Inside the FBI | Adventure Ahead (08-26-44)

Summary

Old Time Radio Westerns
Host: Andrew Rhynes
Episode: Inside the FBI | Adventure Ahead (08-26-44)
Release Date: January 4, 2026

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Episode Overview

This digitally restored episode features a dramatized journey inside the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as originally broadcast in 1944's "Adventure Ahead" series. The episode uses a fictionalized crime story to showcase the FBI’s scientific methods used to solve crimes—ballistics, blood analysis, fingerprinting, and more—bringing listeners into the golden age of radio drama while highlighting investigative advances that made the G-men legendary.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene: A Tour of the FBI Laboratory

• Host Andrew Rhynes introduces the episode, positioning listeners in the heart of the FBI’s lab. Two main characters—Tommy, a curious young visitor, and an FBI scientist—guide us through forensic techniques by reconstructing a fictional crime.
  • [00:55]
    Tommy: “Say, what’s that fella over there doing?”
    FBI Agent: “He’s running a blood analysis, Tommy.”

2. Building the Case: A Cattle Rustling & Murder in Texas

• The story unfolds with the murder of a rancher in Texas, intertwining local lawmen and two suspects: Slim and Cactus, both with ties to the victim and plausible motives.
  • Evidence is collected—blood-stained Levi’s, rifles, cartridges—then sent to the FBI.
  • [03:18]
    Sheriff: “Bullet went clean through the old man... Steel jacket from a .25-35. I think I’ll look up Slim and see what kind of gun he’s toting.”

3. Blood Analysis Solves an Alibi

• The FBI lab quickly determines the blood on Slim’s pants is from a wildcat, not a human—clearing him.
  • [05:07]
    FBI Agent: “The chemist was able to tell us... the blood on Slim’s Levi’s was not human but wildcat.”

4. Forensic Ballistics: The Comparison Microscope

• Using a comparison microscope, the lab matches bullets to the murder weapon, pointing to Cactus as the killer.
  • [05:57]
    FBI Agent: “Those bullets were fired from the same gun. Only bullets fired from the same gun will match exactly.”

5. The Confession & Expanding Crime

• Cactus confesses to the killing, revealing he was part of a larger cattle-rustling operation orchestrated by city criminals.
  • [07:20]
    Cactus: “It was self-defense, Sheriff... a couple of city fellows offered me $200 if I’d keep an eye on the old man.”

6. Vehicle Identification: Paint Scrapes, Glass Shards, and Tire Tracks

• Investigators piece together clues—paint from a fence, shards from a taillight, tire tracks—leading to the precise make, model, and color of the rustlers’ truck: a red 10-ton International.
  • [09:12]
    FBI Agent: “The sheriff sent us those taillight pieces. We found out they belong to a red 10-ton International.”

7. The Power of Fingerprints & Early Databases

• Fingerprints in the truck cab identify two of O’Connell’s men as the rustlers, explained using an early analog search machine, akin to a player piano.
  • [11:03]
    FBI Agent: “I guess there must be about 91 million sets of prints on file.”

8. Side Plots: Ballistics and Motive in Bank Robbery

• A new case is discussed: a night watchman shot in the leg, with ballistics and “plain old horse sense” unraveling a faked attack and planned robbery.
  • [14:10]
    FBI Agent: “A ballistics expert has proved that this is the guilty gun.”

9. The Power of Ingenuity: De-escalating Apprehensions

• The story pivots to a manhunt, where a G-man’s tactful, folksy approach leads to a peaceful surrender, showing that FBI agents often rely on local knowledge and people skills.
  • [18:59]
    G Man: “I like the way you talk. And I like the way you fiddle. I’ll have Jed at the sheriff’s office tomorrow. Noon.”

10. Hair and Fiber Evidence: The Filling Station Murder

• A filling station murder is solved using microscopic hair analysis from a victim’s hand, matched with a suspect via the FBI's hair and fiber section.
  • [21:50]
    Officer: “The hairs in the hand of the murdered man match yours exactly.”

11. Criminal Folly: Attempts to Evade Fingerprint ID

• Mob boss Frank O’Connell attempts to surgically remove or alter his fingerprints but fails—the ridges grow back unchanged.
  • [24:11]
    Doctor: “O’Connell, your fingerprints are coming back just as they were before I operated.”

12. The Final Raid: The Gang’s Downfall

• The FBI and police surround O’Connell’s hideout. Tear gas forces a shootout and surrender; O’Connell does not survive.
  • [25:20]
    Agent: “All right, drive them out. Are you ready to come out yet?... That last blast got him.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Forensic Innovation:
  • [05:57]
    “Those bullets were fired from the same gun. Only bullets fired from the same gun will match exactly.” – FBI Agent
• Database Scale & Early Automation:
  • [11:03]
    “I guess there must be about 91 million sets of prints on file.” – FBI Agent
  • [12:10]
    “This machine right here has sent thousands of criminals up for life... Every once in a while those hoodlums probably look at their fingers and say, 'if you hadn't snitched on me, I wouldn't be here.'” – FBI Agent
• The Limits of Criminality:
  • [24:15]
    “Fingerprints cannot be changed. Acid burn, surgery—nothing affects them for long. That’s why the 91 million prints that we have on file... are the biggest man trap ever devised.” – FBI Agent
• Moral Lesson:
  • [16:05]
    “Sooner or later, the law always catches up with them.” – FBI Agent

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:01 – 01:38] – Tour of the FBI lab, introduction of blood analysis
• [03:18 – 05:07] – The murder in Texas and first clues
• [05:23 – 06:09] – Forensic debunking: wildcat blood vs. human blood
• [05:32 – 06:07] – Comparison microscope: bullet matching
• [08:43 – 09:12] – Automotive forensics: paint, glass, and tires
• [11:03 – 12:29] – The fingerprint “player piano” analogy
• [14:10 – 16:23] – Ballistics and motives in a new case
• [18:59 – 19:30] – De-escalation via personal touch
• [21:50 – 22:39] – Hair evidence in a gas station murder
• [24:11 – 24:29] – O’Connell’s failed fingerprint operation
• [25:20 – 26:14] – The final raid and resolution

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Episode Tone

The storytelling is brisk, matter-of-fact, and rich with period detail, often underscored by didactic exchanges between Tommy (childlike curiosity) and the seasoned FBI guide (knowledgeable, reassuring). Scenes pivot rapidly, with scientific explanations seamlessly blended into the drama.

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Summary & Closing Lesson

The episode demonstrates, through dramatization, how science, persistence, and human ingenuity intertwine in the pursuit of justice. While names and settings are fictionalized, the investigative methods—blood analysis, ballistics, fingerprinting, hair and fiber comparison—were real techniques used by the FBI in the 1940s.

• [26:49]
  FBI Agent: “We take a piece of blood stained cloth, clear one man by proving the stains weren’t from human blood, and convict another by proving that his gun fired the murder bullet... We finally pin a murder rap on a black market operator by identifying a couple of hairs caught on the ring of the man he killed. What do you think about that?”

• [27:23]
  Tommy: “Oh, boy. I’m gonna be a G man when I grow up.”

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This episode is an immersive primer on classic forensic science, wrapped in engaging Western storytelling, serving as both entertainment and homage to the relentless work of historical lawmen and the formative years of American criminal investigation.

Transcript

[A]

Foreign. Welcome to the Old Time Radio Westerns. I'm your host, Andrew Rines, and I'm excited to bring you another episode. This is one of over 80 episodes released monthly. For your enjoyment, you can find more Western shows at our website by going to otrwesterns.com now let's get into this episode, which are used daily by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in solving crimes and protecting the safety of our nation and our home. Okay, Tommy, this is it. At least one part of it. The FBI laboratory someplace.

[B]

All right. Say, what's that fell over there doing him?

[A]

Well, he's running a blood analysis, Tommy.

[B]

What for?

[A]

I'm going to hear that a hundred times this afternoon. So suppose we do this. Let's reconstruct an imaginary crime. Then as we go through the various laboratories, try to work out the solution from what we see. Now, what sort of a story would you like to hear?

[B]

Well, my daddy says that now with the war on and all, any criminal here at home is an enemy of our country.

[A]

Your dad's right, Tommy.

[B]

Maybe we ought to trap a couple of neuters.

[A]

Oh, I knew we'd have to have at least one killing to satisfy you. All right, then, let's start with this blood analysis.

[B]

What's blood analysis have to do with solving crime?

[A]

Suppose we're trying to trap a ring of big time criminals. They're stealing cattle, shipping it east and selling it undercover. They're nationwide operators, Tommy. Since the FBI has ruined bank robbing and kidnapping, they've been forced to try new angles.

[B]

Jeepers, some outfit, huh?

[A]

Quite an outfit. And let's suppose that the whole thing started somewhere in Texas. The sheriff has been out to one of the largest ranches in his town. Howdy, men. Oh, hadn't been moved? No, nothing yet. He drilled right between the eyes. Yep. Old man didn't have a chance. Somebody plugged him just as he opened the door. He. Any idea who might have done it, Slim? Saunders was around this way a couple of days ago. Saunders? I thought he was in prison. Was, but he's out now. Bullet went clean through the old man tunnel up behind his summers, see. Shot was fired up frontier. Should have put in the back wall. There she is. Steel jacket from a.25.35. I think I'll look up Slim and see what kind of gun he's toting. Hi, Slim. Hold up. Oh, boy. Oh, howdy, Sheriff. What brings you up this way? Murderer. Well, that's so who you, Slim? Sure enough. Who'd I kill? Old man Tuttle. Now, Sheriff, why'd I want to kill Tuttle? You and him had words, didn't you? Well sure we had words. I have words with lots of people, but I don't kill them. And you're a pretty good shot, ain't you? I guess I'm about as good as an X man with a rifle. You always use a Winchester.2535? For about three years now. I ain't used nothing else. Hey, how about that blood on your Levi's? It's from a wildcat I killed about a week ago. Hey Sheriff, did you hear that shot? Yeah. Now that's a.25.35 or I'll eat it. Let's go have a look. Here ya boy. Help you? There he is, Sheriff. It's Cactus Dawson, wrangler for old man trouble. Yeah. Hey there Cactus. Hold up there. Howdy Sheriff. What's up? I see a rifle. Cactus for sure. 2535, huh? Yeah. Taking in cactus, maybe you can tell us something about the murder of old man Tuttle. Old man murdered? That's right. Now well, who'd want to do a thing like that, Slim? Cactus tells a pretty convincing story while your yarn's pretty weak. Now there was a trail of blood where old man Tuttle was dragged across the porch. And there was blood on your Levi's. I told you a dozen times Sheriff, it was. It was from a wildcat I killed about a week ago. It's funny you didn't have no hide in your pack. I killed him cause he was stalking a yearling of mine and knocked the skin. And that's the truth, Sheriff. Well, the FBI settled the whole thing. Ought to be hearing sometime today. What's the FBI got to do with it? I sent your Levi's to him along with yours and Cactus rifles. Several cartridges. So you see Tommy, that brings us right back to that piece of cloth you were asking about. The chemist was able to tell us in a minute that the blood on Slim's Levi's was not human but wildcat.

[B]

Maybe so. But he could have killed old man Tuttle.

[A]

That's right. So we had to go a little further and find out which gun fired the shot.

[B]

How could you do that?

[A]

With this gadget right over here.

[B]

That microscope.

[A]

Not an ordinary one. It's what we call a comparison microscope.

[B]

What's it do here?

[A]

I put a bullet in this side, another bullet in the other side. Now look. Uh huh.

[B]

I see him.

[A]

Now I turn this gadget right here. What happens now?

[B]

There's only one bullet.

[A]

That's where you're Wrong, Tommy. It looks like one bullet. Actually, you're seeing half of both bullets.

[B]

But both halves look the same.

[A]

Now you're getting it. Those bullets were fired from the same gun. Only bullets fired from the same gun will match. Exactly.

[B]

So that's how you knew whose gun did the killing.

[A]

That's how. Of course, as soon as we knew, we wired the sheriff what we had marked. All right, men, here's that telegram from the FBI. Now let's see what's what. Stain on pens. Murder bullet fired. Well, I guess that settles it. There was wildcat blood. The murder gun belongs to Cactus. What's that? All right, Cactus, you can't prove nothing. I don't have to. The FBI has already done it. Start talking. It was self defense, Sheriff. So help me. It was about three days ago. A couple of city fellows offered me $200 if I'd sort of keep an eye on the old man that night. Just to make sure he kept to the ranch house. If the old man stirred, I was to give a coyote howls a signal. I was sitting in the saddle about 50 yards in front of the ranch house. Wasn't no moon out. Darn that horse. Who's out there? Speaker. I got a mighty itchy trigger finger. Old man was a dead shot. I know I'd have to beat him to the draw. Mighty cheap killing a man for $200. Cactus. I didn't aim to kill him, Sheriff. Pretty good aiming just the same. It drilled tell right between the eyes. I suppose them city watties was rustling the old man's cattle. I guess so, Sheriff. You know how darn well they was. I got no more use for a murderer than I have for rustlers. After I lock you up, Cactus, I guess I better have a look. Not much to go on, Sheriff. I don't know about that, Slim. You see, I've been right smart interested in this here FBI. For instance, the FBI man would take a close look at them tire tracks. Now, what kind of tracks would you say they was? Wouldn't say. Now, if it was a cattle brand, I could spot it in a minute. He's using a big truck, ten wheel job. You can lug quite a few yearlings in. One of them backed right through a fence post, too. You can see where the paint's scraped off. What you doing now? Picking up a few pieces. Pieces of glass. Wonder where that came from. I wouldn't be at all surprised what it comes from. A busted tail light. Let's go back to town.

[B]

But why would the sheriff? Father was picking Up a few little pieces of glass.

[A]

Those were mighty important pieces, Tommy. You see this display over here?

[B]

Holy cow. Look at the headlight lenses.

[A]

Sample from every car made, Tommy. See, we fit pieces of broken lenses together and compare them with these. When we match them up, we know the year and model of the car we're after. Now, let's assume that the sheriff sent us those tail light pieces. We found out that they belong to a red 10 ton international.

[B]

Even know the color? Oh, sure. The paint that scraped off on the fence post.

[A]

See how it all fits together? Besides, the sheriff had another clue. The kind of tires that truck carried. Now, as general rule, the FBI would have stopped there. But since this case we're imagining looked like rustling, we would have figured that the rustlers were stealing the beef for transport to eastern states. So chances are, a few days later, the sheriff would have had. Sheriff Crockett? Yeah. Davidson, FBI. Oh, howdy, young fellow. You find that truck yet? Yes, we did. We have a pretty good idea who made off with old man Tuttle's cattle, sure enough. How'd you figure that? Well, this job was planned by a well organized mob run by Frank o'. Connell. Used to be a bootlegger in the old days. Now he's operating in stolen beef, counterfeit and stolen ration books and bootleg alcohol. What made you so sure this o' Connell was in on this rustling business? Well, the truck was driven by one of o' Connell's trigger men, Limpy Smith. He and another of o' Connell's rowdies drove the truck. How'd you know? Their fingerprints were plastered all over the cab of the truck.

[B]

Jeepers. You mean you could have found the truck that quick?

[A]

Sure, Tommy. It wouldn't have been much job. We knew we were looking for a 1939 Red 10 Ton International. And we knew exactly what kind of tires it had. There could have been only one truck that fitted our description perfectly.

[B]

But how did you find the guys that drove the truck?

[A]

Tommy, I'm afraid you're not listening very closely.

[B]

Oh, I know you said their fingerprints were plastered all over the cab, but how could you tell whose prints they were?

[A]

We would have just checked them against our fingerprint file here at FBI headquarters until we found the ones that matched.

[B]

Is the file very big?

[A]

I guess there must be about 91 million sets of prints on file.

[B]

91 million? Holy cow. You have to go through all of them?

[A]

It's really not such a job, Tommy. Ever seen an old fashioned player piano?

[B]

Oh, sure. Grandma has one. I play it all the time.

[A]

You know how the rolls are punched?

[B]

Uh huh. Sort of like a conductor punches a train ticket, only more holes.

[A]

All fingerprint information is punched on a card? Something like that. Then we run them through this machine.

[B]

How does this thing work?

[A]

See all those little steel fingers? Now watch.

[B]

Hey, they move.

[A]

That's right. I'm setting them to select cards. Punched one certain way. Now I turn it on. Now see. See how those little steel fingers sort of feel each other?

[B]

How about that? It throws the card into this little slot.

[A]

That's right. Those steel fingers haven't found any holes that match the way they're set there. See that?

[B]

They caught the little steel finger caught right in those holes.

[A]

Now what?

[B]

Hey, that card went into a different slot.

[A]

Right. That may be the very card we're looking for. Now we'll turn it off. Yes, Tommy, this machine right here has sent thousands of criminals up for life just by selecting a fingerprint card that same way. Every once in a while those hoodlums probably look at their fingers and say, if you hadn't snitched on me, I wouldn't be here.

[B]

So that's how you found out who drove the rustler's truck.

[A]

That's how we would have done it.

[B]

What happened to the cattle?

[A]

Well, we'll assume that it was shipped east. Of course, a couple of FBI men would have followed it because we'd have known that sooner or later we'd catch the big shot.

[B]

Yeah, the big shot. You said this was going to be a big case.

[A]

Uh huh. But of course we wouldn't want to lose track of the guys who drove the truck, would we?

[B]

Heck no. What you reckon they would have done after that?

[A]

Let's suppose they met up with two other characters who had also been mixed up in the liquor racket back in prohibition days.

[B]

But what would they be up to?

[A]

We wouldn't know at first. We just have to wait. But maybe this time local police officials would stumble onto something that would give us a clue. All right, Doc, what's the story? This man is employed as night watchman at the Morris Building. Morris Building? Night watchman? That's the building. Anyway, this man was shot while stepping in his car after work. Where was his car parked? In an alley reserved for parking space and building employees and tenants. You got the slug? Just removed it from the man's leg. Hmm. Nickel jacket at 22. You say the man was stuck in the inner part of his thigh? That's right. Bullet took a sharp downward course. Well then the shot was fired from above. Is this the kind of gun you have in mind, Captain? Yes, Mr. D.A. it's was just such a gun that fired the bullet. I'll have a comparison shot made with this. Now you can save yourself the trouble, Captain. That could not possibly be the gun. Oh, why not? Because that gun belongs to the wounded man. We found it locked in the grub compartment of his car. Well, old man, looks like we've solved our case. You mean you caught the man who shot me? I think so. But the defense is working up a pretty strong case. They're going to intimate that you might have carried a gun for your own protection. Oh, that's ridiculous. You know the company forbids me to carry a gun. Now they'll say you could have carried a gun inside your shirt and held it in place with your belt. But proof, man, they can't prove a thing like that. Well, suppose you had carried a gun that way. And suppose in stepping into your car, the trigger had caught in your clothing and was pulled, the bullet would have plowed down your leg. You mean they're going to try to prove I shot myself? Well, that's the most ridiculous thing I ever heard. Ridiculous or not, it could have happened. If the gun had a long barrel like this one that would master never. That gun belongs to me. I know. But fear of an investigation as to why you were carrying a concealed weapon might have kept you from confusing the circumstances of the shooting. It might have, yes. But who'd believe a crazy story like that? Oh, most any jury. You see, a ballistics expert has proved that this is the guilty gun. Oh, you see, Tommy, again we turned to the comparison microscope. And again the microscope found the guilty man.

[B]

But why would this guy have shot himself?

[A]

Well, maybe the two fellas who drove the truck might have had some idea of robbing a bank, so they bribed this night watchman to let them into the second floor of that building. See Tom, at First National Banks on the ground floor. And maybe our friend took a gun along just in case the racketeers tried to double cross him. Then he accidentally shot himself. Was afraid that an investigation would tie him up with the robbery. So he might have tried to make out like someone else had done the shooting keepers.

[B]

Crooks just don't have a chance, do they?

[A]

I'm afraid they don't, Tammy. Sooner or later, the law always catches up with them. And Tommy, while it's true G men are specially trained to collect evidence and apprehend criminals, even shoot it out with them when necessary, there are times when these G Men Most depend on their ingenuity alone to crack the case.

[B]

How do you mean?

[A]

Well, let's bring another stolen car in our case.

[B]

You mean a stolen car to fit into this case? Where? Imagine it.

[A]

Absolutely. Now, we've traced this stolen car across a couple of state lines. And we suspect that the man we want is in a little cabin in the mountains. But this time we'd have to take it easy because the regular raid would Would have caused a lot of unnecessary shooting, maybe killing. Well, that would mean we'd need a special agent who was pretty familiar with that part of the country. A man who knew how to talk people's language. So it might be able to get our man without fireworks. G man was strictly on his own. He just had to depend on plain old horse sense. So early one morning, this G man set out alone up the steep trail that led to a lonesome dwelling. Presently he came to a weather beaten shack. He opened the door. There inside he found an old mountaineer seated near an ash filled fireplace. You're a gov' min man, ain't you? Yeah. You're Jed's father, ain't you? That's right. I'm Jed's papa. And you ain't gonna take him. You're right. He ain't here, so I can't take him. Somebody play that fiddle around here? Sure I do myself. And folks say I'm the best fiddle betwixt here and Nashville. You don't say. Well, I used to fiddle a little bit myself. Looks like a mighty good violin. You mind if I look at it? Sure. Pick it up. Love a dog. He can play at this. Pretty. I never heard that before. Well, stranger, that d a first class fiddling. Maybe after a bite of vittle you play some more. I never know there was so much music in that old fiddler fore. Well, I gotta be getting back. How about Jed? You want him, don't you? No, I don't want him. The government wants him. You know how it is when the government wants a man. May take days or months or years to get him. But the longer it takes, the worse off he is. Look here, stranger, I reckon you're all right. I like the way you talk. And I like the way you fiddle. I'll have Jed at the sheriff's office tomorrow. Noon. Noon tomorrow. Well, so long. Go land.

[B]

Gee. I mean, you could have nabbed him just like that.

[A]

Just like that, Tommy, without firing a shot. All because that G man used plain old horse hands. Besides, by making friends with Jed's father, he was able to get quite a bit of information.

[B]

You mean you could have got the goods on the whole gang?

[A]

Well, maybe not the whole gang, but not enough to know definitely that everything was planned by one mob. The cattle rustling, the attempted bank robbery. Everything.

[B]

Frank o', Connell, eh?

[A]

Could have been. At least we'll presume that all the men we'd watched so far had worked for o' Connell at one time.

[B]

Then why didn't you nab o'?

[A]

Connell? We hadn't completed our case.

[B]

Wow. This case is getting bigger and bigger.

[A]

For instance, we might have had to call on that gentleman over there.

[B]

Why? What's he doing?

[A]

He's taking a clue under a comparison microscope. Here, take a look at this display.

[B]

What are they?

[A]

Hairs, Tommy. Hairs from different animals. As well as a collection of slides showing 28 distinct shades of human hair. This is known as the Heron Fiber section.

[B]

Does it have something to do with our case?

[A]

Well, let's see if it does. Let's suppose that our crooks, like all crooks, finally ran up against the wrong man. A few days later, local police officials found a murder on their hands. It happened in a small filling station just on the edge of town. After two days of exhaustive search, the officer in charge of the investigation reported to his superiors. Got anything on that filling station murder, Sergeant? Not a clue, Captain. No fingerprints, no footprints. Worth checking. The murderer wore rope, sold sport shoes. You know, apparently he just walked in, stuck a knife in the old man and cleared out. No, it's fine. Just dandy. Reckon the old man was tied up in black market gasoline? Not a chance. Why, just the other day he chased a fella out of his place and tried to pedal some coupons to him. You say someone did try to sell him coupons? That's what I was told. The old man's a stickler for honesty, so he chases a guy. Hey, wait a minute. Why didn't I think of that before? Hello? Yes. In his left hand. Huh? Nothing else? Okay. Coroner's office found a couple of hairs in the old man's left hand. Hey, Chief, I just thought of it. The old man tossed out the last guy to try to pump gas coupons on him. Now, suppose the same guy tried again. He might have gotten pretty hot, threatened this guy, and the guy knifes him. Well, it's a good guess. Find who tried to sell him those gas coupons. I tell you, you guys got nothing on me. No, haven't we? Now, would you be interested to know you're booked for murder? Fat chance. Where's your proof? So it's proof you want, eh, Anderson? Remember that filling station killing last week? What about it? Just this about it. The murdered man tangled with his assailant just before he got a knife in his ribs. And a couple of hairs got caught in a ring he wore in his left hand. Very interesting. So now you got a couple of hairs. You wanted proof, Anderson. You're carrying it under your hat. The hairs in the hand of the murdered man match yours exactly. That's what the hair and fiber section has to do with our case.

[B]

Tommy, what do you know? They pinned a murder wrap on Anderson with just a couple of hairs.

[A]

Yes, that would have just about sewed up our case, except for one thing.

[B]

What was that?

[A]

O' Connell tried to drop from sight entirely.

[B]

How could he do that?

[A]

He couldn't. But maybe he thought he could. Let's suppose that he tried to dodge fingerprint identification. You see, Tommy, skin corrugations on the fingers appear about three months before birth, and they never vary. The criminal knows this. O' Connell knew it. But suppose, like all criminals, he tried to convince himself that in his case, nature would make an exception. All right, o', Connell, let's remove the bandages and have a look at those fingers. The sweet surprise the feds will get when they check my new fingerprints. You know, Connell, if this works, it'll be the first time. What do you mean, it'll work? It's got to. No man's fingerprints have ever been changed by an operation. All right, come on. Get those bandages off, Doc. Okay. Anyway, that's a ticket. No fingerprints. Well, I can't even. Hey, Doc, look at that finger. And that one. I told you it wouldn't work. O'. Connell, Your fingerprints are coming back just as they were before I operated.

[B]

You mean, even an operation didn't change his fingerprints?

[A]

No, Tommy. Fingerprints cannot be changed. Acid burn surgery. Nothing affects them for long. That's why the 91 million prints that we have on file here at the FBI are the biggest man trap ever devised. Wow.

[B]

What did I, Connell, do after that?

[A]

O' Connell went back to his old hideout. But he already had that spotted. Then to clean up the case, of course, we would have planned to attack at night. Let's imagine that shortly after midnight, the lead car drew up a short distance from the Highland. All right, ma'. Am, we blocked all roads. There's no chance for them to escape. Have your guns ready. Okay, Chief, we're ready for them. All right, you inside there. The house is surrounded. Come out with your hands up. They heard you, Chief. Looks like we'll have to smoke them out. Come out a wheel. Come in. The whole gang's in there. All right, drive them out. Are you ready to come out yet? Well, give me a few, I guess. Here they come. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Only six of them, Chief. There should be seven where there's left in there. Better come along. All right, don't cumber. You want me, come and get me. That's Oconnell, Chief. He's upstairs. That's why the gas didn't get him. Give him another dose. That'll bring him out. That did it. Here he comes. Watch it. He's liable to try to shoot his way out. All right, ma', am, load the rest in the car. What about o', Connell, Chief? Well, I think we let her and the morgue handle that. That last blast got him.

[B]

Gee, you almost had me believing you there for a while. Sometimes I forgot this was just an imaginary case.

[A]

It wasn't as imaginary as you might think, Tommy. I told you a story just to connect all the things you saw here. Blood analysis, the work of the hair and fiber section, ballistics, fingerprints. We change names and places. But in the FBI files are actual case histories which parallel the very things I've been telling you.

[B]

You mean it actually could have happened?

[A]

Yes, indeed, Tommy. It happens every day. We take a piece of blood stained cloth, clear one man by proving the stains weren't from human blood, and convict another by proving that his gun fired the murder bullet. We locate a criminal's truck by identifying its make and model, color and tires. We discover who drove the truck by fingerprints found in the cab and finally pin a murder rap on a black market operator by identifying a couple of hairs caught on the ring of the man he killed. What do you think about that?

[B]

Oh, boy. I'm gonna be a G man when I grow up.

[A]

Today's chapter of Adventure Ahead has taken you behind the scenes of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. For obvious reasons, names, dates and places were purely fictitious. But the entire story was based on actual incidents and factual material contained in the book Inside the FBI by John J. Floridy. Investigative techniques were those which Mr. Florida describes, which are used daily by the Department of Justice in solving crimes and safeguarding America. Today's chapter, An Adventure Ahead, was adapted for radio by Howard Carraway and was directed by Joseph Mansfield. Music was by Doc Whipple. Adventure Ahead is presented as a public service by NBC and its affiliated independent stations. This is the National Broadcasting Company. This has been a presentation of otrwesterns.com and we hope you enjoyed. Please take some time to like and rate this episode within your favorite podcast application. Follow us on Facebook by going to otrwesterns.com and subscribe to our YouTube channel by going to otrwesterns.Com YouTube become one of our ranch hands and unlock some exclusive content. We want to thank our most recent ranch hands, Steve and Ron W. Who joined us recently. You too can join by going to otrwesterns.com donate send us an email podcasttrwesterns.com and you can call and leave us a voicemail. 707-986-8739 this episode is copyrighted under the Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Copyright. For more information go to otrwesterns.com copyright have a great day and thanks for listening. Sam.