Latest / Great Detectives of Old Time Radio Volume 2|Mystery Audio Dramas / The Fat Man: Order for Murder (EP0792)

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The Fat Man: Order for Murder (EP0792) · Great Detectives of Old Time Radio Volume 2|Mystery Audio Dramas

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Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This
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is your host, Adam Graham. If you have a comment, email it
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to me Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot net. Follow us on Twitter at
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Radio Detectives, and become one of our friends on Facebook, Facebook dot com
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Slash Radio Detectives. Well, this is the last episode of The Fat Man.
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Join us next Tuesday. We will be bringing you Call the Police,
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and we'll talk a little bit about The Fat Man movie after we get into
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today's show. Today's episode is Order from Murder, Originally broadcast May the twenty
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third, nineteen fifty one. Stay tuned for tonight's adventure with the Fat Man.
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Perhaps you don't believe in the kind of ghosts that's supposed to haunt houses,
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but there are other kinds. Ghosts to words, once spoken, ideas,
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once held, personality is once present. They linger in our memories,
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and a walk in our nation's capital past the time haddled buildings which have witnessed
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so much of America's history, can revive them. These are the memories,
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the all pervasive ghosts of Washington. But for those of us who are unable
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to visit the Capital. The same warm familiarity with the heroes of America's past
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is possible through the program Mister President starring Edward Arnold. Mister President, Too,
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brings history to life Tonight on ABC. There he goes, stepping on
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the scale. Wait, two thirty seven pounds? Fortune dangers? Who is
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it? Brad Runyon the Fat Man? Time, like death and taxes,
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is always with us. As long as they are crooked politician us an ambitious
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racket guys, the answer will be grand. If rich women continue to be
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careless with their jewels, there'll be headline robberies. And until somebody can change
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human nature, hatred in the heart and a gun in a hand will always
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add up to murder. The American Broadcasting Company brings you in part transcribe the
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adventures of Brad Running the Fat Man, starring Jay Scott Smart, an exciting
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and fast moving criminologist who tips the scales of two hundred thirty seven pounds Tonight's
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adventure Order or Murder. I've been in Washington, DC that day, finishing
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up a cob and a friend of mine who lives some forty miles south toward
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the Maryland coast and asked me down for the weekend. I hadn't seen him
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several years since I had my car. I decided to go. I ate
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dinner before leaving, and cleared Washington just after dark. Traffic dwindle off gradually.
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Thirty minutes later, I was rolling along a dark, deserted stretch of
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road on the Maryland side, not far from the Potomach River. I must
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when the motor of my car sputtered in time, I got out and I
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couldn't find the troubles. A warm night, and back in the woods the
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carus of frogs were really whooping it out. I lit a cigarette, trying
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to remember the last conse i'd passed. Then saw the headlights of a car
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coming towards me. I stepped out and waved my lighted cigarette up and down
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at the tubble my car broke down. Can you give me a lift into
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the nearest time? I'm going at fun? Well? Do you live out
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here where I could use the phone? Get in? I think it's far.
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I'm gone at the house. I will drop you up. Don't they
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have a phone where you're going? I wouldn't know. Get in if you
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want to write okay, thanks yeah, and then lighting a cigarette. Fummy
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you're keeping your mouth. I'll hold a match for you here. You sorry,
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I should have warned you about the Scott Why didn't mean that's all right?
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Come on hold the match boy here, Well go ahead. That's to
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be how it happened. I'm used to it seven years. It's a long
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time. Yeah, out of the island, that sweet, lovely, wonderful
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war. Maybe you know? I know? Oh it was great, wasn't
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it more fun? So funny? I thought i'd die, you know,
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And aims O'Riley, Johnny O'Riley. And I'm not a kid. She couldn't
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tell about the face because you no, I guess I couldn't remember that name,
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mister, because you're probably gonna be staying in the paper soon. Why
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I got a lot out of that war, but I didn't get the medals,
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and I should have got one too, the big one. They didn't
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get it. Tony got it? You know who've got it? Who a
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major got it? Tie that if you can't a major back of the lines,
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will let me do the work. And then took the credit. I
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was hanging out in a hospital for more years than I like to remember.
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Why didn't they try and plastic surgery. They did five times the best they
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could do, and it's really fun. A long time coming back, but
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I'm back now seven years lately. You were in the hospital seven years Yeah,
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why didn't you protest when they gave this major the medal instead of you?
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I did? It didn't do any good, No way, I'm glad
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now, man. Yeah, I'm gonna make another protest in my own way
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as far as I can. Take a turn off down that little road over
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there. Thanks for the lift and that pleasure may mean somebody that talked,
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mind if I give you some advice? No, I don't mind. Forget
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the war. Make the best of things as they are. Guess what I'm
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gonna do? The river down that way, isn't it? Yeah? Anything
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else? Yeah? Major? Down it am. I stood there, watching
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the tailight of his car quickly felt out of sight down the little dirt road.
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It really it wasn't any of my business, but the guy sounded up
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setting enough to do anything. At least I could do was to try and
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stop him. I wondered how far it was the river and started walking fast
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down the little dark road. I going about a mile when the road turned
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off to the right and I could see the Potomac River through the trees.
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The road now ran parallel of the river, and five minutes later I saw
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the lights of a house up ahead. It stood well back from the road
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and a clump of trees in fronted on the river. There were no cars
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inside. Beyond it, a couple of hundred yards was another house. I
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started toward it, when suddenly, down in the woods between the two houses,
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I saw the flicker of a small light flashed on furtily around and went
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out. I pushed into the woods and walked cautiously toward it. George,
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they comes down there in the grave yards. I guess you're not, George.
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I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you. Who are you are?
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In one of them? One of who spirits? Who are coming for
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the major? Major? Yes, Major Smith. I knew they'd come.
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I knew they'd hear me. And now you're suffering. Now you're paid for
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his wickedness. Does the Major live in that house? No, that's my
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house. He lives over there beyond the grid yard. At least he did
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live there, but he won't live there anymore, not after to night.
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Nancy, where are you here? I asked, George over here, What
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you're doing. I was here, Miss Nancy. You gets cool. You
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just saw them. They were down there in the graveyard. Who's this man?
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But I don't know My name is running. I'm looking for Major Smith's
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house, a friend of you. No, I've never faceship, but I've
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never watched this George, George, you see us for her? You see
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she ain't quite right and they hit, but she don't mean no harm.
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Mister Smith coming here to live after all these years and bringing a new young
10:00
wife with him just saw to set it off again. Why does she hate
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Major Smith so much? Well, years ago when Miss Nancy and Miss Smith
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with both young folks, he was engaged to get married, but he changed
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his mind at the last minute. He left Miss Nancy waiting at the church.
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You run off with another woman? What's all that crazy to talk about?
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Sparring? Oh, that's just an idea. She's got that little graveyard
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over They belonged to the Smith family. Miss Nancy thinks his instances is coming
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out of the ground and take him away. My saying, this young wife
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as Smith, she isn't the one he ran off for when he left Miss
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Nancy as she Oh, no, that one died a long time ago.
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This is a new one, and if he asks me, he's gonna be
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sorry. Every late eye is on hook. What do you mean by that?
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I mean she don't love him at all. It says you only married
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him for his money, and she liked to get that just as soon as
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possible. You only am and left me standing there in the woods. I
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looked down toward the graveyard, but no more lights showed in the darkness.
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I went back to the road and walked quickly toward the major's house. Just
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as I reached the gate, I heard a car coming along the road behind
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me. I stepped behind a tree and waited. The car stopped near the
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gate. I saw a man and woman sitting in the front seat. As
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I watched, they melted into a long embrace. Then the door opened,
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the woman got out. She said something in a low voice to the man,
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and the car swung around and disappeared up the road. The woman turned
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and started up towards the house. She came abreast of my eyes. Stepped
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out from behind the tree. Oh oh, you started me. Don't be
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frightened. I'm not going to hurt you. Who are you? What are
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you? Doing in my yard. You live here, of course I live
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here, I missus Smith, your major Smith's certainly was that the major who
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just let you out of the car? You saw it? It wasn't the
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major wasn't. No, it wasn't. Who are you? My name is
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Running. I'm a private detective. So my husband hired you to spy on
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me. All right, I'll save you some trouble. There is another man,
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and there always has been. I never loved Edgar, and he knew
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it. He was no good from the start. That's why he was court
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martial and discharge from the army. But if he wants to get rid of
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me, he's going to have to pay plenty. Now, anything else you
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want to know? Missus Smith? Your husband hasn't hired me. In fact,
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I've never even seen him. Well, then why are you here?
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What do you mean by it? A minute? I met an upset guy
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in the road, and I mean hate Smith. I think you may try
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to kill him. Sounded mad enough to be convincing. That's why I came
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here. Your husband at home? Why, yes, at least he was
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when I left several hours ago. Come on, let's go inside. Very
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well, the guy dropped me back on the main road and headed in this
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direction. He was in a car, yes, and I don't see it
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anywhere. Oh does Smith have a gun? Yes, he has several of
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them. Good. Hold, what if you look there through the French doors?
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Is that the man? Yeah, you've got a gun. Yeah,
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he's covering your husband with it. What do we do? Those French doors
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are open? Can you enter the front door without making any noise? Okay,
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take your time, go inside and go around and open the door to
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that room. Open it fast and loud. What are you going to do?
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I'll stepped over by those open French doors. Let door open, so
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he'll turn around and I'll grab him from behind shoots when I opened the door,
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don't step into the room, just bang the door open suddenly. Missus
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Smith nodded silently and started to the front door. I used over to the
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house and stopped in the shadows beside the open French doors and listen to Johnny
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taunt the major air. How do you like it? How do you like
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this? Nare waiting on and you're gonna get it in a minute. You're
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inshane. Don't imagine that? Yeah, Lenny, man, it's been boiling
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in me for seven years. You probably don't recognize because the name is O'Riley
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Smith, remember Johnny O'Riley. I don't know what you're talking about. Talking
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about a certain night in the islands on the water. Okay, come on
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it, crap that gun chat from grab the gun? Smith? Try this
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beside. Patty told him you'll get away. No, no, let him
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go that gun. You can't. I'll stop him. I couldn't help it,
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feelish. I couldn't seem to move. Yeah, I think so.
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You need me the scommach not to window to me. He got away with
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my husbands fault. He could have stopped him or his gun. Here it
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is, give it to me. What are you going to do? Your
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husband and I are going out and find that guy? Who are you?
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Never mind that? Now? Your wife says you have some pistols? Why
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are they here in this drawer? You take one and get your husband one.
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You stay here. Come on, Smith, do you think it's wi
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used to go out there? We've got his gun, yes, but he
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might have another one. Mole's up that meat with you one Smith. It's
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time he earned it. We left missus Smith in the house and went out
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from the ground. The moon had come up and we could see fairly well
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on the gyron. We circled the house once, saw nothing, and walked
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down the road towards the graveyard. Here's the graveyard. Do you suppose he's
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hiding here? He's hiding somewhere. We didn't hear his car drive off.
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I think it. What's wrong? Look what somebody's been doing since digging the
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grave? It's been open, Yeah, not very long ago either, A
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kind of dirt as fresh. That explains to like you? So yeah,
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I don't understand this. The coffin is still in the grave, isn't it,
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Yes, still down there. Why would anybody want to open this grave?
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Maybe missus Nancy, this is a crazy after all. Maybe somebody's just
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making room to add another coffin. The shop came from, but it hadn't
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been fired. From close up, Smith clutched his breast and then toppled forward
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into the open grave. I jumped down beside him and turned him over.
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His shirt front was covered with blood in his eyes, but wind up him
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he'd never win any more medals or make any more enemies. He was dead.
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I crouched there beside him for nearly a minute. But nothing happened.
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And then I climbed out of the grave and started quickly back towards the house
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where we had left his wife. Suddenly I heard somebody moving to the trees
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ahead of me, stopped and waiting. Steps came closer and stopped ten or
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fifteen feet away. Where are you over here, missus fencing a running?
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I heard him shot a minute ago. I thought, where's my husband?
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What's happened? He's dead, missus? Man dead? Then that man did
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have another gun. I'm not so sure about that. What do you mean
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Your husband wasn't a very popular guy. There were a few other people around
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who might have liked to see him out of the way. Are you trying
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to say that man didn't kill my husband? No, I'm just saying it's
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possibly didn't. Are you intimating that I maybe? After all, you admitted
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to me to night that you didn't love him, that you only wanted his
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money. Oh that's true. I never loved him, and I did marry
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him for his money. But that's no crime. Lots of women marry men
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they don't love for that reason, but they don't all have another sweetheart on
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the side. My husband knew there was another man. I don't think he
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even cared. He might have refused to give you a divorce. That maybe,
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But you're all wrong about this. I didn't shoot my husband. You
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had a swell chance to do it. We left you in the house alone.
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You could have easily followed us. You had a gun. Where is
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it? It's here in my coat pocket. That's fit very well here.
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Well, are you satisfied, Yeah, it hasn't been fired. There's one
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other possibility, though, the woman who lives in another house down the road,
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Miss Nancy. Yeah, she hated your husband and was prowling around out
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here in the dark when I arrived. Surely you don't think she did it.
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And somebody dug up a grave over there a little while ago, and
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she was rambling on about spirits coming out of the ground to punish hers.
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Sound fantastic, it is, But we'd better go have a talk with her.
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And we've got to call a police. But my husband, he's still
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lying out there. We can't help him now, and the police won't want
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the body to be touched. We can call him from Miss Nancy's house.
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There's a light on in the living room. She doesn't usually stay up this
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lake wait a second, what's the matter? Look over there across the road
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and a couple of trees. Car. Yeah, so one O'Reilly was driving,
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but he's still here. It must have been he who killed and mister
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running. I want let's have a look at that car. Stay behind me,
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maybe hiding and signed all Riley. If you're in the car, you
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better come off with your hands out, all Riley. Okay, I'm coming
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after you. The car is empty. He's not here positively picked me up
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in that tonight. What are we going to do? I'm gotta hunt.
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You'll be showing up soon. If he hasn't spotted us, you better get
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back on those trees and wait. I took missus Smith by the arm and
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drew her into the shadows. He stood there silently waiting. Ten or fifteen
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minutes passed and nothing happened. I looked up towards Miss Nancy's house, so
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the light was still on the living room. Suddenly, I thought Missus Smith's
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hand would ripped my arm, and I held my breath and waited, and
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I heard it. Somebody was moving stealth the lad toward the car. A
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second later, the figure of a man stepped into view. I stepped a
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Ronnie's gun out of my pocket and moved toward him. Freeze all runne I
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got you covered. Don't move You'll get a bullet in your back. Now
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put your hands up. Yea, yea. What are you looking for a
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gun? I haven't got a gun? No not now you haven't. Where
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don't you throw it away or Ronnie throw it away? To throw it away?
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You took it away from me Smith's house. I mean the second gun,
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the one you shot the Major. I didn't shoot him running. I
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swear I didn't sure I came out here to kill him. But when I
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didn't do it, I couldn't have done it because I didn't have a second
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gun. Where did you hang around here? Why didn't you beat it when
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you left the house. I'm afraid of trying like a break the car,
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So while I hit those woods over the graveyard, I was hiding out there
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when you're in. The Major found that grave and started talking about that crazy
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woman. If you open the grave. Rhyney Us not heard the shot.
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Mis saw Smith take that nose, dive into the hall, waiting until you
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left and try to sneak over here to my car. You're lying you killed
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my husband. Okay, all right, I started walking. Well, we
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got to call the police and have a chat with Miss Nancy. You remember
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me. You're the gentleman who was down in the woods earlier this evening.
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That's Ryan. Who are these people? Murder suspects? Where's Miss Nancy?
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But he's gone to bed, he just sleeps. Did you say murder?
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Yeah? Please wake miss Nancy? Who's been murdered? Major Smith? Work?
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Miss Nancy's room right over there, he sleeps on the ground floor.
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Okay, wake around, yes, miss Nancy. Miss Nancy, open the
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door and get her up. What's wrong? God? Miss Nancy isn't here.
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Let me have a look in there. George, I killed people.
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Don't here, Miss Nancy. That's the second. Who's dead? Miss Nancy?
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Why is the major? Of course? How did you know? How
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do I know? I know because I killed him and I've just seen his
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body in the grave. You killed him? Acute? Did you do with
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a gun? What guns? The gun you shot him with? I didn't
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shoot him. I didn't have to. For years, I've been praying to
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them, but they wouldn't listen. To night I decided to help them.
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Oh it was you who opened the grave? Yes, yes, I got
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and dug and finally they were freed. I went up just now to see
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if they've gotten him, and there he was, did in the grave,
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in the grave thing, Ryan, do you know what you're talking about?
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You're right, but she's harmless. She hasn't killed anybody, neither of you.
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Right. I told you that. I don't understand. Maybe this will
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help clear it up. Sweet Art, you killed the major and O'Reilly here
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put the noose around your neck a few minutes ago. I did. That's
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right. You told us you were hiding near the grave when we found it
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tonight. You heard the Major and me talking about miss Nancy, so you
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had to be pretty close to us because we were talking quietly. The shot
24:00
that killed Smith came from forty or fifty feet away, so it couldn't have
24:03
been you fired it. But you saw my gun. You know it hadn't
24:06
been fired. That gun hadn't been fired. But you told me the major
24:10
had several guns. Very simple matter to carry two guns and talk one away
24:15
after the shooting. You're wrong now, I'm not the sweetheart. The other
24:18
gun will sense it when the police find it. The important thing to know
24:22
is we have to look for it. Where's the phone, George. I've
24:30
got to put in a call to the police and tell them I've got a
24:32
murderer out here for them. The Batman, starring Jay Scott Smart in part
25:07
transcribed, was directed by Clark Andrews, the script written by Richard Ellington.
25:12
Heard on Tonight Show where Vicky volas Phyllis and Jimmy McCallan as Johnny O'Reilly.
25:18
The music was conducted by Bernard Greene. Listen next week to another exciting adventure
25:26
of the fat Man. Welcome back. Well more of an okay episode compared
25:34
to some of the other ones. I'll get a little bit of a different
25:38
opening sequence, but overall, I'm definitely gonna miss the fan Man. And
25:45
it's been great to bring you all the existing complete episodes over these past ten
25:51
weeks. And the movie, I think is is special as well. You
25:56
do get to see a little bit of the talent of Jay Scott Smart on
26:03
display with the dancing and the acting. But it also was an early showcase
26:10
for Rock Hudson and Julie London, and in some ways it was modeled a
26:18
little bit on The Killers, which also which it was a movie where Edmund
26:26
O'Brien was the detective, but the leading man and the focal point through most
26:30
of the movies was the guy who had been murdered, who was played by
26:36
Burt Lancaster, and they accomplished that through flashbacks. Will Speaking of The Fat
26:41
Man, I did receive an email from Joan Richards who comments, I came
26:49
across a show on one of my other podcast radio Mirror, Okay, I
26:56
downloaded it from iTunes, and the actor who plays in The Fat Man is
27:00
playing in this Charlie Chan show and I'm sending it to you to have a
27:03
listen and and appreciate that. I'd heard the episode before, but I had
27:11
not drawn the connection. But I listened to it, and j Scott Smart
27:15
does indeed appear as a police detective in a Charlie Chan radio mystery. And
27:22
Charlie Chan is on our list of play. We've got to work a few
27:26
things out. There's actually only one American episode of Charlie Chen that half hour
27:33
on. There are a few complete cereals out there. We have that on
27:38
the list of play. So we've not heard the last of Jay Scott Smart.
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Well. That will do it for today. Join us on Wednesday for
27:47
let George do it and then we will be back next week in a week
27:52
with call the police from Boise, Idaho. This is your host, Adam
27:56
Grandson and off