The Lucky Four Matter - Johnny Dollar | 08/03/1958 (Ep600)

Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar was a radio drama which aired between 1949 and 1962. "The man with the action-packed expense account, America’s fabulous freelance insurance investigator, Johnny Dollar". Of the eight different actors who played Johnny Dollar, Bob Bailey is likely considered the most popular. Bailey's interpretation presented a tough, streetwise character, but also sensitive and thoughtful. During it's time, Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar attracted some of the best writers in Hollywood, including Jack Johnstone, E. Jack Neuman, Robert Ryf, and Les Crutchfield.

Hope you enjoy this episode of Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar! Find all our OTR radio stations and podcasts at theaterofthemind-otr.com - Audio Credit: The Old Time Radio Researchers Group. - Podcasts @ Spreaker | Apple | YouTube | Spotify | iHeart | Amazon



Some Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar episodes were broadcast originally on the AFRS - The Armed Forces Radio Service (AFRS) was the chief means of providing popular radio network programs to military forces outside the United States. Begun during World War II, it later expanded to include television and continues to operate today as American Forces Network (AFN). | Find all our OTR radio stations and podcasts at theaterofthemind-otr.com -Podcasts @ Spreaker | Apple | YouTube | Spotify | iHeart | Amazon

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Oh, hi in great great Jelly. Do you remember the
Lucky four wrench.

Speaker 2 (00:06):
Well, look you're talking about the one out in Green
Mountain Falls, Colorado.

Speaker 1 (00:09):
That is the one I'm talking about.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
Well, sure, that's where you and I and Ray Ray
what's his name, Ray Smithney? Yeah? Ray Smithney, you loans
the Lucky for you and he and I investigated the
death of that concert pianist.

Speaker 1 (00:20):
That's right.

Speaker 2 (00:21):
Also, he had some real fine trout fishing up an
eleven mile canyon.

Speaker 1 (00:24):
Do you remember the little private lake up in the mountain.

Speaker 2 (00:26):
Back of rai'sed wrench cherry Lake?

Speaker 1 (00:28):
Yeah, it's old military's play. Oh he isn't there anymore.

Speaker 2 (00:32):
Oh, oh, that's too bad.

Speaker 1 (00:33):
Old Bill isn't around anymore either.

Speaker 2 (00:35):
Well, what's happened to him?

Speaker 1 (00:36):
According to all the information, he was killed when the
damn broke and Tenny's farm house crashing down into the valley. Bill.

Speaker 2 (00:42):
Oh see, that's too bad.

Speaker 1 (00:44):
Uh. I have the play for his insurance right here
in my dead I'll send a coffee at the police
if you here there at the Luty four.

Speaker 2 (00:50):
He Wait a minute, there's.

Speaker 1 (00:52):
Something wrong or that's what I want you to find out.

Speaker 2 (00:55):
What makes you think something's wrong.

Speaker 1 (00:56):
The phone call I just got from Rain's missioning. He's
found a couple of things that they can't think the
breaking of that damn with no actions.

Speaker 2 (01:04):
Okay, I'll grab the first plan I can. Bob Bailey
and The Exciting Adventures of the Man with the Action
Tactic spens accounts of America's populous freelance insurance investigator, Yours Truly
Johnny Dollars. Expense accounts of an advice special investigator, Johnny Dollar,

(01:40):
a Triny State Life and Casually Insurance Company attention a
reportment following as an account of expenses incurred during my
investigation of the Lucky for Matter expense account nine one
three dollars in a quarter phone called a race miss
me to tell him I was on my way way.
He won seventy hair Transportation of Colorado, spring Way. He

(02:03):
met me at Peterson Field, I initial airport. Well fly
as you could make it, junny, Yeah, it's good to
see you again. Right, how our things as the Lucky
for Oh just fine, our best season ever? Here would
shove your back in the back seam. Oh say good,
go ahead now I've been yeah, sure, I now, what's

(02:25):
this about your thinking? Old Bill Cherry's death was no accident, Johnny,
I'd better give you the whole story. Oh you remember
Cherry Lake, don't you sure? I remember taking a couple
of nice trail sto doctor or Uh wasn't a royal coach? Well,
you didn't need Old Bill because he was away at
the time. Actually, we were kind of poaching when we
fished up there. Oh, if he'd suddenly come back and

(02:47):
caught us, he'd probably have filled our heights with bird shot.
And here I always thought you were on the side
of law and order. He was a kind of ornery
old cuss. But in spite of it, we got along
pretty well, even after he put in that damn how's
the damn effect? Three Mile Creek used to water some
of my property before he put it in. Some of
the others down below too. Oh I see, But how

(03:07):
what happened, Gunny? Old Bill's little plot of farmland is
up around the nine thousand foot level, you know, Yeah,
I know. So if the snowpack melts down pretty late,
that meant a big summer flow of water into his
lake there. And what about when some of your big
summer rains come pouring down and it was during one
of the big rains a couple of weeks ago, one night,
it was that the dam gave way, Gunny, that thing

(03:28):
busted loose like an explosion. What was left Old Bill's
house came crumbling down on a lucky Ford property. And
Old Bill, oh, he found his body in the wreckage.
Oh hold on, I'm gonna take my favorite truck cut
and get away from the highway traffic. Sure, but now,
Earl Foreman told me. You seem to think that damn
didn't give away by itself. Well I did in the beginning,

(03:49):
everybody did, and why not? On made dam more water
in the lake than ever before, more water pouring down
out of the sky to fill it up. Big storm.
Maybe it was even hit by lighting. But now, Johnny,
I went up there and poked around a couple of
days ago, Bird Chance, I've had it's arranged, but I
wanted to find a couple of things. I want you
to look at what kind of things right now? They

(04:10):
may not need a thing, Johnny, any more than who's
the beneficiary of old bills ensure? Which reminds me that
Earl sent me something in the mail. Oh yeah, uh,
a big envelope, Junny and I opened it. By a mistake,
I was supposed to contain a copy of Bill Cherry's polus.
It did. And when I look at it and saw
who the beneficiary is, hey now said they like you
need a tune up. But that's funny. Let us stop

(04:32):
and take a look. Huh oh and uh uh you
say that when you saw whose beneficiary is? Or a
worthless nephew of Bills who hangs around the pool rooms
and color out of spring to send them a couple
of straps with a law. Uh yeah, let me see
if I can help that. Maybe the catchy stuck on here. Anyhow,

(04:58):
I've always felt this Tommy walk it wouldn't stop short
of murder if he thought it. Yeah, oh good? And
oh wait, way look at all those crazy wires. No
wonder if she was missing. You didn't put that wiring
in there? Are you kidding? Way? Come on, hit the deck, count,
Come on the side of the rower, back of this lack.
What what's the matter? Right, get down, fat? What's got

(05:19):
into you? Johnny? And love? Oh you'll look john Yeah,
you look. Well it was some kind of a bomb
wired up in there by somebody who meant miss Johnny
by somebody who must have seen you poking around up

(05:40):
near Old Bills. Damn you, you may must have found
out you sent for me. What'd you say? The name
of Old Bill's nephew is back too, If your truly
Johnny Dollar In a moment, many of us on the
job are clock watchers and time clock punches, just waiting
for time to quit. When is it really time to quit?

(06:03):
The man will as set their work as a schedule
to adhere to. But the fighting man quits only when
the job is done, and to him, captured by the
enemy does not mean the end, but perhaps only the
beginning of the most important part of his job. One
of the points of the Code of conduct for the
American fighting Man says, quote, if I am captured, I

(06:25):
will continue to resist by all means available. I will
make every effort to escape and aid others to escape.
I will accept neither paroles nor special favors from the enemy. Unquote.
The strong ideals set forth there are the same ideals
that gave great determination to one young officer of the

(06:45):
United States Navy. Half an hour after Lieutenant Edward vm
Ezac's ship was sunk by three torpedoes in the Atlantic Oceans.
In May nineteen eighteen, at the height of World War One,
he was taken prisoner by the commander of the German
submarine U nineties. During the U boat's tripped back to Germany,
Lieutenant Esac learned a great deal of vital secret information

(07:06):
about U boat movements. Determined to make this information available
to the United States and Allied naval authorities. Lieutenant Esac,
while on his way to a prisoner of war camp,
risked his life by jumping through the window of a
rapidly moving train. Severely injured by his fall, he was
again captured months later. Aided by several American Army officers

(07:28):
who short circuited the prison lighting system, Lieutenant Ezac escaped
through barbed wire fences and amid heavy rifle fire from
the guards. After seven days and nights of rugged travel
over the mountains, and with only raw vegetables for food,
he swammed the flip current of the Rhine River right
under the noses of the enemy sentry. Evading many enemy soldiers,

(07:49):
he reached the American legation in Berne, Switzerland, and completed
his self assigned mission for risking his life many times
above and beyond the call of duty. Lieutenant Edward Ezact
was awarded the Medal of Honor. His personal code of
conduct had made him realize that war doesn't end with
confinement as a prisoner of war. That is when the

(08:11):
real responsibility may begin. And now at two of yours,
truly Johnny Dollar and the Lucky Four matters. It was
the driver of a big Interstate moving van that came
to our rescue after raised car blew up. He'd seen
the explosion from the highway, seen one of the fenders
flying through the air. Yes, somehow, those big truckers are

(08:33):
always around to give you a hand. He drove us
into Colorado Springs. I had him three fifty bucks to
pontit on a rental car and we headed Eastern Highway
twenty forty Green Mountain Falls. The Lucky Four is on
a level spot on the side of a mountain about
half a mile up from the highway. Six or eight
nice modern cottages share a beautiful view of Pikes and
several other high peaks that surround colorful view paths. I

(08:56):
dumped my luggage, set a load of rays, pretty wife Lee,
and we headed up a narrow wagon trail up the
side of the mountain and raised you here kinning that
truck driver game in it, souvenir, Hey looks like a
piece of the wiring we found under the hood before
your traveler, And that's what it is now. I see
there where three mile Creek bounces down over the rock.

(09:18):
It's quite a flow there, right, And I see that
it goes on down through your property again, just like
it did before Old Bills put on his damp. Course,
I don't really need the water, not as much as
Ralph Kimble at least Os Timble a property next to mine.
Retired man used to be a math or physics crowd
for some nice neighbors. Now I teached himself. He and
his wife hornery Old Cuts, like Old Bill, have no

(09:42):
use for each other. Didn't like interference. Now you see
that clearing up her heads. That's where Old Bill's home
used to be. Huh yeah, before the water dumped it
down on my plate, kindling, that's about all that was
left of it. You still haven't told me what you've
found up here. One thing I found down on his body,
griped tight in his hand, sort of a uh death rip.

(10:04):
I guess it was yuh cigarette package. El Pero cigarette,
but the Cuban brand. Now what he smoked, No, sir,
never smoked in his life, wouldn't even have the things
on his place. Do you see what I mean? Wow,
I don't think that's much of a clue. Well what
I figured, Johnny, that is after what else I found.

(10:27):
He said he caught somebody prowling around his dam. Maybe
he struggled with him, and that's how come the cigarette packed.
Oh what a right back off. Whatever else you found
up here had better be more conclusive than that. All right,
Look here is where the dam was, between these big rocks.
What kind of a dam concrete with planks across? Oh yeah,

(10:48):
I can see where samit is still stuck with him. Mm.
Here's some dynamite too. You can see the mark where
he built a packet and stuff. That's my clue number one, Johnny.
He didn't use any dynamite. He was afraid of it. Also,
I hadn't known i'd have heard it go off while
he was building his dam. But somebody there, somebody or look,
get this flatched it on this rock. The piece of

(11:11):
the label watched it on the rock by the course
of that explosion, says tightened super I expelled dynamite, Johnny.
He wouldn't even have the stuff around another thing. It's
a brand you can only get in one little store
in Denver, and he'd never go there. He hated the place. Yeah,
you said, the damn went like an explosion in sir,
because with all the thunder and lightning that night, who

(11:33):
could be short? Which was with all our chances, our
lightning wouldn't reach down here, right with all the high
feature around. That's what first hit me, Johnny Coli, let's
going to Colorado Springs and find his nephew of all bills,
Tommy Walker. Yes, sir, Johnny being the beneficiary and all.
Who else could it be? Ray? I'm with you. Doesn't

(12:00):
what to me like there'd be any cheap tool halls
in this part of towns now, But up ahead the
eighth high radio jop that's where Tommy was working last
I heard. Oh, can you think of anything better to
tie in with the way that infernal machine was wired
under the hood of your child? Holy smoke, Johnny, You're right,
But well, what I don't understand is if how come

(12:20):
I didn't go off the second I turned on the admission? Man,
I help you get er kind of timing device. I
think whoever said it wanted to get me too generals.
That means he knew you'd be in the car with
me on the way back from the air. That's right, gentlemen.
Oh uh, we're looking for Tommy walking. Uh. Oh, don't mention.
Not no good?

Speaker 1 (12:38):
Can I take it?

Speaker 2 (12:38):
Isn't here? Oh two days he lasted. If you asked me,
it was two days too long. Well, you had trouble
with him, and oh no, no, no trouble, no nothing,
that was the trouble. I answered my ad in the
papers that he knew all about radios and electronics, he
could fix anything. Well down the lazy lot, he didn't
know anything. He didn't do anything. He didn't know the
difference between a fuse and a vacuum to never even

(13:01):
heard of a transistor much let us know what a
circuit was. Yeah. All he knew about the radio was
how to turn the knobs.

Speaker 1 (13:06):
Oh, and the music.

Speaker 2 (13:07):
That guy would too out on me. I like the guy. Well, now,
look that boy was so dummy, couldn't even attach the wires.

Speaker 1 (13:12):
To a plug property.

Speaker 2 (13:13):
All he wanted was a place where he could sit
around smoking or smell a Cuban cigarettes and listening to
trashy music. Cuban cigarettes, County that tack I found, mister, Uh,
as long as I'm here, I wonder if you could
sell me a hunt a wire like like this thing? Certainly,
oh this, now, I had nothing like that, I see.
And you're sure Tommy didn't know anything about electricity. Oh

(13:35):
of course, I'm sure. Look at when I told him
once to open up the back of a tele command.
Right now, Don Pooley would have electric kiled himself if
I hadn't been that gunman, Johnny. If he's telling the truth,
he is right. Come on, We're going back to the ranch, Sueber.
Why Johnny, It's worked before, and I hope and pray
it'll work again. Pray I'm gonna play a hunt, Act

(14:10):
three of yours, truly, Johnny Dollar in a moment, and.

Speaker 3 (14:13):
Now for another episode in the life of Sergeant Donald's
bell Weather.

Speaker 1 (14:17):
My husband.

Speaker 3 (14:29):
Oh ginnal, it's your porny, isn't it. Can you see
all right?

Speaker 2 (14:33):
Oh? Yeah, I can see. The windshield wipers are operating
with a mechanical profession. You notice there are no more
screen theaters since I put on the new rubber blade.

Speaker 3 (14:41):
No, I think every driver should have his windshield wipers
in good order.

Speaker 2 (14:44):
It was much safer, It was he much safer.

Speaker 3 (14:46):
If everyone would slow down during wet weather like my
husband was doing right.

Speaker 2 (14:50):
Now, just being cautious river. We don't want an accident.

Speaker 3 (14:54):
And moves down for or want an accident any time.

Speaker 2 (14:56):
Yeah, that's pretty sure.

Speaker 3 (14:57):
Well, the experts say that accidents just don't what will happen.
Something causes accident, and that cause can be prevented. Uh,
by the way, there in what kind of weather do
you think.

Speaker 2 (15:07):
Most accidents are care?

Speaker 1 (15:09):
Oh?

Speaker 2 (15:10):
The same rain or snowy weather, ship three weather, when
the ability.

Speaker 3 (15:14):
Isn't there, I'd stay wrong at there wrong?

Speaker 2 (15:18):
Well you are you seriously?

Speaker 3 (15:20):
It takes to show that eight out of ten accidents
of care when the weather is clear or with the cloudiovertat.

Speaker 2 (15:26):
Hm are you positive on the wine? But oh, here's
a hospital. Oh yeah, now you sit right here, Reba.
I'll get out with the umbrella and then I'll come
around and open the room. All right, I wonder, whine,
wonder why what why? Eight out of ten accidents happening clear?

Speaker 3 (15:44):
We Oh, well, I don't know for sure, stage, but
I do know that you grow very carefully like Lorraine Night.
Now I'm every gonna grow is carefully during clear dry weather.
They'd be less accidents, for sure.

Speaker 2 (15:57):
And that must be that people automatically get and moraine
and snow. Too bad they don't stay that way. And
good wi you will, won't you?

Speaker 3 (16:06):
I mean safely in good weady too.

Speaker 2 (16:08):
I promise that's my Donald. That's my dollar, no Act three,
if yours truly Johnny Dollar and the Lucky four matter,

(16:32):
Frank At the Lucky Floor, Ray's wife, Glee made us
a couple of sandwiches and some coffee. We'd kind of
forgotten about lunch. But I looked over the insurance policy
that Earl Permanence sent on to me. Yeah, Tommy Walker
was the only beneficiary. But and this was the important part,
he was due to receive the magnificent sum of one
thousand dollars. And that's all that.

Speaker 1 (16:53):
Uh you mean Killy's uncle five thousand dollars?

Speaker 2 (16:56):
I don't think so, Glee. And yet if Tommy is
the only one that oh listen, Ray, you told me
right off the bat you hadn't liked the idea of
old Bill putting that damn out there Johnny, that is
none of us like it. What do you mean by us, Well,
none of us. There's the Kimboos and A and I.

Speaker 3 (17:15):
It's only because it kept the creek from coming down here.
He made a division when he put in that dam.

Speaker 2 (17:21):
And after I put in the pumps, We've had plenty
of water, and I'd have had to put in the
pumps anyway. Uh. You ever used dynamite around here? Ring Sure,
most everybody does one time or another, and in this
whole section use it to clear the land, Johnny. That listen, Johnny,
I don't know what you're driving else everybody does. Huh. Yes?
Have you ever used that particular brand Titan super IXL No, sir,

(17:44):
never in my life. But you knew where to get
everybody does, Johnny, Johnny? Please? Everybody? Yes, including Ralph Kimball
next door. Miss it's Kimball. Yeah, maybe had I gotta
go over and talk. M huh.

Speaker 3 (18:01):
They they're they're not at home. Went to Denver this
morning morning.

Speaker 2 (18:05):
But to Johnny, how do you know?

Speaker 3 (18:06):
She told me they were going.

Speaker 2 (18:07):
She dropped there.

Speaker 3 (18:08):
Last night and she told me and I said, Ray
was going too, to meet Johnny.

Speaker 2 (18:11):
Johnny. Look, she dropped in here very often. Who only
since the damn broke?

Speaker 3 (18:17):
And well they worked too friendly before, but now it was.

Speaker 2 (18:21):
Ex professor huh electronic. Good lord, Johnny, I'm going over
and take a look around. Dear, I'll go with you.
Johnny Ray had minimized the problem he'd had when the
dam was put in. Maybe his next door neighbor happened.
Kimber Lot kept her himself where he said. It was
very much like old Bill Cherry, an ornary sort of cusser,

(18:42):
didn't like any appearance, and Old Bill's damn had certainly
an affair with Kimball brought the surprise. We started our
search in the workshop back at Kimball's house. Here this, Johnny,
take a look, tight and super uh excel m. Look
here right, this rock drill the same size as the

(19:04):
one used up on the damn. Sure as Johnny, if
we can find some of it, Yeah, yeah, this is it, alright,
same kind of wire that was on the bomb under
the hood of my carner. Pretty good evidence if you
asked me. In here el Peril, the same brand as
a cigarette pack that you found clutched in Old Bill's hand.

(19:26):
But listen, Johnny, Yeah, this is only what you'd call
circumstantial evidence. But if there's enough of it, but you know,
maybe you wanted to plant it, maybe you were pretty
sore about that, then well of course I want so
was Kimball. He threatened to sue Johnny. He threatened a
lot of things. But that doesn't alright, alright, call that
the motives. Now this evidence, this rock drill, and a

(19:47):
lot of people use 'em, maybe even the same side.
This wire, the same kind used to hook up that bomb.
But well most anybody could get wire like that. I
think the point is he has it and the right
brand of dynamite. Anybody who knows that store up in Dannis,
they're hooking up that infernal machine. Kimball was a physics
professor electronics. Yeah that's true. Did he know about your

(20:10):
private shortcuts at Denver? Yes, it's Johnny. I told him
one time. He also know when you and I would
be on that road. Glee had told his wife. She
probably told her why I was coming here. Yes, that's true.
Kimball and his wife left for Denver earlier this morning.
And look, Junny h the mud on these boots here
in the corner. The same Gray Stilkes you find only

(20:31):
up around Cherry Lake. Yeah, and if that doesn't prove it,
but counny, it's all circumstantial. But it'll hold up in court.
What seven points of similarity? Ray, it'll stand up on
any court in the land. But even if, even if,
because what the law calls seven points of similarity, as
any mathematician can tell you, will occur only once in

(20:51):
thirty eight billion times. That's that's true. And that's what's
gonna hang mister Kimball, That mister Dollar is not true, Kimbo.
Not Surely you're not gonna be foolish enough to use
that thing, Kimball. You've left me no alternatives now that
you've found out. Now, now look, mister Kimball, all right,
Busney Dollar, if you want to do any praying, do

(21:12):
it fast.

Speaker 1 (21:13):
But yes, Daddy's wife, well she's too late. Oh no, sh.

Speaker 2 (21:29):
H, that was too close, gotty. Yeah, shall we join
the lady. Well, there's enough of the authorities now, of course.
And I don't think there's much doubt about the outcome.
Nimble's attempt to kill us For the clincher, that's the

(21:51):
Tommy Walker of the air. Well, you'll have to pay
him off. On Old Bill's policy expensing count total including
the trip back to Hydrid two twenty four ninety five
Australian Johnny Dies