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The story you are about to hear is true.

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The names have been changed to protect the innocent.

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You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned a robbery detail.

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A pair of bandits are staging a rapid-fire campaign of holdups in your city.

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In 21 days, 11 food markets have been robbed.

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The holdups go on.

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The suspects are still unidentified.

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Your job? Get them.

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The documented drama of an actual crime.

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For the next 30 minutes in cooperation with the Los Angeles Police Department,

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you will travel step-by-step on the side of the law through an actual case

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transcribed from official police files.

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From beginning to end, from crime to punishment,

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Dragnet is the story of your police force in action.

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It was Tuesday, September 26th. It was hot in Los Angeles. We were working the day watch out of

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robbery detail. My partner is Ben Romero, the boss is Captain Didion. My name is Friday.

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It was 9.18 a.m. when I got to the record bureau, Lieutenant Cunningham's office.

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Joe, what's doing?

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Oh, not too much. I've got a job you can do for us, Frank. I'd like to have it as soon as you can get it out.

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Oh, what's it about?

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Oh, these market bandits. We've already gotten out a dozen teletypes and bulletins on them.

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I'd like to get out some mimeographs too, if we can.

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General distribution, huh? What do you want on them?

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Well, I'd better lay out the whole thing for you.

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A lot of the copies are going to the retail grocers association, all their members.

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No luck with those two thieves so far?

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No. I know closer than we were three weeks ago. Figure this ought to plug another loophole.

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How many copies you figure you want on this? About a thousand?

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Yeah, that's fine. That ought to do it.

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All right. Okay, now what do you want to go on it, Joe?

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Well, you better lead off with the first job they pulled. That was on the third of this month.

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Makes it a little better than three weeks now. They hit a supermarket out on Pico.

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Okay.

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Got it?

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Ever since, they've averaged about three jobs a week. We know they're hitting nothing but supermarkets.

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All of them on main thoroughfares, no small neighborhood stuff.

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You got it.

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So far, they've confined their operations to the 77th Street Division in the county territories,

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generally the south end of town.

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They're two men, and they got a pretty well-established M.O.

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Well-established M.O., okay.

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They're hitting in the morning hours, usually from the time the markets open up until around noontime.

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They use a stolen car. 95% of the time, a car stolen from the industrial area.

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Cars they steal for the jobs are always either a Pontiac or an Ash.

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We also know they're dropping the stolen cars within a short radius of the hold-up scene,

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about a half a dozen blocks or so.

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In some instances, they use a second automobile or public transportation, some kind of bus or streetcar,

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you know, to make their getaway after they drop the stolen car.

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Just a minute, Joe.

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I'm sorry. Going a little fast, huh?

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Yeah. Okay, I got it.

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Okay. Well, let's see.

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All right, go ahead now.

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They usually pull up and park directly in front of the market that they're going to hold up.

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One of the men always remains in the car behind the wheel. Apparently, it's always the same man.

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Hmm, he has a description.

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Meager. We know his good size, M.W.A., fairly large build.

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Here's about the best description we've been able to piece together on the second man,

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picked up a little bit from each victim.

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Hmm.

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Uh, second man described his M.W.A. also, about five foot eight inches, medium build,

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155 to 160 pounds, always wears a hat, round suit, rough material of some kind, maybe tweed.

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Want to smoke, Frank?

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Huh? Smoke? Oh, no, no.

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All right.

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Uh, when he enters the market for the hold-up, the second man always holds a white handkerchief,

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holds a white handkerchief to his face as if he's wiping his eyes,

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keeps most of his face covered with it during the robbery.

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He's armed with a nickel-plated revolver, possibly.38 caliber.

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We know the jobs are well-cased because in almost every instance,

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the suspect goes directly to the manager of the market.

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Goes directly to the manager, huh?

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He hands the manager a brown paper sack, tells him to put the money in it, and then he takes off.

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So far, he's never attempted any rough stuff, no gunplay.

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On three occasions, when the suspects got only small amounts of money at one market,

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they hit again in 15 or 20 minutes at another store in the same general area.

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They never make any attempt to disguise or conceal a license number on the getaway car.

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As I say, they always abandon the car a short distance from the hold-up scene.

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Yeah, I see, uh...

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Okay, I got it.

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Well, that's about all of it, Frank. I guess you can boil that down into some kind of shape, huh?

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Yeah, okay. I'll have it typed up in the form.

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I'll get you a copy before we make the run and see if it's okay with you.

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Fine, thanks.

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It's not going so good, huh?

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No, it isn't, Frank. Pretty slow.

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I've been on top of the thing for a couple of weeks now. We're still looking for some kind of a break.

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I understand Glenn Chandler from your office took off for some fishing down in Mexico, huh?

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Yeah.

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He's not doing bad from out here. I got a card from him yesterday. He's down by Keno Bay.

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He put the bite on me to send him a dozen mutton plugs.

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Yeah. The fish must be hitting pretty good down there.

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That's what he says, yeah.

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Those big brown sea bass, especially, I wouldn't mind getting in a couple of days down there myself.

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Excuse me.

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Record Bureau, Cunningham.

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Yes, a minute. You, Joe.

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Thanks, Frank.

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Yeah.

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Oh, yeah, Ben.

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Glenn.

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Am I right?

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Yeah, okay. Right away. Yeah, fine.

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Check that for me later, Frank. Might be a little change.

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What's the matter?

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Market bandits. They hit again.

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9.38 a.m.

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Ben and I got in the car and drove to the scene of the bandits' latest holdup,

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a new supermarket out on Slawson near the intersection of South Broadway.

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After interviewing the manager of the store and all available witnesses to the robbery,

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there wasn't much doubt about the identity of the suspects.

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The description and MO fitted perfectly with that of the two men who'd been staging a whirlwind campaign

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of market robberies throughout the south end of the city for the past three weeks.

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The approach and execution of the holdup was the same in every detail,

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even to the stolen car they'd used, which was found abandoned a short distance from the robbery scene.

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There was only one deviation, and it was the first break we'd had in the case since it started.

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A woman customer at the market, a Mrs. Thomas Swanson, saw the holdup man as he left the store and ran to the getaway car.

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She told us that the car door apparently stuck when he tried to pull it open,

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and that he took away the handkerchief which he'd held to his face in order to pull the door open with both hands.

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During those few seconds, she got a good look at him.

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After taking the crime report and making our preliminary investigation, we brought Mrs. Swanson downtown.

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We had her check through mug books of all recent parolees from the state penitentiary, all ex-convicts with robbery records.

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After a couple of hours of checking mug shots, she couldn't seem to make positive identification.

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I'm very sorry, officer. It just gets a little confusing after a while looking at all these pictures.

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I did get a good look at the man's face. I just can't settle on one of these pictures, so...

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Well, from what you did see of Mrs. Swanson, the lower part of the man's face especially,

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can you find a good likeness in any of these?

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Well, yes, I can find good likenesses for some of his features, but none of them are all together in any one of these pictures here.

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Like the mouth and chin on this man here.

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Yes, ma'am. Is that pretty close?

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Most exactly, I'd say. And then the nose on this one here, it's the very same.

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I just haven't seen any picture that fits them all together. You know what I mean, don't you?

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Yes, ma'am, I understand. Now, these five pictures here that you've picked out,

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you pretty much say that they incorporate all the features of the man that you saw getting in that crime?

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That's right, officer. This man here, and this one too, I'd say the lower part of his face was exactly like that.

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The small mouth and the stache just like that, and the chin pointed like on this man.

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And then the upper part of his face, would you say it resembles these others here?

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Yes. These three here, just the upper part. You see, around the eyes, the forehead. I'd say that was very close.

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Mm-hmm.

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Now, just put the two sets of pictures together, I think you'd have the man perfectly.

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Sorry, I can't be more help to you, as I say, looking at all these books of pictures. It gets a little confusing.

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Well, you've given us quite a bit of help, ma'am. Thank you very much.

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Not at all. Is there anything else?

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No, thank you. No, right now, we've got your address and telephone. We'll probably be contacting you in a day or two.

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If you'd like to wait right here, we'll make arrangements to have one of the officers drive you back to your home, all right?

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All right. Thank you very much.

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You're welcome. Goodbye, ma'am. We'll be talking to you.

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Okay, you have to bye, officer.

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What do you think, Joe?

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Well, it's more than we had yesterday. Her description's the best we've got on the guy so far.

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How about getting a composite picture made up from the mug shots you picked out?

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That's what I was thinking. You want to duck in and get somebody to drive Miss Swanson home, I want to go in here in the captain's office, Phil.

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Yeah, okay.

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Thanks, man.

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How'd you make that?

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Well, could have been worse, Captain.

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Women find anything in the mug books?

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No positive identification. She picked out five of them she thought were close.

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I think maybe put off over at the crime lab, I ought to be able to make up a pretty good composite from them.

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Mm-hmm. She's fairly positive about the man's description.

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Yeah, seems to have a clear idea. Good composite ought to help us quite a bit.

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You get this new description that Mimmi Gref you're having made up?

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No, not yet. I'm going to see Frank about it in a minute.

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Hi, Skipper.

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Ben.

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Got a hold of Jess Gonzalez, Joe. He's going to drive Miss Swanson home.

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Fine. Did you ask him if he checked on that last run we made through the stats office?

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Yeah, he picked it up. He and Frank Estrada are going to start checking the names this morning.

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It's not much of a list. I'm pretty well picked over already.

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So, all you got from the witnesses out there this morning? Description from this Miss Swanson?

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Yeah, it's about it. Rest of it was their usual M.O.

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Swanson woman was the only one who got a good look at the guy when he took the handkerchief away from his face.

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How about the getaway car, they found?

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Same as the others. Leighton Prince checked it over. It's clean.

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Well, two thieves had their share of luck when we get eyes.

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How about Metro Division, Captain? Can we get any help out there?

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What do you got in mind?

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Well, we know the take that the two thieves got in that job this morning was pretty small for them, $340.

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From their M.O. in the past, we know whenever they get a small take on a job, they usually hit another place fast.

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They work in a fairly concentrated area down the south end. They only go after big markets on the main thoroughfares.

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Well, I was thinking if we could get some help from Metro, put maybe 15 or 20 crews down in the area for the next couple of days, might stand a good chance of grabbing them.

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We were talking to Dick Tiernan over at the Sheriff's office, Kipper. He says he could put some of his men down in that area, too.

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Cover the county on the fringes, the territory around there. What do you think?

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I'm fine. If I can get Stevens at Metro right now, set it up. Figure about 20 crews, is that right?

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Just about, yeah. With any kind of luck at all, we ought to land them.

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Sure worth a try.

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Lieutenant Stevens, please.

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Yeah, Joe, this is Harry Didion.

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Fine, fine. We've got a little stakeout problem here. How about using some of your men?

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About 30.

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All right, I'll settle for 25.

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Okay?

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Yeah.

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South end of town. No market bandage.

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Fine, would you have them report here at Ravie, 7 o'clock tomorrow morning?

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All right. Thanks a lot.

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It's all set. You've got 25 men, 7 o'clock tomorrow morning.

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Okay, Scabber.

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We'll give you a dozen teams to start with, and the dollars and the strata are one more.

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How many do you figure working from the sheriff's office?

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About four or five teams, I imagine.

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All right, it's your operation. You two will be in charge on our end. You run the show, you brief the men. If you need anything, call me.

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Right.

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How about the overall plan, Skipper? You got any special ideas on it?

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Just one.

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Yeah?

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Get them.

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1 18 p.m. We got the revised description of one of the holdup men into Lieutenant Frank Cunningham at the record bureau.

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He told us a thousand copies of the special mimeograph form containing all available information on the two market bandits would be ready for us that night.

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We met with Sergeant Puttoff, the artist at the crime lab, and he went to work making up a composite picture of one of the suspects from the mugshot selected by the robbery witness, Mrs. Swanson.

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When the picture was completed, we had Mrs. Swanson check it for similarity to the actual holdup man, and then we brought it back to the record bureau where a thousand copies were made of it.

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The pictures, along with the mimeograph forms, were sent immediately to the retail grocers association for distribution to all market operators throughout the city.

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Additional copies of the picture and the information sheet were given to each man who was to work the stakeout when we met in the squad room at seven o'clock the next morning.

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Besides the men from Metropolitan Division and the men from robbery who were going to work with us,

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Lieutenant Dick Ternan and Sergeant Dave Terry from the sheriff's office were also there for the briefing.

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Well, briefly, that's a rundown on the two suspects and the M.O. they follow.

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It's the same information and description on them you'll find in those mimeo forms we handed out.

218
00:12:35,680 --> 00:12:37,680
Joe, you want to take over and give them their assignment?

219
00:12:37,680 --> 00:12:39,680
Yeah.

220
00:12:39,680 --> 00:12:47,680
Well, if you'll just take a look at this pinup map here for a minute, I'll try and brief you on how the stakeout's going to go, the way we got it figured anyway.

221
00:12:47,680 --> 00:12:51,680
We've worked out a plan we think ought to be the easiest and the best way to work it.

222
00:12:51,680 --> 00:12:55,680
If any of you have any suggestions as we go along, we'd sure like to have them.

223
00:12:55,680 --> 00:13:01,680
All right. Now, as you can see from the map here, the stakeout area is in the south end.

224
00:13:01,680 --> 00:13:03,680
It runs from, can you all see it from there?

225
00:13:03,680 --> 00:13:04,680
Yeah.

226
00:13:04,680 --> 00:13:12,680
It runs from Santa Fe Avenue over here on the east to Vermont Avenue on the west, running north and south.

227
00:13:12,680 --> 00:13:18,680
Now, we'll have to cover from Santa Barbara Avenue on the north down to Manchester.

228
00:13:18,680 --> 00:13:22,680
That'll be the southern boundary right there. That's the area the thieves have been working.

229
00:13:22,680 --> 00:13:25,680
And we're going to have 14 of our own crews covering that area.

230
00:13:25,680 --> 00:13:30,680
And Dick Tiernan and Dave Terry from the sheriff's office will have their men covering adjoining county territory.

231
00:13:30,680 --> 00:13:31,680
All right.

232
00:13:31,680 --> 00:13:35,680
Now, we've broken the map down into equal units, as you can see here.

233
00:13:35,680 --> 00:13:41,680
Each unit will be covered by one car, and each of you will be assigned a unit number.

234
00:13:41,680 --> 00:13:46,680
Romero and myself will be in 80K. We'll have a roving unit. We'll cover the entire area.

235
00:13:46,680 --> 00:13:50,680
You'll have three-way radios in your car, so you'll be able to contact us directly if you have to.

236
00:13:50,680 --> 00:13:56,680
Now, if you'll check the map again, you can see these green pins we've placed here.

237
00:13:56,680 --> 00:13:59,680
Each one of them represents a market robbery.

238
00:13:59,680 --> 00:14:02,680
Now, notice that every one of them is on a main thoroughfare.

239
00:14:02,680 --> 00:14:07,680
Manchester, South Broadway, Vernon, South Hoover.

240
00:14:07,680 --> 00:14:11,680
I don't have to tell you that that's where you'll have to keep a sharp watch on the main street.

241
00:14:11,680 --> 00:14:17,680
Each of the individual units here on the map will be covered by one car, as I said.

242
00:14:17,680 --> 00:14:22,680
Each one's roughly nine blocks square. Now, you'll be responsible for the area assigned to you.

243
00:14:22,680 --> 00:14:27,680
We haven't got too much time, so before we go down the list to assign the areas, have you got any questions?

244
00:14:27,680 --> 00:14:28,680
Any questions at all?

245
00:14:28,680 --> 00:14:33,680
Yeah. Suppose there's a 211 call in somebody else's area.

246
00:14:33,680 --> 00:14:36,680
I mean, other than the one you're assigned to. Do we leave our area and head over there?

247
00:14:36,680 --> 00:14:38,680
No, Jess. I meant to bring that up.

248
00:14:38,680 --> 00:14:43,680
If there's a robbery call in somebody else's area, stay put, till you get a call to lend a hand.

249
00:14:43,680 --> 00:14:44,680
Anything else?

250
00:14:44,680 --> 00:14:48,680
Yeah. How about the managers of these markets? They've been briefed on a stakeout.

251
00:14:48,680 --> 00:14:50,680
They know we're going to be covering the area.

252
00:14:50,680 --> 00:14:54,680
Yeah. They've all been alerted. Now, in case of a holdup, they might try to contact you directly.

253
00:14:54,680 --> 00:14:57,680
They'll be looking for you. You'll be looking for them.

254
00:14:57,680 --> 00:14:59,680
That it, Bob? That covers for you.

255
00:14:59,680 --> 00:15:04,680
Well, yeah. I'm just wondering about this number two suspect. The one who drives the getaway car?

256
00:15:04,680 --> 00:15:05,680
Yeah.

257
00:15:05,680 --> 00:15:09,680
Well, it says here on the dope sheet, number one suspect carries a nickel-plated revolver.

258
00:15:09,680 --> 00:15:12,680
Now, how about number two? He carry a gun?

259
00:15:12,680 --> 00:15:17,680
Well, I wish I could answer that. We don't know. All the information we got on him is on the sheet right there.

260
00:15:17,680 --> 00:15:23,680
I see. Well, they never try any rough stuff anyway, do they? No gunplay. They never hurt anyone.

261
00:15:23,680 --> 00:15:26,680
No, not yet. Don't let them make you the first.

262
00:15:26,680 --> 00:15:36,680
7.30 a.m. We finished handing out the assignments and the men left to take up their stakeout positions in the south end of the city.

263
00:15:36,680 --> 00:15:43,680
Two men to a team, each team in a three-way radio car, each car to patrol a designated nine-square block unit.

264
00:15:43,680 --> 00:15:47,680
There were 20 such units within the frame of the overall stakeout area.

265
00:15:47,680 --> 00:15:56,680
At the same time, cruiser cars from the sheriff's office operating on their own radio setup began patrolling the fringe positions which fell in county territory.

266
00:15:56,680 --> 00:16:02,680
Through Control One at our communications division, we kept in continual contact with them.

267
00:16:02,680 --> 00:16:08,680
8 a.m. All the cars were in position, each of them patrolling their individual nine-square block unit.

268
00:16:08,680 --> 00:16:13,680
The first two hours passed. No reports, no sign of the market bandits.

269
00:16:13,680 --> 00:16:21,680
Between 10 a.m. and noon, half a dozen possible suspects were stopped and questioned by different teams and then brought to the 77th Street Division for processing.

270
00:16:21,680 --> 00:16:23,680
All of them were eliminated.

271
00:16:23,680 --> 00:16:26,680
The afternoon of the first day went pretty much the same.

272
00:16:26,680 --> 00:16:33,680
We had shakedowns on four parked cars in the area and more shakedowns on possible suspects. Nothing materialized.

273
00:16:33,680 --> 00:16:37,680
The next morning, Ben and I along with the other 32 men in the stakeout picked up where we left off.

274
00:16:37,680 --> 00:16:40,680
Again, no sign of the suspects, no reports.

275
00:16:40,680 --> 00:16:47,680
The morning of the third day, the stakeout detail met in the squad room as usual and then left to take up their regular assigned positions.

276
00:16:47,680 --> 00:16:48,680
7.35 a.m.

277
00:16:48,680 --> 00:16:50,680
How about it, Joe? You ready to go?

278
00:16:50,680 --> 00:16:52,680
Yeah, just a minute.

279
00:16:52,680 --> 00:16:54,680
Okay, let's go.

280
00:16:54,680 --> 00:16:56,680
I'll get it.

281
00:16:56,680 --> 00:16:58,680
Robbery Friday.

282
00:16:58,680 --> 00:16:59,680
Yeah.

283
00:16:59,680 --> 00:17:00,680
Where?

284
00:17:00,680 --> 00:17:01,680
When was that?

285
00:17:01,680 --> 00:17:02,680
Yeah, right away.

286
00:17:02,680 --> 00:17:04,680
Oh, come on, we gotta hurry.

287
00:17:04,680 --> 00:17:05,680
What is it?

288
00:17:05,680 --> 00:17:08,680
Market bandits. Maybe we got them.

289
00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:09,680
7.50 a.m.

290
00:17:09,680 --> 00:17:13,680
Ben and I arrived at the intersection of 58th and San Pedro streets.

291
00:17:13,680 --> 00:17:17,680
Two of our stakeout cruiser cars were pulled up at the southwest corner.

292
00:17:17,680 --> 00:17:21,680
One of the teams was Jess Gonzalez and his partner, Frank Estrada.

293
00:17:21,680 --> 00:17:23,680
Gonzalez briefed us on what had happened.

294
00:17:23,680 --> 00:17:26,680
He was the owner of the supermarket down the block in San Pedro.

295
00:17:26,680 --> 00:17:30,680
He was walking from his house to the store and he passed the corner here about 7.35 a.m.

296
00:17:30,680 --> 00:17:32,680
Had $340 on him.

297
00:17:32,680 --> 00:17:34,680
Probably yesterday's receipts from the store.

298
00:17:34,680 --> 00:17:36,680
They got him right up the street there, took every dollar of it.

299
00:17:36,680 --> 00:17:38,680
You sure it was the market, Ben?

300
00:17:38,680 --> 00:17:40,680
M.O. description, they check out all the way.

301
00:17:40,680 --> 00:17:43,680
We had two teams on it as soon as we got the word, located the holdup car a minute ago.

302
00:17:43,680 --> 00:17:44,680
Where is it?

303
00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:45,680
Down in Avalon Boulevard.

304
00:17:45,680 --> 00:17:46,680
How about the sleeves, Jess?

305
00:17:46,680 --> 00:18:06,680
Car was empty, no trace of them.

306
00:18:06,680 --> 00:18:08,680
Saturday, 8.05 a.m.

307
00:18:08,680 --> 00:18:12,680
The latest victim of the market bandits, the owner of the supermarket on San Pedro street,

308
00:18:12,680 --> 00:18:16,680
was taken to the 77th Street Division where the crime report was made.

309
00:18:16,680 --> 00:18:20,680
He told us that one of the men who robbed him bore a very close resemblance to the composite picture

310
00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:23,680
which we'd had drawn up of one of the suspects.

311
00:18:23,680 --> 00:18:27,680
We figured we missed grabbing the holdup men by a matter of minutes.

312
00:18:27,680 --> 00:18:32,680
Even though some of our units were in the general area at the time of the robbery, it did little good.

313
00:18:32,680 --> 00:18:39,680
The victim had delayed reporting the holdup for a full five minutes because the bandits had threatened to find him and kill him if he did.

314
00:18:39,680 --> 00:18:44,680
Despite the fact that they'd changed their M.O. to the extent of robbing the store owner on the street

315
00:18:44,680 --> 00:18:50,680
instead of in the market proper, we had no doubt that the same two men we were looking for had committed the holdup.

316
00:18:50,680 --> 00:18:55,680
The abandoned car which they'd used in the robbery was gone over for fingerprints, but it was clean.

317
00:18:55,680 --> 00:18:57,680
Meantime, the stakeout went on.

318
00:18:57,680 --> 00:19:00,680
Saturday passed. Sunday, Monday, nothing.

319
00:19:00,680 --> 00:19:03,680
No leads on the suspects, not a trace of them.

320
00:19:03,680 --> 00:19:05,680
Tuesday, the same thing all over again.

321
00:19:05,680 --> 00:19:08,680
The operation settled down to a dull routine.

322
00:19:08,680 --> 00:19:12,680
Tuesday night, we checked the closing of the last market in our stakeout area.

323
00:19:12,680 --> 00:19:16,680
Ten forty-five p.m. Ben and I drove back to the 77th Street Division.

324
00:19:16,680 --> 00:19:21,680
Every day seems to get a little longer. These lousy stakeouts here don't wear very well on me.

325
00:19:21,680 --> 00:19:26,680
Yeah, I don't know what the set-up's gonna be if we don't get a break pretty soon. We can't hang on to the gang for Metro Division forever.

326
00:19:26,680 --> 00:19:29,680
Joy has been a bad month. All I need now is a visit from the in-laws.

327
00:19:29,680 --> 00:19:31,680
Yeah, and do it up fine.

328
00:19:31,680 --> 00:19:33,680
You talked to Jess at dinner, didn't you?

329
00:19:33,680 --> 00:19:34,680
Yeah.

330
00:19:34,680 --> 00:19:38,680
What'd he say about those two men they picked up on South Main this afternoon?

331
00:19:38,680 --> 00:19:43,680
They brought them in for processing, checked them out, couldn't find anything wrong. Both of them clean.

332
00:19:45,680 --> 00:19:46,680
Go ahead.

333
00:19:48,680 --> 00:19:50,680
How about grabbing something to eat after we check out, huh?

334
00:19:50,680 --> 00:19:51,680
Okay.

335
00:19:51,680 --> 00:19:52,680
Wanna stop by Johnny Cokin's?

336
00:19:52,680 --> 00:19:56,680
What about a French dip sandwich? How's that sound? Haven't had one for a long time.

337
00:19:56,680 --> 00:19:57,680
All right, suits me.

338
00:19:58,680 --> 00:19:59,680
How was that?

339
00:20:01,680 --> 00:20:02,680
Oh, sorry, I don't.

340
00:20:02,680 --> 00:20:05,680
Oh, wait a minute, he just came in. It's for you, Friday. Turn in from the sheriff's office.

341
00:20:05,680 --> 00:20:06,680
Oh, yeah, thanks, Bob.

342
00:20:08,680 --> 00:20:09,680
Friday talking.

343
00:20:09,680 --> 00:20:10,680
Yeah, Dick.

344
00:20:10,680 --> 00:20:11,680
Just now?

345
00:20:11,680 --> 00:20:12,680
Mm-hmm.

346
00:20:12,680 --> 00:20:13,680
Mm-hmm.

347
00:20:13,680 --> 00:20:14,680
Yeah, we'll be over right away.

348
00:20:15,680 --> 00:20:16,680
You got anything?

349
00:20:16,680 --> 00:20:19,680
Market bandits pulled a holdup a couple of minutes ago in a store on Graham Avenue.

350
00:20:19,680 --> 00:20:20,680
It's out in county territory.

351
00:20:20,680 --> 00:20:21,680
Yeah?

352
00:20:21,680 --> 00:20:24,680
One of the sheriff's units took the call, chased the holdup car two miles.

353
00:20:24,680 --> 00:20:25,680
They get the things?

354
00:20:25,680 --> 00:20:26,680
Well, you're half right.

355
00:20:26,680 --> 00:20:27,680
Huh?

356
00:20:27,680 --> 00:20:28,680
I got one of them.

357
00:20:28,680 --> 00:20:35,680
Ten-fifty-two p.m. Ben and I drove to the sheriff's Firestone substation where the market bandit suspect was taken after his apprehension.

358
00:20:35,680 --> 00:20:40,680
When we got there, we talked to Deputy Sheriff Sergeant Eddie Jones and Mel Viney, who had made the arrest.

359
00:20:40,680 --> 00:20:44,680
They said they arrived at the scene of the holdup, the market, on Graham Avenue,

360
00:20:44,680 --> 00:20:48,680
a few moments after the bandits pulled away in their stolen Nash sedan.

361
00:20:48,680 --> 00:20:52,680
Jones and Viney gave chase, but when they finally forced the holdup car to a halt,

362
00:20:52,680 --> 00:20:54,680
the driver was the only one in the car.

363
00:20:54,680 --> 00:20:59,680
Somewhere along the route of the two-mile chase, the second robbery suspect had succeeded in jumping out,

364
00:20:59,680 --> 00:21:03,680
along with the loot taken in the robbery and making good his escape.

365
00:21:03,680 --> 00:21:06,680
A broadcast and a bulletin was gotten out immediately.

366
00:21:06,680 --> 00:21:08,680
The holdup suspect they'd apprehended had been fingerprinted,

367
00:21:08,680 --> 00:21:11,680
and they were checking on his identification downtown.

368
00:21:11,680 --> 00:21:13,680
Ben and I went in to talk to him.

369
00:21:13,680 --> 00:21:15,680
Jones and Viney stood by while we questioned him.

370
00:21:15,680 --> 00:21:17,680
I still don't know what it's all about.

371
00:21:17,680 --> 00:21:20,680
Property clerk will give you an itemizer receipt for everything you have on you.

372
00:21:20,680 --> 00:21:24,680
Take everything out of your wallet now. Put it out on the table.

373
00:21:24,680 --> 00:21:27,680
You're making a pretty big thing out of nothing, aren't you?

374
00:21:27,680 --> 00:21:28,680
I haven't done anything.

375
00:21:28,680 --> 00:21:31,680
You want to check those things from his wallet, Ben, the cards, some of those papers?

376
00:21:31,680 --> 00:21:33,680
Yeah.

377
00:21:37,680 --> 00:21:41,680
Is this your true name on this card here, Grant B. Jameson? Am I right?

378
00:21:41,680 --> 00:21:42,680
That's right.

379
00:21:42,680 --> 00:21:43,680
Is this your present address?

380
00:21:43,680 --> 00:21:44,680
Yeah.

381
00:21:44,680 --> 00:21:45,680
You ever been arrested before?

382
00:21:45,680 --> 00:21:46,680
No.

383
00:21:46,680 --> 00:21:50,680
Why do you ask that?

384
00:21:50,680 --> 00:21:53,680
It's not going to take too much time to find out. You might as well tell us.

385
00:21:53,680 --> 00:21:55,680
We still don't know what this is all about.

386
00:21:55,680 --> 00:21:58,680
I was speeding a little. That's all. I haven't done anything.

387
00:21:58,680 --> 00:22:01,680
No, you're kidding yourself, Jameson. We got everything on you that we need.

388
00:22:01,680 --> 00:22:04,680
What do you think you're going to gain by stalling us?

389
00:22:04,680 --> 00:22:06,680
You must have me mixed up with somebody else.

390
00:22:06,680 --> 00:22:08,680
I don't know what you're getting at.

391
00:22:08,680 --> 00:22:11,680
This card here you took out of your wallet, do you recognize it?

392
00:22:11,680 --> 00:22:12,680
Why?

393
00:22:12,680 --> 00:22:17,680
These names and addresses you've got jotted down on the back of it. Mind checking them out for her?

394
00:22:17,680 --> 00:22:18,680
I don't know what you mean.

395
00:22:18,680 --> 00:22:24,680
Take a look. These here. Whose addresses are they? Who are the people?

396
00:22:24,680 --> 00:22:32,680
Let's see. No, I don't think I even remember them. Just something I scribbled down, that's all.

397
00:22:32,680 --> 00:22:33,680
You don't even remember one of them?

398
00:22:33,680 --> 00:22:36,680
No, I don't think so. Why do you ask?

399
00:22:36,680 --> 00:22:38,680
Why don't you come off it, mister?

400
00:22:38,680 --> 00:22:39,680
What are you talking about?

401
00:22:39,680 --> 00:22:42,680
You know what we're talking about. You know it as well as you know your own name.

402
00:22:42,680 --> 00:22:47,680
Fourteen robberies down here in 28 days. You were picked up in the holdup car after the last try tonight.

403
00:22:47,680 --> 00:22:53,680
Your partner gets away. Now you go right on kidding yourself, Jameson. Play it real close. You'll see how far it gets you.

404
00:22:53,680 --> 00:22:57,680
I sure wish I knew what you were talking about. I don't know the thing about any robberies.

405
00:22:57,680 --> 00:23:02,680
All right, then you stand by, mister. You're going to know a lot more about him. You're going to know a lot in a hurry.

406
00:23:02,680 --> 00:23:03,680
Yeah?

407
00:23:03,680 --> 00:23:07,680
Just as soon as we pick up your partner.

408
00:23:07,680 --> 00:23:13,680
Twelve twenty a.m. We continued to question the suspect, Grant Jameson, but he refused to admit anything.

409
00:23:13,680 --> 00:23:16,680
Even the fact that he'd stolen the car that he'd been apprehended in.

410
00:23:16,680 --> 00:23:24,680
The only strong lead we could pick up from the articles found on his person was the list of four names and addresses jotted on the back of a card found on his wallet.

411
00:23:24,680 --> 00:23:33,680
Twelve thirty a.m. Ben and I left the substation and drove to the address Jameson had told us was his present residence, an apartment house on Vernon Avenue.

412
00:23:33,680 --> 00:23:37,680
The manager told us he'd moved at least a year ago without leaving a forwarding address.

413
00:23:37,680 --> 00:23:43,680
One a.m. We began checking out the list of four names and addresses which we'd found in the suspect's wallet.

414
00:23:43,680 --> 00:23:47,680
The first was a Jack Williams. His address a Spring Street Roaming House.

415
00:23:47,680 --> 00:23:51,680
The landlady told us he'd moved to Cleveland, Ohio three months before.

416
00:23:51,680 --> 00:23:56,680
The second was a John Gallagher. His address a third rate hotel in East Hollywood.

417
00:23:56,680 --> 00:23:58,680
He hadn't been registered there in the past two months.

418
00:23:58,680 --> 00:24:04,680
The third was a Matthew Sanford. His address turned out to be an apartment house in the Crenshaw district.

419
00:24:07,680 --> 00:24:10,680
One of the place the light on the mailbox is over here Joe.

420
00:24:10,680 --> 00:24:12,680
Yeah. Here you go.

421
00:24:12,680 --> 00:24:14,680
You see the name there?

422
00:24:14,680 --> 00:24:18,680
Yeah. Here it is. M.L. Sanford. That ought to be it. Apartment five.

423
00:24:18,680 --> 00:24:20,680
All right. Let's try it.

424
00:24:20,680 --> 00:24:22,680
Front door open.

425
00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:23,680
Let's see.

426
00:24:23,680 --> 00:24:28,680
Yeah. Let's go.

427
00:24:28,680 --> 00:24:33,680
Number five. Should be done this way I guess.

428
00:24:33,680 --> 00:24:34,680
Number five.

429
00:24:34,680 --> 00:24:36,680
Okay. Let's give it a try.

430
00:24:48,680 --> 00:24:49,680
Clint.

431
00:24:49,680 --> 00:24:50,680
That you?

432
00:24:50,680 --> 00:24:53,680
The police officers. You Matthew Sanford?

433
00:24:53,680 --> 00:24:55,680
Get out of here. Get out.

434
00:24:55,680 --> 00:24:57,680
All right. Come on.

435
00:24:57,680 --> 00:24:59,680
Drop the gun down. Drop it.

436
00:24:59,680 --> 00:25:01,680
I got it Joe.

437
00:25:01,680 --> 00:25:03,680
All right. Get your hands out. I'll cover him.

438
00:25:03,680 --> 00:25:04,680
Look around huh?

439
00:25:04,680 --> 00:25:05,680
All right.

440
00:25:05,680 --> 00:25:07,680
What is this anyway? What's the idea?

441
00:25:07,680 --> 00:25:08,680
You tell us. You pulled the gun.

442
00:25:08,680 --> 00:25:10,680
You got no business in here. You got no right.

443
00:25:10,680 --> 00:25:13,680
All right. You just stand still. I'll explain it downtown.

444
00:25:13,680 --> 00:25:16,680
Money sacks Joe. Found them in the desk. Same market they hit tonight.

445
00:25:16,680 --> 00:25:19,680
All right Sanford. You got nothing from me. I don't know what you're talking about.

446
00:25:19,680 --> 00:25:20,680
Get his coat will you Ben?

447
00:25:20,680 --> 00:25:21,680
Yeah.

448
00:25:21,680 --> 00:25:24,680
What are you trying to build anyway? You haven't got anything on me?

449
00:25:24,680 --> 00:25:26,680
Fourteen robberies mister. That's what we got on you.

450
00:25:26,680 --> 00:25:27,680
You think you got proof?

451
00:25:27,680 --> 00:25:28,680
We got it.

452
00:25:28,680 --> 00:25:29,680
Yeah?

453
00:25:29,680 --> 00:25:31,680
Fourteen victims. Come on. Let's go.

454
00:25:38,680 --> 00:25:41,680
The story you have just heard was true.

455
00:25:41,680 --> 00:25:44,680
The names were changed to protect the innocent.

456
00:25:44,680 --> 00:25:55,680
The two market bandit suspects Grant Burton Jamison and Matthew Roy Sanford were tried and convicted on 14 counts of first degree robbery and received sentences as prescribed by law.

457
00:25:55,680 --> 00:26:01,680
First degree robbery is punishable by imprisonment in the state penitentiary from five years to life.

458
00:26:01,680 --> 00:26:15,680
You have just heard Dragnet. A series of authentic cases from official files.

459
00:26:15,680 --> 00:26:32,680
Technical advice comes from the office of chief of police W.H. Parker, Los Angeles Police Department.