 The Equitable Society presents this is your FBI. This is your FBI. An official broadcast from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation presented as a public service by the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States and the Equitable Society is representative in your community. Tonight's file, the sorrowful swindler. Before opening tonight's file, it is my pleasure to bring you season's greetings from the Equitable Society. This week at the Equitable Society in the lobby of our home office building, we have decorated one of the tallest Christmas trees in New York. This very afternoon as we gathered round this tree in the sound of the traditional carols echoed through the halls, there was one pleasant thought that kept coming to our minds. We thought of all the homes in this country that are celebrating Christmas more merrily, more securely. We thought of all the children to whom Santa Claus will be more real, because someone in that home had the forethought to purchase life insurance. And we of the Equitable Society and the Equitable Society representatives all over America are happy to have done our share in bringing that kind of happiness to so many American homes this Christmas time. And so to each of our three and a quarter million members and to the other millions of Americans who enjoy this radio program, we of the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States wish a very merry Christmas and a very happy new year. And now to the file on the sorrowful swindler. With America virtually on the eve of celebrating her first feast time Christmas in several years, the topic of crime seems hardly in keeping with the mood of the day. But then there is a negative kind of relationship between the two. Because it can be said truly that the doctrine of crime is the direct antithesis of the philosophy of Christmas. One is the religion of taking. The other, the religion of giving. And to the criminals, Christmas time is no more than just another time in which to ply his profession of cheating, high his profession of cheating, as demonstrated in tonight's case from the files of your FBI. Several years ago, during another Christmas season, a man using the alias of Colonel Weatherford and a companion in Larsonie were speeding eastward on a crack train headed for New York. You know, Colonel. Yeah? I still can't figure out how come we leave Chicago so quick. I think, Michael, we may sum it up in one word of two syllables. Like which? Police. You mean they were hepto's? They would have been Michael. Shortly after that check I cashed began to ricochet. Yeah, but suppose they get an idea we caught this train and they got the New York police waiting for us when we roll into Grand Central. Please, Michael. I'd rather not have to wrestle with that remote contingency for the moment. Allow me, if you will, to revel in a vision of the unbounded joy of my dear Valerie when I show her the fruits of this little mission to the West. You ain't going to give her the whole five grand. Valerie has demanded a mink coat of Santa Claus and Valerie, my dear Michael, knows who Santa Claus is. Have you got your tickets ready, please? I might get them right here, Colonel. May I check your ticket, please, Madam? Oh, yes. Here's my ticket, right here. Thank you. What time do we get to New York in the morning, Mr. Conductor? Nine o'clock. Well, I do hope my daughter is there to meet me. Sweet little old lady, ain't she? Yeah. You may keep this part, Madam. Oh, thank you. Just a minute, please. Yes? I wonder if you'd help me. I have some stock certificates with me, which may be very valuable. Colonel, I'm listening. I'm kind of afraid to keep them in my birth with me tonight. Well, I'll be back directly, Madam, and we'll make some arrangements, I'm sure. Thank you very much. Michael, I think Donder and Blitzen and the other tiny reindeer are about to make a landing on our own roof. Since crime never takes a holiday, neither does your FBI. And at about the same moment that the pompous gentleman on the New York bound train became stock certificate-minded, Special Agent Barclay in the New York Office of the FBI was handed a teletype from Washington. What does it say, Ellen? Well, Jim, there goes my Christmas shopping push with Marjorie today. Oh. They want us to go to work on a swindler. Anybody we know? No, he's avoided federal violations up to now. Well, what's the up to now? He put over a fraudulent deal in Denver a few days ago by posing as a United States attorney. Uh-oh. He may have stopped over in Chicago, but they believe he's headed for New York. Oh, is this his home? He's got a record here. Who is he? Several persons, it seems. Colonel Josiah Weatherford and about six others. Well, here, look this over and let's get busy. Right. While you're digesting the teletype, I'll check with the New York police and also put a cover on railroad, plane, and bus terminals. I didn't quite catch the name. Weatherford. Colonel Josiah Weatherford. Oh, yes. Well, I'm Mrs. Greeley. How do you do? Uh, may you please sit down? Thank you. I came primarily to apologize for staring at you as I did. Oh, I didn't think anything about it. You see, you look so much like my own dear mother. Then I feel quite honored. She passed on last March. Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that. This isn't to be my first Christmas without her. It'll be most desolate. Yes, I know it will. You live in New York, Mrs. Greeley. Oh, I know. It's too big a place for me. I'm just going there to spend Christmas with my daughter. How fortunate for your daughter. I suppose that you live in New York. Well, I sort of divide my time between Chicago and New York. I have an investment business with offices with both. Investment business, did you say? Yes. Well, then maybe you'd know about my stock certificate. I beg your pardon. I mean, no further there any good or not. Well, I don't know. May I see them? Oh, dear. I've already let the conductor put them away in a safe place for the night. Oh. You see, I was going to have them looked into while I was in New York. Uh, I could do that for you. You see, my husband has been there about 10 years, and I didn't know he'd left anything like that till... To the other day, I was rummaging around in his old desk, and well, there it was, a thousand shares. All tied together. Thousand shares of what? A load-star mining company. What was that again? Load-star mining company. Loads? That's what I thought you said. Do you know something about it? Uh, well, it's not listed on the exchange anymore that I know. Oh, then, then you mean it's, uh, it's no good. I wouldn't say that. I want to look it up for you. You will let me serve you on this, won't you? Oh, I'd be very glad if you would. Especially since that's your business. Well, now, you just leave everything to me, and I'll be talking to you again in the morning before we get off the train. Oh, thanks. Oh, thank you so much. How'd you make out? Santa Claus is not merely knocking at our door, Michael. He's trying to break in with a pack full of gold. Special Agent Ferrell speaking. Morning, Jim. This is Alan. I say, where are you? Good. I was just going to have to hop over there myself. What's up? A weatherford's on that train. How do you know? I tell the type. Just came in from Chicago. He passed a bad check there yesterday. And the ticket agent at LaSalle station remembers selling weatherford and a man with him space on the Manhattan. Then I better run. It's about to pull in. Right. Yes, sir, Mr. Barclay. A man of that description occupied space in car 254. Then what happened to him, Porter? Well, he and the fellow with him got off at Harmon this morning. Uh-oh. I sure wish I'd have known earlier. Well, we didn't know ourselves in time to be prepared for that trick. Well, thanks anyway. Oh, say, uh, wait a minute. Yes? There's somebody might know something about him and maybe she's still in the station. Oh, a little old lady who had the space across the aisle from there. This man gave me a note when he got off at Harmon to give to her when she got up. What does she look like? Well, her name is Greeley. She's about five foot two, gray hair, and she's wearing... Michael. Yeah? Valerie's waiting in the apartment here for me. I prefer to see her alone. Yeah, I prefer the same thing. I'll wait for you downstairs. Splendid. Valerie? Valerie? I'm in here. Valerie, my darling, come here. Wait a minute. Not so fast. But my dear, aren't you glad to see me? I don't know. How was your trip? How was it? Look, my sweet. Yeah, $5,000. Let me see one of the bills. Yeah, genuine. Every last one of them. Oh, my darling, I am so glad to see you. I have missed you so much. And now I can go right down this very day and get my mink coat. Oh, well, you see, Valerie... What's the matter? Well, naturally, you're going to get the fair coat, Valerie. That's right. But tomorrow will be ample time. Worry, my sweet. I'm waiting for the hook. What is it? I merely want to retain possession of the money for the balance of the day. Go on. For $5 a share, darling, I can pick up a thousand shares of lodestar mining stock from a party who doesn't know their true value. Have they got any true value? Have they? Lodestar merged a few years ago with Rocky Mountain. Each share of lodestar is still exchangeable for one share of Rocky Mountain, with today $100 a share. You mean put out $5,000 and get back $100,000? Exactly. Look, a mink coat on the back is worth $40 in the window. Nothing doing. My darling, you can't buy it. You just dreamed it's up to keep him coming across. I swear I didn't, Valerie. She's going to call me any minute. What? Now, don't get excited, my dear. Don't get excited. It's a little old lady. A Mrs. Greeley I met on the train. She has the stock. Oh, yeah? That's probably Mrs. Greeley now. General Weatherford speaking. This is Mrs. Greeley. Oh, hello, Mrs. Greeley. Are you at your daughter's now? No. Well, Mrs. Greeley, I have some good news for you about your stock. Oh, you have? How would you like to have $5,000 in cash for a Christmas present? $5,000? That's right. Good gracious me. You just give me the name of your hotel and I'll be right over in a few minutes. You mean we'll be right over. Yes, Jim? Well, I must over as soon as I could. Good. I think this is our best prospect of getting a line on Weatherford. The Greeley woman checked her bag at the station, huh? Yeah. You got anything out of the conductor? Mrs. Greeley gave him what she said with some stock certificates to keep safe for her last night. Oh? Weatherford was across the aisle and saw it all. Let me see. 10 to 1, he's trying to pull a swindle on her for that stock. Well, I hope she comes back for her bag before the job's done. Yes, but she checked it two hours ago and a lot can happen on two hours. Colonel Weatherford. Yes? If the Low-Star Mining Company is out of existence, I don't see why the group this young lady represents wants to buy my stock. Oh, you should make that clearer, Colonel Weatherford. Oh, the group still controls the Low-Star Company's property, Mrs. Greeley. Oh. And they're going to start operating again and they're willing to pay $5,000 a share for all the old, outstanding stock. Well, maybe I'd better hold on to mine and maybe it'll be worth more after a five. Oh, explain it to her, Colonel. It may be years before it's worth a cent more, Mrs. Greeley, and after all, $5,000 is a lot of money. Well, I'll trust your judgment, Colonel Weatherford. Good, I'm sure you won't regret it. Do you have all that money with you? Yes, here it is. $5,000. $5,100 dollars. Gracious me. Now, if you have a stock for you. Oh, of course, yes. It's right here in my handbag. Landed. Yes. Yes, here we are. And now I've asked you both to put up your hand. What? What's the meaning of that gun? Oh, it merely means that I know as much about Low-Star as you do, you old swindler. And I wish I did have some of the stocks. Well, now, look here. You asked her if she didn't want $5,000 for a Christmas present, didn't you? Well, I'm not going to give up my main coat this easy. Be nice now. And back into that closet over there. Both sell yours. Yeah. Who knows? Maybe somebody will open it before Christmas. Crooks, don't qualify as men of good will, do they? So let's leave them for a moment while I tell you about someone you like. A man who is bubbling over with the contagious good humor that infects all good people this time of year. This week at the Equitable Society, I met a senior vice president coming out of the building. He was carrying a regular pyramid of packages in his arms. And just as I said hello to him, something went wrong with the middle of the pyramid and half of his packages fell out of his arms and slid to the floor. Serves me righty laughed as I helped him to pick him up. Just what I deserve for putting off my Christmas shopping to the last minute and then trying to do it all at once. He paused and chuckled. And I'm the man who's spent his life telling folks not to put things off. My business in life is telling folks not to put off buying the life insurance protection they need. Well, I said that's not such a bad way to spend your life, is it? We smiled and answered saying, yes, there are a lot of people in this world who are much happier right now because someone from the Equitable Society kept urging a husband or father not to put off buying life insurance. Believe me, that's a pretty pleasant thought for a fellow to entertain this time of year. Well, as I said goodbye to him, the thought came to me that it'd be a very fine thing if all members of the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States had the same opportunity to know the officers of their society that I have. Could get to know the sincerity and human understanding that they put into their daily work managing the life insurance of three and a quarter million Equitable Society members. I've met all these men and I've yet to find any stuffing in any one of their shirts or any brass in any one of their hats. No matter how important their jobs are, their doors are always open, and their time is always at the disposal of members of this Life Assurance Society. You see the officers of the Equitable Society are the kind of men who take pride in the thought that this week and every week for 86 years, the Equitable Society has been building security for you, your home, and your country. And now back to the file on the sorrowful swindler. There is a saying that no one is so easily swindled as a swindler and the victim, intending himself to commit a crime, can ill afford to complain to the law. Therefore, being denied recourse to the law, he usually takes matters into his own hands and generally with the same net result. Both are caught. At the moment, however, the little gray-haired confidence woman is trudging through the snow away from the hotel with $5,000 in $100 bills. While behind the locked door of the closet in the hotel room. But Valerie, darling. Don't darling me, you financial wizard. Nagging me is not going to get us out of here. You just be glad it's a closet where there's not room enough to swing at you. Michael's waiting just outside the hotel. Sure, probably building a snowman. But he's surely seen the woman leaving by herself. Oh, of course, of course. He probably helped her across the street. You'd think he'd suspect something and come up here to see about us. Oh, no, that calls for thinking. Valerie, if you'll help me push against the door just once more, I'm sure we can force it. I should knock myself out getting you out of a closet. Look, you're in here, too. You got us in, you get us out. $5,000 and get back $100,000. Can't miss, it's a sin. Oh, for heaven's sake, Valerie, shut up. Come on, let's get out of here quickly. Wait a minute, wait a minute. Now I'm warning you, I'm getting a mink coat tomorrow or else. Or else what? Or else the police are going to learn where you got that $5,000 in the first place. But Valerie, darling, you can't... You heard me. It's the mink or the clink. Well, it doesn't look like Mrs. Greeley is coming back for a bag. She only checked it a couple of hours ago, give her time. Yes, but in the meantime, this weather... Hey, wait a minute. This looks like our little lady now. Yeah, seems to fit her description all right. She's going over the baggage counter. Come on. No, wait a minute. What? For one thing, somebody's chaling her. Huh? Look over there. And according to the conductor's description, that would be Weatherford's pal. Yeah, you're right. And item number two, do you know who Mrs. Greeley really is? No. I had dealings with her a couple of years ago. That's an old-time operator who's known as Lars and the Annie. What? So far as Weatherford and Sheer are concerned, I'd say at this point it's a question of who has done what? To whom? Well, then let's pick them up and ask some questions. And Miss getting Weatherford? Hey, look, there she goes. And a shadow, too. Come on, Jim. Let's make it a convoy. What good is it going to do to come back here to the apartment? Michael wasn't in front of the hotel, was he? So what? Darling, please, patience and fortitude. Probably saw the woman leave in just a minute. Hello? This is Mike. Say, what's going on? Where the devil are you, Michael? I've seen the old lady leave the hotel by herself and I said something crazy about this. Where's she now? I'm in a telephone booth at the State National Bank. I said where is she? She's standing up. We've been robbed. Don't take your eyes off her until she holds up somewhere and then call me to hear. Sure. If you slip up, Michael, it'll be a cheerless Christmas for you and me. What do you mean? Did you ever spend Christmas behind the bars, Michael? Not yet. Then do what I tell you or you will. And he shot her back from the phone. He must have contacted Weatherford. What do you make of all this? I'd say the Weatherford does now learn how it feels to be swindled himself. He took somebody for the money first and then Annie's taken him. Yes, but she puts it up to us to take them both. What's your idea? You stay here and keep your eyes open. And you? If Weatherford's pal saw me talking to Annie... What would he probably think? Well, that you were confederate at first, maybe. That's all I wanted to be sure of. Why? Maybe this'll do the trick, Jim. Come, darling, let me help you trim the Christmas tree. You better get out and trim somebody for that mink coat. I tell you, I'm waiting on a telephone call from Michael. I'm surprised he can even use a telephone. You should not disparage Michael's intelligence, my dear. Ha! Providence beat me to it. Michael is a simple soul, but a loyal one with a great amount of common sense. And on occasion displays a flash of superior intelligence. Maybe you ought to be working for him then. May I fix your cocktail? No, and don't try to soften me up because I'm... Yes? It's me, Colonel. Well? I've done what you told me. Where is she? You better... There are four corners, Michael, you know? Yeah, but I'll be standing on just one of them, boss. East side downtown. You better hurry. I'll be there right away. You mean we'll be there? Then come on quickly, my dear. Now you shall have that mink. Here you are, sir. Here you are, driver. Oh, thanks, miss. Where's the woman? I done a good job of trailing her. You ought to be proud of her. I said where is she? Right in that brown stone house. But what are we waiting for? Lead the way, Michael. Okay, come on. I went right in here to grant for... This better work. Please, my dear. Yes? Greetings, Mrs. Greeley. Well, come right in. Go ahead, darling. Michael, I dare say you're a trifle surprise to see us again. Well, as a matter of fact, Colonel Weatherford, I am a little surprised the way things turned out, but we rather expected you'd come here. Who's wait? Yes, what do you mean? What she means, Weatherford, is that you're all under arrest. What? What is this? We're special agents of the FBI. This is an apartment that we used on another case. It was also convenient to bring Mrs. Greeley here for questioning. We hoped you'd follow her. You mean she's working with you? Oh, not willingly, Colonel. But as you know, this is the Christmas season and it's full of surprises for everyone. And now your FBI would like to take this opportunity to wish for all of you a merry Christmas. And a happy, peaceful, and prosperous new year. And through your continued support and cooperation, it will go on protecting your right to enjoy them year after year. Before we tell you about next week's thrilling case from the files of your FBI, a word about a man worth knowing. To your FBI, you look for national security. And to the equitable society for the financial security of life insurance. In the past 86 years, the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States has weathered four wars and seven major depressions. During that time, over five and one half billion dollars have been paid to policy holders. This tower of strength, security, and stability is represented in your community by a man whom hundreds of your fellow citizens know as their good friend, the Equitable Society Agent, who like your FBI is dedicated to the protection of you, your home, and your country. Next week, we will bring you another colorful story from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Murder on the High Seas. The incidents used in tonight's Equitable Society's broadcast are taken from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. However, all names used are fictitious, and any similarity, thereof, to the names of persons living or dead is accidental. Programs in this series of particular interest to servicemen and women are broadcast overseas through the worldwide facilities of the Armed Forces Radio Service. Tonight, the music was under the direction of Frederick Steiner, the author was Frank Ferris, and your narrator was Dean Carlton. This is your FBI is a Jerry Divine production. Now, this is Carl Frank speaking for the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States and the Equitable Society's representative in your community, and inviting you to tune in again next week at this same time, for this is your FBI. This is ABC, the American Broadcasting Company.