 Let every ghost signal remind you that you do go farther with signal gasoline The signal oil program Signal oil brings you another strange tale by the whistler Tonight the story of a man who gambled with life and of the tale the dead man told and the whistler And I know many things for I walk by night I know many strange tales many secrets 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 Before the whistler brings you tonight's story I want to pass along to you a few of the enthusiastic comments coming in from men in uniform To whom signal oil company has been sending thousands of the exciting battleship games called salvo SALVO Lieutenant commander Hartung commanding the USS Bladen writes Signals generous gift of salvo games is of Inestimable recreational value and will do much for the morale of this ship's personnel And commander AL mayor of the USS Haskell writes The crew of this vessel deeply appreciates signals kindness salvo games provide much pleasure doing leisure hours Well friends because of the popularity of this great game for two persons Signal oil company thought you too would enjoy playing salvo. So in addition to those going to the armed forces Signal has been able to get a limited number to be given away by neighborhood signal gasoline dealers A salvo game is yours for the asking But I'd suggest getting yours tomorrow sure because folks over here are sure to go for salvo And just as big a way as men overseas are going for the salvo games signal oil company is sending them And now The whistler A driving rain slants down outside the golden pheasant nightclub It drenches the streets, but it doesn't seem to dampen the gaiety of the crowd inside Yes, it's a gay crowd happy and carefree Which just goes to prove once again That all the glitters is not gold a couple detach themselves Make the short dash from door to curb and climb into a car. They seem far from carefree I can't understand it. It's only 11 o'clock. I'll come you're tired already. I'm not tired Just want to go home. Okay, so we're going home Darling what don't be angry with me. Oh, I'm not How can I be angry with you? Sandra you're so sweet So understand well, I don't understand this We were going to have fun tonight going on to sammy's place after the golden pheasant make a night of it You were going to those were your plan. Well, those weren't my plans You know sweet after we always do what I want to do. Is that so? You know sweet after I can make you do anything I want Can't I is that so? Well, I guess you can Your little mink That's better So I take you home when we could be having a good time But what I want to know is why oh right? I'll tell you because I'm afraid of office and so you might get home ahead of it Look, baby. I told you your husband is at the office. I left him there myself at six o'clock He said he'd probably be there all night or most of it going over the books This is inventory time Very convenient, huh? Yes very convenient for us By the way, bro, didn't you say you wanted to stop at the office on the way home? Yeah, I'm going to Richmond tomorrow morning. I might as well pick up my papers and things tonight Thanks for reminding me What would I do without you? Oh, you've gotten along pretty well, but I'm not going to get along forever without you Sandra, when are you going to quit Arthur? When are you going to make the break? Oh, let's not worry about that just yet. Maybe something will happen to make things easier But this has been going on now for months. I'm not going to wait forever. You'll wait darling How can you be so calm? Oh, here's the office here. Send in Sandra, you're a wonderful woman A remarkable woman Yes, Bert Williams. Sandra's a remarkable woman So remarkable that you're risking everything to be near her Your friendship for Arthur her husband your business partnership with him your reputation None of the matter if you can just persuade Sandra to leave Arthur for you But it's going to take a little more time I'll just be a minute. I'm coming with you But you're not going to leave me out here in the rain on this dark street alone. No, but listen And the author's up there. He might hear us. You come out. He won't see me. I promise you Come on He might as well find out now and later anyway mightn't be first That might be the best way just to get it over with So you walk up not being especially careful about the footsteps Down the hall into your office Get the papers Back past his office across that patch of light on the floor coming through his closed door That's funny What? Not sound Well, they wouldn't be talking to himself. No, but maybe he's already gone and forgotten to turn out the light Arthur and waste electricity Not Arthur. I'm telling my parents Maybe you better stick your head in your shoes. I'll stand back out of sight. I'm gonna know You might as well If you think it was funny, you didn't stop and say good night Yeah, I suppose so Okay, just not Hi there, old workhorse. What are you up to? Arthur there's a fine way to act. Come on wake Sandra stay out of here Something to matter with Arthur Why do you like that with his head on the desk? I don't know what happened He's dead, isn't he? Yes, he's dead. All right Bullet right through his temple. Oh, no Why does he look like that? I don't know It does look like suicide. What? There there now Sandra. Sit down try to keep going. Oh I was through with him. I was going to leave him, but My trip wasn't fair. Of course not darling. I know that not just take it easy I can't believe he commits suicide Why? Maybe he left a note. They usually do. Let's see There is something on the desk here Here look it's addressed to me to you. Yeah Dear Burke, this will probably be a shock to you, but believe me it's best Business is bad, but that's only part of it You'll be able to carry on With me out of the way just one thing. Look at the Sandra for me. Will you? Goodbye Arthur How could he do such a thing? I can't tell from this whether he Knew or not What does this mean you'll be able to carry on with me out of the way? I don't know Of course he meant the insurance Insurance. Yes Didn't you two have some kind of partnership insurance? Yes, that's right. Of course We took it out when we first started in business if one of us died the other got a hundred thousand dollars Yes, that's what he meant business was bad, but if he died you get a hundred thousand to help with the business Only Sandra What a fool He made a terrible mistake. I won't get any hundred thousand. I won't get a cent Oh, why not because there's a suicide clause in the insurance It's paid for any natural or accidental death, but not for suicide suicide voids the insurance. Oh for nothing He did it all for nothing. Oh Yes, he was a fool even in death How can you talk like that? Why not Sandra? He stood between me and what I wanted most in the world you Now there's nothing standing between us. We can be married live the life we've wanted together Having a center outside the business. Don't worry. We'll think of a way Sironic, you know only we had that hundred We might have two if only he hadn't made it so obviously suicide You don't suppose Suppose what it is suicide It couldn't have been murder But lord Sandra who could have murdered him. I don't know but Robber somebody no Course it's suicide. There's the note obviously a suicide note There hadn't been a note it Might have looked like murder Sandra Sandra listen if there was no note if the police didn't find a note It might look like murder to them. What do you mean? And if they called it murder the insurance company would pay the hundred thousand you're not thinking why not? What difference would it make to him? He must have intended that I get the insurance money Well, why should I be robbed of it just because he forgot something it is not right. Why not? It's what he wanted We're just carrying out the wishes of the dead. It's nobody else's business But you're forgetting if it looks like murder then it is somebody else's business The police They have to find the murderer which they couldn't do Because there is no murder but they might accuse Even you me Yes, I hadn't thought of that A gun who's going there? I didn't know I had a gun He didn't Oh, good lord. That's my gun He must have taken it out of my desk. You're gone Well, then they would say Wait a minute It would have your fingerprints on naturally it's my gun And it has his on it too because he used it that would prove it Yes, unless we wipe them off and put mine back on The murderer would wipe his off anyway, but it would be natural for mine to be there. Yes, that's right, of course But they still might say you killed him for the insurance. They might say that but Look sander. I have a perfect alibi. I was with you We've been at the golden pheasant all evening since 7 30 plenty of people saw us there. Wait a minute, please take a minute more I wouldn't want anything to happen to you now darling. Don't worry. It's simple They couldn't possibly convict me even if they did decide I did it Now don't worry. Everything's going to be all right I just wiped the prints off of my scarf Man grip the gun there Wipe it again, but not too well so some of my prints will be left on Now I drop it carelessly on the floor Now to note just touch a match to it There there goes the evidence just a pile of ashes in the ashtray couldn't they basically destroying evidence? Not if they don't know whatever existed and how can they only you and I know they find the ashes in the ashtray Will they examine them or something but they won't fight them Because now we dump the ashtray out the window and scatter the ashes to the four winds. Yeah, that does it now. We're all set Darling, I hope so Don't be baby. It'll be simple. Just leave it to me And you better cry a little more So you'll be properly tear stained when the police get here Police sure that's the next step Hello operator get me the police station Yes, the homicide division You're skating on thin ice, don't you think? Making the police believe that arthur's suicide is murder and possibly making them think you did it That's a dangerous game you're playing But now that it's done the police seem to fall for your trick At the coroner's inquest they're eyeing you with suspicion Your testimony to the coroner doesn't help much No, I definitely don't think it's suicide. He wasn't the type to commit suicide. He had no reason to that I know her and perhaps he had enemies who might have wanted to put him out of the way No, no, not that I know her the coroner seemed satisfied with your testimony. Then sandra answers the question Yes, Mr. Williams, and I spent the entire evening at the golden pheasant nightclub and your husband didn't come along He said he had some work to do We got the end of 11 to pick him up That's when we found him Did your husband ever speak to taking his life? Was he despondent? Oh no, never Mrs. Albers, do you think your husband committed suicide? I feel sure that if he were to do such a thing he would at least have left me a note Some explanation But he didn't Therefore, I can't believe he took his own life That went over big didn't it berth that practically clinched it They can't call it suicide now Sandra convinced them but just to add another link. There's the police officer to add his testimony The bullet entered the right temple on a 250 degree angle that is slightly from the rear and moving forward Powder burns on the skin indicated that the gun was not held directly to the head But several inches from it perhaps three or four your estimation captain Could it have been possible for the dead man to have fired the fatal shot himself? Well, yes possible, but it would have been an awkward position If he had shot himself it would seem more logical for him to place the muzzle directly against his temple And in your opinion the gun was probably fired by someone else Someone who came up from behind him perhaps. Well, that would only be an opinion. It might not have been It could have been either Well berth there's a break for you a break you hadn't counted on Arthur with very obliging You can see him right now deciding to hold the gun away from his head No doubt he wanted to avoid unnecessary unpleasantness. He was so fastidious Well offer up a few thanks berth because that did it the coroner's jury has reached its verdict The jury finds the deceased Arthur albers met death at the hands of a person or persons unknown You are listening to the signal oil program that every ghost signal remind you that you do go farther with signal gasoline Well, berth williams you pulled it off. Didn't you? The coroner's jury called it murder by person or persons unknown Oh, there'll be an investigation, but you're not worried about that You'll be able to prove that you didn't do it, but now you fixed it so that you can get that hundred thousand dollars Go ahead Go on down to the insurance company and collect it. Yes, naturally. Mr. Williams. You want the insurance benefit It's rather customary to give us a little time to investigate a case like this in which there seems to be Some question of doubt, but I need the money right away The business you say yes. Yes, of course. Of course. I understand that but You see in case it were later proved that mr. Albers death was by suicide Then we'd not be able to pay I know that but the coroner's jury has already said that it was murder Unless I'm very much mistaken that makes it legal. Yes Unless we could prove otherwise You mean you'll investigate further on your own? Yes. Yes, of course. We're required to do so But you're also required to pay me since it's officially called murder at least until you prove otherwise Yes, then I'll take that chance And pay you back if I'm wrong and it is suicide There's only one thing about that mr. Williams by taking the money now I warn you You might be laying yourself open to suspicion of fraud In case it turned out to be suicide fraud. Yeah. Oh now, please don't misunderstand or don't I'm not accusing you of anything I only warn you that the courts might view your action as suspicious I'm suggesting that it might be better to wait Let the decision be final before you collect your benefit. I'll take the chance I want the money now very well mr. Williams as you wish Yes, you're sure of yourself now. Aren't you Bert? Very sure and why not? You've deposited that certified check for $100,000 in your bank and they can't touch you So you go to sander to tell her the good news Now baby, we can get out maybe in a week or two when it's all blown overhead for mexico or florida. Anywhere you say That's wonderful darling. I'd like to start out right now. So would I we better let things cool off a little first The insurance company might smell a rat if we pulled out too quickly the insurance company has nothing to do with me I could leave right now Rest after the strain of the funeral Without me. Hey now none of that from now on it's us together It's a fallacy, you know the two can live as cheaply as one That hundred thousand would go a lot farther for just One of Sandra, I don't understand you naturally. You're going to share it with me I don't care anything about the money except for what I can do for you. Oh really darling. Well, that's very nice Because you see I've decided that I'll just take it all So if you don't mind you might like me a check or make out a bank draft or something Sandra, what is this a joke? No joke. I assure you dear I'm very attached to money and the thought of that hundred thousand thrills me So I'd rather not have a piece near like a housewife's allowance I want it now. But lord sander. Do you realize what you're saying? You're telling me it's the money you want not me I might put it that way Are you trying to tell me that all this time I've met no more of you than that? Oh, it's been fun, darling fun Sandra, you can't mean that I'm afraid I do bird. So there's not much need for any further talk Just transfer the hundred thousand to my account tomorrow morning and we'll call everything even What fantastic notion makes you think I'd give you the money now far from fantastic I have a notion you wouldn't like for me to tell the insurance company and the police that you perpetrated abroad That Arthur really did commit suicide And you destroyed the evidence you wouldn't dare tell them They wouldn't believe you in the first place. How could you prove it with a little slip of paper? I have just a note a note from Arthur He registered mail the day after he died. You might call it a suicide note Yes Isn't it logical that he'd write one to his wife as well as to his business partner? I never thought of that. No, darling. You didn't did you? But it turned out very nicely Now when you transfer the money to my account and bring me to bank book, I'll do you a favor I'll burn this little note that you burned the other one Okay You win Sandra. That's a good boy I'll expect you there in about 10 in the morning Well Bert, that's what you might call poetic justice. Well poetic anyway You really got taken didn't you? But there's nothing to be done about it. She has you on a spot And so you'll have to go down Transfer that hundred thousand to her account and bring her the deposit slip You watch her burn the note and destroy the ashes and now you're even Thanks, darling someday Sandra you'll pay for this Someday you'll get what you deserve perhaps who knows But in the meantime, I'll be so comfortable Thanks to you Yes, she rubbed it in didn't she Bert and you go back to your apartment smarting under her words But you don't have too much time to think about it Bert Because there's a man from the da's office waiting for you when you get there And he takes you downtown to talk to the boss a couple of questions. I want to ask you mr. Williams Just to clear up a few points. All right anything I can do first a minor point Did either you or mrs. Albers smoke while you were in Albers office before the police arrived? No, no, I'm sure we didn't All right Now you say you were with mrs. Albers all evening. Yes, we went to the golden pheasant nightclub for dinner and dancing. What time do you arrive there? Well Rather early about 730 I'd say and where were you before that? Well, I was at the office till about six then I went to my apartment to dress I suppose I can't really remember because Albers was not with you then no, I I picked her up about 715 why Well, you see mr. Williams the autopsy proves that albers was killed between six and seven Oh, I thought you thought what? I thought it was probably later and that's all that's all No, it was definitely between six and seven or just a short time after you say you left the office And you are not with mrs. Albers until 730 An hour later. Well, no, I I was at the apartment, but I'm sure I can prove that the elevator boy would have seen me and the maid I have a maid She testified that I was there mr. Williams I'm not questioning where you were You're not under suspicion for albers death I'm not no of course not you never were You see from the very beginning. We had a pretty clear line on the real murderer What do you mean? The ashtray was the first clue You see it was a little strange that a man working late at night hadn't piled up an ashtray full of cigarette butts The ashtray had been used But there were no butts left in it It hadn't been dumped into the wastebasket So we got a little suspicious We found that it had been dumped out the window Out the window Yes And among the cigarette butts that we found was one especially that interested us It was smudged with lipstick This naturally led us to think of a woman A woman not one. No, no, not one of the office employees because we found that the janitor said Clean that ashtray about six After all but mr. Albers had left for the day And you told us that mrs. Albers didn't smoke when you two came in later that night. Yes, that's right Hmm That meant that there was a woman there about the time albers died So we began looking around and we got the main clue from the dead man's lips from yes You might almost say he told us You see on his lip was a smudge of lipstick that told us that indeed there had been a woman there And she had been someone known intimately enough to kiss him And incidentally to stand behind him without arousing his suspicion Where she placed the gun to his head and fire, but but that might have been his wife's lipstick Yes, it might enlightened it But I mean it could have been there all day ever since she kissed him. Goodbye that morning. It's possible, but not probable He'd have seen it and wiped it off or it would have worn off But anyway, the next clue pointed in the same direction Your prints on the gun had been smudged with some kind of fabric not a handkerchief We decided it could have been gloves worn for the murderer not leather gloves, but cloth gloves like a woman wear Now what woman might know where you kept your gun being the habit of kissing albers and so on Only one Since albers was the kind of a man he was his wife You mean You're charging sandra with a murder. Yes You clinched it with what you just told me. What do you mean? You told me the truth That you didn't pick sandra albers up until 7 15. She slipped She told me you picked her up shortly after six at exactly the time she was killing her No, no, she didn't do it. You're making a terrible mistake. I know she didn't do it Oh, no, mr. Williams because Arthur albers committed suicide. Oh come now. Williams. He did. There was a note a suicide note What happened to it? I burned it. I burned it so it would look like murder and I'd get the insurance money Mr. Williams I know how you feel about mrs. Albers and I know you're trying to protect her But I warn you she's not worth lying for She's going to be prosecuted for the murder of her husband and she's going to be convicted Nothing you say Can help her The whistler will revise this strange ending of this tale in just a moment Meanwhile, I'd like to tell you about roi jacobson for 13 years a signal gasoline dealer in berkeley california What with repairing tires relining brakes replacing mufflers and other jobs to keep aging cars on the road Jacobson is a busy man When I was waiting for him the customer who had just had his brakes reline commented I've been having my car serviced at Jacobson signal station for 13 years and I have yet to hear a customer squawk I know I can depend on his work because he's so conscientious Conscientious that word friends characterizes the kind of service you'll find in signal gasoline stations from canada to mexico And the reason for their conscientious thorough service is that every signal dealer is in business for himself Most of them for many years like roi jacobson Naturally, they want to serve you so well. You will be their permanent customer Well with uncle sam predicting that one car in every 12 will go off the road this year Such service can be mighty important That's why so many drivers these days are switching to those friendly Signal gasoline dealers who make a permanent business of helping cars go farther And now back to the whistler Well, the district attorney was right. He did convict sandra albers for the murder of her husband All through the trial burt williams kept trying to explain the clues they brought in Kept protesting sandra's innocence, but it was no use. Nobody believed him And when she died Something happened to him He said he'd murdered her that ghosts haunted him that he heard her calling to him His friends decided his mind had snapped and they had him put away Too bad No need for it at all. No Because what burt didn't know was that sandra really had killed her husband. Yes The district attorney was right And burt who had started out to make it look like he had committed a murder he hadn't Ended up in a madhouse because he thought he had committed one that he hadn't Funny, isn't it? Next monday at nine o'clock the signal oil program will bring you another strange tale by the whistler The signal oil program is broadcast for your entertainment by the signal oil company marketers of signals famous go farther gasoline and motor oil And by your neighborhood signal oil dealer who is at your service daily to keep your car running for the duration The signal oil program produced and directed by george w allen the story by john dunkel and music by willber hatch Is transmitted to our troops overseas by the armed forces radio service bill panel speaking for your friends the signal oil company And suggesting once again that you let every ghost signal remind you that you do go farther With signal gasoline This is cbs the columbia broadcasting system