The Big Story
Puritan Morality and Violent Death
Albert I. Prince, Hartford Times
by
In this episode of The Big Story, police investigate the murder of Harry Adams, a rising meteorologist whose private life proves far more complicated than his public reputation suggested. Adams struggled with insomnia and used chloroform to sleep. As investigators uncover his affairs and his unusual religious practices, the case grows increasingly strange and draws attention to the hidden relationships surrounding him.
Reporter Albert I. Prince of the Hartford Times tells the story of the investigation and its revelations. Six women were connected to Adams, and his wife, Olive, had witnessed séances he held with some of them. Her own lover was suspected of involvement in the killing but was later cleared. Olive confessed, was convicted of manslaughter, and served two years before being released on parole.
The Big Story brings newspaper reporting to radio drama, presenting crime stories through the reporters who covered them. This account combines a murder investigation with a portrait of a secretive domestic life, while the changing evidence and the newspaper audience’s reaction give the story its unsettling character.
This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.