Baxter #12 - Hell's Haunted Acres

Lawrence Treat (1903-1998) was one of the founders of the Mystery Writers of America, and served as the association's president and director. He is considered the father of the police procedural by creating a group of detectives solving crimes as opposed to the traditional detective stories that featured a single character. His seven-decade career included 17 novels, over 300 short stories, and numerous appearances in anthologies and digests dedicated to the genre and craft. 

Treat's earliest appearances in the pulps were under his birth name, Lawrence Arthur Goldstone. Later, he changed his name and began appearing in Ace-High Detective Magazine, Detective Fiction Weekly, and Black Mask. Treat had a number of pulp characters appear in his stories, like Wee Willie Apple (Short Stories) and Edward Asa Scott (Dime Detective Magazine). Two of his characters, Bill Decker and Mitch Taylor, were often found in the pages of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. 

I wanted to read Treat's pulp stories starring a Southern private-detective, Paul W. “Galahad” Baxter, or just Baxter for short. According to Jess Nevins, Baxter appeared in Ten Detective Aces from 1939 through 1942, beginning with “Murder Isn't For Sissies” (May 1939). While Baxter works for a New York City agency, later stories relocate the character to Memphis and New Orleans. 

My first experience with the character, and subject of this review, is “Hell's Haunted Acres” (Nov. 1941), a “Smashing Baxter Novelet”. 

In the opening pages of the story, Baxter is sent to Mobile, Alabama by his boss Joe Cotton, the head of the Herald Square Agency. Baxter charges into a bank building to see his client, a big-business fellow named Hartswell. When Baxter briskly introduces himself, Hartswell says, “You're the boy that Cotton says is such a world-beater. Says you turn the city of N'Orleans inside out every Tuesday and Thursday, regular.” Baxter, as Bellem as ever, quips back, “Saturday's my night. What's the case?”

Baxter is sent by Hartswell to fictional Dog River, Alabama to protect a guy named Edward. Hartswell explains that Edward is his son, a big and powerful man with very little intelligence. Hartswell explains that years ago, Edward killed a man, forcing Hartswell to pay thousands of dollars to the man's widow to smooth things over so Edward wouldn't be prosecuted. The same thing has happened again. Edward killed Madie Allen's husband, one of the caretakers of the property that Edward lives on. Hartswell provides Baxter $10K to take care of Madie and pay off the rest of the people who supervise Edward.

It's a rather convoluted story, but one in which Baxter wisecracks, swings his fist, chases after Edward's gorgeous female friend, and ultimately solves the case. Treat's use of locale elevates the story, which incorporates snakes, an ominous swamp, and enough Southern stereotypes to top even Foghorn Leghorn. The mystery lies in whether or not Edward is really even alive, and the caretakers who are paid monthly to look after him. This includes the usual cast of suspects, which includes a herpetologist (who is fond of pythons), and a loud-mouthed bullhead named Scotty.

Baxter is the star of the show and proves it in the way he dispatches justice in unique and clever ways. The murder weapon is certainly a first for me, and the storytelling aspect of Baxter primarily chasing women was humorous for the small page count. I don't believe Baxter ever appeared in Treat's novels. That may be because he's so crass and obnoxious, yet, on a temporary basis enjoyable.  As a short pulp story character, Baxter is a fun waste of time. Read the story below or download HERE.