 The signal oil program The whistler that whistle is your signal for the signal oil program The whistler the whistler and I know many things for I walk by night I know many strange tales hidden in the hearts of men and women who have stepped into the shadows Yes, I know the nameless terrors of which they dare not speak Yes friends, it's time for the signal oil program the whistler Rated by independent research the most popular program on the west coast Remember that every traffic signal remind you with new signal gasoline you do go farther than ever Look for the familiar big yellow and black circle sign that identifies those popular signal stations in seven western states from Canada to Mexico And now the whistler strange story Poison is quicker Most men lead lives of quiet desperation said thorough quiet desperation How well little Alfred Smithers who never read a word by thorough in all his life knew the meaning of that phrase All the nagging dullness of a humdrum existence and attire some wife Yes, the saucy little servant girl Alfred had married in London so many years before It become a lazy slovenly housewife whose untidy little home had miraculously survived the blitz Now with the coming of peace Gracie Smithers sat in a dingy front parlor night after night reading murder mysteries in yawning Well Alfred gazed blankly at his daily express and wished he were rid of her Wished it with all his heart and did nothing about it. That's another one off me docket fair though I still don't see how that little watts his name could have been the crimson hangman What you thinking about Alfie nothing? Still waters run deep, you know, you don't just sit there thinking about nothing only a perishing statue does that I Was thinking about the days what the days aren't so bad. At least I have something to do with the office Mr.. Keep occupied. What's the matter Alfie getting the jitters never mind Don't you like a happy little home all of a sudden if you must know that truth mrs. Smithers I say now. What's got your back up? Oh Feeling sorry for yourself again, dearie. Oh, shut up Get back to your murder rubbish and don't bother me really Alfred Smith read can't you? Let a man have a little peace and quiet There's nothing to read I was hoping you'd pick up some more thrillers for me at the bargain shop tomorrow All right. All right. What do you want me to get I wrote down the titles somewhere got them ready for you. Oh Yes, here they are Dearest Alfred what's that? Oh Don't get the wind up. Lovey. It's only a book title Doesn't sound much like a murder mystery to me perhaps it isn't I thought I'd like to see the Alfred in real life If he's anything like Alfred in the book very amusing the others are all thrillers though death is my bridegroom There gives you the creeps. Don't it? Nobody loves me. That's a murder that looks like suicide This way out a spine chilling cat and mouse game the catalogue says I could hang Don't know that one and the last one Poison is quicker rubbish Nothing but tribe Alfred Smith is you're a snob. Everybody reads murder novels. I don't oh you've always thought yourself better than anybody else Especially better than me. I've never been good enough for you. That's for you to say my dear That's a fine thing to say to your wife. I'll give me a list grassy. I'll pick the books up tomorrow. Well, okay dope Yes, the list Be sure and get poison is quicker It's all about somebody murdered for insurance The catalogue says trash Dear is down Death is my bridegroom Nobody loves me this way out. I could hang but Poison is quicker Delford death is my bridegroom. Nobody loves me this way out I could hang That poison is quicker Alfred I was What's the matter? Why are you shaking so? I don't know. I Not a quarter chills Almost like a note to you isn't it Alfred the barely coherent elliptical style of a suicide note If Gracie were dead and that note were found beside her body You try not to think of it why it's monstrous. You're thinking of murder You want to be rid of her but not that way Still if you simply left her you'd have no money and Gracie does have insurance But poison is quicker. She said Poison that arsenic powder you used in the garden the thoughts in your mind all that night and all the next day It's coming out now from its hiding place deep inside you Then when you return home that evening It happens the little push that makes you a murderer Where are they? Where's what my books theory you said you'd bring them home with you? I'm sorry. I forgot all about them. You forgot. Yes, Gracie. I did add things on me My other things on your mind such an important little man Aren't we Alfie can't keep a promise to your own wife. I couldn't help it Gracie to slip me mine like fun They did you done. It's a little bit. I know you don't raise up boys Oh, no, I'm vulgar am I well if I'm not good enough to do things for I'm not good enough to do things for you You can make your own tea and toast tonight. Don't shout at me Gracie Don't don't don't I'm sick and tired of getting the frosty eye from you, dearie You're not so high and mighty just a miserable little clerk in a dirty little little door. Oh just a second And only upset yourself I'll make tea for the phone of us. You'll make none for me that wishy-washy weak stuff. You'll prove yourself I'll make me. Oh, all right. Oh once I'll do it your way. Hey tonight. I'll make it the way you want it Just as strong as you like With the prologue of tonight's story poison is quicker signal oil company is bringing you another strange story by the whistler Inflation you hear that word all around you these days But in the midst of higher and higher prices and dollars that buy less and less It's gratifying to find a product that actually offers more quality than ever before in history But still sells at its pre-war price Yet that's just what you get in new signal gasoline Course improvement isn't new to signal gasoline since that day 14 years ago when signal oil company introduced the first Guaranteed anti-knock gasoline at no extra price Signal gasoline has been constantly improved to give you the benefit of every latest development in the automotive and petroleum industry But today's signal gasoline in which the atoms in gasoline molecules have actually been rearranged to create amazing new power is So superior to pre-war gas allines. It's really a completely new type super fuel To discover what thrilling performance. They're still left in your car Try just one tank full of new signal gasoline when you step on the accelerator You will know why signal products although still young in years have grown and grown in popularity Until today those friendly stations displaying signals yellow and black circle sign Now serve seven western states from Canada to Mexico And now back to the whistler that poison is quicker Strange what a book title can do to a man isn't it Alfred who would think it could be the stepping off place to murder And yet Gracie's dead now the victim of arsenic poisoning And you're already playing a new role a part of a shocked husband the little man who seems so dazed and bewildered It's only four hours after you made Gracie such a nice cup of tea Now she's dead And police sergeant Jellaby is questioning you You're thankful you're still in the safety of your own home You might lose your head if you were in the hostile atmosphere of a police station Are you sure you can't think of any reason why your wife would wish to take her own life mr. Smithers not right now Sergeant I I just can't think now. I'm sure you understand. We must get to the bottom of this unfortunate affair Of course now about the question of motive then well the books Might have been the books books, but it's such a tiny thing Better tell me about it mr. Smithers My wife is very fond of reading last night. She asked me to pick up some novels for her in the city today And I was so busy though. I forgot all about him. She was rather upset when I come home without him upset enough to Kill herself mr. Smithers awkward heavens. No at least I didn't think so then you quarreled about it Oh, no, we never quarrelled. She was upset as I said and it disturbed me in What way I felt rather guilty about failing so while she was making our tea Your wife made tea after your little incident. Oh, yes. She always done that. She said I made such audible tea Our neighbors can tell you that who are they? Well, there's mrs. Applegate next door She's a widow and then there's Henry small across the road. I see it go on mr. Smithers. You said you Felt guilty. Oh, yes. Yes. So I did So while she was making the tea I decided to surprise her make up for what I'd forgotten to do like you know In in what way well, I remember the rental library on the Queen's Road might still be open So I thought I'd better take a quick walk over there and pick up a few novels for her I left the house without a word wanted to surprise a lot see Mm-hmm. How long were you gone? I left at half past six. It was foggy You know the way just this time of year. So I was longer than I'd bargain for over half an hour I was and these are the books. She you got her that's it embers the desire and love in the desert Sort of thing most women like to read did your wife read this sort of thing as a general rule Oh, I read don't know Never much thought about the books. She read what books did she ask you to get for her the city books. Yes What title? Oh, well, uh, I know it's absurd sergeant, but I simply can't remember Are you sure? I just can't think of him. I mean to say I I forgot about him in the first place and Now I'm so mixed up and come to you later now about the note Doesn't it strike you as rather odd? I don't think I know what you mean Sort of well It isn't coherent for one thing and she didn't sign her name to it for another I thought of that my wife She must have been on a great mental strain when she wrote it. I can see that Decided to take her life on a sudden impulse. Hey must have thought you'd left the house And if it of anger then hurried about the business of writing the note and putting the arsenic in her tea It's a terrible thing to think about and it's all right Arsenic poisonings not the most pleasant of deaths since you weren't here to prevent it Perhaps it's just as well. You didn't get home until until it was all over. Yes It's a Is that all sergeant? Yes, you'll be notified when to appear for the inquest mr. Smithers I'll see you then. Good night And so you've gotten away with murder Alfred or have you Is Sergeant Jellybee as stolid and blind as he seems he certainly didn't seem too sympathetic Was that merely his official manner or does he suspect you and Was your trip to the rental library after you'd watched Gracie die as clever an alibi as you thought He had a lie about the type of novel Gracie read you deliberately brought home those trashy love stories to ward off any questions about the suicide note But if Henry small or Molly Applegate should remember that Gracie read mystery novels You made a mistake there Alfred, but it's too late to rectify it now All you can do is attend the inquest with Molly Applegate and Henry small on either side And nasty business itself. It'll soon be over though. I hope so Henry You think that the coroner's jury could have made up their minds by no can't see why they're taking so long about it Well, it really isn't so long mrs. Apple data only been gone a few minutes and arrowing or deal for you That's what it is I don't see how you could be so cool up there on the witness stand the man can't reveal his grief in public Mrs. Applegate that he can't you gun yourself proud of Me now the few questions a coroner asked me. They had me shaking like a leaf pretty silly if you ask me Are you mean Molly the few questions he put to you didn't really need to call you as a witness Same goes for me as far as that goes. I'm sure I could have told us sight more if I'd been asked Just what do you mean by that mrs. Applegate? They're coming back the jury's coming out mrs. Applegate. I'd like to know what you now It is the coroner members of the jury have you reached a verdict we have I'll find you the case of the deceased grace Smithers in the light of the evidence disclosed We find the deceased grace Smith is a suicide while I've kept rarely our sound mind Well, that's it off. There it is my yes, nothing to worry about now. What do you mean nothing to worry about? Really mr. Smithers, what do you mean by it? Nothing to make you bite me head off. I'm sure only that it's official now Sorry, mrs. Applegate. I I'm not quite myself. You know, well, I didn't mean to snap that you miss out You're right of course, sir. I haven't anything to worry about now Nothing at all Thing to worry about Alfred that why is fear so clammy and cold inside you you've always been afraid of so many things And now you've actually killed Gracie. You're afraid you'll be found out That's the greatest fear you've ever known Murder was so easy, but that was only the beginning. What about Molly Applegate? What more could she have told if she'd been asked? Question haunts you all during the funeral and through the next day and the day after when the insurance man calls at the house Just one more question for our files mr. Smithers I don't see why I have to answer any more questions You can get all your information from the police records. It's a formality. We have to follow mr. Smithers My company's not in business for its health you understand surely. I told you everything you want to know just one more thing What really made your wife take her own life? That's in the evidence of the inquest It's available to you my instructions are to get it in your own words You want your wife's insurance, don't you mr. Smithers? No sense in going to pieces, you know If I were in your shoes, you know what I'd do Take a trip if you was in my shoes. Yes. Do you good now? What about your wife? Oh I'll guess the war was too much for her She finally give way after it was all over Sergeant Jellaby told me you said that then you've seen the police. What part of my job, you know Is that all you want? I think so the money will come through in due time mr. Smithers Good day Panic won't help you at all Alfred Still mr. Chatham the insurance man seemed much too suspicious, didn't he why all the leading questions? If he were in your shoes, he said he'd go away As if he knew that was already in your mind for that's your plan now, isn't it the moment you get your money You'll go away start all over again in another town, maybe even another country You hold of that thought all the next day And then you stop at the corner pub on your way home from the office and have a beer with your friend Henry Well ears to your elf a long life and no slip ups. No slip ups accidents Oh, nothing ever goes wrong for you. Cheerio Cheerio. Oh, that's a bit of all right. What? Yes. Yes, it is Ran into that insurance bloke this afternoon. Uh Chatham. You did Tells me you're thinking of going away. What gave you that idea? I don't know Perhaps he didn't say that exactly Said he mentioned it to you. Where are you thinking of going now? I haven't got a south of France is the spot this time of the year Well, I haven't even thought about it Henry here speaking of France by the way I ran across a rum item in the paper last week. Oh, this French bloke's wife killed herself See suicide Plain as the nose on your face bloke collects the insurance and then skips off Ops off to Paris and starts blowing in his brass on riotous living you might say The joined arms picked him up like that give himself away. He did He killed her he's self if he'd stayed where he was Nobody'd have been any the wiser now the way I look at it. Elf. Oh When you go I say there Could be a friend mr. Small Well, he was here only a second ago. I was just shinnin not looking at him especially and he ups and disappears He walked out while you was talking mr. Small Why does the sheet he was just like he'd seen a ghost? It wasn't a ghost you'd seen was it Alfred merely the folly of trying to go away Henry Smalls, right people would immediately start to talk Wait though Henry Small never invited you to have a beer before and why did he tell you that story about the Frenchman? It's very suspicious As frightening as Molly Applegate's remarks at the inquest. What was the information she could have given the coroner? The question beats at your mind again as you walk home from the pub trying to hurry through the fog that's come up I Hope I didn't startle you mr. Smithers. Yeah, you did give me a bit of a tear mrs. Applegate I didn't notice you're waiting at the doorway thought she'd be along about now I've been waiting for you wait in for me I know how it's been for you since Gracie passed on I thought perhaps you were tired of having your tea alone by now Oh Well, I haven't thought about it much mrs. Applegate as a widow I know what it's like to be lonely myself. I Just got some lovely fish and chips at the shop and I left here on a tell So she'd like to come in really I thought we might have things to talk about Things to talk about. I'm a woman. What keeps her eyes open? I know how things were with you and Gracie what you mean and are a mystery box Well, what about believe me? I understand understand what what is it understand? You can trust me not to breathe a word to anyone mrs. Applegate. Oh, I'm sure I don't know what I've said You've known me long enough now to call me by my right name. You can call me Molly if you want to I'm sorry. I really must be getting out. Oh, but I'll see What's happening to you Alfred Sergeant Jellaby Henry small the insurance man Molly Applegate They've all talked to one another about you. Are they playing a cat-and-mouse game with you? You've got to find out how much they know ask Henry small question him skillfully cunningly so that he won't suspect anything But get the truth from him That's it. He'll fight him to the house He's late in arriving though by the time he does get there It's late afternoon and fog is beginning to creep through the streets again What did you want to see me about Elf? Well, Henry or I'd like to apologize about the other night Apologize What for I suppose you thought it was odd to me? I said Why are you looking out the window? Oh, nothing nothing. What's up, Elf? I wanted to talk about something else, too What's that? Well, I Don't quite know how to say it something trouble in your elf. Why do you say that? Help sometimes to get it off your chest like I was saying to Molly Applegate Why must you keep looking at that window? What's that elf? You expecting something? Is that it? Is that why you was late? Here he is. He's coming now. Oh, oh you're talking about another minute You wouldn't be able to see him for the fog. Oh, is it here? Let me see them uniforms Don't keep out the cold in weather like this. No, no, we can't what's up. He can't come here Look here Mike easy does it now look elf. Is anything the matter? He's at the door Elf. You better let him in Elf, don't you hear him? You better go to the door What have you done? Let me help you You can let him in now Henry You all thought you were so clever but Poison is Whistler will return in just a moment with a strange ending to tonight's story Meantime a word about a site that's becoming more and more common these cold mornings Somebody trying to start his car, but no luck the reason another war weary battery has gone dead So that this can't happen to your car I'd like to suggest that you take advantage of your signal gasoline dealer's complete battery service at least every two weeks Stop in to have him check the water level and remove destructive corrosion from the terminals If your battery seems run down your signal dealer has the latest equipment to tell its exact condition as well as to give you a thorough Recharge job in the event that you need a new battery He has top quality signal batteries fully guaranteed for long trouble-free service And I might add signal dealers also have America's finest spark plugs Champion spark plugs which play such an important part in cold weather starting So stop in at your signal dealer soon You'll find he's much more than just a place to buy signals famous go farther gasoline and fine lubricants For wherever you see signals yellow and black circle sign there You'll also find complete signal service and accessories to help your car run better Look better and last longer And now back to the Whistler Yes Alfred poison is quicker quick enough to kill you while that uniform figure still rang your doorbell The cat and mouse game is over The moment you saw his vague form coming up the walk through the fog You knew that giant paw was descending on you the police have come for you at last So now you lie dead in a huddled heap in your little kitchen While Molly Applegate aroused by Henry Smalls outcry and Henry talked to the newcomer about you Terrible terrible. How soon do you think the police will get here Sergeant Jellaby ought to be here at any time now Not that he can do anything. Nobody can now what made him do it Well, mate the minute he saw you he makes a dash for the kitchen at the time. I realized something was up It was too late. Oh poor fella seem to go all to pieces after his wife died I did what I could for him to stood him a drink the other night Ran out on me while I was telling him some yarn or the other. I must say I was wrong about him wrong Well, I feel proper ashamed of myself now, but I got the idea. She hadn't been a good wife to him I tried to tell him so poor old chum Ain't it funny how he jumped on the edge the minute I spotted you coming up the walk Thought you might be bringing me a quitter to on the football pool this week Instead you called on a left. What gets me? Why does he do it just when I'm ringing the bell? What was it you had for him mr. Postman a special delivery letter registered from the insurance company? It's the money from his poor wife's policy But the whistler will bring you another strange tale The whistler is broadcast for your entertainment by the marketers of signal gasoline and motor oil and fine quality Automotive accessories and by your neighborhood signal dealer this program produced by George W. Allen with tonight's story by Leslie edgeley Music by Wilbur hatch is transmitted to our troops overseas by the armed forces radio service That whistle is your signal for the signal oil program the whistler This is Marvin Miller speaking reminding you to look for those familiar yellow and black circle signs That identify those popular signal oil stations in seven western states from Canada to Mexico This is CBS the Columbia broadcasting system