Give Me Liberty

Originally Aired: October 21, 1948 Suspense #312, "Give Me Liberty," stars William Powell as Earl French, a cunning embezzler who has successfully hidden a quarter of a million dollars from authorities. While being transported to prison by train, handcuffed to a detective, French sees his chance for freedom when the train crashes. The detective becomes trapped in the burning wreckage, his legs pinned by debris, desperately begging French for help. The detective claims not to have the key to the handcuffs, and as the flames grow closer, French makes a brutal choice: he attacks the helpless man, switches their identities by placing his college ring on the detective's finger and swapping wallets, then flees into the night. Now everyone will believe Earl French died in the wreck. However, French's newfound liberty comes with an unexpected complication—he's still wearing the handcuffs, and the chain binding his wrists proves nearly impossible to remove. As morning arrives, French grows increasingly desperate, trying everything from holding his hands overhead to drain the blood, to rubbing the chain against stones until his skin tears. Finally, he resorts to building a fire in the woods, hoping heat will break his steel bonds.