 Personal notice, dangers my stock and trade. If the job's too tough for you to handle, you got a job for me, George Valentine. Write full details. You remember Charlie who used to live around the corner? Poor fella, always had a problem. He was forever trying to make square pegs fit into round holes. Nobody thought he'd do it, then one day he did. He shoved his mother-in-law down the garbage disposal. But that's doing it the hard way. It would've been much easier to let George do it. At least George Valentine could've gotten Mama out of the house in one piece. Yeah, you never know when George'll come in handy. Now take Jerry Mace, for instance. He's the guy standing over there on the crowded railroad platform. He's waiting to catch a train home to Wifey. But I don't think he's gonna make it. Come on, come on, give me my change. I'm trying to get the 515. Thanks. Oh, excuse me. Pardon me, lady. Excuse me, that's my... All right, so it's not the 515. Well, look who wants to read the newspaper. Who's following who, friend? You or me? Come on, loosen up, what are you... Hey, look out! Let go of my... And so instead of making the 515, Jerry Mace caught the heavenly express. Hope he had the right ticket because it's a long ride with no return. Speaking of tickets, my friend here always has the right one for you. All aboard conductor. That was a streamlined spiel if I ever heard one. Now let's see if we can find out what caused Mr. Mace to do a jackknife onto the railroad tracks. That's Jerry Mace. Yeah, not so it is all right. All was. One of my boys who went out to get the body said he thought he recognized him. Thought he was a friend of yours, Valentine. That's why I got you down here to my office or fast. Wait a minute, Lieutenant Johnson. Didn't he have any identification? Pockets were practically empty, Miss Brooks. Wallet, stuff in his side pocket gone. So he must have been slugged first, robbed, and then shoved in front of the train. That's right, Miss Brooks. Otherwise it might look like he just fallen or maybe even jumped off that station platform to kill him. Sure, he was a nice guy. But you don't have to beat around the bar and to prove it was murder. What do you mean? He just got a new job a couple of months ago. He was an instigator for the Independent Insurance Company. For what? Yeah, you heard me. Was anything at all left in his pockets? Handkerchief, couple of theater stubs. Things are over there. He used to carry a blue notebook, George. Remember? Did he write up his cases? Jefferson Thift case. Ah. I remember now, Insurance Fullerton. Independent Insurance Company. Yeah. Yeah, that's the insurance company in the case, all right? What are you talking about? Swedish match-killing. 50,000 taken to before that, the Prairie Bank job. All one man, Prairie Dog, the boys column. Clear it up, Lieutenant. Ah, the one man I've wanted to get more than anyone else in the world. Six unsolved crimes in the past two years. One of them a murder. Each time with the same guy. Dumb crimes. Clues all over the place. But we've never been able to catch him. What's that got to do with the Independent? He's sloppy. He leaves cigarettes on the floor when he cracks a safe. He uses a funny black kind of Swedish safety match. Where's a pair of greasy gloves? Oh, we know lots of things but we can't catch up. Lieutenant, I ask you what I have to... His last crime was another robbery murder. That insurance company your friend here worked for got hooked. Oh, so that might have been the case Jerry was working on. Prairie Pawn Shop. Watch it. Hock your shirt, we'll loan you another. Ah, it's a pawn ticket. Slipped down through a homeless pocket, I guess, into the lining of his coat. No date on it. Yeah, well me, I'm going to find out for sure what Jerry Mace was working on. From the Independent Insurance Company. It's after six o'clock, Lieutenant. I know their office will be closed but in a little while ought to be able to find somebody. What's the prairie? What is it? Didn't you ever hear it called that? Commercial Street, lower end, from front to third. You mean it's a district right here in town? Sure, in the daytime it's industrial, nights in other matter. Shadows don't even trust the street lamps. Every man for himself and the devil has to pay admission. Nice place. That's where this prairie dog killer of yours comes from? Maybe, I don't know. That's why I want to check what Mace was doing. Okay, come on Angel, we're leaving too. Where are you going, Valentine? To hawk my shirt and see what I get in exchange. Closed, George the shop's closed. Anyway, I don't understand why you're so interested. Angel, why would Jerry hawk anything? He's always had all the dough he needs. Unless he was interested in the place. Or unless it was somebody else's ticket he picked up for some reason. Or unless this place had some connection with the merchant. Sixty bucks a month. You want it or don't you? Utilities paid until the fifth. Sixty in advance and I won't take a check. If you don't want it, loiter somewhere else. I'm nervous about the plate glass. Want what for heaven's sake? I own the building. What do you think? I'm out walking for my constitution. Hold it, hold it, brother. The hawk shop here is for rent. Yeah, tenant just closed up today. Name was Felix. Very substantial citizen. Always paid in advance. Can't you read the sign? Here. Yeah, George. Out of business. Toilet. Yeah, we didn't notice. All right, now you do. Think you want it? Let me know. Choice location. Yeah, sure. Well, George, at least this is one lead. You can cross off your... What's the matter? I read to the sign. I'm reading between the cracks. What? Yeah, there's a light between the cracks. Premises aren't quite empty yet. Let's try one of the side street doors. He said the man's name was Felix, didn't he, George? Hello, is anybody... What are you doing here? So here I guess. We're just... Shh, shh, shh. Come on, stop blowing your nose. I'm talking to somebody else. Yeah. Take it easy, take it easy. Just wanted to see you. That's all, Felix. Can't you read signs? Now go away, stranger. I'm busy. Try more of the next block. I don't want to hawk anything. Oh, here, like a smoke. Smoke is cheaper than eating, you know. Keeps the stomach quiet. Beated, I said. You want a handout? Stick the soup kitchens. I've got an inventory. Stop, please, Felix. Listen, hey, tell me... Well, somebody says you loan money on things. What do you think a hawk shop does? Bake donuts? Yeah, but I mean... A stranger for the love... No. What have you got? A wristwatch. Now, let me see it. Yeah, my grandfather gave it to me. A wonderful man. Pretty valuable, don't you think? George. Yeah, Brooks, he watched this. Your grandfather, huh? Only, of course, it's a lady's wristwatch. I know. I guess he must have bought it for my grandmother. Don't you think? Piece of junk. But all right. Come out back here a second. Oh. Piece of junker. Where's something sometimes, though? What do you think? You see, uh... Your name, Felix? Yes, that's right. What is this? Open house? Well, we want to see you. That's all. I know. Everybody does. I'm out of business at the side door, too. If you were gentlemen, we should discuss something. No, no, no. Give me that thing. And you stick around, tall boy. Sit down, sister. I'll only be a minute. Oh, really? I could come back on Sunday. Give it to me, I said. Yeah. Get it here in the lights. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Look at that. Rhinestones aren't even real. Your grandfather got taken... Ah, shut up. Hello, Prairie Pond Shop. Oh, hello, Sergeant. Well, the same to you. But look, Sergeant, I'm locking up my place, and I... Yeah, yeah. Oh, okay, okay. Let me have the description. Brown hair. Skinny. Short. Look, I've got other things to do than watch for a stolen wristwatch, huh? Wait a minute. You say the guy sniffles? Hey! Hey, you! Stop him! Stop him! Let somebody else wear himself down. Well, you were a great help, tall boy. Let him go. All right, so who cares? Great neighborhood, huh? Classy type of people. Sister, what do you think of having a shop where guys like that come in? What's the matter? Want to use this phone, that's all. Well, if it's all the same to you, I didn't know. What's the idea? Now, the phone's dead, isn't it? Kind of a convenient call from his friend the Sergeant. Wouldn't you say, Bruxy? I wondered why you brought that guy back in here. Look, tall boy. Where's the button? Oh, yeah, here we are. Sure. Step on the button and range. Not bad, not bad. Bum walks in, obviously trying to pedal a stone and watch. Step on the bell and pretend to get a call from a police officer. And then the bum runs away, leaving you to watch. Nice clear profit. Harder steel from a thief. Great neighborhood. Classy type people. All right, all right. No skin off of your neck, is it? No. The prairie. You gotta watch yourself in the clenches in these parts, tourist. George, what did Lieutenant Johnson mean about Swedish matches? What? Look. And it's black, too. It was a safety match. Let me see that. Yeah. Now sit down, Busty. You and I are going to have a little talk. No, no, George. It was the other man, the sniffy one who dropped it. It was when he lit his cigarette coming in here, I remember. You sure? I'm positive. Come on. Headed up the alley, Valentine, but I cut him off. Chased him three blocks since Felix gave his yell, but I lost him. Hey, listen, there's another cop's whistle. They must have got him on the next street. Oh, no, they haven't. He got down this side, then ducked in some place just a second ago before. Through here, back at the barber shop. Yeah. Close to the skin from down here. I'll show you coming into my shop like this. There he is. All right, Tony, you can get off his chest now. A lady I have under the machine. He came running into my shop. She could pull her hair out by the roots. He was just trying to find a way through the alley, I guess. Oh, I catch him. At the tone, he catch him. I chase him. Busty tried to fight him. Stop waving that razor around. I could slice his ears. All right, all right, we said. Come on. On your feet, Sniffy. Thanks. Yeah. Much obliged. Oh, obliged, he says. Oh, hey, look, mister. I'm still no watch. I didn't do nothing. Assault, battery, trespassing, scaring to death a woman under the machine. To be assured, Antoni, there's probably a reward for catching prairie dogs. What? What are you talking about? I'm getting out of here. Oh, no, you don't. That's better. Yes, Sniffy. We'll forget the watch. You're under arrest for what's called suspicion of murder. That boy Valentine's just full of good news, ain't he? He can toss more accusations around than a politician at a Fourth of July picnic. Now, do you really think little old Drizzlepuss is the nefarious prairie dog? I can't go for it. Get it? Go for it, prairie dog? Swell. Well, while you kick it around, let's see what old groundhog here can unearth. Dig me, pal? Say, do you remember when you were a kid how you liked to put pennies on the railroad track just to see what would happen when the choo-choo train ran over it? Well, there's a character around town called the prairie dog who has, shall we say, modernized this little prank. Instead of using pennies, he started using people. And you know what happened? It worked. However, this does not set well with George Valentine as he figures it will give the railroads a bad name if they have to start putting bodycatchers instead of cowcatchers on the front of locomotives. So he sets out to do something about it. So far, all he's been able to find is a little sniffle-nosed character who's long on alibis and short on handcatchers. Meanwhile, the cops are busy too. Bless that little heart. There, you see that? A file we've drawn up in all the prairie dog cases. Let's see. That same kind of match has been found in every single one of them. Why, I wonder. Because the guy's dumb, Miss Brooks. Also, because he's smoked. Big logic. No, no, look there. Each one was a robbery that took some time. Make sense? Yeah. This safe was blown and another accommodation was worked out. Well, is Sniffy a clever enough man to...? Guy gets nervous. He smokes while he works. Grinds his cigarettes out into the floor. Here. Like that. Always the same way. The janitor will love you. You can't buy those matches in stores. Try it sometime. Sniffy's cigarette was the same brand, too. Cheap, but not too popular. I didn't see any greasy gloves on him. That friend of yours, Jerry Mace, who got killed, was definitely working on finding the Prairie Dog. His office said he was working on a hot lead today, but they didn't know what it was. You'll have to say more than that, Lieutenant. Before you'll buy that it was probably the guy who was after who killed him, right? Mm-hmm. Well, Sniffy can't offer a single explanation as to where he was at the time of any one of the Prairie Dog crimes. Also, we've already turned up a witness who says he saw Sniffy on that station platform this evening when Mace was killed. Why didn't you say so in the first place? How good a witness. That's why I didn't. For skeptics like Valentine, I'm waiting to get some more witnesses, so I... Come on, let's get down and see Sniffy, huh? All right, all right. If you don't believe me, watch him hammer the nails in his own coffin. Now, you understand, I want to cooperate all I can, gentlemen. Just a simple misunderstanding. Oh, I don't blame you. I know how these things can happen. Why'd you steal that wrist watch you tried to sell to Felix Sniffy? Yeah, I'm glad you asked me, because I've been trying to explain to this other gentleman... Valentine, we can't find any record of it being stolen. Well, of course you can. See, my grandfather... Canada said... Well, I just want you to understand I have stolen things before. I've even been to jail for it. I certainly wouldn't do a thing like that again. Ah, so you've got a record, too, huh? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, they'll find it out sooner or later. I might as well be honest, don't you think? Just like that business of the station platformer, it suddenly occurred to me that I was there this evening. Oh, is that so? Yeah, it was just hard for me to remember. Oh, not that I was there when any murder took place, but, well, I find the inner urban is a very cheap place to sleep, and there are always plenty of newspapers to read. So, you see, I generally am at almost every station in town every day. Ah, speaking of coffin nails, Johnson. Oh, would you like a cigarette? Excuse me. Of course. Oh, thanks. No brand, huh? No matches, too. I only want to be helpful, that's all. Hold it. What'd you get these? Didn't they take his stuff away from him and Johnson when they dressed him in a faded suit? Oh, I suppose one of the guys... Yeah, let's see. Yeah, get away from me. Hey, those are mine. Sort of full-pocket you wear, Buster. Cut it out, snippy. Candy bar, package of gum. Well, none of that stuff is worth more than a few cents. Not any of it. The man's got to be comfortable, doesn't he? Where'd you get it? Yeah, even a cigar. Oh, what? Hey, that's mine. That's one of my cigars. Very good cigar, Lieutenant. I meant to thank you. But how in the love of... Our friend here's a pickpocket, Johnson. Simple as that. The big suspect. Oh, for peace. Of course, none of it's worth more than a few cents. You see, I've mended my ways. I wouldn't touch anything valuable. Telephone for you, Lieutenant. Yeah. Kill this guy for me, Valentine. Is it wrong for a man to like his little comfort? You took this stuff from the guards. From anybody who's been near you, right? Well, perhaps. Just like the Swedish matches and special cigarettes you might have taken from anybody. Well, it's an embarrassing thing. But who? Come on, remember. Where'd you get those matches? I wish I knew. He might have been anybody, I guess. Anybody I bumped against. Oh, brother. Oh, Felix himself, I suppose. Come to think of it, a man like Felix is much more the criminal type. Shut up. What? Go on, go on. We're letting you out of here. You've given me enough bad ideas for one night. Felix isn't the prairie dog. I can tell you that right now. Well, I was only... Because Felix happens to be dead. Murdered. That's Felix, all right. How about it, Sergeant? Now, the prairie dog, sir, fits all the patterns. Been hit over the head. Flon instrument, grease stains on the paperweight there. Same as on the briefcases. Motive robbery, huh? Sure, sure. A parent like this guy, Felix must have made a pretty penny in his time. Oh, look up. Don't stand there, sir. Huh? A couple of marks on the floor, that's all. Hey, where's this landlord? Did you find him? Yeah. Come in here, will you? Sure. Say, ain't this a tragedy, though? If it shows you, never can tell. His name's Caligari, George. I've been talking to him in the other room. And I didn't say much. How could I? Let Felix here before you people came. You people saw me. Never mind the alibi, friend. He says he was here helping Felix pack before, George. Pack? Yeah, going to Florida. Flight of Nassau. He made his pile. What do you mean? Going to retire. That's why he closed out his shop. Casting all the stuff he owned. Had a briefcase full of securities and stuff. And a roll of green goods. In his suitcase, that would have choked a horse. Who knew that Felix would be right for robbery right now? Jerry Mace, for one, George. Maybe that's why he was interested in Felix's place today. Yeah, I thought of that. But who else could? Well, I guess most everybody in the neighborhood friend must have had some idea what was going on. Felix was a pirate. Wouldn't take much to figure he was worth knocking over. But knowing his exact schedule, the fact he'd be late in the shop tonight. Believing from here and so on. Well, maybe not so many. But more than just you, I suppose. Don't think I'd fall into that one, do you? I wasn't born yesterday, tourist. Lieutenant, come here. Take a look. Tennis shoes. What? Marks from, I mean, killer was wearing them. On the floor, you see. Same as in the last Prairie Dog case. Same type shoe. What are you trying to do, rub it in? Every time we learn more and more about less and less. Clues, clues. I just thought you'd want to know the pattern. Cigarettes, matches, greasy gloves. But have we got any fingerprints? No, no. I tell you, this Prairie Dog is one guy who want to... Take it easy, Lieutenant. Valentine, he could be practically anybody in this entire city. He's killed two people today. And we haven't moved one inch closer toward catching him. Yeah, yeah, I get the general idea. Only then I changed it. Huh? I decided I've heard enough. And if I'm right about what I've heard, then it's all over with the shouting. Now look, mastermind. Oh, it's you and Caligari here. Just sit tight and I'll be back, lady. Come on, Angel. Let's go to work on a Prairie Dog while he's still out in the open. I wonder what George will use to dig up a Prairie Dog. Could be a shovel, maybe. I know what I'd use. A spade. Sam's spade. Not that I haven't confidence in Valentine, mind you. I do. Just like I have confidence in what my friend here has to say to you. Now let's see what George and Brooks here have dug up on the Prairie Dog situation. Well, that's them getting out of that car over there. I don't see him, George. I hope we made it in time. Yeah, well, he had to change his clothes again. He's not here. I don't know where we'd ever find him. Yeah, coming down the other steps. Hello, Sniffy. Ah, evening, miss. Well, welcome to the fresh air. No, wait. I need your help. Oh, sure. Yeah, some things I'm pretty handy at. Well, it's just helping my memory, that's all. Well, wish I had one. You know, I walked into this case because a friend of mine was killed by the Prairie Dog. He was getting too close, I guess. In fact, from the location of that railroad platform, he was probably on his way to see Felix. He'd nosed around there before, so I... I guess Jerry had practically figured what the next crime was going to be. That's all? Or maybe he'd figured how simple all of these Prairie Dog cases really are. Figured the clues. Figured why the clues were always the same. I, uh, don't get any of this, mister. What I didn't figure until now was what it was I walked into myself this evening. When I walked into Felix's place. That's where the memory comes in. Yes, we walked in by the side door, and then we heard Felix moving around, and he spoke, and we thought he was speaking to us. Oh, sure. Yeah, yeah, I know. I was there. You see, I had this watch my grandfather did. Yeah, yeah, that's right. But I'm trying to remember what it sounded like when you and Felix walked into the back room. Remember, two of you coming into the back room, but only one pair of footsteps. His. I don't get it. And I remember the same thing when he pretended to get that phone call and you ran. He didn't make any noise. I don't get it. I suppose you dragged that watch in just so he'd invite you to the back room, where people would be less likely to see when you robbed and killed him. I don't get it. Why don't you say something different? What we walked in on was murder. That's the real reason you ran. Look, you're worse than that little tenor. I didn't kill Felix. Remember? I was in jail. You weren't in jail when Jerry Mace was killed. Huh? You don't understand why the same clues were always left by the prairie dog. Of course not. You're dumb like everybody else. So it never occurs to you those clues, the cigarettes ground out, the special matches, the greasy glove marks, the tennis shoes, were only to make people think in terms of one man. But suppose the prairie dog is two men, working together. And how to fool people? Not bad. Each would have an alibi one time or another, all sorts of neat ramifications. That's a pretty word. And you're trying to make something against me, just because you think I was wearing tennis shoes. Well, you don't make sense. Look, that's leather. Thus, pair in a city dog. And don't the rest of your memory work? Felix gave a yell. The cops started after me. I've been in jail ever since. This is the same pair I got dragged in with. No spares in my pocket, see? That's why I'm so sure it's you. You've changed shoes. When, when could I change my shoes? You had to change them. Your murder of Felix was interrupted by us, and there you were with all the evidence ready for planting. Well, you could save yourself on the matches and cigarettes by that little pickpocket exhibition in jail. But if you'd been caught with the shoes on, they would have hung here. So, I wish the pair of hard ones out of the air. Mr. Mr. When, when could I have? So simple it hurts, Buster. Because there's only one person who could be your partner. Only one person you could have given the evidence to, so he could go ahead and kill Felix and get you off the hook as well as collect the loot. Only one person you could have run to when you knew the cops had you surrounded and it would not be any second. The guy who caught you. That barber. Tony. Yeah? Is that so? It's the only way it could work, Buster. Just like the only way Jerry Mays could have had his pockets emptied before he was shoved in front of that train. He couldn't have been slugged in public and then rolled and then pushed, could he? George, that's right. Yeah, Angel, we missed that before. His outside pockets were empty. And the crowd, the only way that could have happened was if a pickpocket did it before Jerry even though he was there. So you hung yourself on that one, Buster, showing off your ability. Now, come on. We're going to go see the barber about a two-headed haircut. Look out, George. Thanks for giving me an excuse, Buster. After all, say, I know a good way to save the state some money. Instead of sending him to the chair, thereby using up a lot of electricity, just put Junior in a cell with a box of paper handkerchiefs and let him blow himself to death. Oh, well, it's a dog's life at best. So before they put me back in the pound, let me say that Robert Bailey played George Valentine with Virginia Gregg as Bruxy. The story was by David Victor and Jackson Gillis and that bang in the background was that old hound dog Eddie Dunstetter. I hope you'll save some time for another visit with Valentine when you will again hear what happens when you let George do it.