The Three Just Men · Character

Dr. Eruc Oberzohn

A long-faced, high-foreheaded scientist who shovels food at the Ritz, keeps a concrete barrel in his factory, and buries his own secrets by night.

major

Also known as Dr. Oberzohn, Oberzohn, Eruc, Baron Eruc Oberzohn

First appearance: The Firm of Oberzohn

As a major figure in The Three Just Men, Dr. Eruc Oberzohn is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

The employer who interviews and hires Mirabelle; he is manipulative, burns her telegram, and locks her in.

In the storyThe Firm of OberzohnOpen this moment free

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Dr. Oberzohn admires ingenuity, locks doors to keep his guests from seeing too much, and digs alone in the dark rather than trust his four desperate men with the work. He contemns all things Teutonic yet has a sneaking reverence for the Junker methods he cannot quite bring himself to use on Gurther. He is the spider at the center of the advertisement, the orangeade, and the surveillance Mirabelle cannot shake — and he is beginning to understand that his own web is fraying.

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Character Web

19 connections

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Central figures and investigators
Protagonist

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This is the story's dramatic climax because it marks Joan’s psychological breaking point: she moves from dazed…

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In the story

Dr. Eruc Oberzohn appears across 21 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The Firm of Oberzohn
The employer who interviews and hires Mirabelle; he is manipulative, burns her telegram, and locks her in.
The Three Men of Curzon Street
Mentioned as the employer who hired Mirabelle Leicester through a deceptive advertisement.
The Vendetta
Dr. Oberzohn is writing a telegram to Mirabelle's aunt but is corrected by Newton. He reveals his deep hatred for the Three Just Men, who killed his brother Adolph, and admires Newton's cleverness.
IV: The Snake Strikes
Takes Mirabelle to lunch at the Ritz-Carlton and returns her to the laboratory.
VIII: The House of Oberzohn
Owner of the grim house by the canal, a doctor of Literature and Law who conducts experimental hobbies in secret rooms.
Gurther
Arranges Gurther's hiding place, studies chess, discusses police and the Three Just Men, and strikes Gurther for his failure.
Two "Accidents"
Present during Manfred's visit; his factory is targeted in the fire.
XVI: Rath Hall
Receives news of the fire, manipulates Gurther and Pfeiffer, and sends Gurther to kill Gonsalez.
Written in Braille
Referenced as the mastermind behind the scheme and the order to eliminate Gurther.
The Story of Mont d’Or
Implied as the mastermind behind the plot to secure the gold concession and abduct Mirabelle.
Gurther Reports
Reveals his sleepless habits, his plan to marry Mirabelle via a special license, and his calm defiance during Meadows' search.
In the Store Cellar
Visits the vault, claims to protect Mirabelle, and shows interest in chemical boxes.
On the Night Mail
Receives a telegram, consults with Gurther, makes phone calls, and strolls in his garden.
XV: Gurther Returns
Reveals the full plan to Gurther, including the fortune from the concession and his distrust of Montague Newton.
At Frater's
His car is seen at Mero's and later at Frater's theater, indicating his involvement in the evening's events.
Work for Gurther
Assigns Gurther to kill a traitor; discusses plans and praises Gurther's disguise.
XXX: Joan a Prisoner
Proposes to Mirabelle, threatens her, and secretly digs a grave in the factory grounds.
The Things in the Box
Arrives with Joan's body, orders Gurther to inject her with an antidote, later finds Gurther dying and forces Mirabelle to accompany him.
The Search
Returns to the house with Mirabelle, locks her in a room, and prepares to defend the house with hired gunmen.
The Siege
Forces his men to sign a forged confession; places Mirabelle in the snake-room; is killed by a poisoned cigarette holder.
The Death Tube
Devised the method of using frozen snake venom in blowpipes for assassinations.

Chapter companion notes

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See Dr. Eruc Oberzohn in The Firm of Oberzohn