Podcast Summary:

Harold's Old Time Radio – "Nick Carter 43-10-18 (028) State's Prison Evidence"
Aired: August 26, 2025
Episode Duration: ~29 min

Overview

This episode presents a classic episode of "Nick Carter, Master Detective," originally aired in 1943. Titled "State's Prison Evidence (or Nick Carter and the Mystery of the Midnight Robbery)," the story plunges Nick Carter into a twist-filled case involving a supposed suicide, a forged will, a prison break, and a cunning identity switch—all set in the atmospheric world of Golden Age radio mysteries.

The case begins with the murder of Enos Jarbeau, a wealthy man found dead in his library, and quickly balloons into a complex conspiracy involving impostors, family secrets, and a daring undercover operation in State’s Prison.

Key Discussion Points & Episode Highlights

1. Discovery of the Crime

• [00:36–03:35]
  • Nick Carter encounters Ella Jarbeau, distressed in the night, claiming her uncle has been murdered.
  • The scene is set in a large mansion, with the body found in the library.
  • Suspicious elements:
    • The gun is found next to the body.
    • A suicide note is left, addressed to a mysterious woman, Mrs. Sarah Jarbeau.
    • Ella insists her uncle didn't take his own life:

      "He wouldn't do a thing like that. I know it." (Ella, [03:33])

    • Ella claims her uncle never used the type of pen with which the note was written.

2. Questionable Evidence – The Will and the Widow

• [03:41–05:25]
  • The suicide note leads to a will leaving everything to Mrs. Sarah Jarbeau.
  • Ella insists the note is not in Enos's typical handwriting and couldn't have been written by him for several reasons.

3. The Search for Mrs. Jarbeau – Identity Mysteries

• [05:53–07:09]
  • Nick and his assistant Patsy track down a "Mrs. Sarah Jarbo," who confirms her brief, tragic marriage to Enos.
  • She claims she was abandoned immediately after their wedding based on false accusations, sparking sympathy:

    "If he believed it, I would never seek to persuade him otherwise. I've worked as a governess ever since." (Mrs. Jarbo, [06:46])

4. Unusual Encounters and Suspicious Strangers

• [07:31–08:18]
  • Nick realizes a man who asked him for a light is the same one he saw outside the murder scene, linking him further to the unfolding drama.
  • This man is later identified as Barney McCoy, an escapee from State's Prison.

5. The Undercover Operation

• [09:59–17:20]
  • Nick pulls strings to go undercover into State's Prison as "Max Herbert," seeking to get close to McCoy.
  • Inside, Nick discovers McCoy had help escaping from a guard and hears about the complicated connections between the women involved (Addie and Sarah—sisters who look alike).
  • McCoy and Nick plot another escape to uncover evidence.

6. Unmasking the Plot

• [17:20–19:22]
  • On return, Nick learns from Ella that the supposed widow (Mrs. Jarbeau) is actually "Mrs. Martin," a housekeeper who substituted during the real housekeeper’s absence.
  • This impersonation allowed her to stage the will’s forgery:

    "She could have found out about the will, taken it out, had a new one forged, and then returned it the night your uncle was murdered…" (Nick, [18:22])

7. Final Confrontation and Trap

• [24:19–26:21]
  • Nick and his team set up a wiretap with a recording device to catch the conspirators in the act.
  • Through the conversation:

    “If I can't [handle Ella], we'll give her what we gave the old man.” (Addie, [24:53])

  • Police move in, culminating in the arrests of Addie (impersonating the widow), Barney McCoy, and the corrupt guard, Mike.
  • The plot and evidence are laid out:

    "The conversation in this room between you three crooks has been recorded in full for the past 20 minutes. And if that isn't practically a confession and good legal evidence in any court, my name isn't Nick Carter." (Nick, [26:19])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Determination and Evidence

  “You're quite a convincing detective, Ms. Ella. And if you're right, this can't be suicide. In spite of the other evidence.”
  — Nick Carter, [05:25]

• On Sympathy for the Widow

  “She certainly got a tough break.”
  — Patsy, [07:12]

• Nick’s Inventiveness

  “Governor, I want to go to State's prison. Oh, no, not as a visitor. I want to go as a convict.”
  — Nick Carter, [09:01]

• Unmasking the Crooks

  “You, Addie, her sister, married McCoy. When Sarah died, you found her marriage certificate and decided to use your resemblance to her to get the old man's money…”
  — Nick Carter, [26:23]

• Showcasing Vintage Detective Tech

  “It's a new type of microphone, Patsy... The amplifier also has a recording device which makes a permanent record of the conversation on a wire tape.”
  — Nick Carter, [24:21]

Important Segment Timestamps

| Time | Segment | Description | |-------------|-------------------------------|-----------------------------------------| | 00:36–03:35 | Discovery & Initial Evidence | Crime scene and Ella’s suspicions laid out | | 03:41–05:25 | The Note & Handwriting | Disputed suicide note and penmanship details | | 05:53–07:09 | Confronting “The Widow” | Mrs. Sarah Jarbo’s tragic backstory | | 07:31–08:18 | Nick Spots the Stranger | Link to Barney McCoy | | 09:59–17:20 | Undercover in Prison | Nick infiltrates State's Prison | | 17:20–19:22 | The Housekeeper's Deception | Real identity of Mrs. Jarbeau revealed | | 24:19–26:21 | The Trap & Arrests | Wiretap, confession, and resolution |

Tone and Period Flavor

This episode is a fine example of 1940s radio thrillers, with brisk dialogue, sharp plot twists, and vintage detective flair. The characters embody archetypal roles: the steadfast gumshoe, the resourceful assistant, the scheming villain, and the imperiled but spunky young woman. The period touches (wire recording, pen type as forensic evidence, going undercover in prison) evoke nostalgia for golden-age detective stories.

Closing

The case concludes with the crooks exposed and the innocent vindicated, thanks to Nick Carter’s dogged investigation and inventive use of early surveillance tech. For fans of classic mysteries, "State's Prison Evidence" delivers atmospheric intrigue, memorable characters, and the satisfaction of seeing justice cleverly served.