 From Hollywood it's time now for Johnny dollar David Baines. Hi. How's it going this morning? I'm staying off the streets I don't want to be beat up again I'd advise you to do the same I can't very well do that the city of Clinton is filed claim for their school building I have to make an investigation you're bucking a rough crowd mr. Dollar. What do you mean? I'm all I intend to I admire you, but I think you're foolish good luck just a minute what? Not only did a school building burn down yesterday, but a man died in that fire If there was something wrong with it, I want to get to the bottom of it. I expect help from you, too Tonight and every week day night Bob Bailey in the transcribed adventures of the man with the action-packed expense account America's fabulous freelance insurance investigators just truly Johnny dollar Expense accounts submitted by special investigator Johnny dollar to United Adjustment Bureau 418 West 61st Street, New York City The following is an accounting of expenditure is during my investigation of the Clinton matter. That's Clinton, Colorado Expense account item 5 80 cents telegram to Dodd and company Denver insurance brokers who would handle the policies covering the new school building in Clinton I requested them to forward copies of the policies Item 6 10 cents one copy of the Clinton times and the full story on the fire It was believed by fire chief Hanley that the fire had started because of overheated boilers in the heating system That's right. I'm an insurance investigator Yep Well, what can I do for you? Tell me about the fire yesterday. You sound like you're carrying a chip on your shoulder, mr. Duller We had word that building irregularities were suspected in that school chief The word came from the janitor Julian Osborn He burned to death in that fire yesterday and the building's gone now you get his head up as you want a boy I got my own troubles. I'll tell you what we think and you can take it whether you like it or not We think old Julian Osborn might have passed out got drunk or had a heart attack in that building We think something like that happened and the boilers kept ran ongoing and built up the pressure We think the boilers exploded the fire started and that was that now Why do you think the whole place went on because it's spread so fast? Why did it spread? I didn't build the building I just took care of the fire You're going to have to change your attitude around here if you want anybody to cooperate with you I can tell me this why on a day when school wasn't in session with those boilers be fired up at all I don't know chief Last night I talked to sheriff Doherty trying to get information about Julian Osborn. He didn't know anything either I also talked to Flory Hawkins the school principal. She didn't know Now you don't know anything who does I've done my job boy I've determined cause you've also given me a chance to look at you Which was about the only reason I came now I'll get information elsewhere chief. There's some people in this town who want to talk and tell me things You and your sheriff and whoever else is involved can't keep every mouth in this town shut And I'll tell you like I told miss Hawkins. I'm at the northern hotel In case you remember anything. I can't hear you boy not one word Expense account item 7 dollar 80 breakfast in the coffee shop of my hotel for myself and David Baines Who still look badly battered from the beating he'd taken the night before? You're taking a chance sitting here with me. Hope you realize that am I I'm public enemy number one in this town I'm the man who built the school that didn't stay up look Baines I want you to tell me all about it if you have any information or knowledge that would be helpful in this Investigation then you better give out with it right now. What specifically do you want to know first the town? You know what this place is It's a backyard and only the rich kids can play here Vickery Hanley Dordy those are the rich kids mr. Dollar The rest of us are well We live across the tracks. Let's start with Vickery. He's a builder not only here all over these mountains grand junction rifle Mesa all over He's got a million dollars and a million angles He's the one who sent me to Europe to study for a year after I completed my plans for the new building got me out of the Okay, fire chief Hanley a friend of Vickery's and any friend of Vickery's is going to get rich one way or another Sheriff Dordy. He keeps the law orderly for Vickery very necessary Okay The fire itself chief Hanley says the school boilers blew up and caused the fire There was no reason for those boilers to be fired up no reason if they were fired They were fired to blow up. They had automatic shut off equipment. What about Julian Ospin? You say he notified the broker in Denver that something was wrong with the building and that's how you got here I don't know they might have fired it for money too. I told you I was in Europe until they constructed it I got back in Clinton four days ago. I went over to see my building. They used my outside drawing dollar Wooden beams where I indicated steel girders only half the plumbing and heating system other things Looked like they'd made it up as they went along. Did you talk to anybody about it? Oh, sure the contractor Vickery He told me to keep my mouth shut and be a good boy Do you think he got you out of town during the construction so you wouldn't interfere? I think so. I'm not important But it was the easiest way I Understand mr. Vickery is a little unpopular today. What a delegation went out to his house to hang him or something Bains was partially right a delegation had gone out to see Roy Vickery and his polished prime domain at the end of town They were still there when I drove up in my rented car 20 or 30 irate citizens is demanding an explanation to the law school 10 uniform men from Sheriff Dorothy's office formed a half-moon circle in front of the main entrance their host is unbuckled The sheriff himself was directing the operation All right, just a minute there. Hello sheriff. Huh, Johnny dollar. I talked to you last night. Oh, yeah Chief Hanley called me about you the chief called you and last night you called flurry Hawkins That was nice keep the wires burning Chief said you came over to see him used abusive language tried to cause trouble the chief was mistaken I wasn't trying to cause trouble sheriff. There's enough of that in this town I was just trying to find out how the fire started yesterday the chief told you how it started. I didn't believe him now What do you think of that? You better watch your step around here mr. Dollar You seem to be looking for arguments all the time at all sheriff. I'm misunderstood. We understand you all right How's mr. Vickery he's all right, and he's going to stay all right. I'm sure he will But these people don't like their school burning down. It's expensive Also, their kids could have been in it. I want to see mr. Vickery about that He isn't seeing anyone mr. Dollar, and we aren't letting anybody in to see him really Did any of you people hear that now look here a lesson folks listen to me with you look now listen I'm an insurance investigator I'm worried about what happened to your school yesterday keep quiet. They tell me mr. Vickery built that school The architect who designed it said it wasn't built to his specifications Now I want to go in and ask mr. Vickery about that the sheriff here doesn't want me to do that Wait a minute the sheriff just said I'll get you for this All right hold it hold it please please now listen to me listen I'll put it to the sheriff again so you can all hear Sheriff I want to go in and see mr. Vickery on business Well Go ahead. Thank you The direction from sheriff guard either wedge of deputies open up long enough for me to walk through the wrought iron gate and up the steps to the Vickery mansion That's all men in a white jacket answer the door and usher me into a den that was stuck with good liquor and big leather chairs Finding a big man in a blue suit walked in he had lots of good teeth, and there wasn't an ounce of fat on his 230 pounds It was quite an act with sheriff Tauri just now. I watched you from upstairs That's a good safe place to watch for a mr. Vickery now that you're in what can I do for you? Tell me everything you can about that school building Is the city of Clinton made a claim yet? Yes 200,000 dollars building and contents you got in town pretty fast We heard there might be something wrong with that building before the fire Apparently there was who told you a thing like that junior Knospin. He's dead now, you know Well to boilers explode and there's something wrong with the building is that the way you people figure yeah Well, so do we and we couldn't find anything wrong Who's we officially where the Civic construction department. We just had a meeting. We thought we ought to yeah Yeah, I figured those people hanging around outside should be worrying well They don't worry me and you don't worry me a drunken janitor goes to sleep and lets the boilers kick up and the joint blows apart and burns down That's what we decided in the meeting Terrible accident will have to use an old garage or something for a school But then we'll get around to building another school with the insurance money. We have coming And that's that that's that Mr. Vickery I'd like a copy of the specifications that went into that building Okay, that'll do for now good Now you can get out of my house dollar you smell smoke There were 50 pages of specifications on the building materials used in the construction of that school They looked all right. They also looked as though they could have been forgery Expense account item eight six dollars one bottle of whiskey for David Baines and myself in my hotel room Bains went over the specifications page by page Okay, what do you think these are my specifications? More or less. This is what's on paper that went into the building. How about what actually went into it? Well a little I saw they cut corners everywhere the outside was just a shell of this stuff You're sure these are my notes. I can remember this much. Can you remember it in front of a notary? I want a sworn statement. I don't know You what? Don't look at me that way. You're gonna get my statement and possibly I have a dozen other statements on paper You'd have a case then what would you do go to the district attorney? We haven't got a district attorney. We got a county attorney who's elected for a four-year term. All right I'll go to him Vickery then I'll go to somebody else the insurance commission you try to go any farther They'll kill you dollar. Let me worry about that now. Would you make a statement? Sorry That kill me too And that's the way matters stood in Clinton Colorado 24 hours after their new school building had burned down and a man had died in the flames Everyone seemed to know it was all wrong But no one was willing to do anything about it Johnny dollar Yes, I did very thoroughly well I Think they're fakes mr. Vickery But you've got it when you're leaving town not for a while make good connections then sorry I haven't really gotten around as much as I want to yet. You saw me now. I'll get around to you again Get out of town Vickery There are times when I don't hear good. Oh, here's our star to tell you about tomorrow's intriguing episode of this week's story tomorrow A lady who promised to love honor and obey a building inspector, but wound up a widow Join us won't you yours truly? Johnny dollar Yours truly Johnny dollar starring Bob Bailey is transcribed in Hollywood written by John Dawson It is produced and directed by Jack Johnstone Be sure to join us tomorrow night same time and station for the next exciting episode of yours truly Johnny dollar Roy Rowan speaking