Speaker 1: Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho.
This is your host, Adam Graham. In a moment, we're
going to bring you this week's episode of Yours Truly,
Johnny Doller. But I do want to remind you that
you can follow us using your favorite podcast software. And
I also want to encourage you to check out our
T shirts at t shirts dot Great Detectives dot net.
There we have four different designs available in a wide
variety of different styles. Again, t shirts dot Great Detectives
dot net. Now from August third, nineteen fifty eight, here
is the Lucky Forematter.
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, great, great Johnny. Do you remember the Lucky
four wrench?
Speaker 3: Well, look, you're talking about the one out in Green
Mountain Falls, Colorado. That's the one I'm talking about. Well, sure,
that's where you and I and Ray Ray what's his name,
Ray Smithchney? Yeah, Ray Smishnee who owns the Lucky four?
You and he and I investigated the death of that
concert pianist. That's right. Also, we had some real fine
trout fishing up an eleven mile canyon.
Speaker 2: Do you remember the little private lake up in the
mountain back of Ray's range Cherry Lake. Yes, old Bill
Cherry's Lake, only it isn't there anymore.
Speaker 3: Oh, that's too bad.
Speaker 2: Old Bill isn't around anymore either.
Speaker 3: What's happened to him?
Speaker 2: According to all the information, he was killed when the
dam broke and Senty's firm house crashing down into the valley.
Oh gee, that's too bad. I have the claim for
his insurance right here on my desk. I'll send a
copy of the policy to you there at the Lucky Poor.
Speaker 3: Hey, wait a minute, there's something wrong, Earle. That's what
I want you to find out. What makes you think
something's wrong.
Speaker 2: The phone call had just got from. He said he's
found a couple of things that make him think the
breaching of that damn.
Speaker 3: Was no accident. Okay, eerl, I'll grab the first plane
I can.
Speaker 4: Bob Bailey and the Exciting Adventures of the Man with
the Action Packed Expense Account America's Fabulous Freelance Insurance Investigatory.
Speaker 3: Truly Johnny Dollar Expense Accounts of Advice shall investigate a
Johnny Dollar the Tri State Life and Casually Insurance Company,
Attention Airport. The following as an account of expenses incurred
during my investigation of the Lucky for Matter expense account.
I am one three dollars in a quarter phone called
a Ray Schmithsney to tell him I was on my way.
I am two eighty one seventy air transportation to Colorado Springs.
Ray met me at Peterson Field, the municipal airport. Well,
glad you could make it, Johnny. Yeah, it's good to
see you again. Ray. How are things of the Lucky
for Oh? Just fine, our best season ever.
Speaker 2: Here.
Speaker 3: We'll shove your bags in the backseat. Okay, good, go ahead,
now hop in sure? All right? Now, what's this about
your thinking? Old Bill Cherry's death was no accident, Johnny,
I'd better give you the whole story. You remember Cherry Lake,
don't you sure? I remember? We were taking a couple
of nice trout out of it on a silver doctor
or was it a royal Coast. Well, you didn't meet
old Bill because he was away at the time. Actually,
we were kind of poaching when we fished up there. Oh,
if he'd suddenly come back and caught us, he'd probably
have filled our heights with bird shot. And here I
always thought you were on the side of law and order.
He was a kind of ornery old cuss. But in
spite of it, we got along pretty well even after
he put in that dam. How the dam affect you?
Three mile Creek used to water some of my property
before he put it in. Some of the others down
below too. No, I see, But now what happened, Johnny.
Old Bill's little plot of farmland is up around the
nine thousand foot level, you know, Yeah, I know, so
the snowpack melts down pretty late. That meant a big
summer flow of water into his lake. Yeah, and what
about when some of your big summer rains come pouring though.
It was during one of the big rains a couple
of weeks ago, one night, it was that the dam
gave way, Johnny. That thing busted loose like an explosion.
What was left Old Bill's house came tumbling down on
the lucky for property and Old Bill, Oh, he found
his body in the wreckage. Oh, hold on, I'm going
to take my favorite shortcut and get away from the
highway traffic. Sure, but now, Earl Poorman told me, you
seem to think that damn didn't give way by itself.
Well I did in the beginning, everybody did, And why
not homemade damn more water in the lake than ever before,
more water pouring down out of the sky to fill
it up. Big storm. Maybe it was even hit by lightning.
But now, Johnny, I went up there and poked around
a couple of days ago, first chance I've had since
the rains quit. I wanted you find a couple of things.
I want you to look at what kind of things
right now? They may not mean a thing, Johnny, any
more than who's the beneficiary of old bills? In shirt?
Which reminds me? Did Earl send me something in the mail?
Oh yeah, a big envelope, Johnny, And I opened it
by mistake, I was supposed to contain a copy of
Bill Cherry's policy. It did. And when I looked at
it and saw who the benefit is, Hey, it sounds
to me like you need a tune up. Brother. That's funny.
Let's stop and take a look. Huh yeah, why not?
Uh you say that when you saw who the benefishery is?
A worthless nephew of bills who hangs around the pool
rooms in Colorado Springs. He's been in a couple of
scrapes with the law. Oh yeah, let me see if
I get open this word.
Speaker 5: There.
Speaker 3: Maybe the catch is stuck on it, you know. Anyhow,
I've always felt a Tommy Walker wouldn't stop short of
murder if he thought of that. They are oh good
and holy pray. Hey, look at all those crazy wires.
No wonder she was missing. You didn't put that wiring
in there? Are you kidding?
Speaker 5: Ray?
Speaker 3: Come on, hit the deck. Huh, Come on the side
of the road, back of this rock. What's the matter?
I get down fast? What's got into you? Johnny?
Speaker 5: You look.
Speaker 3: Ny only smoke? Yeah, you look.
Speaker 6: Well.
Speaker 3: It was some kind of a bomb wired up in
there by somebody who meant business, by somebody who must
have seen you poking around up near Old Bills. Damn,
you mean, must have found out you'd sent for me.
What'd you say? The name of Old Bill's nephew is.
Speaker 4: Act two of yours, truly, Johnny Dollar.
Speaker 5: In a moment, many of us on the job are
clock watchers and time clock punchers, just waiting for time
to quit. When is it really time to quit? The
man with a set day of work as a schedule
to adhere to. But the fighting man quits only when
the job is done, and to him capture by the
enemy does not mean the end, but perhaps only the
beginning of the most important part of his job. One
of the points of the Code of Conduct for the
American Fighting Man says quote, if I am captured, I
will continue to resist by all means available. I will
make every effort to escape and aid others to escape.
I will accept neither parole nor special favors from the enemy.
The strong ideals set forth there are the same ideals
that gave great determination to one young officer of the
United States Navy. Half an hour after Lieutenant Edward VM.
Eazak's ship was sunk by three torpedoes in the Atlantic
Ocean in May nineteen eighteen, at the height of World
War One, he was taken prisoner by the commander of
the German submarine U ninety. During the U boat's trip
back to Germany, Lieutenant Eazac learned a great deal of
vital secret information about U boat movements. Determined to make
this information available to the United States and Allied naval
authoritiesenant At, Eazac, while on his way to a prisoner
of war camp, risked his life by jumping through the
window of a rapidly moving train. Severely injured by his fall,
he was again captured months later. Aided by several American
Army officers who short circuited the prison lighting system, Lieutenant
Eazac escaped through barbed wire fences and amid heavy rifle
fire from the guards. After seven days and nights of
rugged travel over the mountains and with only raw vegetables
for food, he swam the swift current of the Rhine
River right under the noses of the enemy sentries. Evading
many enemy soldiers. He reached the American legation in Berne, Switzerland,
and completed his self assigned mission. For risking his life
many times above and beyond the call of duty, Lieutenant
Edward Eazac was awarded the Medal of Honor. His personal
code of conduct had made him realize that war doesn't
end with confinement as a prisoner of war. That is
when the real responsibility may begin.
Speaker 4: Now BacT two of yours, truly, Johnny Dollar and the
Lucky four matter.
Speaker 3: It was the driver of a big interstate moving van
that came to our rescue. You have to raise car
blew up. You'd seen the explosion from the highway, seen
one of the fenders flying through the air. Yeah, somehow
those big truckers are always around to give you a hand.
He drove us into Colorado Springs. I had then three
fifty bucks deposit on a rental car, and we headed
east on Highway twenty four. At Green Mountain Falls, the
Lucky four is on a level spot on the side
of a mountain about half a mile up in the highway.
Six or eight nice modern cottage share a beautiful view
of Pikes and several other high peaks that surround colorful
youth pass. I dumped my luggage, set a load of
Ray's pretty wife Glee, and we headed up a narrow
wagon trail up the side of the mountain and raised jeep. Here, Johnny,
that truck I ever gave me this souvenir, Hey looks
like a piece of the wiring we found under the
hood before your car blow. That's what it is.
Speaker 6: Now.
Speaker 3: Look see there where three mile Creek bounces down over
the rocks. That's quite a flow there, Ray, and I
see that it goes on down through your property again,
just like it did before Old Bill put on his dam.
Of course, I don't really need the water, not as
much as Ralph Kimball. At least host Kimball a property
next to mine. Retired man used to be a math
or physics sprout or something. Nice neighbor. It keeps to himself.
He and his wife hornery, old cuss like Old Bill.
They had no use for each other. Didn't like interference.
Now you see that clearing up ahead, Yeah, that's where
Old Bill's home used to be. Huh yeah, before the
water dumped it down on my place, Kindling, that's about
all that was left of it. You still haven't told
me what you've found of here. One thing I found
down below on his body, gripped tight in his hand,
sort of a death grip. I guess it was. Yeah,
the cigarette package El Pero cigarettes that's a Cuban brand.
Is not what he smoked, No, sir, he never smoked
in his life. Wouldn't even have the things on his place,
So you see what I mean. Well, I don't think
that's much of a clue. Well, what I figured, Johnny,
that is after what else I found, is that he
caught somebody prowling around his dam. Maybe he struggled with him,
and that's how come the cigarette package. Oh all right,
back off. Whatever else you found up here, it better
be more conclusive than that. All right, Look here, here's
where the dam was between these big rocks. What kind
of a damn concrete with planks across? Oh yeah, I
can see where cementa is still stuck to them. M
here's some dynamite too. You can see the mark where
he drilled the pack in the stuff. That's my clue
number one, Johnny. He didn't use any dynamite. He was
afraid of it. Also, I hadn't known. I'd have heard
it go off while he was building his dam. But somebody, yeah, somebody,
or look at this plastered on this rock, A piece
of label blastered on the rock by the force of
that explosion, says Titan super ix El dynamite. Johnny. He
wouldn't even have the stuff around another thing. It's a
brand you can only get in one little store in Denver,
and he'd never go there. He hated the place. You said,
the damn one like an explosion, Yes, sir, of course,
with all the thunder and lightning that night, who could
be sure which was which will? Chances are lightning wouldn't
reach down here, right with all the high peaks around.
That's what first hit me, Johnny, Come on, let's go
into Colorado Springs and find this nephew of old bills,
Tommy Walker. Yes, sir, Johnny being the beneficiary and all.
Who else could it be? Ray, I'm with you. Doesn't
look to me like there'd be any cheap pool halls
in this part of town. No, but up aheads the
Ace High Radio shop. That's where Tommy was working last
I heard. Oh, can you think of anything better to
tie in with a way that infernal machine was wired
under the hood of your car? Holy smoke, Johnny, you're right,
But well, what I don't understand is how come I
didn't go off the second I turned on the ignition?
May I'm kind of timing device. I think whoever said
it wanted to get me too, Yes, sir, Gentleen, that
means he knew you'd be in the car with me
on the way back from the airp That's right, gentlemen. Oh,
we're looking for Tommy Walker.
Speaker 5: Oh don't mention. Not no good, then, I take it
he isn't here. Oh two days he lasted. If you
ask me, it was two days too long. You had
trouble with him as Oh, no, no, no trouble, no nothing.
That was the trouble, answered my ad in the paper,
sit he knew all about radios and electronics, he could
fix anything. Well, dumb lazy lot. He didn't know anything.
He didn't do anything. He didn't know the difference between
a fuse and a vacuum tube, never even heard of
a transistor, much less know what a circuit was.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 5: All he knew about a radio was how to turn
the knobs.
Speaker 3: Oh, and the music that guy would too on me.
I liked that. Yeah, And that boy was so dummy,
couldn't even attach the wires to a plug. Property.
Speaker 5: All he wanted was a place where he could sit around,
smoking those smelly Cuban cigarettes and listening to trashy music.
Speaker 3: Cuban cigarettes, Johnny that pack I found, mister, Uh, as
long as I'm here, I wonder if you could sell
me a hank wire like like this? Certainly soon? Oh this,
and I have nothing like that? I see. And you're
sure Tommy didn't know anything about electricity, of course, I'm sure.
Speaker 5: Look at when I told him once to open up
the back of a telephone.
Speaker 3: That darn Pooley would have electrocuted himself if I hadn't
been there to gentleman Johnny if he's telling the truth
is Ray, come on, we're going back to the ranch. Why, Johnny.
It's worked before, and I hope and pray it'll work again. Ray,
I'm gonna play a hunch.
Speaker 4: Act three of yours, truly, Johnny Dollar in a moment,
and now.
Speaker 6: For another episode in the life of Sergeant Donald Bellweather.
My husband, Donald is your pory, isn't it.
Speaker 3: Can you see all right? Oh? Yeah, I can see
whinshield whippers are operating with mechanical perfection. You notice there
are no more streaks either, since I put on the
new rubber blade.
Speaker 6: You know, I think every drivers should have his windshield
wipers in good order.
Speaker 3: It's much safer.
Speaker 6: It would be much safer if everyone would slow down
during wet weather like my husband is doing right now.
Speaker 3: Just being cautious. Riba. We don't want an accident, and
it's down for I don't want an accident anytime. Yeah,
that's for sure.
Speaker 6: Well, the experts say that accidents just don't happen. Something
causes accidents, and that cause can be prevented by the
way there in what kind of weather do you think
most accidents occur?
Speaker 3: Ooh, I'm saying rain or snowy weather and slippery weather
when visibility isn't fair. That's the wrong answer, dear, wrong,
Well are you serious?
Speaker 6: Statistics show that eight out of ten accidents occur when
the weather is clear or with a cloudy overcast.
Speaker 3: Are you prosided? I wonder why? Oh? Here's our house there?
Oh yeah, now you sit right here, Reba. I'll get
out with the umbrella, and then I'll come around and
i'll when you're all right, honey. I wonder why, I
wonder why? What? Why? Eight out of ten accidents happen
in clear weather? Oh well, I.
Speaker 6: Don't know for sure, sergeant, but I do know that
you drove very carefully night in the rain. Think now,
if everyone drove us carefully during clear, dry weather, there'd
be less accidents.
Speaker 3: I'm sure, man, that must be it. People automatically get
cautious in the rain and snow. Too bad. They don't
stay that way in good weather. You will, won't you?
Speaker 6: I mean, drive safely in good weather too.
Speaker 3: I promise.
Speaker 7: Oh that's mine, Donald, that's my doll, and now at
three of yours?
Speaker 4: Truly, Johnny Dollar and the Lucky four matter?
Speaker 3: If I get the Lucky four rays Glee made us
a couple of sandwiches and some coffee. We'd kind of
forgotten about lunch. But I looked over the insurance policy
that Earl Pullman had sent on to me. Yeah, Tommy
Walker was the only beneficiary. But and this was the
important part. He was due to receive the mugnificent sum
of one thousand dollars. And that's all, that's all.
Speaker 8: I mean, he'd kill his uncle for one thousand dollars.
Speaker 3: I don't think so, Glee. And yet if Tommy is
the only one to benefit, Oh listen, Ray, you told
me right off the bat you hadn't liked the idea
of old Bill putting that damn.
Speaker 8: Out there, Johnny, that is, none of us liked it.
Speaker 3: What do you mean by us, Well, none of us,
the Kimboos.
Speaker 8: And us only because it kept the creek from coming
down here. He made a diversion when he put in
that damn.
Speaker 3: And after I put in the pumps, we've had plenty
of water, and i'd had to put in the pumps anyway. Ah,
You ever used dynamite around here, Ray, Most everybody does
one time or another, and in this whole section use
it to clear the land. Johnny. That listened, Johnny, I
don't know what you're driving at most everybody does.
Speaker 9: Huh.
Speaker 3: Yes, have you ever used that particular brand Titan Super
I XO No, sir, never in my life. But you
knew where to get it?
Speaker 8: Everybody does, Johnny, Johnny please?
Speaker 3: Everybody? Yes, including Ralph Kimball next door. Mister mister kim Yeah,
maybe I'd better go over and talk to him.
Speaker 2: Huh.
Speaker 8: They're not at home. Went to Denver this morning early.
But Johnny, how do you know she told me they
were going. She dropped in last night and she told me,
and I said, Ray was going to to meet Johnny.
Speaker 3: Johnny looked. She dropped in here very often.
Speaker 8: Only since the dam broke, And well they weren't too
friendly before, but now it.
Speaker 3: Was z EX professor. Huh, electronics, Lord, Johnny, I'm going
over and take a look around. Dear, I'll go with you. Johnny.
Ray had minimized the problem he'd had when the dam
was put in. Maybe his next door neighbor happened. Kimble
had kept to himself. Ray said it was very much
like old Bill Cherry, an nary sort of cuss who
didn't like interference. And old Bill's dam had certainly interfered
with Kimball's water supply. We started our search in the
workshop back at Kimball's house. Here it is, Johnny, take
a look, Titan super high Excel. Look here, Ray, this
rock drill the same size as the one used up
on the dam. Sure is, Johnny, Man? If we can
climb some of it? Yeah, you know?
Speaker 2: This is it?
Speaker 3: All right? Same kind of wire that was on the
bomb under the hood of my car. Pretty good evidence
if you ask me. And here el Peril, the same
brand as a cigarette package you found clutched in Old
Bill's hand. But listen, Johnny, this is only what you'd
call circumstantial evidence. But if there's enough of it, listen,
you know, maybe you wanted to play it. Maybe you
were pretty sore about that, Dan, Well, of course I want.
So was Kimball. He threatened to sue Johnny, He threatened
a lot of things. But that doesn't all right, all right,
call that the motive. Now, this evidence, this rock drill.
But a lot of people use him, maybe even the
same side. This wire, the same kind used to hook
up that bomb. But most anybody could get wire like that.
I think the point is he has it and the
right brand of dynamite. Anybody who knows that store up
in danis for hooking up that infernal machine. Kimball was
a physics professor electronics. Yeah, that's true. Did he know
about your private shortcut to Denver? Yes, yes, Johnny, I
told him one time. He also knew when you and
I would be on that road. We had his wife.
She probably told her why I was coming here. Yes,
that's true. Kimball and his wife left for Denver early
this morning. And look, Johnny, the mud on these boots
here in the corner, the same gray silk you find
only up around Cherry Lake. And if that doesn't prove it,
but Johnny, it's all circumstantial. But it'll hold up in court.
What seven points of similarity? Ray, It'll stand up in
any court in the land. But even if, because what
the law calls seven points of similarity, as any mathematician
can tell you, will occur only once in thirty eight
billion times, that's true. That's true, and that's what's gonna
hang mister Kimball, that mister dollar is not true. Kimball,
I surely you're not going to be foolish enough to
use that thing, Kimball, You've left me no alternative now
that you've found out. Now, now look, mister Kimball, all right,
Ssney Dollar, if you want to do any praying, do
it fast. But yes, Bildard, why raised White shut Douney. Well,
she's too late. Oh no, she is. That was too close, Johnny, Yeah,
shall we join the ladies. Well, it's up to the
authorities now, the courts, and I don't think there's much
doubt about the outcome. Kimball's attempt to kill us was
the clincher. That's for Tommy Walker. The air Well, you'll
have to pay him off on Old Bill's policy expense
account total including the trip back to Hartford twenty four
five yours truly, Johnny Dollar. Johnny Dollar has come to
you through the worldwide facilities of the United States Armed
Forces Radio and Television Service.
Speaker 1: Welcome back. So let's talk about what Johnny mentioned, the
seven points of similarity. What does that actually mean or
what did that mean in nineteen thirty eight. Well, it
was a reference to fingerprints and the rules for properly
identifying them. Now, you might have recalled from some episodes
of dragonet Joe Friday asking a fingerprint man how many
points they were able to identify, because not every criminal
leaves behind a perfect print at the scene of the crime.
But as long as law enforcement was able to match
a certain number of characteristics between the prints found at
the scene of the crime and the perpetrators, you were
in business. Now, seven points of similarity was a standard
used by some law enforcement agencies, but there were other
standards as well, with some using eight, twelve or sixteen.
But all of these basically have been found to have
no scientific basis, and matching today is based much more
on the overall judgment of the print rather than an
arbitrary number. Now, what does that have to do with
this case? I'd sure like to know that myself. It
seems like Johnstone heard the idea of seven points of
similarity and took it as a general principle for forensic evidence,
which it isn't. That said, the idea that some evidence
is totally irrelevant or inadmissible because it can be called
circumstantial is also a bit of a fallacy. We tend
to think, or a lot of people tend to think,
that direct eyewitness testimony is the best sort of evidence.
But so many people have gone to jail on false
or an accurate eyewitness testimony, And it's not always a
case of malice. Sometimes people misremember, particularly in the heat
of the moment or when asked to recall facts later.
In many cases, well collected physical evidence can be powerful
and more credible, which I think is what Johnstone wanted
to communicate, but kind of got lost in the weeds,
which is kind of odd because he usually did his research.
Maybe it was a case of the increasing workload on
Johnny Doller catching up with him and him taking a
shortcut which led to an unfortunate result. I also had
to chuckle at Ray and his wife trying to preemptively
stop Johnny from accusing Ray, because obviously accusing Ray would
make no sense as it was his vehicle that got
blown up. It's as if Johnny's reputation for getting on
the wrong track and making completely wild accusations had started
to get around and racist like oh no, not again.
Listener comments and feedback and have a couple of comments
regarding the Mahawvey reds sequel matter mechanics sixty six comments
something fishy and doctor who done it replies and again
this is on Spotify. I agree turns out Red was
a red herring. But when Johnny got the opportunity, he
got the bad guy. Never let it be said that
the art of bad puns died with the end of
the Boston Blackie Radio series. Thanks so much, though I
appreciate the comments. Brought a smile on my face. Now
it's time to thank our Patreon supporter of the day,
and I want to go ahead and thank Michael, Patreon
supporter since February twenty twenty three, currently supporting the podcast
at the Shawmas level of four dollars more per month.
Thanks so much for your support, Michael, and that will
do it for today. If you're enjoying the podcast, please
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Johnny Dollar, but join us back here tomorrow as we
hand over to the great adventurers of Old time radio
with Cloak and daggerwaar.
Speaker 9: I still say there's no reason for you to hate him.
Why do you care? Who's running turn John? Yeah, I
told him then.
Speaker 3: I don't know why I did. I never told anyone
else how they had murdered my family nineteen six years before,
my father, my mother, my two sisters.
Speaker 9: The Jumps had killed them all, and if.
Speaker 8: We hadn't got out of the city ahead of them,
they'd have killed my brother, Flooran and myself.
Speaker 9: So it wasn't always your waitress in the waterfront dive.
Huh Ti. No, then my brother didn't always prowl the
streets looking for trouble.
Speaker 3: I got the Jumps to thank for that.
Speaker 1: I hope you'll be with us then in the meantime.
Sends your comments to Box thirteen at Great Attractives 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, signing off.