 Fed up with the everyday grind, tied out by the dull routine. Want to get away from it all? We offer you ESCAPE! Escape, designed to free you from the four walls of today for a half hour of high adventure. You are speeding through the English countryside. The fast express train rocking beneath your feet. And you know that somewhere in the dark ahead of you, a band of men are plotting the destruction of the train, are planning the moment of your death. Today, we escape to England at the turn of the century and the story of a complete train that vanished from the face of the earth. As Sir Arthur Conan Doyle told it in his fascinating tale, The Lost Special. 20 years with Scotland Yard have brought me into contact with many weird and unusual events in human affairs. But none more strange than the occurrences which began on the afternoon of June 3rd 1890 in the railway station at Liverpool. On no case before had I ever felt myself so helpless, groping blindly as it were for an unseen adversary, not being certain of the nature of the crime, not even knowing in fact if it were a crime. Suffice to say that along a short stretch of railway line in western England, I learned what is truly meant by terror of the unknown. At four o'clock of the afternoon in question, having completed a rather minor investigation which had brought me to Liverpool, I found the waiting room of the railway station reading and waiting for the six o'clock train for London. Entirely unaware at that moment of a rather ordinary conversation that was taking place in the office of Mr James Bland, the station master a few yards away. I'm very happy to know you, Mr Cattle and you, Mr Gomez, and now if I might learn the nature of your wishes. Simply this, Mr Bland, my companion and I have arrived on the steamer from Central America which docked less than an hour ago. This is of the utmost importance that we reach London as quickly as possible in order to arrange passage across the channel to France. I see. Well, it's unfortunate you missed the three o'clock train, Mr Cattle. However, there will be a limited leaving at six that will put you in London... That is not soon enough, Mr Bland. I cannot stress too highly the importance of my reaching Paris at the earliest possible moment. I can understand that, but there simply isn't any other train in six. Quite so, quite so. I am informed, however, that it is possible to have a special train upon occasion. A special? Yes, it's possible. Rather expensive, though. But cost is not important, Mr Bland. How soon can the arrangements be made? Well, Mr Hood, do we have an engine available? Yes, sir. Number 247 is on the north siding under emergency steam. Good. Very well, Mr Cattle. It's 4.08 now. We can roll a special out of here at 4.30. The charge is 55 pounds. Mr Gomez, you will pay Mr Bland 55 pounds. Who is on the standby crew, Mr Hood? Let's say John Slater is engineer. McPherson, Guard, Smith, Fireman. Call them at once. Have them carry two standard coaches behind the engine and telegraph the station master at St. Helens to hold the local on-siding there until the special goes through. Make sure the line is clear as far as Manchester. Yes, sir. I'll send for a porter to take care of your briefcase. Mr Cattle seems to be rather heavy. Thank you, no. I prefer to keep it with me if you don't mind. Certainly, whatever you wish. Now, if you leave here at 4.30, you should be in Manchester at quarter to six. The station master there will clear you on to London. And I trust you'll have a very pleasant journey. As I say, I was not aware of these events until a while later. I would have placed no significance on them in any case. At 4.31, the special train with its two passengers and three crew members pulled out of Liverpool Station and headed for Manchester. And at 10 minutes to six, I was summoned to the office of Mr James Bland, the station master. And so that seems to be it. Very likely I have no real reason at all to be worried, Inspector Collins. But since I saw you below there in the station, I thought it wise to call you in on it. I'm happy to have any help, Mr Bland. As I understand it, your special train is running behind schedule, isn't it? Incredibly behind schedule. Nearly half an hour overdue at Manchester right now. We've wired them to check and report back. It isn't exactly unheard of for a train to run slow, Mr Bland. It is, unless there's some reason, and I can't think of one in this case. The special had cleared track all the way. It passed through St. Helens at 4.52, right on time. They wired us, and then 15 minutes later released the local to follow along behind it into Manchester. You mentioned something about Mr Carrotel having a companion, I believe. Yes, a great hulking brute named Gomez. He didn't utter a word while they were here. Seemed to be a sort of bodyguard. Carrotel himself was small and stooped with a swathe complexion, possibly a Latin American. And you got the impression that he was carrying something rather valuable in his briefcase, huh? And let it out of his hands. And he seemed to be in great fear of something, though I haven't any idea what it may have been. What about this second chap? How is Moore? Typically English, about 40 years old. Seemed very anxious to reach his sick wife in London. Here's Manchester on the wire now, Mr Bland. Oh, well, good. What are they... Well, it's the moment. Eh, well, here's a message. Assume change in your original plan. Local from St. Helens arrived in Manchester. No reports, no sign, no special train. Oh, but that's impossible. St. Helens reported the special through a head of the local. Where's there a branch line between St. Helens and Manchester, Mr Bland? No, not even a double track. There's only a single track mainline straight through. Siding's, of course, at the local stations for loading purposes. But, Mr Hood... Yes, sir? Check every local operator from St. Helens on. We've got to get to the bottom of this. I can't understand it, Inspector Collins. A locomotive and two coaches can't simply... Well, it's utterly impossible. It can't have just disappeared. In a few moments, the answers began coming in over the wire. The first was from St. Helens. Repeating our previous message, the special train, past year 452, local departed 15 minutes later. Then from Collins Green. Special past year 5 o'clock, followed by local train 17 minutes later. And then Erlstad. Special past year 506, followed by local 18 minutes later. Special past year 512, local train 17 minutes later. And Kenyon Junction. Special through year at 520, local past 19 minutes later. And then Barton Moss. Local through 553. No special train past year today. I tell you it's absolutely unprecedented, Inspector Collins. An entire train and five human beings vanishing from an open track between two local stations only eight miles apart. It's impossible. There's the only thing to the contrary being the fact that it has apparently happened. But I can't understand it. Mr. Bland, I think you'd better make arrangements to get us out to Kenyon Junction as quickly as possible. Within ten minutes, we were in a coach behind a goods engine, moving at full throttle on the main line east out of Millarup, Liverpool. Since the missing special had been reported safely through Kenyon Junction, there was no need for concern with the country this side of that station. While the coach raffled and banged along the miles, we spent the time pouring over a large-scale map of that eight-mile stretch between the junction and Barton Moss. As you can see for yourself on the map, Inspector Collins, it's rather open country through there. Yeah. Low rolling hills, mostly, with quite a lot of coal mining and one steel mill. Uh-huh. No towns or villages near the railway line. Yes, I see, Mr. Bland. What about these spur tracks that join the main line? There must be a dozen or more of them. Fourteen, to be exact. Isn't it possible the special could have been switched onto one of those spurs? Well, yes and no. Eight of them can be eliminated immediately. Besides being narrow gauge tracks, they're also much too flimsy to bear the weight of a standard locomotive. Furthermore, they end at loading bins adjacent to the main line. There, they're not actually connected to it. I see. Well, that still leaves six. Are they all standard gauge? Yes, but three of those six can be eliminated, too, since they've been abandoned for years. The mines they were built for are no longer operated. The red gauntlet, despond and heartseed collures. Yes, but abandoned or not, if the tracks are still there, couldn't they be used? No, no, they could not. When service to the three mines was discontinued years ago, the switches along the several hundred yards of track adjacent to the main line were removed to prevent accidents. That settles that. But we still have three lines left. Yes, and all in operation. They serve the big bend and perseverance collures and the calm stock ironworks. Good. Then there's the probable area of our investigation. Probable? Inspector, I failed to see anything probable about a train scheduled for Manchester turning up in a dead-end siding. Well, for many years now, Mr. Bland, I've been approaching problems of this sort with a certain theory of logic. Once both the obvious and the impossible are eliminated, and we seem to agree on those, then this solution must lie in the realm of the improbable. No matter how fantastic it may at first seek. I can't believe it. Why wouldn't the train crew report here? What about Mr. Caradall's anxiety to get to London? Why wouldn't we... Wait, wait. We're slowing down, aren't we? That's right, sir. We're pulling into Kenyon Junction. This is the last station to report seeing the last special. Very well, gentlemen. This is where we start to work. We stopped in the junction only long enough to rig a set of lean-spot lanterns at either side of the coach, directed in such fashion as to light up the roadbed and embankment along both sides of the track. And then we puffed slowly out onto the main line and headed towards Barton Moss, eight miles away. The first mile of those eight dropped behind us and brought no significant discovery and we moved on through the second mile. Save for the flood of light from our lanterns and the dull red glow from the firebox at the engine, the night was as black as pitch. Now and again, the ugly shape of a loading bin for one of the narrow gauge feeder lines would loom out of the darkness ahead of us and float past ghostly for a moment in our lights and then dissolve away behind us into the darkness. But on the roadbed, the rails themselves remained unmarred, undisturbed and offered not the slightest clue to explain a disappearance that grew more mysterious by the minute. We completed the second mile and moved on and then suddenly... What is it, Inspector? What do you see? That's not the engine at once, Mr. Hood. Yes, sir. What is it, Inspector? I think I've seen something. I don't see a thing. It's just off the embankment there at the edge of the bushes. We'll need a hand light. Yes, sir. Good. All right, come on now. Let's have a look. My heaven, there is something light enough. I say now, well, it looks like a man lying there. Oh, it's more likely the body of a man than the position he's in. Well, now, let's turn you over and have a glimpse at your face. Inspector, this is John Slater. And who is John Slater? He was the engineer on the special. Well, he's dead. The neck's broken. Dead? I'll venture a quick guess. It was caused by a fall from the cap of his engine. Traveling rather fast at the time, I'd say, you can see where he rolled through the bushes for some little distance there. But then what happened to the locomotive, Inspector? Afterward, I mean. That still remains to be seen, Mr. Hood. They can be fairly certain of one thing, though. A special must have come at least this far out of the junction. Otherwise, it's pretty difficult to account for the engineer's body being here. No more difficult surely than it is to account for any of this. This whole thing is incredible. Impossible! Well, we still have our improbabilities, Mr. Bland. Those three connected spur lines are ahead of us yet. And the chances are one of them is going to supply some kind of an answer. By midnight, I'd completed a thorough check of the three lines. The first one to the Big Ben Collier ran a mile and a half back into the hills and ended against the face of a huge pile of coal. Not large enough, however, to cover a locomotive and two coaches. I made certain of that. The line to the Perseverance Colliery was hardly more than a half mile long. It had been blocked all day, and it was still blocked by a string of loaded ore cars and ended beyond them against the open rock face of a quarry. The last line running to the cornstock ironworks was a double track, and it had been left open all day. However, a sleepy superintendent informed me that over 200 repairmen had been busy on the road bed until well after dusk, and it was impossible to imagine and a nonscheduled train passing through such a hoard of witnesses unnoticed. Oh, shortly after midnight, dog-tired, we walked into Barton Moss Station still without the slightest explanation of the mystery. I went to send a wire through the Scotland Yard. The Yard? Yes, sir. Yeah. I'm prepared to postpone further investigation. Investigation? Until daylight. Yes, sir? Sign it, Collins. Can you get that up right away? Right away, sir. Peaceful English countryside in a dead engine driving. You're speaking to me, sir? No, no, no. It is strange, though. Strange, sir? In broad daylight, a 40-ton locomotive with two carriages and four passengers has vanished from the face of the earth. In just a moment, we will return to escape. But first, ten great shows come to you every Sunday night on CBS and right and bright in the middle is America's number one comedy, The Jack Benny Show. Tomorrow night, Jack will take his place on CBS All-Star Night with a cast that's made The Jack Benny Show a welcome visitor in millions of American homes. Yes, Jack Benny, Amos and Andy, Helen Hayes, Eve Arden, and all the other great stars come to you over most of these same stations. In CBS's ten great shows on Sunday nights. And now, with our star, Ben Wright, we return to the second act of escape and the Lost Special. By the next morning, of course, the story was out and the daily papers went to work on it. But fortunately for Scotland Yard, the main attention of the press was directed at the moment toward the international scandal which had been brewing for a week or two among high financial circles in France. As it was, however, let us to the editor in the morning post-scape as quite a rough go of it. Oh, the all manner of crack-pots it is. It seems difficult to believe that there were the operators of Scotland Yard have overlooked the one obvious explanation as to the whereabout to the missing train. May I advise them that some two miles from Barton Moss, the railroad line crosses the west branch canal. Unquestionably, the special left from the bridge and lies now in the muddy water. This whole affair is obviously the work of some subversive organization. And until the culprits are brought in to face their just deserts, no man, woman or child in England can be considered safe. Now, may I advise them... Surely we are witnessing the fulfilment of ancient prophecies, the forces of evil grow bolder and begin now to invade the earth openly. There is no doubt, but what that strange man keratol was really the devil in disguise. And it is my turn. This action this morning is to gaze quickly across the city toward Westminster Abbey. Considering the recently demonstrated inefficiency of Scotland Yard and the Manchester Liverpool Railway Affair, it's quite possible the Abbey may be spitted it away some night soon. A week passed, and then two weeks. We scoured the whole western countryside, following up every lead, tracking down each rumour, and we got nowhere. Three weeks, four, and then the press began to ignore the matter. Two months went by, nothing new. Three months, and the activity of Scotland Yard and the matter had come to a standstill. The reason was simple enough. We had no idea what else to do. So the records were finally taken from the active file and marked, case still open, and unsolved. Even though I worked on other assignments, my mind kept turning continually back to the case of the lost special. I tried to think of some avenue left untried, some path overlooked, and I could think of nothing. I reviewed all of the improbabilities I'd tested and disproved, and I tried to... improbabilities. Suddenly a fallacy in my own logic began to dawn on me. Arbitrarily, I had called certain explanations impossible and touched them only lightly in my investigation. And yet, what could really be classed as impossible in a case which itself was utterly impossible? Down to Barton Moss again, and then ten days of painstaking work. At the end of those ten days, I was certain that I'd found at least the essentials of the answer, and I was equally certain that I could never prove it. I could see only one bare chance, a desperate chance against long odds. I laid my plan before the Chief Inspector, and then Scotland Yard went into action. The London Times, 21st November 1890. Rumours are circulating that a man named Dalton arriving in Liverpool in the steam of Vistula tomorrow may hold the key to the long-standing Manchester Railway mystery. According to reliable sources, Mr Dalton possesses recently discovered copies of the documents which were carried in the briefcase of the ill-fated Mr Caradol. It is further stated that Scotland Yard is arranging to meet Mr Dalton at the Liverpool Pier and rush him forthwith to London. The next afternoon, accompanied by Mr Dalton, I walked into the office of Mr James Bland, Station Master at Liverpool, and chartered a special train for London. We shall have the train ready for even ten minutes, Inspector Collins. I must get Mr Dalton at his briefcase till London as quickly as possible. Yes, I saw the squib in yesterday's paper, and I was afraid then you'd be wanting a special train arranged. I'm still worried about it, as a matter of fact. I hardly think there's any need to be. You've run a good many specials up to Manchester since that affair six months ago, and you've never lost another one, have you? No, but I'll confess I've shaken in my boots every time I've watched one of them pull out of here. I say now, you're going to have me jumping at my own shadow. Oh, don't worry, Mr Dalton. I'll have you in London before you know it, and done the worst for the trip. Nevertheless, Inspector, you'll have to admit the situation today is very much like the one six months ago. Oh, yes, in some ways. The mysterious stranger arriving by steamer in an urgent haste to reach London. The carefully watched briefcase, which, according to rumor, contains the very same sort of material Mr Carrotel was carrying. But there is one difference. Mr Dalton is being accompanied by an agent from Scotland Yard. Yes, but Mr Carrotel also had a guard, that chap Gomez, and both of them disappeared. Oh, come now. Surely you don't think that anything so fantastic could possibly... Oh, no, he's right, Mr Dalton. It did happen once, and a number of the elements are similar. Well, Mr Blount, I'll... I'll wire you as soon as we reach Manchester. Hardly necessary, Inspector. I, uh... I think I shall go along with you. Oh, good. But if you're looking forward to excitement, I can't promise you. No, it will probably be a very ordinary trip. But if I stayed here, I'd be a nervous wreck by the time you reached Manchester. Well, then come along by all means. Mr Dalton and I will enjoy your company. Your train has just pulled up the platform, gentlemen. Good. Well, gentlemen, we, uh... you can't keep the fates waiting, huh? Let's get aboard. Well, it's certainly been an uneventful journey so far. Why hardly expected anything to happen this side of Kenyon Junction? And it's right ahead of us there. Inspector Collins, you mean you are expecting something to happen on the other side of it? Oh, yes. Yes, that's the whole purpose of the trip. I don't believe I follow you. Yes, I imagine it is about time that you were brought in on this, Mr Blount. I didn't want to take any chances by discussing it before we were well along towards the, um... a danger area. We're passing through Kenyon Junction, Inspector. Good. Oh, Mr Dalton there is a Scotland Yard agent, by the way, Mr Blount. Oh? And all he's carrying in that mysterious briefcase is, uh... half-dozen-ham sandwiches. I, uh... I think I should welcome some sort of explanation, Inspector Collins. Yes, uh... Do you ever hear of the old trick an archer uses when he loses an arrow? He shoots another in the same general direction. Follows it? Sometimes he finds both of them. Well, this train and all of us aboard it constitute the second arrow, Mr Blount. Do you mean you're expecting this train to vanish like the other? Why, you're deliberately risking our lives. Oh, the risk is not quite so great as you may imagine. But what makes you believe the attempt will be repeated? I've created as nearly as possible the same set of conditions that led to the first disappearance. If I'm right about the motivation, the party's concern can hardly afford not to repeat. What motivation? I failed to see one. Well, it requires a bit of assuming, Mr Blount, but the assumptions seem to fit the facts as well as the method used. Mm-hmm. Let's take some of those facts. Mr Caratall was in a frantic hurry to reach Paris. His briefcase, apparently, contained something of great value. He was afraid an attempt would be made to prevent his reaching Paris. Yes. In Paris, at that time, a huge financial scandal was brewing, which later came to nothing because of lack of evidence. The scandal involved illegal land operations in Central America. And Mr Caratall had just arrived from Central America with his briefcase. Even so... And finally, it must require a good deal of money to bring about the disappearance of a locomotive and coaches, whereas ordinary criminals rarely have a good deal of money. Now, do you follow me? Yes. Yes, of course. If all that's true, then the idea was to eliminate Caratall completely, along with his evidence. And that's exactly what was done. Inspector, we just passed a spot where John Slater's body was found. Well, then heads up, Mr Dalton. It's only a few hundred yards now. Tell me this, Inspector. Have you also discovered how the thing was done? Oh, yes. But I'm in the unfortunate position of not being able to prove it. And what do you think it's going to prove if the same thing happens to us? Oh, that. Well, I forgot to mention that there are 20 agents of Scotland Yard concealed in the coach behind us. They're specially selected, armed with rifles, and are there for the express purpose of making sure the same thing does not happen to us. Just slowing down, Inspector Collins. Well, I think this is it. Slowing down? Why? We're leaving the main line. But we can't leave the main line. There's no siding here. Oh, yes, there is. There's the spur track to the heart's ease colliery. But it's abandoned. There's no connection to the main line. The rails were taken away years ago. Ordinarily, you'd be right, Mr Blan. But at the moment, there's an excellent switch installed at the main line and also a very serviceable set of rails connecting it with the old track. Travelling over them now is a matter of fact. Do you see anything, Mr Dalton? Not yet, sir. The train is being manned, incidentally, by Scotland Yard agents. I took the liberty of holding the regular crew and the coach behind us until we could find out which of them has been bought off. Which schedule to end up like John Slater. But I must confess, I... Inspector, look. Men are coming out of the bushes behind us. They're already starting to pull up the rails. You see, Mr Blan? In 15 minutes, you'll be right again. There'll be no connection between the hard seas siding and the main line. Yes. Yes, I see now. By heaven, I never would have... Mr Blan, it won't do any good to try to signal with that pocket handkerchief. I'm... I'm afraid I don't quite understand you, Inspector. Then perhaps you'll understand the fact that you're under arrest for the murder of Caratol, Gomez and John Slater. Why, that's utterly ridiculous. Why are... Why have we stopped? In order to permit the... Ah, here's your answer. I think a 20 agents of Scotland Yard should prove more than a match for your assistance. Your guesses are nothing less than preposterous, Inspector. What could I or anyone else gain by merely switching a train onto an abandoned siding? The other special, if you recall, disappeared. Ah yes, yes, so it did. And straight ahead of us, a mile and a half, if you recall, Mr Blan, this spur ends at the hard seas mineshaft. One of the largest inclined shafts in this part of the country. According to the records, it used to be 900 feet deep. But upon investigating it last week, I found it closed off by a tremendous cave-in at 400 feet. Now tell me, Mr Blan, was the cave-in caused by the explosion of the locomotives boiler when it struck the bottom? Or did you dynamite the shaft after the train went into it? You have no proof of any of this and no evidence whatsoever against me. Your train crew and the coach behind us have all signed statements. And I think we'll get a good deal more evidence from the men who are being rounded up out there now. I... I have nothing further to say. There's nothing you can say, Mr Blan. We've seen your bank account with those mysterious and heavy entries which are dated about the time the special disappeared, which I am sure we shall be able to trace to certain French sources. We've succeeded in tracing down McPherson and Smith, a fireman and conductor you bribed to vanish. Too bad you couldn't bribe Slater the engineer because his death was most unfortunate. You see, his body furnished us with our first clue. Yes, Mr Blan, without Slater's body, we might really have thought that the lost special had disappeared into thin air. Escape is produced and directed by Norman McDonnell. Today we have presented the lost special by Conan Doyle, adapted for radio by Les Crutchfield with editorial supervision by John Dunkel. Stard as Inspector Collins was Ben Wright and the featured players were Parley Bear, John Daner, Edgar Berrier, Larry Dabkin and Paul Freese. The special music was arranged and played by Ivan Dittmarz. Next week... You're aboard the Orient Express, rushing through the European night bound for Constantinople. And in your compartment with you, a gun pointed at your head, a small mysterious foreigner is about to take your life. Next week, we escape with Graham Greene's exciting novel of intrigue, Orient Express. Goodbye then until this same time next week when CBS again offers you Escape! For more adventures, seek it out with two top CBS shows tonight. The Adventures of Philip Marlowe and Gangbusters, both regular Saturday features on most of these same CBS network stations. Be sure to hear them tonight. Now, stay tuned for five minutes of the latest news to be followed by the Let's Pretend program over most of these same CBS stations. This is Roy Rowan speaking for CBS The Columbia Broadcasting System.