Latest / Great Detectives of Old Time Radio Volume 2|Mystery Audio Dramas / Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Matter of Reasonable Doubt, Parts Three and Four (EP1121)

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Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Matter of Reasonable Doubt, Parts Three and Four (EP1121) · Great Detectives of Old Time Radio Volume 2|Mystery Audio Dramas

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Welcome to the Great Detectors 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 Detectors dot net, follow us on Twitter at
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Radio Detectors, and become one of our friends on Facebook, Facebook dot com
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slash Radio Detectors. Well, before we do get started, I want to
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encourage you as you're making your holiday travel plans. Remember Johnny Dollar Air dot
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com. Johnny Dollar air dot com is a Priceline affiliate. You get all
1:00
the benefits of going through price Line, including being able to name your own
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price or choose from great publish affairs on hotels, rental cars, airline tickets,
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and even more so, when you're making your travel plans, remember the
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name Johnny Dollar Air dot com and part of your purchase price goes to support
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the show. Now it's time for us to continue on with parts three and
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four of a Matter of Reasonable Doubt from Hollywood. It's time now for Johnny
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Dellar. This is Susan Gramley. Mister Dollar. Oh, yes, how
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are you, mister Wilson. There's somebody there with you. Yes, that's
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entirely correct. Well, just listen. Then it's all fixed, mister Dollar.
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Grandmother is expecting you. She'll be alone for the next few hours,
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so come on out to the ranch. You're certain of that statement, I
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suppose, yes, of course, Uncle Walter went into Vegas and add Hilda's
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gone somewhere. Yes, I'm quite aware of that. You mean she's there
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with you. That's right, Oh, mister Dollar. You men are all
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alike, aren't you. That's quite a remark for a person your age.
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Mister Wilson, Oh, I'm quite mature for sixteen. Has she made her
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pitch yet? I think we'd better postpone this discussion until the next time we
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meet. Well, she always does. You know, she's a regular vampire.
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I think your uncle Walter is gonna kill her someday, mister Wilson,
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Yes, sir, goodbye, tonight and every weekday night. Bob Bailey in
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the transcribed Adventures of the Man with the Action Packed Expense Account, America's Fabulous
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Freelance Insurance Investigator, Yours truly, Johnny Dollar. From Special Investigator Johnny Dollar,
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location in Las Vegas, Nevada, to the home office American Northern Trust
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Company, Hartford, Connecticut. Assignment the matter of reasonable doubt expense account continued.
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Item nine, A half a buck tipped to the hotel bell captain to
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call a taxi for Hilda Gramley and to wave goodbye to her as she drove
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away. I do not include the six brandy she guzzled. Those are on
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me. Of course, she had knocked on my door uninvited, so that
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made it her party. But still it was my room, so that made
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her my guess. So I forget it. The whole thing left me too
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confused to itemize it. She'd obviously come on a fishing expedition, the fish
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information bait, the usual but nicely designed results, none on either side.
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What had started out as a trust case, it turned into a snipe hunt.
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I was in over my head, floundering, and I needed some good
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buoyant answers. I was hoping missus Greeley herself could supply a few of them.
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I'm very glad to meet you, mister dollar. Sit down. She
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wasn't young, and she wasn't beautiful anymore, but she had been once.
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She still had some of that assurance and authority that beauty always gives a woman.
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She seemed a little uncertain, Little Harriet maybe but underneath it just as
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tough as an old field boot. I think you'd better leave us alone now,
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Susan, okay, gran, If she starts using her brass next give
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a whistle, mister Dollar, I'll rush in and save you. Thanks,
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I'll remember. Oh she's a brash little flibberty gibbet. And you love the
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dickens out of her, don't you love? Yes, I do love the
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dickens out of her, mister Dollar. Is that what you came out here
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to find out? No, I knew that already, Otherwise she wouldn't have
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wanted to transfer all your holdings to her. How did you know about that?
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Just? Who the devil are you? Anyway? Seems to me Susan
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was pretty vague on that score. She had to be. She doesn't know,
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then, why did she? And I ought to see you? Oh
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she decided I looked honest claim she's got a knack for that sort of thing.
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As a matter of fact, she has. And also she loved her
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father and mother. What do you mean by that, missus Greenley? I'm
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here because your friend Jonas Parks of the Flint Rock Bank sent for me.
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What. I'm a special investigator for the Amicron Northern Trust Company in Hertford,
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Connecticut. Why Jonas didn't say anything to me? He hasn't had a chance.
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He intended to when he was here this afternoon, but you were too
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ill to see him. Ill. I didn't even know he was here.
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Your nephew and his wife did. He talked to them. Tell me,
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mister Dalla, just why did Jonah send for you because he thought you might
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be losing your mind? Oh? He did, did he? Are you?
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Well? If you thought so, you wouldn't have said it so bluntly,
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right, I don't think so. What made Jonas think it? You
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asked him to set up an insurance trust for the benefit of your granddaughter,
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Susan. Apparently the intent was to convey your entire estate to her over a
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period of two to three years. What's so crazy about that? Nothing at
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all, so far as that part of it was concerned. But it didn't
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stop there After he got the proceedings started, you turned skittish on him,
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started the flutter. Jonas is a fool. He is not a fool,
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and you know it. He's been your friend for twenty years. He's completely
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trustworthy, conscientious, and he has your best interest at heart. Uh,
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how much is he paying you to say things like that? Nobody is paying
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me but the Amican Trust Company. And furthermore, you know it. All
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you're doing is trying to dodge the issue. Young man, I'm not accustomed
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to being talked to this way. Then you're going to look at it as
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a refreshingly novel experience. You sound like Susan and an experience you don't entirely
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dislike. Presumptuous. Well, maybe are you married, mister Dollar? No,
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what a pity, I'm not thirty years younger. What a pity I'm
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not thirty years older. Oh, thank you, sir. And now let's
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stop scratching each other's backs and get to the point. All right. Jonas
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is a fine man, no doubt he did have reason to get upset.
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These past months have been well, I suppose I haven't seemed like myself at
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all. Why is that? Oh you're like a bulldog with a boone,
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mister Dollar? Carefull how you talk about you might have been lover? What
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has been wrong these past months? Maybe I am losing my mind because actually
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nothing has been wrong. I don't agree. I think something is wrong right
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now? Then, why don't you tell me about it, all right?
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How right? I will? Apparently I'll have to if we ever expect to
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get anywhere. All right, some months ago you stopped going into town,
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stopped having visitors. Then you decided to get rid of your estate, turn
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it over to Susan. When your nephew Walter heard about it, he implied
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to Jonas Parks that you were losing your mind. Then you yourself started to
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back down on the idea. Why was Walter putting pressure on you? Not
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exactly? What were you scared of, missus Gramley. It's got something to
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do with Walter and Hilda, right, sit down. Almost a year ago
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I discovered that the two of them were stealing me, blind, tampering with
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the ranch accounts, forging signatures, all sorts of ways. Why didn't you
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take it to Jonas or to the police, Because I didn't believe it at
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first. By the time, I was absolutely sure they'd cut the ground out
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from under me. So you tried to convey the property to Susan secretly,
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yes, until Walter learned what I was doing. Who's the push in that
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pair? Who's got the brain? Why she has? Walter doesn't even have
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the gumption to get in out of the rain on his own. Then she
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must have been the one who planned the auto accident and he went along with
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it. Of course, what auto accident three years ago and your son and
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his wife were killed on the road. I'm sorry, missus Greeley. I
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I supposed you'd already guessed guessed what that it was? Probably murder. Ah
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old lady tired and lost, seeing herself surrounded by enemies, living in fear,
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but she at least knew one thing that she wasn't alone. Now that's
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somebody else believed her and was on her side. Don't worry about her,
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mister Dollar. She'll be all right. Well, she had quite a shock,
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Susan. She had to know sometime. Oh, it's not a matter
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of no exactly, It's only suspicion, all right. Do you go to
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your church and I'll go to mine. But I know Walter and Hilda murder
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my parents, and I think you know it too. Call it a real
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strong suspicion. Then, so what are you going to do about it?
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What do you suggest I do about it? Advise my elders. I'm only
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a helpless young female. You're about as helpless as a mongose with a cobra
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flattery, just a statement of facts. Say, look, what do you
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think they've been doing with the money. They've cheated your grandmother out of Oh
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that's easy, Uncle Walter. Gambles and gambles and gammoning and loses and loses.
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Uh huh, he's not real bright. You know why does he do
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this? Different joints in Vegas? Just one, mostly a club called the
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Lead Balloon. And the name figures any special reason he hits that particular club.
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I think it's the only one that'll take his IOU's the owner, came
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out here to collect a couple of times. Happy to know his name?
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Sure, I got big ears. His name is Deuce McCoy. Deuce McCoy,
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the Lead Balloon and the rest of the dough Hilda. She's what's known
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as a luxury dame. Mister dollar. Yes, i'll bet you gather a
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last week, I'll send you out of the room. Yes, sir.
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Does she run around with other men? Oh? Mister do all right?
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Then? Do you happen to know any of them? Nope, I've managed
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not to, but it hasn't been easy. One or two? Or does
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she play the field? I wouldn't know, but she's always getting gifts from
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somebody. Oh she's a real cool operator. But of course you know that
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you've been one of her victory. How would you like to get spanked?
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I don't know. I've never been, but I can quote you all kinds
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of psychology about it. Take for it. Never mind, good nights.
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Yeah, your name McCoy, Deuce McCoy. Yeah, that's right, Johnny
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Dollar. I'd like to talk to you about a mutual acquaintance. What mutual
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acquaintance? Welder Gremley? He's across the room there at the moment, fucking
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one of your craft tables. Money in dollar? Thanks? All right?
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Now what about Gramley? How much is he into you? Nobody gets into
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me. You've been taking his IOUs, haven't you? He buys him off
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holding any Now, look what's the pitch I want racket of you in insurance?
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What's that got to do with Grammy? I don't think he's a very
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good risk, meaning he's probably going to be doing time for embezzlement before long.
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So why are you telling me about this when I thought you might be
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interested since you've been taking as I owe you? Oh big heart? Is
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that it just being neighborly. And you might put it that way here,
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and I might not. Now what is your angle? It's Gramley, a
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personal friend of yours, no more than any other sucker out there at the
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tables. Then you wouldn't know where he gets the money he loses. Well,
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that I never asked. And I don't suppose you know his wife.
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Oh he's married. Her name is Hilda. She likes gifts and brandy and
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money and excitement. Then I hope she manages to find him whoever she is.
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Oh she does, one way or another. We all got her problems
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down. Yeah, but some of us more than the others. Right mccoin
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speaking your piece now, not another word to say? Well, and I
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don't I don't want to rush you. But hey, that's a nice cigarette
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case platinum, isn't it. I wouldn't know it's not yours. Somebody left
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at the table somebody huh. Then you don't know who it belongs to him.
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If I did, i'd give it back. Then I'll save you some
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trouble. Mister McCoy. I do know who it belongs to him. What
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makes you think so? Because I saw it earlier today? It belongs to
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Hilda grimly, Johnny Dollar, you're there? Sure? I'm here? What
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I mean? It's your hotel? Is this, Susan? That's right?
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Why aren't you out there, mister Dollar? Where on the old Boulder cut
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off? If I'm supposed to meet you there in fifteen minutes, you're gonna
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wait a minute, Wait a minute? What the devil is this all about?
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Where'd you get any idea? I was supposed to meet you from your
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friend? What? Sure? He phoned you a few minutes ago? He
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said, I should slip away from the ranch, take the station wagon and
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meet you over on the old road right away. I just phoned your hotel
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on the off jet. Wait. I don't imagine he gave his name,
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no, and I didn't recognize the voice. Susan, listen, get away
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from there right away. Don't go near that road. Come straight here to
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my hotel. Do you understand it? Yes? But why what's it all
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about? Never mind? Just get here and get here fast while you're still
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alive. From Special Investigator Johnny Dollar, location in Las Vegas, Nevada to
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the homeowner, Sama con Northern Trust Company, Hartford, Connecticut. Assignment a
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matter of reasonable doubts. It was only nine thirty PM, less than two
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hours since I'd thrown my rock into the pool to stir up the fish.
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I'd expected results, sure, but not this fast and not this deadly.
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I'd picked a gambling casino owner named Deuce McCoy as my broadcaster, and i'd
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let him know who I was, why I was here, and what I
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was going to do. Apparently then news had gone out fast. But I
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couldn't figure this move. Even with young Susan out of the way, they
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still couldn't get their hands on her grandmother's estate. It didn't make sense,
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at least not right then. One thing, though, that I was sure
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of. If Susan Gramley had driven out that deserted road alone, she'd have
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never come back, not alive. It wasn't it's me, mister doll,
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all right? Just a second? Well, come on in, Susan begs.
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I guess it's really it's eye. Though I mean to be correct.
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I don't care whether it's I or me, just as long as it's you.
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Isn't that again? Oh? Skip it? Do you have any trouble?
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I missed the green light at Fremont and Fifth. Anybody folly from the
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ranch? No? Who was there? When you left. All of them,
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Uncle Walterer and Hilda had just come in together. Can you beat it?
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And it wouldn't have been Walter who phoned you. Oh not him.
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He's got a kind of a sneaky undertone. I'd have recognized him right away.
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And you didn't recognize the voice on the phone. No, he didn't
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say much, just that he was a friend of yours and you wanted me
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to meet you right away, so I said okay, and he hung up.
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I see, well, maybe you do, but I don't What did
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you mean when you said get here? Why you're still alive? I wish
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I knew. Look, Susan, that phone call wasn't just a practical joke
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then, you do know? I know somebody was trying to get you out
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on that desert alone tonight. And they weren't trying it just for laughs.
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I mean, the luckiest thing you ever did was to pick up that phone
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and call this hotel. But why, mister Dollar, Why would anybody want?
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That's what I don't know. I don't see what they hope to gain
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by it. They know the trust hasn't been set up yet. Your grandmother's
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still in control of the property, not you look. Excuse my ignorance,
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but I don't think I know what you're talking about. Well, maybe it's
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time you did, since you seemed to be right in the middle of it.
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Now, look, your grandmother decided to set up an insurance trust and
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convey all her holdings over to you. To me, Graham was gonna do
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that. Jonas Parks at the Flint Rock Bank started proceedings, then got coal
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feet. He got the idea there was something screwy behind the whole thing,
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so he wired Hartford and the trust company sent me out here to investigate.
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But Graham never said a word. She didn't even mention it. She was
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scared to death, afraid Walter and Hilda would find out and block her off,
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have her declared incompetent, get control of the estate, and leave you
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clear out in the coal. She thinks a lot of you, Susan Grand's
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the most, isn't she? How did she seem when you left? Back
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on her feet? Oh, better than she's been in months, more relaxed.
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She's counting on you, mister dollar. Yeah, well, I wish
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I could be sure. She couldn't. Look that phone call I got if
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Uncle Walter and Hilda weren't behind it, then, then who was? Oh?
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I don't know. I'm pretty certain that by now they know who I
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am and why I'm here, and they know I'm out to get them.
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I dropped the word a couple of hours ago. I figured they'd react,
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all right, But I didn't expect this move against you. But there has
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to be somebody else in on it, mister Dollar. Neither of them made
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the phone call. Yeah, I know, but nobody else even knew about
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the trust. Jonas Parks did, and Will Connors of the Weekly Tribune.
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But they've been friends of Grant's for years and years. They wouldn't do anything
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to harm her. I didn't say they were, And they couldn't have had
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anything to do with the accident that killed my parents. Nobody could have accept
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Hilda and Uncle Walter, unless, of course, it was just an accident.
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You know better than that, mister Dollar. Oh, I'm beginning to
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wonder if I actually know very much about any of this. Susan, Listen,
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how scared are you? Oh? I'm not scared at all. I'm
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just bewildered. I get good, then you won't be afraid to stay here
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alone for a while. Of course, not sounds kind of grown up in
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fact. Yeah, well all right, then don't leave the room, keep
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the door locked, and don't let anybody in. If someone should try,
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call a manager and have him call the police, don't answer the phone unless
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it rings twice. That'll be me, got it? Got it good?
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Hey, there are a couple of magazines there on the nightstand. Can I
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ask you what you're going to do? Mister Dollar. Sure you're gonna ask.
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See you later, Susan stinker. I'm kind of hoping you'd go up
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ron wasn't sure i'd find you here, mister Conna Is this time of night
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the paper comes out tomorrow, mister Dollar, Oh sorry, I didn't know.
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I always stay around late to night before press stage just in case a
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big story breaks. Uh, got to be here, you know, to
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break down the front page and remake the galley. All them's technical terms.
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Course. Oh I see, yeah, I was kind of hoping you might
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have a story for him. But now maybe that scoop we were talking about.
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Nope, not sure. Well, I can hold the present until nine
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thirty am in the morning, but that's the last dog gone final zero hour
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and a minute later come calamity, Cataclysm, where high water. The Tribune
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has got the roll. Yeah, sure, well maybe you'll have your scoop
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before nine thirty. Mister Connors, you mean you're working on a clue shure
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hot dog? Yep, you said it. You getting close to the new
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emend see the new emen. Yeah, that's a technical word, and that's
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when the detective always pounces. Oh yeah, well, well I'm not about
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the pounce at the moment, mister Connery. Yeah, well, keep your
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voice down, son, Why there's nobody else here? You never know on
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this kind of a case. Wow, let's take a chance. All right,
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I'm game if you are. God. I've got a couple of questions
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I'd like to ask you, shoot, Son, you know anything about a
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gambler named Deuce McCoy owns the lead balloon casino over across town. Well,
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I know who he is, all right. He don't own it, though,
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he just runs it for a syndicate, works on a salary, I
21:15
mean salary and percentage. I reckon he ain't getting rich on it, though,
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not the way he lets it get away from him. And what just
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two words, son, Women Hilda Gramley wouldn't be one of them, would
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she wats a new one on me if she is, of course, you
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live and learn you sure, yeah, and be right cozy if something like
21:36
that was going on. Her husband spends half his time in McCoy's place.
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Yeah, I know you figured Deuce McCoy is tied in on this Gamley thing.
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I don't know. You want to do me a favor, mister Connors,
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Well, just sing it out, young fella with this coopl Listen,
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Young Susan Gramley is in my room over at the hotel. You don't say
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so well, but in her mind it's a long story. I hate to
21:56
have her there alone, So how about going over babysitting for a while.
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Sure, i'd be glad to a right. I'll phone her first so she
22:03
won't lay you out with an ashtray, and I'll keep in touch with you.
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If there's a story, you'll get it. Meanwhile, lam up right,
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I'll see you later. Yeah. Do you pack a gun, mister
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dollar? Sometimes? Why Deuce McCoy does too. All the time, the
22:26
evening was just starting in the lead balloon, with two crab tables already in
22:30
action, two more standing by, and a roulette wheel warming up. No
22:33
one paid any attention when I walked back through the casino to the office.
22:38
I waited what I considered a reasonable length of time, then tried the knob
22:42
so I was unlocked. Gone buys, dear beat it. The girl was
22:48
alone in the office, sprawl back on the sofa, drinking her hands.
22:51
And it was pretty obvious it wasn't her first one, or her second or
22:53
third. She'd have been a real knockout. Sober snay, don't you understand
23:00
english? I said, get out? Where's McCoy? What's it to you?
23:06
Feeling no pain? Cut it? Buster? Must have been a pretty
23:10
big pain, though earlier I was taking this one's to kill it. Go
23:12
on and get out of here. You think you are to talk like that?
23:17
Johnny Dollar? Who are you? Get away from that desk. If
23:23
Deuce finds you messing around in here, he'll kill you, even if I
23:27
told him I was a close friend of yours. You rat, I'll call
23:33
one of the boys and get you thrown out of here. Oh, I
23:36
wouldn't. Might make an awful scandal, and I don't think Deuce would want
23:40
that, not right at present? What are you talking about? Oh?
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Come, now, you're in a two, aren't you? You're well when
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you're not with the police. I know them all your FBI. Oh what
23:53
makes you say that? Look if Deuce is in a jam, I don't
23:56
know anything about it. What's your name? Nicki? Nicki Vernon, Nikki,
24:00
sit down and relax. Now, where's Deuce McCoy? I think if
24:08
I knew, I'd be sitting here by myself lushing it up. I suppose
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you were McCoy's girl before Hilda Gramley cuts you off, cut me out nothing.
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That rotten little sneak's been asking for it, and I'm about ready to
24:21
give it to her. You here this evening. You see any blood on
24:22
the rug? Just let me catch that jerky? And what about Walter Gramley?
24:32
Was he here? Yeah? Earlier, he's here in the office for
24:36
about an hour. I don't know what they talked about. Deuce made me
24:38
get out, and Deuce left right afterwards half an hour or so. He
24:42
had a way to make a phone call first. I see you. Well,
24:48
if you're smart, you'll forget him. Nikki. I've got a hunch
24:51
he's not coming back, sir. He's gonna go off with that dirty bucket.
24:57
He's going off because he's in a jam. That's one thing you were
25:00
right about and by now he must know the whole thing is falling apart.
25:03
I think he'll try to run for him. How to kill that dame?
25:07
Why? Why don't you throw away that bottle and forget about him? He's
25:11
no good Nikki. You know that, don't you sure? I know it?
25:15
Then? Why are you beating your heart out over him? You've never
25:21
been a woman. Have you missed a dollar? Now? Here's our star
25:41
to tell you about the final intriguing episode of this week's story tomorrow. I
25:45
tagged the pitch too late and a runner gets home the score wonder nothing in
25:51
favor of death? Join us, won't you? Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar?
26:04
Yours Truly Johnny Dollar is starring Bob Bailey, is transcribed in Hollywood,
26:08
written by Less Crutchfield. It is produced and directed by Jack Johnstone. Be
26:14
sure to join us tomorrow night at same time in station for the next exciting
26:18
episode of Yours Truly Johnny Dollar. Roy Rowan speaking wha wha, Welcome back.
28:02
Well. I love the precocious teenage girl in the story. It's a
28:07
nice little feature kind of lins the mood, even though there's some very serious
28:11
things going on here. Just some great interactions between her and Johnny Dowler.
28:17
I have to say regarding the end. As I was listening to that,
28:22
I thought, Wow, that's that line's deep and and I thought, what,
28:26
you've never been a woman? Well yeah, kind of obviously, but
28:32
I know what she's saying. It just it just sounds weird. It's a
28:36
closing line to the show because when you close a show with that line,
28:38
it kind of emphasizes that in a way that if it were at the end
28:44
of a scene and you were going on to another scene, it wouldn't necessarily
28:47
Well that said, let's go ahead and get on to listener comments and feedback,
28:52
and we begin with Tim, who says another story set in New England,
28:56
the sheriff's accent is a modified Parker Finley, a yup, eye yup,
29:03
like Barry Craig's elevator operator. These California radio actors all sounded the same
29:08
when playing a Southerner, a Yankee, a Texan. At Brooklyn I there
29:12
was no subtle shading between Charlottesville, Virginia, Charleston, South Carolina, or
29:18
Montgomery, Alabama. They played stock characters and used standardized voices. For the
29:23
most part, radio was a mass medium going out to the whole country,
29:27
distinctive regional accents would be confusing. Well, in defense of the program,
29:36
here both Barry Craig's elevator operator and this town and the sheriff are all come
29:44
from Vermont. Well, I know there's some variation with some states, you
29:49
know, bigger states like Ohio. How much variation did you have an accent
29:56
in nineteen fifties Vermont? And so anyway back to Tim's note, then Johnny
30:07
meets Martin peebe a PENI the neighbor mending the wall. I recognize that voice
30:11
immediately. Robert Frost the poet or a good imitation. His opening speech was
30:15
a paraphrase of Frost mending the wall, the good fences make good neighbor's poem
30:23
the reson up bear tone followed the pitch, the cadence, and the pacing
30:27
Frost used when resigning. It's not just my imagination. And he links to
30:33
a soundboard dot com where there's a spot where you can hear Robert Frost reading
30:38
a poem. So I assume that Les Crutchfield wrote a prestige of Frost,
30:45
and Johnstone tells actors to imitate frost voice. Was FROs Frost voice, generally
30:51
known not as common as Carl Samdberg's, who did a lot of radio work.
30:56
I suppose I could do some Internet research and find out for sure.
31:00
He did go ahead head to google some gates and found that the first phonograph
31:07
recording for Caveman came out in nineteen fifty six. This episode is from July
31:11
nineteen fifty six. It would have been just out fresh in the minds of
31:15
yours, truly, Johnny Dollars, writers and producers. I can see Johnstone
31:19
playing his brand new Frost LP over and over for the actor until he got
31:25
the accent down perfectly. I think that's actually quite plausible, and it would
31:30
make sense because they're doing this particular story in New England and I that's why
31:36
I like the listeners we have, because that's not a connection I would have
31:38
ever found. So thanks so much for that, Tim. Then we have
31:45
another listener comment, this one from Mike, who says, I really enjoy
31:52
your podcast, especially since you started doing the Bob Bailey serial Johnny Dollar episodes.
31:57
I just have a couple of comments. I had trouble recognizing one of
32:01
the episodes. I've heard them already, because you apparently misspelled the word quay
32:07
as ka for the quai bono matter. No big deal, but it was
32:10
a bit confusing. Well, thanks so much on that point, Mike.
32:15
I will say that I've found various spellings of this. I think three or
32:22
four different spellings for how this should be, and I think I just ended
32:28
up going with the one that made the most sense. But I probably should
32:31
revisit and re edit those at some point. So thanks for pointing that out,
32:37
and I'll make sure we get the correct one there, he says.
32:42
As for surely, Mr Shirley Mitchell, I was saying to hear of her
32:46
passing and grateful that you brought my attention to it. I know her primarily
32:51
from her appearance on Fiber McGee and Molly, where she played Alice Darling.
32:54
I found it somewhat fitting that she died on November eleventh. As Alice,
33:00
a character introduced on the show as a wartime factory worker who boards with the
33:04
mcgeeese. She was a welcome voice on the show and I'm sure her presence
33:07
helped Minie Gies get through the war a little easier. As for the Johnny
33:12
Dollar appearance, I didn't have the cast list to refer to, but I'm
33:15
sure her that her voice as the waitress. She couldn't She quite possibly could
33:22
be playing both the letter writing neighbor and is it Millie the waitress. I
33:28
appreciate the inponent's great to have the podcast of the Johnny Dollar episodes. Keep
33:31
up the good work. That's possible. But as I look at the cast
33:37
list, there's only two women listed. The other beings Inette no one,
33:43
and I think there were only two female parts in the whole story, So
33:50
I think that I think that it's it was probably the part of the waitress.
33:59
So so much for the email MOC. And then we have a comment
34:04
regarding the tears of not Matter. William says, I must say I wasn't
34:10
very impressed with the resolution of this mystery. It's simply strange believabil that the
34:15
jeweler would go through all these machinations, all the double crossing and trouble crossing
34:20
and murder, just to get back the necklace he sold to the widow so
34:22
he could resell it and have enough cash to elude the police for a few
34:25
years. He wasn't even the delusional kind of criminal who believed he would get
34:30
away with it. He himself admitted that eventually he would be caught. I
34:34
realized that he was an old man in a desperate financial situation. But it
34:37
just seemed so preposterous to me. That's just my opinion. I can kind
34:46
of see that. The thing is that, really this situation, if he
34:52
had sat down and schemed this out, I would be with you. I'd
34:58
be like, you know, he just kind of thought, hey, I
35:00
sold a necklace to this lady, I could make the copy. In this
35:04
case, the situation fell into his hands. And I think for someone who
35:10
was used to living the high life, who was used to respectability and perhaps
35:16
luxury and the figures we hear, you know, twenty five thousand and fifty
35:22
thousand really wouldn't get you far. But we have to remember inflation. So
35:29
this was, you know, a good two three hundred thousand dollars with which
35:34
he could have one last fling before going to prison. And if if pleasure
35:40
and luxury is the most important thing in life, and you don't have any
35:45
kids, or any legacy, or see any value of your life apart from
35:50
the material things you have, then I think his view become his actions become
35:55
a little bit more understandable. William goes on to write, But one thing
36:00
that still bothers me is the fate of the jewels that Johnny mailed to himself.
36:02
Did I misinterpret his last words or did he imply that he took them
36:06
for himself. I'll stand for the last two days of expenses myself. I
36:09
didn't have any business sticking my nose in the jewel end of it. But
36:13
if you make me pay for them, don't ever try to hire me again.
36:17
Pay for what. He couldn't be referring to the last two days of
36:20
expenses, because he just said they were on him. The only other than
36:24
he could be referring to would be the jewels. The only explanation that I
36:28
could think of that would be consistent with Johnny's characters. The jewels were lost
36:30
in the mail, and that he was refusing to pay for the loss,
36:34
if that's what he meant. And I have to say that was lost on
36:37
me when I first heard the ending. The way that line was worded,
36:39
it sounded to me like he was taking the jewels as a consolation prize,
36:43
as definitely would go against Bob, against his character, at least Bob Bailey's
36:50
version of the character Charles was Russell's version. I wouldn't be too sure about
36:54
well. I think even Charles Russell's Johnny Doller would think twice before saying,
37:01
Okay, I'll go ahead and eat the cost of these last two days on
37:07
the expense account, but I'll go ahead and take this fifty thousand dollars necklace
37:13
as a consolation prize. The way I interpreted the end of the story is
37:20
it didn't have anything to do with the jewels. I think what he was
37:24
saying, and you know, we think about these emails that I receive,
37:32
and even back in the nineteen fifties and sixties, people would send and they
37:39
would call people on things that were not accurate or correct in their betrayal of
37:45
certain professions. And I could just imagine somebody who lived on an expense account,
37:53
who dealt with expense account sending letters into CBS to the Johnny Dollar producer
38:00
and saying, you know, you can't get away with some of these things
38:01
that he puts on the expense account. You know, he if he goes
38:08
off to investigate a murder, has nothing to do with the investigation of why
38:13
he's there. That's not that's not going to be something the company would be
38:17
liable for. Uh So I see this in a way as an answer to
38:22
that. The way that I read it is Johnny saying, I will you
38:28
know, if you want to dispute this and say it wasn't my it wasn't
38:31
any of my business to get involved in the murder investigation or the jewelry business,
38:38
then you're right, and I'll go ahead and I'll pay those expenses.
38:44
But if you go ahead and you make me do that, you're not hiring
38:45
me again. It was an odd way of communicating for a guy because it
38:51
was not straightforward. I wish they would have said it more straightforward. It
38:54
couldn't be talking about the jewels because we have no information to indicate that the
39:00
insurance company had insured them, And if the insurance company did have a policy
39:05
on them, then his getting involved in the jewelry business would be perfectly legitimate.
39:10
So I read it as him, basically any in a somewhat sneaky way,
39:17
giving an ultimatum to the insurance company and saying, you know, if
39:24
you you know, if you guys want to insist on the very strict letter
39:29
of the law and the very strict rules for what you're paying. You're going
39:32
to just be sticklers about this When I've been through all of this hassle because
39:37
you people sent me out there and I was in the office of your agent.
39:44
You know you're right, You're technically right that you're not liable for the
39:49
expenses, but we are not going to have a working relationship again. And
39:53
you know, with Johnny's reputation and the fact that so many insurance companies call
39:59
on him, when I'm dealing with cases that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars,
40:02
it just makes sense to go ahead and eat the extra padding on the
40:07
expense account. That answer wasn't too long. I'm already thirteen minutes on this
40:15
commentary, so better hurry up and wrap it up. One my last comment
40:19
from Todd, who just says, I want to say that I really enjoy
40:22
listening to Johnny Dollar podcast. Did you ever hear the one where one of
40:27
his friends makes up a matter to get Johnny to go fishing and relax?
40:30
Todd, I have not listened to that. I'll be honest that with the
40:36
detective shows that we do on the series, I listened to them as you,
40:42
as listeners get to them over the years as we've added programs, I've
40:46
had some series where I've listened to quite a few episodes in advance, just
40:50
over time in my own private recreational listening, because I've been doing the Johnny
40:55
Dollar cereal consistently. I think I've listened to one or two cases with each
41:00
of the Johnny Dollars. So i think I've listened to a grand total of
41:05
two of the one hundred and seventy nine post serial Johnny Dollars, and I've
41:10
read a lot of synopsis is a scan through them in John c Abbott's book,
41:15
The Who Is a Johnny Dollar Matter, And I'm definitely eager to get
41:21
to them and enjoy them and discover them with the listeners. Thanks so much
41:24
for the question, Todd, and that will do it for today. We'll
41:28
be back tomorrow with Nick Carter, and then on Friday join us back here
41:34
as we wrap up the matter of reasonable doubt and also conclude Belladonna was poison
41:40
In the meanwhile, send your comments to Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot nat,
41:45
follow us on Twitter at Radio Detectors, and to come one of our
41:49
friends on Facebook, Facebook dot com, Slash Radio detectives from Boise, Idaho.
41:52
This is your host, Adam Graham, sogn and off.