Latest / Great Detectives of Old Time Radio Volume 2|Mystery Audio Dramas / Call the Police: The Case of the Violent Vegetables (EP0807)

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Call the Police: The Case of the Violent Vegetables (EP0807) · 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 at
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Tom Box thirteen at Great Detectors dot net, follow us on Twitter at Radio
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Detectors, and call us to await nine nine, one, four, seven
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eight three. Well, today's episode is brought to you by the financial support
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of our listeners. Thanks so much for all your support. Well, now
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now it's time to get into today's episode. This one is called The Case
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of the Violent Vegetables. Rensel presents Call the Police, Attention, Homicide Section,
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Crying Squad, The Tale murders suspecting your zone close in according to instruction.
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Between you and the evil outside the law, Between you and the housebreaker,
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the kidnapper. The murderer stands the policeman of your community. He gives
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up his sleep that you may sleep unafraid. He gives up his safety that
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you may be safe, and if need be, he gives up his life
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to protect your The Libre Brothers Company, makers of Triple Action, Rinsel bring
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You Call the Police, starring Joseph Julian and Joan Tompkins. This new series
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of realistic radio dramas is inspired by the courageous work of police departments all over
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America. This is Commissioner Bill Grant. Every once in a while I like
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to look through the files of the Ashland Police Dequirement just to remind myself that
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sometimes the difference between a murder solved and a murder going unpunished and be a
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very little thing, piece of string, maybe for the core of an apple.
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A matter of fact, there's a file card on my desk right now,
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number for three nine dash six five two. The name up at the
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top of the card is Tenney, Calvin Tenney. He kept a fruit stand
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at the corner of Tremont and Pine. That's where the case began. I
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sapple, see that they're popped, all right? Oh, our gun apples.
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This is the only fruit standard town. Guys. Try one. Should
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the bad pop? My name is Tenny bare House business Pop? Well,
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you know how fruit stand goes one week up, one week down. From
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now on, it's all down. Huh you're going out of business, Pop.
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I watch you. Besides your good health, say so good? Oh,
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my health's all right. I'm not too young to sapple. The health's
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bad and they're worse. I don't understand. I will have another apple.
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Close up to stand, but take a vacation, retire raised chickens, do
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anything. I don't care, but close up to stand fast. Why shouldn't
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I have to second apples? There is the first, because if you don't
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pop, they'll pick you up in an alley. One of these nights,
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I'll tell you what. I'm getting a bad pull of those apples up in
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an alley, pup and laying because he got bullets pop and you did,
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commissioner. Huh it's six o'clock. Oh yeah, sure, Commissioner. Six
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o'clock is when all good police officials go home. Okay, Magio, I
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was just what's that somebody exercising that line? What is it? Magio?
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Magio? Oh? Is the guy out here runs a fruit stand paper because
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his license hasn't been renewed. I wasn't renewed. Well, I was stand
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on the corner of Tree Munton Pine, right next to the bank. The
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president wrote and said they didn't like it. They't dignified as something. Either's
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the parking lot across the street or the Langley dump in the third corner.
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Commission of the Langley Mansion is one of the city's landmarks. It's still an
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eyesore. It hasn't been lived in for fifty years. Maggie, let me
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talk to that man, commissioner. It's unimportant routine stuff. Apparently it's pretty
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important to him. Okay, Commissioner, are you come money? Thank you?
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There he is behind mister, mister Grant grabbitaire. You're Tenny Calvin Tenny.
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Oh yes, you've had that stand at three Munton Pine for some time,
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haven't you, mister Tenney twenty three years last April. Let me go
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through the papers on it when you need the renewal tomorrow, I magio have
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the department suspend action till I can review this thing, mister Tenney and keep
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his stand until then. All right, thank you, mister mission And there
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was one other thing yesterday. I was threatened. You were right, man
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I've never seen before, wanted me to close up the stand or be killed.
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What do you look like? Oh? Resordinary? That doesn't help a
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lot. Well, he kind of medium everything. That's all well, I'll
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have the patrolement on the beat. Keeper's eyes open the meantime, we take
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care of yourself. Yes, goodbye, Now let's get out of here,
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Mad Joe I've got au to attend the civic function with the libiat sailer.
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Who else nice legs, nice eyes, nice But why did they have to
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send it to college, right, Mat Joe? Yeah, and that's bad
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that this gives him ideas about criminal psychology, for instance, makes him take
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jobs with the department assistant to the criminal psychologist, for instance. This is
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supposed to be an up to date police department, Mat Joe, we need,
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Commissioner, when I take a girl out. I'm not interested in Bertillon
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measurements. I'm interested in other kinds of measurements. Okay, Maggio, will
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you cover that Tenny affair? Tenny'll stay in that corner till all his fruit
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gets rotten. Go on, have some fun, Commissioner, You've got it
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coming to you. How Commissioner, he stepped on my toe? Huh oh,
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I'm sorry, Libby, still thinking about that Tenny thing, I guess
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I am. I can't decide whether he was really threatened or whether he just
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made up that story. It's possible. The world's full of criminals. She
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hasn't started working in the criminal psychology department. I see them everywhere. Will
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you take that man over there? Seem positive he's the criminal. There's the
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way it's followed. We see no loaves on his ears movie. That's James
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Carson. Did you get a record? H huh See, he's been principal
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of the West Side High School for the last thirty years. Well, all
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I've got to say is they got to keep an eye on that high school.
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Where's Magio looking, Magio Commissioner? Hello, Hello miss Tyler. Commissioner.
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I hate to bust up your party, but I thought you'd want to
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know right away. No, what, we just got word at headquarters for
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missus Tenny. Yes, Tenny is missing. When Maggio told Libby Tyler and
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me that old man Tenny have just been reported missing, we grabbed a squad
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car and highball it right down to Tenny's fruit stand. Tremont and Pine.
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Commissioner understand, it's all shut up for the night. Maggio. Yeah,
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what Oh a couple of oranges caught and wouldn't shut him. So what those
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oranges are ruined? A man running this stand for over twenty years wouldn't do
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that unless he was frightened, or unless he didn't close that stand down himself.
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You're setting this up for a snatch, Commissioner, it could be Why
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would anyone want to kidnap mister Tenney. I don't know, Libby, that's
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what it looks like. Well, we've got the alarm out for him,
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routines covered. Well, let's get back to the car. Maggio, your
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commissioner. If you snatched a man in the corner of Tremont and Pine and
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he wanted to get away fast to where there weren't many people around, where
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would you go? Let me see straight up Pine, less than a mile
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and i'd be up in the hills. All right, then? Good going
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straight up Pine. Oh, we're getting close to Elliston. Hasn't been a
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break in the road so far, and I don't like that. We're coming
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to a side road. Take it, mat Joe, Okay, But why
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they took Tenny out of the city. They wouldn't take him into another one.
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This road is the first break in the main highway and it ain't a
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good road. Stay that's what they'd want. Slow down and I got it.
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The road's petering out, dead end in the middle of nowhere, just
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trees around us, trees and darkness. Oh you find something, look tire
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marks. They're not very clear but car was parked here Bill, the edge
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of the road here. Yeah, that's been smeared. It was something we
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dragged along the ground. Hey, look apple core man. Hey, I
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don't like this in among the trees. It's so dark. It's been disturbed.
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I'm getting someplace. Commission a rover here. Okay, let me letter
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stay away. Why because Tenny ain't missing anymore and he ain't good to look
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at it. As soon as we got back to headquarters, I got the
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boys started photographs, plaster casts or footprints, ballistics tests. I also let
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the boys play with a apple corps. We've found they put varnish and pluspotic
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powder and things like that. Sometimes they find out what kind of teeth and
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man had We showed it. Later I went to see Wiley, president of
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the Travelers Bank, Wiley, who had objected to the stand because it wasn't
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dignified, to make sure I considered this an intrusion, none volunteered and presumptuous.
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I can't speak to the me out about it if you do that,
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mister Wiley. But at first I wish you'd speak to me about it.
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Your letter said you wanted Tenny's fruit stand shut up because it was on the
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same corner as the bank, and you didn't consider it pretty enough. That's
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quite correct. Are you sure you had no other reason? What other could
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I have had? Yeah? All right, mister Wiley, thank you,
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good night, good night? Had you yeah? Waiting here like old faithful?
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Did you get anything? Not a thing? I'm afraid I had a
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walking I just thought of something. Wiley's garage very interesting architecturally with his car
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I'm interested in. Come on, Oh, don't you ever give up,
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Commissioner, what could that be in Wiley's car? Showfas quarters over the garage?
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Yuh, hope, we don't wake him? Got a light a torch?
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Good? What are you looking for inside the car? What? Holes?
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Or what? An apple core? Miss? Have you been here all
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night? Why the early point routine? How'd Joe that apple core we found
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in Wiley's car? The same kind of apple cord is the one we found
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on the road. I had the boys make a quick check. They're both
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Oregon apples and Tenny was the only stand in town that carried Oregon apples.
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You have got yourself something. All right, let's go arrest Wiley, Madjo.
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We can't go to court with a circumstantial evidence and no motive. Yeah,
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juries on, that's about motives. Hello, Bippy, Oh hello Lebby.
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Still I couldn't sleep all night thinking of mister Tenny, and I want
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to do something about it. I know how you feel, Lebby. We're
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doing all weekend testing and checking everything. That's just routine. Police cases out
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of a hundred are cracked by routine. This is a hundredth case. Still,
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and I think I'm on the right track, the psychological track that juries
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don't care for psychological proof. Have you got anyone to bring before a jewelry
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yet? Well, I'm going to get you that someone. Still, mister
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Wiley is mixed up in this thing somehow. Well are a couple of pointers
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too, I'm sure. But he killed Tenny or had him killed because he
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was planning to rob his own banks. It's gone with the fun. That's
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why Wiley sent that letter of complaint to the department. Libby. Why should
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Wiley have the old man killed? I don't know. You don't either,
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But Bill, I'm going to find out. M hm. So Wiley won't
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answer the doorbell. Sure he's inside. Oh, I get him later.
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I thought mister Wiley was inside his cars here so far, it's washing it
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down. I wonder if yes, oh yeah, was the car out last
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night? I would you want to know for miss, because I think it
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was out? So what? Nothing? Nothing important? Yeah? What do
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you want to know about the car for? Is that a gun? It's
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a gun? Your head just walk into the garage at Natchell. I don't
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know, w exclude Well, would you like to tell me why you're so
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interested in where the car was last night? None of your goodness? What
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what are you gonna do? U, commissioner? Keep on wearing that track
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in the floor and you'll be down in the men's locker room. They shut
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nothing. Nothing. We can make a case out of it. Old lady
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Tenny's got herself a case. I said, I went off a rock.
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I wound up in general hospital. What happened? Way? I got it
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from the desk. She was wandering around the stand all night. I'm next
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to her living her room. I suppose that's the most familiar place in the
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world to her. Anyway, she got hysterical, told a cop on the
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beach she saw a ghosts. Ghosts keep going. There's nothing until it claims
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she saw light, saw shadows moving in the old Langley dump. That place
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has been boarded up a fifty years. I wasn't I told about this before.
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It's so busy to be bothered with the ravings of a hysterical woman.
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She may have been hysterical, Magio, but she wasn't raving. I wasn't
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realized she's given us the key to this whole case. I don't because,
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sure, Maggio, there were ghosts in that house last night. Rinse Ol
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whitewash with these a rinsel brightwash with safety. When I heard that the hysterical
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missus Tenney had reported ghosts in the old Langley match, and the idea struck
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me. Maggio and I let off in one car and a detail of squad
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man probabus and another. We pulled up to the Langley House about midnight,
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slipped in the back entrance, and we sat there in the dusty old dump
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and waited and wait to o'clock. Commissioner, don't you think it's about time
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you told us what we're waiting for? All right? The home bank across
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the street is being robbed right now, let's go get him. No,
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no, it's easier this way. I haven't prejudice against cops being killed.
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That's why I ordered the cop and the beat to stay away in the bank
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a night. Take a look, now, Madgio. Okay, let's see
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the front of the bank through the crack in the window. Hey, it
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coming out now, good, they're getting into a car. Hey, Commissioner,
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what do we do? Just sit here? That magio is exactly what
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we do. I could think of lots nicer places to sit around, and
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this will get better as we go along. All right, man, come,
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they had promise he is coming. I'll be using the backdoor any minute.
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Now take him the minute they come in there, yours boys, alright,
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come put your all right, Commissioner, everything's under control. We can
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have a light now. Better anybody hurt? Nobody hurted, Commissionera. Wow,
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wow wow, poor a little gangster loaded to the help with bag money.
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Huh hey, what is it the guys who just wrapped a bank?
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That's right, and they headed back here. You knew that. That's right?
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Well, U b I am. But how about Tenny's killing? Is
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he one of these babies? Oh he isn't. Let's go get him.
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Go where Wiley's house. Let me get it straight, Commissioner, before we
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go in and see. Wow, Now you figure the Langley House was gonna
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be used as a hideaway because of all missus Tenney's ghost stores. That's right.
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What do the police do in the case of the bank, Yeah,
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they throw roadblocks around the city, stop every automobile in site. But suppose
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you drive they got away car a couple of blocks and abandon it and then
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go back back to across the street from the bank, you cracked an old
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empty house again for a few days, the police think you'd escaped, and
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you just walk out. Good thing you decided to be a policeman instead of
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a crook as well. He's doorbell, you figured, while he acted as
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a finger man. Huh, that's a new twist too, Oh, commissioner,
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this is getting to be too much. Will come in just a minute
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to keep your shirt on, mister Wiley. For one thing, your bank
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was robbed tonight. I'm glad you're so cheerful about it. What kind of
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a police commissioner? The gang was caught on every penny returned? Oh,
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and what do you want for me or investigating? Oh, you're a girl
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was here too. I didn't let her him though, let me Taylor.
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She started on that chop mine. Did you see her leave? No?
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No, I'm not a snoop like some people get'men around all day. Yet,
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Maggio, I think we've got trouble. It's a matter of the gag
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bothering your sister. I don't worry that cop tries to come up here and
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get me. Gags won't bother your baby. Nothing will because Oh, looking
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out of the main house coming down. Your boyfriend's done it, God willing
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handcuffs taking them downtown. That's working. Stop in front of the gage,
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underneath the window, the wind. I must be the one to lock up
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the house or something. Pick up Wiley tip for the job. I'm in
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the cliff. Take it easy, sister thing. Yep, we're arresting your
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boss. What do you do? Read about it tomorrow's paper. Come here,
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Let these keys lock up the big house. Okay, all right,
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Maggie reach mister Hi, very pretty, I will see if these fit.
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They fit very nice. And you handcuffs look good? Killer? And now
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will you take these handcuffs off me? Commissioner? Certainly, mister Willy nice,
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you'd less use you as a decoy. Yeah, thank you. As
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for you, King, you're a hi. What's more, killer, You're
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gonna be fired in a different way pretty soon. Come on, let's get
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down to headquarters. I think the commission is gonna be busy. Bill.
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I'm so glad, so y, Libby, it's all over now. I
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thought mister Wiley was behind all this, Libby, it was a gang were
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setting things up to use the Langley Places a hideout. They couldn't have afford
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to have a guy like Tenny around. He'd spot something and talk. But
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how did you know the chauffeur was involved? Do you notice he had a
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tooth missmissing in front? The cast made of the apple core we found in
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the car and on the road shows that. Then there was the fact that
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the chauffe just started on his job with Wiley yesterday. He bragged me about
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how he'd worked the whole plan out, how he got the job with Wily
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so he could be around without arousing suspicion and get to know the bank well
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enough. And how did you know the chauffe was new? Bill? Old
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man Tenney? Remember he told me a stranger had threatened him. Unless Wiley
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had hired a new chauffeur, Kenny would have known him. He saw a
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while drive up to the bank every day. He would have certainly known what
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his chauffeur looked like. Oh you are bright, Bill, No, I'm
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just a cop who's trying m I guess you're not so bright after all?
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Why whoa here? You've just saved the girl's life. The girl might be
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very grateful. If you were really bright, you'd think of something to do
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about it. Bill Grant will be back in just a moment with the Leaver
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Brothers Police Award of Vellor this week, presented to a police officer who,
25:42
in spite of almost mortal wounds, apprehended a vicious bandit. At first,
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you, Helen, look at this cotton suit I'm wearing. Would you believe
25:52
it? I've had it three years. Skirts are longer, so I let
25:55
out the hymn, and now it looks simply wonderful. Of course, though
25:57
I've never washed it anything but Rinsel. Yes, these days, lots of
26:03
smart women are congratulating themselves that they've always given their clothes Rinsel care, because
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Rinsel care means longer aware. You see, Rinsol's triple action formula is safe
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for washable colors, gentle to washable fabrics. So remember Rensel for a safe
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and dazzling wash, a wash that's Rensel white and Rensel bright. Keep on
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asking for Rensel, ladies and gentlemen. This is Commissioner Bill Grant. It
26:41
gives me a great deal of pleasure to present the Lever Brothers Plaque of Valor
26:45
this week to police Officer Bernard Shay of the Police Force of San Francisco,
26:49
California, Jorman Shay was selected by Chief Peter Jason Carti, lifetime member of
26:55
the Executive Board of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. On February or
27:00
the fourth, nineteen forty seven, the Truman Shay's first day on the police
27:03
force, he spotted a bandit escaping from a neighboring jewelry store. Shay gave
27:07
chase. The bandit turned and fired. The bullet struck Shay in the chest.
27:11
Say staggered, but kept coming again. The bandit fired. The second
27:15
bullet ripped into Shay's abdomen. Shay closed in. A third bullet struck him
27:18
in the left arm, and in spite of excruciating pain and profuse bleeding,
27:22
Shay grappled with the bandit and with his last ounce of strength, succeeded in
27:26
handcuffing him before he collapsed. The bandit pleaded guilty of robbery and was sentenced
27:32
to San Quentin Penitentiary. Shay is now recuperating an emergency hospital. So to
27:37
police Officer Bernard Shay goes one hundred dollars and this week's Leaver Brothers Plaque of
27:41
Valor Congratulations two to Chief Dulier and the police force. Of San Francisco for
27:48
their unfailing effort to protect the people of your community. You and every responsible
28:18
citizen can promote positive action in education by taking an active interest in the schools
28:22
of your community. If your children are to have the kind of education you
28:26
want them to have, well trained teachers proud of their profession are essential.
28:32
Your children's schools must have the best possible buildings and equipment. By joining your
28:36
community's school associations and groups, you can help your schools maintain the traditionally high
28:41
standards of American education. This is J Simms reminding you to be with us
28:47
next Tuesday night when Leavre Brothers Company, makers of Rinsel bring you another exciting,
28:52
realistic police case. Listen next week too, the case of Areal.
29:18
There's NBC's then actually broadcast Incombinator. Welcome back. Well, another twisting,
29:33
turning case. Uh. This one really had me guessing as I listened the
29:38
first time, and Lebby Tyler came close to mean right but not quite uh
29:45
or guests uh, they pick their uh. Do seem to have kind of
29:52
some mixed thoughts on this whole area of police psychology, So it's kind it's
30:00
kind of interesting how that continues to play in the show. Well, we
30:03
do have some emails here from listeners regarding Called the Police. Jones says,
30:11
I just wanted to let you know you have a winner here. I really
30:14
like the show I just listen to and I think it's great. Thank you
30:17
for allowing us the pleasure of listening to this series. And Tamathay points out
30:22
that when he heard it, the closing and opening sections of the show were
30:30
mixed up. I'm not certain how that happened. I'll look into that,
30:36
but he does conclude by saying, even though I'm not a particular fan of
30:40
police procedures, I think I will likely enjoy the series. I've will certainly
30:45
missed The Fat Man. It's a shame that so a few episodes of the
30:48
series remain today. As always, keep up the great work at him.
30:52
Well, thanks so much, and I definitely agree about The Fat Man.
30:56
I wish there were as many episodes as there were of Sam Spade and other
31:00
series, and oh nos, maybe some will come up. I shouldn't note
31:07
you're going to see a little bit of a shift on this series. We
31:11
had actually all three episodes right in a row, and those are the first
31:17
three episodes of the nineteen forty seven summer season. Will the program return for
31:23
two more summer seasons? The next one is the nineteen forty eight seasons,
31:29
so entirely different cast. We'll be coming up next week for the final two
31:34
weeks, and then of course, as I've mentioned before, we'll then be
31:38
bringing you a Life in your Hands. All right, Well, that we'll
31:41
do it for today, Join us back here tomorrow for let George do it,
31:47
and then we'll be back next Tuesday. Four call the police and the
31:49
Meanwhile, I send your comments to box thirteen a rate detectors dot net,
31:53
follow us on Twitter at Radio Detectors, and call us two eight nine nine
31:59
one four seven eighty three from Boise, Idaho. This is your host,
32:02
Adam Grahamson and off