 This is a horse on me, but I did find out that in a race for life and death the police laboratory is where they make the photo finish This is another and the adventures of America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator Johnny dollar At insurance investigation Johnny dollar is only an expert at making out his expense account. He's an absolute genius Shouts submitted by special investigator Johnny dollar to Hartford branch Lloyds underwriters association The following is an accounting of my expenditures During investigation of the circumstances threatening the life of the insured the racehorse pile driver or He'd have been way off his feet if I didn't know my oats Or it's great to get a kick out of life so long as it isn't a kick in the head Expense account item one 18 cents one package of cigarettes You may consider this a personal item But that's where this case really started at the cigar stand ground floor terminal office building here in Hartford I had come down in one of the elevators Notice the little guy with a cane standing with a starter after I passed them I felt myself being pointed out and not being the type who likes being followed for long periods of time I gave myself a good reason to stop and look things over Hi, I'm back. Give me a pack of luck is where I just sold you a pack when you came in I know but things may really start smoking any minutes. Yeah I've been led to believe that you were one of us to John dollar. Would that be a fact? Yeah, I'm duller. What can I do for you? Well, I am quite a famous fellow myself Perhaps you've heard of the fabulous jockey Earl sand. Yeah, but well Next to him I was among the best. May I introduce myself? I'm the famous little netty Montana Sometimes called a short Johnny Longden shake hands. How do you do? Oh? To business I think I have a way for you to solve my problem and make yourself an honest buck besides Oh, now whoa pony boy. You're wasting your time. I don't bet the horses and what I do I don't buy tips from town. Oh now wait a minute pal I did not introduce myself for the purpose of being insulted I will have you know that I too do not consort with pouts. I will thank you to keep a civil tongue in your head Oh, I can see this is gonna be one of those days What is your problem, mister? Well, it is a problem best not overheard by people in the lobbies of office buildings But this much I can't tell you it is about a horse and $50,000 insurance that is why I came to you Well, I'd be richer if I'd known more about horses and poor if I'd known less about insurance Maybe in this thing I can break even at least come on. I Hope you are not too much of a purist to ride in a taxi Little net he looked like he stopped growing physically at the age of 14 and every once in a while He talked like his mind it also cold and quits at about the same time The only thing slick about him was his hair. The only thing sharp his clothes Liars always talk too much and little net he wouldn't say a word until we were inside my apartment So even before he started his pitch I half-believed it Take it from the beginning. I was born in a stable and that's not just a figure a speech They brought the hot water in a feed bucket so you can understand my deep affection for horses Yeah, now on top of that kindly consider this one horse in particular a very brave steed by the name of pile Driver has not only made me very famous, but has also made me a very large pile of hay I have ridden pile driver to a wind position since he was a maiden pile driver Quite a hunk of horse. Ah-ha. I remember him Then you might also remember that he was on his way to becoming one of the big money winners of all time Until I had to go and fall off a livery stable horse while teaching a girl how to ride in Central Park It busted up my leg and I might add my future to say nothing the pile drivers He hasn't won a race since I got grounded. Yeah, well, what's all this got to do with insurance? Mr. Dollar they are gonna murder him Can you guess why I can try? Pile driver is heavily insured. He's also no longer winning races He's also a man who can't have a family no good for studs So if file drivers should trip and break a leg the owner would be entitled to shoot him and he'd still collect the insurance I know it's been done. You have hit the horseshoe nail on the head. Mr. Dollar I have a considerable bundle of money stashed away And I am willing to devote a considerable lump of it to the purpose of saving pile driver now Maybe you wouldn't understand such a thing, but I happen to love that horse. I understand it netting Where is he? Well, he is currently stable that a track named higher water. Oh by the shores of getchie-goo me No, no by the shores of Lake Michigan. This is located slightly north of a place called Chicago Five telephone calls and a few hundred questions later. I learned that pile driver was insured by your company Got the assignment and was on my way So expense account item to airfare Hartford to Chicago $57.72 little net he insisted on coming along and he kept the home of the plane from being home drum as follows Well, Johnny the gentleman who owns pile driver is an old Kentucky mid-julip sponge named Colonel Faraday Bush now Now this character has a very black heart hiding beneath the head of white hair I trusted him until I heard him say what he was going to do from then on I have been seriously tempted to wrap these hands around his neck and squeeze All I can say is he had better not hurt pile driver Spence account item three $16.40 cab fare Chicago Municipal Airport to how are the racetrack arrival time 10 a.m To me a racetrack always smells good horses green grass and excitement Hey, our driver keep the change Well, this is the same goes is it mr. Dollar. You will have to take it from here. Okay. Oh, hey Yeah, one last word of warning watch out for his daughter Lila. Oh, why is she dangerous to a guy like me? No, but to a guy like you. Yes, and you tell me where I'll find the boss around here Colonel Bushnell I was just gonna chase you away, but you don't look like just another hay and green merchant I'm not I'm buying Where's your daddy? How do you know the Colonel is my daddy? Well, he told me he had a pretty daughter. Oh, well, thanks Just who are you mr. Well as for the name is Johnny dollar as for my business That's trying to buy one of your father's horses. Well, the Colonel won't be back for a little bit But I'm bossing while he's away. I'll tell you now. I don't think he's figuring on seven any of his horses I'll be glad to show him to you good enough But there's only one I'm really interested in pile driver pile driver Why no daddy wouldn't sell him. Why not? Well, he's practically one of the family He he put me through the last two years of college. Do you mind if I see him anyway? Well, no, not at all Right over here. Okay. Yeah, that's me darling meet mr. Dollar Hello, of course. He's just a perfect day. Aren't you daughter? Mr. Dollar, why do you want to buy pile driver? Oh, he's a great horse. Got a great record. Have you been following him lately? Yeah, I know he hasn't been winning that'll make his price cheap and the odds long when he gets back running I just happen to think I can make a winner out of him again, but his spirits all gone How do you think you're gonna do that? I told you his price might go right back up Johnny I can't Great fun, but what was it for Johnny? You shouldn't have right out here in the open What's going on now wait little honey? I ain't your brother. We'll wish he was besides. That's no way to kiss brothers You get out of here. Look Buster if you aren't this girl's father, you'd better start doing some washing. Oh, you think so They run along now about your business I must say I am surprised at you fighting in front of a lady Hey young man, I demand that you dismount mr. Kobe sooner or later. I guess I'll have to Listen Leo. Are you paying close attention? Yeah, after I let you up if you make one move except away from here. I'll give you a pair of fatties, okay? But we're in neat pads. Come on Leo, honey. Let's get away from here I hope you're not blaming me for what happened Now see here I demand an explanation so do I I came here to get the horse business and I end up in the fight racket Who is that guy there gentlemen? Is Leo Kobe a brother horse owner and I might do the favor of warning you that mr. Corporate is a hard enough man in business dealings But when it comes to my daughter, he's downright violent your daughter was downright impulsive maybe so But Leo is hardly the type to stand by while some other Kisses his girl and I saw that happen with my own eyes. I don't worry a colonel. I didn't come here to collect lipstick samples As one thing I can be glad about and my encounter with mr. Leo Corbett. What is that daddy isn't James J? Come on colonel. Let's talk business Hey bartender. Hey, mr. Dollar over here. Oh, never mind. There's my man over there. Hey, but you What did you catch that mouse under your eye? Oh, I'm sharp as a trap. I am you were so right about miss Bushnell He's not only dangerous. She's daffy. I didn't know she could hit that hard Oh, she doesn't just say that she has a novel way of introducing people to her boyfriend. Oh, you know him Leo Corbett Well, if I knew anymore, I'd be the racing commission's witness He owns a string of very fast horses who run very slow until the odds get right Then he bets him up to the brisket wins himself a pot full It's also rumored that he is a stiff competition to the peri mutual machines He books big bets among the owners. Well, they'll catch up to him sooner or later. They always do amen But about that human glue factory my friend the horse killing colonel. What's with him? Well, I offered him $60,000 for file driver. Huh? That's 10,000 more than he'd get if he knocked him off and collected the insurance Yeah, where are you gonna lay your mitts on 60 cheese? I haven't got that kind of dough We don't need that kind of dough little netting You see I told Bushnell that I was sending to California for my private vet and that he'd be here in three days And I once he pronounced the horse sound I'd give him the money Yeah, but that only means that pile driver is safe for another three days and then what and those three days It's up to me to prove intent and if it's there, I'll prove it and have the policy canceled Once that's done, you'll probably be willing to pedal the horse for 10,000 that I can handle But in the meantime, I'm not taking any chances see I'm keeping pile driver under my own personal eye I wish you wouldn't Eddie. We don't want the colonel getting suspicious. I can't help it, mr. Dollar I just can't help it. Okay, nitty, but don't blow it. Be careful Like all racetracks, Hiawatha was surrounded by motorcords and bungalows with rooms for rent No expense account item for three dollars room rent I Set the tin alarm clock for eight and my gear for any time and went most of the way to sleep first things being first I dreamed of girls Then I dreamed of fire and And suddenly I realized why I was hearing some I bounced out of bed and over to the window There I saw an incendiary sunset hanging over the racetrack stables I jumped into my pants and into the landlady's car and got over there as fast as the 1929 Ford could take me Of course to get to in a hurry and I hope one particular guy driver's stall was closed and padlocked I crowbarred the stable out of the wood with the pick end of a fire ax Through the door open grabbed a lung full of fresh air closed my eyes and slammed into the smoke Smoke to death burned to death or stamped to death, but I had to take the chance Steady oh, whoa, whoa pile driving up. Take it easy easy easy boy Well, then drop it. I slipped on my knees started groping across the straw covered floor There was any air in there. That's where it would be and there was an ex jockey in there. That's where he would be That's where he was and the first corner. I tried I crossed his backwards toward the door dragging him inch by inch out to the clean cold shower of fresh night air Save myself the trip little netty Montana was dead He had a horseshoe hung on his forehead, but not for luck And all I could think of at the moment was Jackie's best friend is not always his horse In just a moment we will return to the second act of Johnny dollar But first may we take just a moment from tonight's Johnny dollar story to remind you that three more fine adventure shows come your way each Saturday night on most of these same CBS stations first There are the adventures of Philip Marlowe based on the smart and tough private eye created by Raymond Chandler Second there's gangbusters one of the most famous crime shows on the air re-enacting outstanding police cases in real life Third there is escape a highly unusual adventure show which fulfills your need for escape Here these three Philip Marlowe gangbusters and escape along with yours truly Johnny dollar every Saturday night Won't you Now with our star Charles Russell we returned to the second act of yours truly Johnny dollar What's left of little netty? Yeah, I mean he's dead You know when I was a kid I knew about a story with a horse and a woman in it Helen of Troy I should have remembered that before I tangle with you. Why don't you get lost? Well, whatever's the matter with you look Miss Bushnell two minutes after I met you you bag me into a fist fight with your boyfriend with a Phony kiss. I don't know how much you had to do with putting little netty where he is But I intend to find out why you're insane Any fool even you mr. Dollar can plainly see that this boy has been kicked in the head by a horse Who said on the ground what little nitty Don't tell me he's dead. What would you be if you got kicked in the head by a horse colonel? quite a poor boy I Held this lad in deep perfection until just a few months back. He was my best jockey What down earth was he doing around here at this time of night? I'm all I can see little netty swapped his life for pile drivers as Small as he was it's a pretty big price to pay although. I guess you wouldn't think so. Would you what's this? I demand an explanation of precisely what you mean sir I mean that to some people a dead horse is more valuable than a live one Too bad you can't go count your money. I'm gonna take my friend of the morgue An hour later little netty was resting better than I was I'd made my report to the police and was back pacing the floor of my rented room There wasn't a long walk. See you right away. Why don't you start another fire? That'll draw me I didn't have anything to do with that fire, but I must talk to you right away Have you got a car? Pick me up here in 20 minutes come alone, and we'll take a little drive to the country I want to be just the three of us you and me and the dew drops Making a dark gray promise in the sky when she picked me up and a few easy to please birds and found something to sing about during the first five miles Lila denied everything except that she was a woman and there was no hiding that I had her pulling under a tree and said well, then why'd you call me it it was something you said to my father about About a horse being more valuable dead than alive. You told me out once. What are you planning on now selling out your old man? You women you know if the truth is ever told it'll probably come out the goalie locks cut her grandmother's throat to Swipe the gold out of her teeth, please don't make fun of me fun. She calls it. Well, you got something to spill get it off your chest My father owes Leo Corbett $50,000. He lost it betting on pile driver Leo's been demanding his money and father doesn't have it and I heard Leo practically order father to destroy pile driver for the insurance And what did daddy dear say to that? He said he'd do it, but I know he wouldn't I know he didn't set that fire. How do you know I I? Just know that'll sound good to a jury Why are you coming to me with all this stuff because you're our only hope Can't you buy a pile driver right away? It would solve everything everything but one thing What's that? Why don't you go to all that trouble to get me punched in the eye? Oh I just wanted to show Leo that he wasn't going to have everything his own way and you look strong enough to do it. Well That's a stupid answer Why not makes a stupid kind of sense? He dropped me off at my rooming house where I dropped off to sleep. It was however only a four-hour plunge Expense account item five six fifty cab fare to headquarters homicide division Chicago police That's one city where the cops still were an old-fashioned star But they sure do operate with a new fashion speed as witnessed the enclosed report made by Lieutenant Craig Six hours after filing of inquiry according to the findings of the autopsy dollar your hunch or whatever you call it was right The deceased little netty was not kicked to death by a horse Examination of the wound reveals that it was administered by a new horseshoe The shoe on a horse's hoof would have left traces of Straw etc We say that the fatal weapon was swung by person or persons are known as you suggested He'd have to have been standing on his head to have the horseshoe make the market did if the horse had kicked him The lieutenant had made only one mistake He should have said person or persons known Expense account item six ten cents two telephone calls The idea I was working and I'll give you for nothing Expense account item seven six fifty Cab fare to administration building higher-author racetrack where the afternoon's program was in progress and Where I got the wholehearted cooperation of the track officials and the use of a vacant office in which to hold the meeting I had set up. I sat myself in a swivel chair and waited Come in tell you how happy I am that our little transaction is about to be consummated If you have the money with you, sir Pile drive is your now wait a minute colonel. Let's not go consummating too quickly Boy you indicated over the telephone. I indicated over the phone just this I said my offer was as good as it ever was and to tell you the truth. It's not very good Who says sit down colonel come in I Leo what are you doing up here anytime anybody shows up to hand over 60,000 to you for pile driver I'm gonna be here It's exactly what this smart guy call me up to tell me he's about to do now gentlemen gentlemen Let's take it easy before I do anything. I want to make sure I'm not doing business with a murderer. I Demand an explanation What about you Leo? Yeah, so do I well here it is the Chicago police know two things one Last night's fire was set and two the little net he was murdered and the little net he got a couple of lungfuls of smoke Before he got hit over the head with a horseshoe That means that whoever hit him over the head sucked in some smoke, too I've never heard such a peck of nonsense in my life. What are you getting at wise guy? That's what I told you. I don't want to do business with a murderer Especially $60,000 worth, but I made it easy on you to prove that you aren't you see I got a doctor in the next room with portable x-ray equipment If you've got fire smoke in your lungs, it'll show up Now how about it? This is ridiculous. Why don't you leave the Dick Tracy stuff to the funny papers because I don't feel like laughing Now once more, how about it? Guess it. I still don't know what this tomfool is about and I'll feel downright silly while I'm doing it But I'm willing to take my chances Okay Leo you're first Follow me. No way to stay healthy, but very often it's a good way to get him to make his move This one did right out the door knocking me down on route and the chase was on Out of the building and out toward the grandstand and the racing circle It may have been dreamy boy at the quarter and on the track Well, it was my quarry by 50 lengths as he headed up an island to the grandstand Me boy was still doing fine down there and I was moving up up here But up near the top of the grandstand and onto the ramp leading to the press box section This is dreamy boy hit the three-quarter. We hit the grandstand roof And then we went into the stretch. I stood behind a ventilator and showed myself to draw his shots He was lousy Dictating this with an air-conditioned elbow tried a few ventilators himself and then apparently he decided the second time He fought me. He'd do better. He rushed in swinging. I was doing great training punches But he finally moved inside and threw one But he came up fast with his knees And he took off straight to the back corner edge of the pitch roof He swung over the side and started to shinny down the hundred foot rain pipe. That pipe was built to carry rain not people Honey's segment of the human race. It was gambler arsonist murderer Leo Corbett by a head the count item eight dinner for two at the Changri-La downtown Chicago $34.40 Dinner itself only took 40 minutes and eight of the dollars The rest of the evening and the money was spent listening to the story of her life a Story which would not by any means win any Pulitzer Prize or for that matter any husband But sometimes when you're interested in the girl like Lila you have to act like you're interested in what she's saying Expense account item nine fifty seven dollars and seventy two cents airfare Chicago to Hartford item 10 a $1.50 one book to read on airplane titled how to win at the races as if I just hadn't found out Expense account total $1449 and 22 cents. I guess you could call that horse sense signed yours Truly Johnny dollar Only Johnny dollar is produced and directed by Gordon T. Hughes and stars Charles Russell Script by Paul Dudley and Gill Dowd featured in the cast were Bill Conrad Dora Singleton Jerry Hausner Herb Butterfield and Hal March. The special music is written and conducted by Wilbur Hatch Be sure to be with us at this same time next week when another unusual expense account is handed in by yours truly Johnny dollar Those mystery adventure shows we mentioned earlier the fun and music and fabulous jackpot of sing it again and to outstanding music shows They're on tap for you every Saturday on most of these same CBS station Gene Autry comes along with this sagebrush ballads and Vaughan Monroe is due with his songs and his great orchestra In fact, you're invited to stay tuned right now for the Vaughan Monroe show for it follows immediately over most of these stations Paul Masterson speaking This is CBS the Columbia broadcasting system