 Johnny dollar hi, Johnny. This is Lou little over here at state. You need light Lou. There must be some mistake. Goodbye Oh, wait a minute. Will you well don't hang up on me? What do you mean some mistake two solid years? I had to wait for an assignment from you. Well, I know suddenly two calls within two weeks I don't know if I can stand the shock come clean. What's the problem problem? My only problem Johnny is getting rid of exactly $1,000. Well, how nice and I suppose you just want to hand it over to me. What else are you kidding? Am I you got to be when did you come over here and see sure? Why not just be ready to pay my cap there sure? Why not okay? Okay The CBS radio network brings you a Mandel Kramer and the exciting adventures of the man with the action-packed expense account America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator yours truly Johnny dollar If you ever suffer a touch of arthritis or rheumatism and you've never tried mentholatum deep-heating rub You can't know how good its deep-heating action can make you feel as you massage it into painful areas You feel it's deep-heating action. You know relief is on its way Mentholatum deep-heating rub is an extra strong combination of active ingredients for safe temporary relief of minor arthritic rheumatic pain Use greaseless stainless mentholatum deep-heating rub often Expense account submitted by special investigator Johnny dollar to state unity life insurance company home office, Hartford, Connecticut Following is an account of expenses incurred during my investigation of the well of trouble matter Little was just leading me on had some real nasty case bothering him But if it meant a thousand bucks in my kick and after the one I handled a week ago for him for free Well to repeat myself. Why not? Expense account item one a buck twenty for a cab to his office. I'm kidding you one bet Johnny Here baby a perfectly good check for 1,000 class Merry Christmas to you, too, but what's it for Lou? Why don't you take a look at the signature on it? G Stanley Porter. That's right Last week's little Frank is after what you did for him and considering you wouldn't even take expenses for it Well, he insisted that you happen. I thought I made it plain Lou the insisted All right I'm certainly not going to turn down a thousand bucks. He wouldn't have it otherwise Tell him thanks for me with him be glad to Hey, what goes around here? Huh? You planning a trip to the gambling halls of Las Vegas or just leaving the country in a hurry. What do you mean? Big stack of dough on your desk. Oh that yeah, what goes Lou? You must have around 5,000 here all the small bills. I'll pick up the change lying man You'll find that's exactly two thousand three hundred and eighty eight dollars and twenty four cents Just about to mail out a receipt for it receipt Yeah, just received in the mail from an old crackpot by the name of Jeremy R. Withers What's it for his insurance premium? What else in cash in cash? Like always he simply stops it into a plain brown envelope and mails of them without even ensuring it must be a crash Johnny I've written him half a dozen times pointing out the risk and sending as much cash in the regular mail I've even offered to send somebody out to his place to collect it from him, but he'll have none of it crazy stubborn as that wild old Western character Durango Laramie Dalhide, huh? Drangle what that's right. You know believe it or not. He lived in a town called Bum Spong, Oklahoma Oh, not your kid. No, I'm not really a little old Indian name Bum Spong means bad spring. Yes Bum Spong bad water But at least Durango had a had sense enough to bring in the cash in person nearly 4,000 at a crack once a year. I thought maybe you might have heard my report on the case a couple years ago I must have missed it, but at least old Jeremy withers his company and his eccentricity Look if you could meet some of the wacky policy holders I've had to deal with you think nothing at all of withers. Maybe maybe not What are you chuckling down? I know Durango boy. He gave us quite a scare that one time How do you mean well? He brought in the stack like this one day, you know and brother You should have seen them one look and you'd have sworn they were counterfeit, but they weren't now You know what they've done Carefully washed and starched and ironed the money to make it look like new just like some of these Wait a minute a little what's around a giant just hold everything a minute, huh? Just hold up on that receipt for this stuff with him. Why? What's the matter with it? Well, I find this Jeremy withers you got his address. Well, sure. Let me have it. Well, sure Johnny Well, what's the matter? Just let me have his address Expensical item 2 a dime for a phone called the police headquarters where I got some very interesting information and Incidentally gave none in return Item 3 another dollar 20 for a cab back to my apartment Item 4 397 to fill up the gas tank in my car It was getting dark now, but I headed west on 44 then north on 202 Few miles short of Granby. I found the dirt road. I was looking for leading off to the left Then finally the crossroads known as nobody corners Consisting of one general store a grocery and a filling station where I stopped only long enough to get some local directions The Jeremy withers place turned out to be a tiny square Unpainted clibbered building that sat for lonely in the middle of a small seedy-looking weed-grown lot But there was a flickering light inside. I could see it even through the tightly drawn shades No doubt an oil lamp and when I knocked on the door Who is it? My name is dollar Johnny dollar dollar. That's right from the insurance company open up. Mr. Withers Just to leave me open up the people I put on this year I can take a look at you first. Go ahead Here take a look at these my credentials if you can see them in the moonlight Come on withers open up Leave me get these here now chains undid Come on withers you're stalling all right now Yes, you stay outside there and tell me what the trouble is young fella. It's about that insurance premium of yours What's the matter with you boy? I sent it all in yesterday. I'll say you did in hard cash, too Just like always good hard cash Good, huh? What are you talking about? I'm talking about some of the twidies that were mixed in with that stack of bills some of the nice new ones Like this one for instance What's the matter with it? Are you kidding? plenty Just tell me one thing mr. Withers Where did you get this money? The time has come for a friendly warning now that the 4th of July is almost here better keep plenty of 7-up chilled and ready to serve This is the sparkling drink that says a nice warm welcome to everyone who comes calling on the 4th 7-up has a wonderful gay sparkle and a fresh is all out of doors taste Just about everybody goes for fresh clean tasting 7-up Grandmothers moms and dads the teenage set even the tiny tots It's this same clean fresh taste that makes 7-up just great with food, too 7-up wakes up your taste buds makes whatever you're eating taste even better Believe me any foods a feast with 7-up So if you're in the business of pleasing people and who isn't keep plenty of 7-up on hand for family and friends Better order a case today for a fresh clean taste on the 4th of July Fresh up with the 7-up Looky here boy What's the matter with that money? I sent in I said, where did you get it? Mr. Withers I'm talking about these brand-new $20 bills anything wrong with it Well, you're talking you might think it was counterfeit or something counterfeit hardly. No, of course not But it's plenty hot believe me. Now. What do you mean by that? Are you trying to tell me you don't know how should I know? Why do you lock yourself in the way you do not only a lock on the door of its safety chains in a bolt man's got a Right to protect yourself in here against what? Well, maybe maybe against nosy people like you Now what's the matter with that money? You gonna tell me or ain't you sure I'll tell you These new bills are part of the loot from the first national bank over in Millville Luke that's right stolen money over $20,000 mostly in you 20s. Yeah, I worked on the case I had to memorize a list of serial numbers or rather number groups as long as your arm You must have a good memory boy. Luckily the numbers were consecutive all starting with triple six double four So it wasn't too much of a strain. Well, you mean you didn't solve the case. I didn't get to first base But you didn't answer my question Where did you get these? Just part of the money ahead Mr. Withers, where do you get your income? Well from a pension that's what pension anything wrong with that big enough to afford an annual insurance premium of over $2,300 so for two three years. I've been able to pay it. Okay doesn't make any sense with us and you know it Yeah, look son. I worked hard all my life made a right steady income and saved up a little bit put side Mr. Withers, I never did like to waste what I had on fancy living and such like So after my wife died and our kid went off and got herself married Well, I just kept on putting it side And these here last couple of years to I've been buying up some insurance so my daughter she can benefit when I die now anything wrong with that What sort of work did you do? Fragment for the railroad company. That's what fragment on a railroad crossing a flagman And you say that paid enough to save enough to buy the kind of policy you hold That money you sent the company was all right Maybe it did come out of your pension money or whatever you managed to save but the rest these brand new $20 bills Now you better tell me about it. Mr. Withers or Would you rather tell it to a judge? Well, all right, mr. Miss mr. Dollar. Did you say it is? That's right Johnny dollar Well, maybe a head better tell you where some of the money come from I think you better. Well, you see I had a son too Stepson his name was Bernard. Wait a minute Barney withers You know him Barney the bum That punk and small-time bank robber who was finally killed trying to crack security first over in Danbury Yes, that was right after the job in Millville and two or three others before that. Yes, sir Keep talking mr. Withers well now, maybe it's pretty bad thing for me to say him being my wife's kid and all but Mr.. That Bernard was no good. That's an understatement. Whatever happened to him. I mean he's being killed That's all he deserved. No good bank robber go on. Well, it was my knowing about him That's what kept me from ever putting what I had in any bank and said I sort of kept it right close Where I could watch over it where? Yeah, sure. I'll tell you right under the floor over there in the corner. You better show it to me mr. Withers I'd like to look at the rest of your money. Well, it's all gone now gone. I mean all used up The money of all I mean, that's why I had to start using up some of that that Bernard hit away What's the matter with you anyway first you tell me Barney was no good because of the jobs He pulled you say that he deserved to die for what he did You don't hesitate to keep and use the money that he stole Well, no, I didn't steal it. Did I do you think that makes you any less guilty for keeping it and spending it? We're sure returning it to the banks that it was stolen from And why didn't you turn Barney in when you found out what he was doing? You say you had no use for him Well, I've been looking out for myself as all man's got to look out for yourself, don't he from now on the state It's gonna be looking out for you, but you mean you're gonna get me arrested and put in jail You don't think I'm gonna let you get off scot-free Well, it ain't as though Bernard done them jobs alone by himself. Is it what difference does that make was that partner? He has killed the bank guy over in Millville never caught him though. That has nothing. Whatever to do with this money that Wait a minute You know who that partner was who I know Why else you suppose I keep myself locked in here this way and why I took out some life insurance Who was it? Oh that rotten crooked Jerry McNeer. That's who and you didn't tell the authorities. Why should I? If ahead they might have tried to make me tell them where Bernard hid the money at the same as that McNeer has been trying Oh, only I kept telling him I don't know. Mr. Withers. Don't you see there's tears for police and all think McNeer got all the money And I'll tell you this mr. Guller. Yes, tell me only thing that's kept that McNeer from killing me off or not telling him Is that then he'd never find out where Bernard hid out that money? Well, you better tell me mr. Withers and fast Yeah Well, now if I tell you where it's at Shows you can take it back. You think maybe the police they'd go a little Leasy on me. Well, isn't that pretty up? What's that? Oh, shut up on the kitchen window must be Now listen if you're sure it'll make it any easier on to me All or most of that money can be returned on the basis of your information. Well, of course it will all right, sir You you know the old hacker farm about two miles up the road No, but go on that's where the big poplar trees in the broken down windmill is Not a broken winters in the house place simply go on that's counted nobody been living it may be for Oh 10-15 years now except in Bernard when he was hiding and the money is somewhere in that house Well, yeah You sure you'll try and have them go easy on to me if I tell you where that money's here The only thing I'm sure of is if you don't tell me I'll turn you over to the authorities and tell them to show you no mercy at all All right. All right Go ahead. Well now at the back of that old house. There's a whole well Well, it ain't been used for years and it's near empty now. Yes You let yourself down with a rope on the windlass maybe oh seven eight foot There's a sort of big shelf all it out and that's where it is the money's right there on that shelf Okay, pop. Thanks. Hey Expecting somebody else pop. That's a corny line McNair keep out of this ready pop. No, Jay No, listen, Jay. Put it down put that thing down And now you take it easy McNair don't move listen to me. No keep away from that land Yeah Easy as one two three You've made ice tea and oh what a beautiful play Take a spoonful of instant tenderly one add cold tap water to load it with ice Three you've made ice tea New instant tenderly is 100% purity richer writer Livelier tea it's made right from the juices of ripe young tea leaves Instant tenderly brand make a pitcher full easy as one two You've made ice tea and oh what a beautiful flavor in new instant tenderly Second it took him to shoot down the old man I suddenly realized that I'd come along without my gun in spite of smashing the old-fashioned oil lamp the only light in The place his first shot put a nice new part in my hair as I rolled under the table the other two shots missed me Although he must have been able to see me in the light from the fire I'd started he stood there looking down at me at the blood running from the crease in my hair But then instead of shooting again, he turned away from an hour roaring fire went out the door and took off in a car I Got thoroughly singed dragging myself in the body of mr. Withers outside then jumped into my car and headed up the dirt road Hoping I could find the hacker farm some two miles away the one with the tall poplars the broken windmill the windowless house Yes, and the loot from the bank robberies Ahead of me with a tail lights at McNeer's car The moon was full I could see pretty well, so I cut off my own lights After only a mile or so he turned off to a farm that had a broken windmill all right, but there were lights in the windows of the house Good he was going to the wrong place or else the old man had told me wrong With my headlights on again. I finally found it the old hacker farm the remains of a mailbox still bore the name on it After a quick look to make sure I wasn't being followed I drove in the yard and parked the car behind a clump of bushes Then walked around the old well With only the moonlight to go by I lowered the bucket Snagged the rope over the handle of the windlass and slowly went down Hand over hand into the well Feeling with my feet around the circular brick wall for the shelf that withers and described It was a big square hole in the side of that wall Big enough for me to crouch in and to find with the help of a match The two battered moldy old suitcases loaded with money Mostly tens and twenties literally hundreds of them No wonder McNear had been willing to kill once he'd found out where it was hidden But as I knelt there wondering about the best way to load the stuff in the bucket that was now swinging down near the water at the bottom of the well Pretty stupid dollar what? Got yourself into a trap didn't you? Did I look near you think I didn't know it was you coming down the road after me before you turned up your lights So you knew that's why I turned off at that other place to make you think I was stopping there So you fell for it huh fell for that old gag pretty smart aren't you McNear? That's right That's why I stay alive But you're not smart dollar and that's why you're gonna end up in the bottom of this well feeling real dead Kind of I'm the guy that's got the gun So as soon as I get a match going what makes you think I haven't got a gun and didn't try to use it Well, I was knocking over the old man You think I didn't know you were still alive I crouched there out of his sight Set my head on one corner of it well We shoved it out just far enough for him to see it if he struck another match Hope he'd think it was me now and then I waited Yeah, I got plenty of light now and you think I can't see your head and shoulders sticking out of that hole You make a real nice target dollar even with only a match to see you all right then I'll climb on back up the rope I know you won't what are you talking about? I'm gonna shoot you right there in the way wait a minute listen to me It's no use I found the money. I'll make a deal with you. I'll split 50 50 you make a deal You're trying to stall. That's all here shut up. I gotta be sure my aim before this match goes out. Listen to me Dollar just as easy as that Get down here and Pick up all that nice new money Gotta be careful Nothing to hurry about Find that shell right here dollar I heard you dropping the water you heard that suitcase with my coat on it Go The shock of his fall will stand there in the water at the bottom of the well Knee deep in the money from the suitcase. I'd thrown down there cursing me as I climbed out and pulled the bucket out of his reach He was still there when I brought back a couple of the state police Expense account total Why bother with it when I'll collect such a nice commission on the loot I recovered Not bad, you know, I mean for one night's work Yours truly Johnny dollar Ventile cigarette has tobacco flavor a man can get hold of alpine always tastes rich never smokes rough alpine filter cigarettes Now here is our star to tell you about next week's story Next week one of the most valuable violins in the world that inspires a man to murder Join us, won't you? yours truly Johnny dollar Jack Johnstone Produced and directed by Bruno Zerato, Jr. Musical supervision by Ethel Huber Johnny dollar is played by Mandel Kramer also featured in our cast were Parker Fennelly as mr. Withers Leon Johnny as McNear and Alan Manson as Lou Little Be sure to join us next week same time same station for another exciting story of yours truly Johnny dollar This is Art Hanna speaking. This is the CBS radio network