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Blake: 'TWIXT GALLOWS AND GOLD plainly takes place this year, as one of its protagonists has just returned from the Klondike Gold Rush which began in 1897. The problem is that this adventure occurs right in the middle of the period where Blake was assisted by We-wee... yet, in it, he has a new boy assistant named Nipperty Chris. Maybe We-wee was away for a period? Furthermore, it is also stated that Nipperty, 'like some of his predecessors, had been rescued from gutter-life for his shrewdness.' What predecessors are these? | |
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UNION JACK · 1st series · Issue 194 · 8/1/1898 · Amalgamated Press · ½d 'TWIXT GALLOWS AND GOLD by Anon. (Harold Blyth) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: Witty Will Wynn by Harry Blyth; The Scourge of the Seas by Henry St. John; From the Quarterdeck (ed.) Notes: Sexton Blake 'for purposes of his own' is living in a rented villa in a well-known London suburb. A train embankment passes by his house and, one day, a passenger train derails from it. Among the people the detective rescues is a man named Count Arno. Blake takes an immediate dislike to him. A couple of months later, Frank Swale is shown into Blake's office by the detective's assistant, Nipperty Chris. The previous year, Swale had joined the Klondike Gold Rush in the hope of raising enough money to marry his sweetheart, Lily May. He struck gold but fell ill and asked his friend, Jack Hackett, to deliver a considerable amount of money to the girl. Hackett vanished, and so too did Lily. Blake discovers that Hackett and Count Arno are one and the same. He and Frank trace him to a hotel room. As they approach, a shot is fired. Frank races after the gunman, both men disappearing via the balcony. Blake ties to follow but his way is blocked when the window slams shut. The murdered man turns out to be the real Count, who had been blackmailed by Hackett. While trying to find Frank, Blake is attacked outside the house where Lily May had once lived. His assailant escapes in a carriage with two men, one of whom is identified as Tony Quelch, an ex-boxer. The detective corners this man in his lair and forces him to take him to Hatchett's hide-out. Quelch turns on him but, with Nipperty's help, Blake survives and is able to confront the main villain. After a terrific fight, which sees them both plunge into the river, Blake is rescued from drowning by Frank Swale while Hatchett attempts a getaway in a steamship upon which Lily is held as prisoner. Blake saves the girl and, with his plans foiled, Hatchett flees only to be killed while crossing a railway line. Trivia: Blake's boy assistant in this case, Nipperty Chris, is very much a Tinker prototype: 'The speaker was "Nipperty Chris", the great detective's latest juvenile assistant, who, like some of his predecessors, had been rescued from gutter-life for his shrewdness. He was a broad, bright, snub-nosed little fellow, with short, yellow hair, growing so coarse and close that he would often facetiously declare that if all else failed he could let himself out as a broom.' Rating:  Harry Blyth keeps the plot simple, for a change, and delivers a story that works far better than his previous efforts.
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UNION JACK · 1st series · Issue 204 · 19/3/1898 · Amalgamated Press · ½d THE TRUMAN MYSTERY; OR, A STRUGGLE FOR FORTUNE by William Shaw Rae · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: Witty Will Wynn by Harry Blyth; From the Quarterdeck (ed.) Notes: Sexton Blake receives a visitor at his office in Norfolk House; a youth named Raymond Truman. Though born and raised in India, Raymond is heir to the Truman estates in Northamptonshire. Upon learning of his father's death, he had set sail from India to meet his grandfather, Sir Jasper Truman, but was attacked and waylaid. Now he's arrived in England with no proof of identity and needs Blake to help him. The detective, however, is suspicious of his visitor and, after instructing We-wee to follow the youth, he makes some enquiries and discovers that the Raymond Truman who set off from India is not of the same appearance as the one who arrived in England. Then a chance encounter in the street leads him to meet another youth who also identifies himself as Raymond; there are now two claimants to the estates. Raymond number two describes to Blake how, on his journey from England, he was thrown overboard by his scheming servant, Muley Hassan, who is now living with Sir Jasper in the guise of Raymond Truman — a third claimant to the title! Meanwhile, We-wee has learned that the first individual is really named Hamid Hassan; Muley's brother. The siblings had schemed together but quarrelled and went their separate ways, each hoping to fool Sir Jasper. Sexton Blake travels to Truman Towers disguised as a professor of botany and meets with Sir Jasper who is oblivious to the fact that his nephew is an impostor. Remaining as a guest, Blake begins to unnerve Muley Hassan, who makes several attempts on Sir Jasper's life. Later, a final murderous attack is foiled and the Hassans are exposed. The real Raymond takes up his position as true heir to the the Truman estates. Rating:
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UNION JACK · 1st series · Issue 208 · 16/4/1898 · Amalgamated Press · ½d THE PHANTOM PHOTOGRAPHER; OR, THE LUCK OF SEXTON BLAKE by William Shaw Rae · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: The Sign of the Scarlet Cross by Claud Heathcote; Witty Will Wynn by Harry Blyth; The Branded Hand by H. S. Warwick; From the Quarterdeck (ed.) Notes: Blake is assisted by We-wee. This was reprinted (with Tinker replacing We-wee) in PENNY POPULAR issue 76 as THE FORGER (1914). Unrated |
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UNION JACK · 1st series · Issue 220 · 9/7/1898 · Amalgamated Press · ½d THE DAGGER OF DUNLOE by William Shaw Rae · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: The Sign of the Scarlet Cross by Claud Heathcote; From the Quarterdeck (ed.) Notes: Blake is assisted by We-wee. Unrated |
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UNION JACK · 1st series · Issue 228 · 3/9/1898 · Amalgamated Press · ½d THE THIRD MAN by William Shaw Rae · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: The Sign of the Scarlet Cross by Claud Heathcote; From the Quarterdeck (ed.) Notes: Blake is assisted by We-wee. This was reprinted in PENNY POPULAR issue 71 as THE FENSFIELD CONSPIRACY (1914). Unrated |
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UNION JACK · 1st series · Issue 238 · 12/11/1898 · Amalgamated Press · ½d THE MYSTERY MAN by William Shaw Rae · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: The Sign of the Scarlet Cross by Claud Heathcote; From the Quarterdeck (ed.) Notes: Blake is assisted by We-wee. This was reprinted in PENNY POPULAR issue 72 (1914) under the same title. Unrated |
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UNION JACK · 1st series · Issue 245 · 31/12/1898 · Amalgamated Press · ½d THE CIGARETTE CLUE by William Shaw Rae · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: Don Darrel by Henry T. Johnson; The Sign of the Scarlet Cross by Claud Heathcote. Notes: Blake is assisted by We-wee. This was reprinted in PENNY POPULAR issue 68 (1914) under the same title. Unrated |
| 1897 1898 1899 | |