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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here are two episodes of Police Headquarters. Missus Smallwood killed and then doctor Thornton's
wife missing. Pollie had Quarters Felling emergency hospital in the one hundred block on
Kenwood Way. In the middle of the block. They run following car forty
five, car four or five, and I'm going to follow up to one
forty seven Benwood Way. I thought even a fam I'll rectly Barron, Yeah,
yeah, what's going on here? Won't it stuck by a car?
Oh? I stand back in a little room. It's an old woman,
Sam, here, give me a hand. Current time, I should cross
your waist. There's not much we can do for until I'm going to stop
to gets here. Just try to make it comfortable. And what's an max
fee? Her hand cold answering, her body is beginning to seven. This
isn't a hitting run case. Sam, go to the box on the corner
and call Captain Reynolds. Least I'm badly in a second. We have a
very poorly disguised murder on her hands down. Mack can take it easy,
thanks, Step Sorry, I couldn't get after the scene of that accident when
you called me, I think Perkins, but he says, you're not satisfied
with the investigation. That's right, sir, what's on your mind? Max?
No, no, I'm not on the detective detailed, Captain, but
I've got some ideas on this case. And by all that's holy, their
right. What doesn't ring true everything in the first place, When we reached
the scene, the woman had just been found and her hands were cold.
In fact, the body was beginning to show rigor Mortar who perhaps she'd been
struck down early in the evening. Mad doesn't said either, Captain. Kenwood
Way is a well lighted street. It's plenty of travel both ways at that
time of night. There isn't a chance of a body remaining undiscovered for more
than ten minutes at the most. That woman had been dead three hours or
more. I see what you mean when there something else, Sam, and
I've answered a lot of hip and run calls. In every case where a
person has been run over by a heavy car, the body never moved after
its hit. We found this woman lying face down in the gutter. Yet
the tire marks were across the front of her body. You think she'd been
killed elsewhere and a body carted to Kenwood Way. You hited, Captain,
pretty slim evidence. Make all right? Here's some more. This little old
lady, whoever she was, was found in a house dress with our pocket
book, gloves or hat. During these cool leadings, women don't go out
without half her coat and gloves. That isn't enough. There wasn't any direct
or grease on the back of her dress, and Kenwood Way is a particularly
dirty street. All right, for grady, I'll put an investigation into this
thing, and if you're interested, I'll give you a chance to follow it
through. I'll try to make arrangements with your captain. Give me, Captain
Morris, please come in. Make anything you on the case? Nothing worth
mentioning, Captain. I questioned everyone in the neighborhood, and no one has
ever seen a woman before. No one seems to know who she is or
where she came from. I got something, though, Captain. Of course
it may not be worth while, but anything that looks like a lead would
be welcome to me. Was that well? The follower runs a smoke shop
near the scene, says that a big blue touring car passed up and down
the street several times just before the body was found. He says, the
last time it passed his shop, that was traveling at a high rate of
speed. All right for a pickup out in the car. You got a
good description, not very good, but it'll be not to go on.
It's all we got, Captain, No Mack. It isn't all we've got.
No No. Doctor Smith found a concussion on the side of the head,
but he said it might have caused her death. He could it bore
all the yearmarks of a both from a sanbag. No, we're getting somewhere.
If we only knew who this woman was, and I have an idea
that we don't know that very shortly. It wasn't a shred of identification on
the body. But the Morgue attend didn't file the ring off the woman's finger,
and it bore the inscription to Jesse from James eighteen seventy nine. I
gave the news to the afternoon papers. Everything much to go on, but
it brought returns as soon as as it was published in the paper. Do
you know Frank Eagan, oh follow, who was once hired by the Three
Is Public Prosecutors. Yeah, called me up about ten minutes ago. But
he saw the story in the paper and went down to the morgue to identify
the body. He thinks it was hit and run. Coming up here in
a few minutes to give us a lowdown. What's thinking going on? Only
private factice As far as I know, he's a good lawyer, but a
bum sport. I was in judgment Kennedy Sport one time. Yes, Frank
Egan is here? Oh good, and show him in yes, right,
Oh cap'n do you remember me? Yeah? Yeah, sit down, this
is awficer m A grady. I don't know you offer him right? I
identified you're hit and run victim captain. Yes, she's a client of mine,
missus Jesi Smallwood. Are you positive of the identification? Yes? And
you work quite well. Where does she live over on Trenton? I think
the number sixteen twenty one. He's been a client of mine since her husband
died. He hasn't a living, a relation, not a soul in the
world. Too bad sportunate. Last you left money to cover funeral expenses.
I don't make the necessary arrangement. Not so, clients, Eagan, we'll
be compelled to hold abody for a few days at least until the inquest in
Yeah, you see, we have an idea that her death wasn't accidental.
Do you know of anyone who profited by her death? I know who would
rant to kill a poor defense with old woman. He didn't have over one
hundred dollars to your name. That's just what we're trying to find out.
It's your business. But it looks to me like I should antolette, but
not to us. It's your golden hat. Mac. We're going out to
the lake, missus smallwood house on Tenton. If you'll just make sure the
address, mister Egan, you can run along home. You won't be needed.
There's a house, captain. Yeah, door seems to be voted on
the inside. That's kind of back door. All right, Hey, I'll
bet there's a door connecting the garage with the back part of the house.
It looks like a mac, I have the garage door. Yeah right,
it's luck two, captain, and let me try this sea there we are.
You can make a good trashman, sir, who might try it some
day? Mister Rogers scwings the pin since Missus Smallwood didn't have a car.
Look out, don't step character. What do you see the tire princes captain
look look at it. This is the same trend. If we found on
Missus Smallwood's dress, and here's a spot where the tire tracks stops for the
foot of Toller happens. That space represents where Missus Smallwood's body lay when the
killer around the car over To make it a pure accidental yes, armed and
levels gotta lead on that call. We found a pass over on album or
blog on the ball on good send them in as soon as they arrived,
or Mac, you can lay off that phone a minute. There's something new.
Well, the captain Owens and Rivers just ran that big blue car down.
They're bringing the driver in for questioning. How at getting somewhere? Who's
the guy? I didn't say? What'd you find out? On the phone?
All right? Called every insurance company in the book. One of them
reported that Missus Smallwood recently took out three five thousand dollars policies on their life,
each carrying double indemnity in case of accidental dead. There's how motive whose
name is beneficiary they're looking at up that said. They called back around second,
come in, here's a driver of that car. Oh good, good,
come in. I'm Captain Reynolds. What's your name? Pat? Fuck?
You own the car that offices owens and rivers? Sounds in yet,
sir? But where do you work? Buck for the city? And I'm
a fireman? Where were you the night before last between six and twelve o'clock?
Well that they've been trying to tell you, I was on duty.
I went on duty at six that night and six the next morning. Or
I have a dozen witnesses. Have you won the Expo Nation for your car
being on Kenwood Way the night before last? I certainly have a lot to
do. A friend of mine, Red Fisher Fisher Fish here, look that
name up, Mac. You needn't do that, Captain. I'll give you
all the information you want. Red Fisher to have two times to state prison
for fresh degree robbery. He used to hang around the station house after he
got out. You need to be trying to go straight. So Cap McNeill
got him a job by I don't know the job was driving for someone,
but I never heard who it was. Is they Red Fisher borrowed your car,
Yeah, what did you want with it? Instead, he pulled her
around out of his bosses car and wanted card to the garage. How long
to use it? I don't know. I gave him a note so he
could get the camp and I don't know what time he brought it back.
Is there the next morning when I went home? Did you have any witness
the red Fisher asking for your car? Yeah? Two of the firemen.
All right, I guess Fisher is the guy we want. You got to
pick up out on him. Mac right, Captain, we don't have that
burdens at a twenty four hours. Yeah, boys, picker as the headquarters,
good words, his mouth pieces with him, Boisy the mouth pieces Frank
Egan Egan, huh, bring them both in. Yes, send a stenographer
in here. There's a prisoner and his lawyers. Yeah, that's chair please,
thanks Devin, afternoon, officer. Close that do imax right, you
can sit over there, Max. I don't for sure. I don't mind
telling you that you're in a pretty tough boss as you. Your boys ain't
got a thing on me. Nevertheless, I say you brought a lawyer down
with your car. I brought him. He's my boss. I drive for
him. I'm wife you bulls. You frame me the first ance, you
god frame him. It's like I said, we did twice before, huh,
only this time we'd do it with a noose. How you listening to
me? We have witnesses that you borrowed Ted Bucks car at eight o'clock you
drove out to mister Smallwood's house and on some pretext or other got in.
Fish says. You know there's two witnesses is how the car drive into the
garage. When you got inside the garage, you hit her with a fan
bag and then ran the car over her to make it appear as an accident,
and loading her into your car. You drove across town to Kenwood Way.
And I suggest, Captain, and you'll be a bit more careful in
arresting my client. These things you'll have to be proved, you know,
after all, you failed to show motives. Hello, yeah, oh all
right, thanks, As I was saying, hardened me just a moment.
Hello, Tim, the the desk glass into my office with a couple of
murder warrents, right, a couple of couple of what murder warrents, Higan
murder warrens. That was the insurance company calling. It seems that, in
addition to managing missus Smallwood's affairs, you also took three insurance policies out on
her life. Naming yourself has been a fishery and egan, there's your motive.
Late's headquarters. That's a matter, Lay's headquarters all the way plays something
for you. I'd like to see the captain. I'm Judith. Oh God,
tell him it's the doctor Thornton, Doctor Saunton. That's a matter,
Captain Rouse business. Hello, Captain doctor Thornton. To see your sir,
okay, sir down the car. A second lady left out, Thank you,
Captain well Yes, I'm that's the thought. Well coming outis take that
chair over there. Thank you, Captain Wells. I want you to find
my wife. Your wife is living well? Yes, of course it made
me well. I don't know when did you see her last? The night
before last left me waiting in the lobby of the Churchill Hotel, and I
haven't seen us in Why haven't you reported the latter suoner? I kept thinking
she'd return. You see, well, we weren't on exactly friendly terms when
she left. I thought she was probably trying to punish me, what do
you mean by that? I meant that we've been arguing, you know,
one of those husbands and wife affairs. I didn't consider the matter serious,
but when I called all our friends and they hadn't seen her, and she
didn't come home today, I thought it best to noticefy the police there.
So you did exactly right. Do you know of any reason for her disappearance?
Yes? I do. You can't one hundred and sixty thousand dollars in
her handbag? What carring one hundred and sixty thousand dollars in her purse?
Once she disappeared and he waited almost two days to notify the For me,
I tried to explain how it was. I thought that she was just staying
away from home to make me work. Just a minute, doctors come in
Bradford too, down mistus, doctor sun, how do you do? Not
too bad for this? One of our best men on this kind of work?
Bad Doctor Thornton's wife has disappeared. Yes, last time he saw her,
she was carrying one hundred and sixty thousand dollars around in her handbag.
That's exactly what I said. Well, now that bad for this here,
doctor Taunton. I want you to tell us everything you can about her disappearance.
Also, I want you to tell us how she came to be carrying
a sum of money like that around on in her purse. It's wasn't bills,
yes, bills a negotiable security. Well, start at the beginning,
doctor, The day before yesterday, my wife was a valuable corner to one
of the big stories. She had the money from that deal with her.
When I net her for dinner, she self like celebrating, so we went
to the church. Was there that she got mad at me for dancing with
a friend of ours and walked out on me. We joined the party later
and everything seemed all right. She still had the money, Yes, I
thought several times during the rest of the evening, and she made quite a
flourish when she handed the waiter a big bill for the dinner, or where
anyone could have seen it. Yeah, Well we're having the story, doctor,
where we left the dining room and went out into the lobby. What
time was this? About eleventh? Hurting? She excused herself saying that she'd
be back in a minute or so, and I haven't seen her since that
time. We asked the brother at the hotel. Yes, I asked the
head waiter and the woman in charge of the ladies room. They hadn't seen
her. What did you do then, doctor? I think that she was
still mad at me, and it slipped out you've done it before. So
I just drove home and went to bed, And the next morning she was
still missing. Yes, what did you do in her? Next day?
Doctor, and clad around roll our friends and finally drove down to our ramps
at tell him to see if she'd spend the night there. She hadn't.
I see, what do you think about her? Branford? Well, I
don't know, Captain. She might just be out staying with friends, as
the doctor says, seeing as how she's done her before, but at hundred
and sixty thousand dollars changes the look of things. That's my idea watching the
morn. But there haven't been any unidentified body for a week, Captain,
Will you take doctor Taunton back to the identification to your own and have powers
issue a general description of the woman, get it on the radio right away,
send a picture, the stories of the newspapers, and get the commercial
radio stations to broadcatching for her. We need some quick action on this scene.
Then what do you Bradon got much of anything? Captain. We're doing
everything we can to find this woman, but it looks like a hopeless state.
If you ask me, the dame has been bumped up. Why do
you say that, well, because no dame with one hundred and sixty grands
can stay out the type of very long unless she is bumped Or how did
you find out on the east side? Elevens and I talked to every school
pigeon. We know there's no sign of heavy dough down there, and of
a regular pullment job, we'd know it. And if she's been killed,
you figured the job was done by someone that we don't have a line on,
right sure, why one ptectively? Captain Wells put it on the woman
the charge of ladies whom at the Churchill wants to talk to me. This
might be hello, Yes, yes, this is Captain Wells speaking. I
see, Yes, yes we do. Oh well, no, thanks for
calling. Don't being on the Thornton case, Captain. Yes. The woman
in charge of Hiliadies Loom says that she's been leading the newspaper accounts, but
the disappearance and but she is positive missus Thornton didn't come in at all the
night before last. And what's more, she says that doctor Thornton didn't come
around asking for his wife like he came. I'm thinking the same thing,
Bradford. Now listen, you hustle out of the Churchill and see the head
waiter. Find out if doctor and missus Thornton were there on the night Missus
Thornton disappeared, and be sure to ask him if Missus Thornton paid for the
dinners with a large bill. Right, I'll be back within an hour.
That's the stuff. Hello, Hello Evans, listen, I've got an important
job for you. I want you to pig up all the information ken on
doctor Wallace Thornton, Yeah, the dentist. Find out how much you're in
his squarrey bang, how his credit is, and above all, try to
find out if he has a safe deposit box in any of the banks.
Take a picture with you. He may rint the box under a funny name.
I see it got my messy guess. R told me home, I
was just con into one dress. Watch up or I talked to the head
waiter and the guy tells me that doctor and Missus Thornton did not throw a
party in the hotel that night, just as I thought. After that,
I went to the garage where doctor Thornton keeps his carn made a few injuries.
I found that they had filled the gas tank to night and Missus Thorntons
just depends. And the next morning, after Thornton I used a car,
they had to sell it again. I won't be satisfying until I know or
all that gas went to. Why Brett, you don't think it. I
don't know, cap'n. These carg murders are getting pretty popular these days,
and gasoline, you know, makes a good fire. Yes, I know.
End there's another possibility. Doctor Thornton mentioned something about a ranch of his
near Palamar. He did take just about a tank a gas to go.
Then. Back then I thought that maybe you'd be interested in driving down there
with me to night, Captain, to see what we can find. Here's
my reports, Chief Good, that's completely. The only thing we lacked is
a body of Missus Thornton. I didn't get in a Elevan's report. Tap
won't be fine, and I hear the whole case, boys the way,
I have a summarized evans found out that doctor Thornton has a safety posit box
at the security under the name of Farstep. That box recently contained a huge
stack of bills and the ghostable securities. When we unlocked the box, however,
they were gone. Yes, but Evans dug up the information that doctor
Thornton had recently paid a bonding company one hundred and fifty thousand dollars on a
twelve story office building that he's been planning to build for some time. Now,
we placed every source of a man's income. The only place that money
could have come from was from Missus Thornton. Yes, doctor Thornton made two
trips to his rants. He made one the night Missus Thornton disappeared, and
another the one he told us about. The next morning. Bradford and I
talked to the caretaker. He says that he isn't sure, but he thinks
that he heard a car shortly after midnight. He told us that doctor Thornton
came in the next morning and didn't ask about his wife, but saddled a
horse and rode out into the hills. They did. The two of them
did some work about the house, laying some flagstones and sumenting the bottom of
no system. That's yes, all right, tell him in. We'll have
to work fast, boys, doctor Thornton. Jeff came in. We'll talk
to him in the next room. Come on, you shaid over there,
Evans. All right, take this chair here, Bradford, yes, now,
leave everything to me. Come in. Oh oh, come in,
doctor Thornton. Have a chair, you know, Detective Bradford. I believe
this is the detective Sergeant Evans the captain, Yes, yes, I did.
We've discovered several new things regarding your wife's disappearance. She's not who you
think, doctor there. I know what I think that you'd have a better
idea than any of us. Doctor. However, let us pass. We
just found out that me to you and your wife were at the Churchill Hotel
the night she disappeared. Well, we found out that you, under the
name of Farstead, had a safety deposit box at the security that's not don't
interrupt, doctor. We found out that your own bank account was rather small,
but the two days after missus Thornton disappeared, you managed to pay one
hundred and fifty thousand dollars on an office building which you've been planning for over
a years. I saved that money, every cent of it. You doctor
Thrunton. I'm going out of here for a little while. I'm going to
leave you all alone with your conscience. Now, what are you going to
think? What are you going to tell them now? Doctor? At least
know of your little doctor? What are you going to tell them now?
They know that you weren't telling them the truth. They know you're lying.
Doctor? What are you going to tell them now that I've been hearing her
adopted, I don't get telling the truth. They know you're lie. What
are you going to tell them now? Doctor? Two hours? Doctor,
he was getting tired? Was they know your line? You're going to tell
them now about? What are you going to tell them now? Doctor?
You know you're getting tired? Doctor, I can't tell him you admitute?
Admnute? That happens pen the names before you? Right, doctor, impassion
right doctor? Right? Doctor? I hit right? Right? Uh doctor
Wallace thing killed my wife for her and buried her body? Ida, how
do I forgot about that gun? Right? Look, there's the same confession,
captain. Is that? Yes? His conscience was too much for Himvin,
welcome back. Well we got an example of the brilliant dialogue that has
been lost from criminal of Ages past. And I intend to learn from that.
So next time I get a critical review, I'll just say, right
to the reviewer, says you just getting a out that I have to say
that the Missus Thornton case. Really, that ending was weird. You know.
When I was listening to it, I thought maybe the police were setting
him up, pretending to be the voice of his conscience, which sounded kind
of silly. But way it ended with his conscience actually speaking into him in
an audible voice to sign the confession and then kill himself that was even more
silly. Even sillier still was the fact that that even though the police captain
didn't know that he kept a loaded gun in his drawer, and why would
he do that, his conscience had X ray vision apparently and was able to
locate it. I'm trying to think if we've had a cheaper way to get
rid of a suspect, but I don't think that we have heard it yet.
All right, Well, that will do it for today. Coming up
tomorrow, be sure, and if you have video theater to be watching,
we'll be bringing you an episode of Beverly Garland in Decoy, and we'll bring
you a total of three episodes this summer. In the meantime, follow us
on Twitter, at radio to tactives, and if you have a voicemail or
would like to talk about the show, you can call us at two o
eight nine nine one four seven eight three. That's two to eight nine nine
one Great d but from Boise, Idaho. This is your host, Adam
Grahamson and off