Beadle's Dime Library No. 79

Joe Phenix and the Police Spy This serialized detective story by Albert W. Aiken follows the death of Gilbert Barlee, a convict at Sing Sing Prison who claimed innocence of his manslaughter conviction while serving a life sentence. Three parties take interest in his death notice. A wealthy Manhattan man in broadcloth and diamonds feels relieved; a young working-class woman in a tenement room vows to prove Barlee's innocence and expose his supposed persecutor; and two newsboys, the streetwise Chippy and nervous Dunno, discuss the death's implications. A mysterious elegantly-dressed woman in an expensive carriage confronts working-class girl Adalia Cummerton on Avenue A, warning her obliquely of an unnamed wealthy man's deceptive courtship and imminent betrayal. The woman departs cryptically, leaving Adalia bewildered by the cryptic warning.