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Dragnet - "Big No Tooth" (Old Time Radio, 1955) · Dragnet | Old Time Radio

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Early morning holdups at downtown Los Angeles hotels have left
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: the robbery detail with a thin description and very little
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: physical evidence. On April 5th, 1955, NBC brought listeners Dragnet,
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: episode 294, Big No Tooth. The broadcast presents its case
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: as a documented LAPD investigation that with technical advice credited
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: to Los Angeles Police Chief W.H.
• 0:29
  Speaker 2: Parker.
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: Jack Webb stars as Sergeant Joe Friday with Ben Alexander
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: as Frank Smith as the detectives compare reports and search
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: for the detail that may connect the cases. And now,
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: the original broadcast.
• 0:53
  Speaker 3: Ladies and gentlemen.
• 0:54
  Speaker 4: The story you are about to hear is true. The
• 0:57
  Speaker 4: names have been changed to protect the innocent.
• 1:08
  Speaker 5: You're a detective sergeant.
• 1:10
  Speaker 4: You're assigned a robbery detail.
• 1:12
  Speaker 6: You get a call that a downtown hotel has.
• 1:14
  Speaker 4: Been held up by a bandit who carries a sawed-off shotgun.
• 1:17
  Speaker 4: Your job, find him.
• 1:28
  Speaker 7: Dragnet, the documented drama of an actual crime. For the
• 1:32
  Speaker 7: next 30 minutes, in cooperation with the Los Angeles Police Department,
• 1:36
  Speaker 7: you will travel step by step on the side of
• 1:38
  Speaker 7: the law through an actual case transcribed from official police files.
• 1:42
  Speaker 7: From beginning to end, from crime to punishment, Dragnet is
• 1:46
  Speaker 7: the story of your police force in action.
• 1:53
  Speaker 2: It was Sunday, October 9th. It was cool in Los Angeles.
• 1:55
  Speaker 2: We were working the night watch out a robbery detail.
• 1:57
  Speaker 2: My partner's Frank Smith. The boss, Chief of Detectives Thad Brown.
• 2:00
  Speaker 2: My name's Friday.
• 2:01
  Speaker 5: We're on our way out from the office. It was 2.06 a.m.
• 2:03
  Speaker 2: When we got to the corner of Cinnabar Street and
• 2:05
  Speaker 2: Grand Avenue.
• 2:07
  Speaker 5: The Brenton Hotel.
• 2:08
  Speaker 3: Well, I just done what he told me.
• 2:11
  Speaker 8: I figured there was no point in getting myself all
• 2:13
  Speaker 8: roiled up.
• 2:14
  Speaker 3: Didn't see where that would be helping matters. Yes, sir.
• 2:17
  Speaker 3: Whatever he said, I done it. Hey, you fellas looking
• 2:20
  Speaker 3: for a room?
• 2:21
  Speaker 5: Police officers. This is Frank Smith. My name's Friday.
• 2:23
  Speaker 3: Are you from Robbery? That's right. Roberts, 1F16.
• 2:27
  Speaker 5: You answered the call?
• 2:27
  Speaker 3: Yeah. The description's out. Metro's sending a couple of cars
• 2:30
  Speaker 3: to help us look for the suspect. All right, good.
• 2:32
  Speaker 3: Anything else I can do for you?
• 2:33
  Speaker 5: No, not right now.
• 2:34
  Speaker 3: Okay.
• 2:35
  Speaker 9: I'll take care of the report.
• 2:35
  Speaker 5: Thank you. We'll check with you. All right.
• 2:39
  Speaker 3: You know, I sure would have been wrong about you two.
• 2:42
  Speaker 3: What's that? I never would have guessed you was cops.
• 2:44
  Speaker 2: Oh.
• 2:45
  Speaker 3: Salesmen. That's what I'd put you boys down for.
• 2:47
  Speaker 5: I see.
• 2:48
  Speaker 3: Ladies ready to wear. Guess I would have missed the
• 2:51
  Speaker 3: boat this time. Yes, sir.
• 2:53
  Speaker 5: Would you tell us about the holdup, please?
• 2:54
  Speaker 3: I thought them other officers already let you in on it.
• 2:57
  Speaker 2: We'd like to get the details from you if we could.
• 2:59
  Speaker 3: Oh.
• 2:59
  Speaker 8: Well, I ain't got nothing better to do. Stuck here
• 3:02
  Speaker 8: till 7 a.m.
• 3:03
  Speaker 3: Anyhow. Boxer, Tom Boxer.
• 3:07
  Speaker 5: That's B-O-X-E-R?
• 3:08
  Speaker 3: That's it, you know, just like a dog.
• 3:10
  Speaker 5: What time did the robbery take place?
• 3:12
  Speaker 3: Oh, 40, 45 minutes ago, around 1.20, somewhere in there.
• 3:17
  Speaker 3: Wasn't 1.30 yet, I'm sure of that. See, I was
• 3:20
  Speaker 3: listening to the radio, Stan Swift.
• 3:22
  Speaker 5: Who's that?
• 3:23
  Speaker 3: You know, Stan Swift, he's on every night, midnight till 6,
• 3:26
  Speaker 3: seven nights a week. Oh, yeah. The nights go swifter
• 3:29
  Speaker 3: with Swift. That's how he puts it.
• 3:32
  Speaker 8: Gives a time signal every hour and every half hour.
• 3:35
  Speaker 8: Remember him giving the 1 a.m.? Hadn't given the 1.30 yet,
• 3:38
  Speaker 8: so it must have been around 1.20 when this fellow
• 3:41
  Speaker 8: come into the hotel.
• 3:42
  Speaker 3: What'd he do? Walked up to the desk.
• 3:44
  Speaker 10: Yes, sir.
• 3:45
  Speaker 3: I didn't even know he was there. Not at first.
• 3:49
  Speaker 3: I was sitting down in that chair, kind of had
• 3:52
  Speaker 3: my back away from the door. Didn't hear him neither
• 3:56
  Speaker 3: on account of being plugged in.
• 3:58
  Speaker 5: What was that?
• 3:58
  Speaker 3: To my radio.
• 4:00
  Speaker 5: Oh, I see.
• 4:02
  Speaker 3: This here gadget, see? See? It's in the ear, like so. Yeah,
• 4:07
  Speaker 3: I understand.
• 4:07
  Speaker 8: Let you listen without waking nobody up. Other hand, attaches
• 4:10
  Speaker 8: to the set like so.
• 4:13
  Speaker 3: You mean that's a radio? Sure is. You ain't never
• 4:16
  Speaker 3: seen this kind before, huh?
• 4:18
  Speaker 5: No, sir.
• 4:18
  Speaker 3: Transistor.
• 4:19
  Speaker 8: That's what they call it. Regency transistor. Ain't got no tubes.
• 4:23
  Speaker 8: That's what makes it so small, you see? Carry it
• 4:26
  Speaker 8: around in your pocket if you ever mind to.
• 4:28
  Speaker 5: I see.
• 4:29
  Speaker 3: Real good tone, though. Plenty of volume if you want
• 4:32
  Speaker 3: to let it out.
• 4:33
  Speaker 5: Yes, sir. Now, if you'd just tell us about the robbery,
• 4:35
  Speaker 5: would you, Mr.
• 4:35
  Speaker 3: Boxer, please? Well, ain't that what I've been doing?
• 4:38
  Speaker 5: Yes, sir. You said this man walked up to the desk?
• 4:40
  Speaker 3: That is right.
• 4:41
  Speaker 8: Maybe stood there a couple of seconds before I sensed him.
• 4:44
  Speaker 8: Unplugged myself. Got up and asked him if he wanted
• 4:47
  Speaker 8: a room.
• 4:48
  Speaker 3: He said he did. Single. Yes, sir.
• 4:51
  Speaker 8: Checked the boxes to see what was vacant. Had my
• 4:53
  Speaker 8: back to him while I was checking. Didn't notice him
• 4:55
  Speaker 8: opening up his satchel. Must have been carrying the gun
• 4:58
  Speaker 8: there in the satchel. Anyway, when I turned around to
• 5:01
  Speaker 8: register him, I found myself staring into the barrel.
• 5:05
  Speaker 3: Shotgun it was.
• 5:06
  Speaker 5: All right, go ahead, please.
• 5:07
  Speaker 3: This is a stick-up, he said. Do what I tell
• 5:10
  Speaker 3: you and you won't get hurt. I didn't know whether
• 5:12
  Speaker 3: he meant business or not, and I sure didn't aim
• 5:14
  Speaker 3: to test him to find out. Yes, sir, I said.
• 5:17
  Speaker 8: You just tell me what you want and I'll do it.
• 5:20
  Speaker 3: Yeah. I ain't no coward, you understand, but I ain't
• 5:22
  Speaker 3: no hero neither, especially when I'm facing up to a shotgun. Sure.
• 5:26
  Speaker 3: Like the man says, only real heroes are dead heroes.
• 5:29
  Speaker 5: Yes, sir.
• 5:30
  Speaker 8: Me, I'd just as soon go on living. That's why
• 5:33
  Speaker 8: I've done exactly what he told me. Give him the
• 5:35
  Speaker 8: money from the cash drawer here.
• 5:38
  Speaker 3: See? Every penny. Handed it all over to him. Didn't
• 5:41
  Speaker 3: try to hold none back. Yes, sir.
• 5:43
  Speaker 6: How much was there?
• 5:44
  Speaker 3: Fifty, sixty dollars, somewhere in between there.
• 5:48
  Speaker 5: What happened then?
• 5:48
  Speaker 3: Well, he told me to empty my pockets, lay the
• 5:50
  Speaker 3: stuff on the desk.
• 5:51
  Speaker 5: You did, huh?
• 5:52
  Speaker 3: I emptied them.
• 5:53
  Speaker 8: I didn't have more than three or four dollars in change.
• 5:55
  Speaker 8: He scooped it up with the other money, shoved it
• 5:57
  Speaker 8: into his satchel.
• 5:58
  Speaker 5: I see.
• 5:59
  Speaker 3: Then he said for me to come out from behind
• 6:01
  Speaker 3: this desk, walk me over to the elevator, told me
• 6:04
  Speaker 3: to get inside and ride up to the top floor.
• 6:06
  Speaker 3: I'd be the third. You see, the hotel is three
• 6:08
  Speaker 3: stories high.
• 6:09
  Speaker 5: Yes, sir, I understand.
• 6:10
  Speaker 3: I suppose I could have got off on number two.
• 6:12
  Speaker 3: He would have known the difference. Floor indicator down there
• 6:14
  Speaker 3: don't work.
• 6:15
  Speaker 5: Mm-hmm.
• 6:16
  Speaker 8: But I didn't see where I'd be gaining anything by it,
• 6:19
  Speaker 8: so I done what he told me.
• 6:21
  Speaker 3: I rode up to three.
• 6:21
  Speaker 5: How long did you wait there?
• 6:23
  Speaker 3: Oh, till I seen him leave the hotel? Mm-hmm. From
• 6:25
  Speaker 3: the windy end of the third floor hall.
• 6:27
  Speaker 5: Did he drive away?
• 6:28
  Speaker 3: No, just strolled off. I don't think he had a car.
• 6:31
  Speaker 3: Turned a corner and that was the last of him.
• 6:35
  Speaker 5: What did you do then?
• 6:36
  Speaker 3: Took the elevator back down, called the police, listened to
• 6:39
  Speaker 3: the radio while I was waiting.
• 6:41
  Speaker 8: Figured I might as well take it easy till the
• 6:43
  Speaker 8: cops come. Wasn't more than five minutes before them officers
• 6:45
  Speaker 8: walked in. Little while later, you fellas walked in. I
• 6:48
  Speaker 8: guess you know when that was.
• 6:51
  Speaker 3: Now, Mr.
• 6:51
  Speaker 9: Boxer, could you tell us what he looked like?
• 6:53
  Speaker 3: Huh?
• 6:54
  Speaker 5: The man who held you up.
• 6:56
  Speaker 8: Oh, well, I told them other fellas, the ones wearing uniforms,
• 6:59
  Speaker 8: they said they'd send out his description.
• 7:00
  Speaker 5: Yes, sir, I understand.
• 7:01
  Speaker 9: We'd like to have it, too.
• 7:02
  Speaker 3: Okay. Oh, young fella, 25 to 30, I judge. Big Bill,
• 7:07
  Speaker 3: a little bigger than you. Not as big as you, though.
• 7:10
  Speaker 3: Somewhere in between.
• 7:11
  Speaker 5: Yes, sir.
• 7:12
  Speaker 3: Black hair. Didn't catch the color of his eyes. Well,
• 7:15
  Speaker 3: that's about all.
• 7:16
  Speaker 4: How was he dressed?
• 7:18
  Speaker 3: Suit. Stripe in it, I think. Maybe dark blue with
• 7:21
  Speaker 3: a gray stripe. Bow tie. Kind of dapper. Have any scars?
• 7:28
  Speaker 3: Not where you'd notice them.
• 7:29
  Speaker 5: He said he carried the gun in a satchel, is
• 7:31
  Speaker 5: that right?
• 7:31
  Speaker 8: Must have been where he had it. Didn't actually see
• 7:33
  Speaker 8: him take it out, though. Back was to him at
• 7:36
  Speaker 8: the time.
• 7:36
  Speaker 5: How big was the satchel?
• 7:38
  Speaker 3: Oh, medium-sized, about so long.
• 7:41
  Speaker 5: Any initials on it?
• 7:42
  Speaker 3: No, not so far as I can recall.
• 7:45
  Speaker 5: What about the gun? How big was it?
• 7:48
  Speaker 3: This long, maybe. Single barrel, sawed off.
• 7:51
  Speaker 5: Could you tell them, Hank?
• 7:53
  Speaker 3: Well, I ain't no expert on shotguns. No.
• 7:55
  Speaker 6: Would you know this man if you saw him again?
• 7:57
  Speaker 3: Sure, I'd be a fool not to.
• 7:59
  Speaker 5: Why? I'd like to have you come down to City
• 8:00
  Speaker 5: Hall in the morning, Mr. Boxer, if you would.
• 8:02
  Speaker 3: But what for?
• 8:03
  Speaker 5: I want to show you some photographs, see if you
• 8:04
  Speaker 5: can pick them out.
• 8:05
  Speaker 3: You mean this morning?
• 8:06
  Speaker 5: Yes, sir, if you would.
• 8:08
  Speaker 3: It's Sunday. Yes, sir, that's right. You felt his work
• 8:11
  Speaker 3: on Sunday?
• 8:12
  Speaker 5: We're not the only one.
• 8:13
  Speaker 3: What do you mean?
• 8:14
  Speaker 1: He did.
• 8:14
  Speaker 3: The End.
• 8:19
  Speaker 2: Frank and I checked with the patrol officers who had
• 8:21
  Speaker 2: answered Mr.
• 8:22
  Speaker 5: Box's call. They told us that a search of.
• 8:23
  Speaker 2: The immediate vicinity had failed to turn up anyone who
• 8:25
  Speaker 2: answered the suspect's description. 3.16 a.m. The crew from the
• 8:29
  Speaker 2: crime lab finished up their investigation. There were no useful
• 8:32
  Speaker 2: fingerprints or other physical evidence in the lobby of the hotel.
• 8:34
  Speaker 5: 7.38 a.m.
• 8:37
  Speaker 2: We checked the suspect's M.O. and the description with the
• 8:39
  Speaker 2: stats office. They came up with 18 possibles. We pulled
• 8:42
  Speaker 2: the packages from R & I and took them back.
• 8:43
  Speaker 5: To the office. Looks like it might rain. Pretty early
• 8:48
  Speaker 5: in the season, isn't it? The paper says we're going
• 8:50
  Speaker 5: to have a wet winter.
• 8:50
  Speaker 3: All right.
• 8:51
  Speaker 9: A little good for skiing, I guess.
• 8:53
  Speaker 3: Yeah. That's what you need.
• 8:55
  Speaker 5: Lots of moisture. Heavy snow. You never go skiing.
• 8:58
  Speaker 3: No.
• 8:58
  Speaker 5: Well.
• 8:59
  Speaker 6: I thought about taking it up a couple of years ago.
• 9:01
  Speaker 6: Faye blew her stack. Said I'd probably break my neck.
• 9:03
  Speaker 5: First time I tried.
• 9:04
  Speaker 6: Sometimes I think she worries more about me than she
• 9:07
  Speaker 6: does about the kids.
• 9:08
  Speaker 3: Good morning, gents. Oh, hi. Hope I haven't kept you waiting.
• 9:13
  Speaker 5: No, sir. Not a bit. How are you today, Mr.
• 9:14
  Speaker 3: Boxer? Sleepy. Used to get a couple of hours catnap
• 9:21
  Speaker 3: during my shift. Kind of missed out on it last night.
• 9:25
  Speaker 5: Yes, I'm afraid you did.
• 9:27
  Speaker 3: Even after all you fellas left, somehow I just couldn't
• 9:29
  Speaker 3: doze off. Listened to Stan Swift till 6 a.m. I'll
• 9:34
  Speaker 3: bet you I know more about Egypt than a real
• 9:36
  Speaker 3: live Egyptian. Well, you got them pictures you wanted to
• 9:39
  Speaker 3: show me?
• 9:40
  Speaker 5: Yes, sir, right over here.
• 9:43
  Speaker 3: All right, if I sit down?
• 9:44
  Speaker 5: Yeah, go right ahead. There you are.
• 9:49
  Speaker 3: This the pile? Yes, sir. Take your time.
• 9:51
  Speaker 5: Look at each one as long as you like.
• 9:53
  Speaker 3: Okay. Pretty tough bunch of boys.
• 9:59
  Speaker 5: Yeah.
• 10:00
  Speaker 3: No, it's not him.
• 10:03
  Speaker 5: Nope.
• 10:04
  Speaker 3: Nope. Hey, wait a minute. There is a resemblance. He
• 10:11
  Speaker 3: looks something like this one here.
• 10:13
  Speaker 5: Is it the same man, Mr.
• 10:14
  Speaker 3: Boxer? Oh, no, no, no. Not the same. Similar type, though.
• 10:19
  Speaker 3: Does that help you any?
• 10:21
  Speaker 5: Might. Want to go through the others?
• 10:23
  Speaker 3: Sure, sure. Now, you see this fellow? Yes, sir. He's
• 10:28
  Speaker 3: not the same type at all.
• 10:30
  Speaker 5: No.
• 10:31
  Speaker 3: The other one I pointed out was. You, you can
• 10:33
  Speaker 3: see the difference yourself.
• 10:34
  Speaker 5: Yes, sir.
• 10:35
  Speaker 3: Ah, not him. No. Not him either. Nope. Oh, now,
• 10:44
  Speaker 3: this is closer to him.
• 10:45
  Speaker 9: Sir?
• 10:46
  Speaker 8: Not as close as that one, the other one, but closer.
• 10:49
  Speaker 2: Yes, sir.
• 10:50
  Speaker 3: Now we're getting further away. No, no, it's none of these.
• 10:53
  Speaker 3: Is that all you've got? Afraid so. Well, it's the
• 10:57
  Speaker 3: best I can do for you. Now this one here,
• 11:00
  Speaker 3: the one I pointed out first.
• 11:02
  Speaker 5: Yeah, we understand, but it's not the same man you said.
• 11:04
  Speaker 3: Well, I never said it was. Just said they were similar.
• 11:07
  Speaker 5: Yes, sir. Well, I'm sorry we wasted your time.
• 11:09
  Speaker 3: Oh, it wasn't no waste of time, not as far
• 11:11
  Speaker 3: as I'm concerned.
• 11:12
  Speaker 2: Huh?
• 11:12
  Speaker 8: Remember what I told you about how I try to
• 11:14
  Speaker 8: guess what different folks do for a living?
• 11:16
  Speaker 3: Yeah. Looking at all these pictures will be a big
• 11:20
  Speaker 3: help from now on.
• 11:22
  Speaker 5: How's that?
• 11:23
  Speaker 3: I'll know a crook when I see one.
• 11:30
  Speaker 2: On the following Sunday, October 16th, two more hotels were
• 11:33
  Speaker 2: held up by a shotgun bandit. Both robberies occurred during
• 11:36
  Speaker 2: the early morning hours. Both hotels were small. The description
• 11:40
  Speaker 2: of the suspect and his M.O. indicated that he was
• 11:42
  Speaker 2: the same man who had robbed the Brinton Hotel. Frank
• 11:45
  Speaker 2: and I continued our investigation, but we failed to turn
• 11:47
  Speaker 2: up any leads. During the next week, all hotels in
• 11:50
  Speaker 2: the downtown area were alerted. Sunday, October 23rd, the night
• 11:53
  Speaker 2: manager of the Schaefer Arms near the corner of Broadway
• 11:56
  Speaker 2: and Clay reported that he had been robbed at approximately 3.30 a.m.
• 11:59
  Speaker 2: He confirmed the bandit's description and M.O., but was unable
• 12:02
  Speaker 2: to add anything new. The next morning, October 24th, we
• 12:04
  Speaker 2: had a conference with Chief Brown.
• 12:06
  Speaker 3: Doesn't sound to me like you're any closer to him
• 12:07
  Speaker 3: than you were two weeks ago.
• 12:08
  Speaker 4: What do you got?
• 12:09
  Speaker 5: No, not much. Let's have it. Description? Pretty general, isn't it?
• 12:13
  Speaker 3: Afraid so. What else? Well, now he's only worked one area. Yeah?
• 12:16
  Speaker 6: All the hotels are within a mile of Pershing Square.
• 12:19
  Speaker 9: Nothing to keep him from spreading out, is there?
• 12:21
  Speaker 5: So far, he hasn't used a car.
• 12:22
  Speaker 9: You figure he pulled these jobs on foot?
• 12:24
  Speaker 3: Looks that way.
• 12:25
  Speaker 9: Then he must live downtown somewhere.
• 12:26
  Speaker 5: Mm-hmm.
• 12:27
  Speaker 6: Anything about the hotels that might give us a tip-off
• 12:29
  Speaker 6: on his next move?
• 12:31
  Speaker 5: Yeah, they're all small, only one person on duty. Uh-huh.
• 12:34
  Speaker 5: We've marked all the possibles here on the map. You
• 12:36
  Speaker 5: want to take a look at it?
• 12:36
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 12:40
  Speaker 5: Okay, right here. These are the ones he's already hit. Here, here,
• 12:44
  Speaker 5: over here. Tight little groove? Yeah.
• 12:47
  Speaker 2: These circles indicate all the other hotels of a similar
• 12:49
  Speaker 2: nature in the downtown area.
• 12:50
  Speaker 3: Uh-huh. Well, he works on Sundays, huh?
• 12:52
  Speaker 5: That's right. What do you got planned for this Sunday?
• 12:55
  Speaker 2: Well, we'll stake out as many as we can. We've
• 12:56
  Speaker 2: asked Metro to give us a hand. We figure we'll
• 12:58
  Speaker 2: have enough men to cover about, oh, 20 likelies, maybe.
• 13:01
  Speaker 6: We plan to run the stakes from midnight till 6 a.m.
• 13:03
  Speaker 5: When he hits, it's usually between 2 and 4. How's
• 13:06
  Speaker 5: that sound to you? About all we can do. Yeah.
• 13:08
  Speaker 6: I want you both to stay on this between now
• 13:09
  Speaker 6: and Sunday to see if you.
• 13:10
  Speaker 3: Can't pick up a lead somewhere.
• 13:11
  Speaker 5: We will.
• 13:12
  Speaker 9: Informant's been able to give you anything?
• 13:13
  Speaker 1: Nope.
• 13:14
  Speaker 3: They holding out? No, I don't think so.
• 13:16
  Speaker 5: I don't think they know who he is. Well, maybe
• 13:18
  Speaker 5: the stakes will work. Maybe.
• 13:19
  Speaker 3: Wait a minute.
• 13:20
  Speaker 9: Let me see that map again.
• 13:22
  Speaker 3: Here. Here. Funny. See here?
• 13:25
  Speaker 5: Yeah. You said these are the places he's already robbed?
• 13:28
  Speaker 5: That's right. All right together. Draw a line from one
• 13:30
  Speaker 5: to the.
• 13:31
  Speaker 3: Other and you'd have a square.
• 13:31
  Speaker 5: Yeah. What's this right in the middle of the square?
• 13:35
  Speaker 2: That's the Argus Hotel on South Broadway.
• 13:38
  Speaker 9: That's one he hasn't hit yet.
• 13:39
  Speaker 5: Mm-hmm.
• 13:40
  Speaker 9: Looks like your best bet then.
• 13:41
  Speaker 5: Yeah, that's the way we figured it.
• 13:43
  Speaker 9: Who's going to cover it Sunday?
• 13:44
  Speaker 5: Well, Smith and I thought we'd take it.
• 13:46
  Speaker 9: That's a coincidence.
• 13:47
  Speaker 5: Just who I was going to suggest.
• 13:54
  Speaker 2: During the rest of the week, we continued our investigation,
• 13:56
  Speaker 2: but we failed to turn up any additional.
• 13:57
  Speaker 5: Information about the suspect. A few minutes before.
• 14:00
  Speaker 2: Midnight on Saturday, October 29th, men from Metro and Robbery
• 14:03
  Speaker 2: Division staked out 22 locations in the downtown area. Sunday,
• 14:06
  Speaker 2: October 30th, 12.05 a.m., Frank and I entered the lobby
• 14:09
  Speaker 2: of the Argus Hotel and we walked up to the desk.
• 14:14
  Speaker 10: Sorry, we're full up.
• 14:15
  Speaker 6: Can I talk to the manager if we can?
• 14:16
  Speaker 10: I said we're full up.
• 14:17
  Speaker 5: We're police officers.
• 14:18
  Speaker 3: Huh?
• 14:19
  Speaker 5: This is Frank Smith. My name's Friday.
• 14:20
  Speaker 3: Oh.
• 14:21
  Speaker 5: Can we see the manager?
• 14:22
  Speaker 3: I'm the manager.
• 14:23
  Speaker 5: You own this hotel?
• 14:24
  Speaker 10: Me and my husband.
• 14:25
  Speaker 5: Well, maybe we better talk to him.
• 14:26
  Speaker 3: Go ahead.
• 14:27
  Speaker 10: You can find him.
• 14:29
  Speaker 5: Isn't he here?
• 14:29
  Speaker 3: Nope.
• 14:30
  Speaker 5: Would you know where he is?
• 14:31
  Speaker 3: Nope.
• 14:32
  Speaker 10: Not getting drunk, probably.
• 14:34
  Speaker 5: I see.
• 14:34
  Speaker 10: I work nights. He works days. He don't tell me
• 14:37
  Speaker 10: where he goes at night. I don't tell him what
• 14:38
  Speaker 10: I do during the day. It's our arrangement. It don't
• 14:41
  Speaker 10: make for a real happy marriage, but it keeps us
• 14:44
  Speaker 10: from killing each other.
• 14:45
  Speaker 5: Yes, ma'am.
• 14:46
  Speaker 6: Is there somebody who could take over for you here tonight?
• 14:48
  Speaker 3: No.
• 14:49
  Speaker 5: Now, you're sure your husband didn't say where he was going?
• 14:51
  Speaker 10: We don't talk.
• 14:52
  Speaker 5: Oh.
• 14:53
  Speaker 10: He wants me to know something, he writes me a note,
• 14:55
  Speaker 10: leaves it on the desk, and I do the same
• 14:57
  Speaker 10: for him.
• 14:57
  Speaker 3: I see.
• 14:58
  Speaker 10: We ain't exchanged no words for the last two years.
• 15:01
  Speaker 5: Uh-huh.
• 15:01
  Speaker 10: Saves a lot of wear and tear on the nervous system.
• 15:04
  Speaker 10: He never said nothing worth listening to anyway.
• 15:06
  Speaker 3: I see.
• 15:07
  Speaker 10: Well, what do you fellas want?
• 15:09
  Speaker 6: Well, ma'am, several hotels have been held up downtown lately.
• 15:12
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 15:12
  Speaker 5: You were warned about it, weren't you?
• 15:14
  Speaker 10: George was warned, left me a note.
• 15:16
  Speaker 5: I see. Well, there's a chance he might come here tonight.
• 15:18
  Speaker 10: If he does, I'm ready for him.
• 15:20
  Speaker 3: Hmm?
• 15:20
  Speaker 10: Got me a gun.
• 15:24
  Speaker 2: Pistol.
• 15:25
  Speaker 10: Keep in the cash drawer, see?
• 15:26
  Speaker 5: Yes, ma'am.
• 15:28
  Speaker 10: I know how to use it, too. He shows up,
• 15:31
  Speaker 10: I'm ready for him.
• 15:32
  Speaker 5: Is there someplace we could wait in case he does?
• 15:34
  Speaker 3: You don't have to.
• 15:34
  Speaker 10: I don't need no protection.
• 15:36
  Speaker 5: Told you.
• 15:37
  Speaker 3: I've got a gun.
• 15:38
  Speaker 5: Yes, ma'am. So's he. Mrs.
• 15:55
  Speaker 2: Argus finally agreed to let us stake out the hotel.
• 15:58
  Speaker 2: She showed us into a small room off the lobby.
• 16:00
  Speaker 2: From there, Frank and I could see anybody who entered.
• 16:03
  Speaker 2: During the next four hours, only two people requested accommodations.
• 16:06
  Speaker 2: They were both middle-aged men, and neither one of them
• 16:08
  Speaker 2: in any way resembled the suspect's description.
• 16:10
  Speaker 5: What time you got, Joe? Five after four. Latest they
• 16:14
  Speaker 5: ever pulled a job was 3.30. Yeah.
• 16:16
  Speaker 2: Maybe he decided to lay off tonight.
• 16:18
  Speaker 5: Maybe.
• 16:21
  Speaker 9: August Hotel.
• 16:23
  Speaker 5: Who?
• 16:24
  Speaker 9: Oh, go ahead.
• 16:26
  Speaker 3: Hey, you guys in there? Yes, ma'am.
• 16:28
  Speaker 10: Somebody wants you on the phone.
• 16:29
  Speaker 5: Okay, I'll be right over.
• 16:30
  Speaker 3: In the booth.
• 16:32
  Speaker 5: Yes, ma'am.
• 16:38
  Speaker 3: Righty.
• 16:39
  Speaker 5: Now, wait a minute. Okay. What's that address? Yeah, I
• 16:44
  Speaker 5: got it.
• 16:44
  Speaker 3: Thanks.
• 16:45
  Speaker 5: Right. What's up? Looks like we staked out the wrong places.
• 16:51
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 16:52
  Speaker 2: All night cafe on South Main. The owner was held up.
• 16:54
  Speaker 2: He's pretty badly wounded.
• 16:55
  Speaker 5: Huh. Sawed off shotgun.
• 17:01
  Speaker 2: Frank and I drove over to the Joplin Grill at
• 17:02
  Speaker 2: the corner of Main and Vincent Place.
• 17:04
  Speaker 5: We talked to the patrol.
• 17:05
  Speaker 2: Car officers who had discovered Fred Joplin's body. They told
• 17:08
  Speaker 2: us Joplin was unconscious when they found him. They said
• 17:11
  Speaker 2: that they'd called an ambulance and that he'd been taken
• 17:13
  Speaker 2: to Georgia Street Receiving Hospital. We telephoned the hospital and
• 17:16
  Speaker 2: asked them to be notified as soon as the victim
• 17:18
  Speaker 2: was available for questioning. 4.42 a.m., Lieutenant Lee Jones and
• 17:22
  Speaker 2: the crew from the crime lab began their investigation.
• 17:25
  Speaker 5: Frank and I went back to the office.
• 17:27
  Speaker 2: October 30th, 10.17 a.m., Georgia Street reported that Joplin had
• 17:31
  Speaker 2: recovered consciousness.
• 17:32
  Speaker 5: We drove down there and talked to Dr. Sebastian. He
• 17:34
  Speaker 5: said that Joplin was suffering from shock and loss of blood.
• 17:37
  Speaker 2: He also said that Joplin's right shoulder was severely lacerated
• 17:40
  Speaker 2: and that there was a possibility the arm would have
• 17:42
  Speaker 2: to be amputated.
• 17:43
  Speaker 5: 10.46 a.m., we interviewed the victim. Sat down on the
• 17:45
  Speaker 5: stool and asked for a cup of coffee.
• 17:47
  Speaker 4: Yes, sir.
• 17:48
  Speaker 5: I turned around, picked up the Silex, started filling the cup.
• 17:51
  Speaker 3: Uh-huh.
• 17:51
  Speaker 5: By the time I was finished, he'd got his gun out.
• 17:54
  Speaker 5: Guess he had it in that bag he was carrying.
• 17:55
  Speaker 3: Yes, sir.
• 17:56
  Speaker 5: Told me it was a stick-up. Said to give him
• 17:58
  Speaker 5: the money from the register or he'd shoot me.
• 18:00
  Speaker 3: Uh-huh.
• 18:00
  Speaker 5: I didn't say nothing. Just stood there kind of staring
• 18:03
  Speaker 5: at him. Yeah. Raised up his gun.
• 18:06
  Speaker 3: Shotgun, it was.
• 18:06
  Speaker 5: Yes, sir. I mean business, mister. That's what he said next.
• 18:10
  Speaker 5: I mean business. I see. Still didn't say nothing. Just
• 18:13
  Speaker 5: stood there with a cup of coffee in my hand.
• 18:16
  Speaker 5: Start moving, he said. Voice sounded real low and mean.
• 18:20
  Speaker 5: Didn't seem to match his face. Sort of a pleasant
• 18:22
  Speaker 5: looking fella. Voice would mean, though. Yeah. Started gesturing with
• 18:26
  Speaker 5: that shotgun. Pointing toward the register. That's when I let fly. Hmm?
• 18:30
  Speaker 5: With a cup of coffee. Smashed it right into his face.
• 18:33
  Speaker 5: I see. Must have given quite a jolt.
• 18:35
  Speaker 3: Yes, sir.
• 18:36
  Speaker 5: Didn't keep him from shooting me, but it sure wrecked
• 18:38
  Speaker 5: his aim some. Leastways, I'm still here. Don't remember nothing
• 18:42
  Speaker 5: after that.
• 18:43
  Speaker 3: I see.
• 18:44
  Speaker 5: Sure, hit him a good one, though. Them coffee cups
• 18:46
  Speaker 5: ain't the lightest things in the world. Yes, sir, I understand.
• 18:49
  Speaker 5: Not to mention the coffee itself. Golden hot it was.
• 18:52
  Speaker 3: Right here.
• 18:53
  Speaker 5: That's where I belted him. Right in the jaw. Used
• 18:55
  Speaker 5: to be a ball player, you know. Is that right?
• 18:57
  Speaker 5: Wasn't a pro exactly, but I had a first-rate pitching arm.
• 19:01
  Speaker 5: Lefty Joplin, that's what they used to call me. Back
• 19:04
  Speaker 5: in Junction City, Kansas it was. Local merchants sponsored our team.
• 19:09
  Speaker 5: Pitched 16 winners one season. Best record in the league. Yes,
• 19:12
  Speaker 5: that's very good. Well, I ain't lost all my technique. Leastways,
• 19:16
  Speaker 5: I sure whacked him with that cup. Yes, sir. Doc
• 19:20
  Speaker 5: say anything to you fellas about how I'm doing? Well,
• 19:22
  Speaker 5: just that you're getting along. He make up his mind
• 19:25
  Speaker 5: about my right arm yet?
• 19:26
  Speaker 3: What?
• 19:27
  Speaker 1: Whether I'm going to.
• 19:28
  Speaker 5: Lose it or not? No, sir, he didn't tell us.
• 19:31
  Speaker 5: I guess, in a way, I'm kind of lucky. What?
• 19:35
  Speaker 5: Being left-handed.
• 19:42
  Speaker 2: We asked the victim, Fred Joplin, to describe the suspect.
• 19:44
  Speaker 2: The description he gave us tallied with what we already had.
• 19:47
  Speaker 5: 11.17 a.m.
• 19:47
  Speaker 2: Frank and I went back to the office.
• 19:50
  Speaker 3: I can't figure it out, Joe.
• 19:51
  Speaker 5: What? Why he switched from hotels to a cafe. Well,
• 19:53
  Speaker 5: maybe he tumbled to our steakhouse.
• 19:55
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm not sure he'd.
• 19:56
  Speaker 5: Try the Argus, though.
• 19:57
  Speaker 3: It's the right spot for him.
• 19:59
  Speaker 5: I get it.
• 20:02
  Speaker 3: Robbery Friday.
• 20:03
  Speaker 5: I see.
• 20:05
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 20:06
  Speaker 5: Anything else?
• 20:08
  Speaker 3: Mm-hmm.
• 20:10
  Speaker 5: Well, give us something to go on, anyway. Thank you. Right.
• 20:14
  Speaker 5: Lee Jones in the lab.
• 20:15
  Speaker 3: What's he got?
• 20:16
  Speaker 5: Well, Joplin was right. He sure didn't miss her that
• 20:18
  Speaker 5: coffee cup. They find the pieces? More than that. Huh?
• 20:21
  Speaker 5: Found a broken front tooth.
• 20:26
  Speaker 2: Analysis of the broken tooth revealed that it was part
• 20:28
  Speaker 2: of a lower incisor. From what we learned of the suspect,
• 20:31
  Speaker 2: it seemed likely that he would make an immediate effort
• 20:33
  Speaker 2: to have the tooth replaced. For the next three days,
• 20:36
  Speaker 2: Frank and I interviewed dentists in the immediate vicinity of
• 20:38
  Speaker 2: the robberies. Thursday, November 3rd, 317 p.m. We questioned Dr.
• 20:42
  Speaker 2: Clinton Potterfield in his office on the second floor of
• 20:44
  Speaker 2: the Marsh building.
• 20:45
  Speaker 3: Yes?
• 20:46
  Speaker 9: Yes, I believe I had such a patient last Monday.
• 20:48
  Speaker 5: Broken incisor?
• 20:49
  Speaker 3: Yes, that's right.
• 20:50
  Speaker 5: Could you tell us what he looked like?
• 20:51
  Speaker 9: Oh, young man, about 30, nicely dressed, seemed very pleasant.
• 20:54
  Speaker 5: Did he say what had happened to his tooth? Yes,
• 20:56
  Speaker 5: he did.
• 20:56
  Speaker 9: Automobile accident.
• 20:57
  Speaker 3: I see.
• 20:57
  Speaker 9: He knocked it against the steering wheel.
• 20:59
  Speaker 3: Uh-huh.
• 20:59
  Speaker 9: He wanted a new fitting right away.
• 21:01
  Speaker 5: Yes, sir.
• 21:01
  Speaker 9: Agreed to make him a temporary as soon as I could.
• 21:03
  Speaker 9: It should be finished tomorrow.
• 21:04
  Speaker 5: Uh-huh.
• 21:04
  Speaker 9: He offered to pay me extra if I'd hurry it up.
• 21:06
  Speaker 9: I told him you can't rush a new bridge even
• 21:08
  Speaker 9: a temporary.
• 21:08
  Speaker 5: Yes, sir. Did he give you his name and address? Well,
• 21:10
  Speaker 5: not me personally.
• 21:11
  Speaker 9: My receptionist takes care of those details.
• 21:13
  Speaker 3: Yes, I understand.
• 21:13
  Speaker 5: Would you mind checking with her?
• 21:14
  Speaker 3: No, not a bit.
• 21:14
  Speaker 5: Excuse me. It's about time. We've got a break. Hey,
• 21:20
  Speaker 5: look out there. It's starting to rain.
• 21:22
  Speaker 3: Yes, sir, it is.
• 21:23
  Speaker 9: Yes, just like the paper said.
• 21:24
  Speaker 5: It's going to be a wet winter.
• 21:26
  Speaker 9: Here you are, gentlemen. I had a copy down for you.
• 21:29
  Speaker 3: Thank you.
• 21:31
  Speaker 5: Philip Seaver.
• 21:32
  Speaker 9: Yes, that's correct. His address is right there, too.
• 21:34
  Speaker 5: Well, at least we know one thing now. What's that?
• 21:36
  Speaker 5: Why he skipped over the Argus Hotel.
• 21:38
  Speaker 3: Huh?
• 21:38
  Speaker 5: He lives.
• 21:47
  Speaker 2: There.
• 21:47
  Speaker 5: 3.58 p.m. Frank and I drove over to the Argus
• 21:49
  Speaker 5: Hotel and we talked to the owner, George Argus.
• 21:51
  Speaker 2: He told us that Philip Seaver lived on the second floor,
• 21:53
  Speaker 2: room 23. He said that Seaver was a quiet young
• 21:56
  Speaker 2: man who had been staying at the hotel for.
• 21:57
  Speaker 5: The past six weeks.
• 21:59
  Speaker 2: He also told us that Seaver worked nights and was
• 22:01
  Speaker 2: probably in his room now.
• 22:03
  Speaker 5: We took the elevator up to the second floor.
• 22:09
  Speaker 3: There it is.
• 22:09
  Speaker 5: All right.
• 22:14
  Speaker 3: Here. All right. Get up against the wall or move.
• 22:21
  Speaker 5: I sure don't know what this is all about.
• 22:22
  Speaker 9: It's clean, Joe.
• 22:23
  Speaker 3: All right.
• 22:24
  Speaker 5: Turn around. Okay. Where's the shotgun?
• 22:27
  Speaker 3: You guys must be off your rockers. I'll see what
• 22:28
  Speaker 3: I can turn up to. You got no right combusting
• 22:31
  Speaker 3: in here. Yeah.
• 22:32
  Speaker 5: And what would I be doing with a shotgun? Why
• 22:33
  Speaker 5: don't you tell us?
• 22:34
  Speaker 3: I never had a gun in my life. Boy, you
• 22:38
  Speaker 3: cops sure make the darndest mistakes. I bet you picked
• 22:40
  Speaker 3: the wrong guy up half the time.
• 22:42
  Speaker 4: Yeah, sure.
• 22:43
  Speaker 8: Look, there's nothing in that bureau except my clothes there, fella.
• 22:46
  Speaker 3: Yeah, what about this?
• 22:47
  Speaker 9: Well, it's just a satchel, that's all. It's locked.
• 22:50
  Speaker 5: Where's the key?
• 22:51
  Speaker 3: I don't know. I lost it.
• 22:53
  Speaker 5: Bring it over.
• 22:53
  Speaker 9: Yeah.
• 22:54
  Speaker 3: Hey, that's a good bag.
• 22:55
  Speaker 5: It's not worth anything to you without a key, is it?
• 23:00
  Speaker 3: All right, Cedar, let's go.
• 23:02
  Speaker 9: How'd that get in there?
• 23:03
  Speaker 5: You don't know. I told you I didn't.
• 23:05
  Speaker 3: Yeah. I never had a shotgun in my life.
• 23:07
  Speaker 5: Well, you've got one now.
• 23:09
  Speaker 3: I must have picked up the wrong bag by mistake. Sure,
• 23:11
  Speaker 3: that's what happened.
• 23:13
  Speaker 5: All right, come on, Cedar.
• 23:14
  Speaker 3: Okay, okay, I'm coming.
• 23:15
  Speaker 5: You got your hand? It'll be all right.
• 23:25
  Speaker 3: Look at that. Huh?
• 23:26
  Speaker 5: You must have bad ones. What's that? Another tooth missing.
• 23:36
  Speaker 4: The story you have just heard is true. The names
• 23:39
  Speaker 4: were changed to protect the innocent.
• 23:41
  Speaker 7: On March 12th, trial was held in Department 98, Superior
• 23:45
  Speaker 7: Court of the State of California, in and for the
• 23:47
  Speaker 7: County of Los Angeles. In a moment, the results of
• 23:50
  Speaker 7: that trial. Music Philip Herbert Seaver was tried and convicted
• 24:01
  Speaker 7: of robbery in the first degree, five counts, and received
• 24:04
  Speaker 7: sentence as prescribed by law. Robbery in the first degree
• 24:08
  Speaker 7: is punishable by imprisonment for a period of not less
• 24:11
  Speaker 7: than five years in the state penitentiary. Because of the
• 24:14
  Speaker 7: viciousness of the suspect, it was decided that the terms
• 24:17
  Speaker 7: would run consecutively.
• 24:18
  Speaker 5: The End.
• 24:27
  Speaker 7: You have just heard Dragnet, a series of authentic cases
• 24:30
  Speaker 7: from official files. Technical advice comes from the office of
• 24:34
  Speaker 7: Chief of Police W.H.
• 24:35
  Speaker 3: Parker, Los Angeles Police Department.
• 24:43
  Speaker 1: We've just concluded Dragnet, episode 294, Big No-Tooth. Follow Dragnet
• 24:49
  Speaker 1: for more classic broadcasts.