Questions: The Red-Headed League

**holmesian** · 09-04-2006, 10:25 AM

i have a few questions. these are:

1) wilson came to holmes on 9 october, 1890. and he said he started the job of copying encyclopaedias 2 months ago. but he shows a newspaper which has the date: 27 april, 1890.

how can 27 april, 1890 be 2 months ago from 9 october, 1890?

2) "Beyond the obvious facts that he has at some time done manual labour, that he takes snuff, that he is a Freemason, that he has been in China, and that he has done a considerable amount of writing lately, I can deduce nothing else."

how did he know about the snuff and Freemason?

3) October 9, 1890 was not a saturday as mentioned in the story. it was a thursday.

4) "Sherlock Holmes and I surveyed this curt announcement and the rueful face behind it, until the comical side of the affair so completely overtopped every other consideration that we both burst out into a roar of laughter."

well, i didnt find it funny enough to "burst out into a roar of laughter". what about you people?

5) Holmes sat up in his chair in considerable excitement. "I thought as much," said he. "Have you ever observed that his ears are pierced for earrings?"

how did he know about the earrings?

6) Finally he returned to the pawnbroker's, and, having thumped vigorously upon the pavement with his stick two or three times, he went up to the door and knocked.

holmes carries a stick??? did he always carry it???

7) "He is, in my judgment, the fourth smartest man in London, and for daring I am not sure that he has not a claim to be third. I have known something of him before."

if he is the third smartest then the first two are definitely holmes and moriarty. but if he is the fourth smartest then who is the third?

8) "John Clay, the murderer, thief, smasher, and forger. He's a young man, Mr. Merryweather, but he is at the head of his profession, and I would rather have my bracelets on him than on any criminal in London."

what about moriarty? doesn't he want to have his bracelets on him?

9) didn't holmes have a firearm? why did he take his hunting crop?

10) "I must really ask you to be a little more quiet!" said Holmes severely. "You have already imperilled the whole success of our expedition."

what did holmes mean by "you have already imperilled..."? i mean why did holmes say that to mr. merryweather?

11) how did holmes find out that the assistant was John Clay?

12) "Saturday would suit them better than any other day, as it would give them two days for their escape."

why would the criminals get two days to escape after saturday? (and Oct. 9, 1890 wasn't saturday as i said earlier)

13) "Yes, sir. He and a girl of fourteen, who does a bit of simple cooking and keeps the place clean..."

didn't the girl suspect anything fishy going around the house in the absence of wilson? after all, they were burrowing from wilson's house to the bank. she must have heard or seen something.

or maybe she was an accomplice? what do you people think?

**ferhatuygur** · 10-27-2006, 09:58 AM

dear Holmesian

I have examined the story carefully,I hope my answers will satisfy you:

1)9 October 1890 is not the day Wilson comes to Holmes,it is the desolving day of Red Headed League.

2)Holmes see the "arc and compass" (which is the symbol of fremasonery) breastpin.
As for snuff Holmes says:"I won't insult your intelligence by telling you how I read that".I guess Holmes deduct it from Wilson's imbecility.

3)I do not doubt your knowledge.But it is just a dedective story and I use it for brain exercise.

4)I agree with you.There is nothing to "burst out into a roar of laughter".

5)I think that:From the other descriptions which were given by Jawes Wilson (white splash of acid on his forehead,no hair on his face etc.)Holmes has already had the opinion that this man is John Clay.Holmes asked this question just to confirm his opinion.
Holmes also says that:"I have had one or two little turns with Mr. John Clay.."
from this sentence we can say that he has already seen him or during his investigations he got the description of John Clay from someone else.

6)Holmes carry this stick for examining the ground.

7)In my opinion in this sentence Holmes refers to other criminals.

8)Chronogically he has not met Moriarity yet.

9)Because he only wanted to catch him.Not kill him.

10)He said that to Mr. Merryweather because he did strike his stick on the floor when thiefs were about to come.

11)Answer 5

12)I am sure that your knowledge is the true one.But if you suppose that 9th october is saturday everything is ok

13)I think that she is the accomplice,but why John Clay has opened the door himself when Holmes tapped the door?

**holmesian** · 10-27-2006, 11:21 AM