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Hassett, Ben. Ben Hassett was created by Herbert De Hamel and appeared in eleven short stories which were collected in Many Thanks - Ben Hassett (1915).

Ben Hassett is a Lupin. Charles Manning is a young British private inquiry agent for Messrs. Hawksley & Shrike who has the misfortune to be sent to Australia in an attempt to capture the “renowned ‘trade thief’ Ben Hassett.” Unfortunately, Manning quickly discovers that Hassett not only has “incredible” powers of disguise, but is also significantly more clever than not just Manning, but everyone else who tries to capture him. Hassett repeatedly embarrasses Manning, always leaving behind a note which reads, “Many Thanks! Ben Hassett.” In the end Manning retires from the agency and Hassett continues on his merry way.

* I'm including Many Thanks - Ben Hassett in the Best of the Encyclopedia category because it's well-written. Herbert De Hamel wrote a pretty good mystery, when he turned his mind to it; Hassett is suitably impressive; Manning is well-characterized; and most of all De Hamel had the knack that P.G. Wodehouse did, as seen in the Jeeves stories, of creating plots that tighten and tighten until you see no way out for Hassett or Jeeves--until the end, when De Hamel/Wodehouse's authorial wizardry created yet another extremely clever way to get Hassett/Jeeves out of trouble and to be ultimately successful over their opponents. I liked Many Thanks - Ben Hassett. 

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