CASE CLOSED! – “Barrie Craig and Nick Carter”
Podcast by RelicRadio.com | April 8, 2026

Overview

This episode of Case Closed revives two classic crime dramas from the golden age of radio:

1. Barry Craig, Confidential Investigator – “Hayes for Homicide” (aired August 31, 1954)
2. Nick Carter, Master Detective – “Poison with a Past” (aired March 4, 1945)

Listeners are treated to suspenseful stories involving murder, greed, deception, and classic detective deduction. The tone throughout is witty, atmospheric, and steeped in the characteristic brisk dialogue of mid-20th century noir radio dramas.

Segment 1: Barry Craig, Confidential Investigator – “Hayes for Homicide”

[00:37–28:44]

Main Plot

Barry Craig is seeking a quiet vacation in rural Vermont but instead stumbles onto murder. What starts as a peaceful evening quickly escalates into a case involving a dead man found on a hay wagon, missing corpses, a glamorous but enigmatic farmer’s daughter, bank heists, and double crosses among criminals.

Key Discussion Points & Highlights

• Opening Reflection on Murder

  • “Someone once said that murder is a fine art. There’s a catch, though. If you’re a successful artist, they hang your paintings. If you’re a successful murderer, they hang you.”
    — Barry Craig ([00:48])

• The Setting & Discovery

  • Barry takes a vacation with Jake, encountering a hay wagon in the Vermont night—complete with a corpse stabbed in the heart but no identification ([03:25]).
  • They attempt to report the body at a farmhouse, provoking warning shots from a mysterious woman.

• Meeting Millie George

  • Millie presents herself as a farmer’s daughter with odd tales of dead men "walking."
  • Barry quickly deduces she’s “a complete liar,” noticing her expensive looks and city polish ([07:00]).

• Strange Events and Shifting Corpses

  • Returning to the hay wagon, Barry finds the corpse missing.
  • “Less hay. Less corpse. No corpse.”
    — Barry Craig & Jake ([11:30])

• A House Full of Scheming Criminals

  • At Millie’s farmhouse, Barry, Jake, “Brady,” and others converge, all pursuing a stash of stolen bank money hidden by a convict named Joey.
  • Sharp, comic banter about “the baby”—criminal slang for the money ([15:09]).

• Dina’s Betrayal and The Final Confrontation

  • Dina, an apparently loyal criminal cohort, flees with the money after staged gunshots reveal her true intentions.
    • “Craigie was right. I feel terrible…But I don’t understand Dina crossing me like that. What’d she get out of it?”
      — Brady ([22:16])
  • Barry deduces the real murderer and thief was “Brady” himself, laying out the logic with satisfying noir flair.

• Resolution

  • Barry exposes the criminal, and the police are summoned.
  • The episode ends with Millie George reaffirming her status as a genuine farmer’s daughter and offering Barry “some country cooked ham” ([27:14]).

Notable Quotes

• “Nature doesn’t concern herself too much about us and our doings, which is very bright of nature.”
  — Barry Craig ([04:21])

• “So far as Millie George was concerned, murder belonged in pretty much the same category as a run in a pair of new nylons. You said how dreadful and bought another pair.”
  — Barry Craig ([09:52])

• “You leave my mind out of this. It’s got its own troubles.”
  — Brady ([25:14])

Segment 2: Nick Carter, Master Detective – “Poison With A Past”

[30:05–58:52]

Main Plot

Nick Carter is called upon to solve a string of mysterious poisonings among members of the Vedanta Society—cases baffling both police and medical experts. The culprit’s signature is a rare, untraceable poison sent as a flower to his intended victims. The story explores themes of jealousy, academic rivalry, and vengeance behind a facade of intellectual camaraderie.

Key Discussion Points & Highlights

• The Odd Case of Untraceable Poison

  • Riley, the police lieutenant, reports a murder by an unknown poison with no clear delivery method, seeking Nick’s expertise ([32:00]).

• Vedanta Society and its Eccentric Circle

  • The suspects are introduced—Professor Travers, Dr. Starr (a botanist), Mary Devine (student), all connected through the Vedanta Society and collections of rare Sanskrit manuscripts ([36:07]).
  • The group all smoked from the same pack of Travers’ cigarettes, but only Shelby died.

• The Menacing Datura Flower

  • Mary Devine brings Nick a datura flower, which she, Star, and Travers received as a warning.
    • “In India, they call it Datura…it intoxicates strongly…can be mixed with food or drink and will kill without leaving a trace. Cannot be isolated unless the chemist knows what he’s looking for.”
      — Nick Carter ([40:11])

• Investigation at the Vedanta Club & Indian Restaurant

  • Nick, Professor Travers, and Dr. Starr visit a curry shop. Travers, after eating, shows signs of poisoning and collapses ([45:13]).

• Deductive Reasoning & Motive

  • Nick links Dr. Starr’s expertise in poisons to the datura, recognizing the use of specialized knowledge as key to the case ([54:24]).
  • Motive is gradually revealed to be romantic jealousy:
    • “Because he took my girl away from me. Took her away from me...It broke her heart. She killed herself. He's an egotistical beast.”
      — Dr. Starr ([52:50])

• Climax: Nick Sets a Trap

  • Dr. Starr lures Mary to his apartment, but Nick preempts this, confronting Starr directly. Starr confesses, and Nick subdues him before anyone is harmed ([52:11]–[54:21]).

• Philosophical Twist

  • Nick notes that Professor Travers, dying, tried to point to his killer, using principles of mental control from Vedanta philosophy ([54:59]).

Notable Quotes

• “Every religion, every system of thought, every philosophy has something worthwhile in it, no matter how peculiar it may seem to us at first.”
  — Nick Carter ([55:28])

• “That’s sure a new one on me—using a Hindu philosophy to accuse your murderer.”
  — Lt. Riley ([55:24])

Notable Moments and Character Exchanges

• Wit and Humor

  • Barry Craig’s dry wit and Jake’s comic country humor provide levity amid the murder investigations—e.g., Jake’s complaints about walking, “I got short ankles” ([13:01]).
  • The criminal exchanges—Brady’s banter and frustration, Dina’s duplicity—add noir flavor and lively repartee.

• Memorable Twist

  • In Nick Carter, the reveal that the murderer tried to engineer a sequence of deaths for personal vengeance, and Nick’s methodical reasoning, create a classic locked-room mystery feel.

Key Timestamps

• [00:48] – Barry Craig’s reflection on the artistry of murder

• [03:25] – Discovery of the pale, unidentified corpse

• [07:25] – Millie George’s mysterious story and demeanor

• [11:30] – The corpse has vanished from the hay wagon

• [15:09] – Criminals argue about the “baby” (the bank loot)

• [22:16] – Dina’s betrayal is exposed

• [28:44] – End of Barry Craig segment

• [32:07] – Introduction of Vedanta Society suspects in Nick Carter episode

• [40:11] – Introduction of the Datura flower as a murder weapon

• [45:13] – Professor Travers is poisoned at the curry shop

• [52:11] – Confrontation and confession from Dr. Starr

• [54:59] – Nick explains the dying clue from Professor Travers

• [55:28] – Philosophical reflection on the value of all belief systems

• [58:52] – Conclusion of Nick Carter segment

Final Thoughts

This episode expertly showcases the golden-age crime drama formulas—cynical yet sharp detectives, shadowy motives, clever foils, and the satisfying unraveling of the “whodunnit.” The performances and dialogue sparkle with wit, and the layered storytelling keeps listeners engaged to the very end. Both stories end with the classic balance of justice and wry observation that defined radio noir.

For more vintage crime and detective tales, visit relicradio.com.