Latest / Great Detectives of Old Time Radio Volume 2|Mystery Audio Dramas / Manhunt: The Clue of the Gloomy Room and the Melody Murder (EP1257)

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Manhunt: The Clue of the Gloomy Room and the Melody Murder (EP1257) · 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, please send
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two other old time radio series running right now, the Old Time Radio Superman
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Show Laser Andsword dot com and The War at Thewar dot Great Detectives dot net.
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Well, now it's time to take a listen to Manhunt. And I
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misspoke actually because I found one additional episode of Manhunt. I hadn't counted,
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so I'd said that this was going to be our last episode of Manhunt.
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But we're going to do two episodes this week, and then we will go
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ahead and we'll do one episode next week with an episode of Police Headquarters,
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which will work good because that series had one extra episode, or we're going
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to have to do three episodes of Police headquarters. So we'll wrap Manhunt up
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actually next week, but now it's time for today's two episodes. The first
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one is the Clue of the Gloomy Room Boom. That one originally aired on
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eight May six of nineteen forty four. The next one is The Melody Murders,
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and that is an episode where we don't actually know when it aired,
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but information I've been able to find on the series indicated that it was on
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the air between nineteen forty three and nineteen forty six, So somewhere in there.
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So here now is the clue of the Gloomy Room and the Melody Murders
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man Hunt, the clue of the Gloomy Room that led to man Hunt.
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No crime has been committed yet, no murder has been done yet, no
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man Hunt has begun yet. It's about time you got here. And I've
3:07
been waiting ten minutes. I've been walking around the house looking for this room.
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An old man Wilson having any servants, I don't know. I found
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the room easy enough, I remember. All we have to do is keep
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Wilson, who's signing that contact with our competitors who are salving. Well,
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here goes mister Wilson. Mister Wilson, it's me Tom Baker, Frank perty
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and I'd like to talk to you. He lets us in. We can
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stare him from signing. We only need a half hour. Yeah, that's
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a same, mister Wilson. Maybe he's not in, Tom. I looked
3:38
through the keyhole. He's in, all right, sitting there in his big
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chair. Doors locked. Eh, yeah, probably pulled it from the inside.
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We can't understand why Wilson doesn't answer, mister Wilson. Something's wrong,
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Tom, break down the door. Yeah, Cheryl to itse Wilson's all right,
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what's some matter? You're scared? Step aside, Nile to it.
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Ah, I got it. Put your hand through the panel and slide the
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ball. Okay, that's what I'm doing, mister Wilson. Mister Wilson,
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what's wrong, Frank? He does natur us. You'll never answer anyone again.
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He's dead. Tom dead is a door nail. Yes, Andrew Wilson
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is dead, murder murdered under condition so impossible is to challenge explanation. Who
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will find out how he died, Who will discover his murderer? Who will
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start the man hunt? Man hunt and the clue of the gloomy room.
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Do you know, oh, I know, Patti's. He had someone in
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his office he wants me to see. He sounded pretty excited on the phone.
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Well, I'll walk you to the door and then hop back to the
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laboratory. Okay, yeah, sure, Pat, I'll be with Bill in
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homicide department if you want. That's Bill Now. I'll see you later,
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Patty. Okay, Andrew, before you go in, I want to tell
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you something help. Andrew Wilson, an eccentric millionaire, had an appointment with
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two fellows this morning. When they showed up to keep it, they knocked
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on his library door and they couldn't get any answer. Why was he out?
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He said he was out, all right, out cold. They broke
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down the door and found Wilson dead, got a mark on him, and
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we checked with his doctor and found the guy never had any serious trouble.
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The door was bolted from the inside and the one window in the room was
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locked, and Bud Well, he might have locked himself in and then died
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a natural debt. It could be, you know, though, it could
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be, but it wasn't. But I came out to tell you is we're
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holding an autopsy and Tom Baker, one of the men who found Wilson is
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in my office. Go on it, okay, his s Guy Baker's got
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a wonderful story. Drew claims that if Wilson signed a certain paper, he
6:14
and his partner would be bankrupt. Well, if Wilson was murdered, that's
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plenty a reason for killing em. Eh. It certainly is glad you sent
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for me though. And let's go in why Andrew Stevens. My name's Tom
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Baker. I was telling Sergeant Morton, my partner and I were calling on
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mister Wilson this morning, knows I told him. Oh, mister Baker,
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when you discovered mister Wilson was dead, what did you do? Well?
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Our first thought was to call the police. We ran downstairs to find a
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phone. Oh, no phone in the room. No, sir, I
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know the police aren't sure yet that it was murder, but I am and
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I know who murdered Wilson too. Oh is that mister Baker. My partner,
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Prank Pertie. Maybe I shouldn't say this, but Prank is a little
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hot headed. Was important that Wilson wouldn't sign a certain paper If my partner
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knew that Wilson was going to sign it. I'm sorry to have to say
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this, but he kill Wilson to prevent it, providing he thought he could
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get away with it. Oh, thank you very much, mister Baker.
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That's very helpful. Oh answer that. We have your address, mister Baker.
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Yes, I left it here with Sergeant Morton'll thank you. We'll be
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in touch with you, and thanks very much for your help. I'm just
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doing my duty as a citizen. Goodbye, Miss Stevens. Goodbye. Yeah,
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okay, goodbye. That was a medical examiner, groom. Uh huh,
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the autopsy's over. Wilson was murdered, all right, poison gas and
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his lungs poison gas. Eh, what is it with this phone? A
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game? Yeah? Morton speaking? Yeah, I know what? Yeah?
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Yeah, okay, thanks? What were you saying, groom? Oh?
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I wasn't saying anything though. As long as the medical examiner says Wilson was
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gas in our recent visitor, he has certainly put the finger on his partner.
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Frank Purty thick song. Well, listen, that was Frank Purty on
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the telephone just now. He called to tell me that if we found Wilson
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had been murdered, then it was his partner Tom Baker, who did the
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murdering. Well, Drew, you insisted on seeing the room where Wilson was
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murdered. Here it is look around, not sin in. It's been toutten.
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You're from the police, aren't. Yes, that's right. I'm Ruth
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Morgan. I was mister Wilson's secretary. Oh. Yes, we were wondering
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where we could find you, Miss Morgan. I never get in until eleven
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o'clock. My, it's good to be indoors. Words warm. I walked
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from home. It's only four block by almost rose. What is this an
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investigation or a weather report? Ahead, Drew, look at the room.
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I've seen too much of it already. I'm going downstairs. Okay, Ketic
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an in this, Morgan, I certainly do. I've never been in there.
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Oh you haven't. No, this was mister Wilson's den. No women
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allowed, not even his secretary. Well he really dismal room, isn't it.
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Not much furniture in here, just a desk and a chair. I
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wonder where that door leads to look It doesn't lead anywhere. It's just a
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book closet. Well, this gets more complicated by the minute. Complicated.
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Well, just this mister Wilson was gas to death as he sat in that
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chair, But there was no trace of gas in here when the partners broke
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in. Somebody might have added the room out, it's true, but the
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door was bolted and there was nobody in here when Baker and Purdy discovered the
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body. And the doctor says that the time of death was only a few
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minutes before they broke in. That does sound impossible. Yes, that's what
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I'm trying to say. There were no fingerprints in the room, and the
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bars and the window haven't been tampered with. Say that window is pretty high
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up. I wonder how it was opened when he wanted airon here. That
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window pull in the corner. Probably that's one man. Oh, it's proved
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about it. See what's what little mark on the pole? And I think
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that because of something on this window pole, I've really got something on Wilson's
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murderer. I've got Baker and Perdie and the Morgan girl in the next room.
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Groom, I'll tell me why. I had all three of them brought
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out a headquarters. So I guarantee though, that only two of them will
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leave. Okay, okay, Oh yeah, here's a picture of whatever it
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was you found on the window pool. It looks like a christened or a
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quarter moon or something. Oh, thanks, I need that. Come on
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inside though, inside, he said, about time I got on the inside
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of something around here. Please don't get up anybody. I hope all of
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you have a pair of gloves, have you, Miss Morgan? Yes,
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right here in my bag. I'll get them out. Oh dear, I'm
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sorry it slipped out of my head. Oh. I hope you retrieve your
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belonging to Miss Morgan. Thank you. One lipstick returned owner, one compact
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one buck. Hey what's this? Just a box of special headache powders.
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And this other box is the capsules I put them in. Oh I see
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I. Oh, I guess that's everything. Oh, please put on your
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gloves, Miss Morgan. Is that all? Okay? What's this for?
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Drew? I'm gonna take the fingerprints of everybody in this room, starting with
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Miss Morgan with gloves on. You're crazy, Drew. You can't get prints
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off gloves. Why do I ever listen to you? For I hold it
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though, if you please, Miss Morgan. Sorry to have to get ink
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on your gloves, but it's really very important. It's all right, there
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an old past. What do I do? Run your index finger over this
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ink roller that's right now, press it on this slip of paper. Ah
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y, I want to check this smudge with the picture of the crescent.
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Still gave me the mark that was on the window. Poll. I don't
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think they'll match, but if they do, with missus Morgan, those capsules
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you have in your bag, I want one all right here, Jo?
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Is that radiator hot? Bill? Yeah? Plenty, which is more than
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I can say for you. All right, I'm gonna lay this capsule I
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took from miss Morgan on this radiator. All right, But why you don't
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see eh, Look, it's beginning to melt already. In a minute.
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If that capsule melts completely, I'll know exactly how Andrew Wilson was murdered by
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Ruth MORGANO. True, we know Ruth Morgan killed her boss because she'd been
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stealing from him and he was going to examine the books. She admits that,
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But how was it done and how did you know? Well? To
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begin with, Bill, Ruth Morgan made a slip when she handled the window
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pull in Wilson's library. She had never been in that room before. Remember
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what about it, Drew, don't be so vague, okay, Pat,
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I'll tell you the stories. It happened. Ruth Morgan put some liquid gas
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in one of those gelatin capsules I found in a bag. Then she placed
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the capsule on the library radiator. Now we're getting somewhere. I follow that,
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Okay, genius. He hid in the book closet with a wet handkerchief
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on her face, oh till the gas wouldn't affect her. Right Wilson came
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in, bolting the door behind him. He sat down in his chair and
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the gas hit him. You see, the capsule had melted, leaving no
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trace, but it had left the room full of vaporized gas. Hey,
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even I began to get it. Then, after Wilson was dead, the
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dame put on her gloves, grabbed the window poll opened the window to wear
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out the room, then closed it again and went back in the closet where
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she was hiding. When the partners broke down the door right well after they
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left to go downstairs and telephone, she slipped out the back way and went
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back to her own house. Okay, okay, but what about all this
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hocus pocus of the window pole and taking fingerprints with gloves on. That wasn't
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hocus pocus. Pat You see, Ruth Morgan had a little rip in the
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seam of her gloves, and just a corner of the finger touched the window
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pole, But that corner left the print. Well, she was wearing the
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same gloves today, and the print I took from them showed that part of
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a finger, the same part of the same fingers that appeared on the window
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pole. Uh huh. And inasmuch as she had said that Wilson never allowed
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her in his library, she must have been in there only that one time.
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Huh. That's I forget that. She seems like such a nice girl.
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Drew too bad after she decided to murder will And something didn't happen to
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make her change her mind, not to change her mind. If she wanted
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to get away with us, something should have happened to make her change her
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gloves. Man Hunt the clue of the Melody murders that led to man hunt.
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No crime has been committed yet, no murder has been done yet,
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no man hunt has begotten Yeah. Uh, explain me that straight again?
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What did Jim just playing slow on temple? Oh? This one here?
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Yeah, yeah, that's one. Okay, okay, hold it, hold
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it? Holy, I think I got it? Yeah, who cares if
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I sigh a cry? No one? Now? Yeah? Yeah, try
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it with a tune. Okay, I lost my god, I said,
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yeah, sounds good. You know, I kind of like this tone bragging
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stop it. You know. I didn't write it on it, but twenty
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five dollars, just like I did the others. I think this is the
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best of the loss, though. We'll hope we ever get it finished.
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Remember though, the last tune and a musical comedy score as low as the
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toughest one to do. Oh, come on, that's gonna work. Yeah,
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I'll play in the next phrase. Huh hey, Hey, what are
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you doing here? Look? I don't be polish, but that gun down
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We're gonna see right after we got it finished. I'm I'm the melody murder.
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True, you're busy. I'm not too busy, just working out a
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formula for a new finger Prints Outawhi, what's up murder of those two songwriters
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yesterday? Well, I am I need help on it? What's the whole
16:45
story? Though? A songwriting team Roy Origin Jim Benson. They were shot.
16:52
They were just finishing the score for a new musical comedy when somebody finished
16:56
them, only there isn't a sign of who did it. These two guys
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came to town about a year ago with a truck full of songs, and
17:03
nobody knows anything about him to this day except that they've made a pilot doll.
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I've heard of them, Yeah, but weould want to kill him.
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No dames in their life, no money, troubles, no enemies, no
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nothing checked. All the angles, none of them fit this case. I'll
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take it though. Hello, Drew Stevens be Oh, yes, he's here.
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Mea hello? Okay, send him in here. Yeah. The guy's
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outside says he's got something on the song right of Murders. He's coming in
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good. Hey, you see bell. All you have to do is come
17:37
in to see me and things start happening on your cases. I'm a lucky
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chat. I'll charm you. Look, you can listen to this guy,
17:44
but don't bite in. I ain't gonna need you now that I get some
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kind of a lead on this case. All right, Bill, is Sergeant
17:51
Morton in here? Yes, Clint please, I'm Martin. Who are you?
17:56
My name is Aldias Taco. May I sit down? Please? Yes,
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all right, Tucker, What do you know about these murders? What
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do you want to know about who killed origen Benson? Do you know nobody
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killed Benson? They're both alive. Oh fine, CRG. What do you
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mean Aldridge and Benson are still alive? Mister? Well, if they were
18:17
not alive, they could not still be composing. If they're not alive,
18:19
that's decomposing. But they are alive. You see here here, look at
18:25
these manuscripts. Their mind but they're all Rich and Benson's. They're yours.
18:29
But they're all you're nuts and you're making me crazy too, which very simple.
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They bought my melodies and changed them a little, but they cheated me.
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They only paid me a few dollars for each of them. Oh so
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you killed them. I'm a composer. I write song. You're a detective.
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You find out if I did, you'll find mister Travis radlat door,
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mister Stevens after telephone of me, have for you to go writing when you
19:00
come up. Thank you very much. It's let's not there's some songs now.
19:03
Eddie Franks is trying to complete the al Rich and Vincent score with the
19:06
show. Mister Travis is gonna put on, but you go right in in
19:10
fact, so well, I hope I'm not interrupting. Hold I had,
19:18
Stevens. Mister Travis, I spoke to you on telephone. Oh, yes,
19:21
yes, of course, I excuse it. Please, What can I
19:27
do for you? Stephens? Mister Travis, are you the producer of the
19:32
show that all Rich and Vincent were ready? Yes? I thought the police
19:36
had that murderer Taco. Didn't he prove that he'd written all the songs that
19:38
they've been credited with. Yes, yes, he wrote them all right,
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but we haven't proved yet that he killed the two songwriters. Maybe you can
19:47
help us, Frankly, I can't. I never heard of Cargo. I
19:49
bought the score from the boys before it was written. We often do that
19:52
with it writers, you know, And it cost me plenty of advance.
19:56
I had a lot of competition from whom, for instance, Parrish, for
20:00
instance, a half a dozen other producers. Stevens, I don't know whether
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you know it or not, but a producer doesn't use all of his own
20:07
money, and putting on a show with a score by Aldrich and Benson by
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a producer can get as much money as he needs from outsiders. It's very
20:14
interesting. I hope you are considering me as aspect, Missus Stevens. The
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only thing that the deaths of Aldridge and Benson meant to me is that I've
20:21
got to get somebody in to finish their work, and it won't be as
20:23
good when it's finished. I wasn't considering you, mister Travis, any more
20:27
than anyone else. For instance, you might have a motive. You know,
20:33
I understand that neither Aldrich nor Benson had any relatives. I guess there
20:37
isn't anybody have to pay for their music, now, is it? No?
20:41
How much would you say by their not being around to collect? Well
20:47
to you? Hell very sharp with the boys ten percent of the gross of
20:49
his show. If they'd give him the score, I had to go fifteen
20:52
percent together I hit show that could mean about a quarter of a million dollars
20:56
first year. Well of'squt some people have been murdered for less. Perhaps I
21:03
produced shows not murders. Where could I find Travis? This is a theatrical
21:08
building officer next door. Thank you all, I may be back. Goodbye,
21:11
Byrus Stephens. I guess you can go back into mister Travis's office.
21:18
Hedy. I'm throwing that temporarily. I thank your pardon. Yes, I
21:33
am looking for mister Parrish. I'm who's Stevens Police? Please, I'm Parish.
21:37
What do you want with me? Oh? Nothing right now, mister
21:40
Parrish. I'm doing some checking. I go on playing with piano if you
21:42
like. I don't want to interrupt you. It's all right. I was
21:45
just fooling with some chords, mister Barrish. I'm investigating the murders of all
21:49
Wage and Benson. How much did their murders cost you? Lost me?
21:57
Cost me nothing? Tho DWO made their deal with Travers. He didn't cost
22:03
him anything either. He faced nobody now that they're dead. Been lucky all
22:07
his life. And you the kind of a guy who always comes in second.
22:11
He's got a lot of company. Farish. I understand you were bidding
22:15
for the score that the boys were ready. Sure I was. Travers went
22:19
higher than I could. I came in second. Well, I won't bother
22:26
you any longer, miss Farish. I'll be saying, but does that mean
22:29
nothing or something? Depending on what happens at midnight tonight. I tell you,
22:40
Bill, it's the only way to find out whether either Barish or Travis
22:42
fired the shot that killed the two riders. Barish or Travis about Tarkle.
22:47
He practically dared me to pin the murders on. Maybe he's the murderer Bell
22:51
the Travis had him out of two. I found out this afternoon the parish
22:55
was double crossed by Benson and Audens. Huh. I planted the idea and
22:57
Barish's mind of thing happening at midnight. My plan doesn't work. We tried
23:03
the same thing on Travis. It sounds screwy. I got something to tell
23:07
you that sounds screw you know what, I'll do it. Who's there?
23:25
Who's at the window and should be? You're off fire? Go ahead and
23:26
showed all right? Smart? Okay, don't break down the door? Who
23:33
all of us to parish? Sorry? I had a scae if I did.
23:36
I'm Drew Stevens, remember me. But I'm alive, will you of
23:38
course? But mister Stephids, what's this all about? Okay, hey,
23:42
hold a parish, that's what your name is. I'll take that gun?
23:45
What what this gun? Certainly in just a second, what you're trying that
23:51
nail file and the power for hey, stop that that's too late. Though
23:55
Ferish, very clever, doesn't want that gun to be examined. You have
24:00
it, No, you don't think it'll do us any good, now,
24:02
do you? You think you've destroyed the markings inside the barrel of the gun
24:06
so that when we fire it down at headquarters, the bullets will not be
24:08
the same as the ones we took out of the bodies of Oorridge and Benson.
24:11
Is that why I did it? Yes, there's a very nice bullet
24:17
right in this swall and back of me where you fired at me and missed
24:18
when I opened the window. I've gotta hunch that bullet will have the same
24:22
markings as the ones in the songwriters' bodies. And if it does, you
24:27
won't come in second anymore, mister Parrish. You'll be in the first row,
24:32
in the first seat, right in the death house. That show was
24:42
a cute trick making Parish fire at a drew. The bullets checked and we've
24:47
got our confession. But why did he kill those two songwriters? Matter eight
24:52
music? Now? But you see, Barrish had promoted a lot of money
24:56
for a new show on the strength of having an origin and some score for
25:00
it. Yeah, I found that out from the editor of a theatrical paper.
25:03
Only he spent the money or gambled it away. Well, then,
25:07
when Travis overbid him for the team's music, his back was up against the
25:11
wall. He placed twenty years in jail for Grand Varsity, but he had
25:15
to get even on Orig and Bensons were putting him in a spot like that,
25:17
so he killed them. Nice sky, hey, But supposing it wasn't
25:22
Barish who killed the two songwriters, I took some chance, taking your word
25:26
for the whole thing, and breaking in that door of his bedroom. Oh
25:29
yes, you sure did, Bill, But supposing Barrish hadn't missed when he
25:33
shot at knee, I took a little chance myself. Welcome back. Well,
25:48
problems with both cases. I would be very dubious of the idea you
25:55
could get a partial print off a very small hole in the glove. Maybe
26:00
some forensic experts wally disagree, but that would be that that would be hard,
26:07
because generally you've got to be able to identify a certain number of points
26:14
before you're able to even prove anything. I also, on the second one,
26:21
that one, I found it amusing the idea of the murderer thought he
26:25
could just very quickly alter the the insides of the rifle butt to make it
26:34
unidentifiable. I'm pretty certain it doesn't work quite that way, but that's more
26:45
on the murderer's clumsy execution. This guy doesn't necessarily think seem like someone for
26:56
whom you would need, whom you would need Drew Stevens to catch, not
27:06
necessarily the brightest criminal out there. All right, well, that will actually
27:14
do it for today. We will be back tomorrow with Pat Novak, and
27:19
then next week. Next week, I promise, unless some more missing episodes
27:25
of Manhunt come in the last episode of Manhunt and an episode of Police Headquarters
27:30
in the meantime, send your comments to Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot net,
27:34
follow us on Twitter, Radio Detactives, and to come one of our
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friends on Facebook, Facebook, dot com, Slash Radiodatactives from Boise, Idaho.
27:44
This is your host, Adam Grahamson and Off