Mr. & Mrs. North: The Contagious Confession 09/22/1943

Choice Classic Radio Detectives | Old Time Radio

Bill Wygant seeks advice from Jerry and Pam North regarding a baffling murder case where two different men have confessed to killing Walter

Key takeaways

• Larry Chapman and George Warwick both provided conflicting confessions for the murder of Walter Middleton.
• The investigation revealed that the gun was wrapped in a newspaper from the current day, exposing the fabrication.

Main topics

• Murder investigation
• Conflicting criminal confessions

Notable quotes

I have a hunch they're both lying.

Conclusion

A classic mystery demonstrating how meticulous observation of small de

Transcript preview

Speaker 4 (0:00) Welcome to Choice Classic Radio, where we bring to you the greatest old-time radio shows. Like us on Facebook, subscribe to us on YouTube, and thank you for donating at choiceclassicradio.com. Speaker 3 (0:15) The Adventures of Mr. and Mrs. North, starring Alice Frost and Joseph Curtin, and brought to you by... Speaker 5 (0:22) Woodbury, Speaker 4 (0:23) Woodbury, for the skin... Speaker 3 (0:49) Jerry and Pamela North often drive Bill Wygant to the verge of insanity. However, for all their bewildering antics, they often help him, too. And at times, he even goes so far as to ask them for advice. Tonight is such a time, because he's faced with a dizzy situation. Now, as Bill seats himself in the North's living room, Jerry says to him... Speaker 2 (1:09) All right, Bill. Now, what's this great problem that's puzzling you? It's a case that I'm working on. Speaker 1 (1:14) I know. Somebody crept to the window and shot him in the middle of his dinner. Speaker 2 (1:17) What? Speaker 1 (1:18) Yes, I read about it in the paper. He was dining alone. Who was? Walter Middleton, of course, dear. Mrs. Middleton's been dead for years, and the son and daughter were out, so he was alone. The butler heard the shot and ran into the dining room, but Mr. Middleton was already dead. It's been on all the front pages. Speaker 7 (1:34) Oh, I only read the funnies. Speaker 1 (1:36) He was rich as anything, so there's the motive. Cigarette, Bill? Speaker 7 (1:39) Uh, no, no, Speaker 2 (1:40) thanks. Speaker 1 (1:40) The son and daughter are the most obvious suspects, so that lets them out. How about some candy, Bill? Speaker 2 (1:45) No, not just now. Why does it let them out? Speaker 1 (1:47) That's too obvious. Fruit? Speaker 2 (1:48) No, thanks. Speaker 1 (1:49) Nuts? Speaker 2 (1:49) Yeah, I'm beginning to think so. Speaker 7 (1:52) Bill, is this Middleton case what you wanted to ask us about? Speaker 2 (1:55) Yeah, yeah, it has a screwy angle. I thought it would be just up the north alley. You see, we have two confessions. You mean two people have confessed to the same murder? That's right, and each claims he worked alone. Well, that doesn't make sense. Yeah, that's what I said. And since sense doesn't work in this case, I thought intuition might. How about it, Pam? I Speaker 1 (2:14) have to have something to go on. Who are these people who confessed, Bill? Not the son and daughter? Speaker 2 (2:20) No, no. They're a couple of friends of the Middletons. Larry Chapman and George Warwick. Speaker 1 (2:23) Oh, can I meet them? Speaker 2 (2:25) Sure. We're holding them at headquarters. Speaker 1 (2:26) Well, let's go. All Speaker 2 (2:28) right. Speaker 1 (2:28) I wonder what's in back of it, Jerry. I Speaker 2 (2:31) know. They heard Speaker 7 (2:32) confessions good for the soul. Speaker 5 (2:44) The dining room window was open, so I just pointed the gun through it and fired. That's impossible, Larry. Why? Because I did. Speaker 2 (2:50) Here we go again. Speaker 5 (2:51) Look, Lieutenant, doesn't priority count around here? I confessed first. But you're lying. Speaker 1 (2:56) May I ask a question? Speaker 2 (2:58) Go right to it, then. Speaker 1 (3:00) Why did you gentlemen kill Mr. Middleton? Speaker 2 (3:03) Well, I asked him. It's like this. Well, that is... What I was going to say is that... Hold it, Speaker 5 (3:08) hold it, Speaker 2 (3:08) hold it. Now, you, Warwick, why did you shoot Middleton? Well, sir, I... Speaker 5 (3:13) I owed him some money and I couldn't pay him, so I killed him. You took the words right out of my mouth. You mean I put them in your mouth? Never even thought of it. I don't care what you say. I don't care what anyone says. I killed Walter Middleton. I'd hope to die if I didn't. Speaker 7 (3:26) It's the other way around, George. Speaker 1 (3:28) This isn't getting us anywhere. Why Speaker 7 (3:30) don't we toss a coin? Winner gets the electric chair. Wait Speaker 1 (3:34) a minute, Jerry. Now look, if either of you shot Mr. Middleton, you had to have a gun. All right. Tell us where the gun is and we'll see if it matches the bullet. Speaker 5 (3:45) I threw the gun away. So did I. I mean, that's what I did. I demand you hold me for murder. You ought to hold him for plagiarism instead. Speaker 1 (3:53) Where did you throw away the gun? Speaker 5 (3:55) Who, me? Speaker 1 (3:56) Either of you. Both of you. I Speaker 5 (3:57) don't remember. I wrapped the gun Speaker 7 (4:00) in some old newspaper and threw it in some bushes. Speaker 1 (4:02) What bushes? Where? Speaker 7 (4:04) That's what I don't remember. Well, Pam, you're doing fine. Have any hunches yet? Speaker 1 (4:08) I have a hunch they're both lying. Speaker 7 (4:10) That's no hunch. It's a logical conclusion based on observation of the fact. You must believe me. I tell you, I killed Walter Middleton. With your Speaker 2 (4:17) little hatchet. Yeah, we know. Speaker 5 (4:18) Now, Speaker 2 (4:19) look. Don't either of you fellas want to change your stories? No. I killed Walter Middleton. He didn't. Speaker 1 (4:25) I did. Okay, okay. Here comes the police. Speaker 4 (4:27) Yes, yes. David Middleton with him. Speaker 5 (4:29) Hello, Lieutenant Morgan. Speaker 4 (4:30) Hello. Oh, hello, Mr. and Mrs. Noah. Hello. Lieutenant, I don't know how you're going to like this. Maybe it's good and maybe it ain't. All Speaker 2 (4:37) right, what's up? Speaker 4 (4:37) Well, you sent me to question young Middleton here and check up on his whereabouts on the night of the murder, so I did. Yes. Well, what do you think he tells me? He says he killed his father. Oh, that's swell. He what? Yeah, he wants to confess. Bill, it looks like you've hit the jackpot. Speaker 2 (5:01) Well, I took your advice, Pam, and released our three murderers. But what if it turns out that one of them is telling the truth? Well, we can always pick him up again. We certainly have nothing on either one of them as yet. Speaker 1 (5:11) Besides, if one of them is guilty, this is a better way to trap him. Give him enough rope. Speaker 2 (5:16) But darling, you know what some people do Speaker 7 (5:17) with rope. Speaker 1 (5:17) What? Speaker 7 (5:18) Skip. Speaker 1 (5:19) Oh, we'll have to work fast before he has a chance. Speaker 7 (5:23) Do you have any plans? Speaker 1 (5:24) I'd like to talk to Helen Middleton. Maybe she can tell us something. Speaker 7 (5:28) Okay. But if she tells us that she's the one who killed her father, there'll be a second murder. And I'll commit it. Speaker 8 (5:45) After all, Larry and George are both very dear friends of mine, and David is my brother. You can't expect me to say anything against them. But Speaker 7 (5:52) if one of them killed your father... Oh, Speaker 8 (5:53) none of them did, I'm sure. Speaker 7 (5:55) Why? Speaker 1 (5:56) Well, I just know it. Well, then, perhaps you can tell us something to help clear them. They're all under suspicion. But I don't Speaker 8 (6:04) know what to say. I've told the police all I know, and I've tried to answer your questions. Speaker 1 (6:09) But unfortunately, it hasn't helped us much. Speaker 8 (6:11) Oh, I'm sorry. You Speaker 1 (6:13) can't think of any reason why they should all confess? Speaker 8 (6:16) No. Speaker 1 (6:17) All right. Well, we won't keep you any longer, Miss Middleton. Thank you. I hope Speaker 8 (6:24) you'll pardon me if I don't show you out, but I'm so terribly tired and I don't want to go downstairs again. Oh, Speaker 7 (6:30) that's quite all right. Goodbye. Speaker 8 (6:31) Goodbye. Speaker 1 (6:32) Goodbye. Speaker 7 (6:36) Well, then, what do you think? Speaker 1 (6:37) You forget, Jerry, I'm not supposed to think. I'm supposed to feel. You know, intuition. Speaker 4 (6:44) Well, then, what do