I remember reading a book that was a collection of short stories about a character who was sort of an American Sherlock Holmes. The one story I particularly remember has the character going to prison to prove that no jail is escape proof (he’s able to break out thanks to the help of a reporter and a pipe in his cell). Have no idea of who the author was, only that he died on the Titanic when she sank. Any Dopers know what this might be?
And we have a winner! Thanks tavalla!
NP. I think I may have had the same book when I was a kid - I loved reading it, especially the “Cell 13” story.
Whoa, there’s more stories about that guy? I read “Cell 13” way back when, but figured it was a stand-alone. Thanks!
Back in the mid-1960s, Tab Books packaged up 3 stories in a a digest-sized paperback called “Thinking Machine.” I remember buying a copy through the Scholastic Book Service. (Wow! Lists of new books that you can order at school!)
Currently on eBay with picture of cover
Most of Futrelle’s stories are long out of print, though it’s great to see that website is republishing them.
“The Problem of Cell 13” is a true classic, but I do recall the other stories in that Scholastic book were no where near as good.
“That guy” being Professor Augustus S.F.X. Van Dusen, Ph.D., L.L.D., F.R.S., M.D., M.D.S.
The Scholastic volume contained “The Problem of Cell 13,” “The Case of the Flaming Phantom,” and “The Mystery of the Silver Box” (the series editor, Tony Simon, slapped the “cases” and “mysteries” on, as the tales appear elsewhere as simply “The Flaming Phantom” and “The Silver Box”).
RChuck is correct; the second and third stories pale in comparison to “The Problem of Cell 13.” Futrelle never topped that story, although “The Haunted Bell” is another standout…the great rational scientist-detective fails to have the last word in that story and the supernatural conclusion comes as a rather refreshing shock.
Dover Publications put a most of the Thinking Machine stories into print in two volumes in the 1970s: Best “Thinking Machine” Detective Stories and Great Cases of the Thinking Machine. These should be easy enough to find with a book-search engine.