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  M o r e F r o m t h e N o t e b o o k s o f

  d o c t o r l y n d o n p a r k e r - I V

  ( c o n T . )

  but I wished to further discuss it. “Come now, what

  in at the Yard.” Louder, he said “Then more tradi-

  harm can it do?”

  tional methods will be needed. Andrew was found,

  dead of a knife wound, at the fish shop he owned

  “Really? Should we invite other charlatans into the

  with his brother, Matthew. It was Matthew who dis-

  case? Read the dead man’s palm? Bring a phrenolo-

  covered the body.”

  gist to the morgue? No, Parker. My illustrious prede-

  cessor said that deduction should be an exact sci-

  Jamison’s calm returned as he shifted his focus to

  ence. Conventional methods are called for, not

  the case, rather than Pons’ comments. “It’s plain as

  quackery.”

  a pikestaff that he interrupted a robbery attempt.

  The cash box was pried open and emptied.”

  I reclaimed my paper and settled back into my chair.

  “Conventional methods don’t seem to have served

  Pons meditated on his pipe for a moment before

  the Yard in this matter.”

  answering. “Your theory is that the robber was

  caught in the act and attacked Treacher, stabbing

  Pons moved over to the fireplace and rested with his

  him in the chest?”

  back against the mantel. “I believe that I am occa-

  sionally more successful than Scotland Yard in these

  matters,” he said, archly. “I should not be surprised

  Jamison nodded his head in assent.

  if Inspector Jamison does not call upon us in the

  coming days.”

  “You brought the knife?”

  23 April, 1921 Jamison handed him a serrated knife, obviously

  Inspector Jamison still has not come to ask Pons for

  used for gutting fish. “There were no prints of any

  help with the murder of Andrew Treacher, which re-

  kind.”

  mains unsolved according to the dailies. My friend

  has no other cases before him and would eagerly

  look into the crime.

  Pons gingerly accepted the knife, commenting on the

  bloodstains on both sides of the blade. He moved

  4 May, 1921

  over to his deal-topped chemical table and informed

  us that he would be busy for some hours. Jamison

  Jamison finally visited our lodgings today, file in

  hand, to ask Pons for help in the Treacher case.

  grunted at this rudeness and took his leave. I retired

  Pons could not resist tweaking the inspector.

  to the Diogenes for the evening, knowing that Pons

  would be completely absorbed in his task. He ig-

  “I am shocked that the optograms did not reveal the

  nored my return and was still at work when I went

  killer’s identity to you, Jamison.”

  upstairs to bed.

  “We are obliged to pursue all possible clues, Pons.

  We can’t be selective on such matters like you can,”

  5 May, 1921

  He replied, obviously ruffled. “But this case has us in

  Pons was just finishing his breakfast when I joined

  the dark.”

  him at the table. “Come Parker, you have time for a

  Neither Jamison or myself understood what Pons

  quick bite, then we go to join Inspector Jamison at

  the Treacher’s establishment.”

  muttered quietly, but I thought it sounded like “An

  environment I would think you are used to operating

  “You have found some clue?”

  P a g e 7

  T h e S o l a r P o n s G a z e t t e

  M o r e F r o m t h e N o t e b o o k s o f

  d o c t o r l y n d o n p a r k e r - I V

  ( c o n T . )

  There was a sparkle in his eye as he replied. “I dare-

  say Jamison missed something obvious that should

  Pons’ smile grew wider. “I think not, inspector. Look at

  lead us to the killer.” Pons could be infuriating when

  the metal not touched by blood. That knife is no more

  closing the net around a villain and he refused to

  two years old than I am. Detailed examination of the

  elaborate on the cab ride to meet Jamison.

  upper portion will reveal to you that it has been

  scraped to appear aged. Other areas indicate that the

  We were gruffly greeted by Jamison and more cor-

  knife is at most two months old.”

  dially by Matthew Treacher, brother of the dead man.

  Once inside, Pons carefully examined the array of

  I peered over Jamison’s shoulder as he more closely

  knives and implements used in the daily business of

  examined the weapon. Pons then quietly instructed

  the shop. He then took out the murder weapon and

  me to stand next to the door and be on my guard. I

  gazed at it.

  complied.

  “Jamison, does nothing strike you about this knife?”

  Matthew Treacher reentered the room. “That’s taken

  care of. Mister Pons, have you discovered anything

  “I couldn’t help noticing that it is covered in blood,

  new?”

  and thus it was used to kill Andrew Treacher,” he

  answered, shortly.

  “Indeed I have, Mister Treacher. I understand you’ve

  had this knife for some time.”

  Pons smiled. “You are not very cheerful this morning.

  Perhaps your disposition will improve as the day

  He looked over at the item in question, still held by

  goes on.”

  Jamison. “Yes sir. We use it for slicing certain parts of

  fish. I believe that my brother bought it a few years

  He put down the knife, moved to the end of the room

  ago.”

  and turned to face us. At that moment, there was a

  pounding at the back door. “You’ll excuse me, gen-

  “Indeed.” Pons moved slightly closer to the man. “I

  tlemen. Morning deliveries.” So saying, Matthew

  think not. This is a new knife. And it is of a different

  Treacher moved into the next room.

  make than the others used here. I posit that you pur-

  chased it several months ago, aged it as best you

  “Did you ask Matthew Treacher if this is his knife?”

  could; and quite imperfectly, I might add, and used it

  to kill your brother.”

  “Of course, Pons. He

  said the business has

  “Why would you say such a thing?” Treacher was un-

  had it for several years.

  flinching in the face of my friend’s accusation.

  It is my theory that the

  robber grabbed it from

  “Perhaps because I know that your brother intended

  the table and killed Ar-

  to sell his share of the business and move to America

  thur with it. It was a con-

  with his wife and young child. Since you are actually

  venient weapon.”

  the minority partner, this could considerably change

  your situation.”

  Frank McSherry,

  The Pontine Dossier

  P a g e 8

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  M o r e F r o m t h e N o t e b o o k s o f d o c t o r l y n d o n p a r k e r -
I V ( c o n T . )

  Treacher smiled. “I don’t know where you heard such

  A conversation over dinner gave me an insight into

  ridiculous rumors, but I assure you…”

  Pons’ keen mind. I had said, “Pons, I am amazed at

  your ability to follow the correct path in a case based

  He never finished his sentence. Instead, he lunged

  upon trivial clues.”

  forward and grabbed a wicked-looking knife some

  ten inches in length. He waved it menacingly at

  “Ah, Parker, that is because you look at those seem-

  Pons and Jamison, backing away from them. He

  ingly small clues as separate and distinct. I daresay

  must have forgotten my presence and when he par-

  Scotland Yard has the same distressing tendency.”

  tially turned towards the door, I delivered a solid

  right cross to his jaw. He crumpled to the floor, drop-

  “Come now, Pons. Surely you don’t mean to say that

  ping the knife.

  every clue is related to another. I know that to be

  untrue.”

  “Good work, Parker!” Solar Pons complimented me

  as he and Jamison moved to the body. The inspector

  He laughed at this, “Of course not. But two trivialities

  added his praise as well.

  that are related are significantly more important than

  one or the other.” Apparently my face betrayed the

  Back in our lodgings an hour later, Pons expanded

  dubiousness I felt about his statement so he

  upon the details of the affair. “You see, Parker, I was

  changed tack. “Suppose I tell you that we are search-

  not totally idle before Jamison came to us with the

  ing for a man who wears a pince-nez, is a Mason and

  knife. I looked into Andrew Treacher’s financial af-

  walks with a cane. Now, if we see a man with a

  fairs and discovered that which I told his brother. I

  pince-nez perched upon his nose, we certainly do not

  also did a little research regarding brother Matthew.”

  believe that we have found our culprit.”

  He adjusted his pipe and continued. “Matthew is a

  It was my turn to laugh and I let out a snort,

  frequent loser at the track. I am certain that Jamison

  “Certainly not!”

  will find that the man was borrowing from the busi-

  ness. If Andrew Treacher sold his share of the busi-

  He smiled and continued. “Many men in London use

  ness, his brother’s financial misdeeds would come

  a pince-nez. However, if I also notice that the man is

  to light. Matthew killed his brother and staged it to

  walking with a cane, we have considerably increased

  look as if it was a burglary gone awry.”

  the possibility that he is our man: certainly by more

  than double, which would only be the case if half of

  “Thus preventing the sale, covering up his actions,

  the men with pince-nez’s also used a cane. You

  and effectively giving him full control of the busi-

  agree?”

  ness,” I interjected.

  I could merely assent to this unassailable logic.

  “Exactly. I imagine that Andrew’s young son will even-

  tually own the family business. Who knows? Perhaps

  “If I then detect a Masonic pin hanging from his vest

  some day we shall stop in at an Arthur Treacher’s

  pocket, then surely it may be the man we seek, espe-

  Fish and Chips.”

  cially if geographical location is relevant. Three trivi-

  alities that alone give us only the merest suspicion,

  16 February, 1921

  depending upon the size of the population we are

  P a g e 9

  T h e S o l a r P o n s G a z e t t e

  M o r e F r o m t h e

  N o t e b o o k s … ( c o n t )

  dealing with. I daresay there are far more masons in

  London than Canterbury. But all three clues together

  make the individual worthy of further investigation.”

  “It’s all absurdly simple once you explain it.”

  Pons sighed and turned his attention back to the

  meal. “I have trained myself to see what others do

  not and to evaluate, not dismiss, what I see. It is one

  of the fundamental precepts of my approach to be-

  ing a private enquiry agent.”

  Looks quite a bit like Sherlock Holmes, eh?

  “Both (Frederic) Dannay and Vincent Starrett inquired about Solar Pons and, learn-ing that there were enough tales for a group, urged that they be put out in book form.”

  - August Derleth on the genesis of the first Pons collection.

  August Derleth, seated in his office

  P a g e 1 0

  T h e S o l a r P o n s G a z e t t e

  F e a t u r e d C a s e

  Comments

  Pons and Parker had crossed paths with Doctor

  ( w w w . S o l a r P o n s . c o m )

  Fu Manchu twice before this case. The first

  The Adventure of the Camberwell Beauty

  meeting was in September, 1923, in The

  The Return of Solar Pons, 1958

  Seven Sisters. Fu Manchu was a prominent

  Date - May, 1933

  figure in the case. The Doctor had also as-

  sisted Pons in the affair of The Praed

  Street Irregulars in April, 1926.

  In The Camberwell Beauty, Parker does not

  seem to know Fu Manchu. He asks Pons if

  the man is a criminal and what manner of

  man he is. On the surface, this seems im-

  possible. Surely the experiences of The

  Seven Sisters, and the inevitable conversa-

  tions that must have followed it, left Parker

  with at least a superficial knowledge of Fu

  Manchu.

  It is also a stretch when Pons says that the

  Doctor saved his life in The Seven Sisters.

  That is true, but it was one of Fu Manchu’s

  own men that was garroting him at the

  time, so not too much credit can be given.

  Frank Utpatel

  The Case

  The explanation lies in the dates of the

  Pons receives a request for assistance from the mys-

  stories. The Camberwell Beauty was writ-

  terious Doctor, who, though not named, is Fu Man-

  ten in 1952 and referenced The Seven

  chu. Karah, Manchu’s young ward, has been kid-

  Sisters. However, the latter tale did not

  napped; apparently by Manchu’s underworld rival,

  appear until 1965. So Derleth referenced

  Baron Alfred Corvus. Fu Manchu’s extensive criminal

  an as-yet unwritten adventure. He then

  organization cannot find her, so he employs Pons.

  wrote up that adventure some thirteen

  years later. The details of The Seven Sis-

  Quotes

  ters are not completely consistent with the

  Pons: I congratulate you,

  earlier story. Or at least we can say that the

  Parker! Plainly, mar-

  latter raises some questions. The composi-

  ried life has sharp-

  tion dates of the story answer those ques-

  ened your wits and

  tions.

  increased your faculty

  for observation.

  The Praed Street Irregulars is not even

  mentioned in The Seven Sisters. This story

/>   Parker: I must say, your

  was not written until 1961 and is likely that

  violin paying has not

  the title had not yet occurred to Derleth,

  improved, Pons.

  thus there is no reference contained in the

  1952 story.

  P a g e 1 1

  T h e S o l a r P o n s G a z e t t e

  W i z a r d , v a m p i r e ,

  It is interesting to note that at the conclusion of

  S h e r l o c k H o l m e s

  this case, Pons knows that Fu Manchu re-

  a n d e v i l

  sides somewhere in Limehouse; that there

  m a s t e r m i n d ?

  B y B o b B y r n e

  is an entrance to his underground lair from

  the Thames; and he has the Doctor’s tele-

  The unnamed Doctor in the Pons stories is of

  phone number. While Fu Manchu could

  course, the nefarious Fu Manchu, though the Der-

  certainly change his circumstances if

  leth version is a bit less evil than the original crea-

  needed, Pons would seem to have some

  tion of Sax Rohmer.

  very useful knowledge if he were to find

  himself pitted against the Doctor in a fu-

  Unlike Pons, there have been a multitude of Fu

  ture encounter.

  Manchu movies over the years. Boris Karloff, War-

  ner Oland and Peter Sellers (yep, Inspector

  Parker comments on Pons’ lack of skill in play-

  Clouseau himself) are among those who have

  ing the violin. There are a few other refer-