June 9, 2025 • 14 mins
In The Just Men of Cordova (1917), a series of European financiers from London to Cordova are dying under mysterious circumstances, falling victim to an unidentified poison. Edgar Wallace, in his previous novel, introduced us to a group of vigilantes known as the Four Just Men, who are renowned for their ingenuity, persistence, lock breaking skills, and mastery of disguise. They operate in the shadowy realm beyond the law, their lethal justice instilling terror in their targets. But who are these men and who supports their cause? Edgar Wallace, a prolific author from the golden age of detective fiction, penned over 170 novels, including King Kong. With over 160 films based on his work, and a publishers claim that a quarter of all books read in England at the time were his, Wallaces influence is undeniable. - Summary by ASharma
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter The Last of the just Men of Cordoba by
Edgar Wallace. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain.
Read by Atolsharma, Winnipeg, Canada, chapter The Last Justice, Where
are we going, asked Sir Isaac faintly. We are going
to Southampton, growled Black in his ear. We shall find
(00:22):
some friends there, he grinned in the darkness. Then, leaning forward,
he gave instructions in a low tone to the chauffeur.
The car jerked forward, and in a few minutes it
had crossed Hammersmith Broadway and was speeding toward Barnes. Scarcely
had it cleared the traffic when a long gray racing
(00:44):
car cut perilously across the crowded space, dodging with extraordinary
agility a number of vehicles, and unheeding the calustic comments
of the drivers, it went on in the same direction
as Black's car had taken. He had cleared Kingston and
was on the sand Down Road when he heard the
loud purring of a car behind. He turned and looked,
(01:06):
expecting to find his second car, but a punctured tire
held Black's reserve. On Putney Heath. Black was a little uneasy.
Though it was no unusual thing for cars to travel
the main Portsmouth road at that hour of the night,
he knew too, that he could not hope to keep
ahead of his pursuer. He caught the unmistakable sound which
(01:27):
accompanies the racing car in motion. We'll wait till the
road gets a little broader, he said, and then we'll
let that chap pass us. He conveyed the gist of
this intention to the chauffeur. The car behind showed no
disposition to go ahead until Sandown and Cobham had been
left behind, and the lights of Guilford were almost in sight. Then,
(01:49):
on a lonely stretch of road two miles from the town,
the car, without any perceptible effort, shot level with them,
and then drew ahead on the off side. Then it slowed,
and the touring car had perforce to follow its example.
Black watched the maneuver with some misgiving. Slower and slower
went the racing car till it stopped crossways in the road.
(02:12):
It stopped too, in a position which made it impossible
for the touring car to pass. Black's man drew up
with a jerk. They saw by the light of their lamps.
Two men get out of the motor ahead and make
what seemed to be a cursory examination of a wheel.
Then one walked back, slowly and casually, till he came
to where Black and his companion sat. Excuse me, said
(02:36):
the stranger, I think I know you. Of a sudden,
an electric lamp flashed in Black's face. More to the point,
in the spreading rays of the light, clearer to be
seen was the nickel plated barrel of a revolver, and
it was pointed straight at Black. You will alight, mister Black,
You and your companion, said the unknown calmly. In the
(02:59):
bright light that flooded him. Black could make no move.
Without a word. He stepped down onto the roadway, his
companion following him. Go ahead, said the man with the revolver.
The two obeyed. Another flood of light met them. The
driver of the first car was standing up, electric torch
in one hand, revolver in the other. He directed them
(03:22):
curtly to enter the tonneau. The first of their captors
turned to give directions to the chauffeur of the gray
touring car. Then he sprang into the body in which
they sat and took a seat opposite them. Put your
hands on your knees, he commanded, as his little lamp
played over them. Black brought his gloved hands forward reluctantly.
(03:42):
Sir Isaac, half dead with fright, followed his example. The
car moved forward. Their warder, concentrating his lamp upon their knees,
kept watch while his companion drove the car forward at
a racing pace. They struck off from the main road
and took a narrow lane which was unfamiliar to Black,
(04:02):
and for ten minutes they twisted and turned in what
seemed the heart of the country. Then they stopped. Get down,
ordered the man with the lamb. Neither Black nor his
friend had spoken one word up till now. What is
the game? Asked Black. Get down, commanded the other with
a curse. The big man descended. There were two other
(04:24):
men waiting for them. I suppose this is the four
just men, farce, said Black, with a sneer. That you
shall learn, said one of those who were waiting. They
were conducted by a long, rough path through a field,
through a little copse, until ahead of them in the
night loomed a small building. It was in darkness. It
(04:45):
gave Black the impression of being a chapel, he had
little time to take any note of its construction. He
heard Sir Isaac's quick breathing behind him, and the snick
of a lock. The hand that held his arm now relaxed.
Stay where you are, said a voice. Black waited. There
was growing in his heart a sickly fear of what
all this signified. Step forward, said a voice. Black moved
(05:09):
two steps forward, and suddenly the big room in which
he stood blazed with light. He raised his hand to
veil his eyes from the dazzling glow. The sight he
saw was a remarkable one. He was in a chapel.
He saw the stained glass windows, but in place of
the altar, there was a low platform which ran along
one end of the building. It was draped with black
(05:31):
and set with three desks. It reminded him of nothing
so much as a judge's desk, save that the hangings
were of purple, the desks of black oak, and the
carpet that covered the dyes of the same somber hue.
Three men sat at the desks. They were masked, and
the diamond pin in the cravat of one glittered in
the light of the huge electro leer which hung from
(05:53):
the vaulted roof. Gonzalez had a weakness for jewels. The
remaining member of the four was to the right of
the prisoners. With the stained glass windows, the raftered roof,
and the solemn character of the architecture, the illusion of
the chapel ended. There was no other furniture on the floor.
It was tiled and bare of chair or pew. Black
(06:14):
took all this in quickly. He noted a door behind
the three through which they came and apparently made their exit.
He could see no means of escape, save by the
way he had come. The central figure of the three
at the desk spoke, in a voice which was harsh
and stern and uncompromising, Morris Black. He said, solemnly, what
(06:36):
of Fanks? Black shrugged his shoulders and looked round, as
though weary of a question which he found it impossible
to answer. What of Jacob's of Coleman? Of a dozen
men who have stood in your way and have died?
Asked the voice Still, Black was silent. His eye took
in the situation. Behind him were two doors, and he
(06:57):
observed that the key was in the lock. He could
see that he was in an old Norman Chapel, which
private enterprise had restored for a purpose. The door was
modern and of the usual churchy type. Isaac Tramber said,
Number One, what part have you played? I don't know,
stammered Sir Isaac. I am as much in the dark
(07:17):
as you are. I think the bucket shop idea is
perfectly beastly. Now look here, Is there anything else I
can tell you? Because I am most anxious to get
out of this affair with clean hands? He made a
step forward, and Black reached out a hand to restrain him,
but was pulled back by the man at his side.
(07:37):
Come here, said Number one, his knees shaking under him.
Sir Isaac walked quickly up the aisle floor. I'll do
anything I can, he said eagerly, as he stood like
a penitent boy before the master's figure. Any information I
can give you I shall be most happy to give. Stop,
roared Black. His face was livid with rage. Stop, he said, hoarsely,
(08:01):
you don't know what you're doing, ikey, Keep your mouth
shut and stand by me, and you'll not suffer. There
is only one thing I know, Sir Isaac went on,
and that is that Black had a bit of a
row with thanks. The words were scarcely out of his
mouth when three shots rang out in rapid succession. The
four had not attempted to disarm Black. With lightning like rapidity,
(08:24):
he had whipped out his browning pistol and had fired
at the trader. In a second. He was at the door.
An instant later, the key was turned and he was through. Shoot, Shoot, Manfred,
said a voice from the dyes. But they were too late.
Black had vanished into the darkness as the two men
sprang after him. They stood for a moment, silhouetted against
(08:44):
the light from the chapel. Within crack crack, a nickel
bullet struck the stone supports of the doorway and covered
them with fine dust and splinters of stone. Put the
lights out, and follow said Manfred quickly. He was too late,
for Black had a start, and the fear and hatred
in him lent him unsuspected speed. The brute instinct in
(09:07):
him led him across the field unerringly. He reached the
tiny road, turned to the left and found the gray
racing car waiting unattended. He sprang to the crank and
turned it. He was in the driver's seat in an instant.
He had to take risks. There might be ditches on
either side of the road, but he turned the wheel
over till it almost locked, and brought his foot down
(09:29):
over the pedal. The car jumped forward, lurched to the side,
recovered itself and went bumping and crashing along the road.
It's no good, said Manfred. He saw the tail lights
of the car disappearing. Let's go back. He had slipped
off his mask. They raced back to the chapel. The
lights were on again. Sir Isaac Tramber lay stone dead
(09:51):
on the floor. The bullet had struck him in the
left shoulder and had passed through his heart, but it
was not to him. They looked. U One lay still
and motionless on the floor in a pool of blood.
Look to the injury, he said, And unless it is fatal,
do not unmask me. Poichard and Gonzalez made a brief
(10:11):
examination of the wound. It's pretty serious. In this terse sentence,
they summarized their judgment. I thought, it was, said the
wounded man quietly. You had better get on to Southampton.
He'll probably pick up fellow. He smiled through his mask.
I suppose I ought to call him Lord France's led barrow.
Now he's a nephew of mine and a sort of
(10:33):
a police commissioner himself. I wired him to follow me.
You might pick up his car and go on together.
Manfred can stay with me. Take this mask off. Gonzalez
stooped down and gently removed the silk half mask. Then
he started back. Lord Verland, he exclaimed with surprise, and Manfred,
(10:54):
who knew, nodded. The road was clear of traffic at
this hour of the night. It was dark and none
too wide in places for a man who had not
touched the steering wheel of a car for some years.
But Black, bare headed sat and drove the big machine
ahead without fear of consequences. Once he went rocking through
(11:15):
a little town at racing speed, a policeman who attempted
to hold him up narrowly escape with his life. Black
reached open road again with no injury save a shattered
mudguard that had caught a lamp post on a sharp turn.
He went through Winchester at top speed. Again. There was
an attempt to stop him. Two big wagons had been
(11:35):
drawn up in the main street, but he saw them
in time and took a side turning and cleared town again,
more by good luck than otherwise. He knew now that
his flight was known to the police, he must change
his plans. He admitted to himself that he had few
plans to change. He'd arranged to leave England by one
of two ports, Dover or Southampton. He had hoped to
(11:57):
reach the Avre boat without attracting a tension, but that
was now out of the question. The boats would be watched,
and he had no disguise which would help him. Eight
miles south of Winchester, he overtook another car and passed
it before he realized that this must be the second
car he had hired. With the realization came two reports.
(12:18):
The front tires of his car had punctured. His foot
pressed on the brake, and he slowed the car to
a standstill. Here was luck to come to grief at
the very spot where his relief was at hand. He
jumped out of the car and stood revealed in the
glare of the lamps of the oncoming car, his arms outstretched.
The car drew up within a few feet of him.
(12:40):
Take me on to Southampton. I have broken down, he said,
and the chauffeur said something unintelligible. Black opened the door
of the car and stepped in. The door slammed behind him.
Before he was aware that there were other occupants who
he began. Then two hands seized him. Something cold and
heard snapped on his wrists, and a familiar voice said,
(13:03):
I am Lord Francis Ledborough, an Assistant Commissioner of Police,
and I shall take you into custody on a charge
of wilful murder. Ledborough repeated, Black, dully, you know me best,
is constable, fellow, said the voice. Black was hanged at
Pentonville Jail on the twenty seventh of March nineteen blank
(13:24):
and Lord Francis Ledborough, sitting by the side of an
invalid uncle's bed, read such meager descriptions as were given
to the press. Did you know him, sir, he asked?
The old earl turned fretfully. Know him? He snarled, Of
course I knew him. He is the only friend of
mine that has ever been hanged. Where did you meet him,
(13:46):
persisted a skeptical a c of police. I never met him,
said the old man grimly. He met me, and he
made a little grimace, for the wound in his shoulder
was still painful. The end end of chapter The last
End of The Just Men of Cordoba by Edgar Wallace
Chapter The Last of the just Men of Cordoba by
Edgar Wallace. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain.
Read by Atolsharma, Winnipeg, Canada, chapter The Last Justice, Where
are we going, asked Sir Isaac faintly. We are going
to Southampton, growled Black in his ear. We shall find
(00:22):
some friends there, he grinned in the darkness. Then, leaning forward,
he gave instructions in a low tone to the chauffeur.
The car jerked forward, and in a few minutes it
had crossed Hammersmith Broadway and was speeding toward Barnes. Scarcely
had it cleared the traffic when a long gray racing
(00:44):
car cut perilously across the crowded space, dodging with extraordinary
agility a number of vehicles, and unheeding the calustic comments
of the drivers, it went on in the same direction
as Black's car had taken. He had cleared Kingston and
was on the sand Down Road when he heard the
loud purring of a car behind. He turned and looked,
(01:06):
expecting to find his second car, but a punctured tire
held Black's reserve. On Putney Heath. Black was a little uneasy.
Though it was no unusual thing for cars to travel
the main Portsmouth road at that hour of the night,
he knew too, that he could not hope to keep
ahead of his pursuer. He caught the unmistakable sound which
(01:27):
accompanies the racing car in motion. We'll wait till the
road gets a little broader, he said, and then we'll
let that chap pass us. He conveyed the gist of
this intention to the chauffeur. The car behind showed no
disposition to go ahead until Sandown and Cobham had been
left behind, and the lights of Guilford were almost in sight. Then,
(01:49):
on a lonely stretch of road two miles from the town,
the car, without any perceptible effort, shot level with them,
and then drew ahead on the off side. Then it slowed,
and the touring car had perforce to follow its example.
Black watched the maneuver with some misgiving. Slower and slower
went the racing car till it stopped crossways in the road.
(02:12):
It stopped too, in a position which made it impossible
for the touring car to pass. Black's man drew up
with a jerk. They saw by the light of their lamps.
Two men get out of the motor ahead and make
what seemed to be a cursory examination of a wheel.
Then one walked back, slowly and casually, till he came
to where Black and his companion sat. Excuse me, said
(02:36):
the stranger, I think I know you. Of a sudden,
an electric lamp flashed in Black's face. More to the point,
in the spreading rays of the light, clearer to be
seen was the nickel plated barrel of a revolver, and
it was pointed straight at Black. You will alight, mister Black,
You and your companion, said the unknown calmly. In the
(02:59):
bright light that flooded him. Black could make no move.
Without a word. He stepped down onto the roadway, his
companion following him. Go ahead, said the man with the revolver.
The two obeyed. Another flood of light met them. The
driver of the first car was standing up, electric torch
in one hand, revolver in the other. He directed them
(03:22):
curtly to enter the tonneau. The first of their captors
turned to give directions to the chauffeur of the gray
touring car. Then he sprang into the body in which
they sat and took a seat opposite them. Put your
hands on your knees, he commanded, as his little lamp
played over them. Black brought his gloved hands forward reluctantly.
(03:42):
Sir Isaac, half dead with fright, followed his example. The
car moved forward. Their warder, concentrating his lamp upon their knees,
kept watch while his companion drove the car forward at
a racing pace. They struck off from the main road
and took a narrow lane which was unfamiliar to Black,
(04:02):
and for ten minutes they twisted and turned in what
seemed the heart of the country. Then they stopped. Get down,
ordered the man with the lamb. Neither Black nor his
friend had spoken one word up till now. What is
the game? Asked Black. Get down, commanded the other with
a curse. The big man descended. There were two other
(04:24):
men waiting for them. I suppose this is the four
just men, farce, said Black, with a sneer. That you
shall learn, said one of those who were waiting. They
were conducted by a long, rough path through a field,
through a little copse, until ahead of them in the
night loomed a small building. It was in darkness. It
(04:45):
gave Black the impression of being a chapel, he had
little time to take any note of its construction. He
heard Sir Isaac's quick breathing behind him, and the snick
of a lock. The hand that held his arm now relaxed.
Stay where you are, said a voice. Black waited. There
was growing in his heart a sickly fear of what
all this signified. Step forward, said a voice. Black moved
(05:09):
two steps forward, and suddenly the big room in which
he stood blazed with light. He raised his hand to
veil his eyes from the dazzling glow. The sight he
saw was a remarkable one. He was in a chapel.
He saw the stained glass windows, but in place of
the altar, there was a low platform which ran along
one end of the building. It was draped with black
(05:31):
and set with three desks. It reminded him of nothing
so much as a judge's desk, save that the hangings
were of purple, the desks of black oak, and the
carpet that covered the dyes of the same somber hue.
Three men sat at the desks. They were masked, and
the diamond pin in the cravat of one glittered in
the light of the huge electro leer which hung from
(05:53):
the vaulted roof. Gonzalez had a weakness for jewels. The
remaining member of the four was to the right of
the prisoners. With the stained glass windows, the raftered roof,
and the solemn character of the architecture, the illusion of
the chapel ended. There was no other furniture on the floor.
It was tiled and bare of chair or pew. Black
(06:14):
took all this in quickly. He noted a door behind
the three through which they came and apparently made their exit.
He could see no means of escape, save by the
way he had come. The central figure of the three
at the desk spoke, in a voice which was harsh
and stern and uncompromising, Morris Black. He said, solemnly, what
(06:36):
of Fanks? Black shrugged his shoulders and looked round, as
though weary of a question which he found it impossible
to answer. What of Jacob's of Coleman? Of a dozen
men who have stood in your way and have died?
Asked the voice Still, Black was silent. His eye took
in the situation. Behind him were two doors, and he
(06:57):
observed that the key was in the lock. He could
see that he was in an old Norman Chapel, which
private enterprise had restored for a purpose. The door was
modern and of the usual churchy type. Isaac Tramber said,
Number One, what part have you played? I don't know,
stammered Sir Isaac. I am as much in the dark
(07:17):
as you are. I think the bucket shop idea is
perfectly beastly. Now look here, Is there anything else I
can tell you? Because I am most anxious to get
out of this affair with clean hands? He made a
step forward, and Black reached out a hand to restrain him,
but was pulled back by the man at his side.
(07:37):
Come here, said Number one, his knees shaking under him.
Sir Isaac walked quickly up the aisle floor. I'll do
anything I can, he said eagerly, as he stood like
a penitent boy before the master's figure. Any information I
can give you I shall be most happy to give. Stop,
roared Black. His face was livid with rage. Stop, he said, hoarsely,
(08:01):
you don't know what you're doing, ikey, Keep your mouth
shut and stand by me, and you'll not suffer. There
is only one thing I know, Sir Isaac went on,
and that is that Black had a bit of a
row with thanks. The words were scarcely out of his
mouth when three shots rang out in rapid succession. The
four had not attempted to disarm Black. With lightning like rapidity,
(08:24):
he had whipped out his browning pistol and had fired
at the trader. In a second. He was at the door.
An instant later, the key was turned and he was through. Shoot, Shoot, Manfred,
said a voice from the dyes. But they were too late.
Black had vanished into the darkness as the two men
sprang after him. They stood for a moment, silhouetted against
(08:44):
the light from the chapel. Within crack crack, a nickel
bullet struck the stone supports of the doorway and covered
them with fine dust and splinters of stone. Put the
lights out, and follow said Manfred quickly. He was too late,
for Black had a start, and the fear and hatred
in him lent him unsuspected speed. The brute instinct in
(09:07):
him led him across the field unerringly. He reached the
tiny road, turned to the left and found the gray
racing car waiting unattended. He sprang to the crank and
turned it. He was in the driver's seat in an instant.
He had to take risks. There might be ditches on
either side of the road, but he turned the wheel
over till it almost locked, and brought his foot down
(09:29):
over the pedal. The car jumped forward, lurched to the side,
recovered itself and went bumping and crashing along the road.
It's no good, said Manfred. He saw the tail lights
of the car disappearing. Let's go back. He had slipped
off his mask. They raced back to the chapel. The
lights were on again. Sir Isaac Tramber lay stone dead
(09:51):
on the floor. The bullet had struck him in the
left shoulder and had passed through his heart, but it
was not to him. They looked. U One lay still
and motionless on the floor in a pool of blood.
Look to the injury, he said, And unless it is fatal,
do not unmask me. Poichard and Gonzalez made a brief
(10:11):
examination of the wound. It's pretty serious. In this terse sentence,
they summarized their judgment. I thought, it was, said the
wounded man quietly. You had better get on to Southampton.
He'll probably pick up fellow. He smiled through his mask.
I suppose I ought to call him Lord France's led barrow.
Now he's a nephew of mine and a sort of
(10:33):
a police commissioner himself. I wired him to follow me.
You might pick up his car and go on together.
Manfred can stay with me. Take this mask off. Gonzalez
stooped down and gently removed the silk half mask. Then
he started back. Lord Verland, he exclaimed with surprise, and Manfred,
(10:54):
who knew, nodded. The road was clear of traffic at
this hour of the night. It was dark and none
too wide in places for a man who had not
touched the steering wheel of a car for some years.
But Black, bare headed sat and drove the big machine
ahead without fear of consequences. Once he went rocking through
(11:15):
a little town at racing speed, a policeman who attempted
to hold him up narrowly escape with his life. Black
reached open road again with no injury save a shattered
mudguard that had caught a lamp post on a sharp turn.
He went through Winchester at top speed. Again. There was
an attempt to stop him. Two big wagons had been
(11:35):
drawn up in the main street, but he saw them
in time and took a side turning and cleared town again,
more by good luck than otherwise. He knew now that
his flight was known to the police, he must change
his plans. He admitted to himself that he had few
plans to change. He'd arranged to leave England by one
of two ports, Dover or Southampton. He had hoped to
(11:57):
reach the Avre boat without attracting a tension, but that
was now out of the question. The boats would be watched,
and he had no disguise which would help him. Eight
miles south of Winchester, he overtook another car and passed
it before he realized that this must be the second
car he had hired. With the realization came two reports.
(12:18):
The front tires of his car had punctured. His foot
pressed on the brake, and he slowed the car to
a standstill. Here was luck to come to grief at
the very spot where his relief was at hand. He
jumped out of the car and stood revealed in the
glare of the lamps of the oncoming car, his arms outstretched.
The car drew up within a few feet of him.
(12:40):
Take me on to Southampton. I have broken down, he said,
and the chauffeur said something unintelligible. Black opened the door
of the car and stepped in. The door slammed behind him.
Before he was aware that there were other occupants who
he began. Then two hands seized him. Something cold and
heard snapped on his wrists, and a familiar voice said,
(13:03):
I am Lord Francis Ledborough, an Assistant Commissioner of Police,
and I shall take you into custody on a charge
of wilful murder. Ledborough repeated, Black, dully, you know me best,
is constable, fellow, said the voice. Black was hanged at
Pentonville Jail on the twenty seventh of March nineteen blank
(13:24):
and Lord Francis Ledborough, sitting by the side of an
invalid uncle's bed, read such meager descriptions as were given
to the press. Did you know him, sir, he asked?
The old earl turned fretfully. Know him? He snarled, Of
course I knew him. He is the only friend of
mine that has ever been hanged. Where did you meet him,
(13:46):
persisted a skeptical a c of police. I never met him,
said the old man grimly. He met me, and he
made a little grimace, for the wound in his shoulder
was still painful. The end end of chapter The last
End of The Just Men of Cordoba by Edgar Wallace
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Law & Order: Criminal Justice System - Season 1 & Season 2
Season Two Out Now! Law & Order: Criminal Justice System tells the real stories behind the landmark cases that have shaped how the most dangerous and influential criminals in America are prosecuted. In its second season, the series tackles the threat of terrorism in the United States. From the rise of extremist political groups in the 60s to domestic lone wolves in the modern day, we explore how organizations like the FBI and Joint Terrorism Take Force have evolved to fight back against a multitude of terrorist threats.