Topic: Literature (Wisteria House)

Summary: 

Scott Eccles comes to Holmes to relate the previous night’s strange

events at the house of a new friend named Garcia. Eccles then finds out
that the police want to question him about the death of Garcia. Eccles
describes how he had been invited to spend a few days at Garcia’s house
with Garcia and his two servants.

At dinner, he saw how Garcia was distracted, especially after receiving a

note. Eccles went to bed but woke up to hear Garcia at his door. Garcia
noted the time (one o’clock) and said that he thought Eccles had rung a
bell asking for assistance.

The next morning, Eccles discovered there was no one in the house.
Meanwhile, the police find Garcia’s body in a nearby field and determine
he was killed before a heavy rainfall at one o’clock. The police arrest
Garcia’s cook in connection with the crime. Holmes believes that Garcia
invited Eccles to his house as a witness who could swear Garcia was
home at one o’clock.

In trying to decipher the note Garcia read, Holmes believes that a large
house nearby was involved in the murder. He focuses his attention on
High Gable, a house occupied by foreigners, including an evil man
named Mr Henderson.

Meanwhile, Miss Burnet, an Englishwoman who taught the children in

High Gable and lived there, has not been seen since Garcia’s murder.
While Holmes and Watson plan to climb into Burnet’s room at the house,
they hear that she has run away from Henderson and the others, who were
escaping on a train.

Conclusion:

Holmes discovers that the police arrested the cook to make Henderson
feel safe and give the police a chance to save Miss Burnet.
The police say that Henderson was an evil Central American ruler named
Juan Murillo who had escaped from his country after an uprising. His
enemies, including Garcia, were seeking revenge for his crimes. Miss
Burnet’s husband had been the London representative of the San Pedro
government and Murillo had ordered his death.

Miss Burnet had gone into the house as a teacher and had sent Garcia the
note that let him know where Murillo would be that night. However, the
plot was discovered. Garcia was killed and Miss Burnet was kept prisoner
until her escape at the train station.

The story`s Characters:

1. Scott Eccles  He is a tall, fat, stupid middle-aged man with grey hair
who was invited for dinner and to spend the night at Mr. Garcia`s house.
He was used by Garcia as a witness.

2. Mr. Garcia  He is a young Spanish man who said that he worked

for the Spanish government. He lived in “Wisteria House”. He was trying
to kill Mr. Henderson but was killed by him instead.

3. Mr. Baynes  He is a country detective who had a red face and

bright, clever eyes. He arrested Garcia`s cook in a plan to make Mr.
Henderson feel safe.

4. Mr. Melville  He is a man from Kensington who introduced Mr.

Eccles to Mr. Garcia.

5. Officer Walters  He was left at “Wisteria House” to guard the

place. He thought he saw the devil from the window. He almost had his
thumb bitten off by Garcia`s cook when he was trying to arrest him.

6. Mr. Henderson  his real name was “Juan Murillo”. He was the evil
and violent ruler of “San Pedro” in central America and was known by
“The Tiger of San Pedro”. He killed Mrs. Durando`s husband and also
killed Mr. Garcia. He was found dead in Madrid with his assistant.

7. Mr. Lucas  His real name was “Lopez. He was Mr. Henderson`s
assistant. He looked nice but he also evil and poisonous. He caught Ms.
Burnet writing the note to Garcia and then kept her as a prisoner. He was
found dead in Madrid with his boss.
8. Ms. Burnet  Her real name was “Mrs. Victor Durando”. She worked
as Mr. Henderson`s daughters` teacher as a cover to get close to Mr.
Henderson so Garcia can kill him. She was kept as a prisoner but
managed to escape from Henderson at the train station.

9. Mr. Warner  He worked for Mr. Henderson as a gardener but was

fired. He helped Sherlock Holmes by getting him information from “High
Gable” through the other servants. He helped Ms. Burnet escape from Mr.
Henderson.

Wisteria House Questions:

1. Why did Scott Eccles come to Sherlock Holmes? 

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2. Why did the police want to talk to Scott Eccles? 

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3. How did Mr. Garcia act at the dinner table when he invited Mr. Eccles to his
house? 

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4. What happened when Mr. Eccles woke up at Wisteria House? 

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5. What did Mr. Baynes show Sherlock Holmes and Watson in the kitchen at Wisteria
House?
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6. Why did Mr. Baynes arrest Garcia`s cook (chef)?

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7. What was the plan that Garcia and his two servants were planning to execute?
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8. Why did Garcia’s servant return to Wisteria House? 

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9. Which House grabbed Sherlock Holmes’ attention?

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10. Who wrote the note to Mr. Garcia? And who wrote the address on the note to Mr.
Garcia?
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11.  How many daughters did Mr. Henderson have?

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12. What was Ms. Burent’s job at “High Gable”? 

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13. What did James Warner think Mr. Henderson is afraid of?
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14. The note that Mr. Garcia received said “Our own colours, green and white. Green
open, white shut. Main stairs, first passage, seventh on the right, green door.” What
does this mean?
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15. How did Sherlock Holmes wake Ms. Burnet up?

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16. Why did Henderson kill Ms. Burnet’s husband?

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17. Where did Ms. Burnet escape from Mr. Henderson? 

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18. At the train station, James Warner says that when he looked at Mr. Henderson,
who was inside the train, “I saw murder in his eyes”. What does that mean? 
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?What happened to both Mr. Henderson and Mr. Lucas at the end of the story .19

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