Characters of the Book

• Philo Vance.

• John F.-X. Markham. District Attorney of New York County

• Alvin H. Benson. Well-known Wall Street broker and man-about-town, who was mysteriously murdered in his home

• Major Anthony Benson. Brother of the murdered man

• Mrs. Anna Platz. Housekeeper for Alvin Benson

• Muriel St. Clair. A young singer

• Captain Philip Leacock. Miss St. Clair’s fiancé

• Leander Pfyfe. Intimate friend of Alvin Benson’s

• Mrs. Paula Banning. A friend of Leander Pfyfe’s

• Elsie Hoffman. Secretary of the firm of Benson and Benson

• Colonel Bigsby Ostrander. A retired army officer

• William H. Moriarty. An alderman, Borough of the Bronx

• Jack Prisco. Elevator-boy at the Chatham Arms

• George G. Stitt. Of the firm of Stitt and McCoy, Public Accountants

• Maurice Dinwiddie. Assistant District Attorney

• Chief Inspector O’Brien. Of the Police Department of New York City

• William M. Moran. Commanding Officer of the Detective Bureau

• Ernest Heath. Sergeant of the Homicide Bureau

• Burke. Detective of the Homicide Bureau

• Snitkin. Detective of the Homicide Bureau

• Emery. Detective of the Homicide Bureau

• Ben Hanlon. Commanding Officer of Detectives assigned to District Attorney’s office

• Phelps. Detective assigned to District Attorney’s office

• Tracy. Detective assigned to District Attorney’s office

• Springer. Detective assigned to District Attorney’s office

• Higginbotham. Detective assigned to District Attorney’s office

• Captain Carl Hagedorn. Firearms expert

• Dr. Doremus. Medical Examiner

• Francis Swacker. Secretary to the District Attorney

• Currie. Vance’s valet