 Another case for Nick Carter, master detective. Yes, it's another case for that most famous of all man hunters. The detective whose ability of solving crime is unequaled in the history of detective fiction. Nick Carter, master detective. Presented by the three great Linux home brightness. Linux clear glass varnish, Linux cream polish, and Linux self-polishing wax. Created by ACME, America's great producer of fine ACME quality paints. His curious adventure. Poison with a pass. Or Nick Carter, the mystery of the Vedanta killing. In just a moment we'll hear how Nick Carter was able to solve the mystery of the Vedanta killings and prevent the strange poison from claiming any more victims. But first, here's a good tip. Millions of American families are happier these days because women who run their homes wisely have learned about chemtone, the miracle wall finish which makes every home more bright and inviting. 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I think you'd enjoy working on it. Yes, you always say that, Riley. Every time you get stuck, you tell me it's an unusually interesting case. But this time it is, Nick. Honest it is. All right, give me one reason why it's not just a routine murder case. Because the guy was killed while a logical examiner is here and he's square since a poison case. But he's stuck completely. He's some queer stuff he never ran into before. Now, you're an expert on poisons, Nick. You ought to look into this. An unknown poison, huh? Was it given him externally or internally? Well, we don't know if it was done at all. It's no slouch when it comes to poisons. No, Dr. Buck knows the stuff all right. And he can't figure it out? He's tried every tricky nose, Nick. Nothing seems to work. Look, will you take a run over here and see what you can make of it? Okay, Riley, what's the address? The Hamilton Apartments on Riverside Drive. The apartment G4. I'll be right here waiting for you. We'll be there in 20 minutes, but it better be good. Oh, it is, Nick. You won't be sorry. So long, though. So he managed to rope you, did he? I don't know whether he's roped me or not, as you so elegantly put it. He's got me interested enough, so I'm going over and have a look at it. Want to come? Do I want to come? You don't think I want to sit around here when there's a murder case to be solved, do you? Of course not. Okay, get your hat and let's be on our way. Who to have at you? Sharon says nice of you to invite us. All right, all right. Let's dispense to the preliminary, Riley. Get down to business right away. Who's dead and where's the body? Oh, it's rare and to go, you ought to know, huh? Okay. As the corpses, Frederick Shelby, the explorer. Shelby, well, that fellow's got more lives than a cat. Well, he must have used up all none of them, if he's dead now. The body's right in here, Nick. In the library. Look at all the books. Most of them pretty old, too. French, German, Russian. What are these, Nick? That one's Sanskrit, Betsy. Those there are Hindu. Who lives here, Riley? This Shelby's apartment? No, only. He belongs to Professor Alexander Travers. Travers? Oh, yes. He's a specialist on Hindu literature and philosophy. Yeah, that's right. Human, some of his friends were talking about that Hindu stuff when Shelby was killed. Well, here's the body here. Dead long? Not over an hour, the doc says. And that checks with what the others tell us. We're holding them here for now. Look at the expression on his face. You must have died in terrible agony. No doubt of that. And there's no doubt of it being poison, either. Not with that look on his face. Doc Book said the same thing. But not one of his tests showed him that poison was used. He said it could be most anything. Betsy, a shift. I'll let him here. I'll close you well. I want to see something. Sure, Nick. Here. Practically blue white. He looks almost like a Marvel statue. Yeah. All right, Riley. Where's the rest of the party? Say you're holding them here? Yes, they're in the next room. Uh, there's Professor Travers. This is his apartment, like I said. Good look and tame by the name of Mary Devine and Dr. Paul Starr. He's a college teacher. He didn't know what happened when this shall be passed out, so they fought for an ambulance. The intern took one look at him and called us. Anything else before I talk to them? Uh, yeah. They told the doc that none of them had eaten or dug anything before or after they came here. So the doc figured maybe Shelby was poisoned by the cigarette he smoked. So he sent all the butts and ashes down to the lab for analysis. He sent down the pack of cigarettes, too. Only one pack? Yep. They was all smoking out of the same pack. Any report yet? No, no. I told them to call me here as soon as they finished. All right. So look at your witnesses. Okay, Nick. Right in here. Uh, this here is Nick Carter, folks. Nick, this is Mary Devine here. Devine? Over here is Professor Travers. That's Dr. Starr. Glad to know you, Mr. Carter. First, let's get straightened out who you all are. Mr. Travers, what do you do? I teach Oriental Literature at the university, Mr. Carter, but I don't see what you're up to. You're well. Dr. Starr, what do you do? I'm abroad in this, Mr. Carter. I'm connected with the university, too, indirectly. See? You, Mr. Vine? I'm just a student at the university. What a very fine student, Mr. Carter. Mr. Vine won a fellowship in Oriental Literature. She's done some excellent work. Any of you know any possible motive for Shelby's death? I know. We've been talking about it, and we're as much in the dark as you are. What do you know about Shelby? Not very much. We have only one common interest, the, the daunter. As a matter of fact, we first met him at a meeting of the Vedanta Society. Shelby feeling all right this afternoon? As far as we know, he said nothing about feeling ill. Now, tell me what happened here this afternoon. As soon as you can recall. You say you were all sitting around talking? That's right. We were discussing the Vedanta. What is this Vedanta, miss? Professor Travers can probably explain that better than I, Patsy. It's a philosophy of life. It was first put forward 1,500 years ago by Hindu scholars. It has to do with controlling the bodily expression so as to heighten the powers of the mind. Why don't you come to a meeting of the daunter society with us some day? That would explain it better than I could, perhaps. Thanks, maybe I will. Now, what happened here? Well, we were all seated around smoking and chatting when suddenly Shelby started to get faint. A few minutes he passed out. That's all. You were all smoking? Yes. Why? I understand you were all smoking the same brand of cigarette. Who's worthy? They were mine, Mr. Carter. Shelby forgot to bring his pipe and Star was out of the private brand he smokes. I had a full pack, so I used mine. Even Star smoked one. He usually wouldn't look at any cigarette that wasn't his own private mixture. Anything else you can think of? No, I think not. That's all I know. Nothing happened. It was really unusual, except that Mr. Shelby died. All right. Give your names and addresses to Senator Riley. And don't leave town until we tell you can. That's all. Good. All right, Mr. Carter. Well, Nick, what do you make of it? I don't know. No apparent motive, no suspects, unknown poison. Of course, it's too early to know definitely. It couldn't be suicide, could it? No, I don't think so, Fancy. I'm pretty sure it's murder. But I'm also sure the murderer covered his tracks very thoroughly. Yes, we're done it. Yes, I got it. Of course, I'll tell him. Well, what did you expect? Oh, you. Good book. I gather that was Riley you were talking to? You gather, right. He said to be sure and tell you that the laboratory reports absolutely nothing wrong with the cigarette or the butt of the ashes. All normal and natural. Too bad. Sort of hoping that... Well, never mind. There's an answer somewhere, but I'll find it yet. He also said to tell you that Mary Divine was coming in to see you very shortly now. Did he say what for? No, just that she was coming. Oh, I'll get it, Nick. That may be Mr. Vine now. Or a bill collector. Oh, come in, Mr. Vine. Good morning, Mr. Vine. Good morning, Mr. Carter. I don't know that what I have to tell you is of any value, but I'll let you decide that. Fair enough. What is it? Do you know what this is? What a beautiful flower. What is it? In India, they call it Duttura. It has other names, too. Duttura? That's poison. Fatty, into my notes on poison. They're right here, Nick. Here you are. Thanks. Taste is pleasant, given in small doses. It intoxicates strongly. Two grams will prove fatal at once. It can be mixed with food or drink and will kill without leaving a trace. Cannot be isolated unless the chemist knows what he's looking for. That's a nasty poison, isn't it? Yes. In India, mothers feed it to unwanted girl babies. Mr. Vine, where did you get this flower? Well, I... I got it special delivery this morning. Dr. Starr got one, and Professor Travis got one, too, the same way. I see. In other words, the murderer warns you that he's going to kill all three of you. Same way he murdered Shelby. It looks that way. Why would he want to kill all of them, Nick? Probably because he's afraid that they'll notice something when Shelby was killed yesterday that would give him away if they told anyone about it. But, uh, I don't know anything, Mr. Carter. Neither do the others. Perhaps you do, Mr. Vine. Don't realize it. It often happens. At any rate, the killer is taking no chances. That's a call rally. Have them tell the lab what to look for. Maybe they can find some traces of it that way. What do you think I'd better do, Mr. Carter? Be very careful of what you eat or drink, with whom you associate for a few days. In the meantime, I'll be busy finding out what I can. Do you have any plans for the immediate future? No, not especially. And you're sure nothing happened to Professor Travis' apartment yesterday that would help us? No, Mr. Carter, not a thing. I better see Starr and Travis. Maybe they can tell us something they overlooked before. Oh, Mr. Carter, they'll both be at the Vedanta Society meeting this morning at 11. Swammy Atulanade is speaking, and he's the favorite lecturer. Why don't we go to the meeting, too? You can talk to them there. Excellent idea, Mr. Vine. Raleigh says he'll take care of notifying the lab. Thanks, Pessie. Mr. Vine and I are going to a meeting of the Vedanta Society. You'd better stay here in case Raleigh does learn anything. I'll call you later. You ready, Mr. Vine? Yes. All right, let's go. Really don't know much about them, Mr. Carter. I see, but perhaps you could tell me this. How close to Shelby were Travers and Starr? Well, Paul Starr barely knew him. As a matter of fact, he met Shelby for the first time yesterday. And Professor Travers? Oh, he and Shelby were pretty chummy. They had a common interest in the Vedanta, and they each have a collection of rare Sanskrit manuscripts, which they will to each other when they die. You mean whoever dies first bequeaths his manuscripts to the others? Yes, that did. How valuable are these manuscripts? Oh, they're priceless, I understand. Now, what about you? Why do you fit into this picture? Well, I... I met them because of my interest in oriental languages and literature. I feel that after the war, with the world made so much smaller by the use of airlines all over the globe, I may be glad to know all I can about the Orient. Oh, yes, of course. How much further is this place where the meeting's being held? Oh, just across the next avenue, in that old brownstone house. I'm sure you'll enjoy the meeting with Swami Atulannada being the lecturer. He's wonderful. Perhaps so. I think I'm going to enjoy talking to Starr and Travers even more. And he's wonderful? Yes, just very interesting. Much more intellectual than I expected. Well, Mary, I see you've managed to convert Mr. Carter. That's best work. Well, I wouldn't call it conversion, Dr. Starr. My main reason for coming here was to talk to you and Professor Travers. Yes. You, uh, you want to talk to me, Carter? I do, just for a few minutes. Well, suppose we have lunch first and then talk later. Oh, good idea. Where shall we go? Let's go to the Bombay Curry Shop, the best place of its kind in town. Excellent. I'm Starr. How about you, Mr. Carter? I could certainly eat something. Well, come on then. The Curry Shop it is. Mr. Carter, this is the main dish. It's curried rice and vegetables. And then over there in the center of the restaurant, on that long table there, those are the special seasonings, like hors d'oeuvres. Can I see? You help yourself to those, whatever you want to go with this main dish. That is what. Oh, Bombay duck, dried soulfish, tamarind, and other spicy things. See, Dr. Starr is getting his mouth. Shall we try some? Oh, by our means. Yeah, come on. Some of these things are really delicious. Here, Professor, how about some of this tamarind? Have you learned to like it yet? I ate tamarind before you were born. Give me a good helping of it, will you, Starr? Yeah, you are. What? Certainly, it's delicious. Take anything you like, Mr. Carter. You never know what's good until you try it, you know. Certainly looks appetizing. Now, let's try a little of everything. Oh, that certainly was good. I enjoyed that meal. Yeah, I thought you would. Uh, cigarette Carter? No, thanks. I don't smoke. How about you, Starr? Care for one? No, thanks. I prefer my own special mixture. Dr. Starr is a cigarette fiend, Mr. Carter, but he won't smoke anything but his own brand. Says any other kind makes him sick. Well, gentlemen, now that we've taken care of the inner man, I'd like to ask you a few questions about Shelby. Sure. Sure, ask away. Well, we don't know who you won't tell you. Why, Professor, I believe you're drunk. Drunk? No, sir. I never touch a drop of liquor. It's too intox... Intox... It's not good for you. Well, you are drunk, Professor. Don't try to kid us. I'm not! I know what's eating you. You're jealous. I'm... I'm the better man than you, and I proved it, didn't I? I... I don't know what you're talking about. No, you're a liar, Scar. You know all right, all right. But she... she will... Professor Travis, why is he dead? Mr. Carter, that's just the way Shelby died. Well, here's another clue for Nick in his effort to find out who killed Shelby and how. Will he be able to track down the murderer before any more killings can take place? We'll see in just a moment. Do you youngsters track in slush? Do those umbrellas drip puddles in the hall? Does the dog leave muddy paw marks on all your shining floors? Never mind. When you keep your floors protected with beautiful Linux clear-glass varnish, you'll find that it keeps both dirt and water right on the surface, where they're easy to clean away. And that same sturdy protective finish gives sparkling beauty as well to linoleum, floors, and woodwork. For Linux clear-glass has a gleaming, transparent luster that gives all your household things renewed attractiveness. And how well Linux clear-glass wears, resisting damage by hot grease, boiling water, crude acids, perfume, even alcohol. Use it on tabletops, on bathroom tile, on linoleum, throughout your home. You'll find it the most satisfactory household finish you've tried, as thousands of other successful American homemakers have. What's more, Linux clear-glass varnish is easy to brush on. So ask your dealer for Linux, L-I-N-dash-X, Linux clear-glass varnish. You'll find all three great Linux home brightness and chem-tone, the miracle wall finish at hardware, paint, and department stores everywhere. And now back to our story. We left Nick Carter in the Bombay curry shop where he has been lunching. Suddenly, Professor Travers uttered a few strange remarks and fell over dead. Later, that same afternoon, Nick is talking to Lieutenant Riley in the latter's office. You say, Nick, that this... that tourer, whatever it is, killed him, huh? Well, obviously, Riley. All the symptoms are present. Although I didn't realize it until after it was all over. No, but, Nick, Lieutenant Riley's chemist has analyzed all the food in the restaurant and nothing out of the way was found. You all ate the same food, didn't you? Yes, Betsy, we did. Then how is it that Professor Travers died and none of the rest of you were even sick? I don't know yet. Well, I think you're nuts, Nick. Now, look, you said Travers and Shelby was going to leave each other their collections of manuscripts. Now, didn't you? That's what Mary said. Well, then, Travers invited Shelby to his apartment and killed him so as to get Shelby's collection. Then, when you started questioning him today, he got scared and committed suicide. It's as plain as any... No, no, no, Riley. That's impossible. The man of Travers' type wouldn't kill himself to escape arrest. He'd rather kill me instead. It was an egotist that his conversation proved. Egotists consider suicide a sign of weakness. But if it was murdered, how was it done, Nick? Answer me that. I'm not ready to answer that yet. Well, have you got even one little clue that says it's murder? Just one? Yes, Riley, I have. You have? What is it? Why did Dr. Starr smoke one of Professor Travers' cigarettes when they were at Travers' apartment? When Mary tells me he'd rather go without smoking than to smoke anything but his own particular mixture. Ah, but they all smoked the same cigarettes that day. Nick, only Shelby was killed when the Starr came in. And today, Nick, you said the Starr did smoke his own mixture. Yes, but facts are facts. You can't get away from that. Starr did something unusual. Probably was done for a reason. The fact that I don't yet understand the reason doesn't make it any less important. Nicola Carter's office. Is Mr. Carter there, please? This is Mary Devine's mother calling. Oh, surely, just a moment. Well, you, Nick, Mary's mother. Oh, thanks. Hello, Mrs. Devine, what can I do for you? Well, I just want you to know that Mary will be a little late in meeting you. Meeting me? Yes, she expected to be there by 8 o'clock, but she'll be delayed 15 or 20 minutes. Just a minute, Mrs. Devine. She expected to be where? What? At Dr. Starr's apartment as you asked her to. What did I ask her to meet me at Dr. Starr's apartment? What? Why, you phoned an hour ago. I did not. Did you? I did not. Well, well, whoever phoned said he was you and said you or he had something important to tell her and asked her to be at Dr. Starr's apartment by 8 o'clock. I'm glad you called, Mrs. Devine. I'll take care of it right away. Oh, what's wrong, Mr. Carter? Mary isn't in any danger, is she? Not yet, but she might have been if you hadn't called. Oh, Mr. Carter, please don't let anything happen to Mary. Now, don't worry, Mrs. Devine. I'll take care of it. And I'll take care of him, too. I know. I thought you thought I was married. Why do you say that? Mary's mother told me. You were the one who phoned her, weren't you? Clever, aren't you? Yes, I phoned her. I had something I wanted to show her. Well, suppose you showed it to me instead. I don't think you'd be interested. So why are you wrong? I wouldn't be interested in anything about you. For example, while you smoked one of Professor Travers' cigarettes yesterday at his apartment, when you'd usually prefer to go without, rather than smoke anything but your own particular mixture. Why, I just... Did I answer my question for you? You wanted to kill Travers. I was glad to butt between you. Probably over that woman Travers mentioned in the curry shop this afternoon. So you prepared a cigarette full of the Torah, dry, ground fine. And when you took one of the cigarettes from the pack Travers had, you substituted the one you prepared. You knew Mary was safe? Of course she didn't smoke. But you made a mistake in your calculation somewhere and Shelby got the poison cigarette instead of Travers, isn't that it? You're very clever, aren't you, Mr. Carter? I've changed my mind. I do have something here I want to show you. This. Hmm. My God. Well, that you're going to show Mary when she got here? No, but I can't take any chance on you. No, just here you are. How do you know it was Dart Torah killed Shelby? I recognize the symptoms. As soon as Mary told me what they were. And they were the same symptoms as Travers showed when he died this afternoon. Died from eating tamarind sprinkled with a Torah powder, right? You seem to be always right, Mr. Carter. Yes, I got to the condiment table first, sprinkled the poison on some of the tamarind. Then I made sure Travers got it. Star, why did you hate it so? Because he took my girl away from me. Took her away from me just because he wanted to prove he could do it. He didn't want her. In fact, after he got her, he refused to marry her. He broke her heart. He killed her. He's an evil, statistical beast. And having got rid of Travers, you felt you had to get rid of Mary, too. Because she might unconsciously betray you some way, right? Quite right, my omniscient detective. Now that you've cleared up all the mystery, I'm afraid I shall have to get rid of you, too. Because I can't have you going around... Mary. Come in. No one gets in here until after I've taken care of you. You're wrong, Star. I left the outside latch off when I came in earlier. Latch off? Come on in, Mary. Why, you! Don't take a gun! I don't like having anyone try to finish me off, Star. I prefer to do the finishing off myself. Just a minute. Come on in, Mary. Are you all right, Ned? What happened? Did you get him? What happened, Mr. Carter? Patsy wouldn't tell me. Dr. Star is in no condition to ask you in, so I will. Come on in, all of you. What's the matter with Dr... Did you have to kill him, Nick? Oh, Riley, you know me better than that. No, he's just temporarily out. Oh, well, let me get the cuffs on him before he comes to. Yeah, that'll hold him. So you were right, Nick. It was Dr. Star. Yes, Patsy, it was. I felt pretty sure of it from the first. Because being a botanist and a specialist in oriental plant life, he'd know all about the Datura plant. But I couldn't figure out any motive for him to want to kill Shelby. And that stopped me. Until Travis was killed. Then I realized that maybe Star didn't intend to kill Shelby at all. It turned out to be the case. But, Mr. Carter, how did you know that it was Dr. Star even when Professor Travis was killed? It was Travis himself who gave me the clue I needed. You remember what he said in the curry shop about having proved himself a better man than Star? Yes, but I thought he was just raving. Oh, no, Mary. He was doing that deliberately. The Vedanta philosophy teaches control of the body to sharpen the mind, doesn't it? Yes, it does, but... I feel sure that when Travis knew he was dying, that's just what he did. For an extraordinary effort, he kept his mind clear enough to accuse Star by giving me Star's motive for killing him. But he did it by insinuation. So it's not to warn Star what he was doing. That's sure a new one on me. Using a Hindu philosophy to accuse your murderer. Yes, Riley, it is a new one. Just shows you how you can get something valuable out of anything you study. Every religion, every system of thought, every philosophy has something worthwhile in it. No matter how peculiar it may seem to us at first. In just a moment, Nick and Patsy will give you a preview of next week's exciting case. Thousands upon thousands of American men are fighting overseas, fighting for home as they remember it. One of the most important things we can do is to keep home as they remember it. And the most satisfactory way to care for your home is with those three modern shortcuts to household loveliness. The three great Linux home brightness. Linux Cream Polish, for instance, renews the original gleaming beauty of your pine furniture, reveals the handsome grain of the wood, frees it from the unsightly cloudiness of fingerprints, dust and old polish, and it accomplishes this result in one quick, easy application. For Linux Cream Polish actually cleans as it polishes. It cuts your job in half, saves you one whole step in your cleaning day routine. And when you finish, you'll see that Linux Cream Polish has left no oily film on the surface of your furniture, for it dries hard so that no dust clings to it. Linux Cream Polish is truly the ideal method of caring for fine furniture. So use it regularly. Ask your dealer for it by name. Linux Cream Polish for fine furniture. You'll find all three great Linux home brightness, Linux self-polishing wax, Linux clear-glass varnish, Linux Cream Polish at your nearest hardware, paint or department store. And now let's hear from Nick Carter himself. Well, Nick, what's your story about this next time? Black widows can. What kind of widows are black widows? The spiders can. Poisonous spiders. But they spin very lovely webs that are used by the army and navy for making precision instruments. The web of black widow spiders is unexcelled for making hairs and sighting devices used by armed forces. Who got into trouble with black widows or the armed forces? Neither can. There's a killer who wanted to steal a large shipment of spider web and to do so was forced to kill two people. But a black widow stopped him with Nick's help. Well, what do you call this cheerful little tale? Webs of murder. Oh, the mystery of the black widow spider. Complete details next week. So long. So long, everybody. And so long to both of you, Nick and Patsy. We'll be waiting for your story next week as usual. Next week at the same time, listen to another curious experience of Nick Carter, Master Detective, entitled Webs of Murder. Or Nick Carter. And the mystery of the black widow spiders. Nick Carter, Master Detective, is featured in Street and Smith magazines. Lawn Clark is starred as Nick with Helen Chote as Patsy. Original music is played by Lou White and the programs are written and directed to you. And the programs are written and directed by Jock McGregor. Nick Carter, Master Detective, is presented at this time and over these same stations each week by the three great Linux home brightness. Linux clear glass varnish, Linux cream polish, and Linux self-polishing wax created by ACME, America's great producer of ACME fine quality paints. This is Ken Powell speaking for the thousands of Linux dealers all over America and saying so long until next week, this is Mutual.