Stop This Man! — Peter Rabe

All Tony Catell knew when he broke into the university science lab was that they had a gold ingot on the premises for some sort of experiment. So he stole it. What he didn't know was that the experiment involved nuclear power--and that the gold was dangerously radioactive.

Now the cops and the FBI are on Tony's trail, Tony's underworld contacts don't want anything to do with him, and the loot he's lugging around is leaving a swath of radiation sickness and death in his path.

And since he's just come from his third stint in prison, if they catch him, he's not going back to jail--he's going to the electric chair...