207 / 326
296
●
(LITERATURE AND POETRY.)
HARDING, CAPTAIN ELMER.
Nicodemus, the Detective from
Africa.
Copious engraved illustrations;
folio, original illustrated self-wrappers;
the first of 12 chapters, serialized in
Frank Leslie’s “Boys’ and Girls’ Weekly.”
29:739.
New York: Frank Leslie,
18 December 188
[500/750]
THE FIRST CHAPTER OF A RARE SERIAL
-
IZED NOVELETTE
,
FEATURING THE FIRST
MAINSTREAM DETECTIVE STORY FEATURING
AN AFRICAN AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL
DETECTIVE
.
The front cover of the maga-
zine shows Nicodemus, “undercover” on a
train, dressed as a Pullman Porter.
Nicodemus the Detective from Africa is a
novellete dealing with the kidnapping of a
wealthy man’s daughter. There are several
sub-plots, the most prominent of which is a
love story involving the kidnapped young
lady and her piano tutor. The plotting here is
classic for the nineteenth century. Well edu-
cated and from a good family, the music
teacher who had aspired to be a physician, was swindled out of his money and forced to into a profes-
sion “below his station.” Nicodemus Programm, his full name, is the main character and is employed
by a Captain Cuykendall who has a detective agency like that of Alan Pinkerton. “Nick,” as he calls
himself is a professional agent of Captain Cuykendall. The author, Captain Elmer Hardinge was no
doubt a staff writer for Frank Leslie. We have done a search and no such author was found.
297
297
●
(LITERATURE AND POETRY.)
HIMES, CHESTER.
If He Hollers *
Lonely Crusade * The Third Gen-
eration.
Together 3 volumes. 8vo’s, original
cloth in dust jackets.
CONDITION VARIES
,
SHOULD BE SEEN
.
Vp, 1947-1952
[600/900]
THE AUTHOR
’
S FIRST
,
SECOND
,
AND THIRD
BOOKS
:
FIRST ENGLISH EDITION OF THE
FIRST TITLE
,
FIRST EDITIONS OF THE SEC
-
OND AND THIRD TITLES
.