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Sherlock Holmes: The Elusive Agent, Part Three (EP0840) · Great Detectives of Old Time Radio Volume 2|Mystery Audio Dramas

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Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This
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is your host and I'm grand. If you have a comment, email it
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to me Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot net, Follow us over on Twitter
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at Radio Detectives, and become one of our friends on Facebook, Facebook dot
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com Slash Radio Detectives. Well, today's episode is brought to you by the
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financial support of our listeners. Thanks so much for your supporting us. Scially,
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we want to thank Nata who sent along our contribution. Thanks so much.
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Well, it's time for today's episode. We're going to get into it
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quickly as we wrap up The Elusive Agent. It's time for The Elusive Agent
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Part three. From New York City, the makers of clipper Craft clothes for
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men and more than twelve hundred leading retail stores from coast to coast present their
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immortal character created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the world's most famous detective,
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Sherlock Holmes, starring John Stanley. This week's story, The Adventure of the
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Elusive Agent, Part three, the concluding episode, mister Holmes. Before long,
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Gustav Pill, Doctor Button. If you do not talk Petime, I
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warn you if anything happens to Watsonah, but it will. You do not
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know, Gustav, A man with this smoothness of silk but hard as stone
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beneath you only can save doctor Butts. I am quite aware of my dilemma.
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But what you and Gustave have failed to observe is that you get back.
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Get back, you British. Fine, I'll kill you here and now.
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Now. I'd like my listeners to see if they can make a correct
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deduction like Sherlock Holmes. I'll set the scene for you. An alert,
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well dressed young man is counting out some money. He says, forty one,
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forty two, forty three, forty four, forty five. That's right,
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forty five. Now what is this young man doing well, I'll tell
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you, because you'd hardly believe the evidence of your own eyes. He was
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paying only forty five dollars for that excellent new clipper craft suit. That's right,
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only forty five dollars for a nationally famous clipper craft suit of carefully selected,
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tested worsted, of exceptionally fine tailoring, with the distinctive styling that sets
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clippercraft suits apart from any suits ordinarily sold at anywhere near this price. How
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can they do it? I'll tell you that more than twelve hundred independent merchants
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have pooled their tremendous buying power to make those low prices possible for clipper Craft.
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So compare clipper craft clothes with clothes costing many dollars more, and you
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will agree that never before has there been such value in fabrics, such value
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in styling, such value in workmanship. In short, you get America's greatest
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clothing value when you buy clipper Craft clothes, Doctor Watson. Last week,
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in relating the adventure of the Elusive Agent, you arrived in Berlin reached the
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house of Amiel Marco, a phantom German secret agent you'd been pursuing over half
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account. Yes, mister Harris, but unfortunately we found ourselves and enemy hands.
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Shall I recall the circumstances for our audience by all means dock towards.
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As you know, it was the year nineteen thirteen, a year when Germany
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and Britain were striving for mastery, a year when ominous war clouds were already
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gathering. Holmes's brother Sir Macroft, who was head of British Intelligence, had
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called us in to recover some plans for the new and top secret British tech
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which German intelligence had stoke well up to a series of desperate circumstances, Holmes
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and I managed to obtain half of the plans, of which only one copy
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exist. Without the other half, the entire set was useless, you may
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recall, mister Harris. We pursued Marco de Petis and there we almost lost
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our lives in a bomb exposure. Our luggage was rifled and German agents managed
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to steal the half of the plans we kept, but they were only clever
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imitations. Then we picked up Amil Marco's trail to Berlin, and what finally
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happened In Berlin, Doctor Watson, we'll the British secret agent posing as a
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newsbender. A man named Collins, directed us to Marco's heart. There we
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were trapped by Marcos Hensman Gustav and a brute of a man named Peter.
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Peter had seized Hose as Gustav saving as their holms. I once said,
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we never kill our opponents, and an ordinary man and we torture them to
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death. I want to know the truth about the paper's holms. Perhaps it
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will require a bit of persuasion. Go on, Peter, Yeah, Gustave,
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I will make Colmes answer. That's it, Peter, go on a
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Swede. Surely, Gustav. You must know I wouldn't be carrying our heart
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at the genuine plans. They are, of course somewhere in England, safely
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in the custody the Admiralty, where you will never lay hands on that.
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We thought of that, Holmes. It's possible you're telling the truth, But
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there is another possibility. Tool Are you as patriotic as you've seen mister Holmes.
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You are not an official employee of the British government. I believe you
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may not be cooperating with England either. But playing this game alone, trying
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to collect both halves of the real plan yourself fantastic nonsense. It would be
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so profitable for you to have both halves and sell them to the highest bidder.
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Isn't that what you're attempting? Holmes? I repeat the ideas of sir,
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answer me help and granser me. Peter. If you have deceived the
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British I will be glad to work with your homes, but you must tell
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me the truths tell me exactly what you're doing. I must see the weather
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here in Berlin's rather chilly for this time of year. Who won't keep this
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up for long? Holms again, Peter, good lord, come Watson,
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don't look so agitated. I I have no doubt I should survive the efforts
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of this butcher. It's only to make the brain the master of the body,
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to concentrate, to divorce it from its physical functions, a trick I
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learned in the East. Watson speak, you fine, speak no no better?
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Good staff. This man Holmes is iron he will not speak all right,
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Lason, Peter, so you still won't disclose the truth? Alms.
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I was marking to Watson here that your climate in Berlin usually much warmer at
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this I've had enough of your stupid English Hu my mister Holmes. I have
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a better idea. Really, Doctor Watson and I are going on a little
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trip together to my private retreat. You, Peter will stay here and guard
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mister Holmes. Sounds like some new deviltry. Holmes, Just what is this
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proposition, Goostan? Very simple, very simple. Indeed, I shall be
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in touch with Peter you're by telephone. If mister Holmes, you do not
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disclose the truth about the plans in twenty four hours, my hostage and your
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friend doctor Watson will die newspaper for a line afternoon newspaper. Now go away.
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I do not want any newspaper, but you will find it interesting.
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Courage for your lunch hour. The Kaisa has told the British go away.
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Stop following me, and if you persist, I shall call the police.
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Step into this alley here, what do you want Collins? After two British
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intelligence the peat rides higher Scapa flow. Quick identify and give me the counterpast
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Greater Bruner Telephone employee Berlin Central Exchange G nineteen counterpast. The Dahlias grow high
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in Devonshire. Good move back further into the Allies. Yeah, you can't
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be seen. Yes now listen. Friend of ours has been spirited from a
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house at twenty seven Littleish Classes. Another friend is being held there also under
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custoday. Telephone has been installed at the house. Yes, go on.
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It's possible that a call will come to the house from the German agent who
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is lifted. Can you tap that call and find out where it came from?
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Yes? Yes, I think so. Another girl works the switchbod on
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that line comes Ill has to go home, you know, how gol comes
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through. Get in touch with me at once. I'll be waiting at this
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number. Your number, please, it's so eight eight three four. IT'SO
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eight eight three four. Thank you, zah. Yeah, who is see
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that? This is stuff as home as we can get. No, the
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spine will not talk. I see. Tell him that I am cutting the
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time to twelve hours. I will continue to hold his friend he at the
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floss until then. After that it will be all over. Well, mister
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Holmes before a long Gustav will kill doctor Watts if you do not talk.
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I am quite aware of my dilemma. I'm also aware that if I gave
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your superior of the information which are open up open the door? Who is
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that? Oh do you? Thank you? Poor? I couldn't wait.
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I've done away with Watson. Now we'll give the same statement to Horror.
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Open the door. Yeah, Gustave. One moment, I was just trying
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again to get Holmst to talk. And oh, thank you Collins. I
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must compliment you on your faculty for appearing in the right place at the right
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moment. Thank you, sir. I think I've located doctor Watson with the
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cooperation of one of our agents of the Berlin telephone exchange capital man capital well
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is he he's being held in the deserted castle at Spandau. Sir, it
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belongs to the man Gustav's and Cetral family. Excellent Collins, Yes, sir,
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you're not abump. Taking a day risk dangers my vocations, good fellow.
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First, you will dress in dead Peter's clothes. Here, his cap,
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overcoat, everything. They'll fit you a trifle loosely, perhaps bit well
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enough. In short, you will impersonate Gustav's dead henchman Understan Collins. Yes,
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was to Holmes. Then I take it. We're going to Spandau with
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all possible haste. Time is already running short in the life of my good
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friend doctor Watson hangs in the balance. Before you buy that new spring suit,
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just remember this. When you get a new spring clipper Craft worsted suit
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for only forty five dollars, an all wool covert cloth top coat for forty
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or an all wool clipper Craft gabblin top coat for forty two fifty, you're
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getting the most for your money. Clipper Craft clothes take their name from the
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famous Clipper ships that established honest New England quality everywhere in the world. Yet
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they're as modern as the clipper planes that fly around the world today. Yes,
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you can trust Clippercraft clothes and the men who sell them. That's why
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men who know insist on Clippercraft clothes bearing the Clippercraft label. So be sure
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to visit the clipper Craft store in your city. These leading stores in the
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metropolitan area are proud to add their names to Clippercraft in your suits and top
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coats. In Manhattan, John Wannamaker's Men's Stores Broadway at eighth and sixty seven
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Liberty Street, Sacks thirty fourth Broadway at thirty fourth in Brooklyn, Abram and
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Strauss in New York, New Jersey Boulevard Men's Shops Kresgy, NewYork. And
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in Jamaica, the B and B Clothes Shop one six four oh eight Jamaica
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Avenue. Doctor Watson, Doctor Watson, mister Holmes and Collins, the British
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agent, were oft to rescue you at the castle in Spandau where Gustav held
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you as his prisoner. This, mister Harris. The castle in Spandau was
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a huge deserted spot the dead of night. Homes stood with Collins before the
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entrance. Gusta Holmes vulters flying over the castle. Instinct Collins, they expect
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a human den Could Gustav have killed Watson? Are we too late? Perhaps?
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Now you will walk to the main gate. Yes, in your disguise
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as Peter, you'll ring. You'll keep Gustar occupied at the front door.
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I understand. If Gusta becomes at all suspicious, shoot to kill I shall,
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I will dash the rear of the castle. Are proud about till I
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find the room where Watson's being held captive and free him. Then we shall
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attack Gusta while he's talking to you. Excellent, good luck you come back
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Gusta. Also, Watson, it's homes homes by Joe. How did you
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get in here? All? By time? Later to explain? Come on,
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Collins of intelligence is downstairs in this castle, chatting with Guddar. I
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see right, don't take this revolver. You sh'll steal downstairs. Surprise guds
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Dar his way stairs as cautiously as you can. Right, What on earth
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something's gone wrong with Colin's terribly wrong, Harry Watson. Run down these stairs.
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Wait, look staggering up these stairs toward us. Her it's Gustav his
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face is covered with blood. He is covering Collins with disguise. They exchange
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shops. Gusta has been hit two or three times, you see it is
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holding his side. Blood from his chest too. He's classed the real,
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doctor Watson. Where one German falls, many more will Rice. We will
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yet have the plans. You seem successful now, but any victory over us
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isn't well. He is falling down the stairs. Let him fall to the
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death. He's so eminently deserved, Watson. But whereas our own agent,
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where's Collins? This way thought the front of the building where he and Gustav
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shot it out there he is lying on the floor. Is he dead?
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Yes, Watson, poor devil shomped through the head. Thank Heaven, the
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first bullet from Gustav's revab entered it for him. He didn't suffer. I
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shall inform my brother Mycroft at Whitehall that agent Collins died valiantly in the performance
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of his assigned UTYA Well to nows. We still not found Germany's half of
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the plans for the new tank. We still not found the master spy mil
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Markov. The answer to those crucial questions, Watson lies in London. When
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we left London days and days ago. We thought our way here to Berlin
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to find Marko and retrieve the papers Wherevertheless, the answer is in London.
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We must get out of Germany. How we surround. We shall aboard the
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very next train from Berlin to the French border and meet whatever awaits us.
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Well, so far we're doing welhood. We've caught the trend. We're on
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our way to the French border, if we can remain alive to reach it
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once. And and why are we returning to London? Homes an doctor?
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He gets, please, Oh here you are, sir, e you man
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air. I presumed there an order, d'm an heir? Just one more?
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Im? I I do ten do, and I don't think the wheels
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up. Here's the buck be on a barbo box and strike him down it,
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Oh good work. When did you see him home? He's hardly reached
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through his ticket punch. When you pounced upon him the bulge in his coat
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pocket, I realized it might be a revolver as indeed it is. No
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he's another of Marco's endless supply of killers. He was assigned a murderous sky.
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We can't leave him here. There'll be an him quiet. Oh,
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yes, we can leave him. You see, we are leaving this trade
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the first start, No immediately, and maybe other German agents are board.
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Got to just two of us. Can't take the risk. My intention,
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you see, Watson, was to do just this, even before the conductor
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arrived. We bought at the train ostentatiously, so they'd make plans for us
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all along the route. Now we shall spring the trap. Come the corridor
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open at door, Watson. Those we can't believe off the train at this
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speech. Not only chance. We shall wait for a run of what is
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a parent's soft earth. Our alexis You go, Watson, arms and legs
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loose, to try to roll over easily as you strike the earth. You're
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ready, ready, after me? What's a job? It's wonderfull be back
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on the streets of London. Ah, yes, right, But why will
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we run here to serve her? We haven't even reported a white hole,
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jns Watson. We must visit the shop where this gigantic and gruesome trip began,
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the shop of Grimsby, the Tobacconist Grimsby Shop. But because we've journeyed
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to foreign cities, eluded death and fought the greatest spiring of our day,
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all because of a few sentences spoken by the shy, friendly tobacconist here in
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the shop. Shall we speak to him just once more, back in Londons,
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to Holmes and doctor Watson. Yes, Grimsby, wasn't mister Emil Marco
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at his hotel here in London? I described him to tall, thin and
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nervous abbot of pitching his mouth. Yes, you did describe in Grimsby.
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But he was not at the hotel in London, nor was he in Paris,
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nor was he in any of the dark and bloody corners of the continent
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where we sought him. Do you know why, sir, I can't imagine,
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because that isn't an Emil Marco. There never was an Emil Marco.
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This master of the German spineap that Watson and I and all of British Intelligence
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have been pursuing is an illusion created by you, Grimsby. I can't believe.
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When Watson and I first visited your shop, Grimsby, I asked about
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your client because I deticted the odor of a rare tobacco in the room where
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we found a dead agent. I wanted the man who smoked that tobacco.
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He was the chief, He had the missing half of Britain's plans. You
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are that man, Grimsby. You didn't expect us, did you. You're
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smoking at brand of tobacco at this very moment. Yeah, I had hoped
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it creating Marco to attract you to Germinate. I could learn the truth from
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you there. Then I could dispense with you. Dearly advisable. You could
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operate with ease in Germany rather than here in Britain. I simply inform my
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associate to pass the lion of trying you to Berlin with the phantom mark of
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at a magnet. I cannot wait to bargain with you for your half of
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the plan. I shall just destry my half, reducing both my honors to
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an equal states Again, you're half being with without mine. I shall burn
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my heart. It's here in my pocket. Britain will never have the weapon
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its seats. Yeah, set a match to these papers I hold in my
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hand. Go I'm doctor Watson, or I shall blow your head off with
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his rebother. I can't do it. Do as he says. Watson will
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kill you. I will thank you. I must leave lockers door from the
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outside will not attempt to shout or leave until I disappeared down the street,
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or I will shoot ave it as a gentleman. He's gone homes burnished into
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the crowd, the burned to a chriss quickly Watson and pick up that chair.
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The Blues time trying to force the lock on that door. Smash the
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glass with that chair. Now, Cap Watson, Grimsy will try to leave
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London instantly, the Cap to Waterloo Station. Why should Gruseby be here at
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Waterloo stations? Because he realizes Whitehall would turn London topsy turvy to find him.
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He must return to Germany. All aeroplanes in this area are in British
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hands. In mus travel by boat train for the Channel, and this is
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where he bought the next train. There he is by that data. Stop
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stay where you are. God, I'm afraid we had the upper hand.
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Now, sir, Now before we turn you over to the authorities, where
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are your half of the plans? Starve its title Burton before you're on island,
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Ela Grinsby, you've played card after card by which we have been debuted.
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I say you still have the missing half of the plans for Britain's new
21:52
weapon on your person. This last ruse of yours is quite transparent, and
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you've burnt an ordinary piece of paper. All right, put up your hands,
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guns away. Oh, he wouldn't carry the papers openly in his pockets,
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Watson, Not in his wallet. He would conceal them in a spot
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where no one might think to look, except, of course, to your
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humble servant. I'll find them. The search isn't necessary, Watson. One
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must always analyze a personality in its own me year, within itself, it
22:22
contains the answer to its mysteries. Now where would a tobacconist be likely to
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conceal a few small papers? Why beneath the tobacco and his tin. Let's
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have a look at that chin, hell, lopen it still the tobacco,
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and beneath the very same rare tobacco which first launched us on this great adventure,
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Watson, the plans, the plans, well, doctor Watson, the
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Adventure of the Elusive Agent was really one of the most exciting adventures you and
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mister Holmes have ever had, and a crucial point in the history of World
23:08
War One. May I add is indeed, mister Harris, because you know
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the British didn't succeed in keeping their plans for the tank of secret. It
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proved to be a very decisive weapon. Well, where was mister Holmes half
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of the plans you have vault at White Holmes to Harris under special guard of
23:25
the Royal Miny. Well, doctor Watson, these past three weeks have been
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very exciting and memorable ones. Yes, but do you think, mister Harris,
23:33
our audience is in favor of these longer stories you see er, some
23:37
of our more colorful stories are too long to compress into one short program.
23:42
Well, and doctor Watson, or a letter or a postcard from our listeners
23:45
will give us the answer. Just address clipper Craft and care of the station
23:49
to which they are listening, and tell us what they think. I presume,
23:53
doctor Watson, that your next memoir is just as scripting as this one.
23:57
Well, next week, mister Harris, I should a late us about
24:00
Holmes and myself that I have called the Mad Miners of Cottage. It occurred
24:04
in will at an abandoned cool mine. It concerned a miner's jacket, a
24:11
murder committed in the darkest depths of the earth, and a spectacles so awful
24:17
it drove human being out of the Mine, The makers of Clippercraft clothes and
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more than twelve hundred stories from coast to coast have brought you another in the
24:33
new series of broadcasts featuring the world's most famous detective, Sherlock Holmes. Our
24:44
stories are based upon the character Sherlock Holmes, created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle,
24:48
and the program is produced and directed by Basil Luchran. Sherlock Holmes is
24:52
played by John Stanley, Doctor Watson by George Spelvin. This week's story was
24:57
written by Max Rlick and Howard Merrill, with special music by Albert Berman.
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If you don't know your clipper Craft dealer, write clipper Craft two hundred Fifth
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Avenue, New York City. Be a friendly neighbor and buy your Easter seals
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to provide proper medical care, healthful recreation, and special vocational training for crippled
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children. Every Easter seal you buy helps a crippled child to meet the challenge
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of a handicap. Be sure to listen next week to Sherlock Holmes in the
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Matt Minors of Cardin Missus Sy Harris waiting for clipper Craft Clowes. Listen the
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Mutual Broadcasting System welcome back. Well. I, for my part, I
25:55
truly enjoyed this series. I enjoyed it the first time I'll listen to I
26:00
went back when I read some remarks about the John Stanley run of Sherlock Holmes
26:07
episodes, many of them which I think had legitimate points. But I listened
26:11
to that and I thought, you know, this is definitely something people should
26:15
be able to enjoy. So I hope that whatever this, whatever difficulties and
26:22
issues we've had, that this full series is made up for it. I
26:26
think a wonderful story, not necessarily in the Sherlock Holmes traditional Sherlock Holmes main
26:33
but I really action packed thriller here, spy story with a great twist.
26:41
I love the tobacconist actually being the villain here. Of course, this was
26:48
actually the only serial of the sort with these multiple part episodes. Earlier in
26:56
the run back in the thirties and forties, some of the novels were serialized
27:03
in multi part stories, but all of the original Sherlock Holmes, not i
27:10
should say new Sherlock Holmes stories were kept strictly in the one episode, and
27:15
really at this point, this episode was the thirtieth of the season, so,
27:21
and they would only have thirty nine weeks in the season, so any
27:26
feedback that Clippercraft received would be something they would take into consideration for next season.
27:33
But next season, Sherlock Holmes would be on another network with another sponsor.
27:38
Well, I hope you've enjoyed the Elusive Agent story. Join us back
27:41
here tomorrow for yours truly Johnny Doller, and next Thursday we will get back
27:48
into our regular order. We have seven episodes of Sherlock Holmes that star John
27:55
Stanley left, so I hope you will be listening next week. In the
28:00
meanwhile, send your comments to Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot net, follow
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us on Twitter at Radio Detectives, and become one of our friends on Facebook,
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Facebook dot com. Slash Radio Detectives from Boise, Idaho. This is
28:11
your host, Adam graham Son and off