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Better Than You

Holmes from the first has a healthy disdain for police practices and the competence of the force. Given that the Metropolitan Police had only been formed in 1829, a mere fifty years before the publication of A Study in Scarlet, that’s perhaps unfair but also understandable. Standard practices of which we’re aware today - identity parades, fingerprinting, crime scene analysis - were largely unknown and not in use at the time, so Holmes’ methods would have seemed unorthodox to Scotland Yard. Nevertheless, almost always, his way of investigating the crimes, the paths he takes and the clues he follows, turn out to be the right ones. Here I’ll be recording where he shows up Scotland Yard, though be to totally fair to him, he never publicly humiliates or badmouths them, and always gives the investigating officer the credit, wanting none himself.

He has the measure of both inspectors here. Lestrade thinks he has uncovered an important clue when he discovers the word RACHE on the wall at Lauriston Gardens whereas Holmes knows it’s an attempt by the murderer to try to wrong-foot the police.

He determines the method of Enoch Drebber’s murder, when the police have no clue, given that there are no marks on the body and no blood to be found.

When Gregson announces proudly that he has broken the case by arresting Arthur Charpentier, he knows that the man is not guilty. This is confirmed shortly afterwards when, with their main suspect in custody, another murder takes place.

He sees the value and significance of the pills and the telegram, both of which mean nothing to either Gregson or Lestrade, and is able to use them to bring the case to a close.

Character Study

Here I'll be looking into each of the main (only) characters, with the exception of Holmes and Watson, and give my assessment of them.

Inspector Tobias Gregson: A man who intends to go places; ready to impress his superiors but perhaps too quick to come to conclusions without all the facts, and take the first and most obvious solution he sees. Sort of a precursor to today’s idea of “get the case closed, I don’t care how.” Gregson here enjoys a rivalry with his opposite number, Inspector Lestrade, however it is the latter who triumphs and returns in future Holmes stories, whereas Gregson is never heard from again.

Inspector Lestrade: Fated to be Holmes’ sounding board, and whose career will benefit highly from the assistance - unofficial of course, and never reported - that Holmes gives him, Lestrade learns quickly that the consulting detective is the man to turn to when he is baffled by a case. Even so, there are times when his arrogance will lead him to discount Holmes’ theories, which are almost always correct. Oddly, Lestrade does not rate a first name, though we have an initial - G - but that could stand for anything: George? Graham? Gregory? Gavin?

John Ferrier: One of only two survivors from a pioneer wagon train, and the only adult, Ferrier believes death is the only reward waiting for he and the child, but fate steps in and has the Mormons rescue them just as their food and water has run out. In retrospect, he might have thought it better had they perished on the high cliff face on which they were found. Ferrier agrees to abide by the Mormons’ rules - though he refuses to marry, taking not even one wife when most of the Mormons have several, a resistance that rankles with the leader, Brigham Young - but when it comes time to sacrifice his daughter to either of the brutish sons of the Elders, he decides they can all go **** themselves and with the help of Jefferson Hope escapes with her. He doesn’t get far though, being shot by the pursuing Mormons and buried where he falls.

Lucy Ferrier: The child John Ferrier carries with him as the Mormons discover and rescue them. Lucy is not his child, but her parents are dead and so he adopts her, she taking his name. She grows up into a beautiful young lady and falls in love with rancher Jefferson Hope when she goes into the city. Their romance blossoms, but is threatened by the Elders’ insistence that she marry within the cult. After John Ferrier is shot she is brought forcibly back and wed to Enoch Drebber, but with a broken heart she only lasts a month before she dies.

Jefferson Hope: Having fallen in love with Lucy and secured her father’s permission to marry, he is determined to save them both from the Mormons, but while away hunting he comes back to find John dead and already buried. Hiding out in the hills, unable to take on all the Mormons, he hears of her death and goes down into the settlement, taking her wedding ring and vowing vengeance on the men who caused her death. He spends his life fulfilling this promise, and finally makes good just before he dies himself, from a heart condition. He admits to his crimes, proving Sherlock Holmes correct in his assumptions.

Enoch Drebber: Son of one of the powerful Holy Four of the Mormons, the Elders and leaders of the cult, he desires Lucy Ferrier for his wife. Well, truth to tell, she could have gone to his friend, Joseph Stangerson, but they played cards and he won her. Once he has her though, having witnessed the death of her father, he loses interest and when she dies he is not at all bothered. Later he breaks with the Mormons for unspecified reasons (perhaps he was interfering with the wives of others? He’s that sort of prick) and flees America with Stangerson acting as his secretary. Jefferson Hope follows him, tracking the two across Europe until he finally runs them down in London. Picking him up as he emerges drunk out of Mrs. Charpentier’s boarding house, he takes him to Lauriston Gardens, where he reveals his identity and forces Drebber to take one of two pills, the other of which he takes himself. He says Providence guides his hand, or maybe he’s just lucky, but in either case Drebber takes the poison pill and dies. Hope leaves him there, where he is discovered by PC Rance, leading to the beginning of the mystery, while he goes off to kill Stangerson.

Joseph Stangerson: Another son of the Elders, he is Drebber’s confederate, and indeed subordinate, working for him as his secretary. It seems likely he is the one who shot John Ferrier, though this is never confirmed. After he hears of the death of Drebber, and with a telegram in his pocket advising him that his pursuer is in Europe, he remains in his hotel, terrified to come out. But Hope gets in, and offers him the same choice he gave Drebber. Stangerson, however, takes matters into his own hands and goes for Hope, who then stable him through the heart.

The story in 100 words or less.
(The Tealdeer version)

After both Enoch Drebber and Joseph Stangerson are found dead, the one poisoned, the other stabbed, Sherlock Holmes links the crimes to a cabby with the initials J.H., who turns out to be Jefferson Hope, tracking the two men from America after they were both responsible for the death of his sweetheart and her father. Before he can be brought to trial however, Hope dies of a heart condition.

Holmes’ Hit List

This is where I will recount all the “collars” Holmes has racked up during his career, at least in the stories. The criminals he has caught or that the police have caught with his help. Only ones directly involved in the stories will be entered here; for instance, when he refers back to some case not recorded by Watson - “I remember the case of…” which involved a criminal he caught, this will not be noted.

Jefferson Hope

Total: 1
Running total: 1



The Holmes Body Count

Broken down into those in whose death Holmes or Watson have an active, accidental or deliberate hand in, those who die incidentally (victims, witnesses, police etc) and those who are mentioned as having died as a result of the case, even if that is before Holmes gets involved. I’m not blaming him for all these deaths, nor making any judgement; merely listing the number of people who die as the stories progress.

Direct refers to deaths Holmes either had a direct hand in, or that he caused by his presence.

Indirect refers to deaths which occur as a result of Holmes’ investigation, but usually outside of his presence or control, for instance, someone Holmes is pursuing kills an accomplice to cover his tracks etc.

Incidental takes into account deaths NOT CONNECTED DIRECTLY TO THE CASE but which would most likely not have occurred had Holmes not been investigating. Bystanders, servants, girlfriends, that sort of thing.

Historical refer to deaths which occur as a result of the case but before it, for instance people killed in the events leading up to the case.

Direct: None yet
Indirect: 3 (Jefferson Hope, Stangerson and Drebber)
Incidental:
Historical: 2 (John and Lucy Ferrier)
Total: 5

Famous firsts

Obviously, this being the first time we meet the pair, there are quite a few.
First meeting of Holmes and Watson
First mention of Baker Street
First examples of Holmes’ deductive methods
First connections of Holmes with Scotland Yard

Satisfied Customer(s)?

No customer as such so this would be a N/A.

Legal outcome (if any):

Arrest made but culprit dies before coming to trial.

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