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| 1918 1919 1920 | |
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Publishing: With war-time paper shortages easing by the end of the year, UNION JACK increases its size from 16 to 20 pages and THE BOYS' REALM reappears after having been suspended for a while. The creator of Zenith the Albino, Anthony Skene (real name George Norman Philips), makes his debut. Born in 1888, Philips was a full-time surveyor in H. M. Office of Works and dictated his stories while travelling around the country. He wrote a total of 125 Sexton Blake stories before retiring in 1947. Philips died in 1972. Blake: Sexton Blake falls victim to the Spanish flu pandemic this year and is confined to a private nursing home to recuperate. THE BATHCHAIR MYSTERY details his recovery but also hints that his illness may have been even more serious, possibly involving a complete mental/physical breakdown. According to THE MOON OF THE EAST, Blake is without Mrs. Bardell for a period. 1919 marks the arrival of one of the most charismatic and fascinating of Blake's many opponents; the wonderful Zenith the Albino. He immediately proves himself a deadly foe by bombing Blake's Baker Street apartment. | |
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THE BOYS' REALM · New series · Vol. 1 Issue 1 · 5/4/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE BRASS DISC (Part 1) by Anon. (Cecil Hayter) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: Blake, of the Blue Crusaders by A. S. Hardy; Henry St. John's Schooldays by Anon.; From Chopping-Block to Champion by Captain Malcom Arnold; Tales of St. Frank's School by Edwy Searles Brooks; Special Football Article by 'Fanny' Walden. Notes: Serial featuring Sir Richard Losely and Lobangu. Unrated |
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THE BOYS' REALM · New series · Vol. 1 Issue 2 · 12/4/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE BRASS DISC (Part 2) by Anon. (Cecil Hayter) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: Unknown Notes: Serial featuring Sir Richard Losely and Lobangu. Unrated |
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THE BOYS' REALM · New series · Vol. 1 Issue 3 · 19/4/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE BRASS DISC (Part 3) by Anon. (Cecil Hayter) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: Unknown Notes: Serial featuring Sir Richard Losely and Lobangu. Unrated |
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THE BOYS' REALM · New series · Vol. 1 Issue 4 · 26/4/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE BRASS DISC (Part 4) by Anon. (Cecil Hayter) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: Unknown Notes: Serial featuring Sir Richard Losely and Lobangu. Unrated |
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THE DETECTIVE LIBRARY · Issue 10 · 4/11/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE ADVENTURE OF THE DESERTED MINE by Anon. (William Murray Graydon) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: Unknown Notes: None at present. Unrated |
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THE DETECTIVE LIBRARY · Issue 11 · 11/10/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE ADVENTURE OF THE LEATHER HAT BOX by Anon. (H. W. Twyman) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: Unknown Notes: None at present. Unrated |
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THE DETECTIVE LIBRARY · Issue 14 · 1/11/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE CASE OF THE KINEMA KING by Anon. (George Norman Philips) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: Unknown Notes: None at present. Unrated |
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THE DETECTIVE LIBRARY · Issue 18 · 29/11/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE ADVENTURE OF THE FROZEN ROOM by Anon. (George Norman Philips) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: Your Editor's Page (ed.); The Affair of the Sunken Landaulet by Anon. Notes: None at present. Unrated |
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THE DETECTIVE LIBRARY · Issue 19 · 6/12/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE ADVENTURE OF THE FROZEN SNAKE by Anon. (George Norman Philips) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: The Case of the Black Knight by Anon.; Your Editor's Page (ed.); The Affair of Dr. Jeck's Patient by Anon. Notes: None at present. Unrated |
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THE NELSON LEE LIBRARY · Issue 226 · 4/10/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE MYSTERY OF REED'S WHARF by Anon. (Edwy Searles Brooks) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: In Trackless Space by Robt. W. Comrade Notes: Sexton Blake and Tinker make a guest appearance in this Nelson Lee Library adventure. Unrated |
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THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 1st series · Issue 64 · Feb. 1919 · Amalgamated Press · 4d THE FIRST-BORN SON by Anon. (Andrew Murray) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: Unknown Notes: Story features Count Ivor Carlac, Hon. John Lawless and Professor Kew. Unrated |
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THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 1st series · Issue 65 · Feb. 1919 · Amalgamated Press · 4d SALVAGE OF THE SEA; OR, THE FIRM OF TANCREED & CO. by Anon. (William Murray Graydon) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: Unknown Notes: None at present. Unrated |
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THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 1st series · Issue 66 · Feb. 1919 · Amalgamated Press · 4d THE BUNGALOW TRAGEDY by Anon. (William J. Bayfield) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: Unknown Notes: None at present. Unrated |
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THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 1st series · Issue 67 · Feb. 1919 · Amalgamated Press · 4d DAYLIGHT ROBBERY by Anon. (John W. Bobin) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: Unknown Notes: Story features Glory Gale. Unrated |
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THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 1st series · Issue 68 · Mar. 1919 · Amalgamated Press · 4d THE BROKEN TRAIL by Anon. (Andrew Murray) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: Unknown Notes: Story features Hon. John Lawless and Mandarin Chin-Chin. Unrated |
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THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 1st series · Issue 69 · Mar. 1919 · Amalgamated Press · 4d THE ISLAND MYSTERY by Anon. (John W. Bobin) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: Unknown Notes: Story features Aubrey Dexter. Unrated |
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THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 1st series · Issue 70 · Mar. 1919 · Amalgamated Press · 4d THE STATIONMASTER'S SECRET by Anon. (Andrew Murray) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: None Notes: This would be reprinted as BOYS' FRIEND LIBRARY 2nd series issue 687 under the same title (1939). Unrated |
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THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 1st series · Issue 71 · Mar. 1919 · Amalgamated Press · 4d THE HIDDEN MENACE! by Anon. (John W. Bobin) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: Unknown Notes: 'A Tale of Cocaine and Opium Dens.' This was reprinted as THE MYSTERY OF THE DOPE DEN in THE BOYS' FRIEND LIBRARY 2nd series issue 691 (1939). It was also rewritten by Donald Stuart that same year (1939) and published as THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY 2nd series issue 690, using the original title, THE HIDDEN MENACE. Unrated |
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THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 1st series · Issue 72 · April 1919 · Amalgamated Press · 4d OUTCASTS; OR, THE MAN WHO SOLD HIS INHERITANCE by Anon. (Andrew Murray) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: None Notes: Story set in England and Morocco, featuring Hon. John Lawless, Professor Kew and Count Ivor Carlac. Unrated |
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THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 1st series · Issue 73 · April 1919 · Amalgamated Press · 4d THE SECRET OF THE MINE by Anon. (Arthur Steffens) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: None Notes: Sexton Blake and Tinker visit the mining towns and less populated areas of America. Unrated |
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THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 1st series · Issue 74 · April 1919 · Amalgamated Press · 4d ACROSS THE DIVIDE by Anon. (Andrew Murray) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: Unknown Notes: Story set in England and Canada. Unrated |
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THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 1st series · Issue 75 · April 1919 · Amalgamated Press · 4d THE MYSTERY OF THE GREY CAR by Anon. (John W. Bobin) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: Unknown Notes: Story set in the Midlands. Unrated |
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THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 1st series · Issue 76 · May 1919 · Amalgamated Press · 4d A CONVICT BY PROXY by Anon. (Andrew Murray) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: Unknown Notes: This tale is recounted in first person, in three parts, by Tinker, Sexton Blake and Hon. John Lawless. Unrated |
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THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 1st series · Issue 77 · May 1919 · Amalgamated Press · 4d THE CRIMSON MASK by Anon. (Arthur Steffens) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: Unknown Notes: 'A Tale of Daylight Robbery in London.' Unrated |
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THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 1st series · Issue 78 · May 1919 · Amalgamated Press · 4d THE FIVE DIAMONDS; 0R, THE CASE OF THE WORKING JEWELLER by Anon. (William Murray Graydon) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: None Notes: 'The true facts relating to the theft of the famous and valuable McCallum Necklace, telling how Sexton Blake recovered the jewels with the assistance of Tinker and a brave and determined girl whose father was under suspicion.' Unrated |
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THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 1st series · Issue 79 · May 1919 · Amalgamated Press · 4d THE RIDDLE OF RIVERDALE by Anon. (John W. Bobin) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: None Notes: Story features Gilbert Brand. Unrated |
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THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 1st series · Issue 80 · June 1919 · Amalgamated Press · 4d THE BATHCHAIR MYSTERY by Anon. (Andrew Murray) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: None Notes: In this issue, Nelson Lee and Nipper join forces with Blake and Tinker to expose a villainous masquerade. The story is set in south west England on the Cornish coast where Blake has been sent to recuperate after a serious bout of influenza (it should be remembered that this was written during the worst global Flu pandemic ever recorded). Despite his gradually improving health, Blake’s faith in his own mental abilities has been badly shaken by the illness. When a patient in a bathchair mysteriously vanishes in a neighbouring garden before then reappearing as if nothing had happened, he doubts his own sanity. Tentatively, he begins to apply his talents to the odd events that quickly follow. He's joined by Tinker, whose mischievous qualities are to the fore here, making him a very likable young fellow and the obvious father-son affection shared between the two characters is a joy. In fact, the greatest pleasure offered by this story (which has a fairly mundane plot) comes with the relationships between Blake, Tinker, Lee and Nipper. Nelson Lee is the one person Blake will turn to when an investigation stalls, while Nipper - who seems to be a couple of years younger that Tinker - regards his ‘chum’ as an elder brother. The discussions and horseplay between the four is thoroughly entertaining and carries the reader through a plot which, though filled with incident, isn’t particularly memorable for any other reason. It could be that the central premise, about a man impersonating his half-brother in order to claim some valuable land, just isn’t interesting enough to make this mystery a worthy one. Rating:  Part of the fun of this story is witnessing Blake's recovery from flu; it’s rapid but not unrealistically so and it’s not until the final pages that he’s fully the detective and all-round man of action that we’re familiar with (able to leap aboard a moving train without breaking his neck). A good job Nelson Lee is on hand to share the crime-fighting duties.
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THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 1st series · Issue 81 · June 1919 · Amalgamated Press · 4d THE FOURTH THEORY by Anon. (William J. Bayfield) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: Unknown Notes: The following letter is found by the police: "I am in a train bound for Llantwd. My name is Henry Newfield. As representative of Mr. Lordenbury, of Bond Street, London, I am carrying thirty thousand pounds' worth of jewellery to Madame Juanita Veldos, of Tanfyn Castle. In the next carriage to me are two men who, I think, are going to attack and rob me! (Here follows a description of the men.)... If, therefore, anything should happen to me on the journey, the police should look for the two men I have described." The man disappears. Unrated |
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THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 1st series · Issue 82 · June 1919 · Amalgamated Press · 4d THE RECORD OF THE CASE by Anon. (William Murray Graydon) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: Unknown Notes: None at present. Unrated |
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THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 1st series · Issue 83 · June 1919 · Amalgamated Press · 4d THE PROBLEM OF THE DERBY FAVOURITE by Anon. (John W. Bobin) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: Unknown Notes: None at present. Unrated |
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THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 1st series · Issue 84 · July 1919 · Amalgamated Press · 4d SETTLER OR SLAVER? by Anon. (Andrew Murray) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: Unknown Notes: A tale of East Africa featuring Hon. John Lawless, Professor Kew and Count Ivor Carlac. Unrated |
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THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 1st series · Issue 85 · July 1919 · Amalgamated Press · 4d THE MASQUERADER by Anon. (Robert Murray Graydon) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: Unknown Notes: 'A story of adventure in England and America' featuring Dirk Dolland Unrated |
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THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 1st series · Issue 86 · July 1919 · Amalgamated Press · 4d THE RED HEART OF THE INCAS by Anon. (Jack Lewis) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: Unknown Notes: Story features Leon Kestrel. This was reprinted as THE SECRET OF THE SACRED RUBY in SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY 2nd series issue 704 (1940). Unrated |
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THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 1st series · Issue 87 · July 1919 · Amalgamated Press · 4d A SHEEP IN WOLF'S CLOTHING; OR, THE MAN WHO SOLD HIS HONOUR by Anon. (William Murray Graydon) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: None Notes: 'The circumstances under which an honest young man finds himself in the position of a scoundrel.' Unrated |
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THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 1st series · Issue 88 · Aug. 1919 · Amalgamated Press · 4d THE MANDARIN'S SEAL by Anon. (Andrew Murray) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: None Notes: Part one of this story is told in first person by Tinker. Hon. John Lawless features. Unrated |
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THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 1st series · Issue 89 · Aug. 1919 · Amalgamated Press · 4d THE MYSTERY OF THE 'AGONY' ADVERT by Anon. (John W. Bobin) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: Unknown Notes: 'The hero is led to believe he is acting for the films, but he is really made the victim of a wicked crime.' Features Glory Gale Unrated |
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THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 1st series · Issue 90 · Aug. 1919 · Amalgamated Press · 4d THE CASE OF THE TRANSATLANTIC FLYERS by Anon. (Jack Lewis) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: Unknown Notes: Story features Leon Kestrel. Unrated |
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THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 1st series · Issue 91 · Aug. 1919 · Amalgamated Press · 4d THE RED CRESCENT by Anon. (Andrew Murray) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: Unknown Notes: Story features Hon. John Lawless. Unrated |
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THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 1st series · Issue 92 · Sept. 1919 · Amalgamated Press · 4d THE BOY WITHOUT A MEMORY by Anon. (John W. Bobin) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: None Notes: Story features George Marsden Plummer. Unrated |
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THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 1st series · Issue 93 · Sept. 1919 · Amalgamated Press · 4d THE CASE OF THE SEASIDE CROOKS by Anon. (Andrew Murray) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: Unknown Notes: Story features Hon. John Lawless. Unrated |
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THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 1st series · Issue 94 · Sept. 1919 · Amalgamated Press · 4d THE AFFAIR OF THE DEMOBILISED SOLDIER by Anon. (William J. Bayfield) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: Unknown Notes: 'A Strong and Stirring Story of Human Interest and Holding Power.' Unrated |
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THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 1st series · Issue 95 · Sept. 1919 · Amalgamated Press · 4d THE KESTREL SYNDICATE by Anon. (Jack Lewis) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: The Gambling Dens of London (Will Spearing) by Anon. Notes: Story features Leon Kestrel. Unrated |
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THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 1st series · Issue 96 · Oct. 1919 · Amalgamated Press · 4d THE MATADOR'S FORTUNE by Anon. (John W. Bobin) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: Unknown Notes: 'Grand Story of Detective Adventure in Spain, Switzerland, Ireland and England.' Unrated |
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THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 1st series · Issue 97 · Oct. 1919 · Amalgamated Press · 4d THE CASE OF THE MYSTERIOUS JOCKEY; OR, A SPORTING REVENGE by Anon. (William Murray Graydon) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: Unknown Notes: 'Topping Racing Detective Yarn.' Unrated |
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THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 1st series · Issue 98 · Oct. 1919 · Amalgamated Press · 4d THE EX-SOLDIER EMPLOYMENT SWINDLE by Anon. (Andrew Murray) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: Unknown Notes: 'Thrilling Tale of a Despicable Trick played on Ex-Service Men.' Features Count Ivor Carlac and Professor Kew Unrated |
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THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 1st series · Issue 99 · Oct. 1919 · Amalgamated Press · 4d THE CLUE OF THE CHARRED DIARY by Anon. (William J. Bayfield) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: Unknown Notes: 'Magnificent Story of a Curious Poison Case.'. Unrated |
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THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 1st series · Issue 100 · Nov. 1919 · Amalgamated Press · 4d UNJUSTLY BRANDED by Anon. (Reginald H. Poole) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: None Notes: 'A Tale of Sexton Blake's conflict with a clever and ingenious, but unscrupulous, chemist - Dr. Lepperman.' Unrated |
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THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 1st series · Issue 101 · Nov. 1919 · Amalgamated Press · 4d DARK SECRETS by Anon. (William Murray Graydon) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: Unknown Notes: None at present. Unrated |
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THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 1st series · Issue 102 · Nov. 1919 · Amalgamated Press · 4d THE CASE OF THE BURMESE DAGGER by Anon. (Andrew Murray) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: Unknown Notes: A tale of Trouble Nantucket. This was reprinted as THE BURMESE DAGGER in THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY 2nd series issue 675 (1939). Unrated |
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THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 1st series · Issue 103 · Nov. 1919 · Amalgamated Press · 4d THE STOLEN PARTNERSHIP PAPERS by Anon. (John W. Bobin) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: A Titled Amateur by Anon. Notes: 'A Detective Novel of Engrossing Interest, introducing the Council of Nine and George Marsden Plummer.' Unrated |
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THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 1st series · Issue 104 · Dec. 1919 · Amalgamated Press · 4d LOOT! by Anon. (Andrew Murray) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: Unknown Notes: 'Enthralling Story of Count Ivor Carlac and Professor Kew.' Unrated |
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THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 1st series · Issue 105 · Dec. 1919 · Amalgamated Press · 4d FIVE YEARS AFTER by Anon. (William Murray Graydon) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: Unknown Notes: 'Grand Christmas Novel.' This is a reprint of UNION JACK issue 165 (1906). Unrated |
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THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 1st series · Issue 106 · Dec. 1919 · Amalgamated Press · 4d THE CHINK IN THE ARMOUR by Anon. (Jack Lewis) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: Old Zora's Christmas by Anon. Notes: A tale of Leon Kestrel. Unrated |
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THE SEXTON BLAKE LIBRARY · 1st series · Issue 107 · Dec. 1919 · Amalgamated Press · 4d THE BRANDED SPY by Anon. (Oliver Merland) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: Unknown Notes: 'An Exciting Tale of Bolshevik Treachery.' Story features Topper. Unrated |
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 795 · 4/1/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE MOON OF THE EAST by Anon. (Cecil Hayter) · Illustrator: Philip Swinnerton Other content: None Notes: This adventure sees Blake, Tinker and Sir Richard Losely setting off on a rescue mission to China. Losely has received a letter from his explorer friend, Grierson. This man has been captured by a cruel race of Orientals called the Loochen after he was caught in a temple stealing a sacred jewel called the Moon of the East. For a year they have held him in chains in a dungeon and for every day of that year they have tortured someone in front of him. The awful sight and sounds plus the constant fear that he will be next to feel the knives and burning brands have driven him to the edge of madness. But somehow he has managed to befriend one of the Loochens, persuading him to smuggle out a plea for help. It is this note that Losely reads to Blake. When the messenger is then murdered in front of Blake's landlady (who, strangely, isn't Mrs Bardell), the detective decides that the only way to meet the threat is head-on and so begins a dangerous voyage to China. The journey is interrupted by an attack by Loochen assassins; then there's an expedition up a winding river; a climb across a mountain range; a trek through a massive cave and, finally, a commando-like raid on some native goat herders. These poor (but vicious) Orientals provide the clothes needed as a disguise so the group can penetrate the massive citadel in which Griegson is held captive. Of course, the rescue is successful and they all head back to dear old Blighty with the Moon of the East in their possession. To modern sensibilities, it's just downright thievery but I guess the British were a lot less sensitive about that sort of thing back in 1919! Rating:  This action-packed adventure is tremedously good fun. Blake throws himself into punch-ups and gun fights without even a hint of detective work and he seems even stronger and more heroic than usual. But things get a lot darker once the group enters the citadel, locate Griegson and battle their way out again. Blake is positively brutal. He breaks a man's neck by forcing his head back with his bare hands. He tortures the evil leader of the Loochen by applying a white hot poker to the man's ankles and he blows up nearly a hundred people with dynamite. It's a pretty blood-thirsty performance to say the least!
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 796 · 11/1/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d HOODWINKED! OR, THE DIAMONDS OF ZAMKALA by Anon. (Edward Searles Brooks) · Illustrator: W. Reading Other content: The Professor's Gold (Nelson Lee) by Anon. Notes: This story is recounted in first-person by Sexton Blake. Walking home one night, he encounters two men struggling in an alley. One knocks the other to the ground and runs off. The victim is an elderly gentleman who pleads for the detective to pursue his attacker who's robbed him of a bag containing diamonds. The detective catches up with the thief and recovers the diamonds. Then, in a strangely inexplicable move, he lets the man go. Returning the gemstones to the elderly man, Arthur Hemming, he escorts him home in a taxi. But an offered flask of brandy turns out to be drugged and Blake passes out. When he recovers, Hemming has gone. The next morning, a newspaper report throws light on the mystery. Lord Wraxson has had a bag of diamonds stolen by an armed assailant. Blake was the robber! He realises that the man he had thought was the victim was actually the villain and vice versa. Furthermore, Hemming was actually a young man in disguise. Blake is soon hot on the trail with Pedro at his side. Tinker, meanwhile, is off visiting his friend Nipper at Nelson Lee’s town house. Blake trails his quarry to a quiet riverside bungalow where he witnesses Hemming being assaulted by two men. Once again, the diamonds exchange hands. Leaving Hemming tied up, the two new villains take shelter in a nearby houseboat. The detective bursts in, grabs the bag of gems and orders the pair to 'stick 'em up'. Unfortunately a cat gets under his feet at just the wrong moment. He manages to throw the bag out of the houseboat before the two heavies leap in, disarm him, and chain him up in a small shed. When Pedro comes sniffing around the door, the detective orders the dog home. This leads to a lovely scene where Mrs Bardell, after hearing scratching at the front door, opens it to find a sweating and exhausted bloodhound on her doorstep. She calls Tinker at Nelson Lee's house to tell him she's worried and, in response, he, Lee and Nipper come running and follow the hound back to Blake. The detective returns to the bungalow, unties Hemming and hears the full story. The plot takes another twist; it turns out that Hemming isn't a villain... he was cheated by Lord Wraxson and is simply trying to recover what's his. He had hired the two thugs to help him but as soon as they learned that diamonds were involved they betrayed him. At this point, the two men in question return with rakes intending to comb the bank of the river for the missing loot. They are apprehended by Nelson Lee and Nipper and sent packing (still no arrests!). The diamonds eventually turn up where clever Pedro had buried them. Rating:  This one is all a bit illogical - for example, why was Hemming ever in disguise? - and Nelson Lee and Nipper are wasted, both being thoroughly outshone by Pedro.
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 797 · 18/1/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE CLUE OF THE CUFF LINK by Anon. (Robert Murray Graydon) · Illustrator: W. Reading Other content: From School to Sea by Charles Hamilton. Notes: For most of its length, this crime mystery has Sexton Blake completely stumped. A house has been robbed and a policeman gunned down and the detective has no idea who's responsible. In fact, he suspects completely the wrong person right through to the final chapters. But it isn't due to any deficiency in his deductive abilities. It's more a case of circumstances conspiring to conceal the truth. Young Claud Desmond ‘Dolly’ Dunster is a bit of a dandy, and not being blessed with anything approaching an intellect, he's easily conned into committing a robbery by an unprincipled fellow called Cosram. The house he breaks into is next to his rich uncle's home. Cosram has switched the door numbers and, what with the London fog, Dunster unknowingly robs his relative. Even worse, what starts out as a jape soon turns into a much darker affair when he catches Cosram trying to start a fire in a room full of antiques. The two men fight but, upon hearing movement upstairs, they break away from one another to make their getaway. Dunster runs out and disappears into the fog but Cosram is stopped by a policeman who he promptly shoots. The next morning Sexton Blake finds a cuff link at the crime scene. On it, the initials "C.D." give a clue to the villain's identity. Except, of course, it's the wrong villain; Dolly’s just a dupe. Blake uses his deductive talents to piece together a supposition which, in truth, is wide of the mark; the evidence points in completely the wrong direction. It takes one of Blake's old foes to get to the bottom of the mystery: Dirk Dolland, aka The Bat. With the investigation steered onto its right course, Cosram is soon identified as the real villain. Rating: 
This is a fairly ordinary tale without anything that’ll lodge in your memory. But it’s well written and provides a pleasurable enough diversion.
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 798 · 25/1/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE CASE OF THE FIVE HAIRS by Anon. (Edward Searles Brooks) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: From School to Sea by Charles Hamilton. Notes: This tale is recounted from a first-person perspective by Tinker. Sexton Blake is in full Holmesian mode as he investigates a robbery which, at first glance, appears to be fairly clear-cut, but which, upon closer examination, turns out to be something of a surprise. To Scotland Yard's Inspector Lennard, the evidence tells an unambiguous story: four men broke into a house, physically removed a safe, carried it to a nearby grove of trees, and levered off its door to get at the gold inside. But Baker Street's most industrious detective has other ideas. He deduces that footprints are faked, false clues have been planted, and the crime was committed not by four men but by one very powerful one: Waldo the Wonder-Man (making his second appearance in the Blake saga). Five hairs in a dropped cap set him on the trail of the ex-circus strongman. Ultimately, Waldo gets away but, unfortunately for him, he doesn't get the loot he wanted. Rating:  Of course, right from the first page it's obvious that this particular criminal can't be caught; he is, after all, a recurring character. So when the two men confront one another, it's more of a jousting match than a fight to the death. That said, this story is thoroughly satisfying.
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 799 · 1/2/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE CLUE OF THE FROZEN KNIFE by Anon. (Edward Searles Brooks) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: From School to Sea by Charles Hamilton. Notes: The tale is related by means of letters and telegrams passing back and forth between Sexton Blake, Nelson Lee, Tinker and Nipper. The case concerns a robbery and murder on an estate. The body of the steward's son - a man disliked by almost everyone - has been discovered in a ditch. Covered in frost and almost frozen solid, the corpse has a knife sicking out of an enormous chest wound... a wound that seems bigger than anything the knife could make. All the evidence points to a man called Benjamin Stagg. He's an ex-burglar who now works as groundsman on the estate. Realising that he has no alibi, he flees the scene and heads straight to Baker Street. Sexton Blake is convinced of his innocence and decides to shelter him. Leaving Tinker to guard their guest, he accompanies Inspector Lennard to the scene of the crime. At this point, Blake goes into full 'Sherlock Holmes mode' and discovers that the blood on the handle of the knife is frozen over a layer of ice... which doesn't make sense. From this puzzle, he efficiently untangles the truth of the matter and proves Stagg's innocence. Rating: 
The letters are a marvellous contrivance and they work extremely well thanks to Edward Searles Brooks' ability to change tone according to who's authoring the missive. On the face of it, there's not a great deal of difference between Blake and Lee or Tinker and Nipper... but, somehow, in these letters each individual feels distinct. Blake appears to be more driven and powerful than Lee. By contrast, Lee is more relaxed and leisurely. Nipper is definitely younger than Tinker by two or three years and while both are cheeky rascals, Tinker is a little cockier. Nelson Lee doesn't really get much to do - it's more of a guest appearance than anything else - and there's not much in the way of the action and chase scenes you'd expect from a Sexton Blake story, but somehow it's very satisfying to sit back and witness the Baker Street detective doing some straightforward detecting. In many ways, this feels much more like a Holmes story than otherwise, albeit a rather simple one. Perhaps this sort of case can be regarded as 'bread and butter' work; the kind of incident that Blake can tidy up in a day or so and which, in his opinion, would be too unremarkable to set down for posterity. Thank goodness for Tinker, then, who obviously gathered together all the letters and filed them in the Baker Street scrapbook!
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 800 · 8/2/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE AFFAIR OF THE BRONZE MONKEY by Anon. (Edward Searles Brooks) · Illustrator: Vine Other content: From School to Sea by Charles Hamilton. Notes: This tale is related from a first-person perspective by Sexton Blake. Unrated |
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 801 · 15/2/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE SHANGHAIED DETECTIVE by Anon. (Edward Searles Brooks) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: From School to Sea by Charles Hamilton. Notes: When an unscrupulous diamond merchant named Walter van Dusen is robbed of fifty-thousand pounds worth of gems, Sexton Blake is reluctant to take on the case. He changes his mind when he hears the thief described and concludes that it must have been Rupert Waldo. Blake tracks the villain to a barn in the countryside but falls into a trap. Waldo drugs him and places him on a Pacific-bound schooner to keep him out of the way while the criminal completes his business. Tinker learns of this and discovers that the vessel has set sail. So he rushes to St. Frank's School to employ the aid of Nelson Lee and Nipper. The trio borrow a speedboat and manage to intercept and board the schooner, rescuing Sexton Blake. The next day a man named Edgar Brunton visits the detective and tells him that Walter van Dusen had stolen diamonds from him and that he had told his lodger about this. The lodger had disappeared the same day that van Dusen was robbed. Blake surmises that this man must have been Waldo and, after searching the lodgings, finds himself back on the trail, which leads to Southend. Detective-Inspector Lennard accompanies him with a squad of policemen and they attempt to capture the criminal in the house he has hired. A terrific fight breaks out which ends when a roof collapses on top of Waldo. Faking serious injury, he is taken away in an ambulance from which he then escapes. Days later, Edgar Brunton receives diamonds through the post to the value of those that had been stolen from him by van Dusen. Trivia: This story is told in first-person by Tinker. Rating:
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 802 · 22/2/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE CASE OF THE BLACK FEATHER; 0R, THE AMAZING AFFAIR AT THE HOTEL MAGNIFICENT by Anon. (Robert Murray Graydon) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: From School to Sea by Charles Hamilton. Notes: Having just finished a case and arrived back in London's Victoria Station, a disguised Sexton Blake and Tinker notice Dirk Dolland aka The Bat — also in disguise — waiting to board a train to Bournsea on the south coast. He seems to be travelling with a man named H. Hamish, though the two take care not to be seen together. Blake follows them onto the train. During the journey, Hamish mysteriously receives a black feather. The sight of it causes him to die of fright — though it later emerges that he's been poisoned. During the resultant confusion, the detective notices that Dolland exchanges bags with the dead man. He follows The Bat to the Hotel Magnificent and takes the next-door room. When his neighbour goes out for a walk, Blake enters the room, hoping to examine the bag, but in the dark he finds another intruder who attacks him before fleeing, unseen. The next morning it is reported that two guests, Lord and Lady Follis, have had their jewels stolen and Blake decides to confront Dolland... but when he does so he discovers, to his dismay, that the disguised young man isn't Dirk Dolland at all! The detective's confusion increases when a telegram is forwarded from Baker Street — it was sent from Bournsea by Dolland and requests that Blake come at once. The detective finally makes contact with the cracksman and learns that the black feather is a death threat. Hamish had once been part of the Mr. Reece gang. With Reece dead, he wanted to recover the criminal's hidden money and invited Dolland to help. But it turns out that Reece isn't dead at all — it is he who murdered Hamish and then stole the Follis jewels... and the Dolland lookalike is a member of his gang. Blake identifies which hotel guest is, in fact, the disguised Mr. Reece but the master criminal gets away. Trivia: Tthere's a very illogical start to this story where Coutts doesn't recognise the made-up Blake even though he's just been working with him in that disguise — then he himself turns up in false beard etc mere minutes later. Rating: 
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 803 · 1/3/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE MAN WITH TWO LIVES; OR, THE CASE OF THE GIRL-DETECTIVE by Anon. (E. W. Alais) · Illustrator: H. M. Lewis Other content: None Notes: Story features Cora Twyford. Unrated |
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 804 · 8/3/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE SACRED SAPPHIRE; OR, THE RECONSTRUCTED CRIME! by Anon. (W. J. Bayfield) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: None Notes: None at present. Unrated |
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 805 · 15/3/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE CASE OF THE STACEY RUBIES by Anon. (Edward Searles Brooks) · Illustrator: Harry Lane Other content: A Dead Man's Secret (Nelson Lee) by Maxwell Scott. Notes: This story is told in first-person by Tinker who notices that a Canadian millionaire named Leighton Bower is impervious to pain and realises that the man is, in fact, Rupert Waldo. Waldo is inveigling his way into Earl Stacey's circle — for the Earl owns one of the finest collections of rubies in the world. Sexton Blake tries to warn Stacey but is rebuffed. On his way back to Baker Street, he bumps into Nelson Lee and Nipper. Meanwhile, Waldo is made guest of honour in Earl Stacey's manor. He is shown the rubies and Stacey explains to him how the security systems work. That night, Waldo uses this knowledge and breaks into the safe. He is interrupted by the recently employed butler and footman but when they try to capture him they are overpowered. Earl Stacey, confronted by this scene, immediately believes Waldo when the villain states that he had caught the two servants trying to steal the gems. They are bundled away to the police station where it's revealed that they are Nelson Lee and Nipper. Blake and Tinker come to their rescue. Back at the house, with everyone returned to their beds, Waldo makes a second attempt on the rubies. This time he gets away and disguises himself as a travelling knife-sharpener. Unknown to him, Blake, Tinker, Lee and Nipper are on his trail, as is Inspector Lennard. By means of a strong net, the detectives capture their prey and Waldo, for the first time in his criminal career, finds himself in custody. Rating: 
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 806 · 22/3/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE MISSING CROOKS by Anon. (Robert Murray Graydon) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: A Dead Man's Secret (Nelson Lee) by Maxwell Scott. Notes: Sexton Blake learns from Detective-Inspector Coutts that criminals in Britain, Europe and America are mysteriously vanishing. Meanwhile, in a shabby lodging house, a recently released criminal dies of old age and a younger man, passing himself off as the nephew, makes off with his clothes to prevent the corpse being identified. Blake, however, establishes that the departed was known as Diamond Joe. The next day Coutts calls Blake to Dalling on the East coast where the body of the 'nephew' has washed up on the beach — shot through the heart. He is wearing a strange uniform with solid gold buttons marked "CC" and has in his possession the Carnby diamonds which Diamond Joe had stolen ten years previously. Also hidden on the corpse is a codeword and an address — which Coutts recognises as that of the Discharged Prisoners Association. A policeman is sent there to investigate and promptly vanishes. When Blake and Coutts follow, they find the house empty and the policeman tied and unconscious in the cellar. They hide in a cupboard when two men arrive — one being a recently released prisoner. The other proves to be Mr Reece, who offers his companion a position in the newly formed Criminals' Confederation, a massive organisation of crooks. Reece is a lieutenant in this Confederation. Blake and Coutts leap out of hiding and hold him at gun point. Blake narrowly avoids a booby-trap and Reece is taken into custody, vowing to be free within a week. Trivia: Tinker owns a two-seater Cameron sports car which was given to him as a gift from Sexton Blake in recognition of work undertaken during The Racing Car Mystery (an unrecorded case!). THE MISSING CROOKS was reprinted in UNION JACK issue 1,469 as A CORNER IN CROOKS (1931). Rating: This is the first tale in the great Criminals' Confederation series — and it gets things off to a superb start.
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 807 · 29/3/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d TRACKED BY WIRELESS by Anon. (Robert Murray Graydon) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: A Dead Man's Secret (Nelson Lee) by Maxwell Scott. Notes: This is a direct sequel to THE MISSING CROOKS. Sexton Blake uses a wireless to contact the Criminals' Confederation. Pretending to be Mr Reece, he learns that at least one member of the villainous union is located in the village of Dalling on the East Coast, where he and Detective-Inspector Coutts had been the previous night. Blake and Coutts return to the village and discover that the body of Diamond Joe has been stolen from the shed where it had lain pending the inquest. Sir Philip Champion, who had been appointed to take charge of the proceedings, invites the two detectives to Dalling Hall. There he traps them and reveals that he is a high ranking officer in the Confederation (Reece's superior). He drugs Blake and Coutts and, placing them in their car, sends it careening off a cliff. Fortunately they are thrown clear just before the vehicle crashes to the rocks below. After they call up reinforcements, a cordon of police is thrown around Dalling Hall but Champion, together with new recruits for the Confederation and Mr Reece, who has escaped from police custody, makes a dash through a secret tunnel and escapes on a yacht. Blake is left with nothing but a letter which reveals that Reece has captured Tinker who will be held hostage at the Criminals' Confederation headquarters. He will be unharmed providing Blake gives up his quest to bring the villainous organisation to justice. Trivia: Sexton Blake's telephone number is 0022 Regent. This story was reprinted in UNION JACK issue 1,472 as CONFEDERATION CALLING (1932). Rating:
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 808 · 5/4/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d HELD AS HOSTAGE! by Anon. (Robert Murray Graydon) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: A Dead Man's Secret (Nelson Lee) by Maxwell Scott. Notes: After six months on the Continent, Dirk Dolland returns to England. En route from Dover to London by rail, he meets Detective-Inspector Anstey of Scotland Yard who asks him if he would mind delivering a note to Sexton Blake. Dolland agrees though he feels strangely mistrustful of the police officer. When he arrives home, he discovers that Blake has been calling for him every day for the past six weeks. He rushes over to Baker Street where he discovers that Tinker has been kidnapped by the Criminals' Confederation and has been missing for two months. Blake and Detective-Inspector Coutts tell him the history of the villainous organisation and ask him to help infiltrate it by pretending that he's back in business as a cracksman. Dolland agrees and The Bat is reborn. Suddenly he remembers the note given him by Anstey. It proves to be from Tinker, who writes to say he is in good health. Blake realises that Anstey is, in fact, Sir Philip Champion. A few days later London is in uproar after a daring jewel robbery by The Bat. Dolland seeks refuge in a hideaway owned by a Chinaman and quickly finds himself confronted by Detective-Inspector Anstey who reveals his true identity. Dolland is enrolled in the Confederation and taken aboard a cargo ship named the Jessamine to embark on a ten-day sea voyage. At its end, the Jessamine is approached by a large liner and the passengers transfer aboard. The Liberty is the floating headquarters of the Criminals' Confederation. Learning that the President — whose identity remains unknown to Dolland — and Mr Reece are away for a fortnight, The Bat settles into his new cabin only to find himself alerted by a tapping at the porthole. It's Tinker! Learning the position of the ship from the lad, Dolland breaks into the wireless room and sends a message. It's picked up by a nearby vessel, relayed to the Admiralty and from there to Sexton Blake. The Admiralty loans the detective a torpedo boat and Blake and Coutts set off to hunt the Liberty. Four days later, Dolland overhears a wireless message which informs the Confederation ship that there is a spy on board. During the night, he and Tinker make a quick getaway in a small boat and are picked up by Blake. The Liberty slips away in the darkness. Trivia: This was reprinted in UNION JACK issue 1,476 as REECE'S RECRUIT (1932). Rating:
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 809 · 12/4/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE CASTLE-WARDEN by Anon. (Andrew Murray) · Illustrator: W. Reading Other content: A Dead Man's Secret (Nelson Lee) by Maxwell Scott. Notes: None at present. Unrated |
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 810 · 19/4/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE CLUE OF THE SECOND BULLET by Anon. (Edward Searles Brooks) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: A Dead Man's Secret (Nelson Lee) by Maxwell Scott. Notes: This story is comprised of letters sent between various characters, including those from Tinker to Nipper. Unrated |
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 811 · 26/4/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE HAND IN THE SHADOW; OR, THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF INSPECTOR TROY by Anon. (William Murray Graydon) · Illustrator: Harry Lane Other content: A Dead Man's Secret (Nelson Lee) by Maxwell Scott. Notes: 'The Story of Philip Wymerton, a Youth who Struggled Against a Frail Nature, Fell a Victim to Craft and Villainy, and was, after a Bitter Lesson, Saved from the Coils of Fate and Restored to Honour and Happiness by SEXTON BLAKE, the Famous Detective.' Unrated |
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 812 · 3/5/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE WHITE LINER; OR, THE CLUE OF THE SCRAP OF PAPER by Anon. (Robert Murray Graydon) · Illustrator: H. M. Lewis Other content: A Dead Man's Secret (Nelson Lee) by Maxwell Scott; With Bow and Blade by Anon. (probably Morton Pike; continued in THE ROBIN HOOD LIBRARY No. 1); Lone Wolf's Quest by Anon. (continued in THE PRAIRIE LIBRARY No. 1) Notes: A month has passed since the events recounted in HELD AS HOSTAGE! (UNION JACK 808). Sir Philip Champion meets three businessmen — Lord Garrock, Thomas White and Sir Dutton Sykes — in an office and blackmails them into providing coal, shipping and financial services to the Criminals' Confederation. They each put their signature to a contract but as they open the door to leave a draught blows the document out of the window. In the street below, a young clerk is seen to pick up and read the paper before suddenly dropping dead. A crowd gathers and among the throng is Sexton Blake. He ascertains that the clerk has been shot through the heart. When he recovers a fragment of the paper, most of which has been snatched by somebody else, from the corpse's hand, a shot is fired at him too. It comes from the block on the other side of the street and there, in a window, the detective sees Champion. Blake, Tinker and Inspector Carver rush in to apprehend the villain but find no trace of him. They do, however, encounter Garrock who, unknown to them, has been forced to provide Champion with a hiding place. That night, Blake is awoken by a telephone call from someone named Raymond Caxton who claims to be in danger from Champion and the Confederation. The call ends with a scream. The detective rushes around to the man's flat and finds him unconscious with a broken skull. Blake calls Detective-Inspector Coutts for assistance but while he is waiting for the Yard man to arrive, someone else turns up — Dirk Dolland! The Bat reveals that he has been hired by a Sir Dutton to recover the contract. Lord Garrock is the next unexpected arrival and he tells the detective the full story. Blake finds evidence that Thomas White had been in the apartment before Caxton, who had taken the contract from the dead clerk and intended to use it for blackmail, was assaulted probably by Champion. Believing that White might have gained possession of the document, the men rush to his home and arrive in time to hear a gunshot. Champion flees as they enter having shot White in the arm... but too late, White has burned the contract and the Confederation has suffered another setback. Trivia: The President of the Confederation makes his first appearance here, though he remains unnamed. Sexton Blake confirms in this story that he has taken a degree in medicine though he doesn't practise. This tale was reprinted in UNION JACK issue 1,480 as WIND BLOWN BLACKMAIL (1932). Rating:
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 813 · 10/5/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE RIDDLE OF QUINTON GRANGE; OR, THE MAN WITH THE SHRIVELLED FACE by Anon. (Edward Searles Brooks) · Illustrator: C. H. B. Other content: King of the Bush by Maxwell Scott. Notes: None at present. Unrated |
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 814 · 17/5/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d BEHIND THE CURTAIN by Anon. (Andrew Murray) · Illustrator: Harry Lane Other content: King of the Bush by Maxwell Scott. Notes: Story features Trouble Nantucket. Unrated |
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 815 · 24/5/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE STRANGE CASE OF THE NAVAL LIEUTENANT by Anon. (Jack Lewis) · Illustrator: H. M. Lewis Other content: King of the Bush by Maxwell Scott. Notes: Story features Leon Kestrel. Unrated |
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 816 · 31/5/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE STOLEN YACHT; OR, MISSING - £1,000,000 by Anon. (Robert Murray Graydon) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: King of the Bush by Maxwell Scott. Notes: Dirk Dolland, also known as The Bat is enjoying a game of billiards in his club with a new acquaintance when Sexton Blake walks in. The detective immediately recognises Dolland's companion as a disguised Sir Philip Champion and arrests him. That evening a nondescript little man who calls himself John Smith visits Baker Street and, to Blake's astonishment, announces that he is president of the Criminals' Confederation. Holding the detective at gunpoint, he complains that his plans have been interfered with once too often and Blake's hounding of the organisation must cease immediately. He then asserts that Champion will be free within twenty-four hours and his escape will be aided by Blake. He also declares that a million pounds in English sovereigns will be stolen that night. He then leaves the house and eludes pursuit. Next morning, Detective-Inspector Coutts informs Blake that a million in gold bullion has gone missing en route to Southampton. Furthermore, Champion has declared that he wants to turn King's evidence against the Confederation. The criminal promises to lead Blake and the police to the location of the Liberty — the Confederation's ship and HQ. Sexton Blake consults his friend Richard Test and borrows his steam yacht which has been fitted out with guns. He, Tinker, Coutts and Dolland escort a securely manacled Champion aboard and set sail for the South Atlantic. Nine days later, as they approach the area where the Liberty had last been spotted, Blake suddenly finds himself confronted by a well-armed John Smith. The president has been hiding in the hold, where the stolen gold is also secretly stored. To the detective's dismay, it turns out that the whole crew are Confederation men. Blake, Tinker and Coutts are put aboard a life boat and set adrift. Dolland remains a prisoner of the Confederation; he is to be tried and executed for his betrayal of the organisation. The tale ends with Blake & co. being picked up by an American cruiser. Trivia: At this point in the history of the Conferation, Sir Philip Champion has greater authority than Mr Reece. This tale was reprinted in UNION JACK issue 1,484 as ENTER THE PRESIDENT (1932). Rating:
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 817 · 7/6/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE GREAT SPIRITUALISM CASE by Anon. (Edward Searles Brooks) · Illustrator: Vine Other content: King of the Bush by Maxwell Scott. Notes: This case is recounted in first person by Tinker. Leonard Stewart visits Sexton Blake late one night after having attended a seance at Talbot House. It had been hosted by an elderly woman named Mrs Harley-Crosse. The medium was an armless man named Brampton who had recently become fairly famous for his spiritualist powers. During the seance, a strange headless shape had materialised and snatched Helen Manners, Stewart's fiancee, from the room. When the lights were put on, she was gone, with no visible means of exit. The detective agrees to investigate and accompanies Stewart back to the house. Brampton falls into another trance and warns that the spirit is roaming the grounds and everyone should remain inside until dawn. Blake, Tinker and Stewart ignore this and they go outside only to find themselves attacked by a huge headless apparition. Blake declares that he can't oppose a ghost and he and Tinker return to Baker Street where they find Nelson Lee and Nipper waiting for them. Blake tells his friend that, judging from the strength of the 'ghost', he suspects that Rupert Waldo might be involved. When Detective-Inspector Lennard arrives and informs the detectives that Waldo has escaped from prison, the suspicion is confirmed. Blake sets Tinker the task of keeping watch on Talbot House. Tinker sees Mrs Harley-Crosse leave the place to meet a young woman, who he then follows into a derelict sewer. He hears her talking to a prisoner — Helen Manners — and races away to alert Sexton Blake. Unfortunately, he is caught and rendered unconscious by the headless ghost. Nipper, who secretly followed Blake's assistant, returns to Baker Street to tell the two detectives what he's witnessed. Blake and Lee visit Talbot House where they reveal the trickery behind the ghost before unmasking the disguised Waldo. The Wonderman has been working for Helen Manners' uncle who is in line to inherit her fortune should she disappear 'presumed dead'. Waldo escapes but realises that heavy rainfall will flood the sewer, drowning his captives. He sets them free and Blake, in gratitude, allows him to evade capture. Rating:
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 818 · 14/6/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE HIDDEN THREE by Anon. (Cecil Hayter) · Illustrator: E. E. Briscoe Other content: The Red Raider by A. S. Hardy Notes: None at present. Unrated |
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 819 · 21/6/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE CASE OF THE VANISHED GUARDSMAN by Anon. (William Murray Graydon) · Illustrator: H. M. Lewis Other content: The Red Raider by A. S. Hardy. Notes: 'This enthralling yarn deals with the Army of Occupation and takes the reader to Cologne and the Rhine.' Unrated |
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 820 · 28/6/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d DIRK DOLLAND'S ORDEAL by Anon. (Robert Murray Graydon) · Illustrator: Ernest Ibbetson Other content: The Red Raider by A. S. Hardy; The Dark Horse by Anon. Notes: Having been abandoned at sea by the Criminals' Confederation, Sexton Blake and his companions are picked up by the crew of The Florence Gray and made guests of Captain Rawling. After explaining the reason for their plight, Blake learns that Rawling suspects that his passenger, Mr Piper, might be a member of the nefarious organisation. The Captain claims to have been duped into delivering this man to the Liberty and he is very loathe to do so now that he realises the truth. Piper is made a prisoner and The Florence Gray continues its mission with Blake now in charge. The detective and his friends remain in hiding while Rawling sails alongside the Liberty and informs Sir Philip Champion that Piper was killed in an accident. Champion believes this and orders Rawling to weigh anchor until morning. During the night, Blake and Tinker swim across to The Speedy where it lies tethered to the criminals' liner. Finding it empty, Blake sends his assistant back to fetch Detective-Inspector Coutts and Richard Test from the The Florence Gray. They recapture the yacht while Blake boards the Confederation HQ. He arrives in time to witness the trial of Dirk Dolland, who is sentenced to death for betraying the villainous organisation. Piper escapes and arrives at the end of the trial to inform Mr John Smith, Champion and Mr. Reece that Blake is aboard. In the ensuing confusion, the detective rescues Dolland and they swim back to The Speedy which then opens fire on the liner, destroying its wireless equipment before making a getaway. Trivia: This story was reprinted under the same title in UNION JACK issue 1,492 (1932). Rating:
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 821 · 5/7/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE MYSTERY OF OAG ISLAND by Anon. (Andrew Murray) · Illustrator: E. E. Briscoe Other content: The Red Raider by A. S. Hardy. Notes: Story features Trouble Nantucket and takes place in Scotland. Unrated |
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 822 · 12/7/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE SMOKE SIGNAL by Anon. (Andrew Murray) · Illustrator: H. M. Lewis Other content: The Red Raider by A. S. Hardy. Notes: The Story is set in North Devon and features Hon. John Lawless. Unrated |
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 823 · 19/7/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE CASE OF THE CAR COPERS by Anon. (Andrew Murray) · Illustrator: W. R. Other content: The Red Raider by A. S. Hardy. Notes: Jim Reeves works as a mechanic in a secluded car factory owned by Mr Carr. He spends his days receiving parts which have been reclaimed from wrecked vehicles and reconditioned by a talented South American named Mirlano. However, Jim is not happy... Carr and Mirlano are as thick as thieves and they keep him locked in his workshop throughout the working hours, refusing him access to the rest of the factory. He believes they're up to something... and when he overhears them mention a man named Count Victor Novaille, who has recently purchased a car of the model they specialise in, he decides to investigate. Travelling to London, Jim tracks down the car in question and befriends the Count's chauffeur. He takes a special note of the vehicle's serial number. The young chauffeur asks him to demonstrate the timing of the gears and, before he knows it, Jim finds himself running his new friend and the Count down to Maidenhead. Errand completed, he takes his leave of them and catches the train home, little suspecting that he has been in the company of a disguised Sexton Blake and Tinker, who are setting a trap to catch a gang of very efficient car thieves. Their plan works; a few nights later their car is stolen. They follow it to the factory where they catch sight of Mr Carr and realise that he is, in fact, Count Ivor Carlac. Unfortunately, they are spotted and captured by the criminal. That night, Jim Reeves finds proof — in the form of the serial numbers he had noted — that he is working for car thieves and tackles Carlac. He manages to overcome his foe long enough to free Blake and Tinker but the three men find themselves in a tight corner when Carlac sets fire to the factory. They escape, as does Carlac, and drive to Southampton, where the stolen cars are due to be shipped to Professor Kew, who runs the other end of the operation abroad. The detectives, with the police, take possession of the vehicles and arrest Mirlano. Rating:
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 824 · 26/7/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE DIAMOND OF DISASTER by Anon. (Robert Murray Graydon) · Illustrator: E. E. Briscoe Other content: The Red Raider by A. S. Hardy. Notes: The Cope Diamond has an evil reputation. Everyone who has ever owned it has died in tragic circumstances. The American multi-millionaire, Gregory V. Canning, has no fear of superstition, though, and purchases the gem at an auction, much to the disgust of his rival, Jerome Saker, who wanted the stone himself. So Saker makes a wager with Canning: if disaster strikes within six months, Canning will guarantee to sell the diamond to Saker at a fraction of the price he himself paid for it. With that, the men go their separate ways, Canning to take his consumptive son on a sea voyage. Within days, the millionaire is back in port, his yacht docked in Southampton, after his boy's death aboard ship. Meanwhile, another vessel has arrived home: the Speedy, owned by Richard Test and with Sexton Blake, Tinker, Detective-Inspector Coutts and Dirk Dolland aboard. All have returned after their battle at sea with the Criminals' Confederation. Coutts heads off to London while the rest seek recuperation in a local hotel. There, Blake is astonished to find himself spied upon by John Smith, the Confederation President and a man he had thought lost at sea. That night, Blake goes to bed wondering whether he can believe the evidence of his own eyes. Dirk Dolland also has a restless night. He has heard that the Cope Diamond is aboard Canning's yacht and cannot resist the temptation. Giving in to his criminal tendencies, he leaves the hotel, rows out to the vessel, and sneaks on board. There he witnesses an argument between Smith and a man he takes to be Canning. The millionaire is overcome by means of a gas pistol and Smith callously tosses him overboard. Dolland rescues the unconscious man and takes him ashore where he is met by Blake. Followed by a team of policemen, they lead a raid on the yacht only to find that Smith has vanished. However, locked in a room, they discover a man who claims to be the real Canning. Having been freed, he says he will remain on the yacht while his rescuers head back to find out who the man Smith threw overboard really is. He turns out to be Jerome Saker, who explains that he had visited the yacht to buy the diamond but had found only Smith there. When he describes Canning, Blake realises that the man they had discovered on the yacht isn't the millionaire. Racing to the quayside, he sees that the yacht has gone; he's been fooled by the Confederation! Trivia: This story was reprinted under the same title in UNION JACK issue 1,496 (1932). Rating:
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 825 · 2/8/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE CASE OF THE DECOY by Anon. (Jack Lewis) · Illustrator: Harry Lane Other content: None Notes: Story features Leon Kestrel. Unrated |
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 826 · 9/8/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE CASE OF THE BLANK CHEQUE by Anon. (William Murray Graydon) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: The Red Raider by A. S. Hardy. Notes: A 'tale of the pretty girl who is tempted to steal for her lover's sake' - 'The scene of the yarn is laid in the Scottish Highlands'. Unrated |
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 827 · 16/8/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE WORLD TOUR SWINDLE by Anon. (Andrew Murray) · Illustrator: W. R. Other content: The Red Raider by A. S. Hardy. Notes: The story features Trouble Nantucket and is told in first person by Sexton Blake and Tinker. Unrated |
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 828 · 23/8/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE OIL SEEKERS by Anon. (William Murray Graydon) · Illustrator: E. E. Briscoe Other content: The Red Raider by A. S. Hardy. Notes: Sexton Blake and Tinker in New Guinea. Unrated |
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 829 · 30/8/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d SINISTER ISLAND by Anon. (Robert Murray Graydon) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: The Red Raider by A. S. Hardy. Notes: Seven weeks have passed since the Criminals' Confederation ship, the Liberty was put out of action by Sexton Blake and his friends. Now the Confederation has made a base of an uncharted volcanic island in the South Atlantic Ocean, from whence it conducts its neferious operations. Currently, it is holding hostage the son of American millionaire Gregory V. Canning (see THE DIAMOND OF DISASTER, UNION JACK issue 824) and has also taken possession of his yacht, the Susquehanna. Sexton Blake and Detective-Inspector Coutts make little progress in their hunt for the criminal organisation until they hear the story of a sea Captain who lost his ship to it, giving the detectives an approximation of where the island HQ might lie. They are then approached by Canning, who informs them that he has received a ransom demand; his son will be returned in exchange for a million pounds. The meeting is interrupted when a message is thrown through Blake's window. It says that the deal is now delayed for a month due to Canning approaching the detective. Blake sees this as an opportunity to rescue Canning Junior, and so arranges to be taken aboard a cargo vessel bound for the South Atlantic as first mate. After growing a beard and dying his hair, he is unrecognised when the Confederation boards the ship in an act of piracy. Taken prisoner, he and the rest of the crew are incarcerated on the island. Will he rescue young Canning and escape? The story continues in the next issue! Trivia: Parts of this were rehashed for UNION JACK issue 1,500 VOLCANO ISLAND (1932). Rating:
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 830 · 6/9/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE MAN FROM THE SEA by Anon. (Robert Murray Graydon) · Illustrator: E. E. Briscoe Other content: The Red Raider by Arthur S. Hardy Notes: This issue is a sequel to UNION JACK 830. Tinker, Dirk Dolland, Richard Test, Detective-Inspector Coutts and Gegory V. Canning are aboard the Speedy trailing some miles behind Sexton Blake, ready to respond should he signal for help. When the S.O.S. comes, they leap into action only to find that they've been tricked by the Criminals' Confederation. The Speedy is boarded in an act of piracy and the friends are taken prisoner by Sir Philip Champion. Tinker accidentally reveals that Sexton Blake, in disguise, is now on the Confederation base — a small and uncharted volcanic island in the South Atlantic. Champion radios ahead to warn John Smith, the Confederation's president, of his unwelcome guest. Meanwhile, Blake explores the island and meets Dexter Canning, the millionaire's kidnapped son. With the lad's assistance, he manages to climb to the base's radio room, which is located at the top of a jagged peak. After intercepting Champion's message, Blake and Dexter climb down to the beach in time to watch the Speedy arrive. Its captured crew, including Blake's fellow adventurers, are left guarded by one man while Champion and Mr. Reece go see see why Smith didn't respond to their radioed warning. Blake takes the opportunity and overpowers the guard. With the yacht recaptured, Blake & Co. sail away. Behind them, the island suddenly erupts, leaving no trace of the Confederation. Trivia: Parts of this were rehashed for UNION JACK issue 1,500 VOLCANO ISLAND (1932). Rating:
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 831 · 13/9/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE VALLLEY OF MISSING MEN by Anon. (Edward Searles Brooks) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: The Cinema-Athlete by Walter Edwards. Notes: The story is told through the means of letters posted between characters, especially between Tinker and Nipper (Nelson Lee's assistant). Unrated |
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 832 · 20/9/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE FALSE CLUE by Anon. (E. W. Alais) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: The Cinema-Athlete by Walter Edwards. Notes: 'A Story of Underground London.' No records exist that credit this story to a particular author but the style is that of E. W. Alais and the presence of one of his characters, Inspector Kite provides further evidence. Unrated |
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 833 · 27/9/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE RIDDLE OF THE RECTOR'S WIFE by Anon. (Jack Lewis) · Illustrator: Harry Lane Other content: The Cinema-Athlete by Walter Edwards. Notes: Story features Leon Kestrel. Unrated |
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 834 · 4/10/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE GREAT HOUSE-PURCHASE FRAUD by Anon. (Andrew Murray) · Illustrator: H. M. Lewis Other content: The Cinema-Athlete by Walter Edwards. Notes: Story features Count Ivor Carlac and Professor Kew. Unrated |
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 835 · 11/10/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE CASE OF THE MORMON SON by Anon. (Andrew Murray) · Illustrator: Val Reading Other content: The Cinema-Athlete by Walter Edwards. Notes: Story features Hon. John Lawless. Unrated |
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 836 · 18/10/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE CASE OF THE FOUR DETECTIVES by Anon. (Jack Lewis) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: A Word from the Skipper (ed.); The Cinema-Athlete by Walter Edwards; Without Mercy by John Goodwin. Notes: UNION JACK increases in size with this issue from 16 to 20 pages. The story features Leon Kestrel. Unrated |
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 837 · 25/10/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d A DUEL TO THE DEATH by Anon. (George Norman Philips) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: A Word from the Skipper (ed.); The Cinema-Athlete by Walter Edwards. Notes: This story marks the first appearance of Sexton Blake's most charismatic opponent, Zenith the Albino. Zenith's entrance is typically dramatic. Blake, Tinker and Pedro are staying in a seaside hotel having just finished a rather uneventful case. Late one evening during a ferocious thunderstorm, the gas lights die, plunging the room into darkness. Tinker gets up to relight them but is halted by a voice: "Leave it to me." The lights are restored, revealing the albino. The villain claims that he is the person responsible for a spate of recent crimes and is visiting Blake merely to make his acquaintance. The discussion is interrupted when the police arrive. The albino makes his escape with the help of some henchmen and the subsequent action-packed car and speedboat chase provides the modern-day reader with a delicious line: 'Events move pretty rapidly when one is travelling at thirty miles an hour...' Zenith separates from his cohorts and is followed by Blake while Tinker trails three of the henchmen into a riverside alleyway where they mysteriously vanish. Blake, having learned that Zenith is running an international crime ring, joins Tinker and deduces that the warehouse adjoining the ally is used as a clearing house for stolen antiquities. But when the police batter down the door and rush in to make their arrests, they find the place abandoned. Zenith has outfoxed the great detective! Later, Blake and Tinker return, landing a plane on the warehouse's roof. Zenith captures Blake and leaves him to die in cold storage. Tinker rescues him but, the following day, Zenith bombs their Baker Street apartment. Surviving, but faking his death, Blake sets an ambush for the albino and his gang. Zenith gives them the slip. Later, he turns up at Blake’s apartment disguised as a soldier and tries to poison the detective. But Blake sees through the make-up and a fight ensues before Zenith takes flight. His next disguise, though, is far more ambitious. He enters Blake's rooms in the guise of Mrs Bardell! This time Blake is ready for him and the albino only just manages to evade capture. In the end, then, neither detective nor criminal emerges from the duel triumphant. The story closes with a personal ad in the Times: 'S.B. - To our next meeting! - Z.' Rating:
The cut, thrust and parry between the two adversaries is a joy. Again and again Zenith places himself in a position where he might be caught, as if the lure of competition is irresistible to him. Were he anyone else, this self-destructive streak might seem a little improbable, but Anthony Skene has created a paradoxical personality for whom dicing with death is the very stuff of life. By contrast, Blake does everything in his power to shut down the albino's criminal activities and makes a pretty good job of it... except when it comes to catching the elusive man himself, who constantly wriggles out of traps before coming back to taunt the detective. This story is an excellent introduction to a truly fascinating character and definitely leaves you wanting more.
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 838 · 1/11/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE TRAIL IN THE SAND by Anon. (Robert Murray Graydon) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: A Word from the Skipper (ed.); The Cinema-Athlete by Walter Edwards. Notes: Mysterious events are occurring in Pencombe Cove, Cornwall. A whole herd of cows have disappeared, men have been spotted marching from the sea to the cliffs where they inexplicably vanished, and there have been two murders. When Sexton Blake discovers that a thumbprint on one of the victims matches that found at the scene of a murder on a remote island in the Atlantic, his suspicions are aroused. He, Tinker and Detective-Inspector Coutts travel to the seaside town to investigate. As they arrive, an attempt is made on their lives. They then find a letter which warns them to return to London. Down on the beach, Blake is shot at while examining footprints in the sand. The attacker escapes, even though there seems to be no way out of the cove that he could have taken without being spotted. Then Tinker goes missing. Blake finds his assistant's collar upon which is scrawled a message: 'Imprisoned in an old tin-mine. In the hands of the Criminals' Confederation—Mr. Smith, Mr. Reece, Sir Philip Champion, and forty others... ' The note describes the mine shaft in which the criminals are hiding but, when Blake and the police raid it, their birds have flown. A further note from Tinker reveals that they have gone to London. This story was rehashed, under the same title, for UNION JACK issue 1,504 (1932). Rating:
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 839 · 8/11/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE CASE OF THE MISSING GOALKEEPER by Anon. (Andrew Murray) · Illustrator: Harry Lane Other content: The Cinema-Athlete by Walter Edwards Notes: None at present. Unrated |
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 840 · 15/11/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d THE MYSTERY OF THE SALT MINE; OR, THE LOST LABOUR LEADER by Anon. (Reginald H. Poole) · Illustrator: Unknown Other content: A Word from the Skipper (ed.) Notes: None at present. Unrated |
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UNION JACK · New series · Issue 841 · 22/11/1919 · Amalgamated Press · 1½d MR. SMITH OF LONDON by Anon. (Robert Murray Graydon) · Illustrator: Val Reading Other content: A Word from the Skipper (ed.); The Cinema-Athlete by Walter Edwards Notes: After three months spent abroad, Dirk Dolland aka The Bat returns to London and books a room in a hotel. A beautiful veiled woman is staying in the room next door... and her jewels prove irresistable. Falling back into his old habits, Dolland attempts a burglary only to find himself caught in the act by the mysterious woman. She bargains with him: if he steals a sealed envelope from a room farther along the corridor, she will let him go and won't report him to the police. Dolland agrees but when, after retrieving the envelope, its owner is alerted, the woman begs Dolland to escape and deliver it to Sexton Blake. Dolland tries but is attacked and knocked unconscious. He awakens to find the envelope gone. When he visits Blake, he learns that Tinker has been kidnapped by the Criminals'Confederation (see THE TRAIL IN THE SAND Union Jack issue 838). The detective receives a call from the room from which the envelope was stolen and, when he goes there, is confronted by Mr. Smith, who demands that he signs a vow to desist in his battle with the villainous or |