Speaker 1: The Avenger. The road to crime ends in a trap
that justice sets, crime.
Speaker 2: Does not pay.
Speaker 3: The Avenger, sworn enemy of evil, is actually Jim Brandon,
a famous biochemist. Through his numerous scientific experiments, Brandon has
perfected several inventions to aid him his crusade against crime
as the Avenger. Most remarkable of these inventions is the
highly secret diffusion Capsule, which quotes him in a black
light of invisibility. Brandon's assistant, the beautiful Fern Tallier, is
the only one who shares his secrets and knows. But
he is the man the underworld fears as the Avenger,
and now.
Speaker 1: The Avenger and the Cradle of doom.
Speaker 4: Jin. There's a miss Edith Whally here to see you.
Speaker 1: Oh oh, you didn't make any appointments for me this morning,
did your friend?
Speaker 4: No? But this girl?
Speaker 1: Sorry, but we've got to finish these chemical tests today.
If it's important, ask you to come back to morrow
at eleven.
Speaker 4: Mister Brandon.
Speaker 5: Excuse me for intrudingctors, but you've got to see now
it's really very important. Miss Wally Riggan listened to me
for five minutes, mister Bannon, and then I'll go if.
Speaker 1: You want me to all right, miss Wyley, sit down
and tell me what's on your mind.
Speaker 4: Thank you. I've come about my fiancee, John Martin.
Speaker 5: He's been framed by his brother Tobias and is being
held in communicado at White Ridge.
Speaker 1: White Ridge, where's that?
Speaker 5: It's a small private sanitary of about three miles from
here on Loksburg Road.
Speaker 1: Oh, I see you better take this down in your
book friend. Now, miss Wayley, you're telling me mo fiance
has been committed to White Ridge by his brother.
Speaker 4: Yes, John's perfectly, say mister Brandon.
Speaker 5: But Tobias wants to collect his share of the Martin estate,
and this is the method he using to do it.
Speaker 1: That's a very serious charge. Anyone found guilty of such
a crime faces a penalty for kidnapping and extortion.
Speaker 5: I know, believe me, I wouldn't be making these accusations
if I weren't sure.
Speaker 1: Exactly what does Tobias Martin stand to gain by.
Speaker 5: This several million dollars worth of John's holdings. You see,
when John's father died about a year ago, he willed
an equal sheriff stock in the Martin steel mills to
each of his two sons.
Speaker 4: This stock cannot be sold. But if either of the
sons dies or is.
Speaker 5: Declared incompetent, the entire holdings pass into the hands of
the other brother.
Speaker 1: How long has John bennet Whiteridge?
Speaker 4: For almost two weeks?
Speaker 1: Why didn't you report it to the police immediately?
Speaker 5: Because I hope the whole thing would be settled quietly.
I thought I could get John out of white Ridge
and placed in my custody, And when that failed, I
tried to reach Tobias reason with him.
Speaker 1: You haven't seen Tobias him?
Speaker 2: No.
Speaker 5: I went to his homes several times, but his secretary
told me he was ill. Wouldn't even let me in
the house.
Speaker 1: Who's in charge of white Ridge Sanitarium?
Speaker 5: A man of the name of doctor Marcus Balko and
his wife.
Speaker 1: Have they many patients?
Speaker 5: Only a few, I think, and what I can gather
the doctor limits the service to the very rich. Mister Bennam,
Can you help me? Can you get John out of
white Ridge?
Speaker 1: Well, I'll certainly look into the that of Miss Wyley.
Where can I get in touch with you?
Speaker 5: I've taken little cottage just west of white Bridge to
be near John twelve fifteen Larksburg Road.
Speaker 4: The telephone is larksbur nine thousand.
Speaker 1: Thank you. I'll call you the moment I have anything
to report.
Speaker 4: I don't know how to thank you, mister.
Speaker 1: I'll never mind that, miss Wiley, And don't worry if
John Martin is saying, be released, and the law will
take care of everything else. That must be White Ridge
just ahead there, fernin that big house the hill surrounded
by poplars.
Speaker 4: Oh gosh, it's lovely. Certainly doesn't look like a sanitarium,
does it.
Speaker 1: From plum anyway? Oh, here's the driveway, Jim.
Speaker 4: I'm sitting in a close watch.
Speaker 5: The Medical Society keeps on private sanitariums. How could it
be possible for a sake person to be committed to
one of them?
Speaker 1: Well, an unscrupulous person might manage it somehow, but his
chances of getting away with it would be mighty slim.
Speaker 5: Of course, there is a possibility that John Martin isn't saying.
Speaker 4: Edith Walley could be prejudiced about that.
Speaker 1: Well, that's the reason I want to see and talk
with John before I get involved in this. Oh, here
we are, if you'd better wait here in the car
for all right?
Speaker 4: Is it please?
Speaker 1: My name's Brandon I've come to see John Martin.
Speaker 4: I'm sorry, visitors are not allowed except on Sunday.
Speaker 1: Well, this is urgent. I'm like to speak to doctor Poco.
Speaker 4: Please, doctor Specie. I'm missus Sparkle, as I said, you
may visit me tom noon.
Speaker 2: Sandy, who hut the door A mister.
Speaker 5: Brandon to see John Martin and Marcus Doctor Falcon.
Speaker 1: Yes, so this is a matter of extreme importance. Doctor,
I must see John Martin at once.
Speaker 2: Are you a relative?
Speaker 4: Well?
Speaker 1: As matter of fact? No, I'm a visitors.
Speaker 6: Out of the question. We observe rigid rules here, mister Brandon.
Speaker 7: Complete rest and quiet has been prescribed for mister Martin.
Speaker 1: I suppose to bias. Martin's permission is required in order
to see John.
Speaker 7: Is correct, except for the regular visiting hour on Sunday.
Speaker 1: I understand, gooday, good.
Speaker 2: Day, Marcus.
Speaker 4: What is all this interest in John Martin? That miss Filey.
Speaker 6: But now this man John Martin and his visitor is
to me, Joanna, I know what is best?
Speaker 5: Who is that you said when you brought him here?
But I'm not so sure it's too I wonder if
his brother went.
Speaker 7: Sorry, John Martin's in my care. Now let me give
with him in my own way. Go through the kitchen.
Speaker 2: Now our patients will be wanting their lunch.
Speaker 4: Not very hospitable, would they, Jim.
Speaker 1: That place is fortified with regulations.
Speaker 4: Fern, Well, what do we do now call underbias?
Speaker 1: Not yet, Let's drive down the road to miss Wyley's place.
I want to ask her a few more questions.
Speaker 4: Jim. Do you suppose that doctor Falcon could be a phony?
Speaker 1: Well, no, fear not in their usual sense. Anyway, He's
a licensed position. Took his degree in Vienna thirty years ago.
Speaker 4: Oh, you looked him up before we came out of here.
Speaker 1: Certainly he's been specializing in psychiatric cases and unusual nerve
disorders for the past ten years.
Speaker 5: There's always the chance, though, that he may have turned
on scrupulous. In John Martin's case, there's a lot of
money at stake.
Speaker 1: Now, Fern, don't jump the hurdles before we come to them.
Speaker 4: There's miss Wiley's cottage, Jim, twelve fifteen. That was the number. Oh,
there she is in the garden. Hi, Miss Wyley.
Speaker 2: Oh hello, I wasn't.
Speaker 4: Expecting to see you so soon. Won't you come in? Why?
Speaker 1: I know we haven't time, We've just come from white Bridge.
Speaker 4: Did you see John? How is he, mister.
Speaker 1: Brandam, I don't know. They won't even let me inside
the place.
Speaker 4: But you're connected with the police. You could have forced
them to let you see him.
Speaker 1: Yes, but I understood you wanted this matter handled quietly.
Speaker 4: Oh I do.
Speaker 1: Then I suppose I'll have to wait until Sunday to
see him.
Speaker 4: You know, there is one way you could talk with
John without their knowing it.
Speaker 1: Oh, what's that?
Speaker 5: Well, the patient's rooms are all on the second floor
in the back of the house.
Speaker 4: John's room is the one right next to the fire escape.
After dark, you could climb up there and talk with
him through the bars without anyone knowing it. That sounds
like a good idea.
Speaker 1: Jim, Yes, I think I'll do that very thing tonight.
Thanks miss Wyley.
Speaker 8: And that's the whole story, mister Brandon. When every other
method to get control of my money failed, Tobias frame
me into this place.
Speaker 1: You see, while I'm in.
Speaker 8: Here, he has complete control of the Martin Steel Mills,
and he's able to collect the dividends on all my holdings.
Speaker 1: You think Tobias and doctor Falco were in this thing together, then, well,
what else can.
Speaker 8: I think doctor Falco examined me and declared me mentally incompetent.
Speaker 1: You can judge for yourself whether that's true. Well, John
Meyers is all in your fever. But I'm not a doctor,
and a layman's judgment in a case of this kind
doesn't amount to anything. Only a physician's verdict, which stand
up in court. Will then go to doctor Stanley Myers.
He's been my doctor since childhood. Less than a month
ago he gave me a complete going over and told
me I was.
Speaker 8: In perfect condition. He has a complete case history on
me from the time I was six.
Speaker 1: That's exactly what we need. I'll go to see Myers
first thing in the morning. You you think I'll be
out of here by tomorrow, then no. It may take
a few days to straighten out the technicalities.
Speaker 2: You see.
Speaker 1: I want to make certain your exit from here is
strictly legal, otherwise we might run into trouble when we
bring charges against your brother.
Speaker 8: All right, I've tried to be patient, but work is past.
As you can, will you brandon This place is worse
than a prison. Sometimes sometimes I think this doctor Falco
is really trying to drive me mad, all right, darka farto.
Now that you know the police are interested in John
Martin's case, maybe you'll give us some straight answers.
Speaker 2: Oh, of course, Inspector.
Speaker 1: When mister Brandon came here, yes to be he did
not rhead.
Speaker 2: Jem let's get at the bottom of this.
Speaker 1: Not to Falco. When you examined John Martin two weeks ago,
just what did you find wrong with him?
Speaker 2: Well, to put it as simply as.
Speaker 7: I can, his symptoms indicate that he is suffering from
acute mena, and he has constant hallucinations.
Speaker 2: That that's border on deludo in sanito.
Speaker 1: In other words, you pronounced him dangerously insane and recommended
his commitment here at White Ridge for treatment. He is
I ensure that any reputable psychiatrics would agree with me
in regard to John Martin's symptoms. Then you won't mind
if we take a look at your records, doctor, my,
your records, mister Brent. Yes, also the commitment papers bearing
the signature of Tobias.
Speaker 7: Martin, who, of course, naturally everything was handling the proper Mamma,
you will not find any irregularities here at White Ridge.
Speaker 1: The papers, please.
Speaker 2: They're safe in the adjoining room. I get them.
Speaker 1: Well, Inspector, what do you think?
Speaker 8: It's pretty hard to say off hand, Jim. We know
doctor Myers is on the level, and he's willing to
swear there's nothing wrong with John Martin. But this doctor
Falco or something else. Again, he's a smooth operator, all right.
We won't have our troubles pinning anything on him, even
if he is mixed up in this.
Speaker 1: If Tobias Martin brought him to Falco out, we'll find
some way to prove it. Inspector.
Speaker 8: Hey, this is some layout he's got to accommodate three
or four patients.
Speaker 1: Well, thank you. Oh, here's the one we're after, Inspector.
Speaker 8: It's signed by Tobias Martin.
Speaker 1: I uh huh. How many times have you seen mean
Tobias Martin doctor Falco.
Speaker 7: Who only twice, first when he brought John here to
be examined, and then again when he committed him.
Speaker 1: Take charge of these papers, Inspector, Tobias Martin has a
little explaining to do.
Speaker 7: But I'll tell you, mister Martin is though he can't
see anyone know, who are you? I'm Charles Burton, confidential
secretary to Tobias Martin.
Speaker 2: Now, mister Burton where the police step aside?
Speaker 1: Would coming here?
Speaker 2: Oh? Why didn't you say some?
Speaker 8: Where is Martin the room at the top of the stairs.
I'll tell him, you'll come. We'll be right behind you.
Speaker 1: Come on, Jim. It looks like Tobias intends to give
us the run around. Inspectors sick in bed? Do you
think he could have a better dodge than that? Well,
have you announced this? Burton will see you.
Speaker 2: I'll say, well, I in here please, Ah, Tobias.
Speaker 8: Martin is what is all this? And I'm Inspector White.
This is Jim Bryant, and we'll hear about your.
Speaker 2: Brother from John. What's he up to now?
Speaker 1: At the moment, he's rather anxious to be released from
doctor Falco's sanitarium.
Speaker 2: Oh so that's where he is.
Speaker 1: Look, mister Martin, let's not waste time. You know where
your brother is and how he got there, and you
probably know what the penalty is for falsely committing a
person to an institution of that kind of mine. What
are you talking about?
Speaker 8: There's John Martin's commitment papers signed by you.
Speaker 3: Preposterous. I never signed this paper. You deny that your signature? Well, no,
I can't very well deny that it's my writing, all right,
To the best of my knowledge, I never laid eyes.
Speaker 1: On this document before.
Speaker 2: What about you, Burton?
Speaker 1: Do you deny all knowledge.
Speaker 2: Of this too? I certainly do. That signature must have
been forwarded.
Speaker 1: There's one way to prove whether you sign that paper
or not, Martin, how the signature was witnessed by doctor Falco.
It's just a matter of bringing you to face to face.
So mister Martin is too ill to leave his bed.
The doctor left him in my care, and I well,
I can't take that and we'll bring doctor Falco here.
We'll soon find out who's lying.
Speaker 3: In Now back to the Avenger and the Cradle of Doom, You.
Speaker 4: And your secret experience. You see where they've landerous under
the surveillance of the police.
Speaker 2: Keep quiet, Yanna.
Speaker 7: My experiments have nothing to do with it. The police
are manage checking on John Martin.
Speaker 5: That's what you But how do I know for years
you've kept your experiments as secret from me. That room
in the tower that resolves lost, I'm fuck that big
motor in the basement.
Speaker 4: Ply used to have those just.
Speaker 7: Part of my experiment, A wonderful the experiment that may
be the salvation of all the mental unfortunates in the world.
Speaker 4: I do not believe you, mass I think that you
have darted science all day. Either that or you yourself
a man.
Speaker 5: Hear me at Marcus, all these years have labored at
your site, so that I believe to be a great
and human cost my faith, and you was quite complete
that it was also blind, and you have failed.
Speaker 1: Me in it. No, no, I'm wanted you.
Speaker 4: I will not stand be said.
Speaker 1: You know the face.
Speaker 7: I do not know what joan, Stop and listen to
me for a moment.
Speaker 2: I have nothing to hide from you or anyone else.
It is only.
Speaker 7: That my experiment is in its impansey, and I wish
to keep it a secret until it's worth was proved.
Come to the tower with the iOS, say mind, with.
Speaker 1: The problems and the complexities of life.
Speaker 7: Therefore, to heal it, one must work barkward, smooth away
the burdens, lighten all the pressures that experience has inflicted it.
Let the mind revert to the tranquility and to the peace.
Speaker 2: If you invade be then it must be.
Speaker 7: Built up again from there stronger firmer more assured.
Speaker 4: That how can that be done? Mars but what did
is tower room have in that expense?
Speaker 7: Look about with Youanna, This would seem to be an
ordinary room.
Speaker 2: It is furnished so that it would look that way,
but it is not.
Speaker 7: This room is a large sized crave where my tired
patients were rocked into a state.
Speaker 2: Of fleet relaxation.
Speaker 7: Hey it kid, Yes, This entire room is suspended from
that ridge pole in the roof. A huge belt line
is hooked to that and run down through that chimney
to the motor in the basement. When the motorist turned on,
the patient can be rocked without his being conscious of it,
and that swing movement of everything about him produces the
same soothing effect as rocking and input in the credit.
Speaker 2: It is all clamped to the floor.
Speaker 1: Come I I will show you here this heavy view.
Speaker 4: And Marcus, first clamps have been broken.
Speaker 2: Yes, help me examine the other furniture, Joanna.
Speaker 4: Mars so close the door locked it?
Speaker 1: I cannot be. The patients are all locked in the rooms.
It's locked, all right.
Speaker 4: What if you're going to do?
Speaker 2: I don't know. I can understand this. Who would want
to lock us up in here?
Speaker 1: Can fight?
Speaker 4: Marcus? What if someone turns the motor on.
Speaker 5: He's heavy furnity would mangle us.
Speaker 1: The cradle.
Speaker 2: The cradle is rocking. Someone has turned them up wrong
full to be careful to.
Speaker 4: Jim. This place seems to be deserted. Who do you
suppose the Falcos are?
Speaker 1: I don't know him, but one of them must be
around somewhere, Doctor Falco, Doctor Falco, Come on, friend, I
don't like the looks of this. We better see if
John Martin's all right.
Speaker 5: Maybe Tobias got word to doctor Falco and ward them
to leave. That way, Tobias couldn't be identified as the
one who's signed the paper.
Speaker 1: Well, we've got Tobias where we want him anyway.
Speaker 4: You left the inspect of guarding his house, didn't you.
Speaker 1: Yes, he can't get away. Ah, this is John's room, John, John,
are you all right?
Speaker 4: Yes?
Speaker 2: Okay, what's the matter?
Speaker 1: This is Brandon John. Have you any idea where the
doctor kept his keys? No, Missus Falco have a said?
Speaker 2: I suppose so she delivered all our meals.
Speaker 1: Run down to the kitchen. T she probably kept them there.
If not, look in the library, right, John, the Falco
seemed to have pled what well, that's great. The tower,
The tower I'll have a look up there as soon
as I get you out of here.
Speaker 4: Here, Jim, I've found instead of keys in the kitchen, A.
Speaker 1: Good let's see a two one. This is the one
for John's room. All right, John, come on out. What
in the world's going on here, mister Brandon, We don't
know yet. John. I think the best thing for you
to do is they get out of here, go down
and eat it's place. Whatever you say, mister Brandon, I'll
wait to eat it's for you right now. Friend. Our
first top is the tower up these stairs.
Speaker 4: I can to stand how Dubias and doctor Falco ever
expected to get away with a thing like this.
Speaker 1: Jim. Everything is beginning to add up a little too neatly. Ah,
here's a door. Let's try this.
Speaker 4: The keys on the outside, but the door isn't locked. Jim's,
doctor Falaco and his.
Speaker 1: Wife don't come inside, Frin, I'll see what's happened here.
The whole places are shambles. No, not yet, I'd like
to investigate this place first. Well, the doctor and his
wife are dead, all right, better to death by this furniture.
Speaker 4: Jim looks that whole room leads to one side.
Speaker 1: Yes, and there are clamps on the floor where the
furniture belonged. Why this whole room is suspended from that
ridge pole.
Speaker 5: Come on, Fern, Jim, now that you've discovered that motoring
basement and you know how the Falcles were killed, why
do you want to examine the rest of the house.
Speaker 1: Find out if any of the patients could have left
their rooms.
Speaker 4: But they couldn't have.
Speaker 5: All their rooms have special locks. They can only be
locked and unlocked from the outside. It must have been suicide, Jim.
Speaker 1: Well, as soon as we finished here in John's room,
we'll report this.
Speaker 4: Does it seem to be anything unusual here?
Speaker 1: No, it's exactly like all the others, Jim.
Speaker 5: It's stand to reason that if the Falcles had been murdered,
the tower room would have been locked from the outside.
Speaker 4: That door wasn't They could have gotten out if they'd
wanted to.
Speaker 1: Yes, unless the murderer unlocked the door after they were dead. Jim.
Speaker 4: What was that you just picked up?
Speaker 2: Of course, a.
Speaker 1: Small piece of cellular's tape. It was sticking to the
floor here by the door.
Speaker 4: Oh, I thought it might be a clue.
Speaker 1: It is.
Speaker 4: Frin.
Speaker 1: Drive into town and call the inspector tell them to
bring a squad of men out to twelve fifteen locksber Road.
What Gaudi the Evenger will deliver a murderer to them there.
Speaker 8: I told you not to worry Edith. Everything worked out
exactly as we planned it.
Speaker 1: Tobias's goose is cooked.
Speaker 4: Now let me get things straight, John, In order to
make the Falcon's death look like.
Speaker 5: Suicide, you went back after they were dead, unlocked the
tower door and left the key on the outside.
Speaker 1: That's right.
Speaker 4: That motor in the basement could be set to stop automatically,
couldn't it.
Speaker 8: Yes, when I turned it on, I set the automatic
stop for fifteen minutes. I know it would take Brandom
longer than that to drive to White Ridge from Tobias's place.
Speaker 5: The theory the police will go to work on is
that when the Falcons realized their complicity Tobias was known
to the police, they took the easiest way out right.
Speaker 8: That leads Tobias holding the bag with a signature to explain,
and a suicide that the police will explain for him,
and you and.
Speaker 5: I are complete control of the Martin millions. Wonderful John,
except for one sake.
Speaker 4: You mean Burton, Yes, he strung along with us all
the way so far, But when you're in control of
the money, what's to prevent him from trying to blackmail us?
Speaker 1: How Kenny, we've got too much on him.
Speaker 8: He not only impersonated Tobias and making all the arrangements
to doctor Falco, but he managed to get Tobias his
signature on the committal papers by.
Speaker 4: Placing it among a stack of form letters.
Speaker 1: Did you get a stiff sentence for that?
Speaker 4: And I suppose you're right, Jeh. Did you hear a
strange noise just now?
Speaker 1: Yes, seemed to come from that hall door. There's no
one there. There is someone here, John Martin, This is John.
Speaker 4: I can't see anyone.
Speaker 1: You can't see the avenger. Eat it the avenger. Yes,
I came to inform you of a forgotten clue, but
you have obliged me with a complete confession. A clue.
Speaker 2: What clue?
Speaker 1: A little strip of cell your nose tape? But I
think jury will find it quite big enough to hang you.
He does, quick, get the car.
Speaker 2: We've got to get out of here.
Speaker 1: It's much too late for a flight, John. The police
have an appointment with you here, and those sirens should
tell you that they.
Speaker 4: Have arrived to keep it.
Speaker 1: All right? Did you send those notes of doctor Falco's
through the Medical Society?
Speaker 5: Yes, Jim, Do you think his theory is may prove
valuable in the treatment of mental cases?
Speaker 1: I'm afraid not. For and about the greatest tribute we
can pay the old gentleman is to say that he
was sincere and idealistic, and that his treatments didn't do
his patience any harm.
Speaker 5: Jim, am I right in believing this case almost had
you crying uncomfortably.
Speaker 1: Well, now that John, Edith and Burton are safely in jail,
I think I can risk admitting them.
Speaker 4: It was that cellulose tape that tipped you off to
the whole thing, wasn't it.
Speaker 1: Yes, Up until then the case against Obias was practically
air tight and ingeniously clever. Edith's coming here pleading for help,
John obviously saying in the asylum, Tobias's signature on the papers,
his denial of writing it, and finally what looked like
the suicide of the doctor and his wife.
Speaker 4: Yes, but just what did that little piece of tape?
Speaker 1: It meant that John Martin had figured out a way
to keep the doctor from locking his door whenever it
suited his purpose to do so.
Speaker 4: But how John was locked inside his room on again?
Speaker 1: Of course, it was part of his plan to be
found locked inside then, But when he wanted the door
to remain unlocked, he stretched the cellulas tape across the
part of the door frame that the lock fitted into.
It wasn't noticeable, and it prevented them from catching. When
the doctor tried the door, John stood tight against it
and held it, and the doctor thought it was locked.
Speaker 4: Then all John had to do when he wanted the
lock to catch was removed the tape right burn. But
how did John know exactly when to kill doctor Falcon?
Speaker 1: Burton called Edith and told her I was on my
way to bring the doctor to identify Tobias. She went
to white Ridge and warned John from the fire escape, and.
Speaker 4: John pretended he was insane when Burton, impersonating Tobias, took
him to doctor Falco to be examined.
Speaker 1: Yes, even the best psychiatrists can sometimes be fooled by
a clever patient.
Speaker 5: Well that makes it all clear, oh Jim, before you go,
will you snaptack of fail and you'd then have formed
the habit of reading all your letters before you sign them.
Speaker 3: All characters, names, places, and plots used in the Avenger
program are fictitious. Any similarity of persons living or dead
is purely coincidental.
Speaker 1: This is a thought, a thought, a thought. Remember listen
for another adventure of
Speaker 3: The Avenger