 Adventures by Morse, Carlton E. Morse presents Dead Men Proud, featuring Captain Friday. If you like high adventure, come with me. If you like the stealth of intrigue, come with me. If you like blood and thunder, come with me. Three men died violent deaths in Holman, Doc Sims, Andrew Waters, and Rich Hartley's half-wit son. These tragedies brought four young people to the village across the bay from San Francisco. First to arrive were Carmel and Andres Ruiz, cousins. They were niece and nephew of Andrew Waters. Then came Gail Stanley and her brother Martin, niece and nephew of Doc Sims. Captain Friday, who had a summer home in Holman, took the four under his wing, and with the aid of his weekend guest Dr. Jamie Croft, endeavored to untangle a mystery behind the three murders. But let Captain Friday tell it. Each of the three bodies in the village morgue has taken it upon itself to prowl around or disappear all together from time to time. When Dr. Croft, young Martin Stanley and I, searched Doc Sims' house, two of the bodies were missing, that of Doc Sims and that of the half-wit Hartley boy. Doc Sims' body was found after an attempt was made to murder Stanley. I tied Doc Sims' body on a sleeping cot and locked it in a room. Next, we searched Andy Waters' house. Along with Carmel and Andres Ruiz, I was upstairs in the room where Andrew Waters died. Gail and Martin Stanley were waiting downstairs. Dr. Croft had left the house to examine Doc Sims' body. Suddenly, there was a warning cry, the sound of a shot, and two figures hurtled and rolled down the full length of the stairway. A few minutes later, Captain Friday had gathered the entire group in the living room of his summer cottage. Now, look here. I want everyone to stick close to my cottage from now on. No one's to go near Doc Sims or Andy Waters' house without my permission, is that clear? See, Senor Friday, but please, could we not have more fire? See how my cousin Carmel, she is shake. No, I'm not cold. Just that I can't forget that you might have been killed, Andres. Oh, it is nothing. It did not hit me. See here, Captain, I suggest we stir up the fire and all gather around and talk this thing out. I'll admit, I'm pretty badly shaking myself, rolling down those stairs with a murdered man in my arms. Okay, come on, Andres. We'll go out and bring in a couple of big chunks of rootwood. I thought we'd get sunshine today, but the fog seems to be hanging on. It's almost like night, it's so foggy. See here, Miss Stanley, what's wrong with you? You haven't said a word since we left Andrew Waters' house and returned here. Well, why does it ghost? What is it? Well, it's all pretty terrible, isn't it? Terrible? Of course it's bad, but you're making entirely too much of it. Well, I didn't realize what we were up against, Dr. Croft, until I saw this dark, dead body of that murdered heartly boy lying there. Oh, it was bad. I didn't realize until I saw his dead body and knew that somehow it had come alive that that dead body had held a gun and tried to kill one of us. Well, now you know how I felt, sis, when Doc Sims, my own uncle, took a shot at me. Yes, I know, Martin. I'm getting sick of it. There's no use of us standing around and getting our head shot off. Let's go back to the city and hire a lawyer to clear up this mess. But, Martin, we haven't any money to hire a lawyer. We could borrow on Doc Sims' estate, I'll bet. After all, it's ours. I'm afraid you won't be able to leave Holman without Captain Fryde's permission. Nuts to Captain Fryde. Well, I suggest you talk to him. Here he comes now. Can we get through the door with it? Add a boy on first. Oh, this is fine big stump of wood. All right. Got a good hold? See. Let's toss it in the fireplace. One, two, three. Yeah. There she goes. There's your fire, Dr. Croft. Now then, is everybody settled for a talk? Before we begin, Captain, I think young Stanley here has a question. Gail and I are going back to San Francisco and get a lawyer to take care of this. No, you're not, Stanley. Who's going to stop us? I am. I happen to be constable of Holman now and I'm holding all of you until we can get this thing cleared up. You haven't any right. We'll all be killed. Somebody's tried twice now. Now look here, Stanley. This goes all for the rest of you. I suggest you forget about pulling out for a while and sit and listen. I've been looking over these papers we picked up at Doc Sims and Walters' houses. But first I want to ask some questions. What questions? Before this last attack, let's just review where each of us was. Now, Dr. Croft here dropped in at Doc Sims' house down the street to see how the trust-up body was doing. You see it, Doctor? It was just as we left it, Captain. Still tied to the cot. Right. Now, Miss Stanley here and her brother were in Andrew Walters' study. You asked to be allowed to stay there while the rest of us went up to examine the death room. Yes, that's right. Stayed downstairs at your own request. Well, you remember I told you I couldn't bear the sight of the room where a man was hanged? Yes, I remember. Well, you two were in the study on the first floor. Carmela and Andres here and I went up to the second floor. We just started to examine the room when we heard Dr. Croft yell. What was it you yell, Doctor? I think I said, Look out, Captain. Look out. Yeah, the next minute there was a shot. See, so close to me I feel the air. It cut my face like sharp knife. Close one. All right, Andres. And then the next thing we knew, Dr. Croft and the second person were rolling down the dark stairway together. I rushed down and there was the doctor hanging onto the body of the murdered half-wit, the Hartley boy. I'd never go in that house again for anything. But look here, Doctor. How did you happen to take that tumble downstairs? What happened? I don't know. As soon as I'd seen the dark sim's body was safe, I locked up and I came right over to join you at the Walters house. I let myself in and everything was quiet on the first floor. Yes. We had the door to the study closed. We were just sitting there waiting. Yes. I heard voices upstairs and I started up. It was quite dark. And suddenly I saw a figure between me and the doorway. All I could see was his outline. And I started to speak when it crouched. It was alive? And I saw the debtor of a gun. I couldn't see into the room, but he was tense. He was about to fire at someone. That's when I yelled and I rushed up the stairs at him. Yeah. Did he attack you, Doctor? No. No. I don't think so. He just seemed to give way in my hands. You see, it all happened so quickly. I grabbed him and we tumbled downstairs together. And when I opened the study door and saw what was lying in the foot of the stairs... Yes. Yes. I know. Any opinions, Doctor? Well, frankly, Captain, I never had such a shock in my life. I don't understand it. There he was in the doorway, apparently alive. And by the time we reached the bottom of the steps, it was the stiff, cold corpse of the murdered Hartley Boy. Dr. Croft, if you and I hadn't been friends for the last couple of years... Yes, I know, Captain. I'd say the same. There's something strange in that house. Stranger than what happened in Doc Sim's house. The corpse walks in, takes a shot at Stanley here, and clubs me over the head, walks out under his own power, and then once out of our sight, he collapses into nothing more than a corpse. Did you find Doc Sim's will? Yes. I have it here. Where was it? In the coat pocket of the corpse. He'd evidently come alive long enough to take it away from us, and then he fell dead on his way to hide it. I don't believe it. I don't either. What else are you going to believe? Captain, in all the history of medicine, this situation has no precedent. Bodies simply do not repossess themselves of life once they become dead flesh. That's what I thought, too. Captain, now, since you have in your possession the wills of Sims and Walters, it appears to me that they contain any information concerning this business. Now is the time to bring them out. There's plenty in them, all right? Plenty to give everybody a joke. There is something bad. I'll let you decide that for yourself. Before I read the wills, though, I'm going to read a copy of a letter that Doc Sim sent to Andrew Walters shortly before Walters hanged himself. How long before? We don't know. Dr. Croft and Martin Stanley have already heard it. See, Andrew Walters. This is to inform you that I, Dr. C. N. Sims, have discovered your real identity, as well as enough of your background and history to make your presence in this community undesirable. Unless you are willing to come to such terms as I see fit to impose, I shall at once reveal your identity and turn you over to the proper authorities, which, of course, you realize means nothing less than the gas chamber. It is not true. My uncle Andrew Walters is a good man. This letter is a big lie. Now hang on to yourself, Andres. If this Doc Sims man was alive, I would make him eat these waters. Yeah, maybe you would, but sit down and hear the rest. Why would they want to execute our uncle? Sounds like murder. Oh, he wouldn't. He didn't. Well, I didn't know that Doc Sims and Mr. Walters were enemies. So, looks like we inherit some kind of a fight. You would be borrowing trouble, Stanley. Please. We aren't going to be enemies. Oh, of course not, Carmel. The fight ended with our uncle's death. Maybe it didn't. Maybe it didn't. Let's wait until we hear the whole story. First, I'm going to read Doc Sims' will. It's short. All it says is, believing that I shall outlive my only sister, Gale Sims Stanley, I hereby do on this day bequeath all my personal and business property in equal parts to my niece, Gale Stanley, and my nephew, Martin Stanley. That's all except for the date. Well, that's something like it. Nothing hard to understand about that. That's not the whole story. Wait until you hear what Andrew Walters has to say in his will. Okay, but what's that got to do with Gale and May? Landy. See here, Captain. He's all that his will. That's right. I thought he was writing a book. It's his personal history. You read it? Mm-hmm. Then why not tell us the gist of it? We can each read the details at our leisure. That's a good idea. Let's suit you, Carmel. Oh, yes, of course. How about it, Andres? Please, you do what you wish. Okay. Well, this is how it is. Andy Walters and Doc Sims were brothers. Some of them, thanks. Then you mean to say we four are cousins? That's right. But they do not see how this happens. Say, how do you get that way? How could a guy named Sims and one named Walters be brothers? Because Andrew Walters is an assumed name. I don't believe it. You will when I finish. Sounds like a most engaging tale. Yeah. Is according to Walters' story, there was quite a big family of Sims originally. There were three sisters. First, Bonnie Sims. See, my mother thought was her maiden name. Yes. Then came Gail, for whom your name is Stanley, and Joyce, Carmel's mother. But what about the brother's captain? Well, here's the angle. Doc Sims was the eldest. Then came his brother, Andy Walters. His right name was Vance Sims. But see here, Captain, why did Vance Sims change his name to Andrew Walters? Just a moment, Doctor. That concerns another member of the family. Another, eh? Mm-hmm. Another boy, Franklin Sims. Oh, three boys and three girls. Well, what happened to him? He was murdered 20 years ago. Another murder in the family? Santa Maria is the whole family to be wiped out. On the barren coast of Marin County, in the village of Holman, under a blanket of fog, sits Captain Friday's summer cottage. In the cottage is being unfolded the story of the Sims family. A story beginning generations ago, and today having its tragic effect on the living members. Captain Friday has just revealed that the two rich men of Holman, Doc Sims and Andrew Walters were brothers, and therefore Gail and Martin Stanley and Andres and Carmel Ruiz are cousins. Yes, there was still another member of the family. Another brother named Franklin Sims. Three brothers and three sisters. Oh, what happened to him? He was murdered 20 years ago. Oh, my God. Oh, goodness. Well, who did it? Remember that letter I read to you at the beginning from Doc Sims to Walters? Something about I shall reveal your true identity and turn you over to the proper authorities. Andrew, please. Her uncle Andrew did not kill his own brother. Well, that happened in a peculiar way. You see, the three boys were on a sort of vacation together, someplace in the Near East. Doc Sims was about 37 at the time. Walters around 35, and Franklin was only about 22 or three. Quite a difference in ages, Captain. Yes. Well, there were the three girls in between, you know. Yes. Anyway, the three of them were in this little corner of the world when they got word that their father was dying, and he'd left the bulk of his fortune to Franklin. Well, how unfair. Well, Franklin was the fair-haired child. Anyway, according to the story in Andrew Walters' will here, he and Doc Sims went out and got thoroughly drunk. When he came to the next morning, he was in a filthy jail charged with the murder of his brother, Franklin Sims. Oh, but this is the most horrible thing to happen. The next day, the father died, so it left things pretty neat for Doc Sims. One brother dead, and the other, Andrew Walters, had held for murder. But didn't Doc Sims help his brother? No, no, he turned against him, left him to his fate. He came back to the United States and got himself appointed administrator for the entire estate. Ah, charming fellow. Well, I don't blame him. A fellow that would murder his own brother. But what became of Mr. Walters? He broke jail and became a fugitive. Oh, Andres, I guess we haven't a very nice family after all. You know what I think? I think these Doc Sims hands are not very clean. What do you mean by that? And I think maybe he knows more about Franklin's death. You would think of that. But how did he happen to come back here? Didn't Doc Sims recognize him? Well, remember that was 20 years ago. Walters says in his will that he made his way to Australia and under his assumed name went into the mining country. He made several rich strikes, and finally, after about 10 years, came out a rich man. Rich man, eh? Mm-hmm. Plenty of money, but old and broken down. Nobody'd have recognized him for the fugitive, Vance Sims. Well, then he came back unrecognized. Yes. He worked a slick trick, the slickest I've heard in a long time. He wrote a deathbed testimonial under his own name of Vance Sims. He declared that during the 10 years he'd spent in the mines, he and his own alias, Andrew Walters, had been partners. And now that he was about to die, he desired that Walters should inherit everything that had been his. You see, this included his portion of the original Sims estate, which, through his office as administrator, Doc Sims was milking for himself. In other words, Vance Sims left everything to himself as Andrew Walters. Oh, now I begin to understand why Doc Sims was so unfriendly to us. He was cheating mother out of her third of the estate. She was supposed to have a third after Franklin was killed, wasn't she? Yes, she was. Doc Sims tricked her out of it. Why, though, you don't think much of him now, do you, Stanley? I'll leave me alone. But see here, Captain, what did Vance Sims do then? After he willed his property to Andrew Walters, his other self. He grabbed a ship from San Francisco and came over here to Holman with the documents and stuck them in Doc Sims' face. Beautiful. Yes. Doc Sims almost frothed. He was mad and scared. His conscience was bothering him about the way he'd been administrating the estate. Besides, he couldn't forget that he'd beaten his sister out of her third. He was in a bad spot, wasn't he? Walters had him and there wasn't anything for him to do, but turn over Vance Sims' portion without a squawk. But no wonder there were enemies. Wonder they lived in the same neighborhood 10 years without the lid blowing off. Well, still, I don't understand. What made Doc Sims write that note, threatening to turn Mr. Walters over the police? And after all these years. Oh, that's easy. Doc Sims was burned up about the whole business. He suspected there was something smelly about the affair, so he kept nosing around, writing letters to Australian, keeping his eyes and ears open. And finally, he got the straight dope on Walters. Discovery was really his brother, eh? And wanted for murder. And then Doc Sims wrote that note threatening Andrew Walters, the one you read to us. That's right. You think then, Captain, that upon receiving the note from Doc Sims, Walters went to his room and hanged himself? That's what it looks like. Trapped after all these years of safety, you know how you'd feel. Settle down to spend the rest of your life in peace and quiet, and then suddenly find yourself facing the gas chamber. Please, I can't bear to think that... Oh, it is deplorable. The thing I can't figure out is, if Walters hanged himself, who cut him down? Somebody else was in on this thing. You don't suppose Doc Sims cut him down before going out on the beach to die, do you? Could have done it, but why? Please, please, I have a confession. Andres, you didn't... Conscience bothering you? All right, Andres, out with it. Please, you will try to understand why I have not told this before. Well, what's on your mind? Did you kill Andy Walters? No, no, no, I did not do that. Well, you've got something on your conscience. No, no, I will explain. When Carmella and I left you on the beach, we come to the house. My uncle was not in this study, so I leave Carmella alone, and I go upstairs to find him. Yeah, and then what? There... there I see my uncle hanging. Oh, that's it, huh? See, I am very much disturbed. I think maybe I can save him. I cut him down quick and... And then I see he is dead. And then what'd you do? Well, then... then I remember that I am his heir, and... and maybe somebody will think... will think maybe I... Yeah, afraid of being held for murders, you kept your mouth shut. Please, if I have been very wrong, I am sorry. What do you think, Dr. Croft? Obviously, the land's telling the truth, Captain. Oh, please, and you're my gratitude. Okay, Andres, we'll take your word for it. For now, anyway. Thank you, Captain Friday. Yeah, well, there you are. You four cousins, Doc Sims and Andrew Walters' brothers, Walters hanged himself from despair. That much is cleared up, anyway. Yeah, but what's that got to do with Doc Sims' dead body taking a pot shot at me? And the prowling body of the village half-wit trying to kill Andres? Now, now, wait a minute. I didn't say I had a complete solution. But we don't even know who killed the half-witner. Why the body of Andrew Walters, alias, Vance Sims, came over here and tried to bury Gail alive. Oh, please. All I can see right now is that it looks like all the dead bodies in the neighborhood have conspired to get rid of you four. Oh, please don't talk like that. At the convent, they always told us there was something sacred about being dead. You're not quite right, Camille. You mustn't judge normal living and dying by what is taking place here in Holmen. But, Senor, you have told us only the history of Andrew Walters. And now, does he not will his property to anyone? Yeah, I'll read that part. It's short. Oh, let's see. Oh, here it is. Appreciating the fact that my two sisters were unjustly cut off from the family by their marriages, I should like to recompense them if they are still alive or their heirs, if they are not, by equally dividing my entire estate between them. Oh, my cousins, you hear? Camille, you are rich. Land, money. All you will have everything you wish. Oh, wait a minute, Andres. There's a little more. Now, listen. I willingly leave the Stanley branch of the family out of my will, not from any antagonism, but because I know the Doc Sims is leaving everything to them to soothe his conscience for having Rob Gale of her third of the original estate. Find a bunch of dog robbers in our family. Oh, if it had only end here. Dr. Croft, you realize we don't know yet whether Doc Sims died naturally or whether he was murdered? True. The body hasn't- Yes, yes, I know. Body hasn't stayed in one place long enough for us to perform an autopsy. Well, the fact is I'm not certain I'd be justified in performing an autopsy on anything as much alive. Oh, well, look here. It's at, well, it's after one o'clock. Aren't you folks ready for lunch? Well, I'm afraid I'm not. Well, I am. Sure, sure. Everybody will be when they smell food. And Miss Stanley, how about you and Carmel poking around the groceries and knocking together a hot lunch? Feel up to it? Oh, yes, let's do something. It'll help us forget the bad things. That's the idea. Well, all right. Where will we find things? Everything's in the cooler around the shells. Just help yourselves. But Captain Friday, are you going out? Oh, the doctor and I have a little job to attend to. Andres, you and Stanley stick by the house. Don't leave, you understand? See, I know. And don't let the girls out of your sight. If you think there's danger- Lay off that stuff, Stanley. I thought there was any danger. I wouldn't leave you out here on guard. It's daylight, isn't it? But it's so foggy, it's almost like evening. Are you afraid? No. Not if you say it's all right. Oh, sure it's all right. Anybody else afraid? Well, how long will you be gone? Oh, we'll be back by the time you get lunch ready. You're mighty mysterious. I never mind, Stanley. Come on, Doctor. I mind now. None of you leave the college. I say, Captain, I was much mystified as the rest. Yeah? Well, we're going over and get Doc Sim's body and have an examination. Makes a lot of difference whether he died a natural death. It was murdered. Well, if he was murdered, it was by poison. I can tell you that much. I want to be certain, Doctor. Besides that, I want to get all these bodies back in the morgue. We've got an inquest tomorrow morning, and I don't intend to chase the coroner's jury all over the country looking for bodies. Oh, quite. We'll take Doc Sim's to the morgue first. He's closest. No, there's a refrigeration chamber in the cellar below ground. Is there really? Yeah, yeah. Well, I'm going to bind all three bodies and stick them down there for tonight. There's no windows, and you can bar the one door from the outside. If that doesn't hold him, nothing will. Refrigeration, eh? It'll put in a pretty cold night, don't you think, Captain? Oh, hold it. Well, here's Doc Sim's place. Why so it is? You're the fog so thick it's changed the whole appearance of the vicinity. Oh, come on in, Doctor. Oh, you've still got the key to the study, haven't you? Yes. Blasted dark in this hallway. Wait until I switch on the lights. Yeah, there. Now I'll just... Dr. Croft. Look at this. What's happened? Look, doors busted open, splintered to pieces. Doors smashed. Yeah, from the inside. Doors smashed open from the inside. What about Doc Sim's body? We'd like it to light. Look. Look at that. See here, Captain. This thing's superhuman. It's not possible. But he's gone. Look at those ropes. Broken, snapped in two. No human thing could have broken those ropes, Captain. Yeah, but they're broken just the same. Look at those frazzal ends. The corpse appears to have broken them with these hands as though they've been twine. Notice, not a knot untied. Fair chance of us finding Rich Hartley's half-wit boy where we left him if this sort of thing is happening. Shall we go over to the Walters place and see? Yes. Oh, so nothing we can do here. Are you taking those ropes with you? Uh, I want to examine them. Come on. Captain, you know there was a time when people believed that devils could enter a dead body at will. And of course you know that these unearthly beings were endowed with unlimited strength. I guess I'd better lock up. Although locks don't seem to mean much around here. If you're interested in this devil theory... I'm not, Doctor. I'll bet money then when we get to the bottom of this. There'll be some doggone simple explanation that'll make me blush to think I overlooked it. Undoubtedly all right. Say, Captain, Dockstam's house was locked up just as I left it. Well, what do you suppose we should have searched for the body? You know it may still be there. Hasn't escaped before and now. It's because it hasn't wanted to. Yes, I suppose so. We'll take a look when we go back. Well, Andrew Walters' front door is still intact. The half-wit's broken out of this house. It wasn't by this door. Go ahead, Doctor. Oh, we should have stopped in at the morgue and bought a special reward. Snap on the light, will you? Ah, nothing's disturbed. Closet door's still locked, all right? Just a minute till I get the right key here. If I remember rightly, you used that long, plain one. Yeah, yeah, that's right. Well, I'll be a son of a gun. There's a body just as we left. Getting to be that ordinary events are more surprising. Captain, the body moved. It moved, didn't you see it? What's that? Careful, careful. Don't bend over it like that. Yes, I'm watching. Captain, Captain, behind you, behind you. Hey, what's going on here? As Dr. Croft and Captain Friday bent over the corpse of the half-wit body, the diabolical force loose in the village of Holman crept up stealthily from behind. But what is that force? Who is it who animates the dead and strikes with such deadly effect? Episode 7 of Dead Men Proul, entitled, Before Go To Join The Prouling Dead, will come to you next week at the same hour. You are listening to Adventures by Morse.