New Nick Carter Weekly, No. 38

The Hold-Up at the Casino This issue features the debut of "The Hold-Up at the Casino," authored by the creator of the Nick Carter detective series. The story begins with detective Nick Carter and his assistant Trim investigating a dynamite explosion in Puebla, Mexico, that critically injured wealthy General Maximo Blanco. The attack occurs in Blanco's office, destroying furniture and ceiling beams while leaving the victim unconscious and possibly paralyzed. Through correspondence from a Mexican consul and General Blanco's secretary Antonio Perez, Carter accepts the case. Carter reveals to Trim that a notorious European criminal known as Jan the Destroyer—possibly a Russian named Jan Luboff—may be involved. Carter describes Jan's history of eluding European police through daring crimes, including an attempted assassination of the Russian czar using explosives. The narrative then shifts to an anecdote about Jan's suspected involvement in blackmailing London banker Solomon for fifty thousand pounds, demonstrating Jan's modus operandi of sophisticated criminal schemes employing violence and psychological manipulation.