Here's How Sherlock Solved September's Mystery

Dear detectives,

Thank you for helping us to solve September’s Mystery, “The Agony Anti”. Sherlock’s solution is below. I hope you’re enjoying your exciting October mystery, and well on your way to solving it. For your chance to be our “Featured Detective” next month, submit your solution to the next mystery here.

Sincerely yours,

The Dear Holmes Team

P.S. Is your membership expiring soon? Renew your membership today to keep the mysteries coming.

——                                                                                                              

Miss Olivia Phillimore

The Cheshire Cheese

Warrington, England

  25 March 1901

Dear Miss Phillimore:

First let me congratulate you on your forthcoming employment with The Manchester Guardian. You know my feelings about the press in general, but I find the Guardian to be one of the very few journals worthy of attention and respect. I wish you good fortune in your new assignment.

I am glad that we were able to solve your problem and uncover your menacing perpetrator. Doctor Watson and I have referred to this case as the Agony Anti. If anything, there were far too many candidates for the title of culprit in this matter. That individual is now in the hands of the Warrington Police and will be charged with assault, intimidation and damaging threats. I am glad that your sister suffered no permanent ill effects from the attack upon her.

Now to the subject at hand. Our methods in dealing with this case involved a combination of background checks which I conducted and a series of logical deductions.

It turns out you were surrounded by an extraordinary cast of characters, if I may be theatrical. Given the abuse you sustained, it is only fair that I share with you the checkered personal history of some of your more hostile correspondents.

Let us begin with Lady Faustina Smythe-Ogilvy, a former barmaid who blackmailed her husband into marriage, claiming that her upcoming birth of twin daughters was the result of his sexual depredations. Actually, the girls’ father is unknown.

Armstrong Peabody (Algernon Portnoy) narrowly escaped death at the hands of a Sussex farmer who found out his son was the victim of Portnoy’s unwanted attentions. This caused Portnoy to change his name and retreat to Warrington where he quite stupidly keeps bringing attention to himself through his failed stage productions.

Reverend Leicester was sent down from the All Saints Centre for Mission and Ministry in Warrington for failure to complete the curriculum in a timely manner. He has nevertheless taken on a living in the nondescript parish of St. Anselm’s where he is not affiliated with the Anglican community. He has a small but fanatical following.

Now we come to the most interesting individual on our list of possible suspects. Mrs. Portia Smith! A small-time actress who traveled with different touring companies and was married to a music hall comedian, she was abandoned by her husband and her theatrical group in Warrington. She has a reputation for being an argumentative shrew whose opinion of her own talents is highly overstated. To make ends meet, she signed on with The Cheshire Cheese as an editorial secretary but her ambitions were hardly satisfied. She wants her name to be known and the theatre is not where it’s going to happen. She imagines writing will be the solution. She sees your current job as a place for a woman of her questionable skills to build a reputation.

So who has been sending the threats?  Who attacked Elvira? Was it a man? If so, who? Was it Portia Smith?  Let us consider our options here.

Remember, Mrs. Smith is an actress. Not a very good one, mind you, but an actress, nonetheless. Quite capable of pretending to be a well-disguised man.  Remember too, that she is arrogant, believing herself capable of outsmarting you, the police and any detective who may happen along. Her hubris did her in. She saw no reason to dispose of her male costume which she may need to use again. She could always claim it was left over from a play she was in. She could not however, explain the truncheon she brazenly kept. It still bore the traces of Elvira’s blood. Watson made the discovery during the interview and search of her home. In spite of her denials, Inspector Farrington took her into custody awaiting the judgment of the court of assizes. It would seem that The Cheshire Cheese now has two staff openings it must fill.

I believe this marks the end of your Agony Anti harassment. I hope that you and Doctor Watson have sufficient time to discuss the plusses and minuses of authorship. I retain my rights to claim dissatisfaction with the press and Watson’s highly imaginative narrations of my casework.  However, I shall refrain from any complaints against the feature articles that appear in the Manchester Guardian especially Agony Auntie. I always complain to Watson in private.

My very best wishes.

Missed this mystery? Extend your membership to get the latest in Victorian-era intrigue.