September 24, 2025 • 29 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
The National Broadcasting Company presents the adventures of Sam Spade
Detective sam' Spey Detective Agency, The Sweetheart. Oh you, what's
the matter now? Oh?
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Nothing?
Speaker 1 (00:20):
You just up and leave and don't see where you're going.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
And I'm only your secretarian. I'm the last one to
know about it, and everybody else in town knows more
than I do. And I wasn't enough enough.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Wait a minute, how did everybody in town know about it?
Speaker 3 (00:33):
But it was in the newspapers, that's all in the
society column.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
No last really, well imagine that, Flora Belle Colics column,
Laura them.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Mister Stade, the notorious private detective, is vacationing at Westover
as a guest of a promising young architect, Garrett Welch.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
Notorious shit. Well, at least they spell my name right.
I suppose you had a great time. Well, it was exciting.
What did you do? Just talked over old times after
a little hunting, little shooting? Did you bug anything? If
what's your language?
Speaker 4 (01:01):
Sam?
Speaker 1 (01:02):
I see you're shocked, Well so was I. However, if
you have nothing to do, hang around the office and
I will be down with several pages from my diary
telling about the whole affair. I titled them the Civic
Pride Caper for MBC. William Spear, Radio's outstanding producer director
(01:23):
of mystery and crime Drama brings you the greatest private
Detective of them all, starring Stephen Dunn in the Adventures
of Sam Spade. Well, I thought you'd gone chicken and
mynad on me. You're part of this organization. You're going
to bear the better with the suite along with the
(01:44):
rest of us.
Speaker 5 (01:44):
I know, but I always need to get the bitter
Friday's when the sweet should be given out.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Don't quibbles, don't tribble. This is a nasty job we
have here. We might just as well sit down and
get it over with. Care for a drink. You might
need it. I don't need false bravery, ucky you hell?
Are you ready?
Speaker 5 (02:02):
No?
Speaker 1 (02:02):
But the might as well start well, you know best?
They fill it in to Garrett Welsh, Room two one two,
fair Child Building, Westover, California, from Samuel's Spade license number
one three, seven, five, nine six, subject The Civic Pride Caper.
Dear Garrett, I'd never been in Westover before, and I
found it on the service at least an attractive bustling
little city. The streets were clean, and the girls were
(02:25):
sun kissed and friendly. Add to that the one hundred
and fifty dollars you sent me by mail, and you
can imagine with what pleasant feelings I arrived.
Speaker 5 (02:33):
I found the.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Fairchild Building easily enough. I had room two twelve. Well,
I couldn't miss it. There were sounds of vigorous activity
coming out through the transom, and when I opened the door,
two men were engaged in a fight. One was big
and one was little. I didn't know which one was
my client, so I automatically reached for the big guy.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Cory, who do you think you're doing?
Speaker 1 (02:51):
What's it all about? Ask him? He'll tell you, all right,
what's the story. I was being.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Foully and unreasonably attacked by this this guid that citizen.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
Tell you that's what I want to do. That's what
everybody want to do. Old still, why him?
Speaker 2 (03:07):
Let him go be the carson. Wait until you can
catch me alone in some dark galley.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
Don't think I won't. Don't you think I won't. I'm
sure you will.
Speaker 4 (03:16):
I'm gonna catch you every place and every time I can.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
Well, I take it. Your name is Garret welch.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
It is, and I want to thank you friend.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
Nothing.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
You rescued me from a rather unhappy breeding.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
And your mouth is kind of cut out.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Oh nothing anything. I can't take care of.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Drink. I never touch it.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
You you might have might have noticed I've already had
a few drinks today. Well, it helps me forget, and
it also keeps me from thinking, Hey, I well thanks.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
My name is Spade. Why did you send for me bodyguard?
Speaker 2 (03:58):
No? No, no, let them have their fun. I don't
mind it. Maybe I even deserve it.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
Look, you're paying for my time. Why don't we get
with it? Huh?
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Oh sure? Why not come over here to the window? Yeah,
look out there the far corner.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
Oh you mean that building? Tyler.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Rubbish is a better description for what happened.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
Fire.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
No, it just collapsed one night last week. There were
more than three thousand people, and at the time, five
of them were killed. I don't know how many injured.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
That's too bad. How did it happen? It just collapsed?
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Another drink?
Speaker 1 (04:39):
No sense to pardon me.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
It was a municipal auditorium built to honor the war dead.
It cost over a million dollars. I was the architect.
I was picked by the townspeople for the singular honor
of designing the fun memorial.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Well, now they have something to remember. What'd you do wrong?
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Nothing? Nothing? Somebody cheated in the building up, somebody didn't
follow my plans. I don't know who it is. I
don't know who it was, just where to place the blame.
So you're a private investigator, what can you do?
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Get you some black coffee and ask you some questions.
He gave me a list of everybody in town who
had something to do with the building. First off, I
called on a man named Howard Kessley, whose construction company
had the contract for erecting the auditorium. Kessley lived in
an elegant house on a well guarded estate, and after
(05:41):
they took my gun away from me, they let me in.
I waited in a room tastefully decorated with original oil
paintings and oriental rugs, and eventually a football hero type
man walked in. You from the insurance company. I'm a
private detective, same speed. We're working for Garrett Welch, huh laugh, funny,
(06:01):
Well what do you want? Look, you built that auditorium,
have you any idea where it fell down? Maybe it
just got tired. I don't know. Aren't you interested?
Speaker 6 (06:11):
We're looking into it now.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Who's we? My company engineers, Garrett Welch. Then I could
take you should have had somebody who knew what he
was doing. Do you have any copies of the building
specifications that I might look at? Sure? I got nothing
to hide.
Speaker 6 (06:28):
You can go back and tell Garrett Welch that's the
best thing he can do is get out of town.
But somebody tries to knock him off and succeed.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
Here there's a copy of the plans. Look at it
all you want, you'll find I did what I was
supposed to do. I got my gun back from the
guards and left where the building specifications tucked under my arm.
They didn't mean a thing to me, of course, I'd
only asked for them to see whether he'd refused to
show them. But out of curiosity, iron rolled, I'm just
for a look before dumping him into the ash can,
(06:58):
and I noticed something. The last page was signed and
approved by the city Building Inspector, a man named Albert Mitchell.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
Well woll I don't usually receive callers at this hour.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
But you're a little better looking than the ordinary callers
come in. She was slim and auburn haired, more an
insolent smile that was interesting, and the clinging silk thing
that was interesting. She looked me up and down, and
she took so long at it?
Speaker 3 (07:42):
Okay, okay, what is it?
Speaker 1 (07:44):
Magazine?
Speaker 4 (07:45):
The gas meter?
Speaker 7 (07:47):
Or did you just lose your way?
Speaker 1 (07:49):
I'd like to talk to Albert Mitchell.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
Oh, he's a dull conversationalist. You wouldn't have any fun.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Well, I wasn't exactly looking for LIFs. Missus h you
are missus Mitchell more.
Speaker 7 (08:01):
Or less right now?
Speaker 1 (08:02):
Less? So there was why in your drink?
Speaker 6 (08:05):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (08:05):
Thanks? But I took the pledge last Halloween?
Speaker 3 (08:08):
What did you want to talk to?
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Alibi? But what else? The auditorium that collapsed?
Speaker 3 (08:12):
Morley stepped out for a while. Why don't we just
make ourselves comfortable?
Speaker 1 (08:17):
Uh, you have a standard answer when I'm on duty?
Thanks anyway, duty you are cop.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
I never seen you around.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
This town before, private type investigator Sam Space.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
My name's Kitty. You don't have to worry about al
busting in on us. I don't think he'll be back
this week.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
That's what I thought. You holding open house and all?
What's a matter of the pressure got too heavy for him.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
Look Sam, they had a hearing a couple of days ago.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
It was all decided.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
Nobody was to blame. I think Al went fishing or something.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
Where is he?
Speaker 7 (08:45):
How should I know?
Speaker 3 (08:46):
I'm only his wife.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
But you know what they say about a man who runs.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
Yeah, so why don't you stick around? You don't look
like a card to me.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
Well when it comes to redheads, I really am so
long kidding. Oh, by the way, if Al does every
show up, tell him I took a room at the
Embassy Hotel. I'd like him to call me.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
I won't tell him a thing. Come back here, you
cowered them.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
I went down into the wreckage of the auditorium. It
was late and the streets were quiet and deserted. I
walked through the twisted shell of the building, striking matches
and looking around. I didn't know what I was looking for,
but apparently I wasn't the only one visiting the scene
of the crime. I was standing just inside the gutted
remains of what was once the lobby when it happened,
gunfire couples to the back of the building. I ran
(09:35):
toward the noise, and when I turned the back corner.
I saw a cloud of plaster dust where the shops
had apparently been fired. There were no people or cars inside,
but on the sidewalk, on hands and knees was a man. Wretch.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Wretch were crushing dirty wretch shape me.
Speaker 1 (09:55):
Don't me dying. He grabbed my legs and tried to
pull himself up. His face was a gargoyle of pain.
I reached down to help him, but he slipped back
to the sidewalk. Then all bullets had gone through his back.
A bill pole fell out of his pocket, was loaded
(10:15):
with identification and everything set Albert Mitchell, age forty, Occupation
Building Inspector. You are listening to the weekly adventure of
radio's most famous detective, Sam Spade. Three Chimes Mean Good
(10:49):
Times on NBC. This Sunday, Theater Guild on the Air
presents an exciting one hour adaptation of the Broadway stage
comedy Light Up the Sky. Starring in this day to
Guild production are Joan Bennett, Sam Levine, and Thelma Ritter.
And on Sunday You're invited to another hour and a
half broadcast of the Big Show starring Eddie Arnold, Jack Carson,
(11:09):
Eddie Canter, Olivia de Haavlin, Martha Ray, Meredith Wilson, and
many more. Your MC, of course, is the glamorous and
unpredictable Tallula. And now back to the Civic Pride caper.
Tonight's ad venture with Sam Spade. A good many other
(11:35):
people had heard the son of Albert Mitchell's assassination, and
before long a crowd had gathered. Among them were several minions.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
Of the law.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
They took two people in tow, the dead Mitchell and
the live Spade. The west Over Police Department had themselves
a fine time over me. It seems I was hired
out of town killer and therefore eligible to be questioned.
All night they worked hard at it, but in the
morning they had to admit defeat and release me. I
think they only did it because they didn't want to
pay for my breakfast. By then I was pretty mad,
and at ten o'clock I walked into the Mayor's office
(12:03):
and demanded an interview. I got it.
Speaker 8 (12:06):
The whole thing, mister Spade was regrettable, but after all,
you are a stranger here, and when a man is
killed and someone happens to be in on the scene,
questions have to be asked.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
Your honor I'll let it pass and the interests of
law enforcement. Good you.
Speaker 8 (12:22):
Our report on you from San Francisco gives you quite
a reputation as an investigator. Do you have any theories
that might help us in this murder of Mitchell?
Speaker 1 (12:30):
Well, I could hazard an expert guess that it's tied
in with a building scandal. The auditorium collapse. By the way,
what's being done officially to fix the blame for that?
Speaker 8 (12:38):
The city council held its investigation of the unfortunate affair
last week, and as far as we can determine, no
one is directly irresponsible.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
No one. Now, come, come, your honor.
Speaker 8 (12:49):
Are you questioning our civic procedure? Oh well, maybe you're right.
Maybe we've been too easy going. We're all neighbors here.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
As I'm conducting an investigation for a client who certainly
has a right to know what's going on and so
fire as a good many citizens seem to feel he's
to blame.
Speaker 8 (13:06):
Oh yes, mister Welch, Well he's not to blame.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
No one is.
Speaker 8 (13:10):
You must pardon my abruptness, mister Spade, but the events
of the past week have been a.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
Listen, yes, I know. Tell me Albert Mitchell as building inspector,
must have approved the building of the auditorium. Was he
a reliable man? Yes, Wait a minute, you don't think
I think he was killed by somebody who wanted him
to keep his mouth shut. And what about the contractor,
Howard Kessley.
Speaker 8 (13:31):
Kessley born here, brought up here. He's built about one
third of the structures in Westover, every one of them
except the auditorium is standing today. No, I don't think
you can build up your case.
Speaker 1 (13:44):
I'm just examining the possibilities. You have to begin with
the people who had something to gain from this thing.
Where there's graft, there might be murder. Where are the
purchase orders for the materials used in this building?
Speaker 8 (13:55):
That was the first question I asked. I was told
they were destroyed with all the other useless paperwork that
accumulated from the construction job.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
Oh great, great, that certainly makes it convenient for somebody.
Speaker 8 (14:06):
Mister Spade. I don't wish to, and I can't believe,
as you apparently do, that this town's population is.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
Is crooked and rotten.
Speaker 8 (14:15):
So if I come across any information that will help
clear the good name of Garrett Welsh, you can be
sure that. I'll be happy to bring it to your attention.
Until then, I bid you good day, sir.
Speaker 1 (14:30):
I could understand Mayor Sullivan's desire to protect the fair
name of his city, but I had to take a
meaner view of at least one Westover citizen. I found
out where Albert Mitchell did his banking, and misrepresenting myself
as a collection agent, fired into withholdings. Let me see
if that, mister Humboldt. I really shouldn't give up this
kind of information. But in your case, you have a
claim against the estate. Oh, yes, yes, here it is.
(14:54):
He has three hundred dollars in his account, that's all.
What kind of deposits did he make?
Speaker 5 (14:58):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (14:58):
Just paychecks mostly it was a year man. Every Friday
he deposited one hundred and fifty and he deposits lodger
at any time.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
Oh yes, four deposits of five thousand each in the
past year.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
Well, what do you know, as I recall mister Mitchell
saying there were payments from the state he inherited. Thank you,
mister Carter. You'll hear from my company soon, I'm sure.
Speaker 5 (15:19):
Yees.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
Oh, what was the name of your company? Again? For
my records amalgamated whistle. Oh yes, I prefer Oh yes,
of course that inheritance GAG was right out of the
Capouber investigation, and inheritance is paid in a lump sum,
practically never in four payments of five thousand each. I
(15:42):
didn't know whether Missus Mitchell was receiving, but I decided
to find out. When I knocked at her door, all
was quiet inside, but a second after my knock there
was a burst of sorrow. When she came to the door.
There were two rather impossible sized tears flowing down her
face for widow's weeds. She wore a black, tight satin
and low cut.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
Oh, mister Space, I'm in no mood for talking now.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
Oh just for a moment, man, I come in. I guess.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
So I'm really kind of alone and lost. What is
it you want?
Speaker 1 (16:14):
I must apologize for intruding on your Bereava and missus Mitchell.
I'm not usually as callous.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
Oh that's all right, but I'm not sure I can
help you anyhow.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
I'm so broken up. What is it, camphor? What whatever
you use to make those tears? All right?
Speaker 3 (16:30):
So I can't really cry, I never have, but it's
expected of me.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
Yeah, all right, in that case, I sympathize with her.
What do you want, Getty, Your dear departed husband made
seventy five hundred a year and deposited twenty thousand and
eight months. I want to buy it.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
I don't know anything about his money. All I know
is that the bank told me he had only three
hundred left.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
What'd he do with it?
Speaker 3 (16:54):
He spent it on other women?
Speaker 1 (16:57):
I see, So the artificial tears do makes sense?
Speaker 3 (17:00):
I guess no, No, you don't understand.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
It's not that simple.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
It's funny, Sam, because I really mean it. Oh, I
know how stupid I look in these clothes, and I
did use camp from my eyes because I wanted to cry.
I wanted to cry for all the good days and
the good years Alan I had, But the baddie is
kept getting in between, and I couldn't do it.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
I like your better all the time, kiddy. I knew
you were real pretty Now it turns out you're pretty real.
Speaker 7 (17:33):
I really loved him and he loved me, but we
kicked it away because we both wanted more excitement than
this town or his salary could give us. There was
no place to go.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
We just didn't get along.
Speaker 3 (17:49):
He was out spending his money on other women. Being
a big shot. I can't blame him, though I helped
make him do it.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
What about the money he got it for falsifying the
auditorium inspection.
Speaker 3 (18:01):
Papers, didn't he Well, he didn't get it for inventing television.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
Who paid him?
Speaker 3 (18:05):
Sam, don't ask me anymore?
Speaker 1 (18:06):
Well, you do know where the twenty thousand came from,
don't you, kiddy?
Speaker 6 (18:09):
Don't?
Speaker 1 (18:09):
Sam? I'm scared now what you want to do. You
ought to come back to San Francisco with me. Let
me help you get a job there. You can make
a fresh start. You're not kidding, I give you my word.
Speaker 3 (18:18):
I ought to have my head examined for trusting you,
but I'm going to do it. Al got that money
from the Central Cement Company for quote an advisory capacity unquote.
You know who owns the Central Cement Company, Mart Kesley,
Warm but not quite his brother. Last night when Al
showed up in town, he was gunning for trouble.
Speaker 1 (18:35):
Why.
Speaker 3 (18:35):
He said they were going to make a fall guy
out of him, and that he wasn't going to take
the blame for anybody. That's what he said. But I
think he ran out of money and wanted to make
a touch and exchange for disappearing again for good.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
And you think Kissley shot him or his brother.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
I can't think, and I don't know anything else. Now
do I get to San Francisco. I'll be back for you,
all right, but make it fast and don't leave me here,
because if anything happens to me, Sam, it'll be on
your conscience.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
She walked to the door with me and kissed me
on the cheek. And it was nice. No more than that,
it was nice. Next up the Central Cement Company officer
statement of Howard Kessley's brother Ralph.
Speaker 4 (19:13):
I'll explain it to you in simple terms. We supplying
cement for a lot of buildings in this part of
the country. When you want to build something, you submit
a bid, and you want to know what kind of
a bid to submit, you ask an expert. Mitchell was
our expert, and we didn't expect it to work for nothing.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
You mean Mitchell tipped your office to what other firms
were bidding.
Speaker 4 (19:27):
I'll call it anything you want.
Speaker 8 (19:29):
It's done all the time.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
I found Garrett Welsh, my architect client, slumped over his
desk much the worse for drink and It took a
good half hour with coffee and wet cloths to wring
him around to something resembling normal.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
I was proud of that building, mister Spade, as proud
once as I am machined of it now. I spent
four years at a prominent American college, in two years
apprenticeship with a great architect to prepare myself to come
back here and make this the most beautiful city in
the way.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
Well, you must have watch them build it. What went wrong?
Speaker 2 (20:01):
That's the point. I wasn't here. They sent me to
Chicago to study, oh my bit for it. What they
really wanted was for me to be out of the way.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
Who are they?
Speaker 2 (20:11):
The city council? Oh, why bother? Just tell me how
much I owe you, and we'll just forget it. Nobody's
going to indict anybody for anything.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
Well, somebody is responsible for the building and for Mitchell's murder,
and we'll find him. Wait, yeah, if you lay off
that bottle for a while and work with me, maybe
we can do it.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
All right, all right, No, moboos, I'll stop feeling sorry
for myself and start getting mad. Hey, where are you going?
Speaker 1 (20:36):
I'm going to start at the top. I'm going to
try to get the mayor to help.
Speaker 8 (20:47):
You say. You've turned up something, mister Spabe.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
A lot of something here, Honor. I've ferreted out copies
of the purchase orders for the materials used in that building.
They were generally inferior and below the quality required by
sound engineering and the law. You can't meet I do.
You can inform your district attorney that in a matter
of two or three days I will move for an
indictment of several people in this community for gross criminal negligence.
Now I want to know whether or not I'll have
your full cooperation. There's no question of that.
Speaker 8 (21:11):
I'll cooperate with you fully to prosecute.
Speaker 1 (21:14):
Thank you, your honor in good day.
Speaker 8 (21:15):
Just a minute, y'ah about Howard Kesseley?
Speaker 1 (21:18):
What about him?
Speaker 8 (21:19):
Do you still consider that he is subject to suspicion?
Speaker 1 (21:22):
The families of the five people who died in the
ruins would think anybody who was concerned in the building
project were subject to.
Speaker 8 (21:28):
Suspicion, or mister Spade, you know about politics, certain people
contributed campaign campaign funds and.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
Got me votes. Kessley, I I've been a difficult position.
Speaker 8 (21:39):
I've been weak. Perhaps maybe I haven't wanted to look
too closely at certain possibilities in this horrible affair. But
I promise you I won't stop now. It doesn't matter
what happens. My first duty is to the citizens of
this town.
Speaker 1 (21:53):
Well said, your honor. Just tell the same thing to
the other members of the city council. Tell him that
if I kick the lid off this garbage can, it's
going to make Westover smell pretty bad.
Speaker 8 (22:01):
You'll hear from me, mister Spade, I guarantee you.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
In the course of the next two hours, I told
the same story in the newspaper, the police, a couple
of soda jerks, a waitress, and almost anybody else who
would listen. And before the day was out, the results
started coming. In Garrett Welsh's office and my room at
the Embassy Hotel, we're both ransacked. Somebody started shadowing me,
and I had a mysterious phone call offering me money
to get out of town. I refuse and hung up.
During that day, I stayed mostly out in the open
(22:30):
in conspicuous parts of town. But when night fell, I
knew I'd need to watch my step. Garrett Welsch and
I hold up in his office with a door locked
and my gun out on the desk. Around eleven, we
got a little action.
Speaker 2 (22:42):
Well speaking, Yeah, okay, you speaking.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
Hello, Sam.
Speaker 3 (22:48):
This is Kitty Mitchell. I'm in trouble.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
What kind three men were just here?
Speaker 3 (22:51):
They said I gave you some purchase orders. I don't
know anything about them, but they said if I didn't
get them back from you by midnight, they'd kill me.
Speaker 1 (22:57):
Who were they?
Speaker 2 (22:58):
I don't know.
Speaker 5 (22:58):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
Just then, if you've got him, give them to me, Sam,
I don't want to die.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
We'll hang up, call the police and ask them for protection.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
Damn, I'm afraid.
Speaker 1 (23:05):
Why don't you give me the papers? Getting a taxi
cab and come up to Garrett Welsher's office. We'll talk
it over. I'm afraid to do that. Well, you'll have to.
I can't leave here. I'm waiting for somebody who I'm
not sure yet, somebody threatening Mitchell's wife. She's coming up here.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
I think we have enough to do taking care of ourselves.
Speaker 4 (23:22):
Who's that.
Speaker 1 (23:26):
One? You answer it? Then I step to one side.
I'll keep it covering. Okay, don't make one wrong move.
Speaker 6 (23:34):
I'm not going to spade.
Speaker 1 (23:35):
I came here to talk Kesley. Who's with you, Kesseley?
Speaker 6 (23:38):
Nobody, I'm alone and none.
Speaker 1 (23:40):
I'm come in.
Speaker 2 (23:42):
Huh, I'm watching it from behind.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
Kessley, I know it. I just came to talk. All right,
talk spade.
Speaker 6 (23:48):
You allegedly have information as to why the auditorium collapse,
killing five people.
Speaker 1 (23:53):
Suppose I do like him to make a deal with you.
We're not making deals.
Speaker 6 (23:56):
I think you'll like this one. I'll give you all
the positive information you want for one thing, namely, forty
eight hour head start out of town.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
Why should we give you that?
Speaker 6 (24:04):
Because nobody, least of all myself, thought the building would collapse.
It's true I used inferior materials, but I had to.
Speaker 1 (24:11):
What does that mean there's a man in this town?
The door was suddenly kicked white, and a blaze of
bullets flew across the room. Kessley's mouth opened and shot.
His knees buckled, and he pitched forward, bouncing off the
desk of the floor. A tall, silver haired gentleman was
behind the guy. I caught him soda high spun him around.
(24:32):
The gun fell out of his cannon. Welsh and I
were on him in a second.
Speaker 8 (24:34):
All right, all right, I've done all I'm going to
do I'm hurt, I'm wounded.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
Well, your honor, you're better off than Keshley.
Speaker 8 (24:44):
Keshley didn't want to do it, but I had something
on his brother and told him I'd send him to jail.
We saved one hundred thousand dollars on the cheap surprise
were used in that building.
Speaker 1 (24:54):
Yeah, when I showed up, Keshley was afraid he was
going to take a rap alone. He was afraid he'd
end up like Albert Mitchell. Right, Yes, yes, I killed Mike.
Speaker 8 (25:02):
Sure he wanted more money, Candy, don't put it down.
Speaker 1 (25:12):
She had come in while we were talking and picked
up the gun Mayor Sullivan had dropped her one shot
hit him in the chest. Then she let the gun
slip through her fingers and just stood there. Then you
know what, she cried, real tears, period, and a report.
Speaker 5 (25:29):
What an awful tragedy.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
It was, indeed if of course, in a few minutes
the place was full of police and we turned her over.
Speaker 3 (25:35):
What do you think is going to happen to us there?
Speaker 1 (25:37):
I'd rather not think about that. Ifie, how about typing
it up three times? Mean good times on NDC. There's
fun this Sunday with two of your favorite families, the
Blandings and the Harrises. Mister and Missus Blandings stars Carry
(25:57):
Grant and Betsy Drake in the title roles as the
owners of the famous dream House, and the Phil Harris
Alice Fay Show brings you Phil and Elis with more
of their merry antics, plus Frankie Ramley, Brother William and
the entire cast. You're invited this Sunday. I'll take your
(26:22):
word for it. I'm not going to read it again.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
Why did the mayor command shoot the building contract in
front of witnesses?
Speaker 2 (26:28):
Why he threw away everything you work so hard to steal?
Speaker 7 (26:31):
Why?
Speaker 1 (26:32):
That is a good question. If I saved by the knock,
Come in to sam stage office it is.
Speaker 5 (26:39):
I'm Lyle Rooks.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
You expect me to believe that.
Speaker 5 (26:43):
I'm Western editor of Radio Television Mirror Magazine.
Speaker 1 (26:47):
Well, you know best.
Speaker 5 (26:49):
I just wanted to tell you that in our annual
awards poll nationwide, the American listeners have chosen Steve Done
as their favorite detective.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
Steve Done, not me.
Speaker 5 (27:00):
Here, sir, is your citation. You may want to frame it,
put it up in your office.
Speaker 6 (27:04):
Why?
Speaker 5 (27:04):
Thank you? Goodbye?
Speaker 8 (27:06):
Well Steve Dunn, who man to place.
Speaker 2 (27:10):
You on the radio.
Speaker 7 (27:11):
Sam, Oh, he's handsome.
Speaker 1 (27:14):
Well, you love him better than you love me. When
I'm burning up with passion for you? Are you really
bringing up Sam? Well, I'm beginning to smolder a little.
Come here, tell me about Well.
Speaker 3 (27:26):
I don't know much about it, Sam, not as much
as I like to.
Speaker 1 (27:29):
Well, I'm sorry, Sorry, I don't have a teacher's permit
for the state of California. Good night, sweetheart. The Adventures
(27:51):
of Sam Spade are produced, edited, and directed by William Spear.
Sam's paide is played by Stephen Dunn. Lorraine Tuttle is Effie.
Also the cast were Shirley Mitchell, Jack Krushian, Sidney Miller,
Paul Freeze, Herbrolinson, and Lou Merrill. Script for tonight's adventure
by John Michael Hayes, musical scoring by lud Gluskin, conducted
by Robert Armbrewster. Join us again next week, same time
(28:44):
for another adventure with Sam Spathe Tomorrow. Enjoy The Exciting
Man Called X on NBC
The National Broadcasting Company presents the adventures of Sam Spade
Detective sam' Spey Detective Agency, The Sweetheart. Oh you, what's
the matter now? Oh?
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Nothing?
Speaker 1 (00:20):
You just up and leave and don't see where you're going.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
And I'm only your secretarian. I'm the last one to
know about it, and everybody else in town knows more
than I do. And I wasn't enough enough.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Wait a minute, how did everybody in town know about it?
Speaker 3 (00:33):
But it was in the newspapers, that's all in the
society column.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
No last really, well imagine that, Flora Belle Colics column,
Laura them.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Mister Stade, the notorious private detective, is vacationing at Westover
as a guest of a promising young architect, Garrett Welch.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
Notorious shit. Well, at least they spell my name right.
I suppose you had a great time. Well, it was exciting.
What did you do? Just talked over old times after
a little hunting, little shooting? Did you bug anything? If
what's your language?
Speaker 4 (01:01):
Sam?
Speaker 1 (01:02):
I see you're shocked, Well so was I. However, if
you have nothing to do, hang around the office and
I will be down with several pages from my diary
telling about the whole affair. I titled them the Civic
Pride Caper for MBC. William Spear, Radio's outstanding producer director
(01:23):
of mystery and crime Drama brings you the greatest private
Detective of them all, starring Stephen Dunn in the Adventures
of Sam Spade. Well, I thought you'd gone chicken and
mynad on me. You're part of this organization. You're going
to bear the better with the suite along with the
(01:44):
rest of us.
Speaker 5 (01:44):
I know, but I always need to get the bitter
Friday's when the sweet should be given out.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Don't quibbles, don't tribble. This is a nasty job we
have here. We might just as well sit down and
get it over with. Care for a drink. You might
need it. I don't need false bravery, ucky you hell?
Are you ready?
Speaker 5 (02:02):
No?
Speaker 1 (02:02):
But the might as well start well, you know best?
They fill it in to Garrett Welsh, Room two one two,
fair Child Building, Westover, California, from Samuel's Spade license number
one three, seven, five, nine six, subject The Civic Pride Caper.
Dear Garrett, I'd never been in Westover before, and I
found it on the service at least an attractive bustling
little city. The streets were clean, and the girls were
(02:25):
sun kissed and friendly. Add to that the one hundred
and fifty dollars you sent me by mail, and you
can imagine with what pleasant feelings I arrived.
Speaker 5 (02:33):
I found the.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Fairchild Building easily enough. I had room two twelve. Well,
I couldn't miss it. There were sounds of vigorous activity
coming out through the transom, and when I opened the door,
two men were engaged in a fight. One was big
and one was little. I didn't know which one was
my client, so I automatically reached for the big guy.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Cory, who do you think you're doing?
Speaker 1 (02:51):
What's it all about? Ask him? He'll tell you, all right,
what's the story. I was being.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Foully and unreasonably attacked by this this guid that citizen.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
Tell you that's what I want to do. That's what
everybody want to do. Old still, why him?
Speaker 2 (03:07):
Let him go be the carson. Wait until you can
catch me alone in some dark galley.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
Don't think I won't. Don't you think I won't. I'm
sure you will.
Speaker 4 (03:16):
I'm gonna catch you every place and every time I can.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
Well, I take it. Your name is Garret welch.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
It is, and I want to thank you friend.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
Nothing.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
You rescued me from a rather unhappy breeding.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
And your mouth is kind of cut out.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Oh nothing anything. I can't take care of.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Drink. I never touch it.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
You you might have might have noticed I've already had
a few drinks today. Well, it helps me forget, and
it also keeps me from thinking, Hey, I well thanks.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
My name is Spade. Why did you send for me bodyguard?
Speaker 2 (03:58):
No? No, no, let them have their fun. I don't
mind it. Maybe I even deserve it.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
Look, you're paying for my time. Why don't we get
with it? Huh?
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Oh sure? Why not come over here to the window? Yeah,
look out there the far corner.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
Oh you mean that building? Tyler.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Rubbish is a better description for what happened.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
Fire.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
No, it just collapsed one night last week. There were
more than three thousand people, and at the time, five
of them were killed. I don't know how many injured.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
That's too bad. How did it happen? It just collapsed?
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Another drink?
Speaker 1 (04:39):
No sense to pardon me.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
It was a municipal auditorium built to honor the war dead.
It cost over a million dollars. I was the architect.
I was picked by the townspeople for the singular honor
of designing the fun memorial.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Well, now they have something to remember. What'd you do wrong?
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Nothing? Nothing? Somebody cheated in the building up, somebody didn't
follow my plans. I don't know who it is. I
don't know who it was, just where to place the blame.
So you're a private investigator, what can you do?
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Get you some black coffee and ask you some questions.
He gave me a list of everybody in town who
had something to do with the building. First off, I
called on a man named Howard Kessley, whose construction company
had the contract for erecting the auditorium. Kessley lived in
an elegant house on a well guarded estate, and after
(05:41):
they took my gun away from me, they let me in.
I waited in a room tastefully decorated with original oil
paintings and oriental rugs, and eventually a football hero type
man walked in. You from the insurance company. I'm a
private detective, same speed. We're working for Garrett Welch, huh laugh, funny,
(06:01):
Well what do you want? Look, you built that auditorium,
have you any idea where it fell down? Maybe it
just got tired. I don't know. Aren't you interested?
Speaker 6 (06:11):
We're looking into it now.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Who's we? My company engineers, Garrett Welch. Then I could
take you should have had somebody who knew what he
was doing. Do you have any copies of the building
specifications that I might look at? Sure? I got nothing
to hide.
Speaker 6 (06:28):
You can go back and tell Garrett Welch that's the
best thing he can do is get out of town.
But somebody tries to knock him off and succeed.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
Here there's a copy of the plans. Look at it
all you want, you'll find I did what I was
supposed to do. I got my gun back from the
guards and left where the building specifications tucked under my arm.
They didn't mean a thing to me, of course, I'd
only asked for them to see whether he'd refused to
show them. But out of curiosity, iron rolled, I'm just
for a look before dumping him into the ash can,
(06:58):
and I noticed something. The last page was signed and
approved by the city Building Inspector, a man named Albert Mitchell.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
Well woll I don't usually receive callers at this hour.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
But you're a little better looking than the ordinary callers
come in. She was slim and auburn haired, more an
insolent smile that was interesting, and the clinging silk thing
that was interesting. She looked me up and down, and
she took so long at it?
Speaker 3 (07:42):
Okay, okay, what is it?
Speaker 1 (07:44):
Magazine?
Speaker 4 (07:45):
The gas meter?
Speaker 7 (07:47):
Or did you just lose your way?
Speaker 1 (07:49):
I'd like to talk to Albert Mitchell.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
Oh, he's a dull conversationalist. You wouldn't have any fun.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Well, I wasn't exactly looking for LIFs. Missus h you
are missus Mitchell more.
Speaker 7 (08:01):
Or less right now?
Speaker 1 (08:02):
Less? So there was why in your drink?
Speaker 6 (08:05):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (08:05):
Thanks? But I took the pledge last Halloween?
Speaker 3 (08:08):
What did you want to talk to?
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Alibi? But what else? The auditorium that collapsed?
Speaker 3 (08:12):
Morley stepped out for a while. Why don't we just
make ourselves comfortable?
Speaker 1 (08:17):
Uh, you have a standard answer when I'm on duty?
Thanks anyway, duty you are cop.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
I never seen you around.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
This town before, private type investigator Sam Space.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
My name's Kitty. You don't have to worry about al
busting in on us. I don't think he'll be back
this week.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
That's what I thought. You holding open house and all?
What's a matter of the pressure got too heavy for him.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
Look Sam, they had a hearing a couple of days ago.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
It was all decided.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
Nobody was to blame. I think Al went fishing or something.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
Where is he?
Speaker 7 (08:45):
How should I know?
Speaker 3 (08:46):
I'm only his wife.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
But you know what they say about a man who runs.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
Yeah, so why don't you stick around? You don't look
like a card to me.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
Well when it comes to redheads, I really am so
long kidding. Oh, by the way, if Al does every
show up, tell him I took a room at the
Embassy Hotel. I'd like him to call me.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
I won't tell him a thing. Come back here, you
cowered them.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
I went down into the wreckage of the auditorium. It
was late and the streets were quiet and deserted. I
walked through the twisted shell of the building, striking matches
and looking around. I didn't know what I was looking for,
but apparently I wasn't the only one visiting the scene
of the crime. I was standing just inside the gutted
remains of what was once the lobby when it happened,
gunfire couples to the back of the building. I ran
(09:35):
toward the noise, and when I turned the back corner.
I saw a cloud of plaster dust where the shops
had apparently been fired. There were no people or cars inside,
but on the sidewalk, on hands and knees was a man. Wretch.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Wretch were crushing dirty wretch shape me.
Speaker 1 (09:55):
Don't me dying. He grabbed my legs and tried to
pull himself up. His face was a gargoyle of pain.
I reached down to help him, but he slipped back
to the sidewalk. Then all bullets had gone through his back.
A bill pole fell out of his pocket, was loaded
(10:15):
with identification and everything set Albert Mitchell, age forty, Occupation
Building Inspector. You are listening to the weekly adventure of
radio's most famous detective, Sam Spade. Three Chimes Mean Good
(10:49):
Times on NBC. This Sunday, Theater Guild on the Air
presents an exciting one hour adaptation of the Broadway stage
comedy Light Up the Sky. Starring in this day to
Guild production are Joan Bennett, Sam Levine, and Thelma Ritter.
And on Sunday You're invited to another hour and a
half broadcast of the Big Show starring Eddie Arnold, Jack Carson,
(11:09):
Eddie Canter, Olivia de Haavlin, Martha Ray, Meredith Wilson, and
many more. Your MC, of course, is the glamorous and
unpredictable Tallula. And now back to the Civic Pride caper.
Tonight's ad venture with Sam Spade. A good many other
(11:35):
people had heard the son of Albert Mitchell's assassination, and
before long a crowd had gathered. Among them were several minions.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
Of the law.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
They took two people in tow, the dead Mitchell and
the live Spade. The west Over Police Department had themselves
a fine time over me. It seems I was hired
out of town killer and therefore eligible to be questioned.
All night they worked hard at it, but in the
morning they had to admit defeat and release me. I
think they only did it because they didn't want to
pay for my breakfast. By then I was pretty mad,
and at ten o'clock I walked into the Mayor's office
(12:03):
and demanded an interview. I got it.
Speaker 8 (12:06):
The whole thing, mister Spade was regrettable, but after all,
you are a stranger here, and when a man is
killed and someone happens to be in on the scene,
questions have to be asked.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
Your honor I'll let it pass and the interests of
law enforcement. Good you.
Speaker 8 (12:22):
Our report on you from San Francisco gives you quite
a reputation as an investigator. Do you have any theories
that might help us in this murder of Mitchell?
Speaker 1 (12:30):
Well, I could hazard an expert guess that it's tied
in with a building scandal. The auditorium collapse. By the way,
what's being done officially to fix the blame for that?
Speaker 8 (12:38):
The city council held its investigation of the unfortunate affair
last week, and as far as we can determine, no
one is directly irresponsible.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
No one. Now, come, come, your honor.
Speaker 8 (12:49):
Are you questioning our civic procedure? Oh well, maybe you're right.
Maybe we've been too easy going. We're all neighbors here.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
As I'm conducting an investigation for a client who certainly
has a right to know what's going on and so
fire as a good many citizens seem to feel he's
to blame.
Speaker 8 (13:06):
Oh yes, mister Welch, Well he's not to blame.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
No one is.
Speaker 8 (13:10):
You must pardon my abruptness, mister Spade, but the events
of the past week have been a.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
Listen, yes, I know. Tell me Albert Mitchell as building inspector,
must have approved the building of the auditorium. Was he
a reliable man? Yes, Wait a minute, you don't think
I think he was killed by somebody who wanted him
to keep his mouth shut. And what about the contractor,
Howard Kessley.
Speaker 8 (13:31):
Kessley born here, brought up here. He's built about one
third of the structures in Westover, every one of them
except the auditorium is standing today. No, I don't think
you can build up your case.
Speaker 1 (13:44):
I'm just examining the possibilities. You have to begin with
the people who had something to gain from this thing.
Where there's graft, there might be murder. Where are the
purchase orders for the materials used in this building?
Speaker 8 (13:55):
That was the first question I asked. I was told
they were destroyed with all the other useless paperwork that
accumulated from the construction job.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
Oh great, great, that certainly makes it convenient for somebody.
Speaker 8 (14:06):
Mister Spade. I don't wish to, and I can't believe,
as you apparently do, that this town's population is.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
Is crooked and rotten.
Speaker 8 (14:15):
So if I come across any information that will help
clear the good name of Garrett Welsh, you can be
sure that. I'll be happy to bring it to your attention.
Until then, I bid you good day, sir.
Speaker 1 (14:30):
I could understand Mayor Sullivan's desire to protect the fair
name of his city, but I had to take a
meaner view of at least one Westover citizen. I found
out where Albert Mitchell did his banking, and misrepresenting myself
as a collection agent, fired into withholdings. Let me see
if that, mister Humboldt. I really shouldn't give up this
kind of information. But in your case, you have a
claim against the estate. Oh, yes, yes, here it is.
(14:54):
He has three hundred dollars in his account, that's all.
What kind of deposits did he make?
Speaker 5 (14:58):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (14:58):
Just paychecks mostly it was a year man. Every Friday
he deposited one hundred and fifty and he deposits lodger
at any time.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
Oh yes, four deposits of five thousand each in the
past year.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
Well, what do you know, as I recall mister Mitchell
saying there were payments from the state he inherited. Thank you,
mister Carter. You'll hear from my company soon, I'm sure.
Speaker 5 (15:19):
Yees.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
Oh, what was the name of your company? Again? For
my records amalgamated whistle. Oh yes, I prefer Oh yes,
of course that inheritance GAG was right out of the
Capouber investigation, and inheritance is paid in a lump sum,
practically never in four payments of five thousand each. I
(15:42):
didn't know whether Missus Mitchell was receiving, but I decided
to find out. When I knocked at her door, all
was quiet inside, but a second after my knock there
was a burst of sorrow. When she came to the door.
There were two rather impossible sized tears flowing down her
face for widow's weeds. She wore a black, tight satin
and low cut.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
Oh, mister Space, I'm in no mood for talking now.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
Oh just for a moment, man, I come in. I guess.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
So I'm really kind of alone and lost. What is
it you want?
Speaker 1 (16:14):
I must apologize for intruding on your Bereava and missus Mitchell.
I'm not usually as callous.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
Oh that's all right, but I'm not sure I can
help you anyhow.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
I'm so broken up. What is it, camphor? What whatever
you use to make those tears? All right?
Speaker 3 (16:30):
So I can't really cry, I never have, but it's
expected of me.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
Yeah, all right, in that case, I sympathize with her.
What do you want, Getty, Your dear departed husband made
seventy five hundred a year and deposited twenty thousand and
eight months. I want to buy it.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
I don't know anything about his money. All I know
is that the bank told me he had only three
hundred left.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
What'd he do with it?
Speaker 3 (16:54):
He spent it on other women?
Speaker 1 (16:57):
I see, So the artificial tears do makes sense?
Speaker 3 (17:00):
I guess no, No, you don't understand.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
It's not that simple.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
It's funny, Sam, because I really mean it. Oh, I
know how stupid I look in these clothes, and I
did use camp from my eyes because I wanted to cry.
I wanted to cry for all the good days and
the good years Alan I had, But the baddie is
kept getting in between, and I couldn't do it.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
I like your better all the time, kiddy. I knew
you were real pretty Now it turns out you're pretty real.
Speaker 7 (17:33):
I really loved him and he loved me, but we
kicked it away because we both wanted more excitement than
this town or his salary could give us. There was
no place to go.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
We just didn't get along.
Speaker 3 (17:49):
He was out spending his money on other women. Being
a big shot. I can't blame him, though I helped
make him do it.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
What about the money he got it for falsifying the
auditorium inspection.
Speaker 3 (18:01):
Papers, didn't he Well, he didn't get it for inventing television.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
Who paid him?
Speaker 3 (18:05):
Sam, don't ask me anymore?
Speaker 1 (18:06):
Well, you do know where the twenty thousand came from,
don't you, kiddy?
Speaker 6 (18:09):
Don't?
Speaker 1 (18:09):
Sam? I'm scared now what you want to do. You
ought to come back to San Francisco with me. Let
me help you get a job there. You can make
a fresh start. You're not kidding, I give you my word.
Speaker 3 (18:18):
I ought to have my head examined for trusting you,
but I'm going to do it. Al got that money
from the Central Cement Company for quote an advisory capacity unquote.
You know who owns the Central Cement Company, Mart Kesley,
Warm but not quite his brother. Last night when Al
showed up in town, he was gunning for trouble.
Speaker 1 (18:35):
Why.
Speaker 3 (18:35):
He said they were going to make a fall guy
out of him, and that he wasn't going to take
the blame for anybody. That's what he said. But I
think he ran out of money and wanted to make
a touch and exchange for disappearing again for good.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
And you think Kissley shot him or his brother.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
I can't think, and I don't know anything else. Now
do I get to San Francisco. I'll be back for you,
all right, but make it fast and don't leave me here,
because if anything happens to me, Sam, it'll be on
your conscience.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
She walked to the door with me and kissed me
on the cheek. And it was nice. No more than that,
it was nice. Next up the Central Cement Company officer
statement of Howard Kessley's brother Ralph.
Speaker 4 (19:13):
I'll explain it to you in simple terms. We supplying
cement for a lot of buildings in this part of
the country. When you want to build something, you submit
a bid, and you want to know what kind of
a bid to submit, you ask an expert. Mitchell was
our expert, and we didn't expect it to work for nothing.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
You mean Mitchell tipped your office to what other firms
were bidding.
Speaker 4 (19:27):
I'll call it anything you want.
Speaker 8 (19:29):
It's done all the time.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
I found Garrett Welsh, my architect client, slumped over his
desk much the worse for drink and It took a
good half hour with coffee and wet cloths to wring
him around to something resembling normal.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
I was proud of that building, mister Spade, as proud
once as I am machined of it now. I spent
four years at a prominent American college, in two years
apprenticeship with a great architect to prepare myself to come
back here and make this the most beautiful city in
the way.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
Well, you must have watch them build it. What went wrong?
Speaker 2 (20:01):
That's the point. I wasn't here. They sent me to
Chicago to study, oh my bit for it. What they
really wanted was for me to be out of the way.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
Who are they?
Speaker 2 (20:11):
The city council? Oh, why bother? Just tell me how
much I owe you, and we'll just forget it. Nobody's
going to indict anybody for anything.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
Well, somebody is responsible for the building and for Mitchell's murder,
and we'll find him. Wait, yeah, if you lay off
that bottle for a while and work with me, maybe
we can do it.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
All right, all right, No, moboos, I'll stop feeling sorry
for myself and start getting mad. Hey, where are you going?
Speaker 1 (20:36):
I'm going to start at the top. I'm going to
try to get the mayor to help.
Speaker 8 (20:47):
You say. You've turned up something, mister Spabe.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
A lot of something here, Honor. I've ferreted out copies
of the purchase orders for the materials used in that building.
They were generally inferior and below the quality required by
sound engineering and the law. You can't meet I do.
You can inform your district attorney that in a matter
of two or three days I will move for an
indictment of several people in this community for gross criminal negligence.
Now I want to know whether or not I'll have
your full cooperation. There's no question of that.
Speaker 8 (21:11):
I'll cooperate with you fully to prosecute.
Speaker 1 (21:14):
Thank you, your honor in good day.
Speaker 8 (21:15):
Just a minute, y'ah about Howard Kesseley?
Speaker 1 (21:18):
What about him?
Speaker 8 (21:19):
Do you still consider that he is subject to suspicion?
Speaker 1 (21:22):
The families of the five people who died in the
ruins would think anybody who was concerned in the building
project were subject to.
Speaker 8 (21:28):
Suspicion, or mister Spade, you know about politics, certain people
contributed campaign campaign funds and.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
Got me votes. Kessley, I I've been a difficult position.
Speaker 8 (21:39):
I've been weak. Perhaps maybe I haven't wanted to look
too closely at certain possibilities in this horrible affair. But
I promise you I won't stop now. It doesn't matter
what happens. My first duty is to the citizens of
this town.
Speaker 1 (21:53):
Well said, your honor. Just tell the same thing to
the other members of the city council. Tell him that
if I kick the lid off this garbage can, it's
going to make Westover smell pretty bad.
Speaker 8 (22:01):
You'll hear from me, mister Spade, I guarantee you.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
In the course of the next two hours, I told
the same story in the newspaper, the police, a couple
of soda jerks, a waitress, and almost anybody else who
would listen. And before the day was out, the results
started coming. In Garrett Welsh's office and my room at
the Embassy Hotel, we're both ransacked. Somebody started shadowing me,
and I had a mysterious phone call offering me money
to get out of town. I refuse and hung up.
During that day, I stayed mostly out in the open
(22:30):
in conspicuous parts of town. But when night fell, I
knew I'd need to watch my step. Garrett Welsch and
I hold up in his office with a door locked
and my gun out on the desk. Around eleven, we
got a little action.
Speaker 2 (22:42):
Well speaking, Yeah, okay, you speaking.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
Hello, Sam.
Speaker 3 (22:48):
This is Kitty Mitchell. I'm in trouble.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
What kind three men were just here?
Speaker 3 (22:51):
They said I gave you some purchase orders. I don't
know anything about them, but they said if I didn't
get them back from you by midnight, they'd kill me.
Speaker 1 (22:57):
Who were they?
Speaker 2 (22:58):
I don't know.
Speaker 5 (22:58):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
Just then, if you've got him, give them to me, Sam,
I don't want to die.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
We'll hang up, call the police and ask them for protection.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
Damn, I'm afraid.
Speaker 1 (23:05):
Why don't you give me the papers? Getting a taxi
cab and come up to Garrett Welsher's office. We'll talk
it over. I'm afraid to do that. Well, you'll have to.
I can't leave here. I'm waiting for somebody who I'm
not sure yet, somebody threatening Mitchell's wife. She's coming up here.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
I think we have enough to do taking care of ourselves.
Speaker 4 (23:22):
Who's that.
Speaker 1 (23:26):
One? You answer it? Then I step to one side.
I'll keep it covering. Okay, don't make one wrong move.
Speaker 6 (23:34):
I'm not going to spade.
Speaker 1 (23:35):
I came here to talk Kesley. Who's with you, Kesseley?
Speaker 6 (23:38):
Nobody, I'm alone and none.
Speaker 1 (23:40):
I'm come in.
Speaker 2 (23:42):
Huh, I'm watching it from behind.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
Kessley, I know it. I just came to talk. All right,
talk spade.
Speaker 6 (23:48):
You allegedly have information as to why the auditorium collapse,
killing five people.
Speaker 1 (23:53):
Suppose I do like him to make a deal with you.
We're not making deals.
Speaker 6 (23:56):
I think you'll like this one. I'll give you all
the positive information you want for one thing, namely, forty
eight hour head start out of town.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
Why should we give you that?
Speaker 6 (24:04):
Because nobody, least of all myself, thought the building would collapse.
It's true I used inferior materials, but I had to.
Speaker 1 (24:11):
What does that mean there's a man in this town?
The door was suddenly kicked white, and a blaze of
bullets flew across the room. Kessley's mouth opened and shot.
His knees buckled, and he pitched forward, bouncing off the
desk of the floor. A tall, silver haired gentleman was
behind the guy. I caught him soda high spun him around.
(24:32):
The gun fell out of his cannon. Welsh and I
were on him in a second.
Speaker 8 (24:34):
All right, all right, I've done all I'm going to
do I'm hurt, I'm wounded.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
Well, your honor, you're better off than Keshley.
Speaker 8 (24:44):
Keshley didn't want to do it, but I had something
on his brother and told him I'd send him to jail.
We saved one hundred thousand dollars on the cheap surprise
were used in that building.
Speaker 1 (24:54):
Yeah, when I showed up, Keshley was afraid he was
going to take a rap alone. He was afraid he'd
end up like Albert Mitchell. Right, Yes, yes, I killed Mike.
Speaker 8 (25:02):
Sure he wanted more money, Candy, don't put it down.
Speaker 1 (25:12):
She had come in while we were talking and picked
up the gun Mayor Sullivan had dropped her one shot
hit him in the chest. Then she let the gun
slip through her fingers and just stood there. Then you
know what, she cried, real tears, period, and a report.
Speaker 5 (25:29):
What an awful tragedy.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
It was, indeed if of course, in a few minutes
the place was full of police and we turned her over.
Speaker 3 (25:35):
What do you think is going to happen to us there?
Speaker 1 (25:37):
I'd rather not think about that. Ifie, how about typing
it up three times? Mean good times on NDC. There's
fun this Sunday with two of your favorite families, the
Blandings and the Harrises. Mister and Missus Blandings stars Carry
(25:57):
Grant and Betsy Drake in the title roles as the
owners of the famous dream House, and the Phil Harris
Alice Fay Show brings you Phil and Elis with more
of their merry antics, plus Frankie Ramley, Brother William and
the entire cast. You're invited this Sunday. I'll take your
(26:22):
word for it. I'm not going to read it again.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
Why did the mayor command shoot the building contract in
front of witnesses?
Speaker 2 (26:28):
Why he threw away everything you work so hard to steal?
Speaker 7 (26:31):
Why?
Speaker 1 (26:32):
That is a good question. If I saved by the knock,
Come in to sam stage office it is.
Speaker 5 (26:39):
I'm Lyle Rooks.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
You expect me to believe that.
Speaker 5 (26:43):
I'm Western editor of Radio Television Mirror Magazine.
Speaker 1 (26:47):
Well, you know best.
Speaker 5 (26:49):
I just wanted to tell you that in our annual
awards poll nationwide, the American listeners have chosen Steve Done
as their favorite detective.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
Steve Done, not me.
Speaker 5 (27:00):
Here, sir, is your citation. You may want to frame it,
put it up in your office.
Speaker 6 (27:04):
Why?
Speaker 5 (27:04):
Thank you? Goodbye?
Speaker 8 (27:06):
Well Steve Dunn, who man to place.
Speaker 2 (27:10):
You on the radio.
Speaker 7 (27:11):
Sam, Oh, he's handsome.
Speaker 1 (27:14):
Well, you love him better than you love me. When
I'm burning up with passion for you? Are you really
bringing up Sam? Well, I'm beginning to smolder a little.
Come here, tell me about Well.
Speaker 3 (27:26):
I don't know much about it, Sam, not as much
as I like to.
Speaker 1 (27:29):
Well, I'm sorry, Sorry, I don't have a teacher's permit
for the state of California. Good night, sweetheart. The Adventures
(27:51):
of Sam Spade are produced, edited, and directed by William Spear.
Sam's paide is played by Stephen Dunn. Lorraine Tuttle is Effie.
Also the cast were Shirley Mitchell, Jack Krushian, Sidney Miller,
Paul Freeze, Herbrolinson, and Lou Merrill. Script for tonight's adventure
by John Michael Hayes, musical scoring by lud Gluskin, conducted
by Robert Armbrewster. Join us again next week, same time
(28:44):
for another adventure with Sam Spathe Tomorrow. Enjoy The Exciting
Man Called X on NBC
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