All-Star Comics #43 (1948)

At the Gotham Globe, a reporter named Benson tells his skeptical editor a story about a burglary at the Simpson Timer Company, in which the manager's payroll safe was stolen, but the cash payroll itself was left in a pile on the office floor. While they talk, a new story comes in over the teletype, about a train wreck on the Gotham City Railroad, in which the crack Midwest Limited hit a stretch of track where the steel rails were missing, and crashed into the ground. Elsewhere in Gotham City, the Justice Society of America responds to a newspaper appeal for help from "the Great Raymond," an escape artist and "Exposer of Frauds," who is in fear for his life. He too has a fantastic story to tell. At the Gotham Island seaside resort, Raymond had undertaken to expose the fraudulence of Aurikon and his so-called "Gold Men." Only they weren't frauds, and they really were made of gold, and they did not appreciate his snooping into their business. So they tried to murder him, by means of the classic escape artist trick of wrapping him in chains, nailing him up in a crate, and throwing it into the river. He of course escaped from that, and then contacted the JSA, who accompany him back to Gotham Island. There they break into the troupe's dressing room, and find a huge hidden stash of stolen steel bars. This matches the pattern of recent robberies, but while they are reaching their conclusions about that, the Gold Men return, and there's a melee, with the JSA losing. All the members are knocked out, and the Gold Men abscond with their stash of steel, and snatch Raymond along with them, as they escape in an interdimensional vehicle, disguised as a "caterpillar" carnival ride. The Justice Society give chase by having Green Lantern use his power ring to duplicate their ride.