Dragnet.
Ladies and gentlemen, the story you are about to hear is true.
The names have been changed to protect the innocent.
You're a detective sergeant.
You're assigned a bunko fugitive detail.
A pawnbroker tells you he suspects a swindle.
He isn't sure.
Your job? Check it out.
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 Wednesday, May 18th. It was cool in Los Angeles.
We were working the day watch out of bunko fugitive detail.
My partner is Frank Smith. The boss is Captain Dinion. My name is Friday.
I was on my way into the office and it was 7.55 a.m. when I got to room 38.
Bunko fugitive.
Hi Joe. Morning.
You remember Fred Alpen? Oh sure, how are you Fred?
Hi. Hold my own Sergeant.
Well what's new?
I'm not sure. Maybe just wasting my time. Yours too.
Fred thinks he stumbled onto a con game, Joe. All right?
No, it looked that way to me anyhow.
Well what's the sting?
Well I was just telling Smith here,
a fellow came in last night, a little guy, he was kind of timid.
Probably never been to a pawn shop before.
At least he wasn't a steady. You know I can spot them straight off.
He went to pawn a ring. Got a big green stone. Fancy setting. All gimmicked up, you know.
Man's ring. Real fancy though. Ask me what it was worth.
What'd you tell him?
Worth 20 bucks, maybe 25.
Is that what you told him?
You know I can't loan full value, you know that.
I offered him five bucks. I would have gone up to ten if he had pressed me.
That's better than a lot of brokers would give.
Did he take the five?
Are you kidding? He went all out of pieces.
Thought he was going to have a hammer. He started calling me a crook.
Said the ring was an emerald. Shouted, screamed all over the place.
It's an emerald, he said. A $5,000 emerald. That hunk of glass.
Are you sure you didn't make a mistake, Fred?
No, I ask you, sir. Would anybody try to pawn a 5G emerald with me, I ask you.
Glass, that's what it was. Green glass. A nice setting, though.
What do you think, sir?
The old diamond switch, maybe.
Could be.
Sounds like the only difference is the color.
You get his name, Fred?
Yeah, I asked him. He just shouted and carried on, though. He wasn't making any sense at all.
Got his license, though.
Yeah, he was parked right in front of the place. Got the number when he drove off.
Thought you might want it.
Mm-hmm.
I wrote it out. Put it in my pocket.
It should be right here.
Now, wait a minute.
Oh, yeah, here it is. The match folder on the inside.
You make it out all right?
Yeah, I think so. We'll check it.
Might be a good idea if you got right on it, huh?
What do you mean?
Well, just before he left my place, he stopped all that carrying on.
I think it sunk in when I told him about the ring being no good.
Got real quiet, you know, kind of like he was making up his mind about something.
Yeah.
Asked me to sell him a gun.
Fred Alphen gave us a description of the man who had tried to pawn the ring.
We called our branch of DMV and asked them to check the license number.
They came up with the information that the automobile bearing that license was registered in the name of Garfield Hunt at 221 North Selma Avenue, Hollywood.
9.03 a.m. Frank and I go out to talk to him.
Well, it sure is a clear day. Look at those hills, Joe.
Well, I read in the paper you can see for 40 miles.
Yeah, I bet.
Morning.
Who are you? What do you want?
Is Mr. Hunt here?
No. No, he's not here.
Well, he lives here, doesn't he?
Who are you?
I'm sorry, ma'am. We're police officers.
Police?
That's right. This is my partner, Frank Smith. My name's Friday.
Where is he? What's happened to him?
Might as well come inside. It'd be a little easier to talk.
Oh, yes, of course.
Oh, I forgot. The sofa's still made up. He slept down here last night, so I'd been near the phone.
I thought he might call. I thought somebody'd call.
Your husband didn't come home.
Never happened before. It's been 37 years.
Yes, ma'am.
Just let me fold up that blanket so you can sit down.
Here, I'll give you a hand, ma'am.
Oh, thank you.
You got any idea where your husband might have gone, Miss Hunt?
No. No idea at all.
What time do you leave?
9.35. Looked at the clock as he went out the door.
Couldn't believe it. Not like God to go out that late.
He was usually in bed by 10.
Yes, ma'am.
He promised me he'd only be gone now.
He promised me he'd be back by 10.30 for sure.
I see.
Never heard a word from him after that. Not a word.
What do you suppose happened to him?
Oh, we're sorry we don't know, Miss Hunt.
Well, you must have some notion.
Sorry we don't.
He said you wanted to talk to him.
Just a few questions, routine.
What about?
Oh, he'd rather talk to him.
You notified the police that he's missing?
No. I didn't know what to do.
Figured you'd get in touch with me when you found him.
Guess I wasn't thinking very good.
Never happened before.
Yes, ma'am.
Are there any friends he might be staying with, relatives?
We don't know anybody else from Los Angeles.
I see.
Just moved out here last winter in Kansas.
Children have grown up, settled.
Gar sold the business.
We moved out here.
Kansas winters can be pretty cold.
Yes, ma'am.
Your husband retired?
He should be.
He worked hard all his life.
He deserves the rest.
Had a little trouble with his heart last year.
No, not a real attack.
The doctor told him to take it easy.
Not Gar, though.
Wasn't out here two months before he got all restless and fidgety.
Couldn't take it sitting around the house.
Started up again.
In business?
Yes.
We had a tailor shop back in Kansas.
Gar found a new business district opening up in San Fernando Valley
off of Magnolia Boulevard.
They were renting cheap, you know, right at the beginning.
Wanted tenants.
Didn't do much business at first, but things have been getting better.
Gar's a good tailor.
A lot more careful than most, learning his trade young.
The days when there were tailors.
Yes, ma'am.
You try to reach him there at the shop?
I called last night three, four times.
This morning, too.
Nobody answered.
I see.
You think you can find him?
We'll do our best.
I guess maybe I should have notified you last night.
Yes, ma'am.
I didn't know what to do.
Thought you'd get in touch with me if something happened.
Better to call us first.
I guess so.
Then it might not happen.
Mrs. Hunt gave us a description of her husband.
We advised her to make a formal report at the Valley Division.
A local and an APB were sent out.
3.15 p.m.
Patrol car unit 9L78 reported Hunt had been found sitting in his car.
The car was parked on Mulholland Drive.
Hunt had readily identified himself.
We asked the officers to bring him in for questioning.
Hi, Joe. Frank. Pete.
Hi, Pete. Here he is.
Thanks for spotting him for us.
Sure, anytime.
Want to sit down, Hunt?
Go ahead, sit down.
What do you want with me?
Just like to talk to you, that's all.
Miss Frank Smith, my name's Friday.
I've never been under arrest before. Not once.
Well, now you're not under arrest now, Miss Hunt.
What am I doing here?
Why did those officers make me come with them?
Well, you didn't go home last night.
Your wife's been worried about you.
I was going home when they found me.
Wasn't any place else to go.
Sarah Arden did call.
She didn't call, sir.
Well, how'd you find out?
He tried to buy a gun.
Paw and Chop over on Main Street.
Oh.
What did you want the gun for?
I wouldn't have hurt him. I just wanted my money back.
I thought I could scare him.
That's all. I don't know nothing about firearms.
Thought maybe I could scare him.
Who did you want to scare? Now, who were they?
Well, they said they was renting a store next to mine.
Said they was jewelers that opened up a valley branch for Lassingwell.
You know the big jewelry store downtown here?
Uh-huh.
Crooks.
That's what they were. Out and out, crooks.
Went looking for them early this morning.
Back door to this store was open, you know, the one next to mine.
Yes, sir. Go ahead.
I couldn't find and hide the harem. The place was empty.
Just a couple of fakes.
Had the windows soaked over so nobody could see what they were up to.
Pound on some old boards, making me think that they were remodeling.
Uh-huh. How much money did they get from you?
Not them exactly. A fellow working with them.
Must have been working with them. Only way it makes sense.
Well, now suppose you tell us about it, wouldn't you?
He'd come into my shop the day before yesterday,
I was long about one o'clock in the afternoon,
and called himself Norman Crist. He said he was from Greedley.
Really?
That's the town in Colorado where my brother lives.
Said he knew my brother Ed back there.
What did he want with you?
Well, he claimed that Ed asked him to look me up, see how I was doing.
Probably didn't know Ed at all.
They must have told him, them juror fellows.
Ah, I got to thinking back.
Remembered I mentioned having a brother in Colorado one day when we was having lunch.
Told him the town, too. Greedley.
What happened then? Did he sell you the ring?
Oh, you know about that, too.
Well, you tried to pawn it, didn't you?
No, sir, not really.
I just wanted to find out how much it was worth so I could tell Sarah, you know,
I was going to surprise her, figure that I'd give him another day before I tried to sell it.
Well, how'd you happen to buy it?
Oh, I wasn't buying it outright. I was just loaning on it.
Told me he had a chance to option some property out near Encino,
real bargain, said he had to close the deal by 5 p.m. that same day.
He needed cash for a clincher.
Had to get the money from Colorado. That's what he said.
He was afraid he wouldn't be here in time.
He couldn't go to the bank, didn't have any credit in L.A.
Needed $3,000. He said if I'd loan him the three, he'd give me back $4,000 first thing the next morning.
Allowed me his ring for security.
He said it was worth $7,000 easy. Said it cost him more than that.
You hand the money over?
No, sir, not by a darn sight. Told him I didn't have $3,000. I told him straight out.
Said all I had was $1,500 in my savings account. I guess I shouldn't have said that.
Very nuts.
He told me he might be able to swing it for $1,500.
He'd have to go out there and see him in person. Said he'd come back.
Did he leave then?
No, not right away. I stopped him. I told him there was no point in coming back.
I'm no jewel, I said. How do I know that ring's worth $7,000?
Told me to get it appraised while he was gone.
Told me to take it to any jewel I wanted to.
Seemed like he sure trusted me. Leaving a valuable ring like that.
Kinda sold me on him.
I went next door to ask those fellas who said they were jewelers.
Place was locked up, so I figured they was still out for lunch.
I figured maybe they was in the drug store down on the corner.
Did you find them up there?
Yes, sir.
What'd they say about the ring?
Perfect, Admiral. That's what they said. One of them put their gadget up his eye, looked through it. You know what I mean.
Yes, sir, I know.
Perfect, Admiral, worth $10,000. Not stuff to fall in.
Acted like they thought it was mine. Offered to buy it if I wanted to sell.
I told them about the other fellas. That he needed $3,000. I told them the whole story. I did.
They said they'd loan him five without batting an eye. Offered to make out a check, write, and then lay out.
That took my wit away. They were so anxious.
I said maybe we could go in 50-50. They put up $1,500. I'd put up $1,500.
That way the guy would have $3,000 if he still needed that much.
They could both make a little profit, you know.
One of them asked me how I wanted the check. Should make it out to me. I told him we'll make it out to cash.
Do you remember how he signed it?
Jones. Quincy Jones. That's the name I knew him by.
Other one called himself Wyatt Truesdale. I don't think that's their real name.
You? Probably one of those, what did you call them?
Aliases.
Yes sir, yeah. Yeah, yeah.
Well, anyway, I went over to my bank and drew out a $1,500. About $230, the fella came back.
The one who gave me the ring.
Yeah.
Said he'd tried to talk the real estate people into being satisfied with $1,500. Wouldn't come down.
Insisted on the whole $3,000. I told him not to worry that I had it.
Give him my $1,500 and the check. He said the check would be okay, seeing as how it was on a local bank.
He promised that he'd pay me back the next morning.
That'd be yesterday.
Yes sir. And when he didn't show up, I wanted to make sure just how much it was worth, the ring.
In case something had happened to it. In case he didn't come back for it. That's why I went to the pawn shop.
Offered me $5,000 for it. But I ended up in the pawn shop. Couldn't believe him at first. Said it was just glass, hunk of glass.
Then a great light broke on me. How I'd been tricked. All of a sudden it come to me.
Well, why'd you stay out all night? Why didn't you go home?
Well, you see, sir, I couldn't face her, Sarah. I knew I'd been swindled.
$1,500. Every cent that we'd saved. Been married 37 years. It was Sarah's money too.
Not just because she's my wife. They helped earn it.
Well, we'll try and get it back for you, Mr. Hunt.
Ah, I've watched the show for 37 years, is it? That's what I kept thinking while I was sitting in my car up there in the hills.
All day long I just kept thinking. 37 years. $1,500. I'll have to tell her, won't I?
Well, sir, I think that's up to you.
She'll know it anyway. She'll know something's wrong.
Yes, sir.
Too late to start all over. We won't have them. There's not a chance.
Have what, sir?
Another 37 years.
We continued to interview the victim, Garfield Hunt, and he gave us descriptions of the three suspects.
The stats office came up with 24 possibilities. We showed the mug books to her.
He identified two of the photographs. Ernest Wilcoxon and Paul Cleaver.
Hunt was positive that Wilcoxon and Cleaver were the men who had rented the store next to his and had pretended to be jewelers.
He was unable to find a photograph of Norman Criss, the man who had sold him the ring.
We pulled the packages on Wilcoxon and Cleaver. They had both done time for burglary.
They had not previously worked with a third person.
We called the Lassingwell Jewelry Company. They informed us that they were not opening a branch out in the valley.
We checked with the owners of the building, which Hunt had his tailor shop.
They told us the adjacent store had been rented on a weekly basis and that the renters had said they intended to use the space for temporary storage.
A local and an APB were sent out on all three suspects.
5.13 p.m. Using the information from their mama sheets, Frank and I began checking various places where Cleaver and Wilcoxon had been known to hang out.
7.12 p.m. We went into the Black Parrot Bar on South Broadway and we talked to the bartender.
Uh-uh. Not by them names. I don't know them.
Well, maybe these pictures will help.
How about it?
Yeah, they come in here once in a while.
Yeah, that's what we heard.
Always come in together?
As far as I know.
Ever bring somebody with them? Talton, a fellow about 30, blonde hair?
No, just two of them. Never seen them with another guy.
I see.
What do you want for it?
You know how we can turn them up?
We ain't here now.
We can wait.
Won't be in tonight.
How do you know?
They got money.
Well?
Big roll. The redheaded one was in yesterday. Quincy Jones. That's what he told me his name was.
Yeah.
He's been running a tab. He paid it up in full. I had plenty left over.
Is that right?
As long as they're carrying a roll, they don't come to my place.
And for them expensive joints like out on the strip, you know, places like that.
When they blow in their loot, they come back to me and start running up another tab.
I called them on it, but what can you do?
This way I get some of their bundles.
Uh-huh. You know where they live?
Around here somewhere. I couldn't pin it down for you.
Who could?
How bad do you want to find out?
What do you mean?
What costs you a drink?
You that thirsty?
Not for me. The girl over there in the corner booth, the blonde.
Oh, yeah.
She knows him. I've been out with him a couple of times. I've seen him leave together.
All right.
I'm just kidding about that drink. It's on the house. For you guys and her, too.
No, we don't want anything.
We'll pay for hers.
It's up to you.
Hi.
Good evening, miss.
You're new, aren't you?
Yes, ma'am.
Place could stand with new talent.
Here, I'll move over.
Thanks. Thank you.
What's the matter with this side?
We're police officers.
Why do you like that?
Ma'am?
Oresco said I was going to meet somebody new today.
You know, in the morning paper?
Uh-huh.
Didn't say there'd be cops.
Here you are, Peg.
Where'd that come from?
These guys.
You shouldn't call them guys, Jake.
Sell a bite of a lady a drink that makes him a gentleman.
From these gentlemen, that's what you should say.
Oh, sure.
To your very good health, gentlemen.
Now then, what can I do for you?
I'm at your service.
The bartender says these guys are friends of yours.
I wouldn't say those pictures do him justice,
but there is a resemblance.
You know him, then?
We've met.
We weren't formally introduced, but we've met.
I mean, a lot of people in here.
Not the best people in town, maybe.
It's not the best bar in town, but it's convenient.
I work down the street.
Uh-huh.
You know where these men live?
Oh, you mean these two so-called friends of mine?
Yeah.
Am I?
Well.
Have you ever hear of the North Cross Arms Hotel?
Yeah.
Well, I haven't been there with them, of course.
I'm not sure if that's their residence,
but Quincy was carrying a hotel key,
and one night it fell out of his pocket.
I think that was the name on the tag, North Cross Arms.
All right. Thank you.
Thank you.
For the brandy.
Don't mention it.
Am I?
What do we owe you?
Sixpits.
She drinks good stuff.
There you go.
Keep the change.
Looks like I got one decent break.
That so?
Them paying their tab today before we pick them up.
Well, they didn't pay it.
Huh? Who did?
A man named Hunt.
The clerk at the North Cross Arms Hotel told us
that two men who resembled Wilcoxon and Cleaver
were after none of the names of Jones and Truesdale.
He said they'd gone out for the evening.
He showed us up to their room, 36A.
We asked him about the suspect known as Norman Christ.
He told us he'd never seen anybody with Wilcoxon and Cleaver
who answered Christ's description.
2.48 a.m. Wilcoxon and Cleaver returned to their room.
We took them into custody and drove them down to the city hall for questioning.
How many times you want to hear it?
Until we get the truth.
Does Hunt say he gave us any money?
He never gave us a cent, did he?
No, we even paid his lunch tab a couple of times.
Right, always managed to out-fumble us.
Owe us a couple of lunches.
He paid them back.
What?
He paid us a couple of bucks, buys a lot of lunches.
What?
1,500.
You got your share, you've been spending all over town.
Hunt say he gave it to us?
He still had over 600 bucks when he picked you up.
Now where'd it come from?
Hollywood Park.
Picked three long shots yesterday.
You want the names of the horses?
Where's Christ?
Told you before, never heard of him.
Who is he?
The guy you worked the game with.
Never heard of him.
You want to take this rap yourself?
What rap?
Why'd you rent that store out in the valley?
Store?
We showed him your mug shots.
The man you rented it from, he made you.
You want it in person?
How about it?
Guess they got us there early.
Yeah.
We were going to open up a bookie joint.
Is that right?
Yeah, we changed our minds, looked the situation over, decided it might get a little warm out
in the valley and cleared out.
Bookie joint, huh?
That's right.
Not a jewelry store.
What are you talking about?
Us jewelers, Ernie and me?
That's what you told Hunt.
Nothing of the kind, laid it on the line, told him we were bookies.
Just between us he was kind of pleased about it, likes to play the horses himself.
Like the idea of being able to lay a bet, so convenient.
You're a liar.
Now look, say maybe that's what happened to his money, maybe he lost it on a nag.
Come on, let's try it again.
Now why'd you rent the store?
We're going to get the same answers, same questions, same answers, it's a waste of time.
We got plenty.
Uh-uh.
Seventy-two hours, that's all you got.
You can hold us on suspicion for seventy-two, then you can turn us loose unless you prove
something.
We'll prove it.
How?
We didn't take any money from Hunt, nobody says we did, even him.
If he was a mark for this, what's his name, Chris?
That's right.
How do you wrap us into the package?
Hunt never saw us with him, nobody saw us with him.
We'll find somebody.
Seventy-two hours and you got to turn us loose, that's the law.
Is that right?
We know the law.
Why'd you break it?
We continued to question the suspects, but we were unable to break them down.
Thursday, May 19th, 745 A.M.
Another team of detectives took over the interrogation.
Frank and I went back to the office.
Think they'll pop out, Joe?
I don't know, it doesn't look like it, does it?
No, unless we turn up to Chris.
Did you call your wife?
Yeah, sure balled me out, kept dinner waiting until after ten.
You're lucky.
Well, maybe.
I wonder if I'll get home tonight.
I got it.
Funko Fugitive, Friday.
Yeah, that's right.
Sounds like them.
How long ago?
Uh-huh.
Yeah.
Chris?
It's a description.
Smashed up a car on the Hollywood freeway.
Georgia Street recognized him for my teletype.
He able to talk?
Died ten minutes after they brought him in.
At the morgue, the victim Garfield Hunt identified the body.
He was positive it was Norman Christ,
the man who had sold him the ring.
Wilcoxon and Cleaver were also shown the body.
They denied that they'd ever seen Christ before.
The next day, Friday, May 20th,
the evidence against Wilcoxon and Cleaver
was taken to the district attorney's office.
The complaint was refused.
The evidence was deemed insufficient
to bring the matter to trial at this time.
Wilcoxon and Cleaver were released.
6.05 p.m., Frank and I got ready to sign out.
Well, that really tears it. It sure does.
The DA's office knows they're guilty.
We know it and can't do a thing.
Yeah.
I guess we've been wasting our time, Joe.
Just fanning the ball.
Well, I'll tell you, we've spotted them
and they're gonna stay spotted.
Yeah.
Next time they move in on a mark, we'll make it stick.
Wouldn't be very smart of them to try it twice.
They're not smart, huh?
They tried it once.
["The Star-Spangled Banner"]
The story you've just heard is true.
The names were changed to protect the innocent.
Two months later, on July 12th,
Wilcoxon and Cleaver were apprehended for a similar crime.
They were charged with one count grand theft.
On November 6th, trial was held in Department 98,
Superior Court, State of California,
in and for the County of Los Angeles.
["The Star-Spangled Banner"]
Ernest P. Wilcoxon and Paul Cleaver
were found guilty of one count grand theft
and were sentenced to a term prescribed by law.
Grand theft is punishable by imprisonment
in the county jail for a period of not less than one year
or for a period of from one to 10 years
in the state penitentiary.
["The Star-Spangled Banner"]
You have just heard Dragnet,
the authentic story of your police force in action
and starring Jack Webb,
a presentation of the United States Armed Forces Radio Service.
["The Star-Spangled Banner"]