Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This is your host, Adam Graham. If you have a comment, email it to me Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot net, follow us on Twitter at Radio Detectives, and become one of our friends on Facebook, Facebook dot com slash Radio Detectives. While we reached the end of the second week of our Listener Support campaign. To participate in this year's campaign, we need to hear
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first ever major Gregory Keene serial from Australia. Then on Sunday we continue our countdown of radio's most Essential People, with number ten on the list. So you can check those out at Great Detectors dot net. You can also subscribe to the articles through the Kindle Store if you have a kindle. Now it's time for today's episode of the Lineup, The Elsner Case, Ladies and Gentlemen, by transcription, we take you now behind the scenes of a police head
quarters in a great American city. We're under the cold, glaring lights will pass before us. The innocent, the vagrant, the thief, the murderer. This is the lineup. See, Lieutenant, I didn't figure I was getting all this. I thought all I had to do was to tell you what I saw in white Gate Park last night. That is all you have to do, is mee yes, sit down, let me take a few minutes. We want to see if you can identify the man on the park
who walked past the bench where you and your girl were that song. We picked up someone who fits the description you gave us. Oh yeah, sure, Well, like I said, Lieutenant, Gloria, my girl that is, was repairing her lipstick when this guy saundered by. Boy. Imagine me putting a finger on a murder in the see few people out there on the other side of the wire in the audience room. May I have your attention? Please thank you. My name is Greb, Sergeant Matt Greb. I'll
explain the line after you. Each of the suspects you will see will be numbered. I'll call up a number, their name and charge. If you have any questions or identifications, please remember the number assigned to the prisoner as I call his name. If you're sure enough too sure of the suspect, have him held the officers who took your name will assist you. They're seated among you identification. When the prisoners leave here, they are sent to the
bathroom and dressed back into their jail clothes. It makes it quite difficult to bring them back after they meet here. The questions I asked these suspects are merely to get a natural tone the voice, so do not pay too much attention to their answers, as they often lie ring on the line. All right, boys, all right, let's move this way over to the end of the stage. That's it. I've turned it face to the front and steer science look straight ahead. Number one Charles helps her assault. Why are
we finding Charles? The time that he worked? That was then? Talk up, Charles, it was last you wish I was dead. Witnesses say you started a child. Hey, whiteness, says the dog guy and his money. Number two Maurice called her and drunk it dissorderly on private property? Are you and Marie's on the water? Why didn't you start up? The sentence in the day of the lobby was drunk? I guess anyhow, when I got inside and found out I had already seen the picture, and they
wouldn't give him a forty cents mat number three, Jimmy better vagrancy. How long have you been in town? Better? Sixty one years? I don't know if I was born here. I didn't you like I told you? Called him with a nose it What does the pincake? Sergeant Graham number three hold for interrogation? Okay, better run in here. I'll be back in a few minutes. Ben Okay, man come in Betterim sit down over there.
Yes, we want a few facts, Vetim. Early this morning, an unidentified woman of about sixty was found choked to death in the park. A nice looking unidentified woman of about sixty Vetom, nice looking until she was strangled, So so the corner says she was murdered some time between nine and eleven last night. I don't get it to Kennan this morning, I'm picked up in an alley sleeping office note for it. Now, this what's the connection. A kid who was making in the park last night, not fifty
feet away from the dead woman. That's the connection, Vetterom. A kid who read about the killing in this morning's paper and came in and gave us a description of the man who saw in the park at a little after eleven. I still don't get a time when I try this. The description the kid gave us was a bald man with a nose light as a pancake who keeps sniffing all the time. That better is the reason we picked you up.
Not for sleeping in and out. No, no, And just to make it all real tight, five minutes ago the kid identified you in the liner. No, that ain't so he couldn't have. It was dark out in the pocket. Okay, Lieutenant, I was in the park, all right. I might as well save it's both a lot of time and tell you the rest. You kill the venom stick up that got out of hand when she's down to the yell, Lieutenant, she was dead when I got
there. I'd I have a smoke, Lieutenant. Yeah. I was walking through the park, Lieutenant, looking for a good spot to flap for the night, when I saw something shiny off and the bushes away. This here house key. I bent down to pick it up. I saw the body. She was dead like a door and there was no one around. I'm sure, and then positive I looked good. Any hives flat broke, So I went through a pocket. She didn't have no pocketbook. It's the buck and a half and change in a coat. That's all I took, and
I beat it. I walked slow past those kids on the and so they wouldn't be suspicious. That's a little tenant to too, So I help me. The line ups finished? Ben, Is there anything I can do? Yeah? Turned Vetta here over the sergean quine with you'm AT's gonna hold him on suspicion of murder Loo kenn And I already told you still be right back, Ben, All right, Hi Becker, Hi man, morning Antenna.
Here's the first reporting that body in Whitegate Park. Not much, no identification yet, Becking and it maybe a while most of the stuff she was wearing was homemade and home washed or no labels and no lawnd remark. Also there's no record of her. Prince here or in Washington Coroner's office is checking out her dennerwork now, probably as soon as we get something antennant right, Yeah, yeah, Well Ben, what a Becker had? Does it look like
Jimmy Better? Maybe? I don't know. He says he was walking through the park spot of this key, and then the buddy it's robbing it no more? M Well, where do we go from here, Ben, well until we get something on the body this key, I guess. Come on, let's check with Harrison on the robbery detail. Get a listing of locksmith I tell it if you may be lucky. If this key, how's that? Harrison? One thing? The number punched on it, but the locksmith
had turned it out. This G one oh four here is a local serial number. Get the name of the dress out of the fire in a minute. But better than that, the key itself is for a Brussel dunlap lock. Pretty rare in this part of the country, so the locksmith may remember who he made it for. Of course, on the Yale or master padlock wouldn't stand a churn. Or don't locksmiths have to keep a record on each key they turn out, Harrison, No, no, certain only keep a
record when they make a key for a specific lock. Nothing when they make a keeper key. Let's see who G one oh four is I one thing? What all four? Here we are Wallerman Key shop three nine two? All the stock Plemont Avenue is right? Freddy, Jeff fine wet cross your fingers, Matt Hope, he's part elephant. Yeah, yeah, okay, now Jens what can I do. We're from the police department, mister Wallerman, I'm Lieutenant Guthrie the sergeant Graham. We'd like to ask you about a
key. Oh key I made? Yeah, this key, mister Wallerman, you happen to know who you made it for? Brastil done laugh huh. Don't often make one of these once twice a year. Good luck, all right, but it's unusual. What is it, mister Wallerman? You remember something? Yeah? Had temper? Sure two months ago. I was a guy with nice clothes and a nice way of talking until he got sore. Yeah, I remember now said I took too long. I was a blundering idiot. That's it. You know this man's name is a dress No,
I don't, but he does live in the neighborhood. How do you know, then, because I've seen him a couple of three times a Tommy loves place. Tommy runs a Chinese hand laundry over the next block. This must be a customer hit. What does this man look like? Always kind of talk in face, sharp nose. But don't worry Tommy Lowell nor just mentioned his temper. Who watched Lieutenant Norman you speak over very well? Or his name mister Learnhood Elstone. He lived one or five doing Boulevard. Yes,
missus Elsman, and we're from the police department. Missus Elsman, I'm Lieutenant Guthrie. This is Sergeant Graham. How do you do missus? And Missus Elson? Is your husband at home? We'd like to talk to him. Yes, he's inside listening to the radio. Just a moment now, car and excuse me. See if the key fits? Will your many? Yeah? It works all right then, uh huh. And here's Elsman now, Missus Elsmer, I'm Lieutenant Guthrie. That's Sergeant Graham. We'd like a few
words with you. Please get it well, living room is this way? You gent alone? Thank you? Oh, Missus Elson, if you don't mind, we'd like to talk to your husband alone, of course, all right, arm down, gentlemen. Frankly, I'm cured us to know what this is about. Do you mind telling me what it's about? A woman? Mister Elsman, an elderly unidentified woman who was found choked to death in the park last night. Woman choked to death? I don't understand. Do
you want to talk to me about that? That's right, tell me, miss Elsa. Did you read about this in the newspapers. No, I haven't seen the paper today. Do you mind telling us what you did last night? I stayed at home all evening, miss, all evening? Now what is it all about, miss Delsona? Do you recognize this key? Right? My house key? One does like it? Do you have your house key with you now, mister Dlsma, I doom together with all my
keys. Yeah. How many house keys are there for everyone who lives here? I mean three, four or five? Maybe, I don't know. They're all around. There's a main hal one she does. She let herself in with one a few minutes before you were out. And joy, miss Dlsmon, she has the key, of course, of course, now look here, enough of this. Why all these stupid questions about house keys, What if anything do they have to do with a woman who was strangled in
white? They'd parklers? Well, well, this key was found near the body, mister Elsener, and there were signs of a struggle, which could mean that whoever killed a woman dropped this key your key? But I have bi herkey. I just showed it to you there, and I'm sure my wife does too. And what about extra keys? Are they around? I couldn't say. House keys are famous for getting lost to tennant. Did you ever lose one since you've been in this house? Yes, yes, about
two or three months ago. Where'd you lose it? Here? At home in the street? I don't know. It wouldn't be lost if your camp please control thisself, please, I'm sorry, it's good. I'd be glad to answer your questions. Cal leave it. That won't be necessary, mister Olsener. Now by last night, you say you were here, yes, Carol, here I went to bizarre what was it? A gander? The
Woman's arg January of the North Point Country Cloud. I'm Cheerman. We're raising money developing your cloud house next spring, I see, mister d Elsoner. Did you have any callers last night? Any visitors of any kind? Yes? I did. Can you remember them specifically? I think so. There was the newsboy he was making his weekly collection about nine, I'd say for what paper, Miss Dlson, the Evening Star, and anyone after that, mister Elsener. Two people along about ten, a delivery boy from the liquor
store at King He brought two bottles of the scotch. At ten thirty a friend of my wife's dropped him looking for Ruth Malad. He lived at the Park Neverland stay. About twenty minutes we watched a television show together, a quick show called Number three, A Brooklyn housewife, one attack park, some question about Tightnit. Then gentleman that eleven I had a long distance person to person call from a mister Saul Meadow toy jobber and the moin Iowa, I
manufactured toy. Now is there anything else? No, sir, not right now. Anyway, We'll be in touch, Can I missus Elsa good night? Good night sergeant, and I mister goodnight. In Omen Mister Elsma said he didn't read about the killing in the paper, so so I'd like to know how he knew what happened in Whitegate Park. We never mentioned the park by name. Next Sunday CBS brings you an exciting, timely appraisal of the world situation and some of the answers when ten top CBS correspondents are heard in
the special broadcast entitled The Challenge of the fifties Years of Crises. For the past month, these famous CBS reporters have been interviewing world leaders on Next Sunday's broadcast. You'll hear on special recordings what these leaders predict. Edward R. Murrow will be the moderator. Don't miss this unusual significant broadcast The Challenge of the Fifties, next Sunday afternoon on most of these same CBS stations. How
did you get that? Willis? I'm warning against King's Liquor store. They're supposed to have sent two bottles to Scotch to Elsma last night about ten twenty. Yeah, and get a hold of the newsboy who collects for that route, will you. It's the Evening Star. Yeah, that's right, And I put a tracer on a person to person called Elsma claims he got at eleven from us Sall Meadows in Des Moines. Yeah. I want every bit of that alibi check right. You know, Ben, personally, I think
you're wasting your time checking Elson's alibi. Yeah, yeah, it sounds good to me. Too many people involved to be a phony. We'll see there's something wrong there someplace. Matt Well, the keymaker, backs up Elsner in his story about losing the key for my money, You're reaching quite a way is to tie a well to do guy like Elsner into a threadbare old lady dead in a public park. Why would he do it? Ben, That's what beats me. Why ain't got me? Well, anyway, I'd go
easy if I were you. Ellison is a kind of bird that really blows his lid over a false arrest. In fact, there was come in call a tenant, Matt I Becca, Well, we got an identification on the old lady in Whitegate Park. We trace the shoes they'd been half sold lately, and we finally located the shoemaker, a guy away out in the Henning district. He just now identified the body, Edna Cooney four four one two Durban speed. That's a walk up and it checks up. Who'd you talk
to? There be a landlady and missus Peters, she says. Missus Cooney had had a room there for about six months. Let's go, man, I just can't believe she was such a sweet little old thing. My terrible that's what it is. Down this way, gentlemen, thank you? When did you say it happened? And last night missus Peters? Sometime between nine and eleven? Didn't you notice she was gone? Today? Man? No,
I didn't, Sergeant. Sometimes I go a week or more without seeing all my tenants, especially the quiet one and this is her, the one here right, duffy in here, I better open. I wouldn't bother. We won't be here long. Yeah, we just want to look around. Maybe she kept a date book or a diary something she did it be over there on that table with the drawer. She was a nice, sweet woman, sergeant, one of the best tenants I ever had. It's terrible.
I can't ma this picture of missus Peters. Who is it? You know? Yes, that's her? Oh my goodness. What's the matter? That's Jim her son. That boy doesn't even know yet? It is mother? Is it here? In tom what? As far as I know, he lives over on the south side. Some face works in the mill over there stamping. Now, I think would another name than that? Would it be
mcclennon, Lamb. She got a metal ash tray here and I let her open her both stamped with the compliments and mcclemlon land one oh two fourth South Market And let's try it, and missus Peters leave everything just as it is and keep this room locked. William, we may be banged. This must be him in one of the saving I'm Jim Clooney. Yeah, let's go inside there Jim out of the snoise where we can talk. Go ahead, Jim, I'm Lieutenant Ben Guthrie its stage and Graham and from the police department.
Jim, Police, what do you want with me? And wait, wait, wait, I'm afraid we've got some bad news for you. It's your mother. We mom, what's happened to her? She hurt. It's worse than that fellow. She's dead, Jim. Dead. Happened last Sunday nine. Her body was found in White Big Park. But how she was murdered? Jim, Mom, murder? Who did it? We don't know, but maybe you can help us. Just answer some questions. Sure, go ahead, I'm open to What do you want to know? When don't
you see your mother last? Jim? Yesterday afternoon about one o'clock. I guess buddy drove me out to her place. Lieutenant, I don't get this. I'm never went out at night, and maybe once or twice to a movie. But the park, she never went in there. When when you were with it, she seemed upset about anything. No, not a bit. What you sat around and talk like always? Now, what did you
talk about? Anything special? The same old things? My job, draft my gas station, you've got a gas station, Jim, It's not really mine. It's one i'd like to have. It's not on grand guy's gonna sell out and attire used to talk about me buying it and going into business for myself. I'll never have that kind of money. Yesterday, Mom was kidding around that she was gonna borrow the don payment for me. She ran into a wealthy old friend, she said, some guy she knew twenty five
years ago. I worked for the same company up in Evanston for a while after my dad died. She hadn't seen this guy since then, but unst she ran into him on the street last week and recognized him. She got a big kick out of it. Did she mention his name? Yeah? It was Melvin something Melvin Melvin barryot was you know where we can get in touch with him? No, do you want him? Maybe your mother wasn't kidding about borrowing the money. I mean, what is that funny where the
kids are concerned? You know? But by the way, did you ever hear of a Leonard Elsner live was up on Dwyne Boulevard. No, wait a minute, it's funny. What's funny, Jim? But you mentioned that Dwayne Boulevard. All right, what about it? Mom used to go up there quite a bit. She used to take a bus to the library up there and watch him. I think she said that that's where she was coming
out of the library when she ran into this. Melvine Berry sent back, Yeah, about thirty minutes ago, Maddie was on his way down the file. Oh okay, thanks man back here man any luck. Yeah, we had a dig back into the nest for this one. Have a look. Melvin Barry escaped and stake country February nineteen thirty. Evanson had him from embezzelment, tried and convicted up there into seven nineteen twenty nine, got five years. The nice second guy, pretty dapper without mustache. Man, you see
what I see? Huh Now, I guess not. We'll look skip the mustache, forget it. The eyes, not the eyes. Holy smoke. You weren't wasting your time checking on that alibi after all, Ben don gusmine, I'm good. Put him on. Yeah, yeah, go ahead, willis Well Jacks all of it you okay, Okay, when was that song? Don't tell me? Yeah? Alsoner's alibi is air time. That's almost impossible. Matters of fact. Let's go, man, go away to the
Olsena residence, one hundred and five Dwayne Boulevard. But I know what I said, Let's go look three when you fellas were here before I tried my festival. I know, I know. But we found out a few things since then. We want to find out a few more like Well, for one thing, there are four parks in this city. That's an interesting bit of information. So how did you know the murder took place at White Gate? You said you hadn't read about it. Neither of us mentioned white Kate,
probably natural assumption. That's the largest parking pound. I I simply another thing. We had a long talk with Jim Cluney today, and he's the dead woman's son. He told us how his mother ran into an old friend right out here on Dwayne Bologo. She hadn't seen the man in twenty five years. Go on, if you've got a point, get to it or get out of here. I'll get to it, mister Elsmer. The man's name was Melvin Berryer. The girl go on and got him. We checked
on him. He was convicted of embezzlement up in Evanstone back in nineteen twenty nine escape from prison in nineteen thirty. He was never caught. Of course, we have his picture in Prince. It won't be any trouble. I don't know what you're talking about. If this is unpraised a way of accusing me a murder than the rest of block on. Nobody's accusing you of murder. Elsner. We know you didn't do it right, but of course now you were home here your alibi checked all the way. Yes, right,
But there are all the circumstances. We can't ignore them in spite of a perfect alibi. You know, missus Elson, a life like that Melvin Berry lives must be a well, must be putting thesable, constantly afraid that the next time he turns around somebody will recognizing, Always under a shadow of fear. No matter how successful he is, there's always the dread that sometimes,
someplace, someone will know him. Don't you think so? Missus Elson must be even worse for a woman who loves a guy like that, wouldn't you say, missus Elson? She could never escape it, couldn't she The more she stood to lose like welcome social position, and worse it'd gotten until finally, until finally, Finally, Ed mcclooney was murdered. Edd clooney ran up against a person like that, just because she recognized an old friend who had
a secret. She didn't know about the secret, but she did want about money. And that's all it took, wasn't The killer could only figure one way blackmail. Everything was ruined suddenly, all the fears and all the suspicions that had been piling up for years broke loose. Didn't didn't they? Yeah, don't kids, Yes, let's turn. I can't take anymore. I had to do it. I had to kill her. I knew it from the instant when he had told me she'd recognized him. His mouth and barry.
No other way up, no other way. I left the bazaar, arranged to meet her in the park. When she said she wanted money, I grabbed her choked. Oh I didn't know anything about it. So it okay, man, my k okay, give her some help out. So so she gets folded, whist and we'll all go downtown and put it on paper, the line up or before you passed, the innocent, the vagrant, the thief, the murderer. Listen again next week when we again bring
you the lineup. May I have your attention? Three? You'll people laugh. Then on the other side of the ar, may I have your attention? Please? Thank you. My name is Greb, Sergeant Matt Grebb. I'll explain the line up through you. Each of the suspects you will see will be numbing. I'll call up a number, then name and charge. If you have any questions or identification, please remember the number of signing to the prisoner as I call his name. You're sure, I'm sure of the
sign up. The line up, starring Bill Johnstone as Lieutenant Ben Guthrie and Wally Mayor Sergeant Matt Grabb, is written by Gene Leavitt and Bob Mitchell, the music by Eddie Dunnstetter. Featured in tonight's cast were Gil Stratton, Ted Osburne, Parley bear Herd, Butterfield, Robert Griffin, and Virginia Gregg.
The lineup was transcribed in Hollywood. Hi himI del Faye. The big postseason football game of the year, the Rose Bowl contest between Michigan and California, will be broadcast next Monday, New Year's Day over most of these same CBS stations for action, color, excitement. Be sure you're on hand for this great sports event, the Rose Bowl game between Michigan and California. Dan Coverley speaking, this is CBS where you find songs for sale every Friday night at
the Columbia Broadcasting System. Well, come back, and we have yet another case of crook's assuming everyone else must be crooked. And of course the poor lady who was killed had no idea about the secret, but it was assumed that the only reason she would be asking for a loan or for money to help out her son was not were old time's sake, but because she knew about the secret, and leads to a bit of a tragic end here.
All right, Well that'll do it for today. Join us tomorrow we'll be bringing you a video theater episode one, last episode of the Court of Last Resort ahead of next week being the final episode we have of a life in your Hands. Our listeners, support Kim hen continues. Support us at support dot great Detectors dot net. Follow the program on Twitter at Radio Detectors, and be sure and fill out our listeners survey survey dot rate detectors dot net.
But from Boise, Idaho, this is your host, Adam Grahamson and off