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 our Radio Detectives. What makes the Golden Age of Entertainment so great? In my new e book What made the Golden Age Shine, I argue that it's more than being on fact. There were some distinctive and very unique
qualities about the Golden Age of entertainment that made it so unique. And in What made the gold Maid Sean, I'll make my case signs such examples as Jimmy Duranty Lucastello on with the Wind. It's a great and engaging read for fans of the Golden Maige entertainment, and it's available for the kindle and you can borrow it for free if you're an Amazon Prime subscriber. Well, let's
go ahead and get into today's episode of Yours Truly, Johnny Doller. This one is called the Punk's Achilius, Firebug Matter, Wigley's Fermint Chewing Gum, The refreshing, delicious treat that gives you chewing enjoyment. Presents for y'all listening enjoyment. John Lund as Johnny Doller, Jeff Johnny, Oh hy, Jeff, I haven't heard from real fast like well, I never know you to be in a hurry. J It's a firebug, Johnny four fives four weeks
total claims to date ninety five thousand skeeps up. I ain't got no job left. You just gotta get out here tonight. You're kind of rushing things, aren't you? They meet Johnny or it's the firebug? Who'd you'd like to be here? When number five goes up? That means you're going to be in on the ten o'clock flight. Don't tell me he works on schedule every Tuesday night at eleven o'clock. What do you say, Pal, I'll
be there. The makers of Wrigley's Spearmint Chewing Gum bring you John lundon another adventure of a man with the action packed expense account America's fabulous free Lance Insurance Investigator. Yours truly, Johnny Dollar Friends. The makers of Wrigley's Spearmint Gum present these weekly Adventures of Johnny dollar because they know all the admillions of you enjoyed Jhnny dollar. That's true of Wriggley's Spearmint Chewing Gum two. It's enjoyed
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chew a stick. You'll like it. You really will. Expense accounts submitted by a special investigator, Johnny Dalla to Home Office Eastern Indemnity and Fire Company, Hartford, Connecticut. The following is an accounting of expenditures during my investigation of the Antillius firebug matter. Expensive count at one one hundred and thirteen dollars
and twenty cents airfare between Hartford and Dallas, Texas. You're Southwestern States Manager Jeff Cunners met the ten o'clock flight at Love Airport and drove me down to your offices on South Aycard Street. There they are Johnny number one, candy store out Northwest, number two, two family residents on east Side, three small factory out on Commerce Avenue. Four garage and repair shop out Southwest Grand. Total claims is ninety five thousand, and it's all yours. These all
follow the same time pattern. Everyone comes Tuesday night around eleven o'clock and that firebugess naturally lights up all new policies Jeff written within the past six weeks to two months. It's right. I think hardly gets cold on the premium checks when it gets all hotted up again, all the claims, any connection between the policy holders. Can't find one of thre hall in different businesses, different parts of the city. The whole thing just don't make sense. It does
if the bug is in your own organization. Yeah, that's what Lynn Borchardt says. Who's Borcher, Detective Lieutenant Arson Division. He's been working on it. How's he making out well? I got ten men out in the field, two gals in the office here, lots of alibis to check out. It takes time. So far, there's no reason to suspect anybody. Those fires are reason enough. But man, why do anybody want to do anything
like that? Well, when it comes to firebugs, who knows, could have a grudge against you or the coming, or maybe it'd just like to see them flame shoot up. H that's as good a reason as any. Well, whatever it is, we sure got to get this boy, Johnny. This kind of thing keeps up, I'll be losing my job, my home, my wife and everything else. I M, what's the time, Johnny? It's uh forming us after eleven? Wouldn't want to lay a little
bit while this phone's ringing at this time of night? Would you? Eastern Ademnity? Connors M? Yeah, that's figured. Where'll I get that address? That's uh, wait a minute, that's seven two five East Westchester. Yeah, I got it? Yeah, thanks, Lieutenant? Be seen it number five? Yep, big apartment building out in Westchester. You're sure it's one of yours. Wrote the policy on it myself four days ago. Well, let's get out there and have a look. Huh man, that's sure.
I'm gonna yeah, there's another one you're gonna write off. You can say, oh, oh, there's Lynn bartchit over there. Didn't I be down here so quick? Let's say what he's got to say. Yeah, sure, I had, Lieutenant, we got down here right five be readonable film with Connor. Not much I do coore she cooled down. I won't be before morning. I lying going to meet Johnny Dalald. Lieutenant Well,
i'll investigators release Johnny this lieutenant land boyt let An. Everything looks like our firebug didn't waste any time showing himself off to you, mister Dollard, No question about it being taught well that guy said, I won't be able to get in there until morning. But when you figure the pattern where that fire rolled up in the pole, no doubt in my mind. Who reported it? Fellow my name and Henderson at the second four apartment West called in from
a hallway telephone. What kind of a story did he give him? He didn't got trapped up there on the second floor, suffering third degree burns and shocked. He's not in any shape to talk to anyone. You don't know that I care to be around when he is fit to talk, though, always as his wife and two kids, they're still in that fire. Someone Jeff Connors went back to the office to wire his preliminary report to Hartford,
while I stayed around to see if anything would turn up. By one thirty am, the only thing we'd learned was that our only possible witness, Hendrickson, had died en route to the hospital. A preliminary check of the record seemed to indicate that the fire had started in the basement, but it was still too hot to check into thoroughly, so Lieutenant Borcher drove me back downtown.
I'll dig into it in the morning, Dollar, but I can tell you right now, I'll find Oh, what's that, Lieutenant, There'll be four or five hot spots indicating the use of kerosene gasoline, something like that amount of paraffin drippings. Sounds like a candle's used for a slow fuse. That's what we figured. Found the same drippings in all the other fires. Any idea how slow a fuse it is, looks like an hour and a
half two hours. He gives a bug plenty of time to get away, fix himself up in Alibis somewhere, Conna says, you think it's someone in his organization. Old pattern points that way. Haven't been able to run him down, though takes a lot of legwork. Connas has been a big up go operating right down the line, knowing him a long alan, oh four or five years off the line. He's a good man. Yeah, he doesn't seem to be letting his personal trouble to interfere with his work any What
personal troubles are those? Well, he's been pretty broke for the last six months or so. Wife's been sick, run up a lot of doctor in hospital builds, had to buy a new home recently. Oh, why's that last one burned down? Lost his eight month old son, and that fire's been pretty rough going for him. Yeah. Well, when we get this firebug pinned down, might help him some take some of the pressure off or
leave his mind. Maybe he are dolla? Oh thanks the tennant It checked with me in the morning, Dollar, and think over what I've been saying. Maybe something will come to mind. Yeah, yeah, I'll think about it. I had Bocher dropped me off at your office, Billy. I I figured i'd pick up my bag and talk things over with Jeff before checking into a hotel. I let myself in with a key Jeff had given me and headed for his inner office. Wow, good morning. Oh are you
Johnny Dollar mean anything to you? Johnny Dollar. Oh and you're that insurance investigat mister Connis that was coming up from the east. That's right. Well, I'm plenty happy to hear that. You gave me a pretty bad stop, mister Dollar. I'm sorry. I'm Sally Martin, mister Connor's secretary. And the rest of it. Well, you mean what I'm doing up here? Well, I'm as curious as the next guy. What I promised to
have the material ready for mister Conners in the morning. I let their office to night in such a hurry I forgot it and we'll just drop fire to get it ready for him. You're a pretty conscientious employee, miss Martin, getting out of bed at two in the morning to come down to the office or something like that. Oh, No, wasn't that way at all? Oh what way was it? Well? I had a date this evening dinner theater and the club Romulo is down the street. Stopped up here on my
way home. M Is this cterial mister Connors wanted ready in the morning. Yes, it is comprehensive fire policy on the property at seven twenty five East Westchester. That's right. That's pretty coincidental, isn't it? Or maybe you didn't know that there was a fire out there tonight, Piet Oh, no, any idea why mister Connors wanted this particular policy out. I think if you have any more questions to ask, mister Dollar, mister Connors should be
here to answer them personally. That sounds reasonable, and maybe we should ring in Lieutenant Borchard too. Lieutenant Hey, Sally, what's keeping you so long? Oh? Hi, didn't know anyone else was up here with you. Well, this is Johnny Dollar, one of our investigators. Bill, mister Dalla, this is Bill Friendly. Well, Glad, I know you're mister
Dollar. I was telling mister Dollar about the wonderful time we had tonight dinner in the theater and being at the club Romulo until just a few minutes ago. Huh oh yeah, yeah, that's right. We did have a swell time. But honey, it's getting late, so if you were ready, let's run along. Okay, Bill, good night, mister Dallas. Glad I met your dollar. Hope to see you again sometime. Being a firm believer in the ability of my subconscious to resolve any knotty problems, I checked
into the Baker Hotel for the night. The bed was very comfortable, but my subconscious didn't come up with a thing. Expensive. Guy had him two three dollars and seventy five cents Texas style breakfast, including steak and fried potatoes. That supplied me with enough energy to walk over the City Hall and looking on Lieutenant Fortune. It was a little hit and run accident corner of Westchester and Gates by nine o'clock last night. Dolla. It's just half block away
from where the fire was. Seems a fifty three Ford stand park down the street there suddenly took off without lights, spun around the corner and throw the fender off another car coming up the street. Do you think there's some tie in between that and the fire, Well, one of the boys in traffic thoughts. So, after witness gave him the license number the Ford, he
checked it through motor vehicle who was a registered to Jeff Connors friends. No matter what kind of work you do, there are bound to be times when the job seems monotonous, you feel tense and restless, and you need something to give you a boost. Well, you'll be surprised how helpful a stick of Wriggly's spearmint chewing gum can be at times like that you see. Chewing on a smooth piece of Wriggly's spearmint gum is a natural way to ease tension
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And now, with our star John Lund, we bring you the second act of yours, truly, Johnny Dollar. The Traffic Divisions report of the hit and run accident on Westchester the night before added nothing to what Lieutenant Borchhold had already told me. Jeff Conner's Ford had been parked halfway down the block at approximately nine to five PM, had roared away from the curb without lights, turned the corner on the gates, smashed into the side of another car.
Some ten feet from the intersection and kept right on going. That'd be some reason for Connor's being there just two hours before the fire, and for taking off from such an old fire to hurry that way without light. Well, let's get Jeff's side of the story before we jump to conclusions. Listen, I don't believe much in coincidence, mister dollar. Time element checks out two. The two hours between the accident and the fire. We know those candle
uses burned an hour and a half two. Leaving here at nine gave him plenty of time to ditch the corn meet you at the airport with a pretty clean alibi. He wasn't driving a forward when he picked you up, was he? No, it was a plymouth coop. Maya. Well, that's his wife's car. And what if you're done about getting him in But he's not at home, he's not at his office. Nothing else I could do but send out a pickup on him. Leave word for me at the Baker
Hotel when you're getting with him. Sure thing, mister Donner, I know how you're feeling about it. I'm sure sorry. Expensive can at him three two dollars and twenty five cents cab fare out to the modern subdivision where Jeff Connors had his new home. Missus Connors turned out to be a sweet, nice looking young woman whose recent illness was still apparent. I'm sorry you had the long ride out here for nothing, mister dogger. Jeff's not home.
He left early to get his car fixed or something bad. You didn't call first. Oh that's all right, Missus Kenners. It's you I wanted to see. Oh yeah, well, I rather guess I knew that it's about Jeff, isn't it. Those fires? That's right? And you've noticed it too. Terrible things were in Sir Can due to a man. Wow, until six months ago, Jeff was the happiest man I'd ever known. Then a lot of world just fell apart. That's when your home burned, Missus
Kenners. One lost that time. Something happened to Jeff, then don't happened to me too. I broke down. I had to be hospitalized with with Jeff, Well, that was different. How do you mean he bottled everything up inside it and refused to let it come out and never even talked about it. A person can't do that, mister Donna. You mentioned the recent fires, Missus Kenners, any particular reason why, Yes, that's why has me worried so ever since they started, he's become terribly depressed. I'm afraid
he's going to break down under the stream. That's the only reason you mentioned them. Yes, And I decided to depressing my power to help him. I thought, perhaps if we moved away from Dallas at night help but he wouldn't do that. And I tried to get him interested in sports. That brought the first encouraging sign I've had in six months. Oh what was it, missus Connors. Well, usually on Monday and Tuesday nights, Jeff brings work home with him, all the mail that's accumulated over the weekend, the
new premiums and renewals and so on. Uh huh. Well, for the past five weeks, mister dollar, believe it or not, Jeff has gone bowling every Tuesday night. He's become so infused about it, like he hasn't come home before midnight on any Tuesday evening since. Now, don't you think
that's encouraging, mister dollar? Expensive cont item four fifteen dollars and seventy five cents cab fair in and around the city of Dallas I sent the rest of the day checking the neighborhoods where the fires had occurred, talking to policyholders, neighbors, anyone who might give me a new or different slant. I came up with nothing. Around five o'clock I called in to Lieutenant Borchard. Still the same man said, mister Dollar, the neighboud picked up Conna. Yet
we checked out Sally Martin and Bill Treandler. Though anything there there in the club rhyme like, they said, yeah, I see, While it looked like something might have tied in. Grandler used to work for Connor. You know. Trandler was with Eastern Indemnity until about two months ago. We have left the town of business of his own bowling alley expensive count item of five a dollar and sixty cents cab fair to Trendler's bowling him for him on East
Gotto Street, five alleys and a drink and sandwich bar. Fundler was keeping score for a couple of high school bobby suckses over on Alley number three. Don't let it get you down on it happens to the best of us. Take off one of them anyway, and I talk to you for a minute. Mister Trendley. Oh, it's you, the insurance man, Johnny Dollar, isn't it. That's right? What's on your mind? Dollar? I'd like to talk to you for a minute about the fires. Yeah, take
over for the girls gym. I'll be right back. Let's go on the office. Dollar, Let's have a dollar. He used to work for Jeff Connors at Eastern Yeah, sure, up until two months ago. Why did you quit? I just wasn't cut out to be a good insurance salesman. So you open this bowling alley? Anything wrong with that? Well? They tell me it takes money to open these things. I had a few bucks saved from not being a good insurance salesman. Why the interest in my fiens
at a dollar? Oh, I'm just curious. She's curious about something else. Huh. Okay. Did Jeff Cunners ever come bowling here? Yeah? A couple of times. Jeff's wife says he's been bowling every Tuesday night. I wouldn't know. Last time I saw him was four weeks ago. Last night. Any idea where he might have been those other Tuesday nights? Why? I'd asked Sally Martin what she got to do with it? She's a secretary. She was with him the times he came here. Maybe they figured
out something better to do with their Tuesday nights. She was out with you last night, yep, every minute from six o'clock for two fifteen dinner theater Club Romulo. Well, you can always walk out of the theater before the final curtain, and a ten dollar bill can make a nightclub way. They're pretty confused about time. Be kind of hard to prove anything like that, wouldn't it. Dollar, Well, there's no law against trying expense account at
them. Six one dollar and eighty cents cab fare back to your hosses. They were closed for the night at the Baker Hotel. I would a call into Sally Martin's apartment and got no answer. When I was trying to figure out the next move, Lieutenant Borchard called and made up my mind for me. Yet up front. In two minutes, Dollar, I'll pick you up. Where are we going? Tennant under the viaduct over the Trinity River? What's out there? Another fire? Nopef Connor's Ford, looking twelve feet of
water. Took about an hour for amobile crane to get there, and another thirty five minutes before the grappling hooks, got a solid hold and swung the car up on the dry land. Butcher and I were beside the car almost before the crane put it down. Well that's a big help. Disappointed lieutenant would have helped if he'd been in the car. Cost money to drag a river like this. I don't think you'll find him down there, and we've got a look. On his way back to City Hall, Butcher dropped me
off at the hotel. On a hunch. I went across the street and had a little talk with a night elevator man in your office building. Well, well, let's see. Seems to me somebody went up to eaton indemnity since closing time. Yep. Here Dars checked in at eight seventeen. Out again in eight twenty three. Sally Martin was anyone with her? Come to think it was fellow waiting outside in the car? Say no, I'm just wondered it was mister Connors himself expensive con at him seven six dollars and ninety
cents for a fast cab ride out to Sally Martin's apartment. The extra five was for the speed. Yes, mister, where is he? Sally? Where's who? Jeff Connors. Is he still here? Then you know that he was hiding here today Let's say I guess, all right, where is he? I don't know what now. Look, there have been five fires and three people are dead. You're hurting my arm, mister Dowler. I want to know what you were doing up at the office and where Jeff went
when he left here. We went up here to get a list of the new policies. It came in to day. Why what did Jeff want with him? I don't know. Well, there was some reason. What was it? I tell you, I don't know. I got back here to night and told him Missus Connors had called about the new policies. Made me drive right down. I've called the office. Well, Missus cons always did double check the policies with me because of the files he kept at home.
What was different about her call this time? Well, nothing except the day. Maybe she always called on Tuesday. There wasn't any real reason for her to call to day. Only one new policy had come in fire policy, Yes, on an apartment building out on the West side. Where is it, mister Dollar. I know what you're thinking, But Jeff didn't have anything
to do with those fires. Believe me, where's the policy? Sally over there on the table expensive count animate seven dollars and fifty cents cab there with speed to the newly insured a private building on the west side. I called Lieutenant Orchard from Sally's and he was there waiting for me. In spitted him yet, Lieutenant, Yeah, talking miss Martin's car back in the alleyway. What are you gonna take him? We'll just wait for you. Okay, let's go there it is, Donna. Yeah, keep your hands on the
wheel. Connor, don't worry, Lieutenant. I won't try anything you're expecting, as Jeff, No matter of fact, I was hoping you wouldn't show. Johnny, I wanted to handle this myself. You've been handling it that way too long. Connors, Yeah, I guess I had. I wasn't really sure till I saw the car last night. You read about the hit run of the morning papers. Is that why you're dumped it in the river? Didn't make much sense, I guess trying to cover up that way,
just getting kind of desperate. Where is she, Jeff, buy your wife? Where is she in the basement? Yes, she must be through by now. I was waiting for it to come out, trying to delay it all the last minute. I guess I'll have to get it. Kind of you, he'll treat it gently, won't you, Attendant, I'll worry. I'll treat her gently. Sally Martin's not mixed up in this Johnny boy. She was just trying to help her boss out of a jam. Didn't even know what it was. Don't worry about it, Jeff. Doesn't make much
sense, does a Johnny my old wife Firebug. I suppose maybe it was our home and a boy. I don't know. It doesn't make much sense. She was a lovely girl, Johnny, but was she'd noted he was such a lovely good Expense account atom nine thirty seven dollars and forty cents. Hotel bill and miscellaneous expensive count atom ten one hundred and nineteen dollars and ten cents. Air Fare back to Hartford expense account total three hundred nine dollars and
twenty five cents. Remarks. I've seen fires burn everything from blocks of tenements to a hole in a rug, but this is the first time I ever saw one actually burn the heart out of a man. I don't ever want to see it again. Yours tuny Jounty Dollar. Friends, Next time you chew a stick of Wriggly's spear Mint Gum, notice how cool and fresh it makes your mouth feel. That's because Wriggly's Spearmint Gum has lots of lively,
refreshing, real spearmint flavor in every stick. The minute you sink your teeth in, that fooling flavor begins to freshen your taste and relieve that hot, dry feeling in your throat. It sweetens the breath too. Millions of people carry Wriggly Spearmint gum with them wherever they go or quick, long lasting refreshment and for real chewing enjoyment. Next time you're at the store, get some Wriggly Spearmint chewing gum. Enjoy its refreshing flavor and good pleasant chewing often every
day. Remember that's Wriggly's Spearmint Chewing Gum, healthful, refreshing, delicious, yours truly, Johnny Dollar. Brought to you by Wriggley. Spearmint Chewing Gum, stars John Lund in the title role and was written by Sydney Marshall with music by Eddie Unsteader. Featured in tonight's cast were Hal March Barney Phillips, Jean Bates, Sam Edwards for Jim Gregg and Jim Nusser. Yours Truly Johnny Dollar is produced and directed by Him Delvai, the makers of Wriggley's Spearmint Chewing
Gum. Hope you enjoyed tonight's story of Johnny Dollar, and that you're enjoying delicious Wriggley's Spearmint Gum every day. This is Charles. I'm inviting you to join us again next week at the same time when from Hollywood John Lund returns as Yours Truly Johnny Doller. This is the CBS Radio Network Welcome back, well somewhat a good twist on a somewhat sad ending as the insurance agent who
was suspected ends up dealing with this a lot of grief here. You can really empathize with this very painful, very difficult situation that went through some good human drama here. Believe it or not, this episode has actually been used for mislabeled programs. Some have tried to pass this off, believe it or
not, as a Charles Russell episode. The first Johnny Doller from January seventh, nineteen fifty the title of that episode, it was nicknamed The Firebug Hunter matter the title that he gave in Charles Russell, Johnny Doller sort of ways press out my it's best those dinner jacket mother, I'm going to smoke. And usually when these sort of counterfeit shows are posted, I probably shouldn't say counterfeit, but mislabels shows, there's been some intentional doctoring to make it seem
plausible. They cut out the Wrigley Spearman ads, they cut out the parts that announced who the star is, and they distort the sound so you think it doesn't sound like Charles Russell because of the fact that the sounds disordered. But it doesn't sound like Charles Russell because in fact it's John Lutt, you know. And I think when you run into these mislabeled shows, it's not always a situation where you know somebody is trying to literally actually cheat on the
end the person you buy from. Because a lot of these a lot of websites that will sell these radio programs, they have sixty thousand or one hundred thousand separate shows they're showing, so they don't have time to be able to listen to them all Unfortunately, as a consequence of that, there have been times when the when cannons of radio programs have been corrupted in so the result of that is that some very dubious or mislabeled stuff ends up in circulation.
All right, well, listener comments and feedback. We begin with Bobby who said we started listening out to listening to yours truly, Johnny Doller, and we and we are now addicted. Thank you for all the work you do finding these Thanks so much, Bobby, and Genevieve says so much fun listening, which I do through iTunes makes the most dreary housework enjoyable. Enjoy your comments and like that they are sequential, so I'm not so I'm not listening
to the same ones. Please keep them coming. Would be great format for other genres of old time radio. Keep it up, thanks, Genevieve, and I agree about other formats. I've often thought it'd be nice if there were a show like this for comedies or for family dramas like Doctor Christian Family
Theater. But I've even thought of doing them myself. That you know, issue comes into play, and so I just hope someone else is able to take up that idea because there are a lot of interesting possibilities comedies, great comedians, sitcoms, why a variety of different topics could be done. Andrew
Ryans adds some insight about music he wrote in the Syndicated Radio Programs. He writes, from my understanding, they still do this today with a show that is syndicated, and everyone was listening to the same show, but local ads needed to be added. The music lets them know they can still run ads
today. They do this and may include show's name and return time. Most stations shows today use one sound or song on a loop, so when the sound engineer here's a change, he can end the commercial and bring back the show at the same time as all other shows around. And that's some interesting insight because I've often been listening to a radio program and they'll off either in the middle of commercial or middle of the host talking to go over to the
commercials. So kind of understanding the synchronization of that definitely helps. And that's got to be challenge more challenging when you're dealing with a live show as opposed to something transcribed. All right, well, that'll actually do it for today.
I do want to let you know we just passed our eight hundred and fiftieth episode mark, so on Sunday, we're going to bring you a special a little bit after the eight hundred and fiftieth show on Tuesday, So join us for episode eight fifty four s on Sunday Tomorrow is the lineup, and
join us back here on Friday for yours truly, Johnny Doller. In the meanwhile, send your comments to Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot net, follow us on Twitter Radio Detectives, and become one of our friends on Facebook, Facebook dot com US Radio Detectives. But from Boiseanta Ho, this is your host, Adam Grahamson and off