This Is Your FBI: Draft Dodging 05/25/1945

Summary

Choice Classic Radio Detectives | Old Time Radio

Episode: This Is Your FBI: Draft Dodging
Release Date: June 22, 2025

Overview

In this gripping episode of Choice Classic Radio Detectives, listeners are taken back to the tumultuous times of World War II, exploring the clandestine world of draft dodging. Titled "This Is Your FBI: Draft Dodging," the episode delves into the intricate schemes devised to evade military conscription and the relentless pursuit by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to uphold national security. Through a blend of dramatic storytelling and authentic FBI narratives, the episode underscores the moral and legal battles faced during the war era.

I. The Plight of the Drafted

[00:16] FBI Agent:
"This is your FBI... Tonight, the story of a crime against our war effort. Draft dodging."

The episode opens with an official FBI broadcast highlighting the issue of draft dodging, setting the stage for the ensuing drama. The narrator provides historical context, comparing the relatively low rates of draft evasion during World War II to previous conflicts, emphasizing the FBI's successful efforts in minimizing delinquency.

Narrator:
"Actually, the number has been very small, particularly when compared to the last war, when seven out of every thousand men were delinquent... The FBI has vigorously sought to get men in the army instead of jail."
[01:30]

II. The Scheme Unfolds

The narrative transitions to the personal struggles of two young men, Rick and Chub, who grapple with the impending military draft. Their conversation reveals the emotional and financial pressures of the time, leading them to consider illicit methods to evade service.

Chub:
"I ain't the first guy who was ever drafted. Ah, it stinks, huh?"
[03:02]

Rick introduces the idea of obtaining pills that can falsify their physical examinations, a scheme orchestrated by a shady character named Ralph Butler.

Rick:
"He bought them off a guy. They made him look like he had a bad heart or something."
[03:49]

III. Confrontation with Ralph Butler

Seeking a solution, Rick and Chub meet Ralph Butler, who offers them a surefire way to pass their physicals through the use of specially concocted pills. Butler's persuasive tactics and straightforward pricing highlight the desperation and moral ambiguity faced by many during the war.

Ralph Butler:
"Do you want to beat the draft or don't you?"
[05:40]

Despite their reservations about the financial strain and legal repercussions, both young men succumb to Butler's proposition, purchasing the pills intended to mask their true health conditions.

IV. The FBI Strikes Back

The calm is short-lived as the consequences of their actions surface during their physical examinations. Both Rick and Chub fall violently ill, revealing the fraudulent nature of the pills. This incident promptly draws the attention of the FBI, initiating a systematic investigation.

Agent Perry:
"Look, I have a hunch it won't wait."
[12:04]

The FBI's meticulous approach leads them to trace the origins of the pills, uncovering connections to Mrs. Scott and Ralph Butler. Surveillance and analytical efforts culminate in the discovery of falsified records and deceptive operations aimed at exploiting young men during wartime.

V. The Unraveling of the Racket

As the FBI closes in, Ralph Butler attempts to relocate and rebrand his illicit activities, but the agency's persistence uncovers his operations through strategic surveillance and forensic evidence. The dramatic pursuit reaches its climax when the FBI confronts Mrs. Scott and Butler at their operation site.

Ralph Butler:
"We can't peddle them pills anymore. The FBI will take care of that."
[15:08]

The seamless coordination between FBI agents and their investigative techniques underscores their role as protectors of national security, leaving no stone unturned in dismantling criminal networks.

VI. Conclusion and Reflections

The episode concludes by highlighting the broader implications of such criminal activities on national security and societal trust. It draws parallels between spies and criminals aiding draft dodgers, emphasizing that both pose significant threats to the nation.

Narrator:
"To the FBI, there is no difference between a spy and a criminal who aids draft dodgers because both are violating the laws of our government."
[26:58]

The final remarks serve as a testament to the FBI's unwavering commitment to safeguarding the nation, ensuring that every act of treason, no matter how insidious, is met with decisive action.

Notable Quotes

• FBI Agent:
  "This is your FBI...An official broadcast from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation."
  [00:16]

• Chub:
  "I ain't the first guy who was ever drafted. Ah, it stinks, huh?"
  [03:02]

• Ralph Butler:
  "Do you want to beat the draft or don't you?"
  [05:40]

• Agent Perry:
  "You're both involved. We're real suckers."
  [09:15]

• Narrator:
  "Both are a threat to the nation and both must be caught."
  [26:58]

Final Thoughts

This Is Your FBI: Draft Dodging serves as a compelling narrative that not only entertains but also educates listeners about the lengths to which individuals might go to avoid military service and the consequential efforts of the FBI to maintain national security. Through vivid storytelling and authentic dialogues, the episode captures the essence of the era, reflecting the societal tensions and the moral dilemmas faced by many during wartime.

Transcript

[Host]

Welcome to Choice Classic Radio where we bring to you the greatest old time.

[Narrator]

Radio shows like us on Facebook, subscribe to us on YouTube and thank you.

[Ralph Butler]

For [e-mail].

[FBI Agent]

This is your FBI. This is your FBI. An official broadcast from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, presented as a public service by the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States. To your FBI, you look for national security and to the Equitable Society for financial security. These two great institutions are dedicated to the protection of you, your home and your country. Tonight, the story of a crime against our war effort. Draft dodging.

[Narrator]

It's not news when a man is drafted. A notice rarely appears in the nation's newspapers unless that man is a celebrity. It is news, though, when a man is caught trying to evade the draft and so notice does appear in the papers. That's why it may seem that we have had many draft dodges in this war. Actually, we haven't. Actually, the number has been very small, particularly when compared to the last war, when seven out of every thousand men were delinquent. When whole areas like Times Square in New York were roped off and slacker raids were in this war, instead of seven, only one out of each thousand eligibles has been delinquent. The FBI has vigorously sought to get men in the army instead of jail. Those who have tried to make a racket out of the draft have tried many schemes. Some of their victims, like teenage kids just out of high school earning their first real paychecks in war plants and reluctant in a rather human way to give up those checks and go to war, have been misled by a vicious type of criminal.

[Ralph Butler]

Hey, Rick. Hmm?

[Rick]

Oh, hi, Chub.

[Chub]

Hey, did you eat lunch yet?

[Rick]

Yeah, I went across the diner.

[Chub]

Oh, where'd they get you?

[Rick]

Working?

[Chub]

I'm over in assembly.

[Rick]

Oh, you get the same dough?

[Chub]

Yeah, but not as much overtime. It don't make any difference now, though. I got that paper this morning.

[Rick]

Oh, what paper's that?

[Chub]

Greetings from uncle.

[Agent Perry]

Oh, yeah?

[Chub]

Says I should report for my physical next Monday. That's when you go in it?

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Chub]

You should have seen my mother think I was 2 years old or something, the way she acted. I tried to tell her I ain't the first guy who was ever drafted. Ah, it stinks, huh?

[Ralph Butler]

Well, it ain't fair, Chub.

[Rick]

We got good jobs here. We're making real. So why don't they give us a break?

[Chub]

Well, army needs young guys, Rick. Yeah, sure. Look, I don't like the idea either.

[Rick]

Why don't we do something about it?

[Chub]

What do you mean? Not report or something?

[Narrator]

No.

[Chub]

Then what else?

[Rick]

Well, I ran into a guy last night.

[Chub]

Yeah?

[Rick]

I used to play ball with him over in the park. He took his physical last month and they flunked him.

[Chub]

What was the matter with him?

[Ralph Butler]

Nothing.

[Chub]

I don't get it.

[Rick]

He beat the whole thing on account of some pills he took.

[Chub]

What kind of pills?

[Rick]

I don't know. He bought them off a guy. They made him look like he had a bad heart or something.

[Chub]

Really got away with it, huh?

[Rick]

Yeah, sure. He showed me his card.

[Narrator]

4F.

[Rick]

Gee, I found out from him where to find the guy who sells them pills. Hangs out in a bowling ALLEY over on 10th Street.

[Chub]

You could get in trouble on a thing like that.

[Ralph Butler]

This fella didn't hide.

[Chub]

How much are the pills?

[Rick]

I don't know. I was figuring maybe I'd go over that bowl alley night and find out. Wanna come?

[Chub]

Well, gee, I don't know.

[Narrator]

I'll think it over, Chubb.

[Rick]

I'll meet you outside the gate at five o' clock.

[Ralph Butler]

Would you like the bowler string, boys?

[Chub]

No, thanks.

[Ralph Butler]

Shoot a rack, a pool, maybe?

[Rick]

No, we'd rather talk to you someplace, Mr. Butler.

[Ralph Butler]

Let's sit on one of these benches at the back.

[Rick]

Okay.

[Ralph Butler]

Come on. You work out at the bearing plant, huh?

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Ralph Butler]

Must be knocking off plenty of overtime.

[Rick]

We do okay here.

[Ralph Butler]

Sit down.

[Chub]

Thanks.

[Ralph Butler]

Now, what can I do for you?

[Rick]

I already told you this. This pal of mine said I should come to see you. It's about them pills. We're both taking our physicals next Monday.

[Ralph Butler]

And you'd just as soon not pass them, is that it? Yes. I guess maybe we can do some business. Did he tell you the price? No. It's a hundred dollars a box.

[Chub]

100 for each of us.

[Ralph Butler]

That's right.

[Rick]

That's a lot of dough, mister.

[Ralph Butler]

Look, I didn't hustle your business. That's what I charge. Take it or leave it. Gee, now, don't tell me you can't afford it. You're both making a good week's pay.

[Rick]

Yeah, but that's.

[Ralph Butler]

Do you want to beat the draft or don't you?

[Chub]

Well, yeah, sure.

[Ralph Butler]

Then get it up, boys. I guarantee results.

[Rick]

We don't have that kind of money with us.

[Ralph Butler]

When can you get it?

[Rick]

Tomorrow, I guess. How about you, Chub?

[Chub]

Yeah, yeah, tomorrow's okay.

[Ralph Butler]

Swell. You can meet me right here.

[Chub]

Well, how many of the pills do you take?

[Ralph Butler]

There's three in each box. You take them six hours apart. The night before your physical do they hurt you? Hurt you?

[Chub]

Oh, do they make you sick or anything?

[Ralph Butler]

No. You just get a little dizzy. They'll fool any doctor you go up again.

[Rick]

Look, I gotta be getting home, chum.

[Chub]

Okay.

[Ralph Butler]

You'll be here tomorrow, boys?

[Rick]

Yeah, we'll be here right after work.

[Chub]

Look, I hope we don't get in a jam on this thing.

[Ralph Butler]

Mr. Butler, this thing has worked for dozens of guys. There ain't nothing wrong in it keeping kids like you under the army, keeping you from being killed. And that's being patriotic.

[Narrator]

Criminals never know when to quit. Never know that a racket can last just so long. In this case, the existence of the racket was exposed. When the two boys collapsed during their physical examination and became so violently ill that they had to be taken to a hospital. It was obvious to the army doctors that both boys had taken the same kind of pill. Obvious that both were trying to evade the draft. Obvious that this was a case for the FBI. And so, as soon as the boys had recovered sufficiently, a special agent questioned them at the hospital.

[Agent Perry]

How do you feel, boys?

[Chub]

Not so good, you, son.

[Ralph Butler]

Awful.

[Agent Perry]

Are you well enough to answer a few questions about what happened? Yes. I'd like all the details on where you got those pills.

[Rick]

You tell them, Chubb.

[Chub]

Okay. We got him off a guy who hung around a bowling ALLEY over in 10th Street.

[Agent Perry]

Where on 10th Street?

[Chub]

Right near the corner of Maple Avenue. I don't know the address.

[Rick]

I think it's number seven, 20 10th Street.

[Agent Perry]

I see. Who was this man?

[Chub]

His name was Ralph Butler.

[Agent Perry]

How did you contact him?

[Rick]

Pal of mine told me about him. He said we should go there and see him.

[Agent Perry]

Did he charge you for the pills?

[Chub]

Yes, sir.

[Agent Perry]

How much?

[Chub]

A hundred bucks.

[Ralph Butler]

A piece?

[Chub]

Yes, sir.

[Agent Perry]

Wow.

[Chub]

They came three in a box, and we took one every six hours. The night before the physical.

[Rick]

That was some job, too, sir. I had to set the alarm twice during the night.

[Agent Perry]

You're both very lucky. I just read the laboratory report, and the ingredients in those pills might have killed you.

[Rick]

Gee, are we gonna be okay, mister?

[FBI Agent]

Yes.

[Agent Perry]

Doctors believe you'll recover completely, boy.

[Chub]

Hope so.

[Agent Perry]

Now, can you describe this man? Butler?

[Chub]

Yeah. He's about your size. Tall. I mean, he was much fatter.

[Rick]

Chum.

[Chub]

Yeah. He was baldy headed. Wore kind of flashy clothes.

[Agent Perry]

How old would you say he was?

[Chub]

Oh, he was real old. Must have been about 40.

[Rick]

Tell about that address he gave us.

[Agent Perry]

What was that?

[Rick]

The second day we went to see him, the day he gave us the pills, he wanted to know, do we have any friends? He could do business with.

[Agent Perry]

Yes.

[Rick]

Then he told us he wasn't gonna be around the bowling alley anymore. But anyone who wanted the pills could write to him about him.

[Agent Perry]

Where?

[Rick]

Care of General Delivery.

[Ralph Butler]

I see.

[Chub]

Mr.

[Agent Perry]

Yes?

[Chub]

I guess we're gonna get put in jail on account of this, huh?

[Agent Perry]

Well, you've broken the law.

[Rick]

Well, can't you leave Chub out of this? He didn't want any part of it. This was all my idea.

[Agent Perry]

Son, I'm afraid you're both involved. We're real suckers. How do you feel about going in the army now?

[Rick]

Mr. We'd love it.

[Agent Perry]

Yeah, well, I'll talk to the US attorney. I won't promise you what the decision will be, but you might have another chance.

[Narrator]

This was not the first time that such a case had cropped up for the FBI. Not even the first time it had cropped up in this particular city. A watch was set up at the bowling alley, but the man did not return. However, special agents had another lead, a real lead. They had a description of the man responsible and they had a way to reach him. That way was through the post office. The agents waited and watched there every day and every night waited for someone to pick up a letter. A letter addressed to Mr. Ralph Butler in care of General Delivery. Early in the afternoon of the fourth day, someone did pick up a letter for Ralph Butler. Not a rather stout, bald headed man, but a sallow, sandy haired boy. Two agents followed him carefully to a building in the business district, watched him go into an office and the third, and then stopped him in the hall as he came out.

[Agent Perry]

Excuse me, son.

[Mrs. Scott]

Uh huh.

[Agent Perry]

You just delivered the letter to that officer?

[Mrs. Scott]

Yes, sir.

[Agent Perry]

Who accepted it?

[Mrs. Scott]

Nobody.

[Narrator]

You mean there's no one in there?

[Mrs. Scott]

That's right. I put it on the desk and left.

[Agent Perry]

Who asked you to deliver the letter?

[Mrs. Scott]

Some man I met on the street. He said I should pick up a.

[Rick]

Letter addressed to Mr. Ralph Butler at.

[Mrs. Scott]

The General Delivery window in the post office. Yes, he asked me to bring it here to this doctor's office and he gave me a quarter.

[Agent Perry]

This man who asked you to do the errand, was he about my height, son? Rather stout, bald headed?

[Chub]

Yeah, that's him.

[Agent Perry]

Thanks, son.

[Mrs. Scott]

Okay, sir.

[Agent Perry]

Come on, Perry, let's take a look at this office.

[Ralph Butler]

Ryan.

[Agent Perry]

This must be the doctor that Butler told his other customers about.

[Ralph Butler]

The one who made the pills.

[Agent Perry]

Yes, Dr. Woodbury's Health Club. Let's go in, Perry.

[Chub]

Right.

[Ralph Butler]

It's not exactly an elaborate layout.

[Agent Perry]

No, this is apparently the anteroom. Let's see what's in the next office?

[Ralph Butler]

Look at those charts on the wall. Typical quack equipment.

[Chub]

Yeah.

[Agent Perry]

Go ahead, Perry.

[Ralph Butler]

Thanks. Well, at least there's a desk in.

[Agent Perry]

Here, but no doctor.

[Ralph Butler]

What do we do now?

[Agent Perry]

Just wait. Someone should turn up for that letter. I have a hunch it won't wait.

[Mrs. Scott]

Oh, who are you?

[Agent Perry]

We're waiting for Dr. Woodbury.

[Mrs. Scott]

Oh. Is the doctor out?

[Ralph Butler]

Yes.

[Mrs. Scott]

Well, I guess I better wait too, then.

[Ralph Butler]

Do you work here?

[Mrs. Scott]

No.

[Ralph Butler]

Are you a patient?

[Mrs. Scott]

No, I've come here about my son.

[Ralph Butler]

I see.

[Agent Perry]

Is the doctor treating you, ma' am?

[Mrs. Scott]

Yes. That is, I think he is.

[Ralph Butler]

What do you mean?

[Mrs. Scott]

Well, how much do you know about Dr. Woodbury?

[Ralph Butler]

Very little.

[Mrs. Scott]

Are you patients of his?

[Ralph Butler]

No.

[Mrs. Scott]

Do you intend to be? Well, I certainly wouldn't advise it.

[Agent Perry]

Oh? Why not?

[Mrs. Scott]

There's something funny about his business.

[Agent Perry]

How's that?

[Mrs. Scott]

My son came to see the doctor here and he gave him some pills. He told my boy that they'd keep him out of the Army.

[Agent Perry]

Was he about to be drafted?

[Mrs. Scott]

Yes.

[Narrator]

Did he take the pills?

[Mrs. Scott]

No, I wouldn't let him.

[Agent Perry]

You were very wise.

[Mrs. Scott]

I came here today to find out what that doctor was up to.

[Ralph Butler]

Have you ever seen him?

[Mrs. Scott]

No.

[Ralph Butler]

Did your son describe him?

[Mrs. Scott]

No, but I guess he could.

[Agent Perry]

I think we could have the doctor investigated for you, Mrs. Scott.

[Mrs. Scott]

Are you from the police?

[Agent Perry]

We can notify them for you, Mrs. Scott. Now, would you just write down your address?

[Mrs. Scott]

Oh, surely.

[Ralph Butler]

Here's pencil. Thanks.

[Agent Perry]

Someone will call around and have a talk with your son.

[Mrs. Scott]

Oh, this won't get him in trouble?

[Agent Perry]

No. Well, that is, if he doesn't take those pills.

[Mrs. Scott]

Well, I'll certainly take care of that right now. I'll go home this very minute. And thanks, both of you.

[Agent Perry]

Thank you, Mrs. Scott.

[Ralph Butler]

What do we do now?

[Agent Perry]

The doctor must have just stepped out for a moment. So we just wait.

[Ralph Butler]

That you, Cora?

[Mrs. Scott]

Yes.

[Ralph Butler]

I thought you were going to stay.

[Narrator]

In the office this afternoon.

[Mrs. Scott]

I had company.

[Ralph Butler]

Who?

[Mrs. Scott]

Two very inquisitive gentlemen. They had to be from the law.

[Ralph Butler]

What do they want?

[Mrs. Scott]

They were looking for Dr. Woodbury.

[Ralph Butler]

How do you know?

[Mrs. Scott]

They told me.

[Ralph Butler]

What is this?

[Mrs. Scott]

I went down the hall for a minute, and when I came back, they were waiting in my office.

[Ralph Butler]

Didn't they tumble?

[Mrs. Scott]

No.

[Ralph Butler]

Why not?

[Mrs. Scott]

I told them I was just a visitor myself. I said I'd come to see the doctor about my son.

[Ralph Butler]

Did they buy it?

[Mrs. Scott]

Of course. Probably still waiting for the doctor.

[Ralph Butler]

Well, that's that.

[Mrs. Scott]

What do you mean?

[Ralph Butler]

Looks like we gotta find a new touch. Why, I ain't Putting my neck out. By the time this. This time they've got a full description of me, the racket and how it operates. Must have tailed that kid who picked up the letter. Yeah, it ain't gonna take em too long to find out that you're Dr. Woodbury.

[Mrs. Scott]

But that doesn't put us out of business. All we do is change names and locations.

[Ralph Butler]

Now, wait a minute, honey.

[Mrs. Scott]

Now, look. They stopped calling older men in the draft. They're concentrating on youngsters. That makes it just perfect for us.

[Ralph Butler]

We can't peddle them pills anymore. The FBI will take care of that.

[Mrs. Scott]

I can make other things besides pills. Now, let's pack, honey. We'll find a new location, new suckers and start all over again.

[FBI Agent]

We momentarily close the Federal Bureau of Investigation file on draft dodgers. We'll return to this case in just a moment. In ancient Rome, when Julius Caesar spoke of his allies the word he used was socii, spelled S, O, C, I, I in our language, soci survives in the word society. So when you get down to its roots, society means a group of allies. Well, you couldn't find a better description of the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States. This society is a group of allies. Every member of the equitable society has 3,200,000 allies. There is fellow members who have pooled their dollars to protect each other. They have united freely and voluntarily to build greater financial security for themselves and their families. The money that they entrust to their society is always usefully employed. Equitable Society funds help farmers raise food, help families build their own homes help keep the wheels of business turning. By serving its members, the Equitable Society serves America. And now back to the file on draft dodgers.

[Narrator]

The element of surprise is as important to FBI agents working on a case as it is to generals fighting a war. Complete victory may not be won by surprise but the enemy is invariably weakened seriously. The mythical Dr. Woodbury was not trapped by the unexpected appearance of FBI agents in her office. But she was forced to move fast, forced to run, forced to leave. Conclusive proof of her medical work. After obtaining a search warrant, the special agents found that proof in a cabinet in the office. Found it in the form of dozens of white boxes, carefully inscribed. Take one pill every six hours. They took the boxes to the FBI laboratory. You busy, Morgan? No.

[Agent Perry]

Come on in, Perry. I've just gotten a report from the.

[Ralph Butler]

Laboratory on that batch of pills we found in Dr. Woodbury's office.

[Agent Perry]

Same story?

[Narrator]

Yes, more or less.

[Ralph Butler]

They found that the ingredients varied in each pillar.

[Agent Perry]

Good thing some of them didn't get into circulation. Bad as that?

[Ralph Butler]

A couple were powerful enough to kill a horse. Nice business. Yes.

[Agent Perry]

Did you get Anything more on Dr. Woodbury? Just completed a check.

[Ralph Butler]

What's the story?

[Agent Perry]

That office was rented two months ago. Real estate agent said the lease was signed by a woman.

[Ralph Butler]

Who was she?

[Agent Perry]

Dr. Woodbury.

[Ralph Butler]

What?

[Agent Perry]

That's who she claimed to be. I've checked with the Medical Association. They have no record of it.

[FBI Agent]

Excuse me.

[Agent Perry]

Morgan speaking. Yes. Yes. Wait a minute. Let me check that address again. Perry, would you hand me that paper then?

[Ralph Butler]

Yeah, surely. Here you go. Thanks.

[Agent Perry]

It's Mrs. Scott. 217 Fairview Ave.is that check? I see. Thanks. Goodbye. That Scotch woman, the one we met in the doctor's office gave us a fictitious address. Well, wait a minute.

[Ralph Butler]

What are you looking for?

[Agent Perry]

One of the pill boxes we found in the doctor's office. Oh, here we are. Terry, take a look at her handwriting.

[Ralph Butler]

Yes.

[Agent Perry]

Now compare it with this handwriting on the box. Take one pill every six hours.

[Ralph Butler]

I'd say they match.

[Agent Perry]

And I'd say we were fooled. Completely fooled. Yes, just to be sure, let's get a comparison on this from the laboratory.

[Narrator]

It was simple for the laboratory to confirm what the agents had suspected. Mrs. Scott had written the directions on the boxes of pills. Mrs. Scott was Dr. Woodbering. But Mrs. Scott had disappeared. And although a description was sent out, there was no trace of her for two days. And then at 3:30 on a bright, sunny afternoon a trace of Mrs. Scott's work appeared in a nearby city. A small coupe was driving along a street, an empty street, a street clean of traffic, of people except one policeman. A street a car should have no trouble driving down. A street with high stone buildings on either side. Are you all right there? Are you all right?

[Ralph Butler]

Are you okay, mister?

[Agent Perry]

My eyes.

[Rick]

My eyes.

[Ralph Butler]

Did you get glass in them? No. Let me get out, will you? Wait a minute. Wait a minute. You should have some broken bones. I don't think I have. I seem to be able to move. Everything all right? Well, then, let me give you a hand here. Take it easy now. Easy does it.

[Chub]

There we are.

[Narrator]

That's it.

[Ralph Butler]

You sure you're okay? Yes, I'm okay. I watched you coming across that viaduct. When you got to this end, you started driving in circles. I know. Have you been drinking, mister? No. What happened? No one cut you off. In fact, there was no traffic coming at you at all. I know. Well, did something go wrong with the car? No, sir, it was just my eyes. Hey, wait a minute. Let me have A look at them. They're all red and inflamed.

[Chub]

I hurt so I can barely see.

[Ralph Butler]

Look. Are you sure you haven't been drinking? Of course not. I've been taking it physical at the pre induction center all day.

[Narrator]

At the police station, something was found on the man who had been in that accident. Something that made the local police contact the FBI. That something was a small box containing a bottle of homemade eyedrops.

[Ralph Butler]

The laboratory analyzed the ingredients in the bottle.

[Agent Perry]

What's the story?

[Ralph Butler]

Well, it looks like something a kid might put together with a homemade chemistry set.

[Narrator]

Quite a mixture.

[Agent Perry]

Could it simulate an inflammation of the eyes?

[Ralph Butler]

According to the report, the man stands a good chance of being permanently blinded.

[Agent Perry]

I see.

[Ralph Butler]

That box the bottle of eyedrops came in?

[Agent Perry]

Yes.

[Ralph Butler]

Something had been blocked out on the COVID I noticed that the laboratory worked it up and found some handwriting underneath.

[Agent Perry]

What'd it say?

[Ralph Butler]

Wait, I have a report on it here someplace. Oh, yes, Here it is. Read it.

[Agent Perry]

Take one pill every six hours.

[Narrator]

Now, the FBI knew Mrs. Scott was working again and had simply changed her product and shifted her operations to another city. But where was she? They know she and her partner, Ralph Butler, had only been in the city two days. Knew they couldn't have had time to get either an apartment or an office. Knew that they must be staying in a hotel. So the agents began checking the hotels. Went to one after another with A description of Mrs. Scott and Ralph Butler. Went carefully down the list until at last they found a small, shabby apartment hotel which had recently rented a room to a couple answering the description. But the FBI didn't count on the description alone. They compared the woman's signature on the hotel ledger with the handwriting of the woman they were looking for. Then they were sure. Then they knew they had found Mrs. Scott.

[Mrs. Scott]

Ralph. Ralph, you gonna sleep all day?

[Ralph Butler]

Well, look, I've done my work.

[Mrs. Scott]

You were out for exactly three hours this morning.

[Ralph Butler]

Sure, but I set up some real good contacts.

[Mrs. Scott]

Like what?

[Ralph Butler]

I made a connection with a guy who owns a candy store right across the street from the local high school. Well, he's a real larceny bum. He's gonna handle our business with the.

[Mrs. Scott]

Kids in the school.

[Ralph Butler]

Yeah.

[Mrs. Scott]

So that makes you an executive now, is that it?

[Ralph Butler]

Well, he can talk to them punks better than I can.

[Mrs. Scott]

That's only one contact. There's still work for you to do.

[Ralph Butler]

Look, goodbye, hustle around, we'd wind up in the same jam we got in before.

[Mrs. Scott]

Not if you watch your step. Now, come on, get up. Okay, I want you to run out the store for me.

[Ralph Butler]

What for?

[Mrs. Scott]

I need some more powder.

[Ralph Butler]

I thought you sent the bill. Hop out for that.

[Mrs. Scott]

I asked him to go an hour ago and he said he'd get it when he had time. That could take all day.

[Ralph Butler]

What are you making now?

[Mrs. Scott]

Oh, I'm just fooling around with something.

[Ralph Butler]

What is it?

[Mrs. Scott]

I'm trying to put together something that'll work on a man's nervous system. You remember that quack I used to work for out in Cleveland?

[Ralph Butler]

Yeah.

[Mrs. Scott]

Well, he had some stuff that make a man shake all over. Like he had Saint Vitus dance or something. Trying to remember how he did it.

[Ralph Butler]

Look, why don't you just stay with the stuff for the eyes?

[Mrs. Scott]

You gotta keep switching them around. That's what keeps us out in front.

[Ralph Butler]

Who's that?

[Mrs. Scott]

Probably that bellhub.

[Ralph Butler]

Oh, good. Save me a trip.

[Mrs. Scott]

Let him in, will you?

[Ralph Butler]

Okay. Yes.

[Chub]

Here's them powders.

[Ralph Butler]

Oh, thanks.

[Agent Perry]

Just a minute, Mr. Butler. We want to talk to you.

[FBI Agent]

Who are you?

[Ralph Butler]

We're special agents of the FBI. Cora.

[Mrs. Scott]

I heard them.

[Agent Perry]

Is this your son, Mrs. Scott?

[Mrs. Scott]

No.

[Agent Perry]

You know why we're here?

[Mrs. Scott]

Yes.

[Ralph Butler]

Want to pay for the powder, lady?

[Mrs. Scott]

No, we won't be needing it.

[Narrator]

In times like these, there is little difference between a spy and a criminal who aids draft dodgers. Because both are fighting this war not for us, but for the enemy. To the FBI there is no difference between a spy and a criminal who aids draft dodgers because both are violating the laws of our government. Both are a threat to the nation and both must be caught. The spy case may be more sensational, may get more space in the newspapers, but the FBI devotes as much time, as much resource, as much energy to a lesser case, if necessary. Because every federal case is a case against the people of this entire country. And the FBI is a protector of the people.

[FBI Agent]

You'll hear about the file on next week's case in just a moment. Will you join the Equitable Society in a salute? A salute to the turning wheels. To the giant driver wheels of the 43,000 locomotives on the railroads of America. To these railroads, all of us owe a debt of gratitude by meeting every wartime demand. By transporting four times as many passengers and more than twice as much freight as in 1939. The railroads have helped prove once again that American ingenuity, American organizing ability and the American system of free enterprise are equal to any emergency. For many years, funds of the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States have been working on the railroads. Equitable Society dollars helped finance some of the early transcontinental lines. Today, $368 million of equitable society funds are helping America's railroads to do the magnificent job of transporting men and munitions of war to the right place at the right time. Millions of other Equitable Society dollars go into other war industries and into war bonds in wartime. Equitable Society dollars are fighting dollars and at all times they are security dollars for you, your home and your country. Next week, a crime against the community bank robbery. The incidents used in tonight's broadcast are taken from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. However, all names used are fictitious and any similarity thereof to the names of persons living or dead is accidental. Tonight, the music was composed and directed by Van Cleave. Your narrator was Frank Lovejoy. This is your FBI is a Jerry Devine production. Now this is Carl Frank speaking for the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States and inviting you to tune in again next week at this same time for this is your FBI. This is the Blue Network of the American Broadcasting Company.

[Host]

This podcast is sponsored by Talkspace. You know, when you're really stressed or not feeling so great about your life or about yourself, talking to someone who understands can really help. But who is that person? How do you find them? Where do you even start? Talkspace. Talkspace makes it easy to get the support you need. With Talkspace, you can go online, answer a few questions about your preferences and be matched with a therapist. And because you'll meet your therapist online, you don't have to take time off work or arrange childcare. You'll meet on your schedule wherever you feel most at ease. If you're depressed, stressed, struggling with a relationship, or if you want some counseling for you and your partner or just need a little extra one on one support, Talkspace is here for you. Plus, Talkspace works with most major insurers and most insured members have a zero dollar copay. No insurance, no problem. Now get $80 off of your first month with promo code space80 when you go to talkspace.com match with a licensed therapist. Today at talkspace.com save $80 with code [e-mail].