Killer Evans

James Winter, alias Morecroft, alias Killer Evans, is the fictional villain in the Sherlock Holmes adventure The Adventure of the Three Garridebs.During the Adventure of the Three Garridebs, Evans is impersonating John Garrideb in order to attract Nathan Garrideb out of his house so that he can get at a printing press used for the minting of counterfeit money.

During the start of the adventure, Killer Evans is introduced as a lawyer from Topeka who is in search of a third Garrideb at the bequest of an eccentric millionaire named Alexander Hamilton Garrideb. If two other men by the name of Garrideb are to be found, then $5,000,000 will be given to each of the three Garridebs. Upon the introduction to Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson describes the man as being "a short, powerful man with the round, fresh, clean-shaven face characteristic of so many American men of affairs. The general effect was chubby and rather childlike, so that one received the impression of quite a young man with a broad set smile upon his face. His eyes, however, were arresting. Seldom in any human head have I seen a pair which bespoke a more intense inward life, so bright were they, so alert, so responsive to every change of thought. His accent was American, but was not accompanied by any eccentricity of speech." [Conan Doyle, Arthur. "The Adventure of the Three Garridebs." The Complete Sherlock Holmes. Ed. Unknown. New York: Doubleday Press, 1988. 1044-1054.] . After Watson sized up John Garrideb, Holmes noted that Garrideb had been in London for at least a year. John Garrideb denied this emphatically, but Holmes noted that, "Your whole outfit is English. [...] The shoulder cut of your coat, the toes of your boots–could anyone doubt it?" [Conan Doyle, Arthur. "The Adventure of the Three Garridebs." The Complete Sherlock Holmes. Ed. Unknown. New York: Doubleday Press, 1988. 1044-1054.] . Mr. Garrideb acknowledged this and the conversation turned to the investment of finding a third Garrideb. Soon, Mr. Garrideb had finished his business and left to find the third Garrideb in collaboration with Holmes.

Holmes and Watson investigate Mr. John Garrideb and ask Inspector Lestrade to look up John Garrideb. They soon find out that Garrideb is in fact Killer Evans. There are several facts noted down in his file," Aged forty-four. Native of Chicago. Known to have shot three men in the States. Escaped from penitentiary through political influence. Came to London in 1893. Shot a man over cards in a night-club in the Waterloo Road in January, 1895. Man died, but he was shown to have been the aggressor in the row. Dead man was identified as Rodger Prescott, famous as forger and coiner in Chicago. Killer Evans released in 1901. Has been under police supervision since, but so far as known has led an honest life. Very dangerous man, usually carries arms and is prepared to use them." [Conan Doyle, Arthur. "The Adventure of the Three Garridebs." The Complete Sherlock Holmes. Ed. Unknown. New York: Doubleday Press, 1988. 1044-1054.] .

Killer Evans entered Mr. Nathan Garrideb's house and entered the basement. Upon being found out by Holmes and Watson, Evans, "face turned upon us with a glare of baffled rage, which gradually softened into a rather shamefaced grin as he realized that two pistols were pointed at his head. “Well, well!” said he coolly as he scrambled to the surface. 'I guess you have been one too many for me, Mr. Holmes. Saw through my game, I suppose, and played me for a sucker from the first.' [Conan Doyle, Arthur. "The Adventure of the Three Garridebs." The Complete Sherlock Holmes. Ed. Unknown. New York: Doubleday Press, 1988. 1044-1054.] .

Cutting off mid-sentence, Evans took out a revolver and shot Watson in the thigh. Holmes then proceeded to pistol-whip Evans on the head. After Watson and Evans recovered, Evans revealed that under the floorboards were the printing presses of Prescott, the man who Evans shot in January of 1895. Evan's sole task was to get Nathan Garrideb out of his house to access the presses. Evans was arrested later by the C.I.D. on attempted murder. However, Evan's actions did have a macabre, albeit happy ending, "Evans had indeed done great service and caused several worthy C. I. D. men to sleep the sounder, for the counterfeiter stands in a class by himself as a public danger. They would willingly have subscribed to that soup-plate medal of which the criminal had spoken, but an unappreciative bench took a less favourable view, and the Killer returned to those shades from which he had just emerged." [Conan Doyle, Arthur. "The Adventure of the Three Garridebs." The Complete Sherlock Holmes. Ed. Unknown. New York: Doubleday Press, 1988. 1044-1054.] .

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