The life of Henry Leverage, the prolific pulp fiction writer of the early 20th century, is largely a mystery, with many details either conflicting or entirely unverifiable. According to some accounts, he was born as David Carroll Henry on 9 October 1879 in WaKeeny, Kansas. His father, John Cummings Henry, was said to be an inventor whose electric trolley patents brought the family a measure of wealth.

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In 1914, by now using the name Henry Leverage, he was convicted of receiving stolen property and incarcerated at Sing Sing Prison in New York State. During this time, he produced a large number of stories, many of which would later find their way into pulp magazines. After his release, he enjoyed a brief period of fame, with some of his stories, like The Twinkler and Whispering Wires, being adapted for film and earning him a small fortune.

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Ultimately, much of what is known about Henry Leverage comes from the man himself, who had a well-documented penchant for embellishing his own history. From claiming to have been born in London to describing a series of adventurous exploits in Asia and South America, Leverage’s life was – like his fiction – built on a foundation of imagination.

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Following a short illness, Leverage died on 24 February 1931 in New York.