Latest / Great Detectives of Old Time Radio Volume 2|Mystery Audio Dramas / Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Neal Breer Matter (EP1354)
Transcript
- 0:28Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This
- 0:33is your host, Adam Graham. If you have a comment, send it
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- 0:58Rochelle emailed in one with her donation. Thanks Adam, yours is my favorite
- 1:03podcast. I'd like the Perry Mason Dog episodes since I often listen while walking
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- 1:26They're different from the TV series but still worth a lesson. Also,
- 1:30at the fifty dollars level, we have your choice of either The Father Brown
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- 1:47of the Poiro books that are available through audible dot com. Full list of
- 1:52available Thank You Gifts is at support dot Great Detectives dot net. Well,
- 1:57now we do something that's really a delight, and that's presenting an episode that
- 2:04was lost at the time we were first going through yours, truly, Johnny
- 2:08Doller. If we would have had the Neil Breyer matter when we were playing
- 2:15through the EDM and O'Brien years, we would have brought this to you around
- 2:19July of twenty eleven. However, this is an episode that just resurfaced in
- 2:25recent years, so we're pleased to bring it to you. Given that it's
- 2:30been so long since we finished up Edmon O'Brien, and even now it's been
- 2:37about a year and a half since we wrapped up the John Lunn era,
- 2:40perhaps a reintroduction to these eras of Johnny Dollar is in order. O'Brien had
- 2:47taken on the role of Johnny Doller after the initial run of Charles Russell throughout
- 2:53nineteen forty nine and brought a very different feel. It was very much in
- 2:59the heart boiled detective vein, although later episodes would have O'Brien in the sort
- 3:06of combination insurance investigation slash police procedural type stories that would become so commonplace in
- 3:14the John Lund era. O'Brien starred as Dollar from February of nineteen fifty to
- 3:20January of nineteen fifty two and returned for a summer season in July of nineteen
- 3:28fifty two, and actually, other than Bob Bailey, he was the only
- 3:32Johnny Dollar to hit one hundred episodes, though there are slightly more John Lunn
- 3:38episodes in circulation, because even with the discovery of this new lost episode,
- 3:45there are still more than two dozen Ed Ment O'Brien Johnny Dollar episodes that are
- 3:51missing. O'Brien was still in the early stages of a career that would see
- 3:55him win an Oscar as well as a Golden Globe. Only Dollar was definitely
- 4:00a memorable one with a lot of people who will list it as the very
- 4:05best, probably about ten percent of old time radio fans. Whether best or
- 4:10not, I think it's definitely worth a listen. So here now is a
- 4:14previously on an episode we didn't play previously that is returned to circulation. It's
- 4:19time for the Neil Breer Matter. From July eighteenth of nineteen fifty one WBBM
- 4:29FM Chua, The Refreshing, Delicious treat that gives you chewing enjoyment presents for
- 4:33your listening enjoyment. Edmund O'Brien as Johnny Donna, you call me the old
- 4:43guy Hamm of the local Carna, I did, That's who I am.
- 4:46What do you want, I wondered, when I could get together with him
- 4:47and talk over the bread ed? Which one was that Neil brid He died
- 4:51last week? Oh? What do you want to talk about him? For?
- 4:56Over home? I'm an investigator from his insurance company. They aren't convinced
- 5:00that he died a natural death. What do they think they know about it?
- 5:03They received a letter from someone here in town who said they weren't quite
- 5:06sure that. I'm sorry I can't tell you that right now, but I'd
- 5:12like to go over the case with him. Case close far as I'm concerned.
- 5:15I'm busy with other work, all right, miss Town. I'll have
- 5:17to start from someplace else. The makers of Wrigley's Spearmint Chewing Gum bring you
- 5:28Edmund O'Brien and a transcribed Adventure of the Man with the action packed Expenser Gum,
- 5:31America's papulous freelance insurance investigator, Yours truly, Johnny dalla or refreshment while
- 5:46you work. For enjoyment anytime, chew a stick of Wrigley's Spearmint gum.
- 5:49The delicious, long lasting real mint flavor of Wrigley's Spearmint cools your mouth and
- 5:54freshens your taste. The good, smooth chewing helps keep you feeling fresh and
- 5:59alert. Enjoyment to whatever you're doing, so indoors, outdoors, at work,
- 6:03or at play. Enjoy chewing Wrigley's Spearmint Gum. Wrigley's Spearman refreshing delicious.
- 6:20Expense account submitted by Special Investigator Johnny dallow to home office Great Eastern Insurance
- 6:25Company, Hartford, Connecticut. The following is an accounting of expenditures during my
- 6:29investigation of the Neil Bria mat expense account. Item one two hundred and thirty
- 6:34five dollars AFN incidentals between Hartford and my destination. In compliance with the company's
- 6:41request, I will not make that city in a state a matter of this
- 6:44record, and I will leave it up to the company will strike the true
- 6:46names of the people involved. My first personal contact was the man whose letter
- 6:51had set off the investigation, doctor Henry Richards. We met in his office
- 6:56secretly that evening after his nurse had gone home. I'm sorry to admit,
- 7:00mister Dollar, that there have been moments when I regretted writing that letter.
- 7:04I have a wife and a son and a practice to think about. This
- 7:08is a small town, and I could be banished for stirring up a lot
- 7:11of unnecessary trouble. Both the company and I understand, doctor Richards, and
- 7:14we want you to know that your letter and everything you tell me will be
- 7:17kept in strict confidence if Neil Brey's death was due to natural causes. If
- 7:20it wasn't, of course the letter and my report will do you no harm.
- 7:24Yes, I see, you have nothing to worry about. I'll be
- 7:27the villain. As a matter of fact, I think I am one already.
- 7:30I talked to your corner. You told him why you were here.
- 7:33Yes, the only way for me to handle this is to stay out in
- 7:36the open with him and everyone else. I make a fool of myself.
- 7:40I'll take a late train out of town. You told him you received a
- 7:42letter, Yes, but not from whom. You're sure he doesn't suspect me.
- 7:45He didn't sound like he did. There's no reason for him too,
- 7:47is there. You issued the death certificate, didn't you, Yes, yes,
- 7:50I did tell me about Breyer. How old was he? He was
- 7:54twenty six. He was taken seriously ill at work. Where did he work?
- 7:58He was part owner of a service station. I was called there that
- 8:01morning. He was in a coma when I arrived. But Bircher described his
- 8:05convulsions to me. Bercher was his business pardner, Yes, Wesley Bircher.
- 8:09He described the convulsions quite clearly. It sounded as though they were the result
- 8:13of a violent heart attack. I want you to understand, mister Doller,
- 8:16a heart condition could have caused the symptoms he described and his condition. When
- 8:20I got there, I called for an ambulance, but he was dead before
- 8:22it arrived. Do you know his medical history, doctor Ridges, Yes,
- 8:26yes I do. He's been coming to me for a number of years.
- 8:28I was the attended position at the high school during his junior and senior years.
- 8:33He was a classmate of my son Allan, and he and a number
- 8:35of the others continued to come to me. Boircher, for one, did
- 8:39Brayer have trouble with his heart? Yes, there had been a condition,
- 8:41but it wasn't serious at his age. I told him that he'd have to
- 8:46be careful when he reached a certain age. But I was stunned at his
- 8:50death. I hesitated as long as I could before I signed the death certificate.
- 8:54But as I told you, if i'd refuse to sign it, I
- 9:00don't think it's fair to ask a private physician to take that responsibility. I
- 9:03don't either, But it seems to me the way we run things. What
- 9:05else might have caused his death? Doctor? Obviously a poison Yes, this
- 9:11is me. It's a metallic poisonism. Yes, how fast does it work?
- 9:16Twenty to forty grains would be a fatal dose, and from ten to
- 9:18thirty minutes, and the sentence could have been those described by this virtue.
- 9:20Yes, convulsion. Comma Brier is buried here in town. Yes, what
- 9:26are you going to do? You want to arrange for an autopsy? I
- 9:28don't know how you'll do that. I'm going to ask you to play one
- 9:31more part in this, and then I won't involve you anymore. You haven't
- 9:35told anyone about the letter you wrote us? No, no, not even
- 9:37my family. All right, I'll come tomorrow morning, when your nurse will
- 9:41be a witness. I'll demand that you show me Brier's medical history, and
- 9:45I'll go to the corner and ask for an autopsy. I know I started
- 9:48it, but I don't like it now, believing doctor, you have nothing
- 9:50to worry about it, and you wouldn't have started it if you didn't want
- 9:54to see the right thing done. True. Yes, yes, I'll see
- 9:58you in the morning. I made my appearance at the doctor's office the next
- 10:05morning, was unpleasantly efficient with his nurse, went through Breyer's medical history and
- 10:11proceeded to the coroner's office. The fact that he held that public office had
- 10:16nothing to do with mister Guy Hammill's personality. He was close to fifty and
- 10:20it had taken years to develop it. If he'd been a banker or anything
- 10:22else, I'm sure he would have been the same. I caught him as
- 10:26he came out of his office. I told you yesterday I was busy with
- 10:30other business. I know, but I hoped you might spare just a minute
- 10:33or two. Why didn't you call for an appointment? That's what I was
- 10:35doing yesterday when you told me you were too busy, Well, I am.
- 10:37Why don't you come back tomorrow sometime? It would be faster to go
- 10:41to the State Police. Mister Hamil, Well, why don't you do that?
- 10:45Then? I want to play fair with you. I don't want to
- 10:46go over ahead unless I have to. I'll keep you from your lunch only
- 10:50a minute or two. Well, all right, come on, you've got
- 10:56a lot of nerve, you know, saying these things to me. Maybe
- 10:58you're right, but being paid to say then and a lot more. Right
- 11:01now, I'm going to ask you to have Preyer's body exhumed, have an
- 11:05autopsy performed. So you're an investigator from an insurance company in Hartford, Well,
- 11:09I think it's time you brushed up on municipal law. As the coroner,
- 11:13I'm required by law to hold an inquest and order autopsy when there is
- 11:18reasonable ground to suspect that the disease suffered a violent or unnatural death, or
- 11:22died suddenly from some unknown call. Yeah, it's a perfect quote. Theil
- 11:26Brier died as a result of a heart attack, and the competent doctor issued
- 11:30assigned theath certificate to that effect. Do you have reasonable ground? Yes?
- 11:33The letter I told her of a reasonable in effect, it said that Preyer
- 11:37was young and healthy, and that there was a reasonable question about his dying
- 11:41of heart attack. Did this person presume to know as much about Breyer as
- 11:45his doctor as much? Maybe? How familiar are you with poisons? Have
- 11:48you been trained to diagnose their symptoms and so on? No? I haven't.
- 11:52I rely on the attendant doctors to inform me. I'm not blaming it
- 11:56for that. But has it ever occurred to you that every practicing physician is
- 11:58not an ext toxicologist. The study of poisons is almost a science in itself.
- 12:03It's not my job to check up on the doctors which signed death certificates.
- 12:07And what's just about poison? There is a poison that, while it's
- 12:11killing, is the same symptoms as a heart attack. I'm adding that to
- 12:15the letter the insurance company received to me. That adds up to reasonable grounds
- 12:18for suspicion. You know, I think your heart is in the right place.
- 12:24I don't go for this poppy cock, but I can see how you
- 12:26get upset. It's not me, it's the insurance company that doesn't like even
- 12:31the possibility that murderer suicide can be committed and changed off to death by natural
- 12:35causes simply because a doctor suns a death certificate. Now do I get my
- 12:39autopsy cacious closed. No matter what you say, I think it's the law
- 12:43fueling prayer. Survivors will feel the same way as father and widow. I
- 12:46don't know. You can go ahead. If his survivors demand an autopsy,
- 12:50and I don't think they're fools enough to then I'll accept that as reasonable suspicion,
- 12:54and I'll order an autopsy. That's good enough. And if you talk
- 12:58them into it, you're going to be held responsible as far as I'm concerned.
- 13:01Now, I'd like to eat my lunch, if you don't mind.
- 13:09I spent the rest of the day in the Hall of Records and then pouring
- 13:11over old newspapers in the high school yearbook of Neil Brier's graduation. By that
- 13:16evening, I had a fair picture of the boy's background. He'd been a
- 13:20hard working student, a good athlete. He'd developed with a classmate, Paula
- 13:24Wilson, less than a month after they'd left school, and since then he
- 13:26had lived a completely average small town life. There would be no reason for
- 13:30suspicion except for the doctor's letter and his statement to me, So I kept
- 13:35that foremost in my mind, and after a six thirty dinner, I want
- 13:37to pay a call on Brea's widow, an attractive girl who turned to Nash
- 13:41and Grave when I told her why i'd come. Why Why would anyone say
- 13:46such a thing. I don't know, missus Breer, unless they had reason
- 13:50to believe it. Believe what I don't understand. Why should anyone think Neil
- 13:54died from poison. I want to see doctor Richards this morning. I demanded
- 13:58that he'd show me your husband's medical record. There was a heart condition,
- 14:01but it shouldn't have been fatal, not at his age. Nobody told me
- 14:07leave me alone. I can't, mister Brea, and after coming this farm,
- 14:11learning what I've learned, I can't stop until an autopsy has performed and
- 14:16I've learned the truth. Whichever way it goes. No, it would be
- 14:18much easier for all of us. I think if you'd help me. No,
- 14:20I won't. I canderstand it. You can't ask me to go through
- 14:24it all again. I'd hoped you'd want to know the truth yourself. I
- 14:28know the truth. Neil is dead and there's nothing I can do about it.
- 14:31Nothing to leave me alone. Please go away, leave you alone.
- 14:45Neil Brea's father ran a small grocery store with living quarters above. At first
- 14:50meeting, I hope for more cooperation from him. He evidently had a calmer
- 14:54acceptance of death. You should have come to me first. I could have
- 14:58told you about Paula. Grief eat honest. After a person's dead. A
- 15:03person's alive and suffering, then it's honest. But after a person's dead,
- 15:09you ain't really feeling grief for them, You're feeling it for yourself. I
- 15:13suppose you've got a pointless prayer. I made up my mind to that after
- 15:16Neil's mother died, and some people think it's cruel. I suppose, But
- 15:22at a time like that, the big problem ain't dying, it's living on,
- 15:26mister prayer. After what I've told you, would you request an autopsy?
- 15:30No? No, I won't. Don't you want to be sure why
- 15:33your son died. I'm satisfied he had heart trouble. We all knew it.
- 15:37I described a possible poison to you. There'd be no way for Neil
- 15:41to get it. Oh, I know about insurance too. I don't like
- 15:46what's behind what you're saying, and I'm not going to take no part in
- 15:48bringing up things that are finished. What do you think is behind what I'm
- 15:52saying, I know about Neil's new insurance policy, and I know about suicide
- 15:56clauses. You think my son took his own life, and I tell you
- 16:00he didn't. You're wrong, mister Breder. Would be stupid to unfay anything
- 16:04like that, not knowing the cause of death. And that's all. I
- 16:07want to know. What made your son die? And I told you I'm
- 16:11satisfied how he died. He's beyond this world now and I won't have him
- 16:15brought back. Good evening, sir, Oh kiddown three twelve lens? Yes,
- 16:29sir, oh, mister dollar. You've had a couple of calls,
- 16:33the last one just a minute ago. Oh? Thanks? No name of
- 16:37no, sir? Who took the calls? Please? I did? He
- 16:40don't have a regular phone operator? Oh, this gentleman. What did he
- 16:44say? Why he asked for you? No? The first time, he
- 16:48asked if you were registered here and had me ring your room. Then he
- 16:51called back a minute ago. He seemed awfully upset. Did you ask his
- 16:53name? Yes, but he said never mind, I'll call back. Could
- 16:56you tell anything about the boys, like whether it was an old man or
- 17:00a young man? Well, I'd say it was young, Yes, young
- 17:04and almost hysterical. Yeah, here's my card an ID. Yes. When
- 17:11this man calls again, I want you to listen to the conversation. No,
- 17:14you won't. Maybe over a legal matter. I'd like to have a
- 17:17witness. I can't pay for your health because paid witness is no good with
- 17:19it healthy. Sure, it's all right, it is. That's a promise.
- 17:22Thanks. I go right up to my room. All music in just
- 17:37a moment. But now i'd like to say this for the young women between
- 17:40the ages eighteen to thirty four. If you've been wondering how you can help
- 17:44out in America's fight for freedom and liberty, investigate the many important jobs now
- 17:48opening the Women's Army Corps. It is again an important part of our team
- 17:52for defence. Get complete information at your local Army recruiting station and I'll back
- 17:57to the music. Here's a request from certain party over on Oak Street who
- 18:00signed or no restless. He wants to dedicate this. You don't know who
- 18:08this is, mister Donald, but you've got to listen to me. You've
- 18:11got to stop what you're doing and leave town because there's no reason for you
- 18:15to be here. You're hurting people you're trying to cause a lot of trouble
- 18:18that there's no reason for You've got to stop or you it doesn't make any
- 18:22difference. You've got to stop, that's all. There's no reason for you
- 18:25to be here. The fact that you call like this and won't give me
- 18:27your name makes me wonder if there isn't more reason than I thought. You've
- 18:30got to stop. I don't want you to hurt these people. I'm warning
- 18:33you, Yes, I'm warning you. If you don't stop, you're going
- 18:37to be hurt. Hello. Hello, I was the same and you heard
- 18:45him warn me. I heard him? All right? Good? Now would
- 18:47you get me the home phone number of Karna Guy? Hammeled or refreshment while
- 19:03you work? For enjoyment, anytime chew a stick of Wrigley's spearmint gum when
- 19:07your mouth feels dry, when you're warm or tired, Wriggly's spearmint is really
- 19:11refreshing. The lively, full bodied real mint flavor cools your mouth, moistens
- 19:15your throat, freshens your taste, and the chewing itself gives you a little
- 19:19lift, helps you feed your best and do your best. So for chewing
- 19:23enjoyment plus pleasant refreshment chew Delicious Wriggly spearmint gum. And now, with our
- 19:32star Edmund O'Brien, we bring you the second act of yours truly Johnny Dollar.
- 19:52Yeah, dollamus, ammo, oh, yes, come on in.
- 20:00I suppose you feel perky this morning and then I felt yesterday afternoon. I
- 20:03can tell you that. And I suppose you've got a right a toxicologists on
- 20:07his way from the state capital. The body will be ready for him and
- 20:10his helpers when they get here. I hope you understand that I couldn't do
- 20:15anything but what I did, Yeah, sure I do. All I have
- 20:18to go by is the death certificate. That's something like that phone call.
- 20:22Who comes up? And then I can move. I suppose you never thought
- 20:23of it. But your position, and out of a big share of the
- 20:26khanas in the country, is pretty much the same as the position of the
- 20:30insurance companies. And all they've got to go on is the certificate, too.
- 20:33Doctor signs won, the company meets the claim. Nobody'll even know how
- 20:37many poisonings have been chalked off to natural causes, not because the doctor isn't
- 20:41sincere as a rule, but because he has not had the training to rate
- 20:45the responsibility of making the decision. Well, it's nine thirty. Those men
- 20:51from the Capitol should be here in an hour or less. I guess i'd
- 20:53better see that things are ready for them. You want to be on hand
- 20:56now, Thanks, Conna. I'll leave my name number with the clerk if
- 21:00you haven't phoned me when they're through. Huh. I'd boned up on it
- 21:07enough to know that a metallic poison such as bismine would leave traces in spite
- 21:11of embalming, where other types would be impossible to detect. I also knew
- 21:15approximately the tests and analyzes they would have to make, and I didn't think
- 21:19it would take experts very long. It didn't. At two o'clock that afternoon,
- 21:23the results will phone me. Hello, doctor Richard speaking. This is
- 21:34Johnny Dalla doctor. Oh, yes, what is it? Well? You
- 21:37should feel proud of yourself, sir. Neil Brier's death was caused by bismine.
- 21:41What's that? An analysis was made. I didn't know anything about it.
- 21:44It was kept under cover. A man from the state capitol came over.
- 21:47They just finished. Well, and my instinct to write the letter was
- 21:49sound, certainly was, and I hope you get the credit you deserve.
- 21:53But at least you and I can meet in public dinner tonight. I'd like
- 21:56to, but I can't promise. Actually, this case is just started for
- 22:00me. Of course I should have thought of that, and I am right
- 22:03back to you for help again. Yes, certainly about the availability of bisman.
- 22:07Where could Bray have gotten a hold of sam Very small amounts of it
- 22:11are used in the treatment of certain blood disorders. It's not a common drug
- 22:15by any means. I really don't know where a layman would get it.
- 22:18Okay, Uh, well, all right, thanks doctor, of course,
- 22:22good luck. Call me if there's anything I can do. The inquest was
- 22:30not to be held until the following morning, but I asked for and got
- 22:33permission to start my investigation before the formal pronouncement of the jury. We all
- 22:37knew what it would be. Death self inflicted of either hand a person or
- 22:41person's unknown. Yes, yes, missus, Kelly James lead to work today.
- 22:56But when he gets here, I'll send it right over. Yes,
- 23:00thank you, I was mister Dowler. You did it, didn't you.
- 23:06I'm sorry of it. At this point I'm hardly the one to blame him.
- 23:07I I blame you for tearing up our lives again. It was better
- 23:11before. No matter what, Sometimes ignorance is more merciful than knowing things.
- 23:17I'm afraid I can't agree with that. I don't make no difference. We
- 23:22know, and we'll have to take the things that come with it. You
- 23:25mentioned suicide yesterday, mister Brayer, Did you have any reason other than being
- 23:30angry with insurance companies? And me? Not? No definite one, nothing.
- 23:33He told me what reason? Then? Kneel and me weren't very close,
- 23:37hadn't been for quite a time. I didn't like his marrying that girl
- 23:41the way he did, and he knew it. What do you mean the
- 23:44way he did, running off her barely the age of consent, and he
- 23:48him not much older. I told him they was ashamed to tell their parents
- 23:52because they knew it wasn't decent. Haven't they been happy? I'm not sure
- 23:56either way. Neil didn't come home much and you wouldn't tell me anyhow,
- 24:02But his business partner, Young Wes Bircher come to talk to me, asked
- 24:04me what was aim on'? Neil said something was he was down in the
- 24:08mouth all the time, and on the strength of that, you mentioned suicide
- 24:11to me. You know, when I learned you was an insurance man after
- 24:15something, and you talked about poison, that's when I figured you thought it
- 24:19was Jewish hid on account of that new policy he took out. It was
- 24:22very much. Is it all right? Mister Brayer ed down and saw to
- 24:26west Birchard, mister Bruce talking about Oh sure, I went out to see
- 24:37him. I dropped by the store and buy a pack of cigarettes once in
- 24:41a while. When did this happen about Neil anyway? This thing about poison
- 24:45yesterday and they assumed his body and made some tests. Could I just can't
- 24:51believe it. And his dad talking about suicide. Nothing seems to make sense
- 24:56to me. And you don't think he was depressed about his marriage, well,
- 25:00not depressed exactly. Then. What I said to his dad was that
- 25:04Neil didn't seem to be interested in anything anymore. We used to go honey
- 25:08and fishing. He loved it, but the past year maybe less. Well,
- 25:12he just lost interest. But I never said had anything to do with
- 25:17his marriage to Paula. Brea told me, well, he's wrong. I
- 25:21never talked to him about her about their marriage, because I know that he
- 25:25was just against it. What do you think was wrong with Neil? Well,
- 25:27I don't know. No. After he died, I figured it was
- 25:32because he'd been sick. I felt terrible about how hard he worked around here,
- 25:36and except that he never said anything about it. I was half blaming
- 25:38myself. But now with this stuff about poison, I just don't know what
- 25:42to say. You realize how serious this is now. If it wasn't suicide,
- 25:47was it was murdered? Yeah, that's right, isn't it? Everything
- 25:52you told me I just never thought about that. Was there something wrong with
- 25:56Neil's marriage? Well? I know it's tough because to tell me I have
- 26:00to talk about friends that you've known for a long time. But the truth
- 26:03has to come out. I'm not the only one that'll question you. Was
- 26:06Well, I don't mind talking. I don't think anything I say will mean
- 26:10anything. Everybody will tell you the same thing. There wasn't one person in
- 26:14our graduating class that thought Paula and Neil should have gotten married. Why because
- 26:18it was also one sided. Neil had chased her all through school and Paula
- 26:22just sort of laughed at him. After they were married, they used to
- 26:26come over and spend the evening with my wife and me, and well,
- 26:30even then you got the idea that it wasn't quite right. The only time
- 26:33paul ever got interested was when we got talking about we were in school.
- 26:37Why did they get married? Was? Oh, Paula. And everybody knows
- 26:42this. Paula's strong will and the guy that you really liked in school had
- 26:48to go to medical college. She didn't want him to go away, and
- 26:52when he told her he had to go, she just got sore. She
- 26:56threw herself at Neil and they ran away and got married. And do you
- 26:57think he knew that? Maybe not what he should have, but he must
- 27:02have fought out. He never said anything like I said. He didn't seem
- 27:07depressed, more like he was always trying to, you know, get it
- 27:11a love him. Gosh, I don't know. Maybe he did do something,
- 27:17maybe finally gave up. And who is this other guy? Is he
- 27:19still here in town? Yeah? Yeah, he's here for the summer.
- 27:23He's how Riches Alan richards Yeah, Doc Richardson. They went together all through
- 27:29a school. But she just told him that she wouldn't wait for him foriatical
- 27:32way. She sounds spoiled. I suppose you're telling me what happened here?
- 27:36The Daniel died, According to virtue, nothing unusual that happened that day.
- 27:42They'd opened their place at seven point thirty, they hadn't worked unusually hard.
- 27:47They'd taken a break at about nine, and Neil Brie had been taken ill
- 27:49about twenty five minutes later, and as I'd heard, he was dead not
- 27:53long after that. These people didn't fit into a picture of murder. One
- 27:57of the innocent ones had suspected it for a minute, but it was murdered.
- 28:02I didn't have any proof of it when I left the service station,
- 28:04but I thought I had answers to a lot of questions. The solution was
- 28:08pathetically simple. Hello is prayer friend, I'll have to bother you again.
- 28:22What do you want? Haven't you caused enough trouble? The trouble started before
- 28:26I came here. I come in Hi. They called me about the inquest.
- 28:34I told you yesterday that it would be easier if you'd help me get
- 28:37one. You didn't, so it had to be done without you. Now
- 28:41that I've learned your husband was murdered, there wasn't murdered. How do you
- 28:45know that? I didn't? I know that no one would murder him.
- 28:49There could be no reason to. How do you think he died? I
- 28:52don't know. If this story about poison is true, he must have taken
- 28:56it himself. Why do you think he would have done that? I don't
- 29:00know. I've talked to people. I know more about you and Neil than
- 29:02you think I do. All right, I didn't love him. He knew
- 29:07it. I could never love him. That's why he committed suicide. I
- 29:10don't know. He asked me why he would. We weren't happy. Why
- 29:14didn't you get a divorce? I wanted? I don't know. We didn't
- 29:18want to. There are only certain grounds in this state. You aren't cut
- 29:22out for this part, missus Breer? What part? Quick answers. You're
- 29:25scared, stiff? I am not. Why should I didn't you start to
- 29:27say that you wanted a divorce and then you thought better than no, I
- 29:30didn't. What you meant is that he wouldn't give you a divorce, no
- 29:33matter what you did? Is no. No, that isn't what I meant?
- 29:36What then? What I said? What about Alan Richards? What about
- 29:40him? Neil wouldn't divorce you, and you just had to get away from
- 29:41him? Isn't that right. I don't know what you're saying. Neil's heart,
- 29:47He said, why don't you tell me you married him on impulse?
- 29:49You knew you shouldn't have You talked to Alan? Yes? I have.
- 29:55What did he say? He called me last night to want me to leave
- 29:56town? No? No, you talked to him today. He told you.
- 30:00You tell me you're a part of its lost, isn't it? You
- 30:03know? Don't you? Yeah? I think I do. We couldn't help
- 30:06it. Hal came home for Christmas vacation and it started all over again.
- 30:11I love him. I love him so we couldn't help it. I wanted
- 30:19to get a divorce. New wouldn't It was his fault too. This was
- 30:25near Christmas. He told me and knew why I married him, and he'd
- 30:27never let me go. He told me I deserved it for doing what I
- 30:32did to him. I begged him. Did he know why you wanted to
- 30:36leave him? No? Nobody knew. Everybody forgot about Alan and me.
- 30:41We were careful, but we knew we had to do something. Alan was
- 30:45studying to be a doctor like his father, wasn't he It was my fault.
- 30:49I should have waited for him. He decided on the poison. Oh
- 30:56yes, it was all going to work. Neil's hard. No one would
- 31:00ever ask a question what was my fault? It was my fault. The
- 31:19rest of it I gave to the police. The fact that the uncommon poison
- 31:22was available to a medical student, was administered by way of a vacuum bottle
- 31:26of coffee. After that, I left town. Expense count item too miscellanius
- 31:33eighty six dollars and seventy cents item free, same as itam on transportation back
- 31:37to Hartford. Expense account total of five hundred and fifty six dollars and seventy
- 31:41cents. Remarks. I hope the company will understand my not going back to
- 31:45doctor Richards. A doctor in doubt about a death certificate calling on the interested
- 31:48insurance company for confidential help is a splendid idea, But in this case,
- 31:55the doctor's son was an accompliced a murder. Yours, truly, Johnny,
- 32:13Remember friends or refreshment? Why do you work for enjoyment? Anytime chew a
- 32:17stick of Wrigley's spearmint gum, there's lots of lively real mint flavor in it
- 32:22to cool your mouth, freshen your taste, and sweeten your breath, and
- 32:25chewing Wrigley's spearmint helps keep you fresh and alert. You feel better, work
- 32:30better, get more fun out of doing things. So indoors, outdoors,
- 32:35at work or at play, always keep delicious Wriggly spearmint chewing gum, handy
- 32:40or refreshment while you work, or enjoyment anytime chew a stick of Wrigley's Spearmint
- 32:45gum. Yours Truly Johnny Doller, Brought to you by Wriggley's Spearmint Gum,
- 32:54stars Edmund O'Brien in the title role and is written by Gil Dowd with music
- 32:59by Ed Dunsteader. Edmund O'Brien can soon be seen starring in the Paramount Pictures
- 33:02production Warpath. Featured in Tonight's cast were Ralph Moody, Edgar Barrier, Jodeval
- 33:08Gene Bates, Mary Ship, Tony Barrett, and Peter Leeds. Yours Truly
- 33:14Johnny Dollar is transcribed in Hollywood by him Delay. The makers of Brigley's Spearmint
- 33:27Chewing Gum, hope you've enjoyed Tonight's story of Johnny Dollar and that you're enjoying
- 33:30delicious Wrigley Spearmint gum every day. We invite you to join us next week
- 33:36at the same time when from Hollywood, Edmund O'Brien returns in another adventure of
- 33:42yours, truly, Johnny Dalla Bob Stevenson speaking. This is CBS, the
- 33:59Columbia Broadcasting System, Welcome back. Well, this was actually a very good
- 34:07episode for the era, and I thought a great twist ending. Sometimes these
- 34:13O'Brien episodes could be almost pointlessly depressing. Here the ending was downbeat, but
- 34:19it made sense and it felt kind of clever and a bit ironic of course
- 34:24in the end as to who the murderer was. But overall, this was
- 34:30just a very good story and we're very fortunate to have it back in circulation
- 34:35for fans to enjoy. But we'll have a few more previously missing episodes,
- 34:43though the rest of them will be from the John Lund era, so be
- 34:46sure and listen in the coming weeks. For those coming up in four weeks,
- 34:52we'll be bringing you Easy Money, a nice little detective show from the
- 34:55mid nineteen fifties that Aslutely Love starring Lara Haynes, all about rackets and racketbusting,
- 35:04particularly focusing on gambling rackets, so be planning on that in four weeks.
- 35:08I do encourage you to support our listener support Kim Haynes support dot Great
- 35:14Detectives dot net. Among the available thank you gifts, I do have audiobook
- 35:19copies of my superhero comedy novels Tales of the Dim Night, Fly Another Day
- 35:27or Powerhouse Hard Pressed are available with a donation of fifty dollars. At the
- 35:31one hundred dollars level, I'll send the Powerhouse Heroic Adventures bundle containing all three
- 35:38and that is as an audiobook with more than twenty seven hours of listening.
- 35:44So you can view all available details and thank you gifts at support dot Great
- 35:47Detectives dot net. We'll see you tomorrow with the Adventures of Philip Marlowe.
- 35:53Sendsor comments to Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot net. Follow us on Twitter
- 35:58Radio Detactives because I'm one of our friends. On Facebook, Facebook dot com.
- 36:02Slash Radio Detectives from Boise, Idaho. This is your host, Adam
- 36:07graham Son and off