Comic Title: Batman #44
Publisher: DC (National Comics Publications, Inc.)
Address: 480 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY
Cover Date: Dec/Jan 1947
Approx. On Sale Date: October 15, 1947 Copyright Date October 13, 1947
Source: Library of Congress, Periodicals 1946-1947
Until 1958 DC did not report actual on sale dates to the copyright office
The publication dates listed in LoC records are NOT release dates.

Frequency: Bi-monthly
Cover Price: $0.10
Page Count: 48
Editor: Jack Schiff

Title: "The First American Detective"
Pages: 13

Feature(s):
Batman (of Earth-2)

Writer: Bill Finger
Artist: Jim Mooney

Reprinted In:
Batman:The Golden Age Omnibus Vol. 5 HC (2018)

Feature Character(s)

• Batman (last appearance in Batman #44; next appearance in Detective Comics #130)

Supporting Character(s)

• Robin (last appearance in Batman #44; next appearance in Detective Comics #130)
• Carter Nichols (last appearance in Batman #43; next appearance in Batman #46)

Villain(s)

• Henry and a gang of highwaymen (no further appearances)

Other Character(s)

• Silas Wayne and Martha (Bruce's ancestor and his girlfriend; no further appearances)
• Benjamin Franklin (of Earth-2; first appearance; no further appearances)

Synopsis:
Bruce Wayne is confounded by a mystery surrounding his ancestor Silas Wayne. Silas was a silversmith and a suspected highwayman. Bruce has Professor Nichols send him into the past to learn the truth about his ancestor.

When Batman and Robin arrive in 1787, they stop a gang of highwaymen, but are suspected of the crime themselves. Ben Franklin speaks up for them and frees them. Then they prove that Silas was framed as the leader of the highwaymen.

The real leader is Henry, a former Tory. Silas loves Henry's sister Martha and agrees to take the blame as the highwayman to protect Martha's mother. Ben Franklin gives Silas a letter which proves his innocence to be used after Martha's mother dies. However, Silas dies first. Bruce finds the letter hidden inside Silas's portrait, and after more than one hundred years Silas is finally cleared.