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Dragnet. The documentary 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, May 23rd. It was cool in Los Angeles.
We were working the night watch out on narcotics detail.
My partner's Frank Smith. The boss is Captain Waller.
My name's Friday.
We're on our way back from questioning and informant.
It was 10.46 p.m. when we got to the first street station.
Narcotics squad room.
You think Bronco's holding out on us?
I don't know.
Well, if we don't turn something pretty soon, the stuff will be all over town.
Yeah.
How about a cup of coffee, Joe?
Huh?
Coffee. You want a cup?
Sure, if you got some.
Yeah, I brought a thermos from home.
Made it myself the way I like it. You know, strong.
I got some cups.
Wait a minute. You don't need them, Joe.
What?
You don't need them.
I got cups right here on the top of the thermos. Four of them.
Some gadget, huh? Look at that.
Kids gave it to me for Christmas.
Of course, they probably picked it out.
Mm-hmm.
Oh, and look at her steam. Really keeps the heat in.
Yeah.
Well, go ahead. Drink up.
Thanks.
What's the matter? Something the matter?
No, no. You were right. That's all.
What do you mean?
About it being strong.
Oh, yeah. Yeah.
Well, when I want coffee, I want boiled water, buddy.
Mm-hmm.
This stuff's got some taste to it.
It sure has.
Well, aren't you gonna finish yours?
Well, I'm not thirsty right now.
Oh.
Hey, you know, Joe, I just realized something.
Hmm?
All these years I've been working with you and never had dawned on me before.
What's that?
You don't like coffee.
Oh, yes, I do.
No, you don't, Joe.
Not the real genuine articles, stuff they serve in restaurants, drugstores.
Heck, that's not coffee.
It's not, huh?
No, this is coffee.
Yeah.
A little bite to it, a little zing.
Yeah.
You don't like it.
Well...
All these years I've been working with a partner who doesn't appreciate good coffee.
I guess you learn something all the time.
Mm-hmm.
I get it.
Don't finish it if you don't want to.
Narcotics Friday.
Who?
Oh, yeah. Yeah, Candy.
Mm-hmm.
That's right.
Are you still at the same place?
Sure, I know where it is.
What's that room number?
Okay.
Goodbye.
It's Candy Dellman.
Yeah?
You heard we were talking to Bronco tonight.
Did Bronco tell him what it was about?
He must have.
At least Candy knows we didn't get anywhere.
Says it's our own fault for not going to the right guy.
Who's that?
Him.
Candy Dellman was an informant who had served three sentences for violation of the State
Narcotics Act.
Since his release from prison, he had given police officers several leads to burglary
and robbery suspects.
Most of his leads had panned out.
As far as we knew, Dellman was no longer a narcotics user or a pusher himself, but in
the past, he had always refused to give any information on the dope racket.
Over the phone, he said he was living at the Hatrick Hotel on South Spring Street, room
217.
Frank and I left the office and drove out to talk to him.
It was 1122 p.m. when we got to the hotel, a dark, two-story building badly in need of
repair.
We went inside and started up the stairs to the second floor.
Get back down here, both of you.
Come on, start moving.
What's the trouble, lady?
Something the matter with your eyesight?
No, I don't think so.
Why don't you use it?
Sign right here on the desk.
Ring for the manager.
Didn't hear no ring, did it?
We didn't see any reason to bother you.
It's my worry, ain't it?
Sure.
Bells ought to be rung.
And hearing it ain't what bothers me.
Guys like you sneaking in trying to get a free pad for the night.
Take it easy, lady.
We don't want to stay here any longer than we have to.
Then what do you want?
We just dropped by to see Candy.
Who?
Candy Delman.
He lives here, doesn't he?
He might.
Well?
Your friend of yours?
He's expecting us.
How do I know?
Well, why don't you ask him?
Oh, sure.
That's all I got to do.
Tramp up and down them stairs from morning till night.
Call him to the phone, give him messages, don him for back rent.
Well, I ain't making no extra trip on account of you.
Why don't you suit yourself?
Just you, wait a minute.
I ain't said you could go upstairs.
You claim to know Candy.
What's his room number?
217.
That's right, isn't it?
Yeah, I guess so.
Well, you be sure you let me know when you leave.
And you better be out of here by midnight or I'm collecting a buck from each of you.
Friends are no friends.
You're not bunking with Candy unless they get paid.
In advance!
Oh, she's a bother, you know.
You know something, John?
Hmm?
Bay was after me just the other day about getting a new suit.
Oh?
I guess she was right.
Yeah.
It must be down this way.
Yeah.
Maybe you ought to go with me.
Buy some clothes.
I'll be right back.
Joe?
Just a minute.
Come on in.
Thank you.
You know Frank Smith, don't you Candy?
Sure.
Hi Candy.
Want a drink?
No thanks.
Smith?
No thanks.
Don't mind if I take a blast.
That's up to you.
As long as I'm drinking alone there's no point in dirtying the glass.
I guess maybe I'm turning into a lush, huh?
Alright.
Been hitting the bottle pretty hard lately since it went off the stuff.
Is that so?
Yeah.
You guys knew I was off it didn't you?
I ain't even chipping no more.
Well you don't have to sell us Candy.
Well I ain't selling nobody.
I'm just telling you.
What do you want to see us about?
Anybody know you're here?
The lady downstairs.
You mean the manager of this flea bag?
Yeah I guess that's what she is.
Lady.
You asked me to fly in saucers must be real.
Well.
How else would a dame like that get here?
Hey, she knew you were cops?
We didn't tell her.
You telling anybody else that you were coming to see me?
No.
Come on Candy, what's it all about?
Well take it easy.
Don't push me.
Why don't you sit down?
We're alright.
You was talking to Bronco tonight.
Well.
I bumped into him right after you shoved off.
That's so.
Yeah, asking a mule like him about H. Boy he's lucky if he can turn a couple sticks of tea.
We're asking everybody.
You didn't ask me.
I figured it would be a waste of time.
I've helped you guys before.
No, not when it came to the stuff you didn't.
Maybe this is different.
Yeah.
I always figured a guy gets hooked.
That's his own business.
He's done it himself.
That's his getting hurt too, here's truly.
I've been hooked three times, I don't know.
Yeah, you should.
Guy wants to kick it, it's up to him too.
You can stick him in a joint, send him to the hospital, maybe he'll get rid of the habit for a while.
But if he wants to kick it for good, he's got to do it.
Nobody else, it ain't easy either.
Guy's own business is what happens.
Whether he goes for a ride or gets off.
All right, come on Candy, what are you getting at here?
Of course you're looking for it, ain't just going to Guy's, boy.
You mean Kid's?
Yeah.
How do you know that?
Father asked me if I wanted to make a buy, thought I was still shooting caps.
What fellow?
Mm-mm.
Come on, we'll stand in front of you, Candy.
Well, you take it my way or you don't get it.
That means no names.
All right, give us the rest of it.
Well, like I said, he asked me if I was interested in a buy and I told him I wasn't.
He said that was okay with him.
He had plenty of other customers.
He cut a lot thinner for some of them.
A pro like me, I might know the difference.
Kids just off of the weed, they wouldn't care.
He said he was only making me an offer as a favor, you know.
Mm-hmm, did you ever buy from him before?
Well, look, Joe, just let me tell it, huh?
Go ahead.
Well, the way he talked kind of rubbed me the wrong way.
Even when I was pushing, I never sold the kids, you know that.
I ain't no saint, I never pushed no kids.
It just didn't seem right.
Yeah.
You know, I remember when I bumped into Bronco tonight and he told me that you guys were looking for H.
Well, I figured maybe I would hold you a hand.
Go ahead.
Make you feel kind of funny.
What?
I ain't never thinked on a guy in a trade before, you know that.
Well, you're out of it now, aren't you?
Yeah, for now.
You never know, Joe.
Three times, you know, I've been down.
You never know when it's gonna happen again.
I ain't making no promises, even to myself.
I've never cut down on anything like this before, sort of like turning myself in.
It's good H, too. It's Eastern.
It's been cut, but it's not too thin.
The way he talked must have been, you know, six, eight ounces left.
The rest of it's been sold.
He can cut a lot thinner if he wants to.
It's dealing with kids.
It don't matter, you know.
Where do we find him, can't he?
You ever hear of Walker Drive, Hollywood Hills?
Where you can find it?
Well, it's not much of a street, it's just four or five blocks dead end.
Cuts off a lot before you get to Mulholland.
Well, go ahead.
That's it.
Well, which house?
I ain't seen nothing about no house.
Maybe he lives there, or maybe he's just going up to make a sale. I don't know.
You think he's there now?
I didn't ask him for no time schedule.
Now go on, beat it, will you? I want to get drunk.
Oh, hey, look, there is something about you guys that keeps me sober.
If you don't shove off, I'm going to run out of booze.
You want to tell us what he looks like, can't he?
You've had it, Joe.
Now I'm going to tell you something. You haven't given us very much.
Is that so? Well, you know something?
It's lucky for you I got principles about pushing the kids.
Yeah.
You'd have got nothing.
We continued to question Delman, but he refused to give us any further information.
11.46 p.m. Frank and I left the Hattrick Hotel and we drove up into the Hollywood Hills.
We turned off Laurel Canyon onto Walker Drive.
The street was only five blocks long and there were approximately 20 houses on it.
12.22 a.m. We pulled up at the corner of Walker and Laurel where we'd be able to notice anybody who turned into or out of the drive.
1.06 a.m. A man approached a Chevy convertible parked across the street from us.
We knew he'd walked down from one of the houses on Walker, but we hadn't been able to determine which one.
He passed under a street lamp and we recognized him as Sam Free, a known narcotics user and suspected peddler.
Hold it, Sam. Huh?
Right where you are. Hold it up.
Sure. Sure.
Turn around, Sam. Put your hands against the side of the car. Yeah.
You guys know me. I don't carry nothing.
Hey, what you doing in my pockets? I ain't got no gun. You said so yourself.
Now, where the heck did that come from? Why don't you tell us?
That's the stuff jar.
Is this all you got, Sam?
Well, is it? Yeah.
You're coming up in the world, aren't you? What do you mean?
A couple of months ago, all we had you paid for was a user and a small-time pusher.
That's a lot of H. Where'd you get it?
Well, now, you know better than that. You're in trouble, Sam.
Okay, you found the stuff for me. That means I'm gonna do some time.
A lot of time. Well, whatever it is, I'd just as soon be in one piece when I come out.
It was a car I belonged to, Sam.
What car? This one right here.
Huh? You were getting into it, Sam.
Was I? I'll give it a check.
All right. All right. It's my car, so what?
I'll still check it.
Who fed you? What?
To where I was. You're not hard to find, Sam.
Yeah? You've been looking for me over three weeks now.
And so? Only you didn't know I was the guy you were after.
Thank you. For what? For telling us when the H got into town.
A lot of good it'll do. Mm-hmm.
Another day I'd have been clean, you wouldn't have found none of it.
My own fault trying to get a good price.
I should have taken what was offered.
It's the real stuff, though. A man don't like to give it away.
Got something? Yeah.
Take a look in the backseat. Bunch of sweaters. Look like cash mirrors.
I bought them for my girl. It's her birthday.
Must be some girl. Yeah.
At least 40 sweaters there, Joe. Yeah, they're all different sizes.
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We took the suspect Sam Free down to the main jail,
and we had him booked on possession of narcotics and suspicion of burglary.
An examination of the labels and the sweaters indicated that they were all
from the same white side lady's sports shop in North Hollywood.
1.58 a.m. We contacted the owner of the store, Mr. T.P. Whiteside.
Yes, sir, that's right. If you would, we'd appreciate it.
About 30 minutes. All right, sir, fine. Thank you.
Goodbye.
He says they're stolen, all right.
Why didn't he report it?
He didn't know anything about it until now.
It just must have happened tonight.
2.22 a.m. Frank and I met Mr. Whiteside at his sportswear shop on Lankersham Boulevard.
At the rear of the building, we found a cut screen and a window that had been forced open.
We called the crime lab and asked them to check the premises for any physical evidence.
Mr. Whiteside made a quick survey of his stock, and as far as he could tell,
the only missing item was a supply of cashmere sweaters.
I just can't get over it.
How's that, Mr. Whiteside?
You fellas finding out about all this even before I did.
Well, I've done my share of complaining about policemen in the past, that is.
Yes, sir.
Whenever I got a ticket, I used to say to myself,
ain't he got enough more important to do than pull me over for going a couple of miles too fast?
That's what I said.
Yes, sir.
I figured that's all you policefellas cared about, you know, giving folks tickets.
Never seemed like you was paying no attention to the real crooks around town.
Guess I owe you the apology.
Sorry, I'd forget it.
No, no, no. Oh, no, I ain't gonna forget it.
I've been wrong about cops all these years, and you sure showed me the night.
Apology, that's what I owe you. You gonna accept it?
Yes, sir.
Shake?
You bet.
You too, mister?
Huh?
You willing to shake with me?
Oh, sure, you bet.
Say, about them sweaters you found.
Yes, sir.
I'd like you to keep a couple of them for your wives or girlfriends.
No, sir, that's all right. Thanks anyway, Mr. Whiteside.
You're entitled. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be getting them back.
It's our job.
Oh, go on. Keep a couple anyway, won't you?
No, sir, I'm sorry. We can't do that.
Well, I would offer the reward if I'd known about the burglary.
Yes, sir, we understand.
Well, it's your own fault. Nobody else is. You ought to blame for it.
How's that?
No reward.
Huh?
Didn't give me time enough.
4.05 a.m. The crew from the crime lab reported that there was no physical evidence at the store.
Frank and I went off duty.
The next afternoon, May 24th, at 4.16 p.m., we checked our weapons at the booking counter of the city jail and we asked to interview the prisoner, Sam Free.
The booking sergeant told us he was in cell 104.
Yeah?
Free in 104.
Okay.
Free in 104 for interview.
Free for interview.
Sit down, Sam.
Sure.
You ready to do some talking?
About what?
The stuff. Where'd you get it?
Look, we had it checked by the lab, Sam.
Yeah?
It isn't Mexican. It's from back East someplace.
No kidding.
Okay, I got it from back East.
I sure don't want to louse up your scientific cats by saying different.
Is that the way you want it on your report?
Huh?
Uncooperative?
Ain't gonna make no difference what you guys put down.
It might, Sam.
Oh, look, you want a deal, I'll talk. Otherwise, forget it.
We don't make deals, you know that.
It's up to you.
Now, look, this isn't your first fall, Sam. It's gonna go hard with you.
Maybe.
No maybes.
Oh, you never know. I'm chilling with some of the boys back there.
They tell me things have changed around here.
Yeah.
Case against me might not stand up.
You wouldn't want to bet on that, would you, Sam?
Just telling you what I heard.
Don't you count on it.
Yeah?
Things haven't changed that much.
MUSIC
4.31 p.m.
Frank and I went over to the Hall of Justice to file a complaint against Free.
We talked to Deputy District Attorney Don Avery in the Complaint Department
and gave him a complete statement of facts concerning Free's arrest.
Is that it?
Yeah, that's it.
Everything can happen?
Yeah.
Why, what's the matter, Don?
Hmm?
Something wrong with this case?
I don't know yet.
Well, Free himself said it might not stand up. We figured he was just talking.
Yeah.
We got the H, the stolen sweaters. What more do you need?
Let me ask you a couple of questions.
Sure.
Now, give me the same answers you'd give in court if you were under oath.
All right.
Free was beside this car when you stopped him, is that right?
That's right.
Did you place him under arrest before you searched him?
Well, did you?
Well, not in so many words.
What do you mean?
Well, we knew he was a hype. He knew we were cops.
He could have figured that out.
But you didn't say you're under arrest, in those words.
No, I don't think I did.
Smith?
Well, Don, we didn't have anything to arrest him for,
not until after we found the H.
Did you have any reason to suspect he was carrying dope?
Well, like I said, he's a user.
Yeah.
And he was in the neighborhood. We knew somebody around there was carrying it.
Well, then you weren't looking for free in particular.
Well, no.
The way I get it, the burglary hadn't been reported yet, is that right?
That's right.
So finding the sweaters was a surprise.
Yeah, it sure was.
Well, we'll file on him, but it may not stick.
What are you talking about, Don?
The evidence.
Well, what's wrong with it?
The way you got it.
What?
You heard about the exclusionary ruling, didn't you?
Yeah.
Skipper had an assembly on it.
Well?
Look, Don, we're not lawyers, we're cops.
Sure. Well, here's the way it operates.
Evidence obtained by illegal search or seizure can be thrown out of court.
Simple as that.
Yeah?
Federal government has the same ruling.
Most of the states don't. We never have until now.
Before, if a policeman committed an illegal search or seizure,
he could be prosecuted. Lots of times he was.
Uh-huh.
But the evidence could still be used at the suspect's trial.
Yeah.
It doesn't work that way anymore.
No?
Well, look, maybe I'm just thick, Don,
but it seems to me the only guy who's better off's the criminal.
That's how I see it, too.
Mm-hmm.
Well, all right, now, look, suppose we do pick up a guy.
Maybe we aren't right, but we think we're on to something.
If he's clean, he's not out of anything except a little time and trouble.
Yeah.
And if he isn't, we got some evidence.
Not anymore you have.
Yeah, well, this just don't make sense to me.
Well, what are we supposed to do from here on in?
You want to make a search, you got to get the guy's permission
or put him under arrest first or have a valid search warrant.
Otherwise, it's illegal.
Your evidence may not hold.
Let me have that again.
If you want to make a search, you got to get the guy's permission
or put him under arrest first or have a valid search warrant.
Otherwise, it's illegal.
Well, now, let's take free, for instance.
Yeah.
We didn't have anything to arrest him on.
As for getting his permission to search, well, I got a big picture of that.
Mm-hmm.
There was no way of getting a search warrant drawn, Don.
We didn't even know what we were looking for.
Well, that's the way it's got to be from here on in.
Every time?
There might be some exceptions, I don't know.
It's up to the courts to decide.
Well, what if we're after somebody, a guy who's heavy?
Yeah.
Let's take a killer, maybe, so we want to break in.
We supposed to ask him if it's all right if we break in?
You can get a warrant.
Yeah, well, maybe we don't know who he is.
Maybe it's 4 o'clock in the morning.
What do you think?
When it comes up, you'll get an answer.
Well, let's come up right now.
Why?
We got a dope pusher here.
He's been selling H to kids.
We got him made, dead to rights, burglary too.
Now, you say he's going to get off.
I didn't say for sure.
Well, I don't even like to hear a maybe, not in a case like this.
It's the best I can do, Joe.
I didn't hand down the ruling.
If you'd arrested him first, that'd be different.
Yeah, and if he hadn't been carrying, he could have slapped a suit on us for false arrest.
Only thing I can tell you, get a warrant, get permission, or arrest him first.
Yeah, well, there's only one thing I'm going to tell you.
It's not going to work.
Maybe not.
Well, just what do we do?
Go back to Pound Beats?
Is that it?
Look, I said we might not be able to make it hold up in Free's case.
If we can't, you'll get him sooner or later.
You've got him pegged.
Next time, get to him so it'll stick.
Well, don't worry about it.
We will.
Well?
Tell me one thing, Don, before we do.
Yeah?
How much more stuff is this guy going to peddle?
The story you've just heard is true.
The names were changed to protect the innocent.
On May 30th, the preliminary hearing was held in Division IV, Municipal Court, in and for the County of Los Angeles.
In a moment, the results of that hearing.
Now, here is our star, Jack Webb.
Thank you, George Fenomen.
Chesterfield made the modern way with accu-ray.
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Chesterfield.
In the case of Sam Arthur Free, the court ruled that the evidence against him had been obtained by illegal search and seizure.
The charges against the suspect were dismissed.
You have just heard Dragnet, a series of authentic cases from official files.
Technical advice comes from the Office of Chief of Police, W.H. Parker, Los Angeles Police Department.
Technical advisors, Captain Jack Donahoe, Sergeant Marty Wynn, Sergeant Vance Brasher.
Heard tonight were Ben Alexander, Virginia Gregg, Jack Crouchon, Herb Ellis, Vic Rodman.
Script by Frank Burt. Music by Walter Schuman. Hal Gibney speaking.
Watch an entirely different Dragnet case history each week on your local NBC television station.
Please check your newspapers for the day and time.
Chesterfield has brought you Dragnet, transcribed from Los Angeles.
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