Suspense!
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Now, Shanley brings you Radio's outstanding theater of thrills, Suspense!
Presented by Roma Wines.
That's R-O-M-A.
Roma Wines for your everyday enjoyment.
Tonight, Roma Wines of Fresno, California bring you Jerome Cowan in Mortmain, a suspense
play produced, edited, and directed for Shanley by William Spear.
Sitting in a chair across the table from me was a dead man.
His stiff cold fingers still touched the shotgun he thought would safeguard his life.
Police Chief Martin couldn't seem to sit still a minute.
He kept pacing the floor behind me, back and forth, back and forth.
We've been waiting a couple of hours already for the coroner to arrive and examine Screed's
body.
Meanwhile, every cop in the city was out looking for George Perry, the obvious murderer.
Where the devil was that coroner?
You know, it's not the pleasantest thing in the world to sit around a dirty kitchen with
nothing to do but stare into the face of a dead man and think.
Think how it all started that day less than three years ago when George Perry, my law
partner at the time, walked into our office and told me the good news.
Sam, oh boy, congratulate me.
What for?
You're looking at the next district attorney.
What?
You?
It's in the bag.
I've just come from a talk with Harry Polk and he told me that when the committee holds
its meeting next month, they're going to nominate none other than yours truly.
I see.
And that's as good as election in this town.
Yeah, but I thought...
You thought you were going to get it, huh?
I'm sorry, Sam.
I just assumed you did get it, really.
I didn't go looking for it, you know that, but they picked me for some reason.
And what's the difference, Sam?
What's good for me is good for you.
We're partners, aren't we?
And we'll stay partners.
Oh yes, yes, of course.
What difference, George?
You don't really mind, do you, about the nomination?
Oh no, no, it doesn't matter.
I thought so.
After all, my being the DA will bring the firm a lot of business, Sam.
Well, I've got to go tell Alice.
She'll be tickled pink to hear the news.
But keep it under your hat, Sam.
It's not official until the committee meeting.
I understand.
I watched George leave the office.
George, the smiling and the debonair, the most popular lawyer in town.
But it was my work that made him look good in court, my brain that brought him every
easy success at the bar.
And I hated him for having so easily gotten what I'd have given half my life for.
He'd gotten himself engaged to Alice, the girl I wanted almost as much as I wanted to
live.
Now he'd taken the first step in a political career that could lead anywhere.
I'd tried by fair means to get the same things and failed.
Now I would try other means.
I picked up my hat and walked out of the office.
I went down to the waterfront to see a certain Mr. Scree.
Yes?
Oh, hello.
Let me in quick.
I don't want to be seen.
Yeah, sure, sure.
Come in, come in.
Are you alone?
I always am.
It ain't quite right, is it, Mr. Boston?
You're going to see the foreman on a case you're going to try tomorrow?
I'm not going to try that case tomorrow.
I know I picked the jury today, but I won't be at the trial.
My partner will be trial counsel.
Oh, it still ain't right, it seems to me.
Never mind that, Screed.
I think you and I can get along.
Always aim to get along.
Not that I got rich at it, but I ain't complaining.
Not too much.
Listen, Screed, I know you're hard up.
It ain't no secret.
I guess everyone in the city knows that.
I can put $10,000 in your way, Screed.
How much?
$10,000?
Hey, that case don't rate no $10,000.
Why, you could buy the complaining witness for a tenth of that.
I know I'm not interested in the case as a case, but I am interested in you being the
foreman of that jury.
I don't get it.
First, let's understand each other.
I'm offering you $10,000 for certain services.
Are you interested?
You kidding?
Why, for 10 grand, I'd just about commit murder.
I thought I had the right man.
Now listen.
I'm not interested.
Hear ye, hear ye, all persons having business before this honorable court of criminal sessions.
Draw near and give your attention.
You shall be heard.
First case on the calendar, people against Henry Baron.
Both sides ready.
Your honor, please.
There's been a substitution of counsel for the defendant.
I will try this case in place of Mr. Boston, who was taken ill yesterday afternoon.
Very well, Mr. Perry.
The clerk will note your appearance.
Is the assistant district attorney ready to proceed?
Ready, your honor.
Call your first witness.
Just a minute, judge.
What is it, Mr. Screed?
Before this case begins, I've got something to say.
Does it pertain to this trial?
You're not seeking to be excused from jury duty at this late hour, are you?
Well, that depends, your honor.
Maybe I'd better not serve on this jury.
Why not?
Because the defendant's attorney tried to bribe me last night.
What?
That's a lie.
If I were your partner, would you know such things?
I ain't talking about your partner.
I'm talking about you, George Perry.
What?
Come out of that jury box, Mr. Screed.
Step up here.
Clerk, swear him.
You soundly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth, to help your
God?
I do.
You charge Mr. Perry with an attempted bribe, Mr. Screed?
I do.
Your honor, I protest.
This ought to be discharged.
You have your opportunity to defend yourself, Mr. Perry, in the proper place and at the
proper time.
Just now, I'm interested in discharge.
Mr. Screed, you understand you're under oath.
I want your entire story.
Well, there ain't much to tell.
Last night about 10 o'clock, I was home having some coffee.
I heard a knock at the door and I go to answer it.
It's Mr. Perry.
He comes in and he tells me that his partner is sick and that he's taking over the case.
I tell him maybe he oughtn't to be talking to me, but he winks at me and he says it'll
be all right.
So I let him talk just to see what's in the wind.
I was never at his house.
The man's lying.
Quiet.
Proceed, Mr. Screed.
He tells me he's out to make a reputation for himself.
And while this case is peanuts, still he wants to win it.
He knows he can't unless he's got someone on the jury to cooperate.
And he thinks maybe I'm his man.
He offered me 200 bucks to hold out for an acquittal.
Did you take the money?
Well, sure.
Sure.
I played right along, Your Honor.
I told him I'd do what he wanted.
But all the time, all the time, I was just kidding him.
See, I was going to tell you what happened just as soon as court opened.
Here, here, here, Your Honor.
Here's the 200.
Brand new hundred dollar bills.
Why didn't you notify the authorities sooner?
Well, there wasn't no hurry, was there, Judge?
He wasn't going to run away.
And I knew I could spill the beans this morning instead of wasting half the night down at
headquarters.
Your Honor, may I question that man?
You may not.
But he's crucifying me with a wicked lie.
I should have the right to defend myself, to course examine him.
You will have that right in the proper forum.
I declare a mistrial in the case before me.
The assistant district attorney will obtain a copy of the minutes or preparation for the
presentation to the grand jury.
Bailiff, you will place Mr. Perry under arrest.
Court's adjourned.
I showed the proper expected astonishment at the news.
I expressed my sympathy in a hundred different ways.
I even arranged bail and took on my partner's defense personally.
And when I spoke to George, already half broken under the strain, until Alice, filled with
worry and doubt, I was as calm and assured as a retired bank president.
Why it's as plain as the nose on your face, George.
It's a political trick.
The opposition somehow heard about your being the next DA and were out to spike you before
you even got started.
But who did it?
You leave that to me.
I'll get him, whoever he is, and when I do, the case will fall apart.
Sam, I don't know what we'd do without you.
You've been like, like a rock of Gibraltar to both of us.
If we didn't have you to turn to, I...
You leave everything to Sam, Alice.
He'll get your George out of this jam and know the reason why.
I know it, Sam.
Darling, you see, everything will be all right.
But we haven't gotten anywhere, Sam.
Not a single clue to the man who's behind this.
Something will turn up.
We still have three weeks before the trial.
Now, if you're innocent, George, you're not going to jail.
If I'm innocent, there's no question of that in your mind, is there?
Well, that doesn't really matter.
You're going to beat this rat, now don't you worry.
No, Sam, no, you can't believe it.
You can't really think I tried to bribe him.
You know me better than that, Sam.
Sure, George, sure.
I don't believe it.
Now, I'm naturally going to give my full time to getting up your defense, and Alice can
help me.
Oh, Sam, I don't know how to thank you for standing by us.
I'll never forget this.
Never.
Would you do the same for me, wouldn't you?
All right now, you two, don't worry.
You've got an awfully good lawyer, you know.
I got George to go away up to Fieldstone for a few weeks.
I spent a lot of time driving Alice around in search of nonexistent witnesses.
My zeal and devotion to George were unbounded.
And if I failed to find any proof of his innocence, it hurt me as much as it did Alice.
In time, even she began to wonder, to have a gnawing doubt.
Doesn't look good, does it?
No, not too good.
Sam, what are we going to do?
Oh, now don't you get to worrying Alice.
A smart lawyer can do a lot, even without witnesses.
Don't forget, the law assumes that a man is innocent until he's proved to be guilty, beyond
a reasonable doubt.
Sam, I've never asked you this.
I've always wanted to go on thinking that George was innocent.
But I must know, did he do it?
Alice.
Did he, Sam?
You would know.
No, I, oh, if I did know, I wouldn't tell you.
Why, Sam?
Why should he have done a thing like that?
It wasn't an important case.
It didn't really matter if he lost it.
Well, he'd just been offered the nomination for district attorney.
Maybe that had something to do with it.
Who knows?
All I can say is I'll do my best to get him off.
Sam, you've been just wonderful.
I've never really known how wonderful you could be until this past month.
You've worked so hard.
You've been so understanding, so sympathetic.
That meant for you I couldn't have gone on.
No matter how this turns out, I want you to know I'll always be grateful.
Thanks, Alice.
Well, tomorrow is our big day in court, and I want to be on my toes, for George and for
you.
I've got an idea.
I was brilliant in court that day.
Every legal dodge, every technicalities that the law allowed, I made use of.
From the last spectator in the last crowded road to the judge on the bench.
They all knew that I was putting up the greatest legal fight they'd ever witnessed.
But I couldn't break the keystone of the prosecution, the testimony of Screed.
No matter how much I went over his testimony, his story stood up, became stronger with every
question I had at home.
And when I put George Perry on the stand in his own defense, he still had no alibi for
the hours during which he was supposed to have visited Screed.
His story that he'd been riding in his car seemed almost ridiculous.
When the jury came in with its verdict, I knew very well what it would be.
Gentlemen of the jury, have you agreed upon a verdict?
We have, your honor.
And how do you find guilty or not guilty?
We find defendant George Perry guilty as charged.
No, I'm innocent.
I'm innocent.
Quiet, George.
And so say you all.
And so say we all.
The clerk will record the verdict.
George Perry, rise and face the bench.
Your honor, this is a grave miscarriage of justice.
The court fully appreciates, Mr. Boston, your tireless energy and diligence on behalf of
your partner and friend.
However, George Perry, you have been found guilty of bribery of a judicial officer under
Section 371 of the penal code, which defines a juror as a judicial officer.
As provided by law, you are subject to imprisonment for not more than 10 years and fine of not
more than $5,000.
Because of your previous record of good conduct, I shall impose no fine and shall not subject
you to the full term of imprisonment.
But you are sentenced to serve five years in the state's prison.
You're remanded to the custody of the warden of such prison at once.
For Suspense, Roma Wines are bringing you Jerome Kahn in Mortmain.
Roma Wines presentation tonight in radio's outstanding theater of thrills, Suspense.
Suspense, radio's outstanding theater of thrills is being brought to you by Roma.
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Now Roma Wines bring back to our Hollywood sound stage, Jerome Cowan as Sam Boston in
Mortmain.
A play well calculated to keep you in suspense.
So I lost the case, but losing that one of course helped me.
I gained a swift popularity not only with the public, but with the politicians who have
an eye open for brilliant lawyers.
It wasn't long before I was having a little talk with Harry Polk and was being offered
the nomination that should have been mine in the first place.
The next thing I wanted was Alice.
For the next year and a half I was after her until finally she said yes and our engagement
was announced.
The whole town congratulated us and then George, with time off the good behavior, came home
from prison.
One afternoon I went to call on Alice.
He was there.
Hello Sam.
George, you're crazy to have come back here.
You should have gone where you're not known, started new, where your record won't be held
against you.
I don't want to start new.
I came back here for a purpose and that I'm going to find the man who framed me and when
I do I'll kill him.
Well that's not good.
Not good to talk that way, George.
I know you both think I'm guilty.
Everyone else thinks so, but I know I'm innocent and I'm going to prove it if it takes me the
rest of my life.
How are you going to live?
No job, no money.
I'll get something to do.
No shine shoes if I have to.
Oh, I wish I could help you, George.
But you realize my position.
I'm not looking for help from anyone.
Okay, George, but if you want my advice...
I'm not taking advice anymore, Sam.
Not from you or anyone else.
I'm in this on my own and I'll get him.
Alice, you mustn't see George.
Why not?
I can't allow it, Alice.
My fiancee consorting with a jailbird.
My reputation doesn't permit such things.
George may have been in jail, but he's not a jailbird.
Would it amount to the same thing?
I demand you stop seeing him.
Sam.
What?
I'm going to break our engagement.
George needs me.
He needs me desperately and I want to help him.
Alice, you can't mean you're still in love with him.
Oh, I don't know.
After all these months, it's hard to say whether I'm in love with him or not.
But he needs help and I'm the only one he can turn to.
Well, what about me?
You don't need me, Sam.
I don't need you the way he does for a prop and a consolation prize.
I love you, isn't that enough?
You don't love me, Sam.
I've always been second to your career.
And now you're doing your best to ruin that career for me.
How so?
Don't you see what it'll mean?
You're breaking your engagement at this time just while I'm about to get the nomination
for judgeship.
Nobody respects a man who's been jilted.
Just keep on going with me.
It's the only thing that happened.
Afterward we can break off gradually.
Yes.
All right, Sam.
Now I think you'd better go.
Good evening, Mr. Prosecutor.
Come in.
All right, Screed, what is it?
Can I talk?
Ain't nobody going to hear me.
No, the servants are off tonight.
You can talk.
Yeah.
He's, uh, he's been around to see me.
George?
Perry?
Mm-hmm.
He wants to know who was behind it.
Well, naturally you sent him about his business.
Not quite.
Said I might have something for him, maybe.
What do you mean?
He showed me a roll of bills.
Came close to 5,000.
It was mine for just one name.
That's all he wanted, just the name.
Do you know what would happen to you if you so much as hinted at it?
I know I'd get $5,000 from Mr. Perry.
And 10 years in jail for perjury and accepting a bribe.
I still have your written statement, you know, right here in my safe.
You couldn't use it.
Oh, couldn't I?
Why not?
A confession that you'd been bribed to frame Perry, bribed by an unknown man representing
Perry's political opponents.
How would you explain you're not using it before this?
Oh, very easily, Mr. Screed.
It just came into my possession.
Came to me in the mail.
I still don't think you'd use it.
You see, I kind of figure you'd be dead before that.
That, uh, that Perry, he means business.
Got it all figured out, haven't you?
Mm-hmm.
Yes, I reckon I'm sitting pretty...
All right.
How much?
Well, now, I won't be a hog.
Let's, uh, let's say another 10.
Ah, you can scrape that much together, I reckon.
On one condition.
Oh, yeah?
What's that?
That you go away and never come back.
Oh, I like it here.
Then it's no deal.
Okay, I can still get that 5,000.
Wait, wait, wait.
Heh.
I know I'm a fool to give it to you, but there's nothing else I can do.
Uh, when do you have your appointment with Perry?
I don't have one.
I told him I'd get in touch with him.
Uh, I'll have the money for you tomorrow night.
Don't come here.
Uh, I'll bring it to your house.
Don't try any cute tricks.
I'll see you tomorrow night, okay?
Okay.
Good night, Mr. Prosecutor.
After he left, I wore the rug in my library while I thought about it.
I knew this payment was only the beginning.
Scree would go on with his blackmail until he bled me white.
Something had to happen.
And it did.
I've got to talk to you.
George, sure, come in.
Well, it's on your mind.
Two things.
Alice, I'm the man who framed me.
Yes?
I, I know how it is with you and Alice, Sam.
She told me you'd let her out of her engagement after the election.
What else could I do?
Well, it was decent of you not to put up a fuss.
Well, where would that get me?
But, uh, what about the man you say framed you?
Do you have anything on that?
Well, I've been putting the pressure on Screed.
I think he'll talk.
But I need 5,000 to pay him.
Oh, you know, I don't have that kind of money.
I could get it from Alice, but I'd rather not.
You, uh, you want me to give it to you, would you?
Now listen to me, George.
If I thought paying him 5,000 would do any good, I'd let you have it.
But it won't.
He'll just take your money and give you a runaround.
But Sam, if...
Let me finish.
You know what would happen to him if you shot off his mouth?
He'd be killed.
He knows that too.
He's not going to talk for 5,000 to 50,000.
Not at George.
Well, maybe you're right, Sam.
I just thought...
I know, I know you're willing to grab at any straw.
And there's another thing.
Your loose talk about killing the man who framed you.
The police know about it.
And if it weren't for me, you would have been picked up.
I understand you've gone and bought yourself a gun.
Yes, I...
I did.
Give it to me.
I'll turn it in.
All right, Sam.
Here it is.
Uh, just put it on the desk.
Now, you follow my advice.
Get out of town.
Leave as soon as you can.
Oh, I've been a fool.
Sam, someone promised me a job out on the coast.
I'll go tomorrow night.
Alice can follow me after election.
And Sam, thanks.
Thanks for pounding some sense into my head.
Oh, you know how I feel about you, George.
Yes, I know.
And I wish you every success in the election, Sam.
I know you'll make a good judge.
Goodbye, George, and luck to you.
You'll need it.
It was shortly after 10 the following night that I drove out to Screed's with George's
gun wrapped in a handkerchief in my pocket.
I parked the car a short way down the road and walked quietly toward the house.
I looked into the kitchen window and saw Screed sitting at the table.
His chin was on his chest.
He was breathing slowly and regularly through his sleep.
He was prepared for me, waiting with a shotgun in his hands.
But I wouldn't ring the doorbell to wake him.
Oh, no.
I quietly opened the kitchen door, tiptoed across the floor, and placed George's gun,
which I held in my handkerchief against the back of Screed's head.
His head bobbed forward, and that was all.
His body didn't move.
His finger remained motionless on the cock trigger of the shotgun resting on the table.
Well, that was that.
Two birds with one stone.
Scream dead.
George Perry, the obvious murderer.
I dropped the revolver on the floor and went out.
When I got home, I phoned Chief Martin.
He said...
What's on your mind, Sam?
Martin, I'm worried.
George Perry has been over at my house making all sorts of wild threats about killing the
man who testified against him.
I wish you'd send someone out there and get the old man to take precautions.
Sure, Mr. Bossen.
I'll do that right away.
I heard about Perry's talking wild.
It'd be hard to lock him up just to be on the safe side.
Oh, I don't think you can.
Not enough to hold him.
But it might be a good idea to give Screed a bodyguard until I can have another talk
with Perry.
I'll tend to it right away.
And then I went to bed.
I didn't have very long to wait.
Hello?
Mr. Bossen, I've got some bad news for you.
Our man got out there too late.
What do you mean?
Screed's dead.
Shot right through the head.
Oh, gee heavens.
Better come out here.
I'll be there in half an hour.
Perry sneaked up on him and shot him.
Screed must have been tipped off that Perry was out to get him.
He sat up waiting with the shotgun.
Have you found Perry yet?
No, I have a dragnet out for him, though.
He won't get away.
I'm having the gun traced and examined for prints.
We'll have the report pretty soon.
When is the coroner coming?
In a couple of hours.
He's tied up.
But you don't have to wait.
I may as well while I'm here.
I sat down on the kitchen chair across from Screed.
Now he'd never talk.
And Alice, any last vestige of feelings she had for George who disappeared with his arrest.
Everything was working out fine.
I looked at Screed.
His position hadn't changed.
His hands still clutched the shotgun and I smiled, thinking how much he'd like to pull
that trigger if he was still alive.
And even as the smile crossed my face.
Mr. Bosson.
Oh my gosh, what's happened?
Gun went off.
My chest.
What's going on here?
Let's have a look.
Oh my.
Give it to me straight doc.
Will I live or won't I?
A couple of hours more or less.
You're certain?
I'm sorry Mr. Bosson.
Okay I've got something to say.
Get a sonographer.
Take it all down.
All right Bosson, we got it all.
I don't want to talk anymore.
So old Screed got to use his shotgun after all.
Mort main.
What's that?
Mort main.
The dead hand.
It's a lawyer's joke doc.
You wouldn't understand.
Can't say I do.
Oh never mind.
By the way what was it?
Some sort of miracle?
Divine justice acting through a corpse?
If you want to call it that, really just tightening of the finger muscles that cause the trigger
to be pulled back.
We doctors call it rigor mortis.
Suspend.
Mort main starring Jerome Cowan and presented by Roma Wines.
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Jerome Cowan may currently be seen in the 20th Century Fox production, Miracle on 34th
Street.
Tonight's suspense play was by George and Gertrude Fass.
Next Thursday, same time, you will hear Walter Abel as star of Suspense, produced and directed
by William Spear for the Roma Wine Company of Fresno, California.
In the coming weeks, Suspense will present such stars as Donald O'Connor, John Lund,
Edmund O'Brien, Lloyd Nolan, and others.
Make it a point to listen each Thursday to Suspense, radio's outstanding, Peter of
Thrills.
This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.