Latest / Great Detectives of Old Time Radio Volume 2|Mystery Audio Dramas / Pursuit: Pursuit of the Woman in Grey (EP1347)

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Pursuit: Pursuit of the Woman in Grey (EP1347) · Great Detectives of Old Time Radio Volume 2|Mystery Audio Dramas

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Well, it's now time for us to get into today's episode of Pursuit.
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The title of today's episode, which originally aired February twenty six, nineteen
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fifty two, is Pursuit and the Woman in Gray And now where's you Burds
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Criminal strikes and pages quickly back into the shadows of his own dark world.
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And then the man from Scotland yards that Aamerus inspector, Peter Black and the
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dangerous, relentless pursuit when man hunts man in just a moment to Night's story,
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you know many great men have attained the highest office in our land,
3:58
the presidency of the United State. Can you guess the name of this man?
4:02
The presidency was the first and only public office he ever held. He
4:09
never went to school, but was taught at home by a tutor. Like
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his father. He also became a military man and remained in the service until
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his nomination to the presidency in eighteen forty eight. He was the second and
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last member of the Whig Party to become president. If you don't have his
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name by now, here's another clue. During his presidency, Gould was discovered
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in California. Who was he? Zachary Taylor? Who President of the United
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States? His life is part of your American heritage. Now if Ben Wright
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Stard is the famous inspect of Peter Blackham content, God, we bring you
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Tonight's story verse Q of the woman in gray another please please don't now I
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can't stand is low addicted? Please? Please? No su perfect stupid?
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Stop it you mean rubbit, go chase to please, it's muscled. Let's
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try the start off. I wish she didn't. Please, don't. I've
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been asking for something every since you came here, my girl. Now get
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inside a week in pure what you mean? It will make you think twice
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before stopping spiking again. No, no, okay. The prison was much
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like any other structurally, but there were small things, possibly an atmosphere that
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was hard to define. The inmates numbered some five hundred, but here the
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difference was quite obvious. The prisoners were all women. I had gone there
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to requested Midillian Barnet, governor of the can of Prison, and she was
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standing looking out of the curtain window when one of the prisoners brought me into
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her office. Mister Black is here, Miss Bernard, thank you? How
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do you do? How do you do? Thank you? I asked you
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to come here because I'm terribly worried. Oh we don't want where to get
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out, but I'm afraid done well, I can assure you that my investigations
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will not be made public, and this, of course, that's fire necessary.
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One of our girls, Dolly, Tanner was put into solitary confinement last
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week. She's rather than treadful. I had no choice. Yesterday she was
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released and at supper a fights which started in the dining hall. I see,
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and the Tanner girl was involved. Yes, she was dead. This
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is the third time it's happened. I see. I think someone's trying to
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murder her. Miss Burnett was a very attractive woman. Ken It was difficult
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to think of her as the governor of a prison, but I had the
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feeling that the inmates Fustana were luckier in her presence. He sat looking at
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me and there were tired, strained lines around her mouth and eyes. Ordinarily
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we handle such matters without outside help, but in this case, I think
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it's on too far. There has a tenor girl, any particular enemies here?
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I thought of that at once five hundred girls locked up together and inspect
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her. Not exactly healthy, easy to make an enemy, but you would
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discount the possibility of a normal antagonism. Yes, we have fights, we
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deal with them, but this is more than that, and you have no
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idea who's behind it. First we thought we did a girl named Meg Praiser,
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but at the time of the fight last night. She was on duty
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in the kitchen. Well, what would you like me to do, miss
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Banner interview Dolly Tanner find out what to say? Wouldn't that be a little
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difficult? I mean, after all, I'm up. If the girls don't
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know that, it could be better. I thought to investigate her from an
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institution that a social worker that might be recognized. We can't take a chance.
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All right, You can begin now if you like. Yes, I'll
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have kind of brought up to the visitors room. After that you can meet
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some of the others who'd be involved in the fight. Yes, thank you
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anything, but no, no, well I didn't quite expect yes. I
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mean, you don't look like the governor of the prison has been embarrassed.
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I'm thirty six years old, and I promised if I'm here long enough,
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I'll grow older and up. Nnah. This is mister Black from the Metropolitan
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Social Institution. I don't feel social profit. He wants to see what he
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can do for really one thing he can do for me of it. You
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can call miss Dexter and you're ready to leave. She'll be outside the door.
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Thank you. Ah, yeah, I said, don't care. Well,
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I'd like to help you and you let me. That's a laugh.
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I know you blokes, help some help. Miss Donnette told me that you
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were having trouble you. I had my trouble afore I got here. That's
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why i'm here. What's your sentence too? With time off for good behavior?
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That's a laugh too. Tell me who was trying to kill you?
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Nobody? Who said anything about being killed? Miss Donnett? She's off her
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enough. Why are you wearing a band? It's the style? Why hadn't
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you word? And look here? What are you copper or something? I
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thought she was going to be social when I'm waiting. What do you want
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to do with Olivia? Go away away? Yes, I'd like to go
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to America or Australia, something like that. Marry a rich Bloken'll have to
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work no more? What did you do before you white chriss? Why were
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you sent here? I was dishonest, among other things? Marveless? As
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old? You got any friends? Lundred jacks? Everyone? Do you have
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a family? I died? Nope? No one, nope. Well you
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do understand that that Miss Bannett is very worried about you. I'm trying the
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eyes. I'll tell me who is it? To doo back with who's trying
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to kill you? Fanny? If you're a finished being social, it's time
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for tea, all right, miss Tanner, thank you, missus Tanner Jet.
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The gentleman's ready to leave. So long, mister social Black. It
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was pathetic, a thin, round shouldered child with all the mannerisms picked up
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in a world of fantasy. But I've seen something else too, Pierre.
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This girl knew something and she was afraid to speak. I wanted to talk
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to the natron nextitter for seeing any more prisoners than on the pretext of seeing
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the kitchens. I reigned for her to be my guide. The girls learn
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an occupation here, mister Black. Of course they're supervised, but most of
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the meals are prepared by Christmas. I say, as you noticed the stove
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a spotulus? Yes, who did that quite a while? I hope you
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understand, mister Black, this is an unusual occurrence in stand hope male visitors,
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even from your institution on that company. Oh, is it okay if
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we have brusthel Scott's night, mister calif No, that's not my department.
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Fraser, get back to your work. Yes, sex is the gentleman staying
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for Supper, get back to your work, Fraser at once. Yeah,
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I think it would be best if you returned to the visiting room, mister
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Black. That is that you're setisside with conditions here, Oh, excellent conditions.
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I understand that there has been trouble with some of the girls. Miss
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Vanett was telling me about it. You saw Tanner. She's the one you
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mean as far as the fighting is concerned. Yes, I've been here for
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twenty five years, mister Black, and I give you my word. We've
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never had a prisoner like that in my time. I would you say she
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behaves her badly? I don't know. I don't think she's a bad girl,
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but something I don't know from Miss Barnett believes that her life is in
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danger. Miss Barnett is the governor. However, I think that she's wrong.
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Tanner looks for trouble. We've had to put her in confinement four times
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since her arrival. Sooner or later she goes too far. It is my
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opinion that one of the girls couldn't stand it any longer and have kept her
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last night. Now do you have any idea who it was? I'm not
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sure there were half a dozen girls fighting anyone could have done it, or
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it may have been an active would that why there's been no punishment. Yes,
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Miss Donnett is a very fair minded woman. But I understand it happened
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twice before. That is miss Donnett's opinion. Channa has been hurt twice before.
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I don't think that they were a chance on her life. Have you
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been most helpful mistake? Oh not at all, mister Black. Do you
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wish to interview some more of the prisoners if you don't mind those in particular
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who were involved in last nights of fair But the institution is trying hard to
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solve the problem of prison inmates particularly went as a matter of this conduct,
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I understand. I'm sure they have a most useful investigator, mister Black.
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A Scotland yard policeman couldn't be more thorough. It might have been a coincidence,
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but I didn't think so. My job was finished before it was begun.
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If we had got about that, I was a cupland yard man,
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all right. Or six girls were brought to the visiting room. I talked
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to them time. The first four I had no word while information to offer.
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The two earlier fights had started at their table and before they knew what
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was happening, they were in it. I was inclined to believe them.
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After a moment, another couple came in. When was the person who had
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taken it in Miss Darnett's office, Joan Villars, Docky sayn quiet the other
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Marjorie Fraser, Meg Paul and handsome he knew it too, got a yes,
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my name is Black, really good Black, thanks or miss Villain.
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I'm from the Metropolitan Social Institution. That's what they said. We should get
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more here like you, instead of those old hags that knows about you know
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why I'm here, Oh, mister Black, not guessing games. They're trying
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to learn about conditions here. Oh, no complaints, just like the savoy,
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of course, who could use a few hundred men. But what about
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Dolly Tanna? What about her? You don't like it very much? To
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you? No, why what did you do? Chuck's so? Wait about
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Bomi if you ask me, But that's no excuse. I don't mind her
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too much. I feel sorry for her sometimes she hasn't got any friends her.
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Don't listen to her. Don't think the world's made of treacle and jam
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Tart go on this villain. There's nothing else. They ought to lock Dolly
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up and asylumn I movies, that's where she belongs. Does she particularly single
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you out, Miss Praser? Or what does she say? Do we just
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talked too much and send it for a bit? Man? No more?
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Always ask him for a smack in the eye. Will she gets one?
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Meg doesn't start it. Never, it's Dolly who starts it. She just
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goes mad and the next thing you know, she's fighting all of us.
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Did either one of you start her last night? What didn't I am?
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I don't need a nice to put her away? Little Smith? Besides,
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I was in the kitchen didn't do it either, all right, I don't
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think there's anything else. Thank you. I returned to Miss Vonett's office and
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gave him my report, which up to that moment was very sketchy. I
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decided that I'd take the names of the prisoners I had seen and checked the
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criminal records of it at the yard. There was a chance that somewhere in
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their background something would turn up which might give us a clue to the reasons
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behind the attempt to kill Darley Tanner. I was fairly certain there was a
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danger that that the crime might be committed with eleven o'clock that match when the
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telephone rang in my hands. Oh yes, can you come down? Of
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course, anything happened. One of the girls been killed. Dead. We
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found in the kitchen. It's Meg Fraser. You know, many great men
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have attained the highest office in our land, the presidency of the United States.
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Can you guess the name of this man? In eighteen eighty four,
18:18
with a limited education and practically no experience in national affairs, he was elected
18:25
president at the age of forty eight. During his administration, an income tax
18:32
was passed but declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, and Coxey's army made its
18:37
first march on the Capitol as a protest against unemployment. It was also during
18:42
his administration that the Presidential Succession Bill was passed, which indicated the line of
18:48
succession to the presidency from the president down through the cabinet. If you don't
18:55
have his name by now, here are two more clues. He was the
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first president to be married in the White House and the only president to served
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two non successive terms. Who was he? Rovert Cleveland, twenty second and
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twenty fourth President of the United States. His life is part of your American
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heritage. Now the second act of verse quo of the Woman in Gray,
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it was a murder case. Now the victim was the unexpected mac Fraser.
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Enough the threatened there Dolly Tanner, I called Detective art In Moppett and a
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half an hour later picked him up at his house. It was one o'clock
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when we arrived at the prison with Bionette and the prison doctor took us to
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the kitchen and in the storeroom, behind sacks of flower, we saw the
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body of the dead prisoners. We didn't want to, Luther, I thought,
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I replied, Rightness, Donner Muppett, they give me a hand of
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a project. High enough, doctor Prue. She was stabbed in the heart.
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Must have died almost immediately. They haven't flown the knife. When do
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you think it happened? Must have been during supper preparations? Yeah, mags
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on kitten duces, what time between four and seven? Have your listened?
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The girls who are working in near the building? Yes? Who else would
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have access to the kitchen at that time? The wait, Prisness, there
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was a Christmas too, or how many others? Twenty? Yeah, it's
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not going to be easy. Tell me this done. When did you first
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learn that you was missing it, Miss Sextia time, that's lock up.
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We thought she might have been in the library. Yeah, that's all right,
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Martit see if you can find the weapon called the yard and get a
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couple of men to run down and get your hand. Whoever did it may
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have washed the knife and put it back. Well, we'll examine all the
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kitchen category as well. I want to know where she was when she was
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stabbed. So now, and miss Bennett, if we can go to your
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artists and have a look at that list. The list of names comprised some
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forty girls. They consisted of kitchen workers and waitresses. I noticed Paul whom
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I denter Doue earlier, Stone Billard dish watching, Kelly Hall waitress, Lesley
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Chester waitress, and Dolly Tanner waitress. They had all been involved in the
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fight which had taken place to previous evening. We waited until the morning to
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beginner questioning. However, before that the murder weapon was timed. It had
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been watched and put away, but on the wooden handle of the knife a
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spot of human blood had been detected. I knew it was useless to keep
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up the masquerade. A social investigator, So I sent Mucket back to the
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yard for the criminal record report. Dolly Tanner's peer governor the gender inner Tanner
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you, yes, I'm a policeman that Tanna are not a social investigator.
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So what have you really think to tell us about mag Praiser's death? Bloom
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and Space? How did you know she was dead? You kidd'n that last
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night? Good Reduce? What do they did it? Yes? Travels lives,
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not kidding like a stupid child. You're in enough trouble now, don't
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make it worse. Yes, this done it? You understand that we have
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to suspect you. You had an excellent motive. Of course I did,
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but I didn't do it. I wish I had. And I'm going to
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ask you again, why will you attacked three times? Who is trying to
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kill you? And why? Don't know what you're talking about? Did you
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see mag Praiser in the kitchen last night? Yes? What is that?
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When you went up duty? Supposed I don't remember. You can tell us
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nothing else, that's right? You make a Tanner? Who's Jon Villas?
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She seems to be a good friendly vision. Yes, she's been here.
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She's a quiet girl, not very pretty Meg is a leader. It's usually
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happened that way, Yes, ma'am, Villa's leading. Yeah. I have
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a feeling they know the whole prison note who and why? We don't.
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If it's strange hobby band together and things like this, I know it all
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the time. It's a journal. This is Chief Inspector Lack of Scotland Yard.
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I thought, now, can you tell me about last night? We
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want to find out what happened with us. If you know anything, I
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want you to tell inspected She did it, Dolly Tennis. She hated Meg.
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She did it. I know she did. How do you know?
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Because she did? That's why she was jealous? Jealous Everyone liked Meg,
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Nobody liked Tanna. That's why she was always fighting with Meg. You know
24:11
that, Miss Finett. I don't think that's the reason. Somebody was trying
24:15
to kill Dolly Tanner and then they turned on Fraser. I don't know.
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I don't know anything about it. For three hours we questioned and for three
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hours received the same answers. Nobody knew. At one o'clock, Market arrived
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with from a record reports and until late afternoon we went over them. At
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the end of that time, there wasn't a scrap of evidence linking mad Fraser
24:41
with Dolly Tanner? Did that matter? As far as we could determine,
24:44
none of the girls who had been in the kitchen knew each other before coming
24:45
to Tanner. Therefore, we had to assume that something had taken place in
24:49
the prison which had led to the attacked on the Tanna girl on the final
24:52
killing of Fraser. And then we found the photograph. It had been chucked
24:59
into a slit the dead girl's mattress. It was a picture of a child
25:03
about a year old. There was no identification, but a similarity in features
25:07
told me at least part of what I wanted to know. I asked Governor
25:11
Barnett to have Darla Tanner and Joan Villas brought to my office. The younger,
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Oh, miss Villa, you were mag praisers, so mate, won't
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you? Yes, you know I was. Did she ever talk to you
25:26
about a baby? No? No, she didn't this baby? No,
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No, I've never seen it. You lived with her, and yet she
25:37
never told you about having a child. You were quite close friends. I
25:41
believe she never told me a word about you, Miss Tanna. Oh you
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want me to think that neither of you knew about Magpraiser's child. It was
25:52
jo On Missillas. It wasn't her, I mean she never told me.
25:57
Maybe it was a niece got it at the too, one of the girls
26:00
here. I suppose I don't know good Praiser's been using it for blackmail possibles?
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Why ask me? Because I think you know that's quite a resemblance.
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Don't you think? You look at it again? Hi, do any good?
26:18
You don't understand? You don't I did it. I didn't know,
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No, don'ty What does it matter? I sell her? What? Shut
26:27
up? Don't you say nothing? Don't I was drying the dishes last night
26:33
and I saw med Paull Dolly into the storeroom. I didn't trust Darlia.
26:37
I wanted to hear what was going on. I heard them talking. It
26:41
was about Dolly's baby, Lyle. I was not a bathy. Neg was
26:45
laughing at her because she was going to tell Miss Barnett, and when she
26:49
did, Jolly wouldn't help the baby anymore. I didn't know. He never
26:56
told them. You know, I was afraid I led him A year before
27:02
I was coming up with the neighbors they are. I was afraid that he
27:06
knew he'd take him away, put him in a nose, and when I
27:10
got out of I couldn't have him. Why did you when I seen him?
27:15
She she was my first friend. I did everything for her, chair
27:21
did cleaning up the fellow. I never heard a friend I said before.
27:26
Dolly was always fighting with Megg made me sick. So I wanted to hurt
27:30
Dolly to make her stop. I understand, I didn't know about the baby
27:34
thing, not her thak. Meg was always crackling about the baby. Even
27:40
a meal should wink and smile dirty. I couldn't stay. I wanted to
27:45
smash her face. The last night in the kitchen, she said she was
27:48
going to tell Miss Barnet. I didn't know what to do. When I
27:52
saw Dolly run out and I went in to talk to Meg. She laughed
27:56
at me. When I said that she mustn't tell about the baby. She
28:00
was rotten. I had a knife and I closed my eyes. She settled
28:06
down behind the sex of flower. That's why you killed it. Yes,
28:12
I'm s I had a baby. One a last she died. Dolly was
28:21
able to keep her baby. The jury recommended mercy, and Joan Villas received
28:33
a life sentence which with good behavior could be remitted. After fifteen years.
28:40
Dolly Tanna is now remarried and her baby is with her. The Suit and
28:47
the Pursuit it ended. Pursuit is produced and directed by Elliott Lewis and written
29:15
by Anthony Ellis. Music was composed and presented by Eddie Dunsteader Ben Wright stars
29:19
as Inspector Peter Black, with Raymond Lawrence as Sergeant Buffett. Into My story.
29:23
Betty Harper was heard as Dolly alm Alotanist, Joanes Irene Pedro is Miss
29:27
Barnett, Joan Banks is mag Lauria Gordon is Miss Dexter, and William Johnstone
29:33
as the Doctor. We invite you to join us next week at the same
30:04
time, when Pursued, We'll bring you another dramatic story of the famous Inspector
30:08
Peter Black of Scotland Yard, relentlessly hunting down those whose disordered passions read violence
30:15
and murder, another story of man hunting man. When we bring you furs
30:21
you welcome back. One thing I really like about Pursuit is that it takes
31:30
us into some different sort of cases that would normally be covered on most other
31:37
detective shows of the era. In this episode, I think is a chief
31:41
example, and I really appreciated that Tych and this was a well acted story.
31:49
And again it's not your typical murder mystery, but don really in a
31:56
believable way with just some good writing and great act Well, now we come
32:00
to the point in the show where I'll announce what new series will be played
32:07
in the two thy fourteen twenty fifteen season. Most of that season will be
32:15
running the Saints on Monday. However, to in the last few weeks,
32:20
we'll be bringing you Michael Shane Private Detective and we'll cover all of the Michael
32:25
Shane series in existence. So that means we'll start off with Michael Shane Private
32:31
Detective starring Wollly Mayer. Then once we're finished with all of those episodes,
32:37
we'll move on to the New Adventures of Michael Shane starring Jeff Chandler, and
32:43
then we'll get to the Michael Shane stories over ABC. And I think we
32:47
only have one or two of those, but we will cover all of it.
32:52
And I also expect to bring you on video theater some episodes of the
32:57
Michael Shane a television program, so it'll be an exciting time and I hope
33:01
you'll enjoy Michael Shane when it gets here, but that's actually Oliver today.
33:07
I do remind you to support the listeners support campaign support dot Great Detectives dot
33:13
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