Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise Idahol. This is
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going to Patreon dot Great Detectives dot net. Well, now let's get into
this week's episode of Dangerous Assignment. The original air date January twenty first,
nineteen fifty three, and the title is Leak of Strategic Materials Dangerous Assignment.
Transcribers Dying Brian donas Deve myjo. Yeah, Introo is my assignment. I
get sent to a lot of places I can't even pronounce. They all spell
the same thing, though trouble, But when I walk into the Commissioner's office,
I don't realize that this assignment's going to prove that you can sometimes pook
the biggest fish of all right in the middle of a freight train. Morning,
Commissioner, you sent for me, Steve. Ever been on the road
to Mandalay? Oh many times? Vocally? That is used to be the
theme song of our jolly fellows clam digging and marching society. Well, this
time you're actually going to travel that road, Steve, on your way to
meet an American newspaper man named Forrest. What's it all about, Commissioner.
Lately we've been concerned over the leak of strategic materials and equipment from the US.
Materials originally intended for our allies in Indo, China Malaya. You mean
some of that shipman isn't getting there right, It's winding up in Burma then
being shipped on through the back door of China. So, oh, how
does this newspaperman fit into the picture? Chris Forrester and knows the Orient been
there for years as many contexts. He got in touch with us last night,
so he had certain infant which might help us plug up that leak of
supply. Okay, commission get over that, Steve. Talk with faster,
get to the organization behind all this and smash it. That's it, You've
got your assignment. Good luck. A National Broadcasting Company is presenting Dangerous Assignment,
starring Brian don Levy and the role of Steve Mitchell, colorful two fisted
government agent. At all those places of the world where danger and intrigue walk
hand in hand. There you will find Steve Mitchell on another dangerous assignment.
One of the most important functions of a radio network is the quick dissemination of
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and wherever it happens. And you can depend upon NBC for full of all
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be sure to set your radio dial to this MBC station. Cheer, I've
got my assignment. Hit the road to mand Lay check with a foreign correspondent
there named Chris Forrester, and hope the information he has will help us plug
up the leak of strategic US materials and the equipment. It's late Friday evening
when my plane settles down and Rangoon. I checked the hotel Blair, but
Forester hasn't arrived. Seems the late train from Mandalay is overdue. I head
for the depot and that's when I spot the gent in the white suit tailing
me, the same gent who is standing at the hotel desk when I asked
about Forrester. I try a fast maneuver to shake him, clever ruse number
thirty seven B, and it works. I wind up on the main drag
again and hale an approaching cab, and as I opened the door, I
realized, clever Ruse number thirty seven D isn't so clever. The gentle in
the white suit is sitting in the back seat of the cab, and somehow
I feel it wouldn't be smart to turn down his invitation. Do you get
in, mister Mitchell? Okay, buster pretty fast on your feet, aren't
you, I think so? Or a driver ah, I'd like to have
a little talk, could you, mister Mitchell. Friendly talk, But of
course I might believe it if you took that hand of yours out of your
coat pocket. Well that's what you want with Chris Forrester, you may only
I don't think you're going to get an answer in that case. Your identification
papers please come come, mister Mitchell. Uh, here you are, thank
you. Oh I see my apologies, mister Michell. What's this all about?
You'd better have a look at my credentials. Yeah, Ben Grayson,
Chief Investigators, South East India Insurance Company, Melbourne. You see, mister
Mitchell, my company is interested in for us to too the work he's doing.
We wouldn't want anything to happen to him. We're counting on in for
some very valuable information. Oh then we're willing to pay for it. Matter
of fact, I'll have a check in my pocket for him two thousand pounds
small bonus. And this information is in regard to why jacking of freight insured
by our company. We handle a good many firms in this area, mister
Mitchell, and the company is taking an awful bleating in the past six months.
The buses have been on my neck wanting me to do something about the
situation. A job hanging by a thread. No, no, no,
not exactly. But he does make a chap look bad, isn't it?
Oh, I've had some. I've picked up a few operators, small Frye,
Bush League, Pirates and the like. Horrist it seems to be on
the right trail. Now he's after the big wheel, probably behind a gigantic
organization operating in the area. That's why I'm here, Grayson. Well,
as I say, I'm glad to have you bought. Ten minutes later,
we pull up at the railroad station. While Grayson goes off to inquire about
Farmer's train, I take a quick stroll around the depot. It seems to
be an awful lot of activity about for this time of night. A lot
of people milling around, workmen mostly, and two platoons of government troops are
headed along the loading platform. I watch as they pile aboard the waiting train.
See, yes, what is the table? Plenty of it? And
I trained remain delight. One for us to was on. What about it?
Gerrilla attack at thirty miles out of same town? Derived it? What
rubbed the passengers in the fields and dead? Oh? Great? Before didn't
say who they were. Do you think one of them could be Forester?
Let's find out this. I take it as the relief train, Yes,
leaving in a few minutes. Okay, let's latch on gras Ire aboard.
As the relief train pulls out of the depot, picks up speed, and
rolls northward on the mand lay. Hours later, we watched the dawn come
up, not like thunder but quietly hot, sticky, And then finally we
arrive at the scene of the wreck. The locomotive, looking like a wounded
bull elephant, lies sprawled across the tracks. Behind the two passenger cars form
a neat pyramid. First we checked the cashuliers. Two of them are natives,
the third is the engineer. Gracing and I split up start checking the
passengers lined up on both sides of the train. Now sign a Forester.
No one seems to remember him, that is until I reach a short,
heavy set gent sporting an expensive though badly wrinkled tan Gaberdine suit American champion side
tall gray about the temples. Oh yes, yes, yes, we were
in the same cars. I spoke with him briefly. When did you see
him last? Some time ago? Before the attack, that is, I
gotten a small conversation with him regarding bicycles. I represent the Birmingham Thunderboat.
It's an excellent wheels, a stout little machine. All that. I am
sure, thanks boy. One moment, sir, Oh Tarva, would you
pop over a moment please, that she might be able to help you.
Sir, she's a lovely girl. Oh, lovely and from Singapore. I
don't know what she does, but what he RETI is doing? Well?
Yes, what is it? Mister perrym my dear, this gentleman. I
didn't get the name, Sir, Steve Mitchell Tarva. Mister Mitchell, my
name is Perryman amos J. How do you do mister Mitchell? He's looking
for a chat friend of his. Forester, Oh, yes, the newspaper
right here. Yeah, you were with him when the guerrillas attacked the train.
Yes, we heard shots and then the train stopped. Suddenly there was
great confusion, Forester. What happened to him? I don't know. In
all the excitement, he just vanished. He could have gotten off the train,
you think, yes, I thought of doing the same, started to
but the rebels suddenly appeared and forced us to remain in the car. Ghastly
lot. They were I know a smattering of the Karen dialect. I managed
to catch part of their conversation. I got the impasion they were looking for
someone in Hard Kong. Yeah, could be mister Harryman, could be Thanks,
Hey, like I see Grayson. Hey, I've been looking for you.
Oh, I haven't had a bit of luck. How about you.
I've been talking with a couple of passengers who were in forced his car.
I've got a hunch he skipped out. What Yeah, I think he figured
it with something more than just the raid to grab supplies. That the gorillas
were after him too. Now, assuming it fun as the ductor office train,
he's probably out there somewhere, hiding in the jungle, or if the
village nearby, he might be headed for it. Let's find out. We
do some fast checking. We find out there is a village not too far
away. We also find a native who lead me through the jungle to it.
Grayson stays on at the scene of the train wreck. In the event
that Orrester Double's back, I follow my native guide into the jungle. We
don't get very far before we run into someone else on the trail good money.
You lost lost? No, no, I was your style for a
stroll. I understand it will be quite some time before the train is ready
to take us on to go. That's right, you were one of the
passengers. Yeah, my name is Hairstyle, August Hairstarted. I was about
to return to the trail. Shall we go back together? No, my
friend and I have pushed on a little further. We're the caution, gentlemen,
do not venture too far. The jungle is treacherous. Thanks for the
advisors. Doll will be careful. With a slight dove from the waist turs
Doll turns, walks down the trail and disappears from you. The guide and
I mush on the jungle slicker and the going rougher. Finally I call a
halt. I think there's somebody else on the trail. You keep going straight
ahead and make some noise about it. I'll wait here. Okay, you
bus. I ease off the trail and wait. I can hear the guide
moving up ahead in the jungle, and then it's quiet. Five minutes go
by, ten nothing happens. I slip out of my hiding place and take
off after the guide. I find him about two hundred yards down the trail.
He's dangling from the branch of a tree with a noose of vines around
his neck. Steve Mitchell will continue his dangerous assignment in just a moment.
Throughout our nation, driving conditions are dangerous and every motorists should revise his driving
habits to conform to winter's rain, snow, and slippery high while the National
Safety Council warns that winter driving conditions present more hazards than at any other time
of the year. Too many times when roads are wet and slippery, the
posted speed limits are not the safe speed limits, So remember the safe speed
for your driving is the speed that matches road conditions. America's professional truck drivers,
the men who drive for a living, are taught that now more than
ever, they must drive ahead of themselves. By watching the changing road and
traffic conditions on the highway ahead, you can avoid accidents before they happen.
When you see an accident threaten on the road ahead, you'll have time to
keep it from happening. Remember the current campaign against speed, the number one
killer on the highways. Drive as slowly as the road conditions demand, and
you will be doing your part. In this campaign, and remember the life
you save may be your own. Now back to Dangerous Assignment and Brian Don
Lavelle Steve Mitchell. I cut the guide's body down from the noose of vines
and bend over him. As it turns out, I bend just in time,
this slug whistles over my back. I dive into the brush and hug
the ground. There's no sign of the sniper anywhere, and that's just the
way I want to keep it. I circle on all fours towards the trail,
finally reach it and take off in the direction the guide had told me
the village was. Half an hour later I reached the river. I start
along the bank and then I spot somebody kneeling by the edge. I ease
up quietly. Oh, sorry to startle you. I wasn't sure who it
was doing the weekly washing. Yes, look, miss, maybe you can
help me Ian. Have you seen a tall American around here lately? His
name is Forrester. No, there has been no American. Some gorillas passed
by here, gorillas how long ago? Only a short great which waves the
village from here that way. Okay, I'll what is it? Nothing?
Thanks for the information. I walk out of her sight. Then I stop.
Anan has given me more information than she realizes. In her pile of
washing, I spot the cup of a man's white shirt and it doesn't look
like the native type. I wait. Pretty soon she comes along the trail,
looking back to see if she's followed. I keep in the brush on
one side of the trail and stay with her. She leads me to a
hot half hidden in the underbrush and disappears inside. I pop in after a
tall blonde guy is stretched out on a mat and he sits up fast.
Hey who are you? Steve Mitchell? The guy who was supposed to meet
you? Here are my credentials forrest? Oh brother, I glad to see
you. How'd you find me? Spotted your shirt and the girls washing and
she was too tired to get the blood out of a shoulder wound. Yeah,
it's not bad from the gorillas. Uh huh. They jumped the train.
They followed me, but the girl here hid me and patched me up
because she thought you were after me too. Oh, I did not know
who you were, sure orister. Those people who got friendly with you on
the train, Paaramount and the girl Tava. I figured either one of them
could have been planted there to put the finger on you for the gorillas,
or it might have been hers doll who I ran into him in the jungle
near the train. Said he was one of the passengers out for a walk.
Remember meeting him on the train. Oh well, one thing, sure,
We've got to get you out of here and back to the train fast.
In the village, one of the men had a small boat. I
will go and talk to him. I'm certain you will help. We head
down the river away and then double over to the train. Huh, yes,
you remember the place at the river where I was washing clothes. Mister
Mitchell, wait for me. There there's the spot I need wants us to
wait for us. Good didn't come any too soon. Just in case we
get separated. You'd better give me what information you have on this hijacking record
right now. The head man is a guy the natives call Lokai, but
he's a white man. And you know who Lokai is. Three nights ago
I got a quick glimpse of him, and Mandolay had a payoff. They
spotted me and I had to get away fast, but I'd recognize him if
I ever saw him again. No, wonder he's trying his best to have
you knocked off. How does the racket work? Now? The hijack supplies
and munitions are recreated and reshipped a dummy address seas on the West coast and
sailed across Bermitda Mandalay and then flown by charted plain into China. He has
no trouble with the local rebels because he pays them off and they leave his
ship and saloon. Sounds like that to take a lot of dough. Loki
doesn't use money, pays them off in food stuffs that the turn causes a
food shortage in the big cities, and then he runs a black market.
He works Allly Goes, doesn't he sure? For instance, two weeks ago,
when the rebels blew up the water pipes with supply Rangoon Low Gui's boys
moved in Fasten did a big business selling water at ten cents a buck.
This is one sweet guy. We're talking about her. Well, at least
when we get back to the relief train. You can trade your information for
two thousand pounds. That insurance investigator Grayson, Yeah, I talked to him
a couple of times last week in Mandalay. Guess he's on a spot with
his company until his thing's cleared up. And I can sure you used the
though hold it on the river just coming around the bend a small boat.
It's on aina going men's clothes. Yeah, so it is. I wonder
what happened to the boatman the next plus attack can come to the back.
Okay, let's go. Yeah, where's the boatman on en? He was
sick, so he told me to take the boat. I see here.
Of course, I'll give you a handleboard, all right, fash, Okay,
you had better get under the top of than near the boat right stand
to cover. There are many grillas in the area right well, the light
we can see out of this torn place forrester. Yeah, she sure seem
as co operative. Yeah, maybe a little too much. So if the
price on your head is as high as I think it is, she may
be trying to collect it herself. Yeah. Maybe by taking us to the
local gorilla chief. Twe co just the same. I figured we'd better play
along to the time being. This boat's are the best chance of getting out
of here. Yeah. They get down boat over there near the other side
of the bank. Three natives and the gorillas have I loved that. What
oh? Right? Do you understand any of it enough to tell me who
our friend on e is? Oh? I told you the local gorilla chief
was twe Well, she's his sister. What well? And other boats out
of sight. Let's get out of here, Steve, up ahead that native
bridge across the river. Yeah, three guys perched up there with tommy guns
and those boats on the bank. I think we're being taken to gorilla headquarters.
Yeah, it looks like we've drifted right into a nice little trap.
I start to crawl out from under the top so I can grab the helm,
But just as I stick my head out, something very hard gets me
over the ear and I pulled Steve. Steve, okay, oh forested?
Hey? Where are we safely down the stream almost to the place where we
get off? Hey, what happened the last I remember? You got hit
on the head. I mean you better fill him in. I saw you
start to crawl out from under the top. Role in, mister Mitchell.
I was afraid you would do something rush, so I hit you with this
wrench to prevent them. We've seen you you sure, I mean wallop?
Then you weren't going to turn us into the gorillas. No, it is
true my brother is their leader, but it is also try and oppose to
what he's doing. I too wish freedom for my country, but not his
way, not when it means kidnapping Americas. I remember the last war,
there were many of you fighting here for us. You've got a good memory,
I mean, a lot better than most these days. Thanks. A
couple of minutes later, she pulls the boat over to the bank and lets
us out. We head through the brush in the direction of the train and
Grayson, I can't be faster. Pretty soon we spotted they poked the passenger
cars on behind the relief train. Then I see Perryman, Tava and herz
Doll climb aboard one of the cars. We stay out of their sight.
Any one of them could be the one who put the finger on forrester heads
starting up. We try to hurry. The forester's room slows them down.
I put him across my shoulders and the fireman's carry and take off after the
train and I spot Grayson on a flat car on which a crane is mounted
high a te I come up beside the flat car rolled a forest aronto it.
Ny guy of a board quite for a minute. Grayson, I thought,
well, hey, why the gun, Mitchell, Mitchell, don't you
know who this is? Sure it's Grayson, Now, this is Loki.
This is the force of the hijacking, right, cried ride. Look,
borister, you told me you'd talked to Grayson a couple of times last week.
How come you didn't recognize him as low Kai? Then, well,
I only talked to him on the phone. Oh great, great, is
right. I'm quite indebted to you, Mitchell for dropping Forest to ride into
my lap. Now I can get both of you out of my hat at
the same time. My eyes click up at the train and then at the
cable, which leads down to a big book resting on a box behind me
about waist high. It's why only chance. Just as Grayson raises his gun,
I grabbed the book and yank and then jump to one side. It
swings past me right at Grayson. What brother out like a light. That
hook really creased it, Yeah, sort to put him out of business in
more ways than one. It was quite an act he was putting on the
hard working insurance of us. Yeah, it was quite an act until it
got broken up, or rather until he got the hook our star Brian Donaldave.
They will return in just a moment. Daytime programming here at the NBC
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it's a day filled with the finest radio entertainment, So be sure to
hear Bob Hope, Dave Gerway, Bob and Ray, Warren Hull, Meredith
Wilson, Burt Parks, and Tommy Bartlett over most NBC stations every day Monday
through Friday. Next week Mexico City, Moonlight and Murder, and that will
be Steve Mitchell's Dangerous Assignment next week. Included and tonight's cast were Ben Wright,
Ramsey Hill, v v Janis, Alice Bacchus, and Paul Freese.
This is John Storm Speaking Dangerous Assignment starring Brian don Levy as Steve Mitchell,
the Herb Butterfield as the Commissioner, is written by Bob Ryf and Adrian John
Doe and is directed by Bill carn Be with us again next week at the
same time when Brian don Levy, starring in the role of Steve Mitchell,
will embark on another transcribed dangerous assignment tomorrow. Here are both Father Knows Best
and Truther Consequences on MBC Welcome Back and interesting case and I think the only
time Steve has been knocked out for his own good. The episode also provides
a bit of an education on how relief supplies can often be stolen or misappropriated
and sold on the Black Mark. And they did it in a way that
was short but still got across the point of how it worked. All right.
Well, now we turn to listener comments and feedback, and we have
a couple of comments from YouTube and Ryin Sar writes in regarding the Streetcar seventeen
episode, the announcement at the end of this episode about the Cotton Bowl broadcast
tickled me. Lendsey Nelson and Bob Murphy later became two thirds of the longest
running three man broadcast team in the history of the genre. Ralph Kiner joined
the Dynamic duo nineteen sixty two, and they proceeded to broadcast every inning of
the New York Mets into the very late seventies. Lindsey left the Mats after
the nineteen seventy seventh season, but Bob and Ralph continued to be the voice
of the team into the nineteen nineties. Well, thanks for the comment.
I'm not a big football guy, but I definitely recognized Ralph Connor because before
he got behind the microphone, he was a baseball player and a really good
one and had this just amazing seven year run where he led the league in
homers the National League every year, including two fifty home run seasons, and
his career got cut short due to a back injury, had to retired age
thirty two, but still made an impact. I used to collect baseball cards
when I was a kid, and he showed up in this collection that he
got through Cereal. Where was the all time greats? Those sort of cards?
Not really who knows what he would have achieved with, you know,
the sort of medical care we have today. Then he went on and he
became a broadcaster. And not only did he and Bob Murphy continue to do
games into the nineties, but Kinder continued to be a broadcaster till the year
he passed away in two thousand and fourteen. The really an interesting connection that
we kind of went down there. And then finally we have this comment from
Maureene. I love the New Year's Eve ad. My folks were newlyweds in
nineteen fifty two. Well, thanks so much, Marine, great all the
connections that a lot of these little ads and public service announcements bring to people's
minds. Thanks so much for sharing. Appreciate your comment. Now it's time
to thank our Patreon supporter of the day, and I want to go ahead
and think Jeff. Jeff has been one of our Patreon supporters since October of
twenty fifteen, currently supporting the program at the Detective Sergeant level of seven dollars
and fourteen cents or more per month. Thank you so much for your support,
Jeff, and that will do it for today. If you're enjoying the
podcast, please follow us using your favorite podcast software and be sure to rate
and review the podcast wherever you download it from. We will be back next
Wednesday with another episode of Dangerous Assignment. But join us back here tomorrow for
mister Chameleon. Where uh the facts of these? Comedian Herbert Martin, according
to his doctor's report, was poisoned at dinner. Now down to the poison
who symptoms are the same as till main poisoning, isn't it, iti Commissioner.
Yes, that's it all right, comedian, But who told you?
Let's call it a good guests commissioner? There? Go at? Then let
me addresses three three four four Burton Street. I'm on my way. Oh
there you are to take this side? Donald, get out a squad cock
quick watch up, mister com I hope you'll be with us. Then,
in the meantime, do you send your comments to Box thirteen at Great Detectives
dot net. Follow us on Instagram, Instagram, dot com slash Great detectives
from Boise, Idaho. This is your host, Adam Graham signing off.