Episode 379: The Mystery of the Dog That Did and Didn't & The Mystery of the Guest in Number Two

[00:00:16] Speaker A: The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society Podcast welcome to the Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society, a podcast dedicated to suspense, crime and horror stories from the golden age of radio. I'm Eric. [00:00:36] Speaker B: I'm Tim. [00:00:36] Speaker C: And I'm Joshua. [00:00:37] Speaker A: We love mysterious old time radio stories, but do they stand the test of time? That's what we're here to find out. [00:00:43] Speaker B: This week we're listening to a double feature of episodes I chose the Mystery of the Dog that Did and didn't and the Mystery of the Guest in Room Number two, both from the series we are checking out for the first time, Dr. Tim detective. [00:00:57] Speaker C: As is often the case, little is known about the origin of Dr. Tim detective and what facts are available contradict each other. There seems to be broad agreement that the 13 episodes of the series were created in 1948 as a way to educate young listeners about topics related to health and medicine. [00:01:17] Speaker A: Part of the difficulty in nailing down details is that apparently different parts of the country would broadcast a series locally years after it was created. For example, an article in the September 3, 1950 Morning Star in Rockford, Illinois announced a radio series to present health education by means of Mr. Dramas to interest Rockford school age boys and girls will be presented weekly on Mondays at 6:15pm over radio station WROK beginning Labor Day. Dr. R.J. moroz, president of the Winnebago County Medical Society, announced. The 13 week dramatized series, especially produced for young listeners, is being presented through the Public Relations Committee of the Medical Society. It is offered through the cooperation of the Rockford Radio Council, sponsored by the Central Illinois electric and gas company and station WR. [00:02:08] Speaker B: Okay, only seven of the 13 episodes remain, each about 15 minutes long, and Bob Hahn is credited as playing the title role. So now let's learn a little bit about health and medicine with the Mystery of the Dog that Did and didn't and the Mystery of the Guest in room number two from Dr. Tim detective. First broadcast probably sometime in 1948. [00:02:29] Speaker C: It's late at night and a chill has set in. You're alone and and the only light you see is coming from an antique radio. Listen to the sounds coming from the speaker. Listen to the music and listen to the voices. [00:02:43] Speaker D: The Tim Detective to bring you by transcription the Mystery of the Dog that Did and Didn't. It had been a tiring week, and as I washed up after some experiments I'd been making to determine whether a certain murder case had involved the use of poison, I thought what a swell day it would be for a picnic in the mountains. It was early in November and from my laboratory window, the mountains looked as if they'd been sprinkled with powdered sugar. I'll get Sandy and Jill, I told myself, and we'll make this a Saturday to remember. You see, Jill's my landlady's daughter, and Sandy lives up the street a way. They've both been mighty useful from time to time in helping me to solve some mysteries. I turned off the water, dried my hands, and started to go out into the hall to call Jill and Sandy, when the phone rang. [00:03:37] Speaker E: Hello, Tim? [00:03:38] Speaker D: Yes, Jarvis speaking. [00:03:40] Speaker E: I've got a case that looks right up your alley. [00:03:42] Speaker D: I sighed. There, I thought, goes my holiday in the mountains. Because whenever my old friend Dr. Jarvis calls, it's sure to be a case of more than ordinary interest. Jarvis works for the health department, and I've been consulted by him on problems before. He continued. [00:03:57] Speaker E: Yes, it's right in your neighborhood, too. They've just taken a woman to the hospital, and there's no doubt about it, she has Rocky Mountain spotted fever. [00:04:04] Speaker C: What? [00:04:05] Speaker D: In November? [00:04:06] Speaker E: Interested, huh? [00:04:07] Speaker D: But the tick season's been over since, well, the middle of the summer. [00:04:11] Speaker E: Well, you can examine the woman yourself if you want to, but three doctors, including myself, have made the diagnosis, and it can't be wrong. Severe chills followed by a fever of 104, or 5, pain in the muscles and joints, and get this, the spotting of the skin has already started this morning. [00:04:27] Speaker D: But where do I come in? [00:04:28] Speaker E: Well, you and I know there's one cause and one cause only, for the spotted fever ticks. She's been bitten by an infected tick and recently. What did you say? The tick season has been over for several months now. Why don't you go over to the house? [00:04:43] Speaker D: Well, Jarvis, what makes you think I'm the one? [00:04:45] Speaker E: Well, you're supposed to be good at that sort of thing. [00:04:49] Speaker D: Okay, but don't expect any results. Spotted fever in the winter? This plane doesn't make sense, that's all. Now give me that name. And addressing all my top coats, I. I tried to make sense of the puzzle. The address was that of Mr. Herman May, just around the corner from me. I recognized the name. There was a Willie May, a few years older than Jill and Sandy, who played with him sometimes. And speaking of Sandy and Jill, it was curious, I thought, that I hadn't seen anything of them this morning. Usually on Saturdays they'd be clamoring at my daughter. Well, I needn't wonder any longer. I called. Come in. Like a streak, a yapping white dog ran between my legs. Jumped up and down in greeting and then dashed around and around my laboratory, barking and sniffing in great excitement. Sandy and Jill followed the dog into the room, more slowly but obviously bursting with excitement. [00:05:50] Speaker E: Tiny. [00:05:51] Speaker D: Tiny. [00:05:51] Speaker E: Here, Tiny. Come back at this instant. [00:05:53] Speaker D: Oh, dear. I'm sorry. [00:05:54] Speaker F: Dr. Touch, please carry me. Got away. [00:05:56] Speaker D: A little ball of fur, silent now, came dancing into the laboratory from my adjoining bedroom. I blush to admit that my bachelor housekeeping isn't all it should be. The dog proved that. For two days I'd been looking for that particular sock the dog carried in his mouth. It must have been under the bed. Put it down, sir. [00:06:14] Speaker E: Put it down at once. [00:06:14] Speaker D: The dog dropped the sock and wagged his tail nearly off. [00:06:18] Speaker F: Honest, I'm awful sorry, Dr. Tim. He'd be nice to Willie Main. He's mother's in the hospital. [00:06:22] Speaker D: You mean the dog's mother. [00:06:23] Speaker F: Don't believe me, Dick. I mean Willie's mother. And she has something awful. I forget what it's called. [00:06:28] Speaker D: It's called Rocky Mountain Spot Spotted fever. And it's caused by the bite of a tick. Despite its name, the disease is found in almost every state of the union. Only funny thing is there aren't supposed to be any ticks around during the cold season. [00:06:41] Speaker E: Good gosh. How did you find out about Mrs. May? [00:06:45] Speaker D: I mean, detectives know everything, Sandy. [00:06:49] Speaker F: Hey, I bet I've got on Dr. T in on the case already. And he can't keep us out of it because Willie May ask us to take care of his dog for him while he's staying over at his aunt. Cuz Mr. May's working and can't get off and he left the pee with us so the doctor who's going to investigate can get in. And all the time it was you, Dr. Kim, and. [00:07:04] Speaker E: And what are we waiting for? [00:07:06] Speaker D: Let's get going. A few moments later, we unlocked the door to the May house and went in silence and pondering. Our equipment consisted of flashlights for peering into dark corners. In our search for the presence of another tick or two which might have accounted for the illness of Mrs. May. Each of us had an envelope and a pair of tweezers. So as not to run the risk of crushing an infected tick and getting some of the deadly microbes upon ourselves. After a few joyful homecoming yelps, Tiny disappeared to some secret place of his own. We began the search in earnest. We divided the front room and the adjoining dining room into areas, calling across to each other as we searched for a chance tick that might be hiding. [00:07:55] Speaker F: I don't think I'VE ever even seen a tick, Dr. Kim? [00:07:58] Speaker D: Well, you can't miss one if you find it. They're grayish brown little bugs. Oh, less than half the size of your little fingernail. Which makes them pretty hard to see when they're in their natural setting. [00:08:08] Speaker E: Yeah, I know. I found them in rotting logs in the wood. But why does the bite of a tick, if you spot it deeper, the. [00:08:14] Speaker D: Bite of most ticks won't. But there's one particular kind of ticket tick. We doctors call it Dermacenter andersoni, which can pass on the disease to human beings. [00:08:22] Speaker E: Gee, what a name. [00:08:23] Speaker F: But how do the ticks get the fever? [00:08:25] Speaker D: They don't, Jill. They only carry the organism that causes it. [00:08:29] Speaker E: I wish you'd quit using those words. What the heck's in an organism? [00:08:32] Speaker D: It's an agent which carries a disease, but it's so small that it can't be seen except through a microscope. [00:08:38] Speaker F: Yeah, but I still want to know. [00:08:39] Speaker D: Well, these ticks bite sheep or squirrels, prairie dogs or coyotes that have the disease, and then they bite people and pass it on to them. They're what we call carriers. They can pass spotted fever on, but don't have it themselves. You see? [00:08:52] Speaker E: Just like the mosquitoes that cause malaria. [00:08:54] Speaker D: Yeah, exactly. [00:08:55] Speaker F: More like Typhoid Mary. We learned about her in school. She gave hundreds of people typhoid after she'd recovered some at herself. Didn't even know she was carrying the disease around. [00:09:04] Speaker E: Hey, I found something. [00:09:05] Speaker D: Don't touch it. Let me see it. [00:09:07] Speaker E: I thought it was a tick. It's only an old piece of rubber band. [00:09:10] Speaker D: Well, kids, we've covered these two rooms thoroughly. We can give them a clean bill of health. Let's move on towards the back of the house. By the time we'd covered the downstairs thoroughly, Sandy and Jill had received an alternative elementary course in Rocky Mountain spotted fever. They learned that it's mostly in April, May and June the ticks are active. They were made to realize the necessity for protecting oneself with heavy boots, stockings, gloves and tightly buttoned shirts. Before going into areas in the mountains which are known to be full of ticks. They learned that the only way to make sure even then is to have one's body thoroughly inspected. Each evening before going to bed. I explained how to remove all ticks gently from the skin, remove them without crushing. They learned that the clothing must be inspected as well, and all danger of ticks hiding there eliminated. It was a good lesson, but we weren't any further along in our mystery. Just as we finished looking over the Downstairs part of the house and the basement. The door opened and Mr. May came in. We introduced ourselves and soon were deep in confidence. Yes, Doctor, if I have any old hunting clothes or sheepskin jackets that I might have taken into tick country, I don't. I haven't been outside my car in the woods or mountains for several years. Well, what about the dog? Perhaps he had a Tiny. No, Tiny's never been on a trip during the year we've had him. Tiny, hearing his name, came joyfully dashing in, bearing as a trophy exactly one half of what looked to be a bedroom slipper. Loudly, he laid it before Mr. May. We all quickly agreed that such a short haired dog couldn't very well carry ticks without their being easily found. Besides, he'd had no chance to pick them up. There was nothing to do but continue our search. Slowly we moved upstairs, Mr. May leading the way, or rather Tiny leading, with all of us following behind. It was in the closet of Mrs. May's room Room that our first break came in the case. Sandy gave a shout. Look. It's. [00:11:25] Speaker E: It's right here on Mrs. May's fur coat. [00:11:28] Speaker D: Quickly, we gathered around. I took the coat, laid it on the bed, and then one by one hauled the clothes out of the closet. By the time we were finished, the count was five ticks under my magnifying glass. All of them we easily identified as the carrier of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, the wood tick Derma Center Andersoni. In the clothes closet of a house in town, months after the tick season was over, here was a mystery indeed. In fact, in the excitement of our discovery, I overlooked what turned out to be one of the most important clues in the whole case. Tiny the dog came bounding into the room with a small box in his mouth. He shook his head back and forth as if he were worrying a bone. Suddenly, the lid of the box flew off and over the carpet threw out a mess of butterflies, the fruit of some collector's search of the previous summer. [00:12:19] Speaker F: Here, Daddy Tim. I'll pick them up. [00:12:20] Speaker D: And with a farewell to Mr. May and a promise to resume our detective work later, I took the kids out to eat. It was an hour later we sat over dessert in a downtown restaurant with both kids feeding their week's allowance into a jukebox while we discussed the progress of the case. [00:12:51] Speaker E: Well, I've got a theory anyway. [00:12:53] Speaker D: I think it was murder. Now, sadly, no one's dead in the first place. Now, could it even be attempted murder? Not one person in a million would think of scattering wood dicks Around a room in the hopes that the right victim would get spotted beaver. [00:13:06] Speaker F: See, I don't know. Perhaps C. May hated his wife. [00:13:08] Speaker D: Oh, that's complete 106. Could have bitten him or young Willie for me. [00:13:13] Speaker E: Hey, that reminds me. We looked all over that doggone house, but we didn't remember the secret room in the basement. [00:13:20] Speaker D: Secret room? What is this, a Middle Ages thriller? [00:13:24] Speaker F: Oh, it isn't really a secret room. It's really sardatic reputorium. Who else heard where he collections too. But heading Taliban? [00:13:32] Speaker A: Sure. [00:13:32] Speaker E: You go through kind of a winding passage, all painted black. [00:13:34] Speaker D: The light won't spoil the pictures. [00:13:36] Speaker E: Will he develop? [00:13:37] Speaker D: Let me stop and think a moment. What sort of collection does a Master Willie make? Oh, butterflies and bugs and stuff. [00:13:44] Speaker F: Well, gee, I'll bet that's where Tiny got that box of fur. [00:13:47] Speaker D: Now, hold on a second. You mean the dog can go in and out of that room as he pleases? [00:13:50] Speaker E: Sure he can. [00:13:51] Speaker F: Well, it's great, Daddy. Kim, what's the connection? [00:13:54] Speaker D: I'm not sure, but I think I know how Mrs. Mrs. May got spotted fever. You kids hop in the car outside and I'll make two phone calls and maybe I'll come up with the answer. And I did. The first call was the young Willie May. At his end, I asked one question. Willie said yes, he did collect a lot of miscellaneous insects the summer before. Some of them were ticks. The second call was to a specialist friend of mine who is an authority on the habits of insects. He assured me that certain insects, the wood tick among them, can live in hibernation for months and still have enough life to attach themselves to a human being and cause the disease. It was obvious that Willie's ticket collection, scattered around the bedroom by the dog just as he'd scattered the butterflies, was the solution to the mystery. And it turned out later it was. Sandy and Jill were full of questions, but only one or two were to the point. [00:15:03] Speaker F: Well, what about Mrs. May? Will she get well? [00:15:06] Speaker D: She has an excellent chance, Jill. Spotted fever is often fatal, but one of the new wonder working drugs is being used in a lot of cases these days. They're using it on her. [00:15:16] Speaker E: Gosh, isn't there some kind of stuff like vaccination for spotted fever? [00:15:19] Speaker D: There is, but there isn't much reason for anyone to have those inoculations. Unless he plans to go into places where ticks might reasonably be found. It's not a sure method of preventing spotted fever. Even if used. The injections must be taken six weeks before exposure. Being careful Is the only answer. [00:15:38] Speaker F: Well, this was your one case where a dog was the carrier of a disease and yet he wasn't. Not in the usual way. [00:15:45] Speaker E: Yeah, the mystery of the dog that did. [00:15:48] Speaker D: I puzzled over that one and finally came to a compromise. It's the mystery of the dog that did and didn't. This is Dr. Tim, detective, saying so long until next week at the same time when Sandy, Jill and I will bring you by transcription the mystery of the girl from San Singapore. [00:16:24] Speaker G: This is Dr. Tim, Detective, to bring you by transcription. The mystery of the guest in number two, being a combination of doctor and detective, gets pretty rugged sometimes. And this was one of those times. All right. The guest in number two, we called him Jill, that's my landlady's daughter, first called him to my attention. [00:16:56] Speaker F: Mom's disgruntled. Number two. You know the room up on the second floor to the dog gone. This guy. [00:17:02] Speaker G: I remember you thought I was the dog gone. This guy when I moved in here and set up a laboratory for crime detection and medical work. [00:17:09] Speaker F: Well, but Sandy thinks so too. Don't you, Sandy? [00:17:13] Speaker E: Yeah, I think maybe he's a criminal in hiding. [00:17:15] Speaker G: I'm afraid you kids have developed unnatural suspicions from helping me out with some of my cases. [00:17:20] Speaker E: Well, anybody that says his name is Jones. [00:17:23] Speaker G: Now, look, some people really are named Jones. Several hundred thousand of them, I presume. And. [00:17:28] Speaker F: Yeah, but if that's his name, then why are all his suitcases marked with rwm? [00:17:33] Speaker E: Sure, every one of them stamped in gold letters. [00:17:35] Speaker G: None of our business, kids. Boy, your mother'd skin you alive, Jill, if she knew you were prying into the luggage of a paying customer. And as for you, Master Sandy, it might be smart for you to confine your detective work to your own premises and not in other people's houses, right? [00:17:50] Speaker F: Right. [00:17:51] Speaker E: Oh, okay, I guess. But I still think it's hard. [00:18:03] Speaker G: I wish now I'd paid more attention to Sandy and Jill in the matter of the stranger in number two. But you never know until it's too late. Anyway, nothing happened to break the routine of my laboratory week for a couple of weeks. Then late one afternoon just before dinner time, I was cleaning up my laundry. [00:18:23] Speaker F: Dr. Tim, you don't mean those jars are full of real blood? Blood from people? [00:18:28] Speaker G: Exactly that, Jill. [00:18:29] Speaker E: What do you do with it? [00:18:30] Speaker G: Oh, a lot of things. Blood's a pretty useful thing. A lot more so than most people realize. [00:18:36] Speaker F: Where you get it? [00:18:37] Speaker G: From the bank, Jill, the blood bank. And that's just what it actually is. All over the country, these Banks keep blood for use whenever and wherever it's needed. [00:18:46] Speaker E: Sure, but what do you do with it? [00:18:47] Speaker G: Well, that's a long story, Sandy, but it amounts to this. For years, doctors have known that blood isn't just one thing. It's lots and lots of things. And each one of those parts or fractions of the blood can be separated from the other parts. And these are used to cure people. I'm trying to find some new blood parts or some new uses for the old ones. That's why there's always blood samples in the laboratory refrigerator. Catch. Well, I'm all cleaned up here at last. Now, what's the news? [00:19:17] Speaker F: Mom said I'd better come up and see you. A professional visit, she called it. I don't feel so good today. [00:19:24] Speaker G: Symptoms? [00:19:25] Speaker F: Well, I've been very sick of my stomach and my eyes hurt and I feel all kind of worn out. [00:19:30] Speaker E: Personally, I think she's just trying to get out of doing homework tonight. [00:19:33] Speaker F: I am not. [00:19:34] Speaker G: Well, let me take a look. Jill, stick out your tongue. Uh huh. Say ah. [00:19:40] Speaker F: Ah. [00:19:42] Speaker G: Sandy? [00:19:42] Speaker E: Yes, Dr. Tim? [00:19:43] Speaker G: Hand me that thermometer, will you? [00:19:44] Speaker E: Sure. [00:19:44] Speaker G: Thanks. I'll keep it in your mouth for a while, Jill. [00:19:48] Speaker E: Dr. Tim? [00:19:49] Speaker G: Yes? [00:19:50] Speaker E: You know that guy Jones upstairs? [00:19:52] Speaker G: Oh, I wouldn't say I know him, Sandy. We've spoken in the hall. [00:19:55] Speaker E: Well, I know you told us to lay off, but the dog honest thing happened just a few minutes ago while I was waiting by the stairs for Jill. [00:20:01] Speaker G: Ah, the curse of an overactive imagination. Go on. [00:20:05] Speaker E: Anyway, he came in with this other man right behind him. And Dr. Tim, I'd swear that other guy had a gun in his overcoat pocket, was pushing it right up against this Jones guy's back. [00:20:13] Speaker F: They didn't see me. [00:20:14] Speaker G: I didn't have time to laugh because just at that moment, from right overhead came the sound of a fight and then something else. A shot. For a moment we stood there paralyzed. It wasn't until I heard a crash of glass and saw a figure hurdle past my window and stood streak it over the back fence and up the alley that I could move. And by the time that we reached the upstairs room, it looked as if we'd arrived too late. The mysterious Mr. Jones was lying on the floor with a pool of blood beside him. He'd been shot. Shot right through the back. Looking. Looking back on it afterwards, I don't know what I'd have done without those kids. There wasn't anybody else in the house. And if I ever needed six hands, I needed them. Then, sick as she was, Jill Just gulped and said, holy gee, is he. [00:21:08] Speaker F: Is he dead? [00:21:10] Speaker G: He wasn't quite. It was a matter of moments. Gunshot wounds can be pretty nasty where there's loss of blood. You always have shocked contend with. And shock can be mighty serious in itself. Sandy didn't have to be told. In a flash he was downstairs and back with my medical bag. One word to Jill, the word police sent her flying to a telephone and I knew an ambulance and help would be on the way at once. Meantime, the mysterious Mr. Jones was in the hands of God and a doctor. I hoped I was a good doctor. I remember asking God to help me out on that score. Jones was dying fast. Then I remembered that blood in my laboratory. Downstairs in the lab, Jill and I worked as we'd never worked before. While Sandy kept watch upstairs over the wounded man. We didn't talk much, Jill and I. Just a few quiet questions and answers. [00:22:09] Speaker F: Here's the microscope site, Dr. Jim. Are you gonna give him a transfusion? [00:22:13] Speaker G: Yes. Have to check his type of blood first with a microscope. Use the wrong kind of blood and it would kill him. Good thing I have whole blood on hand for those experiments. He wouldn't last until they could get some. Here. Now that solution please. [00:22:26] Speaker F: Yes. [00:22:28] Speaker G: This one seems to match his blood. Quick, hand me that bottle. [00:22:31] Speaker E: Mark. Typo. [00:22:32] Speaker G: Now go to the sterilizer. Twenty minutes later the ambulance arrived. Two squad cars and a dozen or so police were scouring the neighborhood for some trace of the man who had tried to murder the mysterious Mr. Jones. And as for Jones, that blood had saved his life. Had replaced the vital flight fluid, the blood cells and all the other chemical elements so necessary to keeping the life of a man going. Jones was still unconscious, of course, and would be for a long time. Yet his condition was so serious that he couldn't even be moved to a hospital. Could have meant sure death from more loss of blood and shock. The case was out of my hands now, but I'd done my best and I hope my best was good enough. I sank down weakly in a chair in my laboratory. And it wasn't until I noticed Sandy and Jill, big eyed and bursting with excitement that I remembered the other side of the affair. Who had shot Jones and why. Maybe I could help there too. But one look at Jill and I knew her heart was going to be broken. For this was one case where she was going to be out of the running. I spoke quietly. Jill. [00:23:51] Speaker F: Yes. Got you. Tim. [00:23:52] Speaker G: You're going to to bed. [00:23:54] Speaker F: Oh, Dr. Tim. [00:23:55] Speaker G: Hate to do it to you, old girl, but you remember that little examination we were making. Well, yes, but as your doctor, madam, I order you to bed. You have measles. A few minutes later, the house had tubes bed patients. One a very sad young lady with measles, the other a man nobody knew who had almost been murdered. A third patient, Sandy, was standing up bravely under a light while I stood over him with a hypodermic syringe. What's the stuff, Doc? Well, believe it or not, Sandy, it comes from blood, too. It's going to keep you from catching Jill's measles. Or at least it'll make certain that you have a very light case and protect you for a long time afterwards. What do you call it? Immune serum? [00:24:45] Speaker D: Globulin. [00:24:46] Speaker E: Let's skip that one, huh? [00:24:48] Speaker G: Well, you see, this stuff is one of those blood parts fractions I was telling you about. When you take blood from people who have had measles and separate it into its parts, this globulin. [00:24:58] Speaker E: Hey, how do you spell that one? [00:24:59] Speaker G: Well, G, L, O, B, U, L, I, N. It works wonders to keep people from getting measles from other people. [00:25:07] Speaker E: I'll take your word for it, doc. Go ahead and shoot. [00:25:09] Speaker D: Okay. [00:25:10] Speaker E: I didn't even feel it. Am I safe now? [00:25:12] Speaker G: Perfectly safe. [00:25:14] Speaker E: Dr. Tim. [00:25:15] Speaker G: Yes? [00:25:16] Speaker E: You know, I've been watching that guy Jones, the one who was shot. I can tell you something about him. [00:25:19] Speaker G: What? [00:25:20] Speaker E: He's loony. You know what he does? [00:25:22] Speaker G: No. [00:25:23] Speaker E: He collects rocks, believe it or not. Just common old rocks. [00:25:26] Speaker G: Well, that's a harmless pastime. [00:25:28] Speaker E: Sure got him in a mess of trouble. [00:25:30] Speaker G: Maybe you've got a point there, Sandy. But why would anybody shoot a man for collecting rocks unless. Well, unless they were gold or something. [00:25:38] Speaker E: Whoever shot him was after those rocks, all right. When you left me alone with Mr. Jones in the room upstairs, I sort of. Well, sort of noticed that several of his suitcases had been busted open. [00:25:47] Speaker G: There were rocks with labels on them. [00:25:49] Speaker E: Scattered all over the room. I'd sure like to know why. [00:25:57] Speaker G: It must have been midnight when I decided I couldn't get to sleep and might have well do a little looking around. After what we'd all been through, I wanted to forget the mystery and relax. The police could carry on from here, but I couldn't. So I went up the stairs to where the mysterious Mr. Jones hovered between life and death. I motioned the nurse to be silent and carefully examined the room. Sandy was right. There was nothing of interest except the rocks. There were hundreds of them, all sizes and all shapes and all neatly labeled with cryptic little stickers which said Northwest 100A or South G8 referring no doubt to some location on a map where they had been gathered. I took a couple with me to examine at leisure in the laboratory and started downstairs when I noticed a light coming from under the door to Jill's room. [00:26:48] Speaker F: Come in. [00:26:50] Speaker G: Well, sort of late for a sick girl to be reading, isn't it? [00:26:54] Speaker F: Oh, honest, I've been asleep. [00:26:56] Speaker G: Well, it's lights out now. Doctor's orders. [00:26:58] Speaker F: Okay. Doctor, how's Mr. Jones? Is he gonna live? [00:27:03] Speaker G: I wish I could tell you, Jill. The use of blood has given him a chance. First the transfusion, then later maybe he'll need plasma. [00:27:10] Speaker F: What's there? [00:27:12] Speaker G: Oh, plasma is another part of blood, Jill. It can be stored indefinitely and won't spoil as quickly as whole blood. You use it when you don't need the red cells, the blood, just the liquid part. [00:27:21] Speaker F: Gee, bloody sure. Wonderful stuff. [00:27:25] Speaker E: Chris. [00:27:25] Speaker F: Jim, what are you doing with those rocks in your hands? [00:27:27] Speaker G: Oh, these? Well, they're from Mr. Jones room. Seems to be a lot of them up there. [00:27:32] Speaker F: Are they anything special? [00:27:34] Speaker G: I don't know, Jill. Sandy mentioned them and I thought, I. [00:27:38] Speaker F: Know what they are. I was reading in the paper tonight everybody's out looking for them. [00:27:42] Speaker G: For what? [00:27:43] Speaker F: Well, gosh, I forget what you call it, but prospectors go out with some of electric machines and I. I just. [00:27:48] Speaker G: Stood there with my mouth hanging open. What a dope I've been. It took two kids to tell me what I should have seen from the very first moment. Without even saying good night to Jill, I dashed down the stairs, picked up the telephone and called the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This was a case for the G. It took a couple of weeks before the case was cleared up. My hunch, thanks to the work of Sandy and Jill, had been right. Jones had been prospecting for uranium, the vital mineral for atomic energy and research. Jones told us the whole story later. How he was prospecting for the government which badly needed new supplies of uranium. How he'd been forced at the point of a gun to give up his map and then brutally shot. The G men caught the man all right, but never gave out the whole story of who was behind the robbery and the attempted murder. But I wasn't anyone working for the good of this country. Jones had really found uranium too. And the mine is being worked today thanks to Sandy, to Jill and to a mistake mysterious substance known for thousands and thousands of years as blood. This is Dr. Tim detective saying so long until next week at this same time when Sandy, Jill and I will dip into my case book and bring out a brand new transcribed story. The mystery of the man from trouble Creek. [00:29:48] Speaker A: That was the mystery of the guest in room number two. And the mystery of the dog that did and didn't from Dr. Tim detective. [00:29:59] Speaker B: Yep. [00:30:00] Speaker A: Here on the mysterious old radio listening society podcast once again. I'm Eric. [00:30:04] Speaker B: I'm Tim. [00:30:05] Speaker C: And I'm Joshua. [00:30:06] Speaker A: I want to be honest, I thought we had a lot more years left before we ran out of radio shows. [00:30:17] Speaker B: Here's the bottom of the barrel. [00:30:22] Speaker A: We've done every single radio show. We're down to Dr. Tim, medical detective. Right. Or Dr. Detective. [00:30:32] Speaker B: Dr. Tim detective. [00:30:33] Speaker A: Dr. Tim detective. [00:30:34] Speaker B: Part of why I'm so enamored with this whole thing is the ambiguity. [00:30:38] Speaker A: Your name is Tim? [00:30:39] Speaker C: Yeah. You mean like, it should be Dr. Tim Pedophile. [00:30:45] Speaker B: Well, it's not clear. Like, is this a guy named. No, it's not Tim Detective who's a doctor. Is his name like, I'm Charles Timm and I'm a detective as well. Or is it I'm Tim Plummer who is also detective? [00:30:56] Speaker A: Or they allude in the fact to the kid's parents. Or mom wasn't real happy with him moving in and didn't trust him. Like, do they? Yeah. There was a weird moment where he said, when you set up all this stuff in this laboratory, you thought it was pretty weird. And. Yeah, mom thought it was weird. There was. [00:31:13] Speaker C: Okay. Yep. Yeah. [00:31:14] Speaker A: And it was like. Yeah. Everything about you. [00:31:16] Speaker C: What's weird is I've had a long day at work. I'm gonna have a picnic with some children. That's weird. [00:31:25] Speaker B: I don't know where. If I had to now go find a place to rent that I lived and put a medical lab in. [00:31:31] Speaker G: That's. [00:31:32] Speaker B: That's a tough real estate find. [00:31:33] Speaker G: Right. [00:31:34] Speaker C: So question. Shall we tackle these episode by episode or just jumble it all together? [00:31:41] Speaker B: I think we can jumble it all together. [00:31:42] Speaker C: Okay. [00:31:43] Speaker B: I will also just put out. So, Tim, why did you choose these episodes? [00:31:48] Speaker A: Yes. [00:31:48] Speaker B: So obviously because it's Dr. Tim Detective. My name is Tim. That stuck me. And. [00:31:55] Speaker C: Oh, I was 99% sure it ended there. [00:31:58] Speaker B: No. [00:32:01] Speaker C: By bizarre coincidence, I'm also a doctor. [00:32:06] Speaker B: I've just started watching House. Ah, yes, Obviously. For years, people said house is an amazing show. I'm sure it is, but I've been. [00:32:14] Speaker C: It is. [00:32:15] Speaker B: So I'm almost for the first season, so I'm just flush in medical mystery. Joy. [00:32:20] Speaker C: Why not ruin it? [00:32:24] Speaker A: Well, you also. It's timely because if you own a dog, we're right now in the Bravecto, get that. Get your dog on Bravecto tick season. And I kid you not, listening to that. I got up, looked at my calendar, went, all right. My dog needs his bravecto today. [00:32:42] Speaker B: Thanks, Dr. Tim. [00:32:45] Speaker C: Yeah, Minnesotan. I think the tick one resonated with me, the stronger of the two. Although I did find both of them entertaining in a weird way. [00:32:56] Speaker B: But that was more so than the education for children of like when you've got someone bleeding out on the floor, here's what you do. [00:33:02] Speaker A: Here's your thing. [00:33:03] Speaker B: When someone's been shot in the back. [00:33:04] Speaker C: In your attic, I just can relate to ticks more than being shot in the back. The scene of them with flashlights searching an entire house for a wood tick. [00:33:15] Speaker A: Right. [00:33:16] Speaker C: Was gone gold. [00:33:18] Speaker A: If you don't have wood ticks where you live, here's how you find wood ticks. [00:33:23] Speaker C: Just. [00:33:23] Speaker A: You'll feel them in the middle of the night crawling on you. [00:33:28] Speaker C: Yeah. And they, they love children. Instead of searching, they just. He's just sort of put Jill or Sandy as like a Judas. [00:33:35] Speaker B: Dip it in barbecue sauce. [00:33:36] Speaker C: Yeah. Wait till the hungry wood ticks came crawling out of the woodwork. [00:33:42] Speaker A: There is something to this. I hate ticks so bad. God, when I find them on me, I just. Oh, by the way, if you don't know what Bravecto does with dogs, the ticks bite them still, but then they die because of what's in their system. It's poison for ticks. So when you find the same way. [00:34:03] Speaker B: Of like, anything that bites me is probably not going to survive the experience. [00:34:08] Speaker C: Like, oh, diet Dr. Pepper. [00:34:14] Speaker A: So when you find the ticks, your dog, it's very satisfying because they're just dead. They're still hooked on. [00:34:21] Speaker C: Yeah. It's how children in Minnesota are introduced to body horror. [00:34:25] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:34:25] Speaker C: It's like, did you get it, mom? No. But the head is still inside you. [00:34:30] Speaker A: Yes. The head comes up. So burn it with a match. This is an absolutely true story. My real father, I had a father and a stepfather, Right. So he passed away. My real father, about 8 years old. But he was a very much a non stop smoker. Right. So one day they, I. Something's on my head, Right. Something hurts on my head. I'm probably five years old. They brought me into the bathroom. See that? It's a tick. Pull the hair aside. Here's how they got the tick out of my head with the cigarette. [00:35:06] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:35:06] Speaker A: Yep. He lit a cigarette and burned that sob out of my scalp with a cigarette. 1970s, everybody. [00:35:15] Speaker C: Every ashtray in my childhood was full of cigarette butts and the dead bodies of wood dicks. If you got one they put in the ashtray, burn it right there. [00:35:26] Speaker B: And you burn it according to the others. [00:35:28] Speaker C: Yeah, like a Viking funeral death for these woods. [00:35:34] Speaker A: You can't crush them. They're like made of like kryptonite. [00:35:38] Speaker C: To get us back to the episode, though, a fur coat full of wood ticks is a really revolting image. Yeah, yeah, I will give it credit there. [00:35:48] Speaker B: I don't think they dog walking in with a box full of wood ticks and just shaking it around. [00:35:56] Speaker C: It is so what a dog would do. [00:35:58] Speaker A: Yeah, it is. [00:36:01] Speaker B: Oh, we didn't search the secret room in the basement. [00:36:04] Speaker C: Now you're telling me about the secret room in the basement, right? [00:36:08] Speaker A: Yeah. This is a really tough marriage in the idea of we want to educate and make it a mystery because the dialogue veers off into literally like one of those old film strips. The woodtick primarily lives, you know, and he just starts there now, spouting information and then back to solving a mystery of some sort with both Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boy. One of them. [00:36:36] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:36:36] Speaker A: One Hardy Boy. [00:36:39] Speaker C: It's clearly an adult woman playing Jill and her voice is so high pitched, I made out about half of her dialogue. [00:36:46] Speaker A: I couldn't understand most of what she was saying. [00:36:50] Speaker C: What's that you said, Jill, you should stay here. [00:36:56] Speaker A: You're sick. You have the measles and we don't have a cure yet. [00:37:00] Speaker C: Probably one of my favorite moments in both of these episodes is when the children are suspicious of a man who moves in who merely has a different last name than the initials on his suitcase, while they're totally comfortable with the other guy, with Dr. Tim, who's an unmarried man whose only friend are children and he has bottles of blood in. [00:37:24] Speaker A: His room and his name is Tim Smith or Tim Jones. [00:37:28] Speaker C: Oh, no, that's the other guy. The other guy's name is Jo. Just the stranger in number two, Right? The quantity of times they said number two. [00:37:36] Speaker A: And where, where did they live? [00:37:37] Speaker C: In some number twos that are pretty strange. [00:37:40] Speaker B: It was a spy number two. [00:37:42] Speaker A: What is this boarding house? Like this is that. Where do these kids live? What is happening? Oh, my God. Every single element of this is terrible. [00:37:55] Speaker C: I mean, it is exactly what educational attempt? Well, educational shows for children were in this era in the late 40s, early 50s. Yeah, it feels like a parody because it has been parodied so often for the last. What is that, 75 years? This is sort of part of the cultural Zeitgeist. Now, this type of very pointed educational infotainment, I don't know what it would be called. [00:38:23] Speaker A: Right. [00:38:23] Speaker B: Well, it. Even having my own name in the title. I don't know that I would have brought this except for I found the disjointedness between exactly what you're saying. Like, we're gonna tell a mystery that has, like, there's crime and a guy got murdered or is almost murdered, and we're teaching you lessons about hemoglobin. [00:38:43] Speaker C: Yeah. Immune serum globulin. That's the truly exciting part of this, kids. [00:38:48] Speaker A: It was so hit. Like, oh, it's touch and go with this guy. I don't know. I've done everything I can. And the whole thing is that we don't know if he's gonna live. And then of the blue, like, he's alive. Like, there's no celebration of it. There's no reveal of it. It's like, in passing. Oh, by the way, that guy's alive. [00:39:05] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:39:06] Speaker A: I'm waiting to find jars of blood that I keep. [00:39:08] Speaker B: Keep jars of blood, kids. [00:39:13] Speaker A: Yes. And wear Kleenex boxes on your feet. [00:39:17] Speaker C: Aluminum foil on your head. [00:39:21] Speaker A: They're just leading you down this path of I wonder if this guy's going to live. And then don't ever really come back to it. [00:39:28] Speaker C: I guess I wasn't being legitimately critical of this children's show. I didn't hold it to the same standards that Eric's. Like, if you're on this podcast, you better be. Suspense level. Good. [00:39:40] Speaker B: It's not lost to me that I might be bringing in this year's worst of episode. [00:39:44] Speaker A: Oh, you absolutely have not. [00:39:46] Speaker C: My first time worst of is when you fall far below your intentions. This is this. The intention of this is to trick kids into being educated. [00:39:57] Speaker B: And Eric got his dog. [00:39:59] Speaker A: Yeah, you're right. [00:40:00] Speaker C: You are the target audience. That's why you're so bitter. [00:40:04] Speaker A: Yeah. Thanks. [00:40:06] Speaker C: And as a double feature, it was nice to put the tick episode first. That was fairly innocuous in terms of violence or criminal stakes. Although I personally prefer Sandy's idea that wood ticks were used as a murder weapon. That would be cool, but so they could throw Sandy. So I was legit. [00:40:31] Speaker A: So mad at her. Don't you be stupid. Come on. [00:40:36] Speaker C: I was surprised when someone actually got shot in the second episode because I thought the first one established, okay, that's the ceiling for action adventure. Yes. And like, whoa, this guy got shot in the back just for having the wrong initials on his suitcase. [00:40:52] Speaker A: Those kids are they not scarred. Someone got shot, and they walked in on that person bleeding out, you know, and he says they were troopers and called the police and went and got, I don't know, Band Aids or whatever the kid did. Like, those kids are horrifyingly scarred. There was a murder attempt in their house or whatever the hell the giant mansion of rooms they live in. [00:41:16] Speaker B: Sandy had beezles. I mean, she's probably not tracking anything, right? [00:41:21] Speaker C: It was nobody they knew. It was just number two guy. [00:41:27] Speaker A: That dogs. You gotta get better trained, though. [00:41:30] Speaker B: I think the dog might have done it on purpose. Like, I will kill these people. [00:41:34] Speaker C: Kill you all. They don't know. Woodticks just hibernate. [00:41:39] Speaker A: Is that true, by the way? Can wood ticks hibernate? Because now I'm even more. [00:41:43] Speaker C: Dr. Tim doesn't lie. [00:41:45] Speaker A: All right, well, now I'm even more freaked out. I'm gonna turn the heat on in my house, start smoking cigarettes, get ready. [00:41:57] Speaker B: And so the. The fanfiction in my head then is the house version of this, where Dr. Tim has these kids next to a whiteboard listing off symptoms of, then insulting them. [00:42:08] Speaker C: It's not Lopez, you idiot. Never lupus. [00:42:14] Speaker A: There's gotta be an entertaining good way to educate. I mean, does it always have to end up bad? Like you've learned something and you were entertained. Can that not happen? [00:42:25] Speaker B: And Schoolhouse Rock, I think, is the model. [00:42:27] Speaker A: Yeah. There you go. There's a good example. Thank you. I wanted one. I'm just a Tim. Yes. I'm only a Tim. [00:42:36] Speaker B: I'm a detective and a doctor. [00:42:37] Speaker A: I know the preamble to the Constitution. Because of Schoolhouse Rock, you might not. [00:42:42] Speaker B: Know it exactly correctly. [00:42:43] Speaker A: We the people, in order to form more perfect union. I will not finish, but I know the whole thing because I can sing it. [00:42:49] Speaker C: But didn't they edit it so that we the people. The rhythm in order. [00:42:54] Speaker A: No, Go look it up. I also know the Lord's Prayer from that Lord's Prayer song that was a hit in the 70s. You know that one? I'm talking about Our Father who art in heaven. It was the big hit. [00:43:08] Speaker B: I know Floyd did that. [00:43:10] Speaker A: You know, it was actually a nun that recorded that and got a huge. [00:43:14] Speaker C: Well, Pink Floyd does the psalm. I'm forgetting the number. [00:43:17] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. Animals in animals. Yeah, the psalm. [00:43:20] Speaker C: So that's probably what you're thinking of. [00:43:21] Speaker A: The Lord is my shepherd. [00:43:23] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. I shall not want. [00:43:27] Speaker A: He make me lie down. [00:43:32] Speaker C: Thanks, Dr. Jim. [00:43:35] Speaker B: We sure learned a lot today. [00:43:39] Speaker A: What the hell did you just put me through? [00:43:43] Speaker C: A fur coat full of wood ticks. [00:43:45] Speaker A: Yeah, it's terrible. That is scary. And horror. If they would have put it on like I'm put on this fur coat. Oh, my God, I'm full of ticks. That would have been great. [00:43:57] Speaker B: I mean, the process of. We found five wood ticks through this long process of looking at every piece of clothing, always to me is like. So you missed like 60 of them, right? [00:44:07] Speaker A: Yeah. You find one wood tick, there's a thousand more. That is a fact. [00:44:11] Speaker C: On your scalp. [00:44:14] Speaker A: There's nothing worse than find a wood tick. And then you go, well, I've got to go. Get naked. [00:44:20] Speaker B: Stop smoking. [00:44:20] Speaker C: I might say there's something worse. Leeches. [00:44:23] Speaker A: Oh, God. Leeches. [00:44:25] Speaker C: Okay, I'm moving. Another Minnesota fun, parasitic adventure we could have. [00:44:30] Speaker B: Oh, that's why Minnesota touched nothing. [00:44:34] Speaker A: Right? [00:44:34] Speaker C: I remember being at a lake as a child so vividly. And I'm sitting there and some girl comes running out of the lake just shrieking. And I'm like, mom, mom, what's going on? My mom's like, leech. She felt so, so calm. And I remember being just horrified. And I swear, I just letting you. [00:44:53] Speaker B: Know what a burden you are. Not answering your question. [00:44:56] Speaker A: I walked out of a lake as an 8 year old once with about 20 of them on me. Just covered. And they had to yank them all off. Oh, yeah, yeah. You know what else I hate about lakes? Water fish biting you. [00:45:10] Speaker C: That's kind of cute. [00:45:11] Speaker A: When they sort of nibble and seaweed. Give me a pool. Give me a pool. [00:45:16] Speaker C: A cement pond. [00:45:17] Speaker A: Give me a cement pond. Hey, I'm ready to vote. I hated it. Tim. [00:45:25] Speaker B: I'm not gonna say classic. That probably doesn't stand the test of time, but this is super historically significant. [00:45:33] Speaker A: I'll give you that. [00:45:34] Speaker C: Keep going. [00:45:35] Speaker B: In part because it represents. It is standing in for a whole sort of genre we never touch. And I love it because my name is in it and because it makes me laugh. And I had a good time. [00:45:47] Speaker C: I think it is adorable and slightly weird and was very fun to listen to. It's a kids educational radio show from the mid 20th century. I'm not gonna hold it to the same standards. I hold other things. And I thought it had a lot of unexpected moments. I never got bored listening to it. You know, I'm not gonna listen to all 13 of the surviving episodes. [00:46:12] Speaker B: Probably only five more after these two. [00:46:14] Speaker C: Okay. Okay. I'm gonna listen to at least five more. Definitely stands the test of time, as I said earlier, because it is incredibly familiar to us 75 years later because People recognize the inherent comic value of the awkwardness of how these early 50s educational programs were put together. And that style of comedy has never died. You can go online right now and find somebody doing it on YouTube or TikTok. So it definitely in that respect stands the test of time. Now, do I endorse choosing episodes for this podcast because the series has your name in it? Probably not, but you lucked out again, Tim, you bastard. I had a lot of fun. [00:47:03] Speaker A: Also, that's payback for Cinnamon Bear. [00:47:07] Speaker C: I love Cinnamon Bear. [00:47:08] Speaker B: Maybe I gotta do a whole different podcast. [00:47:12] Speaker A: Tim, tell him other stuff. [00:47:14] Speaker B: Please go visit ghoulishdelights.com, home of this podcast. You'll find other episodes there. You can vote in polls, leave comments, let us know how much you loved these episodes. Especially if you're Tim. This is kind of special for you, Tims. [00:47:30] Speaker C: Or if you're a doctor or a detective. You don't have to be all three. We can't all be all three. [00:47:34] Speaker B: If you have a weird relationship with two kids who are not yours. [00:47:40] Speaker C: Please don't email us. [00:47:44] Speaker B: You can also find a link to our store if you want like T shirts, coffee mugs, swag, we got it for you. And you'll find a link to our Patreon page. [00:47:53] Speaker C: Yes. Go to patreon.com themorals and support this podcast. There's just so many reasons to do it, but there are all kinds of perks and we should have a wood tick level, a jar of blood level, A level in which you get to delete this podcast from your stream. [00:48:13] Speaker A: I'm just hoping that. But you're not a first time listener on this one. [00:48:19] Speaker C: This is an outlier and I'm sorry if you love this and you're like, oh, it's an outlier. I won't be listening anymore. Dr. Tim detective all the time. [00:48:31] Speaker A: Hey. The mysterious Old Radio Listening Society Theater company does recreations live on stage of classic old time radio shows and a lot of our own original scripts and work. We are performing radio drama almost monthly and you can find out where we are performing, what we're performing and how to get tickets just by going to ghoulishdelights.com if you're in this neck of the woods. First of all, eat your bravecto. And second of all, come see us. We'd love to have you and see you. Coming up next, the Devil and Daniel Webster. Because my name's in it. [00:49:12] Speaker B: You're the devil. [00:49:14] Speaker C: No, we're doing Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho? No. Next is my choice and my name appears nowhere in it. We will be listening to the 10 years from suspense. Until then. [00:49:29] Speaker A: I think the ticks might have been a murder weapon. Shut up, Sandy. Sorry. I just thought maybe a good plot might be help. Something interesting might happen.