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Dragnet - "Big Court" (Old Time Radio, 1952) · Dragnet | Old Time Radio

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: A tavern hold-up and killing brings Sergeant Joe Friday and
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: his partner, Ed Jacobs, of robbery detail, into a Los
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: Angeles municipal court case where four eyewitnesses have identified an ex-convict.
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: But as the prosecution moves forward, the detectives see how
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: much rests on testimony delivered under the pressure of the courtroom.
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: From NBC, this is Dragnet, episode 137, Big Court, first
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: heard January 24th, 1952. Jack Webb stars as Joe Friday,
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: with Barney Phillips as Ed Jacobs. The script is by
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: James E.
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: Moser.
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: And now, we return to the original broadcast.
• 0:53
  Speaker 3: The story you are about to hear is true. The
• 0:56
  Speaker 3: names have been changed to protect the innocent. Fatima Cigarettes.
• 1:00
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• 1:04
  Speaker 3: radio and television. You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned a
• 1:17
  Speaker 3: robbery detail. An ex-convict is accused of robbery and murder.
• 1:22
  Speaker 3: Four witnesses identify him as the killer. The man's arraigned
• 1:26
  Speaker 3: in municipal court and held to answer.
• 1:29
  Speaker 4: Your job?
• 1:30
  Speaker 5: Investigate.
• 1:35
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• 2:17
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• 2:19
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• 2:24
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• 2:28
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• 2:31
  Speaker 2: Dragnet, the documented drama of an actual crime. For the
• 2:41
  Speaker 2: next 30 minutes, in cooperation with the Los Angeles Police Department,
• 2:45
  Speaker 2: you will travel step by step on the side of
• 2:47
  Speaker 2: the law through an actual case transcribed from official police files.
• 2:51
  Speaker 2: From beginning to end, from crime to punishment, Dragnet is
• 2:55
  Speaker 2: the story of your police force in action.
• 3:04
  Speaker 4: It was cold in Los Angeles. We were working the
• 3:06
  Speaker 4: day watch out of robbery detail. My partner's Ed Jacobs.
• 3:09
  Speaker 4: The boss is Captain Didion. My name's Friday.
• 3:12
  Speaker 7: We were on the way over from the office, and
• 3:14
  Speaker 7: it was 10.43 a.m. when we got to the third
• 3:15
  Speaker 7: floor at the Hall of Justice. Municipal Court, Department 82.
• 3:19
  Speaker 4: You see him, Joe? I think so, yeah. That's him
• 3:25
  Speaker 4: up front behind the DA's table.
• 3:27
  Speaker 5: Oh, yeah.
• 3:28
  Speaker 4: Come on. Mm-hmm. Hi, Leo.
• 3:34
  Speaker 5: Oh, hi, Friday.
• 3:36
  Speaker 4: Jacobs.
• 3:36
  Speaker 1: Pull up a chair.
• 3:37
  Speaker 4: Yeah, thank you. Who's on the stand first, do you know?
• 3:43
  Speaker 4: Victim's wife, I think.
• 3:44
  Speaker 8: Oh.
• 3:46
  Speaker 9: People versus St.
• 3:49
  Speaker 5: Clair. People ready. In this case, Your Honor, we'd like
• 3:53
  Speaker 5: to proceed with number 23548. You may proceed. Is the
• 3:57
  Speaker 5: defendant ready? Defendant's ready, Your Honor. Call Agnes Holloway. Agnes
• 4:01
  Speaker 5: Holloway to the stand. You just follow me, sir, that
• 4:10
  Speaker 5: the testimony you are about to give in the matter
• 4:11
  Speaker 5: now pending before this court will be the truth, the
• 4:13
  Speaker 5: whole truth, and nothing but the truth, sir, of the God.
• 4:15
  Speaker 10: I do.
• 4:17
  Speaker 5: State your name, please.
• 4:18
  Speaker 10: Agnes Holloway.
• 4:26
  Speaker 5: Calling your attention to the fourth day of March of
• 4:28
  Speaker 5: this year, Mrs.
• 4:29
  Speaker 9: Holloway.
• 4:30
  Speaker 11: Did you see the defendant in your place of business at.
• 4:33
  Speaker 5: 2301 Naylor Avenue?
• 4:34
  Speaker 9: Yes, sir.
• 4:36
  Speaker 5: What time of day did you first see him at
• 4:37
  Speaker 5: that location?
• 4:38
  Speaker 9: It was around 9.30.
• 4:40
  Speaker 5: Will you tell us what you saw the defendant do?
• 4:42
  Speaker 12: For the purpose of the record, may we ask whether
• 4:44
  Speaker 12: that was in the morning or the afternoon?
• 4:46
  Speaker 5: Was that in the morning or in the p.m.? P.m.
• 4:49
  Speaker 11: Will you tell us what you saw the defendant do
• 4:51
  Speaker 11: and what you heard him say at that place?
• 4:53
  Speaker 5: You mean before the holdup?
• 4:55
  Speaker 4: At 9.30.
• 4:56
  Speaker 5: Please tell us what occurred.
• 4:57
  Speaker 10: Well, I came in about 9.30 of the place. He
• 5:01
  Speaker 10: was already sitting there at the bar.
• 5:03
  Speaker 5: Continue.
• 5:04
  Speaker 10: I came in and sat down at the end of
• 5:06
  Speaker 10: the bar.
• 5:07
  Speaker 9: He was sitting about five stools from the door.
• 5:09
  Speaker 10: A friend of mine, Doris Fenwick, she's here now. Doris
• 5:16
  Speaker 10: was sitting near him. I went over and talked to
• 5:18
  Speaker 10: Doris for a while. The man didn't say anything. He
• 5:20
  Speaker 10: was just sitting there.
• 5:21
  Speaker 5: Did you see him drinking anything?
• 5:23
  Speaker 9: Yes, he was drinking scotch and soda.
• 5:26
  Speaker 11: You're the wife of George Holloway, deceased, is that correct?
• 5:29
  Speaker 4: Yes.
• 5:30
  Speaker 5: Was he present then?
• 5:31
  Speaker 7: Beg your pardon?
• 5:32
  Speaker 5: Was your husband, George Holloway, present at that time?
• 5:35
  Speaker 10: Yes, he was standing in the bar.
• 5:36
  Speaker 11: By that, do you mean that your husband, yourself, and
• 5:39
  Speaker 11: the defendant were the only persons present?
• 5:41
  Speaker 10: No, my friend, Doris Fenwick. There was a sailor there, too.
• 5:44
  Speaker 9: I don't know who he was.
• 5:46
  Speaker 10: He sat next to the defendant.
• 5:48
  Speaker 5: What occurred then?
• 5:50
  Speaker 13: As we were ready to close the front door, my
• 5:52
  Speaker 13: husband noticed the light in men's washing.
• 5:54
  Speaker 5: I'll move that go out. What her husband noticed as
• 5:57
  Speaker 5: a conclusion of the witness. It may go out.
• 6:01
  Speaker 4: Well, anyway, my.
• 6:02
  Speaker 10: Husband went back in to put the light out.
• 6:05
  Speaker 9: Doris Fenwick and I went out to the sidewalk. So
• 6:08
  Speaker 9: did the sailor.
• 6:09
  Speaker 10: And the fellow did, too.
• 6:11
  Speaker 5: The defendant did.
• 6:12
  Speaker 10: Yes.
• 6:13
  Speaker 13: And the minute I went back inside to see what
• 6:16
  Speaker 13: my husband was doing.
• 6:17
  Speaker 10: The defendant followed me back in.
• 6:21
  Speaker 9: I was about as far as the music machine.
• 6:25
  Speaker 10: He put his arm around me and he had a
• 6:27
  Speaker 10: gun right here.
• 6:29
  Speaker 9: He said, lady, this is a sticker.
• 6:31
  Speaker 5: Could you describe the gun you saw?
• 6:33
  Speaker 10: No, I just saw it looked like a pistol to me.
• 6:35
  Speaker 9: I couldn't tell you the make of it.
• 6:36
  Speaker 5: Now move that garage, Your Honor, please, what it looked like.
• 6:39
  Speaker 10: I know it was a gun.
• 6:40
  Speaker 5: Motion movie tonight. You were inside the building when the
• 6:44
  Speaker 5: defendant did that?
• 6:45
  Speaker 3: Yes.
• 6:47
  Speaker 9: He said, keep quiet or I'll kill you.
• 6:48
  Speaker 5: And where was Miss Fenwick then?
• 6:50
  Speaker 9: She was out on the sidewalk. Talking to the sailor,
• 6:53
  Speaker 9: I think.
• 6:54
  Speaker 10: Doris was expecting her husband to come on the streetcar.
• 6:56
  Speaker 5: I'll move that door out. Miss Fenwick was out on
• 6:59
  Speaker 5: the sidewalk. May I stay in? And the balance may
• 7:02
  Speaker 5: go out. What did the defendant do after that, Mrs.
• 7:05
  Speaker 4: Holloway?
• 7:06
  Speaker 13: He said, I will shoot you if you don't keep quiet.
• 7:10
  Speaker 10: He made me walk backwards to where my husband was
• 7:13
  Speaker 10: and I said.
• 7:14
  Speaker 9: Johnny, this man has a gun.
• 7:15
  Speaker 13: And he says this is a sticker. And the man said,
• 7:18
  Speaker 13: shut up. And he made my husband put his hands up.
• 7:21
  Speaker 5: Were you in fear of the gun at that time?
• 7:23
  Speaker 9: No, I didn't have any fear.
• 7:25
  Speaker 5: Did you believe the defendant would injure you with a gun?
• 7:28
  Speaker 9: I wasn't afraid.
• 7:29
  Speaker 13: I thought, well, it's a hold up and we'll give
• 7:32
  Speaker 13: him the money and that's all there is to it.
• 7:34
  Speaker 10: All right.
• 7:35
  Speaker 5: Continue.
• 7:37
  Speaker 13: Well, when we got to the back room, my husband
• 7:40
  Speaker 13: was trying to open the safe and he says, hurry up.
• 7:43
  Speaker 10: I have your wife covered.
• 7:44
  Speaker 9: I'll kill her if you don't hurry.
• 7:46
  Speaker 5: The defendant said that?
• 7:47
  Speaker 10: Yes, my husband said, don't get nervous. You can have
• 7:51
  Speaker 10: anything we have, but don't shoot her.
• 7:54
  Speaker 13: Then my husband got the safe open and took out
• 7:58
  Speaker 13: the money bag and handed it to the man, the defendant.
• 8:01
  Speaker 10: He grabbed it, and then he shot my husband twice.
• 8:04
  Speaker 5: The defendant shot your husband twice?
• 8:06
  Speaker 6: Yes.
• 8:08
  Speaker 5: Do you know what the contents of the money bag were?
• 8:10
  Speaker 9: About $ 160.
• 8:11
  Speaker 8: At any time did you give this defendant authority or
• 8:14
  Speaker 8: your consent to take that money?
• 8:16
  Speaker 3: No, sir.
• 8:17
  Speaker 5: The taking of the money was against your will, is
• 8:19
  Speaker 5: that correct?
• 8:19
  Speaker 10: Yes.
• 8:20
  Speaker 5: How soon after was it that the officers arrived at
• 8:23
  Speaker 5: the location?
• 8:23
  Speaker 9: It was about seven or eight minutes after that.
• 8:25
  Speaker 5: Your husband was removed to the hospital?
• 8:27
  Speaker 4: Yes.
• 8:28
  Speaker 5: Do you know when your husband died?
• 8:29
  Speaker 10: He died on the 7th, Friday, 6 o'clock.
• 8:32
  Speaker 5: You mean on the 7th of March of this year? Yes.
• 8:36
  Speaker 5: Did you see your husband in the coroner's office? Pardon me?
• 8:39
  Speaker 5: Did you see your husband after death in the coroner's office?
• 8:42
  Speaker 9: No, I saw him in the hospital.
• 8:44
  Speaker 11: After death, did you see your husband downstairs in the
• 8:47
  Speaker 11: coroner's office?
• 8:48
  Speaker 10: No, my son did.
• 8:49
  Speaker 5: Did you see your husband after death?
• 8:52
  Speaker 10: Yes, at the mortuary, Monday the 10th, at the mortuary.
• 8:57
  Speaker 11: And the person you viewed in death was the same
• 8:59
  Speaker 11: Charles A. Holloway who you knew in life as your husband?
• 9:02
  Speaker 6: Yes, sir.
• 9:03
  Speaker 5: Do you know Grace Thompson?
• 9:05
  Speaker 10: Yes, she works for me and my husband.
• 9:06
  Speaker 5: Was she present at your place of business on this evening?
• 9:09
  Speaker 4: Yes.
• 9:09
  Speaker 5: When did she leave there, do you know?
• 9:11
  Speaker 9: About five minutes to.
• 9:13
  Speaker 5: Twelve, midnight. Can you fix the precise time when your
• 9:16
  Speaker 5: husband was shot?
• 9:17
  Speaker 9: About five minutes after twelve.
• 9:19
  Speaker 5: Five minutes after twelve. How many times was the gun fired? Twice.
• 9:23
  Speaker 5: How close was the gun to your husband.
• 9:25
  Speaker 4: Charles Holloway?
• 9:26
  Speaker 9: It must have been about two feet.
• 9:29
  Speaker 5: Do you know Marion Shaw?
• 9:30
  Speaker 10: Yes.
• 9:31
  Speaker 5: Was she present on the premises that evening?
• 9:33
  Speaker 9: She was present that evening.
• 9:35
  Speaker 5: Do you know Mrs. Sam Garber?
• 9:36
  Speaker 2: Yes.
• 9:37
  Speaker 5: Was she present on the premises that evening?
• 9:39
  Speaker 7: Yes, sir.
• 9:40
  Speaker 9: And that cleaner was there, too. I didn't know him, though.
• 9:43
  Speaker 11: All that you've related occurred in the county of Los Angeles,
• 9:45
  Speaker 11: state of California?
• 9:46
  Speaker 9: Yes, sir.
• 9:48
  Speaker 5: Cross the panel.
• 9:49
  Speaker 13: May I have a drink of water, please?
• 9:54
  Speaker 4: Please.
• 9:56
  Speaker 5: Would you like to rest a while, Mrs.
• 9:58
  Speaker 4: Holloway?
• 9:59
  Speaker 3: Yes, sir.
• 10:00
  Speaker 14: We'll have a short recess before the cross-examination.
• 10:09
  Speaker 3: Joe?
• 10:10
  Speaker 4: Ed?
• 10:11
  Speaker 5: Yeah, Leo. Probably won't get to us for a while.
• 10:13
  Speaker 5: You want to go out for a smoke?
• 10:14
  Speaker 4: Yeah, that's fine with me. Okay.
• 10:23
  Speaker 5: What's your idea on it, Leo?
• 10:24
  Speaker 3: I don't know.
• 10:26
  Speaker 4: Not to have him bound over to superior court.
• 10:28
  Speaker 5: No, I mean, you think St. Clair's the right man?
• 10:29
  Speaker 4: You got me.
• 10:31
  Speaker 5: He had just one good piece of physical evidence. I'd
• 10:33
  Speaker 5: feel a lot better about it.
• 10:36
  Speaker 4: Go ahead. Yeah, thanks.
• 10:39
  Speaker 1: Here you go.
• 10:41
  Speaker 5: Light?
• 10:42
  Speaker 4: Yeah, thanks.
• 10:46
  Speaker 5: Thank you. How about St.
• 10:49
  Speaker 4: Clair's alibi?
• 10:50
  Speaker 3: Okay.
• 10:50
  Speaker 5: All the angles checked, huh?
• 10:52
  Speaker 9: All of them.
• 10:52
  Speaker 4: Doesn't hold much water. Can't prove it's a lie, can't
• 10:55
  Speaker 4: prove it's the truth.
• 10:56
  Speaker 5: I sure hate these things. Don't know which way to go.
• 10:58
  Speaker 5: Four identifying witnesses, and we know how wrong they can be.
• 11:01
  Speaker 5: What about that sailor who was supposed to be in
• 11:03
  Speaker 5: the bar at the time? I know the homicide didn't
• 11:05
  Speaker 5: do any good. How about you, fella?
• 11:06
  Speaker 4: No, same, Leo. Nothing yet.
• 11:08
  Speaker 5: He was the only one who really got a close
• 11:09
  Speaker 5: look at the killer besides the wife I made. The
• 11:12
  Speaker 5: killer bumped into him when he ran out of the bar. Yeah.
• 11:15
  Speaker 5: If anyone could identify the right man, the sailor could.
• 11:17
  Speaker 4: Nobody at the bar saw him before that night. Nobody's
• 11:19
  Speaker 4: seen him since. There's not a trace of him.
• 11:22
  Speaker 5: Sure, our best bet. If we could find him, we
• 11:24
  Speaker 5: might put a foundation under the thing.
• 11:26
  Speaker 4: Yeah, I'll put in there.
• 11:27
  Speaker 5: There's just one problem. Yeah, it's a big navy.
• 11:30
  Speaker 4: Where do we find him?
• 11:35
  Speaker 7: When 58-year-old tavern owner Charles Holloway was shot and fatally
• 11:39
  Speaker 7: wounded in a holdup on March 4th, there were five
• 11:41
  Speaker 7: people in the immediate vicinity.
• 11:43
  Speaker 4: Holloway's wife, a waitress at.
• 11:45
  Speaker 7: The tavern, two women customers, and an unidentified sailor. Soon
• 11:49
  Speaker 7: after the shooting, the scene of the crime was gone
• 11:51
  Speaker 7: over thoroughly for all physical evidence, but besides the two
• 11:54
  Speaker 7: fatal bullets, none was found. The preliminary investigation failed to
• 11:58
  Speaker 7: yield any further leads. A search was started for the
• 12:02
  Speaker 7: missing witness, the unidentified sailor. The four known witnesses were
• 12:06
  Speaker 7: brought downtown where they checked through volumes of pictures of
• 12:09
  Speaker 7: ex-convicts recently released from the state penitentiaries. All of them
• 12:13
  Speaker 7: identified the mugshot of Harold St. Clair, a recent parolee
• 12:17
  Speaker 7: from Chino where he'd served time for armed robbery.
• 12:20
  Speaker 5: St.
• 12:20
  Speaker 7: Clair was brought in immediately in question. He failed to
• 12:23
  Speaker 7: establish an alibi for his whereabouts the night of the
• 12:26
  Speaker 7: holdup and murder. He was arraigned in municipal court, and
• 12:29
  Speaker 7: at his preliminary hearing, the first prosecution witness, the wife
• 12:32
  Speaker 7: of the murdered man, Agnes Holloway, singled him out as
• 12:35
  Speaker 7: the killer. By experience, the working detectives found that identifying
• 12:40
  Speaker 7: witnesses under the strain of being present at a horrible
• 12:42
  Speaker 7: crime can often be mistaken in their identification. In this instance,
• 12:47
  Speaker 7: there wasn't anything else we could do.
• 12:48
  Speaker 4: It was all we had.
• 12:49
  Speaker 7: 11.18 a.m., the preliminary hearing resumed. The witnesses took the
• 12:54
  Speaker 7: stand in turn, and all of them tabbed St.
• 12:56
  Speaker 4: Clair as the murderer.
• 12:58
  Speaker 7: Ed and I testified as the arresting officers. At 3.25
• 13:01
  Speaker 7: that afternoon, the prosecution rested the case for the people.
• 13:05
  Speaker 4: St. Clair's lawyer offered no defense for the time being.
• 13:08
  Speaker 4: Your Honor.
• 13:11
  Speaker 5: Your Honor.
• 13:12
  Speaker 11: Mr.
• 13:12
  Speaker 5: Alexander.
• 13:13
  Speaker 8: This time the people move that case number 23529 be
• 13:17
  Speaker 8: dismissed on the grounds that it states in substance.
• 13:20
  Speaker 5: 23529? Is that correct?
• 13:24
  Speaker 12: Yes, Your Honor.
• 13:25
  Speaker 8: Dismissed on the grounds that it states in substance the
• 13:27
  Speaker 8: offense covered in the present case.
• 13:29
  Speaker 5: 23529 covers the.
• 13:31
  Speaker 8: Offense of robbery and assault with intent to commit murder
• 13:34
  Speaker 8: under the present victim in our case here, Charles Holloway.
• 13:37
  Speaker 5: He was not dead at the time.
• 13:38
  Speaker 8: This case 23529 was filed. Subsequent to its filing, he died,
• 13:42
  Speaker 8: and the murder count accomplished that complaint. Let the record
• 13:46
  Speaker 8: show that on the motion of the district attorney in
• 13:48
  Speaker 8: the case of People v.
• 13:49
  Speaker 3: Harold R.
• 13:50
  Speaker 4: St.
• 13:50
  Speaker 14: Clair, number 23529, that case is dismissed. Bearing to me
• 13:58
  Speaker 14: that the offenses in the within deposition mentioned to wit
• 14:00
  Speaker 14: count one, murder of felony, and count two, robbery of felony,
• 14:03
  Speaker 14: have been committed... and that there is sufficient cause to
• 14:06
  Speaker 14: believe the within named defendant Harold R.
• 14:08
  Speaker 4: St.
• 14:08
  Speaker 14: Clair guilty thereof, I order that he be held to
• 14:11
  Speaker 14: answer to the same, and that he be committed to
• 14:13
  Speaker 14: the custody of the sheriff.
• 14:14
  Speaker 9: Of the Los Angeles County without bail.
• 14:19
  Speaker 7: In the 17 days intervening between St. Clair's preliminary hearing
• 14:23
  Speaker 7: and his arraignment in Superior Court, Ed and I, along
• 14:25
  Speaker 7: with Sergeant Stoner, Beeson, and Leo Tracy, continued our investigation
• 14:29
  Speaker 7: of the case. Physical evidence to either prove or disprove
• 14:33
  Speaker 7: the case against St.
• 14:34
  Speaker 4: Clair was not to be had.
• 14:36
  Speaker 7: We concentrated on trying to find the all-important missing witness
• 14:39
  Speaker 7: to the killing, the unidentified sailor. We got out an
• 14:43
  Speaker 7: APB along with special letters and bulletins for distribution to
• 14:46
  Speaker 7: local Navy Yard commandants as well as Navy Department officials
• 14:49
  Speaker 7: in Washington requesting help in locating him.
• 14:52
  Speaker 4: It went slow. The day before St.
• 14:55
  Speaker 7: Clair's Superior Court arraignment, we got our first lead, but
• 14:58
  Speaker 7: not from where we expected it. A two-time robbery loser,
• 15:02
  Speaker 7: Lester Jaffe, who bore a close resemblance to St. Clair,
• 15:05
  Speaker 7: was arrested at a check-cashing agency on South Hoover trying
• 15:08
  Speaker 7: to pass a forged check. He had several prior arrests
• 15:12
  Speaker 7: and convictions for burglary in ADW, and a check of
• 15:15
  Speaker 7: his package showed that he.
• 15:16
  Speaker 4: Had violated his parole. A.
• 15:18
  Speaker 7: 38 caliber S & W revolver found on Jaffe was
• 15:21
  Speaker 7: delivered to Russ Camp in Ballistics for examination and comparison.
• 15:25
  Speaker 7: The next day, Monday, March 29th, St. Clair came up
• 15:28
  Speaker 7: for his arraignment in Superior Court.
• 15:30
  Speaker 4: Ed and I were there.
• 15:34
  Speaker 5: St.
• 15:34
  Speaker 4: Clair.
• 15:40
  Speaker 5: Defendant is present and ready, Your Honor. Arrange the prisoner.
• 15:48
  Speaker 5: Harold R. St. Clair, is that your true name? That's right.
• 15:51
  Speaker 5: Herald R.
• 15:52
  Speaker 4: St.
• 15:52
  Speaker 8: Clair, by information number 23549, you're charged in count one
• 15:56
  Speaker 8: with a crime of murder. In that honor, about March
• 15:59
  Speaker 8: 4th of this year, you did willfully, unlawfully, and feloniously,
• 16:01
  Speaker 8: and with malice of forethought.
• 16:03
  Speaker 5: Murder one Charles A. Holloway, a human being. To this charge,
• 16:07
  Speaker 5: how do you now plead, guilty or not guilty?
• 16:09
  Speaker 12: Not guilty.
• 16:11
  Speaker 8: In count two of the same information, you're charged with
• 16:13
  Speaker 8: a crime of robbery. In that honor, about March 4th
• 16:15
  Speaker 8: of this year, you did rob one Charles A.
• 16:17
  Speaker 3: Holloway.
• 16:18
  Speaker 5: To that charge, how do you now plead, guilty or
• 16:20
  Speaker 5: not guilty? Not guilty.
• 16:24
  Speaker 4: Joe.
• 16:25
  Speaker 3: Joe, the bailiff.
• 16:26
  Speaker 4: Oh, yeah.
• 16:27
  Speaker 5: He's muscling to you.
• 16:28
  Speaker 4: Phone call, I guess. Must be for you. Yeah, thanks, Ed.
• 16:35
  Speaker 14: Gentlemen, have you agreed on what date is convenient for trial?
• 16:38
  Speaker 5: No agreement as yet, Your Honor.
• 16:41
  Speaker 4: Harris, a phone call.
• 16:42
  Speaker 1: For you, Sergeant.
• 16:43
  Speaker 5: Right here.
• 16:43
  Speaker 4: Okay, thank you. Friday talking.
• 16:46
  Speaker 5: Yeah.
• 16:47
  Speaker 4: Is that right? Yeah, okay, Russ. As soon as we
• 16:50
  Speaker 4: finish here.
• 16:51
  Speaker 10: Yeah, right.
• 16:51
  Speaker 4: Bye. Joe, Alex here wants to know about a trial.
• 16:57
  Speaker 4: Do you have any ideas? Well, we better get all
• 16:59
  Speaker 4: the time you can, Alex. We're going to need it.
• 17:00
  Speaker 5: Anything you say. What's the matter? We got trouble?
• 17:03
  Speaker 7: We just had a call from Russ Camp and Ballistics.
• 17:05
  Speaker 5: Yeah.
• 17:06
  Speaker 4: I figure we got a whole new case to build.
• 17:08
  Speaker 5: What do you mean?
• 17:08
  Speaker 4: Well, the man we've got, St. Clair.
• 17:10
  Speaker 7: Yeah?
• 17:11
  Speaker 4: Maybe he's taking the rap for somebody else.
• 17:23
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• 18:49
  Speaker 7: March 29th, Monday, 4.15 p.m. After the arraignment of Harold St.
• 18:54
  Speaker 7: Clair in Superior Court, Ed and I checked with Russ
• 18:56
  Speaker 7: Camp and Ballistics.
• 18:58
  Speaker 4: He said he'd run tests on the.
• 18:59
  Speaker 7: 38 S & W revolver taken from robbery-forgery suspect Lester
• 19:03
  Speaker 7: Jaffe the day before. Comparison microscopic examinations of test bullets
• 19:08
  Speaker 7: fired from the gun taken from Jaffe and the two
• 19:10
  Speaker 7: slugs which had been removed from the body of tavern
• 19:13
  Speaker 7: owner Charles Holloway matched. After checking with Brereton at the
• 19:17
  Speaker 7: CII Bureau in Sacramento... we discovered new additions to Jaffe's
• 19:21
  Speaker 7: long criminal record. We also found out his known M.O.
• 19:24
  Speaker 7: corresponded closely to that of the man who robbed and
• 19:27
  Speaker 7: murdered Mr.
• 19:27
  Speaker 8: Holloway.
• 19:29
  Speaker 7: At a special show-off of both St. Clair and Jaffe,
• 19:32
  Speaker 7: the close resemblance of the two became apparent to the
• 19:34
  Speaker 7: four identifying witnesses. They frankly admitted their mistake and positively
• 19:39
  Speaker 7: identified Jaffe as the killer. Intensive investigation during the next
• 19:43
  Speaker 7: three weeks uncovered enough evidence and testimony against Jaffe by
• 19:47
  Speaker 7: associates and informers.
• 19:49
  Speaker 4: To give us a good.
• 19:49
  Speaker 7: foundation for a murder conviction. But we were still without
• 19:53
  Speaker 7: a lead to one of our most essential witnesses, the
• 19:56
  Speaker 7: unidentified sailor.
• 19:58
  Speaker 4: The first suspect, Harold St.
• 20:00
  Speaker 7: Clair, was cleared of the charge but detained on a
• 20:02
  Speaker 7: want from the Denver Police Department. After arraignment and preliminary
• 20:07
  Speaker 7: hearing in municipal court, the arraignment in Superior Court, Lester
• 20:11
  Speaker 7: Jaffe went on trial for the Holloway killing on June 2nd.
• 20:14
  Speaker 3: Dr.
• 20:15
  Speaker 7: West, the autopsy surgeon, was first to be called by
• 20:17
  Speaker 7: Assistant District Attorney Adolph Alexander. He stated the results of
• 20:21
  Speaker 7: the autopsy on Mr. Holloway and testified as to the
• 20:24
  Speaker 7: cause of death.
• 20:26
  Speaker 4: John Maurer, the police surveyor, was next.
• 20:28
  Speaker 7: He produced the various diagrammatic drawings of the murder scene.
• 20:31
  Speaker 7: The third day of the trial, June 5th.
• 20:34
  Speaker 5: Garber woman's coming back on, a friend of Miss Holloway.
• 20:37
  Speaker 8: Oh, yeah, yeah.
• 20:39
  Speaker 5: Mrs. Samuel Garber.
• 20:46
  Speaker 4: Be seated.
• 20:52
  Speaker 5: Proceed with cross-examination. Mrs.
• 20:56
  Speaker 12: Garber, at the time you testified against the former suspect,
• 20:58
  Speaker 12: Harold St. Clair, you were just as positive then, were
• 21:01
  Speaker 12: you not, that the hold-up man who killed Mr.
• 21:04
  Speaker 5: Holloway was Harold St. Clair?
• 21:06
  Speaker 10: Yes, I was, but I also said he didn't have
• 21:07
  Speaker 10: the same type eyes.
• 21:09
  Speaker 4: You were absolutely sure about Harold St.
• 21:11
  Speaker 5: Clair then, weren't you?
• 21:12
  Speaker 9: Yes, I guess I was.
• 21:14
  Speaker 12: And you identified St. Clair and testified a number of
• 21:16
  Speaker 12: times during that examination that St.
• 21:18
  Speaker 5: Clair was the man, is that right?
• 21:20
  Speaker 10: I said he resembled the man.
• 21:21
  Speaker 4: You said he was the man, didn't you?
• 21:23
  Speaker 10: I said I thought he resembled the man.
• 21:24
  Speaker 12: You also said there was no doubt of it, didn't you,
• 21:27
  Speaker 12: that the hold-up man was Mr.
• 21:28
  Speaker 4: St. Clair?
• 21:30
  Speaker 10: Well, I guess so.
• 21:31
  Speaker 9: I don't know.
• 21:32
  Speaker 2: You don't know?
• 21:32
  Speaker 9: No, I guess I don't. I don't remember. I'm not sure.
• 21:36
  Speaker 4: Mrs.
• 21:37
  Speaker 12: Garber, are you sure you remember the man you saw
• 21:39
  Speaker 12: sitting in the bar that night?
• 21:41
  Speaker 3: Well, I don't know.
• 21:42
  Speaker 10: I've got them both mixed up.
• 21:43
  Speaker 12: I guess I'm not sure.
• 21:49
  Speaker 7: During the next two days, the other three identifying witnesses
• 21:52
  Speaker 7: were called to testify and, like Mrs. Garber, were badgered
• 21:55
  Speaker 7: by the defense attorney unmercifully. Despite the efforts of Alexander,
• 21:59
  Speaker 7: the prosecuting attorney, it was apparent the jury was being
• 22:02
  Speaker 7: swayed heavily in favor of the defendant. Even the full
• 22:06
  Speaker 7: day and a half Ray Pinker from the crime lab
• 22:08
  Speaker 7: spent on the stand seemed to have little effect in
• 22:10
  Speaker 7: counteracting the damage done by the confused testimony. To prepare
• 22:14
  Speaker 7: the jury for Russ Camp's expert report and for the
• 22:17
  Speaker 7: presentation of scientific facts about the lethal bullets in the
• 22:20
  Speaker 7: murder gun found on Jaffe at the time of his arrest,
• 22:23
  Speaker 7: Pinker and Assistant District Attorney Alexander gave the jury a
• 22:26
  Speaker 7: thorough briefing on the fundamentals of ballistics.
• 22:29
  Speaker 4: They also pointed out the scientific.
• 22:31
  Speaker 7: Value of ballistics in determining the guilt or innocence of
• 22:33
  Speaker 7: a defendant. On Thursday, June 12th, Russ Camp took the
• 22:37
  Speaker 7: stand as a prosecution witness and under questioning, presented the
• 22:40
  Speaker 7: findings of the various tests he'd run on the alleged
• 22:43
  Speaker 7: murder weapon.
• 22:47
  Speaker 8: Mr. Camp, sometime after you had obtained People's Exhibit 13,
• 22:50
  Speaker 8: did you fire a test bullet or several test.
• 22:52
  Speaker 5: Bullets from it in the crime laboratory?
• 22:54
  Speaker 7: I did.
• 22:55
  Speaker 11: Did you make a comparison of any of those test
• 22:57
  Speaker 11: bullets with Exhibits.
• 22:58
  Speaker 4: 3 and 3A, the bullets which killed Charles Holloway?
• 23:00
  Speaker 7: Yes, I did.
• 23:02
  Speaker 6: Now.
• 23:03
  Speaker 8: In making your comparison and examination under the microscope after
• 23:06
  Speaker 8: you had completed the mechanical part of your work, and
• 23:09
  Speaker 8: after you had completed your examination of the observable and
• 23:11
  Speaker 8: comparable sections of the fatal bullets with the test bullet
• 23:14
  Speaker 8: fired from People's Exhibit 13, did you come to any conclusion.
• 23:18
  Speaker 5: With respect to the Holloway fatal bullets? Yes, I did.
• 23:21
  Speaker 5: And what was that conclusion? The conclusion was.
• 23:24
  Speaker 12: That the fatal bullets, the Holloway fatal bullets, People's Exhibit number.
• 23:27
  Speaker 5: 3 and 3A.
• 23:29
  Speaker 12: were fired through the barrel of People's Exhibit Number 13.
• 23:35
  Speaker 7: After another hour of testifying, Russ Camp left the stand.
• 23:39
  Speaker 7: His ballistics report on the murder gun had made an
• 23:41
  Speaker 7: impression on the jury, but we couldn't be sure it
• 23:43
  Speaker 7: was enough to balance the setback the prosecution received from
• 23:46
  Speaker 7: its own witnesses.
• 23:47
  Speaker 4: As far as we were concerned, Jaffe was the guilty man.
• 23:50
  Speaker 4: There wasn't a doubt about it.
• 23:51
  Speaker 7: But the case against him was apparently inconclusive as far
• 23:54
  Speaker 7: as the jury was concerned. The defense attorney obviously had
• 23:57
  Speaker 7: heard about the unidentified sailor who was also present at
• 24:00
  Speaker 7: the scene of the killing. He charged outright in the
• 24:03
  Speaker 7: court that the district attorney was purposely preventing the appearance
• 24:06
  Speaker 7: of the unknown sailor as a witness and was concealing
• 24:08
  Speaker 7: his identity. As he told the jury, the prosecution was
• 24:12
  Speaker 7: afraid that the testimony of their alleged silent witness would
• 24:15
  Speaker 7: damage its case. Meantime, our intensive search for the missing
• 24:19
  Speaker 7: seaman was still underway. Despite half a dozen favorable prosecution witnesses,
• 24:24
  Speaker 7: the case for the people appeared to be on the
• 24:25
  Speaker 7: losing end, going into the closing days of the trial. Tuesday,
• 24:29
  Speaker 7: June 17th, one of the final defense witnesses was a Mrs.
• 24:32
  Speaker 7: Albert Dolan, who presented a fair alibi for Jaffe. She
• 24:36
  Speaker 7: claimed Jaffe was at night school at the time of
• 24:38
  Speaker 7: the Holloway killing.
• 24:39
  Speaker 12: Would you say of your own knowledge that on the
• 24:41
  Speaker 12: night of March the 4th, Mr. Jaffe was at the
• 24:43
  Speaker 12: school until midnight?
• 24:45
  Speaker 5: Yes, he was.
• 24:46
  Speaker 12: When you left the school, did you go home alone
• 24:48
  Speaker 12: or with somebody?
• 24:49
  Speaker 9: My husband and I drove home with Mr. Jaffe.
• 24:51
  Speaker 4: Anything else that you can remember?
• 24:52
  Speaker 9: Let me think.
• 24:55
  Speaker 3: It sure reads a convincing story, huh?
• 24:57
  Speaker 4: Yeah, I wonder what the connection is.
• 24:59
  Speaker 5: I don't know.
• 25:00
  Speaker 4: I'm sure you got plenty of them. What do you figure, Joe?
• 25:02
  Speaker 5: The jury, you think we got a chance?
• 25:03
  Speaker 4: I don't know. Don't bet on it.
• 25:06
  Speaker 8: Ed?
• 25:06
  Speaker 5: Joe? Oh, hi, Val.
• 25:07
  Speaker 11: Hi.
• 25:08
  Speaker 5: Going bad?
• 25:09
  Speaker 4: Couldn't be a lot better.
• 25:10
  Speaker 5: It's getting that way. Just got a call from Wilmington
• 25:13
  Speaker 5: over at the squad room.
• 25:14
  Speaker 4: Oh, what about?
• 25:15
  Speaker 5: Sailor we've been looking for.
• 25:16
  Speaker 3: We found him.
• 25:20
  Speaker 4: Before we left the.
• 25:21
  Speaker 7: Courtroom, Ed and I briefed the assistant district attorney, Alexander,
• 25:24
  Speaker 7: on the latest development. He put in a special order
• 25:27
  Speaker 7: to the county jail for Harold St.
• 25:28
  Speaker 4: Clair.
• 25:29
  Speaker 7: Ed and I went across the street and met with
• 25:31
  Speaker 7: a long-missing murder witness in the homicide squad room. The
• 25:34
  Speaker 7: sailor identified himself as seaman first class Roy Maslin. He
• 25:38
  Speaker 7: told us that about three and a half weeks before,
• 25:40
  Speaker 7: he'd happened to see a copy of the bulletin we'd
• 25:42
  Speaker 7: gotten out on him. He checked with his commanding officer
• 25:45
  Speaker 7: and was returned to the mainland from his post on
• 25:47
  Speaker 7: Midway Island. 3.22 p.m., we returned to the courtroom along
• 25:51
  Speaker 7: with Seaman First Class Roy Maslin and conferred with Assistant
• 25:54
  Speaker 7: District Attorney Alexander.
• 25:56
  Speaker 4: The first murder suspect, Harold St.
• 25:58
  Speaker 7: Clair, had already been brought downstairs to the courtroom from
• 26:01
  Speaker 7: the county jail.
• 26:03
  Speaker 4: He was placed at the opposite end of the counsel
• 26:05
  Speaker 4: table from the defendant, Lester Jaffe.
• 26:11
  Speaker 5: May we approach the bench, Your Honor? Come forward.
• 26:17
  Speaker 8: Your Honor, we have just now located a witness in
• 26:19
  Speaker 8: this case. He's in the armed services and must report
• 26:22
  Speaker 8: back for duty tonight.
• 26:23
  Speaker 5: May we have permission to call this witness out of turn?
• 26:26
  Speaker 5: Permission granted.
• 26:28
  Speaker 9: All right, Sergeant. Raise your right hand.
• 26:33
  Speaker 4: Raise your right hand.
• 26:35
  Speaker 2: Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you are about
• 26:37
  Speaker 2: to give in the matter now.
• 26:38
  Speaker 5: Pending before this court will be the truth, the whole truth,
• 26:41
  Speaker 5: and nothing but the.
• 26:42
  Speaker 4: Truth, so help you God? I do. State your name, please.
• 26:45
  Speaker 5: Senior First Class Roy Madison, United States Navy.
• 26:47
  Speaker 4: Be seated.
• 26:55
  Speaker 11: Are you acquainted with the Tavern Cafe at 2301 Naylor Avenue?
• 26:59
  Speaker 5: Yes, I am. Were you there on the evening of
• 27:01
  Speaker 5: March 4th of this year?
• 27:03
  Speaker 9: Yes, I was there a few minutes before midnight.
• 27:04
  Speaker 8: Will you tell the court in your own words what
• 27:06
  Speaker 8: happened on the premises that night?
• 27:09
  Speaker 5: Well, it was just a couple of minutes before midnight.
• 27:11
  Speaker 15: People who ran the place, they said they were closing up,
• 27:13
  Speaker 15: so I had a nightcap. Shot dice for the drinks
• 27:15
  Speaker 15: of this guy next to me.
• 27:16
  Speaker 6: I won.
• 27:17
  Speaker 5: Who was this man?
• 27:18
  Speaker 4: I didn't know who he was.
• 27:19
  Speaker 5: After you had your drinks, did you leave the bar?
• 27:22
  Speaker 3: Yes, I did.
• 27:23
  Speaker 5: The other guy stayed there.
• 27:25
  Speaker 15: I went out to the sidewalk and stood there talking
• 27:26
  Speaker 15: with one of the gals I saw in the bar and.
• 27:28
  Speaker 9: Then heard a couple of shots fired.
• 27:30
  Speaker 15: Somebody inside the joint screamed or hollered or something. I
• 27:32
  Speaker 15: was just going for the door to get inside and
• 27:33
  Speaker 15: this man came rushing out. He hit me square on
• 27:36
  Speaker 15: and went down. I remember seeing him run down the street.
• 27:38
  Speaker 5: Same guy I was drinking with. Would you recognize this
• 27:40
  Speaker 5: man if you saw him again? Yes, sir, I would.
• 27:43
  Speaker 5: Is that man in this courtroom now?
• 27:45
  Speaker 4: Yes, sir.
• 27:47
  Speaker 8: Your Honor, please direct the defendant to stand alongside of Mr.
• 27:50
  Speaker 5: St.
• 27:50
  Speaker 11: Clair so that this witness may properly identify the man involved.
• 27:53
  Speaker 7: Mr.
• 27:54
  Speaker 5: Jaffee, will you stand up, please?
• 27:59
  Speaker 4: Stand to the right of Mr.
• 28:01
  Speaker 5: St.
• 28:01
  Speaker 4: Clair.
• 28:01
  Speaker 8: Will you step down from the stand, please, Mr. Madeline,
• 28:05
  Speaker 8: and place your hand on the shoulder of the man
• 28:07
  Speaker 8: who was in the bar with you the night of
• 28:08
  Speaker 8: March 4th?
• 28:09
  Speaker 7: Yes, sir.
• 28:18
  Speaker 11: This is the man, Jackie.
• 28:28
  Speaker 4: Fast work, sir. Really burned up. Guess he'd like to
• 28:31
  Speaker 4: kill me, huh? You're not the only one, son.
• 28:33
  Speaker 3: What?
• 28:34
  Speaker 4: Wait till they read him the verdict.
• 28:37
  Speaker 3: The story you have just heard was true. The names
• 28:47
  Speaker 3: were changed to protect the innocent.
• 28:49
  Speaker 2: On June 21st, the jury retired to deliberate the case.
• 28:52
  Speaker 2: In a moment, the results of that deliberation. And now,
• 28:55
  Speaker 2: here is our star, Jack Webb.
• 28:57
  Speaker 7: Thank you, George Fenneman. Friends, I'd like you to buy
• 29:00
  Speaker 7: a pack of Fatimas on my say-so. I'm convinced that
• 29:03
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• 29:06
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• 29:10
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• 29:13
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• 29:16
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• 29:19
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• 29:30
  Speaker 2: Lester Carl Jaffe was found guilty of murder in the
• 29:33
  Speaker 2: first degree. He was executed in the lethal gas chamber
• 29:36
  Speaker 2: at the state penitentiary, San Quentin, California.
• 29:39
  Speaker 3: Exchange Clubs sponsor Crime Prevention Week to remind you that
• 29:43
  Speaker 3: the fight against crime is your fight.
• 29:45
  Speaker 4: The year round.
• 29:56
  Speaker 2: You have just heard Dragnet, a series of authentic cases
• 29:59
  Speaker 2: from official files. Technical advice comes from the Office of
• 30:03
  Speaker 2: Chief of Police, W.H. Parker, Los Angeles Police Department. Heard
• 30:07
  Speaker 2: tonight were Barney Phillips, Vic Perrin, and Virginia Gregg. Script
• 30:11
  Speaker 2: by Jim Moser. Music by Walter Schumann. Hal Gibney speaking.
• 30:19
  Speaker 3: Fatima Cigarettes. Best of all king-size cigarettes has brought you
• 30:24
  Speaker 3: Dragnet transcribed from Los Angeles.
• 30:36
  Speaker 7: Next, it's David Harding and Counterspy on NBC.
• 30:44
  Speaker 1: Our time with Dragnet, episode 137, Big Court, comes to
• 30:47
  Speaker 1: a close. Good night.