Show a Pitchin Horseshoes r Joh Johnny ny the Ex Con Helps I A p Friend Solve a Case J v Y goat 1 each This story has two heroes cried arned johnny criminal first hero is a f our A s n named med Johnny Whitton a alias allas I i as fir the f Y the Mutt y q Our s second c con d hero is a detective detec detec- i t t tive ive i v e n named am e d tj tji f Johnny Cordes a who has been bee n praised b by several several sev sev- eral commission commission- commissioners ers as the best cop New York ever saw w. w Row Rose I used to know Billy and Johnny Brode Bro- Bro he Cordt- Cordt n hen hen team on the theay a worked w as de crick duick the Broderick was ay b beat at toughest cop on the forc and the smartest probably Cordes was W of toughies will testify it As J a ah lot Jot Sherlock Joe Holmes Louis this h combination broke many a ca case e and man many a head about COrdes first met the Mutt Passing an east 25 5 Y years ears ago aide cde d drugstore e one day he saw the Mutt helping to the daysi days day's receipts i p is with RIth one hand and point- point Lr lag a gun at the druggists druggist's head nth sith the other The detective went wenta in a wd and subdued the crook with the end butt itt tt end of his pistol but during the scuffle the Mutt shot him twice A cop on the beat heard lie Ibe shots mistook Cordes for the up hold man and shot him twice more m Johnny was in the hospital for months and a R. judge who frowned on shooting cop-shooting sent the Mutt to Sing Sing for 15 years Remember Me l When the Mutt finally got out of ot prison he went looking for Cordes who had been promoted to toli li lieutenant in charge of the Harbor squad quad Remember me copper he saidI saidI said I think of you every time it rains grinned Cordes I heard up in Sing Sing said the Mutt that you sometimes get jobs for guys you sent away and who come out wanting to go straight Sometimes I do said Johnny But if the guy crosses me I never let up ea on him I wont won't cross you promised the Mutt Mu t. t Cordes got him a job on the docks And when a minor steamship steamship steamship steam steam- ship official fired the Mutt because because because be be- cause of his record Johnny got gotto gotto gotto to a vice president and had him reinstated Til make this up to you some someday someday someday day Mr Cordes the ex-con ex told I him hinl I Machine Guns Disappear Sometime later several cases case of machine guns disappeared from one one of the docks dock The commissioner commissioner commissioner commis commis- sent for Cordes and told him this was one case which had to be cleaned up fast If the artillery fell feU into the hands of one of the heist and hijacking g mobs around town there was wa no telling what might happen Among the men picked up for questioning was the Mutt When he said he knew nothing about the theft someone suggested giving him the light bright treatment I think hes he's leveling said 1 Cordes Let him go go I The commissioner really started I putting the pressure on Johnny when stool pigeons reported the machine guns gun were being offered for sale to the various combines I I Late one night Cordes got a aphone aphone aphone phone call from the Mutt youn find what youre you're looking for in the lot ot behind the warehouse at ave and st. st Armed with and I shovels Cordes and his men raced to the lot Under the tr trash sh he heaps they hey found the machine 1 guns s I wrapped Tapped in tarpaper and burlap I Next day Johnny went looking I for the Mutt to thank him The dock boss told him the ex-con ex hadn't checked in in several veral days Three Three months later the Mutts Mutt's body was od was found floating in the Hudson He sure paid me off said Cordes as he looked at the bashed- bashed In n head Too bad it had to be with his life Copyright 1948 Billy Rose |