Watson's Tin Box meeting summary - June 15, 2026 - by Olivia Millunzi

On the third Monday of each month, the Watson's Tin Box of Ellicott City scion meets at Union Jack's in Columbia MD. As I was traveling, Olivia Millunzi, Tantalus, was kind enough to take minutes and create this post:

On June 15, 2026, Watson’s Tin Box convened at our usual time and place with 26 attendees representing 17 towns and 3 states.  As our fearless leader was on adventures down under, our guest Gasogene was Karen Wilson, and this report is being guest-written by Olivia Millunzi.  We were pleased to welcome two first-timers, Tom Hill and Meg Hill-Grigson, as well as officially welcoming new member Breier Scheetz, who has passed the rigorous Watson’s Tin Box initiation of attending two meetings.

This month we discussed the “Missing Three-Quarter”, and as we introduced ourselves we were asked to give our saddest or most tragic death from the canon in honor of the story.  Answers included young Oppenshaw, a variety of dogs (there are 4 canine deaths in the canon), Brenda Tregannis, both Sherlock and Moriarity, Hilton Cubit (“he was trying to save his wife!”), Mary Morston-Watson, Cadogan West, Jack Douglas, Mrs. Staunton, Elsie Cubit (“well…she tried…”), Mrs. Staunton (“She wasn’t even named!”), “the twin from Sign of Four”, “the Thor Bridge wife”, and “the Greek Interpreter brother”.

The traditional Toast to the Woman was given by Liane Luini, reading a limerick toast originally by Tin Boxer Kim Ord published in the 2018 issue of Irene’s Cabinet. 

A Toast to The Woman: A Limerick

by Kim Ord - from Irene's Cabinet, Volume 16, 2018

The photograph the woman did hide.

A situation the king could not abide.

In disguise, Holmes used smoke.

The woman saw the joke,

And made her escape as a new bride.

Tom Fahres delivered his traditional monthly haiku while proudly wearing his USA Rugby jersey:
Lord James Mount Gives
Holmes a Plan for Retirement
Mind Your Own Beeswax

We also sold the final Watson’s Tin Box tote bag!  Only 4 Tin Box pins remain at the low price of $10 (Matt will work on ensuring we have new supplies).  Plenty of the new 2026 issue of Irene’s Cabinet remain for sale, black and white for $10 and color for $15.  

Announcements

• Nea Dodson told us the “Morbidly Curious” Youtube channel has a new interview with Lindsey Fitzharris about her forthcoming book on Dr. Joseph Bell, the inspiration for Sherlock Holmes.  You can watch the recording here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFD_WN5defc. 

• The Tea-Brokers of Mincing Lane have reached the funding goal for their scion pin, and pre-orders are still available for $10 each. Everything raised after covering the cost of manufacture and post will be donated to the Beacon Society in memory of Jacquelyn Bost-Morris and Dora Nash, two recently lost Tea-Brokers.  All interested parties should contact Lauren Cerone via https://www.facebook.com/groups/648134899299548/.

• The Sherlock Whisky & Tobacco Sodality will meet June 28 at 2 pm in Shelly’s Back Room at 1331 F St NW, Washington, DC.

• Tin Boxer Michelle March’s dad wanted her to pass along an item that “while not Sherlock, is murder!  You guys like that!”.  The Olney Theater has a forthcoming production of “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” July 2-August 23.  For more information and tickets see https://theatrewashington.org/shows/gentlemans-guide-love-and-murder. Also, the Michelle Pun Count for the evening was 7.

• Michael and his wife recently visited Montreal and saw the traveling “Sherlock International” exhibit, which they highly recommend.  Among the many artifacts from Conan Doyle and 221B Baker Street, you can solve a murder using tools of Sherlock’s time.  You can learn more here: https://pacmusee.qc.ca/en/exhibitions/detail/sherlock-holmes/. 

While “Missing Three-Quarter” has had lots of radio adaptations, there was only 1 silent film adaptation we could find on record.  In 2025, the podcast Sherlock and Company adapted the story featuring current British footballers as the sportscasters.  

Our conversation covered a variety of topics, including the history of rugby, the mysterious chronology of the story (why is it in February??), and the shameful gap in Sherlock’s knowledge that the story reveals - who knew he would need information on something so pedestrian as popular sports?  We also debated whether there was truly a “crime” in the story, and why Hopkins chose not to get involved, before ultimately concluding as a group that this story shows a more human side of Sherlock, who appears to be playing the fool to stall for time for Godfrey Staunton.  

The evidence box was presented by Debbie Clark, during which Karen and I realized that all of our fingerprints are now on many pieces of evidence for these 60 canonical crimes! Here are a few examples of evidence in this box:

Left: Pictured is the tin box Holmes used to store notes and mementos of hispast adventures. Right: Pictured is the key and 3 coins found in the squat, brass-bound, woodenbox in the Subterranean chamber at Hurlstone Manor.

Left: Pictured is the peg of wood and ball of string which Holmes used duringhis following of the Musgrave Ritual. Right: Pictured is the Musgrave Ritual, a family secret, which contained thedirections to find the Musgrave Treasure.

We enjoyed a presentation from Liane Luini on “Canine Scentwork in the Canon.”  We learned about scent-work in historic and modern settings, the 5 canonical scent-workers (Pompey, Toby, Roy, Lady Beatrice’s Spaniel, and The Hound), and Liane’s own experience with scent-work alongside her own Hound, Kara. 

Liane revealed that in scent-work, the humans are referred to as either handlers or “dopes at the end of the rope”- Sherlock by far being a true handler.  We also learned about drag hunting, a sport where packs of dogs follow an artificial scent rather than a live animal as in fox hunting;  the scent used is aniseed, Sherlock’s perfect choice in “The Missing Three-Quarter.”.