 New post-war old Dutch cleanser famous for chasing dirt presents Nick Carter famous for chasing crime Every week at this time two great names are joined as new post-war old Dutch cleanser brings you one of the most resourceful and daring characters in all detective fiction Nick Carter master detective You Haven't noticed anything at all unusual share nothing I can think of mr. Carter not even some little thing that's out of the ordinary The only thing I've seen different is that a lot of folks who never wore glasses or wearing them now They're wait a minute sure if they like the folks have suddenly taken to wearing glasses That's right mr. Carter if that's the answer I was looking for new glasses come on come on wear to catch a murderer and there's no time to lose And Now the case of the failing eyes today's adventure starring Lon Clark as Nick Carter brought to you by new post-war old Dutch cleanser This early summer morning a sleek new car drives into the yard of a small farm in western, Pennsylvania A man of the woman get off briskly carrying notebooks and sheets of official looking documents They approach the tall old farmer who was watching them curiously and explain their business crystal. Good morning, sir Morning, I hope we're not intruding Permit us to introduce ourselves. My name is Lake and this is miss Branson. Good morning. Morning, ma'am We're research experts for the federal foundation. Mr. Mr. Thomas You've heard of the federal foundation, of course Well, the federal foundation is engaged in a nationwide survey of public health Mr. Lake and I one of 1500 teams of research scientists covering the entire time So if you've got half an hour to spare we'll get our information as quickly as possible and move on ready Alan Yes, okay. All right physical condition of farm Excellent drainage good. That's a chemical disposal plant back there. Mr. Thomas. Yeah, I thought so splendid Electricity. Oh, yes. Yes. I see the wiring Bottle gas for cooking excellent best conditions for maintenance of health got it out. That's right Now your own condition. It's Thomas AIDS River and dirt any recent operations or illnesses your physical condition the best I could say I can bet One moment. What is it mind if I take a close look at your eyes, Mr. Thomas my eyes Yes, I see You're having difficulty reading lately. How much Thomas? Matter of fact I do. Grant is blurred your eyes seem dim tendency to squint headache sometimes. Oh, yes. That's too bad I'm sorry, Mr. Thomas Alice. Yes put down condition of eyes bad first stage is a cataract first stage is a what cataract. Yes You mean mr. Thomas is going blind. Yes. I'm sorry cataract on the stagable symptoms No, it's no laughing matter. Mr. Thomas. If you value your eyes, thank you son You almost had me fool for a minute. That's the same old racket, but with new trimmings. Mr. Thomas What do you mean cheap little crook? You think you were handing out this line to a room? I was a detective for 30 years before I retired to this little place Your rocket ended right now We've got an eye doctor and a hundred miles But we got a fine little jail down in town. Let's go you here. Let's go What's the letter safe after it says my dear mr. Carter in accordance with your wishes I'm keeping you in touch with news about your old friend Fred Thomas I'm very sorry to tell you that Fred is dead Then Come on. He's committed suicide on his farm sometime yesterday The note was found in which Fred stated that he had been depressed for some time owing to failure of his health Maybe he decided to get up to struggle. Well, that's impossible. I can't tell you how sorry I am to give you this news You're very sincerely worth a blink of a turn. I can't believe it. That's it That Thomas was pretty close to 70 next. Fred could be a hundred and seventy. He'd never commit suicide Well, some people when the health fail that's a Fred Thomas worked with my father. He was my father's friend and mine Fred never gave up a fight never. Well, what do you think happened? I'm not going to do any thinking until we've got facts to go on. Do you want me to write to the lawyer? No, get your bag packed. We're driving out to west bill. It's one Come in Sheriff part I'd like to talk to you. My name is nick Carter. This is my secretary patsy bone. Hello Is it detecting fire? What do you want to talk about? Fred Thomas nothing to talk about cases close But serif i'm not exactly satisfied with the facts that they said you're not No, i'm not. Ain't that too bad Look, mr. Nick Carter, we've got a small police department here Not exactly fancy like you're a big city office, but we know our way around I'm sure you do. Oh, if you've got any idea making a big show down here Excuse me, serif. I don't like to interrupt if you don't understand I've come down here to cooperate and help There are any headlines you can have them Look, serif patsy and I just checked in at the west bill hotel. Would you mind calling the desk clerk? Why should I do that? It proves that i'm sincere call him and ask him to read you the names of the people who just checked in If that doesn't satisfy you we'll get out of town. You know, I think they're crazy But uh just to get rid of you all do it Ellie get me sam wood at the hotel Yeah Sam Well, this is Joe pie. I understand the man and a woman just checked in. What's their name? Mr. Nelson crane and miss paula brown shoe salesman Well, well Thanks, sam Well, serif. I uh, I guess maybe I made a mistake mr. Carter. I uh, I apologize you and this bone Forget it serif All I want to do is to find out what happened to my old thread Fred oh, come on. Come on. We'll we'll go out the fred farm right now and buy heaven if you earn any headlines I'll split them with him This is where he was found mr. Carter the day before yesterday Mr. Parlor right old mrs. Jameson found his buddy She used to clean up for him every two days. Oh, then Fred lived alone all alone this morning Well, here's the note we found on the table But it was slumped in the chair like this one My health is going fast on 70 years old doesn't seem worth fighting anymore Sheriff, this doesn't smell right. No, this note is printed. Why wasn't it written? What about it me too? But then I remembered Fred's eyes have been going back on him. Maybe But how about the suicide he shoot himself? Yeah All right, you check the gun for prince. Yep. The gun is down at the courthouse, but I've got photos with me. Yeah 38 automatics I'm going to check with the gun all right. He's dusted the prints inside and out found fred prints all over the chart And you clear the question never one of them I think the sheriff's right me fred must have committed suicide. Oh, that's it And these photographs prove i'm right the fingerprints of that gun were placed there after fred was killed They were walked the simple matters sheriff, you know that all the killer had to do was take the dead man's hand wrap it around the gun But what makes it so sure that's what happened because the prints are too clear and sharp Especially when fred supposed to have held the gun when he shot himself too clear Yes, the recoil of the gun and his dying hand would have smudged the prints. They couldn't possibly be sharp But i'm having a right Not gonna fool the question now is Who killed fred thomas and why that's right. Let's go back to your office sheriff and start thinking I Sheriff you say fred had no enemies at all in wetville not one He was a fine man and everyone liked him and you also say he had nothing worth feeling No, nothing was wrong Then it gets down to this fred must have come across something new something bad here in wetville Whatever that was he was killed as a result We've got to find what it was. Uh, new name at mr. Carter and we'll find it So sheriff you're the man to call the turn now I am Mom But if you notice anything new or different you're unusual about wetville recently That's vicious strangers passing through new businesses. Anyway, I can't think of nothing At least nothing suspicious not even some little thing that's out of the ordinary The only thing I've noticed recently is that lots of folks who never wore glasses or wearing them now Wait a minute. Wait Lots of folks have suddenly taken to wearing glasses who never wore them before that's right Even old gem smalls got a pair. Why do you mention gem smalls in particular now because he'd be the last fella I'd expect to see wearing glasses. Why he Wait a minute Well, I wonder if that gem got them Well, he probably bought them at the oculus same as anyone else. That's just a pointless bond There ain't no oculus in wetville Well, if anyone wants glasses they drive the 16 miles over gary town The gem's been laid up for the last few months of the land bank. Uh, he couldn't get those all the time Later he bought them by mail. Not gem smalls. He'd want to see what he's buying first Sheriff, I think you've given me the answer I was looking for new glasses. I don't get you Let's go ask gem small about it. There's just one chance in a hundred that this is the something new that killed red Thomas Oh Physical condition of farm excellent best conditions for maintenance of health got it alas Now about your own condition mr. Alton eight boy over 65 Recent operations are illnesses. Well, 10 years ago get appendix taken out Nothing serious in that Now you're a physical condition. I'm the best I should say I should One moment. What is it? Mind if I take a close look at your eyes mr. Alton my eyes Yeah, yes, I see You're having difficulty reading lately, huh prince blurred your eyes seem dim tendency to squint headache sometimes, huh? Yeah, that is right. That's too bad I'm sorry, mr. Alton. I've got bad news to you I knew take this down Condition of eyes dangerous birth stages of cataract. What cataract. Yes. You you mean a go blind I'm sorry, but it looks as if you know. No, not blind I cannot go blind Oh, it's not as bad as all that mr. Alton Mr You and and lady you scientific people from federal From federal foundation, you know Cheyenne. You know about eyes. Maybe Maybe you tell me how affectionately Well, there is a cure mr. Alton. We all carry me the federal foundation elixir Alice get a bottle right now this treatment when taken with a special foundation glasses retards the progress of cataract Unfortunately, it's a difficult formula to prepare mr. Alton. It's rather expensive Uh 100 dollars If the price is too much for you, no No price too much to pay for eyes You wait here. I got money from home. I get a pair of the foundation glasses Two hours In southwest 24 miles an hour parameter 29.9 one and call Very favorite you aren't again Tell her next time. She'll leave that on you. Thank you. Thank you a special warning Sheriff part But Nick Trotter warns all citizens to be on the lookout for two crooks now working the cataract record in this county A man and a woman claiming to be representatives of the federal foundation Are working through the farm and selling bogus turrets for imaginary cases of cataracts Any information that you there were about should be phoned directly to this station a reward of $1,000 will be paid Humanly I got the man. I get reward too Hello, mr. Chote, I want to call radio station right away Yeah, I hear a note, but I think I've been reward. You get the radio station big, please I think crooks is here on my farm now So you get money It's the right tag $100 for me now. I take $1,000 of them I certainly cut the roll above Good working. Yeah, he's not called Hang up that receiver quick You're in a jam, but there's one ray of sunshine At least this big mouth didn't get through to Nick Carter The two crooks stand over Olson's body and Nick is 70 miles away. We'll see what happens next in just a moment Now back to the case of the failing eyes today's adventure with Nick Carter Brought to you by new post-war old Dutch cleanser It's four o'clock in the afternoon Heavy thunderclouds are fully covering the sky as Nick's long black convertible scorches down the roads eating up the mile to Olson's farm How much further sheriff? Just a few more minutes, mrs. Bart You know, Nick, I keep thinking about that phone call to the radio station People kind of make fun of the way local phone operators in the country gossip and listen in to local conversations Yeah But if that mrs. Chote, you know the local operator hadn't been in the habit of listening in on what people were saying He wouldn't have been able to relay Mr. Olson's message to us Well, I'm still worried about Olson. All right, what do you think happened to him? I prayed the crooks overheard his call and shut him up. Uh, ease up, mrs. Carter. Here's Olson's place Golly, thank heaven that's over 70 miles and 73 minutes. That's traveling. Oh, it sure is. Come on This is uh, Ed Laher here, local police officer. Ah, Ed Ah, so finally going there again. Yeah, this is Nick Carter and mrs. Patsy Bourne, Ed Laher How do you do? How's Olson, mrs. Laher? I don't know, mrs. Carter. But what do you mean? Seems like he ain't around nowhere, mrs. Carter. Seems like he's disappeared Well, Nick, we've uh checked the house, the barn, shed, and the chicken coop's all the buildings on the phone And he ain't many of them, mrs. Carter He must be here somewhere I'll tell you what, mrs. Laher, suppose you have your men check the rest of the farm Search all the ditches, gullies, the brookback or the orchid and so on Okay, we'll do that. Let's go, man If Olson was murdered and there's a strong chance he was, the killer may have buried his body So be on the lookout for fresh turned earth. We'll keep our eyes open, mrs. Carter All right, sheriff But you come out to the driveway that turns off the road. Uh, what's on your mind? Tire tread. Oh? Rain last night, just enough to make all the tire marks made today plain invisible So, look here. Uh, quite a mess of traction this drive Well, mrs. Carter, you think he can make anything out of them? Yeah, maybe. Let's see It's diamond pattern tread that belongs to Ed Laher's car with India balloon at some Olson's truck Well, how do you know that, mrs? I checked him while the sheriff and his men were looking for Olson's What? Oh, so that's why you didn't go with them? Yeah Now, these are the marks of my tires, these triangular treads, they're from the other officer's car Also, the ones that the straight board had banned Yeah, that's those that can come out of this car And that accounts for all our cars Right Now, look here, sheriff Here's one tire track unaccounted for It's a half-moon pattern, funny looking too And an easy pattern to identify Sheriff, let's have another look at those pictures you took at the time of Fred Thomas's murder Oh, yeah, I got them right here, Nick You want them all? Yeah, I remember one of the pictures that closed up at the dr... Yeah, here it is What? It's the pictures in tire marks How'd you happen to take that one, sheriff? Well, I'll tell you I've been reading a book on detecting and it said to never overlook a thing So when I saw these marks and knew that there wasn't Fred's car I took the picture just in case something might come up later And it has, sheriff Look closely at this shot That's the same thread Yeah, I'm telling you That same half-moon pattern And since that thread appears in both places Where we know the cataract crooks have been It's tend to one of it's the thread of their car How about that? Now what do we do? Well, this is mostly a back country district Basically all the roads are dirt Maybe we can follow this tire mark and catch up with those crooks Maybe If the rain holds off Yeah, gotta work faster, wanna beat the rain Let's see The tire marks here from the right are over left By those going out to the left That means the ones to the left are more recent Then the killers go out and turn south on the road Right, so let's get in my car and follow the track You really think they've got a chance, Nick? Yes, Betsy, if they stick to the dirt roads And if the rain holds off Straight ahead, Mr. Carter Straight ahead I can still make out the half-moon pattern The dirt they've been weaving in and out of the back road Probably add leverage to take credit for that How so? He's set up roadblocks in the 10 miles circle Right after I spoke to him on the phone Good man That means that friends are running in circles Trying to find a place to break through Oh, that's Nick Blast Oh, yeah, I gotta thank Betsy, Nick Aw, he's all garnished What? The Medicare No The rain's starting Oh, so ahead If we don't overtake them Before the next fork or cross Right, I'm afraid they'll get away Unless the roadblocks stoppin' Mr. Carter Look up there ahead Why, there's smoke Yeah, black smoke What does that remind you of, Sheriff? Uh, burnin' oil and gasoline Them crooks couldn't have cracked up Runnin' away, could they? We'll see in a moment Hold on Right It's a car, all right Down in the culvert Come on Oh, good grief, look at him Pretty well burned on Must have crashed at least an hour ago Yeah Watch the step that way I'm all right Hey, look Two bodies inside Badly burned Well, it looks like a man and a woman Oh Who's yours to dance? That's right, I'm real fogged Lights of a bumper Last few numbers on license plates Five and nine That'll check the watch Jen Small told us, Nick Yeah, I have to kill the car Without any questions Can you run in smashed in? Yeah, it looks like that's Cut them before we get it Hey, give me a hand with this door But it doesn't All right, force it open Well, a man and a woman What about all they can say now? Have to check further for identification Looks like there may as a books and bottles here In the back seat What's left of a lot of spectacles too Well, I guess nobody will ever drive a missed car again We don't know that anybody will want to drive it Any two crooks don't need a car no more Not that they're both dead I wonder whether they are What? Nick, what are the rest of you mean? Patsy, I've got a job for you This case isn't finished yet What? Are you crazy, Mr. Carr? Don't guess, finish your case Depends on who's dead, Sheriff Now listen good to me, here's what I want to do Somewhere, not that far Dolly, it's getting so dark, I'm getting all mixed up Nick said to cover all these bad roads But I don't know where I've been and where I haven't Dawn roads twist and turn like a, like a labyrinth Yeah, I wish Nick were here I'd like to ask him whether Hey, hey Get off the road, you want to get knocked down? But let's go the door What about this, sir? What? What in the world? It's a gun, sir, sir Get out of the car I've been waiting two hours for an easy march To come along and you are it The car belongs to me now, lady You won't be needing it anymore Patsy stares at the wild-eyed man Who fingers his revolver nervously And motions her out of Nick's car We'll see what she does in just a moment Now, for the conclusion of the case of the failing eyes Today's adventure with Nick Carter Brought to you by new post-war old dust cleanser On a lonely country road, Patsy crosses behind the wheel of Nick's convertible The armed man who has stopped the car, shifts his gun to his left hand Reaches through the open door and grabs Patsy Come on, you heard me, get out I just as soon let you have it now, sir You're the better, Rex, man, aren't you? How do you know? Some of the description That tears it, lady If you ever had a chance, it's gone now Come on, come on, come on, let's get off the road I don't want them to find you right away Just a couple of hours in your car is all I need Nick, where are you? Don't be a fool, sister Yelling won't help none Eh, it's far enough I'm not gonna waste time, sister This is it Go, Patsy, go Hey! Oh, no, Nick, don't do that I'm gonna go looking for that gun friend that's probably buried in Poison Island You heard it, Patsy? No, no, no, it's just my heart, it won't start again One story, I got all tangled up trying to get out of that luggage compartment Well, my friend, the racket's finished, and you're... You dirty... Uh-huh, no name, please After all, I could call you a three-time killer, swindler, thief, and all-around crook, but I won't I'll just call you a jailbird Feeling better now, Patsy? No, I guess so, but, Dolly, I was scared to death, Nick What? Even though we planned everything in a fan? No, I know, but... Nick, how did Jerry Lake get away with that cataract racket? How'd he manage to scare people in the polling point? Well, they only picked on the older folks, people who were suffering from the natural short-sightedness of old age All he did was describe the symptoms of failing eyesight And they thought he was describing the symptoms of cataracts That's about it Well, I don't know, I don't know What a dirty racket Oh, another thing, Nick You say it was Olson's body that was burning Jerry Lake's car That's right If he Jerry murdered the girl he worked with, left her body and Olson's body in the car when he burned it He figured by making us think he was the one who died in the phony wreck, he thought he could get clear Well, you said you knew it was a phony accident because the car was still in low gear Well, that certainly did If the wreck had been on the level and had gone off the road while they were driving along, the car would have been on high gear I didn't notice what gear it was in I just saw the dead bodies and that was that That's what most people think They look if they don't see Just like Jerry Lake What about Jerry? He couldn't see that when he put spread fingerprints on the gun, he was really putting the finger on himself As a result, he's going to get well acquainted with the electric chair Which is as it should be Well, Nick, what about the adventure that new post-war old Dutch cleanser will bring us next week? It's a story about women's fashions like women's fashions Well, they've always been a mystery to me Don't tell me they're more than a mystery They're a cause for plenty of violence You see, the fashions were being stolen And Mary Danvers said she knew who was stealing them And when we went to see her, she walked out of her apartment without saying a word And a moment later, we found her murdered in her bedroom in that same apartment Hey, wait, this is confusing enough without going any further What do you call this adventure, Nick? I call it The Case of the Quiet Rulemate Nick Carter, master detective, is presented each week at this time by the Cuddehy packing company It is produced and directed by Jacques McGregor And is copyrighted by Streets and Smith Publications Incorporated Charlotte Manson is featured as Patsy Today's script was written by Alfred Vester Original music is played by Henry Silvern This program is fictional And any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental This is Michael FitzMorris saying When minutes count, use new post-war old Dutch cleansers This is the Mutual Broadcasting System