Nick Carter Stories No. 154, August 21, 1915: The mask of death; or, Nick Carter's curious case.Carter, Nicholas (House name)
General
Nick Carter Stories No. 154, August 21, 1915: The mask of death; or, Nick Carter's curious case.
Carter, Nicholas (House name)
Detective and mystery stories, American -- Periodicals; Popular literature -- Periodicals
Chief of Police Hodgins let out a bellow of rage the next morning when
his startled gaze rested upon the front page of the Oldham _Daily
Bulletin_.
The editor of that belligerent sheet had eagerly availed himself of
Hawley’s snapshots and the latter’s suggestion as to how to use them.
Both negatives had turned out excellently, and, although there wasn’t a
great deal of difference between the two poses, Carroll decided to use
them both, so as to make as big a showing as possible. They appeared
side by side at the top of the page, and above them, stretched across
the full width of the page, was the heading which the Camera Chap had
composed.
Beneath the cuts was an editorial from the pen of Fred Carroll, written
in very short sentences, and with many words capitalized--a style of
editorial which he had copied from the New York _Sentinel_. The first
paragraphs were as follows:
“The above genuine snapshots tell their own story. They were taken
at police headquarters at two o’clock yesterday afternoon. They
show our chief of police in a thoroughly characteristic pose. A
brief study of these interesting, and genuine photographs will
enable the reader to understand why CRIMINALS regard Oldham as
their HAPPY HUNTING GROUND.
“Most police officials believe in keeping their eyes open and their
mouths closed while on duty. Our chief of police reverses that
old-fashioned policy. As these snapshots show, he does HIS police
duty with his eyes CLOSED and his mouth WIDE OPEN. Citizens and
property owners may not approve of this original policy, but, no
doubt, BURGLARS, STRONG-ARM MEN, and other CROOKS heartily indorse
it. Of course, they are thoroughly satisfied with our SOMNOLENT
chief of police.
“Night before last there was a daring burglary, committed in this
town. Bold thieves got away with plunder worth many thousand
dollars. We frankly confess that the _Bulletin_ is not, as yet, in
possession of the full details of that burglary. We tried to find
out about the crime, but were unsuccessful. When a _Bulletin_
representative called on Chief Hodgins, to ascertain the
particulars, he found him SNORING. The _Bulletin_ representative
was too polite to disturb the chief’s daylight slumbers, so,
instead of interviewing him, he took his picture. That could be
done without WAKING him. Besides, our representative thought that
the taxpayers of Oldham would find these snapshots much more
interesting and illuminating than a mere detailed account of the
burglary.”
There were several more paragraphs couched in the same strain. Chief
Hodgins read it through to the very end. Then, in a paroxysm of fury, he
tore the paper in small pieces, growling, as he did so, like a terrier
worrying a rat.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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