Brain Teasers
The Case of the Forgotten Diary
Fun: (3.03)
Difficulty: (2.65)
Puzzle ID: #22681
Submitted By: irishthistle Corrected By: irishthistle
Submitted By: irishthistle Corrected By: irishthistle
Mystery
Mystery teasers are little stories where you need to figure out what happened based on the given clues.Mystery
The case had been closed for almost one hundred years. William Pritchett and his sister Olivia, had died of a strange ailment. Their arms and legs shook violently, they had severe abdominal cramps and fever. On her deathbed Olivia accused Holly, the maid, of poisoning her and her brother. Holly told a different tale; of William and Olivia's descent into madness and her efforts to cure them through herbs and vitamins. Holly was put on trial and convicted. When she died in jail of a similar sickness, it was assumed Holly had poisoned herself through carelessness and the case was closed.
Now, it was opened again as the relatives of those long dead battled in a civil suit. Holly's great nephew, was suing the wealthy Pritchett family, for the pain and humiliation his family had endured. He claimed William had gone mad and poisoned both Olivia and Holly. Forensic Psychologist Stella Mavis had been called in to determine the sanity of people who lived and died before she was born. Finding little information in the ancient file, Dr. Mavis traveled to the Pritchett mansion to look over some old belongings, stored in an attic.
When she pulled up, Detective Davis was already there, talking to Maya Pritchett, daughter of William's cousin.
Maya greeted Dr. Mavis, then showed them to the musty attic. "Most of this is William's." said Maya. "This was his workshop. Some woodworking but he mostly made those." She pointed to a large stack of moldy fur hats on a trunk. "It was his hobby, but he didn't feel it was a proper hobby for a high class gentlemen, so he worked on them up here. Underneath them is a trunk of Olivia's." Maya disappeared down the stairs, eager to get out of the stale air.
Detective Davis began looking through boxes of William's clothes. Dr. Mavis moved the furs away and looked through Olivia's trunk. Wrapped in a scarf on the bottom was a little diary. Dr. Mavis leaned against the pile of hats and read:
January 4th: I have been shopping in town and helping William, it's been so much fun to help make the hats! I don't like Holly. When she serves our tea, I am always helping William in the workshop, and she glares at me. She's just jealous of me.
May 18th: Today I was in the garden and I saw Holly's face change into a spider! Holly hates me, and I think the spider means she is going to hurt me. My tea tastes bitter, and Holly said it was medicine, but I don't believe her. I can see things for what they really are now and I think William can see them too.
September 20th: I am so tired of the medicine in my tea. I always feel sick after I drink it. Holly says I must stay away from William. She has turned on him and says he's dangerous! This must have been what the rainbow I saw yesterday meant when it said she would betray us...
December 12th: I ache and I have no control of my legs. But it's ok! I can fly! So can William, he says the unicorns told him we need to leave this place. I am so excited!
Dr. Mavis couldn't make out any more, but she didn't need to. "Davis," she said, "Let's go. I know what happened."
What happened to Olivia, William and Holly?
Now, it was opened again as the relatives of those long dead battled in a civil suit. Holly's great nephew, was suing the wealthy Pritchett family, for the pain and humiliation his family had endured. He claimed William had gone mad and poisoned both Olivia and Holly. Forensic Psychologist Stella Mavis had been called in to determine the sanity of people who lived and died before she was born. Finding little information in the ancient file, Dr. Mavis traveled to the Pritchett mansion to look over some old belongings, stored in an attic.
When she pulled up, Detective Davis was already there, talking to Maya Pritchett, daughter of William's cousin.
Maya greeted Dr. Mavis, then showed them to the musty attic. "Most of this is William's." said Maya. "This was his workshop. Some woodworking but he mostly made those." She pointed to a large stack of moldy fur hats on a trunk. "It was his hobby, but he didn't feel it was a proper hobby for a high class gentlemen, so he worked on them up here. Underneath them is a trunk of Olivia's." Maya disappeared down the stairs, eager to get out of the stale air.
Detective Davis began looking through boxes of William's clothes. Dr. Mavis moved the furs away and looked through Olivia's trunk. Wrapped in a scarf on the bottom was a little diary. Dr. Mavis leaned against the pile of hats and read:
January 4th: I have been shopping in town and helping William, it's been so much fun to help make the hats! I don't like Holly. When she serves our tea, I am always helping William in the workshop, and she glares at me. She's just jealous of me.
May 18th: Today I was in the garden and I saw Holly's face change into a spider! Holly hates me, and I think the spider means she is going to hurt me. My tea tastes bitter, and Holly said it was medicine, but I don't believe her. I can see things for what they really are now and I think William can see them too.
September 20th: I am so tired of the medicine in my tea. I always feel sick after I drink it. Holly says I must stay away from William. She has turned on him and says he's dangerous! This must have been what the rainbow I saw yesterday meant when it said she would betray us...
December 12th: I ache and I have no control of my legs. But it's ok! I can fly! So can William, he says the unicorns told him we need to leave this place. I am so excited!
Dr. Mavis couldn't make out any more, but she didn't need to. "Davis," she said, "Let's go. I know what happened."
What happened to Olivia, William and Holly?
Hint
Mad as a hatter.Answer
Dr. Mavis first had her suspicions after seeing the workshop and pile of hats, and Olivia's description of her hallucinations made it clear. In the time that William Pritchett lived, mercury was used in the process of hat making. William, Holly and Olivia died of mercury poisoning from prolonged exposure in the attic workshop. The symptoms include shaking, cramps, fever and hallucination. Mercury poisoning was common among professional hat makers, which is where the phrase "mad as a hatter" comes from.Hide Hint Show Hint Hide Answer Show Answer
What Next?
View a Similar Brain Teaser...
If you become a registered user you can vote on this brain teaser, keep track of which ones you have seen, and even make your own.
Solve a Puzzle
Comments
A bit long. Could do with being separated into paragraphs or something. Clever though. Got it from the hint.
ok i'm not going 2 even take the time 2 read that teaser... it's long!
i didn't even read half the the teaser just about 4 sentences then i stopped and looked and the answer.
I happen to like those teasers that make you think about and consider all of the information. Yes, it was long, but that is part of its charm. Kind of like reading one of those old two minute mysteries. I didn't get it, but I enjoyed it
Got it with no hint, i like it, gives enough clues in the question for anyone who knows about hat making to get it
that was soooo loooonnnngggg..........
OMG that was a great teaser! and i got it right away! i didnt think i would bc it was so long but i did! i looked at the hint but i thought i already knew what it was.....i didnt know that it was mercury exactly but i had a thought that it was the hats.....and here i thought it was the yarn...lol britt
seriously, this was so elemetary. I thought everyone has heard the mad as a hatter story.
Truth is, the maid would not have developed the symptoms unless she had continued exposure to the mercury, the story doesn't speak to her being up in the attic that much.
Maybe I'm being too picky, sorry
Truth is, the maid would not have developed the symptoms unless she had continued exposure to the mercury, the story doesn't speak to her being up in the attic that much.
Maybe I'm being too picky, sorry
I realllllly like this one added this one to my fav list. :
This begins by saying that Olivia was William's sister. So why does Olivia accuse Holly of poisening Olivia and her grandfather? Just seems that might have been part of the mystery.
Oh my you're right. When I originally wrote this, it was a grandfather, and olivia was a child. I thought it was too sad so I changed to a brother. I guess I missed that reference, Sorry.
I thought it was very long. u could have made it a little shorter.
didnt even read it
It may have been lengthy but, in order to set the stage for a mystery and its subsequent solving, a story has to unfold. I found it quite interesting and enjoyed it. Good mystery teaser.
it may have been long but after I read the answer I thought it was worth every line.
good story.
good story.
This was great! Very, very fun...too bad i couldnt get it..
I didn't think it was too long at all. I think it was just long enough to set the stage and provite clues...even though I didn't get it
This one woz toooooooooooooooooo long
i agree with settra. Too long!!
great story
waaaayyyyy toooooo looooong!
Ok not to be mean or disgusting or anything but I thought they died from using drugs and thats where the hallucinations and symptoms came from.
Very clever. Very CSI like. Love it! I like how it depends on knowledge of outside information, like a real life mystery would. The best teaser I have read.
cool, I almost got it.
I liked it a lot. CSI style thinking is fun for me.
Come on people, it wasn't THAT long.
Come on people, it wasn't THAT long.
I say the people who say it is too long are too lazy and are depriving themselves a good mystery. It is like those Two-Minute Mysteries, which I love. Thanks for a great mystery!
I liked this one a lot, missed it, but i did not know the mad a hatter story, so i learned something. Really well thought out.
Too long so i read the hint.
I got it just by the hint.
I got it just by the hint.
Good, I am glad to know the hint has been put to good use.
Oh, quit whining. This wasn't that long, and it didn't need to be shorter. I suspected that something in the hats poisoned them, but had no idea about mercury being in them. Good mystery!
I loved this teaser! The only reason I was able to figure it out is b/c my Chemistry teacher told us all about Mercury! That class payed off after all!
Very well written and with enough detail to be interesting....
My opinion is that it was Great!And that it wasn't that long.It doesn't matter as long as it is a Good teaser like this one.I was thinking that it was Mercury.Good Job Irish.
great teaser
i relized that it wasnt the tea right away but didnt get the attic part
great teaser
i relized that it wasnt the tea right away but didnt get the attic part
great teaser
Awesome teaser! I knew it was because of the hats but I didn't know about the mercury.....Great! Keep 'em coming!
I hate attics!
Very good job. not to long,just long enough to tell the story.
Cool!
i thought it involved black mold in the attic.
Long, but necessary. Anyone for a tea party?
How fun...Great story...
assumes facts not in evidence. Requires outside knowledge of "hat making." I was able to deduce that it was the environment for william and olicia, but not the maid!
Nice one!
I Cannot believe it, but I actually got that one! That was a great teaser! a bit long though..., but great work
I got this one, too. Now if people are saying that Mystery teasers like this one are too long, maybe they should go look at the Logic puzzles
Wonderful teaser, very fun while maintaining a difficulty level that didn't totally exhaust my brain.
Good Job
Good Job
I'd seen very long one after this one.
This was a really Great teaser! At first I was thinking lead poisoning but after the hats were mentioned I remembered there was something about hatters. The hint verified that and then mercury popped into my mind! A fun mystery!
I had no idea about mercury but I figured it was some type of environmental factor.
Fantastic case!
Good one! I had already learned about the "mad as a hatter" fact a few years ago, but it was still fun!
Excellent mystery... one of the best. I didn't need the hint, but it was a good one nonetheless
I didn't think it was too long, it seemed just the right length to me. It was very good & well thought out & I enjoyed it.
I got the answer without the hint
I got the answer without the hint
Mad as a Hatter. Damn!
I think this may be my favorite teaser on the site! I love the suspense and humor and information and, yes, I like it that way, THE LENGTH! Not a word should be counted out! Fantastis job!
Gwen
Gwen
This one stumped me!
I'm feeling pretty smug as I got this straight away when I saw he made hats. Great teaser!
But how did the maid die?
The "mad as a hatter = mercury poisoning" trivia is too played out to serve as the basis for an interesting riddle. Furthermore, I may be wrong (I'm not a lawyer), but I would assume that you can't sue someone for the actions of their ancestors, especially if the ancestors are dead. The riddle didn't need that kind of setup anyway; people re-examine old cases all the time, for a variety of reasons. It could have been as simple as a curious descendant hearing the story, poking around for clues, and discovering the diary in the attic.
I see some commenters find it too long, but I love it when the writer has constructed a whole story. That's the essence of the mystery category for me. This is superb.
I got it because I happened to know the thing about mercury.
As last comment said, a lawsuit doesn't really make sense, it could just be a historical investigation.
The account of the delusions is very well written.
I got it because I happened to know the thing about mercury.
As last comment said, a lawsuit doesn't really make sense, it could just be a historical investigation.
The account of the delusions is very well written.
To post a comment, please create an account and sign in.
Follow Braingle!