Old Cap. Collier Library No. 379: The Lawyer Detective

This issue of the *Old Cap. Collier Library* contains "The Lawyer Detective: Or, The Mystery at Three Oaks Ranch" by Will Winch, a detective story serialized across thirty pages. The narrative follows a young lawyer named Hilton investigating criminal activity at a ranch property. The plot involves Hilton's narrow escape from outlaws in wooded terrain, his subsequent encounters with characters including a woman named Rena Tripp and a man named Benay, and revelations of hidden wealth and a criminal conspiracy. Dialogue fragments reveal threats and coercive schemes, with Hilton discovering details of the plot through overhearing conversations. The story combines elements of legal mystery with frontier action, featuring pursuit, concealment, and blackmail as central plot devices. The detective protagonist uses observation and deduction to uncover criminal intent.