This episode from The Life of Sherlock Holmes will be
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Service. Petri Wine brings you Basil
Rathbone and Nigel Bruce in The New Adventures of Sherlock
Holmes. The Petrie family, the family
that took time to bring you good wine, invite you to listen to
Doctor Watson tell us about another exciting adventure he
shared with his old friend, that master Detective Sherlock
Holmes. It began on a on a on a summer
evening in 19106. I'd been for a long walk in the
park. I remember when I returned to
Baker Street and entered our rooms, Holmes looked up at me
with a twinkle and and spoke. You.
Look positively glowing with health, Watson.
Well, I have a splendid walk, my dear father.
He was going to come with me. The park was looking
particularly beautiful. The Mailchap.
During our absence, I've decided to write another monograph.
Oh, what's the subject this time?
Occupational liability to murder and, for instance, the mortality
rate is naturally high among policemen and detectives.
Physicians are murdered with fair regularity, but the murder
of a dentist is rare. And whoever heard of a murdered
veterinary surgeon? That's quite true, but what's
the occasion for this little? Homily, I've been browsing over
my newspaper clippings. Yeah, you would recall over
hearing of a murdered tobacconist, Watson.
No, no, I can't say that I. Do I?
And yet my clippings informed me that no less than 3 tobacconists
have been murdered in the past six months, and all the murders
have occurred in the same small shop in the East End of London.
Now why do you suppose 3 tobacconists would be murdered
in the same shop? Come on, give me a logical
solution to the problem, will you?
Well, let me see you say that the shops in the in the East
End. As.
Is it near the? River, as it happens, it's on
the water's edge. And supposing the tobacco This
shop was the headquarters of a smuggling ring, Perhaps boxes
of. Cigars were unloaded.
From the dock and brought to the shop cigars containing pills or.
Opium or something? What?
Son? My dear fellow, you're doing
splendidly. You must walk in the park more
frequently. You're positive is
scintillating. Oh no, no, you're you're making.
Fun. I'm sure you I'm not.
You're expecting anyone else? No, no, probably a visitor for
Missus Hudson. Come on with your fascinating
theory now. Why are three tobacconists
murdered? Well, because they they know too
much. Perhaps they demand a share on
the profits. So the head of the ring decides
to kill him. Plausible enough, Watson, I
really must congratulate you. I can see that I'm very lucky in
having a biographer with such a lively imagination.
Thanks very much. Oh, hello, Stan.
Stan, I'm glad to see you. I'm not intruding.
Not at all, My dear fellow. Come along.
Sit down. Thank you, Miss Holmes.
Anything remarkable on hand? No.
No, Miss Holmes, nothing very particular.
Then tell me all about it. Can't.
Hide anything from you. Can I say yes, there is
something on my mind and no mistake?
And it concerns the three murdered tobacconists I see.
Splendid. Now, how that blazes?
Did you know that? Yes, pure magic.
That's all Mary Watson. It's simple deduction.
Observe the five cigars peering out of the Strands breast
pocket. They are of a far superior
quality to his usual brand, obviously the scene of his
latest investigation as profit. Certain worlds we say
professional perquisites. Am I right, Lestard?
Of course you are careful one Mr. Rooms.
Thank you or I'll stick to my pipe.
How about you, Doctor? Oh.
Thank you, Lestard and you Coronas.
And now, inspector, don't be about the murder tobacconists
well. How much do you know about the
case? That's what I've read in the
papers. Curiously enough, we were
discussing the affair as you walked in Lestard.
It's a strange business, gentlemen.
I only got hold of the old story today when I had a long talk to
young Jack Longworth. He's the owner of the show when
in. Relation to General Longworth,
the taller Member of Parliament, who battled so successfully
against the Slum Clearance Bill, his son.
Mr. Holmes, it's not young fella too.
When his father died, he inherited this shop along with a
lot of other property in the East End.
Well. How big a shop is it?
Mr. Or just old in the Wall Doctor, like all the other shops
in their part of London, young Mr. Longworth Jasmine first
rents it to a man by the name of George Grillit.
He lives there with his daughter Lily and made a quite a nice go
out of the shop 6 months ago when Jack Longworth was abroad.
George Grillit has a stroke and nearly kicks the bucket.
Kicks the kicks the. He nearly dies Doctor.
Oh. Kicks the bucket, remember that?
And then what happened to this guy?
Well. While he's in the hospital, his
daughter gives up the lease on the shop.
A few days later an Italian takes it over and a couple of
weeks later he's found with his float.
Cut Did you investigate that first?
Murder yourself. No, Mr. Romes seemed like any of
a dozen kiddings we get in that part of London.
A shopkeeper cut up his tail, emptied.
No clues. Who's the next tenant?
A Scotsman looked by the name of Mackintosh.
A few weeks after he moved in, the same thing happened to him.
That time I did go down there, but I couldn't find out.
Nothing. Was robbery again the appellant
murdered? Yes, Sir, that the tin wasn't
the same. He was strangled with a.
Silk scarf. Silk scarf.
And who was the 3rd tenant? The man who was murdered
yesterday? A.
Hindu fella, a man by the name of Mukherjee, he takes it over a
week, last Friday and yesterday we find him knife through the
back of his money. Gone.
Course I was down there before you could say Crystal Palace,
but once again I didn't find out.
Nothing. No knife, no fingerprints on the
till, no footprints. Just a very dead.
Indoor was young Mr. Longworth, the landlord in England, when
these murders occurred. Yeah, that's The funny thing
about it, Mr. Owens. He docked at Tilbury yesterday
morning. He didn't know nothing about
what had been going on. Well.
I imagine he'd have difficulty in renting the shop after three.
Well, that's just a doctor. That's why he comes to me at the
yard. George Grillit is first tenant
of the shop. Moved back there today with his
daughter Lily, and young Mr. Long was worried about them.
If you ask me, he's more worried about the daughter than he is
about Old Man Grillit. So the original tenants of the
shop are back in residence again, eh?
And what do you want me to do? Well, I thought.
Perhaps you'd be interested enough to come along with me and
look at the shop? Mr. I should be very glad to my
dear fellow. It's curtain hat, Watson.
I'll answer it. Hello, Mike Craft.
How are you? Yes, yes, he he's here now.
I of course. I'll do everything I can.
Certainly. Let's have dinner together soon,
shall we? Splintered idea.
All right, goodbye. Is that your brother home?
Yes, Estrada, I do think you might have told me the whole
truth. Well.
How do you mean? Sir, I thought your visit was
prompted by a need for friendly assistance.
I didn't realize that you came here virtually on a government
or. The world.
It wasn't just quite like that, Mister the.
Government got to do with the case.
And how does your brother Michael fit into the picture?
Not sure yet, but if one thing we may be certain, there's
obviously a great deal more in this case than Lestrade would
have us believe. Why do you say that?
Holmes He must bear in mind, old fellow, that occasionally,
Mycroft is the British government.
Nice part of London. Take a walk in on a foggy night,
ain't it gentlemen? All our policemen work down here
in pairs, you know. So I don't blame them.
It's a vile neighbourhood. There's the shop just head on us
with a sign hanging out and now, and now there he is again.
Oh. See that bearded Hindu skulking
off around the corner there? He's been haunting the place
ever since I came down here. Bearded Hindu wants the place,
eh? Yes, and yesterday Holmes, the
Hindu proparta of the shop, was. Murdered.
Exactly. Well, here we are.
I'll go in first. Pressing look in place, eh?
I'll be. Acting jiffy.
That's Lily. George Grillit's daughter helps
him with the shop. Sorry.
To keep you wet. Oh, how it's you, Inspector
Lestrade. Yes, Miss Lee.
I brought some gentlemen to see your father.
This is Mr. Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson.
Pleased to meet you, I'm sure how do?
You. Do young lady.
Is your dad home? No, Inspector, he won't be in
till after dinner. We're down at the docks.
He did to see about some cigar shipments.
Mr. Longwell, see you if you want to see him.
We were just adding some tea in the backroom.
Yeah. So I'd like these gentlemen to
meet him, Jack. Come out in the shop, Jack.
What is it, Lily? Oh, Inspector Astride.
And this must with Mr. Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson, I'm
sure. You do?
Sorry, Mr. Longmouth. I'm very glad the inspector was
able to persuade you to come down here, Mr. Holmes.
I'm virtually worried about this business, particularly since
Lily's father insisted on coming back here.
I'm afraid they're in great danger, but I can't make Mr.
Grillit. See it young lady.
I wonder if I might ask you a few questions.
Of course, Mr. Jones. Before your father had his
stroke, did he receive any threats concerning his occupancy
at the shop? Well.
If he did, he never tell me about him.
It wouldn't surprise me. I often told him his biggest
enemy is himself, if you know what I mean.
Yes, I. Think I do miss Grillett?
When your father had his illness, who decided to give up
the lease on the shop? I did.
No money was coming in and well, it looked like Dad might be an
invalid for life. Of course I couldn't run the
shop by myself. Anyhow, I never did like this
part of London. It wasn't the right business for
Father. What was his reaction when you
told him to have given up the lease?
No. He was awful angry with me, said
I had no right to do it without asking him.
By the way, yeah, we saw that bearded into again as we walked
up just now. Been in and around ever since we
came back here. Inspector has.
He actually come into the shop, Miss Gillett.
No, but he keeps walking by and looking in the window.
I'm sure if we both went into the bedroom or left the shop for
a little while, well, he'd come right in.
And I suggest we give him the opportunity you're seeking.
Miss Grillard, I wonder if you and Mr. Longworth would mind
leaving the shop for a while of? Course not, Mr. Holmes.
Make your departure rather ostentatious.
Shall we say, though, that he can't help noticing it?
Give us half an hour or so and then come back.
Perhaps you wouldn't mind going with them, Lestrade?
Mr. Rosie, this is. My case, I know, I know.
But in a situation like this, Watson and I work much better
alone. We may have to go a little
outside the law and your presence might endealysis.
You'd never think I was a detective too.
We'll be back in half an hour. Poor old Lestrade.
Yeah, I blame. Him.
I'm leaving him completely in the dark.
Come on, Watson. Behind the counter.
No, no, no, no, my dear fellow. Not under it.
Oh, chap, we lift the flap So
and I suggest we clutch down behind here.
Come on. That's it.
Have you got your father, Watson?
Yes, it's in my pocket. Good.
Meantime, make yourself as comfortable as these cramped
quarters will permit. You may have.
I don't wait ahead of us. Look, look.
Holmes has been due, now peering through the window.
Yes, yes, Sir. Here he, here he comes.
All right, Barton, put your. Hands up, I've got you covered
with this revolver now, my man, what are you doing here?
Who? Who are you?
Never mind who I am, just answer my question.
Why do not speak very good English?
Don't mean to stand about burning sector.
Ah sector, hi take. Me question who comes here bhai?
Now you don't. My man, it's.
All right, Barton, let him go. He's on our side.
I wish you'd. Tell me what the pun is going
on, who that man was and why you let him go.
He's an investigator from the Foreign Office, old chap, given
his instructions by my brother Mycroft.
Yes, old fellow man, my brother
fails to tell me all the facts concerning this case.
I begin to think these triple murders have far greater
ramifications than we ever dreamed of.
Doctor Watson's story will continue in just a second.
Just about time enough for me to mention that any meal becomes a
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Yes, Sir, with food. You just can't beat a good Petri
wine. And now, back to tonight's new
Sherlock Holmes adventure. A puzzling case is occupying the
attentions of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson. 3 murders
have taken place in a small tobacconist shop in the East End
of London. As we rejoin our story, it's
late at night and Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson,
accompanied by Inspector Lestrade, are once again walking
toward the ill-fated shop. Well, I don't see that you've
accomplished much, Mr. Holmes, except that you just bought me a
nice dinner. I'm.
Making progress, Miss Tran, if anybody.
Elimination of obvious suspects. There was a pattern to this case
that should give us a clue. Well.
How do you mean? Home, dear fellow, consider the
obvious motive of these murders and particularly observe the
results they've obtained Well, the.
Motive was the same in all three killings.
Robbery or not astride not leave the theft of a few pounds from
the till blind you to the real motive look.
Look, look, look. Here's Mr. Now he's coming.
Out of the shop. Good evening, Miss Grillit.
Hello. Mr. Holmes.
Is your Papa home yet? Yes, he is, Mr. Holmes.
I can't tell you how anxious I am for you to talk to him.
I'm going to meet Mr. Longway. He's taken me to the Music Hall.
I should be on just after 10. I hope you'll be able to stay
with Dad until then. Well.
Don't you worry, Miss Grillit, We'll keep an eye on him.
Oh, thanks ever so much. Oh, oh, Mr. Holmes.
Yes, Miss Grillit. Please don't go into our rooms
in the back, will you? I've left things in a flight for
me. I quite understand Miss Grillit.
Where Tata Hall see you later. Let's go into the shop.
I said oh chew inspector. These gentlemen, Mr. Sherlock
Holmes and Doctor Watts. Good evening.
Did you meet young Lily just
now? She.
Told her she was going out to the music Oh with Mr. Longwood.
Yes, I'm afraid we had quite a set to about that.
A very strong willed girl, Lily. Very strong willed.
I have to assume that you disapprove of your daughter's
association with Mr. Longworth of.
Course I do. He's a tough He's got lots of
money. Lily's so blunt she can't see
that he's up to no good. I'm pretty sure he's afraid I
might find out what's really at the back of these here murders.
And what is your theory, Sir? Well, I'll tell you this in
confidence. Got nothing to back it up.
Now, you understand there's been talk of widening the docks
around here. That'd make property values go
up, you see. Of course, young Longwood's been
trying to buy up all the other shops along the waterfront here,
but they wouldn't sell. If you ask me, he's had these
murders done just a fronting people away so that they he
could buy. Cheap now I'm not.
Saying that he did the murders himself, you understand, but he
planned them when these parts. It's easy enough any night to
get a throat cut for a couple of quid.
That's why I'm glad you're here. Chance you see I I just got
another warning. Warning.
What do you mean? It's a warning.
Found this note slipped under that door there.
Not 3/4 of an hour. Ago would you please?
What does it say, Hon. I shall call on you at 8:30
tonight. You know what's good for you.
You'll be waiting for me alone. If any funny tricks, you'll go
where I sent the rest of them. Yes, obviously.
Even the killer. Possibly.
What's the time now? Look, it's.
The past 8. I was hoping you gentlemen would
wait in our rooms, back of the shop, you can hear what's going
on in here and if you ties in any rough stuff you can pop in
and nab in that's. What I was about to suggest
myself, Mr. Grills. Either way, will you?
Oh yes, step behind the counter, dance through here.
Here we are. Find exactly Buckingham Palace
back here. But you can make yourselves
comfortable, conscious. Don't you worry about us.
Oh, I better turn out the gas. If this bloke spots a light
under the door in here, he might smell a rat.
There we are. Yeah.
As soon as I see him coming in the shop, I'll knock twice on
the door like this and that'll give you the signal that he's
here. Is that right?
Right, you are great. Now keep your ears open gents.
I may need your help. Where are you?
We can't see a thing. Over here, Watson.
You know, I've got another theory why Jack Longworth might
be the back of all this. You listening home?
Yes. I'm listening.
What is your theory? Longworth knows that Gillette
doesn't approve of his having into the do Lily, so when he
goes abroad he leaves instructions to murder the
tobacconist. The assassins don't know about
Gillette having a stroke, of course.
Well, they keep murdering the wrong Fuller.
Well, that makes very good sense, doctor.
What do you say, Mr. Holmes? Holmes, Holmes.
Where are you just? My silly He's disappeared.
No, I haven't. I was just exploring the signal.
There goes the front door. Somebody's come in.
We'd better go in. We've got to get in there at
once. Open the door.
Well, it's locked. Never mind that it just hold us
into it. Come on.
Come on, Help. Come on.
One more. Devil it slashed the knife.
Billet. Billet what?
The killer got away. Let's try and conserve your
energy. Your murderer lies there.
But that's. Really.
Of course it is. That's just pocket Watson.
I think you'll find a blood stained knife.
Let's have a look. Good Lord, he's a razor in his
pocket. It's covered with blood, do you
mean to say? That he slashed himself.
Just put the handcuffs on him. Lestrade while he's still play
acting. He may be more difficult to
handle when he realizes the game's up.
Come on, come on, come on. Very neat.
Lestrade. Yeah, well, now that I've
knocked a wounded man out, Co perhaps you'll tell me what's
going on, Mistrade. Yes, I'm completely in the dark
too. Oh, it's very simple really,
Will It has just staged a fake attack on himself Fool us into
believing that someone else is the murderer?
Yeah, but that's threatening note he received.
Composed by himself for the occasion, yeah.
But we heard voices. We heard the shop door open.
We heard Grillard talking to himself, and As for the shop
door, that's how he gave himself away.
Well, how do you? Mean, Mr. Holmes.
Whenever the shop door opens, there's a bell that jangles.
You will notice. That stop that's right there is
there's. No bell jangle when we were in
the backroom got us in there, locked the door on us
unobtrusively and staged his little drama.
Yes, but. We heard the door creak open and
close. Mistro.
The creak of this flap in the counter would sound exactly the
same, my dear fellow Anderson. Yes, but why home?
How did you spot that Grinette was a man?
It was obvious from the beginning that since nothing had
changed about the shop except the ownership that the attackers
directed against any tobacconist who was not grilled himself.
Of course, his daughter Lily obviously knew what was going
on. Well, I don't see how you
figured that one out. Mr. Owens, every remark that she
made showed that although she loved her father, she knew his
failings. In any case, she gave me the
final clue. Well, what clue was that?
And very pointedly asking men not to go into the backroom of
the shop. Of course she meant the reverse
of what she said. I followed her advice when you
were explaining your theory to the stride well.
What did you find, Mr. Holmes, Miss?
Grillett had obligingly left a secret door open, a door leading
to a passageway that seemed to go down to the waterfront.
We'll examine it more thoroughly in a minute.
Yes, but I still don't understand Brillette's motive
Homes. Neither do I or Chap No, I
suspect that from the interests of the Foreign Office in the
case, this shop has been the headquarters of a of an
espionage ring. I'm afraid the final answer to
that question would have to be given by someone.
Else oh Holmes. By my elder brother and my
craft. Humiliating, isn't it, Watson
and. What was the final answer to the
question, Doctor Watson? Holmes is right, as usual, Mr.
Foreman. The shop had been the
headquarters of Aspiring, operated by Grillit, and many
international criminals had been smuggled in England or foreign
ships moored up the river. And did Mr. Grillard hang for
his crime? No, no, no, he didn't.
My boy, his father, he came to trial.
He he had another stroke and he died.
Probably just as well for his daughter's sake.
Oh, his daughter. Lovely girl.
Did she marry Longworth? Indeed she did.
As a matter of fact, I I doubted her wedding.
It was a very wonderful wedding reception.
See, you would have been there yourself, Mr. Foreman.
In fact, you'd have liked it very much.
They it served a pretty good wine.
Was it a Petri wine by any chance?
Well, it was so good and easy it might have been.
You mean because Petri wine is the kind of a wine you can't
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Petri wine San Francisco 26 San Francisco 26 California.
This offer is intended to apply only in those States and other
localities where it's acceptance is permissible by law and
regulation. And now, Doctor, do you feel
like giving us a hint about next week's story?
Yes, I do. Next week, Mr. Foreman, I'm
going to tell you a strange adventure that happened to
Holmes and me in the West End of London.
It concerns the death of a famous actor was portraying the
part of an equally famous man, Sherlock Holmes.
Thank you, Doctor. See you next week and say from
the news we've had so far today, maybe by next week at this time
we'll hear some really good news from Europe I.
Certainly hope so, Mr. Foreman, but let us remember the war
won't be over when Germany quits.
We've still got to lick Japan and that's going to take a long
time. So instead of celebrating when
VE Day comes along, let's just strengthen our resolve.
Support the war more than ever here at home.
Keep that war job. Don't leave it till you're
released. Keep on buying more and more and
more wild bonds and and keep them.
Don't turn them in. Help all you can with all home
front activities and observe all our wartime regulations such as
price ceiling. That's the real way to celebrate
a victory in Europe, by working harder to end the war in the
Pacific. Tonight Sherlock Holmes
adventure is written by Dennis Green and Anthony Boucher and is
based on an incident in the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle story The
Adventure of the Six Napoleons. Mr. Rathbone appears with the
courtesy of Metro Goldwyn Mayer and Mr. Bruce with the courtesy
of Universal Pictures, where they are now starring in the
Sherlock Holmes series. The Petri Wine Company of San
Francisco, CA invites you to tune in again next week.
Same time, same station. Meanwhile, don't forget to take
advantage of our offer of a free recipe calendar.
Oh, the. Petri family took the time to
bring you such good wine, so when you eat and when you cook,
remember Petri wine. To make good food taste better.
Remember, this is Bill Foreman saying
goodnight for the Petri family. Sherlock Holmes comes to you
from our Hollywood studios. This is the Mutual Broadcasting
System.