Beadle's Dime New York Library No. 443

Pistol Johnny's Fin at Top Notch This issue contains "Pistol Johnny's Fin at Top Notch" by Jos. E. Badger, Jr., a Western pulp serial. The narrative follows Jay Dillon, an elegant gambler and gunman, who rushes into the mining town of Top Notch on Sunday and fires his revolvers to summon citizens to the town square. Dillon reveals he discovered a murdered man at the remote Lone Cabin during his hunting expedition—the corpse bears both a knife wound through the left breast and a bullet hole in the back. Though Dillon cannot immediately identify the victim, he swears a solemn oath before the assembled miners to track down the murderer and see him hanged. The story depicts frontier justice themes, with Dillon's fearsome reputation among the townspeople evident in their wary reactions to his commanding presence and cryptic proclamations.