Latest / The Great Detectives Present Dragnet (Old Time Radio) / Dragnet: The Big Run (EP4794)

Transcript

Dragnet: The Big Run (EP4794) · The Great Detectives Present Dragnet (Old Time Radio)

• 0:28
  Speaker 1: Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho.
• 0:35
  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 Dragnet. But
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: first I do want to remind you our listener support
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: and appreciation campaign continues and you can become one of
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: our ongoing Patreon supporters at Patreon dot Great Detectives dot net.
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: But now, from June twenty one, nineteen fifty one, here
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: is the vague run.
• 1:11
  Speaker 2: The story you were about to hear is true, only
• 1:14
  Speaker 2: the names have been changed to protect the innocent.
• 1:17
  Speaker 3: Fatima Cigarettes, best of all Long Cigarettes, brings you Dragnet.
• 1:29
  Speaker 2: You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned to accident investigation hit
• 1:33
  Speaker 2: and run detail. You receive a call that two elderly
• 1:36
  Speaker 2: women have been struck down on a crosswalk by a
• 1:38
  Speaker 2: hit and run driver. The women lie in Georgia Street Hospital.
• 1:41
  Speaker 2: Their condition is critical. Your job find the driver.
• 1:55
  Speaker 3: Drag met the documented drama of an actual crime. For
• 1:59
  Speaker 3: the next thirty minutes, in cooperation of the Los Angeles
• 2:02
  Speaker 3: Police Department, you will travel step by step on the
• 2:04
  Speaker 3: side of the law through an actual case transcribed from
• 2:07
  Speaker 3: official police buyos. From beginning to end, from crime to punishment.
• 2:12
  Speaker 3: Drag Net is the story of your police force in action.
• 2:18
  Speaker 4: It was Saturday, September fifth, was mild in Los Angeles.
• 2:22
  Speaker 4: We're working the day Watch out of accident investigation, get
• 2:24
  Speaker 4: and Run detail. My partner's Ben Romero. The boss is
• 2:27
  Speaker 4: Benny Caldwell, Chief of Traffic. My name's Friday. It was
• 2:31
  Speaker 4: seven thirty five PM when I got to forty six
• 2:33
  Speaker 4: to fifty six Collis Avenue my.
• 2:35
  Speaker 5: Front door.
• 2:38
  Speaker 2: Here?
• 2:38
  Speaker 6: Is that your jersey?
• 2:39
  Speaker 5: Yeah? Ma got both Sunday papers.
• 2:43
  Speaker 7: I'm good. It's nice music on the radio, isn't it.
• 2:49
  Speaker 5: Yeah, it's pretty. It's your favorite song, isn't it.
• 2:52
  Speaker 7: Yes? See you in my dreams. Every Saturday night we
• 2:57
  Speaker 7: used to get together down there were Cromwell House and
• 3:00
  Speaker 7: west Adden's Boulevard Weekly dance you know, yeah, I know
• 3:04
  Speaker 7: you have him a lovely old home down there, have
• 3:07
  Speaker 7: a beautiful ballroom upstairs. Always that had a good time
• 3:11
  Speaker 7: at the Cromwell House.
• 3:13
  Speaker 5: Was that before you were married?
• 3:14
  Speaker 6: Oh?
• 3:14
  Speaker 7: My, Yes, met your father through Mildred Cromwell. You know
• 3:21
  Speaker 7: she was quite fond of him too, that's all. Yes,
• 3:24
  Speaker 7: she was. Oh, nothing was serious, but cheers to think
• 3:28
  Speaker 7: quite a lot of Sam.
• 3:29
  Speaker 5: And you broke him up.
• 3:30
  Speaker 7: Huh, Joseph, You know I wouldn't do a thing like that.
• 3:35
  Speaker 7: Millie was only mightily interested in Sam. I wouldn't come
• 3:38
  Speaker 7: between the two people that were happy.
• 3:41
  Speaker 5: You know that. Oh there's no way he used to
• 3:43
  Speaker 5: tell it, So you just broke him up, that's all.
• 3:45
  Speaker 7: Yes, Well, you ever tell you about the time all
• 3:51
  Speaker 7: the girls in bode of some of the fellows from
• 3:53
  Speaker 7: the Royal Order of the Western Wildlife Protective Brotherhood Southern
• 3:57
  Speaker 7: chiter over to the basket bappele to a what basket raffle?
• 4:02
  Speaker 7: All the girls packed tasty lunches and the boys bid
• 4:05
  Speaker 7: for them a douction.
• 4:07
  Speaker 5: Oh yeah, uh.
• 4:08
  Speaker 7: It was a warm summer evening, just like tonight. It
• 4:12
  Speaker 7: was a grand affair. Annie Shellman was there with Jim Donahoe,
• 4:17
  Speaker 7: and your father came with Lorenzo Fisher, the Grand Faesier
• 4:20
  Speaker 7: of the wildlifeers Man.
• 4:22
  Speaker 5: Sounds like quite an evening.
• 4:24
  Speaker 7: Joseph, It really was. Samuel bid the highest for my basket,
• 4:30
  Speaker 7: ten dollars and fifteen cents. I'll always think to this day,
• 4:34
  Speaker 7: that's the reason Millie Cromwell's been so cool toward me.
• 4:37
  Speaker 5: Well could be? Do you want part of the examiner? Mark?
• 4:43
  Speaker 7: Thank you, son. I want to finish turning this collar
• 4:45
  Speaker 7: in your shirt.
• 4:46
  Speaker 5: Okay.
• 4:49
  Speaker 7: You wouldn't think a basket lunch could come between two
• 4:52
  Speaker 7: good friends, would you?
• 4:54
  Speaker 5: A big barn I say, we'd.
• 4:56
  Speaker 7: Never think a basket lunch should break up of friendship
• 4:59
  Speaker 7: like me Crown.
• 5:00
  Speaker 5: That was n no, ma'am, you wouldn't. I'll get it.
• 5:04
  Speaker 8: Man Friday talking Joe. Oh yeah, man, got a bad one.
• 5:16
  Speaker 9: Two utterly women who struck by.
• 5:17
  Speaker 5: Hit and run. Well, just have been a mc McCanny. Hey, Ma,
• 5:20
  Speaker 5: would you turn down the radio please? Thank you? Yeah? Man,
• 5:23
  Speaker 5: go ahead, three.
• 5:24
  Speaker 10: Blocks west the rivers side of Lost Phelis. We have
• 5:27
  Speaker 10: two traffic cars out there now for the preliminary investigation.
• 5:31
  Speaker 5: Better roll on it, right Mac, right away.
• 5:32
  Speaker 10: I've already notified Romeo. He's on his way over to
• 5:34
  Speaker 10: pick you up.
• 5:35
  Speaker 2: Now.
• 5:35
  Speaker 5: Okay, I'll be ready. Give me informed, right Mac?
• 5:37
  Speaker 7: May you have to go back to work?
• 5:43
  Speaker 5: Truth? Yeah? Where'd you put in my flashlight? Do you remember?
• 5:45
  Speaker 7: Right here?
• 5:47
  Speaker 5: Okay? Thank you?
• 5:49
  Speaker 7: Where does it sound an accident?
• 5:51
  Speaker 5: Yeah? Bad one. It sounds like hit and run.
• 5:54
  Speaker 7: Who is it? They say?
• 5:56
  Speaker 5: A couple of elderly women struck down up on Los Veields.
• 5:58
  Speaker 7: That terrible.
• 5:59
  Speaker 5: Yeah, they're all terrible.
• 6:05
  Speaker 4: Ten minutes after I hung up the phone, Ben arrived
• 6:07
  Speaker 4: and at eight ten pm we got to the intersection
• 6:09
  Speaker 4: of Lost Phelis Boulevard and Commonwealth Avenue. The bodies of
• 6:13
  Speaker 4: the two victims had been removed and taken to the
• 6:15
  Speaker 4: Georgia Street Receiving Hospital. One of the uniformed officers was
• 6:19
  Speaker 4: taking photographs of the scene. His partner was picking up
• 6:23
  Speaker 4: particles of glass and all physical evidence left by the
• 6:25
  Speaker 4: hid and run driver.
• 6:27
  Speaker 5: He identified himself as Officer E. W. Hyde, Unit sixty one.
• 6:30
  Speaker 9: T A few pieces of the headlight lands and the
• 6:35
  Speaker 9: chrome ring about all.
• 6:37
  Speaker 5: And this is the point of impact.
• 6:39
  Speaker 9: Yeah, that's right. It's twenty four feet south of the
• 6:44
  Speaker 9: northerly pavement in about twelve feet es to the westerly
• 6:46
  Speaker 9: curt line.
• 6:47
  Speaker 4: Right in the crosswalk up there. Huh yeah, and freshly painted.
• 6:51
  Speaker 4: The driver couldn't miss seeing it.
• 6:52
  Speaker 5: Yeah, it's well illuminated and good street lighting up here.
• 6:55
  Speaker 5: Hide with the signals in operation. No, they weren't.
• 6:57
  Speaker 9: Boulevard stopped here though, blinkers are all in operation.
• 7:01
  Speaker 5: How far were the bodies of the victims thrown Briday.
• 7:03
  Speaker 9: Number one was thrown seventy feet buddy number two was
• 7:06
  Speaker 9: not thirty eight feet in the southwest direction. Both came
• 7:08
  Speaker 9: to rest approximately at the center line of the street.
• 7:11
  Speaker 5: MM.
• 7:11
  Speaker 9: Whoever did it was going at a high rate of speed.
• 7:14
  Speaker 9: That's when we figured. I told you there were no
• 7:15
  Speaker 9: skid marks, didn't they?
• 7:16
  Speaker 5: Yeah? You did.
• 7:17
  Speaker 9: Any witnesses Yeah, there's three, but only one I think
• 7:19
  Speaker 9: will be helpful. That's the name in Andrew. He's right
• 7:22
  Speaker 9: over there in the curb. Now, name's Richard Mortigan, runs
• 7:24
  Speaker 9: the nursery there.
• 7:25
  Speaker 5: Well, thanks, Hide. You're gonna make the reports and book
• 7:28
  Speaker 5: the evidence.
• 7:29
  Speaker 9: Right, yeah, I'll take care of it.
• 7:30
  Speaker 5: Thanks.
• 7:30
  Speaker 9: Mortigan over there in the ten overalls. All right, thanks
• 7:32
  Speaker 9: a lot, Hide.
• 7:33
  Speaker 4: Okay, Uh, your name Richard Mortigan?
• 7:39
  Speaker 5: Is that right, sir? Yeah, that's right.
• 7:41
  Speaker 4: Police officers. Mister Mortigan is asige at the mill or
• 7:44
  Speaker 4: are you? My name is Friday. We're out of accident investigation.
• 7:47
  Speaker 4: I talk to you about the accident that just happened here.
• 7:49
  Speaker 5: Sure was a bad one. I hope you catch those kids.
• 7:52
  Speaker 5: Didn't even slow down.
• 7:53
  Speaker 4: Understand you witnessed the accident wonder if you'd be kind
• 7:56
  Speaker 4: enough to tell us what you saw.
• 7:57
  Speaker 11: I would just closing up my nursery here, just unlock
• 7:59
  Speaker 11: my car. ARM was about to get in when I
• 8:01
  Speaker 11: saw this car come shooting up Los Phelis there fast
• 8:04
  Speaker 11: clip went away with the two women. They were just
• 8:06
  Speaker 11: stepping off the curve under the crosswalk over there. I
• 8:08
  Speaker 11: could tell they didn't see the car. Yelled hawk my horn.
• 8:12
  Speaker 11: I guess I wasn't quick enough. Just off the going
• 8:14
  Speaker 11: this morning. Oh away, that car hit those women. Looked
• 8:17
  Speaker 11: to me like he knocked him fifty feet at least,
• 8:20
  Speaker 11: and then just like nothing at all. The car raced
• 8:22
  Speaker 11: right on through the intersection on Don Los Phylis that way,
• 8:24
  Speaker 11: M need you get a look at the driving, No, sir,
• 8:27
  Speaker 11: not too good. But I believe he had blonde hair.
• 8:30
  Speaker 11: Looked to me like he was alone in the car.
• 8:32
  Speaker 5: Anything more about him.
• 8:33
  Speaker 11: Looked like a young kid to me, I bet on
• 8:35
  Speaker 11: that he was young, blond kid, about oh eighteen nineteen
• 8:40
  Speaker 11: on in there.
• 8:41
  Speaker 5: Now, how about the car he was driving? Can he
• 8:42
  Speaker 5: help us out there?
• 8:43
  Speaker 9: See?
• 8:43
  Speaker 5: I believe it was a Ford.
• 8:45
  Speaker 11: I don't know what year, Yeah, uh Ford sedan two door?
• 8:48
  Speaker 5: What color was it? Black, dark blue, I'd say black.
• 8:53
  Speaker 5: Did you happen to get the license numbers? See? Oh?
• 8:55
  Speaker 11: Sure, everything happened so fast time. Guess there was kind
• 8:57
  Speaker 11: of stunned for a minute, you know how you'd be sorry?
• 9:00
  Speaker 5: I wish I did.
• 9:01
  Speaker 12: And you're pretty sure about the car, mister Mortigan. Are
• 9:03
  Speaker 12: you familiar enough with cars to be positive it was Afford?
• 9:07
  Speaker 5: Yeah? I think I am.
• 9:08
  Speaker 11: And you don't know what year the car went, Oh, sir,
• 9:10
  Speaker 11: I'm sorry, I don't just know what's a Ford Sadam.
• 9:13
  Speaker 5: Well, thank you very much, mister Mortigan. We may have
• 9:15
  Speaker 5: to check back with you later anytime. You'd better do
• 9:18
  Speaker 5: whatever I can to help you get that driver udden
• 9:20
  Speaker 5: we get a hold of him this morning. Well, I'm
• 9:21
  Speaker 5: right here all times.
• 9:22
  Speaker 11: Mortigan, Nurseries forty four oh two los Phyllis four number,
• 9:26
  Speaker 11: Normandy three two two five seven. I seem thank you
• 9:29
  Speaker 11: very much. It's too or woman didn't never chance a minute.
• 9:32
  Speaker 11: They stepped off the curb. Crazy kid didn't even stop
• 9:35
  Speaker 11: to see if you could help him.
• 9:36
  Speaker 5: Yes, sir, we know. Man again, maybe you didn't see him.
• 9:39
  Speaker 5: Maybe it wasn't his fault. Whose fault was it? He
• 9:41
  Speaker 5: didn't stop before we left the scene of the accident.
• 9:46
  Speaker 4: We interviewed the other two witnesses, but they could add
• 9:49
  Speaker 4: nothing to Richard Mortigan's statement. Investigation disclosed that victim number
• 9:53
  Speaker 4: one was on Marcella R. And Norton, aged fifty eight.
• 9:57
  Speaker 4: Victim number two was identified as Elizabeth Anne Care.
• 10:00
  Speaker 5: Aged sixty five.
• 10:02
  Speaker 4: Ben and I drove over to the Hollywood station where
• 10:04
  Speaker 4: we met Officer Hyde, who was just completing his reports
• 10:07
  Speaker 4: and was booking the physical evidence found at the scene
• 10:09
  Speaker 4: of the accident. Included in the evidence were the top
• 10:12
  Speaker 4: coats worn by the victims at the time they were
• 10:14
  Speaker 4: struck down.
• 10:16
  Speaker 5: All this was turned over to Lieutenant Lee Jones in
• 10:18
  Speaker 5: the crime lab.
• 10:20
  Speaker 4: Ben and I compiled a small amount of information that
• 10:23
  Speaker 4: we had the physical evidence found at the scene and
• 10:26
  Speaker 4: the scanned information that the witnesses were able to give us.
• 10:29
  Speaker 4: Not enough for us to attempt to identify the driver
• 10:31
  Speaker 4: of the hid and run car. Well, it wasn't much
• 10:34
  Speaker 4: to go. On nine to fifty four pm, we got
• 10:37
  Speaker 4: a call from Lee Jones who said that he'd completed
• 10:39
  Speaker 4: his investigation and wanted to see us right away.
• 10:41
  Speaker 5: We went over to the crime lab.
• 10:43
  Speaker 9: I think maybe I got what you need ed well,
• 10:45
  Speaker 9: we haven't got much now, so almost anything will help Lee.
• 10:48
  Speaker 9: I's go back then, all right. First off, your witness
• 10:53
  Speaker 9: out there, what was his name?
• 10:54
  Speaker 5: Mortigan? Yeah?
• 10:55
  Speaker 9: Well Mortigan is right. The cow was black and the
• 10:58
  Speaker 9: microscopic analysis and scrapings found on the victim's coats. Yeah,
• 11:02
  Speaker 9: I'd say a black car previously painted tan or sand
• 11:05
  Speaker 9: color under the black.
• 11:06
  Speaker 5: That was one of the things he's positive about. How
• 11:08
  Speaker 5: about the make and the models? Anything? There is not
• 11:10
  Speaker 5: too much there.
• 11:11
  Speaker 9: I think maybe I can help you there too. What's
• 11:13
  Speaker 9: a break in Let's see, just got back from the
• 11:17
  Speaker 9: lighthouse and a lens meet a test and those pieces
• 11:20
  Speaker 9: of broken head light lens and the diapter reading shows
• 11:23
  Speaker 9: that that particular type lens was made in nineteen thirty four.
• 11:26
  Speaker 5: How about the make of the car?
• 11:27
  Speaker 9: League The only company that used this type of lens
• 11:30
  Speaker 9: was the Ford Motor Company.
• 11:31
  Speaker 5: Pretty positive.
• 11:32
  Speaker 9: Buy ran a spectrographic test on the chemical composition of
• 11:35
  Speaker 9: the glass and the lens checks out. Huh, I got
• 11:37
  Speaker 9: a car to work on, that said, nineteen thirty four
• 11:40
  Speaker 9: Ford Black.
• 11:41
  Speaker 5: Oh, thanks a lotly. It's all right.
• 11:43
  Speaker 9: When you find the car, I can tie it in
• 11:45
  Speaker 9: definitely for you.
• 11:46
  Speaker 5: Oh, it's fine.
• 11:47
  Speaker 9: Oh excuse me, Crime Lab Jones. Right here, Mac, just
• 11:53
  Speaker 9: a minute there, either one of you. It's Mick Deerman.
• 11:56
  Speaker 9: I'll take a gymp Okay, yeah, I'm Max from Meryl.
• 12:02
  Speaker 9: Oh when yeah, I mean too? Yeah right, Mak just
• 12:08
  Speaker 9: got work from Georgia Street. Yeah, both victims had just died.
• 12:15
  Speaker 9: With the death of the two.
• 12:16
  Speaker 4: Victims, what had only been a hit and run felony
• 12:19
  Speaker 4: had now become a case of manslaughter, two counts. Ben
• 12:22
  Speaker 4: and I went back to the office and met with
• 12:24
  Speaker 4: Lieutenant mcderman. Past experience has proven to the traffic officer
• 12:28
  Speaker 4: that the quickest and surest way to a successful prosecution
• 12:31
  Speaker 4: of a hit and run case is with the full
• 12:33
  Speaker 4: cooperation of the average citizen. A hit and run felony
• 12:37
  Speaker 4: differs from the ordinary police case in that the investigating
• 12:40
  Speaker 4: officers are not dealing with a criminal suspect. In the
• 12:43
  Speaker 4: case of this nature, the guilty party could well be
• 12:45
  Speaker 4: the outstanding citizen of his community. In all probability, he
• 12:49
  Speaker 4: had no motive for a crime, only motive and running
• 12:52
  Speaker 4: from the scene of the accident. Well, the one way
• 12:54
  Speaker 4: to gain citizen cooperation was to acquaint him with all
• 12:57
  Speaker 4: the details of the accident. And he and all information
• 13:00
  Speaker 4: that we had or would obtain as the case worked
• 13:02
  Speaker 4: towards solution ten to fifteen pm Saturday, September fifth.
• 13:06
  Speaker 5: In addition to the emergency.
• 13:07
  Speaker 4: Broadcast put out at the time of the accident, supplemental
• 13:10
  Speaker 4: broadcasts and apbs were sent out.
• 13:12
  Speaker 5: Ben and I then started to make up a special
• 13:14
  Speaker 5: police bulletin wanted fremnus laughter and hit and run felony.
• 13:22
  Speaker 4: Okay, uh information regarding identity of occupant of following hit
• 13:27
  Speaker 4: and run vehicle.
• 13:30
  Speaker 5: Regarding identity of occupant.
• 13:32
  Speaker 4: Yeah vfl okay got it involved in accident resulting in
• 13:39
  Speaker 4: death of two female pedestrians.
• 13:43
  Speaker 12: Accident destiny. Accident occurred September fifth, Proximen.
• 13:53
  Speaker 5: Day, What times Joe seven thirty pm.
• 13:55
  Speaker 12: Right on Rose Famous Bulletvard at intersection Commonwealth Avenue.
• 14:08
  Speaker 5: Okay, now I can see what we got. Thank you.
• 14:14
  Speaker 4: Occupant young Mail Caucasian, approximately eighteen to nineteen years of age.
• 14:18
  Speaker 4: Vehicle nineteen thirty four Ford Sedan, black with tan undercoat,
• 14:23
  Speaker 4: driven by Mail occupant. This car will have extensive damage
• 14:26
  Speaker 4: to front end. Facsimile photographs of type of car wanted
• 14:30
  Speaker 4: to appear on this bullet We got the photos right,
• 14:32
  Speaker 4: here side and front and back view. Okay, this ought
• 14:35
  Speaker 4: to do it. Let's get it down to the printing
• 14:36
  Speaker 4: bureau right away.
• 14:37
  Speaker 12: Yeah, auto banks, shops, wrecking yards, garages, repair stations.
• 14:41
  Speaker 5: Used car lots, insurance company. The daily papers are running
• 14:44
  Speaker 5: a spread on it in the next edition. That all
• 14:46
  Speaker 5: to cover. Yeah, it's all there if it gets to
• 14:48
  Speaker 5: the right person.
• 14:50
  Speaker 4: Wednesday, September ninth, ten forty five am, the inquest of
• 14:54
  Speaker 4: the two hit and run victims was held and the
• 14:56
  Speaker 4: jury returned a quick verdict of manslaughter two counts, naming
• 14:59
  Speaker 4: it John Doe is guilty. For the next three weeks,
• 15:02
  Speaker 4: we received numerous phone calls concerning the black Ford Sedan.
• 15:06
  Speaker 4: All leads were checked out and failed to materialize. Cars
• 15:09
  Speaker 4: fitting the description of the wated vehicle were constantly being stopped,
• 15:12
  Speaker 4: and the occupant's question we got nowhere. Ben and I
• 15:16
  Speaker 4: followed up on our bulletins. We checked various garages and
• 15:18
  Speaker 4: paint shops. Used car lots were checked and rechecked.
• 15:21
  Speaker 5: No luck.
• 15:22
  Speaker 4: Monday, October third, two thirty pm, we were on our
• 15:25
  Speaker 4: way back to the office after having canvas several wrecking
• 15:28
  Speaker 4: yards and repair stations.
• 15:32
  Speaker 12: I never knew they made so many Black thirty four
• 15:34
  Speaker 12: to Ford. Yeah, I don't see how we could have
• 15:39
  Speaker 12: overlooked anything.
• 15:39
  Speaker 5: You.
• 15:40
  Speaker 4: No, I don't something ought to break on this thing soon.
• 15:43
  Speaker 4: We just had a little more to go on that
• 15:45
  Speaker 4: license number. If somebody could have seen any that'd help,
• 15:47
  Speaker 4: wasn't it.
• 15:48
  Speaker 5: I'll get it. Traffic Friday.
• 15:53
  Speaker 10: Hello, my name is Dan Provost. I run to use
• 15:55
  Speaker 10: car lots Dan's corner at five four Avenue.
• 15:59
  Speaker 5: Yes, sir, I like it.
• 16:00
  Speaker 10: Talk to somebody regarding that last bullet and you sent
• 16:02
  Speaker 10: out September seventh this year.
• 16:03
  Speaker 5: Well, I think maybe I can help you, sir.
• 16:05
  Speaker 10: Then thirty four Ford you're looking for on that hit
• 16:07
  Speaker 10: and run.
• 16:07
  Speaker 6: Thing, Yeah, that's right, young kid blonde says he's got
• 16:10
  Speaker 6: some repair work for us.
• 16:11
  Speaker 10: Yeah, I got one of my mechanics stalling him.
• 16:13
  Speaker 5: Now, what's the car looked like, mister provo?
• 16:15
  Speaker 10: Like the one you're looking for. The reason I called
• 16:17
  Speaker 10: is because he says he banged up the front end
• 16:19
  Speaker 10: right away.
• 16:19
  Speaker 5: I remember the bullet all right, So see if he
• 16:21
  Speaker 5: can hold him there, will you We'll be right over.
• 16:22
  Speaker 10: I'll do my best.
• 16:23
  Speaker 5: We'll be right there.
• 16:24
  Speaker 10: I think I've got your man for you.
• 16:28
  Speaker 4: It took us fifteen minutes to get to fifty four
• 16:30
  Speaker 4: to seventy three sixth Avenue Dan's corner. We crossed over
• 16:34
  Speaker 4: the gravel covered lot to the rear, where we found
• 16:36
  Speaker 4: a small wooden shack marked office. Dan Provost met us
• 16:39
  Speaker 4: at the door.
• 16:43
  Speaker 9: I'm Provost you the police. Yes, sure, i'ry. I'm sorry.
• 16:46
  Speaker 9: I did my best, but I couldn't hold him here
• 16:48
  Speaker 9: without making him suspicious. But I'm sure he'll be back.
• 16:51
  Speaker 5: How do you know?
• 16:51
  Speaker 9: We see he bought this car from it says he
• 16:53
  Speaker 9: had a little accident and wanted us to fix it
• 16:55
  Speaker 9: up for him. I told him we would if he'd
• 16:56
  Speaker 9: bring it in.
• 16:57
  Speaker 5: Why do you think he left? It's only been about
• 16:59
  Speaker 5: fifteen minutes and you called us downtown real.
• 17:01
  Speaker 9: He might have heard me talking to you.
• 17:03
  Speaker 5: Well, if he didn't, he's our man. I doubt very
• 17:05
  Speaker 5: much if he'll be back.
• 17:06
  Speaker 9: I bet he. Well, a lot kid about nineteen years old,
• 17:08
  Speaker 9: driving him black thirty four or four, just like the
• 17:10
  Speaker 9: one year after.
• 17:11
  Speaker 5: Well, can he give us his name and the licensed
• 17:13
  Speaker 5: number of the car?
• 17:14
  Speaker 9: Sure, it's Curly Watson license number. I got it right here,
• 17:19
  Speaker 9: nine or nine seven o seven. I looked it up
• 17:22
  Speaker 9: on his contract and.
• 17:23
  Speaker 5: His name Curly. You have his full name.
• 17:25
  Speaker 9: Sorry, I guess I'm a little excited. It's uh wilfred E. Watson.
• 17:30
  Speaker 9: Everybody around here calls him Curly. I'm pretty sure he's
• 17:32
  Speaker 9: the one you want. I know that car bought it
• 17:34
  Speaker 9: from us about five months ago.
• 17:36
  Speaker 5: It's just too bad you couldn't have detained him just
• 17:38
  Speaker 5: a little longer, mister Provos.
• 17:39
  Speaker 9: Well, like I say, you don't have to worry, he'll
• 17:41
  Speaker 9: be back.
• 17:41
  Speaker 5: What makes you so sure?
• 17:43
  Speaker 9: And the way he described the damage to us, I'd
• 17:45
  Speaker 9: say he's got about seventy five two hundred dollars worth
• 17:47
  Speaker 9: of work on that front end. Yeah, I know he's
• 17:49
  Speaker 9: a man you want. I'm gonna be in trouble if
• 17:51
  Speaker 9: he's not. What do you mean what was the only
• 17:53
  Speaker 9: thing I could do on the spur of the moment
• 17:55
  Speaker 9: like that? Yeah, that's how I know for sure he'll
• 17:57
  Speaker 9: be back here. Well, how's that I told him I
• 17:59
  Speaker 9: fix his car free.
• 18:10
  Speaker 3: You are in the forgery division of a metropolitan police department.
• 18:13
  Speaker 3: Handwriting analysis All right, now write the alphabet and lower
• 18:22
  Speaker 3: case please. You are listening to a handwriting expert taking
• 18:28
  Speaker 3: an exemplar of a suspect's handwriting.
• 18:31
  Speaker 5: Now write the numerals from one to ten. Please.
• 18:36
  Speaker 2: This handwriting sample will be compared with a Forge signature
• 18:40
  Speaker 2: side by side. Two signatures may often look alike, but
• 18:44
  Speaker 2: closer examination will prove a world of difference.
• 18:54
  Speaker 5: We call Lieutenant mcderman and filled him in.
• 18:57
  Speaker 4: He sent Sergeants Kill, Patrick and McLendon now to really
• 19:00
  Speaker 4: Been and me and to maintain a stake out on
• 19:02
  Speaker 4: Dan's corner the used carlot in the event the suspect
• 19:05
  Speaker 4: should return. We went back downtown to R and I.
• 19:08
  Speaker 4: Wilfredy Watson had a record and was wanted by the
• 19:10
  Speaker 4: Fresno Police Department, where he had jumped bail. The charge
• 19:13
  Speaker 4: was grand theft. We took Watson's mug shot back to
• 19:16
  Speaker 4: the used car lot, where he was positively identified by
• 19:19
  Speaker 4: Dan Provos. Ben and I went to his last known address.
• 19:23
  Speaker 4: The landlady told us that Watson had moved approximately a
• 19:25
  Speaker 4: month ago and had not left a forwarding address from
• 19:28
  Speaker 4: his mamma's sheet, We obtained a list of his friends
• 19:30
  Speaker 4: and associates. All efforts to locate him failed. The stakeout continued.
• 19:35
  Speaker 4: We showed the mug shot to Richard Mortigan, the one
• 19:38
  Speaker 4: good witness to the accident. He said he could not
• 19:40
  Speaker 4: identify Watson as he did not get too good a
• 19:42
  Speaker 4: look at him, but he stated that there was a
• 19:44
  Speaker 4: possibility that he could be the man.
• 19:46
  Speaker 5: A week went by, the whereabouts of the suspect was
• 19:49
  Speaker 5: still unknown.
• 19:50
  Speaker 4: Tuesday, October tenth, Ben and I were out running down
• 19:53
  Speaker 4: Elite on Watson when we received a call to return
• 19:55
  Speaker 4: to the office.
• 19:56
  Speaker 5: Lieutenant mcderman met us. As we got there, I put
• 20:00
  Speaker 5: that call in for you anything doing. Then I got
• 20:03
  Speaker 5: a lead. I don't know how good it'll be.
• 20:04
  Speaker 13: But we ought to check it out right away. What
• 20:06
  Speaker 13: he got, well, we just received a call from the
• 20:08
  Speaker 13: Santa Monica PD. Missus Agnes Hastings called in and gave
• 20:12
  Speaker 13: him a little something. As I say, maybe there's nothing
• 20:15
  Speaker 13: in it, but see what you think. The Hastings woman
• 20:18
  Speaker 13: stopped in at the local soda fountain down there. Place
• 20:21
  Speaker 13: is patronized by the hot rod crowd, said she overheard
• 20:25
  Speaker 13: part of a conversation between a couple of the kids.
• 20:28
  Speaker 13: This one dark haired boy was sitting at the counter
• 20:30
  Speaker 13: when another kid walked in the front door. The kid
• 20:33
  Speaker 13: that came in had red hair. The dark haired kid
• 20:36
  Speaker 13: said higher, red and the redhead sat down by him.
• 20:39
  Speaker 5: Yeah, And one of the kids made some remark about
• 20:42
  Speaker 5: the boy's red hair, asked him why he died. The
• 20:45
  Speaker 5: redhead said, well, they're looking for a blonde, aren't they. Yeah,
• 20:49
  Speaker 5: it could be a little summer, I thought so.
• 20:52
  Speaker 13: And the Hastings woman followed the redheaded boy outside and
• 20:55
  Speaker 13: took the license number of his car. Anything there, I
• 20:58
  Speaker 13: don't know yet. Ran it through DMV, but it's not
• 21:00
  Speaker 13: in the file. Mark Benson's got to call him to Sacramento. Now,
• 21:04
  Speaker 13: anything new on Watson, No, nothing yet.
• 21:06
  Speaker 5: Where can we find this, agues Hastings man.
• 21:08
  Speaker 9: Well, here's the address right here.
• 21:11
  Speaker 5: Okay, thank you.
• 21:13
  Speaker 9: Well that's all she had said.
• 21:15
  Speaker 13: She'd been following the hit and run story in the papers,
• 21:18
  Speaker 13: thought this might be worth forwarding anyway.
• 21:19
  Speaker 5: Yeah, just a minute traffic mcdermon, oh high art. Yeah,
• 21:30
  Speaker 5: well you did.
• 21:31
  Speaker 14: Huh m hmm, yeah, I see, uh huh yeah, yeah,
• 21:38
  Speaker 14: right bye, that was our Killpatrick Ian McLendon picked up Watson.
• 21:43
  Speaker 5: Yeah.
• 21:43
  Speaker 13: Anything, they're bringing him in now, they say this. Watson
• 21:46
  Speaker 13: denies the hit and run. Jones will check his car
• 21:48
  Speaker 13: over then.
• 21:48
  Speaker 5: We'll know a little more. There's not much we can do.
• 21:50
  Speaker 12: We hear from Benson on the Santa Monica think, well
• 21:53
  Speaker 12: maybe there is What's that We got two leads.
• 21:55
  Speaker 5: We can hope one of them is right.
• 22:00
  Speaker 4: While waiting for the call from Mark Benson at HP
• 22:03
  Speaker 4: Ben and I drove over to the police garage on
• 22:05
  Speaker 4: South figure Ona. Wilfrid Watson's car had been impounded and
• 22:08
  Speaker 4: Lee Jones had made his investigation. His findings eliminated Watson's
• 22:13
  Speaker 4: thirty four to Ford as being the hit and run car.
• 22:15
  Speaker 4: Investigations showed that Watson's car was involved in an accident,
• 22:19
  Speaker 4: but this was five days prior to the killing of
• 22:21
  Speaker 4: the two women pedestrians.
• 22:23
  Speaker 5: Wilfrid E.
• 22:23
  Speaker 4: Watson was booked to the Fresno authorities for prosecution on
• 22:26
  Speaker 4: their warrant. This left only the one lead, the red
• 22:30
  Speaker 4: headed boy who had dyed his hair. If Agnes Hastings
• 22:33
  Speaker 4: observations had been correct. The fact that the boy originally
• 22:35
  Speaker 4: had blonde hair made him a possible suspect.
• 22:38
  Speaker 5: Eleven a m.
• 22:39
  Speaker 4: The information from DMV came through from Sacramento. The car
• 22:43
  Speaker 4: was registered to a Calvin L. Martin sixteen Boardwalk Lane,
• 22:46
  Speaker 4: Santa Monica. The car was a nineteen thirty nine Dodge
• 22:49
  Speaker 4: Sedan legal. The same sixteen boardwalk lane was a small
• 22:53
  Speaker 4: beach house facing out on the Pacific Ocean in the
• 22:55
  Speaker 4: town of Santa Monica.
• 22:57
  Speaker 5: Eleven twenty six a m. We arrived in front of
• 22:59
  Speaker 5: the house. This is at number sixteen. Yeah, alright, let's
• 23:05
  Speaker 5: go up on the porch. I don't see anybody around.
• 23:12
  Speaker 5: Looks like nobody's Oh well, let's try the bell. Well,
• 23:21
  Speaker 5: I guess you're right. Nobody home. Yeah, let's check the garage. Huh. Alright,
• 23:32
  Speaker 5: around the side, isn't it. Yeah?
• 23:33
  Speaker 12: I had that's right there.
• 23:34
  Speaker 5: Oh yeah, padlock.
• 23:40
  Speaker 12: Uh uh, maybe there's a window around the side. Yeah,
• 23:48
  Speaker 12: come in, Joe, alright, wind is kind of dirty. Uh,
• 23:53
  Speaker 12: wipe it awful at all?
• 23:56
  Speaker 5: Yeah, that's better. Huh. Can you see anything? Take a look,
• 24:00
  Speaker 5: you know, I see? Yeah, looks like a thirty four
• 24:05
  Speaker 5: to ford to me, notice a left front fender. Uh,
• 24:09
  Speaker 5: it's pretty badly dented, isn't it. Mm, looks like we're home.
• 24:13
  Speaker 12: Maybe I don't like to get a closer look. They
• 24:21
  Speaker 12: young kid got out of a car out front. Looks
• 24:23
  Speaker 12: like a red head from a clo.
• 24:30
  Speaker 15: Hi.
• 24:32
  Speaker 5: You men want something, police officers?
• 24:34
  Speaker 9: Yeah?
• 24:35
  Speaker 5: Do you live here? Yes?
• 24:37
  Speaker 3: I do.
• 24:38
  Speaker 9: What's wrong?
• 24:39
  Speaker 5: What's your name?
• 24:40
  Speaker 9: Louis Martin?
• 24:42
  Speaker 5: Who is Calvin L. Martin? My father? Why does he
• 24:46
  Speaker 5: on a nineteen thirty nine Dodge? Yeah, that's right?
• 24:50
  Speaker 9: Anything wrong?
• 24:51
  Speaker 5: Whose car is that down in the garage there?
• 24:53
  Speaker 9: Belongs to a friend of mine? I just let him
• 24:55
  Speaker 9: keep it in there?
• 24:56
  Speaker 5: What's his name? Jesse? Yeah? What? Jesse? What?
• 24:58
  Speaker 9: Jesse Armstrong?
• 24:59
  Speaker 5: Where does he live?
• 25:01
  Speaker 9: All run Venice Boulevard?
• 25:02
  Speaker 5: What's the number?
• 25:04
  Speaker 9: I don't know offhand?
• 25:05
  Speaker 5: And you let him park his car here in your garage?
• 25:08
  Speaker 5: You don't know where he lives?
• 25:09
  Speaker 15: Well, I know, but I just can't think of it.
• 25:13
  Speaker 15: I don't understand what's wrong? You got a key to
• 25:15
  Speaker 15: the garage, No, Jesse's got it. You don't keep a
• 25:19
  Speaker 15: key to your own garage?
• 25:20
  Speaker 9: No, I let Jesse keep it.
• 25:22
  Speaker 5: You always had red hair? Sure? Why? Red on top
• 25:26
  Speaker 5: of blind at the roots? Is that it?
• 25:29
  Speaker 9: I wish you'd tell me what's going on?
• 25:31
  Speaker 5: No, ar'mstrung? You tell us, well, what's a joke?
• 25:35
  Speaker 10: Alright, alright, let's hold it right here?
• 25:39
  Speaker 7: I didn't do.
• 25:43
  Speaker 5: Well? How about it? Son? That's the second time you
• 25:45
  Speaker 5: tried to run, now, isn't it?
• 25:48
  Speaker 9: How'd you find me?
• 25:50
  Speaker 15: Who told you you wanna tell us about it. I
• 25:55
  Speaker 15: didn't mean to hit those two women. I was coming
• 25:59
  Speaker 15: home from up in La. I was late, and I
• 26:02
  Speaker 15: was trying to hurry to get home. I didn't see
• 26:05
  Speaker 15: him until it was too late.
• 26:06
  Speaker 5: Why didn't you stop? Why'd you run?
• 26:09
  Speaker 9: I was afraid. I just couldn't face it.
• 26:11
  Speaker 5: I thought I could get away with it. I guess.
• 26:15
  Speaker 9: I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do it.
• 26:17
  Speaker 5: Do you know those two old women died as a
• 26:19
  Speaker 5: result of you running him down?
• 26:23
  Speaker 9: No, I didn't know they'd die.
• 26:31
  Speaker 5: All right, come on, son, let's go.
• 26:35
  Speaker 9: I didn't really mean to do it. I'll tell everybody
• 26:39
  Speaker 9: I'm sorry.
• 26:41
  Speaker 5: I am sorry.
• 26:44
  Speaker 9: That'll make a difference on it.
• 26:46
  Speaker 5: You kill two people? You figured.
• 26:55
  Speaker 2: The story you have just heard was true. Only the
• 26:59
  Speaker 2: names were changed to protect the innocent.
• 27:01
  Speaker 3: On December seventeenth, trial was held in Superior Court, Department
• 27:04
  Speaker 3: eighty one, City and County of Los Angeles, State of California.
• 27:08
  Speaker 3: In a moment the results of that trial, the suspect,
• 27:19
  Speaker 3: Lewis T. Martin, was found guilty of manslaughter. He was
• 27:22
  Speaker 3: sentenced to one year in the county jail and was
• 27:25
  Speaker 3: placed on probation for five years. You have just heard Dragnet,
• 27:37
  Speaker 3: a series of authentic cases from official files. Technical advice
• 27:41
  Speaker 3: comes from the Office of Chief of Police W. H. Parker,
• 27:44
  Speaker 3: Los Angeles Police Department.
• 27:48
  Speaker 2: Fatima Cigarettes, best of all, Long Cigarettes, has brought you Dragnet.
• 27:53
  Speaker 2: Transcribed from Los Angeles.
• 27:57
  Speaker 5: Stay tuned for Counterspy next over most NBC stations.
• 28:09
  Speaker 1: Welcome back. It's an interesting episode that highlights the challenge
• 28:16
  Speaker 1: of trying to be a fugitive while remaining in the
• 28:20
  Speaker 1: same place. And our suspect just made so many mistakes
• 28:25
  Speaker 1: that gave himself away. A boy dying his hair red
• 28:30
  Speaker 1: in this era would stand out a lot more than
• 28:33
  Speaker 1: a blonde boy who looked like the vague description of
• 28:36
  Speaker 1: the suspect. And then, of course you had the car,
• 28:41
  Speaker 1: which was a dead giveaway. And there might have been
• 28:44
  Speaker 1: some things he could have done to mitigate that, like
• 28:47
  Speaker 1: wait a few weeks to get it fixed, but then
• 28:50
  Speaker 1: he'd have a risk of people noticing he was walking,
• 28:54
  Speaker 1: and then he was probably done for as soon as
• 28:58
  Speaker 1: he left the the accident and decided to try and
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: go about his life as if nothing had happened, with
• 29:07
  Speaker 1: a few modifications that just made him stand out like
• 29:10
  Speaker 1: a sore thumb. Well, now it's time to thank our
• 29:13
  Speaker 1: Patreon supporter of the day, and I want to thank
• 29:17
  Speaker 1: Jim and Rachel, Patreon supporter since March twenty sixteen, currently
• 29:22
  Speaker 1: supporting the podcast at the Shawmus level of four dollars
• 29:25
  Speaker 1: or more per month. Thank you so much for your
• 29:28
  Speaker 1: support and that will do it for today. If you're
• 29:30
  Speaker 1: enjoying the podcast, please follow us using your favorite podcast
• 29:35
  Speaker 1: software and be sure to rate and review the podcast
• 29:38
  Speaker 1: wherever you download it from. We will be back next
• 29:41
  Speaker 1: Thursday with another episode of Dragnet. But join us back
• 29:45
  Speaker 1: here tomorrow for yours truly.
• 29:47
  Speaker 6: Johnny Dollar ware, can you come down ahead of Lake
• 29:50
  Speaker 6: City mister Dollar right away? Well, it depends.
• 29:53
  Speaker 2: What's it all about? I?
• 29:55
  Speaker 5: I Andrew.
• 29:56
  Speaker 6: Well, don't you know he's the man who founded Lake
• 29:59
  Speaker 6: City a door. He's dead, mister Dollar.
• 30:02
  Speaker 10: Or rather he isn't it.
• 30:05
  Speaker 6: Well, that is to say, he died, mister Dollar, about
• 30:07
  Speaker 6: five years ago, and well in due time, of course,
• 30:11
  Speaker 6: we paid off the claim on his life insurance policy
• 30:14
  Speaker 6: fifty five thousand dollars. Everything in order and perfectly all right.
• 30:17
  Speaker 4: Well but now, oh oh.
• 30:20
  Speaker 6: No, mister Dollar, you just won't believe it unless you
• 30:23
  Speaker 6: come here and see for yourself.
• 30:25
  Speaker 9: Oh, don't believe what.
• 30:26
  Speaker 6: Ian McAndrews has come back, either he or his his
• 30:33
  Speaker 6: ghost has come back here.
• 30:34
  Speaker 5: Oh no, no, it's true.
• 30:37
  Speaker 6: It's absolutely true. Sir, Ian McAndrews is haunting Lake City.
• 30:41
  Speaker 6: So please come as quickly as you can.
• 30:43
  Speaker 1: Hope you'll be with us then. In the meantime, send
• 30:46
  Speaker 1: your comments to Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot net,
• 30:51
  Speaker 1: follow us on Twitter at Radio Detectives, and check us
• 30:54
  Speaker 1: out on Instagram, Instagram, dot com slash Great Detectives from Boise, Idaho.
• 31:00
  Speaker 1: This is your host, Adam Graham signing off.