Gilchrist (son)
From The Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopedia
Fictional character.
In the Sherlock Holmes stories
- Gilchrist was a student at the College of St. Luke's. He was hard-working and industrious (3STU 219), a fine scholar and athlete; played in the Rugby team and the cricket team and got his Blue for the hurdles and the long jump. (3STU 216).
- He was a tall, flaxen-haired, slim young fellow (3STU 303), and was the son of the notorious Sir Jabez Gilchrist (3STU 218).
- Gilchrist was suspected and proven to be the culprit who entered Hilton Soames's room and copied the unseen Greek paper. Sherlock Holmes fixed on him because his unusual height let him see the proofs through the window and because he was a long-jump athlete — his spiked shoes explained the cut in the red-leather table and the black, putty-like "pyramids" of clay (from the jumping-pit) found in the study and bedroom. He ultimately confessed what he did (3STU 501).
- After his confession, he decided not to go in for the examination. He had been offered a commission in the Rhodesian Police, and was going out to South Africa (3STU 508).
