A Detective's Story


"A Detective's Story" was originally published as "The Tell-Tale Signature" by John. B. Williams, M.D. in The Memphis Daily Appeal, April 22, 1860.

Click here to redirect to "The Tell-Tale Signature."



Publishing Information

Published in
The Indiana [PA] Progress, November 2, 1876

Our source is a publication entitled "The Tell-Tale Signature" in
The Memphis Daily Appeal, April 22, 1860

This story was originally published in The Family Journal some time before April 1860. The version here, attributed to John B. Williams, is a much embellished version of the original.

Reprinted in a much shorter version as "The Club Foot" (Ballou’s Dollar Monthly Magazine, August 1862; The Elk County Advocate [Ridgway, PA] August 3, 1876; The Weston [WV] Democrat, August 14, 1876; Watertown [WI] Republican, August 30, 1876; The Vancouver [WT] Independent, September 23, 1876; Juniata Sentinel and Republican [Mifflintown, PA], November 1, 1876). Click here to redirect to "The Club Foot"

and Leaves from the Note-Book of a New York Detective: The Private Record of J. B. Edited by John B. Williams, M.D. (New York: Dick and Fitzgerald, 1865. 19-25)