Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 796

# Museum Catalog Note

This 1892 Beadle and Adams dime novel, Broadway Billy's Queer Bequest, by J. C. Cowdrick, features the detective protagonist Broadway Billy (William Weston) in a mystery inheritance case. Lawyer Bryland visits Billy's office with news that the deceased Elijah Santvoord, whom Billy never knew, has left him a thousand dollars—contingent on recovering a hidden iron box containing sealed papers and bequests for two other legatees: Baptist Hodgerson and Abiel Trotterman. The letter in the box, to be opened publicly, holds the clues Billy needs. At the will-reading, held at Santvoord's residence before his three adult children and the interested parties, the conditions are explained: Billy must locate the box and act as custodian, with all sealed papers to be read aloud before witnesses. The story involves mystery, detection, and the puzzle of why Santvoord selected an unknown young detective for this peculiar task.