 The Mutual Broadcasting System presents The Mysterious Traveller, written, produced, and directed by Robert A. Arthur and David Colvin, and starring one of radio's foremost actors, Chuck Webster, in A Man Who Knew Everything. This is The Mysterious Traveller inviting you to join me on another journey to the realm of the strange and the terrifying. I hope you will enjoy the trip, that it will thrill you a little and chill you a little. So settle back and a good grip on your nerves and be comfortable, if you can, as we join forces with a man who had unique powers which enabled him to accomplish tremendous good or tremendous evil. I call his story A Man Who Knew Everything. My story begins in a small, very expensive nightclub, the Crystal Club. The room is crowded with men and women in evening dress, there to see and hear the star attraction, Randor the Mystic, Mind Breeder Extraordinary. In a small office with the door locked, Nick Thompson, owner of the club and his press agent, Jerry Fenton, are in conference. I don't like it, Jerry. I tell you, I don't like it. The grand jury is all set to bring in an indictment against me. The heat's on and my contacts with City Hall are no good anymore. Well, it seems to me, Nick, about five years ago there was another grand jury camping on your trail. But all of a sudden they lost interest, right? Yes, that's right. I sort of heard rumors that those grand jurors got a few anonymous phone calls suggesting what might happen if Nick Thompson was indicted. They did. That's when they lost interest. But it won't work now, Jerry. You're not turning soft, I hope. Could I handle the gambling monopoly in this town if I was soft? You know me better than that. Just the same if I were in your shoes. Yeah, if you were in my shoes, what would you do, smart guy? I'd make a few changes, Nick. I'd, uh, consolidate a couple of, uh... well, should we call them business rivals? I mean, you'd try to take over naughty Williams' rackets. Maybe Fat Boy Latimer's? Is that what you mean? That's just what I mean. I've been wondering for two years why you let him alone. You sap. Times have changed. This investigation proves it. If all of us started it, now every local prosecutor is starting a cleanup campaign of his own. So? Public attitude is different, too. I started putting the heat on Williams and Latimer now. This town would blow up right in all our faces. You're wrong, Nick. Get strong enough and nobody can touch you, not even the public. Listen, if you controlled Rocky's mob and the Fat Boy's organization, you'd be so powerful that Governor himself wouldn't dare interfere with you. Big talk for a pencil pusher. I asked you what's the dope down at headquarters, not for advice on how to run my business. And I told you, down at headquarters are waiting to see which way the wind's blowing. If you can blow it your way hard enough, well, they'll coast along with you. But, if you sit around chewing your nails until the grand jury finds a true bill against you, all of a sudden you won't have any friends. Talk, talk, talk. Give me a concrete suggestion. That's what I want. Must be some way to get at those grand jurors. Everybody has something in his life that he doesn't want known. Those jurors are a hand-picked blue ribbon bunch. To pick up anything against them, you'd have to read their minds. Read their minds. Very interesting idea, Nick. Maybe Rand or the mystic could do it. If you put it to him, right? That oriental faker. He's got a good act, but it's just an act. Oh, you're wrong. I tried him out last night. He read my mind, Nick. Told me exactly what I was thinking, including a few thoughts that strictly weren't for publication. Sucker. It's just a trick. You want to believe that? Well, if you're through weeping on my shoulder about the grand jury, let's step out and watch Randor put on his act. No need to. I can switch on my loudspeaker in here and hear everything going on outside. Very convenient. It comes in handy. There he is. I shall demonstrate the mystic powers which I bring from the sacred orient. I shall not ask you to write questions on a piece of paper. Just think them. That is all. Think them and I shall answer them. Or hooey. But I eat it up. I tell you, it's not hooey. I perceive a thought. A certain gentleman is wondering if his wife knows where he was last night. No, sir, she does not. The priest. Such trivial thoughts I must not waste my powers on them. Ah, here is something else. It's just a test, but it may convince you. A lady in the red dress wishes me to tell her what her automobile license number was in 1945. It was YX4590. Am I correct? She is nothing. How do you explain that except by mind reading? Oh, she's a stupe, of course. Let's shut it off. A lady in the red dress happens to be a friend of mine. She's a stupe, of course. Let's shut it off. A lady in the red dress happens to be a friend of mine. I asked her to try out Randor with that question. She's no stupe. Listen, if he's not a fake, why doesn't he use his mind reading to make some real dough? He could clean up. But the racism, the stock market... Rada Swami's a dope. He says his power mustn't be used for personal gain. He sends all his earnings to the famine sufferers in India. Ah, hooey. Ah, forget Randor. What are we going to do about the grand jury? Well, I'll think of something. Oh, by the way, where's Randor living? 311 West Street. Why? Just curious. And I'll drift along that can... Meanwhile, I'll work on your problem. From the nightclub, Jerry Fenton went directly to 311 West Street. There, he located Randor the mystic's small apartment and let himself in with a picklock. Once inside, he turned on a light and began searching the place. A thick manuscript in a desk drawer attracted his attention, and he settled himself to read it. Well, he was still reading an hour later when unexpectedly the door opened. Who is here? Who is in my lodging? Hello, Randor. Home early, aren't you? Fenton, the press agent. The press agent? For what purpose have you broken into my room? Well, I've been meaning to have a little talk with you. I thought I'd drop in early and wait. You are lying. You have my manuscript in your hands. The fruit of my life's experiences. Yes. Interesting reading saves me a lot of trouble. Give it to me and go. I don't think so, Randor. You see, in chapter 5 here, you've outlined exactly how you manage your mind-reading trick. Very interesting. Now, I savvy those cough drops you're always chewing. They're dope with a drug which sharpened your mind so that you can really catch what someone else is thinking. That is true. It is a secret known only to qualified practitioners of the art of yogi. It is not for the multitude. One person's no multitude. Meaning myself. No. You must not tamper with such powers. Your knowledge is not great enough. That's great enough to get me the right stuff from a drugstore to make a mind reader out of me, too. That's all I need, Randor. No, I read your thoughts. They are evil. You wish power, will for yourself. You intend to use criminal methods to get them. So what? Do you know a better way? I cannot permit it. You can't stop it, old man. I've got the secret now. That's all there is to it. You must forget it or else you must die. You're going to kill me with that little knife you're making me laugh, Randor. No, take... No! No! There! But I won't use it on you. I have a better idea. The Spella. I hold it over your face for a couple of minutes. Well, Amor, the cops will think your ticker just gave out. No, you dare not. This power you have stolen, it will turn on you. Men's thoughts are not to be trusted. You will discover... Hey, Randor! Hinton, you must not... Sorry, Randor. Nothing stopping me now. I'm on my way to the top. Hi, Jerry. Oh, hello, Rocky. Nick in his office. Yeah. He wants to see you. He's been wondering where you've been the last week. Yeah, I've been busy. He's kind of sore. Yeah, that's too bad. I'll go in and cheer him up. Hello, Nick. Brandon. Where the devil have you been? Last place you'd look for me. Been down to the courthouse. The courthouse? Listening to the grand jury hearings. I want you where I could get ahold of you. Randor the mystic conked out last week. Heart attack on his apartment. Yeah, so I read in the paper. I got the retraction fast. And I needed you to work up the publicity. And I've been working on a more important problem. The grand jury's decided to indict you. How do you know that? I mean, are you positive? Yes, I'm positive. That's the problem I've been working on. What do you mean? I can fix that grand jury... if I want to. How? That's my secret. Now, the question is... what's it worth to you? Five grand cash on the line. Five grand? Is that all ten years in prison is worth to you? Look, Jerry... you're working for me, understand? If you can fix the grand jury for me, I'm willing to give you a bonus. But you can't hold me up. I want an equal partnership in all your operations. This club, your gambling concessions, everything. A half-interest? You must be nuts. If you go to jail, you lose everything. Well, is that a deal? We're getting some big ideas, Jerry. You don't know how big. Confidentially, Nick, I expect to be governor of this state someday. Governor? And I may go beyond that. But right now, the question is... am I in for a half-interest or not? Okay. Deliver the goods and it's a deal. All right, I'll start right now. I have here the names and phone numbers of three members of the grand jury. I'm going to phone them. You can listen in on the extension. The first one I'm going to call is Jones, a foreman. Come on, listen in, Nick, but don't say anything. Okay. Oh, this Mr. Jones? Oh, this is a friend calling, Mr. Jones. I have some advice for you. Tomorrow when the grand jury meets, you're going to prevent it from indicting a certain Nick Thompson. No, no, I'm not crazy. I'm just telling you, if you know what's good for you, you'll see no indictment is voted. Now listen, Jones, let's get down to cases. You're a respectable citizen, like a lot of other citizens, you've got woman trouble. Yeah, there's a little brunette in Boston you sort of drop in on every once in a while. What shall I give you her address? 91753 Boylston Street. Yeah. You'd like your wife to know about her? And the newspapers? Well, I thought not. Okay, see that Nick Thompson doesn't get indicted. That's all. Hey, you sounded scared. You had the goods on him, George. Sure, I had the goods on him. And that's a little secret he thought no other living soul knew about. How did you find out? Never mind that. And I got to call a couple of more jurors who also have their little secrets. And then we can talk, Nick. That's my final word, Wentworth. You've got to wash that indictment or I spill what I know. I'll get by. Well, Nick, you feel better now? Got to hand it to you, Jerry. You've got those three citizens buffaloed. I'll spill it. How'd you find out? I hung around a courtroom, reading their minds. Reading their minds? What kind of guff is that? No, it's a truce. How else could I know? I don't know, but if you expect me to believe that mind-reading, who we... Before Randor died, he passed on his little secret to me. Randor, told you how to read minds? There's nothing to it except concentration. Of course you have to be close to whoever you're working on, but that's all. I don't believe it. How else would I know that you're still wanted for murder in California? I'm what? Pasadena, 1938. Shall I give you the details? Wait a minute. This isn't a gag anymore. It never was a gag. You see, Nick, you and I are going to get along fine because I have the goods on you. Just sitting here, I've been picking up your most secret thoughts. That case, sir. You should have known about this gun, but you didn't. Yes, I did, but you can't kill me. You're not human. A bullet won't stop you like it will somebody else. Well, but that gun has busted. Been busted for weeks. You just neglected to have it fixed. Well, I'll be... All right, it's busted. Rocky! Rocky Brogan! Yeah, Nick? Come in. Close the door. Sure, Nick. What's up? Phantom here. He's gotten a few big ideas. Too big. I'm going to have to cut him down to size. You mean Blaston? He knows too much. And his mouth is too big. Got him out of it, Rocky. Right now. Well... Gee, Jerry, you heard what Nick said. Yeah, I heard him. I guess we aren't friends anymore. So you'd better do as he says. Go ahead, shoot. Well, if that's how it's going to be... Wait a minute. You're putting that gun at me. Rocky, are you... Sorry, Nick. Me and Jerry had a talk earlier. I'm working for him now. Good work, Rocky. A partnership idea would never work out anyhow. All right now, after you've gotten rid of Nick, just start spreading the word to the boys that I'm running things now. Hello, Jane. Oh, Rocky. Sit you down. Thanks. I want to talk to you, Jane. I'm rather busy, Rocky, unless there's something important. It's pretty important. See, the boys are getting restless. They're waiting for you to deliver. Waiting for me to deliver what? Well, you know, you said you were going to expand take over Nobby Williams territory and Fat Boy Latinmas. I'm already doing it, Rocky. I started a week ago. Yeah, but how? You had a conference with Nobby and a fat boy. Told him everything would stay just like it was. That's what I told him, Rocky. It doesn't have to be true. I don't follow you. Now look. At that conference, I learned certain things. Now never mind how, but I learned. I learned about two murders for which Nobby Williams can get the chair. I discovered enough about Fat Boy Latinmas income tax cheating to get him 10 years at Leavenworth. You did. But I was there. I didn't hear you. Never mind what you did or didn't hear. I got the information. I gave it to the authorities days ago. As soon as they pin it down, the fat boy will be booted into jail. When that happens, their organizations fall into my lap just like right plums. Yeah, but can you be sure it'll work? It'll work. And it'll mean we don't have to fire a shot. The public will never know anything's happened. Now there's only one drawback, though. It's gonna take a little time. The boys will just have to be patient, that's all. Well, I suppose I can calm down. But Jerry, we gotta have dough. We've been laying low since the big investigation started. Not taking in anything. Those boys have gotta be paid. I know, I know. What's our monthly payroll? About 50 grand. You need some capital for operations, too. Well, you see, Rocky, a little later, I'm going into politics. Politics? In fact, I expect to be governor in about, uh... Governor? You? Jerry, you sure you got all your marbles? Listen, Rocky, and get this straight. I have a way of learning anybody's most closely guarded secrets. Anybody's. But Jerry... I told you about that little deal out in St. Paul, didn't I? The one where you started out... Please, Jerry, not so loud. Somebody might hear. I could get the chair for that. You will, too, if you step out of line. Now tell me, how did I find out about it? I don't know. This was by magic. I just swore nobody... All right, all right. I call it magic, if you want. Now, just think. Suppose I can find out the one thing a man, any man, is afraid of having known. Well, then I got a handle over him, haven't I? I'll say it. So I go to all the big politicians one at a time. I convince them, I know their entire past, every dirty deal they've ever been mixed up in. Well, they'd make you president to keep you quiet. That's what I'm figuring on. But that's for the future. Right now I need quick money to operate on. I could get it on Wall Street, but big financial deals sometimes take a year to set up. The boys won't wait that long. I know. So, you got any suggestions? Yeah, I do. Except I had my eye on for a long time. Only Nick would let me try it. A payroll stick up. Payroll? Yeah. Well, maybe he just wants to get gone if it's safe enough. There'd be a cinch. It's the S&J Company across the river. Every Friday they send an armored truck to the bank, pick up 125 grand, cart it back. If we could pick off that truck, some nice safe... Way in the quarter. All right. All right, Rocky, I'll look into it. And for a beginning, I'm going over to talk to the treasurer of the S&J Company. Yes, I may be able to learn a lot from him. Yeah, Jerry? Come in, will you, Rocky? Right away, Jerry. Close the door, Rocky. I got some dope for you. You mean about that payroll job? That's it. Yeah, it's all set. Now, this is Friday. By 10 p.m., we'll have that payroll. Have you got it figured to take the armored car? We don't need to. Don't need to, but... For your information, the money is not carried in the armored car. That's a bluff. A bluff? The payroll's actually delivered in an old truck marked Tropical Linen Supply Company. You're kidding. An hour after the armored car leaves, the laundry truck dries up at the rear of the bank. The driver, who's a little man wearing horn-rimmed glasses, carries in a bundle of clean towels, comes out with a bag of dirty ones. The payroll's hidden among the dirty towels. How'd you find all that out? I talked to the S&J Treasurer. The rest is my secret. Okay, Jerry. Okay. So tonight, follow the laundry truck. Pick it up. Take it to our own garage. Get the payroll, then get rid of the truck and driver. After that, report back to me. Well, if you can work like this all the time, Jerry. Yeah. Why stop but becoming president? I think the driver of that truck is getting wise with following him, Mike. Yeah, he's speeding up a little. Now move up and cut him off. It's time to take him. Okay, swing in. Swing in. Force him to the curb. All right, that does it. I'll take him. You follow. Okay, fella, sit tight. You won't get hurt. What's the meaning of this? I don't understand. You will fast enough. Now move over. I'm getting in. But you can't. This is my truck. Oh, a gun, huh? Now, Buster, you and me are going for a nice little ride. I'm the new paymaster. I'm picking up that payroll you've gotten back. You're crazy I haven't got any payroll, just dirty towels. Yeah. We'll see, Buster. We'll see. Yes, yes, who is it? It's Rocky Brogan. Oh, come in, Rocky. Oh, you're back quick. Who's that you got with you? I'm inside you. I'm inside. You're making a mistake. You're making a terrible mistake. Rocky. What is this? This is the driver of the linen supply truck. The one you said carried the payroll. Well... We took the truck to the garage. We searched every bag of dirty towels. The money was not there. But it had to be. I don't know anything about a payroll. This is all an error, really, it is. Now please, let me go. How about it, Jerry? The boys are saying you pulled a boner. I'll find out in a hurry. Rocky, you wait outside while I talk to this man. Okay. But I hope you haven't made any mistake, Jerry. For your sake. All right now, my friend. We can get the truth. I've told you the truth. I've told it over and over. I deliver towels. I don't know anything about a payroll. Nothing at all. I can't be wrong. Let me see where my car is. Hey there. Now we can talk. Where is that payroll? How often must I tell you you're making an awful mistake? If you want money, I've got ten dollars on me. Well, so that's the answer. Very clever, aren't you? What do you mean? The laundry bag with the payroll in it is hidden in a special compartment underneath the floor of that truck. No wonder Rocky couldn't find it. No. You can't know that. That compartment is my own idea. Nobody in the world but me knows about it. I know about it. Just as I know anything I need to. Including the fact you're hiding a 25-caliber pistol inside your waistband. You knew that? You should have done something about it. Now it's too late. I've got you covered. So you have. You've got to let me go, do you hear? Or I'll shoot. I'll kill you. Then shoot. Go ahead, shoot. I warn you. Let me go or I will shoot. My friend, you can't shoot. You've never fired a gun in your life. You bought that gun from your brother-in-law two years ago. Just to carry to scare off possible thieves. But you've never even loaded it. You can't shoot because the gun isn't loaded. How do you know all that? Because I can read your thoughts. Now give me that gun. No. Then we'll get to that pain. No, I warn you. Stand back. He shot me. What happened in here? Jerry! Jerry! He's dead. I killed him. The gun was loaded after all and I thought it was empty. All the time I thought it was empty. This is the mysterious clever again. Lord Jerry. He was all set to become the greatest man in the world. Now he's just another name in the cemetery. Now that's what Randall the mystic meant when he said men's thoughts are not to be trusted. When a man doesn't even know his gun is loaded, what good is it to read his mind? Perhaps Jerry's fate will be a lesson to you. Don't depend on someone else to do your thinking for you. Because sometimes you may find, oh, you'll have to get off here. I'm sorry. I'm sure we'll meet again. I take the same train every week at the same time. You have just heard the Mysterious Traveler. You can enjoy other adventures of the Mysterious Traveler in the Mysterious Traveler magazine. In our cast were Chuck Webster, Santos Ortega, Brett Morrison, and Maurice Tarplin who played the title role. Original music by Fred Mendelssohn. All characters in this story were fictitious. And any resemblance to actual persons living or dead was purely coincidental. Tonight the Mysterious Traveler salutes radio station WJZM in Clarksville, Tennessee. WJZM today marks its 10th anniversary of service to the Queen's City of the Cumberland. Bill Tonkin speaking, this program came to you from New York. For news as it happens, from where it happens, listen to the Mutual Newsreel every weekday evening over most of these same mutual stations. Mutual newsreel listeners hear the actual voices of the people who make the news, recorded on the spot for transmission to you with all the breathtaking drama of news in the making. So for a program of news with dynamic impact, news you hear happen from where it happens, listen to the Mutual Newsreel every weekday evening over most of these same stations. This is the Mutual Broadcasting System. Thank you.