 The Linux show starring Nick Carter, master detective, presented by Acme, America's great producer of fine quality paints. This is the story of a man known the world over as one of the most daring and resourceful characters in the history of detective fiction. A man whose name has become a symbol of the triumph of right and justice over the sinister forces of crime and lawlessness. A man recognized as one of the great masters of deduction. Nick Carter, master detective. His baffling case, The Mystery of Hangman's Wood. Another exciting chapter dramatized from the life story of Nick Carter. In just a moment we'll hear how Nick Carter discovered what caused the ghostly shadow of a long dead pirate to appear at full moon upon the side of a deserted barn and why and what he did about it after he found out. You know, Mom is a person who's entitled to real consideration. Not only on Mother's Day, but the whole year round. 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And now for today's exciting case from the life of Nick Carter. As we join Nick Carter and his secretary Patsy Bowen this week, we don't find them in the old house in the corner of Fifth and Fourth. Instead, they're watching the sunset on the terrace of a little inn and watching the placid waters of the Potomac. But it's only a busman's holiday. They've come an answer to a frantic telegram sent by Professor Markett. That famous archaeologist is explaining his problem to them in cultured but slightly agitated tone. You know, it's extraordinary, Mr. Carter. I might even say fantastic. Never have I come across a more curious manifestation of local superstition. As you know, I've been investigating the so-called pirate caves of the Potomac. Doesn't sound like a very cheerful thought, doesn't it? Very conjecture as to the origin of these holes, Patsy, but the most logical explanation is that they served as hiding places for pirates in the times when they preyed on Virginia shipping. As we believe, they were also used as hiding places in which to store their loot. You didn't send for us to discuss these pirate caves, did you, Professor? Oh, good grief, no. Mr. Carter, I want to see if you can solve the mystery of the specter of Hangman's Wood. Specter? That sounds promising, Professor. I hope you're right, Patsy. Now, Professor, you say it all started night before last. You and your assistant, what's his name, had been working later than usual. Yes, Mr. Carter. Harvey and I had become so absorbed in our search that we pursued our digging until long past suppertime. In fact, the moon was just rising above Hangman's Wood when we emerged into the open air. Look, Professor, the moon's rising above the treetops. Yeah, sure. I had no idea we'd work so late. Oh, I had, Professor. I'm starving hungry. You know so am I, now that you mention it. Well, let's pick up the shovels. We'll be getting back to the inn. Yes. Oh, the moonlight is beautiful, isn't it? Turns the trees to silver with long, mysterious shadows stretching up below. That's eerie, if you ask me, sir. I wonder why they call this place Hangman's Wood. Because it was here that they hanged many the pirates and robbers who waylaid ships coming up the river. That great gnarled and leafless oak that stands over there, Harvey, between us and the deserted barn. That's supposed to have held as many as seven bodies suspended from its branches at one time. No wonder it died off. Out of sheer horror, I'd say. Oh, good lord, what's that? Oh, just an owl of some kind. Well, as I was saying, Harvey, during the full moon, the spirits of those hardy buccaneers who were hanged there on the gallows' tree are supposed to return. Professor! Professor, look! Over there, where? There's the side of that barn. There's a shadow of something hanging from one of the limbs. It looks like the body of a man. Yes. Yes, Harvey, it certainly resembles the shadow of a body hanging from a rope with its head bent sharply to one side as if the neck were broken. The interesting thing about it is that there isn't a body hanging from the limb of the tree to cast that shadow. A shadow of a man who'd been hanged, but no body to cast the shadow. You investigated, Professor? Well... No, as a matter of fact, Mr. Connor, Harvey was rather upset by the whole thing, and, well, I'll admit, he didn't have to argue too hard to persuade me to leave the vicinity. You say that local superstitions, there's these manifestations, occur when the moon is full. That's right. But you saw that shadow two nights ago. Wasn't that a bit previous? The moon isn't full until tonight. Exactly. That's why I warned you that it was imperative for you to come this evening. I propose to return to Hangman's Wood and see if the phenomenon will repeat itself. All right. How about you, Patsy? Want to come along? Oh, yes. Yes, of course. I'd love to. Well, here we are, Mr. Connor. Now, this is the gallows tree, and there is the old barn on which the shadow appeared. Everything is just as it was the other night. I don't see a blessed thing. Do you need? Where till the moon rises above the tree tops? That should be any moment now. Yes. There it comes. Shadow of the tree begins to fall on the side of the barn. I don't see any hanging bar in it. Hmm. As a breeze rising. Yes, it often comes up with the moon, they tell him, Mr. Connor. Ah, yes. The full moon rides clear of the top branches of the old oak trees. The wind pressions the branches. Oh, goodness, Nick. Did you hear that? Yes, Patsy. The screech owl. And our screech owl in this vicinity, Mr. Carter, is supposed to be a harbinger of ill fortune. I rather suspect that particular screech owl professor is even more ominous than that. There. Look at that shadowy shape, slowly materializing in the moonlight on the barn door. Nick, it's just as the professor said, the shadow of a man hanging by his neck. Yes. And as you can see, there's nothing hanging from the tree which would cause that shadow. Nothing at all. That's not too significant, Pat, Professor. The interesting feature of that shadow is that it doesn't sway in the breeze. What, sir? Yes. This breeze is strong enough to move any object hanging from the limbs of that tree, provided it were hanging. I do wish that bird would go away. He's probably got a nest somewhere in that old barn. I think we'd better investigate that barn, Professor. Particularly that door that frames the hanging shadow. Oh, Patsy, while we investigate the barn at Reston, you wouldn't care to climb the gallows' tree and see if you can discover the origin of the shadow? I would not. Not that I think there isn't a perfectly normal explanation of some sort for that apparition, mind you. Well then. But nobody in his right mind has any business to go climbing trees in the dark. Okay, Patsy, we'll come back tomorrow in the daylight for the tree. The barn door. I think we'd better investigate that right now. Very well, Mr. Carve, if you think it best. Oh, let's see. Oh, you know, this barn door is interesting. Very interesting. This old lock is rusted with age. Done broken cobwebs cover all the hinges and lintels. Well, that means no one's been inside the old relic for a dog day. On the contrary, Patsy, someone has been inside. And very recently... What? A horse and wagon. Look here, the ruts on the soft earth. The ones going into the barn are rather light. But here, look at these that are superimposed on the first ones. Yes. Notice how much deeper they cut. How the horse coming away from the barn duggies hoops in as though pulling a heavy load. Oh, good heavens, Mr. Carter. You don't mean there's another mystery besides the shadow of the hanging man? Oh, dear. Now we have a horse and wagon that can drive through a barn door that's been locked for years. Yes, and the door disappeared into thin air. No, the trick is slightly more obvious, Patsy. I'd like to have a look a little higher up. Professor? Yes? Bend over so I can climb up your back. I want to stand on your shoulders. Like this? Yes, that's it. All right, not steady. All right, I've got you. All right. Yes. Yes, I was right. There's a long crack running parallel with the ground. That means the hinges are on the inside. The whole wall swings inward. All right, steady, Professor. I'm coming down. I sure am. Now, let's see what happens if we push the bottom of the wall right about here. All right, all together now. Oh, Nick, it's swinging up. It's all pink. See, that's neat. Must work on a system of pulleys and counterweights. Gosh, Nick, it's dark in there. Well, it's not too dark when you get used to it. I've got an idea. There may be something interesting hidden in here. Something that someone has gone to great pains to keep secret. The hidden door, the body of the shutter were all part of the plot to keep interlopers from... Nick, Nick, something swished at me. Commissar patches. Only a bat. Old barns are usually full of them. Yes, there's another. I definitely don't like that. They're getting your hair. Nothing here. Nothing but a bit of old hay in this corner. There's nothing in it. Wait a minute. Hold on. What is it? There's a hole under the hay. A hole leading down. Give me the flashlight, Patsy. Here. Thanks. Great Scott, look there. It's the entrance to another pirate hole with a ladder leading down into it. That looks like one of the deeper ones. Nick, you don't expect us to crawl down there. No, Patsy. Whatever was hidden down there was removed in the heavily laden cart whose tracks we saw outside the barn. Here's the imprint of cake that had been rolled across the soft ground. And here one was stood on end. Yes. And look. Here, one of them sprung a leak. It's a small trail of blackish powder. Now what do you make of that, Patsy? No sort of acid, Nick, like gunpowder. Right. Oh, good grief, Professor. Put out your pipe. What for? Who is dangerous to smoke a pipe in a place that's bulging with gunpowder? Well, it's not bulging with it, Patsy. There isn't enough left here to fill a firecracker. Someone's got wind of the fact that Professor Makert called us in and the whole lot's been removed. Yes, but where, Mr. Carter? For what purpose? I wish the heaven I knew. The amount of explosive that was carried away in that heavily laden cart can do a great deal of rather serious damage. Nick, what are you supposed to be planning to blow up? I don't know yet, but I hope you find out shortly. First, we send off two telegrams. Okay. One with the FBI asking for any information they may have regarding Dynamite Joe Porter and his gang. Dynamite Joe? Yes, I've heard of him. He's the notorious English criminal who specializes in blowing up banks. And also Rex Railroad Train. If he thinks they're carrying anything that might interest him. Well, it's the second telegram time. To Annapolis. Well, why Annapolis? Because Annapolis, which is a bare five miles up the river, is the site of a government powder magazine. I want to know if they've missed any of the stores lately. Yes, and I think I may even send another telegram to the Port Authority at Norfolk. Come on. We better hurry back to the telegraph office before it closes. There are great many things to do and too little time to do them. Well, Nick must suspect that big things are afoot from his reaction to what he found in the old barn. Will he be able to find what these things actually are and put a stop to them before any damage has been done? We'll see in just a moment. If you want new beauty, new protection, new skid resistance for all your floors and linoleum, it's high time you use the new Linux self-polishing wax. Until you do, you don't know how different, how perfect a quick drying wax can be. 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Whether you choose Linux self-polishing wax or Linux Clear Gloss, ask for it by name, Linux, and get the finest. You'll find all three great Linux home brighteners and Chemtone, the miracle wall finish that dries in one hour at hardware, paint and department stores everywhere. And now back to our story. As we rejoin Nick Carter and his assistant, secretary and right-hand man, or should we say woman, we find them at breakfast the following morning. They're at a little hotel near the site of Hangman's Wood and it's somewhat later than their customary hour for breakfast as Nick well-known. I knew I should have ordered another poached egg. I'm hungry as a bear this morning. Must have been the night air passing. Nick, I wonder what caused that shadow of the hanging man we saw last night. This neat little device I have here. What in heaven's name is that? A little tube I found passin' in one of the lower branches of that dead tree. I took a stroll out to Hangman's Wood before you were up this morning. I'm certainly glad you didn't wake me. I hate early morning walk. Precisely why I didn't wake you. This gadget I found out there is an ingenious telescope-like lens with a small black silhouette inserted somewhere in the middle. The light of the moon shone through at a certain angle, of course. The silhouette was projected and made a shadow on the barn door. Had to be something like this, Fatsy. Anything hanging from the trees would have moved in last night's breeze. The moment I saw the shadow was stationary I knew the answer. Good morning, Professor. Oh, good morning. The innkeeper gave me these telegrams for you, Mr. Carter. They just arrived. Oh, thanks. Dynamite Joe Porter released from Sing Sing Prison beginning of last month. What makes you think that Dynamite Joe doesn't exist? Oh, I just have a hunch that this is one of his jobs. Let's see what Annapolis has to offer. 24 kegs, latest super gunpowder, missing since Friday week. Have you located it? I wish to heaven I had. But what is there in this neighborhood that would interest Dynamite Joe? It has to be something big to tempt that high unit. I know banks for this trouble. You can't be planning to blow up a train. One keg of gunpowder would be more than sufficient for that job. Now, what in this neighborhood would take 24 kegs of the deadliest stuff? Maybe he's going to blow up an apple. No, no. In that case, he'd have finished the job when he stole the kegs. Great, Scott. Maybe he's going to blow up the capital. No, Washington is upstream. He wouldn't have hidden the Dynamite five miles downstream. That was what he had in mind. Oh, of course. Besides, neither of those blastings would interest Joe. He only dynamites for personal profit. What did that feed between here and Annapolis? Well, there's nothing between here and Annapolis, Mr. Carter, but the Smithfield marshes. Dr. Dreary is stretching the whole Potomac Valley. As you know, the ocean's tides are still in evidence in this district, and from here to Fort Whitney, the flats or marshes behind the river wall are well below the level of the river at high tide. You know, the last time the river wall broke, the water level of the river dropped so fast that several boats were left stranded on the shoals. That's it. Of course, the river wall. Oh, what a fool I was, not to have thought of it before. There must be some boat coming up the river with a cargo valuable enough to attract Joe's attention. Professor, get your hat. Fancy? Tell the innkeeper to provide us with a small boat suitable for rowing. We'll need two pairs of oars. One for you and one for the professor. What are you going to be doing while we row? I'll be doing the investigating. Now, come on. If only we had a reply to the wire I sent to Norfolk, we might have the answer. But in any case, there's no time to lose. We must keep Joe from blowing up that river wall. I'm pulling as fast as I can. If you wouldn't insist on hugging this river wall, there's a nice breeze out in the middle of the stream. No signs of the dynamite yet. We've got to find it. It's sent for the river patrol to help us, but it'll probably take hours before their speedboat can get here. Oh, Nick, I just remembered something. What? Another telegram. It came for you while you were singing about the boat. It must be from Norfolk. Oh, have me have it, please. Oh, I'm sorry, Nick, I was just talking such a flurry. It went right out of my mind. Here you are. Thanks. The Nancy Connliffe carrying cargo of captured German gold found in salt mines due to reach due to the point at 10.30 this a.m. What? So that's what dynamite Joe was after. Quickly, both of you. Back to your oars. Right. Now, wait a minute. Wait a minute. Here's something. Something in a cylindrical tin container tucked into the side of the wall just above the waterline. And here's a wire connecting it to another. And another. Yeah. So this whole section of the wall is mine. You want to set it off by an electrical charge running along this wire. What time is it now? 10.21. If that boat is due at 10.30, the explosion is due any minute. Let's get out of here. No, Patsy, we've got to go on. Slowly. Slowly. There's something I've got to do. Got to find out where this wire leads. Where he's hidden the machinery with which to set off this explosive. It seems to lead to that little shack half overhanging the water, doesn't it? The one over here at the end of the river wall. Yes. Yes, this is the place. All right, stop, Patsy. Okay. Guys pass till we won't drift away. No granny knots, please. You can depend on me, Nick. I used to be a grub scout. Let's see. Oh, there's a little trap door on the floor of the shack where it hangs over the river. I hope it's not locked. Ah! Open. I'm going to take a look inside. If I stand up, I should just about be able to see. Yes. Yes, this is the place. Oh, Nick, you're rocking the boat. I'm going to pull myself up. You too can follow suit. Steady. You next, Professor. You'll just give me a hand, Mr. Carter. I'm not as agile as you are. Oh, thanks. All right, come on, Patsy. I think we can pull you through between us. I can make it myself, thanks. Maybe, but I'll give you a hand anyway. Now, up your cover. Oh, you didn't have to be so rough about it. I'd have made it. Right. Oh, you know, you get your hands up in the air. Nick, look. Yes. This, unless I'm mistaken, would be dynamite Joe Porter. Stick him up, as you say, on your side of the ocean. It seems to be determined. All right, Joe. They're up. That's fair. Well, kept you blokes. I've been waiting for you all morning. I hope Joe wasn't going to be late for the big event. I wanted to show this, Mr. Nick Carter, how it's done on our side of the big pond. Well, now, that's right, neighborly Joe. Why don't you go to search us first to see if we're armed? Not me. In the first place, I ain't giving nobody a chance to do me dirt whilst I'm busy with another chap. It's hard. Weapons will do you no good. If I don't take your hands down, I'll go to one horse more when you're a goner. What are you going to do with us, Mr. Dynamite Joe? I got that all planned out, sister. There's a little steamer coming up the river in a few minutes. The Nancy Cunliffe. Not much to look at, but she's got a cargo of gold bars in her hold that'll make me as rich as Mr. Rockefeller. Delightful. You and me and Mr. Carter here are going to wait right here until this Nancy Cunliffe runs round the bend. You keep your hands in plain sight all the time, and we don't have no trouble. See? When the boat shows up, I blows up the river wall, the water rushes out across the lowlands, and the boat finds she ain't got water enough to sail in and runs aground. Then my lads have a launch already in waiting. They know what to do. They take over while I finish his off you nosy snoopers so you won't never bother knowing again. Understand what I'm doing, Ed? I'm afraid I do, but I don't quite like it. Or maybe something will happen to prevent him from carrying out his unpleasant little scheme. Don't get discouraged yet, Patrick. Spoken like a man, Carter. You don't disappoint me, you don't. I've heard you as a gay man. Thank you. How much longer do we have to wait for the Nancy Cunliffe to appear? Only a few minutes more, matey. Just make yourself comfortable while you're waiting. I'll finish off now, but the boat might even sigh in the middle of the execution. And I can't make nothing interfere with that part of the plan. Press the boat, then you blokes. That's the way I planned it, and that's the way it goes. Nick. Yes, I heard it. I heard it too, mates. The time's come. When she gets a little further upstream, I'm going to press this ear lever in this box. When I do, it'll be the biggest wreckage you ever heard. All right, now, here she goes. And I can't tell you how happy I am to have you here as audience. And then, one, two, three. What the? Is something going wrong, Joe? What could go wrong? I'll fix this up myself. It's got to be right. What the? All right, Joe, get your hands on the air. Fast. Get him up my song. That's better. I'll keep him that way. Oh, good for you, Nick. Oh, that was excellent, Mr. Carter. I feel much relieved. How do I? Professor, get that rope over in the corner and tie up this big shot from overseas. I think the authorities would like to take care of him for the rest of his life. In just a moment, Nick will return to tell us about the clues which enabled him to solve the mystery of the hangman's wood. 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Your headquarters also for ChemTone, the modern wall finish that beautifully decorates the average room for only $2.98. Tomorrow marks the beginning of the mighty Seventh War Lone Drive. And the most important thing you can do to support our fighting forces is to invest in war bonds, an investment in final victory, an investment in peace, an investment in America's future, and yours. 85 million Americans hold war bonds, and 85 million Americans can't be wrong. Get your extra bond now. Now let's hear from Nick Carter himself. Well, Nick, that was a pretty close call you and Patsy had. Not as close as you might think, Ken. If something hadn't gone wrong with Joe's apparatus, the gunpowder would have gone off, and you wouldn't have had as good a chance to capture him the way you did. But I knew the gunpowder wouldn't go off. How could you possibly know that, Nick? Well, it was this way. As we rode along the sea wall, I punched a hole in each can of powder with my knife. And as the tide came in, I can't say, but suppose the tide had been going out instead of coming in. Wouldn't have made any difference, Ken. Because just to be sure, after I punched holes in the cans, I also cut the wire. You always think of everything, Nick. Thanks for the word of confidence, Patsy. Nick, tell me, when did you first suspect that it was the work of an English gangster? When we heard the voice of that screech house, which was the way that Joe's gang warned each other. You see, our screech house was very written. When I heard that peculiar eerie call, I realized it was an imitation of the British screech house, which is a bird definitely not found in the woods of Virginia. Well, well, live and learn, I always say. And now, how about a hint or so about next week's story? I don't see why not, Ken. It's a story about one of New England's most famous possessions, the rocking chair. Rocking chair has a good homing sound, hasn't it? But this rocking chair only rocked at certain times. Certain very definite times. Just before some member of the family was to die. Has a nice homie sound, doesn't it? Well, there was nothing homie about the deaths. They happened in all sorts of ways. Until Nick took over the case. Then both the rocking and the death stopped, suddenly and for good. And what do you call this exciting story, Nick? I call it the Haunted Rocking Chair. Carter, master detective, is copyrighted by Street and Smith Publications, Incorporated. Lawn Clark is starred as Nick Original music is played by Lou White. The programs are written by Edith Meiser. And any resemblance there into actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The entire production is under the direction of Jock McGregor. Her master detective is presented at this time and over these same stations each week by the three great Linux home Brightoners. Linux Clear Gloss, Linux Cream Polish, and Linux Self Polishing Wax, created by Acme, America's great producer of Acme and fine quality paints. This is Ken Powell speaking for the thousands of Linux dealers all over America, saying so long until next week. This is the Mutual Broadcasting System.