The story you are about to hear is true.
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You're a detective sergeant.
You're assigned to burglary division.
You get a call that an important piece of religious art
has been stolen from the oldest church in Los Angeles.
There's no lead to its whereabouts.
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Dragnet, the documented 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 from official police files.
From beginning to end, from crime to punishment,
Dragnet is the story of your police force in action.
It was Wednesday, December 24th. It was cold in Los Angeles.
We were working the day watch out of Burglary Division.
My partner is Frank Smith. The boss is Captain Bernard.
My name is Friday.
I'd gone across the street to buy stamps
for some Christmas cards I was sending out.
It was 9.15 a.m. when I got back to room 45, Burglary.
I sat down at a table in the squad room
and I started to address the cards when Frank walked in
carrying a stack of Christmas boxes.
Hi, Joe.
Hi.
Christmas cards, huh? Little late, aren't you?
Well, I was going to send them out Monday,
but we had that stake out.
You ought to get married, Joe.
Yeah?
It's the only system.
Faye does all that stuff for me.
Laundry, mails cards, only system.
Might help.
You got a big stack there.
I ought to cut down the list.
Look at this here, upholstery shop.
Yeah.
They send me a card every year.
I never get anything in return.
Faye and I ought to go over our list, cut off a few names.
I brought in your present.
Want to open it now?
No, I'll wait.
I always open a couple a day before.
Why?
Well, it puts you in the spirit ahead of time.
I opened Phil's this morning.
Who's he?
Faye's brother in Denver.
Gave me a magazine, one of those funny ones.
What do you mean, a comic book?
No, one of those funny ones, you know.
No, I don't, Frank.
Well, some of the pages have holes in them.
I don't know what they are.
Well, some of the pages have holes in them.
You look through and there's a picture on the next page.
Oh, yeah, I've seen those on the newsstand.
They have cloth pasted in.
Cloth?
In the ads.
If you want to buy a suit, they have a sample right there.
You mean you can feel it?
Reach right out and feel it.
It was one for $200.
A suit?
Sure.
Cloth comes from Scotland.
What's it made out of? Solid gold?
No, they've got a special kind of goat over there.
It's real smooth.
Not a goat, Frank, a sheep.
Well, it's a special kind of sheep then,
because a suit costs $200.
You going to get one?
I told Fay.
She said, wear the sample.
Anything doing?
Fanning and Pryor were in on that market holdup.
Did they come up with anything?
Pound of air, nothing else.
I hope it stays quiet.
I've got more shopping to do.
I finished.
What did you get Ann?
Stationary set, some paper and envelopes, leather binding.
Joe, you'll never learn.
What's the matter?
No woman wants a stationary set.
Get her something personal.
Well, it's got her initials on it.
No, no, you want something more sentimental, romantic.
What did you get Fay?
It's different in her case.
What did you get Fay?
Sewing machine.
That's romantic.
Well, there's no way.
Why don't you buy her a catcher's mitt?
Burgory Friday.
Yes, that's right.
You have the right department.
All right, Father, we'll be right down.
No, you can tell us about it there.
Goodbye.
The old Mission Church, they've had a theft.
Collection money?
Statue of the Child Jesus.
Frank and I checked out of the office and rode over to the church
at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Main.
The old Mission Plaza Church founded 1781,
the year Los Angeles became a Pueblo.
The outside was typical early Spanish design, complete with mission arches.
It was made of adobe and painted white.
They called it the Queen of the Angels.
The Padres from down in Mexico built it.
The devout Mexicans in town still attended services there.
10.05 a.m.
Frank and I crossed through the courtyard.
It used to be the old stable, but the Spanish priest changed all that
when it became a mission.
Stone masons paved the stable floor and made it a courtyard.
They planted grape vines, trees, and flowers.
A young priest crossed the courtyard to meet us.
He'd been sitting on a stone bench reading his morning prayers
as priests had done here for 172 years.
We asked for Father Xavier Rojas, who'd communicated with us.
We were told he was inside.
We entered a side door.
The church seemed to glow with hundreds of votive candles flickering
on both sides of the altar and at the shrines throughout the church.
It was empty except for a few people praying.
Surrounding the main altar were several old oil paintings and gold frames.
The air was heavy with a scent of advent flowers.
We found Father Rojas up near the sanctuary looking at the nativity scene.
He told us about the crib.
It was a $70 duplication of the scene at Bethlehem.
The parishioners had taken up a collection for it 31 years ago.
It was put up every year on December 22 and taken down after the holy season.
It was beautiful, except that one of the shepherds had lost an arm,
the sheep was old and cracked, and the infant Jesus was missing.
Father Rojas led us back into the sacristy.
I'm sorry to bother you, man.
It's all right, Father.
Especially now, the holiday season.
We cash our checks, Father. You want to tell us what happened?
Or what you think happened?
I discovered the statue was missing right after the six o'clock mass.
You saved the six?
Yes. I started over to the rectory and stopped by the crib.
Was the statue there before mass?
I don't know, but it was there last night.
How late is the church open?
All night.
You leave it wide open so any thief can walk in?
Particularly thieves, Sergeant.
You say it was there last night, Father. How late?
Ten or eleven o'clock. We had confessions.
No one saw it after that?
One of the altar boys. He says it may have been there. He thinks it was.
Did he see it?
He's not sure.
What's his name?
Pardon me.
Here's the schedule. You'll find the names for every mass there.
Was there a big crowd at the six o'clock mass, Father?
Not too many. Seven's the big one. People on their way to work.
Did anyone stay after mass, did you notice?
Not especially. I came back here, took off the vestments.
I suppose it was ten or fifteen minutes before I went back in the church.
It was empty then?
No. People were coming in for the seven o'clock.
Are these the altar boys, James Corneen and Joseph Heffernan?
That's right. Joe's the one who mentioned it might have been there.
Did you check with the other priests, Father?
Before I called you. None of them knows anything about it.
Just for a check on the pawn shops, how much the statue worth?
In money.
What's the point in pawn shops, Father?
Only a few dollars.
We could get a new one, but it wouldn't be the same.
We've had children in the parish. They've grown up and married.
It's the only Jesus they know.
We understand.
And we've had children who died. It was the only Jesus they knew.
So many of the people who come here are simple people.
They wouldn't understand, Sergeant.
It would be like changing the evening star.
We'll do our best, Father.
That's why it would mean so much to have it back for the first mass on Christmas.
It's not very long, Father.
Less than 24 hours.
If anything turns up here, you know where to get in touch with us.
Yes.
Sad, isn't it?
How's that?
In so short a time, men learn to steal.
Yes, but consider us, Father.
Us?
If some of them didn't, you and I'd be out of work.
10.50 a.m. We notified pawn shop detail.
Frank and I checked out the two altar boys.
The first one, James Corneen, said he knew nothing about the missing statue.
The second one, Joseph Heffernan, was not at home.
His father said he had a part-time job, but he'd have him get in touch with us right after lunch.
By 11.30 a.m., we'd run out of book procedure.
We had a man to find.
Our only clue?
He'd been to church.
11.33 a.m.
We checked the phone books for the names of religious stores in the area.
Two of them were closed.
We tried the third.
When we got there, the only person in the store was an elderly man sitting by a table.
In front of him was a large, beautifully carved chess set.
We're police officers.
My name's Friday. This is my partner, Frank Smith.
Pleased to see you. Caught me in the middle of a big chess match.
Where's your partner?
Up in San Jose. We've been playing for years.
Same match?
No, just two or three months on this one.
What I meant was we've been playing different matches for years.
I see.
You know, we do it through the mail. I send him a move, he sends me one.
Must keep you on your toes.
Except during the holidays, the mail gets all fiddled up. That's no good.
Guess not.
Slows things down. That's no good. I like to catch him off guard.
You Mr. Flavin?
How'd you know? We never met.
Your name's on the window out front.
Mr. Flavin, we checked the other two religious stores in this neighborhood. They're closed.
It's the best one anyway. 50% European items.
We're checking the stores around the Mission Church.
For what?
Statue of the Child Jesus. Do you have one we could look at?
Sure.
No, sir. A larger one.
You don't want a larger one. Unless it's for a church. That's why you want a larger one.
Could we see it, please?
It's not my due to butt in.
But unless you live in a big place, this'll make your living room all the kilter.
Yes, sir. Do most of the people who go to the Mission Church trade here?
Good many of them. Special to kids.
Why kids?
More religious. Check on yourself. See if kids aren't more religious than you.
Might be so.
That's what's wrong with the world. Oh, I don't mean you're wrong with it. Everybody.
Yes, sir. What if we could stick to the point, Mr. Flavin?
Sure. A lot of people from the Mission Church come in here.
Do people ever come in and sell back a religious article?
Like a prayer book or rosaries?
Yes, sir.
Secondhand, you mean?
Yes, sir.
Not since I ever been around. It's silly.
Why?
People don't have religious articles so they can get rid of them. They have them so they can have them.
But if a man had a statue and wanted to sell it, he'd come to a place like this.
Sure, but he wouldn't want to sell it.
He would if it was stolen.
No, sir. If a man wants to steal a statue, he'd be crazy or something like that.
The only place he'd want to go is where crazy people are.
You may be right, Mr. Flavin.
I don't know what you fellas are looking for, but if it's somebody who stole a statue, he's crazy and you won't find him.
You won't find him as long as you live. Or in a million years.
That should cover it.
We checked religious stores out as far as Van Ness. We asked the same questions.
The owners gave us the same answers, but none of them were as encouraging as Mr. Flavin.
Frank and I had lunch and reported back to the office.
It was 1.30 p.m. when we started into the squad room. The captain was just coming out.
I just checked for you in the lunch room.
We've been out on that theft of the mission.
We may get some action on the Patterson case.
Did they locate him?
I think he's on the bus from Sacramento.
Well, that means the Bakersfield police.
We'll wait and see.
Are one of you fellas Sergeant Freddie?
He is.
I'm Joe Heffnin. My father said you wanted to see me.
Well, sit down, son. You didn't have to come in. A phone call would have worked.
My father said to get on over. He says that any kid that uses phones is lazy.
We want to ask you about this morning. You serve six o'clock mass?
Yes, sir. I'm senior boy. So I get the sixth.
You're senior and you take the early trick?
Yes, sir. That way if you receive communion, you get to have breakfast sooner.
Father Rojas says you think the statue was there before mass.
I didn't look, but I have a feeling it was there.
A feeling?
You know, how you have a feeling about something, but you're not sure.
Did you stay around long after mass?
I put out the candles and hung up my surplus.
How long would that take?
About five minutes, maybe.
Did any of the people at mass stay on?
Some always do, especially ladies.
Oh?
Maybe they don't finish any time. Where else they start new prayers? I don't know.
So when you left, there were still some women there?
No, sir. That was at first. After I went back to the sacristy, there was only this one man.
What man?
He comes at six o'clock all the time.
Do you know his name?
No, sir, but he works down in Olive. You know, paint shop. Where the paint signs.
Could you describe him?
Sort of medium. He was wearing a suit that didn't match.
Didn't match?
You know, different pants than coat.
How about his age?
Always pretty old.
Take a guess.
About forty maybe. There's nothing particular about him.
Then why did you notice him?
I've seen him before. In the bundle, I guess.
The bundle?
Out in front. I saw him when he was coming out. He had this bundle, and he almost dropped it.
How large a bundle?
It's hard to say.
Come on, son. Was it large or small, the size of the statue?
Not that big. Yes, sir.
We located the sign shop. The suspect didn't work there anymore,
but we discovered his name was Claude Stroop. We found out where he lived.
Two twenty-five p.m. We arrived there.
It was a hotel for men, mostly old men, mostly down in outers.
It was called the Golden Dream.
Police officers. We're looking for Claude Stroop.
Hope Claude didn't get in any trouble.
So do we. Is he in?
No. He's got room 307. You can check if you like.
He'll take your word.
Were you on this morning?
Huh?
You had the early shift.
Well, we don't have shifts. My uncle owns the place. I'm the shift.
Did Stroop spend last night here?
Came in about eleven.
When did he leave this morning?
Around six, maybe before.
Did he come back after?
Eight o'clock or so. Then left. Supposed to be back at ten.
Then pulls this trick.
What trick?
Our program. He knows the other fellas need him.
Program?
They're here at the hotel. Every Christmas we have a program.
Put up a tree and sing. They're mostly old fellas.
Singing like that makes them remember back when they were kids.
Then Jimmy Finn comes on.
Jimmy Finn?
He shares number 409.
His family once had a lot of money, so he tells the fellas about it.
Stories about Christmas.
How they had this big log and his grandfather used to start it up.
After dinner, everybody turned over his plate and there underneath was a $20 gold piece.
Brand new one.
When Stroop came in this morning, did he have a bundle?
I didn't see him come in.
You said you saw him.
I saw him go out after, but not come in.
When was that?
Eight. If you want to look for a bundle, I could give you his key.
We don't have a warrant.
It's all right. I know about police. It's all right with me.
It's not with us.
I didn't mean that. I just meant it was all right with me.
Good King Wester's lost look down on the feast of Stephen.
When the snow went round the house...
They were three old men.
You couldn't tell how much better they would have been with Stroop singing the fourth part,
but somehow you didn't care.
This was Christmas at the Golden Dream and it sounded fine.
...that night.
Though the frost was cruel, when the poor man came in sight,
gathering winter fuel.
This is the last rehearsal. They got most of the songs down pat.
Sounds pretty good.
That's why it's a shame Claude isn't here.
He's tenor and they need him to make it sound just right.
Does Stroop have a job?
No, sir. He used to have jobs. Not much lately, though.
Did he say where he was going?
No, he should have. The fellas need him.
When he comes in, will you call us?
Sure, and not say anything to him.
That's right.
I hope it's nothing serious for Claude.
The fellas' troubles ought to be over.
Troubles?
Way back, it wouldn't count now.
Tell us anyway.
I don't know much about it.
As much as you know. Now come on.
It was something back where he used to live.
He robbed somebody or something.
What else?
That's all.
It was a long time ago, way far back.
But he forgot it all, the robin and everything?
No, not quite.
He remembered it this morning.
God rest ye merry gentlemen, let nothing you dismay.
For Jesus Christ our Savior was born upon this day.
To save the world.
We went back to the office and ran Stroop's name through R&I.
If he'd been booked anywhere, we had no record of it.
At least not under that name.
4.15 p.m. Pawn shop detail reported back.
No object resembling the statue of the child Jesus had been turned in.
4.18 p.m. I hung up the phone.
Patterson's on that Sacramento bus.
I thought Bakersfield had it.
They were supposed to confirm, they did.
I'm afraid they're going to have to wait until the next morning.
I thought Bakersfield had it. They were supposed to confirm, they did.
Upward station.
What about Fanning and Pryor?
They're still out.
They'll be back soon. When's the bus arrive?
Six o'clock.
There's plenty of time for them to make it.
There's more time for you.
We're still in that theft.
Can it wait?
No.
What is it? Ten, fifteen dollar statue?
When's the price determine a case?
I realize it's a church statue, but that doesn't give it priority.
It's important to them, Captain. Joe and I promised to get it back.
What do you got on it?
Nothing much.
And why are you so big hearted?
Burgory Friday.
When?
No, don't say anything.
No, right.
It's Claude Stroop. He just walked into the hotel.
He's our suspect.
Nobody's leaked to him?
No.
You'll keep. You can run him down tomorrow.
It'll be too late then.
They need it for the first mass in the morning, Skipper.
It's kind of a big thing for them.
I'm sorry. I can't juggle details around so you can get a statue back.
If there's time later on, we'll do our best.
Yes, sir.
You better get over to the station.
Yes, sir.
Will you call Father Rojas over at the mission?
Why?
Tell him we're too busy to work on that statue.
But we'll do it later. Tomorrow or when we get a chance.
Why can't you call him?
Well, we better get over to the station.
If Patterson's on that bus, we don't want to miss him.
All right, I'll call him.
Friday.
Yeah.
I can send Fending and Prior.
He might as well stay on that other thing.
Whatever you say, Cap'n.
You are listening to Dragnet,
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Consider Chesterfield's record with these smokers,
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Four forty-three p.m. We arrived at the Golden Dream Hotel.
The desk clerk was right.
Claude Stroop looked like a man who had his troubles at bargain rates.
Your name Claude Stroop?
Yes, sir.
Police officers. We'd like to talk to you.
I didn't do anything against the law. Honest, I didn't do anything against it.
You haven't been accused.
I want to take you downtown.
We'd like to talk to you.
No, sir, I'm not going.
I'm not going anywhere. I'm not going to talk to anybody.
You're half wrong already.
Five fifteen p.m. We returned Stroop for interrogation.
He kept his word. He refused to talk.
Six oh five p.m. Frank called Fay, told her he'd be a little late.
Stroop didn't move for a whole hour. He sat and stared, but he didn't talk.
Six forty p.m. We got a final report from pawn shop detail.
The shops were closed. There was no statue.
Stroop still hadn't talked.
Don't you ever want to go home, Stroop?
If I was to talk, he wouldn't let me go.
Depends on what you'd say.
I'd say it wrong and I wouldn't get home.
You won't this way either.
I'd like to go. You can bet on that.
This is the seventh year we had the program and I never missed a one.
And a single one.
Why don't you tell us what happened, Stroop?
How would I know you'd let me go?
You wouldn't.
I might as well anyway.
All right, what happened from Mass on?
Well, there was Mass. I came out and started down toward the hotel.
Back up.
I left my stuff at the hotel and then I picked up George's car. I didn't steal it.
He said I could have it any time I wanted.
Only this time I didn't ask him.
I took it and started out.
Well...
I should have asked, but I just didn't.
I went over to Grand Avenue for the Christmas bulbs for this fellow Selzen secondhand.
It was coming out of the lot, but I did it.
The bumper must have caught the other car.
Didn't leave too big a dent, but there was this long scratch.
I got out and tried to wipe it off with my handkerchief.
You know, spit on it like.
Only didn't do no good.
I didn't think anybody saw.
I don't know how you fellas found out about it.
I'll check all the records.
Right.
Stroop, we didn't bring you down here to talk about that.
You didn't?
No. There's a statue missing from the church.
The statue of the child Jesus.
You mean I took it?
You took a bundle out of church.
Yes, sir.
That was my other pants for the program tonight.
I had a place sewed up and there was a button on it.
You can check.
But I wouldn't take a statue.
I don't think you would either.
He's clear at auto records.
Go on home.
For the program?
You mean it's all right?
Good night, Stroop.
Good night.
Merry Christmas.
Where to?
I don't know.
We could stay and work on it tonight.
Wouldn't do any good.
We won't find it.
I don't think so.
I'll go and get it.
I don't think so.
Tell you kid and the priest.
Build his hopes up.
I'll go tell him now.
Merry Christmas.
7.27 p.m.
We found Father Rojas.
Frank told him how it was
to get the statue back by morning,
but that we'd keep trying during the week.
He said he understood.
We told him we had to get on.
As Frank and I started to leave,
the doors at the main entrance to the church opened.
It was a good 200 feet away.
It was hard to be sure,
but it looked like a small boy drawing a bright red wagon behind him.
When he got closer, you could see he was no bigger than a pint of milk.
He was a luminous-eyed little Mexican boy
with a face as young as yesterday.
The priest seemed to know him.
Paquito?
In the back of the wagon was the missing statue of the child Jesus.
He picked it up gently and walked up to the priest.
Father Rojas?
He just stood there looking up at Father Rojas.
It's Paco Mendoza, the boy from Paris.
Ask him where he found it.
Where did you find it?
I didn't find it. I picked it up this morning.
He didn't find it. He took it.
Why?
Every year Paquito prayed for a red wagon.
This year Paquito prayed for the child Jesus.
I promised the child Jesus the first trip in my little car.
He says all through the years he's prayed for a red wagon.
This year he prayed to the child Jesus.
He promised that if he got the wagon, the child Jesus would have the first ride in it.
Will the devil come to take Paquito?
He wants to know if the devil will come and take him to hell.
That's your department, Father.
He's not the devil.
He loves Paquito very much.
We crossed over to the sanctuary.
With the help of Father Rojas, the young boy replaced the infant Jesus in its rightful place,
the crib in the nativity scene.
Frank and I could have been wrong, but the small plaster statues seem to approve.
Mary, Joseph, the wise men, Gaspar, Melchior, Baldazar, the old shepherd,
the young shepherd, the peasant.
They all seem to approve.
Vuelve a tu casa, Paquito.
The priest told the boy to go home.
He took hold of his wagon and started the long walk out of the church.
There wasn't much we could say.
There wasn't much to say.
We just stood there and watched him go.
Halfway up he turned to look back.
And he went on out.
I don't understand how he got that wagon today.
Don't kids wait for Santa Claus anymore?
It isn't from Santa Claus.
The firemen fix old toys and give them to new children.
Paquito's family, they're poor.
Aren't they, Father?
The story you have just heard is true.
The names and locations were changed.
Ladies and gentlemen, here is our star, Jack Webb.
Thank you, George Fenomen.
Friends, remember your cigarette dealer will be open right up to Christmas Eve.
And he can take care of your last minute shopping problems with Chesterfields.
Chesterfields and the special Christmas carton featuring the covered bridge.
And now, on behalf of the makers of Chesterfield, Liggett and Myers Tobacco Company,
there are over 6,000 wholesale distributors and 1,300,000 retail dealers.
And of course, all of us on Dragnet.
We'd like to wish you a very Merry Christmas.