WEBVTT 00:00.000 --> 00:03.000 Dragnet. 00:03.000 --> 00:10.000 Ladies and gentlemen, the story you are about to hear is true. 00:11.000 --> 00:18.000 The names have been changed to protect the innocent. 00:18.000 --> 00:24.000 You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned a juvenile detail. 00:24.000 --> 00:28.000 A woman reports that a teenage boy has been stealing food from her home. 00:28.000 --> 00:33.000 She says she's seen him several times. Your job, check it out. 00:38.000 --> 00:41.000 Dragnet. The documented drama of an actual crime. 00:41.000 --> 00:45.000 For the next 30 minutes, in cooperation with the Los Angeles Police Department, 00:45.000 --> 00:52.000 you will travel step by step on the side of the law through an actual case transcribed from official police files. 00:52.000 --> 00:59.000 From beginning to end, from crime to punishment, Dragnet is the story of your police force in action. 01:03.000 --> 01:07.000 It was Tuesday, April 12th. It was warm in Los Angeles. We were working the day watch out of juvenile detail. 01:07.000 --> 01:11.000 My partner is Frank Smith, the boss is Captain Powers. My name is Friday. 01:11.000 --> 01:16.000 I was on my way into the office and it was 7.57 a.m. when I got to the second floor of Georgia Street Juvenile Squadroom. 01:16.000 --> 01:21.000 I don't try to tell me anything for three hours to make a simple phone call. He was arrested at one o'clock this morning. 01:21.000 --> 01:26.000 I didn't hear about it until after four. Now why weren't we contacted immediately? My wife was half out of her mind. 01:26.000 --> 01:28.000 We're sorry about that. Oh, morning, Joe. Morning. 01:28.000 --> 01:32.000 Mr. Neff, this is my partner Sergeant Friday. How are you? This is Vincent Neff's father, Joe. 01:32.000 --> 01:35.000 I see. Were you in on this thing too, Friday? That's right. 01:35.000 --> 01:38.000 Took both of you to arrest a 15-year-old boy, did it? We made the arrest together. Why? 01:38.000 --> 01:42.000 I'd be ashamed to admit it. Well, just what seems to be the trouble, Mr. Neff? 01:42.000 --> 01:44.000 My boy's in jail. He's been there all night. Yes, sir. 01:44.000 --> 01:47.000 I found out about it a couple of hours ago. I want to know why I wasn't called at once. 01:47.000 --> 01:51.000 Well, sir, we called you as soon as we could. Your son wasn't carrying any identification. 01:51.000 --> 01:53.000 He refused to answer our questions. We had no way of knowing who to contact. 01:53.000 --> 01:56.000 He was scared, that's all. You can't blame him for that. 01:56.000 --> 01:59.000 How'd you get his name if he wouldn't tell you? You beat it out of him? 01:59.000 --> 02:01.000 The other boy we picked up decided to cooperate with us. 02:01.000 --> 02:04.000 I'll just bet he did. He wanted to shift some of the blame. 02:04.000 --> 02:08.000 My son's done ending it all. Ending he shouldn't, you can be certain that Lemmered kid put him up to it. 02:08.000 --> 02:11.000 Vincent doesn't even know what this is all about. 02:11.000 --> 02:14.000 You've talked to him, have you? Certainly. He says it's a mistake, the whole thing. 02:14.000 --> 02:17.000 Sure. No, I suppose the police don't make mistakes, huh? 02:17.000 --> 02:20.000 We make them. I'll say you do, and you pull the beauty this time. 02:20.000 --> 02:24.000 It doesn't look that way to us, but... Oh, don't tell me how it looks. I know my son. 02:24.000 --> 02:27.000 I know when he's telling the truth, he says this is a mistake and I believe him. 02:27.000 --> 02:29.000 Well, that's natural, I guess. 02:29.000 --> 02:32.000 You know, I'm not going to make any wild threats or try to go over your heads, 02:32.000 --> 02:35.000 but I want that boy released and I want him released at once. 02:35.000 --> 02:39.000 Sorry, sir, we can't do that. I'm being just as patient as I can with you, Sergeant. 02:39.000 --> 02:41.000 Mr. Knapp, we filed a petition on your son. 02:41.000 --> 02:44.000 There'll be a pre-detention hearing in juvenile court as soon as possible. 02:44.000 --> 02:47.000 The court will decide what happens to him after that. It's out of our hands now. 02:47.000 --> 02:50.000 It wasn't out of your hands last night when you arrested him. 02:50.000 --> 02:52.000 That was our job. Your job is to protect people's rights. 02:52.000 --> 02:55.000 You're supposed to be cops, not bullies. Take it easy, Mr. Knapp. 02:55.000 --> 02:57.000 There's plenty of crime in this town and plenty of criminals. 02:57.000 --> 03:01.000 Robberies, killings, holups. Only trouble is they never get solved. 03:01.000 --> 03:03.000 I guess the police force is too busy manhandling youngsters 03:03.000 --> 03:06.000 and chasing bums out of freight yards, huh? All right, Mr. Knapp. 03:06.000 --> 03:08.000 Too busy or too scared, you're afraid to tackle the real gangsters. 03:08.000 --> 03:12.000 You might get hurt. You'd rather pick on a teenage kid who can't fight back. 03:12.000 --> 03:15.000 Cowards, that's what you really are. You're cowards, not policemen. 03:15.000 --> 03:17.000 Let me ask you something, Neff. 03:17.000 --> 03:19.000 Suppose a couple of guys drive into a filling station. 03:19.000 --> 03:21.000 One of them cracks the owner over the head with a tire iron 03:21.000 --> 03:23.000 while the other one cleans out the cash register. 03:23.000 --> 03:25.000 You think we ought to forget about it or go after him? 03:25.000 --> 03:28.000 I'm not interested in hypothetical cases. I'm talking about my son. 03:28.000 --> 03:29.000 So am I. 03:29.000 --> 03:31.000 What do you mean? 03:31.000 --> 03:33.000 You said you spoke to the boy. Didn't he tell you why he's here? 03:33.000 --> 03:35.000 He said he didn't know. 03:35.000 --> 03:39.000 Is that what it is? You think he's mixed up in a filling station robbery? 03:39.000 --> 03:40.000 Is that where you're holding him? 03:40.000 --> 03:41.000 Maybe you'd better ask him again. 03:41.000 --> 03:43.000 I'm asking you. 03:43.000 --> 03:45.000 Yes, that's right. That's it. 03:45.000 --> 03:47.000 Well, you'd better be able to prove it, Sergeant. 03:47.000 --> 03:49.000 Believe me, you'd just better be able to prove it. 03:49.000 --> 03:52.000 A woman across the street from the station saw two boys drive away. 03:52.000 --> 03:53.000 She got the license number. 03:53.000 --> 03:54.000 Vince doesn't have a car. 03:54.000 --> 03:56.000 It was young Limer's jalopy. 03:56.000 --> 03:58.000 But your son was still with him when we made the arrest. 03:58.000 --> 03:59.000 Well, that doesn't prove anything. 03:59.000 --> 04:01.000 That doesn't prove they were together at the filling station. 04:01.000 --> 04:03.000 It was some other boy, not Vince. 04:03.000 --> 04:04.000 That's what your son says too. 04:04.000 --> 04:05.000 Well, then why don't you believe him? 04:05.000 --> 04:07.000 Limerick gave us a different story. 04:07.000 --> 04:08.000 Well, what do you expect? 04:08.000 --> 04:10.000 He doesn't want to take all the blame. 04:10.000 --> 04:12.000 He's in a jam and he wants some company. 04:12.000 --> 04:14.000 The woman across the street is sure there were two boys, Mr. Neff. 04:14.000 --> 04:17.000 That doesn't make one of them my Vince. 04:17.000 --> 04:19.000 Does she say it was Vince? Is she willing to swear at him? 04:19.000 --> 04:20.000 No, sir. 04:20.000 --> 04:22.000 What about the owner of the station? Has he identified my son? 04:22.000 --> 04:25.000 He can't identify anybody. He's still unconscious. 04:27.000 --> 04:31.000 Well, I'm sorry for him, of course, but you haven't got any right to blame Vince. 04:31.000 --> 04:33.000 And you haven't got any evidence against him either. 04:33.000 --> 04:35.000 We got the tire iron that was used in the slugging, Neff. 04:35.000 --> 04:36.000 Well, what about it? 04:36.000 --> 04:38.000 We had it checked by Laiton Prince. 04:38.000 --> 04:39.000 Well? 04:39.000 --> 04:41.000 They found a set. 04:42.000 --> 04:46.000 Well, they can't be Vince's fingerprints. They can't be. 04:46.000 --> 04:48.000 I'm afraid they are. 04:49.000 --> 04:52.000 No, no, you're wrong. You made a mistake. 04:52.000 --> 04:54.000 Not this time. 04:55.000 --> 04:57.000 Look, we're sorry, Mr. Neff. 04:57.000 --> 05:02.000 Why would Vince do a thing like this? There's no reason. 05:02.000 --> 05:05.000 He's had everything. Everything we could give him. 05:06.000 --> 05:09.000 It'd be different if we were poor, if he didn't get an allowance every week. 05:09.000 --> 05:10.000 Yeah. 05:11.000 --> 05:13.000 There's just no reason. 05:13.000 --> 05:15.000 No, sir, I guess he found one. 05:17.000 --> 05:20.000 Well, I... I'm sorry. 05:21.000 --> 05:23.000 Sorry if I was a little rough on you. 05:23.000 --> 05:24.000 It's all right. 05:24.000 --> 05:28.000 I'd better get on home now. His mother... 05:29.000 --> 05:31.000 She'll want to know if he's all right. 05:31.000 --> 05:32.000 Yes, sir. 05:33.000 --> 05:35.000 Oh, I've... 05:35.000 --> 05:36.000 There's one thing. 05:36.000 --> 05:37.000 Yes, sir? 05:37.000 --> 05:40.000 If he really did this terrible thing, I'm... 05:40.000 --> 05:43.000 I'm glad you caught him right away, right after it happened. 05:44.000 --> 05:45.000 Now we've got a chance. 05:45.000 --> 05:46.000 Sir? 05:46.000 --> 05:48.000 But it won't happen again. 05:48.000 --> 05:50.000 But it won't happen again. 06:01.000 --> 06:02.000 What do you got there? 06:02.000 --> 06:04.000 Huh? Oh. 06:04.000 --> 06:06.000 I didn't realize I still had it with me. 06:06.000 --> 06:07.000 What is it? 06:07.000 --> 06:10.000 It's one of those puzzles with numbers you move around, try to line them up. 06:10.000 --> 06:13.000 The kids brought it home last night. I was showing them how to work it. 06:13.000 --> 06:15.000 Guess it stuck it in my pocket. 06:15.000 --> 06:18.000 It's a real easy job. 06:18.000 --> 06:19.000 There you see. 06:19.000 --> 06:21.000 I got them all in order. One... 06:21.000 --> 06:23.000 Hmm. That's funny. 06:23.000 --> 06:24.000 Why? What's the matter? 06:24.000 --> 06:25.000 Nothing. Nothing. 06:25.000 --> 06:28.000 I just had a couple out of sequence sets off. 06:30.000 --> 06:31.000 Well? 06:31.000 --> 06:34.000 Won't give me a minute, can't you, Joe? 06:35.000 --> 06:37.000 You got three numbers in the wrong place now. 06:37.000 --> 06:40.000 Look, Joe, I can't work the puzzle when you're watching me like that. 06:40.000 --> 06:42.000 Oh, I see. I get it. 06:42.000 --> 06:44.000 It's a juvenile Friday. 06:44.000 --> 06:46.000 Yes, ma'am. 06:46.000 --> 06:48.000 I see. 06:48.000 --> 06:50.000 Well, do you know the boy? 06:51.000 --> 06:53.000 Will you give me your address, please? 06:54.000 --> 06:55.000 All right. 06:55.000 --> 06:56.000 I have it. 06:56.000 --> 06:57.000 What? 06:57.000 --> 06:58.000 Yes, ma'am, we would. 06:58.000 --> 07:00.000 Will you be home? 07:00.000 --> 07:02.000 All right. Thank you very much. 07:03.000 --> 07:05.000 Lady up on the Hollywood Hills. 07:05.000 --> 07:06.000 Yeah? 07:06.000 --> 07:08.000 Some youngster's been stealing groceries out of her garage. 07:08.000 --> 07:09.000 She know who it is? 07:09.000 --> 07:10.000 She's got a pretty good idea. 07:10.000 --> 07:11.000 Yeah? 07:11.000 --> 07:12.000 I just caught him. 07:23.000 --> 07:26.000 Frank and I left the office and drove out to a hillside address on Edgewood Drive, 07:26.000 --> 07:28.000 two miles north of Hollywood Boulevard. 07:28.000 --> 07:30.000 It was 9.17 a.m. when we got there. 07:30.000 --> 07:33.000 Well, there isn't too much to tell. 07:33.000 --> 07:37.000 A week, ten days ago, I started listening things from the garage here. 07:37.000 --> 07:38.000 What sort of things? 07:38.000 --> 07:41.000 Hand goods. I keep an extra supply on those shelves over there in the corner. 07:41.000 --> 07:42.000 I see. 07:42.000 --> 07:45.000 Well, there wasn't much gone. Just a couple of items now and then. 07:45.000 --> 07:49.000 First, I wasn't even certain. I thought maybe I'd used them up myself and forgot about it. 07:49.000 --> 07:50.000 Mm-hmm. 07:50.000 --> 07:52.000 Then this morning I saw him. 07:52.000 --> 07:54.000 It was right after Frank went to work. 07:54.000 --> 07:56.000 Well, how about what time would that be? 07:56.000 --> 07:59.000 7 a.m. That's when he leaves. No later than 5 after. 07:59.000 --> 08:00.000 Mm-hmm. 08:00.000 --> 08:03.000 I was doing up the breakfast dishes and I heard somebody fussing around the garage. 08:03.000 --> 08:07.000 By the time I got to the back door, he was sneaking off across the yard. 08:07.000 --> 08:09.000 I gave a shout and started after him. 08:09.000 --> 08:10.000 What happened then? 08:10.000 --> 08:13.000 I guess my yelling kind of took him by surprise. 08:13.000 --> 08:16.000 Anyway, he turned around and dropped the stuff he was holding. 08:16.000 --> 08:18.000 He sure didn't wait to pick it up, though. 08:18.000 --> 08:20.000 He started off as fast as his legs would carry him. 08:20.000 --> 08:23.000 He headed up the hill there. That was the last I saw of him. 08:23.000 --> 08:25.000 Well, now, just what was it he dropped, Miss Roman? 08:25.000 --> 08:29.000 A couple of cans and my groceries and a big paper bag. 08:29.000 --> 08:32.000 That's it there on the stool there. 08:32.000 --> 08:35.000 I looked inside. 08:35.000 --> 08:38.000 Maybe I shouldn't have, but I thought it might be some more McCann goods. 08:38.000 --> 08:41.000 That's all right. 08:41.000 --> 08:42.000 What do you got, Joe? 08:42.000 --> 08:44.000 Books. Huh? 08:44.000 --> 08:46.000 Books here. 08:46.000 --> 08:51.000 Theoretical physics, principles of dynamics, frontiers of molecular structure. 08:51.000 --> 08:55.000 If you make head or tail of them, myself, must be something he's studying. 08:55.000 --> 08:56.000 Yes, ma'am. 08:56.000 --> 08:58.000 His name in them? 08:58.000 --> 09:00.000 No. 09:00.000 --> 09:02.000 No, they're all from the Hollywood Library. 09:02.000 --> 09:04.000 Mm-hmm. 09:04.000 --> 09:06.000 I wonder if you could tell us what he looks like, Miss Roman. 09:06.000 --> 09:08.000 Yes, I guess so. 09:08.000 --> 09:10.000 First off, I'd say he looks like books. 09:10.000 --> 09:12.000 Does he? 09:12.000 --> 09:14.000 You know, the study, I'd say. 09:14.000 --> 09:16.000 Sort of thin and pinched. 09:16.000 --> 09:17.000 Mm-hmm. 09:17.000 --> 09:20.000 Blondish hair, light-complected. 09:20.000 --> 09:22.000 About how tall is he? 09:22.000 --> 09:24.000 Five feet, six or seven. 09:24.000 --> 09:27.000 Might have looked taller than he really is on account of being so thin. 09:27.000 --> 09:29.000 About how old would you say he was? 09:29.000 --> 09:32.000 Fifteen, sixteen, somewhere in there, just a youngster. 09:32.000 --> 09:34.000 Did you notice his clothes? 09:34.000 --> 09:36.000 Hat on pants looked pretty worn. 09:36.000 --> 09:38.000 And the sweater? 09:38.000 --> 09:40.000 What about the color? 09:40.000 --> 09:42.000 The sweater was blue. Pants were too faded to tell. 09:42.000 --> 09:44.000 Now, I want you to understand one thing, Mr. Friday. 09:44.000 --> 09:46.000 Yes, ma'am. 09:46.000 --> 09:48.000 I'm not real upset about him taking our food. 09:48.000 --> 09:50.000 If he needs it, that is. 09:50.000 --> 09:54.000 It just seems to me there ought to be a better way of going about it. 09:54.000 --> 09:56.000 Nobody has to steal. 09:56.000 --> 09:58.000 Is today the first time you ever saw this boy, Miss Roman? 09:58.000 --> 10:00.000 Oh, no, no, no, no. 10:00.000 --> 10:02.000 I've seen him a couple of times before. 10:02.000 --> 10:05.000 One or two mornings he walked past the house on his way down the hill. 10:05.000 --> 10:08.000 Other evening I saw him heading back up. 10:08.000 --> 10:12.000 Of course, I didn't connect him with my missing groceries then. 10:12.000 --> 10:14.000 Well, we'll have a look around. 10:14.000 --> 10:16.000 If he just lives up on the hill, he shouldn't be too hard to find. 10:16.000 --> 10:19.000 Oh, no. No, Mr. Friday. He doesn't live up there. 10:19.000 --> 10:20.000 Nobody does. 10:20.000 --> 10:21.000 Ma'am. 10:21.000 --> 10:25.000 Edgewood Drive gives out a hundred yards beyond us, just around the next curve. 10:25.000 --> 10:26.000 Oh, I see. 10:26.000 --> 10:30.000 Well, we'll have to go back to the house. 10:36.000 --> 10:38.000 Nine thirty-two a.m. 10:38.000 --> 10:40.000 Frank and I left Mrs. Roman. 10:40.000 --> 10:44.000 We drove up to the end of Edgewood Drive and we got out of the car. 10:46.000 --> 10:47.000 Well, she's right, Jim. 10:47.000 --> 10:48.000 What's that? 10:48.000 --> 10:50.000 No place for anybody to live around here. 10:50.000 --> 10:51.000 You'd think you were way out in the country. 10:51.000 --> 10:53.000 Yeah. 10:53.000 --> 10:54.000 Frank. 10:54.000 --> 10:55.000 Huh? 10:55.000 --> 10:56.000 Hello. 10:56.000 --> 10:57.000 What? 10:57.000 --> 10:58.000 See, right behind that tree? 10:58.000 --> 10:59.000 Oh, yeah. 10:59.000 --> 11:00.000 What's it look like to you? 11:00.000 --> 11:01.000 I don't know. 11:01.000 --> 11:02.000 Oh, I guess. 11:02.000 --> 11:03.000 What? 11:03.000 --> 11:04.000 Maybe that's where he set up housekeeping. 11:04.000 --> 11:06.000 What are you talking about, Joe? 11:06.000 --> 11:07.000 Well, didn't you ever try it when you were a kid? 11:07.000 --> 11:08.000 Try what? 11:08.000 --> 11:10.000 Hiding out in the cave. 11:19.000 --> 11:21.000 We climbed up the side of the hill. 11:21.000 --> 11:24.000 About two hundred yards east of the road, we came to a small hole. 11:24.000 --> 11:26.000 Behind this opening was a shallow natural cave. 11:26.000 --> 11:28.000 Frank and I crawled inside. 11:28.000 --> 11:31.000 The cave was about eight feet long and four feet wide. 11:31.000 --> 11:35.000 The boy we were looking for was not there, but there was plenty of evidence that this was where he'd been living. 11:35.000 --> 11:37.000 A sleeping bag was rolled up in one corner. 11:37.000 --> 11:39.000 Beside it was a small supply of canned food. 11:39.000 --> 11:43.000 We found ten or twelve notebooks filled with handwritten mathematical equations. 11:43.000 --> 11:47.000 And some fifty textbooks on advanced physics or higher mathematics. 11:49.000 --> 11:52.000 He sure believes in making use of the public library. 11:52.000 --> 11:53.000 Yeah, he does, doesn't he? 11:53.000 --> 11:55.000 Just about every branch in town. 11:55.000 --> 11:57.000 Well, I suppose there are worse things they could be reading. 11:57.000 --> 11:58.000 Yeah. 12:01.000 --> 12:03.000 Looks like they aren't all library books. 12:03.000 --> 12:05.000 What do you got, Joe? 12:05.000 --> 12:06.000 There's a couple here with book plates. 12:06.000 --> 12:07.000 Huh? 12:07.000 --> 12:09.000 Owner's names in them. 12:18.000 --> 12:22.000 Book plates in three of the texts indicated that they were owned by a person named Carl Windermann. 12:22.000 --> 12:26.000 All the other volumes were the property of various Los Angeles libraries. 12:26.000 --> 12:31.000 We contacted the office and made arrangements for another team of juvenile officers to stake out on the cave. 12:31.000 --> 12:34.000 On our way downtown, we stopped off at the Hollywood Library. 12:34.000 --> 12:37.000 We showed the librarian several volumes which belonged to that branch. 12:37.000 --> 12:40.000 Her records indicated that the books had not been checked out. 12:40.000 --> 12:42.000 She had no idea who had taken them or when. 12:43.000 --> 12:44.000 Eleven thirteen a.m. 12:44.000 --> 12:47.000 We put out a local with a boy's description and we checked with missing persons. 12:47.000 --> 12:50.000 As far as we could tell, they had not been reported missing. 12:50.000 --> 12:52.000 Eleven forty six a.m. 12:52.000 --> 12:54.000 Frank and I made several calls to branch libraries. 12:54.000 --> 12:58.000 They all said that the books in question had been removed from their shelves without authorization. 12:58.000 --> 13:01.000 We checked the phone directories for the name Carl Windermann. 13:01.000 --> 13:05.000 At twelve oh six p.m. we reached him in his office at Bradfield University. 13:05.000 --> 13:07.000 Yes sir, I think. 13:08.000 --> 13:10.000 Well, I'd be happy to use your any time you say. 13:11.000 --> 13:13.000 I'd be fine with that. 13:13.000 --> 13:14.000 Yes sir. 13:14.000 --> 13:16.000 Well, thanks very much. 13:17.000 --> 13:19.000 That's the right guy, Joe. Head of the physics department. 13:19.000 --> 13:21.000 You know anything that might help us? 13:21.000 --> 13:23.000 Yeah, he knows the boy. 13:29.000 --> 13:30.000 Four sixteen p.m. 13:30.000 --> 13:32.000 Frank and I drove out to the Bradfield campus. 13:32.000 --> 13:35.000 We met with Dr. Carl Windermann in his office on the second floor of the science building. 13:36.000 --> 13:38.000 Yes, yes, I talked to the boy several times. 13:39.000 --> 13:41.000 Did you know he had these books of yours? 13:41.000 --> 13:43.000 Of course, I loaned them to him. 13:43.000 --> 13:44.000 Oh, I see. 13:44.000 --> 13:45.000 How'd you happen to meet him, doctor? 13:45.000 --> 13:46.000 It was here at the university. 13:46.000 --> 13:47.000 Yes sir. 13:47.000 --> 13:50.000 He came to see me, he had read some articles of mine, he wished to discuss them. 13:50.000 --> 13:51.000 What's that? 13:51.000 --> 13:54.000 It was not presumptuous, he has a brilliant mind, extraordinary. 13:54.000 --> 13:55.000 I see. 13:55.000 --> 13:57.000 And he also wished to inquire about enrolling. 13:57.000 --> 13:59.000 He asked about a scholarship. 13:59.000 --> 14:02.000 I tried to discourage him for a year or so at least, he's very young. 14:02.000 --> 14:04.000 Did he say how old he was? 14:04.000 --> 14:07.000 Eighteen, that is what he told me. I'm afraid it is not the truth. 14:07.000 --> 14:09.000 About how old would you say he is? 14:09.000 --> 14:10.000 Perhaps sixteen. 14:10.000 --> 14:11.000 Do you know his name, sir? 14:11.000 --> 14:12.000 Peter. 14:12.000 --> 14:13.000 And his last name? 14:13.000 --> 14:17.000 I suppose he told me, but I'm afraid I do not remember the typical absent-minded professor. 14:17.000 --> 14:19.000 What about his family, did he mention them? 14:19.000 --> 14:24.000 No. I imagine they are not well to do with the way he was dressed, the inquiry about a scholarship. 14:24.000 --> 14:25.000 Yes sir. 14:25.000 --> 14:26.000 Did he say where he lives? 14:26.000 --> 14:27.000 In Los Angeles, that's all. 14:27.000 --> 14:28.000 Mm-hmm. 14:28.000 --> 14:32.000 Oh wait, I think he did mention something about recently coming to California. 14:32.000 --> 14:33.000 Mm-hmm. 14:33.000 --> 14:35.000 From one of the eastern states, Pennsylvania perhaps. 14:35.000 --> 14:37.000 You wouldn't know which town, would you? 14:37.000 --> 14:38.000 No, I'm sorry. 14:38.000 --> 14:41.000 Is there anything else you can tell us about him, Dr. Winderman? 14:41.000 --> 14:44.000 Well, I would say he is a happy boy. 14:44.000 --> 14:45.000 You say he's unhappy? 14:45.000 --> 14:46.000 Yes, sir. 14:46.000 --> 14:47.000 What do you mean? 14:47.000 --> 14:52.000 Lonely, aloof. It must be very difficult for him, other people. 14:52.000 --> 14:55.000 At children his age, he would be unable to talk to them. 14:55.000 --> 14:58.000 They would have nothing in common, even adults. 14:58.000 --> 14:59.000 I see. 14:59.000 --> 15:04.000 A brilliant mind does not necessarily make for a well-adjusted person, especially in one so young. 15:04.000 --> 15:06.000 Well, thank you very much, Dr. Winderman. 15:06.000 --> 15:08.000 Leave me one of our cards. 15:08.000 --> 15:11.000 If you should hear from him again, would you get in touch with us, please? 15:11.000 --> 15:12.000 Yes, of course. 15:12.000 --> 15:14.000 If there's anything I can do for Peter... 15:14.000 --> 15:15.000 That's very kind of you. 15:15.000 --> 15:18.000 Is he in some kind of trouble? 15:18.000 --> 15:19.000 Well, we don't know yet, sir. 15:19.000 --> 15:21.000 I did not mean to pry, forgive me. 15:21.000 --> 15:25.000 Well, the fact is he's been borrowing some books that don't belong to him. 15:25.000 --> 15:26.000 Books? 15:26.000 --> 15:27.000 Yes, sir, from libraries around town. 15:27.000 --> 15:31.000 To want to read, to want to learn, is that such a serious crime? 15:31.000 --> 15:32.000 It does not seem like one to me. 15:32.000 --> 15:33.000 Yes, sir. 15:33.000 --> 15:35.000 And is that all he's done? 15:35.000 --> 15:38.000 Well, he's taken some other things, too, food, canned goods. 15:38.000 --> 15:40.000 Yes, of course, I should have known. 15:40.000 --> 15:42.000 When he was here, I should have known. 15:42.000 --> 15:43.000 Thank you, partner. 15:43.000 --> 15:45.000 But it has been so long since I've seen one. 15:45.000 --> 15:46.000 What's that, sir? 15:46.000 --> 15:47.000 A boy who was hungry. 15:57.000 --> 15:59.000 Frank and I went back to the office. 15:59.000 --> 16:02.000 The officers on stakeout reported that the boy had not returned to the cave. 16:02.000 --> 16:04.000 The stakeout was continued. 16:04.000 --> 16:05.000 7.48 p.m. 16:08.000 --> 16:10.000 You still fooling with that thing? 16:10.000 --> 16:12.000 I wasn't even thinking, Joe. 16:12.000 --> 16:14.000 I just happened to reach him in my pocket. 16:14.000 --> 16:15.000 Let me see, did you get him in order yet? 16:15.000 --> 16:16.000 I wasn't trying, Joe. 16:16.000 --> 16:19.000 I told you, I didn't even know I was fooling with it. 16:19.000 --> 16:20.000 I get it. 16:20.000 --> 16:21.000 I wasn't trying. 16:21.000 --> 16:22.000 Yeah. 16:22.000 --> 16:24.000 Criminal Friday. 16:24.000 --> 16:25.000 Yeah. 16:25.000 --> 16:27.000 Uh-huh. 16:27.000 --> 16:29.000 Whereabouts? 16:29.000 --> 16:30.000 Okay. 16:30.000 --> 16:31.000 We'll be right over. 16:31.000 --> 16:33.000 Thank you. 16:33.000 --> 16:36.000 Kid walked into a grocery store, walked out without paying for his groceries. 16:36.000 --> 16:37.000 Sound like our boy. 16:37.000 --> 16:39.000 Stores on the corner of Green Street and Edgewood. 16:47.000 --> 16:51.000 Frank and I drove out to the Huggins' grocery store on the corner of Green and Edgewood. 16:51.000 --> 16:52.000 8.17 p.m. 16:52.000 --> 16:54.000 We pulled up and went inside. 16:54.000 --> 16:56.000 I was waiting on another customer. 16:56.000 --> 16:58.000 I didn't pay much attention to him. 16:58.000 --> 17:00.000 Next thing I knew, he was sneaking out the door. 17:00.000 --> 17:02.000 Yeah, so what can I do for you? 17:02.000 --> 17:03.000 We're police officers. 17:03.000 --> 17:04.000 This is Frank Smith. 17:04.000 --> 17:05.000 My name's Friday. 17:05.000 --> 17:06.000 You from Central? 17:05.000 --> 17:06.000 That's right. 17:06.000 --> 17:07.000 I'm Davis Hollywood. 17:07.000 --> 17:08.000 Did you get a description here? 17:08.000 --> 17:09.000 Yeah, my partner's out looking around. 17:09.000 --> 17:10.000 I'll give him a hand. 17:10.000 --> 17:11.000 Okay, thank you. 17:11.000 --> 17:12.000 So, will you take care of the report? 17:12.000 --> 17:13.000 Yeah, we will. 17:13.000 --> 17:14.000 Thanks. 17:14.000 --> 17:17.000 Now, this ain't no big robbery or anything like that. 17:17.000 --> 17:19.000 He was just a kid, you understand? 17:19.000 --> 17:20.000 Yes, sir. 17:20.000 --> 17:21.000 Could you tell us what he looked like? 17:21.000 --> 17:23.000 Mr. Huggins, Andy Huggins. 17:23.000 --> 17:24.000 There seems a sign on the window there. 17:24.000 --> 17:25.000 Yes, sir. 17:25.000 --> 17:26.000 I see. 17:26.000 --> 17:27.000 Well, like I said, he was a kid. 17:27.000 --> 17:28.000 Uh-huh. 17:28.000 --> 17:29.000 Teenage, about halfway. 17:29.000 --> 17:30.000 How's that? 17:30.000 --> 17:33.000 Halfway in his teens, you know, about 15 or 16. 17:33.000 --> 17:34.000 I see. 17:34.000 --> 17:36.000 Light hair, thin in a rail. 17:36.000 --> 17:37.000 How was he dressed, sir? 17:37.000 --> 17:38.000 Pants, sweater. 17:38.000 --> 17:39.000 I see. 17:39.000 --> 17:42.000 Just what did he take from your store, Mr. Huggins? 17:42.000 --> 17:44.000 Well, I couldn't say for certain. 17:44.000 --> 17:48.000 I wouldn't have known he took anything if it hadn't dropped out from under his sweater 17:48.000 --> 17:50.000 when he was sneaking out the door. 17:50.000 --> 17:51.000 Yeah. 17:51.000 --> 17:52.000 A can of corned beef. 17:52.000 --> 17:53.000 That's what it was. 17:53.000 --> 17:54.000 It fell. 17:54.000 --> 17:56.000 Did you see which way he went? 17:56.000 --> 17:58.000 Out the door, up the street. 17:58.000 --> 18:01.000 I told the other policeman, I guess they were after him. 18:01.000 --> 18:02.000 Yes, sir. 18:02.000 --> 18:05.000 I don't know whether I've done right or not. 18:05.000 --> 18:06.000 How's that? 18:06.000 --> 18:07.000 It's important. 18:07.000 --> 18:10.000 I expect it seems like a lot of fuss about a few groceries. 18:10.000 --> 18:11.000 No, sir. 18:11.000 --> 18:16.000 The trouble is you let one of them get away with something like this, the news gets around. 18:16.000 --> 18:19.000 Next thing you know, the store is full of them, you know. 18:19.000 --> 18:20.000 The kids try to steal your blinds. 18:20.000 --> 18:21.000 Yes, sir, we understand. 18:21.000 --> 18:23.000 Where's the plague of locusts? 18:23.000 --> 18:24.000 Sergeant. 18:24.000 --> 18:25.000 Yeah, David. 18:25.000 --> 18:26.000 Out in the car. 18:26.000 --> 18:27.000 What? 18:27.000 --> 18:41.000 The patrol car officers had found the boy hiding in an alley a few blocks west of the grocery store. 18:41.000 --> 18:44.000 We transferred him to our vehicle and drove him down to Georgia Street. 18:44.000 --> 18:45.000 9.46 p.m. 18:45.000 --> 18:49.000 We took him up to the interrogation room for questioning. 18:49.000 --> 18:54.000 Sit down, son. 18:54.000 --> 18:57.000 All right, now you want to tell us about it? 18:57.000 --> 18:58.000 About what? 18:58.000 --> 19:01.000 Well, let's start with your name. 19:01.000 --> 19:02.000 Well. 19:02.000 --> 19:03.000 Paul. 19:03.000 --> 19:04.000 Paul what? 19:04.000 --> 19:05.000 Jones. 19:05.000 --> 19:06.000 You sure about that, are you? 19:06.000 --> 19:07.000 I don't know my own name. 19:07.000 --> 19:08.000 Yeah, you should. 19:08.000 --> 19:09.000 Where do you live, Paul? 19:09.000 --> 19:10.000 San Diego. 19:10.000 --> 19:11.000 What are you doing in L.A.? 19:11.000 --> 19:12.000 Just looking around, that's all. 19:12.000 --> 19:13.000 What's your address, son? 19:13.000 --> 19:14.000 Huh? 19:14.000 --> 19:15.000 In San Diego, what's your address? 19:15.000 --> 19:16.000 I don't know. 19:16.000 --> 19:19.000 You know your name, but you don't know where you live. 19:19.000 --> 19:21.000 I only moved to California a few weeks ago. 19:21.000 --> 19:24.000 You live with your folks? 19:24.000 --> 19:25.000 Sure. 19:25.000 --> 19:26.000 They have a telephone? 19:26.000 --> 19:27.000 Uh-huh. 19:27.000 --> 19:28.000 What's father's name? 19:28.000 --> 19:29.000 Bill. 19:29.000 --> 19:30.000 Bill Jones. 19:30.000 --> 19:33.000 How long have you been in Los Angeles, son? 19:33.000 --> 19:34.000 Just today. 19:34.000 --> 19:35.000 Just today. 19:35.000 --> 19:36.000 He checked in this morning. 19:36.000 --> 19:39.000 Did you ever hear of a man named Carl Windermann? 19:39.000 --> 19:40.000 Who is he? 19:40.000 --> 19:43.000 Now look, Pete, you're not doing yourself any good here. 19:43.000 --> 19:46.000 Do you know what I said? 19:46.000 --> 19:47.000 My name's Paul. 19:47.000 --> 19:50.000 Why'd you steal that stuff from the grocery store, son? 19:50.000 --> 19:51.000 I don't know. 19:51.000 --> 19:54.000 What kind of an answer is that? 19:54.000 --> 19:55.000 You're in trouble, Pete. 19:55.000 --> 19:56.000 Serious trouble. 19:56.000 --> 19:57.000 Am I? 19:57.000 --> 19:59.000 All right, you won't tell us, we'll tell you. 19:59.000 --> 20:01.000 You didn't come to Los Angeles today. 20:01.000 --> 20:02.000 You've been here for a couple of weeks. 20:02.000 --> 20:04.000 You've been living in a cave up in the Hollywood Hills. 20:04.000 --> 20:05.000 Yeah? 20:05.000 --> 20:07.000 And this grocery store tonight isn't the first time you've gotten out of line. 20:07.000 --> 20:09.000 Why'd you take all those books, son? 20:09.000 --> 20:10.000 What books? 20:10.000 --> 20:14.000 Well, it just shows you how much these college professors really know. 20:14.000 --> 20:15.000 Huh? 20:15.000 --> 20:16.000 Like that Dr. Windermann? 20:16.000 --> 20:18.000 He says you're a smart kid. 20:18.000 --> 20:20.000 You've got a real good head on your shoulders. 20:20.000 --> 20:23.000 Well, he's a pretty poor judge of brains, isn't he? 20:23.000 --> 20:24.000 Why, you know about it. 20:24.000 --> 20:25.000 Yeah? 20:25.000 --> 20:27.000 He's so far ahead of you guys. 20:27.000 --> 20:30.000 I thought you never heard of him. 20:30.000 --> 20:32.000 All right, now, Pete, let's quit fooling around. 20:32.000 --> 20:34.000 Let's have it straight, all of it. 20:34.000 --> 20:35.000 What do you want? 20:35.000 --> 20:36.000 Your name isn't Paul Jones. 20:36.000 --> 20:37.000 Now, what is it? 20:37.000 --> 20:38.000 Siler. 20:38.000 --> 20:39.000 Pete Siler? 20:39.000 --> 20:40.000 Yeah. 20:40.000 --> 20:41.000 Where's your home? 20:41.000 --> 20:42.000 You found it. 20:42.000 --> 20:43.000 I didn't mean that cave. 20:43.000 --> 20:44.000 Your real home. 20:44.000 --> 20:45.000 I don't know. 20:45.000 --> 20:46.000 I used to live with my sis back in Philly. 20:46.000 --> 20:47.000 Well, what happened? 20:47.000 --> 20:48.000 She got married. 20:48.000 --> 20:49.000 Do me out. 20:49.000 --> 20:50.000 What about your folks? 20:50.000 --> 20:51.000 They're dead. 20:51.000 --> 20:54.000 What the heck are you doing? 20:54.000 --> 20:55.000 That thing. 20:55.000 --> 20:56.000 It's just a puzzle. 20:56.000 --> 21:00.000 You're supposed to line up the numbers, 1 through 15. 21:00.000 --> 21:01.000 Yeah? 21:01.000 --> 21:02.000 You want to try it? 21:02.000 --> 21:03.000 Is that all? 21:03.000 --> 21:04.000 Just line them up? 21:04.000 --> 21:05.000 Sure. 21:05.000 --> 21:06.000 Now what? 21:06.000 --> 21:18.000 Well, that's it, I guess. 21:18.000 --> 21:19.000 Oh. 21:19.000 --> 21:22.000 Why'd you come out to California, Pete? 21:22.000 --> 21:24.000 I wanted to go to college. 21:24.000 --> 21:25.000 Thought maybe I could study physics. 21:25.000 --> 21:27.000 Did you finish high school? 21:27.000 --> 21:29.000 No, not the history and English part. 21:29.000 --> 21:30.000 What do you mean? 21:30.000 --> 21:31.000 Science and math. 21:31.000 --> 21:33.000 I finished them a couple of years ago when I was a kid. 21:33.000 --> 21:35.000 Just how old are you? 21:35.000 --> 21:36.000 I'm 18, almost. 21:36.000 --> 21:39.000 Be harder if you didn't look at it. 21:39.000 --> 21:40.000 Huh? 21:40.000 --> 21:41.000 That puzzle. 21:41.000 --> 21:42.000 Yeah? 21:42.000 --> 21:45.000 You know, let the guy see it first so he knows just where the numbers are. 21:45.000 --> 21:46.000 Oh, yeah. 21:46.000 --> 21:49.000 Then make him work it with his hands beyond his back, for memory. 21:49.000 --> 21:50.000 Huh. 21:50.000 --> 21:51.000 Be harder that way. 21:51.000 --> 21:52.000 Yeah. 21:52.000 --> 21:53.000 I'll show you. 21:53.000 --> 21:58.000 Go ahead, mix them up. 21:58.000 --> 21:59.000 Okay. 21:59.000 --> 22:03.000 I thought you were going to memorize it first. 22:03.000 --> 22:08.000 Take a look. 22:08.000 --> 22:09.000 I get them right? 22:09.000 --> 22:10.000 Yeah. 22:10.000 --> 22:12.000 It's harder that way, though. 22:12.000 --> 22:14.000 All right, Pete, now let's go back to it. 22:14.000 --> 22:15.000 Why'd you take all those books? 22:15.000 --> 22:16.000 I wanted to study them. 22:16.000 --> 22:18.000 I was going to return them when I was through. 22:18.000 --> 22:21.000 I couldn't get a library card without a real address. 22:21.000 --> 22:23.000 What about the canned goods you've been stealing? 22:23.000 --> 22:25.000 It wasn't much, just enough to eat. 22:25.000 --> 22:28.000 What's going to happen to me now? 22:28.000 --> 22:29.000 Well, that's not up to us. 22:29.000 --> 22:30.000 Oh? 22:30.000 --> 22:31.000 What do you think ought to happen? 22:31.000 --> 22:33.000 I don't know. 22:33.000 --> 22:35.000 I don't see where I did anything so wrong. 22:35.000 --> 22:36.000 You don't? 22:36.000 --> 22:37.000 Well, did I? 22:37.000 --> 22:39.000 You stole books, you stole food. 22:39.000 --> 22:41.000 It causes a lot of trouble. 22:41.000 --> 22:42.000 Yeah. 22:42.000 --> 22:45.000 Well, you're the whiz at math, aren't you? 22:45.000 --> 22:46.000 Huh? 22:46.000 --> 22:48.000 You added up. 22:55.000 --> 22:58.000 Ladies and gentlemen, the story you've just heard is true. 22:58.000 --> 23:01.000 The names were changed to protect the innocent. 23:01.000 --> 23:04.000 On April 16th, a hearing was held in Juvenile Court, 23:04.000 --> 23:07.000 the state of California, in and for the county of Los Angeles. 23:15.000 --> 23:18.000 Peter Ellis Siler was made a ward of the Juvenile Court 23:18.000 --> 23:20.000 and was placed in a foster home. 23:20.000 --> 23:22.000 Through the efforts of Dr. Carl Windermann, 23:22.000 --> 23:25.000 he was permitted to enroll in Bradfield University 23:25.000 --> 23:29.000 as a special student in the field of higher mathematics and physics. 23:31.000 --> 23:33.000 You have just heard Dragnet, 23:33.000 --> 23:35.000 the authentic story of your police force in action 23:35.000 --> 23:37.000 and starring Jack Webb, 23:37.000 --> 23:56.000 a presentation of the United States Armed Forces Radio Service. 24:37.000 --> 24:46.000 © BF-WATCH TV 2021