 I'm Hollywood. It's time now for Johnny Duller Johnny. This is Lee Hawkins continental insurance and trust company My old fishing proud you still holding down the Ohio branch of the company there in Columbus Yes, John. I am but now look here brother I never will forget the great fishing you and I had over in Darby Creek a couple of years back and long about this time Every year the urge really gets to me. Hey if the streams cleared up yet from the spring rains Quite the contrary as a matter of fact about little raccoon Creek down there Jackson Boy remember those big channel cats in the bass Johnny will you listen? Ah, oh sure. I'm all ears The big river has gone on a rampage again spring floods. You mean the Ohio? Yes, and every other river of any size the rains are still coming down. I see Old towns are being washed away by the floodwaters death and destruction all over. Oh I am sorry Lee. I didn't mean to sound so well, you know mention fishing and I lose my head look Johnny I need you out here. Can you come right away? Sure the exciting adventures of the man with the action-packed expense account America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator yours truly Johnny dollar well act one of yours truly Johnny dollar Account submitted by special investigator Johnny dollar to the Continental Insurance and Trust Company Columbus, Ohio office Following as the kind of expenses incurred during my investigation of the wayward River matter Expense account item one forty three dollars and a half transportation in New York and a flagship to Columbus, Ohio It was 5 30 p.m. And raining hard when the big 4-inch and plane set down gently at Port Columbus Airport some seven miles out of town My plan was to go into the Fort Hayes Hotel and call Lee Hawkins from there So after picking up my luggage I headed for the door in a taxi stand, but Lee it seems had other ideas here Let me help you with your balance. All right, son. I'm just looking for a taxi to leave my cars right out here Johnny You sooner we get started the better You're not right through this door. Yeah, well wait as soon as we get started. Where where we going to the town of Colorado? 100 miles or so south come on if you want to get so hey Whatever you say Brother Shoo, why didn't you tell me to bring a wrinkler? Why don't you read the papers and writing like this for long off and on three or four weeks? You may have a mean ride ahead of us. Oh, what's it all about Lee well the floods along the Ohio been pretty severe this year Johnny I mean somewhat later than usual. Yeah that much I did read about half a dozen of the big cities have been taking a real beating Despite of all their preparations for the big runoff. I know it's been through all over the country So what you don't read about in the headlines though is the little places like Colorado It's my old hometown Johnny I'm so a lot of policies there particularly to the local shopkeepers, you know on their stocks and merchandise So there's been a lot of flood damage in your company's having to pay up a lot of claims. No, not yet So far the town's been lucky most of the recent bad storms have been across the state line up in Pennsylvania over in West Virginia Same was true last year in the year before so So the people down around Colorado red Farmers mostly haven't gone ahead with their flood control project the way they should have is kind of red right on the Ohio No, it's in a valley few miles north It's on the Crooked River and Parts of the town are actually below the riverbank And you see what that means. Yeah, I sure can most of the year. It's a quiet lazy stream about 50 or 60 feet wide But when the feeder streams up in the hill start pouring water down and if it overflows I have the town will go with it. You swept right down into the Ohio Don't they know enough to prepare for this sort of thing Johnny like I say they've been lucky so far This present storm has been bigger and longer than anything they've ever had What about the state flood control Commission or whatever it's called can't they do anything What's a little bird like Carter ret when there are a hundred bigger and more important towns in the same fix? Yeah, I see what you mean Before the lines went down I got a call from Fred Norlock one of my bigger counts down there big hardware firm Unless the river goes down. He's gonna lose the whole place. That means over a hundred thousand dollar insurance claim But what can I possibly do Lee? I don't know Johnny I just don't We were heading south on route 23 by the time we reached Chilacanthee the rain had led up to a drizzle By the time we reached Jackson where we left the main highway at it led up entirely But I noticed that every little stream we passed was overflowing its banks Finally must have been after midnight. We pulled up on a low hill overlooking the town of Cotteret and it started to rain again To rain hard below us the crooked river was a terrible terrifying thing to watch Power lines were out but Maybe hundreds of kerosene and gasoline lanterns flashlights and lights from cars showed only two plainly the perils the brown rushing raging torrent the threat of the town Men stripped of the waist the banker and the ditch diggers side by side the farmer and the merchant Toil frantically to reinforce the levee with bags of sand stone cement anything they could find While the river left hungrily at their feet trying to undermine the embankment as quickly as it was built up Back and then were others filling the sandbags bulldozing additional strength for the levee hauling truckloads of sand and rock and gravel Digging shoveling filling anything they could do. I'd never seen a more dedicated group of people men women children all working in a common cause Not just for themselves, but for the survival of their neighbors their town The ugly river was like a thing alive Flying at them seeking to destroy Degree flew by at express train speed whirling now and then to strike out at the embankment fighting to break it down Thousands of tons of wreckage parts of houses chicken poops freeze and brush anything that would float I stood there appalled and almost overwhelmed by a feeling of utter helplessness can't they see But they're up here on this hill. They could see That they're losing brown Johnny the river's rising faster than they can build up the levee Yeah, yeah, it looks that way. What's the matter with you guys? Can't you see they need to help down there? Anybody doesn't help on a shot. He's right Johnny. We ought to go down there and help for whatever it's worth wait At one section where they're all working It's right about the cut in the peri-skitch if the levee goes there It'll sweep the whole section down the valley into the Ohio River luckily look back there behind us The reason why the water's planning up Don't you see that old railroad bridge the trees the mud the ruffle it's piled up against it That railroad trestle has become a regular dam Hey, you're right more of that degree piling up there the stronger it gets and the higher it gets to With the water mounting up behind it that way the levee over Perry Street will go in a matter of minutes Right, but break that dam somehow and the water will get through down the crooked River into the Ohio Break that dam and it'll save the yes How Johnny how yeah, how Act two of yours truly Johnny dollar in a moment and now for another episode in the life of Sergeant Donald Bellwether My husband you're gonna serve dinner. Oh in a few minutes dear. Okay. I'll see you later Wait a minute Donald. I want you to hear my speech You mean the safety speech for the PTA meeting. Oh, come on. Do I have to you want dinner? Blackmailer, okay, where do you want me to sit on the sofa? No, no, no in the dining room No, I've got to practice projecting my voice projecting your boy. Are you kidding? How's this? Oh, that's fine Okay, now after the president introduces me I'll say madam chairlady parents visitors according to the National Safety Council last year in the United States 4,450 youngsters under 15 years were killed in traffic accidents. How many oh, please Donald don't interrupt 4,450 oh, that's an awful lot. Yes, dear it is. Hmm. Well, then I go on to say Ladies and gentlemen, how can we help prevent traffic accidents from killing and maiming our youngsters? We must remember that children will act like children Therefore when we drive by schools playgrounds and the neighborhoods where children are playing We must act like mature adults and be on the sharp lookout for that sudden ball bouncing across the street with a little child running after That's very good, honey As soon as children are old enough to understand It is up to us the parents to instill in their minds the dangers of playing near traffic Children must be taught to obey all safety rules and safety patrols to board and a light from the school bus without horseplay and Above all We adults should obey all safety rules because children mimic their parents Thanks, you know, you're really good. I'm proud of you. Oh, that's my Donald. That's my doll Now act two of yours truly Johnny dollar and the wayward River matter Went on the hill above the little town of Ciderette We could see why the Cricut River was rising so fast threatening to engulf the top. You're right, Johnny The debris against the old railroad trestle has made it down and somehow we've got a break that's in but how We know any stores down there any of them carry dynamite? Yeah, down there on Perry Street Norlock supply company and come on I'm Norlock one of my biggest clients If the levee breaks his place will take the front of the block You see down there. He has men putting sandbags around They won't mean a thing if the levee goes Why doesn't he send those men back on up to the river's edge where they could do some foot? My Johnny, he's the only man in town looking after his personal property Only one selfish enough to Listen, he's also the man who's always opposed doing something about this review breath Lee We've got to get down there and get some dynamite The groups we passed still vainly trying to shake up holes in the levee all but spat on us as we passed Because we weren't working with them trying to save their town from the raging Cricut River or so they thought Finally, we slogged our way to the Norlock supply company on Perry Street Hello bags didn't get around my place the levee goes it'll all come down here more sandbags more You're crazy. Mr. Norlock. You're wasting your time. Mr. Harkins. Why that levee goes nothing will save this place of yours He's right Norlock get your men on up to the levee where they'll do some good Then you've had the insurance of my places left away. It won't be if we save the town. We need dynamite This is Johnny dollar the insurance investigator Look, look, there's no time to stand around and talk. We need dynamite a lot of it But for the wreckage from up the river it's jammed against the old railroad trestle south of town And it's made a regular dam. That's what's backing up the water. I know I've seen you're gonna blow that up That's right. Now. Where's the dynamite anybody got on that trestle with the pressure of the river against it He's crazy any part of that goes you'll go with it. It'll be killed. He's right, Mr Be suicide to go up there. Come on. Let's have the dynamite and you men get up above where you can help Oh, you wait hold that truck with all the bags you can but get up there fast All right, where's that dynamite? But if we don't the whole town Are you threatening to shoot me put that away? Johnny wait, let me handle this Lee. You're crazy. Don't put that gun away. All right. No lock. It's up to you What do you mean unless you give us the dynamite? I'll blast the lock off this place of yours and get it myself Well, all right In here Tell you you're mad Always no lock mad a victim of the panic that all too often ceases a man when the going gets tough But he did give us the dynamite Then with two of his workmen Lee Harkins and I trudged through the mud and the night loaded with cases of dynamite back to the old railroad Trust now when we got there I wondered if maybe no lock wasn't right after all if it wouldn't be suicide to go out on it The pile up of debris against it was huge Bank of it the deadly brown waters swirled and Eddie throwing telegraph poles railroad ties huge trees pounding against the battering of the old framework of the trust If only they'd strike hard enough to break it down break the day Perhaps they would by that time the town of Cotterette would be lost Yes, somebody had to do this job. It looked like I'd elected myself I'm not quite clear on what happened during that next 20 or 30 minutes. They seem like 30 years of nightmare I edge my way out on that riggedy framework a fuse case of dynamite under my arm It was dark and I had to feel my way along over planks and boards and trees that the force of the water had thrown up on the The wires leading back to the plunger that would set off the charge would catch and drag But I knew I had to reach the first long span to make the explosive do its work And all the while the old bridge creaked and groaned and shook from the impact of the wreckage being thrown against it by the angry water But then finally the job was done I felt my way back Yeah, I'm coming Everything ready here Don't you see the levee above? It's starting to go Back over the town. There's a gap. The water's rushing. Okay, leave the plunger All right, then line out quick get out. There she goes Johnny dollar in a moment Do you know who said my political ideal is democracy? Everyone should be respected as an individual but no one idolized. I am convinced that degeneracy follows every autocratic system of violence for violence inevitably attracts moral inferiors Time has proved that illustrious tyrants are succeeded by scoundrels Those words were written by the great scientist Albert Einstein Einstein saw the weaknesses of a government in which too much power was centered in too few people a government based upon violence Einstein saw the danger of elevating a person to so high a level that he might seize power to which he was not entitled Such a situation is not in the American tradition Remember the words of Albert Einstein. They are part of your American heritage The degeneracy follows every autocratic system of violence And now act three of yours truly Johnny dollar and the wayward River matter The charge of dynamite on the old railroad bridge had broken the dam that the angry River had thrown up against it Had released the little town from the threat of being washed down the valley into the Ohio River The men and women and children spent from having struggled against the raging water throughout the night and all the day before Went quietly back to their homes and farms to rest and sleep And nature defeated gave up The rain stopped and the sky is clear Even the charging yellow waters of the Crooked River seemed to diminish in a sort of frustration What damage had been done to the town could wait now until the people were arrested refreshed As Lee Harkins and I plotted warily over to the village and I noticed the streets were deserted Yeah Even as the long gray fingers of dawn reached up into the sky the town exhausted and slept Unmindful of the rooster in someone's backyard who sought to rouse it Nor did we rouse the innkeeper But picked a couple of rooms and settled down to rest our worry But I couldn't sleep Somewhere in the back of my brain a little worry began to form to peck away at me In all of carter at the night before there'd been one man and one man only who'd ignored the common good to look after his own selfish interests I went into Lee's room and awakened. Oh Johnny later I'm so dead. I can't go back to sleep. Well, no, come on. Just a couple of questions. Lee listen to me Oh, why don't you let me sleep over a hundred thousand insurance you said Yeah I don't know. Well, if you ask me that's too much for a business of any kind in the town this size much too much So maybe I gave him a break on his valuation Yeah You know Help sign up some of the other merchants But a hundred thousand of insurance money would give him enough to live on the rest of his life Oh, no, look, why don't you go back to bed? Lee he knew about that dam at the railroad trestle and so far as I could see he was the only one who did Well, everybody else was so busy at the levee, but did he try to do anything about it? No Instead he went through the motions of trying to protect his property But he knew that if that levee broke nothing would save all right. All right chalk it up to panic panic, huh? He fought to keep us from getting that dynamite the one thing that could save the town He kept those workmen away from where they might have done some good at the levee He alone wanted that levee to break what good heavens johnny you Well, you're right You must be yeah, I'm right I'm going out and look for mr. Fred norlock. Yeah, but there isn't a soul out there. Everybody's maybe That's what I want to find out I found Fred norlock alone Up on the inner bank the riverside of the levee Or anyone down below couldn't see him and he was working with a shovel a crowbar Beside him was a pile of dynamite I'd given him that idea All right norlock lay down that shovel The river didn't do it the way you planned last night did it maybe not Because if you would you're not gonna stop me now Well, I'll put that thing down. I'll kill you dollar if you come any closer And nobody'll know because there's nobody around I'll throw your body in the river nobody'll ever know Sure set up a small charge enough to breach the levee. That's right It's already in you can't stop and the river will crash through destroy that feigning business of yours down there I take with us the homes in the valley the livestock maybe even the people keep your hand away from that pocket So it's you and me, huh And if I go the town goes to this But if I can out draw you this pistol is aimed at your chest now you walk straight ahead to the edge of the river He'd lived alone He died alone nor was he mourned in the little town he tried to destroy Expense account total including transportation back to hartford 100 dollars even yours truly Johnny dollar Directed by jack john stone who also wrote today's story Heard in our cast were chet stratton frank gerstle bob bruce and parley bear Special sound patterns by tom henley and bill james Be sure to join us next week same time and stations for another exciting story of yours truly johnny dollars This is roye rohan speaking