 And now, tonight's presentation of radio's outstanding theatre of thrills, Suspense. We bring you the story of a man who wanted to become important, and the crime he committed to accomplish it. So now, starring Mr. Tony Barrett with Mr. William Conrad, here is tonight's suspense play, The Man Who Threw Acid. He was a young man serving his second year in the city assembly. And because he believed an honest government, he wanted to enact restraining legislation against the racketeers. At first, the older men, the wheels of the political machine laughed at him, patted him on the back, gave him a cigar. They liked him because he reminded them of their last ideals, wasted energies. And then, they began to listen to him, wondering. The young assemblyman said in counsel, I wasn't elected to this office to see my wife and kids or anybody else's wife and kids dictated to by the racketeers and the hoodlums in this city. That's what's happening. Dope, gambling, mugging, the protection racket started again. If the chief of police won't or can't do anything about it, I say we should. Make laws, put teeth in them. Get rid of the big boys who run the rackets and we'll have a clean city. It wasn't a brilliant speech, not in content or in delivery, but it made its point. And the young assemblyman kept on making his point. The older, wiser city fathers began to take notice, sorted the press, and sorted the big boys, the racketeers, and the man who was considered the boss, called a meeting. There was no red tape involved, no orders and triplicate, a simple direct edict from the top. And the organization was such that by 7 o'clock that evening the Highling had been contacted. His name was Steve Clybert, a thin pasty-faced man of 42 who looked no more than 35. He lived on the fringes of gangster society, and like so many of his kind, was still considered a punk. He was desperately trying to gain a total before it was too late, because a middle-aged punk is the lowest form of underworld life, a lackey. The boss' contact explained the situation about the assemblyman. That's a snap, Steve. Just throw acid in his face and beer? Yeah, that's him. Two hundred? For doing nothing. You get the acid for me? Sure, sure, Steve. You put the finger in? I'll be all set. Nothing else to it? I told you. The assembly guy is important. Ah, look, you want the job, it's none of your business. How come, Justin, you want to do it? Well, I'm just thinking maybe. If it is kind of important and you want me, maybe you put in a word for me. A word to the boss, maybe? Oh, nice, Steve. The boss don't know anything about this. It's a private grudge. Okay, sure. You will pay me now? Half now. The other hundred when you've done it? Yeah. Okay. He told to wait until he was contacted again. Then the acid would be delivered to him with further instructions. The hired man went home to his apartment and to his girl. He was happy. He had a big job. He'd been accepted by the mob. Perhaps his luck had changed. You told his girl? Two hundred bucks. Honey, this could be it. What I've been waiting for. Just a drop in a bucket to what I'll get in the next job. Ah, swell, Stevie. What have they got you doing? Honey, you know better than I ask. If I tell you this, it's big. I'll tell you who's that. Some of the wise guys are going to be saying hello to Steve Clyber before long. You going to take me out for Chinese dinner for a celebration? Sure, I will. We'll have anything, anything you want. It was a night for celebration. Because plans had been made to throw acid in a man's face. The boss celebrated and took his wife to a movie. The contact man celebrated, got drunk, and cried about his dead mother. And Steve Clyber went to bed with indigestion following a too-rich dinner. The assemblyman sat up late into the night, writing the draft of an anti-racketeer speech to be made at Rotary the next day. A week later, Clyber received a phone call. He was told to meet his contact in the park at 11 o'clock. He went to the designated place. Hi, Steve. You're on time. That's good. Gonna get a head point. You don't like being late. Now, here's the stuff from this bag. It's in a pint jar with a wide mouth. That way you won't have as much chance of missing. Oh, you better wear a glove, too. You don't want to get burned. There's a glove in the bag. Right handed? Lefty. What do I do with it? Five, five, thirty. Today? Yeah. You'll be coming out of the athletic club. You've got a six o'clock appointment. You'll leave the club about five, five, thirty. How am I gonna know them? Pictures. Take a look at them. It looks like these pictures, so you won't have to worry. You can't miss it. Yeah. Can I keep these? Yeah. What do I do after I told the stuff? Litch the bottle. Break it. And don't touch it without you wearing a glove. No prints on it. Okay. Then what? Take off. You think I'm gonna have a car to pick me up? Ah, it's too risky. Cars can be traced. Someone sees a license. You shouldn't have any trouble, though. It's a quiet street. Buildings... You know what it is in the corner? Yeah. Okay, you're right off the main drag. Just get lost in the crowd and don't run. By the time anyone figures out what happened, well, you ought to be home. Hey, it seems to me I'm taking some chance for a lousy 200. Bring it back what I gave you. I'll get somebody else. No, wait, wait, wait. It's okay. But I sure hope you guys appreciate the risk I'm taking. Well, you appreciate it. Oh, and Steve. Yeah. Then you should go on. Well, like I say, you do get picked up. You don't talk. No names. Not even mine. He gets me to talk. Well, I'll be seeing you. You come out of the bar for your dough and it's finished, and I'll leave it there for you. Six hours to kill before doing the job. Standing outside the entrance to the park, he was undecided. Six hours. And he moved casually to the bus stop and correctly, obediently, took his place in line behind three other passengers as the bus pulled in. A very ordinary man carrying a paper sack and which was a jar of acid and a glove. He went to a favorite hangout, a bar at the east end of town, not because he needed a drink. He wasn't nervous, but rather because he hoped to run into some of the boys or he wouldn't tell them anything, but he'd let them understand that he was onto something big. Hey, what do you say, hey? Steve. And the boys been in, huh? Early. What are you going to be? You want to be? Nothing like that. Something fancy. I'm celebrating, boy. Give me something fancy. What do you want? Oh, I don't know. Something with bourbon, huh? Good bourbon. Soda, water. Old-fashioned, huh? Put everything in it. Make it old-fashioned. Oh, make one for yourself, Harry. Me? Go early. Come on, help me celebrate. At five, I'm going to be tied up. I'm sorry. At five, I got an appointment. Big appointment. Oh, yeah, Harry. Morning, Lou. How's everything? Couldn't be bothered. Fine. What do you say, Lou? Oh, see. Well, you've been keeping yourself, huh? No, no. Hey, Harry, break a quarter for me. I've got to make a phone call. Yeah, sure. How about joining me, Lou? Old-fashioned? Well, no. Let's go drink. Lou, you got any good tips? I can give you a few tips. Thanks, Lou. Lou, what? I said, anything good running a day. I thought I'd put 50 across the border. Who said you'd get 50 bucks, punk? You know, it's funny the way you guys call me. That's really funky. Old-fashioned. 65 cents. Huh? Oh, sure. Sure. Thanks, Harry. I hope he can change it 20. It's the smallest I got. Yeah, Lou. That's what it is. You and you guys call me punk. It's pretty funny. You got a little surprise coming here, boy. Yeah? Well, I'll live. Thanks, Harry. Yeah, it's okay. Forget the tip, Lou. Just thought I'd do you a favor. Give you a fin if the horse comes through. But from now on, I do my business uptown direct. You do that. Never that guy. Yeah? Small time. And he's calling me... It's good old-fashioned, Harry. That's the best. You sure know how to make them, all right? Uh-huh. The drink was too sweet. He didn't like it. But it was got done. He wanted to show them the bottle of acid. Tell them. That would make them know he wasn't a punk anymore. Instead, he pocketed his change and sawn it out. There was little better than five hours to kill. So he went to a movie. It was a triple feature. And when he came out blanking in the strong sunlight, the time was four o'clock. Holding the paper sack carefully, he took a bus uptown and noted that traffic was getting heavy. At 4.30, he walked past the athletic club and into a drug store across the street. Sitting at the counter, he leaped through a detective magazine and drank two large cups. The assemblyman had played handball, taken a shower, and the five o'clock was dressed and on his way out. His companion suggested a cocktail. But because of his appointment at 6, he baked off. Wish I could, but it'll take me an hour to get out there. I'll take a rain check for next week. So long, say hello to the wife and kid. Steve Clyber was waiting outside the drug store when the assemblyman emerged from the athletic club. He recognized the man immediately and crossed the street. By the time the assemblyman reached his car and was unlocking the door, Clyber was behind him. The jar held firmly in his gloved hand. There was no one else in sight. Hey, mister. Yes? Here's something for you. Steve Clyber didn't see the assemblyman clawing at his face. He dashed the jar out of the street and ran to the corner and a moment was lost among the five o'clock homecoming crowds. He felt pride and the smoothness of his accomplishment. His nerve had held up. He proved himself as a man to be trusted. Any punk could do a good job with a gun, but he had performed a task few men could have done better. Cold, sure, perfect timing. He went home to his girl, and as he relived the moment in telling, he felt himself become flushed, heart with excitement. So I figured it out. See, just like a shotgun. You know how when you shoot a shotgun the lead spreads out? So I figured the same with the acid. Just close enough so it won't spread. I was three feet. Three feet. That's when I said, hey, mister. And he turned around. Boy, he could have put me on the Olympics the way I took off. You should have seen me go. I'm glad I didn't. I'm just telling you that... That's an awful thing doing a thing like that. I don't get you. It's a job. That's all. How come you didn't tell me that's what you were going to do? Why should I tell you it's none of your business? I'll tell you now because I thought you'd be interested. I'm not. Well, that's a fine thing. I'm hungry. Let's go eat. No, no. I figured for a couple of days lay low just to be sure, you know. Look, you go down and delicatessen and get some stuff. Then, lady, you can go down to Harry's and pick up a hundred bucks for me. He'll be there. By seven o'clock the extras were on the street. By ten that night the entire city knew what had happened. And the man who had ordered it to happen, the boss was at home smoking a cigar, reading. His wife came in and said, I just heard the news on the radio. What news? Some man threw acid in somebody's face. He's a representative or a senator or something in the city. That's terrible. Awful. Boy, I hope they get him. The man that did it. Yeah. And a phone call came into the boss on his private line. He listened for a long time. His cigar went out. He looked puzzled. Yeah, yeah, I'm here. Oh, like I said, he ain't dead, but he's really out tonight. Who did the job? Oh, some punk. Steve Kleiber? As you know anything? Yeah, a good boy, I give him the word. Then we're in the clear. Don't worry, in a couple of days it'll glide down. But the boss was disturbed. He disturbed him. The phone call, what he'd heard himself on the newscast disturbed him. The violent act had all the earmarks of a boomerang, rather than instilling fear the purpose for which the deed was done. It had brought out swift and great anger. Kleiber was worried too. His girl had gone to the bar and returned empty-handed. The second hundred dollar installment of his payment was not there. His contact had not been seen that day. The next morning a reward of $5,000 was posted for the apprehension of the man who threw acid. And by afternoon the prize money had risen to $12,000. Kleiber read the newspapers that night and was frightened. Listen honey, I'd better get out of here. Some of these rats are getting an idea to turn me into that kind of dormant trouble. Yeah, maybe you'd better. Look, honey, you can out of Harry's again. I need that hundred bucks. I'll have to have to get out of town for a while. What's the use he ain't going to be there? After all I've done for him, you're crazy. A nice, clean job. Listen, I'm going to hide out in old place. It's in town here. How can I get it? Well, try, will you? I'll write you down the address. If I'm not there, I'll be in the grand theater. You know where it is. I know. Okay. Hey, what about me? Well, I do for money. I gave you ten bucks yesterday. Just a couple of days to get your hundred. Yeah. Well, right here. There's twenty I can't give you more. All right. Now, look, you won't let me down, kid. You'll find him. He'll give me the door. What do you want me to do? Write it in blood? All right, all right. Thanks, honey. I'll make it up to you. I'll bet. I'll see you. What a dirty little punk. At first only a handful of people thought he was the contact man and Clyber's girl. And then the bookmaker Lou remembered the incident with Clyber and Harry's bar. Howie? Yeah, another the same. Oh, Matt. Hey, you seen Steve Clyber around the last couple of days? No. I was just wondering. Remember the day he was in two, three days back? The day the guy got a face full of acid? Remember him talking big, flashing a 20? Yeah. What do you think? I'll tell you. His girl's been a few times looking for an envelope he's supposed to get. She's been asking for someone if that means anything. Yeah. You know what the reward is? Lest I heard 12,020. It's a big stink. I wouldn't want to be in that guy's shoes. Happy if Steve did it. Happy if Steve did it. Oh, I wouldn't want to be in his shoes. Mmm. Me either. The police had no leads, but they had an aroused city on their side. They weren't working alone. Every citizen was a potential ally. Every news agency a powerful voice. The reward mounted and a week had reached $40,000. The money was offered by the city by indignant groups and individuals. Clyber was no longer a punk. He was a dangerous animal. A big man. And he waited in dark places. Waited for his girl to bring him $100 so that he could run further to get away. The police, the district attorney's office began asking questions, lots of questions. And they started with the boss. They weren't playing games now. Why do you keep after me? I don't know anything about it. So I'm not probably or doesn't like it no smoking law or something. Why don't you guys lay off me? But they didn't lay off him. And he knew something had to be done done quickly. He called his associates together. Each city is not healthy with Clyber running around loose. I get the feeling we better get to him before the cops do. He might know something. If he starts talking, we're all in trouble. Shouldn't be hard. Must be a dozen guys on the look for him right now. $40,000 bucks ain't hate. I don't want him turned in. I want him killed. Yeah. Well, we'll get on it right away. It took three hours and the word was out. To every petty racketeer hoodlum gunman, the word was fine Clyber. If you turn him into the cops, we'll get you. Just find him and pass the word to the right man. You'll get paid off. The boss wanted him dead. Not alive. Clyber hadn't heard from his girl for two days. In desperation, he took a chance and telephoned Harry's bar. Ask for the contact, man. Harry said, That's you, Steve. Yeah, Harry. Yeah, it's me. Is he there? Where are you? Never mind. Is he there? Listen, Steve, listen, I want that money. I've got to have it. What are you trying to pull? Well, don't get excited, kid. We had a little trouble. I had to lay low. I'm sorry, Bob. Where are you, Steve? I'll get it to you right away. Steve, I would, except haven't you heard? She left town yesterday. She's gone off the coast. Now, Steve, why don't you tell me where you are and I'll get it? He was afraid. More afraid than he'd ever been in his life. He'd read the papers, knew the whole city was after him. And now we knew from the sound of that voice they were after him, too. There was nobody to trust now. His girl, everything gone. And even in his fear, he still didn't quite understand why it was happening. He'd done the job he'd been told to do, done it well. And they'd all double-crossed him. The big boys. He didn't understand. One thing he did know now, however, he was valuable. He was worth money. But was it his life that was valuable? Or perhaps they'd find him, kill him, and then turn him in? The rewards didn't say anything about being alive. As he left the cigar store, he didn't see the proprietor and pick up the telephone. Hello? This is Shackley on the corner of 5th. I thought you'd like to know Steve Kleiber was just in here making a phone call. Yeah. He just went out, walking east. I'm in bad trouble. Punk's a lot of them double-crossed. I'm in trouble and scared. I shouldn't be out like this. I gotta find some place to hide out. Where? Where? They'll get me. They'll be looking. And he felt safer walking because every place, any place that he might want to go was shelter was now a trap. He saw the police station at exactly the same moment. He saw the black car around the corner and a sixth sense told him what was about to happen. He started to run toward the police station. In which Mr. Tony Barrett and Mr. William Conrad starred in tonight's presentation of The Man Who Threw Acid. Be sure to join us next Wednesday in bringing you another presentation of Radio's Outstanding Theatre of Frills. Suspense. Suspense is produced and directed in Hollywood by Anthony Ellis. And now a public service message from CBS Radio. Remember that phrase, one of our aircraft is missing? Another time around it might be one of our cities is missing. Radar can spot enemy aircraft before they reach our cities. But there are gaps which only your eyes can fill. CBS Radio suggests write or telephone your nearest Civil Defense Center or write to Ground Observer Corps Air Force, Washington DC to learn how you can serve in our Ground Observer Corps. Stay tuned now for five minutes of CBS News to be followed on most of these same stations by My Son Jeep. You hear America's favorite shows on the CBS Radio Network.