 The Adventures of Sam Spade Detectives Thelma Darling last name Sam Roger Thelma Roger Darling Only asked Sam. Let's get on with it. Yes, Sam. I'm sorry From Samuel Spade license number 137596 Subject as subject the quarter eagle caper Dear Thelma darling Sam yes, sir. Isn't that redundant? Again the salvation Sam Shouldn't it be dear Thelma or Thelma darling, but not both now. I get this F. It's real deep her name is Thelma darling I have that dear Thelma Roger darling. It's a name her father was a darling before Oh, really Sam can't you take a joke on the egg type you should taste the label grade double a fresh And dear Thelma darling and stubborn Not all of this will be news to you the part that is will be bad news The start of it was not a quarter eagle, but a bald eagle He swooped in through the door of my office landed in front of my desk perched on the edge of a chair and said my name is Eagle Mr. Spade juniors J. Eagle my card Eagle vending machine company and they call me the gumball king. I'm proud of it Care to join me in a ball, sir Not while I'm on duty. Oh, it's very good our new avocado flavor Yes, I've kept the bay area chewing for 20 years And I will not be swerved for my purpose boy. Hmm. I intend to fight them tooth and nail Hound tongs to the last ditch Bravo, but I'll need help That's why I've come to you my competitors mr. Spade are leaving no stone unturned in their contemptible campaign to drive me out of business Now they've resorted to outright sabotage In short, they have hired hoodlums to destroy my gumball machines They've already smashed 11 and they won't be contended until they demolish my entire equipment Sounds like a police case to me. I've been to the police. No They don't understand my problem gave me a lot of double talk about juvenile delinquents. Ha my foot cut throat competition You're sure of that. Well, what would you think if that were their motive they most certainly would steal the pennies from the machines But what do they take my gumballs? And why do they do that? I'll buy it. Oh, well by all means Oh, yeah, try this our best seller in Chinatown. We call it sub gum better or not. I have to drive later Now I had the foresight to buy up a three-year supply of chewing gum at non-inflation prices So I see now you can see with what thoroughness they encompass my ruination They are not only smashing my machines. They're making off with my gum and you want me to try and stop them No, I do not know I want you to catch them in the act and find out who is paying them. Well, okay, mr. Eagle I'll see what I can do good good Now and this envelope is a list of my machines and their exact locations to gather with a check for your retainer Thank you, mr. Eagle. I'll keep in touch with you Mr. Eagle, I meant to ask you how many of these gum machines do you operate here in town 300 and Guard them well 300 300 nuts No, 300 gums gumball machines I mean because of my penny card I'm sorry if I wasn't listening my penny card Sam my new one that is I've already completed my Lincoln series And now I'm collecting Indian heads Scalps This is the card and these little slots you see right there That's where you put the pennies and they're classified according to the date and the mint where they're manufactured Hey, see Sam see where the little ass is on these that's for the San Francisco men and the D That's for Denver figures and the ones with nothing. That's for Washington DC. Yeah, well, it's a very nice hobby. Yeah, pardon me 300 gumball machines. You see that's what I had in mind Sam. Oh, those pennies Indian head pennies are scarce Sam. You have to go through a lot of pennies to find even one Honestly, sometimes when I go past one of those penny machines, it's all I can If this is all right between you and me, but don't ever mention your hobby to mr. Eagle Riddle me this sweetheart. How does one detective guard 300 gumball machines scattered all over the city? Well, if they're going to smash all of them, you could just pick out one in the middle and somewhere and wait No good. If it's an organized plan of sabotage, there might be some pattern. You seem to have given us some thought though Effie, how would you pick them in the busy places where they'd have more pennies, but they're not after the pennies They take the gum well then maybe the quiet sections where they don't sell much gum Well, they've knocked over 11 so far here there and everywhere busy spots dead spots no pattern at all No, Effie, maybe I've bitten off more than I can chew Hey, I wasn't sold on mr. Eagle's theory that the caper was organized sabotage, but I decided to test it out anyway I learned the operation did follow a pattern unless it was coincidence that the 11 machines knocked over the previous night Were the same 11 machines that had been refilled that afternoon I checked with the Eagle company's maintenance man and learned that only five had been refilled today I picked the one that looked like the easiest to knock over It was the one in the doorway of a darkened loft building near the Siemens hiring hall on Drum Street At 9 in the PM. I strolled down there the block was deserted I took a plant in the adjacent doorway and talked to myself about this before midnight. I shut up My heart skipped a beat as she passed under the light red hair my secretary Then I noticed how she was dressed not on the salary I paid She paused before the gum machine opened a large handbag stripped off her long black gloves Dropped them in her purse and took out a small boy scout type hatchet carry nation busting up a saloon I edged around the doorway as she bent over the mess of pennies and gumballs of the feet when she reached out her hand I took one more step and that was all she was up on her feet facing me and I saw that hatchet sailing through the air straight at me Yeah, I'm sorry, I won't let it happen again I hope don't just stand there. Let's get out of here that noise. It'll bring the police down on it. Yeah, you're right No, not that way the alley And that's how I met you film a darling Pausing only to pick up an Indian head penny for luck I escorted you through the alley to Washington up Washington Salon jog through front street and followed that to market where we ended the happy hour barn grill by way of the kitchen You proceeded unfoldingly to the darkest booth. We sat down and caught our breath You ordered a pirate's dream by the way, I did get that recipe lime juice Grenadine passion fruit a sprig of mint and six jig is a rum after two swallows. I heard myself saying Now aren't you ashamed of yourself, but Sam why should I be after what I've been through? I think I deserve a drink. I didn't mean that I meant throwing that hatchet at me. I thought you were Merrill Who's Merrill? Why he works for mr.. Chiselhurst, yeah, that figures not tell me who mr.. Chiselhurst is not who he works for I just who he is he was acting as my agent for the sale of the pearl well natch natch Look, please. Don't make me say what pearl it's called the black pearl of the lila Bay My brother brought it back from the south Pacific when he was in the war Oh, yes when he went to prison. He gave it to me to keep for him. So you decided to sell it I had no choice I needed the money desperately to finance his appeal If I don't get that pearl back, I don't know what I'll do. You've got to help me What makes you think it's in a gumball machine mr.. Chiselhurst took the pearl to show to a man named junius eagle and that's when it disappeared Mr.. Eagle decided not to buy and when mr.. Chiselhurst returned to the hotel eagle had found the pearl and substituted a ball of blackjack gum Then what mr.. Chiselhurst had Merrill follow him nothing happened the first two days But day before yesterday. He followed him to his warehouse and saw him drop a single ball of gum into a barrel of them But was waiting to be loaded onto a truck The pearl must have been hidden in it Why else would he do a thing like that? Uh-huh. He would put a valuable pearl in a machine where anybody could buy it for a penny I suppose it'd be safe for a few days. I don't know how these machines work Well Now you know why I had to break those machines No You don't believe me. Mm-hmm What are you gonna do check the psycho awards and find out which one you escape from? Mr.. Eagle speaking spade. Oh, yeah, I just got in I am I've been out making my monthly collection Another of my machines. Yeah, I know drumstreet. I nailed the hoodlum Let me ask you one did a man named chiselhurst ever try to sell you a black pearl Hello, you're still on the line. You stopped chewing Hello, hello Nuts out of the phone booth I wasn't surprised to find that you had flown the coop darling if I may call you by your last name But I was surprised at what I found at my client's house The front doorbell and waited nothing happened Then to the glass door I saw a man rush out on the landing at the top of the stairs the half ran half stumbled on the long flight to the entrance All yank open the door and tried to shove past me. I grabbed them Get out of my way. Wait a minute. Oh, I gotta get a doctor plating. No, no, not me. I've got to get a doctor Why don't you phone they've left the wires out now? Let's go or it'll be your phone if he dies Rise his mug lifted his wallet as we unclenched and let him go and the way upstairs I checked his ID cards Higgins more as L employer Eagle vending machine company occupation maintenance supervisor On the floor of the room at the top of the stairs was quite a sight Floor of the room was covered almost completely with pennies in the middle of it Sprung forward like a miser who had been attacked while counting his hoard was junius J. Eagle The wound in the back of his neck could have been caused by a small hatchet There was a bookkeeper's account sheet open across the desk and scrawled across the neat rows of figures. There were three words spade quarter and The United States Armed Forces radio service is presenting the weekly adventure of Dashel Hammett's famous private detective Sam Spade Tonight's adventure with Sam Spade Save yourself the trip upstairs. There's nothing you can do for him Dead, huh? Yeah. Well, I guess he won't need that doctor. I called we can use one Anyway, did you tell the doc Eagle had been stabbed? Yeah, sure. Sure. I did. Yeah, that means the law will come with him or ahead of But I don't get it. He must have been killed for the money But why didn't they take the pennies they should have looked better for you if they had you that detective He hired huh? That's right now. Look Higgins We haven't got much time if you want to find out who killed your boss spill everything You know to me now before the cops get here because they're gonna hold you and they'll hold me too if they find me But I don't know a thing spade. I just found him like that. How did you get in the house? I have a key he gave me one so when I came here to pick up the pennies He wouldn't have to come all the way down to let me in for now tell the cops the door was open Did he always collect the pennies from the machines himself? Yeah, yeah He was a coin collector as a hobby. He liked to go through them and save out the odd ones You always pick up the money at one in the a.m. Oh, no No, he called me tonight a little past midnight and he asked me to come ride over Hey, look look you gotta believe that I do he said the same thing to me What do you know about a man named chisel hers? Hey, wait a minute wait a minute That's the name of the guy that ran into my truck yesterday coming down the California incline near Grant He slammed right into the rear by truck. I tangled with his chauffeur some punk kid named Merle. Yes Yeah, that's what I called him and there was a dame in the car to a redhead any report on the accident No, no the cop took it down on the on the beat there. There was no damage. Sounds like we haven't got much more time What exactly happened the night the first gun machine on your route was smashed up Come on. Oh first off. I went to a bowling alley on Turk Street and removed our machine there It was discontinued wait a minute. Where did you take it back to the shop? Wait a second? I got it here in my book. Come on. Come on. All right. I'm hurrying Here it is 11 864 No, no, I exchanged it for an out-of-order down on Drum Street. You leave the pennies in it Oh, sure. Sure. They only get collected once a month. How much gum was in it about half full? I didn't refill it until today. Yeah, what's your system on the refill operation? I carry about four extra machines in the truck when I go to fill a machine I take one of the extras already filled out of the truck and trade for the empty Yeah, then I feel the empty one in the truck and that saves me from carrying the bag around now Is there anything else I can tell you? Yeah, it's a quarter eagle mean anything to you. No, no, okay Now where's the back door? That quarter eagle was it was a wrestling hole like the half mousin I thought I'm asking ampy, but I was afraid she'd know I was sure that if I could find chiselhurst I could get all the answers at once that collision between his car and the rear end of Higgins truck was a good lead in more Ways than one it meant that at least party a story darling was true But you neglected to tell me that you chiselhurst and Merle have been tailing Higgins appointed rounds of the gun ball I checked the police report on the accident the car was registered in Great Britain the report said transient no local address and So the bed I dreamt it was next Thanksgiving and I was eating a roast of quarter eagle Then it turned into crow Good morning, sir. Do you wish to place a classified ad? Good. Good morning to you madam. Indeed. I do kindly write it on this blank Kindly read it off this blank Water eagles insisted parties apply Sam spade Sutter three seven three seven five nine six. That's right nine words, sir. I'll have to charge you for three lines anyway Is there anything you'd like to add? Yes, but it's not fit the print Bonnie's been re. Yeah You got it for sale a quarter eagle who's speaking? I am speaking Sorgade that I Zacharias And now this is mr. Spade himself. Look, I'd like to talk to you personally. Where can I reach it? Okay, mr. Zacharias, I'll be right over Why don't you do more talking last night my client might be alive if you had Oh, it's terrible, but how could I have known you knew about the quarter eagle? Why did you spend that yarn about the pearl? How did you find out about it dead men sometimes do tell tales? Surely you don't think that I had anything to do with that. It was only hacked it does with a hatchet like the one you threw at me That makes you look fine. All right. I killed him. That'll make you listen to me Sam. Don't go into that shop Please it's a new suit. You don't know that man Zacharias. He's the cause of all our trouble. You mean he sold you that hatchet Calling me let go. I won't allow you to go in there. I won't I won't wait a minute wait a minute wait a minute What's going on here? What's the occasion of the squabble? Oh, well, no, it's mr. Spade. Yeah, Clancy this name here Just trying to pick my pocket Pickpocket is a very big and such a pretty one to never mind that Clancy just have a locked up I'll be down later the preferred charges Anybody home? Okay, Shams. Just keep on walking straight through the back room one move and I rip your wide open Oh, yeah, better not Merle your boss might not like that smart guy knows everybody's name Most proficient meeting you brought the quarter eagle. Where's Zacharias he's resting at the moment in John The closet. Oh, no, no, no, not dead merely under a street bound and gagged a necessary precaution Well, shall we talk turkey or rather? Eagle tell you punk to take that knife out of my ribs. Who's a punk? There's been quite enough violence check and look I'll take that knife Wave it there Sit down Headstrong boy Now as to the quarter eagle I'm willing to pay a reasonable reward for its recovery But first I must tell you that Ms. Darling for whom I'm acting as agent for the sale of the coin is indeed the legal owner Despite anything mr. Zacharias may have told you to the contrary. What would you say to a $500? I would say no dice 1000 I would say I'm still listening sir. You you seem to exaggerate the value of that tiny gold piece It was worth one human life to somebody that sounds like more than a thousand bucks to me You may find the market valuation of that particular mintage of the quarter eagle in my coin catalog $10,000 but sir that valuation is based upon the mistaken belief that there were only two in existence It was while rummaging in her grandmother's attic that Ms. Darling came up on a third and when she brought it to me I could scarcely credit it it was matter of official record that two specimens have been stamped out when the die broke and Then it came to me. There must have been a third and namely the coin Which was in that rude stamping press when the die broke Closer examination of a quarter eagle now in the opposition revealed certain markings Some defective feathers in the war bonnet on the obverse and a cleavage in the numeral four of the date 1841 yeah, yeah, all right. So how much is it worth? Well as I say the price last paid was 10,000 I think we may safely assume it would bring several times that amount in today's market But only mind you if but two specimens not three are in existence So you decided it'll be more profitable to clam up about it and see what the owners of the other two coins would pay to keep This one off the market precisely, sir. How did it get in that gun machine? Ah Therein lies a tale keep it short. Well, yeah, I'm getting hungry Well, sir, I brought the quarter eagle from mr. Zachariah. Yeah, who was acting as agent for the owner of the other two coins An Australian sheep herder, I believe retired now. Yes, I'm glad well not to put too fine a point on it Mr. Zachariah's offer was so poor that I I took umbra. Oh, you didn't I gave him a caning and left the premises Really, but I'd gone no father than the half a league up Turk Street when I became aware that two rough ends were skulking at my heel No, they're sent. I had no doubt by mr. Zachariah's to rob me of the quarter eagle the cancer But precisely a knowing full well that they would not dare to strike in a populace well lighted resort Yeah, I entered a bowling alley at the corner of hide street No pun intended thank you for that sir, but they're up on the wall I spied a penny vending machine and the word eagle caught my eye Association of ideas no doubt no doubt that sir is how I came to put the quarter eagle into mr. Eagle's gum machine Yes, I think I can take it from there when you went back the machine had been taken out by the Eagle Company's maintenance man Right, that's quite I caught him in the very act of removing the machine and followed him out of the building Yeah, but then you lost track of the machine. I found out why I don't mind that now What I want to know is who followed mr. Eagle home the night he was killed I'd rather not say then all bids are off one moment. Mr. Spade. Yeah Am I to infer that your price for the quarter eagle necessarily includes Bringing the murderer to justice just that mr. Chisler's Well, I suppose there's nothing for it, but to make the supreme sacrifice Merle me you double-crossing pig now, you know perfectly well you did away with poor mr. Eagle shut up I'll cut you to pieces gross since the border nation. You deliberately exceeded your instructions I wanted you to apply only sufficient violence to recover the coin instead. You seized the opportunity to satisfy your Nossiating bloodlust really Cut you to pieces. I'll cut you to beat my All right, oh The bass and gratitude of that boy. Oh Well, what's done is done When may I expect delivery of the quarter eagle to cover my embarrassment? I gagged him Manicled in the Merle and delivered the package marked one murderer one accessory to the dumbfounded minions of the law And that's all the darling. I regret to inform you is still the crop At the right sprung you from the pokey I got hold of Higgins and we went through every coin out of every eagle gumball machine in the city of San Francisco It couldn't happen, but it did your quarter eagle. It shall we say no place period and the report I'm disappointed in you. Well, so my sweetheart, but I'll forgive you if you found even one Indian head penny from my penny car Yeah, yeah, just one from that machine on drum street. Oh, there you are, sweetheart. Oh, thank you And it's an old one and no older than I feel go type that up Are you sure it's joke money? It says two and one half dollars. Hmm. You see where I should say one cent Two and a half dollars. Let me say that Two and a half dollars if an eagle is a ten dollar gold piece. What is a two and a half dollar gold piece? No, let me see five dollars a behalf Sam right a quarter eagle. Yeah, that's just dirt honesty. It's it's going really Like the stars in your eyes, sweetheart. Oh, you darling. Good night, Sam. Good night, sweetheart The adventures of Sam Spade that shall Hammett's famous private detective are produced and directed by William Spear Sam Spade is played by Howard Duff. Loreen Tuttle is epi This is the United States Armed Forces radio service the voice of information and education