 | #065 "The Chinese Disks"
Vol. 11, No. 5 Published: 11/01/34 Submitted: 02/16/34 under the same title Author: Walter Gibson Review date: Jun 09, 2000 |
THE CHINESE DISKS was originally published in the November 1, 1934 issue of The Shadow Magazine. Just what are these disks? They're metal coins with a chinese symbol stamped upon them, used by thugs in the employ of Diamond Bert Farwell to identify each other.
Diamond Bert Farwell - you remember him. He appeared in the very first Shadow novel, THE LIVING SHADOW. At the end of that story, he was sent to the state penn, where we find him as our new story opens. But just because he's in prison doesn't mean he is isolated from the outside. He's still organizing his gang and preparing for the day he gets out.
When he does get out, he has a gang of cutthroats ready to help him begin a reign of crime unparallelled in the history of New York City! The gang is currently lying low, contacting old members and recruiting new members. Their method of identification is the chinese disks left over from Diamond Bert Farwell's previous crime spree when he took the guise of the Chinaman, Wang Foo.
In this early story, Commissioner Weston is out of the country, and Commissioner Wainwright Barth is the acting commissioner. Barth regards The Shadow as a myth, as did his predecessor. Detective Joe Cardona, of course, knows better. Cardona is still a detective, here - has yet to become inspector.
Slade Farrow, criminologist who first appeared in THE GREEN BOX, makes his second appearance in this story. He would go on to appear in other Shadow stories as an occasional assistant to The Shadow. With him appears his two assistants Tapper and Hawkeye. Tapper, safe-cracker extraordanaire, continued to work with Farrow thoughout the Shadow series. Hawkeye, however, eventually left the side of Farrow and joined The Shadow as his best trailer and spotter.
Moe Shrevnitz made his first appearance in this story. Harry Vincent meets Moe for the very first time, and reminds him of how he had been saved by a mysterious figure some time before. (I don't believe that story was chronicled, but someone correct me if I'm wrong.) Moe agrees to join up with The Shadow.
Jericho Druke was another agent of The Shadow who appeared sporadically throughout the series, and he makes his first appearance in this story. It explains how he closes his buisiness, an employment agency, and joins The Shadow. Pietro, a fruit stand vendor, was a minor agent for The Shadow. He first appeared in 1933 in THE SILVER SCOURGE, but didn't work with The Shadow until this story. He only appeared in a few Shadow novels, but he's enlisted by The Shadow in this one. Also appearing in this story is the character of Yat Soon, the arbiter of Chinatown. He also appeared in the very first Shadow novel, THE LIVING SHADOW.
You'll have to forgive the occasional racial slurs. Chinese and Italians are referred to in slang that was common at the time. They're certainly not proper by today's standards, but they have been left in the story for reasons of historical accuracy.
This is a story that contains some important origins. And the return of some early characters as well. It's quite a story, and one well worth reading.