Mr Athelney Jones is the official police inspector. He is presented as being considerably less capable than Holmes, though the private detective allows the policeman to take the glory for solving the crime.
He arrives at Pondicherry Lodge after the murder of Bartholomew Sholto is discovered. He quickly jumps to conclusions about the crime and arrests Thaddeus Sholto. Holmes is neither surprised nor concerned by this and promises Thaddeus that he will be able to clear him.
Mr Jones admires Holmes and happily agrees to follow his orders when his first arrests turn out to have alibis.
How is Jones like this? | Evidence | Analysis | |
---|---|---|---|
Pompous | The police inspector is dismissive of Holmes' theories about the perpetrator of the crime, and makes a wrongful arrest. | 'Confirms it in every respect,' said the fat detective, pompously. | The word 'fat' suggests a somewhat comical appearance and contrasts with Holmes. He speaks 'pompously' implying that he has jumped to his conclusion too quickly. |
Comic | Mr Athelney Jones is presented as a somewhat comic character. His blustering nature is in contrast with the composure of Sherlock Holmes. | When he 'discovers' the trapdoor to the roof at Pondicherry Lodge, he is quickly 'crestfallen' when Holmes explains that he was the one who opened it. | Holmes responds to Jones' attempts to find the murderer with a calm manner that makes the police detective appear foolish and slow-witted. |
Apologetic | When it turns out that Thaddeus Sholto has a firm alibi for the night of Bartholomew's murder, Jones returns self-effacingly to ask for Holmes' help. | His expression was downcast, and his bearing meek and even apologetic. | This contrasts to earlier meetings with Jones, when he has appeared as overly confident and self-assured. |
Common | The police are presented as being of a lower social status in this novel. | 'There is nothing more unaesthetic than a policeman.' | Thaddeus shows a snobbish attitude to the police and Holmes is also dismissive of their intellectual capabilities. |
4 The Moment When Sherlock Holmes Stumps Watson and Inspector Jones. Watson and Inspector Atheney Jones (the guy in-charge of the case) are waiting.
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The following is a list of police inspectors, private detectives, police constables, and agents mentioned in the Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The stories also refer to a number of such characters who are unnamed.
Detectives[edit]
Detective | Stories |
---|---|
Inspector Algar, “my friend of the Liverpool force.” [1] | 'The Cardboard Box' |
Inspector Bardle of the Sussex Constabulary | 'The Lion's Mane' |
Mr. Barker, a private detective | 'The Retired Colourman' |
Inspector Barton of Scotland Yard | 'The Man with the Twisted Lip' |
Inspector Baynes of the Surrey Constabulary | 'The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge' |
Inspector Bradstreet of Scotland Yard | 'The Man with the Twisted Lip', 'The Blue Carbuncle', and 'The Engineer's Thumb' |
Inspector Sam Brown of Scotland Yard | The Sign of the Four |
Monsieur Dubugue of the Paris police | 'The Naval Treaty' |
Dupin, Edgar Allan Poe’s detective | A Study in Scarlet and 'The Cardboard Box' |
Birdy Edwards, a.k.a. John Douglas, a.k.a. John McMurdo, of Pinkerton’s American Agency | The Valley of Fear |
Inspector Forbes of Scotland Yard | 'The Naval Treaty' |
Inspector Forrester of Scotland Yard | 'The Reigate Squires' |
Inspector Gregory of Scotland Yard | 'The Adventure of Silver Blaze' |
Inspector Tobias Gregson of Scotland Yard | A Study in Scarlet, 'The Greek Interpreter', 'Wisteria Lodge', and 'The Red Circle' |
Inspector Hill of Scotland Yard | 'The Six Napoleons' |
Inspector Stanley Hopkins of Scotland Yard | 'Black Peter', 'The Golden Pince-Nez', 'The Missing Three-Quarter' (mentioned), and 'The Abbey Grange' |
Inspector Athelney Jones of Scotland Yard | The Sign of the Four |
Inspector Peter Jones of Scotland Yard | 'The Red-Headed League' |
Inspector Lanner of Scotland Yard | 'The Resident Patient' |
Inspector G. Lestrade of Scotland Yard | A Study in Scarlet, The Hound of the Baskervilles, 'The Boscombe Valley Mystery', 'The Noble Bachelor', 'The Empty House', 'The Norwood Builder', 'Charles Augustus Milverton', 'The Six Napoleons', 'The Second Stain', 'The Cardboard Box', 'The Bruce-Partington Plans', 'The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax', and 'The Three Garridebs' |
LeBrun, the French agent | 'The Illustrious Client' |
Lecoq, Émile Gaboriau's detective | A Study in Scarlet |
Wilson Hargreave of the New York Police Bureau | 'The Dancing Men' |
Mr. Leverton of Pinkerton’s American Agency | 'The Red Circle' |
Inspector Alec MacDonald of Scotland Yard | The Valley of Fear |
Inspector MacKinnon of Scotland Yard | 'The Retired Colourman' |
Inspector Martin of the Norfolk Constabulary | 'The Dancing Men' |
Inspector White Mason of Scotland Yard | 'The Valley of Fear' |
Inspector Merivale of Scotland Yard | 'Shoscombe Old Place' |
Inspector Montgomery of Scotland Yard | 'The Cardboard Box' |
Inspector Morton of Scotland Yard | 'The Dying Detective' |
Inspector Patterson of Scotland Yard | 'The Final Problem' |
François le Villard of the French Detective Service | The Sign of the Four |
Fritz Von Waldbaum, the well-known specialist of Danzig | 'The Naval Treaty' |
Inspector Youghal of Scotland Yard | 'The Mazarin Stone' |
Constables[edit]
Constable | Stories |
---|---|
Constable Anderson | 'The Lion's Mane' |
Constable Barrett | 'The Second Stain' |
Constable Cook | 'The Five Orange Pips' |
Sergeant Coventry of the Hampshire Constabulary | 'Thor Bridge' |
Constable Downing of the Surrey Constabulary | 'Wisteria Lodge' |
Officer Evans | The Valley of Fear |
Constable MacPherson | 'The Second Stain' |
Constable Harry Murcher | A Study in Scarlet |
Constable Pollock | 'The Stockbroker's Clerk' |
Constable John Rance | A Study in Scarlet |
Sergeant Tuson of the City Police | 'The Stockbroker’s Clerk' |
Police-constable Walters of the Surrey Police | 'Wisteria Lodge' |
Sergeant Wilson of the Sussex Constabulary | 'The Dancing Men' |
Constable Wilson | 'The Golden Pince-Nez' |
Agents[edit]
Agent | Stories |
---|---|
The Baker Street Irregulars (BSI), a group of young boys commonly referred to as 'street Arabs'. | A Study in Scarlet, The Sign of the Four, and 'The Crooked Man' |
Billy, a page at Holmes’ rooms in Baker Street | Valley of Fear, 'The Mazarin Stone', and 'Thor Bridge' |
Cartwright, “the little chap at the express office.” [2] | The Hound of the Baskervilles |
Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock’s brother, a.k.a. The British Government. | 'The Greek Interpreter', 'The Final Problem', 'The Empty House', and 'The Bruce-Partington Plans' |
Shinwell Johnson, a.k.a. “Porky” Johnson, he acted as Holmes’ “agent in the huge criminal underworld of London...” [3] | 'The Illustrious Client' |
Lomax, sublibrarian of the London Library and Watson’s friend. | 'The Illustrious Client' |
Martha, employed as housekeeper by Von Bork, but Holmes’ agent. | 'His Last Bow' |
Mercer, “He is my general utility man who looks up routine business.” [4] | 'The Creeping Man' |
Peterson, a London commissionaire | 'The Blue Carbuncle' |
Langdale Pike, a “human book of reference upon all matters of social scandal.” [5] | 'The Three Gables' |
Pompey, a draghound | 'The Missing Three-Quarter' |
Fred Porlock, an anonymous source of information from within Professor Moriarty’s gang. | The Valley of Fear |
Old Sherman, taxidermist and owner of Toby. | The Sign of the Four |
Simpson, (Baker Street Irregulars) | 'The Crooked Man' |
Toby, a dog, owned by Old Sherman, with a remarkable talent for tracking. | The Sign of the Four |
Wiggins, (Baker Street Irregulars) | A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of the Four |
Notes[edit]
- ^Doyle, Arthur Conan. The Complete Sherlock Holmes. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1930. p 897.
- ^Doyle, Arthur Conan. The Complete Sherlock Holmes. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1930. p 741.
- ^Doyle, Arthur Conan. The Complete Sherlock Holmes. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1930. p 987.
- ^Doyle, Arthur Conan. The Complete Sherlock Holmes. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1930. p 1079.
- ^Doyle, Arthur Conan. The Complete Sherlock Holmes. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1930. p 1038.
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