Latest / Great Detectives of Old Time Radio Volume 2|Mystery Audio Dramas / Call the Police: The Case of the Unknown Strangler (EP0817)

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Call the Police: The Case of the Unknown Strangler (EP0817) · Great Detectives of Old Time Radio Volume 2|Mystery Audio Dramas

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Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This
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is your host, Adam Graham. If you have a comment, email it
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to me Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot net, Follow us on Twitter at
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Radio Detectives, and become one of our friends on Facebook, Facebook dot com
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slash Radio Detectives. Well, today's episode is brought to you by the financial
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support of our listeners. Thanks so much for all your support. Now Here
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today's episode or Call the Police The case of the Unknown Strangler Rentso New Rentso
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with Solium presents Call the Police Attention Homicide section of Primes on detail an Aspecting
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your home, Oh them, Between you and the evil outside the law stands
1:34
the policeman of your community. He gives up his safety that you may be
1:38
safe, and sometimes he gives up his life to protect your New rents O.
1:55
The salt that contains solium, the scientific sunlight ingredient, brings you call
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the police. A news Theories of realistic radio dramas inspired by the correctous work
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of police departments all Opra America. This is commissioned our Bill Grant. Putting
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the cuffs on a Jack, the ripper takes plenty of hard labor and all
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the breaks, as was demonstrated in number three four six one from the Ashland
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Files, never to be forgotten, as is the case of the Unknown Stranger.
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The opening of this giant size comedy took place at seven fifteen on the
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evening of July second, and the third floor flat. Yes Francy abley forty
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seven year old spinster who earned a small living teaching singing, was making herself
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a bit of dinner in her modest two four kitchen. Men. Oh dear,
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here goes the door bell. I pleased somebody to inquire about. Let
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just a moment, please, just a moment. I hear you. I'm
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coming. Oh't just step in. I'm preparing little food in the kitchen,
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So if you'll excuse me, let me by. Will you let me by
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please? I'm going to scream for help. Do you hear me? I'm
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going to scream. That was the curtain raiser. We found the dead woman
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two hours later, and nothing, absolutely nothing to give us any insight into
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the motive behind the crime. Fifty six hours later, the curtain went up
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on the second cause of the dance of death. On the night of July
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sixth, an aging lawyer by the name of Joel Crocker creaked up the steps
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to his ancient office. What I didn't know there was anyone waiting for me.
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I'm terribly sorry, sir. If you'll just come along into the inner
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office, leave the door open, if you please, It's cooler that way
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now, just to have a sweet knocks. Oh do you? How do
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you strike me? In my And now there were two still climbs, as
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alike as a pair of peas in a pod. The illogical death without raison
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or motives. Those papers didn't catch on for twelve hours, and suddenly they
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made the tie up between the Abley and Crocker murderers, and every sheet in
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town was off to the races. Unknown strangler takes double toll. H Mean's
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helpless to stop homicidal murderer? Where will the killer strike next? Bill?
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Stop pacing Bill? Please take a gander at those papers. Libby A Banner
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Day for the Press. This photo layout looks like a remake of a Cat
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McNary. May I say something, say what this is really the Criminal Side
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Department speaking Bill? But you are dealing with just what the papers say.
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You are a homicidal murderer. Oh why murder is always on the verge of
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insanity or, as we say, pre psychotic. But murder without mooting,
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pointless, disconnected, profitless killing is psychotic. Whoever the man is Bill,
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He's insane? Hold of the second movie? Well, I'm sorry, but
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I had to come. I couldn't wait any longer. I had to come.
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What is this? Who are you? My name is Liz Porter.
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You've got to help me. He's been missing for days. Who has Leonard?
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Leonard Walker is a boy. I'm engaged to look missing person's your report,
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your local precinct. I did, but all they've got on their minds
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is this unknown strangler scare. Oh please please help me. I'm so worried.
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How long has your fiance been missing, Miss Porter? Since the evening
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of the second of July. Very interesting evening. And what's the last you
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saw of him? Well, we'd been on a date. He brought me
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home, he drove away in his car kind of a card. It's two
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oh one. Gee, Oh I don't know. I just don't know.
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My mind isn't such a fog guy? Have a chair? Miss Thank you?
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Hello, Well, don't blow you top. Thanks for caring, But
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it's already blown. What's the news? Another strangle? Another the strangler again
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to be oh bill aggress address. This room was staged in a car on
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a side road or highway eleven about twenty five young guy killed in this car.
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What about the license plate? One four eight en? Just a second,
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this Porter, could your boyfriend's license have been two O one G four
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eight en? This's porter. She recognized the numbers when I said them,
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and she was right to faint. It was Leonard Walker. All right.
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You've been sitting up straight in his sedan for four days and nights with the
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strangler's fingerprints around his throat. I I got out of the office these hots
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er days. I shed my coat the moment I get there, and the
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rest of the boys do the same. Everybody knows that a man looks fine
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without a coat if he's careful to wear a clean, nicely washed shirt.
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But you know, I'm kind of proud of the way my wife washes my
8:13
shirts. But the credits only partly here. The rest belongs to Rinseol.
8:18
New Rensol that's the new Rensol with solium actually gets white clothes whititer than brand
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new washable colors. Even brighter than new. So I go around every day
8:28
wearing a shirt it's whitier than a new one. That's a fact. New
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rensol with solium, the scientific sunlight ingredient, put sunshine in your wash.
8:37
And I think it's sort to put sunshine in a man's whole outlook too,
8:41
because he knows he looks so good in a rinso washed shirt. A mam,
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how about it? Why don't you wash your husband's shirts and all the
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rest if your wash with safe sulphy rich new Renseol Number three for the unknown
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strangler was a young man named Leonard Walker. Three motiveless clueless murders. In
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as many days. I channeled every available man unto the hunt for the strangling
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maniac, but got nowhere until phillyes LEVI. Remember I told you yesterday I
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thought I knew the way out of this. Well now I'm sure I do.
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Whom all is? I want you to meet someone? Bill, he's
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outside now. His name is doctor Bernard Rayburn. He's an expert on abnormal
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psychology. What can I show him in? Won't you come in? Doctor
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Rayburn? Thank you, doctor Rayburn. This is Commissioner Grant. Oh yeah,
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doctor, how do you do. Miss Tyler seems to think you can
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give us a lead on this strangler. Doc, I can tell you that
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he's an obviously schizophrenic type, meaning, among other things, that even he
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very probably doesn't know that he's the strangler. How does that work? Doc?
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On a principle of phasial changes, one minute, the man may appear
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quite rush, whereas at the next he can become a monstrous personality and remember
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nothing at all of his actions when he shifts back again to the rational phase.
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I get the picture. That's a tough one to deal with it.
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Yes, I agree, Commissioner, but I think by an analysis of his
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crimes, one might arrive at something very like an identification. And you would
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you make that analysis? I can't prounce you anything, but if you give
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me your records and notes covering the murders, I'll try to assemble some facts.
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They may even include a fairly dependable sketch of the killer's physical appearance.
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Why now, I like the man, and I know also that he deliver.
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So I gathered together our meager records and packed them off to do his
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work. An hour and a half later, the tireless Sergeant Maggio walked into
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the office. Here's a little jiggerheads you a collection? What's that? I
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took a glass look at London Becas Cohn found it stuck under the front seat
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cover. It's a Capita, one of those new fangled drive point pens.
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Maybe you belonged to walk her and I'm going to check on Then I called
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miss Port and she's coming over after work to see if she recognizes it.
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They they tell me you heard an interview with a nut doctor. I talked
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things over with doctor Rayburn. Where is he now? Laundering his straight jacket?
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Getting his work done? Which hasn't a bad idea for everybody on this
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case. The next day was the eighth of July, and a very eventful
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day. It was because, at a little after seven that evening, a
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school teacher named Miss Rosie McMahon's hurrying across the lonelier stretches of Burgoyne Park to
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beat an oncoming storm. Who are you fuck? You want? Nope,
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nope, kill me? Aldo you know? Okay boy, let me loose.
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Look, sorry, but you tried it once too often. Strangle.
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They brought him in. I took a look at him, and I was
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amazed. A little thin faced man with steel rimmed glasses and tobacco stainless dash.
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No, no, you are along, I know, do something on
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this stop nice lad to ask for a cigarette? Ndaman do no harm.
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No too bad about Hindeman sugar wooden melting Hindeman's mouth. But take a look
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at what we found when we went over him. What's that? Ring man
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can take ke ring man can also explain why his ring features this particular key.
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Look at the tag I achieved key to the basement of eight nine for
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Tyson Street eight nine for Tyson let the address so the ably woman strangler victim
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number one, and maybe you also remember the address of lawyer Crocker number two
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for sure fifty four fund Street Exhibit B from the same key Hindiman machnal harm
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for somebody in the model of joing with these case Maca liiving wery maca living.
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He says he works as a part time janitor in both buildings. Kind
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of coincidence, I commissioner, wait a minute eight nine for Tyson livey four
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Fulham. Where does Leonard Walker's girlfriend lived at that? Miss Porter day the
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heart and apartments, and this last chivalry takes place in Poorgoing Park. So
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then me a map of Ashman. There's one year on the road. Well,
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what are you doing in chief Platman new civic project. I'm drawing what
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the area of the strangler's activities. Bought it on the north by Fulham Street.
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I'm a south by Tyson S East, the east by Dale Avenue,
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and the center of the territory is burg Going Park. Yeah got something,
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I got at least geography. The stranger has operated in this penciled section.
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Every murder has either occurred in this area of these three blocks or has been
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tied up with it one way or the other. Hendeman, Yeah, still,
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yeah, you're under arrest for the murders of Francis Appley, Joel Cracker
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and Leonard walked. Oh no, I don't do something. I don't know
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something you've heard. We lifted the hysterical Hendeman into my office and let me
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point it out that we get nowhere with him until he had recovered a little.
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According to her, an injection of liquid NEMBUTA would tie him over his
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panic. This she brought from a line helped him onto the sofa. Yeah
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that's right, Commissioner, this porter, Oh this minute, Levy, it
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was about this fountain, pen cap f and Walker's car. Was it his?
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No? No, that wasn't any okay, thanks, obviously it belonged
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to a stranger here. Now if you just wait outside, the stranger Hindman.
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You know him, know him well? Yes, of course I know
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him. He insulted me once outside my apartment house. He killed him,
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he did it. I tell you, try to calm down. Porter downstairs
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and put her in my car. I'll drive her home myself was usually finished
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inside. Okay, come on, amos, Porter, everything's gonna be all
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right. Let's get back to Hindeman. Where will we be hard to give
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him a shot? Now, here's a needle hold his risk. Okay,
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there we are there, We are all done, all done. I'm going
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to get the deskt to the hospital, and having taken to the ward,
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deal, he'll be better off there until he's well enough to answer a question.
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He was sleeping peacefully, this man whose one love was murdering. I
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looked down at him, fascinated by the sheer evil of his face, and
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then I me, I do. I leaned forwards, hovering over him to
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catch an unconscious confession, when suddenly his head came up under my chin.
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But only skull catching me scrow on the button with a power of a mule's
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kick. My eyes bugged as the room started to do a swirling tarantella,
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and then down. I went, swaying off until never never Land, without
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a care in the world. When I came to the couch was empty.
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Hindeman had been on his way for who knows how long, and then I
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saw it, a spot on a carpet not three feet from my nose.
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I smelt it, nemb you're tall. In those few minutes, while we
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were lugging Liz Porter outside, Hindeman and emptied the needle and filled it again
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so that we gave him an injection of Aqua pura h two water. When
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the full impact of what had happened hit my muddled brain, I grabbed the
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phone and began to shout, turning every able body gun toting men in the
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force into the chase and hem stitching the borders of Ashland with a ring of
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squad cars. After that, Libby and I staggered out for something to revive
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us. She was trying to cheer me up. I remember telling me not
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to despair. When suddenly, just as we neared the car, deal Bill.
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Look, Look, Look. I looked through the window of my car.
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I saw his porters smiling out at us. On second glance, I
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saw that the smile was really the tooty grimace of her last attempt for that
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final gasp of air that hadn't come. Elizabeth Porter had met the strangler face
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your wash. There was no reviving Liz Porter. Four days, four murders.
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The stranger was still ranging the town with his fingers curled like the talons
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of a buzzard. What are we going to do? Bill? Call a
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governor. I'm putting this in his lap. Takes a thousand more men to
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cover this city, Ie the militia. Don't me. No, Bill's death
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has come to stay baby Ow State Capital. No Commissioner, Doctor Rayburn,
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Oh hello, how you doing it? Doc? Fine, I've got some
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material for yous. I promise I'm a stranger. Yeah, we know who
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he is, Doc. Congratulation, but he slipped us. This may help
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you pick him up again. Come on over. Rayburn lived in a comfortable
20:45
brownstone on Chestnut Street. We sat over his dining room table, drinking cold
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beer and examining what amounted to the work of genius. Now take a look
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at this skitch, Commissioner. Yeah, who is this, Doc? It's
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a picture of the strangler. Huh. It's not exactly a camera portrait grant,
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but it's been discovered recently that all mental illnesses have similar physical correlatives.
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In other words, this is what the strangler must look like based upon his
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symptoms. I get it. You're okay, Doc, You're okay. You
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can study it for a moment while I get my other notes. I did
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study the sketch, and the longer I looked at it, the more I
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realized that it looked nothing like Hindemann. But I had the strange feeling that
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had looked like somebody I knew. Now here are the balance of the notes.
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I want a jot in a couple of remarks, then you can have
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them. He took out his fountain pen and began to make additions in the
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margins, And as I stared at him, a short hairs on the tender
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part of my nape stood up as sharp as quails. It's a nice suit,
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dark, this one. Yeah, you could damage it, you know,
22:04
carrying that pen in your pocket without a cap. I know I'm a
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careless man at best. I lost the cap the other day. Where why,
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I don't know? I think I do? Do you think you do?
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Yeah? You lost at dock where it was found in Leonard Walker's car.
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Manard Walker, he was one of the victims. Wasn't he number three?
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To be exact? How could I have lost it in his car?
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I never laid eyes on him. Here's the cap. Maggio found it yesterday.
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I'm afraid you laid more than eyes on him, Doc, I'm afraid
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you laid hands on him. Let me see that thing, thanks, it
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is mine. There's a crack down the middle. I dropped it and stepped
22:47
down it the day before it disappeared. Grant, I know, Doctor,
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rayburn me me. This street, Chestnut Street comprises the off side of the
23:00
square in which the strangler is operated. Also take a look at the picture,
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you do, Yes, yes, it does look like me. How
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could I have missed it? So diagnosed for me, Doc, My diagnosis
23:15
stands advanced schizophrenia. And who's my strangler? I can hardly hardly believe it.
23:23
I am a description, Doc, get me the headquarters quick. We
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said nothing. On the way downtown. We said nothing. As we started
23:42
up in the elevator. I looked at him, feeling sorry for a nice
23:47
guy who was very, very sick. What I saw is I look meant
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nothing to me. I've never seen a phasial change occur. It's difficult for
23:55
anyone to see you, so I wasn't prepared. When the elevator stopped after
24:02
you, Doc turns turnlers, I went down, falling across the elevator entrance.
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I didn't know that Livy was in my office, and she didn't No
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Rayburn, miss anything but a nice guy. Oh hello, doctor Frisbill,
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Bill, Bill Grant, Commissioner Grant. He was with you, wasn't me.
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Yes? Oh well, I hope he hurries. I've got news for
24:34
him. Magio just called. They've picked up Hinderman. Yes, Hindhaman,
24:40
the janitor, the Strangler. They found him hiding in the basement of an
24:44
old house. Oh don't you realize what that means, doctor Rayburn. Everything
24:48
new and Bill had been through. It's all over, finished, finished,
24:52
No more murders, no more terror, no more innocent victims. They've got
24:59
the strangle. What are you laughing here? He trying to make fun of
25:04
me? What's the matter? Doctor? What brought me to the surface was
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and that same force dragged me out of the elevator and down the hall.
25:22
I saw the glass dog with my name on us. William Grant's police Commissioner
25:26
Ashlyn not strong enough tophen it. I lunched forward and fell troll. He
25:40
swung around, and in that moment as he caught her back, a change
25:44
occurred. The Rayburn snapped back himself again, and there was more surprised than
25:51
accusation in his eyes as he said, why did you do that? Grint?
25:57
Why? Why? And the terror was over Olivia and I we tried
26:17
to forget. So Henjamin was all coincident, thick enough, but definitely not
26:22
the killer. That's about it. Now, let's not talk about it now.
26:25
It can happen to anybody, and you never know a thing about it.
26:29
It doesn't happen unless you're the type, sweetheart, and you get warnings.
26:32
Don't worry. It's such as where did you take me last year?
26:37
Or so? I felt a peculiar sort of thing. Tightening of the pulses,
26:40
heightening of the blood pressure, quivering around the heart. Yeah, it
26:44
comes on at certain times. What times? Times when I look at you,
26:51
baby, Bill? Enough, oh, Bill Grant. In just a
27:11
moment, Commissioner Grant will return with the call a police plaqua Velor this week
27:15
presented to a police officer who single handed captured a group of armed bandits.
27:21
But now you know, millions of women say that there's nothing like Renso's safe
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that contains the scientific sunlight ingredients solium. Renso with solium puts sunshine in your
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wash and mark. This Renso is used by more women than any other wash
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day soap in the world. This is Bill Grant. It's with considerable pride
28:06
that I present this week's called the Police Plaque of Valor and Cash Award to
28:08
an heroic Deputy Inspector of Police, James MacArthur of Cleveland, Ohio. MacArthur's
28:14
due of valor was reported by San Giamo, chief police reporter of the Cleveland
28:18
Press. Shortly after midnight, a police broadcast announced that a robbery was in
28:22
progress in a coffee shop in downtown Cleveland. MacArthur, who was cruising in
28:26
the district, sped to the scene of the hold up without thought to his
28:29
personal safety. He ripped open the door and confronted a group of armed bandits.
28:33
As MacArthur stepped into the room, three bullets whizzed passed his head.
28:37
He drew his revolver and fired. One of the gunmen went down wounded.
28:41
The other three tried to escape, but MacArthur blocked their exit at gunpoint.
28:45
The four bandits were sentenced to ten to twenty five years in Ohio State Penitentiary.
28:49
His swift action, his cool courage, and gallant devotion to duty are
28:53
in keeping with the highest traditions of the police forces of America. Congratulations to
28:59
Deputy and James MacArthur, Chief George J. Matowitz, and the entire Police
29:03
Department of Cleveland, Ohio. George Peatbrey was fired in the role of Bill
29:15
Grant. Music was arranged and conducted by bent Let Lowell. This is Hugh
29:18
James reminding you to be with us again next week when Labor Brothers Company,
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makers of New rentso with Solium, bring you another exciting police case. Listen
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next week too, The case of the Mandarins Fuck Doctors proved it. Life
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Cleaner. Be sure to listen next week to all This is NBC, the
30:22
National Broadcasting Company. Welcome Back won't a very suspenseful episode. The way it
30:38
worked out it was actually much better than I remembered it. This was just
30:49
top notch in terms of building the suspense, you know, through in an
30:53
appropriate red herring, and then gave us a bit of a twist ending.
31:00
Of course, the idea of a psychiatrist who is himself crazy was not altogether
31:08
uncommon. That's kind of our picture of the psychological profession that always remains plausible.
31:18
But the way they got there, I thought was pretty clever, and
31:21
again a lot of suspense along the way. Well, that will actually end
31:26
our run of call the police. This by no means end to call the
31:30
police appearing over radio. In fact, it continued to have quite a run
31:42
the rest of the summer of nineteen forty eight, and it came back in
31:47
the summer of nineteen forty nine. However, that nineteen forty nine summer set
31:53
series was not broadcast on NBC. It was broadcast on CBS NBC. It
32:00
actually signed another summer replacement show that lot, called the Police, honored the
32:06
efforts of law enforcement, but was told in a more straight laced procedural way.
32:12
Of course, most of you have heard of it. The name of
32:14
that procedural dragnet. Well, I'll be back next week with a new show.
32:21
I definitely pride on Tuesdays really introducing some programs with fewer episodes, perhaps
32:30
lesser known, but giving you a flavor of a radio and that's that's engaging
32:37
and well done. And I think there were a lot of shows during the
32:39
golden age of radio for whatever reason, and perhaps it was just crowding of
32:45
the market with so many quality shows have just not gotten a fair shake,
32:50
and I think that's definitely the case with the program we're going to be bringing
32:53
you next week. It's a show not many people have heard of, but
32:58
I think you'll find it very entertaining. Great legal drama, perhaps one of
33:02
the main programs, have got a legal procedural theme in the middle of it,
33:12
so you'll want to be listening to A Life in Your Hands coming next
33:16
Tuesday to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio. In the meanwhile, Sandra
33:21
commons to Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot net, follow us on Twitter at
33:25
Radio Detectives, and become one of our friends on Facebook, Facebook dot com
33:30
slash Radio Detectives. But from Boise, Idaho, this is your host,
33:35
Adam Grahamson and off