Comic Title: Phantom Stranger #4
Publisher: DC (National Comics Publications, Inc.)
Address: 480 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY
Cover Date: Feb/Mar 1953
On Sale Date: December 19, 1952 Copyright Date December 17, 1952
Source: Library of Congress, Periodicals 1953
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.

Newsstand Date December 19, 1952
Source: Newsdealer Magazine, V7 #10

Frequency: Bi-monthly
Cover Price: $0.10
Page Count: 32
Editor: Julius Schwartz

Title: "The Riddle of the Ghostly Trumpet"
Pages: 6

Feature(s):
Phantom Stranger (of Earth-1)

Writer: John Broome
Penciller: Manny Stallman
Inker: Bernard Sachs

Feature Character(s)

• Phantom Stranger (last appearance in Phantom Stranger #4; next appearance in Phantom Stranger #4)

Villain(s)

• Clay Whitman (a band leader; no further appearances)

Other Character(s)

• Hal Davies (a trumpet player; no further appearances)
• Perry Fulton and other band members (no further appearances)

Synopsis:
Jerry Kix Dexter was a trumpet player for Clay Whitman's band until he was murdered. Hal Davies wants to take Dexter's place in the band, but Whitman won't let him audition. One evening Davies sneaks backstage and plays Kix's trumpet. The other band members think Hal looks and sounds just like Kix.

Hal joins the band and soon rumors begin to circulate that he is possessed by Dexter's spirit. The Phantom Stranger, disguised as Dr. Magy, places Davies under hypnosis. Suddenly the lights go out. In the dark Clay Whitman tries to kill Davies. The Stranger stops him. Whitman had killed Dexter and thought his spirit would implicate him in the murder. The Phantom Stranger explains that there was no supernatural element involved with Davies. The trumpet player simply watched Dexter and patterned his behavior after his idol.