 suspense and the producer of radios outstanding theater of thrills the master of mystery and adventure William M. Robson am I my brother's keeper has often been the agonized cry of mankind when the troubles of his fellows have been heaped upon his shoulders our story tells of a man who was not his brother's keeper but who was designed to be his brother's corpse and it requires one actor to play identical twins now dual identity roles are difficult enough in the visual medium but they can be solved by technical tricks in radio they depend completely on the vocal skill of the actor that is why we have asked one of radio's finest actors mr. Carl Swenson to complete this assignment listen listen then as mr. Swenson stars in the five buck tip which begins in exactly one minute another visit with Joe and Daphne foresight Joe yeah Daphne you think I should go on a diet no but I'm adding weight only in the right places flatterer seriously if I put on any more pound I'll be out of style what style the current one it calls for that slim chic look the beanpole look you mean or I don't get it here we are citizens of the healthiest country on earth with hundreds of different kinds of good food and what are Americans doing they're starving themselves well it's fashionable I don't want you to lose interest in my figure don't worry I won't say speaking of that look at this here's a figure with real interest oh 45 billion dollars it says here in the paper that the investment in the United States savings bonds has reached more than 45 billion what do you think I that figure hmm that's a lot of money and just think every three dollars invested in bonds pays back for that's real interest for you I know and every savings bond is guaranteed by the government right oh Joe I wish you cared about my figure the way you do about those bond you buy every payday honey I've got great interest in both well you just see that you stay that way and now five buck tip starring Carl Swenson a tale well calculated to keep you in suspense I had flown all the way from Cleveland to be with my brother on his last night and it was no joyride his picture was on page one of the Tribune under a big black headline governor denies appeal Jardine to die tonight on the plane they all looked at me like I had broken out of death row I couldn't blame them Tommy Jardine was not only my brother he was my identical twin at midnight he'd be gone this black shadow this evil image of me that had forced me to run away and change my name so I could make an honest living Jackie Cavanaugh his girl had begged me to come on and after all I felt I owed him this last night just for the relief I would know afterward I found the blue hour a quiet little bistro where she'd asked me to meet her stopped at the check stand leave my hat in suitcase one hat one bag yes sir I do something for me will you don't let me leave without them I do that all the time yes sir I'll remember hey you know you look like yeah I know who I look like I'm supposed to meet a miss Cavanaugh here yes sir in the corner booth red card thank you I fumbled my pocket for something to help his memory found a bill and laid it on the counter thing it was a single I didn't know until later it wasn't it was a five all things considered it was the best five dollars I ever spent Jackie Cavanaugh was staring into her scotch looking very lonely and she had reason to she'd been in love with Tommy for as long as I could remember sit down Mark thanks what time will we do over there 830 no visitors until 830 the wardens a bear cat for rules you're looking more like Tommy every day mark there's nothing I can do about that try to be kind to him on his last night yeah I'll try I had a double scotch and then another one and we sat there for a half hour with Tommy's picture staring at us out of page one then we slipped out a side door and caught a cab for the prison the warden was a thin-faced white haired man with a tired worried look in his eyes I'd like you both to know you're legally entitled to visit Tommy Jardine tonight but I must also make clear I don't approve of it why not he's facing the greatest trial a man can be put to you can do it best alone he's called for his purries priest two of them are down there now and if you insist on seeing him you'll have to decide now in five minutes the main gates will be locked until after the execution mark I I think I'll stay here well I thought so did I but I just can't bear to go through with it understand all right warden I'll see him alone the other twin brother huh how come your name is different I changed it I don't blame you it's funny up to now we didn't believe he had a twin brother but it was all part of the act what act well you know it's against the law to execute an insane man you mean Tommy is crazy as a coot or at least that's what he'd like us to think it's turned into an endurance contest three days and nights without a let up and you know what it led up to don't you he'll go to the chair sound insane and we'll go to the nut house excuse me father yes you got company Jardine hello Tommy huh what do you know so you had the nerve to come after all Padre shake hands with my brother I'll be back in 15 minutes Mr. Heston hey listen I'm a you idiot my name is Heston Mark has to shut up Jardine look do I have to die to prove it Padre how can I convince them what can I do look at him on you see what I mean Mr. Heston been going on like this day and I'm driving us nuts you'll be all right funny seems to come over every so often perfectly rational one minute and then yeah but Padre see in 15 minutes Tommy Tommy huh what what happened I do it again yes son you said you were Mark just like before Mark I'm sorry Mark I don't know why I we understand don't we Mr. Heston sure is there anything I can do for you Tommy afterwards only does have some personal affairs to clean up yeah I'll I believe in some cash for one thing and a safe deposit box in Detroit and there's a car and some personal stuff that'll all go to Jackie I took a pencil out of my pocket and looked around for something to write on sticking out from under the Bible on the table was a blank card so I picked it up and turned it over rightly as I waited for Tommy to go on I was printing on the back it said fingerprint record state penitentiary and it had Tommy's picture and history but the spaces for the fingerprints were blank then they jumped me I got him Tommy the arms bike did his arms got him get the needle inside the book pages cut out okay hold him still now come on come on Jardine wake up all right snap out of a punk I get the leg out from under you that's a boy all right now hey wait what are you what are you doing what is this look Jardine will you save the act for the newspaper boys I'm not Jardine I'm Heston I'm much better I'm Marilyn Monroe hey wait listen oh you listen Jardine I'm fed up with this act you either play ball or job a no job I kick your teeth in let's go on me what are you doing I'm slitting your trouser leg because that's where we fasten the electrode that's 10 after 11 in less than an hour you go to the chair we continue with the second act of Memo on medals interesting information about our military awards and decorations campaign medals were authorized by Congress in 1905 for all officers and men engaged in specified wars and military action including such widely divergent battles as the civil war in the United States and the boxer rebellion in China the Navy and Marine Corps have a special Manila Bay medal for members of the United States Asiatic Squadron under command of Commodore George Dewey in May of 1898 the Haitian campaign of 1915 is commemorated with a medal as is the Santo Domingo expedition which suppressed a revolt in that country and preserved order during elections in 1916 the Army has its Mexican service medal for those involved in any of several expeditions or engagements from April 12th 1911 through June 16th 1919 there is also the Army of Cuban pacification medal for United States troops who from October of 1906 to April of 1909 helped establish a stable government in that island nation the victory medal was initially awarded to all United States service personnel in World War one expeditionary forces including for the first time women serving in the military units there is a story behind every American medal a proud story of devotion to country and unselfish service to keep it strong and free and now starting Carl Swenson act 2 of 5 buck tip slowly one by one the facts came into focus I was in cell 4 of death row in Tommy's prison uniform the guard was shaving my leg because in less than an hour I was going to the chair in my twin brother's place I hold still not Jardine I'm not Jardine I tell you I'm Mark Heston I'll get that through your thick skull and then bring the warden here you'll see the warden in 45 minutes the law says he's got to be there when they pull a switch look do you see this on my arm here what about it that is a mark from a hypodermic needle that was why I was asleep just the Padre do you remember him yeah he's a phony his name is Mike and he's a friend of Tommy's and he had the needle inside the Bible that he was carrying is it so and they hit me right after you left now I know it sounds crazy but they pulled it off they should have known better to try a wild thing like that now shouldn't you don't believe me this mark on my arm now look you got to believe that oh I believe it I believe it you showed it to me yesterday I wasn't here yesterday listen to me that was part of the build-up can't you see that like the insanity act and everything else listen to me you stupid jerk the rulebook says we don't rough up the customers Jardine however in your case I'm gonna make an exception please believe me my name is Heston Mark Heston I've got an apartment on Riverdale Avenue in Cleveland I worked for the Ohio indemnity company I said I had enough talk we went through that yesterday too now wait one more thing you picked me up at the warden's office tonight do you remember Tommy wouldn't know what we talked about about my name first you asked me why it was Heston why it was different then about Tommy's act oh sure you pumped your brother about that stuff while he was here he told me when he left with the pottery all right put on a chair get the warden give me the chair get the warden okay John Dean I'll get the warden I gotta get her out of here she's going to peace can't you see that I made that clear to you mr. Heston the main gate's locked until after the execution regulations can't you please warden all right I'll call again come in what is it going all right excuse me a minute please we'll be out of here in five minutes what are they talking about what's he telling the ones I'm afraid you two will have to stay here in the office for a few minutes I may need well let's see now I got off the plane at the airport and took a cab to a bar called the blue hour she said she'd be waiting there for me Jardine listen to me Jardine I mark Heston there's only a half hour to go Tommy this won't do you any good warden please listen to me he has been planning this for weeks the girl too and that phony Padre they had it all worked out right down to the pinprick in his arm now please just let me talk to them give me two minutes with them that's not much to ask is it the girl couldn't take it that's an act can't you see that it's an act Louie yeah what mr. Heston and Miss Kavanaugh are waiting in my office bring them down here yes or what about Mike Mike that phony Padre he left he said he couldn't do anything more for you said it was up to the prison chaplain now chaplain warden can't you saw me listen to me Tommy Tommy I'm not Tommy I'm Mark Heston in just a moment we continue with the third act of suspense we have together ample capacity in freedom to defend freedom this is NATO the North Atlantic Treaty Organization the 15 nations comprising the North Atlantic Treaty Organization have reaffirmed their faith in the aims of the United Nations they have reaffirmed a desire to live in peace with all people all governments NATO is a framework within which the member nations can cooperate in every way to achieve peace and freedom for the world in our time the United States of America is a part of NATO you should be aware of and alert to the objectives and programs of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and now starring Carl Swenson act three of five buck tip I want you to realize what you'll be doing if you keep on you'll be killing me you'll be killing an innocent man just like shooting him with a gun it's murder and they're gonna find out later I just told the warden how we met at the blue hour you were wearing that red coat so I could find you waiting for me in the corner booth yes you remember that don't you Jackie a bar on North Lake Street my job to give you every reasonable consideration Tommy but there are limits limits this is the limit this is ridiculous what about the fingerprints you have his fingerprints here on file right here in the prison why don't you I remember then the blank fingerprint card sticking out from under the Bible there was a faint smudge of ink on my fingertips they had thought of everything I thought it might come to this Tommy we stopped at the files on the way down and picked up your card give me your hand warden I forgot to tell you something give me the ink pad Louis the warden I hope this will settle it once and for all anything I looked at Tommy while they took my prints the corner of his mouth was twitching again but he didn't dare look me in the eye well there you are Jardine they match perfectly well of course they match they're my prints on the card my brother and that phony priest took them while I was unconscious and switched cards in the files come on Louis yes Tommy it's 20 minutes to 12 prison chaplain will be here in five minutes if you want him wait look don't you walk out on me I am Mark Heston I tell you there was a switch look look at him can't you see it you've got the wrong man there was my last faint hope and all that was left was the horrible unbelievable truth they were going to do it they were actually going to execute me the lights dimmed and brightened and then dimmed again and from down the corridor behind the door came a faint whine with 15 minutes to go they were testing the chair 15 minutes the prison chaplain came in I had nothing more to say nothing anyone would believe so I told him to go away then Louis came back with a couple of assistants and they shaved my head eight minutes seven six a kind of paralysis took me I could hardly stand up I could breathe three minutes the chaplain came back again and more guards finally the door to the block opened the warden walked toward myself the hands on the clock over the door were almost straight up the time had come the warden moved slowly through the crowd of witnesses white-faced and shaken he took my arm come on mark okay there's nothing left to wait you called me mark sit down mark where my brother and the girl they're holding them downstairs there is one name is Willie thank you sir oh mr. Heston I know it sounds kind of stupid to say I'm sorry but no no forget it Louis thanks you probably don't remember me mr. but sure you're the the hat-check kid at the blue hour I was reaching for the phone to call the gates or your brother and the girl could leave when it rang they were calling about Willie here he was at the gate trying to get in well Willie how did you I waited till the taxi it took came back and I asked the driver where you went yeah but why you left your hat and bag but why did you bring them here well I didn't know what was in the bag but I knew it must be awful important you told me not to let you leave without them well I might have let it go but after all mr. you left me a five buck tip suspense in which Carl Swenson starred in William and Robeson's production of five buck tip by Harold Swanton supporting mr. Swenson in five buck tip where Kathy Lewis Henry Blair Jack Krushen your own Thor and Ken Christie listen again next week when we return with another tale well calculated to keep you in suspense suspense has been brought to you through the worldwide facilities of the United States armed forces radio and television service