Ladies and gentlemen, the story you are about to hear is true.
The names have been changed to protect the innocent.
Great, Matt.
You're a detective sergeant.
You're assigned to robbery detail.
For a week you've been on rolling stakeout looking for a gang of thieves.
There's no sign of them.
On the way back to the office you get a 2-11 call.
Your job? Investigate.
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
transcribed from official police files.
From beginning to end, from crime to punishment,
Dragnet is the story of your police force in action.
It was Thursday, October 9th. It was cool in Los Angeles.
We were working the night watch out for robbery details.
My partner is Frank Smith. The boss is Chief of Detective Stad Brine.
My name is Friday.
We were on our way back to the office when a 2-11 robbery call came in
and it was 12-18 a.m. when we got to the corner of Oxford and Barton Avenue.
We were at the Royal Bar and Grill.
The officer back there.
Something I can do for you?
Friday and Smith, Central Robbery.
Sorenson, Unit 6L86.
Do you answer the call here?
Yeah, I'm a partner of me. He's on the other side of the place.
What have you got?
A couple of guys in the womb were shot. My partner's with them now.
One of them is one of the hold-up men.
Did you get a description?
Yeah, just put it out.
The guy that owns the place is back there if you want to talk to him.
Yeah, we do.
Did he witness the shooting?
Yeah.
Mr. Moyle?
Yeah.
These men would like to talk to you.
This is Sergeant Friday, Officer Smith.
How do you do, sir?
How are you?
How do you do?
Anything more you need me for, Sergeant?
No, that's all thanks.
We'll check the vicinity, see if we can come up with anything for you.
Good. You guys will handle the crime report, will you?
Yeah.
Right.
Frank, you want to check with the ambulance crew while I talk to Moyles here?
Yeah, sure.
You want to tell me what happened?
I just told the other officer about it. Isn't that enough?
Well, we'd like to get the story from you.
I'll go over and sit down. The whole thing's been a strain.
Surely.
Is this all right here?
Mm-hmm.
All right, sir.
You want to start?
First off, I'd like to ask you a question.
What's that?
Do I look like a weakling to you?
Well, that's kind of hard to say, sir.
Not at all. Simple arithmetic. I'm 5'10", 185, never run from a fight in my life.
Uh-huh.
Work in a bar, you handle some pretty tough ones.
Loudmouths, guys that are trying to make time with some girl.
You meet them all.
Mm-hmm.
You've had trouble with any of the rough times.
Stood up and was counted.
Yes, sir.
You could just tell us about the shooting.
That's what I'm getting to.
First time in my life I wanted to dig a hole in the floor.
Got to me.
Mm-hmm.
I told you I'm not a coward, but when them bullets started going around, I wanted out.
Oh, you T.
Yes, sir, I understand.
Now, I suppose you tell me what happened here.
Around 1130, there were only a couple of people in the place.
Young couple over here having coffee.
And Lane and George.
Who are they?
Two of the people who were shot.
Traber and Lane Cronin, they're regulars.
I see.
They're sitting here having a beer.
We're talking.
Uh-huh.
Almost every night, Lane comes in after work.
She's a waitress, nice girl, real sensible.
What about Traber?
He's a security guard at some kind of plant out in the valley.
Aircraft, I think.
Not sure about it.
All right, you want to go ahead?
We're all three talking when these two guys come in.
First I thought it was somebody for a belt.
Mm-hmm.
I know most of the people in the neighborhood.
Never saw these two before.
Yes, sir.
Come in and order a drink.
I gave it to them.
And they paid.
Yeah.
Dirty trick.
How do you mean that?
Gave me a five.
Drinks came to about 20.
Big guy picked up his change, left 80 on the bar.
Figured it was a tip.
Picked it up.
Gonna drop it in the glass.
Yeah.
No sooner turn around, the little guy pulls a gun, points it right at me.
Yeah.
Tells me it's a stickup.
Guy with him runs over to the door to cover it.
Mm-hmm.
Little man moves down the bar and tells George and Lane to stay where they are,
and they won't get hurt.
Then he turns around to me and says for me to empty the register.
I did what he said.
Yes, sir.
Now, the other man was by the door all this time, was he?
Yeah.
Just standing there.
I guess he wanted to check the other side of the place.
Two kids had left.
Wasn't anybody there?
Mm-hmm.
All the time I was standing there hoping that nobody had started anything.
Yeah.
Joe.
Yeah.
What do you got?
Analyst just left.
Took all three of them in.
Sorensen's with the suspect.
How they doing?
The other guy they found up front's not doing too good, hitting his stomach.
Mm-hmm.
Other fellow shot up pretty bad, but none of the wounds looked serious.
Girl was hitting the right leg.
Not too bad.
Anything else?
Well, near as I can figure, the guy who was shot in the stomach is one of the hold-up men.
Checked out with what I got from the owner.
Did he say anything?
Uh-uh.
The tenant said they'd call us from the hospital as soon as we could talk to him.
Uh-huh.
We better get in touch with the officer down there and make sure there's somebody with him all the time.
Yeah.
I got the two guns involved.
32 automatic, 38 police special.
Uh-huh.
Found the 32 in the suspect's hand.
Okay.
You want to call the office, have somebody stay with the suspect.
I'm going to get back to the owner.
Right.
That other cop tell you anything?
No, sir, not much.
Now, if you want to go ahead with your story.
Well, maybe you had some kind of clue or something to tell you who the other two were.
There were three of them?
Yeah.
Two in here.
The other one was out in the car and didn't come in at all.
Uh-huh.
Did you see the person driving the car?
Not good.
I told the other cops about it.
I couldn't even tell if it was a man or not.
What do you mean?
Might have been a girl with one of those new short haircuts.
I just got a glance when they drove off.
I see.
You want to go on about what happened in the bar?
Well, after this one guy told me it was a hold-up, I gave him the money.
I didn't want any trouble.
Uh-huh.
How about this?
I'll give you a little bit of a
clue about what happened in the bar.
I put the currency on the bar and the little fella stuffed in his pockets.
I thought they'd leave after that.
Might have, if I hadn't started to laugh.
How's that?
I started to laugh.
I guess it was the tension and all, but when I opened the register, I looked right at the
frame hanging over it.
First dollar I took in.
Yeah.
This was my first hold-up.
I got to thinking about what I could hang up the show for.
Thought the only thing would be a frame full of nothing.
It struck me real funny.
Little fella got real sore, wanted to know what the big joke was.
Well.
I couldn't tell him.
I asked, funny the whole thing got.
That's when he started to look around to see if there was some kind of private joke.
Uh-huh.
George and Lane must have thought I was nuts.
Yeah.
Lane tried to wave through me and tell me to be quiet.
That's when the guy saw the watch he was wearing.
Well, what happened?
Told her to take it off.
Got real nasty about it.
I guess he was sore about me laughing.
Uh-huh.
She did like he said.
As soon as I saw that, I got mad.
Real mad.
Yeah.
I thought about what I could do.
I don't keep a gun in the place.
All I could lay my hands on was a wet bar rag.
What was that?
A wet bar rag.
Oh, I see.
So I did what the guy told me.
Put my hands on the bar right out in plain sight.
Uh-huh.
The little fella started to back out of the bar and that's when George went into action.
How do you mean that?
He's a security guard.
You know, I told you that.
Oh, yeah.
Well, he carries this gun.
He pulled it out and reached around the lane, blasted it to hold him, and hit him right
in the stomach.
Guy kind of turned like he was going to run and then fell right on his face.
Uh-huh.
Then the big guy, the one at the door, he aimed his gun and shot at George.
Was the girl still in front of him?
Not exactly.
You see, when George shot at the one guy, he knocked the lane down.
It wasn't fast enough, though.
First shot from the big one caught a lane in the leg.
Second one got George.
Well, what were you doing all this time?
I was still there with my hands on the bar.
Whole thing happened so fast, there wasn't anything I could do.
Just stood there.
Uh-huh.
Right after that, the big guy ran out of the place.
I jumped over the bar and went after him.
Guess I forgot there wasn't any way I could stop him.
Didn't think of that.
Good thing I didn't catch him.
Yeah.
You followed the man out on the street, did you?
Yeah.
Saw him jump into the car and take off.
That's when I saw the other person.
You know the one that was driving.
Yes, sir.
Did you get a good look at the car?
Saw it drive off.
I understand, but did you see the license plate?
Yeah.
But not so I could tell you the number.
Was it a California plate?
Yeah, I could see that.
All right, now about the car itself, can you tell me what kind it was?
Nash sedan.
I think it might have been a 1953.
Can't be sure about that, though.
Might have been a new one.
What color, do you remember?
Near as I can remember, it was kind of like tan.
All right, sir.
Can you give me a description of the big man, the one who stood at the door?
Oh, I gave it to that other cop.
Well, yes, sir, but I'd like to go over it again with you, if it's all right.
Sure.
As long as it'll help you get to fellas.
All right, how old was he?
I'd say 20-something.
Anywhere between 24 and 27.
How about his height?
Tall, over six feet.
Didn't come real close, except when he was sitting.
I couldn't pin it down for you, but I'd say over six feet for sure.
All right, sir.
How about his weight?
180.
Darker light?
Light.
Had light hair and blue eyes.
Hair was wavy.
You could almost say the guy was too pretty, like some kind of advertisement, you know,
for hair oil or something.
Mm-hmm.
What was he wearing?
Had on dark pants and coat.
Weared a dark shirt and a white tie.
Remember that, because you don't see that combination much nowadays.
Back in the 30s, it was all the gold.
You're sure about the shirt and tie?
Positive, real contrast.
Dark shirt and white tie.
All right, was he clean shaven?
Yeah.
Talk to the business office, Joe.
They're sending a team over to the hospital.
That's good.
Stop and talk to the men in 6L86.
They checked the neighborhood.
Didn't come up with anything.
Mm-hmm.
What about Elaine?
Is she going to be all right?
Yes, sir, she's not hurt, seriously.
Sure glad of that.
Felt bad about not doing anything to help her, but I'm the kind of guy, when I cut my finger,
I can't even put a bandage on it myself.
Mm-hmm.
Always been like that.
Yeah.
What kind of gun did the man at the door have, do you remember?
Looked like a.45 automatic.
I see.
Descriptions check out.
Yeah, type of guns are the same, too.
You know these men?
Well, we've got an idea of who they are, yes, sir.
We've been after them for some time now.
Sure wish I could have given you more.
This is all over in a few minutes.
Well, you've helped us quite a bit already, Mr. Morrill.
At the time, it seemed longer than a Monday when there's been too much Sunday.
Yeah.
These guys done this kind of thing before?
Well, we think so.
They've been hitting theaters.
This is the first time they've hit a cafe.
Hope it's going to be the last.
The way they put the B on George and Elaine, like, see you get them.
Well, we're going to try.
If you do, could you do me a favor?
What's that?
Well, I kind of goofed it up when they were here before.
I'd like another chance at the big guy when he hasn't got his gun.
Well, I'm afraid we can't do that, Morrill.
It's a police business.
Why not?
He's bigger than me.
Yes, sir.
It'd be a fair fight, wouldn't it?
For the past six weeks, on Tuesday and Thursday nights, three people had been hitting theaters
in the central Hollywood area.
Descriptions obtained from the victims were the same in each case.
Rolling stakeouts had been set up without result.
Runs by the stats office had been checked out, and we were still no nearer to our suspects.
In each case, the method of operation was the same.
Two men would enter a theater box office and rob the cashier of all currency, and then
leave in a car driven by a third person.
We'd been unable to establish whether the person in the car was male or female.
None of the victims had been able to give us a good description.
However, in all of the holdups, the car the suspects used was the same.
The robbery of the cafe and the shooting of the two witnesses gave us our first concrete
lead to the identity of the suspects.
The description of the smaller man matched the one we'd gotten in the theater jobs.
From what the bar owner told us, it was more than possible that he was one of the bandits
that we'd been looking for.
We recovered the ejected shell casings and the spent bullets.
They were booked as evidence.
At 1 56 a.m., Frank and I left Moyle's Bar and Grill and drove over to George Street
Receiving Hospital.
We talked to Dr. Hall.
He told us that the two victims were receiving treatment and would recover.
From personal effects, the suspect was identified as Carl Layden.
We called the business office and made arrangements for his home to be checked.
Dr. Hall told us that the man was in serious condition but that we might be able to question him.
We went into the treatment room.
Layden was under heavy drugs.
Layden?
These men want to talk to you.
Tell them to go away.
I don't want to talk to anybody.
Tell them.
Layden, we want to ask you about tonight.
You a cop?
That's right.
Tell me something.
What's that?
How bad is it?
They're doing what they can.
You lost a lot of blood.
Am I going to make it?
We don't know.
Mm-hmm.
Now who are the other two, Layden?
I don't know.
They left you alone.
You don't owe them anything.
Now who are they?
Come on, Layden.
How about the one in the car?
What's the name?
They walked down on me, didn't they?
That's right. Now what are the names?
How about it, Layden?
Oh, Norberg.
He's one of them.
N-O-R-B-E-R-G?
Yeah.
Sam Norberg.
Has he done any big time?
I don't think so.
Which one is he, Layden?
The one in the bar?
The driver.
How about the blonde? What's his name?
Layden?
Wait a minute, Joe.
You're going to have to stop.
No more questions these two weeks.
All right.
We'll be outside, Doc.
I'll be right with you.
What do you think?
I don't know. It's a good lead.
Yeah?
You've got a name. Let's find who works it.
Better run through, I guess.
Try to come up with an address.
I hope he's not the kind of guy who changes it three or four times a year.
Well, if he is, we can help him.
Yeah.
We'll find a new one.
2.30 a.m.
Frank and I went back to the office.
We contacted the team who checked Carl Layden's apartment.
They told us they'd found nothing to help us in apprehending the other two suspects.
The stakeout was set up on the place.
We ran the name Sam Norberg through R&I,
but we failed to turn a record on anyone answering his description.
Frank checked the phone book in the city directory.
We came up with two possibles.
We asked Sergeant Bud Young and Officer Cerrani from the business office to help us.
2.47 a.m.
We got to the first address, 713 Larchmont Boulevard.
It was a small bungalow.
A tan 1953 Nash was parked in the driveway.
The doors were locked and the radiator was still warm.
While Young and Cerriani covered the door.
The car makes it look good.
I think you want to get the door.
Probably asleep.
Hmm.
Someone's coming now.
Yeah.
Who is it?
Sam Norberg.
What do you want?
We want to talk to you.
Police office.
You guys know what time it is?
All right, move over.
Get this over fast.
I got to get some sleep.
I can't stay up half the night answering questions.
Stand still.
He's clean.
Must be really important to come around this late.
It is.
Anybody else in the house?
No, I got enough trouble trying to feed myself.
Well, you won't mind if we look around.
Make a difference if I did?
No, nothing much.
I figure that.
Go ahead.
Check our backs.
I'm still okay.
Yeah.
Got the place surrounded?
We expect to find the Purple Gang.
I wonder if you're as good with the answers as you are at the question.
Look, you might think I'm a foul ball, but I don't know what you're after.
I'll have to hand you this.
No.
You guys must have been mixed up with somebody else.
You're Sam Norberg, aren't you?
Yeah.
Well, we didn't knock on the wrong door.
Okay, Joe.
Please check our screens.
You talking Young and Sirianni?
Yeah.
I'll wait for it.
I told him that's more than just...
I don't want to rush you, foes, but you want to come with us, old bar?
That's your car out in the driveway?
Yeah, I was.
You got the keys down there?
On the table there.
All right.
You want to get dressed?
Of course.
I mean, you keep believing that, but get your clothes on.
I got a coat in the closet.
Point it out.
We'll get it.
There's only one there.
Right here.
Now let's go.
Here's the keys.
You see any more?
I don't know what this is all about.
When you find out you made a mistake, don't apologize.
Just go away till I get me some sleep.
Yeah, sure.
You stand right there.
Badge makes you a big man, doesn't it?
You better keep your eyes peeled.
I'm not going to let you get away with this.
I'm going to get away with this.
first meet late I don't even know when you can tell us how his drivers like to
turn up in your car can't you know I can't tell you he said it was your car was
locked when we found it pretty smart figure well I hope you're going to do
something else what's that supposed to mean I don't know how long you think you're
going to be able to keep this up we got you nailed and you know it now why don't
you tell us what we want to know me all go home and get some sleep I sure like to
help you but I don't even know what you're talking about
laden says he knows you when he say that tonight said you drove the car from the
other guy where you see him late yeah so I just be proceeding hospital he's
unhappy with you boys because you ran out on him willing to fill us in on the whole
deal with him on our side and the witnesses to the robbery tonight you're in
real trouble Norbert they send a letter right down the line I heard laden didn't
make it you heard wrong wants to put in a call so you can talk to him how's he
deal Clint told me he was dead when the blonde fella yeah Clint Purnell told me
all about our laden didn't make it to the door the place that he went right out
of that right I'll check on. The large you can you know where you know if I did I
give it to you when you see him last tonight I dropped him off downtown where
that in Springs that he had
a big day. Should have known not to trust going.
You got to go. Back yourself. How long you know for now I don't know a couple of
months. Where you meet him about our first.
I mean even good friends for a long time we never been in trouble for him at
Clint for now set up the deal yeah start to talk to us about we could pick up some
easy money he laid out the whole idea later me told we never been hung up in
anything like
a before he said he knew enough for all of us could be pretty good talker just
don't make a lot of difference though we could have said no where's for now with
a place on Venice Boulevard you got an address no but I can show you where it is
I do. Take a look at these. For now you're talking about yeah that's him he's
over that now. They're looking person and he is not particularly probably have an
off day most clothes make them look different to the dark shirt you always wear
a busy I never saw anything else he asked me one day why I always wear a white shirt
said it was square asked me how long I could wear a white shirt I told him one
day now says I'm crazy big deal about how you can wear a dark shirt three or four
days in the dirt on the car people don't know the difference they can tell how
many theater jobs you go on five how come you switched to that face was Clint's
idea said you might have the show staked out everything we did he planned it we
asked about something he said not to worry about it he had all figured out all
we said he was as smart as any cop kept telling us you made mistakes we do that's
what he said he should have told you the rest of it what you mean we can make him
more than one. We took Sam Norberg down to the carpool and we drove him out on
Dennis Boulevard pointed out the rooming house for personnel live while I waited
with Norberg Frank went up to check with
a manager in a couple of minutes he came back. I looked like the message when he
moved manager says for now was here about two thirty yeah like bags and left.
Frank and I along with the suspect went up and looked over the room apparently
for now I've left in a hurry we talked to the manager but he was unable to tell us
where the suspect had gone he did tell us that for now I've driven up to the place
in the car and after packing his belongings had left the manager went on
to say that he knew the suspect didn't own an automobile himself and that he'd
gotten a license number of the car in the event that there might be any trouble.
We called the Department of Motor Vehicles and we found that the car was
registered to a Mrs Robert Sherburn two ninety seven Colorado Boulevard Frank and
I went back to the main jail and booked Sam Norberg in on suspicion of robbery
after that we drove out to talk to the Sherburn woman the address was a writing
academy in Griffith Park we left the car down the street and walked onto the
ground. I wonder what the pictures for now driving a car registered to a Mr
Sherburn. The office. I'm having trouble seeing the building let alone.
Early. Somebody around try to get.
Yes Mr Sherby that's right police officers this my partner Frank Smith my name's
Friday what's wrong I do man we'd like to ask a couple of questions about.
Something's happened to Robert no man you don't have to lie to me I know that's
it Robert smashed up the car and it's been hurt no man that's not it you know
a man named Clint Burnell not about my husband no.
He left the Bakersfield this morning I thought there'd been an accident I was
scared like when you're baking a cake and somebody slams the door you have to
check the oven but you're afraid to look and you're afraid not to.
Say not to. You know how that is now about Clint Burnell do you know yes I do
he's my step brother. That way you're here but that. In trouble again we like to
talk to. I guess I should have known it but never comes around unless he's in
trouble you see them then yes he came by last night he wanted to buy the station
wagon to pick up his stuff he said he was going back east because he couldn't make
a go over here on the coast you know where he is now yes back in the tap room he
doesn't have any place to sleep and I let him use the cotton there. What kind of
trouble do you miss time you better we talk to him but whatever it is I'm not
going to stand behind and you promise me I promised Robert he's running again he
isn't going to get any help from us where's this tack room back there the second
door thank you I hope there's going to be any trouble there is you'll have to start
it. One try to go yeah.
Come on get up what are you doing in the eight when you got no right to come in
here like this. I'll say. That's the clean job one check the bed yeah you guys got
a lot of nerve busting in here like there's no reason for it yeah sure forty five
automatic under the pillow big deal so you found a gun what's that prove you
carry him to have
a big difference Mr is there right yeah we get paid for.
The story you just heard is true the names were changed to protect the innocent
on January 20th trial was held in Department 97 Superior Court of the state
of California in and for the county of Los Angeles. Samuel Garland Norberg
Carl Franklin Layton and Clinton Ward per now were tried and convicted of
robbery in the first degree five counts and assault with intent to commit murder
one count they received sentence as prescribed by law robbery in the first
degree is punishable by imprisonment in the state penitentiary for a period of
not less than five years assault with intent to commit murder is punishable by
imprisonment for a period of from one to fourteen years.
You have just heard the authentic story of your police force in action and
starring Jack Webb presentation of the United States Armed Forces radio service.