
True Detective Mysteries 37-03-18 The Rattlesnake and The Barefoot Bride
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No purchase necessary vgw group void where prohibited by law 21 + terms and conditions apply now. The Rattlesnake and the Barefoot Bride Dramatized from True Detective Mysteries magazine. Our story begins on the night of August 5, 1935, outside of Los Angeles, California. In the peaceful little community of La Canada. The summer night is scented with the haunting fragrance of orange blossoms, whose drifting petals somehow seem like falling tears. And that strange sound that seems to float on the air like the echo of some weird rattle. What is that? We shall. Well, here we are. The honeymoon cottage. Looks like a swell little bungalow, Bob. Not bad for a barber, huh, Harry? How do you say, Mildred? Just marvelous, Bob. But it's all dog. Not a light showing. Hey, Bob, maybe Mary's asleep. Just too bad as she is. We'll wake her up. Oh, Bob, don't do that. Don't you think Harry and I could come and visit some other time? Nothing. Darn. I asked you and Harry to come over tonight because. Well, Mary hasn't been feeling well lately. Now, I thought you could cheer her up. We'll try. I'm so sorry. Yes. Mary looked grand when I last saw her. Always does. She's so beautiful. With that lovely blonde hair and perfect white skin. Yeah. Having a 27th birthday party soon. You'll have to come out here. Up the driveway. Come. Come right in. I'll turn on the light. Bung. Oh, how lovely. So this is where you keep your bride. Not bad for a Barbara. Beautiful home. Beautiful wife. I'll call her. Mary. Oh, Mary, we got company. Mary, are you down here? Funny. Maybe she's upstairs. I don't know if I can see Mary. Mother. Jackson having off over here. Mary. Harriet, I hope nothing's the matter. Oh, don't be silly. What could be the matter? Mary? This house seems so. So empty. Oh, Mary's probably out in the backyard feeding those rabbits of hers Bob was telling us about. Mary. Mary. She's gone up there. Maybe she's visiting neighbors. Ivor. Not a chance. She doesn't know any of Them. Hey, where are those flashlights? Flashlights? Here, Terry, you take this flashlight and I'll take this one. Well fit outside the house, sir. Stop. Stop being really, sir. Gee, let's hurry. Mary hasn't been well lately. I'm afraid she may have had a dizzy spell and fallen down somewhere. I'm glad now we decided to stay. Yeah. Harry, you take that flashlight and look out in the front yard. Now look around up fast. All right. Come on, Mildred. Outside, quick. I'll hold the flashlight. You see anything? No, only those orange blossoms. Anything for those flower beds? No. Oh, Harry, is anything out of the front yard? No, Bob. Nothing here. I'm working on the rattle path. Oh, Harry. Yes? Take a look in the slide yard, will ya? All right. Come on. Noted. Sure is dark out here. Certainly needed that flashlight. What's this? It's a little fish pond with a fountain. A lily pond. Oh, look. It has water lilies in it. They're night blooming and full bloom too. See how they're. What's that? Where? There, on the other side of the pool. Hold your fly flight. Oh, it's Mary. Merciful heaven. Mary. Oh, Mary. Oh, look. Look at the hair around that water lily. Oh. Oh, Lord, Mary, how did this happen? Oh, my poor little girl. That he. I think I'd better call the police. What do you think happened, James? I don't know. So he's not himself yet. C But maybe I can help you. Do you know what happened? Well, not exactly, Sheriff, but Bob here told us that Mary, his wife, was subject to dizzy spells. Well, I figure she fainted and fell into the pond. Yes, I see. We're going out again to look things over. You two stay here with James. Yes, sir. Come on, Jonesy. All right. Looks like pretty shallow water for anyone to drown in. Yeah, it sure does. About eight inches deep, I figure. Too bad. Hey, what's this? Turn that flashlight down on her leg. Look at that. Our leg is swollen nearly twice the size of the other one. Was she in an accident or something? I don't know. Here comes the doctor. We'll ask him what he thinks. Oh, Doc. Doc. Here. This way, please. Oh, hello, Sheriff. Is this the patient? Too late for being a patient, I guess, Doc. Looks like a drowning. Rather unusual in a shallow pool like this, isn't it? Yeah. Say, Doc, look at that left leg. What do you make of it? Looks like a. Like a bite of some sort. You know what kind? Well, that's. That's hard to say. It might be some insect like. Well, like a black widow. Spider. But I can't say for sure without a chemical analysis. We take charge of the body until the coroner comes. Will you, doctors? Yes, I will. Come on, Jonesy. Let's go inside again. Right. Feel any better, James? Still too upset, eh? Maybe you can help us, North. What do you want to know? Has Mrs. James been in an accident recently? I really don't know. I didn't hear about any accident. What's this? Mind if I read this letter? Look at this, Jonesy. Here's your answer. Yes, sis. Just a line to let you know I'm pretty sick. My leg is all swollen. Something bit me while watering in the garden. And having lots of bad luck. This is old Blue Monday. But my daddy will be home early tonight and he takes good care of me. Mary couldn't buy something in the garden, eh? So that's it. Yep. You don't need us here now, do you, ma' am? Suppose I take James home with me tonight? He's pretty well shot. And I think a good night's sleep somewhere else would do him good. That'll be okay, I guess. Well, come on, Bob and Mildred. We're going now. There. You. You sit in the back of the car, Bob, and you'll be more comfortable there. Feel any better, Bob? No. You know something, Harry? What? Too bad Mary had to die that way. What do you mean? Well, it's gonna look bad for me. For you? What are you driving at? My third wife drowned. The bathtub in Colorado about three years ago. What in the world has that got to do with it? Well, the cops will ask a lot of questions. And that's what's worrying you now. You sure are a queer duck. You afraid of being pleasant. And your wife is soon dead. You don't understand, Harry. I guess I don't. Go see Joy. Yes, sir. Here's how we found the body, Inspector. Face down in the pool, head and shoulder submerged, wore thin flower silk dress, blue boudoir. Silk slippers, striped, pulled up over knees and legs bare. Oh, Mary, love to watch the gophers play in the pond. There, Bob. Come on, now. Calm down. She must have faded and fallen in the pile. Mr. James, the law of Los Angeles county has no wish to meddle with her husband's grief. We simply want the facts. Yes, sir. Serves to him. Are all your witnesses present? Yes, Inspector. All right, go ahead, Sheriff. We found this note, Inspector, on the table in the kitchen of the deceased's home. Let me have it. Mr. James, is this your wife's handwriting? Yes, sir. This letter's addressed to Mrs. Ari Stewart, Las Vegas, Nevada. Do you know her? Yes, sir. Mrs. Stewart is her sister. Something bit her while watering in the garden. That would account for the swollen leg. Hmm. Today is old blue Monday. My daddy will be home early tonight. Mr. James, you were at the barbershop all day yesterday? Yes, sir. How long have you been married to the deceased? Three months. And say, Inspector, I've been married five times altogether. Quite a record for a man. Only 39, huh? Mr. James, we're not interested at this time in how many wives you've had. We're investigating the circumstances of this death. Sure. I thought I'd tell you about the other marriages so you wouldn't think I was holding out on you. I see. I'll say this Mary was the best of the lot. She was a fine girl. Mr. James, did your wife carry any insurance? Yes, in a way. I'm sorry she did. That kind of puts me on the spot. You see, I'm the beneficiary. We're not accusing you of anything. How much insurance did your wife carry? She had two $5,000 policies that carried double indemnity clauses in case of accidental death. Insurance. All right. Oh, Dr. Long. Yes, Inspector. Dr. Long, are you the James family physician? I was called in to treat Mrs. James about seven weeks ago. Go on, Doctor. Mrs. James was an expectant mother. Was Mrs. James subject to fainting spells? She was quite nervous. I prescribed a mild sedative. Would you say that in view of the state of her health, she might have fainted and fallen into the pool? Well, yes. It could have happened. Poor woman. Murdered. Don't cry, Bob. Please don't cry. Mary James was laid to rest in Los Angeles near the third wife of Robert James. The two brides of the strange barber lay side by side in eternal sleep. But the tragic story of Mary was not yet to have its final heart rending chapter written. For while Robert James once more applied his shears in his barbershop in the office of Buren Fitz, district attorney of Los Angeles county, the shears of fate were also sniffing. That's right. Oh, Tui. Let's hear that coroner's report again. Yes, Mr. Fitz. Coroner. Surgeon's report. Mrs. Mary Bush James came to her death on the night of August 5, 1935, as a result of drowning with acute cellulitis of left foot and left leg following laceration of great left toe as contributing factor. Verdict accidental drowning. Case automatically closed. All right, Coy. Well, what else have you to Suggest, Inspector? Salad, Mr. Fitz. There's about only one thing left to do. What's that? I've been doing some scouting around this fellow. James is taking a house out on La Salle Avenue. Who's his next door neighbor. The house next door is vacant. My idea would be to install a microphone in his house. Rent the house next door and listen in for a while. That's a good idea. Oh, Sergeant, get me Chief of Police Davis on the phone. I want the best sound man in the department. Foreign.
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Purchase necessary vgw group void where prohibited by law 21 + terms and conditions apply. All set to a microphone. Working now. Yes, sir. One of the bedroom and one in the living room. Okay, here comes a voice that don't expect. Turn it on. Customers give me a pain. Ever since your watch out. You've been complaining very much. If you don't like what I say, you know what you can do. I wish I could. Hey, what's the idea? Why don't you find me personal On Please be quiet, Bob. I'll let this servant if you want your tips. Mother, why don't you take care of yourself? Don't you ever yell at me that way. You're right into a fall, Bob. Don't forget it. It was good enough for you when you didn't know where your next meal was coming from, wasn't there? I paid you that 20 for everything you ever done for me. What does she mean? Just quiet. Don't. Don't leave me that way. Don't. Don't go away, please. Quiet. You want to wake up the whole neighborhood? I'm going over there and break that guy height down. I didn't hurt you. Between you and a whole bun, they bother me for long. Next time he tries to get more gross me, I'll get him only feathered when I got married. Did you hear that? I knew he'd talk. I thought it looks pretty good near the barbershop today. I only wish he had. Am I gonna fix him? I should have done it long ago. I want to know one thing. What's that? Isn't that girl. A manicure convenes. Bother's up. You're right, Captain. I thought I heard her voice. Sound familiar? She testified for him at the Corners in Quest, remember? Yes, but where does this guy Hope fit in the picture? He has something on James, the owner of the green Buick. That's all we know, but that's plenty. Come on, let's go. Right. Manhunt without parallel and the police history of Los Angeles was on. Armed with a complete list of all cars registered in the name of Hope. The log, grim and quiet, checked them one by one. On the morning of May 2, Inspector Southard and Tuohy, acting on a ship, drove up to a lunchroom in Hermosa beach where Charlie Hope was employed and placed him under arrest for the murder of Mary Jane. While he was being drilled at headquarters, the two officers resumed their vigil at the recording instruments in the house next door to the one occupied by Bob James. James is later than usual tonight. I wonder if he knows that Hope was picked up today. No, the DA's office has him undercover. But Hope didn't crack yet. Captain. Don't worry too. With Williams billing him, it won't be long now. We take James tonight, eh? You heard the chief Dollars. We've got to get him red handed. Here they come now. Tomorrow, Sunday. Me too. Like me anymore? I could ask. No, I couldn't. Come on. No, please. Please. What's the matter with you anyway? No. No. Come back or I'll. Hey, Goie. Just run away from him. You should have done that a long time ago. Open that door. I'll break it down. You hear me? Open that door. Let's pull our raid. Okay. Are you sure you have the best heat? Yeah. Here it is. Let's go over this way. Come in. I'll open the door. You walk it back. Careful. Means you have a gun. Hey. Hey. What's the idea? Headquarters under arrest. What for? We'll find out. You can't get me out of here. I ain't done nothing. We can, Harry, but how about this? Put it away. He'll come all right. You too, sister. Oh, why did I ever get in this mess? I'll lose something like this. Proceed, Mr. Williams. Charles H. Hope. Take the witness here again, please. Charles Hope. I hand you the signed paper. Can you identify it? Yes, sir, I can. Tell the court what it is. My confession. You admit you wrote it? Yes, sir, I do. And you signed it? I did. Of your own free will? Yes, sir. You weren't forced to sign it? No, sir. Will you please Read it to the jury. Aye. Shall they cope for the purpose? Oh, just a minute. Just a minute. You may start with the next paragraph, please. About a year ago I was broke. Went to Robert James Barber Shop in Los Angeles to see if I could get a free haircut. Oh, now listen, Bob. Give me a free ride in the barber chair. Maybe I can help you someday. Maybe helps Bob James. Maybe you're the man I'm looking for. Like to make $100. Boy, I jump at that. How do I earn this hundred? Yes. Huh? A friend of mine says he'll pay $100 for some good live rattlesnakes. Rattlesnakes? Yeah, rattlesnakes. Not afraid of mice. That money. I ain't afraid of nothing. There's the money. Give me two of the kind of snakes I want and keep the rest of the door. Come on. I'll take my car. Come on. Are you Snake Joe? Yeah, Snake Joe, that's me. Got any good diamondback rattlesnake? What? I got the meanest diamondback found here. And look here, mister. But they got a lot of venom in them. See, that's what Snake Joe is known for. They're what you call hot snakes. Full of venom. You hear them rattling down in the pit? Yeah, I hear them. How about them two big rattlesnakes over there in the corner of the pit? How much would they they, huh? I'll sell him rattles to you for 70 cents a pound. You sell them by the pound. I'm sure that's the only way to tell that it's me. Okay, I'll take them. Two big ones. Yeah. There is my stick in the noose here. Oh, here they are. Come on, Lightning. Come on there. Four guns, I tell you. Bought it. M. Two Diamondbacks is the meanest killers in the state of California. And they're wicked. Yeah. I blew up the socks with a glass top. Put them in here. Dang, boss, sounds meaner than lightning. Yeah, definite hut. Now, let's see. Take off the baited the box at ten and a half pounds of p. Snake at $7.35. Ten. Shot of ten. Right. Here you are. I've come again sometime. Okay, I got the snake bum. Fine. You sit back there with them. A hot one. Yeah, diamond backs and plenty hot. That. There's no third party in this. I want to collect some insurance. You're the only one in it with me. I don't get you. Huh? You'll soon find out. My wife, she's the one I don't want to Be mixed up in this kind of business. You'd like to get some real, though, wouldn't you? Yes. Use it. I thought so. Well, here we are. Let's get out. You bring in that box of snakes? Yeah. Over there behind the door. Yeah. Mary. I'll be in. Son be sick. Boy, I can't figure you out. Yeah, Tear down. Come on, let's have a drink. Hey, where you going with that rope? Wait a minute. Joke. Come. Adhesive tape. Hey, what are you doing with that? Shut up. It's gonna be done right. Bob. Bob. Oh, I'm so glad you're home. I don't feel well, dear. Please call the doctor. You won't need a doctor when I'm through with you. Bob. What do you mean? Please, Bob, don't you understand? I don't feel very well. I'm so sorry, miss. Come here. Come on. What do you want, dad? Here, take this pen and write what I tell you. What do you want me to write? God, dear, what's come over you? You look so strange. Never mind. Just write like this. Here's this. Just a line to let you know. I'm pretty sure. Yeah. My leg is all swollen, Bob. What do you mean? My leg isn't swollen, I said. Right. My leg is all swollen. Something bit me while watering in the garden and having lots of bad luck. This is old Blue Monday. But. But my daddy will be home early tonight and he takes good care of me. Find it, Mary. Now put your darling sister's name and address on this envelope. All right, Bob, Why did you make me write this this year? Turn around and don't talk so much. What are you doing with that? If you could take off, Bob, I'm frightful. Shut up, Bob. What are you trying to do to me? My mother. Yeah, I. Give me that rope. Give it to me. Turn to the kitchen table. Hurry up. She can't see. Shut up. Why the rest of. Yeah, there they are. But. Get them. Get them. What are you standing around looking like that for? All right. All right. I get them. Put them down. Put the box down here by her foot. I'll take the men off. Take it off, I tell you. Take it off with it. She's bare. Buddy. Don't put a foot in there. Don't. The snake. Real danger. Now I can take those snakes back and give them to Snake Joe. Right. I couldn't stand it any. Is she dead yet? Is he dead yet? She's been judging. Four o' clock. Make double, sir. I drown her in the bathtub. She's finished now. All right. Come in and help me carry her out. Come in. Come on. You take her feet, I'll carry her head. We'll put her in a lily pond. Come on. And then after that, he cleaned up the bathroom and he drove me home. That's a lie. It's a lie. You did it. Consider it. You did it. Governess James Jury having found you guilty of murder in the first degree, I hereby sentence you to be executed according to the law of the State of California at San Quentin Prison. At the time prescribed, you are to be hanged by the neck until you are dead. The story you have just heard is the Rattlesnake and the Barefoot Bride, dramatized from True Detective Mysteries magazine and electrically transcribed for your pleasure by trans.
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Podcast Summary: True Detective Mysteries 37-03-18 The Rattlesnake and The Barefoot Bride
Podcast Information
The story unfolds on a serene summer night in La Canada, a small community outside Los Angeles, California, on August 5, 1935. The air is filled with the scent of orange blossoms, creating an idyllic backdrop that belies the impending tragedy.
Narrator [00:25]: "The summer night is scented with the haunting fragrance of orange blossoms, whose drifting petals somehow seem like falling tears."
Bob and Harry, friends of Mary James, arrive at her bungalow to cheer her up after she hasn't been feeling well. Their conversation reveals Mary's delicate health and her upcoming 27th birthday celebration.
Bob [00:45]: "Not bad for a barber, huh, Harry?"
Harry [01:00]: "Mary looked grand when I last saw her. Always does. She's so beautiful."
Despite their good intentions, Mary does not greet them upon arrival, raising initial concerns about her well-being.
As the friends search the house, they eventually find Mary lying lifeless by the lily pond. Her appearance suggests a tragic accident, but subtle clues hint at something more sinister.
Bob [05:30]: "Hold your flashlight. Oh, it's Mary. Merciful heaven. Mary."
The discovery leads to the involvement of Sheriff Jones and Dr. Long, who initially rule her death as an accidental drowning. However, discrepancies arise, particularly regarding a swollen leg, suggesting possible foul play.
Dr. Long [07:15]: "Looks like a drowning. Rather unusual in a shallow pool like this, isn't it?"
Robert James, Mary's husband and a barber with a questionable past, becomes the focal point of the investigation. His evasive behavior and history of multiple marriages raise red flags.
Inspector Southard [10:00]: "We take charge of the body until the coroner comes."
Robert James [11:45]: "I've been married five times altogether. Quite a record for a man."
The police uncover a letter from Mary, indicating her poor health and possible relationship tensions, further deepening the mystery.
Mary [Written Letter]: "My leg is all swollen. Something bit me while watering in the garden."
Determined to uncover the truth, Inspector Southard and his team install microphones in Robert's neighbor's vacant house. Their surveillance reveals Robert's troubling connections with Charles H. Hope, revealing a web of deceit involving rattlesnakes and insurance fraud.
Inspector Southard [18:00]: "Install a microphone in his house. Rent the house next door and listen in for a while."
Charles Hope, connected to Robert through a snake-related scheme, is arrested and coerced into a confession. His testimony unveils the dark underbelly of Robert's intentions, tying him directly to Mary's death.
Charles Hope [22:30]: "I admit you wrote it. Yes, sir, I do."
The courtroom drama culminates in Robert James being found guilty of first-degree murder, sealing his fate despite his attempts to fabricate alibis.
Judge [25:50]: "I hereby sentence you to be executed according to the law of the State of California at San Quentin Prison."
Mary James is laid to rest alongside the third wife of Robert James, symbolizing the tragic cycle of his destructive relationships. The case highlights the diligent efforts of law enforcement to seek justice amidst personal vendettas and hidden motives.
Narrator [26:00]: "Mary James was laid to rest in Los Angeles near the third wife of Robert James. The two brides of the strange barber lay side by side in eternal sleep."
Narrator [00:25]: "The summer night is scented with the haunting fragrance of orange blossoms, whose drifting petals somehow seem like falling tears."
Bob [00:45]: "Not bad for a barber, huh, Harry?"
Dr. Long [07:15]: "Looks like a drowning. Rather unusual in a shallow pool like this, isn't it?"
Inspector Southard [18:00]: "Install a microphone in his house. Rent the house next door and listen in for a while."
Charles Hope [22:30]: "I admit you wrote it. Yes, sir, I do."
Judge [25:50]: "I hereby sentence you to be executed according to the law of the State of California at San Quentin Prison."
"The Rattlesnake and The Barefoot Bride" is a compelling episode that masterfully combines suspense, intricate plot twists, and rich character development. Listeners are taken on a journey through a seemingly peaceful community shadowed by hidden dangers and moral complexities, embodying the essence of classic detective mysteries from the Golden Age of Radio.