In Sherlock Holmes’s “The Adventure of the Golden Pince-Nez,” the murdered secretary is Willoughby Smith.
Smith works as secretary to Professor Coram at Yoxley Old Place. He is found dying after an attack, and the unusual clue left at the scene is a pair of golden pince-nez. Holmes investigates the optical accessory along with the circumstances of the murder.
The case eventually reveals that the glasses belonged to Anna, a Russian political exile connected to Professor Coram’s past. She had entered the house seeking a document and attacked Smith when he discovered her. Holmes uses the physical evidence and the household’s restricted movements to identify her.
The surname Smith is simple but can be confused with the names of other minor characters in the Holmes stories. The title’s pince-nez are especially important because they provide a distinctive clue about the person who wore them, including that wearer’s facial features.