Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This
is your host, Adam Graham. If you have a comment, send it
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Radio Detectives. Before we get started, I do want to encourage you to
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a bit of a sci fi turn as we review a modern radio drama,
Charlotte Pollard box Set one one. Now it's time for our two episodes of
Police Headquarters for the week. Here's episode twenty eight, retired in episode twenty
nine, No learning at Least end Quarters, Sorry, Lieutenant Owens. One
space and duty tonight at the Writ Hotel at Least end Quarters. I see
round and I too. Hell all how's the boat? Okay? Lieutenant?
How things down? Head Quarter? All about the same moment? How's it
with you one of these old taels didn't jobs of the things Attendant. I'd
rather be back in the riot squad. I don't have some excepting on this
job before I'll make the commission put me back in the old job. Ag.
Hey, you'll soon get your fill of it. This is your feet,
Tim watching for a jewels snatch at a swell party. I'm Tim sell
it, hoping that I am not going to accept. The hotel tells me
to roam around this affair, getting my eyes open so none of these bols
don't lose this part work. This guy, Van the Griss comes up to
me and he says, to help. It's opposed to stinging over by the
door. I can see what burns up. Then I ain't gonna now different
guys like that living one of these white money and what are you doing here
to night? Lieutenant and missus. Van the Gris called the commission this afternoon
and requested someone from the Detective Girl to look over the party of this evening
apple this. He wasn't impressed by the hotel detection. Yeah, I remember
seen the day I could in hand or something and take teeny you punk stand
and take care of them where's that screen? Fun? All over over the
prone another story? Have partners for you? What happened nowhere? Here?
My wife is fain to do it. I don't know. I was like
blue diruit, it's gone. I don't know understanding of about math or perhaps
you've got an ant brandings. Let's let your wife telling that story go ahead?
Man, well iderstanding of at about that showing the blues to some thin
I had just tended on my dress, but I hand reached out behind that
curtain and told it loose my grander to buy and sun, but mostly a
very valuable pin man, not such hard to be valuable officers. I d
more as an el. I'm going to cause free prating. Oh, I
don't suppose it's be more than worth more than a thousand dollars. That's a
string of pro you're wearing. Man, What do they work? When you
you embarrass here in front of all these people? Officer, I'm sorry,
ma'am. I had a fatal reason and asking that question, Well, they
cost meate or that is henry or ten thousand dollars, and thieves made no
attempt to grand lam. You know, I kind of destend. You know,
maybe I can't. Well you, George, that's where you were standing.
Ma'am, come along a tennant. I got a idea and i'd like
to see what you think of all right, Tim, Now I was tending
right to right here and as here, starting behind this curtain. Yeah,
and did you get a look at his face? No? I didn't.
I just threw his hands. It seemed to be clutching at my throat.
I screamed, and then I must have saved it. Now, man,
you get back to your party and let us work on this. There's no
cause for any excitement. And if any of your gets feel uneasy, they
can they can put their valueabiles in the hotel face. Very well, officer,
you've been very kind, and I do hope that you'll be able to
recover the pin. You see, I was going to give it to my
niece for her graduation. You're going to give it to your knees. Yeah,
you see, he's always admired a Tim. Now you just let us
work now, man, we'll have a report pot you before the party breaks
up. Thank you, officer. Oh my god, I feel so friendly,
Hendy. The investigation right out of my hand. Tim. I just
wanted to show you tim that even though I am retired, I'm still as
good as any of you boys. You would off a chunk of bubbles.
We let to handle this case. And if you want up against wall,
don't come the headquarters. Oh sorry, Come on, all do you want
to do? And I'm gonna find that Dame's diamond pins? What do you
expect the side behind those curtains, dust? I know the employee he this
hotel better than you do, Lieutenant. They wouldn't think it doesn't behind the
curtains and the money. Huh, what is it? That's what I thought?
He is radiator? Yeah, there's a cover on it. This cover
probably hasn't in dusted. Will put on? What's that got to do with
it? Just this this jewels? Snap you. Whoever he was was hiding
behind this curtain, you probably had to wait quite a while until someone come
near enough to let him grab a spark curt and scream by these backstairs.
All right. He probably get tired, sins, so he looked for breaces.
Sit down. But you see that's spotting at us. That's where the
guy sat probably was waiting. Oh, I see what they're up to.
Got a lot up to tele them guests and have them to lift their coattails
while it has us on the seat of his swaves. This is going to
be slapped in the jug, all right, I stop rising a lieutenant,
you know as well as I do. Ann at least twelve fool that John.
They're all wearing more jewelry than missus Vandergrid's flow. Oh what's the significant
about the deff not except that the pointed himself up here and his readyo to
cover the guy we're after to use his hands to put ras and me.
And take a close look at this cover you'll see prints of both hands,
perfect prints, just what we need it. Jove, you are right big
pardon I mean excuse me? Have you gentlemen then dying right? Were just
the same as on the life history and picture of the guy who's towing your
wife staying, hey, stay away from those prince. What do you trying
to do? A sup? Oh, I'm s got a finger ben Man's
headquarter to check these out. Attend a while I stay here and try to
look after him. I got to haunt that these prince will cause everything we
want to know my hunts and open man. Hell, the prince belongs to
gentleman, Jim Bradley, gentleman, Jim, when you get out of the
big house, the first of the last love, I suppose you put out
to pick him up. They'll have him by morning. Oh and its hotel
detective. All right, all right, all right, I'll be right down.
What is it? I guess I'm getting an ass for tonight? One
of the guests just took a header out of a fourteenth story window. Come
on, who wasn't I didn't know. Let's take the stairs. They will
shoot us right out onto the street. Yeah right here, all right,
up and up there, let us show. Come on, get back,
and holy smoke, the tennant look, and wasn't much of a job to
find him. Man, there's when David Bird will never fly again. Come
on, let's sek him for the diamond. Oh you're crazy as a little,
Jim exct to find in here? Man, I badly didn't have the
diamond on him. It's probably in his room here. Any worry begetting to
flee that he isn't the man we're after. I'm about the fingerprint. Sure
here, Dan, that's funny, but it's a slipper up here. What's
funny about that? The other one of the three. But everything, say,
gentleman, Jim didn't sue eacud. That's where I've been wrong. If
he had jumped out, or we'd have found both slippers on the street.
But if he'd been hit on the head and tossed out, one of the
slippers could have easily come off. While the killer we're dragging his body to
the window. Quick. Good Timmy Woods on that phone for him. What's
all it for? And Tommy knows more about what goes on in this town
between midnight and morning and the town himself. When you get him out,
talk to him, and then you chase down the room eight twenty six and
get sole weapons and out of bed. He will yell his head off,
but get him up here. I've got a job for him, all right,
him, You got me all mixed up the orcase you and just do
as I say. That's all I think I'll having a rest for you.
Okay, thanks Tommy. Yeah, you've told me all I need to know.
Oh yeah, yeah, I think we got a pretty good gase on
him now, don't you know. And then it's the big idea here,
I am sleeping soundly of this guy breaks in and see you want to see.
So what's the idea. You'll find out you're the best diamond expert in
town. So I want your advice on something that's move It's like at night
three. I'm going back to down. No, you're not your weight here,
that'll be mister Vandergrast. I sent a boy back and to come down.
Open the door, attendant, I did someone. Yeah, come on
in, mister Vandergrace too. We want to talk to you. But my
wife was giving a potty. I really shou just ain't a garding to law.
What would I feel this one? You fuck't? You will? I'll
be a monkey vocal you founder? Did you? Yeah? Yeah, that's
the diamond pin? All right? You can't do that. There's a poor
time to be coming us here. Take a look at this. Rocks are
what's worth? The old ship, the nice setting of him. But see
twenty dollars time is worth one grand. It might be if it was real.
I'll call my god. Yeah, you won't call nobody until we tell
you can Where do you get this rock? I won't stay a steam until
I see my going. All right, I'll tell you you need a pretty
wildlife. Andr Grist. You haven't got a diame your own. You spend
what your wife give you, but that isn't enough for the kind of part
of you from me. So you hired gentlemen Jim Bradley just you your wife's
diamond pin. You're going to stay locked in this room until we make a
little visit upstairs. I tell you I'm not you know, my boy.
Oh maybe you know what they're up to, but they're a liable getting an
awful jam. Lizzar if andr gris they gotten neither the entire wing. I
wish you'd tell me what this is all. I'm sorry to disturb him,
this Vandegrist, but too we just received word at all your jewels have been
stolen out of your safe. I'm sure that they haven't. I would trying.
I wonder if you'd mind looking again, man, I mean, let's
stay right over here. But I'm sure there must be on the stage.
You see all here everything? I see the diamond necklace, yea, take
a look at it. So what's worth fifty dollars? Fifty dollars? I
have you know a paste? Lady? Hey, look at this other steps
dollars? Mmmm, same thing, missus. Vanny Grist I'm sorry to tell
you, but your jewels have been stolen, and to keep you from finding
it out, these imitation stones were replaced in the original setence. Now,
if you'll end us your cooperation, I think we'll be able to apprehend the
criminals. What do you want me to do? Just silence complained here,
we'll do the rest. Well, I really should consult my husband. I
don't believe that's necessary. Man, when yes, thank you, and we'll
have some news for you within an hour. What Heaven's say? Were you
up to? So I'm too old to be in the court? Huh?
You young functed about a swell time with this case. I haven't got a
straight yet. Easy this guy vanned Chris needed money. His wife wouldn't give
him anymore, so he've been steadily stealing her jewels and replacing them with imitations.
Why did he have, gentleman Jim Bradley steal the pennet that was worthless?
And because his wife was going to give it to her niece. The
nie would have probably discovered the imitation and totally old lady, But why did
fanded it so gentleman Jim Bradley? Out of the window? Hand we heard
to prove that, but he knew that we didn't get Badley sooner or later,
and the Bradley had squealed, I don't come out of town. It's
work to be done, the officer, Please, can I go to bed?
All he loved calling half fifty six, half three six? What is
the call of Williams and Fens Street? All an investigation? Meet a woman
on the fall fall you're the woman to call the police man? Yes,
I call room. Well, there's an awful smell of gas coming up to
my room where right here? I run the room in house and all morning
long, I've been smelling gas. Can't seem to find out where it's coming
from. I didn't you call the gas company because I want you to look
in old dead Heggins Taylor's shop. I'd be coming from there and I don't
see dead up and about all right, gold on, Max, Let's see
if we can find where the gas is coming from. Right, I never
knew dead hegins to be so late getting up. He d be up long
before this. All he's seen sitting in the window there when I go to
the store. Let's see it ataways place? Yes, and my room to
right upstairs define us to be where the guess that's coming from? All right?
Man? Yeah, So it was like it's play all right, what's
in the chair there in the back room where mister Higgins give me a hand?
Right? You know I want but stand back? All right? Come
on, hey, look out for the gas? Who's your handkerchiefs? Come
on, we gotta get this all my aud where's the gas coming from?
That's so probably off? Okay, let me turn it off with the pipe?
Okay, all right, I'll give me a hand. Yeah, right
here we go. Better carry him right out on the street down, all
right, don't crowd in around here, holpen up, just laying down on
the sidewalk, head you rubber. Next is gonna call into the fire department.
The latter hurrying out with how's it look at? And it's like a
garner. Bobby's cold. It'd be like a circulation, you know. I'll
work as long I didn't find some water. All right, I'll be right,
but you're waiting your time, all right, I've done any good man?
All right, boys, No, he was working on him no longer.
Definitely carried him out. I wanted you to say it was him until
the ambulance gone a man, So where are you going? And trying the
store? Look around? Had time to tear out against Yeah, makes me
feel sick. Well, fella, probably down in the mouth and blue.
I'll ask to get pretty despots. Do nothing like that. Man, alright,
be careful of the glass here. You better shutuch left of the door
to keep that crowd of rubber necks out. Who's funny left here? Maybe
a better open on the those the windows and let him push air in.
Okay, I'll wait a minute. I guess you better leave alone until the
lieutenant gets here. You know how he yells when we disturb anything. Yeah,
Hey, what's that away on the tables? Looks like a note?
It isn't now It says life has become a burden to me, getting old
and have no reason to live any longer. The only one who has been
kind to me is Peter Torrence. I leave him all I have buying de
Higgins. Well, I guess that settles left. Yeah, I guess,
so we broke in on him here I had a feelman. Maybe everything was
on the level, but I guess that note settles everything. And anyways,
the lieutenant's job to investigate these kadons. Our job is riding around looking him
up for him? Who's that the lieutenant? Oh it Burt, where's little
Hibert Gold out on a murder? Sent me over to tell you boys to
handle this yourself. Make a full report before he has a radio. Put
your back in service. What happened as the old man got tired of living
and bumped himself off, And guess that's must have been him. I show
him cart not the General Hospital ambulance when I drove up. Yeah, well
you got to Lieutenant's message. I'm going home and get to sleep. I
was up all night making fingerprints off the hotel safe, only to find out
that the clerk himself took it all. And obviously yeah you wait a minute,
Burke, where he was? Have you got your finger pronounces with you?
Yeah? I wonder if you'd see what you can find on that gas
bell there. I'm doing hard. It will take a minute here, so
I don't think that there's anything wrong here. And if if you find old
Dad Higgins prints on that gas oh I'll know there's nothing wrong. Yeah.
But if you think I'm gonna make a trip down as a mark to take
his in prices, so I can check about your prey. That will be
necessary. I imagine you'll find plenty of his prints all over the place.
Here, try those irons on the shelf there, hey mac hell, or
you chase upstairs and get that everyone house. A woman who called it on
the team. Yeah, sure, saying well, what do you find,
Burke, and what do you think? I am a magician, give me
some time. You're worse than the tenants. Every time there's a suicide,
he takes your prints everybody living within a five mile radius. I'll let your
game, isn't it? Yeah? But not taking them in row offs.
Yeah, I hope he's satisfied when you find nothing. Nothing you heard me
about as clean as a pan. Fun of you. Dummy's probably spared whatever
Prince were on it. That's where you're wrong. I had head shut it
off of the pipe, not at the burner. Was the cars wearing glove
corse not prince? Huh? That's funny. How about the dark locked on
the inside, both of them, the windows all locked right in a safe
Look here dead cats been Higgins. Cat looks like he set some milk yard
for it just before he turned on the gas. Funny to do that and
where do you think you are? Ed on the detective detail? Lieutenant said
to investigate this, didn't me? Yeah, but he didn't say they're gone
building up any high pathetical cases. Listen, ed when a guy gets bumped
off, you got to have a motive. The means you're doing the job
in a criminals You ain't got nothing but a dead cat. Well maybe I'm
surprise here. I got a suicide note too, and you got me wasting
my time around here. Take the note the headquarters and check it suicide.
I'm gone hard just a minute. Would you take a look at that transom
of the back door there for me? All right, but that's all.
What do you want me to look for? I don't know, but it's
the killer was there rising again? Dad Higgins was killed. That's the only
place the murderer could get out after he bolted both doors and the insides,
and he could close the transom after him and snapped the lock. I don't
all figure it out. Well what you're find I got damn for one thing.
Anyway, there was someone frawling over this transom recently. I can see
where the desks been wiped away. Any prints, no friends, Well that's
that thanks for it. I'll buy a cigar sometimes I'll probably be too old
a volktm Oh, pardon me, ma'am, I didn't see you. Here's
the ladyho's all of said? Good? What's your name? Man Jukin?
Mister Dukin? And I've been living here for how well did you know Dad
Higgins? Well? Has anyone a written? He didn't get about much.
He stayed in the shop here most of the time, cooked and slept here
too. You know, have any reason for anyone killing him? Kill him?
Fine? I am stakes no. Did he have any money or I'm
not a lot at leastway's I don't think he had. How long has he
been living here? Well? He was liven here when I came. That
was fifteen years ago. Do you have any relatives I'm not going to know
of. He used to get some letters from my sister at he is,
but she died a few years ago. How do you know, well,
I how do I know far? How do you know that he used to
get letters from his sister because he'd bring him upstairs for me to read to
him. Of course, so he never had no way, vacation, no
learning. This is cat Land's sake. But sure he is. Oh,
he was right fond of a two. Do you think that mister Higgins would
pour addition of milk for the cat and then leave it in the room to
die when he killed himself. No, no, I don't think he would.
Mister Higgins wasn't that kind of a man. I see, give me
that anening, all right, And missus Dilgan, do you know mister Thrrance
your tars sure annoying. He's room with me for five years. We're in
Dad Higgins good friends? Well, now I can't answer that. They used
to talk a lot down here in the evening. As far as being real
good friends, I don't know. Would you be surprised if you knew the
Dad Higgins had left the shop from everything he had to this fellow Tarms,
Well, yes I would. Here's something else. What's that? I just
found a savings account book on this desk. Oh, man Higgins, I
know you a five thousand dollars saved up in the first nation, my man,
yeah, man, Well, thank you, missus DILGANU get back upstairs.
Now, come on, mac, let's look around downstairs here then,
yes, oh if you office, yes, we just findished are looking around
downstairs and when you wanted to tell us it's harance. If he's a good
portion, which room does he live in? Right across the hall at number
twelve? All right? Think? Oh is he in? I don't know.
I will see hey, but on your mind, lad, we can
see not funny sto. He's probably out the point? What are you run?
Where? Officers? The laws? That's good news for you. I
ain't done nothing, Nobody said, your head mindfull? We come in.
I don't try to pin enough, honey, I'm going straight now all the
time. All right, I ain't done my bad. Well, everything's they're
looking better for your pitch. You you knew the Dad Higgins committed suicide.
Yeah, missus stegan tons to bad. That's bad for you. But here's
a note, Daggs Higgins left everything to you. Everything he had. That's
me everything right, Yeah, but you won't get a chance for you.
Say what what are you doing? All right? I'm completed on Hey,
how you going Down't you get away with it? Didn't you any What are
you talking about? You know what I'm talking about. If you killed Dad
Higgins, you're finally with a big towel, so it wouldn't leave any marks
and then you turn on the gas. You left this note, so this
looks like a suicide. That's a lie, is it? You'd think pretty
well thought out, Tarns. You knew that the old man was alone at
night. You knew that he had a savings account with almost five thousand dollars
in it. You knew nearly everything about him except one thing, what he
means. Why you called dumb bell. You slipped up just like all the
other smart guys, two bad tarns when you wrote that note that you didn't
know that old man Higgins never learned to read and write. Welcome back,
and the moral of the story, he's not to try and fake a suicide
by leaving a holographic will signed by an illiterate guy. I want you found
out that he couldn't write. There really was just one suspect in the thing,
but an interesting story and how the officers determination ended up leading to a
result. I'm always one thing that's really odd about the show is the number
of times that somebody will just suggest not doing basic due diligence. I no,
don't do any fingerprints up people make me do fingerprints all the times and
switch to another department. All right, well, listener comments and feedback,
and we have this from Norah, who says love your podcast. I've been
listening since the beginning and never miss an episode. I just listened to the
Police Headquarters episode where the doctor murdered his wife and killed himself after his conscience
spoke audibly to him. That ending was really bizarre. However, other than
the weird ending, the casts the case sort of reminds me of the Dragon
that episode, the building the doctor killed his wife and that one, and
if I remember correctly, there was a large sum of money involved that the
doctor wanted to use for an office building. In the Dragnet episode, he
wanted to name the building after himself. I think the doctor even killed himself
there too, though he mentioned in the epilogue that he did so in jail.
I wonder if that could have been based on the same case. Anyway,
thank you so much for doing these podcasts with your commentary, which had
so much to these shows. I've learned a lot about old time radio detective
shows from you. Well, thanks so much, Norah. The answer to
the question is, as far as we can determine, with Police Headquarters,
unlike a Dragnet or Gangbusters. This series did not use actual cases. Rather,
it tried to tell the stories in realistic ways, and we see that
sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn't. All right, Well, that we'll
do it for today. Join us back here on Monday as we bring you
Pursuit, and join us on next Saturday for another episode of The Lineup or
CUSP of Police Headquarters and the Meanwhile, send your comments to Box thirteen at
Great Detectives dot net, follow us on Twitter, Radio Detectives, and become
one of our friends on Facebook, Facebook dot com. Slash Radio Detectives from
Boise, Idaho. This is your host, Adam Grahamson and Off