April 30, 2024 • 29 mins
Please enjoy Wine of Freedom a great episode of the legendaryCloak and Dagger radio show - A Classic Old Time radio Show - OTR
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:01):
Are you willing to undertake a dangerousmission behind the enemy lines, knowing that
you may never return alive. Whatyou have just heard is the question asked
during the War of agents of theOSS. Ordinary citizens to this question answered
(00:24):
yes, This is black warfare,espionage, international intrigue. These are the
(00:51):
weapons of the OSS. In today'sadventure Wine of Freedom, the role of
Vince Color, an American OSS agentwho made a sales trip inside Hitler Germany,
is played by stage and screen starMel Fereer, currently to be seen
with Joan Fontaine and the RKO pictureBorn to Be Bad. Today's story is
suggested by actual incidents recorded in theWashington files of the Office of Strategic Services,
(01:17):
a story that can now be told. Night had started to fall by
the time I found the house.I stood out in the faces and peered
at it through the shadows. Therewasn't anything strange or ominous about it.
It was just a white frame house, like the kind you see back in
Omaha. Only this wasn't in Omaha. This house was number twenty eight kahn
(01:41):
Strasse in Osnabrook, and Osnabrook wasin Germany, Hitler's Germany. I drew
a deep breath and went up thefront steps, scutching a briefcase in my
hands. It was that briefcase thatmade me look like a respectable German citizen.
I looked at the brass knocker andlet it fall a couple of times,
and then I waited, Yes,what is it that you want?
(02:12):
She was younger than I expected,and prettier, and of course she was
suspicious. He was suspicious of everybodyin those days, if you were a
German, particularly the kind of GermanI knew. She was. Well,
Frau Holstmann. Yes, I'd liketo talk to your husband. My husband
(02:35):
hell loud big Holsmann. Is hein? What do you want to talk
to him? About? Wine?Both wine. My name is Keller.
I've just come from Bielafeld. I'ma wine salesman. Part of it was
true. My name was Keller,all right, Vince Keller, and I
(02:57):
had come from Bilafeld. But Iwasn't wine salesman. I was an agent
of the OSS and what I hadto sell was something stronger than wine.
It was organized resistance to Nazism.I've been at it for about a year,
then almost a year since Ide satin Colonel Metcalf's office in London,
Keller and told him I wanted tovolunteer for the job. You are sure
(03:20):
that there's no trace of American dialectsin your German Quite sure, sir.
My family lived in Germany also mychildhood. I was educated in German schools.
I see, And you know whatyou're letting yourself in for, Keller.
If the Nazis grab you, Iknow, Colonel, but you still
(03:40):
want to undertake the mission. It'simportant, isn't it, Colonel? If
we can step in the German underground'sresistance to Hitler or the anti Hitler movement
in Germany right now can hardly becalled an underground. Oh, it's merely
a handful of isolated individuals in variouscities. There's almost no contact between them.
I have no organized activity at all. But that won't do us any
(04:02):
good when our troops start moving acrossthe German border. So exactly, we
need detective allies inside Germany, nomatter how few they are. We want
them coordinated and strengthen. That's thejob we'd like you to do, Littennant,
is the job I'll try to do, Colonel. If the Gestapo doesn't
(04:23):
catch up with me. Two weekslater, I'd parachuted into a grassy field
outside Disseldorf, and the Gestapo hadn'tcaught up with me yet. After Duesseldorf
came Essen, and after Essen Dartmound, and then Belafelt and Hitler's secret police
(04:44):
were still way behind. It wasat beila Felt that I heard about Ludwig
Hofstmann, the underground leader there.Old Johann Volt slipped me his name.
Show your work in Villaufelt di Swinishkirk killer. Did you go now Osbro
Johan, you'll be hearing from methough. I want to put the man
there in contact with the resistance workershere. He really have been in contact
(05:09):
occasionally. Now then Ludwig Holtzmann haspaid me a visit horsemanner. He's the
leader in Osnaburgh. He was thelast I heard. It's been several weeks.
Is the Dorsey's number twenty eight offhorn stuff? Oh good enough,
I'll look him up when I getthere. You left no trouble introducing yourself
(05:30):
to him. Since you're posing asa wine merchant. It simply ask him
if he's ever tried Jane fry hidSpine Nane fri hide Vine the wine of
freedom. Huh. He will knowthen that you can trust you, and
you, of course you can trusthim. So that's how it happened that
(05:57):
on that September evening, followed FrauHorseman into the living room of her home
in Osnabrook. Won't you sit downhere, Keller? My husband should be
here soon. He isn't home,then, No, he's late to see
me. He's almost always here bydinner time. I don't know where he
could, but wait here, Ido too. It doesn't matter. I
(06:20):
can wait. No, No,I'm sure he's stopping to see a friend
down the street. I'll try tofind I do hope you won't. He'll
be very eager to talk to you. He's quite interested in this in wines.
Oh is he? Yes? Hewould not want to keep you waiting.
(06:41):
You stay right here and make yourselfcomfortable. I'll get him. Wouldn't
it be easier to call your friend'shouse on the telephone? The telephone?
I wish I could hear Teller,But we had a heavy air raid in
Osnorbook last night. The telephone isout of order. It was a hasty
egg that she made, almost toohasty. I sat there in that empty
(07:08):
house for a minute or two whereshe had said to make myself comfortable,
but somehow I wasn't ErRh So Igot up and went over to the telephone.
What number do you wish? Iwas under the impression operator that this
line is out of order, thisline is nothing stair. That gave me
(07:29):
something to think about while I waited. I think better when i'm moving,
So I began to move around theHoltz One house. I peeked into rooms,
even opened drawers, but I didn'tfind anything. In fact, I
didn't even know what I expected tofind. When the front door opened,
I was back in the living roomtrying to look comfortable. Hair cut up.
(07:50):
I found him drinking beer with ourfencers. Caught in the act.
Hey hair hoose man, I'm okay, so well, said down her killa.
Thank you. You are a winesalesman, my wife's saltsman. Yes
I am, And she tells methat you are a very interested in wine.
That's true, sort of a connoisseur, perhaps you might say so yes
(08:13):
like our mutual friend in Bilerfeld whosuggested that I call on you. And
who was that? Hercula? Whatwas his name. It must have been
the lie Ral Holtzmann had told aboutthe telephone that made me hold back.
It must have been the way shestood there, listening so intensely, so
(08:35):
eagerly. That was why I brushedaside his question, And that was why
I said nothing about the wine ofFreedom, even when he asked, telling
me, Hair Keilla, do youcarry a dry red wine at reasonable crisis?
Yes, we have an excellent burgundyhair Holtzman from where? Why?
From schambertin? Uh, schandertan whatyear? Haut nineteen twenty seven, nineteen
(09:01):
twenty seven? Huh. I don'tthink we'd be interested in buying any of
your wine, but hell as awe'd appreciate if you'd go peddle it somewhere.
El Wait a minute, any authenticwine richen would know that the Great
cost of nineteen twenty seven killed thecrops of shop dafter. You might tell
(09:22):
the estop of that before they sendyou out together. I caught on then,
and I almost laughed. He thoughtI was a guestoparasins. That explained
it. Maybe it'd even explained hiswife's peculiar behavior. I had been too
busy suspecting them to consider how deeplythey must have been suspecting me, because
(09:43):
your hat for Heller ain't your case, thanks of man. But before I
go, there's another wine you mightenjoy. So what is dain fry hide
mind? Have you ever tried it? Yes? I have? You like
(10:03):
it? Oh? I like itvery much? Perhaps you'd care to hear
a little more about it? Well, it means, sir, you should
have mentioned that before I sit down, hurt care and tell me, tell
me all about the whine of freedom. After that we were all friends.
(10:24):
Nobody suspected anybody anymore. I toldthem what I'd accomplished, and Delafells and
the other towns, but I hopeto accomplish inn osna Brook. Their eyes
glowed as they heard of the growingstrength of the anti Hitler forces within Germany.
Then we are nasiated as sometimes youhave a lot of friends, Fawhot's
man. My jobs to put youin touch with them? And how will
(10:48):
you do that? Well, I'dlike to start with a meeting of your
friends here in Osnabrook. How manyare there? For only a few we
actually know personally? Maybe success,Well that's enough. You think you could
get them all together and say placetomorrow night. Tomorrow night. We would
have to work quickly. It couldbe done, though, I think so.
Yes, sir, Yes, I'msure it could, but I'd have
(11:11):
to start working on it right away. My phone. Whoa, we may
use the poor young mister churchand infront of strangers. You even pretend it's
out of order. Huh you checkedup on me off I left here.
Well, I was even beginning towonder if you were a Gestapo agent yourself.
Oh, you need want anymore?Hair Killer. Linda is as reliable
(11:33):
as I am. You can trusther just as you would trust me.
And then he let me alone withher while he went out to start rounding
up his friends. She insisted Imust be hungry, and she led me
out into the kitchen and gave methe dinner she cooked for her husband.
Poor lude. I don't suppose he'llget anything to eat tonight. He should
(11:54):
have eaten before he left. Oh, you do not know him. Hair
Killers is underground because he's life.Food means nothing to him. He goes
without sleep, he never has amoment of pleasure. Nothing matters to him
but fighting the nuts, not evenI, the woman he married. I
guess that's the way a man getsin the underground after a while, Yes,
(12:16):
he gets hard and cold and countslike Ludwig Holtzmann. Well, never
mind that, if you will excuseme, Hair Keller, I want to
go upstairs and get your room ready. You'll sleep, yes night, of
course, but don't go to alot of trouble. Please, don't know
it will take, but the momentyou finish your dinner, I'll be right
down. But the strange thing wasthat she never went up, at least
(12:41):
I didn't hear her go up.I waited, bore footsteps on the stairs,
and when there was no sound,I left the table and pushed open
the door a crack. I sawher then in the living room, with
her back to me, her headstand over the telephone. I heard her
too, No, no, don'task me, do what I can.
Don't come in here, whatever youdo, meet me by the band then
(13:03):
in the poll. Is there anhalf hour and wait for me. I'll
come as soon as I can.A horseman could do a lot of tricks
with the telephone. I wondered ifshe could explain away the second one as
easily as you'd explained away the first. I didn't ask her, though,
I'll let her show me up tomy room. A half hour later,
(13:24):
and I told her good night,good night. If you need anything,
call me. I'm in the roomat the end of the hall. You're
going to retire now, protman,Yes, I think I will. Very
tired. I don't believe i'll waitup for ludol. Well, thanks again,
not at all, good night,good night. I've been tired myself,
(13:50):
but I felt wide awake. ThenI went to bed, though that
as I went through the motions ofgoing to bed with all the proper sound
effects, I let my shoes droploudly on the floor. Then, after
I had quietly put them on again, I opened the window and flicked the
(14:11):
light switch. After that, Iwaited silently by the door. She must
have taken off her own shoes totiptoe down the stairs, because I didn't
hear her go. But she shouldn'thave let the front door close quite so
hard. I did hear that.Then I moved fast out of the bedroom
(14:33):
and down the stairs and out ofthe front door, but I closed the
quietly. She must have been thirtyyards ahead of me when I reached the
street. I didn't try to closethe distance between us it was easy enough
to follow us. The sidewalks werepractically deserted. She didn't look back once.
(14:56):
A woman who was walking as eagerlyas the germanly as Linda Holtzman was
walking, doesn't bother to look back. They reached the park in twenty minutes.
It was deserted tooth. She stayedon the gravel walk, and I
said, through the bushes, andthen I did close in on her.
She approached the band stand, Afigure separated itself from the shadows and came
(15:18):
toward her. Linda, I wastouching behind the shrub three feet away by
them. I saw that the figurewore a Nazi uniform. Oh what's that?
What did you call it? Howl? How Christmas? He kissed her
and they were both lost to solost they didn't even hear the plane and
(15:41):
start whining through the night. Iheard them, but I didn't move.
There was something else I had tohear, something that might prove more fatal
than a British bomb. How whatwas the meaning of the cot? We
better get to a shove. That'sone of the other end of the parts.
(16:08):
An American side. He's another canspy him? Bow, let's not
coming out for me. The Naziwas right. It was too late to
run that Tommy's were dropping bombs allover town. Lend the follow his advice,
and so did I. I flungmyself on the soft ground behind those
(16:30):
shrubs, dear life. The lastbomb landed in the park. I raised
my head. At last, therewas only a pile of rubble on the
man's stand. I heard the Nazicalling her name. There was something in
(16:53):
his voice that brought me to myfeet. That's the tone of a man
who called when he doesn't expect ananswer. You hear me, man.
If he stayed, anything I cando, soldier, okay, there's nothing
anyone can do on he stayed,You're sure, yeah, got great,
(17:15):
short, Come on, I'll getyou to a doctor, and I have
no time. Not the doctors maybe, But there's something I'm as rufous.
I'm not hurt. I could doit for you, and I had to
do it. I said this informationsmust type. Immediately he turned away and
went lunging off. You don't liketo do such things. But if a
man's I'm nazying, if he's gonnabetray you to the Gestapo, I raised
(17:38):
my gun. All things you don'tlike to do either. You don't like
to tell a man that his wifeis lying dead in the park. By
what she was doing there before shedied, now that she was kissing a
(18:00):
Nazi soldier and selling the underground movementdown the river. But I knew it
had to be done. I wentback to the big Holdsman's house. He'd
already come home and was waiting forme. I have newsless, look,
I have news for you, too, bad news. That's night, he
squirt. It's it's all arranged tome. Oh, all arranged the meeting
(18:21):
you man, of course, themeeting tomorrow night is he let me clok.
There's a bombed out church on thehighway north of the tower. There's
no danger of being interrupted because thechurch is never used anymore. I hung
it up, the big brief framed. I could there there would be a
segment they would possibly eat good work, huselim dunk doug can I but uh,
(18:41):
what there? Did you want totell me that? Well, it's
your wife, my wife, shelook, my friend. There's no way
of breaking this to your gently.Never mind, just send me to eat.
What about my wife? She's dead, husebland, She's he was killed
in the raid tonight twist. Ohoh no, no, because it isn't
(19:11):
possible. I'm sorry, husebland,my I I just can't. I think
I know how hard it didn't you? Oh no, you talked. You
couldn't know because you knew what shemeant. Easy houseman, I just got
back up. It's a lot offace. You faced a lot of hard
(19:33):
things in the last few years.I guess you'll manage to face this.
Those were nothing, linder to everything, to nothinst matter. She was my
whole life with my I sat thereand felt like a heel because his grief
let me cold. I suppose Ishould have felt sorry for him, and
I didn't. There was something wrongsomewhere. There was a phony note in
(19:56):
his sorrow that I couldn't put myfinger on. Not DNA. Later on
that night, after I had helpedhim to his room, after I had
gone to bed myself and laid inthe darkness thinking about it, I began
to understand cold and callous like.It was her voice, being the hostman's
(20:18):
voice that told me nothing matter,nothing but fighting the night, not even
asked the woman. He asked,but how did that yard with the sobbing,
grief stricken husband. I've just seen. And after all, why should
a man who'd fought the Nazis,who'd lived with death for ten years,
why should he collapse so completely atthe news of one more death, even
(20:42):
the death of his wife. Oh? Yeah, something was wrong somewhere,
something was very definitely wrong. Ithought I knew what it was. And
if I was right, then theFeller Secret police were breathing down my neck.
Hello, he was still sleeping whenI sleppt out of the house the
(21:03):
next morning. I didn't go far, just across the street and two doors
down to number twenty one alhun Strasse. Yes, what is it you want?
I'm sorry to disturb you so early. I I wonder if you could
(21:25):
help me. I'm a stranger intown. I'm looking for the Holtzmann residence
Holtzmann across the street, two doorsthat way, number twenty eight. Thank
you very much, You're welcome.Good day. Uh excuse me, I
think I have the right party,not die. That is her Ludwig Holtzmann's
house, isn't it? It washis house? Oh? Doesn't he live
(21:48):
there anymore? That Ludrig Holtzmann diedthree weeks ago mm, And then I
knew I was right. I turnedaway from the door. I didn't have
any place to go, so Iturned back again, and the man in
(22:10):
the doorway was still standing there,still staring at me thoughtfully. Excuse me,
Why did you want to see alittle quote? Smart? Well,
I'm a wine merchant. I didn'tknow he was dead. I I thought
he might be interested in some wine. I see strong wine, very strong,
(22:33):
a special kind called called death fryhide vine. Ah, you're familiar
with it, Yes, I'm familiarwith it. Perhaps I could interest you.
Perhaps you'll court won't you step in? I followed him into his house,
(23:00):
and then I took a chance.I told him who I was and
why I had come to Osna Brook, and what had happened since I arrived.
I see, then, the realludlig holtman is dead. He was
killed by the Gestapo head Keller.His own wife betrayed him, Honey,
that's just how her head figured.Fortunately, she doesn't know who the rest
of us are, or she wouldbetray us too, Not any more.
(23:21):
She was killed in the raid lastnight. She was. That doesn't exactly
break your heart, I imagine.On the contrary, it saves us the
trouble of some day killing ourselves.But you say she introduced another man to
you as her husband. She musthave had orders to report anyone who came
looking for Ludlig. She went outand brought this man back with her,
a tall, thin chap with ablack mustade. Ah yeah, fitzhgu probably
(23:45):
one of the most powerful Gestapo agentsin osnabrook n company I've been keeping lately.
That's what I don't understand. Whydidn't he turn you over immediately?
What is he waiting for for ameeting to night? Probably meeting he knows
I'm planning to talk about the undergroundwork in neighboring city. I see,
figures you'll pick up a flock ofnames. Yeah, he'd never asked me
for the names directly for fear.He looks suspicious. Ah yeah, But
(24:06):
who does he intend to bring tosuch a meeting? Some more gun stop
awagents. I imagine maybe he's bringingthem over from Dortmund and feelessly and he
hopes you will give him useful information. Yeah. Sure, that's a nice
set up. They'll sit around andscribble down everything I say. Then when
they've noted me, they'll string meup. How lucky that you came to
my door. Now you can escapehere killer, escape, No, I
(24:29):
don't think so, what do youmean? Seven or eight? And stop?
Awagents all gathered under one roof.That's awfully inviting. But you can't
go to that meeting. Why not? They don't know I know who they
are. You will never get outalive. I'm not so sure. Oh.
I was pretty cocky then, butby the time night came, I've
(24:49):
lost a lot of it. I'dhad to put on an act for fit
table all day, pretending I stillthought he was Lugli Koltsman, pretending I
trusted him and was sorry for hisgreat flaws. By eleven o'clock, when
he and I slipt up the moonthe path that lathered the church, my
nerves were pretty thin. I'd takena lot of risk since I'd come to
Germany, but I had never walkedinto a meeting of Gestapo agents before,
(25:12):
every one of whom knew who Iwas. There here already, you see
her, Kenner. I saw throughthe clouds of cigar smoke. I saw
the narrow, hungry eyes that turnedon me. I saw the half hidden
smiles. I sensed the laughter insidethem. My friend, my friends,
(25:36):
you know why you are meeting heretonight. You know that here my sight
is a man An Americans have acourage to come into this land of Terrace
to help us. In spite ofhis he made quite a production of its
day. He went on for fiveminutes building me up, and all the
(25:56):
while I could hear that silent markinglife. He has succeeded. And so
now heir Kella will tell us ofthe work he has been doing in other
German cities. He will give usthe names of our brothers who are fighting
in the same cause for which wefight. He will teach us how to
fight more effectively, how to bringcloser the day of final victory. I
(26:21):
present hair Killer the American thanks theirHorseman brothers and friends. My plans have
changed somewhat. I did intend totell you about the resistance movement in other
cities, but I find that theresistant movement here in osner Brook is quite
impressive. So I decided to showyou an example of that instead. If
(26:48):
you look around you you'll get areal lesson on how we fight it,
how we bring closer the day offinal victory. It took them a minute
to catch on, but not long. Then they turned and I saw what
I was pointing at. They sawthe guns of the underground that were stopped
through every farmed out window. Whythey died, all eight of them.
(27:18):
Well, Colonel Metcalf had told meto help make the German underground strong and
effective. He said it had tobe organized. It was pretty well organized
that night in and later in Dotlundpilafl Essen, Ducal Dog. Soon,
(27:42):
due in large part to Lieutenant VinceKeller of the OSS, the resistance was
well organized throughout Nazi Germany, andonce again the report of another OSS agent
closes with the words mission accomplished.Listen again next week or another true venture
from the piles of the OSS onBlok and Dagger heard in Today's Clock and
(28:17):
Dagger Adventure. As Vince Keller wasMel Ferrer, star of stage and screen,
Hebbel was Herbert Berghoff, Lenda FrancisRobinson. Others were Ralph Bell,
Raymond Edward Johnson, will Mr cuerIan Martin and Carl Weathering. Script was
written by ken Field and music wasunder the direction of John Guard. Sound
effects by Cheth Hill and Jerry McGee. Engineering by George Boss. Today's RSS
(28:38):
adventure was based on the book Clockand Dagger by Corey Ford and Alastair mcpain.
This program was produced by Lewis D. Collen and Alfred Hollander. Here
is a bulletin from the NBC newsroom. Governor Dewey of New York has endorsed
the NBC Republican presidential candidate as GeneralEisenhower. During the NBC television program Meet
(29:03):
the Press, Juey declared again thathe himself will not be a candidate.
Then Juey, asarticular head of theGOP, said that he would urge support
of Eisenhower if the General will permithimself to be nominated. He tuned your
NBC station for the water news.This is NBC, the National broadcasting Company.
Are you willing to undertake a dangerousmission behind the enemy lines, knowing that
you may never return alive. Whatyou have just heard is the question asked
during the War of agents of theOSS. Ordinary citizens to this question answered
(00:24):
yes, This is black warfare,espionage, international intrigue. These are the
(00:51):
weapons of the OSS. In today'sadventure Wine of Freedom, the role of
Vince Color, an American OSS agentwho made a sales trip inside Hitler Germany,
is played by stage and screen starMel Fereer, currently to be seen
with Joan Fontaine and the RKO pictureBorn to Be Bad. Today's story is
suggested by actual incidents recorded in theWashington files of the Office of Strategic Services,
(01:17):
a story that can now be told. Night had started to fall by
the time I found the house.I stood out in the faces and peered
at it through the shadows. Therewasn't anything strange or ominous about it.
It was just a white frame house, like the kind you see back in
Omaha. Only this wasn't in Omaha. This house was number twenty eight kahn
(01:41):
Strasse in Osnabrook, and Osnabrook wasin Germany, Hitler's Germany. I drew
a deep breath and went up thefront steps, scutching a briefcase in my
hands. It was that briefcase thatmade me look like a respectable German citizen.
I looked at the brass knocker andlet it fall a couple of times,
and then I waited, Yes,what is it that you want?
(02:12):
She was younger than I expected,and prettier, and of course she was
suspicious. He was suspicious of everybodyin those days, if you were a
German, particularly the kind of GermanI knew. She was. Well,
Frau Holstmann. Yes, I'd liketo talk to your husband. My husband
(02:35):
hell loud big Holsmann. Is hein? What do you want to talk
to him? About? Wine?Both wine. My name is Keller.
I've just come from Bielafeld. I'ma wine salesman. Part of it was
true. My name was Keller,all right, Vince Keller, and I
(02:57):
had come from Bilafeld. But Iwasn't wine salesman. I was an agent
of the OSS and what I hadto sell was something stronger than wine.
It was organized resistance to Nazism.I've been at it for about a year,
then almost a year since Ide satin Colonel Metcalf's office in London,
Keller and told him I wanted tovolunteer for the job. You are sure
(03:20):
that there's no trace of American dialectsin your German Quite sure, sir.
My family lived in Germany also mychildhood. I was educated in German schools.
I see, And you know whatyou're letting yourself in for, Keller.
If the Nazis grab you, Iknow, Colonel, but you still
(03:40):
want to undertake the mission. It'simportant, isn't it, Colonel? If
we can step in the German underground'sresistance to Hitler or the anti Hitler movement
in Germany right now can hardly becalled an underground. Oh, it's merely
a handful of isolated individuals in variouscities. There's almost no contact between them.
I have no organized activity at all. But that won't do us any
(04:02):
good when our troops start moving acrossthe German border. So exactly, we
need detective allies inside Germany, nomatter how few they are. We want
them coordinated and strengthen. That's thejob we'd like you to do, Littennant,
is the job I'll try to do, Colonel. If the Gestapo doesn't
(04:23):
catch up with me. Two weekslater, I'd parachuted into a grassy field
outside Disseldorf, and the Gestapo hadn'tcaught up with me yet. After Duesseldorf
came Essen, and after Essen Dartmound, and then Belafelt and Hitler's secret police
(04:44):
were still way behind. It wasat beila Felt that I heard about Ludwig
Hofstmann, the underground leader there.Old Johann Volt slipped me his name.
Show your work in Villaufelt di Swinishkirk killer. Did you go now Osbro
Johan, you'll be hearing from methough. I want to put the man
there in contact with the resistance workershere. He really have been in contact
(05:09):
occasionally. Now then Ludwig Holtzmann haspaid me a visit horsemanner. He's the
leader in Osnaburgh. He was thelast I heard. It's been several weeks.
Is the Dorsey's number twenty eight offhorn stuff? Oh good enough,
I'll look him up when I getthere. You left no trouble introducing yourself
(05:30):
to him. Since you're posing asa wine merchant. It simply ask him
if he's ever tried Jane fry hidSpine Nane fri hide Vine the wine of
freedom. Huh. He will knowthen that you can trust you, and
you, of course you can trusthim. So that's how it happened that
(05:57):
on that September evening, followed FrauHorseman into the living room of her home
in Osnabrook. Won't you sit downhere, Keller? My husband should be
here soon. He isn't home,then, No, he's late to see
me. He's almost always here bydinner time. I don't know where he
could, but wait here, Ido too. It doesn't matter. I
(06:20):
can wait. No, No,I'm sure he's stopping to see a friend
down the street. I'll try tofind I do hope you won't. He'll
be very eager to talk to you. He's quite interested in this in wines.
Oh is he? Yes? Hewould not want to keep you waiting.
(06:41):
You stay right here and make yourselfcomfortable. I'll get him. Wouldn't
it be easier to call your friend'shouse on the telephone? The telephone?
I wish I could hear Teller,But we had a heavy air raid in
Osnorbook last night. The telephone isout of order. It was a hasty
egg that she made, almost toohasty. I sat there in that empty
(07:08):
house for a minute or two whereshe had said to make myself comfortable,
but somehow I wasn't ErRh So Igot up and went over to the telephone.
What number do you wish? Iwas under the impression operator that this
line is out of order, thisline is nothing stair. That gave me
(07:29):
something to think about while I waited. I think better when i'm moving,
So I began to move around theHoltz One house. I peeked into rooms,
even opened drawers, but I didn'tfind anything. In fact, I
didn't even know what I expected tofind. When the front door opened,
I was back in the living roomtrying to look comfortable. Hair cut up.
(07:50):
I found him drinking beer with ourfencers. Caught in the act.
Hey hair hoose man, I'm okay, so well, said down her killa.
Thank you. You are a winesalesman, my wife's saltsman. Yes
I am, And she tells methat you are a very interested in wine.
That's true, sort of a connoisseur, perhaps you might say so yes
(08:13):
like our mutual friend in Bilerfeld whosuggested that I call on you. And
who was that? Hercula? Whatwas his name. It must have been
the lie Ral Holtzmann had told aboutthe telephone that made me hold back.
It must have been the way shestood there, listening so intensely, so
(08:35):
eagerly. That was why I brushedaside his question, And that was why
I said nothing about the wine ofFreedom, even when he asked, telling
me, Hair Keilla, do youcarry a dry red wine at reasonable crisis?
Yes, we have an excellent burgundyhair Holtzman from where? Why?
From schambertin? Uh, schandertan whatyear? Haut nineteen twenty seven, nineteen
(09:01):
twenty seven? Huh. I don'tthink we'd be interested in buying any of
your wine, but hell as awe'd appreciate if you'd go peddle it somewhere.
El Wait a minute, any authenticwine richen would know that the Great
cost of nineteen twenty seven killed thecrops of shop dafter. You might tell
(09:22):
the estop of that before they sendyou out together. I caught on then,
and I almost laughed. He thoughtI was a guestoparasins. That explained
it. Maybe it'd even explained hiswife's peculiar behavior. I had been too
busy suspecting them to consider how deeplythey must have been suspecting me, because
(09:43):
your hat for Heller ain't your case, thanks of man. But before I
go, there's another wine you mightenjoy. So what is dain fry hide
mind? Have you ever tried it? Yes? I have? You like
(10:03):
it? Oh? I like itvery much? Perhaps you'd care to hear
a little more about it? Well, it means, sir, you should
have mentioned that before I sit down, hurt care and tell me, tell
me all about the whine of freedom. After that we were all friends.
(10:24):
Nobody suspected anybody anymore. I toldthem what I'd accomplished, and Delafells and
the other towns, but I hopeto accomplish inn osna Brook. Their eyes
glowed as they heard of the growingstrength of the anti Hitler forces within Germany.
Then we are nasiated as sometimes youhave a lot of friends, Fawhot's
man. My jobs to put youin touch with them? And how will
(10:48):
you do that? Well, I'dlike to start with a meeting of your
friends here in Osnabrook. How manyare there? For only a few we
actually know personally? Maybe success,Well that's enough. You think you could
get them all together and say placetomorrow night. Tomorrow night. We would
have to work quickly. It couldbe done, though, I think so.
Yes, sir, Yes, I'msure it could, but I'd have
(11:11):
to start working on it right away. My phone. Whoa, we may
use the poor young mister churchand infront of strangers. You even pretend it's
out of order. Huh you checkedup on me off I left here.
Well, I was even beginning towonder if you were a Gestapo agent yourself.
Oh, you need want anymore?Hair Killer. Linda is as reliable
(11:33):
as I am. You can trusther just as you would trust me.
And then he let me alone withher while he went out to start rounding
up his friends. She insisted Imust be hungry, and she led me
out into the kitchen and gave methe dinner she cooked for her husband.
Poor lude. I don't suppose he'llget anything to eat tonight. He should
(11:54):
have eaten before he left. Oh, you do not know him. Hair
Killers is underground because he's life.Food means nothing to him. He goes
without sleep, he never has amoment of pleasure. Nothing matters to him
but fighting the nuts, not evenI, the woman he married. I
guess that's the way a man getsin the underground after a while, Yes,
(12:16):
he gets hard and cold and countslike Ludwig Holtzmann. Well, never
mind that, if you will excuseme, Hair Keller, I want to
go upstairs and get your room ready. You'll sleep, yes night, of
course, but don't go to alot of trouble. Please, don't know
it will take, but the momentyou finish your dinner, I'll be right
down. But the strange thing wasthat she never went up, at least
(12:41):
I didn't hear her go up.I waited, bore footsteps on the stairs,
and when there was no sound,I left the table and pushed open
the door a crack. I sawher then in the living room, with
her back to me, her headstand over the telephone. I heard her
too, No, no, don'task me, do what I can.
Don't come in here, whatever youdo, meet me by the band then
(13:03):
in the poll. Is there anhalf hour and wait for me. I'll
come as soon as I can.A horseman could do a lot of tricks
with the telephone. I wondered ifshe could explain away the second one as
easily as you'd explained away the first. I didn't ask her, though,
I'll let her show me up tomy room. A half hour later,
(13:24):
and I told her good night,good night. If you need anything,
call me. I'm in the roomat the end of the hall. You're
going to retire now, protman,Yes, I think I will. Very
tired. I don't believe i'll waitup for ludol. Well, thanks again,
not at all, good night,good night. I've been tired myself,
(13:50):
but I felt wide awake. ThenI went to bed, though that
as I went through the motions ofgoing to bed with all the proper sound
effects, I let my shoes droploudly on the floor. Then, after
I had quietly put them on again, I opened the window and flicked the
(14:11):
light switch. After that, Iwaited silently by the door. She must
have taken off her own shoes totiptoe down the stairs, because I didn't
hear her go. But she shouldn'thave let the front door close quite so
hard. I did hear that.Then I moved fast out of the bedroom
(14:33):
and down the stairs and out ofthe front door, but I closed the
quietly. She must have been thirtyyards ahead of me when I reached the
street. I didn't try to closethe distance between us it was easy enough
to follow us. The sidewalks werepractically deserted. She didn't look back once.
(14:56):
A woman who was walking as eagerlyas the germanly as Linda Holtzman was
walking, doesn't bother to look back. They reached the park in twenty minutes.
It was deserted tooth. She stayedon the gravel walk, and I
said, through the bushes, andthen I did close in on her.
She approached the band stand, Afigure separated itself from the shadows and came
(15:18):
toward her. Linda, I wastouching behind the shrub three feet away by
them. I saw that the figurewore a Nazi uniform. Oh what's that?
What did you call it? Howl? How Christmas? He kissed her
and they were both lost to solost they didn't even hear the plane and
(15:41):
start whining through the night. Iheard them, but I didn't move.
There was something else I had tohear, something that might prove more fatal
than a British bomb. How whatwas the meaning of the cot? We
better get to a shove. That'sone of the other end of the parts.
(16:08):
An American side. He's another canspy him? Bow, let's not
coming out for me. The Naziwas right. It was too late to
run that Tommy's were dropping bombs allover town. Lend the follow his advice,
and so did I. I flungmyself on the soft ground behind those
(16:30):
shrubs, dear life. The lastbomb landed in the park. I raised
my head. At last, therewas only a pile of rubble on the
man's stand. I heard the Nazicalling her name. There was something in
(16:53):
his voice that brought me to myfeet. That's the tone of a man
who called when he doesn't expect ananswer. You hear me, man.
If he stayed, anything I cando, soldier, okay, there's nothing
anyone can do on he stayed,You're sure, yeah, got great,
(17:15):
short, Come on, I'll getyou to a doctor, and I have
no time. Not the doctors maybe, But there's something I'm as rufous.
I'm not hurt. I could doit for you, and I had to
do it. I said this informationsmust type. Immediately he turned away and
went lunging off. You don't liketo do such things. But if a
man's I'm nazying, if he's gonnabetray you to the Gestapo, I raised
(17:38):
my gun. All things you don'tlike to do either. You don't like
to tell a man that his wifeis lying dead in the park. By
what she was doing there before shedied, now that she was kissing a
(18:00):
Nazi soldier and selling the underground movementdown the river. But I knew it
had to be done. I wentback to the big Holdsman's house. He'd
already come home and was waiting forme. I have newsless, look,
I have news for you, too, bad news. That's night, he
squirt. It's it's all arranged tome. Oh, all arranged the meeting
(18:21):
you man, of course, themeeting tomorrow night is he let me clok.
There's a bombed out church on thehighway north of the tower. There's
no danger of being interrupted because thechurch is never used anymore. I hung
it up, the big brief framed. I could there there would be a
segment they would possibly eat good work, huselim dunk doug can I but uh,
(18:41):
what there? Did you want totell me that? Well, it's
your wife, my wife, shelook, my friend. There's no way
of breaking this to your gently.Never mind, just send me to eat.
What about my wife? She's dead, husebland, She's he was killed
in the raid tonight twist. Ohoh no, no, because it isn't
(19:11):
possible. I'm sorry, husebland,my I I just can't. I think
I know how hard it didn't you? Oh no, you talked. You
couldn't know because you knew what shemeant. Easy houseman, I just got
back up. It's a lot offace. You faced a lot of hard
(19:33):
things in the last few years.I guess you'll manage to face this.
Those were nothing, linder to everything, to nothinst matter. She was my
whole life with my I sat thereand felt like a heel because his grief
let me cold. I suppose Ishould have felt sorry for him, and
I didn't. There was something wrongsomewhere. There was a phony note in
(19:56):
his sorrow that I couldn't put myfinger on. Not DNA. Later on
that night, after I had helpedhim to his room, after I had
gone to bed myself and laid inthe darkness thinking about it, I began
to understand cold and callous like.It was her voice, being the hostman's
(20:18):
voice that told me nothing matter,nothing but fighting the night, not even
asked the woman. He asked,but how did that yard with the sobbing,
grief stricken husband. I've just seen. And after all, why should
a man who'd fought the Nazis,who'd lived with death for ten years,
why should he collapse so completely atthe news of one more death, even
(20:42):
the death of his wife. Oh? Yeah, something was wrong somewhere,
something was very definitely wrong. Ithought I knew what it was. And
if I was right, then theFeller Secret police were breathing down my neck.
Hello, he was still sleeping whenI sleppt out of the house the
(21:03):
next morning. I didn't go far, just across the street and two doors
down to number twenty one alhun Strasse. Yes, what is it you want?
I'm sorry to disturb you so early. I I wonder if you could
(21:25):
help me. I'm a stranger intown. I'm looking for the Holtzmann residence
Holtzmann across the street, two doorsthat way, number twenty eight. Thank
you very much, You're welcome.Good day. Uh excuse me, I
think I have the right party,not die. That is her Ludwig Holtzmann's
house, isn't it? It washis house? Oh? Doesn't he live
(21:48):
there anymore? That Ludrig Holtzmann diedthree weeks ago mm, And then I
knew I was right. I turnedaway from the door. I didn't have
any place to go, so Iturned back again, and the man in
(22:10):
the doorway was still standing there,still staring at me thoughtfully. Excuse me,
Why did you want to see alittle quote? Smart? Well,
I'm a wine merchant. I didn'tknow he was dead. I I thought
he might be interested in some wine. I see strong wine, very strong,
(22:33):
a special kind called called death fryhide vine. Ah, you're familiar
with it, Yes, I'm familiarwith it. Perhaps I could interest you.
Perhaps you'll court won't you step in? I followed him into his house,
(23:00):
and then I took a chance.I told him who I was and
why I had come to Osna Brook, and what had happened since I arrived.
I see, then, the realludlig holtman is dead. He was
killed by the Gestapo head Keller.His own wife betrayed him, Honey,
that's just how her head figured.Fortunately, she doesn't know who the rest
of us are, or she wouldbetray us too, Not any more.
(23:21):
She was killed in the raid lastnight. She was. That doesn't exactly
break your heart, I imagine.On the contrary, it saves us the
trouble of some day killing ourselves.But you say she introduced another man to
you as her husband. She musthave had orders to report anyone who came
looking for Ludlig. She went outand brought this man back with her,
a tall, thin chap with ablack mustade. Ah yeah, fitzhgu probably
(23:45):
one of the most powerful Gestapo agentsin osnabrook n company I've been keeping lately.
That's what I don't understand. Whydidn't he turn you over immediately?
What is he waiting for for ameeting to night? Probably meeting he knows
I'm planning to talk about the undergroundwork in neighboring city. I see,
figures you'll pick up a flock ofnames. Yeah, he'd never asked me
for the names directly for fear.He looks suspicious. Ah yeah, But
(24:06):
who does he intend to bring tosuch a meeting? Some more gun stop
awagents. I imagine maybe he's bringingthem over from Dortmund and feelessly and he
hopes you will give him useful information. Yeah. Sure, that's a nice
set up. They'll sit around andscribble down everything I say. Then when
they've noted me, they'll string meup. How lucky that you came to
my door. Now you can escapehere killer, escape, No, I
(24:29):
don't think so, what do youmean? Seven or eight? And stop?
Awagents all gathered under one roof.That's awfully inviting. But you can't
go to that meeting. Why not? They don't know I know who they
are. You will never get outalive. I'm not so sure. Oh.
I was pretty cocky then, butby the time night came, I've
(24:49):
lost a lot of it. I'dhad to put on an act for fit
table all day, pretending I stillthought he was Lugli Koltsman, pretending I
trusted him and was sorry for hisgreat flaws. By eleven o'clock, when
he and I slipt up the moonthe path that lathered the church, my
nerves were pretty thin. I'd takena lot of risk since I'd come to
Germany, but I had never walkedinto a meeting of Gestapo agents before,
(25:12):
every one of whom knew who Iwas. There here already, you see
her, Kenner. I saw throughthe clouds of cigar smoke. I saw
the narrow, hungry eyes that turnedon me. I saw the half hidden
smiles. I sensed the laughter insidethem. My friend, my friends,
(25:36):
you know why you are meeting heretonight. You know that here my sight
is a man An Americans have acourage to come into this land of Terrace
to help us. In spite ofhis he made quite a production of its
day. He went on for fiveminutes building me up, and all the
(25:56):
while I could hear that silent markinglife. He has succeeded. And so
now heir Kella will tell us ofthe work he has been doing in other
German cities. He will give usthe names of our brothers who are fighting
in the same cause for which wefight. He will teach us how to
fight more effectively, how to bringcloser the day of final victory. I
(26:21):
present hair Killer the American thanks theirHorseman brothers and friends. My plans have
changed somewhat. I did intend totell you about the resistance movement in other
cities, but I find that theresistant movement here in osner Brook is quite
impressive. So I decided to showyou an example of that instead. If
(26:48):
you look around you you'll get areal lesson on how we fight it,
how we bring closer the day offinal victory. It took them a minute
to catch on, but not long. Then they turned and I saw what
I was pointing at. They sawthe guns of the underground that were stopped
through every farmed out window. Whythey died, all eight of them.
(27:18):
Well, Colonel Metcalf had told meto help make the German underground strong and
effective. He said it had tobe organized. It was pretty well organized
that night in and later in Dotlundpilafl Essen, Ducal Dog. Soon,
(27:42):
due in large part to Lieutenant VinceKeller of the OSS, the resistance was
well organized throughout Nazi Germany, andonce again the report of another OSS agent
closes with the words mission accomplished.Listen again next week or another true venture
from the piles of the OSS onBlok and Dagger heard in Today's Clock and
(28:17):
Dagger Adventure. As Vince Keller wasMel Ferrer, star of stage and screen,
Hebbel was Herbert Berghoff, Lenda FrancisRobinson. Others were Ralph Bell,
Raymond Edward Johnson, will Mr cuerIan Martin and Carl Weathering. Script was
written by ken Field and music wasunder the direction of John Guard. Sound
effects by Cheth Hill and Jerry McGee. Engineering by George Boss. Today's RSS
(28:38):
adventure was based on the book Clockand Dagger by Corey Ford and Alastair mcpain.
This program was produced by Lewis D. Collen and Alfred Hollander. Here
is a bulletin from the NBC newsroom. Governor Dewey of New York has endorsed
the NBC Republican presidential candidate as GeneralEisenhower. During the NBC television program Meet
(29:03):
the Press, Juey declared again thathe himself will not be a candidate.
Then Juey, asarticular head of theGOP, said that he would urge support
of Eisenhower if the General will permithimself to be nominated. He tuned your
NBC station for the water news.This is NBC, the National broadcasting Company.
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