WhenWatsonreadsfromthenewspapertherehavebeentwosimilarmurdersnearWhitechapelinafewdays,SherlockHolmes'sharpdeductiveisimmediatelystimulatedtostartitsmercilessmethodofeliminationafterobservationofeveryapparentlymeaninglessdetail.Heguessesrightthevictimsmustbestreetwhores,anddoesn'tneedlongtoworkhiswaytroughapawnshop,anaristocraticfamily'sstatelyhome,ahospitalandofcoursethepotentialsuspectsand(evenunknowing)witnesseswhoarethecastofthegraduallyunraveledstoryofthemurdererandhismotive.