Pulp Fiction, 1941 · page 57 of 116
10-Story Detective, March 1941 — page 57: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page Content Analysis This page contains two distinct sections: **story prose** at the top and **advertising** at the bottom. The upper portion continues a hardboiled crime narrative titled "Murder—in the Bag," depicting a telephone negotiation between the narrator and a criminal kingpin over a kidnapping involving "Lima beans" as apparent ransom. The dialogue reveals a murdered police officer and escalating criminal complications. The lower half is a full-page advertisement for a self-help scheme, where a man named Frank B. Robinson claims that "talking with God" transformed his life from failure to prosperity—he now owns a newspaper, office building, and Cadillac. He invites readers to write for details about this purported God-Power, offering it as a solution to poverty and unhappiness.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
MURDER—IN THE BAG police on my way over here. The dicks put a tail on me. I lost them. Then a couple of your dumb hoodlums led the law right to the place. That’s where the cops came in—they fol- lowed your men who were tailing me.” I could hear the guy swearing. SAID: “That isn’t the saddest part. Your mobsters killed a dick out here and tried to snatch Miss Mc- Hale. Both times there was shooting. This job is getting hot.” “The hell you say!” “Exactly. The law’ll probably be back any minute. You’d better give her a chance to deliver before it’s too late. She’s tried to meet you halfway all night, and you and your dim-wits have done nothing except cross her up.” “So what?” “So you must have some organiza- tion,” I needled him. “You bumped Willie Fargo because he muffed a play. And then you let the rest of your mob run around killing cops and shooting up the finest district in town. ow long do you think you can get away with it?’ 29 “Okay,” the voice said, and I knew I had scored with my guess about how Willie Fargo had died. ‘“That’s enough. Have the dame bring the beans to the corner of Park and Rus- sell. A man in a checkered cap’ll be waiting.” I said: “I know where it is. I'll drive her.” “Like hell you will. She’ll come alone.” “Ah—” I began, but he eut me short. “Alone, I say.” “You’ll release her father as soon as you have the beans?” The question was intended to keep him talking. I wanted to be doubly sure about that voice. “Yeah. Yeah. Right away.” “Look. I’m curious. Just why is a bag of Lima beans worth a kidnaping rap? The Federal Bureau—” “Nobody’ll take a fall on this job!” “Don’t be too sure. They always trip crooks sooner or later.” ‘““A man will be at Park and Rus- | sell,” the voice said with finality. Then it added an afterthought: “The hug’s only a setup. If you knock him over, you won’t get anybody.” “T Talked with God” (Yes, | Did—Actually and Literally ) and as a result of that little talk with God a strange Power came into my life. After 42 years of horrible. dismal, sickening failure, everything took on a orighter hue. It’s fasci- nating to talk with God. and it can be done very easily once you learn the secret. And when you do — well — there wil] come into your life the same dynamic Power which came into mine. The shackles of defeat which bound me for ears went a-shimmering — and now—?—well, own control of the largest daily newspaper in ou) County, | own the largest office building in our City I drive a beautifu! Cadillac limousine. { own my own home which has a lovely pipe- organ in it, and my family are abundantly pro- vided for after I’m gone. And all this has been made possible beeause one day. ten years ago. { actualiy and literally talked with God. You, too, may experience that strange mysti- eal Power which eomes from talking with God, and when you do, if there is poverty, unrest, eeprom ee ee unhappiness, or ill-healtn in your life, well — this same God-Power is able to do for you what it did fox me. No matter how useless or helpless your life seems to be—al] this can be changed. For this is not a human Power I’m talking about—it’s a God-Power. And there ean be no limitations to the God-Power. can there? Of course not. You probably would like to know how you. too. may talk with God. so that this same Power which brought me these good things might come into vour life. too. Well— just write a letter or a »ost-card to Dr Frank B. Robinson, Dept. 999, Moseow, Idaho, and full particulars of this strange Teaching will be sent to you free of charge. But write now— while you are in the mood. It only costs one cent to find out, and this might easily be the most profitable one cent you have ever spent. It may sound unbelievable—but it’s true, or I wouldn’t tell you it was.—Advt. Copyright, 1989, Frank B. Robinson. clo@olx CO