Can you solve a mystery before Sherlock Holmes? - Alex Rosenthal

TED-Ed4 minutes read

Mr. Jabez Wilson joins the Red-Headed League to transcribe the encyclopedia, only to discover it is a cover for a robbery scheme orchestrated by his assistant Vincent Spaulding and Duncan Ross. Sherlock Holmes foils the plot, saving the French gold in the bank vault and apprehending the criminals.

Insights

  • The League of Red-Headed Men was a front for a criminal scheme orchestrated by Vincent Spaulding and Duncan Ross, targeting French gold in a bank vault, using Jabez Wilson as a pawn to keep him occupied while they executed their plan.
  • Sherlock Holmes' investigative prowess and attention to detail were instrumental in thwarting the robbery, unraveling the criminals' plot, and ultimately saving the French gold from being stolen.

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Recent questions

  • Who was Mr. Jabez Wilson?

    Pawnbroker

  • What was Sherlock Holmes investigating?

    Bank robbery

  • What was the true motive behind the criminals' actions?

    Stealing French gold

  • Who was Duncan Ross in the story?

    League interviewer

  • What was Vincent Spaulding's role in the criminal plot?

    Assistant

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Summary

00:00

"The Red-Headed League: Sherlock Foils Robbery"

  • Mr. Jabez Wilson, a pawnbroker, responded to a peculiar advertisement from the League of Red-Headed Men, offering a significant cash incentive to red-headed men above 21 in London. Wilson, after a test, was inducted into the League and tasked with transcribing the encyclopedia for four hours daily for a handsome payment, only to discover the League had disbanded and his interviewer, Duncan Ross, had vanished.
  • Sherlock Holmes, upon investigating, uncovered a plot to steal French gold from a bank vault. Wilson's assistant, Vincent Spaulding, and Duncan Ross were behind the scheme, using the Red-Headed League as a cover to keep Wilson occupied while they dug a tunnel to the bank. Sherlock foiled the robbery, apprehending the criminals.
  • The true target of the criminals was the French gold in the bank vault, with Spaulding posing as Wilson's assistant to execute the plan. Sherlock's keen observation skills and deduction led to the unraveling of the scheme, saving the gold and exposing the criminals.
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