# Jaralson — Can Such Things Be? character guide

> Jaralson in Can Such Things Be? by Ambrose Bierce.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Detective Jaralson

**First appearance:** 0028-the-middle-toe-of-the-right-foot

## Snapshot

A detective who investigates a death in a small town, only to find his chief witness spinning a tale of poison, ghosts, and a nine-year-old grudge.

## Who they are

Jaralson is the law's representative in a case that quickly outruns rational explanation, listening as a witness named Gopher confesses to a long-hidden crime and accuses the detective himself of murder. His composure under the accusation, and his decision to let the man go, reveal a pragmatism that borders on resignation. His presence grounds the story in procedure even as the supernatural seeps in, and his final handshake with Gopher is a gesture of uneasy respect.

## Relationships

### [Holker](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/can_such_things_be_se/characters/holker)

_rivalry_

Holker and Jaralson are bitter antagonists, each trying to outwit the other in a deadly game of revenge.

### [Holker](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/can_such_things_be_se/characters/holker)

_rivalry_

Holker and Jaralson are bitter antagonists, each trying to outwit the other in a deadly game of revenge.

## In the story

### [Chapter IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/can_such_things_be_se/chapters/iv)

Detective leading the investigation; discovers the body and the headboard.

### [The Middle Toe of the Right Foot](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/can_such_things_be_se/chapters/the-middle-toe-of-the-right-foot)

The detective investigating the murder of Mrs. Manton.

### [III: A Man Though Naked May Be in Rags](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/can_such_things_be_se/chapters/iii-a-man-though-naked-may-be-in-rags)

The coroner who examines the body and reads Morgan's diary.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/can_such_things_be_se/characters/jaralson
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/can_such_things_be_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/can_such_things_be_se/characters