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Dragnet: The Big Trial (EP4406) · The Great Detectives Present Dragnet (Old Time Radio)

0:28
Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This
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is your host, Dadam Graham. If you have a comment, email it
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to me books thirteen at Great Detectives dot net, Follow us on Twitter at
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Radio Detectives, and check us out on Instagram, Instagram, dot com,
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slash Great Detectives. If you're enjoying the podcast, please follow us using your
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our listeners. You can support the show on a one time basis by mailing
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a donation to Adam Graham peelbox one five nine one three. That's Peelbox one
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five nine thirteen, Boise, Idaho eight three seven one five. You can
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also become one of our ongoing Patreon supporters for as little ass two dollars per
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month at Patreon Great Detectives dot net. And I want to thank John for
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becoming our latest Patreon supporter at the shamous level of four dollars or more per
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month. Thanks so much for your support, John. Well. Now it
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is time for this week's episode of Dragnet. The original air ed eight April
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twentyth nineteen fifty and the title is The Big trial. The story you are
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about to hear is true, only the names have been changed to protect the
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innocent. You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned to accident investigation felony detail.
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In the early hours of the morning, a woman pedestrian is struck down by
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hit and run driver. Your job find him. Dragnet the documented drama of
2:43
an actual crime. While the next thirty minutes, in cooperation with the Los
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Angeles Police Department, you will travel step by step on the side of the
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law through an actual case, from official police files, from beginning to end,
2:57
from crime to punishment. Dragnet is the story if you were a police
3:00
force in action. It was Monday, September fourth, was hot in Los
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Angeles. We were working a night watch out of Traffic Division. My partner's
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Ben Romero. The boss is Captain Sullivan, Commander Aid. My name is
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Friday. Was twelve forty five am when I got to the second floor at
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one twenty three South for your Au Street accident investigation the Record Bureau. I
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wanta hi starting to American back with you. I got a phone wressage for
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him. Oh, he's over Georgia's Street. It'll be back a couple of
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minutes, so you've got time to take a fifteen seventh. Sure, I
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got some additional information on a hit and run felony. All right, pretty
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warm up. Here there is a copy of this warmer no, no thanks,
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all right. Officer's memo subject Investigation of hit run Felony Dr Number four
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six seven ninety two three. Location seventh and Carondelet Streets at c R O
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N D E L E T. September third, eleven, fifteen pm.
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Division Reporting AID, Division of occurrence central, central, day and time occurred
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September third, eleven fifteen pm. Location of occurrence seventh and Corondle eleven.
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Just gonna run a long, sergeant, oh page, page and a half.
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Go faster and short hand. I can transcribe it later, all right,
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excuse me? Uh, this is for Captain H. W. Sullivan,
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Commanding Aid Sir. On the above date, at eleven twenty pm,
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the undersigned officers went to the corner of Seventh and Carondelet Streets in response to
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an ambulance follow up traffic. On our arrival there, he got any matches
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one? Yeah, okay. Thanks. On our arrival there, we were
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met by eleven T we witnessed ambulance attendants placing an unconscious woman in an ambulance.
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She appeared to be critically injured. The victim was removed to George Street
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Receiving Hospital. All right. We then interviewed a man who identified himself as
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Chester J. Crawford, five four Old Green Oak Drive. He stated that
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he was acquainted with the injured woman and that her name was Sheila Gordon Grdn
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seven eight three two and a half Seventh Street. Crawford told us that he
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was taking her home from a dance and they arrived at the intersection of Seventh
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in Corondolet Streets at approximately eleven fifteen pm fifteen okay. Crawford further stated that
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while he and Sheila Gordon attempted to cross the intersection, an automobile headed west
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on Seventh Street went through the red traffic light. I did you read that
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last part? Bank h attempted to cross the intersection, an automobile headed west
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on Seventh Street went through the red pathical okay. Crawford told us that he
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jumped out of the path of the car and tried to pull him Miss Gordon
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with him. He said that the car struck her down without slowing down,
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continued out seventh Street and disappeared. I'm sorry and okay uh. Crawford stated
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the hit and run car was either a Dodge or a Plymouth, that it
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could have been either last year's model or this year's. He described the car
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as too fast, flayed sorry. He described the car as either light blue
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in color or bluish Green. Said that he failed to get the entire license
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number, but that the last three numbers on the rear plate were either eight
6:56
oh four or three oh four four or to you that's right keeping uh.
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Crawford said he made an attempt to follow the hit run car, but that
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he was unable to obtain transportation. He stated he then ran to a phone
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at the Corsef Bar and what of course c O R s ev Uh,
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that's its seventh in Caronda left and called the police when he undersigned. Officers
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then obtained Crawford's full name, address, phone number, proceeded to question residence
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the neighborhood. Weren't able to look at any other witnesses besides Crawford. Okay,
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A hi, how'd you do? Oh? So it's about all doctor
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says. We won't be able to talk to her for at least a couple
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of days, maybe not at all. That's your chances fifty to fifty if
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she's heavy on lot rebroken ReBs, brain concussion, internal injurer. What Lee
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Jones have to say is that all the reports? Sergeant? Oh yeah,
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Wanda, we'll have the rest for you a little later. Thanks, okay,
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I'll type this much. Thanks for sure. What Lee Jones have to
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say? Nothing, he didn't think he went over the area for an hour.
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No broken glass from head lights A to p I, no tire,
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imprisions worth anything, no physical evidence with a half dead girl in those suspects.
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What do you think, Joe, I don't know. It's a sour
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one. And he kicked back on the teletype. Here. No, that
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guy she was with, Crawford's not too much help, looked a little nearsighted
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to me. He saw well enough to get out of the way of that
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car. You got the notes? Uh, how much to give it?
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Let's see I got it here in the book. Uh. Car was either
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a Dodge or a Plymouth late model, color either light blue or blue green.
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The last three numbers and the license plate were eight O four or three
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O four. It was a big field to pick from. That's the only
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lead we own. You can call it that. Yeah, well, I
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guess we better talk to DMV get the dope on all cars fitting that description
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that Crawford gave us. So it's gonna be a hard trip. At least
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three thousand cars truck now, probably closer to four. What do we do
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for help? When we can ask the captain in the morning, I'll get
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it you bracket bureauro now, yell it. Yeah, we bring them out
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over Yeah? What stay Jones again? Yeah, he says he wants to
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close. Sheila Gordon was wearing at the time of the accident. He figures
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when she got hit, her clothes must have left fabric marks on the front
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of the car. It might work, it's only one trouble. What's that
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you can paint off fabric marks? Well, it's a long list. Let's
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take it from the top. Yeah, find the car. Tuesday, September
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fifth, we called Mark Benson at DMV and asked for full information on all
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vehicles fitting the general description of the hit run car. We went back and
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talked to the only witness to the hit and run, the victim's boyfriend,
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Chester Crawford. He could add nothing to what he had already told us.
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There was no response to the local teletype and the all points that were sent
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out the night before. Garaga's auto repair and paint shops throughout the city were
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also alerted. Meantime, at General Hospital, the victim, Sheila Gordon,
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was still close to death. The search for the hit run car went on.
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Two days passed Thursday, September seventh, The information re requested from DMV
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was being checked out and compiled. Ben and I met with Captain Sullivan.
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That's the last devil skipper. All the cars in this area that fit the
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general description is the one where aft you just get it? Yeah? How
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many cars do they list? Four thousand, six hundred and twenty You more
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than you expect it, eh, Yeah, no chance at all of narrowing
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it down, and that we can see no terrific order. Well, we
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try to figure it from every angle. Now we can do it two ways.
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Yeah, we keep the alert on for the hit run car around the
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divisions, all the garages in town, the auto repair shops. In other
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words, we can wait it out. Maybe we'll get the guy, maybe
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not. Yeah, Or we can check out every one of the cars on
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this list and the registered owners. Well, the first way isn't gonna do
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the job. We know that forty six hundred cars. How much hope of
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an in about thirty forty man out on a couple of weeks, maybe more,
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all right, but I think I can get him a metro division.
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What do you wanna start? First thing tomorrow? Okay, I'll set it
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out right, skipper. Hey, excuse me, Joe as the lady out
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here to see it? Okay, thanks, Uh, we'll check you in
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the morning, scamper, Right, that's her over there. Thank My name's
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Friday. Man. This is Sarge at Romearro. How do you do I'm
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Doyle, I tell Sergeant I'm Sheila Gordon's landlady, the girl in the accident.
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Yes, ma'am, or mister Crawford, he was the Chila that night
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he told me about you and he said he thought you might be able to
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help. I mean, well, it's a long story. See. When
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Sheila Gordon first came to live at my rooming house, she was a good
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girl like the rest. Lately, well, i'd be in sick now and
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all I don't like to say it. Yeah, well, rankly last few
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months before the accident. Chila just went bad, went bad completely. I
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don't think I follow you man, Oh you know, carousing all kinds of
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men. Visitors, had a different man in her apartment every night. Well,
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we're investigating a hit run case, ma'am. Chili gets out of the
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hospital. Need to talk about her when she's sick like this, But when
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she's all right. I don't want her back in my rooming house. I'm
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afraid that's none of our business either, ma'am. But if you could talk
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to Sheila persuaded a move from my house. I don't want any wrangle with
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the Randall board again. Couldn't you talk to her? I'm sorry, there's
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nothing we can do, ma'am. You better talk to her yourself. Just
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be another row like the last time, shameless woman. I don't want Sheila
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Gordon back in my house. I'll go to that hospital myself and tell up.
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She's a pretty sick girl. It's not my fault. Go right over
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to that hospital and tell her what I think of it. She's hurt pretty
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bad, oh am. I she's hurt me. What's the difference. You
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haven't been run over by a car. Next morning, Sergeant's reed and McLennan,
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Ben and myself joined the forty men from Metropolitan Division who had started checking
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out the first of the forty six hundred and twenty suspected cars. The detail
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was broken down into teams, and each team was handed a list containing the
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names of one hundred registered car owners. It was a long job and a
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dull one. Dozens of people weren't at home when we called. We had
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to rig up a system of checkbacks for each one of these. Some cars
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had changed hands two and three times. That meant more checking. By the
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end of the second week, we've gone through more than half of the forty
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six hundred names on the list. By the end of the fourth week,
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we had less than a thousand to go. At the General hospital, the
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victim, Sheila Gordon, was pronounced out of danger and recovering. We questioned
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her, but all she could tell us was that she thought the hit and
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run car was a dark color. The search went on Mondayctober sixth, Ben
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and I spent a ten hour day checking a list of car on her south
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of town. Was six thirty five pm when we got back to the office.
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Hi, Hi, read how'd you do today? Fair? Looks like
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we got one. What do you mean? Guy's name is Ralph Angelo.
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Uh, let's see UH eighty six ninety back of the road checked him out
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early this morning, first call. What's he get? One's a late model
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Plymouth like blue license number there it is UH one seven Arthur two eight o
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four. Wasn't home? Talked to his wife? Yeah, she said the
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car's been sitting home in the garage in the past month. Husband won't drive
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it. What's historic? Told her there was something wrong? Whether he was
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going to trade it in with Glenn? And I tried it cars and first
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last ship? What about the front end of the car pretty clean? One
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of the bars and the radiator girl slightly bent south Cresa and who had another
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one in the right fender? Did you bring the car in? Yeah,
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crown Eyes were working on it since lunch down the garage. Anything else?
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Uh? Found a gaser seat in the glove compartment dated September third, nine
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of the accident. Where's Angelo now? Santa Barbara? Business trip? Do
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home to night about ten m Glenn and I will pick him up then,
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see what you gotta say? And sounds good? How many possibilities that make
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Joe? Let me see about a thirty seven hundred. We've checked about four
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goodness, I get that accident investigation Friday. Hi Joe, this is Lee
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Jones. Yelly just finished checking the Plymouth reading. McLennan brought in. You
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find anything fabric prints and front bumper on the hut huh, indentation of soft
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object on hood and right front fender. Something else on that fender. What's
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a set of lip impressions? What's it mean? We found the car?
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Only one job left? Yeah, find a driver. You are listening to
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drag nets. The case history of a police investigation presented in the public Interest.
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Monday, October sixth ten PM, Suspect Ralph Angelo was picked up at
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his home by investigating officers and brought downtown to the interrogation room. Sergeants Reed
15:07
and McLennan, Ben and myself questioned him for three hours. At one thirty
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am, we took Angelo to the county jail, where it was booked in
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suspicion of five oh one vehicle code hit and run felony. The next morning
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we obtained a warrant from the District Attorney's office, and later that day Ralph
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Angelo was arigned in Municipal Court Division seven, a date was set for his
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preliminary hearing in municipal Court. Sheila Gordon recovered from her injuries and was released
15:31
from the General Hospital. On October tenth, the preliminary hearing was held.
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Sheila Gordon was on the stand most of the morning. After the noon recess,
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I was called to testify. Made your right hands. Did you tell
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me story? The testimony is about to get hunting in the kids. You
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the truth will nothing about his help of that? I know? Stay gnat
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Jill Friday to seated state your name, pleased, Joe Friday. Their address
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forty six fifty six Collis Avenue, occupation. I'm a police officer in the
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Florida City of Los Angeles. Uh you one of the investigating officers assigned to
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this case? I am. Did you have a conversation with the defendant regarding
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the case? I did? Where in the Traffic division at one twenty three
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South Figure Rolli Street. Who was president the defendant, Sergeant McLennan reed Romeo
16:29
myself. Were the statements made by the defendant free and voluntary? They were?
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Was there any promise of the community or reward or the use of force
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of violence? Did you say make statement, no, it was none.
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Tell the court the extent of the conversation at that time. Well, first
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of all, I asked him if he was the registered owner of a nineteen
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forty eight Plymouth Automobile California license number one seven arthirty two, eight oh four.
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He admitted that he was, And then I asked him if he was
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driving a car on the night of September three. He said he was,
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but that he did not drive anywhere near the location of the hit and run
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felony that night at the seventh in Carondo led Street. Did the defendant tell
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you where he drove his car that night? No, s You asked the
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defendant where he drove his car that night of September there, Yes, I
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did. And what did he answer? Well, he said, it's none
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of your business. Did you persist in this line of question? Yes,
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I did, defendant continue to refuse to give you the information? That's right.
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Uh. Did the defendant state where he was on the night of September
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third, ten pm and midnight? He refused to tell us. He advise
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the defendant at that time that his car had been impounded for investigation, That's
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right. Did you advise him the several points of incriminating evidence I had been
17:48
found in the car, Yes, we did. And what did he say?
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An answer, Well, he said, you can't prove a thing.
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I wasn't near the place. You can't prove a thing. It was that
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the sending the conversations being you and the dependent yours. Thank you. That's
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all confer for different no questions. You're on uh leland Jones. I do
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understand that's your right name. Some me swear the testimony about the depending this
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kiss be the truth of bout truth, nothing but the truth. Off again,
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I do stitch name Lee Jones. God seated your opputations. I'm a
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police officer in and father city of Los Angeles. Particular detail, Are you
18:36
scientist? I'm a lieutenant in charge of the police Crime Laboratory. Well uh
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ConfL defense stipulate the witnesses a qualified forensic chemist. Still stipulated to Jones,
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you are the commander in charge of the Police Department Scientific Investigation Division. Is
18:49
that correct? Yes, yes, Jones. I will show you a photograph
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an automobile California like December one, seven, eight to eight oh four to
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be marked people's exhibit C. Have you ever seen this car? Four.
19:07
Yeah, where and when did you see it? Three? I saw at
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the Traffic Division Garage one twenty three South figure Over Street, Monday, October
19:15
sixth this year. Did you make examination of this car at that time?
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I did? What did the examination consist of? And? Uh? What
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were you finding? I made a systematic examination of the car using omplete lighting
19:26
from a five hundred photo flood lamp and a bell type reflector. I found
19:32
the folly evidence of excuse me on the front bumper of the car. I
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found fabric marks consisting of fifty one threats to the edge. I then took
19:41
a perpendicular photograph of those marks with a copy camera. Here is a photograph
19:48
of that portion of the bumper containing those marks. Uh, I wish this
19:52
photograph we marked people's exhibits d redentilication. You procede treat mister Joe. What
19:57
else did you find in your exactamination of the attendance car? I found fabric
20:02
marks on the cowling of the car standing back under the hood. These marks
20:07
were made by fabric having a weave of thirty eight ribs to the inch side.
20:11
They have air a photograph of noise marks. Yeah, I'm gonna ask
20:15
this photograph of mark peoples exhibits. Eat. So what else did you find
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your examination of the cars? Joe? I also noted an indentation in the
20:25
right portion of the car's hood and had the appearance of having been made by
20:29
a soft object and closed in fabric striking the car. Human body struck by
20:33
a car makes such an indentation, Yes, it would. There's a photograph
20:37
I took of that indentation on the defense carm I asked this photographic markers people's
20:45
exhibits and some mark all right, continue this John. On the top of
20:52
the right hand fender of the car, I found a lip imprint in red
20:56
lipstick. I lifted that print with a piece of celifaing tape, then placed
21:00
the tape on a plain white card, which I have my share with me.
21:04
Yep as this card mark exhibit G. It's a market. Oh,
21:11
mister Jones, these pieces of evidence which you found on the defendant's car,
21:15
Uh, did you compare them with other objects? I did? Well?
21:21
If please state what comparisons you made and your fighting. Well. In the
21:25
first place, I find that the uh fabric marks in People's Exhibit C taken
21:30
from the bumper of the car has the same comparence as the stockings won by
21:36
the victim, Sheela Gordon. Secondly, I found the fabric marks shown in
21:41
the People's Exhibit D from the cowling hood of the car to be the same
21:45
cont parench as the coat won by the defendant. I further made a comparison
21:49
between the lip imprint found on the right fenders shown in People's Exhibit G and
21:55
various exemples of the victim's lips. She made the exemplar by placing her lips
22:00
against heavy, stiff white pick. I have those exempt cries with h as
22:07
they mars People's Exhibit EG. So mark I mean. I asked how did
22:11
the lip imprint taken from the defendant's car compare with these sample imprints made by
22:18
the victim's lips. I found that there were seventeen points of similarity between the
22:23
two. These points of similarity consists of various uh small lines or wrinkles which
22:30
match identically, as a may be seen in the photographs. Right Jones,
22:34
do you have an opinion as to the origin of the lip imprint on the
22:40
defendant's car as shown in People's Exhibit G. I do, what is that
22:45
my opinion that the lip imprint on the defendant's car has shown an exhibit g
22:51
was made by the lips of the victim, Sheila Gordon with Well, mister
23:00
Jones, we recognize, of course that you're a qualified forensic chemist, but
23:06
are you going to set yourself up as an expert on women's lips too?
23:11
Well, I've done some research in that part too, mister Jones. Isn't
23:18
it possible that any number of lip imprints made by different people would look exactly
23:22
alike. No, it's not possible. There are no two things in the
23:26
world exactly alike. There are no two sets of lip imprints alike. Well,
23:32
anyone who's been around at all would know that. That's all, mister
23:36
Jones. Thank you. The peoples gaves your honor defense. We will not
23:42
offer any defense at this time, Your honor. It appears to me that
23:45
a felony has been committed and reasonable cause to believe that the defendant committed it.
23:48
The defendent will be held to answer in Superior Court. Tuesday, November
23:56
fourth, Suspect Ralph Angelo was arraigned in Superior Court Department eighty eight eight and
24:00
the date of his trial was set for December first. During the weeks preceding
24:03
the set of the trial, we worked with Lee Jones and the District Attorney's
24:07
office preparing the case against Ralph Angelo. Two days before the trial opened,
24:11
we had a visit from one of the men from the DA's office process server
24:15
all Right Burke Ahi got yeah. Sheila Gordon's disappeared. Wednesday, December first,
24:26
Ralph Angelo's trial opened and Sheila Gordon was called to the stand. She
24:30
failed to appear. We checked her few known friends in the city. They
24:34
couldn't help. She had disappeared from her new address and taken everything with her.
24:38
A bench warrant was issued by Superior Court for Sheila Gordon. The Deputy
24:42
District Attorney succeeded in having the court granted delay in order to find the missing
24:47
girl in this case, the complaining witness. Meantime, we got out a
24:49
local broadcast in an APB. We got Missing Persons Detail to help out on
24:53
the search. Still no sign. Ralph Angelo's lawyer asked the court for dismissal
24:57
of the hit and run felony case because of Sheila Gordon's failure to appear.
25:00
On December the eighth, the court ruled on the motion regarding the motion by
25:07
the defense for dismissal of hit and run felony charges against ralfci Angelo because of
25:12
the prosecution's failure to produce the complaining witness through which Sheila R. Gordon,
25:18
the court feels it would not serve the interests of justice to continue the case
25:22
cases myths. The search for Sheila Gordon went on behind us. We had
25:27
logged three solid months of police work, checking and running down more than four
25:32
thousand cars, hours of labor in the crime lamb, more hours pounding the
25:37
pavement, questioning people, checking, re checking. Without a trial and a
25:41
conviction, it didn't mean a thing. Three days before Christmas, we received
25:45
information that the missing girl was living in a small town south of Los Angeles.
25:48
Ben and I checked the address. What was the apartment number seven A
25:56
one? Oh yeah, uh again, yeah, oh you two, come
26:11
in, Come in, make yourself at home. I'm sorry to play such
26:15
a mass little party earlier tonight. It's messed up. What about the trial?
26:18
Why didn't you show considan see I'll tell you what. I'll freshen up
26:22
a little, put on some makeup. What about the trial? I didn't
26:26
have anything against the guy. I didn't mean to run me down. You
26:30
You wouldn't happen to have a drink on you, would you? You know
26:32
better than that. Why didn't you show up at the trial? I told
26:34
you I didn't have anything against the guy? Or was it a payoff?
26:37
Look? Why don't we go out and get something then we can come back
26:41
and have a party. How much did he give you? Fifty dollars?
26:45
He was awful? Nice? You agreed not to show in court. I
26:48
didn't have anything against the guy. That's all. Better get your coat.
26:52
Why that's what the court wants to know. You're taking me in Why is
27:00
there any law against forgiving? Yeah, when you get paid for it.
27:11
The story you have just heard was true, only the names were changed to
27:15
protect the innocent. On February third, trial was held in Superior Court,
27:21
Department eighty eighth, City and County of Los Angeles, State of California.
27:23
In a moment the results of that trial, Sheila Gordon was returned to Los
27:37
Angeles and a new date was set for the trial of Ralph Angelo. Subsequently,
27:42
he was tried and found guilty as charged. Angelo was also tried,
27:48
along with Sheila Gordon, for compounding a felony. They were both convicted and
27:52
received the sentence as prescribed by law. They are now serving their terms in
27:56
the state penitentiary. You have just heard Dragnets, a series of authentic cases
28:06
from official fails. Technical advice for Dragnet comes from the Office of Chief of
28:10
Police W. A. Wharton, Los Angeles Police Department. The Halls of
28:18
Ivy is especially pleasant listening tomorrow on NBC Welcome Back. I thought that the
28:40
way they made expositional dialogue fit right into the plot was a really interesting device,
28:47
with Friday using a bunch of it, but it being okay because they
28:52
were doing it for a police report that a stenographer was writing down and later
28:57
he was recounting the information in the testimony. We also got to hear what
29:03
a preliminary hearing was like in the nineteen fifties. I think we're fairly familiar
29:11
with the concept, as this procedure has been featured in many fictional programs but
29:18
also in real life cases that have drawn national attention. I didn't note that
29:25
Friday just gave his name as Joe here, whereas in an episode from nineteen
29:30
forty nine he gave his name as Joseph. I wonder whether there was some
29:34
change in procedure, for it was just a reflection of the writer's preferences.
29:40
Then we got the detailed direct testimony of Lee Jones and the saucy cross examination.
29:48
Lee Jones was like, I know a thing or two about let prints.
29:51
Let me tell you. Kind of awkward, but I think it had
29:56
an understandable reason because the way that he was cross examined reflect the newness of
30:07
a lot of the public awareness of physical evidence. A defense tactic would be
30:15
to ridicule the evidence and undermine the jury's faith that it can determine anything,
30:21
will provide any evidentiary value that you could rely on, and make it absurd.
30:27
Jones used humor to reflect and also though he did reflect confidence in what
30:33
he knew and on his understanding of the evidence and wasn't going to be backed
30:40
off. This was also one of those cases where some of the random things
30:45
police officers encounter turned out to be relevant. With the landlady coming to them
30:49
to complain about the victim, her complaint was something the police couldn't care less
30:56
about, and ideally, if you're a victim of a crime, the police
31:00
shouldn't be there to judge you or your lifestyle but to ensure the person who
31:06
committed a crime against you is brought to justice. Obviously, if you've committed
31:11
a crime, that's something else, and the police need to prosecute that if
31:17
appropriate. But they did exactly what they're supposed to do. And they were
31:22
even in a subtle way trying to say to the landlady, come on,
31:29
she's in the hospital. She might not even survive. Maybe you need to
31:33
back off. But they did their job. And then she goes ahead and
31:38
ditches the trial for a fifty dollars ride. And I think this episode really
31:44
gives you perspective because I can see someone who's just kind of a casual news
31:51
reader, you know, and they hear about this story and they're like,
31:56
you know, what's the big deal. He didn't even intend to hear her.
32:00
And it's not this huge charge. If she doesn't want to press charges,
32:07
what's the problem. The big deal is that the people of Los Angeles
32:13
paid for thousands of man hours of work on this case, and effectively she
32:17
took a bribe to ignore subpoena and the case fell apart. And you can't
32:22
have a functioning justice system if that happens. If people are able to pull
32:29
those sorts of stunts. Now, one thing some people might wonder about is
32:34
how they were able to prosecute if the case was dismissed. Now, it's
32:39
worth noting that there are actually two ways a case can be dismissed. One
32:45
is with prejudice, which means it can't be brought again and it's effectively the
32:51
same as equipmental. The second is dismissal without prejudice, which means it can
32:57
be refiled later if whatever defect was in the case has resolved. In this
33:04
case, since she came back, they could go ahead and proceed with the
33:07
case. Now. They didn't say the without prejudice part, and I don't
33:14
know why, but to be fair, they did a lot of legal maneuvering
33:17
and language in this episode, so I can't complain too much about that.
33:22
All right, Well, listener comments and feedback now, and we start with
33:27
a couple of comments reviews left by Alexis, who has rated so many of
33:34
our episodes over there, and I really appreciate Alexis doing that because that helps
33:39
get us noticed on the Good Pawns app But there are a couple of comments,
33:45
and they both related to Dragnet regarding the episode The Big Gangster Alexis Riots,
33:52
how patient were they during the fitting. Modern police shows would have stopped
33:58
that much sooner. And of course that references the scene in The Big Gangster
34:02
Part two where they sat through this entire thing where a guy was being fitted
34:08
for a suit, and then they said, you know, can we go
34:12
ahead and ask you some questions and then you can go on after a good
34:17
deal of time. Now, of course that reflects Dragnette's dedication to realism and
34:25
the fact it wasn't just playing to the audience's attention span. And I think
34:30
the realism part of it was in that case, there had been a crime
34:34
committed, the person they were wanting to question was not particularly friendly to the
34:40
police, and they needed this guy's cooperation. They needed him not to have
34:47
he and his friends go off half cocked and start a gang war. That's
34:52
what they're trying to prevent. And so realistically they're going to be a bit
34:59
more deferential this person. They don't suspect he's done anything that's relevant to their
35:06
investigation. They're not trying to get him for a crime. They're trying to
35:09
get information and cooperation, and they need goodwill. So They're going to be
35:15
a lot more patient than they might be if they suspected this guy was guilty
35:21
of a crime or was the target of their investigation, and certainly a little
35:25
more patient than the audience might prefer. And then regarding the Big Book,
35:31
Alexis writes, the director of the Square Shooters Club was that a real thing?
35:37
Surely that was Colonel Potter from mash Well, thanks for the comment,
35:43
and know the Square Shooters Club was not a real thing, although there were
35:47
clubs like it, and they were not trying to antagonize those real life clubs,
35:55
but to address an argument that might be raped. And yes, the
36:00
voice was Harry Morgan who played Colonel Potter, but I guess here we more
36:08
often refer to his role as Bill Gannon, Joe Friday's partner in the nineteen
36:15
sixties Dragnet TV series. Thanks again for the comments, Alexis. And now
36:21
it is time to thank our Patreon supporter of the day, and I want
36:23
to go ahead and thank Sean. Sean has been one of our Patreon supporters
36:28
since June of twenty twenty one, currently supporting the podcast at the shamous level
36:32
of four dollars or more per month. Thank you so much for your support,
36:37
Shawn, and that will do it for today. If you're enjoying the
36:40
podcast, please follow us using your favorite podcast software and be sure to rate
36:45
and review the podcast wherever you download it from. We will be back next
36:51
Saturday with another episode of Dragnet, but join us on Monday for an episode
36:57
of the Adventures of the Falcon where Marc. Are you invested with him in
37:00
the first place? Well, you see, Muriel, friend of mine,
37:04
put her money in Barnes Company, and she made a fabulous profit. Fabulous
37:08
is a nice word for it. Just how good a friend is this,
37:12
Muriel? Oh? Very good? That's how long? Oh a month?
37:20
He cooks the finger you rush in and gets done. But now, now,
37:22
now, now, don't get the wrong idea about Muriel. She's a
37:24
nice girl. Oh, no, doubt she wouldn't lie to me. No,
37:27
of course not. He claimed dealing with Barnes as profitable for her.
37:30
Well, I'm sure it is a nice fat profit for every sucker. Now
37:34
you're wrong in that case. You still want to hire me, yes,
37:37
but you'll find out how wrong you are. All right, you're thinking of
37:39
this as a swindle, but it's not Barnes meant to pay off. I'm
37:43
sure that he did pay off to Muriel, but now something's happened and he's
37:46
stalling. Apparently he's hard pressed for cash. Well, if mister Barnes were
37:52
so hard pressed for cash, I think I'll off from some and see what
37:54
happens. I hope you'll be with us then in the meantime, send your
37:59
comments to Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot net, follow us on Twitter at
38:04
Radio Detectives, and check us out on Instagram, Instagram, dot com slash
38:09
Great Detectives from Boise, Idaho. This is your host, Adam Graham signing off.