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Also this weekend we have a couple of articles going up at Great Detectors dot
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you can check those out at Great Detectors dot net. You can also subscribe
to the articles through the Kindle Store if you have a kindle. Now it's
time for today's episode of the Lineup, The Elsner Case, Ladies and Gentlemen,
by transcription, we take you now behind the scenes of a police head
quarters in a great American city. We're under the cold, glaring lights will
pass before us. The innocent, the vagrant, the thief, the murderer.
This is the lineup. See, Lieutenant, I didn't figure I was
getting all this. I thought all I had to do was to tell you
what I saw in white Gate Park last night. That is all you have
to do, is mee yes, sit down, let me take a few
minutes. We want to see if you can identify the man on the park
who walked past the bench where you and your girl were that song. We
picked up someone who fits the description you gave us. Oh yeah, sure,
Well, like I said, Lieutenant, Gloria, my girl that is,
was repairing her lipstick when this guy saundered by. Boy. Imagine me
putting a finger on a murder in the see few people out there on the
other side of the wire in the audience room. May I have your attention?
Please thank you. My name is Greb, Sergeant Matt Greb. I'll
explain the line after you. Each of the suspects you will see will be
numbered. I'll call up a number, their name and charge. If you
have any questions or identifications, please remember the number assigned to the prisoner as
I call his name. If you're sure enough too sure of the suspect,
have him held the officers who took your name will assist you. They're seated
among you identification. When the prisoners leave here, they are sent to the
bathroom and dressed back into their jail clothes. It makes it quite difficult to
bring them back after they meet here. The questions I asked these suspects are
merely to get a natural tone the voice, so do not pay too much
attention to their answers, as they often lie ring on the line. All
right, boys, all right, let's move this way over to the end
of the stage. That's it. I've turned it face to the front and
steer science look straight ahead. Number one Charles helps her assault. Why are
we finding Charles? The time that he worked? That was then? Talk
up, Charles, it was last you wish I was dead. Witnesses say
you started a child. Hey, whiteness, says the dog guy and his
money. Number two Maurice called her and drunk it dissorderly on private property?
Are you and Marie's on the water? Why didn't you start up? The
sentence in the day of the lobby was drunk? I guess anyhow, when
I got inside and found out I had already seen the picture, and they
wouldn't give him a forty cents mat number three, Jimmy better vagrancy. How
long have you been in town? Better? Sixty one years? I don't
know if I was born here. I didn't you like I told you?
Called him with a nose it What does the pincake? Sergeant Graham number three
hold for interrogation? Okay, better run in here. I'll be back in
a few minutes. Ben Okay, man come in Betterim sit down over there.
Yes, we want a few facts, Vetim. Early this morning,
an unidentified woman of about sixty was found choked to death in the park.
A nice looking unidentified woman of about sixty Vetom, nice looking until she was
strangled, So so the corner says she was murdered some time between nine and
eleven last night. I don't get it to Kennan this morning, I'm picked
up in an alley sleeping office note for it. Now, this what's the
connection. A kid who was making in the park last night, not fifty
feet away from the dead woman. That's the connection, Vetterom. A kid
who read about the killing in this morning's paper and came in and gave us
a description of the man who saw in the park at a little after eleven.
I still don't get a time when I try this. The description the
kid gave us was a bald man with a nose light as a pancake who
keeps sniffing all the time. That better is the reason we picked you up.
Not for sleeping in and out. No, no, And just to
make it all real tight, five minutes ago the kid identified you in the
liner. No, that ain't so he couldn't have. It was dark out
in the pocket. Okay, Lieutenant, I was in the park, all
right. I might as well save it's both a lot of time and tell
you the rest. You kill the venom stick up that got out of hand
when she's down to the yell, Lieutenant, she was dead when I got
there. I'd I have a smoke, Lieutenant. Yeah. I was walking
through the park, Lieutenant, looking for a good spot to flap for the
night, when I saw something shiny off and the bushes away. This here
house key. I bent down to pick it up. I saw the body.
She was dead like a door and there was no one around. I'm
sure, and then positive I looked good. Any hives flat broke, So
I went through a pocket. She didn't have no pocketbook. It's the buck
and a half and change in a coat. That's all I took, and
I beat it. I walked slow past those kids on the and so they
wouldn't be suspicious. That's a little tenant to too, So I help me.
The line ups finished? Ben, Is there anything I can do?
Yeah? Turned Vetta here over the sergean quine with you'm AT's gonna hold him
on suspicion of murder Loo kenn And I already told you still be right back,
Ben, All right, Hi Becker, Hi man, morning Antenna.
Here's the first reporting that body in Whitegate Park. Not much, no identification
yet, Becking and it maybe a while most of the stuff she was wearing
was homemade and home washed or no labels and no lawnd remark. Also there's
no record of her. Prince here or in Washington Coroner's office is checking out
her dennerwork now, probably as soon as we get something antennant right, Yeah,
yeah, Well Ben, what a Becker had? Does it look like
Jimmy Better? Maybe? I don't know. He says he was walking through
the park spot of this key, and then the buddy it's robbing it no
more? M Well, where do we go from here, Ben, well
until we get something on the body this key, I guess. Come on,
let's check with Harrison on the robbery detail. Get a listing of locksmith
I tell it if you may be lucky. If this key, how's that?
Harrison? One thing? The number punched on it, but the locksmith
had turned it out. This G one oh four here is a local serial
number. Get the name of the dress out of the fire in a minute.
But better than that, the key itself is for a Brussel dunlap lock.
Pretty rare in this part of the country, so the locksmith may remember
who he made it for. Of course, on the Yale or master padlock
wouldn't stand a churn. Or don't locksmiths have to keep a record on each
key they turn out, Harrison, No, no, certain only keep a
record when they make a key for a specific lock. Nothing when they make
a keeper key. Let's see who G one oh four is I one thing?
What all four? Here we are Wallerman Key shop three nine two?
All the stock Plemont Avenue is right? Freddy, Jeff fine wet cross your
fingers, Matt Hope, he's part elephant. Yeah, yeah, okay,
now Jens what can I do. We're from the police department, mister Wallerman,
I'm Lieutenant Guthrie the sergeant Graham. We'd like to ask you about a
key. Oh key I made? Yeah, this key, mister Wallerman,
you happen to know who you made it for? Brastil done laugh huh.
Don't often make one of these once twice a year. Good luck, all
right, but it's unusual. What is it, mister Wallerman? You remember
something? Yeah? Had temper? Sure two months ago. I was a
guy with nice clothes and a nice way of talking until he got sore.
Yeah, I remember now said I took too long. I was a blundering
idiot. That's it. You know this man's name is a dress No,
I don't, but he does live in the neighborhood. How do you know,
then, because I've seen him a couple of three times a Tommy loves
place. Tommy runs a Chinese hand laundry over the next block. This must
be a customer hit. What does this man look like? Always kind of
talk in face, sharp nose. But don't worry Tommy Lowell nor just mentioned
his temper. Who watched Lieutenant Norman you speak over very well? Or his
name mister Learnhood Elstone. He lived one or five doing Boulevard. Yes,
missus Elsman, and we're from the police department. Missus Elsman, I'm Lieutenant
Guthrie. This is Sergeant Graham. How do you do missus? And Missus
Elson? Is your husband at home? We'd like to talk to him.
Yes, he's inside listening to the radio. Just a moment now, car
and excuse me. See if the key fits? Will your many? Yeah?
It works all right then, uh huh. And here's Elsman now,
Missus Elsmer, I'm Lieutenant Guthrie. That's Sergeant Graham. We'd like a few
words with you. Please get it well, living room is this way?
You gent alone? Thank you? Oh, Missus Elson, if you don't
mind, we'd like to talk to your husband alone, of course, all
right, arm down, gentlemen. Frankly, I'm cured us to know what
this is about. Do you mind telling me what it's about? A woman?
Mister Elsman, an elderly unidentified woman who was found choked to death in
the park last night. Woman choked to death? I don't understand. Do
you want to talk to me about that? That's right, tell me,
miss Elsa. Did you read about this in the newspapers. No, I
haven't seen the paper today. Do you mind telling us what you did last
night? I stayed at home all evening, miss, all evening? Now
what is it all about, miss Delsona? Do you recognize this key?
Right? My house key? One does like it? Do you have your
house key with you now, mister Dlsma, I doom together with all my
keys. Yeah. How many house keys are there for everyone who lives here?
I mean three, four or five? Maybe, I don't know.
They're all around. There's a main hal one she does. She let herself
in with one a few minutes before you were out. And joy, miss
Dlsmon, she has the key, of course, of course, now look
here, enough of this. Why all these stupid questions about house keys,
What if anything do they have to do with a woman who was strangled in
white? They'd parklers? Well, well, this key was found near the
body, mister Elsener, and there were signs of a struggle, which could
mean that whoever killed a woman dropped this key your key? But I have
bi herkey. I just showed it to you there, and I'm sure my
wife does too. And what about extra keys? Are they around? I
couldn't say. House keys are famous for getting lost to tennant. Did you
ever lose one since you've been in this house? Yes, yes, about
two or three months ago. Where'd you lose it? Here? At home
in the street? I don't know. It wouldn't be lost if your camp
please control thisself, please, I'm sorry, it's good. I'd be glad
to answer your questions. Cal leave it. That won't be necessary, mister
Olsener. Now by last night, you say you were here, yes,
Carol, here I went to bizarre what was it? A gander? The
Woman's arg January of the North Point Country Cloud. I'm Cheerman. We're raising
money developing your cloud house next spring, I see, mister d Elsoner.
Did you have any callers last night? Any visitors of any kind? Yes?
I did. Can you remember them specifically? I think so. There
was the newsboy he was making his weekly collection about nine, I'd say for
what paper, Miss Dlson, the Evening Star, and anyone after that,
mister Elsener. Two people along about ten, a delivery boy from the liquor
store at King He brought two bottles of the scotch. At ten thirty a
friend of my wife's dropped him looking for Ruth Malad. He lived at the
Park Neverland stay. About twenty minutes we watched a television show together, a
quick show called Number three, A Brooklyn housewife, one attack park, some
question about Tightnit. Then gentleman that eleven I had a long distance person to
person call from a mister Saul Meadow toy jobber and the moin Iowa, I
manufactured toy. Now is there anything else? No, sir, not right
now. Anyway, We'll be in touch, Can I missus Elsa good night?
Good night sergeant, and I mister goodnight. In Omen Mister Elsma said
he didn't read about the killing in the paper, so so I'd like to
know how he knew what happened in Whitegate Park. We never mentioned the park
by name. Next Sunday CBS brings you an exciting, timely appraisal of the
world situation and some of the answers when ten top CBS correspondents are heard in
the special broadcast entitled The Challenge of the fifties Years of Crises. For the
past month, these famous CBS reporters have been interviewing world leaders on Next Sunday's
broadcast. You'll hear on special recordings what these leaders predict. Edward R.
Murrow will be the moderator. Don't miss this unusual significant broadcast The Challenge of
the Fifties, next Sunday afternoon on most of these same CBS stations. How
did you get that? Willis? I'm warning against King's Liquor store. They're
supposed to have sent two bottles to Scotch to Elsma last night about ten twenty.
Yeah, and get a hold of the newsboy who collects for that route,
will you. It's the Evening Star. Yeah, that's right, And
I put a tracer on a person to person called Elsma claims he got at
eleven from us Sall Meadows in Des Moines. Yeah. I want every bit
of that alibi check right. You know, Ben, personally, I think
you're wasting your time checking Elson's alibi. Yeah, yeah, it sounds good
to me. Too many people involved to be a phony. We'll see there's
something wrong there someplace. Matt Well, the keymaker, backs up Elsner in
his story about losing the key for my money, You're reaching quite a way
is to tie a well to do guy like Elsner into a threadbare old lady
dead in a public park. Why would he do it? Ben, That's
what beats me. Why ain't got me? Well, anyway, I'd go
easy if I were you. Ellison is a kind of bird that really blows
his lid over a false arrest. In fact, there was come in call
a tenant, Matt I Becca, Well, we got an identification on the
old lady in Whitegate Park. We trace the shoes they'd been half sold lately,
and we finally located the shoemaker, a guy away out in the Henning
district. He just now identified the body, Edna Cooney four four one two
Durban speed. That's a walk up and it checks up. Who'd you talk
to? There be a landlady and missus Peters, she says. Missus Cooney
had had a room there for about six months. Let's go, man,
I just can't believe she was such a sweet little old thing. My terrible
that's what it is. Down this way, gentlemen, thank you? When
did you say it happened? And last night missus Peters? Sometime between nine
and eleven? Didn't you notice she was gone? Today? Man? No,
I didn't, Sergeant. Sometimes I go a week or more without seeing
all my tenants, especially the quiet one and this is her, the one
here right, duffy in here, I better open. I wouldn't bother.
We won't be here long. Yeah, we just want to look around.
Maybe she kept a date book or a diary something she did it be over
there on that table with the drawer. She was a nice, sweet woman,
sergeant, one of the best tenants I ever had. It's terrible.
I can't ma this picture of missus Peters. Who is it? You know?
Yes, that's her? Oh my goodness. What's the matter? That's
Jim her son. That boy doesn't even know yet? It is mother?
Is it here? In tom what? As far as I know, he
lives over on the south side. Some face works in the mill over there
stamping. Now, I think would another name than that? Would it be
mcclennon, Lamb. She got a metal ash tray here and I let her
open her both stamped with the compliments and mcclemlon land one oh two fourth South
Market And let's try it, and missus Peters leave everything just as it is
and keep this room locked. William, we may be banged. This must
be him in one of the saving I'm Jim Clooney. Yeah, let's go
inside there Jim out of the snoise where we can talk. Go ahead,
Jim, I'm Lieutenant Ben Guthrie its stage and Graham and from the police department.
Jim, Police, what do you want with me? And wait,
wait, wait, I'm afraid we've got some bad news for you. It's
your mother. We mom, what's happened to her? She hurt. It's
worse than that fellow. She's dead, Jim. Dead. Happened last Sunday
nine. Her body was found in White Big Park. But how she was
murdered? Jim, Mom, murder? Who did it? We don't know,
but maybe you can help us. Just answer some questions. Sure,
go ahead, I'm open to What do you want to know? When don't
you see your mother last? Jim? Yesterday afternoon about one o'clock. I
guess buddy drove me out to her place. Lieutenant, I don't get this.
I'm never went out at night, and maybe once or twice to a
movie. But the park, she never went in there. When when you
were with it, she seemed upset about anything. No, not a bit.
What you sat around and talk like always? Now, what did you
talk about? Anything special? The same old things? My job, draft
my gas station, you've got a gas station, Jim, It's not really
mine. It's one i'd like to have. It's not on grand guy's gonna
sell out and attire used to talk about me buying it and going into business
for myself. I'll never have that kind of money. Yesterday, Mom was
kidding around that she was gonna borrow the don payment for me. She ran
into a wealthy old friend, she said, some guy she knew twenty five
years ago. I worked for the same company up in Evanston for a while
after my dad died. She hadn't seen this guy since then, but unst
she ran into him on the street last week and recognized him. She got
a big kick out of it. Did she mention his name? Yeah?
It was Melvin something Melvin Melvin barryot was you know where we can get in
touch with him? No, do you want him? Maybe your mother wasn't
kidding about borrowing the money. I mean, what is that funny where the
kids are concerned? You know? But by the way, did you ever
hear of a Leonard Elsner live was up on Dwyne Boulevard. No, wait
a minute, it's funny. What's funny, Jim? But you mentioned that
Dwayne Boulevard. All right, what about it? Mom used to go up
there quite a bit. She used to take a bus to the library up
there and watch him. I think she said that that's where she was coming
out of the library when she ran into this. Melvine Berry sent back,
Yeah, about thirty minutes ago, Maddie was on his way down the file.
Oh okay, thanks man back here man any luck. Yeah, we
had a dig back into the nest for this one. Have a look.
Melvin Barry escaped and stake country February nineteen thirty. Evanson had him from embezzelment,
tried and convicted up there into seven nineteen twenty nine, got five years.
The nice second guy, pretty dapper without mustache. Man, you see
what I see? Huh Now, I guess not. We'll look skip the
mustache, forget it. The eyes, not the eyes. Holy smoke.
You weren't wasting your time checking on that alibi after all, Ben don gusmine,
I'm good. Put him on. Yeah, yeah, go ahead,
willis Well Jacks all of it you okay, Okay, when was that song?
Don't tell me? Yeah? Alsoner's alibi is air time. That's almost
impossible. Matters of fact. Let's go, man, go away to the
Olsena residence, one hundred and five Dwayne Boulevard. But I know what I
said, Let's go look three when you fellas were here before I tried my
festival. I know, I know. But we found out a few things
since then. We want to find out a few more like Well, for
one thing, there are four parks in this city. That's an interesting bit
of information. So how did you know the murder took place at White Gate?
You said you hadn't read about it. Neither of us mentioned white Kate,
probably natural assumption. That's the largest parking pound. I I simply another
thing. We had a long talk with Jim Cluney today, and he's the
dead woman's son. He told us how his mother ran into an old friend
right out here on Dwayne Bologo. She hadn't seen the man in twenty five
years. Go on, if you've got a point, get to it or
get out of here. I'll get to it, mister Elsmer. The man's
name was Melvin Berryer. The girl go on and got him. We checked
on him. He was convicted of embezzlement up in Evanstone back in nineteen twenty
nine escape from prison in nineteen thirty. He was never caught. Of course,
we have his picture in Prince. It won't be any trouble. I
don't know what you're talking about. If this is unpraised a way of accusing
me a murder than the rest of block on. Nobody's accusing you of murder.
Elsner. We know you didn't do it right, but of course now
you were home here your alibi checked all the way. Yes, right,
But there are all the circumstances. We can't ignore them in spite of a
perfect alibi. You know, missus Elson, a life like that Melvin Berry
lives must be a well, must be putting thesable, constantly afraid that the
next time he turns around somebody will recognizing, Always under a shadow of fear.
No matter how successful he is, there's always the dread that sometimes,
someplace, someone will know him. Don't you think so? Missus Elson must
be even worse for a woman who loves a guy like that, wouldn't you
say, missus Elson? She could never escape it, couldn't she The more
she stood to lose like welcome social position, and worse it'd gotten until finally,
until finally, Finally, Ed mcclooney was murdered. Edd clooney ran up
against a person like that, just because she recognized an old friend who had
a secret. She didn't know about the secret, but she did want about
money. And that's all it took, wasn't The killer could only figure one
way blackmail. Everything was ruined suddenly, all the fears and all the suspicions
that had been piling up for years broke loose. Didn't didn't they? Yeah,
don't kids, Yes, let's turn. I can't take anymore. I
had to do it. I had to kill her. I knew it from
the instant when he had told me she'd recognized him. His mouth and barry.
No other way up, no other way. I left the bazaar,
arranged to meet her in the park. When she said she wanted money,
I grabbed her choked. Oh I didn't know anything about it. So it
okay, man, my k okay, give her some help out. So
so she gets folded, whist and we'll all go downtown and put it on
paper, the line up or before you passed, the innocent, the vagrant,
the thief, the murderer. Listen again next week when we again bring
you the lineup. May I have your attention? Three? You'll people laugh.
Then on the other side of the ar, may I have your attention?
Please? Thank you. My name is Greb, Sergeant Matt Grebb.
I'll explain the line up through you. Each of the suspects you will see
will be numbing. I'll call up a number, then name and charge.
If you have any questions or identification, please remember the number of signing to
the prisoner as I call his name. You're sure, I'm sure of the
sign up. The line up, starring Bill Johnstone as Lieutenant Ben Guthrie and
Wally Mayor Sergeant Matt Grabb, is written by Gene Leavitt and Bob Mitchell,
the music by Eddie Dunnstetter. Featured in tonight's cast were Gil Stratton, Ted
Osburne, Parley bear Herd, Butterfield, Robert Griffin, and Virginia Gregg.
The lineup was transcribed in Hollywood. Hi himI del Faye. The big postseason
football game of the year, the Rose Bowl contest between Michigan and California,
will be broadcast next Monday, New Year's Day over most of these same CBS
stations for action, color, excitement. Be sure you're on hand for this
great sports event, the Rose Bowl game between Michigan and California. Dan Coverley
speaking, this is CBS where you find songs for sale every Friday night at
the Columbia Broadcasting System. Well, come back, and we have yet another
case of crook's assuming everyone else must be crooked. And of course the poor
lady who was killed had no idea about the secret, but it was assumed
that the only reason she would be asking for a loan or for money to
help out her son was not were old time's sake, but because she knew
about the secret, and leads to a bit of a tragic end here.
All right, Well that'll do it for today. Join us tomorrow we'll be
bringing you a video theater episode one, last episode of the Court of Last
Resort ahead of next week being the final episode we have of a life in
your Hands. Our listeners, support Kim hen continues. Support us at support
dot great Detectors dot net. Follow the program on Twitter at Radio Detectors,
and be sure and fill out our listeners survey survey dot rate detectors dot net.
But from Boise, Idaho, this is your host, Adam Grahamson and off