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Yours Truly Johnny Dollar

Johnny Dollar - The Stanley Springs Matter

https://www.solgoodmedia.com - Listen to hundreds of audiobooks, thousands of short stories, and ambient sounds all ad free! Daily Yours Truly Johnny Dollar offers a unique spin on the beloved old-time radio detective series. Tune in every day to follow the intelligent and daring Johnny Dollar as he solves complex cases involving insurance scams and more. This daily podcast blends nostalgia with gripping story arcs, perfect for detective genre enthusiasts and those who love a good mystery.

Duration:
31m
Broadcast on:
22 Jun 2024
Audio Format:
mp3

At Grand Canyon University, we believe in equal opportunity and the American dream starts with purpose. Whether your pursuit involves a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree, GCU's learning environments are designed for supportive networking and collaboration. With over 330 academic programs, GCU provides a path to help you fulfill your dreams. The pursuit to serve others is yours. Find your purpose at GCU. Private Christian Affordable. Visit GCU.edu Save on O'Reilly Break Parts Cleaner. Get two cans of O'Reilly Break Parts Cleaner for just eight dollars. Ballad in store only at O'Reilly Auto Parts. From Hollywood, it's time to offer Edmund O'Brien as Johnny Dollar. Mr. Dollar, my name is Ed Best. I'm in the investment problem of the financial maturity company. Yes, Bruce Hardwick told me about you. I have something I'd like to have you look into. What is it? Briefly. A few years ago, we bought controlling interest in the Stanley Springs Company, an organization in the Southwest that deals in cotton as a couple of gins. I just got a letter from out there that the fact that behind the seed, the company is carrying on illegal traffic across the Mexican border. How close the check do you keep on the outfit? Our accountant goes out for a quarterly examination and he certainly reported nothing suspicious, but we businessmen are trained to handle smuggling organizations. If one does exist. Yeah, well, training is very seldom enough, but I'll come down this afternoon and talk it over with 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 Dollar. And as his special guests this evening, your truly August and won. Expense accounts submitted by special investigator Johnny Dollar to home office financial surety company, Hartford, Connecticut. The following is an accounting of expenditures during my investigation of the Stanley Springs matter. Expense account item one, a dollar 75 cab fare from my apartment to Hartford's insurance row, and the financial surety officers. The best? The money in the store. Happy to meet you. Bruce prayed to you quite highly. I know Bruce well enough to suspect he was selling me so he wouldn't have to take the trip himself. I doubt that. Who ought to be that as it may sit out. Thank you. Here's the letter I mentioned to you. Very brief. I'm signed he's not generous with details is he? No, nothing but a bold accusation. What did he call it the illegal shipment? Yeah. What do you make of it? I don't know. Stanley Spring Stationery must be an employee. Maybe a crank. Yes, that had occurred to us. You have no reason to think that what he says is true is that right? Good law. No, we'd have the faintest suspicions. We would have investigated them. Wouldn't you think it'd be a good idea to turn the matter over to the federal people? After discussing it, we decided that it wouldn't be a good idea at this time. There's not enough. Perhaps there's nothing behind the letter. We decided to carry out our own investigation first. Then if the basis will turn to the federal agency. That was about it from a heart at end. My only instruction was to keep secret if possible my identity and the investigation. Expense account item two one hundred and thirty five dollars transportation first by air then by train then by bus to Stanley Springs. I arrived there late in the afternoon and at first I couldn't see the true character of the town was dusty set in a depression of the desert that's called Stanley Springs Valley. It was a company built town to dirty street slooms a few cafes and stores made up the center of town. The rest was a cluster of identical white dwellings. There was only one small hotel and I checked into it under the curious glance of a dark-haired girl who knocked on the door a few minutes after I'd gotten to my room. Hello. Hello. Are you busy? I know not at the moment. Then could I come in? Sure, sure. I don't see why not. I am not quite ready to receive visitors. I I don't have anything to offer you but a cigarette. I don't want anything. I only wanted to talk to you. My name is Dan and I live here in the hotel. We don't see many strangers here in Stanley Springs. Well I'm not all right Sam. Why are you here? Taking a look at a lot of organizations like the Stanley Springs Company I I'm going to write an article for a textiles magazine. You're from New York. You? I live in Denver before I came here and I have been in Fort Worth and Tucson and Phoenix. Why do you want to write about the company? I'm being paid to by a lot of men who own controlling interest in a lot of companies and they're too fat and wealthy to come out themselves to find out how they earn their money. You don't like these men. I can take them and leave them alone. What do you do? I work in one of the clubs. Clubs? Is that a pretty fancy name for them? I know. They don't look like much in the daytime but at night you'll see. Is the company on these clubs? I think they sold them. That was before I came here. I take it I can drop my money on a craft table if I want to. Yes there are games in all of them. Oh you aren't interested in that and I'm talking too much. Do you want me to go? No of course not. I'm glad you came. Then so am I. It's good to have someone new to talk to. She stayed about an hour long enough for me to learn among other things that her name was Anne Saliva and that she sang. It seemed to me then that she as well as I was leaving things unsaid and I wondered if her warm friendly and seemingly honest approach wouldn't be a good method of learning why any stranger dropped into Stanley Springs. I didn't do anything that first evening a night but recovered from my long 15 hours of travel. The next morning I started out on the only lead I had the unsigned two-sentence note on company stationery. There were three men in the Stanley Springs office when I got there. One of them was Norman Stager, manager. Well that's interesting Mr. Dollar. What sections have you been through in your survey? I came up through the southeastern states and through Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, California, now here. Quite an extensive trip. They seem to think it's worth it. You'll find us about the same as the rest of the ginning concerns except the ones that handle American upland cotton. They use saujins. We use roller jins. You'll find nothing new here. I won't bother you Mr. Stager. I'd like to talk to your personnel go through your warehouses. Could I meet them in here in the office? Yes. You can meet them but I'd rather you didn't talk to them until after we closed tonight. Did a lot of work this week. I'm sure anything you say. Come on. Phillips. Yes. Meet Mr. Dollar. Came out from the East to look over our plant. How do you do? Phillips is our chief clerk. Mr. Dollar is going to write a magazine article. Oh I see. I want you to help him with any information he wants Phillips but not until after hours. All right. Phillips is through at five. You can meet him then. Fine. I'll see you Mr. Phillips. Yes. That's five. This is a child's over here. He's our shipping clerk. Mr. Dollar child. Hello Mr. Child. Howdy. Gotta write us up huh. Try not to get in the way. Yeah you've got a shipment going out this morning haven't you child? Yeah. Maybe Mr. Dollar can go out and watch the bills being loaded that won't slow things down. Sure I'm going out now. Good. Get an idea the size of our shipments. We send one about like this every other week. Like with a girl there was nothing there in the office that I could put my finger on. Only things to wonder about. Like the quick look Phillips the clerk threw at me when I was introduced and something about the tone Stager used with him. I went through the formalities of watching the loading operation and noting the number of bails and then returned to Stager's office for my meeting with Phillips. How are you making out all right. Phillips here. No he isn't. He was feeling sick this afternoon but I'm going home at about two thirty. I don't know something with his stomach. I think he worries too much. It seemed like he did very much to worry about in his job. It wouldn't but I guess it can be quite a strain if you let it. I mean I don't worry about anything. That's the way to be. I'll find it home then I guess or it doesn't feel that I can wait till tomorrow. You'd better catch him maybe he's sicker than he thinks. Just what I said maybe he's in worse shape than he realizes. I hope not. Why do you say that Mr Stager. It just seemed to me that he acted kind of funny when I introduced you to him this morning didn't you notice. I guess I didn't. I've had my doubts about him for quite a while. I think there's something wrong with him. Like why. Something about his past that he's hiding. I've even thought he may have had a criminal record when he met you it was almost like he was afraid you'd come out here after him easy enough to check if you wanted to we could phone the state authorities oh not yet dollar that's way to laugh you talk to him find out how he reacts lives in number eighteen that's on first street. Okay Stager thanks I'll go right over I would let me know how you find out. I was almost positive then who'd written a note and that there was something behind it I banged on the door of number eighteen for a reasonable length of time and then forced my way in Phillips wasn't there and according to some unwaged dishes hadn't been there since breakfast I found only one thing that pointed someplace a photograph of the girl and Salala I didn't find her at the hotel when I got back so at eight that night I walked into the club where she worked she was singing as I entered (sings in foreign language) (sings in foreign language) (sings in foreign language) (sings in foreign language) (sings in foreign language) (sings in foreign language) (sings in foreign language) (sings in foreign language) (sings in foreign language) (applause) (sings in foreign language) (sings in foreign language) I had an appointment with him at five. I can't find him. Why can we talk? Why not? You know what Phillip says? No. Why don't you want to talk about him? I don't know. Because he wrote a letter? I'll try to come to your room after I finish. Don't talk to me here. It will be about four. All right. I'll wait for you. (sings in foreign language) (knocking on door) You did come. I wondered if you would. Who are you? I think both of us would have been better off if there hadn't been any deception. You came to my room yesterday because you were expecting somebody to show up in the east. Am I right? Who are you really Johnny? Who did Phillips write the letter to him? He was sent to you by the owners of the company. Yes, that's right. The letter got there then. We didn't know if it had been mailed. It got there. They were following Irving and he was sure they saw him give the letter to the man. They asked him about it and he told him he hadn't. He gave it to somebody else because he couldn't mail it himself. They were following him. And this stuff about traffic across the border is true, huh? Yes. Why did Phillips write the letter? He wanted to leave Stanley Springs, but they wouldn't let him. Because he knew about the smuggling? Yes. He didn't have anything to do with it. And he didn't try to find out about it. But he learned about it and they knew it. So they couldn't let him leave. Yeah. How much do you know about a name? It's narcotics. A cotton grower right in the border brings it up. Doesn't that put you on about the same spot as Phillips? They won't let me leave. Irving wrote the letter because the only thing we could do was to tell somebody else about it. And now you know. We'll do something about it. What, Johnny? I'm going to get word out. I'm going to call the nearest treasury department office. No, Johnny, this is Stanley Springs. The company owns everything. And Stager has thought of everything. There's only one telephone in town that's in the company office. And I'll have to use that one, I guess. You go back to your room. I'll get word out some way. It's pretty obvious that I wasn't going to get word out. It was 4.30 in the morning when I left the hotel. But two men were waiting for me in the street. Hey, darling. Huh? Oh, it's you, child. You're up early late. I can ask the same thing of you. You get a lot of information from Phillips? Is that article you're writing? I think you know more about Phillips than I do. Well, he acted when he met you. I thought he was afraid of you. I wondered if you'd seen him. What are you driving at, child? I didn't see him. I went to his house. He wasn't there. That's funny. I saw him going about 8.39 last night. Maybe I ought to try again. Yeah, I guess so. You know, you can't start too early in Stanley Springs. Thanks for the tip. I'll go right over. I figured it for a cat and mouse game. They wanted me to find Phillips, and I did. Phillips was dead from a bullet wound in his temple. The 38 revolver was still held in his right hand, except for one completely worthless bit of evidence. Irving Phillips' death was apparently a result of suicide. We will return you to the second act of yours, Julie Johnny Donner, in just a moment. There have been some changes made, and it's faster, it's funnier, it's got new life and a brand new punch, because Jan Murray's taken over. What show is this? Why CBS's Saturday Night musical quiz? Sing it again. That hour of melody, merch, and money has turned on most of these same CBS stations. Yes, Jan Murray is your new host, Alan Dale, Judy Lynn, the Riddler's, and Ray Block are your music makers, and there are still loads and loads of cash for identifying the phantom voice. Be sure to hear the news. Sing it again, starring Jan Murray tonight, Don CBS. Now with our star, Edmond O'Brien, we return you to the second act of yours, Julie Johnny Donner. A brief and faltering examination of the scene was made about an hour later by an aged deputy sheriff, Stanley Spring's only law enforcement officer. He didn't ask for a statement, I did not for one, because I knew it would be useless. I watched the removal of Phillip's body, and then with Charles and the other man following me, I went back to the hotel. No! Yes? Who is it? Johnny, I have to see you. I was asleep. I didn't think I could sleep. I don't know what he meant to you, but I don't have time to pull any punches. Phillip's is dead. I thought he would be. Because they didn't want him to talk to me. And here's the key to my room. I want you to get out of this one. Stay in mind. Don't answer if anybody knocks. Don't say anything. All right, Johnny. What about you? I'll be all right. I'll get back to you fast as I can. The two men still tailing me. I found an early cafe and spent some time over coffee. I knew what their mission was, but to check it, I started toward the bus station at a little after 7.30. When I got within a barke of it, they started to close in and they were ready to jump me when I reached the point directly across the street from it. It looked like I was in Stanley Springs to stay. At a quarter past eight, I walked into the company office again. Good morning, darling. I was hoping you'd come in. I wanted to talk to you about what? Well, about Phillips, of course. I told you I wondered about his past. It's behind his suicide anyway. Do you know? I know it wasn't suicide stegers. That'll help you. Of course it was. The gun was found in the man's hand, wasn't it? Yeah, but he still smelled of chloroform when I saw him. Chloroform? It wasn't mentioned to me. I wouldn't worry about it if I were you. I understand the traces disappear in a short time. But let's understand each other. You and I know that he was chloroform, but when he was unconscious, a gun was put in his hand. And it was pointed at his head and somebody helped him pull the trigger. You saw this happen? It happened. But the test will prove that his hand fired the gun. You and probably a couple of your men know he was murdered, and I know it. As far as proof goes, you say, "For a textile writer, you seem to know quite a bit about these things." I think we understand each other now, Stegers. I hope you do. I know you've been sitting on a good thing probably for a long time. The whole town has been up front for you. You control everything. The trying to control me is a different proposition. I guess I didn't realize that. Your men have made it clear that they won't let me leave town. - Things will change. - You're right. They will. The people who sent me out here suspect you're dealing in contraband. What do you think they'll do? To get it, if they don't hear from me according to plan? You can worry about that, dollar. I'm not going to. I don't know what you're talking about. I made a lot of empty accusations. The only reason I can think of is that you're a stupid stumbling bum. It's that way. I guess you won't mind my using your phone. - Get away from it. - Child. - Put it down. - Tell me, child. Put it down, dollar. Now, let me have it. - Come on, get up, dollar. - Get away. - Come on, get up. - Oh, I go. Yeah, sure. Sure, I'll let go. That's enough, child. - Empt the accusations, Stegar. - The company rules. Nobody uses that phone, but employees. Now, get out of here and get yourself cleaned up. That's the conceit of the man that's worst of all, Anne. He's been toying with me a bit since I got here, leading me around. Showing me the murder he committed because he knows he'll get away with it. - Well, please sit down, John, so I can put something on the face. - I know what he's doing, and I can't stop him. - I think this will hurt. This is very bad. - Sorry, sorry. He's going to hold me here until he gets rid of the narcotics evidence. And then there won't be a thing I can prove against him. - Oh, wait, John. You're fired. Oh, I'm sorry. Does it hurt? - Yeah, no, no. - There's only this one more. There. - You aren't very pretty now, Johnny. - Yeah, come here. - Yes. - How can you be so calm about this? Aren't you afraid of them? - I've been afraid of a lot of things. - What things? - I don't want to talk about them, Johnny. I have made my life the way it is. I didn't have to come to Stanley Springs. - Okay, we'll leave it at that. - Why do you want to know about me? - It's been less than 24 hours, but it seems like I've known you for a long time. - I know. - I guess meeting like this in trouble does that sort of thing to people. - I have heard that life goes very fast when there is danger. - Oh, you haven't slept and you should. Do you want me to go? - No. I don't want you to go, not for a while. - All right, Johnny. - I've been trying to think what this day would have been without you. - If I'd helped you, I'm glad. - Only a few times in my life when I'd been driven to the point where I could kill a man. I reached it today, and Stager and his men kicked me out of that office. I think if you hadn't been here, I would have gone back to it. - Oh, I think it would be better if you forgot all about that. - I got it. I'm afraid that's a luxury that's not allowed me. I'm not paid to forget me. - Even for a little while? I don't need to stay for a little while. You haven't slept and you should. But tell me about yourself. I believe in you. I can't even think about you. - That was the last time I saw Anne Salova. She stayed an hour and maybe less. When she'd gone, I slept. - There hadn't been any secrets left between Norman Stager and me after our last meeting. I told him what I knew, and he told me how he felt. Because of that, I thought Anne Salova was no longer in danger as a giver of information. That's why I let her leave. But after I'd rested, I went to a room and she wasn't there. The desk clerk told me that she left with two men, and his description came close enough to fitting Charles, and the other man who'd been following me. This time, when I started for the Stanley Springs office, I was carrying an automatic. - Well, Mr. Salova, I thought you'd had enough of this often. - That's just why I came back. Where is she? - Who? - Look, the time for tossing words around his gone, Charles. Where is she? - You know that gun don't make you mayor this town. You use it, you'll be cut down for you and move a hundred yards. - I won't have to use it if you tell me where she is. - I don't know what you're talking about. - Where's Stager? - He's out. - Where? - I don't know. - Where, Charles? - I don't know. - You took her out of the hotel, the court told me that. What did you do with it? - Huh? I don't know what you're talking about. - Understand this, Charles. I'll kill you if I have to. - Now, where is she? - I don't know. - Where is Stager? - He's out in the warehouse. - Which one? - Number three. - Take me out there. - No, I won't. No. No, no, wait a minute. - Now, take me out there. Take me out there, or I'll kill you. I mean that. - All right. All right, I'll take you out there. - Where, child? - He said he was coming here. - Don't play with me. Don't tell me anything but the truth. - I'm not. I'm not. He said he was coming here. - Huh? Stager? - That's your child? - Yeah. What do you want? - His dollar. - Where is he? - I'm here, Stager. - Haven't you gotten yourself into enough trouble, darling? - Yeah, funny. - What's the matter with you, Charles? - He hit me with a gun. - You're liable to find yourself in prison, darling. Do you know that? - I've thought about it. - I'm the salt. - That's a felony, I believe. - I want to know where Aunt Salazar is. - I didn't know you were acquainted. - Yes, you did. Tell me what you did with her. - I didn't do anything. Where is she? - I don't know. This is another example of these halfway accusations of yours with no proof. You can't find her. It's quite possible that she left town. - You wouldn't let her do that. - You don't know what you're talking about, and I've heard enough. - I think you've lost your mind. - Stager, don't leave. I'll kill you if I have to. - No, you won't, darling, because you don't have proof of anything. - Well... - What? Well, you killed it. What's the matter? You're crazy. You killed Stager. - No, I didn't. But you might not be so lucky. - So don't do anything I don't tell you to do. - No, I won't. I won't. I won't do nothing. What do you want from me? - Take me to that deputy sheriff. I want to be arrested. - Expense account item three, $100 retainer for a lawyer in Farmington, the county seat. And Salava was found in the building where she was being held, and she was released. The rest of it is up to the treasury man who moved into Stanley Springs after I gave them my statement. Remarks? I won't total this account at the moment as I'm mailing it from the county jail, or I'm being held in the charge of assault with intent to kill. The word is that I'll be freed on the grounds that my assault was justifiable since it was the only way to stop a man of Norman Stager's power, so I hope to see you soon. - That was truly Johnny Dollar. - Yours truly Johnny Dollar is stars Edmond O'Brien in the title role and is written by Gill Dowd with music by Wilbur Hatch. Edmond O'Brien's special guest this evening was Olga San Juan. Featured in tonight's cast were Ray Hartman, Bill Conrad and Herb Butterfield. Yours truly Johnny Dollar is produced and directed by Jaime Del Valle. This is Dick Cutting inviting you to join us next week at this time when Edmond O'Brien returns as... - Yours truly Johnny Dollar. Since the fighting began in Korea, prices have been modding throughout the country. The cost of living today is at an all time high and under pressure will rise still higher. We can protect ourselves, our families, and our country against dangerous inflation if each of us will resolve to pay no more than fair prices to watch for repeated price rises to buy only what we need and to refrain from hoarding at the expense of our neighbors and our country. Fight inflation by following those simple rules. Stay tuned now for Vauman Rose Caravan, which follows immediately over most of these same CBS stations. ♪♪ This is CBS where you laugh at Jack Benny every Sunday night, the Columbia Broadcasting System. ♪♪ Hey there, listeners. We're ready to unlock a world of captivating stories, soothing sounds, and enlightening lectures. At Salka Media, we believe in the power of audio to enrich your life, and now we're offering you a chance to experience it all for free. 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