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Nick Carter, Master Detective - "The Case of the Missing Thumb" (1947) · Old Time Mystery Radio | Old Time Radio

0:00
Speaker 1: When young Army veteran Steve Evans asks Nick Carter to
0:03
Speaker 1: train him as a detective, a killing and a peculiar
0:06
Speaker 1: safe robbery point toward a scheme aimed at recently discharged servicemen.
0:12
Speaker 1: From May 4th, 1947, this is episode 286 of Mutual's
0:18
Speaker 1: Nick Carter, Master Detective, The Case of the Missing Thumb.
0:22
Speaker 1: Lon Clark stars as Nick, with Charlotte Manson as Patsy
0:27
Speaker 1: Bowen and Ed Latimer as Sergeant Matheson. Alfred Bester wrote
0:32
Speaker 1: the script and Jock McGregor directed. We now take you
0:35
Speaker 1: back to the original broadcast.
0:37
Speaker 2: The Old Dutch Cleanser, famous for chasing dirt, presents....
0:43
Speaker 3: Nick Carter, famous for chasing crime. Each week at this time,
0:54
Speaker 3: two great names are joined as Old Dutch Cleanser brings
0:58
Speaker 3: you one of the most resourceful and daring characters in
1:01
Speaker 3: all detective fiction. Nick Carter, Master Detective.
1:13
Speaker 4: Everything's all right, Nick. Steve Evans has escaped.
1:15
Speaker 2: You sure, Patsy?
1:16
Speaker 4: I got him out of the subway. He got away
1:17
Speaker 4: from a crowd there.
1:18
Speaker 2: How about Waldo?
1:18
Speaker 4: Waldo got him across the river. He's in open country
1:21
Speaker 4: on the way to freedom.
1:22
Speaker 2: Good work.
1:23
Speaker 5: Now all we've got to do is make sure that
1:24
Speaker 5: he's captured.
1:31
Speaker 3: Now, the case of the missing thumb. Today's adventure with
1:34
Speaker 3: Nick Carter brought to you by Old Dutch Cleansers. At
1:38
Speaker 3: 10 o'clock on a Monday night, a man in a
1:40
Speaker 3: uniform of a sergeant of police walks down a dark
1:42
Speaker 3: side street and enters a small hardware store.
1:50
Speaker 2: Hey, anybody in the store? Coming, mister, coming. Kind of
1:53
Speaker 2: late for service, pal. We're just booked. Holy smoke, the cops.
1:58
Speaker 2: I'm looking for Laurie Evans. He's my old man. What
2:02
Speaker 2: do you want to see him for? It isn't a pinch, kid.
2:05
Speaker 2: Just a friendly visit. Laurie and I used to be
2:07
Speaker 2: pals a long time ago. Oh, I see. They call
2:12
Speaker 2: me Steve. Pop, hey, Pop, come on out. Oh, there
2:16
Speaker 2: it is, Steve. You got a visitor, Pop. Pull down
2:19
Speaker 2: your glasses and take a gander. Hello, Laurie. Gas. Gas Malone. Say, Pop, I...
2:25
Speaker 2: Go to bed, Steve. I'll lock up. But... Go to bed. Oh, gosh.
2:30
Speaker 2: All right. So long, Sergeant. Good night, Steve. Well, Gas,
2:36
Speaker 2: you finally located me, huh? Yeah. What's the cop's uniform for?
2:40
Speaker 2: This is a cover-up for a job us two are
2:43
Speaker 2: going to pull tonight. Oh, can't you leave me alone?
2:45
Speaker 2: I've been straight for ten years. I haven't done a
2:47
Speaker 2: job since... Since the St. Louis deal, huh? I lost
2:50
Speaker 2: my thumb in St. Louis, but you lost your nerve. Maybe. Anyway,
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Speaker 2: I'm straight and I'm staying. Listen, Laurie, I've been a
2:57
Speaker 2: long time finding you. Don't think I'm going to let
3:00
Speaker 2: you back out now. All I got to do is
3:02
Speaker 2: pass the word that good old Laurie Evans is here
3:05
Speaker 2: running a hardware joint on me. Okay. What's the deal?
3:09
Speaker 2: You're going to help me crack a safe tonight, Laurie. Now,
3:13
Speaker 2: there's nothing much in that safe but a list of names. Names? 20,000 names.
3:20
Speaker 2: You're going to help me grab every one of them.
3:36
Speaker 4: Is that you, Waldo?
3:37
Speaker 2: I ain't Waldo, honey, but maybe I'll do.
3:40
Speaker 4: Oh, I'm sorry Mr. Carter won't be able to see
3:43
Speaker 4: you this morning.
3:43
Speaker 2: He'll see me, good-looking. I'm from the government. One side, honey.
3:47
Speaker 4: See here, you can't force your way into Mr. Carter's office.
3:49
Speaker 2: What's going on? Oh, who's this? Nick, this.
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Speaker 4: Mr.
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Speaker 6: Carter, I'm from the government. I've got important business for
3:55
Speaker 6: you in this dispatch case.
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Speaker 2: You have, huh? What's your name? Steve Evans. Mr. Evans,
3:59
Speaker 2: you're lying. Huh?
4:00
Speaker 5: The dispatch case is new. The leather's on scratch, and
4:03
Speaker 5: the price tag is still on it. Your clothes are new.
4:05
Speaker 5: Your army discharge button is new. You're obviously a recently
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Speaker 5: discharged soldier. What are you up to?
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Speaker 2: Gosh. You sure tagged me. That's my business. Mr.
4:15
Speaker 6: Carter, I've got something for you in this case.
4:20
Speaker 2: Here. Hey, what's this?
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Speaker 4: This?
4:23
Speaker 2: It's 800 bucks cash, all I saved in the army.
4:26
Speaker 2: What's it for?
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Speaker 6: I decided I'm going to learn how to be a detective.
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Speaker 6: And you're going to teach me, Mr.
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Speaker 2: Carter. For the love of... This is my entrance fee.
4:34
Speaker 2: And if it costs more, I'll get more. Look here, Evans,
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Speaker 2: this is impossible. I'm flattered and honored, but really... You've
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Speaker 2: got a duty to us veterans, Mr. Carter. Of course, but...
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Speaker 2: I really can't discuss it with you now, Mr. Evans.
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Speaker 2: I'm late on a case already. I've got to be
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Speaker 2: running along.
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Speaker 3: Great.
4:45
Speaker 2: My first lesson. I'll go along. Oh, all right. Come along,
4:49
Speaker 2: come along. We'll discuss this on the way. Swell.
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Speaker 5: Patsy, I'll be down at Irving Place with Matty. Safe
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Speaker 5: burglary and murder.
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Speaker 3: Ah!
5:06
Speaker 2: All right, Casey. Hi, Matty. I'm here. Well, it's about time.
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Speaker 2: I've been waiting a half hour for you. I... Who's this?
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Speaker 2: This is Steve Evans.
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Speaker 5: Wants me to teach him the detective business. I haven't
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Speaker 5: had time to talk him out of it yet. Steve,
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Speaker 5: this is Sergeant Matheson of the Homicide Squad.
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Speaker 2: Hiya, Sergeant. Okay, Nick, stack the kid in the corner
5:27
Speaker 2: and get a load of this case. It's a Lulu.
5:29
Speaker 2: Go ahead.
5:30
Speaker 7: This is the business office of United Veterans Incorporated. It's
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Speaker 7: a veterans organization that publishes a magazine for its boys.
5:37
Speaker 2: And last night, someone was admitted to this office and
5:39
Speaker 2: broken to the safe. How do you know he was admitted?
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Speaker 5: Neither the lock nor the door were touched. You can
5:45
Speaker 5: see the safe there and the body.
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Speaker 2: Yeah, a watchman. Slugged over the head and killed him.
5:49
Speaker 2: Maybe he let the crook in and was double-crossed. Maybe. Now,
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Speaker 2: what's peculiar about the case? One little hitch.
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Speaker 7: There was $ 5, 000 in a drawer in that safe, and
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Speaker 7: it wasn't touched.
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Speaker 2: So? You know the only thing he lifted?
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Speaker 7: The magazine subscription list. He stole 20,000 names and addresses.
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Speaker 2: That's all. The guy must have been nuts. Who asked you? Sorry.
6:13
Speaker 2: Let's have a look at the safe. Very neat punch job, huh, Matty? Yeah.
6:21
Speaker 7: Dial knocked off of the sledgehammer, spindle punched back, and
6:24
Speaker 7: the small sockets broken.
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Speaker 5: The way the cracking is safe, I haven't seen in
6:28
Speaker 5: a long time. Look at the edges of the broken sockets.
6:33
Speaker 5: Traces of rust. Not from the safe itself, but from
6:36
Speaker 5: the burglar tools.
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Speaker 2: Yeah, it must have been an old set of tools.
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Speaker 2: How can you tell?
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Speaker 5: Look at the way the sockets are broken. Two blows
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Speaker 5: of a chisel to each bolt. Took a strong man
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Speaker 5: to do that.
6:45
Speaker 2: Yeah, I noticed that. Learn anything from the body? No, nothing.
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Speaker 2: Makes signs of a struggle, two blows on the head,
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Speaker 2: that's all.
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Speaker 5: Watson was either tricked and then killed. I was an
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Speaker 5: accessory and was double-crossed. The killer stole nothing but a
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Speaker 5: list of names from the safe, and that's what he
7:00
Speaker 5: was after. And that makes this a very serious case.
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Speaker 2: Yeah? Why, Mr. Carter?
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Speaker 5: Because, Steve, back in 1932, when Washington announced that a
7:08
Speaker 5: bonus was to be paid war veterans, some crooks broke
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Speaker 5: into the office of a veterans' publication and stole a
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Speaker 5: subscription list. Right after that, all veterans who were on
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Speaker 5: that list were besieged with commons for every known form
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Speaker 5: of confidence game. Holy smoke. Thousands of vets were cheated
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Speaker 5: out of their bonus dollars. And this is the same setup.
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Speaker 5: These stolen names will form a sucker list that will
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Speaker 5: milk a fortune from veterans who have mustering out pay.
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Speaker 5: The list has got to be located before it starts
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Speaker 5: circulating through the underworld. Well, how, for Pete's sake, Nick?
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Speaker 5: With a man who cracked this safe. I'll identify him
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Speaker 5: through my files. Then we may be able to locate him.
7:40
Speaker 2: Come on. Be sure you get every card out, Patsy.
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Speaker 3: Right, Nick.
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Speaker 2: Oh, Mary, explain to Steve how we keep files on crooks. Oh,
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Speaker 2: for the... I'm a veteran, Sergeant. All right, all right. Now, listen, kid.
8:05
Speaker 2: Every crook uses a personal technique on a job, see?
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Speaker 2: He never changes it. It's almost like an autograph.
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Speaker 4: Here are the cards, Nick.
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Speaker 2: Thanks, Patsy.
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Speaker 5: Now, Steve, we're looking for a burglar who opens safes
8:16
Speaker 5: with a punch technique and who cracks bolts with a
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Speaker 5: chisel rather than a wrench.
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Speaker 2: Yeah.
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Speaker 5: Technique is so unfamiliar to me, I'm sure he hasn't
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Speaker 5: been active lately. All right, let's have him, Patsy.
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Speaker 4: Adams, no record since 28, specialty blowtorch job. Brookman, no
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Speaker 4: record since 34, specialty punch job.
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Speaker 2: Take that card, Matty. He's a possibility. Okay.
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Speaker 4: Denison, no record since 29, specialty chopping job.
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Speaker 5: That's a technique, Steve, of turning a safe over and
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Speaker 5: chopping the bottom out. Denison isn't our man.
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Speaker 2: Right.
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Speaker 4: Dugan, 37, specialty ripping job.
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Speaker 5: That's ripping open a safe with a kind of giant
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Speaker 5: can opener.
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Speaker 2: No kidding. Dukin's not our man. Ev... What's the matter, Betsy?
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Speaker 4: You better read this one yourself, Nick. Maybe it's a coincidence,
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Speaker 4: but then again, seeing what happened this morning... Hmm.
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Speaker 2: Hmm. I see. Steve, what's your father's name? Laurie. Laurie Evans.
9:10
Speaker 2: I see. Why'd you come to see me this morning? Well,
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Speaker 2: I already told you I want to be a detective.
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Speaker 2: You sure that's the reason? Not too late to tell
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Speaker 2: the truth. Well, why would I lie to you, Mr. Carter?
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Speaker 2: Where is your father?
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Speaker 6: In the hardware store on Mayor Avenue. Hey, what is
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Speaker 6: all this, Mr.
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Speaker 2: Carter?
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Speaker 5: Explanations will keep. Right now, we're all getting into my
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Speaker 5: car and driving out to the hardware store. I've got
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Speaker 5: to see Laurie Evans fast.
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Speaker 2: This it, Steve? Yeah. Come on. Look, Nick, what's the
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Speaker 2: kid's old man got to do with this? You'll see, Matty.
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Speaker 2: Open the door, Steve. Right. The store's empty. Where's your father? Oh,
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Speaker 2: he's probably in the back of the store. Call him. Hey, Pop,
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Speaker 2: we've got somebody here to see you. Wait a minute, Nick. Yes,
10:07
Speaker 2: what is it, Patsy?
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Speaker 4: On the floor here, behind the counter.
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Speaker 2: Behind the... Holy smoke, Nick. Pop, what's happened to him? Pop!
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Speaker 2: He's dead, Steve. Been murdered.
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Speaker 3: With his strongest lead to the stolen names murdered, Nick
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Speaker 3: Carter seems farther away than ever from the solution to
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Speaker 3: the case. We'll see what he does next in just
10:39
Speaker 3: a moment. Now back to the case of the missing thumb.
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Speaker 3: Today's adventure with Nick Carter brought to you by Old
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Speaker 3: Dutch Cleanser. Behind the sales counter of the Evans Hardware
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Speaker 3: Store in Brooklyn, Nick examines the body of Laurie Evans
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Speaker 3: while Patsy, Matty, and Steve Evans watch.
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Speaker 5: Laurie Evans was in a fight before he was killed. Yeah,
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Speaker 5: look at the scratches on his hands and face. The
11:05
Speaker 5: fight led behind this counter. See the nail kegs and
11:08
Speaker 5: tools knocked off the shelves?
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Speaker 2: Yeah. And he was thrown down here. I wish I'd
11:11
Speaker 2: been here.
11:12
Speaker 5: Head struck that sack of plaster of Paris, putting it open.
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Speaker 5: Hiller grabbed a screwdriver and stabbed Laurie with tremendous force.
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Speaker 5: He healed him almost instantly.
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Speaker 2: But why, Mr. Carter, why? Eve, you'll have to know
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Speaker 2: the truth sooner or later.
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Speaker 5: Here's the card from my files that led me to
11:29
Speaker 5: ask you about your father.
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Speaker 6: Laurie Evans, inactive since 1935.
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Speaker 2: Specialty, punch jobs. Further characteristics, crack-safe bolts with chisel. Does not...
11:43
Speaker 2: This isn't true! My father isn't a crook. He never was. Steve,
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Speaker 2: it's the truth. There's no question, kid, your old man
11:50
Speaker 2: pulled a veteran job last night. That's a lie. He's
11:53
Speaker 2: got an alibi for last night. What alibi? He was
11:55
Speaker 2: with a friend of his, a cop, Sergeant Malone. He
11:57
Speaker 2: came here.
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Speaker 5: That's the answer to the burglary, Matty. I was wondering
12:01
Speaker 5: how Evans got into that office. The watchman was duped.
12:03
Speaker 5: Evans was with a pal in police uniform. Well, how
12:06
Speaker 5: do you know the guy with him was a crook?
12:07
Speaker 5: Why wasn't he a real cop?
12:09
Speaker 2: Because he left a signature here. What do you mean? Look.
12:12
Speaker 5: But the plaster of Paris is spilled on the floor.
12:14
Speaker 5: There's a handprint on it. A right hand with a
12:17
Speaker 5: thumb missing. A policeman can't stay on the active force
12:19
Speaker 5: with a right thumb missing.
12:20
Speaker 2: You're right, Nick.
12:21
Speaker 5: Maybe this Malone high-pressured your father into doing this job, Steve.
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Speaker 5: But that isn't the important thing now. The important thing
12:26
Speaker 5: is to find Malone and the 20,000 names he's stolen
12:28
Speaker 5: before he peddles them to every crook in the country.
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Speaker 2: Now, just a minute. Maybe Steve Evans fooled you, but
12:33
Speaker 2: he hasn't fooled me. Huh?
12:35
Speaker 7: Nick, I want to know why he came to you
12:37
Speaker 7: this morning after his old man cracked the safe at
12:40
Speaker 7: Irving Place.
12:40
Speaker 2: Oh, now, Matty, that's... Quiet, quiet. This is official, Nick.
12:44
Speaker 2: But look here, Matty. You can worry about a sucker
12:46
Speaker 2: list of 20,000 names.
12:47
Speaker 7: I'm worrying about two murders, and Steve Evans is my
12:50
Speaker 7: number one lead. He's coming down to headquarters with me
12:53
Speaker 7: for a long talk.
13:07
Speaker 2: Now, how about it, Mary? Will you try it my way? Oh,
13:10
Speaker 2: it's the darndest scheme you've ever come up with, Nick.
13:13
Speaker 2: And if he is guilty... But, Sergeant, I swear I never... Well, Mary, Mary...
13:17
Speaker 2: All right, all right. What if it backfires?
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Speaker 4: It won't if Nick says it's okay.
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Speaker 2: Now, Steve, listen carefully.
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Speaker 6: Yeah?
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Speaker 5: As I've been telling you, Sergeant Matheson, the only way
13:26
Speaker 5: I can see to locate Malone and those stolen names
13:28
Speaker 5: is for.
13:28
Speaker 2: You to escape. So I gathered, but how do we
13:30
Speaker 2: work it? We'll fake it. After you escape, take the
13:33
Speaker 2: northbound subway to Isham Park. Yeah.
13:35
Speaker 5: Get out at Isham and take the ferry across the river.
13:37
Speaker 5: From the ferry landing, strike north along the reservoir road.
13:39
Speaker 2: Got that? Yeah.
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Speaker 5: When you reach a town called Hessian Courthouse, give yourself
13:42
Speaker 5: up to the police.
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Speaker 2: Give myself up? But I thought you said... I thought
13:45
Speaker 2: you were in the army. Do you have to understand
13:47
Speaker 2: orders to follow them? No, Mr. Carter. Very well.
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Speaker 5: You've got to get through to Hessian Courthouse, Steve. And
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Speaker 5: you've got to follow the route I've scheduled, no matter
13:54
Speaker 5: what happens.
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Speaker 2: Oh, yes. One important thing. Wear a pair of gloves.
13:57
Speaker 2: A pair of gloves? Yes. All right, I'll do it, Mr. Carter.
14:01
Speaker 5: Here's police headquarters coming up. When we get out of
14:03
Speaker 5: the car, we've got to put on a good show
14:04
Speaker 5: for the benefit of any onlookers. So you hit me
14:06
Speaker 5: in the jaw, then run. I'll make sure to fall
14:08
Speaker 5: against Matty so it looks good. Duck down on the
14:10
Speaker 5: subway and get going.
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Speaker 2: Yes, sir. All out, far as we go. Mary, you're
14:16
Speaker 2: a fool.
14:17
Speaker 5: I don't know whether Steve is guilty or not, but
14:19
Speaker 5: the important thing is.
14:20
Speaker 2: You're not arresting me.
14:22
Speaker 3: Nick.
14:23
Speaker 2: Hey, come back here. Watch out, Nick. The kid's getting away.
14:26
Speaker 2: Get off me, will you? Hey, what happened? Stop that man.
14:29
Speaker 2: Stop him. He's gone, Nick. Good. He's away safely.
14:34
Speaker 5: Now let's get to work. Ladies and gentlemen, this is
14:48
Speaker 5: Nick Carter. I'm broadcasting from my car by shortwave. Your
14:53
Speaker 5: local station has kindly consented to relay this announcement to
14:56
Speaker 5: help in the search for Steve Evans, suspect in the
14:58
Speaker 5: murder of a watchman at Irving Place, and his father,
15:01
Speaker 5: Laurie Evans, in a hardware store in Brooklyn. Steve Evans
15:04
Speaker 5: has escaped police custody and is at large in the city.
15:07
Speaker 5: He's 20 years old, of medium height, red hair, brown eyes.
15:12
Speaker 5: He's wearing gray suit, gray hat, blue overcoat. He has
15:17
Speaker 5: lost the thumb from his right hand. When last seen,
15:21
Speaker 5: Steve Evans was on the subway headed north toward Isham Park.
15:24
Speaker 5: Please communicate any information to me at once. There is
15:28
Speaker 5: a reward for his capture.
15:43
Speaker 2: Say, buddy, did you hear that announcement on the air? Huh?
15:47
Speaker 2: What announcement?
15:48
Speaker 8: I heard it just before I got on at the
15:50
Speaker 8: last station. Nick Carter's offering a big reward for a killer.
15:53
Speaker 8: Whole city's buzzing around trying.
15:55
Speaker 2: To grab it. Yeah? Who's he looking for? A guy
15:59
Speaker 2: named Steve Eddins. Killed his old man, they say. He
16:03
Speaker 2: killed his old man? Carter said that? Yeah, and a
16:06
Speaker 2: night watchman.
16:08
Speaker 8: Oh, he's a guy about medium height, say, like you,
16:10
Speaker 8: and he's got red hair like.
16:12
Speaker 2: Like you, too. Say, let me see your right hand.
16:16
Speaker 2: What for? Never mind what for.
16:17
Speaker 8: Take off your glove and let me see your right hand.
16:19
Speaker 2: Sorry, Mac. This is my station. So long. Hey, stop him.
16:24
Speaker 4: Stop him.
16:25
Speaker 2: That guy's the killer. He's the one Carter is off
16:27
Speaker 2: on the reward for.
16:28
Speaker 9: Somebody stop him.
16:29
Speaker 2: He's getting away. I got to hide someplace.
16:33
Speaker 4: Get up out.
16:34
Speaker 2: Of the station and I shall bark.
16:43
Speaker 4: Steve, over here, quick.
16:44
Speaker 2: Who's that?
16:45
Speaker 4: Patsy Bowen, Nick Carter's secretary. Get over here on the
16:47
Speaker 4: bench with me.
16:48
Speaker 2: Hurry up. But how did you.
16:49
Speaker 4: I was on the train with you. I got out ahead,
16:50
Speaker 4: but I heard the trouble. Steve, this is an emergency.
16:53
Speaker 4: Make like you're my boyfriend. Put your arms around me
16:55
Speaker 4: and keep your head down.
16:56
Speaker 3: Quick, here they come.
16:57
Speaker 2: Excuse me, please. Did you see a guy go past here,
17:00
Speaker 2: a red-headed guy?
17:01
Speaker 4: For Pete's sake, can't people get a little privacy in
17:04
Speaker 4: a park? Yeah, a guy ran past here toward Broadway.
17:07
Speaker 4: Go chase him.
17:10
Speaker 2: All right, Steve, we can break it up now. Miss Bourne,
17:12
Speaker 2: there's something.
17:12
Speaker 4: Get on the ferry and keep going. Follow Nick's orders.
17:14
Speaker 6: But he's double-crossing me, telling people I killed my father
17:17
Speaker 6: and offering a reward.
17:18
Speaker 4: Nick never double-crossed anyone in his life. Just follow instructions, Steve.
17:21
Speaker 2: Keep going. Ladies and gentlemen, this is Nick Carter again.
17:36
Speaker 5: Steve Evans was last seen headed for the Isham Ferry
17:39
Speaker 5: and is probably attempting to cross the river and escape
17:41
Speaker 5: into open country. All officials and citizens in that vicinity
17:45
Speaker 5: are warned to keep a sharp lookout for a red-haired
17:48
Speaker 5: man with a thumb missing from his.
18:04
Speaker 2: Yeah, river's mighty pretty around dusk, eh, buddy? Yeah. Funny,
18:09
Speaker 2: ain't it? This here river looks so calm and peaceful,
18:12
Speaker 2: but there's a lot happening on it right now. There's
18:15
Speaker 2: armed guards on both sides. Yeah? How come? Ain't you heard?
18:19
Speaker 2: There's a killer trying to get across on this here ferry.
18:22
Speaker 2: Killed his own man, he did. Name, uh, Steve Evans.
18:26
Speaker 2: Everybody's looking for him. Yeah? Yeah, Nick Carter himself is
18:29
Speaker 2: directing the search by radio. Have a cigarette? No, thanks.
18:33
Speaker 2: This is Steve Evans. He's a veteran, see? He's got
18:36
Speaker 2: red hair and he... Hey, buddy. Yeah? Why are you
18:41
Speaker 2: wearing gloves?
18:42
Speaker 6: Well, because I'm cold, that's why. Well, I'd better be
18:45
Speaker 6: moving forward. The ferry's due to dock now.
18:48
Speaker 2: Just a minute, wise guy. You ain't slipping away so easy.
18:52
Speaker 3: I spot it again.
18:55
Speaker 2: I've got to find a place to.
18:56
Speaker 9: Hey, Evans.
18:57
Speaker 2: Steve Evans. This way, lad. What the... I'm Waldo McGlynn,
19:00
Speaker 2: Nick Carter's assistant. Get into my truck here. Now, hurry up.
19:03
Speaker 2: Get under the canvas in the back. I'll drive you
19:04
Speaker 2: off the ferry. But, Mr.
19:05
Speaker 9: McGlynn.
19:06
Speaker 2: Hey, quiet. Head this way. I'll cover for you. Keep
19:08
Speaker 2: this crate overboard. Yes. Run overboard! Run overboard! The killer's
19:14
Speaker 2: jumped overboard!
19:15
Speaker 9: Steve Evans is trying to swim to shore!
19:29
Speaker 2: Ladies and gentlemen, this is Nick Carter again.
19:31
Speaker 5: After eluding capture by swimming ashore from the Isham Ferry,
19:35
Speaker 5: Steve Evans has made for the reservoir road and headed north.
19:38
Speaker 5: I want to warn all motorists against picking up hitchhikers.
19:42
Speaker 5: Please report any information to me.
19:44
Speaker 2: Immediately. Half past nine. I gotta keep going. I gotta
20:02
Speaker 2: keep on Hesham Courthouse. I promised Mr. Carter I... Who's that?
20:07
Speaker 2: There's somebody behind that tree. Who It's nerves again. Uh-oh.
20:14
Speaker 2: Car headlights coming up the road. I better duck into
20:17
Speaker 2: the ditch again. All right, kid. Come out of the ditch. Malone. Yeah.
20:36
Speaker 2: Gas Malone. How did you... I've been up and down
20:39
Speaker 2: this road a dozen times looking for you, kid. I've
20:43
Speaker 2: been listening to them Nick Carter reports like I was
20:45
Speaker 2: a cop myself. Listen, Malone... Come on, come on. Get
20:49
Speaker 2: into the car. And no argument. This rod ain't a
20:52
Speaker 2: water pistol. Look, Malone... Get into the car, kid. I'm
20:57
Speaker 2: gonna drive you to my office. It's a quiet place
21:00
Speaker 2: where we can have a nice little talk.
21:03
Speaker 4: Dick.
21:13
Speaker 3: Gas Malone and Steve Evans get into the car and
21:15
Speaker 3: drive off. Does this leave Nick with his plan completely destroyed?
21:19
Speaker 3: We'll hear the conclusion of the adventure in just a moment.
21:29
Speaker 3: Now for the conclusion of The Case of the Missing Thumb,
21:32
Speaker 3: today's Nick Carter adventure brought to you by Old Dutch Cleanser.
21:36
Speaker 3: 30 minutes after Gas Malone picked up Steve Evans on
21:39
Speaker 3: the Reservoir Road, his car draws up before a small
21:42
Speaker 3: building in downtown New York.
21:48
Speaker 2: We're here, kid. Get out. Okay. And don't get funny, Steve.
21:54
Speaker 2: I'd just as soon drop you now as later. I'm
21:57
Speaker 2: not trying anything. Not as long as you've got that gun.
22:00
Speaker 2: Open the door. Go straight upstairs. You killed my father, Malone. Yeah, kid.
22:08
Speaker 2: His conscience started bothering him about the way I knocked
22:11
Speaker 2: off the watchman last night. It was all for phoning
22:14
Speaker 2: the cops. I had to shut him up. No hard feeling, kid.
22:19
Speaker 2: It was business. Yeah, dirty business. Just like I got
22:24
Speaker 2: nothing against you, kid. Maybe you're a nice guy for
22:27
Speaker 2: all I know. Open the door. Go on in. No, no, kid.
22:35
Speaker 2: I got nothing against you. But you might make trouble
22:38
Speaker 2: for me. Listen, Malone, I got a nice setup here, see?
22:42
Speaker 2: Quiet little office. 20,000 names of ex-GIs. The hottest sucker
22:48
Speaker 2: list an operator ever got his hands on. After I
22:51
Speaker 2: take the cream off the list, I can sell them
22:54
Speaker 2: names for two bits each. Might ask 50 grand in
22:57
Speaker 2: this deal for me, and I... Sort of got to
23:00
Speaker 2: protect it. Listen, Malone, you don't have to kill me.
23:03
Speaker 2: Right now, the cops want you for the killings. I
23:06
Speaker 2: don't know how you got mixed up, and I don't care.
23:09
Speaker 2: Just to soon leave you to handle a mess yourself,
23:11
Speaker 2: except for one thing. What? How come they said you
23:16
Speaker 2: was missing a thumb? They said I was missing a thumb? Yeah,
23:19
Speaker 2: how come? What you tell them? I never told them nothing. Now, look.
23:24
Speaker 2: This is the clutch, kid. We're all alone here.
23:27
Speaker 6: You.
23:29
Speaker 2: Me and this gun. Now, I want some answers. What
23:33
Speaker 2: about the thumb? Honest, Malone, I don't... Hey. Missed you
23:38
Speaker 2: that time, Steve, but I'll take better aim the next time.
23:41
Speaker 2: Why'd the cops say you was missing a thumb, Steve?
23:44
Speaker 2: That's a trap, Malone. Don't try to shoot him, Malone.
23:49
Speaker 2: I warned you. Take up his gun, Steve. Okay.
23:53
Speaker 5: Sorry I was late getting up the stairs, but the
23:55
Speaker 5: door of the luggage compartment of Malone's car jammed on me.
23:58
Speaker 2: It took time for me to get up. Hey, Carl.
23:59
Speaker 5: Oh, stop your whining, Malone. I just put a bullet
24:03
Speaker 5: through your left hand, that's all. Maybe you'll lose that thumb, too.
24:07
Speaker 5: But it won't make any difference to you when you're
24:09
Speaker 5: in the chair.
24:09
Speaker 2: Oh. Mr.
24:22
Speaker 6: Carter, I still don't understand why I had to go
24:24
Speaker 6: through that whole routine.
24:25
Speaker 4: You were bait, Steve.
24:27
Speaker 2: Sure, boy, just bait. But why?
24:29
Speaker 5: You see, Steve, it would have been impossible to track
24:31
Speaker 5: Malone down in time to stop him from using those
24:33
Speaker 5: stolen names. So instead of looking for him, I made
24:36
Speaker 5: him look for me and lead me to the stolen names.
24:38
Speaker 2: Yeah, but he was looking for me.
24:40
Speaker 5: Naturally, that's what I wanted. So I stirred up a
24:42
Speaker 5: big fuss, made broadcasts every 15 minutes, kept stressing the
24:45
Speaker 5: fact that you had a missing thumb. Well, that's what
24:47
Speaker 5: I don't get. Malone believed the police were after you.
24:51
Speaker 5: But he couldn't understand about that thumb. Finally, his curiosity
24:54
Speaker 5: got the better of him. He had to find you
24:56
Speaker 5: and ask you about it.
24:57
Speaker 1: Oh.
24:57
Speaker 2: I made sure he'd know where to find you. But
24:59
Speaker 2: he might have killed me. Not until he found out
25:01
Speaker 2: what he wanted to know.
25:02
Speaker 5: And I felt sure he wouldn't try anything where he
25:04
Speaker 5: picked you up because there might be police around.
25:06
Speaker 2: And don't forget, Steve. I followed you up the reservoir road,
25:09
Speaker 2: hiding in the brush behind you. And that was you
25:11
Speaker 2: behind that tree. That's right. As soon as I heard
25:13
Speaker 2: Malone say he was going to drive you to his office.
25:16
Speaker 5: I slipped into the baggage compartment of his car while
25:17
Speaker 5: he was talking to you.
25:19
Speaker 2: Because his office was what I wanted to locate.
25:21
Speaker 4: I passed you seven times on the road, Steve. I
25:22
Speaker 4: was a Knicks roadster. My, how fast you dove into
25:26
Speaker 4: the ditch.
25:27
Speaker 2: And didn't you spot me, Steve boy? Old Waldo passed
25:30
Speaker 2: you twice in that truck. Once he hid behind a
25:32
Speaker 2: billboard and once he got behind a detour sign. Holy smoke. Hey, Mr. Carter,
25:38
Speaker 2: is this what detectives have to do all the time?
25:40
Speaker 2: Most of the time.
25:41
Speaker 5: Which brings up the original question of your taking lessons
25:44
Speaker 5: from me.
25:45
Speaker 2: Now, look, Steve... You don't have to say anything, Mr. Carter.
25:47
Speaker 6: None of this business of being a detective for me.
25:50
Speaker 6: You know what I'm going to do? Get myself a nice,
25:53
Speaker 6: easy job. I'm going to re-enlist in the Army.
25:56
Speaker 9: The End.
26:06
Speaker 3: Can you tell us something about the adventure Old Dutch
26:08
Speaker 3: Cleanser is going to bring us next week, Nick?
26:09
Speaker 2: Oh, certainly, Bob.
26:10
Speaker 5: Next week's story is about a crook who stole a
26:12
Speaker 5: vanished fortune. If the fortune hadn't vanished, he would have
26:15
Speaker 5: landed in jail. But it disappeared, so he was murdered.
26:18
Speaker 4: And it all started with a can of coffee and
26:20
Speaker 4: ended with a box of cigars.
26:21
Speaker 2: Coffee, cigars, and fortunes that don't exist.
26:24
Speaker 3: What do you call the case?
26:25
Speaker 2: I call it the case of the stolen earth.
26:32
Speaker 3: Nick Carter, Master Detective, is presented each week at this
26:35
Speaker 3: time and over these same stations by the Cudahy Packing Company,
26:39
Speaker 3: makers of All Dutch Cleanser. Nick Carter, Master Detective, produced
26:54
Speaker 3: and directed by Jock McGregor, is copyrighted by Street &
26:57
Speaker 3: Smith Publications, Incorporated. Lon Clark is starred as Nick, with
27:01
Speaker 3: Charlotte Manson featured as Patsy. Waldo is played by Humphrey Davis.
27:06
Speaker 3: Matty by Ed Latimer. Today's script was written by Alfred Bester.
27:11
Speaker 3: Original music was.
27:12
Speaker 2: Played today by Jack Ward.
27:14
Speaker 3: This program is fictional and any resemblance to actual persons
27:18
Speaker 3: living or dead is purely coincidental.
27:21
Speaker 2: This is Bob.
27:21
Speaker 3: Martin saying, when minutes count, use Old Dutch Cleanser. This
27:34
Speaker 3: is the Mutual Broadcasting System.
27:36
Speaker 1: This concludes Nick Carter, Master Detective, and The Case of
27:40
Speaker 1: the Missing Thumb. Thank you for joining us for this
27:43
Speaker 1: mutual broadcast from 1947. Follow Old Time Mystery Radio for
27:48
Speaker 1: more classic mystery and detective broadcasts.