# Three Minute Mysteries, or How Come? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 27, 2000, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come/15193 "2000-03-27T12:53:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![aschrott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aca169/32.png) [@aschrott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aschrott)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2000, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come/15193/41 "2000-03-27T15:29:00Z")
was the pack an un-opened parachute? ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2000, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come/15193/42 "2000-03-27T15:30:00Z")
A pack is a backpack in this case? ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2000, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come/15193/43 "2000-03-27T15:32:00Z")
aschrott asks: was the pack an un-opened parachute? NO ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2000, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come/15193/44 "2000-03-27T15:35:00Z")
aschrott asks: was the pack an un-opened parachute? NO Coldfire asks: A pack is a backpack in this case? NO ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2000, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come/15193/45 "2000-03-27T15:38:00Z")
Was the guy trying to catch a UN food dropping? ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2000, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come/15193/46 "2000-03-27T15:38:00Z")
A pack of wolves or some such eating him alive perhaps? ---
**Author:** ![SwimmingRiddles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@SwimmingRiddles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SwimmingRiddles)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2000, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come/15193/47 "2000-03-27T15:39:00Z")
Ebola? ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2000, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come/15193/48 "2000-03-27T15:40:00Z")
Waterj2 – congratulations! (I just tossed this puzzle in because the parachute story is so well known, and I like to shuffle it up a bit… just thought we could use an easy breather before this next one, which is bizarre and difficult.) ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2000, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come/15193/49 "2000-03-27T15:44:00Z")
Albert, Bob, Charlie, Doug, and Edward all met on a cruise in the South Seas. After they returned home, Albert sent Bob a package. Bob opened it up, looked at it, closed it, and sent it on to Charlie. Charlie opened it up, looked at it, closed it, and sent it on to Doug. Doug opened it up, looked at it, closed it, and sent it on to Edward. Edward opened it up, looked at it, closed it… and threw it away. Sometime later, wholly by accident, Charlie happened to see Albert on the street… and immediately decided to kill him. He contacted Bob, Doug, and Edward, who agreed… and sure enough, they killed Albert. How come? ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2000, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come/15193/50 "2000-03-27T15:47:00Z")
Is it significant that Charlie encountered him first? ---
**Author:** ![SwimmingRiddles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@SwimmingRiddles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SwimmingRiddles)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2000, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come/15193/51 "2000-03-27T15:47:00Z")
The box contained a picture of felching? ---
**Author:** ![aschrott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aca169/32.png) [@aschrott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aschrott)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2000, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come/15193/52 "2000-03-27T15:47:00Z")
was the original package some sort of blackmail? ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2000, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come/15193/53 "2000-03-27T15:49:00Z")
Coldfire asks: Is it significant that Charlie encountered him first? NO SwimmingRiddles asks: The box contained a picture of felching? EWWWW. NO. aschrott asks: was the original package some sort of blackmail? NO ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2000, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come/15193/54 "2000-03-27T15:50:00Z")
Was the package a message implying that Albert had died? ---
**Author:** ![Random](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/57b2e6/32.png) [@Random](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Random)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2000, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come/15193/55 "2000-03-27T15:51:00Z")
Are the five people (four after Albert’s death) living human beings? ---
**Author:** ![SwimmingRiddles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@SwimmingRiddles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SwimmingRiddles)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2000, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come/15193/56 "2000-03-27T15:51:00Z")
Were all members involved guests on the cruise? (ie: Albert was a cabin-boy, etc…) ---
**Author:** ![aschrott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aca169/32.png) [@aschrott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aschrott)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2000, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come/15193/57 "2000-03-27T15:51:00Z")
did albert send them a hypnotic suggestion to kill him? ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2000, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come/15193/58 "2000-03-27T15:52:00Z")
Is it relevant that the names start with A, B, C, D, and E respectively? Is it relevant that they took a trip to the South Seas? ---
**Author:** ![aschrott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aca169/32.png) [@aschrott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aschrott)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2000, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come/15193/59 "2000-03-27T15:53:00Z")
or, more specifically, did Albert plant the suggestion during the cruise and then send the trigger in the package? ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2000, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come/15193/60 "2000-03-27T15:56:00Z")
Coldfire asks: Is it significant that Charlie encountered him first? NO SwimmingRiddles asks: The box contained a picture of felching? EWWWW. NO. aschrott asks: was the original package some sort of blackmail? NO Coldfire asks: Was the package a message implying that Albert had died? NO Random asks: Are the five people (four after Albert’s death) living human beings? YES SwimmingRiddles asks: Were all members involved guests on the cruise? (ie: Albert was a cabin-boy, etc…) YES aschrott asks: did albert send them a hypnotic suggestion to kill him? NO Coldfire asks: Is it relevant that the names start with A, B, C, D, and E respectively? NO Coldfire asks: Is it relevant that they took a trip to the South Seas? YES [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come/15193.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-mysteries-or-how-come/15193.md?page=4)