Title: The Plot Murder
Air date: February 27, 1938
Plot summary: An Army officer, one Lieutenant John Wilson, is court-martialed. Lt. Wilson is accused of sabotaging the test of a "flying torpedo" (what would later be called a "guided missile" in Real Life). Lt. Wilson doesn't act like he's guilty, but, when on the stand, he is oddly unable to defend himself. He does however pull a gun and take a shot at the inventor of the torpedo, Professor Arkeles, who is there in court. Wilson wings Arkeles in the arm before he's taken away to prison, having been convicted of sabotage.
It's not Lamont Cranston that smells a rat, but Margo Lane. Margo, sensing that something is wrong with the Wilson verdict, pushes Lamont to investigate. The Shadow takes the case and, sure enough, Wilson is innocent. It turns out that Professor Arkeles has Wilson under a hypnotic spell, which is why Wilson didn't defend himself at his court-martial. Why did the professor cast a spell on Lt. Wilson and send him to jail? Because Prof. Arkeles is actually a secret agent, who is plotting to use the test of the "flying torpedo" to kill everyone in the VIP crowd at the test, an audience that is supposed to include the President of the United States.
Tropes:
- Artistic License – Military: General Leavitt tries ordering Professor Arkeles, a civilian, to attend the test of the flying torpedo. However, Cranston had predicted the professor would be unwilling to, so the General may have been bluffing to see how strongly Arkeles would resist.
- Death by Falling Over: Arkeles's mook Barlow hits General Leavitt, who falls over, hits his head on his desk, and dies.
- He Knows Too Much: Prof. Arkeles decides it's too dangerous leaving Lt. Wilson alive, and attempts to use his hypno powers to make Wilson slit his own wrists. The Shadow arrives in time to stop him.
- Hypnotic Eyes: Professor Arkeles is able to put Lt. Wilson in a trance solely by staring at him.
- Miscarriage of Justice: Lt. Wilson is wrongly convicted of sabotage. It turns out that Wilson figured out that Arkeles was monkeying with the flying torpedo, so Arkeles put him under hypnosis and framed him for sabotage.
- Police Are Useless: Not very good security at Lt. Wilson's trial, letting a man accused of sabotage carry a loaded gun into the courtroom.
- Riddle for the Ages: Professor Arkeles refuses to reveal who hired him to kill the President, the Vice President, and other dignitaries and military commanders, even as he's dying after being shot by the cops.
