 And now, tonight's presentation of Radio's Outstanding Theatre of Rills. The Spence will be a two small boys who carry death in their pockets. We call it Two Platinum Capitals. So now, here is tonight's The Spence Play, Two Platinum Capitals. The story you are about to hear is based on fact. It happened. It involved the lives of six people. That sound is being made by a Geiger counter. A device for detecting radioactivity. It plays an important part in the following events. A city in Northern California, population 41,300. For Johnny Murphy, age 11, the day started like any other day. The time, 8.36 a.m. I saw you throw that apple cord to me, old man. I didn't hit a mom. I didn't even try. Don't ever let me catch you doing a thing like that again. Now, come inside. Your father's home. Can you? When do you get back? A few minutes ago. Hi, boy. Do you find some uranium pop? No, not this time. We didn't expect your arm until tonight, George. Well, I woke up with a lousy cold yesterday. And on top of that, the water can sprung a leak. Didn't even have enough to make coffee before I left camp last night. There's some on the stove. Hey, Pop, let me listen to the guy you're telling us. No, Johnny, your father's tired from driving all night. Please, Pop, do you have a second? Sure. Okay. Now, now I click a lot faster. So they tell me. I'll fix your breakfast, George. Scramble them, huh, man? Hey, Johnny, come on. Hey, please wait and follow me, Pop. Okay, boy, you run along. Johnny, you'll be home for lunch. Okay, Mom. Where are we going? I don't know. Where do you want to go? I don't know. Hey, how about to my house? Man, nothing to do over there. Well, what do you want to do? I don't know. Something? Hey, I listen to my Pop's guides, huh? Yeah. Where'd you hear? Uranium? Oh, come on. Where are we going? I don't know. Why don't we go down to that new dump? Where? The new dump's the city opened. They're still in that old devil pit over near Afton High. What do we do down there? I don't know. Look around. See if we can find something, baby. Okay. But I got to be home for lunch. 50 George Murphy, the Pop's time uranium prospector, sat down to read his breakfast. Five miles away, Miss Helen Webster, a registered nurse employed at the Middle Brunch Hospital, entered the staff cafeteria. A few moments later, the administrator, Dr. Carl Hutter, stopped for her take. Well, how did you like working up in 222 yesterday, Miss Webster? Fine, Dr. Button didn't give you any trouble, did she? Well, no. Get along with her, all right? Yes, I think so. I think she probably hates your gut. Well, but why? She's leaving next week. We've asked her to retire. She knows you're taking her place. Oh, I see. Did she explain everything to you carefully? Very carefully, Dr. Well, we want you to take charge as soon as she's gone. Am I all right with you? Yes, sir. It's very interesting work. It could be dangerous. But if you're careful, there's no risk involved. Did Button have you working with the real thing or the dummy? Well, the dummy's at first, and then she opened the safe. This capsule certainly don't look dangerous. There you go, Miss Webster. Don't ever forget it. Every large hospital has a room 222. Painted in bold letters across the lead lines or other words, danger, radioactive. We're not occupied. The room is padlocked. At 914, Miss Elsie Burton registered nurse and inserted the key in the padlock and entered the room. She opened the heavy safe and using a pair of forceps lifted a small metal box from it. She quickly placed the box on the table. Then stepping behind a lead shield designed to protect her body from the contents of the box, she opened it. Inside the box were several platinum capsules and each capsule was filled with radium. It was 927 when she picked up the phone to report two of the platinum capsules missing. 928. George Murphy had finished his second cup of coffee, glanced through the morning paper and was watching his wife at the kitchen. More coffee, George? No thanks. You look coffee tired. We've got a notice from the bank today. The payment's overdue again. I know, ma'am. On that Geiger counter you had to buy $160. When I think what I could have done with that money. All right, all right. George, we can get along on your salary. You don't need a million dollars. You can get along just fine on what you make at the gas station. If you'd only work instead of taking three days a week away, wouldn't our goodness know where? Let's talk about it some other time, huh? I'm going in and lying down. You close the bedroom door. I want the radio on while I do the ironing. 930. The two boys, Johnny Murphy and Peter Cohen, were approaching the city dump. Look, see? Doesn't look like nothing but a big hole in the ground. That's where they took all the gravel from. They're dumping all kinds of stuff in that old pit now. Hey, who's that? Who's about to shop? Well, I don't know. Maybe it's a watchman. He's crazy. What does he have a watchman at a dump for? He'd steal junk. Morning, boys. You gonna answer him? Are you the watchman? That's right. Your boy's out exploring. Well, kinda. But it's all right. Oh, it's all right, providing you look out for the trucks. We'll be careful. By 10.15, Dr. Hutter with Miss Burton and Miss Webster had made a preliminary search for the missing radium. It was not in Room 222. A further check revealed that only one patient at the hospital was receiving radium therapy. According to the day chart, the radium used in the patient the day before had been returned to the safe. Nevertheless, the patient was examined and the immediate area surrounding her bed carefully searched. The radium was not found. At 10.35, Dr. Hutter and the two nurses re-entered Room 222. I don't understand how it could have happened, doctor. Did someone have taken it during the night? No, even if they had a key to fit the padlock, Miss Burton is the only person in the hospital who has a combination to the safe. You'll have all this responsibility the next week, Miss Webster. Burton, what time did you show the capsule to Miss Webster yesterday? Just before lunch, doctor. Before returning them to the safe? Well, they weren't away from this table. I didn't think it was necessary to count them. Well, we've done all we can. I'll notify the insurance company. Let them send a radium hound up from San Francisco. A radium hound? Yes, a man who specializes in finding lost radium by using a scintillator or a guide to counter. He'll go through the hospital carefully and the counter will locate the radium. Doctor, before you go, may I speak to you alone? Certainly. I'll be in the hall, doctor. Doctor, you know I've never been one for carrying tails, but I refuse to take the responsibility for losing those capsules. No one is blaming you, Burton. Accidents happen. This was no accident. Go on. Doctor, I just happened to know that Miss Webster is engaged to a young doctor. I don't see that that has any bearing on the lost radium. Let me finish. This doctor is setting up his own office, and I'm sure he'd be mighty grateful for a gift of 200 milligrams of radium. Burton, you've been around here too long. You've soured. Doctor, I just remembered something. Yes, Miss Webster? Well, the other night, Leonard, Dr. Perry, told me that one of his patients goes away every weekend to hunt uranium. Would he own a guide or counter? He might. Yes, see if you can reach him. Yes, sir. We'll take this building apart if we have to. Well, Miss Webster. Yes, sir? Notify all hospital personnel of the lost immediately. If someone's picked up those capsules without realizing what they are, they're in trouble. Dorothy had just tuned in the 11 a.m. news broadcast from the phone rang. Recognizing the urgency in Miss Webster's voice, she promised to wake her husband immediately. George, you've got to wake up. George. Hmm? George, they want you down at the hospital. What's the matter, Johnny? Something happened to Johnny? Oh, no, no, not Johnny. They've lost some radium at Middle Branch Hospital. The nurse at Carl's thought you might be able to find it. Hand me a cigarette, will you? Okay. You got any hot coffee out there? Well, I'll heat it. Thanks. Do you think you could find it, George? I don't know. Maybe, if it's still in the hospital. What does radium look like? You ever see any of it? I wouldn't know radium if I tripped over it. 88. 226.05. Radium is an intensely radioactive element emitting strong gamma rays. It is used principally in the treatment of cancer to destroy malignant tissue. Unfortunately, the gamma rays cannot sell the difference between healthy and unhealthy tissue, making it extremely dangerous to handle. Unless caught in time, there is no cure for radium poisoning. Only a slow lingering death. Hey, mister, you know what time it is? It's 11. Well, let's see now. It's 11.30. You see, I told you it wasn't more than that. Hey, you boys are too young to be worrying about time. He's always worried about something. I've got to be home for lunch. Did you find anything valuable down in the dump? No, nothing there I wanted. I don't know if what I found is valuable or not. Hey, there she is. Can't judge what it's worth if you don't let me take a look at it. I've got them in my pocket. Yeah? Yeah. Mighty nice. Looks like they might have been useful counterweights of some sort. Excuse me, boys. Got to tell that fellow where to unload. We'll see you, mister. You be careful crossing the street, you boys. Don't want to get hurt. 12.30 when George Murphy alive to the hospital. He was quickly briefed by Dr. Hutter and the search started slowly. Carefully they walked through the sterile corridors listening for any change in the normal count for the guy who came. I understand you do quite a bit of uranium protecting, Mr. Murphy. Yeah, I guess I do. I usually take off and work at the gas station on Thursdays and come back Sunday. Have you ever find any? Not yet. I'm still hoping. Oh, my. Let me find this radio, I mean. Is that valuable? That deadly. There's always a chance someone has picked it up without realizing what it is. The background count is a little high, but it's gone down. Say, just what do those capsules look like, Doctor? Ooh, they're about two inches long. Metal. Approximately as big around as those thick lead pencils. Well, it doesn't look like it's up here. Come on, I'll buy you a cup of coffee. Hey, Doctor, wait a minute. I'm taking up some response on this thing. Well, that's in 222. What? We keep our regular supply of radium in 222 just a hit. Oh. Well, glad to know this thing works. Sure like to see it act up like that out in the desert. 140. After having a cup of coffee, the menu continued their search. Drain pipes were examined. Trash and waste were created with the incinerator. The incinerator itself and finally the ground surrounding the entire hospital were checked. At 415, as far as they were able to determine, they agreed the radium was not in or near the hospital. Dr. Hutter then contacted the trekking service that removed the non-conversal. Previous, sir. The watchman of the yard would remember where you had done most. 459. It doesn't look like anybody's here. He's probably gone for the day. Well, anyone want to look around? Might get lucky. Yep. He'll follow. When I'm shaving in the morning, I can usually see myself later in the day. At the gas station working, you know what I mean? Sure, I think so. I sure didn't see myself down here looking for a needle in a haystack. 22. She believes the radium was stolen. Could be. I sure give 10 bucks to know where it is. I'd give a lot more just to know those capsules aren't poisoning someone. Howdy. Help you, fellas. Oh, are you the watchman? That's right. We were looking for you about an hour ago. Well, I quit at 5. Went to eat. Oh, I live out here. What do you want to see me about? Do you remember a consolidated truck CA yesterday afternoon? Yes, I do. I had him dump out in the area before. Where's that? Right where you fellas were standing when I first spotted you. Oh, well, thanks. Hey, hey, wait a minute. You still ain't said what you wanted to see me about. Do you know what radium looks like? No, can't say I do. A couple of capsules containing radium were lost from the hospital. We thought they might have been carried out here. Well, how would I know of them if I did see them? About two inches long little capsules of metal. What do I do now? Would you mind dropping me off at the hospital? Okay. Two boys down here this morning showed me something like that. Two boys? Yeah, sure. I remember what they found. It looked like a little child away. Well, do you know the boys, either one of them? No, never saw them before in their lives. Did they mention their names? Can you describe? No names, but I reckon I should give you an idea of what they looked like. Get in. What for? They're taking you down to the police station. You've got to find those boys fast. In the 30s, the two radio stations in the city were broadcasting a description of the boys every half hour. An all-points bulletin had been relayed to the police substations and all patrol cars. The morning newspaper was setting up a story on the front page. There was nothing to do now, but wait. Yes, Johnny? Take a look at my leg, huh? Your leg? What's the matter with it? I don't know. It's sort of burned. You probably skimmed it, let's see. Well, there's nothing there. It's just a little red, is all. It feels like it's burned. There's your father. Now you go get ready for bed. Okay. Hi, boy. Hi, Pa. Your daughter got kept at dinner warm. It's in the oven. I didn't get a chance to call her. I know. I heard all about her in the news. Poor kid. Now you sit down. What'd you pick? Lamb chop. I heated up some of those frozen dishes. Is that boy going to die from the radio? I don't know. Dr. Hutter said something about the rays burning deeper and deeper as time went on. Something to do with the square road, I don't know. Hand me the butter way. The description they gave on the radio. That boy must be about Johnny's age. Yeah. Johnny's. I told you to get ready for bed. Oh, golly. I haven't hardly seen Pop in three days. That's right. Well, boy, what have you been doing? What? Nothing. Just taking it easy. Taking it easy. You just wait, boy. You just wait a few years. Can I put your guy's account away for you? Look, how many times I have to tell you that it isn't a toy. It costs a lot of money. That's the truth. Can I listen to a pop, please? Johnny, leave your father alone. He's dead tired. Go on. Get ready for bed. Oh, mom. Mind your mother, boy. Yes, sir. All right. Come back here. Yes, sir. Come here. Now, wait a minute. Now, what's wrong with it? Oh, the switch is stuck. Okay, now. Because of Johnny's normal activity, the radium capsules had bounced around in his pocket. The burns covered a wide area, but the rays had not penetrated as deeply as they could have done. The Murphy's were told to consider themselves lucky. If the boy had carried the capsules another few hours, it would have been impossible to save it. On being informed of the boy's condition, Miss Burton, the nursing charge of Room 222, admitted to throwing the two capsules in with a non-combustible rubbish, hoping a replacement would receive the blame. She was immediately discharged and barred from any further practice in the nursing profession. We brought you tonight's presentation of two platinum capsules. Be sure to listen next week when we again bring you Radio's Outstanding, Theater of Grills, Suspense.