[The Shadow 205] • Crime County

CRIME COUNTY was published in the September 1, 1940 issue of The Shadow Magazine. In New Jersey, sitting close to the metropolitan area of New York City, lies the town of Darport. In Darport and the surrounding county, crime will break out. Crime on such a widespread basis that even famed law enforcement officer Junius Tharbel will be overwhelmed. Crime that only The Shadow can thwart! Yes, it's the return of Junius Tharbel, who readers were familiar with seven years prior when he appeared in "Mox" the main story of the November 14, 1933 Shadow Magazine. By the time of this 1940 story, Tharbel is in his seventies. But he's still ace among sleuths, and still working as sheriff of Darport. He's built quite a reputation over the years, and criminals stay clear of his county. But it appears all that's to end. Crime is brewing! It begins when Tharbel notices Wallace Layton, assistant cashier at the Darport Trust Company, leaving work late at night carrying a large suitcase. His manner is sneaky, and Tharbel wants to know what is inside that suitcase. Could he be spiriting money away from the bank? But the bank is robbed before Junius Tharbel can find out. Speed Kroner heads up a gang of bank robbers who steal into the Darport Trust late at night and crack the safe. All the money is taken, including fifty thousand dollars just deposited by Blair Breeland, president of the quarry company. There's a long and furious battle between the bank robbers and the law, but Speed Kroner escapes with the swag, leaving his wounded gang in the hands of the law. Convinced that Wallace Layton has part of the bank funds secreted away, Junius Tharbel becomes a safe cracker seeking the illicit contents. But he's been set up. He's caught, put on trial, and sent to the state penitentiary. And while he's away in the big house, crime really breaks out in Darport! It will take The Shadow to squash the crime running rampant in Darport. It will take The Shadow to free his old friend Junius Tharbel from prison. And it will take The Shadow to reveal the identity of the master plotter behind the entire scheme. The Shadow receives aide from his various agents in this story. Appearing are Clyde Burke of the New York Classic, Moe Shrevnitz, one of the speediest hackies in Manhattan, and contact man Burbank. In a brief special appearance, Senator Ross Releston plays a small but pivotal role. The Shadow appears in disguise as millionaire sportsman and world traveler Lamont Cranston. And he also appears in disguise as Tharbel's sad-faced hunting companion Wade Hosth. This disguise was used in the previous story, "Mox," in which Junius Tharbel also appeared. Note that if you rearrange the letters in the name "Wade Hosth" you get "The Shadow!" Also appearing in this story is the dog from the seven-year-old story "Mox." In that story, the dog, a medium sized Dalmation, was owned by the evil mastermind Mox. When Tharbel helped defeat Mox, he aquired the dog. Since he didn't know the dog's name, he named it after its original owner; he called the dog Mox. It's a neat idea, and I wish the dog had played a larger role in this story. He's there, but mostly as window-dressing. He doesn't really get to do much, other than growl an occasional warning. Too bad... I do wonder, though, what happened to Mox during the time that Junius Tharbel was imprisoned at the State Pen? Nothing is said about the dog, or who takes care of him. But at story's end, Tharbel is released from prison and reunited with his faithful dog Mox. One can only read between the lines and assume that The Shadow somehow made the necessary arrangements during Tharbel's prison term. We are given a few more interesting hints about The Shadow's face in this novel. We're reminded that Cranston's face isn't The Shadow's own. Here, he remolds his features by touch in total darkness. It's a process he has learned to perform by touch alone. His hands make a spreading motion which flattens his aristocratic profile. Downward pressure adds a bulldog effect to the jawline. The result is a thug-like appearance that helps him infiltrate the gang. Is this guy's face made of putty, or what? I always enjoy any mention of The Shadow's hypnotic powers. Of course, they were nothing like those in the Shadow's radio show. No mystic powers of invisibility. But he does have lesser hypnotic powers, nonetheless. In this story, we're told that one safe cracker, controlled by the power of The Shadow's hypnotic eyes, was ready to do all that The Shadow asked. Many a kid in 1940, reading that passage in the pulp magazine, would have all sorts of fantasies running through his head as he imagined what he would do if only he had that hypnotic power. And many an adult, I suspect, as well...