Police Comics #41 (1945)

In a 1945 adventure from *Police Comics* #41, a nervous former crook named Woozy is recruited by the F.B.I. to infiltrate the gang of the notorious thief Louie the Lift, who’s orchestrating a string of elaborate department store heists. As Woozy tries to blend in with Louie’s crew, he’s forced to confront his past when old associates recognize him, while the masked leader’s gang carries out their crimes with eerie precision.

In "Rollo the Hypnotist," the self-proclaimed master of mind control, Rollo, attempts to hypnotize a theater audience into robbing the venue—only to find his plan derailed when detective Flatfoot Burns arrives, unimpressed and unshaken by the spell. As Rollo tries to manipulate the crowd into attacking Burns, the detective outsmarts him with a simple truth: he never sleeps before eleven, rendering hypnosis useless, and turns the tables on the hypnotist with wit and calm.

In "Take a Chance," Jo O'Connor takes a bold step by going out with Roger Quinby, a man her father disapproves of, hoping to win a bike from her friend Ziggy Tyler. As she enjoys the evening, her friend Ted Dawson grows suspicious, leading to a playful but tense confrontation that reveals more than just a teenage romance.

In the quiet dock district, Patrolman Dan Richards stumbles upon a smuggling operation tied to the mysterious "Port of Missing Goods," where stolen cargo vanishes without a trace. When he’s captured and drugged, Richards’ secret identity as the vigilante Manhunter is triggered, leading him to outwit the criminals with help from his dog Thor and a clever ruse involving reversed running lights.

In the desert heat, the Spirit races to save Dr. Gregg after learning the deadly truth behind the Jewel of Death and a prophecy that ties Gregg’s life to a mysterious dancer. As he evades guards and confronts a thief who’s just stolen the jewel, the Spirit must outwit fate itself—especially when a sudden earthquake seals the fate of a man who thought he’d escaped his doom.