 The guardian of our fundamental rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Mr. Destric Attorney, one of the programs selected to be rebroadcast or armed forces overseas, is brought to you by Vitalis and Ipana, two famous Bristol Myers products for the protection of good looks. For hair that's well groomed, it's Vitalis and the 60-second workout. For a smile that sparkles, it's Ipana toothpaste and massage. And it shall be wondered who he is, Mr. Destric Attorney. Not only to prosecute for the limited amount of all persons accused of crimes, perpetrating within this county, but to defend the equal figure of rights and privileges of all its citizens. The night story begins in a small walk-up apartment in your district attorney's city. At supper time, and a young couple are at the table talking. Rocket was here again. You got any more bread? Well, he said he'd be back. He should have made some gravy for this. I said he's coming back, Eddie. I heard you the first time. Well? I'll be out. Where are you going? No place. I'm just out if he comes back. Why? Oh, Ruthie, I told you ten times. I don't want to have anything to do with Rocket. Sure. You don't want to have anything to do with Rocket. You don't care. You don't care about making more money, real money. Look, look. You want me to finish my supper? Lay off. I don't care what you do. I don't want to hear any more about Rocket. That's too bad. Ruthie. You're gonna hear. Your great friend, Joe Herndon, went to work for Rocket today. And you know what he's making? A hundred and fifty a week. During what? The same thing you are. Not for that, Joe. Why not? It don't add up. Good mechanics are hard to get. It don't add up. I make sixty-five dollars in a big plant. Rocket's got a back alley joint. How can he pay so much? Well, he's just open. Maybe he wants to make sure it goes. Don't add up. You worry about being a patriot and working in a war plant? This place is a war plant. Oh, good. Well, what if it isn't? What if there is something phony about it? What do you care? It's a chance to make money. We're doing all right. Oh, yeah. We're doing fine. Us and the roaches? Are you going to be a sucker all your life? Are you going to live in a dump like this all your life? I'm sick of it, Eddie. I'm sick of being poor. I'm sick of... You're welcome here. Yeah. Great for her to be brought up in a hole like this without room to breathe. All right. All right. All right, all right, darling. Pour yourself some coffee, Eddie. There you are. Now go to sleep, Eddie. That is going to sleep, darling. You want some? No. I'll stick to the champagne. Great place to bring up a kid, freezing in winter, boiling in summer, crawling with dirt the whole year. Is that rocket? Yes. Take the kid. Well, tell him you're out. No, no, no. No, I'll see him. Oh, what is this? What's the matter, Eddie? What is this? What are we doing here, Joe? What's this all about? Hey, you got me. Rocket said he wanted a mechanical nuke calibration. So for two days I'm monkeying around on this machine. You can't use it for anything. Can't use any of these machines for anything. Why do you care, Eddie? We're getting paid, ain't we? You get paid more, too, boys. Oh, hello, Mr. Rocket. What do you mean we get paid more? Well, an extra 25 a week. The start, you might say. The start what? Yeah, you're right about these machines, Eddie. They're not much good for anything. But, uh, you boys come out in the back. I'll show you some that are. Oh, I don't know. There was a bag to the place, Mr. Rocket. Well, this room is really just for appearances. Sure room, he might say. But in the back, help me move this cabinet, will you? It's not very heavy. No, just a screen to cover this door. Smart machines. Yep. See what the trouble is? You mean somebody could win by luck for once. They were pretty banged up when we got them. They look all right now. They are on the outside. The machinery's all off. Until at six. And that's where we come in? That's right. Is this your war plant, Mr. Rocket? You might say. Count me out. No, Eddie. Count me out. Where are you going? Back right, Chamberlain. Eddie. You know, you can make 175 here. Work is easy, the hours are short. I'll take 65 and overturn. When? What do you mean? You know the manpower laws, Eddie. You left a war job and you can't take another for three months. What? He's right, Eddie. Well, for three months, you might just as well work here and make some easy money. I don't bother about manpower laws. I think you're kind of stuck, Eddie, you might say. I don't know, Miss Miller. I just don't know. You just don't know what, Harrington? This manpower shortage. We know there's a real shortage. How can people quit their jobs now? Well, I guess they think the war is almost over. Are they crazy? Either that or it's wishful thinking. Yeah. Good morning. Good morning, Chief. I have some work from both of you. That's a surprise. What kind of a case is it, Chief? Robbery. Who was robbed? The city's storage yard. What? That's right. It happened a few days ago, but unfortunately, it wasn't brought to my attention until this morning. What on earth would anybody steal from the city's storage yard? Slot machine. Uh-oh. All those machines we confiscated have been taken before there was time to convert them to scrap. Well, I guess that means we'd better get on to look on, huh? They'll be popping up again all over town. Yes, I'll get them before they redistribute them. How are you going to do that, Chief? Machines aren't any good. They have to be fixed. And that takes skilled mechanics, huh? Exactly. They're very hard to get these days. Well... I have a list here of war plants where they employ mechanics who couldn't be used to fix slot machines. Now, won't you both check these plants to find out if any men have quit recently? And if they have? Find out what they're doing now. Great. I haven't got very much for you, Chief. It's too bad, Miss. There were five of these mechanics that left in the last ten days. Two of them are out because they're sick, and the other three have left town all together. Hi, Chief. Oh, Hang on. May I look? No. Can you find two of these guys who had quit? Uh-huh. One second, the other's not working. How'd you make up, Miss Miller? Not much better, Harrington. Well, I guess we're at the dead end of that one. Well, maybe my idea wasn't so good after all. Oh, Chief? Yes. I don't know. I thought I had something, but I didn't. Then neither of you see any of these men? Huh? No. No, I called them up to. So did I. You know, because of the Manpower Commission, the chances are they wouldn't save them. They had a new job even if they had one. Oh, hey. That should be right. Sure. I don't wonder if they're really sick. Oh. Well, say those two you reported on, Miss Miller. What were their names? Um, let's see. One was Joe Hangden, and the other was Eddie Lang. Oh, well, if they're not sick. Hey, you got an idea there, Chief. Well, Hang on, first you'd wrap around and find out. Right. But more important, find out if they're spending more money than they used to. Yes. Mrs. Eddie Lang? Yes. My name's Johnson. I'm from the Acme Auto Company. Can I come in? Yes. Thank you very much. Well, this is a nice little place you've got here. Mrs. Johnson. At your service, ma'am. So I'd really like to see your husband. My husband? That's right. I get these working, though, huh? At this time of day? Yes. That is... What? He would be except he's sick. Oh, that's too bad. Yes, he's gone to see the doctor. In that case, I won't bother you, ma'am. Well, what did you want to see him about? Oh, nothing, nothing. My company's got some wonderful second-hand cars that we can sell now, real cheap, and on the installment plan, too. Oh, really? Yeah, yeah, only fifty bucks a month. Of course, with your husband's sick, I get fifty dollars a month. There's a lot of money to you. I've always wanted a car. Oh, is that so? Well, maybe when your husband gets better, you'll... Mr. Johnson. Huh? We have some money saved up. Oh, Mrs. Lang, I... I wouldn't want to touch your saving time. Oh, it's quite a bit. As a matter of fact, we just bought this couch the other day. You did? Uh-huh. Hey, that's a real fine piece of furniture. Yes, isn't it? Well, maybe your husband would be interested in a car, then. Well, I think so. Yeah? Well, suppose I drop around tomorrow morning? Well, Eddie, he likes to sleep late, and then he usually goes for a walk to the doctor. But he's always here suppertime. I see. Oh, why don't you come around tomorrow night? You'll be sure to get him then. Okay, I'll get him then. Hello? Oh. Yes, yes. How are you? Good. Do you want me to bring him in? No, no. I want to find out where they're working, and who's with the head of it. Oh, good morning. Yes. And when you find out where they go, call me, and I'll have the place rated. Oh, this one's working okay, Eddie. Yeah. Yeah, against suckers like us. You'll never catch me near one again. All right, let's get it to the next. I'd like to leave him just as they are. Ah, no, Eddie. Don't hand me that stuff again about all the dough we're making. Well, we are, Eddie. Yeah. What happens when they catch up with us, Joe? How's anybody going to catch up with us? Well, suppose they do. Suppose you're crossing the street and you get run over. You can suppose anything if you want to. Well, we're making dough, Eddie, so let's enjoy it. All right, come on, let's test this. Don't touch that. What? What's the matter, Mr. Ruckin? That's a lie. What's up? We have visitors out front. Oh, the police. Police. Shut up. Why don't you hit them off? Why should I talk to them? They know you want them to join anyway. Oh, I think I put it in my name, then. If they come back. They're walking right up here. Is your cabinet in front of the door? Yes, just keep still. If we're caught, shut up. Why don't we go out the back stairs, because they probably... Joe, we have clumsy stuff. Well, we know we're here now. We've got to get out. Come on. Yeah. What about us? What about us, you jerk? Come on. Never mind. Here we are. Up this way. Hurry. All right, you jerk. All right, nothing. Copy. What are you standing there for? Come on. Joe, come on, Eddie. Joe, look at him. Listen, Eddie. He climbed his head against that pipe, Joe. He's dead. Well, if he is, then we've got to get out of here. If Eddie's suspicions are right, if the police officer is dead, your district attorney is faced with another serious problem. We'll hear the new developments in just a moment. But first, a footnote on colors. Green stands for envy. Yellow stands for cowardliness. And pink must stand for romance, judging from all my pink Valentine cards. Well, perhaps. 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Now back to Mr. District Attorney. No words from the hospital yet, Chief. Oh, thank you, Mr. Mayor. That cop never did regain consciousness, did he? No. His skull was badly fractured. What are his chances of pulling through? Very slim, the doctor said. If he dies? There's a murder charge. Chief, I wish you'd let me pick up Lang and Herndon. I told you Herndon... Yeah, I know, but if that poor guy dies... Lang and Herndon are being watched. They can't get away. I want to find out who their boss is or was. Well, we could question them, Chief. We could find out. Well, maybe, but maybe this way and they'll lead us to whoever he is. I just keep thinking of that poor cop. How do you mean, Mr. Miller? Well, if he'd been found earlier, he would have had a better chance, wouldn't he, Chief? Probably. Well, it wouldn't be found right away, Chief. I don't know. My guess is that his body must have been hidden by that door leading to the back stairs. Well, I get it. And when the cops opened it, he was behind it and they ran through without seeing him, huh? Yeah. Of course I have an idea of it. Shall I get it, Chief? Yeah, it's probably the hospital. I'll take it. All right. You're in his office? Speaking. Yes? I see. Thank you. That's that. And it's a murder charge. Right. For laying or hurting? Or both. Shall I bring them in, Chief? No. Well, what are we going to do? Nothing, Harrington. We're just going to sit tight. Why don't you eat something, Eddie? I'm not hungry. I can't afford it. That isn't going to help. That cop died. You didn't mean to do it. He died. Nobody will know you did it. I'll know I did it. I'll know. Who's that? I don't know. Eddie. Stand by for me. I'm afraid to answer. Maybe it's Joe. Maybe it's a police. Maybe it's Santa Claus, isn't it? Eddie. Come on. I said okay. Goodbye. The guy's dead. How did he know? He said he was hiding in the place when I took him out and he was dead then. Oh, my goodness. You know what else he said? You know what else my boss, Mr. Rocket, said? He said you were a murderer, Eddie, you might say. So I don't think you'd better say anything to the cops about me or anything. I think you'd better beat it, Eddie. Get out of town, you might say. Eddie. You should have never gotten in, is it? You should have stayed where I was. Oh, it was my fault. It was mine, too. No, no. I nagged you into it. I don't blame you. Well, you should. You see, I can't. But then I knew I got nothing. I got nothing at all. Oh, Eddie, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Baby, baby, we're in a mess, isn't it? We're in a jam, baby. What am I going to do? We're going to get out of here. Where are we going? I don't know. Let's get the baby and get out of here. We haven't any dough. We've got 200. We can't get far enough. We can't get far enough on any kind of dough. Yes, we can. I can't. I can't ever. I did it, and I know I did it, Luffy. You've got to do it. Well, I can fix Rocket's wagon anyway. What do you mean? I can do one good thing anyway. Joey! Where do you think? I'm going to get myself up. Why did you go to work for Rocket? More dough. You were working in a war plant, weren't you? Yes, sir. Maybe he thought Rocket's place was a war plant. Well... Oh, you didn't really know, did you? No, sir. About leaving the plant, I heard. I had figured I was just one guy. Yeah, sure. Start multiplying yourself by all the others who think the same way, and you've got 10 and 100 and then 1000. Then pretty soon you've got a production slow up in a war that goes on longer than it should. I didn't think of that. You didn't think of lots of things when you got yourself in this mess? No, I guess not. Well... Well, I take them away, chief. No, no, no. There's one more thing, Eddie. You said before that when you punched that policeman, he fell down the stairs and hit the back of his head against that pipe. Yes, sir. Then you ran right out. Yes, sir, I... I didn't mean to kill him. You didn't kill him? What? He's not dead. But I thought... I know, but Rocket was lying when he said that man was dead. The newspaper kept... It was a false report. That policeman's a liar, Eddie. Not dead? That's right. Yes, yes. Harrington, I wanted to take Eddie home in one of our cars. Yeah, but Chief... Right away. Yes, sir. And you're not to leave your house, Eddie. No, sir. What's gonna happen to me? No, we're worried about that later. Yes, sir. Thank you. That's all, Harrington. Yes, sir. Chief, that policeman is dead. Yes, I know. But Rocket's the man I'm after. I'm pretty sure the news that Eddie Lang was brought home safely with a police escort will get to him. Then he'll get to Eddie Lang. And you'll get to him. Right. But Chief, you don't just want him for the slot machine racket, do you? No. No, I want him for much more. Hey, I don't get it. I don't either, baby. It doesn't make sense. There's something wrong someplace. Look, all I know is the guy's not dead. I'm not a murderer. There's something screwy about them sending me home, but I didn't kill anyone, Ruthie. I didn't kill anyone. You don't know what it feels like to think that you didn't, and you... Oh, honey, you're so glad. Oh, my... I just don't care about... What? I was gonna say that I don't care about anything. But I do. What do you mean? I care about going to jail. Eddie? I know not just what they're up to, but they're not gonna let me off, baby. I guess not, Dr. What? I was a member saying to you, you want to be a sucker all your life. Guess when you're poor, you're a setup to be a sucker. Oh, now what? Oh, there was an auto salesman around yesterday. I guess we're not gonna need a car. Well, I better answer it. Eddie, if it's the police... Yeah? Did you tell him about Joe? No, but they know. What do you want, Rocket? Get out of here. In time, Mrs. Langs. They've got a little business first, you might say. It's a nice-looking knife you got, Rocket. Why don't you cut your throat with it? Why'd you tell the DA, Eddie? What do you care? Why'd he send you home in a big parade, Eddie? Tell them I hear you. You're a squealer. What did you tell them? Come on. Don't be frightened, baby. What did you tell them? Well, to remove that knife back in itch, I think I could talk better. Now tell them the truth, Rocket. Yeah, certain slot machines. Yeah. Tell me, kill that cop? Yeah. Only the cop isn't dead. Well, if you heard, that's a lie. No, it's true, Rocket. It can't be. He has to be dead. He has to be dead. Why does he have to be dead, Rocket? Well, come on in, Hans. Let me keep him covered around. All right, Rocket. Why does he have to be dead? I don't like guns, do you? Too noisy. It won't go off, if you behave. That policeman have to be dead, Rocket. So, did you tell me? Because you killed him, you might say. Your district attorney will be back in just a moment to tell you the reason he knew Rocket was the murderer and the final outcome of the case. But first, the story of Mrs. Gates, the lady who hadn't heard. Right now, she's going into a neighborhood store. And now to the center pharmacy. Next to the chain store, down a few blocks. Then across the street to the variety store. Just a moment, Mrs. Gates. Now, what is the trouble? Well, I've been all over town trying to find a bottle of vitalis for my husband. He's let his hair go without vitalis long enough. Why, Mrs. Gates, haven't you heard? Service men now get the entire supply of vitalis, the famous hair-groming preparation. They do? Yes. You see, because of wartime shortages, there isn't enough vitalis to meet the wants of civilians, plus men in the armed forces. Well, naturally, we're giving service men first call on the limited supply. So your husband will have to go without until wartime shortages are relieved. But when shortages are relieved, your husband will be able to get the same genuine vitalis that was the standby of so many for so long. Now, here is your district attorney. Well, ladies and gentlemen, both Eddie Lang and Joe Herndon were sent to prison for short terms. It was hard on their families, but they had knowingly broken the law and justice required and they paid for their misdeeds. The rocket, however, was sent to the chair for murder. Chief, how did you know Eddie Lang didn't kill that policeman? Because the man died from a wound in the front of his skull. The pipe he knocked the back of his head against, you had scratched him, and later I found a blood-stained crowbar and rocket to plant. But Chief, did you guess what happened before rockets consist? No, Herrington. At first I thought Eddie Lang had used the crowbar to kill the officers so he couldn't be identified. And then when I heard his story, I believed it and realized that probably someone else had been hiding in the cellar. And that was Rocket. Yes. As we know now, the police were so busy chasing Lang and Herndon, they didn't see Rocket. And by the time he decided it was safe to beat it, the cops came too. Yes, unfortunately. And so Rocket used the crowbar. He was a pretty nasty character all around. Well, what about next week's case, Chief? Well, friends, we have quite a different perhaps story for you next week. It's the case of the boogie-woogie murder. I hope you'll all join us for it. And so until then, thank you and good night. The names of all characters of the night's normalization are fictitious and inter-established. The names of living persons or actual places is purely coincidental. Our stars were J. Justin in the title role, Glenn Doyle as Herrington, and Vicky Fuller as Miss Miller. The music was in the direction of Peter Van Steeten, and the author was Arthur Lawrence. And don't forget, when you think of well-groomed hair, remember by talent. When you think of a winning smile, remember I, Panna, Too-Face, Vitalis and I, Panna, two famous Bristol Myers products which each week bring you Mr. District Attorney. Hold it. A young lady has just made a big discovery. Yes, I'm in love, and I think George is just about perfect, even though he isn't what you'd call handsome. Well, George's romance proves again that a clean, shaven, masculine look counts more than a handsome face. Men, rely on Ingram's rich leather for close, smooth shaves yourself. Comfortable shaves, too. Ingram helps condition your face for the razor for cool, comfortable shaving. Enjoy cooling Ingram. I am G-R-A-M. Ingram Shaving Cream. This is the National Broadcasting Company.