Under His Thumb

This issue of The Secret Service Series (No. 26, December 1889) features "Under His Thumb; Or, The Rival Detectives' Clews" by Donald J. McKenzie. The crime narrative opens at the printing-house of Blain & Waldron, where a gunshot in the counting-room prompts conflicting reports of suicide. Young apprentice Steve Lawton discovers the body of Mr. Waldron and identifies a bloody thumbprint on the open window sash—evidence suggesting murder rather than self-inflicted death. A mysterious thin-featured stranger wearing spectacles, apparently a detective, secretly extracts a section of the sash containing the thumbprint. George Dyer, the young foreman, suddenly flees the premises pursued by police, leaving Steve puzzled about his involvement. The serial's dual-detective premise is introduced as investigation unfolds into the mysterious circumstances surrounding Waldron's death.