Latest / Leonidas Witherall / Leonidas Witherall - The Corpse Meets a Deadline
Transcript
- Thanks for everything, Boss. Maybe I can repay the favor sometime. Maybe I can do something for you, like cutting your throat. W R presents the distinguished American actor Walter Hamden in the Adventures of Leonidas Witherall. Tonight's adventure The Corpse Meets the Deadline. Leonidis Witherall is the new England schoolmaster who looks like Shakespeare and is always getting mixed up in murders. At the moment, mister Witheroll has gone to the city desk of the Dalton Herald. It's a very urgent mission on behalf of his housekeeper, Missus Mullet, and Leonidas, along with Missus m is explaining it to the Herald's editor. Mister Forest, you see Priest, yes, Leid and Missus Mullett. Here is what's your title, Missus Munnett, I'm director of public relations for the Dawtons Ladies Aid and Get Together Society Early rensidyar your own group section two leaving on track seven and our group's holding a special meeting tomorrow. They're having a guest lecturer Forest. Oh really, who is it? We're having Missus Hildegarde Fish who rope South American question mark and walk and riddle. She's gonna speak on Russia? Russia? What does it mean? Completely battled, isn't she? And you want us to mention it in the Herald? Huh? Mention it? Well, if you could eliminate the news about General Eisenhower and General Patton and just turn say ten columns over the missus mulletts group Forest, aside from missus Fish, we're having an election and our spring tea Dan's going to be a big day. All right, Missus mullet we'll see that you get all the space you deserve. How's that, Missu mullett I told you we could persuade mister Forrest, persuade him why he should be good? I'm giving him a school I am, Missus Mullard. We don't often get a break like this. There you are, Forest, Mister Bennett Helos, you're a stupid, irresponsible, cheap yellow general. Now look Bennett, all idea of yours. Look at that picture on the front page too. I told you not to print that horrible picture of my daughter. There's no harm in that running this picture of that rotten gambling den with all those crooks there at the table, my daughter, I can't help it if your daughter visits gambling joints. Bennett, girls just eighteen years old. She went out on the ditch. She's no idea where they were going, just the same. She was there. She wanted to leave the minute they got to that that evil, iniquitous space. She didn't leave. The cops came in and our man got the picture. It's not our fault that she's in it for Forest, I told you yesterday, not the print it. Sorry, Bennett. It was the only shot we had, and a good one too. You're ruined my daughter's reputation. You have disgrist. Oh don't be touch your bluno was Bennett. Now, if you don't mind, I'm busy. I've got an adition to get out. I ought to thrash you, Forest. I want to treat you the way my grandfather handled a smart Alec newspaper man out west. He got a horse whip and he whipped that it at her within an inch of his life. If you don't watch your tongue, Bennett, I'll have you thrown out of his orbit. Oh you wouldn't, no, no, no, no, miouster Bennette. I don't want to interfere, but perhaps if you'd cool off, you'll keep your beard out of this with her all and you mind your tom mister Forest, you Phil get away, miss death Bennett. Yes, let make up my hands on yourself. I'm going to show you could, mister Bennett, take your hands off alright, all right, you're crazy fool, get out here. I warn you, all right for us time getting out now. But this isn't the end of it. On you see that justice is done for us. I'll see that you're taken care of, no matter how far I have to go. As looks as mister Bennett's going to be a very serious problem for us. Him. No, I'm used to that. He seems to be extremely excitable. You've got it more wrong. Sure he'll raven ran for a while, write letters, and then you calm down. I hope. So it doesn't seem as trivial as that, though I know Bennett. He's very headstrong, old gentleman. And you're printing that picture has defiled his little cheiles good name. Oh forget it, leon it is. Oh come on, I I don't often have you down here. Suppose I show you and missus mullet a round the places he like touring the plan. Oh, I love to lead on, Medu. I'd like to see the room where the newschickers are. Mister Mullet know a lot about news, you know. He had a definition of news. Wasn't by any chance about a dog? Well that's right. He said that when a dog bites a man, that's not news. But when a band bites the dolls? Yes, anyone ever take a good bite out of mister Mullett. Well how did you know? Uh? These are line of type machines, Leona, This quite a formidable arraysm for It. Could we go over to one of them and get a closer lot? Oh? Sure, come on, Pat Welsh over there will explain his machine to you. Pat, Yes, mister Forrest, let up a second, Pat, We have visitors. This is mister Witherall and missus Mullet. How do you do? Pat here was once a publisher himself. No really, yes, but I don't talk about Pet had an unpleasant experience. I've lost his paper. It was very sadly on it is terribly said. The machines work like a big typewriter. You see, you push the keys and they cut letters on what we call lead slug. Yes, Pet, had big ideas once, but he had to learn the lead isn't wasted after we print the paper, it's melted down again. Of course, lots of us have to learn. We all make mistakes. It's evident for us that Pat would rather not talk about his old career. Now, where do you melt down the lead? Or we have it in those big caldrons. You see them on the platform up there, they're right over your head. Yeah, you see the steam coming off, Well, that's piping hot lead in that caldron, boiling like a noodle soup, noodle soup. Well, this lugs are melted right in there, you see, And and we cool it and feed it down to the machines. Where are the presses. That's another thing I want to see. We'll go there. Now we're running an addition, so you'll see the whole works run in an und edition. Or shouldn't you do something first about my story the Ladies Literary Group. Oh yes, Forrest, missus Mullett would like you to stop the presses for it. Oh, we'll get it in the next edition, Missus Mullett. I put our top reporter on the job, Jackie Bigelow, in the minute I get back upstairs. Jackie's our best man. You know it's them for me, mister pars Yes, Jackie, I just left Leond his wither all. He had some woman with him and missus Mullett Mollo. Yeah, I know, a sort of a neighborhood housekeeper up around the Birch Hill section. Yes, once he's having a tappy over Ladies Club. Get one of the kids out front of call it Witherows. Get the whole story. Rite a couple of sticks for the free start all right, that's all, Jackie even goes, that's all as far as you're concerned, Farrest. Yes, but I want to do a little talk and this is just as good a time as any. Oh, honey, up, I've got a justic goal of copy in u. Huh. You know what it's about. It's about a phone conversation you had with Cosmopolitan Syndicate. Oh that wasn't anything. Oh, that wasn't anything. Huh. I worked for six months to get Cosmopolitan to make me that offer. You wouldn't have enjoyed being a foreign correspondent, Jackie, especially in chun Kings, tough grind bankers. I wouldn't huh. That just happens to be why I got into this newspaper racket. All my life, I've wanted to be a foreign correspondent. You knew that. They asked me for the frank opinion, Jackie. I told him I thought you were a pretty fair report. Don't lie to me for us. You told him I was a punk reporter. I found out you did that for one reason, because you're naturally a louse. What an imagination you've got, Jenkie. You didn't want to lose a good man yourself these days. That's tough, isn't it When you got it. I couldn't get into this man's wall the regular way. The army turned me down. You knew that too. You know I've been eating my heart out covering this small town junk or just a little way down the railroad tracks. The whole Boddy world's on fire. You killed my chance forrest. I'll never get out of this town now. It might be a year, two years, maybe forever. That was my one big chance, and you fixed it so I'd missed the boat. They are jacking. I'm going to you hurt me. They are city das far as uh huh yeah, yeah, okay, right, get into that jealopy of yours and beat it over to the preaking shipyards. Yeah, three lines are gone out. Okay, I'm on my way, and thanks forrest, Thanks for everything. Maybe I can do something for you sometimes I cut in your throat. What can I do for you, mister Bennette. I've come here to your place, mister Witherorll, to apologize for my behavior this morning at the Herald office. It was a deplorable mister Bennette. But of course sure you felt printing that picture of your daughter was very embarrassing. That's just the point. I wanted to apologize to you, But I certainly don't intend to retract anything I said to Forest. In fact, I want your help. Really, mister Bennette, isn't this much ado about nothing? As the poet said, you have too much respect upon the world. They lose it that do buy it with much care, mister Weatherall. I realized that legally I haven't a leg to stand on, so I decided the best thing to do is to blacklist that newspaper. Mister Bennett. I hardly think you are personal grudge against mister Forest justifies organizing a huge boycott. No, but it does that man has to learn the tactics like his won't be tolerated in Dalton. Here's your coffee, mister, and yours, mister Danni. Thank you now, mister witherall about blacklisting the hero. If a group of prominent citizens of Dalton, led by you and me, squire and see you through the window, you'll have to excuse missus mullet. There, she's an enthusiastic. That's forty number three. Well that's Jimmy racious to roll out. I'll bet it's three alarms in men. There's your number, Tomama person? Wha else? Sorry for are you? Jackie? What a nice little blaze again? Yeah it's honey, Jackie. Well we'll have it lick soon. Anybody got any the idea about how it started? That's what has us wondering, Jackie. It looks funny. You mean it wasn't an accident. Well, now, I don't want to be quoted as saying I'm positive, but I wouldn't be surprised if the shipyard's burning because of saboteurs, No kiddings, saboteurs. I said, I'm not positive, Jackie, but we suspect the Thanks Chief. I gotta go call a desk, brother sabotage and a little old dawphon me for that telephone? What is this today? Pat? Everybody's after me for something. Now, what do you want? Forest? And this morning when you brought with her all down to the lanotype department, you sort of went out of your way to take a couple of putch shots at me about the way you once owned the paper. Pet. Well, that struck me. The funny story, little sidelight on one of my employees. You like that idea, don't you that I'm just one of your employees now, Pat, in San Francisco, ten years ago, when you started paper that you said would put mine out of business, I warned you. I said not to try it because you wanted to be the boss of the whole show. Huh. You weren't making enough money. You had to squeeze the life out of any paper that tried to get started in the same town. I was just meeting competition, Pan. Yeah, by having my delivery boys beaten up in dark alleys, by side slaving my trucks, so the two of my drivers for the year in the hospital, by knocking over any stand that carried my papers, and by breaking that poor Italian peddler's neck. That was just an accident show, that's what the police called it. But I've got another version. I know you've got blood on your hands, Forest, and you wrecked me. I lost every penny I had trying to buck you. I told you then, don't try it. Remember. All I remember is that you're a crooked chiseloer who ruined my business. You're a gangster and a killer. And yes, Jackie Biglow, I'm at the freaking shipyard. Yeah, I would have you got that'll hold a three stop or a replace. This ain't no ordinary fire. Looks like sabotage. Sabotage. What's he saying? Sabotage is the shipyard? You stay there, Jackie, get busy, dig up everything. You don't lose touch with me. I give me the details of what you know city does for us. Boss. This is a press room number three and four persons just broke down. Broke down. Now. I want to meet with a replate on that sabotage story of all that count damn. But why can't you guys fix it? Nobody down here, Boss, are all off for lunch. Besides, there's something very screwel usually I can fix it myself, but I can't figure out what's wrong this time that would happen? Now? Ye, gods, what kind of a day is this? Everything's going wrong? Better hurry boss, Sorry, but I'm afraid you'll have to take a look at it yourself. Okay, I'm on your way down. This business will drive me nuts nuts? What's wrong with these presses? Where is everybody? What do I pay people for the president of the Bullock stuff? And there's nobody here of all that? Hey, what are you doing up there on that platform? Get away with tolerance? There's not laid in there? Are you crazy? Don't push it over? Don't don't do I s missus him? Why, yes, mister Bennett. Another Visitsnan. You are quite determined about the Herald, And here mister Weatherall. Something's happened, something horrifying. What is it? It's Forest as the editor printed another inflammatory picture. No, No, it isn't that. Forrest is dead. Really, he's been murdered. It's all over town, it is. And I didn't know what you must be slipping. Since he's dead, well you know the consequences. Sure, they'll have to turn in his ration book to the OPA. How did he die, Miss Bennan, but in a pretty gruesome way. He was evidently trapped. He was alone in the pressure room when the killer dumped one of those huge kettles of boiling lead over him. Say that's a new one. And the body was found in the press room. No, the murderer took the body and dumped it down a chute the shoot where the papers come off the press and roll out onto the delivery trucks. And just a little while ago the body came rolling down the shoot along with the newspapers. Mister Bennett, why have you come here to tell me about this? Well, I know you've been mixed up in murders, mister witherrall that you've been rather successful at solving them. Yes, and I heard you threatening Forest. You weren't, by any chance near the Herald building at the time of the murder. Heaven helped me. I was in the building. But you know nothing about the murder, of course, absolutely. I've never been in the Herald press room in my life. I don't know a thing about kettles of hot lead or delivery shoots. You'd have a little difficulty, mister Bennett, proving that. I realized that. That's why I'm here. Mister Witheroff, would you represent me? Well, frankly, miss Bennett, I don't represent anyone if you think my looking into the story might clarify it or speed the solution, that's all I ask. I want you to come to the Herald office now and get at the truth. We're gonna look into the murder. Huh. I'll get to the bottom of this. Where's my hat, where's my cole? Yes, and don't forget your blood home so you see, Sergeant Maccabo. Mister Bennett claims he knows nothing about mister Forest's death. Mister Bennett, yes, sergeant, you admit that you were here in the Herald building at three point thirty eight when Forrest's body came down that chute. That's right, sergeant, But I had nothing to do with it. What were you doing here, mister Bennett. Well, I was on the street floor. I decided to come back and demand that Forrest's print an explanation, an apology for printing my daughter's picture. But you never got up here to the city desk, mister Bennan. No, mister Witherle, I changed my mind and I left you see Shakespeare you can't expect me to believe stories like that. Ken, Wait till you hear the fairy tale that lima Typer's got boy. It's a dilly, don't mind, Sergeant Bennett. They think you'd think you moron, and the police force was too high, so they took him in. Ah, missus mulletson again. She's the only overaged destroyer that never got to Britain. Watch that tut tut tut now? Isn't that the linotype of coming now? Sajan mccobble. That's the guy Shakespeare names Pat Welch over here, Pat, sergeant, I told you my story once. I want mister wither All to hear Pat get this Shakespeare, get so, honey Well, I work in the lanotype department. I came up here to Forrest's office to talk about the next edition. Then Jackie Biglow, the reporter, telephoned from the shipyard while I was in forrest room. Then I left him and went downstairs. That was about three point fifteen. I think you're rather definite about the time, Pat, Yes, I looked at the clock when I got back to the lanotype department. Then I got a telephone call saying my mother was sick. You see what I mean, Shakespeare about fairy tales. Why didn't you go the whole hog? Pat? Say that you had to leave because your grandmother died? Or did you that when they get to a ball? That's the truth, Sergeant, I swear it that your whole story. Man. No, soon as I heard about my mother, I ran to the elevator to get home, but I got stuck inside. I presume the elevator operator can confirm. No, it's a self starting elevator. There isn't any operator, but it's stuck. The superintendent swear to that it hasn't been fixed yet. I've got a little nephew, Pat, he's four years old. The kid could make up a better story than You'll gun pretty sure of yourself, ain't you? Sigh? Look missus, mother, it's time for spring cleaning. Why don't you go home and rearrange the dirt. We suppose we save the second hand with the amateur knight and get on with finding the sparrow that killed cock Robin. Pat, where's the main switch, bob downstairs? Going down there? Shakespeare, I excuse me, sergeant, Yes, it's possible that the phone girl can confirm whether or not Pat received a call after three this afternoon. Okay, go on, I'll wait here, not mess to whether or you said you'd help me. Now you're wandering off to corroborate. This man was mister Bennett. Our objective was the truth, Remember Dalton Herald, Good afternoon. Oh I'm sorry, mister Forest is out. He's getting a fitting for a wooden suit. Yes, somebody didn't like his face, so they pushed me to that. Pardon. I understand your name is Ruth. That's right, Jesus. If you don't look like what's his name, man Shakespeare? I could only write like him too, But my name is only whether all Ruth. Oh that's it. You're from Narrative Academy. Yees. I'm curious about what happened earlier this afternoon. To watch his name Forrest? Oh? Oh that jee? Pat Welch is in a fixed time. Everybody knows him and Frest hated each other's gu expression. Ruth, what's there? The phone call for pattis afternoon? Oh yeah, yeah, about three o'clock. I don't know who it was from. I only asked who's call him? When they asked for an executive? Ah, Wayne, it is Shane Patty such a sweet guy? And Forrest, if you'll pardon the expression, was a high class tanker. H we must have you address our English literature classes. It Merredith sometime Ruth the tragedy of illiteracy. It might be the subject. Oh gee, I'd be only too happy with you as exhibit a hill. What are you doing here? Hi, Ruthie? Baby? Man? Oh man, what a fire I've been too. I'm knocked out. I'll get ready for Lulu, Jackie, boy, Wow, what's up? Well? While you were at the fire, somebody gave Forrest a bath with a bucket of that lead in the press room and then sent the corpse roller coastering down the delivery shoe. Cute, ain't it? No kidding? That's it Jack the police upstairs now, Hallellujah, Forest knocked off? Boy, This is my lucky day. I get a terrific story. And on top of that, somebody puts four worry belonging who did it? Huh? They know? Sergeant Maccabbo's upstairs now with pat wel from mister Bennett. They're the most likely candidates for the honor at the moment. Well, what are we waiting? For Let's go on up there. This I got to see. All right, Jack, we can wait a minute. Not that way, mister wither all up the stairs. The elevator is broken. See you're Ruthie. Okay, fine to Ruthie. Come out to Meredith sometime. As the students say, you will be hotter than a two dollars pistol if you will pardon the expression. Now, Jack, you say, Forrest cheated Pat here out of a newspaper, put him out of business. Yeah, that was the deal. Micabolo was in Frisco about ten years ago. I'm sorry Pat for the facts of fact, I'm not worried, Jackie Man. The citizen doesn't have anything to worry about. Yes, since the Bard wrote truth is truth to the end of reckoning, Sergeant, aside from the fact that I happened to be in the building, you haven't a scrap of tangible evidence against me. But when it comes to motive, mister Bennett, you did have a violent argument with mister Forrest about that picture of your daughter. Since when do you convict people? And that kind of evidence. We'll get all the evidence, so enough, give the sergeant a chance, mister Bennett, he'll learn won't you squeaky shoes missus Mullnett, don't stand there with your teeth in your mouth. Why don't you easy easy talking about motives? Jack, I happen to know that Fires cut you out of the job you wanted working for that syndicate and chun king, and I also know what it meant to you. Sure that's right. Oh, I'm not sorry. He's dead. I'll bet everybody in the building had a motive for wiping out that lug. What happened to your wrist, Jane, Oh, the bandage. I burned myself with the fire. Now the chief will back me up on that. I was poking in the ruins for sabotage evidence. You've been at the fire since that first call came in about it, Jae, Yeah, I've been there all the time. I telephoned Fires from there. Anybody will tell you that you left the moment the news flash came in. Mm hm yeah, about three o'clock. It was pat You saw mister Forrest alive in his office when Jack telephoned. I didn't. After Jack called about the sabotage development, fat, you went back to the liner type, as I understand it, that's right. When you did, you looked at the clock and it was three fifteen. Then you received a call from your that your mother was ill. You danced for the elevator, but it broke down while you were inside. I told you that Super confirmed that. Therefore, the elevator broke down roughly about three twenty. That's about it. It's very interesting. That's the angle Shakespeare. Now, Jack, you say you've been at the fire since a few minutes past three, and we know that the elevator broke down about three twenty. Get to the point, mister Witherow. Yeah, what's this all about? Jack? It's about the fact you're supposed to have been at the fire since shortly after three, long before the elevator broke down. Yet when I met you downstairs with Ruth, you remarked quite casually that we should take the stairway because the elevator didn't work. How did you know that? Jay? Sounds like a payoff question to me, Jack. One of the truckmen outside I'm away in he told me just before I found you at the switchboard. Really, Jack, I suppose you'd be willing also to submit your wrist to a medical examination. My risk rist? Why certainly I will. Why Why because Jack, I think you burned your wrist while dumping the caldron of hot lead over Forest. As you know, a medical examination will reveal whether that burn was caused by flames or if there are traces of lead in it. I'll have another cup of coffee, Shakespeare. Then I'll be meander at home. You figure. Jack went straight to the fire, yes for Carmel. He stayed there long enough to establish his presence, and then he raced back, unseen, to the neighborhood of the Herald. He called up Forest Or from downstairs with the avatar story, creating the impression that he was still at the fire. I get it. Then he buzzed Pat Welch, probably using a phony voice, to tell him to rely about his mother being sick. Yes, that got Welsh out of the way, and gave Welsh a very weak excuse too. Then Jack Monkey wrenched the presses, forcing Forrest to go down to the press room where he was killed. The whole affair couldn't have taken more than a few minutes. Then Jack went dashing back the fire. He'd gotten away with it. Two. We hadn't pulled that boner in front of you about the elevator, Yes, there was that, and the wristburn Shakespeare, How did you know the wristburn could be analyzed for traces of hot lead? I never knew that, Sergeant. Shall I confess something to you? Neither did I? What it sounded like? Such a good idea at the time, Oh you baker, Rather anide who worked beautifully too. Jack might never have confessed. You know. I think my students at Meredith have given me a superb training in the art of what they call manufacturing apple sauce. Eh, well, apple sauce. In that Shakespeare. We caught that killer, and that's what counts. Those murderers can't get to the chair fast enough for me. As a matter of fact, considering what kind of a man that newspaper editor was, he deserved to get wiped out too. Probably, Sergeants, no doubt that society's transgressors must be punished. Yet we mustn't make quick, violent judgments. We must always remember what the gentleman I'm supposed to resemble once wrote about mercy, when he said it is twice blessed. It blesseth him that gives, and him that takes his mightiest In the mightiest. It becomes the throned monarch better than his crown. His scepter shows the force of temporal power, the attribute of awe and majesty, wherein to sit the dread and fear of kings. But mercy is above this sceptan sway. It is enthroned in the hearts of kings. It is an attribute of God himself and earthly power. Doth then show likest gods when mercy seasons. Justice w R. Has presented the distinguished American actor Walter Hamden in the Adventures of Leonidas Witherall. Missus Mullett is played by Ethel Ramie. Sergeant Picabo by Jack McBride. The character of Leonidas Witherall is from the mystery novels by Alice Tilton. The radioscript is written by Howard Merrill and the program is under the direction of Roger Bauer. Next week, Leonidas meets a very interesting hitchhiker, doesn't he, mister Hamden h yes. Leonartist is driving along the highway when he meets a young lady who asks him ver a hitch and a very informative young lady. She is too, in fact. Before long, Leonidas is receiving a very practical lesson in how to win friends and influence homicidal maniacs. We hope you'll be listening next Sunday at seven and until then good night. Listen again next Sunday evening at seven pm Eastern wartime for the Adventures of Leonidas Witherall. This program came to you from the studios of WR in New York. This is the Mutual Broadcasting System