A complete, restored issue of Pulp Fiction from 1899 — all 16 pages of painted-cover fiction magazines that launched science fiction, horror, and hardboiled crime, free to page through at ComicBooks.com.

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A complete issue · 16 pages · 1899

Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 1085

1899 · Free to read

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About this issue

This installment of "Detective Frank's Full Flush," by Charles Morris, chronicles the early stages of an undercover operation. Detectives Dick Wister and Joseph Smith recruit their young assistant Frank Melton to infiltrate the household of the criminal known as "the Artful Dodger"—actually a man named Clarkson suspected of involvement in burglaries, counterfeiting, and murder over three years, though never successfully prosecuted. Frank successfully applies for a messenger position, delivering four letters on his first assignment. The story emphasizes surveillance and reconnaissance as Frank begins exploring the Bronson Street mansion while ostensibly performing household duties, noting Clarkson's deceptively genteel appearance and maintaining contact with the detectives through written correspondence.

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Each page has its own page — the cartoon, who’s in it, and what the satire means.