Episode 9 - The Train to Sing Sing - September 22, 2024

Cast of Characters

Player	Character	Background
John	Keeper
Todd	Lawrence Simons	Inventor and jazz musician
Eric	Father Gerald O’Shea	Priest, former bare-knuckles boxer
Cyle	Aaron Winters	Occultist

Not Present

Player	Character	Background
Scott	Ritter Gunter von Stiglitz	Former German POW
Tom	Oxford “Ox” Sykes	Chemist and well-to-do ne’er-do-well

Journal

Saturday January 17, 1925

From the journal of Lawrence Simons

The funeral of Jackson Elias was today. It wasn’t well attended - just us, Jackson’s lawyer Carleton Ramsey, Ramsey’s niece, and publisher Jonah Kensington. There were some reporters who stayed a respectable distance away. Jackson had no family, so had no family at the funeral. The attorney told us that the reading of the will is scheduled for Monday the 19th at Ramsey’s law office.

Next we went to the Lafayette theater in Harlem to talk to Millie Adams and Rebecca Shosenberg. Millie does some work at the theater. She told us that Teddy’s Saloon is where a neighborhood watch group met that included her husband Hilton Adams. This group were all former members of the Harlem Hellfighters.

Millie imparted a few useful clues to us in our conversation.

• When bodies started appearing in Harlem, the police blamed it on drugs, on an African Death Cult, etc.
• Dr. Lemming ???
• They found a cult in Harlem with some connection to East Africa
• Ju Ju House
• Hilton was arrested over a body. The cops said he used his Army knife, but Millie said he never took it out of the house.
• The four men of the neighborhood watch are:
  • Needham Jonson
  • Douglas Fells
  • Art Mills
  • Jackie Wallace

Before we parted ways, Mrs. Adams gave us her telephone number.

Our next stop was Teddy’s Saloon, but the dorman wouldn’t let us in. So we went across the street and did some gambling and relaxing. After a while, Needham and Art arrived. They confirmed msot of what we think. The neighborhood watch stopped after Hilton was arrested.

Could the police or some other group be doing some crime each new moon and committing the murders themselves to drive people off the streets so there are no witnesses?

Art is a trumpeter, and led us across the street to Teddy’s. We played some music, and now are welcome there in the future.

From the journal of Gentleman Jerry

Jackson Elias’ funeral at Cyprus Hills Cemetery, 2PM

At the funeral we met Jonah Kensington (the publisher) and Carlton Ramsey (the lawyer), with his niece Willa. Not many people were in attendance. I spoke a few words about our friend. Ramsey wouldn’t divulge the contents of the will but hinted we were in it. Huh. Jackson didn’t have any family, it seemed.

The publisher, Jonah, gave us a bunch of Jackson’s papers, some partially finished chapters of a book and research notes. Skinny Larry sure is proud of that oiled leather attache of his.

Mille Adams at the Lafayette Theater, 5PM

At the Theater, Rebecca Shosenburg showed up, as she was friendly with Millie Adams. I made sure no one shot her with a “prop” pistol, because stuff like that always happens wherever we go. Seems Hilton, her husband, was part of a gang of ex-military, who patrolled the neighborhood and called themselves the “Harlem Hellfighters”, a nod to their division in the war. Tough guys with a reputation for taking on dirty jobs for long weeks (holding an area). They hung at Teddy’s Saloon, and were four in number:

• Needham Johnson
• Douglass Fells
• Art Mills
• Jackie Walls

Millie also spilled the beans about a “Crackpot” named Dr Lemming who believed that an “East African Death Cult” was responsible for the eight, now nine, slayings. I really need to get me a map of Africa! The headband with the ribbon was one of their signs - Mille said Hilton kept one as a bookmark in his book which Robbson kept as evidence. I’d really like to get a peek at that book! Somehow this all ties back to the Ju-Ju house, which isn’t a tea shop or such - it’s a place to buy African knick-knacks and carvings and such. We got Millie’s telephone number.

We tried to get into Teddy’s Saloon but the bouncer would have none of it. We told him if one of Hilton’s four friends happened by, we would be drinking a Root Beer across the street. Johnson and Mills came to find us and while they were initially wary, our fellow veteran status broke the ice and they invited us back to Teddy’s and vouched for us. There we met the other two. Skinny Larry performed in an impromptu Jazz Trio, the guy’s got talent!

Sunday January 18, 1925

From the journal of Lawrence Simons

The morning started with a train ride to Sing Sing Prison. Mrs. Adams had written a letter to Mr. Adams for us to take to him. I read the letter on the train and found an encoded message where she “signed” the message to indicate that it was authentic (I assume).

When we arrived, we met with Mr. Bronton, the warden. He said we can’t hand Hilton the letter directly, but we can let him read it or we can read it to him. And then we can hand it to the warden and he’ll gives it to Hilton later.

Our impression was that Hilton looks alright. He doesn’t seem mistreated.

According to Hilton Adams…

• He came across the body, but the cops were already waiting for him in hiding when he arrived. Then they pounced on him.
• This seems to indicate that Hilton was framed. But of course it’s his word against the police.
• He had found mention of the Cult of the Bloody Tongue with some connection to Juju House.
• There was a muscular shaven-headed African guy, M’Kunga Mukugna (or something like that).

Speculation: Maybe the cops are being paid by Juju House.

Speculation: The red ribbon on the goons who killed Jackson Elias could be the symbol of the Cult of the Bloody Tongue.

After returning to New York City, we briefly looked at the crime scene to see if we could find a curved knife that had been overlooked or discarded somewhere. But no luck.

Next up:

• visit Juju House
• the reading of the will

From the journal of Gentleman Jerry

After a long trip up the river (heh) to Sing Sing, we met George Branton who gave us 30 minutes with Hilton. We presented Millie’s Letter for inspection. Millie had scratched the six letters spelling out her name - smart dame! Now, we told Hilton we would try to free him, as he was on borrowed time. The police appeared on the scene VERY quickly and the Bowie Knife was taken from his home - he did not carry it on patrol. He mentioned the “Cult of the Bloody Tongue” - that’s the red ribbon! And hinted there were disappearances before 1919.

Hilton Adams warned us about a muscular man with a shaved head, Mukunga Midori, who Hilton had followed to a coffee house on 139th Ave.

Oh, I looked for a machete in the alley where HIlton was arrested - no dice.

Jackson’s Notes

Here are the various notes and photographs belonging to Jackson Elias. His publisher turned them over to us for safe keeping.

A Blurry Photo

Business Card 1

Business Card 2

Pattern Carved in Jackson’s Forehead

Handbill

Letter from Miriam

Letter from Warren

Letter to Kensington

London Notes

Matchbook

Nairobi