Roderick, the Rover; or, The Scourge of the Sea

Beadle and Adams Dime Novel Library, Issue 1058 November 2, 1897 This issue features "Roderick, the Rover; or, The Scourge of the Sea," a serial by T. J. Flanagan. The romance follows Young Julian, a nineteen-year-old ward of Mr. Julian Maffet in Philadelphia, who learns in 1796 that he is not Maffet's biological son—merely an orphan rescued from a shipwreck. After a heated argument about Julian's debts and his dependent status, Mr. Maffet is found murdered with Julian's own fancy dagger through the heart. Evidence—the quarrel, Julian's absence, his ownership of the dagger, and a will naming him heir—points to Julian as the killer. He flees aboard the schooner *Teaser*, leading police on a three-day pursuit down the river. However, Julian eludes capture by boarding another vessel. He subsequently signs aboard Captain William Bainbridge's schooner *Hope* under the assumed name John Smith, concealing his true identity while seeking refuge at sea.