 And now, tonight's presentation of radio's outstanding theatre of thrills. Suspense. Tonight, we bring you a story of a man's life and his defeat at the hands of his greatest enemy. We call it, This Will Kill You. So now, starring Sam Edwards, here is tonight's suspense play, This Will Kill You. Listen, get a load of this. This will kill you. I got a story that should be written up by one of those big magazine writers. Only mine is true. Yeah, the whole thing is true, so help me. They say the truth is stranger than fiction, don't they? Well, get this. I was working down at Acme Engineering, an outfit making hydraulic valves for all the big airplane companies. We had a foreman named Charlie Harris, one of those big, good-looking guys who thought he was a big shot because he was boss. Well, this guy was always picking on me. Like, for instance, one morning I came to work a few minutes late, and this Harris says... Well, good afternoon, Jordan. Oh, save those gags for Jack Benny. It's only a quarter after eight. Well, get here at eight, and you'll be spared my sense of humor. Hey, the guy got a right to get here a couple of minutes late once in a while. Sure, once in a while, Joe, but not every other day. Oh, gee, Charlie, my alarm clock's on the bump. Save that for the teacher. Come on, Joe, get on the ball. Save that for the teacher, he said. Always throwing up to me that he graduated from engineering school, and I never even got a chance to go to high school. As if you need an education to be a smart guy. Why, I could tell you a hundred guys who never even went to school, and they could buy and sell that guy. Oh, that's another story. Anyway, this Charlie Harris kept giving me the needle. Joe, can I talk to you a minute? What is it now, Chief? Quit calling me Chief. Now, look, kid, I don't know what's wrong, but you're slowing up. The other boys are turning out a hundred parts a day, and you're only averaging eighty. Now, what's the trouble? Oh, gee, I don't know. My eyes hurt. This work's tough on the peeps, and I gotta stop once in a while. My eyes hurt bad. You complained last week, too, Joe, and the company doctor's report said there was nothing wrong. Oh, what does that quack know? Quit the complaints and get on the job. Get on the job. Did you get that? Just because he's bucking for promotion by being the first one in and the last one to leave, so the big boss'll think he's a hotshot. Could I help it if my eyes hurt bad? Oh, he had to make a big thing out of it. Just because I got in the habit of having a couple of drinks every night, and he found out. Ain't a guy got a right to have a little fun once in a while? So, my eyes hurt a little the next day. Is that so terrible? Well, anyway, he kept picking on me. One day I was knocking my brains out. Let me go. Let me go. Let me go. Lover, let me go. Yeah? You know there's oil and gasoline all over the place? Yeah. And that a cigarette could burn the plant down? So what? So read the sign beside your machine. I can read it, Charlie. No smoking. Put out that cigarette. What cigarette? White you stupid. Give me that cigarette. I'll break your hands. Come on. I ought to know that. I would have murdered the guy, but he hit me a lucky punch. Never would have happened again in a million years, but he knocked me out. Charlie was standing by the cot when I came to looking worried. He started to apologize, but I gave him a quick brush. The stinking rat. He was scared of me. That's why he didn't report me to the front office. He acted as if he was doing a big thing by not snitching. But it was because he was scared of me. He thought I'd forget. Oh, no. Joe Jordan never forgets nothing. Remember that. And Joe Jordan always gets even. But I played my cards right. I didn't let him know I was still sore. That was smart. Wasn't it? I went on working as if nothing happened. Even though the rest of the guys started picking on me too. Because he was boss. And they was trying to get in good with him. They kept after me every day until I thought my head would explode. Always rubbing it in. Hey Rocky, still leading with your chin? Hey Joe, quit using my tools all the time. You're not smoking again, buddy. You're asking for another one of those lucky punches from Charlie, you know. Quit throwing your shavings on my machine, Joe. I used to get splitten headaches from the pounding on my brain. Oh, you were too getting it from all sides like that, wouldn't you? It wasn't so bad during the day. The machine drowned out the noise in my head. But at night that pounding would start. Steady, like my machine banging away all the time. So I couldn't sleep. It might have got another guy, but not me. Tough. Yeah, and I got plans for Joe Jordan. Be a big guy some day with my brains, no foreman of some small time outfit. I'd be head man of the biggest shop in town with a classy car, big house with servants. And a beautiful wife. Yeah. A beautiful wife. And I had her all picked out. Her name was Harriet. She was a stenographer at ACME. All the guys was on the make for her. But she had a yen for me. Oh, not that she ever said anything, but I could tell. I know Dames. Once we had a long talk at the water cooler. I knew I could take her out whenever I got good and ready. When I heard about the company dance, I was good and ready. I didn't want her to think I was too anxious, so I just waited. And a week before the dance, I met her at the water cooler again and managed to bumper as I got a paper cup. Oh, pardon name why. Oh, you speak French? A little. I knew a guy from Paris, France once, and he taught me a couple of things. Cherche la femme, comatelle la voe. That's quite an accent. Excuse me, Joe, I got to get back to you. Wait a minute, wait a minute. I got a lot of accomplishments. I'm a good dancer, too. Did you know I took second place in the Bob Contest at Ocean Park last year? No, I didn't. Do you do the New Yorker? No, I'm sort of on the conservative side. Oh, I can do the square stuff, too. Well, we must dance sometime. Excuse me, Joe, really. Wait, I just happened to think. How about going to the company dance with me Friday? Well, I'm very sorry, but I can't. Aren't you going? Yes, but I have a date with Charlie. Charlie who? Charlie Harris. Charlie Harris, Charlie Harris, Charlie Harris. He moved into my life. Then he moved into my head and started it banging. And now he moved in with my girl. But everything he could to burn me up. He knew I was going to ask Harriet to the dance and he beat me to it. Okay, I said to myself, okay, I can wait a week. But I'll get to dance with the little lady. Once I get her in my arms and show her a couple of steps, she won't want to dance with him again. It was a long week. I kept hearing reports that Charlie and Harriet were engaged. But that was just to burn me, see. And then came the dance. Didn't you bring a girl, Joe? I got a doll here, pal. Where is she? Dancing with some other guy? Yeah, dancing with some other guy. Well, don't stand there with your teeth in your mouth. If my girl was dancing with another guy, you could bet I'd cut in. That's a good idea. Yeah, I'm cutting in. No, you're not, Joe. I wasn't asking the pleasure of you, Charlie. Now, if you don't mind. That's our favorite number, Joe. Why can't I cut in once? Just because he's a big foreman? Because you're the little jerk. Did you get that? He called me a jerk. But he didn't know how smart I was. All good things aren't on the surface, you know. I went home and I tried to sleep. But the pounding on my brain was coming like a sledgehammer. Bang, bang, bang. And I could hear Harriet laughing at me. That dirty double-crossing dame laughing at me, laughing at me. The finding in my head coming louder and louder, crashing against my brain, exploding. And the pounding stopped. For the first time in weeks, there was silence in my head. It's soft, cool, quiet. Like Sunday morning, when you were a kid and no one was awake in the house but you. Like Christmas night, after the excitement was over and you went to bed and thought about the new sled and the wonderful dinner you just ate. And outside you heard the tinkling sleigh bells. And there was peace on earth. And then I got the idea. No more pounding in my head now. I was going to eliminate the cause of the pounding. Kill the root. Yeah. I was going to kill two birds with one stone. Charlie Harris was going to burn for murder. And the murder? The murder of Harriet Slate. You are listening to This Will Kill You. Tonight's presentation in Radio's Outstanding Theatre of Thrills. Suspense. This Thursday, December 1st, will be the second annual SD Day, Safe Driving Day. Its purpose very simple. To demonstrate that on any given day on which all motorists redouble their efforts to avoid accidents, there will be drastically fewer accidents. It isn't this fact that last year's SD Day resulted in a great reduction in accidents. Suggest that everybody cooperate in every way to make SD Day a success again. This has been a public service reminder from CBS Radio. And now we bring back to our Hollywood sound stage Sam Edwards starring in tonight's production. This Will Kill You. A tale well calculated to keep you in suspense. Are you still with me? Well listen, like I was telling you, I decided to kill Harriet and pin the rap on Charlie. Fools you, didn't I? You thought I was going to knock off Charlie myself, didn't you? No, the law was going to do the job. You get the switch? I planned it carefully so there'd be no slip-ups. I took plenty of time. I worked it all out to the smallest detail. And then I did a real smart thing. Now get this. I knew how I was going to knock off the dame and how to pin the blame on Charlie. But the only thing missing was the motive. Understand the motive. So before I killed her I started supplying the motive. Every day down at the plant I dropped something here and there to the guys. Hey Marty, I just heard Charlie and Harriet had an argument down the hall. I love us, but probably. I understand things aren't so hot between those two. Ah, you're crazy, Joe. Well, that's what I heard. Charlie's been doing a lot of bowling these nights, hasn't he? Yeah, he loves it. He didn't seem to when he and Harriet were so palsy-wellsy. I heard something about that, but I don't believe it. I do. I heard him arguing plenty in the hall the other day. Did you hear that Charlie and Harriet had a big blow-off last night? Something about another guy. Yeah. Yeah, I heard things weren't going so hot with those two lately. Hey listen, you hear that Harriet and Charlie had a big scrap the other night? Old news, Marty, old news. I understand she's got a guy up north and Charlie is burning. He ought to bust her head wide open. It would serve her right for two times a nice guy like Charlie. You said it, Marty. There was the motive. Signed, sealed, wrapped up in a big red ribbon and ready to be delivered. The next afternoon I heard Charlie making a date with her for that night. He didn't know it, but it was going to be his last date. Well, when the five o'clock whistle blew and Charlie went in to wash his hands, I slipped over to his workbench. I grabbed the steel pipe he used on his drill press and slipped it under my coat. I wore gloves so my fingerprints wouldn't show on it. Smart, huh? Only Charlie's fingerprints were on the pipe. I waited outside the plant and a little while, Charlie walked by. I walked alongside him and started to talk. You got a minute, Charlie? Oh, sure. What's on your mind? Well, there's an idea I've been working on that can speed production in our department. Can I talk to you tonight for an hour or so? Sorry, Joe. Can't tonight. I've got a date. But with my idea, each man can turn out 150 vowels a day easy. I've got it all worked out in a model in my room. Can't you make it tonight? I told you I've got a date. You're always giving me that company spirit stuff when it doesn't cost you anything. Okay, Charlie. I took you up on it. I've been giving up my nights to work on this idea. I didn't expect nothing out of it. But when I ask you to give up a measly hour, you're too busy. Why can't you come over after your date? Take it easy. I know you were so hot about all this. Okay, if it means so much to you, suppose I leave my girl about 11 and get to your room a few minutes later. Ah, that's swell, Charlie. I'll be waiting for you. I may be out for a minute or two, but the door will be open. So wait for me, huh? See you later. You bet. Everything was working like I planned. Pretty good for a dumb guy, huh? Well, I grabbed a bite of dinner and then dropped over to Charlie's boarding house. He lived on the first floor on the back. I looked at his window. It was open a little. Perfect. I waited until dark, pushed up the window and dropped in. It took only a few seconds to find what I wanted. A handkerchief with Charlie's initials on it. I was outside and walking down the street before he even had time to get nervous. I killed time until about 10.30 and drove over to Harriet's house and waited across the street. In a little while, Harriet and Charlie walked up, talked for a little while and then Charlie looked at his watch and kissed her good night. I waited for a few minutes after he left and then I walked up to her room. Who's there? It's me, Harriet, Joe Jordan. I got to tell you something about Charlie. Joe, what is it? Ah, don't get nervous. Nothing happened. I'm just playing a little trick on Charlie. You're only scared for a second. Joe, I was just making a little home recording of the song singing along with the radio. I know Charlie will get a big kick out of it. Yeah. That's your favorite song, isn't it? Charlie's too. We love it. You really go for that guy, don't you? Any question about it? Joe, we were going to tell everyone in a few days anyway so you may as well know right now. Charlie and I are going to be married in three weeks when we get our vacations. Isn't that wonderful? Yeah, that's wonderful. Only you're taking your vacation a little sooner than that, baby. What do you mean? You're not marrying him or anybody else, see? Are you kidding? Get out of here, you little jerk. I'm a little jerk, am I? Joe, I did it. It was done. I looked at the clock. It was 11.10. He'd just be getting to my room now. Five minutes to kill. I saw him on the floor then messed up the joint to look like a struggle. I waited until 11.15 then smashed the clock. It stopped dead. I dropped the steel pipe on the floor, blew the place fast and raced home. I ran up the stairs where maybe Charlie had left. Where have you been, Joe? I was just getting ready to leave. Oh, I'm sorry, Charlie, I got stuck. All right. Where's the model you were talking about? Oh, gee, I'm sorry to have dragged you all the way over here for nothing. It's still at the welders. Let's make it tomorrow. You're a great one. You messed up my whole evening. Oh, I'm sorry. I poured a couple of drinks into him so he wouldn't get home too late. And then I dropped off to a nice restful sleep. The next morning I was on the job at 8 on the dot. Charlie was there already, but that didn't worry me. It wouldn't be for long. About an hour later, the kid from the front office came up and said something to Charlie and he left the shop. That was it. Those were the cops. And Charlie was a dead pigeon. Well, I went on with my work, not doing very much just faking because I knew I was next. And I was. The same kid came at lunchtime and told me I was wanted at the front gate. I got a little nervous when I saw the two big coppers, but as soon as they spoke, I felt it was going to be all right. Joe Jordan? I'm Lieutenant Sullivan, homicide squad. Hope you don't mind coming down to headquarters with us. I want to ask you a couple of questions. No, I don't mind. What's it all about? Where were you last night, Jordan? Last night? Oh, I hit the hay early. What time? Well, I was awful tired. I had a tough day at the shop yesterday. I guess about 9.30. You see Charlie Harris last night? No. He left me yesterday about 5. Hey, where's Charlie now? He left the shop about 10 this morning. Oh, never mind. But he says he was in your room at 11.15. Well, maybe he was. Charlie Harris is a nice guy and he don't lie. If he says so, then it's probably right. I thought you said you went to bed about 9.30. No, I did. Maybe I was asleep when he came in. Maybe I was talking in my sleep when he was there. I wouldn't want to louse up Charlie. Say, what are you guys trying to pin on me? If Charlie's in a jam, I got to know what he said. I got to back him up. Save it, kid. Tell me, do you know Harriet Slate? That no good two-time and dame double-crossing a good guy like Charlie. Why, he was just telling me when we left the plant yesterday that he was going to get it settled last night once and for all. Say, what are you smiling at? Did I say something? Smart, huh? A handle, that's smart. You know what I mean. Smart, huh? A handle, that's smart, didn't I? Do you see now how I worked the whole thing out? Every little detail. Remember how I planned it that night in bed when the pounding stopped like I told you before? The trial was a cinch. The DA had all the evidence he needed and a little more. Charlie was with her that night. Proved. The steel pipe was his, wasn't it? Proved. It was his fingerprints, wasn't it? Proved. And the motive? The boys in the plant furnished that. They were perfect witnesses. They liked Charlie, tried to help him, but they had to admit the stories that were going around. And the peace, the resistance, that's French, you know. It was the way I knocked his alibi for a loop. Now you see why I smashed the clock at 11.15? Boy, you should have seen that guy when the jury came in with a verdict. Would you rise and come before the court? If your peers have found you guilty of murder in the first degree. And I hear about it. Oh, boy, what a day. You should have seen him. He stood there trying to put on that big shot stuff even then. Trying to act like he wasn't scared to die. I could tell he was ready to faint right there and then. But the newspaper guys were taken in and they said he stood straight and fine and brave in that courtroom. Like a soldier facing a firing squad. That's what they said, the dopes. But I knew he was yellow. Or else why wouldn't he have picked on me? Just because he was boss, huh? So you see, I was smarter than he thought. Than anybody thought. Even the DA in those cops. That was a funny situation, wasn't it? The real murder was in court. First in the testimony that convicted that force lob. And no one knew it. That's a good one, huh? That's a good one. It's time, Joe. Be brave now, Joseph. We must go. All right, Father, but let me tell you the punchline. Come on, Joe. It's time. Oh, ho, ho, quit it. So we'll be a minute late so you'll pay the guy who pulls the switch a minute over time. The state can afford it. I've been telling Father the whole story. I gotta tell him the snapper, don't I? Let him finish. Go on, my son. It was a fluke, Father. They never would have gotten me if not for one thing. One little mistake, Father. If not for that, it would have been a perfect crime. It would have been me walking around here free now. Not Charlie. You see, the night I knocked the doll off, she up and told me she was making a recording of that song on the radio. She told me, you hear? And I forgot all about it. So all the time I was spilling my guts to Harriet, that machine was taken down every word. And I forgot all about it. If I'd smashed the record, if I'd only smashed it that night. But Harriet's old lady got her things. And a few weeks later decided to play the records. And she heard the whole thing. My whole confession just as if I spilled to the cops. Father, we must go now, Joseph. Okay, Father. I'm coming. I'm coming. Come on, and watch a real man walk down the last mile. You've seen plenty of guys walking down this road, didn't you, Warden? I bet none of them took it as good as me, did they? The Lord is my shepherd. They say guys crack up on this little walk, don't they? Not me. I got guts. I bet Charlie would have cracked up by now. Hey, Warden, he'd be screaming his yellow head off. He wouldn't be taking it like me. There's nothing to be scared of. Guy pulls a little switch and it's all over. They say you don't feel a thing. You don't feel nothing, do you, Warden? Oh, you should know. You've seen plenty of it. It doesn't hurt, does it? I could have been a big man in this town. A classic car. A big house with servants. A beautiful wife. You have a beautiful wife. But I got a tough break. One in a million, I tell you. But it's all in the game, see? Come see, come sigh. That's French, you know. I'm taking it pretty good, ain't I? Not many take like me, do they, Warden? You think the papers will... See, I sit up straight and fine and brave, huh? Like a guy facing a firing squad? I'm taking it pretty good, ain't I, Warden? Ain't I, Father? I'm taking it pretty good, ain't I? I'm not afraid. You know that, don't you? I'm not! Spence. In which Sam Edwards starred in tonight's presentation of This Will Kill You. Listen again next week, when we again bring you another story in Radio's Outstanding Theatre of Thrills. Suspense. Spence is produced and directed by Anthony Ellis. Tonight's script was written by Peter Ashley. The music was composed by Rene Garagang and conducted by Wilbur Hatch. Featured in the cast were Vic Perron, Charles Seal, Leonard Wineryb, Lillian Byef, and Barney Phillips. Don't reach for your holster. Reach for your CBS Radio dial instead and let Matt Dillon do the shooting on Gunsmoke. In the character of United States Marshal Matt Dillon, all the heroes of the old-time Frontier Days come to life. In Gunsmoke, CBS Radio has a widely applauded, widely followed program power-packed with action. Saturdays in the daytime and Sunday nights. Stay tuned for five minutes of CBS News to be followed on most of these stations by The Jack Carson Show. Friday nights, join us in the 21st Precinct on the CBS Radio Network.