The Man Who Threw Acid

Originally Aired: July 18, 1956 Suspense #659, "The Man Who Threw Acid," a young, idealistic assemblyman campaigns against organized crime in city government, drawing unwanted attention from the racketeers he's trying to eliminate. The boss orders a hit, and the job falls to Steve Clyber, a desperate middle-aged punk on the fringes of gangster society who sees this as his chance to finally prove himself to the mob. For just two hundred dollars, Steve agrees to throw acid in the assemblyman's face outside the athletic club at 5:30. As Steve kills time before the job, he can't resist dropping hints about his "big appointment" to acquaintances at his favorite bar, trying to shed his reputation as a nobody. With a jar of acid and a glove in a paper sack, Steve follows his instructions from the contact man, who promises this simple job will earn him respect and open doors to bigger opportunities. The assemblyman, unaware of the danger waiting for him, works late into the night on an anti-racketeer speech, while Steve celebrates his coming success with an expensive Chinese dinner and dreams of finally becoming somebody important in the organization.