 From Hollywood, it's time now for Johnny Deller Insurance company in New York. Oh, yes, mr. Orlov. What can I do for you? Are you kidding? Wait a minute virtue, South Carolina. That's right. You want me to go down there? Do you have a bulletproof vest and a couple of extra handguns I can take along my one suggestion would be that you do not Take along any firearms after all ex-gangster. Yeah, I see what you mean. All right. What do you want me to do? Representative has his office in Georgetown. He can give you the whole story. His name is Joseph Piggatello. Got it Joseph Piggatello Smokey Piggatello the guy whose name was linked with murder incorporated a few years back Well, I'll tell you this mr. Orlov if you don't have to pay off on my insurance policy before I'm through Well, mr. This is going to cost you a whopping big expense account In the exciting adventures of the man with the action-packed expense account America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator yours truly Johnny Deller Expense account submitted by special investigator Johnny dollar to the continental insurance company Georgetown, South Carolina office Following as an account of expenses incurred during my investigation of the village of virtue matter Expense account item one forty seven dollars even transportation and all the incidentals I could think of Hartford, Connecticut to Georgetown, South Carolina Item to a dollar for a cab to continental's office on Screven Street. I'm Joe Piggatello. I'm glad to see you sit on. Thanks Now look Joe before we go into this matter. There's something I'd like to know sure pal ask it Just what are you doing in the insurance business? Look you remember back in New York just before Tom Dewey took over as DA the great holy racket buster Yeah, and I'm sure you do okay Well, I was just a young punk then but I was a bright one ambitious, you know finished up my high school started taking law You studied law. Why not? I could have cleaned up You know mouthpiece for some of the mob some of the boys I knocked around with but then do we came along broke up the racket So I gave it up to do what Joe? Oh, you know this and that Chicago for a while with some of the boys Al Capone left behind and down near the border San Diego for a while I think narcotics across from Mexico and some of us tried Las Vegas, but we didn't get anywhere What was that crack? Well, listen, I'm clean You make a crack like that you can prove it. Okay, if you can't don't say it You were telling me how you got into the insurance business. All right Well, I'm taking you on this case. Don't talk like that The gents I deal with don't like it and don't forget whatever you think about them. You could also be wrong Okay, Joe two kinds of wrong dollar just plain wrong and dead wrong You see what I mean All right as that was saying how I got in this insurance racket as you were saying Well, some of the boys from New York and Chicago went around it pretty good So they're blowing all that dough on booze and dames and big times. They were smart At least an old plantation up in the valley north of here on a PD River. They're your car away plantation It's right next to the town of virtue great name for a hideout. I'll say that I didn't say hideout dollar It was just a nice quiet place where they could live it up in a nice quiet way And at the same time, they wouldn't have any cops around their neck no police and virtue Nobody but old Polly car away Anyhow after six eight months of taking it easy mid-julips and hunting and fishing instead of being on the lamb all the time Well, Johnny, you wouldn't believe it. What do you mean? Well, they all settle down there to spend the rest of their life They all went respectable every last one of them. You sure of that. Oh, it's been 20 years now Can you be any more sure than that? I don't know but go on with what you were saying. All right I got an idea. I signed up with this little insurance company Then I went up to virtue and made the pitch. They're all respectable now And they got to make like respectable people and cover themselves with a lot of insurance and it works I remember lefty sniffer the old-time numbers king for Chicago, right bookies slot machines everything Oh pal of mine So when he told the rest he was buying insurance well Johnny I got policies on every one of them the rest of the town too on their life their homes everything okay now Let's get to the point. What's happened up there in virtue? Trouble Johnny old man car away for me. What kind of trouble now 20 years now the boys and the people in virtue Been getting along fine the boys been behaving themselves and the people in town are all nice people Until a couple of weeks ago. What happened? But he McGoon had himself a nice little fishing boat handed ever since he went straight and moved in up there 20 years ago Now somebody stole it. Well, why don't you just pay off his claim and forget it? Listen a couple of days after that mr. Avery that runs the general store in virtue had his boat stolen so you'll have to pay another Claim but small ones do it would you listen ever since then not a day has gone by that Somebody hasn't had something stolen from him mostly the people in virtue boats cars money Financial anything you can think of the people blame the boys and the boys blame the people and Johnny There's gonna be a civil war in virtue unless somebody finds out who's doing this and if that happens It's gonna be a lot of killing and well with all the insurance I saw me and the company are gonna be in trouble Well, can't you get the state police to come in state police invite you you said it's a real respectable community now Yeah, sure it is but well dragon. I'm in might really start things off. That's why I had a sin for you Look, why don't we go up there so I can see for myself sure Johnny sure, but hey open your coat What I mean if you're gonna take along that lemon squeezer, we'll take my advice and don't You've a pretty sharp eye Joe Johnny black and spot a shoulder holster a mile away But so can some of the boys up in the valley on the plantation And I don't want you to end up with a slug between your eyes real respectable people Well, shall we go let my car outside into the valley of death rode the 600 at least a couple of them What are you talking about nothing Joe? Let's go Act two of yours truly Johnny dollar in a moment our flag now numbers 50 stars and behind each star There stands yet another flag representing one of the 50 states Florida state flag bears the red cross of st. Andrew in sympathy with the flag of the Confederacy on a field of white Centered over the cross is the state seal within a golden circle the Sun an emblem of glory and splendor Representing absolute authority peers over a highland in the distance Flowers a symbol of hope and joy are scattered by an Indian maiden Indicative of the Indian influence within the state Centered is the cocoa or palm tree an emblem of victory justice and royal honor Florida state flag the flag of the 27th state to enter the Union was adopted in 1900 And now act two of yours truly Johnny dollar and the village of virtue matters Joe Piccatello erstwhile gangster turned insurance agent led me out to his car We headed north out of Georgetown, South Carolina After 20 miles of so we swung on to a side road paralleling the Apeyde River and finally we came to the old car away plantation Acres and acres of huge old live oak trees festooned with Spanish moss flowers millions of Ladies iris roses rhododendron bushes aflame with color in the afternoon sun Then at the end of a broad pre-lined path the fine old colonial mansion with its towering colors The property faced the curving lazy yellow river Lying across it was a broad expanse of marshy grass Chris crossed here and there by canals through which the slaves and olden times hauled the rice crop to the river boats Yeah, it was a beautiful spot a calm quiet peaceful spot currently Well here we are Johnny Let's go in to see if anybody It's me smoky Who else put those guns away you want to get in trouble? Come on Johnny sure nice peaceful spot, huh? Who's that you got with your smoky boys? This is Johnny dollar. He's from the insurance company Johnny This is boomer goon. Yeah, hi, and this is lefty stamper. Hi, Johnny dollar, huh? And the shrimp there is flippy lack of it. Hi, Johnny. I'm her pleased to meet you What did you bring here smoky a dick or something? Yeah, dollar. What's the idea packing a ride? All right? All right, let him go you guys Look, he's on our side. He's up here to find the stuff that's been stolen. Yeah, we don't need no outside help Oh, you've found who's behind the thefts ellipty. No if it's any of your business I don't my business. You're interrupting me. Yeah, dolly. Shut up I say we'll find out who's coming over here from wait you and taking our stuff ourselves And when we do we'll eliminate her right back to the old days, huh? If we've got to to protect our rights, how about letting me have my gun? Well, you're a flippy you watch his gun You may make a move the dollar and I'll flip you so fast. Oh, you mean like this Hey, hey, hey, it's flippy got flip Johnny Dollar you're okay anybody else want to get smart Hey, you caught me off of good. Good guy expert. Have to be will you ain't any more? I'll have to I'll take my gun Oh sure. Yeah Yeah, you're okay Johnny. All right now. Let's get things straight. I'm not the cops, but I'll drag them in if necessary Oh, no listen, you listen. I'm gonna try to stop what's going on around here And if any one of you interferes I'll have you locked up so fast you won't know what's happened to you No, wait a minute. I'll listen to me. Will you dollar well look? I Guess we're all kind of shaky, you know, we're Well, we sort of is somewhat upset by the events of the past couple of weeks or two You know what I mean lefty Joe told me that if the burglaries robberies whatever they are go on much longer There's level to be a war between you and the people of the town. We ain't worried now We got enough guns and ammo stashed the way around a shot of bull. Oh, yeah, yeah sure I'm sure you have but if you ever expect to make peace again with the town's people if you expect to stay on here We got a lease 15 years to go Okay All right look All we got here is our honey rifles and we're shotguns and Couple of pistols in case of a snake, you know while we're hunting a fish in here in the swamps Lot of cop mouse around here, you know, that's the fact Johnny the point is I didn't come here without providing for any and every Exigency What's that mean boy? What a dope it means if anything happens to him. We're dead. Oh, uh, ain't that Excuse me. Yeah, isn't that right dollar, right? You see now give me a hand cooperate with me and maybe we can play this thing up Don't and I have only one alternative What's that mean shut up and that's to have you legally ousted from here out of the state if necessary on our luck dollar We'll cooperate. Now. I don't mind telling you We love this place. It's the only real home. We got Flippy and Sadie. We've got Bull and Mary and me and Nora Maybe maybe we got records. All right, some of us maybe did time for some of the little jobs We pulled huh, but we've been playing it straight since we've come here all along the line like I told you Johnny Yeah, I just look that's the way we want to keep it if the people in virtue will just leave us keep it that way and You know something I Don't get it. Don't get what lefty well over 20 years everything's been nice and okay, huh now Gotta start this. What about the losses? They've suffered. They asked me dollar their phone He's to cover up for Robin our stuff. Nobody asked you Maybe they think the same way about your losses Yeah, now, where's the owner of this place car away. Oh, yeah, he's over and wait you at his office office Sure, he's a mayor and a police. All right, Joe and I are going over to see him Smokey will you please don't go they see you guys coming from here. They're gonna take a shot at you That car away told me so yeah sure take that chance. Come on Joe. Well, I'll tell you Johnny Tell me along the way. Come on The more I thought about the whole thing the sillier it all seemed Yet it was obvious that even after 20 years lefty and bull and flippy Might think of only one way to settle their problems with a gun And if the people of virtue were feeling the same way What as Joe and I walked along the main the only street of the little town there were no signs of hostility or even Suspicion towards now look Johnny if those bums back at the plantation are making this trouble. Why why would they Joe? That's what I don't get But what if they don't like you're interfering at the side to knock you off and I'll probably go to my grave unmoor and unremembered Yeah, but you told lefty you'd provided for every exigent Well for if anything should happen to you. Yeah, and he and the boys believed it and if anything does them Huh? Yeah, all I can hope is that they keep on believing Three of yours truly Johnny dollar in a moment Sometimes a quotation is a helpful thing because it points out some wisdom that helps us to lead better lives Here's one that struck me as being very wise and true Dr. Samuel Johnson that wise and witty man immortalized by Boswell said quote It matters not how a man dies But how he lives unquote a man's life may be long or short But the way he lives it is the important thing It's important no matter what he does They have integrity loyalty and honor and a sound code of conduct Enlisting at the age of 17 with his parents permission Corporal Charles L. Gilliland found himself soon after his 18th birthday in a narrow defile in the middle of the treacherous rocky terrain of Tongman me Korea At 2 30 a.m. That moonlit morning of April 25th, 1951 Corporal Gilliland's army unit company I seventh infantry regimental combat team of the third division Became the focal point of a murderous assault from Chinese communist forces The fighting became brutal and bloody the brunt of the attack was directed up the defile guarded by Gilliland with his automatic rifle The slashing barrage of small arms automatic weapons motor and artillery fire was dropping the men all around him Gilliland faced the full force of the assault and Advancing against tremendous odds poured a steady fire into the attacking forces and eventually halted them For valiant and heroic conduct Corporal Charles Gilliland was awarded the Medal of Honor Although in age he still may have been considered a boy. He had lived and died like a man And now act three of yours truly Johnny dollar and the village of virtue matters Oh Joe Piccatello and I walk the main street of virtue South Carolina unmolested virtually unnoticed And we found the mayor parley caraway and the little shag that serve for an office I'm also the police chief mr. Dollar Don't you forget that sir and you found no clue as to who has been committing the robberies. No sir none whatsoever But who else would do it? They're all three of them ex gangsters. Sure ex gangsters. Why mr. Caraway, why would these men suddenly want to make trouble with their friends your townspeople? I don't know. I honestly don't know Unless of course, they think they can take over the way they used to take over gangs in the old days after 20 years of a happy Relationship mr. Caraway. They never made a bit of trouble in all that kind. I know it I know it but the fact remains that unless this trouble stops After all virtue was here long before they came unless it stops I say I shall have to break their lease and make them leave the plantation. Oh, they pay you pretty well for it Huh? Not to keep it in good repair That's a beautiful ring you're wearing. Oh, oh, yes Two and a half carrot diamonds, sir. Yeah, and is that your nice new car up front? Yeah, it certainly is ain't it pretty about $8,000 pretty Didn't you have a new one last year too, mr. Caraway? Of course, I try to have one every year, but now tell me one thing mr. Caraway Yes, sir. If you really think the robberies around here are gonna cause so much trouble. Oh, I do. I do That's why I contacted the mr. Piggatello. Well, why haven't you called in the state police? Because I am the mayor of virtue. I'm the police department and I can take care of these things myself And now that you gentlemen have witnessed the bad blood between these gangsters and the people of the town Well, sure, I'm going to throw them off that plantation in spite of all the money They've been paying you yes, sir, and I'm sure you gentlemen will back me up in it All the money did you say enough to keep you well dressed well fed and fancy cars and I look here, sir You realize how much that property will bring one of that depends how much have you been offered? I'll tell you how much 124,000 How did you know you just told me well now listen you also told me why you've been robbing the people of virtue and Those men at the plantation to stir a bad feeling give you an excuse to get them out What Johnny you're right now just adjust there away if I do call in the state police It'll be to have you locked up no and if Joe here has any sense He'll tell the insurance company to bring charges of fraud against you you said it Oh, but the money you think of all the money I could make selling the old place now Where's the stuff that's been stolen? It hasn't been harmed. It's stored away carefully stored away I was going to give it back when when those men left and I could sell the place give them their stuff too I'd make up for it in cash every cent of it in cash Yes, I'd say it was for breaking the leaks truly mr. Dollar you listen you old money-grubbing crook. You're in trouble you You call in the state police you bet I will unless Unless what sir first you lay off the plantation you've leased it to those men let them have it and return all the stuff you stole Oh, but if they find out you figured how to get it away from them now figure out how to get it back Discovered anything you like the point is that if you don't get it back I'll tell them where it is and you know what that'll mean. Oh, yes, sir. Mr. Dollar. I'll get it back also Respect that lease. I believe it has 15 more years to run. Yes, sir. It has I will okay Do all this and Joe and I will forget the whole thing But if you don't and Joe will be checking on you you said it. Oh, but I will I will mr. Dollar I promise you okay, come on Joe Let's go back to the plantation and have a drink with some respectable citizens Yeah This insurance business really has some funny ones and I guess it's the funny ones that balance out the bad the tragic cases Anyhow, I like it Expensive out total including the trip back to Hartford. Oh Call it a hundred bucks even and in view of our little secret Joe Well, maybe you'd better pay it out of petty cash And listen those pals are yours you better drop in on them now And then to make sure they do stay on the straight and narrow as well as that old cute car away yours truly Johnny dollar Our star will return in just a moment our flag now numbers 50 stars and behind each star There stands yet another flag representing one of the 50 states Michigan State flag was born on February 22nd 1837 because of the strategic role played by Michigan in the War of 1812 the word to a bore I Will defend is prominent on the blue flag of Michigan Beneath it a rising sun casts its rays over a lake and a man standing on a peninsula with his right hand raised symbolizing peace While in his left hand he holds a gun Indicating that although they love peace the people of Michigan are ready to defend their state and nation Another model the state's official one is at the base of the flag Seek where is peninsula a monum circum space if you seek a pleasant peninsula look about you Thus does Michigan's flag carry its own invitation to visit one of America's scenic areas Michigan State flag the flag of the 26th state to enter the Union was adopted on August 1st 1911 Now here's our star to tell you about next week story next week a strange series of fire And believe me the reason for them is a strange one too join us. Won't you yours truly Johnny dolly? Johnny dollars starring Bob Bailey Originates in Hollywood and is produced and directed by Jack Johnstone who also wrote today's story Heard in our cast were Frank Nelson Billy Hallop Jack Krushen Peter Leeds Gil Stratton and will write Be sure to join us next week same time and station for another exciting story of yours truly Johnny dollar This is Dan cover Lee speaking is the United States Armed Forces radio and television service