Speaker 1: Welcome to the Great Adventurers of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho.
This is your host, Adam Graham. In a moment, we
are going to bring you this week's episode of Counterspot.
But first I do want to encourage you, if you're
enjoying the podcast, to follow us using your favorite podcast
software and our listener support and appreciation campaign continues. You
can become one of our ongoing Patreon supporters far as
Little last two dollars per month at Patreon dot Great
Detectives dot net. But now, from March first, nineteen forty three,
here is the case of the illegal radio station.
Speaker 2: Rossington calling Counterside, Washington calling.
Speaker 3: Counterpi Arting counter by calling, Morgigan arting counter by calling Washing.
Speaker 2: The Blue Network prevent Ni Sateward counter By. Germany has
its Gutapo, Italy and Doga and Japan and Black Dragons.
But Max against all of these legreid enemy agents al
nco Fan, I'm a highly trained counter fire visualized haight
countered fire them all as David Pardy in Washington, Regadier
General Whitcomb that in his private office, but a large
oak death standing in front of him was First Lieutenant
John O'Brien. Lieutenan O'Brien, Yes, sir, I have another mission
for you, the most important mission. Yes, General, let's see,
you've been my official messenger for seven years, Greg nine years,
nine years. M Well, Lieutenant, you've been most methodical, resourceful
and diligence.
Speaker 4: Thank you, sir. Now, this envelope contains certain very important documents.
They concerned changing some of our heavy artillery on the
west coast. Carry it inside your uniform. Now, I want
you to deliver these to the commander of the San
Franoiscal Fortifications. Deliver them right into his own hands and
no other living person. Yes, so I write to No,
I don't want to call attention to your mission in
any way. Just quietly get on the train. So you
were carrying nothing about importance. There's a transcendental train tonight
at ten o'clock, Reid, Yes, sir, there is. All I've
got to do is go back to my hotel room
and cancel several engagement sciences at all and all. Oh,
this is the Penan O'Brien calling. No, No, I can't
take you to the pad of the night. No, I'm
not foolish, you address. Honestly, I'm awfully sorry, but I've
just received instructions at leave of San Francisco. Yeah, san Francisco.
Well I'll be back in about a week, and then
i'll see you every night. Yeah big it please? Oh yay, conduction.
Oh going to San Francisco with Kevan.
Speaker 5: Don't you want to have birth in the sleepers?
Speaker 4: Got you have a vacancies? No, thank you, I guess
I'll sit up.
Speaker 6: Oh, San Francisco is a long way to ride in
the day, coach. No, I'm your still.
Speaker 4: Because it's I'm the nine as much.
Speaker 5: Oh, it's see I see what nine know about halving
all lad Thank you well, Bend, and I hope you don't.
Speaker 7: Get what's your arm over your life? Don't want to
go out.
Speaker 4: It may have something to do with the tom madam.
Speaker 8: I'm affected.
Speaker 7: It's so tough.
Speaker 6: Oh yo, take your hand off me.
Speaker 8: Oh oh, conductor A something that canable has happened?
Speaker 4: What happened about?
Speaker 8: We had the fire a glass of bread.
Speaker 5: Were about three or fourth seats.
Speaker 7: A front of me.
Speaker 8: I'm telling your question like the play.
Speaker 5: We tacked the lights on, somebody's cut the words come
out to death.
Speaker 6: See where the glass is broken off and blood that's.
Speaker 7: What the army officer. What didn't you.
Speaker 6: Must have been told out the window.
Speaker 4: Hold on, everybody, I'm going to pull the.
Speaker 9: Emergency calling in E eight falling in Lister Harding Lisard
Harding go ahead, located placed by tracks where Lieutenant O'Brien's
body landing. It was a great deal of blood. We
trace footprints from there one hundred yards to the main road.
Somebody had a car park there. There were some treadmarks
of car in church beside roads.
Speaker 4: Are you making plaster casts of footprints in the car,
tred Yes, sure they'll be ready by morning. Chirt good
stand by it for the instruction.
Speaker 10: Selling O'Brien off that train was setting me a carefully
planned job, mister Hunting.
Speaker 4: Yes, David, there was no ordinary job. The only ones
who knew about those plans being sent with a higher up.
I made every move with nat O'Brien made checked carefully.
The job has all the ear marks of a high
clients sophisticated plot. David, I want somebody to do some
special work for me who travels in high Washington circles.
Speaker 6: Couldn't we get one of our own operators into that
settle as we could?
Speaker 4: But I want somebody already there, some prominent person who
wouldn't be suspected of working with us. I'm going to
talk to Lady Ashton. He's helped you before. She's a
social leader and she can be trusted. Oh, Lady Ashton,
I need a woman who is fairly young, beautiful, sophisticated, worldly,
who travels in Washington, hires social effect.
Speaker 11: I see, have you any run socially in mind, mister Hardy, Yes.
Speaker 4: Norma Brayley. She's a French refugee. She's invited everywhere. She's
condon evil.
Speaker 11: I'm very beautiful. Yeah, yeah, sure, everything's all deepness.
Speaker 4: Mister Hardy. She is attractive. But if missus Brayley would
be willing to work with me and follow my instructions,
he could be of great help.
Speaker 6: You wish me to give a dinner so that you
may meet.
Speaker 4: I'm working in near Lady Ayston. I'm often watched very carefully.
I like to have a meeting appear to be a
chance one.
Speaker 11: How about dinner Friday. I'll see that you meet miss
Brayley socially.
Speaker 4: Then that would be fine, Lady Ashton.
Speaker 12: I'll be there, Yes, that you might have some opinions
and how the war is going to darting.
Speaker 4: I know how it's going to go, Miss Brayley. Walk
to the other side of the room for me.
Speaker 13: You know, I think Lady Ashton gives the most entertaining
evenings of any hosses in Washington.
Speaker 4: He's a very charming person. Ms Brayley. Yes, I don't
want to be seen talking to you too long, so.
Speaker 6: I'll come right to the point down days.
Speaker 4: He isn't hiding. You're a French repugy, Miss Brayley. You
prayer fled in Paris just before it fell. Your entire
family is still there. Well, how did you know that
more people are investigated nowadays than they think? I'm as Fraley?
Would you take some risks if you thought you really
could be of help against some mutual enemies.
Speaker 6: I do anything in the world, everything's a risk nowadays.
I need someone who travels in Walkington the best society.
I need someone who's never been connected with counterspying in
any way. I one who courage insights to education. Yes,
on a very hard and difficult case right now. I
need someone just like you.
Speaker 11: In Thank you today.
Speaker 13: I don't think I'm qualified for such an important, indicating
me to Hardy, I've never had any trained.
Speaker 4: You want me any, misady, If you'll do exactly as
I tell you, and you really think I can help
very definitely, then I'll do anything to us.
Speaker 11: It's the loot that I can do.
Speaker 6: You will be endangered. The ring I refer to as
just murdered one army officer.
Speaker 13: I'm not usingly frightening me to Hardy. I went to
a good deal before I escaped to the United States.
Speaker 4: Then it's agreed. Now I believe something very important is
going to break later tonight. Now, any calls I made
to you, they made me put a way that they
can't be traced out of my morning.
Speaker 6: At ten thirty, go to the phone with a drug
store on Middle Street. There's three telephone booths there. Go
into the middle booth, makes ever telephone call so you
can hold the boot so no one else will be
using his phone. Hang up the receiver at exactly eleven thirty.
Now I have that phone number.
Speaker 4: I'll do the same thing in the element town, so
that my call to you will be from one telephone
booth to another, so the call can't be traced.
Speaker 13: A Hearty rights to the second and be.
Speaker 6: Sure and don't call me by name over the phone.
Speaker 13: Hello, Oh, I'm in a telephone booth by appointment for
a call at exactly eleven city.
Speaker 4: I listened carefully. Sir Harold Palmer arrived Lake last night
and walking in from Ontario, Canada. We've been wucking him
up there for over three months. He's not really of
the nobility. We believe he's credentials are fault, but we've
not been able to make sure.
Speaker 7: Ye.
Speaker 4: Well, this is the first time that Sir Harold is
left Canada, and it's so close to that event which
happened on a train four nights ago. We believe there
may be some connection. I have rank the Lady Action
to give a ball and it's coming in the evening.
Somehow it will be a range, so Sir Harold will
be there. I want you to meet Sir Harold's Palmer
at that ball. Lady Action will introduce you to him.
Fatter get annoy him.
Speaker 13: I'll do my best.
Speaker 6: You have a small automatic one you can carry in
your purse. Yes, keep it with you at all times.
That's all for enough.
Speaker 11: The hell were so delighted to claim even very.
Speaker 6: Kind of you invitin lardy action. I'd just come down
from Canada. I'm really got a saying what's the herald?
Speaker 10: I want you to be there, Estimie, it's really Oh
how do you do with I've been admiring its lairly
all evening, hoping I might have the opportunity of meeting.
Speaker 6: Then men gave up sing things like that to me
years ago. They didn't Lady action, when you when you
dance the sum with me.
Speaker 11: I'd love you to have I ad now you are branding.
Speaker 9: Pah reporting gentleman in questions and lady spent evening at
the theater, later attended Breton Club, and he has just now.
Speaker 6: Taking her own plays. Operator seven has made on his
floor hotel.
Speaker 4: That is all.
Speaker 9: Eight reporting Gentleman in questions and lady went for a
drive out of Washington, stopped at Mayflower Club on Highway
three for dinner and dancing, and just returned to Washington
a gentleman.
Speaker 6: Out of theaters. They get took play opening Friday to
get two and sets in fourth row under aisle.
Speaker 4: That is all.
Speaker 9: Eight reporting. Operators six followed couple in questions. Morning he
went shopping and he accompanied her overheard conversations indicating they
are climbing to leave to see me in his hotel room.
Speaker 13: You know, sat rather than usual in this country for
a young woman to go up to the hotel room
with a man, and that's selling Joe, I con it's.
Speaker 6: Very interesting. Well, continuing, we had our in our.
Speaker 4: Home for many years what I could call a final
collection of pactful obbists, really outside of a museum.
Speaker 6: He was very seldom a daughter of a meeting.
Speaker 4: And he pained deep beautiful landscaping of all time.
Speaker 5: So yeah, I see my boy.
Speaker 4: Knew was a long dissertational halfman.
Speaker 13: Is just the question, Julior, Oh, certainly not continue, tell
me more about I see the oil paintings in Dorchester.
Speaker 4: You shouldn't have come here. Come here.
Speaker 13: I'm trying it to hiding, but I didn't know what
to do.
Speaker 4: I know, but it's two o'clock in the morning, or
some of my hotel rooms support those who might be
watching me. Why the fact that you're working with.
Speaker 13: Me, It's something terribly important to happen to me to Harding. Well,
So Harold kept talking and talking about art so late
that I asked him to order some food, and when
he ran into the journing room to telephone room service.
I had a chance to look in several drawers and
I found these papers.
Speaker 4: Help me see them.
Speaker 13: I had this little gun with me and my guys,
but no woman would ever have to show it to Harold. Yes,
you look at these, Yes, their reports, and they say
very clearly they can send confidential information between the United
States and Canada.
Speaker 4: Yes, and this one even goes so far as to
mention certain fortifications.
Speaker 13: But then it's it's the information you want.
Speaker 4: Not the exact information. But it very definitely shows sir
Harold is working against the interests of the United States
and Canada. But you should not have come here norma.
In fact, you shouldn't have taken these papers.
Speaker 13: It's now you've got proofs against to help.
Speaker 4: Yes, but he'll miss these papers and you'll know you
could him and disappear.
Speaker 13: Then I haven't helped.
Speaker 4: Oh, yes, yes, you have helped.
Speaker 13: You see that someone who's fly come up to your room.
Speaker 4: Had I caused you more trouble as I miss my
guess as a report that Sir Harold has already left.
Speaker 14: Hello this morning, Sir Harold has checked out a hotel
disordered car from nearest garage shall I replace your first No?
Two dangerous at this point drop a trail Tel operator
thirty seven to.
Speaker 4: Pick it up.
Speaker 13: Yes, I never feel so badly in my life me
to Harding. I feel that I've done through the whole thing.
Speaker 4: I don't feel that way. No, man, get the company
so much more than I expected. I wasn't ready for it.
Speaker 13: You're not just saying no, I mean it. I'd rather
hear you say something like that and you anyone else.
Speaker 7: Now.
Speaker 4: Of course, the artillery plan which was stolen from Lieutenant
O'Brien have already been changed, a new set of plans
that is being sent to California Saturday night by plane.
We're waiting to see if they get Stoppo makes an
attempt to get those new plans Saturday night. But what
can I agree with me to Harding out of Moorrow
night rest very simply take the bus, the Maryland bus
at the end of the line, get off there and
wait for me. Things have taken a pretty serious turn.
Tomorrow night should tell us a lot.
Speaker 13: Will you hiding? Can you tell me now where we're going?
Speaker 6: A little farm house about ten miles further down the road.
Speaker 12: Well, are we going there?
Speaker 4: We have a short wave listening set there. There's nothing
here the farm house, but it's up to echel And
do you still think I can be a very definitely,
but I can't tell how until we're here. This short
wave broadcast tonight. See every Tuesday and Saturday night from
one fifteen to one thirty in the morning, there's a
short wave broadcast by a bootleg station to Germany. We've
been listening in on it for several weeks. But yees
operating like we're both with in tonight.
Speaker 13: Oh that EXAs a methodectical equipment. Need to home.
Speaker 4: Now you sit down here beside met on.
Speaker 14: Ah taking here for him.
Speaker 4: I'm calling another short wave station of run. One of
my men's operating forty two BE forty two BE come
in on twenty four point five megacycles. Come in. The
signal is weak and I can get it. Come in
proceed according to schedule. That will be three minutes and
twenty seconds. Then meet me an appointment. You get it
exactly three minutes ten seconds and we'll contact. That is all.
Speaker 13: Is that a short way station in another farm?
Speaker 4: No, it was a portable sending and receiving set in
a car. That's why I didn't have too much power.
Now you don't understand Germany? You know, no, I don't.
Then I'll interpret for you broadcast. We should be picking
up right now now, taking herephones, making contact.
Speaker 6: In a minute and just you questions.
Speaker 13: You're here and it's operating illegally and let's contact with the.
Speaker 4: Yeah, but we've got it spotted.
Speaker 15: I've been a few and twenty thousands important spelling, don't
I'm buried from cruise to bistic guys.
Speaker 4: Saying you got some real notes tonight a belap here.
Speaker 15: And spansy thousands prim founded not blans the plainness to
professic goo, Dan Logan, the North American javest Ustens with
tidy Gum since I'm games stolen ball.
Speaker 4: Talking about the West Coast fortification table from.
Speaker 15: Titi repond the Bay leagues and documented did the room
visit telling blas the guitar or handler blab But the
question is how to get them out of the country.
Uber Days and Woman's in Sheffston Cibava Ray with dear
plainer Felt and son Avant and the best Christopher Fruch is.
Speaker 4: On now he's saying revised land of the West Coast,
take Saturday night flame Yna as.
Speaker 9: In Monday to seven.
Speaker 15: That quick, get out of here, you make them move
on the United States counts by I did you hand them?
Speaker 4: Who is my broadcasting microphone?
Speaker 15: This is Jordin Amateurs sending yeah, put the cups down
in frank We've already got the cups in a three pounds,
but two downstairs, one in the other rooms.
Speaker 6: Take him out, boys.
Speaker 13: Remember these four are the ones who murdered Lieutenant O'Brien.
Speaker 11: The short wave set won't be used any modern nights
or any other nights.
Speaker 4: Well you really heard something that time, the really puppy
Dionian they were right now they're being taken away, so
fans they don't know what's happening.
Speaker 13: Happened just like room.
Speaker 4: That was a message I sent out the first thing
I came into this room. We had everything steps come on,
I want to drive back and face them.
Speaker 6: Where are we going nowadays?
Speaker 4: We've got a place where we hide people like them
away for a while. I couldn't more over a private prison.
There are steel bars and escape proof dividers. That's what
you mean. After that, it's the firing squad. All these
people in these cells. Oma, our agents is the Gestapo
or the Japanese Black Dragons. That's win to this cell.
I'll wait.
Speaker 13: Oh, oh, it's horrible. It's pretnant just to look at it.
He didn't see him arise. They know they're going to
be shot.
Speaker 4: Oh God, tack and see if a sir held palmers
we brought in yet, if he has bringing to this cell, yeah,
sit down on this card, Norma. We may have quite
a little week.
Speaker 13: Dave, how did you catch the hell?
Speaker 4: We'll let him do the dogging when he gets here. Ohma,
let me tell you something, because something very startling about
to happen. Lieutenant John O'Brien was a confidential messenger for
the Army. On his last mission, he was murdered in
the train while the lights were out. The window was
broken and his body thrown out to help interest minute
messidim Oh gud Alona. We checked O'Brien, the movement, everything
he did. After he received those confidential instructions, O'Brien went
back to his hotel room and the only thing he
did besides packing, was to put in five telephone calls.
Three were calls to the Army department, one was a
call to his mother, and one was a call to
a girl. We traced that call. It shows the hotel records.
We immediately started investigating that girl, and it gradually showed
up that her background wasn't quite what she claimed it
to be. In other words, she'd found out that Lieutenant
O'Brien was a trusted government messenger. He'd become acquainted with
him and started seeing a good deal of him. And
when he own her on a certain night and said
he was going to San Francisco, she knew it must
be on important business, and as he was a confidential
government messenger, she knew he'd probably have the papers with him,
so she passed the word on, gave orders for the
two men to board the train, and after a little
while cut the electric light wires in that car. Murder
O'Brien throw his body off. At a certain pre arranged time.
Two other men in an automobile were waiting and carried
his body away because they were afraid he might have
important papers on his personal well.
Speaker 13: Were those men who were running the short rail station
the one.
Speaker 4: Who murdered his n of the brand, Yes, but they
received their instructions from the woman to do it. The
woman was the real murderer, did you turn to me. Yes,
I believe you know, Miss Brilly. Oh yes, I've.
Speaker 6: Had that privilege. That's right. So held are you, Miss Brayley.
What a counter spire to me, George Davis.
Speaker 13: But he's a Canadian. He's getting me to walk.
Speaker 4: He's the one.
Speaker 13: I saw the papers.
Speaker 6: Then the very good job of skeealing them you did too,
Miss Brayley.
Speaker 4: You were under arrest by the United States government. No
take it away from Davis. While you were stealing the papers, David,
he was putting blank Cottridge in the gun you had
in your handbag. Killing comes pretty easy to you, doesn't
it you. I wasn't absolutely positive that you were the woman,
Miss Brayley. So we heard that broadcast tonight and your
expies passed on word about the revised fortification papers being
sent to the coach Saturday night. Then I knew that
you were the one we wanted, because that was just
a made up story, and you and I were the
only two in the whole world. Hold put it into me.
You're very unobserving. You should have noticed that this is
a woman section, and half an hour before we arrived,
this very cell was reserved for you. This is the
place that you're going to stay. Come on, David, you.
Speaker 13: Friend, do you understand how.
Speaker 4: France refugee right from Berlin? You never saw France in
your life. We checked your family. They live on Connection
Strappa Hamlet.
Speaker 6: He's about the most icious I was taken infant toward
started hunting.
Speaker 4: I have a feeling she's responsible for a lot of
important information leaking out David. The one thing certain he
won't get.
Speaker 1: Up welcome back. The sound quality wasn't the best, and
the title, which can be confirmed from newspaper reports, is
a bit in apt for what the story is about.
Certainly there's a radio station involved, but that's not even
the central point of what's happening in the episode. But
those are my two complaints. I really found myself impressed
with this episode and what is interesting and what happens
I think all too rarely is you had a story
where the protagonist actions don't make sense. But I love
the twist that the lady Harding recruited or seemed to recruit,
was actually the head of the spir ring. It is
such a great reversal and it flips us so much
that happened in the episode on its head because he
did this at the very least strongly suspecting that she
was an enemy agent, so we can't actually trust much
of what he may have said about the operation of Counterspy,
things like calling her from the phone boath in case
that Gestapo had tapped the line of the head of
Counterspy may have just been for show. But I really
do love this twist of Hardy putting the likely enemy
agent by making her his operative. Just a really masterful
move by Harding. A listener comments and feedback now, and
we have some comments starting with Spotify, and we have
some comments regarding the case of the gasoline barge. Mechanic
sixty six says giving out weather conditions is now prohibited,
but there was a bad storm tonight. I'm fairly certain
a bad storm is a weather condition, and that's a
good point. And again, I do think that the implementing
the ban on forecasting weather about a fictional location at
a fictional time was a silly concedant. I guess that's
another part of it. Harrison said, Bud Bixby and Baxter
and Baxter Boy couldn't throw in a mister Smith or
mister Morris to make it easier on multitasking, modern listeners.
I digress, Well, this isn't mister Keanes racer of Lost
Persons or of wartime version. I guess mister Keanes racer
of Lost Spies. I actually thought of mister Kean recently
when I heard the news that Matt Damon, as I believe,
said that filmmakers are being pressured by Netflix to have
people repeating the names of characters over and over again
for folks who are passively listening to Netflix while they're
doing other things, so trends come around. Harrison also added
my favorite bit of comedy was I'm afraid this gas
is being obtained by counterfeit coupons to be used to
refuel enemy submarines, and Harrison quotes, you think it goes
that deep? Honestly, that is such a good catch. I
didn't miss it. All the lines were delivered in a
very straightforward way, but that one, that one had to
be the writer deciding, yeah, there's a war going on,
but I could work in a little joke over on YouTube.
Regarding the Loganberry point spot, Alan Riot's a favorite episode
of mine, Ryan Sir Riots Up get me the super
secret headquarters of counter Spy in Washington, d C. I'd
read your comment Ryins, and I couldn't help but think
for most of the episode, given how hard hard he
was describing his job in terms of being able to
do recruitment, it seems like either he should not be
a public face of the agency, or if he is
going to be the public face, somebody else had better
be doing all of the top secret work, because being
is well known as he apparently is is a bit
of a detriment. And finally, Mark writs, try the movie
The Russians are Coming. The Russians are Coming. Well, thanks
so much, as always appreciate the recommendations. Well, now it
is time to thank our Patreon supporter of the day.
Thank you to Peter, Patreon supporter since December, currently supporting
the point cast at the cadet level of two dollars
or more per month. Thanks so much for your support, Peter,
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
you download it from. We will be back next Saturday
with another episode of Counterspy, but join us on The
Great Adventurers on Tuesday for Tarzan and join us back
here tomorrow for our final listener support and appreciation special
on the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio podcast. In
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Great Detectives from Boise Idahol. This is your host, Adam
graham Son and all