Pulp Fiction, 1941 · page 25 of 116
10-Story Detective, March 1941 — page 25: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Page This is an interior story page from an early-20th-century pulp magazine, featuring the opening of a crime fiction story titled "Pass-Key to the Morgue" by Ernest Johnson. The page displays an illustration at the top showing a man in action poses (appearing to be the character Kane), along with a subtitle describing Kane as an athlete whose business is crime. The bulk of the page contains prose narrative describing Kane playing beach ball at an athletic club pool—a scene that establishes his athletic prowess, callous nature, and contempt for others. The text emphasizes his cruel treatment of fellow swimmers, particularly a heavier member whom he deliberately injures.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Pass-Key to the Viorgue HE ‘beach ball zipped across the pale green surface of the * athletic club pool with rocket speed, Kane made a leaping sidewise plunge, his long arm outstretched, his hand cupped. Immediately three members dived, came up about him, trapping him. Kane feinted, shifted swiftly to the left, whirled over and over and under, eluding his opponents. He dived the remaining length of the one hundred _and twenty foot pool and emerged, cold and unsmiling, with the ball. Kane grimaced sourly. If he felt any emotion at his prowess, it did 9 . . 4 s; ; $2) Bs ae ha =H : t 3 mh i | j bs ‘} ’ % 4 NN) Hear ‘ q*s ha ari | : 1} J iA, NS , § tj de. Fhe) . ‘ . , Li ’ me St a : *. Tirta vet a é i 54 ‘ \ a at, ss 4 See { = \ b : \" , ‘ \ N NJ 2 | . 2 A = ; ; 23 By Ernesi Johnson Kane’s pastime was ath- letics—but his business was crime. And when he attempted to combine | business with pleasure, he played a gun game that had a suicide goal. not show in his reddish black eyes. Only the twist of his thin lips ex- pressed the contempt he felt for the awkwardness of the others. This applied especially to the fat member who was bending forward grasping his stomach which Kane had con- trived to give a vicious kick as he dived. With a sudden turn of his wrist, he sent the ball skimming to the other end of the pool, and chuckled as it struck the fat member in the mouth. The fat member, one hand grasping his stomach and the other his mouth, started for the ladder. - Go NOOK in) (C@