 What is it? Another case for Nick Carter, master detective. Yes, it's another case for that most famous of all man hunters, the detective whose ability at solving crime is unequaled in the history of detective fiction, Nick Carter, master detective. Tonight's curious adventure. States prison evidence, or Nick Carter and the mystery of the midnight robbery. Could you let me have a line? Certainly, there you are. It's well night, isn't it? Yes, indeed. It's a pleasure to walk on a night like this. Yeah, well, thanks. Not at all. Good night. Good night. Yes, even in a big city like this, stars are just... Help. What? Help. I wonder what's wrong with her. Help. I beg your pardon, but is there anything I can do? Can I help you? Is something wrong? Murder. Murder? Who is it? When did it happen? I don't know. Well, where is he? The library. In this big house right here? Yes. You shouldn't be out here in your nightclothes. It's too chilly. Come, let me take you back to the house. Come on. Back to the house. Did you call the police? No, I just saw him lying there in a pool of blood. Then I came out here to get help. Well, I'm Nick Carter, the detective. I'll be glad to help you if I can. Now, careful going up the steps. You'll show me the library. He's... He's in there. Oh, yes, I see. Dead all right. Who found him? The housekeeper. She came in late and saw a light still on in here. She looked in to see if he needed anything and saw... Then she called you? Yes. And you are... I'm Elajabo, his niece. I've lived here with him for the last five years since my mother died. I see. Has anything been touched since the body was found? No. Nobody's been in here at all. Good. Uh-huh. Shot through the head. Close range. Looks as if he did it himself. No. No. Oh, here's the pistol that was used right beside him. Did you hear the shot? No. I sleep at the opposite end of the house. Oh, Mr. Carter, please find whoever killed my uncle. What makes you think he didn't kill himself? He wouldn't do a thing like that. I know it. Well, that's hardly evidence, Miss Ella. Did you see this note? Note? I know. The uncle apparently left it propped up here in his desk to dress to Mrs. Sarajar Bou, Seven Donner Street City. You know her? I've never heard of her. What does it say? Let's see. My dear madam, you've been a widow in fact ever since the hour following our marriage. But before day breaks, you will be a widow in name also for I shall be dead. I have at last learned the truth. The one who told me right after our wedding ceremony that you were everything evil has at last confessed that you were really as good as I believed you to be. It's too late for me to ask you to forgive me for the great wrong I've done you. So I'm taking this way of making quite a man's I can. The upper drawer of my desk is my will. This leaves everything to you, your repentant husband, Enos Charbonne. That's a remarkable document. Did you know anything about your uncle ever having been married? Oh, I never heard that before. Well, that note would seem to prove it was suicide. I know better. May I see that note? Of course. Here. I knew it, Mr. Carter. My uncle didn't kill himself, and he didn't write this note either. Isn't that your uncle's handwriting? It looks very much like it, but he didn't write it. Uncle didn't use this kind of pen. What do you mean? Uncle Enos was very proud of his handwriting. And he never used anything but a special type of old fashioned steel penpoint. It has a very fine point. I see. Yes. This note was undoubtedly written with a stub point. Another thing, Mr. Carter. Uncle never wrote anywhere except at his desk here. And this desk has been locked since yesterday morning, and I have the key. How long have you had it? I borrowed it yesterday morning because I had some letters to write. And I've had it ever since. Is there another key to this desk? No. Uncle would never write anywhere else. You're quite a convincing detective, Miss Ella. And if you're right, this can't be suicide in spite of the other evidence. I know I am right. Uncle would never have taken his own life. I believe you. And I'm just curious enough about this to do a little investigating myself. If I'm as good a detective as you are, I'll find your uncle's murderer in short order. Do you think this Mrs. Sarah Blake is the woman you want, Nick? I'm not sure, Betsy. But what the maid told me that she never heard of Mrs. Sarah Jarbo, but that Mrs. Sarah Blake lives here, I thought I'd better talk to her. She might be Mrs. Jarbo using her maiden name. Here she comes now. You wish to speak to me? I'm looking for Mrs. Sarah Jarbo. Do you know her? I do. I am Sarah Jarbo. You were right. My name is Bill Peters. I'm a reporter. I'm writing a story on the sudden death of your husband, Enos Jarbo. The poor man. He died to make up to me for my years of heartbreak. Yes, I saw the note he left. Would you please tell me what happened? Well, I met him one summer on the coast of Maine. We were married in the fall. We took a train for Boston, and on the way he went into the smoking car to smoke a cigar. I never saw him again. Well, that's terrible. Why didn't he come back? I only know that when the train reached the station, a messenger gave me $500 and a note. It said that he had learned I was not a good woman and that I should never see him again. But didn't you try to clear it out? No. If he believed it, I would never seek to persuade him otherwise. I've worked as a governess ever since. I see. Well, thank you very much, Mrs. Jarbo. Come along, Patsy. Goodbye, Mrs. Jarbo. I hope you'll be happy now. Thank you, and goodbye. She's certainly got a tough break. You know, Patsy, I was prepared to doubt everything she told me, but somehow I'm inclined to believe her story. Even if it does spoil my theory that she's part of an elaborate, put-up job. Which way are you going from here? Oh, I think I will. Pardon me. Would you let me have a light? Yes, of course. Here you are. Thanks. Nice day, isn't it? Yes, very pleasant. Thanks. So long. So long. Well, come along, Patsy. Wait a minute. I've met that man somewhere before. He asked me for a light just that same way. Where was it? Of course. It was outside Jarbo's house last night, right after the murder. You mean you think he? Wait a minute, watch a minute. I want to see if he... Yes. He's going into the house we just left. Right. If he and Mrs. Jarbo know each other, the chances are her story is a phony. Oh, but Nick, she sees us as a phony. I know what I know, Patsy, but this changes things. Patsy, I want you to find out what you can about old Eno Jarbo's past. Find out about that marriage if there was one. But first, call Scubby and tell him to get here right away. OK. That man leaves before Scubby gets here. I'll follow myself. Otherwise, Scubby can tail him. But I've got to know where he goes and what he does. Right now, he's a one positive clue. Is it all right to talk in here, Nick? The lobby of a big hotel is probably the safest place in the world to talk in, Scubby. Well, what did you find out? Well, I followed him over to Saloon over on 3rd Avenue. There was a fellow waiting there for him. I tried to hear what they talked about, but all I could get was the name Jarbo. Yeah, I heard that several times. I thought so. But just as I was really getting in close, a couple of plain clothes cops came along and pinched him. Pinched him? What for? Well, it seems he broke out of state's prison three days ago. I heard the cops call him Barney McCoy. Barney McCoy? Yeah. Kale Bird from state's prison. Pardon me, Scubby. Want to speak to the desk clerk? Oh, sure, Nick. But what do you have to? Oh, clerk. I'd like to speak to the governor, sweet please. Yes, Mr. Carter. Use booth number two right over there, please. Oh, Nick, what in the world do you want to talk to the governor for? Just tapping around for Scubby. He's stopping at this very hotel for a few days. I wanted to do me a... Hello, Mr. Secretary. Well, this is Nick Carter. I'd like to speak to the governor a moment if I may. Thank you. Hello, Governor. This is Nick Carter. Fine, thanks. Governor, I want to go to state's prison. Oh, no, not as a visitor. I want to go as a convict. Nick, are you nuts? No, I mean it. If you can spare me five minutes, I think I can convince you. Thanks, I'll be right up. Ella, I asked you to meet me here at my office because I'm going to be out of town for a few days. And I want to have everything straight before I leave. Has anything further happened? Nothing, Mr. Carter. Except that Mrs. Jabbo has installed herself in the house as it's mistress. She's very unpleasant to me. I know she'd like me to leave. You stay right there. Did the will leave anything to you? No, Mr. Carter. Everything went to her. I can't understand this. I can. That will is forged. But the will is an uncle's handwriting. And both the witnesses to the will have identified their signatures as genuine. And the will was found where the note said it would be. Nevertheless, I'm convinced the will's are fake. Betsy, what did you find out? Nina Jabbo and Sarah Blake were married right enough. I found the record in a little church on the south side. Sarah really is his wife. Forged will doesn't make sense. And neither does a suicide note which Jabbo didn't write. Maybe he did kill himself after all, Mr. Carter. Maybe he just forgot about me. I don't believe it, Ella. I don't either. And Ella, I'm going to prove I'm right, even if I even have to go to jail to do it. Oh, you're the new man. Yeah, Warden. What's your name? Max Herbert. Where were you born? Buffalo, New York. How old are you? 33. Nationality? American. Married? Nope. Crime? Housebreaking. Very well. The guard will take you to the photographers and then to the laboratory. Well, fella, you've been here three days. How do you like working in this shoe shop? I don't like it. I'm not cut out for it. What are you in for? Second-story Jabbo. What'd I get you for? Cracking a safe. There's four of us. Two of them got away. Me and McCoy was nailed cold. McCoy? Hey, you wouldn't mean Bonnie McCoy, would you? Yeah. Yeah, you know him? Sure. You know him well. Great guy. There he is. You know his wife? Yeah, some. He's a darn smart woman, Eddie is. Eddie? Yeah. I thought her name was Sarah. No, no. His wife's Eddie. Sarah was his sister. Yeah, they looked so much alike you couldn't tell one from the other. Yeah. Well, what became of Sarah? I don't know. She married some rich guy for his money, but enough to flat. I don't know what happened after that. Eddie's still in town waiting for Mac to get out. Yeah, he did break out a few days ago. He just caught him and brought him back here. Yeah, they got him on the rock pile for trying to escape. Hey, cut out that talking, you guys. Get back to work. Okay, okay. So, Bonnie and McCoy's on the rock pile now. I'd rather think I'd like to be transferred to the rock pile myself. Hey, Bonnie. Look, you've known me enough for almost two years. Yeah. So what? You know, I wouldn't give you a bum steer, would you? I'm bleeding up too, Max. I'm working on a way to get out of here. Before I come up here, I heard you're on the level. I'd like to let you in on it. Where did you ever hear of me outside this place? Oh, big town. A girl named Sarah told me about you. What? You married her sister, Eddie. You knew Sarah? Sure. About five, six years ago. Haven't seen her since, though. Sarah's in Europe now. Yeah. When are you planning on getting out of here? As I get the necessary people lined up. If I had some dough, we could get out of here tomorrow. How much do you need? About 200 to start with. Okay. I'll have it for you tomorrow. Okay, Max. You get that stuff and we'll be out of here in two days. All right. You get five minutes to talk. Hey, Nick, why don't you come in. I'm Max Herbert in here. Oh, I'm sorry. I should have remembered. How in the world did you ever get in this place? The governor fixed it so that I was caught red-handed, rubbing the home of a friend of his. Yeah. When they caught me, I had the family silver in one hand with the family jewels in the other. It was easy. And now you're arranged to be transferred to the gang where McCoy's working. Have you found anything? Yes. But it's all circumstantial. But Barnaby-Coy and I are breaking out of here day after tomorrow. And I'm hoping to get some proof then. Are you sure you're getting out of here? Yes. One of the keepers is working with us. I think this same keeper fixed McCoy's getaway last time. And I also think from what I've heard that he may have helped in Jarbo's murder. Yeah. I've learned positively that he was absent from the prison on leave that day. But isn't there danger if you're getting hurt if you try to break out of here? Of course there is. I have to take that chance. I've got to stick to McCoy. Don't worry, Scubby. I'll be all right. I hope. You all set McCoy? All set. Everything's fixed. Good. You see that delivery truck over there, Max? Yeah. Well, that's going to break down when it tries to start. I get it. We'll have to help it get out of the yard here. Right. Listen. He's trying to start it now. They got all set. Sure. Mike's with us all the way. Same as before. Hey! You over there! That's us. Come on. Give us a hand with this truck. Okay. What's the matter? Motor won't start. I have to give him a push. You two get a hold here and give him a start. Okay, Mike. Rest of you guys get back to work. All right. Get your shoulder behind it, Max. Okay. Let's go. All right. Heave. All right, again. Heave. Once more. Come on. Get it going. Heave. As soon as the motor starts, jump on the truck. Right. I got you. Okay, again. There. Come on, Max. I'm in. Get down so they can't see you. Look. Ridge over the railroad tracks is just ahead. When we get over the tracks, be ready to jump. Be right with you. Right behind you, Bonnie. Jump on the tender of that inch of Lois. Now! Okay! You all right, McCoy? Yeah. Come on, engineer. Give her all the steam you got. Don't stop the torque. I don't want to use this gun unless I have to. Watch out, Max. The outside wall of the bridge is just ahead. You better duck. There's going to be shooting. Right, McCoy. All okay so far. No! There it comes. Watch it. Now, look at her pull it off. Ha! Ha! Ha! Well, we're out of jail now. And for good. It's good to see you back in your office again, Mr. Cove. It's good to be back here, Ella. Now tell me, have you learned anything interesting since I last saw you? I think so, Mr. Covey. Let's have it. A few months ago, our housekeeper spent about a month visiting her son in California. Before she went, she put an ad in the paper for a temporary housekeeper. Several women answered the ad, and Mrs. Martin was given the job. She had light brown hair and wore dark glasses. I disliked her on sight, and I'm sure she disliked me. When our housekeeper returned, this Mrs. Martin left, and I never saw her again until the day my uncle was buried. What do you mean, Ella? On that day, she presented herself as my uncle's widow. Your uncle's widow? Yes, Mr. Carter. When she first came to live in the house after the funeral, I thought there was something very familiar about her. But not until a few days ago did I suddenly realize that Mrs. Jarbo was Mrs. Martin with black hair instead of brown and without her dark glasses. Ella, could you swear to that? No, but some of her little mannerisms, certain tricks of speech, a funny way of walking, all make me positive. That explains the mystery of how the fake will was forged. While Mrs. Martin was substituting for the housekeeper, she could have found out about the will, taken it out, had a new one forged, and then returned it. The night your uncle was murdered, the forged will was substituted for the original one on the desk drawer by using a duplicate key that had been prepared in advance. And it might interest you, Nick, to know that when Ella told me this the other day, I checked at the house where we first met Mrs. Jarbo. The woman there told me that Mrs. Jarbo was aware on a visit during the month that Mrs. Martin took the place of Ella's housekeeper. Good work. That settles it, Betsy. Just a minute, Mr. Carter. There's another thing you better know. Something else? Yes, Mr. Carter. Last evening, a strange man came to the house. He and Mrs. Jarbo were apparently old friends because she called him Mack. Barney McCoy. She took him up to her room where I heard them talking for a long time. I tried to hear what they were saying, but couldn't get close enough. But I did hear him say it was time to get that girl out of the way for good. And then Mrs. Jarbo said that now that Mack was back, it was time to wind up the job. Well, Ella, if everything goes as I hope it will, we'll be the ones to wind up the job, not Mrs. Jarbo. Anything else you want me to do? Yes. Meet me in the rear of your home tomorrow night at 11 o'clock. We'll make our final arrangements then. In the meantime, sit tight and keep your ears and eyes open. Mr. Carter. Mr. Carter. That you, Ella? Yes. Come into the living room here. We can talk better. Okay. Sure there's no one around? Not now. That man Mack was here earlier, but he left quite a while ago. Mrs. Jarbo was gone up to her room. We can talk safely here. All right. Don't turn on the light. Maybe seen. We can talk just as well in the dark. Whatever you say. Now tell me, does Mrs. Jarbo know you've ever seen this man Mack? Oh, no. I've kept out of the way whenever he's been around. Good. Do you know what he came here for this evening? There was talk about chloroform and poison, and then she told him the lawyer for the estate was here this afternoon, and said that she would be in full legal possession of the estate in another few days. I see. Then he said that if that was the case, it was the time to act before it was too late. Well, it's time for us to act too. I think we'd better... quiet. Somebody's unlocking the door through which we came. Maybe they won't come in here. Who's in this room? I can't see in the dark, but I know you're there. Who's there? Who are you? None of your business. Speak up or I'll shoot. If you do, you'll never live to see another day. What's going on in here? Why isn't the light off? Mrs. Jarbo. Ella, what are you doing here? Barney McCoy, you... Mack's hurt by all this holy. What are you doing here? Why, I... Oh, you see, Barney, I... Yeah? He's here because he loves me. Don't you know this man is an ex-convict? You ought to be serving a sentence in state's prison right now. Yes, I know that. Well, that's why we had to meet like this, Barney. Is this true, Ella? Yes, Mrs. Jarbo, it is. Look here, you interviewed me a couple of weeks ago, said you were writing a story of your paper. You said then your name was Peters. Now you say it's Herbert. Well, my real name is Herbert Peters, ma'am. You see, I... And you? What are you doing here? I'm a night watchman on duty in this neighborhood. I saw this man come in here and followed him. Recognized him as a suspicious character. You're both lying. Get out of here, both of you. Immediately. And as for you, Ella, get upstairs at once. I'll deal with you later. Well, that's all the thanks I get for trying to protect your place against thieves. I will get out. Come on, you. Go ahead, Barney. I'm coming. Good night, Ella, dear. And see that you never come back, either of you. Hey, Max. Yeah? Was that story about you and the girl straight? Why, sure, Barney. Wasn't your story on the level? Well, to tell you the truth, I was going to see if I could find a few things I could swipe. I'm flat broke. You haven't got a few bucks on you, have you? Sure, Barney. I can let you have a tent spot. What? Here. Gee, thanks, pal. I won't forget you for this. Forget it. Yeah, we sure were lucky to get out of there so easy. Yeah. I thought the old dame was going to have his pinch. I'm going to arrest both of you, so don't try and have it regret. There you go. Stop, stop or I'll shoot. No, you don't. You let go of my arm. You made me miss it. So what? Well, I got you anyway. You won't get away. You're going back to state's prison again, Mr. Max Herbert. Oh, you know my name, do you? I sure do. And I know yours, Ben Lyon. You know me? Let me look at you. Gladly. Come over on the streetlight. All right. You know me now? Well, Nick Carter. Well, I'll be... Well, gosh, I'm sorry, Mr. Carter. But a woman just called the station said she'd passed two escaped convicts in front of her house. And if we hurried, we could pick them up. Even give us their names, too. Now, Ben, listen to me. I'm on the trail of something big. Have the lieutenant and eight men meet me at 12 o'clock tomorrow night at the back of the Jarbo Place across the street where they won't be seen. Okay. Be sure to tell them not to fail me. Because I expect to capture the murderers of Venus Jarbo. Will the men post it as we agreed, scubby? Yes, Nick. Outside and inside the house. Good. They have orders for anybody come up here to let nobody go downstairs again. Then we're ready for the finale in this case. What's that you've got there, Nick? It's a new type of microphone, Patsy. Oh. I've attached it to the wall between this room and Mrs. Jarbo's room. Mm-hmm. Through the vibration of the wall, it'll pick up whatever is said in her room. Then whatever is picked up is amplified so that it's loud enough for us to hear it. The amplifier also has a recording device which makes a permanent record of the conversation on a wire tape. Gosh, what will they think of next? Quiet now. Let's listen. I'll turn it on. But I tell you, Barney, we can't lose. In a few more days, the whole Jarbo estate will be mine, legally. I know, Addy, but can you handle that girl for a few days more? Well, if I can't, we'll give her what we gave the old man. Do we have to? If she's dead, we know she ain't gonna bother us. Yeah. Oh, if that... Hey, what the devil's that? Quiet. How do I know? The housekeeper's answering this. Hey, somebody's coming up here. Did you tell anybody you were coming up here? Yeah. Mike, what are you doing here? Well, that's a fine question to ask me. I'm here because you sent for me. Who sent for you? You did, McCoy. You're crazy. I did nothing of the kind. I got your note this morning. It is. What? Come to Jarbo House tonight, but not before 12. Everything okay? Very important. And it's signed, Barney. Listen, I never wrote that note. Well, if you didn't, it means trouble for us. Somebody else knows about this business besides us three. You mean we're caught? We ain't caught yet. But we will be if we don't watch our step. Even now... I was afraid of this. I knew I should have kept down a bit. Ah, shut up, you rat. You're not in jail yet. But I'm gonna be. I can feel it. Come on. Don't shut up. Mike, I'll bring you. You did it, McCoy. You fired the shot that killed the old man. I just... Shut up. You're gonna get a lie off. Come on, kids. That's enough of that. Let's go. Right with you, Nick. I'll take it easy, Sara. I can't wait any longer. I can't wait any longer. Get your hands up, both of you. You're no funny business. McCoy, not Max. Nick Carter. Nick Carter? You ain't got nothing on us. Oh, and Nick's got enough on you three to send you to the chair. Yes, McCoy. We know the whole plot from beginning to end. Tell him what we found out, Nick. What do you mean? It means I know that Sara married Jarbo. And that's shortly afterwards she died. You, Eddie, her sister married McCoy. When Sara died, you found her marriage certificate and decided to use your resemblance to her to get the old man's money. McCoy wasn't prison then. But you arranged with the guard, Mike, here to help McCoy escape when the time was right. Then to pay Mike for his trouble, you cut him in the deal. Then you, Eddie, got that temporary job here as a housekeeper, which was an unexpected break. While you were here, you had the fake wheel made. Then when all was ready, McCoy escaped as planned. Mike came with him. And between the three of you, you chloroformed old Jarbo and then shot him in such a way that it looked like suicide. How do you know it wasn't suicide? The suicide note you left for the old man. Whoever Eddie got to forge that will for it in such an expert job that the witnesses recognized their own Ford signatures as genuine. But whoever wrote that suicide note was so clumsy that he wrote it with a blunt-pointed fountain pen instead of the sharp-pointed steel pen that was the only pen Jarbo ever used. That ain't proof. That's guessing. We've got plenty of proof, McCoy. And if that isn't enough to top it all off, the conversation in this room between you three crooks has been recorded in full for the past 20 minutes. And if that isn't practically a confession and good legal evidence in any court, my name isn't Nick Carter. This was another strange experience of Nick Carter, master detective, called States Prison Evidence, or Nick Carter and the Mystery of the Midnight Murder, another of the curious adventures of Nick Carter which are brought to you regularly at the same time each week by W.O.R. Mutual. Anonic, what about our story for next week? Well, next week's story started off as a simple question of who stole the firm's funds. But it ended up by being the very perplexing question of who killed two men and caused the death of a third. And not the least puzzling part of the case was to find out who fired the fatal bullet which started off the murders. Wasn't that usually the most puzzling part of a murder story? Well, yes it is. But in this case, the man who was killed was standing by my side in the corridor of a large office building. And there was no one around at the time who could have fired the gun that killed him. I'm afraid I'm getting more mixed up all the time. That's exactly how we felt about it. But Nick cleared it all up in spite of everything. And we'll tell you all about it next week. And so long folks. And so long to you, Nick and Patsy. See you next week. In the strange adventure you've just heard, Nick Carter was impersonated by Lon Clark, Patsy by Helen Schott, and Scubby by John Cain. Original music was played by Leigh White. The entire production was written and directed by Jock McGregor. Next week at this same time, another curious experience of Nick Carter entitled An Angle. This story is a copyrighted feature that was incorporated. The return of Nick Carter is produced in the studios of WOR and is broadcast over most of these stations every Monday evening at 9.30 Eastern wartime. This is Mutual.