Broadway Is My Beat: The Charles Ralston Murder Case 12/20/1952
episode
Choice Classic Radio Detectives | Old Time Radio
27 min
4 speakers
8 chapters
transcribed 1 month ago
Transcript
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Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
What is the opening crime scene that launches the Charles Ralston murder case?
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Broadway's My Beat, from Times Square to Columbus Circle, the gaudiest, the most violent. The lonesomest mile in the world. Broadway Pine Beach with Larry Thor as Detective Zanny Clover.
They squeeze the Christmas carol through sequent loudspeakers on Broadway to get all the happy out. And the crowd walks in holiday cadence, conditioned by age, measurements, and the size of the pocketbook. And it's all there in the shop windows. Mechanical clown, tin man dancing a jig on a tin box, and toy army, precisely to scale, mechanized, some with parkas and skis for the difficult terrain over the raw cotton battlefront. And eyes are bright with hope and desire, and the wish made on a neon star. But in the place where I was, holiday's coming is marked only by the rise of empty liquor bottles in trash cans, alley off of Third Avenue, and this winter's late night marked by a horn of moon stuck through clump of clouds.
And this, the boy lying unconscious and detective Markman. Name's James Barton, Danny. Uh here, his wallet. Lots of identification with. Address uh lives on East fifty eight, twelve twelve. Uh huh. Nineteen years old.
Whoever did it to him was pretty systematic, Dan. He worked him over real good. Who reported it? Officer Farm called it in walking his feet. Danny. No? Christmas season, a kid nineteen beaten in an alley. Well, whoever did it wasn't a mugger. The kid's got maybe sixty bucks in his wallet. He wasn't beaten for money. What happens if a kid this age gets dragged into a sewer like this and worked over? Nice looking boy. Why is he Sure. Amblin's ought to be here in a second there. Think the kid'll live? Cold.
Theme, the winter stilled city and chill splay of wavering reflected night lights. And a boy's part of it, beaten, flung against alley litter, skyward the fleet curve and fall of a December star. The sounds of night fury are muted now in the soft keening and whirl of river wind, and not too distant clack of a woman's heels on pavement. No walking. Then running, then lost in a sudden cry of wind. Violence is called for, laid gently on the stretcher, received into drifting night, carried away. So leave there.
Furnished room, the remnants of sleep, the half dream. And in the morning, the call to headquarters. The report on the boy. Jimmy Barton's still in shock. You'll be notified when it's all right to talk to him. So go to a place. The boy's address on East fifty eight. Show a banch. Get a door open. Walk in. And Jimmy Barton's apartment is early December sunlight on ceramic vases of cut flowers. Is bed, neatly folded down and arranged for sleep. Is this a basket of fruit? An open box of candy on nightstand, another unopened on shelf below, and in bureau drawers, knitted things, heavy woolen sweater complete with design of stag with antlers, woolen socks, argyle, arranged neatly as the pattern and color. Shirts, monograms, handkerchiefs, linen, handroll.
It's naughty. Terribly naughty what you're doing. Jimmy's such a neat type. They'll have a spell when I tell 'em a thief must set up his thing to Carlos Smith.
Who are you?
A girl who leans against doorways languidly like this and chats brightly with these. Did you tell?
I'm for police. I
I uh Also chap tightly with police. From
Who are you?
This girl across the hall, type, will stick my nose into any of my neighbour's affairs lately, mostly Jimmy. And I mean I small. And a German fellow, kick I was once on, used to call me Einer Kleiner, like a night music.
How long have you been on, Jimmy?
Long enough to be concerned about the child. When he did it prank? But you must consider the boy's nineteen. We found him in an
alley last night, beaten, unconscious.
How does Detective Danny Clover first learn about James Barton’s assault and its connection to the case?
It'll take me a minute to get out of this. How fellow addressed the car on Jimmy, policeman? What?
He's badly hurt. We don't know for a while. Tell me how long you've known him?
We moved into this apartment maybe five months ago, July.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the opening crime scene that launches the Charles Ralston murder case?
0:00–4:52
2
How does Detective Danny Clover first learn about James Barton’s assault and its connection to the case?
4:52–8:13
3
What details are revealed about Charles Ralston’s background and his involvement in the earlier automobile accident?
8:13–11:46
4
Why do the police and witnesses suspect a motive beyond robbery for the boy’s beating?
11:46–14:49
5
How does the investigation shift when the Ralston family’s insurance and beneficiary issues are examined?
14:49–17:40
6
What new evidence emerges from the hospital and the Ralston widow that changes the direction of the case?
17:40–20:13
7
How do the detectives confront the suspect and what is the outcome of the final confrontation?
20:13–23:19
8
What resolution is reached for Jimmy Barton and the Ralston murder, and how does the episode close?
23:19–27:11
Speakers
4 identifiedMore from Choice Classic Radio Detectives | Old Time Radio
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