Yours Truly Johnny Dollar Radio

Johnny Dollar - The Leland Blackburn Matter

https://www.solgoodmedia.com - Listen to hundreds of audiobooks, thousands of short stories, and ambient sounds all ad free! Relive the excitement of Yours Truly Johnny Dollar Radio, where each episode revisits the classic tales of Johnny Dollar, the iconic freelance insurance investigator. Discover how Johnny unravels mysteries and battles crimes primarily through sharp wit and keen perception. This series is a treasure trove for enthusiasts of vintage radio dramas and detective mysteries.

Duration:: 29m
Broadcast on:: 29 Jun 2024
Audio Format:: mp3

It is Ryan C. Chris here. People always say it's good to unwind, but that's easier said than done. The exception Chumba Casino. They actually make it easier done than said, or at least the same. Chumba Casino is an online social casino with hundreds of casino-style games like Slots and Blackjack. Play for fun, play for free, for your chance to redeem some serious prizes. Sign up now, collect your free welcome bonus at ChumbaCasino.com. Sponsored by Chumba Casino. No purchase necessary. VGW Group. Void where prohibited by law. 18+ terms and conditions apply. If you're a facilities manager at a warehouse and your HVAC system goes down, it can turn up the heat. Literally. But don't sweat it. Granger has you covered. Granger offers over a million industrial grade products for all your operations, including warehouse HVAC maintenance. And even better, they offer access to experts and fast delivery, so you and your warehouse can both keep your cool. Call 1-800-granger. Click Ranger.com or just stop by. Granger. For the ones who get it done. From Hollywood, it's time now for Edmund O'Brien as... Johnny Daller. Johnny Bob Hall at Plymouth. We've got a bad thing down here. Oh, what's that? What about company investigators who's been killed? I think you knew him. Gene Rimer. Gene Rimer is dead. Yeah. Shot to death. We learned over this morning. Sent him down to Charleston to look into a murder. Is his wife know yet? She was with him. I mean, she went to Charleston with him. We want to put somebody right on it, Johnny. That's why I called. Oh sure, Bob. I'll come right over and get the rest of the story from you. Edmund O'Brien and another adventure of the man with the action-packed expense account, America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator. Yours truly Johnny Daller. [Music] Expense accounts submitted by special investigator Johnny Daller to Home Office, Plymouth Insurance Company, Hartford, Connecticut. The following is an accounting of expenditures during my investigation of the Leland Blackburn method. [Music] Expense account item 1-250 cab fare from my apartment to the Plymouth building. [Music] Hey, Johnny. Yeah? Oh, hi, Merle. What is on on here? It was Gene Rimer shooting. I wondered if it heard. He talked a lot about you. You were a good friend. We learned the business together in the Pinkerton Agency. Almost opened our own office. It didn't pan out. I wish his head. We're going to miss him around here. He was a great guy. Yeah, Bob was waiting for me, Merle. I'd better get in there. Sure, good luck, Johnny. [Music] Oh, Mr. Don, I hate waiting for you. You can go right in. Thanks. Hiya, Bob. Thanks for coming right over, Johnny. Wouldn't have blamed you if you turned it down. I got it. I feel pretty awful about it. I gave the case to Gene myself. He wasn't up for one, but there would have been some extra money for him. I knew he needed it. He didn't have to take the case. He didn't have to earn a living this way. It's a funny thing for you to say. Well, there's no other way to look at it. You can't hunt trouble forever without finally running into some. I got the idea that you were his friend. I was, but you aren't hiring a friend, Bob. You're hiring an investigator. If you want me to go to work on this, I'd better get some facts. I don't understand you. What about the case he was on? You said it was murder? A policy holder named Leland Blackburn was bludgeoned to death in his home. How long had Gene been on it? Less than a week, five days. Had he sent in any report and learned? No, he hadn't. Is that all? That's all I know. He was staying at the hotel Lee. His wife is still there. As I said, she'd been with him. I suggest you talk to her first. I will. I'll leave as soon as I can get plain space. All right, Jack. Good luck. Spencer count item 285 dollars transportation between Hartford and the Hotel Lee in Charleston. It was 8.30 pm by the time I checked in, and my first move was to the phone. Yes? This is Johnny, Barbara. Johnny, where are you? The floor above you? The Plymouth Company sent me down and I look into Gene's death. Oh, I'm glad you're here, Johnny. When will I see you? As soon as possible. Well, give me just 15 minutes to put a face on me. Come on down. [knocking on door] [knocking on door] Johnny. Hello. It's been a long time. I can't tell you what a shock it was to hear your voice on the phone. I've been thinking about you. Oh? It was natural too. You've been the only one I turned to when it was trouble. How did the company happen to send you? Because I know Gene, I guess. Was anything said about us? There was no reason for that. Everything between you and me stopped when you got married. We'd better keep it that way now. Sure. It was a beautiful marriage all the way around. I told it would be, you remember that. Yes. If there was a side of Gene Rimer that hardly anybody knew, it didn't believe me. I learned so. And you made some pretty serious statements to me after you did. I want to get that off my chest before we go any farther. I don't know how many times you told me that you were afraid you were going to kill him for what he'd done to you. And you meant it, didn't you? Johnny. The last time was less than a month ago. You don't think I killed him? I remember what you said. Johnny, don't. Why did you come to Charleston with him? Because he made me come. Why? Because it... I don't want to tell you. Why not? It doesn't have anything to do with what happened. Then you shouldn't mind telling me. He found out about somebody I'd been seeing in Hartford. I know what sounds cheap, but you must realize... Never mind that. Gene brought you down here to keep you away from this guy. Yes. Johnny, you can't think I killed him. I hope you didn't. For all time's sake, I'd hate to learn that you did. They were good times, Johnny. Why do you know about the case Gene was working on? Nothing. He never talked about any of them. And I'll start on it tomorrow. Good night, Barbara. [Music] Svenskann, item three, two dollars camped there the next morning. The police headquarters where I met Lieutenant Sims. The officer in charge of both killings. Eh, looks to me like a pile of load of work on your shoulders, dollar. You signed a both murders? Chances are that they go together, don't you think? Hard to figure that far yet. What have you got on his Leland Blackburn? And the fire isn't complete on him. The widow and son refused to authorize an autopsy. Took a few days to force it through so we got an old report. Who was he? An old codger, a pillar of the old south, so to speak. He was a broker, him and his son, Roland. Pretty wealthy folks. What do you think was the load of his? Well, we're thinking it was robbery. Nobody knows how much, but old Leland's wallet was empty when they found it. He just told the phone operator he wanted the police when he was hit. Phone was still in his hand. Well, I'll have to go and saw to the family. Yeah, for so. Now, this other hotwood man and likeable kind of fella, you know him? Yeah, I know Jane for quite a few years. Makes it bad when it's a friend, don't it? Oh, that doesn't help. Do you have anything on his death? No, absolutely nothing. He was shot three times, a close range with a 32 caliber gun. All three slugs went through him and smashed up on a brick wall behind him. Spoil him for ballistics. Why did that happen? In an alley off magazine Street. And that's why we can't figure any connection between that shooting and the Blackburden killing. You know this town? Well, why no Blackburden set foot in that magazine Street section. They live at the other end of the town, south of Broad Street. That's a whole lot closer to heaven, I can tell you that. Well, thanks a lot, Lieutenant. Looks like I've got a lot of cold trail to follow, so I better get moving. (Music) Later that day after checking my phone to learn when the sun would be home, I went to the Blackburden residence. It was a warm, friendly estate glowing with southern tradition. The same thing could have been said about the widow, Mrs. Blackburden. But son Ralen must have taken after his father. What I resent most of all is that you are here simply because you suspected the mother and me are both of us of nefarious plot. Now, Ralen. Isn't that right? Murder is a hard thing to ignore, Mr. Blackburden. I am not ignoring it, but I believe our local police are quite able to do what must be done. I just think you'd be interested in having as many people as possible working to clear it up. Naturally, I want to see my father's killers brought to justice. But I don't think father would appreciate the importation of investigators from Hartford. Ralen, please. I came here primarily to investigate the death of the first hearted man. I'm afraid you'll have to put up with me until I satisfy myself that there's no connection between your father and that. What possible connection could there be? I don't know. There isn't any. If I hear of you dragging the Blackburden name into a sordid murder in that part of town, I will personally thrash you to within an inch of your life. Ralen, I must insist. I think perhaps that if you left, Mr. Dollar and I could conclude this meeting much more rapidly. Don't you have an appointment, son, please? Don't you forget what I said, Dollar. I won't. Oh, I must apologize, Mr. Dollar. You don't have to. The loss of his father has been a great shock to him. And I must say that other young man who was here as pleasant as he tried to be did leave us for the impression that he suspected us. One doesn't say things like that about the Blackburden. It is an extremely proud and moral family. I understand. I don't want you to think that I... Now, Mr. Dollar, what do you want me to do? Well, I think you've probably been asked these questions by Mr. Rhyma, but if you'll bear with me... Of course. Well, you hear the night your husband died? Yes. I was in the other wing where our bedrooms are. Ralen was there, too, but he came down to the kitchen. That's through there and found poor Leland. Matter of you heard anything? No. I had my radio on, I remember. But even so, it is quite a big house. It's a beautiful house. Mrs. Blackburden, do you have any idea who could have done this thing? Any enemies of your husband's? I knew of nobody who disliked Leland. He was a charitable, honest man and a pious one. I'm sorry, Mrs. Blackburden. I don't bother you any longer. My only hope is that I may join him soon. Lieutenant Sim. Is it all out, Lieutenant? Oh, yeah. What have you been up to? I'm about to see the Blackburden's. How did you reconstruct the killing out there? Well, like I said, he still had the bone on his hand. He'd been hit a number of times or some blood instrument. Anything to make you think there was more than one killer? No. Whom to roll on the right side of the head, struck from behind by a right handed man, why? The son. He was a little agitated at my being there. He said killers. What's that? He said he wanted to see his father's killers brought to justice. Floral. What would make him say a thing like that? I don't know. As it stands, it's not worth anything as evidence, but I thought I'd tell you. To me, at that moment, it meant there was a possibility that Roland Blackburn knew more than he was saying. I spent another two hours trying to find something to strengthen that possibility, the financial condition of both the family and their brokerage firm. I got no place with it, but I returned to my hotel with the feeling that that one slip was going to develop into the link to connect Jean's death with the Blackburn investigation. The feeling lasted only a few seconds after I met the man who was waiting for me outside my room. Mr. Darwin, how brand? Well, I'm the hotel detective here. I think I'd better talk to you. What about? Wound down 413, Mrs. Weimer. How'd you find out about me? I've been keeping my eye on her. I saw you go to see her and check down you. I had an idea that insurance company would send somebody else. Why have you been watching her? Her husband paid me to. I guess there was something wrong between them. Yeah. A man showed up to see her the day the husband was killed. I didn't get a chance to tell him, but I thought I ought to tell you. Oh, is he? Richard is his name, George. Isn't the Clemens Hotel up the street? He checked in from Hertford too. [Music] Come on in the room, Brian. I want to hear the rest of it. Sure. There isn't much more. This Richard showed up at the Weimer room about one in the afternoon. Weimer was out, so I didn't get to him. Then he was shot that night about ten. Maybe it don't mean anything. You know where Richard is now? He checked out this afternoon and took the 540 plane in New York. Let me play you drink, Brian. Sure. You know, a man's a fool to marry a woman as beautiful as that. It always means trouble. That's my personal opinion anyway. My wife's is obvious and that's a far to go. Yeah. Thanks. Have you told us to the police, Brian? Not yet. Why not? Oh, I'll figure a couple of days won't make any difference. If the police don't come up with something else, but then I'll tell them. You'll talk to her. What do you think? I don't know, but I'm going down to Sears. Wouldn't be very smart with it. Maybe not. That's the way I have to play it. Help yourself to another drink, Brian, and... and thanks. I've got to see you. Sure, Johnny. Come in. What's the matter? Why'd you lie to me last night? I didn't. I don't understand. George Richards. Why didn't you tell me he was here? How did you find out? He was seen coming to this room. Why didn't you tell me? I was afraid to. Yeah, that I believe. I put myself out in a limb for you today because I thought there was a chance you wouldn't lie to me. I withheld information. They want a motive for Jean's murder and I didn't mention you. I didn't kill him. That doesn't mean anything now that there's Richards. I didn't know he was here until I opened that door. He stayed here 10 minutes and I made him leave. I told him to go back home with that. Be real trouble. He didn't leave until this afternoon. I didn't know that. Johnny, I know I should have told you last night. I've always trusted you, but... I knew how bad the situation would look and I... I just prayed that nobody would know George was here. You weren't covering up for him? No! I didn't know, Johnny. I... I didn't know he was still here. Quit it, quit it, will you? Come on, sit down and get a hold of yourself. Look, I want to believe you, Barbara. You know that. And it doesn't make any difference now whether I do or not. The police are going to learn about Richards. Are you going to tell them? I imagine they'll tell me, but I can't hold back anymore. And with the answers, I'll have to give them. They can probably indict you for murder or at least accessory with Richards. I didn't kill him. I don't know anything about it. Stop it. Stop it. I don't eat hysterics. I need proof. How can you prove to me that you knew nothing about it? I don't know. But Richards have done it alone? No. How can you prove that? It's a thing I know. I can't use things, you know. I need people and statements. People who will swear that they saw you at the time. Gene Raimo was killed. People who will swear they saw Richards. It was nine o'clock, I was here. I can check that. That's all I know. Johnny, stop. Please stop. I can't stand anymore. All right, Angel. Oh, stop. [crying] [scary music] I tried to find an alibi for George Richards that night, but a stranger in a city the size of Charleston is hard to nail down. I went to the Clements Hotel and questioned bellboys, clerks, maids, and bartenders, but those who remembered him hadn't seen him during the evening in question. Then I tried cab drivers with no better success. It was after midnight when I went to bed and nine the next morning when I was awakened by a summons from the police, accompanied by official transportation. Here he is, Lieutenant. Hey, Sergeant. You can wait outside. Yes? Sit down, darling. Thanks. And in rest and chat with the hotel detective where you're stopping. Oh, I'm not surprised, Lieutenant. What's the matter with you, son? You put yourself and put it on serious position by holding back information from me. Why did you do it? I'm not sure. You admitted knowing that Jean Raima. Why didn't you tell me then that you knew about trouble between him and his wife? Well, I wanted to check the other angles first, the Blackbird investigation. Oh, bad was his trouble. Pretty bad. Raima had an in-streak that didn't show except to his closest friends and enemies. You'd say he did a bodily harm? Yep, lots of it. How'd you find out? For her. How old you knew her? I knew her before they were married. You in love with her by any chance? I had been, I would have married her. I know what you're driving. I know, Lieutenant, the possibility that I came down here to protect her from a murder charge. Well, that's half true. What's that? She's been my friend. I didn't want to see her pulled in if she wasn't mixed up in it. You don't think she was? I'll have to leave that for you. I know she had a motive and to make it better a possible accomplice turns up. But so far it's all circumstantial. And we put a searcher out on this man, Richards. That's how good them circumstances look to us. Sure. And I'll bet I can reconstruct your reconstruction. A phony tip to Raima on how to crack the black burn thing. An appointment on magazine street and the pay-off. You break that down? Well, I tried. Barbara has an alibi, but Richards hasn't. And I've got to have somebody for that killing dollar. I'm going to bring her in. I'm surprised you haven't already. I want to talk to you first. I want you to stay here while I talk to her. All right. All right, you think she'll break down because of me? It's a matter of that board. Now I'll be right back. I've got to go get a man to pick her up. Hey, what are you doing? Counterplating suicide. Where's Lieutenant Simms? Just went out the other door, I'll be right back. Hey, you finally got the autopsy report on old man Blackburn. You salad, have you really didn't believe he was dead? Oh, no, he's dead all right. What is it, Sergeant? Yeah, Blackburn autopsy report. Yeah, look here. That'll be narcotics, user. Press has been waiting for this, Lieutenant. And they've got a right to it. No, wait, don't give it to him yet. This has been pretty hard on that family. Hold on to it. No use dragging them through any more mud. At least till the federal men go to work on it. All right, sir? You'll be here in a few minutes, dollar, so relax. I've got to run through a few reports while we wait. It was hardly the time for relaxation, but I tried. We sat through an hour of questions to which there was no provable answers. And at the end of it, Barbara Rimer was booked on suspicion of murder, and I was released on bail charged with suspicion of being accessory after the fact. I had only one place to go. You have to know Mr. Blackburn. Good afternoon, sir. Hi, Mr. Dollar, you remember me? Of course I do. I wasn't expecting you. I'm sorry I didn't have time to phone, may I come in? Yes. You sell at home? No, he's at the office. What is it, Mr. Dollar? A girl has been arrested because the police think she killed Mr. Rimer, the other man from Hartford. Oh, I didn't know. I don't think she did it. I don't think I understand, Mr. Dollar. Why have you come here? Because I think you know she didn't do it, Mrs. Blackburn. Mr. Dollar. Could we sit down someplace? Yes, in the drawing room. Now, if you please, sir, what is the meaning of it? Why did you refuse to allow an autopsy to be performed on your husband? Because I believe it to be a revolting and savage practice. A mental torture that no one has the right to ask the survivors to experience. I will not condone it. Usually laws are stronger than human feelings. You know that one had been performed? I refused. Oh, Roland told me there was nothing to fear. He was wrong. I will not condone it. It's a matter of official record now, Mrs. Blackburn. The report says your husband was an narcotics user. He was not? He was. Your son knew it, and I think you did. I shall have to ask you to leave, Mr. Dollar. Please, Mrs. Blackburn, that wouldn't do any good. When I was here before, maybe you remember. Your son said something he didn't intend to say. He told me that more than one man killed your husband. He said killers. He was upset. Both murders had something to do with an narcotics. Your husband used, didn't they? No. The police haven't been able to find a link between a Blackburn name and the magazine street section. The narcotics made that link, isn't that right? No. Jean Raima must have found out he was killed. Now a woman is charged with a murder she had nothing to do with. What else do you want? We thought we were doing the right thing. Why did you think that? We hoped to save Leland that shame. And Roland, his son, and his widow. Jean Raima must have learned from you. No. No one was to be told. Mr. Raima discovered it himself. When he faced us, we begged him to say nothing. But when he threatened us, we told him their names. The names of the people who supplied your husband? Yes, and made a hell of our lives. They distorted money from us for almost ten years. We of the inviolate family. They killed your husband. They came that night to force him to buy more. And when he refused and tried to telepharmically, they killed him. I want you to tell me who these people are. We told Mr. Raima. And he... I won't go alone. It will be finished then. This farce we live. It will be finished anyway. Yes, we go no further. There are two. One is named Nilla. The other stone. Why do I find him? You won't go alone. We've caused one... I'll be all right. I'll tell you where to find him. I hadn't planned to go alone, but on the way I began to wonder if the time I spent interesting the police wouldn't be used by Mrs. Blackburn to warn the two men who's capture would put the finish to the family reputation. So I didn't contact Lieutenant Sims. Instead, I stopped by my hotel to pick up an automatic and cab to the magazine street addressed by myself. This is... I'd take it easy up there if I were you. Thanks. I will. Here you are. Thank you, sir. No way. Yeah? Who are you, Miller of Stone? What's the definition, then? Hey, now what is this? Who are you? Miller. What's that? They're pushing in. I just came from the Blackburn place. Why? The old lady is tired of trying to save the family pride she talked again. What? What other reason would I have for being here? She's ready to talk to the police about her husband. I'm ready to talk to you about Jean Raima. I don't get it. You'd better start. Come on. Where? Out that door. We'll find our way. Now, listen to me. You can't pull a man around like this. I'll say, and why I haven't done nothing. Then why are you? All right, I'll go. Miller, Miller! Get over here from me. Find Stone, Mike. I've got to talk to Stone. He did get a chance to talk to Stone, but not before Lieutenant Simms heard him out and added his statement and added the surviving black burns, which cleared Barbara Raima and yours truly. Expense account item three, $110. Miscellaneous expenses in Charleston. Item four, same as item two, transportation back to Hartford. Expense account total. Oh, excuse me. Yep. Hello, Johnny. Oh, hi, Barbara. I thought you were coming over. It's after four. Oh, well, as a matter of fact, I was just going to phone. I... I can't make it. What's the matter, Johnny? I've got another case. What's the matter, Johnny? Hi, I have to earn a living. All right. You know who had to find me if you want to? Yeah. Yeah, I'll try to call you when I get back to town, okay? Goodbye. Expense account total, $345.75. Remarks? This was a fairly personal assignment, and it brings to mind a fairly personal observation. Cops, private or otherwise, should never marry. They're lousy husbands because they're away from home so much. But more important, they leave too many widows. Yours truly, Johnny Dollar. Yours truly, Johnny Dollar stars Edmund O'Brien in the title role and is written by Gil Dodd with music by Wilbur Hatch. Edmund O'Brien's latest picture is the Paramount Pictures production, Warpath. Featured in tonight's cast were John Dainer, Jim Nusser, Jeanette Nolan, Georgia Ellis, John McIntyre, and Larry Dobkin. Yours truly, Johnny Dollar is transcribed in Hollywood by Jaime Del Valle. This is Dan Kerberly inviting you to join us next week at this time when Edmund O'Brien returns as... Yours truly, Johnny Dollar. [Music] You can sing it again on CVS tonight for a whole hour of fun-packed music-packed entertainment. And maybe Dan Seymour will be calling you to solve one of the tuneful little riddle songs that lead to a chance at radio's largest cash jackpot. $5,000 plus 10,000 more in wonderful prizes. Alan Dale, Judy Lynn, Bob Howard, the Riddler's and Ray Bloch Orchestra are on hand to sing and play the riddle tune leading up to Dan Seymour's coast-to-coast calls. Be listening again later tonight when singing again comes along on most of these same CVS stations. Now, stay tuned for Von Monroe's caravan which follows immediately on most of these same CVS stations. [Music] This is CVS, where you laugh with Lucille Ball and my favorite husband on Saturday nights, the Columbia Broadcasting System. [Music] It's time for today's Lucky Land horoscope with Victoria Cash. Life's gotten mundane, so shake up the daily routine and be adventurous with a trip to Lucky Land. You know what they say, your chance to win starts with a spin. So go to luckylandslots.com to play over 100 social casino-style games for free for your chance to redeem some serious prizes. Get lucky today at luckylandslots.com. No purchase necessary. VGW Group void were prohibited by law. 18-plus terms of conditions apply. Is your vehicle stopping like it should? Does it squeal or grind when you break? Don't miss out on summer break deals at O'Reilly Auto Parts. [Music]