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The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe - "Stamped for Murder" (1950) · Old Time Mystery Radio | Old Time Radio

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Gloria Kent asks Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin to recover
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: the $ 10, 000 her father spent on what appears to be
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: a fraudulent treasure map. The request leads through old family correspondence,
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: a pair of confidence men, and document expert Ben Sanford
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: in the premiere, episode one, of NBC's The New Adventures
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: of Nero Wolfe. Originally broadcast October 20th, 1950, it stars
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: Sidney Greenstreet as Wolf and Wally Maher as Archie Goodwin.
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: Alfred Bester wrote the script. And now, our story begins.
• 0:38
  Speaker 2: Stay tuned for Nero Wolf.
• 0:41
  Speaker 3: If the chimes shudder a little on Sunday afternoon, well,
• 0:43
  Speaker 3: they know there's mystery in store Sunday with men of
• 0:46
  Speaker 3: action like Mike Waring, better known as the Falcon, who
• 0:49
  Speaker 3: brings his fearless and romantic touch to the solution of
• 0:51
  Speaker 3: another mystery. After the Falcon, it's high adventure. Then the
• 0:55
  Speaker 3: big guy steps in. The new private eye, Charlie Weil,
• 0:58
  Speaker 3: concludes with a few casual homicides. The chimes mean mystery
• 1:02
  Speaker 3: and action this Sunday afternoon on NBC.
• 1:05
  Speaker 2: Transcribed.
• 1:07
  Speaker 4: My boss is the smartest and the stubbornest, the fattest
• 1:12
  Speaker 4: and the laziest, the cleverest and the craziest, the most
• 1:16
  Speaker 4: extravagant detective.
• 1:18
  Speaker 2: In the world... Nero Wolf.
• 1:30
  Speaker 5: It's the adventure of Stamped for Murder with that brilliant,
• 1:34
  Speaker 5: eccentric private detective, orchid fancier and gargantuan gourmet, Nero Wolf,
• 1:39
  Speaker 5: starring Sidney Greenstreet. Nero Wolf.
• 1:50
  Speaker 2: The instructions for this morning, Archie. Your notebook, please. First, Mr. Salinsback.
• 1:56
  Speaker 2: Inform him that the Long Island peafowl he sent were
• 1:59
  Speaker 2: most unsatisfactory. Peafowl's breast flesh is not sweet and tender
• 2:04
  Speaker 2: unless it is well protected from all alarms, especially from
• 2:07
  Speaker 2: the air, to prevent nervousness. Long Island is full of airplanes. Look, Mr.
• 2:12
  Speaker 4: Wolfe, I.
• 2:12
  Speaker 2: I shall want a dozen chickens that have been raised
• 2:15
  Speaker 2: on blueberries. And a fresh-killed lamb for tomorrow. Mr. Wolfe,
• 2:19
  Speaker 2: please listen. There's a... Mr. Goodwin, be quiet. And then
• 2:22
  Speaker 2: dinner on the following day becomes a problem.
• 2:24
  Speaker 4: Mr. Wolfe, dinner any day is going to be a
• 2:26
  Speaker 4: problem if we don't pay Sausenbach's bill.
• 2:29
  Speaker 2: Then pay it. With what?
• 2:31
  Speaker 4: The bank account's empty.
• 2:32
  Speaker 2: Ridiculous. There were $ 4, 000 yesterday.
• 2:34
  Speaker 4: But you bought that shipment of orchid bulbs from Weinold Gluckner. Mr.
• 2:38
  Speaker 2: Wolfe, we need money.
• 2:39
  Speaker 4: You've got to stop eating and drinking beer long enough
• 2:42
  Speaker 4: to earn some... Phew.
• 2:44
  Speaker 2: You're an alarmist.
• 2:45
  Speaker 4: Will you, for the love of heaven, stop turning down
• 2:47
  Speaker 4: clients and turn an honest dollar? I've got a couple
• 2:50
  Speaker 4: of prospects right outside the door.
• 2:52
  Speaker 2: Send them away. No, sir. Send them away. Tell them
• 2:55
  Speaker 2: I'm going to Egypt. Nothing doing, sir. Confound you, Archie.
• 2:58
  Speaker 2: Obey order. Send them away.
• 3:00
  Speaker 4: Miss Kent, Mr. Rodman, come in, please.
• 3:04
  Speaker 2: Confound you, Archie. You're a mutinous.
• 3:06
  Speaker 4: Yes, sir, and you're stuck with it. This is Miss
• 3:08
  Speaker 4: Gloria Kent and Mr. Rodman. They arrived as advertised with
• 3:11
  Speaker 4: a pressing problem.
• 3:12
  Speaker 2: Good morning. You people are here by sufferance only. I
• 3:16
  Speaker 2: shall speak to Mr. Goodman about it later. Yes, indeed.
• 3:20
  Speaker 2: I don't like pressing problems, Miss Kent. What are yours?
• 3:23
  Speaker 6: My father.
• 3:24
  Speaker 2: Indeed, I'm not a court of domestic relations, Miss Kent.
• 3:27
  Speaker 2: What did your father do? Beat you? Unhold your earnings?
• 3:30
  Speaker 2: Discourage your suitors? Mr. Goodwin should have informed you this
• 3:34
  Speaker 2: office does not undertake cases involving marital or family problems.
• 3:37
  Speaker 6: But that's not.
• 3:38
  Speaker 2: If Mr. Goodwin had not been beguiled by your pretty face,
• 3:42
  Speaker 2: he might have warned you and avoided this embarrassment to
• 3:45
  Speaker 2: you and annoyance to me.
• 3:46
  Speaker 4: Now, now, now, now, take it easy, take it easy.
• 3:49
  Speaker 4: How many times have I told you you don't know
• 3:51
  Speaker 4: how to handle women?
• 3:52
  Speaker 2: Then suppose you let Miss Kent handle me.
• 3:54
  Speaker 6: Well, it's simply this, Mr.
• 3:55
  Speaker 2: Wolfe.
• 3:56
  Speaker 6: I had some money my mother left me. My father's
• 3:59
  Speaker 6: just spent it without my permission. I wanted back without
• 4:02
  Speaker 6: a scandal.
• 4:03
  Speaker 2: Tax, Miss Kent. How much? How spent?
• 4:06
  Speaker 6: Ten thousand dollars. Father bought a treasure map.
• 4:08
  Speaker 2: Indeed? From whom?
• 4:10
  Speaker 6: A pair of swindlers named Cross and Halleck. They've driven
• 4:13
  Speaker 6: him crazy, talking about fortunes salvaged from the SS this
• 4:17
  Speaker 6: and the SS that. He's got a map and old letters.
• 4:21
  Speaker 6: He studies. He's childish.
• 4:23
  Speaker 2: Many fortunes have been recovered. Many more await on the
• 4:26
  Speaker 2: sea bottom. How do you know your father has been duped? Well,
• 4:29
  Speaker 2: I know. You do, Mr. Rodman. Yes. Cross and Halleck
• 4:33
  Speaker 2: bought some old letters for me, written by my grandfather
• 4:36
  Speaker 2: from Hawaii. They used them to manufacture the map and evidence.
• 4:40
  Speaker 2: And that's what they sold to Kenton.
• 4:41
  Speaker 6: Father thought he was being so clever. He had the
• 4:44
  Speaker 6: paper analyzed. Of course, the document research laboratory said the
• 4:48
  Speaker 6: letters were genuine.
• 4:49
  Speaker 2: They were.
• 4:50
  Speaker 6: But something new had been added. I'd have never known
• 4:53
  Speaker 6: if Mr.
• 4:54
  Speaker 2: Rodman hadn't told me. You were a party to the swindle, Mr. Rodman?
• 4:58
  Speaker 2: I was not. I never knew what they were up to. Mr.
• 5:00
  Speaker 6: Wolfe, you've got to help me. I can't do anything
• 5:03
  Speaker 6: with Father. I can't convince him. Even Mr. Rodman can't
• 5:08
  Speaker 6: do it.
• 5:08
  Speaker 2: No, Miss Kent, I'm sorry. This is not for me.
• 5:10
  Speaker 6: But you must.
• 5:12
  Speaker 1: You must.
• 5:13
  Speaker 2: Not in my office, madam. No tears. Please, please, Archie,
• 5:18
  Speaker 2: stop her. Okay, okay, okay. Archie, when Miss Kent has
• 5:22
  Speaker 2: finished her disgraceful exhibition, show them out.
• 5:26
  Speaker 6: How dare you?
• 5:27
  Speaker 4: Walk out on us like you were.
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: Easy, easy, easy.
• 5:29
  Speaker 4: I know him.
• 5:30
  Speaker 2: I know him. You don't.
• 5:32
  Speaker 4: He gets into a panic when women cry, or else
• 5:33
  Speaker 4: he's curious about what Fritz is cooking for lunch. Now,
• 5:36
  Speaker 4: just wait a minute, please. Oh, aren't you ashamed of
• 5:41
  Speaker 4: yourself walking out like that on that poor kid?
• 5:43
  Speaker 2: That hysterical gamma.
• 5:46
  Speaker 4: She's lost all of her money. She needs help.
• 5:48
  Speaker 2: I charge high fees, Archie.
• 5:50
  Speaker 4: So charge a small fee. Do you want her to starve?
• 5:52
  Speaker 2: Good heavens. Starve? How monstrous. I'm not kidding.
• 5:56
  Speaker 4: While you'll be in here smelling your dinner, she and
• 5:58
  Speaker 4: her father will be starving.
• 5:59
  Speaker 2: I thought you were bringing me a paying client.
• 6:02
  Speaker 4: Well, this is different.
• 6:04
  Speaker 2: She's... You're beautiful. Archie, you're impossible. Oh, very well. Go
• 6:09
  Speaker 2: back into them. Get names, addresses, facts. I am not
• 6:13
  Speaker 2: committed to Miss Kent's case, but we'll see. Be a
• 6:16
  Speaker 2: tribute I pay for your weakness for a pretty face.
• 6:26
  Speaker 4: Rodman and Gloria Kent were gone, however. So all I
• 6:30
  Speaker 4: had were the few facts they'd given me before they
• 6:32
  Speaker 4: met Wolf. I felt guilty about that when he came
• 6:36
  Speaker 4: back into the office and sat down in his specially
• 6:38
  Speaker 4: built chair. He closed his eyes and I glared at him. Well,
• 6:44
  Speaker 4: how much of you is awake? Mr.
• 6:46
  Speaker 2: Wolfe.
• 6:49
  Speaker 4: Well, they disappeared. Did you tell me you were going
• 6:51
  Speaker 4: to help this girl just to get her out of
• 6:53
  Speaker 4: the office or did you mean it?
• 6:54
  Speaker 2: You're a gadfly. No, sir.
• 6:56
  Speaker 4: No, sir. You made a promise and you're stuck with it.
• 6:58
  Speaker 2: What did you get from Rodman?
• 7:00
  Speaker 4: Name, address, occupation. He's a librarian, that's all.
• 7:02
  Speaker 2: Very careless, Archie. You missed a significant point.
• 7:05
  Speaker 4: Such as?
• 7:06
  Speaker 2: How did Rodman discover the letters he sold were being
• 7:09
  Speaker 2: altered by forgery and used for swindle? How did he
• 7:13
  Speaker 2: locate the duke, Mr. Kent?
• 7:16
  Speaker 4: I guess you're right. I'll ask him next time. But
• 7:19
  Speaker 4: what about now? Are you going to get Gloria's money back?
• 7:21
  Speaker 2: I assume you call Miss Kent Gloria solely in order
• 7:24
  Speaker 2: to annoy me. It does.
• 7:26
  Speaker 4: Stop it.
• 7:27
  Speaker 2: Get Cross and Halleck. On my way. You'll find them
• 7:29
  Speaker 2: at the Hotel Bogart. Wrong, sir.
• 7:32
  Speaker 4: According to my notes, their address is.
• 7:33
  Speaker 2: Never mind their address. The Hotel Bogart is the headquarters
• 7:37
  Speaker 2: for successful confidence tricksters. They celebrate their victories there while
• 7:42
  Speaker 2: the money lasts. You will possibly find Cross and Halleck
• 7:45
  Speaker 2: drinking whiskey or lunching. Probably both.
• 7:55
  Speaker 4: I located Cross and Halleck in the hotel bar and
• 7:58
  Speaker 4: lured them back to our place on 35th Street. Wolf
• 8:01
  Speaker 4: was sitting behind his desk with his hands crossed on
• 8:04
  Speaker 4: his impressive middle, at peace with his lunch and the
• 8:07
  Speaker 4: world when I ushered them in. He sat bolt upright
• 8:11
  Speaker 4: and scorched me with a look.
• 8:13
  Speaker 2: Good afternoon, Mr. Wolfe.
• 8:14
  Speaker 4: The tall one's name is Cross. The short one is Hallie.
• 8:17
  Speaker 4: They want to help me invest my money.
• 8:20
  Speaker 2: Gentlemen, Mr.
• 8:21
  Speaker 4: Nero Wolfe.
• 8:22
  Speaker 2: Huh? Who? Nero Wolfe? What is this? I found you
• 8:26
  Speaker 2: out here. How drunk are they?
• 8:27
  Speaker 4: Not too drunk for business.
• 8:28
  Speaker 2: Let's get out of here. Come on. Wait a minute.
• 8:32
  Speaker 4: You want me to keep them here, Mr. Wolfe?
• 8:34
  Speaker 2: Not by violence, Archie. Come back here, gentlemen. Unless you
• 8:37
  Speaker 2: want seven years in the state penitentiary. Unless what? You
• 8:40
  Speaker 2: got nothing on us, Wolfe. Nothing. I have the Kent case.
• 8:43
  Speaker 4: The Kent?
• 8:45
  Speaker 2: That's a laugh.
• 8:46
  Speaker 4: We're sitting pretty, sitting pretty.
• 8:47
  Speaker 2: You are not, sir. You imagine you possess legal immunity. Mr.
• 8:52
  Speaker 2: Kent believes you are a grotesque balderdash and will not
• 8:55
  Speaker 2: sue for fraud. Miss Kent cannot sue because she is
• 8:58
  Speaker 2: reluctant to accuse her father of wrongfully obtaining her money. Ergo,
• 9:03
  Speaker 2: you think you are invulnerable. Now, listen. But you forget me.
• 9:08
  Speaker 2: I'm a detective with a fee to earn. A big fee. Quiet, Archie.
• 9:11
  Speaker 2: I am determined to get that fee. Therefore, as Miss
• 9:14
  Speaker 2: Kent's agent, I can and will bring action against you.
• 9:18
  Speaker 2: I'm indifferent to her tears or her father's disgrace. I'm
• 9:21
  Speaker 2: indifferent to anything outside of money. You will return the $ 10, 000
• 9:26
  Speaker 2: to me at once, sir, or you will be in
• 9:28
  Speaker 2: jail by morning. You mean that? I do, Mr. Cross. Alex.
• 9:33
  Speaker 4: Yes?
• 9:33
  Speaker 2: Come in. Come on, honey. Uh, okay. Here, Mr.
• 9:43
  Speaker 1: Wolfe.
• 9:44
  Speaker 2: Alec and I have decided we don't want to get
• 9:46
  Speaker 2: in any trouble with you. Here's your ten grand. Uh,
• 9:49
  Speaker 2: let's have it. Give the dough to Kent, Mr. Wolfe,
• 9:53
  Speaker 2: and get the letters and map back for us.
• 9:55
  Speaker 4: You've got a reputation for being tricky, but honest.
• 9:59
  Speaker 2: We trust you. Come on, Halleck, let's go.
• 10:04
  Speaker 4: Well, how about that?
• 10:05
  Speaker 2: Preposterous. No, sir. Take a look.
• 10:08
  Speaker 4: Ten thousand dollars. Genuine coin of the realm.
• 10:11
  Speaker 2: That man crosses a fold. Does he imagine I'm to
• 10:14
  Speaker 2: be fooled so easily?
• 10:15
  Speaker 4: What do you mean he left the money?
• 10:17
  Speaker 2: He surrendered too quickly, Archie. Too easily. And that money
• 10:21
  Speaker 2: in the envelope he was carrying all ready to refund. Why?
• 10:25
  Speaker 4: Well, maybe he's got a better sucker. I heard him
• 10:28
  Speaker 4: mention a Ben Sanford.
• 10:29
  Speaker 2: Nonsense. Does he need Kent's forged letters and map to
• 10:33
  Speaker 2: cheat this Ben Sanford? Couldn't he prepare another set?
• 10:36
  Speaker 4: I guess you're right. Something's fishy.
• 10:38
  Speaker 2: In any event, it's no concern of mine, thank heaven.
• 10:42
  Speaker 4: Why not?
• 10:43
  Speaker 2: I'm not committed to Miss Kent in any way. As
• 10:45
  Speaker 2: a favor to you, I undertook to regain her money.
• 10:48
  Speaker 2: I have done that. You may take it back to
• 10:50
  Speaker 2: her and obtain the forged papers in return. But... Silence, Mr. Goodwin.
• 10:55
  Speaker 2: Go to your redhead charmer. Leave me in peace. I
• 10:59
  Speaker 2: intend to spend this afternoon with my new world atlas.
• 11:08
  Speaker 4: I left him 3,000 miles up the Amazon with his
• 11:11
  Speaker 4: magnifying glass and drove up to East 69th Street. The
• 11:16
  Speaker 4: Kent house was a broken down little brownstone. And as
• 11:19
  Speaker 4: I went up the stoop, the door opened and Gloria
• 11:22
  Speaker 4: Kent burst out like a skyrocket. Hey, Miss Kent, easy, easy.
• 11:25
  Speaker 2: Let go of me. Let go of me.
• 11:26
  Speaker 4: What's wrong? What's wrong?
• 11:27
  Speaker 2: Wrong. Wrong.
• 11:30
  Speaker 6: Nothing is wrong. Nothing at all.
• 11:32
  Speaker 4: Well, how about seeing your father?
• 11:33
  Speaker 6: You want to see my father? Come inside.
• 11:36
  Speaker 2: Oh, for the love of heaven. Come inside, Mr. Goodwin.
• 11:39
  Speaker 6: I'll introduce you. He's in a back room. Come right
• 11:42
  Speaker 6: through the living room.
• 11:43
  Speaker 2: What else came through this living room?
• 11:45
  Speaker 4: A hurricane?
• 11:46
  Speaker 1: No, Mr.
• 11:46
  Speaker 2: Goodwin.
• 11:47
  Speaker 6: Something else. There's my father, Mr.
• 11:51
  Speaker 2: Goodwin. What in the devil? He's dead. His throat's cut.
• 11:58
  Speaker 6: Father, this is Archie Goodwin from Mural Wolf. He and
• 12:02
  Speaker 6: his boss refused to help while they could.
• 12:04
  Speaker 2: Maybe he can help you now.
• 12:05
  Speaker 4: Stop it.
• 12:06
  Speaker 6: All I'm good for now is revenge. That's all, Father.
• 12:08
  Speaker 4: Stop it. Stop it and look at me.
• 12:11
  Speaker 2: When did it happen?
• 12:13
  Speaker 6: I don't know.
• 12:13
  Speaker 2: When did you find them? Just now. Keep looking at me.
• 12:17
  Speaker 4: Who went through this house like a hurricane? You?
• 12:18
  Speaker 2: No. Where did you go after you left the office?
• 12:21
  Speaker 2: To the laboratory.
• 12:22
  Speaker 4: What lab?
• 12:23
  Speaker 6: Document research. The place that checked the map.
• 12:27
  Speaker 4: How long were you there?
• 12:28
  Speaker 6: Until an hour ago. I was with Mr.
• 12:30
  Speaker 4: Rodman.
• 12:31
  Speaker 2: Keep looking at me.
• 12:31
  Speaker 4: And then?
• 12:32
  Speaker 6: I had lunch.
• 12:34
  Speaker 2: With Rodman?
• 12:35
  Speaker 3: Alone.
• 12:36
  Speaker 6: And then I came home.
• 12:36
  Speaker 2: All right. All right, now listen to me.
• 12:38
  Speaker 4: I want you to go to Mr. Wolfe's house right now.
• 12:40
  Speaker 4: Have you got cab fare?
• 12:41
  Speaker 3: Yes.
• 12:41
  Speaker 4: All right, take a cab. I've got to stay here,
• 12:43
  Speaker 4: but I'll call Mr. Wolfe and tell him you're on
• 12:45
  Speaker 4: the way. Now, get! I called Wolfe, told him everything,
• 12:54
  Speaker 4: and he instructed me to advise Inspector Kramer, who arrived
• 12:58
  Speaker 4: with the homicide squad. I gave the inspector everything while
• 13:02
  Speaker 4: the squad photographed and measured, print dusted and detected. At 3.30,
• 13:07
  Speaker 4: Kramer took me back to the house on 35th Street
• 13:10
  Speaker 4: for a fight with Wolf.
• 13:11
  Speaker 2: It's a great story, Wolf, great.
• 13:14
  Speaker 7: Kent buys a phony treasure map. Everybody knows it's phony
• 13:17
  Speaker 7: except Kent. But Cross and Halleck try to buy it back,
• 13:20
  Speaker 7: and Kent gets himself murdered.
• 13:22
  Speaker 2: Did you find the map and letters in the house, Inspector? No, no,
• 13:26
  Speaker 2: I didn't. The killer was after the map. A phony map? Certainly. Why? Well,
• 13:31
  Speaker 2: if we knew that, we would know why Cross and
• 13:33
  Speaker 2: Halleck so willingly paid back the money and why Kent
• 13:36
  Speaker 2: was murdered.
• 13:37
  Speaker 4: Maybe it's not phony.
• 13:39
  Speaker 2: I'd better see the girl now. Oh, you fancy her
• 13:41
  Speaker 2: for the murder? Well, I'll know after I ask a
• 13:43
  Speaker 2: few questions. Tonight. She's had a shock, Mr. Kramer. She
• 13:47
  Speaker 2: needs rest. Look, Wolf, I want her. Why bother with
• 13:50
  Speaker 2: her when there's so much to be done? Yes, such as?
• 13:53
  Speaker 2: Cross and Halleck, find them. And the mystery man they
• 13:56
  Speaker 2: spoke of, Ben Sanford. He's the man you want now,
• 14:00
  Speaker 2: not this poor, overwrought girl. Well, all right. The girl
• 14:05
  Speaker 2: will be here for questioning tonight, though, huh? Tonight, Mr. Kramer. Okay.
• 14:10
  Speaker 4: You'll hear from me later on. Well, you buffaloed him
• 14:16
  Speaker 4: out of that okay.
• 14:17
  Speaker 2: Say, why don't you want her questioned? Is she guilty?
• 14:20
  Speaker 2: I don't know. Well, what did she say when she
• 14:23
  Speaker 2: got here? She said nothing. She never arrived. She never what?
• 14:27
  Speaker 2: She never arrived.
• 14:29
  Speaker 4: Well, then why did you tell Kramer she was resting?
• 14:31
  Speaker 2: Would he have believed the truth? She must be far.
• 14:35
  Speaker 2: More important, we must learn why forged letters and forged
• 14:39
  Speaker 2: map produces turmoil.
• 14:41
  Speaker 4: Find the killer and you find the map. You said so.
• 14:44
  Speaker 2: I said the reverse, which is an altogether different statement. Archie,
• 14:49
  Speaker 2: I want a photograph of that map. Get it. Oh, sure, sure.
• 14:53
  Speaker 4: Any particular camera you want me to use?
• 14:56
  Speaker 2: You'll find a photograph of 200 Vanderbilt Street.
• 14:59
  Speaker 4: Are you kidding?
• 15:00
  Speaker 2: The lab cannot check the authenticity of old papers without
• 15:03
  Speaker 2: photographing them in ultraviolet light, infrared light, and so on.
• 15:09
  Speaker 2: If this document research lab has examined those papers, they
• 15:14
  Speaker 2: will have photographs. Get them!
• 15:21
  Speaker 4: He got out of his chair and waddled back to
• 15:23
  Speaker 4: the house elevator. It was four o'clock and time for
• 15:27
  Speaker 4: his regular afternoon session with the Orchids. I drove down
• 15:31
  Speaker 4: to the document research laboratory on Vanderbilt and got such
• 15:34
  Speaker 4: a shock that I grabbed the office phone and dialed
• 15:36
  Speaker 4: Wolfe at once.
• 15:37
  Speaker 2: This is Meador Wolfe. Mr.
• 15:45
  Speaker 4: Wolfe, Archie here.
• 15:46
  Speaker 2: What's the matter? Are you lost? No, sir.
• 15:48
  Speaker 4: No, sir, but I found something.
• 15:49
  Speaker 2: Photographs? No, Mr.
• 15:50
  Speaker 8: Wolfe.
• 15:51
  Speaker 4: I don't think you'll ever see any photographs of the
• 15:52
  Speaker 4: Kent map. I don't think any were taken.
• 15:54
  Speaker 2: Indeed.
• 15:55
  Speaker 4: But guess who runs the document research laboratory?
• 15:58
  Speaker 7: No.
• 15:59
  Speaker 2: No, no, no, no. Don't guess. You probably know. A
• 16:02
  Speaker 2: man named.
• 16:03
  Speaker 4: Ben Sanford, and he's sitting right here looking at me.
• 16:06
  Speaker 2: Bring him home with you.
• 16:07
  Speaker 4: Home? But it's four in the afternoon. This is the
• 16:11
  Speaker 4: sacred hour when you pray over your orchids.
• 16:13
  Speaker 2: Then Mr. Sanford can join the ceremony. Hey, how about
• 16:25
  Speaker 2: this place? How about it? There must be a million
• 16:28
  Speaker 2: flowers up here.
• 16:30
  Speaker 4: No, not flowers.
• 16:31
  Speaker 2: Orchids only. Mr. Wolf has 10,000 plants. Never saw anything
• 16:36
  Speaker 2: like it. And you never will again, brother. Hey, what
• 16:40
  Speaker 2: kind is that on the bench?
• 16:42
  Speaker 4: Oh, that. That's our pride and joy. Odontogosum harianum. Above them,
• 16:47
  Speaker 4: the Van Peter Serana, and the pink ones are the
• 16:50
  Speaker 4: Cilogiani Panderatas. Now, the large object mulching flowerpots is Nero Wolfe.
• 16:57
  Speaker 2: Mr.
• 16:57
  Speaker 4: Wolfe, then Sanford.
• 16:59
  Speaker 2: Good afternoon, sir.
• 17:01
  Speaker 4: Hi.
• 17:01
  Speaker 2: I came along to be obliging. I've got nothing to
• 17:04
  Speaker 2: say about anything. How much have you offered Cross and
• 17:07
  Speaker 2: Halleck for their treasure map? No comment. Mr. Sanford, I'm
• 17:10
  Speaker 2: going to make some assumptions. I assume that you are not,
• 17:13
  Speaker 2: in fact, a document expert, but an accessory to the
• 17:16
  Speaker 2: fraud of Hallican Cross. No comment. You actually prepare fraudulent
• 17:21
  Speaker 2: maps for those swindlers, and then, in the guise of
• 17:24
  Speaker 2: an expert, guarantee their authenticity. No comment. That is your
• 17:28
  Speaker 2: must answer. You did guarantee the authenticity of the map,
• 17:32
  Speaker 2: and that is can't bought. It's on record. All right,
• 17:35
  Speaker 2: I did. Then will you admit they were forged? What
• 17:39
  Speaker 2: are you, a comic? No. You guarantee the value of
• 17:42
  Speaker 2: the Kent map? Yes. As an expert? Yes. Then you've
• 17:46
  Speaker 2: convicted yourself of murder. Murder? What is this? Mr. Kent
• 17:51
  Speaker 2: was murdered, sir. Evidently for the map and letters he bought.
• 17:54
  Speaker 2: But of all persons involved, you alone believe in the
• 17:57
  Speaker 2: value of the map. No one else does. Therefore, you
• 18:00
  Speaker 2: alone would have murdered Kent for the map. For the
• 18:02
  Speaker 2: love of... Now, wait a minute. Wait a minute.
• 18:04
  Speaker 4: Chew it over, brother.
• 18:05
  Speaker 2: Chew it over. Either way, he's got you. Okay. Okay. Okay,
• 18:09
  Speaker 2: you want me to level? Here it is. Level, Archie. Okay, boss.
• 18:14
  Speaker 4: Thief-type talk.
• 18:15
  Speaker 2: It means tell the truth. It's like you say. The
• 18:17
  Speaker 2: letters were bought from Rodman. I forged the map and
• 18:20
  Speaker 2: evidence on them. I guarantee them to Kent. The swindle.
• 18:25
  Speaker 2: The letters are without value? Oh, sure. They're old, that's all.
• 18:28
  Speaker 2: From 1851. Just tired family gossip and stuff. Indeed. There
• 18:34
  Speaker 2: we have the problem again, Archie. Kent is swindled with
• 18:37
  Speaker 2: a map and letters that are known to be worthless.
• 18:40
  Speaker 2: He alone believes the fantasy of the treasure. There isn't
• 18:43
  Speaker 2: any treasure. Never was. Yet Cross and Halleck refunded the
• 18:47
  Speaker 2: swindle money so eagerly. It is obvious they want those
• 18:50
  Speaker 2: worthless documents back badly. Someone else wants them so badly,
• 18:54
  Speaker 2: he murders Mr. Kent.
• 18:55
  Speaker 6: Why?
• 18:56
  Speaker 4: I don't know.
• 18:57
  Speaker 2: Ah, gee, we must find the girl. There's a chance
• 19:00
  Speaker 2: he turned to Mr. Rodman for refuge. I'm sorry, you'll
• 19:03
  Speaker 2: have to go there at once. If the girl isn't there,
• 19:05
  Speaker 2: bring Rodman. Yes? Hello, Rodman.
• 19:18
  Speaker 4: Remember me?
• 19:19
  Speaker 2: I'm Archie Goodwin from Nero Wolfe's office.
• 19:21
  Speaker 4: Oh.
• 19:22
  Speaker 2: Oh, yes, good.
• 19:23
  Speaker 4: I came to get Gloria Kent.
• 19:24
  Speaker 2: There's been a change in plans. Tell her to come out, please. Gloria? Well,
• 19:28
  Speaker 2: she's not here. Where should she be? Haven't you heard?
• 19:31
  Speaker 2: Heard what?
• 19:32
  Speaker 4: Well, I guess you'd better come down and see Wolfe.
• 19:34
  Speaker 2: Uh, Mr. Goodwin, I'm afraid I can't. I'm rather busy.
• 19:36
  Speaker 4: Look, Rodman, maybe you ought to know. Old man Kent
• 19:39
  Speaker 4: was murdered.
• 19:40
  Speaker 2: What? Yes.
• 19:41
  Speaker 4: Yes, just after you and Gloria left us.
• 19:45
  Speaker 2: Kent murdered? Well, this is awful, Mr. Goodwin.
• 19:49
  Speaker 4: You want to see Mr.
• 19:50
  Speaker 2: Wolf now?
• 19:51
  Speaker 4: Get your hat.
• 19:52
  Speaker 5: Murder?
• 19:53
  Speaker 2: Well, believe me, I never wanted this. I'm going to
• 19:55
  Speaker 2: tell Nero Wolf the whole mess, every word of it. Okay, then,
• 19:58
  Speaker 2: come on, let's go. Yes, of course, just a minute.
• 20:00
  Speaker 2: I'll get my hat in the bedroom. Murdered? Kent, I
• 20:03
  Speaker 2: never dreamed.
• 20:05
  Speaker 4: Oh, Come on, Rodman. Come on, Rodman. Come on.
• 20:12
  Speaker 3: What?
• 20:14
  Speaker 4: I didn't hear you.
• 20:16
  Speaker 2: Oh, Rodman. What the... Rodman. Oh, Rodman. Good Lord. What next?
• 20:28
  Speaker 4: Come on.
• 20:33
  Speaker 2: Come on. Is it nearer, Wolf?
• 20:37
  Speaker 4: Archie here. We've had a tough break.
• 20:40
  Speaker 3: Yes?
• 20:40
  Speaker 4: While I was waiting for Rodman at the front door,
• 20:42
  Speaker 4: he went into the bedroom for his hat.
• 20:43
  Speaker 2: The killer was there. How do you know?
• 20:45
  Speaker 4: He cut Rodman's throat.
• 20:46
  Speaker 2: Devil.
• 20:47
  Speaker 4: The back window was open. It's the ground floor apart
• 20:49
  Speaker 4: when he was out and gone before I had a chance.
• 20:51
  Speaker 2: Archie, where were you with?
• 20:53
  Speaker 4: Let me alone. I've had a man murdered 20 feet
• 20:55
  Speaker 4: from me. You think I'm cheering?
• 20:57
  Speaker 2: Mr.
• 20:58
  Speaker 8: Kramer is here, and he has news for us, Archie.
• 21:01
  Speaker 8: Could not locate Cross and Halleck in their apartment. They
• 21:04
  Speaker 8: had not been home all day. The maid informed him
• 21:06
  Speaker 8: that she was waiting for her weekly salary.
• 21:08
  Speaker 4: Well, so what?
• 21:10
  Speaker 2: She was most angry and peppery.
• 21:13
  Speaker 1: Mr.
• 21:13
  Speaker 2: Kramer informs me.
• 21:15
  Speaker 4: Red pepper?
• 21:16
  Speaker 2: Exactly. Okay.
• 21:19
  Speaker 4: Okay, maybe I know what you mean. I'll try to
• 21:22
  Speaker 4: deliver the goods this time.
• 21:24
  Speaker 2: Goodbye.
• 21:31
  Speaker 4: I drove down to the apartment house on Gramercy Square
• 21:33
  Speaker 4: where Cross and Halleck lived, took the elevator up to
• 21:35
  Speaker 4: the 10th floor, found the right door, and slipped in
• 21:38
  Speaker 4: with a passkey. Come on out. Come out wherever you are.
• 21:50
  Speaker 4: I know you're in here. You fooled Kramer pretending to
• 21:52
  Speaker 4: be the maid, but you didn't fool Wolfe.
• 21:54
  Speaker 2: You'd better... Sorry.
• 21:56
  Speaker 4: Cut it out. Cut it out, you idiot.
• 21:58
  Speaker 2: Lay off. Archie, Archie, you dope. Archie Goodwin from Nero
• 22:03
  Speaker 2: Wolf's office.
• 22:03
  Speaker 4: Remember me? Give me the gun, Gloria.
• 22:07
  Speaker 2: Give it to me. That's right. Who.
• 22:12
  Speaker 4: Who did you think I was?
• 22:15
  Speaker 2: Oh, brilliant. So Wolf figured you out, huh?
• 22:20
  Speaker 4: You are a brave girl. They killed your father... You
• 22:23
  Speaker 4: came up here and waited for them. You were going
• 22:24
  Speaker 4: to kill them right back, huh? Oh, that red-headed temper.
• 22:29
  Speaker 4: And you bluffed Kramer into thinking you were the maid.
• 22:31
  Speaker 6: I had to do something.
• 22:33
  Speaker 2: It was the only thing I could think of to
• 22:35
  Speaker 2: come here and kill him. Well, you're coming home with Archie.
• 22:39
  Speaker 4: And just remember one thing. When Wolf's working for you,
• 22:43
  Speaker 4: don't try to do any thinking. It only gets in
• 22:45
  Speaker 4: Wolf's way. I got Gloria Kent back to the house
• 22:56
  Speaker 4: at 7 o'clock. I parked the car, brought her into
• 22:59
  Speaker 4: the office, and got the shock of my life. There
• 23:01
  Speaker 4: was a convention on. Wolf was there with Inspector Kramer
• 23:06
  Speaker 4: representing the cops. Cross, Halleck, and Sanford were there representing
• 23:09
  Speaker 4: the crooks. When Kramer saw Gloria, he scowled first at
• 23:14
  Speaker 4: her and then at Wolf.
• 23:16
  Speaker 7: So it was a slick one after all, Wolf. You
• 23:18
  Speaker 7: didn't have the girl. You had no intention of producing her.
• 23:21
  Speaker 2: Please, Mr. Kramer, that can wait. That other matter's more important.
• 23:25
  Speaker 2: I dine at eight. That leaves me one hour to
• 23:27
  Speaker 2: solve your murders. Murders? More than one? Yes, two.
• 23:32
  Speaker 4: Elmer Rodman. I haven't good one of you.
• 23:34
  Speaker 2: Please, Mr. Kramer, not now. First, Miss Kent. Good evening,
• 23:38
  Speaker 2: Miss Kent. I presume you have met these gentlemen across
• 23:41
  Speaker 2: Halleck and Sanford? I... I... I'll take your purse, please.
• 23:45
  Speaker 6: Why?
• 23:46
  Speaker 2: Don't think me as naive as Mr. Goodwin, miss. When
• 23:50
  Speaker 2: you left your home after the murder of your father,
• 23:52
  Speaker 2: you took the map and letters with you. They are
• 23:54
  Speaker 2: in your purse now. Oh, that is true. Archie, the purse.
• 23:59
  Speaker 2: Thank you. We have here an interesting situation. There exist
• 24:03
  Speaker 2: some old letters and map, forged and fraudulent. You're worth $ 10, 000
• 24:08
  Speaker 2: and more to cross in Halleck and worth two murders
• 24:10
  Speaker 2: to a killer. Why? There must be something of great
• 24:14
  Speaker 2: value in the letters. Yes, such as? Something which Mr.
• 24:17
  Speaker 2: Sanford could not see, although he worked on the document closely.
• 24:22
  Speaker 2: Yet something which could be made manifest. What is the answer,
• 24:25
  Speaker 2: Miss Kent? You know it?
• 24:26
  Speaker 6: I swear I don't.
• 24:28
  Speaker 2: Secret writing, Archie. Bring the chafing dish from the dining room.
• 24:31
  Speaker 1: Right.
• 24:32
  Speaker 2: Secret writing? I saw nothing when I worked on those letters. Naturally, Mr. Sandler,
• 24:37
  Speaker 2: the writing is invisible. The heat is an agent. It
• 24:40
  Speaker 2: makes most forms of secret writing visible. The chafing dish, boss.
• 24:44
  Speaker 2: Thank you, Archie. Place it before me and light it. Right. Now,
• 24:48
  Speaker 2: I open Miss Kent's purse. From it, you see, I
• 24:51
  Speaker 2: withdraw these ancient letters which she took from her house
• 24:54
  Speaker 2: after her father's murder.
• 24:56
  Speaker 6: That's not true.
• 24:57
  Speaker 2: Archie.
• 24:58
  Speaker 4: That's enough, Gloria. That's enough. From now on, you just listen.
• 25:01
  Speaker 2: We remove the letters from the envelope and toast them gently.
• 25:05
  Speaker 2: The secret ink vintage 1851 will easily succumb to the
• 25:09
  Speaker 2: agency of heat. Careful. Those envelopes will catch fire. Hey, hey, hey.
• 25:14
  Speaker 2: They're caught. Don't be upset, Mr. Cross, Mr. Hallock. The envelopes.
• 25:19
  Speaker 2: They'll burn safely in the dish. We can concentrate on
• 25:22
  Speaker 2: the writing. Watch closely. I don't want to be accused
• 25:25
  Speaker 2: of trickery. You fat fool. The envelopes are everything. Put
• 25:28
  Speaker 2: them out, Sanford. Don't sit there. Put them out. Why, Mr.
• 25:30
  Speaker 1: Haddock?
• 25:31
  Speaker 4: Well, the stamps, the missionaries, they're worth a fortune.
• 25:33
  Speaker 2: The missionaries? Of course. You know that. Mr. Cross knows.
• 25:39
  Speaker 2: So does Mr. Sanford, right? Yeah, yeah.
• 25:41
  Speaker 5: Of course Sanford knows, you old fool.
• 25:44
  Speaker 2: Mr. Sanford is not alarmed. Why not, sir? I don't
• 25:47
  Speaker 2: know what you're talking about. Fifty or a hundred thousand
• 25:49
  Speaker 2: dollars is burning before your eyes, Mr. Sanford. Cross and
• 25:53
  Speaker 2: Halleck are burning their fingers, putting out the flaming envelopes.
• 25:57
  Speaker 2: And you sit there quite indifferently. Why? Well, I... You
• 26:02
  Speaker 2: know the value of the missionary stamps on the letters
• 26:04
  Speaker 2: you bought from Rodman. But you know these aren't the
• 26:08
  Speaker 2: real letters. Isn't that it? Not the real letters? I
• 26:11
  Speaker 2: told you I'm tough to crack, Wolf. You didn't fool
• 26:13
  Speaker 2: me with those dummies. Dummies? How do you know?
• 26:16
  Speaker 6: Mr.
• 26:17
  Speaker 2: Cross didn't know. Mr. Halleck didn't know. How did you? Well, I...
• 26:21
  Speaker 2: I'll tell you, sir. Only one man could know I
• 26:24
  Speaker 2: was framing Miss Kenton for McCoy. Only one man could
• 26:28
  Speaker 2: know I prepared these dummy letters and pretended to take
• 26:31
  Speaker 2: them from her purse. And that is the killer. The
• 26:34
  Speaker 2: man who murdered her father and stole the map and
• 26:37
  Speaker 2: letters this morning. You sir, Mr. Sanford. Well, I'll be.
• 26:41
  Speaker 6: Mr.
• 26:41
  Speaker 2: Kramer, there's your killer. You'll find the missing map and
• 26:46
  Speaker 2: letters on him or concealed in his home or office.
• 26:50
  Speaker 2: You won't need the evidence anyway. Look at his face.
• 26:52
  Speaker 2: He's self-confessed.
• 26:54
  Speaker 4: Self-confessed like fun? He was booby-trapped.
• 27:05
  Speaker 2: No, Mr. Crane. Not a complicated case, really. Very simple.
• 27:11
  Speaker 2: Elmer Rodman sold a packet of old family letters to
• 27:14
  Speaker 2: the Swindlers for a small sum. They used the letters
• 27:17
  Speaker 2: to perpetrate their fraud on Miss Kent's father.
• 27:20
  Speaker 6: And the stamps on the letters were valuable?
• 27:22
  Speaker 2: They were a special Hawaiian issue 1851, Miss Kent. Nicknamed
• 27:26
  Speaker 2: missionaries because missionaries used them for writing home. They had
• 27:30
  Speaker 2: extremely rare stamps worth upward of $ 25, 000 each. Hey, no
• 27:35
  Speaker 2: wonder they were worth two murders. We found five of
• 27:38
  Speaker 2: them on Sanford. Excellent. Somewhere or other, Rodman discovered the
• 27:42
  Speaker 2: value of the stamps after he sold the letters. In
• 27:45
  Speaker 2: his effort to get them back, he communicated his discovery
• 27:47
  Speaker 2: to the Swindlers.
• 27:48
  Speaker 4: Cross, Hallock, and Sanford. So that's why they refunded the
• 27:51
  Speaker 4: money so fast.
• 27:52
  Speaker 2: Precisely. In an effort to have the sale rescinded. Rodman
• 27:56
  Speaker 2: sought out Kent and tried to convince him of the fraud. Alas,
• 27:59
  Speaker 2: he would not listen to the truth, Mr. Kramer. Oh,
• 28:02
  Speaker 2: I get it.
• 28:03
  Speaker 7: While the others were hassling around, Sanford tried to steal
• 28:06
  Speaker 7: a march and quietly resorted to murder.
• 28:09
  Speaker 2: Ah, there you have it. Ha-ha!
• 28:11
  Speaker 4: Great job, boss.
• 28:12
  Speaker 2: Great job.
• 28:13
  Speaker 4: So Gloria not only gets her ten grand back, but
• 28:16
  Speaker 4: five times twenty-five, which is about a hundred and twenty-five
• 28:19
  Speaker 4: thousand worth of goodies. Now, figuring your rates by the hour,
• 28:23
  Speaker 4: that means you've done a gratis job worth about.
• 28:25
  Speaker 2: Yes, Ken. I did not, nor will I demand a
• 28:28
  Speaker 2: large fee for what I have done. I will not
• 28:30
  Speaker 2: go back on my word. But I can beg for
• 28:33
  Speaker 2: a favor.
• 28:34
  Speaker 6: I'll only be too happy.
• 28:36
  Speaker 2: Wait, wait, wait. I asked something that will not be
• 28:39
  Speaker 2: easy to grant.
• 28:40
  Speaker 6: What is it?
• 28:41
  Speaker 2: Will you use your red hair, your pretty face, your
• 28:43
  Speaker 2: admirable figure, and your ample fortune to lure Mr. Goodwin
• 28:46
  Speaker 2: away from this house tonight? I would like to enjoy
• 28:50
  Speaker 2: my dinner in peace.
• 28:51
  Speaker 6: That won't be difficult, Mr.
• 28:53
  Speaker 2: Wolfe.
• 28:54
  Speaker 4: Let's have an understanding right now, Gloria. Difficult for you
• 28:57
  Speaker 4: or for me?
• 28:58
  Speaker 6: I'll be delighted.
• 28:59
  Speaker 2: Indeed. To spend an evening with Mr. Goodwin, there is
• 29:02
  Speaker 2: only one word for you, Miss Kent. Intrepid. Intrepid.
• 29:18
  Speaker 5: You have been listening to The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe,
• 29:21
  Speaker 5: starring Sidney Greenstreet. Tonight's story by Alfred Bester was based
• 29:27
  Speaker 5: on the famous characters created by Rex Stout, produced by
• 29:31
  Speaker 5: Edwin Fadiman, and directed by J.
• 29:33
  Speaker 2: Donald Wilson.
• 29:35
  Speaker 5: In the cast were Wally Mayer as Archie Goodwin and
• 29:39
  Speaker 5: Gene Bates. Howard McNair, Jay Novello, Larry Dobkin, Bill Johnstone,
• 29:44
  Speaker 5: and Herb Bygren. Music by Joseph Eman. Next week at
• 29:50
  Speaker 5: this same time, Nero Wolfe and Archie will bring you
• 29:52
  Speaker 5: The Case of the Careworn Cuff.
• 29:56
  Speaker 3: Don Stanley speaking. The preceding was transcribed. Three chimes mean
• 30:02
  Speaker 3: good times on NBC. The chimes ring for Dennis Day
• 30:05
  Speaker 3: and Judy Canova tomorrow night on NBC. Also, Judy Canova
• 30:08
  Speaker 3: prepares to go operatic tomorrow because her special guest is
• 30:11
  Speaker 3: Itzio Pimza.
• 30:13
  Speaker 2: This is Chester William Bendix-Rad. The Man Called X follows
• 30:16
  Speaker 2: on NBC.
• 30:24
  Speaker 1: This has been The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe with
• 30:26
  Speaker 1: Stamped for Murder. Good evening until another case from radio's
• 30:30
  Speaker 1: detective files. Follow Old Time Mystery Radio for more classic
• 30:35
  Speaker 1: mystery and detective broadcasts.