The Adventure of the Pillaged Pawnbroker

Early this morning, Miles Balfour the proprietor of the Pawnbroker shop, was found stabbed to death behind the main counter of his establishment.

The lock on Balfour's front door had been broken and five pounds eleven shillings was missing from the Pawnbroker's cash till.

A careful inventory conducted by Scotland Yard also revealed that the bizarre thief had absconded with the following items; yesterday's newspaper; a porcelain flower vase, a ball of string and a helmet which was unbolted from a complete set of Old English armour.

Mrs. Eunice Balfour, who discovered her husband's body, is at a loss to shed further light on the tragedy. She recalls that her husband, who had recently purchased the shop from Alistair Krebs, had only bitter words for his unprofitable investment.

Indeed, Mrs. Balfour could remember only three customers during the entire week; Newspaper report Henry Forrest, who paid in cash to redeem some books; Mrs. Phyllis Woodley, who cleared out her husband John's attic; and Theatre manager Wilbur Partridge, who pawned a dusty prop box for which he couldn't find a key.

Scotland Yard theorises Balfour caught a burgler in the shop during the night and they have arrested Alfred Appletree, a petty thief who was seen in the area.