Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise Idahole. This is your host, Adam Graham. If you have a comment, email it to me Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot net. Become one of our friends on Facebook, Facebook dot com, Slash Radio Detectives, and follow us on Twitter at Radio Detectives. Well, before we do get started, I don't want to encourage you to check out store dot Great Detectives dot net, where you can find all of my ebooks such as What May the Golden Age Shine?
And All I Needed to Know I Learned from Colombo. Also audiobooks and paperbacks including Slim Incorporated, my first ever detective novel, at store dot Great Detectives dot net. Well, now it's time for our very last episode of Nick Carter. The original air date is December the twenty fifth, Christmas Day, nineteen forty nine, and that Tattle is the case of the Phantom shoplifter. Lacottahy Packing Company, makers of old Dutch cleanser and Delrich, is happy to
bring you today's Nick Carter Adventure transcribed. This was done so that everyone connected with this program would be able to spend Christmas Day at home with their families and now New Wonderful Old Dutch Cleanser, the only cleanser made with activated Seismatite, invite you to stand by for Nick Carter, Master Detective. Today's Nick Carter Adventure starring Lawn Clark, The Case of the Phantom Shoplifter, brought to
you by New Wonderful Old Dutch Cleanser. It is mid afternoon, a Sergeant Mathelson and Nick Carter in a speeding police car turned into a street of cheap rooming houses. You can understand Nick that Warren's Specialty shop can't stand losing all those expensive fur coats, even if it is a big woman's store. Assure it's the work of shoplifters. Sure, and we think Peggy Matthews, the girl we're going to see, is one of the shoplifters. Any reason to
pin it on her. We're all one of these store detectives. Spotted her on the store this afternoon, which got away from him. But after she left, another fur coat was gone. It just bound out where she lives. Yeah, we learned who she was from a beautiful set of fingerprints she left on the plastic case she had been handling. So I got a warren to pick her up. One suspicion. How many fur coats are they lost, Mattie? Oh it does no more, Nick, Each of them worth
over three thousand bucks. Quite a lost. Yeah, must have been meant they were. What do you want? But who are you? This is my room in house. I'm the landlady. We want to see Peggy Matthews. What do you want Peggy for? Take a look at this badge? A couple of flat feet. Okay, second floor, turned right into the hall. Oh that's better. Monday. Right with your form and break your heads. Thanks, he said, turned right at the top of the stairs. I don't hear anything, Nick. This warrant we can go right in
door is a lot. Great God, everyone moved faster than we did. Maddie. She's been strangled one of her own nylon stockings. In just a moment, we'll return to the case of the Phantom shoplifter. Today's adventure with Nick Carter. Maybe you are up way past midnight last night, trimming the tree, wrapping last minute packages, planning wonderful surprises to greet you youngsters when
they hopped out of bed at dawn this morning. You see, Christmas does get here, even though the youngsters think it's slow in coming, and you do somehow manage to get your thousand and one extra jobs done in time. And isn't it wonderful? Right now? Chances are you're all together, the whole kitten kaboodle of you, with your Christmas tree lights glimmering in the twilight, your radio turned on, a perfect opportunity for us to bring you this
special message. The makers of Old Dutch Cleanser are happy, indeed for the privilege of bringing these radio programs into your home about the year. Happy too that Old Dutch Cleanser itself is a trusted and helpful friend in so many of your homes. We hope you've all had a wonderful, wonderful Christmas Day never to be forgotten. Now back to the case of the Phantom Shoplifter. Today's
adventure with Nick Carter brought to you by new wonderful Old Dutch Cleanser. Nick and Mattie are back in the murdered girl's room after unsuccessfully searching the house for the killer. Several men from the homicide squad have just arrived and are going to work as Patsy Bowen hurries in I came as bad as I could. Nick. Oh, you didn't tell me it was a murder. We called
you, Patsy because we thought this needed a woman's touch. Oh yeah, this dead woman as Peggy Matthews, Patsy Jesus shoplifter who has seen acting suspiciously in the Warren Specialty Store this afternoon, just before another mink coat disappeared. Is this the code here on the chair. No, we found that one in a closed closet as she bought it a month ago in a small fur shop downtown. Now there's a label in the code, and we phoned the
store to check it. She paid four hundred dollars for it. Four hundred for this rabbit skin. Yeah, oh, she got stuck. But good. That's why I wanted you to see it, Patsy. I needed your opinion. Ah. Hey, Nick, look, I've been thinking maybe we ought to bring the manager of the fur department of Warren's Specialty Shop down here to look at her, just to be sure this is the girl he saw. Good idea, Maddie. Come on, Patsy, we'll bring it back
here soon. As McCAT matt So, this girl was murdered before you could talk to her in, mister Carter. That's right, mister dadd You show you'd recognize her again. Oh yes, this particular girl snooped around the fir department for some time, although I didn't see her take anything like you kept anying her. I am afraid I didn't. You see, I was very busy with miss Robart, missus Robart, she's a fashion expert on one of the women's magazines. Right, glad, this girl is dead, mister Carter.
One of our most expensive fur coats was missing right after she left the store. Maybe she could have told us what happened to it. We want to know where that coat went. We'll have to find out some other way, mister Doddon. The final curtain has fallen for Peggy Matthews. Well, mister Dodd, is this the woman you saw in your department store this afternoon, Yes, sergeant, I'm certain of it, no question at all. Uh huh. We're okay, mister Doddon. Thanks for coming down, or
pats you now'll run you back to the store, mister Dodd. We want to get a full description of the stolen coats. Anyway, Can we leave at once, mister Carter, you see miss Robart is waiting for me to get back. We've been in conference all afternoon where there's still a lot left to do. George, Sure, we leave in just a moment. Hey, Maddie, Yeah, Nick, did you dig up anything where we were?
Well, just one thing. Nick. The landlady broke down finally told me that Bruno Celia has come here to seet Peggy a couple of times recently. Bruno Celia, that's my character. I'll have a talk with him shortly. Oh well, mister Dodd, would you give me your expert opinion as to the value of this for a coat? It belonged to Peggy m he didn't shoplift that from O. Storms Bourne. I had roughly guessed it was worth about one hundred and fifty dollars A well, Nick, I guess I'm
a fairly good judge of fur values. Patsy means that she told us Peggy Matthews was cheated when she paid four hundred dollars for this coat. Mister Dodd, you just backed up her opinion. I see. Well, I don't think miss Matthew's minds being cheated anymore. Shall we go, Miss Bourne? Mister Carter, this is Audrey Robot, the fashion expert I told you about. Come on, miss Robot, how do you do? How do you do? Miss Robot? I I'm familiar with the work in the magazine Lovely.
Why thank you, Miss Bowen. Oh Nick, Just look at all these gorgeous fur coats hanging on the racks here. Mister Dodd, tell me just how many coats that shoplift is taken from this chart? Why? I can't say exactly. I don't have the figures and the prices on the coats. I mean, could anyone tell they were getting the best just by looking at the price tags? No? No, indeed, each coat is marked
with a code number. Only the sales lady knows what it sells. Board And you have no idea how the coats were smuggled out of here, none at all, mister. Carter. Store detectives are signed to this department. The spotted shoplift is dawdling them out, follow them to the street and stop them. But although we found a number of stolen items, there wasn't a single fur coat. Well, I don't think you're too careful with your coats, mister Dodd. All the time we've been talking, there's been a lovely
coat lying right there on that display table with no one near it. Oh that's my coat, miss Bowen. I threw it down there as I came in, and it's not as nice as it looks from here. Well you've had it a good many years, Audrey, nothing last forever. How right you are, mister Carter. Why don't you go up and see mister Warren, the owner of the store. He might be able to tell you things I couldn't a good idea. Is he here? Well, it's almost closing
time, but I'm sure he's here. He never leaves until later than this. His office is upstairs, fourth floor, in the rear. Good, I'll go see him. We need every scrap of information we can get. Sit down, Sit down, both of you all. Thank you, mister Warren. I don't mind telling you, mister Carter, how glad I am that you're helping us. Tell me, mister Warren, just how many codes have been stolen? Fifteen and the cheapest of them retail for three thousand,
one hundred dollars. Say they really made a whole, didn't they? Over fifty thousand dollars? Miss Gown? Why your store detectives haven't seen anything suspicious. Well, there is one rather our thing. What's that? Lately we seem to be attracting an unusual number of professional shoplifters. Many of them are known to our detectives, but they haven't caught them with anything, well, just small miscellaneous items, miss Bowen, never anything really valuable. There's no
way of smuggling the coats out to a crooked employee. Perhaps absolutely not, mister Cotton. Why we've checked that thoroughly. Yet we're completely at a loss to know how the coats get out of the store. Well, thanks, mister Waugh. Oh not at all, mister Cotta, not at all. Now, please don't hesitate to call on me for any sort of help. At any time. I will, and we may have news for you soon. Good. They've got one clue that may lead us somewhere. In fact,
we're going to see the man in question right now. This is the place Nick Jelle's bargain outlet. That's where he called. I wonder how legitimate business it really is. Well, Bruno's already done one stretch of a fence for stolen goods. Anybody's in a position the director shop, if there's ring Bruno Silley's the man. Well, Mattie, come on, let's see what he has to see, Nick, all of her coats that was stolen were the very best quality one, according to mister Warren, they were. But
Nick and Peggy Matthews got chipped on the coachy boy for herself. How would she know enough to pick out a really good one? The prices weren't on the coat. That's a very good thought, Petty. If Peggy got cheated so badly when she bought her own fur coat, it's proof she didn't know good furs from bad. Hey that's right. Oh, oh, Patsy. It takes a woman to notice a clue like that. And if I'm right, Peggy had nothing to do with stealing any of those coats, not unless
someone pointed out the good ones to do her first. Yeah. Well, come on, let's go in and see if silly can throw some light on this. Hello, anybody here? Hello, that's funny. Hey Bruno, Bruno, Hey Bruno. Hey he's in the back room. Yeah it could be. Hey, the back room is empty too. That sounds like somebody in pain. It's coming from inside that car. Rich gut, it's Bruno. He's been stabbed. Beating just a minute. He's trying to tell us
something. Yes, Bruno, I'm Nick Carter who stabbed you don't know him? Not his real name. Ah, Yes, Bruno. See Marge Brunette. See Marge Bunnette, Marge Brunett. All right, Bruno in my pocket key most office bus, Clark Street station, baggage. Neck. I better call an ambulance. It won't be necessary. Maddie, dead Neck and Matty are faced with a second murder. We'll see what happens in just a moment. There are no words for Christmas. The wreath of holly on your front
door, the mistletoe, the glow of candles in your window. Yes, and the stately Christmas tree, brilliant with lights, shimmering with tinsel, The dinner for gifts and gay wrappings. All these are merely frosting on the cake outward symbols of the deep inner meaning Christmas. Really, as far as there are no words for Christmas, just as there are no words for the love you feel for a tozzle haired youngster, the joy you feel with a close
friend, a warmth you feel when you say Merry Christmas. May this day be so filled with everything fine, everything good, that you'll never forget a single golden moment of it. That's the Christmas wish to you from the maker's a famous old Dutch cleanser. Now back to the case of the Phantom shoplifter.
Today's adventure with Nick Carter brought to you by Old Dutch Cleanser. After summoning the homicide squad to take over at Bruno's store, Matty, Nick and Patsy have hurried to the Clark Street branch of the post office where they have just opened Bruno's post office box. Where here is it a package here? But don't worry anything, will open it upside here, That's what Bruno wanted it to do. Yeah, yeah, yeah, Well will you look at this what in the world as a starting a string of beads, string of
specially shot The price tag has only fifteen dollars. Yeah, I don't get it here. Let me see that, rapper, will you? Yeah? Sure? This package is post Mike early this afternoon at a postal substation near the worn store, and this necklace was stolen from that store to day and mail to Bruno. Yeah, rapper me from my mailbox right in the store wall into the branch post office on the fourth floor. See it's a smart
idea. You nab something small, have an envelope all addressed. You just slipped the loot inside, seal it and MAILI but what has all this to do with stolen for a comb? I don't know, Patsy, but we can be sure of one thing, Nick. The murders of Peggy and Bruno are tied up together somehow, and the one man, Maddie Bruno said it was a man that we didn't know who he was. And just who is this Marge Barnett. Bruner wanted us to see she used to be a pretty
good confidence woman. Petsy Concudens wanted. Yeah, Patsy, latch of these confidences. Women turn to shoplifting when they began losing their nerves by their looks. Look, I can get her addressed from our records, Nick, and you and Patsy can go and say. Sure, Maddie, I'm going back to Bruno. Seely's story. I want to finish my report, Okay, Eddie, Patsy and I'll see you, h Ben. Eddie better hurry because the murderer may have the same idea. Oh, Nick, this is Marge
Barnett's department. Here's a name below the bell. Hope she's home. The police certainly keep an up to date file on crooks. Don't say George Madison got his addressed for us and only a few minutes. Yeah, Patsy people on a new house. Yeah, hello, Madge. I think your pardon? Am I supposed to know you? I know you. You must have slipped to turn the shoplifting. Who are you? I'm Nick Carter? Ah, Nick Carter? Oh what do you want? Shall we talk out here
in the hall where everybody can listen? Oh, come on in snoop and covers. Give me a pain. Thanks. This is Patsy Borne, my assistant, trying to make a cover to her too. You gotta be ashamed, boy, I like it, Madge. Bruno's dead. Bruno dead. It was murdered, Mudge, So is Peggy Matthews. Who did it? Suppose you tell me? Oh goodbye, cut I'm not talking about nobody Waite. Bruno was stabbed. Let me found him. He still at a few seconds to live, and the last thing he told us is to come and
see you. Bruno said that, did he he did? I wonder why? Maybe he was trying to save your life. Come on, tell me, how did you get into this anyway? Oh, I'm getting old cutter, as you know. I've been everything from a cheap shield of the operator of a big store, from the best ropery episode of a plain subway dealer. You've been hot. In English, patsy, she means she fronted for conment and rose to become the operator of an important conman con game herself.
She went from the top as a smart, pretty girl that brings in the suckers. Being a subway dealer means she was reduced to dealing cards from the bottom of the deck. Well, it sounds almost fascinating if I could understand it. How many of these small, inexpensive items did you steal, put into a package and mailed to Bruno? Minds they're wise to that. I thought it was pretty good. Yeah, it was until fur coats and murder got mixed up in it. Where do fur coats come in? Look?
Bruno Pagrier to steal these small articles for him and Pagrio more than you could get anywhere else, didn't. Hey, Yeah, he said he had a particular customer for a lot of that junk. All right, Just what orders did he give you? Well, I never did understand it, Carter. We were supposed to show up at once specially shop at a s some time and just wander around. Did those instructions include visiting the fir department? Why? Yeah, yeah, we had to pass through the fir department on our
way to the counter where there certain kind of glass junk was sold. And you lingered in the fir department. What woman wouldn't She's got a point there, Nick, Yeah, and this business is getting a little clearer. Well, so help me. That's everything I know. Well, thanks much, all right, Patsy, Come on, we'll make another call on Hugh Warren, who owns the store. I think we can do something for him if
he'll do something for us. First. I hate to bother you at your home like this, mister Warren. It's perfectly all right, mister Carter, perfectly all right. I hope we're not interrupting your dinner, mister Warren. Dinner, Why, miss Bowen. It's after nine o'clock, so it is you've been pretty busy, well, learned anything enough, so I think we're in the right track. Mister Warren. Good good. We'd like to key to your store and permission to go inside tonight. I want to look around
a bit. Why I think that could be arranged. But a word of warning, mister Carter. This store is wired for burglar alarms, not only the outer doors, but many places inside the store. For example, the door to the cashier's office will flash an alarm if it has entered without a key. And there are other things to look out for. Two. We'll be careful, mister war I think you'll have no trouble if you'll follow my directions. Now, if you have a pencil, i'll give you a list
of things to watch out for. Golly, Nick, I never realized how lonesome a store like this can be after everyone's gone. Yeah, I wonder where the watchman are. The warrant said there'd be two of them here. We haven't run into either one of them yet. That's positively eerie. And with just two flashlights for company. Let's see, according to mister Warren's directions, return right here. Yeah, that's what I'm looking for. Hey,
white surrounding. Oh, Nick, look at all the fur coats, dozens of them all second huh oh, yes, so they are, but some of them are still lovely. I know. I that's funny, Nick, what's funny? Remember how I fought for a minute this afternoon that Audrey Robart's coat was a new one? Yeah, what about it? Well? This coat here is her coat, the one I saw this afternoon. You're sure positive. I took a close look at it as we went by, and I noticed this funny jagged tear in the lining. I'd know it anywhere.
Good for you, Patsy, now I know I'm right. What do you mean by that? He means you have good eyesight and an excellent memory. Miss Bowen's robarts. Don't move either of you. My father taught me to use a gun when I was a girl. I see Jason Dodds with you, showing you all those coats he has in his arm, no doubt. Keep your hands up, Carter, you too, Miss Bowen. Yes, Jason and I stole those missing coats. We knew you'd find out, so we came back tonight to clean out the place, and we're going to You
can't stop his Carter. Jason had his own keys, and he's arranged for the watchman to be in another part of the store for a while. Too bad, we came in just when we did. Yes, it's too bad for you, Carter. Jason put down those coats and walk around behind Carter and search him. Look, I do as I say, you fool, I know everything. We heard that much. Yes, we've got keep your hands in the hair, both of you, and don't reach for your person. Miss Bowen. I know there's probably a gun in it. Looks as
if you hold all the cards, Miss Robard. Jason stand right behind Carter. I reach over his shoulders, probably carries his gun on his shoulder thanks to the carey. What happened with your fool, Jason? Hutting him? Throw your life back. I couldn't help it. He moves to fast when I reached never mind. They're headed for the cashier's office. To Powell. We can stop that. The switchboard's right over there. I can even find it in the door and then find it. If we can stop them from
calling for help, we've got them cornered. Carter. Carter, I know you're in that cashier's office, Andrey, let's get out of here before I take care of Carter and the girl. How are you going to do it? They're in the cashier's office, and that's the only door right ahead of us. But stop sniveling. We've got Carter's gun. Miss Bowen dropped her hand bag and I found her gun in it. That means they're are on week. We can smash the glass panel in the door of the cashier's office
and get them back way. Audrey, grab one of those chairs, throw it through the glass. Oh, I guess you're right here goes there? That does it? Carter, you can come outside and get it, or I'll come in after you. It makes no difference to me. They can patsy your trapped in a small office without weapons, and with the telephone cut
on, We'll see what happens in just a moment. Once again, the makers of Old Dutch Cleanser and the entire cast and the director of your Nick Carter program join in adding their warmest Christmas wishes to the many you have already received. We hope that today has been a truly beautiful Christmas for you, and that the coming year will be filled with an abundance of pleasure, prosperity and peace. Now for the conclusion of the case of the Phantom Shoplifter.
Today's adventure with Nick Carter brought to you by new Wonderful Old Dutch cleanser cautiously. Audrey Robard moves up to the broken glass on the door, reaches inside, and unlocks it. Jason Dodd hovers uncertainly behind her carter. Are you coming out? All right? If you won't come out, I'm coming in. Stay beside me, Jason. There aren't many places they can hide. Please hurry. It's but at least ten minutes since I smashed that door.
You're so dawn careful to take it easy without a gun cartaice? Okay, Oh, can't we give up? You do take those guns my way. That's better, ain't it? Are you in there right here? What kept you? What kept me? Listen? It's not ten minutes since the alarm came into headquarters? What alarm are you talking about? The alarm you sending, miss robot What I made you smash the glass panel in the door to the cashier's office. When the glass broke, a burglar alarm went off automatically,
and police headquarters? You turned yourselves into the police, all right? Nick, give with the details. You say it was worked with secondhand coats. That's it, maddie, Miss roboty go out and buy a cheap secondhand fur coat worth practically nothing. Then when she came to the store to see Dot, which was practically every day, she'd leave the old coat and walk out with a new mink coat. She was well known in the store,
so no one ever thought of this thanking her. And when she came in with the cheap coach, he'd carry it over her arm so it wouldn't show how cheap it really was. What a rackety and Dad would put the old coat with a used coats the store ahead for sale and fixed the records to account for it. And another nice, new valuable mink was missing without a trade, and the shoplifters were just part of us set up to confuse us.
Honey, Yeah, Maddie. Dad arranged that with Bruno. The shoplifters stole some small object and mailed at to Bruno's post office box, righted from inside the store, in previously prepared envelopes, just so we'd think the professional shoplifters were stealing the furs. And they killed Peggy Matthews because she got wise. In one of the cut Nod admitted that he killed Bruno too, Yeah,
and reconnected Bruno and Peggy. I suppose Dad was afraid of how much Bruno might know, so we had to put him out of the way too. So he sent Patsy and you to see mister Warren so you would be out of the way while he killed him. Yeah. Well, I think I'm gonna let him lock up the store now. Oh in just a minute, may Patsy, where you're growing into the fur department? Drew the woman's privilege to look at those beautiful mink coats, even if she can't have one,
Nick, I want a quarter. Come on, come on, Patsy, you've had enough lemonading hot dogs. Let's go ride in the Carrizane. Oh no, I want to have my handwriting analyzed in this machine and riding analyze. Yeah, hey, Patsy, remember that case down in the Smokies? Oh do I? How could I ever forget? Sheldon Corey the manor wrote letters to his uncle jes so he could corridge a will. And will you ever forget how the chef trapped us in the cemetery when I was trying
to have a look at a dead man's hand. Yeah, wouldn't that make an exciting adventure to tell about next week? Yeah? What's that? And I'll call it the case of the Perfect Penman. It's been only a few short years since dell Rich margarine was first introduced, but in those years del has won many many friends, more than any other margarine in fact, and at this holiday season, the makers of Delrich want to thank you most sincerely. In many homes, Delrich has played an important part in your big and
bardiful Christmas dinner today. We hope this has been the merriest Christmas you've ever had, and that next year's will be even better. Nick Carter Master Detective is presented each week at the same time by the Cuttahay Packing Company. It is produced and directed by Jock McGregor and is copyrighted by Street and Smith Publications Incorporated. Lawn Clark is tarred as Nick, and Charlotte Manson is featured as
Patsy. Ed Latimer plays Mattie. Today's transcribed adventure was written by Norman Daniels, where the original music played by Henry Silverne. This program is fictional and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental. This is Michael Fitzmorris saying, when minutes count, use new wonderful old Dutch cleanser. This is the mutual broadcasting system. This is Andrew J. Graham, author of the web surface series Oh and a Mana's Wife. You're listening to the great
detectives of Old time Radio. Welcome back. Well that mentioned at the start of the episode that they were going to that this was transcribed especially so people could be home with their families during Christmas. I thought that was great. I just wish they would have transcribed a few more episodes, may have made the series a little less rare. It really is a good final adventure for
at least what we have in circulation. I really did like the way at the end that they tease the next week's adventure without the aid of an announcer, which I think is a little more personal, bolling engaging. It should be mentioned that Nick Carter actually had a much longer career on the radio. It aired throughout nineteen fifty, fifty one, fifty two, fifty three, fifty four, and right into the middle of nineteen fifty five. However,
none of those episodes are in circulation. However, Radio Gold Index Catalog is the existence of many of these episodes, so they may be in the hands of private collector somewhere just waiting to be discovered, and I certainly would enjoy hearing more Nick Carter. I found this to be a fairly solid series. Yeah, it has its problems, it's tropes, a few plot issues, and the ever changing relationship between Nick and Patsy, but the mysteries were generally
well written and long. Clark, I think it is just perfect as Nick Carter as this brilliant detective who, even though he's a bit of a new at all, is a lovable new at all and a very tough character. And it's definitely been entertaining bringing you this series for the past two and a half years, and I hope you've enjoyed it. Well, that will do it for now. Tomorrow we'll be back with yours truly Johnny Dowler, and coming up next week we're going to bring you a two part presentation of The
Moonstone on Suspense, so be sure and listen to that. In the meantime, send your comments to 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 from Boise, Idaho. This is your host, Adam Grahamson and off