WEBVTT 00:00.000 --> 00:04.000 Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to read a telegram we just received. 00:04.000 --> 00:12.000 Final ballot tabulation shows Dragnet has won Michael Award for Best Radio and also for Best Television Mystery Program in 1952. 00:12.000 --> 00:17.000 20,090 qualified members participated in nominations and final ballot. 00:17.000 --> 00:19.000 Congratulations and best wishes. 00:19.000 --> 00:23.000 Ed Bobley, President, Academy of Radio and Television Arts and Sciences. 00:23.000 --> 00:36.000 The story you are about to hear is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent. 00:36.000 --> 00:43.000 Fatima cigarettes, best of all king-size cigarettes, brings you Dragnet on both radio and television. 00:43.000 --> 00:54.000 You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned a robbery detail. 00:54.000 --> 01:00.000 A United States mail truck is held up and robbed. 22 sacks of registered mail are taken. 01:00.000 --> 01:05.000 The holdup men escape. There's no lead to their identity. Your job? Get them. 01:05.000 --> 01:16.000 Compare Fatima with any other king-size cigarette. Yes, compare Fatima with any other king-size cigarette. 01:16.000 --> 01:21.000 One, Fatima's length filters the smoke 85 millimeters for your protection. 01:21.000 --> 01:25.000 Two, Fatima's length cools the smoke for your protection. 01:25.000 --> 01:31.000 Three, Fatima's length gives you those extra puffs, 21 percent longer than standard cigarette size. 01:31.000 --> 01:39.000 Fatima gives you more for your money. And in king-size Fatima, you get an extra mild and soothing smoke, 01:39.000 --> 01:46.000 plus the added protection of Fatima quality. Buy Fatima in the bright sunny yellow pack. 01:46.000 --> 01:55.000 Best of all, king-size cigarettes. 01:55.000 --> 02:03.000 Dragnet, the documented drama of an actual crime. For the next 30 minutes, in cooperation with the Los Angeles Police Department, 02:03.000 --> 02:09.000 you will travel step-by-step on the side of the law through an actual case transcribed from official police files. 02:09.000 --> 02:19.000 From beginning to end, from crime to punishment, Dragnet is the story of your police force in action. 02:19.000 --> 02:24.000 It was Monday, August 4th. It was hot in Los Angeles. We were working the night watch out of robbery detail. 02:24.000 --> 02:27.000 My partner's Frank Smith. The boss is Captain Didion. My name's Friday. 02:27.000 --> 02:33.000 I was on the way back from communications and it was 11.05 p.m. when I got to room 27A, the squad room. 02:33.000 --> 02:38.000 That's it. There wasn't anything else to do. One of them had a gun pressed right up against the back of my head. 02:38.000 --> 02:39.000 I didn't dare make a move. 02:39.000 --> 02:40.000 All right, Bud, take it easy. 02:40.000 --> 02:41.000 Jill? 02:41.000 --> 02:44.000 Nothing yet. The broadcast and the APB are out on him. How are you feeling, Houston? 02:44.000 --> 02:48.000 Not bad. Still a little shaky. How about my partners, Frank and Adolf? Have they hurt bad? 02:48.000 --> 02:51.000 No, a couple of bad bumps in the head. They'll be all right by morning. 02:51.000 --> 02:52.000 Doctor's treating them now over at Georgia Street. 02:52.000 --> 02:53.000 Have we talked to them tonight? 02:53.000 --> 02:56.000 Doctor doesn't think it would be a good idea if we didn't wait till morning. 02:56.000 --> 02:58.000 You look a little pale, Houston. You sure we can't get you something? 02:58.000 --> 03:02.000 No, no, I'll be all right. Still a little shaky, that's all. 03:02.000 --> 03:05.000 It's the worst scare I ever got in my life. Thought I was gone for sure. 03:05.000 --> 03:06.000 How about a glass of water? 03:06.000 --> 03:07.000 Yeah, yeah, okay, if you got it. 03:07.000 --> 03:09.000 I'll be back. 03:09.000 --> 03:10.000 You got a penny, Frank? 03:10.000 --> 03:11.000 Yeah. 03:11.000 --> 03:25.000 Just talking about the getaway car when you came in, Joe. 03:25.000 --> 03:26.000 Yeah? 03:26.000 --> 03:30.000 Houston here is pretty sure he was right the first time. It was a dark blue sedan, late model. 03:30.000 --> 03:32.000 Any idea at all what make it work, bud? 03:32.000 --> 03:38.000 I wouldn't like to say definitely. I don't want to mix you up. I got half an idea. It was a GM car, maybe a Buick or an Olds. I can't say for sure, though. 03:38.000 --> 03:39.000 Here's your water. 03:39.000 --> 03:42.000 Oh, you didn't get a look at the license, huh? You're sure of that, are you? 03:42.000 --> 03:46.000 No, I didn't see it at all. The whole thing went too fast for me. 03:46.000 --> 03:48.000 I appreciate this. 03:48.000 --> 03:51.000 I got it. 03:51.000 --> 03:52.000 Robbery, Smith. 03:52.000 --> 03:53.000 Yes, sir. 03:53.000 --> 03:55.000 Oh, yeah, Inspector. 03:55.000 --> 03:56.000 Uh-huh. 03:56.000 --> 04:03.000 Yeah, I see. Yeah, we'll be here for a while. Yeah, 27A. Right, thank you. Goodbye. 04:03.000 --> 04:04.000 What do you got? 04:04.000 --> 04:06.000 Post, Inspector Joe. He's on his way over now. 04:06.000 --> 04:07.000 That's fine. 04:07.000 --> 04:12.000 Hey, bud, when you started your run with that mail truck tonight, you have any inkling at all that there was something wrong? 04:12.000 --> 04:14.000 I don't think I got you, Sergeant. What do you mean? 04:14.000 --> 04:19.000 Well, I mean, did you happen to notice anyone suspicious hanging around the post office out by the loading platform, maybe? 04:19.000 --> 04:20.000 No, no, no, buddy. 04:20.000 --> 04:24.000 How about on your way to the Union Station? You notice any cars following your mail truck? 04:24.000 --> 04:29.000 No, if there were, I think I'd have noticed it. I usually keep an eye out when we're making a run. It's a habit I got into, I guess. 04:29.000 --> 04:30.000 How long have you been driving the mail truck, bud? 04:30.000 --> 04:34.000 About five years. I've only been handling the registered mail the last couple of months, so... 04:34.000 --> 04:36.000 Did your truck leave the post office on schedule tonight? 04:36.000 --> 04:39.000 Yeah, right on the dot. We followed the other trucks out. 04:39.000 --> 04:43.000 You see, the trucks that pick up the ordinary mail, they leave first, and then our truck leaves right after them. 04:43.000 --> 04:44.000 We only handle registered stuff. 04:44.000 --> 04:45.000 I see. 04:45.000 --> 04:47.000 Same routine tonight, no difference. 04:47.000 --> 04:48.000 You're the driver of the truck, that right, bud? 04:48.000 --> 04:52.000 Yeah, that's all I do is drive. Frank's a cleric, eight officer guard. That's regulations. 04:52.000 --> 04:55.000 On trucks that handle just the straight mail, the driver's the only one aboard. 04:55.000 --> 04:58.000 Registered mail trucks gotta have three men, the driver, the clerk, and the guard. 04:58.000 --> 04:59.000 Yeah, we know. 04:59.000 --> 05:02.000 You usually drive the same route from the post office to the Union Station, do you? 05:02.000 --> 05:07.000 Yeah, we go the same way every night, straight down Temple Street, turn right, go down Ferguson to Alameda, 05:07.000 --> 05:12.000 then over Alameda to Union Station, make the pickup for the delivery, and then we come back the same way to the post office. 05:12.000 --> 05:13.000 That's a Roger Foulkes night out. 05:13.000 --> 05:16.000 Yes, sir, that's it. We didn't make it back this time. 05:16.000 --> 05:17.000 I'd like to make sure we got this straight now, bud. 05:17.000 --> 05:21.000 Do you mind checking us out on exactly what happened from the time you got to the Union Station? 05:21.000 --> 05:22.000 No, no, I don't mind. 05:22.000 --> 05:25.000 Well, try to relax if you can. Just take your time. Try to remember everything, will you? 05:25.000 --> 05:31.000 Say, would you mind very much if I called my wife first? I know I'm gonna be late getting home. I don't want her to worry. 05:31.000 --> 05:32.000 I'll be back right ahead, bud. 05:32.000 --> 05:33.000 What's your number? I'll dial it. 05:33.000 --> 05:36.000 Thanks. Pleasant 29321. 05:36.000 --> 05:37.000 Okay. 05:40.000 --> 05:41.000 You got a family, bud? 05:41.000 --> 05:44.000 Yeah, three kids. Mother-in-law, too. She lives with us. 05:45.000 --> 05:46.000 Here you are, bud. 05:46.000 --> 05:47.000 Oh, thanks. 05:48.000 --> 05:52.000 Lorraine? Oh, hi, Mother. Did I get you out of bed? 05:52.000 --> 05:56.000 No, nothing's wrong. I just called to say I'd be a little late tonight. I didn't want Lorraine to worry. 05:57.000 --> 05:58.000 No, please. 05:58.000 --> 06:01.000 I'm not in a bar. Why do you have to say things like that? 06:02.000 --> 06:06.000 If that's the way you feel, all right, just tell Lorraine, will you? Hello? 06:07.000 --> 06:10.000 Mother-in-law, you never get off your back. 06:11.000 --> 06:12.000 Sorry to interrupt, Doc. 06:12.000 --> 06:14.000 It's all right, bud. You want to go ahead now? 06:14.000 --> 06:18.000 Let's see. You wanted to know what happened after we left Union Station? 06:18.000 --> 06:20.000 Yeah, that's right. What time was it when you left the station? 06:20.000 --> 06:25.000 Right after we loaded the mail sacks on the truck, 28 sacks all registered and took off. 06:25.000 --> 06:26.000 What time was that? 06:26.000 --> 06:32.000 Schedule time, 9.56. Left the station, headed for the PO, drove the same route, 06:32.000 --> 06:35.000 along Alameda to Ferguson, then up to Ferguson. 06:35.000 --> 06:38.000 As I turned the corner, I picked up their headlights in the rear-view mirror, 06:38.000 --> 06:42.000 and they started crowding us. I knew something was wrong. Too late to do anything, actually. 06:42.000 --> 06:44.000 They pulled up a long side, forced you into the curb, then? 06:44.000 --> 06:50.000 Yeah, the darkest part of the street, too. It was a big sedan, I know. They had a four-door job, dark blue, and it was a late model, I'm sure. 06:50.000 --> 06:55.000 You notice anything special about the car, bud? I mean, maybe a dead end fender, some special accessories on it, anything like that? 06:55.000 --> 06:59.000 No, no, nothing I'd be sure about. I was too busy trying to keep going, get out of their way. 06:59.000 --> 07:05.000 I didn't have much of a chance. They forced us up on the sidewalk. I saw a telephone pole coming at me. I had to stop. 07:05.000 --> 07:06.000 What happened then? 07:06.000 --> 07:09.000 I threw a bright spotlight on it, blinded me for a minute. 07:10.000 --> 07:13.000 These three men got out of the car and came out, there's guns in their hands. 07:13.000 --> 07:16.000 It all happened in a couple of seconds. I was never so scared in my life. 07:16.000 --> 07:17.000 Did you get a good look at any of the men? 07:17.000 --> 07:23.000 No, I didn't. It was pretty dark. The place they stopped us at. I couldn't be sure I'd recognize any of them if I saw them again. 07:23.000 --> 07:25.000 Well, what did the men do when they came up to the truck? 07:25.000 --> 07:30.000 They put the guns in our face, made us get out of the truck and climb into their car. They were loose sedans. 07:30.000 --> 07:34.000 And one of them got in a mail truck behind a wheel. His name was Sid. I heard that. One of the men said, 07:34.000 --> 07:37.000 Follow us in the truck, Sid. You know where to go. That's what it said. 07:37.000 --> 07:39.000 And you happen to hear any other names? 07:39.000 --> 07:43.000 No, that was the only one. And Sid seemed to be the boss. He was giving the orders anyway. 07:43.000 --> 07:45.000 They put you and your two partners in the back seat of their car? 07:45.000 --> 07:50.000 Yeah. And the two thieves were in the front seat. One drove and the other held a gun on us. 07:50.000 --> 07:55.000 He kept the lower part of his face covered with a handkerchief. You could see the mail truck following a little ways behind us. 07:55.000 --> 07:57.000 They drove you straight down Alameda? Is that right? 07:57.000 --> 08:01.000 Yes, sir. Like I told you before, I think it was about a mile, a mile and a half. 08:01.000 --> 08:05.000 And they turned off right into that alley by the warehouse, the same place you found us. 08:05.000 --> 08:06.000 Look at that. That was the end. 08:06.000 --> 08:09.000 We got us out of the car, Frank, me and Adolf. 08:09.000 --> 08:17.000 We just lined up against a brick wall there, hands up in the air, facing the wall, and then they opened up the back of the truck and transferred the mail sacks to their car. 08:17.000 --> 08:19.000 Well, let me conversation while all this was going on. 08:19.000 --> 08:24.000 Not too much, no. You see, one of them, I think that was Sid, he covered us with a gun, a shotgun. 08:24.000 --> 08:31.000 The other two moved the mail sacks from the truck to the car, and every once in a while we'd sit and tell them, come on, faster. We're short on time. I think that's what he said. 08:31.000 --> 08:34.000 Well, why'd they slug your two partners, this Frank and Adolf? Any reason to ask? 08:34.000 --> 08:42.000 Well, that's coming to that. You see, when they got all the mail sacks in their car and they were ready to pull out, the other two guys came over to Sid and one of them said, what are we waiting for? Let's kill them and get out of here. 08:42.000 --> 08:43.000 Yeah. 08:43.000 --> 08:49.000 Right away our clerk, Frank, he began pleading with them not to kill us. I guess Frank was thinking of his wife and his little kid. 08:49.000 --> 08:50.000 How did the thieves react? 08:50.000 --> 08:57.000 When they slugged him, cranked him with a gun and hit him a couple of times, Frank went down and he started crying. Just a young kid, you know. 08:57.000 --> 08:58.000 Yeah, I know. 08:58.000 --> 09:06.000 Well, this other guy told Sid again, he said, come on, let's kill them, let's get out of here. He's the one who had something wrong with his voice. It was real husky, you know, like he had a cold. 09:06.000 --> 09:07.000 Go ahead. 09:07.000 --> 09:14.000 Well, I got to say this, Sid wasn't much for killing us. He told the other guy he didn't think they ought to kill us because they'd set him up for a murder rap besides mail robbery. 09:14.000 --> 09:20.000 The other two guys told Sid, what's the difference? If we're going to rob the mails, we might as well go all the way. They argued about it a minute or so. 09:20.000 --> 09:21.000 Yeah. 09:21.000 --> 09:28.000 And my other partner, Adolf, he began to plead with him. He said, please don't kill us. I was sick to my stomach. I couldn't even talk. 09:28.000 --> 09:29.000 What did you say? 09:29.000 --> 09:31.000 I said I was sick to my stomach. I couldn't even talk. 09:31.000 --> 09:33.000 Oh, is that when they slugged Adolf? 09:33.000 --> 09:41.000 Yeah, yeah, this Sid slugged him. He hit him worse than he did Frank. He kept beating him and beating him. I still hear it. I just got sick. 09:41.000 --> 09:45.000 Well, to make a long story short, Sid finally said, we'll give him a gambler's chance. We'll toss for it. 09:45.000 --> 09:46.000 Huh? 09:46.000 --> 09:54.000 That's just what he said. He said, we'll toss for it. And he says, hey, you, an emotion to me. He said, I'm going to toss a coin. You call it. If you lose, we kill the three of you. If you win, we don't. 09:54.000 --> 09:55.000 Oh. 09:55.000 --> 10:03.000 So help me. It's the truth. I didn't know what to do. I tried to talk them out of it. They wouldn't listen. And Sid told me either I called it or they'd kill us then. 10:03.000 --> 10:10.000 There was a coin out of his pocket and flipped it in the air. I called ahead. If I don't have to tell you, I won. 10:10.000 --> 10:12.000 Something new for the book. 10:12.000 --> 10:20.000 How did it go after that, bud? Tied up the three of us and drove off in their car. But 15 minutes later that night, watchmen found us and called you, fellas. You know they're right. 10:20.000 --> 10:23.000 And you're sure you wouldn't be able to identify any of the holdup men if you saw them again? 10:23.000 --> 10:24.000 No. 10:24.000 --> 10:25.000 You're real sure? 10:25.000 --> 10:38.000 No. General Bill, that's the only thing I'm sure of. This fella, Sid, was tall and a thin side, about 45, 50 years old. The other two were fairly short stocky. Like I told you, that one fella's voice, neat and husky. I think I'd know him if I heard him talk again. 10:38.000 --> 10:40.000 Excuse me a minute. 10:40.000 --> 10:42.000 Robert, Friday. 10:42.000 --> 10:44.000 Yeah, well, how's it going? 10:44.000 --> 10:46.000 Uh-huh. 10:46.000 --> 10:48.000 Yeah, not much down. 10:48.000 --> 10:50.000 Fine. Yeah, fine. 10:50.000 --> 10:52.000 The getaway car, they just found it. 10:52.000 --> 10:53.000 Where'd you? 10:53.000 --> 10:54.000 Up in the lesion park just off Riverside. 10:54.000 --> 10:56.000 What about the male sacks? They find them too? 10:56.000 --> 10:58.000 Yeah, every one of them. Empty. 10:58.000 --> 11:18.000 According to the report we've received, the getaway car was found parked in a clump of shrubbery on the edge of a lesion park about half a mile from Riverside Drive. All of the 28 registered male sacks were found scattered in and around the car and with the exception of a few pieces of mail, the sacks were empty. 11:18.000 --> 11:29.000 A crew from the crime lab was dispatched immediately to the scene to check the car and the mail sacks for fingerprints and to cover the entire area for physical evidence. The mail truck was also gone over for prints at the point where it had been located. 11:29.000 --> 11:34.000 The officers at the scene, Sergeant Bitteroff and Gonzalez, continued the investigation on their end. 11:34.000 --> 11:36.000 11.50 p.m. 11:36.000 --> 11:42.000 After the inspector from the post office department arrived, we continued our interview with Bud Houston, one of the three victims of the mail truck robbery. 11:42.000 --> 11:46.000 We ended the interview a few minutes after midnight and Houston was driven to his home. 11:46.000 --> 11:54.000 The following morning, along with the postal inspector, Frank Smith and I talked to the other two victims, the clerk and the guard who were with Houston at the time of the holdup. 11:54.000 --> 12:00.000 They could add nothing to what their partner had already told us. The investigation went on. Every possible angle was checked and rechecked. 12:00.000 --> 12:06.000 Three days passed. Nothing. Thursday, August 7th, 5.40 p.m. 12:06.000 --> 12:08.000 Hi, Joe. How'd you make up? 12:08.000 --> 12:13.000 Oh, it's sour. Nothing at all. The guy wasn't even in town the night of the holdup and he can prove it. You have any luck? 12:13.000 --> 12:14.000 No, better than yours. 12:14.000 --> 12:18.000 I might just as well have taken the day off for all the good we did. Nothing from the stats office, huh? 12:18.000 --> 12:20.000 No. Last one we asked for won't be ready till tomorrow. 12:20.000 --> 12:26.000 It's getting a little embarrassing, Joe. We got them checking practically every robbery card they've got. M.O., description, only a few of them come close. 12:26.000 --> 12:29.000 We've already rolled them out as possible. The one you just checked on, that was the last. 12:29.000 --> 12:33.000 About does it. Might as well close up shop for the day, huh? You ready? 12:33.000 --> 12:34.000 Yeah, let's go. 12:34.000 --> 12:35.000 All right. 12:35.000 --> 12:36.000 I'll sign us out. 12:36.000 --> 12:37.000 All right. 12:37.000 --> 12:46.000 Okay, Joe. Now that mail truck driver Houston, he and his partners were in checking through our mug books again this afternoon. 12:46.000 --> 12:48.000 Oh, yeah, I forgot about that. Did they come up with anything? 12:48.000 --> 12:55.000 I spotted one mug shot, parolee from Quentin, only a partial identity. Three of them couldn't even agree on that. I checked on the man. He's back in Quentin for a month. 12:55.000 --> 12:58.000 I can't say the three of them aren't cooperative. They sure have been working for us, haven't they? 12:58.000 --> 13:00.000 Hey, Joe, you in a hurry? How about watching out? 13:00.000 --> 13:01.000 Yeah, all right. 13:01.000 --> 13:05.000 Been a long time since we've had one start as slow as this one. We're running the worst thing. 13:08.000 --> 13:14.000 I mean, right from the start, Joe, we find a getaway car, plenty of prints on it. Can't get a make on any of them. 13:14.000 --> 13:15.000 Yeah, I know. 13:18.000 --> 13:22.000 We find out the car was stolen. We check the owner, location, leads nowhere. 13:22.000 --> 13:32.000 Prints on the steering wheel of the mail truck, parts of the mail sack, still no make. How tough can it get? 13:32.000 --> 13:37.000 Well, they might have something when their kickback comes through from Washington. The holdup men weren't amateurs. We know that. 13:37.000 --> 13:39.000 Joe, you check with Gonzalez and bidder off today. I didn't see him. 13:39.000 --> 13:46.000 Yeah, they're not doing much better than the rest of us. They got an informant hot on the thing. He's supposed to have some work for them tomorrow and a couple of possibles. 13:46.000 --> 13:50.000 Hey, how about the money taken from the mail they got? List of the serial numbers on the bills going out to anybody? 13:50.000 --> 13:54.000 Yeah, I revised what went on late last night. Copy several of them. 13:54.000 --> 13:55.000 Right? 13:55.000 --> 13:56.000 Yeah, I'll be right here. 13:56.000 --> 13:57.000 Call for you, Mr. Rodgers. 13:57.000 --> 13:59.000 Okay, thanks. Be right there. 14:00.000 --> 14:01.000 Okay, let's go. 14:01.000 --> 14:02.000 All right. 14:05.000 --> 14:08.000 Hope this call means something, Joe. I wouldn't mind going late tonight. 14:08.000 --> 14:09.000 What do you mean? 14:09.000 --> 14:13.000 My sister-in-law Florence, you're having me and the wife over for dinner, some kind of fancy pork dish. 14:13.000 --> 14:14.000 What's the matter with that? 14:14.000 --> 14:16.000 She never cooks anything until it's done. She likes things raw. 14:16.000 --> 14:17.000 Is that so? 14:17.000 --> 14:20.000 Imagine what that roast pork's gonna be like. We'll all end up with trichinosis. 14:20.000 --> 14:21.000 Yeah. 14:21.000 --> 14:22.000 Go ahead. 14:23.000 --> 14:24.000 Mac, which one, Mac? 14:24.000 --> 14:25.000 One, too, Joe. 14:25.000 --> 14:26.000 Thank you. 14:28.000 --> 14:31.000 Friday, Targon. Yeah. Oh, yeah, John. 14:31.000 --> 14:32.000 Mm-hmm. 14:32.000 --> 14:33.000 I'm sure it checks. 14:33.000 --> 14:37.000 Okay, fine. About 20 minutes. 20 minutes, yeah. Right, thank you. 14:37.000 --> 14:38.000 Anything, Joe? 14:38.000 --> 14:42.000 Grocery detectives, they got a petty theft suspect out there now named Cecil Grant. Picked him up this morning. 14:42.000 --> 14:43.000 What about him? 14:43.000 --> 14:47.000 Well, he had a $20 bill on him stuffed down the corner of his pocket. 14:47.000 --> 14:48.000 Yeah? 14:48.000 --> 14:50.000 It checked out the serial number. It's on the list. 14:54.000 --> 15:02.000 6.05 p.m. Frank and I got in the car and drove out to Wilshire Station where we double-checked the serial numbers on the $20 bill taken from the petty theft suspect, Cecil Grant. 15:02.000 --> 15:11.000 It checked out. The officers at Wilshire Division had already made a run on Grant through R&I, but outside of one other arrest for petty theft, he had no further criminal record. 15:11.000 --> 15:14.000 His fingerprints had been checked, but they failed to tie in. 15:14.000 --> 15:20.000 The suspect was taken from his cell to the interrogation room where Bill and I questioned him. He talked a lot, but he didn't say much. 15:20.000 --> 15:25.000 Well, now, look, there ain't any reason to get mad. We can settle this thing without a big lube, Art. No reason to get mad. 15:25.000 --> 15:29.000 28 sacks of U.S. mail, mister. A couple of men slugged, but they couldn't stand up. We figure that's a good reason. 15:29.000 --> 15:33.000 All right, all right. I know. Why bring your troubles and me? That wasn't in our... 15:33.000 --> 15:37.000 You got a piece of the loot, a $20 bill. You had it in your pocket. You admit it's yours. 15:37.000 --> 15:38.000 All right, so what? 15:38.000 --> 15:41.000 The holdup's still fresh. It ties you in close, Cecil. You're warm enough for us. 15:41.000 --> 15:42.000 What do you mean? What are you getting at? 15:42.000 --> 15:46.000 You don't need me to explain it. You got a piece of the loot. You say the bill must have been in your pocket for at least a day. 15:46.000 --> 15:47.000 That's right. 15:46.000 --> 15:49.000 Then it's a good chance you were in contact with the thieves, either that or you're one of them. 15:49.000 --> 15:52.000 I'm not. You know that. Couldn't have been there. I got an alibi. 15:52.000 --> 15:55.000 Now, face it, Grant. You're not going to alibi that $20 bill. Now, how about it? 15:55.000 --> 15:57.000 I don't know. I told you I don't know. 15:57.000 --> 16:01.000 If it's not your job, you better check us out, Cecil, robbing the U.S. mail. I think you know what that gets you. 16:01.000 --> 16:08.000 I don't know. Money was in my pocket. I just don't know. 25 years, 30, maybe 35. If you're not in, why fool with it? 16:08.000 --> 16:09.000 How about it, Cecil? 16:09.000 --> 16:11.000 I'm not in. You know that. 16:11.000 --> 16:14.000 Then what about the 20? What about it? 16:14.000 --> 16:19.000 Now, this is the way it happened. Guy owed me a 20. He owed it to me for six months, maybe more. 16:19.000 --> 16:22.000 Tuesday came around, paid off. Gave me that bill you got. 16:22.000 --> 16:23.000 This last Tuesday? 16:23.000 --> 16:26.000 That's right. I thought it was funny, but he's a nice guy. I didn't want to make trouble. 16:26.000 --> 16:27.000 How do you mean? 16:27.000 --> 16:34.000 Well, when he paid me the 20 back, he said, well, look, the bill isn't phony, but don't let it out for a couple of days. 16:34.000 --> 16:37.000 The bill's okay, but just sit on it, maybe a week or two. That's just what he told me. 16:37.000 --> 16:39.000 Who was it? Where did we find him? 16:39.000 --> 16:41.000 He's a nice guy, friend. I don't want to make trouble. 16:41.000 --> 16:43.000 It's already made. Now, what about it? 16:43.000 --> 16:57.000 Johnny Carter, 380 Nashville Avenue, Apartment 2. 16:57.000 --> 17:02.000 You are listening to Dragnet, authentic stories of your police force in action. 17:02.000 --> 17:08.000 Because of its quality, Fatima is the one king-size cigarette that stands up. 17:08.000 --> 17:10.000 Here's the practical way to prove that yourself. 17:10.000 --> 17:14.000 Compare Fatima with any other king-size cigarette. 17:14.000 --> 17:19.000 One, Fatima's length filters the smoke 85 millimeters for your protection. 17:19.000 --> 17:22.000 Two, Fatima's length cools the smoke for your protection. 17:22.000 --> 17:29.000 Three, Fatima's length gives you those extra puffs, 21 percent longer than standard cigarette size. 17:29.000 --> 17:32.000 Fatima gives you more for your money. 17:32.000 --> 17:39.000 And in king-size Fatima, you get an extra mild and soothing smoke, plus the added protection of Fatima quality. 17:39.000 --> 17:44.000 Because of its quality, its extra mildness, and superbly blended tobaccos, 17:44.000 --> 17:49.000 more and more smokers coast to coast are switching to Fatima every day. 17:49.000 --> 17:53.000 Buy Fatima, your money back plus postage. 17:53.000 --> 17:57.000 If you're not convinced, Fatima is better than the king-size cigarette you're now smoking. 17:57.000 --> 18:02.000 Just return the pack and the unsmoked Fatimas by August 1st, 1952. 18:02.000 --> 18:05.000 Fatima, Box 37, New York 1. 18:05.000 --> 18:12.000 Add to your smoking enjoyment, smoke king-size Fatima, extra mild and soothing, 18:12.000 --> 18:15.000 plus the added protection of Fatima quality. 18:15.000 --> 18:19.000 Get Fatima in the bright, sunny yellow pack. 18:19.000 --> 18:22.000 Best of all, king-size cigarette. 18:22.000 --> 18:36.000 August 7th, Thursday, 6.55 p.m. We called R&I, but they had no make on the name John Carter. 18:36.000 --> 18:43.000 My partner, Frank Smith, and I left Wilshire Division and headed out to check on the address given us by the theft suspect Cecil Grant. 18:43.000 --> 18:47.000 The 300 block on Nashville Avenue was in West Hollywood, just below Melrose. 18:47.000 --> 18:53.000 Number 380 was an aging two-story apartment house. The architecture was Old Spanish, a relic of the mid-20s. 18:53.000 --> 18:58.000 The name John Carter appeared on one of the mailboxes, but when we rang, there was no answer. 18:58.000 --> 19:03.000 We contacted the apartment manager and he told us John Carter worked at night at a downtown garage. 19:03.000 --> 19:07.000 Along with the manager, we went up to the second floor and checked through the suspect's apartment. 19:07.000 --> 19:11.000 We found nothing to indicate that he'd taken part in the mail hold-up. 19:11.000 --> 19:16.000 After a routine interview with the manager, we got the name and address of the garage where Carter was employed and we left. 19:16.000 --> 19:23.000 8.23 p.m. We pulled up and parked half a block away from Carter's place of employment, an all-night service garage on South Figueroa. 19:23.000 --> 19:27.000 Frank waited in the car and I headed up the block alone toward the garage. 19:27.000 --> 19:33.000 In the event Carter was one of the mail truck hold-up men, it was a possibility his two confederates might be employed at the same place he was. 19:33.000 --> 19:36.000 If this was the case, we didn't want to tip them off. 19:42.000 --> 19:43.000 Hi. 19:43.000 --> 19:45.000 Yeah, you want something more? 19:45.000 --> 19:47.000 Yeah, I do. I need a little help if you've got the time. 19:47.000 --> 19:50.000 I don't know. I'm busy right now. What's the matter? 19:50.000 --> 19:54.000 I got my car stalled down the street there. I can't figure out what's wrong. A lousy thing just stopped on me. 19:54.000 --> 19:56.000 All right. Check the gas tank? 19:56.000 --> 19:59.000 Yeah, nothing as simple as that. I got almost a full tank. 19:59.000 --> 20:05.000 Well, I hate to bother you. You think you could come down and take a look at it? It's not far, just a half a block down the street. 20:05.000 --> 20:07.000 I'm pretty busy. You can see that. I don't know. 20:07.000 --> 20:13.000 Sure appreciate it if you give it a look. I'm not much of a mechanic myself. Probably something real small. My car's almost new. 20:13.000 --> 20:15.000 No, no, just a minute. 20:17.000 --> 20:19.000 All right, that's gonna have to do it. 20:19.000 --> 20:23.000 It's two and a half service charge, a half liter garage. I guess you know that. 20:23.000 --> 20:25.000 Okay, that's all right with me. I gotta get that car started. 20:25.000 --> 20:28.000 You're paying in advance. We've had too many hassles on this before. 20:28.000 --> 20:30.000 Okay. 20:31.000 --> 20:32.000 Where you go? 20:32.000 --> 20:34.000 Yeah, okay. 20:34.000 --> 20:35.000 Just down the street, you said? 20:35.000 --> 20:36.000 Yeah, down this way. 20:36.000 --> 20:38.000 Okay. 20:38.000 --> 20:41.000 I don't know what happened to the lousy thing. It just quit on you. 20:41.000 --> 20:47.000 I know. Nice night. What'd you do, a pound on a gas pedal, flood the carburetor? 20:47.000 --> 20:54.000 No, I don't think so. I kept trying to start it when the thing quit on me. There's an automatic choke on the car though. Maybe that had flooded. I don't know. 20:54.000 --> 20:57.000 A half a block now. Which one's your car? 20:57.000 --> 20:59.000 Straight ahead, Dad. A great sedan. 20:59.000 --> 21:01.000 Oh, yeah. 21:01.000 --> 21:02.000 This one right here. 21:02.000 --> 21:03.000 Okay, yeah. 21:03.000 --> 21:06.000 Well, never mind that, mister. Just get in the car. All right, thanks. 21:06.000 --> 21:08.000 Oh, what's this? 21:08.000 --> 21:10.000 Police officer. Just identification. Get in the car. 21:10.000 --> 21:11.000 What's the matter? What is it? 21:11.000 --> 21:15.000 Come on, come on. In the car. 21:15.000 --> 21:17.000 Hey, what's the pitch? What's it all about? 21:17.000 --> 21:19.000 Your name, John Carter, address 380 Nashville Avenue. 21:19.000 --> 21:20.000 I don't know what you're talking about. 21:20.000 --> 21:21.000 Is that your name and address? 21:21.000 --> 21:23.000 All right, it is. What about it? 21:23.000 --> 21:24.000 Get him behind you. Help him, Frank. 21:24.000 --> 21:26.000 Yeah. 21:26.000 --> 21:27.000 All right, that's good. 21:27.000 --> 21:29.000 Why are you trying to pull? What's this about? 21:29.000 --> 21:31.000 U.S. mail robbery, Carter. I want to talk to you downtown. 21:31.000 --> 21:33.000 I don't know anything about any mail robbery. What are you talking about? 21:33.000 --> 21:36.000 Nothing to worry over. If you're cleared, you'll be back on the job in an hour. 21:36.000 --> 21:41.000 Oh, why pick me? I work at Garage. It's my bread and butter. Why don't you go ahead and arrest the newsboy down at Corner or something? 21:41.000 --> 21:42.000 No, there's a big difference. 21:42.000 --> 21:43.000 Yeah? You name it. 21:43.000 --> 21:44.000 A $20 bill. 21:44.000 --> 21:54.000 9.05 p.m. After checking with the garage manager to make sure none of his employees were possible accomplices of Carter's, 21:54.000 --> 21:59.000 we drove the suspect back to the city hall, took him to the interrogation room, and started to question him. 21:59.000 --> 22:05.000 In the space of an hour and a half, he gave us three alibis, supposedly accounting for his whereabouts the night of the mail truck robbery. 22:05.000 --> 22:11.000 In the same period of time, we checked out each of the three alibis by phone call. Every one of them was alive. 22:11.000 --> 22:20.000 The questioning went on. 11.30. Midnight. 12.30 a.m. We set out for coffee. 1 a.m. 1.30. We stayed on it. 22:20.000 --> 22:28.000 2 o'clock. 2.30. 3 a.m. It was like any other interrogation. It's a lot tougher to keep asking the questions than to answer them. 22:28.000 --> 22:34.000 We were as tired as the suspect, but he had one big advantage. We had to keep pressing, and we couldn't afford to show our fatigue. 22:34.000 --> 22:38.000 All he had to do was to say no and refuse to answer the question. 22:38.000 --> 22:43.000 At a few minutes before 5 a.m., we called a halt to the interrogation, but not before we gained a point. 22:43.000 --> 22:49.000 Apparently, by a slip of the tongue, Carter gave us the name of the girl he was keeping company with and also her place of employment. 22:49.000 --> 22:55.000 After we booked Carter on suspicion of 211 PC, and after we picked up two hours sleep, we located the girlfriend, 22:55.000 --> 23:00.000 a Grace Nelson, at her place of employment, a telegraph office at Alpine and South Flower. 23:00.000 --> 23:05.000 All I know is I met John about three months ago. His family's from Cedar Rapids, same as mine. 23:05.000 --> 23:07.000 There's nothing wrong with John I know of. 23:07.000 --> 23:09.000 You don't know any of his friends, Miss Nelson, any of the people he has dealings with? 23:09.000 --> 23:13.000 Not personally I don't. Heard him talk about something though. Why, what's the matter? 23:13.000 --> 23:15.000 Do you remember any of the names, Miss Nelson? 23:15.000 --> 23:18.000 I don't see. He's always talking about Sid. I don't know his last name though. 23:18.000 --> 23:22.000 I don't know where you'd find him. Then there's Sammy. I don't remember his last name either. 23:22.000 --> 23:25.000 I met Sammy once, but I don't know where he stays. 23:25.000 --> 23:30.000 Did you notice anything unusual about Mr. Carter the last week or so, ma'am? I mean, anything peculiar, anything out of the ordinary. 23:30.000 --> 23:34.000 Any peculiar? No, I don't think so. John's been just as nice as ever to me. 23:34.000 --> 23:37.000 I like him very much. Matter of fact, he's been nicer than he's ever been. 23:37.000 --> 23:39.000 How do you mean, Miss? 23:39.000 --> 23:41.000 Well, for my birthday, I mean, last Wednesday. 23:41.000 --> 23:42.000 Yeah. 23:42.000 --> 23:46.000 He was so sweet about it. I mean, really sweet. He gave me $400. Gave it to me in cash. 23:46.000 --> 23:50.000 Told me to go out and buy what I wanted. Wouldn't you say that's sweet? 23:50.000 --> 23:52.000 Do you have any of that money left, Miss Nelson? 23:52.000 --> 23:59.000 Yes, of course I have. See, right here, my case. See, right there. More than half of it. 23:59.000 --> 24:01.000 Did Carter tell you where he got this money, Miss Nelson? 24:01.000 --> 24:05.000 Gambling game. He said he wanted the cards. What's wrong? 24:05.000 --> 24:09.000 Serial numbers, ma'am. His money was taken in a holdup, U.S. mail. 24:09.000 --> 24:11.000 They've got a pretty good reason to suspect Carter. 24:11.000 --> 24:14.000 You mean John's a thief? That's how he got the money? I can't believe it. 24:14.000 --> 24:16.000 Quite as true, ma'am. 24:16.000 --> 24:21.000 So hard to believe. I hope you don't think I had anything to do with it. I mean, robbing people, mails. 24:21.000 --> 24:24.000 Are you sure it's John Carter you want? Yes, ma'am, we're pretty sure. 24:24.000 --> 24:27.000 We understand you were pretty close to him. He said the two of you were going to get married. 24:27.000 --> 24:30.000 I don't know. We did have it said at one time, but now I don't know. 24:30.000 --> 24:34.000 I mean, I have people in this town, my whole family. I couldn't let this get out, ma'am. 24:34.000 --> 24:38.000 You're willing to admit the $400 you got came from John Carter, the same bills that he gave him to you? 24:38.000 --> 24:42.000 I don't know. I love John. I want to hurt him. I really love him. 24:42.000 --> 24:43.000 Tell me the truth. What's going to happen? 24:43.000 --> 24:48.000 Well, he's going to be charged with robbery, ma'am, holding up a U.S. mail truck, taking 28 sacks of registered mail. 24:48.000 --> 24:49.000 John? John Carter? 24:49.000 --> 24:53.000 That's right, him and two others. I'd like to ask you one more question, miss. 24:53.000 --> 24:55.000 Do you have any idea what Carter was up to, the robbery, Emmy? 24:55.000 --> 25:00.000 Me? Of course not. No idea at all. I love John. I love him for what I thought he was. 25:00.000 --> 25:05.000 I'd go through anything for him. I love him. Just wouldn't make any sense, though, would it? 25:05.000 --> 25:06.000 Ma'am? 25:06.000 --> 25:10.000 Going to jail for him. Just common sense. You can't love anybody that much. 25:10.000 --> 25:23.000 That afternoon, we had the suspect John Carter brought from his cell to the interrogation room where he was confronted with a testimony of both Cecil Grant and Grace Nelson, two of the people he'd given some of the stolen money to. 25:23.000 --> 25:29.000 Another hour of interrogation and Carter broke. He admitted taking part in the holdup and gave us the name of his partner. 25:29.000 --> 25:34.000 He named as the leader and mastermind of the robbery a Sidney Grover at an address in Highland Park. 25:34.000 --> 25:36.000 Frank and I checked it out. 25:37.000 --> 25:38.000 Yeah? 25:38.000 --> 25:40.000 Police officers. You Sidney Grover? 25:40.000 --> 25:44.000 Yeah. I'm not feeling so well. Can't you come back later? I'm not feeling well at all. 25:44.000 --> 25:46.000 It's kind of important, Grover. I'd like to talk to you downtown. 25:46.000 --> 25:49.000 Come back later, huh? A little later on. I got so many troubles right now. Please. 25:49.000 --> 25:54.000 I'd like to talk to you about a holdup, Grover. A mail truck. We got the two men who worked it for you. They gave us the whole story. 25:54.000 --> 25:59.000 Two men? What do you mean? Can't you see I got troubles? Please don't bother me. Come back later, huh? Bad trouble. 25:59.000 --> 26:01.000 You better get your coat, Grover. I got to talk to you downtown. 26:01.000 --> 26:06.000 Look, don't you understand? My son's left me. My only boy. In fact, his baggie walked out. He left me. 26:06.000 --> 26:12.000 Ray, that's your problem, mister. He said he didn't want any part of me. He had an argument. He didn't like what I was doing. Big argument. 26:12.000 --> 26:16.000 He slapped my face. My own boy. And he walked out. He slapped my face. 26:16.000 --> 26:19.000 All right. You want to get your coat? Yeah. Okay. 26:21.000 --> 26:24.000 Mail job. Is that it? Got the other two? Yeah, we got them. 26:24.000 --> 26:26.000 All right. No argument. 26:26.000 --> 26:35.000 I didn't try to run away. I guess you can see that. My boy said I was a crook. We argued. He slapped me. He walked out. 26:35.000 --> 26:38.000 Can't come, Sergeant. I wouldn't know. Let's go, Grover. 26:39.000 --> 26:46.000 A sour story, huh? An old man trying a mail robbery. I'm 55. I don't look it, do I? 26:46.000 --> 26:52.000 Kid slapped my face. He said I was a crook. I couldn't get him back. My only boy. 26:52.000 --> 26:59.000 Wish he hadn't called me a crook. But it's our story, isn't it? Yeah, it's sour. Let's go. 27:06.000 --> 27:11.000 The story you have just heard was true. The names were changed to protect the innocent. 27:11.000 --> 27:18.000 On November 29th, trial was held in Superior Court, City and County of Los Angeles, State of California. In a moment, the results of that trial. 27:18.000 --> 27:24.000 Now, here is our star, Jack Webb. Thank you, George Fenomen. Friends, there's one thing I'd like you to remember the next time you buy cigarettes. 27:24.000 --> 27:29.000 Patemas give you more for your money. That's because no other king-size cigarette can match patema quality. 27:29.000 --> 27:33.000 And because patema is 21% longer than standard cigarette size. 27:33.000 --> 27:39.000 That added length means that patema's extra mild and soothing smoke is cooled and filtered for your protection. 27:39.000 --> 27:42.000 Get a pack tomorrow and compare them with the cigarettes you've been smoking. 27:42.000 --> 27:48.000 Patema, best of all, king-size cigarettes. 27:54.000 --> 28:04.000 Sidney Allen Grover, along with his two accomplices, John Harold Carter and Samuel Maxwell Johnson, were tried and convicted of robbery in the first degree, one count, and assault with a deadly weapon, one count. 28:04.000 --> 28:11.000 All three are serving their terms in the state penitentiary. First degree robbery is punishable by imprisonment from five years to life. 28:11.000 --> 28:17.000 Assault with a deadly weapon is punishable by imprisonment for not less than one, nor more than ten years. 28:25.000 --> 28:29.000 You have just heard Dragnet, a series of authentic cases from official files. 28:29.000 --> 28:34.000 Technical advice comes from the Office of Chief of Police, W.H. Parker, Los Angeles Police Department. 28:34.000 --> 28:41.000 Technical advisors, Captain Jack Donahoe, Sergeant Marty Wynn, Sergeant Vance Risher. Heard tonight were Herb Ellis, Big Perrin, and Inga Hollis. 28:41.000 --> 28:46.000 The script by Jim Moser. Music by Walter Schuman. Hal Gibney speaking. 28:46.000 --> 29:04.000 Patema cigarettes, best of all, king-size cigarettes, brought to you by Dragnet, transcribed from Los Angeles. 29:04.000 --> 29:16.000 Now, it's Counterspy on NBC.