Latest / Great Detectives of Old Time Radio Volume 2|Mystery Audio Dramas / Dragnet: Production #4 Homicide (aka: Quick Trigger Gun Men) (EP1346)

Transcript

Dragnet: Production #4 Homicide (aka: Quick Trigger Gun Men) (EP1346) · Great Detectives of Old Time Radio Volume 2|Mystery Audio Dramas

0:28
Welcome to the Old Time Dragnet Show from Boise, Idaho. This is your
0:34
host, Adam Graham. If you have a comment, send it to me
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Detectives. Before we do get started, I do want to let you know
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I should say that we're going to eventually end up talking a bit about Art
2:00
and Yarborough, who plays Ben Romero. However, we've got quite a few
2:05
questions to get to today, so we'll forego that, but look for that
2:08
in a future episode. Here now, then, is a protection for a
2:15
homicide also known as the quick trigger gunman. Ladies and gentlemen, The story
2:29
you were about to hear is true, only the names have been changed to
2:34
protect the innocent. NBC brings you Dragnet. You're a detective sergeant. You're
2:51
assigned to homicide detail. A gang of quick trigger gunmen that moved in on
2:54
your city. They've given public notice that they will kill the first coup who
3:00
tries to take them. You know the risks your job apprehend the suspects.
3:08
Dragnet the documented drama of an actual crime, investigated and solved by the men
3:14
who unrelentingly stand watch on the security of your home, your family, and
3:19
your life. For the next thirty minutes. In cooperation with the Los Angeles
3:23
Police Department, you will travel step by step on the side of the law
3:28
through an actual case, from beginning to end, from crime to punishment.
3:32
Dragnet is the story of your police force in action. It was Wednesday,
3:43
April seventeenth. It was warm in Los Angeles. We were working the night
3:47
Watch out a homicide detail. The boss is ed backstrand cheap of detectives.
3:53
My partner's Ben Romero. My name's Friday. I was on my way back
3:57
from the record bureau. It was four minutes to six. I got the
4:00
room forty two homicide. Hey, Ben, I pulled the package on the
4:04
Raymond killing, and that proves you can still read Friday. He's at it,
4:08
Joe, your pal Fred Lindley, Hi, Fred, what's doing busier
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than you are? We know what we're looking for, just having a little
4:15
trouble of finding him. That's what it is with automobiles. They misplaced so
4:18
easy. Not normally they don't. We've got a small size epidemic in our
4:23
hands. Well, don't let us keep you. Fred. Just ducked in
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here for a breath of calm here and to invite you to dinner for the
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last time. Your wife and I are still waiting for the first time.
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How about it, Joe, Ruth's got a new pressure cooker. Your sister
4:34
in law visiting you again? Oh on the level? Not selling a thing?
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Come on, who is it this time? My cousin? But she's
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awfully pretty? Joe? Why do you guys insist on trying to marry me
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off? Me and Fred went down fighting, but it kind of grows on.
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Yeah for a while. Not tell me? What is it about?
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A married man? Just can't stand to see one single man left in the
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world. How about it, Joe? Tomorrow night at seven? Ok,
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Okay, tell Ruth I'll be there. Figure should he's got to run out
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of kin folk pretty soon. Fine, we'll be expecting you got a stick
5:04
out tonight, but tomorrow I'll be clear anything they nothing deaf and Ben Just
5:09
to follow up on those stolen cars, see you man, Solong Lindsay,
5:13
Joe, you'll like my cousin? Oh never say die? What a character
5:17
you just capt in it from women? You see? Oh? Well,
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here's that Raymond package. Let's check those dates that Backstrand wanted. Huh.
5:27
Wednesday, April seventeenth was just routine, a dinner date. I tried to
5:30
get out of some paperwork that the chief wanted done on a hot, sticky
5:33
day, too hot to wear a suit of clothes. Sometimes it's like that.
5:39
The day starts out being routine. For the time it comes of age,
5:42
it's got a personality all its own. At ten twenty three that night,
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Ben and I were just finishing up the paperworking ed Backstrand opened his office
5:48
door. Right, hey, Romeo, just got a hot shot. Call
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what you guys, Gavor hold up and shooting and hooperness runs a code three
6:00
bold three that means red light and siren. It was ten thirty two and
6:03
Ben and I pulled up at the corner of Hooper and Esperanza. It was
6:05
a bar in the basement of a building on the south side of the street.
6:09
A radio car was there and the two officers were holding the crowd back.
6:13
A man was talking to one of the officers, who turned and pointed
6:15
to us. As Ben and I got out of our car, the man
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hurried over to us. You're the detectives, that's right, Sergeant Friday,
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and my name's Cummings. Cummings, I owned the bar. This is terrible.
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There was a gunfight downstairs. H come on, where's the ambulance.
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One of the officers in the radio car said we needed the coroner. Did
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you see the actual shooting? No, I didn't. Here's a fellow that
6:36
was shot. Jones from the crime Man, Hello, Friday high Lee.
6:42
What do we got here? Pretty bad? Looks like a shotgun close range.
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He really got in the way. Ben. Yeah, it's Fred Lindsay
6:54
Moto theft. He was on a stake. Oudly tell us about it,
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mister coming, you know fellow sergeant, Yeah, we know him. What
7:01
happened? We had a hold up tonight, three men, Yes, go
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on. Well, business was good, real good. We had a large
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crowd, and I was happy about that because I've been trying to sell out
7:11
for a long time now. I've been showing the place of different parties all
7:15
week long. Had a fellow coming over tonight to take a look at it.
7:16
What time was there a little less than an hour ago, about nine
7:19
thirty. I see, go ahead. It was almost time for this man
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to show up. So I called Eddie, that's my bartender, and I
7:27
told him to kind of keep a lookout for the man because I was going
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back to the office to get the books ready to show. You know how
7:31
it is. You'll watch for him. Any You better well, if you
7:42
want me, I'll be back in the office. Keep your mouth shut and
7:48
stand still. Huh you only spa, aren't you? Well? Yes?
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What is this the other boy? We want to say? Which one of
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you? All three of us? What's going on? What's it look like?
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Genius? That's a stick up? I have any money? You go
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to the bank on Thursdays, don't you? Well? I made my deposit
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today instead. I've been watching you for a months now. Don't give a
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stance. You go to the bank on Thursdays. Now, come on,
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hand it over. I'm telling you the truth. I usually go on Thursdays,
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but I went today instead. A lying age and we ain't got much
8:13
time. Look, you can have all the money I've got on me.
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I think it's about two hundred. But that's all I have here. Why
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I argue with him? Take what he's gotten? We shake their customers down?
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Oh no, please, don't do that. You got my money is
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not enough? No it ain't. Come on, let's go out. That's
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about all I remember, saget. When I come around, I was lying
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on the floor of my office. You'd better have somebody take a look at
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that cut on your face. Yeah, I'm going to ride away. There's
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my bartender, he saw the fight. What's his name, Eddie? Yeah,
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Eddie, Yes, sir, these men are detectives, Edie, will
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will you tell him what you saw? I was pretty rough and tell us
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what happened When they started to shooting. That fellow the corner just took out
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of here. Sure was long on nerve. Took on all three of them
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single handed. Tell us what you saw. You ought to get that fellaw's
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name. Sure had a lot of nerve. Took over just like you.
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Was a cough. He was a cop. Now what did you see?
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I begged him for a cough, but he was sitting up at the bar,
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been nursing the bottle of beer for about an hour. I was keeping
9:13
an eye on the front door, watching for this fellow the boss wanted to
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see. So I didn't see the three hold up men come through from the
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back, but I heard it. All right, let's knock it off.
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You can all see this shotgun. Anybody make a move and I'll blow your
9:30
head off. Demus covered the front door. Got it, sickle shake him
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down? Okay, chance, you guys in the band keep that music going.
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The rest of you people turn around and face the bar. Put your
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hands on top of the barn, leaving there till we tell you to move.
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Come on, hurry up, knock it off. Okay, well take
9:46
your money. You'll watch as anything else you've got. Now, don't try
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to be cute and hold out all right, cute, take off the watch.
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I'll get your bill fold you old lady. Let's have the ring.
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This man they called Sickle, went right down the line, took everything could
9:56
lay his hands on. Hey, this cop you're end was facing me at
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the far end of the bar. He was stand there just like the others.
10:03
He kind of leaned toward me a little. Can you see the guy
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with a shotgun? Yeah? Where is he center of the room. The
10:13
other guy stood at the door, Yeah, got his gun out holding in
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his right hand. How far down the line is the other guy? Can
10:24
people wait? Hey? You two downe at the end there. Knock it
10:26
off. Hurry up. Sickle doing the best I can. Well, I
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said the porch lady. You're next to lady, you get to watch.
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I'll take how far away? Now getting closer? We better shut up?
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Like he says, I'm gonna take the one with a shotgun through. I
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got a gun. How far away is that guy? Now? I thought,
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you can't sell you to the shut up? All right, Cickle,
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try to move and I'll break your back, and he go go ahead,
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shoot chans. All your people at the bar down on the floor. Okay,
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you were that shotgun? Promit damus. Can you get a shot at
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him now? When I hit him? Sickle? Come on you, I'm
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waiting. That's all wrong, boy. We like sickle, but not that
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much. The cop was holding sickle as a shield, and the big guy
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let go with a shotgun. Both the cop and sickle ducked. The cop
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didn't get hit. This man's sickle fell over on his face, grabbed at
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his arm. The man with a shotgun went down on one knee, holding
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his stomach. The man at the door took a shot at the cop,
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but he missed. Then the cop fired three shots at the man by the
11:26
door. Looked like the first two missed, but the last one caught the
11:30
man in the leg and he went down well. By this time, the
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big guy with a shotgun had recovered enough to hold his weapon again. I
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tried to warn the cop the guy out, the guy with the shotgun,
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I see him cop pointed to his gun and pulled the trigger, but he
11:46
was out a shell. Boy Starrdant. My stomach knotted up when I heard
11:50
that hammer fall against those empty chambers. The cop threw his gun at the
11:54
guy with a shotgun and then ran right at him. You know, it
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was just as if that cop was trying to run right down the barrel of
12:00
that shotgun. I glanced at the cop on the floor, and I tried
12:07
to follow the three of them as they made their way out of the bar
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They jumped into a car out front and drove off. As a kid,
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I used to watch Bill Hart take on a whole gang in the movies,
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but this way right in front of my eyes. Sergeanty was an awful,
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brave guy. Did you get the license number of their car? No?
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I didn't. I couldn't see very well. I've got a pretty good look
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at all three of the men, though, didn't you. I believe I'd
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recognize any of them. Thanks, Eddie. What's your last name? Bowers?
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Eddie Bauers? Got that, Ben? Yeah, he'll be hearing from
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us, Eddie. We may want you to look at some pictures for us.
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Glad to help any way I can sergeant, I hope you get them
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in to shot this cop. You're sure gonna try, aren't you. Yeah,
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Eddie was sure gonna try. The next step was for Ben and I
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to make a complete report the cheap ed backstrand they got Lindsay. Let Fred
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Lindsay a nott of ft. Yeah, try good cut. You say he
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wanted two out of the three in that whole. Yeah, that means they'll
13:03
have to have medical attention in a hurry. We'll check all the small hospitals,
13:07
cover all the drug stores to get a line on anyone who's bought medical
13:09
supplies in the last hour. As soon as medical detail notifies miss Lindsay,
13:13
I I could go over and see her smith and the medical details out there.
13:16
And now by the time you get back, we may have a flash
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and the drug stores or hospitals. We'll be back in thirty minutes. When
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you get out there, you might carry this with you. Yeah. I'm
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sick. I am sick to my stomach about this thing. I want you
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to get those two big punks. I don't want them to see another sunrise.
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Got that empty. Yeah, let's go then, handler, Yes,
13:37
put out an APB. Have communications broadcast the descriptions of these suspects every thirty
13:41
minutes from the further notice after communicating yeah, thanks, yea, yeah,
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Ruth, you'll know how we all feel, all right, jo be married
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to a copy. I guess you're meant to expect things like this. You
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don't like that. Fred and I used to discuss the possibility of this.
14:15
He used to worry about him. I used to worry a lot Joan on
14:20
those nights when he was away in the days. I used to worry.
14:26
Now I know he's safer. Anything you want, is the need thanks to
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anything at all that I can do? Yes? Is there something you can
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do? Hes Benner signed this patent? That's right. You can't thinking that
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you will need dinner. I have to face those killers. AND's wife.
14:50
Yeah, Ruth, we will, I see, because the men with mister
14:56
Fred more than anything. I want that, no more, hearty. Yeah,
15:05
thanks for coming by. Joe. How'd you take it? Yeah,
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let's go, Joe, Joe, how she take You're married? Ben you
15:26
figure it. It was eleven thirty when we got back to Central Division.
15:33
As we walked into the squadron, Backstrand was waiting for us, writing,
15:37
we just got our first lead we've located a druggist. You said he sold
15:39
some medical supplies to a man about forty five minutes ago. Here's the andress,
15:43
pretty close to the scene of the shooting. I'm about to see him
15:46
right away. The Rex Pharmacy was exactly fourteen blocks from the Red Feather bar
15:52
where the shooting took place. Rex Pharmacy was like your corner drug store,
15:56
complete with apothecary jars and shower curtains. The druggist was the same little man
16:00
who has been prescribing self run molasses since you were a kid in school.
16:04
He's just about ready to close. What can I do for you, gentlemen.
16:07
We're from the police department. I didn't halfway expecting you, fellows.
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We got a report that you sold some medical supplies to a man about an
16:15
hour ago. That's right. It's like I was telling those other officers to
16:18
be here a while ago. And it's something funny about that little fellow.
16:22
I mean one thing, he came in here speaking quite a bit. Of
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course, it's a long night, but he seemed terribly nervous. Anybody with
16:30
him, No, he was all by himself. What did he buy?
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Well, wasn't too much what he bought, But how much? What do
16:36
you mean? You know how most people buy iodine a little ten cent bottle.
16:41
He bought a couple of pints. Then there was all that gauz an
16:45
adhesive tape, but not to repair a small army custom box of swabs.
16:49
Then he asked me something that made me wonder what was there? Ask me
16:55
if I had something to probe with. That's just the way he said it,
16:57
something to probe with. I asked him, Oh, what do you
17:02
want to probe for? What? He say? Said the splinter? I
17:06
told him it's so he needed to do the trick. He said, forget
17:08
it. Then he paid me and walked out. Did you describe the man,
17:14
this small man god like? I said, awful, nervous? You
17:18
think you could identify Ooh? Sure I could if I ever saw him.
17:21
Did he leave on foot or was their car outside? Left in the cab
17:25
walk right out in front? Couldn't miss it. Did you have him to
17:27
take down the license number? Well? No I didn't, but I did
17:33
jop down the taxi cab number. Would that help? Taking down cab numbers
17:40
isn't exactly in a druggist line, but because he had the presence of mind
17:44
to do that one small thing. We accomplished in ten minutes what could have
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well taken as many weeks. Maybe with this small wedge we could do what
17:52
Backstrand wanted us to do, get the killers before another sunrise. Well it
17:56
was close to midnight when we stepped into the drugstore phone booth. Called the
18:00
cab company, got the night supervisor. I gave him the number of the
18:03
cab and he checked his location chart. Cab three seven five was operating out
18:07
of a stand at Wilshire and green Haven. He was the right driver and
18:11
he remembered the fair Sure, I know you mean. A little guy seemed
18:14
in a big hurry. It was a long fed though. I took him
18:17
on to Englewood. Will I checked my lige. I'll give you exact here.
18:30
It is Joe fifteen twenty three imperialous in the room and half yeah,
18:33
come on, we'll check with the landlady kind of late you Yeah, let's
18:38
stand away from the door. Huh. Might not be the landlady who answered,
18:41
that's what you want? Police department. Oh, let me see your
18:49
badge. Here you are, ma'am, I'm Sergeant Friday. This is Romero
18:53
homicide right now, what do you want? I run a good, clean
19:00
room and house. It's not the house, lady, it's one of your
19:03
tenants. Which one? That's what we want you to help us on.
19:07
Do you men know what time it is? Come back here in the morning.
19:10
Sorry, this can't wait till morning. Now. I'm not going to
19:11
invite you in. We'll talk right here on the porch and keep your voices
19:15
down. My tenants work during the day. Whatever you say, ma'am.
19:18
Now, what is it you want to know? We're looking for a small
19:19
dark man. I got three here could fit that description. No, he
19:23
came in late tonight, about forty five minutes ago. I wouldn't know about
19:26
that. I don't spy on my people. This is very important. You'll
19:30
have to keep your voices down. Sorry, he's dark and he's small.
19:34
I didn't just say it was dark. You must mean mister tender. What's
19:38
he done? What's his room numbered? Room ten? But I can't allow
19:41
you to tramp up and down the stairs. It's this hour you'll wake All
19:44
my rooms will be as quiet as he wants us to be. What do
19:48
you mean by that? Is there going to be trouble? I don't know,
19:49
lady. Where do we find number ten? The end of the whole
19:52
or last room on the right, And keep your voices down if you're just
19:56
waiting your room, lady, we'll call you for long. Okay, here
20:03
we are. I keep the door clear, Ben, we might have trouble.
20:04
Thank they all in there. We'll know in a minute. Who is
20:12
it? What do you want? Police department? I'll try this float it,
20:22
Joe? What do you want with me? What are you looking for?
20:25
It's Sam to day what you say? Your name was Tendoll, Bob
20:27
Tendall, new name but same face on Joe. Yeah. How long have
20:30
you been on a jail? Tenny? My name, Tenny, it's Tendall.
20:33
Your name's not Tanda, it's Sam. Tanny. We sent you up
20:37
on a robbery charge four years ago. And isn't it right, Tenny?
20:38
No, it's not right. You got the wrong man. I never been
20:41
in jail, Yes you have, because we sent you there. Now,
20:44
come on, who'd you buy the medical supplies for? I don't know what
20:47
you're talking about. Look, Tnny, it's a hot night and it's late,
20:49
so let's cut off the smart talk. Huh would you buy those medical
20:52
supplies for Nny. Look, you're a two time loser right now. Who
20:56
you're shielding? You got nothing on me. I ain't done a thing improve
21:00
that. You bought those supplies tonight, and it can go kind of hard
21:03
on you don't. Let's open up. I've been out of this room all
21:04
night long. We got a druggist and a cab driver who'll make a liar
21:07
out of you. I still don't know a thing. A cab driver.
21:11
Hold you home here forty five minutes ago? Where were you? Was that
21:15
on a date? Is that who you bought the medicine for? Ben?
21:18
Call the druggist and get that cab driver. We'll take Tenny downtown. All
21:21
right? All right? All I did was buy the bandages and stuff.
21:25
I got nothing else to do with this. Would you buy this stuff for?
21:27
You know everything else? You'll figure out. Oh I look, punk,
21:30
you know there were three of them. One of them killed a cop.
21:32
We're gonna get to them, and Tenny, you're not going to stand
21:33
in our way. They kills somebody. They didn't tell me that. Who
21:37
didn't tell you? I don't wan any part of murder. I'm going to
21:40
tell you who it was. But I'm clean. I got nothing to do
21:41
with it. I was just trying to help him out of a jam.
21:44
Pooh, you're trying to help It was Roy Beamis, Charlie Sickle and Red
21:47
Jams. They didn't tell me nothing about murder. Oh, why did you
21:49
have? They often to be pretty good piece of chased to run an air
21:52
informan. You know I got paid for That's that's all I had to do
21:56
with it. Why did you deliver those medical supplies? I have to tell
21:59
you that I'm afraid of Jance. He's awful free with that shotgun. We'll
22:03
give you a protection. Now, where are they let me go to jail?
22:04
Did you get him? You'll get protection. Give us the address.
22:07
It's an apartment house. It's around the corner from here, the Blue Eagles.
22:17
We took Sam Tenney down a central division with us on the way downtown.
22:21
He told us that Red Jance and the other two had their room at
22:23
the Blue Eagle barricaded. Tenny said that they told him that they'd kill the
22:26
first cop who tried to take him. Well, we knew they were wounded.
22:30
He told us that Sickle had an arm wound. Famos got it in
22:33
the leg. And Chance had a slug in his side. We figured they'd
22:37
be weak from the loss of blood and we could take them easy. You'll
22:40
never take those guys easy. Sure, they've lost a little blood, but
22:42
they had enough fight left to stack that room, and they got enough left
22:45
to kill you if you'll try to take them. On the way to headquarters,
22:52
we stopped at an all night drive in and called ed Backstrand. We
22:56
told him we had a radio car watching the Blue Eagle, gave him the
23:00
whole story and told them we were on our way in. By the time
23:03
we checked into homicide had had the plan all mapped out. It was two
23:06
twenty five am. Here's the map from the city engineers. It's one city
23:10
block bounded on the north by Hawthorne Street. On the south Lawndale Avenue,
23:14
on the east sixteenth Street into the west. Seventeen Blue Eagle Apartment House is
23:18
right here on sixteenth in Hawthorne. West of the Blue Eagle is a private
23:21
residence. South of the Blue Eagle on Sixteenth is a vacant lut There are
23:23
twelve apartments in the building. The men we want are on the second floor,
23:27
number eleven, and that apartment faces east on sixteenth. How do you
23:32
want to handle it, Ed, I'll Baker and more highle evacuate the private
23:36
residence Fridy and her Mariquan, not the apartment building right skim. All traffic
23:40
is being diverted. The entire block is completely isolated. We'll throw up a
23:42
cordon. Since we clear the residents, nobody goes in, nobody goes out.
23:47
Will your brief us again when we get there, Ed, I'll give
23:48
you all the briefing you need right now. Get this. These guys have
23:52
already killed a cup. I don't want to lose any more. You know,
23:56
they're heavily armed and they're desperate. Have the men drawsh what guns?
24:00
Two guys and tommy guns? I'll take care ask you all right now.
24:03
We're not going in after these punks like tin horn heroes. We're going after
24:07
them and we're coming out alive, all of us. What time is it
24:12
ready? Two thirty seven? Not much time? Will sun up visit It
24:21
was a code to that means red light and move fast Backstrand figured we needed
24:26
six squad cars, four men to a car, the police, public address
24:30
truck, ambulance, and floodlights. Ben checked out the weapons to the men,
24:33
and by two forty six we pulled out of the Central Division garage.
24:37
We slid into the area at three twenty am. The six squad cars and
24:41
the public address truck took up their positions. The floodlights were ragged and ready
24:45
to turn on. At Backstrand's command, the machinery was set to roll as
24:48
soon as we got the neighborhood cleared. Ben and I evacuated the Blue Eagle
24:52
apartment house. How many does that make you? Well, we've cleared nine.
24:57
Two to go. Here's apartment ten. Killers are right next door.
25:02
Jo. I'd like to kick that door in right now. Take your time,
25:04
Ben, we'll get to them. Quiet now, what is it?
25:14
Police department? May we come in? Yeah? Of course, what's the
25:18
trouble, No trouble. We're evacuating the building. Now we'll have to ask
25:21
you to leave for the back door. We'll notify you when to return.
25:22
Please leave quietly and lock your door. What's going on? No time to
25:26
explain. Thank you very much for cooperation. Okay, now let's give leve
25:33
them and go to twelve. Yeah, who, police department? Can we
25:42
come in? Sorry? Disturb it? This are we evacuating the building.
25:47
Please hurry and leave quietly with the back door. You'll be notified when to
25:49
return. Lock your door when you leave. Like it was four ten am,
25:56
everything was set now. The neighborhood was completely cleared. The entire block
26:00
was empty except for Apartment eleven on the second floor of the Blue Eagle.
26:03
I left Ben to watch the door of Apartment eleven. I went downstairs and
26:07
across the street to join the rest of the men. It was ed Backstrand's
26:10
show from here on. That's it at all set, Baker, Moreheim,
26:18
all clear. All Baker, you and Moreheim take three men and cover the
26:22
rear of the building. Right is that detail covered? Hawthorn Street. They're
26:26
all set. How about the bacon taken care of the rest of you men.
26:30
Friday and I are going into the building. We'll try to get him
26:33
to come out. Now, Johnson, come with us and keep his covered.
26:37
Let's go Apartment elevens up at the head of the stairs, head right
26:51
in the action room mirror. A lot of things. Keep down, all
26:53
of you. I'll try to get him out. Yes, my sickle,
27:02
you're all alone. The building's clear. Come on up with your hands behind
27:04
your head. Come on out, Chancer we'll come in and get you.
27:10
Hear me. Hey here, come on, let's get out to the street.
27:15
Johnson, cover that door and be careful. Keep down right, Friday,
27:18
Romeo, come with me. We left Sergeant Johnson to watch the door,
27:22
and we ran out on the sixteenth Street and duck down behind the police
27:23
sound truck. The floodlights hit the side of the building. Backstrand grab the
27:27
microphone. Chance, Bemis, Sickle, you've got thirty seconds to come down
27:33
out of that room. Walk out back which with your hands behind your head.
27:38
Stay to go down, don't sign out thirty seconds. Chance. They're
27:48
making a tough head. LaMelo love. Some two guys through that window,
27:52
right, skipper, Come on out, Bemis. We're giving you a chance.
27:56
That's bad. And you gave a cop in the bar. Come on
27:59
up. That's Jane said. He isn't coming out. He must have got
28:06
Johnson mccluse in another room. Shoot the gash in there. That's not gonna
28:11
get him on the head. Give a time, blady, Oh those blood
28:18
lights in up there, Friday, rake that second floor with the comic guy.
28:19
Let's keep him in one roll right, Oh your fire, Frenny,
28:27
George, give us a couple of masks. Ben and I are going in.
28:30
The rest of you men, concentrate your fire on those two rooms.
28:33
Hit him. Now here's your mess, Joe. Let's go. Come on.
28:42
Put that mask on Ben and keep down. Somebody coming down inside stairs.
28:48
Benny's got a gun. I got locked, Tapa, get out of
28:51
my way, Pop, but you you haven't got a chance. I'm coming,
28:53
true Tapa, Thank us stuff. Joe. Can you see Johnson?
28:59
No, it's too much. Get all right. You two up there,
29:02
we got one of you, the other two. Come on out, Yo.
29:04
I think we got him. I don't know. Can you see Johnson?
29:07
No, Joe still too thick in there. I'm going in. Ben,
29:08
cover me. Come on, we know there are two of you up
29:11
there, just one copper. Throw your gun down the stairs ahead, have
29:15
you hurgh up? Shot gun Joe, dance. I see him. I'll
29:22
take him at the foot of the stairs. All right, I got my
29:23
hands up. I found Johnson. Ben all right, chance outside, come
29:26
on move put the handcuffs on him. Ben, I'll cover you. Damn
29:32
asked John I don't know ed. Get the ambulance crew over here, Jans.
29:36
Who's this other guy with got bemus. How about sick? I said
29:38
just one, didn't I copper? Never mind the smart talk jans. Now
29:41
just answer the question. They go one it out of it a long time
29:42
ago. So I let him out, he's upstairs. I let him out
29:45
the back way. Then you shot him. He won it out, didn't
29:48
he? All right, we're gonna take him in Johnson's in the ambulance.
29:53
Uh, I don't see you in the office, A right, gaber.
30:06
How about smoke? Huh yeah, here you go Backstrand said he didn't want
30:14
those men to see another sunrise. Yeah, five minutes to five? You
30:22
so inaudibly? Uh yeah, good look man, it's cloudy. Yes,
30:30
we'll never know. The story you have just heard was true, only the
30:45
names were changed to protect the innocent. Edgar Red Jens, the sole survivor,
30:51
was tried and convicted and sentenced to be put to death in the state
30:53
penitentiary in the manner prescribed by law. You have just heard the fourth in
31:04
a new series of authentic cases from official files. Technical advice for Dragnet comes
31:10
from the office of C. B. Horrel, Chief of Police Los Angeles
31:14
Police Department. Tonight's program is dedicated to radio car Patrolman Boris E. Sawyer
31:22
of the Denver, Colorado Police Department, who on the evening of March eighth,
31:29
nineteen thirty seven, gave his life so that yours might be more secure.
31:45
Dragnet came to you from Los Angeles. This is NBC the National Broadcasting
32:00
Time. Welcome back. Well, as I said before, we see a
32:15
lot of what would become Dragnet still in the process of forming. Not only
32:22
did you have the flashbacks scene, but usually it was pretty rare for Dragnet
32:28
to have two extremely exciting, action packed episodes one week after another's. We
32:35
had here, not complaining, just saying that it's different, but they do
32:38
a good job with this episode. And I noticed here Raymond Burr playing the
32:46
role of one of the heavies. Of course would eventually play the role of
32:51
Ed Baxtrand, but kind of amusing, giving that he plays a policeman over
32:55
on pat Novak for Hire. That was kind of the way that radio works
33:01
is like, Okay, on this show, you're the policeman, I'm the
33:04
crook. On this other show, I'm the policeman, and and I'm your
33:10
antagonists. By the way, Raymond Burr was playing the abbey but find so
33:15
many cases where you have actors, even starring actors playing some very different roles.
33:22
They worked through multiple series to try and you know, make as much
33:28
money as they could in the radio industry. Now to some listener comments and
33:31
feedbacks, and this comes from this comes from William who writes, I was
33:40
amused to hear the reference to an IBM machine in the Dragnet episode nickel plated
33:45
gun. In early Least Detective episodes, those machines were sometimes referred to as
33:53
computers. In fact, they were IBM card sorters that sorted eighty column punch
33:59
cars. It took a great many passes through the sorterer to sort cards containing
34:05
alphabetic data. In my early days as a computer science students, I was
34:08
often required to sort thousands of cards, a process that could take hours.
34:14
In the police detective shows, the IBM machine would always spit out a small
34:19
number of cards that identified the mos of all the criminals who worked in a
34:22
certain way. It might be something as esoteric as a left handed second story
34:28
cat burglar who worked the east side. In the end, the IBM machine
34:32
almost always helped the police get their mand The use of technology and crime solving
34:37
has come a long way since those days. Most police departments were slow to
34:42
adopt the new machines because of budget constraints and a lack of confidence that were
34:45
often called new fangled gadgets. Thanks for all you do to bring these old
34:51
stories back to life. I'm enjoying Dragnet all over again. And he also
34:55
has sent along a picture of one of these machines. You can also see
35:00
it working its way through the theme to Adam twelve. And also there was
35:08
a program in the nineteen fifties when we may bring you an episode of at
35:14
Cold Code three, which actually seems like I Adam twelve borrowed the opening for.
35:20
But technology has definitely come a long way. I want to I can
35:23
wax nostalgic for many things I've never said. Boy, I wish I lived
35:30
in the days of card reader computers. And thanks so much for the comment
35:36
to William. And now we have Patrick asking a question on the old time
35:43
Dragnet page says I've listened to them on all on your other Dragnat podcast.
35:51
Is it true that Joe Friday never said in his dead panway, just the
35:55
facts, man, And it is true that Joe Friday never said that it
36:02
was something that came about based on a Stan Freeburg sketch, and uh,
36:14
it was a statement in there, all the better to get the facts,
36:22
just want to get the facts, man, And so it became adapted that
36:28
Joe Friday said all the time, just the facts, man. It's become
36:31
that way, you know, throughout the culture, and it's annoying because it's
36:37
not true. And you know, you can check it out on snopes dot
36:39
com. But even Snopes doesn't quite have it right because they said that he
36:47
frequently said that Joe Friday's character typically used the phrase all we want are the
36:59
facts, ma'am, and sometimes all we know are the facts, ma'am.
37:05
Well, that's I have to pause and say, if Joe Friday said that,
37:12
I may have missed it, because I don't recall a single episode where
37:15
he used that phrase, and I can say with some very strong confidence that
37:21
it was not something that was a regular thing with him. Now, I'm
37:24
a bit of a stickler on this particular point, and I mean no offense,
37:30
but it's one of those myths that I find problematic, just because if
37:37
Joe Friday truly had gone around telling every witness just the facts, ma'am,
37:44
all we want are the facts, ma'am. Well, if it's such a
37:47
problematic and really in gone next to the silly thing to say, because the
37:52
type of people you're going to need to say that to are either really chatty
37:58
people who will ramble on forever or really emotionally distraught people. Now tell me
38:04
how good of an idea is it just to come out and say that.
38:09
Now? What I think Freiberg was catching up on when you listen to them
38:14
talk particularly, is the show developed. You would have these people who would
38:21
talk to Friday, who would be real characters, and they would have their
38:24
own interest, and they would have little rabbit trails they would try and go
38:30
off on, and what you would see and what you would hear would be
38:34
Friday suddenly redirecting them back to the point. They might include a little bit
38:42
of a rent with their answer, and Friday would ignore the rent and lead
38:49
back right to the relevant information. So in this way, Friday was able
38:53
to have a better control over the conversation. And even sometimes then he he
39:00
would have to endure a bit to get the answer, and he'd avoid offending
39:06
the person he was questioned. And I think that focus of getting the conversation.
39:12
Back to the facts was what Freiburg caught up on, and it was
39:16
a more intelligent way to question someone than as sitting down and as soon as
39:22
they say it there just say all right, just the facts, ma'am.
39:24
I mean, seriously, could you imagine a police officer doing that at the
39:30
beginning of an interview. I know quite a few people say, excuse me,
39:34
who do you think pays your salary? And those are not the criminals
39:37
who will sometimes make that response as an evasion. That's the ordinary citizen.
39:43
If you do it in the middle, they'll just get more upset and you
39:46
know, just totally go the wrong direction. So it's a really silly thing
39:52
to say, and it's one of those things I just don't like, the
39:58
rewriting of history and happened and what people were like. I will say this
40:02
for the whole myth of just the facts, ma'am is it's more often used
40:07
in the sense that we're not concerned with Somebody will talk about we're here to
40:15
make an investigation here, We're not concerned about politics or hurting anyone in particular.
40:24
We're like Sergeant Friday, just the facts, ma'am. And even though
40:29
Friday didn't say that. It does kind of help the image of Friday as
40:32
someone who was concerned about facts and truth rather than trying to railroad people,
40:38
which I guess can be helpful to the show's image in that regards. But
40:44
still, I'll say it once, and I'm sure I'll say it one hundred
40:47
times more. He'd never said the phrase, even if in some ways it
40:53
describes the direction and pace of the questioning that it is. Now we have
40:59
a question from Simpkin and god Dog. Penny Hya says, I'm very glad
41:07
that Dragon It is back, because it's definitely my favorite old time radio show.
41:13
I did want to know whether the shows were really based on real cases.
41:15
How can you verifit five things like that, if they were in fact
41:20
real, did they all take place in la did they all take place in
41:22
the forties and fifties? How much liberty did they take with the material they
41:27
had? How come there were no privacy issues? Even if you change a
41:30
character's name, they at least can identify themselves, and so can the people
41:37
who know them. I know that those are a lot of questions by to
41:40
help either you or some of the listeners can answer them. My god Dog
41:46
and I both enjoy the show and we will look forward to the next six
41:50
years. Well thanks so much. An answer to the question that these were
41:55
based on true stories is a well known fact. It was something where Jack
42:05
Webb would actually pay the officers for their story. The officers wouldn't have to
42:09
write it, they just have to tell the story and it would be adapted.
42:14
Not all of the stories were based out of Los Angeles. The most
42:20
famous Dragnet Christmas Special was taken from an incident in San Francisco. Beyond that,
42:27
I do think that there were some precautions taken regarding privacy issues. Well,
42:32
at the beginning they said that the names were changed, and that was
42:37
all they mentioned being changed. As we worked through the series, I'm certain
42:43
we'll hear from listeners who were able to find information on the crime, and
42:47
they did make some changes. They really wanted to portray realistically what would happen
42:55
in investigation. And no, not every case was set up in the nineteen
43:00
forties and fifties, particularly at this early point. In fact, at least
43:06
one episode that we play was actually first adapted in the nineteen thirties. And
43:13
so for calling all Cars so happened in the nineteen twenties and so there is
43:22
some variety with that, but they do try to do their best to catch
43:27
them up today. So I hope I covered your questions and then received a
43:31
comment from listener Andy who rits in regarding the nickel plate had gone. This
43:37
must be one of the early episodes. Is the music at the beginning differs
43:42
from the later shows. I love it. I'm a little surprised not being
43:45
able to find your commentary at the beginning of the show. Nevertheless, it
43:47
is great to hear dragon it again. Greetings to you from rainy northwestern UK.
43:53
Well, thanks so much, Andy, and we did get that fixed
43:58
so that after getting your comments, so that the commentary is now included,
44:02
which had the information about the episode being the second episode of Dragnet available in
44:09
the first or second episode of Dragnet in the first that was available. And
44:16
we have one more message from Joan Joan rits in, Dear Adam, I
44:23
just listened to the Dragnet episodes and it was so nice to hear at the
44:27
end the information about one of their officers who gave us life so yours could
44:31
be more secure. It shows more realism in the show. Good to hear
44:36
the show again. Enjoy your weekend. Well, thanks so much, Joan.
44:39
That was a feature that they did get rid of after the initial run,
44:45
and while I appreciated the feature, I could also understand why they might
44:52
not want to end every episode with the mention of a police officer killed in
44:57
duty. Is it always would give a down beat ending where it probably was
45:01
not something the sponsor, once they had a sponsor, would have gone for.
45:07
All right, well, that will do it for today. We will
45:09
be back tomorrow the listener support campaign begins, and then join us back here
45:17
on Saturday for another episode of Dragnet. In the meantime, send your comments
45:23
to Box thirteen at Great Detactives dot net, follow us on Twitter, Radio
45:29
Detactives, and become one of our friends on Facebook, Facebook dot com.
45:32
Slash Radio Detectives from Boise, Idaho. This is your host, Adam Graham
45:37
signing off.