 Suspense producer of radio's outstanding theater of thrills the master of mystery and adventure William and Robeson what you're about to hear is more than the lurid figments of this writers imagination It has happened in the prisons of Michigan and New Jersey Massachusetts and Colorado and elsewhere When desperate men oppressed beyond endurance turn upon their tormentors Not a prison break not a prison riot, but a prison mutiny Listen now as Howard Duff stars in eyewitness a tale well-calculated to keep you in Suspense All you want is the background for an article in the state's prison Managing editor is a science you because you've never been inside a penitentiary before Fresh point of view and so on but you get the distinct feeling that you're an unwelcome visitor here Warden makes one thing plain Of course anything you may write about the institution will have to be cleared through me and outside the main gates or guide The captain of the yard comes up with a charming thought inside there You may see somebody you know or there may be somebody who knows you may try to speak to you If they do don't answer them and don't speak to anyone don't give anything don't take anything Everybody's better off that way. Well, I don't want to seem facetious But I doubt if any friends of mine are in there. You never know mr. Kelly. You never know And as the guard turns the key you step inside the prison to feel that you were a prisoner You feel you will never walk back through that door alive The door opens and you are inside This here's the yard mr. Kelly The yard men Hundreds of men sitting in groups talking Standing in groups A great beast in blue each man dressed alike and faded blue dungarees blue shirt and blue denim jacket These are the disenfranchised the men without names without citizenship You step ahead of the captain and he grabs your arm and his fingers go deep on the sidewalk mr. Kelly Oh, yeah, sidewalks out of bounds the prison the inmates. Yeah, why? We've got to have a way to get around to why can't we just walk through you want to get yourself killed? Okay, but not when I'm responsible for you Then you notice something as you walk along the side of the yard They're casing it the men in the group standing squatting sitting notice you first and then the captain Immediately turn their backs. It's a subtle choreography of a faded blue ballet A flick of the eyes a turn of the head and as you pass a solid phalanx of backs blue denim backs But the faces before they turn They're the faces of men not conflicts The faces of the boy in the bakery truck the teller in the bank the checker in the supermarket and that old one a Lifer probably might be the face of your father and you shudder a little and you think The difference between them and you is that they got caught Captain Wolf shows you the dining hall where dinner begins at 3 30 in the afternoon in order that five and a half thousand Candidts eating and shifts can finish their evening meal by 6 30. He shows you condemned role He shows you the death house a feeling of suffocation grows on you The Paul prison begins to shroud you you've had it and you want to walk out of those gates as fast as you can because you can Well, it's a bit of very interesting tour capital now. I think wait a minute before you go, mr. Kelly Here's something you ought to see what's that the old block that building right ahead Built more than a hundred years ago. Oh, that's where we keep the bad ones bad ones Yeah, and solitary the tough guys the deviates it softens them up fast most of them the old block a fortress prison and the date chiseled in its keystone ad 1847 a reminder that it was built when prisons were intended only to punish never to correct This will take only a minute and you ought to see it ain't changed much in over a hundred years I can tell you you stop in front of a heavy steel door But no guard peers through the bulletproof glass people the door is not instantly unlocked like the others had been That's funny Should be a man on the door at all times. Oh Head on in mr. Kelly You walk in your eyes temporarily blinded by the transition from the bright daylight to the dimmest of this corridor The door clangs behind you feel something sharp jab your back. All right, both of you stand where you are Hey, what what is this you're referring to what you feel the middle of your back? It was once a file from the machine shop not to shiv or if you make one move will file drive it straight through your gut Frisk them Joe. Yeah Here's a sap good this gun good. We can use them And this one's clean he's an outsider you can't get away with it Can't we have I'm happy to report Captain Wolff that the old cell block is completely controlled by its 32 inmates The four guards and the captain himself as hostage is not to mention an anonymous outsider Oh, listen, you're asking for trouble. Mr. Kelly hears from the Capitol News telegram. Oh a journalist I couldn't ask for a better hostage. Well a guest I think mr. Kelly you'll serve us better than even the warden could I Trust we didn't tell you a jacket when we were forced to stick your moment ago, mr. Kelly I don't think so. I hope not the name. Mr. Kelly is Jay Conrad Allen That's spelled with one L mr. Kelly whether I end up a live lifer a dead hero be sure mr. Kelly to spell it with one L Hey, Connie. I don't call me con the name is Conrad. I'm sorry Conrad What do you want me to do with these two lock them up with the guards? Oh not yet I'll need Captain Wolff's cooperation. You won't get it. Would you like to bet on that? How about you mr. Kelly are you gonna cooperate? I don't know. I will see all right men listen to me Now look here's why we stand We got limpy to thank for this. He pretended to be sick and got that green horn guard to open his cell He conked the guard locked him in his cell and let big Joe and me out. We took care of the rest of the guards They're all locked up in cell number three Wait a minute. That's not all just that we got him locked up Who should walk in but our old friend the captain of the yard lard tub wool? Also have another guest mr. Kelly of the Capitol news telegram and outside it ain't no good us Well, don't be too sure about that now. There are 32 of us and we have the guards for guns Let's handle this thing in a democratic fashion What do you want to do next? Let's break out of here? Wait a minute break out Tony how far would we get as far as the yard? Do you think all the way to the slot with gun guards in every tower you think our four rods would get us very far? Yeah, he's right Tony. We can't break out of here. We can't get anywhere I say let's get back in ourselves and spring the guards. We're only asking for more trouble You would figure that way pop from your point of view. You're right. You aren't going anywhere You're in here for life. All right, then let's go. Let's make a break for it. Come on. No, that won't work But I'll tell you what will the three guards lard tub wolf and mr. Kelly will work for us. I don't get it What are you driving it? Don't call me corn. I'm sorry Conrad We're gonna get plenty out of this. We're gonna get a square deal. We're gonna get better food We're gonna get bars on those cells instead of solid doors. We're gonna get rid of straight jackets and leg irons in the dungeon Oh, we're gonna get a lot of things out of this. Oh, we're gonna get all that you just stick with me I'll show you First they don't know anything's happened yet. So let's tell them Go on get on the telephone captain wolf and call the warden. I will like It is sharp in it like that on the phone Tell the warden where you are and what's happened? We're telling to send over our supper just the same and away for further instructions here. All right. I'll dial it Hey there now Warden speaking Warden, this is Captain Wolf as well I'm I'm talking from the old cell block the cons have taken it over what they got me and McGuire and that new kid and Feeney Yeah, mr. Kelly Warden if I was you I'm Giving out the advice around here. Give me that phone and stop whimpering Joe. He stuck you a little bit lock him up in three cell Joe, okay Conrad come on you Hello warden. What have you done to captain wolf? Oh, don't worry warden. We just drew a little blood now. You get this speaking Jay Conrad Allen Number six seven two oh no warden Jay Conrad Allen is the name What do you want plenty and we don't want any funny business from you now look here. No, you look here warden Look you just sit tight until you hear from me again. Don't you forget to send supper over as usual? I will not okay warden. Okay. Don't send this upper then, but you better send a stretcher Because we're just about to beat up a guard big Joe. Yeah, which one one who's so handy with the chain strap Feeney Yeah, that's him Here's his chain Use it on him. It'll be a pleasure Broke goes dry as you watch it and your insides turn over It's amazing how little time it takes to beat a man into an insensible pulp with a length of chain And then it's all over and they toss Feeney's bleeding hulk out into the yard You are listening to eyewitness starring Howard Duff A tale well calculated to keep you in Suspense After they've carried Feeney's broken body away. It doesn't take long for supper to arrive Rolled up to the door on steam carts by frightened trustees The men of the old cell block fall too with an appetite you can't share Not only because the soup is greasy and thin and the bread rough and thick But also because you've just seen a man nearly beaten to death. That's why You're not eating mr. Kelly. I'm not very hungry. I don't blame you But after a while you you get hungry in here You get so hungry you'll even eat this duck Yeah, I suppose you do but don't think just because this is punishment food that it's much better than the mess hall It isn't it's just more filling over there. Did you have to do it? What beat up the guard? Of course. Why? Force that's the only thing they understand the guards the warden. That's the way they treat us You don't have to do anything You just have to have a guard down on you and it can mean three days in a straight jacket You get in a real rhubarb and you can go down to the dungeon for anywhere from a week to a month the dungeon. Yeah The dungeon it's down in the cellar of this block Cells are five feet long five feet high and three feet wide so you can't lie down. You can't stand up And there's no light. Oh, it's not a pretty place. Mr. Kelly. You see what I mean. I'm beginning to okay, mr. Kelly It's your story. What do you mean? Well, mr. Kelly for a newspaper man, you amazed me. It's your story. I witness you're gonna let me out Oh, no indeed. We need you. Well, then how can I phone it in? When's the morning edition go to press the Bulldogs, but the bed at 815, right? You got a little more than an hour Can you do it? Oh sure if I can get a call through you'll get a call through Mm-hmm. Hello outside line, please What you heard me warden tell the operator to give us an outside line What are you trying? Mr. Kelly wants to file a story. No story goes out of here without my old game No, I bet you're holding a press conference in your office right now, aren't you? Well, so am I mr. Kelly wants to file his story I will not be intimate. How's Feeney warden? Is he resting easy? What do you want next Maguire that green kid who opened the first cell name him we'll deliver him to you in pieces look here, Alan Don't you realize what'll happen to you men? You can't get out of there You're already in bad trouble all of you You've forfeited your chance for parole by breaking out You've extended your sentences by beating up Feeney. You're only making it worse in yourself Now if you don't give up you'll all spend the rest of your lives right where you are in the old block Threats warden you threatening us What's the matter scared because we're not we're sitting pretty warden, but you you got plenty to lose you might lose your job Where could you ever find another one so cushy? You better play ball with us warden because we're playing for keeps now get me an outside line I will not okay big Joe go to work on the next goon sure wait a minute. They can't it's in human I suppose the dungeon isn't but you can't get me that outside line warden Give me your word you won't harm that man. I'll give you my word for now. You get me that line What number do you want get me the capital news telegram managing editor yeah person to person to the managing editor Mr. Wiley Brooks, how does you know and make it snappy? How does you know the ME's name? Why yeah, I've been around some mr. Kelly I needn't warn you I suppose not to double crosses. How could I I don't know but just don't you saw what happened to Feeney Yeah, I saw but I have to include that in my story. I want you to what happened. We're not ashamed of it Oh and here you'll want to include this What's this list of the man's I want to get that in I want the warden to see that and print in the prison board in the governor Who's telegram Brooks speaking? Hello Wiley. This is Conrad Allen speaking Conrad I thought you were in prison. Yeah, I am well then what? What's going on up there? We got a flash that there was some trouble There is I got a man up there, but we haven't heard from him. You will say what is this? Well, I've never forgotten what you did for me during my trial. I knew you were framed After all you were the best city all reporter ever had. Thank you. I told you I'd return the favor someday I got an eyewitness story for you on the mutiny in the old cell block. Let's have it Well, you know me Wiley. I was never very good phoning a story and I think better to typewriter So, uh, I'll turn you over to your mr. Kelly Is he there? Yeah, he's one of our hostages one of your uh take it from here mr. Kelly Hello, Wiley. What are you doing up there Bob? I'll fill you in when I get out of here if I get out All right now. Here's the story ready ready At 343 this afternoon in the old cell block at state's prison John J. Casey You Dictate the story as fast as you can including the mutineers list of demands Abolition of the dungeon better food abolition of the use of straight jackets chains whips and blackjacks and no reprisals against the prisoners involved in the mutiny Well that winds it up as of this minute Wiley. Oh, wait a minute. I got something to add I just a minute Conrad Allen that's spelled with one owl. I know he wants to add something Hello Wiley. Yes Conrad. Look, I got three guards left Your bulldog still hits the street at 10 p.m. Doesn't it? That's right Well, if they don't meet our demands by midnight We beat up a guard the next one goes at 4 a.m. The last one at 8 o'clock tomorrow morning. You can print that yeah Okay, Conrad, but listen that Bob Kelly out of there. Will you I need him on this story Ah Wiley, he's on the story and we need him and if they don't give in by 8 a.m. When I run out of guards, I'll need your mr. Kelly very badly You hear it. You don't believe it and then you think of Feeney. You're not so sure Time drags on Some of the men go back to their cells to sleep in the unaccustomed half-freedom of open doors a Couple of them pull the doors quietly shut because sleep is impossible with the doors open eight o'clock nine o'clock 10 Papers on the street now 11 o'clock attention mounts Slowly Conrad's midnight deadline approaches the hands creep toward 12 They meet point upward 10 seconds 15 Nothing happens Okay, boys. Who's next? How about McGuire the blackjack specialist use his own on him. Okay, Conrad Warden speaking send a stretch your warden McGuire. I'll be ready for you in five minutes Here's your answer Conrad. Hey delights somebody turned off the lights. Oh, that's the way he wants it What word do you want to use? Pandemonium chaos anarchy. They all fit While the screaming guard is beaten into unconscious The roaring men break apart the wooden furniture dump the cots over the balconies Rip open the mattresses and build a fire in the middle of the cell block And at last after the guard has been dumped into the yard and carried away Their anger subsides into sullen silence four more hours dragged by And at last Conrad's next deadline arrives Ready to give in warden Are you thirsty Conrad? What do you mean? You will be Why the crummy? Hey, Limpie. Yeah, turn on the water tapping yourself turn it on It's just a trick let's stop. Well, uh, come here. Yeah Yeah, Conrad look keep it to yourself. You understand. Well, what does it mean? They turn out the water just keep it to yourself. Don't tell the other guys. Oh, they'll find out soon enough Yeah, but let's not tell them huh let them find out by themselves look here Conrad Don't you see they got you licked? No, they haven't mr. Kelly. They're scared. They're plenty scared Name a humanity. Why don't you stop this stop now? We can't stop hey Conrad something's going on outside What is it? I can't tell it sounds like digging out and back. Well, can't you see you kidding? We ain't got no lights remember and the yard lights are out Time to throw him another bone Which one this time? How about the Greenhorn kid? Oh, but he's the one to let me out. Well, he's a guard, isn't he? Gotta work on him So the Greenhorn kid gets his and is dumped into the yard And you sit and wait in the darkness Until gray light spreads over the gray walls and through the tiny windows turning the blackness of the block into a lighter black And one by one the men awaken. Hey Conrad. They know water and a taps. I know What is this they turn off the water? Yeah It's breakfast time. Hey Conrad when do we eat we wait and see but I'm hungry we wait Eight o'clock, that's the deadline at last eight o'clock Okay boys, this is it What? What's the matter Conrad phone kid they cut off the phone what Conrad what we're gonna do We got no lights no water no phone or food. I told your son. We better give ourselves up Oh, go back to your cell and get lost pop, but what are we gonna do Conrad well boys? How would you like a little exercise? Big Joe yeah Unlock the large tub with a large tub wolf. It's gonna be different. Everybody gets a crack Because everybody's got unfinished business with tough isn't that right? Okay, big Joe and toughies aren't behind him and stand him up by the door. All right now boys line up fellas be fair You guys at the head of the line go a little easy so the fellas at the end still have something left to work on Okay You thought you've seen fully before but this is mass bloodlust the torment is Each man delivering his retribution on the captain of the yard Calculatingly deliberately one with a fist another with a foot Third with a length of chain you're retching blocks off the sounds of agony and empty After he's able to walk again, what is something? Yeah, what's that what we're gonna do next? Nothing it's their move. Yeah, we ain't got any more guards to beat up. That's right But we've still got mr. Kelly Your heart stops beating for a long instant is the wild bloodshot eyes of 32 desperate men center on you Yeah, that's right. I was forgetting we still got mr. Kelly now wait a minute Conrad He ain't done nothing else except those are favor you get the story out now listen boys Let's not get ethical. We're all in this all over our heads Mr. Kelly's what it takes to win our point. We'll use mr. Kelly now look. I don't think you're not supposed to think I'll do the thinking You agree with me, don't you Kelly you do the same thing if you were in my place, wouldn't you? You're asking me You don't know how long you sit there across the table from Conrad time has stopped You wait Conrad waits the men wait in silent little groups You wait for the next move the wardens move that lasted comes Hey What's that? Where oh, yeah, I'll break out this window Yeah, what I hear you. I'm not talking to you Alan I'm doing that talking for the guy and permit the thought citizens make it simple warden you turning us down That's your grievances with you But I will not be forced to give in to your demands. That's final Now men can be done for you. Thanks a lot for nothing warden. We'll sit tight man Don't listen to Alan. He must be crazy to keep you there listen to me I Have cut off your lights your water your food. I Couldn't let you run in there, but I don't want to do that come out peaceably. I'll go blow it after nine Exactly 9 30. I will blow up the cell block. You're bluffing think so During the night we planted dynamite all around the building. Hey Conrad you remember I said I heard noises out there during the night Yeah, yeah, man Don't listen to Alan listen to me now You've got 12 and a half minutes to make up your minds. Ah, you're forgetting something warden We still got the newspaper reporter in here. Mr. Kelly. I can't be responsible for him. I Got all my cards out. I won't bargain any further It's just a little more than 12 minutes Think it over boys Well, mr. Kelly Looks like you aren't as valuable as I thought you'd be I'm sorry about that. Well, we're licked. We've got to give in give in Give in after we've gone this far give in and lose everything Do you realize that in this state they can give us all life for what we've done so far? Me I'd rather be blown up and spend the rest of my life in this hole No, no no Conrad, please you gotta get us out soil your fault you little punk What do you mean if you hadn't cocked that green horn God yesterday just because you wanted to make up the Conrad we wouldn't be in It's fixed lay off. Well you little jerk out of break your Made a lot of mistakes Conrad This is one too many Add yourself a ball ordering us around Promising this you'd master minus out of here. Well, you got us Five minutes from Kingdom come now the warden's only bluffing. He wouldn't dare blow us up I'll get you all out of there. No, Conn. Call me Conrad. No, Conn I'm not waiting no five minutes to find out of his bluffing. I Said you made a lot of mistakes and the biggest one was passing out the God's guns remember now I'll stand right where you I'm taking over now. Why you stick a little grease on your move Conn. You call me Conrad Less than five minutes boys I'm going out Anybody join me Mr. Kelly I Feel I must apologize for the inconvenience and discomfort you've suffered that warden is the understatement of the year As I said yesterday, you will of course clear any stories you write about the situation through me I doubt it, but we can't permit luck warden. I'm gonna report it just as it happened When I get through I don't think Jay Conrad Allen spelled with one L mixed up and twisted though His values may have been I don't think he will have died in vain Suspense in which Howard Duff starred in I witness written directed and produced by William and Robeson listen Listen again next week when we return with Herbert Marshall in back for Christmas a tail well calculated to keep you in Supporting mr. Duff and I witness were John Daner Lou Merrill Joe Kearns Jack Krushen Court Falcon Berg Barney Phillips Tony Barrett Dick LeGrand and G Stanley Jones The original musical score was composed and conducted by Jerry Goldsmith Every week evening most of these same stations bring you three of the greatest stars in all show business Bing Crosby and Amos and Andy in their music hall Amos and Andy Let's still another star the Kingfish join the proceedings as they play host to lady wrestlers symphony conductors and anyone who will make music or laughter or both Hear them every weekday night on CBS radio