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 to robbery detail.
You get a call that a well-dressed man has held up a diamond merchant.
He's escaped into the crowded streets of your city.
Your job? Get him.
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 Tuesday, February 8th. It was cold in Los Angeles.
We were working the day watch out of robbery detail.
My partner is Frank Smith, the boss of Chief Detective Stad Brown.
My name is Frank.
I was on my way back from communications and it was 12, 10 p.m. when I got to room 27A.
Robbery.
Did you get the wire off the A-hire?
Yeah, I should have an answer this afternoon.
If he doesn't come in, we better call him.
Yeah. Want to get something to eat?
Yeah, it's about that time. Where do you want to go?
No, how about the steakhouse?
Good. I could use a couple of enchiladas.
Get your hat.
You want to tag the skipper before we leave?
No, he's not in. I saw him go out with Chief Brown. We can talk to him when we get back, huh?
Right.
Let's go. That's a hot one. I'll get it.
Sauce?
Yeah. Diamond merchant. Just hit for a load of unset diamonds.
Big score?
He'll buy a group of enchiladas.
Huh?
Eighty thousand dollars worth.
Frank and I left the city hall and drove over to the address we'd gotten on the hotshot phone.
It was a large office building on Hope Street.
From the lobby register, we found that the victim of Mr. George Mars occupied Suite 318.
We checked with the uniformed officers who answered the call, and then we went upstairs to talk with Mars.
Well, I tell you, Officer, there wasn't anything about him that would make a person think he was a hold-up man.
Nothing.
You want to tell us exactly what happened?
Well, sure. There's not much to talk about. I was sitting here looking at the papers, checking sales.
What's that?
Dollar Day. I figured maybe I could get a good buy on some suits. I've been needing them.
Figured maybe I could pick up a couple unsaved.
Not for a dollar, you know, but unsaved.
Yeah, sure. Go ahead.
Well, just sitting here reading the paper, and all of a sudden the door opens and in comes this fella.
Nice looking. Sure no reason to think there was anything wrong.
Yeah.
Told me he wanted to see some diamonds unset.
You say why he wanted to see them?
Yeah, something about opening a store up in the valley someplace around Sacramento.
Oh, yeah.
It felt kind of good. You know, to think a man had come all the way down here to look at stones I've got.
Did you say why he did that?
No, I didn't ask. Lots of times that happens. Been in business quite a while. Word gets around.
Anyway, the man said he wanted to see some stones. I went back to the safe to get them.
Yeah.
Picked up several trays and brought them out here. When I took another look, he was sitting right there.
There?
Holding a gun. Just as calm as can be. Pointing the old gun right at me.
Did he say anything to you?
Told me to put the diamonds on the collar. Not to make any noise.
Said if I played it smart, I wouldn't get hurt.
Yeah.
I mean, this fellow, just as calm as could be, reached in his pocket, took out a pair of gloves, put them on,
then he scooped all the diamonds into a little bag he was carrying and told me to get in the back room.
Yeah.
Made me lay down on the floor and then he locked the door.
Told me not to make any noise. Said to count to a hundred by once before I tried to yell.
Mm-hmm.
After he locked the door, I heard him leave the office. I started counting.
All right, Mr. Morris, can you give us a description of the man?
Outside of the fact he had the gun, I can't tell you anything about him.
I'm trying to pull a picture out of my head, but there just isn't anything.
Well, maybe we can help you.
Go ahead. I don't think it'll do any good.
All right, let's start with his age. How old was he?
I don't know. Medium, I guess.
30, 35? Older, younger?
I don't know.
How tall was he?
Oh, I guess he'd say he was...
I don't know.
Well, when you looked at him, did he seem to be larger or smaller than yourself?
About the same.
Well, then he'd be about, what, 5'10", 11"?
I guess so. I don't remember.
What about his face? Can you tell us anything about that?
Nope.
Do you have a mustache?
Might have.
But you aren't sure?
No.
Wear glasses?
I don't remember.
Well, now think real carefully. Is there anything at all that you can remember about him?
Yeah, but it's kind of silly.
Well, what is it?
When I came back with the diamonds and he was holding the gun, I noticed his hands.
Yeah?
His fingernails were manicured.
Yeah?
Yeah, real clean and with some kind of polish on them. You know what I mean?
Yeah, I think so.
Like that?
I'll check with the fellas outside, Joe. Maybe they came up with something.
Okay.
Mr. Smith?
Yes, sir?
I'm sure sorry about this not being able to help more.
Well, don't worry about it, Mr. Marsh.
I'm sure sorry.
I'll be right back, Joe.
All right.
You have a cigarette, Mr. Frider?
Yeah. Here you go.
Thanks.
Here's the light.
I got it.
This kind of thing happen to you often?
How do you mean?
Well, where somebody's robbed and can't remember what the holed up man looked like.
What's in a while?
Well, what do you do by it?
Try to find another way.
You usually find one?
Most of the time.
Joe?
Yeah?
See you, man.
Yeah.
What do you got?
Well, I checked with the men in the radio unit.
Who?
They got a guy downstairs. We better talk to him.
Suspect?
No, eyewitness.
Frank and I went down to the lobby of the building and we met with the uniformed officers who'd answered the call.
They introduced us to Stanley Markin.
Markin said he'd seen the holed up man.
And I did.
Saw him plain as anything.
When was that, sir?
Yeah.
Must have been right after he held up old Mars.
Where'd you see him?
Hall, right outside the office, right in front of the door, practically.
Mm-hmm.
On the way to my place, and this man come out of Mars.
Lawry.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
He'll open the door and we'll go to the lobby.
And he'll be there.
Yeah, he'll open the door and bam, right into me.
Like to knock me down.
Really worried.
Mm-hmm.
Had this little black leash, you know, about this big.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, oh yeah.
Had a death grip on him.
Well, did you get a good look at the man?
Close enough to you, right into me.
Thought sure I was going to end up on the floor.
Yeah.
Can you give us a description?
Sure. What do you want to know?
What do you look like?
Nothing special. Just a run of the mill crook.
Seen one, seen them all.
Okay. How old was he?
Oh, guess about 28, maybe 30.
Round in there.
How tall?
About you.
About six feet.
Well, that's what you are?
Yes, we're pretty close.
Yeah.
How was he built?
Medium. Didn't seem to have a lot of beef, just average.
Mm-hmm.
How was he dressed?
Had a gray suit on, dark gray.
Little red pattern going through it.
Single or double breasted?
Single.
What color shirt?
White, blue tie.
One of them new ones, you know, little thin kind, you know.
Little bitty knot.
Had one of them bar things to the collar.
Holes in, you know.
Mm-hmm.
Square ends.
What's that?
On the bar.
It was a square, you know, round like most of them, squares.
I see.
Was he wearing a hat?
Yeah.
New Humber, dark, had it kind down over one eye.
Looked real rakish, like a spy.
Mm-hmm.
Was he clean shaven?
Yeah.
How do you mean?
Did he have a mustache?
No, he didn't.
Was he wearing glasses?
Not that I saw.
Might have had them, but he wasn't wearing them.
Did he say anything to you?
Oh, the peepee, just wham, and then he took off.
Made me real mad.
Guy almost knocked you down, and then doesn't even say you're sorry.
Uh-huh.
He took off, and when I thought about it, I went after him.
Did you see if he was carrying a gun?
I just told you I went after him.
Yes, sir.
I'm not a coward, but I ain't no fool either.
I'd have seen a gun, and I would have gone near it.
Yes, sir.
Guy didn't even wait for the elevator.
He just ran off the stairs.
Fire exit, you know?
Yeah.
Down three stories.
All the way by the stairs.
Tell you, it almost got me, but I was so sore about being run into, and then no apology,
just nothing.
I went after him.
Yes, sir.
He got to the lobby, and he went out on the street.
Thought I had him sure there.
Place was all crowded.
The dollar day, you know?
Yeah, we know.
Didn't think he'd be able to run far with all them people.
He didn't.
What's that?
He didn't run very far.
Only to the curb, and he jumped in a taxi.
Yeah.
Cab took off.
I tried to get there before it left, but didn't make it.
Too many crowds.
I got the number of the cab he took, got it written down in my office.
Can we go up and get it?
Sure.
Scientifics come out yet?
What's that?
Scientifics, you know, the fingerprints and all.
They come yet?
No, not yet.
Well, they get here, and it'll be toot-a-loo to him, them guys and their machines, just
a matter of dropping a few cards in some gadget and ping, there's the name.
Yes, sir.
Well, it'll be a little more in there.
Yeah, that's what you think.
Soon as the scientifics get here, have them come and see me, first thing.
You bet.
Give him something to really work on.
What do you mean?
Yeah.
Good start on who the fellow is.
What's that?
When he bumped into me upstairs, he dropped his hat, blew right off his head.
Guy didn't stop to pick it up.
I got it.
It's a good one.
Huh?
Got his name in it.
1232 p.m.
The crew from the crime lab arrived and started their investigation of the office where the
robbery had taken place.
Frank and I got the description of the thief out, and then we started to check on the cab
number.
The suspect's hat was turned over to the crime lab.
When Frank and I looked at it, we found the initials TR on the inner band and the name
of a men's store in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Lieutenant Lee Jones said they'd run a check on it for us.
The stats office started a run on the MO and the description.
Both the victim and Stanley Markham were taken to the city hall to look through the mug books
for a possible identification.
At 1.26 p.m., we obtained the name of the cab driver who'd picked up the suspect.
The company told us that his regular stand was at the corner of 6th and Broadway.
When we got there, the driver was out on a call.
We waited until 2.14 p.m. when he returned.
Yeah, I remember him.
Picked him up in front of Jerry's building.
That's right.
Can you tell us where you took him?
Not right off.
It should be on the way, Bill, though.
Would you check for us?
Sure, just a minute. I'll get it.
Nice break if he's got it.
Yeah.
Yeah, here it is.
I picked him up at 1206 and dropped him at the Totalin bar over on Fig.
Did he go in the place?
Yeah, I was making out the log. I saw him.
Did he say anything to you on the way over?
No, nothing special. Seemed kind of nervous. Kept looking back.
I figured there was something wrong, but you get so many crackpots in this business,
you can't take time to worry about all of them.
So what'd he do?
Feel a little better if we talk to him about that.
Yeah, sure. Oh, one thing he said might help you out.
What's that?
Well, he wanted to know where he could get an airline schedule.
Yeah.
Said he was anxious to get out of town.
The cab driver verified the description of the suspect.
We put in a call to the airport detail and gave them the suspect's description.
The bus depots and railroad terminals were also alerted.
2.47 p.m. We drove over to the Totalin bar.
Hi, what'll it be?
Police officers. Want to ask you a couple questions?
Nothing wrong, is there?
I'd like you to tell us.
Look around, you won't find nothing out of line. It's a clean place.
Who's been in here this morning?
Huh? How many people have been here?
Just a couple. It's kind of slow. Why?
We're looking for a man about 28 or 30, six feet tall, medium build,
wearing a dark gray suit.
The only way we got it, he was in here about 12, 15, 12, 30.
Today?
That's right.
What's he done?
Was he here?
I don't want any trouble.
You're saying it the wrong way. Now, was the man in here?
Yeah.
Who is he?
I don't know.
You want us to buy that?
That's the way it is. If you don't like the color, shove off.
No, you don't mean that, do you?
Look, cop, the door was open when you came in. No lock. Same way when he was here.
Came in, had a drink, that's it. You try to build any more,
you're going to find out you lost the paddle.
Get your coat.
Huh?
You heard me. Move.
What are you going to do, take me downtown?
That's it.
I've got to get somebody to watch the place.
We'll wait.
Look, it doesn't seem very fair.
How do you mean that?
I didn't have part of the action.
Well, why don't you tell us?
The guy came in, he ordered bourbon and milk. He sat there and drank it.
Had a couple more and left. Doesn't mean anything to me.
And why are you standing in front of him?
I don't know. The place is clean, I like to keep it that way.
Who is he?
Look, I tell you true, I can't pull up a name.
Well, I suppose you try.
Tom something.
See him here often?
A couple times a week. What's the attraction?
Look, why don't you tell me what it's all about? Maybe we can make a deal.
We don't need you on our side.
Why does he come in?
To see Alex.
Who's she?
Waitress.
What's her last name?
Coldbar.
She go with this fella?
I don't know if it's serious, they've been out a couple of times.
Dinner and a show. Where do we find her?
I guess she's home. She don't come to work till 4.30.
You got her address?
It's in the book.
Get it.
No other way?
Get it.
Okay.
Does Tom make a phone call while he was here?
No.
What did he have to say to you?
He told me he just wound up a deal. He did pretty good on it.
He said he was going home.
You live in town?
Not regular. He's from, I don't know, Nevada I think.
You say where?
Well, he mentioned some small town, a boulder city I think.
There's not a street or anything there.
You want to get the girl's address?
Yeah.
I hope you understand about the four.
What do you mean?
Why I wouldn't go with you from the front.
Tell us.
Well, it's Alice.
Yeah.
She'd be in real trouble if it got out she was seeing Tom.
Why?
I don't think her husband would go for it.
We called the name and description of the waitress into R&I,
but we found there was no record on her.
Frank and I left the bar and went over to her home.
It was a run down apartment building on Court Street.
We checked with the manager and she told us that the girl's husband left about 9.30 that morning.
She went on to say that Alice Colbar seldom left the place before 3.30
and that as far as she knew she was still at home.
Frank and I went up to talk to her.
Probably asleep, huh?
Mm-hmm.
Miss Colbar.
The door open?
Yeah.
I got your flashlight.
Yeah, here.
Miss Colbar?
Throw the light over there, Frank, in the corner near the bed.
I'll call an ambulance.
Yeah, tell them to step on it.
How's she look?
Like she's dead.
From the appearance of the room there had been a fight.
Furniture was overturned, lamps were lit.
Furniture was overturned, lamps were broken.
Several bottles had apparently been smashed against the walls.
The body of Alice Colbar was lying on the floor near the bed.
Her face was buried in the pillows if she'd used it to ward off additional blows from her attacker.
An ambulance crew arrived and she was removed to George Street Receiving Hospital for treatment.
A thorough search of the room failed to turn up anything to lead to the identity of the person who'd beaten her.
We talked to the landlady again and we found that Irvin Colbar, the victim's husband,
was employed at a golf driving range out in the valley.
We checked the name and description through the record section
and we found that he had one arrest for drunk driving.
He'd been fined and placed on probation.
4.26 p.m. Frank and I drove out to talk to him.
I knew you'd be here.
Is that right?
How's Alice?
Pretty rough.
I don't know, just all of a sudden it was a beef and I hit her.
With what?
My hands.
What started the argument?
Tom.
Who's he?
A friend of Alice's.
You know his last name?
No, I never even met him.
All right, tell us about it, will you?
What do you don't know already? Everybody else does.
Go ahead.
We've been going together for a couple of months.
Alice works at a bar.
Tom came in all the time. I guess it got pretty serious.
Yeah.
I went by the place last night, going to pick her up after work.
She was gone.
The bartender there told me she'd left with this fellow Tom.
I got pretty sore. You can figure what it's like
finding your wife running around with another man.
Yeah.
I had a couple of drinks.
I was trying to think what to do.
Right then I wanted to kill both of them.
A couple of guys in the bar tried to calm me down.
I guess I got pretty loaded.
One of them took me to his place. I spent the night there.
Mm-hmm.
Woke up this morning, went home.
You got to believe me, I wasn't real sore anymore.
Mad, yeah, but not so as I was going to do anything.
Mm-hmm.
Alice was asleep when I got there.
I woke her up, told her I knew all about her and Tom.
Yeah.
Kind of thought she'd be sorry, you know,
say she was wrong, something like that.
Uh-huh.
She wasn't.
Told me how her and Tom were in love
and that she wanted a divorce so they could get married.
Tried to talk to her, tell her how I loved her.
Didn't do any good.
She said we were all through for me to pack my things and get out.
I guess that's when I hit her, I don't know.
All of a sudden I wanted to smash her. That's all there is.
You ever met this Tom?
No.
How about the other guys in the bar? They know him?
I talked to them. I think that's about it.
Any idea where he lives?
No.
Tried to find out last night.
None of the people around the place know him.
I found out I'd killed him.
You better get your coat.
Yeah.
What are you going to do to me?
That's not up to us.
I didn't kill her though, huh?
She's still in critical condition.
Guess it doesn't make a difference anyway.
We only been married a couple of years.
Won't be much without her.
Never figured it'd end up like this.
I really loved her.
Done anything in the world to make her happy.
How do you answer it?
What's that?
Why she did it.
I wouldn't know.
I asked her, she wouldn't tell me. Just said it was over.
She wouldn't give me one reason.
All right, come on, let's go.
Can I see her?
Go check on her.
I want to ask her, find out why. Maybe she'll tell me now.
Yeah, she can hear you.
Ervin Colbar was taken to the main jail and booked in on charges of suspicion of violation of Section 245 PC, assault with a deadly weapon.
We put in the call to Georgia Street Receiving Hospital and we found that the Colbar woman had been removed to the county hospital.
She was still unconscious.
We made arrangements to be called in the event she was able to be questioned.
6.45 p.m.
We talked to Lieutenant Lee Jones.
He told us that the lab had been unable to come up with any useful information at the scene of the crime.
He said that they'd identified the manufacturer of the hat that the suspect had worn and they gave us their local address.
He went on to say, however, that hairs found in the lining of the hat would act as corroborative evidence if the suspect were apprehended.
We put in a call to the hat company, but we found that their officers were closed.
We contacted the Las Vegas Police Department and asked them to check on the store who'd sold the garment.
We gave them a complete description of the suspect and the initials TR with the possible first name of Tom.
They said they'd call back the next morning with whatever information they could obtain.
Wednesday, February 9th, we got word from County Hospital that Mrs. Alice Colbar had died in her sleep without regaining consciousness.
The case was turned over to homicide officers for completion.
Additional teams of men were sent out to the bar where she was employed in an effort to find some trace of the missing suspect.
11.15 a.m.
I'm going to talk to you. What'd they say? Yeah. How many? Looks pretty good, huh? What about a record? Yeah. Okay.
18.64. 54. Right. Now I got it. Yeah. We'll let you know. Thanks for the help. Bye.
Las Vegas. What do you got? Well, they checked with the clothing store where the hat was bought. It's a new model. Only been out a couple of months.
Remember the guy who bought it? Yeah. Description didn't mean anything, but the initials did.
The clerk said the hat was bought by Thomas Roark. Vegas got anything on him? Yeah. A couple of arrests for robbery. Do any big time? No. The cases wouldn't hold.
They know where he is? They got an idea. Yeah. He's supposed to live out in Covina.
Frank and I checked the name Thomas Roark through RNI and we found one assault arrest on a man answering his description.
The mug shots were pulled and shown to the robbery victim and the witness. Both of them gave us positive identifications.
We contacted the Covina Police Department and told them what had happened. They assured us a complete cooperation.
Along with officers JJ O'Donnell and Sergeant Jim Austin, Frank and I left the office to take the suspect into custody.
We met with officers from the Covina PD and we drove to 1854 Eldred Avenue. It was a small redwood house set well back on the lot.
In the driveway was a late model Plymouth Coupe. From the street there was no sign of life.
The shades were drawn and the front porch was covered with advertising newspapers.
While O'Donnell and Austin covered the rear of the house, Frank and I went up the front door.
You all set? Yeah.
No one here? I'll take that side.
Right.
Nothing out back. How you doing?
Wait a minute. Closet.
I give up, don't you?
Go on out there. Yes.
I'll do like you say. No troubles, sir. Please, no trouble.
Keep those hands where I can see them. Yes, sir. Just like you say.
Now turn around. Hands on the wall. Quick. Yes, sir.
Come on, move.
We won't find anything.
Haven't done anything wrong. You got the wrong man. Yeah, sure.
I'm telling you the truth, sir. I wouldn't lie.
All right. Come on. Let's go. Yes, sir.
I got a coat. Point it out.
In the closet. Great. I'll get it.
What's this all about, sir? You don't need a picture.
I'm afraid I do. I don't know why you're doing this.
Is that your car in the driveway? Yes, sir.
You live here alone? No, sir. This is my sister's house.
Where is she? Working, sir.
Here. Stick it on. Let's go.
Can I get a hat? Don't bother.
We got one that'll fit you.
The suspect was taken to the city hall in question.
For an hour, he maintained that he didn't know anything about the diamond robbery.
While Frank and I were talking to him, the other officers were making a thorough search of his sister's house and her grounds.
3.15 p.m. We got word that the diamonds had been found in the backyard of the place.
When he was confronted with this information, the suspect made a full confession.
6.08 p.m. He'd just finished giving us a statement.
All right. This is a true statement, is it?
Yes, sir. You make it without promises of reward or immunity.
There's been no force exerted on you. You give this statement of your own free will, right?
Yep. All right.
Here. Here's a pen. Sign all copies.
Too bad about Alice. Yep.
Nice kitten.
Got too serious, though. Is that so? Yep.
Yeah, I talked all the time about how she was gonna leave her husband, how we were gonna get married.
Sign all copies, fellow. Yep.
We missed one here. Get this one here.
All right.
She knew I was going back to Nevada, wanted me to take her.
Silly. Yeah.
Nothing between us. A little flirtation. You know, something to kill time.
She didn't mean anything to me, nothing at all.
You want to give me that pen? Yeah.
I wouldn't have married her on a bet. I'll tell you that for true.
Mm-hmm.
She didn't mean a thing to me. You ought to believe it.
Look, fellow, you don't have to convince us. Huh?
We'll let you talk to her husband.
Ladies and gentlemen, the story you have just heard is true.
The names were changed to protect the innocent.
On June 9th, trial was held in Department 98, Superior Court of the State of California,
in and for the County of Los Angeles.
Thomas Emery Roark was tried and convicted of robbery in the first degree
and 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.
Irvin Franklin Colbar was tried and convicted of murder in the second degree
and was sentenced to the State Penitentiary for a period of from five years to life.
You have just heard Dragnet, the authentic story of your police force in action
and starring Jack Webb, a presentation of United States Armed Forces radio service.