Thubway Tham’s Birthday, by Johnston McCulley (ePub/pdf)

A clever pickpocket known for his lisp and his luck decides to celebrate his birthday in style by throwing a dinner party for his friends—and, surprisingly, invites the one detective who has been trying to catch him red-handed for years. The guest list includes a colorful assortment of underworld characters, each bringing a stolen gift and a tall tale of a recent job.

As the night progresses, the crooks regale the detective with increasingly outrageous confessions, much to his growing consternation. But when a police raid interrupts the festivities, the tables turn in a way no one expects. Will the detective finally get the evidence he needs, or is the whole evening just an elaborate joke at his expense?

This witty caper serves up a delightful mix of humor and suspense, proving that even criminals have their own code of honor.

Ripped from the pages of the April 13, 1920 issue of Detective Story Magazine, here is a crime-adventure by the unlikely antihero of Johnston McCulley's long-running pulp series.