Auto Light and its 98,000 dealers bring you Mr. William Powell in tonight's presentation of...
Suspense.
Tonight, a story based on fact. The true report of a chase through a city in an effort to find a killer.
It's called The Barking Death, our star Mr. William Powell.
This is Harlow Wilcox. Say, could your church use as much as $50,000?
Well, you can help your church, hospital, school, or any other recognized local or national charity share in a total of $100,000
by registering now in the Auto Light family charity drawing a total of $100,000 in cash awards to the recognized charities
selected by the 25 persons named in this drawing.
Now, it is our privilege to have you hear what the head of one of America's finest organizations says about this great event.
Here is Mr. William Ziegler, president of the American Foundation for the Blind.
This unique and generous Auto Light offer deserves your attention.
And when it comes to picking your favorite charitable group, remember that the American Foundation for the Blind needs your help
to help our sightless people of all ages.
To enter the Auto Light family charity drawing, print your name and address on a registration form at any of these Auto Light family car showrooms.
DeSoto, Hudson, Plymouth, Studebaker, Dodge, Willis, Nash, Packard, Kaiser, or Chrysler. There's no obligation.
And now, Auto Light presents The Barking Death starring Mr. William Powell, hoping once again to keep you in suspense.
It's over now, and the town has settled down.
Most of what happened I know because I was a part of it.
The rest I must imagine for you.
Our town is not very large, 25,000 people lost senses.
Good town, proud of its police and fire protection.
Proud of its
city administration and its health center.
Then a thing happened to me.
I was a little bit worried.
I was a little bit worried.
I was a little bit worried.
I was a little bit worried.
I was a little bit worried.
I was a little bit worried.
I was a little bit worried.
Terrifying thing.
And this is the way it began.
Right in here, doctor.
Massive bite.
Here. Cheek.
How long ago?
Ten days ago.
Medicated it himself.
A few hours ago his wife called me.
She wouldn't speak to me when I came in, doctor.
Upset.
Yeah.
Well, Mr. Garrison here has been a patient of mine for a long time.
Whole family.
Well, she called me and said her husband was complaining of headaches.
Then had a spasm when he tried to drink a glass of water.
And a certain excitability.
I didn't know about the dog bite until I came over.
What do you think?
Where's the dog?
That one you hear out in the backyard.
He's on a leash attached to clothesline.
Yeah, I'll get him down to the lab and run us a live attest.
Observe him.
What about Garrison here?
Last year treatment?
You need me to say it for you, doctor.
If this man's got rabies, it's too late for anything at all.
The dog was a mongrel.
Mostly beagle.
Spotted black and white.
Both ears and its muzzle white.
A man from the animal society was called in and he took the dog to the health center.
It was shortly after midnight.
Mr. Garrison was kept under sedation.
His symptoms being very painful.
I got to the center about 8.30 the next morning.
And went immediately to the laboratory where the dog had been quartered.
Yeah, I got the list right here, lieutenant.
Three microscopes.
That's right, lieutenant.
Three microscopes, binocular.
Dissecting instruments.
So must have taken a couple of fistfuls of them.
I don't know exactly what.
Scalpels, probes.
I guess that's about all.
Hey, what's the matter?
Oh, hi, Paul.
Hold it a minute, lieutenant.
Dr. Miller just came in.
Robbery here last night, Paul.
Got three microscopes.
Yes, I heard you.
Must have picked the lock.
I found a piece of tin on the sidewalk when I came in.
Well, you finish up with the police and then you can tell me about it.
Hello, lieutenant.
Yeah, you got that?
Oh, the way I figure, it couldn't have been just one man.
Those microscopes are pretty heavy.
So there must have been a couple of them.
Oh, yeah, sure.
I'll leave everything alone.
Joe?
Hold a minute, lieutenant.
Yeah, what, Paul?
The dog.
Huh?
In that cage.
The lock's been sprung in that cage.
Did you...
Why?
I don't know anything about it.
Then give me that phone.
Hello?
Yes?
This is Dr. Miller.
Yes, sir?
Something's important.
Dr. Kramers just gave me a list of things that were stolen.
Listen, there was a dog here, a rabid dog.
And he's gone.
What?
A dog, a black and white spotted mongrel.
And chances are, a thousand of one he had rabies.
And whoever stole those microscopes stole that dog.
If that dog bites, well, rabies is 100% fatal.
I guess you'd better let me have that description, Doc.
Black and white spots.
Mostly beagle, I think.
Where'd you get them crazy black and white spots, doggy?
Cliff.
Doggy.
Doggy?
Pooch.
Here's some more hamburger, doggy.
Look at him, Harry.
Cliff.
Nice doggy.
What'd you take the dog for, Cliff?
Pretty doggy.
Merchandise ain't enough for you, Cliff.
Microscopes, all that junk, you gotta take that down.
I like pooches, Harry.
Now, leave me alone.
I like pooches.
That dog's got to go.
Oh.
Got to go.
Now, listen.
Out out with that dog, Cliff.
I ain't gonna live in the same room with no androids.
Now, wait a minute, Harry.
So you like the dog.
Well, both of you, good day.
Cliff, you and the pooch.
Doggy.
Doggy, you're not liked.
You gotta lose your doggy.
Now.
Poochie.
Poochie little poochie.
We gotta go for a little walk, poochie.
And a petty thief took a walk with a dog, holding him in his arms against the chill autumn air.
Took a walk while the town alerted itself, made aware of a danger, that leaders and interested
people had came together and were briefed.
Now, everyone find a chair and sit down, please.
Dr. Miller.
Yes?
My name is Mrs. Stone, and I...
Mrs. Stone, there'll be ample opportunity to...
I've written down a question, a question here, and I'd like to ask you.
Is it the habit of this foundation to house a mad dog?
The second part of my question is, who is responsible for the laxity in letting this
dog escape so that he is a menace to the community and its people?
That's my question, Dr. Miller, and as a housewife and a woman who...
Well, I would like to hear what you have to say.
Mrs. Stone, this meeting was called for the press and any interested parties just to answer
that kind of question.
The dog was under observation to make certain he was rabid.
But the fact remains...
What fact remains?
Somebody was incompetent.
That's all I have to say.
Dr. Miller.
Mr. Collins.
My paper is questioning your methods.
What about?
All this publicity.
A newspaper man and you...
The duty to the community.
What about panic?
What about it?
Well, scaring people about an animal on the loose, an animal that might kill you.
People from the health department ringing doorbells, police, people up in the hills with
guns hunting for a dog, a spotted black and white dog.
A little ridiculous, huh?
Is it?
That's the question I asked you, doctor.
Yes, you did.
Dr. Crammas.
Yes, doctor?
Are you ready with the film?
Already.
Will one of you people switch off that light, please?
Now, in this projector is just a few feet of film of a child suffering from rabies.
I think all of you should see it.
Okay, doctor.
All right.
Now, will someone turn on the lights again, please?
Well, I see Mrs. Stone walked out.
Well, I didn't show that film to scare anyone.
Just so we can get into a frame of mind, just so we can be deadly serious.
Somewhere in our town is an animal which has a deadly disease.
And whoever he bites, if that person does not receive immediate treatment, that person
will surely die.
You mean anybody who gets rabies?
Will surely die.
Without treatment, it's 100% fatal.
Now, Dr. Crammas, can I have that chart?
Of course, doctor.
Drawing a human nervous system.
To make a simple point, the virus of rabies attacks the nerves, travels them until it reaches
the brain.
The closer to the brain the bite is, the less time it takes for the awful symptoms you just
saw to appear.
Then, death.
And I repeat it.
Once the virus reaches here, it is 100% fatal.
Want a doggies, honey?
Huh?
Pretty little doggies.
You can have them.
Honest?
Just you be nice to them, that's all.
My mother wouldn't let me have them.
Oh, pretty little poochie.
Feed him.
Feed him right back here between his floppy little ears.
You could keep them in the garage, though.
And not tell Mommy.
Just so you be good to them.
That's my house right over there.
Right in back's the garage and nobody hardly goes in there.
We use it for storage mostly.
Mommy wouldn't know I have them.
Now, he likes meat and bones.
I know about doggies.
He needs something warm.
Put a cushion down.
Yes, sir.
Handling nice.
What's his name?
Pooch.
Oh, what kind of name?
Look, you want them or don't you want them?
Come here, doggy.
Come here, pretty doggy.
The boy, whose name was Peter Barrett,
took the dog at his arms and walked away with it.
And a half mile away, a jeep, outfitted as a sound truck, blared a warning.
The three men's clubs of the town held an emergency meeting together.
Searching parties were organized.
The civil defense system was alerted.
And a man, a health officer, directed all of it.
A man who became tired.
Paul?
Yeah?
Some coffee.
Oh, thanks.
I've got it black.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Put it down.
Now who should take it easy?
What do you want, Joe?
Just take it easy.
16 hours.
Well, probably.
No, I'll get it.
Dr. Miller's office.
This is Dr. Cremar speaking.
Oh, yes.
Oh.
Oh, that's too bad.
Yes, of course, I'll tell him.
Well?
Tell me what?
Mr. Garrison died, rabies.
They'll send some samples over to Pathology for Negro bodies,
but there's no question about it.
Now we're sure of it.
Rabies.
Yeah, now we're sure of it.
The dog hasn't been found.
And somebody's going to irritate that dog, and he'll bite.
And the rabid dog is very easy to irritate.
Hi, doggy.
Hi, sweet doggy.
Brought you a bone, doggy, and some milk.
You look funny, Poochie.
What's the matter?
Come here and snuggle up.
Is that better?
Auto Light is bringing you Mr. William Powell in The Barking Death,
tonight's presentation in radio's outstanding theater of thrills,
Suspense.
This is Harlow Wilcox.
Tonight we are privileged to salute the Studebaker Corporation
as a distinguished member of our Auto Light family.
So I've got a date at my Studebaker dealers,
and here I am.
Hello, Mr. Wilcox.
Hi.
Say, what's this model?
A car of the future?
Well, it's a car of the future, all right, but you can buy one today.
It's the new Studebaker for 54.
You know, Mr. Wilcox, while other makers are talking about their dream cars,
Studebaker is building and selling them.
But of course, the pace-setting Studebaker styling means more than just beauty.
It eliminates needless dead weight and excess bulk.
That means terrific gas mileage and superb handling ease.
Well, can you get power steering on the new Studebaker?
You sure can, and overdrive, too, if you wish.
And of course, our new Studebakers use many Auto Light products, too.
Well, thanks, Mr. Dealer.
Auto Light is proud of its long association with Studebaker
and you Studebaker dealers everywhere.
And now, Auto Light brings back to our Hollywood sound stage
Mr. William Powell in Elliot Lewis's production of
The Barking Death, a story based on fact
and well calculated to keep you in suspense.
A child of the town nuzzling his cheek against death,
something he was hiding away, child's secret,
as every child has and is entitled to a secret.
And in another place of the town, the place of test tubes
and experiments and statistics, the town's health center
and my office.
Hello.
Yes?
Dr. Miller.
Yes, what can I do for you?
I'm Mrs. Rokey.
Will you sit down?
All those advertisements about a dog.
Yes?
On the radio and the newspapers.
Yes? You know where...
Oh, yes.
You know where it is? Is that what you're saying?
But first you must understand something, Dr. Miller.
What?
That I alone am responsible for catching the animal.
You caught him?
I certainly knew the risk I was taking.
Where is he, Mrs. Rokey?
Now, after all, if that animal's as dangerous as you say he is,
I did a pretty brave thing.
Oh, there you are, Mrs. Rokey.
Come on, let's leave Dr. Miller alone.
Oh, you think you're smart.
What's all this?
She came up the back way.
Just take your hand away.
Come on, come on.
So what is all this, Joe?
Mrs. Rokey got past the police.
She got past the information desk and she got to me
and she told me she caught a black and white spotted dog.
She's got one all right.
I have.
Yes, you have, Mrs. Rokey.
In my car.
Yes, you have, Mrs. Rokey.
Then you go right down there and destroy him.
We don't destroy animals, Mrs. Rokey, never.
Dr. Miller.
Yes?
Now, you listen here.
I caught a mad dog and I...
She's got a little chihuahua down there,
not the dog we're looking for.
Mrs. Rokey wants her picture in the paper.
Don't you, Mrs. Rokey?
You don't really know what's going on right now, do you?
Now, come on, let's get out of here.
Oh, all that bother about a dog.
Oh, probably no such thing as rabies anyhow.
Come on.
Mrs. Rokey.
Mrs. Rokey, pray that that animal doesn't bite anyone.
What did you do that for?
Why did you bite me?
Why did you bite my arm, poor Foochie?
Mama!
Mama!
Mama?
Mama?
Mama!
Which happened in a white clobbered house,
1647 Whittier Avenue,
Darroch detached near the railroad yards.
And down Main Street, close to its east end,
where there's more grass,
the group of municipal buildings,
the office of the lieutenant of police.
From my point of view, Dr. Miller, police point of view.
Now, which is that?
What we seem to have forgotten.
Two microscopes were stolen and various instruments,
the disposal of same.
That's my point of view, Dr. Procedure.
You care to tell me about it?
Yeah, we're looking for the wrong thing.
What do you mean?
It's easier to find microscopes than a dog.
Anyhow, I told you, procedure, routine.
We question men with known records, alerted...
Excuse me.
Lieutenant Stevens speaking.
Oh, when?
Good. Bring him down here.
I said routine, doctor. You didn't seem impressed.
Shootably so, lieutenant.
Listen, there's only one thing that could make me jump up on this desk
and shout array and go through all the antics you...
Oh, no, just take it easy.
It's not a time to get cryptic, that's all.
Oh, thanks, sergeant. That'll be all.
Sit down.
Sit down.
What's your name?
Wood. Harry Wood.
Vagrancy.
Started out like that, sir.
Yeah, that's what the sergeant told me over the phone.
He said you yelled you weren't a vagrant
and they took you home to find out.
And they found a microscope.
I said routine, doctor, and you didn't seem impressed.
Spotting a vagrant is routine.
Is it all right if I...
Sure, sure. Go ahead.
You stole the microscope from the health center, didn't you?
Yes, sir.
Three microscopes and instruments on the dog.
Yes, sir.
Where's the dog?
I don't know.
Now, listen, you. What did you do with that dog?
I said I didn't know.
Cliff took the dog.
What's he talking about, lieutenant?
Cliff, the other man. There was more than one, remember?
And he took the dog.
And I made him get rid of it.
How?
I didn't ask him how I got rid of it. He got rid of it.
Well, where is he? Where is this Cliff?
Lieutenant, ask him where...
Now, look, the sergeant said he went back to this man's room.
No one was there.
Or the two other microscopes, or the instruments.
I don't know where he went.
I'm going to say it to you again, doctor. Routine.
Mostly that pays off more than anything else.
Now, it's a matter of finding a man named Cliff.
And 12 blocks away, across Main Street,
and down two blocks, there was a store.
There was a man in the store he had owned for the last 20 years.
Smallish man, nothing extraordinary.
Citizen of the town.
About to become a hero.
Yes, sir?
Hornet.
Listen to...
microscopes.
Yes, yes, I see.
How much?
Two microscopes.
I'm throwing over my entire practice and getting rid of everything.
And I'll tell you something.
Oh?
Give me a good price on these two and I got another one.
Doctor.
I said, doctor.
Oh, yeah. Yeah?
Mr. Harding, our instrument man, is in the back.
You should see these.
Well, you understand.
Oh, sure, sure, sure.
You're just the violin and suit man,
and Mr. Harding's the instrument man.
Oh, sure, sure, sure.
Wait here. I'll be right back.
Well, you just tell Mr. Harding the docs in a big hurry.
Quickly, the police.
Hello?
This is Carl Roberts on 3rd Street, pawn shop.
A man just came in, a little bit drunk,
came in with two binocular microscopes,
both at the embossed room.
Says he has another one, claims he's a doctor.
Oh, yeah.
Oh, just a second.
Serial number.
G1-135...
Wait, no, Mr. Harding.
I told you on the phone.
Give me those. Now, sir.
Get out of the way and give me those microscopes.
You're a dirty little thief. That's what you are,
breaking into the health center and stealing,
and that's where these microscopes come from.
Look, the whole town is looking for them.
I said get out of my way. Oh, no, you don't.
Can't you ask for it?
Help.
Stop him! Stop that man!
Stop him!
The man who owned the pawn shop had been in business
for the last 20 years.
A smallish man, nothing extraordinary,
citizen of the town, who became a hero,
who caught a thief named Cliff Loomis.
Loomis confessed to his thefts,
and a little later I had a chance to speak with Loomis.
How about a dog?
Look, I've been on a tooth.
A dog with black and white spots and white muzzle.
What do you want from me? You got your junk back.
What's so important about a lousy dog?
Look, the police have been to your room, and he's not there.
I asked you a question. What's so important about a lousy...
Did he bite you?
You're crazy.
Did he?
Bones he bit. Me, he wagged his tail for.
A very nice dog.
I want to show you something.
Here, look at them.
Go on, take them, Cliff.
Pictures?
Go on.
Go on.
Doc.
Yes?
You must be crazy carrying around pictures like these.
Pictures of people dying, Cliff.
That's what I mean, pictures like these.
People bitten by a rabid animal.
What does that mean?
Like that dog you stole.
What?
It had rabies.
Bitten somebody, they'd...
Unless they were treated in time.
Doc.
Yes?
I gave the dog to a little boy.
Where?
Where, Cliff?
Doc.
Where?
I don't know.
Listen, Cliff.
No, no, I'm not kidding, Doc. I don't know.
I told you I've been looped.
This is the joke that makes me all of a sudden not looped,
and I'm telling you the truth.
I don't know where the kid is.
Yeah?
Doc.
Doc, it was... it was now...
It was somewhere near where our room was.
I remember Harry said, get rid of the pooch,
so I went downstairs and the first kid I met, I...
It's hazy, Doc.
Listen, we'll take a ride, Cliff.
Police too?
Afraid so.
We're going to take a ride,
and we're going to try to find that boy.
Ring a lot of doorbells and ask a lot of questions.
And find him, right?
Okay.
I'm sorry, Tinker Doll.
I didn't see you.
I didn't mean to kick you.
Now don't you cry.
My mom isn't home,
and I won't know what to do if you cry.
I know.
I'll play you a tune.
Better?
I got hurt too.
It doesn't hurt so much anymore.
Poochie didn't mean to bite me.
Should we play records, Tinker Doll?
All right.
Little, little Dumpling, my son Charles,
went to bed with his stockings on.
One shoe off and one shoe on.
Little, little Dumpling, my son Charles.
Hello.
Hello.
My mother isn't home, mister.
Why are you holding your arm like that?
It hurts a little.
Why?
Poochie bit me.
Then he told me where the dog was.
The dog with the black and white spots.
The deadly animal who had bitten no one else.
We had gotten there in time.
The boy was treated and got better
in a town that slept well that night.
Suspense presented by Auto Light
tonight's star, Mr. William Powell.
This is Harlow Wilcox again.
Have you signed the contract?
I have.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
Have you signed up in the $100,000 Auto Light family charity drawing?
Well, if you're 18 or over,
visit one of the following car dealers.
DeSoto, Hudson, Plymouth, Studebaker, Dodge, Willis, Nash, Packard, Kaiser, or Chrysler.
Just print your name and address on a registration form
and have the dealer sign it.
You don't have to own one of these cars.
You don't have to solve or buy or write anything.
So help your local church, hospital,
the American Foundation for the Blind,
or any other local or national recognized charity share in this huge sum.
Remember, if you are one of the top 25 names in this drawing,
the recognized charity of your choice can receive a big part of $100,000.
So visit any of these Auto Light family car showrooms.
DeSoto, Hudson, Plymouth, Studebaker, Dodge, Willis, Nash, Packard, Kaiser, or Chrysler.
Make sure to sign up tomorrow.
The Story of a Stranger
Next week, the story of a man who wanted to apologize for threatening a stranger.
When he got there, the stranger was dead and the police were waiting.
It's called Circumstantial Terror.
Our star, Mr. Ronald Reagan.
That's next week on Suspense.
Suspense is produced and directed by Elliot Lewis with music composed by Lucian Morawick
and conducted by Lutte Gluskin.
The barking death was written for Suspense by Morton Fine and David Friedkin.
Featured in the cast were Junius Matthews, Dick Beals, Ted Bliss, Joseph Kearns,
Jack Crouchon, Gene Wood, Paula Winslow, and Hi Everback.
This is the CBS Radio Network.