 Now, Auto-Lite and its 60,000 dealers and service stations present... Suspense! Tonight, Auto-Lite brings you Pat O'Brien in... Dead Ernest, one of the most famous of suspense plays, produced and directed by Anton M. Leeder. Friends, officially, Spring has sprung, and you'll want a spring pep for your winter weary car. That means, when you replace old, narrow-gap spark plugs with wide-gap Auto-Lite resistor spark plugs, your car will idle smoother, give you better performance on leaner gas mixtures, save gas dollars. Yes, you actually can tell the difference in your car. Auto-Lite regular-type spark plugs have long been standard factory equipment on many leading makes of cars and trucks. And now, six, that's right, six of these leading makes of cars and trucks have switched to Auto-Lite resistor-type spark plugs for factory installation on their new 1949 models. The new Auto-Lite resistor spark plugs are the spark plugs of today and the future. Remember, you're right with Auto-Lite. And now, Auto-Lite presents Pat O'Brien in the tale well-calculated to keep you in suspense. Accident report, two police inspector Blandon from Lieutenant S. Healy, place 15th Street and 4th Avenue, time, 2.45 p.m., March 11th, remarks. Ernest Powers, age 34, was crossing the intersection as the signal light changed from green to red. The car, driven by a Theodore Tobi, made a legal right turn from 15th Street into 4th Avenue. There wasn't much. Whoa, look at those trial marks. Hey, the guy's out cold. He's bleeding. All right, stand back now. Let's have a look. Does he hurt bad? I didn't see him. Honest, I didn't. I had the right of way. Yeah, he's passed out. Oh, one of you people called for an ambulance. Yeah, yeah, you're there. Okay, move back, move back. Oh, look, he's bleeding. He's bleeding here. I'll prop up his head. Yeah, here, use this jacket. Here, I'll hold him. Golly, he's limp. He feels just like he's dead. Yes, Ernest Powers felt like he was dead. Ernest Bowers suffered from catalepsy, a strange disease. He carried it all times, a note in his inside jacket pocket stating that he was a cataleptic and that in the event of seeming death, his wife should immediately be notified or his doctor in the event his wife is unavailable. The letter also requested that no autopsy or embalming should be performed on his body for 72 hours, although in his particular case, the duration of the attacks were usually four hours or less. Ernest Bowers also wore a sterling silver bracelet with an inscription reading, Do not embalm me, I am not dead. Catalepsy is a disease of the nerves in mind. The physical conditions of the cataleptic when he is under a spell closely resemble death in all aspects, including the primary stages of rigor mortis. Officer Abbott was on the scene of the accident. He administered aid to the injured man before making out his report. Now to stop the bleeding. Looks like just a cut on his forehead when he hit the ground, nothing much. Now, what's your name? Toby, Theodore Toby. Here's my license. Hey, hey, hey, hey, you kids! What did those kids do? They picked up something off the street. Oh, here it comes. I hope he's all right. It doesn't look like he's bleeding. Oh, my gosh, he ain't. I told you to get back. Come on now, he's back all of you. Doc, he's out cold. I'll say he's out cold. Let's get him away. He's dead. Well, anyhow, it didn't happen in our wagon. Okay, we'll take him away. All right, keep him back. Will you officer? Yeah, keep back. Clear out. Come on, the show's over. That's the third one today. Yeah, there. Hey, who's coat was that he was laying on? I don't know. Did you pick it up? No. Hey, officer, where's the coat? Oh, well, why? Gosh, it's gone. Okay, never mind. Let's go pay. Ernest Bowers had lost the identification of his condition. The letter was in the inside pocket of his jacket. The silver chain he wore on his left wrist had snapped and fallen to the pavement. Two youngsters picked up the chain. Robert Manelli aged nine and one-half. Tommy Stoner, eight. After your father's shot, Bob, wait, shoot us a nice chain. Hey, there's writing on it. Maybe it's a guy's name. Is he hurt bad? Nah, just a little bump. What'd you say? Just a second. We'll be out of the alley. Yeah, Pop's gone home to eat. What'd you say? Wait a second, will ya? It says, do not in bomb. Do not something me. I am not dead. It's screwy. What do we do with it? Sell it, dopey. We can buy some baseballs and stuff. Yeah, but when we try to sell it, they'll ask us where we got it. What do we tell them? Nothing. Use your head. You know what we'll do? What? We'll use Pop's welcome torch. We'll melt it down. Well, he told us not to use it. Pop ain't here, is he? No. Well, come on. There it is. Yeah, here, put it on that brick. Okay? Yeah. But be careful. Hey, what are your kids doing? Oh, hello, Pop. Nothing, Mr. Manelli. We ain't doing nothing. Yeah, nothing, huh? I thought I told you kids not to go near that torch. Well, we want to melt this down. Yeah, give me that. Ah, what's this all about? We found this chain, Papa, and we want to melt it down and sell it. Who's is it? We don't know. Do we, Tommy? No, no we don't. There's nothing wrong, Pop. We just found it. See, it's ours. Do not em... embalm me. I am not dead. What's that? It's screwy. Where did you find it? In the street. Ah, it's Papa. Ask Tommy. All right, go on. Get out of here. How about melting it down, Pop? We can sell it and buy some baseballs. All right, keep back. They melted it and took it to a golden silver dealer. They sold the melted chain for $1.30. $1.30, but the coat, the coat was the principal thing. In the coat in the inside pocket was the letter. The information about Ernest Bauer's condition was in that letter. The instructions that could save his life. The coat was picked up from the street by Ernest Jerry Murdoch. There's a big sign at the corner of 15th Street. It says, Ernest Jerry Murdoch, swap shop. He brought the coat into his store, rummaged around in his shelves until he found some cleaning fluid and then started to clean the blood stain. Well, then, for a sport jacket. Just a moment. Okay. Conservative. Ah, will you come over here, please? Yeah, something on that order. Pick out what you want. How much you want to spend? About five bucks. Please cost more. How much? I'll make the 12. They don't look so hot for eight bucks. I'll make the 12. Say, wait a minute, wait a minute. I'm just putting a new one in stock. Over here by the counter. Yeah, looks all right. What size is it? I don't know. Here, try it on. Okay. Yeah, feels all right. Kind of stiff in front here, though. Ah, it's because it's almost new. You'll break it in. It feels like cardboard or something. You want it? Five dollars. Okay. It might still be a couple of stains on it. I ain't had time to take out. Use some cleaner around it or bring it to the tailors. It'll be better than new. Yeah. Here's a five. Ernest Bowers is brought to the receiving room of the Vedder General Hospital. Various routine tests were made. The time, 4.10. If Bowers are going to awaken, it would probably be 6.45. Dr. Weldon made out his report. He wrote it down while he was standing near the telephone switchboard. This is the Vedder General Hospital. Is there anybody by the name of Bowers at home? Bowers, B-O-W-E-R-S. No, nobody home. Is Mr. Bowers married? I hope so. Where can I reach her? There's been an accident. I don't know. She's out. Will you tell her to call the Vedder General Hospital? Yeah. What happened? Mr. Bowers is dead. Can't reach her, huh? No. I'd like to do an autopsy. Yeah. What'll I tell the wife when she calls? Well, if it's pretty soon, I'll talk to her. We've still got those tests to go through. Then I'm off. If it's more than an hour, he'll probably be on the way to the morgue. At that moment, it was then 4.22 in the afternoon. At that moment, if anyone had been in receiving room B of Vedder General Hospital, where the body of Ernest Bowers lay on the patient carriage, they would have seen a fly crawl slowly across the face of the dead man, and they would have seen his nose twitch. For suspense, Auto Light is bringing you Pat O'Brien in Radio's Outstanding Theatre of Thrill's Suspense. Day of spring it, I've got it coated by head. Well, Hap, you should get outdoors. You need a change. Yeah. The old worn-out plugs needs White Gap Auto Light resistor spark plugs. I know. For your winter weary car, replace old narrow gap spark plugs with White Gap Auto Light resistor spark plugs. A car idle smoother gives better performance on leaner gas mixtures, actually saves gas dollars. And what's more, White Gap Auto Light resistor spark plugs cut down spark plug interference with radio and television reception. I gotta get rid of this coat. We should all get rid of winter eels and get rid of old narrow gap spark plugs. Everybody should install a set of White Gap Auto Light resistor spark plugs. Everybody can cure somebody else's cold. Ah, but only Auto Light offers smart car and truck owners everywhere the sensational advantages of resistor-type spark plugs. They're ignition engineered to meet the highest standards of automotive engineers. Remember, folks, you're always right with Auto Light. And now, Auto Light brings back to our Hollywood soundstage. Pat O'Brien as Lieutenant Healy in Dead Ernest, a tale well calculated to keep you in suspense. Accident report continued. Henry Prince had within his power the opportunity to save the life of Ernest Bowers. He had purchased the coat in which was the letter that could save him. When he left the second-hand store, he stopped to have a chat with some friends, made some purchases at the grocery store and started home. The time, a few minutes after five, he lived about two blocks in the scene of the accident. His wife was waiting for him. How do you like it for five bucks? Yeah, it looks all right. Oh, what's that, a spot? Where? Yeah, take it off a second. I wonder what it is. Oh, I said there was a couple of spots. The cleaner will take them out. You know, it looks like... Hey, what's this in the pocket? I don't know. To whom it may concern, please open and read. Yeah, that's what must have felt stiff. This note is carried on my person wherever I go. It is to advise responsible parties that I am a cataleptic that if it appears as though I am dead, I am not. What's that? And that my body is not to be molested for a period of 72 hours, neither by autopsy nor by embalming, although the maximum periods of my attacks usually do not exceed four hours. Please telephone my wife. This is Margaret Bowers at Fulton 7, 7, 8, 3, 7. This is a boarding house. Address 8, 4, 1.5, West 25th Street. If she's not there, please try X-Menster 43422. This is the number of Dr. Benton. It's a vital importance. It may mean my life. Thank you, Ernest Bowers. It's a funny one. Where'd you get the coat, Henry? Honest, Jerry Murdoch's. Wonder what we can do? Nothing. It's probably been forgotten already. Somebody sold him the coat and forgot to take the letter out. It doesn't sound like something a guy'd forget. Yeah, devil would. Might be important. Hey, look at that, Henry. Those spots, they look like blood. Yeah. Too dark. Yeah, that's the color blood turns. I'm going to telephone that number. Go ahead. I think you're wasting your time. 7, 8. I'd like to talk to Mrs. Bowers. She ain't in. Well, how do you know you didn't even call? I know. Who else wanted to get in touch with her? Well, thank you. Yeah, you see, you're wasting your time. I have a strangest feeling, Henry. She must be a terrible position to be in to have everybody think you're dead when you ain't. You're helpless about it. I can see I'm not going to win this time either. I'm busy. How about some dinner? Oh, it's cooking. I just can't get out of my head. That guy, whoever he is lying there and people thinking I'm dead when he ain't. Maybe doing things to him. What's him bombing? They do that at the morgue. It's preparing his body for burial. I think they take all the blood out of his veins. Well, I would kill him if he wasn't already dead. Couldn't kill him no deader. Henry, I'm going to find out about that coat. Where's his place and bought it? Now, wait a minute, Francis. I put in a good day's work. I'm tired. I said he looking for something I don't even know about. Well, then I'll go myself. Well, how about me at home here while you go out? I want to eat. I'm hungry. Look, dinner won't be ready for another 15 minutes anyway. Now, look, where's the place? Oh, all right. I'll go with you. Well, he ain't here. He locked up. What's the sign say? 10 minutes? Yeah, but those guys put up signs like that if they're going away for an hour. We'll wait a few minutes. Oh, come on, Francis. Look, you wait here. I'm going in the cigar. I started telephone. Once you make up your mind to something, nothing can change it. You wait here. Is Mrs. Bowers in? No. Mr. Bowers? No. He is. That's what they tell me. Well, wait a minute. Oh, doc. Look, I just spoke to you. Will you please... You're bothering me. But all I want to know is when Mr. Bowers died. How do I... Doctors lying busy. Same as before. Mr. Bowers is dead. I found that out. See, I told you. What about the letter then? What if he ain't dead? What if they only think he's dead? Well, what do you want to do wait here all night? We ought to wait a little while. Maybe we can find out where he lives. You going traipsing around the whole city? I have to. Well, without me then. Do as you please. I'll be home. I'm hungry. If you think more of a crazy letter than you do of feeling your husband, then that's all. What do you mean that's all? Just what I said. That's all. You know the trouble with you is you don't have no imagination. No. I'm just a home-loving guy. That's all. I don't go sticking my nose where it don't belong. Well, go on home then. I'll find out about it. A different turn of speech. Another question. If the boarding house woman were more cooperative, if she knew the facts of the case or took an interest in the death of Ernest Bowers, if, if, if, at the hospital, meanwhile, events were pursuing their normal course. Didn't reach anybody, huh? No, doctor. I tried just a few minutes ago. At boarding house, woman snapped my head off. Well, we're finished with the test. I sure wish we could do that autopsy. Maybe later after he's gone to the morgue. Want me to try again? No. Get me the orderly one. Okay. Use that one there. Well, Payne? Yeah. There's Dr. Weldon. There's a delivery for you to go to the morgue. Now? Yeah. I ain't have nothing to eat since I don't know. Yeah, since lunch. Go on now, Payne. It's down in the receiving room. The papers are down there, too. Oh, why can't it wait a few minutes? It's gotta go now. They want to start him bombing so they can go home. Well, how about sending one of the other boys? No, I don't care. Just as long as it gets there. Okay. Want me to keep trying to reach his home? No, the rush is off. Any time now. Going to the morgue. Tell you what, you can wait till his wife calls here. She should be home pretty soon, I guess. I'll be here all evening. I want to talk to her. All right, Doctor. Oh, uh, don't get your wires crossed. Oh, Mr. Murdoch. Yeah? Oh, I'm glad you came back. Come in. What can I do for you? You sold my husband a jacket, a sports jacket this afternoon. Did I work kind? Yeah, a light blue one. It had a few stains on it. Sorry. Can't take back anything once you show it. No, I don't want to give it back. Where'd you get it, Mr. Murdoch? I don't even know which one you're talking about. I sell a lot of... Look, it must have been a few hours ago. Blue with thin red boxes. Oh, that one. What about it? Where'd you get it? What do you want to know for? Because there was a letter in it. An important letter. I don't know. How can I remember where I got it? Long ago. Was it long ago? I don't see where it's any of your business where I got it. It may be important. I've been trying to reach the numbers. The doctor's number's always busy and his wife, she isn't even home yet. But you've got to tell me. Just look. Look, tell me one thing. Did you have the jacket in there a long time? Well... Look, please. It's very important. Well, no. No, I just got it in this afternoon. Oh. Where'd you get it? You said one question. You asked it, and I answered it. That's all. There was blood on it. And I can't help it. Now, if you'll excuse me. No, no. Look, you must tell me. I don't have to tell nobody nothing... Look, I may be all wrong. I'm probably just crazy about this. Look, that man's alive and they'd do anything to him. You see, you said it all sounds crazy to me. Listen, there was a letter in the inside pocket of that jacket. It said that Ernest Bowers was a cataleptic. What's that? He goes in a fit? Oh, no, no, no. A cataleptic. You know, somebody looks like he's dead at times and he isn't. He goes into a spell and looks as though he's dead. Sometimes, you know, they take dead bodies to the morgue and they hand bomb them. That means they take all the blood out of their veins. Now, this fellow Bowers, he's a cataleptic. I don't know whether he's dead or alive or even if he's dead. I just got to find out. Well, I... There was a... What? An accident before. Where? Who's in it? I don't know. Believe me, lady, I didn't know anything about all this. You think that this guy was taking away an ambulance? Could be one of them the cataleptics? That coat. Was it his? Yeah, lady, yeah. But it was left there on the street. They drove away and left the ambulance. What ambulance? I don't know. It was on the corner. The cop was there. He told somebody to call an ambulance. Is that the same cop? Yeah. Yeah, look lady, you got to protect me. I ain't done anything wrong. I didn't know anything like this would happen. I would never taken a coat if I... Officer! Officer! Ernest Bowers lay on a slab in the morgue. If he were alive, probabilities were that he would regain consciousness before 6.45. And the two and bombers on duty at the time had decided to get a bite to eat when the phone rang. Anthony answered. Well, we're going out to eat. Yeah, and all other men just came in. We got it here. Yo, what's the rush? No, no. We just want to get a cup of coffee and then we'll get on it. Look, I said I'll fall if it comes in just when we want to have a... Right? We can go home after? Well, that puts a different complexion on it. Yeah. Okay, yeah. What time is it out? 6.80. Hey, Doc shows if we can bomb this one now we can go home. Well, let's start in then. I'm hungry. Okay. I'll start the motor. Young guy, isn't he? Yeah. I was speaking to the wife about that yesterday. Get the inject out. Yeah. And she was saying more and more people die. Older and older. Yeah. It looks like we can open through the Mac. Yeah. Give me a piece of that goods. Yeah. I says to her she should be around this place. Why? We get it more late. You want me to do it? No, no. No. You get the inject. Yeah. Hey, look at them. You should never think that such a little thing like his heart stops beating could make him dead and not alive. All is steady, will you? Yeah. Ready? Just a second. Okay. Here we go. What's the matter? My glasses. They're clouding up. We'll take them off. No, no. I'll just clean them. What did the wife say to that? Huh? Oh, uh, about all ages? Yeah. She didn't have nothing to say. Only that most of the guys we deal with probably come to a violent end. Yeah, well, there's something in there. Okay. Got them clean. Here we go. What's the matter? They're steamed up again. Every time I bend over near... I wonder... What? It must be my imagination. What? I could have sworn this guy was breathing on my glasses. Well, is he? How could he? Well, come on in. Let's go. It's a quarter of seven already. Yeah, yeah. All that... Yeah, I'll get the phone. Well, let's get this started first. Okay. We'll just... Ow. What? I... What's the matter with you? I thought I saw the guy's hand twitch. Okay, don't be stupid. Well, get me a scare. Well, let's wait a second. I'll get the phone. Well, probably be another job and we'll never get out of here. Let it ring. Yeah, but the dark cell we can go home after if... Right, come on. Come on. Let's get that thing over with. Ow. Okay. Yeah. Give me the knife again. I'll... Over like this. I ain't gonna move. This is up full of steam again. Aw. Shake it all over. Look at him, Al. Look at his lips. Listen. Shut off that motor! Apparently, the life of Ernest Bowers was worth $1.30 for a silver bracelet to the boys who ran away with it and $5 for a bloodstained jacket to honest Jerry Murdoch. Their petty thefts brought a man to the brink of death. Oh, there's just one more episode which perhaps doesn't belong in an accident report which I'd like to include. After regaining full consciousness, Ernest Bowers put in a telephone call from the morgue. Hello, Mrs. Barley. Is Mrs. Bowers in? No. This is Mr. Bowers. I know Mrs. Barley, but they... they made a mistake. Aw. Well, darling, it's quite a long story. You see the... Never mind. Goodbye for a great suspense show. Now, here is Harlow Wilcox. Still got my coat in my head, Barlow. Well, Hap, why don't you swap it for something useful? The way folks are swapping winter chills for springtime thrills, replacing old narrow-gap spark plugs and light-gap auto-light resistor spark plugs. Auto-light resistor spark plugs are made by auto-light men who make over 400 products for cars, trucks, airplanes, and boats in 28 auto-light plants from coast to coast. And auto-light also makes complete electrical systems for many makes of America's finest cars. Batteries, spark plugs, generators, starting motors, coils, distributors. All ignition engineers to fit together perfectly work together perfectly because they're a perfect team. If folks don't accept electrical parts that are supposed to be as good, ask for and insist on auto-light original factory parts at your neighborhood service station, car dealer, garage, or repair shop. Remember, you're always right with Auto-Light. It's been a pleasure for me to join this fine cast in bringing you another suspense play. I'm a suspense fan of long-standing and I'm just as anxious as I know you'll be to hear next week's broadcast when Edward G. Robinson returns with a story called You Can't Die Twice, another gripping study in Suspense. Adelbran may currently be seen in the RKO picture The Boy with Green Hair. Tonight's suspense play was written by C. LeGlester and Mervyn Gerard with music composed by Lucian Morrowake and conducted by Lud Blusken. The entire production was under the direction of Anton M. Lieder. Next Thursday, same time, here Edward G. Robinson in You Can't Die Twice. You can buy auto-light electrical parts, auto-light resistor spark plugs, auto-light staple batteries at your neighborhood auto-light dealers. Switch to auto-light. Good night. Here's great news. Suspense on television may be seen in many parts of the country every Tuesday night. This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.