Edward Pierce

Edward Pierce is a gentleman with a mysterious past. No one knows for sure where Pierce came from or the origin of his apparent wealth. The author suggests that perhaps Pierce is a member of the criminal underground, groomed as a gentleman to carry out crimes in the open while hiding behind his apparent wealth.

Pierce is the mastermind behind the Great Train Robbery. Pierce puts together a team and he arranges for all the details. It is Pierce who finds where all the keys are kept and helps Agar gain access to each so that he can make copies. It is also Pierce who risks his own life to crawl over the outside of the moving train to unlock the van where the gold is kept so that Agar can throw the gold overboard to Pierce's waiting chauffeur.

In the end, Pierce is arrested because of...