 Wrigley's Pyramint Chewing Gum, the refreshing, delicious treat that gives you chewing enjoyment, presents for your listening enjoyment, John Lund as Johnny Donner. Dupree, Johnny. Don at International. Oh, hello Paul. Nice to hear your voice again. How are things? All about the same. Johnny, would you like to come over to my office and meet a girl? She pretty? Very. Interesting? Very. As a matter of fact, she just told me the most interesting thing I've ever heard. Oh yeah? What's that? She just told me that she was dead. How about I come over? The makers of Wrigley's Pyramint Chewing Gum bring you John Lund in a transcribed adventure of a man with the action-packed expense account, America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator. Here's to Lee, Johnny Dalle. Wrigley's Pyramint Chewing Gum refreshes you. Wrigley's Pyramint Chewing Gum gives you real chewing enjoyment. Yes, for chewing enjoyment plus refreshment, it's Wrigley's Pyramint Chewing Gum. The lively, delicious flavor of Wrigley's Pyramint cools your mouth, helps keep your throat moist, and gives you a nice little lift. The good, smooth chewing of Wrigley's Pyramint helps keep you feeling fresh and alert, adds enjoyment to whatever you're doing. So for chewing enjoyment plus refreshment, treat yourself often to Wrigley's Pyramint Chewing Gum. Healthful, refreshing, delicious. Expense accounts submitted by Special Investigator Johnny Dalle to the International Insurance Corporation International Building, Hartford, Connecticut. Attention claims division. The following is an accounting of expenditures during my investigation of the Madison matter. Expense account item one, $1.30. Cab fare downtown to the International Building. I went up to the 10th floor in Paul DePrey's office to find him sitting across the desk from a tall, dark-haired woman in her early 30s. She was pretty, she was quiet, she was well-dressed. Oh, hello, Johnny. Come on in. Hi, Paul. This is Mrs. Walker, Mr. Dalle. How do you do? How do you do? Sit down, Johnny. Make yourself comfortable. Mrs. Walker came to see me this morning with the most unusual story. Something about being dead? Yes. Mrs. Walker, Mr. Dalle will be handling this matter for international. I wish you'd tell him exactly what you just told me. Well, there really isn't much to tell you, Mr. Dalle. It's just that I'm legally dead and my husband is collected on my insurance policy. What's your husband's name? Frank Madison, Dr. Frank Madison. I took the name Walker when it happened. It was my maiden name. My married name is Delma Madison. Where does your husband live? In Los Angeles. I made a file check before you came over, Johnny. We issued a straight-life policy on a Delma Madison in Los Angeles, April 23, 1945. According to this, Mrs. Madison passed away June 5, 1951. The claim was filed by the beneficiary, husband, Dr. Frank Madison, June 7, and paid on the 10th of that month. Frank Madison, that's your husband? Yes. How much was the policy? Full claim, $10,000. Who adjusted it? A local man, Los Angeles office, McCarthy there. How about a death certificate? Oh, yeah. Here's a photo stat. Cause of death coronary thrombosis. Here, thanks. This is signed by a Dr. Willis Reed, Mrs. Walker. Do you know Dr. Reed? Yes, he's a friend of my husband. They share medical offices. What did you tell me? How it worked? Well, one night Frank had a patient who was in pretty bad shape. A girl had been drinking somewhat and saw his shingle and just came in the office. She said she was feeling badly. I was there helping Frank acting as receptionist. The girl had a heart failure in the examining room. You mean she died? Yes, there was nothing anybody could do. It was one of those things. Anyone there besides you and your husband? No. Well, how did all this work out? Well, we looked in her purse and found an address for her in Jersey City. No Los Angeles address? No, so we put in a long distance phone call to the place in New Jersey. It was an apartment we talked to the manager there. I see. He told us that the girl's mother had died very suddenly two days before and that her daughter was out in Los Angeles and he'd been trying to locate her to ask her what to do with the body. What was the girl's name? Wanda Thompson. What? The man we talked to on the phone was quite upset. He didn't know what to do about the mother who died in his apartment building and he told us that the daughter was all she'd had in the world. In other words, Wanda Thompson was completely alone? Yes, as far as we knew. I see. Well, we didn't tell the man that she was dead too. When Frank hung up the phone, he turned to me and said that we were in luck. I asked him what he meant and he told me his idea. You mean to use her body? Yes, he called Dr. Raiden and asked him to come over. Dr. Raiden had never seen me and he made out the death certificate. And your name? Yes, that's right. And your husband collected your insurance? Mm-hmm. Why? Well, he needed money. It seemed a good way to get it without too much trouble. Well, what was supposed to happen? Well, I don't know. We didn't plan that far. I mean, I thought that Frank would eventually close his practice and come to New York and we'd be together again. Is that where you've been all this time, in New York? Mm-hmm. And your husband never joined you? No. Did he write to you? Yes, for a while. Do you have any of the letters? No, I'm sorry. Do you know why he stopped writing? No. Why he never joined you? No. Is there any way that you can prove your Thelma Madison? Well, not here in Los Angeles, I could. How? People there know me. No friends. I've had all my life. Were you ever fingerprinted? No, I don't think so. During the war, did you work in a defense plant, maybe? No. Did you ever have a postal savings account? No. How about a California driver's license? No, I'm sure I don't have my fingerprints on file anywhere. Would you be willing to furnish me with a list of names? People who'd identify you if asked to? People in Los Angeles? Yes. Yes, I would. You've been living in New York under the name of Thelma Walker since June 1951. Is that right? Yes. Where? 2218 East 57th Street. I still have my apartment there. Have you been working? Yes, as a laboratory assistant, Hyde Park Station's incorporated. My boss is Mr. Platt. Oh, I put in a call to them earlier, Johnny. Mr. Platt said he's employed an assistant named Thelma Walker for the last 16 months, but she hasn't been in for a week or so. I described this woman to him and he said it sounded like her. Did you get any of the insurance money, Mrs. Walker? Not a dime. Were you supposed to? I suppose so. Would you say that this whole thing was your husband's idea? Yes. Well, you're the one who seems to have lost all around, Mrs. Walker. Well, what did you expect to get out of it? Well, I did it for Frank. What about Wanda Thompson and her people, if she has any? She hasn't. Very few people in this world are without somebody, somewhere. Would you be willing to sign a statement containing all the information you've given me here today? Yes. You realize that if what you tell me is true that you'll be criminally charged? Yes. By five o'clock in the afternoon, a statement had been prepared. Thelma Walker signed it without hesitation. I talked with Dupre in the outer office. Well, Johnny, I don't even have to go up to legal to know that every word of this will have to be verified before we can take any action. If half of it's true, we're in business. Oh. She didn't give us any good reason for coming here. Maybe she has a conscience. She wouldn't have done it in the first place, as she had. In the second place, she couldn't have lived with it for almost two years. And in the third place, there's an awful lot of coincidence. Yeah, but suppose it's true. Well, then it's the neatest thing since the ball bearing. What worries you most? Well, I said before, she might be a crackpot with a good imagination. Well, let's find out. Expense Account Item 2, $38.14, transportation, Hartford to New York City. I checked my bag at the airport and took the limousine as far as the Waldorf. Expense Account Item 3, $3 cab fare and tip to 2218 57th Street, Thelma Walker's residence. I talked to the manager. This is her apartment, Mr. Dollar. I see. How long has she lived here? July 1951. Tenant? Very quiet. No drinking or parties. Wish we had more like Mrs. Walker. Do you know her very well? Just as a tenant. Ever talked to her? Not much. At Christmas time, we had a drink together down in my apartment. She seemed all right. What do you mean? Normal. Oh, yes. Does she have any friends in the building that I could talk to? No, she doesn't. One thing she keeps to herself, mine's her own business. May I ask where she is now? In Hartford. New Hartford Hotel, if you want to talk to her about anything. I'll remember that. You mind if I look around? I'll have to stay with you. I found nothing in Thelma Walker's apartment that would help verify or disprove her story. An hour later, I located Mr. Platt, the proprietor of the Hyde Park Laboratories where Thelma Walker worked. His answers concerning her conduct, habits and attitude were identical with those of the apartment house manager. There were two people who worked with her. The same. By midnight, I was back out at the airport. Expensive count item 4, $2.25. Long distance phone call to Hartford. This is Johnny Dollar. Oh, hi Johnny. What did you find out? All clear here. Her story checks out about living in New York. Well, we better go on with it then. I have some news. I talked to the coroner's office in Jersey City. Oh? Mabel Claire Thompson, age 61, died there June 3rd, 1951. The body was unclaimed and the county buried her. They were unable to locate her only known kin, a daughter, Wanda Thompson. She's believed to be in Los Angeles. See if you can find a picture and some prints on Wanda Thompson. All right, Johnny. Expensive count item 5, $185. Transportation in New York to Los Angeles. I arrived at 8.35 in the morning. By 9.35, I was in my room with the Sadler sleeping. At 4 o'clock in the afternoon, I awakened, shaved, and had something to eat. There was a special delivery air mail folder for me at the desk. It was from Paul Dupre. It contained a front and side view of Thelma Walker, along with a sample of her fingerprints and handwriting. Expensive count item 6, $15. Car rental, so I could get around a very big Los Angeles. I caught a woman by the name of Quincy, just as she was having a bite of dinner. Please, excuse me for eating like this while you're here, Mr. Deller, but I'm in a terrible hurry tonight. I have a date. Oh, that's all right, Ms. Quincy. I'm intruding anyhow. No, not at all. You say you're from an insurance company? That's right. I thought perhaps you could help me. I'll try. What do you want? Well, I'd like to have you look at this. You know the woman in this picture, Ms. Quincy? Well, she looks terribly familiar. Do you know her name? Yes, I know that girl. Of course, that was Thelma Madison. Frank Madison's wife? Yes, poor Thelma died a year or so ago, very suddenly. How well did you know her? We played bridge together occasionally. We weren't shopping. I used to work for Dr. Madison as a receptionist. How long ago was this? A couple of years ago. I quit to take the job I have now. But you did know Mrs. Madison? Yes, of course. She was in the office a lot of the time. And you're absolutely positive this is a picture of her? Well, yes. Is there any doubt? Well, we just want to be sure. Poor girl's been dead almost two years. Aren't you sure? Yes. You know, I don't think you've been exactly telling me the truth. I just had your name on a list, Ms. Quincy. I was told you'd be able to recognize the picture of Thelma Madison if you saw it. Oh, who told you that? I'd rather not say. So mysterious. You want some coffee? No, thanks. Well, you look nice enough, I'll say that. Oh, thank you. Uh, Ms. Quincy, when did you hear about Mrs. Madison's death? The day after it happened. I dropped in to see Dr. Madison about some things I had left there. He told me what had happened. It was quite a shock. She was always so healthy. I see. Did you go to Mrs. Madison's funeral? No, there wasn't one. Dr. Madison had her body cremated. Friends, wherever you are, whatever you're doing, you'll enjoy chewing Wrigley's spearmint gum. Chew Wrigley's spearmint while you're working. The lively, full-bodied flavor of Wrigley's spearmint gives you a refreshing little lift. The smooth, pleasant chewing of Wrigley's spearmint gum helps keep you feeling relaxed and satisfied. Make your job seem easier. Chew Wrigley's spearmint gum in your home when you're out walking or driving, when you're enjoying outdoor sports and other activities. Wrigley's spearmint gum tastes good anytime. And the natural chewing aids digestion helps keep your teeth bright and attractive. Yes, wherever you are, whatever you're doing, you'll enjoy chewing Wrigley's spearmint chewing gum. Healthful, refreshing, delicious. And now with our star, John Lund, we bring you the second act of Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar. The Los Angeles police had a missing person report on Wanda Thompson dated June 21st, 1951. They'd been unable to get any leads as to or whereabouts. The reports had been filed by a man named Rexford. I looked him up. He lived in a small house off Laurel Canyon Drive. I told him my business. Insurance. Investigate. Oh. Come on in. Hey, sit down. What can I do for you? I understand you once knew a girl named Wanda Thompson, Mr. Rexford. Yeah, that's right. I did. Tell me you know where she is. No, I couldn't say that exactly. You're looking for her. Yeah. You been to the police? Yes. You filed a missing person complaint on her? Yeah, but they never did find her. Was she a good friend of yours, Mr. Rexford? Yeah, sort of. She was a nice little kid. Came from some place in New Jersey. How long did you know her? About three weeks or so. How did you happen to meet her? I met her in a restaurant she sat across from me. She was kind of crowded and it'll get the wrong idea. It was just that we began talking and we wound up going to a movie together. I saw her quite a bit for a while and she just appeared without a word. That's about it. Do you remember when you last saw her? Sure. It was my birthday, June 5th. Went out and took in a play and had some drinks and food. I took her home and she lived in a room over on, I think it was Borendo Street. 1480 West Borendo Street? Yeah, that's a little soy court. It's the last I saw of her. Called a couple of times. The landlady said she hadn't seen her around and I went over there. We went into a room, found all her things there, but she was gone. Finally got worried and went to the police. She drank much? No, no, no. You think something happened to her? Well, I don't know. I mean anything could happen. Why would a kid like that just walk away from all her clothes and things and not let anybody know about it at all? Did she know many other people in town? Well, I told the police that I didn't think she did. I never heard her talk about anybody else and knew she'd only been here for a little while. She came here for health. Oh? Yeah, some kind of heart trouble. Needed the weather or something like that. Did you tell this to the police when you reported her missing? No, should I? Did you go to a doctor here? Oh, yeah. I saw him a couple of times while I knew her. Was his name Madison by any chance? Dr. Frank Madison? Yeah, that's it. Dr. Madison. He was the guy who was taking care of her. I spent another hour questioning Anthony Rexford. As far as he was able to remember, Wanda Thompson's heart condition had not been a serious one. Or at least she'd explained it that way to him. After I left Rexford, I checked with the telephone company about the phone call Dr. Madison was supposed to have placed to Jersey City the night of Wanda Thompson's death. They had no record of any such call being completed. I decided to try Dr. Madison himself. Well, what can I do for you, Mr. Dollar? I'm an insurance investigator, doctor. I understand you once treated a patient named Wanda Thompson. Wanda Thompson? Wanda Thompson? I don't remember. What did I treat her for? A heart condition. Oh, well, soon find out. When was this? Oh, almost two years ago. I don't have the exact days. Hmm. Well, I don't have a Wanda Thompson in my file as a dollar. Was it something important? Pretty important. Well, she might have come in once for some little thing. I wouldn't make a history of that, necessarily. A man she once knew here told me that she came to you a few times. Hmm. Could have been another Dr. Madison? No, she told him it was you. Well, say, now, wait a minute. You say this was two years ago? How about that? My wife was acting as receptionist for me then. She wasn't too good at keeping records. Oh. You suppose I could talk to her and ask her? My wife is dead, Mr. Dollar. Oh. I'm sorry, I can't be of more help. I thought every doctor kept a record of all his patients, even if they just came in with a nosebleed. As I said, my wife wasn't too efficient at her job here. Oh, yes, yes. You did say that, didn't you, Doctor? What is this, Mr. Dollar? My chance to get a look at you. What do you mean by that? I'll come right out and say it, Doctor. You should have kept a file on Wanda Thompson. You should have kept that above all other things. The fact that you don't have one is going to make me believe a lot of things that I haven't really believed up till now. What things? What on earth are you talking about? The woman in Hartford, Connecticut four days ago who told me her name was Stelma Madison. She said she was your wife. She said that Wanda Thompson died in your office one night and that you identified the body as your wife's. What? And what's more, you collected $10,000 worth of insurance on her. Here's her picture, Doctor. Is this your dead wife? Well, all right, I'll tell you. It is your wife. And she's still very much alive. And the story she told me in Hartford is pretty much the truth. I've never seen this woman before in my life. That's funny. 14 people in Los Angeles who knew her pretty well have seen that picture and all of them say her name is Stelma Madison and that she was your wife. I've talked to every one of them and I've got statements from them to that effect. And what's more, I have a rather long statement from Stelma Madison herself. It tells the whole story. Do you like to read it? No. Then maybe you'd like to make a statement yourself. I have nothing to say, Mr. Dollar. No, I didn't think you would, Doctor. On the strength of the evidence already assembled, I preferred charges against Frank Madison and had him taken into custody. He refused to talk with the police or with me about any of the charges of which he was accused. He was held without bail pending investigation. Expense account item seven, $2.20, telegram. I wired Dupre to bring Mrs. Madison to Los Angeles as soon as possible in order to avoid a lengthy extradition procedure. They arrived the following day. I interviewed her once more. You say Frank's in jail? Yes. Oh, I suppose I'm to be arrested. Well, so far we have enough evidence to prove conspiracy against you two and we'll prosecute to the limit on that. There'll be some other charges against him, business with the body and so on. Yes. But there's something else here I want to get straightened out. Let me read this to you. A girl whom we later found out to be Wanda Thompson walked into the office on the night of June 5th, 1951 and complained of feeling ill. She'd been drinking. My husband took her into the examination room, excuse me, where she died a few minutes later of a heart condition. Those are your words on this sworn statement. Yes. Let me go on. I had never seen or heard of Wanda Thompson until that night. I was with my husband when he placed a phone call to her home in Jersey City. He spoke with a man there who managed an apartment house and so on. Mrs. Madison, that call was never placed. I was in the room when Frank made it. The phone company has no record of it. Were you in the room when Wanda Thompson died? No. Did you know that she was a patient before that time? No. Well, I found out. I'll tell you, Wanda Thompson was one of your husband's patients. She didn't just walk in and drop dead. I talked to a man who knew Wanda Thompson. She told him about going to your husband for treatment. How do you explain that? I didn't know it. You said you were acting as receptionist. When she gave you her name, didn't you look into your index to see if you... No, no, I didn't at all. Look, Mrs. Madison, all these things you've told me have been true. But a lot of them don't make sense. Well, you wouldn't know anything about any of it if I hadn't come to you. Well, maybe that's so. But why do you think we've gone to the expense and trouble of checking all this? I'll tell you. Because it was just too good to be real. A girl alone and friendless in Los Angeles dying of a heart attack in a doctor's office. A doctor who needs money and has a wife who's heavily insured. It's too much for us to take. Even with a signed statement, it's too much to take. Wanda Thompson was a patient of your husband's. She came in his office one day like anybody else. You or your husband took her personal history. And you notice that she only had one relative in the world who'd be worried if she died. A mother way back in Jersey City. What are you talking about? I'm talking about a premeditated plan murder. That's what I'm talking about. When that mother died suddenly, there was nobody to worry about poor little Wanda Thompson anymore. Nobody to ask questions about her. Am I right? Yes, you're right. You want to tell me about it? Wanda had been in to see Frank twice before. He knew all about her. That night when she came in the office, she said she just received word that her mother had died suddenly. She asked for something to make her sleep. Frank took her back in the examination room. Go on. A few minutes later, he bussed me to come back. Wanda was lying on the table, dead. Frank looked kind of strange. Crazy. He said that Wanda had a sudden heart attack and died before he could do anything. Well, I knew it wasn't so. There was a hypodermic on the stand. He'd given her something. I just didn't think he'd go that far. Hadn't he discussed something like that with you before? No, I swear he hadn't said a word to me before that night. And he had it all planned when he called me back in the examination room. He called Dr. Reid on the phone and told him that his wife was very ill and asked him to come over and help out. When Dr. Reid got there, he showed him that poor girl and he said it was me. And that's how Reid signed the death certificate? Yes. Where were you all this time? In Frank's office, I heard every word. But you didn't say anything? Well, no, I... I was too stunned by it all, I guess. When did you leave town? That same night. Frank made me. He said he'd handle everything. I accused him of killing Wanda and he said that she'd just died there. But I know it wasn't so. Okay. You want a cigarette? Yes, please. There you go. Thank you. Oh, I'm glad it's all over now. I'm terribly glad. Expense account item 8. $73.50. Board and room while in Los Angeles. Expense account item 9. $205. Plain fare to Hartford. Expense account total $525.39. Yours, Julie. Johnny Dollar. Remember, friends, wriggly spear mint chewing gum refreshes you. Wriggly spear mint chewing gum gives you real chewing enjoyment. The lively, full-bodied flavor of wriggly spear mint cools your mouth, freshens your taste, sweetens your breath. The smooth, pleasant chewing of wriggly spear mint helps keep you feeling relaxed and satisfied, makes whatever you're doing more enjoyable. Yes, for refreshment plus chewing enjoyment, treat yourself often to wriggly spear mint chewing gum. Millions enjoy it daily. Get a few packages and always keep some handy. That's wriggly spear mint chewing gum. Healthful, refreshing, delicious. Yours truly, Johnny Dollar. Brought to you by wriggly spear mint chewing gum stars John Lund in the title role and was written by E. Jack Newman with music by Eddie Dunstetter. Featured in tonight's cast were Joseph Kearns, Lillian Bayef, Parley Bear, Virginia Gregg, Tom Tolley, and John McIntyre. Yours truly, Johnny Dollar. Is transcribed in Hollywood by Jaime Del Valle. The makers of wriggly spear mint chewing gum hope you enjoyed tonight's story of Johnny Dollar and that you're enjoying delicious wriggly spear mint gum every day. This is Charles Lyon inviting you to join us again next week at this same time when from Hollywood John Lund returns as... Yours truly, Johnny Dollar.