The F.W. Fitch Company, makers of Fitch's saponified coconut oil shampoo and Fitch's shaving creams, presents Dick Powell as Private Investigator Richard Rogue in Rogue's Gallery. Rogue speaking. Oh, first off, today being Thursday and things being the way they are, I want to thank my Aunt Bula for sending me those pork chops from Barlow, Kentucky. She doesn't know it, but she's made me the most sought after man in town. Oh, well, next week's spinach. Anyway, to get back to business, I didn't know that my old friend, Judge Robert March, was having a cocktail party the afternoon I dropped by his place to say hello. But as I walked into the patio, I was Richard the Glad Rogue. My old friend, the judge, introduced me to an amber-eyed blonde who answered to the name of Pamela Leeds, and I smartly opened the conversation by saying, hello. Oh, Judge March, do you mean to tell me that this is the famous Richard Rogue, the investigator? I know it's disappointing, Pamela dear, but nevertheless, that's the rogue. Oh, really? You're not really disappointed, are you, Miss Leeds? You're just amazed that a man who has done so many brilliant things could be so young and handsome. Of course. Well, I can see that you don't need me, Richard. I think I'll go and circulate among my other guests. I'm sure that the two of you will never miss me. See you later, Judge. Thanks. You can believe almost anything he says, Pamela, unless it's about himself or you. Thanks for the tip, Judge. Oh, would you like to take a walk around the garden? There's a bench under a weeping willow tree over there by the wall that always makes me feel very poetic. Oh, I hate to miss that, really, but I was just leaving. I have to leave, really. Oh, you do? Oh. Well, how are you going to leave? Do you have a car here? No. No, the judge was going to send me home in his car. Well, that's silly. Oh, yes, especially when I'm going out that way, right past your house, as a matter of fact. I'll drive you home. Are you really going out my way? Of course. Well, then I'll go with you. Oh, that's swell. Oh, incidentally, where do you live? Well, Pamela, this has been a kind of a short date. I hope I get a rain check on that bench under the tree. I have a lot of fascinating statements I'd like to make to you. Oh, we'll see each other again, won't we, Richard? How about tomorrow night? It's Sunday, you know. Great nights, Sundays. The moon will be full. There's dining and dancing at the Macombo. Oh, Pamela. Dr. Stevens. What's the matter? Is Father... Pamela, we've been trying to reach you. Yes. You better come with me, Pamela. Your father is dead. Well, that's how it all began. We'll continue in just a moment. But now here's Jim Doyle. I'd like to make a suggestion to the ladies. I'll bet you've often felt like singing the blues after you've shampooed your hair. 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And now we return to Dick Powell as Private Investigator Richard Rogue in Rogue's Gallery. I'm fairly familiar with death and most of its forms. And maybe familiarity with the man with the scythe breeds contempt. But I felt awfully sorry for Pamela Leeds when her father Anson Leeds died. I was more than ordinarily interested when my friend Judge Robert March called me the evening after Leeds' death and asked me to come to his office. Richard, I am the executor of Anson Leeds' estate and I think there's something strange about his will. Yeah? This is, of course, confidential. But he left the great bulk of his estate to a nephew, his sister's child, Peter Moore, with only a $50,000 legacy for Pamela and the rest of the estate going to the servants and various charities. Oh, only $50,000 to Pamela, huh? You think that's a little strange. I've been Anson Leeds' attorney and I think his closest friend for 30 years. Rogue, I know how fond he was of Pamela, but Pamela was not his daughter, you know. She was adopted by Anson just before his wife died 20 years ago. Oh, legal adoption, huh? Yes, and I'm in a position to know that Anson couldn't have loved Pamela any more if she had been his own daughter. As a matter of fact, I drew up a will for him about six years ago in which he left almost all of his money to Pamela with other small legacies to relatives and servants and charities. Was the old gentle little flighty in his last years? No, sound as a dollar. Extremely bright right up to the last. And Rogue, there was no change in the way he felt about Pamela. I know that. But I cannot understand this new willow. When was it made? What's the date on it? Just a year ago this month. Here it is. Oh, I see. Typed. Is this signature genuine? Oh, of course. There can be no doubt of that. I know that fancy Spencerian signature as well as I know my own. I realize, Rogue, that I'm giving you a problem here that is based on nothing more than a personal hunch. But I would never be at ease about administering the estate if I didn't have the will thoroughly checked. Uh-huh. Well, let's see. This will mentions only Peter Moore. That's the nephew. Pamela Leeds. Kate Schuman, 5,000. Oh, Anson's nurse. Been with him for six or seven years. A fine woman. And Fred Kraft? Anson's gardener. I've been with him, oh, 15 years, I guess. They, the nurse and the gardener, witnessed the will, as you'll notice. I want to retain you to investigate that will for me, Rogue. Oh. Well, Judge, ordinarily I hold my clients up for a fee. But for you, Judge, I guess I could toss you a cup of packing tickets. Richard, this is very important to me. Will you handle it for me? Well, of course, Judge. First, uh, looks like my first move is to go out to the Leeds estate and talk with the witnesses. See under what circumstances this document was written and signed. I'll see you later, Judge. How do you do? I wonder if I could see Kate Schuman. I'm Kate Schuman. Oh, I'm Richard Rogue. The investigator? Uh, yes. What do you want to see me about? Well, Miss Schuman, I, oh, uh, could we go someplace where we could talk privately? Of course. My quarters are upstairs. Richard Rogue. Well, hello, Pamela. What in the world are you doing here? Well, I just came by to talk with Miss Schuman. I didn't know you knew her. He doesn't. No, we just met. I'll see you later, Pam. Kate, stop by the library on your way out, will you? Oh, sure. Right in here, Mr. Rogue. Thank you. Now, Mr. Rogue. I, uh, came to talk with you about the will which you witnessed for Anson Leeds about a year ago. Oh, cigarette? No, thank you. I don't smoke, but I don't mind if you do. Thank you. Now, uh, tell me, Miss Schuman, who typed the will? I'll tell you the whole story. Mr. Leeds called me in one morning and asked me to do some typing for him. I often type letters and business things for him. Yes. I got my portable typewriter, and before he started dictating, he made me promise that I'd never mention the fact that he'd made a new will until after he'd passed on. Then he dictated the will to me. I see. Did he seem in good mental health at the time? He was perfectly normal. I was a little surprised at his terms. I mean the way he left the money, and he could tell that I was. He just told me that he had good and sufficient reasons for doing it that way. He did and asked me to witness his signature. Uh-huh. Then he asked me to get the gardener, Fred Kraft, to come in and witness it. I did. He, uh, he signed the will in the presence of both you and Fred Kraft? Yes. Hmm. Do you know Peter Moore? I've seen him here a few times on visits. I don't know him. Will he be here for the funeral? Yes. He's on his way here now. On his way here? He lives in another town? He lives in Garden City, Iowa, with his mother. She was Mr. Leeds' older sister. Oh. Oh. Well, thank you, Sherman. Who, uh, asked you to investigate the will, Mr. Rogue? I can't tell you that, except that it was an interested party. Well, everything happened just the way I said it did. I'm sorry to see Miss Pamela left with so little money. I'm very fond of her. Well, it certainly looks like everything was according to Hoyle. Thanks for talking so frankly with me, Miss Sherman. You've been a great help. I'll just check with Fred Kraft and you can forget the whole thing. I didn't expect to see you out here today, Mr. Rogue. Well, I didn't expect to be here, Pamela. Judge of arts asked me to drop by and do him a little favor. That's all. Oh, excuse me. It must be Peter. Hello, Peter. Hello, Pamela. I guess there isn't much I can say, is there, Pamela? I know, Peter. Where's your mother? Didn't she come with you? No, you know Mother. She was very upset. She just couldn't make it. Oh, I'm sorry. Oh, this is my cousin, Peter Moore, Mr. Rogue. Hello. How do you do? I think I'd better run along, Pamela. I want to talk to your gardener. Name's Kraft, isn't it? Fred Kraft. He'll be in his cottage. It's out and back. It's a little white cottage. He's probably asleep by now. Mr. Kraft. Mr. Kraft. Mr. Kraft. Oh, good Lord. Homicide. Lieutenant Urban speaking. Hello, Urban. Richard Rogue. No kidding. Cook up some more business for me, Roggey. Oh, you know me, Urban. The Anson Leeds estate this time. The Leeds gardener was just chopped to death with a hand axe while he was asleep. Better get your boys and get out here. Hello? Judge March, Richard Rogue. Yes? Now, Judge, get that will to a handwriting expert. I think it's a phony. Oh, well, have you any evidence that... No, no, no, Judge. This isn't the court. This time I've got a hunch, that's all. One of the witnesses, the gardener, has just been chopped to death. Now, get an expert on that will and tell him we'll call him for a report on the signature tonight. And you'd better come out here. One of the things I like about you, Roggey, the corpses you find are always so dead. Oh, I see what you mean, Urban. Say from the looks of this room, the late Fred Kraft put up quite a row, didn't he? Yeah, but not enough of a row to get out of that couch he was lying on when he got that first blow with the axe. Let's shake the joint down, shall we? Why was he killed? Well, all I have is a theory. I don't want anybody in the house to know that. He was one of the witnesses on a will made by Anson Leeds. A will is in question. I get it. You think he might have been put out of the way to keep him from testifying as to the validity of the will, eh? That's my theory. Oh, and there's something that might back it up a little. What? Look, there on the floor. Yeah? Stub of a plane-taker. Hmm. From Garden City, Iowa. You sound like Garden City means something to you. Come on, no tricks, Roggey. What's with Garden City? That's the town where Leeds was born and raised. That's the town Peter Moore just arrived from. Oh, I got here as soon as I could, Rogge. Oh, good heavens. Hello, Judge. Kind of a mess, isn't it? Oh, Judge, are you having that well checked? Yes, I have Carl Friend, the handwriting expert, working on it. What did you know about Fred Kraft, Judge? Oh, he was an old family retainer in the best sense of the word, Lieutenant. He and Anson Leeds were more friends than they were employer and employee. How come Anson only left him $5,000 then? I don't know. Fred was a thrifty man. He had quite a nest egg saved from his salary and from investments he had made on tips from Anson. And his estate will be worth, oh, I should say, conservatively, $60,000. Hmm. Who gets it now that he's dead? Well, Pamela Leeds. You know, she's been like a daughter to old Fred. I happen to know that she's the sole beneficiary in his will because I drew it up for the old man. This case has more angles than a six-pointed star. Yeah, yeah. Here's a cute one I just picked up, Rogge. Look. A lady's wristwatch. Where'd you find it? On the floor, right over there. It's got a broken link, like it might have been torn off of somebody's arm. Ah. Well, whose is it? It's engraved on the back to Pamela from Dad. Pamela? Oh, come on. Let's get in the house, Urban. You'll want to question everybody, won't you? Yeah. I've got the boys holding Miss Leeds, Peter Moore, and the nurse Schuman in the library. Oh, while you're talking to them, the judge and I are going to be busy upstairs. I'm afraid I don't understand, Rogge. Just what is it we're looking for in Kate Schuman's room? I don't know. I don't know. But she's mixed up in this thing someplace. Take a look in the bathroom, will you, Judge? If you see anything, the least bit out of line, call me. Hey, Rogge. Oh, look. Look. Ah. Here's pay dirt. Yes? Kate Schuman's diploma from nursing school. Hmm. See where it was issued? School of Nursing, City Hospital, Garden City, Iowa. Yeah. The town keeps popping up, doesn't it, huh? Yes. Oh, look, I want you to witness this, Judge. Here are two cigarette stubs. Lipstick on the tips. Fresh. No, no. Don't touch them. Just leave them right where they are. All right. Rogge, you said yourself that the nurse couldn't have killed Kraft. She was in the house at the time that he was murdered. Yeah, I know. I know. But I've got an idea that's beginning to make sense. You got a pencil? Uh, yes, yes. Now, let me use it here. I want to copy this phone number from Kate Schuman's scratch pad. B-L 6791. Room 323. You know, Rogge, we have no right... Now, look, Judge, this is beginning to weigh on your conscience. You better get downstairs with Urban. He's a warrior, too. I've got a lot of work to do and a long-distance phone call to make. You go downstairs and tell Urban I'll be down as soon as I have convicting evidence on a murderer. All right. I'm going to have to impress on you that I mean business. There's been a murder committed. Now, one of you knows something about it, and I... We don't, Lieutenant Urban. I tell you, we were all here in the house when Fred was killed. I wish you'd go away and leave us alone. What was your wristwatch doing lying in a pool of blood near the body of the murdered man, Miss Leeds? Why was a link torn wide open on the band? I don't know. It was on my dressing table this morning. I know it was. Yes? Well, three witnesses saw it lying at the scene of the crime. Look, Lieutenant, why don't you let the poor girl alone? I was with her when Fred Kraft was killed. So was I. We were all right here in this room. That's very interesting. All of you, establish your alibis for a very important time. Were you all working together? Now, one of you start talking. How about you, Peter Moore? How do you account for the fact that the stub of a plane ticket from Garden City, Iowa, was found at the scene of the crime? Plane ticket? I came out on a train. Yeah? When were you in Fred Kraft's cottage? I haven't been out there in four years. You may have to prove that statement more in court. This is outrageous. You can't keep us here pounding questions at us, making accusations. There's been a murder committed. It's my business to find out who did it. I'm going to find out. Judge, go get Rogue. Tell him I want him down here right now. All right, Lieutenant. Peter, please. Don't let him question me anymore. Look, Lieutenant, it must be perfectly obvious that no one of us could have had anything to do with the murder. It was probably some tranchant. I suggest, Lieutenant, that you use some other means... Lieutenant, I'm... Yes, yes, what's the matter? The upstairs looked like a cyclone hit it. And Richard Rogue is gone. Yes, I was gone. 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Both Fitch's Brush and Fitch's No-Brush shaving creams come in economical 25 and 50 cent sizes. Ask for either type, but for solid comfort shaves, be sure it's Fitch, spelled F-I-T-C-H. And now we return to Dick Powell as private investigator Richard Rogue in Rogue's Gallery. The more I looked around the upstairs room in the mansion of Anson Leeds, the more I suspected that what started out to be the investigation of validity of a will had turned into the investigation of not one murder, but two. I made a long distance call. Then I called a doctor friend of mine who admitted that a clever murderess could disguise the effect of morphine poisoning. Then I checked the telephone number I found on Kate Schuman's scratch pad, found that it was the number of the Hotel Splendide. I went there. In the lobby, I was stopped by my friend Todd Reeves, the bellboy. Hello, Mr. Rogue. What are you doing? Take a ride with me in the elevator, will you, Todd? I'm calling on a guest of yours in room 323. Yeah? What's the matter? They in trouble? Now, just don't ask any questions. You want to make 20 bucks? Oh, sure. Who do you want killed? Take a ride with me and do me a favor. Give me your passkey, Todd. Oh, that's what the 20 bucks was for. You want me to get fired? Oh, I'll back you up if you get in trouble. Yeah, then I'll really get me the boot. You want me to stick around? No, I don't. I think the less you know about this case, the better off you're going to be. Who is it? Shove off, Todd. I'm going in. Who is it? Hello. Stay right where you are, please. What do you want? I want to talk with you about a murder. Oh, this is a terrible idea. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Oh, this is a typical rogue trick, telling us to wait here and disappearing. If I ever get... I'll get it. Hello. Hello, Urban. Hello, rogue. Where the devil have you... Look, Anson Leeds was murdered. Don't say a word to the people you're holding there. One of them is the killer. Right. The will is a forgery and I have the proof. Hold everybody until I can get there for the payoff. Be about 10 minutes. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Lie down on your back. There's nothing I can do. Over your Bharthingamjhinswarahkulam... All right, urban, I'll take the party from here. OK, rogue, and this had better be good. It will be... And this concerns all of you. In the first place, I have talked to Karl Friend, the handwriting expert, that will leaving everything to Peter is a forgery. There are five copies of the will and the signature on each of the copies is identical. It's impossible for anybody, even a man in the best of health, to write his name exactly the same way five times. That's not true! I tell you... Shut up. were made by placing a sheet of carbon paper under one authentic signature of Anson Leeds and tracing it through to the fake wills with a sharp pencil, then inking the signature in over the tracing. Don't bother denying it, Kate. Carl Friend photographed the signature under a powerful light with an enlarging camera. The particles of graphite under the ink spark like diamonds. Ah, that will was a fake. And Fred Kraft was killed to keep him from telling the fact that he was not present when Anson Leeds signed it. I didn't kill Fred Kraft. He killed Leeds with morphine poisoning. She murdered my dad? He was murdered? Yes, Pamela. I just came from the mortuary. There are obvious syringe punctures in his arm. But Dr. Stevens... Yes, I know, Judge. He signed a death certificate for heart failure. But I found this vial of morphine tablets in your room, Kate, and this bottle of Belladonna hidden in your desk. You kill Leeds with morphine and then drop Belladonna in his eyes to dilate the pupils. Oh, that was very clever. Because the only outward sign of morphine poisoning is that the pupils of the eyes contract to pinpoint size. I killed him. But I'll never go to jail for it. Grab her, Judge. Grab her. Get the syringe away from her. Ah! Oh! Kate! I was too late, Rogue. Yeah, yeah. She was too fast for us with that shot of poison. Kate. Kate. Kate! Too late. She's dead, Roggey. I don't understand. Why did she do it, Mr. Rogue? Oh, for game, for game. You were an innocent part of the plot to kill Anson Leeds, Peter. Peter. Oh, no. Stop being so mysterious, Rogue. If you know who killed Fred Kraft, say so. Was it Kate? No, no, no. It wasn't. The murder of Fred Kraft is in jail. I put her there a few minutes ago. She was a good friend of Kate's, who was resentful of you, Pamela, and ambitious for her son to be a wealthy man. Peter, she needs you, kid. Better get out of the jail and see your mother. She loved you so much that two people died, so you could inherit a million dollars. Well, that was the end of that case. Peter Moore's mother was tremendously jealous when old Anson Leeds adopted a little girl, Pamela, and made her the heir to his fortune. And after her school day's friend Kate Schuman was installed as the old man's trusted nurse, they plotted his murder without Peter's knowledge. Mrs. Moore was in Kate's bedroom when I was questioning Kate, and when she learned that the will was being investigated and that I was gonna talk with Fred Kraft about it, she killed him. She made a complete confession and was executed for the crime. I felt sorry for Peter. He's a nice kid. Pamela felt sorry for him, too. She felt so sorry for him, she's gonna marry him. So he'll get the Leeds' fortune anyway. You know, that hardly seems fair. Getting a girl like Pamela and all that money, too. You know, I could have gone for that Pamela. Lovely girl. Oh, lovely girl. But after all, I need another girl like Frankenstein needed another monster in exactly the same way. You know what I mean? This is Dick Powell again, ladies and gentlemen. Hope you enjoyed our story tonight. Ray Buffam wrote it. Leith Stevens composed and conducted the music, and Dee Engelbach produced and directed. Don't forget, you've all got a date with us next Thursday night. We have a story for you about an alibi that is blown up by gunfire. There are some lovely people in it. We call it the murder habit. So make a date with us, will you? Thanks for listening, and now here's Jim Doyle. Be with us again at the same time next week. Oh, and by the way, be sure to see Dick Powell and his latest RKO picture cornered at your local theater soon. Remember, tune in next Thursday, same time, same station, when you will again hear Dick Powell as private investigator Richard Rogue in Rogue's Gallery. Remember, if dandruff is your problem, ask for Fitch's Dandruff Remover Shampoo. It's the only shampoo made whose guarantee to remove dandruff is backed by one of the world's largest insurance firms. No other shampoo can make this statement. Ask for Fitch's Dandruff Remover Shampoo at your drug or toilet goods counter, beauty or barbershop. Fitch is spelled F-I-T-C-H.
