- Case
- The League of Frightened Men
- Year Published
- 1935
- Case Introduction
- 2-12 November, 1934. A group of Harvard alumni approach Wolfe because they fear a classmate Paul Chapin. A college hazing incident left Chapin handicapped years before. The men now fear for their lives after a number of them are found dead under mysterious circumstances. Letters from Chapin hint at his involvement and his intent to harm others of the league.
- Notes
-
First case during which Wolfe leaves the brownstone.
- Resolution
-
Paul Chapin merely took advantage of the mysterious circumstances surrounding the deaths of Harrison and Dreyer, by sending threatening letters to the League of Frightened Men. Ferdinand Bowen stole a large sum of money from Loring Burton through his account with Bowen's firm. When Burton discovered the theft, Bowen went to his apartment to beg not to be turned in. When he was refused, he pretended to leave, but remained in the apartment. He placed a phone call from the apartment to Paul Chapin, and imitating the voice of Burton, asked Chapin to come to the apartment. When Chapin arrived, Bowen turns out the lights, shoots Burton, shoves Chapin to the floor, leaves the gun and flees. Wolfe cites a list of blunders in the murder: "Now, Mr. Bowen you made many mistakes, but none so idiotic as your sole reliance on Chapin's obvious guilt, for that one was the father of all the others. Why in the name of heaven didn't you turn on the light again as you went out? And why didn't you wait until Chapin and Burton had talked a minute of two before you acted? . . . Another inexcusable thing was your carelessness in leaving the gloves on the table. . . . You were worse than a tyro, you were a donkey. I tell you this, sir, your exposure is a credit to no one, least of all to me. Pfui!"
Characters in the case:
Ch. 17 - is present the evening of the shooting in the Burton apartment.
Character descriptionAnne Burton's best friend.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 17 - is present the evening of the shooting in the Burton apartment.
Character descriptionCook in the Burton's Manhattan apartment.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 17 - is present in the apartment the evening of the shooting.
Character descriptionYoung man dating Anne and Loring Burton's daughter.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 17 - Archie interviews Rose in the Burton residence after Dr. Burton is murdered and the police have left. Archie tells her, "You're a good brave girl."
Ch. 20 - Archie returns to the Burton residence, and Rose tells him that she saw the gloves on the table and that Dora Chapin had picked them but put them back.
Character descriptionMaid for Burton family.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 19 - gets the sedan and drives Archie to get Wolfe at the Bronx River Inn.
Character descriptionWorks in the garage where Wolfe's sedan is kept.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 4 - appears on Evelyn Hibbard's list of the League of Frightened Men.
Ch. 5 - attends the initial meeting in Wolfe's office (in response to Wolfe's mass telegram operation) with other League members.
Character descriptionLawyer.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 14 - planning to build a library and have August Farrel design it. Archie tracks down Farrel at his Allenby's residence where the two had dinner to discuss the library.
Character descriptionWealthy and sentimental.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 16 - mentioned by Wolfe, comparing al-Rashid's experiences and revelations with Andrew Hibbard's as he impersonated a roughneck.
Character descriptionLived 763-809 AD and was the 5th Abbasid Caliph. Portions of the fictional 'One Thousand and One Nights' are set in Harun's court and some of its stories involve Harun himself.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 13 - mentioned by Archie as an example of a criminal Wolfe had cornered and whom he would let suffer before springing his trap.
Character descriptionAn "old fool" according to Archie. Also, according to Archie, Wolfe deliberately waited 24 hours to close in on Avery in order to enjoy watching Archie and Morely play fox-and-goose.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 4 - appears on Evelyn Hibbard's list of the League of Frightened Men.
Member of the League - Archie reports, "He almost needed a shave, his pants were baggy, and his hair wasn't combed." Ayers drinks heavily at the initial meeting between the League and Wolfe and makes a nuisance of himself.
Ch. 5 - Ayers is the first to arrive for the gathering of the League in Wolfe's office; requests numerous pours of scotch, gets drunk, and is a bit outspoken. Ayers takes umbrage when Wolfe refers to him as a journalist, correcting that he's a newshound who had interviewed Einstein.
Ch. 21 - attends the meeting in the office at which Wolfe corners the murderer; he is sober and helps Archie distribute drinks.
Character descriptionNewspaperman - works in the city room for the Tribune. Drinker.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 1 - mentioned by Wolfe as a source for acquiring Paul Chapin's book.
Character descriptionWorks at Murger's bookstore.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 3 - Evelyn Hibbard mentions that Sarah recommended Wolfe to help her with the supposed murder of her uncle Andrew Hibbard.
Character descriptionSmith graduate, age 25, popular and beautiful. Only daughter of Peter and Ellen Barstow, sister of Lawrence Barstow.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 4 - Bascom arrives unannounced at the brownstone with one of his men. Wolfe sees him and the two exchange friendly pleasantries. Bascom informs Wolfe that he's been working for League members Pratt, Cabot, and Burton prior to Wolfe beginning work on the case (Pratt is a friend of his). Getting to the point, Bascom asks Wolfe "to lay off" the Chapin case. Ultimately, Wolfe agrees to pay Del $100 for his agency's information and cooperation (Bascom initially asked for $1000). Bascom admits he and his men had not the slightest chance of matching wits with Chapin who is the "deepest and slickest that's ever run around loose."
Character descriptionOperator of Detective Agency in New York City.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 18 - Archie learns from Anne Burton that her husband (Dr. Burton) asked her if she would make a considerable sacrifice for Estelle Bowen.
Character descriptionWife of Ferdinand Bowen.
Reserved notes for this caseCh. 18 - Dr. Burton's question comes because he has learned that Ferdinand Bowen (Estelle's husband) has stolen from the Burtons, and Dr. Burton intends to press charges. Bowen kills Dr. Burton to avoid the scandal.
Ch. 4 - appears on Evelyn Hibbard's list the League of Frightened Men.
Ch. 5 - attends the initial meeting in Wolfe's office (in response to Wolfe's mass telegram operation) with other League members; arrives with Dr. Loring A. Burton.
Ch. 15 - receives Archie in his spacious office; answers questions regarding Hibbard's trading activity and last contact with Bowen.
Ch. 17 - Anne Burton tells Archie that Bowen was present in the apartment just prior to the shooting.
Ch. 21 - attends the meeting in the office at which Wolfe corners the murderer.
Character descriptionStock broker. Member of the League of Frightened Men. Archie describes him as, "medium-sized ... and tired all over; has "little feet...and neat little lady-hands."
Reserved notes for this caseCh. 21 - as Wolfe confronts him, Bowen proves to be quite pitiful.
Stole large sum of money from Loring Burton through his account with Bowen's firm. When Burton discovered the theft, Bowen went to his apartment to beg not to be turned in. When he was refused, he pretended to leave, but remained in the apartment. He placed a phone call from the apartment to Paul Chapin, and imitating the voice of Burton, asked Chapin to come to the apartment. When Chapin arrived, Bowen turns out the lights, shoots Burton, shoves Chapin to the floor, leaves the gun and flees.
Wolfe cites a list of blunders in the murder: "Now, Mr. Bowen you made many mistakes, but none so idiotic as your sole reliance on Chapin's obvious guilt, for that one was the father of all the others. Why in the name of heaven didn't you turn on the light again as you went out? And why didn't you wait until Chapin and Burton had talked a minute of two before you acted? . . . Another inexcusable thing was your carelessness in leaving the gloves on the table. . . . You were worse than a tyro, you were a donkey. I tell you this, sir, your exposure is a credit to no one, least of all to me. Pfui!"
Ch. 10 - is assigned by Archie to help Dr. Vollmer deal with Dora Chapin's neck wound in the office so that he could deal with an errand outside the brownstone.
Ch. 18 - informs Archie that Wolfe has left the brownstone to look for him.
Character descriptionMaster chef in Wolfe's kitchen, has a small apartment in the basement. (In "Fer-De-Lance," his apartment is across from the plant room, not in the basement.) Swiss; native French speaker, served in WWI. Uninterested in murder, except whether a client is in the offing; gets anxious about household finance when Wolfe isn't working. Doesn't like to talk while cooking. Changes to his old slippers at 9 pm because of "things left on his feet by the war to remember it by". Implied he was a member of the Swiss Alpine Patrol during WWI.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 7 - we learn that Anne was romantically involved with Paul Chapin prior to his accident at Harvard; his disability seems to have ruined the relationship.
Ch. 20 - answers a few questions put by Archie at the Burton residence. Archie says, "She looked sick...but the spine was still doing its stuff."
Character descriptionMarried to Dr. Loring A. Burton.
Reserved notes for this caseCh. 17 - discusses with Archie the events leading up to the murder of her husband in their apartment. Anne comports herself well after the murder of her husband - Archie thinks to himself at one point after the murder, "If I was the kind that collected things, I wouldn't mind having one of her gloves myself" (in reference to Paul Chapin's collection of her gloves).
Ch. 4 - appears on Evelyn Hibbard's list the League of Frightened Men.
Ch. 5 - attends the initial meeting in Wolfe's office (in response to Wolfe's mass telegram operation) with other League members; arrives with Ferdinand Bowen.
Ch. 7 - tells the history of Dora Ritter (Chapin's wife) who works for Burton; Burton goes on to reveal that he married the love of Paul Chapin's life after the accident.
Character descriptionDoctor. Member of the League of Frightened Men.
Reserved notes for this caseCh. 16 - via Durkin's report to Archie over the phone, we learn that Burton has been murdered at his apartment by gunshot.
Ch. 4 - appears on Evelyn Hibbard's list of the League of Frightened Men.
Ch. 5 - attends the initial meeting in Wolfe's office (in response to Wolfe's mass telegram operation) with other League members.
Ch. 7 - proposes to Wolfe that he author an article regarding the arbitrariness of rail timetables. Wolfe politely declines.
Character descriptionMagazine editor and member of the League of Frightened Men.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 4 - appears on Evelyn Hibbard's list of the League of Frightened Men.
Ch. 5 - attends the initial meeting in Wolfe's office (in response to Wolfe's mass telegram operation) with other League members.
Ch. 7 - Cabot tells Wolfe the story of Chapin's hazing injury at the Yard on Harvard's campus. He mentions that Dora's maiden name was Ritter and was a maid in his employ.
Character descriptionLawyer. Member of the League of Frightened Men.
Reserved notes for this caseCh. 21 - offers Wolfe (free of charge) to help collect the $1200 Bowen owes him for meeting the terms of the agreement with the League of Frightened Men.
Ch. 18 - after Archie suggests that Chapin might confess to murder while in custody, Wolfe is moved to rebut Archie but then says, "Archie. If you persist... but no. King Canute tried that." It's not immediately clear what Wolfe means by the reference.
Character descriptionCanute (also Cnut) the Great was born circa 985 to 995 AD and died 1035; he was the son of King Sweyn Forkbeard. Canute’s reign and deeds were told of in Norse poetry, and was portrayed as a fierce Viking warrior. He was King of England, Denmark and Norway, often referred to together as the North Sea Empire during his rule.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 11 - reports that he has "got hold of something" he wanted to show to Wolfe; Archie invites him to bring it to the brownstone. Orrie arrives with a leather briefcase he acquired from a bookstore where Chapin left it with a friend who ran the bookstore.
Character descriptionSecond in line behind Saul Panzer when Nero and Archie need extra manpower.
Reserved notes for this caseCh. 11 - Archie opens the suitcase and discovers personal items belonging to Mrs. Burton -- Chapin's secret beloved. Hearing Wolfe speak of Chapin's reverence for the articles reminds Orrie of a guy he used to know in the army...
Ch. 7 - Dora's existence is first revealed to Wolfe by Drummond. Wolfe is astonished and demands, "What is this nonsense?" Burton goes on to reveal that she is his wife's maid and that she is "... around fifty, extremely homely, disconcertingly competent, and stubborn as a wet boot. Paul Chapin married her in 1931."
Ch. 9 - arrives unannounced at the brownstone. Archie indicates, "... seeing her made you despair of ever seeing a pretty woman again" and then, "Somebody's tried to cut her head off. I can't tell how far they got."
Ch. 17 - Anne Burton tells Archie that Dora was present in the apartment just prior to the shooting.
Ch. 18 - invites Archie into her apartment after he arrives unannounced to talk; Dora serves fried chicken and coffee.
Character descriptionPaul Chapin's wife; maid of Dr. Loring Burton's wife; approximately 5- years old; generally unattractive.
Reserved notes for this caseCh. 10 - Dora is mad at Wolfe when he asserts that her husband did not attack her with a knife and give her the wound on her neck. She leaves the brownstone angrily after telling Wolfe, "You're a fat fool."
Ch. 18 - puts sleeping pills in the coffee she serves Archie and Pitney Scott, rendering them both unconscious. Dora takes Archie's prized leather case (a personalized gift from Wolfe) and leaves in Scott's taxi; we learn later that she uses her possession of the case to convince Wolfe to leave the brownstone in order to save Archie.
Ch. 20 - Wolfe reveals that his during his time with Dora, he discovered that she believed Wolfe had framed Paul Chapin, having Archie murder Dr. Burton in order to have him imprisoned to get collect a fee from the League. He tells Archie, "She and I have much in common - for instance, our dislike of perturbation."
Ch. 5 - arrives unannounced at the brownstone as the League is hearing Wolfe's proposal to relieve them from fear of him.
Ch. 6 - says to Wolfe, "...I came to see you. I was thinking that possibly you are a reasonable and intelligent man ... my friends have wasted a lot of time and money pursuing a mirage which someone has cleverly projected for them ... You would not be so fatuous as to chase a mirage?" Chapin reveals that Elkus, Burton, and Drummond had informed him of the gathering with Wolfe in order to frighten him.
Ch. 7 - Cabot tells Wolfe the story of Chapin's hazing injury at the Yard on Harvard's campus (Chapin fell 3 stories); Burton reveals that Chapin married Dora Ritter (Burton's maid) in 1931.
Ch. 8 - Archie's investigation reveals Chapin was present at the Collard estate when Harrison was found dead, but no evidence pointed at him.
Ch. 9 - Durkin describes a diverse group of men watching Chapin at his apartment on 203 Perry Street but that the task is impossible; Archie learns at an interview with Elkus that Chapin was in France for 10 years trying to be a painter.
Ch. 14 - is waiting for Wolfe in the office when Archie arrives with the typewriter from the Harvard Club. Chapin has come to retrieve his box of personal belongings; he is quite upset to learn Wolfe opened it and wants it back. He leaves without it
Character descriptionAuthor, Harvard graduate. Handicapped.
Reserved notes for this caseActually somewhat of a dual personality: while his writing presents him as a cruel and guilty, it is just an exutory - he is fully uncapable of acting on these fantasies. Wolfe reads all his books and understands that from the start on the basis of his reading.
Ch. 3 - Evelyn Hibbard mentions the gathering of the League at Collard's residence in Massachusetts.
Ch. 4 - appears on Evelyn Hibbard's list of the League of Frightened Men.
Ch. 8 - talks with Archie for 30 minutes on long-distance as Goodwin investigates the details surrounding Harrison's death.
Ch. 21 - attends the meeting in the office at which Wolfe corners the murderer.
Character descriptionTextile mill-owner. Member of the League of Frightened Men.
Reserved notes for this case
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).
Character descriptionInspector 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 for this case
Ch. 15 - calls Wolfe unexpectedly and offers a couple of Miltonia bulbs just arrived from England.
Character descriptionOrchid fancier.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 4 - appears on Evelyn Hibbard's list the League of Frightened Men.
Ch. 9 - Archie discovers that Dreyer had been found dead on the morning of Thursday, Sept. 20 in his office on Madison Ave. The police had made the discovery and that nitroglycerine poisoning was the cause of death, pronouncing it suicide.
Character descriptionArt Dealer. Member of the League of Frightened Men.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 4 - appears on Evelyn Hibbard's list the League of Frightened Men.
Ch. 5 - attends the initial meeting in Wolfe's office (in response to Wolfe's mass telegram operation) with other League members (Archie indicates he had visited before with an association to view the plants).
Character descriptionFlorist. Member of the League of Frightened Men. Archie describes him as "a neat little duck with a thin mustache."
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 8 - Archie plans to assign Durkin to tail Chapin along with Keems and Gore.
Ch. 9 - visits the brownstone unannounced to explain to Archie that Wolfe's assignment to tail Chapin is "a washout."
Ch. 11 - reports via phone that Chapin had been to the barber and a drugstore; he goes on to describe the diverse group also monitoring Chapin's activities.
Ch. 13 - reports via phone that he had trailed Chapin to the brownstone and then back to Perry Street.
Ch. 16 - at Archie's direction, takes the city official camped on Perry St. for drinks on the expense account - clearing the area for Archie to take Pinkie to see Wolfe.
Ch. 16 - reports to Archie via phone that Dr. Burton had been murdered by Chapin and that the police had arrested Chapin.
Character descriptionHired hand used by Wolfe and Archie when extra manpower is needed. Not the best, but can tail better than anybody but Saul. The favorite "irregular" after Saul - Fritz: "I'm glad it's Orrie instead of Saul or Fred"; Archie: "Such a chore for Saul or Fred of course, but I didn't like doing it for Orrie."; Mr Wolfe: "He doesn't have the dignity of a man who has found his place and occupies it, as you have, Fred."
Bald, burly, 5'10, 190 lbs; moves like a bear. Married with four children. Archie: "You can trust him to hell and back."
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 5 - Mike Ayers asserts he had once interviewed Einstein.
Ch. 18 - Wolfe mentions that the last time he left the brownstone was to dine with Einstein.
Character descriptionPhysicist
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 4 - appears on Evelyn Hibbard's list of the League of Frightened Men.
Ch. 8 - Archie learns that Elkus drove Paul Chapin to Harvard 5 months earlier for the event at which Harrison is found dead. Elkus believes Chapin is guiltless despite the threatening poems, and he refuses to take any action against him.
Ch. 9 - receives Archie who is investigating Dreyer's death; tells Archie that Dreyer sold him fraudulent paintings years earlier, and that he had recently confronted him with Paul Chapin and Enrico Santini, an art expert; Dreyer was found dead of poisoning the next day.
Ch. 21 - attends the meeting in the office at which Wolfe corners the murderer. Archie overhears him telling Bowen "that it appeared like that Nero Wolfe was in an advanced stage of megalomania."
Character descriptionSurgeon.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 16 - mentioned by Andrew Hibbard as he describes his experiences living undercover on the streets of NYC.
Character descriptionLived 2 February 1859 – 8 July 1939. An English physician who studied human sexuality (among other things).
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 4 - appears on Evelyn Hibbard's list of the League of Frightened Men.
Character descriptionActor.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 4 - appears on Evelyn Hibbard's list of the League of Frightened Men.
Ch. 5 - attends the initial meeting in Wolfe's office (in response to Wolfe's mass telegram operation) with other League members.
Ch. 7 - confirms that he is broke (Wolfe put his share of the fee at $10).
Ch. 8 - Wolfe reveals that Farrell is doing errands in the investigation: collecting Chapin's warning letters, and arranging an interview with Chapin's publisher, Oglethorpe.
Ch. 13 - Wolfe reveals that Farrell has acquired and delivered 16 typewriter samples from Oglethorpe's offices.
Character descriptionArchitect and Member of the League of Frightened Men.
Reserved notes for this caseCh. 13 - Wolfe notices that a note sent by Farrell regarding typing samples was typed with the same typewriter used by the author of the threatening poems sent to the League members.
Ch. 14 - Archie tracks down Farrell in Philadelphia. Farrell informs him that he typed the note on a typewriter at the Harvard Club.
Ch. 17 - is called to action by a neighbor when Dr. Burton is murdered in his Manhattan apartment.
Character descriptionDoctor who lives in the same apartment building as Loring and Anne Burton in Manhattan on Ninetieth St.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 4 - appears on Evelyn Hibbard's list of the League of Frightened Men.
Ch. 21 - attends the meeting in the office at which Wolfe corners the murderer.
Character descriptionBanker.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 1 - bored due to professional inactivity; pesters Wolfe.
Ch. 2 - at Wolfe's request, reads aloud the report (as recorded by a stenographer from Miller's) from Andrew Hibbard's visit during Archie's absence.
Ch. 4 - spends 3 hours with Evelyn Hibbard; organizes the efforts of Saul and Fred; requests and receives financial information of League members from Mr. Higgam.
Ch. 5 - receives the members of the League after dinner with Wolfe; pours drinks and plays host as needed.
Ch. 8 - reviews Bascom's reports written prior to Wolfe taking on the case; makes numerous calls, including to Fillmore Collard; reports to Wolfe that no evidence directly links Chapin to the Harrison's death.
Ch. 9 - killing time before meeting Elkus, visits the Dreyer art gallery and asks a secretary there about Eugene Dreyer's death; meets with Elkus and finds him to be "sad" and against his friends' enterprise with Wolfe.
Ch. 10 - confronts Pitney Scott in his taxi parked in front of the brownstone; Scott had brought Dora Chapin.
Ch. 11 - opens the suitcase brought by Orrie to the office; discovers the personal items (gloves and stockings) of Anne Burton (as concluded by Wolfe).
Ch. 12 - describes the custom-made personalized leather wallet given to him by Wolfe on his birthday (Oct. 23). Archie receives Cramer while Wolfe is in the greenhouse, and discusses the case with him (Cramer is being pressured to resolve the case and wants to know when Wolfe is going to wrap it up).
Ch. 13 - goes to Perry St. and discusses the situation there with Durkin; then confronts "Pinkie" (so named by Fred because of his pink tie) who is quietly observing / following Chapin at the Coffee Pot. Pinkie refuses Archie's bribes and gives him no information. Archie calls Cramer (who was friendly) and learns that the police have cast a wide net for Hibbard.
Ch. 14 - takes the noon train to Philadelphia to look for Farrell, whom he finds after scouring the city's architectural firms. Farrell informs Archie that he typed his note on a public typewriter at the Harvard Club. Archie tracks down Farrel at a Mr. Allenby's residence where the two had dinner to discuss the design of a library.
Ch. 15 - visits the offices of Galbraith & Bowen to discuss the Hibbard disappearance with Ferdinand Bowen.
Ch. 16 - asks Durkin to run interference (telling him, "I'm going to take Pinkie for a ride.") then confronts Pinkie at the Coffee Pot, hand cuffs him, and puts him in the roadster, and takes him to the brownstone. Informed by Durkin that Chapin had shot Dr. Burton, Wolfe sends Archie to the scene to gather information.
Ch. 17 - pretending to be a medical examiner, Archie sneaks into the Burton apartment after Cramer refuses to allow him in. Archie hides in a closet and emerges after Cramer and his men all leave; then he interviews Mrs. Burton regarding the activities in the apartment leading up to the shooting.
Ch. 18 - goes to visit Cramer to ask if he can interview Chapin; Cramer denies the request.
Ch. 19 - calls Cramer to ask his help in finding Wolfe (whom Archie suspects is with Dora Chapin). Cramer agrees to help, involving multiple jurisdictions to help with the search.
Ch. 20 - wakes up many hours later after the adventure at the Chapin apartment and the Bronx River Inn; Dr. Vollmer is standing over him. Later, Wolfe sends Archie to talk to Mrs. Burton, her daughter, and the maid. Afterwards, Archie returns the box of personal effects to the Chapin residence.
Ch. 21 - at the decisive gathering in the office, Archie frisks Bowen who kicks him in the shin.
Character descriptionNero Wolfe's tough and witty assistant.
Reserved notes for this caseCh. 18 - Archie observes Dora Chapin entering Pitney Scott's taxi and leaving Perry St. When they return, Archie follows them to the Chapin apartment and is admitted; there, Dora drugs him with spiked coffee and takes his wallet (which was a gift from Wolfe). When Archie wakes up, he cannot stand. He manages to call Fritz and when he learns that Wolfe has left the brownstone to look for him, Archie cries.
Ch. 19 - while still in the Chapin apartment, answers a phone call and discovers it's Wolfe who is safe and at the Bronx River Inn. Archie goes there and after talking briefly with Wolfe (who is with Dora), collapses hitting his head on the table before Wolfe catches him.
Ch. 8 - Archie plans to assign Gore to tail Chapin along with Durkin and Keems.
Character descriptionUsed periodically by Nero Wolfe for leg work.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 3 - as described by Evelyn Hibbard, Harrison went to Massachusetts from Indiana to attend his son's commencement.
Ch. 4 - appears on Evelyn Hibbard's list of the League of Frightened Men.
Ch. 8 - attends gathering at Fillmore Collard's party at Marblehead.
Character descriptionFederal Judge. Member of the League of Frightened Men.
Reserved notes for this caseCh. 3 - as described by Evelyn Hibbard, Harrison's body is found at the bottom of a cliff at Fillmore Collard's place.
Ch. 8 - Archie reviews Bascom's reports in which details are given regarding the evening of Harrison's death and the next morning when the body was found.
Ch. 2 - we learn that Hibbard visits Wolfe (in Archie's absence) a month prior to the beginning of the Chapin case to ask Wolfe for protection for $500 / week. Wolfe refuses because he feels the job would require Chapin's destruction.
Ch. 13 - at Wolfe's request, Hibbard stays in seclusion at the brownstone.
Ch. 21 - after a long disappearance, Hibbard surprises League members with his sudden appearance in Wolfe's office at a gathering there orchestrated by Wolfe.
Character descriptionSmall gentleman, around fifty, pointed nose, dark eyes. Instructor of psychology at Columbia University. Member of the League of Frightened Men.
Reserved notes for this caseCh. 13 - Archie confronts "Pinkie" (so named by Fred because of his pink tie) who is observing / following Chapin. Pinkie is actually Hibbard in disguise.
Ch. 2 - calls the office and mentions that her friend, Sarah Barstow, provided Wolfe's name to help with the disappearance of her uncle Andrew Hibbard.
Ch. 3 - arrives at the brownstone, and asks Wolfe to concerned over his disappearance, fearing Paul Chapin murdered him. She brings a box of letters written by Chapin and a journal her uncle kept.
Ch. 8 - Wolfe reports of Evelyn's unscheduled visit during which she reports that she could find no clues regarding her uncle's disappearance.
Ch. 18 - Hibbard and Wolfe play cribbage while Archie is out at the Burton apartment asking questions.
Character descriptionNiece of Andrew Hibbard; little, dark, and smart. Archie reports, "...nobody that knew merchandise would have put her on a bargain counter." Her mother died when she was young; her father lives in California; has a younger sister, Ruth.
Reserved notes for this caseOffers Wolfe $10,000 to find the murderer (she assumes Paul Chapin) of her uncle Andrew Hibbard.
Ch. 3 - mentioned by her sister, Evelyn. The two live together with their uncle Andrew Hibbard.
Character descriptionEvelyn Hibbard's younger sister. Andrew Hibbard's niece.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 3 - Wolfe orders Archie to get a financial report for each member of the League from Mr. Higgam.
Ch. 4 - Archie gets Higgam on the phone to request the report ordered by Wolfe.
Character descriptionEmployee at Metropolitan Trust Company, used by Wolfe to get financial information.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 2 - mentioned by Archie, describing Wolfe's routine; Horstman maintains the conditions in the partitioned rooms in the greenhouse for the 10,000 orchids he and Wolfe nurse daily from 9-11am and 4-6pm.
Character descriptionOlder man. Wolfe's orchid nurse. Lives in small cubbyhole on the roof with the plants. First mentioned in ch. 3 of "Fer-de-lance" - Archie sometimes hears him shouting at Wolfe in the mornings.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 4 - appears on Evelyn Hibbard's list of the League of Frightened Men.
Character descriptionEmployee, travel bureau.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 4 - appears on Evelyn Hibbard's list of the League of Frightened Men.
Ch. 21 - attends the meeting in the office at which Wolfe corners the murderer.
Character descriptionSocial worker.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 8 - Archie plans to assign Keems to tail Chapin along with Durkin and Gore.
Character descriptionReserve manpower called in periodically. Looks like a Princeton boy with his face washed. With his satisfied handsomeness, Johnny unquestionably wants Archie's job, Archie believes; but Archie knows Wolfe would never be able to stand him.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 4 - appears on Evelyn Hibbard's list of the League of Frightened Men.
Ch. 5 - attends the initial meeting in Wolfe's office (in response to Wolfe's mass telegram operation) with other League members.
Character descriptionSales manager in Philadelphia. Member of the League of Frightened Men.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 4 - appears on Evelyn Hibbard's list of the League of Frightened Men.
Ch. 8 - mentioned that he had been with Cabot on business then was present at Collard's estate when Harrison died.
Character descriptionReal estate professional.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 4 - appears on Evelyn Hibbard's list of the League of Frightened Men.
Character description
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 4 - appears on Evelyn Hibbard's list of the League of Frightened Men.
Character descriptionCongressman from Illinois.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 5 - attends the initial meeting in Wolfe's office (in response to Wolfe's mass telegram operation) with other League members; represents Collard and Gaines.
Character descriptionAttorney.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 4 - appears on Evelyn Hibbard's list of the League of Frightened Men.
Ch. 21 - attends the meeting in the office at which Wolfe corners the murderer.
Character descriptionProfessor.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 8 - Wolfe mentions that he had called Cramer looking for information and surmised that the police had "exhausted even conjecture." Archie points out that, "Morley would deal you an extra card any time," to which Wolfe replies, "Perhaps, but not when he has none to deal."
Ch. 20 - Wolfe mentions that he called Morley and the DA to organize his trip to see Chapin at the Tombs.
Character descriptionFriendly contact in the NYC DA Office.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 1 - Murger's shop is mentioned by Wolfe as a source for Paul Chapin's book.
Character descriptionOwns and operates a bookstore.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 17 - along with Durkin and others following Paul Chapin, Murphy is present when Dr. Burton is shot and Chapin is arrested.
Character descriptionNYC homicide cop.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 8 - mentioned by Wolfe that Farrell was dining with Oglethorpe (at Wolfe's expense) to arrange for an interview with Wolfe.
Character descriptionPublisher.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 4 - appears on Evelyn Hibbard's list of the League of Frightened Men.
Character descriptionEmployee, Federal Housing Administration.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 8 - Wolfe instructs Archie to get Saul to discover Andrew Hibbard's "last discoverable footstep" (and to have him phone Wolfe); informs Wolfe that a news vendor had seen Hibbard just prior to his death.
Ch. 11 - we learn Saul's search for Hibbard continues, as he checks the morgue every day and does what else Archie doesn't know...
Ch. 13 - Archie meets Saul at the McAlpin hotel lobby and goes over Saul's activities tracking down people and places in Hibbard's past.
Character descriptionTop hired hand Nero and Archie look to for manpower. Hosts regular Thursday night poker game at eight pm at his apartment in Brooklyn. Rust-colored hair, 5'7, 145 lbs, big nose and flat ears.
In the "Rubber Band" (ch. 6) Archie tells us that Panzer has a photographic memory when it comes to faces.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 4 - appears on Evelyn Hibbard's list of the League of Frightened Men. Del Bascom mentions that Pratt is a friend (who had previously hired him to prove Chapin was a murderer).
Ch. 5 - attends the initial meeting in Wolfe's office (in response to Wolfe's mass telegram operation) with other League members.
Responds to Wolfe's telegram (to eliminate the League's fears) and attends initial meeting in Wolfe's office with other League members.
Character descriptionTammany assemblyman.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 9 - Dr. Elkus mentions Santini as the art expert who exposes the fraudulent Mantegnas paintings sold by Eugene Dreyer for over $160,000. Elkus, Santini, Dreyer, and Chapin all met to discuss the paintings. The following day, Dreyer is found dead.
Character descriptionFine art expert.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 4 - appears on Evelyn Hibbard's list of the League of Frightened Men.
Ch. 7 - attends the meeting in Wolfe's office with the rest of the League; Cabot indicates Scott was the only League member who understood Chapin's "thank you" note sent after his hospital recovery; he also states that Scott drinks "for his own destruction."
Ch. 10 - brings Dora Chapin to the brownstone; Archie confronts him as he waits outside in his cab, and they banter.
Ch. 18 - Archie finds Pitney waiting outside the Chapin residence on Perry St., and they have a brief discussion when Dora Chapin arrives. She gets in Scott's cab and they leave.
Character descriptionTaxi driver.
Reserved notes for this caseCh. 18 - Scott returns to Dora Chapin's apartment where she drugs both him and Archie with spiked coffee.
Ch. 3 - mentioned by Wolfe during first meeting with Evelyn Hibbard.
Character descriptionEnglish poet (1552-1599) best known for "The Faerie Queene," an epic poem.
Reserved notes for this caseCh. 3 - Wolfe's mention is subterfuge to distract Hibbard with the book of Spenser's poetry, allowing Wolfe the opportunity to remove a document from the collection brought by Hibbard.
Ch. 4 - appears on Evelyn Hibbard's list of the League of Frightened Men.
Character descriptionEmployee, boys' school.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 9 - Elkus reveals that Paul Chapin felt certain that Vasseult created the fraudulent paintings sold to Elkus with Drummond as intermediary.
Character descriptionNotorious art forger.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 10 - Archie calls Vollmer to examine Dora Chapin's wounds after she arrives at the brownstone bleeding from a wound on the back of her neck.
Ch. 20 - takes care of Archie after he faints at the Bronx River Inn; Vollmer is standing over Archie when he wakes up in his bedroom at the brownstone. Despite Archie's complaints, Vollmer assures him, "It'll be all right."
Character descriptionM.D. Wolfe's consultant where a physician is needed.
Wolfe likes him. Always accepts a beer when he calls in the evenings. He leaves abruptly after business is finished. His house and office is one minute (60 yards)from the brownstone. His brownstone still has a vestibule (Mr Wolfe removed his years ago to make the front hallway bigger). Once signed a medical certificate that Mr Wolfe was batty. Once took 22 stitches in Archie's side when a character "went wide enough but not deep enough".
Short. Spectacled.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 4 - appears on Evelyn Hibbard's list of the League of Frightened Men.
Character descriptionHarvard alumnus.
Reserved notes for this case
Ch. 1 - asks Archie to order a copy of Paul Chapin's book "Devil take the hindmost."
Ch. 2 - Archie mentions that during an absence while working out of town, a bodyguard from the Metropolitan Agency and a stenographer from Miller's covered his duties in Wolfe's office. Andrew Hibbard had visited during this period of time, and the stenographer took copious notes of his discussion with Wolfe. Wolfe declined to help Hibbard, "It proved not feasible to accept his commission."
Ch. 3 - receives Evelyn Hibbard in the office; she believes Paul Chapin murdered her uncle who is missing. Wolfe secretly retains the list of the League members brought by Evelyn, but declines to accept her as a client. Orders Archie to telegram various of the members, inviting them to the office to discuss their predicament.
Ch. 5 - reads one of Chapin's novels after dinner in his room; presents his proposal "to remove apprehension of injury" to the League by Chapin.
Ch. 6 - asks Chapin to type on Archie's typewriter; Chapin abandons the "test" indicating he didn't want to be the "victim of a trick."
Ch. 8 - tells Archie to include Evelyn Hibbard as a client, charging her $3000 (Archie talks him down to $2000 as she was his client first); instructs Archie to have Chapin followed and have Andrew Hibbard's and Paul Chapin's past investigated; instructs Archie to investigate the murders of Harrison and Dreyer.
Ch. 10 - has Archie get Dr. Vollmer to tend to the wound on Dora Chapin's neck.
Ch. 11 - concludes that the personal items contained in Chapin's leather suitcase brought by Orrie belong to Anne Burton (whom Chapin adores).
Ch. 13 - Wolfe notices that a note from Farrell was typed on the same typewriter as the threatening poems.
Ch. 14 - Wolfe sends Archie to Philadelphia to find Farrell. Receives Paul Chapin who has discovered that Wolfe has his box of personal items; Wolfe lets him look at the box but not touch it. He tells Chapin, "...the day you come for your box, will be your choice between two deaths."
Ch. 15 - sends Archie to Mineola to pick up orchid bulbs offered by Ditson. Later, sends Archie to retrieve "Pinkie" and bring him to the office.
Ch. 18 - after being drugged and waking up, Archie learns from Fritz that Wolfe has left the brownstone with Dora Chapin in order to save Archie.
Ch. 19 - Wolfe calls the Chapin apartment and discovers Archie is there and (relatively) unharmed (see Wolfe's quotation). He asks Archie to get the sedan and pick him up at the Bronx River Inn. After Archie arrives where he finds Dora Chapin and Wolfe together, and Wolfe begins to explain the situation, Archie faints and Wolfe catches him.
Ch. 20 - after sending Archie to the Burton residence, Wolfe ostensibly goes to the Tombs and sees Paul Chapin to get a confession signed.
Ch. 21 - winks at Archie as the decisive gathering in the office begins (just after Andrew Hibbard's surprise reappearance before the League). Wolfe reads a statement ostensibly signed by Paul Chapin, indicating he had no part in the deaths of Harrison and Dreyer. The League members present, however, vote that Wolfe has still not satisfactorily satisfied their agreement and will not be paid. Wolfe calls Inspector Cramer and asks that two men be sent to take Burton's murderer into custody.
Character descriptionMaster detective. Genius. Estimated weight: 1/7 ton. Carries a large platinum watch in his vest pocket. Sends a check every month to his mother in Budapest ("Fer-de-lance, ch. 13)..
Reserved notes for this caseCh. 10 - accuses Dora Chapin of deceit - that her husband (Paul Chapin) did not attack her with a knife and give her the wound on her neck.
Ch. 21 - Wolfe confronts Bowen, telling him, "You are the most ridiculous murderer I have ever met. I do not know you well enough to be able to say whether it was through vast stupidity or extraordinary insouciance; however, that may be, you planned the most hazardous of all crimes as if you were devising a harmless parlor game."
With Fritz's help, Wolfe fakes a trip to "the Tombs" where Paul Chapin is being held for the murder of Burton. Wolfe signs Chapin's "confession" himself to present to the League members in his office later.
Wolfe confronts Bowen in the book climax. Bowen crumbles under Wolfe's monologue of Bowen's "vast stupidity and extroardinary insouciance." (insouciance = Blithe lack of concern; nonchalance).
Ch. 14 - at Wolfe's request, takes Archie as his guest to the Harvard Club to acquire the typewriter used by Chapin to produce the threatening poems to the League.
Character descriptionVice president, Eastern Electric. Former client and member of the Harvard Club. According to Archie, Wright owed Wolfe his wife and family.
Reserved notes for this case
Meals in the case:
Ch. 2
Corn fritters with Fritz's anchovy sauce.
Meal noteLunch interrupts Wolfe's and Archie's attempts to track down Andrew Hibbard on the phone.
Ch. 5
Soup with lots of mushrooms; salad with tarragon.
Meal noteDinner prepared by Fritz.
Ch. 13
Two pheasants.
Meal noteWolfe implies Archie should wash after a busy day on the town so that dinner may be served.
Ch. 13
Cheese sandwich and a bottle of beer.
Meal noteDurkin's meal at a local delicatessen while monitoring Paul Chapin.
Ch. 18
Squirrel stew in black sauce with a couple of rye highballs.
Meal noteFritz kept dinner hot for Archie who had a long night at the Burton apartment after the shooting there.
Ch. 18
Casserole lined with butter with six tablespoons of cream, three fresh eggs, four Lambert sausages, salt, pepper, paprika, and chives.
Meal noteSunday morning, Archie observes Fritz preparing the casserole, presumably to be eaten at luncheon.
Ch. 18
Fried chicken, salad with green peppers, and (strong) coffee.
Meal noteDora Chapin prepared a snack for Archie and Pitney Scott. The coffee contained sleeping pills.
Ch. 20
Hot egg sandwiches, milk, and coffee.
Meal noteArchie requests this meal (a combination of both breakfast and lunch) from Fritz after his ordeal (being drugged and collapsing afterwards) and his return to office chores.
Orchids in the case:
Brassocattlaelias Truffautianas
Orchid noteCh. 16 - Wolfe includes these orchids in preparing the South Room for Andrew Hibbard's stay in the brownstone.
Cattleya
Orchid noteCh. 12 - Archie describes the ostrich skin wallet Wolfe had custom-made and personalized for Archie's birthday. The wallet is engraved with flowers recognizable as cattleyas.
Miltonia
Orchid noteCh. 15 - Ditson offers Wolfe a couple bulbs of the new Miltonia just arrived from England. Archie retrieves them and after Wolfe inspects them, they are sent up to Horstman to have their roots trimmed.
Odontoglossums
Orchid noteCh. 12 - Wolfe is working on a bench of these when Archie brings news that Cramer has arrived.
Quotations in the case:
Ch. 1
Nonsense...what good is an obscenity trial except to popularize literature.
Quotation noteWolfe rebutting Archie's assertion that Paul Chapin's book (the focus of an obscenity trial) would not be obtainable due to the court's suppression of it.
Ch. 2
Viva voce?
Quotation noteArchie attempting to ask Wolfe if he wants him to read a report out loud; Wolfe informs him he has misused and mispronounced the expression.
Ch. 4
Well, who opened your valve?
Quotation noteBascom reacts to his underling who had just contradicted Wolfe in the office.
Ch. 7
To be broke is not a disgrace, merely a catastrophe.
Quotation noteWolfe explaining to Farrell why he is willing to hire him. "You are broke, but you have a fairly intelligent face."
Ch. 8
...if I had just landed ten famous murderers and had them salted down, and was at the moment engaged in trying to run down a guy who had put a slug in a subway turnstile, Fritz going to answer the doorbell would put a quiver in me.
Quotation noteArchie explaining why he nearly knocked over his glass of milk when the telephone rang as he was discussing the case with Wolfe.
Ch. 10
You're a fat fool!
Quotation noteDora reacts to Wolfe who had not fallen for her subterfuge of being attacked with a knife by her husband Paul Chapin. Wolfe replies, "Fat visibly, though I prefer Gargantuan. A fool only in the broader sense as a characteristic of the race."
Ch. 12
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.
Quotation noteCramer 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).
Ch. 13
. . . I need to keep regular hours, I could not function even passably where properly chilled beer was not continually available, and I cannot run fast. If I am forced to engage in extreme physical effort, such as killing a snake, I am hungry for days.
Quotation noteWolfe explains why he is useful for a select few number of cases; usually Cramer is much more effective.
Ch. 13
I love to make a mistake, it is my only assurance that I cannot reasonably be expected to assume the burden of omniscience.
Quotation noteWolfe explains to Archie why he takes making mistakes so well.
Ch. 14
It is astonishing, the effect a little literary and financial success will produce on a spiritual ailment.
Quotation noteWolfe observes Paul Chapin's change in demeanor in the office as Wolfe refuses to give back Chapin's box of personal items.
Ch. 16
I'm going to take Pinkie for a ride.
Quotation noteArchie explains to Durkin why he wants him to distract the police officer camped out on Perry St.
Ch. 19
Ah! Archie. After what Mrs. Chapin has told me, I scarcely expected to find you operating an apartment house switchboard. I am much relieved.
Quotation noteBoth Wolfe and Archie discover the other is safe after Dora Chapin drugged Archie and coerced Wolfe to leave the brownstone to save Archie.
Ch. 21
I shall have apologies for you, sir, when this kindergarten is over.
Quotation noteElkus reacts to Wolfe's explanation regarding Paul Chapin's innocence at the decisive gathering in the office.
Ch. 21
You are the most ridiculous murderer I have ever met. I do not know you well enough to be able to say whether it was through vast stupidity or extraordinary insouciance; however, that may be, you planned the most hazardous of all crimes as if you were devising a harmless parlor game.
Quotation noteWolfe confronts Bowen in the decisive gathering in the office.