
True Detective Mysteries 37-03-25 Horror in a Hospital Ward
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Grace Ferris Bailey
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John Sheridan Williams
Now, from the pages of true detective mysteries, we take the true inside story Love frenzied killer horror in a hospital war as told personally by John Sheridan Williams, former Deputy Sheriff of Pima County, Arizona. Our story begins at St. Mary's Hospital, where the good Sisters of Charity minister to the sick. There on the edge of the desert near Tucson, Arizona. Over the portico across point serenely skyward on the morning of August 13, 1932. The soft tolling of the chapel bells drift out with a devout murmur of the nuns at prayer like a cool benediction across the parched cactus and mesquite of the desert.
Grace Ferris Bailey
O Lord, deliver us from all evil. Oh Lord, deliver us from all sin. Oh Lord, deliver us from thy wrath. O Lord, deliver us. From sudden and unprovided death. From anger hated, a new O Lord, deliver us. From everlasting death. O Lord, deliver us. Sister? Sister Antonia? Yes, my child? Sister Tom Simon, the patient in room 114 has been murdered. Murdered? Yes, shot. Shot twice. May God have mercy on his soul. Nurse, call the sheriff's office at once. I shall be in room 114. Yes, sister. Live in mercy of thy holy incarnation. O Lord, deliver us.
John Sheridan Williams
Hello? Hello, Pharaoh. Pretty hot out there today. If you could fry an egg in that, son. What's new? Oh, lovey. Been a quiet Saturday so far. Sheriff's office. Yeah, Sarah Bailey speaking. What? You killed a man. Who? Who's that? Some nut. It's me. You say you killed a man in room 114 at St. Mary's Hospital. I saw him just now. Called you up so you could get on the crew. So to work. Wait just a minute. Who are you? Just a minute, will you? Operator? Operator. Hello? Hello? Say, can you take that call?
Grace Ferris Bailey
I'm sorry, sir. Your port is disconnected. Said we cannot trace them now.
John Sheridan Williams
Well, we'll try. Will you come on, Ra. This is murder.
Grace Ferris Bailey
Ms. Grace Ferris Bailey. Come with us, nurses.
John Sheridan Williams
Sorry to trouble here with Sister Antonia.
Grace Ferris Bailey
We know the meaning of beauty here at St. Mary, but how did you get here so soon?
John Sheridan Williams
We had a telephone call.
Grace Ferris Bailey
We Were just calling you from the hospital. Someone must have called you before.
John Sheridan Williams
Oh, a man called up.
Grace Ferris Bailey
That's strange. I asked one of the nurses to phone you.
John Sheridan Williams
This man said he had just killed someone in room 114.
Grace Ferris Bailey
Oh, Lord have mercy on his soul.
John Sheridan Williams
Here we are, Sheriff. Room 114. There's the body there on the dead. Sister Antonia, Deputy Farrar and I want to examine this body first.
Grace Ferris Bailey
These are the nurses who were taking care of Mr. Salmon. Oh, who could have done this? Come on, Helene. I guess we all feel that way about Thomas. Well, that's not helping to find out who killed him. I can't help it.
John Sheridan Williams
You may just calm down now and we'll talk to you later. All right, Frost, pull back the sheet. Yes.
Grace Ferris Bailey
Come.
John Sheridan Williams
How many bullet wounds? Two, Sheriff. One enters the right eye. Drilled clean through the thing. Yep. Fires in the doorway. I should say. Not the second bullet. See those powder burns around the temple? Yeah. That second shot was fired point blank. All right. Man or woman who killed this man held a gun for that shot. Only six or seven inches from his head. Wanted to make sure. Hot blast of lead right through the temple. Too bad. Fine, athletic looking man. Yeah, Big fellow too. His early 30s, I should say. Who is this man, Sister Antonio?
Grace Ferris Bailey
Thomas Salmon. He was our hospital electrician.
John Sheridan Williams
Been sick long?
Grace Ferris Bailey
No, he had an infected thumb. His doctor thought it best to put him to bed for a few days.
John Sheridan Williams
These sheets, Sister Antonio, are they in order? Is this the way the bed was made up this morning?
Grace Ferris Bailey
I can answer that.
John Sheridan Williams
What's your name?
Grace Ferris Bailey
Ms. Young.
John Sheridan Williams
Mrs. Young.
Grace Ferris Bailey
No, Sherris, Miss Young. Rosemary Young. It's against the hospital rules for a student nurse to be married.
John Sheridan Williams
I see. Well, Ms. Young, have these sheets been disturbed in any way?
Grace Ferris Bailey
No, sir. They're just as I made up the bed when I gave Tom. I mean Mr. Salmon his breakfast at 8:00 clock.
John Sheridan Williams
Hmm. Did you see him after 8:00 clock?
Grace Ferris Bailey
Yes, just a little while ago. I dressed with hen. That was around 9:30.
John Sheridan Williams
Cover him up again, Farrar. Yes, sir. Well, from the looks of the bed, there's no struggle. You got that, Farrar? Right. Did Salmon have any visitors this morning, Mr. Antonio?
Grace Ferris Bailey
I asked Mr. Angela. He was on the switchboard and was very busy. He seemed to recall a man, short, dark, wore glasses. Had a stun in the air, he said.
John Sheridan Williams
I see. Mister, can you get all the nurses who are off duty together for a few minutes?
Grace Ferris Bailey
Yes, in the reception room of the nurse's home, if you like.
John Sheridan Williams
Do that, will you please, Ms. Thompson. Ms. Young. You go along, too.
Grace Ferris Bailey
All right. Come on, Thompson.
John Sheridan Williams
Looks like we gotta find a woman in this case. You know, cherchez la femme. A woman or a jealous sweetheart. Well, look through this dresser over here. Find something? I don't know. Some letters. Get a whiff of the perfume on this one. Handle carefully. Here's another drawer. What's in here? Say, oh, look at this photograph, will you? Boy, that's some picture. Beautiful, isn't she? Wonder who she is. Looks like a dancer. Yeah. Only I wonder why the head's cut off. I'm wondering that myself. A headless picture of a girl. And where are we gonna find the original of a picture like that? I don't know yet.
Grace Ferris Bailey
You're crazy. Tom Sandler never meant anything to me. That's a lot of fat. Cool. How about the time you were at the Painted Rocks with him in the desert? And weren't you the unknown nurse in that fight at the dance hall? I've never been in a dance hall in my life.
John Sheridan Williams
Hey, now, wait a minute. Wait a minute. Now, you nurses all remember one thing. A man was murdered right here in St. Mary's Hospital this morning. You got to talk. And remember, anything you say here may be used as evidence.
Grace Ferris Bailey
I don't know about the other nurses, Sheriff, but I'm ready to tell you all I know about Tom. Sam. Cut it out. Tom.
John Sheridan Williams
Just a minute, Miss Young. Suppose you talk then.
Grace Ferris Bailey
Well, you'll find it out sooner or later. So you might as well know now. If Tom Salmon had a middle name, it should be romance.
John Sheridan Williams
Were there any girls Tom Salmon was particularly interested in?
Grace Ferris Bailey
They may have thought so, but I never kidded myself on how much Tom really liked me.
John Sheridan Williams
You know the woman in this photograph?
Grace Ferris Bailey
No. She's beautiful, all right. Never seen a photograph like that outside of anatomy class.
John Sheridan Williams
Do any of you other nurses recognize the woman in this photograph?
Grace Ferris Bailey
I don't believe Tom knew that woman.
John Sheridan Williams
He found this picture in his dresser drawer. Does Simon know any cabaret dancers?
Grace Ferris Bailey
You did know a girl who worked in a nightclub. Know a lot about him? Don't, derosemorph. I know he's been murdered. And that's more than you seem to realize.
John Sheridan Williams
Miss Young, do you remember this dancer's name?
Grace Ferris Bailey
It was a rather queer name. Prince, I think. Louise, something like that. Lucille Doucette. Lamar. Lucelle.
John Sheridan Williams
Lafleur, something like that. And she works in the nightclub. If you're a dancer here with a French name like Lucille or Lisette, our doctor's gonna print your name. Now, if you're One who looks like the girl in this picture, even without the head. I wish I had. Yeah, that's what I said. She's a French girl, a dancer. And she looks like this picture. You. You bring her around and I'll give her a contract. What? Did you like to hear it? Is there anything wrong? No, no. No trouble telling. We're doing all the nightclubs, that's all. Looking for a girl, that's all. But, monsieur, why did he not say so before? Care, if you please, take this table. Thanks. Now, if there is anything I can do for you. Have you a dance to hear? A French girl with a name like Camille La Flore or Lucette Lamour or Lucy La Me, Oui. She dances here. Well, at last. We'd like to talk to her after she does her act. Certainly. When does she come on? Right after this courage number. Well, enjoy yourself. Yeah, we'll enjoy ourselves, all right. Looking for a girl who maybe put two bullets through a man's head. Have you got her picture? Yeah. This time a murder. Clues. A headless picture of a dancer. Well, that's all we have so far. Oh. Curious. A message just came from Lucy La Mer saying she was sick and couldn't appear tonight. Who telephoned? Lucille Lamar? No, her roommate, Mrs. Jackson. Hurrah. Get your motorcycle escort. Where did she go? When did she go? Did you know Tom Salmon? You saw the papers today.
Grace Ferris Bailey
Yes, sir. I knew he was murdered this morning at St. Mary's Hospital. That's all I know.
John Sheridan Williams
Is this Lucille's photograph?
Grace Ferris Bailey
Where'd you get that picture?
John Sheridan Williams
I'm asking the question. Is this her picture?
Grace Ferris Bailey
I won't. Oh, no. It isn't her picture. Honest, it isn't.
John Sheridan Williams
Tell us what you know.
Grace Ferris Bailey
Then she came home last night and started packing a bag.
John Sheridan Williams
Why?
Grace Ferris Bailey
First she was broken hearted and starving. Then she was mad enough to kill somebody. Oh, Sheri, I didn't mean to say that. She still was in love. And when love really comes to a woman, it. It changes it.
John Sheridan Williams
It transforms into a killer.
Grace Ferris Bailey
All this healed and killed on. How could she still have town that night?
John Sheridan Williams
Where'd she go?
Grace Ferris Bailey
San Francisco.
John Sheridan Williams
What got her all upset last night?
Grace Ferris Bailey
I don't know. He cried around about how he was the same as all the other men. And with their great love with Smith. Oh, Sheriff, you would have felt sorry for he. Used to come home after seeing him and talk about a wedding in a home.
John Sheridan Williams
Women are all like that. This man's in bed in a hospital and somebody comes in and puts two bullets in his head. Some Woman did it. Thinking of a cozy home in rose bushes, I suppose. What kind of a gun did she have?
Grace Ferris Bailey
He didn't have a gun.
John Sheridan Williams
Jackson, you have to remain here in Tucson as a material witness. Understand?
Grace Ferris Bailey
Yes, sir.
John Sheridan Williams
Come on, Br. Let's get the teletype working. Head by police of Tucson, Arizona in connection with murder of caris salmon in St. Mary's Hospital Aug. 13. French Chancellor Lucille Lamar. Restriction power well proportioned. Weight about 130 pounds. Foreigner surgeons report gun that killed salmon with a.32 automatic. Check all pawn shops. Find out if anybody bought a.32. Hello, city desk. Crawford. Yeah, I just got a flash from the sheriff's office in the Salmon murder. Yeah, it's great. Lover angle again. It's an inside tip. There's a doctor at the hospital, Dr. John A. Hartford. He's secretly engaged to one of the nurses there. He found out lately that his fiance and this sheep Salmon had been going out together. He's honest, respectless. But they don't know who the nurse is yet. Still checking every new clue. The authorities began the plainsman trick or backtracking over a cold trail. A trail of a past life of a flame. Don Juan.
Stiles Mackenzie
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Grace Ferris Bailey
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Grace Ferris Bailey
Hotel.
John Sheridan Williams
How about this hotel, sir? It's worthwhile. Not the only one in Tucson we haven't checked on. Now let's get it over with. Come on. Never mind. Just want to ask you a few questions. What's your name? Eddie Clark. Did a couple by the Name of Salmon. Ever register here? Eddie Salmon? Yeah, sure. What? Yes, they stopped here. I thought you got that information before. What do you mean? When a man came in here the other night and said he was from headquarters. So? Headquarters is Check and Hill. Wonder why they didn't cover shafts off at all. What did he want to know? Same thing you did. Whether Mr. And Mrs. Thomas said that the Salmon have a stopped here. And did you tell him? Yes, sir. Hmm. See this photograph, Eddie? Yes. Where's your head? I don't know. Tell me, if this photograph had a head and the right clothes on, would it look like the woman who registered here as Mrs. Salmon? Would it? Well, thanks. And to remember. Sure. What did Mrs. Salmon look like? She was a brunette, brown eyed, in her early 20s, I'd say. How would her weight compare with the woman in this photograph? This Mrs. Salmon was slim. She wasn't real pretty, but she had what I call her 12 figures. Would you say she was the woman in this photograph? I'd say she wasn't the woman. That still doesn't let Lucille Lamar out. No, but this man from headquarters has got me. When was he here? Let me see. Tuesday. What? Tuesday? Yes, Tuesday night. That was four days before Salmon was murdered. Four days before. What did this man look like? Short, dark complexion, wore glasses, neatly dressed. And remember what he was wearing? No. He was nice about everything that I remember. Very polite, studious of fellow. What you call scholarly. That's the man. The man Sister Angela described. Studious, Scholarly. The mysterious caller Claren had the morning he was murdered. Get your hat, Eddie. Me? Yeah, you're coming to the hospital with us. You recognize this woman, Eddie? No. No, she isn't a girl.
Grace Ferris Bailey
He isn't a girl. What girl? You keep us here in the reception room all night asking us questions. What girl are you looking for?
John Sheridan Williams
You answer our question. Are you engaged to a doctor?
Grace Ferris Bailey
No. Who cares if I'm engaged?
John Sheridan Williams
Anyway, someone working here jealous of you could have known the best time to kill Sam. No one was in the corridor outside his room.
Grace Ferris Bailey
I never had anything to do with Tom. Oh, let me go.
John Sheridan Williams
All right, Ms. Lloyd. Sit down. How many more, Ross? The Parsons and Ms. Thompson, they're night out. They won't be until 12. You see them in the morning. I'd like to get back to the hotel, sir. Let's see. Ms. Young. Either Ms. Parsons or Ms. Thompson or Brunette.
Grace Ferris Bailey
Ms. Parsons is a beside a blonde. And you sing Ms. Thompson.
John Sheridan Williams
All right, you can go, Eddie. We'll meet you here tomorrow morning. These other nurses go on duty. Thank you. I'll be around. Okay.
Grace Ferris Bailey
Here'S Thompson. Now we'll have to start all over again. They told me when I saw in she wanted to see me.
John Sheridan Williams
Thompson, did you see a man in the corridor outside here just now?
Grace Ferris Bailey
I saw a man going around the corner just as I seen.
John Sheridan Williams
Did he see you?
Grace Ferris Bailey
Yes, yes. Right on there. Thompson. And answer him. Tell him. Tell him what? Why ask me? We've been all here all night answering questions. Damn it. What did you tell him? Nothing. Stop staring at me. What? Why do you look at me like that?
John Sheridan Williams
Thompson, take off your hat, please.
Grace Ferris Bailey
That.
John Sheridan Williams
Who are you engaged to?
Grace Ferris Bailey
Damn that. You have been talking. You have been saying things.
John Sheridan Williams
Of course he has. This told us plenty.
Grace Ferris Bailey
It's not true. I haven't said a word. You have. You told him I'm married.
John Sheridan Williams
Oh, yes, yes, we know you're married. He didn't want the hospital to know about it.
Grace Ferris Bailey
It isn't true. I didn't tell him.
John Sheridan Williams
Come on, Ms. Thompson.
Grace Ferris Bailey
She's engaged to Dr. Hartford. He wouldn't admit it because he didn't want her mixed up in this case. He had never even used. He went out with Tom Sand.
John Sheridan Williams
I never did.
Grace Ferris Bailey
Don't you believe her. She did. She told me so. They used to meet by the bench of Texas near the hospital grounds. If Dr. Harford knew about Tom Sandman, he'd have killed him.
John Sheridan Williams
Who did tell him?
Grace Ferris Bailey
I don't know.
John Sheridan Williams
Ms. Hunson. Why did you kill him?
Grace Ferris Bailey
I didn't.
John Sheridan Williams
What is your husband's name?
Grace Ferris Bailey
Oh, what difference does it make?
John Sheridan Williams
Just a minute. I'll take that call. Hello. I speak of this Thompson who came in. Hold on. His voice is full. Ignore it anywhere. It's the man who called me up and said he killed a man. Get this Carl trace. Oh, then keep him on the way, okay? Right. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. I'll get the. Thompson, just hold on, will you, please? Oh, Thompson. Just hold on, will you? Oh, I'm the new knight's warder watchman. Thompson's night off, you know they told you the footboard she'd come in while you're probably coming over from the main building. That the nurses home right now. Get away. Get away. Could I have a call? You had to leave your name or your phone number. No, Operator. Operator. Hello? Hello, can you trace that call? This is Sheriff Bailey.
Grace Ferris Bailey
We are pressing the call, sir. Hold on.
John Sheridan Williams
Whose name is the phone listed in?
Grace Ferris Bailey
The telephone listed in the name of Jesus. That's all good.
John Sheridan Williams
Thanks. You hear that siren, Ms. Thompson? It's a steam, I should say. It's my men on the way to arrest your husband.
Grace Ferris Bailey
You'll never get him. You'll never get him.
John Sheridan Williams
I did it.
Grace Ferris Bailey
I killed Tom Salmon. I killed him.
John Sheridan Williams
Is that right, Beam? Did your wife kill Town Salmon? No, I killed.
Grace Ferris Bailey
No, it's not true.
John Sheridan Williams
Accident. Did you call the sheriff's office after you killed him? Sure.
Grace Ferris Bailey
He didn't kill him. I did.
John Sheridan Williams
Don't, Ms. Maherson. Be quiet, Beam. Now, Mr. Beam, let's hear your story.
Grace Ferris Bailey
I don't know why I ever did it. I was attracted to Tom Simon from the first time I saw him. It was something I couldn't seem to resist when I was within something just. Oh, Charlie, can I dance with you? As a tear at my heart why, darling, when under your arms I realize I'm not Paradise I stole everything. I don't belong here.
John Sheridan Williams
Oh, of course you do. And when we're married, you'll forget George.
Grace Ferris Bailey
No. No, I married George because I love him. We're going to be happy. When I'm through training at the hospital, we won't have to keep our marriage again.
John Sheridan Williams
Do you really love him?
Grace Ferris Bailey
Yes. And I always will.
John Sheridan Williams
Oh, no, darling. You forget George and his books in the hospital and everything with me.
Grace Ferris Bailey
This is only Mr. Madden.
John Sheridan Williams
It's true, dear. Just forget everything and dance with me.
Grace Ferris Bailey
Sharon. I knew that night I'd have to end it. My resolutions about Psalm 7 were no good. I realized I'd have to end this. This thing that was destroying my life. So I.
John Sheridan Williams
You can't believe her. Stay quiet, Beam. Go on.
Grace Ferris Bailey
So I got a gun and I went into his room here at the hospital last Saturday morning and I killed him. I shot him twice. He looked up at me as I went.
John Sheridan Williams
Sheriff, my wife didn't kill Tom France.
Grace Ferris Bailey
I did. I did. Oh, I deserve to die.
John Sheridan Williams
Come on now, calm yourself, Mrs. Beam. I want your husband to handle his side of this. Go on, Beam. Earth. This man Salmon deserved all the bullets he got. He had an almost hypnotic power over women. I'll tell you the truth about that night at the band when I got here.
Grace Ferris Bailey
Hey, honey boy, you want a dance?
John Sheridan Williams
Oh, thank you.
Grace Ferris Bailey
Just looking them over, huh?
John Sheridan Williams
Just looking.
Grace Ferris Bailey
Oh, that couple in the middle of the floor, huh?
John Sheridan Williams
Some dance tonight, things go away.
Grace Ferris Bailey
My, my, big handsome man. Taking sunny breaks still away from him, huh? Better take your glasses off, honey.
John Sheridan Williams
Get out of my way. Look here, Salmon, you can't dance with this girl like that. Go on home and read your book. It's all right for you to dance with her. But don't hug her like an ape. Why, you little.
Grace Ferris Bailey
We like to dance this way and we're going to dance this way.
John Sheridan Williams
If that's the way you feel about it, you better come home with me now. Take off your glasses. You.
Grace Ferris Bailey
Stan.
John Sheridan Williams
I don't need to.
Grace Ferris Bailey
Yes, George.
John Sheridan Williams
It's true.
Grace Ferris Bailey
It's true. What are you going to do with me?
John Sheridan Williams
I'm thinking about.
Grace Ferris Bailey
Oh. I wish I'd never seen him. I wish I were dead.
John Sheridan Williams
What happened then, Dean? Sheriff. I had a right to kill that man. I hated him. I kept thinking about him. I knew. And he was ordered to bed at the hospital. Last Saturday morning I went to a pawn shop and bought a gun. What kind? 32. The man showed me how to use it. Took a taxi to St. Mary's Hospital, sistered the switchboard. Told me how to get to room 114. I walked right in. I went down the corridor. George Bean. No, I. What are you going to do with that guy who's going to kill you? And you can't steal any more wives. Don't. Don't. Have you anything to say? Don't. Please don't miss. They'll hang you if you kill me. The law. There is no law for this, Simon.
Grace Ferris Bailey
This is the unwritten law.
John Sheridan Williams
Gentlemen of the jury, as judge in this court, let me say one final word before you retire to find your verdict. The error of a six shooter is gone. If we are to set free every man who shoots his way out of a domestic triangle, we are only encouraging mercy. Citizens must realize that the corpse and not bullets will settle these entanglements. No man has the right to take the life of another. The jury will now retire. Hello, hello, city debt. Here's the flash on the Beam verdict Duty George Beam sentenced the jury from 25 to 40 years in Arizona State Penitentiary. The story you have just heard is low sensitive killer horror in a hospital ward. Taken from the new True Detective Mysteries magazine. Electrically transcribed by Transamerica It Step into the world of power, loyalty and luck. I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse. With family, cannolis and spins mean everything. Now you want to get mixed up in the family business. Introducing the godfather@champacasino.com test your luck on the shadowy world of the Godfather slot. Someday I will call upon you to do a service for me. Play the Godfather. Now@chambaccasino.com will come. Welcome to the family. No purchase necessary vgw group void we're prohibited by law 21 plus terms and conditions apply. Packages by Expedia. You were made to be rechargeable. We were made to package flights, hotels and hammocks for less. Expedia. Made to travel.
Podcast Summary: Harold's Old Time Radio
Episode: True Detective Mysteries 37-03-25 Horror in a Hospital Ward
Release Date: May 16, 2025
Harold's Old Time Radio takes listeners back to the Golden Age of Radio, immersing them in captivating radio dramas that echo the style and suspense of classic shows like The Shadow and Dragnet. In this episode of True Detective Mysteries, titled "Horror in a Hospital Ward," listeners are drawn into a gripping tale of murder, deception, and relentless investigation set against the backdrop of St. Mary's Hospital in 1932 Arizona.
The story opens on a serene morning at St. Mary's Hospital, nestled on the edge of the desert near Tucson, Arizona. The tranquility is palpable as the chapel bells toll softly, and the nuns chant prayers, creating a peaceful ambiance across the parched landscape.
John Sheridan Williams (Narrator):
“Our story begins at St. Mary’s Hospital, where the good Sisters of Charity minister to the sick. There on the edge of the desert near Tucson, Arizona...”
(00:30)
This calm setting is abruptly shattered when a disturbing message interrupts the morning serenity.
Sister Antonia, a dedicated nun at the hospital, delivers the shocking news of a murder to the hospital staff. Thomas Salmon, the hospital’s electrician, has been found dead in room 114, shot twice.
Sister Antonia:
“Sister Tom Simon, the patient in room 114 has been murdered. Murdered? Yes, shot. Shot twice. May God have mercy on his soul.”
(01:18 - 02:14)
The gravity of the situation prompts immediate action, with the nurses scrambling to contact law enforcement.
John Sheridan Williams, a former Deputy Sheriff of Pima County, steps into the narrative as the lead investigator. His calm demeanor contrasts with the chaotic emotions of the hospital staff as he begins to piece together the events leading to the murder.
John Sheridan Williams:
“What's your name? Eddie Clark. Did a couple by the Name of Salmon ever register here?”
(14:04 - 16:25)
Williams methodically examines the crime scene, noting the precision of the gunshots and the absence of struggle, indicating a calculated act rather than a spontaneous outburst.
The investigation delves into the personal lives of those connected to the victim. Williams gathers testimonies from the nurses, uncovering potential motives rooted in jealousy and romantic entanglements.
Miss Young (Nurse):
“If Tom Salmon had a middle name, it should be romance. Were there any girls Tom Salmon was particularly interested in?”
(07:18 - 08:07)
The discovery of a headless photograph of a dancer in Salmon’s drawer becomes a critical clue, pointing towards the involvement of someone from the nightlife scene.
The plot thickens as Williams identifies Lucille Lamar, a French cabaret dancer, as a key suspect. Her association with the victim and her absence from an expected performance raise suspicions.
John Sheridan Williams:
“Do any of you other nurses recognize the woman in this photograph?”
(05:40 - 06:56)
Further investigation reveals strained relationships and hidden liaisons within the hospital staff, particularly involving Dr. John A. Hartford, who is secretly engaged to one of the nurses and harbors jealousy towards Salmon.
In a dramatic turn, Grace Ferris Bailey, a student nurse engaged to Dr. Hartford, becomes the focal point of the narrative. Under intense questioning, she ultimately confesses to the murder, revealing a tangled web of love, betrayal, and desperation.
Grace Ferris Bailey:
“I killed Tom Salmon. I killed him.”
(20:00)
Her emotional breakdown and admission provide a cathartic resolution to the tension that has built throughout the episode.
The episode concludes with Ms. Bailey's sentencing, highlighting the moral implications of her actions and the legal consequences she must face.
John Sheridan Williams:
“Citizens must realize that the corpse and not bullets will settle these entanglements. No man has the right to take the life of another.”
(24:40 - 24:58)
This poignant closing underscores the themes of justice and the tragic cost of unchecked emotions.
John Sheridan Williams:
“The error of a six shooter is gone. If we are to set free every man who shoots his way out of a domestic triangle, we are only encouraging mercy.”
(24:58)
Grace Ferris Bailey:
“I was attracted to Tom Simon from the first time I saw him. It was something I couldn't seem to resist...”
(20:29)
Sister Antonia:
“Oh, Lord have mercy on his soul.”
(01:18 - 02:14)
"Horror in a Hospital Ward" explores themes of love, jealousy, and the destructive potential of suppressed emotions. The narrative delves into the complexities of human relationships within the confines of a professional environment, highlighting how personal turmoil can lead to tragic outcomes. The meticulous investigation by Deputy Williams serves as a reminder of the relentless pursuit of truth and justice.
This episode masterfully combines suspenseful storytelling with rich character development, reminiscent of classic old-time radio dramas. Harold's Old Time Radio successfully transports listeners to a bygone era, offering a captivating mystery that keeps them engaged from start to finish. Whether you're a longtime fan or new to the series, "Horror in a Hospital Ward" is a compelling listen that underscores the timeless allure of detective mysteries.