charles somerville – Page 2

June 1, 1923 series ~ cover art by L.L. Balcom

June 1, 1923 Special KKK issue

cover art by L.L. Balcom

~ Raymond J. Brown, “Phantom Bullets”, last of 5 parts, only works in BM

~ Richard Connell, “The Color of Honor”, KKK story, ‘see p. 127 for data on RC’, reprinted in The Black Lizard Big Book of Black Mask Stories (Vintage, 2010), only story in BM

~ Ray(mond King) Cummings, “T. McGuirk – Klansman”, ‘3rd of 14 McGuirk stories, billed as “the quaintest character in the Underworld” & honest, more of less’, ‘alleged to be a ‘humorous tale’, 3^rd of 15 stories in BM

~ Carroll John Daly, “Knights of the Open Palm”, ‘Debut of Race Williams…see p. 127 for letter from CJD on story, 1^st of 53 RW stories, reprinted in The Great American Detective (1978)’, in The Arbor House Treasury of Detective & Mystery Stories from the Great Pulps (1983), in Them That Lives By Their Guns: The Collected Hard-Boiled Stories of Race Williams, Vol. 1 (Altus Press, 2015), 5th of 71 appearances in BM [historically considered to be the first ever ‘hard-boiled’ story]

~ N. Bryllion Fagin, “Mrs. Frye Captures a Highwayman”, author’s sole story in BM

~ Henry Clay Foster, “The Klan As It Was”, article ‘Who started it and Why’, author’s only appearance in BM

~ Robert Lee Heiser, “’Devil Dan’ Hewett”, KKK story, ‘see p.128 for Data of RLH & his stories’, numerous appearances but little fiction – 1^st of 3 stories in BM

~ George Jean Nathan, “Remarks on the Klan”, ‘brief article on KKK, reprinted from “Smart Set”, March 1923’, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Herman Petersen, “Call Out the Clan”, ‘KKK yarn’, 8th of 20 stories in BM

~ Harford Powel, Jr., “The Other Immortals”, ‘fantasy short-short featuring Leon F. Czolgosz, John Wilkes Booth & Judas’, 4^th of 6 appearances in BM

~ Christopher Sandstone, “The Knights of the Ku Klux Klan”, ‘article; “the case for”’, writer’s sole appearance in BM

~ Charles Somerville, “The Ku Klux and Crime”, ‘the case against’, 8th of 47 articles in the ‘Manhunter’ series

~ Herbert Elisha Stover, “The Guillotine”, ‘not a KKK piece; see p. 128 for letter from HES’, 1^st of 3 pieces in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

[This post is in no way supporting the evil and hate of white supremacy. At the time this magazine issue was published, the KKK was in resurgence. It was just as relevant an issue then as now. Plus, due to the Daly story, it’s important in American literature.]

February 15, 1924 ~ cover art by L.L. Balcom & Harry Fisk

February 15, 1924 issue

cover art by Julius Erbit

better image than previously posted

~ Eustace Hale Ball, “A Vengeance of Death”, ‘A Black Mask Fantasy’

~ Harold De Polo, “Salted”, 3rd of 6 stories in BM

~ Dashiell Hammett, “The New Racket”, ‘billed as a ‘tip for judges and lawyers’, 7th of 45 stories in BM

~ C.S. Montanye (Carleton Stevens), “The Lady in Handcuffs”, 6^th of 10 with ‘Captain Valentine, that ‘attractive European scalawag’, adventurer and rascal’ 22th of 29 stories in BM

~ Herman Petersen, “That Yellow Devil”, 2nd of 2 parts, ‘Madame Pinar, Eurasian’, 17th of 20 stories in BM

~ Edith Lyle Ragsdale, “The Curse of Indra”, ‘daytime story’, author’s only appearance in BM

~ R.T.M. Scott (Reginald Thomas Maitland), “Esses Pip Seven”, ‘billed as a “novelty for veterans”’, 2nd of 2 stories in BM

~ Charles Somerville, “The Aeroplane Burglar” 25th of 47 articles in the ‘Manhunter’ series

~ Herbert Elisha Stover, “Fangs”, last of 3 pieces in BM

~ Merlin Moore Taylor, “Chains That Bind”, ‘billed as “A gripping detective novelette”’, 5th of 8 appearances in BM

~ Edwin Goodenow Wood, “Devil’s Bowl”, ‘Advertised as “A Novelette of Strangeness and Swiftness”’, 1^st of 2 stories in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

June 15, 1923 issue ~ cover art by H.C. Murphy

June 15, 1923 issue

cover art by H.C. Murphy

~ ‘Peter Collinson’ (Hammett), “The Vicious Circle”, ‘see pp. 126-127 for letter by DH’, 2^nd of 4 stories under this name, 2^nd of 51 total stories in BM

~ Anthony Crittenden, “Spike McCready’s Exit”, only appearance in BM

~ Ray(mond King) Cummings, “T. McGuirk Juggles the Pawn Tickets”, ‘4th of 14 McGuirk stories, billed as “the quaintest character in the Underworld” & honest, more of less’, 4^th of 15 stories in BM

~ Wyona Dashwood, “Out of the Fog”, ‘Human weirdities’, only story in BM

~ Meredith Davis, “Beyond the Chair”, last of 3 stories in BM

~ Drayton Dunster, “Sabotage”, ‘A Cemetery Tale’, 6^th of 9 stories in BM

~ Newton A. Fuessle, “Hoodwinked”, ‘KKK story but not in special issue’, 1^st of 2 stories in BM

~ Peter Grumble, “What Happened at Flanders”, ‘Western yarn’, author’s only appearance in BM

~ W.H. Holmes, “Scrambled Motives”, ‘A Complete Mystery Novelette’, 2^nd of 3 stories in BM

~ Charles Somerville, “The Clue of the Hatband”, 9th of 47 articles in the ‘Manhunter’ series, 10^th of 49 total articles in BM

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

December 1925 issue

December 1925 issue

~ Carroll John Daly, “Under Cover”, 1st of 2 parts, Race Williams, 11^th of 53, reprinted in Them That Lives By Their Guns: The Collected Hard-Boiled Stories of Race Williams, Vol. 1 (Altus Press, 2015), 19th of 71 appearances in BM

~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “The Triple Cross”, 5th of 73 Ed Jenkins stories, 11^th of 99 stories in BM

~ Joseph Gollomb, “Vienna’s Scholarly Detectives”, 5th of 6 articles

~ Dashiell Hammett, “The Gutting of Couffignal”, the Op [18^th of 25], reprinted in The Return of the Continental Op (Dell mapback, 1947), reprinted in The Hard-Boiled Detective (1977), reprinted in The Big Book of the Continental Op (Vintage, 2017), 25th of 51 stories in BM

~ Donald MacGregor, “The House of Flashing Lights”, ‘concerning a vaudeville actor’, 7th of 10 stories

~ Benjamin Michalek, “The Invisible Order of the Living Dead”, “advertised as ‘strange and weird story’”, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Charles Somerville, “Trapped”, 45^th of 47 articles in the ‘Manhunter’ series, 47^th of 49 total articles in BM

~ J. Paul Suter, “The German Field Glass”, 8th of 15 stories with The Reverend McGregor Daunt, ‘clergyman by profession and detective by choice’, 11th of 19 appearances in BM

February 1925 issue

February 1925 issue

better image than previously posted

cover art by Francis H. Harbaugh

~ Carroll John Daly, “The Face Behind the Mask”, 6^th of 53 with Race Williams, reprinted in Them That Lives By Their Guns: The Collected Hard-Boiled Stories of Race Williams, Vol. 1 (Altus Press, 2015) 14th the of 71 appearances in BM

~ James Parker Long, “Twice to Make Sure”, “‘Cautious, conservative business man’ as sleuth”, author’s sole appearance in BM

~ Harold Freeman Miners, “Topango Takes a Long Shot”, last of 4 ‘Topanga John, ancient desert rat’, last of 5 stories in BM

~ William Rollins, Jr., “Treasures That Dead Men Guard”, part 1 of 3, last of 3 stories with Jack Darrow, 10 of 23 stories in BM

~ Charles Somerville, “The Death Ship”, ‘schooner Mary Beatrice & Chinese, see important headnote (p. 118) and editorial note (p.125) relating to series’, 37th of 47 articles in the ‘Manhunter’ series, 38th of 49 total articles in BM

~ J. Paul Suter, “The Loud Voice of Time”, 3rd of 15 stories with The Reverend McGregor Daunt, ‘clergyman by profession and detective by choice’, ‘Daunt & one of his problems’, 6th of 19 appearances in BM

~ Kenneth Duane Whipple, “Tainted”, 2nd of 2 stories in BM