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
- Fire-arms expert.
- Dr. Doremus
- Medical Examiner.
- Francis Swacker
- Secretary to the District Attorney.
- Currie
- Vance’s valet.