Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 39

1878 · 16 pages

Death-Face, the Detective: Life and Love in New York Edward L. Wheeler's serial novel opens with a murder in Central Park. Young Celia Orwick awaits a meeting in a secluded arbor; the wealthy dandy Dock Raymond finds her there and confesses his love before departing. Ned St. Cloud then arrives—Celia confronts him, demanding marriage and threatening to expose him as a blackguard. When he refuses, St. Cloud strangles her in a violent assault, leaving her dead on a bench. The narrative shifts to the following day as a cadet-dressed gentleman appears on sweltering Baxter Street, repeatedly stopping at saloons before pausing before a brick building. Wheeler employs melodramatic conventions typical of penny-dreadful detective fiction: passionate romantic intrigue, dark secrets, sudden violence, and urban New York settings. The story interweaves multiple male figures vying for Celia's affections against St. Cloud's murderous rage.

Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 39 — page 1 of 16 — 1 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 39 — page 2 of 16 — 2 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 39 — page 3 of 16 — 3 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 39 — page 4 of 16 — 4 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 39 — page 5 of 16 — 5 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 39 — page 6 of 16 — 6 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 39 — page 7 of 16 — 7 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 39 — page 8 of 16 — 8 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 39 — page 9 of 16 — 9 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 39 — page 10 of 16 — 10 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 39 — page 11 of 16 — 11 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 39 — page 12 of 16 — 12 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 39 — page 13 of 16 — 13 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 39 — page 14 of 16 — 14 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 39 — page 15 of 16 — 15 / 16

Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 39 — page 16 of 16 — 16 / 16