WEBVTT 00:00.000 --> 00:04.000 Here's another in NBC's great parade of new shows. 00:04.000 --> 00:11.000 ["Dragnet Theme"] 00:11.000 --> 00:15.000 Ladies and gentlemen, the story you are about to hear is true. 00:15.000 --> 00:19.000 Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent. 00:19.000 --> 00:22.000 NBC brings you Dragnet. 00:22.000 --> 00:31.000 ["Dragnet Theme"] 00:31.000 --> 00:35.000 You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned to narcotics detail. 00:35.000 --> 00:39.000 For more than two months, doctors' offices have been burglarized, 00:39.000 --> 00:43.000 hospital pharmacies pillaged, drugstores robbed, 00:43.000 --> 00:47.000 medical supply firms ransacked, with one purpose in mind. 00:47.000 --> 00:50.000 The theft of narcotics. 00:50.000 --> 00:53.000 The criminals are expert, cunning, vicious. 00:53.000 --> 00:56.000 Your job? Get them. 00:56.000 --> 00:58.000 ["Dragnet Theme"] 00:58.000 --> 01:01.000 Dragnet, the documented drama of an actual crime, 01:01.000 --> 01:04.000 investigated and solved by the men who unrelentingly stand watch 01:04.000 --> 01:08.000 on the security of your home, your family, and your life. 01:08.000 --> 01:12.000 For the next 30 minutes, transcribed in cooperation with the Los Angeles Police Department, 01:12.000 --> 01:15.000 you will travel step by step on the side of the law 01:15.000 --> 01:18.000 through an actual case from official police files. 01:18.000 --> 01:21.000 From beginning to end, from crime to punishment, 01:21.000 --> 01:25.000 Dragnet is the story of your police force in action. 01:25.000 --> 01:30.000 ["Dragnet Theme"] 01:30.000 --> 01:34.000 It was Thursday, March 23rd. It was windy in Los Angeles. 01:34.000 --> 01:37.000 We were working the night watch out on narcotics. 01:37.000 --> 01:41.000 My partner is Ben Romero. The boss is Ed Backstrand, chief of detectives. 01:41.000 --> 01:44.000 My name's Friday. I was on my way back from the record bureau, 01:44.000 --> 01:47.000 and it was 10.35 p.m. when I got to room 24. 01:47.000 --> 01:49.000 Narcotics detail. 01:49.000 --> 01:54.000 Yeah, yeah, okay. Well, we'll be right over. Thank you. 01:54.000 --> 01:56.000 Get anything, Joe? 01:56.000 --> 01:58.000 Nothing we don't know already. How about you? 01:58.000 --> 02:01.000 That was the county hospital on the phone. Doc Welch. 02:01.000 --> 02:03.000 Pretty fair lead. I told him we'd be right over. 02:03.000 --> 02:04.000 What's he got? 02:04.000 --> 02:07.000 One of our informants. Benny Trounsall. 02:07.000 --> 02:09.000 Ready? Let's go. 02:09.000 --> 02:11.000 What's with Benny? 02:11.000 --> 02:13.000 Bad shape. Somebody worked him over. 02:13.000 --> 02:15.000 They found him in an alley off of South Main. 02:15.000 --> 02:17.000 Yeah? 02:17.000 --> 02:19.000 Doc says Trounsall talked before he passed out. 02:19.000 --> 02:21.000 Anything good? 02:21.000 --> 02:23.000 He claimed he knows who's running the new dope racket in town. 02:23.000 --> 02:25.000 Says they got him. 02:25.000 --> 02:27.000 No, let's take the stairs in. 02:27.000 --> 02:29.000 Why should they bother with small fry like Benny? 02:29.000 --> 02:32.000 That's what I'm wondering. Blackmail, maybe. 02:32.000 --> 02:35.000 If Benny's still on the needle, maybe that accounts for his story. 02:35.000 --> 02:39.000 Doc says his skull is fractured. Morphine doesn't do that to you. 02:39.000 --> 02:41.000 Yeah. Benny mention any names? 02:41.000 --> 02:43.000 I don't know. Doc didn't say. 02:43.000 --> 02:45.000 Here's the garage. Come on. 02:48.000 --> 02:50.000 When did they pick up Benny? 02:50.000 --> 02:52.000 About an hour ago. 02:52.000 --> 02:56.000 He had a pocket full of bentels on him. Heroin. 02:56.000 --> 02:59.000 Trounsall's small fry. He never had that much dope on him in his life. 02:59.000 --> 03:13.000 That's what makes it interesting. Let's go. 03:13.000 --> 03:15.000 County hospital? 03:15.000 --> 03:16.000 Yes, sir. 03:16.000 --> 03:18.000 The line is busy, will you wait? 03:18.000 --> 03:19.000 Thank you. 03:19.000 --> 03:21.000 Can I help you, gentlemen? 03:21.000 --> 03:23.000 We'd like to see Dr. Welch. She's expecting us. 03:23.000 --> 03:24.000 Your names, please? 03:24.000 --> 03:26.000 This is Sergeant Romero. My name's Friday. Police officer. 03:26.000 --> 03:30.000 Oh, yes. Around the corner to your left, room 127. The doctor's waiting for you. 03:30.000 --> 03:32.000 Thank you. Come on, Ben. 03:32.000 --> 03:36.000 I hope Benny's still talking. We could sure usually. 03:36.000 --> 03:41.000 Yeah. Here it is. 127. 03:43.000 --> 03:45.000 Hiya, Ben. Joe. 03:45.000 --> 03:47.000 How are you, Doc? Anything new? 03:47.000 --> 03:49.000 Just left Trounsall upstairs. 03:49.000 --> 03:51.000 You think we can talk to him now? 03:51.000 --> 03:56.000 I think we could. He died about six minutes ago. 03:56.000 --> 04:03.000 For almost two years, Benny Trounsall and Haddock himself had been one of the most valuable informants Ben and I had in the narcotic gangs. 04:03.000 --> 04:12.000 More than once he had helped us solve a case, but this time, if Benny Trounsall had any direct leads to the nerve center of the newest narcotic ring, he took them with him. 04:12.000 --> 04:18.000 Besides his dying accusation that the ring had gotten to him, he left behind only two small scraps of information. 04:18.000 --> 04:25.000 First, when he arrived at the county hospital, Dr. Welch reported that Trounsall repeatedly muttered the name Patterson. 04:25.000 --> 04:35.000 Secondly, among the few personal effects found in his pockets was a good amount of heroin and a small piece of white paper with two words scrawled on it, Tucker Building. 04:35.000 --> 04:39.000 Benny Trounsall's body was taken to the county morgue and the next morning it was posted. 04:39.000 --> 04:47.000 At the coroner's inquest, the cause of death was listed as a brain hemorrhage induced by severe blows by a blunt instrument on the sides and base of the skull, 04:47.000 --> 04:50.000 inflicted by a person or persons unknown. 04:50.000 --> 04:59.000 Besides Ben and myself, the only identification witness at the inquest was a woman who managed a rooming house in Benedict Alley where Trounsall used to stay periodically. 04:59.000 --> 05:03.000 After the inquest, we questioned her briefly in our office. 05:03.000 --> 05:07.000 Miss Stratt, you say you can't remember any friends Trounsall had while he stayed at your room and house? 05:07.000 --> 05:12.000 No, I can't. Besides, if I knew that man used dope, I never would have rented him a room. 05:12.000 --> 05:14.000 How long did he rent from you, Miss Stratt? 05:14.000 --> 05:21.000 About six months. I run a respectable house. I don't mind if my people drink a little now and then, but those dope users, no sir. 05:21.000 --> 05:25.000 Did you know anything about Trounsall, Miss Stratt, where he spent his time, where he had his meals? 05:25.000 --> 05:30.000 Well, don't serve at my place, too much trouble. Most of the people eat at the Ace lunchroom down the corner. 05:30.000 --> 05:31.000 Where's that, Miss Stratt? 05:31.000 --> 05:34.000 Oh, Grant and South Main, right down the corner. 05:34.000 --> 05:37.000 And you think Trounsall might have spent some time there? 05:37.000 --> 05:38.000 He might have, I don't know. 05:38.000 --> 05:41.000 Miss Stratt, did Trounsall ever mention anyone by the name of Patterson? 05:41.000 --> 05:43.000 No. Patterson? No. 05:43.000 --> 05:46.000 And you can't recall any friends he might have had? 05:46.000 --> 05:49.000 He had any friends. He never set foot in my house. That's all I know. 05:49.000 --> 05:51.000 All right, Miss Stratt, thank you. 05:51.000 --> 05:56.000 Here's a card, ma'am. If you come across any information about Trounsall, we'd appreciate it if you'd call us. 05:56.000 --> 05:58.000 All right. That all? 05:58.000 --> 06:00.000 That's all, ma'am. Thank you. 06:00.000 --> 06:02.000 Yeah? Bye. 06:02.000 --> 06:03.000 Goodbye, ma'am. 06:06.000 --> 06:07.000 Big help. 06:07.000 --> 06:10.000 Yeah, not even a good identification witness. 06:10.000 --> 06:13.000 You got those listings we made on the Tucker building? 06:13.000 --> 06:15.000 Yeah. Yeah, let's see. Here it is. 06:15.000 --> 06:17.000 Okay, let me have it, huh? 06:17.000 --> 06:20.000 Tucker building, 7310 South Wilshire. 06:20.000 --> 06:23.000 I wonder what Benny Trounsall could have been doing out there. 06:23.000 --> 06:25.000 Shouldn't be too hard to check. It's a small building. 06:25.000 --> 06:27.000 Yeah. Six listings for the whole place. 06:27.000 --> 06:31.000 A couple of law officers, real estate guy, dentists, architect, and a doctor. 06:31.000 --> 06:34.000 One dentist, one doctor. Could be a lead. 06:34.000 --> 06:36.000 Maybe. Pretty thin. 06:36.000 --> 06:38.000 Friday. Romero. You got a minute? 06:38.000 --> 06:40.000 Yes, Gipper. Come on in. 06:40.000 --> 06:42.000 Yeah. 06:42.000 --> 06:44.000 What do you got, Ed? 06:44.000 --> 06:47.000 Letters. Here's a sample. Now listen to this. 06:47.000 --> 06:50.000 Chief of Detectives, Ed Backstrand, City Hall, Los Angeles. 06:50.000 --> 06:52.000 Mm-hmm. 06:52.000 --> 06:55.000 In view of mounting wave of narcotic robberies, 06:55.000 --> 06:59.000 strongly recommend that your efforts to curb this lawlessness be redoubled. 06:59.000 --> 07:00.000 They all like that? 07:00.000 --> 07:02.000 All of them. They're mad. Can you blame them? 07:02.000 --> 07:06.000 Not a bit. We haven't got much to go on, Chief. The gang's pretty smart. 07:06.000 --> 07:08.000 All right. Then let's be smarter. There's no law against it. 07:08.000 --> 07:09.000 Doing our best, Gipper. 07:09.000 --> 07:13.000 Then make it better. I'm sick of that bunch and I'm tired of these letters. 07:13.000 --> 07:14.000 And look at that record. 07:14.000 --> 07:17.000 In two months, 15 drug store robs, eight medical offices, 07:17.000 --> 07:20.000 two supply houses, two hospital pharmacies. 07:20.000 --> 07:23.000 Narcotics missing every time. Now who's behind it? 07:23.000 --> 07:25.000 None of the old timers. We've checked them out. 07:25.000 --> 07:27.000 Gone over every hype and mainliner we know of. 07:27.000 --> 07:30.000 All right. Then get on the tranchions. New faces. 07:30.000 --> 07:32.000 Climb on every one of them that shoots the stuff 07:32.000 --> 07:34.000 until you get to that gang and break it. 07:34.000 --> 07:38.000 If you need help, holler. But get to that gang and break it. Do you understand? 07:38.000 --> 07:39.000 Okay, Scapa. We'll try. 07:39.000 --> 07:42.000 You dig up anything on that Trounsall case yet? 07:42.000 --> 07:43.000 Still checking out one late... 07:43.000 --> 07:44.000 What? 07:44.000 --> 07:46.000 Slip of paper we found in Trounsall's pocket, Ed. 07:46.000 --> 07:48.000 Said Tucker Building on it, that's all. 07:48.000 --> 07:50.000 Just gonna check it out when you called. 07:50.000 --> 07:51.000 All right. Hop on it. Fast. 07:51.000 --> 07:54.000 We got a lot of pressure on us. Keep in touch with the office. 07:57.000 --> 08:00.000 It was almost noon when Ben and I got out to the Tucker Building. 08:00.000 --> 08:04.000 It was a two-story affair, comparatively small, very modern. 08:04.000 --> 08:06.000 We checked with the dentist in the building first, 08:06.000 --> 08:09.000 but he'd never heard of anyone with the name of Benny Trounsall. 08:09.000 --> 08:12.000 His records and appointment books proved it out. 08:14.000 --> 08:16.000 Well, that's one down, Jill. 08:16.000 --> 08:19.000 Yeah. Let's try that doctor's office now. What's his name? 08:19.000 --> 08:24.000 Let me see. Oh, Springer. Dr. Fred Springer. He's on the second floor. 08:24.000 --> 08:27.000 Okay. There's a stairway down there. Come on. 08:27.000 --> 08:30.000 Pretty close to lunchtime. Might not be in. 08:30.000 --> 08:33.000 Maybe. Somebody should be there. We haven't got much time to play with. 08:33.000 --> 08:37.000 Yeah. Chief sure was up in there this morning. 08:37.000 --> 08:41.000 Here's the office. Fred Springer, M.D. 08:45.000 --> 08:47.000 Good morning. May I help you, gentlemen? 08:47.000 --> 08:49.000 We'd like to see Dr. Springer, please. 08:49.000 --> 08:51.000 Do you have an appointment? No, we don't. 08:51.000 --> 08:53.000 Well, the doctor's not in at present. 08:53.000 --> 08:55.000 Would you like to make an appointment for later in the day? 08:55.000 --> 08:59.000 No, we're police officers. This is Sergeant Friday. I'm Sergeant Romero. 08:59.000 --> 09:03.000 How do you do? I'm Miss Turner. I'm the doctor's nurse. 09:03.000 --> 09:06.000 Then you must take care of the appointment and record books for the doctor. 09:06.000 --> 09:07.000 Yes, I do. 09:07.000 --> 09:09.000 Well, maybe you can give us the information we're looking for, Miss Turner. 09:09.000 --> 09:12.000 Did the doctor ever have a patient with the name of Trounsall, Benny Trounsall? 09:12.000 --> 09:16.000 Trounsall? No, I don't think so. Just a moment. I'll check. 09:16.000 --> 09:18.000 Thank you. 09:21.000 --> 09:24.000 No? T-R-O-U-N-S-E-L. Is that the way you spell it? 09:24.000 --> 09:25.000 Yes, ma'am. 09:25.000 --> 09:30.000 No. The name's not listed here. Let me check the account book. 09:34.000 --> 09:38.000 No. Wait. It's funny. 09:38.000 --> 09:40.000 What's that, Miss Turner? 09:40.000 --> 09:43.000 Here in the back of the book in the doctor's handwriting. Look. 09:43.000 --> 09:46.000 Hmm. Trounsall. The black parrot. 09:46.000 --> 09:51.000 Certainly funny. I can't remember seeing that notation before. It must be fairly recent. 09:51.000 --> 09:55.000 Miss Turner, what kind of a clientele would you say Dr. Springer has? 09:55.000 --> 10:00.000 Oh, it's quite exclusive. Beverly Hills, Bel Air. That's where most of the bills are mailed. 10:00.000 --> 10:06.000 Can you recall seeing Trounsall in the office here, Miss Turner? Small man, thin, walk with a kind of a limp, not very well dressed? 10:06.000 --> 10:09.000 No, I don't think so. Doesn't sound like any of our patients. 10:09.000 --> 10:13.000 Would you show us the doctor's prescription lists for the last two months? We'd like to check them. 10:13.000 --> 10:18.000 Well, I'm afraid I can't. Dr. Springer keeps them in the safe. He's the only one who has the combination. 10:18.000 --> 10:20.000 How long have you been with Dr. Springer? 10:20.000 --> 10:23.000 About ten months. Ever since he started his practice out here. 10:23.000 --> 10:26.000 Where was he before that? Philadelphia. 10:26.000 --> 10:29.000 I don't understand all these questions. Is anything the matter? 10:29.000 --> 10:32.000 Just a routine check, Miss Turner. When do you expect the doctor back? 10:32.000 --> 10:34.000 About four this afternoon. He's out making home calls. 10:34.000 --> 10:38.000 All right. Here's our card. Would you ask him to call us as soon as he comes in? 10:38.000 --> 10:39.000 I'll do that. 10:39.000 --> 10:41.000 Thank you, Miss Turner. Bye. 10:41.000 --> 10:42.000 Goodbye. Bye. 10:42.000 --> 10:45.000 Oh, say, Miss Turner, one more question. Yes? 10:45.000 --> 10:49.000 Does Dr. Springer have a patient by the name of Patterson? 10:49.000 --> 10:55.000 Oh, yes. One of a doctor's first patients, John Patterson. He lives out on East Beverly Drive. 10:55.000 --> 11:02.000 When we left Dr. Springer's office, we called R. and I. There was no make on John Patterson. 11:02.000 --> 11:08.000 Ben and I drove over to see him, just on a hunch. It didn't pay off right then, but it showed a little promise. 11:08.000 --> 11:12.000 When the maid came to the door of the swank apartment, she told us Patterson was out for the day. 11:12.000 --> 11:15.000 We asked her about Patterson's occupation. She didn't know. 11:15.000 --> 11:21.000 We asked her about his friends, his business acquaintances. She could remember only two people visiting the apartment. 11:21.000 --> 11:25.000 One of them was Dr. Springer, apparently a constant visitor. 11:25.000 --> 11:28.000 The other, a tall, dark man who spoke bad English. 11:28.000 --> 11:31.000 We asked the maid how long she had worked for Patterson. 11:31.000 --> 11:35.000 She said ever since he moved to Los Angeles, about six months before. 11:35.000 --> 11:39.000 A few things started to fall into place, but it was strictly a guesswork operation. 11:39.000 --> 11:44.000 Ben and I got in the car and headed for the south end of the city to check out some of the places Benny Trounsall was supposed to have frequented. 11:44.000 --> 11:49.000 We met a stone wall from the Ace Lunchroom near Benny's former rooming house to the Black Parrot. 11:49.000 --> 11:53.000 No one was willing to talk. Threats didn't work and neither did promises. 11:53.000 --> 11:58.000 Ben and I gave up for the moment and headed back to the office. 11:58.000 --> 12:03.000 Specific ambulance, one call to Alhambra is now code three. 12:03.000 --> 12:06.000 Seems like Skid Row doesn't want any part of this. 12:06.000 --> 12:09.000 Yeah, there's a bad feeling. Something's got him scared. 12:09.000 --> 12:11.000 Sure would like to know what it is, or who it is. 12:11.000 --> 12:14.000 Yeah, I'd like to know what it is. 12:14.000 --> 12:16.000 Control one to unit 80K. 12:16.000 --> 12:17.000 That's Joe. Get it, will you? 12:17.000 --> 12:21.000 I got it. 80K to control one. 80K to control one. Go ahead. 12:21.000 --> 12:25.000 80K. Call station 2511, code three. 12:25.000 --> 12:28.000 80K to control one. Roger. KMA 367. 12:28.000 --> 12:30.000 I wonder what that's all about. 12:30.000 --> 12:34.000 Let's find out. There's a drug store. They ought to have a phone. Pull over, huh? 12:34.000 --> 12:36.000 You got a nickel? 12:36.000 --> 12:39.000 Yeah, I got it. Oh, yeah, yeah, sure. 12:39.000 --> 12:42.000 Thanks. I'll be back in a minute. 13:03.000 --> 13:05.000 City Hall. 2511. 13:05.000 --> 13:08.000 Thank you. 13:08.000 --> 13:10.000 Chief of Detectives Office, Hannan. 13:10.000 --> 13:12.000 This is Friday, Mike. The chief there? 13:12.000 --> 13:15.000 Oh, yeah. Just a minute. 13:15.000 --> 13:16.000 Backstrand talking. 13:16.000 --> 13:18.000 This Friday, Ed. What do you got? 13:18.000 --> 13:19.000 You tied up? 13:19.000 --> 13:20.000 Nothing big. 13:20.000 --> 13:22.000 Then check in as soon as you can. Got something good. 13:22.000 --> 13:23.000 What? 13:23.000 --> 13:27.000 You remember the stick-up at St. Agnes Hospital about a month ago? Pharmacy there? 13:27.000 --> 13:28.000 What about it? 13:28.000 --> 13:32.000 Two patrolmen picked up a user down near Union Station about an hour and a half ago. 13:32.000 --> 13:33.000 Yeah? 13:33.000 --> 13:37.000 Guy was way back in his heels. He had two vials of morphine on him. Vials had serial numbers. 13:37.000 --> 13:38.000 Good. Did they match out? 13:38.000 --> 13:39.000 Perfectly. 13:39.000 --> 13:41.000 Thanks, Ed. We'll be right in. 13:45.000 --> 13:50.000 When Ben and I got back to the office at 3.52 p.m., we picked up Chief Ed Backstrand and went directly to the crime lab, 13:50.000 --> 13:55.000 where Lieutenant Lee Jones analyzed the contents of the two vials taken from the suspect. 13:55.000 --> 13:58.000 Jones told us it was high-grade morphine. 13:58.000 --> 14:04.000 We went back to the office and double-checked the serial numbers on the vials with the crime report on the St. Agnes Hospital robbery. They matched. 14:04.000 --> 14:09.000 There's a good break. These vials were in the loot when the gang knocked over the hospital 28 days ago. 14:09.000 --> 14:12.000 We'll stay on the trail and we'll crack that gang wide open. 14:12.000 --> 14:14.000 This the arrest report on the guy, Ed? 14:14.000 --> 14:16.000 Yeah. Picked him up in a bar off South Main. 14:16.000 --> 14:18.000 Who is the guy? A trangian? 14:18.000 --> 14:22.000 Yeah, here it is, Ben. James Steiner, Phoenix, Arizona, age 37, tranch and laborer. 14:22.000 --> 14:24.000 Anybody talk to this guy yet, Ed? 14:24.000 --> 14:27.000 Not yet. He shouldn't be too hard. You better get on it. 14:27.000 --> 14:28.000 Right, skipper. Come on, Jill. 14:28.000 --> 14:29.000 Check you later, Ed. 14:31.000 --> 14:32.000 What time you got, Ben? 14:32.000 --> 14:35.000 Let me see here. 25 past four. 14:35.000 --> 14:37.000 Did a phone call for you, Ben? 14:37.000 --> 14:38.000 Yeah, who was it? 14:38.000 --> 14:42.000 Your wife. Wants you to pick up some aspirin and a bottle of nose drops for your kid on your way home. 14:42.000 --> 14:44.000 Oh, yeah. I almost forgot. 14:44.000 --> 14:45.000 That the only call we had, Mike? 14:45.000 --> 14:46.000 That's right. 14:46.000 --> 14:47.000 Thanks. 14:47.000 --> 14:49.000 You got that Dr. Springer's number, Ben. 14:49.000 --> 14:50.000 Yeah. 14:51.000 --> 14:54.000 Here it is. Questview 55284. 14:54.000 --> 14:55.000 Thanks. 14:58.000 --> 15:00.000 Nurse said he'd call us around four, didn't he? 15:00.000 --> 15:01.000 Yeah. 15:01.000 --> 15:02.000 Yeah. 15:09.000 --> 15:10.000 Dr. Springer's office. 15:10.000 --> 15:13.000 This is Sergeant Friday down at the police department. Dr. Springer there? 15:13.000 --> 15:19.000 Well, no, he isn't, Sergeant. He called in about 20 minutes ago and I gave him your message. He said he'd call you. 15:19.000 --> 15:23.000 All right, Miss Turner. When he comes in, tell him to call us and press on him. It's urgent. 15:23.000 --> 15:25.000 All right, Sergeant. I'll do that. Goodbye. 15:25.000 --> 15:26.000 Goodbye. 15:26.000 --> 15:27.000 No luck? 15:27.000 --> 15:31.000 I don't know. Just a hunch he may be ducking us. 15:31.000 --> 15:32.000 Who are you calling now? 15:32.000 --> 15:36.000 State Medical Board. Maybe they can check us out on Dr. Springer. 15:38.000 --> 15:43.000 I put the call through to the State Medical Board and asked for a check on Dr. Fred Springer. 15:43.000 --> 15:50.000 They said they'd call back within the hour. In the meantime, we had James Steiner brought to one of the interrogation rooms for questioning. It was all talk. 15:50.000 --> 15:54.000 Look, it's like I told the Sergeant when they booked me. I don't know anything about this hospital, John. 15:54.000 --> 15:55.000 Sit down, Steiner. 15:55.000 --> 15:57.000 Oh, all right. Thanks. 15:57.000 --> 15:59.000 How long you been in the city, Steiner? 15:59.000 --> 16:00.000 L.A. 16:00.000 --> 16:06.000 About a month. I came from Phoenix looking for work. Things are pretty slow in Phoenix. 16:06.000 --> 16:08.000 Where'd you get the morphine? 16:08.000 --> 16:09.000 Huh? 16:09.000 --> 16:11.000 I said, where'd you get the morphine? 16:11.000 --> 16:17.000 The stuff? I bought it just for a pop now and then I just play around with it. Just for kicks. 16:17.000 --> 16:19.000 Who'd you buy the vials from? 16:19.000 --> 16:23.000 Who? I don't know. A guy in a bar gave me a price. 16:23.000 --> 16:24.000 Which bar was that? 16:24.000 --> 16:31.000 Which bar? Black Parrot. I'm not hooked. I just play around with it just for kicks. 16:31.000 --> 16:33.000 What'd the guy look like, Steiner? 16:33.000 --> 16:37.000 What did he look like? I don't know. Tall, I guess. 16:37.000 --> 16:39.000 Would you remember him if you saw him again? 16:39.000 --> 16:43.000 Remember him? Sure. I talked to him a couple of nights at the bar. 16:43.000 --> 16:45.000 Was he on the stuff? Was he a hype? 16:45.000 --> 16:49.000 A hype? Yeah. Maybe. Tall fella, dark. 16:49.000 --> 16:51.000 You shooting the stuff? 16:51.000 --> 16:56.000 Shooting the stuff? No. I'm no mainliner. I never took it in the veins of my life. 16:56.000 --> 17:01.000 I told you I'd do it just for kicks. Just a pop now and then. 17:01.000 --> 17:03.000 Take off your shirt. Let's see your arms. 17:03.000 --> 17:04.000 Huh? My arms? 17:04.000 --> 17:05.000 Come on. Take it off. 17:05.000 --> 17:08.000 Where? 17:08.000 --> 17:11.000 Who are you kidding, Steiner? Your arm looks like a pincushion. 17:11.000 --> 17:15.000 I told you. Just once in a while. Just for the kicks. I'm not hooked on it. 17:15.000 --> 17:21.000 They found two vials of stolen morphine on you, Steiner. You can go two ways, hard or easy. 17:21.000 --> 17:26.000 Hard or easy? I told you I ain't done nothing. I bought the stuff. 17:26.000 --> 17:30.000 I use a cap or a spindle once in a while for kicks, but I'm not hooked. 17:30.000 --> 17:32.000 I bought the stuff, I tell you. 17:32.000 --> 17:34.000 Who was he, Steiner? Who sold it to you? 17:34.000 --> 17:37.000 Who? I told you. I met him in a bar. The black parrot. 17:37.000 --> 17:38.000 Who was he? 17:38.000 --> 17:42.000 He was tall. Dark. He gave me a good price. 17:42.000 --> 17:46.000 Come on, let's have it, Steiner. His name. 17:46.000 --> 17:50.000 I'm feeling sick. You got something for me. I'm sick. 17:50.000 --> 17:52.000 All right. Mike! 17:52.000 --> 17:53.000 Yeah, Joe? 17:53.000 --> 17:55.000 Get some milk. A couple of quarts right away. 17:55.000 --> 17:58.000 Okay, Joe. 17:58.000 --> 18:01.000 You ready to tell us, Steiner? Who was he? 18:01.000 --> 18:03.000 I'm sick. I'm sick. 18:03.000 --> 18:07.000 We're getting some milk for you now. Come on, you better talk. 18:07.000 --> 18:12.000 Max. That's all he said. Name was Max. He gave me a good price. 18:12.000 --> 18:15.000 I only take a pop now and then just for kicks. 18:15.000 --> 18:17.000 You think you could point him out for us? 18:17.000 --> 18:20.000 Yeah. Yeah. Maybe. 18:20.000 --> 18:23.000 I'm sick. I'm sick. 18:23.000 --> 18:27.000 Narcotics from Meryl. 18:27.000 --> 18:31.000 Hello. This is Dr. Springer calling. You wanted to talk to me. 18:31.000 --> 18:34.000 Yes, we did, Doctor. And we've got a few questions we'd like to ask you. 18:34.000 --> 18:37.000 Oh, hold on just a minute, will you? It's Dr. Springer, Joe. 18:37.000 --> 18:40.000 All right. Tell him we've got to see him tonight. We'll call him back later. 18:40.000 --> 18:41.000 Dr. Springer? 18:41.000 --> 18:42.000 Yes? 18:42.000 --> 18:46.000 Sorry, Doctor. We'll have to see you later on tonight. You be at home? 18:46.000 --> 18:51.000 Well, I have an appointment this evening. Would you mind telling me what this is all about? 18:51.000 --> 18:54.000 Sure, Doctor. It's about a man named Benny Trounsall. 18:54.000 --> 18:56.000 Oh. I see. 18:56.000 --> 18:59.000 And if you don't mind, we'd like to check over your prescription list with you. 18:59.000 --> 19:03.000 Yes. I'll cancel my appointment. 19:03.000 --> 19:09.000 You can contact me here at home. 1538 South Road. I'll be here all night. 19:09.000 --> 19:12.000 All right, Doctor. Thank you. We'll see you later then. 19:12.000 --> 19:13.000 Yes. Goodbye. 19:13.000 --> 19:14.000 Goodbye. 19:14.000 --> 19:16.000 What'd he say? All right? 19:16.000 --> 19:20.000 Yeah, it's all right. I'll buy that hunch of yours now, Joe. 19:20.000 --> 19:24.000 Dr. Springer, he knows who killed Benny Trounsall. I bet he knows why. 19:27.000 --> 19:31.000 When Mike Hannon came back with the milk, we fed it to Steiner and then we put him back in his cell. 19:31.000 --> 19:36.000 We put in another call to John Patterson out on East Beverly Drive, but there was no answer. 19:36.000 --> 19:41.000 We left word with Hannon where we were going, and Ben and I headed out for Dr. Springer's home. 19:41.000 --> 19:48.000 It was 735 when we pulled up into the driveway at 1538 South Road, a low, rambling, ranch-type home. 19:51.000 --> 19:54.000 We got out of the car and made our way down the path to the front door. 19:54.000 --> 19:57.000 A gray Persian cat followed us. 19:57.000 --> 20:01.000 The door was half open. We knocked, but there was no answer. 20:01.000 --> 20:05.000 Through the window, we could see the living room was dimly lighted. We went in. 20:06.000 --> 20:11.000 We found Dr. Springer sitting in a large, carved mahogany chair in the dining room. 20:11.000 --> 20:16.000 The room was hung with draperies. It was slumped forward, face down, on the dining table. 20:16.000 --> 20:19.000 There was a bullet hole in his right temple. 20:19.000 --> 20:23.000 On the floor near his right hand was a.32 automatic pistol. 20:23.000 --> 20:27.000 In the center of the dining table was a piece of white paper. 20:27.000 --> 20:30.000 Looks like he beat us. 20:30.000 --> 20:33.000 Yeah. Any names on that confession? 20:33.000 --> 20:36.000 One says he killed Trump. 20:36.000 --> 20:42.000 No, wait a minute. It says John Patterson, he forced me to this. 20:42.000 --> 20:44.000 What? 20:44.000 --> 20:46.000 I don't know. What's it look like to you? 20:46.000 --> 20:49.000 Here's another one. Norberg. That's all it says. 20:49.000 --> 20:53.000 Then he signed his name, Dr. Fred Springer. 20:53.000 --> 20:56.000 Ben, come over here. Look at these. 20:56.000 --> 21:01.000 Epidermic needle. No works. Is this morphine? 21:01.000 --> 21:03.000 White powder. Could be. 21:03.000 --> 21:05.000 And he was on it himself. 21:05.000 --> 21:09.000 Looks like it. We'll find out when they post him. I'll get it. 21:09.000 --> 21:11.000 Yeah. 21:11.000 --> 21:12.000 Sergeant Friday there, please. 21:12.000 --> 21:14.000 This is Joe, Mike. What do you got? 21:14.000 --> 21:15.000 Can you talk all right there? 21:15.000 --> 21:16.000 Yeah, go ahead. 21:16.000 --> 21:20.000 Just got a kickback on your call at the state medical board on this Dr. Fred Springer. 21:20.000 --> 21:23.000 He's not a registered physician in the state of California. 21:23.000 --> 21:26.000 Besides that, his license was revoked in Pennsylvania two years ago. 21:26.000 --> 21:27.000 Illegal operations. 21:27.000 --> 21:30.000 That explains it. Notify homicide. Get the crime lab in the corner out here, will you? 21:30.000 --> 21:31.000 Looks like Springer shot himself. 21:31.000 --> 21:32.000 Okay, Joe. Right away. 21:32.000 --> 21:34.000 We'll wait for him, but hurry him up, Mike. 21:34.000 --> 21:35.000 We got a couple more places to check out tonight. 21:35.000 --> 21:36.000 Okay, Joe. See you later. 21:36.000 --> 21:37.000 Right. 21:37.000 --> 21:39.000 What's next? Patterson place? 21:39.000 --> 21:41.000 I don't know. Maybe we ought to try Steiner first. 21:41.000 --> 21:42.000 Sounds good to me. 21:42.000 --> 21:44.000 Feels like we're getting close. 21:44.000 --> 21:46.000 Yeah, man. Real close. 21:51.000 --> 21:55.000 Twelve minutes later, homicide and the crime lab men checked in at the Springer house, and Ben and I checked out. 21:55.000 --> 21:58.000 We went back to the office and found Ed Backstrand waiting for us. 21:58.000 --> 22:02.000 We told him our story, and he sent two men out to keep an eye on the Patterson place. 22:02.000 --> 22:07.000 Two other men went to work to try and track down the other name in Springer's confession note, Norberg. 22:07.000 --> 22:10.000 Ben and I went up to the county jail and picked up Steiner. 22:10.000 --> 22:16.000 The three of us started out to look for the man who sold Steiner the two vials of morphine stolen from a hospital pharmacy a month before. 22:16.000 --> 22:18.000 The man's name was Max. 22:18.000 --> 22:21.000 He was tall and dark. That was all we knew. 22:21.000 --> 22:23.000 The rest of it was up to Steiner. 22:23.000 --> 22:28.000 Two other men from the detail, Davis and Emerson, came along with us to take care of Steiner if anything went wrong. 22:28.000 --> 22:30.000 Our first stop was the Black Parrot Tavern. 22:30.000 --> 22:33.000 Davis parked the car in an alley down the street. 22:33.000 --> 22:36.000 Steiner, Ben, and I got out and walked the rest of the way. 22:36.000 --> 22:39.000 You understand what you're supposed to do, Steiner. 22:39.000 --> 22:43.000 Me? Yeah. I go in first and sit at the bar. 22:43.000 --> 22:45.000 You two will follow me. 22:45.000 --> 22:48.000 I sit at the bar and if I see Max, I give you the sign. 22:48.000 --> 22:50.000 That's okay, huh? 22:50.000 --> 22:52.000 That's right. And you don't try to break for it. 22:52.000 --> 22:56.000 Break for it? Me? I told you, I'm squaring with you guys. 22:56.000 --> 22:58.000 All right, Steiner. Go ahead. 23:00.000 --> 23:02.000 Let's hope it works, Jill. 23:02.000 --> 23:05.000 Yeah. There he goes inside. Come on. 23:05.000 --> 23:09.000 Now look, try to grab one of the booths along the wall if you can, huh? 23:09.000 --> 23:11.000 Right. Here we are. 23:16.000 --> 23:18.000 The first booth, Ben, it's empty. 23:18.000 --> 23:20.000 Yeah. 23:20.000 --> 23:24.000 Well, there's left order at the bar. Waitress got a night off. 23:24.000 --> 23:26.000 Make it a couple of beers, will you? 23:26.000 --> 23:28.000 Couple of beers? Okay. 23:28.000 --> 23:30.000 Jill, go look at Steiner. 23:30.000 --> 23:33.000 Yeah, he's signaling. Must mean the guy putting on his coat over there. 23:33.000 --> 23:35.000 No, no, hold it, Ben. We'll get his passes. 23:42.000 --> 23:45.000 All right, get Steiner back to the car. I'll tell you the guy. You come after me. 23:50.000 --> 23:53.000 I didn't know how right Steiner was or how much we could trust him. 23:53.000 --> 23:56.000 All I knew was that the man I was following was tall and he was in a hurry. 23:56.000 --> 23:59.000 I followed him three quarters of a block before he turned in at a motel. 23:59.000 --> 24:03.000 He went to a cottage at the rear of the lot, let himself in and closed the door quickly behind him. 24:03.000 --> 24:06.000 A minute later, Ben and the others pulled up in the car. 24:09.000 --> 24:11.000 Got him staked, Joe. Steiner says that was Max. 24:11.000 --> 24:13.000 Let's make sure. Come on. 24:13.000 --> 24:14.000 Which one is he in? 24:14.000 --> 24:16.000 The one down at the end here. Now be careful. 24:16.000 --> 24:18.000 You too. 24:18.000 --> 24:20.000 All right, here we are. Wait a minute right there. 24:25.000 --> 24:28.000 All right, look, there's no rear door. He's got to come out the front and keep the door clear. 24:28.000 --> 24:29.000 You ready? 24:29.000 --> 24:30.000 All set. 24:30.000 --> 24:31.000 Cover me. 24:37.000 --> 24:38.000 Open up in there. 24:38.000 --> 24:39.000 Who is it? 24:39.000 --> 24:41.000 Police officers. Open up. 24:41.000 --> 24:42.000 Just a minute. 24:45.000 --> 24:46.000 All right, Ben, give it back to him. 24:48.000 --> 24:50.000 No, Joe, don't shoot. We'll come out. 24:50.000 --> 24:53.000 All right, throw your guns out first and come out with your hands behind your head and make it fast. 24:55.000 --> 24:57.000 Watch it, Ben. He's making a break. 24:57.000 --> 24:59.000 All right, mister, that's four and a... 24:59.000 --> 25:00.000 Get out of my way. Get out of my way. 25:00.000 --> 25:01.000 Get him, Ben. 25:05.000 --> 25:06.000 That's good, Ben. You all right? 25:06.000 --> 25:07.000 Yeah. 25:07.000 --> 25:09.000 He didn't mean it, Cooper. He didn't mean it. 25:09.000 --> 25:11.000 He didn't know what he was doing. 25:11.000 --> 25:13.000 Well, that must be a good excuse, lady. A lot of people use it. 25:13.000 --> 25:15.000 Come on, Ben, let's take him in. 25:20.000 --> 25:22.000 It was ten minutes past midnight when we got back to headquarters. 25:22.000 --> 25:26.000 Both the man and the woman were booked for violation of the State Narcotics Act, a felony. 25:26.000 --> 25:28.000 He gave his name as Max Jansen. 25:28.000 --> 25:34.000 In his luggage, we found 13 vials of morphine, large quantities of heroin, and a small amount of panopin. 25:34.000 --> 25:38.000 He gave us the names and addresses of six active members of the narcotics gang. 25:38.000 --> 25:40.000 He identified Dr. Springer as second in command. 25:40.000 --> 25:42.000 Just a few more questions, Jansen. 25:42.000 --> 25:43.000 Yeah, all right. 25:43.000 --> 25:45.000 Why did Springer kill Trounsall? 25:45.000 --> 25:46.000 He had it coming. 25:46.000 --> 25:49.000 Trounsall knew the score and he was blackmailing them, bleeding them white. 25:49.000 --> 25:51.000 Why didn't the gang take care of him? 25:51.000 --> 25:53.000 The boss said no rough stuff. 25:53.000 --> 25:54.000 Things were going too good. 25:54.000 --> 25:56.000 He warned Springer, but he wouldn't listen. 25:56.000 --> 25:58.000 All right, Jansen, just one more question. 25:58.000 --> 25:59.000 Who's the boss? 25:59.000 --> 26:02.000 Do I get off-flight? State's witness? 26:02.000 --> 26:04.000 It might help. We can't promise you anything. 26:04.000 --> 26:06.000 Who's the boss, Patterson? 26:06.000 --> 26:07.000 Yeah. 26:07.000 --> 26:08.000 138 East Beverly Drive? 26:08.000 --> 26:09.000 That's right. 26:09.000 --> 26:11.000 What about Norberg? How does he figure? 26:11.000 --> 26:14.000 It's the same guy. Patterson and Norberg, both the same. 26:14.000 --> 26:15.000 And what's his real name? 26:15.000 --> 26:17.000 Norberg. Tony Norberg. 26:17.000 --> 26:18.000 What's his front? 26:18.000 --> 26:20.000 He's legit or he used to be. 26:20.000 --> 26:21.000 Importing business. 26:21.000 --> 26:22.000 Where? 26:22.000 --> 26:25.000 Here. Got an office downtown. 26:25.000 --> 26:26.000 Do I get protection? 26:26.000 --> 26:27.000 Where's Norberg now? 26:27.000 --> 26:30.000 Home out in Laurel Canyon. 26:30.000 --> 26:31.000 Do I get protection? 26:31.000 --> 26:33.000 I thought you said he lived out on East Beverly. 26:33.000 --> 26:35.000 His apartment, his home's out in the canyon. 26:35.000 --> 26:36.000 Where? What's the address? 26:36.000 --> 26:37.000 Do I get protection? 26:37.000 --> 26:39.000 You'll get protection. 26:39.000 --> 26:42.000 Wind and weigh. 860 Wind and Weigh. 26:42.000 --> 26:55.000 All right, Fratty. Romero, take some men with you. 26:55.000 --> 26:57.000 All right, Davis, cover the back of the house. 26:57.000 --> 27:08.000 Levine, you cover the front. Come on, Ben. 27:08.000 --> 27:09.000 Yes? 27:09.000 --> 27:10.000 Mr. Norberg in? 27:10.000 --> 27:11.000 Who's calling? 27:11.000 --> 27:12.000 Police officers. 27:12.000 --> 27:13.000 Oh, come in, won't you? 27:13.000 --> 27:14.000 Thank you. 27:14.000 --> 27:17.000 Now get your hands up. Face the wall. 27:17.000 --> 27:19.000 You'll never make it, lady. The house is surrounded. 27:19.000 --> 27:21.000 Tony, get the stuff. It's our only chance. 27:21.000 --> 27:23.000 They'll cut you down, Norberg. 27:23.000 --> 27:25.000 All right, Jeannie, give them the gun. 27:25.000 --> 27:26.000 Don't be a fool. 27:26.000 --> 27:28.000 They're going to march out the door in front of us, right to the car. 27:28.000 --> 27:32.000 I'm not going, Jeannie. Try it if you want. I'm not going. 27:32.000 --> 27:35.000 All right, Tony, stay. Come on, coppers. 27:35.000 --> 27:36.000 You'll never make it, lady. 27:36.000 --> 27:38.000 I said move. Fast. 27:38.000 --> 27:40.000 All right, Ben, hit the dirt. 27:40.000 --> 27:43.000 She's going for the car. 27:43.000 --> 27:45.000 See if you can get those tires. 27:52.000 --> 27:53.000 Come on. 27:59.000 --> 28:00.000 Dane? 28:00.000 --> 28:02.000 Yeah. 28:02.000 --> 28:06.000 Norberg was smart. Must be the girlfriend. 28:06.000 --> 28:08.000 Guess so. 28:08.000 --> 28:11.000 Wonder why they're starved. 28:11.000 --> 28:14.000 Why do they get on the stuff, Joe? 28:14.000 --> 28:17.000 For kicks, Ben. None of them ever get hooked. 28:17.000 --> 28:19.000 Just for kicks. 28:26.000 --> 28:29.000 The story you have just heard is true. 28:29.000 --> 28:33.000 Only the names were changed to protect the innocent. 28:33.000 --> 28:37.000 Tony Norberg, alias John Patterson, was tried and killed 28:37.000 --> 28:40.000 for possession of drugs, robbery, and conspiracy, 28:40.000 --> 28:44.000 and sentenced to the maximum term prescribed by law, 28:44.000 --> 28:46.000 each count to run consecutively. 28:46.000 --> 28:51.000 He died three years and 11 days after his arrival at the state penitentiary. 28:56.000 --> 29:00.000 You have just heard the ninth in a new series of authentic cases 29:00.000 --> 29:02.000 transcribed from official files. 29:02.000 --> 29:07.000 Technical advice for Dragnet is furnished by the Los Angeles Police Department. 29:07.000 --> 29:11.000 Tonight's program is dedicated to Chief Erskine Erkfish 29:11.000 --> 29:14.000 of the North Sacramento Police Department, 29:14.000 --> 29:18.000 who on the night of August 11, 1935, gave his life 29:18.000 --> 29:21.000 so that yours might be more secure. 29:26.000 --> 29:29.000 Dragnet came to you from Los Angeles. 29:29.000 --> 29:34.000 This is NBC, the national broadcasting company.