sˌʌm kˈæɹɪktɚz ɪnðə stˈoːɹiz mˌeɪhɐv bˌɪn bˈeɪst ˌɔn pˈɜːsənəl ɐkwˈeɪntənsᵻz, sˈʌtʃ ɐz ɹˈɪtʃɚd wˈæɡnɚz fˈɑːðɚ, kˈɑːɹl fɹˈiːdɹɪtʃ wˈɪlhɛlm wˈæɡnɚ wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd sˈɛvənhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd θˈɜːtiːn, ɐ pəlˈiːs ˈæktʃuːˌɛɹi, hˌuː mˌeɪhɐv ɪnspˈaɪɚd "ˌæktuːˈɛɹɪəs wˈɜːmʌθ" ɹˈɛdʒɪstɹˌɑːɹ ɐbsˈɪnθ ˈɪn "".
Some characters in the stories may have been based on personal acquaintances, such as Richard Wagner's father, Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Wagner (1770–1813), a police actuary, who may have inspired "Aktuarius Wermuth" ('Registrar Absinth') in "".