The Roman Hat Mystery · Chapter
Lexicon of Persons Connected with the Investigation explained
A reference list of all individuals involved in the Monte Field murder case, provided by Ellery Queen for the reader's convenience to track characters who may become significant in the solution of the crime.
What happens
A reference list of all individuals involved in the Monte Field murder case, provided by Ellery Queen for the reader's convenience to track characters who may become significant in the solution of the crime.
Themes in this chapter
The Reader as Detective
Ellery Queen explicitly provides this lexicon to aid the reader in tracking characters, urging frequent study to avoid cries of 'Unfair!' and emphasizing reasoning over passive reading.
Characters to notice
- Monte Field
The victim, described as an important personage.
- William Pusak
Clerk, cranially a brachycephalic.
- Doyle
A gendarme with brains.
- Louis Panzer
Broadway theatre-manager.
- James Peale
The Don Juan of Gunplay.
- Eve Ellis
The quality of friendship is not strained.
- Stephen Barry
Juvenile lead, one can understand his perturbation.
- Hilda Orange
Celebrated English character-actress.
- Thomas Velie
Detective-Sergeant who knows a thing or two about crime.
- Hagstrom
Gentleman of the Homicide Squad.
- Ritter
Gentleman of the Homicide Squad.
- Dr. Samuel Prouty
Assistant to the Chief Medical Examiner.
- Madge O'Connell
Usherette on the fatal aisle.
- Dr. Stuttgard
There is always a doctor in the audience.
- Jess Lynch
The obliging orangeade-boy.
- Parson Johnny
Alias John Cazzanelli, naturally takes a professional interest in Gunplay.
- Benjamin Morgan
What do you make of him?
- Frances Ives-Pope
Enter the society interest.
- Stanford Ives-Pope
Man-about-town.
- Harry Neilson
He revels in the sweet uses of publicity.
- Henry Sampson
For once an intelligent District Attorney.
- Charles Michaels
The fly—or the spider?
- Angela Russo
A lady of reputation.
- Timothy Cronin
A legal ferret.
- Oscar Lewin
The Charon of the dead man's office.
- Franklin Ives-Pope
If wealth meant happiness—
- Mrs. Phillips
Middle-aged angels have their uses.
- Dr. Thaddeus Jones
Toxicologist of the City of New York.
- Edmund Crewe
Architectural expert attached to the Detective Bureau.
- Djuna
An Admirable Crichton of a new species.
- Richard Queen
Astute gentleman whose business it is to discover such things.
- Ellery Queen
Astute gentleman whose business it is to discover such things.
Key passages
“The writer therefore urges a frequent study of this chart during the reader’s pilgrimage through the tale, if toward no other end than to ward off the inevitable cry of “Unfair!”—the consolation of those who read and do not reason.”
The author advises readers to consult this list often while reading, to prevent accusations of unfairness from those who read without thinking.
Ellery Queen emphasizes the importance of active reasoning for the reader.
