Richard Widmark is back in an “actual events” story about a triple axe-murder that occurred on July 4, 1896 on the ship Herbert Fuller. Widmark is excellent as he portrays a reformed alcoholic whose long abstinence from liquor is finally broken by a pretty woman, the wife of the ship’s captain! It has disastrous results. He drinks to excess, and passes out in his own cabin. Hours later, he is awakened by frantic pounding on his door. An excited crew member informs him that three people have been murdered—the woman, her husband, and another ship's officer. Bram remembers nothing after he began drinking. He questions how it could have happened, and if he did it while blacked out. The story leaves the question of the perpetrator open. That is much like it happened in real life.
Gil Doud adapted the story from the book by criminologist and crime writer Edmund Lester Pearson. His writing was considered thorough and authoritative. The book, Studies in Murder, is available online https://archive.org/details/studiesinmurder00pear/page/164/mode/2up and has many details, such as schematics of the Henry Fuller and other information.
It is probable that Doud used the very same book in his background research for the earlier episode about the Lizzie Borden case, The Fall River Tragedy. It is possible that Doud “discovered” the Bram story when he was flipping through its pages. Pearson’s perspectives about the Borden case played a big role in shaping public opinion about that matter. Pearson did not just write books and articles, but in 1934 he went to Hollywood to serve as an uncredited writer for Bride of Frankenstein and Werewolf of London. He died in 1937.
The Fuller story was still well-known at the time of broadcast but had been fading from public memory. It is possible that the title “Mate Bram” was obvious to many listeners in 1952, but is obscure, if not confusing, to us now. After this broadcast, some newspapers ran stories about it, indicating renewed interest in it.
There are many resources online about the event. These are some that are worth pursuing:
The Dark Histories podcast https://www.darkhistories.com/murder-aboard-the-herbert-fuller/ (the podcast is one hour and 17 minutes)
Book: Blood on the Barkentine https://internetreviewofbooks.blogspot.com/2020/04/nonfiction-blood-on-barkentine-not.html
New England Historical Society (very good) https://newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/fiction-becomes-fact-murder-on-herbert-fuller/
Dark Downeast blog https://darkdowneast.com/herbertfuller/
Review of the 2019 book Murder Aboard: The Herbert Fuller Tragedy and the Ordeal of Thomas Bram by C. Michael Hiam https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781493041312
The CrimeReads blog https://crimereads.com/the-high-seas-murder-that-shocked-and-baffled-the-world/
In real life, in some summary sketchy details, the story ended with Bram being found guilty and sentenced to death. That trial had a procedural error, so that sentence was revoked. At a second trial he was found guilty and sentenced to life. A novelist wrote a popular story that changed some of the details, but everyone knew it was about the Fuller murders, where one of the other mates committed the crime. Bram always protested his innocence, and it was generally believed that there was a good chance he was innocent. Teddy Roosevelt had an appreciation of that writer and the story, and helped pursue a pardon for Bram. He was pardoned by President Woodrow Wilson. Bram had a tough time re-establishing his life on the seas as no one would hire him. He moved to Atlanta, far away from the shore, but there was opportunity in a growing city. He opened a hot dog stand!... and it did very well. He would often speak at church and civic events about his life, always proclaiming his innocence. He married there. Eventually, he was able to go back to sea. Unfortunately, in 1928 his ship was lost off the coast of North Carolina, and he was declared dead.
Suspense always worked six to eight weeks in advance with its story and guest planning. There were probably a fair number of “actual event” scripts in process, including this one, when Lewis made the announcement that the strategy of Suspense was changing. Lewis always used whatever he believed would make a good story, whether a classic story or a news event or a historical event, which made his years very uneven, but fearless.
NOTE: The surviving network recording has light disc noise after the 27 minute mark.
LISTEN
TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or
mp3
https://archive.org/details/TSP520414
THE CAST
RICHARD WIDMARK (Bram), Joe Kearns (Nash), Joan Banks (Laura), Ben Wright (Slice), Lou Merrill (Blomberg), Steve Roberts (Brown), Roy Glenn (Spencer), Robert North (Monks), Larry Thor (Narrator)
COMMERCIAL: Tom Holland (Hap), Harlow Wilcox (Announcer), Sylvia Simms (Operator)
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