 this yes this is the place for it deep down under the city under the earth the concrete cold and dampers the stone of a mausoleum the question is which one of them shall it be you sir you with the gray hair in the briefcase allow me to introduce myself I am death midnight the witching hour when the night is darkest our fears the strongest and our strength at its lowest end midnight when the gravescape open and death strikes you learn the answer in just a minute in the man who was death and now murder at midnight tales of mystery and terror by masters of the macabre our story by Robert Newman is the man who was death it's late afternoon in the studio of Jan Ralph the sculptor the rays of the setting sun come through the smoke-filmed glass of the skylight at an angle casting long dark shadows on the dusty floor his face intense Ralph stands before a more than life-size head of great granite cutting away some of the hard stone then pausing to examine his work still not right I still haven't got it and I don't know where I've gone wrong the eyes they would be brooding and half closed but shouldn't they be all seeing let's try it who's that does the second what is it a lean I told you I wouldn't be able to get here until late mr. off that I was going to be modeling for Clayton in the early afternoon but you said it didn't matter oh yes I forgot if you don't need me don't feel like no no it's it's it's it's all right maybe it would help if I worked on something else for a change come on in something else oh that head that the first time you've seen it yes you always kept it covered up before it looks very powerful powerfully go on over to it closer tell me who you think it is all right it well it's a man pretty big man man I knew it wasn't right but if that's all you get out of it well well that mallet what are you going to do this I'm going to smash it almost six months work but you know what that was supposed to be death yes the century man is deported obsessed by the field I'm going to do something no artist has ever done before show mankind the face of death mr. alpha I don't think I feel like modeling this afternoon right and why I don't know the whole idea of you too what I wanted to show was the beauty the piece that lies in there that strength and inevitability and wait a minute I'll phone you tomorrow mr. Ross I can wait it's beginning to come to me what was wrong to do a study portray something you've got to understand it inside and out you you've got to know how your subject things feels project yourself into it to do a study of death I've got to know all those things about him I've got to become death and that means but I can I mean I must how can I understand it become death if I don't Miss Craig Nancy Craig I'm Jordan Harold Jordan of homicide imagine you know why I asked you to come down here to the morgue they said it had something to do with my roommate Elaine Moffitt is if you think you can take it we'd like you to make the identification I think I can good girl she's right here under the sheet ready it Lee how did it happen I'll cover her up how we traced the laundry mark we're pretty sure we knew who she was how did it happen she was found in the river but she was dead before she went in strangled murdered but why by home we don't know we thought you might help us with that too tell us what you know about there's not much to tell she was a wonderful girl came from out of town out west somewhere she he wouldn't know it from the way she looks now but she was beautiful she used to do modeling any boyfriends oh no one in particular she went out with a lot of different men everyone liked her it's why I can't understand who did she model for a few photographers but mostly pagers and sculptors let me see there was Jensen Clayton Ralph was a matter of fact I I think she was posing for both Clayton and better this time much better things I can put into it that I never knew never felt before now let's see no still not right still something missing in not just a shade of expression but something basic one of the keys to the whole concept but what haven't I played death's role killed just as he does haven't I wait that's it of course is that how death strikes without thought and the spur of the moment no he picks and chooses decides just who shall die and who shall not what's missing is the consciousness of power the knowledge that there is no appeal from death that he is the supreme authority and that means that yes I must kill again and this time oh who's that police department come in talk to you for a minute why yes of course just a second police I don't know anything they can't know but I better cover this up yes I'm Jordan of homicide this Nancy Craig sorry to bother you at this time of night no bother tall please come in thank you I'm I'm investigating the murder of Miss Craig roommate Eileen Muffin murder you didn't know why I know I never read the papers the last time I saw her two three days ago it happened just two days ago and we've been checking back we have an idea that you may have been one of the last people to see her live if there's anything I can do to help anything at all but you tell us what happened when you did see her last of course she was do here at three o'clock but actually came at about five man she said another artist had delayed her quite and that's right I had already started working on something else and since she looks so tired I suggested we call the whole thing off she seemed pretty happy about it left and afraid that's all I know was there anyone else here anyone that actually saw her leave I'm afraid not you see I'm the only tenant in the building who lives here and I'm afraid everyone else had gone by then hmm well that sounds pretty straight to me I guess that's that thanks very much mr. off not at all but I haven't been much help but if you can think of anything I can do I will keep in touch with you and in the meantime well maybe you should start reading the papers just every once in a while right I hope you read them to my friend especially tomorrow's papers because I have a feeling that they're just might be something in them that will interest you find small rain yes this is how he would move walking slowly through the darkness searching weighing selecting his victim I make your part but could you tell me if that's the uptown subway over there why yes I believe it is thank you thank you very much not at all better place to make my choice than air deep under the earth the concrete cold and damp as the stone of a mausoleum thank you my friend thank you this is the place the tunnel dark as a yawning grave the platform edge like the verge of infinity and this is how he must feel studying selecting which one of you shall it be you madam with a worn coat and a draggled hat why are you looking at me like that you know what's in my mind don't be afraid it won't be you you young man with the books and the glasses no then what about yes down there at the end of the platform my friend has suggested this my prosperous looking friend with the gray hair in the briefcase don't look up at the track so impatiently a train is coming but so am I good evening I figure pardon sir but I'm afraid oh I didn't recognize you at first when you're the chat directed you down here yes I felt that you should know exactly who it was you spoke to allow me to introduce myself I am dead what do you mean what are you doing to me quietly the man who is death steps back from the edge of the platform as the train grinds to a stop the woman screams somewhere in the distance a clock strikes 12 for now back to the story of the man who was death it's late the next afternoon and Jordan is alone in his bare cubby hole and police headquarters when there is a knock on the door come oh hello Nazi you don't seem very happy to see me I am and I'm not it's a nice change to have someone as pretty as you come down here on the other hand I haven't gotten anywhere with the lean's murder no motive no clue no nothing I'm afraid we're like but you can't be you can't give up I'm sorry Nancy I don't like it either but well it happens sometimes but you can't let it happen not in this case you're you're pretty well wound up aren't you how about letting me take you out by your dad no I am upset yes but what's the matter oh maybe it's nerves that trip down to the morgue the whole atmosphere around the case but would you think I was mad if I told you I I felt that some horrible power was abroad the death himself was stalking through the city you and Mrs. Dolan it's a door who she had accident in the subway last night a guy who fell or jumped in front of a train didn't you read about it no this Mrs. Dolan was one of the witnesses and she swears that just before it happened she went all goose pimples felt as if death was breathing down the back of her neck and that she was going to die it's true how I know it is I mean well that's exactly how I felt can't remember just where or when but sometime during these past few days I I felt that I was in the same room with death myself hmm now like you said it's probably nerves strain you've been under just the same as kind of a funny coincidence I think maybe I'll go see Mrs. Dolan talk to her you want to come I don't believe so how somehow I feel we're awfully close to the answer if I could just remember where and when it was I felt that way that I was in death present I think I'll go home okay Nancy I'll call you there after I talk to Mrs. Dolan and they well maybe we'll find that we really have something just a little more off the cheekbones the god-feeling of a skull under the flesh now no it's still not right still something missing what is it this time didn't I stalk and select my victim didn't he recognize me for what I was death himself and didn't wait of course it's never just the victim alone who knows fears and fights against death it's all of society medicine science the police all of man's resources from Tybee Memorial lined up against death and he still triumphs over them that is the secret and the measure of his omnipotence that is the last missing element and that means that I must kill yet again and this time not just the whole world must know it and be powerless to stop me this time who was that who's there Nancy oh yes just a second I'm I'm awfully sorry to be bothering you again that's perfectly all right isn't Mr. Jordan with you know I I came alone I well it was a little experiment I wanted to try oh please come in thank you what was this experiment it was probably pretty silly but I had to try it thinking back I had a queer feeling that I bust something I'm working on something I hope will be my masterpiece do you like it I'm afraid I know it's awful it's terrible it was here that I felt it here in the studio and yes Nancy it was I who killed a lean Muppet and also a gray-haired gentleman with a briefcase in the subway last night that at least in the paper Mrs. Dolan exactly you see that bust over there is a study of death and to do a study you must project yourself inside your subject that meant I had to become there where you going no good Nancy no good I locked the door when you came in but you can't no good either we're five stories up and all the other tenants have gone you came here at a very opportune time for me I had just decided I needed one final victim and I'm afraid that's going to be you never forget it mr. Jordan it was pretty late about 12 o'clock and it was raining there were only a couple of people on the subway platform three or four and I was standing by myself not thinking about anything in particular when suddenly this this feeling came over now what kind of a feeling feeling that this was the end feeling that death was standing there right close behind me I got so weak and shaky that I thought I was going to faint I shut my eyes and leaned against one of the posts and that's how it was that I didn't actually see the accident what did you did you turn around when you had that funny feeling did you notice whether there actually was anyone standing behind you I did there was just a young fellow with glasses and another man kind of strange looking now that I think of it strange how he was about 35 or 40 pretty big I guess it was his hair he wasn't wearing any hat and well it was almost white and very long what did he have a thin face and gaunt and deep set eyes well yes I think he did have do you know I'm not sure I do then I may know a lot of other things too good Lord Nancy but I I've got to get out of here just a second young fellow where do you think you're going in there no one's going to hand around oh there you are Jordan where the places have you been what do you mean what's going on a devil of a business a lunatic in the top floor studio there he phoned headquarters asked for you said that he had a girl there that he was going to murder said that he wanted us to know even though there was nothing we could do to stop him we thought it was a gag at first well what are you doing about it everything that can be done I've got men all around the building up in the roof across the street outside his door can't you break down the door sure and finish her off quick he said that if we tried it he'd bash her brains out with that big hammer that he's working with but there must be something a Tommy gun from the roof across the street he's got her right in front of him so that if you've got him you'd get her to I tell you there's nothing absolutely nothing anyone can do you're wrong hand to hand there's just one person one thing that can stop him what's that death you're getting impatient my dear why are you doing you know you can't get away with it you know get away with it you think I care that it matters to me whether I live or die when I finish this I'll never be able to surpass this but neither will anyone else I know now how death must feel I've caught it forever for all men to see in stone yes friend Robert you have and you've made me very proud what who's that you don't know even though I've been on your mind for months now even though you're just finishing my portrait you where where are you where would I be everywhere outside in the hall here in the studio with you can can you be seen I I must see you I must very well walk this way over towards the door a little further here I am off maybe I don't look the way you thought I was yes now drop that matter can get your hands it was you and I thought get him up off I said okay that's the way you want it it's okay baby it's all over now have you loosened a minute yes break the door down if you want to come in I'm busy oh you got him but how I talked to him through the vent pipe from up on the roof I figured that he was crazy enough to do all the things he did do he might be crazy enough to believe death could pay him a visit when I'd maneuvered him far enough away from Nancy here I jumped through the sky like hell look good good Lord what is it that that bust he was working on he said it was a study of death and in a way I guess it is because it's a self-portrait two men and a girl staring down at the body of the dead sculptor lying next to his weird masterpiece but is it possible there is still someone else in the studio an unseen presence it has been there since the clock first struck 12 or remember to be with us again when death walks through the darkened streets while the clocks strike 12 for part of Jan Ralph was played by Frank Barrett with music by Charles Paul murder at midnight was directed by Anton M. Leder