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Suspense - "Circumstantial Terror" (Old Time Radio, 1954) · The 50 Greatest Old Time Radio Shows | Old Time Radio

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Ronald Reagan stars as Frank Thompson in suspense with Howard
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: McNair as Ernest Gibbons. In Circumstantial Terror, episode 542, first
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: heard on CBS March 8, 1954, Thompson returns to a
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: liquor store to apologize after an argument, only to find
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: himself drawn into a murder investigation. His earlier threats and
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: the evidence at the scene place him under immediate suspicion,
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: while a court-appointed defender has doubts of his own. Ross
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: Murray wrote the script, and Elliot Lewis produced and directed
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: this Autolite broadcast. Now, back to the golden age of radio.
• 0:46
  Speaker 2: Autolite and its 98,000 dealers bring you Mr. Ronald Reagan
• 0:50
  Speaker 2: in tonight's presentation of Suspense. Tonight, Autolite presents the story
• 1:02
  Speaker 2: of a man who wanted to apologize for threatening a stranger.
• 1:05
  Speaker 2: And when he got there, the stranger was dead and
• 1:07
  Speaker 2: the police were waiting. It's called Circumstantial Terror. Our star, Mr.
• 1:12
  Speaker 3: Ronald Reagan.
• 1:18
  Speaker 2: This is Harlow Wilcox with a $ 100, 000 reminder. That total
• 1:24
  Speaker 2: will be given to recognized charities in cash through the
• 1:27
  Speaker 2: Autolite family charity drawing. And you may be one of
• 1:30
  Speaker 2: 25 persons selected to name your own church, hospital, or
• 1:35
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• 1:38
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• 1:41
  Speaker 2: and address. But your favorite recognized charity may share in
• 1:45
  Speaker 2: thousands of dollars. To tell you how important this is
• 1:49
  Speaker 2: to his organization, we are privileged to present General George Kenney,
• 1:53
  Speaker 2: president of the Arthritis and Rheumatism Foundation.
• 1:57
  Speaker 4: This generous autolight offer will greatly aid the work of
• 2:01
  Speaker 4: such groups as the Arthritis and Rheumatism Foundation. If you
• 2:05
  Speaker 4: are one of the 25 persons chosen to name your
• 2:08
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• 2:12
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• 2:16
  Speaker 4: They will be most grateful for your help. Good luck
• 2:19
  Speaker 4: to you in this Autolite family charity drawing.
• 2:22
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• 2:26
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• 2:35
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• 2:40
  Speaker 3: So sign up tomorrow.
• 2:43
  Speaker 5: And now, Autolite presents Circumstantial Terror, starring Mr. Ronald Reagan,
• 2:49
  Speaker 5: hoping once again to keep you in suspense.
• 2:58
  Speaker 2: I wasn't the only one who was mad at him.
• 3:00
  Speaker 2: All the other guys felt just about like I did.
• 3:02
  Speaker 2: About Curly Weber, that is. You see, if he hadn't
• 3:04
  Speaker 2: let the pressure go too high, we'd have all been
• 3:06
  Speaker 2: in good shape right now. As it was, the boiler
• 3:09
  Speaker 2: blew up and wrecked the cleaning plant where I worked.
• 3:11
  Speaker 2: The owner collected the insurance money and got out of
• 3:13
  Speaker 2: the business, which left us with no jobs. After a
• 3:23
  Speaker 2: few months of looking around for a job, I was
• 3:25
  Speaker 2: in a pretty bad way.
• 3:26
  Speaker 3: Then I connected. Only trouble was it wouldn't start for
• 3:29
  Speaker 3: three weeks. By now I was broke, irritable, and mad
• 3:32
  Speaker 3: at the world.
• 3:33
  Speaker 2: So I wasn't what you'd call a pleasant type fellow
• 3:36
  Speaker 2: when I walked into this liquor store for a package
• 3:37
  Speaker 2: of smokes about 11 o'clock one night.
• 3:42
  Speaker 3: So, what else could I do, Eddie?
• 3:44
  Speaker 6: There I was with egg on my face and that
• 3:46
  Speaker 6: phony salesman telling me I was gonna have to take
• 3:48
  Speaker 6: what he gives me or get nothing at all.
• 3:50
  Speaker 3: What do you have to buy from him for? His
• 3:53
  Speaker 3: outfit has the distributor tied up.
• 3:55
  Speaker 6: 25% of what I make, I make from his scotch.
• 3:59
  Speaker 3: I'd like a pack of cigarettes. Hold your horses, mister.
• 4:01
  Speaker 3: I got another customer.
• 4:03
  Speaker 6: So, I check around town to see if maybe I
• 4:05
  Speaker 6: can get the scotch somewhere else.
• 4:07
  Speaker 3: How'd you make that? Go ahead, take a guess. Come on, mister,
• 4:11
  Speaker 3: get off the dime. What's the matter with you? Ain't
• 4:13
  Speaker 3: you got no manners? Just give me a pack of
• 4:16
  Speaker 3: cigarettes and stop shooting off your mouth. Me shooting off
• 4:19
  Speaker 3: my mouth?
• 4:20
  Speaker 6: Look, buster, I got a pretty good trade right now,
• 4:23
  Speaker 6: so why don't you take your two-bit sale somewhere else?
• 4:27
  Speaker 3: I don't even like the way you look.
• 4:29
  Speaker 2: Listen, smart guy. I've taken a lot of lip from
• 4:31
  Speaker 2: guys like you in the last few months. One more
• 4:33
  Speaker 2: crack out of you and I'll smear you all over
• 4:35
  Speaker 2: the joint.
• 4:35
  Speaker 3: Do you hear? All right, mister. All right.
• 4:37
  Speaker 2: Take it easy. Sam don't mean no harm. That's just
• 4:40
  Speaker 2: the way he talks. Then let him talk to somebody
• 4:42
  Speaker 2: else like that.
• 4:43
  Speaker 6: Why don't you give me a cigarette, Sam?
• 4:45
  Speaker 3: We can talk some more after he leaves. Okay.
• 4:49
  Speaker 6: What kind do you want, mister?
• 4:52
  Speaker 2: I don't want any kind. I just want you to
• 4:54
  Speaker 2: remember something. Next time you see me, you'd better cross
• 4:57
  Speaker 2: over to the other side of the street. It'll be
• 4:59
  Speaker 2: healthier for you. Remember that. I went back to my
• 5:13
  Speaker 2: room and poured myself a drink. No doubt about it,
• 5:15
  Speaker 2: I'd acted like a fool. But four months of being
• 5:18
  Speaker 2: unemployed didn't exactly develop an even temper. It was a
• 5:21
  Speaker 2: half hour before I realized I still hadn't got any cigarettes,
• 5:24
  Speaker 2: and another 15 minutes before I could talk myself into
• 5:26
  Speaker 2: going back to the liquor store to apologize for losing
• 5:29
  Speaker 2: my temper. The street was dark, and the only light
• 5:39
  Speaker 2: on the whole block came from the glowing window of
• 5:40
  Speaker 2: the liquor store. I still wasn't sure what I was
• 5:43
  Speaker 2: going to say to Sam when I got there, but
• 5:45
  Speaker 2: I knew I'd fix everything up all right. I'd gotten
• 5:48
  Speaker 2: within about 100 feet of the store when I noticed
• 5:50
  Speaker 2: a black or what seemed to be black coupe parked
• 5:52
  Speaker 2: in front of the store. Just about the time I
• 5:54
  Speaker 2: noticed it, I heard a shot. It seemed to come
• 5:57
  Speaker 2: from the direction of the store. It stopped for a second.
• 6:00
  Speaker 2: Then a guy rushed out of the store right in
• 6:02
  Speaker 2: front of me, jumped into the car, and before I
• 6:03
  Speaker 2: could do anything, it roared down the darkened street out
• 6:06
  Speaker 2: of sight. I ran to the store and looked in.
• 6:08
  Speaker 3: Nobody around.
• 6:09
  Speaker 2: Then I looked behind the counter. The guy I'd argued with, Sam,
• 6:13
  Speaker 2: was on the deck. I could tell right away that
• 6:16
  Speaker 2: it was a waste of time to check his pulse,
• 6:17
  Speaker 2: but I did it anyway. He was dead, all right.
• 6:21
  Speaker 2: Then I started for the door to call the cops.
• 6:23
  Speaker 3: Hey, what's going on? What did I tell.
• 6:25
  Speaker 4: You, Irv?
• 6:26
  Speaker 3: I saw who did it. He ran out the door
• 6:27
  Speaker 3: as I was coming up the street. Come on. Grab him, Irv.
• 6:30
  Speaker 3: He did it. That's the guy I was telling you about.
• 6:31
  Speaker 5: Come on, buddy.
• 6:32
  Speaker 3: Let go. I tell you, I didn't do it. I
• 6:34
  Speaker 3: didn't do it. I saw the guy that did let go.
• 6:36
  Speaker 3: Hold on to him, Irv.
• 6:37
  Speaker 6: That's the guy Sam had to throw out of the store.
• 6:39
  Speaker 3: He was casing the joint. That's what he was doing.
• 6:42
  Speaker 3: Let go of him. Hold him good, Irv. I'm going
• 6:44
  Speaker 3: for the car. Don't worry. He ain't going nowhere.
• 6:55
  Speaker 2: Just as I was getting up to go after the police,
• 7:00
  Speaker 2: these two guys rush in and hold me.
• 7:02
  Speaker 3: I didn't do it, I tell you. He's lying, officer.
• 7:04
  Speaker 3: We'll find out if he's lying when the guys from
• 7:06
  Speaker 3: Homicide get here. I don't even own a gun. That
• 7:09
  Speaker 3: gun laying by Sam's body is Sam's gun. Looks to
• 7:12
  Speaker 3: me like this guy shot him with his own gun.
• 7:14
  Speaker 3: You don't shut your mouth. Easy does it.
• 7:18
  Speaker 2: What happens when the guys from Homicide get here? You
• 7:21
  Speaker 2: want my honest opinion, mister?
• 7:23
  Speaker 3: Yeah, sure. I didn't put the cuffs on you for laughs.
• 7:26
  Speaker 3: I think you've had it, buddy.
• 7:28
  Speaker 2: It's only an opinion, but from what I can see
• 7:29
  Speaker 2: here and what I've gotten from these witnesses, you're nailed, buddy.
• 7:33
  Speaker 3: Nailed good.
• 7:37
  Speaker 2: And I was. By the time it was presented to
• 7:52
  Speaker 2: the grand jury, the state had a real good case
• 7:54
  Speaker 2: prepared against me. The liquor store owner's gun only had
• 7:57
  Speaker 2: his prints on it, which made it look as if
• 7:59
  Speaker 2: I'd tried a phony hold-up and jumped him when he
• 8:00
  Speaker 2: drew it. And there was money scattered all over the store,
• 8:03
  Speaker 2: which made it look as if I'd been surprised before
• 8:05
  Speaker 2: I had a chance to get away. That guy Eddie
• 8:08
  Speaker 2: who'd been in the store when I had my argument
• 8:09
  Speaker 2: wouldn't let me up. He pounded nails in my coffin
• 8:12
  Speaker 2: every time he opened his mouth. I'd had a job
• 8:15
  Speaker 2: when all this happened that had trouble giving me a motive.
• 8:18
  Speaker 2: And being broke and unemployed made it look that much worse.
• 8:21
  Speaker 2: As a result, I wasn't surprised when the grand jury
• 8:23
  Speaker 2: came through with an indictment for first-degree murder.
• 8:27
  Speaker 3: As far as I was concerned, it was all over
• 8:28
  Speaker 3: with the hanging. Now, how are you? You, uh, Frank Thompson?
• 8:43
  Speaker 3: Right now, I wish I weren't, but I am. Who
• 8:45
  Speaker 3: are you?
• 8:46
  Speaker 6: I'm Ernest Gibbons. I've been assigned as public defender in
• 8:49
  Speaker 6: your case.
• 8:50
  Speaker 3: You're wasting your time. Why? Are you guilty? No, I'm not.
• 8:55
  Speaker 6: Then I'm not wasting my time. Mind if I sit down?
• 8:58
  Speaker 3: Go ahead.
• 8:59
  Speaker 6: Well, I think I got most of the facts straight
• 9:01
  Speaker 6: in my mind. Now, I want you to tell me
• 9:03
  Speaker 6: in your own words what happened. Did you read the
• 9:05
  Speaker 6: transcript of the inquest? Yes, I did.
• 9:08
  Speaker 3: That's all there is to it.
• 9:09
  Speaker 5: Uh-huh.
• 9:11
  Speaker 6: Well, look, Frank, I'm here to help you if I can. Now,
• 9:14
  Speaker 6: don't make it tough for me. I think we can
• 9:15
  Speaker 6: beat this if you help me.
• 9:17
  Speaker 7: How?
• 9:18
  Speaker 6: First, let's forget that story about running in after the
• 9:20
  Speaker 6: storekeeper was shot. Now, nobody believes that. Would you believe
• 9:24
  Speaker 6: it if I tell it to you again?
• 9:25
  Speaker 3: Should I? Yes, because it's the truth.
• 9:29
  Speaker 6: Well, can you describe the man you saw running out?
• 9:31
  Speaker 3: More or less.
• 9:32
  Speaker 2: Well, what do you mean by more or less? Well,
• 9:34
  Speaker 2: I got a pretty good look at his face. He
• 9:36
  Speaker 2: had a mustache. I couldn't tell you how tall he
• 9:39
  Speaker 2: was or how much he weighed. Seemed to me to
• 9:40
  Speaker 2: be just medium all around.
• 9:42
  Speaker 6: Well, you said at the inquest that he got in
• 9:44
  Speaker 6: a car and he drove... Now, can you.
• 9:45
  Speaker 3: Describe the car? It's a black coupe. What year?
• 9:48
  Speaker 5: Don't know.
• 9:49
  Speaker 3: How about the make? Couldn't tell. It was too dark.
• 9:51
  Speaker 6: The license number? All or any part of the license number?
• 9:54
  Speaker 3: None of it. All his lights were out.
• 9:57
  Speaker 6: In other words, if you wanted to lie, this would
• 9:59
  Speaker 6: be a pretty good way of... blaming someone the police
• 10:01
  Speaker 6: couldn't possibly track down, wouldn't it?
• 10:03
  Speaker 3: I guess so. But I'm not lying. All right, now
• 10:08
  Speaker 3: let's see. The state has set the trial for a
• 10:10
  Speaker 3: week from today. In a hurry, aren't they?
• 10:13
  Speaker 6: I guess they figured that they'd got you sewed up.
• 10:15
  Speaker 6: The papers have public opinion running pretty high against you.
• 10:20
  Speaker 6: You know, the man left a wife and three little kids.
• 10:24
  Speaker 3: That's tough. Real tough.
• 10:26
  Speaker 2: It was a couple of days later that Ernie came
• 10:36
  Speaker 2: to me... and said they were selecting the jurors who'd
• 10:38
  Speaker 2: hear the case. This was a part of the law
• 10:40
  Speaker 2: I didn't know a thing about, so... when he said
• 10:43
  Speaker 2: I had a right to sit in on the selection,
• 10:44
  Speaker 2: I went along... only to get out of the cell
• 10:46
  Speaker 2: for a few hours.
• 10:49
  Speaker 3: Well, to put it simply, it's more of an interview
• 10:51
  Speaker 3: than anything else.
• 10:52
  Speaker 6: It also gives us a chance to get jurors we
• 10:54
  Speaker 6: think might be more easily swayed to.
• 10:57
  Speaker 3: Our way of thinking.
• 10:58
  Speaker 2: I'm to the point where I don't care much one
• 11:00
  Speaker 2: way or another. I just wanted to get out of
• 11:02
  Speaker 2: the cell for a little while. Maybe I'd be better
• 11:06
  Speaker 2: off if I just played guilty and get it over with.
• 11:08
  Speaker 6: Now you're talking foolish, boy. There's a lot that can
• 11:11
  Speaker 6: happen in the next couple of weeks.
• 11:13
  Speaker 3: Yeah. It's all going to happen to me. Some of
• 11:16
  Speaker 3: it might be good, you know. Don't hold your breath.
• 11:19
  Speaker 6: Well, over here, Frank.
• 11:23
  Speaker 3: Sit down right there. Okay.
• 11:27
  Speaker 6: I'm going to try to get as many women as
• 11:29
  Speaker 6: I can on the jury. You're a pretty good-looking boy.
• 11:33
  Speaker 6: It helps sometimes. What about the prosecution? Don't they have
• 11:36
  Speaker 6: anything to say about it? Well, I doubt if they
• 11:38
  Speaker 6: challenge more than once or twice... Now, they think they
• 11:41
  Speaker 6: have such a strong case, it doesn't matter much to
• 11:43
  Speaker 6: them who's on the jury.
• 11:45
  Speaker 3: They're right, too, aren't they? That remains to be seen. Ah,
• 11:49
  Speaker 3: here they come. Yeah.
• 11:51
  Speaker 2: Right now, I'd trade places with any given one of them.
• 11:53
  Speaker 2: I don't think you'd get any takers.
• 11:58
  Speaker 3: Oh, well, uh.
• 12:00
  Speaker 6: Not as many women as I'd like to have seen.
• 12:03
  Speaker 3: Ernie.
• 12:04
  Speaker 4: Ernie!
• 12:05
  Speaker 3: What's up with her? The guy with the gray suit.
• 12:07
  Speaker 2: Where?
• 12:08
  Speaker 3: Over there, next to the dame with the fur coat. Oh, yeah? Well,
• 12:11
  Speaker 3: what about him? Don't challenge him. What? Don't challenge him.
• 12:15
  Speaker 3: That's the guy. What guy?
• 12:16
  Speaker 2: That's the guy that killed the shopkeeper. That's the guy
• 12:19
  Speaker 2: I saw running out of the store that night. Get
• 12:21
  Speaker 2: him on the jury. Don't let him get away. I
• 12:24
  Speaker 2: don't want to die for what he did. Autolite is
• 12:42
  Speaker 2: bringing you Mr.
• 12:43
  Speaker 5: Ronald Reagan in Circumstantial Terror, tonight's presentation in radio's outstanding
• 12:49
  Speaker 5: theater of thrills, Suspense.
• 12:52
  Speaker 3: Suspense.
• 13:06
  Speaker 2: Hey, Charlie, what Nash model is this? Well, this is
• 13:08
  Speaker 2: the new Nash Statesman, Harlow. You know, this year, Nash
• 13:11
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• 13:14
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• 13:17
  Speaker 2: power brakes, and even power lift windows.
• 13:20
  Speaker 3: And of course, Harlow, Nash has Autolite equipment, too.
• 13:23
  Speaker 2: And Autolite is proud of its long association with Nash
• 13:26
  Speaker 2: and Nash dealers everywhere. That's why we're privileged to salute
• 13:29
  Speaker 2: Nash as a distinguished member of our Autolite family. Distinguished
• 13:33
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• 13:37
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• 13:41
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• 13:46
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• 13:50
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• 13:54
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• 13:58
  Speaker 3: Watch for it. Okay, Charlie, and thanks for the ride.
• 14:05
  Speaker 2: Always a pleasure, Harlow, especially in a new Nash.
• 14:11
  Speaker 5: And now, Autolite brings back to our Hollywood soundstage Mr.
• 14:14
  Speaker 5: Ronald Reagan in Elliot Lewis's production of Circumstantial Terror, a
• 14:20
  Speaker 5: tale well calculated to keep you in suspense.
• 14:23
  Speaker 1: Suspense.
• 14:37
  Speaker 2: It was tough sitting through the selection of the jury,
• 14:40
  Speaker 2: especially when I knew that the prosecution could, for no
• 14:42
  Speaker 2: apparent reason, disqualify the man I'd pointed out to Ernie.
• 14:46
  Speaker 2: If he was the man I'd seen run out of
• 14:47
  Speaker 2: the liquor store the night of the shooting, then he
• 14:49
  Speaker 2: had to be where we could keep tabs on him.
• 14:52
  Speaker 2: Ernie sacrificed a couple of his limited number of preemptory
• 14:54
  Speaker 2: challenges just to make sure the guy came up for selection.
• 14:57
  Speaker 2: When he did, there was no objection on either side,
• 14:59
  Speaker 2: and we had him. Later that afternoon, when Ernie came
• 15:08
  Speaker 2: to my cell, we tried to figure out what we
• 15:10
  Speaker 2: were going to do with him.
• 15:11
  Speaker 6: Well, now that we've got him, what are we going
• 15:13
  Speaker 6: to do with him?
• 15:14
  Speaker 3: It's your job to figure out, Ernie.
• 15:15
  Speaker 4: You're the lawyer.
• 15:16
  Speaker 3: We're no better.
• 15:16
  Speaker 6: Off now than we were at the beginning. We haven't
• 15:18
  Speaker 6: got a shrewd of evidence to substantiate your claim.
• 15:21
  Speaker 3: I saw him. Isn't that enough? Well, you're on trial.
• 15:25
  Speaker 1: Not him.
• 15:26
  Speaker 3: Well, supposing I get up in court and say he's
• 15:28
  Speaker 3: the man, what would happen?
• 15:29
  Speaker 6: You'd probably declare it a mistrial and discharge the jury
• 15:32
  Speaker 6: and go to work on another trial, but.
• 15:36
  Speaker 3: Wouldn't they question him? Maybe.
• 15:38
  Speaker 6: It was pretty obvious he'd say you were off your rocker. Remember, Frank,
• 15:41
  Speaker 6: you're the one who's accused. Defending yourself by accusing him
• 15:46
  Speaker 6: just on your say-so is pretty flimsy.
• 15:48
  Speaker 3: Who'd believe it, would you? Well, couldn't you do it?
• 15:51
  Speaker 3: Couldn't you tell someone? Proof, Frank, proof. What can I
• 15:54
  Speaker 3: possibly do but quote you? What am I going to do?
• 15:57
  Speaker 6: Just what we're doing. Go through with this trial.
• 16:00
  Speaker 3: Then I'll appeal.
• 16:01
  Speaker 6: No matter what the verdict is, and see if we
• 16:02
  Speaker 6: can rope our friend into making a mistake. But he'll
• 16:05
  Speaker 6: duck as soon as the trial's over, won't he? Probably,
• 16:07
  Speaker 6: but at least he'll be around while the trial is on. Now,
• 16:10
  Speaker 6: if you cause a mistrial, he'll be gone a lot faster.
• 16:13
  Speaker 3: It isn't fair. I know he's the man. This is
• 16:15
  Speaker 3: a court of law. The burden of proof is on
• 16:17
  Speaker 3: the accuser. What real proof have they got against me?
• 16:20
  Speaker 6: They don't have to catch a man in the act
• 16:22
  Speaker 6: of murder to convict him of it. Circumstantial evidence can
• 16:24
  Speaker 6: be strong enough and... And in your case, it seems
• 16:27
  Speaker 6: to be.
• 16:28
  Speaker 2: It's driving me nuts to think that this guy's going
• 16:30
  Speaker 2: to help send me away for a murder he committed.
• 16:32
  Speaker 3: Well, I haven't sensed you yet, boy. Let's see what happens.
• 16:36
  Speaker 3: And if it does happen?
• 16:37
  Speaker 6: Maybe we'll have something I can use to ask for
• 16:39
  Speaker 6: a new trial. If we get into trouble.
• 16:41
  Speaker 3: Where's the trial going to be? Well, Judge Thurston will preside,
• 16:44
  Speaker 3: I think.
• 16:45
  Speaker 6: Let me see. That'll put it in the City Hall Annex.
• 16:47
  Speaker 3: Where's that?
• 16:48
  Speaker 6: In the Annex. That's a small building on the north
• 16:49
  Speaker 6: side of the City Hall. That's next to the parking lot.
• 16:52
  Speaker 3: Why? Just asking. That's all.
• 16:55
  Speaker 1: Frank.
• 16:56
  Speaker 3: Yeah?
• 16:57
  Speaker 6: Don't try any grandstand plays. Any tangle with the jury
• 17:00
  Speaker 6: might result in a mistrial, and I don't think that's
• 17:03
  Speaker 6: a good idea.
• 17:05
  Speaker 3: Okay. I won't mess with them. That's good. Well, I
• 17:09
  Speaker 3: gotta get going. Going home? I guess so. Tell me something, Ernie. Sure. Well,
• 17:15
  Speaker 3: what do you want to know? What are my chances, Ernie?
• 17:19
  Speaker 3: And don't kid me.
• 17:21
  Speaker 6: I wouldn't kid you, Frank. I don't know right now, but...
• 17:25
  Speaker 6: I'd sure be lying if I said they were good.
• 17:28
  Speaker 3: Thanks.
• 17:29
  Speaker 2: That's what I wanted to know. That's what I liked
• 17:40
  Speaker 2: about Ernie. When you asked for the truth, he gave
• 17:42
  Speaker 2: it to you. And after he left, I lay back
• 17:44
  Speaker 2: in my cot and thought about the whole mess. Everything
• 17:47
  Speaker 2: had happened so fast, I really hadn't had time to
• 17:49
  Speaker 2: take stock of my position.
• 17:51
  Speaker 3: Now I didn't.
• 17:52
  Speaker 2: What I came up with made me want to beat
• 17:54
  Speaker 2: my brains out against the steel bars out of sheer frustration.
• 17:57
  Speaker 3: It wasn't anybody's fault.
• 17:59
  Speaker 2: If you discounted the guy that actually did the killing,
• 18:02
  Speaker 2: I didn't have any beef with the law or the
• 18:03
  Speaker 2: people who were carrying out the law. It was just
• 18:06
  Speaker 2: that they didn't know they were going to convict an
• 18:07
  Speaker 2: innocent man. For hours, I guess I lay there thinking
• 18:17
  Speaker 2: about ways to clear myself. Most of the ways were
• 18:20
  Speaker 2: more daydreaming than anything else. I finally came up with
• 18:23
  Speaker 2: the conclusion that anything I did was going to have
• 18:25
  Speaker 2: to really go from the time I started it.
• 18:28
  Speaker 3: There wouldn't be.
• 18:28
  Speaker 2: Time for talk or reason. In the morning, I got
• 18:32
  Speaker 2: dressed and ready for the first day of the trial.
• 18:34
  Speaker 2: When I got to the courtroom, I was seated beside Ernie.
• 18:37
  Speaker 2: Then came the time when papers were being shuffled and
• 18:40
  Speaker 2: everyone was getting set for the opening arguments.
• 18:44
  Speaker 3: Well, then you take it easy, Frank. We're going to
• 18:46
  Speaker 3: fight real hard. You know what a backfire is? You
• 18:49
  Speaker 3: mean like when a car... No, I mean.
• 18:51
  Speaker 2: Like when you're caught in a bad brush fire without
• 18:53
  Speaker 2: any water.
• 18:54
  Speaker 3: I'm not with you, kid. What are you going for?
• 18:57
  Speaker 2: You light another fire downwind, let it give you a
• 18:59
  Speaker 2: big burn spot to stand in while the main fire
• 19:01
  Speaker 2: goes past.
• 19:02
  Speaker 6: You explain it to me later, Frank. The judge will
• 19:04
  Speaker 6: be here in a minute or two, and I want
• 19:05
  Speaker 6: to get my papers straightened here. He doesn't like to
• 19:08
  Speaker 6: see an unprepared attorney.
• 19:10
  Speaker 3: Listen to me, Ernie. I'm in the path of a
• 19:11
  Speaker 3: real big fire right now. I know you are, boy.
• 19:13
  Speaker 3: I know, but.
• 19:14
  Speaker 2: So I gotta try a backfire. A guy can get
• 19:16
  Speaker 2: killed in a backfire, but at least you gotta take
• 19:18
  Speaker 2: a chance. What are you trying to tell me? Now,
• 19:20
  Speaker 2: say it fast, because... You will hear from me. Stick
• 19:22
  Speaker 2: with me, Ernie. I'm a pretty good guy, but I'm
• 19:24
  Speaker 2: in real bad trouble. And I'm the only guy that
• 19:27
  Speaker 2: can get me out of it.
• 19:28
  Speaker 3: What are you gonna do?
• 19:29
  Speaker 7: This.
• 19:30
  Speaker 3: Get out of my way! It was the only thing
• 19:48
  Speaker 3: I could do. I couldn't stop.
• 19:50
  Speaker 2: By while 12 people tried to make up their minds
• 19:52
  Speaker 2: whether I must die for a murder I didn't commit.
• 19:55
  Speaker 2: As I went out the window, I folded my arms
• 19:56
  Speaker 2: in front of my face to keep from being cut
• 19:58
  Speaker 2: to ribbons with a broken glass. I lit feet first
• 20:01
  Speaker 2: in the parking lot and started running. I didn't know
• 20:03
  Speaker 2: where I was going. All I knew was I had
• 20:05
  Speaker 2: to get away fast. By the time everyone got organized,
• 20:08
  Speaker 2: I'd pretty well lost myself in the alleys of the city.
• 20:11
  Speaker 2: I got to a place where they were putting up
• 20:12
  Speaker 2: an office building and ducked into the sub-basement, crawled into a.
• 20:15
  Speaker 3: Corner and stayed there.
• 20:25
  Speaker 2: Somewhere around midnight, I slid out and started with the
• 20:27
  Speaker 2: only guy in town I knew wouldn't turn me in
• 20:29
  Speaker 2: as soon as he saw me.
• 20:31
  Speaker 3: Ernie Gibbons. When I got there, his place had a
• 20:33
  Speaker 3: light out in the kitchen, so I went around the back.
• 20:36
  Speaker 7: Hi, Ernie.
• 20:47
  Speaker 3: Let me in. Well, come on, Harry. What are you
• 20:52
  Speaker 3: doing here? If they find out about this, I'll be disbarred.
• 20:56
  Speaker 3: I won't stay long.
• 20:57
  Speaker 6: Wait till I turn the light off. Now sit right there, Frank.
• 21:02
  Speaker 6: And don't move around too much.
• 21:04
  Speaker 3: Thanks. Okay. Tell me why you did it. I told
• 21:10
  Speaker 3: you this morning in court. This is my backfire.
• 21:13
  Speaker 2: I couldn't just stand around while they made up their
• 21:14
  Speaker 2: minds whether to kill me or let me rot in jail.
• 21:17
  Speaker 3: I didn't do it. I'm going to get the guy
• 21:19
  Speaker 3: that did.
• 21:20
  Speaker 2: Oh, then they'll really have Then they'll have me for
• 21:22
  Speaker 2: something I did, not something I didn't do.
• 21:24
  Speaker 3: Well, why'd you come here? I need an address. An
• 21:26
  Speaker 3: address you mean? The guy with the mustache? Yeah. Got
• 21:29
  Speaker 3: anything on him? He isn't around, Frank. How do you know?
• 21:32
  Speaker 6: By the time I got through with the mess you
• 21:34
  Speaker 6: left behind, it was pretty late in the day.
• 21:36
  Speaker 3: What are you talking about? Just this.
• 21:38
  Speaker 6: We knew he'd duck out as soon as the trial
• 21:40
  Speaker 6: was over. But during the trial, we might have been
• 21:43
  Speaker 6: able to work something. That's why I warned you about
• 21:45
  Speaker 6: causing a mistrial. Well, this afternoon I went over to
• 21:49
  Speaker 6: the address he'd given me.
• 21:50
  Speaker 3: And he moved out a few hours after your break.
• 21:53
  Speaker 3: Any forwarding address?
• 21:54
  Speaker 6: Oh, don't be so naive. The man is a murderer.
• 21:57
  Speaker 6: I don't think he knows you saw him running out
• 22:00
  Speaker 6: of the store. But he isn't taking any chances. He's lost, Frank.
• 22:04
  Speaker 6: And you're in a bigger jam than before.
• 22:05
  Speaker 3: Do I do now?
• 22:07
  Speaker 2: Oh, yes.
• 22:07
  Speaker 3: You tell me. I won't give myself up. That's up
• 22:09
  Speaker 3: to you. You're on your own now. What's your position
• 22:12
  Speaker 3: in this? Well, I should turn you in. But you won't. Oh,
• 22:16
  Speaker 3: you're a cinch. They have the book thrown at you
• 22:17
  Speaker 3: when they get you. I gotta think. Yeah, sure. Ernie,
• 22:22
  Speaker 3: do something for me, will you? I might. What is it?
• 22:27
  Speaker 3: I'm a pretty hungry man. Could you rustle me up
• 22:29
  Speaker 3: some food? Oh, sure, Frederica. I'll fix you some food.
• 22:45
  Speaker 4: Ernie.
• 22:46
  Speaker 6: Yes?
• 22:46
  Speaker 2: What about that witness that claims he saw me casing
• 22:49
  Speaker 2: the place, that Eddie character?
• 22:50
  Speaker 3: Yeah, well, what about him? He's the state's number one witness,
• 22:53
  Speaker 3: isn't he? Well, I guess so. What's he got against me?
• 22:56
  Speaker 3: Why is he trying so hard to get me?
• 22:58
  Speaker 6: Well, I think that for the first time in his life,
• 23:00
  Speaker 6: he's somebody and he's going all out.
• 23:02
  Speaker 3: Prove it. I'm going to see him.
• 23:04
  Speaker 2: No, no, you're not.
• 23:04
  Speaker 3: You're in enough trouble. Lay off of him. Give me
• 23:06
  Speaker 3: his address, Ernie. Well, you're out of your mind. Give
• 23:08
  Speaker 3: me his address. I want to talk to him. Oh,
• 23:10
  Speaker 3: but Frank. I know you've got it. You've got the
• 23:12
  Speaker 3: addresses of all the witnesses. Get it. Okay. It's here
• 23:18
  Speaker 3: in my briefcase. Hey. What? Well, that's funny. I never
• 23:30
  Speaker 3: noticed this before. Noticed what? What are you mumbling about?
• 23:32
  Speaker 6: The witness against you lives right over the liquor store
• 23:36
  Speaker 6: where the guy was shot.
• 23:38
  Speaker 3: Ernie?
• 23:39
  Speaker 2: Yeah? Just a thought. But he's the fellow that accused
• 23:43
  Speaker 2: me of casing the shop. Suppose it was the other
• 23:45
  Speaker 2: way around. Suppose he was casing it for our friend
• 23:48
  Speaker 2: with the mustache.
• 23:49
  Speaker 3: Well, you'd have to.
• 23:50
  Speaker 6: Prove a connection between the two men. So how are
• 23:53
  Speaker 6: you going to do that?
• 23:54
  Speaker 3: I don't know.
• 23:55
  Speaker 2: I'll figure that out when I get there.
• 23:57
  Speaker 3: Oh, I can't let you do that, Frank. Don't try
• 23:59
  Speaker 3: to stop me. You could get picked up on the
• 24:00
  Speaker 3: way there. I'll be there in a few minutes. It's
• 24:02
  Speaker 3: three or four miles from here. You're lending me your car.
• 24:06
  Speaker 5: I am?
• 24:06
  Speaker 3: Yeah. Give me the keys. Okay. Here. So long, Ernie.
• 24:14
  Speaker 3: I wish I could stop you. Don't try it. I
• 24:16
  Speaker 3: wouldn't want to hurt you. Oh, well, thank you. Somehow.
• 25:11
  Speaker 3: Who is it? Whitey Wilson. Come on, open up. I
• 25:16
  Speaker 3: don't know any... But you know me, Eddie. Thompson! That's right.
• 25:20
  Speaker 3: Frank Thompson. Fall guy. What do you want from me?
• 25:22
  Speaker 3: I want to know why you're so anxious to see
• 25:24
  Speaker 3: me burn. You tried to hold Sam up and killed him.
• 25:26
  Speaker 3: That's why. You know better than that. I do? What
• 25:30
  Speaker 3: other reason would I have? Hold it down to a roar, Eddie.
• 25:33
  Speaker 3: I gotta get some sleep. Come on in, mister. You
• 25:37
  Speaker 3: with the mustache. Thompson?
• 25:39
  Speaker 2: Yeah, that's what Eddie said when he saw me. All right, Eddie,
• 25:42
  Speaker 2: what's this guy doing here?
• 25:43
  Speaker 3: He's, uh... He's my brother, but it don't mean... Cozy, huh?
• 25:48
  Speaker 3: One guy in a witness box and one guy in
• 25:49
  Speaker 3: a jury. You really got it made.
• 25:51
  Speaker 2: Yeah. What are you gonna do about it? Make you
• 25:54
  Speaker 2: tell the truth. What are you talking about? Why'd you
• 25:57
  Speaker 2: kill him?
• 25:57
  Speaker 3: Need the money? Get out of here. After you write
• 26:00
  Speaker 3: me a confession. So I can burn instead of you?
• 26:02
  Speaker 3: That's right. You're wasting your time. Am I? Get the cops, Eddie!
• 26:08
  Speaker 2: Now!
• 26:10
  Speaker 3: Get up, you. Am I wasting my time? Am I?
• 26:14
  Speaker 3: I don't write nothing. You won't. Okay. Okay, now. Start writing.
• 26:32
  Speaker 3: You've done the cops. You're dead. No, mister, you are.
• 26:36
  Speaker 2: If the cops get here before you finish writing, I'll
• 26:38
  Speaker 2: kill you. If I'm going to fry for something you did,
• 26:41
  Speaker 2: I'm going to be sure you go with me. Now
• 26:43
  Speaker 2: make up your mind. Do you want to die right
• 26:44
  Speaker 2: now or take a chance with a jury?
• 26:46
  Speaker 7: Okay.
• 26:50
  Speaker 3: Give me a pen.
• 27:06
  Speaker 6: I hope you understand why I sent for the cops, Frank.
• 27:08
  Speaker 6: I didn't want you getting into more trouble.
• 27:10
  Speaker 3: Oh, sure, that's all right. Well, how's it feel?
• 27:14
  Speaker 4: Mighty good.
• 27:15
  Speaker 3: It's a pretty town when you don't have to look
• 27:16
  Speaker 3: at it from behind steel bars. Yeah.
• 27:18
  Speaker 2: What are you going to do now? Looks like I'll
• 27:22
  Speaker 2: be able to make that job I told you about.
• 27:23
  Speaker 2: Only a few more days to wait.
• 27:25
  Speaker 3: Where are you going to be staying? I don't know.
• 27:27
  Speaker 3: You got any money?
• 27:28
  Speaker 7: Enough.
• 27:29
  Speaker 3: You got any money?
• 27:31
  Speaker 7: No.
• 27:32
  Speaker 3: Then it's settled. You'll stay with us until you get
• 27:34
  Speaker 3: on your feet. All right. You heard me. Okay. Lend
• 27:39
  Speaker 3: me a quarter.
• 27:41
  Speaker 2: Sure.
• 27:42
  Speaker 3: What for? I ought to buy a pack of cigarettes.
• 27:45
  Speaker 3: From a machine.
• 27:53
  Speaker 7: The End.
• 28:09
  Speaker 3: Suspense. Presented by Autolite. Tonight's star, Mr. Ronald Reagan. Congratulations
• 28:16
  Speaker 3: on an excellent performance, Ronald. Well, thanks, Harlow.
• 28:19
  Speaker 2: Say, what about this $ 100, 000 Autolite family charity drawing?
• 28:22
  Speaker 3: Am I eligible? Well, if you're over 18, you are.
• 28:25
  Speaker 3: I'm eligible.
• 28:27
  Speaker 2: Well, all you do is visit any Autolite family car
• 28:29
  Speaker 2: dealer showroom, print your name and address on a registration form,
• 28:33
  Speaker 2: and have the dealer sign it. And if you're one
• 28:35
  Speaker 2: of the 25 people selected, you can name your favorite church, hospital,
• 28:40
  Speaker 2: or any other local or national recognized charity to share
• 28:43
  Speaker 2: in $ 100, 000. And all I do is fill out a form?
• 28:47
  Speaker 2: You mean there are no puzzles to solve or anything
• 28:49
  Speaker 2: like that? That's right, Ronald. Nothing to solve, buy, or try.
• 28:53
  Speaker 2: And where do I register? At any of the following showrooms. DeSoto, Hudson, Plymouth, Studebaker, Dodge, Willis, Nash, Packard, Kaiser,
• 29:02
  Speaker 2: or Chrysler.
• 29:03
  Speaker 3: Sounds like a wonderful opportunity, Harlow. Thank you, Ronald Reagan.
• 29:06
  Speaker 2: Friends, you can help your favorite recognized charity share in $ 100, 000
• 29:11
  Speaker 2: just by signing your name and address. So why not
• 29:15
  Speaker 2: sign up tomorrow?
• 29:24
  Speaker 5: Next week, the story of a cross-country train trip during
• 29:27
  Speaker 5: which a police officer finds himself torn between his assignment
• 29:30
  Speaker 5: and his personal feelings for the girl in car 32.
• 29:35
  Speaker 3: Our star, Mr. Victor Mature. That's next week on... Suspense.
• 29:43
  Speaker 5: Suspense is produced and directed by Elliot Lewis with music
• 29:47
  Speaker 5: composed by Lucian Morawick and conducted.
• 29:49
  Speaker 3: By Lud Bluskin.
• 29:50
  Speaker 5: Circumstantial terror was written for suspense by Ross Murray. In
• 29:54
  Speaker 5: tonight's story, Howard McNair was heard as Ernie. Featured in
• 29:57
  Speaker 5: the cast were Vic Pern, Clayton Post, Charles Calvert, Hal.
• 30:01
  Speaker 3: Gerard, and Kurt Martell.
• 30:03
  Speaker 2: Ronald Reagan is currently starred with Steve Forrest and Dewey
• 30:07
  Speaker 2: Martin in the MGM production Prisoner of War.
• 30:09
  Speaker 3: And remember next week, Mr.
• 30:11
  Speaker 5: Victor Mature in Thomas Walsh's story, The Girl in Car 32.
• 30:14
  Speaker 3: This is the CBS Radio Network.
• 30:33
  Speaker 1: Suspense has brought us Circumstantial Terror. Good night and thank
• 30:37
  Speaker 1: you for joining us for this CBS broadcast.