The Problem of Thor Bridge
Encyclopedia
"The Problem of Thor Bridge" is a Sherlock Holmes
murder mystery by Arthur Conan Doyle
, which appears in the collection The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes. The story was previously published in the Strand Magazine
and Hearst's International Magazine in 1922.
for "some Western state", approaches Holmes to investigate the murder of his wife Maria in order to clear his children's governess
, Grace Dunbar, of the crime. It soon emerges that Mr. Gibson's marriage had been unhappy- he treated his wife very badly. He had fallen in love with her when he met her in Brazil
, but soon realised they had nothing in common. He became attracted to Miss Dunbar; since he could not marry her, he had attempted to please her in other ways- by trying to help people less fortunate than himself.
Maria Gibson was found lying in a pool of blood on Thor Bridge with a bullet through the head and note from the governess, agreeing to a meeting at that location, in her hand. A recently discharged revolver
with one shot fired is found in Miss Dunbar's wardrobe. Holmes agrees to look at the situation in spite of the damning evidence.
From the outset, Holmes observes some rather odd things about the case. How could Miss Dunbar so coolly and rationally have planned and carried out the murder and then carelessly tossed the murder weapon into her wardrobe? What was the strange chip on the underside of the bridge's stone balustrade? Why was Mrs. Gibson clutching the note from Miss Dunbar when she died? If the murder weapon was one of a matched pair of pistols, why couldn't the other one be found in Mr. Gibson's collection?
Holmes uses his powers of deduction to solve the crime, and demonstrates, using Watson's revolver
, how it was perpetrated; Mrs Gibson, outraged and jealous of Miss Dunbar's relationship with her husband, resolved to end her own life and frame her rival for the crime. After arranging a meeting with Miss Dunbar, requesting her to leave her response in a note, Mrs Gibson tied a rock on a piece of string to the end of a revolver, and shot herself, the rock pulling the revolver over the side of the bridge; the revolver found in Miss Dunbar's wardrobe was the other pistol of the pair, which had been fired off in the woods earlier, and the chip in the bridge was caused by the pistol hitting the stonework as it was pulled off by the rock. Holmes's reconstruction reproduces the damage to the balustrade of the bridge, and the original revolver
is retrieved from the lake.
by Adrian Conan Doyle
and John Dickson Carr
; "The Enigma of the Warwickshire Vortex
" by F. Gwynplaine MacIntyre
; one episode of the Italian comic book series Storie di Altrove (a spin-off
from the more famous Martin Mystère
); and Bert Coules
's BBC Radio adaptation The Singular Inheritance of Miss Gloria Wilson from The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.
Also mentioned is the case of Isadora Persano, "who was found stark staring mad with a match box in front of him which contained a remarkable worm said to be unknown to science".
Billy Wilder
's 1970 film The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes
(written by Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond) uses for its opening title sequence a montage of characteristic memorabilia (magnifying glass, calabash pipe, syringe) removed one by one from this tin dispatchbox at Cox and Co and held before the camera as music by Miklos Rozsa
, including a plaintive violin solo, plays underneath. The voice-over narration by Dr. Watson (played by Colin Blakely
) generally parallels the opening sentence of "The Problem of Thor Bridge."
, one of the foremost experts on Sherlock Holmes, who was found having been asphyxiated to death shortly after rediscovered papers of Conan Doyle were put up for auction.
According to David Stuart Davies
, the inspiration for The Problem of Thor Bridge came from a real-life case in Germany, which the editor of the Strand Magazine had brought to Conan Doyle's attention.
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
murder mystery by Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...
, which appears in the collection The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes. The story was previously published in the Strand Magazine
Strand Magazine
The Strand Magazine was a monthly magazine composed of fictional stories and factual articles founded by George Newnes. It was first published in the United Kingdom from January 1891 to March 1950 running to 711 issues, though the first issue was on sale well before Christmas 1890.Its immediate...
and Hearst's International Magazine in 1922.
Synopsis
Neil Gibson, the Gold King and former SenatorUnited States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
for "some Western state", approaches Holmes to investigate the murder of his wife Maria in order to clear his children's governess
Governess
A governess is a girl or woman employed to teach and train children in a private household. In contrast to a nanny or a babysitter, she concentrates on teaching children, not on meeting their physical needs...
, Grace Dunbar, of the crime. It soon emerges that Mr. Gibson's marriage had been unhappy- he treated his wife very badly. He had fallen in love with her when he met her in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, but soon realised they had nothing in common. He became attracted to Miss Dunbar; since he could not marry her, he had attempted to please her in other ways- by trying to help people less fortunate than himself.
Maria Gibson was found lying in a pool of blood on Thor Bridge with a bullet through the head and note from the governess, agreeing to a meeting at that location, in her hand. A recently discharged revolver
Revolver
A revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...
with one shot fired is found in Miss Dunbar's wardrobe. Holmes agrees to look at the situation in spite of the damning evidence.
Holmes uses his powers of deduction to solve the crime, and demonstrates, using Watson's revolver
Revolver
A revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...
, how it was perpetrated; Mrs Gibson, outraged and jealous of Miss Dunbar's relationship with her husband, resolved to end her own life and frame her rival for the crime. After arranging a meeting with Miss Dunbar, requesting her to leave her response in a note, Mrs Gibson tied a rock on a piece of string to the end of a revolver, and shot herself, the rock pulling the revolver over the side of the bridge; the revolver found in Miss Dunbar's wardrobe was the other pistol of the pair, which had been fired off in the woods earlier, and the chip in the bridge was caused by the pistol hitting the stonework as it was pulled off by the rock. Holmes's reconstruction reproduces the damage to the balustrade of the bridge, and the original revolver
Revolver
A revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...
is retrieved from the lake.
Commentary
The story is remarkable also for the initial reference to a tin dispatchbox, hidden in a bank, where Dr. Watson would keep the papers concerning some Holmes' cases with no good solution or no explanation at all. According to Watson: "Among these unfinished tales is that of Mr. James Phillimore, who, stepping back into his own house to get his umbrella, was never more seen in this world". The unknown fate of Phillimore has been a subject for other stories, including: The Adventure of the Highgate MiracleThe Adventure of the Highgate Miracle
"The Adventure of the Highgate Miracle" is a Sherlock Holmes mystery story by John Dickson Carr. The story was published in the 1954 collection, The Exploits of Sherlock Holmes, a joint enterprise of Adrian Conan Doyle and John Dickson Carr.-Plot:...
by Adrian Conan Doyle
Adrian Conan Doyle
Adrian Malcolm Conan Doyle was the youngest son of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his second wife Jean, Lady Conan Doyle. He had two siblings, a sister, Jean, and a brother, Denis....
and John Dickson Carr
John Dickson Carr
John Dickson Carr was an American author of detective stories, who also published under the pen names Carter Dickson, Carr Dickson and Roger Fairbairn....
; "The Enigma of the Warwickshire Vortex
The Enigma of the Warwickshire Vortex
"The Enigma of the Warwickshire Vortex" is a short story about Sherlock Holmes written by F. Gwynplaine MacIntyre. It was originally published in The Mammoth Book of New Sherlock Holmes Adventures, a 1997 anthology edited by Mike Ashley for Robinson Publishing and Carroll and Graf .The story begins...
" by F. Gwynplaine MacIntyre
F. Gwynplaine MacIntyre
Fergus Gwynplaine MacIntyre was a journalist, novelist, poet and illustrator, who lived in New York City and said he had lived in Scotland and Wales. MacIntyre's writings include the science-fiction novel The Woman Between the Worlds and his anthology of verse and humor pieces MacIntyre's...
; one episode of the Italian comic book series Storie di Altrove (a spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
from the more famous Martin Mystère
Martin Mystère
Martin Mystère is an Italian comic book. Created by writer Alfredo Castelli and drawn by Giancarlo Alessandrini, it was first published in Italy by Sergio Bonelli Editore in 1982....
); and Bert Coules
Bert Coules
Bert Coules is an English writer, mainly for the BBC, who has produced a number of adaptations and original works. He works mainly in radio drama but also writes for TV and the stage.-Early years:...
's BBC Radio adaptation The Singular Inheritance of Miss Gloria Wilson from The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.
Also mentioned is the case of Isadora Persano, "who was found stark staring mad with a match box in front of him which contained a remarkable worm said to be unknown to science".
Billy Wilder
Billy Wilder
Billy Wilder was an Austro-Hungarian born American filmmaker, screenwriter, producer, artist, and journalist, whose career spanned more than 50 years and 60 films. He is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Hollywood's golden age...
's 1970 film The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes is a 1970 film directed and produced by Billy Wilder; he also shared writing credit with his longtime collaborator I. A. L. Diamond. It starred Robert Stephens as Sherlock Holmes and Colin Blakely as Dr. Watson...
(written by Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond) uses for its opening title sequence a montage of characteristic memorabilia (magnifying glass, calabash pipe, syringe) removed one by one from this tin dispatchbox at Cox and Co and held before the camera as music by Miklos Rozsa
Miklós Rózsa
Miklós Rózsa was a Hungarian-born composer trained in Germany , and active in France , England , and the United States , with extensive sojourns in Italy from 1953...
, including a plaintive violin solo, plays underneath. The voice-over narration by Dr. Watson (played by Colin Blakely
Colin Blakely
Colin George Blakely was a Northern Irish character actor. He was considered an actor of great range.-Early life:...
) generally parallels the opening sentence of "The Problem of Thor Bridge."
Connections to real-life events
In 2004 it was stated that the solution to the story may also explain the mysterious death of Richard Lancelyn GreenRichard Lancelyn Green
Richard Lancelyn Green was a British scholar of Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes, generally considered the world's foremost scholar of these topics.-Background:...
, one of the foremost experts on Sherlock Holmes, who was found having been asphyxiated to death shortly after rediscovered papers of Conan Doyle were put up for auction.
According to David Stuart Davies
David Stuart Davies
David Stuart Davies is a British writer. He worked as a teacher of English before becoming a full-time editor, writer, and playwright. Davies has written extensively about Sherlock Holmes, both fiction and non-fiction...
, the inspiration for The Problem of Thor Bridge came from a real-life case in Germany, which the editor of the Strand Magazine had brought to Conan Doyle's attention.