Roger Baskerville Jr., better known as Jack Stapleton, is the main antagonist of the 1902 Sherlock Holmes novel The Hound Of The Baskervilles. Although presented as a gentle and kind-hearted man, he was a murderous psychotic monster whose sole interest was gaining the Bakerville fortune at any cost.
Biography[]
Past[]
Roger was the son of Sir Charles Baskerville (Sir Henry's uncle) youngest brother who was also called Roger; the one who took the most after their infamous relative Hugo Baskerville who, despite what was believed, did not die unmarried in South America. He married a local beautiful woman called Beryl. There he embezzled public money in Costa Rica and fled to England, where he changed his name to Jack Vandeleur. Using his stolen money he funded the school, but a fever broke out killing the tutor he hired and several of the students leading to the school failing.
Now using the name Jack Stapleton, he fled with his wife to Dartmoor where he supported them by committing burglary. During one such burglary he shot a man who caught him. In public though, Jack presented himself as a rather innocent-looking former schoolmaster found of chasing butterflies on the moors and pursuing antiquarian interests. Discovering that his relative Sir Charles had made a fortune and had returned to restore the Baskerville name, Roger schemed to steal the fortune for himself, using the family legend of the Hound of the Baskervilles which supposedly killed their wicked relative Hugo. Arriving, Roger got himself affiliated with Sir Charles and built himself up as a friend of his, he also learned from Sir Charles's other friend and private Doctor, James Mortimer of Sir Charles's weak heart. He also forced his poor wife to pose as his sister, as part of his scheme.
Roger bought and trained a large hound dog to attack specific victims in his grand scheme to steal the fortune and kept it hidden in a mine in the middle of the moors, where his cries of hunger and pain could sometimes be heard. He took it out several times but failed to catch Sir Charles each time, leading to multiple people spotting the hound. To increase its ghostly appearance, Roger had it coated in Phosphorus power which caused it to glow. Scheming a new plan to catch Sir Charles, Roger manipulated the local lady Lura Lyons, a woman disowned by her father for marrying without his wishes, and then abandoned by her unfaithful husband. She had turned to Sir Charles in the past for help, pretending to love her and offering help getting a divorce, but had her send a seemingly innocent letter to Sir Charles to meet him outside his estate one night.
Roger then stopped her going, and instead set the hound on Sir Charles, terrified out of his mind by the site of the beast he died of cardiac arrest. However before Roger could follow up his plan, he found out that another closer relative to Sir Charles had been found, a Sir Henry Baskerville. Sir Henry had lived in Canada for much of his life and was returning to England to pick up his family estate and fortune. Adapting his plans, Roger traveled to London. But not being able to risk leaving his wife alone as she knew of his evil deeds, he forcibly brought her with him and locked her in the hotel room they were staying at.
The Hound of the Baskervilles[]
Due to the suspicious death of Sir Charles, Doctor Mortimer goes to visit Sherlock Holmes for help. Seeing this as a threat, Roger spies upon them in disguise whilst pretending he is himself Sherlock Holmes to his cab driver to throw off any suspicion and link back to himself. While Sir Henry is staying at a hotel, Roger bribes one of the staff to steal one of his shoes so he can train the hound to attack him. However, since the shoe is freshly bought, it was useless and he has to steal another. Returning back to Dartmoor before Sir Henry arrives, he again builds himself up as a friendly figure to him and tries to build a relationship with Doctor Watson who Holmes has sent to Dartmoor on the account he is apparently to busy with another case to investigate. However, Watson begins to get suspicious over how protective Roger was over his supposed sister.
One night thinking he can get Sir Henry, Roger releases the hound. However, instead of Sir Henry, it kills the escaped convict who is wearing Sir Henry's clothes (his sister being a servant in the household had supplied them). Roger goes to investigate the death but finds Watson and Holmes already there (Holmes having secretly been on the scene the whole time and only pretending to be in London to throw Roger off the trail) he manages to pretend his surprise quite convincingly. With all the evidence, both realize that it is him responsible for the murders and, following examining several pictures in Baskerville Manor, that realize he is also a Baskerville. However, knowing that the evidence would not stand up in court of law, Holmes plans a trap by pretending that he and Watson were forced to return to London the next morning and encouraging Sir Henry to except the invitation to dine with the Stapleton's.
The temptation being too great, Roger keeps the Hound hidden in his old farmhouse's barn to release on Sir Henry when he leaves to walk home. His wife Beryl (having had enough of his abuse and evil deeds) tries to stop him but Roger beats her and ties her up in one of the rooms to stop her warning Sir Henry. Sure enough after Sir Henry leaves, he releases the hound. However, Watson and Holmes are lying in wait and (though startled by the beast's glowing appearance) manage to shoot it to death. Hearing the shots and knowing the game is up, Roger runs to try to escape to his lair in the moors. However, Yet, before either Holmes or Watson can confront him, he loses his footing at some point in his hidden lair located in the Great Grimpen Mire which subsequently causes him to drown in the mire. While investigating Holmes and Watson also find Sir Henry's missing boot, several giant cans of meat paste which he fed the dog on, and the remains of Doctor Mortimer's own dog which Roger fed to his hound.
Other Media[]
- Due to appearing in one of the most famous novels of all time, Roger Baskervile has been adapted into over 20 films and TV shows. Most notably:
- Roger Baskerville was depicted in the 1939 Sherlock Holmes short film The Hound Of The Baskervilles where he was played by Morton Lowry. He was also indirectly mentioned in The Scarlet Claw five years later when Dr Watson mentions the Hound of the Baskerville's as an example of explanable paranormal phenomenon at the Quebec Occult Society meeting.
- Stapleton was depicted in an episode of Jeremy Brett's Sherlock Holmes where he was played by James Faulkner, best known as Randyll Tarly in Game of Thrones.
- It's revealed in The Great Ace Attorney that the murder spree attributed to The Professor inspired the novel.
Personality[]
Jack Stapleton was a polite Victorian gentleman on the exterior but this hid a hot temper which revealed itself at key moments.
