 Happy trails to the dependable dodge Plymouth dealer in your neighborhood The man who sells and services the player-fashioned 55 Dodge presents the Roy Rogers radio show Yes, folks. It's the Roy Rogers radio show for the whole family adventures suspense history and Music starring Roy Rogers King of the Cowboys and Dale Evans Queen of the West with Pat Brady the mellowman and an all-star cast And now i'm here to greet you with the song and the story a Roy and Dale Well, good evening folks greetings again to the whole family I guess it's a little too soon to say happy new year, but i'll say it anyway This has been a good year for us and we certainly hope that it's been a good year for you We want to close off 1954 by telling you a story about an old house Sort of like the one in the song we were just singing Dale and Pat and I went up the coast to a town called Louderdale a while back to take part in their pioneer day celebration While we were there a friend of ours by the name of bill Crawford asked me to take a look at some of his property Well, he was thinking about buying It was a big old house sitting on a high cliff with the mountains on one side and the ocean on the other Bill asked us to meet him there one morning the day was gray and cloudy looking And so was the house Sure as a spooky old place ain't it Roy? Yeah Shudders all hanging lopsided no paint. Look at these weeds Roy. Yeah, I see Well, let's go inside the house and wait for bill Uh, Roy, uh, if you don't mind, uh, I'll wait outside Now pat you're not afraid of an old house. Are you of course not me afraid of a house? Why I Pat come back here. Hurry Roy Yes, Roy There's somebody here. Where? Over there But I don't think he'll answer you There's a knife in his back. They'll return in a moment with the whole story of what happened to them in the mysterious old house Friends the magnificent new 55 dodge is enjoying one of the most enthusiastic receptions ever given a new car and the reason for this wonderful public acceptance Is because everybody agrees that the flare fashion dodge is the big one Yes, sir. Dodge is the big one for 1955 the longest largest car in its field And it's lowest price too a big new 55 dodge Actually costs you less to own than any other car in its field In fact the price tag on a new 55 dodge six passenger sedan is only $1988 Naturally freight and handling charges state and local taxes if any will add to this price depending on where you live But wherever you live the 1955 dodge is the biggest buy of them all So step up to the big one the flare fashion dodge for 55 and step out in style See your nearby dodge dealer this week And now back to roy and dale in part one of tonight's story Wasn't there any identification on the man at all not a scrap Just some small change in this piece of paper piece of paper. Yeah, it's got some writing on it, but it doesn't make sense May I see it? Sure Six east from seal three inches up Turn fourth main Set 12 and what does that mean? I don't know. I'll bet I know What? Well, I saw a movie once and there was a note like that and it turned out to be in uh, cryptology Or uh, crapton graphy Or it was in code Cryptology pat, you know, he could be right roy. Well, sure. I'm right. It's simple Just give me a minute to figure it out. Now. Let's see Six east from seal Well, that could mean uh Uh and three inches up Well, that's plain enough now turn fourth main and set 12 Yeah, we'd better get back to town and call the sheriff It's bill Yeah, yeah, I wonder what he'll say when we tell him about the dead man I just hope he knows who the dead man is On place. All right. Yeah, we found it. Sure. He's nice up here, isn't it? You know the house doesn't look like much when I get through fixing it up. It's gonna bill There's a dead man inside A dead man You're kidding. I'm serious. Come on in and take a look. Maybe you can identify him. Well, sure So when we got here, we heard a man scream and we went in here and right there on the floor with Yes You were saying roy Right there on the floor was what? Well, right there on the floor was a man with a knife in his back Now he's gone. I've been over the place from top to bottom. There's no dead body in this old house Sheriff remember there are an awful lot of rooms and corridors in this house. Maybe even secret passages secret passages Well, you know how stories get started dale some of the towns people think the house is haunted Some of them think that old man selby built a lot of secret hideaways in it Well, that might be true selby was a smuggler a smuggler. That's what they say What did they smuggle? Oh practically everything rum orientals Of course That was a long time ago and it's possible that there are some secret rooms in the house It's also possible that the killer was hiding in one of them and when we went outside to wait for bill He removed the body except for one thing what? Well, how did the killer get out without us seeing him? Maybe he didn't maybe he's still here. Yeah, maybe he's still Uh, roy he hadn't we better be getting back to town the grand parade starts in a couple hours In a minute pat sheriff. I've got something else to show you I took it out of the dead man's pocket. I I hope you won't think this is the publicity stunt two What is it this piece of paper? six east from seal three inches up Turn fourth main set 12 What is it? I was hoping it'd make some sense to you. Well, it doesn't say this wasn't the dead man's pocket. That's right Hmm Cryptic notes missing bodies old broken down house Crawford are you sure this isn't some idea you cooked up? Of course not Well, I heard you were thinking of buying this place Well, you want it beats me unless you're figuring on making it into a curiosity and selling tickets to tourists now. Listen, sir Sheriff I give you my word that when we entered this house There was a dead man on the floor right in front of that fancy woodcar fireplace Okay, roi if you say so But i'm gonna have a hard time convincing anybody that a murder was committed without a corpus delecti It's easy you two. I know you're all set and ready to go but the parade ain't started yet Hi pat. Hi trigger My you're sure all prettied up today trigger All right bullet. You're pretty too. Where's roi pat? Well, he said he was oh here comes now Hi, I guess they're about ready to start sure as a nice crowd Mr. Rogers. Yes, my name's richards jack richards. I'm a reporter on the local paper the louder day of times Oh, how do you do this is day 11's and pat brady. Hello. I do I understand you found a dead body out at the old selby house this morning. Yes, we did and now it's disappeared That's right boy. What a story. You know, we don't get a break like that in these parts very often I'll tell me are you going to do any investigating? Well, I don't know that all depends on what the sheriff does Well, if you should go back out there and if you find anything I'd appreciate knowing about it It well, it would mean a lot to me to get a personal first hand interview from you Sure, mr. Richards. If I find out anything, I'll be glad to let you know roi. Here comes the sherry. Good. Maybe he's got some news Howdy Well, I see the words gotten to the local news hound You know how it is sheriff. It's not often we got a story that might be worth putting on the wire service Anything new sheriff? Nope. No, I don't think we'll ever find anything in that old house without tearing it down from top to bottom Well, I don't think mr. Crawford would like that. He's figuring on buying the place. You know Well, he can have it Then I take it that you've given up trying to find the body sheriff I don't know what else I can do roi besides I've got other matters to look into fella down on the boat landing just reported that one of his boats is missing Mount up everybody mount up ready for the grand march Okay, dale. I I guess they're ready for us Easy trigger And now for the grand parade led by our grand marshal and grand mistress a special guest of honor Dale Evans and roi roger Okay, mr. Priarkis. Tell me what happened again and try to be a little more specific Pacific No, no, not specific specific. Well, never mind. Just tell me what happened. I try to tell you serif What's the matter? You don't understand american? All right, I tell you again this morning when I opened the landing two boats gone missing this morning I find note with money And this is the note. That's the note We'll return boat tomorrow. This should cover it with notice five dollars. What about the other boat? What about it? That's what I ask you. She's still missing Well, when was the other boat returned this morning? I inside the boat house. I listen to radio I got to get both from some fishermen. I find one boat missing tied to water But you didn't see who returned it How many times I got to tell you I don't see who take boat I don't see who bring both back one boat still gone. What you're gonna do. Hey, we'll start a search for the boat It's got to be someplace someplace. Yes, but where? Sheriff's office Sheriff, this is Roy roger. Oh, hello, Roy. What's up? That man you told me about the one who lost the boat. Yes Has he found it yet? No, why try looking on the beach below the old selby house. Yeah Yeah, and while you're there walk on down the beach about a hundred yards. What for? That corpus delecta you wanted. Yeah, it was washed up on the beach about 15 minutes ago Roy and they'll return in just a moment with the second part of tonight's story Friends your nearby dodge dealer invites you to step up to the big one and step out in style Yeah, step up to the big beautiful 55 dodge and find out why people are calling it the big one As soon as you see it, you'll know it's the big one in size Inches longer than any car in its field the big one in style and beauty power and performance too And you're in for a wonderful surprise when you stop in and price this proud beauty Yes, sir, you find that dodge is the lowest priced car in its field That means you can step up to a big beautiful 55 dodge Enjoy all of its many advantages at a price just slightly higher than the very lowest Stop in and discover how little it costs to step up to the big one and step out in style Get behind the wheel and take command of a new 55 dodge See you nearby dodge dealer soon And now back to roy rogers and day leavens in part two of a story about an old house So the dead man's name was bruce manning. That's right, roy. I arrested him eight years ago for embezzlement embezzlement What did he embezzle? $50,000 stole it from old man crawford bill's father. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison and the money was never found Oh Well, this is starting to make a little sense No, it sure is the way I figure it bruce manning escaped from prison and came back to get the money which he had hidden in the old house Somebody else knew the money was there and killed him when manning went to get it I've got a call in out of the warden at the prison. Let him know manning is dead The only thing that puzzles me is Why we didn't get a report on manning's escape more than that puzzles me chef If somebody else besides manning knew that the money was hidden in the old house Why didn't that somebody take it during all these years that manning was in prison? Well, that's simple roy. Maybe that's somebody knew about the money, but he didn't know exactly where it was hidden And maybe he tried to find it and couldn't I think you're getting hot pat. Keep working on it Sheriff you said that this bruce manning stole the money from bill crawford's father. That's right, dale Well, then bill would certainly have known that the money was never recovered and bill would have felt that the money was his Roy, you don't I don't know dale But it sure would explain why bill crawford was trying to buy that old broken down house Well, sure it would If bill owned the house then he'd have plenty of time to search it for the money I think we've got it solved roy Bill crawford was in the old house searching for the money when bruce manning shows up They get into a fight and bill kills him now. Hold on sheriff I think we ought to have a talk with bill But I don't think we can jump at conclusions too many things need explaining such as such As a piece of paper on manning's body with the cryptic message on it Sheriff's office Wharton banker sheriff you call me sure did warden. We've got your escape prisoner here only Why didn't we get some notification that prisoner what escape prisoner Why bruce manning he was stabbed to death this morning when he tried manning dead Well, that's right. He tried to recover the money. He stole and somebody killed him He was a model prisoner gave us no trouble at all What bruce manning did his time sheriff ten years less a year and seven months for good behavior He was released two days ago Sit down sheriff roy Any further developments? Yes bill there are The missing body has been found all where on the beach below the old house Somebody evidently threw it into the ocean and forgot that the current in that part of the bay Washes everything right back into shore. Oh, I see Well, who was he bruce manning bruce Well, he's still in prison. He was in prison bill Oh, you you mean he escaped. No, he didn't escape. He was released released when two days ago But he was given a ten-year sentence. He got time off for good behavior. I see Well, then that means he must have had the money hidden in the old house. He came back to get it and Yes, bill and what? Well, it's pretty obvious somebody followed him and killed him. No, that's the way. We've got it figured Bill, are you sure you didn't know that manning was being released from prison? Of course, I'm sure how would I know you could have read it in the paper. It wasn't in the paper I read the paper every day. There wasn't a line about it Now wait a minute You think it was me, don't you? You think I killed him bill. Are you sure there was nothing in the paper about bruce manning's release? I'm positive Did you see anything about manning's release in the paper sheriff? Well, no, but uh, it doesn't prove anything. I never read the local sheet I'm sorry bill, but I've got to hold you on suspicion of murder. I didn't kill him Roy you've got to believe me. I swear. I didn't What can I do for you? Is mr. Richards here jack Richards the reporter. Yes No, he ain't here. Well, could I see a copy of the paper from yesterday and the day before yesterday? Well, I'm I'm only the janitor mr. Uh, don't know where they keep the stuff, but you're welcome to look around Okay, thanks. Come on dale pat Dale you take that pile of papers and pat you look through these. I'll take this stack over here. All right, roy Find anything. There's nothing in yesterday's paper. Nothing in today's either Oh, maybe two days ago. Here's a copy of it This is a pleasant surprise. Oh, what can I do for you? Another thing mr. Richards I I thought maybe I could do something for you. You mean you've got a story for me Maybe I thought you might like to know why bruce manning was killed Shucks mr. Rogers. That's no story. He was killed because of the money he embezzled He was then that old selby house the sheriff told me that I see But uh, did the sheriff tell you that the money is still there? No Is it? I think so And I think I know where it is you do I'm going out there now to get it You just stand by and maybe I'll have a big story for you to put on your wire service $50,000 discovered in old house. Gee mr. Rogers. You bet. I'll stand by my sure will Hear this old drafty house. It's getting awfully cold in here, roy Do you really think the killer will come back? Well, I can't be sure dale But I think when that reporter fella gets to telling everybody in town that I know where the money's hidden The information may get back to the killer. What makes you so sure that the money's still here I'm not sure dale. I'm not sure of anything, but I don't think the killer found the money. Why well he In the first place. He didn't have time. He was kept pretty busy. You know hiding himself and getting rid of the corpse I don't think he had time to look for the money. There's just one flaw in your theory mr. Rogers. Yeah Isn't it possible that the killer followed Bruce Manning here? Waited until he recovered the money and then killed him. Yeah, that's possible dale And if that's what happened, we may never know who the killer is What's that? The front door creaks like that. Roy, somebody's coming in. That's not the front door dale. Look the fireplace. It's opening up Shh, there's somebody coming out of the fireplace Okay bullet get him. Will the reporter be all right roy? Yeah, he would just wing. He'll live Well, what made you suspect him roy? The fact that there was nothing in the paper about Manning's release from prison Well, I don't understand roy. What did the reporter have to do with it? It's all here in his confession dale He was a copy boy about eight years ago when Manning embezzled the money He knew the money was never found when the news item came over the wire service that Manning had been released He reasoned that Manning would come back and recover the money He didn't publish the story because he didn't want anyone to know about Manning's release He followed Manning when he went to the boat landing and took a boat Then richards took a boat and trailed Manning to the beach entrance of the secret passage Is that the part of the cryptic note that said six east from seal three inches up? That's right Six feet east from seal rock Three inches up is the location of a rock on the beach The rock is actually a door and the door opens to a secret passage that leads into the living room of the old house Uh roy, yes What does turn fourth main set 12 mean? Well, that's the combination to open the door in the fireplace when you want to leave the living room and go Down to the beach turn fourth main means uh turn the main of the fourth horse that's carved in the fireplace And set clock to 12 When you do that the fireplace opens up Manning was pretty cagey when he wrote it down years ago. He spelled main m a i n instead of m a n e Well, I guess that's clear just about everything up roy except one more thing. Yes Manning didn't have the money and the reporter insists. He hasn't got it either He says he didn't find it and doesn't know where it is Yeah, where is it you suppose roy? Oh, I know where the money is you do Where out in that old house, of course somewhere in that old house And folks that's the story of what happened to us the time we paid a visit to a mysterious old house This old house once knew my children this old house once knew my wife This old house was home and comfort as we fought the storms of life This old house once rang with laughter. This old house hurt many a shout Now it trembles in the darkness when the lightning walks about I ain't gonna need this house no longer. I ain't gonna need this house no more Ain't got time to fix the shingles ain't got time to fix this old house is getting shaky This old house is getting old this old house lets in the rain This old house lets in the cold. Oh my knees am I getting chilly But I feel no fear nor pain because I saw an angel peeking through a broken window pain I ain't gonna need this house no longer. Ain't gonna need this house no more Ain't got time to fix the shingles ain't got time This old house is afraid of thunder this old house is afraid of storms This old house just groans and trembles when the night when flings its arms This old house is a getting feeble This old house is a needin' tank. Just like me it's tuckered out But I'm getting ready to meet the saint. I ain't gonna need this house no longer Ain't gonna need this house no more Ain't got time to fix all my old dog lies asleep He don't know I'm gonna leave Else he'd wake up by the fireplace and he'd sit there and howl and grieve My hunting days are over. Ain't gonna hunt that too no more Gabriel done brought in my chariot when the wind blew down the door Folks in a little more than 24 hours will be saying so long to 1954 and welcome to a brand new year But before we do Dale and I would like to thank you for letting us visit with you every thursday night, right Dale? Right and we hope you folks will continue to invite us into your homes during the coming year too Say Roy, why don't you read that telegram from Detroit now? All right, Dale Here it is on behalf of all of us here at dodge and all dodge dealers throughout the country I'd like to extend our warmest new year's wishes to your grand radio audience We are sincerely grateful for the wonderful reception given our new dodge the greatest reception We believe ever given an american car Thanks everybody and a very happy new year to you and folks this telegram is signed William C. Newberg president of dodge division christler corporation Now before we sign off Dale and I pat frady the melloman and all the rest of gang would like to wish you a real happy And a prosperous new year happy new year everybody Well, that does it for tonight folks. See you next thursday same time until then. Goodbye. Good luck. Good. May the good lord take a liking to you Happy Roy roger's radio shows produced under the supervision of art rush and directed by ralph rose Tonight's story was written by ralph rose and charles smith music arranged and conducted by frank worth production assistant virginia white Tonight's all-star cast included pat frady the melloman paul duvab shepherd menkin melmona lennie breman jack oshae and charles smith Join us again next thursday evening at this same time when the dependable dodge plymouth dealer in your neighborhood Will again bring you the transcribed roi roger's radio show This is lou crossby wishing you a happy new year for the man who sells and services the flair fashioned 55