A Dime Novel Detective (1909)

Having falling in love with a rich heiress, the villain comes to ask for her hand, but is refused. He tries to force the young lady to accept his attentions, when the father enters and shows him the door. The villain leaves and swears revenge. To protect herself, the young lady calls on the famous detective, Hawkshaw. He shows her the rogues' gallery. After pointing out the picture of the villain she leaves, the detective promising her to be near her all the time. The villain, determined to call the girl his own, dead or alive, slips through her window into the sitting room, here she is reading a book. The father, who just entered, is struck down by the villain, and he is just ready to strike the girl when Hawkshaw enters in the mask of the father and disarms the villain. The young lady is promenading through the Zoological Garden looking at the animals, when suddenly the villain appears behind her, opens the bears' cage and throws her in, thinking the ferocious animal will now tear her to pieces. The animal, however, is no one else hut the famous detective, who now pursues the villain. We next meet the villain in the thieves' den. He brought a life-size picture of the detective and instructs his accomplices to destroy this man. Suddenly the picture becomes alive, and the bewildered toughs flee in terror. Still the villain pursues her. He takes a rope and throws it through the window into the room where the young lady is asleep on a couch. The rope coils around her neck, forming a loop; the villain then pulls the young lady out of the window and carries her off. Hawkshaw, however, is on the scene. He jumps over the house roof and comes just in time to rescue the girl. The villain hides in the sitting room. When the young lady enters he throws her out of the window and then drags her into the thieves' den, where an old woman watches over her. Hawkshaw hears her cries through the sidewalk and soon discovers her hiding place. The villain is just ready to strike her when the old woman throws off her mask, and lot there stands Hawkshaw! Now the villain and his accomplices watch at the outside of the house. They drag the young lady to the river front. The villain asks her to marry him, but she refuses. He is just ready to throw her down the embankment when the young lady takes off her hat and veil, and behold! there stands Hawkshaw! Now they bind Hawkshaw to a tree while the villain and his accomplices again go after the girl. With the aid of a hypnotist they get her out of the house. Again the villain asks her to marry him, but she remains firm in her refusal. He is just going to strike her when the hypnotist takes off his mask and again there stands Hawkshaw! This drives the villain to consternation. He returns home, but wherever he looks and wherever he goes there is Hawkshaw! The villain cannot stand this strain any longer, and he bursts into atoms, while the great detective calmly proceeds with his work!

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Summary Details
GenresComedy Short