Speaker 1: Welcome to the Great Adventurers 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 Counterspot. But first,
I do want to encourage you, if you are enjoying
the podcast, to please follow us using your favorite podcast software.
And today is also the last day of our listener
support and appreciation campaign. You can become one of our
ongoing Patreon supporters for as little last two dollars per
month at Patreon dot Great Detectives dot net. Well, we
are gonna skip ahead in time quite a bit here
on Counterspot. I thought we might have one more episode
from nineteen forty three, but we don't. The episode was
actually just to duplicate of last week's show. So we're
going to play an episode which you might think is
a duplicate at first because it sounds familiar, but it's not.
It actually originally aired June thirteenth, nineteen forty five, although
it's a reuse of a script we've already heard here
now is the nineteen forty five production of she Lefem.
Speaker 2: Washington Calling David Harding counters by Washington Calling David Harding counters.
Speaker 3: By Hearting counters by calling Washington.
Speaker 2: David Harding counter spy.
Speaker 4: In Washington, a very prominent bachelor by the name of
Harold R. Blake stood in the center of his expensive apartment.
The time eleven twenty five at night. A dim light
burned on a small ebony side table. Mister Blake stood there.
His face was ashen white. Great beads of perspiration stood
out on his forehead.
Speaker 5: Go on, who the trigger, you coward who betrayed your country?
Go on, go on, have the.
Speaker 6: Editor hold the press.
Speaker 3: Harold R.
Speaker 7: Blake has just committed suicide in his living room.
Speaker 8: He left a note seeing it was because of ill health.
Speaker 9: The quick cut case of suicide into hunting a wealthy
bachelor and poor health a gun.
Speaker 3: I had met Peters. Harold Blake probably did commit suicide.
But remember this Blake held a very critical post in
our government. We're still at war, and trained enemy agents
are still at work, and their experts are making murder
appear to be suicide. Are you going to investigate? Well,
I think I'll at least ask a few questions. The
note Blake left that he was committing suicide because of
ill health. I think i'll phone his doctor and see
how bad his health really was. You wouldn't know, doctor Wolf,
if mister Blake was in poor Help.
Speaker 7: Mister Hardy.
Speaker 8: I was shocked at mister Blake's suicide from everything I know.
Speaker 3: He Thank you, doctor, That's all I wanted to know. Goodbye.
I think I'll go over to mister Blake's bank and
see if his finances were worrying him.
Speaker 10: No, mister Harding, mister Blake's finances were in perfect condition.
He had many government bonds and securities. I'd see was
worth close to a million dollars. Thank you, Peters.
Speaker 3: A man commits suicide, it isn't his health, and it
isn't finances. Look for the woman exactly. That's just what
I want you to do. Peters. Pick six men and
turn the city of Washington inside out. But find out
what woman Harold Blake paid special attention to. Harding.
Speaker 11: I've just completed that investigation. Blake was described as having
a spotless reputation and you your social group friendly, but
never escorted any particular woman.
Speaker 3: All right, Peters, that ends that lead, but meet me later.
I want to take a long chance. Now this is
the accounting firm which Blake employed to handle his books.
Speaker 12: Why yes, mister Hardy, we have been the accountants for
mister Blake's phone for eleven years.
Speaker 3: Mister family, I want you to go to mister Blake's
office and get his office pat of appointments for the
past year, note especially on the list lapses of time,
and compare those dates with his personal check. I want
to know what personal checks were made out during those
periods of adminers. They should tell us where mister Blake
was doing those ads. Miss Darling.
Speaker 9: We went over mister Blake's office pad and found he
was absent on his business knowing the past here on
four different occasions a week at each time.
Speaker 3: By during of avers, did he make out any personal checks? Yes,
he did.
Speaker 9: His first absence corresponds with the check he made out
of the Sadoga Hotel, Sir Toga Springs. You missed the
next second episodes he made out several checks at the
Clubhouse pine Hill, South Carolina. This third check, it was
made out of the Hampton Towers Hotel, Atlanta, Georgia.
Speaker 3: Chanting at personal checks certainly shows where he spent his
time when he was asking in his office. Thank you.
Speaker 7: This is j sixteen, calling mister Harding from Saratoga Springs.
Man in question spent week here in company of woman,
dark complexion, about thirty one, expensively dressed, unusually attractive.
Speaker 3: All report followers, Jay.
Speaker 13: Reporting, mister Hardy find him South Carolina. Man in question
stayed here accompanied by unknown woman in early thirties, dark,
very attractive, expensively priced. Report father.
Speaker 3: Well, this is beginning to get very interesting. Yet we
still may be on a wild ghost chase. Peters, we
have no idea who that girl was. You may have
been perfectly all right. How can we ever find it? Well,
here's a little something I dug out on April was
second Harold Blake made out a check to the Washington
Jewelry Company for eight thousand dollars.
Speaker 9: Pretty sizeable a mom for the bachelor to be making
out to send to a jewelry house.
Speaker 3: What I thought, Peters, We're going to check that jewelry house.
Only just what Harold Blake bought with that eight thousand.
Speaker 6: Dollars, Jay Leven, mister Harding, Mister Blake bought us solitaire
diamond ring ten and one half carrots platinum setting. Woman's ring.
No record for whom he was buying the ring.
Speaker 3: That's all there you well, Peters, Now we know what
the Blake bought a ring for some woman. But who's
the woman wearing she? That's our question. Well, let's put
two and two together and try to make five an
eight thousand dollars ring. That's an expensive ring. Check all
insurance companies, Peters, and see it. Within a few days
after April a second any woman insured a ring for
approximately eight thousand dollars. Getting somewhere, chief, here's the insurance reporter.
Speaker 9: On April fifth, a solitaire diamond ring platinum setting was
insured for eight thousand dollars. If I miss adel Winston
Hotel Belmont.
Speaker 3: Washington easton del Winston, so I.
Speaker 9: Don't have a report out of here.
Speaker 3: Age thirty two, high, five foot.
Speaker 9: Five, light hair, light complexion, educated in France and Switzerland.
Speaker 3: Certainly above for the woman seeing with Harold Blake at
the resort with dark hair. Was apartment for the same
both apparently, well think both smart dressers. There's something wrong
about all that, something very wrong. The problem has got
to be approached from some unusual angle. Oh a very
beautiful apartment. Oh thank you, mister hunting Horn. I'm here
to make a very unusual request. You knew Harold Blake personally,
didn't you. Oh? Yes, it was his suicide of bona
fide suicide. They perfectly candid. Colonel Higgins, I don't know,
and that's why I come to you. I need the
aid of a citizen colonel who has a very important
governmental responsibility. You're forty eight, that's correct. The batter a
confirmed one. No, you're a very handsome man. Oh come now,
very fascinating your women for thout. Wait a minute, now,
that's a serious business guy, as I understand it. When
it's to be an engaged in the Pacific Islands, at
the very last minute, special charts must be supplied to
all fraters so they'll know the little harbors where they'll
have to unload the supply. Yes, it's correct, and naturally
months before, Hans, I have lists of such harbors so
those charts can be printed at the last minute. Uhh.
That's why I'm so careful of making new acquaintances. I
have a responsibility on your general That's just why I've
come to you. You happen to know amidst adele Winston. No, No,
I've never happened to meet her. At the Hauting. But
she's I'm very gordous woman anyway, she's usually surrounded by
any number of admirers. Well, I'm going to arrange for
you to meet her at Colonel. I'm going to ask
you to make yourself just as interesting to her as possible. Oh.
In fact, I'm going to ask you to try and
make it even a constant attachment for a time. Oh no, Harding,
that's a little too much. Oh not at all, Colonel.
You could be the principal factor and possibly exposing one
of the most clever spies in this country today. You
don't think Adevil Winstone was in any way connected with
Blake's suicide. You don't think she's actually at the spy.
That's just what I want to find out, Colonel. Good
Lord Harding. Now I've arranged with Lady Colin to give
her reception next Friday. Email. I've given her a list
of guests that she used to improve. Miss Winston will
be won. I'd appreciate your being another casually meeting me.
That's really hiding. Under those conditions no man could refuse.
I've held you I feel that way to him. Now
after you meet her, please don't try to contact me
in any way. Leave it up to me. Find out
what you're doing.
Speaker 13: Jay, mister Harding, March twenty fourth, seven thirty five pm.
Colonel higgansport and train at Washington after an hour was
joined by a woman already Andrey. She's a dark complexion,
expensively dressed, very attractive, black hair, light, approximately five feet
five inches, Niggan Reed's palms rings.
Speaker 14: That is all.
Speaker 9: Believe.
Speaker 3: That's not the discussion of the Dale Winston.
Speaker 12: J and Ie aboard New Orleans Limited. According to mister Harding,
April sixteenth, form the colonel in question or to train
at Washington an hour later, joined woman on train, dark complexion,
expensively dressed, very beautiful and exotic. Wait about one hundred
and ten pounds tickets read at Lanta, Georgia.
Speaker 3: It is who is meeting Colonel Higgins on the Is
it a del winsoner? Who is it? Well? I got
on that girl who's been meeting Colonel Higgins. Good beaters.
What do you find out? You were right sid After.
Speaker 9: The girl got off the train with the colonel, I
went into a compartment. There were unmistakable signs of dark
colored face potu. There were also traces both of blonde
hair and black hair. The black hair had definitely come
out of a wig.
Speaker 3: Huh.
Speaker 9: Apparently the girl as bore the train get a compartment
and change her appearance before she comes out and meets
the colonel, and it is Adele Winston because he's been
absolute in Washington at the same time as the Colonel
has Thomas explained to the colonel because of her prominent
standings in the disguise herself smits a old wins It
must have been a mysterious woman with whom Harold Blake
went off on trips before he was murdered.
Speaker 3: Without doubt he's connected with his murder in some manner.
And now right now you're the colonel and down at Virginia.
Speaker 9: Beach, very much like the Harold Blake set up.
Speaker 3: And I'm afraid of Peter and we've got to make
sure Colonel Higgins isn't killed the same way.
Speaker 2: Back to David Harding counterspy in just a moment. Now
back to David Harding, counter spy.
Speaker 3: What a beautiful sunset, Adel.
Speaker 5: I love to lie on the beach after all the
other is done.
Speaker 3: Yes, it is nice.
Speaker 5: Boy. Sometimes I see a look come over your face.
Anything problem, No, dear, nothing that. Perhaps you're worrying about
your responsibilities, those charts you will have to have made
before Japan is invaded.
Speaker 3: No, I don't think I am.
Speaker 14: Oh.
Speaker 5: Oh, I wish we didn't have to go back to
Washington tomorrow.
Speaker 3: Oh, we must know. I've got some important conferences. Well, yeah,
put these in your bag with your I'm ifay, I'll
lose them in the sand.
Speaker 5: We'll quite bring keys out of the beach.
Speaker 3: Well, I don't dare leave them in the hotel room.
Speaker 5: It's a little snot tea. That's quite an odd shake.
Speaker 3: It's the key to the secret cabinet in my library
where I keep the confidential chart.
Speaker 5: No, raw, don't give me the keys. It's too big
a responsibility.
Speaker 3: All right, I'll hide them next time under the rug
at the hotel.
Speaker 5: Let's go in the water.
Speaker 3: Come on, all right, I'll beat you too.
Speaker 14: We'll just try.
Speaker 3: Oh, I was looking for you harding. Oh, hello, Colonel Accan,
glad to see you. Good, thank you. I thought it
might be better for us to meet openly at the
hotel dining room, rather than me to go again to
your apartment. And good. Many things have happened since we
last caught, Hanny. Yes, you have proved yourself a veteran
that the train Counterspies couldn't have been better anything the matter, Honey, Oh,
I think the big moment here, it's now I never
all right, just give me your orders. I'd like to
have you invite miss Winston up to your apartment Wednesday
night for an informal dinner. Just you too.
Speaker 15: Why you don't say thank your hobby. Miss Winston is
a spy, yes, Colonel, I do it, but cotting I
kept the key to my secret file where she could
get it, even called her attention to it hardy. Tell
me the truth.
Speaker 3: You don't think miss Winston was the girl who was
with Blake on those tips before he committed suicide. Yes,
his blood is on her hands, Colonel Once he's probably
been responsible for the death of a dozen other men.
On Wednesday night, after you've had dinner, I wish you'd
go with her into your library for coffin. But under
no conditions, Colonel, drink the coffer I'll casually drop in
a little later. You intend to break her Wednesday night
if I can, I hope I can. As a matter
of time. White is a sheep I'm all right something. No,
you can tell me how I've fallen in love with her.
Don't mean that. Yes, yes I do. I love her
with the heavens. You can't, but I do. I think
she's innocent. She didn't even try to duplicate the key. Yeah,
she's never even tried to ask me questions about secret
government affairs with their murderers. Carol, he double cross you
in a second. I didn't realize how lonely I've been.
She's so clever, smile, beautifully, everything about her. I can't
stand it. They're not thinking of going what Harold Blake did. No, no,
not that. I guess I can see it through terribly. Sorry, well,
I guess there is no more to be said. We'll
go through with it tomorrow as planned. Yes, remember, do
not think any coffee that's bored. I wish I could
say something to Higgen. I feel for you from the
bottom of my heart. But this is bigger than you
or me, I know. But still I think she's innocent.
The more Champaign, that's a stunning evening gone that I
and James, mister Dell and I will have our brandy
and coffee in the library and I yes, and I'd
like to have you remain this evening very good. Oh,
by the way, you don't did you ever know how
old Blake?
Speaker 5: Blake? Hey, what did you demand? Just committed to us
out about four months ago? Yeah, I guess I'm to
see him. I don't think I've nothing.
Speaker 3: An awful thing, wasn't it?
Speaker 5: How did there's some talk it wasn't yourself?
Speaker 3: All rumors?
Speaker 16: I suppose, Oh like subway he got me looking at
it all. Yes, I do, Like you know, I had
thought I was perfectly contented, Now insignificant. They have something
really worthwhile, you've got to have someone to share it with.
Speaker 5: I've found the same.
Speaker 3: Thing to.
Speaker 5: Christmas and comradeship.
Speaker 3: He answer, So I have, James said the coffee band
in the library.
Speaker 5: Now I'd rather sit on the divan with you.
Speaker 3: And now you look like the most sophisticated woman in
the world, like one of those gorgeous paintings. And then
you'll say something so tender.
Speaker 5: A woman should be a mystery to a man.
Speaker 3: Ah, yes, I know if you don't know how much?
Speaker 5: Yes I do. My heart's been not in the same way.
Speaker 3: And since that la, do you love me? Adel? Yes? Yes, Oh,
pardon me, sir, But mister Harding and his friend have called.
Oh yes, yes, James show them in him.
Speaker 5: Yes, why did they have to become a Justice moment?
Speaker 3: Harting is a very good friend. I guess he's just
dropping in. We were on our way to the club,
so we stop in. Colonel Oh, I'm glad to see
you Harding. Have you met missus Winston. I don't believe
I've had that bevilege. Good evenings is a friend of mine,
mister Peters.
Speaker 5: Good evening, mister Peters.
Speaker 3: Pleasure, Colonel Higgins, Peter believe ning. Mister Peters. Won't you
join us in brandy and coffee? And now thank you?
Let's sit down, gentlemen, make yourselves comfortable with you.
Speaker 5: Whoa while you men chat. I think I'll go and
freshen up a bit.
Speaker 3: Wow, we'll miss you.
Speaker 5: You men stay here and talk. I'll be back in Justice.
Speaker 3: Hardy. It can't be true that woman is innocent. To
Colonel Higgins, ordinarily I wouldn't operate this way, but I
owe it to you. Tell me Harting, tell me she's
really one of your agents working with you. Tell me
that you suspected me and really did did this so
she could check on me. Tell me that he is
my madlonel. Would you ring for the butler? I guess yes, Hardy,
the butler. You'll really have to to me. It's here,
not Adele, isn't it, Colonel. I know how upset you are.
I sympathize, but I can't change the facts. I don't
see anything. Did you ring from me, sir? I believe
the Colonel wanted you to pour some brandy for me. Please, yes,
thank you, sir. This is a gun on your stomach.
Don't move, Hoty, Sorry, Colonel, put the cups on it. Peters.
I've got him, and he's the man You'll have to
not Adele. And I believe he don't there that he's wig.
He looks more natural like his pictures. Your butler, Colonel Higgins,
is Victor Strutz, one of the cleverest international spies.
Speaker 2: And I'm not I don't know what you're talking about, Colonel.
Speaker 3: You might be ableted to know that when your former
butler was hurt by a car six weeks ago, it
was a plot. The man at the wheel of the
car which ran down your butler was this man standing here.
He wanted to pose the butler so we could get
into your house. Here, we've been checking him for a week. Here,
you drink this coffee you serve the colonel. You don't
like dope coffee? Answered, Adele's coming back. What will I do?
Watch her when she comes in. I think she'll be
pretty surprised.
Speaker 5: Sechual butler.
Speaker 3: Yes, Miss Winston will removed his wig. Why well, for
the reason he happens not to be a butler, but
Victor Strutz, a very noted international spy. A spy. He's
a spy, yes, and quite a catch.
Speaker 5: Well, I'm so glad you caught him.
Speaker 3: Peters takes trots over to the other side of the room.
Speaker 5: War you must feel terribly about this taking place in
your apartment. He had take this Brandy look.
Speaker 14: Like a ghost.
Speaker 3: Thank you all. Thanks, Colonel Higgins. I have a recording
i'd like to play for you. Would you mind my
using your machine? Why no, No, we switches right on
the side of the radio. Than just a short recording.
I feel a little dizzy. I guess i'll sit here
by you. Adel.
Speaker 5: What kind of a record is it, mister Harney, what's
the purpose of it?
Speaker 3: Well, I believe it'll be self explanatory. It was made
last night. Yeah, the voices were speaking rather softly at
the time. But I'll turn on the full volume so
we won't miss anything.
Speaker 14: It must be here.
Speaker 6: You're the camera ready. Oh, nothing but personal papers.
Speaker 17: Colonel told me he kept them in the wall, safe
in his library. If we don't find them, you will
just have to keep on playing all mettle. I want
to spin in his face every time I get it.
Speaker 8: Well, the plans aren't here. We fail tonight, you'll probably
put them in here tomorrow night.
Speaker 6: I hope tonight would be.
Speaker 8: We must break him and torse him to commit suicide
the way Blake did. If you won't, we poisonous carpet.
Speaker 3: What are you saying, fortunately, Colonel Higgins, the plans weren't there.
If they had been, you wouldn't be alive and night
there they'd gotten Limadel Winston would have taunted you. She'd
have gotten you intoxicated. She'd have told you she'd gotten
the plans. You'd be disgraced. She'd have broken your heart.
Or you'd have done what all the other men have
done she's worked on. I would have blasted a stupid dog, Colonel.
Her real name has Garta Stenia of Hungary, and perhaps
of Japan, a paid spy who goes to the highest bidder,
and that man Victor Strautz is her husband. No, take
them all the white Peters. The other agents are out
in the front hall.
Speaker 2: Me.
Speaker 3: I'm awfully sorry, Colonel. I had to expose the whole
plot in front of you so you'd never have any doubt.
I didn't know a person could be hurt quite as much.
You may have saved the lives, Colonel, of thousands of
our men, I hope. So there have been a lot
of people who've given all they had in this war. Hellok, Colonel,
through the window, veterans coming down the street. You've done
them and men like them a great service. Garnleagan. No
one will probably ever know about it, but you will.
I will, I know. And Harding, I'm glad I was
able to help. Oh. War isn't over yet. Every one
of us has still got to sacrifice some one way,
some another. I guess this way this is mine.
Speaker 2: In just a moment, we'll tell you about next week's
counter spy case with David Harding.
Speaker 3: This is David Harding speaking of the hundreds of counterspy
cases handled by my office. I feel the case we're
going to dramatize on next week's program is the most unusual.
It concerns probably the smallest thing ever sabotized, so tiny,
it is invisible, so important that potentially it may affect
every single one of us and be considered one of
the great discoveries of all time. I invite you to listen.
Speaker 2: Wednesday, June twentieth, same time, same station, David Harding, Counter Spy,
David hadd Encounter Spy is the Phillips h LAYD production,
Don Lowe speaking. This is the Blue Network of the
American Broadcasting Company.
Speaker 1: Welcome back. A fairly adapt adaptation. Nothing certainly that a
audience in nineteen forty five would say, Hey, did they
use this before? The big difference in that one is
that it was looking forward on a lot of sacrifices
which were to be made, and this one ended looking
back on those that had already been made, with the
prospect of a few more to come. You also noticed
that the opening no longer mentions the other foreign spy services,
as they kind of been taken off the map. A
few bad things that happened, I guess. And the other
big thing is the addition of Peters. Now, in most
of those episodes, he has assistants who perform some sort
of functional role, and even those who just gather information,
but they tend to be a disposable sort of character.
Roles Peters isn't like that. Peters is a recurring character
played by Mandel Kramer and in effect becomes David Harding's
leg man, and Peters really allows David Harding to feel
like the head of a counterintelligence agency rather than a
poor man's man.
Speaker 3: Cald X.
Speaker 1: Peters is played by Mandel Kramer, and he would remain
in this role for many, many years, and it would
be one of his early major roles. He'd been working
in radio back into I believe the late thirties, if
not at least nineteen forty, and his work really had
been as a character actor, he described working on soap operas,
and this was a significant break for him. It would
set Kramer up with regular work that he would continue
to do while also doing other character work in radio.
We've heard him on so many series on the Great Detectives,
including the Adventures of the Falcon and those sort of
shady underworld characters. And then when you got to the
tail end of the golden age of radio, Kramer was
looked at as someone who could incredibly be a leading
man in programs locked The Adventures of the Abbots and
of course Yours truly, johnny'd all. Now, I will say
the presence of Peters does create like the only real
problem with the episode logically is in the original it
made sense with Harding as the only person who could
credibly contact him to say I won't contact you here,
though Peters is around, and it seemed like there could
have been a way to have Peters meet serretitiously with
the colonel to ask what was going on with the
woman he was being seen with, rather than having to
sleuth it out. Now we turn to listener comments and feedback,
and we start over on YouTube with Harrison, who had
a comment regarding the episode indust real spiring, thank you
for the information on Craig McDonald as the laugher. The
more I listen to old time radio programs, the more
I appreciate cast listenings. I'm with you there, and I
also appreciate where we don't have cast listenings, at least
we have the whole script with the big story. And
then over on YouTube regarding the case of the gasoline
bards Angel writes, not everybody could walk in David Harding's
open toad pumps.
Speaker 3: Huh.
Speaker 1: All right, thanks so much for the comment. And now
it's time to thank our Patreon supporter of the day,
and I want to thank Charlie, Patreon supporter since July
of twenty twenty, currently supporting the podcast at the secret
Agent level of four dollars more per month. Thanks so
much for your support, Charlie, 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.
Speaker 3: You download it from.
Speaker 1: We'll be back next Saturday with another episode of Counterspy
on the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio. We will
return on Monday with an Adventure with the Saint and
for the Great Adventurers, we will return on Tuesday with Tarzan.
In the meantime, do send your comments to Box thirteen
at Great Detectives dot nit, follow us on Twitter at
Radio Detectives, and check us out on Instagram, Instagram, dot
com slash Great Detectives from Boise, Idaho. This is your host,
Adam Graham's son and all