Walkthrough for the mission The Mercies of Knowledge in the game Red Dead Redemption 2. This page covers all main objectives, key steps, or helpful tips to guide you through the mission smoothly. Whenever possible, the guide points out locations for key items and details interactions with NPCs, among other tips. To ensure maximum clarity, in-game screenshots are included for easy-to-follow visual guidance.
Quest Group: Chapter 4 - Saint Denis
Category: Stranger Mission
In order to start this mission you need to complete The Joys of Civilization mission and then talk to Andrew Bell III who you will find on the northern outskirts of the city of Saint-Denis.
The professor will ask you to provide him with 100 gallons of moonshine he needs to build a certain machine. Arthur will conclude that Alden at the Rhodes station should help him find the wagon carrying that amount of moonshine.
Note: Alden has already once provided valuable tips during the Friends in Very Low Places mission.
A strange professor needs help acquiring 100 gallons of moonshine for a machine he's building.
Andrew Bell III
World Map
Bridge in Bluewater Marsh north of Saint Denis. Look for a wagon coming south, should be carrying a load of moonshine bottles in the back. Drive careful with it. X
Wait for the coach at the wooden bridge. The coach will come from the north.
The coach will have a driver, an armed passenger, and will be accompanied by two armed riders.It is best to draw your weapon and stand in their way so they have to stop. Then activate Dead Eye and shoot as many as you can before they know what's about to happen.
Arthur ambushes a wagon carrying a shipment of moonshine.
There shouldn't be any people around to witness your evil deed.
After eliminating the guards and the driver, get on the wagon and drive it to the professor.
The professor will explain to you that the invention he is working on is the electric chair and he will ask you for another favor. You need to get permission to conduct the experiment.
Go to the police department and talk to one of the law officers you will meet inside.
Initially he will ask for $100 for a permission, but if you try to negotiate he will lower the price to $50.
Return to the Professor and give him the permit from the Police Chief.
Go back to the professor. Arthur will inform him that he has obtained permissions and then the doctor will ask you for another favor.
You have to find someone on whom the professor can carry out the experiment. The professor even has an idea who it might be, he will give you the wanted poster for a certain criminal.
Professor Bell asks Arthur to bring back a test subject.
Capture Wilson J. McDaniels for the Professor so he has someone to execute.
Your target, Wilson J. McDaniels, is in a camp north of Emerald Ranch. He is not alone there, he is accompanied by a few other criminals.
I personally approached the camp from the south, because the enemy standing on the south side could be eliminated relatively easily without raising an alarm among the other criminals.
Initially, only the positions of his companions will be marked on the map. When you come closer, another, slightly larger marker will appear on the map, showing Wilson's position.
At some point in the fight, Wilson will run to one of the horses to try to escape. In my case, he started running north. You can try to catch him before he gets on the horse. If you don't manage to do that, you'll have to get on a horse (you can use one of the horses standing in the camp) then catch up with Wilson and use your lasso to catch him and hog tie him.
Pick up Wilson from the ground, put him on your horse and ride back to the professor. The journey will be relatively long. Arthur will make it more enjoyable by telling Wilson about the "attractions" that await him.
As you approach Saint Denis, you will be attacked by the mates of those guys you stole the moonshine wagon from. You're unlikely to be able to escape them, so make sure your Dead Eye meter is not empty early enough and just shoot them when they attack you.
When you deliver Wilson to the professor, he will invite you to the execution and walk away to make the necessary preparations.
The Professor invited you to attend the public execution of Wilson J. McDaniels by electric chair.
When some time has passed, another marker should appear on the map. Go there to watch the execution.
Unfortunately, the presentation turns out to be a complete failure and ends in the death of both McDaniels and the professor himself.
