Batman Issue 295

The Adventure of the Houdini Whodunit!
Commissioner Gordon calls on Batman to attend a special meeting of the long-inactive Mystery Analysts of Gotham City. Former D.A. Danton, Art Saddows, and Kaye Daye have all individually been confronted within the last 24 hours by a dead girl--the same girl. From examining an ambulance stretcher that the girl is repeatedly snatched from, Batman discovers a wire substructure that gives the impression of a body when a cloth is draped over it, a trick used by magicians. He advises the Analysts to investigate the scene at the Magic Palace night club. They do so after Batman has a run-in with the figure he suspects of being the murderer, who escapes by blinding Batman with flash powder--another magician's trick.

At the Magic Palace, the Analysts discover that the dead girl is June Gold, assistant to David Hamton, their headline magician. Hamton's apprentice Martin Monroe claims innocence, but provides motives for three others in the club: Lisa Morrow, who was often insulted by June Gold when the latter was drunk; her friend Glenn Falkenstein, whose act June threatened to botch up; and Hamton, whom June was blackmailing. Later, Kaye Daye is found missing, and Batman, trying to find her, is slugged unconscious from behind. Batman awakens to find himself chained to the bottom of a tank being filled with water, with Kaye tied beside the tank. The unseen murderer promises to return after doing his act and kill Kaye. Batman exerts enough pressure on the sides of the tank to shatter them, and then frees Kaye.

He goes on stage to capture the murderer, Martin Monroe. Monroe admits that he hoped to become the headliner at the club by killing June and framing Hamton for the murder. Later, Hamton admits to pulling the body-snatching and flash-powder routines in order to get Batman and his allies interested in the case. When Kaye asks how Monroe did the killing while apparently sitting in the barroom of the club, Batman replies that magicians never reveal their secrets, even in prison.

Individuals

 * Batman
 * James Gordon
 * Characters
 * Art Saddows
 * David Hamton
 * Glenn Falkenstein
 * June Gold
 * Kaye Daye
 * Lisa Morrow
 * Martin Monroe
 * Martin Tellman
 * Winston Bennett

Locations

 * Gotham City