Stapleton

Stapleton is the impoverished neighbor and distant relation who turns the Hound of the Baskervilles legend into a weapon: he uses a real dog to frighten Sir Charles to death and intends to kill Sir Henry so he can inherit Baskerville Hall. The apparent supernatural mystery therefore resolves into a calculated murder plot, with Stapleton’s identity and motives concealed among clues and red herrings.

Identity and Motive

Stapleton is a neighbor of the Baskervilles, a distant relation of the family, and a butterfly collector. His poverty supplies the motive for his plan: he seeks to inherit Baskerville Hall by eliminating Sir Henry Baskerville, the heir. The combination of local knowledge and a concealed family connection places him close to the estate while allowing his intentions to remain hidden.

The Hound and the Murders

To carry out the scheme, Stapleton brings a huge dog from London and covers it with phosphorus so that it glows in the dark. This is the Hound that frightens Sir Charles Baskerville to death, transforming what appears to be a supernatural threat into a humanly arranged crime. The dog is a means to Stapleton’s end, not the agent who devised the plan; the account explicitly distinguishes the animal’s role from its owner’s responsibility.

Stapleton’s attempt on Sir Henry continues the same inheritance scheme. Sir Henry’s missing boots are a clue that someone wants the dog to follow his scent, like a bloodhound. The detail links an ordinary object to the practical mechanics of the pursuit and supports the conclusion that the Hound is a real animal rather than a supernatural being.

Clues and Concealment

Stapleton’s control of the Grimpen Mire is another sign of what he is hiding. He is the only person who knows how to cross it and warns Watson to keep out for his own safety; in retrospect, this warning points toward a secret in the mire and Stapleton’s interest in keeping others away. His local expertise is thus both a practical advantage and a clue to the plot’s hidden center.

The London pursuit also misdirects suspicion. Holmes and Watson are followed by a man in a coach wearing a black beard, a disguise that makes him appear to be Barrymore, the caretaker at Baskerville Hall. The pursuer is actually Stapleton in a false beard. Elsewhere, the escaped Notting Hill murderer Selden and the unidentified figure Watson sees on the moor draw attention toward apparent suspects; the figure on the moor is Holmes, who has come to Devon secretly. These false leads make Stapleton’s concealment part of a broader pattern in which appearances invite premature conclusions.

Mrs. Stapleton’s warning to Watson to return to London immediately provides a further clue. She mistakes Watson for Sir Henry and knows her husband intends to kill him. Her intervention reveals the danger behind Stapleton’s outward position and helps expose the gap between his public appearance and private plan.

Exposure and Fate

Holmes discovers that Stapleton killed Sir Charles and is trying to kill Sir Henry to gain the estate. Holmes and Watson, joined by Lestrade of Scotland Yard, catch up with him. During the confrontation, Holmes and Watson shoot the dog; Stapleton escapes into the Grimpen Mire, where he is sucked into a bog and dies.

Stapleton’s fate closes the human explanation of the Hound mystery, but the account also notes the cost of using the dog as an instrument: the animal is killed despite not being at fault. The contrast clarifies where responsibility lies. The frightening legend and the dog’s role in the deaths arise from Stapleton’s deliberate actions, while the animal itself has no culpability for the scheme.