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Dragnet - ”The Big Father” (Old Time Radio, 1955) · Old Time Mystery Radio | Old Time Radio

• 0:02
  Speaker 1: Dragnet.
• 0:06
  Speaker 2: Ladies and gentlemen, the story you were about to hear
• 0:09
  Speaker 2: is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent.
• 0:21
  Speaker 2: You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned the burglary detail. For
• 0:25
  Speaker 2: the past month, a hot powl artist has been working
• 0:27
  Speaker 2: the Silver Lake District in your city. Your job stop him.
• 0:37
  Speaker 3: Dragnet the documented drama of an actual crime. For the
• 0:41
  Speaker 3: next thirty minutes, in cooperation with the Los Angeles Police Department,
• 0:45
  Speaker 3: you will travel step.
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: By step on the side of the law through an.
• 0:48
  Speaker 3: Actual case transcribed from official police violence, from beginning to end,
• 0:52
  Speaker 3: from crime to punishment.
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: Dragnet is the story of your police.
• 0:56
  Speaker 4: Force in action.
• 1:02
  Speaker 5: It was Tuesday, April twelfth. It was sunny in Los Angeles.
• 1:04
  Speaker 5: We were working the day watch out of burglary detail.
• 1:06
  Speaker 5: My partner is Frank Smith. The boss is Captain Bernard.
• 1:08
  Speaker 5: My name is Friday. I was on my way back
• 1:10
  Speaker 5: from the business office and it was four thirty one
• 1:12
  Speaker 5: pm when I got the room forty five Burglary been.
• 1:15
  Speaker 4: Beating about it in the papers. You know what did
• 1:17
  Speaker 4: a light It was here and there, not front page stuff,
• 1:19
  Speaker 4: but it's starting.
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: Oh hi, Joe, Hi, let's burcher is my partner, Sergeant Friday.
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: I do, are you, mister Burcher?
• 1:26
  Speaker 4: Pretty good? Pretty good? Step from my feet. They're killing me. Oh,
• 1:29
  Speaker 4: that's just a little joke amongst us mailman, Sergeant. Somebody
• 1:32
  Speaker 4: asked us how we feel it. We say our dogs
• 1:34
  Speaker 4: are killing us today. Ain't necessarily the truth, but it's
• 1:37
  Speaker 4: what folks expect to hear, so we don't dispart them.
• 1:39
  Speaker 5: Yes, sir, what was it you want to see us about,
• 1:42
  Speaker 5: mister Burcher?
• 1:42
  Speaker 4: I was just telling your partner here Smith, is it
• 1:45
  Speaker 4: that's right? Say well, I was just telling mister Smith,
• 1:47
  Speaker 4: my mayor outs out in Silver Lake District. Uh you
• 1:50
  Speaker 4: know where they've been having them burglaries lately? Yes, sir, sure,
• 1:53
  Speaker 4: it's a shame nice part of town. Five residential, nice
• 1:57
  Speaker 4: people too, been delivering their mail for the past twelve years?
• 2:00
  Speaker 5: Is that right?
• 2:00
  Speaker 4: Get no, folks pretty well in that length of time.
• 2:03
  Speaker 4: How you take missus Davenport lived the seven hundred block
• 2:06
  Speaker 4: from Saint George.
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: Please?
• 2:07
  Speaker 4: Yes, men, did I give her a meal last Friday?
• 2:10
  Speaker 4: I could tell something was wrong. She didn't even glance
• 2:12
  Speaker 4: at her postcards. That was the kip hop, Yes, sir,
• 2:15
  Speaker 4: told me somebody had sneaked into her house that morning
• 2:17
  Speaker 4: stole twenty dollars in cash in her diamond engagement ring.
• 2:20
  Speaker 4: Said she left it on the sink when she started
• 2:21
  Speaker 4: doing the breakfast dishes. When in the other room to
• 2:24
  Speaker 4: answer the phone. That must have been when she had robbed.
• 2:27
  Speaker 4: You already heard about Missus Davenport being robbed?
• 2:30
  Speaker 1: Have you?
• 2:30
  Speaker 5: Yes, sir, we talked to her last week.
• 2:32
  Speaker 4: Oh, you're the fellows come to see her about it?
• 2:34
  Speaker 5: That's right.
• 2:35
  Speaker 4: You haven't you luck yet? How's that catching a fellow
• 2:38
  Speaker 4: that robbed her?
• 2:38
  Speaker 5: Nose're not so far well.
• 2:40
  Speaker 4: I don't know whether this will help you out or not,
• 2:42
  Speaker 4: but I thought I ought to tell you about it anyway.
• 2:44
  Speaker 4: How about what mister Richard now happened twice to my knowledge,
• 2:47
  Speaker 4: twice in the last two weeks, once just this morning.
• 2:51
  Speaker 4: That's why I come down here. It's who they got
• 2:52
  Speaker 4: off work. It was Missus Perkins on South Moultman that
• 2:56
  Speaker 4: happened to to day. Said she walked onto the her
• 2:58
  Speaker 4: kitchen and there he was, big life, sir, stranger, complete stranger.
• 3:03
  Speaker 4: She asked him what he was doing there. He said
• 3:05
  Speaker 4: he was from the light company, come to repair her
• 3:07
  Speaker 4: electric stove. M The thing is, Missus Perkins don't have
• 3:10
  Speaker 4: an electric stove. Fell apologized, said he got into the
• 3:14
  Speaker 4: wrong house by mistake. Missus Perkins didn't think nothing about
• 3:17
  Speaker 4: it and just happened to mention it when I come
• 3:19
  Speaker 4: by with the meal. I didn't think nothing about it either,
• 3:22
  Speaker 4: not at first, yes, sir. Then I remembered same thing
• 3:25
  Speaker 4: happened to mister Johnstone over on Scott Street week you
• 3:28
  Speaker 4: ten days ago found a man from the light company
• 3:30
  Speaker 4: standing in her kitchen. She hadn't sent for him either.
• 3:33
  Speaker 4: He said, they'd give them the wrong address. Now we
• 3:36
  Speaker 4: just don't stand the reason the light company be sending
• 3:38
  Speaker 4: people to the wrong addresses all the time. No, sir,
• 3:41
  Speaker 4: don't got to thinking about them. Burglaries Missus Davenport and
• 3:44
  Speaker 4: the ones I read about in the papers. Wondered if
• 3:46
  Speaker 4: there wasn't some connection.
• 3:48
  Speaker 5: It might be it's the way a hot prowl artist works.
• 3:51
  Speaker 5: Hot prowl daytime. Burgler operates when the victims have to
• 3:54
  Speaker 5: be in the house.
• 3:55
  Speaker 3: Oh, would you give us her addresses, mister Bircher, Huh,
• 3:57
  Speaker 3: the two ladies you were telling us about.
• 3:59
  Speaker 4: Give me the found of fellow from the light company
• 4:02
  Speaker 4: in the kitchen. Yes, Missus Perkins, she lives on South
• 4:05
  Speaker 4: Molten number two oh one, Missus Waldo Perkins, that's your.
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: Full name, two oh one. And the other lady.
• 4:11
  Speaker 4: Johnstone, missus Nellie Johnstone, she's a widow lady. Her address
• 4:16
  Speaker 4: is one two four seven Scott Street, corner Scott and Brandon.
• 4:19
  Speaker 1: Thank you, would you.
• 4:20
  Speaker 5: Mind, young, It's just what your mail root covers. Mister Bircher,
• 4:23
  Speaker 5: huh on the map over here? Would you come over here?
• 4:25
  Speaker 6: Oh?
• 4:25
  Speaker 3: Sure, sure?
• 4:28
  Speaker 4: Here we are starts here down this street like soul.
• 4:34
  Speaker 4: Then over here this whole section these streets here down here,
• 4:40
  Speaker 4: this is where I end up.
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: I see that's the right area, all right.
• 4:44
  Speaker 4: Now, anything else I can do for you?
• 4:46
  Speaker 1: No, sure, I don't believe. So we appreciate your coming in.
• 4:49
  Speaker 4: Figured out all I help you if I could, seeing
• 4:51
  Speaker 4: is how we both worked with the same boss.
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: How's that the taxpayer?
• 5:01
  Speaker 5: We checked with the utility companies and they told us
• 5:03
  Speaker 5: that they had made no recent repair cause in the
• 5:05
  Speaker 5: vicinity of the addresses that mister Bircher had given us.
• 5:08
  Speaker 5: Five forty six pm, Frank and I drove out to
• 5:10
  Speaker 5: two A one South Maltman. It was a one story
• 5:12
  Speaker 5: stuck of bungalow set behind a white picket fence.
• 5:17
  Speaker 7: Well, it's about time you.
• 5:19
  Speaker 1: Where are the flowers, ma'am?
• 5:20
  Speaker 7: Aren't you for mcadam's flower shop?
• 5:22
  Speaker 5: No, ma'am will They.
• 5:22
  Speaker 8: Promised me they'd have them here by five, promised faithfully.
• 5:25
  Speaker 7: You just can't depend on anybody. Well, what is it?
• 5:28
  Speaker 5: Well, police officers, ma'am?
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: Please is Frank Smith? My name is Friday. Oh, for
• 5:32
  Speaker 1: heaven's sake you, miss Perkins.
• 5:34
  Speaker 7: Well, yes, of course, who'd you think I was?
• 5:35
  Speaker 1: We'd like to talk to you for a minute.
• 5:37
  Speaker 7: Oh what on earth about?
• 5:38
  Speaker 5: Please?
• 5:38
  Speaker 8: I'm in an awful hurry. I've got sixteen people coming
• 5:41
  Speaker 8: for It's a.
• 5:41
  Speaker 5: Couple of questions. Please, it won't take us long.
• 5:43
  Speaker 7: Oh all right, all right, I suppose you might as
• 5:45
  Speaker 7: well come in.
• 5:45
  Speaker 5: Thank you.
• 5:48
  Speaker 8: It isn't about Waldo, ma'am. My husband, It isn't about him,
• 5:52
  Speaker 8: is it not? On top of everything else? No, I
• 5:56
  Speaker 8: don't know whether I'm coming or going. I'm just not
• 5:57
  Speaker 8: up to a big dinner part anymore. I shouldn't have tried.
• 6:00
  Speaker 5: Yes, we understand you had a visitor this morning, missus Perkins.
• 6:03
  Speaker 1: Visitor, a man who said he'd come to fix your stove.
• 6:05
  Speaker 8: Oh yes, now, how on earth? Oh that mail man.
• 6:10
  Speaker 8: I ought to know better than to tell him anything.
• 6:11
  Speaker 8: He spreads it all over town.
• 6:13
  Speaker 1: You hadn't sent for an electrician, had you?
• 6:15
  Speaker 7: Oh? Certainly not if anything was wrong with my stove.
• 6:17
  Speaker 7: It's the end of the gas company. It's a gas range.
• 6:20
  Speaker 5: Well could you describe him for us?
• 6:21
  Speaker 7: Please describe it?
• 6:22
  Speaker 5: That's right, I don't know what you mean. Well, what
• 6:25
  Speaker 5: do you look like? Was he tall or sharp?
• 6:27
  Speaker 9: Well?
• 6:27
  Speaker 7: I hardly even looked at him. He's just an ordinary man.
• 6:30
  Speaker 5: See how old would you say it was?
• 6:32
  Speaker 7: Isn't this kind of foolish?
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: We aren't sure yet. Man, Do you have any idea
• 6:35
  Speaker 1: of his age?
• 6:36
  Speaker 7: Youngish? I guess about thirty.
• 6:39
  Speaker 5: How was he dressed?
• 6:40
  Speaker 7: I'm afraid I don't remember.
• 6:41
  Speaker 1: Well. Did he have any uniform of any kind?
• 6:43
  Speaker 7: M No, no uniform suit. I think I didn't pay
• 6:46
  Speaker 7: much attention.
• 6:46
  Speaker 1: No scars or anything like that, not that I noticed.
• 6:49
  Speaker 7: Might have.
• 6:49
  Speaker 5: Well, just what did he say to you?
• 6:51
  Speaker 7: Just that he made a mistake, that he was in
• 6:52
  Speaker 7: the wrong house, that's all.
• 6:54
  Speaker 5: Do you have any kind of an accent?
• 6:55
  Speaker 7: No? He sounded like a plane every day American to me.
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: Do you think you'd recognize him if I saw him again.
• 7:00
  Speaker 7: Oh, I don't think so.
• 7:02
  Speaker 8: It would have been some other day when I wasn't
• 7:03
  Speaker 8: so busy, when I didn't have so much on my mind.
• 7:06
  Speaker 5: Did you know that's where he went when he left here?
• 7:08
  Speaker 7: Out the back door?
• 7:09
  Speaker 1: Did he drive away?
• 7:10
  Speaker 7: I really haven't any idea.
• 7:12
  Speaker 8: If you're so interested in the poor man, you better
• 7:14
  Speaker 8: talk to Margo Margot, missus Summersby, my next door neighbor.
• 7:17
  Speaker 7: She was doing some gardening this morning.
• 7:19
  Speaker 5: I see.
• 7:20
  Speaker 8: I suppose she saw him too. There's much that gets
• 7:22
  Speaker 8: by Margo.
• 7:23
  Speaker 7: She's a little on the nosey side, if you know
• 7:24
  Speaker 7: what I mean.
• 7:25
  Speaker 5: Yes, ma'am, which house is hers?
• 7:26
  Speaker 7: Not from there?
• 7:28
  Speaker 5: I see.
• 7:28
  Speaker 8: Now, I've just got to get back to my dinner.
• 7:30
  Speaker 8: I haven't even started the salad yet.
• 7:32
  Speaker 5: And just one more thing this pre well, what is
• 7:34
  Speaker 5: it now? Is anything missing from around the house missing? Yes, ma'am,
• 7:37
  Speaker 5: money or anything of value?
• 7:39
  Speaker 7: Why? No, No, of course not?
• 7:41
  Speaker 5: You sure? Are you?
• 7:42
  Speaker 8: What on earth are you driving at? A man makes
• 7:44
  Speaker 8: a perfectly honest mistake. Next thing I know, the police
• 7:46
  Speaker 8: are bothering me to think he was a criminal or something.
• 7:49
  Speaker 5: I'm sorry we troubles I just don't understand.
• 7:51
  Speaker 8: If people come here all the time, day in and
• 7:53
  Speaker 8: day out. Some of them had the right address, some
• 7:55
  Speaker 8: of them have the wrong. One spend half my life
• 7:57
  Speaker 8: answering the doorbell. Ma'am, what's so special about this fellow?
• 8:00
  Speaker 5: He didn't ring your doorbell. We left Missus Perkins and
• 8:08
  Speaker 5: went over to talk to her next door neighbor, Missus Sommersby.
• 8:10
  Speaker 5: Missus Sommersby told us that she'd spent most of the
• 8:12
  Speaker 5: morning in her garden transplanting Bagonia's. She also said that
• 8:15
  Speaker 5: she remembered seeing a stranger at her Missus Perkins house
• 8:17
  Speaker 5: about ten thirty am.
• 8:19
  Speaker 9: I don't think he noticed me. I was down on
• 8:20
  Speaker 9: my hands and knees behind the hedge. I remember thinking
• 8:23
  Speaker 9: it was kind of odd the way he just walked in.
• 8:26
  Speaker 9: Then I decided it's probably somebody about the party she's
• 8:28
  Speaker 9: given tonight. Delivery man, somebody like that.
• 8:31
  Speaker 1: That's right.
• 8:31
  Speaker 5: Did you see him leave?
• 8:33
  Speaker 9: A couple of minutes later he came back and out
• 8:35
  Speaker 9: headed out toward the front of the house.
• 8:37
  Speaker 5: Do you have a car? I suppose so, you aren't sure.
• 8:41
  Speaker 9: No, I just assumed he did. If he was a delivery.
• 8:45
  Speaker 1: Man, could you describe him for us, Missus Summersby.
• 8:48
  Speaker 9: Doesn't missus Perkins know who he was?
• 8:50
  Speaker 1: Well, she isn't sure.
• 8:52
  Speaker 9: Well she must know what he looked like.
• 8:54
  Speaker 5: Well, we'd like to check your description against hers it.
• 8:56
  Speaker 9: Sorry, I suppose she was a bit vague. I'm not surprised.
• 9:02
  Speaker 9: She doesn't have a very sharp eye. She can't see
• 9:04
  Speaker 9: her nose in front of her face?
• 9:05
  Speaker 5: Is that so?
• 9:06
  Speaker 9: And the way she's been carrying on about this dinner party, well,
• 9:08
  Speaker 9: it's a wonder to me she even remembered the man.
• 9:10
  Speaker 1: Yes, ma'am.
• 9:11
  Speaker 9: You think if she could entertain sixteen people, two more
• 9:14
  Speaker 9: wouldn't be any extra trouble. How's that all her talk
• 9:17
  Speaker 9: about just having friends of her sisters. That's who the
• 9:20
  Speaker 9: party's for, her sister from Cleveland. They're out here on
• 9:23
  Speaker 9: a visit. Excuse, that's what it is to get out
• 9:27
  Speaker 9: of invite. And Wrexham me, well, she won't need excuses
• 9:30
  Speaker 9: in the future. Our relationship will be on a somewhat
• 9:32
  Speaker 9: different basis, yes, ma'am.
• 9:33
  Speaker 5: Now if you just tell us about the man you
• 9:35
  Speaker 5: saw this morning?
• 9:36
  Speaker 9: Oh him, yes, ma'am. Well he was good size, as
• 9:41
  Speaker 9: tall as you are, maybe a little heavier late twenties
• 9:45
  Speaker 9: or early thirties. I'd put him dark hair, needed a haircut.
• 9:49
  Speaker 9: It's nice looking, not real handsome or anything like that,
• 9:52
  Speaker 9: but good looking.
• 9:54
  Speaker 1: Do you remember how it was dressed?
• 9:56
  Speaker 9: Coat and pans. Don't think they matched. Not too sporty though.
• 10:00
  Speaker 9: See walked real fast, brisk, like he was in a
• 10:02
  Speaker 9: big hurry, yes, ma'am.
• 10:04
  Speaker 5: Anything else?
• 10:05
  Speaker 9: No, No, I can't think of anything.
• 10:08
  Speaker 1: Has he been around this neighborhood before?
• 10:10
  Speaker 9: It was a stranger to me?
• 10:12
  Speaker 1: Would you recognize him if you saw him again?
• 10:14
  Speaker 9: Don't see? Why not?
• 10:17
  Speaker 1: Excuse me?
• 10:20
  Speaker 9: Hello?
• 10:23
  Speaker 10: Yes?
• 10:25
  Speaker 9: Oh that's too bad. Uh huh, Well I don't know. Oh,
• 10:40
  Speaker 9: well I suppose you do? Oh? I see all right?
• 10:50
  Speaker 9: By hm, Missus Perkins.
• 10:57
  Speaker 5: Is that right?
• 10:59
  Speaker 9: So the Barringtons can't come? Mister Barrington's got virus. Wants
• 11:04
  Speaker 9: me and Rex to fill in at the last minute. Well,
• 11:09
  Speaker 9: if you're all through, sergeant, yes, ma'am, thank you. I'd
• 11:12
  Speaker 9: better start getting ready.
• 11:20
  Speaker 5: We told Missus Summersby to get in touch with us
• 11:22
  Speaker 5: if she saw the suspect in the neighborhood again. We
• 11:25
  Speaker 5: also told her that we might need her assistance in
• 11:27
  Speaker 5: making an identification for mugshots. She happened to do all
• 11:30
  Speaker 5: she could to help us. Six forty eight pm, Frank
• 11:33
  Speaker 5: and Eye canvass the vicinity for anyone else who might
• 11:35
  Speaker 5: have seen the suspect.
• 11:37
  Speaker 1: We were unable to turn up another witness.
• 11:39
  Speaker 5: Eight oh six pm we drove over to Scott Avenue
• 11:41
  Speaker 5: and interviewed missus Nellie Johnstone. Missus Johnstone stated that on
• 11:44
  Speaker 5: Monday of the previous week, a strange man had entered
• 11:47
  Speaker 5: her kitchen. He claimed to be from the electric company.
• 11:50
  Speaker 5: He apologized for coming to the wrong address and left immediately.
• 11:54
  Speaker 5: Her description of the suspect tallied with what we already had.
• 11:57
  Speaker 5: The next day, April thirteenth, we checked the description and
• 11:59
  Speaker 5: the stats office. They came up with three possibles. We
• 12:03
  Speaker 5: took the names to R and I and pulled their packages.
• 12:06
  Speaker 5: Twelve o eight pm we went back to the office.
• 12:08
  Speaker 5: Well do you think, Joe, Well, from these mugshots, it
• 12:12
  Speaker 5: could be any one of them. Yeah, I better try
• 12:14
  Speaker 5: for an identification.
• 12:16
  Speaker 1: Who do you want to start with?
• 12:17
  Speaker 5: It doesn't matter Miss Perkins again.
• 12:19
  Speaker 1: Okay, I wonder how a party went last night? I
• 12:22
  Speaker 1: got it Buglary Friday.
• 12:27
  Speaker 5: Where did happened? M Yeah, that's the neighborhood. How long ago?
• 12:34
  Speaker 5: I see right, thank you, looks like we won't need
• 12:38
  Speaker 5: missus Perkins. I just brought a lady into Georgia Street
• 12:41
  Speaker 5: who lives out in the Silver Lake district. Found a
• 12:43
  Speaker 5: man going through a person in the bedroom. Tried to
• 12:45
  Speaker 5: stop him from getting away slugger. We drove over to
• 12:56
  Speaker 5: George Street Receiving Hospital and talked to doctor Sebastian. He
• 12:59
  Speaker 5: told us that a Missus while at Castle, had been
• 13:00
  Speaker 5: brought in for treatment. He said she had a bad
• 13:03
  Speaker 5: bruise in her face in a slight concussion. He also
• 13:05
  Speaker 5: said she hadn't lost consciousness and was able to talk
• 13:08
  Speaker 5: to us.
• 13:09
  Speaker 1: That's Castle, I guess police officers, ma'am.
• 13:13
  Speaker 5: Okay, we'd like it to tell us what happened, if
• 13:15
  Speaker 5: you would.
• 13:16
  Speaker 7: I told the others when they come to get.
• 13:17
  Speaker 5: Me, Yes, ma'am, we'd like to hear from you. Well.
• 13:21
  Speaker 11: He was just standing there by the dresser. I couldn't
• 13:23
  Speaker 11: imagine where he come from.
• 13:24
  Speaker 1: Uh huh.
• 13:25
  Speaker 11: I didn't say anything for a minute. I was too surprised.
• 13:28
  Speaker 11: He didn't seem to know I was in the room.
• 13:30
  Speaker 11: His back was towards me.
• 13:31
  Speaker 1: What was he doing?
• 13:32
  Speaker 11: And I couldn't tell, not the first. And then I
• 13:35
  Speaker 11: heard a little snap, you know, just to click. I
• 13:39
  Speaker 11: realized he was.
• 13:39
  Speaker 9: Opening my purse.
• 13:40
  Speaker 11: Yes, ma'am, started fumbling at the things inside.
• 13:43
  Speaker 7: I must have moved or something.
• 13:45
  Speaker 11: Anyway, he looked up, saw me in the mirror. His
• 13:48
  Speaker 11: eyes opened up real wide, like he was scared. I
• 13:52
  Speaker 11: remember thinking he's more scared than I am. Did he
• 13:54
  Speaker 11: say anything, No, so's not a word I did all
• 13:57
  Speaker 11: the talking.
• 13:58
  Speaker 7: Told him to put down the purse.
• 13:59
  Speaker 11: Put it down on, I said, tried to sound real
• 14:02
  Speaker 11: sure of myself.
• 14:03
  Speaker 7: What happened, then dropped the pocket book.
• 14:05
  Speaker 11: Turned round toward me. I don't think he had a
• 14:09
  Speaker 11: gun or anything. If he did, I didn't see it.
• 14:12
  Speaker 11: He just started running toward the door. I moved over
• 14:15
  Speaker 11: so as I'd been in his way. Where do you
• 14:17
  Speaker 11: think you're going?
• 14:18
  Speaker 1: I said, m hm.
• 14:19
  Speaker 11: He didn't answer and just pushed past me. I grabbed
• 14:22
  Speaker 11: at his arm, and that's when he hit me here
• 14:24
  Speaker 11: where the bandage is. Must have struck the chair when
• 14:27
  Speaker 11: I fell. The doctor tells me I'm gonna have a
• 14:29
  Speaker 11: real bump. I guess everybody will be staying. Violet Castle
• 14:33
  Speaker 11: sure got the swell head. Huh I didn't faint, though
• 14:37
  Speaker 11: I thought for a minute I was going to, but
• 14:39
  Speaker 11: I didn't.
• 14:39
  Speaker 7: M M.
• 14:40
  Speaker 11: I heard him run out of.
• 14:41
  Speaker 9: The house like I heard a wild horses away.
• 14:43
  Speaker 11: He pounded out of there, managed to get to my feet,
• 14:46
  Speaker 11: made it to the telephone in the.
• 14:47
  Speaker 7: Hall, called the police. They sent an ambulance for me.
• 14:51
  Speaker 11: Got there real quick.
• 14:52
  Speaker 7: First time I have rode the an ambulance.
• 14:55
  Speaker 5: Oh.
• 14:55
  Speaker 11: I've had my share of sickness. I've been in hospitals
• 14:57
  Speaker 11: and all that, but I never had an ambulance ride before.
• 15:00
  Speaker 11: Siren too, siren going all the way down here. Now,
• 15:03
  Speaker 11: I thought I must be pretty bad off.
• 15:05
  Speaker 9: They had to use the siren.
• 15:06
  Speaker 7: Like that, But the doctor says it's usual.
• 15:08
  Speaker 5: Mm hm.
• 15:08
  Speaker 11: Who told me I'd be helping around again in a
• 15:10
  Speaker 11: few days, be my whole self except for my lump.
• 15:13
  Speaker 7: Be a while for a lump like that goes away.
• 15:16
  Speaker 5: Do you think you could identify the man who hit you,
• 15:18
  Speaker 5: miss Castle identifying?
• 15:20
  Speaker 6: Well?
• 15:20
  Speaker 5: Yes, if we showed you some pictures, could you pick
• 15:22
  Speaker 5: him out right now?
• 15:23
  Speaker 11: Yes, ma'am, I'm afraid not. Oh, it isn't that I
• 15:27
  Speaker 11: wouldn't know him, I understand him or his picture. I'm
• 15:29
  Speaker 11: not likely to forget that face.
• 15:31
  Speaker 7: Well, too dark in here for me to look at
• 15:33
  Speaker 7: any pictures, way too dark.
• 15:35
  Speaker 11: Doctor said they had to leave the blinds down for
• 15:37
  Speaker 11: the time being, told me not to turn the light on.
• 15:39
  Speaker 5: I understand.
• 15:40
  Speaker 7: I'm sorry.
• 15:41
  Speaker 11: I can't be more help, but the doctor left strict orders.
• 15:43
  Speaker 5: Yes, ma'am, I'll check it out. Thank you.
• 15:46
  Speaker 11: Always leave and follow them doctor's orders, yes, ma'am. No
• 15:49
  Speaker 11: use paying the doctor unless you do what he tells you.
• 15:52
  Speaker 11: Some of my husband always used to put it. Of course,
• 15:54
  Speaker 11: I am not saying anything here, emma. So that's what
• 15:57
  Speaker 11: they told me.
• 15:58
  Speaker 1: Yes, ma'am.
• 15:59
  Speaker 11: I explained that I was in the charity case. We
• 16:01
  Speaker 11: got some health and accident insurance. I guess you'd call
• 16:05
  Speaker 11: this an accident, wouldn't you.
• 16:06
  Speaker 5: Well, I'm not sure, I imagine.
• 16:07
  Speaker 1: So doctor Sebastian says, be all right turning the lights
• 16:11
  Speaker 1: on for a few minutes.
• 16:12
  Speaker 5: Job, okay.
• 16:13
  Speaker 9: Are you sure it's all right?
• 16:14
  Speaker 1: Yes, ma'am said so.
• 16:15
  Speaker 7: Well, he was so positive.
• 16:17
  Speaker 11: Before about keeping it dark in here.
• 16:19
  Speaker 5: Well, a couple of minutes probably won't make any difference
• 16:21
  Speaker 5: in miscastle.
• 16:22
  Speaker 9: Well, the doctor says, so.
• 16:27
  Speaker 7: Ooh us right, don't it.
• 16:29
  Speaker 1: Yes, ma'am, you just looked through these photos.
• 16:31
  Speaker 11: I'll do my best.
• 16:34
  Speaker 9: Sure is funny.
• 16:36
  Speaker 11: How's that you getting music quick and having pictures all
• 16:39
  Speaker 11: ready to show me?
• 16:40
  Speaker 5: Well, we don't know that. We've got his picture here.
• 16:42
  Speaker 9: Well that's much so funny, ma'am.
• 16:44
  Speaker 11: This is him right here.
• 16:50
  Speaker 5: Missus Castle positively identified one of the mugshots we'd shown her,
• 16:53
  Speaker 5: Ralph Foster Male Maple at doune time for burglary. The
• 16:57
  Speaker 5: three ladies we had previously interviewed also identified this suspects picture.
• 17:01
  Speaker 5: Three sixteen pm, we went back to the office. The
• 17:04
  Speaker 5: crime lab reported that there were no fingerprints or other
• 17:06
  Speaker 5: physical evidence at Missus Castle's home. Frank and I checked
• 17:09
  Speaker 5: the phone books and city directories for Maple's address. There
• 17:12
  Speaker 5: was no listing. We ran DMB for a car registration.
• 17:15
  Speaker 5: They had nothing under his name, but they told us
• 17:17
  Speaker 5: that a Missus Ralph F. Maple at three seventeen himber
• 17:20
  Speaker 5: Street was the registered owner of a late model Mash Sedan.
• 17:23
  Speaker 1: Four forty eight.
• 17:24
  Speaker 5: Pm we drove out to interview Missus Maple. Yes, Missus Maple, yes,
• 17:30
  Speaker 5: your husband in my.
• 17:31
  Speaker 9: Husband, I'm afraid you've made a mistake.
• 17:34
  Speaker 10: I'm not married, not anymore.
• 17:36
  Speaker 5: Boy?
• 17:37
  Speaker 1: See you were married to Ralph Maple.
• 17:39
  Speaker 5: Yes for police officers. Oh, miss Frank Smith, my name
• 17:43
  Speaker 5: is Friday. What's he done now? We'd like to get
• 17:45
  Speaker 5: in touch with him, that's all you might if we
• 17:47
  Speaker 5: come in.
• 17:48
  Speaker 10: Give me a minute to send my daughter over to
• 17:49
  Speaker 10: the neighbors. I'd rather she didn't hear this.
• 17:51
  Speaker 5: We'll have to come in.
• 17:53
  Speaker 6: Oh, all right, over here, go out and play with
• 18:02
  Speaker 6: your honey. What is it this time? Burglary again?
• 18:08
  Speaker 5: Were you just trying to reach you, miss Maple? Do
• 18:10
  Speaker 5: you know where he lives?
• 18:11
  Speaker 6: No?
• 18:11
  Speaker 5: Is he still in Los Angeles? I suppose so.
• 18:13
  Speaker 10: He was here a couple of weeks ago. Came by
• 18:15
  Speaker 10: to see Joe Anne. She's our daughter. M h should
• 18:19
  Speaker 10: have known he was up to something. Brought his presence,
• 18:22
  Speaker 10: expensive presence. Said he had a new job. I didn't
• 18:26
  Speaker 10: really believe him that. I tried to for Joeanne's sake.
• 18:29
  Speaker 5: Did he say what this job was selling?
• 18:31
  Speaker 10: Didn't mention the firm. I suppose he could be a
• 18:34
  Speaker 10: good salesman if he'd try.
• 18:36
  Speaker 1: Did you have a car?
• 18:37
  Speaker 10: Told me it was in the shop being repaired. Came
• 18:39
  Speaker 10: up in a taxi cabin. I see a great one
• 18:41
  Speaker 10: for taxis. Ralph is big tiper too with somebody else's money. Hm,
• 18:47
  Speaker 10: I'm sorry. I guess I sound a little bitter, don't
• 18:49
  Speaker 10: I m It was my own doing and it was wild.
• 18:52
  Speaker 10: When I married him, I thought he'd change.
• 18:55
  Speaker 9: Did he got worse?
• 18:57
  Speaker 5: How long you been divorced a little over.
• 18:59
  Speaker 7: Two years now?
• 19:00
  Speaker 4: Oh?
• 19:01
  Speaker 10: I waited till he got out of prison. I thought
• 19:03
  Speaker 10: that was my duty, have a home ready for him
• 19:05
  Speaker 10: to come back to. Yes, wouldn't hold down a job,
• 19:08
  Speaker 10: didn't even try well. We'd managed without him while he
• 19:11
  Speaker 10: was in San Quentin. I knew we could do it again.
• 19:14
  Speaker 10: He's supposed to support joe Anne. I haven't seen a
• 19:17
  Speaker 10: penny in six months. Always brings her a present though.
• 19:22
  Speaker 10: It's his way of trying to get him a good side.
• 19:25
  Speaker 1: You know any of his friends who might help us?
• 19:26
  Speaker 10: Look in his friends aren't my friend? Sergeant, Yes, ma'am.
• 19:30
  Speaker 10: But you won't have any trouble finding him. Well, he'll
• 19:33
  Speaker 10: be here tomorrow. Oh, it's Joanne's birthday. He'll bring her something.
• 19:39
  Speaker 10: He'll be here. I suppose he does love her in
• 19:43
  Speaker 10: his way. Maybe he loves me too. Maybe I love him.
• 19:49
  Speaker 10: I was even thinking about us getting back together if
• 19:53
  Speaker 10: it was true about his new selling job.
• 19:56
  Speaker 7: I guess you never learned to you.
• 19:59
  Speaker 5: You're sure we'll be here tomorrow.
• 20:01
  Speaker 10: You want miss Johanne's birthday. Ralph's a very thoughtful father,
• 20:05
  Speaker 10: not the kind of man who forgets birthdays and anniversaries.
• 20:08
  Speaker 1: I see, might forget.
• 20:09
  Speaker 10: To pay his bills, but that's different. It'll be quite
• 20:13
  Speaker 10: a birthday present for Joanne? Want it?
• 20:15
  Speaker 5: That'say?
• 20:16
  Speaker 10: Her father getting arrested at Camp m.
• 20:24
  Speaker 5: The next day, Thursday, April fourteenth, we staked out missus
• 20:27
  Speaker 5: Maple's house. Three thirty five pm. A taxi cab pulled
• 20:30
  Speaker 5: up and Ralph Maple got out. He was carrying a
• 20:32
  Speaker 5: large package.
• 20:35
  Speaker 1: You have to change.
• 20:36
  Speaker 5: Thanks right there, Ralph Maple h police officers just stand stiff.
• 20:43
  Speaker 12: What's going on? Yeah, he's like Joe, oh, let's go,
• 20:46
  Speaker 12: oh wait a minute. Can't you tell me what this
• 20:48
  Speaker 12: is all about?
• 20:49
  Speaker 1: We'll let you tell us downtown.
• 20:50
  Speaker 12: But you can't arrest man without some reason.
• 20:52
  Speaker 5: Where were you yesterday?
• 20:53
  Speaker 1: What time? Let's start with the morning, got up, had.
• 20:56
  Speaker 12: Breakfast, went shopping where the apartment stores, had to buy
• 20:59
  Speaker 12: a present for my dog?
• 21:00
  Speaker 1: Or this is it?
• 21:00
  Speaker 4: Right here?
• 21:02
  Speaker 1: I take you all morning, did it? Yeah?
• 21:03
  Speaker 4: Most of it?
• 21:04
  Speaker 5: All right, come on, get in car.
• 21:05
  Speaker 12: Okay, just tell me what it is you want to know.
• 21:07
  Speaker 5: We want to know about a lady who's in the hospital. Lady, Yeah,
• 21:10
  Speaker 5: somebody slugged her yesterday. I think it was me, she does.
• 21:13
  Speaker 5: Let's find out if she's right. Come on then, okay,
• 21:18
  Speaker 5: she's right, All right, let's go.
• 21:23
  Speaker 1: I didn't mean to hit her very hard.
• 21:25
  Speaker 5: It was hard enough.
• 21:26
  Speaker 1: I just wanted to get her out of my way,
• 21:28
  Speaker 1: all right, get in. Yeah, hey, wait a minute, huh huh?
• 21:32
  Speaker 1: What about this?
• 21:34
  Speaker 4: How about what my little girl's President's her birthday?
• 21:36
  Speaker 5: Well, what can I give it to her? You stay
• 21:40
  Speaker 5: where we are?
• 21:40
  Speaker 1: What about one of you guys? You could take up
• 21:42
  Speaker 1: to the door. It's not hot.
• 21:44
  Speaker 12: You can see for yourself the store wrapped and see yeah,
• 21:47
  Speaker 12: I paid for it myself with whose money.
• 21:51
  Speaker 1: At least you can do is see that she gets it.
• 21:54
  Speaker 5: Joe, alright, go ahead here.
• 21:57
  Speaker 1: You are right back.
• 22:00
  Speaker 12: Sheer appreciated. She's just a little girl six today. Wouldn't
• 22:05
  Speaker 12: understand if there wasn't a present from daddy. Yeah, I
• 22:07
  Speaker 12: never missed a birthday. Even when I was in the joint.
• 22:09
  Speaker 12: I saw to it that she got something. Yeah, wife
• 22:12
  Speaker 12: divorced me a couple of years back. I guess I
• 22:14
  Speaker 12: can't blame her, Yeah, not for divorcing me. I had
• 22:16
  Speaker 12: it come and she shouldn't have got so custody.
• 22:17
  Speaker 1: Though.
• 22:18
  Speaker 12: The girl needs a father. Everybody talks about how boys
• 22:20
  Speaker 12: need their old man. The way I see it, the
• 22:22
  Speaker 12: girl needs him more. It's so sure, you know, there's
• 22:24
  Speaker 12: a kind of helpless. Yeah, I was on a connor
• 22:27
  Speaker 12: heard Joanne. That's the only reason I'd done it. Little
• 22:29
  Speaker 12: girls entitled are pretty things. I couldn't afford him, not
• 22:32
  Speaker 12: with the kind of dough that I made. Yeah, I
• 22:34
  Speaker 12: had to get the money somewhere. I never stole much,
• 22:36
  Speaker 12: just enough to buy her a few presents. Figured if
• 22:39
  Speaker 12: I didn't, she turned against me, being divorced and all.
• 22:42
  Speaker 12: I figured I had to do more than regular fathers. Yeah,
• 22:45
  Speaker 12: I shouldn't have given dor sole custody. Wasn't fair. She's
• 22:48
  Speaker 12: me come around and visit whenever I want. But it's
• 22:50
  Speaker 12: sort of like saying Joanne doesn't belong to me anymore.
• 22:52
  Speaker 12: M judge claimed I wasn't.
• 22:54
  Speaker 1: A fit father. How do you like that?
• 22:55
  Speaker 12: Just because a man does a little time. Everybody has
• 22:57
  Speaker 12: it in for him afterward. Yeah, the idea is saying
• 23:00
  Speaker 12: I'm not a fit father, innocent Abel hm hmm.
• 23:04
  Speaker 5: It proved him right.
• 23:13
  Speaker 2: The story you have just heard is true. The names
• 23:16
  Speaker 2: were changed to protect the innocent.
• 23:18
  Speaker 3: On August sixth, the trial was held in Department ninety
• 23:21
  Speaker 3: eighth Superior Court of the State of California in and
• 23:24
  Speaker 3: for the County of Los Angeles. Ralph Foster Maple was
• 23:35
  Speaker 3: tried and convicted of burglary in the first degree, assault
• 23:39
  Speaker 3: with intent to do great bodily harm and receive sentence
• 23:42
  Speaker 3: as prescribed by law. Burglary and the first degree is
• 23:45
  Speaker 3: punishable by imprisonment for a period of not.
• 23:48
  Speaker 1: Less than five years.
• 23:50
  Speaker 3: Assault with intent to do great bodily harm is punishable
• 23:53
  Speaker 3: by imprisonment for not more than five years in the
• 23:56
  Speaker 3: state penitentiary.
• 24:14
  Speaker 12: You have just heard Dragon, the authentic story of your
• 24:17
  Speaker 12: Police Force.
• 24:18
  Speaker 4: In Action and starring Jack Webb.
• 24:20
  Speaker 12: A present of the United States Armed Forces Radio Service.
• 25:00
  Speaker 1: Stott Steiner.
• 25:07
  Speaker 7: Step Cover ser Steppers, s.
• 25:17
  Speaker 9: Seper.
• 25:19
  Speaker 1: That's St.