 From Hollywood it's time now for Johnny dollar hi Johnny Andy I saw George Foley. I wasn't able to make him changes, please Well, it was a good try Johnny jury still out. Yeah, that means they're arguing all the technical evidence I was just thinking no one really believes we'll get Arnold Bennett. What do you think? I think we will I know we will Hey the jury foreman just sent for the bailiff. I'll be right there Tonight and every weekday night Bob Bailey in the transcribed adventures of the man with the action-packed expense account America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator. I was truly Johnny dollar Expense accounts submitted by special investigator Johnny dollar To the four state fire insurance corporation 4065 spear Boulevard Hartford, Connecticut The following is an accounting of expenditure is during my investigation of the Bennett arson fraud Expense account Adam 11 10 cents one phone call to the hospital The report on Arnold Bennett substantiated the newspaper story that he was recovering from the gunshot wound inflicted by his niece Well one thing Johnny, he'll be alive for us if we can go after him. No, I wish it would work with Foley I think I get a mated work if that lawyer Eggleston hadn't been there It's after four You know that jury doesn't come in with a verdict pretty soon. They'll have to adjourn for the night. Yeah Want to smoke? Yeah, thanks, Johnny. I would Hey, they're coming back in. Oh, yeah Stuffy in this courtroom. Yeah In session You see that as the jury reached the verdict in the case of the state versus George Foley. We have sir Will you please read the verdict on this card? We the jury find the defendant George Foley Gileas charged I got some things to tell you now. Who's this with you darling Andy Chord with the insurance company Now look, I haven't got any deals to offer Foley. You know that I know. It's so I took a chance It's a lousy five more years. What about Arnold Bennett? You're a little anxious. I want some information first. They only gave us 10 minutes Foley What's Bennett now? He's still in the hospital. He's gonna be all right He's out my man It's a break. Oh, come on Foley. Let's have it if you have anything to say Can you get Bennett can you really get him I'll tell you frankly We think we can get him with or without your help now. It doesn't make too much difference Maybe it'll take longer without your help, but we'll get him The fact that the court is going to convict you for having set fire to Bennett's office building is the lever We've needed it. We can go after him now. Do you want to help us Foley? I don't want to help you. You're thinking insurance company, but I hate the idea Bennett Mr. No one do everything running around eating good food and sleeping in his nice bed while I'm roughing away in prison Sure sure he hired me to fire his building He paid me 2,500 bucks to put the torture that lousy building is He said he could throw all the blame and a guy named Tony Midas if it ever came up We want the facts Foley. How'd he first contact you? I got a friend of no say see my friend told me to contact when A couple of days for the job. Come on Foley. Who's your friend? I'm gonna tell you everything. Did you talk to Bennett in person about firing the building I? Talked to him on the phone after my friend told me about him Bennett said he wanted the place to go down because he's having money trouble taxes and all and he offered me a thousand bucks For the job. Now wait a minute Foley. You just said you got 2,500. I did I did I Hung up on him when he offered me a thousand I call him back later on and told him I wanted four thousand Well, we argued about it and then finally hit on the 2,500. Did you meet him then? Sure. No, I never met him I I saw once and I walked by the building look at over but I never met him Bennett's niece said she saw you two together Foley a sworn statement. Yeah, she's a liar. How about the money? How'd he pay it to you? He left it for me in the check stand at the bus terminal over on 4th Street I told him how to do that I wanted to leave it now. Let me get this straight Foley You made the deal to fire the building over the phone and you went ahead and looked at the job You never talked to Bennett in person That's right, and you made arrangements for him to pay you $2,500 by leaving it in the check stand at the bus terminal Yeah, yeah, when did you make these arrangements? The day before the job, how'd you work it? I just told you I mean the money oh Half of it the first time and after job is over. He left the other half for me and you got it all Sure sure in cash Why are we trying to see him in the hospital after he was shot? Try and shake him down for another five Come on, let's start over What do you mean? Oh, you're trying to sell us a bill of goods here for what reason I don't know but I know this You had to meet Bennett. You had to see him foley. You had to talk it over with him personally I just told you I picked up the money in the bus turn I don't believe that Bennett wouldn't have left the money for you to pick up You could have just gone away with it and after the building was burned if it had been that way Bennett didn't have to pay you the balance I Wanted to just see him It's pretty important to know when and where and how many times you and Bennett got together Thought you said you could get him whether I told you anything and we can we can brother don't ever doubt that But if you tell us some facts we can get him faster All right now Where did you first meet him? Was it in a restaurant someplace with people around? No, no, I met him in his car. He was parked on market street near fifth That's the way we arranged to meet each other over the phone didn't anybody see you meet him People on the street. I guess one of this meeting happened Night I torched his builder. He paid you then Yeah, the whole twenty-five hundred. You're all of it. What'd you do with the money? Never mind. You still have it Never mind. This is a waste of time. You weren't telling us anything Why should I why'd you call us here if you didn't have anything to say? I'm saying something you guys are less than We continued questioning Foley about his association with Arnold Bennett Each time he explained it. It was a different story The only thing he admitted was that Bennett had hired him to fire the building As far as the details of it were concerned. They were lost in a jumble of contradictory answers. He gave us Expense account item 12 $5.60 dinner for Andrew Corden myself The next morning we returned to the Hall of Justice to question George Foley once more All right, now how much did you say Arnold Bennett paid you for the job? $1,000 you told us 2,500 one time another time you said 5,000 now come on. What was it? $1,000 and when did he pay you? Right after I fired the building. I met him right afterwards down on the street in his car He asked me if was all set and I told him to listen for the sirens Pretty soon somebody put in the alarm and the fire agents come out. He paid me that. All right Place was three-quarters gone by that time. He knew I did a good job Where was this you met him now? Couple of blocks in the building did anybody see you together No, where did your telephone him from? For my place the same night you started the fire Yeah And he brought you the money that night and you cased the building that night and you started the fire All this in one night. You got it now. That's the ticket boy It became increasingly evident that Foley was attempting to convince us that he was mentally deranged In spite of the fact that he'd already been tried and found guilty and was slated to appear at 10 30 the following morning for sentencing It's an old trick and with arsonists where sanity is questioned from the beginning a good one However, Foley had been examined by three psychiatrists appointed by the courts I waited in the jail cell with Foley while Andy Coyd went out to get copies of their findings when he returned we showed them to Foley Okay Well, what do you show me these things for to let you know there's no way to get out of it now Foley These are from psychiatrists. All of them had a good look at you. You're sane. You're all right You remember when they looked at you No, all right, look at the dates on the paper you can read can't you January 15th January 16th January 21st Witnesses were around for all the examinations Well Well, are you through playing games now? Okay, darling you guys Come on. Give us the story I Met Arnold Bennett at the Hopkins bar about a month before the fire I made sure I'd meet him there. Now. What do you mean Foley? I've been setting fires for living for a long time now. I Always have a list of people like Bennett. I could use a fire. I get around I knew it was in trouble four or five years ago the income tax people They set a guy to prison for cover up Tony White. Yes, Tony Midas. I figured he'd be needing another one pretty soon So we had a drink. I brought it up who paid for the drinks. Hey, who saw you together? the bar Alfred it was I made a deed there a couple of people at the table I Put the proposition up to him. How'd he like to have his bill and burnt down and collect his $500,000 get himself out of trouble He said he liked that fine. I told him it cost him 5,000 bucks in advance So he couldn't raise that much, but he didn't manage to get 3,500 together. I took it I did the job. What'd you do with the money? I Still got it. Where it's not gonna do me any good now I buried it in a gallon can a vacant lot over by the tower. I could show you where okay We'll get you to do that. Well, I'll be glad Hey, what I Can send Bennett up the same way you're sending me up. I can testify against him at his trial The next morning at 10 30 George Foley received the maximum sentence Two hours later charges were filed against Arnold Bennett naming him for conspiracy arson attempted defraud and collusion a Warrant was issued for his immediate arrest, but it was never served Arnold Bennett died in the hospital at night In a way you could still say that no one ever beat him He beat himself Expense account item 13 87 dollars and 50 cents hotel and board in San Francisco Item 14 another hundred and twenty five dollars transportation back to Hartford Item 15 35 dollars miscellaneous expense account total $1,440 and 37 cents remarks nothing Yours truly Johnny doll Remember there'll be another intriguing story for you beginning next Monday night next week the Phantom 5 matter death on the high seas Join us won't you yours truly Johnny dollar yours truly Johnny dollar starring Bob Bailey is transcribed in Hollywood Written by John Dawson. It is produced and directed by Jack Johnstone Heard in this week's cast were Lillian Bayef Stacey Harris Chet Stratton will write Marvin Miller Hans Conrad Edgar Barrier and Parley Bayer musical supervision by Abariko Marino Be sure to join us on Monday night same time and station for another exciting story of yours truly Johnny dollar This is Roy Rowan speaking