Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This
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sold. Now, let's go ahead and get into this week's episode. I
follow Vans. The original air date March twenty eighth, nineteen fifty and the
title is The Ivory Murder Case. Time might as well rest here for a
little bit no sense and try to make it all the way back to camp
tonight. Whatever you said, y'all funny thing about the fade? How do
you mean we woke up this morning a couple of guys without any money.
We go to sleep tonight millionaires? Had I really found there's at least two
million in it. We had to get paid for coming all the way to
Africa, didn't we not that? Well, it doesn't make its stop for
those time times chanting. I wonder what they mean, and I hope is
that they may and everything is okay, that's TiO. What is it?
Excuse stay we stood, Tom Dunker? What is it sound on? Natives?
Tell me ask you a question? Uh? All right, ask question
ahead? To see Please to leave ivory here where you'll find it? See
it bloom here? Oh they do? Hey, you'll go back and tell
them at the abray belongs to Weather finds it and we found it. Tell
him cut out those top times, please, mister Hillary. But Tom toms
mean what they tell me to? Ask you to leave ivory here? Tell
him not cut it out to them? No'm not sure other natives listen to
him. Well that's that. Yeah, natives are silver statious. Well,
natives aren't. Let's skip them from all. Let's talk about you and me?
What about us? We'll just in case there's any doubt in your mind.
You. Oh, let's understand this. I don't trust you too much.
It's nice to know we've got the ivory, bring it back and you'll
sell it through your company. What do you intend to do about paying me
off? Oh? I've thought about that time. That's nice. You know
what I'm entitled, don't you? I suddenly do, and I've just decided
what you're gonna get. I suppose you tell me sure I'll do better than
that? No? No, don't you wanted to know what I was gonna
do about paying you off? You're buying out time the hard way. Take
a letter to d Amstins on Boating Building. You got that must been yes,
mister Hilary. Gentlemen, I just returned from Africa with a quantity of
ivory which I believe you will be interested. M hmm. One of these
excellent samples are available immediately for your inspection. He will let me know and
I will be conveniently come in HANDA excuse please, mister Hillary Thunda, what
are you doing in this country? I come take back ivory? Mister Hillary
Ivory belong in my country. Getara here and I re belongs to may not
get out Ivory found by you and mister Tom Duncan. Mister Hillary, mister
Tom Duncan no come back with you. Don don't know what happened to mister
Tom Duncan. Get out of here up by you, Dondo Sorry he threw
knife into deaths. Don't only want to show it. Good thing if Ivory
returned, very good thing for natives and for mister Hillary. Will you sit
down, missus Duncan just turning, Markham. We should be here at any
moment now. Oh you have spoken to him, mister Vans. Yes,
right after you called me and said you'd be down here at my office,
Markham said he'd be here, and I'm sure he will now that I've seen
you, I'm not sure I want him here. Well, that's very flattering.
I do better with a little encouragement. Let me understand something. You
did want me to investigate your husband's death. That's true, isn't it?
Oh? I can wait after Hello Markham, Markham, this is missus Tom
Duncan. Her husband disappeared mysteriously while in Africa on an ivory hunt. She
thinks some investigating ought to be done. How do you do, Missus Duncan.
At the moment with two very attractive men, it seems as if I'm
doing pretty well. Suppose we get down to facts, Missus Duncan. I
suppose that might be an idea. Mister Markham. Yes, as Vans told
you, my husband was on an ivory hunting expedition in Africa. He didn't
return. He went with a man named Joe Hillary, and Hillary claims Tom
disappeared in the jungle and couldn't be found. Hillary is back in this country.
Yes, I'll talk to him, Missus Duncan. But it seems to
me that you've accepted rather casually the fact that your husband is dead. You're
very observing in view of that, Missus Johncan. Why are you so interested
in finding out who might have killed him, conceiving that he was killed,
as you obviously imagine, you want to know why I want to know who
killed my husband. Yes, well, Joe Hillary brought back a fortune an
ivory. I think half of that ivory belongs to me. And I'm the
kind of a person who doesn't get what I deserve, only what I want.
Sorry, you had to come out of the house to take the rest
of those letters. Donna makeuly Sorry you have to work on your day off.
Sorry, Joe, I've been here before. Remember, let's forget all
that phenol. Please get out of my workshop here in the basement. I'll
give you a sample of that ivory. I want you to mail. I
want me to grow up and type the letters you gave me. Yeah,
I'm very much help. Yesterday after that Native Tonto came to my office.
Who could work after that? I'm not over it yet. Sorry about your
nerves. There we are, here, we are, and you're a little
fortress. I could never do any work in a place like this. Why
because there are no windows? The place is smaller s that condition. I
locked myself in. I think better, plan better. Can't take a look
inside? Well, I get the sample for you. I've seen the inside.
You've got so much junk and if there's hardly room to sit down,
tools and nails and springs and vices, and what's the use? Give me
the ivory and I'll get out with my word. Hey, yeah, there's
the sample. I want to commit a minute. No, thank you,
well, see you later. So long oving's sake, What are you doing
putting a bar across the door. Certainly, I don't want to be disturbed,
Donna. I really don't want to be disturbed. Wouldn't it be funny,
Joe if you were disturbed, despite anything you might do to protect yourself.
But I don't understand mister Vans, who indicated when I was in your
office that you would work on my husband's disappearance. Yes, I did,
Missus Duncan, and I will. But there's no reason for my coming up
to your apartment to make my plans. I'd like you to come. I
want you to have a special interest in this case me. It would be
much too disconcerting. I'm afraid. No. Please let me call you back
when I find out something about your husband. Afraid there isn't anything else I
can do. Goodbye Vents, happy hunting, Thank you, and the same
to you. Goodbye. I think i'd better go. Please don't be afraid,
Missus Tom Duncan. I don't. How don't you get in here?
Window? We'll get right out through window. Whoever you are in fast,
don't don't must now keep away from me, Keep away, I said,
I told you, keep away, mister Tom Duncan. No, no,
that's what you think. Now, will you get out of here? Must
give me, come quick, give me. I don't know. Let don
my head, Let don't take god somebody maybe mister Tom Duncan, how do
you want? Don't go work? Or mister Tom Duncan in one country?
Help him? And mister Hillory fine Ivory. Don't know what happened to mister
Tom Duncan. Oh, mister Tom Duncan dead, mister Hillory kill him.
I help you prove this to police. Unless mister Hillary returned Ivory to me.
I must bring Ivory back. Oh so that's the idea of it.
And Joe did kill Tom? Sit down, doundo, sit down. Maybe
we can work out something. After all, it seems logical enough to me
that if we ought to find out what happened to Tom Duncan in Africa,
we come here to see Joe Hillary, the man he was with Green Markham
definitely Vans coming yep out your side rather nice house Hillary lives in. Yes
it is perhaps we should have phone to make sure he's in. I would
have given him too much of a chance to have somebody say he wasn't in.
Again, your logic goes unquestioned. Vhas you want to handle the bell?
I think I can take care of that assignment. Would a murder in
Africa still come under your jurisdiction, Markham? Well, Vance, that remains
to be seen if it were a murderer. If yes, how do you
do? I'm Final Vance and this is District Attorney Markham. Oh, I'm
Donna Benton. Do you want to see mister Hillary? Yes? Is he
at home? Yes? He is. Please come in. Thank you.
I'm mister Hillary secretary. Oh. I've been working here all afternoon, was
taking a nap when the bell rang. Mister Hillary is still in his workshop
I imagine workshop. Yes, down on the basement. He goes there to
relax. Oh, it's so right down this way down the teleships where behind
you. He spends hours down here when he's under a strain, and he
certainly is since he got back from Africa. Why is that he brought back
two million dollars in ivory. That's enough to put anybody under a strain.
It certainly is. You know when I left him down here this afternoon,
he even put a bar on the inside of the door. That's odd.
Well, here we are just a second. Perhaps he fell asleep too.
Well, there's no place to sleep in there, just a room full of
tools and junk. Doesn't sound too comfortable, mister Hillary, mister Hillary,
the doors walk just a moment while I try that keyhole. Yes, keys
still in it, Markam, there's an axe over there in the corner.
I'll get it. You think something's happened to mister Hillary. It certainly seems
so. Any windows in that room none. The only way you can get
in or out is through this door, and it's locked from the inside.
Here's the ax van. Thank you. Better stand back, both of you.
I hope nothing's happened to him. I hope you are right. Yeah,
you got through the panel vans. Now reach in and turn the key.
Yeah yeah, Now, let's doors chill. Doesn't open. He bore
the door from the inside. I heard him do it. Yeah, I
can feel a bar. Wait just a second and I'll get it off if
I can. But reaching, Yeah, let's go, advance. I'm with
you, pitch blacking here. There's a light switch by the side of the
door. Find advance, not yet, but I'm looking. Where is Oh,
I've got it. That look at that man's good body on the floor
on the floor with a knife in its back. Is that mister Hillary murdered
in a locked room, locked and barred from the inside, with no windows.
This kind of a mystery should be enough for even you, Markham.
Right now, the only thing I can tell you is that it's too much
for even me. This is just rude, Attorney Markham. The Ivory murder
case began in Africa, but culminated here in the killing of Joe Hillary knife
to death in his small workshop under impossible conditions. We know that Tom Duncan,
Hillary's partner in the Ivory hunt, disappeared in Africa. The Duncan's wi
I wasn't too concerned. Hillary Secretary A Donna Benton. We found out that
Tundo, an African native, had threatened Hiller. Vance has met Miss Benton
outside the warehouse where the ivory is stored. I imagine you were very fond
of your employer, Miss Benton, and that his death must have come as
a great shock to you. I'm very sorry to trouble you like this.
It's all right, mister Van I don't see the purpose of coming down here
to this warehouse, but if you do, I want help. Thank you.
The mystery of that locked room is too fantastic for solution at the moment.
Perhaps I can get to the bottom of this case by finding the motive.
I believe it to be the ivory that's stored here. You have the
keys, Yes, I'm getting them here they are. I can see how
two million dollars an ivory might provide an excellent reason for killing your employer.
I suppose that's so. Vance. There's a light on him here. There
shouldn't be a light on somebody's been here, somebody is here to just not
telling over sounded like it came from that direction. Vance, Look that figure
just going out the window. Stop him. I'll try you stop, stop
or I'll shoot. Shoot Vance quickly. Did you hit him? I don't
know. He was just getting out the window, and I'm not sure.
Let's go after him. I'm afraid he has too much of a start on
us. I'd better notify the police. They've got to find that man.
Well, we won't find him. That man got too much of a jump
on us, that is, if it was a man. If it was
a man, Yes, of course it was a man. We saw him
over the window. Ledge. He was wearing a turban. You saw that
turban. That was Tondo Vans, the native I told you about him.
In that case, it shouldn't be difficult to pick him up, No,
I guess not. However, it might have been a woman who wore that
turban. But I tell you Tondo warm one just like that when he came
to mister Hillary's office. I know all the more reason why somebody else might
have worn one when they came down here. You've been inquired a while,
Vans thinking definitely Wow. En route to Missus Duncan's house, I can think
of nothing better to do than try and figure out the mystery of the locked
workshop where Hillary was killed. Now you go right ahead. I won't disturb
you, but I bet you're glad. I'm going with you, and as
much as we're going to see Missus Duncan very glad Markham. In fiction,
there are several ways people have been killed in locked rooms. Certainly the most
commonplace one, of course, is where a thin pair of pliers is used
to turn the key from the outside. Then there's the business of trapdoors,
false windows, and saw uh huh, only none of them apply to this
particular locked door situation. Wait an advance, eh, I think I have
an idea. What is it? This is going to be in your territory
a little bit. Listen, Let's suppose that the knife was attached to one
of the springs that were in that workshop. It was an iron pipe,
let's say, so that it would be pointed in the right direction. Go
on, Well, a wire held a spring back. The wire was brought
around the floor and placed in a position where when Hillary nudged it or kicked
it or tripped over it, it would let the spring snap and hurl the
knife into Hillary's back. Lance. It could have been done that way,
you mean, because of all the wire and rs lying around the room.
It would be something Hilary wouldn't have seen. That's right, It's possible.
That's if that's it's the only possible explanation might have happened that way. I'll
let you know after we see Missus Duncan good. You know, I got
to like myself at that theory. I assure you that the affection is not
misplaced. But what I want to know right now is whether Missus Duncan water
Turbin had got herself shot at by me down at the warehouse. And if
she did, we'll find out my friend, so will she. I'm fairly
certain this case is coming to a very successful conclusion. Markham, we know
how the murder was committed. All we have to do is find out who
did it. I never agreed that we did know how the murder was committed.
All I said was your theory was possible. How long, Missus Duncan,
Well, Vans and Markham, what did you bring him for protection?
Perhaps? May we come in why Well? For one thing, so we
can ask you why it is that your arm advantaged. I sprained it,
and you see you can ask that just as well when you're standing outside.
It isn't the answer he expected. I can tell you that it's given me
so many wrong answers. What could he expect? I'm sorry, I can't
invite you in, gentlemen, unless, of course, this is a very
official visit, in which case I have no alternative. He is official,
but we have no warrant. If that's what you mean, your arm interests
me very much, Missus Duncan. Good day, gentlemen. Please call me
if there's anything else I can do for you. Missus. Don't don't go,
miss don't don't. Oh, I'm coming, Tundo and I'll have that
arm of yours fixed up in no time. Bullet wounds can be very dangerous.
Don't remember this? Wisides all right, Tundo. It's the least I
can do for you, after all you've tried to do for me. Hello?
Is this Dona Benton? Yes? This to Attorney Markham is yes,
mister Markham. Have you found out anything yet? Vans? And I think
we have? Oh? What is it? Would it be convenient for you
to be at mister Hillary's home this afternoon? Why? Yes, I imagine,
so please be there? Then? Of course Bottle Vance thinks there will
be some people there you want to meet. That matters, so do Why
what's the reason for this? I think we can prove how your employer was
killed and who killed him. Pretty good reason, don't you think? All
right? Thunder that bandits will hold and after you put your code on,
nobody will notice it. Missus dumb don't con thank you? Now I must
go back and get Ivory. Well there's really no hurry about that, is
there, Tundo? I mean you can wait a while, can't you?
Doundo? Must spring Ivory back to one country? Is reason? Doundo?
Come you, Dondo? Sorry? He caused many people many trouble. Oh,
mister Vance, that's right. While Markham and I were talking to you
a little while ago, I took the liberty of snapping the lock on your
door so I could come back. You'll not want him here to tea here,
Missus Duncan. Vette would be a man's size job, even if we
had two good arms. Tondo, no, no, just sit there till
we hear what Vance has to say. It isn't very much. I just
want both of you to come down to Joe Hillary's workshop in the basement of
his house at four o'clock. You see, we've figured out, at least
mister Markham has figured out how the murder was accomplished. We want you there,
why us, Oh, come now, Missus Duncan. I think we
can prove who killed Hillary, so it's practically imperative for you too to be
there. Hollingside, Advance, that's good. Secretary Dotter Benton, Missus Duncan
and Condo standing right inside the workshop door. Good. It's where we test
your theory. Markolm. I think I know the test. Have seen you
do it. You've set up a knife inside an iron pipe and held it
back with a spring. Then you stretched a wire that held the spring back
over to the spot where we found Hillary's body. That's right, You and
I know that's how Hillary was killed, and one other person knows that the
murderer. Presumably we'll ask each one of them to walk over to the spot
where the wire is stretched after informing them all if the room is exactly the
way it was when Hillary was murdered. The one that refuses to walk over
to that spot lest you trip the wire and release the knife must be the
murderer. Come on him, markom, and we'll see. My apologies to
you all. May I have your attention? Rightly? You're all entitled to
know why you're here. I should think so there was a murder committed in
this room, a murder committed presumably behind a locked and barred door. All
right, Markholm take over right this. I'll listen everyone. We figured out
how that murder was accomplished, and we've arranged this room just as it was
when Joe Hillary came down here the day of his death. What do you
mean you arranged this room? We believe Hillary walked into a death trap trap
and involved a spring, a knife, and a wire. We found Hillary
and that corner over there, missus Duncan, Yes, please walk over a
toy that corner. No, oh no, mister Markham. Please who as
I say, and get myself cute. I'm too attractive to die, I
remember, get yourself somebody else? Uh, Tondo you walk over there?
Nor tund walk over there? Tondo afraid? Dondo get cute like mister Hillary
get que According to your theory, Markham, that makes two murter as you
have. It is a little confusing, isn't it, Miss Benton. Yes,
mister Markham, please walk over to that spot in the corner. Certainly,
Well, here I go, stop Markham. By your reasoning, this
murder was done by missus Duncan and Tondo. Exactly, they worked in collaboration.
Missus Duncan water Hillary dead because he wouldn't give a share in the ivory
after killing her husband. Tondo helped her because she promised to help him get
the ivory back to Africa. Your reason for believing the two of them committed
the murder was because neither would walk to a spot where they thought they might
be killed, just as Hillary was killed. Yes, only miss Benton didn't
refuse to walk over there. In that case, Markham, take my word
for it. You can arrest miss Benton or murder. Why shouldn't I have
killed him? What was I supposed to do? Let him kick me all
the rest of my life? Really, he promised me. Thinks now when
he got that, I would fractively go out Daniels, same him again.
Oh ass did you ever know a man as strong as I was back in
the Hillary house? Forget it, my friend, Your theory was excellent.
Really it was well if the murder might have been done the way you said,
Only it wasn't, and that doesn't make me feel any better. How
was it done? Man's? First of all, let me tell you why
I didn't think it was done your way? Yet? It took too much
for granted, in order for your idea to work, Hillary would have had
to be in one particular spot in that room. Well, suppose he never
went to that spot. In that case, he'd still be alive. Only
he'd have found the wire and have none who planted it. Oh no,
Markham, the murderer wouldn't have taken that chance. Apparently not. But tell
me then, why did Tondo and missus Duncan refuse to walk toward that spot.
Why shouldn't they refuse. You announced you were going to make them do
just what Hillary did when he was killed. Isn't that enough to make any
normal person refuse? Yes? Yes it is. And Donna Benton, knowing
exactly how she killed Hillary, would have no compunction about walking into any corner
that's right. Like to know how the murder was committed, I most certainly
would. Hillary was alive but unconscious when we started with the act on his
door. Miss Benton's confession will tell how she drugged him before he went down.
I'm sure of that, if you say so. All right, Hilary
is alive. We broke down the door, then what then? Miss Benton
ran over to where his body was plunged a knife into it while you and
I were fumbling for the light switch. She saw the body in the dark.
Yes, she could see the outline. That was all she needed.
I imagine if we hadn't gotten there, she'd have called the police and would
have done a little knife trick when they broke down the door. Well,
all I can say is, thanks Mance, thanks for figuring this out.
I have to admit I imagined you would from the very beginning. All I
can say is that I'm glad we're at the end of the Ivory murder case.
Welcome back. Well a solid mystery. Overall, the solution was pretty
good. It reminded me of an episode of Monk that had a similar solution,
although they didn't have the locked room element in that particular episode. It's
a good thing that Markham doesn't understand the concept of being patronized because follow Vans
is there there. Your theory may have been completely wrong and illogical, but
it was still a fine theory. Was very patronizing, but I guess Vans
has to do what he's got to do to assuage Markham's ego. Also,
Missus Dunkad was my favorite character with her I'm too beautiful to die speech and
the way where she was constantly trying to flirt with Vans, and of course
she went ahead and asserted her rights not to cooperate when Markham said, yes,
this is a facial, but we don't have award and she was like,
okay, bye. And that actually leads me into our listener comments and
feedback. Even though this was regarding an episode of Tales of the Texas Rangers,
it's from Eric and I believe he listens to File Avants as well,
and he writes, and this is in regards to the episode Troop Train.
He says, it wasn't until the landlord was shown a warrant I realized that
you rarely heard people ask for warrants in old time radio. It was always
just the I'm sergeant, what's his name? I'd like to get into mister
suspect's room, and after the person asking what the suspect did, they let
him in. Even shows like Dragnette rarely had the detectives mention a warrant.
Well, we get a mention of a warrant, and it is in that
program that is, of course the definition of realism and grittiness. File Evans
of all places, in addition to tales of the Texas Rangers. I guess
I do kind of wonder with printers whether a landlord can allow a search,
particularly, I guess if it's a room in say the landlord's house, like
the whole rooming house situation, like, I wouldn't imagine it would be the
case if you were printing a standalone house. However, I do remember one
time a warrant was mentioned in Dragnet In the Big Little Jesus. The desk
clerk when they came in looking for the suspect, said you can go up
and search the room. It's okay with us, and Friday said, well,
it's not okay with us. So it's an interesting situation. And the
warrant, of course, is really important, although there can be some fine
points to that which lawyers tend to argue about. Well, now we turn
to listener comments and feedback, and we start on YouTube with Sasoft's comment regarding
the Chicken murder case and rights. I'm proud to say that nobody has ever
mistaken me for a chicken and that I have no chicken blood in my veins.
Well, good for you. Not everyone can make that claim, as
we learn from the episode, and Betsy rights regarding of the previous episode,
the Sterling murder case. These are ridiculous. I love them. Thanks again,
Well, thank you, Betsy. And now we turn to thank our
Patreon supporter of the day. Thank you to Joel, Patreon supporter since August
of twenty fifteen, currently supporting the program at the Shamas level of four dollars
or more per month. Thank you so much for your support, Joel,
and that will do it for today. If you are enjoying this podcast,
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We'll be back next Thursday with another episode of follow Vance, but showing
us back here tomorrow for yours truly, Johnny doll Or Where I'm looking for
a missus Lorraine Broderick Broderick. Yes, I'm sorry, sir, we have
no one but that name registered here. That's funny. I thought at first
you were going to say Lorraine Bradley. We had a Missus Bradley here at
one time. Oh did Missus Bradley look anything like this picture? Yes,
that's Missus Bradley Bradley. Huh how long ago did she move on? Four
months ago? Anyhow? You have our forwarding address, and no, sir,
I don't. I wish I did. Missus Bradley wrote us a bad
check for her rent. We've been trying to locate her. Did you report
it to the police, Yes, sir, I understand she's been quite active
along those lines. They're looking forward too, I hope you'll be with us
then. In the meantime, do send your comments to Box thirteen at Great
Detectives dot and at follow us on Twitter at Radio Detectives, and check us
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This is your host, Adam Graham's son and all