Autolite and its 96,000 dealers presents Suspense.
Tonight, Autolite brings you a story of murder in the roaring 20s, The Windy City Six, starring
Mr. Fred McMurray and featuring Red Nichols and his five pennies.
Before our play begins, here is a word about Autolite from our good friend, Harlow Wilcox.
Well, hello, Senor Wilcox.
Greetings, Pepito, my popular purveyor of potent and peppery plates.
How goes?
Who knows?
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Like an Autolite Stayful battery is filled with quick dependable starting power and long
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Si, si, si.
Well, why the glee, my merry muchacho?
Could it be your Autolite Stayful, the battery that needs water only three times a year in
normal car use?
Si, si, amigo, because with it I never worry.
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This is longer than my father's siesta.
There's no siesta with the Autolite Stayful, Pepito.
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You and every motorist who visits his neighborhood Autolite battery dealer for an Autolite Stayful,
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right with Autolite.
And now with the Windy City Six and the performance of Mr. Fred McMurray, Autolite hopes once
again to keep you in suspense.
It all happened some time ago.
By some time I mean those days when Moonlight on the Ganges was a must at the country club
dance, when our nerds was considered snappy repartee, when it wasn't entirely unfashionable
to be seen in a raccoon coat complete with flasks when the Harbards and the Yales met
in deathless combat.
Maybe it'll lose a little something in the translation, but it's worth a try.
Anyway as it happened we were playing in a little pad on Oriole Street, Crazy Jack Fisher's
high hat.
It was a speech, but then what wasn't at that time.
When the breeze was off the river you could hear the riff notes of the Windy City Six
blowing up town.
Reading from left to right there was Corny Peters on horn, Rip Jackson on alto, Thurber
Jones on the licorice, Tinkle Hobson on the Baldwin, Red Moore slapping and me on the skins.
I'm Carstairs Hamilton, sometimes known as Rimshot, but more often as Hand.
So we'll keep it that way.
Ham?
You booted the beat three times in that last set, what is it?
Well every time I slide a glimmer over that skirt at table 13 my ticker skips a beat.
Maybe my sticks caught the fever.
Oh, well those two playboys with her are Bull Hurley and Red Rocks Farrell.
You get ready to whistle again, they want to talk with you.
Talk with me?
That's what they said.
Go on now, keep the customers happy.
Okay, Corny.
Somebody said you wanted to see me.
I guess maybe it was a mistake, so I'll just...
It wasn't no mistake.
Sit down.
Yes, sir.
You see this girl?
Well, to tell you the truth, I don't think I ever noticed her.
How do you do?
Hello.
You've been staring at her all night, and last night, and the night before.
Oh, I might have been looking this way, but I'm nearsighted.
You ought to be in George White's scandals.
Now, let me give it to you straight bad ears.
We're taking care of this girl for a very particular friend.
So lay off her, huh?
Because if you don't, your poor old mother's going to have someplace to take flowers on
Sunday afternoon.
Your grave.
Back in my drums, I tried not to look at the girl, but I could still see her in my mind.
Soft dark hair.
None of that shingled barb stuff.
A real Marcel finger wave.
A warm young face, and lots more that curved down into a fur coat that must have sent somebody
back a whole truckload of upstate scotch.
Once in a while, I sneaked a quick peek, and every time she was looking at me.
And suddenly, I got scared, and I lost up a couple of beats.
I only got some maddie blew up.
But it didn't make much difference then.
Our engagement was over.
Veterans all, we, the Windy City Six broke ranks and went into plan B.
There we are, everybody.
We're all under arrest.
I headed for the kitchen.
That was always the best way out.
In the hallway, a small blonde guy was lifting a couple of shaking hands to his face, and
his eyes grew as large as two hard boiled eggs just before he got it.
When I got out the kitchen door, I could still see that big black haired, vicious looking
guy peering out into the night trying to see who it was that passed him in the hall while
he was busy killing.
I hope he hadn't seen my face.
I ran for a while, and then I slowed down to a walk.
The first few snowflakes of winter were starting to fall, and the world was pulling on that
wonderland slip over.
I turned my Chesterfield collar up around my neck and noticed I was still holding a
pair of drumsticks.
I thought it over for a minute, and I threw them into the darkness beyond the street light.
I made up my mind that from now on I was going to stay out of joints like the high hat.
When I finally got back to my rooming house, there was a surprise in a fur coat waiting
for me sitting on the front stoop.
I tried to ignore her.
You blind or something?
I suppose you get dozens of girls sitting on your step and I waiting for you.
Hey.
Oh.
Were you looking for me?
What do you think I've been sitting out here in the cold for?
Selling subscriptions to the police gazette?
Sit down.
Won't you come inside?
It's safer out here.
I haven't forgotten the way you were looking at me at the high hat.
Say, tell me, how'd you get out of that raid so quick?
How do you think?
I was with Red Rocks Farrell.
They don't touch him.
Oh, yeah, of course.
Mind telling me your name?
Carlye Two E's.
Two E's?
That's pretty.
Tell me, Cora, what do you want with me?
How'd you find my place?
Crazy Jack gave us the address.
Farrell and Hurley sent me to get you.
To get me?
Look, I don't know anything.
I didn't see anything.
I told you I was nearsighted.
2040.
They got a place up in the mountains.
They decided to throw a holiday party.
They want a band.
Isham Jones was busy, so all you guys are being picked up.
I lost my drums.
Don't worry.
They'll get drums.
Let's go.
Are you going with me?
Somebody has to show you the road.
Alone?
Look, we can talk all about it on the way.
And don't get any ideas because I might send for reinforcements.
And these reinforcements will make a Marine landing look like Isadore Duncan's finale.
You got anything brave to say?
I'll bet you I'm ready before you can count to a hundred.
By twos.
I put the chains on my old marmon, buttoned up the icing glass curtains, cracked a bottle
of antifreeze, and we started off.
The snow was swirling down faster than ever and was better than three inches deep by the
time we were 40 miles out of town.
Cora was under a blanket, cuddled up next to me like she meant it, her head on my shoulder.
But it wasn't as romantic as it sounds because under the blanket, Cora was shaking.
And it was the kind of shaking you don't get from being cold, but from being scared.
I should have known then that something was terribly wrong, but I had to learn the hard
way.
Cora?
Huh?
Cora, why do you hang around with bozos like Red Rocks Fell and Bull Hurley for?
For the same reason you play in places like the high hat.
The best offer I got.
Also the worst.
Look, suppose I just kept going now.
Somewhere out west, Chicago maybe.
Would you go with me?
They'd never let us get away with it.
Why do we lose trying?
You don't belong with those guys.
You belong where the air is clean and you only take a drink when you want and love when
you...
Please, don't.
What's the matter?
Did I say something wrong?
Look, why don't you hit me on the head and throw me out and just keep going?
Throw you out?
Of course I wouldn't throw you out to save my life.
Oh, Hem, don't say that.
About an hour later we passed through the town of Norrisburg.
We arrived at a big private estate called Haywill Manning.
The big party was going strong.
The rest of the Windy City six boys had preceded me, all under escort.
The man who answered the door was the one person I never wanted to see again.
When I'd seen him last, he was killing a man at the high hat.
Well, Cora, I see you got him.
You got a pretty smart way of leaving a raid in a hurry, Sonny.
Kitchen door.
I hope nothing happens to your luck.
Kitchen door?
I didn't go out the kitchen door.
I was left by the basement window.
I hope for your sake you're right, Sonny.
Mike, he's a genuine nice guy.
Well, nice guy, I think you'll like this party.
Lots of drinks, lots of girls and lots of happy music.
Oh, sure, sure, I'll do my best.
Did you get my drums?
Don't worry about drums.
We don't have them.
We'll give you a couple of skulls to be.
Now go on, pour yourselves a drink and get warm.
Cora, who is he?
Big Mike Donovan.
This is his place.
He's to the rackets, what Dempsey is to boxing.
Yeah?
Well, I'm going to tell you something about him.
I hear the human life means nothing to him.
That he'd kill anybody.
So you heard it.
Don't go broadcasting it all over the place.
You want to stay alive, don't you?
It's always been one of my cheap aims in life.
Then keep what you know under your hat, you dumb drummer.
The party was big and it was bouncy.
Cora was sitting in a corner looking scared.
Big Mike Donovan, Bull Hurley and Red Rock Ferrell were gathered at the bar drinking
an uncommon amount of liquor and looking our way every time they wanted to laugh.
Herbert Jones began to get nervous and his clarinet developed an off-key squeak.
The three men put down their drinks and came over.
Which one do you think it is, Bull?
I got ten bucks says it's a saxophone player.
He's got a shifty look.
I'll take the bet, because I don't think he's the guy.
Which one would you pick out, Red Rock?
Who else?
The drummer.
Yeah, he's afraid to look at us.
I think you're wrong too.
I put my money on a clarinet player.
It's elementary.
Every time he looks over at us, he shakes.
Every time he shakes, he squeaks on the high notes.
Are these the signs of a guy who don't know nothing?
Maybe you're right, Mike.
Look at him shake now.
Hey, you, with the clarinet.
Yes, Mr. Donovan?
What's your name?
Jones, sir.
Thurber Jones.
Well, Thurber Jones.
Me and Bull and Red Rocks think you're a lousy clarinet player.
I'm doing my best, sir.
We got an idea we can show you how to play it better.
Come with us, sir.
Well, I'll do better, sir, if you'll just...
I said come with us.
Hey, wait a minute.
They walked outside, and that was the last time I ever saw Thurber Jones alive.
The rest of us were as jumpy as cats and we played for two hours without a break.
Everybody was getting stoned, but I didn't dare take a drink.
Then Big Mike called an intermission while they served at the buffet dinner.
But everybody was so drunk that nobody ate much.
Big Mike began to be loud and noisy, and he started waving a gun around, boasting what
a great shot he was.
He kicked open a couple of French windows, and out in the lawn, of all things, stood
a giant snowman.
Just watch, just watch.
I'll blast every lousy button off his lousy chest.
Hey, great shot, Mike.
He did it all right.
Four pieces of coal shattered and vanished into the snow.
Everybody cheered and then turned back to the food and drinks.
Everybody that is but me.
I couldn't take my eyes off the snowman, because running down its crystal white front was...
Red blood.
Auto Light is bringing you Mr. Fred McMurray with red nickels and his five pennies in the
Windy City Six.
Tonight's production in radio's outstanding theater of thrills, Suspense.
Hey, Senor Wilcox, how about a tortilla?
Why sure, Pepito.
I'll always talk to you about that great Auto Light's staple battery.
How about a tamale?
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Oh, well, enchilada maybe?
Your enchilada, your Uncle Manuel and Grandpa, everybody loves the Auto Light's staple.
The battery that gives longer life, as proved by tests conducted according to accepted life
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Glass of tequila, Senor?
Fiberglass, Pepito, because fiberglass retaining mats protect every positive plate of the Auto
Light's staple battery to reduce shedding and flaking and keep the staple power packed
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But what is this in English?
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battery that needs water only three times a year in normal car use.
And remember, you're always right with Auto Light.
Now Auto Light brings back to our Hollywood soundstage, Mr. Fred McMurray in Elliot Lewis's
production of The Windy City Six, a tale well calculated to keep you in suspense.
During the years of the big thirst, homicide was an art.
Sometimes it was Tommy guns against a wall, sometimes it was a concrete overshoe in the
bottom of the East River or maybe an ice pick in the heart.
But out on the snow swept lawn of Big Mike Donovan's mansion that cold December night,
I was looking at the chilliest bit of murder any crazy hooligan ever thought up, a bleeding
snowman.
Only now it wasn't a snowman.
Pam, you better get back inside.
You'll freeze out here.
Yeah, it's Thurber, Cora.
Thurber Jones.
Oh, the poor little guy.
Played the sweetest clarinet.
He used to St. Louis.
He was always loaning money to guys.
He loved everybody.
He never hurt a soul.
Who did it, Ham?
Who did it?
Who else but your playmate, Donovan?
But why, Ham?
Why?
You tell me why.
You helped bring all of us up here, didn't you?
Oh, but not for this.
Believe me, Ham, not for this.
I suppose you don't know that Mike Donovan killed a man in a high hat tonight.
Well, I heard him bragging about it a while ago.
It was somebody who hijacked a truckload of Mike's liquor.
Well, somebody saw him.
And I guess...
I guess he figured it was one of us.
Who saw him?
Well, I guess he thought it was Thurber.
You mean it wasn't?
I don't mean anything.
I'm getting cold.
Why don't you go back inside and join your killers?
Ham.
Go on.
You work this side of the street for all the laughs you're going to get.
Oh, Ham, I'm not the same as they are.
I don't blame you for thinking what you do, but I wish you wouldn't.
All right.
Let's just say the jury's still out on you.
Look how proofed you have not liked them.
Here.
You'll need a fast car.
What are these for?
They're the keys to Mike's car.
It's in the garage.
Take it down to Norrisburg and come back with all the cops you can find.
Hey, Bernie!
That's Mike.
Cora!
That's Mike.
Where are you?
Oh, hurry, please, go.
I want them to get what's coming to them.
I want them to get it good.
Well, but what about you?
Hey, Cora!
Who are you talking about there?
Come on, let's go to the party, baby!
Go on, go on.
Before all of you wind up like Thurber, I'm going to have to get you out of here.
I'm going to have to get you out of here.
After she'd gone inside with Mike, I made a beeline for the garages and back.
Just as I got the keys and the ignition, somebody...
In case you don't know it, flea brain, this is Mike Donovan's car.
Oh?
Well, I guess I must have made a mistake.
Hey, take that gun off my head, will you?
Mike hires me to do nothing but sit in the back seat of his car.
Now I might get a raise.
Well, I always like to see somebody get ahead of the gun.
I might get a raise because Mike wouldn't like you to leave his party without first
you telling him what a nice time you had.
Oh, you got me wrong.
I was going to write him a bread and butter letter first thing in the morning, honest.
How about the gun?
Shut up before I shove it through your stinking skull.
I start walking.
The next thing I remember was being kicked through the door of the big house.
The party kept right on whirling.
Nobody paid much attention.
Nobody except the boys in the band and they were beginning to get the idea.
Slowly they stopped playing and then people began to turn around and look.
It reminded me of a ring of faces about to watch a hanging.
What's this all about, Chick?
The creepier tried to lift your car, even had the keys.
Where'd you get them?
I sort of found them.
Hey, you can't do that to one of my boys.
Shut up, you.
I said, where did you get them?
I told you I found them.
Where did you get them?
I didn't care whether I lived or died right then.
And when somebody kicked me twice in the kidneys, the choice was made for me.
I was sure I died because everything went black.
When I came to, I was still lying in the same place.
The party was still going on.
Nobody even looked at me as I staggered to my feet and wiped the blood and the booze
and the glass off the best I could.
I stood there holding onto the bar wondering what to do, wondering what it was all about.
Can you still walk, stupid?
Yeah, yeah, I guess so.
And charge them back to your drums and stop playing.
Okay.
You know something, blockhead?
I didn't want them to stop.
I think Big Mike's got something special in mind for you later.
None of the boys in the band even looked at me when I got back to my drums and picked
up the beat.
Corny and Rip and Tinkle acted as if I were dead already.
We played on through our sheets twice without a break.
None of us dared stop.
We knew how somehow we were playing for our lives.
That's a spline.
Come on, ivory.
Make that eight.
Five sissy cups on this one.
I'll take it.
Right.
Long about dawn, the party turned into a noisy crap game and nobody paid much attention to
our background music.
I was with them sort of moving in and around.
I saw her whisper something in Bull Hurley's ear and then later she did the same thing
to Red Rocks.
Then she sort of sauntered over by the band, not looking at us, but we all heard what she
said.
Boys, keep your eye on Mike Donovan.
When he goes over to Red Rocks, get ready to move.
It'll be your only chance to get out of here alive.
Make it good.
We all looked at each other and kept right on playing, waiting to see what she was talking
about.
Pretty soon it began to make sense.
You dirty hill, making a pass at my girl.
I made a pass at your girl, Mike.
Just talk to you and Red Rocks both made passes at her.
And I'm going to break both your necks.
Now, wait a minute, Mike.
That's our cue, boys.
Everybody up.
Don't forget your music sheets.
Boys, this way.
Out through this door.
I got it.
Come on.
Phew.
This air feels good.
Yeah, it'll feel better a hundred miles from here.
Where's your car, Ham?
It's right over there, park in front.
Come on, come on.
Yeah, I'll be right with you.
Go ahead.
Cora.
Go on, get out of here.
You'll never have another chance.
I'm not going without you.
Come on, Ham.
Don't just stand there.
I'll be all right.
Yeah, for how long?
One of those ready boys in there will restart shooting his guns again and you might get
in the line of fire.
What if I do?
I deserve it for being so dumb.
Ham, we'll all be killed if you don't move.
Well, Cora?
I'd only get you in trouble.
Yeah, I believe you, but I want to take you anyway.
Ham, for guy's sakes.
Look, lady, tell him you'll come with him, please.
Oh, Ham, I wanted anything but a dumb $35 a week drum player.
Oh, I get it.
Well, that tears it.
I'm washed.
But I never knew how wonderful a dumb $35 a week drum player could be.
I'm coming with you.
We all scrambled over to my marmin and climbed in.
Red and Rip in the back seat, Cora in front, me at the helm and Corny on the crank.
Come on, baby.
What's the matter with it, Ham?
Hell is ten below zero.
Come on, give it another whirl.
For guy's sakes, make it go, Ham.
Oh, no, we can't get stuck here.
Just take it easy.
It'll catch.
Come on, Corny, get in.
What did I tell you?
Like a Swiss watch, huh?
Let's get out of here.
Hang on.
We're off.
It's Mike.
They're coming after us.
Yeah.
Anybody hit?
No, but we're going to have to move faster than this.
But don't worry.
I've got her souped up to where she'll go 50.
Hold on.
By the time we got out under the swamp, we were going to be in trouble.
By the time we got out under the slick, icy road, a whole car full of hooligans were coming
right after us with guns blazing.
The gaining on his hand.
I didn't know anything about guns, but one thing I knew was how to handle my marmot.
He didn't weigh much, and I figured I'd pull into the next curve, climb the coal on, skid
into the snowbank, and bounce off onto the straightaway.
If that heavy rose tried to make it at the same speed and hit the snowback, I was sure
to go right on through.
Ham, look out at the curb.
Where am I, kids?
This is it.
Several courses later, I fluttered an eyelet open and ventured a peak, somewhere I'd miscalculated,
because we were now stacked against a giant tree right on the edge of the road looking
down into the valley.
And down there a hundred feet below us was a pile of something that had once been a rich,
expensive automobile full of rich, cheap thugs.
And around it, no one stirred.
Ham, oh darling, are you all right?
Yeah.
Yeah, I guess so, Cora.
How about you?
I'm all right.
How about the rest of you?
I'm okay, shaking up, that's all.
I busted my lip.
Look.
I'll never put my face back together again.
Yeah.
At least we're all alive, except poor Thurber.
Well, what do you say we get out and take a walk into town?
This is a job for the John Laws.
Well, that's the Cora.
It was the last engagement of the Windy City Six.
We went out with a full arrangement and a big finish.
It was in all the papers.
Maybe you saw the spread.
The boys on the front page, Mike Donovan and company, and Vital Statistics, and Cora and
me and the social columns.
Yeah, we did it.
Complete with old shoes and new rice.
Oh, if you ever happen to get up Norrisburg way on a curve that turns on a steep hillside
with an old scarred tree looking down into the valley, take five and listen.
Maybe you can still hear an old clarinet squeaking on the high notes.
Or if the light's right, maybe you could even catch the pale ghost of a big gunman with
homicide in his eyes looking around, looking around for a drummer who saw him kill.
Suspense presented by Auto Light.
Tonight's star, Mr. Fred McMurray.
Ah, Pepito, that was a great meal.
And what's the matter, Senor Wilcox?
I'm too full to talk.
And if you could talk, Senor.
Then I'd tell all about the more than 400 products made by Auto Light for cars, trucks,
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So friends, don't accept electrical parts supposed to be as good.
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Remember, you're always right with Auto Light.
Next week, we celebrate the return of the First Lady of Suspense, Miss Agnes Moorhead,
in a play we call The Death Parade.
And then on February 22nd, in answer to your many requests, Backseat Driver, repeated for
you with its original stars, Fibber McGee and Molly, all on Suspense.
Suspense is produced and directed by Elliot Lewis, with music composed by Lucien Moorowek
and conducted by Ludd Bluskin.
Portions of this program were transcribed.
Tonight's cast included Mary Jane Croft and Edmund MacDonald.
The Windy City Six was written for Suspense by E. Jack Newman and John Michael Hayes.
Frederick Murray may currently be seen in the RKO picture, Never a Dull Moment.
And remember, next week on Suspense, Miss Agnes Moorhead has a woman who finds a letter
warning of death and has only three hours to deliver it, a tale we call The Death Parade.
You can buy Auto Light staple batteries, Auto Light standard type or resistor type spark
plugs, Auto Light electrical parts at your neighborhood Auto Light dealers.
Switch to Auto Light.
Good night.
Nearly half of the people who died in America last year were victims of heart disease, our
number one killer.
This week, the American Heart Association appeals for your support to combat and conquer
this scourge.
Send your contributions to Heart, care of your local post office.
This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.