It happened on the day when Sherlock Holmes made his appearance in Baskerville. Same day, Sir Henry also reached there. When he sat with Dr. Watson to eat a late supper, the line of family portraits caught Holmes' attention, one in particular. Sir Henry identified that painting as a portrait of Hugo Baskerville from 1647. Later, after Henry had gone to his room, Holmes took Watson along to look once again at Hugo’s picture. Upon closer inspection, Watson realised what Holmes was trying to bring his attention to – the face in the painting was a perfect likeness of Stapleton’s. Clearly, Stapleton was a Baskerville. Now, being a descendant of the family, it was obvious that Stapleton would want the estate. Sherlock, thus, found the missing link in the case, which helped him to identify the culprit. He then concentrated on how to prove the same before the law.

Mr. Frankland is elderly inhabitant with a red face and white hair who seemed to be seriously concerned about challenging the law through numerous litigation cases and astronomy. He liked to spend his days fighting different lawsuits simply for the pleasure and had already spent a fortune in this manner. He can take up both sides of an issue. So, on one hand, he fights for the commoners’ right of passage through private property, while on the other hand, he shuts up a way used by the same commoners citing rights of property. Frankland is also interested in astronomy and keeps a telescope on the roof of his house. He tends to keep a grudge against those who have disappointed him. This is evident in his behaviour towards his daughter Laura, who married without his consent. There is little reason to suspect him rather it can be said that he serves as a much-needed dose of comic relief in an otherwise grim tale.