Speaker 1: The FBI in Peace and War. Another great story based
Speaker 1: on Frederick now Collins colly writing book, The FBI in
Speaker 1: Peace and War, Drummer Phill's Action Tonight's story.
Speaker 2: The executive type.
Speaker 1: And here is the gold clip with the jade centerpiece.
Speaker 1: This design is exclusive with us this season.
Speaker 2: You like that, Beverly, Oh Walter, it's just exquisite.
Speaker 3: Can I put it on?
Speaker 1: Of course?
Speaker 2: It will look very dramatic with the young lady's dark hair.
Speaker 4: Oh you want to take that one?
Speaker 2: How much is that?
Speaker 1: But that would be three hundred and fifty five including
Speaker 1: the text water.
Speaker 2: That's all right, we'll take it. Oh, very good, sir?
Speaker 2: Is that a charge?
Speaker 1: And the young lady?
Speaker 2: You'll wear it? Yes, sir, Oh Walder, it's.
Speaker 3: The most beautiful thing I ever saw.
Speaker 1: Okay, I guess you've got to get back to rehearsal now,
Speaker 1: don't you.
Speaker 2: It's two o'clock.
Speaker 5: Two o'clock.
Speaker 3: Oh, it can't be on. He'll kill me. We're going
Speaker 3: to break in a new routine this afternoon.
Speaker 1: Well, you run along, Beverly, but I haven't even said
Speaker 1: that's all right?
Speaker 3: Go on now, all right, I'll see you tonight, mother.
Speaker 2: Of course.
Speaker 3: Goodbye, darling.
Speaker 2: Bye, that's three hundred and fifty five.
Speaker 1: Yes, sir, here you are, Thank you, sir. I'll have
Speaker 1: your change in a moment. You have a phone I
Speaker 1: could use, of course, sir. You can use that one
Speaker 1: in the boot right over there.
Speaker 6: It's for our customers.
Speaker 2: Thank you lot at all, sir.
Speaker 1: Hello, try State Insurance Company Extension four or two. Please hello, Jerry,
Speaker 1: it's me Waller. Uh is the boss looking for me? Yeah? Well,
Speaker 1: uh listen Jerry stalm will you're telling me you saw
Speaker 1: me down in the claims division and I'll be right after.
Speaker 2: Okay, Jerry, thanks a lot. I'll do the same for
Speaker 2: you sometimes. Be that ten minutes. Here's your change, sir. Oh,
Speaker 2: thanks a lot at tall. Thank you, sir.
Speaker 1: And I hope the young lady will be happy with
Speaker 1: the clip.
Speaker 2: Yes, yes, I do too.
Speaker 7: I hope she'll be happy with her. At the time
Speaker 7: that Walter Minis began his career of forgery and impersonation,
Speaker 7: he was employed as a bookkeeper with a large.
Speaker 1: Casualty insurance company. Minnis was a bachelor forty years old,
Speaker 1: with an uneventful background, few friends, and seemingly very few interests.
Speaker 1: He was quite spoken, well dressed, and, when necessary, could
Speaker 1: assume an air of importance. In short, Walter Minis could
Speaker 1: easily pass as the executive type. Alright, girls, I'll do it,
Speaker 1: and look, I don't want anybody late for the dinner show?
Speaker 1: Do you understand?
Speaker 6: Nobody?
Speaker 1: Oh, Beverly, I want to see you in the office.
Speaker 5: Arnie, I'm sorry, I was labors, Ernie, cut it out?
Speaker 5: Were you supposing somebody came in?
Speaker 1: How come he will late?
Speaker 3: He took me to carters after lunch. Look, Arnie sawid
Speaker 3: gold I much.
Speaker 2: If that shot him back three hundred and fifty five?
Speaker 1: Not bad. You're really gonna have a trunk full of
Speaker 1: that stuff before you get through?
Speaker 5: Yeah, I guess so, Arnie. Eh, when am I through?
Speaker 3: M with Walter? Honest? Sometimes I can't take it, all
Speaker 3: that pawing and stuff like a high school kid or something.
Speaker 3: What are you gonna do about him?
Speaker 1: Did you find out anything more?
Speaker 2: Is he married?
Speaker 5: No? But I did find out he lives in Boston
Speaker 5: and he makes his money out of the stock market.
Speaker 3: That's why he comes to New York every couple of weeks.
Speaker 1: You're pretty sure he isn't married.
Speaker 5: He doesn't act like the married ones. Selma was telling
Speaker 5: me maybe the club's going to close.
Speaker 3: Is she just talking?
Speaker 2: Nah?
Speaker 1: No, she's right for once. That's why I want to
Speaker 1: figure out something on water.
Speaker 3: I could hawk all the stuff he gave me. It's
Speaker 3: about three or four thousand.
Speaker 2: Well that's peanuts, beb.
Speaker 1: If I want to get out of this town someday
Speaker 1: go to the coast, open a spot on my own.
Speaker 2: It'll take a lot of door sure will.
Speaker 1: How about you'll marrying water? What I've been thinking about it?
Speaker 1: Guy like that could give you a nice allowance. And
Speaker 1: then while I was setting up a spot on.
Speaker 3: The coast, we're not serious?
Speaker 2: Why not you could stick.
Speaker 1: With them till I started catching on. Then you could
Speaker 1: go to Reno and shake him, maybe even get a
Speaker 1: nice uncle of alimony.
Speaker 3: Which the matter with that, I don't know. I never
Speaker 3: figured on anything like that.
Speaker 2: Well, so figure on it.
Speaker 1: Do an he throw his door on you get easy?
Speaker 1: Get three four hundred a week allowance.
Speaker 3: I guess i'd have to live in Boston, wouldn't I?
Speaker 2: So it's only temporary.
Speaker 3: Who kids, I'd miss you, Arnie.
Speaker 2: We could talk on the telephone.
Speaker 3: Woudn't you miss me? Of course? I guess Boston wouldn't
Speaker 3: be too bad for a while.
Speaker 1: Anyway, nothing's too bad if money comes with it.
Speaker 3: I guess you're right on He's sure.
Speaker 1: I'm right anyway, every girl should get married at least
Speaker 1: once when the right bank account comes in love.
Speaker 5: Yeah, what is it?
Speaker 2: Jes one on the phone? I think it is the
Speaker 2: same guy, a regular past. I should take him here. Okay,
Speaker 2: in two hours.
Speaker 1: He's got a call you on the phone.
Speaker 5: I wish I didn't have to see him tonight, Arnie.
Speaker 3: Do I have to?
Speaker 2: Yeah?
Speaker 5: Yeah, you have to go ahead talk Okay, Hello, water darling,
Speaker 5: how are you?
Speaker 1: In January nineteen fifty one, and audit of the books
Speaker 1: of the Tri State Insurance Company uncovered the loss of
Speaker 1: thirty eight thousand dollars. Since the company's business covered more
Speaker 1: than one state, the matter was turned over to our
Speaker 1: bureau by local authorities. In an interview with the head
Speaker 1: bookkeeper of the company, we began to suspect forgery as
Speaker 1: a part of the embezzlement. Mister Matthews, would you look
Speaker 1: at this bank statement for October?
Speaker 3: Please?
Speaker 1: Do you see those withdraws that we've marked in blue pencil? Yes,
Speaker 1: I say, we've been over all of your October checks,
Speaker 1: mister Matthews, and we can't find any which correspond to
Speaker 1: those withdraws.
Speaker 2: I don't see how that could be.
Speaker 1: Neither it we, mister Matthews, especially since all your checks
Speaker 1: are numbered and there aren't any missing that Obviously, no
Speaker 1: one could take money out of the bank but out.
Speaker 2: A check, That's right.
Speaker 1: So we've come to an equally obvious conclusion. Someone forged
Speaker 1: those checks then destroyed the forgeries after they were returned
Speaker 1: here to the company. Do you think that's possible, mister Matthews.
Speaker 1: How many employees are there in this book keeping department,
Speaker 1: just under one hundred ninety six, savely, and how many
Speaker 1: would have access to a company checkbook? Well, actually only
Speaker 1: a half dozen. But I suppose anyone could get hold
Speaker 1: of company checks if he tried hard enough. Well, our
Speaker 1: present belief is that someone did, mister Matthews. Someone cashed
Speaker 1: those amounts underlined in blue pencil, then somehow destroyed the
Speaker 1: cancel checks before they could be into on the books.
Speaker 1: That would probably be someone in my department, we do
Speaker 1: you think so? We'd like to see your personnel records
Speaker 1: on all of these employees, mister Matthews, as soon as possible.
Speaker 4: This land, This land was made for you. It's a
Speaker 4: nice place to visit. An eighteen million, six hundred two
Speaker 4: thousand people copy wrong. They think it's a nice place
Speaker 4: to live too. Some live up north, in the shadow
Speaker 4: of Mount Tomapias, where the fog rolls in like ghostly
Speaker 4: tumbleweed to envelop the Golden gate Bridge. Some live down south,
Speaker 4: in the shadows of the movie Giants, where the small
Speaker 4: rolls in to envelope everything. All of them live in California,
Speaker 4: a magic state. But this magic isn't merely the result
Speaker 4: of the magic lantern. It was present long before the
Speaker 4: first director shouted action, even before John Marshall whispered gold.
Speaker 4: California's magic lies largely in its contrast. Here, entire fields
Speaker 4: blow yellow with poppies or live barren in waste. Here,
Speaker 4: the temperature may rise to one hundred thirty four degrees
Speaker 4: or spink to forty five below. Here we find the
Speaker 4: highest point of the United States outside of Alaska, Mount Whitney,
Speaker 4: and the lowest Death Valley. Here is the serenity of
Speaker 4: the missions and the near madness of the freeways. California's
Speaker 4: many facets give its residents an attitude described by old Henry,
Speaker 4: Californians are a race of people. They are not merely
Speaker 4: inhabitants of a state.
Speaker 1: As we were beginning along and detailed check up on
Speaker 1: the financial background and habits of all the employees of
Speaker 1: the bookkeeping department, Waltervenis was continuing his pose as a
Speaker 1: wealthy stockbroker, but like many non professionals in crime and
Speaker 1: this's success, made him careless after a while. You're sure,
Speaker 1: mister walder Minister isn't registered here at the hotel for
Speaker 1: quite sure, and he never has been, not for the
Speaker 1: last year's Oh thanks, that's what I wanted to know.
Speaker 3: But I don't get it on he why'd you go
Speaker 3: to the hotel?
Speaker 1: Don't you want to marry the guy? I wanted to
Speaker 1: find out just how much do we had to night? Well?
Speaker 3: How much? I bet it's play?
Speaker 2: Yeah, sure he's loaded. No he's not.
Speaker 1: He's nothing about a lousy bookkeeper for an insurance company.
Speaker 1: You don't come from postony, you don't trade in stocks
Speaker 1: and finds.
Speaker 2: He's nothing about a two bit fourth plessure, Honie.
Speaker 1: How do you know I followed him to the insurance
Speaker 1: company after he left you today, That's how he was
Speaker 1: just putting on an act for you.
Speaker 3: Well, how do you like that?
Speaker 6: I thought?
Speaker 3: And all of that jewelry any way to get the.
Speaker 2: Money, That's what I can't figure out.
Speaker 5: And all this time I've been wasting on him six
Speaker 5: months for nothing.
Speaker 1: Maybe it wasn't wasted. You just said, yea, yeah, he's
Speaker 1: a phony, all right, But he did you? Did you
Speaker 1: close the fourth grand with the stuff? He's gotta be
Speaker 1: getting a go from someplace from the way, Hello, I
Speaker 1: don't know, but that's something we're gonna find out.
Speaker 3: Oh, my bother. If you ask, maybe we should.
Speaker 1: I told you I want to get out of this towel.
Speaker 1: I need money, you know.
Speaker 3: Maybe he's stealing it from someplace.
Speaker 2: Annie, Maybe he is.
Speaker 3: How would you find out?
Speaker 1: He's supposed to be taking you out to the racist
Speaker 1: Saturday afternoon, isn't he.
Speaker 2: Yeah, a little call.
Speaker 1: For you at your place.
Speaker 2: I'll show you.
Speaker 1: How to handle a fourth flush.
Speaker 2: You like that?
Speaker 1: Good morning, miss James.
Speaker 2: How are we after the races?
Speaker 6: Oh?
Speaker 3: Hello, Walter, come on in beautiful.
Speaker 2: Day, isn't it. Look I've got the racing farm. We
Speaker 2: can pick our winners on the way out.
Speaker 3: That's great. Sit out a minute, Walter, well.
Speaker 1: It's ten thirty, but I believe Well, I don't wanna
Speaker 1: be late, do.
Speaker 3: We We're not going to the races.
Speaker 2: I wanna off to you when I'm going.
Speaker 3: Now, Water, were you serious when you said you wanted
Speaker 3: to marry me a couple of weeks ago?
Speaker 1: Why?
Speaker 2: Of course, Beverly, I.
Speaker 3: Been used for money.
Speaker 4: Water?
Speaker 3: What we were going to live on?
Speaker 1: Oh? Well, don't tell me you're worried about money, Beverly. Yeah,
Speaker 1: I'm no genius, but I can always manage to steal
Speaker 1: a little spare change from the stock market.
Speaker 3: From someplace else?
Speaker 1: H what?
Speaker 5: Or maybe we can live on the door you get
Speaker 5: from keeping books at the Tri State Insurance Company.
Speaker 2: What are you talking about, Beverly.
Speaker 5: I'm talking about a poor plush who's been giving me
Speaker 5: the business these last six months. That's what I'm talking about,
Speaker 5: A great, big blowhod who never got me nearer to
Speaker 5: the stock markets and a subway ride to Wall Street.
Speaker 2: I think you'd better explain that statement.
Speaker 1: She doesn't have to explain it the other one who's
Speaker 1: gonna do explaining?
Speaker 2: Mister?
Speaker 1: What was the idea of giving this girl a sales talk?
Speaker 1: Tell her all that stuff about your family in Boston.
Speaker 1: You haven't got any family inforcet on liview just a minute,
Speaker 1: who are you, brend the Beverly's. You haven't got any
Speaker 1: family in Boston, just a stick and bookie. Why aren't
Speaker 1: you answer him?
Speaker 2: Walter? Look, I don't have to stand for this. Oh yes,
Speaker 2: sit a wise guy.
Speaker 1: You're not gonna get out of here just yet.
Speaker 2: Take your hands on me, said Walter.
Speaker 3: Sit, you'd better do what he says.
Speaker 2: That's better.
Speaker 1: Now I'm gonna talk Waler, and you're gonna tell me
Speaker 1: the truth about a lot of things, Beverly. Never mind,
Speaker 1: you ain't gonna help you, Beverly.
Speaker 5: If I ever meant anything anything, how do you like
Speaker 5: that all you meant to me with a meal ticket.
Speaker 2: That isn't true. I don't believe.
Speaker 3: I'll stop it. You make me sick.
Speaker 5: All I want out of you is an updough to
Speaker 5: set Honey up in business.
Speaker 3: On you get this over with. I don't even like
Speaker 3: looking at.
Speaker 2: Him, Beverly.
Speaker 1: All right, Waller, where'd you get the dough? You spent
Speaker 1: all those presents for her?
Speaker 4: I uh I I I had.
Speaker 2: It saved up.
Speaker 3: You'll give him another cloud, he'll remember.
Speaker 1: I will have to I'll just tell him. I might
Speaker 1: make a phone call to the District Attorney's office the DA.
Speaker 1: Maybe you want to investigate a certain water menace.
Speaker 2: I haven't got anything to hide.
Speaker 3: Yes, you have water.
Speaker 1: I don't know what it is yet, but I'm gonna
Speaker 1: find out.
Speaker 2: I swear I haven't. I saved the money.
Speaker 1: I only look up the DA's phone number and look, Look, do.
Speaker 2: You want money? Is that what you want to bet?
Speaker 1: We want money?
Speaker 2: Where do you get yours?
Speaker 1: Water? How much do you want them on?
Speaker 2: Tell us where you get it.
Speaker 1: I don't want to call the cops, but how much?
Speaker 1: Where do you get it?
Speaker 2: I don't get much. I couldn't give you much. Tell
Speaker 2: a man, how much where do you get it?
Speaker 1: I write company checks. I make them out like they
Speaker 1: were for a claim adjustment. Go on, and after I
Speaker 1: cast them, I weight for them to come through from
Speaker 1: the bank, and when they come through, I get rid
Speaker 1: of them. That's a pretty smart stunt, Water, Beverly, Yeah, well,
Speaker 1: as you're gonna make us all a drink. We got
Speaker 1: a lot to talk about with water. As we continued
Speaker 1: checking financial backgrounds on the Tri State Employees Bank deposits
Speaker 1: in the name of Walter Minis attracted our attention. With
Speaker 1: no other visible source of income than his salary, Minns
Speaker 1: was banking as much as eight hundred to one thousand
Speaker 1: dollars a month. This land, this land was made.
Speaker 2: Will.
Speaker 4: Stay Pennsylvania, and he took care of Philadelphia. The Liberty
Speaker 4: Dell with Saturday evening posts. And Benjamin Franklin Distill with
Speaker 4: its steady floor of steel, or the Pennsylvania Dutch their
Speaker 4: homely philosophy and hardy meals. Seldom do we think of
Speaker 4: two of Pennsylvania's most renowned sons, probably because they concerned
Speaker 4: themselves more with the South than with their native state.
Speaker 4: Daniel Boone, for instance, was born in Burke's County, but
Speaker 4: he blazed such a trail throughout the South in the
Speaker 4: West that the place of his birth is all but forgotten.
Speaker 4: And Stephen Foster his birthplace was Lawrenceville, though he longed
Speaker 4: for his old Kentucky home and claimed that he came
Speaker 4: from Alabama with his banjo on his knees. The next
Speaker 4: time we count that Pennsylvania has bookbinders and Hershey bars,
Speaker 4: and the world's largest potato chip factory, we might also
Speaker 4: recall what the Keystone state has given to the rest
Speaker 4: of America, James Buchanan and the United States Flag, little
Speaker 4: League Baseball and professional football, and Gettysburg, a final resting
Speaker 4: place dedicated in virtue, liberty, and independence for those who
Speaker 4: gave their lives that our nation might live.
Speaker 1: One whole month and only gives us a lofty thousand bucks.
Speaker 1: Didn't you tell them what I said?
Speaker 2: Doubly?
Speaker 3: Sure, I tell them what I said. He's gotta get
Speaker 3: more money. You'll turn him over to the car.
Speaker 1: So what do you say?
Speaker 5: Uh, the same old crying act, all about how could
Speaker 5: I deceive him?
Speaker 3: How much he loved me? Oh, Honnie, I'm sick of.
Speaker 2: This whole routine. We could he eat toy?
Speaker 7: Yeah?
Speaker 1: I know, bet, I'll tell you what you hit him
Speaker 1: for five gees moore. We'll quit, go to the coast
Speaker 1: and see what we can take up there.
Speaker 2: How about it?
Speaker 3: You mean it, honey? Sure you can lay it.
Speaker 2: On the line. This. Tell him we'll take.
Speaker 1: The fire and won't bother no more.
Speaker 3: And if he says no.
Speaker 1: I don't think he will Beverly, just keep in minding him.
Speaker 1: There's that ten years in jail hanging over his head.
Speaker 3: He'll start crying again.
Speaker 2: You can stand a little crying for a train ride west,
Speaker 2: can't you.
Speaker 3: I guess so it's good.
Speaker 1: We'll get the work on it. A course, surveillance on
Speaker 1: Walter Menis gave us the proof we needed. Menis was
Speaker 1: picked up while catching a company check made out for
Speaker 1: a fictitious insurance claim. During the long night of questioning,
Speaker 1: Minies admitted very little about his elaborate scheme, but he
Speaker 1: did seem greatly concerned about another aspect of his arrest.
Speaker 2: I'd just like to know who turned me in.
Speaker 1: That's all, mister Minis. I've told you several times. No
Speaker 1: one turned you in. We've been watching you for a
Speaker 1: long time.
Speaker 2: That's a lie. She did it. She said she was
Speaker 2: going to if I didn't get her a five thousand.
Speaker 2: Who are you talking about, mister Minnis.
Speaker 1: You'll know, all right, just yesterday she said she was
Speaker 1: going to do it. She wouldn't believe me when I
Speaker 1: said I couldn't get all that money at once.
Speaker 2: She wouldn't wait. Mister Minis, she's no good. I should
Speaker 2: have known that she was lying to me, lying.
Speaker 1: The whole time to Menis, what are you talking about.
Speaker 2: I want to see a lawyer. I want a lawyer
Speaker 2: to get me out on bail. You can't hold me
Speaker 2: like this, mister Minis. You'll have a lawyer.
Speaker 1: You'll undoubtedly be granted bail.
Speaker 2: Now, will you answer my question?
Speaker 3: Who?
Speaker 1: I refuse to talk any further until I consult my lawyer.
Speaker 1: I know why, writes mister Reynolds. Walter Minis was released
Speaker 1: on bail while awaiting trial. He was forbidden to leave
Speaker 1: the judicial district where the trial was to be held,
Speaker 1: but one afternoon he took a train to a nearby city.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 2: Who is it, oh boy, ma'am? Tw are you hell? Beverly?
Speaker 3: Walter?
Speaker 1: I heard the club was closed, so I went down
Speaker 1: there and they told me you'd be here in Philadelphia.
Speaker 2: Can I come in? I taught you I'm not on bail.
Speaker 2: I like to talk to you, Beverly.
Speaker 3: There's nothing for us to talk about, Walter.
Speaker 2: I think there is, Beverly.
Speaker 5: Hone's is gonna come to me in a few minutes.
Speaker 5: I don't think you'll like it if he find you here.
Speaker 2: No, I'm sure he won't.
Speaker 1: He don't ever like to see me unless I've got
Speaker 1: money for him.
Speaker 2: Beverly. Why did you turn me over to the police?
Speaker 2: Why did you turn me over to the police. I
Speaker 2: was trying to get the five thousand dollars for you
Speaker 2: if you'd only been patient.
Speaker 3: Are you mind? I didn't train you over to the police.
Speaker 2: Yes you did, And I just want to know, why
Speaker 2: do you hate me, Beverly to be an idiot? I
Speaker 2: didn't g you did? Was it Annie's idea?
Speaker 3: Use your head when you're why should we?
Speaker 2: Did you pretty nice when I had money? Didn't I? Beverly?
Speaker 3: Of course you did, Walter.
Speaker 2: A butch of lots of beautiful jewelry and things like that.
Speaker 2: Didn't I want to.
Speaker 3: Put that girl away?
Speaker 2: Didn't I?
Speaker 6: So?
Speaker 2: Did you like a person I was going to marry?
Speaker 2: Gave me the best of everything?
Speaker 6: Yes?
Speaker 2: Yeah, she did?
Speaker 3: Water loney guns, give me the creep?
Speaker 2: Why did you turn me over to the police.
Speaker 3: I didn't want to believe me.
Speaker 1: You're no good, Beverly. The world is better off without
Speaker 1: your kind.
Speaker 3: You gotta believe me.
Speaker 2: Much better off. I don't care what happens.
Speaker 6: To me now, is Darling? Listen to me?
Speaker 2: Way, get your hands off me. I don't even like
Speaker 2: you anymore. Kind of question. Just doesn't deserve to live,
Speaker 2: That's all.
Speaker 3: Listen, Darling, I didn't turn you. I didn't want to.
Speaker 3: It was Annie's.
Speaker 2: I think it was you.
Speaker 3: You gotta believe me.
Speaker 2: Why didn't you stop him?
Speaker 3: I tried to, honest, I didn't. He wanted more money.
Speaker 2: That's cool, it is it's let him in. Let him in, Beverly.
Speaker 1: That's why I'm late. She just told me it was
Speaker 1: your idea to turn me over to the police. Any
Speaker 1: was it was? It was?
Speaker 3: It wasn't, honey. I didn't know it. Well, I didn't.
Speaker 3: I didn't you.
Speaker 6: I know you didn't.
Speaker 2: Open lying just to save yourself.
Speaker 3: He turned me in.
Speaker 2: Beverly.
Speaker 6: I know it, honey, Honey, I can talk to you quick.
Speaker 1: I Walter Minis returned from Philadelphia and surrendered to the
Speaker 1: District Attorney's office, giving complete details of his shooting of
Speaker 1: Beverly James. Fortunately for minus, Miss James recovered from the
Speaker 1: single pistol shot and Minis was not faced with the
Speaker 1: charge of murder. He was, however, convicted for the criminal assault,
Speaker 1: and this charge, along with his forgeries, added to a
Speaker 1: total of thirty years in prison. Arnold Harris and Beverly
Speaker 1: James were convicted as accessories to Minnis's frauds and received
Speaker 1: terms of three years each. Our books are closed on
Speaker 1: Walter minis the executive type. This is the United States
Speaker 1: Armed Forces Radio and Television Service of