WEBVTT 00:00.000 --> 00:12.240 Ladies and gentlemen, the story you're about to hear is true. 00:12.240 --> 00:14.800 The names have been changed to protect the innocent. 00:14.800 --> 00:19.280 Dragnet is brought to you by Chesterfield, made by Liggett and Myers. 00:19.280 --> 00:26.880 First major tobacco company to bring you a complete line of quality cigarettes. 00:26.880 --> 00:35.040 You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned a missing person's detail. 00:35.040 --> 00:38.880 You get a call that a young mother and a nine-month-old baby have disappeared. 00:38.880 --> 00:42.480 Routine investigation turns up the possibility of foul play. 00:42.480 --> 00:44.640 Your job, find them. 00:44.640 --> 00:52.040 Today, friends, you hear these three words everywhere. 00:52.040 --> 00:54.200 Chesterfield's for me. 00:54.200 --> 00:59.080 The Chesterfield you smoke today is the best cigarette ever made. 00:59.080 --> 01:04.560 Best for you because Chesterfield gives you proof of highest quality, 01:04.560 --> 01:09.400 low nicotine, the taste you want, the mildness you want. 01:09.400 --> 01:16.200 Chesterfield is best for you because it's tested and approved by 30 years of scientific tobacco 01:16.200 --> 01:22.280 research. Chesterfield is best for you because it has an established good record with smokers, 01:22.280 --> 01:24.560 proven by test after test. 01:24.560 --> 01:32.480 Yes, friends, the Chesterfield you smoke today is the best cigarette ever made for the taste you want, 01:32.480 --> 01:37.680 the mildness you want. Join the thousands now changing to Chesterfield. 01:37.680 --> 01:41.120 Always say Chesterfield's for me. 01:41.120 --> 01:50.720 Dragnet, the documentary drama of an actual crime. 01:50.720 --> 01:55.240 For the next 30 minutes in cooperation with the Los Angeles Police Department, 01:55.240 --> 01:59.920 you will travel step by step on the side of the law through an actual case transcribed 01:59.920 --> 02:04.440 from official police files. From beginning to end, from crime to punishment, 02:04.440 --> 02:07.800 Dragnet is the story of your police force in action. 02:07.800 --> 02:16.000 It was Tuesday, August 12th. It was warm in Los Angeles. We were working the day watch out 02:16.000 --> 02:20.000 a homicide division, missing persons detail. My partner is Frank Smith. The boss is Captain 02:20.000 --> 02:24.200 Norman. My name is Friday. We were on our way out from the office and it was 1014 a.m. when we 02:24.200 --> 02:28.000 got to 1865 Malabar Street, manager's apartment. 02:28.000 --> 02:30.000 Better try it again, huh? 02:30.000 --> 02:31.000 Yeah. 02:31.000 --> 02:36.600 Just a minute, I'm moving as fast as I can. 02:36.600 --> 02:38.000 Sounds like she's got trouble. 02:38.000 --> 02:39.000 Yeah. 02:39.000 --> 02:40.000 Yeah? 02:40.000 --> 02:41.000 Mrs. Fleischer? 02:41.000 --> 02:42.000 Yeah, what do you want? 02:42.000 --> 02:43.400 Police officers, ma'am, would you like to talk to you? 02:43.400 --> 02:44.800 Come in, I've got to take care of that kid. 02:44.800 --> 02:45.800 Thank you very much. 02:45.800 --> 02:46.800 Nice, ma'am. 02:46.800 --> 02:47.800 Sit down, I'll be right back. 02:47.800 --> 02:48.800 All right, thank you. 02:48.800 --> 02:51.200 Sounds like colic to me. 02:51.200 --> 02:52.200 All right? 02:52.200 --> 02:54.800 Yeah, sounds like colic. I wonder if she's got a hot water bottle. 02:54.800 --> 02:55.800 What? 02:55.800 --> 02:58.000 Hot water bottle. Put it on the kid's stomach. Makes him feel better. 02:58.000 --> 02:59.000 Oh. 02:59.000 --> 03:01.200 Both of ours have the colic. Pour out three hot water bottles. 03:01.200 --> 03:02.200 On two kids? 03:02.200 --> 03:06.800 No, Joe. We lost the stopper on one of them. 03:06.800 --> 03:08.400 Baby's teething, having a rough time. 03:08.400 --> 03:09.400 Oh. 03:09.400 --> 03:11.760 This is my partner, Frank Smith. My name's Friday. We'd like to ask you some questions 03:11.760 --> 03:12.760 about one of your tenants. 03:12.760 --> 03:13.760 Oh, which one? 03:13.760 --> 03:15.800 Mrs. Shipley. We understand she had apartment 207? 03:15.800 --> 03:17.320 Yeah, she did. What about her? 03:17.320 --> 03:18.320 You know where we can get in touch with her? 03:18.320 --> 03:19.320 I ain't got any idea. 03:19.320 --> 03:20.320 When did you see her last? 03:20.320 --> 03:21.920 I guess it must have been a month ago. 03:21.920 --> 03:24.120 Possible you might be able to give us an exact date on it. 03:24.120 --> 03:26.800 Well, if I could have done that, I'd have told you right out. I got nothing to hide. 03:26.800 --> 03:28.200 Well, we didn't mean to say that you hadn't, ma'am. 03:28.200 --> 03:32.000 Well, it sounded like it. It sounded an awful lot like it. I'm going to be honest with you. 03:32.000 --> 03:33.000 Yes, ma'am. 03:33.000 --> 03:36.280 When Harriet first moved in here, we got along fine. She was all the time wanting me to tell 03:36.280 --> 03:37.880 her how to take care of the baby when it came. 03:37.880 --> 03:38.880 Yes, ma'am. Go ahead. 03:38.880 --> 03:43.000 Got along just fine. Used to have her a little cup of coffee in the afternoon, chummy. Then 03:43.000 --> 03:44.320 all of a sudden it all got different. 03:44.320 --> 03:45.320 Well, how was that? 03:45.320 --> 03:50.040 Just did. Her husband was overseas in the Army. I guess Harriet missed him pretty much. 03:50.040 --> 03:51.720 Anyway, she was always saying how she did. 03:51.720 --> 03:54.880 I wish she could be here when the baby was born. Got terrible depressed. 03:54.880 --> 03:55.880 I see. 03:55.880 --> 03:56.880 Moody, you know? 03:56.880 --> 03:57.880 Yes, ma'am. 03:57.880 --> 04:00.880 I did what I could to cheer her up. Used to go up there and we'd sit and talk. Taught 04:00.880 --> 04:04.120 her how to knit. Gave her some needles and yarns. A little present. I thought maybe it'd 04:04.120 --> 04:08.440 give her something to think about. Kind of take her mind off her and her husband. Didn't 04:08.440 --> 04:09.440 do no good. 04:09.440 --> 04:10.960 Well, how long had her husband been away, do you know? 04:10.960 --> 04:13.000 Four months this time. He's over in Japan, I think. Army. 04:13.000 --> 04:14.000 Mm-hmm. 04:14.000 --> 04:17.280 Harriet used to go out once in a while. Go down to the show. Seemed like just about every 04:17.280 --> 04:21.320 picture she saw made her sadder. I guess that's why she did it. Just got so sad she couldn't 04:21.320 --> 04:22.320 take it anymore. 04:22.320 --> 04:23.320 Oh, what's that? 04:23.320 --> 04:24.320 Tried to kill herself. 04:24.320 --> 04:25.320 As Sheppley? 04:25.320 --> 04:29.240 Yeah. I got the kids in bed one night and went up there. I hadn't heard nothing from 04:29.240 --> 04:32.800 her that day, so I went up to see how she was. Good thing I did, too. Found her right 04:32.800 --> 04:36.440 there in the living room. She cut her wrists. Right away I called for the doctor and all 04:36.440 --> 04:41.200 the ambulances and police came running around. Took her to the hospital. Big deal. Guess 04:41.200 --> 04:43.360 I found her in time, though. They pulled her through. 04:43.360 --> 04:47.480 I walk up there and find her dying. That far from death's door. And when she comes home 04:47.480 --> 04:50.160 from the hospital, what thanks do you think I get? 04:50.160 --> 04:51.720 I wouldn't know. Go ahead. 04:51.720 --> 04:56.920 Nothing. Not a single solitary word do I get. She's mad. Says I should have left her alone, 04:56.920 --> 05:00.120 let her done it. Come in here when she got back and read me off in words that I ain't 05:00.120 --> 05:01.120 used to hearing. 05:01.120 --> 05:02.120 Mm-hmm. 05:02.120 --> 05:05.080 I got five kids, mister. They take a lot of time and I ain't got enough to go running 05:05.080 --> 05:08.960 around after nobody who don't thank a person for saving their life like that. I called it 05:08.960 --> 05:11.600 quits right then. Right at that minute, we were no longer friends. 05:11.600 --> 05:14.040 Mm-hmm. When did she make the attempt on her life? 05:14.040 --> 05:17.480 Last September. I don't remember the date. I think it was the second, maybe the third 05:17.480 --> 05:22.200 week. I'm not sure about what day it was. Anyway, after I saved her life, she's mad at me. 05:22.200 --> 05:23.800 She have any people here in Los Angeles, would you know? 05:23.800 --> 05:27.600 I never heard her talking, none. She's got a sister. I don't know, but I don't know where 05:27.600 --> 05:29.960 she is. Don't think Harry'd ever said. 05:29.960 --> 05:33.240 Well, what did she say to you when she left? Did she give you any idea where she was going? 05:33.240 --> 05:37.640 I didn't even see her. She didn't even come by and say so long. Goodbye, take a jump, 05:37.640 --> 05:40.920 nothing. She just left. One night she's here, next morning she's gone. 05:40.920 --> 05:44.120 Did you get any mail while she was here? Yeah. Once in a while she got a letter from her 05:44.120 --> 05:47.200 husband. Then there was a couple of letters from San Francisco. I don't know who they 05:47.200 --> 05:49.240 was from. Did she take everything with her, all of 05:49.240 --> 05:52.000 her personal things? Nothing. Left it all here. Of course, it's 05:52.000 --> 05:55.200 not much, but it's all here. I see. Where are the things, ma'am? 05:55.200 --> 05:58.560 Downstairs, in the basement. I got it all put away in case she ever comes back. Gonna 05:58.560 --> 06:02.960 cost her, too. Storage and for me to pack it. I told you it isn't much. Some dresses, 06:02.960 --> 06:06.360 few clothes for the baby, phonograph, couple of records. That's about it. You can see 06:06.360 --> 06:08.800 them if you want to. We'd like to take a look at them before we 06:08.800 --> 06:11.720 go. Sure thing. Can't let you take them, though. I gotta collect for the storage. 06:11.720 --> 06:14.280 Yes, ma'am. Does Shipley have any close friends that you know of? 06:14.280 --> 06:17.200 Not that I know of. Of course, she might have had some down at the Dream Palace. 06:17.200 --> 06:19.760 Where's that? Where she worked. Dance hall downtown. She 06:19.760 --> 06:22.240 was kind of hostess there. That's the name of the place, is it? Dream 06:22.240 --> 06:25.040 Palace? Yeah. She might have had some friends down there. 06:25.040 --> 06:28.240 None of them ever came here, though. At least if they did, I never saw them. 06:28.240 --> 06:30.280 You know of any reason that she might have left in such a hurry? 06:30.280 --> 06:33.680 Not right off, I can't think of one. There was something wrong with her, though, when 06:33.680 --> 06:36.480 she came back from the hospital. You know, when she had the baby, she was worried about 06:36.480 --> 06:38.800 something. Would you know what it was? No. All I know 06:38.800 --> 06:41.720 is that when she'd been home a couple of days, she came down here and asked me to do some 06:41.720 --> 06:45.260 work on the apartment. I told her if she wanted anything done, she could do it herself the 06:45.260 --> 06:47.280 way she talked to me. What would she want done? 06:47.280 --> 06:49.720 The silliest thing I ever heard of. She didn't have anything to steal. 06:49.720 --> 06:54.720 Well. She wanted all the locks on the doors changed. 06:54.720 --> 07:02.760 10.46 a.m. In the company of the apartment manager, Barbara Fleischer, Frank and I went 07:02.760 --> 07:06.040 down to the basement and looked through the missing woman's effects. Other than the 07:06.040 --> 07:10.280 phonograph, several cardboard boxes of used baby clothes and cheap woman's dresses, we 07:10.280 --> 07:14.560 found nothing. There were no snapshots or letters to Aides in ascertaining where she 07:14.560 --> 07:18.080 might have gone. We asked Mrs. Fleischer to notify us in the event that she heard from 07:18.080 --> 07:22.160 the Shipley woman. We put in a call to Georgia Street Receiving Hospital and verified the 07:22.160 --> 07:27.680 story about the attempted suicide. 11.15 a.m. We checked the phone book for the address 07:27.680 --> 07:31.560 of the Dream Palace Dance Hall. It was on the second floor of a large building at the 07:31.560 --> 07:36.200 corner of 7th and Margo Streets. On the front of the building were several faded photographs 07:36.200 --> 07:40.560 of contest winners with the cups that they'd won and the name of the proprietor, Ernest 07:40.560 --> 07:46.000 Lasnik. We went upstairs. It was a large barn-like room with crepe paper birds hanging over the 07:46.000 --> 07:50.040 lights. In the rear of the place at one of the tables, we found Lasnik. He was just eating 07:50.040 --> 07:52.040 his lunch. Mr. Lasnik? 07:52.040 --> 07:54.080 Yeah? What do you want? 07:54.080 --> 07:57.920 I'd like to ask you some questions. We're police officers. My name's Smith. My partner, 07:57.920 --> 07:58.920 Sergeant Friday. 07:58.920 --> 07:59.920 Hi. 07:59.920 --> 08:00.920 How are you? 08:00.920 --> 08:01.920 I'm good. 08:01.920 --> 08:02.920 What about all of them? Sit down. 08:02.920 --> 08:03.920 Thank you. 08:03.920 --> 08:04.920 Care for a sandwich? 08:04.920 --> 08:05.920 No, thank you. 08:05.920 --> 08:08.120 Well, you do go right ahead. There's all the makings, bread, butter, salami, pickles. 08:08.120 --> 08:09.120 Help yourself. 08:09.120 --> 08:10.120 No, thanks, Mr. Lasnik. 08:10.120 --> 08:13.440 You don't mind if I go ahead, huh? Bunch of kids coming in at 3.30. I'd like to get the 08:13.440 --> 08:14.760 place cleaned up before they get here. 08:14.760 --> 08:15.760 No, sir. You go right ahead. 08:15.760 --> 08:17.580 All right. What do you want to see me about? 08:17.580 --> 08:19.080 It's about one of your employees, sir. 08:19.080 --> 08:20.080 Yeah? Which one? 08:20.080 --> 08:21.480 A girl named Harriet Shipley. 08:21.480 --> 08:24.320 Oh, yeah. I remember. She don't work here anymore. 08:24.320 --> 08:25.720 She doesn't work here anymore? 08:25.720 --> 08:26.720 No. 08:26.720 --> 08:27.720 Got any idea where she is? 08:27.720 --> 08:32.320 No, I got the slightest. I ain't seen Nadine in about maybe six months. 08:32.320 --> 08:35.560 No, sir. You don't understand. We're inquiring about a Harriet Shipley. 08:35.560 --> 08:39.880 Yeah, I know. I told you. I ain't seen her in six months. 08:39.880 --> 08:40.880 What's this about Nadine? 08:40.880 --> 08:41.880 It's her club name. 08:41.880 --> 08:42.880 Oh. 08:42.880 --> 08:46.000 See, lots of girls don't like to use their real names. In case the fellow wants to get 08:46.000 --> 08:49.600 chummy away from here, it's easier if we don't know the girl's real name, Harriet using 08:49.600 --> 08:50.600 Nadine. 08:50.600 --> 08:51.600 I understand. 08:51.600 --> 08:54.680 We've got a bunch of them. On one of the girl's leaves, we put the name back in a hat. 08:54.680 --> 08:57.440 New girl picks it. Had 14 Nadines since we opened. 08:57.440 --> 08:58.440 Mm-hmm. 08:58.440 --> 08:59.440 27 Althias. 08:59.440 --> 09:02.000 Yes, sir. Do you have any idea where the Shipley girl is? 09:02.000 --> 09:04.800 No. I might check her husband. He might know. 09:04.800 --> 09:05.800 We understand he was in the Army. 09:05.800 --> 09:09.520 Yeah, that's right. He is. Overseas. He should know where his wife is. Go ask him. 09:09.520 --> 09:12.560 Well, we'll probably do that, sir. We thought maybe we could turn her up ourselves. There's 09:12.560 --> 09:14.000 been a missing report filed on her. 09:14.000 --> 09:15.560 Missing, huh? Who told it? 09:15.560 --> 09:16.560 Sir? 09:16.560 --> 09:17.560 Who told about her being missing? 09:17.560 --> 09:18.920 The report was filed by her mother-in-law. 09:18.920 --> 09:21.760 Well, I wish I could help you fellas out. 09:21.760 --> 09:25.120 Now, the last time you saw the Shipley girl, she say anything about leaving town? 09:25.120 --> 09:27.720 No. Wouldn't be surprised, though. 09:27.720 --> 09:28.720 Why do you say that? 09:28.720 --> 09:31.920 Well, poor kid was scared to death. Told me she wanted to get away. 09:31.920 --> 09:34.280 Mm-hmm. Do you know what she was frightened about? 09:34.280 --> 09:37.400 Yeah. Cliff Bender. That's what she was afraid of. Cliff. 09:37.400 --> 09:40.400 Well, who's he? 09:40.400 --> 09:47.000 Well, look, I'll tell you the whole thing. Be easier that way. One favor I gotta ask 09:47.000 --> 09:48.000 of you. 09:48.000 --> 09:49.000 Yes, sir? 09:49.000 --> 09:51.880 You won't tell Cliff I told you. If he come up here, he could tear the place apart easy. 09:51.880 --> 09:53.360 You gotta promise me you won't tell him. 09:53.360 --> 09:54.360 All right, sir. You go ahead. 09:54.360 --> 10:00.760 Yeah. Well, um, Nadine, uh, Harriet. Well, she came to work for me about a year and a 10:00.760 --> 10:05.400 half ago. Came in, told me she had some experience in a dance place in the Midwest. I don't remember 10:05.400 --> 10:07.400 the name right off. Probably come to me. 10:07.400 --> 10:08.400 Yes, sir. 10:08.400 --> 10:11.560 Well, I told her I'd try her, you know, sort of probation. 10:11.560 --> 10:12.560 Yes, sir? 10:12.560 --> 10:16.400 Well, it worked out fine. End of the week, I put her on permanent. She did real well. 10:16.400 --> 10:20.120 Well, the guys got to coming in just to dance with her. Wouldn't have nobody else. Just 10:20.120 --> 10:21.120 Nadine. Or, Harriet. 10:21.120 --> 10:22.120 Mm-hmm. 10:22.120 --> 10:25.560 Well, that's how she met Cliff. He'd come in one night, fell for her, and they started 10:25.560 --> 10:29.280 to go together. I told him I didn't like the idea of girls going out with the customers. 10:29.280 --> 10:33.720 Not good business. Didn't make any difference to them, though. They kept right on seeing 10:33.720 --> 10:34.720 each other. 10:34.720 --> 10:35.720 That's this bender fellow. 10:35.720 --> 10:41.560 Yeah. Well, anyway, one night the soldier came in. He was took right away with Nadine. 10:41.560 --> 10:44.680 Asked her for a dance. Kept buying tickets all night so he could dance with her. Come 10:44.680 --> 10:47.680 back the next night. Same thing. All night long, he danced with Nadine. 10:47.680 --> 10:48.680 That's Harriet. 10:48.680 --> 10:52.040 Yeah, that's right. Called her Nadine. You know, I told you about her. 10:52.040 --> 10:53.040 Yes, sir. 10:53.040 --> 10:55.960 Made Cliff plenty sore, but there wasn't anything he could do about it. She wanted to be with 10:55.960 --> 11:00.560 a soldier. It wasn't too long before she told him he was gonna get married. Well, word got 11:00.560 --> 11:03.400 around about that really made Cliff hacked. Real hacked. 11:03.400 --> 11:04.400 Yes, sir. 11:04.400 --> 11:08.160 Yeah. Well, him and the soldier, Shipley, had a fight downstairs one night after we 11:08.160 --> 11:12.600 closed. Guess Cliff waited for him and Nadine to come down. Anyway, it was a real brawl. 11:12.600 --> 11:17.400 Cops and everything. Cliff really cleaned up on the soldier. Didn't do any good to him. 11:17.400 --> 11:18.400 What do you mean? 11:18.400 --> 11:21.880 Nadine told Cliff to stay away from her. Keep far away. Told him that her and the soldier 11:21.880 --> 11:24.680 was gonna get married and that they were through. She met Cliff and her. 11:24.680 --> 11:28.600 Well, the soldier and Nadine got married a couple days later and she quit her job. Right 11:28.600 --> 11:32.320 after that, I heard he went overseas and Cliff was around trying to break things up. Didn't 11:32.320 --> 11:35.720 do no good, though. Nadine loved the soldier and she planned to stay with him. 11:35.720 --> 11:36.720 Yes, sir. 11:36.720 --> 11:40.680 Well, I tried to talk to Cliff. Tell him to stay out of it. Leave the girl alone. 11:40.680 --> 11:41.680 What was that? 11:41.680 --> 11:43.680 I told him, leave the girl alone. 11:43.680 --> 11:44.680 I see. 11:44.680 --> 11:49.880 Didn't do any good. He was sure hacked. He said that she was his girl. Might take some 11:49.880 --> 11:54.760 time but he'd get her for running out on her. I figured he told her that, too. That's what 11:54.760 --> 11:58.160 she was afraid of. Don't blame her. Cliff told me that, I believe him. 11:58.160 --> 11:59.160 What's that, sir? 11:59.160 --> 12:02.160 That he was gonna kill her. 12:02.160 --> 12:12.600 12.26 p.m. After we'd gotten the names and addresses of the employees of the Dream Palace 12:12.600 --> 12:16.720 who knew the missing girl, Frank and I went back to the office. We had the names checked 12:16.720 --> 12:20.680 through the record bureau but we found that only one of the 14 people on the list had 12:20.680 --> 12:25.060 arrest records. That one was a Cliff Bender who'd been picked up on a charge of suspicion 12:25.060 --> 12:29.060 of burglary. However, according to the information on the report, he'd been released because 12:29.060 --> 12:34.100 of lack of evidence. We checked the log about the fight Lasnik had mentioned. We found that 12:34.100 --> 12:39.040 an F.I. card had been filed but that no arrest had been made. We went over to room 45 and 12:39.040 --> 12:42.600 we talked with Sergeant Egenweiler and Sergeant Rubels, the officers who'd handled the burglary 12:42.600 --> 12:47.760 case. They told us that in their contacts with Bender, he was sullen and uncooperative. 12:47.760 --> 12:51.120 They told us that he'd been seen in the company of known criminals. They also told us that 12:51.120 --> 12:55.160 in their opinion, they considered the man dangerous. We checked his last known address 12:55.160 --> 12:59.440 but we found that he'd moved in July, leaving no forwarding address. While Frank and I checked 12:59.440 --> 13:02.920 out the rest of the missing girl's friends and acquaintances, Sergeant Graham and Cliff 13:02.920 --> 13:06.680 Bailey tried to check on Bender. We talked to everybody on the list we'd gotten from 13:06.680 --> 13:10.240 Ernest Lasnik but none of them could give us any idea where we might find the Shipley 13:10.240 --> 13:13.920 girl. Most of them, however, told us about the threat that Bender had made against her 13:13.920 --> 13:17.840 life and expressed the opinion that he was responsible for her disappearance. The next 13:17.840 --> 13:21.920 day, Wednesday, August 13th, Frank and I went by communications. Then we checked back into 13:21.920 --> 13:22.920 the office. 13:22.920 --> 13:26.000 I tell you, the mother-in-law of that missing girl called again this morning? 13:26.000 --> 13:27.000 No, no, you didn't. 13:27.000 --> 13:29.600 Yeah, she wanted to know how we were doing, what progress we'd been able to make. 13:29.600 --> 13:30.600 Well, what'd you tell her? 13:30.600 --> 13:33.440 Well, I filled her in on what we found. I didn't tell her about Bender, though. I just 13:33.440 --> 13:35.760 said we thought we'd be able to find the girl. 13:35.760 --> 13:37.760 You talked to her when she made the original report, didn't you, Joe? 13:37.760 --> 13:38.760 Yeah. 13:38.760 --> 13:39.760 What'd you think? 13:39.760 --> 13:41.520 I thought there was something there that's a little off-base to you. 13:41.520 --> 13:43.320 I don't know what you're trying to get at. 13:43.320 --> 13:46.360 Well, it just seems to me that she doesn't care if we find her daughter-in-law or not. 13:46.360 --> 13:47.360 All she cares about is the kid. 13:47.360 --> 13:50.840 Well, yeah, I kind of got that idea myself. The way she talked, doesn't seem that she 13:50.840 --> 13:52.400 and the girl got along too well, does it? 13:52.400 --> 13:55.240 No. It just seems like there's something she isn't telling us. I don't know what it is. 13:55.240 --> 13:58.680 I asked her this morning if she'd heard from her son, if he knew anything about where his 13:58.680 --> 13:59.680 wife might be. 13:59.680 --> 14:00.680 What'd you say to that? 14:00.680 --> 14:03.720 Well, she told me she didn't want to bother him, make him worry. Wouldn't even tell me 14:03.720 --> 14:06.960 his mailing address. Said she didn't want him alarmed unless there was a reason. 14:06.960 --> 14:09.800 The way I see it, his wife being gone is reason enough. 14:09.800 --> 14:12.920 Yeah, that's the way it seems to me. And I told her that. She said our job was just 14:12.920 --> 14:14.840 to find the girl and the baby and that's all. 14:14.840 --> 14:18.240 Cooperation like that isn't going to make it any easier, is it? We can only do so much 14:18.240 --> 14:19.240 if she isn't going to help us. 14:19.240 --> 14:23.000 Well, it doesn't make a lot of sense. Her filing the report and then holding out information. 14:23.000 --> 14:27.080 I mean, I may better get over and talk to her again. See if we can get the whole story. 14:27.080 --> 14:28.800 How about Graham and Bailey? You heard from them? 14:28.800 --> 14:31.800 No, there's a note in the book. They got a lead on Bender. Graham said they were going 14:31.800 --> 14:33.280 to run it down for us this morning. 14:33.280 --> 14:35.400 All right. What time you got now? 14:35.400 --> 14:37.160 Uh, 9.43. 14:37.160 --> 14:41.120 I want to talk to the skipper. Make arrangements to put a picture of the shippley girl on Suspects 14:41.120 --> 14:43.400 One this afternoon. Might be able to turn something, huh? 14:43.400 --> 14:44.800 Sure, a lot of loose ends. 14:44.800 --> 14:45.800 I get it. 14:47.800 --> 14:53.800 Missing persons, Friday. Yeah, Graham. Where? What'd she say? 14:53.800 --> 14:59.800 Mm-hmm. Yeah, well, that's about the same. What? Yeah. 14:59.800 --> 15:04.800 Well, you want to call the crime line? Right. No, we'll meet you out there right away. Right. Bye. 15:04.800 --> 15:07.200 They found where Bender was living. What do you mean, what? 15:07.200 --> 15:10.400 Checked out last June, about the same time the shippley girl disappeared. Landlady hasn't 15:10.400 --> 15:13.800 seen him since. Guys came up with something else. Yeah. A couple of shirts for a baby. 15:13.800 --> 15:15.800 Uh-huh. Blood stains all over him. 15:21.800 --> 15:26.000 10.02 a.m. We got to the apartment where Bender had been living. The crew from the crime lab 15:26.000 --> 15:29.400 were there and they were photographing the room and the clothing that had been found. 15:29.400 --> 15:32.800 Sergeant J. Allen told us that he'd have to run a precipitate test on the stains before 15:32.800 --> 15:37.200 he could tell whether or not they were of human origin. 10.45 a.m. They finished their 15:37.200 --> 15:41.400 investigation on the scene and they went back to Central Station to compile the results. 15:41.400 --> 15:44.900 Frank called the office and the local and an APB were put out on Cliff Bender asking 15:44.900 --> 15:49.000 that he be picked up as a possible suspect. We also had his card flagged in the record 15:49.000 --> 15:53.500 bureau. We talked to the landlady of the apartment building and she told us that Bender had left 15:53.500 --> 15:57.400 his apartment hurriedly one night about the middle of June. She was unable to tell us 15:57.400 --> 16:00.600 the exact date, but she did go on to say that she'd been getting a check for the rent each 16:00.600 --> 16:05.000 month. We asked her if she could show us either one of the checks or an envelope that it had 16:05.000 --> 16:09.000 come in. She explained that she had thrown the envelopes away and had cashed the checks. 16:09.000 --> 16:13.200 She was unable to tell us where they'd been mailed from. She said that as far as she knew, 16:13.200 --> 16:17.200 she'd never seen the shippley girl in Bender's apartment. We asked her to notify us immediately 16:17.200 --> 16:21.300 in the event that the suspect returned. We put in a call to the bank where the rent checks 16:21.300 --> 16:26.400 were cashed and we asked that they give us the information on them. 1.30 p.m. Frank and 16:26.400 --> 16:29.800 I went over to the crime lab and we talked to J. Allen. He told us that the stains on 16:29.800 --> 16:33.600 the baby clothes were human blood. He showed us the photographs taken, but there was nothing 16:33.600 --> 16:37.900 in them that would give us any lead as to either the girls or Bender's whereabouts. 16:37.900 --> 16:42.200 That afternoon, the picture of Harriet Shippley was telecast over the police program. We got 16:42.200 --> 16:45.200 several calls from citizens who said that they'd seen the girl. We checked them all 16:45.200 --> 16:49.400 out. One of the callers, a bus driver, told us that he'd seen the girl and the baby on 16:49.400 --> 16:54.300 his bus during the month of June and that she'd gotten off in San Diego. We alerted 16:54.300 --> 16:58.400 the police in that city to look for her. Thursday morning, Frank and I checked into the office. 16:58.400 --> 17:02.600 You want to check the book, Frank, see if there's anything in San Diego? Right. I got 17:02.600 --> 17:11.000 it. Missing person this Friday. Yes, that's right. Yes, we did. Uh-huh. Where? You sure 17:11.000 --> 17:16.300 about that? Right away. Frank, get your coat. What do you got? Shippley girl. They found 17:16.300 --> 17:31.960 her. You are listening to Dragnet, the authentic story of your police force in action. Meet 17:31.960 --> 17:38.500 the Tom Harmons. You know Tom is an all-American and now a top sports announcer. Mrs. Harmon 17:38.500 --> 17:43.440 is the motion picture and television star Elise Knox. They're typical of people everywhere 17:43.440 --> 17:50.880 who are saying Chesterfield's for me. I like regular sized Chesterfields. Half for years. 17:50.880 --> 17:55.840 They're best for me, at least I think so, because of that Chesterfield quality. That's 17:55.840 --> 18:01.080 the way I feel about them too. I've always smoked Chesterfields. Now I go for the king 18:01.080 --> 18:07.800 size. Guess I like a longer smoke. So whether you smoke regular size like Elise Knox or 18:07.800 --> 18:15.040 king size like Tom Harmon, enjoy America's most popular two-way cigarette. Chesterfield's 18:15.040 --> 18:21.800 for me. You hear it everywhere. The Chesterfield you smoke today is the best cigarette ever 18:21.800 --> 18:28.520 made. For the taste you want, the mildness you want, join the thousands now changing 18:28.520 --> 18:42.720 to Chesterfield. The call had come from a nurse at the State 18:42.720 --> 18:47.160 Mental Hospital in Camarillo. She told me that they had a patient who resembled a photograph 18:47.160 --> 18:51.540 of the missing girl as televised on our police program. Frank and I left the office and drove 18:51.540 --> 18:55.200 out to the hospital. We talked to the nurse and to the doctor who was taking care of the 18:55.200 --> 18:59.680 sick girl. From personal effects and the scars on her wrists, we were reasonably sure of 18:59.680 --> 19:03.840 the identification. The doctor told us that the girl had been committed on July 17th by 19:03.840 --> 19:08.800 her sister under the name Harriet Lavin. He told us that the girl was undergoing treatment 19:08.800 --> 19:11.800 but that there was little hope for a complete recovery and that it would be some time before 19:11.800 --> 19:16.160 she could be permitted to leave the violent ward. We tried to talk to her but we were 19:16.160 --> 19:20.580 unable to get any coherent answers. We asked about the baby but the authorities were unable 19:20.580 --> 19:24.200 to give us any information. We got the name and address of the sister who had committed 19:24.200 --> 19:28.520 the Shipley girl and we drove down to San Diego to talk to her. It was a small place 19:28.520 --> 19:32.640 in a wartime housing development. The paint was peeling off the plyboard walls and the 19:32.640 --> 19:36.520 front yard was overgrown with weeds. The woman who answered the door identified herself as 19:36.520 --> 19:40.880 Pauline Lavin. Sure, what do you want to know? Don't make no difference now. You go back 19:40.880 --> 19:45.040 and tell her it's too late. Way too late. Tell who, ma'am? Mrs. Shipley, Harriet's 19:45.040 --> 19:48.840 mother-in-law. You go back and tell her she done it good. Ain't nothing left to do to 19:48.840 --> 19:51.880 Harriet. It's all been done. You can tell her that. Well, we don't work for Mrs. Shipley, 19:51.880 --> 19:54.640 ma'am. We're trying to find out what happened to your sister and the baby. Who asked you 19:54.640 --> 19:57.960 to find out in the first place? It was her, wasn't it? Wasn't she the one? She filed 19:57.960 --> 20:01.320 a report. That's what I mean. Well, you go back and tell her there's nothing more she 20:01.320 --> 20:06.080 can do to Harriet or the baby or Big Jerry. Nothing at all she can do. Where is the baby, 20:06.080 --> 20:10.200 ma'am? He's not here. Do you know where he is? Yes, but I'm not going to tell you. I'm 20:10.200 --> 20:12.800 not going to tell anybody. I promised Harriet I wouldn't tell and I'm going to keep the 20:12.800 --> 20:16.560 promise. Mrs. Lavin, we don't want to hurt your sister. We're just trying to get to the 20:16.560 --> 20:19.800 truth. Now, maybe you better tell us what you know. You ain't doing this for old Mrs. 20:19.800 --> 20:25.320 Shipley. No, ma'am. All right then. I'll tell you, but not for her. I wouldn't give her 20:25.320 --> 20:29.160 the right time of day. She's the one that did it, the whole thing. You can lay it right 20:29.160 --> 20:32.760 at her feet. All right. You want to tell us about it? Since they got married, she's given 20:32.760 --> 20:36.800 the kids trouble. Right from the first she heard about it. Said that Harriet wasn't good 20:36.800 --> 20:41.440 enough for a son. Said Harriet was cheap. Didn't make any difference to the kids. They 20:41.440 --> 20:45.960 got married anyway. They were in love, so they got married. As soon as Big Jerry went 20:45.960 --> 20:49.680 overseas, she started on Harriet to get an annulment. All the time writing her letters, 20:49.680 --> 20:53.480 telling her how cheap she was. That if she really loved Jerry, she'd get an annulment. 20:53.480 --> 20:57.360 Then she found out about the baby, so she started saying how they should get a divorce. 20:57.360 --> 21:01.560 Does Harriet's husband know about this, would you know? Sure. All along he knew it. He didn't 21:01.560 --> 21:05.560 like it. Told his mother to stay out of their lives. Kept telling her, but it didn't do 21:05.560 --> 21:12.240 any good. None. Then Harriet got the wire. The one that told about Big Jerry being dead. 21:12.240 --> 21:17.640 Almost killed her. I thought it was going to. They was really in love. It isn't often 21:17.640 --> 21:24.680 you see something like them, too. Real love. The kind you live, not the kind you talk about. 21:24.680 --> 21:28.560 One night, right after she got the wire, she got a phone call from San Francisco. From 21:28.560 --> 21:32.240 old Miss Shipley. She told Harriet that she was going to the court to take the baby away 21:32.240 --> 21:35.960 from her. Said she could prove Harriet wasn't a good mother, and she didn't deserve to have 21:35.960 --> 21:40.840 the baby. Was Harriet living here at the time? No. She'd come down every weekend, but she 21:40.840 --> 21:45.360 wasn't living here. There was a guy up in L.A. that was giving her trouble. A fellow 21:45.360 --> 21:49.960 named Bender, I think. He was with her when she tried to kill herself. He ran out so he 21:49.960 --> 21:53.360 wouldn't get mixed up in it. He was always giving Harriet trouble, so she left one night 21:53.360 --> 21:57.240 to get away from him and old Mrs. Shipley. She came down here and said that she just wanted 21:57.240 --> 22:02.080 to be left alone with her baby. That's not a lot to ask, is it? Just to be left alone? 22:02.080 --> 22:07.920 No, ma'am. It was for old Mrs. Shipley. She just wouldn't let Harriet alone. Kept after 22:07.920 --> 22:11.800 her saying how she was going to take away the baby. How Harriet was an unfit mother. 22:11.800 --> 22:16.400 Kind of got on her mind. Finally, there wasn't much else she was thinking about but how to 22:16.400 --> 22:22.920 keep her baby. She went out walking one night. Took the baby with her. Rained. Rained real 22:22.920 --> 22:29.080 hard. I guess the baby took cold. Anyway, the next day he came down with a bad fever. 22:29.080 --> 22:37.080 A couple days later, he was dead. Not even a year old, and he was dead. You want to go 22:37.080 --> 22:42.360 to the hospital? Harriet sat around for a week. Didn't say anything. Didn't do nothing. 22:42.360 --> 22:48.360 Just stared at the wall. Didn't even cry. Just sat and looked at the wall. And all of 22:48.360 --> 22:52.920 a sudden she just fell apart. I called the doctor. Said it was a breakdown and said I 22:52.920 --> 22:58.520 should have her committed. I signed the papers and that's where she is. I went up to see 22:58.520 --> 23:05.760 her. She didn't even know me. I'm her sister and she didn't even know me. So you just tell 23:05.760 --> 23:10.840 Mrs. Shipley how she did good. You just tell her what she did to my sister. Tell her how 23:10.840 --> 23:14.160 the baby's dead and she's finally got what she wanted because now Harriet hasn't got 23:14.160 --> 23:31.040 the baby. Nobody's got him. Nobody's got him. Nobody. Come on, Frank. Yeah. Where 23:31.040 --> 23:42.520 to? We'd better get back to town. Yes, sir. See Mrs. Shipley. We got back to Los Angeles 23:42.520 --> 23:46.720 at 9.30 p.m. We went directly to the hotel where Mrs. Shipley was staying. The desk clerk 23:46.720 --> 23:50.520 told us that she left word that she was not to be disturbed. He called the room and she 23:50.520 --> 23:53.840 asked that we come up. We took the elevator to the seventh floor and we walked down the 23:53.840 --> 24:04.320 hall. Good evening, Sergeant Friday. Officer Smith, come in. Thank you. Thank you, ma'am. 24:04.320 --> 24:07.720 You're just having a drink. May I fix you one? No, thank you. How about you, Mr. Smith? 24:07.720 --> 24:11.080 No, thank you. You don't mind if I go ahead? No, ma'am. No, no. Just sit down and I'll 24:11.080 --> 24:16.360 be right with you. Thank you. The desk clerk said it was important. Yes, ma'am. You found 24:16.360 --> 24:22.080 my daughter-in-law? Yes, ma'am. And the baby? Where is he? Is he still with her? No, ma'am, 24:22.080 --> 24:27.760 he's not. Where is he? Your daughter-in-law is pretty sick, Mrs. Shipley. Oh? Yes, ma'am. 24:27.760 --> 24:33.000 She's in the state hospital up at Camarillo. Camarillo? Yes, ma'am. That's a mental hospital, 24:33.000 --> 24:37.360 isn't it? That's right. I'm sorry to hear about Harriet, but I knew she wasn't very 24:37.360 --> 24:42.040 stable. Why didn't you tell us your son was dead, Mrs. Shipley? I didn't think it had 24:42.040 --> 24:46.480 any bearing on the thing. What difference does it make? You don't seem to be very interested 24:46.480 --> 24:51.520 in this way. I'm going to be honest with you, Sergeant. I'm not. Not in the least interested 24:51.520 --> 24:56.640 in what she does or where she is. I never did feel she was the right girl for my son. 24:56.640 --> 25:01.040 Never. When the baby was born, I tried to go along with it. I tried to be nice to her 25:01.040 --> 25:05.840 and she wouldn't have it. She wouldn't even be friendly. She poisoned my son, turned him 25:05.840 --> 25:11.580 against me. She's a terrible woman. Just terrible. Whatever's happened to her is just exactly 25:11.580 --> 25:15.800 what she's got coming. Naturally, I'm sorry it's the way it is, but there's nothing I 25:15.800 --> 25:21.360 can do. All I'm interested in right now is my grandchild. I want him. And if I have to 25:21.360 --> 25:28.560 go to court to get him, then I'll do it that way. That won't be necessary, ma'am. Where 25:28.560 --> 25:33.880 is he? I'd like to go and get him now that Jerry's wife can't take care of him. He's 25:33.880 --> 25:39.240 dead, ma'am. If this is some kind of a joke that you're making up to help my daughter 25:39.240 --> 25:44.080 in law keep him, it won't work. It's no joke. It's the truth. He died in a hospital in San 25:44.080 --> 25:56.000 Diego. It's not right. It's not right that he's dead. She did this, Harriet. She did 25:56.000 --> 26:02.720 it to get even with me. I know she did. We're sorry, Miss Shipley. First my husband, then 26:02.720 --> 26:09.200 Jerry. I haven't got anybody. I'm all by myself. Isn't anybody in the world who cares? 26:09.200 --> 26:13.520 Nobody. No, we're sorry, Miss Shipley. I wish there was something we could do. No, you're 26:13.520 --> 26:20.360 not. You're like the rest of them. Harriet, she is the one. Nobody else to consider in 26:20.360 --> 26:34.320 this mess. Just her. What about the baby? The story you've just heard is true. The names 26:34.320 --> 26:39.580 were changed to protect the innocent. On Thursday, August 14th, a meeting was held in the office 26:39.580 --> 26:43.800 of the Captain of Homicide, Los Angeles Police Department. In a moment, the results of that 26:43.800 --> 26:49.280 meeting. Now, here is our star, Jack Webb. Thank you, George Fenomen. You know, the Chesterfield 26:49.280 --> 26:53.040 you smoked today is the best cigarette ever made and best for you. Now, that's a fact. 26:53.040 --> 26:57.240 And to my way of thinking, it's the very reason for you to change to Chesterfield. Try them 26:57.240 --> 27:02.360 either way, regular or king size. If you try them, I think you'll say with all of us, Chesterfield's 27:02.360 --> 27:15.440 for me. At the meeting held in Captain Lorman's office, it was decided that no criminal act 27:15.440 --> 27:29.280 had taken place and the case was officially marked closed. You have just heard Dragnet, 27:29.280 --> 27:33.760 a series of authentic cases from official files. Technical advice comes from the Office 27:33.760 --> 27:38.600 of Chief of Police, W.H. Parker, Los Angeles Police Department. Technical advisors, Captain 27:38.600 --> 27:43.880 Jack Donahoe, Sergeant Marty Wynn, Sergeant Vance Brasher. Heard tonight were Ben Alexander, 27:43.880 --> 27:49.760 Herb Bygren, Carolyn Jones. Script by John Robinson. Music by Walter Schuman. Hal Gibney 27:49.760 --> 27:56.560 speaking. Watch an entirely different Dragnet case history each week on your local NBC television 27:56.560 --> 28:02.200 station. Please check your newspapers for the day and time. Chesterfield has brought 28:02.200 --> 28:10.920 you Dragnet transcribed from Los Angeles. Filter tip smokers, this is it. L and M filters. 28:10.920 --> 28:17.520 The one filter tip cigarette with plenty of good taste, much more flavor, much less nicotine. 28:17.520 --> 28:22.960 The right length for effective filtration. Only the L and M filter contains the miracle 28:22.960 --> 28:29.320 product alpha cellulose, the purest material for filtering cigarette smoke. Yes, this is 28:29.320 --> 28:35.640 it. As Russell and Russell puts it, L and M filters are just what the doctor ordered. 28:35.640 --> 28:49.960 By L and M filters, the light and mild smoke. 28:49.960 --> 28:55.280 We're Rocky Fortune following John Cameron Swayze and the news on the NBC Radio Network.