Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise Alcohol. This is
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Comics Got dot Com. All right, well, now it's time for today's
episode of Boston Blackie the original air date April twenty sixth and April twenty seventh,
nineteen forty four. It's time for Kidnapped for Sale Parts eight and nine.
What's the matter? What is? It's a case for Nick Cutter,
Master Detective. Yes, it's a case for the most famous of all manhunters,
the detective who's ability at solving crime is unequaled in the history of detective
fiction. Nick Cutter, Master Detective. Continuing the curious adventure called Kidnapped for
Sale or Nick Cutter and the mystery of the Missing Babies. Putting together several
clues he had out uncovered, Nick Carter learned that Missus Anders baby stolen by
the baby ring that has been acquiring babies in any way it can and selling
them. The couples eager to adopt them, had been sold to a mister
and Missus Smith living on Main Street in mid Bail. Hurrying to Midbaire with
Scubby, Nick got there just too late. A man with a foreign accent
had got from the baby back from the Smiths and disappeared with it again.
Nick, uncertain of his next move, gets a phone call from Randolph Phelps,
the head of the board of the infant's hospital, who says he is
eager to help stamp out the gang. Phelps says that the man with the
accent has made an appointment to call on him in about an hour, so
Nick and Scubby start immediately for the Phelps estate. Gosh, Nick, that
phone call from Phelps was a great wasn't it, heyre Scubby. It looks
as if things are coming our way at last. Well, it's sure about
time. So far the gang has been one jump ahead of us, all
away every catching ever them, though, I'm only worried about one things.
Oh you mean the baby, Yes, Kelly, I've got to get that
baby back safe and sound. After promising Missus Anders to stopped hunting for it.
I can't let anything happen to it. Yeah, you're right, Nick,
I was staking everything. I'm finding the baby with mister and missus Smith.
But since the gangs one jump ahead of us, we've got to catch
up with them and quickly. Oh Nick, yes, what is it if
that man who took the baby is on his way now to talk to Phelps.
Maybe he'll have the baby with him. He only got it from the
smith's an hour ago, Scubby, I'm afraid not. He's probably left it
in some safe hiding place. But if my hunch is right and won't be
too far away, Gosh, I hope you're right. Hey, why do
you suppose he wants to talk to Phelps. Well? As a member of
the border directors of the infant's hospital, Phelps us in the position to obtain
a lot of information that would be helpful to the gang. Oh sure,
Nick, if they could get Phelps to help them, they'd be sitting pretty
Yes, Phelps would be a big asset to that gang. Scubby. Oh,
that cross road just ahead will save us a mile and getting to rivet
on. You better turn there, okay, Nick, I sure hope we
can read Phelps placed before the man with the accent, does Nick? That
must be the Phelps place up there ahead of us on the hill. Oh
yes, yes, he said it was the first estate on River Road after
we turned off the highway. So that's the place, all right, And
that must be the drive leading up to the house. Oh, shall I
turn in, Yes, but take it slowly, Scobby, take it slowly.
Turn off the headlights. Right, Gosh, it's dark with the lights
off. There's light enough. I could take it easy. All the drive,
all the way around behind the house to the garage. Our man hasn't
come yet. We don't want him to see our car when he does.
Yet. Here that must be the Phelps car outside the garage. We'll up
beside it all right, Nick. Well there's no other car here yet.
So I guess we did get here before the guy with the accent. I
hope. So I want to talk to Phelps first possible. I see now.
Phelps said to come to the back door. Yeah, let's see where
or you're said, is there to come out? Hey, we really are
out in the country. Listen to those crickets. Here you are, I
am the doorbell, Scotty. Let me hear you gun? My gun?
Yes, broke along? Didn't do? Oh? Sure, aquait a minute?
Here it is, thanks, But Nick, don't you have it?
Here comes m Yes, who is it, Nick Carter? Mister Phelps is
expecting me. This is my assistant. O. Of course, come in
please. Mister Phelps is in the study right this way. Please thank you
mister Carter and his assistant to hear mister Phelps. Good come in mister Carter's
terry to be glad to see you, and I'm glad we could get here
in time. This is my assistance. Scotty Wilson. How do you do?
Mister Wilson, how do you do? Please sit down, both of
you and oh Harry's fell wait in the front hall until the caller we're expecting
gets here. Warn me on the communicator before you show him in thought.
Now, mister Carter, I want your advice. Should we try to capture
this man the minute he gets here, or should we hear what he has
to say. For I'd like to hear what he has to say, and
la mare he talks about himself and his gang, the better I'll like it.
That's my idea exactly. But Nick suppose he brings some of his gunmen
with him. We have to take that chance, Kebby. But I have
a hunch he's traveling practically alone tonight, and he got Missus anders baby from
the Smiths. We know he didn't have more than one man with him.
You say he got missus Andrews baby, Yes, mister Bebbs. We almost
got it back, but he beat us to it again. Very sorry to
hear that you have some clue as to where is gone. I hope no,
not a sign of Well that is nothing very tangible, but we have
enough to keep us going. I see. However, I understand you have
had some success in rounding up some of the less important members of the ring.
I suppose with what you've learned from them, you have a pretty good
line on the rest of the game. Oh, we don't really have,
yes, Yes, indeed, mister Phelps. Raley's working on that now,
although he hasn't completely analyzed all the information yet. Oh. I see.
Well, I hope we can stamp out the entire gang soon. I agreed
to talk to this follow with the accent and the hope that we could learn
something from him. I'm very glad you did, and I'm glad you got
in tough with me. I hope to find out a great deal tonight.
But Nick, how are we going to get him to talk? If he
sees us, he'll applied to some place where we can overhear you, mister
Phelps, Let's see what about that alcove there where the windows are. Oh,
yes, yes, of course that should be just the thing. Oh,
I see, and when the time comes, we can jump out and
take him by surprise. And I think it'll work yet as much out him
as you have ten mister Phelps, trust me for that. Now. There's
just one other thing. Yes, what the butler and the maids are out
tonight? Besides yourselves, there's just me and my secretary here. Now you
think we ought to send for any help? You mean the cops. I
was thinking of the State Police, just to be on the safe side,
all right, can't do any harm. It'll just take a second. Hello,
operator, operator, operator operator, give me the State Police barracks on
Meridian Road. Yes, that's right. We can be sure now that he
won't get away. Hello, the State Police. This is mister Randolphelp speaking.
Can you send two of your men over at once? Yes, yes,
it's urgent. You know where I live, don't you? On River
Road. Good. I'll expect them inside of twenty minutes. Thank you.
H there, Now, I think we're prepared. Our visitors should be here
at any minute. You're armed, of course, Yes, I have a
garden you engagement conversation, and I think the right time has come. I'll
step out and cover him. He won't get away. Excellent, mister Carter.
Now he's here. Yes, hello, your car is here, mister
Phelps. Thank you show him in. Yes, sir, you'd better get
set. Yes, let's get behind those grapes. Sure, Nick, the
gentlemen assume, mister pell Thank you, Harry. See that we aren't disturbed.
Well, mister Phelps, this is a pleasure. It's quite a few
years since we met last. We never have met, to my knowledge,
and I like to know a man's name when i'm speaking to him. Oh,
too bad, mister Phelps. I like to keep my name a secret.
But let's sit down, shall we. I think I have something to
say that you'll be most interested in. That's what you said on the phone.
I cannot imagine what you can have to say that will interest me.
Nick, that's the guy who's got the baby, all right. Yes,
they're still wearing the whip chord slacks. Missus Smith mentioned Nick. I've got
a funny idea. I've seen him before, but I don't know where.
Maybe I saw a picture him in the paper, some test scub you probably,
Oh, I place him now fifteen years ago he grove a truck for
a rum running gang. He used the name of Danny the Frenchman. But
Nick, what are we gone, scubby? I want to hear this on
the business and say what you have to say. My time is limited,
all right, mister pell it is you're on the board of the infant's hospital.
You have connections with other nursing calls. What of it? Well,
just this. We want you to give us the names of people coming to
the hospital to adopt babies. Also the names of all mothers in the hospital
records who are in financial difficulties. That's perfectly preposterous, Oh is it not?
For fifty thousand dollars a year? It is whatever. I'd agree to
such a proposition, because, mister Phelps, that's quite a bit of money.
And think how easy it is to earn. And in a way you
will be a public benefactor. Think of all these well fixed people who desire
to adopt fine little babies, who will be just making things easier for them,
and you will being well paid for it. Nobody will be hurt.
Everybody would benefit that Nike, and maybe not. But I certainly wouldn't dream
of associating with you unless I knew more about you. How did your organization
work? Are very simply, mister Perris. We have men constantly on the
lookout for mothers who wish to part with their babies, and also for couples
who want babies to adopt. We shall, I say, we act as
middleman for a fee, of course, a large feel that doesn't tell me
much. I'm afraid you will learn more later when you have joined us.
You see, with your context, mister Phelps, we will be able to
dispense with many of these other men, and the profits will be that much
greater. What about the risk? Suppose Nick Carter and the police catch up
with you. Nick Carter, yes, yes, he's been a little fathersome
of late. I have lost three of my best men because of him,
one of them my chief lieutenant. For me, it seems very important very
soon now I shall take care of Nick Carter and they police so much too
stupid to be a danger. Suppose I turned down your offer, Well,
that would be very unwise, mister Phelips, very unwise. Yes, yes,
I see what you mean. But but you've got to give me a
little time to think. Oh as long as you wish, mister Perris,
up to two minutes. Helps us sure doing a good job of acting,
Nick, ask him a very good job of acting. But I'll say so,
Hey, Nick, I think I heard a car stop outside the house.
Then I sort of die. Supposed to be the stay Troopers. W
Phelps sent for Scobby. I think good damas. Come for action. Up
with your hands, Danny, I've got your covered. Don't wait for that
gun, or I'll let you have a good work Carter, Nick Carter,
Yes, Danny, Nick Carter, and I'll stand up. That's right.
I keep your hands up. Say what is this? Get his gun,
Scubby, I'll get it. Never mind, mister Phelps. Scubby would they?
Yeah? Okay, I got Nick? Now what give me the gain?
Yeah? No, I'm up first, and then he's going to do
a little more talking. You will regret this, Phelps. The Phelps you
put in a call for the Steak Troopers. Yes, I did come in.
Come in, lefty. Hey those are two of the toughest looking Stay
Troopers I ever saw. Hey one of them's got a Tommy again. Ask
you all right, Carter, you when you're chump, put up your hands
or I'll click your pot on half with this gun. I got here.
But hey, you don't want us, you want him, that's what you
think. Hut up your hands quick. You'll tell Phelps that's better. But
you're making a mistake, I'll say you are. I don't think they discovery.
I've been afraid of something like this all along. These men mean what
they say. You'll bet we do. Danny, collect a gun. It
will be a pleasure. I'll take my gun back again, mister Carter.
And you're own done? Thank you? Have you any other weapons? No,
you're clean. You have not done Wilson. No, no, no,
you're clean also, and you don't carry one, do you? Mister
Pellis. I don't know what this means, but if you harm us,
you'll have every cup in the state after you by morning. Ah the police
when Nick Carter dead, the police, do not worry. I'm not dead
yet, Danny. No, that's very nice point, hardly worth considering.
Trigger tie these free up, should think, Danny, who'll let's have pleas
uh? Tie Helps first? Okay, Danny? All right, boys,
ten around and put your hands behind you. Boss. So I was right.
You are ahead of the game. That's up. Sorry, I know
it isn't. This gunman of yours gave you away when they called your boss.
I suspected you all along, he Helps, but I couldn't prove it
until now. Trigger, you're a fool. But Jay Buss that forgot well,
Helps, what have you got to say? Very well, Carter,
you're right, but it's a little late, don't you think? Tie them
up? Trigger? Boys? Yes, what's the matter? I just remembered
I left the rope in the car, you fool, go get it?
Yeah, yeah, Boss, right away? Well, Phelps, it seems
to have to wait. Hope we can at least sit down, been rather
than not expected it, of course, Carter, sit down by all knees.
I don't wonder your knees are feeling a little weak about now. Thanks
you too, Wilson, sit down, No, no, no, over
there, father away from Carter's okay, you're the boss. I'm glad you
realized that I suppose that you're going to kill us in such a way that
it looked like an accident, Yes, Carter, and such an unfortunate accident
too. You recall as you came down the river road, that spot just
at the turn where there's a sheer fifty foot dropped into the river. Oh
yes, yes, I remember that is going to be the scene of your
death. Your car, Carter is going to go off the highway right there
and roll down the bank into the river. You and Wilson will be in
it. Of course you'll drown, and that will do that. You're overlooking
something, Phelps. Riley knows we came here, yeah, and saw us,
Patsy. They'll ever believe it was an accident. I think they will.
Every sign will point to the fact that on your way here you ran
off the road into the river. As for your Miss Bowen, I think
I'll take care of that right now. Hello operator, what's he up to
now? Nick? I think I can guess. Operator, give me Downtown
one seven, Nick, that's your office number. Man, shut up your
tool. Hello, miss Bowen, Miss Bowen, this is Randolph Phelps.
I'm rather worried about mister Carter. Yes, you see, an hour ago
he phoned me that he was on his way here, and he hasn't shown
up yet. You haven't heard from him, Well you do let me know
and you might get in touch with Lieutenant Riley. Perhaps you know something.
Yes, I'll have linked to Carter call if he gets here. Good night,
Oh Carter in the morning when you're secretary here's you have had an accident.
It will seem quite natural both to her into Riley. You're forgetting one
important thing, Phelps, And what is that? Riley is already suspicious of
you. Indeed, why should he be. Remember that first time you came
down to headquarters to ask about missus Ander's baby. It was a bad slip,
Phelps. Nobody knew anything about the baby except myself and the police,
and we hadn't talked. You could only have known about it if you yourself
were connected with the gang. If you suspected me, then why didn't you
do something about it? I couldn't just any I was principally interested in getting
the baby bank, and I knew if you were part of the gang,
I'd round you up when I got the rest of him. And you've rounded
me up by getting yourself into a death trap from which there's no escape.
Brilliant Carter, say, I don't get it, Phelps. If you were
planning all along to grab us, why all the hope's focus. Why don't
you just nav us the minute we came in the house. Frankly, Wilson,
because I didn't want to try anything with Nick Carter until I could have
enough of my own men here to make sure we would win. I couldn't
risk any slip up, so that call to the state police was a fake.
Of course. I simply held a hook down and talked into a dead
phone. Lefty and Trigger were already on the way from town, but I
had to play you along until they arrived. Okay, I got the rope.
I took your solong well, Harry, And maybe it was figuring out
the best place to run the current to the rim you were figuring out.
I do the thinking around here. Now get busy and tie Carter up.
Boys, All right, stand up, Carter. I got a special treat
for you, a silk rope. It's an old Chinese triak. Once it's
tied, nobody cannot tie. It's gotta be cut loose. And suppose I
don't stand up, then you'll get a load of lead and you won't be
able to stand up. I see, Belt, you have a nice plan.
I suppose I don't cooperate. Suppose I make your shoot men instead of
letting you drawn me later, and your whole accident story be out the window.
I could change it if I had to, but I'm warning your carter,
you're going to die anyway, so you'd better take it my way.
Give us any trouble and we'll kill Leander's baby immediately. So you have the
Vander's baby here, yes, right upstairs, in this house, and its
life depends on your good behavior. If you give us no trouble, we
will see that the baby gets back to Missus Andrews safe and sound. That's
the one thing I wanted to know. All right, Trigger, I'll stand
up and start still with you in front of me like this. Trigger.
I don't think your pails will shoot. They do. They'll get you first.
Get him left you. He's got a gun, got trigger, so
then get a shot out. I can't if he's following me too tight,
and I'll have to shoot. Takes care of you and Lefty you better drop
your gun. Danny you I hear you got triggered. Anybody not me,
but I'll get you good. Just call him Nick right through the shoulder.
Nick helps got away and he's like us in here. Sit back, Scarry,
it's time. I our lefties will take care of the door. There
goes the lock, and here it goes the door. Nick. The car
they're going to get away. Let's see about that father. Halfway down the
drive day everyone can still stop them. No, you missed them, Nick,
you missed them. I don't think so. Wat's got me the curve.
They're not taking Cary. Nick, you'll stopped him, all right?
Yes it was the secretary that we will think I winged him. Hey,
we gotta go down and see if there's anything left to him. Gosh,
Nick with triggered head and Lefty and Danny and they're ready for the hospital.
And now phelps in the secretary down there in the wreck plants practically Bengal scabby.
I think the gangs finished. Now you can bone the state troopers to
come and take him off her hands. Before I give those wrets in a
first date, I'm going to make sure missus Ander's baby is all right.
Oh gosh, the baby. I was almost forgetting him. I wonder if
he's okay? What he there? He is now, Paul, listen to
those yells, I'll say he's all right. He couldn't yell like that if
he didn't like to shoot about it. Isn't that just like a baby.
He waits till everything is over, and then he starts yelling home home on
the range where the dear play whenever is heard a disc what's the matter?
Nick? Your voice give out? No, No, he's asleep as oh,
and it's about time too. He's been yelling ever since we left Felt's
place. Yes, I certainly hope Patsy has missus Andrews at the office.
When we get there, I'll be glad to give him back to her.
Yeah, Hey, Nick, when trigger started to tie you up? Where'd
you get that gun? All of us sudden it was in your hand and
you were using trigger for a shield and bang bang bang whit what? It
was just like in the movies? That gun, Scabby, was my as
in the hole. I planted it behind the cushion of the chair I was
sitting in when I first entered the room. There's your gun, the one
I got from you before we entered the Felt's house. Well, may I
be kissed by a whale? Try the baby? But Nick, what made
you plant the gun? Anyway? Scubby? I was suspicious of Phelps for
the first His visitor headquarters the other day put me on guard, but I
had no proof, And besides, my main purpose was to learn where the
baby was. I was afraid we were stepping into a crap to night,
but I had to take that chance in order to find out exactly what had
become of the baby. Oh yeah, of course, no planting your gun
in the chair when we first sat down was the safety precaution. Well,
it sure saved our bacon, Nick, and cooked mister Felt's goose. And
I'll certainly be glad when I turned this kid over to its mother, you
know, Scubby. It's funny. I almost break my neck trying to find
the baby, and then when I do find it, I can't wait until
I can get rid of it. Oh Am, I had to be rid
of that baby. I don't mind tackling a few gunmen, but I hope
I never again have to hold a crying baby for an hour. Who Maybe
he didn't like home on the range, Nick, you should have tried something
else. That's the only two Nick knows. Now, Nick, you're not
going to get away with it, get away with one with acting as if
you're too tired to talk. You're going to tell me what happened or else?
Yeah, Nick, there are still some things I want to know too.
Have a heart. Well that's one am, all right, Nick,
I'd be easy on you. Just give me the gist of it and I'll
say my questions until morning, all right, Patsy. Well, first of
all, Phelps is the head of the baby selling game. Of course I
gathered that as a member of the board of the infant's hospital. He got
wind of the rackets some months ago. He needed money badly, so we
took it over and organized it. Hospital records were great help in locating unwanted
babies and the contacting couples seeking to adopt babies. Of course, yeah,
Patsy, we got all that from Danny the Frenchman before the state police came
to take him to the state hospital. Phelps in his secretary were both killed
outright when the car crash I see. And of course Phelps all with work
to someone else. Yes, up to the Practically none of the gang new
his identity because he always gave his orders over the phone. There's only desperation
that made him go after missus Ander's baby himself, same desperation that made him
set his trap for us. And what a trap Phelps was. One smooth
article. Believe you me as your betty was. Of course, all the
elaborate interview between Danny and Phelps was for the purpose of keeping me interested until
Lefty and Trigger could get there. Oh, Phelps did have another reason for
it too, Love was that Nick wanted to draw me up, find out
just how much the police and I knew, so that after he killed us,
you'd know just what kind of a story to tell Riley to pull him
as from his Stanplunt was a good plan, perfectly worked there, there's only
one thing wrong with it. But what was that? Nick? It didn't
work? Let me stop. I want to make a suggestion. What do
you say we all take a vacation. All A vacation is just what I
need after tonight. Hey, how about you, Patsy? He did the
ride right out of my mouth. Where would we go? How about Greensboro,
tey little town up in the mountains, fishing, hiking, and horse
back riding. Greensborous like another name for heaven. All but that part about
hiking and horseback riding. I like to vacation, sitting down, and we
can sleep all day and never lift a finger, and there'll be no robberies,
no murders, nobody's shooting at us. In fact, for a whole
week, we'll be able to forget there is such a thing as crime.
Well, what do you say? All in favors? Ay, ay ay.
The motion is carried good Willie for Greensboro the first thing in the morning.
So Nick and his two associates are going to take a vacation in a
little town of Greensboro where there's no crime and no criminals. All they're going
to do there is low. I wonder what they'd think if they knew that
in Greensboro they were going to meet a magician who walks out of luck prison
cells at will and a dead man whose body disappears in the thin air the
instant after he's murdered. No excitement or at the beginning of a new and
thrilling adventure with Nick Carter. Listen Tomorrow The Strange Adventures of Nick Carter,
Master Detective features Lan Clark is Nick Carter. Patsy is played by Helen Choke.
The stories are written by Bob Arthur and David Cogan, and original music
is played by Luke White. The entire production is under the direction of Jack
McGregor. Tomorrow Night, at the same time, listen to the opening chapter
of a new and exciting adventure of Nick Carter entitled Death by Magic or Nick
Carter and the Mystery of the Vanishing Corps. The adventures of Nick's adopted son,
Chick Carter Boy Detective are broadcast over most of these stations Monday through Fridays
at five thirty pm Eastern wartime. Nick on Show The Return of Nick Carter,
a copyrighted feature of Street and Smith Publications, Incorporated, is presented by
the Mutual Broadcasting System and it's broadcast from our New York studios over most of
these stations every evening Monday through Friday at quarter past nine Eastern wartime. This
is Mutual. Hi, this is Andrew from otior Westerns dot com. I
wanted to invite you to come take a look at our site where we putting
our podcasts of old time Radio Westerns. Check us out at otire Westerns dot
com. You're listening to the great detectives of Old Time Radio with Adam Graham.
Now let's get back into the show. Welcome back. Well, there
were a few issues in this particular installment. I think that the villain calling
in and us hearing his voice really does give away the game, because if
attentive members of the radio audience would know that just based on voice who the
boss really was. And I also thought the way it was revealed in the
final episode was just a bit clumsy. You know, it relies on the
stupidity of the thugs in order to carry the plot forward. One thing I
did like about this installment is I think that the way that Nick avoided ultimate
captured defeat was a very clever but simple approach. It wasn't something that would
strength rdulity. You could absolutely see him doing it and it made perfect logical
sense. So I like that part, and overall I really did enjoy this.
It was very well produced, It had some good cliffhangers and an interesting
problem, and I thought the villain was superb in portraying this sense of menace.
While there were a few things that could be improved on, I think
this was up to the quality of in Average Yours truly, Johnny Doller Cereal.
Unfortunately, we don't have any additional serials. We of course do have
the Accidental Bullet, which we played when we were going through Nick Carter.
Originally, hopefully we'll have more episodes of Merge so that we can enjoy more,
but we are by no means done with Nick Carter. We have three
previously uncirculated half hour episodes of Nick Carter will bring you over the next three
weeks, and then for the rest of the season we'll bring you Security Agent
USA and following that it will be that strong guy in the meantime. Send
your comments to Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot net, follow us on Twitter
at Radio Detectives, and become one of our friends on Facebook, Facebook dot
com Slash Radio Detectives from Boise Idahole. This is your host, Adam Grahamson and off