# Mr. William Atkinson — The Black Gang character guide

> Mr. William Atkinson in The Black Gang by H. C. McNeile.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Mr. Atkinson, Atkinson, The man Atkinson, alias Mr. Atkinson

**First appearance:** 0002-iii-in-which-hugh-drummond-composes-a-letter

## Snapshot

The bland name and manner a certain hunchbacked count wears by day, fronting a Green Street office that is really a nerve centre of Peterson's schemes.

## Who they are

As Mr. Atkinson, the man behind the alias keeps clerks, a constable, and an Inspector all convinced they are dealing with an ordinary businessman whose premises have suffered a regrettable bomb outrage. The disguise is his shield and his cage: it lets him move through London unremarked, but it also means every visit to his own office is a performance he cannot afford to drop. His morning arrival at 5, Green Street, feigning surprise while his eyes hunt for a secret drawer, is one of the novel's sharpest early set-pieces.

## Relationships

### [Hugh Drummond](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_gang_se/characters/hugh_drummond)

_professional_

Mr. Atkinson is a colleague or contact of Hugh in his investigative work.

### [Hugh Drummond](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_gang_se/characters/hugh_drummond)

_professional_

Mr. Atkinson is a colleague or contact of Hugh in his investigative work.

### [Hugh Drummond](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_gang_se/characters/hugh_drummond)

_professional_

Mr. Atkinson is a colleague or contact of Hugh in his investigative work.

## In the story

### [In Which Count Zadowa Gets a Shock](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_gang_se/chapters/iv-in-which-count-zadowa-gets-a-shock)

The alias used by Count Zadowa for his money-lending front in Hoxton.

### [In Which Count Zadowa Is Introduced to Alice in Wonderland](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_gang_se/chapters/xii-in-which-count-zadowa-is-introduced-to-alice-in-wonderland)

The hunchback who confronts Drummond, attempts to negotiate for the diamonds, and is revealed to be Count Zadowa.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_gang_se/characters/mr_william_atkinson
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_gang_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_gang_se/characters