The Frightened City

Originally Aired: November 10, 1952 Suspense #486, "The Frightened City," stars Frank Lovejoy as Nick Crawford, a soldier returning home from war only to discover his brother-in-law Johnny has been murdered on Main Street. Nick finds his sister Janie living in terror, having received threatening notes warning that what happened to Daddy can happen to their baby son. Johnny was shot down while walking to the police station to tell the chief of police something important, and now everyone who witnessed the killing refuses to talk. Chief Crawford warns Nick that things have changed in town, but gives him the names of witnesses anyway. Nick begins visiting those who saw the murder, including Johnny's employer Mr. Osbourne, Mrs. Mason who was beaten and thrown in a vacant lot for what she saw, and drugstore owner Mr. Nolan who had to scrub Johnny's blood off the sidewalk. Each one refuses to provide any information, paralyzed by fear of the same violence that killed Johnny and terrorized the other witnesses. Nick discovers he has returned to a community gripped by intimidation and silence, where even his own sister would rather forget than seek justice.