 Autolight and its 96,000 dealers bring you Mr. Joseph Cotton in tonight's presentation of South Spence Tonight, Autolight presents the story of a man who craved power, position and money and destroyed himself accomplishing it. A tale we call a watery grave starring Mr. Joseph Cotton By its Oscar Otto, you're looking way below par. I feel that way too Well, let Dr. Wilcox have a look Huh, well Oscar, I'd say you're suffering from a case of worn-out spark plugs Let's visit the nearest auto light spark plug dealer. He and his exclusive auto light plug check indicator will quickly show if I'm right and Suppose you are well if that exclusive auto light plug check indicator shows that your spark plugs are worn out or Wrong for your style of driving the auto light spark plug dealer will install a bright brisk set to the ignition engineered Autolight spark plugs to give you smoother performance quick starts and gas savings. Okay, let's go But how do I find the location of the nearest auto light spark plug dealer? That's easy. We'll call Western Union by number and ask for operator 25. She'll gladly tell us his location Let's go Oscar because from bumper to tail light. You're always right with auto light And now with a watery grave and the performance of mr. Joseph Cotton Autolight hopes once again to keep you in South Spence How did it happen when everything was so good? How did it get destroyed in five short hours? How did I start to die? In our city a district attorney is an important man our city is an important city in the nation therefore I Am important as its district attorney the logic of law the deductive reasoning that leads to everything It was only reasonable that such powerful interest should have come to me I had a case against McNeely which could have destroyed him I'm not in the habit of making these calls myself, mr. Kellogg's obvious But then you're not in this position very often either It's a daring thing you've done only a question of getting a sufficiently strong case against you I've broken other district attorneys for attempting it. They never had the evidence. I do. I don't think you'd want to try breaking me And send you to prison for life You're right and Yet where I can't destroy you I can prevent you from advancing Getting to a greater position a more prominent position in political life Does that mean it means it is no longer a question of can you be bought? But how much you want? I've waited a long time for this moment to be able to bargain with you I I respect your strength and perception It's worth a great deal to me mr. Kellogg. There's the matter of my chief witness if I don't prosecute you He'll go to the state district attorney perhaps to the federal government That is part of what you will give me in exchange for the wealth you're going to receive Who is your chief witness? I can guarantee you he'll not testify I would rather give myself my own guarantee on that matter It would mean his death, wouldn't it? Mr. Kellogg all of us any of us Even the most noble of persons must look the other way sometimes. It's easy for you to say that It's easy for you to do to look the other way becomes the easiest thing in the world after a while All you have to know is why you're doing it and what you have to gain How does one look the other way? How does one achieve the facility for turning around it? Precisely the right moment a trip to Europe My wife has always wanted to go to Europe. She likes things like that his name Trip to Europe is something that is dreamed of spoken of it often his name Bartel Yes, oh, yes my good trusted friend Bartel Thank You mr. Callum Who was Bartel a man from the streets who had muscled his way into life? Who was Bartel? Circumstance had made him a witness to McNeely's worst plans Destiny had placed him in a position of value to the district attorney's office this valueless man Bartel Appenstance and coincidence had made him the keeper of dark secrets and illegal events Which could have smashed an empire an empire I was now partnered to merely because I told them a name And look the other way First night out I waited on deck up dinner waited for Betty to come out and we would go to the main saloon No, it felt good to know your way in the world to know when to look the other way Sometimes you only have to do it once if you plan right and Betty could have everything a bigger house another servant in the house up Moving up so secure. I didn't even hear his footsteps approaching So positive all was going well. I didn't even think of caution so certain of success everything for Betty I was so pleased you're the only man I ever trusted Bartel the only man and a DA besides And you can still trust me even after you said my name I'm getting rid of McNeely for you. Are you you turn states evidence? If you didn't believe I could get rid of McNeely, you wouldn't have dead turned states evidence. I believed you I trusted you. Let's stop the game. Why did I ever think I could trust you? I'll tell me you're a smart man You went to college because it was to your advantage because if the law could get rid of McNeely for you That was better and safe. I don't have any illusions about trusting me. You never did you needed me That's different and you needed me. We needed each other. We still do nothing. It's different You're under bond Bartel. You're leaving the country without permission McNeely gave me permission He had me shot at and I was wounded see my shoulder fat on this side fat from bandages You don't have a passport. I don't need that either. I have money. How'd you get a board? Oh, it's simple Easy to stay hidden for a day a Second and third day that's something else. I can fix it So you won't be let off so you'll be sent right back mr. Callan I can put you in prison if I'm sent back a word would prevail against yours in any court of law Maybe against my word alone not McNeely's hired guns will both our words against yours You have him some of my men do yeah, he's safe at home. I could discredit your testimony Then why are you I have nothing to do with you. You've got no choice mr. Callan warning you Bartel Well, what do you do kill me? You're not the kind of things like that you kill by law the legal way and I'll find a way by law Once I'm in Europe. They have different laws. All right I'm a realist Bartel. So I only take calculated risks. What's your price? I have more money than you do Callan. You couldn't buy and what do you want? But you have more prestige than I do you're liked You know your way around the talkers well talk me off this shit impossible find a way You'll be discovered before we dock not if you put me up in your cabin Bartel wherever I'm involved I'll listen and meet a man halfway But but me me alone not my wife if you involve my wife I won't do a thing for you not if my wife's involved in any way not a thing I'm gonna squeeze Callan I'm finished unless you help me get into Europe, but you'll be finished with me I've got enough power for that. I'll find a way. All right. I'll go with you. No Meet me here In one hour my stomach felt sick Maybe I thought of trying to kill him then and didn't know it I've been raised to respect human life. I've been educated to be decent to forgive But Bartel wasn't human he was a beast Is there anything in the epic which says we cannot protect our lives when attacked? Bartel was destroying me pulling me carefully built world down about me a world Betty must know nothing about a world I had built to protect Betty Law school to ward politics to assistant district attorney So long lay up the hardest minds to fight the most realistic men to please only the toughest stay with it Only the toughest and shrewdest get to my position because my position leads to The highest offices if you're smart if you look the other way Maybe I knew I wanted to kill him then the sea was calm the ship wasn't pitching yet My stomach was sick How far now I was gone and still no plan where to go who to turn to what to ask nothing anywhere My mind posed questions for which there were no answers. Would I lose all I owned in the world? Problems of which there were no solutions if I lost everything would betty go to With the two things inseparable my success and betty Robert you didn't answer there Drink helps help spot You go to the dining saloon yourself. I'll be along soon You mind if I ask what's wrong? I can handle it Yes, of course. I'll be in the dining saloon. Oh wait a minute Come back. What is it? You were going to leave, weren't you? I Don't understand you'd have left me You saw I was troubled very troubled. I wanted to talk to you, but you made me ask you Oh, please don't get angry Robert. Please don't always make me ask you for your attention Always ever since we've been married not always Robert not ever since we were married most of the time You changed you got quiet. You never wanted to talk about things that was doing you never accepted my suggestion Didn't understand the legal profession the workings of law That's why I stopped giving suggestions wasn't suggestions I wanted it was encouragement to have you believe in me But you never did the more I gave you the more I tried to give you the less you seemed to care Please you think all these things come out of the sky. Do you think they were given to me? I had to fight for them to fight to get things for you. I never asked for them Oh, but you took them you never refused them. You never said no I don't want a lot of clothes. No, I don't want a fair coat. You never said no shouting Stop Everything for you, but you give nothing in return. No love or affection or like not even liking Why didn't you ask for a divorce? I'll give you a divorce easy simple. Is that what you want? Oh? I can't stand anymore. Yeah, you're not going to leave now My arm, you know why you want to divorce me. You know why you won't because of these comforts That's all you won't You'd lose them you'd lose them overnight Why do you do this? I've paid for everything in my life for everything everything you have Only now it's time for you to pay to To kill a man is the easiest thing in the world to do to kill a man who would take your wife from you I know the logic. I know it's wrong Bartell wasn't taking my wife from me But he was taking position and wealth and those things kept my wife to me. I thought I knew Bartell had to be destroyed and She would have to be partnered to it that way she'd never leave that way. I'd achieve everything That's why I told her the story as if I'd memorized it as if it was the only thing I'd ever thought about as if Bartell's death was the last obstacle in our life No, Robert, please don't Robert you'll distract him up there on the deck at the dark place on the deck Don't ask me. Don't make me part of this together We plan it together. We need him together Come on daddy the hour is up Bartell's hour is up bringing you mr. Joseph Cotton in a watery grave tonight's production in radio's Outstanding theater of thrills Suspends thanks to your auto light spark plug dealer and his exclusive plug check indicator Oscar and those new ignition engineered Auto light spark plugs. They're right at home in my ignition system That's because auto light spark plugs are designed by the same auto light engineers who designed the coil Distributor and all the other important parts of complete ignition systems used as original equipment on many leading makes of our finest cars Trucks and tractors. What type auto light spark plugs did I get mr. Will Cox the new auto light resistor type Oscar They give double life greater gas savings and quicker starts as compared to spark plugs without a built-in resistor and the auto light Resistor spark plug is only one of a complete line of ignition engineered auto light spark plugs designed for every use So friends take a tip from me and see your auto light spark plug dealer have him check your spark plugs and remember From bumper to tail light. You're always right with auto light And now auto light brings back to our hollywood soundstage mr. Joseph cotton in elliott louis's production of a watery grave A tale well calculated to keep you in sales spends I start to die Then at that moment as we walked along the deck did I start to die then because I knew I would kill Bartel Does one die a little if one plans to kill a human being and Die more when one does it and to compound it your honor Funny to think your honor Funny to think that way now To compound it by knowing your wife hates you more than anything in the world because she's terrified Infuriated by her hate but pleased with her terror How can she hate me so In in so short a time I gave her everything I tried to be something important for her And rich for her and kill for her As we walked along the deck I had no real idea how I would kill Bartel no exact idea, but it had to be done I held that his arm tightly as we approached the dark part of the deck near the railing The place where Bartel was not actually arrailing an entrance for a ramp with only a chain across it Bartel Bartel, this is my wife What did you decide I've been talking to her I've been explaining to her What did you decide don't talk to me like that Bartel don't ever talk to me like that Do you put me in your state room? Yes, yes, of course and guaranteed to get me off the ship I couldn't guarantee guarantees and things like this are impossible there are officials to get at ship's offices Finding the right people you're good at putting in a fix mr. Callan You've been putting in fixes all the way from the slums up to the penthouses Ship shouldn't stop you don't say things like that. Why not? Everybody knows how mcneely pays off and you're one of mcneely's boys now any time he wants to Put his fingers in a dirty deal. He'll use your hands to do it. Don't talk like that in front of my wife She'll get used to it, but mcneely doesn't care who knows about his dirty-handed men shut up shut up I lunched at him. I didn't even reach for his gun. He was counting. He didn't think I was capable of doing it Back was against the chain his good arm flailing wire way over the chain over in it to the water I didn't see in the darkness. I didn't know until I heard the scream It was too late for Bartel to let go get a grip on my wife's arm before I could move Before I could do anything it was insane. She was pulled over the side too over into the water Had to save her There was little I could do to save her would be to save Bartel, but I didn't hesitate. I know that I'm sure of it I grabbed the nearest light preserve and hurled it over the side I could barely see them struggling in the water with the ship's propellers coming nearer And then I knew I would have to jump I would go over I could still finish Bartel and save Betty still I could have everything and it would be called an accident. I went over the side From the propellers and good arm struggling to get to the light preserver first. I forgot about Betty I forgot everything except that I had to get him before he took the light preserver You'll never get it keep keep back nothing now Keep away from me. I never knew you all this ship will turn around and pick us up soon. You must understand I never really knew you It takes something to kill a man Bartel was a killer A ruthless man. I know I was the one who forced him to turn states evidence Something horrible in you. Maybe that's why we've been growing apart Maybe I saw it but didn't recognize it. I'd never seen it before you see it every day in the eyes of the people That's a lie look at the murders Look at war can't make people kill each other if they don't want to could you? How could you? I'll never forget the look on his face when he knew he was going to be drowned But you were going to do crying Crying for him crying for a hoodler muck a killer crying for a gangster. Yes tears for him Oh, I don't deserve it. Why should he be cried over why him? You know, you never Wept for me. I wait for you too. I don't need petty. I don't need your petty. I'm not giving you pity Trying to find a way to forgive you Hold on to the life preserve If you let go get away from me you clawed me don't come near me You only want the life preserve all right. You want to believe it. It's true And I'll Get it. I'll claw you I claw your eyes never have a chance The water carried me faster. You'll never catch up to me. I'll I'll catch up Oh Betty Don't be a fool come back Betty come back the ship will turn around The ship will save us die robert Die like you let anyone die for you die for yourself. I don't need The life preserve I can hold out Until the ship turns around They're still going for the garage They'll turn around I'm the biggest suite on the ship. They'll miss us and turn around in a few minutes You're so important. What makes you think you'd be missed? I I am important What makes you want to be so big so much? Oh It was For you What I've struggled So hard to get For you for yourself getting rich to please yourself, but you never enjoyed it either You left me if I stopped Stop making so much I only wanted love Only wanted a family your love your children Only you You mean that you do mean that in time we Can forget how can I forget? How can you? Oh, you're right It was for me and it wasn't fully Money for the wealth it was for power Not not even that Oh Howling Betty the ship was turning Hold on Robert. I can and I'll come to you The life preserver it can support both of them. When did I start to die Betty? I'm dying now When did I stop to die? Don't don't talk Hold up Robert hold when I knew I would kill Bartel It was sooner when I said I Will look the other way Yes, mr. McNeely You can kill Bartel I will look the other way Yes, mr. McNeely Well, yes started to die long before years before maybe I've been killing myself All my life slow way Only a minute Scented by auto light tonight star mr. Joseph cotton This is harlow wilcox speaking for auto light world's largest independent manufacturer of automotive electrical equipment Auto light is proud to serve the greatest names in the industry And during these early months of 52 the auto light family joins in saluting the leading manufacturers Who install auto light products as original equipment? Our auto light family is made up of the nearly 30 000 men and women in 28 great auto light plants from coast to coast And in still other auto light plants in many foreign countries It also includes more than 18 000 people who have invested a portion of their savings in auto light As well as 96 000 auto light distributors and dealers in the united states and thousands more in canada and throughout the world Our auto light family will salute the leading truck manufacturers who use auto light products on the next auto light suspense television program If you live in a television area check the day and time of suspense on television So that you'll be sure to see this program And remember be with us next week for another thrilling auto light suspense program on radio Next week our star will be mr. frank lovejoy in the recreation of an historical puzzle A radio dramatization of The wreck of the old 97 A story based on fact and presented on South Spence Suspense is produced and directed by elliot lewis with music composed by lucian morrowick and conducted by ludd gluskin A watery grave was written for suspense by arthur ross In tonight's story, mary jane croft was heard as betty stan waxman as mcneely and joseph curns as barthel Joseph cotton may soon be seen in the untamed a universal international picture co-starring shelly winters And remember next week on suspense Mr. frank lovejoy in The wreck of the old 97 Last july the nation's worst flood in a decade smashed through kansas and missouri The red cross was on the job to relieve the suffering and shelter the homeless This was only one of 300 domestic disasters in which the red cross gave aid last year To carry on its vital work. The red cross needs your financial aid now give generously This is the cbs radio network