EPISODE · May 20, 2026 · 30 MIN
The Punctilious Firebug Matter
from Detectives on the Air · host OTR.FM Network
Originally Aired: May 25, 1954Johnny Dollar #216, "The Punctilious Firebug Matter,"Johnny Dollar races to Dallas after receiving an urgent call from Jeff Connors, the Southwestern States manager for Eastern Indemnity. An arsonist has been systematically torching insured properties, striking every Tuesday night at 11 o'clock with clockwork precision. Four fires in four weeks have already cost the company $95,000 in claims, and all the policies were written within the past two months. As Johnny arrives at the airport, Connors warns him that fire number five is imminent. Sure enough, that very night at 11 PM, another blaze erupts at a newly insured apartment building on East Westchester, claiming the lives of a woman, her two children, and eventually the husband who tried to save them.Lieutenant Len Borchard of the Arson Division suspects an inside job, pointing fingers at someone within Connors' organization who has access to policy information. As Johnny investigates, he learns troubling details about Jeff Connors himself: mounting debts from his wife's illness, a recent house fire that killed his infant son, and financial pressures that could drive a desperate man to desperate measures. With the pattern clearly established and evidence pointing toward kerosene, paraffin candles, and careful planning, Johnny must determine whether his old friend Jeff is the punctilious firebug or another victim of this deadly conspiracy.
What this episode covers
Originally Aired: May 25, 1954Johnny Dollar #216, "The Punctilious Firebug Matter,"Johnny Dollar races to Dallas after receiving an urgent call from Jeff Connors, the Southwestern States manager for Eastern Indemnity. An arsonist has been systematically torching insured properties, striking every Tuesday night at 11 o'clock with clockwork precision. Four fires in four weeks have already cost the company $95,000 in claims, and all the policies were written within the past two months. As Johnny arrives at the airport, Connors warns him that fire number five is imminent. Sure enough, that very night at 11 PM, another blaze erupts at a newly insured apartment building on East Westchester, claiming the lives of a woman, her two children, and eventually the husband who tried to save them.Lieutenant Len Borchard of the Arson Division suspects an inside job, pointing fingers at someone within Connors' organization who has access to policy information. As Johnny investigates, he learns troubling details about Jeff Connors himself: mounting debts from his wife's illness, a recent house fire that killed his infant son, and financial pressures that could drive a desperate man to desperate measures. With the pattern clearly established and evidence pointing toward kerosene, paraffin candles, and careful planning, Johnny must determine whether his old friend Jeff is the punctilious firebug or another victim of this deadly conspiracy.
NOW PLAYING
The Punctilious Firebug Matter
No transcript for this episode yet
Similar Episodes
Mar 26, 2026 ·1m
Mar 19, 2026 ·34m
Feb 18, 2026 ·11m
Feb 11, 2026 ·45m