Ellery Queen 001

THE WORLD'S GREATEST DETECTIVE

-SLLERY

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^ Vengeance From The Grave

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The Legion of The,
THE CHAIN LETTER MURDERS

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COPYRIGHT 1952 BY APPROVED COMICS, INC.
COPYRIGHT UNDER INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT CONVENTION
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
ELLERY QUEEN, Vol. 1, No. 1, January, February & March 1952, published quarterly by Approved Comics, Inc., 2 Main Street,
Bridgeport, Conn, snd 185 N. Wabash Ave., Chicago 1, 111. Executive and Editorial Office, 366 Madison Ave., New York 17,
N. Y. Application for second class entry pending at Bridgeport, Conn. Single copies 10<S. Subscription rates: In the U. S., Canada,
Mexico, South and Central America and U. S. Possessions SI. 20 foi 12 issues: in ;:\\ other counli-i™ 32.20 f»v 12 issues. All com-
munications about subscriptions should be addressed to the Circulation Department, 185 N. Wabash Ave., Chicago 1, III. The Pub-
lisher is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or art work. Manuscripts or art work accompanied by self -ad dressed stamped
envelopes will be returned. No similarity between any of the names, characters, persons and/or institutions appearing in this maga-

PRINTED IN U.S.A.

Iaushtbz amp gaiety are m orpez at the

SKTHPAy PARTY HICK CARPONI'S MOBSTERS
HAVE THROWN fOR THEIR CHIEF...

GO AHEAP/ BICW IHIIf OKAY, YOU GUYS.
OUT THE CAMPLES, HUL LEM/HE THINK OF
BOSS.' S ~N SO/METHIN'

^Then MAKE A GOOP TO ,
A WISH.' 1 WISH FOR/

/ SOMEBOPY ^

I GIT "POC" J

S TYNPALL <

I QUICK/ )

As BEFITS A DEPARTED GANGLAND CHIEF, NICK HAS
AH ORNATE FUNERAL.' AND AMONG THE GUESTS...

BRANNISAN.'
YOU GOT A
NERVE. ..COMIN'
TA NICK'S
FUNERAL /

/vomw DOIA/V ,

lit WANT NO PART ,
OF A MOB WITH
A CUKS£ ON IT/

The office of inspector queen
at police headquarters...

THE WHOLE TOWN KNOWS IT WAS
BRANNISAN WHO PULLEP THAT

CUTE TRICK ON NICK CARPONI,
PAP/ HOW CO«\i YOU HAVEN'T

CRACKEP POWN ON BRANNISAN?

BUT ACCORDING TO THE
RUMORS THAT ARE FLYIN6,
NICK WON'T NEEP THE LAW
TO AVENSE HIS AtURPER/
HE'S SWORN TOC
BACK FKO/m Tff£
GRAVE ANP SETTLE
WITH HIS <
ENEMIE
HIMSELF/,

INTERESTING.'

JMeANWHILE/A LOWLY WHARF HEAR
BRAHN/GAWS HEADQUARTERS .'

ATO.'NO.'... IT- IT CAN'T BE/
K-KBEPAWAY FROM ME,

CARDOAt//

SO W31TRE POSITIVE ) THE BOYS ARE SCAREP/
CARPONI'S CHOST J AN', FRANKLY, SO A* 1/
HAS COME TO ^^ THEY SAY HE'S CONNA
WORK ON yOUR^ WIPE US OUT.ONE BY ONE/

IT'S TOO EARLY FOR US TO ANSWER THAT
ONE, BRANNIGAN/ HOWEVER, AS A CITIZEN,
LAW-ABIDING OR NOT, YOU HAVE A RIGHT
TO COME TO THE POLICE FOR
PROTECTION/ EXACTLY WHAT
DO YOU WANT FROM US? S A POLICE

GUARP/ I GOT
MY RIGHTS/

M6£T TOMMY THE
SWAM/. INSPECTOR/
TAKE IT FROM ME, 1
THIS MUG IS STRICTLY
ON TH' UP- AW- UP/ V

\ you

/SPEAK
TO THE
PEAR

EH? J

\ P-CEAC* PLEASE,
\ INSPECTOR .'DON'T
MENTION CORPSES
/ TO ME/ IVE A WEAK

{ 5TOMACH/ ^

'J

Sf

suv TV

Z5» ZOOM'S LIGHTS FADE.
THERE IS AN EXPECTANT-
HUSH...

S-SPIRIT OF

NICK CARDONI..
y-yOU ARE IN TH' ROOM ...
C6ULPJ...MAKE YOUR-
SELF KN-KNOWN...

/r CONDENSES INTO A FACE THAT IS A SNARLING
GRIMACE OF MATE/

BRAD 8KAIV/V/GAIV...
RAT.' I'VE COME
FROM BEYO/VO W
GRAVE m GtrEI/EA/.'

THERE'S SOMETHING BRANNIG
HAS HOI TO FIND OUT FOR
HE'S DRIVING STRAIGHT TO
CEMETARY WHERE CARDON1
IWS BURIED/ WANT TO _
BET, DAD/ J

AN

SURE/

THE

Rfc*« _J

BPJB t^M YOU'RE ',
HH RIGHT, 1
■k ELLERy/jfl

■■■7

A,

THEY'RE CARRYING SHOVELS
INTO THE GRAVE YARD/ IS
BRANNIGAN TURNING GHOUL?

CSASP/) CARDOHI.' S-BUT
THAT CAKE I HAP FIXED
UP SPECIAL FER YOU...
IT WAS SUPPOSED T
HAVE KILLED YOU '

IT WAS EASY TA BRIBE 'DOC"
TYNDALL INTO FAKIN& A DEATH
REPORT AND STAGING A PHONY
FUNERAL/ THAT'S WHY I HAP
TO KILL THE-fOC... HE KNEW
TOO MUCH/

y'SEE, I'D BEEN WANTIN' TO OUIT
TH' RACKET FER A LONG TIME, AN'
PULL A FADE/8UT I WAS IN PRETTy
BOP...H0r BOYS NEVER WOULP HAVE
LET ME PULL OUT WITH TH' BOOPLE
AN' A WHOLE SKIN/ yER BOMBING
(SAVE ME MY CHANCE

THEN- WHY DIDN'T
yA JUST TAKE "
SAVINGS AN'
BEAT IT*

R£V£ll/Ge.'\tO ONE TRIES TO BLOW NIC
TA BITS AN' SITS AWAy WITH IT/ I PUT
SOME PHOSPHORUS ON My FACE ...AN'
STUCK AROUND TA SIT EVEN WITH

YOU WON'T &ET 1

-! ft ; '■''" £

■SK4I

NICK CARBONI- /MOBSTER- WHO
CAME BACK FRCm THE PEAP TO '
KILL... WILL HEVEH KILLASAIN.'
FOR THIS TIME/THE CORPSE THAT .
KIUEP" IS RCALIY PEAP.I

MIKE MALONE had been a cop, one way
and another, for forty years. Thirty years
of pounding a beat on the force, ten years
as a bank guard at the Second National. In his
thirty years of pavement pounding for the city,
Mike had never risen above the rank of patrolman.
His title of guard at the bank was more of a cour-
tesy title than anything. Although he carried, a
gun strapped to his imposing middle, Mike's duties
were simply to help harassed suburban matrons to
the proper teller's window, and to direct loan
seekers to the proper vice president. In four dec-
ades of what he loved to refer to as "police work"
Mike had never heard a shot fired in anger. Need-
less to say, he had never fired his Police Special at
anyone, friend or foe. To be truthful about it, it's
just as well, because Mike couldn't hit the broad
side of a barn, let alone a member of the criminal
classes engaged in a nefarious undertaking.

M

Mike was a comedy cop. His. ample belly and
bandy legs were never meant to be encased by a
neat blue, uniform'. His feet, bunioned with the
callouses, of forty years, moved with a flat, shuf-
fling, yet gingery tread. They were tender and his
walk showed it. His ammunition belt, weighted
down by his holster, was worn in the manner made
famous by comedy sheriffs in Western movies. In
1 summer, his shirt had a way of climbing up out of
his trousers, giving him the appearance of being
one of the less presentable members of the Russian
G.P.U. Mike's superiors on the city police force
had early in his career .reached the conclusion that „

his greatest field of usefulness consisted in guiding
school children across the street. At the bank, the
most glowing tribute on his personnel record read:
"His appearance leaves much to be desired. Re-
flexes slow. Old ladies seem to like him."

In his private life, Mike had two loves — his
grand-daughter, Kitty, and novels of detection.
Kitty had one flaw in Mike's mind— she was al-
ways trying to improve his appearance. On the
other hand, such fictional heroes of the detective
industry as Lord Peter Wimsey and Hercule
Poirot, had no faults at all. They were sleuths
without peer and without reproach. Mike loved
their adventures and wished that he could be like
them. Alas, as he himself admitted, he lacked the
little grey cells.

Kitty's latest assault on Mike had taken the
form of an expensive shaving lotion which she had
given the old man for his birthday. It was expen-
sive, beautifully packaged, and extremely fragrant.
As Kitty loved to say, it was exclusive. And Mike
loved it. He never used it, he just loved it. Every
morning, after his bath and shave, Mike would
take the beautiful little bottle from the bathroom
shelf, sniff it with wild abandon and vast appreci-
ation, then sorrowfully replace the stopper and
return the bottle to its shelf.

"It's beautiful," he'd murmur, regretfully, "but
it's not for the likes of me." He did think, though,
that Hercule Poirot might have used it, and hav-
ing used jtj Hved up to it*

This particular day at the bank had
quietly. It was just a few minutes of three when
Mike smelled something utterly delicious in the
air. It was his favorite shaving lotion. He was turn-
ing his head to see whatever man of distinction
used this heavenly scent when the roof fell on his
skull and the lights went out.

When Mike came to, he' was on a couch in the
President's office with a compress on his head. The
room was full of the bank's officers, policemen and
newspapermen. From the jumble of questions shot
at him, and the general tone of the conversation,
Mike gathered that a swift-moving, professional
gang of bank robbers had entered the bank at clos-
ing time, held it up, and escaped with over
$100,000 in cash. The men wore plain, nondescript
clothes, and kept handkerchiefs pressed on their
faces and their hats pulled low. Nobody could
make any identification. The rogues' gallery photo-
graphs of known bank robbers were useless. No one
had really seen the men.

His head clearing, Mike rose unsteadily to his
feet

"The one that socked me," he said. "He used
Feather Heather!"

The room was convulsed with laughter. Good
old Mike, the Comedy Cop! But the general opin-
ion Was that this was no time for comedy.

"He used WHAT? " roared a Captain of Detec-
tives.

"Feather Heather," stuttered Mike. "It's a per-
fume ... I mean a perfume for men ... I mean."
Mike really had them m the aisles, now. "Look,**

he mumbled self-consciously. "It's a shaving lo-
tion . . t . an expensive one. I use it myself . . . that
is, I smell it, sort of . . ."

The Captain of Detectives said something about
a concussion and getting the poor old buzzard to
a hospital.

'Feather Heather's expensive and exclusive,**
screamed Mike. "There's only one place in town
sells it, and at the price they charge, I'll bet they
don't sell much of itl"

At last Mike's message penetrated. Two men
were dispatched, with an armful of rogues' gallery
photographs, to the specialty shop which carried
Feather Heather. Sure enough, not many bottles
had been sold. Yes, the clerk had sold a bottle to
one of the men in these photographs. This one
here. It had been delivered and he had the — ah —
gentleman's address on file.

H

The Feather Heather purchaser was at home
with a group of his gentlemen friends when the
police broke in. No guns were drawn, as the bandits
had their hands full of currency, which they were
dividing.

Mike was a hero for a few days, and was quietly
given a handsome reward by his employers. He
enjoys telling Kitty that he can't ever use the
Feather Heather now, because he associates it with

crime and rascality,

K

And best of all, when he settles down of an eve-
ning for a good read, he f^els now that he mixes
with Lord Peter and Hercule not as a worshipper,
but as an equal, and a somewhat critical equal,
at that.

THE END

'BEGr yOUE PARVOH, yOLiN<5~
MAN. COVLP YOU CIRECT
ME TO ALPEEMAN ANPE£50N'S
OFFICE ?

THERE SHE IS / )*<7 IOOK OUT.' ~"""5£s

SRAB HER / r~~f THAT STREET- <«iJ

fc^^mrtl Hfem™, «7 CAR. 'J y-Ai

THE OFFICE OF INSPECTOR QUEEN AT POLICE
HEADOUASTEIsi...

MEANWHILE. THE HOTEL CLARION..

Later.

ElLERY AND THE /A/SPECTOR. ENTER THE ROOM
TO OBSERVE...

THOSE WET FOOTPRINTS LEP TO
THIS ROOM, RIGHT? ANP HE
ADMITS HE' LEFT THE. IRON-LUNS..

THEN, THERE'S THAT S/MASHED I ... ESPECIALLY, IF HE
WINDOW. IT COUIO HAVE /ORDINARILY NEEPEP
BEEN BROKEN BY THE f^S THE AIL? OF AN IRON-
MURDERER AFTER THE if LUNS FOE SUFFICIENT
CRIME... IP HE WERE
PE5PERATELY IN
NEED OF FRESH
OXY6EN

ENRISHT, I'M SOIN& TO
ARREST YOU FOR THE
MURDER OF TOMMY
RYAN/ WHY DID YOU J
DO IT ?^_FT"-MfjZj

) I HAVE NC
J TO SAY, E
fe. IT'S BE

■■"^J THIS

)THIN<?
XCEPT
7T£R, «

WAY' M

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BOB... IN PANSEK? BUT THAT'S
IMPOSSIBLE/ HE'S JUST HAP THE
MOST WONDERFUL LUCK— A
GOOD JOB AFTER' HAVING
BEEN UNEMPLOYED FOR
/MONTHS

BUT BEFORE BROMLEY CAN ACCOMPLISH HIS
FIENDISH DESIGN... ELLERY ARRIVES...

WELL.. THERE'S Ml WjFE'S-) CHALMERS.

FOBWER BOSS, TODD

CHALMERS. HE WAS

PRETTy UPSET WHEN

SHE /MARRIEP ME.

SWORE HE'D GET

EVEN

That evening...

bertha..a5 soon as i
hearp of so0's unfortunate
peath, i hurriep right

OVER.' I WANT you TO
KNOW THAT PESPJTE ALL
THAT'S HAPPENEP, I'LL
TAKE yOU BACK.

tiu*Y amuses to the cuff's

BOSS, APPARBNTLf SUICIPE-miNPEP.

YOU RAT/ WATCHING THE PARADE
OF WOULD- BE SUICIDES WHO CAME
TO >DU FOR HELP, YOU DECIDED

TO CASH IN ON THEIR MISERy.'

PROBABLY YOU WERE RAID BY A POLITICAL
RIVAL OF ANDERSON'S FOR HIS DEATH.
SOLLV yOGURK PAID FOR THE MURDER,

OF TOMW RXAN. TODD CHALMERS, „.

OF COURSE, PAID FOR THE ATTEMPTED^
KILLING OF EOS DOWLING/

■~-~— ~-

YOU USED THESE UNFORTUNATES AS
KILLERS WITHOUT PAy IN A SORT OF
MURDER, INCORPORATED SET-UP WITH
CAIN - LETTERS- OF - DEATH TRIMMINGS / II
SOMEONE WANTED ANOTHER PERSON
KILLED AND WERE WILLING TO PAy WELL
FO.K THE DEED, yOU WOULD MAIL A SO-
CALLED CHAIN- LETTER TO ONE OF yoUR
PUPES AND HE WOULD ' COMM IT THE
MuftVBK UNDER THE FALSE I
HE WAS KILLING ANOTHER MEMBER
THE "LEGION WHO WANTED TO PIE/,

; impression
: of

n

THE OLP LADy WHO KILLEC ANPERSON
WANTEC TO PIE BECAUSE. OF HER INCURABLE
AIL/WENT. ENKLGHT COULCN'T FACE CONTINUING
TO SPENP THE REST OF W5 WRETCHEP
LIFE IN AN IRON-LUNS. CHANCES ARE/
BROMLEY'S BUSINESS WAS SUFFERING
IRREPARABLE FINANCIAL, REVERSES ANP HE
PIPN'TCARE TO LIVE- IF HIS BUSINESS
AP5EP...

YOU'RE GOING TO PAY FOR
YOUR CRIMES IN A COURT
OF JUSTICE .'

TURN OFF THEM LIOHTS

I'LL TALK

I'LL TALK! ) OH, you

HEALTH SUPPORTER BELT

ie - ir 30' S .*0' s '

50's |

reel YOUHGfcK

;-. :

DOIS m bulging "bay window" make yau look and feel I
ymn aider than you really ore? Ihwhirt, at lait,S
1* the answer to your problem! "Chovfllier", the wonder- 1
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URLIER

LIFTS AND FLATTENS YOUR
9fiwm5L>f BULGING "BAY WINDOW"

f Why ge on day after day with an "eld-monV mld-i.Mion bulge
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.:■£,;

Worki quilt «. o i\^,^
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rwo-wAT

S-T-R-E-T-C-M

CLOTH

00 YOU ENVY MEN

Who €<in greoieit (ornferfi

'KEEP ON THEIR FECT'>

MTACHAILt

and than ho got a pouch *******

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prefect ion)

J ' i"DIR CLOTH

.A Firmly holdi In youl

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moll TOOAYI

1 2. Try on .h,

E 3e wior the
far ID whole

I IjpwyOwr bulging

SEND NO MONEY: „*,,/,

RONNIE: SAUS, INC. Deaf. 270I-S
4*7 Broadway, New York 13, N. Y.

Send me for 10 doy.' FREE TRIAL « CHEVALIER HEALTH.

TERSEU. I will poy pottmon W.W Iplui poitnat) —lb

—tondino/thot indud.i my FREE pouih. In 10 doyv
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or olherwit* my payment will be a full ond final

my n

(S.nd Urine

My*

I lilaoovii'F^ *1 ~2*^£&K if ■ *y» r^ —

■»-■ •"■ " " " ■* ' D Jo»o «5t ponoge. We pay peifeoe iF you end

RONNIE lAUS, INC, Otpr.270.-E . 487 Broadway, N. Y. 13, N. Y. »-■ *— *» '»»' ~» '■""«' »'-'•**-

it '-- ' .,, " ■■—■"■-——"

Hue payment

I Can Make YOU a New Man, Too, In Only 15 Minutes a Day!

■pEOPLE used to laugh at,
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ashamed to strip for
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fun of me behind my
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OUR 34TH YEAR