The Big Story

UPDATED (hat tip... lasombra!)
There are five four "new" Big Story episodes that will be posted... For this and tomorrow's post, we have upgrades to some circulating episodes that were posted previously. For convenience, the links to the original historical posts with details about the real-life events behind the "fictionalized true stories" are provided. Enjoy!

Big Story 47-11-26 (035) Unfinished Love Song [HowardBeaufait,ClevelandNews]UPGRADE.mp3
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Big Story 48-05-12 (059) Pt2ONLY COT Lucky Long Shot [Indianapolis Star, Robert Early] UPG.mp3
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Big Story 48-06-30 (066) Pt1ONLY HateBetweenBrother&Sister [StLouisGlobeDemocrat AlbertBHendry] UPG.mp3
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Big Story 48-07-07 (067) Pt2ONLY Woman Was a Witch [TulsaTribune,GeorgeClevelandBullette] UPG.mp3
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Thanks greybelt

Best regards
Art

This is the second batch of upgrades along with links to the real-life stories that were fictionalized on the series. Tomorrow... the first of the FOUR newly found recordings and their fascinating backstories...

Big Story 50-11-08 (189) BobbySoxHustling,GirlGangs&Vice [NYJnlAmerican,PaulSchoenstein] UPGRADE.mp3
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Big Story 51-04-04 (210) Poker Game Ends In Death [WmEDoherty,ChicagoSunTimes] AFRS UPGRADE.mp3
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Big Story 52-03-19 (260) ReporterRisksLifeToAvengeFriendsMurder[AlanCopperthwaite HelenaMTIndRec]UPG.mp3
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Big Story 54-01-27 (337) Too Terrible to Be Believed [Arthur Mielke, Washington Times-Herald] UPGRADE.mp3
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Thanks greybelt

Best regards

Art

This Big Story episode about the strangling of a divorcee in Seattle has stumped this researcher. Reporter Stuart Whitehouse had only a relatively short career as a reporter, becoming a freelance writer for various western and detective magazines and writing some novels. When it came time to publicizing the show's broadcast, only the broadcast time, station, and rough plotline were mentioned.

For most Big Story episodes the newspaper that employed the reporter was pleased to make a big deal about it all and usually provided enough references in the broadcast announcement to guide the search for the original facts. If the story was done on the TV version, that provided another trail of research breadcrumbs. Many times the reporter's obituary would mention being selected for The Big Story as a highlight of their career.

But Whitehouse had left the paper and news reporting years before the broadcast. He seems to have died alone, with no such recognition, about a decade after a family tragedy.

Big Story 52-01-09 (250) The Cord Around Her Neck [Stuart Whitehouse, WSeattleTimes] AFRS#131.mp3
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In the process of researching this incident and Whitehouse, I had contact with the owners of the current newspaper publisher that owns the West Seattle archives (https://www.westsideseattle.com). They said the archives are far from complete, with much missing. They have no business records of the years that Whitehouse was there.

I have no other mention of Stuart Whitehouse in our publication base on an incomplete number of scanned volumes, 1924 being one of them. We have 1926-27, '29 and '30 but found no reference to Stuart in any of those.

They wished us well...

Because it was not always the policy to give reporters bylines, the Whitehouse story may be anonymous. I thought for sure that some other paper in Seattle would cover such a gruesome story, and tried many many search terms and combinations in newspapers.com and in smalltownpapers.com. No luck. As best as can be determined, the story was not done in the television series.

My best estimate is that the original story is between the years 1925 to 1935, his early years as a reporter. He may have also used the story as the basis one of his detective magazine assignments. I am not aware of him doing any writing under a pseudonym, but many freelancers did in those times.

If anyone can find this underlying story, that assistance is always appreciated.

The script of the episode may have some clues... [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Thanks greybelt
Best regards

Art

Today's post is a happier story, and may be the only episode episode that did not focus on tragedy or criminal wrongdoing. And... it involves a beloved reporter in the community... who had a long career at the paper...

This is an AFRS recording that was in the Hehn reels. Another special aspect of it is that at 23:30 we hear the real-life boy who is the focus of the story!

Big Story 53-04-01 (307) The Miracle Phone Call [DorothyPaterson,PatersonNJMorningCall].mp3
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Here's the story... "Pat Paterson," real name "Dorothy," was working at her local paper and became familiar with the family of a sick boy who needed special treatment for a deadly disease. It was costly, and she was moved to action by telling the story and making a plea for help. The response was far greater than expected... and the "Save-A-Child" fund in Paterson, NJ began to help other children in similar situations. It wasn't just solicitations for money, it became happy events such as dances, socials, and other occasions that kept the program active and successful, and increased the cohesive nature that charity initiatives create in a city.

Thanks greybelt

Best regards

Art

Thanks greybelt

Best regards

Art

Posted early... enjoy! This is the last of the Big Story upgrades and new programs. In a couple of days, Suspense will begin again... see you there...


This is one of the reporters who had his "big story" in a news position earlier in his career at a different paper. It's a terrible story of deadly forest fire by arson. The event came to be studied for years by forest management professionals. For more details about the fire, Wikipedia has an entry [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] and there is also information at this site [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] and at this site [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Information about the reporter Charles Gleeson just dries up after the broadcast of his story on television. After his "big story" goes nationwide, the research trail evaporates. If anyone find information about him after these times, it would be greatly appreciated.

Big Story 54-10-06 (360) The Ugly Story of a Man [CharlesGleeson,WillowsJournal].mp3
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The story is simple and the result is horrifying: a pyromaniac sets a fire so he can help put it out, and it rages out of control quickly, killing many who could not be rescued in time. Today, the arsonist may have been treated for depression based on comments in some of the articles, which might have prevented such a horrible event.

Very impressive research, greybelt. Thank you!

Thanks greybelt  
Best regards
Art

Last year, one of the new The Big Story episodes stumped me from a research perspective. In these intervening months, newspapers.com has added to their archives, and we now know which real-life incident the scripters at the program repdistorted for the broadcast. What was kept? It happened in Seattle, in an apartment, to a divorcee... and the message at the end of the broadcast matches the judical resolution. The script says the story is from the "front pages" of the West Seattle Herald, implying that Max Erlich (also a scripter for The Shadow) may have just run with the headlines of the story, not the details, and made up the rest as he went along. Newspaper reporters had long complained that TBS presented dramas that barely resembled their original stories. In this case, the killer was dead for nine years before the story was aired, but, as usual, the closing makes the story seem more current than it actually was. We do know that some scriptwriters re-used their scripts for or from TBS. There is no Shadow plotline that sounds like this, but Ehrlich wrote for many series. I'm really suspicious of this one...

The original post was at [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Big Story 52-01-09 (250) The Cord Around Her Neck [Stuart Whitehouse, WSeattleTimes] AFRS#131.mp3
The reporter was Stuart Whitehouse. It's worth heading back to that post to refresh the background.
The recording can now be found at [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

I still need some help -- perhaps if there's a Cobaltian who has access to some pulp archives or is a pulp collector who can be of assistance it would be greatly appreciated. Details at the end...

Here's the story...

In early July 1938, this apartment building (2021 Google Maps picture) was the scene of the brutal murder of Emily Maude Ziegler Butte. It was an upscale apartment at the time, but looks a bit beaten up these 80+ years later.


This is a link to a blog of a family member who has been researching her geneaology that includes this incident! It's fascinating. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
She says Butte had been paroled before his death.


Whitehouse died in 1964. This news clip has more details about his career than we had before.


During his time as a freelance writer, he specialized in detective and crime stories.
The marvelous site [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] has very detailed information about pulps and their contents. This is the entry for Stuart Whitehouse.

   Whitehouse, Stuart (fl. 1940s-1950s) (items)
       The Indestructable Road Agent, (ss) All Western Magazine September 1941
       Bluebeard of Lost Creek, (ss) All Western Magazine February/March 1943
       West Coast Murder Classic, (ar) Argosy May 1947
       The Lady Who Wouldn’t Stay Buried, (ar) Argosy July 1947
       Old Mother Murder, (ar) Argosy January 1948
       The Case of the Boiled Bride, (ar) Argosy February 1948
       Sherlock with Fangs, (ts) Crime Year Book (UK) v1 #1, 1952
       Man Turned Monster, (ss) Uncensored Detective November 1952

I highlighted two of the entries because they sound like they might be based on this story. I tried to find the stories online (Internet Archive has a big collection of scanned pulps) but I was not successful. Perhaps someone here at Cobalt might have access to a collection or archive of them. Whitehouse wrote a lot of "true detective" kinds of stories.

Thanks greybelt

You've outdone your self on the research today.

Best regards
Art

The Hubic post no longer exists. Here's a new link

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The hubiC link in the OLD post of a few months ago does not work because the links expire in 30 days.
The hubiC link in yesterday's post [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] was freshly made, right out of the oven, 29 more days to go...

Since I was able to find background on this incident, perhaps I will have luck with some of the others that escaped detection now.

In the meantime, Suspense posts will resume sometime today...

FOUND ANOTHER ONE

1947-10-15 Bobby-sox Kid from Bayonne was attributed to Dorothy Kilgallen... but it was her father who also covered the incident! James Kilgallen was a reporter for the International Press Service and Dorothy was a young reporter for the New York Journal-American.


But even the clue in the news clipping was misleading... the names of the perpetrators of the gruesome crime were the names used in the script, "Charlie" and "Janet," and not the actual perpetrators! Why? Perhaps Dorothy's role in the story was not as big as it was made out to be? The reference to the actual people involved might stir up credibility issues? Was it out of respect to the age of the perpetrators at the time of the crime and were now coming up for parole in the next months and NBC, Reynolds tobacco, and/or producer Procktor did not want to affect such future deliberation? Or was it just a mistake by NBC's publicity department?


The episode has been circulating for decades. This link expires in 7 days  https://we.tl/t-4NNwbZFvcR

None of Dorothy Kilgallen's reporting is available because the NYJA archives are not available in digital form. The event occurred two years before Dorothy began her legendary entertainment column.

The original event was from August 1936 and was a brutal hatchet killing of Gladys MacKnight's mother with the help of Gladys' boyfriend Donald Wightman. Both were convicted. The story received national coverage.

These links have the background of the story...

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News clips will be posted at some future date.

Thanks greybelt
Best regards

Art

More progress on previously undocumented programs yesterday! Details and newspaper clips to be posted at some near-future time.

48-06-30 (066) Pt1ONLY Hate Between Brother and Sister [St. Louis Globe-Democrat, Albert B Hendry]
1937: William Kappen's sister hires a hit man to kill Kappen just hours before his wedding. Poison ivy nabbed the killer. Next time you murder someone, make sure none of that sap gets on you. Or just pick a spot that doesn't have any. The police may notice your rash and your constant scratching.

49-12-14 (142) Three Gold Coins Spell Death [Nolen Bulloch, Tulsa Tribune]
1948: Murder of gangster Bernard "Fat" Cowen by Oscar Brown and John Cox. Except for the $4000 and the counterfeit Mexican coins, the killing wasn't about the money. If you think the Clue cards hidden in the envelope in the center of the game board are "Brown and Cox, the 10-inch crescent wrench, and Route 66," you win!

50-07-12 (172) Shot Gun & Fatal Accident [Bill Griffith, Youngstown Vindicator]
1932: Wealthy businessman Cyrus Neff decides to wake up his napping wife by tapping her face with the barrel of his shotgun. Whoops! Good thing she had a new life insurance policy.

FOUND ANOTHER ONE!!

Big Story 54-03-24 (345) Witness to Drama of Violence and Death [Las Vegas Review Journal, John F. Cahlan]

I got the help of the Nevada State Museum where Calhan's correspondence and other documents are archived.

Included there is The Big Story contract between the Prockter operation and Cahlan which reveals a lot about the enterprise despite the document's brevity. Thankfully, it gives the name of the underlying story as "Gilmore-Tyler." Details about all of these things will be posted sometime later. I have been searching for documents like these for ages... and finally a breakthrough. The archivist sent some news clippings and that led me to find more at newspapers.com.

As for the "Gilmore-Tyler" story, it occurred in June 1941, and played out over just a few days. I can't post now as I am still working on all of these new finds and the stubborn few unknowns remaining. This news clip offers the highlights of this one...

It's been a while since the OTRR log was updated and I found some inconsistencies

But I also found three shows marked as in circulation that I have not been able to locate
* 12/03/47 036 TCOT Cardboard Killer Jack Allen
* 01/17/51 199 Most Dangerous Killer Lawrence Dame
* 03/21/51 208 Weather Changed the Verdict John Booker
Does anyone know about of have these? These are not marked as available at otrsite.com nor are they listed at RadioGoldindex.

I now have 49 episodes (including shows that are part 1 or 2 only) plus the audition program Feature Assignment.

CAN YOU HELP?
I'd like to create an up-to-date log that identifies the radio programs but also integrates the TV broadcasts, the programs that were featured in their magazine. Contact me if you'd like to join in!!
THANKS!!

There are TWO Big Story episodes that are newly listed in RGI. I have not seen them -- have any of you?

16972. The Big Story. September 22, 1948. Program #78. NBC net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. Harry Kodinski of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette hears a friendly cop on the beat confess to several murders. AFRTS program name: "Mystery Theatre." The story is untitled. Ernest Chappell (announcer), Bernard Prockter (producer), Wladimir Selinsky (music), Cy Harrice (announcer), Gail Ingram (writer), Harry Ingram (director), Robert Sloane (narrator, performer), James McCallion (doubles), Larry Haines (doubles), Ruth Shafer (doubles), Rita Ascot (doubles), Joan Alexander (doubles), Bill Smith (doubles), Mandel Kramer (doubles). 25 minutes. Audio Condition: Very good to excellent. Complete.

104613. The Big Story. November 14, 1951. Program #124. NBC net origination, AFRS rebroadcast. "The Killer Who Wanted What He Couldn't Have". The big story of Cluster Nillson of The Salt Lake City Tribune. 24:14. Audio Condition: Excellent. Complete.

The REAL Stories...

1948-09-22 reporter Harry Kodinsky of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
It's a December 1936 story of a 73-year old Duquesne PA policeman who was charged with molesting a 10-year old girl. Angered by the charges, Officer Martin Sullivan killed the witnesses who testified against him, two men and three women. He also shot the girl's father and her brother. He was convicted and electrocuted in March 1938, the oldest man electrocuted in Pennsylvania. In January 1939, his former constable was found guilty of negligence, because he let Sullivan get out of custody before he went on his killing spree.

1951-11-14 reporter Chester Cluster Nilsson of the Salt Lake City Tribune
This involves the June 1946 murder of Jack Stallings, newly discharged from the Navy, and driving to San Jose, California to marry his girlfriend. Army deserter Elisco Mares, Jr. shot Stallings to steal his car. Mares was arrested when he tried to sell the car in Ogden. Mares was convicted in 1947 and went through various appeals, upheld three times. In 1950, he and another inmate sawed through their cell bars and attempted to climb the walls of the prison, but were caught before they escaped. He was executed by firing squad in September 1951.
NOTE: "Cluster" is the actual and verified name -- it seems some newspaper editors around the US assumed that "Cluster" was a typo in the show publicity and took it upon themselves to "correct" it.

Sorry greybelt, I don't have these either

Best regards
Art

The 1951-11-14 episode has been posted by Jerry Haendiges online [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Read his Facebook post at [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
which has details about how he got the program and his meeting with David Goldin -- for the very first time last week after decades of OTR friendship