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Transcript

Dragnet: The Big Court (EP4959) · The Great Detectives Present Dragnet (Old Time Radio)

• 0:28
  Speaker 1: Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho.
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: This is your host, Adam Graham. In a moment, we're
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: going to bring you this week's episode of drag Net.
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: But first I do want to encourage you. If you're
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: enjoying the podcast, please follow us using your favorite podcast software.
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: Today's program is brought you in part by the financial
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  Speaker 1: a one time based by Malini donation to Adam Graham
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: peel box one five nine one three. That's peel box
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: one five nine thirteen, Boise, Idaho eight three seven one five,
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  Speaker 1: and become one of our ongoing Patreon supporters for as
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• 1:20
  Speaker 1: dot Great Detectives dot net. Now from January twenty fourth,
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: nineteen fifty two, here is the Big Court.
• 1:37
  Speaker 2: The story you're about to hear is true. The names
• 1:41
  Speaker 2: have been changed to protect the innocent. You're a detective sergeant.
• 1:53
  Speaker 2: You're assigned to robbery detail. An ex convict is accused
• 1:57
  Speaker 2: of robbery and murder. Four witnesses identify him as the killer.
• 2:02
  Speaker 2: The man's arigned and municipal court and held a answer
• 2:05
  Speaker 2: your job investigator.
• 2:17
  Speaker 3: Dragnet the documented drama of an actual crime. Well the
• 2:21
  Speaker 3: next thirty minutes, in cooperation with the Los Angeles Police Department,
• 2:25
  Speaker 3: you will travel step by step on the side of
• 2:27
  Speaker 3: the law through an actual case transcribed from official police violence,
• 2:31
  Speaker 3: from beginning to ends, from crime to punishment. Dragnet is
• 2:35
  Speaker 3: the story of your police force in action.
• 2:42
  Speaker 4: It was Wednesday, March twelfth, was cold in Los Angeles.
• 2:45
  Speaker 4: We were working the day Watch out of robbery detail.
• 2:47
  Speaker 4: My partner's Ed Jacobs. The boss is Captain Didion. My
• 2:50
  Speaker 4: name is Friday. We run away over from the office
• 2:53
  Speaker 4: and it was ten forty three am when we got
• 2:54
  Speaker 4: to the third floor at the Haul of Justice Municipal
• 2:58
  Speaker 4: Court Department eighty two.
• 3:02
  Speaker 5: You see him, Joe, I think.
• 3:04
  Speaker 6: So yeah, that's him up front behind the d a stable.
• 3:06
  Speaker 5: Oh yeah, that's see. You want next year high? Oh hi,
• 3:14
  Speaker 5: Friddy Jacobs pull up a chair. Yeah, thank you. Who's
• 3:20
  Speaker 5: on the stand first? You know, victim's wife.
• 3:23
  Speaker 7: I think, oh, people pass the Saints Claire.
• 3:31
  Speaker 8: People ready in this case, to your honor, we'd like
• 3:32
  Speaker 8: to proceed with number two, three, five, four, eight.
• 3:35
  Speaker 9: You've been proceed Is the defendant ready?
• 3:37
  Speaker 5: Defendant's ready, your honor called Agnes's Halloway, Agnes Holloway to
• 3:41
  Speaker 5: the stand, Kay.
• 3:48
  Speaker 10: You just hollow I swear that the testimony are about
• 3:50
  Speaker 10: to give him the matter of pending before this court.
• 3:51
  Speaker 5: Will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but
• 3:53
  Speaker 5: the truth. To help to God, I do stay your name, please.
• 3:58
  Speaker 8: Holloway, calling your attention to the fourth day of March
• 4:07
  Speaker 8: or this year. Missus Holloway, did you see the defendant
• 4:10
  Speaker 8: in your place of business at two three oh one
• 4:12
  Speaker 8: Mailer Avenue.
• 4:13
  Speaker 5: Yes? What time of day did you first see him
• 4:16
  Speaker 5: at that location?
• 4:17
  Speaker 11: It was around ninety three?
• 4:19
  Speaker 5: Will you tell us what you saw the defendant?
• 4:21
  Speaker 12: Doll the purpose of the record, May we ask whether
• 4:23
  Speaker 12: I was in the morning or the afternoon.
• 4:25
  Speaker 8: Was that in the morning or in the PM PM?
• 4:28
  Speaker 8: Can you tell us what you saw the defendant do
• 4:30
  Speaker 8: and what you heard him.
• 4:31
  Speaker 5: Say at that place you made before the holder at
• 4:34
  Speaker 5: nine thirty? Please tell us what occurred?
• 4:36
  Speaker 13: Well, I came in about nine thirty is the place.
• 4:40
  Speaker 13: He was already sitting there at the bar.
• 4:42
  Speaker 5: Continue.
• 4:43
  Speaker 13: I came in and sat down at the end of
• 4:45
  Speaker 13: the bar. He was sitting about five stools from the door.
• 4:49
  Speaker 13: Friend of mine, Doris Senway, she's here now. Doris was
• 4:55
  Speaker 13: sitting near him. I would open and talk to Doris
• 4:57
  Speaker 13: for a while. The man didn't say anything, he was
• 4:59
  Speaker 13: just sitting there.
• 5:00
  Speaker 5: Did you see him drinking anything?
• 5:02
  Speaker 11: Yes, he was drinking scotch and soda.
• 5:04
  Speaker 5: You're the wife of George Holloway deceased. Is that correct? Yes?
• 5:08
  Speaker 8: Was he present then, baby Brenon. Was your husband George
• 5:12
  Speaker 8: Holloway present.
• 5:12
  Speaker 5: At that time? Yes, he was tending the bar by that.
• 5:15
  Speaker 8: Do you mean that your husband, yourself and the defendant
• 5:18
  Speaker 8: were the only person's present.
• 5:19
  Speaker 11: No, my friend or his family. Who was the sayer
• 5:22
  Speaker 11: there too? I don't know who he had? He sat
• 5:25
  Speaker 11: next to the defendant.
• 5:26
  Speaker 5: Could what the court?
• 5:27
  Speaker 13: Then, as we were ready to close the front door,
• 5:30
  Speaker 13: my husband noticed the light.
• 5:32
  Speaker 11: And the men is worse.
• 5:33
  Speaker 5: I'll moved that go out? What her husband noticed as
• 5:35
  Speaker 5: a conclusion of the witness? Didn't they go out? Well?
• 5:39
  Speaker 13: Anyway, my husband went back in to put the light out.
• 5:43
  Speaker 13: Dori's friendly and I went out to the sidewalk.
• 5:46
  Speaker 11: So did the sayer, and the fellow did too.
• 5:49
  Speaker 5: The defendant did.
• 5:50
  Speaker 6: Yes.
• 5:52
  Speaker 5: In a minute, I.
• 5:52
  Speaker 11: Went back inside to see what my husband was doing.
• 5:55
  Speaker 11: And the defendant followed me back in. I was about
• 6:00
  Speaker 11: as far as the music machine. He put his arm
• 6:04
  Speaker 11: around me, and he had a gun right here. He said, lady,
• 6:08
  Speaker 11: this is a sticker.
• 6:09
  Speaker 5: Could you describe the gun yourself?
• 6:11
  Speaker 11: No, I just saw it looked like a pistol to me.
• 6:13
  Speaker 11: I couldn't tell you to make her.
• 6:14
  Speaker 5: I moved that go out, if your honor please what
• 6:16
  Speaker 5: it looked like?
• 6:17
  Speaker 11: I know it was a gun.
• 6:18
  Speaker 5: The motion movie denied you were inside the building when
• 6:22
  Speaker 5: the defendant did that.
• 6:23
  Speaker 11: Yes, he said, took quiet, roll kill you?
• 6:26
  Speaker 5: And where was miss Fenwick?
• 6:28
  Speaker 11: Then she was out on the sidewalk talking to the sailor.
• 6:31
  Speaker 11: I think Doris was expecting her husband to come on
• 6:34
  Speaker 11: the street car.
• 6:34
  Speaker 5: I'm moved that go out. Miss Fenwick was out on
• 6:37
  Speaker 5: the sidewalk. May stay in the balance, may go out.
• 6:41
  Speaker 5: What did the defendant do after that? Missus Holloway?
• 6:44
  Speaker 11: He said, I will shoot you if you don't keep quiet.
• 6:48
  Speaker 11: He made me walk backwards to where my husband was
• 6:51
  Speaker 11: and I said, Johnny, this man has a gun. He says,
• 6:54
  Speaker 11: this is a sticker.
• 6:55
  Speaker 13: And the man said shut up, and he made my
• 6:57
  Speaker 13: husband put his hands up.
• 6:59
  Speaker 5: Were you in fear of the gun at that time. Oh,
• 7:01
  Speaker 5: I didn't have anything. You did you believe the defendant
• 7:04
  Speaker 5: would injure you with a gun.
• 7:06
  Speaker 11: I wasn't afraid. I said, well, it's uh hold up
• 7:09
  Speaker 11: and we'll give him the money, and that's all there.
• 7:11
  Speaker 5: Is to it, all right. Continue, Well, when.
• 7:16
  Speaker 13: We got to the back room, my husband was trying
• 7:18
  Speaker 13: to open the safe and he says, hurry up, I
• 7:21
  Speaker 13: have your wife covered.
• 7:22
  Speaker 11: Try if you don't hurry.
• 7:23
  Speaker 5: The defendant said that.
• 7:25
  Speaker 13: Yes, my husband said, don't get nervous. You can have
• 7:29
  Speaker 13: anything we have, but don't shoot it. Then my husband
• 7:33
  Speaker 13: got the safe open and took.
• 7:35
  Speaker 11: Out the money bag and handed it to the man.
• 7:37
  Speaker 11: The defendant. He grabbed it and then he shot my
• 7:41
  Speaker 11: husband twice.
• 7:42
  Speaker 8: The defendant shot your husband twice. Yes, m you know
• 7:45
  Speaker 8: what The contents of the money bag.
• 7:47
  Speaker 11: Were about a hundred and sixty dollars.
• 7:50
  Speaker 8: Any time did you give this defendant authority or your
• 7:52
  Speaker 8: consent to take that money?
• 7:53
  Speaker 5: No, sir, the taking of the money was against your will.
• 7:56
  Speaker 5: Is that correct? Yes? How soon after was it that
• 7:59
  Speaker 5: the officer arrived at the location.
• 8:01
  Speaker 11: It's about seven or eight minutes after death.
• 8:03
  Speaker 5: Your husband was removed to the hospital. Yes, Do you
• 8:05
  Speaker 5: know when your husband died?
• 8:07
  Speaker 11: He died on the seventh Friday, six o'clock.
• 8:10
  Speaker 5: You mean on the seventh of March of this year.
• 8:12
  Speaker 11: Yes, you say you Did.
• 8:13
  Speaker 5: You see your husband in the coroner's office? Biddy?
• 8:16
  Speaker 8: Did you see your husband after death in the coroner's office?
• 8:20
  Speaker 14: No?
• 8:20
  Speaker 5: I saw him in the hospital after death. Did you
• 8:22
  Speaker 5: see your husband downstairs in the coroner's office?
• 8:25
  Speaker 11: No, when my son did.
• 8:27
  Speaker 5: Did you see your husband after death?
• 8:29
  Speaker 13: Yes, at the mortuary Monday the tenth, at the mortuary,
• 8:34
  Speaker 13: and the person you viewed in death was the same
• 8:36
  Speaker 13: Charles A.
• 8:37
  Speaker 5: Holloway, who you knew in life as your husband.
• 8:39
  Speaker 11: Yes.
• 8:40
  Speaker 5: Do you know Grace Thompson?
• 8:42
  Speaker 11: Yes, sir, she works for me and my husband.
• 8:44
  Speaker 5: Was she present at your place of business on this evening? Yes?
• 8:46
  Speaker 5: When did she leave there? Do you know about?
• 8:49
  Speaker 8: Uh?
• 8:49
  Speaker 11: Five minutes to twelve midnight?
• 8:51
  Speaker 5: Can you fix the precise time when your husband was shot?
• 8:54
  Speaker 11: About five minutes after twelve.
• 8:56
  Speaker 5: Five minutes after twelve? How many times was the gun fired?
• 8:59
  Speaker 11: Twelve?
• 9:00
  Speaker 5: How close was begun to your husband? Charles Holloway must
• 9:04
  Speaker 5: have been about two feet Do you know Marion Shaw? Yes?
• 9:08
  Speaker 8: Was she present on the premises that evening she was
• 9:11
  Speaker 8: present at any you know MSUs sam Garber, Yes, was
• 9:14
  Speaker 8: she present on the premises that evening?
• 9:16
  Speaker 11: Yes, sir, And that Sally was there too.
• 9:18
  Speaker 5: Uh.
• 9:19
  Speaker 8: I didn't know him though all the chief related that
• 9:21
  Speaker 8: curred in the County of Los Angeles, State of California.
• 9:23
  Speaker 5: Yes, sir, across attend.
• 9:27
  Speaker 11: You may have a drink of water?
• 9:28
  Speaker 5: Please? Really would you like to rest awhile missus.
• 9:34
  Speaker 11: Halloway, Yes, rease, we'd.
• 9:37
  Speaker 9: Have a short recess before the cross examina are.
• 9:46
  Speaker 5: Joe? They had Yellier probably won't get to us for
• 9:49
  Speaker 5: a while. You wanna gray her smoke? Uh, that's fine,
• 9:51
  Speaker 5: on man, you think.
• 9:54
  Speaker 15: More than.
• 9:56
  Speaker 5: All that. What's your idea? Honestly though? And not to
• 10:02
  Speaker 5: have him bound out with a period cord. No, I
• 10:04
  Speaker 5: mean you think Saint Clare's the right man?
• 10:06
  Speaker 2: Got me?
• 10:08
  Speaker 5: He had just one good piece of physical evidence. I'd
• 10:10
  Speaker 5: feel a.
• 10:10
  Speaker 2: Lot better about it.
• 10:12
  Speaker 5: Good.
• 10:12
  Speaker 16: Yeah, thanks, there you go, like, yeah, thanks, thank you.
• 10:25
  Speaker 8: How about Saint Clair's alibi? All the angles checked? Hi,
• 10:28
  Speaker 8: all of 'em doesn't hold much water. Can't prove it toke,
• 10:31
  Speaker 8: can't prove it's the truth.
• 10:32
  Speaker 5: Sure, hate these things.
• 10:33
  Speaker 16: I don't know which way to go for identifying witnesses,
• 10:36
  Speaker 16: and you know how wrong they can be.
• 10:37
  Speaker 8: What about that sailor was supposed to be in the
• 10:39
  Speaker 8: bar at the time and an homicide didn't do any good?
• 10:41
  Speaker 5: How about you fella well, samely or nothing?
• 10:44
  Speaker 8: Yet he was the only one who really got a
• 10:45
  Speaker 8: close look at the killer besides the wife, I mean
• 10:48
  Speaker 8: killer bumped into him when he ran out of the bar. Yeah,
• 10:51
  Speaker 8: if anyone could identify the right man, the sailor could ran.
• 10:53
  Speaker 8: Nobody at the bar saw him before that night. Nobody's
• 10:56
  Speaker 8: seen him. Since he's not a trace of 'em. M
• 10:58
  Speaker 8: sure our best bet we could find him. We might
• 11:01
  Speaker 8: put a foundation under this thing, Yeah, put in it.
• 11:04
  Speaker 8: There's just one problem. Yeah, it's a big navy. Where
• 11:06
  Speaker 8: do we find him?
• 11:11
  Speaker 4: When fifty eight year old tavern owner Charles Holloway was
• 11:14
  Speaker 4: shot and fatally wounded in a hold up on March fourth,
• 11:17
  Speaker 4: there were five people in the immediate vicinity Holloway's wife,
• 11:20
  Speaker 4: a waitress at the tavern, two women customers, and an
• 11:23
  Speaker 4: unidentified sailor. Soon after the shooting, the scene of the
• 11:26
  Speaker 4: crime was gone over thoroughly for all physical evidence. But
• 11:30
  Speaker 4: besides the two fatal bullets. None was found. The preliminary
• 11:33
  Speaker 4: investigation failed to yield any further leads. A search was
• 11:37
  Speaker 4: started for the missing witness, the unidentified sailor the foreign.
• 11:41
  Speaker 4: Known witnesses were brought down town, where they checked through
• 11:44
  Speaker 4: volumes of pictures of ex convicts recently released from the
• 11:47
  Speaker 4: state penitentiaries. All of them identified the mug shot of
• 11:50
  Speaker 4: Harald Saint Clair, a recent parole from Chino, where he'd
• 11:54
  Speaker 4: served time for armed robbery. Saint Clair was brought in
• 11:57
  Speaker 4: immediately in question. He failed to establish an alibi for
• 12:00
  Speaker 4: his whereabouts the night of the hold up and murder.
• 12:03
  Speaker 4: He was arraigned in municipal court and not his preliminary hearing.
• 12:06
  Speaker 4: The first prosecution witness, the wife of the murdered man,
• 12:09
  Speaker 4: Agnes Holloway, singled him out as the killer. By experience,
• 12:13
  Speaker 4: the working detectives found that identifying witnesses under the strain
• 12:17
  Speaker 4: of being present at a horrible crime can often be
• 12:19
  Speaker 4: mistaken in their identification. In this instance, there wasn't anything
• 12:23
  Speaker 4: else we could do.
• 12:24
  Speaker 5: It was all we had.
• 12:25
  Speaker 4: Eleven eighteen am, the preliminary hearing resumed. The witnesses took
• 12:29
  Speaker 4: the stand in turn, and all of them tabbed Saint
• 12:32
  Speaker 4: Clair as the murderer, ed and I testified as the
• 12:35
  Speaker 4: arresting officers. At three twenty five that afternoon, the prosecution
• 12:39
  Speaker 4: rested the case for the people. Saint Clair's lawyer offered
• 12:42
  Speaker 4: no defense for the time being.
• 12:47
  Speaker 5: Here, Honor, mister Alexander.
• 12:49
  Speaker 8: This time the people moved that case number two three
• 12:52
  Speaker 8: five two nine be dismissed on the.
• 12:53
  Speaker 11: Grounds that it stakes in substance.
• 12:56
  Speaker 5: Two three five two nine. Is that correct? Yes, dismissed
• 13:01
  Speaker 5: on the ground that it states in substance. The offense
• 13:03
  Speaker 5: covered in the present case two.
• 13:05
  Speaker 8: Three five two nine covers the offense of robbery and
• 13:07
  Speaker 8: assault with intent to commit murder under the present victim
• 13:10
  Speaker 8: in our case here, Charles Holloway.
• 13:12
  Speaker 5: He was not dead at the time this case two
• 13:14
  Speaker 5: three five two nine was filed.
• 13:16
  Speaker 8: Subsequent to its filing, he died and the murder count
• 13:18
  Speaker 8: accomplished that complaint.
• 13:20
  Speaker 9: If the records showed that on the motion of the
• 13:22
  Speaker 9: District Attorney in the case of People versus Herald Our
• 13:25
  Speaker 9: Saint Clair number two three five two nine, that case
• 13:28
  Speaker 9: is dismissed. Bearing to me that the offenses in the
• 13:34
  Speaker 9: within deposition mentioned a withd COUMP one murder of felony
• 13:37
  Speaker 9: and count two robbery of felony have been committed, and
• 13:40
  Speaker 9: that there is sufficient cause to believe the within name
• 13:42
  Speaker 9: defendant Harold our Saint Clair, guilty thereof. I orderably be
• 13:46
  Speaker 9: held to answer to the same, leave be committed to
• 13:49
  Speaker 9: the custody of the Sheriff of Los Angeles County, with
• 13:51
  Speaker 9: out there.
• 13:54
  Speaker 4: In the seventeen days intervening between Saint Clair's preliminary hearing
• 13:58
  Speaker 4: and his arragement in Superior Court, ed and I, along
• 14:00
  Speaker 4: with Sergeant Stoner Beeson and Leo Tracy, continued our investigation
• 14:04
  Speaker 4: of the case. Physical evidence to either prove or disprove
• 14:08
  Speaker 4: the case against Saint Clair was not to be had.
• 14:11
  Speaker 4: We concentrated on trying to find the all important missing
• 14:14
  Speaker 4: witness to the killing, the unidentified sailor. We got out
• 14:17
  Speaker 4: an APV along with special letters and bulletins for distribution
• 14:20
  Speaker 4: to local Navy Yard commandants as well as Navy Department
• 14:24
  Speaker 4: officials in Washington, requesting help in locating him. It went slow.
• 14:29
  Speaker 4: The day before Saint Clair's Superior Court arrayment, we got
• 14:32
  Speaker 4: our first lead, but not from where we expected. A
• 14:35
  Speaker 4: two time robbery loser, Lester Jaffey, who bore a close
• 14:39
  Speaker 4: resemblance to Saint Clair, was arrested at a check cashing
• 14:42
  Speaker 4: agency on salth Hoover trying to pass a Ford's check.
• 14:45
  Speaker 4: He had several prior arrests and convictions for burglary and
• 14:48
  Speaker 4: ad w and a check of his package showed that
• 14:50
  Speaker 4: he had violated his parole.
• 14:53
  Speaker 10: A thirty eight.
• 14:53
  Speaker 4: Caliber S and W revolver found on Jaffy was delivered
• 14:56
  Speaker 4: to Rust Camp and Ballistics for examination in comparison. The
• 15:00
  Speaker 4: next day, Monday, March twenty ninth, Saint Clair came up
• 15:03
  Speaker 4: for his arrenement in Superior Court and and I were.
• 15:05
  Speaker 15: There, Saint Clair defend of his present ready or honor
• 15:19
  Speaker 15: arraigned the.
• 15:19
  Speaker 5: Prisoner erld Ire Saint Clair. Is that your true name?
• 15:25
  Speaker 5: That's right? Harold?
• 15:26
  Speaker 8: Are Saint Clair? By information number two three five four nine.
• 15:29
  Speaker 8: You're charged in COUMP one with a crime of murder
• 15:32
  Speaker 8: in that honor about March fourth of this year. You
• 15:34
  Speaker 8: did wilfully, unlawfully and feloniously and with malice of forethought,
• 15:38
  Speaker 8: murder one Charles A. Holloway, a human being, to this charge.
• 15:42
  Speaker 8: How do you now plead gilly or not gilly? Not
• 15:44
  Speaker 8: gilly in count two of the same information. Your charged
• 15:47
  Speaker 8: with the crime of robbery in that honor about March
• 15:49
  Speaker 8: fourth of this year, you did rob one Charles A
• 15:52
  Speaker 8: Holloway to that charge. How do you now plead guilty
• 15:54
  Speaker 8: or not guilly?
• 15:55
  Speaker 5: Not gilly? Joe better? Oh yeah, he's most thing to
• 16:02
  Speaker 5: a phone call? I guess must be for you. Yeah,
• 16:04
  Speaker 5: thanks that, gentlemen. Have you agreed on what day is
• 16:12
  Speaker 5: convenient for trial?
• 16:13
  Speaker 8: No agreement is yet, your honor ys a phone call
• 16:16
  Speaker 8: for you, Sergeant right here?
• 16:17
  Speaker 5: Okay, thank you Friday talking? Yeah, is that right? Yeah?
• 16:23
  Speaker 4: Okay, Russ soon as we finished here, Yeah, right bye.
• 16:29
  Speaker 5: Joe Alex here wants to know about a trial? Did
• 16:31
  Speaker 5: any ideas well?
• 16:32
  Speaker 8: We better get all the time you can, Alex. We're
• 16:34
  Speaker 8: gonna need it anything you say. What's the matter we
• 16:36
  Speaker 8: got troubles? Well, just had a call from Russ camp
• 16:38
  Speaker 8: and ballistics. Yeah, I figure we got a whole new
• 16:41
  Speaker 8: case to build.
• 16:42
  Speaker 4: What do you mean, well, the man we've got, Saint Clair, Yeah,
• 16:45
  Speaker 4: maybe he's taken the rap for somebody else.
• 16:57
  Speaker 3: You are listening to dragnet authentic stories of your police
• 17:01
  Speaker 3: force and action.
• 17:10
  Speaker 4: March twenty ninth, Monday, four fifteen pm, after the arrangement
• 17:14
  Speaker 4: of Harald Saint Clair in Superior Court at and I
• 17:17
  Speaker 4: checked with Russ camp and Ballistics. He said he'd run
• 17:20
  Speaker 4: tests on the thirty eight S and W revolver taken
• 17:22
  Speaker 4: from robbery forgery suspect Leicster Jaffey the day before. Comparison
• 17:27
  Speaker 4: microscopic examinations of test bullets fired from the gun taken
• 17:30
  Speaker 4: from jaffe and the two slugs which had been removed
• 17:33
  Speaker 4: from the body of tavern owner Charles Holloway maxed. After
• 17:36
  Speaker 4: checking with Breton at the CII Bureau and Sacramento, we
• 17:40
  Speaker 4: discovered new additions to Jaffey's long criminal record. We also
• 17:44
  Speaker 4: found out his known mo corresponded closely to that of
• 17:47
  Speaker 4: the man who robbed and murdered mister Holloway. At a
• 17:50
  Speaker 4: special show up of both Saint Clair and Jaffey, the
• 17:53
  Speaker 4: close resemblance of the two became apparent to the four
• 17:55
  Speaker 4: identifying witnesses. They frankly admitted their mistake and positive identified
• 18:00
  Speaker 4: Jaffey as the killer. Intensive investigation during the next three
• 18:04
  Speaker 4: weeks uncovered enough evidence and testimony against Jaffey by associates
• 18:08
  Speaker 4: and informers to give us a good foundation for a
• 18:11
  Speaker 4: murder conviction, but we were still without a lead for
• 18:14
  Speaker 4: one of our most essential witnesses, the unidentified sailor. The
• 18:19
  Speaker 4: first suspect, Harold Saint Clair, was cleared of the charge
• 18:22
  Speaker 4: but detained on a want from the Denver Police Department.
• 18:26
  Speaker 4: After arrangement and preliminary hearing in municipal Court, the arraignment
• 18:30
  Speaker 4: and Superior Court Lester Jaffey went on trial for the
• 18:33
  Speaker 4: Holloway killing on June second. Doctor West, the autopsy surgeon,
• 18:37
  Speaker 4: was first to be called by Assistant District Attorney Adolph Alexander.
• 18:41
  Speaker 4: He stated the results of the autopsy on mister Holloway
• 18:44
  Speaker 4: and testified as to the cause of death. John Mayer,
• 18:47
  Speaker 4: the police surveyor, was next. He produced the various diagrammatic
• 18:50
  Speaker 4: drawings of the murder scene. The third day of the trial,
• 18:52
  Speaker 4: June fifth.
• 18:55
  Speaker 5: Garber Woman's com back on frenomous Holloway. Oh yeah, missus,
• 19:00
  Speaker 5: Samuel Garber be seated. I'll see you to cross examination,
• 19:16
  Speaker 5: Missus Garber.
• 19:16
  Speaker 12: At the time you testified against the former suspect, Carrol
• 19:19
  Speaker 12: Saint Clair, you were just as positive then.
• 19:21
  Speaker 5: Were you or not?
• 19:22
  Speaker 12: If the whole up man who killed mister Holloway, was
• 19:25
  Speaker 12: Harold Saint Clair.
• 19:26
  Speaker 11: Yes, I was, But I also say he didn't have
• 19:28
  Speaker 11: the Saint type.
• 19:29
  Speaker 12: I you were absolutely sure about Harold Saint Clair, then,
• 19:32
  Speaker 12: weren't you.
• 19:32
  Speaker 11: Yes, I guess I was.
• 19:34
  Speaker 12: And you identified Saint Clair and testified a number of
• 19:37
  Speaker 12: times during that examination that Saint Clair was the.
• 19:39
  Speaker 5: Man's that right?
• 19:40
  Speaker 11: I said he resembled to me.
• 19:41
  Speaker 5: You said he was the man, didn't you.
• 19:43
  Speaker 11: I said, I thought he resembled to me.
• 19:45
  Speaker 12: You also said there was no doubt of it. Didn't
• 19:46
  Speaker 12: you that the hold up man was mister Saint Clair.
• 19:50
  Speaker 11: Well, I guess, so, I don't know.
• 19:52
  Speaker 5: You don't know, No, I guess I don't.
• 19:54
  Speaker 11: I don't remember. I'm not sure.
• 19:57
  Speaker 12: Missus Garber, you sure you remember the man you saw
• 19:59
  Speaker 12: sitting in bar that night?
• 20:01
  Speaker 6: Well, I don't know. I guess.
• 20:04
  Speaker 11: I'm not sure.
• 20:09
  Speaker 4: During the next two days, the other three identifying witnesses
• 20:12
  Speaker 4: were called to testify, and, like Missus Garber, were badgered
• 20:15
  Speaker 4: by the defense attorney unmercifully. Despite the efforts of Alexander,
• 20:19
  Speaker 4: the prosecuting attorney, it was apparent the jury was being
• 20:22
  Speaker 4: swayed heavily in favor of the defendant. Even the full
• 20:26
  Speaker 4: day and a half ray Pinker from the crime lab
• 20:28
  Speaker 4: spent on the stand seemed to have little effect in
• 20:30
  Speaker 4: counteracting the damage done by the confused testimony. To prepare
• 20:34
  Speaker 4: the jury for russ Camp's expert report and for the
• 20:37
  Speaker 4: presentation of scientific facts about the lethal bullets and the
• 20:40
  Speaker 4: murder gun found on Jaffy at the time of his arrest,
• 20:43
  Speaker 4: Pinker and Assistant District Attorney Alexander gave the jury a
• 20:46
  Speaker 4: thorough briefing on the fundamentals of ballistics. They also pointed
• 20:50
  Speaker 4: out the scientific value of ballistics in determining the guilt
• 20:53
  Speaker 4: or innocence of a defendant. On Thursday, June twelfth, russ
• 20:56
  Speaker 4: Camp took the stand as a prosecution witness, and, under questioning,
• 21:00
  Speaker 4: presented the findings of the various tests he'd run on
• 21:02
  Speaker 4: the alleged murder weapon.
• 21:06
  Speaker 8: Just a Camp, some time after you had obtained People's
• 21:09
  Speaker 8: Exhibit thirteen, did you fire a test bullet or several
• 21:12
  Speaker 8: test bullets from it from the crime laboratory?
• 21:14
  Speaker 2: I did.
• 21:15
  Speaker 8: Did you make a comparison of any of those test
• 21:16
  Speaker 8: bullets with Exhibits three and.
• 21:18
  Speaker 5: Three as the bullets which killed Charles Holloway?
• 21:20
  Speaker 8: I did. Now, in making your comparison and examination under
• 21:25
  Speaker 8: the microscope, after you had completed the mechanical part of
• 21:27
  Speaker 8: your work, and after you'd completed your examination of the
• 21:30
  Speaker 8: observable and comparable sections of the fatal bullets with a
• 21:33
  Speaker 8: test bullet fired from People's Exhibit thirteen, did you come
• 21:37
  Speaker 8: to any conclusion with respect to the.
• 21:39
  Speaker 5: Holloway fatal bullets? Yes, I did, and what was that conclusion?
• 21:43
  Speaker 5: The conclusion was.
• 21:44
  Speaker 12: That the fatal bullets, the Halloway fatal bullets People's Exhibit
• 21:47
  Speaker 12: number three and three eight, were fire to the barrel.
• 21:49
  Speaker 5: Of People's Exhibit number thirteen.
• 21:55
  Speaker 4: After another hour of testifying, russ Camp left the stand.
• 21:58
  Speaker 4: His ballistics report on the gun had made an impression
• 22:01
  Speaker 4: on the jury, but we couldn't be sure it was
• 22:03
  Speaker 4: enough to balance the set back the prosecution received from
• 22:05
  Speaker 4: its own witnesses. As far as we were concerned, Jaffy
• 22:08
  Speaker 4: was the guilty man, there wasn't a doubt about it,
• 22:11
  Speaker 4: but the case against him was apparently inconclusive as far
• 22:13
  Speaker 4: as the jury was concerned. The defense attorney obviously had
• 22:17
  Speaker 4: heard about the unidentified sailor who was also present at
• 22:19
  Speaker 4: the scene.
• 22:20
  Speaker 5: Of the killing.
• 22:21
  Speaker 4: He charged outright in the court that the district Attorney
• 22:24
  Speaker 4: was purposely preventing the appearance of the unknown sailor as
• 22:26
  Speaker 4: a witness and was concealing his identity as.
• 22:29
  Speaker 5: He told the jury.
• 22:30
  Speaker 4: The prosecution was afraid that the testimony of their alleged
• 22:33
  Speaker 4: silent witness would damage its case. Meantime, our intensive search
• 22:38
  Speaker 4: for the missing seaman was still under way. Despite half
• 22:41
  Speaker 4: a dozen favorable prosecution witnesses, the case for the people
• 22:44
  Speaker 4: appeared to be on the losing end going into the
• 22:46
  Speaker 4: closing days of the trial. Tuesday, June seventeenth, one of
• 22:50
  Speaker 4: the final defense witnesses was a missus Albert Dolan, who
• 22:53
  Speaker 4: presented a fair alibi for Jaffy. She claimed Jaffy was
• 22:56
  Speaker 4: at night school at the time of the Holloway killing.
• 22:59
  Speaker 12: Would you say of your own knowledge that on the
• 23:00
  Speaker 12: night of March the fourth, mister Jaffie was at the
• 23:03
  Speaker 12: school until midnight, Yes, he was.
• 23:05
  Speaker 5: When you left the school, did you go home alone
• 23:07
  Speaker 5: or with somebody?
• 23:08
  Speaker 11: My husband and I grove home with mister Jaffies.
• 23:11
  Speaker 16: Anything else that you can remember? Let me think you
• 23:15
  Speaker 16: sure read a convincing story. Uh, yeah, I wonder what
• 23:17
  Speaker 16: the connection is? I No, you sure got plenty of them.
• 23:21
  Speaker 16: What he figured Joe the jury. Do you think we
• 23:22
  Speaker 16: got a chance?
• 23:24
  Speaker 5: I don't know, don't bet on it, Ed, Joe, Oh high,
• 23:27
  Speaker 5: Hi gone bed. Couldn't be a lot better. It's getting
• 23:30
  Speaker 5: that way. Just got a call from womanton O. It's squadron.
• 23:33
  Speaker 8: Oh what about say that we've been looking for We
• 23:36
  Speaker 8: found him.
• 23:39
  Speaker 4: Before we left the courtroom, Ed and I briefed the
• 23:41
  Speaker 4: Assistant District Attorney Alexander on the latest development. He put
• 23:45
  Speaker 4: in a special order to the County jail for Harald
• 23:47
  Speaker 4: Saint Clair. Ed and I went across the street and
• 23:50
  Speaker 4: met with a long missing murder witness in the homicide squadroom.
• 23:53
  Speaker 4: The sailor identified himself as Seamen first Class Roy Maslin.
• 23:57
  Speaker 4: He told us that about three and a half weeks before,
• 23:59
  Speaker 4: he'd happened to see a copy of the bullet and
• 24:01
  Speaker 4: we'd gotten out on him. He checked with his commanding
• 24:04
  Speaker 4: officer and was returned to the mainland from his post
• 24:06
  Speaker 4: on Midway Island.
• 24:08
  Speaker 5: Three twenty two pm.
• 24:09
  Speaker 4: We returned to the courtroom along with Seamen first Class
• 24:11
  Speaker 4: Roy Maslin and conferred with Assistant District Attorney Alexander. The
• 24:15
  Speaker 4: first murder suspect Harold Saint Clair had already been brought
• 24:19
  Speaker 4: downstairs to the courtroom from the county jail. He was
• 24:22
  Speaker 4: placed at the opposite of the council table from the defendant,
• 24:25
  Speaker 4: Lester Jaffey.
• 24:29
  Speaker 8: May we approach the bench, you're honor, Come forward, your honor.
• 24:36
  Speaker 8: We've just now located a witness in this case. He's
• 24:39
  Speaker 8: in the Armed services and must report back for duty tonight.
• 24:42
  Speaker 8: May we have permission to call this witness out of turn?
• 24:44
  Speaker 5: Permission drafted? All right, let's.
• 24:52
  Speaker 10: Crazier right hand. Were you solemnly swear that the testimony
• 24:56
  Speaker 10: are about to give him? The matter not pending before
• 24:58
  Speaker 10: this court will beat the crew the whole truth of
• 25:00
  Speaker 10: nothing but the truth, so helped of God. I do
• 25:03
  Speaker 10: beg your name.
• 25:03
  Speaker 6: Please, Seeman first Class Roy Mason Night states name be seated.
• 25:13
  Speaker 8: Are you acquainted with a tavern cafe at twenty three
• 25:16
  Speaker 8: or one Naylor Avenue, Yes I am.
• 25:18
  Speaker 5: Were you there on the evening of March fourth of
• 25:21
  Speaker 5: this year?
• 25:21
  Speaker 11: Yes, I joed a few minutes before midnight.
• 25:23
  Speaker 8: Will you tell the court in your own words what
• 25:25
  Speaker 8: happened on the premises that night?
• 25:28
  Speaker 7: Well, it's just a couple of mystery before midnight people
• 25:30
  Speaker 7: who ran a place.
• 25:31
  Speaker 11: They said they were closing up.
• 25:32
  Speaker 5: So at a nightcap shot dice for the drinks of
• 25:34
  Speaker 5: the sky next to me. I went, who was this man?
• 25:37
  Speaker 5: I didn't know who it was. After you had your drinks,
• 25:39
  Speaker 5: did you leave the bar? Yes? I did? Heah, the
• 25:42
  Speaker 5: guy's stayed there.
• 25:43
  Speaker 12: I went out to the sidewalk and stood there talking
• 25:45
  Speaker 12: with one of the gals I saw in the barn
• 25:47
  Speaker 12: and heard a couple of shots fired on.
• 25:48
  Speaker 11: The inside of joint to scream and hollered or something.
• 25:51
  Speaker 8: Just going through the door to get inside of this
• 25:52
  Speaker 8: man thing rush now hit me square on went down.
• 25:55
  Speaker 5: I remember of seeing him run down the street, saying God,
• 25:57
  Speaker 5: I was thinking.
• 25:58
  Speaker 8: Of would you recognize this man if you said again, yes, sir,
• 26:02
  Speaker 8: that man in this courtroom now, yes, your honor, please
• 26:06
  Speaker 8: direct the defendant to stand alongside of mister Saint Clair,
• 26:09
  Speaker 8: so that this witness.
• 26:10
  Speaker 7: May properly identify the man involved. Mister Jeff will you
• 26:13
  Speaker 7: stand up, please stand to the right of Mtchison Claire.
• 26:21
  Speaker 7: Will you step down from the stand please, mister Maslin
• 26:24
  Speaker 7: and place your hand on the shoulder of the man
• 26:25
  Speaker 7: who was in the bar with the other night.
• 26:26
  Speaker 5: Of March fourth. Yes, this is the man.
• 26:37
  Speaker 6: Jeffie fast Work soon really burned up. I guess he'd
• 26:49
  Speaker 6: like to kill me.
• 26:50
  Speaker 5: You're not the only one, son. What way will they
• 26:53
  Speaker 5: read him? The verdict?
• 26:54
  Speaker 2: Uh, the story you have just heard was true. The
• 27:04
  Speaker 2: names were changed to protect the innocent.
• 27:07
  Speaker 3: On June twenty first, the jury retired to deliberate the
• 27:10
  Speaker 3: case in a moment. The results of that deliberation, Lester
• 27:22
  Speaker 3: Carl Chaffey was found guilty of murder in the first degree.
• 27:25
  Speaker 3: He was executed in the lethal gas chamber at the
• 27:28
  Speaker 3: State Penitentiary San Quentin, California. Exchange Clubs sponsor Crime Prevention
• 27:33
  Speaker 3: Week to remind you that the fight against crime is
• 27:36
  Speaker 3: your fight the year round. You have just heard Dragnet,
• 27:49
  Speaker 3: a series of authentic cases from official files. Technical advice
• 27:53
  Speaker 3: comes from the Office of Chief of Police W. H. Parker,
• 27:56
  Speaker 3: Los Angeles Police Department. Heard Tonight where Barney Philip Big
• 28:00
  Speaker 3: Pair and then Virginia Gregg. Script by Jim Mosic, music
• 28:04
  Speaker 3: by Walter Schumann. Hell, give me speaking.
• 28:17
  Speaker 4: Next, It's David Harding and Counterspy on NBC.
• 28:27
  Speaker 1: Welcome Back. Well a very interesting episode and it does
• 28:34
  Speaker 1: a good job at what it's supposed to do. Now.
• 28:37
  Speaker 1: I know that there are people who will listen to
• 28:39
  Speaker 1: this and see all of the instances where in terms
• 28:45
  Speaker 1: of modern court procedure and modern police procedure, this looks
• 28:51
  Speaker 1: a bit rough. Friday acted like it was a bit
• 28:55
  Speaker 1: of a surprise that the defense attorney knew about the
• 28:59
  Speaker 1: existence of the sailor. But in today's world, in a prosecution,
• 29:06
  Speaker 1: this sort of information would be required to be given
• 29:09
  Speaker 1: to the defense attorney as part of discovery. And of
• 29:13
  Speaker 1: course the whole identification at the end in the courtroom
• 29:17
  Speaker 1: was probably really prejudicial because you had the judge identifying
• 29:23
  Speaker 1: which of the two men was the defendant, and the
• 29:30
  Speaker 1: witness choosing between those two men coming right up to
• 29:35
  Speaker 1: them in order to make the decision. But this wasn't
• 29:39
  Speaker 1: meant to capture the way that law worked seventy years
• 29:45
  Speaker 1: in the future. I mean, how would you even do that.
• 29:48
  Speaker 1: This was meant to capture the realism of how courtroom
• 29:53
  Speaker 1: procedures worked back in nineteen fifty two, and it does
• 29:59
  Speaker 1: a good job with that. The one thing that really
• 30:02
  Speaker 1: stands out is they used an effect to make the
• 30:07
  Speaker 1: sound of a microphone that a witness might be speaking
• 30:12
  Speaker 1: into or to capture the acoustics of the courtroom. It's
• 30:16
  Speaker 1: interesting to hear, even as someone who doesn't regularly watch
• 30:22
  Speaker 1: courtroom proceedings. But I have a little bit of an
• 30:25
  Speaker 1: understanding of the law from my paralegal training days. Now
• 30:30
  Speaker 1: it's just seeing how things evolved, and they were a
• 30:34
  Speaker 1: lot more raw and less established in terms of the
• 30:39
  Speaker 1: way that certain procedures were handled as well as the
• 30:45
  Speaker 1: constitutional application. And it wasn't just the prosecutor. I mean,
• 30:49
  Speaker 1: you had the defense attorney standing up and accusing the
• 30:55
  Speaker 1: prosecutor of hiding an exculpatory witness. Today defense attorney can't
• 31:03
  Speaker 1: just decide, you know, I think I'm going to accuse
• 31:06
  Speaker 1: the prosecutor hot of hiding an exculpatory witness, because why not.
• 31:13
  Speaker 1: Why wouldn't I do that? So this episode's an interesting
• 31:17
  Speaker 1: window and to the way things were and went to
• 31:20
  Speaker 1: some effort to go ahead and recreate that. We have
• 31:23
  Speaker 1: a couple of comments regarding the Big Sorrow. First we
• 31:27
  Speaker 1: go over to Spotify, where Karen rights this episode was
• 31:31
  Speaker 1: such a lovely tribute to yar Bow and I appreciate
• 31:34
  Speaker 1: your preempting of the cigarette ad. At the end, I
• 31:37
  Speaker 1: recall listening to this episode before and feeling like that
• 31:41
  Speaker 1: ad landed like a lead balloon after all that had
• 31:44
  Speaker 1: come before it. Thank you for your show and commentary, Adam,
• 31:47
  Speaker 1: I enjoy listening. Thanks Karen. To be fair, I do
• 31:50
  Speaker 1: actually usually remove cigarette ads regardless, I do think it
• 31:56
  Speaker 1: is tricky to have ads on an episode like this.
• 32:01
  Speaker 1: It just it does tend to be the default. Now.
• 32:05
  Speaker 1: There are certain times in old time radio programs where
• 32:10
  Speaker 1: people will figure it's time to just go ahead and
• 32:14
  Speaker 1: skip the ads, either the star or the host. Most
• 32:19
  Speaker 1: of the Ben Crosby Christmas programs, I've heard the sponsor
• 32:24
  Speaker 1: has actually gone ahead and deferred their commercial messages, and
• 32:30
  Speaker 1: you'll have some occasions where sponsor realized that maybe not
• 32:35
  Speaker 1: a good time to do live ads. I can see
• 32:40
  Speaker 1: how the death of an actor would not be viewed
• 32:44
  Speaker 1: as that sort of occasion by the sponsor. As I said,
• 32:49
  Speaker 1: the sort of program that Web did you didn't hear
• 32:53
  Speaker 1: or see quite a bit of. Although I've encountered quite
• 32:57
  Speaker 1: a few episodes of programs that will pay tribute to
• 33:02
  Speaker 1: an actor that died, it just was not the norm.
• 33:06
  Speaker 1: In nineteen fifty one, over on YouTube, the m DG comments,
• 33:14
  Speaker 1: I could feel their love for Romero and their genuine
• 33:17
  Speaker 1: sadness relatable and moving. And then finally we have a
• 33:21
  Speaker 1: comment from our listener survey over at Blueberry listener Rights.
• 33:28
  Speaker 1: I love the introduction to the episodes and especially the
• 33:31
  Speaker 1: old time episodes themselves, and that one comes from Eric.
• 33:36
  Speaker 1: Thanks so much, Eric, appreciate you taking the time to
• 33:38
  Speaker 1: fill out our listener survey. Well, now it's time to
• 33:42
  Speaker 1: thank our Patreon supporter of the day. Thank you to Renee,
• 33:46
  Speaker 1: Patreon supporter since December, currently supporting the podcast at the
• 33:52
  Speaker 1: Detective Sergeant level of seven dollars and fourteen cents or
• 33:55
  Speaker 1: more per month. Thanks so much for your support, Renee,
• 33:58
  Speaker 1: and that will do it for If you're enjoying the podcast,
• 34:02
  Speaker 1: please follow us using your favorite podcast software and be
• 34:07
  Speaker 1: sure to rate and review the podcast wherever you download
• 34:10
  Speaker 1: it from. We will be back next Thursday with another
• 34:14
  Speaker 1: episode of Dragnet, but join us back here tomorrow for
• 34:18
  Speaker 1: yours truly. Johnny d all Or where Thomas Thomas? Yeah,
• 34:22
  Speaker 1: that's right, Ken.
• 34:23
  Speaker 2: What can you tell me about him?
• 34:24
  Speaker 14: Well, not everybody knew it, Johnny, but day he was
• 34:27
  Speaker 14: a mouthpiece for the old Maretti mob That was some
• 34:30
  Speaker 14: years ago when they started the big cleanup. Well, either
• 34:34
  Speaker 14: Thomas couldn't or just playing wouldn't get him off the hook.
• 34:37
  Speaker 14: Let him all go to jail and he settled down,
• 34:39
  Speaker 14: retired in his home out Nillhurst.
• 34:41
  Speaker 2: Well he's certainly not there now, ken No, about a.
• 34:44
  Speaker 14: Year ago he suddenly sold his plays, packed up, moved
• 34:47
  Speaker 14: out with somewhere.
• 34:48
  Speaker 5: Why you know, change of climate.
• 34:51
  Speaker 1: I guess what about him.
• 34:53
  Speaker 2: Johnny Ever hear at Charlie one way.
• 34:56
  Speaker 14: You getting he was one of Already's trigger.
• 34:58
  Speaker 5: Men, Arlie they called him.
• 35:01
  Speaker 8: You know where he is now?
• 35:03
  Speaker 14: Oh, they sent him up to Joliet Prison along with
• 35:06
  Speaker 14: the rest of them. Off those boys are being the
• 35:08
  Speaker 14: twink the.
• 35:08
  Speaker 1: Rest of that metric.
• 35:10
  Speaker 14: Oh wait a minute, Yeah, Casual Charlie and Snooty Wilson
• 35:13
  Speaker 14: were released.
• 35:15
  Speaker 6: Yeah, and hey, that was.
• 35:18
  Speaker 14: Just about the same time that Thomas moved away from here.
• 35:21
  Speaker 8: If that means anything, maybe I got a hunch it
• 35:23
  Speaker 8: means everything.
• 35:24
  Speaker 1: Hope you'll be with us then in the meantime. Send
• 35:27
  Speaker 1: your comments to Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot yet,
• 35:32
  Speaker 1: follow us on Twitter at Radio Detectives, and check us
• 35:35
  Speaker 1: out on Instagram, Instagram, dot com, slash Great detectives from Boise, Idaho.
• 35:42
  Speaker 1: This is your host, Adam Graham.
• 35:44
  Speaker 5: Sign and all