Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This
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normal price, so you can try that out at transfers dot Great Defectives dot
net. Well, now it is time for this week's episode of File Events,
and this episode from Radio Archives is one where there was just not a
good enough quality program in circulation to play, but their version definitely work for
us, so we can enjoy this episode. Original airdate September twentieth, nineteen
forty nine. And this one is the Penny Anti murder case. How many
comes? Dan? No? None for me? Bill? No, no,
no, no, not at all. I'll play these What are you
so nervous about? Dan? You got a pat hand? You want to
relax, right, Jacqueline. Maybe Dan's got something on his mind. Could
be make with the cards? Bill, How many are you taking? Day?
It takes two cards, you bet, Jacqueline? I checked a Dan's
pat hand. Who's that? Relaxed Dan? I don't know who it is,
but I'll handle it. Who's there? The police? Open up?
The police? Keep your nerves out of control with your Dan from meat sick?
How do we do? Billy? Don't open up? We break in?
All right? No, nobody moves. Are having a little friendly game
of poker in my apartment. We're playing for pennies. You can see for
yourself. You'll look around. You gotta complaint from the neighbors that there has
been gambling going on here. What's this Dan's dad? Dan's been stamp I
wonder he was nervous. It looks like you three people took time out from
the game to do a little playing with knives. What this guy's did.
He was just sitting. Who was he? His name was Dan Smith.
He was alive a minute ago. That's all I know. Anybody see this
guy's dad? You lady, No, no, I didn't. What about
you. I didn't see a thing, not a thing. You look sorry.
I had nothing to do with this. You've got to believe me.
I yeah, we'll see. Okay, boys, tried to three of them
down a headquarters now waiting for you. Stick with me, the rest of
you out. Go on, boys, get him out, Murph. This
is what I like about being a cop and get a calls here in this
gambling up here, and we find a murder. At least you know one
of the other three killed him. That's something that's right. And I want
to take a look at the hand this dead guy was holding. Might mean
some cards face down on the table. I think I'll take a look.
Yeah, three three aces sagen here, so I see only ace missing was
the ace of spades. Some guys, I think the ass speeds is unlucky.
Somebody wasn't superstitious. I guess I'm the district attorney, not the judge.
Miss Rice. I'm not going to doubt your guilt or innocence. I'm
only interested in finding out what happened at the game. You know what happened,
mister Markham. We were playing poker for pennies just the past time when
the police broke down the door. In the excitement, Dan Smith was stabbed.
What do you know about Smith? Not a thing? Bill Baxter.
It was his apartment we were playing and invited him to play Baxter Mickey Mollis
and the other man and the game. We're in business together and you I
just like to play cards. I see. I've asked my friend Filo Vans
to come down here and meet you. Was the first step in finding out
which of you three murdered Smith? Van say yes, you think you'll like
what he sees when he meets me. When Vance is on a case,
he isn't easily distracted. Oh, I don't know you'll find out you're very
attractive, miss Rice, tall, excellently dressed, quite glamorous. I'd say,
ha ha, Maybe we can do with our fans on this case.
H I think not. I'll amend what I said, though. Oh,
your entire appearance, including those dark glasses you wear, your obviously expensive gown
and mink jacket, will affect Vance. He won't be distracted by you,
just disturbed. Well that's something at least Markham. I won't be held very
long, will I. I can't make any promises. It's possibility Vance come
in. This is miss Jacqueline Rice, Miss Rice Final Vance. How do
you do Rance? You know I asked you to come down definitely. Although
your meager information hasn't supplied me with any motive for the crime, we haven't
found any ourselves yet, don't even know who the dead man was a matter
of fact, we know his name, Dan Smith, and that's all.
It occurred to me on the way here that the poker game might have been
the reason for his murder. We were playing for pennies. Van Sergeant Heath
who broke into the apartment, and tell you that he told Markham and Markham
told me, which is the same thing. But while pennies were used,
they may only have been used as an indicator, like a chip for instance.
In other words, each penny might have represented ten dollars or fifty or
one hundred. That's right, isn't it, Miss Rice? Yes, it
might have d if Dan Smith were winning and somebody couldn't afford to lose.
How were you doing in the game, Miss Rice? I was losing up
until the hand that was interrupted, and that one I would have won.
That one I had a straight flush. Mine was the winning hand, a
straight flush beast three aces. You know, so it does, and that's
what Smith held. Pray you'll have to find a different angle vance perhaps,
although I doubt it. After I questioned the other two suspects, Markham,
I'd like you to release them, and Miss Rice, all right, if
you say so, Vance, it means it's all right if I'd go that's
correct, But not too far, nicely said Markham. You see, I
think miss Rice has gone far enough already. What has since? This is
what a wonderful racket? Didn't like myself better with every envelope that comes in
here, Ricky Bell, I'm scared because that Dan Smith get knocked off in
my apartment. Yeah, I'd be scared. The caps of this goat didn't
may they couldn't prove we did it. We didn't. I'll take that remark
up with you later, Rickie, give me account in today's though. That
envelope he just opens the last. We've got twelve hundred letter today, each
with a buck in the envelope, all the envelopes addressed to us the Rainbow
Distributing Company. Not bad. No, we needed to go into business was
a telephone book and twenty thou penny postcards. Wish I'd thought of that idea.
You're missing the one thing you need to think up days. Brains takes
brains, Rickie. To dream up the idea of sending postcards to people in
the phone book, the cards saying we're holding a package for them and we'll
forward it when they send us a buck takes brains. Oh, I know
it works, and so you have to know what happens when the people send
us a book and then they don't get the packages. Ricky, this racket
is only good for a week and then we blow time. But in that
week we want to get at ten grand easy. Too bad that smith guy
got knife to my place might make blown Town a little tough. You shouldn't
have done it, Rickie. Me. Yeah, I didn't kill him,
stop it. It wasn't a dame. I was watching her every minute,
was you all right? But if forget it, nobody's gonna know that you
pushed a knife into that smith guy, Bill, not me. You don't
look to throw the heat off on me when you kill him, and nice
to talk that way. Friends slug me for no reason I give him.
When you get up, Ricky, you're gonna find your right eyes shut.
See that in the future. You got a mouth to match. Come in,
Hello, fans, do you remember me? I remember you, all
right, Rickie, Come in and sit down. Surprised to see me events
not particularly when I was questioning you yesterday. I knew you were holding something
back. Not about the murder. I wasn't. I didn't see who did
advance, Honor saidn't. But about Bill Bill back to the other guy in
the game. I worked for him, Bency, So you told me yesterday.
I didn't know yesterday what I know now. He's got a racket going.
He set out twenty thousand postcards to different people saying he was holding the
package for him and to send a book. Bottom sent the dollar. Now
he figures to scram before they start the grape. Oh he does, eh.
Yeah, And you knew nothing about this when you went to work for
him. Not a thing. We had a little bustuff this morning. I
know he looked for somewhere to make a petsy in this thing. I could
go to the cops, but I'd rather come to you. You know better
what to do? Perhaps tell me something, Rickie Yah was Dan Smith,
the murdered man. I got no idea. I was in the game for
what I could win. I think the Dame Jackie Rice brought Smith. And
I also think my boss Bill back to with a guy who stuck the knife
in him? Did you see him? If I had seen him, might
have told you yesterday. I got no proof, Vans only what I think.
That doesn't get us very far, unfortunately, Rickie, I want you
to set up a poker game at your apartment tonight. Can you do it?
Well? I guess so. I don't know why. I'll have to
keep my reasons to myself. I want Bill Baxter there and Jack Willen Rice
and yourself three handed poker. There ain't much of a game. There'll be
four hands. I'll be there. It's time I took a very definite hand
in what's going on around here? Hello, Miss Rice is built, Baxter?
What do you want? Supposed to be a poker game tonight at Rickie's?
You going? I don't know why I shouldn't. No, Then I
got news for your final. Vans is going to be there. That's the
reason I'm going. Oh, I've got nothing to hide from Vans. What
about you? Bill? You going to Rickie? Yes, I am like
to repeat what you told me fillow, Vans will be there. I got
a little repeating to do myself. You tell me you've got nothing to hide
from Vans? Neither of Bye. That's the reason I'm going to Ricky's.
This is rather an unhappy card game. Doesn't anybody have anything to say?
If you're want conversation instead of cards? Vans, I could make some tea.
I chipped two pennies. Anybody playing with me? I'm in. You
always were a sucker, Bill, how about you, Ricky? Yeah,
stay brave man Vans. I'm not sure. Lend me a dark glasses,
will you, Miss Rice? My glasses? Yes, I'd like to use
them for a while if you don't mind the light in this room is wearing.
I'd lend them to your vans, except that they aren't sunglasses. They've
been ground to a prescription and then tended. Oh may I see them?
Why? Of course? Here? Anybody feel like playing poker? I got
doe invested in that kiddy. Just a minute, please, mister Baxter,
I want to try on these glasses, if Miss Rice's all right? M
Miss Rice? What was the last thing you asked me before I borrowed these?
I asked if you wanted in on this hand? I chipped two pennies,
yes, of course, No, no, pass me? Here are
your glasses back? Thanks? Not going in vance? No, I have
a pair of aases that doesn't compare with your three fives, Rickie, or
your straight backstairs? Hey, what is that? Or even miss Rice's four
kings? Just consider me out of this one. Please wait a minute,
wait, just a minute. How did you know what cards? Who are
holding the cards were using? Or a deck known as readers. Miss Rice's
dark glasses enable to wear it or read the cards from the back. Little
mark in the design, visible only when dark glasses are worn, identifies each
card. So that's why she always won. She's been rooking us for a
week. Boys, you were only playing for pennies. What's the difference.
If miss Rice won pennies, each of those coppers represented a hundred bucks.
Fans, this dame when a fortune from us. This is all completely ridiculous.
If you'll excuse it a minute, you'll you're going up. He's not
going to do anything, not just yet, neither are you, Baxter.
I'm finally getting somewhere on this case. These poker games you've been holding were
for big money. That might be the reason Dan Smith was killed. Why
should that make a difference. If he found out that miss Rice was cheating,
she might have had to take steps to silence him. Fan, so
I could kill you. I don't doubt it. Her cute trick almost tagged
rickin me with a murder. Rapp Mans to me a favor, get lost
for about five and just five minutes. That's all I ask you, Totim.
Sorry, but I'm staying this is very unsatisfactory to me. Incidentally,
it's true. I know now that the poker games were for big stakes and
that miss Rice was cheating, But I don't know that. Oh hello,
Markham, come in Hey, what is this? Another raid finally identified the
dead man, Dan Smith. He was a private detective. He was a
private eye, eh, Markham. Well, apparently he wasn't a very important
one, or the fact that he was missing would have been reported before this.
He wasn't important, It wasn't particularly legitimate it either. His license was
taken away last year. I'm glad you told me about being here at this
game so I could come down and bring the news to you. Glad you
did, Markham. We now have a lot of information in this case,
but none of it points to our murderer, perhaps because it's impolite to point
no, Miss Rice, that isn't the reason. The reason is because the
motive for the death of Dan Smith is too complicated. There were too many
different reasons for somebody to kill that man. This is District Attorney Markham.
The Penny anti murder case opened with the killing of Dan Smith, illegitimate private
Detective Final Vans has discovered that there was cheating going on in a poker game,
presumably played for pennies, but actually for bigger stakes. He has also
told me about a racket being engaged in by Bill Baxter, one of the
suspects and his aid Ricky, but has asked me to do nothing about it.
As yet. All I know for certain is that Vans has detected the
third suspect, Jacqueline Rice, cheating through the use of special cards and dark
glasses. Both Ricky and Bill have been allowed to return to their places of
business unwatched, and no one is quite certain. Riggie, you ain't told
me yet. How come final Vans was up at your place playing cards with
us? Well, you wanted to come, Bill, I didn't see no
harmon asking him, So I did you know he was going to be there
before you say you'd come? You tell me that, but you didn't tell
me. Why. Don't matter Though he did us a favor, I'm not
about that damned cheat. So that washes her up? How to wash up
this racket? Bill? Don't we quitting it one more day? Or old
catal Tomorrow? At least guy sends us a buck on Tuesday, ink on
a grape. If you don't get his package by Saturday, is he na
Monday? When he starts to get cute, we ain't him anymore? Okay
with me? And let's have no more fooling between me and you about who
killed Dan Smith. That's just decide that he who could that be? Who
knows? We got no envelopes and no do inside, so don't let them
in. What could we lose? Come in? Is this the Rainbow Distributing
Company? Well, now, come on in, fram What could we do
to help you? How you do? My name is Joseph Peters. I
sent you dollar on Tuesday and I got no package, so I thought I'd
come up here and just pick it up. Save you the trouble, you
know. I see, well, mister Peters, you see your package must
be on on a truck right now. Oh but it can't be. I
asked downstairs and in the neighborhood, and they say you have no trucks.
So well, I'll just take my package and go. If you don't mine
bill, I'll handle this. Mister Peters, there must be some mistake.
Here's your dollar, and we're sorry. I don't want my dollar. I
want my package. You said you had a package for me. I got
a card to prove it. Now give me my package. Oh, give
it to me, or I'll go to the police. Oh, the police
is aunt. We can't have you doing that, can we, Rickie,
Hey, don't Billy you and let's put that gun away. Shut up and
shut up, both of you. Wof Halp, halp, somebody hal Bill.
You've killed him? Oh kitten, what did you want me to do?
Let him go blab to the cops. Come on, help me carry
his body in the next room. This made up my mind for me.
We're out of this business, Rickie because of this guy. But him,
he's out of this world. You're sure I can't catch anything, mister Vans.
Thank you, Miss Rice. No, I just dropped in to find
out one bit of information. Why did you cheat in those poker games?
How did you know I was cheating? Unless you guessed it. I didn't
guess. Believe me, I knew when I asked Rickie to arrange the game
if you would have been cheating, I suspected you used the dark classes,
but I wanted to be sure. You still haven't told me how you knew.
That's correct, And you haven't told me why you cheated. Why?
Yes, because everybody was cheating in those games, Vans. It was a
battle of wits. Dan Smith, the dead Man, was stacking the cards
every time he dealt build Baxton knew every card everybody held. Although I don't
know how he knew. Rickie had a gimmick of his own, going.
Well, I've told you what you want to know. Now tell me how
I knew you were reading the backs of the cards. Well, I don't
know who's at the door, but whoever it is, better go away.
I have no intention of answering the buzzer. That could be very complimentary it
is, you're going to do anything about it? Yes, good, I'm
going to answer the door. Well, please excuse me, miss Rice.
It's possible it's my secretary or Mark or my left word where I was going,
Ricky Events, I gotta see you come out here in the hall.
Who is it? Somebody for me, miss Rice. I'll be right back
in Events. We got no time to fool around. Now. Baxter's kill
another guy. We're not sure yet that he killed Dan Smith this time,
I'm not fooling Fancy killed Smith. I saw him doing. I was afraid
to tell you before, but this is a McCoy and he knocked off an
honest citizen in our office just an hour ago. The cops will find the
body and trace it to us. Only I had nothing to do with it.
I came to tell you that sounds like you're on the level. Thanks,
Ricky, you be where I can reach you. Is Baxter's doll in
the office? Yeah, he thinks I went out to get a car.
He's waiting for me to get back so we can get rid of the body.
Very well, I'll get Markham and go up there. If we find
this honest citizen dead, we will have Baxter dead to rights. No reason
to knock Markham. Let's break right in. No, baxters inside. Just
as Hugh says, this door shouldn't give us much trouble. Here we go
two Wow, where ants and the district attorney? Yes? This is out
of a movie, isn't it? Busting in the guy like this? All
right, Baxter, where's the body? Where's what body? The body of
the man you killed? We know all about him. His name is Peters.
He came here looking for a package you pretended to be holding for him,
and you killed him. Peter, put down your eyebrows backster, We
know all about him. Oh in that case, Wait a minute, Peters,
that's what is this? I don't know you call me mister Baxter?
What is it? Peters? Tell these guys who you are. Well,
my name is Peters, Joe Peters, how do we know that? Well,
I'm working a plant and I carry my picture for identification. Here it
is, if you want to look at it. Let me see that surely,
m Marcom. I'm afraid we've made a mistake. You're not kidding.
Goodbye, gentlemen. I don't bother shutting the door in back of you.
You've knocked it off the hinges. Goodbye, Baxter. But believe me,
we'll meet again. Come on, markam, Advance is the first time,
and I can I go now in a minute. So, just as I
suspected my friend Ricky went to Vans, good thing, I didn't kid you
when I hit you with that gun. Buck, I won't tell anybody what
happened, mister Packs, You're honest, I won't. You've been okay,
Peters, didn't like I told you when I thought it was the DA in
Vans coming here. Go ahead, now, scram let me keep that mouth
of ears shut and remember that. I'll be quiet. I promise you I
won't tell us. So what happened? Go ahead, get lost? Goodbye
already. Well, Vance, looks like you and I are in the blank
wall department. As far as the Pennianti murder case is concerned, I wouldn't
say that. We have uncovered a racket thanks to our friend Ricky, and
we can crack down on that anytime we like. What about Dan Smith's murderer,
Malcolm, you have the file on Smith there, Let me see it
a minute. You are well see anything, perhaps as a record of the
phone calls he made the day was killed. The operator in his hotel supplied
you with him, and of course you checked all of them the police did.
The out of town call was to a newspaper that could be for almost
anything. The other calls were to his laundry and miss Rice, Bill Baxter
and Rickie. The times these calls were made her here, Markham, Yes,
has that any importance? Miss Rice in the morning, the laundry after
that, then Baxter, then the out of town newspaper, and then Rickie.
That could be important. How so I'll let you know as soon as
I call the out of town newspaper, after which you and I are going
to see mister Baxter. I'm very sure again, yes, but you will
wait outside, and the way I talk and the way I'll be dressed,
I don't believe he'll know me when I knock. Ah, who is it?
Come on? He and the doors open? Mister Baxter, mister Bill
Baxter? For you? What do you want? Name won't mean anything to
you, mister Baxter. I got a letty here says for you. Delivery
package to me. I was way to the Barber's have this? Mistare shaved
off from the fellow. Give me a buck to take it up here,
give me this card you send him. Here's a card, here's a buck.
Let's have the package. Oh somebody sent you? Huh, Well,
I'll come back to my old timer. We're closed for the day. Are
you can come on? Son, Let's not fool around. Let's have the
package. I ain't moving out of here, neither of you to get it
either. Well, in that case, I better get you this. You're
not that cute fans I recognize. Yeah, Well, are you gonna finish
this? You're gonna lie on that floor all night. I'm going to finish
it. If I ever get up, you're not getting up one good kicking.
You'll never kick a man when he's down. You can grab your leg,
Baxter. Let's have some of that fun you started vance smart too.
I know who killed dance you know why, tool certainly, Baxter listens,
I did it? Come on, d Mark Roman, thanks for letting me
have all this fun alone. Nice job. Vance. I heard him talk
and that's all I had to all. So, oh, this is our
murderer. Eh. Neither Bill nor I said that, Markham. But you
practically said Advance. You told him you knew who killed the private detective,
after which he tried to beat your brains out. That was to keep me
from exposing his racket. Here, Markham, I know who killed Dan Smith
and it wasn't Bill. Backstair said here please, miss Rice Vans will be
in in a minute. Thank you, mister Markham. You over there,
Rickie, Vance wanted to see you two. Okay, so I'm here.
What goes? Good evening everyone as well. Here are the two of though
you requested me, Thank you. I am not going to waste much time.
I have just received this telegram from an out of town newspaper. I'd
like to read it all right, so read it well. Thank you for
your permission, Rickie. It goes like this. Answering your phone call,
the Chronicle did receive a telephone call from your city the day the private detective
Dan Smith was murdered there, Oh, relaxed, miss Rice, this is
practically painless. Telegram continues. Smith wanted to know details and description of local
killer who fled town after a murder two years ago. We read them to
him on the phone. They are as follows. Then the description describes you
very definitely, Ricky. Of course you Dan Smith in some way found out
who you were, wasn't sure wired your hometown paper for details. When he
got them, he called you, probably to blackmail you. Are you crazy?
Phone records from Smith's hotel? Shall he call out of town? And
then Ricky immediately after that? It all fits. Ricky saw his chance to
kill Smith at the poker game, to shut him up by dame build backs
too by pretending to be on our side. Later wait, only it didn't
work. Take him out, Markham. No you won't, I won't do
anything. Come on, didn't help Markham. I god, I'll take you
too later. Well, I suppose I could have you rested, miss Rice,
But honestly, I don't know what for cheating in the card game.
Vance Well, as you told me a while back, everybody was cheating backs
to war, tinted contact lenses, invisible eyeglasses that enabled him to read the
backs of the cards too. You want to tell me now how you knew
I could read the cards? All right? You announced when you went to
Markham's office immediately after the murder that you held a straight flush, which was
better than the three aces the dead man was holding. His cards were faced
down, so though you knew, I must have known what they were while
he was alive. Very stupid of me, wasn't it. Yes, But
you were very interested in trying to prove to Markham that you had no reason
to kill Dan Smith. That altered your usual good judgment. Sometimes I wonder
how good my judgment is. And oh, I'll wind up. I can't
tell you that. All I can tell you is that this is the wind
up of the Pennianti murder case. Welcome back. Well, apparently this card
game was like the murder on the Orient Express of card cheating, where everyone
was doing it. I wondered about that when Vance said that the cards were
readers, since there was no indication that it was her deck, and therefore
the other people had used a cheating deck, which kind of makes her puzzlement
about it odd, because you know, if you see that somebody else's using
cards that can be read, then you kind of figure they didn't do that
for your benefit. Also, the whole fraud scheme with the postcards, fifty
percent seems like a really high rate that he was expecting to fall for this
scheme. But then again, this is the file Advance universe. Also,
it's kind of dumb to use your own address as opposed to appeal box,
so your only options are trying to fake people out or physical violence. Also
appreciated that Markham apparently can handle making a rest I mean, if he is
going to act like he's on the police force, he might as well physically
restraint suspects as well and handcuff him. Do all that good stuff, get
all the bang for his buck, and tell some voters get tired of him
not actually doing all the stuff you're supposed to do as district attorney. Now
it's time to thank our Patreon supporter of the day. Thank you to Michael,
Patreon supporter since October twenty twenty one, currently supporting the show at the
Detective Sergeant level of seven toll from fourteen cents or more per month. Thank
you so much for your support, Michael, and that will do it for
today. We'll be back next Thursday with another episode of follow Bays. But
join us back here tomorrow for yours truly, Johnny Doll or where Johnny Doller,
long distance operator Wilmington, Delaware is calling you. Okay, go ahead,
please, Johnny, I do well, this is done, Freed.
What's happening there? Your expenses are running away up and we haven't gotten a
report from you. I haven't too busy. Whatsed to mean? That's supposed
to mean that the tip I got was good and it was bad. Yes,
Gloria Tierney one two or three one, he's fifty seventh Street, had
a mink coat that was stolen from the Tata State. No, she didn't
tell me much about it because you got herself shot down on the street last
night. Yes, I'm working with the police here trying to find out how
she comes by the coach. But I listen. An hour ago I went
out to see an next husband of hers. His name's Bill Powers, and
he seems to be the bird we're looking for. You know what he did?
He cried and blubberd all the way down to the morgue, and he's
in there right now. I'm making a positive identification. I don't blame him
for crying. So what's new with you, mister expensive council. Oh you're
a real manager today, aren't you. I sure, am Bye. I
hope you'll be with us then. In the meantime, do send your comments
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's son and Off