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Originally Posted by Victoria
Who was Dick Datchery? Did Mr. Grewgious hire him to catch Jasper?
My unanswered question is what the heck did Jasper do after he drugged Durdles? I couldn’t see how that helped him any, since Durdles kept the keys to the crypt.
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Dick Datchery is definitely an odd character, with his large head and mop of grey or white hair. One suggestion by Nicolls which seems outlandish initially is that this was Helena Landless. We are told by her brother that she had disguised herself as a boy when they ran away, and that she was the one who was the bold leader. She wants to clear her brother's name and so has a vested interest in bringing Jasper to justice. The hair is pretty obviously a wig and the head is large presumably because her long hair is bound up under the wig.
Datchery has to be someone in disguise. Other suggestions are that he was Edwin himself (but surely that would require major changes to his face for him not to be recognised), Mr Grewgious' clerk Bazzard, or Tartar. But neither Bazzard nor Tartar would need to be in disguise, as Datchery clearly is.
On the actions of Jasper after he drugged Durdles, he probably made wax impressions of Durdles' keys, so that in the future he could avail himself of either the crypt or the Sapsea tomb in disposing of Edwin's body.