Putnam Pomfret's Ward

This 1861 Beadle and Adams dime novel by A. J. H. Duganne follows Putnam Pomfret's adventures in Mexico. The narrative begins at a Mexico City gaming house where a mysterious, cloaked man observes the establishment and encounters Falcone, a desperate gambler and robber. After a brief confrontation, they agree to meet in the botanic garden. A young American then emerges from the gaming house and shoots himself on the steps—a victim of monte (a card game). Pomfret, a Yankee adventurer characterized by eccentric dress, arrives at the scene and discovers the dead man clutching a locket inscribed "To my brother. New Orleans, July 1, 1845." The body is carried to the suicide's residence, where an elderly enslaved Black servant recognizes the corpse as his master, "Massa Charley," and grieves intensely. The narrative suggests a mystery surrounding the young man's identity and circumstances.