Character details
- First Name
- Inspector Lionel T.
- Last Name
- Cramer
- Notes
- Inspector with NYPD, Homicide. Has tolerate / hate relationship with Wolfe. He respects Wolfe, but is greatly irritated by his eccentricities. Habitually chews (but rarely lights) cigars. Notably, Cramer lights a cigar in Wolfe's office during "Instead of Evidence" in which the murder weapon is an exploding cigar! First name is given as Fergus one time, but generally accepted as Lionel. Had a son in the Army Air Corps during WWII. Archie has called Mrs. Cramer on the phone more than once to reach the Inspector at home. Archie's favorite alias for him is "the man about the chair" or "any name with a double "d", e.g., Mr. Judd". At no time is Inspector Cramer ever referred to in the books as "Lionel T." Cramer; his first name is given as "Fergus" in "Where There's a Will." There is a lone later reference to him as L.T.C. (The Silent Speaker), but never Lionel. Stout's biographer, John McAleer, asked Stout to explain the "Fergus"/"L.T.C" discrepancy; Stout replied: "No significance. Laziness. I didn't bother to check on whether he already had a first name. Of course, all discrepancies in the Nero Wolfe stories are Archie Goodwin's fault." (from "Royal Decree; Conversations with Rex Stout) He is featured in a book by Stout called Red Threads, first published 1939, tracking down a killer with a young fashion designer. There is no reference to Nero Wolfe.
- Reserved Notes
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Character cases:
Ch. 8 - Wolfe mentions that he had called Cramer looking for information and surmised that the police had "exhausted even conjecture."
Ch. 11 - Archie mentions that Wolfe had spoken with Cramer on the phone again but nothing exciting came of it.
Ch. 12 - stops by the brownstone and discusses the case with Archie. Apparently Pratt had been "riding" Cramer about the police's inability to get to the bottom of mysterious deaths and Hibbard's disappearance. Cramer also mentions that Dora Chapin had called earlier requesting Wolfe's arrest for cutting her neck.
Ch. 17 - confronted by Goodwin at the scene of Dr. Burton's murder tells him, "Oh! You. Nothing doing. Beat it." Later, after Archie bluffs his way past Cramer's men, the inspector does Archie a favor and lets him observe the crime scene.
Ch. 18 - is generally friendly to Archie when he visits the station to ask if he can interview Chapin, but Cramer declines.
Ch. 19 - at Archie's request, sends out an alert to police forces across the region, including West Chester, Long Island, and New Jersey to find Dora Chapin who had Nero Wolfe in a taxi (using a threat to Archie's life to coerce him).
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 8 - calls Wolfe to object to Sgt. Heath's treatment (at Archie's hands) in his search for Clara Fox; arranges with Wolfe to come by late at night to discuss an important matter.
Ch. 9 - smoking a cigar in the office, informs Wolfe that Commissioner Hombert is involved and interested in the case (due to its sensitive political aspect - the involvement of the Marquis of Clivers). Cramer warns Wolfe that the case has the attention of the US Dept. of Justice and that, "They might really send and get you. That's a friendly warning."
Ch. 12 - calls and asks a favor of Archie - that he identify one of the eight Mike Walshes the police have picked up in their investigation of Scovil's murder. Cramer releases all eight when Archie refuses to identify him as the one that came to Wolfe's office.
Ch. 14 - calls and informs Wolfe that Muir has withdrawn his charges against Clara Fox; and now Cramer wants to talk to her about Scovil's murder.
Ch. 15 - arrives at the brownstone with Police Commissioner Hombert, District Attorney Skinner, and Purley Stebbins unannounced.
Ch. 16 - winks at Archie (who grinned in return) during Hombert's intense questioning of Wolfe.
Ch. 18 - comes to the office with Hombert and Skinner at Wolfe's invitation to wrap up the case.
Reserved notes for this caseCh. 18 - present in Wolfe's office during the fatal shooting of Anthony Perry.
Ch. 3 - Desperate enough to call Wolfe up and ask for a friendly chat as soon as Purley reported seeing Wolfe at the offices of Boyden McNair, Inc.
Ch. 5 - Cramer discusses Wolfe's appearance at Boyden McNair, Inc. and his knowledge of Molly Lauck's murder in the office with Wolfe. He confesses to Wolfe, "I came here because I'm licked."
Ch. 6 - agrees to execute Wolfe's plan with Archie at Boyden McNair Incorporated to find out who knew about the poisoned box of candy.
Ch. 9 - Cramer arrives along with "a couple of dicks" and a medical examiner after Boyden McNair collapsed in the office. Discusses the investigation with Wolfe, describing the wide net he's throwing. Reviews the contents of McNair's will, pointing out that it indicates Wolfe was told where the red box is. Cramer leaves after issuing orders to his men to search for the red box, using Archie's phone.
Ch. 14 - receives Archie in his office at police headquarters and allows him to participate in the interrogation of Gebert. After the interrogation, tells Archie that he thinks Wolfe is withholding key evidence and that he (more than) resents it.
Ch. 15 - calls the office looking for Helen Frost, wanting to see her immediately.
Ch. 17 - stops by the brownstone looking for information from Wolfe and the red box; he also mentions that Frisbie is pretty upset with Archie. He describes the method used to kill Gebert (a small hammock with nitrobenzene taped to the roof of his car). Cramer grudgingly accepts Wolfe's offer to solve the case after Saul drops by with a package put in the safe.
Ch. 18 - arrives at the office with Purley Stebbins. Later, Cramer does not hesitate when Wolfe tells him to take Calida Frost's bag, and he tells her to stay for a while.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 14 - mentioned by Wolfe, indicating that Cramer's "indefatigable routine" separated him from the local police investigating Clyde Osgood's death.
Reserved notes for this case
Appears in this story. Bemoans interference from his superiors in his investigation.
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Led investigation into the Gould murder at the flower show.
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Reserved notes for this caseAsks Wolfe for his opinion concerning the death of Bess Huddleston.
Storms into the brownstone and demands the presence of Daniel Huddleston and Archie downtown after the two are known to have left the Huddleston estate with evidence. Wolfe is infuriated.
Cramer is outdone when Wolfe hands over a signed confession from Janet Nichols for the murder of Bess Huddleston.
Friend of Lily Rowan's father. Jails Archie for murder of Ann Amory. His son is in Australia with the Air Corps.
Reserved notes for this case
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Unable to solve the Cyril Orchard murder.
Reserved notes for this caseStrikes a deal with Wolfe -- Cramer's army does legwork per Wolfe's instructions, the homicide department gets the credit, and Cramer privately informs Wolfe's employers that Wolfe solved the crime.
Asks Archie to give up Wolfe's location.
Surmises that Wolfe is after Zeck and tells Archie to warn Wolfe off of the job.
Reserved notes for this case
After Paul Nieder is found dead (hit on the head and stabbed repeatedly in the face) Cramer barges into the brownstone and interrupts Wolfe at lunch. He demands to know what Cynthia Nieder hired him to do. Wolfe, outraged, replies, "If you were not an officer of the law, Mr. Goodwin would knock you unconscious and drag you out."
Described by Archie as "a man about Wolfe's age, heavy-set, muscular, red-faced, and obviously aggressive."
Reserved notes for this case
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Accepts Wolfe's assertion that Alberto Mion was murdered and helps Wolfe by arresting Peggy Mion and Fred Weppler as material witnesses for interrogation.
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Headed police investigation of Sigmund Keyes murder.
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Seals the office after the investigation of Cynthia Brown's murder there. Wolfe claims Cramer employs "malefic spite" in sealing the office.
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Stuck in the investigation of the Dykes murder, Cramer breaks down and asks Wolfe, as a favor, to look at a list of names found in the victim's apartment.
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Reports the death of Priscilla Eads to Archie at the Brownstone.
Cramer lets Archie participate in the interrogation of Perry Helmar.
Reserved notes for this case
Has had to put up with the Rackell's insistence that he accept their theories about the murder uncritically.
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Appears at the barbershop in person, since he's a good cop and takes the murder of one of the NYPD very seriously.
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Had a noisy scene with Wolfe while Archie was out consulting Lon Cohen.
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Led the police investigation into Marko Vukcic's murder.
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Suspects (quite correctly) that LBA cares about the contest so much that they don't care whether the murderer is caught or who it was.
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Knows full well that Archie entered Karnow's room, even though he can't prove it, and wants to know exactly what he did there.
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Gives Wolfe access to police reports.
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Wolfe handles the climactic confrontation by dictating a letter addressed to Cramer in front of the suspects.
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Investigated Bottweill murder.
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Investigating Mrs. Bynoe's murder; interviews Archie on the day of the murder to ask why he was standing outside the church taking photographs. Mentioned: that he has blue-grey eyes.
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Investigated Bianca Voss murder.
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Visited the Brownstone on Wednesday May 27,1959. Wants to know everything Wolfe knows.
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Tried to stop Wolfe from preaching after the arrest of the murderer.
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Heads investigation into Phoebe Arden murder.
Reserved notes for this caseSince Archie is more or less serious about quitting, and he and Wolfe don't play their fire-vs-quit games in front of company, Cramer figures it's a new ploy.
Investigated Eisler murder at Lily Rowan's rodeo party.
Reserved notes for this case
He knows Wolfe and Archie have been holding out on him.
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Investigated death of Jimmy Vail.
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Gives Wolfe an unintended compliment.
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Presents warrants to arrest Wolfe & Archie as material witnesses.
Reserved notes for this caseDoesn't serve the warrants.
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In charge of the Ashby murder investigation.
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Delivers a crate of corn to the brownstone, since it had Wolfe's name on it and was found at a murder scene.
Reserved notes for this caseHe handles it in person because Archie's a suspect, which is a compliment to Wolfe in a way.
Took the tie personally from Archie.
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Investigating the Althaus murder.
Reserved notes for this caseArranges a clandestine meeting with Archie when he's assigned to write a report on whether Wolfe & Archie should lose their licenses at the FBI's request. Wants them to nail the FBI to the barn door for the Althaus murder. Smiles for the first time in Archie's experience when Wolfe tells him the story of the confrontation with the would-be bagmen.
Reserved notes for this case
Homicide south.
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Wolfe forceably kept him out of the brownstone.
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Investigated Bianca Voss murder.
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Investigated murder of Arthur Tingley
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Unusually tolerant of Wolfe's antics during this case.
Reserved notes for this caseWolfe and Archie both figure that Cramer thinks they'll be killed, and he's too religious to think anything's appropriate but the last rites.
Sends for Archie upon finding Wolfe's receipt on Poor's corpse.
Reserved notes for this case
'Show me a corpse, any corpse, under the most ideal and innocent circumstances, with a certificate signed by every doctor in New York, including the Medical Examiner. Then show me Nero Wolfe anywhere within reach, exhibiting the faintest sign of interest, and I order the squad to go to work immediately.'
Reserved notes for this case
Character quotations:
Pratt [a NYC assemblyman] thinks it's funny that he has to shell out to a private dick when the city maintains such a magnificent force of brave and intelligent men to cope with such problems. He said cope. I was there.
Cramer complaining to Archie about how he was being pressured by Pratt to solve the case of mysterious deaths and Hibbard's disappearance (and the general menace represented by Paul Chapin).
The Commissioner [Hombert] was talking on the telephone this evening to the Department of Justice. That's the kind of lay-out it is. They might really send and get you. That's a friendly warning.
Cramer explains to Wolfe the gravity of the case and the consequences that Wolfe might face should he not cooperate with law enforcement.
I should have had more sense. If that fat rhinoceros is kidding me, I'll make him eat his license...
Cramer expresses his frustration at the lack of obvious progress after interviewing Boyden McNair, Inc. employees regarding their candy preferences.