“Mystery at Vellum” by L. G. Horsfield

Summer Crime Parade (circa 1947)

This is one of those “odd” publications that baffles me. It is undated, unnumbered, and, it is not clear whether the title is simply Crime Parade or Summer Crime Parade. One would traditionally believe that Summer simply denotes when it was released or set forth to be displayed on the book racks.

So, I also scanned the Table of Contents page, which is full of useful data. Again, the title appears to be Summer Crime Parade. More interesting, we are given the names of the editors: E. L. Childs and A. J. Saunders.

Besides being listed as editors, Edmund L. Childs and Andree J. Saunders were married in England, mid-1947 in Westminster district. Edmund was born in 1916, Pontefract district. Not sure about the lady. I could not locate any children, nor death records on either one. However, looking at the contents page, one will note that the lady is credited with one of the “Fact” articles.

The book was distributed by Todd Publishing.  Knowing their marriage date and whom distributed this odd publication, you can safely estimate this digest magazine to having appeared sometime between 1947 and 1948. There are only 3 advertisements present (one for Afrikander pipe tobacco, Peek Frean and Company [biscuit makers], and a Ferguson Radio ad covers the rear cover. With this latter ad, I found an exact copy in an English newspaper, dated October 1947 with the slogan “Fine Sets These Ferguson’s”

There are only four short stories present in this volume.
“Murder on the Metro” – Francis Grierson
“Thursday is My Unlucky Day” – Michael Hervey
“Justice Isn’t So Blind” – Allan K. Taylor
“Maudie Gets Her Own Back” – William Norman

The remaining titles present are articles labeled as “Fact.” There are some additional features NOT quoted on the contents page.

“Murder on the Metro” by Francis (D.) Grierson takes place in Paris. A woman is murdered on the metro. The famous detectives Patras and Latour are on the case, and seeking someone disguised as a nun, having discovered a dislodged crucifix belonging to a rosary at the scene of the crime. After interviewing various suspects, the whole case unravels all too easily, leaving me quite disappointed.

Michael Hervey, once regarded in the Book of World Records as having the most published short stories, supplies “Thursday is My Unlucky Day.” The story recounts a forger whom has partnered with a safe cracksman. The forger investigates a target, so that the cracksman may later break in and out and nobody will be the wiser. All that the forger requires is that some blank checks be stolen, each time. This he does, and the forger goes to the local bank to cash a check. On entering, he notes the bank desk calendar says: Thursday. Immediately he decides to cancel out on the deception. All of his worst life experiences occurred on Thursdays. Today was cursed! And today is no different. He finally works up the courage to cash the forged check, when, to his dismay, the banker notices the large but irregular amount. The forger claims that he completed a deal with the man that morning, but the banker calmly proclaims that perhaps the forger should have read the local newspaper. If he had, he’d know the man was died “yesterday morning” in a car wreck.

Allan K. Taylor supplies “Justice Isn’t So Blind.” A simple tale of a criminal foolishly copping to a break-in, asserting that he knew he was busted when a young child caught him in the act. He was dumbfounded by this, since it was the middle of the night, and being a cat burglar, he was super quiet. In confessing to the crime, we learn that the girl’s hearing is indeed quite astute, in fact, heightened beyond the norm, for, she is blind!

In “Maudie Gets Her Own Back,” William Norman details one man’s greed. While in an unsavory joint, a dame approaches him, looking for a favour. Can he get her a decent pearl necklace, for a cheap price? Able to procure stolen goods from various “sources,” he accepts the challenge and lucks eventually into a criminal looking to unload a pearl necklace. After a failed haggle, he finally pays the top price to the seller and returns to offer it to the girl. She isn’t amused; this pearl necklace happens to be the very same that was stolen recently from her!!! Worse yet, she assumes that HE stole it from HER !!!

 

The Whaler by Ben Ames Williams (1924)

Ben Ames Williams THE WHALER

Book 61 in the Garden City Publishing pulp digest-paperback series is The Whaler by Ben Ames Williams (1924).

The cover art was rendered by Anton Otto Fischer. However, I’m not sure where the artwork originates. All the illustrated covers in this series predominantly were recycled pulp covers or slicks. Anyone have an idea?

The novel was originally serialized in four installments as Once Aboard the Whaler in the All-Story Weekly (1918: Sep 7, 14, 21, 28).

Toppy Huggit is described as “a raw-boned, gangling youth of twenty…six feet tall, and scarcely more than six inches wide…” Having his parents die while he was young, Toppy resided on his uncle’s farm and was largely taken advantage. After Uncle Seth’s oxen won the stone dragging contest, he gave Toppy ten dollars. This he accepted and immediately he departed Rockingham and, boarding the train, arrived in Boston.

Here, he runs smack into a murder on the streets. Checking upon the dying/dead man, a portly figure runs out and begins searching the corpse’s pockets. Papers missing, he realizes that Toppy, innocent and naive young man and Johnny-on-the-spot, must have taken what he desires. Toppy, fearing the fat man, escapes from his clutches, runs into the first sailor’s restaurant upon the wharf, and seeks the company of fellow humans. The portly figure strides in and sits down near him, and begins to pester Toppy for the papers again. The waiter approaches and learns that Toppy is new to the area, and warns him against partnering up with the fat man, known as “Porp.” The waiter drags the youth behind the counter, out the back door, and introduces him to a man simply called “Cap,” and coerces him into signing a document.

That document lands him aboard the Cap’s ship, the Hartdown, as an unwilling crew-member. Worst yet, his fears are accentuated, learning that Porp is a mate aboard ship! The whole scene, signing the paper, etc, was entrapment! Stuck aboard the whaler, the ship pulls out with Toppy, a farm boy with zero sea-life experience, forced to learn the ways of the whaling vessel, or else.

Toppy suffers a variety of indignities aboard ship but quickly becomes infatuated with the captain’s daughter, Celia Mudge. Naturally no story is truly complete without the love interest, right? Right.

Toppy begins to grow stronger, learns the ship and terms, and soon takes charge of a whaling expedition when the person in charge dies. Giving orders comes naturally to Toppy, and he finds that even the numerous villains will obey, to a length.

All good things come to an end…eventually. The matter of the corpse’s missing papers are continuously introduced by Porp, pestering and threatening Toppy’s life. Turns out it is a crudely constructed treasure map. Several members of the current crew were part of another ship and wrecked upon an island. There, they found another derelict ship, and gold. Realizing the ship lost at sea for years, they decide to head for land and find a ship capable to haul the gold. However, given that none trust each other, they all stick together, fast.

Having joined the Hartdown, some of the villainous crew mutiny against themselves, when the innocent captain’s daughter boards the vessel. They intended to murder the original crew, but a girl is a different matter. Or is it? Half of the crew okay with murder have other plans for Celia, both sexual and material gain….

The crew convince the captain to drop anchor off an isolated island for supplies. While ashore, they attack the original crew and a battle takes place. Toppy escapes with Celia in one of the landing party boats, and while trying to board the parent vessel, finds that two villains left behind are wielding sharp objects. Another of the “good crew” escapes land and paddles out. The pair decide to split and take the ship from two sides. Unbeknownst to them, Celia took one of the boats and paddled quickly around the back side, boarded, and while Toppy is about to be murdered, she takes care of his would-be assailant!

They take the ship.

But if you think the plot remains a clear-case of rescue the rest on the island, etc, you would be wrong. Ben Ames Williams is no slouch on writing a thriller.

In negotiating the safe return of the crew, the villains under the cover of darkness send their best swimmers out to the ship, and wait in the water until Toppy and another paddle to a distant shoreline to rescue the surviving crew and Celia’s dad. They discover too late the attempt, but, manage to derail the plot. Taking the ship again, they have full control, learn the whereabouts of the gold, and return with a British warship (of sorts).

Arresting the survivors on land, the villains throw a wrench in the story by informing the Brits that they discovered gold, and that the Hartdown intends to steal it. The Brits end up confiscating the gold, eliminating one traditional happy ending!

Toppy DOES get Celia and they marry.