by J. T. Edson
In his homeland, the Chopper had always derived two major benefits from his birthright!
Firstly, because the activities of a family were almost always known by any domestic staff they employed, the hired killer generally had a source of information about his intended victims. Particularly in the large cities, which was one reason he would only accept contracts in such a region, servants were predominantly Negroes. Being able to appear charming and sociable when he wished, despite having a disdain for what he thought of as inferior beings, he was able to obtain many useful facts from members of his own race. These were supplied in the majority of cases innocently—not out of hatred for their white employers, as ethnic apologists and professional racists of a later generation would claim—and would have aroused alarm, even distress, on the part of the donor if the true purpose of his inquiries had been suspected.
Secondly and perhaps more important, because of the numbers of his race in the cities, the Chopper had found his true identity offered a perfect camouflage. As had proved the case in other places besides Fort Worth, the natural color of his skin helped him turn aside suspicion which would have been directed at a white man found in the vicinity of the kind of killing he had made his specialty.
Not until he had settled in his accommodation at the Savoy Hotel had the hired killer realized what he had found puzzling since landing at Southampton!
Tipping the porter, the hired killer had suddenly become aware that the kind of jobs which were almost the sole province of Negroes in America were being performed by white people. For the first time, he had appreciated that he would not have either his major source of information or what had frequently amounted to something close to a cloak of invisibility. Just how true the latter was had been brought home to him in no uncertain manner on the night of his only killing so far carried out in England.
One of the problems of the pose as being Ogilby had always been meeting with former acquaintances. However, because of the unsightly disability, the entertainer had made no intimate friends since resuming his civilian occupation. Nor had he been a very sociable person prior to enlisting, so he had few friends from the past. What was more, he had had a reputation for possessing a poor memory for faces, names and events, which had enabled his murderer to excuse failure to recognize anybody who claimed his acquaintance at some earlier date.
Nevertheless, there were two men who Ogilby had often claimed were his only close friends. While the Atlantic Ocean had separated them, the Chopper had never been worried by their existence. He had known this state of affairs was certain of change once he reached England and, in fact, this had been his reason for having refused tempting offers of ‘contracts’ there in the past. Sure enough, shortly after his arrival, he had received telephone calls from both suggesting meetings. Anticipating this, he had taken the precaution of learning how they could be located. Fortunately, both had been too busy with other matters to meet the liner in which he arrived and he had persuaded them to postpone any getting together until the conclusion of his Palladium engagement. His intention to ensure no rendezvous occurred had only met with partial success.
While successful in killing Frederick Manton—with whom Ogilby had been a good friend and enlisted in the British Army—outside the Apollo Theatre, the Chopper had been seen and, according to Wally Marks on being consulted during a meeting similar to their first, the witness had told the police he was black. Furthermore if a shout of, ‘Stop, you damned nigger!’ was any indication, a similar recognition of his race had occurred when—having been compelled to wait until Sunday because of his commitments at the Palladium—he had tried to remove the second threat to his secret. He had driven in a hired car to the home of General Sir Henry Anstruther with the intention of gaining admission and removing the remaining link with Ogilby’s past. Despite having elected to forego the ‘contract’ even before learning of its sponsor being killed, because of the unexpected problems he had discovered were caused by there being so few Negroes in London, he had decided this must still be done.
While the hired killer had returned the balance of his advance payment for the ‘contract’, he had known he would still turn a healthy profit by his legitimate earnings!
What was more, until the two unwelcome visitors had arrived, the Chopper had been convinced the truth of his dual personality was no more suspected in England than it had been in the United States.
‘I don’t suppose it’d be any use telling you you’re making the biggest goddamned mistake of your lives?’ the hired killer suggested, still feeling surreptitiously inside the drawer.
‘None … um … whatsoever,’ Mr. Reeder confirmed.
‘I thought not,’ the Chopper admitted and, confident his intentions were unsuspected as he was using his left hand, he started to bring out the revolver he always kept concealed in a similar place ready for just such an emergency.
Unfortunately for the hired killer, his behavior had neither gone unnoticed nor its purpose been unsuspected!
At the first indication of his suppositions being correct, his own close to ambidextrous prowess having taught him never to discount the left hand as a potential threat, Rapido was ready to deal with it when it materialized!
Displaying smooth co-ordination combined with the sort of speed which in part accounted for the sobriquet he had adopted, the small Texan pulled open the left side of his jacket and his right disappeared beneath it. Grasping the butt of his Colt Government Model of 1911 automatic pistol, he twisted it from the spring retention shoulder holster in which it was carried. Turning it forward, his right forefinger entering the trigger guard and thumb, forcing down the safety catch only after the muzzle was pointing away from his body. Lined at waist level, the pistol crashed no more than sixth of a second after the draw was commenced.
Because of the great speed with which Rapido moved, before the Chopper could bring his own weapon into action, he was struck in the center of the forehead by the .45 bullet. Slammed backwards from the chair, he lost his hold on the revolver and pitched lifeless into the corner of the dressing room.
‘Your bird this … um … time,’ Mr. Reeder declared, having drawn a similar weapon to that of his companion, albeit not so quickly, and thinking of a similar comment he had made on the night Mad John Flack died at the hands of his companion and himself.
‘Gracias, amigo,’ the small Texan replied. Lowering his voice, he went on, ‘We’ve got the Chopper for you, Jubal, Dutchy!’ 73
Appendix
After having attended the 22nd Convention of Western Writers of America in 1975, we were privileged to meet for the first time Alvin Dustine ‘Cap’ Fog. Amongst the other things we learned was that he had visited England during the mid-1920’s, in the line of duty as a member of the Texas Rangers’ elite and unpublicized Company ‘Z’. The cases brought him into contact with the organization operated by Mr. J.G. Reeder. However, although we had read all the volumes of biography by Edgar Wallace which dealt with the career of this illustrious British detective, 74 we had not seen any reference to his meeting with ‘Cap’.
While ‘Cap’s’ official report and other related records were thorough in their coverage of his part in the events we later published under the title, ‘CAP’ FOG AND J. G. REEDER—albeit with one misconception which we have corrected in this narrative 75 —they left unanswered a number of points with regards to the participation of his British contemporary.
On our return to England, we contacted Ms. Penelope Wallace, daughter of Mr. Reeder’s biographer and organizer of THE EDGAR WALLACE SOCIETY, requesting this information. Ms. Wallace kindly placed at our disposal all of her father’s notes and the relevant casebook which he had received from Mr. Reeder, but had not worked upon. These not only allowed us to fill up the gaps in ‘Cap’s’ story, but also shed light upon several hitherto puzzling aspects relating to Mr. Reeder personally. They enlarged upon the suggestions put forth by John A. Hogan—arguably the world’s foremost serious student and researcher of Edgar Walla
ce, in his excellent article, AUREUS HARUNDUM. 76
While building his reputation as an exceptionally competent and well informed private detective, 77 Jeremiah Golden Reeder trained his three nephews, Jason Grant, John Gray—who served as a captain, later major, in the Rifle Brigade and was seconded to M.I. 5—and the youngest, James Garfield, to carry on his work. Knowing the superstitious nature of many habitual criminals, he decided the organization could function more effectively and efficiently if the connection between himself and his nephews was kept a secret.
Using the family’s chicken farm at Brockley, Kent, as his headquarters, Mr. Golden—as he was referred to by the very few people privy to the secret—maintained the main files of the organization and correlated the information which came from their multifarious sources. When in public, whoever was currently in residence at Daffodil House, on—by a coincidence—Brockley Road in London, spoke, dressed and employed the mannerisms made famous by Mr. Golden when he had lived and operated from there. The resident, or other two when the need arose, wore a wig and make up to give an appearance of being the appropriate age and further emphasize the already strong family resemblance of their respective features.
We realize that our description of Mrs. Jane Amelia Grible, housekeeper at the town residence, is not in accord with the occasional references to her in the biographies written—without differentiating between whichever Mr. J.G. Reeder was in occupation—by Edgar Wallace. At the time of their production, the most stringent condition imposed upon our illustrious predecessor when permission was granted for them to be published was that there must be nothing to expose the security arrangements of the organization, nor to identify its employees.
These restrictions have now been lifted and the late Mrs. Grible can be given the credit she well deserved. Our predecessor was allowed to pay only an indirect tribute to her by recording the major part she played in the case he called, THE TRAITOR’S GATE. However, omitting all mention of her belonging to Mr. Reeder’s organization—even going to the extent of giving her a non—existent ‘son’ and claiming she held a post at Scotland Yard—he referred to her throughout as ‘Mrs. Jane Ollorby’. Nevertheless, he only changed her description slightly. While her face was ‘big, with three chins and a somewhat masculine nose,’ her eyes only ‘twinkled with amusement’ on rare occasions and her expression was not often genial in public. 78
About the Author
J.T. Edson was a former British Army dog-handler who wrote more than 130 Western novels, accounting for some 27 million sales in paperback. Edson’s works - produced on a word processor in an Edwardian semi at Melton Mowbray - contain clear, crisp action in the traditions of B-movies and Western television series. What they lack in psychological depth is made up for by at least twelve good fights per volume. Each portrays a vivid, idealized “West That Never Was”, at a pace that rarely slackens.
If you enjoyed the westerns of J. T. EDSON, you may also enjoy the westerns of
BEN BRIDGES and MIKE STOTTER:
BEN BRIDGES:
APACHERIA SERIES:
Apacheria
Lockwood’s Law
ASH COLTER SERIES:
Gunsmoke Legend
Ride the High Lines
Storm in the Saddle
COMPANY C SERIES:
Hit ’em Hard!
To the Death!
HELLER SERIES
Heller
Heller in the Rockies
JIM ALLISON SERIES:
Rattler Creek
Blood Canyon
Thunder Gorge
JUDGE AND DURY SERIES:
Hang ‘em All
Riding for Justice
Law of the Gun
Trial by Fire
Barbed Wire Noose
Judgment Day
MOVIE TIE-INS:
Day of the Gun
O’BRIEN SERIES:
The Silver Trail
Hard as Nails
Mexico Breakout
Hangman’s Noose
The Deadly Dollars
Squaw Man
North of the Border
Shoot to Kill
Hell for Leather
Marked for Death
Gunsmoke is Gray
Cold Steel
Mean as Hell
Draw Down the Lightning
Flame and Thunder
THREE GUNS WEST (Writing with Steve Hayes):
Three Rode Together
Three Ride Again
Hang Shadow Horse!
WESTERN LEGENDS (Writing with Steve Hayes):
The Oklahombres
The Plainsman
THE WILDE BOYS SERIES:
The Wilde Boys
Wilde Fire
Wilde’s Law
Aces Wilde
STAND-ALONE WESTERNS:
Ride for the Rio!
Back With a Vengeance
Blaze of Glory
Tanner’s Guns
Coffin Creek
The Spurlock Gun
All Guns Blazing
Cannon for Hire
Montana Gunsmoke
Starpacker
Cougar Valley
SHORT STORIES:
Five Shots Left
MIKE STOTTER
McKINNEY WESTERNS:
McKinney’s Revenge
McKinney’s Law
BRANDON AND SLATE SERIES:
Tombstone Showdown
Tucson Justice
STAND ALONE WESTERNS:
Death in the Canyon
MOVIE TIE-IN:
Vengeance is the Spur (aka Vermijo)
SHORT STORIES:
Six Trails West
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More on J. T. EDSON
1 In Texas, any man of Teutonic origins tended to be given the sobriquet ‘Dutchy’ regardless of whether he came from Holland, Denmark or Germany.
2 ‘Arbuckle’s range: term for coffee. Derived from this having been the brand name of the product seen so frequently throughout the Old West that most cowhands never knew any other kind was available. However, if a hand on a ranch was referred to as an ‘Arbuckle’, it implied he was useless and the boss had sent off Arbuckle’s coffee premium stamps to pay for his ‘extraordinary’ services.
3 Although there is no mention of the suggestion having come from Sergeant Jubal Branchy it was passed on by Robert ‘Bob’ O’Donnell. Taking the advice, the comedian in question learned a most valuable lesson about timing his ‘delivery’ to suit each particular audience which helped take him to the top of his profession. See, Chapter Six, THIS IS ON ME, Bob Hope and ‘Vaudeville’, THE AMAZING CAREERS OF BOB HOPE, Morelia/Epstein/Clark.
4 How ranching became a major factor in the economy of Texas is told in: GOODNIGHT’S DREAM, FROM HIDE AND HORN and SET TEXAS BACK ON HER FEET.
5 ‘Muggle’: one name for a marijuana cigarette.
6 Some information about two earlier heads of the family, Colemen and his son, Rameses ‘Ram’ Turtle, can be found in: OLE DEVIL AND THE CAPLOCKS—which, along with other volumes of the Ole Devil Hardin series, covers aspects of the struggle by Texans to obtain independence from Mexican domination—SET TEXAS BACK ON HER FEET, BEGUINAGE and BEGUINAGE IS DEAD!. Their respective influence is also described by inference in: Part Four, ‘Mr. Colt’s Revolving Cylinder Pistol’, J.T.’S HUNDRETH and THE QUEST FOR BOWIE’S BLADE.
7 ‘Bible Two’: also sometimes referred to as the ‘Black Book’. A list of wanted fugitives from justice supplied to the Texas Rangers. Brought up to date and published annually, the sobriquet originated from the claim that it was read more frequently than the real Bible by members of that organization.
8 Details of the various types of Colt Model P of 1873 revolver, m
ore generally known as the ‘Peacemaker’ are given in various volumes of the Floating Outfit series.
9 A lineal ‘descendant ’ of the Models of 1866 and 1873, which established the reputation of the Winchester Repeating Firearms Company, the Model of 1894 was one of the first they manufactured to handle the more powerful ‘smokeless’—as opposed to ‘black’ powder cartridges. Furthermore, its carbine variety is said to have been sold in greater numbers than any other shoulder arm designed for the civilian market and not to fulfill a military contract.
10 Designed at the instigation of General Samuel J. Browne (1824-1901) of the British Army, because he had lost an arm in action and needed the extra support when carrying his weapons—a pistol when on horseback, or a sword if dismounted—the type of belt to bear his name originally had one or two light shoulder straps running diagonally across the chest from left to right. The basic ‘Sam Browne’ belt became popular for uniform wear by various law enforcement agencies in the United States. Although the shoulder straps have now gone out of favor and are no longer fitted, one was still used at the time of this narrative.
11 ‘Nilotic’ - possessing the physical characteristics of the people originally native to the Nile basin. The Masai of Kenya and Tanzania are probably the best known representatives of this ethnic group. ‘Bantu pertaining to one of the many Negroid nations such as the Zulu, Bechuana, Xhosa, Damara, Swahili, Kikuyu, Wa-Kamba, etc., of Central and Southern Africa.