From the exhibition
The Lightning Sport; or, The Bad Men at Slaughter Bar
· February 1903
This February 1903 issue of M.J. Ivers & Co.'s pulp magazine features "The Lightning Sport; Or, The Bad Men at Slaughter Bar" by William R. Eyster, known for Western serials like "Pistol Pards" and "Faro Frank."
The opening chapters detail a domestic melodrama: Mrs. Clarice Bride, a vain and weak woman, confides in the charming Englishman Harold Varley about her cruel husband Clinton Bride's tyranny. Varley, recognizing her vulnerabilities, manipulates her into eloping, ostensibly to obtain freedom and reclaim her fortune through Western courts. In reality, Varley schemes to steal a hidden safe containing "oceans of gold" that Clinton keeps in a cellar vault. Clarice arranges for her young daughter's departure via steamer while she and Varley plan to rob the safe the following night. The narrative follows their preparations and descent into the vault, where Clarice begins manipulating the safe's secret mechanisms while Varley watches intently, eager to access the treasure.
Public domain (pre-1929), restored and presented by comicbooks.com public-domain
