com]
Soon, strange sounds begin coming from Bellingham's rooms. The college servant reports hearing something moving around when Bellingham isn't there. And when one of Bellingham's enemies is attacked by a mysterious figure possessing seemingly unnatural strength, Smith begins wondering whether the impossible might actually be true. [en.wikipedia.org]
Could Bellingham have discovered a way of bringing the ancient dead back to life?
And if so, what exactly is he using Lot No. 249 to do?
Today the tale is regarded as an important early landmark in mummy horror. Although reanimated mummies had appeared previously in literature, Doyle's story helped establish the mummy as something genuinely threatening and dangerous, an idea that would become a fixture of horror fiction and movies in the decades that followed. [en.wikipedia.org]
AND THERE'S A FASCINATING 1001 CONNECTION...
We recently discussed Arthur Conan Doyle and the extraordinary controversy surrounding the supposed curse of Tutankhamun in our two-part 1001 Heroes, Legends, Histories & Mysteries presentation:
THE CURSE OF TUTANKHAMUN (PT. 1)
and
THE CURSE OF KING TUT (PT. 2): THE DEFENSE SPEAKS
In those episodes, Arthur Conan Doyle's own interest in supernatural explanations became part of our examination of the curse controversy.
And that makes LOT NO. 249 especially fun to revisit.
Here was Arthur Conan Doyle writing a chilling tale about ancient Egypt, mysterious powers and a mummy that may not be quite as dead as everyone assumes 30 years before the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922. [en.wikipedia.org], [arthur-con...-doyle.com]
If you enjoyed our King Tut investigation at 1001 Heroes, Legends, Histories & Mysteries, don't miss this opportunity to hear Arthur Conan Doyle explore some remarkably similar territory through fiction.
But be warned...
Lot No. 249 may have been sold at auction. Whatever came with it was definitely not part of the bargain.
Join host Jon Hagadorn for LOT NO. 249 (PT. 1) by Arthur Conan Doyle, here at 1001 Sherlock Holmes Stories & The Best of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
What I changed: I made the King Tut connection a prominent promotional hook without allowing it to overwhelm the Lot No. 249 story itself. The notes establish the Oxford setting and mystery first, then use your recent Tutankhamun episodes as a natural cross-promotion.

🎙️ SHOW NOTES SUMMARY
THE ADVENTURE OF CHARLES AUGUSTUS MILVERTON
1001 Sherlock Holmes Stories & The Best of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Few villains in the Holmes canon inspire more disgust than Charles Augustus Milverton, the master blackmailer of Hampstead. Holmes calls him "the worst man in London" — a predator who profits from human weakness, collecting private letters and selling reputations to the highest bidder.
When Milverton threatens to destroy the life of a young society woman unless she pays his outrageous demands, Holmes takes matters into his own hands. Disguised and determined, he infiltrates Milverton's home with Watson at his side, intent on recovering the incriminating letters. But what they witness inside that house — a confrontation, a gunshot, and a swift, silent justice — leaves even Holmes shaken.
This story blends espionage, moral ambiguity, and revenge, showing Holmes at his most daring and human. It's a tale of secrets, power, and the thin line between justice and crime.
 
🔎 ALSO FROM THE 1001 STORIES NETWORK
If you love historical intrigue and real‑world mysteries, join us at our sister show:
1001 TRUE CRIME FROM ANOTHER TIME
Each episode brings you a gripping case from history — crimes that shaped eras long before modern forensics.
Past Episodes:
🕯️ The Murder of Grace Brown — The Adirondack Tragedy (1906) A young woman's dream of love ends in betrayal and murder on Big Moose Lake — a haunting case that inspired An American Tragedy.

⚖️ The Trial of Lizzie Borden (1892) The shocking double murder that divided a nation — was Lizzie guilty, or the victim of Victorian prejudice? coming soon...

🚂 The Vanishing of the Adams Express Messenger (1889) A mysterious disappearance aboard a train carrying gold shipments — a case that baffled detectives and captivated newspapers across America. coming soon

Each story is told in the immersive, cinematic style you expect from the 1001 Stories Network — where history, mystery, and human drama meet.

⭐ SHOW NOTES SUMMARY
THE ADVENTURE OF THE NORWOOD BUILDER
1001 Sherlock Holmes Stories & The Best of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
A young solicitor named John Hector McFarlane arrives at Baker Street in a state of panic. He has been accused of murdering Jonas Oldacre — a wealthy, eccentric builder from Norwood — after Oldacre's will mysteriously leaves his entire estate to McFarlane. The evidence seems overwhelming: bloodstains, burned remains, and a motive that appears tailor‑made for scandal.
But Sherlock Holmes senses something wrong. The clues feel too neat, too convenient, too perfectly arranged. As Holmes and Watson investigate, they uncover a web of deception involving a vindictive old man, a forged will, and a staged crime designed to ruin an innocent life.
Holmes's reconstruction of the crime — and his dramatic reveal of Oldacre's hiding place — make this one of the most satisfying reversals in the entire Holmes canon. It's a story of revenge, misdirection, and the danger of believing evidence that seems too perfect.
 
⭐ ALSO FROM THE 1001 STORIES NETWORK
If you enjoy classic mysteries and historical intrigue, be sure to check out our newest show:
1001 TRUE CRIME FROM ANOTHER TIME
Our latest episode, THE MURDER OF GRACE BROWN — THE ADIRONDACK TRAGEDY (1906) dives into one of the most heartbreaking and sensational cases of early American true crime — a young woman's hopes, a lover's betrayal, and a trial that captivated the nation.
A beautiful lake. A doomed romance. A crime that inspired An American Tragedy.
Now playing at 1001 True Crime From Another Time.

🎙️ SHOW NOTES
Dr. Watson's Memoirs: The Case of the Deptford Shadows
Series: 1001 Sherlock Holmes Stories & The Best of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
In this newly unearthed folio from Dr. Watson's dusty box, Holmes investigates a brutal double assault in Deptford — a case that marks the dawn of forensic science. When a faint thumbprint is discovered on a cash box, Holmes visits Scotland Yard's fledgling Fingerprint Bureau to learn the revolutionary technique of dusting for prints.
Armed with this new method, Holmes uncovers two distinct fingerprints — one on the cash box, another on a glass left behind in the kitchen — leading him to a pair of brothers whose greed and desperation have turned deadly. The case culminates in a tense confrontation at the docks, where Holmes's physical prowess and deductive brilliance bring the culprits to justice.
This story blends historical fact with Holmesian fiction, inspired by the real‑life Stratton Brothers case of 1905, the first British murder conviction based on fingerprint evidence.
 
🕵️ HOST NOTES
Before we close today's episode, a bit of real history behind the science featured in this story:
In 1901, Scotland Yard officially established its Fingerprint Bureau, the first of its kind in Britain. It was led by Detective Inspector Charles Stockley Collins, under the direction of Sir Edward Henry, whose classification system became the foundation of modern fingerprint identification.
Just four years later, fingerprints were used for the first time in Britain to secure a murder conviction. The case involved two brothers — Alfred and Albert Stratton — and became known as the Deptford Murders or the Mask Murders. A single thumbprint left on a cash box was enough to place one of the brothers at the scene, and the case became a landmark moment in forensic history.
Sherlock Holmes, of course, had been using fingerprint logic in fiction long before Scotland Yard adopted it in reality — always a step ahead of his time.
And speaking of Scotland Yard, Inspector G. Lestrade appears in the Holmes canon thirteen times, making him one of the most frequently recurring characters in the entire series. Though often skeptical, Lestrade consistently relied on Holmes when cases grew too complex for conventional police methods. Their relationship — part rivalry, part respect — remains one of the great threads running through the original stories.
This week, I'll be featuring two classic Holmes adventures involving Inspector Lestrade:
🔹 Wednesday at 4 PM ET:
"The Adventure of the Norwood Builder" Lestrade believes he's solved a murder — until Holmes proves otherwise.
🔹 Friday at 4 PM ET:
"The Adventure of the Six Napoleons" Lestrade and Holmes join forces to unravel a mystery involving smashed statues, a hidden pearl, and one of the most satisfying endings in the canon.
Join me for both — and next week, we'll open another folio from Dr. Watson's great dusty box.

🕵️ THE ADVENTURE OF THE REIGATE SQUIRE
1001 Sherlock Holmes Stories & The Best of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Podcast
After a grueling case in France, Holmes and Watson retreat to the English countryside for rest — but peace is short‑lived. A burglary at the home of the Reigate Squire turns deadly, and Holmes, still recovering, must summon every ounce of his deductive power to unravel a web of deceit, blackmail, and murder. What begins as a simple break‑in becomes a test of Holmes's brilliance under pressure, revealing how even the smallest clue — a torn scrap of paper — can expose a killer hiding in plain sight.
🎧 A classic Holmes tale of wit, recovery, and revenge — where the detective's mind proves sharper than ever, even when his body falters.
 
🔎 If you enjoyed this episode…
Don't miss "The Million Dollar Bond Robbery" — one of Agatha Christie's finest early Poirot mysteries, now streaming at 1001 Classic Short Stories & Tales. A million dollars in Liberty Bonds vanish aboard a luxury liner, and Poirot solves the case without ever leaving his chair — a masterclass in deduction and misdirection.