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Dragnet - "Big Dance" (Old Time Radio, 1951) · Dragnet | Old Time Radio

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Two young hold-up men, known to police as the Kid Bandits,
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: have left a trail of robberies and brutal assaults across
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: Los Angeles. On a rainy Sunday night, Sergeant Joe Friday
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: and Sergeant Ben Romero of the Los Angeles Police Department's
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: robbery detail follow the limited evidence from the latest attack,
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: including a pack of matches, in search of a lead.
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: This is Dragnet, episode 84, Big Dance, first heard on
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: NBC January 18th, 1951, with Jack Webb as Friday and
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: Barton Yarborough as Romero. Sponsored by Fatima Cigarettes, this roughly
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: half-hour broadcast brings us into the LAPD's night watch as
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: Friday and Romero work through the night. Now, back to
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: the golden age of radio.
• 0:52
  Speaker 2: The story you are about to hear is true. Only
• 0:58
  Speaker 2: the names have been changed to protect the innocent. Fatima Cigarettes.
• 1:03
  Speaker 2: Best of all long cigarettes. Brings you Dragnet. You're a
• 1:14
  Speaker 2: detective sergeant. You're assigned a robbery detail. For three months,
• 1:19
  Speaker 2: you've been tracking a pair of hold-up men. There's no
• 1:22
  Speaker 2: pattern to their operation. They're young.
• 1:25
  Speaker 3: They're brutal.
• 1:26
  Speaker 2: Your job, stop them. You'll be amazed when you compare
• 1:34
  Speaker 2: Fatima with other long cigarettes. You'll find they now cost
• 1:38
  Speaker 2: the same. But in Fatima, the difference is quality. You see,
• 1:42
  Speaker 2: Fatima is the quality king-size cigarette. because it contains the
• 1:46
  Speaker 2: finest Turkish and domestic tobaccos, superbly blended. And Fatima is
• 1:51
  Speaker 2: extra mild, with a much different, much better flavor and
• 1:55
  Speaker 2: aroma than any other long cigarette. So compare Fatima yourself.
• 2:00
  Speaker 2: Fatima's now cost the same as other long cigarettes, but
• 2:03
  Speaker 2: your first pop will tell you... Ah, that's different. Yes,
• 2:08
  Speaker 2: in Fatima, the difference is quality. Ask your dealer for Fatima.
• 2:14
  Speaker 2: for quality, king-size cigarettes. Best of all, long cigarettes. Start
• 2:19
  Speaker 2: enjoying Fatima tomorrow. Dragnet, the documented drama of an actual crime.
• 2:31
  Speaker 2: For the next 30 minutes, in cooperation with the Los
• 2:33
  Speaker 2: Angeles Police Department, you will travel step-by-step on the side
• 2:37
  Speaker 2: of the law through an actual case transcribed from official
• 2:39
  Speaker 2: police files. From beginning to end, from crime to punishment,
• 2:44
  Speaker 2: Dragnet is the story of your police force in action.
• 2:47
  Speaker 3: It was Sunday, March 3rd. It was raining in Los Angeles.
• 2:54
  Speaker 3: We were working the night watch out a robbery detail.
• 2:56
  Speaker 3: My partner's Ben Romero. The boss is Harry Didion, Captain
• 2:59
  Speaker 3: of Robbery. My name's Friday. I was on the way
• 3:01
  Speaker 3: back from the neighborhood bakery shop, and it was 8.45 a.m.
• 3:04
  Speaker 3: when I got to Collis Avenue. Number 4656.
• 3:23
  Speaker 2: Joe?
• 3:24
  Speaker 4: Yeah?
• 3:27
  Speaker 3: What happened? Wasn't the bakery open? Oh, yeah, it was open.
• 3:30
  Speaker 3: I got the stuff right here. Oh. They have any
• 3:33
  Speaker 3: raisin bread? Yeah, right here. How about the butter home? No,
• 3:37
  Speaker 3: they don't make those on Sundays anymore. I got bear
• 3:39
  Speaker 3: claws instead. Okay, well, let's get this stuff open. Okay.
• 3:43
  Speaker 3: All right, here we are. Where do you keep your eggs?
• 3:46
  Speaker 3: In the refrigerator, right over there. Oh. Find them? Yeah,
• 3:52
  Speaker 3: I got them. You know, Joe, I don't like to
• 3:56
  Speaker 3: say anything, but I can't keep coming over here to
• 3:58
  Speaker 3: your place every morning. Well, it was your idea. Nobody
• 4:01
  Speaker 3: asked you. Yeah, but I know how you are. You
• 4:03
  Speaker 3: don't know how to cook a decent breakfast for yourself.
• 4:06
  Speaker 3: Is the coffee ready yet? Uh-uh. No, it's not working yet. Hey,
• 4:14
  Speaker 3: you sure there's nothing wrong with this pot? It's been
• 4:15
  Speaker 3: on for ten minutes. Yeah, we forgot to plug it in. Oh. Now,
• 4:23
  Speaker 3: let's see. Well, what do you want? Well, better put
• 4:26
  Speaker 3: the toast on. Do you always make the toast before
• 4:27
  Speaker 3: you cook the eggs?
• 4:28
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 4:28
  Speaker 3: You remember yesterday, the toast was pretty cold. Oh, yeah,
• 4:32
  Speaker 3: that's right. I better hold off for a minute. Yeah.
• 4:36
  Speaker 3: Scramble eggs okay? Well, we had them yesterday. Oh, yeah,
• 4:40
  Speaker 3: that's right. Is that the only way you know how
• 4:42
  Speaker 3: to fix them? I know what you'd like. One of
• 4:44
  Speaker 3: my Spanish omelettes. When did you say your mother was
• 4:50
  Speaker 3: coming back? Oh, in about three more days. Yeah, I'll
• 4:53
  Speaker 3: make a week one. Yeah, that's right. Well, I guess
• 4:57
  Speaker 3: I can work something out with Amy. Wife doesn't like
• 5:00
  Speaker 3: me coming over here every morning like this. Boy, I
• 5:02
  Speaker 3: told you before, I can make out all right here. Oh,
• 5:04
  Speaker 3: I know how it is. You think you're imposing. You'd
• 5:07
  Speaker 3: be lost without your can opener. Say, is this arm
• 5:11
  Speaker 3: of the year going to take very long? We haven't
• 5:13
  Speaker 3: got very much time, you know. I'll have it on
• 5:15
  Speaker 3: your plate in a jiffy. What time are we supposed
• 5:18
  Speaker 3: to see those victims? 9.30 at the county hospital. Where's
• 5:22
  Speaker 3: your tomato? In the refrigerator. Oh, uh-huh. Yeah, 23 jobs
• 5:28
  Speaker 3: in three months. Those guys really move, don't they?
• 5:31
  Speaker 4: Yeah.
• 5:35
  Speaker 3: Mmm. Nice tomatoes, Joe. That Hollenbeck job last night. Vicious punks. Yeah,
• 5:41
  Speaker 3: and there's no reason to work the old man over
• 5:43
  Speaker 3: the way they did. What'd the doctor say? Well, he's
• 5:45
  Speaker 3: gonna get over it all right, but they kicked out
• 5:46
  Speaker 3: all of his front teeth. He's 50 years old. Same M.O.
• 5:50
  Speaker 3: Every job. Aren't you gonna peel those? No, skin's good
• 5:55
  Speaker 3: for you. Now, you got a nice big Bermuda? Bermuda onion. Oh, yeah.
• 6:02
  Speaker 3: I'll get you one. Kids. 19, 20-year-old stick-up artists. Knock
• 6:08
  Speaker 3: them in, send us for a half a dollar. Robbing, slugging,
• 6:12
  Speaker 3: kicking their way around the city. Yeah. This will be
• 6:14
  Speaker 3: one bunch I'll be glad to catch up with. Here's
• 6:16
  Speaker 3: your onion. Good. Well, now, wait a minute. You're going
• 6:22
  Speaker 3: to peel that, aren't you? And lose half the flavor?
• 6:25
  Speaker 3: I don't know. I always peel them. Let's see now.
• 6:30
  Speaker 3: There now. Now mix the whole work together. You gonna
• 6:39
  Speaker 3: put it in that pan on the stove there?
• 6:41
  Speaker 2: Yes, sir.
• 6:43
  Speaker 3: Looks pretty hot, doesn't it? It's smoking. Joe, that's the
• 6:45
  Speaker 3: way you cook a Spanish omelette. Hot, fire, and fat.
• 6:50
  Speaker 4: Now, into the pan.
• 6:55
  Speaker 3: The whole trick in making a good Spanish almond is
• 6:57
  Speaker 3: you gotta work fast. Where are all those little brown
• 7:05
  Speaker 3: flakes on the top there? Oh, the onion skins. No,
• 7:08
  Speaker 3: I don't know. That doesn't look right to me. Wait
• 7:10
  Speaker 3: till you taste it. I got it. Friday talking. Elton Young, Joe.
• 7:20
  Speaker 4: Romero there with you?
• 7:21
  Speaker 3: Yeah, he's here. You two are supposed to see those
• 7:23
  Speaker 3: robbery victims at the county hospital this morning, aren't you? Yeah,
• 7:26
  Speaker 3: at 9.30. Well, cancel that out.
• 7:27
  Speaker 4: Gonzalez and Powers are covering on that.
• 7:29
  Speaker 3: Yeah? How come?
• 7:30
  Speaker 2: Just got the call.
• 7:31
  Speaker 4: South Grand and Colonial 211 on slugging.
• 7:33
  Speaker 1: Same description.
• 7:33
  Speaker 4: Looks like the kid bandits.
• 7:35
  Speaker 3: All right, we'll get right on it. There's a newsstand
• 7:36
  Speaker 3: near the corner. Right. Bye. Look at that, Joe. I
• 7:44
  Speaker 3: just took it out of the pan. Yeah. Best Spanish
• 7:46
  Speaker 3: omelette I ever made. It's too bad. We're not going
• 7:49
  Speaker 3: to have time to eat it. 8.55 a.m. We left
• 7:55
  Speaker 3: the house and drove to the scene of the holdup,
• 7:57
  Speaker 3: one door from the corner of South Grand and Colonial Avenue.
• 8:00
  Speaker 3: The victims were Mr. and Mrs. John Wilden, proprietors of
• 8:03
  Speaker 3: a small newspaper and soft drink stand just off the intersection. Mrs.
• 8:06
  Speaker 3: Wilden was being carried to a waiting ambulance when we
• 8:09
  Speaker 3: got there. She was unconscious. From her forehead to her chin,
• 8:12
  Speaker 3: her face was a swollen mass of welts. Her nose
• 8:15
  Speaker 3: had been broken and she had fractures of the jaw
• 8:17
  Speaker 3: and cheekbone. Her husband, John Wilden, age 56, had a
• 8:21
  Speaker 3: single bruise on his forehead over his left eye. We
• 8:23
  Speaker 3: questioned him after the ambulance attendants gave him first aid.
• 8:26
  Speaker 3: His description of the hold-up men tallied almost perfectly.
• 8:29
  Speaker 4: One was a redhead.
• 8:30
  Speaker 5: The other one had dark hair. Both about the same height.
• 8:33
  Speaker 5: I'd say as tall as you are, officer.
• 8:36
  Speaker 3: Matches, Joe. Kid Bennett. Yeah. Had you ever seen either
• 8:39
  Speaker 3: one of these men before, Mr.
• 8:40
  Speaker 2: Wilden?
• 8:40
  Speaker 3: Around the neighborhood, maybe?
• 8:41
  Speaker 5: No, I never did. I don't know why they picked
• 8:43
  Speaker 5: on Madeline and me for a holdup. We'd never been
• 8:46
  Speaker 5: robbed before. We just got this little hole in the
• 8:49
  Speaker 5: wall here. I don't see how it could look worthwhile
• 8:51
  Speaker 5: to any crook. You usually open up this early on
• 8:54
  Speaker 5: Sunday morning?
• 8:54
  Speaker 3: Oh, yeah.
• 8:55
  Speaker 5: Sunday's one of our big days, you see. We handle
• 8:58
  Speaker 5: all the Sunday papers. Get our big trade from the
• 9:00
  Speaker 5: people going to church up the street there.
• 9:02
  Speaker 3: St. Joseph's? Yes, sir. I see.
• 9:04
  Speaker 5: After the church lets out, most of the people head
• 9:06
  Speaker 5: down this way... We'd pick up the Sunday papers. We'd
• 9:10
  Speaker 5: sell about 15, 20.
• 9:11
  Speaker 3: Papers after every mass.
• 9:12
  Speaker 4: It's a nice little business, you know. We'd close up
• 9:15
  Speaker 4: after 12, 15.
• 9:15
  Speaker 3: Well, when did the holdup take place? Can you remember that, sir?
• 9:19
  Speaker 5: Well, I'd say 8, 30, a few minutes after. I
• 9:21
  Speaker 5: went down to the Athens Cafe down the street there.
• 9:24
  Speaker 5: I wanted to get some change. I left Madeline here
• 9:27
  Speaker 5: to handle the counter. Madeline, that's my wife.
• 9:30
  Speaker 3: Yes, sir.
• 9:31
  Speaker 5: And when I got back, she wasn't behind the counter.
• 9:33
  Speaker 5: I took a look behind here and saw a cash
• 9:35
  Speaker 5: box laying on the cement there, empty.
• 9:38
  Speaker 3: I didn't know what to think.
• 9:41
  Speaker 5: What did you do then? I pushed through this door here.
• 9:43
  Speaker 5: It's a little dinky storeroom just back at the counter.
• 9:46
  Speaker 5: It's where we keep our supplies, candy and soda water.
• 9:49
  Speaker 3: You mind if we take a look, sir?
• 9:51
  Speaker 4: No, not at all. Come right ahead. You see, when
• 9:58
  Speaker 4: I came in, the first thing I saw was Madeline.
• 10:00
  Speaker 4: That's my wife.
• 10:01
  Speaker 5: And she was lying there on the boards, moaning, had
• 10:03
  Speaker 5: her hands over her face.
• 10:05
  Speaker 4: The two young fellows were standing over her, and both
• 10:07
  Speaker 4: had guns.
• 10:09
  Speaker 3: What did they do when they saw you?
• 10:11
  Speaker 5: They grabbed me and asked for money. I told them
• 10:13
  Speaker 5: I didn't have any. I began to holler for help.
• 10:16
  Speaker 5: One of them slugged me with his.
• 10:17
  Speaker 4: Gun, and then they ran out.
• 10:20
  Speaker 3: It's a little shaky.
• 10:21
  Speaker 4: Do you mind if I sit down?
• 10:22
  Speaker 3: Go ahead. Oh, here. Let me get this box for you.
• 10:25
  Speaker 3: Thank you. Say, I wonder if we can get you
• 10:29
  Speaker 3: some water or maybe a cold drink from the cooler?
• 10:31
  Speaker 4: Oh, no, no.
• 10:33
  Speaker 5: But you'll find a half pint behind those cases over there,
• 10:35
  Speaker 5: a little brandy.
• 10:36
  Speaker 3: I keep put away. Oh, over here?
• 10:39
  Speaker 4: Yes, that's right, behind those cases. I don't usually drink
• 10:43
  Speaker 4: on Sundays.
• 10:44
  Speaker 3: This is an exception, I guess. Here you are, Mr. Brody.
• 10:48
  Speaker 3: What's that on the floor there, Ben? No, near your
• 10:51
  Speaker 3: foot there.
• 10:51
  Speaker 4: Oh, I see.
• 10:53
  Speaker 3: Oh, the lights are not very good. Oh, a book
• 10:57
  Speaker 3: of matches. Are these yours, Mr. Willard, these matches?
• 11:00
  Speaker 4: No, I don't carry them.
• 11:02
  Speaker 3: Oh, your wife's, I guess, huh?
• 11:03
  Speaker 4: I don't think so. Neither one of them smoke.
• 11:05
  Speaker 3: What's that ad printed on the badge? Big Tim Cafe. Steaks,
• 11:11
  Speaker 3: chopped short udders, open all night. West Pico. Do you
• 11:14
  Speaker 3: handle cigarettes and cigars?
• 11:16
  Speaker 4: No, sir. Uh, candy and soft drinks and newspapers, that's all.
• 11:25
  Speaker 3: Oh, uh, inside of the matchbook cover, Joe. Some scribbling
• 11:29
  Speaker 3: on it. George Bell, S. Cameron, 5th and Alameda. Do
• 11:35
  Speaker 3: you recognize this at all, Mr. Wilden?
• 11:37
  Speaker 4: Big Ten Cafe. No, I've never been there.
• 11:40
  Speaker 3: Now, how about the names here, inside the cover?
• 11:43
  Speaker 4: George Bell, S. Cameron. No, I never heard of them.
• 11:46
  Speaker 3: When you first came in here, Mr. Wilden, do you
• 11:48
  Speaker 3: remember where the hold-up men were standing?
• 11:50
  Speaker 4: Not too well, uh, Well, one was over there, and.
• 11:55
  Speaker 3: One was over there, I think.
• 11:57
  Speaker 4: Could be, Joe.
• 11:58
  Speaker 3: One of them might have dropped it.
• 12:00
  Speaker 4: Trace them from that matchbook? Do you think that's possible?
• 12:03
  Speaker 3: I don't know yet.
• 12:04
  Speaker 4: How would you trace them that way? Analysis? Some kind
• 12:06
  Speaker 4: of scientific work?
• 12:08
  Speaker 3: No, sir. Legwork. 9.28 a.m. We called Leighton Fingerprint. As
• 12:15
  Speaker 3: soon as they arrived, we dropped Mr. Wilden off at
• 12:17
  Speaker 3: Georgia Street Receiving Hospital to see his wife. Ben and
• 12:20
  Speaker 3: I drove back to the office. We had the crime
• 12:22
  Speaker 3: report typed up and got out a supplementary broadcast on
• 12:25
  Speaker 3: our original APB. We asked Frank Cunningham and R &
• 12:28
  Speaker 3: I to run the names George Bell and S. Cameron
• 12:31
  Speaker 3: through the files for possible mates. We checked with a
• 12:34
  Speaker 3: restaurant advertised on the cover of the matchbook, the Big
• 12:37
  Speaker 3: Ten Cafe. The manager of the cafe failed to recognize
• 12:40
  Speaker 3: either the names on the matchbook or the descriptions of
• 12:42
  Speaker 3: the hold-up men. 9.52. We checked back in at the office.
• 12:47
  Speaker 3: I'll get it. Robbery or mail? Yeah, Frank. Uh-huh, yeah. Good, right.
• 12:56
  Speaker 4: Thank you.
• 12:58
  Speaker 3: Cunningham? You got a make on the name George Bell.
• 13:00
  Speaker 3: Another one for Sam Cameron. Both of them run together.
• 13:03
  Speaker 3: Got a long juvenile record.
• 13:04
  Speaker 2: Good.
• 13:04
  Speaker 3: You got an address on him? Yeah. Won't be hard
• 13:06
  Speaker 3: to run down. What do you mean? Main jail. Five
• 13:12
  Speaker 3: days before, George Bell, a laborer, and Samuel Cameron, a
• 13:16
  Speaker 3: part-time jewelry salesman, had been booked at the main jail
• 13:19
  Speaker 3: on charges of being drunk and disorderly. The day after
• 13:22
  Speaker 3: his arrest, Cameron was bailed out. Bell was still in
• 13:25
  Speaker 3: the drunk tank. Ben and I went down to the
• 13:27
  Speaker 3: main jail and talked to him. He didn't fit the
• 13:29
  Speaker 3: description of either of the bandits. He was very cooperative,
• 13:32
  Speaker 3: but he stated that he'd been very drunk and he
• 13:34
  Speaker 3: couldn't remember too much. Just don't know, Sergeant.
• 13:37
  Speaker 6: Sam and I went out and Tug went on. When
• 13:39
  Speaker 6: it came to, we were during the drunk tank. You
• 13:42
  Speaker 6: have no idea at all how your name's got on
• 13:44
  Speaker 6: this matchbook. I'm trying to think. Well, it's pretty well
• 13:47
  Speaker 6: heated up, Sam, isn't it? That's another thing, that dirty Sam.
• 13:51
  Speaker 6: What do you mean? You get that friend of his
• 13:53
  Speaker 6: to come up here and bail him out. Think he'd
• 13:55
  Speaker 6: do anything for me?
• 13:56
  Speaker 3: No. I bought the liquor. He lets me sit here now.
• 14:00
  Speaker 4: Dirty Sam.
• 14:01
  Speaker 3: You think he might remember about that matchbook? I don't know.
• 14:04
  Speaker 6: I'm disgusted with him. If you see him, you can
• 14:06
  Speaker 6: tell him that. Just let him know he's off my list.
• 14:08
  Speaker 3: How about the address here on the matchbook, George? It
• 14:10
  Speaker 3: says 5th and Alameda. Doesn't that mean anything to you?
• 14:14
  Speaker 3: Were you and Cameron hitting some of the spots around
• 14:16
  Speaker 3: that area? No, we were messing around over in Dogtown.
• 14:18
  Speaker 3: Didn't get down by Alameda at all. Well, you must
• 14:21
  Speaker 3: have some time for you. Fifth and Alameda? No. The
• 14:26
  Speaker 3: only guy I know down there is Sanchez.
• 14:28
  Speaker 6: Wait a minute.
• 14:29
  Speaker 4: Yeah? Just a minute.
• 14:31
  Speaker 3: Sanchez. Just Sanchez, sure.
• 14:33
  Speaker 4: I wanted to see Gus.
• 14:34
  Speaker 3: I thought he'd put up there for us. Yeah, go ahead.
• 14:37
  Speaker 6: I got it now. I think I have anyway. It
• 14:40
  Speaker 6: was the morning after, and I woke up here in
• 14:42
  Speaker 6: the tank.
• 14:43
  Speaker 3: Oh, a big head, you know. Really wet. Mm-hmm.
• 14:46
  Speaker 6: The first thing I thought was out. I figured Gus
• 14:49
  Speaker 6: Sanchez might pop for bail.
• 14:50
  Speaker 3: Funny man, you know. Gus works at a bar at
• 14:53
  Speaker 3: 5th and Alameda.
• 14:54
  Speaker 4: That's it.
• 14:55
  Speaker 3: Well, how's it tie in?
• 14:57
  Speaker 6: This other mooch is in the tank next to me.
• 14:58
  Speaker 6: Somebody's popped bail for him, and he's getting out in
• 15:00
  Speaker 6: an hour. So I asked him to call Gus for me,
• 15:03
  Speaker 6: and he said he would. He wrote my name down,
• 15:05
  Speaker 6: and he wrote down Sam's, too.
• 15:08
  Speaker 3: Dirty Sam. He took down Gus's address.
• 15:11
  Speaker 4: Yeah, 15 Alameda.
• 15:12
  Speaker 3: You remember what this man looked like when he took
• 15:14
  Speaker 3: you in? Oh, let's see.
• 15:18
  Speaker 6: No, everything was going around. He was kind of tall,
• 15:22
  Speaker 6: I don't know. Would you remember him if you saw
• 15:24
  Speaker 6: him again? Guy did me a favor. I'd remember him.
• 15:27
  Speaker 6: Not like that dirty Sam.
• 15:28
  Speaker 3: Well, how about his name? Did he tell you that? No,
• 15:31
  Speaker 3: I didn't ask him.
• 15:32
  Speaker 4: I should have, huh?
• 15:33
  Speaker 3: You sure about the day this man was released? Positive.
• 15:36
  Speaker 3: The same day I came in, Tuesday. Okay, Bell, thanks
• 15:39
  Speaker 3: very much. We'll be checking back with you.
• 15:41
  Speaker 6: Yeah, all right.
• 15:43
  Speaker 3: And what about this guy? You got a base with him? Well, maybe,
• 15:45
  Speaker 3: if he's the one we want.
• 15:46
  Speaker 4: Yeah, what'd he do?
• 15:47
  Speaker 3: He lost his matches. Ben and I left the drunk
• 15:53
  Speaker 3: tank and went down the hall to check with the
• 15:55
  Speaker 3: officer in charge. We paged through the release book and
• 15:57
  Speaker 3: found that seven men had been bailed out or discharged
• 16:00
  Speaker 3: from the jail on the previous Tuesday. We went back
• 16:03
  Speaker 3: to the record bureau and had them pull the mug
• 16:05
  Speaker 3: shots on all seven men. Then we took the pictures
• 16:08
  Speaker 3: back to the drunk tank and showed them to George Bell.
• 16:11
  Speaker 2: No.
• 16:13
  Speaker 3: No. No. Yeah. This one, I think. Can't be sure.
• 16:22
  Speaker 4: I think that's him.
• 16:28
  Speaker 3: George Bell attentively identified the mugshot of a Fred Gunther, WMA,
• 16:33
  Speaker 3: 21 years old. Gunther had a previous record of grand
• 16:35
  Speaker 3: theft auto, purse snatching, and drunk charges. His picture matched
• 16:39
  Speaker 3: closely with the description of one of the suspects. 4 a.m.
• 16:43
  Speaker 3: We contacted the kid bandit's most recent victim, John Wilden,
• 16:46
  Speaker 3: at his home. We asked him to look at the
• 16:47
  Speaker 3: same group of mugshots that we'd shown to George Bell. Here.
• 16:59
  Speaker 4: Either this here. He's one of them.
• 17:01
  Speaker 3: You sure, Mr. Wilder?
• 17:02
  Speaker 4: He's the one who slugged me. Who is he?
• 17:04
  Speaker 3: His name's Fred Gunther.
• 17:05
  Speaker 4: Well, then you know him.
• 17:06
  Speaker 3: You want me to identify him? Yes, sir. When we find.
• 17:12
  Speaker 4: Him.
• 17:19
  Speaker 2: You are listening to Drag Myth. Authentic stories of your
• 17:22
  Speaker 2: police force in action. Now, here's an authentic report from
• 17:27
  Speaker 2: Fatima Cigarettes.
• 17:28
  Speaker 7: 1949, Fatima more than doubled its smokers coast to coast. 1950,
• 17:35
  Speaker 7: another record-breaking year, with more long cigarette smokers insisting on
• 17:40
  Speaker 7: Fatima quality than ever before.
• 17:43
  Speaker 2: In 1951, enjoy Fatima quality yourself. Yes, friends, in Fatima,
• 17:48
  Speaker 2: the difference is quality. Quality of tobacco. The finest Turkish
• 17:53
  Speaker 2: and domestic varieties extra mild and superbly blended. to give
• 17:57
  Speaker 2: you a much different, much better flavor and aroma. Quality
• 18:01
  Speaker 2: of manufacture. Smooth, plump cigarettes rolled in the finest paper
• 18:06
  Speaker 2: money can buy.
• 18:07
  Speaker 3: Quality.
• 18:08
  Speaker 2: Even to the appearance of the bright, clean, golden-yellow package.
• 18:12
  Speaker 2: Carefully wrapped and sealed to bring you Fatima's rich, fresh,
• 18:16
  Speaker 2: extra mild flavor.
• 18:17
  Speaker 3: Compare Fatima yourself.
• 18:20
  Speaker 2: Fatima's now cost the same as other long cigarettes, but
• 18:23
  Speaker 2: your first puff will tell you.
• 18:25
  Speaker 3: Ah, that's different.
• 18:27
  Speaker 2: Yes, in Fatima, the difference is quality. Start enjoying Fatima
• 18:33
  Speaker 2: quality yourself. Insist on Fatima, the quality king-size cigarette.
• 18:39
  Speaker 3: Best of all, long cigarettes. Monday, March 4th, 9 a.m.
• 18:50
  Speaker 3: We checked out the suspect, Fred Gunther. No trace of
• 18:52
  Speaker 3: him at any of his previous addresses. We began checking
• 18:55
  Speaker 3: with the other victims of the kid bandits. After a
• 18:58
  Speaker 3: day and a half of legwork, we sat down and
• 18:59
  Speaker 3: figured out the results. More than two-thirds of the victims
• 19:02
  Speaker 3: definitely tabbed Gunther as one of the hold-up men. The
• 19:05
  Speaker 3: next step was the record bureau. We had them pull
• 19:08
  Speaker 3: the packages on every one of Gunther's known friends and associates.
• 19:11
  Speaker 3: There were more than 30 of them. We had mug
• 19:13
  Speaker 3: shots pulled on each one of them and made the
• 19:15
  Speaker 3: rounds of the victims for the second time. Approximately half
• 19:18
  Speaker 3: of the victims had singled out one picture as that
• 19:20
  Speaker 3: of Gunther's partner in the hold-up. We pulled the package
• 19:23
  Speaker 3: on the man and checked his mama sheets. His name
• 19:25
  Speaker 3: was Harold Reimers, WMA, age 19. Previous record included car
• 19:30
  Speaker 3: stripping and one charge ADW, no conviction. Friday, March 8th.
• 19:34
  Speaker 3: We continued our check of the friends and associates known
• 19:37
  Speaker 3: to the two suspects, Gunther and Reimers. We got nowhere.
• 19:40
  Speaker 3: Two weeks passed. On March 23rd, we got a tip
• 19:43
  Speaker 3: from an informant about a girlfriend of Fred Gunther's, a
• 19:46
  Speaker 3: vocalist working at a downtown dance hall during intermissions. Long haul. Yeah.
• 19:54
  Speaker 3: One more flight. Climb four flights of stairs and then
• 19:59
  Speaker 3: they expect you to dance. Well, I guess this is it. Yeah. Yeah,
• 20:10
  Speaker 3: come on. Maybe not floor, huh? Well, it shows a
• 20:13
  Speaker 3: little where. The place has been here for years. Look
• 20:15
  Speaker 3: at those walls and that ceiling. Sure could use a
• 20:17
  Speaker 3: fresh coat of paint. Her name's Stanley, is that right? Yeah,
• 20:29
  Speaker 3: that's it. Excuse me. Your name's Lorraine Stanley? Yeah, that's right.
• 20:34
  Speaker 6: Sweet Lorraine, that's my Billy.
• 20:36
  Speaker 3: You with the band? No, we're police officers. Would you
• 20:38
  Speaker 3: like to talk to you for a minute if we can?
• 20:40
  Speaker 6: Sure, all right.
• 20:40
  Speaker 3: I was just rehearsing a little. What's it about, officer?
• 20:43
  Speaker 3: Do you know Fred Gunther, Miss Stanley?
• 20:46
  Speaker 4: Fred? Yeah, I know him.
• 20:47
  Speaker 3: I used to be engaged to Fred. You happen to
• 20:49
  Speaker 3: know where he is now?
• 20:50
  Speaker 1: No, I don't.
• 20:51
  Speaker 3: Guess I haven't heard from him in three, four months.
• 20:54
  Speaker 3: Usually looks me up when I'm in town. Maybe he's
• 20:57
  Speaker 3: sore about something. I don't know. Has he contacted you
• 21:00
  Speaker 3: at all?
• 21:00
  Speaker 2: Not since I got back from Bakersfield a month ago.
• 21:03
  Speaker 3: I played 32 weeks in Bakersfield, the Ramble Inn. Sure
• 21:06
  Speaker 3: needed to leave, nice place. Where does Gunther stay in town?
• 21:09
  Speaker 3: Do you happen to know that? Used to be that
• 21:11
  Speaker 3: hotel on South Flower. Called him there, but they said
• 21:13
  Speaker 3: he moved. He used to like Fred a lot. Not
• 21:16
  Speaker 3: enough to marry him. Do you have any idea where
• 21:19
  Speaker 3: he might have gone, where we could contact him? No,
• 21:21
  Speaker 3: I really don't. Nothing wrong with him, but Fred and me? No,
• 21:25
  Speaker 3: just a routine investigation. I'd like to talk to him.
• 21:28
  Speaker 3: What's it about? Can you tell me? It's a robbery investigation.
• 21:30
  Speaker 3: We want to locate Gunther. Do you happen to know
• 21:32
  Speaker 3: any of his friends here in the city?
• 21:34
  Speaker 4: No.
• 21:34
  Speaker 3: Maybe that's why he didn't call. He's in trouble. Robbery?
• 21:39
  Speaker 3: Is that it? Well, we'd just like to talk to him,
• 21:42
  Speaker 3: that's all. Well, if he's done something wrong, I'm not
• 21:45
  Speaker 3: going to hide him. I can't afford to get mixed
• 21:47
  Speaker 3: up in it. I've got a career to think about.
• 21:49
  Speaker 3: I've worked too hard to throw it away. Well, how
• 21:52
  Speaker 3: about the places Gunther usually visits, Miss Stanley Bar's restaurant?
• 21:55
  Speaker 3: You know any of those? Well, I remember a few.
• 21:58
  Speaker 2: I can give you the names if you like.
• 22:00
  Speaker 3: Poor Fred.
• 22:01
  Speaker 6: I hope he didn't do it for me.
• 22:03
  Speaker 3: Ma'am? Fred says he's in love with me. I don't know.
• 22:07
  Speaker 3: He thinks I want money. Maybe that's why he's doing it.
• 22:10
  Speaker 2: I told him, but he never believed me.
• 22:11
  Speaker 3: All I want is my career. Well, do you think
• 22:13
  Speaker 3: that Gunther might come around here to see you?
• 22:16
  Speaker 4: Probably.
• 22:16
  Speaker 2: He usually does when I'm in town.
• 22:18
  Speaker 3: How about where you're living? I'm staying at a different
• 22:21
  Speaker 3: hotel this time. It doesn't work. Poor Fred.
• 22:24
  Speaker 2: He's going to be awfully disappointed. Hmm?
• 22:26
  Speaker 3: How do you mean? Oh, he said he was going
• 22:28
  Speaker 3: to get money and buy a ring.
• 22:30
  Speaker 2: He's going to marry me this time.
• 22:35
  Speaker 6: Poor Fred.
• 22:37
  Speaker 3: This is my new team, officer. Do you like it? Uh-huh.
• 22:41
  Speaker 3: Just one more thing, Miss Stanley. If Gunther contacts you
• 22:43
  Speaker 3: by phone, will you be sure and let us know?
• 22:45
  Speaker 3: All right, I'll do that. You're a beautiful thing, isn't it?
• 22:49
  Speaker 3: The piano player in Bakerfield, he wrote.
• 22:51
  Speaker 2: It for you.
• 22:53
  Speaker 4: Yes, ma'am.
• 22:53
  Speaker 3: Oh, Fred understands. I don't want to hurt him. I
• 22:58
  Speaker 3: can't marry him. How do I make him understand? How
• 23:03
  Speaker 3: do I explain it? I don't think you'll have to, ma'am.
• 23:08
  Speaker 3: Before we left Lorraine Stanley, we told her that if
• 23:10
  Speaker 3: Gunther should contact her, not to tell him that she
• 23:12
  Speaker 3: talked with us. Stakeouts were placed on the dance hall
• 23:15
  Speaker 3: where she worked and at the hotel where she was staying.
• 23:18
  Speaker 3: Gunther's known hangouts were also covered. The next night, the
• 23:21
  Speaker 3: kid bandits were back in business. They hit twice, a
• 23:23
  Speaker 3: liquor store on Franklin Avenue and a tavern on South Flower.
• 23:27
  Speaker 3: Gunther and Reimers were again identified as the two suspects.
• 23:30
  Speaker 3: The stakeouts continued. The search went on. Four days later,
• 23:33
  Speaker 3: we got a tip from the proprietor of a shoeshine
• 23:35
  Speaker 3: stand on West Temple that Gunther's partner, Harold Reimers, had
• 23:38
  Speaker 3: been seen entering a small hotel up the street from
• 23:41
  Speaker 3: his stand. We drove over and checked with the desk clerk.
• 23:43
  Speaker 3: He identified Reimers' mugshot. He told us that the suspect
• 23:47
  Speaker 3: wasn't in, but that he was expected back that night.
• 23:49
  Speaker 3: Ben and I went on stakeout in his hotel room.
• 23:51
  Speaker 3: 7 p.m. Reimers failed to show. Getting a little hungry, Joe. You? Yeah.
• 23:59
  Speaker 3: What time you got now? 20 after 7. Someone's starting
• 24:03
  Speaker 3: to growl. And what's that, a parade? Well, I don't
• 24:07
  Speaker 3: think so. Let's see. Oh, it's the Salvation Army band. Oh, yeah,
• 24:12
  Speaker 3: Saturday night. Might as well check the office, huh? See
• 24:14
  Speaker 3: if we can't get a relief. Yeah. Would you get
• 24:18
  Speaker 3: me Michigan 5211, please? Michigan 5211. Yeah, we'll pay for it.
• 24:23
  Speaker 3: Thank you. Would you close the window, George Little-Noyce? Yeah, okay.
• 24:34
  Speaker 3: Robert Lee. Yeah, Young, this is Romero. How's that? It's yours? Okay,
• 24:41
  Speaker 3: thank you. Gunter and Reimers, they pulled a hold up
• 24:45
  Speaker 3: down South Main. When?
• 24:46
  Speaker 4: 20 minutes ago.
• 24:46
  Speaker 3: Gunter got away. Yeah. They got.
• 24:51
  Speaker 4: Reimers.
• 24:53
  Speaker 3: 7.45 p.m. Ben and I got back to the city
• 24:54
  Speaker 3: hall and went to the interrogation room. Together with Young
• 24:57
  Speaker 3: and Carr from robbery, we tried to question the suspect,
• 24:59
  Speaker 3: Harold Reimers. We talked to him for over an hour.
• 25:02
  Speaker 3: He refused to tell us anything. We took him to
• 25:04
  Speaker 3: the main jail where he was booked on 211 PC. 9.15 p.m.
• 25:08
  Speaker 3: We went back to the office. I'll get it. Robbery, Romero.
• 25:13
  Speaker 3: In just a minute. For you, Joe. Okay, thanks. Friday talking. Sergeant,
• 25:22
  Speaker 3: this is Lorraine Stanley. Yeah, Miss Stanley.
• 25:24
  Speaker 6: I'm over at work.
• 25:25
  Speaker 2: The dance hall, you remember?
• 25:26
  Speaker 3: Yes, ma'am. Anything wrong? Yes, ma'am. Where is he, did
• 25:32
  Speaker 3: he say? No, all he said was he wanted to
• 25:35
  Speaker 3: see me.
• 25:35
  Speaker 2: Yeah?
• 25:36
  Speaker 3: He said he was coming right over. 9.25 p.m. We
• 25:42
  Speaker 3: called the men on stakeout at the dance hall and
• 25:44
  Speaker 3: alerted them. Elton Young, Ben, and I got in the
• 25:46
  Speaker 3: car and drove over. We checked with the detail on stakeout.
• 25:49
  Speaker 3: Gunther hadn't been spotted, but because of the large crowd
• 25:52
  Speaker 3: entering and leaving the dance hall, it was possible that
• 25:54
  Speaker 3: he could have gotten in unnoticed. We talked to the
• 25:56
  Speaker 3: Stanley girl. She hadn't seen or heard anything further from
• 25:59
  Speaker 3: the suspect. Ben and I staked out in her dressing
• 26:02
  Speaker 3: room where Gunther said he'd meet the girl. It was
• 26:04
  Speaker 3: a small converted storeroom at one end of the dance
• 26:06
  Speaker 3: floor just behind the bandstand. Lorraine Stanley was on during
• 26:09
  Speaker 3: the intermission. We waited. What have you got, Joe? Almost 10.30.
• 26:17
  Speaker 3: This guy must feel pretty sure of himself. He pulls
• 26:20
  Speaker 3: a robbery, he's almost picked up, and three hours later
• 26:22
  Speaker 3: he makes a date to show in a public play.
• 26:24
  Speaker 3: He hasn't shown yet. I'm not too sure about that
• 26:27
  Speaker 3: Stanley girl. How do you mean? Well, if she's that
• 26:29
  Speaker 3: big an attraction for him. This is the only way out, huh?
• 26:33
  Speaker 3: Besides that fire escape off the alley. Yeah. Young's covering
• 26:36
  Speaker 3: the alley.
• 26:36
  Speaker 2: Come on.
• 26:42
  Speaker 3: He's down there, Joe. He got by me. He's up
• 26:45
  Speaker 3: the alley behind one of those trucks. He can't go far.
• 26:47
  Speaker 3: That's a dead end. Stay here, Young, and cut him off.
• 26:49
  Speaker 4: You all right?
• 26:50
  Speaker 3: Yeah, he slugged me, knocked me down. I didn't see
• 26:52
  Speaker 3: him in the dark. Come on, Ben. Yeah. You're dark, Sam.
• 27:04
  Speaker 3: Welcome to my network.
• 27:09
  Speaker 2: Make room.
• 27:09
  Speaker 3: I'm coming out. Watch it, Joe. Come on out here, Joe.
• 27:19
  Speaker 3: Don't shoot.
• 27:20
  Speaker 4: Don't shoot.
• 27:21
  Speaker 2: All right, stand still.
• 27:25
  Speaker 3: You want to stay with him, young? We'll call in. Yeah,
• 27:27
  Speaker 3: all right. Closest place to that little cafe off the
• 27:29
  Speaker 3: alley to the left. Thanks. Come on, then. Yeah. You
• 27:35
  Speaker 3: hear this? Yeah. I guess they got a phone inside.
• 27:37
  Speaker 3: Come on. Wait a minute. As soon as we get
• 27:40
  Speaker 3: Gunter downtown, we're going to come right back here.
• 27:42
  Speaker 4: What for?
• 27:43
  Speaker 3: Take a look at that fry cook in the window there. Yeah?
• 27:46
  Speaker 3: What about him? That fella makes a Spanish almond exactly
• 27:49
  Speaker 3: like I do.
• 27:57
  Speaker 2: The story you have just heard was true. Only the
• 28:00
  Speaker 2: names were changed to protect the innocent. On July 19th,
• 28:04
  Speaker 2: trial was held in Superior Court, Department 86, City and
• 28:06
  Speaker 2: County of Los Angeles, State of California. In a moment,
• 28:09
  Speaker 2: the results of that trial.
• 28:11
  Speaker 3: Now, here is our star, Jack Webb. Thank you. Friends,
• 28:14
  Speaker 3: if you're a long cigarette smoker like I am, remember,
• 28:17
  Speaker 3: in Fatima, the difference is quality. Now, believe me, this
• 28:21
  Speaker 3: difference is mighty important. So important that you'll always remember
• 28:24
  Speaker 3: the first pack of Fatimas that you buy. Fatima's fast-growing
• 28:28
  Speaker 3: popularity backs me up on that. But look, you can
• 28:31
  Speaker 3: prove it to yourself by getting a pack of Fatimas tomorrow.
• 28:34
  Speaker 3: You'll find that they now cost the same as other
• 28:36
  Speaker 3: long cigarettes. And your first pack will convince you to
• 28:39
  Speaker 3: go right on smoking them. Join me and the new
• 28:42
  Speaker 3: thousands who enjoy Fatima's extra mildness. Fatima's rich, better flavor
• 28:47
  Speaker 3: and aroma. You'll discover what all we Fatima smokers know.
• 28:51
  Speaker 3: In Fatima, the difference is quality.
• 28:56
  Speaker 2: Fred Gunther and Harold Reimers were tried and convicted on
• 29:04
  Speaker 2: several counts of robbery and assault.
• 29:06
  Speaker 4: They received sentences.
• 29:07
  Speaker 2: As prescribed by law, and they're now serving their terms
• 29:10
  Speaker 2: in the state penitentiary. You have just heard Dragnet, a
• 29:21
  Speaker 2: series of authentic cases from official files. Technical advice comes
• 29:24
  Speaker 2: from the Office of Chief of Police, W.H. Parker, Los
• 29:27
  Speaker 2: Angeles Police.
• 29:30
  Speaker 7: Department.
• 29:34
  Speaker 2: Fatima Cigarettes, best of all long cigarettes, has brought you Dragnet,
• 29:38
  Speaker 2: portions transcribed from Los Angeles. We the People is next,
• 29:46
  Speaker 2: with stories of today on NBC.
• 29:56
  Speaker 1: This has been Dragnet, episode 84, Big Dance, from 1951.
• 30:02
  Speaker 1: Follow Dragnet for more classic broadcasts.