September 4, 2024 • 25 mins
Hope you enjoy this episode of Weird Circle! Find all our OTR radio stations and podcasts at theaterofthemind-otr.com - The Weird Circle was a supernatural/fantasy and mystery/horror Old Time Radio series aired between 1943 and 1945. It featured stories from authors such as Charles Dickens and Edgar Allan - most stories came from classic horror, ghost tales and stories of the supernatural. - Thank you for listening, consider a donation to help keep the OTR radio stations commercial-free: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jared.day.oldtimeradio - Audio Credit: The Old Time Radio Researchers Group. Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 - Find all the podcasts, download free - Spreaker | Apple Podcasts | YouTube Music
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Out of the past.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Phantoms of a world gone by speak again their immortal tale,
The knight Bridge Mystery.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Saturday Night. I killed the gardener. That's the incredible part.
I killed him. It is sitting here next to me now,
sitting in his usual chair by the fireplace, here at
the old Knight's bridging, acting as if nothing unusual had happened.
How can a man be dead and alive at the
(00:45):
same time. I remember the whole thing so clearly. It
was just two days ago, two short days ago, last Saturday,
to be exact. Gardener's a landowner that just connected his rents.
The banks were closed, so he hid the money in
his room here, and his room is next to mine,
and it was all so easy. It was raining that day,
(01:09):
he said, it was raining hard enough to drown out
the screams of a man being murdered. Gardener, Professor Nelson
and myself were sitting around the fire just as we're
sitting now, and I needed money, needed it desperately. Not
for myself I don't count anymore, but for my son,
my boy Jack. He's twenty one and and man needs
(01:29):
money to keep his son in college. I'd done everything
I could think of to raise that money, and had
even worn various disguises, wigs and make up and sat
on the steps of the bank in London to beg
for farthings. Imagine it me, Captain Collen being a beggar
on the streets, and Gardener was rich, fat, rich and alone.
(01:55):
Nobody would miss him, that is, nobody but his fat
sleepy cat. And I had my son, my boy Jack.
I remember everything that happened that Saturday night. The three
of us, Gardener, Professor Nelson and myself were sitting around
the fireplace, and it was raining last de night, isn't it,
(02:19):
mister Gardner.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Yes, quite nasty, Professor Nelson. You know, I don't see
why you scientists don't do something about the weather. Many
men have thought about that very thing, thinking they ought
to take action.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
Thought his idle action brings results.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Oh think me if I haven't coined an epigram.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Yes, they were talking about the rudder, and I was
thinking about killing Gardener. He had to die, that was obvious,
and soon too. But how and who would be the
scapegoat to hang for the deed? Somebody would have to
be somebody, but who.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
I couldn't have managed to go downtown on this rainy
with the banks opened today blasted. It's confounded and comfortable
keeping large sums of money about you because of a
conspiracy between the weather and the Bank of England.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
I'm surely the money is safe enough here, mister Gardner.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
One would think so that you never can tell. Now
that makes a man more jumpy than keeping a large
sum of money in his top bureau draw.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
Of course, there's always the danger of robbery, yes, or murder, murder,
Captain Cowhin.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
No nobody in the Gardener family has died for generations.
We gardeners just don't die. Rather set against that sort
of thing.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
You've made up your mind to it, Regardener, quite quite professor.
That should have been my first hint. He himself definitely
said he couldn't die as he said it then, but
I thought he was joking. Nobody even knew whether he
was joking or not. He had a dry software of joking.
But I didn't realize that then. I just sat there
(03:59):
when the door open and the teammaid came in to
taddy up. I was hoping that everybody would remain quiet
so I could think the whole thing out. But you
came toward us.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
And anything I can do for you before I retire
for the night, Professor Nelson.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
No nothing, Barbara, nothing, mister Gardner, no thanks, you get girl,
get your rest you, Captain Cowen. Yes, as a matter
of fact, I've I've got to get on to London tonight.
Good night, Captain. Is this weather, yes, mister Gardner. Important business.
So if it's not too much trouble, Barbara, you might
tell last were mister Cox to set on my horse.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
Hi, I'm going down to the stables to see mister Cox.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Captain.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
He ain't a man, Dan Cox signed, He's.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
A beastie Here come come, Barbara. Poor Dan Cox is
no beast. He's an unfortunate victim of an accident which
has reduced his mentality to that of a small child.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
Soil is it, Professor, He's an idiot. You'll marry a
human some day, he will.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
It's not that bad, Barbara.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
You're the last person i'd expected to speak heast having.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
Captain.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
I don't like you, he said. He remembers you from somewhere.
He don't remember, though, And I said to him not
to talk about a fine gentleman like you.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
I said, Oh, there ought to be a hospital for
the mentally unsound, not only for idiots like port Dan Cox,
but for men whose minds are warped and twisted. And
those people may be completely harmless, but they need medical care.
Do you think so, Professor, I'm sure of it. I've
conducted many interesting psychological experiments on the side of Captain.
(05:31):
I've even known men who think they've committed a crime.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
Is there anything else, gentlemen?
Speaker 1 (05:36):
Oh no, thank you, Barbara, good Barbara. You interest me, Professor.
It's a fascinating subject. Cowen. There was a man once
who thought he had murdered his wife and two children.
He went to the station house, confessed the murder, and
then killed himself. And he hadn't committed the crime at all. No,
(05:57):
not at all, No, not at all. Well, gentlemen, you
must excuse me. If I'm going to get to London
to night, I must be off. Good night, gentlemen, to night.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
Card.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
I shut the door behind me, very casually, just as
if I really were going to London. I walked to
the stable through the heavy rain. You see how clever
I was. And they thought I was going to London,
and they didn't even suspect that Gardener was going to die.
The dark, rainy night was perfect for the murder, and
Daniel Cox appeared to me to be a lightly.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Victim for the law.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
He was an idiot. The poor fool would be completely
helpless in my hands, and the townspeople would obviously believe
anything against Dan Cox. I knocked on the stable door,
thank Hello, Hello, Dan, I came down to visit you.
(07:00):
Did you? Did you mind if I come in? Did
here with me? In an horsie? Cox? You like me,
don't you? I like everybody? Everybody? Everybody? I like me
in the osage. I was sure you want somewhere, somewhere,
(07:23):
but where, Captain Well, well, you're imagining things Cox. I've
been looking at you, Captain Cowan, trying to remember I've
never seen you before. I came to this in Cox.
Didn't you know, didn't you? Oh wonder? I didn't come
here Cox to argue. I came down here as a
(07:45):
friend to ask a favor. Favor, Captain you like this
one Cox. Barbara sent me down here to ask you
to do her a favor. Barbara did Barbara? Pretty Barbara?
He she is Cox, and she likes you. She told
me that she wouldn't trade all the fine gentlemen, the
inn for you, for me, nobody likes. May you misjudge yourself,
(08:08):
Dan Cox. She asked me to get her a lock
of your hair and a piece of your coat as
a going away gift. He is Barbara going away, yes, sir,
day after tomorrow. She's leaving me in for good, a
lock of my hair and a pati of my coat.
I know women are funny. I hard to tell what
(08:29):
they're thinking. Whether will you give it to me? Are
you iron? Are are here? Take my pocket knife here
you can snip it off yourself. Er. Thank you, captain,
Thank you. He is your claws here. Nobody ever like
me before just marshes my orshes. Thank you Cox. Why
(08:53):
do you look at me like that? Captain? I was thinking,
what a lucky man you are? Cox? Oh, will you
ride my horse before you turn in for the night.
I've been leaving for London shortly uh for our bridle
Quaeney right away. I walked back to the Inn to
(09:18):
say goodbye in case anyone was around. I have thought
the whole plan out so carefully. Now I had evidence
that the kind of evidence police officers looked for a
piece of Cox's coat was to be found on the
edge of Gardner's bed, and the lock of Cox's hair
in the dead man's hand. That's circumstantial evidence the plan
(09:40):
was working perfectly. I walked briskly to the door, opened it,
and Professor Nelson was sitting by the fire looking into
the flames. When I walked in. He started sevenly, uh, oh,
haven't you left for London yet, Captain? And not a professor?
Where mister Gardner? Oh? He took his cat with him
(10:02):
and one of the bird He was tired. Won't you
join me by the fire? It's the sami time, Professor,
But tonight I had better start if I'm never going
to get there, oh, stayed Oh midnight, Oh, I was retired.
My reflections worked by the clock, sir, definitely by the clock.
I think i'd better retire myself. Oh well, Captain, pleasant journey, Well,
(10:26):
good night, good night. Oh why don't you sleep here
and wait till tomorrow's h traveling is tyfficult in this weather.
I'm sorry, I have important business in London. Professor. I
stood in the living room, watching the old scholar slowly
(10:49):
climb the stairs. We walked slowly, refusing to be hurried,
and then I heard his door open and close, and
then knew he was in his room. And then I
waited for a short time and started to creep up
the stairs to my room. I had to prepare my
makeup for the change from the genius Cown to the
(11:14):
idiot Cox Gardener had to die. In less than a
half hour had completed the transition. I stood in front
of the mirror looking at myself. I'd done a good
job that I knew. The disguise was perfect. I was
no longer cowan. I was cocks battered, bulbous nose and
(11:38):
a raggedy coat and dagger. I crept slowly to my
window and opened it, slanning every move, and I who
I was clever, so very clever. And when I crept
clearly out on the ledge, Gardener's window was open and
barely four feet away, and moved slowly over the line.
(12:00):
There was like a cat in the knife. Step by step,
the pan was slipping it from the rain, and the
night was dark dark. I could hear gardeners heavy breathing
as I clipped through his window to his room. He
was asleep. There was no moon in the sky this
night to give me away. I walked slowly to his bedside,
(12:24):
Dagger appraise, and then the cat. I'd almost forgotten his fat,
sleek cat. I forgotten that mewing, spewing cat. But I
was kevin. I went faster, right to Garden's bedside, and
(12:46):
then I plunged dagger gods and I I remember his
last pray. It was like the the sound of a
(13:06):
dying fire, the moaning of the wind, futile gasping. And
then he was dead. Oh you see, I did kill him.
I remember every single detail. And I was so clever,
so very clever. I remember my cleverness. I killed him.
(13:28):
I killed him, and yet he's alive. Garden is alive,
sitting here next to me. Gardener was dead. I stood
(14:19):
by his bedside and pulled the knife out of his heart.
I placed a piece of Cox's coat on the edge
of the bedside and a piece of his hair in
the dead man's hand. Then ruffled up the bed clothes
and I started in my search of the room. I
opened the drawers, the closets, Every single hiding place possible
was combed for the money. I heard footsteps outside the door.
(14:39):
Do you know I hear somebody scream out? Law? I
had to work quickly, give the money, the money, and
I remember the gardener had said it was in the
top bureau of drawer, in the corner. Yes, in the
top bureau drawer. And there there it was a knock
on the door that stold.
Speaker 3 (14:59):
Me, mister, mister Gardner, did you call me?
Speaker 1 (15:04):
I didn't know what to do. Answer and pretend I
was gardener. It seemed logical and clever. I streamed my
voice and called out, oh, yes, for what do you
want now?
Speaker 3 (15:15):
Ago I heard someone scream.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
I thought that Cox with in your room, mister Gardner.
Everything's all goodness girl, good night, sir. Hey. I had
to get out of that as soon as possible, back
to my room. Out of the window over the ledge,
I had stop raining the moon. The moon was coming out,
(15:42):
a bright full moon outlined my shadow on the ledge,
and I remembered my own clearness. If I was seen,
they wouldn't see me, They'd see Cox, the half wit cocks.
I climbed in my window, clutching the money. I thought
for a moment I had seen someone of the lawn
(16:02):
watching me. Once in my room, I didn't move my makeup.
I prepared to leave with one clean stroke. The murdering
cocks had disappeared, and I was cowing again. Opened the
door to the hall, cut down the hall to the stairs.
(16:25):
I noticed a came the burning moon follow the chinmaid
was standing there in a pool of light, talking to Nelson.
That was a hitch in my plans.
Speaker 3 (16:35):
I tell you, I heard someone scream out. If you're
half the night you plaim to be professor, you'd go
down to that tible and find.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
Out what Dan Cox is up to. The light. No good,
I'll tell you that. Go back to bed, Barbara. Whatever
Cox is up to, it can't be very dangerous. Go
to bed, my dear good night, Good night, Sir. Nelson
started up the stairs. I had died, but where staring
the dark. I pressed myself against the wall, into the shadows,
(17:05):
sinking closer and closer. He was close enough to touch me.
I could only pray he wouldn't look my way. When
he turned on the landing, there's somebody up here. That
silly woman is getting me all up flutter. Then he
continued on upstairs. The girl stood in the middle of
the parlor and I was trapped. My heart beat wildly.
(17:28):
I crept on down the stairs to listen who is it?
Who is it? Oh? Pretty pretty Barbara? You understand me,
you do you can help me? What are you doing
with the ian? Can? Cox? Go on? Get back to
(17:49):
the saco.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
You like me down?
Speaker 1 (17:52):
I actrechee somebody that likes me? Ysh, I at you cold?
Speaker 3 (17:56):
Get away from me, Get away from me, Cox.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
I ain't going hurt you now. It's pretty Barbara, arm
barb pretty Barbara. Oh? Ain't two people? Am I? Oh?
I ain't two people? I saw myself standing on the
ledge tonight, and I know myself by my nose in
my ear. Let me go with me standing on the
(18:21):
ledge looking down at me standing on the grass near
the air. Two people? They both can't be me. I'm
not one. I'm two, Yes, and it don't make sense.
Let me go.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
Take your hands up.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
It is Barbara Gage. I must be dreaming. That's it, dreaming.
I'll go back to the stuple, go to sleep. When
(18:58):
I wake up, wish won't have happened. I've been dreaming
all all else. How could I be sitting on the
ledge looking down at me, shitting on the grass. I'll
go back to the stable and wake up. He did
(19:19):
have fallen into my trap and I was pleased, so pleased,
and very heavy, very slowly creep into the parlor, and
I stopped. I looked at the still body of the girl,
at the death like quality of her face, and knew
Cox would hang for the double murder. Yes, a double murder,
(19:41):
but that was fortunate for me. I opened the door,
and the moon shone fully upon me. I put it
across the gravel path to the stable, and my only
thought was to get to get to London, to get
to my boy, to my son, to Jack. Knocked on
the door and called Cox, Dan, Cox, I look as sleep, captain,
(20:05):
You look as if you might have been sleeping. Cox.
I could come. Then, where's my horse? You're right? What
Queenie is? Queenly saddled? I must be dreamer. I am
a sleep ain't I, Captain? Because if I was awake,
I couldn't be on the legend on the grass. At
the same time, I have to get my horse myself, Cox,
I killed a woman, Captain? Are children? Why are my
(20:26):
two people? Are children? At your fat captain, it's all
your fault. I hate you. I hate what you're talking about. Cox.
You don't know, No, you don't know. You told me
she liked me. You said she wouldn't trade me for
all the fine gentlemen in the inn. You said in
your line, because she hates Are you in seene Cox?
(20:46):
Do you think anyone would believe that story? The story
of an idiot every time? I'm not an idiot. I
had an accident a long time ago, a funny accident.
And sometimes I can't remember sometimes topic Cox, and get
my horse for it. Some times I can remember prayer,
like sometimes I can remember who you are, and then
again I can't, and you make me killer, And it's
(21:09):
all you, aful fool. I'll take your lesson, you'll never forget.
Get out of my way. I'll have the horse myself.
I herode off, leaving Cox sobbing like a baby in
the corner. I went to London to my son and
(21:31):
paid his bills, gave him his allowance for the year,
and hit the rest of the money on my person.
And then this morning and he turned to me in
and found this these men sitting here at the old
Knight's bridging, chatting gaily. Barbara was serving them tea as
(21:52):
if nothing happened. Yes, my God, and asked me to
join them by the fire. I sat down here. I'm confused.
I know I killed him. I saw him die, and
they started to talk. They've been talking for half an
hour like this, and I can't stand it anymore, just
sitting here waiting.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
What's the matter with you anyway, captain guy? And you've
been quired as can be ever since you connect from London?
Speaker 1 (22:18):
Yes, amazing. And I took a trip to.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
London myself Monday morning. But I didn't come back in
a sad mood. London cheered me. Yes, I had got
rid of that confounded pack of money I was carrying around.
It had me blasted nervous. I can well imagine it did,
mister Gardner. I hear you're in for congratulations captain town.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
Congratulations.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
Yes, we heard you'd want to pack it up money
in the Irish sleep stakes, almost fight on the town.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
I didn't win money in the sweepstakes, I didn't, nonsense, captain,
don't try to keep that from us. What are you
trying to do to me? Drive me crazy? Drive me insane?
I didn't win money in the sweepstakes. You're supposed to
be dead, Gardner. Dead, You understand I went to a
(23:03):
lot of trouble to kill you. Yes, and I kill
you with my own hands and stole the money. And
Barbara was dead too. Cox kill her.
Speaker 4 (23:12):
You've got to believe me. I disguise myself to look
at Cox, and I killed Gardner.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
Yes, I kill him. You're dead, Gardener, and the dead
can't rise from the grave. They can't.
Speaker 4 (23:25):
They can't, Anthony, don't stand. They're looking at me, Ansony, professor.
Speaker 1 (23:33):
Professor, tell me the truth. Yes, Captain Cown, I'll tell
you the truth. Barbara was not chilled that night. She
was merely frightened and fainted. But you murdered mister Gardner.
By your own confession, you'd planned a perfect crime. The
crime is so perfect the Cocks might have hung for
Gardner's death if it hadn't been my little experiment experiment,
(23:55):
what experiment, a psychological experiment, Captain. You see, I looked
up your record and found out that you were an
old vodablle actor and specialized in chatichapass that's where cots
from energy come. You were on the stage that he
had his accident. So I played your own trick back
on you. The only way we could get you to
admit your crime was to bring Gardener back to life.
(24:15):
This gentleman is not mister Gardner. He's just an actor.
It's cleverer at makeup than you ever were. No, Captain Cowan,
I wouldn't try to escape. Your confession has been taken
down and the inn is surrounded by the police. From
(24:40):
the time one pages of the past we have recalled
the Knightebridge Mystery bell people, all the bell
Out of the past.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Phantoms of a world gone by speak again their immortal tale,
The knight Bridge Mystery.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Saturday Night. I killed the gardener. That's the incredible part.
I killed him. It is sitting here next to me now,
sitting in his usual chair by the fireplace, here at
the old Knight's bridging, acting as if nothing unusual had happened.
How can a man be dead and alive at the
(00:45):
same time. I remember the whole thing so clearly. It
was just two days ago, two short days ago, last Saturday,
to be exact. Gardener's a landowner that just connected his rents.
The banks were closed, so he hid the money in
his room here, and his room is next to mine,
and it was all so easy. It was raining that day,
(01:09):
he said, it was raining hard enough to drown out
the screams of a man being murdered. Gardener, Professor Nelson
and myself were sitting around the fire just as we're
sitting now, and I needed money, needed it desperately. Not
for myself I don't count anymore, but for my son,
my boy Jack. He's twenty one and and man needs
(01:29):
money to keep his son in college. I'd done everything
I could think of to raise that money, and had
even worn various disguises, wigs and make up and sat
on the steps of the bank in London to beg
for farthings. Imagine it me, Captain Collen being a beggar
on the streets, and Gardener was rich, fat, rich and alone.
(01:55):
Nobody would miss him, that is, nobody but his fat
sleepy cat. And I had my son, my boy Jack.
I remember everything that happened that Saturday night. The three
of us, Gardener, Professor Nelson and myself were sitting around
the fireplace, and it was raining last de night, isn't it,
(02:19):
mister Gardner.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Yes, quite nasty, Professor Nelson. You know, I don't see
why you scientists don't do something about the weather. Many
men have thought about that very thing, thinking they ought
to take action.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
Thought his idle action brings results.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Oh think me if I haven't coined an epigram.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Yes, they were talking about the rudder, and I was
thinking about killing Gardener. He had to die, that was obvious,
and soon too. But how and who would be the
scapegoat to hang for the deed? Somebody would have to
be somebody, but who.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
I couldn't have managed to go downtown on this rainy
with the banks opened today blasted. It's confounded and comfortable
keeping large sums of money about you because of a
conspiracy between the weather and the Bank of England.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
I'm surely the money is safe enough here, mister Gardner.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
One would think so that you never can tell. Now
that makes a man more jumpy than keeping a large
sum of money in his top bureau draw.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
Of course, there's always the danger of robbery, yes, or murder, murder,
Captain Cowhin.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
No nobody in the Gardener family has died for generations.
We gardeners just don't die. Rather set against that sort
of thing.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
You've made up your mind to it, Regardener, quite quite professor.
That should have been my first hint. He himself definitely
said he couldn't die as he said it then, but
I thought he was joking. Nobody even knew whether he
was joking or not. He had a dry software of joking.
But I didn't realize that then. I just sat there
(03:59):
when the door open and the teammaid came in to
taddy up. I was hoping that everybody would remain quiet
so I could think the whole thing out. But you
came toward us.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
And anything I can do for you before I retire
for the night, Professor Nelson.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
No nothing, Barbara, nothing, mister Gardner, no thanks, you get girl,
get your rest you, Captain Cowen. Yes, as a matter
of fact, I've I've got to get on to London tonight.
Good night, Captain. Is this weather, yes, mister Gardner. Important business.
So if it's not too much trouble, Barbara, you might
tell last were mister Cox to set on my horse.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
Hi, I'm going down to the stables to see mister Cox.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Captain.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
He ain't a man, Dan Cox signed, He's.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
A beastie Here come come, Barbara. Poor Dan Cox is
no beast. He's an unfortunate victim of an accident which
has reduced his mentality to that of a small child.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
Soil is it, Professor, He's an idiot. You'll marry a
human some day, he will.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
It's not that bad, Barbara.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
You're the last person i'd expected to speak heast having.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
Captain.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
I don't like you, he said. He remembers you from somewhere.
He don't remember, though, And I said to him not
to talk about a fine gentleman like you.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
I said, Oh, there ought to be a hospital for
the mentally unsound, not only for idiots like port Dan Cox,
but for men whose minds are warped and twisted. And
those people may be completely harmless, but they need medical care.
Do you think so, Professor, I'm sure of it. I've
conducted many interesting psychological experiments on the side of Captain.
(05:31):
I've even known men who think they've committed a crime.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
Is there anything else, gentlemen?
Speaker 1 (05:36):
Oh no, thank you, Barbara, good Barbara. You interest me, Professor.
It's a fascinating subject. Cowen. There was a man once
who thought he had murdered his wife and two children.
He went to the station house, confessed the murder, and
then killed himself. And he hadn't committed the crime at all. No,
(05:57):
not at all, No, not at all. Well, gentlemen, you
must excuse me. If I'm going to get to London
to night, I must be off. Good night, gentlemen, to night.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
Card.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
I shut the door behind me, very casually, just as
if I really were going to London. I walked to
the stable through the heavy rain. You see how clever
I was. And they thought I was going to London,
and they didn't even suspect that Gardener was going to die.
The dark, rainy night was perfect for the murder, and
Daniel Cox appeared to me to be a lightly.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Victim for the law.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
He was an idiot. The poor fool would be completely
helpless in my hands, and the townspeople would obviously believe
anything against Dan Cox. I knocked on the stable door,
thank Hello, Hello, Dan, I came down to visit you.
(07:00):
Did you? Did you mind if I come in? Did
here with me? In an horsie? Cox? You like me,
don't you? I like everybody? Everybody? Everybody? I like me
in the osage. I was sure you want somewhere, somewhere,
(07:23):
but where, Captain Well, well, you're imagining things Cox. I've
been looking at you, Captain Cowan, trying to remember I've
never seen you before. I came to this in Cox.
Didn't you know, didn't you? Oh wonder? I didn't come
here Cox to argue. I came down here as a
(07:45):
friend to ask a favor. Favor, Captain you like this
one Cox. Barbara sent me down here to ask you
to do her a favor. Barbara did Barbara? Pretty Barbara?
He she is Cox, and she likes you. She told
me that she wouldn't trade all the fine gentlemen, the
inn for you, for me, nobody likes. May you misjudge yourself,
(08:08):
Dan Cox. She asked me to get her a lock
of your hair and a piece of your coat as
a going away gift. He is Barbara going away, yes, sir,
day after tomorrow. She's leaving me in for good, a
lock of my hair and a pati of my coat.
I know women are funny. I hard to tell what
(08:29):
they're thinking. Whether will you give it to me? Are
you iron? Are are here? Take my pocket knife here
you can snip it off yourself. Er. Thank you, captain,
Thank you. He is your claws here. Nobody ever like
me before just marshes my orshes. Thank you Cox. Why
(08:53):
do you look at me like that? Captain? I was thinking,
what a lucky man you are? Cox? Oh, will you
ride my horse before you turn in for the night.
I've been leaving for London shortly uh for our bridle
Quaeney right away. I walked back to the Inn to
(09:18):
say goodbye in case anyone was around. I have thought
the whole plan out so carefully. Now I had evidence
that the kind of evidence police officers looked for a
piece of Cox's coat was to be found on the
edge of Gardner's bed, and the lock of Cox's hair
in the dead man's hand. That's circumstantial evidence the plan
(09:40):
was working perfectly. I walked briskly to the door, opened it,
and Professor Nelson was sitting by the fire looking into
the flames. When I walked in. He started sevenly, uh, oh,
haven't you left for London yet, Captain? And not a professor?
Where mister Gardner? Oh? He took his cat with him
(10:02):
and one of the bird He was tired. Won't you
join me by the fire? It's the sami time, Professor,
But tonight I had better start if I'm never going
to get there, oh, stayed Oh midnight, Oh, I was retired.
My reflections worked by the clock, sir, definitely by the clock.
I think i'd better retire myself. Oh well, Captain, pleasant journey, Well,
(10:26):
good night, good night. Oh why don't you sleep here
and wait till tomorrow's h traveling is tyfficult in this weather.
I'm sorry, I have important business in London. Professor. I
stood in the living room, watching the old scholar slowly
(10:49):
climb the stairs. We walked slowly, refusing to be hurried,
and then I heard his door open and close, and
then knew he was in his room. And then I
waited for a short time and started to creep up
the stairs to my room. I had to prepare my
makeup for the change from the genius Cown to the
(11:14):
idiot Cox Gardener had to die. In less than a
half hour had completed the transition. I stood in front
of the mirror looking at myself. I'd done a good
job that I knew. The disguise was perfect. I was
no longer cowan. I was cocks battered, bulbous nose and
(11:38):
a raggedy coat and dagger. I crept slowly to my
window and opened it, slanning every move, and I who
I was clever, so very clever. And when I crept
clearly out on the ledge, Gardener's window was open and
barely four feet away, and moved slowly over the line.
(12:00):
There was like a cat in the knife. Step by step,
the pan was slipping it from the rain, and the
night was dark dark. I could hear gardeners heavy breathing
as I clipped through his window to his room. He
was asleep. There was no moon in the sky this
night to give me away. I walked slowly to his bedside,
(12:24):
Dagger appraise, and then the cat. I'd almost forgotten his fat,
sleek cat. I forgotten that mewing, spewing cat. But I
was kevin. I went faster, right to Garden's bedside, and
(12:46):
then I plunged dagger gods and I I remember his
last pray. It was like the the sound of a
(13:06):
dying fire, the moaning of the wind, futile gasping. And
then he was dead. Oh you see, I did kill him.
I remember every single detail. And I was so clever,
so very clever. I remember my cleverness. I killed him.
(13:28):
I killed him, and yet he's alive. Garden is alive,
sitting here next to me. Gardener was dead. I stood
(14:19):
by his bedside and pulled the knife out of his heart.
I placed a piece of Cox's coat on the edge
of the bedside and a piece of his hair in
the dead man's hand. Then ruffled up the bed clothes
and I started in my search of the room. I
opened the drawers, the closets, Every single hiding place possible
was combed for the money. I heard footsteps outside the door.
(14:39):
Do you know I hear somebody scream out? Law? I
had to work quickly, give the money, the money, and
I remember the gardener had said it was in the
top bureau of drawer, in the corner. Yes, in the
top bureau drawer. And there there it was a knock
on the door that stold.
Speaker 3 (14:59):
Me, mister, mister Gardner, did you call me?
Speaker 1 (15:04):
I didn't know what to do. Answer and pretend I
was gardener. It seemed logical and clever. I streamed my
voice and called out, oh, yes, for what do you
want now?
Speaker 3 (15:15):
Ago I heard someone scream.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
I thought that Cox with in your room, mister Gardner.
Everything's all goodness girl, good night, sir. Hey. I had
to get out of that as soon as possible, back
to my room. Out of the window over the ledge,
I had stop raining the moon. The moon was coming out,
(15:42):
a bright full moon outlined my shadow on the ledge,
and I remembered my own clearness. If I was seen,
they wouldn't see me, They'd see Cox, the half wit cocks.
I climbed in my window, clutching the money. I thought
for a moment I had seen someone of the lawn
(16:02):
watching me. Once in my room, I didn't move my makeup.
I prepared to leave with one clean stroke. The murdering
cocks had disappeared, and I was cowing again. Opened the
door to the hall, cut down the hall to the stairs.
(16:25):
I noticed a came the burning moon follow the chinmaid
was standing there in a pool of light, talking to Nelson.
That was a hitch in my plans.
Speaker 3 (16:35):
I tell you, I heard someone scream out. If you're
half the night you plaim to be professor, you'd go
down to that tible and find.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
Out what Dan Cox is up to. The light. No good,
I'll tell you that. Go back to bed, Barbara. Whatever
Cox is up to, it can't be very dangerous. Go
to bed, my dear good night, Good night, Sir. Nelson
started up the stairs. I had died, but where staring
the dark. I pressed myself against the wall, into the shadows,
(17:05):
sinking closer and closer. He was close enough to touch me.
I could only pray he wouldn't look my way. When
he turned on the landing, there's somebody up here. That
silly woman is getting me all up flutter. Then he
continued on upstairs. The girl stood in the middle of
the parlor and I was trapped. My heart beat wildly.
(17:28):
I crept on down the stairs to listen who is it?
Who is it? Oh? Pretty pretty Barbara? You understand me,
you do you can help me? What are you doing
with the ian? Can? Cox? Go on? Get back to
(17:49):
the saco.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
You like me down?
Speaker 1 (17:52):
I actrechee somebody that likes me? Ysh, I at you cold?
Speaker 3 (17:56):
Get away from me, Get away from me, Cox.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
I ain't going hurt you now. It's pretty Barbara, arm
barb pretty Barbara. Oh? Ain't two people? Am I? Oh?
I ain't two people? I saw myself standing on the
ledge tonight, and I know myself by my nose in
my ear. Let me go with me standing on the
(18:21):
ledge looking down at me standing on the grass near
the air. Two people? They both can't be me. I'm
not one. I'm two, Yes, and it don't make sense.
Let me go.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
Take your hands up.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
It is Barbara Gage. I must be dreaming. That's it, dreaming.
I'll go back to the stuple, go to sleep. When
(18:58):
I wake up, wish won't have happened. I've been dreaming
all all else. How could I be sitting on the
ledge looking down at me, shitting on the grass. I'll
go back to the stable and wake up. He did
(19:19):
have fallen into my trap and I was pleased, so pleased,
and very heavy, very slowly creep into the parlor, and
I stopped. I looked at the still body of the girl,
at the death like quality of her face, and knew
Cox would hang for the double murder. Yes, a double murder,
(19:41):
but that was fortunate for me. I opened the door,
and the moon shone fully upon me. I put it
across the gravel path to the stable, and my only
thought was to get to get to London, to get
to my boy, to my son, to Jack. Knocked on
the door and called Cox, Dan, Cox, I look as sleep, captain,
(20:05):
You look as if you might have been sleeping. Cox.
I could come. Then, where's my horse? You're right? What
Queenie is? Queenly saddled? I must be dreamer. I am
a sleep ain't I, Captain? Because if I was awake,
I couldn't be on the legend on the grass. At
the same time, I have to get my horse myself, Cox,
I killed a woman, Captain? Are children? Why are my
(20:26):
two people? Are children? At your fat captain, it's all
your fault. I hate you. I hate what you're talking about. Cox.
You don't know, No, you don't know. You told me
she liked me. You said she wouldn't trade me for
all the fine gentlemen in the inn. You said in
your line, because she hates Are you in seene Cox?
(20:46):
Do you think anyone would believe that story? The story
of an idiot every time? I'm not an idiot. I
had an accident a long time ago, a funny accident.
And sometimes I can't remember sometimes topic Cox, and get
my horse for it. Some times I can remember prayer,
like sometimes I can remember who you are, and then
again I can't, and you make me killer, And it's
(21:09):
all you, aful fool. I'll take your lesson, you'll never forget.
Get out of my way. I'll have the horse myself.
I herode off, leaving Cox sobbing like a baby in
the corner. I went to London to my son and
(21:31):
paid his bills, gave him his allowance for the year,
and hit the rest of the money on my person.
And then this morning and he turned to me in
and found this these men sitting here at the old
Knight's bridging, chatting gaily. Barbara was serving them tea as
(21:52):
if nothing happened. Yes, my God, and asked me to
join them by the fire. I sat down here. I'm confused.
I know I killed him. I saw him die, and
they started to talk. They've been talking for half an
hour like this, and I can't stand it anymore, just
sitting here waiting.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
What's the matter with you anyway, captain guy? And you've
been quired as can be ever since you connect from London?
Speaker 1 (22:18):
Yes, amazing. And I took a trip to.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
London myself Monday morning. But I didn't come back in
a sad mood. London cheered me. Yes, I had got
rid of that confounded pack of money I was carrying around.
It had me blasted nervous. I can well imagine it did,
mister Gardner. I hear you're in for congratulations captain town.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
Congratulations.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
Yes, we heard you'd want to pack it up money
in the Irish sleep stakes, almost fight on the town.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
I didn't win money in the sweepstakes, I didn't, nonsense, captain,
don't try to keep that from us. What are you
trying to do to me? Drive me crazy? Drive me insane?
I didn't win money in the sweepstakes. You're supposed to
be dead, Gardner. Dead, You understand I went to a
(23:03):
lot of trouble to kill you. Yes, and I kill
you with my own hands and stole the money. And
Barbara was dead too. Cox kill her.
Speaker 4 (23:12):
You've got to believe me. I disguise myself to look
at Cox, and I killed Gardner.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
Yes, I kill him. You're dead, Gardener, and the dead
can't rise from the grave. They can't.
Speaker 4 (23:25):
They can't, Anthony, don't stand. They're looking at me, Ansony, professor.
Speaker 1 (23:33):
Professor, tell me the truth. Yes, Captain Cown, I'll tell
you the truth. Barbara was not chilled that night. She
was merely frightened and fainted. But you murdered mister Gardner.
By your own confession, you'd planned a perfect crime. The
crime is so perfect the Cocks might have hung for
Gardner's death if it hadn't been my little experiment experiment,
(23:55):
what experiment, a psychological experiment, Captain. You see, I looked
up your record and found out that you were an
old vodablle actor and specialized in chatichapass that's where cots
from energy come. You were on the stage that he
had his accident. So I played your own trick back
on you. The only way we could get you to
admit your crime was to bring Gardener back to life.
(24:15):
This gentleman is not mister Gardner. He's just an actor.
It's cleverer at makeup than you ever were. No, Captain Cowan,
I wouldn't try to escape. Your confession has been taken
down and the inn is surrounded by the police. From
(24:40):
the time one pages of the past we have recalled
the Knightebridge Mystery bell people, all the bell
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