EPISODE · Jun 14, 2026 · 30 MIN
The Hampton Line Matter
from Detectives on the Air · host OTR.FM Network
Originally Aired: August 3, 1954Johnny Dollar #226, "The Hampton Line Matter,"Johnny Dollar receives what seems like a simple assignment: fly to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and observe while the Coast Guard investigates an explosion aboard the ore boat Hampton Queen. The prime suspect is Carl Richards, an honest supply boat operator who boarded the Queen just ten minutes before a blast caused fifty-six thousand dollars in damage. Richards mysteriously disappeared afterward, while his daughter Elsa brought their supply boat back to port alone. She refuses to cooperate with investigators and becomes hostile when Johnny discovers blasting powder among their cargo.As Johnny digs deeper, he encounters puzzling contradictions. Captain Torgerson of the Hampton Queen insists that Richards couldn't have done it, despite the circumstantial evidence. Commander Winters of the Coast Guard admits they have no motive—Richards has maintained an excellent reputation for over twenty years. Most puzzling of all, the explosion damaged only an empty storage compartment when the engine room was just steps away. Johnny realizes this supposedly easy case is far more complex than anyone anticipated.
What this episode covers
Originally Aired: August 3, 1954Johnny Dollar #226, "The Hampton Line Matter,"Johnny Dollar receives what seems like a simple assignment: fly to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and observe while the Coast Guard investigates an explosion aboard the ore boat Hampton Queen. The prime suspect is Carl Richards, an honest supply boat operator who boarded the Queen just ten minutes before a blast caused fifty-six thousand dollars in damage. Richards mysteriously disappeared afterward, while his daughter Elsa brought their supply boat back to port alone. She refuses to cooperate with investigators and becomes hostile when Johnny discovers blasting powder among their cargo.As Johnny digs deeper, he encounters puzzling contradictions. Captain Torgerson of the Hampton Queen insists that Richards couldn't have done it, despite the circumstantial evidence. Commander Winters of the Coast Guard admits they have no motive—Richards has maintained an excellent reputation for over twenty years. Most puzzling of all, the explosion damaged only an empty storage compartment when the engine room was just steps away. Johnny realizes this supposedly easy case is far more complex than anyone anticipated.
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The Hampton Line Matter
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