 Whitehall one two one two For the first time in its history Scotland Yard opens its official files to bring you the true story of some of its most baffling cases Research is from Percy Hoskins of the London Daily Express Whitehall one two one two is written and directed by Willis Cooper Now the voice of Chief Superintendent John Davidson the caretaker of Scotland Yards famous black museum Good afternoon. I Have here from our file number one nine eight nine two oh Arrested lock complete with handle once it was brightly nickel plated and both handsome and utilitarian Now its beauty has been completely destroyed by the effects of a very hot fire and Its usefulness is ended by the fact that it is locked Some of its parts have been fused By the heat which it endured It's part of the right-hand door of a motor car the door next to the driver's seat It was locked before the fire. I should like you to meet Chief Inspector Albert G. Clarke who is known as all Clarks are as knobby the fifth of November 1605 was the day set by a certain guy Fox to touch off a number of barrels of gunpowder He had secreted in the vaults under the houses of Parliament thereby blowing the members of the Auguste body a complete with King James the first through the roof Unfortunately for mr. Fox and happily for the monarch a Lord manteagle learned about the enterprise and Flung master Fox into a dungeon from which he emerged only to be hanged That's the principal form of celebration of Guy Fox day on the 5th of November is the kindling of cheerful bonfires In which effigies of Guy Fox and other gentry are burned to the accompaniment of hilarious noises Quite late in the evening of the 5th of November 1930 Quite another type of bonfire made history near Hardingstone Which village is quite near North Hampton? This is the way they related the story My name is Spiller John Thomas Spiller. My friend here is Victor Charles Espin war It wasn't truly the 5th of November it was about two o'clock in the morning of the 6th But it was still close enough to be practically Guy Fox day be still John Thomas We were walking home from a guy folks dance in North Hampton Hardingstone is only a step from North Hampton You walk along the main London road from North Hampton till you come to the turnoff to the left on Hardingstone Lang only about two miles two miles First as we started to turn off to Hardingstone down the lane a motor car past us go in towards London very fast Blindness quite high and when it got past us We saw man the moon was quite bright so we could see his face quite well He hadn't any at he climbed out of the ditch onto the metal road and he looked as if he were mixed up Wasn't sure what he was doing like and we gaped at him Didn't know what to say either and it was just at that precise second I saw the blaze round the bend down Hardingstone Lane where there shouldn't be any blaze and I said to John Thomas Yes, what's the blaze you said and the man from the ditch the man without a hat He said it looks as if someone's having a bonfire a late bonfire He said yes, that's right and we turn to look in the direction of the blaze down the lane toward Hardingstone And when we turned back to look at the man he was running away hurrying away. That's right hurrying away He didn't say a word He stopped it taught London and then he stopped and looked around the moon was so bright And then he turned toward Northampton and he started to hurry that way we'd have done something But he was hurrying down the road Anyway, we didn't care who he was and there was the bonfire We just thought it was a bonfire Victor years and so we went on down the lane to see you made the fire And the fire seemed to be getting bigger so we hurried and certainly there it was Right there in front of us blaze and like like blazes the flames were 15 feet I but we could see what it was it was a motor car and there was somebody in it in the driver's seat And he was on fire too. He was dead The boys had forgotten about the hatless stranger who climbed out of the ditch and ran away They went for a policeman Quite a number of men arrived the fire was clearly visible in the village of cause and Presently it was put out and only sizzled The unfortunate occupant of the driver's seat was carried away in several sacks And put away to cool in the cellar of the local hospital Then the two boys remembered the man without a hat and they told sergeant moody about it Sergeant moody was the bald-headed one from Northampton. He wasn't very old was he Victor about 35 36 I was thinking 35. He looked like a commercial traveler. He had no ad Victor. We said that He seemed confused. I think I'd say wouldn't you John Thomas be wielded? I'd say he finally went off toward Northampton He started the other direction first though don't London, but you went down the road taught Northampton a Dark man needed a haircut wore a checkered. We skit and a dark red tie He had a tiny black moustache and a wart on the left side of his neck a cut on his right hand Limped his right foot Woolgy eyes pop eyes tall wait about 11 stem Would you know him again Victor? Sit me out now. I'm John Thomas. It was all very suspicious Sergeant name running away like that from the fire. I think he had something to do with it I think you ought to find him sergeant Sergeant moody and the rest of the Northampton police made quite a point of trying to find the hatless stranger that day But he wasn't to be found By mid-morning both the burned car and the burned victim had cooled off enough for a closer examination There wasn't enough left of the men. They had decided it was a man To tell anything about him The car proved to have been a Morris minor saloon and the registration plate though badly burned was still legible Sergeant moody. I Put in a trunk call to county all Westminster in London to check the name to which that lumber was issued Mu one four six eight. Yes, that's a London registration according to the book Wars you mean Donald Patrick Hage it books Ted Road Vince Ray. Thank you very much I Then consulted the London Metropolitan telephone directory in the Northampton station to discover whether a telephone number was listed for the name Pudgett and bookstead road Finchley it was I spoke to a woman who identified herself as mrs. Pamela Pudgett wife of the owner of the car Obroke the news to her as gently as possible and she announced her intention of proceeding to Northampton She arrived the same day the 6th of September. I Came as quickly as I could sergeant Where is he? The the remains are in the hospital mortuary mom. I Suppose I couldn't see him. Well, I'm afraid I must advise strongly against it mrs. Pudgett. I I'm afraid he'll be twice more difficult to identify. I'm not easily shocked sergeant. Well, yes, mom, but Perhaps it would be better to wait until you've rested. I Could have a nice cup of tea sent in for you. No, thank you sergeant. Good hot tea. Thank you Perhaps you could tell me how this thing happened. Well, we don't know a great deal about it ourselves as yet It happened only this morning and we've not well. We've only completed our preliminary examinations We thought perhaps you might shed some light on the matter. I'm sure I can't You and the late mr. Pudgett were on good terms of course we were of course What was mr. Pudgett's occupation? He was a commercial traveler commercial Traveller I must notify the people he represents and the insurance companies. Yes Yes, I Suppose mr. Pudgett was alone when this happened well there was nobody else in the car when at the time of the fire mom but There was a curious circumstance. I meant to ask you about it once. Yes The two young men who discovered the fire Report that there was another person a man or a woman. Oh a man What would a woman be doing there? Oh man? It was proceeding along a ditch beside the road There were of course not certain that this man had any connection with the case of course What did this man look like did he give his name? Oh, no, no, that was practical No conversation with the money already way. He's not been seen since do you have his description? Yes, yes, I have the description given by the young men who saw him It was quite a bright moonlight night as you remember If indeed the moon does shine in London the description, please Age about 35 or 6 you wore no hat That could be anyone a dark man weighing about 11 stone Wearing a checkered waistcoat My husband was wearing a checkered waist Dark red tie and he wore a dark red tie No, I best call these young men to see if they can remember any more details about this go on with the description, please. Oh, yes The man had a small black moustache What on the left side of his neck? Quotun his right hand. No, he had bulgy eyes Popeyes the young man said and dirk curly hair And he limped his right foot His left foot sergeant He limped with his left foot. He was wounded in the war in 1916 He limped with his left foot. Do you mean to say you recognize this man mrs. Padgett? Of course I do He's the man you thought was burned to death in the motor car. Oh, my husband Donald Padgett What Mrs. Padgett? So dons added murder to his other sins at last, has he? The Reporters the self-styled crime men pounced on the story by mid-afternoon and flung the headline broadcasts from Lansend to John O'Groats house Before nightfall on the 6th of November a third of the people of England Scotland and Wales were peering into the faces of perfect strangers Hoping for a glimpse of Donald Patrick Padgett the proclaimed fugitive At Scotland Yard, we went a little more slowly We weren't a certain as the newspapers They got me an impression of the dead man's teeth And when it arrived I dispatched it to one Clement Walter who was Padgett's dentist of record Mr. Walter telephoned me at the yard at ten minutes after eight the night of the 6th Yes Clark speaking Walter Sorry, mr. Walter. Did you have anything to report? Yes Really, I'm sorry, sir. All right, sir. Take very kind I am sure that the home office will consider it money well spent sir. Good night Target Just about to come in sir Do so by all means. Yes, I've checked four persons so far, sir Well, I asked each one to give me his own description of Padgett, sir And they're all his close acquaintances and they all agree in detail with that given by the two young men at Hardingstone the hatless man climbing out of the ditch each one of them said independently that Padgett was one of those odd chaps Who's never been known to wear a hat winter or summer looks as if he's our boy then Wait a sec, will you yes, sir novice inspector Clark here. Oh Well, ask it to come in Who's she? Who's she had sent her in to have a head of an Ellen McEchron Talbot No, sir. There was an Alice McEchron, sir pickpocket. She was struck by a tram last Tuesday in Hammersmith Broadway She was killed Talbot. You're a mine of information. I doubt this is the same one though. No, sir That also yes. Thank you for now Right here, Mrs. Padgett come in How do you do miss mcachron, won't you be seated? Well, Mrs. Padgett I'm afraid that it was your husband. I was certain it was yes I've just come back from Hardingstone and I went straight away to find Ellen I'm afraid I don't understand That bald headed sergeant up there. What's his name sergeant moody moody. That's it He said something when we were talking about not being sure whether The body in the fire was a man or a woman. He told me that on the telephone this afternoon Apparently, they're sure sure now that it was a man the medical officer. Yes, I know but I didn't know when I came back That's why I went to find Ellen here. He thought perhaps it might be me. But it wasn't was it? No child It wasn't now the uni your father. I'm afraid I am You can't burn up people in jail now. Can you sir? Will you tell me? Tell me what you're talking about. Mrs. Padgett. What is this child and her father got to do with the? I was afraid it was Ellen that Donald had murdered all my father. You said why heaven's sake Well, Ellen's father had threatened to do bodily harm to Donald Busted bloody neck. Oh, pardon me. Hey Why because he wasn't paying the 20 shillings a week. He'd agreed to pay of course what 20 shillings For my baby what the father of Ellen's three-year-old child as Donald Padgett Inspector Clark John Davidson from the black museum shared a pint of mild and bitter with me that night after I finally shut up shop I don't know John. I said about one hot people No counting for tapes Yeah, fine original statement that True though You were speaking about the wife Yes, married to this fellow. He goes out and contracts the bigness bigamers marriage To a girl is an obvious idiot you said well, not very clever made servants You said what we used to call a slavey Fortunately that class is disappearing doesn't help the ones that are left John The Padgett class never died now. I shall do my best to assure this one's dying out We were talking about his wife. Yes She apparently doesn't have any resentment toward this young. What's her name Ellen Ellen? Why should she? It wasn't Ellen's fault that she has the mentality of a mangle was Any resentment she harbors is towards her husband the missing Donald Patrick Padgett a squire Who lit one too many bonfires on Guy Fawkes name for which God willing he'll hang You have any ideas regarding the unfortunate man in the car none I know nothing about it. Nobby But knowing nothing about it. I may have an idea what? The lawful wife may have an idea too. Mrs. Padgett. All right Explain, please John If a man commits what shall we call it an indiscretion like this Marrying bigamously and fathering a child the law of the land calls it a felony for the purpose of my argument Let's disregard the legality of the thing no me now We have here the situation of a husband committing a grave offense against his wife in the law disregard the law Empirically I mean He commits this heinous crime the wife practicing true Christian forbearance and charity forgives the man or at least declines to prosecute it. Well now bear with me Given that set of circumstances Would not such a man be inclined to repeat the offense well having convinced himself That he'll be allowed as our American cousin say Allow to get away with it again Could be John assuring himself that he need only to satisfy his wife's goodness of soul her love for him Which she has demonstrated and the payment to the unfortunate young woman of a sum of money proposed by the courts Well, I don't see where your argument is going John, but it's not a bad argument knobby and It follows out the one advanced by mrs. Padgett Assume that the wrong girl's father threatens unpleasantness to brother Padgett Oh, you're saying that the dead man may be the father of still another victimized girl Doesn't it sound reasonable? Well, I missus Padgett was convinced it was reasonable in the case of young Allen is it? She's forgiven a lot But she boggles up a thought of murder So for that matter do I what do you think? Well, I think If I were doing it I look about and see if the temporarily missing mr. Padgett has made any other excursions into the extra maratho and Then I discover Whether the father of the bride is enjoying good health or has recently been the victim of an all-consuming fire And then I should order another half pint for poor old John Davidson who is now extremely thirsty John Davidson's ingenious idea was almost right Mrs. Padgett knew of no other liaisons with women of any age Intellectual state or social standing which had been contracted by her husband We have been horribly unhappy inspector during all of our married life But I have tried to make allowances Donald was severely wounded in the war He was buried alive at Festubert They despaired of his life for a long long time. I didn't know about that He was such a wonderful person inspector before we were married and he went to France at Festubert Only three months after he went overseas. I didn't Well, I Made a vow to myself that if Don recovered and got well, I'd I Don't want to talk about it. I'm sorry, Mrs. Padgett. I swore to myself That no matter what happened no matter what he did. I would try I I'm sorry, Mrs. Padgett. He's been unfaithful to me so many times But this time with Ellen was the only one I knew all about I was afraid Ellen's father was Don's mind was affected, you know by that dreadful wound He makes mistakes He does things he can't hold on to a job. We haven't any money I've tried so hard inspector but not Not murder Even if it is Donald That's why I came to you if it's murder Not even for Donnie I Went away from there back to my office It was the morning of the 7th of November less than 2 30 than 32 hours since the young men had found the blazing car There was a telegraph form in its envelope on my desk. I looked at it Cardiff in Wales tore open the envelope Signature Arthur Llewellyn. I don't know any Arthur Llewellyn What's the message say? Donald Patrick Padgett will arrive at Hammersmith bus terminal at 9 30 p.m. Today the 7th Important you meet him. You will recognize him from his description Arthur Llewellyn John Davidson it appeared was wrong. I telephoned him to say so I didn't telephone Mrs. Padgett 9 30 that night. I met Donald Padgett as he stepped off the Cardiff bus. It was easy to recognize him He went in a CID car to my office and talked I'd given up inspector anyhow It can't be done Wonder if I could see my wife. She's waiting in the empty room You can see her if you want to and she wants to after we get this over. All right. I Did it very well Donald Patrick Padgett I arrest you on a charge of roofing murder and warn you that anything you say will be taken down in writing and maybe used in evidence I don't all but you have your notebook. Yes, sir. I'm ready. I'll make a statement. I Had to do it First I got rid of nearly every penny of money we had I Spend it on women Funny to say that when I love Pamela I Love poor Pamela and I treated her so badly Just women Don't drink. I don't smoke But women find me attractive. I'm afraid and I'm there undoing And mine and Pamela's Yes, and that kid of Ellen's I Couldn't pay the building society on the house. They'd thrown us out another month. I couldn't pay Ellen or McEcran have had me in jail It was just the end of things for me and for Pamela So I picked him up when he asked for a lift I poured petrol all over him after I strangled him and I stuffed him into the driver's seat Then I got out and poured a trailer petrol down the road to the car and lighted it Then I remembered I'd locked him in I tried to run back to the car, but it was too late I ran back and down the ditch and that was when those boys saw me The game was up I'd intended to run away and be listed is dead in a motor car accident and Pamela'd get the insurance But they'd seen me Did run away? Isn't very clear to me. I'm afraid I I went to Cardiff Want to see a girl I used to know Gladys Lou Ellen But she was gone and her brother Arthur saw me He hated me for some reason Did he telegraph you? I knew I was done for Can I see Pamela now? please All right, Sergeant. Oh wait There's one more thing I don't know who he was the man I murdered He was a complete stranger He just happened along at the right time. I don't know his name I'm sorry about him But I'm sorry about so many things Now may I see Pamela? All right, Sergeant Hello Pam darling Hello, darling Oh Pamela I'm so sorry I brought you some of the cigarettes you like Donny The identity of the dead men was never learned Donald Patrick Padgett was tried at the bed for the sizes and found guilty of murder On the 10th of March 1931 he was hanged at Bedford Prism Paired today on Whitehall 1212 in the order of their appearance Harvey Hayes Gerard Burke Gordon Stern Lester Fletcher Basil Langton Francois Grimard Bula Garrick Patricia Cortley and Victor Chapin Whitehall 1212 is written and directed by Willis Cooper Because blood has been available in Korea until now many many lives have been saved However the present rate of donations is far below that needed to build up our reserve supplies This is NBC the National Broadcasting Company