Hayward Phelps

In the novel The Seven Dials Mystery, Hayward Phelps is a member of the Seven Dials group. Like a few of the others, he does not however play much of a role in the plot, or at least in those events which Bundle Brent was directly involved in.

It is only towards the end of the story that Superintendent Battle introduces him to Bundle as No. 4 of the group. Phelps is an American journalist who has a very good aptitude for scenting "news" and also very pro-British in his sympathies. In a meeting of the group which Bundle managed to spy on, she overhead him speaking of one of his actions which had been to spread reports about "local lads" practising with rifles, to serve as misdirection for the forthcoming inquest on Ronny Devereux.