 Autolight and its 98,000 dealers bring you Mr. Dana Andrews in tonight's presentation of Suspense Tonight Autolight presents a story based on fact as we examine a city in terror of its life a Dramatic report which we call the one-man crime wave our star mr. Dana Andrews How are they going what Harlow? You're a New Year's resolutions. Well, they're going fine. In fact, they're all gone except one Oh, what's that half never to use any battery except an auto light stay full well You couldn't keep a better resolution half because the auto light stay full is the famous battery that needs water only three times a year in Normal car use there's no better way to start the new year and to start your car Then with the battery that gives fast sure starts every time and that means the auto light stay full and what about its long? Long-long life Harlow why everybody knows about that hap fiberglass retaining mats protect the power of every positive plate To reduce shedding and flaking and give that auto light stay full longer life as proved by tests conducted according to accepted life cycle standards So friends see your auto light battery dealer He services all makes of batteries and make sure your next battery is an auto light stay full the battery that needs water only three Times a year in normal car use Remember from bumper to tail light. You're always right with auto light and now auto light presents transcribed the one-man crime wave Starring mr. Dana Andrews hoping once again to keep you in Suspense These murders occurred in a city a good-sized city if it's your city, you'll know it Take murder and take carefully into consideration the results of the crime Tragedy not perhaps so much for the victim because to the dead there's no further use for tears tragedy though for those who are left to mourn and Fear if it happened to your next door neighbor the friendly man or woman the ones with kids The ones with a big hello and a comfortable approach to living The fear because it was next door and might have been you It began on a Tuesday night Senseless fight for it happened in a city and the city began to live in fear for what was to follow Sergeant Ferring. Yeah, I'm grisco. I was told a report to you for duty. Oh sure. You're the new man. Yes, sir Okay Come on. There's been a killing over on East Bay woman in the street stabbed We got to East Bay the body was still there shrouded in an overcoat one hand uncovered lay in the gutter Then stream of water washing through the stiffening fingers Even murdered a half a block from her house a neighbor told what she knew standing white faced frightened under the streetlight It was 8 30 p.m. And the temperature was 39 degrees Well, I I saw her pass my window. She waved she had a letter in her hand I I guess she was going to mail it at the corner. Did you see her after that? No, I only heard Her just cream. I ran out and looked up and down the street I thought they'd been an accident maybe but I I didn't see a car or anything Until I I saw her lying here. Was there anybody on the street? I I don't know I I thought I saw somebody go around the corner at the end of the block running. I'm not sure You better go inside mrs. Mead is kind of chilly out here What'll her husband do? Gets off work at 10 What's he gonna do when he finds out? And those those nice kids What are they gonna do? Camera work was finished an ambulance took the dead mother away and the search for a murderer was begun. I Ruffed out the first report and Drisco filled in the details. They were not released to the press The husband of the deceased was questioned his replies were all negative no known enemies His wife was not involved with another man His own movements on the night were checked and found to be as described Neighbors were questioned. They had seen nothing of the attack There were 14 knife wounds in the deceased body any five of which could have caused death Corners report is attached We're proceeding now with the theory that the department is dealing with an unknown assailant Probably with a criminally insane background killer if he were a criminally insane would strike again He did it was on Thursday Had been a light snowfall during the day and his evening came the temperature dropped lower leaving a thin covering of crystals on the ground It was 10 p.m. The Street, Washington a woman of 37 was returning to her apartment She was a waitress at the Gold Rush restaurant She was between two lamp posts and semi-light when the man stepped out from the doorway Chance, she was alive when they got her to the hospital. She was alive when I went into the white room to question her She told me what you could remember Wheatley frightened of what had happened and of what was going to happen You think you're strong enough to tell me a couple of things this I'll try Can you describe him? Well, he was about your height Maybe a little shorter Kind of heavy set His eyebrows grew across the middle Funny eyes what complexion dark I guess Dark any scars. I didn't see can you remember how he was dressed? I don't know I Was scared There was an overcoat I Don't remember And he had a hat Kind of a regular hat you said you told him a man was coming down the street. Yeah, I thought I'd scare him He turned around I could run That's when he Yeah, is there anything else you're gonna remember about this fellow? No, hey Oh my hand. We sure tried to remember something now what color was the overcoat? I told you I Don't know It was maybe dark gray Brown I Was scared I Was That's all right. It might come to you later There's one more thing Miss She turned her head aside the eyes were closed I Held her hand and it was the last knowing thing in her life as she died quietly unprotesting I Went back to the office and cold and Driscoll we had coffee sent up and drank it steaming I'm going to give it out to the papers. This guy's a nut. He'll keep on killing until we catch him Best to warn the women about walking alone at night. Yes, sir. What about the description? Well, it's enough for a start We'll contact institutions go over our files. You didn't get to work on that now. Okay, Sergeant By the way, they get any footprints in the snow now at the time I got there 50 people had trampled it all up For the time being anyway, we'll have to go on luck unless we come up with something That's the trouble killings like this city this size You have a tough time finding a murderer unless he's got a record or a motive. Well, he's nuts. That's his motive. I guess We'll have to wait for the record It's already broken the papers on the next day Friday the results were immediate and expected My telephone again to ring and kept on ringing crackpots people who had seen a man They thought answered the general description of the murderer they'd seen him in a dozen different places at the same time And they knew more about him than we did because we had nothing to go on You've got a lot of patience. I don't know how you take it Well, I look at it this way. There's always one call. That's the real thing can afford to take any chances This guy's done two killings on opposite sides of the city that makes it even worse. He's not killing in a pattern And he might do it again somewhere else Until we get a lead I'll listen to anybody who's got something to say Give me a pack of cigarettes out of my coat. Will you disco? Yes, sir? homicide sergeant faring Yes, ma'am That's right, ma'am. Yes, ma'am. I'm in charge The weekend passed and it was Monday Tuesday, we worked hard sifting rumor possibility There was nothing much to show for it The tension in the city mounted started to build into panic. There was talk of vigilantes college day stuff Complaints as to the ineptness of the police force piled up. We took it and waited Then the thing we were scared of Happened Wednesday morning a little after midnight on the west side a Young couple both of them ripped to pieces dead before any help could come And early the next morning Yes, sir. Yes, sir. I know but we may have got hold of something a young fellow struggled with him He ripped off a button and some cloth from his coat Yes, the lab's working on it now Yes, sir. I will Yes, sir Yeah, that was the chief We better be getting something fast lots of pressure. Maybe we have sir 14th precinct picked up a man last night. You might answer the description Kind of crazy won't deny or admit anything. Oh They're bringing him down now should be in here in about 15 minutes There's another thing have they got the overcoat. No He wasn't wearing one And he won't say what happened to it It is bringing you mr. Dana Andrews in the one-man crime wave tonight's presentation in radio's outstanding theater of thrills suspense Say Harlow, what about your New Year's resolutions? Well, Hap I've resolved to tell everyone the great news for 54 What is it Harlow? Why happen? Auto light stay full battery needs water only three times a year in normal car use That's reason enough for going to auto light in 54 Well, if it isn't tap this is the auto light stay full has a life that's longer than your winter underwear Fiberglass retaining mats surround every positive plate to reduce shedding and flaking and give the auto light stay full longer Life has proved by tests conducted according to accepted life cycle standards So see your auto light battery dealer. That's right friends. He's a battery expert He'll tell you all about that dynamic and dependable auto light stay full The battery that needs water only three times a year in normal car use 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. Dana Andrews in Elliott Lewis's production of the one-man Crime wave a true report well calculated to keep you in suspense The man was brought into my office on Thursday morning. His name was Frederick Sorensen He'd been picked up 10 blocks from the scene of the crime two hours after it been committed He appeared to be drunk and although the temperature was in the low 30s. He wore no overcoat In general his features answered the vague description given by the dead waitress He sat with his head lowered sullen ignoring the coffee by his side Well, you're not under arrest mr. Sorensen. This is just a routine questioning That's It's like that Germans are the Russians Man's walking along. He's arrested just like that if you'll answer a few questions, sir You can be on your way. Oh, what am I supposed to have done? What? Can you tell me where you were this morning a little after midnight? Ah In a bar, I guess. I don't remember any particular bar two or three I Got problems. I Was drunk last night. Will you try to remember the names of the bars? I don't know All the star I guess over on Manchester well Once in a while. I go into the aster. I I guess I did last night. I Was pretty drunk got no right to arrest me. You're not under arrest mr. Sorensen What happened to your overcoat? I don't know I Had it on when I left my apartment. I Took it off from one of the bars and forgot it. I I was pretty drunk Will you describe your coat? Sure. It was a gray Tweet I guess not too heavy. I don't like a heavy coat. It makes my back ache Now, we'll see if we can get it back for you mr. Sorensen You said you were in the star and they asked her any other place. I don't think so. Oh Yeah, wait a minute may maybe the joint over on William Street opposite the big hotel, you know the McDonald's Bond grill. Yeah, yeah, that's the one I Think so. I don't know. I'm not sure Hey, look, I'm answering all these questions. What am I supposed to have done? Two people were killed just after midnight last night a few blocks from where you were picked up It's our job to investigate anybody who might know something about it. I Don't know anything When the office has questioned you you refuse to answer they asked you if you knew about the murders and you said I'm not saying yes, and I'm not saying no. I'm not saying anything Do you remember that mr. Sorensen? No I was drunk Do you ever get drunk and try to remember what you said? I? Didn't even know what they were talking about. I I didn't kill anybody I've got enough problems without killing somebody All right, mr. Sorensen I'd like you to wait in there for a while until we check on some of these things have you had any breakfast? No, we'll have some setup. Hey listen if I'm not under arrest How come I got to stay here as a good citizen mr. Sorensen I'm sure you want to help in every way to catch the murderer sure, but I don't you're helping then by staying in there until I get back We check the aster star McDonough's bar and grill asked questions Sorensen was known to them all in particular. He was known to mr. McDonough Yeah, he was in here kind of late got a good load on could you say what time? Oh one maybe two Tell you sergeant. It was a big night last night Maybe they're cold and snow, but everybody felt good didn't want to go out. You know how it is I'm sure did you happen to notice whether mr. Sorensen was wearing an overcoat. I couldn't swear, but Put it this way if he wasn't I would have noticed because it was too cold outside to be without one Now wouldn't you say the odds are he was wearing one possible Freddy? There's a couple of butts under the table at the end you missed him He didn't find an overcoat after you closed gray tweed. No Freddy You find an overcoat a man left here last night. I guess you're out of luck Yeah Well, if it does show up mr. McDonough to be obliged if you'd give me a call Brett say yeah It's none of my business, but have you arrested Sorensen? No routine questions. That's all. Well, I wondered He's not the type for that killer. I've talked to him. He's been coming in here for five or six years He's a nice guy quiet no trouble as a student of human nature. I'd say he wasn't your man Thanks a lot for your trouble We checked some more sorenson's apartment neighbors on nothing the man was quiet, but well liked The overcoat had disappeared and since his alibi held up. We didn't have much choice You've been cooperative mr. Sorensen. Thank you. That's okay Hey, did you find my overcoat? I'm afraid not but if we do we'll let you know sure hate to lose it I It's all right for me to go now. Yeah, I'm sorry for the inconvenience. Oh, that's okay Hope you get that guy We will mr. Sorensen well So long Nice to have met thanks again He's leaving our disco get a man to follow him and a relief for that man I don't want Sorensen out of sight for a minute. Yes, right away They followed him for a week and the only thing he did to be noted was to buy a new overcoat. I Summed up our progress for the chief and it wasn't much Thanks Well, sir, he's a suspect, but he's a weak one. We've checked pretty carefully He works for a lumberyard been in nine years. No financial problems He was married, but he got a divorce three years ago His ex-wife says he was all right kind of moody sometimes, but no big thing just wanted to live alone Didn't want to be married. So she gave him a divorce There wasn't another woman as far as she knew So and I thought overcoat shows up somewhere and there's a button with some cloth missing. We haven't got much and for another week No killings no progress We continued to have the suspect followed for no other reason than the physical description given by the dead waiters But even that was flimsy On a Friday at 9 15 p.m. It was raining my cold enough freeze just a bitter penetrating wetness And that's when the overcoat showed up the overcoat with a missing button There was a man in it too He'd been picked up in a bar disturbing the peace his name was winters and he had a record five arrests three convictions It took a couple of minutes to match up the shred of cloth and button to the coat and we had our first break We sent for winters It doesn't have to be Sorlinson's coat sergeant doesn't have to be no you think it is that's what we've been working on Come in waiters Sit down, okay now You ever see this coat before Sure, it's mine You swear to that sure I swear What were you picked up for? Bumwrap well, I start picking on me in a bar. I hit him first. He was bigger than me The serving the peace How would you like murder added to that murder? I didn't kill nobody where did you get the coat? What do you mean? Where'd I get it? Two weeks ago that was Wednesday 16 days ago a man and a woman were stabbed to death the murderer wore this coat We've got a bit of cloth and a button to prove it Your coat winters list. I never kill unless Just because I got a coat that looks like I didn't where did you get the coat? I Told you I Just go what about Sorenson Sure Okay, I'll tell the sergeant Stabbing off Lincoln Avenue woman. She's dead sounds the same All right, Winters You hear me now You want that to be your coat? I'll accept it No more talk and you're up for murder and I'm not kidding But I don't think you did it and I'm giving you one more chance to tell me where you got it look mr. Okay, I found it found it where in a bar when like you said a couple of weeks ago. What bar I know Come on. Come on after the star McDonough's McDonough's Okay, did you see the fellow you've got it from oh look now? I'm a loser you're going to get me in on a Larson's a wrap you want murder Yeah, I saw him was he wearing the coat when he came in Yeah He acted kind of strange like it was hot maybe drunk He sat on the table took off the coat then he started to look at his hands for a long time I remember cause he looked kind of nuts Then he went to the men's and left his coat Good-looking coat. So I did you hear him called by name a couple guys seem to know my guests I don't remember what they call them. Can you identify him? I guess so Okay, I'm holding you as a material witness. You're gonna book me for taking the coat I'll think about it With a new killing we had another problem the man on duty outside Sorenson's apartment had reported that Sorenson hadn't left the place all evening That might mean we had still one more killer working with the knife But Driscoll and I drove over to Sorenson's place. We had enough to pick him up Mattson was on duty and he came up to the apartment with us We had to break the door down Sorenson wasn't answering And when we got inside We knew why I didn't I swear he didn't come out. That's where he went out Firescape leads out the back. I'm sorry sergeant. He never can't do anything about it now We go after him sergeant. No, but I'll call to pick him up. We'll stay here I think he'll come back Mattson get back out front if you see him Don't make any move unless you're sure you can get him. Yes, sir We turned out the lights left the window open and waited the rain kept falling and I got cold in the room An hour went by we didn't smoke for fear Sorenson would smell it as he came out the fire escape to his window So we just waited Sergeant yeah They execute a man like that. I don't know they might as well He'll cost the taxpayer a lot of money for the rest of his life if they don't He'd be better off dead for himself. He'd be better off What makes him do it? You read about it. You see him talk to him. What makes him that way? Don't ask me. I'm just a guy has to try and catch him after they got their kicks carving out somebody's life Boy, I'd sure like a cigarette under arrest Sorenson Disco come on. He'd sent something wrong and he wasn't close enough for us to get him We followed him out to the fire escape and up to the roof It was raw up there and a slick was forming underfoot There was only one place for him to be behind the elevator housing shaft You could only approach it on one side. So I stationed disco behind me to cut him off if you made a run for it Come out with your hands up. I Haven't done anything Let me alone Feel sick Why don't you let me alone get out here where I can see you move slowly and keep your hands high I want to die. I want to die. Come on You don't know You just don't know You don't care. Well, I won't I won't go to jail I'm not gonna kill me. What's up? You all right sergeant? Yeah, you got my arm Sorenson Sorenson, he's done better call the ambulance Suspense brought to you by auto light tonight star mr. Dana Andrew This is Harlow Wilcox speaking for auto light the world's largest independent manufacturer of automotive electrical equipment in 28 plants from coast to coast auto light makes over 400 products for cars trucks tractors planes boats and industry These products include bumpers die castings Industrial thermometers and batteries such as the famous auto light stay full Ignition engineered auto light spark plugs both standard and resistor types voltage regulators wire and battery cable auto light bullseye sealed beam units and auto light original service parts for all auto lighting equipped electrical systems Auto light is proud to serve the greatest names in the industry So from bumper to tail light you're always right with auto light Next week the story of a man who was able single-handedly to rob a bank of $50,000 and get away with it. It's called the face is familiar our star mr. Jack Benny That's next week on Suspense The one-man crime wave was written by Antony Ellis Suspense is transcribed and directed by Elliot Lewis the music composed by Lucian Morović and conducted by Ludgloskin In tonight's story Joseph Kearns was heard as Sorenson and Lee Malar as Driscoe featured in the cast with Paula Winslow Charlotte Lawrence Junius Matthews and Tom Tully Data Andrews can soon be seen in the Warner Brothers picture duel in the jungle And remember next week mr. Jack Benny in the face is familiar You can buy auto lights day full batteries auto light original service parts and auto lights standard or resistor type spark plugs at your neighborhood auto light dealers Switch to auto lights. Good night If you know a man in the service one of the greatest favors you can do is to write him regularly Even though it is often difficult for servicemen to reply promptly Word from home is a great morale builder resolve now to write and keep writing to a serviceman, you know This is the CBS radio network