Wisteria Lodge

The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge did not occur at the date Watson gave it ie 1892 as Holmes had not yet returned from his foreign travels. Experts believe it is set in March 1894 or 1895. It is one of 8 Sherlock Holmes short stories in His Last Bow. It was first published in The Strand Magazine in 1908. Holmes and Watson are approached by a Mr Scott Eccles. Eccles was invited to stay at the residence of a new friend, Mr Aloysius Garcia, who resided at Wisteria Lodge, Esher, Surrey. Garcia told Eccles he was connected to the Spanish embassy. The next morning, when Eccles awoke, he found the house deserted and, on making enquiries at the Spanish embassy on his return to London, found no one had heard of Garcia. The meeting is interrupted by Inspector Gregson of Scotland Yard and Inspector Baynes of the Surrey constabulary who tell them that Garcia was murdered during the night of Eccles’ visit on Oxshott Common. Holmes and Watson travel to Esher and find that behind these strange events lies a tale of revenge for crimes committed by a Central American dictator, the Tiger of San Pedro. The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge is the only story in the Canon where the police inspector (Baynes of the Surrey constabulary) is as competent as Holmes.