The Mercies of Knowledge

The Mercies of Knowledge is a seven-part Stranger mission featured in Red Dead Redemption 2. The quest becomes available during Chapter 4 of the story.

Story[]

Part I & II[]

Professor Andrew Bell III meets Arthur and asks him if he knows where he can find a large supply of moonshine. He claims the liquor is not for drinking, but will be used for a 'machine of love'. He promises to pay if 100 gallons can be brought to him. After visiting Alden, the train station clerk in Rhodes, Arthur receives a hot tip on where to find a wagon containing it.

Part III[]

A transport of moonshine heading into Saint Denis from Bluewater Marsh is Arthur's target. Once the player passes the wooden bridge outside of the city, the cart will arrive with two riders alongside on horseback. After taking out all of the guards, Arthur delivers the moonshine to the professor.

Part IV[]

Bell asks Arthur to go to the Saint Denis Police Station to get a permit from Police Chief Lambert to perform one of the executions. Arthur subsequently talks to the police chief, who states that the permit will cost at least a hundred dollars, after which Arthur can negotiate with Lambert in lowering the cost.

Part V[]

Arthur informs Professor Bell that he was able to get the permit. The professor is impressed, and shows Arthur a wanted poster of Wilson J. McDaniels - a criminal who he wishes to use as a test subject.

Part VI[]

McDaniels can be found around Moonstone Pond with his gang. After heading to this area, Arthur manages to fight off the gang and hogties McDaniels, before proceeding to bring him back to Professor Bell in Saint Denis. On his way back, Arthur tells McDaniels about the electric chair and a story about how lightning kills livestock, which makes McDaniels cry. During the journey, Arthur meets three guards, from whom he stole the moonshine in Part II, with guns ready. Arthur kills them and brings McDaniels to the professor.

Part VII[]

At the gallows in Saint Denis, Professor Bell demonstrates his electrical chair on the now-captured, corked, and shaved McDaniels. Bell proceeds to start the machine, only for it to cook a screaming McDaniels in front of a full audience who watch in horror and begin to disperse from the smell. Bell sparks up the machine two more times, attempting to demonstrate how humane it is, only for it to backfire and electrocute him to death the third time around. McDaniels weakly spits out the cork, pleading for someone to shoot him, and then dies in considerable pain. Afterwards, the professor can be looted for his blueprints, although this results in an Honor loss.

Deaths[]

Several moonshiners - killed by Arthur Morgan to steal the moonshine wagon.
Members of McDaniel's gang - killed by Arthur Morgan to capture Wilson J. McDaniels.
Andrew Bell III - accidentally electrocuted by his electric chair.
Wilson J. McDaniels - electrocuted by the electric chair.

Missable Items in the Mission[]

Electric Chair Blueprint

Trivia[]

Players should complete this mission before "Our Best Selves", as it will disappear and not be available afterwards.
Despite only being available for Arthur to complete, the mission description in the save game menu never mentions him - other stranger missions only available to one character mention said character, while those available for both avoid mentioning either. This implies the mission was originally available to John as well, but was removed for unknown reasons (probably to stay historically accurate as by 1907, the electric chair was no longer an experimental execution method). If the game is modded, John has his own dialogue but no facial animations in cutscenes.
After the player delivers the moonshine to Mr. Bell, he may remark "all this wonderful methanol." Methanol is a non-drinkable alcohol made from wood - ethanol, made from grains, is what is supposed to be in moonshine.
The player can either "Ask" or "Demand" the permit from the Police Chief. If the player chooses the first option, the permit will costs $100 initially and $50 after negotiation. If the player demands the permit, it will cost them $150 non-negotiably, as the Chief would "not like" Arthur's tone.
In Part VII, Henri Lemieux can be seen shaking his head and leaving in dismay at the repeated failed attempts to execute McDaniels, implying Bell had invited the mayor to come and view the use of the electric chair; however, Lemieux will still be shown even if the player has already spared Jean Marc and received his letter revealing that Lemieux is no longer in office.
If Arthur returns to Benjamin Lambert for a bounty hunting mission after the execution, the Chief will comment on this event and call Arthur a lousy executioner.
During Part VI, when returning McDaniels, hostile animals and wanted levels are disabled. The player can explore Blackwater without the risk of Pinkertons or lawmen, but New Austin is still guarded by a sniper.

Glitches[]

After completion of Part VI, a glitch may occur where both Part II and Part VII will be available on the map at the same time. This can be fixed after initiating both missions and may require a couple of attempts before Part II disappears off the map.^[1]