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

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: A husband and wife confidence team is swindling local churches,
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: and bunco detail is assigned to the case. Sergeant Joe
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: Friday and Sergeant Ben Romero take up that investigation, tracing
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: the operation of a married pair working against church organizations.
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: Tonight it is Dragnet, Big Couple, episode 89, first heard
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: on NBC February 22, 1951. Jack Webb plays Sergeant Friday
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: with Barton Yarbrough as Sergeant Romero in the approximately half-hour
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: NBC program sponsored at the time by Fatima Cigarettes. From
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: the early radio years of Dragnet, this is a bunco
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: detail assignment for Friday and Romero. Ladies and gentlemen, here
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: is the original broadcast.
• 0:50
  Speaker 2: Ladies and gentlemen, Crime Prevention Week, now being observed nationally,
• 0:55
  Speaker 2: is designed for one purpose. to emphasize that crime is
• 0:59
  Speaker 2: your personal enemy. It costs money and lives. It weakens
• 1:02
  Speaker 2: the moral and physical strength of your community. Show your
• 1:06
  Speaker 2: respect for the law by cooperating with your police officer
• 1:08
  Speaker 2: 52 weeks a year. Join the fight to stamp out crime,
• 1:13
  Speaker 2: the ally of treason.
• 1:14
  Speaker 3: The story you.
• 1:18
  Speaker 4: Are about to.
• 1:21
  Speaker 5: Hear is true. Only the names have been changed to
• 1:26
  Speaker 5: protect the innocent.
• 1:27
  Speaker 3: Fatima Cigarettes.
• 1:29
  Speaker 6: Best of all long cigarettes.
• 1:31
  Speaker 3: Brings you Dragnet.
• 1:40
  Speaker 5: You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned to bunco detail. A
• 1:45
  Speaker 5: husband and wife confidence team has shifted operations to your city.
• 1:49
  Speaker 5: Their criminal record dates back 17 years. They're masters in the.
• 1:53
  Speaker 7: Art of swindling.
• 1:55
  Speaker 6: Your job?
• 1:56
  Speaker 3: Get them.
• 2:00
  Speaker 5: You'll be amazed when you compare Fatima with other long cigarettes.
• 2:05
  Speaker 5: You'll find they now cost the same. But in Fatima,
• 2:10
  Speaker 5: the difference is quality. You see, Fatima is the quality
• 2:14
  Speaker 5: king-size cigarette because it contains the finest domestic and Turkish
• 2:19
  Speaker 5: tobaccos superbly blended. And Fatima is extra mild, with a
• 2:24
  Speaker 5: much different, much better flavor and aroma than any other
• 2:28
  Speaker 5: long cigarette. So compare Fatima yourself. Fatima's now cost the
• 2:33
  Speaker 5: same as other long cigarettes, but your first pop will
• 2:38
  Speaker 5: tell you.
• 2:39
  Speaker 4: Ah, that's different.
• 2:40
  Speaker 5: Yes, in Fatima, the difference is quality. Ask your dealer
• 2:46
  Speaker 5: for Fatima, the quality king-size cigarette. Best of all, long cigarettes.
• 2:53
  Speaker 5: Start enjoying Fatima tomorrow.
• 2:55
  Speaker 3: Drag mess.
• 3:02
  Speaker 6: The documented drama of an actual crime. For the next
• 3:06
  Speaker 6: 30 minutes in cooperation with the Los Angeles Police Department.
• 3:09
  Speaker 6: You will travel step by step on the side of
• 3:11
  Speaker 6: the law through an actual case transcribed.
• 3:13
  Speaker 5: From official police files.
• 3:16
  Speaker 6: From beginning to end, from crime to punishment, Dragnet is
• 3:20
  Speaker 6: the story of your police force in action.
• 3:22
  Speaker 2: It was Monday, April 20th. It was windy in Los Angeles.
• 3:29
  Speaker 3: We were working a.
• 3:29
  Speaker 7: Day watch out of bunco detail. My partner's Ben Romero.
• 3:32
  Speaker 7: The boss is Captain McCauley. My name's Friday.
• 3:35
  Speaker 2: We were on the way out from the office and
• 3:37
  Speaker 2: it was 10.35 a.m. when we got to the Holy
• 3:39
  Speaker 2: Gospel Tabernacle.
• 3:41
  Speaker 7: The pastor's house.
• 3:47
  Speaker 3: Look at that palm tree. Yeah.
• 3:50
  Speaker 2: Windstorm sure didn't do it any good. It was really
• 3:52
  Speaker 2: blowing last night. It woke me up a couple of times. Yeah,
• 3:55
  Speaker 2: not me.
• 3:55
  Speaker 3: I slept like a baby.
• 4:02
  Speaker 2: What'd you say the name here was, Olsen?
• 4:04
  Speaker 8: Yeah.
• 4:05
  Speaker 2: Got it right here.
• 4:08
  Speaker 7: Reverend Andrew Olson.
• 4:10
  Speaker 2: Doesn't seem to be anybody at home. I'll try it again. Huh?
• 4:20
  Speaker 7: We said on the phone he'd either be here or
• 4:22
  Speaker 7: at the church.
• 4:23
  Speaker 2: Where's that? Just around the corner, faces on South Spring.
• 4:30
  Speaker 2: Not a very wealthy-looking neighborhood.
• 4:32
  Speaker 5: No.
• 4:35
  Speaker 2: It must be the church up there. Sure could stand
• 4:39
  Speaker 2: a coat of paint. Grounds are well kept, I think.
• 4:44
  Speaker 2: Nice flowerbed. Look at that. Giant pansies. Tried some in
• 4:48
  Speaker 2: the backyard last year. Too bad. What do you mean?
• 4:51
  Speaker 2: Giant snails. Sliced them right off at the roots.
• 5:00
  Speaker 7: Yes, that must be him up at the front, huh?
• 5:01
  Speaker 3: Better close the door, huh?
• 5:03
  Speaker 2: Oh, yeah. Uh, excuse me, sir?
• 5:17
  Speaker 3: Oh, didn't see you.
• 5:18
  Speaker 2: You the Reverend Olsen?
• 5:20
  Speaker 3: Yes, can I help you?
• 5:21
  Speaker 7: My name's Friday, Reverend. I talked to you on the phone?
• 5:23
  Speaker 3: Oh, yes, Sergeant.
• 5:24
  Speaker 7: And this is my partner, Sergeant Romero.
• 5:25
  Speaker 3: How'd he do?
• 5:26
  Speaker 7: Good night.
• 5:27
  Speaker 3: Sergeant Merrill?
• 5:28
  Speaker 2: No, that's Romero, Raven.
• 5:30
  Speaker 3: Oh, excuse me, Romero. Didn't expect you so soon. A
• 5:33
  Speaker 3: little busy here fixing the pulpit. It happened last Sunday.
• 5:37
  Speaker 3: What's that, really? I guess I got carried away with
• 5:39
  Speaker 3: my sermon. Quite a commotion.
• 5:41
  Speaker 5: Oh?
• 5:42
  Speaker 3: I leaned forward in the pulpit. This whole section here
• 5:44
  Speaker 3: just splintered and broke right off. Ruined my whole sermon. Well,
• 5:49
  Speaker 3: I can finish this up later. Have a chair there, officers.
• 5:51
  Speaker 2: All right. Thank you very much. Well... There it is, Sergeant.
• 6:02
  Speaker 3: Their names, descriptions.
• 6:04
  Speaker 7: Mr.
• 6:04
  Speaker 2: And Mrs.
• 6:05
  Speaker 3: Tom Herbert. That's the name they used anyway.
• 6:07
  Speaker 2: Would you mind briefing us on how it happened, Reverend?
• 6:09
  Speaker 7: When did you first meet this couple?
• 6:11
  Speaker 3: He came to us a little over a month ago.
• 6:13
  Speaker 3: Didn't have any reason to be suspicious.
• 6:16
  Speaker 2: Mr.
• 6:16
  Speaker 3: Herbert showed me some fine references. I didn't think it
• 6:18
  Speaker 3: was necessary to check them.
• 6:20
  Speaker 2: What kind of approach did they use, could you tell us?
• 6:22
  Speaker 2: On the first visit, Mrs.
• 6:23
  Speaker 3: Herbert did most of the talking. She told me she
• 6:26
  Speaker 3: and her husband wanted to write a history of our church...
• 6:29
  Speaker 3: It was supposed to be part of an historical book
• 6:31
  Speaker 3: on all the churches in the county. Naturally, I felt
• 6:34
  Speaker 3: a little flattered about it. Did this Mr. and Ms.
• 6:36
  Speaker 7: Herbert make any demands for money to write about your church?
• 6:39
  Speaker 3: Oh, no, no. There was no money involved at first.
• 6:43
  Speaker 3: They said all they wanted was our cooperation in doing
• 6:45
  Speaker 3: some of the research work. You know, looking up dates, names,
• 6:49
  Speaker 3: things like that.
• 6:50
  Speaker 2: I see.
• 6:50
  Speaker 3: They seemed very sincere, both of them. Didn't drink, smoke.
• 6:55
  Speaker 3: They worked very hard during the search and writing. I
• 6:58
  Speaker 3: don't know why they had to change. It would have
• 7:00
  Speaker 3: been nice having history written about our church.
• 7:02
  Speaker 2: Yes, sir. When did they first bring up the idea
• 7:05
  Speaker 2: of money?
• 7:06
  Speaker 3: Well, Mr. Herbert came to me one day and showed
• 7:08
  Speaker 3: me this letter. It was supposed to be from the
• 7:10
  Speaker 3: people who were going to publish the history of our church.
• 7:13
  Speaker 3: The letter said, well, because of certain business reasons, the
• 7:16
  Speaker 3: whole thing was off. They couldn't publish the book.
• 7:19
  Speaker 2: Mr.
• 7:19
  Speaker 3: Herbert acted very sorry.
• 7:21
  Speaker 7: Did he leave that letter with you, Reverend?
• 7:23
  Speaker 3: No, he took it with him.
• 7:24
  Speaker 5: Oh.
• 7:25
  Speaker 3: I felt badly about the whole thing, doing all that
• 7:27
  Speaker 3: work and then the book not being published. Mm-hmm.
• 7:30
  Speaker 8: Well, did the Herberts broach the idea of you and
• 7:32
  Speaker 8: the church putting up the money to print the book?
• 7:34
  Speaker 3: Well, no, not exactly, but I guess they gave me
• 7:37
  Speaker 3: the idea.
• 7:37
  Speaker 2: How do you mean?
• 7:39
  Speaker 3: They suggested that I talk it over with the church board,
• 7:41
  Speaker 3: so I did. We all agreed it would be a
• 7:44
  Speaker 3: shame to give up the idea of the book after
• 7:46
  Speaker 3: so much work had gone into it.
• 7:47
  Speaker 7: Is that when you agreed to finance the book?
• 7:50
  Speaker 3: Well, the board and I did, yes.
• 7:52
  Speaker 2: It's all my fault, though. I helped persuade them. And
• 7:55
  Speaker 2: the money came out of church funds, is that it?
• 7:57
  Speaker 3: As a matter of fact, it didn't. We only have
• 7:59
  Speaker 3: a small operating fund, so you can see we're a
• 8:02
  Speaker 3: small church. Congregation isn't wealthy.
• 8:05
  Speaker 2: And where'd the money come from, sir?
• 8:07
  Speaker 3: Well, for one thing, the ladies of the altar society
• 8:09
  Speaker 3: put on a Sunday afternoon ham dinner. It made some money,
• 8:12
  Speaker 3: and then the Herbits suggested we help sell advertising to
• 8:15
  Speaker 3: pay part of the cost, so we did.
• 8:17
  Speaker 2: That, too.
• 8:18
  Speaker 3: It still wasn't enough.
• 8:19
  Speaker 7: Well, exactly how much did you turn over to.
• 8:21
  Speaker 3: Them, Erwin?
• 8:22
  Speaker 2: $ 804. 61.
• 8:22
  Speaker 3: I had to borrow $ 350 from the bank to make it.
• 8:28
  Speaker 3: It'll all have to be paid back. People who paid
• 8:30
  Speaker 3: for their advertising, too. It'll all have to come out
• 8:33
  Speaker 3: of our pocket. It's a terrible thing. Yes, it is. Terrible.
• 8:37
  Speaker 3: I don't know what I'm going to do. I hate
• 8:40
  Speaker 3: to ask the congregation for it. Their offering has always
• 8:42
  Speaker 3: been so generous and... They're not wealthy. They're just working people.
• 8:46
  Speaker 8: When was the last time that you heard from this Mr.
• 8:48
  Speaker 3: And Mrs.
• 8:48
  Speaker 2: Herbert?
• 8:49
  Speaker 7: A week ago, I guess.
• 8:51
  Speaker 3: Yes, it was last Monday. I got anxious and called
• 8:54
  Speaker 3: them at the hotel on South Grand. I can give
• 8:57
  Speaker 3: you the address. They told me when the books would
• 8:59
  Speaker 3: be ready. They said it would be on Tuesday. That's
• 9:03
  Speaker 3: the last I heard of them.
• 9:04
  Speaker 7: No forwarding address? No other place that you think we
• 9:06
  Speaker 7: might find them?
• 9:07
  Speaker 3: No, I'm sorry. I just don't have any idea. It's
• 9:12
  Speaker 3: so hard to believe anyone would do such a thing
• 9:13
  Speaker 3: to us. Yes, sir.
• 9:14
  Speaker 2: I wonder if we could have the address of the hotel.
• 9:17
  Speaker 3: Yes, all right. If you'll come with me, I'll have
• 9:19
  Speaker 3: it over at the house.
• 9:20
  Speaker 2: Did Mr. and Mrs. Herbert have a car? Do you know, Reverend?
• 9:23
  Speaker 3: I don't think so. If they did, I never saw it.
• 9:25
  Speaker 3: I know what I'm going to tell the congregation. Eight
• 9:29
  Speaker 3: hundred dollars, that's a lot of money for our people.
• 9:31
  Speaker 2: Yes, sir.
• 9:33
  Speaker 3: Tell me, Sergeant. I don't mean to be uncharitable, but Mr.
• 9:37
  Speaker 2: And Mrs. Herbert....
• 9:39
  Speaker 3: Do they have a criminal record? Have they done this
• 9:42
  Speaker 3: sort of thing before?
• 9:43
  Speaker 2: Well, their descriptions seem to fit a couple that we've
• 9:45
  Speaker 2: been looking for. They've been working the churches in this
• 9:47
  Speaker 2: area on and off for a couple of years now.
• 9:48
  Speaker 3: I can't understand why they do such a thing. It's
• 9:52
  Speaker 3: almost like robbing a poor box.
• 9:53
  Speaker 8: Yes, and they've done that too. 11.15 a.m.
• 9:58
  Speaker 2: We went back to the city hall and pulled the
• 10:00
  Speaker 2: package on the suspects, Mr. and Mrs.
• 10:01
  Speaker 3: Tom Herbert.
• 10:03
  Speaker 2: They were a veteran man and wife confidence team who'd
• 10:05
  Speaker 2: worked the Los Angeles area and other large cities around
• 10:08
  Speaker 2: the country. Their specialty seemed to be swindling churches and clergymen.
• 10:13
  Speaker 2: Over a period of 17 years, they'd piled up a
• 10:15
  Speaker 2: long record involving frauds and various bunco games. but they'd
• 10:18
  Speaker 2: only been brought to trial once. The case had been
• 10:21
  Speaker 2: dismissed for lack of sufficient evidence. 11.35 a.m., we took
• 10:26
  Speaker 2: mug shots of Mr. and Mrs. Herbert out to the
• 10:28
  Speaker 2: Reverend Olsen, and he identified them. We checked the hotel
• 10:31
  Speaker 2: on South Grand where they'd been staying. No leads. We
• 10:35
  Speaker 2: got out a local broadcast and an APV on them.
• 10:38
  Speaker 2: Together with the sheriff's office, we sent a special bulletin
• 10:40
  Speaker 2: about the Herberts to the pastors of the different churches
• 10:43
  Speaker 2: in the city and counties. From the list of names
• 10:45
  Speaker 2: on the mama sheet, they began checking out all the
• 10:48
  Speaker 2: known friends and.
• 10:49
  Speaker 7: Relatives of the suspects.
• 10:50
  Speaker 2: One of them was a Clyde Harris, proprietor of a
• 10:53
  Speaker 2: physical culture school out in the Wilshire district.
• 10:55
  Speaker 7: 1 p.m. Tuesday, they drove out to talk to.
• 11:03
  Speaker 2: Him. Which way, Joe?
• 11:08
  Speaker 7: Right down the street, the blue and white sign.
• 11:10
  Speaker 2: Oh, yeah. Mm-hmm. Venus School of Physical Culture. I can
• 11:17
  Speaker 2: make you an all-American girl. Clyde Harris, manager. Looks like
• 11:22
  Speaker 2: the office. Here. No, we're supposed to meet him in
• 11:23
  Speaker 2: the gym. That's next door.
• 11:25
  Speaker 3: Oh.
• 11:28
  Speaker 2: Yeah. Here. No, go ahead.
• 11:31
  Speaker 3: No, yeah.
• 11:35
  Speaker 2: Back this way, I guess.
• 11:39
  Speaker 3: All right, now. One to one, please.
• 11:42
  Speaker 4: All together, with me. One, two, three, four, extend, bend, hold, down, extend, bend, hold, down.
• 11:54
  Speaker 3: With me, please.
• 11:56
  Speaker 4: Hold it a minute.
• 12:12
  Speaker 2: No, I'm sorry, Mrs. Collison. You're doing it wrong. Your
• 12:14
  Speaker 2: pelvis is all out of position.
• 12:16
  Speaker 3: Excuse me.
• 12:16
  Speaker 2: Are you quiet here? Yes.
• 12:18
  Speaker 3: Did you want something?
• 12:19
  Speaker 2: Please, doctor, sit here. It's like talking. Oh, yeah. Could
• 12:22
  Speaker 2: you hold on half a minute? Sure.
• 12:23
  Speaker 3: Go right ahead.
• 12:24
  Speaker 2: Francis, Francis, would you take over here for a few minutes?
• 12:26
  Speaker 2: I have to talk to these gentlemen. Ladies, Francis is
• 12:29
  Speaker 2: going to count for you for a while. You go
• 12:30
  Speaker 2: right ahead with the lesson. I'll be back in a
• 12:32
  Speaker 2: few minutes. Back here, officer. It won't take too long,
• 12:39
  Speaker 2: will it? No, sir, just a few minutes. Sorry to
• 12:41
  Speaker 2: interrupt your lesson.
• 12:42
  Speaker 3: It's all right.
• 12:42
  Speaker 8: I just don't want to have the ladies thinking I'm
• 12:45
  Speaker 8: neglecting them.
• 12:45
  Speaker 2: They pay good money for these exercises. Yeah. Here you are.
• 12:50
  Speaker 2: Have a chair. Thank you.
• 12:53
  Speaker 8: You said something about Tom Herbert on the phone, Sergeant.
• 12:56
  Speaker 2: What's it all about? We understand that you're a friend
• 12:58
  Speaker 2: of the Herberts, Mr.
• 12:59
  Speaker 3: Harris.
• 12:59
  Speaker 8: Yeah, I knew Tom and Doris a couple of years back.
• 13:02
  Speaker 8: Haven't seen much of them lately.
• 13:03
  Speaker 2: When was the last time you saw them? It must
• 13:05
  Speaker 2: be two, three months anyway. Anything wrong? Well, do you
• 13:08
  Speaker 2: know where we could locate them? I don't know for sure.
• 13:10
  Speaker 3: Last time I saw them, they were at a hotel
• 13:13
  Speaker 3: downtown in South Grand, I think.
• 13:15
  Speaker 2: You know, South Grand, right near people. You have no
• 13:17
  Speaker 2: idea where they moved when they left there? No, I
• 13:19
  Speaker 2: didn't even know they'd moved. They haven't phoned or contacted
• 13:21
  Speaker 2: you at all in the last month or so?
• 13:23
  Speaker 8: No, not a word.
• 13:24
  Speaker 2: They're not in a jam again, are they? We'd like
• 13:26
  Speaker 2: to talk to them, that's all. Would you know of
• 13:27
  Speaker 2: any of their favorite spots around town, eating, drinking places? No,
• 13:31
  Speaker 2: I don't think I could say. They got around quite
• 13:32
  Speaker 2: a bit.
• 13:33
  Speaker 8: You checked with some of their other friends around town?
• 13:36
  Speaker 2: Patton, Thompson, Mike Runyon? What was that last one? Mike Runyon.
• 13:39
  Speaker 2: Very good friend of the Hurleys. Ben? No, I don't
• 13:42
  Speaker 2: recall the name. Well, how could we get in touch
• 13:44
  Speaker 2: with this Runyon, Mr. Harris? He's got a phone.
• 13:46
  Speaker 3: Come on in the office.
• 13:47
  Speaker 2: We'll call him if you like. Yeah, thank you very much.
• 13:56
  Speaker 3: I'll get Mike on the line for you, introduce you.
• 13:58
  Speaker 2: Would you mind talking to him, Harris? Don't tell him
• 14:01
  Speaker 2: it's for us. Just ask if he knows where the
• 14:02
  Speaker 2: Herberts are, would you, Mike? Yeah, all right. No answer. Hello, Mike?
• 14:12
  Speaker 2: Clyde Harris, Mike. Yeah, how are you?
• 14:14
  Speaker 8: Fine.
• 14:15
  Speaker 2: Fine? Yeah, long time. Say, Mike, do you have any
• 14:18
  Speaker 2: idea where Tom and Doris Herbert are?
• 14:21
  Speaker 9: Mm-hmm.
• 14:23
  Speaker 2: All right. How about that, huh? You don't? No, that's okay.
• 14:28
  Speaker 2: It's not important. Sure thing, Mike. Make it soon, huh? Right. Mike. Yeah?
• 14:35
  Speaker 8: No, he doesn't know where the Herbert's are staying. Saw
• 14:36
  Speaker 8: him a week ago out in Hollywood, though. Says they're
• 14:38
  Speaker 8: doing fine.
• 14:39
  Speaker 3: How do you mean?
• 14:40
  Speaker 8: Ran into him outside that big church on Hollywood Boulevard.
• 14:43
  Speaker 8: They told Mike all about it. They really got religion.
• 14:45
  Speaker 8: Is that so?
• 14:46
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 14:46
  Speaker 7: They're even writing a.
• 14:47
  Speaker 2: Book about the church. We called back Mike Runyon, a
• 14:51
  Speaker 2: friend of the suspect, and he gave us the location
• 14:53
  Speaker 2: of the church where.
• 14:54
  Speaker 3: He'd seen Mr.
• 14:55
  Speaker 2: And Mrs.
• 14:55
  Speaker 3: Herbert's.
• 14:56
  Speaker 2: Ben and I drove out there and talked to the pastor,
• 14:58
  Speaker 2: Reverend John Kenworth. We showed him the Herbert's mug shots
• 15:02
  Speaker 2: and he identified them. They were going under the name
• 15:04
  Speaker 2: of Williams and supposedly they were writing a book about
• 15:06
  Speaker 2: the history of the church. To cover publishing expenses and research,
• 15:11
  Speaker 2: more than $ 1, 000 from Perry's contributions had been placed in
• 15:14
  Speaker 2: a separate account at a local bank. Reverend Kenworth told
• 15:17
  Speaker 2: us that it was a special joint account and the
• 15:19
  Speaker 2: Herberts had access to it. Ben got on the phone
• 15:21
  Speaker 2: and called the bank. How's that? Yes, yes, sir. Uh-huh. Yeah,
• 15:28
  Speaker 2: all right.
• 15:29
  Speaker 3: Thank you.
• 15:31
  Speaker 2: What'd they say? The two of them were in the
• 15:32
  Speaker 2: bank yesterday. They didn't draw out everything. How much did
• 15:35
  Speaker 2: they leave? Three dollars. Ben and I checked with the
• 15:41
  Speaker 2: teller at the bank and showed him mug shots of Mr.
• 15:43
  Speaker 4: And Ms.
• 15:43
  Speaker 3: Herbert.
• 15:44
  Speaker 8: He identified them as the couple who'd withdrawn the church fund.
• 15:47
  Speaker 8: We went to the hotel address the suspects had given
• 15:49
  Speaker 8: to Reverend Kenworth.
• 15:51
  Speaker 2: They'd checked out two days before. The search went on.
• 15:55
  Speaker 7: Two weeks passed.
• 15:56
  Speaker 2: We ran out of leads. No further reports on the couple.
• 15:59
  Speaker 2: A month went by. Tuesday, May 23rd. We got an
• 16:03
  Speaker 2: APB from San Francisco on a couple answering to Herbert's description.
• 16:07
  Speaker 2: They were still working at Church Angle. During the next
• 16:10
  Speaker 2: six weeks, we got reports on them from Washington, Oregon, Nevada,
• 16:14
  Speaker 2: and Northern California. In Sacramento, they apparently changed their M.O.
• 16:18
  Speaker 7: For the first time.
• 16:19
  Speaker 2: They started selling phony health insurance policies. They promised everything,
• 16:23
  Speaker 2: and they had a lot of takers. One of the
• 16:25
  Speaker 2: big selling points was a clause which promised full protection
• 16:28
  Speaker 2: if anybody in the family could come down with polio.
• 16:30
  Speaker 2: From Sacramento, they headed south to Oakland, and then to Fresno.
• 16:35
  Speaker 2: On July 10th, the complaints started to come in, and
• 16:37
  Speaker 2: we knew the Herberts had moved into Los Angeles with
• 16:39
  Speaker 2: their health insurance racket. One of the first victims was
• 16:42
  Speaker 2: a Carl Fogerty.
• 16:44
  Speaker 7: He lived out in the Westlake area.
• 16:46
  Speaker 2: There's a policy they gave me, sir. Apex Health Insurance.
• 16:50
  Speaker 3: Not worth the paper it's printed on.
• 16:52
  Speaker 2: When did they sell you this, Mr. Fogarty? You remember?
• 16:55
  Speaker 2: Three weeks ago, I guess.
• 16:57
  Speaker 8: Never would have known it was phony if my boy
• 16:58
  Speaker 8: hadn't come down with polio.
• 17:00
  Speaker 2: How's he getting along?
• 17:01
  Speaker 3: Not too good.
• 17:02
  Speaker 8: Right leg.
• 17:03
  Speaker 7: He's got it bad there.
• 17:05
  Speaker 8: Not as if we don't have enough grief we've got
• 17:07
  Speaker 8: to lose out.
• 17:07
  Speaker 2: On this bone insurance. You mind if I take a
• 17:09
  Speaker 2: look at that policy, sir? No. Go ahead. Here you are. Hmm. Yeah,
• 17:16
  Speaker 2: same outfit, Joe. Apex health insurance. Same phony address. Yeah.
• 17:21
  Speaker 2: Would you remember the man who sold you this, do
• 17:24
  Speaker 2: you think? I think I would, yeah. I wonder if
• 17:27
  Speaker 2: you'd mind looking through these pictures, Mr.
• 17:29
  Speaker 3: Solderty?
• 17:30
  Speaker 2: Mm-hmm. Not at all.
• 17:33
  Speaker 7: Look at them carefully, if you will.
• 17:35
  Speaker 2: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah. This one. That's him. I remember. Who's he?
• 17:44
  Speaker 2: His name's Herbert. When he came in to tell you
• 17:46
  Speaker 2: this policy, was he alone?
• 17:48
  Speaker 8: Yeah, he was. Had a real good sales talk.
• 17:51
  Speaker 2: How much did you pay for these, sir? Let me see.
• 17:56
  Speaker 2: $ 43 and some odd cents.
• 17:58
  Speaker 8: I remember that because I cashed him a war bond
• 18:00
  Speaker 8: and I took $ 5 out of the rent money. Outside
• 18:02
  Speaker 8: of this policy, you have no other papers that the
• 18:04
  Speaker 8: man might have given you? No, nothing but this business
• 18:07
  Speaker 8: card here.
• 18:08
  Speaker 2: He gave me that. See here, the same name, Apex
• 18:12
  Speaker 2: Health Insurance. Yeah. Well, thank you very much, Mr.
• 18:16
  Speaker 3: Fogarty.
• 18:16
  Speaker 2: We hope your little.
• 18:17
  Speaker 7: Boy goes out of it all right.
• 18:19
  Speaker 3: Thanks.
• 18:20
  Speaker 2: Here's our card. If there's anything we can do, give
• 18:23
  Speaker 2: us a call. Sure.
• 18:24
  Speaker 3: Okay.
• 18:25
  Speaker 2: About time we checked the office, huh? I think so.
• 18:27
  Speaker 2: Do you have a phone here, Mr.
• 18:28
  Speaker 3: Fogarty? Oh, yes.
• 18:30
  Speaker 2: Straight back in the hall there. Help yourself.
• 18:32
  Speaker 3: Thank you very much.
• 18:45
  Speaker 2: 2-5-7-2.
• 18:45
  Speaker 3: Yeah, that's right.
• 18:49
  Speaker 2: Yeah, Fred. Joe Friday. Anything for us in the book? Mm-hmm.
• 18:54
  Speaker 2: West 7th.
• 18:55
  Speaker 3: Yeah, okay.
• 18:56
  Speaker 5: Right.
• 18:57
  Speaker 8: Thanks, Fred.
• 19:01
  Speaker 2: Anything doing? No, it's pretty good. Office got a call
• 19:04
  Speaker 2: from a printing shop out on West 7th. The manager's
• 19:06
  Speaker 2: got an order he's not too sure about.
• 19:07
  Speaker 3: How do you mean?
• 19:08
  Speaker 7: It's for a batch of letterhead stationery business cards.
• 19:11
  Speaker 2: Yeah? For who? Apex Health Insurance.
• 19:23
  Speaker 5: You are listening to Dragnet for the step-by-step solution to
• 19:28
  Speaker 5: tonight's authentic case history. Here, step by step, are the
• 19:33
  Speaker 5: actual reasons why Fatima is the quality king-size cigarette. Why
• 19:38
  Speaker 5: in Fatima the difference is quality. Quality of tobacco. The
• 19:43
  Speaker 5: finest domestic and Turkish varieties, extra mild and superbly blended
• 19:49
  Speaker 5: to give you a much better taste. different, much better
• 19:52
  Speaker 5: flavor and aroma. Quality of manufacture. Smooth, round, perfect cigarettes.
• 19:59
  Speaker 5: Rolled in the finest paper money can buy. Manufactured in
• 20:02
  Speaker 5: the newest and most modern.
• 20:04
  Speaker 3: Of all cigarette factories.
• 20:05
  Speaker 5: Quality even to the appearance of the bright, clean, golden
• 20:09
  Speaker 5: yellow package. Carefully wrapped and sealed to bring you Fatima's rich, fresh,
• 20:15
  Speaker 5: extra mild flavor. Compare Fatima yourself. Fatima's now cost the
• 20:21
  Speaker 5: same as other long cigarettes, but your first puff will
• 20:25
  Speaker 5: tell you.
• 20:26
  Speaker 4: Ah, that's different.
• 20:28
  Speaker 5: Yes, in Fatima, the difference is quality.
• 20:32
  Speaker 2: Insist on Fatima.
• 20:33
  Speaker 5: Start enjoying the quality king-size cigarette.
• 20:38
  Speaker 3: Fatima. Best of all long cigarettes.
• 20:49
  Speaker 2: Wednesday, July 10th, 4 p.m. Ben and I drove back
• 20:52
  Speaker 2: downtown to the printing shop on West 7th Street and talked.
• 20:54
  Speaker 7: With the manager.
• 20:56
  Speaker 2: He told us that the order for stationery and business
• 20:58
  Speaker 2: cards for the Apex Health Insurance Company had been placed
• 21:00
  Speaker 2: two days before. He said he'd become suspicious after reading
• 21:03
  Speaker 2: a story in one of the newspapers about the polio
• 21:05
  Speaker 2: insurance fraud. He also said that the customer who'd ordered
• 21:09
  Speaker 2: the stuff was a woman. She told him that she
• 21:11
  Speaker 2: would call and pick up the order on Friday. We
• 21:13
  Speaker 2: showed the manager a handful of mug shots. He could
• 21:15
  Speaker 2: give us only a partial identification of Mrs.
• 21:17
  Speaker 7: Herbert's picture.
• 21:19
  Speaker 2: We called the office, told them we were going on stakeout,
• 21:21
  Speaker 2: and arranged for a release. Ben and I spent the
• 21:24
  Speaker 2: rest of Wednesday and all day Thursday and Friday in
• 21:26
  Speaker 2: the rear of the print shop, where we could keep
• 21:28
  Speaker 2: an eye on everyone entering the place. Friday, 6 p.m.
• 21:32
  Speaker 7: No sign of the Herberts.
• 21:33
  Speaker 3: Not a trace.
• 21:34
  Speaker 2: Saturday, the same.
• 21:36
  Speaker 7: No sign of either one of them. Monday, more waiting.
• 21:39
  Speaker 2: The suspect stayed away.
• 21:41
  Speaker 3: Tuesday, 3.30 p.m.
• 21:43
  Speaker 2: I went out the rear door, went down the street
• 21:45
  Speaker 2: and got some cigarettes, and then I headed back for
• 21:47
  Speaker 2: the print shop. Ben? Keep your coat on, Joe. Just
• 21:56
  Speaker 2: called the office for a relief. Why, what's he doing?
• 21:58
  Speaker 2: That Clyde Harris, friend of the Herberts, the guy who
• 22:00
  Speaker 2: runs the physical coaching school. Yeah, what about him? He
• 22:03
  Speaker 2: called the office, wanted to talk to us. I phoned
• 22:05
  Speaker 2: him out there at the gym. Yeah? He told me
• 22:08
  Speaker 2: he was out drinking last night and he met Mrs.
• 22:10
  Speaker 2: Herbert at a bar. She was alone. Did he tell
• 22:11
  Speaker 2: you where to find her?
• 22:12
  Speaker 3: The Greenwood apartment, 603.
• 22:18
  Speaker 7: When the relief men arrived, Ben and I left and
• 22:20
  Speaker 7: drove across town.
• 22:21
  Speaker 2: To the Greenwood Apartments on Taylor Street, where the three-story
• 22:24
  Speaker 2: frame building set back from the sidewalk behind a sloping
• 22:27
  Speaker 2: lawn lined with a box head.
• 22:29
  Speaker 7: We checked the names on the mailboxes.
• 22:31
  Speaker 3: The name T.J.
• 22:32
  Speaker 8: Bronson was listed for apartment 603.
• 22:35
  Speaker 2: We rang, but there was no answer. Better try to manage, huh? Yeah.
• 22:41
  Speaker 3: Nice place.
• 22:42
  Speaker 8: Insurance racket must be paying off for them.
• 22:45
  Speaker 2: Here we go. Mm-hmm. Yeah? Can I help you? Besser,
• 22:56
  Speaker 2: you're the manager here? That's right. That's just my name.
• 22:59
  Speaker 2: Can I help you? Police officers, Mr.
• 23:01
  Speaker 3: Thatcher.
• 23:01
  Speaker 2: We're trying to locate the people in 603.
• 23:04
  Speaker 9: Oh, that crazy woman tried to blow up the place
• 23:06
  Speaker 9: last night.
• 23:07
  Speaker 2: Why? What do you mean? Mrs.
• 23:08
  Speaker 9: Bronson, she came in drunk about 2 a.m. No sense
• 23:11
  Speaker 9: at all. About 3 a.m., the folks in 601 called
• 23:15
  Speaker 9: me and they said they smelled gas. I went up
• 23:18
  Speaker 9: there and found her in the kitchenette. Not like a
• 23:20
  Speaker 9: light gas that'll.
• 23:21
  Speaker 2: Turn down going full blast. Crazy.
• 23:24
  Speaker 3: Where's her husband?
• 23:25
  Speaker 2: Couldn't say. Chasing around again, I think. Hasn't been home
• 23:28
  Speaker 2: in a week. Lucky I got to that gas before.
• 23:31
  Speaker 3: Somebody lit a match.
• 23:32
  Speaker 2: You say it happened about three this morning? That's right.
• 23:34
  Speaker 2: Crazy woman. She'll be all right, Joe. Where is she now?
• 23:37
  Speaker 8: Do you know?
• 23:38
  Speaker 2: Yeah, County Hospital. 4.25 p.m., Ben and I got in
• 23:45
  Speaker 2: touch with the office and arranged for a stakeout at
• 23:47
  Speaker 2: the Herbert's apartment. We called Homicide and checked on the
• 23:50
  Speaker 2: attempt suicide report. They informed us that the woman had
• 23:53
  Speaker 2: been taken to the Psycho Ward County Hospital. We went
• 23:56
  Speaker 2: over to the hospital, checked at the main desk, and
• 23:58
  Speaker 2: identified ourselves. The nurse on duty had us shown to
• 24:01
  Speaker 2: the ward where the suspect, Doris Herbert, was consigned. She
• 24:04
  Speaker 2: was a halfway attractive woman in her late 40s. Short,
• 24:07
  Speaker 2: bleached blonde hair, dark eyes with deep circles under them.
• 24:11
  Speaker 2: She turned and looked up as we stopped beside her bed.
• 24:13
  Speaker 2: Excuse me, are you Doris Herbert? Huh? Is your name
• 24:16
  Speaker 2: Doris Herbert?
• 24:17
  Speaker 10: Who do you want?
• 24:18
  Speaker 7: Police officers would like to talk to you for a minute.
• 24:20
  Speaker 10: Oh, I knew you'd be around. I don't care.
• 24:23
  Speaker 2: Ma'am?
• 24:23
  Speaker 10: I'm sick of it. I'm sick of the whole rotten thing.
• 24:25
  Speaker 10: I knew you'd come.
• 24:26
  Speaker 7: We just have a few questions, ma'am. It won't take long.
• 24:28
  Speaker 10: Go ahead. I don't care. Did you find him yet?
• 24:31
  Speaker 7: You mean your husband?
• 24:32
  Speaker 10: He's not my husband. Not anymore. Him and that cheap
• 24:35
  Speaker 10: girl behind my back sneaking around. 20 years. He's been
• 24:39
  Speaker 10: happy and he throws me away.
• 24:40
  Speaker 3: Where's your husband now, Miss Herman?
• 24:42
  Speaker 10: With her. He's been with her a week. He doesn't
• 24:44
  Speaker 10: even care I'm here.
• 24:45
  Speaker 2: 20 years ago, he cared.
• 24:47
  Speaker 10: I found him and taught him something. I taught him
• 24:51
  Speaker 10: everything he knows.
• 24:52
  Speaker 2: This girl that your husband's with, where does she stay?
• 24:54
  Speaker 7: Do you know?
• 24:55
  Speaker 10: Yeah, an apartment. It's on Franklin. Right on the corner
• 24:57
  Speaker 10: of Franklin and Laurel. You were close, weren't you? You
• 25:01
  Speaker 10: knew it was us.
• 25:02
  Speaker 2: What's this girl's name? Marie Daly.
• 25:04
  Speaker 10: I saw her with him.
• 25:06
  Speaker 2: Tell me.
• 25:08
  Speaker 10: Something.
• 25:08
  Speaker 2: Yeah?
• 25:09
  Speaker 10: You know it was us, Tom, who made the insurance?
• 25:12
  Speaker 2: Yeah, we knew it was you.
• 25:12
  Speaker 10: I didn't like it. It wasn't a clean deal. Tom's idea.
• 25:17
  Speaker 10: He made money, but I didn't like it. It wasn't clean.
• 25:21
  Speaker 7: All right, Miss Herbert, we'll talk to you later.
• 25:23
  Speaker 10: No, not me. I'm going to die. I'm going to
• 25:25
  Speaker 10: die and forget all about it. You just be sure
• 25:27
  Speaker 10: and get him, won't you?
• 25:29
  Speaker 2: Tom.
• 25:30
  Speaker 10: I'm going to tell him everything he knows. Get him.
• 25:33
  Speaker 2: You're sure about the address?
• 25:34
  Speaker 10: Yeah, I'm sure. Tell me something.
• 25:38
  Speaker 4: Hmm?
• 25:38
  Speaker 10: Why do you have to do it to me? Throwing
• 25:42
  Speaker 10: me away, lying, taking that cheap girl. Why do you
• 25:44
  Speaker 10: do it to me?
• 25:45
  Speaker 7: Well, you ought to have an idea.
• 25:46
  Speaker 5: Huh?
• 25:47
  Speaker 7: You taught him everything he knows.
• 25:52
  Speaker 2: Before we left the hospital, we made arrangements to have
• 25:54
  Speaker 2: Doris Herbert transferred to the prison ward. 5 p.m., we
• 25:58
  Speaker 2: drove out to the.
• 25:58
  Speaker 7: Apartment house at Franklin and Laurel and checked with the landlady.
• 26:01
  Speaker 2: She told us that Tom Herbert's girlfriend, Marie Daly, had
• 26:04
  Speaker 2: checked out of her apartment the day before because the
• 26:07
  Speaker 2: Daly girl had.
• 26:08
  Speaker 7: A middle-aged man with her.
• 26:09
  Speaker 2: We showed the landlady Herbert's mugshot and she identified him
• 26:12
  Speaker 2: as that man. She had no forwarding address on her,
• 26:15
  Speaker 2: but she did remember the name of the express truck
• 26:17
  Speaker 2: that called to pick up the Daily Girl's baggage. We
• 26:20
  Speaker 2: checked with the express company and found that the trunks
• 26:22
  Speaker 2: had been taken to the Lockheed Air terminal. We started
• 26:25
  Speaker 2: calling the airlines.
• 26:26
  Speaker 7: 6.30 p.m.
• 26:28
  Speaker 2: We finally got a report that a man answering Tom
• 26:30
  Speaker 2: Herbert's description had booked passage for two on a flight
• 26:33
  Speaker 2: to Mexico City. The plane was scheduled to leave at 8.35
• 26:35
  Speaker 2: that night. Ben and I drove out to the airport
• 26:38
  Speaker 2: and went on stakeout. 8.15 p.m.
• 26:41
  Speaker 3: We waited. 8.20.
• 26:43
  Speaker 7: No sign of them.
• 26:45
  Speaker 3: United Airlines mainliner flight 649 from.
• 26:48
  Speaker 4: Denver and intermediate cities. Getting a little late, huh?
• 26:52
  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's 8.24. They're cutting it close. Go in the bar, Joe.
• 27:00
  Speaker 2: Take a look. Yeah, let's, Sam. Let's go. Not hard
• 27:05
  Speaker 2: to spot.
• 27:06
  Speaker 3: What's the matter with the girl? Looks pretty drunk.
• 27:10
  Speaker 2: All right, come on. Revenue and water, huh, Marie? Is
• 27:13
  Speaker 2: that what you want?
• 27:14
  Speaker 10: Revenue and water, yeah.
• 27:14
  Speaker 2: Haven't got much time. We don't want to miss that plane.
• 27:17
  Speaker 10: We won't miss it.
• 27:18
  Speaker 2: You tell him, Herbert. Yes, what is it? Police officers
• 27:21
  Speaker 2: would like to talk to you downtown.
• 27:22
  Speaker 3: Just a minute. This must be some kind of mistake.
• 27:24
  Speaker 2: No mistake, Herbert. We talked to your wife.
• 27:26
  Speaker 3: Let's go.
• 27:27
  Speaker 2: Where's your time?
• 27:27
  Speaker 10: What do they want?
• 27:28
  Speaker 2: Nothing. It's a mistake. Now, look, officers, I don't know
• 27:31
  Speaker 2: what this is all about, but we have to get
• 27:32
  Speaker 2: a plane. The 835. I can't go downtown, will you?
• 27:35
  Speaker 2: Can we talk it over here?
• 27:36
  Speaker 8: I'm sure we can straighten this out. Your wife copped out, Herbert.
• 27:39
  Speaker 8: Now let's make it easy, huh?
• 27:40
  Speaker 2: Come on, lady. What are you talking about, Tom? Your
• 27:42
  Speaker 2: wife doesn't know. I told you it's a mistake. Now
• 27:45
  Speaker 2: be reasonable, huh, officer? All we want to do is
• 27:47
  Speaker 2: take a trip. We've been planning on this. New clothes,
• 27:50
  Speaker 2: new luggage. Here's your hat.
• 27:52
  Speaker 3: Our car's outside.
• 27:52
  Speaker 2: It's a mistake. You can't do this. We planned on it.
• 27:55
  Speaker 2: We've been waiting a long time for this. Yes, sir.
• 27:57
  Speaker 3: So have we. Come on, let's go.
• 28:06
  Speaker 2: The story you have just heard was true.
• 28:09
  Speaker 3: Only the names were changed to.
• 28:10
  Speaker 2: Protect the innocent.
• 28:12
  Speaker 5: On October 28th, trial was held in Superior Court, Department 88,
• 28:15
  Speaker 5: City and County of Los Angeles, State of California.
• 28:18
  Speaker 2: In a moment, the results of that trial.
• 28:20
  Speaker 3: Now, here is our star, Jack Webb.
• 28:22
  Speaker 2: Thank you. Friends, each week we are honored with letters
• 28:25
  Speaker 2: from listeners all over the country. Letters telling us that
• 28:28
  Speaker 2: you've bought Fatima and you find them the best of
• 28:30
  Speaker 2: all long cigarettes. Well, thanks to you and the many
• 28:34
  Speaker 2: thousands of other smokers who have switched to Fatimas, I'm
• 28:36
  Speaker 2: happy to report that more people are now enjoying Fatimas
• 28:39
  Speaker 2: than ever before. January sales figures just released show that
• 28:44
  Speaker 2: in the East, Fatima sales are up 56%. In the
• 28:47
  Speaker 2: Middle West, sales up 133%.
• 28:49
  Speaker 7: And here on.
• 28:51
  Speaker 2: The coast, Fatima shows an increase of 68%. Well, that
• 28:55
  Speaker 2: means Fatima sales are up nearly 70% all over the country. Now,
• 29:00
  Speaker 2: if you haven't yet discovered Fatima's much different, much better
• 29:03
  Speaker 2: flavor and aroma, I suggest that you buy a pack tomorrow.
• 29:07
  Speaker 2: When you do, I'm convinced you'll agree with Fatima smokers everywhere.
• 29:11
  Speaker 2: In Fatima, the difference is quality. Mr. and Mrs.
• 29:23
  Speaker 5: Tom Herbert were tried and convicted on several counts of
• 29:25
  Speaker 5: grand theft. They are now confined in the state penitentiary
• 29:28
  Speaker 5: for the term prescribed by law. Grand theft is punishable
• 29:32
  Speaker 5: by confinement for not less than one, nor more than
• 29:35
  Speaker 5: ten years. You have just heard Dragnet, a series of
• 29:43
  Speaker 5: authentic cases from official files. Technical advice comes from the
• 29:46
  Speaker 5: Office of Chief of Police, W.H. Parker, Los Angeles Police Department.
• 29:51
  Speaker 5: The theme of cigarettes, best of all long cigarettes, is
• 29:55
  Speaker 5: brought to Dragnet, portions transcribed from Los Angeles.
• 29:59
  Speaker 2: David Harding, counter-spy, solves an exciting case next on NBC.
• 30:09
  Speaker 1: That concludes this early NBC visit with Dragnet, Big Couple.
• 30:14
  Speaker 1: Follow Dragnet for more classic broadcasts.