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 our final listener support and appreciation
campaign special. This one is a yours truly Johnny Dollar omnibus.
But first I do want to encourage you. If you're
enjoying the podcast, please follow us using your favorite podcast software.
And if you're enjoying the podcast, on you to be
sure to lock the video, subscribe to the channel, and
mark the notification bell, all those great things that help
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Speaker 2: Well.
Speaker 1: This is the second and last serial that had a
commercial sponsor, but they were only involved in two of
the five episodes, so we will preserve one of those.
But beyond that just stick to the story. But now,
from November twenty eighth to December second, nineteen fifty five,
here is the Henderson Matter.
Speaker 3: From Hollywood. It's time now.
Speaker 2: For Johnny Dillar, Tim Conners, John Boy, congratulate me.
Speaker 3: Congratulations Tim Well. Four.
Speaker 4: I just had another boy seven bonds twelve oss Hey
like cigars?
Speaker 3: Sure well, come on down, pick one up.
Speaker 2: Oh maybe you better pack a suitcase. Two. I got
one for you in Culver, Montana.
Speaker 3: Where is that?
Speaker 4: I just told you in Montana somewhere. We have a
debt policy holder there named Henderson.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 4: Now, we don't know if he was murdered, committed suicide,
or had an accident.
Speaker 3: What does it look like?
Speaker 2: All three?
Speaker 3: Ok? Tim, be there in an.
Speaker 5: Hour tonight and every weekday night. Bob Bailey in the
transcribed Adventures of the Man with the Action Packed Expense Account,
America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator.
Speaker 6: Does truly Johnny Dollar expense account submitted by special Investigator
Johnny Dollar, the paramount insurance Adjuster's Hartford, Connecticut. The following
is an accounting of expenditures during my investigation of the
Henderson matter. Whatever it's going to be. Expense account item
one dollar in a quarter for a detailed map. I
had an idea that Culver, Montana was a place in
all only Ran mcdealley might know about.
Speaker 3: They did.
Speaker 6: I found it tucked up in the high northern corner
of the state near Great Falls.
Speaker 3: Hey, where's your bag home? I told you to pack
it now looks cigar. Tim. Tell me about the new
boy in the new case. Okay, have a chair here,
You are. I wouldn't smoke it if I were you terrible.
It cost me two bucks of bucks. Hey, you know
something I'm thinking of naming the new boy John. Oh
tough case. Huh yeah.
Speaker 7: Look look we're in the same sweet old sponge onny,
same old problem. One of our policy holders is dead,
and for looking into the circumstances of his death, the
insurance company is no longer a friend of the widow
an orphan, but a big bad monster trying to.
Speaker 3: Wheeze a lot of a just claim. All claims are
just claims? Or are they? Well, of course they are.
No one ever tried to pull a fast one on
an insurance company. Well, the world's full of nice on
a straight playing people. Now tell me about getting sandbagged
and I'm poking.
Speaker 7: Look, I want to get this out of the way
and get back over to the hospital and see my wife. Now, John,
This claim came into the insurance office yesterday afternoon air
mail special. The insurance company turned it over to me today.
Speaker 3: What company Western?
Speaker 7: The policy's worth twenty five thousand dollars face value, double
indemnity if death was by accident, no payment for suicide.
Speaker 3: You say the man's name was Henderson.
Speaker 7: Yeah, it says here George Walter Henderson, Montana rancher last
Thursday fell four stories out of a hotel window and
Culver and died instantly. At least that's what we have
in this report here. Somebody could have shoved him, or
he could have taken the leap.
Speaker 3: Now we have to know for certain. Oh what's on
the claim report accidental?
Speaker 7: There was no inquest, no police investigation, and that's not
good enough for us.
Speaker 3: This Henderson prominent and he was big enough, Johnny, cattleman, rancher.
Speaker 7: It was also a major stockholder and the only newspaper
in Culver. So I doubt if his paper suggests suicide
or anything else.
Speaker 2: Do you.
Speaker 3: I don't know, sim I never met the editor.
Speaker 7: Well meet him if you like, talk to him, talk
to anybody in Culver, find out what was what.
Speaker 3: This is a lousy cigaret, Johnny, you know how to
handle these things. We have to have more information than
this if you try to do anything on it at all.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: I've phoned the Sheriff's office long distance to talk to
a man named Holton, Eth Holton. He said he'd be
happy to cooperate.
Speaker 7: Noone else I've phoned the beneficiary to get some information.
Speaker 3: Names Pauline Henderson, his widow. Is she going to cooperate too?
I don't think so, pal huh. She hung up on me.
Speaker 8: We will continue with the Henderson matter in a moment.
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some of the most exciting toys of the year. Picture
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there's Rusco the ruller skating bear. He's two feet tall
and looks almost like real. Fourth, there's Whitey the fat
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That's five giant animals. But now hold your breath for
the most sensational toy of all, the star of the
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to make everybody's Christmas a merrier one.
Speaker 3: He's a big, roly poly, happy Sata.
Speaker 5: He stands erect on two legs, is actually over three
feet tall and thirty two inches around. Best of all,
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made of brightly colored, preformed, sturdy latex which the kids
can easily inflate. And the cost just one dollar, not
for each, just one dollar for all six of these
lovable giants who'll turn your home into a circus parade.
And here's a surprise. Mail your order today and you'll
also receive absolutely free Peter the Rabbit, actually over two
feet tall with big red ears almost nine inches long.
But you must send now rush one dollar plus ten
cents for packing and mailing for each set you want
to Giant Animals, Box ninety Grand Central Station, New York City.
If not delighted with every one of your seven giant animals,
return them to the Super Animals Company for a full refund,
but keep the Giant Talking sat as our gift order.
Speaker 3: Now supplies are limited.
Speaker 5: Rush one dollar and ten cents for packing and mailing
for each set and cash check or money order to
Giant Animals Box ninety, Grand Central Station, New York City.
That's one dollar plus ten cents with your name of
the dress. Mail to Giant Animals Box nine to Oho
Box ninety, Grand Central Station, New York City. Giant Animals
Box ninety, Grand Central Station, New York City.
Speaker 6: Expense account Item two one hundred and eighty five dollars
and sixty five cents. Air Fair Hertford, Connecticut. The Great Falls, Montana,
the nearest point I could make to Culver by air.
Speaker 3: Item three three bucks. I took the train to Culver.
Speaker 6: Sometimes when I'm having nightmares, I dream about the Smeller
stacks standing up against the cadaverous hills that lined the
south of town. Everything, including the three or four feet
of snow covered with a uniform dinginess, made Culver an
ugly little town set in an ugly notch between two
ugly mountains. The only hotel in town was the Butte.
It happened to be four stories high. It also happened
to be the place where George Henderson had met his death. Okay,
just a minute.
Speaker 3: Mister dollar. Yeah, I'm Eve Holton, sheriff here. Huh. You're
from the insurance people, aren't you. Yeah, that's right. I've
been expecting that you'd be in sooner.
Speaker 2: E La.
Speaker 3: Well, I'm glad to meet you, mister Holton. Call me
Eve's son.
Speaker 6: Everybody did, and hey, got drink on you, and no
I haven't. Well, I got one on me, nice and
chilly too. Well, i'll see if there's some glasses around
his here. He didn't waste any time looking me up. No,
I guess I didn't. Son started to save a little
time this way. Knew you'd be looking me up sooner
or later. I really thought we ought to have this
drink together. Private may not have any more together while
you're here. Well, health and happiness, boy, h same deal.
Speaker 2: Yah.
Speaker 6: Now this drink we're having this is in your room,
and I'm just a fellow welcoming you to Culver in
my office or on that street out there. I'm a
sheriff and I'm going to be real official. All right,
come on, I want you to notice I'm not asking
any questions of you, son, I'm just answering anything that
you might want to ask me. Right now, you're going
to have to plow ahead yourself on this one pretty
much alone. And let me tell you what kind of
plowing you got in.
Speaker 3: The store for you. Excuse me how?
Speaker 6: First off, this is a little burg like we ain't
used to. We got thirty five hundred four thousand people
living here, some of them working that mine you've seen
on your way into town. Others hire out to work
on the ranches around here. Some in business. H very
tight little place. We hardly ever fool around with anybody else. Sure,
now you're here because your insurance company don't like to
pay off on a policy without knowing why and wherefore it.
They don't like the word accident without knowing some of
the details.
Speaker 3: No, they don't.
Speaker 6: There's a lot of people here, most people who don't
care about those details. As a matter of fact, Son,
they'd all just as soon put old George Henderson down
on the ground and said it was an accident and
let it go with that. Well maybe it was sheriff.
I don't know, but I'm gonna find out.
Speaker 3: Yeah, Well, now let me go on.
Speaker 6: Those people who don't like the details, don't like detailed getters,
you understand, h Yeah, scare you any not yet?
Speaker 3: You too, alright, So maybe you'd kind of like to
get your coat on and come to your funeral with me.
Start to three and listens.
Speaker 6: Yeah, give you a chance to look around, get the
layer of the land.
Speaker 3: Okay, good idea.
Speaker 6: I wondered what kind of bullworkers insurance companies turned out.
Speaker 3: I like you Dollar, You're all right.
Speaker 6: You ain't bothering with any questions till you've got some
worthwhile asking.
Speaker 3: You're tired a little? Well, this won't take too long.
Speaker 6: A half hour later, I was standing beside Sheriff if
holding on a flat top hillside that served as a cemetery.
The snow was white and gleaming under the winter sun
of the mid afternoon skies, the air cold and crisp.
Speaker 7: Did he are heavenly Father, who knoweth all things? We
commit the body of our beloved today eternal care. I
will be done, trusting everand th mercy, we up the
consolation of.
Speaker 3: Thy children wing er start to ashes, dust to dust.
Speaker 7: It's sure and certain hope of resurrection into eternal life
in the name of her father and.
Speaker 3: The Holy Ghost. Amen. Yeah, oh that's that. Yeah, poor George.
Speaker 6: If which one is missus Henderson, that's Pauline Henderson.
Speaker 3: Yeah, that's her. Well, she can't be more than twenty.
Speaker 6: Five, twenty six to be exact daughter. I went to
her birthday party two months ago. How old was George
Henderson fifty nine? Went to his party too? Yeah, pretty thing.
Very Any other family Nope, No, other wife nope. Quart
to meet her, No, not right now. Shoot yourself kind
of thought. You might start thinking when you got to
look at her, and I just keep on the way
you're doing. You're doing fine. When there's something you gotta know,
you find out. Well, if I already know one thing,
yeah that I'm going to ask for a corner's inquests
just from seeing her, just from seeing her. Mm hm,
you're a sly one, Johnny.
Speaker 3: Johnny Dollar.
Speaker 2: How are you this morning?
Speaker 3: Oh? Pretty good, sheriff. How about yourself?
Speaker 2: Oh, I'm fine, dandy. You were over at the city
hall this morning.
Speaker 3: Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 6: I requested the coroner to conduct an inquest unto the
death of George Henderson.
Speaker 2: I know a corner lifted up to me. Huh, Yeah,
came into my office and asked me if I had
any reason to conduct an inquest into the day to
George Henderson. I totally might. I didn't have any reason,
but I do it if I was ordered to. What
happens now, Well, somebody will have to decide whether there's
going to be an in question or not. Oh, mayor
I guess I don't know. Anyhow, you stirred up some
action and you'll be getting it.
Speaker 3: Yeah, where Just stay.
Speaker 2: Where you are, son. My guess is it'll come right
to you.
Speaker 6: Expense accounts submitted by Special Investigator Johnny Dollar to Paramount
Insurance Adjusters, Hartford, Connecticut. The following is an accounting of
expenditures during my investigation of the Henderson matter. The death
of George Henderson of Culver, Montana, where I am today.
A casual certification announced that death is accidental, having been
received by a fall from a hotel window. No one
in Culver seemed to be too worried about any of
the details, but details are my job. That's why I
request at the coroner's office to conduct an inquest. I
took Sheriff Holton's suggestion and waited to see what my
request flushed up in the dingy colored mountains of Culver.
An hour later, my first bird winged up to my
hotel room. He was a tall, gray haired man and
a stetson ear muffs in the western version of a Chesterfield.
Speaker 3: His Honor Mayor Newton.
Speaker 9: Mister Dollar, I want to talk to you about this
request you made for an inquest into George Henderson's death. Yes, sir,
mister Mayor, you are aware, of course that George's death,
and he was one of my beloved and personal friends
for many many years, was a great blow to the
entire community.
Speaker 3: No, I didn't know that Mayor Newton.
Speaker 6: Only the smallest part of the community were at his
funeral yesterday afternoon, his widow, and I'd say not more
than half a dozen other people.
Speaker 9: And I understand that your insurance company is not quite
satisfied with the certifications at more or less. What would
they need to be satisfied, sir.
Speaker 6: An exact knowledge of how mister Henderson fell out that
hotel window.
Speaker 9: I would rather no inquest were held into mister Henderson's death.
Why why, Sir, George Henderson is dead and buried. It
should remain that way. If an inquest were to be held,
it would only prove that George fell out of a window.
I beg you to consider that, mister Dollar.
Speaker 6: You seem very certain that an investigation would prove that
death was accidental.
Speaker 3: There it was accidental, George fell out the window.
Speaker 6: Well, I can't just tell that to my insurance company,
can I.
Speaker 9: We are a small community with a rudimentary police force,
not equipped in any way for an exhaustive investigation, nor
for the financial burden of such an investigation. I strongly
urge you to reconsider this request for a corner's inquest.
Speaker 3: You do, I do.
Speaker 9: Indeed, his untimely death was an unfortunate occur outside the
pail of any of our poor abilities to foresee a terrible,
terrible accident. I'd like proof of that proof, an inquest,
mister mayor.
Speaker 3: In quest. All right, we.
Speaker 8: Will continue with the Henderson matter in a moment.
Speaker 5: Friends, how'd you like to thrill your favorite youngster with
some of the most exciting toys of the year. Picture
the breathless excitement of any child surrounded by six gaily
colored balloon like giant animals up to three feet long,
and all for the lolo price of just one dollar.
First you get bounce of the clown with round pot
belly and funny nose. Next comes Hoppy the Australian kangaroo. Third,
there's Rusco the ruller skating bear. He's two feet tall
and looks almost like real. Fourth there's Whitey, the fat
indoor snowman. And fifth Mortarmer the giant mouse, eighteen inches
long and sure to scare the whiskers off any cat.
That's five different giant animals. But now hold your breath
for the most sensational toy of all, the star of
the whole Christmas season, the jolly giant talking Santa Claus,
guaranteed to make everybody's Christmas a merrier one. He's a big,
roly poly happy Santa. He stands erect on two legs,
is actually over three feet tall and thirty two inches around.
Best of all, he actually talks. Just pull the tape
and he says Merry Christmas for all to hear. He's
the biggest merriest talking is Sata ever, sure to please
your youngsters and spread good cheer. Yes, Giant Santa proves
there really is a Santa Claus. That's a total of
six giant animals made of brightly colored, preformed, sturdy latex
which the kids can easily inflate. And the cost just
one dollar, not for each, just one dollar for all
six of these lovable giants who'll turn your home into
a circus parade.
Speaker 3: And here's a surprise.
Speaker 5: Mail your order today and you'll also receive absolutely free
Peter the Rabbit, actually over two feet tall with big
red ears almost nine inches long. But you must send
now Rush one dollar plus ten cents for packing and
mailing for each set you want to Giant Animals, Box
forty six, Grand Central Station, New York City. If not
delighted with every one of your seven Giant Animals, return
them to the Super Animals Company for a full refund,
but keep the Giant Talking set as our gift. Order
Now supplies are limited. Rush one dollar and ten cents
for packing and mailing for each set in cash, check
or money Order to Giant Animals Box forty six, Grand
Central Station, New York City. That's one dollar plus ten
cents with your name of the address. Mail to Giant
Animals Box four to six, Grand Central Station, New York City.
Giant Animals Box forty six, Grand Central Station, New York City.
Speaker 6: My interview with Mayor Newton had convinced me that I'd
get no real help from him in the Henderson matter.
Quite the contrary expense account item three twenty cents coffee
myself and Sheriff E.
Speaker 3: Holton. Well you got it, huh.
Speaker 6: At the direction of mister Jackson, that's our corner. He
deputized temporarily to conduct an inquest. It's going to take
place tomorrow morning, nine o'clock to the Hall tomorrow, Sheriff
Room two o seven. Well, if you won't have time
to do anything, I guess I won't not much anyhow,
Brother the mayor pitched me pretty hard for not having
the inquest.
Speaker 3: Knew he would any idea? Why Nope? You think somebody
asked him to stop it? Yeah, who don't know, Johnny honest.
Speaker 6: The next morning I struggled my way against a belligerent
north wind the city Hall and the inquest, if you
could call it that. I sat in the back of
the room and listened while a doctor Horace Nam assured.
Speaker 3: The six man jury that George Henderson was.
Speaker 6: Quite dead when he was called out of his office
and examined him on the street. Doctor Nam reckoned George
had died from a broken neck. An ancient bell hop,
a desk clerk, and a chamber maid gave their versions
of what had happened the day Henderson fell out the window.
I you sed, swear to tell the truth, to hold truth,
So help you God, I do share it. I'm the
acting coroner today, Miss Cupley, sit down. Now, when did
you see mister Henderson.
Speaker 10: Last last Thursday morning? Where was this miss Cubley at
the Butte Hotel?
Speaker 3: You know what time of the morning.
Speaker 10: It was about ten o'clock. I went in to make
his bed and straighten up his room.
Speaker 3: I see.
Speaker 10: I made his bed while he worked on some papers there.
Then I left.
Speaker 3: Did you see him after that?
Speaker 6: No, sir, you didn't see him come downstairs for breakfast
or anything.
Speaker 3: No, sir, do you know if anybody went up to
see him?
Speaker 10: I believe I saw missus Henderson in the lobby after that.
Speaker 3: Do you see missus Henderson in this room?
Speaker 10: Yes, sir, I believe that's Missus Henderson over there.
Speaker 3: No, that's missus Henderson. Now do you know if Missus
Henderson visited mister Henderson in his room?
Speaker 10: No, sir, I don't know that.
Speaker 6: Missus Cubley did you happen to notice if anyone else
went up to mister Henderson's room that morning? No, Sir,
on all morning, long Sheriff Houlton, acting in the coroner's position,
questioned person after person all had more or less the
same vague knowledge concerning George Henderson's death. I was most
interested in Pauline Henderson's testimony. Now, then, Missus Henderson, when
did you last see your husband?
Speaker 10: Thursday? I went to see him about noon, maybe a
little before.
Speaker 3: Where did you see him, miss Henderson?
Speaker 10: At the Butte Hotel? In his room there?
Speaker 6: The same room he occupied prior to his death, of course,
the same room from which he fell.
Speaker 11: Yes?
Speaker 3: Were you alone when you went to see him, Missus.
Speaker 10: Henderson, Yes, I must have left before twelve thirty I
had an appointment of the dentist.
Speaker 3: That was the last time you saw your husband alive.
Speaker 10: Yes, I was still in the dentist's chair when they
told me he'd fallen out the window.
Speaker 3: What did you and your husband talk about, Missus Henderson?
Speaker 10: Must I answer that.
Speaker 3: Well, we're trying to determine something here. I appreciate it.
Speaker 10: George and I discussed our divorce.
Speaker 3: Would you tell us about that.
Speaker 10: George and I decided to part about a month ago.
He moved out of the house and moved into the.
Speaker 3: Hotel outside of the divorce. Were you on good terms?
Speaker 11: Oh?
Speaker 10: Yes, we've always been on good terms.
Speaker 3: Missus Henderson.
Speaker 6: Do you think there's a chance that he might have
thrown himself out that window? Missus Henderson, do you think
he might have thrown himself out that window?
Speaker 10: No, at least not over us, if that's what you mean.
Speaker 3: As far as you knew, was your husband in good health?
Speaker 10: Yes he was.
Speaker 3: You happen to know when he was examined last, oh.
Speaker 10: A month or so ago, he was in perfect health.
Speaker 3: One more thing, did mister Henderson drink?
Speaker 10: Yes?
Speaker 3: Did he drink that morning with you?
Speaker 10: I think he had a couple of drinks? Yes, Yes,
he had a drink or too while we were talking.
He could have stumbled at that window.
Speaker 3: The closes were New York, the perfumed Paris.
Speaker 6: The jewelry Tiffany is the look you might expect it
on the riviera, where everybody tries to wag board with
too many good things in life. Her dress, blank for
the occasion of death, was cut too well and too
carefully for her to pass as a grieving widow. She
answered the questions without hesitation or emotion. Fifteen minutes later,
the jury brought in the expected verdict. Therefore, it is
the opinion of this jury that the sad deceased George
Walter Henderson came to his death as a result of
injuries incurred in the fall from the fourth floor of
the Butte Hotel at her about twelve forty five pm
on the nineteenth day of this month.
Speaker 3: No evidence to the contrary.
Speaker 6: It is deemed and declared that the manner of death
was accidental, adjourned, and that was that as far as
Culver's people, it's police, and it's mayor were concerned. Yeah,
the mayor.
Speaker 3: Well, mister Dollar, I hope you're satisfied.
Speaker 6: It was a pretty good inquest, Maya Newton, I trust
the official verdict of the jury will answer any questions
your insurance company might have had on their minds and
clear this whole matter up. All forward to them and
tell them the circumstances under which the inquest was conducted.
Speaker 3: Mister Mayor, satisfactory. I trust no, But it served a purpose.
Speaker 6: Now that everybody thinks it was an accident, everybody will
breathe easier, certainly.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 6: If everybody's relaxing like that, somebody is going to get careless.
See you, mister mayor, Johnny Dollar defe Holton John Hi Sheriff.
Speaker 2: You put in the call for me, did you.
Speaker 3: Yes?
Speaker 6: I'm ready to go to work. Now that the inquest
has been held in George Henderson's death is officially an accident,
I might be able to move around your little town
a little easier.
Speaker 2: What can they do for you?
Speaker 6: Help me to move around? Far as I'm concerned, Eve,
what's the matter with you? That inquest was a farce.
For all I know, Henderson could have been pushed out
of that hotel window. The attitude of different people in
this town makes that whole thing.
Speaker 2: Hold on now, Son, hold on. I meant to say
it's closed as far as my office is concerned, personally,
I think it needs investigating. We can help each other.
Speaker 3: Maybe you and me can I come over?
Speaker 2: Oh? I better come there. You know how folks are
around here.
Speaker 6: Expense account submitted my special investigator, Johnny Dollar, location, Culver, Montana,
to Paramount Insurance Adjusters, Hertford, Connecticut. The following is an
accounting of expenditures during my investigation of the Henderson matter.
The question accident, suicide or murder expense account item four
three dollars and forty eight cents. One day later to
Tim Connor's office in Hartford, explaining the situation in Culvert.
Speaker 12: I'll read it back to EMUs Dollar, mister Tim Conner's
Paramount Insurance Aggesters Hartford, Connecticut Coroner's inquest in the death
of George Henderson policy number EMP Dash one nine six
six sixty seven found death to be accidental. In my opinion,
the inquest was not thorough. Have decided to stay on
in Culver and conduct my own investigation. If any change,
please advise via Western Union Beautif Hotel, Colver, and forwarding
copy of coroner's verdict this date best regards Dollar correct okay, Oh,
mister Dollar, good luck?
Speaker 3: Yeah sure.
Speaker 6: Expense account item five sixty eight cents postage. I mailed
a copy of the corners ready to Hartford airmail special.
After that, I went back to my hotel to wait
for the sheriff, Eve Houlton.
Speaker 2: Come on in.
Speaker 13: Oh hello, hello, mister Dollar. My name's Porter. I'm the
manager of this hotel.
Speaker 3: Oh well, come, mister Porter.
Speaker 8: I can't right now. I've got some other things to
attend to.
Speaker 13: Well, anything I can do for you, mister Porter, I'm
going to have to ask you for your room.
Speaker 3: Mister Dollar. Oh when today any particular reason?
Speaker 8: We're all filled up. The room's been reserved for six
weeks by home.
Speaker 3: What who reserved it? Why?
Speaker 8: A man from Bozeman. It's a sort of convention.
Speaker 6: Sort of convention. What kind of convention is that, mister Porter.
Speaker 13: Look, mister Dollar, you'll have to leave this room today.
The man's coming in tonight.
Speaker 3: Aha.
Speaker 6: And there's no other hotel in town. That's the way
it is, mister Dollar, no other place to stay. No,
So I have to pack my bags and get out
of town.
Speaker 3: Is that it?
Speaker 8: I must have the room, mister Dollar?
Speaker 3: Who I asked you to say you wanted the room?
Mister Porter? Who asked you to come here and kick
me out? Why no one? Will you go back to
no one, mister Porter?
Speaker 6: And you tell no one that I'm staying right here
in this room here in Culver until I finished what
I have to do here.
Speaker 3: You tell that to no one, will you.
Speaker 8: Mister Dollar. I'd hate to call the police.
Speaker 6: Go ahead, mister Porter, be sure and tell them about
the sort of convention you're having and how all the
rooms are sold out.
Speaker 3: Tell him about mister No. One and tell him I
called your bluff.
Speaker 6: Anything else, mister Porter, I was at the stage where
I was beginning to take notes for myself. Note One,
the mayor didn't want to have an inquest into the
death of George Henderson.
Speaker 3: No.
Speaker 2: Two.
Speaker 6: When they did have an inquest, they didn't want to
really find out anything.
Speaker 14: No.
Speaker 6: Three, mister hotel manager wanted me to keep on not
finding out anything by getting me out of town. I
explained all of this to Eve Holton when he showed
up a half an hour later. I have kind of tied,
isn't it. I don't know what that means, Sheriff, it's
pretty stupid. Yeah, it's stupid, son, but it could be effective.
I'll tell you what. If Porter calls the police, I'm
the police, so don't worry about that. I'll hem him
and Hawey all right, thanks, now, then tell me how
much your insurance company's stuck for fifty thousand dollars if
Henderson's death goes by as an accident.
Speaker 3: The Good Book says that's what it was.
Speaker 6: I know, I know there's a chance too, we had
a heart failure and fell out of that window.
Speaker 3: No sure, always a chance. We might have to dig
him up and find out, Sheriff.
Speaker 6: Wo hold on Autopsyason. Digging people up is one thing
you'd have a hard time doing around here.
Speaker 3: I might insist on it. I don't know.
Speaker 6: We'll let that go for now. Say tell me about
missus Henderson. Where's she from?
Speaker 9: Here?
Speaker 3: Right here in Colder?
Speaker 6: Now, she didn't get that mink coat and those diamonds
she was wearing at the end quest in Culver. More important,
she didn't get that continental look here either. So what's
the story. Her name was Pauline Underwood before she married George,
Born and raised right here in Culver. Of course, she
went school in the East, and she's been in Europe
a couple of times, but most of her life's been
right here.
Speaker 3: She is a mighty pretty widow and mighty rich one too.
Henderson had it. That's divorce she talked about at the
inquest yesterday.
Speaker 6: Everybody in town knew they weren't getting along, never did
get along.
Speaker 3: How could he?
Speaker 6: Pauline's twenty six and George's fifty nine. He could have
been her father as a matter of fact, he almost.
Speaker 3: Was tell me about that. You got a drink? Oh yeah.
Speaker 6: But George raised Pauline from the time she was fourteen.
He paid for all her schooling growing up. She didn't
have any folks after an old man died. George was
pretty good to her.
Speaker 3: He sure was. Was he a friend of her parents.
Speaker 6: Tom Underwood worked out at the ranch for George. When
he died, there was Pauline standing there. Oh thanks, And
she eventually married him and his money. Eh, well, I
wouldn't put it that way exactly. I think she liked him.
I've gone over what you're thinking, son. Those two were
talking about divorce for some time. The papers had been
drawn up for a settlement. She's got a lot of
baalomoning so on. Oh, Pauline had no call to push
him out that when hav him pushed out, at least.
Speaker 3: Not for money, all right. Suppose he didn't want a divorce.
Speaker 6: Suppose he loved her, and she came to the hotel
room that morning and he pleaded with her to try
all over again.
Speaker 3: Suppose she said no.
Speaker 6: Suppose she said no in a great, big, cold way,
and George Henderson sat there and thought about it. After
she left, and he got sick all over, and he
walked over to that window and suicide. What do you
think you know him? He wasn't the suicide type. Oh,
nobody's the suicide type until they come to the end
of the line.
Speaker 3: Eve.
Speaker 6: Then it's too late to interview them and ask them
how they got there. Everybody seems to think it was
an accident, So I'm just throwing words around. You have
a right to do that if you aren't satisfied. Son, Hey,
getting back to this hotel again. Who might want me
to get out of town and not ask any questions anybody? Well,
no idea, but it's somebody who has some feelings in this. Hey,
who owns this hotel? Hef Noah Baxter.
Speaker 3: Who's Noah Baxter?
Speaker 6: Rancher got a place about fifteen miles from here, pretty
big man, Huh?
Speaker 3: Friend of Henderson's.
Speaker 6: Yeah, and let me put that question a little different
banks to a friend of missus Henderson's.
Speaker 3: I don't know. Can you find out? I can try.
Speaker 6: We'll find out about him and any other friends, if
friends that might be younger, that might have gone to
Europe or a school in the east.
Speaker 3: Yeah. Sure, what are you thinking now? Son.
Speaker 6: Well, Now, if I were a missus Henderson and my
husband fell out of a window and this hotel and
killed himself, I'd hire a lawyer, and I'd sue the
hotel for damages. If the insurance company didn't pay off
my claim, I'd hire a lawyer and insists that they
pay that claim. I'd do those things right away, Sheriff,
especially if I thought it was all legitimate.
Speaker 3: Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 6: Two hours later, I received a wire from Tim Conners.
He requested me to look up a man named Thurber,
an insurance proper living.
Speaker 3: In great Falls.
Speaker 6: Expense of count Adam six four dollars and ninety two
cents tank of gas. I borrowed Sheriff Holton's car and
drove the idyodd miles to great Falls.
Speaker 3: That afternoon. Mister Thurber bought lunch. My lord, I hope
there isn't anything to all this, mister Dollar. I just
hope there isn't.
Speaker 6: George Henderson, Ah, well, there isn't anything to anything yet,
mister Thurber.
Speaker 3: I'm still trying to find out the fact. Oh I
knew you were over in Culver. I tried to call
you there a couple of times. You were out.
Speaker 7: Both times Finally I put in a call to the
home office in Hartford. I talked to this man Connor's
with the Adjustment agency. Yeah, you see, mister Dollar's like this.
I've been over in Jackson Hope for five days now,
hunting duck. We were way in and I didn't hear
about Henderson's death until I got back yesterday.
Speaker 3: Ah.
Speaker 7: Now, oh, look, mister Dollar, I don't know what reflection
this will have on your attitude toward this case. But
two days before I left, mister Henderson telephoned me here
Great Falls. He said he wanted to change the beneficiary
on his policy.
Speaker 3: In other words, he was going to cut his wife off. Yes,
I suppose, so. I know they weren't getting along. They'd
been talk of divorce, Yes, I guess.
Speaker 14: So.
Speaker 2: Uh huh?
Speaker 3: Did he name a new beneficiary?
Speaker 7: Yes, a school teacher in Culver named Mantila Nickerbocker. Everybody
calls her Maddie. What was his connection with her, None
that I know of. I think it was just a
name from the throw in until he could decide on
another beneficiary. Why he didn't have Maddy Nickerbacker just a
school teacher. Everybody knows her. He was awful mad. When
he talked to me that day, I could tell it
in his voice. Now here's what might interest you just
a little more. The day I left in my hunting trip,
mister Henderson phoned me again. He said, to never mind missus.
Henderson was still his beneficiary.
Speaker 3: Did you change the policies yet? No? Are you sure
it was Henderson or telephoned?
Speaker 14: Well?
Speaker 2: Yes, I.
Speaker 3: Think it was him. Do you remember when you got
the call? Somewhere around noon? A little later? I guess
he died between twelve thirty and one. It must have
been just before he fell out the window. He phoned
your long distance from cover.
Speaker 6: Huh, yes, sir, Well, he was supposed to have been
in the hotel all morning, so he had the phone
from his room.
Speaker 3: You can check that, can't you. Huh huh.
Speaker 6: She'd be surprised how hard it is to check simple
things like that around the Butte Hotel. Did you know
Henderson very well, mister Thurber.
Speaker 3: He was a customer. I wrote a lot of insurance
for it. Now his wife, Oh yes, Well tell me
about them. But go ahead, mister Thurber.
Speaker 6: Now, look, accidents rarely have reason behind them. Suicides and
murders always.
Speaker 3: Do you don't think it was an accident. Well, let's
say I've heard enough and seen enough to make it
a draw. So far, go ahead. Tell me about them.
Speaker 7: And I wish I was married to missus Henderson. I
mean I wish she could see me. I think most
any man who's ever met her hope the same thing,
young men, old men, any kind. But she picked George.
George was as tough and leathery as these mountains are.
Is exactly her opposite. Pauline married him, He.
Speaker 3: Raised her, He was close to her all her adult life.
Speaker 7: Yes, mister Dalla, you know and I know she didn't
have to marry him. She could have married anybody here
in Culver, or anybody in London or Paris.
Speaker 3: You see what I mean?
Speaker 7: And not quiet well, I always had the idea that
after she married him, she kept letting him know she
could have had anybody else she wanted.
Speaker 3: Go ahead, Therver.
Speaker 7: I think she married him for his money. I think
she would have killed him for his money.
Speaker 3: Johnny Dollar, this is missus Henderson.
Speaker 2: You asked me to call mister Donnad.
Speaker 6: Yes, Missus Henderson, I'm with Paramount Insurance Adjusters. Oh, yes,
you probably know we asked for the inquest into your
husband's death. Yes, I know, trying to clear up the
entire matter as quickly as we can. Missus Henderson, I'd
like to talk to you. I hate to trouble you
at a time like this.
Speaker 2: It's all right, mister Donna. When do you want to talk?
Speaker 3: May I come out to the house this afternoon.
Speaker 10: There's a nice restaurant called Big Horn Lodge on the highway.
How about meeting you there at say four o'clock.
Speaker 3: Good, I'll be there.
Speaker 6: Expense account submitted by Special Investigator Johnny Dollar to Paramount
Insurance Adjusters, Hartford, Connecticut. The following is an accounting of
expenditures during my investigation of the Henderson matter. Expense account continued.
Item seven five bucks one pair of goloshes. Believe it
or not, it's snowed in Culver, Montana during the night
all night. By morning, fourteen inches of fine new snow
covered everything in sight. After my phone called a Missus Henderson,
I spent the morning trying to rent an automobile. There
was none to be had, so that afternoon I'd dropped
over to see Eife Holton, my sheriff friend.
Speaker 7: Son.
Speaker 6: You're going to catch your death unless you start wearing
this car. I'll remember that, EF, but maybe I won't
need one. Oh yeah, I think I'll be leaving Culver
pretty soon. I hope you don't mean that, son, I'm
afraid I do. I'll have to tie this case up
one way or another pretty quick. Why my company wants
me to get back home. I got a letter this morning.
Speaker 3: Oh well, how can I help you?
Speaker 6: Well, for one thing, he can lend me your car again.
I have a date with a lady out at the
Big Horn lot. Sure, pretty fancy. You can have the
old thing anytime you wanted, you know that, son. Who's
the lady.
Speaker 3: George Henderson's widow?
Speaker 2: Yeah?
Speaker 3: Oh nah?
Speaker 6: And I what you're gonna say? Why go after her?
Why bother her until I have something to go on? Well,
I got to do something, Ef. I'm no nearer now
to knowing whether Henderson was pushed out that hotel window,
fell or jumped. I think I have enough of an
idea of Henderson and his wife to pick up some
valuable information from her.
Speaker 3: Any objections, Nope, Johnny.
Speaker 6: A couple of days ago you asked me to look
up people who might have been a s Actually friendly
to missus Henderson.
Speaker 3: You still want to know about them? Yeah, sure, well
I'm working.
Speaker 6: On anyone so far, nobody i'd put in that category.
What time you have to be at the Big Horn
for it? Don't take you a while? When't hurt you
start right now? He's u She parked out back. Okay, thanks,
good luck, and don't let her rang angle you son.
She could do it if she wanted to. Goodbye. Ten
minutes later, I was on the road to Big Horn Lodge,
which also happened to be the same road i'd traveled
two days before to attend George Henderson's funeral. As I
drove past the graveyard, white and stark against the blue
winter sky, I noticed a car parked along the side
of the road, a little Chevy Coop about nineteen fifty two.
There was the figure of a woman, all alone, standing
by George Henderson's fresh grave. Her head was bowed. She
didn't notice me as I walked up. A gray haired
woman about forty five, slight, delicate, gentle. Oh, I'm sorry,
I didn't mean to start it.
Speaker 11: Oh that's all right, must be getting late, dear, it is?
Speaker 2: Uh?
Speaker 3: Do I know you?
Speaker 11: Why? I don't know I'm Maddie Knickerbocker.
Speaker 3: The name had startled me. The day before, an insurance
broker in Great Falls.
Speaker 6: Had mentioned her, told me that George Henderson had named
her his beneficiary, then changed his mind a few minutes
before he died.
Speaker 11: Your name's not Campbell, is it?
Speaker 3: No? Johnny Dollar?
Speaker 11: Johnny Dollar. You remind me of a boy I had
in one of my classes once, Tory Campbell.
Speaker 3: Oh you're a teacher, Miss Nickerbocker.
Speaker 11: Yes, yes, everybody knows me, I think, or at least
I flatter myself that way. Well, I should be going.
Speaker 3: Uh, mister Henderson too.
Speaker 11: Oh he was a wonderful man, George. He was very
dear to me. I'll find it difficult getting used to
the fact that he'll never be around anymore. George had
a wonderful laugh, didn't he.
Speaker 3: Yes, yes he did, missus Nickerboker.
Speaker 11: I never really thought that he ever grew up. Of course,
you knew him in a business way, and I'm sure
he was very very grown up in business. But it
doesn't hurt to think of him this way, now, does it.
Speaker 3: I don't think so, Miss Nickerboker.
Speaker 11: I didn't come to his funeral. I didn't think I
could bear it. I thought I'd just drive out this
afternoon and say goodbye by myself.
Speaker 3: Well, I apologize for interrupting.
Speaker 11: You, not at all.
Speaker 3: Please.
Speaker 11: Funny little things, the birds in the snow, such tiny,
wonderful little things, a little bit of God in each
of them, Mister Dollar. Wouldn't you say.
Speaker 3: Yes, ma'am?
Speaker 11: I don't know why. I think George would like to
know they're here near him.
Speaker 3: Miss Nickerbocker, I have to.
Speaker 11: Tell you no, you don't, mister Dollar. I know who
you really are. Everyone in town knows you. Seem like
a nice young man. Was it curiosity that made you
stop your car?
Speaker 3: Yeah, I suppose, so I apologize you need.
Speaker 11: I'm just an old friend of George's saying goodbye to him.
Good afternoon, mister.
Speaker 3: Dollar, goodbye.
Speaker 6: Talking to Maddie Nickerbocker, I felt that, for the first
time somebody, namely Maddie, had talked frankly and truth flee
about George Henderson. I was still thinking of the frail,
drab little woman with a nice blue eyes when I
met Pauline Henderson at the Big Horn Lodge. One of
these matters you want to clear up Yesterday oh, just
some doubts in my mind about your husband's death.
Speaker 2: What do you drink?
Speaker 10: I learned to like it in France.
Speaker 3: All right, one Parnal bourbon, little water on the side.
Speaker 10: Yes, sir, you sound like George when you order.
Speaker 2: Hey, I like your.
Speaker 6: Big horn lodge and I have to say when it's
elegant in the West, it's elegant.
Speaker 10: I'd like a light please, Oh sir, sure, thank you.
Speaker 6: Missus Henderson, do you mind if I don't stall any
longer with the drinks, the smokes and the compliments.
Speaker 10: I'm surprised you've stole this long. I've heard you are
a very blunt and impulsive man.
Speaker 6: I spoke to an insurance agent named Theerber yesterday in
great Falls.
Speaker 3: Your husband's agent.
Speaker 6: Mister Thurber told me that your husband wanted to name
a new beneficiary last week. Really yeah, he named kill
a Nickerbocker, Matty Knickerbocker.
Speaker 10: I'm not surprised. I suppose Matty's a lovely woman. I
know George was very fond of me.
Speaker 6: Mister Thurber also told me that mister Henderson changed his
mind about that the day he died. In fact, he
phoned mister Thurber in Great Falls and told him to
leave the policy as it was. He did that a
few minutes after you left his hotel room, a few
minutes before he died.
Speaker 3: Can you explain any of that, Missus Henderson?
Speaker 10: Why don't you ask Mary Nickerbocker.
Speaker 6: Because I don't think she'd know. I ran into her
this afternoon and I talked to her or not about this,
just about other things. I'll look her up again if
I have to, But it's you I want information from now.
Speaker 10: Then why don't you ask what you mean? Mister Donner?
Speaker 3: All right?
Speaker 6: Did something happen in that hotel room that made him
change his mind about you?
Speaker 10: That's better. I do wish that ridiculous little man would
bring our drinks.
Speaker 3: He will.
Speaker 10: Don't misunderstand what happened in the hotel room. George and
I were going to be divorced. He moved out of
the house a month ago. We went to his attorneys
and drew a pretentative property settlement. You dunlap Eder reared
in and blake Great Falls. They have a copy of
that settlement. George was quite generous to me, so I
didn't kill him for his money. If that's what you're.
Speaker 3: Thinking here, we are sure. I know Bourbons, Thank you.
Speaker 10: I didn't see George for three weeks or so after
we made the settlement. Then we happened to meet one
day in Culver, and well, we had a rather bitter argument.
Was one of those ridiculous things. We quarreled and parted
very angrily. The whole thing was childish. My first impulse
was to go right back to the lawyers and demand
every unreasonable thing I could on the divorce settlement. I
guess George's first impulse was to cancel me out as
it beneficiary.
Speaker 3: Did you go to a lawyer, missus Henderson.
Speaker 10: No, No, I cooled off. I cooled off considerably, mister Dollar.
After all, George had been everything to me most of
my life. I was truly sorry. We never got along
as man and wife. I'm glad that we made it
up before he died that morning. He apologized when I
came by the hotel. I apologized. After I left, he
fell out the window.
Speaker 3: Then I can assume that this business with the policies
had to do with the argus.
Speaker 10: I assume what you like, mister Dollar.
Speaker 6: I can understand why you're annoyed by me and my questions.
It's just that it's kind of hard for us to
believe that a man involved in divorcing his wife would
still name her as his beneficiary. I say that because
of past experience.
Speaker 3: Oh what's happened? But as un usual.
Speaker 10: I could have told you that we were reconciled that
day in the hotel, that we were going to drop
the whole divorce matter, that George was coming back to
the house to live.
Speaker 6: Yes, you could have told me that, Missus Henderson. Mister
Connors in our home office in Hartford called you a
few days ago.
Speaker 3: You hung up on him.
Speaker 10: Why, well, I was very upset. I have never been
a widow before.
Speaker 3: I believe you, Missus Henderson, sitting here like this, You're
a lovely person. I know it, and you know it.
Speaker 6: And this is a pretty nice place to conduct business.
Why didn't you ask me to your home?
Speaker 10: I preferred to talk to you here, That's.
Speaker 3: What I thought.
Speaker 6: I saved all the did your husband have any enemies?
And did he seem depressed? Questions for another time. But
before I went to bed that night, I read and
re read missus Henderson's testimony given her the carn His inquest.
The next morning, I interviewed all of the people at
the Butte Hotel who'd been on duty the day Henderson
fell out the window.
Speaker 3: After that, I dropped in to see Eve Holton. Here
here it is Johnny right here.
Speaker 6: Personal effects of the deceased included four suits of man's clothing,
fourteen shirts, five pairs of holes.
Speaker 3: Was there a bottle in that room, sheriff liquer, Yeah, no,
no bottle, nothing like it.
Speaker 6: Then all right, he didn't call down and have a
bell boy bring him a bottle or send him any drinks.
The chambermaids swears there was no liquor in his room
all the time time he lived at the hotel. You
say he was a light drinker, Now what light drinker
takes a nip before he has his breakfast?
Speaker 3: Who said he had a drink that morning? Missus Henderson?
What on the witness stand under oath?
Speaker 6: At the inquest, she testified that her husband had a
drink before she came up to the room and while
she was there. Now, mind you, she didn't say he
was drunk, but she did say he had been drinking.
Speaker 3: You read over that.
Speaker 6: Transcript, so so I think she threw that in, made
sure it got in because it's sometimes hard to believe
that a cold soilber man will walk out of a
hotel window and kill himself accidentally. A drunk or a
drinker might do it. You and I and everybody at
that inquest somehow got the impression that Henderson was slightly
tipsy that morning, and Missus Henderson saw to that. Now,
then if Henderson had a drink, I want to know
where he got it. Tell me if no bottle in
the room, no bottle brought up to the room, where
did he.
Speaker 3: Get that drink?
Speaker 6: That's a pretty good question, son, Johnny Dellar, I have
a call.
Speaker 15: For you from Hartford. Go ahead, please, Johnny. Right here,
Connor is at paramount of gestures, say what was his wire? Johnny,
you're serious about denying liability to missus Henderson.
Speaker 3: I sure am. I think he'll bring the whole thing
out in the open.
Speaker 2: This is pretty serious. If you got any concrete ven
his death wasn't accidental.
Speaker 6: YEA might have a copy of the corner's inquest, concrete
evidence that Missus Henderson lied under oath she said her
husband was drinking in the morning he died. Everybody here
believed he was a little crocked when he fell out
that hotel window. I've got proof that he didn't have
a drink that morning.
Speaker 2: What proof?
Speaker 3: No bottle in his room, no bottle brought there, nothing.
What do you say.
Speaker 2: Don't make a move, kiddo. I'll get the first.
Speaker 6: Plane expense accounts submitted by Special Investigator Johnny Dollar to
Paramount Insurance Adjustice, Hertford, Connecticut. The following is an accounting
of expendit yours. During my investigation of the Henderson matter,
Sheriff Holton agreed that there was enough of a doubt
about the circumstances prior to George Henderson's accidental death to
warrant an official re examination of all the facts. He
promised me the police would start an immediate investigation. That
was all I needed. I knew Missus Henderson would be
requestioned and that the pressure would start to build up.
Fourteen hours later, when Tim Connors arrived in Culver, I
had some pressure on my own.
Speaker 3: Well, Johnny, what Well?
Speaker 6: The best thing we can do now is move in
deny liability on the grounds that the accident is not proved.
Speaker 3: I suppose Missus Henderson Jeus's all right letter.
Speaker 6: Then the burden of proving that her husband's death was
accidental would be on her. Look, Tim, contrary to her
testimony under oath, Henderson didn't have a drink that morning.
Speaker 7: He died, all right, if you made a mistake. He
had a heart attack, got dizzy and tumbled out of
the window.
Speaker 3: He wasn't drunk. Oh, don't talk nonsense. Tim listened to me.
Speaker 6: Missus Henderson was ready for the Cornish jury a couple
of days ago, and she was ready for my questions
when I saw her yesterday. The only one she wasn't
ready for was you. A few days ago when you
phoned a long distance you said she hung up on you. Well,
she half apologized to me for that, but it was
because she couldn't think of anything to say.
Speaker 3: Well, maybe you're right.
Speaker 7: I suppose he did die accidentally, and suppose it is
a just insurance. I tell you, it isn't the fact
that she made a mistake testifying about him having a drink.
Speaker 3: And Johnny, do you have anything else?
Speaker 6: Three things instinct, experience, and statistics. Pauline Henderson's a young woman.
She married a wealthy older man. With him out of
the way, she has all his money and all her youth.
Speaker 3: All right, I'm going to phone the company as soon
as I can find a phone.
Speaker 6: Tell him I'm working for evidence, and the best way
to get it is to bring missus Henderson out in
the open. File a complaint against her. What charge suspected murder?
Oh no, Johnny, that get us in all kinds of truble.
Remember the drink, Tim Henderson didn't have the drink, and
I will.
Speaker 3: Have to have more than that.
Speaker 6: I'm sorry, Johnny, all right, I'll get you more. An
hour later, I was with Sheriff Holten comparing notes. He
reported that after questioning Missus Henderson, she admitted she might
have been mistaken about Henderson drinking the morning of his death.
She wasn't sure, But if Holton said what we both
were thinking. He went in front of the corners during
gave a misleading impressions, hum made us think that George
was drunk and stumbled out the window.
Speaker 3: We better find out who helped her pull this off.
Sheriff Holton had every man in his office working on
the case.
Speaker 2: By then.
Speaker 6: It was a long, tedious job of combing over everything
at Pauline Henderson's background to find a possible accomplice. About
five in the afternoon, I drove to the Henderson ranch
with Holton. Missus Henderson was out, but we interviewed one
of the servants.
Speaker 10: That's right, sir, once twice a week.
Speaker 3: You know where she drove to on these trips. I
have no idea.
Speaker 14: Missus Henderson get up early in the morning, be gone
all day.
Speaker 3: How do you know she went out of town?
Speaker 14: Well, generally take a small suitcase with her, change your clothes.
Speaker 3: You don't take those when you're visiting a friend in town.
Do you tell us what car she'd use on these trips.
Speaker 14: Cadillac always come back covered with mud and ice. Lays
have to be washed up.
Speaker 10: Mister Henderson used to complain about.
Speaker 3: That, about the car being dirty, about.
Speaker 14: The trips mostly, and Missus Henderson had some pretty good
arguments about him. He'd say, Missus Henderson shouldn't visit that man?
Speaker 3: What man? Just that man? I never knew who it was.
They argued about. You've known missus Henderson quite a long time.
Speaker 14: Yes, sir, know when she was a little girl when
she first came here. So I grow up, go away
to school, go away to Europe, come back a little
more grown up, a little different every.
Speaker 3: Time were you surprise when mister Henderson married her?
Speaker 14: Well, no, well, yes guess I.
Speaker 3: Was because she was so much young, Not that so much.
Speaker 14: I mean, well, mister Henderson he had something about the
plains and cattle mountains about him. When he moved it
was as big zal them things. And missus Henderson is different.
Speaker 3: She didn't fit in here. Is that what you're trying
to say? I think she fit not like him.
Speaker 16: Though before they were married they were sort of like
good friends. I mean they'd ride horses and go hunting
and laugh and talk about different things. Missus Henderson, she
traveled Europe, saw so many things and places in the world.
She fit here, but then she didn't belong here. I
feel awful about mister Henderson's being dead. There was anything
wrong with the way he died.
Speaker 14: I'd like to be fixed. Missus Henderson probably fire me
for talking like this, but I don't care. This house
isn't the same no more.
Speaker 3: By the time we got back into town, Sheriff Holton's
boys that discovered the names of three men who had
been seen at various places around Culver and the company
of Missus Henderson.
Speaker 6: Rod Tyler, Oh, who's see mining engineer. He's been away
from here for over a year now. Yeah, here's another one,
Sam Pollard. Sam died six months ago. Hey what Noah
Baxter Baxter, her name's vaguely familiar. Yeah, he owns a
hotel you're staying in a couple of ranches too. He
might have been the one who tried to have you
thrown out. He also owns the Mayor young Man about
thirty thirty five. Let's go see him. Another drive, this
time north of Covan, of the Baxter ranch. We found
Noah Baxter busy with his help shoring horns on kettle,
A lean, tall man with thin features. If you're trying
to find out if I haven't seen Pauline on the sly,
why she'd been married to George?
Speaker 3: Why didn't you come ride out?
Speaker 14: And now?
Speaker 3: All right? Have you?
Speaker 14: No?
Speaker 3: Not on the sligh.
Speaker 6: There's nothing between us. George knew anytime she came over
here to see me. He was a good friend of mine.
I'm sorry he's dead. Pauline's good friend of mine too.
I'm sorry who people are thinking what you.
Speaker 3: Are about us.
Speaker 6: Let's go up to the house getting cold, all right, Stan,
that's enough for today.
Speaker 3: No I got to ask you this. Where were you
last Thursday, the day George died? Sure? Yeah, I was
right here and you prove that. Sure.
Speaker 6: Ask anybody you boys.
Speaker 3: Want to drink?
Speaker 14: No?
Speaker 3: Thanks, well I do, mac mac. I didn't get it myself.
When was the last time you were in cover, mister Baxter?
Three four weeks ago? My cook and the others handled
what supplies we need?
Speaker 6: Do you mind if we talk to some of your
help around here? What do you want to talk to
him about about last Thursday? About what happened when missus
Henderson came here to visit. It wouldn't look good if
she came here to visit me, wouldn't. Well, that depends
on the circumstances. No, hum, she'd come and sit there
and read and look at some of those paintings.
Speaker 3: We'd talk when I had time. Anything wrong with that, No.
Speaker 6: Mister Baxter, I think I ought to tell you. I've
asked my company to file a complain against Missus Henderson
suspicion of murder. Oh, I'd like to tell you something.
She didn't kill him, and she didn't have him killed.
She loved him a lot more than George loved her.
I think both of you know her, her dad was
a drunken cow hand. When he died, George took her over,
for gave her everything, So you see, you're wrong. She
loved George forgiving her what he gave her, and mostly
for being the kind of a man he was. I
lied to you a couple of minutes ago. There was
something between us. It was bound to happen. Sooner or later.
She'd come here to cry on my shoulder and.
Speaker 3: I my letter cry about George.
Speaker 6: He wanted to divorce her, didn't you know that I
had The idea was the other way around.
Speaker 3: You're all wrong.
Speaker 6: George raised her, educated her, made her into a woman,
and then he married her, and she wasn't what he
wanted at all. Do you know who George wanted to marry?
Mattie Knickerbocker, the school mark.
Speaker 2: Go on?
Speaker 6: Oh, there was nothing between George and Mattie, but there
would have been if he lived.
Speaker 3: What about you and missus Henderson?
Speaker 6: Yeah, the thing that was between us was that I
wanted her. She didn't want me, but I wanted her.
I was glad when she told me about the divorce
coming up. I really think she would have listened to me,
But she wanted to be married to George. She really
loved him.
Speaker 3: Sure you don't want one of these? No, Nope, And
I really loved her.
Speaker 6: I went to see George last Thursday at this hotel.
You know why they tell him to go back to Pauline. Yeah,
because I knew what he meant to her. You can
talk to my people around here. They'd lie for me
and say I was here last Thursday all day. They'd
tell you that Pauline never came to see me. They'd
lie right down the line for me. But mister dollar,
I can't let you get out that complaint and take
her in. One of my trucks was taking some beef
to the hotel last Thursday. I rode in with the
driver and went in the back way. I went right
up to George's room to talk to him. Pauline had
just left. I wanted to talk to him about the
same things I've been telling you. I didn't want to
hurt him. I loved him the same as everybody left him.
When I got to his room, he wouldn't let me
talk at all. He was mad that I interfered. He
tried to swing on me. I shoved him. Once he
went out the window.
Speaker 17: That's all I killed him.
Speaker 6: Expense account item eight fifty eight dollars and fifteen cents
hotel and food. While in Culver, Montana, Item nine same
as item two transportation by training. Playing back to Hartford
item ten eighty eight dollars miscellaneous expense account total eight
hundred and two dollars and fifty cents. Remarks we still
had to pay double indemnity Maddy, Nickabacker, Pauline Henderson, Noah Baxter.
They'll pay another way with the hurt that comes to
nice people. Yours truly, Johnny Dollar.
Speaker 5: Remember there'll be another exciting story beginning next Monday Night.
Speaker 6: Next week, A real mystery complete with plenty of action,
a beautiful blonde and a killer lurking in the shadows.
Join us, won't you? Yours truly? Johnny Dollar?
Speaker 3: Yours truly?
Speaker 5: Johnny Dollar is starring Bob Bailey, is transcribed in Hollywood,
written by John Dawson. It is produced in direct by
Jack Johnstone. Heard in this week's cast were Lillian baieff Irene, Tedrow,
d J. Thompson, Herbellus, Marvin Miller, Forres Lewis, Bob Bruce,
and Russ Thorson musical supervision by Amigo Marino. Be sure
to join us on Monday Night, same time and station,
or another exciting story of yours Truly, Johnny Dollar. This
is Roy Rowan.
Speaker 1: Speaking Welcome Back Well. I found this to be a
really well done and engaging case that tells a different
type of story that still manages to provide some great moments.
I loved If as a character. He had a good
interplay with Johnny. He didn't know quite exactly what was
going on. It's one of those situations with a person
who's in charge of law enforcement but is not really
a professional, but he had enough understanding and some common
sense to know that there was more that needed investigated.
And I also loved the interaction with Maddie. It was
just such a beautiful, understated, little character moment. With the
John Dawson byline, we're dealing with a e. Jack Newman
script that was reworked. This was actually based on a
nineteen fifty three Johnny Dollar episode, The Underwood Matter, but
fleshed out nicely to make it a very compelling story
with a great mix of rich characters, a solid mystery,
and a solution that makes it all fit together. Overall,
a really solid example of what Johnny Dollar was capable
of as a serial when it was firing on all cylinders. Well,
now it's time to think. Our Patreon supporter of the day,
I want to thank Roger, Patreon supporter since July twenty
twenty four, currently supporting the podcast at the Shawmus level
of four dollars more for a month. Thanks so much
for your support, Roger. 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'll be back
tomorrow with the Saint Where.
Speaker 18: Oh it's you again? Yes, me again?
Speaker 2: Say?
Speaker 18: And I talking me back for an nswer And I
told you what the answer would be. The guy I
like this town. I'm going to stick around a few
more days and finish up my business here, like I said,
saying it ain't your business. And the boss is up
the price to five grand for you to skip five grand, Saint,
just to leave down and forgets you've ever been here.
That's not my price. The guy don't know what do
you want to make an offer? I want the man
who killed John Daniels Daniels Stracury Department. God, Yes, well,
you got to do with him.
Speaker 6: It is a friend of mine.
Speaker 18: I want the boy, or cut him down. The guy
that is one boy you ain't gonna get saint. Oh, oh,
the big shot did it himself. Big shot did it himself.
And then I'll settle for him. He's settling your grave. First,
you're gonna have to make an awful lot of first
down step across that goal line, miss fit template. Oh,
I've got some tick plays. I expect to use deception
against power. It sometimes works, My guy, I always said
you were a smart fans. I guess I heard wrong.
You think I'm solf tough enough. Well, just wait. You
see what you got to go through before you even
get within Hodcolling distance of the big shots.
Speaker 1: Hope you'll be with us then in the meantime. Send
your comments to Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot nat,
follow us on Twitter at Radio Detectors, and check us
out on Instagram, Instagram, dot com, slash Great Detectives from
boise Alohol. This is your host, Adam graham Son and
all