 speaking from London the black museum here in a grim stone structure on attempts which houses Scotland yard there's a warehouse of homicide a very strange room where everyday objects or woman shoe a tiny white box a quilted robe mall are touched by murder you take this raincoat it's a familiar object waterproof cloth rayon lining color you can turn up against stormy weather here in London it's called a Macintosh but you wouldn't wear this raincoat oh this isn't it inspector the way it was tucked around that poor woman and partially burned as if someone had tried to destroy the evidence well it is evidence sir but against whom I'm not sure yet but this raincoat sergeant this raincoat will hang someone you can depend on it today that raincoat can be seen in a special position in that very curious room in Scotland yard which is known as the black museum from the annals of the criminal investigation department of the London police we bring you the dramatic stories of the crimes recorded by the objects in Scotland yards gallery of death the black museum in just a moment you will hear the black museum starring Orson well that museum Scotland Yards Museum it's a museum of murder here are the objects of homicide the weapons the clues which one time and another betrayed killers they've been collected over a hundred years and now here they are shelf a bunch of in this dim echoing room lies death on these shelves in these glass cases just for instance in this case simple mallets just the sort of thing a suburban I'd use in his garage or his shop working at wood carving on a quiet weekend matter of fact a suburban I did use this mallets on a quiet weekend but not for wood carving the raincoat there we are stained charred to around the edges anything you'd like to handle for very long but there's a story attached to it a story begins in the kind of place you immediately associate with absolute silence no not a graveyard a chess club and into this silent silence of concentration and intruded London City chess club is Mr. A guard there sorry sir I haven't seen him yet this is the steward of the club may I take a message we're expecting him I see my name is Champa must is 46 Edison mu East he knows we've had some contact by way of a God's insurance business yes sir and the message I want to see him about a policy tell him it's rather urgent I want him at my house tomorrow evening at 7.30 sharp very well sir I'll tell him as soon as he gets in Mr. A guard is sorry to disturb you sir just a moment steward and there now your move now steward a most important telephone message for you sir came in about half an hour ago before you came in otherwise I would never have disturbed you from a Mr. Chamfer sir Champa strange name oh yes yes perhaps I do know him may I have the message that was all that was all until the next evening a little bit after 7 o'clock on a street car this quiet little insurance salesman John Agerd said to the conductor of the street car I beg your pardon does this car take me to Edison mu East I've never been out there before you see I'm not yes you're all right mr. take you about 20 minutes from here oh thank you thank you very much I'll call it out for you if you like oh yes thank you again thank you very much oh I beg your pardon may I trouble you for the right time please it's a 735 I I am right for Edison mu East aren't I that one block to the car line thank you I beg your yes sir I am looking for a Mr. Chamfer in Edison mu East I have an appointment it's insurance do happen to know the gentleman officer I'm afraid not sir oh dear oh dear and my date was for 730 is it much past that now 745 sir steeple time just track the three quarter oh thank you thank you very much indeed I am sorry to have traveled you up he seemed a worried little man John Agerd upset over his difficulty in finding Mr. Chamfer and he was still worried apparently about an hour later when he's next to our neighbors Harry and Ethel Benson so I'm coming across the scrap of lawn which separated their houses is a guard coming over funny why is it funny Harry they come over very often that's just it Martha isn't with him such a devoted couple Martha had a bad cold today perhaps John needs something well no it's an enough areas hello hey God spotted you coming across the lawn yes good evening you know I am sorry to bother you no bother at tour do you need something for Martha's cold oh you'll know about that no and and yes I I suppose the cold made her forget to unboat the doors when she went to bed you mean you can't get into your own house oh man that's it front and back I can't seem to open either of them I don't quite know what to do about not like Martha to forget a thing like that you always bolt the door behind you when she's alone oh at night yes there's only the two of us I do so there they go out without her but tonight it was business if you come across with me I differentiate the three of them crossed the lawn to the Agerd house three ordinary people an insurance agent of bank clerk bank clerk's wife the wife said let me try the front door just for luck John Agerd said it won't help her I've tried several times the woman tried it's that's a bit strange I could have spawned it happens lots of times the lock gets stuck it's really open and you think it's locked and it just won't work well now now you're here well won't you stop in for a moment what with Martha's cold and all she'll like to see you come in please well just for a minute and Martha Maria the bins are with me Martha oh she was dead completely horribly dead one look no doctor could help a woman's head was battered in she lay before the fireplace her arms and legs twisted awkwardly like some careless they dropped a wooden figure and there was blood on the heart on the walls to the chair on the rugs and tucked around the body as you tuck a blanket around a child was a raincoat let me go over this one small mr. Agerd of course inspector if you think it'll help details very often help you say you left here just before seven took a trolley to Edison mules but you couldn't find the address or the man would call you even ask the constable on the beat then you returned home to what you found that that is correct and your wife was alive when you left oh of course of course that was about quarter to seven the boy who delivers milk says he saw her in the kitchen through the window about that time the newest boy says he tossed the evening paper at the front door about 630 but saw no one can you corroborate any of those points why took the paper with me at a quarter of seven Martha Martha was alive when I left who could have done this inspector who will find out we usually do may I see the cuffs of your trousers mr. Agerd the cuffs of my oh yes whatever for thank you now no stains of any kind do you really think for one minute that I we think nothing not yet the raincoat mr. Agerd is it yours and are there two worn spots at the buttonhole there are it's not when did you see it last was just hanging on its usual hook in the hall I see thank you mr. Agerd that's about all for now that's about all for now but not nearly all the experts were at work somewhere somehow the tiny thread which would lead to the heart of the tangle would be found in a quiet office in the scarf and yard inspector Mason discussed the expert's reports with sergeant Crandall he couldn't have been robbery a guard reports nothing missing a guard reports a lot of things including a mysterious telephone call that took him on a wild goose chase during which he seems to take good care to leave a clear trail of his own movements she was seen alive between 630 and 645 a guard with him at a backer shop at 735 the girl who works there remembers him he probably took good care she would beyond a doubt he did that but he couldn't have batted it to death after 645 cleaned up destroyed whatever he was wearing and still be in that shop at 735 or made that trolley car a few minutes after seven exactly which leaves us inspector with the raincoat it's odd isn't it inspector the way it was tucked around that poor woman and partially burned as if someone tried to destroy the evidence well it is evidence but against whom I'm not sure yet but this raincoat sergeant this raincoat will hang someone you can depend on it that was all they had the raincoat inspector Mason thought about it it was tucked around her just as if someone who loved her were taking care of her there was a thread it seemed the only thread where did it lead where could it lead where could any of it lead Johnny guard you're under arrest and you'll be later charged with the murder of your wife Martha it is my duty to caution you that anything you may say today that raincoat can be seen in very special position in that very curious room in Scotland yard which is known as the black museum in just a moment we will continue with the black museum starring awesome well continue with the black museum starring awesome well they charged John Akerd with the murder of his wife Martha the evidence seems slight really flimsy but still there were strange lapses contradictions of character quiet little insurance salesman response to a call from a possible client and suddenly he's talkative almost garrulous he establishes himself with definite places at definite times with total strangers all of whom can be checked quite easily by the police the possible client is not existent and then of course there was the raincoat from the very beginning the prosecutor of the crown made it clear that a great deal of his case rested on that raincoat the prisoner did commit this murder for apparently no reason he deserves the full punishment much will be made of a quiet life he led with his much will be made of the fact that no telltale twist of blood was found on him or his clothing but I say to you and we hope to prove this to your satisfaction that this woman could have been beaten to death by someone wearing only the raincoat which we will place in evidence now who ladies and gentlemen of the jury could have approached Martha a guard naked safe for that raincoat except her husband the prisoner John a guy there was more of the same much more counsel for the crown without to make an impression no doubt about that but then so is counsel of the defense admitted that no trace of was found upon my client although from the condition of the body and though time John a guard could never have committed this crime performed the necessary ablutions and being where he was definitely seen between 645 when his book was last seen alive by a third party and 75 the moment when my client spoke to the trolley conductor but far far more important is the relationship between my client and his poor wife a relationship of love of understanding of the perfect companionship of declining years for that reason alone I submit my client could never have committed the crime with which he stands charged today so it began the legal lines of battle were drawn 12 honest men sat in the jury box and gave their whole attention to the parade of witnesses to the arguments to the cross examinations sergeant Crandall gave evidence in the amount of blood and the places where it was found defense counsel cross examined it is apparent sergeant that there was an attempt to burn the rain coat which is now in evidence do agree yes sir such an operation would take some time would it not well I assume so I can't say for certain I've never experimented with a raincoat very well you saw the scene of the crime before it was cleaned up did you not I did from what you saw would you say it was possible for the killer to escape splashes of blood well I doubt it he would get blood on his legs his hands his face his hair I expect son where I any such traces found on my client or none that I know of there's any suggestion made that the murderer took a bath before leaving the premises did you see any traces of a bath wet towel indications in the bath house no sir nothing like that one more point sergeant these are the telling points but the crown made its own points as well inspector mason calling him a dependent when you first question him I was rather surprised at him he showed less emotion than I did how was this indicated we sat in the room where the murder had occurred mr. a guard smoked and talked he held his cat on his knees and stroked it quite calmly at one point he casually such points just a clever prosecutor quite clever he called the steward of the cheslam was mr. a guard in the club when the telephone call came from the mysterious mr. Champa no sir I look particularly he was not there did you recognize this champa's voice I've never heard it before I haven't heard it since might it have been a disguise the voice it might it sounded muffled very heavy sort of thank you you're witness and stored in your observations of mr. a guard have you ever seen him behave as a poor loser no sir never has he ever expressed violent opinions to your knowledge mr. a guard violent he's the quietest man I've ever known did he ever mention his wife to many times sir on what occasions usually about nine in the evening he always worried about leaving her alone too late at night sir very considerate of where he is was a thank you that's all that was all they had an elusive case an impression really more than a case very difficult to prove but just as difficult to defend for instance the evidence of Harry Benson who was with John a good when the body was discovered and in all the years you've been neighbors what would you say impressed you most about my clients relationship with his wife he's absolute devotion never a quarrel never a raised voice they like the same things they were perfect for each other your witness mr. Benson after the discovery who called the wife a guard did come to think of it my wife was very upset she was sick over what she'd seen as a matter of fact yes he was the one who thought of the police he used the telephone quite calmly quite calm thank you mr. Benson and naturally the defense brought John a gets immediate superior to the stand the manager of the local branch of the insurance company got represented this man's testimony was double edged on direct examination he stated we have always had a complete faith in mr. a guards integrity and character he carried a large policy on his own life in favor of his wife as she was not insured to the best of our knowledge which is rather complete mr. a guard has never been in financial trouble in his life on cross-examination he explains yes I live near Edison muse east and mr. a guard has been to my house many times he knows the way very well I cannot imagine why he asked for directions I was at the cinema that evening my neighbor recognized mr. a guard when he came to the door of my house unfortunately I was not at home when John a gets turn came to take the witness stand there was little left for him to say I did not kill her I had no reason to I loved her opposing counsel summed up the judge made his charge to the jury you have heard the importance of the time element in this case could this man or any man have committed this crime removed all traces of it from his person dressed and been at a trolley car line 20 minutes from his house in the time between the moment the milk boy saw the victim alive and the moment the conductor saw the defendant on the trolley car more there is no evidence to connect the defendant directly with the crime the case is entirely circumstantial no motive has been established they listened the 12 honest men in the jury box they retired and they debated what went on in that jury room is sealed in silence under the honored tradition of the law anyway 40 minutes elapsed then the jury re-entered the courtroom the clerk asked the usual question are you agreed upon a verdict we are do you find the prisoner guilty or not guilty guilty prisoner at the bar have you anything to say why you should not die according to the law I am not guilty I have nothing else to say you are looking well John they treat me well I had a shock yesterday the governor of the prison came here he said eight o'clock in the morning Monday the 16th don't worry John it will be put over the appeal it's being studied the court won't rule for another month at least they're going to stay an execution a month another month a month an extra week after that time went on endlessly it seemed to John Agerd waiting in his cell in Walton prison and at long last they gave him his own clothes and to give before three judges of the court of the criminal appeal handcuffed he stood there between the bailiff and his own counsel the voice of the judge seemed very far away there is indeed a reasonable doubt in this case we believe there is eminent difficulty and doubt the case against the appellant was not proved with the certainty necessary to a verdict of guilty this appeal will be allowed the prisoner will go free yes he went free but the raincoat that famous raincoat can still be found today in its place a very particular honor in that curious room known as the black museum arson wells will be back with you in just a moment arson well so inspector Mason was wrong wasn't either in court didn't hang anybody after all John Agerd went free and for the first time in the history of English law a conviction for murder was set aside for reasonable doubt now what happened to John Agerd he lived out his life just two years after his release he died some say of loneliness in Liverpool a broken weary old man I've seen his grave in Liverpool and I've seen the raincoat that famous enigmatic raincoat in its place of particular honor in that strange room in Scotland yarn known as the black museum now until we meet again in the same place for another story the same kind I remain as always obediently yours I'm starring arson wells is presented by arrangement with Metro Goldwyn Mayer radio attractions the program is written by our a Marion with original music composed and conducted by Sydney torch produced by Harry Allen towers