IWCF 009 - Tight Wire

I was a Communist for the FBI. Starring Dana Andrews in an exciting tale of danger and espionage. I was a Communist for the FBI. Many of the incidents in the story you're about to hear are based on the actual records and authentic experiences of Matt Savetic two for nine fantastic years lived as a Communist for the FBI. Here is our star, Dana Andrews as Matt Savetic. I was in it for nine long years, a member of the party. I lived with communists, worked with them, watched them. I learned their methods, their tricks, their plans, and their weaknesses. This is my story, the story of my life as a Communist for the FBI. In a moment, listen to Dana Andrews as Matt Savedic UNDERCOVERMN. Now Here is Dan Andrews as Matt Savitic FBI UNDERCOVERMN. This story from the confidential file is marked type wire. There's no eight hour day for an undercover man, no forty hour week. The working day is twenty four hours. The week is seven days long. It's not a job. It's a way of life, a tough way and a dangerous one. You've got to be ready for anything anytime. Play it tight and you play it smart, or you're out of the game and there's only one way out, the hard way. Whenever possible, you plan your schedule to contact the FBI, but they don't have a schedule, of course, so you never know when or how. Taxi mister, no thanks, I'm not going far. Taxis better than walk, though, mister Fisher, Oh did you say Fisher? Yeah? I was sure I recognized you, mister Fisher. Some buddies of minor friend yours, how about arrived? Okay, I guess a taxi will save time, sure time and shoe leather. My name's Davis. Transferred last week from the FBI office in Chicago. I see who are some of your buddies, mister Davis, Richards Spaulding, Blake Barkley's the district inspector here. And okay, that's good enough. I was just checking smart idea. You never know what's up. Davis got a job for you, Matt may be a rough one. What kind of a job. What's that meeting you told us about? The one for that big shot from the West coast. Yeah, Lapoquarini, he's one of the national coordinators. The meeting's Thursday evening. There'll be sel chairmen here from ten state, so there'll be names, named people, places, plans, so on. Matt, we've got to have all that for Batum, for Betam. Yeah, by dictograph, dictograph. What about that new radio gimmick, that miniature dismitter and it can't always be sure of it, Matt, we might hit a static problem, miss half the meeting. Now here's what we want between now and Thursday evening. Plan a microphone and wire the meeting hall. That's all. Yeah, I know we're not giving you much time, but the job's got to be done. Matt, go to it. Well, there it was, why the hall. It sounded simple that it was going to be one of the tought jobs I'd ever done for the FBI. The party offices were on the same floor as the hall, and they'd be in use all week. Davis gave me two button microphones, five hundred feet of bell wire and his best wishes. It was all up to me. At seven o'c that evening, the cell Leeds met the discut plans for the meeting. I was listening at the table. I planned a month. All comrades O we're pretty well lined up on how to handle it. Delegates from out of town. I don't think there'll be more than eighty five, you agree, Comrade Mapes. Carl Jones was cell chairman at the time. Definitely, Comrade Jones. Eighty five is Mone's sake. Ten Mapes, the local sector a transfer from then we'll plan it accordingly. Now anything else will work out, Yes, there is. As a matter of fact, let's talk about security measures. This meeting is big. Agents' names will be mentioned, a few plans will be discussed. The FBI would love to get in on. It, true enough, But unless there's been some new development, I don't. See there has been a new development. Take a look. What is it? The piece of wire? Where did you get it, Comrades Reddick? In the corridor, a few feet from the door of the hall. It was caught between the edge of the rug and the base board. I saw it by sheer accident. It's mike wire. All right, I'll bet on it, and I'd say there's only one answer. The FBI has got in somehow. Yeah, that was my idea, Comrades Reddick. I'd like you to follow us up, all right, Comrade go overall with a finetooth comb job is to find necrophone to it. I had played an outside chance. I had an approach it in the open, and it had worked. My orders from the FBI were to wire the hall, and my job for the comedies was to find the FBI's wire, the same wire I was going to install myself. With a little luck, I might combine the two jobs. But luck was just what I didn't have. Good morning, Comrade Sveadi. Oh, Comrade Ethridge, what are you doing here? Well, you know, and I'm very glad to see me, Matt. No, it's not that, Ben, I'm surprised. That's all. Comrade Jones said. I'd have the hall to myself today to look for that FBI wiring job. Yeah, yeah, I know. I've been assigned to help you. You, Matt, there's only one way the FBI could have wired this place. How's that by having an agent planted in the cell. Yeah. I thought of the same thing, Ben. I've been keeping my eyes open. Any results, No, not yet at least, well that's got to work. Anytime. We'll start at one corner of the hall and go over it in the square yard at a time. Floor walls ceiling. Everything, okay, Ben, let's go to work. Well, my bright idea was not right in the head. I'd tend to make the installation during my supposed search, but now with Comrade Ben Ethicks breathing down my neck, I didn't have a chance. All I could do was go through the motions and try to figure some other angle. It was four in the afternoon when we finished our shakedown of the hall. I guess that's everything, Matt. There ought to be another screwdriver. Oh yeah, here it is. Well, what do you think you tell me? We covered every square foot and didn't find anything. I'd say the hall's clean, But what about that piece of mic wire? Matt? I don't know. I got into the hall someway, but the FBI hasn't planted any microphone in here, I'll swear to it. Well, i'll take your word for it, Matt, my word for it. Look, Ben, but you were signed to help me or watch me. Well, chairman thought you kind of jumped at the job. A little of both, I guess. So now, added to everything else, the chairman was suspicious. I'd wasted a day, and there was less than two more days to go. Dozens of names would be mentioned at the meeting Plans discussed information the FBI needed badly. That hall had to be wired Someway Richard speaking Fisher here, Bob Fisher. Check, go ahead, listen a wire. Jobs not going so good. It's got to go. Washington really wants this one. Yeah, I know. Look, I've got wax impressions of a couple of door keys. Took them right under my helper's nose this afternoon. How long will it take to get duplicates made? Thirty minutes? What are they for the meeting hall and the alley door of the building. I'm going to slip in late to night and string that wire. Look, I'm calling from the phone booth in the Gavin Hotel lobby. I leave the key impressions behind the coin box. Check. We'll pick them up in ten minutes. Where do you want the keys delivered? Leave them behind the cushions in the next to last booth in the hotel coffee shop, anytime before nine right, watch yourself for you know it. Good luck. The keys were there when I went in at nine o'clock that evening. I slipped them into my pocket, ordered and ate slowly while I read A couple of papers. Timing was the one important thing. I knew that between ten forty five and ten forty eight the watchman would be punching the clock on the seventh floor at the far end of the hall, and during those three minutes I had to get in that alley door. The time was ten forty seven when I slipped my key into the lock of the alley door. I closed the door behind me, hurried along the corridor, and began climbing the service stairs. I was almost to the third floor when the switch was thrown up above me, and I heard the elevator coming down the shaft. I froze on the dark stair elevator and waited good. The night watchman was back on the first floor again and the coast was clear. I climbed a few remaining steps, hurried along the third floor corridor, and fitted my second key in the lock of the meeting hall. Inside. I took the microphone buttons in the wire from my coat pocket went to work. In twenty minutes. The job was done inside the hall, that is, but the final connection in the shaft meant a few ticklish minutes. Swinging on an iron ladder over empty space. I used my knife blade to spring the cats on the shaft door, and I slid it open, stepped in on the ladder, and closed the door. I could see the top of the elevator three stories below me, and the height made me sick and dizzy. I worked quickly and had just finished the connection when the elevator started up. There was no space in the shaft for me and the elevator, and no time to get out the door. I did the only thing I could. Had the elevator reached me, I stepped on to the top and clung to the cave. He kept going up six' four. SEVENTH i could see the spinning drums winding the cable above, me coming, closer, closer eight, four one more to. Go the drums were right over my head and threw myself flat at the top of the elevator. Pray when we, STARTED i had barely eighteen inches. Clearance when the watchman closed the doors and started back down the, SHAFT i clung to the iron ladder and stayed there until he reached the main. Floor THEN i fumbled at the cats on the back, door slid it, open and stepped out onto the ninth. Floor, Okay matt don't. Move then what are you doing here waiting for AN fbi stool pigeon for? You? MATT i don't know what. Now back To Dana andrews starring As matt sivedk AND i was a communist for THE fbi and the second act of our. STORY i stood there in the dim corridor in front of the, elevator staring at the gun In ben's. Hand one move and he'd kill, me he'd, Said AND i knew he. Would ben impressed people as being good natured and easy, going but underneath he was a. FANATIC i knew, that AND i knew he meant what he'd. Said, Matt what are you doing here this time of? Night just looking Around? Ben checking up on? Things lot? Things what were you doing in the elevator? Shaft, look? Comrade Maybe i've got a couple of questions of my. Own what's'? You a reason for being? HERE a? Hunch? MATT i got to, Thinking SO i came. Over had the night watchman let me? IN i don't follow you got to? Thinking what how would be a smart idea for AN fbi agent planted in the party to search the hall with a witness and then come back and put in a microphone after the. Search i'm afraid that's pretty. Weak Ben, Week, YEAH i think we better talk to the. Chairman i'm way ahead Of I'm. Matt we're going downstairs to the party. Office i'm gonna phone them and have him come right. Over, okay and don't Forget. Matt the gun still. Loaded Comrade ethid snapped on the lights in the party office and Called Chairman jones and told him what had. Happened then we sat and waited For jones to. ARRIVE i kept trying to think of some way. Out one fortunate THING i did in the, keys the extra wire and my tools on top of a good in the elevator. SHAFT i was clean and that was some, advantage but not. Much, well he made a quick. Trip it sounded a little situation called for. It, Well Comrade, svetik it seems we've been mistaken about. You that depends on what you mean by. Missus help get, Up. Svetk how long have you been working for THE. FBI i haven't, been. Comrade that's your. Mistake mistake When Comrade ethidge caught you right in the act. Tonight there are a couple of ways of looking at. That, look Comrade, jones you're the one in charge, here aren't, you of? Course and why Is ben holding the? Gun? WELL i wasn't trying to take over any authority. Here you? Are, thanks feel better, now? Asthetic, yes it was making me nervous having a gun pointed at me by AN fbi. Agent then you claimed you came here tonight because you suspected me of planning a microphone in the. Hall all, right where's the? Mic? WELL i didn't have any chance to look for, you you know. That but the mic was there this, Afternoon, Ben why didn't you find? It? Then what are you? Driving? Asthetic one of the sections of the, Hall ben searched included the electric outlets next to the. Radiators did you take the cover plates off those? Outlets? Ben? Well, no they hadn't been tampered with him it one of them. Had it's got a button mic planet in. It what do you? Talk the wire runs behind the. BASEBOARD i saw it this. Afternoon how come you, Didn't, well there wasn't any wire that couldn't have BEEN i don't see how you could have missed. It that's WHY i didn't say anything this. Afternoon and that's WHY i came back. Tonight wait a, minute. Aesthetic maybe you wired the place tonight Before ben caught. You how as you, Said ben caught, me search me, NOW i don't have any wire or. Tools the hall is. LOCKED i don't have a key to. It that's another, thing. Sthetic how did you get into the? Building that's the? Watchman, watchman that's a. Joke what do you. Mean the front door of the building was unlocked tonight and the watchman was asleep in the. LOBBY i walked right in past him and he didn't even move SECURITY a microphone planted in the, hall and my so called helper didn't even see. It i'll take it, Easy come all. Right So i'm, mad And i've got a right to. Be the party is the biggest thing in my. Life i'm giving my life to. It and when things happen like the half the, day a helper who's either too stupid or too crooked to see a microphone when he stumbles over, IT a so called watchman who goes off to sleep and leaves the door of the building wide. Open of, Course i'm. Mad, well it worked, temporarily at LEAST i was off the hook as far as my party membership was, concerned but the last chance of getting that hall wired had gone right out the. Window, davis THE fbi, agent agreed WHEN i told him the story the next. Morning he went at it the right. Way. Matt there's no question about. That he just had to run of bad. Luck that's, all, Well, Davis i've been thinking about this most of the. Night i've got a half way. Idea it may sound, crazy let's have. IT i haven't even got a half While richards was telling me a couple of months ago about that new minuture short wave. Transmitter, yeah but we only use that as a last. Resort. Matt this is a last. Resort how big are? They all about the size of a couple of packs of. Cigarettes what do you got in? Mind it has a built in MIC i, Suppose oh, yeah it's some complete. Unit you just switch it on and it's good for about twenty hours of continuous transmitting life for the. Batteries, Davis suppose one of those transmitters were planted in the. Hall could you pick it? Up, sure they've got a radius of about six. Blocks we could park a truck on the street as a mobile receiving. Unit can you do, It, matt with a little, LUCK i THINK i. CAN i arrived at the hall at five in the, afternoon AND i noticed that several baskets of flowers sent by the front organizations had already been delivered and placed on the speaker's. Table the basket for my own goog The Pan Slav congress wasn't there. Yet, good so far the plan was. Working I'm. Matt. Uh, oh, Hello, BEN i. UH i should have jumped at conclusions last. Night And, matt WHEN i found you here the, building WELL i, thought, sure don't forget. IT i was pretty rough on you as far as that's. Concerned, no, NO i just falled. UP i don't know HOW i could have missed that mic. As a matter of, TRAINING i remembered later that you said you'd never Had. Matt, Yeah, carl. There's some guy here from the garden florist says he's got a flower order for. You oh, yeah it's the bouquet for the speaker's table for The Pan Slav. Congress i'll take care of. It. Thanks you're the fellow that ordered the. Flowers that's. Right, Thanks just sign here, please all, right Same smithers in the. Basket that's all. Worth he turned. On, fine good, luck Thanks, Richards hey you are thank you. Sir. Goodbye, well, now he went pretty elaborate on, it didn't you met four dozen. Roses Comrade karini is an important, Man, greta only the. Best. Mmm they smell. Wonderful those must have been specially. Selected that's, right they. Were. Well the transmitter was in the meeting hall and right on the speaker's. Table it was already turned, On richard, said and parked down the. Block somewhere was a panel delivery truck with a tape recorder and a pair of stenographers with headphones taking down every. Word my job was. Over there was nothing to, do but, wait A, matt is that microphonia phone still hooked? Up? Yeah Comrade jones decided we wouldn't disconnect it until just before the. Meeting that way THE fbi wouldn't try to plant another. One good, idea catch them flat. FOOTED i wonder how they got into install it. Well without watchman not paying attention to His, huh this must Be Comrade. KARINI i, guess, So carls bring him, Over. Comrade, Karni comrade Spik am, Right i'm, read And Comrade edich what is? This why they're flowers set by the various organizations and. HONOR i am? Sorry what in? HONOR i, appreciate but the flowers must. COME i have the, allergy you, understand the hey. FEVER i am unable to, Sorry, COMRADE i had no. Idea, well we'll we'll have been placed outside in the, Corner, matt would. You, yeah, Sure, Ben you've got a couple of these. Baskets i'll take these at the. END i wish to cast no. Offense it's all, right, Comrade it's it's quite all, right quite all. Right as far As i'm, concerned it was quite all. Wrong in a few, minutes the meeting would start and THE fbi wouldn't be in on it. Then AND i carried the flowers out and set them along the, corridor and SUDDENLY i decided to take one last. Chance ben's back was. Turned, QUICKLY i reached into the flower, basket fished out the, transmitter and dropped it into my inside coat. Pocket, Comrades, comrades BEFORE i opened this, MEETING i wish to inform you that THE fbi has managed to establish a beachhead in our very Midst, Comrades. Vedics comrade take care of the. Matter of, course. Here you are you, see comrades a microphone, right THE fbi. Will be most. Disappointed and NOW i wish to present our national coordinator From West Coast, Headquarters Comrade Letso. CORINI i sat through the meeting while name after name was, mentioned plan after plan. Discussed the transmitter, sagged my coat pocket pressed against my. CHEST i was conscious of it every, second and conscious too of what would happen if the commis KNEW i had. It the only THING i didn't know was it working all? Right was the stuff going? Through was THE fbi getting? IT i found out around midnight WHEN i put through a call from a public phone, Booth richards Speaking fisher. Here Bob fisher, checked nice, work everything comes through all, right. Perfect we got every word From startophiny. Good one thing we couldn't figure, though who was beating that? Drum? Drum, yeah it kept up all through the. Meeting sounded like a funeral. March, well there wasn't any drum THAT i, hey wait a, SECOND i had the transmitter in the inside pocket of my, Coat. Richards that drum beating was my. HEART i left the phone booth and walked along the. Street it was after, midnight when the city had gone to, bed AND i could hear my footsteps echoing against the dark fronts of the. Buildings an hour, BEFORE i sat in the hall with a hundred, people supposedly my, friends my, comrades and Now i'm. Alone BUT i was alone then, too because they aren't my, comrades AND i have no. Friends that's how it is with. Me i'm a communist for THE. FBI i walk. Alone Dana andrews will return in just a moment. Next, week another exciting adventure For Matts vedics official. Records join, us won't, you