The Big Story: Pillars of Society (EP4992)

Summary

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Podcast Summary: “The Big Story: Pillars of Society” (EP4992) – The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio

Date: January 20, 2026
Host: Adam Graham

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Overview: Main Theme & Purpose

In this episode, Adam Graham presents an installment from the classic radio series “The Big Story,” titled "Pillars of Society." Originally aired May 5, 1948, the dramatization honors journalist William Miller of the Cleveland Press for his dogged pursuit of justice after a wrongful conviction. The episode explores themes of journalistic integrity, the fallibility of legal systems, and the immense persistence required to overturn deeply entrenched miscarriages of justice. Following the broadcast, Adam provides historical context, commentary on the dramatization, and draws parallels with the real-life 1930s case that inspired the story.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Crime & Initial Conviction

• [02:08 – 04:48]
  • An elderly couple’s dry goods store is brutally robbed by two young men; they’re beaten and lose $2,000 (a decade’s savings).
  • One perpetrator (Joe Mantell) is convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison; the other escapes justice.
  • Reporter William Miller covers the crime, expressing satisfaction at the conviction.

2. A Mother’s Plea

• [05:10 – 09:16]
  • Joe Mantell’s mother visits Miller, pleading her son’s innocence.
  • She admits Joe’s troubled past but asserts he was home working on his car the night of the crime.
  • Miller is skeptical: “Every crook with a mother is innocent.” ([09:41])

3. Seeds of Doubt & New Evidence

• [09:56 – 15:39]
  • A similar crime occurs; Miller notices a pattern, suspects a connection, and investigates further.
  • He interviews Bud Enright, a new suspect whose appearance and crime resemble the original case.
  • Witnesses who had testified against Mantell now admit uncertainty, mistakenly identifying Enright as Mantell.

4. Institutional Inertia & the Role of the Courts

• [14:13 – 16:26]
  • Despite new confessions and affidavits, the Commissioner refuses to move:
    Quote: “The philosophy of the courts of this country – a jury has the last word. Trial by jury is the pillar of decency and law. You don’t throw that over for a whim…” ([15:39], Commissioner)
  • Miller is told only unequivocal proof will convince the authorities.

5. Searching for Proof: The Lie Detector Test

• [17:25 – 20:36]
  • Both Mantell and Enright undergo polygraph testing.
  • Mantell proclaims his innocence; Enright confirms guilt.
  • The Commissioner remains unmoved, doubting the reliability of polygraphs especially with hardened criminals.

6. Rallying Public Support

• [20:49 – 22:11]
  • Miller launches a public campaign, gathering signatures from 200 influential citizens to support Mantell’s pardon.
  • The Commissioner dismisses this, emphasizing the sacrosanct role of the jury.

7. Tracking Down the Jurors

• [22:11 – 23:24]
  • To overturn the verdict, Miller sets out to find and persuade all 12 original jurors.
  • He succeeds with 11; the 12th, Anna Ryder, is elusive and gravely ill in the hospital.

8. The Final Juror’s Admission

• [23:47 – 24:50]
  • On her deathbed, Mrs. Ryder expresses doubt about the verdict and signs a statement in support of Mantell’s innocence:
    Quote: “If I died with such a thing on my conscience…You have a paper for me to sign. Give me the paper and bless you.” ([23:47], Mrs. Anna Ryder)
  • This final affidavit secures Mantell’s pardon and release.

9. Aftermath & Reflections

• [24:50 – 26:34]
  • Mantell is freed, attending a "coming home and going away party” as he prepares to finally seek a new life.
  • Miller later receives word that Mantell has found happiness and a good job in California.

10. Host Commentary and Historical Context

• [28:14 – 33:28]
  • Adam Graham discusses differences between the real case and the dramatization.
    • The real case involved Frank Basie and key contributions from his brother Max.
    • The polygraph was arranged by a civic association, not Miller.
    • Max’s role in cornering the last juror and lobbying the governor is highlighted.
  • Adam reflects on the ethical dilemma posed by overturning jury verdicts and the challenges Miller faced:
    Quote: “The level of proof that Miller had to go through and getting all 12 jurors to agree is really just ridiculous…” ([30:11], Adam Graham)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• A Mother’s Desperation:
  “At 67, a woman don’t lie. My boy was home in the garage fixing the car.”
  — Mrs. Mantell ([06:51])

• Skepticism of Authority:
  “Every crook with a mother is innocent.”
  — Narrator ([09:41])

• The Court’s Rigid Philosophy:
  “A jury has the last word. Trial by jury is the pillar of decency and law. You don’t throw that over for a whim or an idea.”
  — Commissioner ([15:39])

• Deathbed Redemption:
  “If I died with such a thing on my conscience… Give me the paper and bless you.”
  — Mrs. Anna Ryder ([23:47])

• Redemption and New Beginnings:
  “He’s changed, Mr. Miller, thanks to you. No chip on his shoulder now. Two strikes against him.”
  — Mrs. Mantell ([25:15])

• William Miller’s Telegram:
  “Couldn’t write story of my meeting that day with Mantell. A little too personal, little too private, but could tell that by way. He said high useful life had been reclaimed… he was happy, had a good job, doing well.”
  — William Miller ([26:12])

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Important Timestamps

• [02:08] – Start of dramatization
• [05:10] – Mrs. Mantell pleads to Miller
• [09:56] – Miller’s first suspicions
• [11:01] – Miller confronts Enright
• [14:13] – Commissioner rejects confession/affidavits
• [17:25] – Polygraph scene
• [20:49] – Miller launches public campaign
• [22:11] – Miller seeks out jurors
• [23:47] – Mrs. Ryder's deathbed confession
• [26:12] – Miller’s telegram after Mantell’s release
• [28:14] – Adam’s historical commentary

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Summary Flow & Tone

The episode moves from the reporting of a crime, through initial skepticism and institutional resistance, toward tenacious investigation and eventual redemption. The tone is earnest and reflective, mixing the grim realities of injustice with hope for renewal. The host’s post-show commentary maintains a respectful, slightly sardonic tone, providing both praise for the dramatization and the necessary historical corrections.

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Conclusion

“Pillars of Society” is a compelling narrative about the stubbornness of the legal system, the burden of proof needed to right a wrong, and the incredible endurance required to see justice done. Through determined investigation, persuasive advocacy, and profound moral courage, the wrongful conviction is overturned, highlighting not just the flaws, but the potential for integrity in both journalism and the justice system. Adam Graham’s contextual reflections underscore the drama’s relevance and reveal how history and storytelling intertwine in the legacy of old-time radio detective fiction.

Transcript

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[William Miller]

Sam.

[Adam Graham]

Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This is your host, Adam Graham. In a moment, we're going to bring you this week's episode of the Big Story. But first, I do want to encourage you if you are enjoying this podcast to please follow us using your favorite podcast software. And I also want to encourage you to check out our other podcast. And today I'm highlighting the great adventurers of Old Time Radio. Currently, we've got a great serial going featuring Tarzan. And we also are featuring some high quality Lux radio theater programs. And you can subscribe to the great adventurers of Old Time Radio wherever you get your podcast from. And you can find links to all of our [e-mail] but now, from May 5, 1948, here is the pillars of society.

[Narrator/Announcer]

Palmel presents the Big Story.

[William Miller]

You ready, mama? Is the store locked?

[Mrs. Mantell]

Just closing the back door. You're finished.

[William Miller]

Busy week. Good week. And the money in the valise? Ready for deposit first thing in the morning.

[Mrs. Mantell]

Oh, a customer. It's too late.

[William Miller]

It's not too late. Maybe he needs something. Wait, wait.

[Mrs. Mantell]

Well, it's two customers. All two men.

[William Miller]

Two is better than one. Come in, gentlemen. Come in. What can I.

[Joe Mantell / Bud Enright]

You're an old guy, Pop. I wouldn't want to hurt you, but if I had to, I would. You want the valise, Pop? The valise.

[William Miller]

No, I. But you're rich. You're not rich, Frank.

[Joe Mantell / Bud Enright]

Maybe he doesn't understand polite talk. Give me that, Felice. Frank, talk to the man so he'll be sure and understand.

[Narrator/Announcer]

The Big Story. Here is America, its sound and its fury, its joy and its sorrow, as faithfully reported by the men and women of the great American newspapers. Cleveland, Ohio. From the pages of the Cleveland, Ohio Press, the moving story of justice and a guy named Joe. Tonight, to William Miller of the Cleveland, Ohio Press goes the Pell Mell Award for the Big Story. Now, the story as it actually happened. William Miller's story as he lived it. Cleveland, Ohio.

[Narrator]

You sit at your desk, William Miller of The Cleveland Press, writing the story of a brutal holdup. A man and a woman, both in their 60s. Owners of a small dry goods store on East 102nd street have been beaten and robbed. The sum taken, $2,000, represents 10 years savings for their kind of people. Their attackers were kids. 119, 121. To whom money is the final goal and to whom a storekeeper and his wife are just two people in the way you write that bitter news story. And two months later you write with sa satisfaction that one of the robbers was sentenced to 15 years in jail. The other robber was never picked up. But you're happy with the one they got. You enter his name in the back of your mind under the category louse. Joe Mantell.

[William Miller]

Louse.

[Narrator]

That done, you forget about him. Until four months later, the phone on your desk jogged you back into Remembrance.

[William Miller]

Miller speaking.

[Mrs. Mantell]

Receptionist. Mr. Miller, there's an old woman out here to see you.

[William Miller]

Well, who is she? What does she want?

[Mrs. Mantell]

Wouldn't say.

[William Miller]

Ask her name. I'm busy.

[Mrs. Mantell]

Yes, sir. What is your name? Mrs. Mantel, Mr. Miller.

[William Miller]

Mantel. I don't know any. Oh, Joe Mantel. She anything to do with him?

[Mrs. Mantell]

His mother, Mr. Miller.

[William Miller]

What do you know? Yeah, send her in. I'd like to hear what she's got to say. Yes, send her in.

[Mrs. Mantell]

You're very kind to see me, Mr. Miller.

[William Miller]

You read the stories I wrote on your son, didn't you, Mrs. Mantel?

[Mrs. Mantell]

Yes, I did.

[William Miller]

Then you know just how I feel. I'm only sorry you didn't get 25 years.

[Mrs. Mantell]

I'm not a proud woman, Mr. Miller, if to get to the truth, I have to scrub floors or take a little insult. My mother doesn't mind that, Mr. Miller.

[William Miller]

Look, what do you got to say?

[Mrs. Mantell]

Joey didn't do it any more than I did.

[William Miller]

The jury thought otherwise.

[Mrs. Mantell]

Joey wasn't there. He wasn't near the store that night.

[William Miller]

You said that in court.

[Mrs. Mantell]

I know, I.

[William Miller]

Well, what do you want anyhow? A man gets a trial, A fair trial. A jury of decent, honest people find him guilty. What more do you want?

[Mrs. Mantell]

Mr. Miller, I'm a reader of your paper. 15 years. I like the way you write.

[William Miller]

I know all that.

[Mrs. Mantell]

No, that's not flattery. It's the truth. You remember the Sullivan boy about eight years ago, Mr. Miller? He was found guilty by a jury of honest people, too. But you wrote about it. And you helped prove that he was innocent. The Ginsburg girl. That was about four years.

[William Miller]

Look, look. I studied your son's case. The only thing that makes me sore was that they didn't catch the other crook. And your son only got 15 years. Those people were in their 60s, Mrs. Mantel.

[Mrs. Mantell]

I'm 67, Mr. Miller. At 67, a woman don't lie. My boy was home in the garage fixing the car.

[William Miller]

Why was he fixing a car in the evening?

[Mrs. Mantell]

Because when a boy wants to make a new start, he don't care if it's afternoon or evening.

[William Miller]

Meaning what?

[Mrs. Mantell]

Joseph Mantell. My son was a bad boy. And it's a mother saying that. Mr. Miller, when he was 16, he stole a car. At 18, he robbed a candy store. So, of course, any jury would say that at 19, he'd hold up another store and steal $2,000 and beat up.

[William Miller]

The storekeeper and his wife. I'd say the same thing.

[Mrs. Mantell]

You see, the night of the robbery, he was going away. I got $300 together, all I could spare. You see, my husband is dead and we bought Joey a secondhand car and he was gone away. I was sitting on the steps that night, and he was in the garage fixing the car.

[Joe Mantell / Bud Enright]

What's California like, Ma?

[Mrs. Mantell]

Oh, it's nice, Joey. A boy could. Well, he could find himself there.

[Joe Mantell / Bud Enright]

You don't know me, Ma. I got two strikes against me.

[Mrs. Mantell]

If he tries hard, he could find himself. Ma.

[Joe Mantell / Bud Enright]

Sometimes I think when they handed out luck, I was out for a beer.

[Mrs. Mantell]

Now, don't make smart jokes, Joey.

[Joe Mantell / Bud Enright]

Okay. They must have seen you coming when they sold you this jalopy.

[Mrs. Mantell]

It'll get you to California, and that's all I want. Look, Joey, people in California never heard of you.

[Joe Mantell / Bud Enright]

I know it's not so easy. Cops heard of me, Ma. Other kinds of people, too. Don't kid yourself.

[Mrs. Mantell]

But you got nothing to be ashamed of. You did your time for the wrong thing that you did. You'll go there and make a new start. Yeah.

[Joe Mantell / Bud Enright]

Yeah, sure. Who knows? Maybe I'll be the next Van Johnson. Joe Mantel in Home on a Range playing at your.

[Mrs. Mantell]

What is it, Joey?

[Narrator]

Okay, Mantel, come along.

[Mrs. Mantell]

What's the matter, officer? What's happened?

[Narrator]

Didn't he tell you?

[Mrs. Mantell]

No.

[Narrator]

You'll find out. Let's go. The sergeant is waiting for you, Mantell. And the judge and the jury. And I think there'll be a nice, comfortable cell too. Now, come on.

[Mrs. Mantell]

That's the God's truth, Mr. Miller. He was going away to turn over a new leaf too.

[William Miller]

Okay, Mrs. Mantell, I heard you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I got a lot of work to do. Three witnesses saw him.

[Mrs. Mantell]

Maybe Joey was right. Two strikes against you, he said. Chances are, you strike out.

[William Miller]

I'm sorry. Take that door out, will you? Mrs. Mantell, I'm not a charitable institution. And I'm not a dope, either.

[Narrator]

And that's all you close your mind to. It happens every day. Every crook with a mother is innocent. You go back to the real world of being an honest reporter, and then something happens, and you realize that you haven't shaken the Mantell case from your.

[William Miller]

Mind because you write this story. Smitty. Yeah? What about the two guys that held up the gas station? Told you I did. Something the matter? Oh, no, nothing. Just what did you see the crooks? Sure, I saw them. Hey, what's eating you? Just this. The two criminals, Bud and Frank Enright, 19 and 21, in addition to robbing the attendant, beat him cruelly as well. The injuries may prove fatal because the attendant was a man, well, in his 60s. So nothing. Just. Just reminds me of another case. I just wonder if. Nah. Three witnesses couldn't be wrong. A jury couldn't be that wrong. Nah. Or could they? Smitty, what jail are those two crooks in? Sergeant, can I see this Bud Enright? Ah, sure.

[Narrator/Announcer]

It's a free country.

[William Miller]

What's the point, Miller? I just. Just that I want to make sure I didn't insult an old lady. Huh? I don't know what you're talking about, but go ahead. Go as far as you like. Only leave him in the cooler, will you? You look like him. You know that, don't you? Like who? Like Joe Mantell. Who's he? A boy who was set up for beating and robbing a couple who ran a dry goods store on East 102nd street six months ago.

[Commissioner]

So what?

[Joe Mantell / Bud Enright]

I look like him?

[William Miller]

Did you do that job?

[Joe Mantell / Bud Enright]

Don't be stupid.

[William Miller]

Now, look, Bud, you're in a bad way. You may get life. You know that, don't you?

[Joe Mantell / Bud Enright]

Get out of here. I got a right to be alone.

[William Miller]

You and your brother stuck up that couple, didn't you?

[Mrs. Mantell]

Yeah.

[Joe Mantell / Bud Enright]

Yeah, we stuck him up and tipped the cops to pick up this man's hell.

[William Miller]

Now, what do you got to lose? Tell the truth. Maybe an innocent kid is up for 15 years for what you did.

[Joe Mantell / Bud Enright]

My heart's bleeding. Now get out of here and leave me alone. What kind of jail is this anyhow? Anybody can come in here, say anything he wants. Leave me alone.

[William Miller]

Mr. Jenkins, you identified this man as the robber of the dry goods store.

[Joe Mantell / Bud Enright]

Look, young man, I testified to that effect in court. I don't you know.

[William Miller]

And this is the man, isn't it? This is his picture.

[Joe Mantell / Bud Enright]

That's right.

[William Miller]

Now, if you don't mind, this is not Joe Mantell. What? That's right. This is Bud Enright, not Joe Mantell.

[Mrs. Mantell]

But I.

[William Miller]

Then you're not sure it was Mantell who held up that store? Might have been.

[Commissioner]

This man, yes.

[Narrator/Announcer]

Thanks.

[William Miller]

That's all I wanted to know. Is this the man, Mrs. Smothers?

[Mrs. Mantell]

This one? It certainly is. I'd know his face anywhere. He came in our storage.

[William Miller]

Well, this is not the man your testimony convicted, Mrs. Smothers. This is another man.

[Mrs. Mantell]

Oh, my goodness. Oh, my goodness. That's terrible.

[William Miller]

You're sure?

[Joe Mantell / Bud Enright]

I told you I didn't do it, Miller. When are you gonna leave me alone?

[William Miller]

And right. I've got affidavits from three witnesses saying you were the man. Not Mantel. From the storekeepers, too. Why don't you stop it? You're going to get life anyhow. Play ball. Maybe something can be done.

[Joe Mantell / Bud Enright]

I don't want any part of it.

[William Miller]

Look, may. Maybe it's a stupid thing to say. And I think. How about a little thing like your conscience? How about a little thing like that fact that this kid's mother is sick to death because ain't right. I swear I'm going to haunt you till you tell me the truth. I'm going to rise. All right, shut up. I got a statement right here. I'll read it. And read it carefully.

[Joe Mantell / Bud Enright]

Okay, let me see it.

[William Miller]

Well, there it is, Commissioner. The works. Signed confession by Enright. Affidavits of error by the witnesses. And now all you have to do is see the governor.

[Commissioner]

Suppose we go slow, Melon.

[William Miller]

What do you mean, slow? Everything's right here in front of you, Commissioner. Sure, sure.

[Commissioner]

What is the confession of a life termer worth? What did you offer him to sign it? Sympathetic treatment. And your paper?

[Adam Graham]

No.

[Commissioner]

Feed a little sentiment to most crooks, they'll oblige you. What have they got to lose? That confession isn't worth the paper it's written on.

[William Miller]

What about the affidavits of the witnesses? What about Mrs. Smothers who owned the store? What?

[Commissioner]

That they made a mistake? That they said Enright was Mantell? I could get them to say Mantell was Enright. Or maybe somebody else. Maybe instead of making one mistake, they're making two mistakes. What proof have you got? Real proof.

[William Miller]

Absolute proof.

[Commissioner]

That would warrant our reversing the jury.

[William Miller]

But this man is innocent. I know, I know.

[Commissioner]

An innocent man is in prison. Makes a great story but how does this one strike you? A guilty man is pardoned. How do you like that story?

[William Miller]

Mantell didn't do it. He was fixing his car that night. He was going to California. A jury thought otherwise.

[Commissioner]

Twelve honest men and women as honest.

[William Miller]

As you or I.

[Commissioner]

They thought otherwise. You think you've got enough to throw that decision away?

[William Miller]

Look, in the Sullivan case and the Ginsburg case. Sure, you batted a thousand there.

[Commissioner]

Only this time you might be batting zero. Nothing you've shown me would make the governor give Mantel a pardon. Nothing. I want proof, Mellor.

[William Miller]

Proof.

[Commissioner]

Maybe this will sound high handed to you, but it happens to be my philosophy. The philosophy of the courts of this country. A jury has the last word. Trial by jury is the pillar of decency and law. You don't throw that over for a whim or an idea. Or even because a smart reporter comes in and presents you with something that indicates maybe, just maybe, something is wrong. Think that over, Miller. Anytime you want to speak to me again, come right in. I'm honest, but I'm hard headed. You'll be the same.

[Narrator/Announcer]

We'll be back in just a moment with tonight's big story.

[William Miller]

Now back to your narrator, Bob Sloan. And the big story of William Miller as he lived it and wrote it.

[Narrator]

You walk out of the commissioner's office slowly weighing his words. Because you're just a reporter, Bill Miller, a reporter for the Cleveland Press. You think over what he said, that courts and trial by jury are the pillars of our society. You know he has a point. A big point. And so as you move ahead now, you look for proof. Proof that'll be important enough to reverse a decision by a jury of 12 men and women, tried and true. Your first step is taken with a specialist, Dr. Thompson, an expert with a lie detector. You two sit down with Joe Mantell. And as the doctor gives him a test for truth, you can hear his heartbeat.

[William Miller]

Now just relax, Mr. Mantell, if you please, and answer the questions I'll ask you.

[Joe Mantell / Bud Enright]

Yes. Yes, sir.

[William Miller]

Are you innocent?

[Joe Mantell / Bud Enright]

Yes, sir, Doctor, I am.

[William Miller]

Where were you on the night of the robbery?

[Joe Mantell / Bud Enright]

Fixing my car.

[William Miller]

What kind of car was it?

[Joe Mantell / Bud Enright]

A Chevy convertible.

[William Miller]

How many times were you convicted before?

[Mrs. Mantell]

Twice.

[Joe Mantell / Bud Enright]

Both times for robbery.

[William Miller]

But this time you're innocent.

[Joe Mantell / Bud Enright]

Yes, sir, I'm innocent. I never.

[William Miller]

Very well. Mrs. Smothers. The storekeeper said you hit her husband on the head.

[Joe Mantell / Bud Enright]

That's a lie. I never did.

[Commissioner]

I. I wouldn't hit a man old.

[Joe Mantell / Bud Enright]

Enough to be my father.

[William Miller]

All right, Mr. Mantell.

[Commissioner]

That'll do.

[William Miller]

That'll do very nicely. Now, just sit still, Enright. This is a lie detector.

[Joe Mantell / Bud Enright]

I signed you a statement, didn't I? What you gotta bother me with all this for?

[William Miller]

Just answer the questions and nothing's gonna happen to you. All right, Mr. Miller, I'm ready. Now, Mr. Enright, describe what happened when you went into the store.

[Joe Mantell / Bud Enright]

I walked in. Me and my brother. They wouldn't hand over the money, so I took it. They had it in a little valise.

[William Miller]

And then you hit him.

[Joe Mantell / Bud Enright]

Frank hit him. We wanted to be sure they wouldn't call the cops.

[William Miller]

Then you walked out.

[Joe Mantell / Bud Enright]

We put out the lights and then walked out.

[William Miller]

How much money was in the valise?

[Joe Mantell / Bud Enright]

2,000 bucks.

[Mrs. Mantell]

Ain't that enough?

[William Miller]

Your brother says you hit him and he's a liar.

[Joe Mantell / Bud Enright]

A dirty liar.

[Commissioner]

All right, Mr. Enright.

[William Miller]

Fine, thank you.

[Joe Mantell / Bud Enright]

Do me a favor, Miller.

[Mrs. Mantell]

Get that man.

[Joe Mantell / Bud Enright]

Tell punk out of jail and leave me alone.

[William Miller]

I'll try, Bud. I'll try. The test, commissioner. Establish, in my judgment, the innocence of Joseph Mantell and demonstrate that Bud Enright was telling the truth when he admitted the robbery.

[Commissioner]

I see.

[William Miller]

What do you say, commissioner?

[Commissioner]

Lie detectors are funny things. Tell me, doctor, how do you explain this chart? The wild beatings and vibrations during Mantell's testimony, if he was telling the truth.

[William Miller]

Well, he's young and excitable. Anyone would have such reactions then.

[Commissioner]

They're not conclusive. He might have had the same reactions if he were lying.

[William Miller]

Well, Commissioner Enright's charge shows that he wasn't lying.

[Commissioner]

Not to me, it doesn't.

[William Miller]

Well, why doesn't it?

[Commissioner]

Because. Check me on this, doctor. The lie detector breaks down when it comes to hardened criminals. I mean, a man with a record who, over a period of years has built himself up to lie evenly. Such a man could fool a lie detector, right?

[William Miller]

Well, there would be some difficulty in such a case.

[Commissioner]

Read Enright's record, Miller. Seven major crimes in six years. Everything from smuggling to assault to arson to robbery. Such a man is constitutionally unable to distinguish between right and wrong.

[William Miller]

But for heaven's sake, commissioner, I still.

[Commissioner]

See a jury of 12 people deliberating in a closed room settling the fate of a man. I don't see this kind of half evidence changing what went on in that room.

[William Miller]

What do you want?

[Commissioner]

I want a reason. A better reason than you've given me for reversing a jury.

[Narrator]

You write articles in your paper, Bill Millone. Articles pointing out the validity of your case. You call upon outstanding citizens to rally around the innocence of Joe Mantell. You bring support to your case in the person of the most respectable citizens of Cleveland. And then you go to see the commissioner once more.

[Commissioner]

No, I won't change my mind.

[William Miller]

Will you? Now, look, this has gone beyond the stage of reasonable doubt. Here are the names of 200 of the most prominent citizens of Cleveland.

[Commissioner]

I was just as impressed with the names of the witnesses and the storekeeper's wife. Size doesn't change this. And the importance of the people who sign doesn't change it. They didn't sit on that jury. They didn't hear all the evidence.

[William Miller]

Well, suppose I got the jurors themselves. Would that change your mind? Good thing.

[Commissioner]

How could you do that? That jury was impaneled over a year ago. A lot of those people are.

[William Miller]

Who knows?

[Commissioner]

All over the state. Maybe some out of the state. How could you get them?

[William Miller]

But suppose I did what? What would you say then?

[Commissioner]

You really believe in this, don't you?

[William Miller]

Just as much as you believe in the sanctity of the courts.

[Commissioner]

If you'll get the jury, Miller, I'll get you some action from the governor.

[Narrator]

Now you've said something, Bill Miller. You're going to get the jury to reverse themselves. And in saying it, you've said a mouthful. Because just as the commissioner thought, half the jurors can't be located easily. Some have moved to other cities, some to other states. But you go after them. You reach them wherever they are and present the testimony of the witnesses. You show them the photos. You bring in the lie detector tests. And finally, after a year of hard work, you've got 11 jurors agreeing that Joe Mantell should be pardoned. But 11 isn't.

[Narrator/Announcer]

12.

[Narrator]

And the 12th juror, Mrs. Anna Ryder, can't be found anywhere. And then your phone rings.

[William Miller]

Miller's speaking.

[Mrs. Mantell]

Mr. Miller, this is Mrs. Mantell.

[William Miller]

Oh, hello, Mrs. Mantel. How are you?

[Mrs. Mantell]

Oh, I'm fine. I'm fine. And I. I haven't had a chance yet to tell you how much I appreciate all that you've done.

[William Miller]

It's all right, Mrs. Mantel. I wish I. You know, I haven't been able to finish what I started.

[Mrs. Mantell]

Yes, I know. I know. Mrs. Rider, the 12th juror.

[William Miller]

We can't find her anywhere.

[Mrs. Mantell]

But that's why.

[Mrs. Anna Ryder]

Why I called you.

[Mrs. Mantell]

I found her.

[William Miller]

We've done every. You found her where?

[Mrs. Mantell]

Oh, that's just it, Mr. Miller. She's very sick and she's in the hospital.

[William Miller]

Could we see her?

[Mrs. Mantell]

Well, I don't know. The doctor says her condition is very serious.

[William Miller]

Well, give me the name of the hospital. Maybe we can do it, Mrs. Mantel. Maybe we can. And that's the story. Mrs. Ryder.

[Mrs. Anna Ryder]

Thank you for coming. You see, I'm dying, Mr. Miller.

[William Miller]

Oh, no, I don't know.

[Mrs. Anna Ryder]

Oh, yes, I know. But I thank you for coming.

[Mrs. Mantell]

Always.

[Mrs. Anna Ryder]

Since I saw your first articles in the paper months ago. Always there was a little cloud of doubt in my mind. And if I died with such a thing on my conscience. No, no. You see, his mother, this innocent boy's mother, she might have been me. No, no. Mr. Miller, I thank you for coming. You have a paper for me to sign. Give me the paper and bless you. Bless you for coming.

[Mrs. Mantell]

I'm so glad you came, Mr. Miller. Joey is so happy since he was pardoned by the governor.

[William Miller]

Well, I'm glad too, Mrs. Mantell. It's a very nice party.

[Mrs. Mantell]

Yes, it's. It's a coming home party. And a going away party, too. Did. Did you have some turkey?

[William Miller]

Yes, thank you, I did. What do you mean, going away?

[Mrs. Mantell]

You haven't seen Joey, have you? No.

[William Miller]

I was beginning to wonder where.

[Mrs. Mantell]

Well, he's out in the back in the garage, fixing up the car.

[William Miller]

Car?

[Mrs. Mantell]

He said he don't want a party. He just wants to go away. He's changed, Mr. Miller, thanks to you. No chip on his shoulder now?

[Commissioner]

No.

[Mrs. Mantell]

Two strikes against him. Go out, Mr. Miller, shake his hand and wish him luck. Joey had liked that better than anything in the world.

[Narrator/Announcer]

In just a moment, we'll read you a telegram from William Miller of the Cleveland Press with the final outcome of tonight's big story. Now we read you that telegram from William Miller of the Cleveland, Ohio Press.

[William Miller]

Couldn't write story of my meeting that day with Mantell. A little too personal, little too private, but could tell that by way. He said high useful life had been reclaimed. Feeling was justified when two years later received postcard from Mantel in California. He was happy, had a good job, doing well. Many thanks for tonight's Pell Mell award.

[Narrator/Announcer]

Thank you, Mr. Miller. The makers of Pall Mall proud to have named you the winner of the Pall Mall Five hundred Dollar award for notable service in the field of journalism.

[William Miller]

Listen again next week, same time, same station, when Pall Mall will present another big story. A big story from the front pages of the Indianapolis Star byline, Robert Early. A big story about racing cars.

[Narrator]

Reckless.

[William Miller]

Men and a driver who gambled and lost.

[Narrator/Announcer]

The Big story is produced by Bernard J. Proctor with music by Vladimir Zielinski. Tonight's program was written written by Arnold Pearl. Your narrator was Bob Sloan and Arnold Moss played the part of William Miller. In order to protect the names of people actually involved in tonight's authentic big story. The names of all characters in the dramatization were changed, with the exception of the reporter, Mr. Miller. This is ernest chapel speaking for the makers of pal mal famous cigarettes.

[William Miller]

This is NBC, the national broadcasting company.

[Adam Graham]

Welcome back. The cast of this episode, in addition to Mr. Moss, included Barbara Weeks, Adi Cline, Santos Ortega, Mickey O', Day, Ed Jeromes, Jack Grimes, and narrator Bob Sloan, who even took on a character. As usual, these episodes are fascinating time capsules. While the commissioner end up wrong, Miller was right that he had a point. Letting jury verdicts get overturned because of pressure from the press really could set a bad precedent. And I appreciated that the commissioner didn't just change his mind because important people thought that the results should be changed. But there's stubbornness and then there's just being obstinate. And the sort of level of proof that Miller had to go through and getting all 12 jurors to agree is really just ridiculous because he provided a lot of evidence to cast out on the result of the case. Even though for the time, the commissioner's view of the jury verdict was exalted beyond reason. Now, I did dig up the original story as to what happened. It all culminated in the January 17, 1937 issue of the Cleveland News. It involved a young man named Frank Basie, who was convicted in 1934 and pardoned by Governor Martin Davy in 1937. Now, the actual story is very similar to what we heard on the radio, even getting all 12 jurors degree and the last juror being on their deathbed. But there were some things that were different. The lie detector was arranged not by Miller, but by the Cleveland association for Criminal justice, who actually issued a full report to the governor in the spring of 1936. They talked about the lie detector results. They talked about the confessions and the evidence that they had gathered. And this made its way to the governor's executive secretary, who recommended clemency be given. But apparently the whole thing got lost as not a thing happened with it for nine months. Oops, sorry for leaving you in prison all that time. That is an unpardonable clerical error. Miller had reported on the story and really started to beat the drum, particularly on New Year's Eve 1936, covering the fact that the family didn't have Mr. Macy back and that there had been no response from the governor's office. One key omission from the radio episode was that Basie had a brother. In fact, Basie's brother Max was actually put on trial at the same time as Basie, but he was acquitted. And he was a key part of finding the last juror. It was him, not the mother, who found the juror. And then Max Basie went to Columbus and sat outside the governor's office for 11 straight days until the governor issued a pardon. It's unlikely that the commissioner represented a single person. And really, if you're a newspaper, do you really need the police commissioner's support to get someone out of prison? He may have represented a composite of different people who had objections at different stages of the efforts to free Frank Basie. And the adding of such a composite character and kind of taking some of the things that Max Basie did and attributing them to the mother is completely understandable. Because of some of the challenges that come into producing radio drama, every single actor in this episode was doubling up another part. And you even had the narrator acting. You have, you know, limits, time, the budget as well as the cast size. And you just had to keep things manageable while trying to reflect what happened as best you can within the limits that you have in producing a radio drama. Well, now it's time to thank our Patreon supporter of the Day. And I want to thank Joey, patreon, Supporter since June 2019, currently supporting the podcast at the rookie level of $2 or more per month. Thanks so much for your support, Joey.

[Joe Mantell / Bud Enright]

Thank you.

[Adam Graham]

That will do it for today. If you're enjoying the podcast, please follow us using your favorite podcast software. And be sure to rate and review the podcast wherever you download it from. We'll be back next Tuesday with another episode of the Big Story, but join us back here tomorrow for Broadway's My Beat, where the man who was with.

[Ms. Carroll]

You last night, he said you wanted to talk to me.

[Commissioner]

It could have waited, Ms. Carroll, until you felt better and until you.

[Ms. Carroll]

It'll not be fixed. Forgotten that easily, Mr. Clover, if that's what you mean. If you have something to ask, ask. Only don't prolong it. Don't make me wait and wonder. Sorrow is enough by itself, don't you think?

[Commissioner]

Yes. Yes, it is. And you try to understand us, Ms. Carroll.

[Ms. Carroll]

A man I loved, who loved me, is dead. By his own hand, by his own will. He could have lifted his burden onto me, whatever it was, but he didn't. And now he's dead. You want more than that?

[Commissioner]

Maybe. Because this is my job. Because I can't rule out the possibility that David Blaine was murdered.

[Ms. Carroll]

Awful. How ugly of you to think a thing like that. That anyone could have wanted my David dead. Why, that's ugly.

[Adam Graham]

I hope you'll be with us then. In the meantime, send your comments to box13reatdetectives.com Follow us on Twitter radiodetectives and check us out on Instagram. Instagram.com Great. Detectives from Boise, Idaho, this is your host, Adam Graham, signing off.