The problem of Cell 13

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

57669

Title

The problem of Cell 13

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

In this classic mystery, renowned logician Professor Van Dusen, known as "The Thinking Machine," voluntarily imprisons himself in a death cell to prove he can escape using pure intellect. As he vanishes, bizarre occurrences plague the prison and a neighboring apartment building, leading to a murder investigation that challenges the very laws of physics and logic.

Summary up to 500 words

In Jacques Futrelle's *The Problem of Cell 13*, the brilliant logician Professor Augustus S. F. X. Van Dusen, known as "The Thinking Machine," challenges his friends to lock him in the condemned death cell of Chisholm Prison for one week. Under strict rules prohibiting tools or communication, he claims he will escape solely through the power of his mind. While his associates and the warden watch, Van Dusen performs seemingly impossible feats: he produces money from thin air, sends notes from the sealed cell, and manipulates the prison's utilities. The narrative expands into a gripping mystery involving a tenant, Weldon Henley, who is repeatedly poisoned by gas in his apartment. Initially ruled a suicide by Detective Mallory and reporter Hutchinson Hatch, the case is unraveled by Van Dusen, who deduces that Henley is being murdered by a sophisticated scheme involving a flagpole and a hidden thread. The story blends high-concept scientific deduction with a classic whodunit as the Thinking Machine exposes a simple yet horrific method of assassination. The tale concludes with the revelation of the murderer and the resolution of the escape, showcasing the supreme power of the human mind over matter. During his confinement, Van Dusen also investigates the death of a maid, Louise Regnier, discovering she was similarly murdered. He reveals that the gas meter in the building was being tampered with from the basement, where the night engineer was not the culprit but rather a potential suspect in a complex plot. Ultimately, Van Dusen demonstrates that even the most secure prisons and seemingly natural deaths can be overcome by logical deduction and ingenuity, leaving the warden and his friends in awe of the Thinking Machine's extraordinary abilities.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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2026-06-30 12:48 UTC

Categories

• Fiction
• Mystery