Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This
is your host, Adam Graham. If you have a comment, email it
to me Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot net, follow us on Twitter at
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I do want to encourage you, if you've not already, to check
out my wash business at a Shia claps. That's Lila Rose dot Biz l
I l A Rose dot Biz slash a Shia s h Ira and there you'll
find a wide variety of different headbands, hair clips, and hairpins to suit
a wide variety of different taste as well as hair sizes. So check that
out Lila Rose dot Biz slashes Huro. Well, now it is time for
this week's episode of Filo Vance. The original air date March the twenty feet
of nineteen fifty and the title as The Jackpot Murder Case. What a night,
Margam, he dik the words right out of my thought one a night.
Glad you decided to come along with me. Vans. Thanks for asking
me. Isn't every private investigator who had taken out on a case by but
just turning. You aren't every private investigative van Well, thank you, margam
right now. I wish I were an Indian guy. Oh, I think
this is the spot where I'm supposed to meet why Willie, and I'd like
to get out there weeping Willie gangster nicknames are very descriptive, aren't they.
Definitely only Willie isn't the gangster. He's what the highly literate newspaper is referred
to as an informer and the police call a stool pigeon. He insisted to
me on the phone this afternoon that he knows who killed Laport yesterday and would
tell me if I met him here alone. You're not very complimentary we met.
I wasn't to bringing Sergeant Heath or any policeming for that matter. I
can't tell you why because I don't know. I do know, I don't
really sh going out in this rain. There's supposed to be a shack of
some kind out here, so will he said, M I use the spotlight
on this side of the car, perhaps I can pick it out there.
We are not over in that direction, No, not over there. It
is Markham yep, the practically parked on the threshold right we'll make a run
for it. Ready, Yes, let's go. Come on, Mark,
let drop him? Do you get very wet? Vance? Not too go
in and see you a friend weeping? Willie good enough? Of course if
he does a pot yesterday, frip would have been worthwhile, no question about
that. The Pope was in a racket slot machines. But he was murdered.
I wonder why Willie doesn't answer. I suppose we find out Markholm.
Yes, I see the body Vans a knife in his back. Yeah,
that's Willie all right. He had an appointment with us, but somebody got
to impurse somebody something named murder. Slug me, Sam, I beg your
pardon, boy, I said, slug me, give me a slug.
I want to play the slat machine. That's a difference. I got it
quite a different meaning at first, you and you're gathering. If you didn't
know so many words, wouldn't find it's a tough to understand the one's eye.
You give me a slug, certainly, sir? Here you are um
apple women good good? It should be good. I fixed the machine.
Wis home. It's okay. Sam. You did good. Thank you Almost
as good as I did with weeping Willie up in his shack. I'd say
that was quite an achievement, dude, you would say so, if you'd
say it, say it. What are you waiting for to sing your brown
slug? Me? You want another slug? You and your education? Yeah?
I want another slug? I said that plain enough. Yes, dude,
you did, you did? Yeah you are. But may I ask
what you're trying to do? Ye? Yes? May I ask? Yes?
Can't you? I'm testing this slot machine. If it works like you
say, and if the other is a gimmick as good as this one,
we go in business tomorrow, yea, with no competition and nobody no competition
because I'm not thought. I'll apoort yesterday number one, and nobody to finger
it because they took care of weeping Willie tonight too. You know you got
words, but I got ideas. So when the cops find that knife and
Willie, how they're gonna be surprised? Give me the slug? Will you?
How many times I have to ask? Thanks, Well, what's the
surprise the police are going to get? I liked you. You'll be surprised
too when you find out I see bye bye the jack stupid. Give me
the machine. H get out. I didn't hunt you cut up a little,
go and get up. Here's some of them words of years to help
you? Are you dub? I put two slugs in a machine and right
away it pays off. How long you think we'd be in business if you
don't get make it better than that? I fix this machine. Fix all
the machines in the back by to night, fix them so they don't pay
off better than ten percent, or I'll fix you for good. How bad
does it hurt? Say? Oh, not too bad, Millie. Whatever
you put on the cutch took most of the pain away. I'm glad.
I tell me what happened why the boss quit your sam? Tell me,
well, I fixed one of his slot machines. He tried it out,
but I guess I didn't file down the notches on the last bar far enough.
It's caught. When three bars came up the jack bar. The boss
hit the jackpot on my jaw practically at the same time. He hits very
hard, Millie. That ring he wears doesn't help any Yes, I know,
Dave hits very hard. That ring he wears cuts, That's why he
wears it. But he shouldn't have hit you, and I was thinking not
too Millie. And how long have you been with Dave been? Lilli?
Yeah? Oh that's hard to say. I I guess I've hung around him
for han maybe seen years? Seems like always. What's the difference? How
many years makes up? Oh? Are you still fond of him? Well?
I know he hits you. I've seen him. You can't still be
fun. What are you driving at you? Well, he shouldn't have hit
me, Millie. I don't think he knows that. And I'm think I'm
going to convintion. Hand me that telephone. You gotta calley, good boy.
Wait a minute, I'll look up the number for you. Oh,
thank you, Millie. He shouldn't have hit me. I wouldn't do this
if he hadn't hit any million. You know that I got the number.
I'll get it for you. You know you're doing the right thing, sam
REI me, you're doing the right thing. I'm talking to him when you
get him. M Hello, Hello is the district attorney there? District attorney?
What are you talking about? Well? When do you expect him?
Look? This is Millie in it. Yes, what's all this about?
The DA? Somebody here wants to talk to the district attorney. Oh,
I get it, Sam, Yes, that's right, I get it.
Look, you tell him the d an, tell him not to call on
a DA. Don't tell him the district attorney is coming to call on him.
He vans. There are certain cases that are out now, the police
cases, and I think these two murders belong in that category. I think
I follow you. Markham Alaparte was a gangster. He was killed by another
gangster. We think Willie was about to tell you the name of the killer,
and it was murdered to prevent that. Exactly. Geying this thing a
little further, there was a knife at Willy's back. That knife had fingerprints
on it. Pretty clear set of fingerprints are being checked right now in our
files, and at the moment we'll know who held a knife that kill Willie.
That seems me fine if we do, Madam, there's doubt in your
mind, there's always doubt in my mind. Allow me to dispel that practically
immediately. Hello Kennon, why hello, right? Come a youns? Thank
you can I'll have you checked the fingerprints We found them the knife that killed
weeping Willie. Yes, the hey we did the French every clear you see
that. That's the cycle I was telling you about. We're sure that Willy
knew who killed a Laporte was going to tell us who killed Laporte when he
was lain b Hey, you're sure that Laporte is dead? Sure, of
course, I'm sure. I identified his body myself while I was at the
morgue. I just wanted to know. That's why can't Well, this is
going to sound a little silly, but the fingerprints on the knife that killed
weeping Willie belonged to al Laporte, who had been dead twenty four hours at
the time Willie was murdered. You asked something there. Oh no, thank
you, Milly. These cuts don't look very pretty. But I just bry
my face for a walk. Are you sure? The district attorney's officer said
he'd call back when he came in. That's what they told me. Oh
that's a nice tie, Sam, thank you. Oh it's a little bit
loose. Yeah, right ahead. I like there we are. That's well,
thank you, Milly. You're awful polite. You wish you were a
big shot. I'd like to go for you. So it's only the big
shot out and go for the guy on top. That's not so very unusual.
Many people have Hello day, Hello boss, Win didn't expect you to
drop around. Well, how are the rest of those slat machines? I
fixed to be all right? He gets on. Damn hear you in a
da are real bad? That right? Of course? Not? I hear
different. You know what I do. The guys that crossed me saying what
is a litery? Simple? Sam Fney me having to tell you what's simple?
You and all those words you know, but it still is simple.
You know what's so simple is that I can't let you go talking about me
to any district attorney. Relly, you told him, sure, I'm not
Wait a minute, boss, I want you told me and Nelly, don't
lie to me, don't keep away from me. I was only fooling.
I didn't think he'll never tell anybody or anything about it. Ever? Did
you kill him, Dave? Did? Did you kill him? Sure?
I begged for it, didn't he trying to crush me? Nobody crosses me,
Milly. Ever, maybe you should remember that I don't worry about me,
Dave. I'll never crush As long as you stay on top, I'll
be right at your side. I'm sorry, Markham. Only this is such
an absurd theory of mine. I'd rather not discuss it further until we get
to the morgue. We'll be there very shortly. What do you expect to
find when we get there? A dead morgue keeper? What that's right?
I'll wait a minute, advance. This is a little ridiculous, I know,
but so is the finding of a dead man's fingerprints on a knife that
killed weeping Willie. This is a possible explanation. If the morgue keeper is
dead too, that's a possible explanation. Not for me. Let's wait until
we get there and find whether I'm right or not. You don't have to
wait any longer. Here we are, Oh this Kenon of the homicide department
outside the morge door. This minute dance rolled down your window with it?
Please certainly, Kennon, Kennon, Oh, hello, hello Kenon, We
just dry ye see Drappin who are? They've been fine to reach you.
Mister Markham hasn't been in his office. He's been with me. What news
you're talking about? We came to talk to the marenkeeper that I'm glad of
that i'd brother explodes your theory. Vance doesn't it. I told you it
was a pretty far fetched idea I had. Yes, I know the more
Keepers in there. Nay Kendon, Oh definitely. And it's perfectly all right
for you to talk to him. Good. But if he answers you,
that's news. He's been murdered. Murder. He's as dead as any guy
we ever had in that giant of hep. This is District Attorney Markham.
The murder case we started on has become three murder cases, the final vans
and I are sure all are related. All were done by the same person.
A more Keeper is the latest murder that comper and Vance insists that whose
death explains how a dead man's fingerpieces were on a knife that killed weeping Willie
a stool pitcher, although he doesn't say how it does. Meanwhile, the
murderer might be anyone might be. How do you do? What can I
do for you? I can show you stationary off perhaps a box of candy
nice place? Ye, yes, yes it is Pats. You would like
to see some greeting cards? Now, I'd like them to see the back
room. What's in it room? Yeah, the back room. You're gonna
have to keep the machines in the back room for a while. I'm afraid
I don't know what you're talking about. I'm talking about slop machines. I
don't have it. I'm putting two slot machines in the back room of your
store. But they'll bring customers and they'll keep me here. They play the
machine. It pays off ten percent of what's put in. You and I
split the profit crooked to machine. I would have crooked machines in my store.
Maybe you'd rather have a crooked nose. I could break yours with one
crack. The machines will be moved in this afternoon. Anything goes wrong with
them, there's a card. Tell them where you can phone me so I
can send a guy over to fix them. That okay with you? I'm
not sure. I don't mine. I ain't got all day. Is it
okay with you? Do I really go to work onion? I'll make up
your mind. What tense is? Absolutely? Hello Fello Vans speaking. This
is markham Well. Hello, Yes, we've got another one murder. Yes
that makes four, and don't tell me you anticipated this one on the contrary,
but I imagine it's tied up with our case. We're pretty sure it's
a gangster named Sam, excellent mechanic as I understand it, and the slot
machine expert. He'd been choked to death. And we found the body and
an empty lot word had obviously been thrown. Oh, there were marks on
his face vans. He'd apparently been beaten up about twenty four hours before his
death. And whoever did the beating up or a ring that did a lot
of cutting. No idea as to who did it, not any more than
I have an idea how a Laporte could have gotten off his slab in the
morgue to kill weeping Willie. He didn't, of course. I'll explain that
some other time. Right now, I'm interested in grabbing our killer. Good.
This is getting to be an epidemic, I know. Oh, I
can give you one little help, I think. What's that I mentioned that
this Sam was a slot machine expert. Yes, you did well. We
had a call from a shopkeeper on Market Street who says that he's being forced
to put in a couple of crooked slot machines this afternoon. I'm going to
send a man down there to protective No, no, Markham, don't do
that, needing no danger. I want to go down there. I have
an idea how I can make a slot machine really pay off. Yeah,
man, I'll be here any minute, any minute better I come in here.
I play this slot machine, I hit the jack pot, and what
happens? Nothing comes out? Yeah it, I know. I explained that
to the man on the telephone. I'm awfully sorry about this. You see,
I don't I've only had these machines in the space for an hour or
so, and I don't know very much about them. Well, however,
that guy is you sent before? He better get here right away. He
realized it's tough enough to hit the jackpot on a thing like this and then
after right, editor don't pay off. Well, I'm sure the kind of
a rickort of you're running. No, no, I'm sorry. I assure
you everything will be taken care of. This gentleman here was playing the machine.
He hit the jackpott, but nothing came out, and he said he'd
go to the police. All right, okay, you get outside, they
carry your story, leave me in the back room. Here was this guy.
Yeah, I will you understand why I called? Yeah, I understand.
I bait it all right? You what goes on? They go?
Look the three bars or where they should be. That means the jackpot.
Nothing came out the machine in here now and it's hit the jack What I's
talking to you? I don't see anybody else in here. Keep looking the
machine. It's probably stuck. Now. Whack at a couple of times.
It's still Yeah, thing was jammed up, that's all. It's matchbox was
stuck in a payoff slot. The coins couldn't come down. Pretty good way
of making sure the machine doesn't pay off. Look you got you though.
It's there on the floor and I pick it up and beat it to keep
playing. You'll pick it up? What have you saying? You'll pick it
up your machine? Go on before I get tough. You're gonna get tough.
And you were going to the cops before once you well, a little
man, you're for me, that's what you little rugged? Yeah? Wait,
tice up, guys, what you do that man? I just knocked
him around a little bit. He'll be okay. Drag him out in the
streets when he wakes up with good blood. But cut up the little betsy?
Did that? My ring girlfriend of my name? Really give it me?
I look straight out this room after a bounce. No good to have
a joint looking so sloppy. It's bad for business. You shut. Those
cuts on your face don't really bother you, guys, I'm not at all
Markham. They're serving a very good cause, I hope. I hope so
too. It looked to me exactly like the cuts on the face of that
dead machine. That's but Sam. Remember, yes, I do, and
I was especially careful. It'll be beaten up by the character who came to
investigate the slot machine after I fixed the back of the machine so it will
hit the jackpot, then jam. The pictures we took of your face would
be ready any second. Good Kenton is bringing them in along with the pictures
we took of Sam's face. The cuts are similar. Whoever beat me up
beat Sam up and in all probability later killed him rife And if he killed
Sam, he killed the other three too, Markham. It all ties up
in my mind. I know the motivation everything, all right, Hello,
Kendon, come in, I see you have the photographs alot. Let me
see the martham m I'm not very handsome, am I I can tell cus
party. I'll tell you that. And in those cuts of pay moost zedli
Ah, they're almost identical with the ones on the picture of Sam's Sam's Killer.
Beat you up. We're gonna send Sergeant Heat out to pick him up.
You can get him through the store keeper. He has the phone number,
Marcolm, my friend, do me a favor. Yes, let's sergeant
Heat stay wherever he is. I don't want to go to see this particular
individual myself. He did a pretty good job on my face when he called
on me at the shop. I want to repay that call and the job
he did on my face. I dan you, Millie, you should have
been there, have been there? How many times? How do I know?
An? I clipp him, he comes back for more. I clipped
me again. Back he come, but he wound up like all of them
do on a floor. You're my kind of guy. Day. We really
clipped him, didn't I guarantee don't think I was petting him. You know,
Millie, you expecting anyone the guys who delivered the rest of the sloper
scene early, But that means they work fat. That was complaining my name
Fellows. You undoubtedly you liked what you got in the shop. Down here
for a little more, huh, Happy to oblige you. The guy is
this the one. Look at his face? Can't you tell me? Oh?
Sure, sure, Dave, I can tell. I suppose both of
you listen. Great. First of all, I want you to know who
I am. Well, I think so. My name is Filo Vans.
Are you a Van? Sorry? I didn't know that back in the shop,
and I really worked you over. I'm going to give you another chance.
Thanks, Well day, I'm wait just a moment. I'm going to
give you a real reason for taking me apart. Okay, I'll wait.
First of all, I know you killed a Laporte because I'll have the slop
machine rackets sewed up to. Then you're killed weeping Willie because he was going
to tell the district attorney that you killed Laporte. He did a cute knife
crick with Willie. Then I had to kill the morgue keeper. Yeah,
he had a confederate named Sam. He was a slop machine expert. You
probably had a run in with him. That's the reason he's dead, you
know, Vans, Its sound very convincing. I didn't know better. I
begin to believe what you're saying. Being a murderer, daby cat do death.
You're not gonna let him are you. You can say that again.
Please don't. She said it already now, friend, Dave, what are
you waiting for? Not a thing? Oh, I'm dance. Just what
I'm gonna I knock at Kay. You knocked him out there, Yes,
I imagine I did. You're right, who figured everything right? And you
knocked him out. Nobody are knocked out big days before. You had it
coming for a long time to beat him vance nobody could do dead beat everybody.
I don't understand it. You heard him, yes, I imagine so
you said before I was right. You know he killed the poor and the
others. Certainly I know it. I even watched him killed Sam. But
you'll beat Dave. Nobody ever did that. You tell the district Attorney about
Dave? All right? Tell him? Why shouldn't I tell him? Dave
ain't a big man anymore. You're the big man. Then you get him.
Sure, I tell the DA anything you want, Thank you. I
imagine Markham will be very interested in what you ever say. I'm quite sure
he's also going to want to hear how that dead Laporte's fingerprints were on the
knife that killed weeping Willie. The man who asked the questions is advanced,
I intend to sit back and be told, and I've waited long enough.
Yes, you have Markham. But it was worth waiting for, wasn't it.
Certainly neally, he's not like the big days, criminal activities or all
we needed. But how did you get her to talk? That's a long
story. Well let's have it. Well, Milly was on Dave's side as
long as he was a big man. When I knocked him out, the
one thing she worshiped, and the man was gone. Huh. But right
now, you're interested in the Laport fingerprints, aren't you. I most certainly
am. A Laport was dead when Weeping Willie was stabbed, and the Port's
fingerprints were the only ones on the knife. Come on, Ben, stop
pulling back. All right, here's what happened. Go ahead, Big Dave
went to the morgue on some pretext or other after deciding to kill Willie yet
with him a knight. Yes. When he got to the morgue, asked
the keeper if he could see a Laport's buddy. The keeper let him.
He took out the knife, pressed the dead Laport's fingerprints on the handle,
wrapped the knife in the handkerchief, and left exactly later, he stabbed Willie,
still using the handkerchief, and left the knife to confuse us. He
then realized that the Morgue Keeper could identify him if we figured what happened,
and so he returned to kill him too the rest I know. Yeah,
well, this is quite a case, wasn't it. Fants hor murders all
over slot machines with only one killer. At least he's in the middle of
our net and Markham as long as he's in the middle where at the end
of the Jackpot murder case the welcome back. Okay, that was definitely solving
a case the hard way, and there ought to be a way to track
down a murderer in the habit of leaving body strewn all over town. That
doesn't involve risking disfigurement or death, we should say, because Dave had committed
for murders, and the murder of the morn Keeper was not a real title
by the way, or just something that they made up for the episode,
because that sounds made up. I mean, but the killing of the morn
Keeper was simply because he hadn't thought through his plan. So I'm not going
to let a guy like that use my face as a punching bag, and
I don't know why Vance would either, but this it's definitely an episode that
leaned into the festicoffs. So nice if you like radio fight scenes. All
right, Well, listener comments and feedback now, and I want to think,
first of all everyone who has sent along their well wishes in lot of
my decision to go full time with my podcasting and creative efforts. I couldn't
well read them all out, but I do want to say I appreciate all
of them. I'll be reading some that contains things that I do want to
address. First, we've got this note here from Linda, who emails in
congratulations on your career move. I'm glad you were able to follow your heart.
I have two other comments. Have you ever considered including Cabin B thirteen
in your future series. I've been listening since the beginning, but I'm may
have forgotten if you've played the series before. And Two, I recently discovered
your podcast on Audible and enjoy listening to them while I do things outside or
around my home. Your other listeners may benefit from knowing your previous series are
just to click away. I look forward to your new ideas. Also regards
Linda. Well, thank you so much, Linda. First, as to
Cabin B thirteen, I've not played an episode of it. That series,
of course, came from the mind of John Dixon Carr, and it was
an anthology series of both mystery and adventure stories. So it may be worth
revisiting to see if we have any episodes that would work for great detectives or
might work as part of the Old Time Radio adventure podcast will probably be rolling
out like sometimes season fifteen or sixteen. And I appreciate your highlighting that we
have all our past series available. It's not something that I mentioned nearly enough.
We've done Richard Diamond, not bat POI Row, Candy Mattson, and
a host of a lot of other series, and they're available not just on
Audible, but pretty much anywhere we have our podcast posted, whether it's pod
being or Apple podcast or Spotify. And of course we are posting our volume
one project so you can get a feel for the run through the series as
if you were listening to it when we were first playing them, which means
a far less advanced host. Not that I'm super advanced, but these episodes
were recorded between two thousand and nine and two thousand and twelve, and you
can listen to those Atvolume one dot Great Detectives dot net. Thanks so much
for the great email, Linda. Now it is time to thank our Patreon
supporter of the day. Thank you so much for your support, josh and
I want to go ahead and thank Joshua. Joshua has been one of our
Patreon supporters since June of twenty twenty one, currently supporting us at the Shamas
level of four dollars or more per month. Thanks so much for your support,
Joshua, and that will actually do it for today. If you are
enjoying this podcast and want to be sure that you never miss an episode,
I encourage you to follow us using your favorite podcast software, and I do
encourage you also to rate and review us wherever you download your podcast from.
We'll be back next Thursday with another episode of Follow Vans, But join us
back here tomorrow for yours truly Johnny Doller and the conclusion of this week's serial,
where y'all Here. We were shut cutting through the Harvard District when I
began to realize that the same car had been behind us ever since we'd left
Maria's. It was a low slung English job, expensive and easy to recognize.
Driver, Leave us Year, get the gas a little harder. See
if you can shake that car behind us. May we The other car picked
up speed to matched arts and still held the same distance. They try a
couple of fast corners. I want to make sure. Yeah, the next
place where the street narrows down, stop fast, swing crosswise, block off
the road. I want to stop that guy and have a talk with us.
And you understand what I mean. May wee, miss Year. It's
just like in a movie or something like that, and there's a place coming
up. Let's let's have a go at it. You do not worry.
I will do it good. I only hope we've seen the same movies now,
Missy, I hope you'll be with us then. In the meantime,
do send your callman to Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot net, follow us
on Twitter at Radio Detectives, and check us out on Instagram, Instagram,
dot com, slash Great Detectives from Boise, Idaho. This is your host,
Adam Graham signing off.