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You're a detective sergeant.
You're assigned to forgery detail.
Several small neighborhood businessmen are being victimized by a Czech forger.
His method of operation is an old one, but the merchants continue to be swindled.
Your job, get him.
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DRAGNET, the documentary drama of an actual crime.
For the next 30 minutes, in cooperation with the Los Angeles Police Department, you will
travel step by step on the side of the law through an actual case transcribed from official
police files.
From beginning to end, from crime to punishment, DRAGNET is the story of your police force
in action.
It was Tuesday, July 22nd.
It was hot in Los Angeles.
We were working the day watch out for a forgery detail.
My partner is Frank Smith, the boss is Thad Brown, chief of detectives.
My name is Friday.
I was on the way in to work and it was 7.50 a.m. when I got to room 29.
Forgery detail.
Morning, Joe.
Frank, how's it going?
Well, what'd I tell you?
What do you mean?
What did I say just last night when we signed out?
I don't know.
What did you say?
You remember?
Look, Frank, it's been a hot night.
Looks like today's gonna be hotter.
No guessing, won't it?
Well, that's just it.
It was hot, just like I told you last night.
Well, all right, you convinced me.
I don't get it, but it's okay.
Joe, I told you yesterday, must have said it five or six times at least, earthquake weather.
That was the last thing I said to you before we went home.
Earthquake weather.
Yeah, I know.
I guess you'll believe me now, huh?
This is what they call earthquake weather.
Look, we're not gonna go through all that again, are we?
Joe, you felt it, didn't you?
Sure, I felt it, everybody did, that doesn't put any more foundation under that old wives'
tale of yours.
You ought to believe it now if you never did before.
I tell you, Joe, in this kind of hot muggy weather, you get earthquakes.
All right, you win.
What about last July?
We didn't have any then, did we?
Well, not every year, no, but that doesn't change it.
All earthquakes hit in this kind of weather, Joe.
Oh, yeah, sure they do.
Now, you tell them that up at Berkeley, you're gonna change the whole seismograph theory,
Frank.
Well, they can't tell you when you're gonna get one, only how bad it was after it hits.
That's what we need up there, Joe, some kind of a gadget to tell us when.
Well, why worry?
You can tell from the weather.
Excuse me, am I in the right place?
Is there an Officer Smith around here?
Yes, sir, I'm Frank Smith.
What can I do for you?
My name's Martin Miller.
I run Marty's Mart at 6th and Benson.
Beg your pardon?
Marty's Mart, a little grocery store at 6th Street on the corner of Benson.
Oh, yes, sir.
Mr. Alm from the bank sent me up to see you.
Yeah, sure.
This is my partner, Sergeant Friday, Mr. Miller.
How are you, Mr. Miller?
How are you doing?
Alm's over at the B of A call just before you got in, Joe.
Said he was sending Mr. Miller over to see us.
Why don't you have a chair, Mr. Miller?
Here.
Joe, Alm says that somebody's forging Mr. Miller's checks.
Your personal checks, sir?
No, sir, my business checks.
Marty's Mart, 6th and Benson.
Let's see if we have this right, Mr. Miller.
Yes, sir.
According to Alm's, there have been seven checks passed.
They were all passed last Saturday night.
Is that correct?
That's what he told me, yes, sir.
That's why I come down to see you, but that's not quite all.
How's that, sir?
Well, you see, as soon as I talked to the bank and I found out that somebody was forging
my checks, I went home and told the wife about it.
Yes, sir.
Well, the bank tells me the man who's been doing the dirty work's a fellow by the name
of Roger Theodore or something like that.
Yes, that's right.
That's the way we have it here.
Oh, you know this man?
You got him arrested already?
No, sir.
I mean, that's what Mr. Alm's over at the bank told us.
Oh, yeah, sure.
I didn't think you boys would move that fast.
That'd be pretty fast work there.
Well, you say there were seven checks years at this Theodore's forging, is that right?
No, sir.
That's all the bank knows about.
The wife and I did a little detective work on our own.
Is that right?
You bet we did.
Em and me went through our checkbook and guess what?
Yes, sir.
When you say seven, me and Emma say 14.
Well, how do you mean, sir?
14, that's how it come for you.
Well, how do you mean 14?
Well, the bank's only found seven of them, but he actually stole 14 of our business checks.
Oh, you say you found that out after looking at your checkbook?
Yes, sir.
Got the figures right here in my vest pocket.
Let's see here.
Numbers 7020 to 7033, inclusive.
That makes 14 checks missing or told.
Well, how do you think the theft occurred, sir?
We stole them right out of the back part of the checkbook.
I didn't think nobody would find that out.
No, sir.
What we mean is how did the thief gain access to your checks?
Do you leave them out in the open where people could get at them?
Well, they're in a plain black covered book.
Emma always makes up checks most of the time.
When she's through, she generally leaves them down underneath the counter in with a size
12 paper bags.
That way we always know where to find it.
You know, a place for everything so long.
About when do you think the theft occurred, would you know?
Well, it'll be kind of hard to tell us the exact time.
Well, when did you say you and your wife first noticed they were missing?
This morning, right after we talked to the bank man.
That's when I got the idea to go through the checkbook.
My wife didn't think so much of the idea, but she found out I was right.
Would you have any idea at all as to who might have taken the checks?
Anyone suspicious loitering around your store or anything like that?
No, I don't believe so.
Emma and I know most of the people around our neighborhood.
But I wouldn't think any of those folks would do a thing like this.
Well, how about some tranching?
Somebody might have come in the store that you never saw before.
No, nobody I can recall.
You live in the back of the store, Mr. Miller.
Yeah, how'd you guess that?
Hey, you fellas are real good.
I was just wondering, sir, would it be possible somebody could have broken in during the night?
No, sir, not a chance.
No, no, we could have told that.
Well, how about when you and your wife have lunch?
Is it possible that you might leave the store unattended for short grids
while both of you are in the back, maybe?
Say, that's right.
You ever run a store?
No, sir.
Hey, George, that just could have happened, all right.
Me and Emma lots of times duck in the back and sit down and grab a bite of lunch
or a little cut of Tillamook cheese on a cracker, you know.
Yes, sir.
Hey, George, I'll bet that's what could have happened, all right.
Do you figure the checks were taken in the last month or about when, would you say?
Well, let's see, must have been sometime during the last couple of weeks of memory serves.
That's about when we received our new checkbooks, last couple of weeks.
That must be it.
I see.
But we want you to give the stenographer a full report of this, sir.
Here, Frank, I got the approvals, so follow me now.
Now, if you'll be kind enough to take this slip down to room 23,
the stenographer will take your report.
Oh, thank you very much.
Appreciate you coming in, Mr. Miller.
We'll keep you informed of the developments of the case.
Here's our card if you hear anything.
Appreciate you giving us a call.
Well, fine.
Thank you very much.
Yes, sir.
You say you'll keep me informed of what happens on this day?
Yes, sir, that's right.
Say, maybe you better talk to Emma when you call the store.
That's my wife.
Well, yes, sir. Won't you be there?
Oh, I'll be there, all right, but she'd like to have you call her.
Well, how's that, sir?
Well, it's about their mother missing checks.
Yes, sir.
I told you it was my idea.
Yeah.
It wasn't. It was hers.
The
930 a.m.
Martin Miller went down the hall to make his report.
Frank and I checked the name Roger Theodore through our files and also through our N.I.,
but there was no record on him.
10.02 a.m.
We checked with the head cashier at the bank where Miller had his checking account.
The cashier was unable to let us see the forged checks,
explaining that they'd been sent back to the people who had deposited them.
However, he was able to give us a list of the firms that had taken in the bad checks.
They were all large supermarkets in the central Hollywood area.
He told us that the checks had varied in amount from $32.50 up to $78.97
and that each check was made out to a Roger G. Theodore
with the endorsement on the back of the check also by Theodore.
11.25 a.m.
Frank and I drove out to a market at the corner of Franklin and Yucca.
It was a big place with fruit stands along the front and large signs saying,
We never close.
What do you think we find, Imager?
Probably in the back there.
These places most of them work on one of the check stands, don't they?
Hey, Joe.
Look at those Concord grapes.
Everything is so big.
Sweet too, I bet.
Never figured out some way to grow them without C's that got it made.
C's always get stuck in my teeth.
Not the manager back there unpacking those cans, C, with a badge?
Yeah, that's my opinion.
Pardon me, are you the manager here?
Yeah, is there something I can do for you?
Yes, sir. Police officers.
My partner, Frank Smith. My name's Friday.
How do you do? My name's Giles, Nicky Giles.
Would you like to talk to you about that check you cashed for Roger Theodore?
Theodore?
Yes, sir.
Now, according to the bank, you cashed a check last Saturday for $64.89 for Roger Theodore.
The check was drawn on the account of a Martin Miller.
Yeah, I remember now. You catch the bump?
No, sir, not yet. We'd just like to ask you some questions.
Sure. You don't mind if I go ahead with this stuff, do you?
I gotta get these cans stowed.
No, sir, go ahead.
Who cashed the check, sir? Do you remember that?
Sure, I remember. Me.
At least I okayed it.
One of the cashiers called me over and said this guy wanted to cash a check and would I okay it? I did.
Can you describe the math?
Sure can.
When that check came back from the bank, I got to thinking about the crummy deal.
I remembered almost every word of the conversation.
Of all the lousy snow jobs, that no good bum really dished out a lulu.
Yes, sir. How tall would you say the man was?
Hmm, maybe 5'10", 11', about 160 pounds.
Said he worked for this grocery store, this Marty's...
Marty's Mark.
Yeah, yeah, said he worked down there.
We talked about the grocery business, he told me how he wanted to start a place of his own.
Tired of working for somebody else.
Lousy trick.
Can you give us a further description of him?
Well, he was dark.
Real dark, black wavy hair, his eyes were almost solid black. Nice looking kid.
How old did he say he was, sir?
30, 31, hard to tell. He was the kind of a guy who don't show his age too much.
Do you remember what time he came into the store?
Yeah, it was right after I announced the sale of Day Old Bread on the P.A.
That'd make it about 8.30 or 8.40.
Always try to make it then so we won't be stuck with a lot of bread the next day, you know, get it off the shelves.
It's not really a day old, but by the time these women get through squeezing it,
it sure looks like they've been on the shelves a long time.
Well, do you and the habit of cashing checks here often, sir?
We never cash personal checks, get stuck too often.
We will cash payroll checks if a guy's got identification.
Do you and Dora have identification?
Sure, I had it at driver's license.
Do you have the check now, sir?
Yeah, it's in the back, you want to see it?
Yes, sir, I'd like to if we can.
Sure thing, hold on a minute, I'll get it for you.
All right.
Driver's license might lead to something, huh?
Yeah, doesn't figure it uses real name, huh?
Here it is.
You see right here in the corner, the driver's license number, W414626.
What was that again?
W414626.
No, 26.
Right, thank you.
May I see that, sir?
Yeah, here.
Thanks.
There's an endorsement on the back.
Like I said, I hope you catch it, crummy bum, the dirtiest trick ever played.
Yes.
Comes in here, buys a pound of weed, he's 52 cents on special and a kosher dill, grand total 61 cents.
Lousy deal.
Yes, sir, I wonder if we could take this check with us.
We'd like to have our handwriting man get a look at it.
Sure, anything to catch that's no good, bum.
Spends 61 cents and cons me into cashing his check for 64.89.
Not the weenies of the pickling, right me?
No, sir.
I thought of that guy spending 63 bucks of my money someplace else.
Frank and I called the office and asked them to check with DMV for a make on the number of the driver's license that we'd found written on the check.
11.55 a.m., we began to canvas the other six stores where Theodore had passed bad checks.
In each instance, the descriptions we were able to obtain varied little.
All of the managers of the stores had described him as a dark man in his early 30s.
In checking with the managers further, we found that all of the checks had been passed within a period of an hour and a half.
From the addresses of the stores, we could almost trace the exact route the forger had taken in making his rounds.
The victims all gave us the same story, that Theodore had made a small purchase, talked about the grocery business,
and used his driver's license as identification to cash the check.
2.14.b.m., we checked back into the office.
The teletype had come through from DMV up in Sacramento giving a particulars on the driver's license.
The license was made out to a Roger George Theodore, 1082 Whitley Street, Hollywood.
The description on the license, however, did not tally with the one that we'd gotten from the victims of the forgeries.
We asked DMV to send a photo stat of Theodore's license to us for handwriting comparison with the forged checks that we'd been able to collect.
The stats office made a run for us on Theodore's MO.
The names that they gave us were checked out but let us know where.
4.47.p.m., Frank and I drove out to the address listed on Theodore's driver's license.
It was a large brick apartment building with a white marble entrance.
We didn't find the suspect's name in the mailboxes, so we rang the bell to the manager's apartment.
Yes?
Mrs. Rice?
That's right. Can I do for you?
Police officers, ma'am. We'd like to ask you a few questions.
Police officers? What's going on? Is something wrong?
No, Mrs. Rice. Just some routine questions about one of your tenants.
Oh. Well, in that case, come in.
Thank you very much.
If you're police officers, I suppose you have some sort of identification.
Yes, ma'am. We do. Here's my ID card.
My name is Joe Friday. This is my partner, Frank Smith.
I have you. I'm Violet Rice.
Oh, but then you know that. Can't be too careful these days.
Oh, what did you want to know about? I know almost all of my tenants here.
They all know me, too. Call them by their first names and they call me Violet.
I don't like formality. I never could stand it.
Oh, speaking of stands, move that sewing under the floor and sit down right there.
Oh, yes, ma'am. Thank you very much.
Oh, this is about Roger Theodore, Mrs. Rice.
Roger? Oh, yes. Well, what else do you want to know about him?
Him and his wife, they used to be great friends.
Roger was a cartoonist, you know, worked for one of the studios in the valley.
Pictures he used to draw. They're beautiful.
I have some of them. If you'd like to see them.
No, ma'am. Not right now. We'd just like to know if Mr. Theodore lives here.
No, his wife moved out about six months ago.
I'd have to get the rent receipts to be sure that I think it was about six months ago.
Moved down to the beach. Took it pretty hard, you know.
Well. It took it pretty hard, Mrs. Theodore, with the sudden.
What's that, Mrs. Rice? When Roger died six months ago.
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The Apartment House Manager, Mrs. Rice, went on to tell us that Roger Theodore had caught a bad cold,
and that it had developed into pneumonia.
She told us that his death had been very sudden, and that his passing had hit his wife very hard.
We questioned her about the other tenants in the building who were friendly with the Theodore's,
but she was able to add little information to what we already had.
The description she gave us of Theodore matched the one we'd gotten from DMV up in Sacramento,
but bore little resemblance to the one we'd obtained from the supermarket managers.
She gave us the address of Mrs. Theodore's beach house.
Seven twelve p.m., Frank and I drove up to the residence, a small white house built out over the sand.
The paint was peeling off of the shutters, and a window box in front was full of dead geraniums.
Mrs. Theodore was a tall woman in her late twenties.
She asked us in, and we talked to her. She kept looking at the clock over the fireplace.
What time have you got, Sergeant?
Seven eighteen, Mrs. Theodore.
Seemed it was earlier than that. Now what was it you were asking about Roger?
We were wondering if you could tell us how his driver's license could have been used as identification by someone else, ma'am.
No, I haven't the slightest idea.
Do you have his private papers, Mrs. Theodore?
Yes, most of them. They're in a strong box at the bank in town.
Would his driver's license be among those papers, perhaps?
I don't remember. I think so, but I can't be sure. It seems to me that I put them in the box. Just a minute.
All right, fine.
Just happened to think it might be in here. I put some of his things in here. Papers I didn't think were too important.
Yes, ma'am.
Here's his draft card, club membership card, some of his personal business cards.
See, he drew a caricature of himself. He's very clever about things like that.
Yes, ma'am.
To me, that I've seen his license someplace.
No, it's not here.
Well, where did Mr. Theodore keep the license, ma'am?
He used to keep it out in the glove compartment of the car.
Of course, I knew I'd seen it just a few days ago. It's in the glove compartment. That's where it is.
I wonder if we might see it, ma'am.
Surely. What time have you got, Sergeant?
At 720.
Thank you.
It's really turning cold all of a sudden.
Yes, ma'am. Fog's coming in.
I usually have at this time of year.
Days have been so nice. Warm.
That's funny.
What's that, ma'am?
I was sure it was here.
Saw it just the other day. Now it's gone.
Some of the other things, too.
Gone, ma'am?
Yes, the driver's license and the social security card.
They were both in a little cellulite folder.
Kept them together in here. That's funny.
Was it possible that you might have taken them out of the car?
No, I have no reason to. I hardly ever use the glove compartment.
No, I'm sure they were here.
Well, maybe you picked something else up and the license came with it.
Maybe.
Look through my purse as I might have picked them up.
Okay, fine.
I'm going to warm up a little. I'll build a fire tonight.
I understand where that license might have gone.
Have to ask Lloyd.
Lloyd?
Yes, I met him a few weeks ago on the beach.
He came down to swim. We got to be very good friends.
Kind of have expecting him to call tonight,
but he would have called before this if he was going to.
I'll get my purse.
Fine, thank you.
I'm sure, though, it was in the glove compartment the last time I saw it.
Lloyd might have seen it when he borrowed the car.
He borrowed your car?
Yeah, last week.
He said he was having his overhaul.
I wasn't using mine, so I told him to take it.
Very nice.
Are you sure your watch is right, Sergeant?
Yes, ma'am.
What day was it Lloyd took your car?
Last Friday or Saturday, one or the other.
Nope, not here.
I just know where it could have gone.
What does this Lloyd look like, Mrs. Theodore?
Lloyd, he's a nice looking boy.
Dark hair, dark eyes, nice looking boy.
About how old is he, ma'am?
Well, I never asked.
I'd guess 30, 31.
Lloyd, what's his last name, ma'am?
Stratton, Lloyd Stratton.
Why are you asking all these questions about him?
Has he done something?
Is that it?
Well, we don't know, ma'am.
Do you know where he lives?
Some place in Hollywood.
I don't know the number.
He hasn't got a phone.
I called information once.
They didn't have a listing.
When was the last time you saw him, ma'am?
Monday.
He came down to take a swim and we talked.
He must be mistaken, officers.
He couldn't do anything dishonest.
I know.
By the last time he was here, he was a little short of cash.
I offered him $50 to tie the mover.
He didn't want to take it, but I insisted.
I didn't have enough to do it.
What's that, ma'am?
He wanted me to cash his payroll check.
We questioned Mrs. Theodore further,
but she couldn't add anything to what she'd already told us.
She was unable to give us the names of any of Stratton's friends,
his relatives, or tell us where he might be employed.
7 46 PM.
Frank and I drove back to the office.
We ran the name and description of Lloyd Stratton through R&I.
They came up with several possible suspects.
In the process of elimination, we were left with one name, Lloyd Stimpson,
who had as one of many aliases the name Lloyd Stratton.
His description tallied closely with the ones we'd gotten
from the victims of the forgeries.
His record showed him to be a two-time loser on parole
from San Quentin at the present time.
He'd been convicted both times for forgery.
In checking the suspect's handwriting card,
Don Meyer was able to tell us that the writing on the checks
and the exemplars of the suspects were the same.
We obtained mugshots of the suspect and drove out to check them with the victims.
9 22 PM.
We got to the market at the corner of Franklin and Yucca Street,
the manager's office.
Mr. Giles.
Yes.
Oh, you're the officers who were here this morning.
You caught the guy yet, the one who forged that check?
No, sir, not yet.
We'd like you to look at some pictures, if you would.
The guy?
You got pictures of him?
Figures if you had pictures of him, you'd catch him.
Well, we think we know who he is, Mr. Giles,
but we'd like you to check these pictures just to be sure.
Fine, glad to help.
Can I get that, bum?
Yes, sir.
Here are the pictures, Mr. Giles.
Good.
Let me sit down here and get this stuff out of my desk.
All right, fine.
Now, just look through some of them, sir, and see if the man is there, if you would.
Yeah, let me spread them out here.
I'm playing solid there.
Look at that one.
Mean looking fellow, real criminal type.
No, that's not him.
No.
Wait a minute.
Yes, sir.
This one, right here.
He's the guy.
He's the one who cashed the check.
You sure, Mr. Giles?
I'm positive.
That's him.
All right, sir.
Thank you very much.
It's all right, officer.
Glad to help.
This fellow, Theodore.
His real name's Stimson, Lloyd Stimson.
Yeah, well, this Stimson.
He done this sort of thing before?
Sir?
Forged checks.
Oh, yes, sir.
He's been convicted twice.
How about that lousy thing?
I wonder what he tells his friends when they ask.
What's that?
About his work.
Probably tells them he writes for a living.
We checked with the other victims of the forgeries.
We were able to get three more identifications of the suspect.
The rest of the people involved couldn't
be reached at the time.
We contacted the suspect's parole officer,
and he gave us his last known address,
and he said that he'd give us whatever assistance he could
in apprehending Stimson alias Stratton.
In checking the address furnished by the parole officer,
we found that the suspect had moved a week before
and left no forwarding address.
A local and an all-points bulletin
was gotten out on Stratton.
There were still seven people who
were charged with the forgery.
There were still seven checks to be accounted for,
and none of these had been reported to us
as having been forged in past.
In addition to the local and the APB,
we got out a special circular giving
the description of the suspect, his picture,
and a sample of the forged check.
It was distributed to all supermarkets and check
cashing agencies in the area.
We requested that if the suspect attempted
to cash one of the checks, forgery detail
be notified at once, and if possible,
that he be delayed until we could pick him up.
Since none of the checks had been reported
every night, it looked like the suspect might
be waiting until the coming weekend
to get rid of the other checks he had in his possession.
During the following three days, we ran down several leads
on the suspect, but none of them panned out.
Saturday, July 26, 8, 40 PM.
I got back to the office after seeing
the one remaining victim.
That you, Joe?
Yeah, I just checked that place out on Melrose.
They make him?
Yeah, said Stratton was the guy that hung
the paper on him last week.
Well, that's it then, all seven of them check out.
Yeah, all the managers said they were positive,
none of them had any doubt.
Oh, it's hot out.
Yeah, hot and muggy.
Let's not go into that again, huh?
Any word?
No, Joe, everything's quiet.
If we figured it right,
Stratton should make a try tonight, huh?
Figures he will, but I don't know, Joe.
Maybe he's figured the deal.
Maybe he planned to hit the mall one weekend,
then leave town.
Possible.
When he got away with it once,
chances are he'll try it again, I'll get it.
Oh.
Forgery Friday.
Yes, sir?
Where?
Yes, sir, what was that address again?
Hmm?
Yes, sir, we'll be right out.
All right, let's hustle it.
Mark it out on Primrose.
Stratton?
Yeah, he's there now.
The call had come from a large supermarket
in the Hollywood area.
From what the clerk had said on the phone,
Stratton had made several purchases
and then tried to cash a payroll check
drawn on Marty's mark.
The clerk had recognized him immediately and called us.
When we walked into the market,
one of the clerks motioned to us from a front counter.
Over there, Joe.
Yeah, there's no one at the stand.
Maybe he wouldn't wait.
You the cops?
I made the call.
Yes, sir, we're police officers.
Where is he?
Back there by counter 25.
I told him to be a few minutes before I get the check, okay?
He said he'd look around,
maybe find something else he wanted.
Do you have the check?
Yes, sir, right here.
You can see it's the same kind as the one on the circuit.
Yes, okay, sir, thank you.
We won't get any trouble with him.
I mean, getting him out of here.
Well, that depends on him.
I'll go around the counter, come up from the back.
All right.
I'll go around the counter, come up from the back.
All right.
Mr. Theodore?
You Roger Theodore?
Yes, you the manager here?
I don't see what the problem is.
It's a payroll check.
If you don't want the business,
there are other stores I can go to.
No, police officer, Mr. Stratton.
I want to talk to you.
Certainly, but there's some mistake.
My name's not Stratton, it's Roger Theodore.
No, no mistake, mister, let's go.
No!
Come here.
Watch it, Joe.
All right, hold it up, Stratton.
Watch that cart, Joe.
Outside.
Get in the cart, Joe.
All right, hold it up, Stratton, stay where you are.
Don't shoot!
Don't shoot, I won't try anything, don't shoot!
All right, out of the car, mister.
I'll shake him.
What's this all about?
What are you trying to prove?
He's clean, Joe, hands behind your back.
Want to check the car, Frank?
Yeah.
You won't find anything, there's nothing to find.
A few groceries, that's all.
Must be some kind of mistake.
No, I don't think so, Stratton.
Frank, what do you got?
Looks clean, Joe, just checking the seat covers.
You sure you got the right guy?
You called me Stratton, I told you my name's Theodore.
Look, get my driver's license out of my pocket, it'll tell you who I am.
All right, let's come off it.
We know who you are.
We got your record and a dozen people to identify you.
Joe?
Yeah.
All these under the seat covers in the back, checks from Marty's mark.
So what, no law against having a few blank checks, is there?
Only when you try to cash them.
The story you have just heard was true.
The names were changed to protect the innocent.
On October 21st, trial was held in Superior Court, Department 87,
City and County of Los Angeles, State of California.
In a moment, the results of that trial.
And now here is our star, Jack Webb.
Thank you, George Fenomen.
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Lloyd Harold Stimson, alias Lloyd Stratton, was tried and convicted of seven counts of forgery.
He is now serving his term in the State Penitentiary.
Forgery is punishable by imprisonment for a period of not less than one, nor more than 14 years.
Ladies and gentlemen, lightning starts a few forest fires every year.
But careless people cause many, many more.
This shameful waste of one of our greatest natural resources weakens America.
This holiday weekend, if you picnic or camp out, please be careful with fire.
Be sure, be very sure your campfire is really out before you leave it.
Remember, only you can prevent forest fires.
You have just heard Dragnet, a series of authentic cases from official files.
Technical advice comes from the Office of Chief of Police W.H. Parker, Los Angeles Police Department.
Technical advisors Captain Jack Donahoe, Sergeant Marty Winn, Sergeant Vance Brashear.
Heard tonight were Herb Ellis, Cliff Arquette, Virginia Gregg.
Script by John Robinson, music by Walter Schuman, Hal Gibney speaking.
King-size Fatima has brought you Dragnet, transcribed from Los Angeles.
Friday, hear the Mario Lanza show over NBC.