Latest / Great Detectives of Old Time Radio Volume 2|Mystery Audio Dramas / Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Road Test Matter (EP0795)

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Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Road Test Matter (EP0795) · 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, Adam Graham. If you have a comment, email it
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to me Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot net, follow us on Twitter at
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Radio Detectives, and become one of our friends on Facebook, Facebook dot com
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slash Radio Detectives. Well, now it's time to get into today's episode of
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Yours Truly Johnny Doller from March second, nineteen fifty four. Here's the road
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test matter. Well you're listening enjoyment, John Lund as Johnny King, Johnny
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consolidated indemnity. Oh hold on, miss King, I gotta do this for
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us, Johnny, I can't think no pronounci. Oh wait a minute,
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mister King, do what the Doodel car? Allied voters have been testing completely
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under reps. The top engineers have been working on it. Your company going
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into the automobile business. We're in a Johnny, up to our eyes.
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The car's cracked up three times, one fatal injury. The auto companies as
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confused as we are. You've got to run out there and find out what
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the story is. Johnny. Okay, mister King, I'll keep you posting.
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Mind if I break in a few seconds to discuss games with you,
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how many of you, when you were youngsters ever tried to escape from the
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world of reality by playing cowboys and Indians or cops and Roberts. Today's youngsters
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have added to more professions to the world of make believe spacemen and gmen.
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And speaking of gmen, do you know where that name came from? Actually,
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it was used about twenty years ago by gangsters to describe members of our
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Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the name stuck. It's easy to see why
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youngsters have added gmen as heroes to their play world, since they are a
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most important part of our country's protective forces. Actually, the Federal Bureau of
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Investigation is part of the Department of Justice and act as a kind of detective
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agency whose duty it is to track down those who break our federal laws.
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The FBI also does confer intelligence work in ferreting out spies and saboteurs. And
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here's an amazing fact about our FBI men. Despite the extreme dangers of their
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work, it wasn't until some twenty years goal that they were given the authority
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to carry guns with no other weapon than courage. Resourcefulness and determination they had
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to track down and apprehend dangerous racketeers and spies. Today, however, you
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will find that the typical FBI agent may be a lawyer, a company,
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or specialist in some other professions, but thoroughly trained in scientific police methods and
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handy with any type of weapon. Expens accounts submitted by a special investigator,
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Johnny daughters Who's Consolidated Indemnity Company, Hotford, Connecticut. The following is an
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accounting of expenditures during my investigation of the road test matter. Expense account items
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one, two and three Taxi to airport three dollars and fifty cents. Plane
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tickets to Detroit eighty four seventy five taxi to Allied Motors testing grounds four fifteen.
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I got there before noons. There were a lot of signs around the
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place reading absolutely no visitors and keep out, no touch the thing. So
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it took me about ten minutes to persuade the guard at the gate to let
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me through. They were still testing cars, but the people watching the test
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wins as the cars thunder five if they expected the orders to fall apart any
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seconds. The man I wanted to see his name McGregor. He was pointed
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out to me by one of the mechanics. Mister very fame. I'm Johnny
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Daler from the insurance company. Insurance company? What have they got to do
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with us? Will I carry the paper? I'm only here to help you,
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of course. Sorry you taught me cut, mister dollar. We've been
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having the time around here. Yeah, I've heard. Yeah, Well,
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come along to the pitch. I'll show you what's more. This is a
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company's model free years, hence with testing when you work that far ahead.
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Hey, we're planning a radically a redesigned automobile. It's a big gamble,
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and you're in charge of the whole thing. I am to make it work.
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That's been my job here for twenty five years. I've seen a lot
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of changes, mister dollar, but never anything like this. New materials,
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you, suspension, you steering? What about these act of them? You
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tell me free so far? And we've got the first engineers in the world.
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You expect one here you two maybe, but three if you asked?
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Who like this can cost the company? Dear and kept pretty quiet. Hey,
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but what how long it's gonna ruin the company? Well, come on
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in, how show you the baby? The men of driving. Well,
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there she was allies experimental model. If they've been taking orders. I had
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a friend then and there until I remembered the three of these dream boats,
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each hand tooled and service by the best men the company could find, and
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driven by crack drivers, had fallen apart on the track. The drivers,
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well, the orders were to give the car every beating it could take,
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and the drivers knew this car couldn't take it. McGregor let me into his
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office on the field. She turn't be thanks. What do you make of
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it, mister Dolan, Well, it might be an inside job. Of
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course, someone's got a grudge against someone else and they're working it out to
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the car. So we stripped down every rick. I do it myself personally.
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And do you think there's a sign of sabotize? No, no,
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it's not that easy. Mister Dollard. One of the drivers. Maybe they've
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all been with a company for years. Maybe some of the designers they are
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new boys, but our drins they're very experienced. I'm not talking about their
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experience, I'm talking about their motives. I'm an automobile engineer and I wouldn't
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know about motives. I'll have to leave that to you. Thanks. Oh,
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I like the name of the man who was killed and his widows are
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drives. Of course I'd write it them for you. Expensive count item four
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eighty five cents taxi to the residents of missus Grace Johnson. She lived in
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a nice house not far from the track. Before sale sign was posted on
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the lawn. We should have called for a sister dollar. I'm sorry,
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I just got in towns. You're going somewhere, you know it is after
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a horrible thing, right Sis you want to get away, throw duck stup
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off the chair and sit down. Don't bother being polite to me, Missus
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Johnson. I'm just doing my job. You have to make it coun so
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clinical. Well, maybe that's the best way, Missus Johnson, I'm trying
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to help you. Thanks. Who do you think might have wanted your husband
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killed? Do you think someone did you knew your husband? Is there anybody
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who might have wanted him out of the way? Yes, but I'm sure.
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I'm not asking you to be sure. I'm just looking for leeds,
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suve and I it's my husband. Hadn't then get him along because we couldn't
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live with each other without each other. I didn't know where to turn.
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These things happened. Missus jentleman turned to extend to Steve. One thing led
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to another, and pretty soon well we were thinking that if only Steve was
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out of the way. But I doesn't think he would do it. I
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didn't you know that he did? Of course not. He hasn't meant to
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see me once since I'm getting out of this place. It's like a bad
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dream. What's your friend's name. It's Simmons, Joe Simmons. What did
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he do? He used to be a test driver with Allied, same as
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Steve was. May I use your phone? Yes, of course, I'll
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show you where it is. Simmons had worked for Allied all right, one
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of their best men. He quit after the Johnson accident. When I went
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to the address he'd given us his home, I found he hadn't lived there
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for six weeks. His landlady said he'd liked to stop in at Kirby's Barn
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Drill down the street, and she believed he still lived in the neighbors them
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him. I'm looking for Joe Simmons. You come to the right place.
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Joe, you got a friend. I've tea him over there. Thanks.
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Mister Simmons. Yeah, I'm Johnny Dollar. I'm with the insurance company interested
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in the Allied Motors business a couple now, we're just the people who pay
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off the claims. They've asked me to look into it. Why do you
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come to me? I thought you could help me, Kelly two more,
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you'll join me once. Yeah, I'll play with it, coming up to
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let you know. Well, I know Steve Johnson had a pretty wife.
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Oh, you've been seeing her and she told you how she cried on my
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shoulder. I suppose she also told you I let her on in something,
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put him on my pet con hide. I'm a little tim god daughter,
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but Steve was my friend. If I took his I put the movies or
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out the dinner. He knew about it, even though she didn't know.
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He knew that sounds complicated. You know. He was crazy about it.
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He was trying to keep it going. He thought I could straighten around.
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How can you quit driving? My car's not right. I've been test writing
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too long not to know that AID makes the best cars in the business.
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You're telling me this one handles like a bottle of sofa, does everything but
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answer your mail, and suddenly wham for no reason. It falls apart on
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you. You tell me a comic. That's all right. Every car,
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just some of them, now I know. Or maybe some of the cars
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could have little bugs put in him, like if one driver was in the
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way. I get you. You still think I did it because I was
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going up with Grace. Yeah, something like that. There's only one thing
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wrong with your hunch dollar. I'd have to get to the car. They
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watched them like crown jewels. You could figure out a way, and I'd
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have to water to it. I told you I wasn't double crossing Steve.
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He knew I was seeing Grace. You know, you and his wife were
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thinking how nice it would be if he were out of the way. I
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lay the sip and mister Simmons, I wouldn't leave town with a widow just
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yet. Expensive count out of five two dollars and sixty cents cab fair to
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my hotel. When I put in a call to mister McGregor, he wasn't
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available, but they promised me he'd call me back. I left word with
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the death to be sure and page me and I went down to the dining
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room, where I told the head waiter I was expecting a call. I
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hadn't got around in my coffee when I was paid untild that someone was waiting
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for me in the lobby. Yeah, Sergeant Burgh Police the partner here,
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you're digging into the la crackups. Our company is paying for him and the
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ideas. No one nothing startling, open and shut. Let's get off feet.
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I was hoping an outsider would turn up a fresh approach. Oh,
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I like the old one's argentist. Neither show me how, but you'll have
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to bear with me if it sounds familiar. Husband and wife fight, husband's
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best friend has a broad shoulder and a narrow conscience problem. I will get
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rid of hard, maybe pick up a piece of insurance in a way.
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All the remains argentist to figure out what was done to wreck husband's car and
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our friends tried to get away with it. It's neat. I'll say that
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for your theory for the won't work? Why not? It's worked before.
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I'll give you what a small reason Joe Simmons doesn't work rather any longer?
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Right right? And I just had another crack up out there out what happens
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now? I've made my little steel. You tell me. Here's a rich
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company with all of no how and talent in the world. They can't make
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a car safer than that. Something's good to be wrong. Oh, that's
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not a conclusion, that's the beginning. I'm coming to that. The police
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department hasn't got enough to go on. So I kind of figure it's your
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baby, meaning what hang on? Insurance companies got to find some evidence of
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at least criminal negligence before we get interested officially. That is, we want
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you to go to work out there, work driving driving for that cracking up,
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and if you're lucky, one will crack up with you in it.
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Then we'll know something if I live through it. That is, we want
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you to do that for us dollar. It's important. Will you the things
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I get involved in? All right? Good luck, Johnny? Yeah.
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If you know, many great men have attained the highest office in our land,
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the presidency, I'll be United States. Can you guess the name of
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this man? He never wanted to be president, since he personally felt he
15:07
was unqualified for the office. When he was only thirty years old, he
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was appointed member of the Ohio Superior Court. He was President Grant, Secretary
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of War, and Attorney General in nineteen hundred and eight through the recommendation and
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support of Theodore Roosevelt. He succeeded Roosevelt as president. If you don't have
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his name by now, here's another clue. During his administration, the Postal
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Savings Plan and Parcel post were established. Who was he? William Howard Tad,
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twenty seventh President of the United States. His life is part of your
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American heritage. And now, with our star John Lund, we bring you
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the second act of yours Trulee Johnny Dollar. All right, Jim, but
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a little fool, I kill alright, everybody, back to work? Back
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to work? Have her told her the shop and take her down. I
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just meller for scrap and save the trouble. What made it go to pieces?
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Listening? Has the engineer who designed it? I got a better idea,
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and watch that put me to work driving. There are some things you
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can't learn in second hand. You're kidding, of course, No, mister
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mc ragon, I'm not very well. Do you get a minute or I
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get the driving job and have something in my office. I don't have to
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give you an idea or two after you care for a re drop of the
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stuff. No tell again, but keeper Cupsule serum and cheer. Never used
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to drink on the job, believe me. Since they put this new model
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on me, it's a necessity. What about my job, mister McGregor,
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I don't think you'll be needed. Why not come here? Here's something I
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dictated for the top class. You'll see why it's on the dictator machine now.
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Yeah, it gras them to mister William keith Or, Chairman of the
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Board, Alive motives from Ken McGregor, Head Department, Development Research subject new
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model. It begins with a lot of personal stuff. You know how I've
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been with a company for so many years, that kind of thing. And
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here's where it really starts. I think it is my considered opinion that the
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projected design ought to be dropped entirely, further test driving ended in the interest
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of the company's reputation and my men safety. Furthermore, if I may suggest,
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we ought to return to the traditional ways of developing our cars, which
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have stood us so well. That the dollar and what if they don't approve,
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they've got to And if they don't, do I get the job,
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surely, But they've got to dollar. They are not crazy. They read
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the memo and the executive of is. About the time I got to them,
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they were inclined to agree with McGregor, and I took some fast talking
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on my part to convince them they should keep the experimental models testing. The
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insurance company had a lot of money invested in those accidents if they were accidents,
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and I didn't see folding up my tent and stealing into the night without
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some explanation. They gave the test one week more. Meanwhile, I went
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to see the man responsible for the car's design. I'm Johnny's daughter from the
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insurance company. Is your chief Ted Brandon Brand? Then I'm supposed to talk
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to you. Sure, what do you say? We do it for something
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to drink? Yeah? Yeah. When he said something to drink, he
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meant coffee. He was no more than twenty two or three, and that's
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what threw me when he told me he was the man responsible for the radically
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redesigned car of the future. So there you are, a new car from
20:00
top to bottom. Science can't stand still. Neither can automotive design. They
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had lots of trouble the first jets. Remember, well, then you think
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it's well birthbends? Did I say, then? Guy? No, mister
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Dollar, that motor. That car is as perfect as anything can be on
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paper. It should handle like a dream, and it can. I know
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it can. All. You find a lot of old guys who are against
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anything just because it isn't the way it always was. These are the same
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guys who are opposed to numatic tires then pour wheel breaks. They just hate
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progress. You follow me? Yeah, I think I do. This car
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has got to work, that's all, just like two and two's got to
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make four? How about another cup? Cunning? No thanks, you have
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a cup on me. I've got somewhere to go. Expensive count Item six
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taxi to the residents of mister Kenneth McGregor one dollar and sixty cents. I
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waited till well after dinner before dropping in. Yes, my name is Dollar.
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Is mister McGregor in? No, Well do you expect him soon?
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Well, if he's not here by this time, I can figure he won't
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be home at all. Can I help you and missus McGregor? Well,
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I don't. They're working him awfully hard at the plan these days. He's
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been staying there nights a lot recently. Oh maybe I can talk to you,
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won't you come in? I'm so glad for the company, mister Dollar.
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But mister McGregor aways so much. I'll tell you, I just fine
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for someone to talk to. Can I fix you a cup of coffee?
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No? Thanks? Nice place you have here, Thank you. We liked
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it. The company has been very good to gain. He's been from a
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long time. You know. I guess he must like his work. Oh,
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he's it. They wanted him to retire several times, but not Skin
22:03
offered him attention too, could. I guess they realized he knows more about
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cars than anyone in the whole world. I do believe he seems to work
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hard, staying away so late, missing dinner. Oh he wasn't always like
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that. He works hard, but he's also a feminine man, do you
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know what I mean? But lately he's head so much on his mind.
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The way I see it, he wants to make one more showing before well
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before he does quick. Yes, I see what you mean. Now,
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if you'll excuse me, I have to go. Oh do yes. I
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was enjoying our talk so much, so was I. Oh, missus McGregor,
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I wonder if I can ask something of you. Don't tell mister McGregor
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about this visit. I mean it's nothing to worry about. I understand young
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man. In years past, before they pushed him aside. Lots of you
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boys used to come. I can see it. I won't say a word.
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Thanks a lot, good night, good night. And there it was
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a man who'd given a lifetime of loyalty, and now he was drinking on
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the job, staying at the shop all night, hating the new model car.
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I wondered how I'd feel if I had suddenly found myself outdated, outdated
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by a kid full of new, fresh, crazy ideas. Then I remember
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that a man named Steve Johnson had died, that they'd had four crack ups
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and might have others. Johnny Dony, and it come out to aline,
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it's important. What's happened, sergeant, another crack up? Murder? Who
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mc gregor? Wait, it is just the way he was found this morning.
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Things have been quite a struggle, it does for sure. He spent
24:30
the night here. How do you know? I went out to his house
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last night. He's been staying away a good deal. I guess he was
24:37
pretty sore, but he thought the company was doing to him, so I
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went and got himself killed. He got me there, Sigeant did he go
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out for dinner or anything. Last night guard at the gates that he left
24:49
around midnight was back in an arm. Did he make any calls? Switchboards
24:53
closed at that arm in a direct line, I thought, you know.
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Then someone came to see him. Oh, hold your horses. It was
25:03
early in the evening. He left hours before it happened. They check everybody
25:07
in and out through the gate. Uh huh, I got it. There's
25:08
some guy who used to work for him as something. The man at the
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gate knows him. Who wasn't Simmons? Joe Simmons. He was checked out
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before ten, like I told you. Yeah, Well, I'll leave you
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to your work. So I went to Kirby's bar and grilled, but Joe
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Simmons wasn't around. He'd been around last night, but they hadn't seen him
25:34
today. Well, there wasn't much I could do. It was a police
25:38
case now, all right. So I grabbed a cab and went back to
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the hotel. Expensive count out of seven cab pairs one twenty two, sixty
25:48
and one forty. I was just letting myself into my room. When are
25:52
you dollar? That's right? Can I come in? I want to talk
25:56
to you it's about the car, the road testing over the allied. Yeah,
26:00
come on in. Maybe I'm a stuey, but O murder's not in
26:08
my line. What are you talking about? This guy who got killed?
26:11
That driver Johnson? It was a risk he had to figure on. But
26:15
now killing the old man, I'm through. I had nothing to do with
26:18
it. I'll take my rapper. What's coming to me? But not murder?
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Why don't you go to the police. Why I figured you could help
26:26
me. Well, they'll count at it, all right, go ahead,
26:29
tell me who you're talking about Simmons. Simmons was checked out of the test
26:34
area two hours before it happened. That's what you think. MacGregor picked him
26:38
up later and brought him back. He was crouched down on the floor and
26:41
back of the car. Why they were worried about you? You were going
26:45
to drive? Had meant that you'd have to get the business Like Johnson,
26:49
Simmons had to talk the old man into it. They were working together.
26:53
Simmons was working for a stockholder who got booted out of the management when it
26:56
was discovered he'd been mixed up in rackets. He wanted to hurt the company
27:00
and he had what it takes to do it. Simmons knew the old man
27:04
was sore because the company was scrapping me after all these years. Or a
27:07
little by little he got the old man to go in deeper. But then
27:11
they had this beef about you. The old man realized what he'd done.
27:15
He wouldn't go for it. Well, you know how it would up.
27:19
Where are Simmons thou waiting for me at the Kerns Hotel? Will you take
27:23
me there? Yeah? Sure? Where do I call a friend and tell
27:27
him where to meet it? They got a gun, yeah, a service
27:45
revolver. All right, go on and I'm back, Joe. I'll put
27:57
you so long. Did you get the tickets? You gonna need? Anything?
28:15
Expensive? Kind of total including a return fair two hundred and seventeen dollars
28:18
and forty cents remarks. The name of the stockholder has been submitted above,
28:26
and he is currently held by the police. It is my belief he'll be
28:29
able to reimburse your company for all the claims you've paid out from jail.
28:34
Of course, yours Suri, Johnny Dollar, Yours truly Johnny Dollar stars John
28:52
Lund in the title role and was written by David Chandler. With music by
28:56
Eddie Dunsteader featured in Tonight's Path, where Fred McKay, Bill Johnstone, Virginia
29:03
Gregg, Ted Bliss, Clayton, Post High Averback, Eleanor Oddley and Joel
29:07
Kerns. Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar is produced and directed by him Delvaii.
29:12
This is Charles Lyon inviting you to join us again next week at the same
29:17
time one from Hollywood. John Lund returns as Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar,
29:23
welcome back. Well, I don't one thing. I don't walk about this
29:26
in they've used it a couple of times. Is they slog through this entire
29:32
investigation and then we have the all the all too convenient appearance of an accomplice
29:38
with a conscience. And the thing is they've done that before, I think
29:44
at least once, maybe twice. But the overall take was fascinating, particularly
29:49
to take a look at the world of automobile design in the nineteen fifties as
29:57
well as to take a look at the actual solution, because this is almost
30:03
like, well, I don't want to spoil the ending of murder on the
30:08
Orient Expressman. It reminded me of that. Basically, we had a bunch
30:12
of people with what seemed to be varying motives, and the solution turned out
30:18
to be they all did it one way or another except for the why,
30:25
but definitely an interesting time in the history of automobile engineering. Received this message
30:33
from Joan. I have a comment about yours, truly, Johnny Doller.
30:37
I do not know if anyone has said this before, but I feel John
30:38
Lunz sounds so much like Edmond O'Brien. Their style and voices are so similar.
30:44
Well, Joan, thanks for the comment. I don't quite see it.
30:48
Most people will note a difference just because LUN's voice tends to be more
30:57
soft spoken. But if they're sounding similar, maybe more all audio quality or
31:06
something like that. But yeah, they kind of have some very different styles
31:10
because John Edmond O'Brien's is very hard boiled and tense. John LUNs to me,
31:18
is a lot more and us sensitive. But if anyone else has thoughts
31:22
along that line, I'd love to hear you. Email me at Box thirteen
31:25
at Great Detectives dot net. Well, coming up next Saturday, not this
31:30
Saturday, but the next one, we will have our eight hundredth episode special,
31:37
so be looking for that then and then on Tuesday, be sure and
31:41
listen for Call the Police, and Monday we still have the Adventures of Frank
31:45
Race and then Friday. Join us back here for yours, truly, Johnny
31:48
Dowler. In the meantime, send your comments to Box thirteen at Great Detectives
31:52
dot net, follow us on Twitter at Radio Detectives, and call us two
31:56
eight nine nine one four seven eighth three from boys See, Idaho. This
32:00
is your host, Adam Grahamson and off