 From Hollywood it's time now for Johnny Duller Hi, Sheriff you put in a call for me. Did you yes, I'm ready to go to work now that the inquests been held and George Henderson's death is officially an accident I might be able to move around your little town a little easier What can I do for you help me to move around? If what's the matter with you that in quest was a farce for all I know Henderson could have been pushed out of that hotel window The attitude of different people in this town makes that whole thing Can I come over I better come there, you know how folks are around here Tonight in every weekday night Bob Bailey in the transcribed adventures of the man with the action-packed expense account America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator. You're as truly Johnny Duller Expense account submitted by special investigator Johnny Duller location Culver Montana to Paramount insurance adjusters Hartford, Connecticut The following is an accounting of expenditures during my investigation of the Henderson matter the question Accidents suicide or murder Expense account item for three dollars and forty-eight cents one day later to Tim Conner's office in Hartford explaining the situation in Culver Accidental in my opinion the inquest was not thorough have decided to stay on at Culver and conduct my own investigation If any change, please advise via Western Union beautiful tell Culver Forwarding copy of corners verdict this date best regards dollar Okay Yeah, sure Expense account item five sixty-eight cents postage. I mailed a copy of the corners verdict to Hartford airmail special After that I went back to my hotel to wait for the sheriff Eve Holton. Come on in if I oh Hello, hello, mr. Dollar. My name's Porter. I'm the manager of this hotel. Oh, well come in mr. Porter I can't right now. I've got some other things to attend to Well anything I can do for you mr. Porter I I'm going to have to ask you for your room mr. Dollar. Oh When? today Any particular reason we're all filled up the room's been reserved for six weeks by home What who reserved it? Why a man from Bozeman? It's a sort of convention sort of convention. What kind of convention is that mr. Porter? Look mr. Dollar You'll have to leave this room today the man's coming in tonight, uh-huh and there's no other hotel in town That's the way it is mr. Dollar. No other place to stay. No, so I have to pack my bags and get out of town Is that it? I must have the room mr. Dollar who asked you to say you wanted the room mr. Porter Who asked you to come here and kick me out? I know and I well you go back to know one mr. Porter And you tell no one that I'm staying right here in this room here in Culver until I finish what I have to do here You tell that to no one would you mr. Dollar? I'd hate to call a police go ahead mr. Porter be sure and tell them about the sort of convention You're having and how all the rooms are sold out tell them about mr. No one and tell them I called your bluff Anything else mr. Porter? I was at the stage where I was beginning to take notes for myself note one The mayor didn't want to have an inquest into the death of George Henderson note two when they did have an inquest They didn't want to really find out anything note three Mr. Hotel manager wanted me to keep on not finding out anything by getting me out of town I Explained all of this to Eve Houlton when he showed up a half an hour later Kind of tight isn't it? I don't know what that means sure if it is pretty stupid Yeah, it's stupid son, but it could be effective now. I'll tell you what if Porter calls the police I'm the police so don't worry about that. I'll hand him in the hauling all right. Thanks Now then tell me how much your insurance company stuck for $50,000 if Henderson's death goes by as an accident the good book says that's what it was. I know I know There's a chance to we had a heart failure and fell out of that window. No sure Always a chance. We might have to dig him up and find out sure whoop. No hold on Autopsy's and digging people up is one thing you'd have a hard time doing around here I might insist on it. I don't know well let that go for now Say tell me about Mrs. Henderson. Where's she from here right here in Culver now She didn't get that mink coat and those diamonds. She was wearing at the inquest in Culver more important She didn't get that continental look here either So what's the story? Well, her name was Pauline Underwood before she married George Born and raised right here in Culver of course She went to school in the east and she's been in Europe a couple times, but most of her life's been right here She is a mighty pretty widow and a mighty rich one too Henderson had it. I know This divorce she talked about at the inquest yesterday Everybody in town knew they weren't getting along never did get along. How could they? Pauline's 26 and George is 59. He could have been her father As a matter of fact he almost was and tell me about that and got a drink. Oh, yeah But George raised Pauline from the time she was 14 he paid for all her schooling and growing up She didn't have any folks after her old man died George was pretty good to her. He sure was Was he a friend of her parents? Tom Underwood worked out at the ranch for George when he died there was Pauline standing there. Oh, yeah Thanks, and she eventually married him and his money Well, I wouldn't put it that way exactly. I think she liked him Now I've gone over what you're thinking son those two were talking about divorce for some time The papers had been drawn up for a settlement. She'd got a lot of valomon in so on Oh, Pauline had no call to push him out that window having pushed out at least not for money. All right Suppose he didn't want a divorce Suppose he loved her and she came to the hotel room that morning and he pleaded with her to try all over again Suppose she said no suppose. She said no in a great big cold way and George Henderson sat there and thought about it After she left and he got sick all over and he walked over to that window and suicide What do you think you know him? He wasn't a suicide type. Oh, nobody's the suicide type until they come to the end of the line If then it's too late to interview them and ask them how they got there Everybody seems to think it was an accident. So I'm just throwing words around You have a right to do that if you aren't satisfied son. Hey getting back to this hotel again Who might want me to get out of town and not ask any questions? Anybody well whole No idea, but it's somebody who has some feelings in this Hey, who owns this hotel if no a Baxter. Who's no a Baxter rancher got a place about 15 miles from here Pretty big man. Ah friend of Henderson's. Yeah Hmm, and let me put that question a little different Baxter a friend of mrs. Henderson's I don't know can you find out I can try well find out about him and any other friends if Friends that might be younger that might have gone to Europe or a school in the east. Yeah sure What are you thinking now son? Well now if I were mrs. Henderson and my husband fell out of a window in this hotel and killed himself I'd hire a lawyer and I'd sue the hotel for damages if the insurance company didn't pay off my claim I'd hire a lawyer and insist that they pay that claim I'd do those things right away sheriff, especially if I thought it was all legitimate. Yeah Yeah Two hours later. I received a wire from Tim Connors. He requested me to look up a man named Thurber an insurance broker living in Great Falls Expensive count item six four dollars and ninety-two cents tank of gas I borrowed sheriff Holtons car and drove the 80 odd miles to Great Falls that afternoon. Mr. Thurber bought lunch My Lord, I hope there isn't anything to all this mr. Dollar. I just hope there isn't George Henderson Yeah, well there isn't anything to anything yet. Mr. Thurber. I'm still trying to find out the facts Oh, I knew you were over in Culver. I tried to call you there a couple of times you were out both times Finally I put in a call to the home office in Hartford. I talked to this man Connors with the adjustment agency. Yeah You see mr. Dollar. It's like this. I've been over in Jackson Hole for five days now hunting duck We were way in and I didn't hear about Henderson's death until I got back yesterday Now a look mr. Dollar. I don't know what reflection this will have on your attitude toward this case But two days before I left mr. Henderson telephoned me here in Great Falls He said he wanted to change the beneficiary on his policy. Oh In other words, he was gonna cut his wife out. Yes, I suppose so. I know they weren't getting along There'd been talk of divorce. Yes, I guess so. Uh-huh. Did he name a new beneficiary? Yes, a school teacher in Culver named Matilda Nickabocker. Everybody calls her Maddie What was his connection with her None that I know of I think it was just a name from to throw in until he could decide on another beneficiary Why he didn't have a manny nicker marker just a school teacher. Everybody knows her He was awful mad when he talked to me that day. I could tell it in his voice now Here's what might interest you just a little more the day I left in my hunting trip mr. Henderson phoned me again He said to never mind. Mrs. Henderson was still his beneficiary. Had you changed the policies yet? No Are you sure it was Henderson hotel phone? Yes, if I think it was him. Do you remember when you got the call? Somewhere around noon a little later. I guess he died between 1230 and 1 Must have been just before he fell out the window. He found your long distance from Culver, huh? Yes, sir Well, he was supposed to have been in the hotel all morning. So he had to phone from his room You can check that can't you? She'd be surprised how hard it is to check simple things like that around the beaut hotel Did you know Henderson very well mr. Thurber? He was a customer. I wrote a lot of insurance for him know his wife. Oh, yes. Well, tell me about them But go ahead mr. Thurber Now look accidents rarely have reason behind them Suicides and murders always do You don't think it was an accident. Let's say I've heard enough and seen enough to make it a draw so far Go ahead. Tell me about them and I wish I was married to mrs. Henderson. I mean I wish she could see me I think most any man who's ever met her hoped the same thing young men old men any kind But she picked George George was as tough and leathery as these mountains around us exactly her opposite Pauline married him. He raised her. He was close to her all her adult life. Yes Mr. Dollar, you know and I know she didn't have to marry him She could have married anybody here in Culver or anybody in London or Paris. You see what I mean and I quite Well, I always had the idea that after she married him she kept letting him know she could have had anybody else she wanted Go ahead Thurber. I Think she married him for his money. I Think she would have killed him for his money There'll be another intriguing episode in our story of the Henderson matter tomorrow tomorrow The whole affair becomes a town issue and I become the town goat Incidentally, let me take a moment to say thanks for the many kind letters. You've said we appreciate them more than you know And I only wish it were possible to answer them all personally Again, thank you yours truly Johnny dollar Yours truly Johnny dollar starring Bob Bailey is transcribed in Hollywood Written by John Dawson. It is produced and directed by Jack John stone Be sure and join us tomorrow night same time and station for the next exciting episode of yours truly Johnny dollar Roy Rowan speaking