June 9, 2022 • 23 mins
In this episode we begin narrating the Nick Carter mysteries, starting with The Crime of the French Cafe, as it appeared in the weekly story paper The New York Weekly in 1893. This book is in the Public Domain and not subject to any copyright laws and is free to download at Project Gutenberg
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:33):
Hi, everyone.
Welcome to the first episode offorward into the past.
I'm JC Rede, your host andnarrator.
And the first story we're goingto delve into comes from the
famous Nick Carter stories ofthe turn of the 20th century.
Yes, famous.
W who, who is this?
Nick Carter?
You ask.
Well, well, I'm glad you askedthat.
(00:55):
Yeah, Nick Carter was acharacter created in 1886 from
an idea from Ormond G Smith.
Now Ormond was the son ofFrancis Smith.
One of the founders of thepublishing house street and
Smith.
Now, Street and Smith was one ofthe biggest publishers of what
would soon become known as dimenovels.
(01:15):
At the time street and Smithwere publishing, what were then
known as story papers which werenewspaper style publications
that featured several shortstories or serials.
Now, Smith wanted to create adetective character to compete
with other characters like theold sleuth.
And other detective charactersthat, had started 10 years
earlier.
(01:36):
Now, Smith however, wanted tocreate a new type of detective
that was seemingly younger thanthe stories that had a strong
following.
Nick Carter was young, strongand embodied, clean living,
meaning no booze or tobacco werefeatured in the stories, which
was very progressive for histime.
Now he gained a strong followingvery quickly and was given his
(01:58):
own weekly magazine.
One of the first fictionalcharacters from the story papers
to do so.
Now for a while, he was calledthe American Sherlock Holmes.
Which was actually very, veryincorrect.
Since the Nick Carter storiesdebuted a full year before
Sherlock Holmes.
Now by the time the dime novelsand pulp magazines were dying
(02:18):
out around 1950.
It had been estimated that NickCarter in his various
incarnations had appeared inover 4,000 stories, including
comics, movies, radio shows, andof course, dime novels and pulp
magazines, making him arguablythe most published character in
(02:39):
American fiction.
Now this fact astounds mebecause until I began
researching stories to read forthis podcast, I had never even
heard of Nick Carter.
And I'm sure many of you havenot either.
Now to rectify these wrongs asdetective Carter might say.
I decided that for the firstseveral podcasts, I will focus
(02:59):
almost exclusively on NickCarter's early escapades.
Now don't worry.
I will also begin reading someshort stories from the Sci-Fi
and adventure pulps as well.
But for the moment, detectivestories will be our main
suspects.
I mean, uh, The stories ofinterest.
And we will begin with one ofthe earliest Nick Carter stories
(03:20):
in project Gutenberg's vastlibrary.
The crime of the French cafewritten in 1893.
Found in the free ebook.
The crime of the French cafe andother stories by Nicholas
Carter.
JC (03:34):
The crime of the French cafe by Nicholas Carter.
Chapter one.
Private dining room B.
There is a well-known Frenchrestaurant in the Tenderloin
district which provides itspatrons with small, but
elegantly appointed privatedining rooms.
The restaurant occupies a cornerhouse.
(03:54):
And though its reputation is notstrictly first-class in some
respects.
It's cook is an artist and it'swine cellar as good as the best.
It has two entrances.
And the one on the side streetis not well lighted at night.
At half past seven o'clock oneevening.
Nick Carter was standing about50 yards away from this side
(04:15):
door.
The detective had shadowed a manto a house on the side street
and was waiting for him to comeout.
The case was a robbery of nogreat importance.
But Nick had taken it to oblige,a personal friend who wished to
have the business managedquietly.
This affair would not be worthmentioning, except that it led
(04:35):
Nick to one of the most peculiarand interesting criminal puzzles
that he had ever come across inall his varied experience.
While Nick waited for his man.
He saw a closed carriage stopbefore the side door of the
restaurant.
Almost immediately a waiterbareheaded and wearing his white
apron came hurridly out of theside door and got into the
(04:58):
carriage.
Which instantly moved away at arapid rate.
This incident struck Nick asbeing very peculiar.
The waiter had acted like a manwho was running away.
As he crossed the sidewalk.
He glanced hastily from side toside as if afraid of being seen
and perhaps stopped.
It looked as if the waitermight've robbed one of the
(05:19):
restaurants, patrons, orpossibly its proprietor.
If Nick had had no business onhis hands, he would've followed
that carriage.
As it happened.
However, the man for whom thedetective was watching appeared
at that moment.
Nick was obliged to follow him,but he knew that he would not
have far to go.
For chick was waiting on sixthavenue and it was in that
(05:41):
direction that the thief turned.
So it happened that within 10minutes, Nick was able to turn
this case over to his famousassistant and returned to clear
up the mystery of the queerincident, which he had chance to
observe.
Nick would not have beensurprised to find the restaurant
in an uproar, but it was asquiet as usual.
(06:01):
He entered by the side door,ascended a flight of stairs and
came to a sort of office with adesk and register.
It was the custom of the placethat guests should put down
their names as in a hotel beforebeing assigned to a private
dining room.
There was nobody in sight.
The hall led toward the front ofthe building and there were
three rooms on the side of ittoward the street.
(06:24):
All the doors were open and therooms were empty.
Nick glanced into these roomsand then turned toward the desk.
As he did so he saw a waitercoming down the stairs from the
floor above.
This man was known by the nameof Gaspard.
He was the head waiter and wason duty in the lower hall.
(06:44):
Ah, Gaspard said Nick.
Who's your waiter on this floortonight?
Gaspard looked at Nickanxiously.
He did not, of course know whothe detective really was, but he
remembered him as one who hadassisted the police in a case in
which that house had beenconcerned about two years
before.
John Corbett replied Gaspard Ihope nothing is wrong.
(07:09):
Well, that remains to be seensaid Nick.
What sort of a man is thisCorbut?
A little man answered Gaspardand very thin.
He has long black hair andmustaches pointed like two
needles.
Have you sent him out foranything?
Oh, no, he is here.
Where.
(07:30):
In one of the rooms at thefront, we have parties in a and
B.
You go and find him said Nick.
I want to see him right away.
Gaspard went to the front of thehouse.
A hall branched off at rightangles with that in which Nick
was standing.
On the second hall, where threerooms, a, B and C.
(07:50):
Room C was next, the avenue.
The other two had windows on anopen space between the two wings
of the building.
Nick glanced at the register andsaw that R M Clark and wife had
been assigned to room a and JohnJones and wife to room B.
Room C was vacant.
The detective had barely time tonote these entries on the book
(08:12):
when Gaspard came running back.
His face was as white as paperand his lips were working as if
they were saying something, butnot a sound came from them.
He was struck dumb with fright.
Whatever it was that he had seenmust have been horrible to judge
the man's trembling lips anddistorted face.
Nick had seen people in thatcondition before, and he did not
(08:34):
waste time trying to get anyinformation out of Gaspard
instead, he sees the frightenedfellow by the shoulder and
pushed him along toward thefront of the house.
Gaspard made a feebleresistance.
Evidently, he did not want tosee again, the site which had so
terrified him.
But he was powerless in Nick'sgrasp in five seconds.
They stood before the open doorof room B.
(08:57):
The door was open and there wasa bright glare of gas within.
It shown upon the table whererich repass lay untasted.
It illumed the gaudy furnishingsof the room and the costly
pictures upon the walls.
It's shown to upon a beautifulface rigid and perfectly white.
Except for a horrible stain ofblack and red upon the temple.
(09:19):
The face was that of a woman of25 years.
She had very abundant hair of alight corn color, which
clustered in little curls aroundher forehead.
And was gathered behind in agreat mass of plated braids.
She reclined in a large, easychair in a natural attitude.
But the pallid face, the fixedand glassy eyes and the grim
(09:40):
wound upon the temple announcedin unmistakable terms the
presence of death.
Nick drew a long breath and sethis lips together firmly.
He had felt that something waswrong in that house.
The waiter who had run acrossthe sidewalk and got into that
carriage, had borne a guiltysecret with him as the
detective's experienced eye hadinstantly perceived.
(10:04):
But this was a good deal, worsethan Nick had expected.
He had looked for a robbery orperhaps a secret and bloody
quarrel between two of thewaiters.
But not for a murder such asthis.
One glance at the woman showedher to be elegant in dress and
of a refined appearance.
She could have nothing in commonwith the missing Corbut, unless
(10:26):
indeed he was other than heseemed.
Certainly whatever was Corbett'sconnection with the crime.
There was another person atleast.
As intimately concerned in it.
And he too had fled.
Where was the man who hadbrought this woman to this
house?
How was it possible to accountfor his absence, except by the
(10:46):
conclusion that he was themurderer.
That was the first and mostnatural explanation.
Whether it was the true one ornot.
The man must be found.
Nick turned to Gaspard.
The headwaiter had sunk down ona chair by the table and seemed
prostrated.
From previous experience, Nickknew Gaspard to be a man without
(11:07):
nerve.
And he was not surprised to findhim prostrated by the sudden
shock.
There was a bottle of champagnestanding in ice beside the
table.
The detective opened it and madeGaspard drink a glass of the
sparkling liquor.
It put a little heart into theman and he was able to answer
questions.
Nick, meanwhile, close the doorof the room.
(11:29):
Apparently the tragedy was knownonly to Gaspard and himself.
And to the guilty authors of it.
Did you see this woman when shecame in, asked Nick.
No.
Who showed her and the man withher to this room.
Corbett.
Who waited on them.
Corbett.
(11:49):
Who waited on the people in rooma.
Corbett.
They are gone, I suppose.
Yes.
I looked in there before I camein here.
Did you see any of these people?
I saw the two men.
How did that happen?
One of them came out into thehall to call Corbut who had not
(12:10):
answered the bell quick enough.
Which one was that?
The man in room a.
How do you know.
Uh, because I saw the other manlater coming out of room B.
This room.
Uh, yes.
You are sure of that.
Perfectly.
Did he see you?
(12:31):
I think.
I was standing right at thecorner of the two halls.
Uh, the man came out and glancedaround, but I stepped back
quickly because we do not liketo appear to spy on our guests.
He did not see me.
Um, what did he do?
He went out the front way.
I suppose the lady went with himfor, I was sure that I heard the
(12:52):
rustling of her dress.
Well, where was Corbett then?
In room a.
How long did he stay there?
Only a minute.
I went back to check the deskand then was called by a waiter
upstairs.
Just as I turned to go, I sawCorbut coming through the hall.
Did you speak to him?
(13:13):
Yes.
I called him to stay by the deskwhile I went upstairs.
Did he answer?
Yes.
He said very well.
And that's the last you saw ofhim.
Yes.
All right.
So much for Corbett.
Now for the two men.
Would you know them.
(13:35):
Not the man in room A.
I did not notice inparticularly.
Hmm.
But how about the man who cameout of this room?
He's the one we're after.
I would know him said Gaspardslowly.
Yes.
I feel sure that I couldidentify him.
Hm.
Well, that's good.
(13:55):
Now for the crime itself.
Go back to the desk and ring fora messenger.
When he comes, send him here.
Don't let anybody else come anddon't say a word to anybody
about this affair.
Gaspard with a very pale face,went back to his desk.
Nick remained alone with thebeautiful dead.
(14:17):
Chapter two.
Gaspard spots, his man.
A revolver lay on the carpet,just where it would have been if
it had been dropped from thewoman's right hand.
It's position suggested thepossibility of suicide.
And there was at the firstglance, nothing to contradict
that theory.
Except the conduct of Corbettand the man who had registered
(14:38):
as John Jones.
It might be that the woman hadcommitted suicide.
And the man had fled for fear ofbeing implicated in the affair.
Nick examined this side of thecase at once.
The pistol had evidently beenheld only a few inches from the
woman's head when it was fired.
Her white flesh showed the marksof the powder.
(15:00):
The bullet had passed straightthrough her head.
The revolver carried along 32cartridge, three of the five
chambers were loaded.
One of them contained an emptyshell on which the hammer
rested.
The fatal bullet had doubtlesscome from this chamber.
For the shell had been recentlydischarged.
(15:20):
In the fifth chamber was an oldshell, which had apparently been
carried under the hammer forsafety.
As is quite common.
The woman had a purse containingabout$20, but no cards or other
things which might lead toidentification.
Her ears had been pierced forearrings, but she seemed not to
have worn them recently.
(15:40):
She had no watch.
There was one plain gold ring onthe third finger of her right
hand.
And there was a deep markshowing that she had worn
another, but that ring was gone.
How recently it had been removedwas of course beyond discovery.
There was no sign that it hadbeen violently torn away.
(16:01):
When Nick had proceeded thus farwith his investigation.
The messenger boy arrived.
The detective sent messages tohis assistants chick and Patsy.
He then notified a coroner.
Who came about 10 o'clock andtook charge of the body.
a minute examination failed toreveal any marks upon the
clothing which might assist inestablishing the woman's
(16:22):
identity.
Nick then left the restaurant,taking Gaspard with him.
Inspector McLaughlin's men.
We're by this time on hand andthey took charge of the house
under Nick's direction.
At seven o'clock in the morning,Nick received a message from
Patsy who had been directed tofind the cab man in whose cab
Corbett had fled.
(16:44):
Patsy had located the cab man athis home on west 32nd street,
the man's name was Harrigan.
Nick took Gaspard with him andwent to the house where Harrigan
boarded.
I got onto him.
Easy enough, said Patsy, whomthey found outside the house.
I found the policeman who was onthat beat last night and got him
(17:05):
to give me a list of all theNighthawks he'd seen around
there up to eight o'clock of theevening.
Then I began to chase up thefellows on that list.
The second man, put me on toHarrigan.
He remembered seeing him get thejob, but couldn't tell me what
sort of a man hired him.
I guess there's no doubt thathe's the man, but I haven't
questioned him yet.
He's in there asleep.
(17:27):
Nick passed himself off as afriend of Harrigan's and was
directed with Patsy to the man'sroom.
They went in without beinginvited after having tried in
vain to get an answer to theirpounding on his door.
The cat man was snoring in aheavy slumber.
From what I heard said, Patsy.
Harrigan had a very large skateon last night.
(17:47):
He's sleeping it off.
Nick shook the man unmercifully.
And at last he sat up in bed.
What the'ell said, he lookingabout him wildly.
Who are youse.
And what's all the row.
As the quickest way to sober theman Nick showed his shield.
It acted like a cold showerbath.
(18:08):
Say, what was it I done gaspedHarrigan.
S'help me.
I don't know nothing about it.
I had a load on me last nightand I ain't responsible.
Patsy laughed.
There's no charge against yousaid Nick.
I only want to ask you a fewquestions.
Harrigan sank back on his pillowwith a gasp of relief.
Gimme that water pitcher.
(18:28):
He said Me throat's full o'cobwebs.
He drank about a quart of waterand then declared himself ready
for a cross examination.
Nick sized him up for a decentsort of fellow.
And saw no reason to doubt thathe was telling the truth when he
answered the questions that wereput to him.
It appeared that he had been onseventh avenue near the French
restaurant from a little aftersix to about half past seven on
(18:51):
the previous evening.
At the latter hour, a man hadengaged his cab.
He had taken it to the side doorof the restaurant and the waiter
had got in.
The man who hired the cab wasalready inside.
He had driven them somewhere on57th street, or it might be 58.
He couldn't remember exactly.
The two men got out together.
(19:11):
He didn't know what had becomeof them.
His fare was paid.
All right.
Then he had a couple more drinksand the next thing he knew, he
was at the stable where he hadhired the cab.
Of course, he didn't confessthis in so many words, but Nick
understood the facts wellenough.
That was absolutely all thatHarrigan knew about the case.
(19:32):
Would you recognize the man whohired your cab?
If you saw him again, askedNick.
Oh sure said Harrigan.
I wasn't so very full.
Had me wits about me.
Say you ain't going to do medirt and get me license taken
away.
I was all right.
I didn't do any harm.
Nick, assured Harrigan that ifhe acted right in this case, His
(19:52):
license would be safe and thenleft the man to his slumbers.
Not very promising, is it, myboy?
Said Nick to Patsy as they wentdownstairs.
We've lost the trail.
As soon as we struck it.
Do you think he's giving it tous straight?
Yes.
He doesn't know where he tookthem in, nor what became of them
after they left his cab.
It's a pity.
(20:13):
He had such a JAG.
He had been the best witness inthe case.
Nick smiled.
If he hadn't been drunk, hewouldn't have had anything to do
with the case.
He said, What do you mean?
Why it's clear enough.
This man that we want sawHarrigan on that cab while the
man was on his way to therestaurant with the woman.
(20:34):
Then when it became necessary toget Corbett out of the way he
remembered the drunken cab manand hired him.
I don't see how you know that.
A man would rather have a soberdriver than a drunken.
One wouldn't he?
Yes.
Well, the man who told you, hesaw Harrigan get the job was
sober.
Wasn't he?
Yes.
(20:56):
Then why didn't the man take hiscab?
Because he wanted a drunkendriver who wouldn't be sharp
enough to get onto any queerbusiness.
But he wouldn't have tried tofind a drunken cab man just by
luck.
And he wouldn't have taken asober one.
Therefore he had seen Harriganand hoped to find him in the
same place.
(21:17):
That's part of the plot.
Now then you go to Chick who'swatching the body of the woman.
I'm going to take Gasparduptown, and have a look at that
part of the city where Harriganleft his passengers.
Nick and Gaspard went to the33rd street station of the sixth
avenue elevated road.
They walked to the edge of theplatform on the uptown end,
(21:37):
suddenly Gaspard gave a violentstart.
He uttered an exclamation ofsurprise and pointed across the
tracks.
What is it cried, Nick?
The man who is in room Bexclaimed Gaspard.
I am sure of it.
At that instant, a downtowntrain rushed into the station.
Cutting off Nick's view.
And a half second later, anuptown train pulled in on their
(22:01):
side.
Nick pushed open a gate beforethe train had fairly stopped.
He dragged Gaspard after him.
The gate men tried to stop them,but Nick pushed the fellow in
the car.
So violently that he sat down onthe floor.
Then the detective pulled theother gate open and still
dragging Gaspard sprang down inthe space between the tracks.
The other train was juststarting.
(22:22):
Nick leaped up and opened one ofthe gates.
Gaspard stood, trembling,excitement and terror rendered
him incapable of action.
Nick reached down and seizingthe man by the shoulders lifted
him up to the platform of thecar as if he had been a child of
10.
Look back cried the detectivepushing Gaspard to the other
side of the car.
(22:42):
Is your man still at thestation.
Two or three men were therehaving apparently just missed
the train.
It seemed possible that thecriminal, if such, he was, had
seen Gaspard point and had beenshrewd enough, not to board the
car.
But Gaspard looked back anddeclared that his man was not
there.
Good said Nick.
(23:03):
He must be on the train.
We have him sure.
Has Nick found the right man?
Who is the woman murdered at thecafe?
Who was the second person in thecab?
The answer to these questionsand more maybe found in the next
thrilling episode of Nick Cartermaster detective.
(23:24):
I always wanted to say stufflike that.
Hey folks.
Thanks for listening.
Next podcast will be out soon.
Once again, special.
Thanks.
Go out to project Gutenberg andthe tireless volunteers there.
Thanks for keeping these storiesalive for us and for future
generations.
Well until next time folks.
Thanks for listening.
Share your stories.
And if you'd like buy me acoffee.
(23:45):
Be a good human.
Bye now.
Hi, everyone.
Welcome to the first episode offorward into the past.
I'm JC Rede, your host andnarrator.
And the first story we're goingto delve into comes from the
famous Nick Carter stories ofthe turn of the 20th century.
Yes, famous.
W who, who is this?
Nick Carter?
You ask.
Well, well, I'm glad you askedthat.
(00:55):
Yeah, Nick Carter was acharacter created in 1886 from
an idea from Ormond G Smith.
Now Ormond was the son ofFrancis Smith.
One of the founders of thepublishing house street and
Smith.
Now, Street and Smith was one ofthe biggest publishers of what
would soon become known as dimenovels.
(01:15):
At the time street and Smithwere publishing, what were then
known as story papers which werenewspaper style publications
that featured several shortstories or serials.
Now, Smith wanted to create adetective character to compete
with other characters like theold sleuth.
And other detective charactersthat, had started 10 years
earlier.
(01:36):
Now, Smith however, wanted tocreate a new type of detective
that was seemingly younger thanthe stories that had a strong
following.
Nick Carter was young, strongand embodied, clean living,
meaning no booze or tobacco werefeatured in the stories, which
was very progressive for histime.
Now he gained a strong followingvery quickly and was given his
(01:58):
own weekly magazine.
One of the first fictionalcharacters from the story papers
to do so.
Now for a while, he was calledthe American Sherlock Holmes.
Which was actually very, veryincorrect.
Since the Nick Carter storiesdebuted a full year before
Sherlock Holmes.
Now by the time the dime novelsand pulp magazines were dying
(02:18):
out around 1950.
It had been estimated that NickCarter in his various
incarnations had appeared inover 4,000 stories, including
comics, movies, radio shows, andof course, dime novels and pulp
magazines, making him arguablythe most published character in
(02:39):
American fiction.
Now this fact astounds mebecause until I began
researching stories to read forthis podcast, I had never even
heard of Nick Carter.
And I'm sure many of you havenot either.
Now to rectify these wrongs asdetective Carter might say.
I decided that for the firstseveral podcasts, I will focus
(02:59):
almost exclusively on NickCarter's early escapades.
Now don't worry.
I will also begin reading someshort stories from the Sci-Fi
and adventure pulps as well.
But for the moment, detectivestories will be our main
suspects.
I mean, uh, The stories ofinterest.
And we will begin with one ofthe earliest Nick Carter stories
(03:20):
in project Gutenberg's vastlibrary.
The crime of the French cafewritten in 1893.
Found in the free ebook.
The crime of the French cafe andother stories by Nicholas
Carter.
JC (03:34):
The crime of the French cafe by Nicholas Carter.
Chapter one.
Private dining room B.
There is a well-known Frenchrestaurant in the Tenderloin
district which provides itspatrons with small, but
elegantly appointed privatedining rooms.
The restaurant occupies a cornerhouse.
(03:54):
And though its reputation is notstrictly first-class in some
respects.
It's cook is an artist and it'swine cellar as good as the best.
It has two entrances.
And the one on the side streetis not well lighted at night.
At half past seven o'clock oneevening.
Nick Carter was standing about50 yards away from this side
(04:15):
door.
The detective had shadowed a manto a house on the side street
and was waiting for him to comeout.
The case was a robbery of nogreat importance.
But Nick had taken it to oblige,a personal friend who wished to
have the business managedquietly.
This affair would not be worthmentioning, except that it led
(04:35):
Nick to one of the most peculiarand interesting criminal puzzles
that he had ever come across inall his varied experience.
While Nick waited for his man.
He saw a closed carriage stopbefore the side door of the
restaurant.
Almost immediately a waiterbareheaded and wearing his white
apron came hurridly out of theside door and got into the
(04:58):
carriage.
Which instantly moved away at arapid rate.
This incident struck Nick asbeing very peculiar.
The waiter had acted like a manwho was running away.
As he crossed the sidewalk.
He glanced hastily from side toside as if afraid of being seen
and perhaps stopped.
It looked as if the waitermight've robbed one of the
(05:19):
restaurants, patrons, orpossibly its proprietor.
If Nick had had no business onhis hands, he would've followed
that carriage.
As it happened.
However, the man for whom thedetective was watching appeared
at that moment.
Nick was obliged to follow him,but he knew that he would not
have far to go.
For chick was waiting on sixthavenue and it was in that
(05:41):
direction that the thief turned.
So it happened that within 10minutes, Nick was able to turn
this case over to his famousassistant and returned to clear
up the mystery of the queerincident, which he had chance to
observe.
Nick would not have beensurprised to find the restaurant
in an uproar, but it was asquiet as usual.
(06:01):
He entered by the side door,ascended a flight of stairs and
came to a sort of office with adesk and register.
It was the custom of the placethat guests should put down
their names as in a hotel beforebeing assigned to a private
dining room.
There was nobody in sight.
The hall led toward the front ofthe building and there were
three rooms on the side of ittoward the street.
(06:24):
All the doors were open and therooms were empty.
Nick glanced into these roomsand then turned toward the desk.
As he did so he saw a waitercoming down the stairs from the
floor above.
This man was known by the nameof Gaspard.
He was the head waiter and wason duty in the lower hall.
(06:44):
Ah, Gaspard said Nick.
Who's your waiter on this floortonight?
Gaspard looked at Nickanxiously.
He did not, of course know whothe detective really was, but he
remembered him as one who hadassisted the police in a case in
which that house had beenconcerned about two years
before.
John Corbett replied Gaspard Ihope nothing is wrong.
(07:09):
Well, that remains to be seensaid Nick.
What sort of a man is thisCorbut?
A little man answered Gaspardand very thin.
He has long black hair andmustaches pointed like two
needles.
Have you sent him out foranything?
Oh, no, he is here.
Where.
(07:30):
In one of the rooms at thefront, we have parties in a and
B.
You go and find him said Nick.
I want to see him right away.
Gaspard went to the front of thehouse.
A hall branched off at rightangles with that in which Nick
was standing.
On the second hall, where threerooms, a, B and C.
(07:50):
Room C was next, the avenue.
The other two had windows on anopen space between the two wings
of the building.
Nick glanced at the register andsaw that R M Clark and wife had
been assigned to room a and JohnJones and wife to room B.
Room C was vacant.
The detective had barely time tonote these entries on the book
(08:12):
when Gaspard came running back.
His face was as white as paperand his lips were working as if
they were saying something, butnot a sound came from them.
He was struck dumb with fright.
Whatever it was that he had seenmust have been horrible to judge
the man's trembling lips anddistorted face.
Nick had seen people in thatcondition before, and he did not
(08:34):
waste time trying to get anyinformation out of Gaspard
instead, he sees the frightenedfellow by the shoulder and
pushed him along toward thefront of the house.
Gaspard made a feebleresistance.
Evidently, he did not want tosee again, the site which had so
terrified him.
But he was powerless in Nick'sgrasp in five seconds.
They stood before the open doorof room B.
(08:57):
The door was open and there wasa bright glare of gas within.
It shown upon the table whererich repass lay untasted.
It illumed the gaudy furnishingsof the room and the costly
pictures upon the walls.
It's shown to upon a beautifulface rigid and perfectly white.
Except for a horrible stain ofblack and red upon the temple.
(09:19):
The face was that of a woman of25 years.
She had very abundant hair of alight corn color, which
clustered in little curls aroundher forehead.
And was gathered behind in agreat mass of plated braids.
She reclined in a large, easychair in a natural attitude.
But the pallid face, the fixedand glassy eyes and the grim
(09:40):
wound upon the temple announcedin unmistakable terms the
presence of death.
Nick drew a long breath and sethis lips together firmly.
He had felt that something waswrong in that house.
The waiter who had run acrossthe sidewalk and got into that
carriage, had borne a guiltysecret with him as the
detective's experienced eye hadinstantly perceived.
(10:04):
But this was a good deal, worsethan Nick had expected.
He had looked for a robbery orperhaps a secret and bloody
quarrel between two of thewaiters.
But not for a murder such asthis.
One glance at the woman showedher to be elegant in dress and
of a refined appearance.
She could have nothing in commonwith the missing Corbut, unless
(10:26):
indeed he was other than heseemed.
Certainly whatever was Corbett'sconnection with the crime.
There was another person atleast.
As intimately concerned in it.
And he too had fled.
Where was the man who hadbrought this woman to this
house?
How was it possible to accountfor his absence, except by the
(10:46):
conclusion that he was themurderer.
That was the first and mostnatural explanation.
Whether it was the true one ornot.
The man must be found.
Nick turned to Gaspard.
The headwaiter had sunk down ona chair by the table and seemed
prostrated.
From previous experience, Nickknew Gaspard to be a man without
(11:07):
nerve.
And he was not surprised to findhim prostrated by the sudden
shock.
There was a bottle of champagnestanding in ice beside the
table.
The detective opened it and madeGaspard drink a glass of the
sparkling liquor.
It put a little heart into theman and he was able to answer
questions.
Nick, meanwhile, close the doorof the room.
(11:29):
Apparently the tragedy was knownonly to Gaspard and himself.
And to the guilty authors of it.
Did you see this woman when shecame in, asked Nick.
No.
Who showed her and the man withher to this room.
Corbett.
Who waited on them.
Corbett.
(11:49):
Who waited on the people in rooma.
Corbett.
They are gone, I suppose.
Yes.
I looked in there before I camein here.
Did you see any of these people?
I saw the two men.
How did that happen?
One of them came out into thehall to call Corbut who had not
(12:10):
answered the bell quick enough.
Which one was that?
The man in room a.
How do you know.
Uh, because I saw the other manlater coming out of room B.
This room.
Uh, yes.
You are sure of that.
Perfectly.
Did he see you?
(12:31):
I think.
I was standing right at thecorner of the two halls.
Uh, the man came out and glancedaround, but I stepped back
quickly because we do not liketo appear to spy on our guests.
He did not see me.
Um, what did he do?
He went out the front way.
I suppose the lady went with himfor, I was sure that I heard the
(12:52):
rustling of her dress.
Well, where was Corbett then?
In room a.
How long did he stay there?
Only a minute.
I went back to check the deskand then was called by a waiter
upstairs.
Just as I turned to go, I sawCorbut coming through the hall.
Did you speak to him?
(13:13):
Yes.
I called him to stay by the deskwhile I went upstairs.
Did he answer?
Yes.
He said very well.
And that's the last you saw ofhim.
Yes.
All right.
So much for Corbett.
Now for the two men.
Would you know them.
(13:35):
Not the man in room A.
I did not notice inparticularly.
Hmm.
But how about the man who cameout of this room?
He's the one we're after.
I would know him said Gaspardslowly.
Yes.
I feel sure that I couldidentify him.
Hm.
Well, that's good.
(13:55):
Now for the crime itself.
Go back to the desk and ring fora messenger.
When he comes, send him here.
Don't let anybody else come anddon't say a word to anybody
about this affair.
Gaspard with a very pale face,went back to his desk.
Nick remained alone with thebeautiful dead.
(14:17):
Chapter two.
Gaspard spots, his man.
A revolver lay on the carpet,just where it would have been if
it had been dropped from thewoman's right hand.
It's position suggested thepossibility of suicide.
And there was at the firstglance, nothing to contradict
that theory.
Except the conduct of Corbettand the man who had registered
(14:38):
as John Jones.
It might be that the woman hadcommitted suicide.
And the man had fled for fear ofbeing implicated in the affair.
Nick examined this side of thecase at once.
The pistol had evidently beenheld only a few inches from the
woman's head when it was fired.
Her white flesh showed the marksof the powder.
(15:00):
The bullet had passed straightthrough her head.
The revolver carried along 32cartridge, three of the five
chambers were loaded.
One of them contained an emptyshell on which the hammer
rested.
The fatal bullet had doubtlesscome from this chamber.
For the shell had been recentlydischarged.
(15:20):
In the fifth chamber was an oldshell, which had apparently been
carried under the hammer forsafety.
As is quite common.
The woman had a purse containingabout$20, but no cards or other
things which might lead toidentification.
Her ears had been pierced forearrings, but she seemed not to
have worn them recently.
(15:40):
She had no watch.
There was one plain gold ring onthe third finger of her right
hand.
And there was a deep markshowing that she had worn
another, but that ring was gone.
How recently it had been removedwas of course beyond discovery.
There was no sign that it hadbeen violently torn away.
(16:01):
When Nick had proceeded thus farwith his investigation.
The messenger boy arrived.
The detective sent messages tohis assistants chick and Patsy.
He then notified a coroner.
Who came about 10 o'clock andtook charge of the body.
a minute examination failed toreveal any marks upon the
clothing which might assist inestablishing the woman's
(16:22):
identity.
Nick then left the restaurant,taking Gaspard with him.
Inspector McLaughlin's men.
We're by this time on hand andthey took charge of the house
under Nick's direction.
At seven o'clock in the morning,Nick received a message from
Patsy who had been directed tofind the cab man in whose cab
Corbett had fled.
(16:44):
Patsy had located the cab man athis home on west 32nd street,
the man's name was Harrigan.
Nick took Gaspard with him andwent to the house where Harrigan
boarded.
I got onto him.
Easy enough, said Patsy, whomthey found outside the house.
I found the policeman who was onthat beat last night and got him
(17:05):
to give me a list of all theNighthawks he'd seen around
there up to eight o'clock of theevening.
Then I began to chase up thefellows on that list.
The second man, put me on toHarrigan.
He remembered seeing him get thejob, but couldn't tell me what
sort of a man hired him.
I guess there's no doubt thathe's the man, but I haven't
questioned him yet.
He's in there asleep.
(17:27):
Nick passed himself off as afriend of Harrigan's and was
directed with Patsy to the man'sroom.
They went in without beinginvited after having tried in
vain to get an answer to theirpounding on his door.
The cat man was snoring in aheavy slumber.
From what I heard said, Patsy.
Harrigan had a very large skateon last night.
(17:47):
He's sleeping it off.
Nick shook the man unmercifully.
And at last he sat up in bed.
What the'ell said, he lookingabout him wildly.
Who are youse.
And what's all the row.
As the quickest way to sober theman Nick showed his shield.
It acted like a cold showerbath.
(18:08):
Say, what was it I done gaspedHarrigan.
S'help me.
I don't know nothing about it.
I had a load on me last nightand I ain't responsible.
Patsy laughed.
There's no charge against yousaid Nick.
I only want to ask you a fewquestions.
Harrigan sank back on his pillowwith a gasp of relief.
Gimme that water pitcher.
(18:28):
He said Me throat's full o'cobwebs.
He drank about a quart of waterand then declared himself ready
for a cross examination.
Nick sized him up for a decentsort of fellow.
And saw no reason to doubt thathe was telling the truth when he
answered the questions that wereput to him.
It appeared that he had been onseventh avenue near the French
restaurant from a little aftersix to about half past seven on
(18:51):
the previous evening.
At the latter hour, a man hadengaged his cab.
He had taken it to the side doorof the restaurant and the waiter
had got in.
The man who hired the cab wasalready inside.
He had driven them somewhere on57th street, or it might be 58.
He couldn't remember exactly.
The two men got out together.
(19:11):
He didn't know what had becomeof them.
His fare was paid.
All right.
Then he had a couple more drinksand the next thing he knew, he
was at the stable where he hadhired the cab.
Of course, he didn't confessthis in so many words, but Nick
understood the facts wellenough.
That was absolutely all thatHarrigan knew about the case.
(19:32):
Would you recognize the man whohired your cab?
If you saw him again, askedNick.
Oh sure said Harrigan.
I wasn't so very full.
Had me wits about me.
Say you ain't going to do medirt and get me license taken
away.
I was all right.
I didn't do any harm.
Nick, assured Harrigan that ifhe acted right in this case, His
(19:52):
license would be safe and thenleft the man to his slumbers.
Not very promising, is it, myboy?
Said Nick to Patsy as they wentdownstairs.
We've lost the trail.
As soon as we struck it.
Do you think he's giving it tous straight?
Yes.
He doesn't know where he tookthem in, nor what became of them
after they left his cab.
It's a pity.
(20:13):
He had such a JAG.
He had been the best witness inthe case.
Nick smiled.
If he hadn't been drunk, hewouldn't have had anything to do
with the case.
He said, What do you mean?
Why it's clear enough.
This man that we want sawHarrigan on that cab while the
man was on his way to therestaurant with the woman.
(20:34):
Then when it became necessary toget Corbett out of the way he
remembered the drunken cab manand hired him.
I don't see how you know that.
A man would rather have a soberdriver than a drunken.
One wouldn't he?
Yes.
Well, the man who told you, hesaw Harrigan get the job was
sober.
Wasn't he?
Yes.
(20:56):
Then why didn't the man take hiscab?
Because he wanted a drunkendriver who wouldn't be sharp
enough to get onto any queerbusiness.
But he wouldn't have tried tofind a drunken cab man just by
luck.
And he wouldn't have taken asober one.
Therefore he had seen Harriganand hoped to find him in the
same place.
(21:17):
That's part of the plot.
Now then you go to Chick who'swatching the body of the woman.
I'm going to take Gasparduptown, and have a look at that
part of the city where Harriganleft his passengers.
Nick and Gaspard went to the33rd street station of the sixth
avenue elevated road.
They walked to the edge of theplatform on the uptown end,
(21:37):
suddenly Gaspard gave a violentstart.
He uttered an exclamation ofsurprise and pointed across the
tracks.
What is it cried, Nick?
The man who is in room Bexclaimed Gaspard.
I am sure of it.
At that instant, a downtowntrain rushed into the station.
Cutting off Nick's view.
And a half second later, anuptown train pulled in on their
(22:01):
side.
Nick pushed open a gate beforethe train had fairly stopped.
He dragged Gaspard after him.
The gate men tried to stop them,but Nick pushed the fellow in
the car.
So violently that he sat down onthe floor.
Then the detective pulled theother gate open and still
dragging Gaspard sprang down inthe space between the tracks.
The other train was juststarting.
(22:22):
Nick leaped up and opened one ofthe gates.
Gaspard stood, trembling,excitement and terror rendered
him incapable of action.
Nick reached down and seizingthe man by the shoulders lifted
him up to the platform of thecar as if he had been a child of
10.
Look back cried the detectivepushing Gaspard to the other
side of the car.
(22:42):
Is your man still at thestation.
Two or three men were therehaving apparently just missed
the train.
It seemed possible that thecriminal, if such, he was, had
seen Gaspard point and had beenshrewd enough, not to board the
car.
But Gaspard looked back anddeclared that his man was not
there.
Good said Nick.
(23:03):
He must be on the train.
We have him sure.
Has Nick found the right man?
Who is the woman murdered at thecafe?
Who was the second person in thecab?
The answer to these questionsand more maybe found in the next
thrilling episode of Nick Cartermaster detective.
(23:24):
I always wanted to say stufflike that.
Hey folks.
Thanks for listening.
Next podcast will be out soon.
Once again, special.
Thanks.
Go out to project Gutenberg andthe tireless volunteers there.
Thanks for keeping these storiesalive for us and for future
generations.
Well until next time folks.
Thanks for listening.
Share your stories.
And if you'd like buy me acoffee.
(23:45):
Be a good human.
Bye now.
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