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 Dawler. But first I want to encourage you. If
you're enjoying the podcast, please follow us using your favorite
podcast software. And I do want to go ahead and
acknowledge that this is a milestone episode. It is our five.
I have a thousandth daily episode of the Great Detectives
of Old Time Radio. As we began this podcast on
October the twenty sixth, two thousand and nine, and I
want to just go ahead and thank everyone who's listened
to us along the way and been supportive of the
podcast over the years. Will of course have a five
thousandth episode special coming up on Sunday, but now from
May twenty fourth, nineteen fifty nine. Here is the Cask
of Death.
Speaker 2: Matter, Johnny Dillar.
Speaker 3: This is Harry Brentson at Philadelphia Mutual Liability and Casualty Company.
Speaker 2: Harry, it's been a long time. What's on your mind, John?
Speaker 3: I have a case for you involving several of our
very important client.
Speaker 2: Good then, I ought to pay me a nice big fee.
Speaker 3: I'm not sure about that.
Speaker 2: John. Of course, we'll pay you a regular expenses and
your regular commission. No extra fee.
Speaker 3: I don't know you huh. That is to say, it
all depends on what you are able to, shall we say, on.
Speaker 2: Earthed something or someone? Harry? What you said on earth?
Didn't you?
Speaker 3: What facts you're able to ascertain?
Speaker 4: Is what I meant.
Speaker 2: Oh, so, what about these very important clients.
Speaker 3: Of yours, John? They have disappeared?
Speaker 2: Oh well, and maybe on earth is the proper term.
What have the police got to say about them? You
did call and the police didn't.
Speaker 3: Yes, but they gave up years ago, at least years ago,
that's right, at least in the case.
Speaker 2: Wait a minute, Harry, you say they disappeared years ago. Well,
but now all of a sudden you expect me to
be able to what did you say the extra fee
will be on this case?
Speaker 3: I told you it all depends exactly.
Speaker 2: Yeah, on whether I'm able to literally dig them up
for you. You know where they're buried?
Speaker 3: John, This morbid so called sense of humor?
Speaker 2: Okay, Harry, Okay, I'll be down to see you and
you might have a good strong shovel ready and waiting
for me. John Bailey in the Exciting Adventures The Man
with the Action packed to Expense account. America's fabulous freelance
insurance investigator is truly Johnny Dollar. Now Act one. The Yours,
Truly Johnny Dollar expense account submitted by Special Investigator Johnny
Dollar to the Philadelphia Mutual Liability and Casualty Company following
as an account of expenses incurred during my investigations the
Cask of Death Matter expense Account out of one thirteen
forty trained fair and Incidentals Harpord to Philadelphia. I went
by train, since Harry Branson didn't seem to be in
a hurry, and I enjoyed a look at the countryside
this time of year. It was a little afternoon by
the time I reached the office on Walnut Street sat
down to talk with Harry. But I thought I impressed
old sober sides. Branson hadn't changed a bit since the
last time I'd seen him, and he still looked as
though he was carrying the weight of the world on
the shoulders. However, now that you have finally arrived, suppose
I get right to the point and tell you what
this is all about, Well, you sit on the phone
that some of your policyholders have disappeared. Yes, said, you
must understand this, John, Yeah, in accordance with Pennsylvania law
in a case of a mysterious disappearance. And I'm sure
you're familiar with a mysterious disappearance clause. It's part of
all our life insurance contracts. Well, if you mean, did
I ever read the fine print on one of your policies,
The answer is no, you should sometime. The fact remains
that when the insured disappears and fails to return or
otherwise be accounted for by the end of seven years,
when the company has received no proof the insured is
still alive, the company then presumes the insured to be deceased.
Do I make myself clear? Keep talking, Harry. It simply
means that at the end of seven years, the full
amount of the insurance is then paid to the beneficiary
or beneficiaries, whichever the case may be. So, So, seven
years ago, mister will Be Javis of Goshenville here in
Pennsylvania mysteriously disappeared. Now his beneficiary is demanding payment of
the insurance naturally, so why don't you pay it? We
shall But in checking through the files, I've suddenly discovered
that his was only the first in a long series
of mysterious disappearances. There have been a total of eight,
all within a relatively small area, and of recently increasing frequency.
One was the last one, the fourth of last month,
mister Charles Moody, SARL's Moody where in the little town
of Kirkwood, New Jersey. And the police have found no
clue as to what might have happened to them, none whatsoever.
One in Goshenville, Pennsylvania, One in Kirkwood, New Jersey. Where
were the others? Two and other small Jersey towns, Two
here in Pennsylvania and two down in Delaware. Any any
relationship among the beneficiaries. None, that is, none that we
know of. Why do you ask that I just wondered
if some one person was killing them off to collect
the insurance. No, the beneficiaries are all widely separated individuals,
So you can dismiss any possibility of murder in a
case of this kind. That's the one possibility I never dismissed.
Harry's secretary put together a comprehensive list of the people
we were concerned with, the names addresses, beneficiaries and so on.
In my room of the Bellevue Stratford. That evening I
went over a carefully. All of these people had disappeared
from their homes in small communities. All of them had
been in their sixties, had been widower or bachelors. As
for the beneficiaries, they were scattered about all over the country.
Early the next morning, I paid my hotel bill. That's
item two eighteen dollars even for the Roman a couple
of meals. Then spent item three fifty bucks deposit on
a rental car. I drove first to the little town
of Kirkwood, New Jersey, from which a mister Charles Moody
had disappeared just about a month ago. I stopped to
make inquiries at the general store. Thank you, Mitt Peterson.
Now'll see you next week again. Now, as you were saying,
mister hermy, yes, mister Doner, I certainly hope mister Moody
shows up again. Your fine man, fine man used to
come down here at the store for a quiet game
of checkers. Now man and the police have no idea
where he might have gone or why. Yeah, well, I
guess I'm about the only police we have here in Kirkwood. Oh,
of course, I notified the state police, and I presume
they're still looking for him. Just what happened, mister Hurling
just took the bus into Philadelphia one day. Well that's
the last we heard of him. Do you know anything
about the beneficiary of his insurance. Let's see, according to
my list, it's a nephew, mister Dollar. Yeah, Charles Moody
lives out in California. Yeah, mister Moody always felt that
he was the most deserving of his relatives, left him
everything Hu well, the insurance and his money. Yes, you know,
I know because I'm the only lawyer here in Kirkwood,
and I made out a will for him.
Speaker 3: You say, just the money to his nephew, except for
his wine cellar.
Speaker 2: All his property will go to the town wine cellar. Yes,
if mister Moody doesn't come back where if he's proved
to be dead, the wine cellar will go over to
a man over in Philadelphia had themselves a sort of
a girl met club. I guess you'd call it. I see,
But now tell me, you know, I kind of wish
he will meet a wine cellar. Oh, you should see
the collection he has there from all over the world, German,
wines and French. And yes, I'm sure what hu now,
mister Hurley, is there anything else you can tell me
that might help me to find him? How about his friends?
Everybody was mister Moody's friend, mister Doler, But he, I started.
Speaker 3: To say about Lord Wine.
Speaker 2: So I checked out all of mister Moody's friends there
in Kirkwood and ended up with no more information than
I got from the storekeeper. But you know something, if
I had had sense enough to realize it, I'd have
gotten plenty from him. He had given me a real
key to the disappearance, not only of mister Moody, but
of the seven other people on the list. And what
a key. Yeah, So what turned out to be one
of the weirdest cases I ever had? Now act too
of yours truly, Johnny Dollar and the Cask of Death
matter and am five forty two seventy traveling expenses, food
and lodging. For the next two days. I drove my
rental car to Pittstrove on Malega, New Jersey. I am
strong in Mount Pleasant down in Delaware, then Hickeryville, Pennsylvania,
Goshenville and the nearby town of mill May. I contacted
not only the local police, such as they were, but
dug up the lawyers who'd written wills for the missing men,
and by doing so I learned a strange, intriguing factory.
You see, my last contact was there in the village
of mill May, with a one lawyer in time, mister Dollar,
my client, mister Frederick Burton, fails to return by the
end of seven years, your company will have to pay
the insurance as for the rest of his estates, including
a wine cellar. It's very excellent one. Its contents will
go to a friend of his who lives in Philadelphia.
Mister Edward Aldenpo Yes, that's right. How'd you know when
I've been doing a little poking around these past couple
of days, do you understand? Of course, that's only if
we receive some definite evidence of mister Burton's death, or
if he fails to return before the seven years is
up and therefore legally is presumed to be deceased. Do
you know anything about this man, Pauline, I don't. It
seems they had a sort of epicures club. Do you
know who the other members of it were? Mister Burton
told me who they are sometime before he disappeared. If
you'll just give me a moment, Paps, I can recall
their name. I want to check them against this list
of mine. Yeah, if you like, I must see mister
Frederick Burton. That's your plan. Yes, John L. Wakeman over
in Hickoryville, Wilbey Davis in Goshenville, that's correct, Harmon Phillips,
and Ralph Haunter from down in Delaware. That's right. And
finally Charles Moody, Nathan Norwood, and William Harnell over in Jersey.
This is quite correct, mister Dollar, except for one a mission.
There was another, mister Bradford W. Turner. You know where
he lives. This is a little town of Alloway here
in Pennsylvania, that is, if he hasn't disappeared. Yes, I've
good Heavens. Do you mean to say that all the
others Well, I know of course that mister Burton did.
Speaker 5: But do you mean to say that all the others
on that list have disappeared too?
Speaker 2: Yes, sir, And I'm going to find out about this
mister Turner right now in the town of Alloway that
you say, Yes, it's about eighteen miles north of here. Okay, sir,
and I'm very much obliged to Yeah. Do you really
think there can be some connection between these disappearances and
the fact that all these men have willed their wine
collections to this Edward Alden Polly? What do you think?
Wait a minute, had I told him the others all
willed their wine collections to Pauline or had he just
come to that conclusion or what? M Anyway, I drove
due north to Alloway. The one large, rather nice home
belong to mister Bradford W. Turner, the man whose name
was not on my list, so I hope that he
was still here in the land of the Living. He was,
and he turned out to be a very fine gentleman,
despite his preoccupation with vintage wine.
Speaker 6: A little Order of Epicures has not been very active
since several of the members well disappeared.
Speaker 2: But not you, almost e A. Polly. I was just.
Speaker 6: Preparing to make the trip over to Philadelphia's pay visits,
Miss Polly.
Speaker 2: Oh, mind telling me why.
Speaker 6: Mister Turner not with all I happen to have an
excellent wine.
Speaker 2: Yes, I rather guess that. Oh, but there's.
Speaker 6: Nothing compared to that mister Polly's Edward is younger than I, younger.
Speaker 2: Than any office.
Speaker 6: But he vast labyrinthkin Sellar is a veritable treasure house
of rare and priceless vintace.
Speaker 2: I see now.
Speaker 6: Even I haven't seen the full extent of it. But
if only I could get.
Speaker 5: Hold of some of that ancient.
Speaker 6: Rare mantiado. He has so often totaled us about promost.
You show us so many times welcome to Now I've
not said anything worth It's operator in exchange. But now
I've acquired a bottle of very old isn't from.
Speaker 5: The doc, and you've gone half, so I shall.
Speaker 2: Take it to him in the You know, you talk
as though this wine collecting were the most important thing
in your life. Oh it is, sir, and Polly.
Speaker 5: It's an almost overpowering passion.
Speaker 4: It is his life.
Speaker 2: The kind of man who kill his own mother for
a bottle of wine.
Speaker 6: Huh, that's not the gest you may think it is,
mister Dollan, Which is why I wonder if this bottle
of fine my doc will be enough.
Speaker 2: Mister Turney, you're not taking it over to him. I
beg your pardon. I am now look here, mister doll.
I've been awaiting this opportunity for years, and you'd probably
give just about anything. You are right, sir, I would
your life. Yeah. Every one of the old men who
disappeared had been a nut on the subject of wine collector,
and had provided in his will that his cellar was
to go to a mister Edward Alden Polly. You know something.
When I talked to Poli this home in the old
German Town section of Philadelphia, I decided he was the
biggest nut of all, and possibly a dangerous one. There
was an old house, and a big one. It must
have been one of the original Philadelphia mansions. As for
Polie himself, well, I'd say he was a man of
about fifty. He was short and heavy set, and his face, well,
his face reminded me of a bird of prey, very thin,
with a long aquiline nose. His eyes were far apart
and almost beady. In spite of his shortness, he seemed
to almost hover over things, including me. As he led
me into the library, his eyes kept glancing at the
package I carried, and there was a kind of inner
glow in them. I can think of only one thing, Madness, Allah.
Speaker 5: Dollar did you say, that's right, Johnny Down.
Speaker 2: I see.
Speaker 5: Oh, I mean it's a very unusual name.
Speaker 2: I can't help but admire this library, mister Polly.
Speaker 5: Only the best. I must have only the best, mister Dollar.
Speaker 2: Yes, it looks so nothing.
Speaker 7: No one must stand in the way of my having
the rarest, the finest of everything. Sometimes it takes years,
mister Dollar, but sooner or later I get what I want.
Speaker 2: I notice you have a lot of the works of
Edgar Allen Paul.
Speaker 5: The greatest writer who ever lived. I am fortunate to
bear the same initials.
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, look there.
Speaker 5: First copies of his works. Look there the manuscript of
one of them.
Speaker 7: Of it?
Speaker 5: What it has to do with a certain wine?
Speaker 2: Yeah, I see, which brings us to what you are there. Well,
it's a famous old medoc mister Polly, A de gras age.
Speaker 5: The vintage.
Speaker 2: Let me see what do well? Sure? Yes, yes, look, well,
I only brought it here for your opinion. Hope I must, turfish,
I must. I'm afraid that's impossible.
Speaker 4: Oh we shall see.
Speaker 5: Perhaps we'll make an exchange.
Speaker 7: I have in my boats an old rare of priceless amontiado, Come,
mister Galla, the chask of Montiado.
Speaker 2: What was it? Nothing, sir? Lead the way he did, Yeah,
he should do through a hidden door behind a panel
on the wall. Instead of using a flashlight, he took
along a sort of torch, a flambeaux I think you
call it. That gave off an evil oily smell that
stained the passageway was smoking. He led me down a long,
winding staircase between the walls. Then finally we came to
the vast wine fall steep underground. This was really something
out of Edgar Allen Paul. It was cool. I'm damp
with great drops of water slipping down the old stone walls.
On one of them was a model the name of
may Impune LAKESI I'm afraid my laughing is a little rusty.
No one dare seek to best me with impunity? Yeah
what now? The monta.
Speaker 5: You amazon? A nice little joke, is.
Speaker 2: You see?
Speaker 5: I have?
Speaker 2: They pulled a small trowel out of the inner pocket
of his coat, then laughed strangely. Sure, the cask of
a montioch, just like in the story by abd Allan Paul,
The dark damp wine balls, that motto on the wall,
the troal, and this mad man was living apart. No
wonder his friends had disappeared, because each of them had
had some priceless wine that he wouldn't part with. That
is until the next world.
Speaker 7: Rista dalla a large crift with niches in the walls,
some of them blocked in, others empty.
Speaker 2: Waiting there. I'll introduce you to my friends who are
gathered there, your friends of the Order of Impicures, They
too have brought me wines for my collection.
Speaker 5: Davis Love with Hannel under.
Speaker 7: Philip's Wakeman, Frederick Burton, those names, even my old friend
chs movie.
Speaker 2: You killed them, didn't You killed them, You brought them down.
Let me see the buttle of de Gras. You promised
to show them the cask of a mariata, then buried
them here on one of these crept sees.
Speaker 5: Mister, you must not keep our friends waiting.
Speaker 2: Yeah, there's the mourner in the breakfast.
Speaker 5: And the monto inch behind you.
Speaker 2: Morna box a hole for mixing in that shovel.
Speaker 4: Shovel, and with it you joined my mate, excuse.
Speaker 2: The weak to the eight men who disappeared. Yeah, they
were all buried behind the bricks and water that walled
up eight of the niches and that deep underground pat Money.
I completely forgot to look to see if there was
a cask of a mantiado in that cellar Edward All
and Polly. When the courts get through with his case,
I'm sure he'll be committed to an institution for the
rest of his life. Yeah, I told you in the beginning,
this was the weirdest case I ever tackled. Expense account
total including incidentals and the trip back to Hartfred one
on one, Yours trually, Johnny Dollar. Now here's our star
to tell you about next week story. Next week, I
run into a girl who is fabulously rich and because
of it, fabulously poor. Join us, won't you? You? As
truly Johnny Dollar. Yours truly Johnny Dollar, starring Bob Bailey,
originates in Hollywood and has written, produced and directed by
Jack Johnstowe. Heard in our cast were Harry Bartel, Boris,
Lewis Bartlett, Robinson, Harley Bear, and Marvin Miller. Be sure
to join us next week, same time and station or
another exciting story of yours truly, Johnny Dollar. This is
Dan Cubberly speaking.
Speaker 1: Welcome back. This is probably the episode of Johnny Dowler
that has the most gothic feel to it. It's a
creepy idea for a mystery and well realized with a
lot of atmosphere. I do wonder why they decided to
air this on May twenty fourth. To me, this feels
like a Halloween episode, and I can't find any date
with Poe that's tied to May twenty fourth As a mystery.
The atmosphere is great, but it does sacrifice some realism.
It's tough to believe that when the police investigated this
at some point the fact that they all belong to
the same wine club and their wills all left their
wine collections to the same person who just happened to
have the same initials of Edgar Allan Poe and be
obsessed with him. This is a red flag.
Speaker 4: Now.
Speaker 1: Obviously the murders were grouped out over many years and
many different states, but if Harry Branson figures it out,
it does seem that police should have cooperated and figured
it as well. But then Johnny wouldn't have had this
great case to investigate. So a very different episode of
Johnny Dollar, very literary and gothic for an overall intriguing
little story. Well, now it's time to thank our Patreon
supporter of the day. Thank you to Pippin, Patreon supporter
since March twenty twenty two, currently supporting the podcast at
the rookie level of two dollars or more per month.
Thanks for your support, Pippin, And that'll do it for today.
If you're enjoying the podcast, please follow us using your
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next Friday with another episode of Yours Truly Johnny Dowler.
But join us back here tomorrow as we give way
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Great Detectives From Boise, Idaho. This is your host, Adam Graham.
Sign and off.