Ladies and gentlemen, the story you are about to hear is true.
The names have been changed to protect the innocent.
Dragmint.
You're a detective sergeant.
You're assigned a narcotics detail.
The body of a man has been found in a public park lake.
Physical evidence indicates he was killed by narcotics.
Your job, check it out.
It was Monday, July 9th.
It was warm in Los Angeles.
We were working the day watch out on narcotics detail.
My partner is Frank Smith.
The boss is Captain Shy.
My name is Friday.
We were on our way out from the office and it was 10.23 a.m. when we got to room 42.
Homicide.
You got a name on him?
Yeah.
Hi Joe, Frank.
Oh yeah.
You all right with him?
Yeah.
What's the spelling on that?
Yeah, I'll check it out.
All right.
I'll call you back.
Bye.
Jack, how's it going?
Pretty good.
What about you?
Doesn't do much good to kick.
Yeah, never worked for me.
What you got for it?
Wait a minute, I'll get the pictures.
All right.
We got it late Saturday night.
Just got the results of the audits of this morning.
Thought maybe you and Frank would be interested.
Yeah, here, let me get you a table.
What is it?
Oh, here.
The way we got the story goes together like this.
A couple of kids on their way home from a late show walked through MacArthur Park.
Must have been about 10.30.
Yeah.
They stopped by the side of the lake for a minute and they saw something in the water.
Went down to check it and found the body of a man.
Yeah.
Here's a picture of where we found him.
Mm-hmm.
Contacted the park authorities and they called the police.
Tell me car answered and they called us.
Mm-hmm.
You know who he is?
No idea on him.
Made him through his prints.
The names, Walter Dumer, appears to be his true name.
Got several aliases.
How about his background?
Been picked up for just about everything in the code.
Copy of his arrest record.
He was first arrested when he was 14.
Yeah.
Piled him up ever since.
Added up, he spent over half his life in prison.
Mm-hmm.
Wait and looks, he died someplace else.
How'd he figure that out?
Go on here.
This is a picture taken of the path leading to the lake.
Yeah.
See here, the tracks?
Mm-hmm.
Looks like he was dragged down the gravel path and then dropped into the water.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
See there, Joe?
Yeah.
What killed him?
Had us for a while.
He was in a coma.
The poor old man.
He had to think for a minute.
On his record, there are a half dozen people in town who'd like to take care of it.
Yeah.
Copy of the autopsy report.
Well, we'll explain why we thought you might want a piece of it.
No.
He died of narcotics poisoning.
We went over the dead man's effects without coming up with any additional information.
From the report of the coroner's office, we knew that Gilmer had died of narcotics poisoning.
We were not able to tell the type of the narcotics used, but it was listed as either heroin or morphine.
During the past three months, the Southland had been flooded with an inferior grade of heroin.
From chemical analysis, we knew that it was being processed in Mexico.
We'd been in touch with Mexican authorities, but in spite of our joint activities,
the drug continued to cross the border and it continued to be circulated.
Arrests of mules and pushers had been made.
Suspects had been interrogated and all other leads had been checked out,
but we were still unable to come up with the key people in the operation.
The death of Walter Gilmer gave us a possible lead.
We couldn't be sure that he died of the low-grade drug, but it was worth looking into.
Working with Sergeant Jack McCready and Danny Galindo of Homicide Detail,
we pulled Gilmer's package and we went over all of the available information on him.
We made out a list of his known friends and his associates.
All of the places he was known to frequent were checked.
For the next two days, anyone who had been seen in Gilmer's company was talked to.
Apparently, we were at a dead end.
Thursday, July 12th, 1114 A.M., Frank and I got back from talking to an informant.
There was a note in the book to call McCready.
McCready there?
Yeah.
Oh, Jack, Joe Friday.
Mm-hmm.
Well, where is he now?
No, we'll be right over. Thank you.
What's he got?
One of Gilmer's friends.
Yeah?
Says he was with Gilmer when he died.
Frank and I left the Central Police Station and walked over to the City Hall.
By the time we'd gotten there, McCready had pulled the suspect's package
and had what background information there was on the man.
The three of us talked to him in the interrogation room.
For the record, what's your name?
David Flack.
How old are you?
26.
Is this still your address?
Yeah. How well did you know this Walter Gilmer?
We're on together.
How long?
A couple of years.
According to your package here, you've had several arrests for being a user, is that right?
He got the paper.
Told us you were with Gilmer when he died.
Now look, there you go again.
What?
I said I was with him when he was sick, that's all.
We got together Saturday night, had dinner, and Walt didn't feel so good.
He shoved off, said he was going home to get some rest.
It's the last time I saw him. He went home to get some rest.
Go ahead.
With what? There ain't no more to say. You guys asked me, remember?
We talked to the manager of your apartment house.
Real goof, ain't she?
She said you and Gilmer came in together Saturday night, puts the time about 8.30.
The two of you stayed there till about 9.30.
Then she heard you come out of the elevator with Gilmer.
She's got real big ears.
That's what she says.
Goes on to tell us that she went to the door of her apartment, looked out into the hall.
Says she saw you carry Gilmer out of the apartment building.
I carried Walt out?
That's what she says.
You know how big Walt is?
You got no idea?
Well, you know I couldn't carry him anyplace.
Guy weighs me about 50 pounds, I ain't that strong.
The landlady's willing to testify to it.
Ah, she talks a lot.
She's going to talk you right into the joint.
If we find Gilmer an hour later dead, you're the last person seen with him.
Fits you real good, Flack.
From here, it looks like you're right for a 187 charge.
You figure you can nail me down for murder, huh?
Worth a try.
Yeah, but can you make it go?
We think so.
Now, one thing's going to loss it up.
Yeah?
I didn't do it.
I had no part in it, none.
You'd better tell us then, huh?
If I give it to you, it'll make a difference?
Depends on the words.
Go ahead.
Where do I start?
The beginning will do.
Yeah.
I guess Saturday afternoon's as good as any.
Well, listen.
Old Walt got himself a new connection, said it was a good one.
For heroin?
Yeah.
Got a good buy on a couple of bindles, said it was a real good deal.
You know where?
No, he wouldn't tell me.
He just said it was his and that when I needed some stuff, he'd set it up for me.
You're on H2, huh?
Yeah, why, I lied to you.
A couple of days in the tank will bring it out anyway.
Yeah, I'm swinging a pretty good habit.
How much?
Shooting three a day.
All right, go ahead.
Well, Walt had a fix about four in the afternoon.
We were going out for dinner, and Walt said he had enough H so he could take one for free.
Mm-hmm.
After that, we went out, got something to eat.
Walt didn't eat much, said he felt way out, didn't hardly eat at all.
Yeah.
Went back to the apartment, sat around, talked.
Tried to get him to tell me where he made the connection.
He just laughed and said it was the best thing he ever fell into.
Didn't he give you any idea?
No, not a smell.
All right.
Well, pretty soon he said he didn't feel so good.
I thought maybe he needed another pop.
I asked him if he wanted me to cook it for him.
He said no.
Said he just wanted to get some air.
Told him he couldn't breathe too good.
Just lay there on the bed grabbing for air.
Mm-hmm.
I asked him if he wanted me to call a doctor, get somebody up there to fix him.
He looked pretty bad.
Yeah.
He told me he didn't want anybody, just to leave him alone.
Mm-hmm.
I called him an hour later.
I checked with him.
I wanted to see if he felt any better.
He was dead.
You took him out of the apartment then?
Yeah.
I got scared.
I didn't know what had happened, but I could see you guys laying it on me.
What'd you do?
Took him out to the park.
Got him in the back seat of the car and took him out there.
Sat in the car for about 50 minutes waiting for a couple of kids to leave.
I was sitting on the bench near there talking.
I had to wait for them to leave.
Yeah.
After they'd gone, I'd drag Walt down the water and dumped him in the lake.
What about his identification?
Took it out of his pocket.
Figured he'd give me a couple of days to try and grow an alibi.
Figured it'd take that long for you to find out who he was.
You just left him in the lake then, huh?
Yeah.
Drove back to the house and tried to figure what to do.
Think of somebody who'd grow me an alibi.
You haven't got any idea where Gilmer made the connection, huh?
No.
You know where he went Saturday afternoon?
No.
He left the place about 10 in the morning.
I didn't see him until about 3 or maybe 3.30.
He was holding pretty good then.
Real happy.
Laughing it up all over the place.
Oh, Walt.
He had a real good laugh when he was feeling good.
Gee, I still can't get it straight that he's dead.
Gilmer have any close friends that you know of?
Couple. Not more than that.
Want to give us their names?
I guess. As long as they don't find out.
Did he meet any new people he told you about?
If he did, he didn't say nothing.
I'm sorry. I'd sure like to help you.
It's a lousy trick making Walt think he was getting such a good deal
than having it turn out like this.
It's a lousy deal.
Mm-hmm.
He was real happy because he thought he scored real big, got it real cheap.
Told me he hardly paid anything for it.
Well, they had it wrong, didn't he?
Huh?
He was overcharged.
We continued to talk to David Flack.
From him, we got additional names of people Walter Gilmer had dealings with.
We also got the addresses of bars and restaurants the dead man was known to have frequented.
In our interrogation of Flack, he was unable to give us any leads
as to where Gilmer might have bought the lethal narcotics.
Thursday afternoon at 421 p.m., Flack was taken to the main jail
to be booked in on suspicion of violation of the State Narcotic Act of felony.
Frank and I went back to the office and talked with Captain Shy.
We told him what had happened, and we reviewed the progress we'd made
in attempting to apprehend the leaders of the narcotic ring.
After talking over all the possibilities, it was decided that the only way we had
of getting to the higher-ups in the operation was for one of us to go underground.
We decided that I would act the part of a buyer from Northern California
and try to make the contact with the members of the ring.
I was given a quantity of marked bills and fictitious identification before I left the office.
Frank and I worked out a method for communication, and I went home to change my clothes.
I left all of my police identification there, and the next morning I began to be seen
in the bars and restaurants where Walter Gilmer was known.
For the first week it went slow. The people involved were cautious of all newcomers.
On Saturday, July 21st, I had breakfast, and then I walked over to a small place on East 7th Street.
Not open for business yet, Joe?
No problem. I got some time to kill. I thought I'd do it here if you got no beef.
No, sit down. I'm just getting the booze up from downstairs.
You want something to cook, maybe?
Yeah. You got one that's cold?
Yeah. I could put a shot in it if you want.
No, that's all right. It's too early.
Boss don't like it if I pour before it's time.
Mm-hmm.
How's business?
Oh, not bad. I guess it's a little slow all over.
Yeah.
How's it going with you, Joe?
Slow.
How long you figure to be in town?
Only got a couple more days.
Mm-hmm.
I got to get back up north.
Never heard you say what you did.
I told John I'm a promoter.
You mean like price fights?
No. Anything I can make a buck on.
What are you working on now?
Well, I got a deal.
Yeah, I guess you'd rather I didn't get too nosy, huh?
Yeah, it might be better that way.
Mm-hmm.
Words out you're trying to make a buy.
What's that?
I say words out you're trying to make a buy.
Is that so?
Yeah, that's what the word is.
Where's it from?
From around.
No place you can point to. It's around.
Anything on what I'm looking for?
I don't understand. It's H.
Is that what you think?
I don't know. I'm just telling you what the word is.
Mm-hmm.
I understand you're a good friend of Walt Gumer.
Yeah, I know him. We didn't live together. I knew him.
I'm not saying about Walt.
Yeah, I guess it is.
Did you ever find out what killed him?
I don't know. I don't read the papers much.
Was it in the paper?
Yeah.
Uh, rumble is he got some bad stuff.
That right.
Yeah, that's what you're saying.
There might be. I told you. I don't know.
I guess if you're a friend of his,
you'd like to talk to his connection, huh?
Well, it doesn't make any difference to me one way or the other.
Mm-hmm. You ain't sore about that, then, huh?
I told you I knew him. I didn't know him good.
Just enough to say hello. That's all.
Mm-hmm.
They're rough the way he went.
Call it your own.
Well, I'll see you around, Al.
You gotta leave, huh?
Told you. I only got a couple more days in town.
I gotta line something up before I go back.
Well, maybe I can give you a hand.
Yeah.
Depends on what you're after.
I got a lot of friends around. I might be able to do you some good.
Well, how are you gonna work that?
How much you wanna buy?
What'd you say?
Come off it, Joe. We got the rumble on you.
You're down here from Sacramento. You're here to make a buy.
Simple question. How much you wanna take back with you?
If I wanted to make a connection, that's...
You the guy I'm supposed to see? If I wanted to make a connection?
Might work out that way.
You holding now?
A little.
How big?
Enough to handle your action.
I want a couple ounces.
That's a lot of stuff.
I don't sell cut rates.
Now, you holding that much or aren't you?
No, I can line it up for you.
What do you take your piece?
Off the top. I make the deal for you.
Oh, no. No go.
Huh?
I don't know how you work things here, but I only do business with a gun.
Yeah, well, this one don't work that way.
Well, then let's forget the whole thing.
Hey, wait a minute. Hold it, Joe.
Yeah?
You got the cash?
I can get it.
All right, it'll work. I'll have to see.
I deal with the gun or the buys off?
I'll check it.
Is it good stuff?
Best we got to offer.
That's not much of an answer, is it?
It's good.
When'll you know? When'll you know?
We'll wait here. I'll make a phone call.
All right.
This is Al.
Yeah, I know, I know, but this is important.
Got a guy here who wants to buy a couple of shirts.
Now, large size.
Uh-huh.
As far as we know, he is.
I talked to you about him.
Yeah, that's the one. Yeah.
Now, I said he won't buy them from anybody else.
Yeah, that's what I told him.
He said he's got it.
Just a minute, I'll check.
Uh, you'll be here about seven tonight?
Huh?
You'll be here tonight about seven?
Well, we can make the deal, sure.
Yeah, yeah, he can make it.
All right, yeah, yeah, I know.
I told you, we checked. He's all right.
Uh-huh. Yeah, right.
Goodbye.
Deal's made.
All right.
Be here at seven. Make it sharp, huh?
Okay.
You meet the boss.
I got in touch with Frank and I filled him in on what had happened.
For the first time in several months, it appeared as if we had a concrete lead to the operators of the dope ring.
It was arranged to keep the bar under surveillance, but not to take anybody into custody until a buy had been made.
I went back to the room I was renting and I waited.
I left at 5.30, had something to eat, and at five minutes of seven, I walked into the bar.
The place was crowded.
There wasn't an empty stool and most of the boots were taken.
I edged up to the bar and caught the bartender's attention.
Why, you're drawing your early.
No, you said seven sharp.
Yeah.
We gonna do business?
Uh, where do I get out from behind the bar?
Yeah, back here, Joe.
And here it is.
You're joking, aren't you?
No, Joe, this is the boss.
Well, I had it figured a little different.
Yeah, everybody does.
The woman sitting in the booth was in her late 30s or early 40s. It was hard to tell.
She had dark hair and blue eyes.
The suit she was wearing was gray and it looked expensive.
After the bartender introduced us, she told him to bring a drink and then she motioned me to sit down.
Your name's Joe Friese, is that right?
Yeah.
Ralph tells me you want some action.
No, he gave you the story.
How do I know you're a legitimate dealer?
You don't.
Still, you want me to go out on a limb and turn over two ounces of heroin to you.
I'm willing to pay for it, lady.
Where's it gonna go?
Up north.
Out of ground.
Sacramento.
You got the route to get rid of it?
They're waiting for it now.
Go on then, I should tell you I haven't got two ounces.
Well, and I'm wasting my time.
But I can get it.
How soon?
Yeah.
How quick do you need it?
I want to leave town in a couple of days, I told Al.
You're working alone?
I don't see how they're treating the price.
You're wrong.
What?
H we've got goes for $4.50 an ounce.
That's pretty high.
The best we can get.
Should be.
You want to make a deal, the price comes down.
No, I can't swing more than two ounces.
Even if the price has dropped?
How much?
To $3.50.
No, that doesn't fit.
What's the angle?
If you're on your own, you must get a little tiresome to have to carry the load by yourself.
Maybe.
I was thinking maybe you'd like a partner.
You?
That's what I had in mind.
No go.
Why?
Oh, a lot of reasons.
Meaning because I don't need anybody.
Then it's gonna cost you $4.50.
Well, I figured that going in.
When do you want the stuff?
Tomorrow night'll do.
You don't have to be late.
We got it coming in then.
From where?
The price doesn't include that.
Okay.
Where do I pick the H up?
Elf will call you.
He'll give you the time and the place.
Well, if it's high grade, I might want some more.
You can pay our price, you'll get it.
It's all right.
You're making a big mistake, Joe.
Is that so?
Yeah.
I got L.A. sewed up good and tight.
Good distribution.
All the product I need.
You got the North.
If we put them together, we could both come out real well.
No, I told you before, I don't need partners.
You might be wrong, Joe.
What?
You might already have one.
I stopped by the bar and gave the bartender my phone number.
He said he'd call me as soon as he had any information.
I left the place and walked over to 5th Street.
At a corner restaurant, I put in a call to Frank and I filled him in on what had happened.
It was set up that he and Sergeant Roxy Luccarelli would keep me under surveillance all the following day.
In the meantime, the woman, Dolores Page, would be watched also.
I went back to the hotel where I was staying and went to bed.
At 3.30 a.m., the phone rang and the bartender, Alf, told me to get dressed and meet him in front of the hotel right away.
He said we were leaving town immediately to make the narcotics buy.
I tried to call Frank and fill him in on what had happened, but I couldn't reach him.
I got in touch with the office and left word regarding the meat and then went downstairs to wait for Alf.
At 3.45 a.m., Alf drove up to the entrance.
I tried to stall as long as possible to give the men from the office time to get there, but finally we left the hotel before they arrived.
In the car with Alf and myself were a man who introduced himself as Earl and the woman, Dolores Page.
We drove down to the beach and turned south on Highway 101.
We continued down to San Diego.
At 6.30 a.m., we checked into a small hotel and Alf, along with Earl, left to make the meat and the buy.
I tried to find out where they were going, but they refused to give me any information.
Dolores Page and I waited for him to come back.
I was unable to contact the San Diego authorities telling them what to watch out for.
Apparently, I'd lost contact with Frank and Luccarelli.
The only hope now was that someplace along the line, the Page woman and her associates would make some kind of a mistake.
We waited at the hotel until 12.15 when Alf and Earl returned.
Where is Earl?
Downstairs in the car.
Why are you coming so late?
He got hung up on the other side of National City, customs inspection.
He went through the car.
Find anything?
No, but there's something wrong about the whole deal.
What do you mean?
It's like they were waiting for us, like somebody had tipped them off when we were coming through.
What makes you think that?
The way they acted.
Other cars had just looked over.
Ours, they went all the way through, took the seats out, checked the tires, even climbed underneath.
I tell you, somebody tipped them off. They were waiting.
Anything wrong with this, I want no part of it. Can you understand that?
We've been working it a long time without no hitch.
All of a sudden, you come along, we got trouble.
What are you trying to build?
Just that it's funny that it happened now, first time you're here.
Are you trying to say that I got something to do with the shakedown?
If it fits, wear it.
No, you listen, you two-bit punk. I got more to lose than you have.
I'm paying top price for this product. I got customers waiting now.
You come breezing in here and try to lay one of your own mistakes on me and I'll break your back.
You talk like a man 12 foot tall.
I don't have to be that big a...
All right, knock it off.
You two beefing isn't going to do any good. They didn't find anything.
You got no call to figure it was a tip-off. No reason at all. Now let's get out of here.
Tell your boy to get off my back.
Don't worry about it. There won't be any more trouble.
Better not be, because I'll spell it out for you.
Is that right?
If it is, then I'm going to cause it.
The three of us went downstairs and got into the car.
We started to drive back to Los Angeles.
From what I could find out, the narcotics buy had been made in Mexico, but the heroin was not in the car we were driving.
We continued up the coast. Just south of Oceanside, California, we began to follow a large bus.
As we drove, I noticed that Alf was being careful to keep the vehicle in sight.
At San Clemente, the bus pulled into a small roadside restaurant for a rest stop.
We parked immediately in back of it.
Alf got out of the car and approached the bus.
He walked up to the rear of the vehicle, reached under the rear bumper, and removed a small package wrapped in waterproof material.
He checked the contents, and then he walked back to the car.
Get it?
Yeah, right where we put the stuff.
Get in.
Let me have it.
Here.
Here it is, Joe. Got the money?
You want to wrap it up right here?
No reason not to.
Why don't we wait till we get back to town? It'll be easier there.
You got any special reason to wait?
No.
Got the money?
Yep.
Then why wait?
Well, let me see what I'm buying.
Here.
Looks all right.
Best we can buy. You don't have to taste it.
What are you trying to pull?
What?
What are you trying to sell me? This stuff's no good. You're not going to stick me $450 for this junkie.
You made the deal.
And I'm leaving it. I want no part of it.
It's a little late to come up with that.
You haven't been paid yet.
We will be. Get out of the car.
Leave him alone, Alf.
We've done it your way all along. It hasn't worked out from here, and I'm going to call it.
You're doing it wrong, Alf.
You let me worry about that. Get out, mister.
Go on.
Well, where to?
Let's take a walk around the back of the buildings. Go ahead.
Figure to kill me and come up with the money, too. Is that it?
Keep walking.
You know you're not going to get away with it, don't you?
You keep buying those fairy tales.
Maybe we can make a deal, Alf.
Yeah?
If you get the money, it doesn't make any difference about me, does it?
What do you mean?
Now, wait a minute. Suppose I give you the money. You got it clean. You don't have to rouse me then, do you?
Maybe I'll like shelling you around. I never did figure you on our side.
Why?
Because you knew Walt Gilm.
What happened to him doesn't make any difference to me.
You don't read good, Joe. Right from the beginning, I didn't figure you.
What do you mean? You set the deal up, didn't you?
It looked like some fast change. I didn't count on this much McGill. It's not worth it.
Oh, let's talk about Walt. What's he got to do with it?
He was working with us, pushing. Got too wise. Thought he could do it without us.
So you gave him a connection with Bad H, is that it?
That's it.
You kill me and Dolores isn't going to like it. You know that, don't you?
The wheel just passed out of her hands. Come on, let's get it over with.
All right. Where to?
Back there.
What are you trying to prove?
Come on, Alf. Drop the gun.
Joe.
Joe, you all right?
Yeah.
We've been right behind you since you left Dago.
Yeah? How'd you work that?
Well, I got the message you left at the office. We had a tail on the page woman.
Picked you up down south.
How about her and another fellow back there?
Roxy's got him.
Let me have your hand cuff, will you?
Yeah, here.
Bartender?
Yeah. He copped out to give him Walt Gilm or the bad junk.
Huh. That takes care of it then, huh?
Yeah. Come on, let's get him to the car.
All right. Come on, get up.
Well, I'm glad this one's over.
Yeah. Well, you don't look any the worse for wear.
Yeah, right.
Sure. You didn't really have anything to worry about.
Is that right?
Well, sure. You don't mind me telling you that, do you?
It's a good thing you weren't two minutes later.
Huh?
I might not have heard you.
The story you have just heard is true.
The names were changed to protect the innocent.
Dolores Marie Page and Alfred Giles Harnett were tried and convicted of murder in the first degree.
David Alcott Flack was tried and convicted of using narcotics,
and Earl Tyler Rockland was tried and convicted of possession of narcotics.
They all received sentence as prescribed by law.
Murder in the first degree is punishable by life imprisonment in the state penitentiary.
Possession of narcotics first offense is punishable by imprisonment in the county jail for a period of not more than one year.
Using narcotics is punishable by imprisonment in the county jail for a period of not more than one year.
Dragnet, the story of your police force in action is a presentation of the United States Armed Forces radio service.
The United States Armed Forces radio service is a presentation of the United States Armed Forces radio service.