WEBVTT 00:00.000 --> 00:11.760 The story you are about to hear is true. 00:11.760 --> 00:14.560 Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent. 00:14.560 --> 00:16.300 Fatima cigarettes. 00:16.300 --> 00:28.080 Best of all, long cigarettes brings you dragnet. 00:28.080 --> 00:32.000 You're a detective sergeant, you're assigned to auto theft detail. 00:32.000 --> 00:35.920 A well organized ring of car thieves begins operations in your city. 00:35.920 --> 00:39.840 It's one of the most puzzling cases you've ever encountered. 00:39.840 --> 00:46.000 Your job, break it. 00:46.000 --> 00:50.480 You'll be amazed when you compare Fatima with other long cigarettes. 00:50.480 --> 00:53.480 You'll find they now cost the same. 00:53.480 --> 00:57.000 But in Fatima, the difference is quality. 00:57.000 --> 01:03.000 You see, Fatima is the quality king size cigarette because it contains the finest domestic and 01:03.000 --> 01:06.120 Turkish tobacco superbly blended. 01:06.120 --> 01:12.080 And Fatima is extra mild with a much different, much better flavor and aroma than any other 01:12.080 --> 01:13.440 long cigarette. 01:13.440 --> 01:16.480 So compare Fatima yourself. 01:16.480 --> 01:22.280 Fatima's now cost the same as other long cigarettes, but your first puff will tell you. 01:22.280 --> 01:25.000 Ah, that's different. 01:25.000 --> 01:29.680 Yes, in Fatima, the difference is quality. 01:29.680 --> 01:35.000 Ask your dealer for Fatima, the quality king size cigarette. 01:35.000 --> 01:37.880 Best of all, long cigarettes. 01:37.880 --> 01:42.440 Start enjoying Fatima tomorrow. 01:42.440 --> 01:49.360 Dragnet, the documented drama of an actual crime. 01:49.360 --> 01:54.040 For the next 30 minutes in cooperation with the Los Angeles Police Department, you will 01:54.040 --> 01:58.720 travel step by step on the side of the law through an actual case transcribed from official 01:58.720 --> 02:00.480 police files. 02:00.480 --> 02:05.520 From beginning to end, from crime to punishment, Dragnet is the story of your police force 02:05.520 --> 02:07.680 in action. 02:07.680 --> 02:12.560 It was Monday, May 11th. 02:12.560 --> 02:13.880 It was fair in Los Angeles. 02:13.880 --> 02:16.600 We were working the day watch out of auto theft detail. 02:16.600 --> 02:18.040 My partner's Ben Romero. 02:18.040 --> 02:19.480 The boss is Captain Stilson. 02:19.480 --> 02:20.480 My name's Friday. 02:20.480 --> 02:25.560 It was 8.35 a.m. when I got to room 40, auto theft division. 02:25.560 --> 02:26.560 Captain's office. 02:26.560 --> 02:27.560 Morning, Friday. 02:27.560 --> 02:28.560 Morning. 02:28.560 --> 02:29.560 Hi, Joe. 02:29.560 --> 02:30.560 Ben. 02:30.560 --> 02:31.560 Want to sit down? 02:31.560 --> 02:32.560 Thank you. 02:32.560 --> 02:33.840 I was just telling Romero here, I'm briefing all the men in the bureau on this thing. 02:33.840 --> 02:35.320 That's the reason I called you two in. 02:35.320 --> 02:36.320 Yeah. 02:36.320 --> 02:38.160 I've got some figures here I want to go over with you. 02:38.160 --> 02:39.160 All right. 02:39.160 --> 02:44.480 As you know, the percentage of all auto theft recoveries is 96 to 98 percent on the average. 02:44.480 --> 02:45.480 That's normally. 02:45.480 --> 02:46.480 Yeah. 02:46.480 --> 02:48.920 And checking the monthly averages, the past four months that percentage has dropped to 02:48.920 --> 02:49.920 the low 80s. 02:49.920 --> 02:50.920 That's a good drop. 02:50.920 --> 02:52.320 The corner pocket thinks so too. 02:52.320 --> 02:53.520 They want some action on it. 02:53.520 --> 02:54.880 Well, we've been working on it. 02:54.880 --> 02:58.480 Absolutely no pattern to the thefts, time, location, the method. 02:58.480 --> 03:00.080 Makes it impossible to stake out on it. 03:00.080 --> 03:02.800 Yeah, those are some of the reasons our percentage has taken such a dive. 03:02.800 --> 03:04.200 I know the problems. 03:04.200 --> 03:06.040 We all do, but we got to break this thing soon. 03:06.040 --> 03:08.680 I know what figures we're dealing with, a well organized bunch. 03:08.680 --> 03:10.680 They know what they're doing. 03:10.680 --> 03:13.720 Across checking all the reports, it seems to boil down to this in general. 03:13.720 --> 03:16.520 It appears that all the outstanding thefts are GM cars. 03:16.520 --> 03:21.760 Cadds, Pontiacs, Chevys, Oldsmobile, all late models, all seem to be in good condition, 03:21.760 --> 03:22.760 low mileage cars. 03:22.760 --> 03:26.640 Well, in addition to the regular broadcast and teletypes, we got out a special bullet 03:26.640 --> 03:27.640 on this tonight. 03:27.640 --> 03:28.640 That's right. 03:28.640 --> 03:30.760 All the thefts were listed, licensed, make, model and color. 03:30.760 --> 03:33.480 Been sent to all major cities and border patrol stations. 03:33.480 --> 03:34.480 Nothing so far. 03:34.480 --> 03:37.360 I was checking through the salvage reports, salvage by. 03:37.360 --> 03:40.160 Do you have the last two months' headscape from March and April? 03:40.160 --> 03:41.160 Yeah, right here. 03:41.160 --> 03:44.080 I know it's the same thing, that outfit down in San Pedro Street. 03:44.080 --> 03:46.080 Yeah, let me see. 03:46.080 --> 03:48.960 Oh, yeah. 03:48.960 --> 03:51.480 This is a composite on the reports for the past two months? 03:51.480 --> 03:52.480 That's right. 03:52.480 --> 03:57.040 This one here, Herman Salvy's 2716 West San Pedro. 03:57.040 --> 03:59.480 They seem to deal a little heavy on General Motors cars, don't they? 03:59.480 --> 04:00.480 Yeah, they do. 04:00.480 --> 04:02.720 I've been watching the buys on this place for the past few weeks now. 04:02.720 --> 04:04.200 I wanted to make sure it wasn't coincidence. 04:04.200 --> 04:06.440 Well, it looks like a good place to run down anyway. 04:06.440 --> 04:07.680 You two want to check it out? 04:07.680 --> 04:08.680 All right, fine. 04:08.680 --> 04:09.680 2716 West San Pedro. 04:09.680 --> 04:10.680 That's it. 04:10.680 --> 04:11.680 Outfit appears to be okay. 04:11.680 --> 04:12.680 Never been out of line. 04:12.680 --> 04:16.680 It seems funny they should deal at the top of every GM cars, doesn't it? 04:16.680 --> 04:19.520 Right when our recovery percentage takes a dive, yeah. 04:19.520 --> 04:21.520 Do you have the last salvage report there, Captain? 04:21.520 --> 04:24.520 Yeah, the last one. 04:24.520 --> 04:27.520 Here you are. 04:27.520 --> 04:28.520 Thank you. 04:28.520 --> 04:32.240 Yeah, here's one for Herman's, 1949 Cadillac. 04:32.240 --> 04:38.240 And a little further down, Herman's again, 47 Olds. 04:38.240 --> 04:42.320 Yeah, there's five GM buys on the list. 04:42.320 --> 04:44.000 One got four out of five of them. 04:44.000 --> 04:50.920 Let's find out why. 04:50.920 --> 04:55.480 From the time an automobile is first manufactured and sold, a constant and complete record is 04:55.480 --> 04:57.160 maintained on that automobile. 04:57.160 --> 05:01.600 The certificate of ownership, the pink slip in the state of California, the certificate 05:01.600 --> 05:03.600 of registration, the white slip. 05:03.600 --> 05:07.480 These two slips of paper contain the information necessary for the positive identification 05:07.480 --> 05:08.480 of your car. 05:08.480 --> 05:10.560 The fact that every motorist knows. 05:10.560 --> 05:15.000 Now there are many agencies that work for the protection and security of your automobile. 05:15.000 --> 05:20.040 One of these is the National Auto Theft Bureau, a kind of nationwide clearinghouse. 05:20.040 --> 05:24.960 Acting upon information supplied by the various insurance companies and other allied agencies, 05:24.960 --> 05:29.360 this bureau forwards all facts and figures concerning the disposition of motor vehicles 05:29.360 --> 05:31.440 on a nationwide basis. 05:31.440 --> 05:34.880 Reports are made available to all law enforcement agencies. 05:34.880 --> 05:38.680 One of the pieces of information put out by the National Auto Theft Bureau is the salvage 05:38.680 --> 05:43.720 report listing all sales and purchases of automobiles that for one reason or another 05:43.720 --> 05:47.240 may have been relegated to the junkyard or to the salvage company. 05:47.240 --> 05:49.440 A fact that many motorists may not know. 05:49.440 --> 05:51.160 Nine fourteen a.m. 05:51.160 --> 05:54.800 Ben and I checked through the police commission and found that the owner of Herman's Salvage 05:54.800 --> 05:56.440 was a Herman Lester. 05:56.440 --> 06:00.280 He had been in business at the same location for six years and appeared to be a reputable 06:00.280 --> 06:01.520 businessman. 06:01.520 --> 06:04.600 We drove down to 2716 West San Pedro to check it out. 06:04.600 --> 06:08.760 It was an average looking garage with a connecting salvage yard filled with several hundred 06:08.760 --> 06:11.000 smashed up cars of all makes and models. 06:11.000 --> 06:14.040 It was nine thirty two a.m. when we walked into the garage. 06:14.040 --> 06:18.240 There's a fellow there in a white shirt. 06:18.240 --> 06:19.240 Yeah, I see him. 06:19.240 --> 06:20.240 Can I help you, gentlemen? 06:20.240 --> 06:21.240 Yes, sir. 06:21.240 --> 06:22.240 Police officers. 06:22.240 --> 06:23.240 Auto theft detail. 06:23.240 --> 06:24.240 Oh, yes. 06:24.240 --> 06:25.240 I don't believe I know you fellas. 06:25.240 --> 06:26.240 My name is Lester. 06:26.240 --> 06:27.240 This is Sergeant Friday. 06:27.240 --> 06:28.240 My name is Romero. 06:28.240 --> 06:29.240 How do you do? 06:29.240 --> 06:30.240 How are you? 06:30.240 --> 06:31.240 Are you the owner here? 06:31.240 --> 06:32.240 Yeah, that's right. 06:32.240 --> 06:37.000 Whatever happened to Mac and Donovan used to drop in once twice a month. 06:37.000 --> 06:38.320 Haven't seen them for two, three weeks now. 06:38.320 --> 06:40.480 Well, they're a little busy on a special assignment. 06:40.480 --> 06:41.480 Oh, I see. 06:41.480 --> 06:43.360 All right, if we look around here. 06:43.360 --> 06:44.360 Oh, you bet. 06:44.360 --> 06:45.360 Make yourselves right at home. 06:45.360 --> 06:46.360 Any special? 06:46.360 --> 06:47.360 No, just looking. 06:47.360 --> 06:48.360 OK. 06:48.360 --> 06:50.360 Notice you've been pretty busy, huh? 06:50.360 --> 06:53.360 Yeah, had a pretty good month. 06:53.360 --> 06:57.160 Salvage rackets going to get sour again, looks like, with the Korean War and all the cutbacks. 06:57.160 --> 06:59.360 Doesn't seem to have hit you so far. 06:59.360 --> 07:01.480 Well, no, not so far. 07:01.480 --> 07:03.400 Looks like it may tighten up anytime. 07:03.400 --> 07:07.440 I noticed from our salvage report you've been doing a big business in GM merchandise. 07:07.440 --> 07:08.440 Yeah, we have. 07:08.440 --> 07:11.080 You know, they're starting to build tanks back there now. 07:11.080 --> 07:13.480 We wanted to make sure we wouldn't run short on parts. 07:13.480 --> 07:15.600 You get a lot of call for GM parts, do you? 07:15.600 --> 07:17.320 Oh, yeah, we sure do. 07:17.320 --> 07:21.120 Everybody in town knows if they need something for a Caddy or a Buick or any of those cars, 07:21.120 --> 07:22.120 it's the place to come. 07:22.120 --> 07:25.920 We've kind of built up a reputation specializing in GM used parts. 07:25.920 --> 07:26.920 I see. 07:26.920 --> 07:28.920 Mind if we check your last few by? 07:28.920 --> 07:29.920 Fine. 07:29.920 --> 07:38.960 You have 49 Cadillac, 47 Olds, Pontiac 48, 1949 Chevrolet. 07:38.960 --> 07:41.560 Wonder if we might see those. 07:41.560 --> 07:42.560 Yes, sir. 07:42.560 --> 07:43.560 Right out in the yard. 07:43.560 --> 07:44.560 Back this way. 07:44.560 --> 07:49.240 All four of them are really bent up, bad shape. 07:49.240 --> 07:53.200 Just breaks your heart to see beautiful merchandise like that all smashed up. 07:53.200 --> 07:55.400 I don't know what people are thinking of the way they drive. 07:55.400 --> 07:56.400 Yeah. 07:56.400 --> 08:00.800 We'll take a new Caddy, one of those new convertibles, really beautiful merchandise. 08:00.800 --> 08:04.800 Somebody takes one out, rolls it, we pick it up and tow it down here. 08:04.800 --> 08:06.920 Beautiful car like that all rolled up in a ball. 08:06.920 --> 08:09.920 Georgia Street receiving lots that'll probably pick up the rear. 08:09.920 --> 08:13.240 Yeah, it's really shame. 08:13.240 --> 08:14.240 Here we go. 08:14.240 --> 08:16.240 There's a Caddy. 08:16.240 --> 08:19.240 Oh, yeah. 08:19.240 --> 08:22.880 The Olds and the Pontiac are in that row there. 08:22.880 --> 08:23.880 See? 08:23.880 --> 08:24.880 Yeah. 08:24.880 --> 08:27.800 And that Chevrolet, wasn't it? 08:27.800 --> 08:28.800 Yes, sir. 08:28.800 --> 08:29.800 1949. 08:29.800 --> 08:30.800 Yeah. 08:30.800 --> 08:31.800 Oh, yeah. 08:31.800 --> 08:32.800 There she is over there. 08:32.800 --> 08:33.800 Third car down, Maroon. 08:33.800 --> 08:34.800 Yeah. 08:34.800 --> 08:35.800 Maroon one, yeah. 08:35.800 --> 08:36.800 Down there. 08:36.800 --> 08:37.800 Yeah. 08:37.800 --> 08:40.800 Looks like a graveyard, doesn't it? 08:40.800 --> 08:41.800 Sure does. 08:41.800 --> 08:42.800 What do you do with all these cars? 08:42.800 --> 08:43.800 Strip them down for parts? 08:43.800 --> 08:47.800 Well, at least the four you're checking now, yeah, they're all total wrecks. 08:47.800 --> 08:50.800 Nothing much can be done with them except for parts. 08:50.800 --> 08:51.800 Mm-hmm. 08:51.800 --> 08:54.800 How about that Cadillac down there, the sedan? 08:54.800 --> 08:55.800 Huh? 08:55.800 --> 08:57.120 That one over there, can't you fix that one up? 08:57.120 --> 08:59.480 That doesn't look beyond repair from here. 08:59.480 --> 09:01.280 Oh, step around the other side here. 09:01.280 --> 09:03.280 You can't see from where you're standing. 09:03.280 --> 09:04.280 Here. 09:04.280 --> 09:06.520 Yeah, the right side's all stove in. 09:06.520 --> 09:10.440 By the time you figure you're replacing those side panels and fenders, trim, we couldn't 09:10.440 --> 09:11.440 come out on it. 09:11.440 --> 09:12.440 Yeah, I see now. 09:12.440 --> 09:14.840 Well, I don't know too much about it, but it'll look good from over there. 09:14.840 --> 09:17.000 Yeah, that's what we get all the time. 09:17.000 --> 09:20.320 People want us to pay top prices for stuff we can't get our money out of. 09:20.320 --> 09:23.240 If we could repair them, fix them up, and resell them as a complete automobile, there'd 09:23.240 --> 09:24.240 be a lot of money in this business. 09:24.240 --> 09:25.240 You do that with some of them, don't you? 09:25.240 --> 09:26.240 Well, very few of them, I'll tell you. 09:26.240 --> 09:27.240 That's what we look for, but we don't always get lucky. 09:27.240 --> 09:28.240 Mm-hmm, I see. 09:28.240 --> 09:29.240 Say, how'd you boys like to see some really beautiful merchandise? 09:29.240 --> 09:30.240 What's that? 09:30.240 --> 09:31.240 Well, come on back in the shop. 09:31.240 --> 09:32.240 All right. 09:32.240 --> 09:33.240 Kind of a hobby of mine. 09:33.240 --> 09:34.240 Mm-hmm. 09:34.240 --> 09:35.240 Here's what keeps us busy. 09:35.240 --> 09:40.240 Plates and pink slips on the way up to Sacramento for cancellation. 09:40.240 --> 09:41.240 Oh, huh. 09:41.240 --> 09:42.240 Yeah, over this way. 09:42.240 --> 09:55.240 Here we are. 09:55.240 --> 10:01.240 Take a look at this baby. 10:01.240 --> 10:02.240 Yeah. 10:02.240 --> 10:03.240 Hot rod, huh? 10:03.240 --> 10:04.240 No, not exactly. 10:04.240 --> 10:06.240 We don't go in for that kid stuff racing around town. 10:06.240 --> 10:07.840 Well, sure, it looks like one. 10:07.840 --> 10:10.360 Yeah, but it's a little better than most of the kids can throw together. 10:10.360 --> 10:11.920 What'll it do? 10:11.920 --> 10:14.640 We clocked her up at Murrock at 112 last weekend. 10:14.640 --> 10:17.960 You know, they've been coming in here from all over town to see this car? 10:17.960 --> 10:18.960 That's so. 10:18.960 --> 10:19.960 Yeah. 10:19.960 --> 10:20.960 You ever get up to Murrock Dry Lake? 10:20.960 --> 10:23.360 No, I never do, but that's the place for it. 10:23.360 --> 10:26.160 Running around town on those things can cause a lot of accidents. 10:26.160 --> 10:27.760 Those drag races the kids have? 10:27.760 --> 10:28.760 Yeah. 10:28.760 --> 10:29.760 We don't go in for that stuff. 10:29.760 --> 10:31.880 This is strictly scientific as far as I'm concerned. 10:31.880 --> 10:34.040 I like to build them up, see what we can make them do. 10:34.040 --> 10:36.040 Costs a lot of money, don't they? 10:36.040 --> 10:38.000 That's $5,400 on this one right now. 10:38.000 --> 10:39.480 I'm putting more into it. 10:39.480 --> 10:41.520 Mallory ignition, milled heads, twin wake fields. 10:41.520 --> 10:43.520 Here, let me start it up for you. 10:43.520 --> 10:44.520 Okay. 10:44.520 --> 10:45.520 120 horses under there. 10:45.520 --> 10:46.520 Yeah, sounds good. 10:46.520 --> 10:47.520 Listen to that. 10:47.520 --> 10:48.520 Beautiful, isn't it? 10:48.520 --> 10:49.520 Yeah. 10:49.520 --> 10:50.520 A lot of power here. 10:50.520 --> 10:51.520 Go ahead. 10:51.520 --> 10:52.520 You ought to see it up in the lake. 10:52.520 --> 11:13.520 It really goes. 11:13.520 --> 11:16.840 Yeah, I'll bet. 11:16.840 --> 11:19.200 This all made up out of salvage cars? 11:19.200 --> 11:20.200 Every bit of it. 11:20.200 --> 11:24.480 I can buy a few things new, but most of it's right out of wrecks like those outside there. 11:24.480 --> 11:28.080 It takes a lot of talent to build up something like this from scrap, doesn't it? 11:28.080 --> 11:29.080 No, not really. 11:29.080 --> 11:32.440 After you've been at it as long as I have, it's not too tough. 11:32.440 --> 11:35.040 The trick is to get more speed out of them than anyone else can. 11:35.040 --> 11:36.040 Yeah. 11:36.040 --> 11:37.040 We did a good job on this car, right? 11:37.040 --> 11:44.120 Well, if you put your mind to it, you can do a lot with a wrecked car. 11:44.120 --> 11:47.880 Before we left Herman's salvage, we checked all four of the GM cars that were listed on 11:47.880 --> 11:49.400 the salvage report. 11:49.400 --> 11:53.440 We made a careful check on all of the cars in the yard and in the garage, paying special 11:53.440 --> 11:57.160 attention to the few cars that were in the process of being rebuilt by Herman Lester's 11:57.160 --> 11:58.160 mechanics. 11:58.160 --> 12:02.640 We went over his records, carefully checking the disposition of all of his buys for the 12:02.640 --> 12:04.400 past several months. 12:04.400 --> 12:06.080 Everything was in perfect order. 12:06.080 --> 12:10.200 We found that in the past three weeks, Lester had taken in 10 cars. 12:10.200 --> 12:15.680 Eight of them had been stripped down for parts, and two of them had been rebuilt and resold. 12:15.680 --> 12:20.600 The investigation showed that four of those cars were GM cars, and the two that were resold 12:20.600 --> 12:22.240 were both General Motors. 12:22.240 --> 12:23.240 1128 a.m. 12:23.240 --> 12:27.440 Ben and I drove back to the office and asked Mack and Donovan if they'd check through the 12:27.440 --> 12:32.360 two resale cars to make sure everything was in order as the reports indicated. 12:32.360 --> 12:35.280 We checked through on the remaining eight cars that were listed by Herman Lester as 12:35.280 --> 12:37.320 broken down for parts. 12:37.320 --> 12:41.440 According to DMV, all plates and pink slips had been returned to them for cancellation. 12:41.440 --> 12:42.440 1150 a.m. 12:42.440 --> 12:43.440 Well, that's it, Joe. 12:43.440 --> 12:44.440 Yeah. 12:44.440 --> 12:48.080 Eight of the cars check out, two of those were GM. 12:48.080 --> 12:51.320 Yeah, well, that leaves just the two that Mack and Donovan are checking, huh? 12:51.320 --> 12:52.320 Oh, I don't know. 12:52.320 --> 12:53.720 Everything down there looked all right. 12:53.720 --> 12:57.320 It's a sense Lester wasn't holding back anything, as far as I could tell. 12:57.320 --> 12:59.400 Co-operative, everything in order. 12:59.400 --> 13:01.880 If those two that Mack and Donovan are working on check out. 13:01.880 --> 13:03.360 I got a hunch they will. 13:03.360 --> 13:06.800 Seems to me Lester told us everything, everything we asked him anyway. 13:06.800 --> 13:09.640 I don't think he yelled back. 13:09.640 --> 13:12.640 If he did, I got an idea he might be able to tell us somebody's been left out in the 13:12.640 --> 13:13.640 cold here. 13:13.640 --> 13:14.640 What are you getting at? 13:14.640 --> 13:18.000 Well, now, if Herman's been able to buy up all those GM cars, what have the other salvage 13:18.000 --> 13:19.400 dealers been doing about it? 13:19.400 --> 13:20.400 Thanks for the thought. 13:20.400 --> 13:23.400 Let's check his competition. 13:23.400 --> 13:26.360 1240 p.m. 13:26.360 --> 13:28.640 We drove back down to West San Pedro Street. 13:28.640 --> 13:33.040 We picked out a group of salvage companies in the immediate neighborhood close to Herman's. 13:33.040 --> 13:36.600 3209 West San Pedro, John's Wrecking Yard. 13:36.600 --> 13:39.800 We introduced ourselves and started to talk with the owner, John Bacon. 13:39.800 --> 13:43.840 A routine check was made of his establishment and as far as we could tell, everything appeared 13:43.840 --> 13:44.840 to be okay. 13:44.840 --> 13:45.840 And that's all you made, huh? 13:45.840 --> 13:46.840 Just that one buy? 13:46.840 --> 13:47.840 That's it. 13:47.840 --> 13:48.840 1946 Ford. 13:48.840 --> 13:51.440 We're dying a slow death. 13:51.440 --> 13:52.440 Business pretty bad, huh? 13:52.440 --> 13:53.440 Never seen it worse. 13:53.440 --> 13:55.040 At least as far as we're concerned. 13:55.040 --> 13:57.040 How do you account for that, Mr. Bacon? 13:57.040 --> 13:58.720 Oh, everything I guess. 13:58.720 --> 14:00.320 Business bad all over at the moment. 14:00.320 --> 14:03.200 Scrap metal situations in a state of flux at the present time. 14:03.200 --> 14:06.600 And looking around, Mr. Bacon, we noticed you don't have much in the way of General 14:06.600 --> 14:07.600 Motors, do I? 14:07.600 --> 14:10.120 Is that because of GM going into war production? 14:10.120 --> 14:12.560 Any cutback would eventually affect you fellows, wouldn't it? 14:12.560 --> 14:13.920 No, no, not at all. 14:13.920 --> 14:17.440 Cutback would, sure, but there's no tremendous curtain on right at the present time. 14:17.440 --> 14:20.000 They're still turning out a lot of automobiles back there. 14:20.000 --> 14:21.840 Well, then what's your problem? 14:21.840 --> 14:25.000 We're being outbid right up and down the line by the same outfit. 14:25.000 --> 14:26.000 Who's that, sir? 14:26.000 --> 14:29.360 A company by the name of Herman's Salvage just up the street there. 14:29.360 --> 14:32.880 Go out to buy a piece of merchandise, their boys just won't let us get near it. 14:32.880 --> 14:34.640 They pay more than you do, huh? 14:34.640 --> 14:35.640 More than we can, Sergeant. 14:35.640 --> 14:39.440 I honestly don't see how they're coming out on some of their deals. 14:39.440 --> 14:40.920 It's that much out of line, huh? 14:40.920 --> 14:41.920 Certainly is. 14:41.920 --> 14:46.040 You know, whenever there's anything available, all the salvage companies get their bid in. 14:46.040 --> 14:47.800 Well, Herman simply outbids all of us. 14:47.800 --> 14:49.120 Yeah, it makes it kind of rough. 14:49.120 --> 14:50.120 I'm not the only one. 14:50.120 --> 14:53.720 Pete Larkin up the street, old man, Henry next door, all of us. 14:53.720 --> 14:55.840 I don't know what we can do about it. 14:55.840 --> 14:59.720 Herman seems to be doing all right, no matter what he pays for his cars. 14:59.720 --> 15:00.720 Mm-hmm. 15:00.720 --> 15:02.720 None of us can figure it out. 15:02.720 --> 15:07.400 Just judging from the number of cars he outbids us on and the number he rebuilds, I just can't 15:07.400 --> 15:10.040 see how he's coming out. 15:10.040 --> 15:11.040 But he is, huh? 15:11.040 --> 15:12.920 I figure he's laying odds on a big shortage. 15:12.920 --> 15:14.280 That's what all of us think. 15:14.280 --> 15:16.240 He's laying in the stockpile, is that the idea? 15:16.240 --> 15:17.240 Sure. 15:17.240 --> 15:21.000 What else could it be? 15:21.000 --> 15:25.200 We continued our check on all salvage dealers, both in the neighborhood of Herman Lester's 15:25.200 --> 15:26.720 place and throughout the city. 15:26.720 --> 15:30.960 It seemed to be a fact well known to most dealers that Herman was outbidding all of 15:30.960 --> 15:33.000 them on any and all GM automobiles. 15:33.000 --> 15:37.040 The only possible explanation was that he must be trying to lay in a large stockpile 15:37.040 --> 15:40.240 of this particular make of car, 335 PM. 15:40.240 --> 15:44.320 We received word from Sergeants Mack and Donovan that they had checked out the two remaining 15:44.320 --> 15:47.720 cars listed in Herman's books, the resales. 15:47.720 --> 15:48.720 Ben was right. 15:48.720 --> 15:51.200 They checked out with no discrepancy. 15:51.200 --> 15:53.560 During the next 10 days, the investigation continued. 15:53.560 --> 15:58.460 The theft of late model GM cars continued with few recoveries. 15:58.460 --> 16:00.240 Suspects were arrested and questioned. 16:00.240 --> 16:03.920 We could find no connection that might lead us to an organized ring of car thieves that 16:03.920 --> 16:07.640 might be responsible for the lack of GM car recoveries. 16:07.640 --> 16:10.600 The salvage report showed no change in Herman's buying technique. 16:10.600 --> 16:15.120 Apparently, he was still dealing heavy on the one particular make of car. 16:15.120 --> 16:21.720 Thursday, May 25th, we received a teletype from DMV listing all the salvage buy transfers. 16:21.720 --> 16:27.120 In making our usual daily check of this teletype, we noticed a 1949 Cadillac, engine number 16:27.120 --> 16:30.720 598-77415. 16:30.720 --> 16:33.840 It had been resold from salvage to a used car lot. 16:33.840 --> 16:38.280 That's the place right up the block. 16:38.280 --> 16:39.840 Yeah, I see. 16:39.840 --> 16:41.760 Same Cad we saw in Herman's salvage yard. 16:41.760 --> 16:42.760 Yeah, it's funny, isn't it? 16:42.760 --> 16:45.160 The one in particular that I asked him about, you remember? 16:45.160 --> 16:46.160 Yeah, I remember. 16:46.160 --> 16:48.080 You thought it could be fixed up, he said no. 16:48.080 --> 16:50.200 It's only been a little over two weeks ago, hasn't it? 16:50.200 --> 16:51.200 Yeah, I tried. 16:51.200 --> 16:53.200 Still doesn't prove anything. 16:53.200 --> 16:55.200 Here we are. 16:55.200 --> 16:56.200 Jakes. 16:56.200 --> 16:59.840 Yeah, there's a Cad in the front line right down there. 16:59.840 --> 17:03.440 I don't see anyone around, do you? 17:03.440 --> 17:04.440 No, I don't. 17:04.440 --> 17:07.120 Well, I guess it's all right to check the engine number anyway. 17:07.120 --> 17:08.600 Yeah, I'll get the hood released. 17:08.600 --> 17:09.600 Right. 17:09.600 --> 17:14.600 Yeah, there we go. 17:14.600 --> 17:24.760 Yeah, the engine's had a good steam cleaning. 17:24.760 --> 17:27.680 Let's see. 17:27.680 --> 17:36.800 Five, nine, eight, seven, seven, four, one, five. 17:36.800 --> 17:37.800 That's it. 17:37.800 --> 17:40.800 Herman sure did a nice job, didn't he? 17:40.800 --> 17:43.080 Yeah, almost looks too good, doesn't it? 17:43.080 --> 17:46.080 Yeah, just a minute. 17:46.080 --> 17:47.560 Body serial doesn't match. 17:47.560 --> 17:49.680 Doesn't correspond with the engine model. 17:49.680 --> 17:51.680 It's a 49 body. 17:51.680 --> 17:55.120 Could be a late 49, but it's a definite switch, isn't it? 17:55.120 --> 17:56.120 It sure is. 17:56.120 --> 17:57.120 That's funny. 17:57.120 --> 17:58.120 Yeah. 17:58.120 --> 18:01.720 Look at this right side here. 18:01.720 --> 18:03.720 This was the bad side, wasn't it? 18:03.720 --> 18:04.720 Yeah, that's right. 18:04.720 --> 18:07.320 Does it look like it's been rolled out to you? 18:07.320 --> 18:12.400 No, there's no feathering, no orange peel. 18:12.400 --> 18:15.960 Either that's the best repaint job I've ever seen or it's never been in an accident. 18:15.960 --> 18:17.440 I'll take a look underneath. 18:17.440 --> 18:18.440 All right. 18:18.440 --> 18:19.440 OK. 18:19.440 --> 18:20.920 Want to move your feet there? 18:20.920 --> 18:23.920 Yeah, all right. 18:23.920 --> 18:24.920 Anything? 18:24.920 --> 18:27.920 No, nothing. 18:27.920 --> 18:31.400 There's not a seam or a joint under there. 18:31.400 --> 18:33.080 No welding marks of any kind. 18:33.080 --> 18:35.680 This car's never been in a smash up. 18:35.680 --> 18:38.080 The engine number checks, the body doesn't. 18:38.080 --> 18:39.600 This is the one Herman couldn't fix up. 18:39.600 --> 18:40.600 Yeah, that's what he said. 18:40.600 --> 18:41.600 Maybe he changed his mind. 18:41.600 --> 18:42.600 Or he lied. 18:42.600 --> 18:57.480 You are listening to Dragnet. 18:57.480 --> 19:02.960 From beginning to end, Dragnet is the authentic story of your police force in action. 19:02.960 --> 19:07.080 Now from beginning to end, the Fatima story. 19:07.080 --> 19:12.040 Actual convincing proof that in Fatima, the difference is quality. 19:12.040 --> 19:18.500 Quality of tobaccos, the finest domestic and Turkish varieties, extra mild and superbly 19:18.500 --> 19:23.760 blended to give you a much different, much better flavor and aroma. 19:23.760 --> 19:29.960 Quality of manufacture, smooth, round, perfect cigarettes, rolled in the finest paper money 19:29.960 --> 19:35.520 can buy, manufactured in the newest and most modern of all cigarette factories. 19:35.520 --> 19:41.120 Quality even to the appearance of the bright, clean, golden yellow package, carefully wrapped 19:41.120 --> 19:47.200 and sealed to bring you Fatima's rich, fresh, extra mild flavor. 19:47.200 --> 19:53.680 Because of its quality, its extra mildness, its better flavor and aroma, more long cigarette 19:53.680 --> 19:57.480 smokers are now insisting on Fatima than ever before. 19:57.480 --> 20:02.200 So if you smoke a long cigarette, compare Fatima. 20:02.200 --> 20:05.040 You'll find they now cost the same. 20:05.040 --> 20:07.320 But your first puff will tell you. 20:07.320 --> 20:09.400 Ah, that's different. 20:09.400 --> 20:13.960 Yes, in Fatima, the difference is quality. 20:13.960 --> 20:15.880 Insist on Fatima. 20:15.880 --> 20:19.440 Start enjoying the quality king-size cigarette. 20:19.440 --> 20:21.120 Fatima. 20:21.120 --> 20:25.160 Best of all long cigarettes. 20:25.160 --> 20:36.800 1949 Cadillac, engine number 59877415. 20:36.800 --> 20:40.440 When checking out this automobile, Ben and I had found that the engine number corresponded 20:40.440 --> 20:43.480 with the salvage report concerning Herman Lester's place. 20:43.480 --> 20:47.240 The one big item that did not jive was the fact that the engine was now mounted in a 20:47.240 --> 20:50.040 different body than when the car left the factory. 20:50.040 --> 20:52.720 A fact that had to be accounted for in complete detail. 20:52.720 --> 20:57.840 When we had checked this automobile on the 11th of May at Herman's salvage yard, both 20:57.840 --> 21:00.440 engine and body numbers corresponded. 21:00.440 --> 21:04.400 In taking a close look at the car, it was obvious that the body had not been repaired 21:04.400 --> 21:05.400 in any way. 21:05.400 --> 21:09.480 It was clear that this particular car had not been in any kind of collision. 21:09.480 --> 21:13.240 We went back to the rear of the lot and asked one of the salesmen not to sell the car without 21:13.240 --> 21:14.240 informing us. 21:14.240 --> 21:18.840 When we got back to the office, we started rechecking all of the auto theft reports. 21:18.840 --> 21:23.360 We found five stolen Cadillacs, but all the body styles and models were different with 21:23.360 --> 21:24.640 the exception of one. 21:24.640 --> 21:29.440 A 1949 Cadillac sedan, reported stolen on May 14th. 21:29.440 --> 21:31.520 It was registered in the name of William Brownell. 21:31.520 --> 21:34.040 We checked his home and found that he was at work. 21:34.040 --> 21:36.760 He was a superintendent for the North American Van Line. 21:36.760 --> 21:44.000 We drove over and picked him up and took him to J.Q.'s car lot on Vermont Avenue. 21:44.000 --> 21:46.200 This is the car, Mr. Brownell? 21:46.200 --> 21:47.200 Mm-hmm. 21:47.200 --> 21:51.640 Well, it's just like mine, but I don't think it's the one. 21:51.640 --> 21:52.640 Are you sure? 21:52.640 --> 21:53.840 For one thing, it's a different color. 21:53.840 --> 21:54.840 My car was maroon. 21:54.840 --> 21:57.520 You want to step over here, Mr. Brownell? 21:57.520 --> 21:58.520 Huh? 21:58.520 --> 22:07.160 Well, if you look very closely here on the door edging and on the jamb, right here, see? 22:07.160 --> 22:10.720 This is the one place sometimes they miss with a spray gun if they're going to repaint. 22:10.720 --> 22:14.560 Oh, yeah, there's a faint trace of red under the blue paint there. 22:14.560 --> 22:16.240 Looks like it could be maroon, doesn't it? 22:16.240 --> 22:17.920 Yeah, it does it there. 22:17.920 --> 22:19.360 This car's been repainted. 22:19.360 --> 22:20.360 It was maroon. 22:20.360 --> 22:21.360 Mm-hmm. 22:21.360 --> 22:24.640 Well, mine didn't have these kind of seat covers. 22:24.640 --> 22:26.640 Let's see. 22:26.640 --> 22:33.560 Same kind of upholstery I had, though, underneath here. 22:33.560 --> 22:34.560 I don't know. 22:34.560 --> 22:38.080 Mr. Brownell, there must be something other than the color and the upholstery that you'd 22:38.080 --> 22:39.560 know your own car by. 22:39.560 --> 22:40.560 Never give it much thought. 22:40.560 --> 22:43.520 Well, it was usually some little identifying mark of some kind. 22:43.520 --> 22:47.920 I know that on my car, the lens on the right headlight got broken, and I had to replace 22:47.920 --> 22:49.560 it with one that didn't match. 22:49.560 --> 22:50.560 Something like that, sir? 22:50.560 --> 22:51.560 I see. 22:51.560 --> 22:54.560 Could I look inside there a minute? 22:54.560 --> 22:55.560 Sure. 22:55.560 --> 23:01.480 All right, here under the speedometer, there was a thumbprint pressed into the factory. 23:01.480 --> 23:02.480 It was pretty deep. 23:02.480 --> 23:03.480 No, it's not there now. 23:03.480 --> 23:04.480 Mm-hmm. 23:04.480 --> 23:07.480 Now, don't forget that the car's been repainted. 23:07.480 --> 23:08.960 It might have been covered up. 23:08.960 --> 23:11.000 No, this was cleared out of the metal. 23:11.000 --> 23:13.760 Apparently when they were installing the instruments at the factory, the panel wasn't 23:13.760 --> 23:14.760 dry yet. 23:14.760 --> 23:18.640 Not there now, and they couldn't have covered it up unless they made a special port of it. 23:18.640 --> 23:19.640 Well, sometimes that's done. 23:19.640 --> 23:21.640 Car thieves are kind of clever. 23:21.640 --> 23:26.120 I'm sorry, gentlemen, I don't think this is my car. 23:26.120 --> 23:28.440 Don't think I don't wish it was, but it's not. 23:28.440 --> 23:30.560 Can you think of just one other thing, maybe? 23:30.560 --> 23:33.320 Just one mark of identification is all we need. 23:33.320 --> 23:34.320 No. 23:34.320 --> 23:35.320 Even these tires aren't mine. 23:35.320 --> 23:36.320 I had white sidewalls. 23:36.320 --> 23:38.120 Well, it could have been switched. 23:38.120 --> 23:39.120 They were pretty new. 23:39.120 --> 23:42.120 Wait a minute, I think I remember something. 23:42.120 --> 23:45.800 Oh, there's no rip-up there. 23:45.800 --> 23:48.040 What's that, sir? 23:48.040 --> 23:49.160 I just thought of something. 23:49.160 --> 23:51.800 Some boys down in the office gave me a St. Christopher medal. 23:51.800 --> 23:54.920 You know, the large metal kind you're supposed to bolt to your dashboard? 23:54.920 --> 23:55.920 Yes, sir. 23:55.920 --> 23:58.720 I didn't want to put it on, so I carried it around with me in the car. 23:58.720 --> 24:03.240 There was a rip-up there in the inner lining of the top, but see, there's no rip-up in 24:03.240 --> 24:04.240 this. 24:04.240 --> 24:05.240 Let me see. 24:05.240 --> 24:06.240 How about it, there? 24:06.240 --> 24:07.240 Yeah. 24:07.240 --> 24:08.240 Yeah, I can feel it. 24:08.240 --> 24:09.600 Does it feel like a medal? 24:09.600 --> 24:11.520 Let me get my pocket knife on it. 24:11.520 --> 24:12.520 Okay. 24:12.520 --> 24:14.320 What do you think, they replaced the cloth there? 24:14.320 --> 24:16.320 I don't know. 24:16.320 --> 24:17.320 Yeah. 24:17.320 --> 24:18.320 Yeah, here it is. 24:18.320 --> 24:19.320 Is this it, Mr. Brownell? 24:19.320 --> 24:20.320 That's it. 24:20.320 --> 24:21.320 Look, on the back there, my name's engraved on it, see? 24:21.320 --> 24:22.320 Yes, sir. 24:22.320 --> 24:23.320 Well, I sure didn't think this was my car. 24:23.320 --> 24:24.320 I never would have known it. 24:24.320 --> 24:25.320 That's what the guys figure who stole it. 24:25.320 --> 24:26.760 The 1949 Cadillac was taken to the police garage and a complete and thorough check was 24:26.760 --> 24:27.760 made. 24:27.760 --> 24:28.760 The car, with the exception of the engine, was positively identified as the property of 24:28.760 --> 24:29.760 William Brownell. 24:29.760 --> 24:30.760 This definitely implicated Herman Lester and showed his dismay. 24:30.760 --> 24:31.760 He was a very good driver. 24:31.760 --> 24:32.760 He was a very good driver. 24:32.760 --> 24:33.760 He was a very good driver. 24:33.760 --> 24:34.760 He was a very good driver. 24:34.760 --> 24:35.760 He was a very good driver. 24:35.760 --> 24:36.760 He was a very good driver. 24:36.760 --> 24:37.760 He was a very good driver. 24:37.760 --> 24:38.760 He was a very good driver. 24:38.760 --> 24:48.760 He was a very good driver. 24:48.760 --> 25:03.760 He was a very good driver. 25:03.760 --> 25:12.760 He was a very good driver. 25:12.760 --> 25:20.760 He was a very good driver. 25:20.760 --> 25:31.760 He was a very good driver. 25:31.760 --> 25:38.760 He was a very good driver. 25:38.760 --> 25:45.760 He was a very good driver. 25:45.760 --> 25:54.760 He was a very good driver. 25:54.760 --> 26:01.760 He was a very good driver. 26:01.760 --> 26:08.760 He was a very good driver. 26:08.760 --> 26:17.760 He was a very good driver. 26:17.760 --> 26:27.760 He was a very good driver. 26:27.760 --> 26:34.760 He was a very good driver. 26:34.760 --> 26:45.760 He was a very good driver. 26:45.760 --> 26:52.760 He was a very good driver. 26:52.760 --> 26:59.760 He was a very good driver. 26:59.760 --> 27:10.760 He was a very good driver. 27:10.760 --> 27:20.760 He was a very good driver. 27:20.760 --> 27:27.760 He was a very good driver. 27:27.760 --> 27:36.760 He was a very good driver. 27:36.760 --> 27:42.160 The story you just heard was true. 27:42.160 --> 27:44.860 Only the names were changed to protect the innocent. 27:44.860 --> 27:49.400 On August 15th, trial was held in Superior Court, Department 82, City and County of Los 27:49.400 --> 27:50.920 Angeles, State of California. 27:50.920 --> 27:53.140 In a moment, the results of that trial. 27:53.140 --> 27:56.040 And now, here is our star, Jack Webb. 27:56.040 --> 27:57.040 Thank you. 27:57.040 --> 28:01.120 Friends, one of the first things a detective learns is that you can't rely on snap judgments 28:01.120 --> 28:02.360 or first appearances. 28:02.360 --> 28:05.640 You get all the evidence first, and then you arrive at a decision. 28:05.640 --> 28:09.600 And that's just as true when it comes to choosing a king-size cigarette. 28:09.600 --> 28:12.520 Place a Fatima alongside any other king-size cigarette. 28:12.520 --> 28:15.520 Now, side by side, they'll look identical. 28:15.520 --> 28:18.360 When you smoke them, you'll find a world of difference. 28:18.360 --> 28:22.840 You'll find, as I have, in Fatima, the difference is quality. 28:22.840 --> 28:27.000 Quality that gives you extra mildness, a much better flavor and aroma. 28:27.000 --> 28:31.760 If you haven't smoked Fatimas yet, buy a pack tomorrow and see if you don't agree. 28:31.760 --> 28:42.720 In Fatima, the difference is quality. 28:42.720 --> 28:47.120 Herman W. Lester was tried and convicted on three counts of grand theft auto and two counts 28:47.120 --> 28:51.200 of grand theft money, all sentences to run consecutively. 28:51.200 --> 28:55.800 Grand theft auto is punishable by imprisonment for a term of one to five years, grand theft 28:55.800 --> 28:58.160 money by a term of one to ten years. 28:58.160 --> 29:05.760 The suspect was also filed on by federal authorities for violation of the Dior Act. 29:05.760 --> 29:09.560 You have just heard Dragnet, a series of authentic cases from official files. 29:09.560 --> 29:13.720 Technical advice comes from the Office of Chief of Police, W.H. Parker, Los Angeles Police 29:13.720 --> 29:14.720 Department. 29:14.720 --> 29:19.000 Fatima cigarettes, best of all long cigarettes, has brought you a Dragnet, portions transcribed 29:19.000 --> 29:21.240 from Los Angeles. 29:21.240 --> 29:32.720 Stay tuned for Counter Spy next over many NBC stations.