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 narcotics detail.
A steady flow of drugs is coming into your city. The prime buyers are juveniles. Wooks
of effort fail to turn up any lead to the source. Your job, find it.
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 Monday, January 10th. It was cold in Los Angeles. We were working the day watch
out on narcotics detail. My partner is Frank Smith. The boss is Captain Walters. My name
is Frank. We're on our way back from the cell block and it was 9.47 a.m. when we got to
the interview room. Felony section. Sit down there. All right, Marley, you want to tell
us? About what? Why you're here. It's on the booking slip, you saw it. We'd like to hear
it from you. No go. You won't tell us. I'd like to, but I can't. All right, let's go
over it again. From where? The beginning. Where were you picked up? Corner 5th and Main.
Corner what? The cop said I had a handful of pot. Did you? He found it, said it was mine.
But it wasn't. No. Where did it come from? I don't know. How much you turned? A couple
of joints. And you don't know where it came from? You heard it once. Marley, you think that
story's going to hold in court? I got to tell the truth. Yeah, well, why don't you start?
Okay, you win. Get your notebook out. Go ahead. I just got out of the movie, triple feature.
I spent the whole afternoon in the place. The time I left, it was dark. I walked up to the
corner trying to figure out what to do. All of a sudden this guy come down the street,
running fast. He came right at me. I thought he was going to bang into me the way he was
running, not looking where he was going. Now, I'll get the picture. I'm standing there,
minding my own business, and here comes this fellow, perfect stranger. I never saw him
before in my whole life. He runs right up to me and he gives me a package. He just hands
it to me and says, hang on to this. I'll be right back. After that, he left. Next thing
I know, a car pulls up, two cops get out, I got a chain on, I'm brought in here. That's
the way it happened. That's right. You didn't know anything about what the guy was giving
you? No. You like to tell us what this fellow looked like? You mean the one who gave me
the package? That's it. He's a tall one. About 12 foot two. Pure green hair. He wore it in
kind of a crew cut. You know short? Yeah. You shouldn't have any trouble picking up a
guy like that. You think you're doing yourself any good with this kind of an attitude? I
don't know what you're talking about. I'm trying to give you the story. All right, Morley,
you just pulled the top in. We got you made and you know it. Officer shook down your house
this morning. We found a couple of pounds of manicured Mary over 56. We don't need your
word, Denalia. You already had it. Then why are you rousing me now? We want to know where
it came from. I bought it from a fellow. The one 12 feet tall? That's right. Let me see
your arms, Morley. Why? Come on. You've been this way. Roll up your sleeves. All right,
now the other one. How long you been off? Boy, somebody tell me what's going on around
here. This place is full of crackpots. You got a question hanging, Morley. Well, the
answer ain't here. You know where to find it. All right, I'll lay it out. I bought the
grass. I bought it from a couple of fellas I know. Who are they? You've had it. Only
part way. Well, that's as far as I go. You afraid of them? I'm not afraid of anybody.
Then why not give us the names? I wouldn't be able to find a place on the street. We'll
build a wall around you. No, they get through. We'll be in front of you. Well, you'll get
hurt. Why won't you tell us where your marijuana connection is? I won't be a finger. They're
pretty good friends, aren't they? These men, you're protecting them. They think a lot of
you, don't they? I guess so. So much that they'll let you sit here while they're on the outside.
I'll get out. It'll be a while. Yeah, but when I do, I'll stay alive. I'll be able to walk
around and look them in the face. Sure you will. They'll know what I did. I carried the
beef. They'll know. Well, don't look too close. You'll see them laughing at you. Kenneth Harris
Morley was returned to his cell and held to answer charges of violation of the state narcotic
act of felony. Frank and I went back to the office, no closer to the source of marijuana
that had been flooding the city. In the past three months, juvenile crime had risen sharply.
Neighborhood merchants were reporting burglaries and acts of vandalism attributed to teenagers.
When talking to some of the youngsters, we found that most of the crimes were the result
of tea parties. We'd been working with a narcotic detail of juvenile division, but even by pooling
our knowledge of the drug traffic in Los Angeles, we'd been unable to come up with a head person
in the operation. Arrests had taken place, but none of the people apprehended could or
would tell us who was running the campaign. Known peddlers were questioned. Informants
were checked and rechecked. But when all of the work was evaluated, we were right back
where we'd started. Monday, 12, 15 p.m., we met with Captain Walters and filled him in
on the latest developments. 1.42 p.m. That's right, Mike. Yeah. Well, we talked to him.
Uh-uh. No, he wouldn't give us time of day. Oh, sure he knows. Yeah. Well, at least a
step up, but it'd be something. Uh-huh. Well, the only thing we can figure is the gun has
got all the boys lined up and they're scared. Mm-hmm. Well, until we find a way to open
them up, we're going to stay there. Yeah. Yeah. If we turn anything, we'll let you know.
Right. Bye. McTeague, Georgia Street. Mm-hmm. Did they do any good? No, they knocked over
another plant last night. Where? Out in the valley. Guy's selling drive-in style. Customers
pull in the driveway, honk the horn. A couple of minutes later, the pusher comes out and
makes a sale. You said Mealy? No. They talked to him for a couple hours. Won't even admit
he's in California. How does he explain the plant? Doesn't try to. Says the weed's his,
just won't tell where it comes from. Man, another dead end. Yeah. I'm getting to think
we've seen everyone in town. Mm-hmm. I get it. Narcotics Friday. Yeah, that's right. Yes,
I remember. Is that right? Mm-hmm. You name it. Now, it's 1.45 now. How's 15 minutes?
All right, we'll see you there. What's that? Smith, my partner. You know him. All right,
see you there. Right. What do you got? Remember Hugo Kenley? Kenley? The mule we talked to
last year on the red fruit thing. Oh, yeah, little guy. Kind of nervous. That's right.
What about him? Says he wants to see us. Yeah. He's got info on some heroin that's coming
into the country. From where? European stuff. Uh-huh. Three kilos over six pounds.
Frank and I left the office and drove out to see Hugo Kenley. A year prior, he'd been
instrumental in aiding us with the apprehension of the gang bringing heroin in from Mexico.
Because of his cooperation, he'd been placed on probation, and neither of us had seen him
since. On the telephone, he said he'd meet us in a small restaurant down on Spring Street.
When Frank and I entered the place, we saw Kenley in one of the rear boots. Right there.
Hi, Mr. Franny. Hugo, you know Frank Smith. Sure. How are you, Mr. Smith? Hi, Kenley.
All right, Hugo, what do you got for us? You got to promise one thing. What's that? I'm
a mile away. All right, if that's the way you want it. The way it's got to be. All right,
go ahead. The way it came to me was a rumble, nothing for sure. Yeah. About three weeks
ago, I tagged the place out in the south end of town. Stopped in there once in a while for
some fish and chips, you know, when I can eat. Yeah. Well, there was a couple of guys
at the bar, and we got to talking. One thing led to another. All of a sudden, we're buddies.
You say this was three weeks ago? Yeah. All right, go ahead. Got so high, dropped in every
night, shoot the breeze with him. A couple of times, we went out together, had dinner,
did a couple of strip joints on Western, you know, moved around. Yeah. A week ago, one
of them took me home. I got sick, and he said he dropped me off, told me I wasn't out of
town. So we stopped at a drug store, and I got some pills. When we were there, he had
a cup of coffee we got for talking. Yeah. He wanted to know if I'd go to work with him.
Doing what? Pushing. H? Yeah. Said they were expecting a shipment in, good stuff, European.
Said as soon as he got here, they'd want to unload it fast. Said I could make myself
a couple of bills. When's the stuff come in? I don't know for sure. Sometime next week,
the way they talk. He said something on the phone about it being a good size shipment.
Word I got was three kilos. Cut? No. No, they're going to do that here. You know who's shipping
it? No, I figured it'd be better if I didn't show too much interest. Yeah. These guys are
using agates. They don't want to lose. What can you tell us about them? Two of them. Made
the guns? Why I don't think so. Somebody else has got the keys. They're just along for the
ride. What about the names? Milo Goff and Drew Franzen. They stood before? Yeah. On what?
Milo's fallen for 211. The Jews had a couple of 459s and 245s. Any big time? Milo's seen
the joint. What about Franzen? Yeah. Q and Fultzen. They owe any time now? They didn't
say. What about Jobs? Nothing. They wouldn't work if it was against the law. Who else is
in with them? Well, they're it as far as I know. They've got a lot of mules pushing grass
for them now, all waiting for the heavy stuff. Anybody know who the power is? No, even Milo
and Drew don't talk about him. Just now and then they mention the man. That's all. The
man. Anything about him? Nothing you can tie down. They talk to him? Not with me around.
You know where they sleep? I'm not sure. Milo said once they had a pat over on Adams. How'd
they pick you? Why'd they open the door for you? Well, you set them up. They're pretty
hinky. Why ring you in? Well, I told you we got to talking when we met. I thought we had
a couple of friends we both know. In the business? Yeah. How come they didn't call one of them?
They want no part of the needle. They don't want anybody with them that might cop. Guess
they figured I was safe. What do you want out of this, Hugo? What do you draw your play?
You're not dealing for free. Well, this time I don't like what they got planned. What?
They got the whole town sliced up. They're going to set up distributor ships. Get the
route started and then bow out. Figure the shipment will get them going. You said something
about grass too, didn't you? Yeah. There's a lot of them around town now. Did it come
from the same two guys? Most of it. They really got it made. It's going to go big time. Make
a killing and get out. Where's the weed coming from? I don't know for sure. Same gun behind
it? The way they talk, yeah. You can't tell us anything about them? No. All right. You
want to give us a description of this Milo and Drew Franzen? Sure. Everything. Where
they live, what they eat, who their friends are. It's going to take some time. We got
it. Yeah, I figured. Okay, if we go someplace else to talk. Sure. Where? It don't make any
difference as long as it's out someplace. I don't want word to get back to them. All right,
let's go. You know, there's only one way you're really going to nail these guys. Yeah. Join
them. You want to set it up? You ask him? It's your idea. Yeah, but I don't want any part
of their action. I told you they play too rough for me. Well, you know how we can set up a
contact? Who? One of us. Who's going to know? Nobody else. For real? If you want it that
way. How about it? Long way around. You said yourself it's the only way. What happens if
they find out? We'll be there. I'm not worried about that. Well, what? Will I? We left the
restaurant and drove over to MacArthur Park. Kenley gave us complete descriptions of the
men he knew as Milo, Goff, and Drew Franzen. We made arrangements to meet with them again
the following day, and then Frank and I went back to the office. We ran the names and descriptions
through R&I, and we found that both men had records listing charges of robbery, burglary,
and assault with a deadly weapon. A check through our file showed that neither of them
had been involved in narcotics operation before. We checked their friends and the places they
were known to frequent. Every place we went, we ran into the same wall. Nobody had talked
to us. The following day, we met with Hugo Kenley again and outlined a plan to introduce
me as a narcotic buyer from out of town. Kenley said that it takes some time to make the arranging
arrangements, and we set up another meeting for Saturday, January 15th. Frank and I began
to make plans for my going underground. I established residence at one of the better
hotels in downtown Los Angeles. Through Captain Walters, I was able to obtain the money necessary
up front. Friday night, Frank and I met at the hotel bar to go over the final details
of the operation. Anything from Hugo yet? No. The way we left it, he's going to call
him in the morning. I don't like it, Joe. You know, if there was another way, I'd take
it. I still think we ought to keep a tail on him. No, the way Hugo's laid these fellas
out, they'd spot it for sure. If anything goes wrong, they'd be gone before you could
come in anyway. Well, Skipper doesn't think it's good either. Neither do I, Frank. If
you've got an idea how we can pull it off without taking the chance, let me know, will
you? Yeah. All right. Let's go over it again. Okay. We lay it out that I got to see the
stuff before I buy the usual thing. Yeah. Once they show, I call you. Mm-hmm. I've
got the money. That's right. You hustle over to where we make the meat. Mm-hmm. Now, if
I get the chance to call before the buy, I will. Otherwise, you'll know I got hung up.
Okay. I'll be home. You got the number? Yeah. As soon as I have any information, I'll try
to get it to you. You can relay it to the Skipper, all right? How are we going to know
if there's trouble? When I phone, if I use your first name, you'll know everything's
all right. Yeah. If I call you Smith, don't waste any time. Get there. Get there as fast
as you can. Okay. You got the ID for him? Yeah. What do you got? Well, here's the driver's
license. A couple of hotel receipts from up north, all made out to Jerry Whitner. Jerry
Whitner, yeah. Mm-hmm. Here's some letters, phone book. Where'd you get the numbers?
Jules Zimmerlund dug them up. Bar, hotels, couple places that ran a book in the Bay Area.
Yeah. Looks all right. Yeah. I don't hope it works. Anybody from the office in the hotel?
Yeah. Luke's in the lobby. They took one of the rooms on your floor, couple them in there.
We've got the place covered as much as we can. Mm-hmm. As long as you're inside, we
can see you. As soon as you go through the door, you're by yourself. You continue to
make it sound good, don't you? I'm not leaving anything out, Jules. Yeah. You gonna have
dinner here at the hotel? I figure too. There's no reason to leave. Mm-hmm. Well, I'm going
back to the office. All right. See you in the morning. I'll be here. Okay. As soon as
I hear you left the hotel, I'll get home and wait to hear from you. Yeah. And try to keep
as posted, huh? Yeah. Well, this isn't the first time, right? It looks like the roughest,
though. Comes off, it'll be worth it. Three kilos. Pure heroin. You know what that's worth.
I don't know what they think. Yeah. I know what it's gonna cost you.
The next morning at 8.46 a.m., I got a call from Hugo Kinley. He said he'd set it up for
me to meet the two men. I was to pick him up at the corner of 7th and Broadway, and then
together we'd drive to Milo Golf's. I went down to the lobby of the hotel and made arrangements
to rent a car. As soon as it was delivered, I put in a call to the office and told them
what had happened. After that, I left and picked up Kinley. He directed me to drive
down the Harbor Freeway and then turn off onto Figueroa and on down to Imperial Highway.
On the way, he said that he told Golf and Franzen that I'd gotten into town from San
Francisco and was in a position to take their entire supply of heroin. From what he said,
the deal looked good. We cut off Imperial and turned left to Grand Avenue. Kinley told
me to turn north and drive to the corner of Grand and 113th Street. We parked the car
and walked the remaining half block. The house was well kept, white stucco. In the front
yard, there was a child's tricycle and a playpen. We went up onto the porch and rang the bell.
Come on in. My, this is Jerry Whitney, the fellow I told you about. Hey, Jerry, glad
to know you. Yeah. Sit down. Thank you. Get you anything? Drink, cup of coffee? No, no,
nothing for me. Where's Drew? Not to get something for breakfast. Is this your house? You don't
even know that. Not important. Well, let's just keep it that way. Okay. Let's deal. You're
in a hurry, aren't you? I don't have a lot of time. If you want to go too fast. If I
buy, it's the way it's going to be. Not with us. Okay. See you later. How about the money?
As soon as you show the H, I'll make a call. Scratch will be delivered. You won't have
it with you? Oh, you're out of your head. You know me better than that. I'm not going
to carry a pocket full of money around so somebody can walk off with it. What do we
make the meat? You got a call. When? Day after tomorrow. Nothing you can do to speed it up.
Okay. I'll hear from you. Yeah. This is going to be the place? I'll tell you that too. You
play it pretty tight, don't you? You want to stay in the game. You want to go back with
me, Hugo? Sure. No reason you have to leave, is it? Nothing to keep me. Okay. Yeah, but
your way. I usually do. You talk big, Whitner. It's the way I work too. You got a big mouth.
Now look, punk, I don't like this deal. None of it. You can't deliver. You don't know for
sure when the stuff is going to be ready. You talk big, but it don't fit. I've seen cheap
operators like you before. Don't make any difference to me how you talk, but you better
be able to come through. Anything goes wrong with this deal, and I'm going to come looking
for you, fella. You scare me. The only reason I even talk to you is I think maybe you got
something to sell. If it's what you say, I want it. You got the money, we can make a
deal. Let's leave it there. Come on, Hugo. Yeah. We'll give you a call. You do that. Don't
make it later than you said. Keep the money handy. When we get through with this, I want
to get out of town. I got a date Monday night. I want to keep it. You will.
I went back to the hotel and waited. Monday morning, I got another call from Hugo to tell
me that the meet was to take place in the hotel lobby at 10.45 a.m. From there, we'd
go to where the buy would be made. I got in touch with Frank and told him what had happened.
He said the hotel was covered, also the house on Grand Avenue. He went on to say that other
officers would be standing by for my call to bring the money. As soon as the buy was
made, all of the people in the place would be placed under surveillance in the hope that
either Goff or Franzen would lead us to the head man in the operation. 10.36 a.m. I went
downstairs and met Hugo Kenley and Milo Goff. We talked for a few minutes while we waited
for Franzen to show up. Goff told me that the buy would be made in an apartment out
in the Hollywood area. As soon as Franzen gets here, we'll shove up. I got time to make
a call. To who? The man with the money. Tell him to stand by. You got to be told? You want
the money, don't you? I want to make sure he's there. Go ahead. I'll be right back.
All right, come on. Got a dime? Yeah, here. Thanks. Make it snappy, all right? Here comes
Franzen. Just take a minute. Where you been? Had to see the man. Got the package. As soon
as Jerry finishes here, we can move. This is the guy? Yeah, why? You bonehead, dumbest
trick I ever heard of. What do you mean? All right, mister, put your hands down by your
side. Make him move and I'll blow your spine out. What are you doing? What's wrong? This
friend of yours. What about him? I know him. He's a cop. Drew Franzen told me to stand up
slowly. When I did, he moved in and took my gun away from me and directed me to move
out of the phone booth and across the lobby to the hotel. I did as I was told. Keep your
head front, cop. Walk a line. You got it wrong. No, I haven't. You're made. I ran into you
a couple of years ago. You hung a pinch on a friend of mine. Name's Friday, isn't it,
Joe Friday? You're doing the talking. I didn't have any parking net friends and you got to
believe that. You make it hard. Where are we going? Outside. After that, we'll tell you.
You know you're not going to make it. I don't see anything to stop us. From here, I can
see five guns. You've been using bad stuff. All right. Keep moving. Take him, Roxy. All
the right there, Franzen. Get your hands off of me, cop. Come on. I'll take that gun, Franzen.
You think you're pretty smart, don't you, Count? You figure. I'm not going to jail.
Suspects were searched and then they were taken to the first street station. In Franzen's
pocket, we found a check from a parking lot. Sergeant Roxy Luccarelli and his partner checked
it out. And going over the car, they found the heroin. Frank came into the office and
we talked to Drew Franzen for over an hour without getting anything out of him. He was
booked in at the main jail. 12, 14 p.m. We had Milo Kenley brought to the interview room.
It didn't going to do you any good, you know. Is that right? Sure. I'm not going to tell
you anything. You don't have to. We know you plan to set up a distributing organization.
Now, you ought to write this. We sent a couple of officers out to your place. They found a
list of names. I got a lot of friends. Most of them have narco records. I like different
people. We're going to talk to all of them. Call first. Some of them move around.
You'll tell us nothing, huh? What I got to say you've had.
OK, but I want to tell you something. I can't turn it off. Go ahead. You know, when I first
met you, I thought you were pretty smart. Looks like I was all wrong. Yeah. You got to be
in the head to take a beef by yourself. It won't be long. You better check the Narcotic
Act again with the new laws. We got enough on you to lose the key and the cell number.
Yeah, well, we'll see how it comes out in court. You're going to be there all by yourself.
What about Franzen? He's out. What do you mean? Just what I said. He isn't here.
Where is he? I wouldn't know. Is this true? Left here about 20 minutes ago. Bail, huh?
Is that how he made it? Well, it won't hurt to tell me that. He isn't here. All we got is you.
Well, what about me? Hmm? Nobody put up bail for me? I didn't see a line anywhere, did you?
You're not lying. We don't even have to talk to you, fellow. I just figured that you
wouldn't want to stand all by yourself. You sure got good friends, Goff.
Who's sprung him? I don't know. Well, the guy had to leave a name. Maybe. We didn't check.
It was Burt. All the odds in the world it was Burt. Maybe. I told you I don't know.
It had to be. You only want to do it. You'd know that. Guy didn't say anything about getting me out, huh?
Not to us. Call somebody with a book. You said you wanted a statement. I'll give it. I'll check.
I'll check. I can't figure why he'd do it. What do you mean? Burt, he's the man, the guy who set the whole thing up.
The only one who'd go bail for friends and the only one. He sat back and didn't want any part of it.
Let us do the work, make the connections, plant the pushers and mules. We did it all. He just sat back.
You got any idea where we can pick him up? Yeah. Still doesn't make sense. Why'd he leave me here?
You keep asking the same question. I don't know. Lousy deal.
Leading me to stand for it by myself. A real chintzy. Sure is. Big Burt.
Sitting in his house while we do the work. Taking the biggest cut. Everything's the best with him.
Best house. Best car. Best clothes. All his suits tailor-made. Is that so? Yeah.
He won't put a suit on his back. It isn't special made. They'll find something that'll fit him.
The story you have just heard is true. The names were changed to protect the innocent.
On June 14th, trial was held in Department 97's Superior Court of the State of California in and for the County of Los Angeles.
Milo Harold Gough, Drew Walter Franzen and Burt Michael Larimer were tried and convicted of violation of the State Narcotic Act of felony and received sentence as prescribed by law.
Violation of the State Narcotic Act of felony is punishable by imprisonment for a period of not less than 10 years in the state penitentiary.
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.
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