The Great Train Robbery Test
Two major setbacks in recant decades
16,500 British soldiers, women, and children died in six day in Kabul, Afghanistan (1842) Crimean War which demanded army reform
Who was the train supervisor?
McPherson...he is an elderly scotsman
Good summary review
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Train_Robbery_(novel)
Lord Cardigan
a war hero
Mr. Henry Fowler
-47 -knew little of Pierce's background -general manager at the banking firm Huddleston and Bradford, which was owned by his brother-in-law Sir Edgar Huddleston.
Robert Agar
-a known screwsman and specialist in keys and safe-breaking -26 years old -1st met Pierce at the Bull and Bear publication house
Where is Edward Pierce's high income said to have come from?
-being a silent partner in manufactured croquet equipment -owned several publican houses -owned cabs headed by a man named Barlow
Edward Pierce
-tall, handsome man in his thirties -wore a full red beard which was popular during this time -charming in speech, manner, and dress -he claimed he was an orphan of Midlands gentry -claimed to have attended Winchester and then Cambridge -part of many London social circles -bachelor -lives on Harrow Road -spends most of the year traveling
Who is Maggie?
12 knows Clean Willy(his doll) a judy used by Pierce to contact Clean Willy while in jail to tell him to escape on the day Emma Barnes is hung
Elizabeth Trent
29 years old single few suitors because she is UGLY likes Pierce and he pretends to have a romantic interest in her prostitute at rotten and row and meets with Pierce there A LOT
What did Pierce go to the Pawn Shop for?
5 pistols
Who makes quality safes?
Chubbs
How did the police hear of the soon to be robbery?
Clean Willy was a SNITCH and told the police Barlow killed him as result...RIP
Where was Pierce sent when he didn't tell the police where Barlow,Miss Miriam, or the money where where?
Coldbath Fields
Who is the "putter up"
Edward Pierce
How does Pierce find out where the key most likely is?
Elizabeth explains that on the day the gold is to be taken on the train, Trent spends a long time in the wine cellar alone and then comes up. She believes he is drinking out of stress, but Pierce knows that's where the key is. Then he basically ditches Elizabeth.
How many keys are there and who has them?
Fowler shared his whole security plan with Pierce. There are 4 keys. One on Folwer's neck at all times. One with with Mr. Edgar Trent, the banks president. 2 keys with the train supervisor at South Easter Railway
What happened to Henry Fowler?
He died of "unknown reasons" but like clearly his STD
What happened to Mr. Trent?
He died of a chest ailment..RIP. His UGLY daughter Elizabeth married Sir Percival Harlow and had 4 children. His wife was scandalous and died of pneumonia...RIP.
What happened to Mr. Harranby?
He died while flogging a horse which kicked his skull (RIP). His assistant Sharp became head of the Yard and died a great grandfather.
What did Pierce do with Trent?
He followed him everywhere and knew his full routine.
What is wrong with Mr. Fowler?
He has a venereal disease(STD). He asks for Pierce to find him a virgin so that he can be cured. He heard that this could cure him.
Why does Pierce say he has no prison record?
He says because he remains quiet and does not share his plans and intentions so fast.
Why did Robert Agar have a bad cough?
He spend most of his childhood working for a manufacturer on Wharf Road called Bethnal Green. There was phosphorus at his work, which causes lung decay, resulting in his cough.
Why did Pierce asked about the attempted robbery on the train when he knew what happened to the boy?
He wanted to find out about the security plan of the bank
What happened to Agar?
He was sentenced to transportation in Australia. He died a wealthy man in Sydney. His grandson Henry L. Agar was the Lord Mayor of Sydney.
What happened to Burgess?
He was was found and he told the court that he was so caught up in his son's sickness that he fell into the crime for the money. He was only sentenced to two years in Marshalsea Prison, where he died of cholera that winter.
What is Spring Hill Jack's real name?
Jack Perkins **FYI** he is the guy that tries to steal gold from train and is thrown off and died by a Spring Hill..RIP
What other names does Edward Pierce go by?
John Simms *used this a lot* Andrew Miller Robert Jeffers
Richard Burguess
Mary Blaine scrob poor his job was to let Agar break into the Chubb safe he was the person who threw Spring Hill Jack disappeared after gold was robbed
Was the gold ever found?
NOO
Explain how Pierce learns the routine of the night watchmen at the London Bridge Station.
Pierce learns the routines of the night watchmen by delivering a box with someone inside to make observations about the watchmen's routines.
Miss Miriam
Pierce's mistress carried our carriage fakement at Trent household finds virgin for Fowler pretends brother died on the day of train robbery
When Pierce was taken back to coldbath fields, he was kissed...explain what happened here.
Someone kissed Pierce. It was rumored to be Miss Miriam who slipped him a key to his handcuffs when kissing him. Two van guards were found in a gutter and Pierce escaped. A cabby man with a scar was saw at this time (Barlow).
Where is the dog fighting arena?
The Queen's Head
What happened to the young boy on the train in the begging of the book?
The boy was trying to steal. The railway guard punched him and threw him off the train, leading to the boy's death. Pierce made sure the boy was dead but did not touch him.
Why does Pierce want a leopard? Who is Taggert's?
The leopard was an excuse so agar could get into the luggage car to practice before the robbery. Taggert got the leopard
What reminded Pierce of his job as a child?
The match lighting smell
Journal Accounts
There are many journal accounts on Pierce. However, his past in unknown. Even his name is doubtful. He was labeled a "male animal." He is a definite master cracks man and burglar who accumulated enough capital to finance large-scale criminal operations.
What happened to Barlow and Miss Miriam?
They were never found. Later it was reported they were living in Paris. Then it was said they were in New York with great circumstances. But neither report was confirmed.
Why does Pierce buy the best bull dog?
This is how he is able to become acquainted to Trent. He tells Trent that he can help him get the bull dog and they discuss the matter at the Trent Mansion.
Why do the men need Clean Willy? Where is he?
To sneak through the window because he is small and the best. He is in Newgate Prison.
setting of story
Victorian England
What is Clean Willy's real name?
Willy Williams
Describe the role of women
Women were disregarded. There role was to be the perfect wife in the house. If a woman was not married, she felt useless and like she failed at her only job.
What is the carriage fakement?
a person in carriage rings the house bell, where the footman answers, Pierce and Agar go inside to find the key in Trent's wine cellar, throw rats into the pit bull cage, the servants go outside to see whats wrong, Pierce and Agar leave with key print undetected
Barlow
cabby notable for his white scar across his forehead worked for Pierce for 5 years killed Clean Willy...RIP
How was the London Bridge Terminus described?
depressing
What is the Holy Land?
for any criminal that wanted to go to the ground in Central London prostitute center of Haymarket no privacy and very tight
What did Pierce mean when he said Spring Hill Jack was "put in lavender?"
he is either in hiding or dead -it was also hinted that Jack worked for Pierce
What is unusual about Clean Willy's hands?
his hands have no feeling as a chimney sweeper's apprentice his hands were burned a lot this is how Willy escaped and didn't feel anything on the wire at the prison
Edward Harranby
investigated to future robbery Clean Willy told him about Pierce's plan to steal gold informed by Chokee Bill
What is another word for police?
miltonian
Edgar Trent
near 60 grey beard fat rarely drank never smoked/played cards has 5 children 1st wife died while giving birth 2nd wife is 30 years younger has a big FAT house and servants has 2 bulldogs
Emma Barnes
notorious axe murderess hanged at Newgate Square Clean Willy escaped at her hanging
Captain John Alderson
owner of South Eastern Railway maintained a military bearing all his life he gambled and lost crate of wine he put wine on train but found it empty this lead to tighter train stations and firing of some security
Chokee Bill
pawn broker red-faced Irishman told the police about Pierce and when he was coming back to pick up the pistols Pierce tricked him and the police into thinking a flash pull was going to take place at Greenwich
Coolidge
popular mountaineer
.What does Mr. Trent like?
ratting...where is dog tries to kill a certain amount of rats in a certain amount of time
St. Giles Rookery
slums, refuges, and breeding places
What was London's expansion called?
the flight to the suburbs
Folkestone
this is where the train ends with bullion of gold
why did Pierce say he knew Coolidge?
to calm Agar down when he said he would be going on the train. In reality, he never met Coolidge or has been mountaineering.
What did Pierce ask of Teddy Burke?
to pretend to pickpocket Trent to worry him but not to actually take anything