This guy was creepy. I was happy when he got his in the end. This was a good listen that I would highly recommend. Also, this episode had all of the commercials in it--from 1974. Great stuff! 4 stars.

A man in financial difficulty survives a terrible train accident in which most people die. With some quick thinking he switches wallets with the financially secure salesman he has been sitting with during the trip. Having himself declared dead, he convinces his girlfriend to file a claim against his life insurance policy. Meanwhile, he tries to return to her but must be careful not to be spotted.

An enjoyable Henry Slesar scripted episode for those of us who are fans of Alfred Hitchcock Presents / Hour. I thought I had it figured out but there are enough twists and turns to surprise you. An excellent suspense / mystery listen.

Great story. Nice twist at the end. This is a wonderfully reworked episode that was popular on the Weird Circle and The Whisperer. Good show. (If you are an avid listener to OTR - I am).

I like twists, but this was too big of a twist to get my head around. To straighten it all out, I'd have to listen to the episode again (which I'm not willing to do). The concept of the ending was good, I'll give them that--but the execution was lacking, IMO.

I just love the happy-go-lucky slightly inebriated salesman character, too bad he dies off in the first five minutes. Robert Dryden at his best....when isn't he? You KNOW it's going to be good when you here a train whistle before E.G. says his first word. A HUGE twist at the end had me coming back a time or two to get it. Well done. A must-listen.

I was confused at the end and had to listen again. They got me! It was a big surprise twist. I don't know how the wife was fooled, though. I like Henry Slesar stories.

This was a good episode to listen to the greed of the main character. It made me wonder if he really was going to take his wife along for the ride or not as he wouldn't let her in on his plans. I was surprised that they didn't pick him up earlier as they knew where he was staying, but perhaps they wanted to get as many charges on him as possible.

I usually find myself going through all the possibilities in my head during an episode like this, trying to guess the inevitable twist. But this one still managed to surprise me. Very well done.

I have listened to 169 episodes, and this is the best twist so far!

Had to listen to it twice to understand how he was able to come up with his fake name/identity so quickly so he could pull off his scheme. Good storyline/twist ending.

Jerry Horton, one of the few left alive in a horrible train wreck, switches wallets with a dead fellow passenger who had, before the tragedy, bragged about the value of his life insurance. After assuming the dead man’s name, Jerry carefully instructs his wife, by phone, on how to collect the insurance, all $150,000 of it. Everything goes well until the insurance company demands the dead man’s body be exhumed.

It's an excellent program that easily keeps your attention. Nothing spooky. Very entertaining. You'll have to listen to the ending carefully to understand the unexpected twist. A recommended episode for your collection.

I rate this episode ★★★★★ for EXCELLENT. This is one of Henry Slesar’s best stories on CBSRMT. A Drama-Mystery written so cleverly, it would’ve been great to watch on an Anthology series like ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS. It had so many twists & turns for the main character, plus a twisted surprise in the finale. This episode defined "Suspense!" Catchy title, another way to title this would be “The Richest Dead Man.” In our Host’s Prologue, he gets our attention that this is another tale of suspense & danger. A get-rich-quick-scheme-tale. In ACT-1, it becomes a tale of deceit, deception, and danger for our main character who escaped death on a train. In ACT-2, after the many ups and downs for the main character’s financial plans, E.G. Marshall connects this situation by quoting Scottish poet Robert Burns. In ACT-3 the tension with time, followed by the moral of this tale that crime doesn’t pay. In his Epilogue, he points out an important rule in Confidence Games. Informative our Host. And with that, we thank him. The sound effects of the train whistle blow, passengers murmuring at the dining car, glasses clinking, massive train wreck, sirens, explosions from the train wreck, doors, birds chirping, telephone, travel bus engine, traffic noise, hotel bell, envelope, guests murmuring at the hotel restaurant, and people murmuring at the bank were beneficial. The music, with its variety tunes of suspense and tension, really pulls you in to the story. And best of all, the cast: Michael Tolan (as Jerry Horton), Vicky Volante (as Myrna Horton), Gilbert Mack (as Kenny Douglas and Bill Harkness), Mary Jane Higby (as Good Samaritan and Bank Manager), and Robert Dryden (as The Passenger and Lieutenant Whelan). SPECIAL NOTE: Himan Brown plays the Hotel Desk Clerk. Props to Mary Jane Higby & Gilbert Mack for playing their 2 roles. Vicky Volante was terrific as the leading lady. Both Michael Tolan and Robert Dryden are great in this. They work together well, just like in their performances in #0915-SECOND SIGHT. Fans of Michael Tolan should tune in to this; it’s one of his best performances on CBSRMT. SPECIAL BONUS: This episode has commercials aired on WBEN-Buffalo, NY. Commercials include Budweiser, Wallace Sterling’s Silver, 1975 Buick Skylark, Public Service Announcement from the Mennonite Churches, Contac Cold-Flu Medicine, the Better Business Bureau, and the Boy Scouts of America’s Cub Scouting Program. Until next time…pleasant dreams. =^D

Another Wu-banger! “There is more where that came from!”

The second female actor is Vicki Vola, NOT Vicki Volante.

Just listened to this episode and Himan brown makes an uncredited appearance as front desk clerk!

I really enjoyed this episode, recommend for an entertaining listen. Nice twist on the ending. Loved the commercials and the memories they brought back. Sounds effects were really good as well. Enjoy!

Like Nancy and Davey Joe, half the appeal is in the commercials and news. History revisited, but unlike my 14 year old self, I can really appreciate it now. I remember having to watch the Watergate hearings in social studies class. These shows bring back memories of late nights and a transistor radio, then discussing the episode next day with friends. Thanks, CBSRMT!

Excellent episode!!! Great script and voice pairings, and the ending twist was hard to see coming. One of the best CBSRMT’s by far! “I’d pay half of the money to get Jerry back”. HALF… so funny!

I think some of the people commenting are confused. He never switched wallets with the dead salesman, and we were led to believe that he was talking to his wife which is incorrect. He was talking to the salesman’s wife and trying to swindle her out of the insurance claim. When they did dental record research the detectives put two and two together. Go back have another listen, one of the best by far!