Forces Radio invite you to sit back and enjoy another strange story by the Whistler I Am the Whistler and I know many things for I walk by night. I know many strange Hidden in the hearts of men and women who have stepped into the shadows Yes, I know the nameless terrors of which they dare not speak And now the whistler strange story the prosecutor The courtroom was tense now Assistant district attorney Philip Graham was beginning to summarize for the prosecution In the case of the people versus Thomas Anderson a thrill of success was in his speech as he moved in for the kill In addition to the fact that circumstance links the defendant irrevocably to the killing he still persists in his refusal to testify Still offers no explanation as to his whereabouts on the night in question solely on the basis of possible self-incriminating And You were right weren't you Philip less than ten minutes after the jury retired They walked back in with a verdict you knew was coming and Tom Anderson was on his way to the cell in condemned role But that wasn't all so no far from it most important was what your colleagues were saying is they clustered around you Well, this will put you to the top of the heap Phil you'll have that mahogany desk old man in the Hall of Justice and there'll be a brass Nameplate Philip B Graham district attorney bet you with this conviction you can't miss And they were right weren't they Philip the voters made it official two weeks later And only you know what kind of a job you really did Yes, it isn't easy to convict a man when you know in your heart that he's completely innocent But you're not thinking about that at the victory celebration there's too much else going on Congratulations back slapping important people and above all a beautiful brown haired girl with clear blue eyes and a quick easy smile I Didn't quite get that name Corrine Scott. Oh, Mr. Graham How wonderful to actually meet you? Not at all the pleasure's iron. I know you've heard it many times. Mr. Graham, but Well, I thought you were magnificent at the Anderson trial. No, I was only doing my job a public prosecutor My it's almost like playing fate now Wait a minute the idea of holding the fate of a fellow human being in the palm of your hand It's a little frightening Such a responsibility. Yes, it it is a responsibility Of course We make pretty certain of our facts before we step into a courtroom and start making accusations Of course you do old American custom, you know a man is innocent until proven guilty But just think mr. Graham in this case the jury was about to let that killer go free Why is it hadn't been for you? Yes, I I had a feeling about Tommy Anderson from the very beginning It must have been a very hard fight. It wasn't easy of course if a man knows what he's doing and and where he's going What do you mean? well, I guess I I admire ambitious men, Mr. Graham I Admire them very much I do miss Scott. I probably shouldn't say this But please do well, I think this is a silly way to celebrate anything so important as becoming district attorney a stuffy reception and a lot of politicians Now if I were running things, yes, I'd get rid of the politicians I reserve a table for tools a little restaurant I know where the stakes are heavenly and there's vintage wine crepes is it and champagne there's people 1940 know that how does it sound? You're a pretty good sailor. Well, that's all that's what I do. And when would you do it? Oh Tomorrow night perhaps say about mine You know, I'm a married man, of course What that got to do with the victory celebration? Well, if that's the way you look at it I'm not a clock tomorrow night Well, if you know what's a foolish thing to do But there's something in the way she looks up at you and smiles that makes it all sound very reasonable And you forget about everything else your wife your son David in medical school his good friend professor Bentley Who thinks you're the greatest man who ever lived? At 815 the following night you're standing before the mirror in your bedroom adjusting your tie Corrine is lovely isn't he and as you put on your dinner jacket, you're thinking of the soft lights and the music. Oh There you are dad Professor almost gave you up dad thought you weren't coming. Hello son. You got the culprit at last I told you wouldn't walk out on his day. Hurry up dad. We're a half hour late as it is What do you mean? We're late. Hey, what's the idea of the dinner jackets? Mr. Graham? Yeah, there's nothing formal Wait a minute. What's this all about? Huh? You going somewhere? Are we going somewhere dad? You didn't forget. Oh forget what tonight you promised you'd go I promised I'd go where don't you remember the faculty's having a father and son night professor Bentley's in charge Good lord. I I did forget. Oh, I I know mr. Graham. You're a busy man Dad you've never forgotten before you've come with us every year now Fine. I'm awfully sorry son Professor I just can't make it. What is it? Where are you going? Well, it's it's a committee dinner son very important I simply can't get out of it. But dad I said I can't get out of it. Let it go with that. Will you? All right That was beginning Philip you didn't know what then but you made a choice that night a choice between your family your home and Corinne and As you and Corinne continued to meet secretly during the weeks that followed it began to worry not your family Of course, it was your position your reputation I think it's wonderful all you've accomplished Corinne I There's something I don't have to say I know what you're thinking. Do you you're wondering when I'm going to tell you I want out When I'm going to tire of loving a man I can never be seen with Corinne dear I Frankly, yes Please don't think about it anymore. I don't want to break up your home. I never will darling Because it would hurt the very thing I admire you for most of all your career Your career, that's all. Well, Philip you can have it all now your family your career and Corinne She's right, isn't she? The one all-important thing in your life is that name plate on your desk Philip B Graham district attorney and you know now that you'll never have to choose between Matt and Corinne and Then one night a few weeks later you return unexpectedly from a business trip and decide to drop in the seer before going home If you walk up the steps out of the porch you hear voices Disturbing voices that is just the way I feel about it. You can't tell me everything's over between us It's gotta be over. I can't turn my love off just like that As you grab the handle of the front door a rage wells up inside you Gripping your stomach rising in your throat and bursting in your brain like a shell Open this door Why did you come never mind that Who were you talking to? Don't lie to me. Where is he? Tell it tell me I heard someone in there. Where's he hiding? Oh, please? You step past the closet doors partly open and as you walk toward it Corinne steps to the light switch the room goes dark Turn on that light Oh, there you are. I know it. I just struggle with him in the darkness You realize he's too powerful for you He forces you back against the table your hand lights on a heavy metal bookend in a blind rage you swing it high Now You turn on the lights good. All right Good Lord, oh Philip why did you do it? He didn't mean anything to me Nothing at all He came here because he found out about us. He wanted me to stay away from you. I'll get some water quickly. It's no use He's dead Oh, you killed professor Bentley your son's best friend What is Alfred hot-kick does the name John Nicole mean anything to you perhaps it should I shall tell you why 400 years ago was all Nikko was a respected scholar and diplomat He wrote many learned articles and compiled a dictionary of the French language Quite appropriately his own name came to be part of most later dictionaries Well, you see why Mr. Nikko was serving as ambassador to Lisbon He became fascinated by a strange plant that had been brought over from the new land of America When he returned to his own country in 1560 He took some specimens of the plant with him and in this manner. He introduced tobacco to France Nicole's countrymen began to associate his name with a smoke producing leaves But the older Indian word which sounded like tobacco became more common Nikko, however was not completely left out his name lives on in Nicotine the poisonous drug in the plant he introduced to France So there you have the moral of my story Beware of those who would name something after you Should it be the wrong thing you may find your good name poisoned Well Phillip you never expected anything like this. This couldn't be happening to you. It's all so horrible. So fantastic For weeks now your association with Corinne Scott has seemed so completely wonderful Now with a suddenness of the jealous rage that spurred your wild action there in the dark room A beautiful dream has turned into a nightmare and professor Bentley gentle friendly professor Bentley your son David's friend Lies dead at your feet As you stand there stunned looking down at what you've done You're vaguely aware that Corinne has come forward and picked up the heavy book end you used You sink down into a chair as she moves about straightening things up scarcely looking at you Slowly you lower your hands from your face and look up at her Corinne Corinne what are we going to do? You've killed him Phillip. You've killed an innocent man who did nothing more than come here to ask me to stay away from you I know that as soon as the light went on and I saw who it was I knew why he was here. Oh Corinne professor Bentley was such a good friend to my son to me What am I going to say? How can I explain it? You wouldn't have to explain if you could get him out of here Phillip What? If he were found somewhere else maybe miles from here Corinne would would you help me do that? Yes Phillip I would I never knew anyone could be so devoted so much in love with a person I'm not doing it because I love you Phillip What? Because I don't I never have Corinne what are you talking about? I love you Phillip I despise you and everything you've ever stood for Have you lost your mind? Oh the man of stone is crumbling What's the matter Phillip? You're shaking, shaking like a man in the death house You're scared and bewildered just like Tommy Anderson up there in the state penitentiary Anderson? Tommy Anderson? Tommy Anderson? What do you know about him? I know that he was innocent Phillip and so do you I know that you put him where he is in condemned role because it made you district attorney I don't know what you're saying but I don't see what it has to do with this It has everything to do with this Phillip Everything in the world Because that's what Tommy Anderson means to me What? I knew you'd be surprised You see Phillip you're not the prosecutor on the case anymore I am You mean you, you planned this? You got the professor in hand? No not the professor I had nothing to do with you coming here I simply intended to involve you in a scandal Phillip Or rather a threatened scandal And then? Then I was going to give you a choice A choice of being ruined through disgrace Or of telling the truth about Tommy Anderson Right? Exactly Now you have two alternatives Phillip You can either free Tommy or stand trial for murder But it's impossible I can't go back on what I've said about Anderson not without Not without admitting you produce false evidence against I'd be thrown out of office in 24 hours Is that worse than the gas chamber? Is that the choice you're giving me Corinne? That's it Phillip You haven't long to make up your mind The neighbors should be coming home any minute now they might get curious They saw a body being carried out But don't talk about it I'll do what you say Corinne Where's Professor Bentley's car? He said he parked in the next block He didn't want to be seen I'll go get it I'll go with you You don't have to I'll come back I'm sure you'll come back Because you see while I straighten up around here I hid that bookend The one with your fingerprints all over it Not missing a bit are you? I can't afford to Tommy Anderson's life depends on it Shall we go? You find the professor's car a block away Run it into the drive alongside the duplex Corinne helps you carry the professor's body out of the house to the car Warns you to call her sewer and returns to the apartment In the next half hour you live your life over don't you Phillip? Driving grimly through the night not knowing exactly where you're going Trying to stay on the darkest streets until you reach the edge of town The university looms up ahead a big slumbering shadow And you decide there's no better spot than Professor Bentley's own campus You run the car in beneath the clump of trees Turn off the motor Wipe away your fingerprints and climb up Some distance from the campus you swing onto a trolley car Get off 20 minutes later and walk a few blocks to your home Not much hope for sleep is there Phillip? Nothing to do but wait for the axe to fall The minute the morning papers hit the streets Exit paper, exit university, Professor Slade, exit Exit paper, exit university, Professor Slade, exit Police offer the theory that the killing might be a gangland reprisal against district attorney Phillip Graham Whose home the slain professor often visited Recent efforts by the Graham regime to rid the city of gangster domination Are known to have caused threatening talk in many quarters A city hall spokesman said today Graham himself could not be reached concerning the... Hello Phil, hello Matt Anything new? Wish there was The boys have been out at 48 hours now without a rest For not giving up on you You know me better than that The day I give up I'll resign as police commissioner You know what the professor meant to you and your boy Phil? Forget the guy who did it if it takes us 20 years Just a second There's a Miss Scott calling Mr. Graham Wait a minute I told her you were busy she said it's quite important But... alright put her on Hello Phillip You called at a bad time I'm busy with the police commissioner Go ahead Phil don't mind me I'll be brief Phillip I've waited two days now that's all I intend to wait I want a signed statement about Tommy Look I'll have to see you first I told you I'm not going to wait any longer it had better be tonight Alright tonight Nine o'clock Make it ten Alright ten And I wouldn't be late if I were you No, no of course Goodbye Appointments, favors, business as usual What do they think I am anyway? How funny I know Phil Well I better get back and see if the boys did anything with the one lead we've got What's that? A girl A girl? We think the professor had a date with a girl last night Some dame who was paid to lure him into the trap You mean on the campus? Nah he wasn't killed on the campus we knew that from the first He was probably murdered in the girl's apartment Oh I see We're checking every movie made that night We'll find her if she's alive What do you mean by that? Well she's a pretty important girl to both our side and theirs I wouldn't be surprised to find her in the river one of these mornings Alright see you later Phil And you're thinking about the girl as he talks to you aren't you Phillip? Of what she told you that terrible night in her living room That you have two alternatives Phillip You can either free Tommy or stand trial for murder But there's another choice now isn't there? Yes it's been done before The usual disappearance of the key witness with all the gangster trimmies They'll never question it for a moment At five minutes of ten as you walk onto the porch of Corinne's house for the first time since the murder You've made a terrific decision You're going to kill her Well you're right on time Phillip I'm always on time Well it won't take long I didn't quite understand what you meant this afternoon about discussing it There's nothing to discuss I wanted a signed affidavit that you sent Tommy Anderson up on manufactured evidence I'll be only too happy to walk out of your life It's very simple It's not that simple Corinne I want that book in for one thing Naturally What about your signed statement? Here you are I wrote it at the office this afternoon It's all there Hmm, it certainly is What about the bookend? Just a minute I'm enjoying this You know Phillip I'd never believe you could be so frail Where is it? It's there on the table in plain sight You didn't hide it Not that one I hid the mate to it Phillip very conveniently just in case you decided to steal it In a drawer under a pile of papers where I knew you'd find it You could never tell them apart without a microscope of course Fingerprints are hard to see So You Wait a minute You can't get away with Sorry Corinne It's too bad you didn't realize There was a third choice Graham speaking Very well There's a big break in the Bentley case Go on The girl I told you about She's more than a theory now she's a corpse Out her dead in her apartment this morning Any idea who did it? We know who did it Phil That's pretty quick work Do you want me to send a car for you? For me? I'm afraid so Where are you? Her apartment You've got the suspect here with us Oh you have him there? That's right Sure Matt Send a car I'll be right over Almost as out of hotchkiss speaking Once upon a time there was an Apache named Hoyafle Freely translated this means one who yawns Obviously this was not a proper name for a warrior who wished to strike terror in his opponents So Hoyafle perhaps after consulting an early day version of an actor's agent Selected a name which he felt was more appropriate Soon he was the terror of the southwest Throughout the area people trembled with fear when they heard the name Geronimo Years later of course Hoyafle's nom de guerre came into different use American parachutists added it to the English language when they cried Geronimo as they leaped from their planes The exact meaning of their cry is a bit obscure Old Geronimo by the way did not die in battle He retired to reservation life in order to work on his memoirs and join the Dutch reform church May I add there is absolutely no truth to the stories that Geronimo entitled his autobiography They laughed when I raided a village and then I changed my name The idea is absurd Music Well Philip it was a terrible moment wasn't it Listening to police commissioner Matthews telling you over the telephone they knew who killed Corinne Scott While your mind reached out frantically for some detail you might have overlooked The bookend, the bottom of the river where it belonged, the affidavit carefully burned after you left the apartment Fingerprints, tire tracks, witnesses you've been too careful for that Then the wonderful words almost made your heart stop that they had the suspect there with them Someone else Philip, they made a mistake, a staggering wonderful mistake The homicide squad is all over the apartment when you arrive Glad you got here so soon Phil I dropped everything of course, where's the suspect? In the bedroom You know Phil I wish there was some mistake about this Huh? For the first time in my life I wish I had nothing to do with cracking a case What are you talking about? Bring him in here boys Matthews what do you mean by that? I was hoping we'd be wrong, there's just no other answer When a guy comes walking right out of the victim's house and can't tell why David Hello dad You won't say a word I was waiting for my father She called me up early last night dad She said she could tell me something about what happened to Professor Bentley I came on over and she, she told me everything I see It sounded crazy, I told her it was a pack of lies After I went home last night I couldn't sleep That's why I came back here this morning and What did she tell you David? I've said all I'm gonna say You know what that means of course I think so Dad Dad Matt, yes Phil? You better get a stenographer I've got a story to tell you A story that begins with Tommy Anderson And ends right here Featured in tonight's story were Bill Foreman as the Whistler Jack Nelson, Jeanette Nolan, Al Stratton Jr, Hal Gerard and Herbert Lytton The Whistler was directed by George W. Allen with story by Joel Malone, music by Wilbur Hatch And was transmitted overseas by the Armed Forces Radio Service The Whistler was entirely fictional and all characters portrayed on the Whistler are optional Any similarity of names or resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental Tune in again next week at the same time for The Whistler The Whistler has come to you through the worldwide facilities of the United States Armed Forces Radio and Television Service The Whistler The Whistler The Whistler
