Latest / Great Detectives of Old Time Radio Volume 2|Mystery Audio Dramas / Dragnet: Jade Thumb Rings (EP1460)

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Dragnet: Jade Thumb Rings (EP1460) · Great Detectives of Old Time Radio Volume 2|Mystery Audio Dramas

0:28
Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This
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five nine one three Boise idohol eight three seven one five. All right,
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well, I also want to let you know the Great Detectives dot net.
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This weekend I continue my countdown of the top ten best Near a Wolf novellas,
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and you can actually have all the articles I wrote it write at Great
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Detectives dot net. Automatically delivered to your kindle and you can try that service
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out free for two weeks. All right, Well, now it's time for
1:47
today's episode of Dragnet. The original eight air date excuse me, is December
1:53
the eighth of nineteen forty nine, and the title is Jade Thummerings, Ladies
2:05
and gentlemen. The story you are about to hear is true, only the
2:10
names have been changed to protect the innocent. You're a detective sergeant. You're
2:25
assigned to robbery detail. Eight thousand dollars worth of Chinese jade has been stolen.
2:31
The criminal is vicious. His weapon a handful of buckshot in a handkerchief.
2:38
Your job get him. Drag meant the documented drum of an actual crime.
2:49
For the next thirty minutes, in cooperation with the Los Angeles Police Department,
2:53
you will travel step by step on the side of the law through an
2:55
actual case from official police polence from beginning twins, from crime to punishment.
3:01
Dragnet is the story of your police force in action. It was Monday,
3:08
December first, was foggy in Los Angeles. We were working the day watch
3:13
out of robbery Detail. My partner's Ben Romero. The boss is at backstrand
3:16
Chie Detectives. My name is Friday. It was seven fifteen pm when we
3:21
got to the police Academy the banquip room. Where do we sit? You
3:27
know? Lee Jones is holding a couple of seats for us someplace. You
3:30
see him home? Yeah? Yeah there he isn't burn look at him.
3:34
Everybody's here. Yeah, I ought to be all right, fellas a couple
3:38
of rings, I see, Thanks Lee? Did you get it? Yeah?
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Right here? Mind if I take a look at it? No,
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go ahead, I'll come. He didn't get wrapped as a kid, No
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time, and gift box would have been nice. No cotton even beautiful watch
3:54
radium down? Yeah, the universal Geneva, the final movement. There he
3:59
like that look on the back. Let's see for Chief Ed Bastrand a good
4:03
cop Detective Bureau. That's very good engraving. No time. I didn't think
4:09
the old man really minutes. Twenty six years. You get tired after twenty
4:13
six years. You've been at it twenty five ly, don't look at me
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like that. I got a book to finish, twenty three chapters. How
4:17
many chapters you've got, finny two? How long you've been writing it?
4:21
Two years? But at that rate, we'll be stuck with you for another
4:25
twenty one years if you're lucky. Excuse me, fellas gonna make us speak
4:28
highly. Get the proceeds underway. Yeah, before we introduce the man in
4:42
the arse, like to pass along a little story you might get a kickout.
4:47
I was driving down from Utah last year, stopped off at a hotel
4:51
and I'll fill the vest. When I went off the ridges for my room,
4:56
there was an Indian that had me. Cluk asked this Indian fell other
5:00
signed his name and the clerk handed in the pant. The Indian made a
5:04
nest on the book. Clurk looked at him from him and said saying,
5:09
aren't you chief disking have I seen you in the movies? The Indian nodded
5:14
his head and looked a little upset. H said, oh, he made
5:19
him blat of movies in oyos. The Fluk smiled and said a lot of
5:24
people at alchemy here like to get your autograph, Chief, And the Indian
5:28
grabbed a pan up again and he said me no like a motograph other me
5:32
no wanna be bothered. Then he drew a circle around the acts he made
5:38
it. The clerk said why do you do that? Chee? The Indian
5:42
said it we go use the right name. Theres Rogers said by his merchant,
5:49
were oh yeah, excuse me that that one chief was retiring tonight.
5:55
He's been using his black name for twenty six years and he's proud of And
6:00
where you want me, Rogers, I poom for you, Joe, you
6:03
can take it on the chi. Thanks, go on, miss a fight
6:14
off first the point? What are you? Thanks Friday, Jose Gonzales,
6:28
Yeah, Jess, sorry to boy even powers, I should call you.
6:30
Yeah, I need some liquor something big, pretty big. Yeah, com
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many loose ends, opinion. I can't pull them all in. When do
6:36
you want us? As soon as you can get on here that important?
6:39
Huh? A man may die? Joe, Hi, Jess got here as
6:49
soon as we could. Sorry to put you away, hello Romero, A
6:53
least, what's that come on in here? All right? Here's a report
6:59
not complete yet. Chinese fellas name is George Kuan. He's a jeweler,
7:03
gem cutter. Yeah, jade expert knows as much about jade as anybody on
7:08
the coast. Uh huh, says it happened at five point thirty today on
7:11
Albaretto near the park. They weren't kidding. They almost killed him. Yeah,
7:15
any idea what the weapon was, I'm not sure. Looks like some
7:18
sort of black jack, something homemade. Yeah. When they picked up Kwan,
7:21
they found several buckshot pellets lying around and a man's handkerchief. Ray Pinker
7:26
has his stuff over the crime lab. Now where's Kwan? Have you talked
7:29
to him? Got in a couple of questions down at Georgia Street while the
7:31
dock was giving him, said it is little guys have messed Joe. It's
7:34
gonna be all right. Fifty to fifty chance when I called you out at
7:39
the academy. Well why did they beat him? He was? They asked.
7:41
I don't have it all yet, but from what he said, he
7:43
was jumped from behind, didn't have a chance to fight. Whoever it was
7:46
kept beating him long after he was unconscious. What would they take him for?
7:49
A couple of pieces of jade, large ones, very rare? You
7:53
got anything else? Yeah? We got a star witness, just one.
7:57
She talked to him yet, just did for an hour and a half.
8:00
You want to crack at her? Are you having trouble with him? Yeah?
8:05
All right, Penya send him in again. Yes, you you want
8:13
to talk some more? Six years old Joe. His name was Norman Eugene
8:18
Fisher, who was six years of age last April. While all young boys
8:22
of his age, his imagination ran away with him. What would be only
8:24
a minor detail to an adult witness assumed tremendous proportion to Norman's young mind.
8:30
He told us his story three times. Each time he elaborated a little more,
8:33
and so what he claimed was the truth could only have been figments of
8:35
a small child's imagination. Then and I, together with Gonzales and Penya,
8:41
talked with a boy for another hour. We were getting tired, but Norman
8:45
enjoyed his position as star witness once more. Norman, please try to remember
8:48
it as it really happened. Look, but just like I said, let
8:52
me try. Yes, go ahead from maum. You did see it happened
8:56
this afternoon in j Norman. Yes, you're right, good, good.
9:00
Now you were on your way home from a store. Oh no, so
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I was running away from a man he was chasing me. But you just
9:05
told us, Norman, that you were on your way home from the store.
9:09
Oh no, so that was yesterday. But you're told listen man Ben
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Norman, how old are you that you I'm going to be twenty one?
9:18
Oh that's not right, twenty one. That's older than I am. Well,
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when I am twenty one, I'm going to get a hot rock fastest
9:24
corner World, ten thousand miles an hour. Sure you will. But how
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old are you now? Six? But I'm wanting but I'm going to be
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twenty one soon. I remember when I was six years old, Norman,
9:33
A lot of things I wanted, electric train? I got one. Well,
9:37
it must be something you'd like to have, one thing that maybe now
9:41
that you don't have. Will you give it to me? Well? If
9:45
I can. What do you want? I like your gun? Well what
9:48
do you want a gun for? I want to put people in jail like
9:52
you guys do. Sometimes it takes more than a gun, Norman. What
9:54
do you mean just because you've got a gun doesn't mean you're a copy?
9:58
Well? What done? Just a mad sense? Here you go, Norman,
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A good cop uses this more than a gun. Heee. It's a
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real police badge. It's mine official official Can I hold it? Go ahead?
10:20
It's yours? When I wear this, I'm a real detective. Well
10:26
that's part of it. The other part is to tell us what you really
10:28
saw today, Now, how about it? Well for a man, like
10:31
I said, and they all hide machine. I thought you said you were
10:35
a detective, now I am. Well, a good detective has to remember
10:39
exactly what he sees, not something he makes up. It's not very scary
10:43
that way. It's no use to he can't get his story straight. Oh
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yes I can. I'm a detective now, and I know what happened,
10:50
all right, Norman, You tell us, huh. I was on my
10:52
way home from the store. I saw the stop down the street. What
10:56
did the truck look like? I don't know. Well, it was a
10:58
funny kind of truck, had a wood back you mean, like a dump
11:01
truck kind of But it was a small truck owned kind of card like.
11:05
He took off the back pard and put wood borde like a truck. You
11:09
mean, whoever owned the truck cut the back end out and made it look
11:11
like a truck. Yeah, yeah, that's the way it looked. Anyway,
11:13
this truck stopped by this Chinese man and a man died out and the
11:18
man started to hit this man, and the man follow him a sidewalk and
11:22
the man kept hitting him and hitting him as hard as anything. What was
11:24
he hitting him with with his handkerchief? There he goes again. No,
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I don't know how about that? Chess could tie in? Go on,
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Norman, Well that's all I saw? No, No, I mean after
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the man hit him, what'd you do? Oh? Well, he got
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a bunch of stuff from this man's pocket and he went into the truck and
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he speeded away. Norman, here a good detective. I want you to
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think real hard. Now do you know what a license number is? Yeah?
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Good? Do you think you could remember the numbers on that truck?
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But if I knew what they were, I could, and school Wood just
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having numbers? No, I only know if the seven, but there were
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two sevens in it. You're getting all this chess. Keep them, Norman.
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You've helped us a lot. Can you remember what the man on the
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truck looked like? He had a budget and he looked mean all right,
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Just one more thing. Can you remember the color of that truck? It
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looked black, but the blackboard had black and white stripes. I don't know
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how you did it, Joe. What do you think how that? I
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mean too? All right, Norman, your mother's waiting outside for it.
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You can go home now you're a real detective. Can I wear my dodge
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down? You bet you can? Okay, say as soon as I wish
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somebody will you put him in jail. With the help of an outdated police
12:37
badge no longer official, we had the statement of a six year old boy
12:41
with a healthy imagination. We had an idea he was telling us the truth,
12:45
but we had no way of being certain. Since he was the only
12:48
witness, we had to accept his word and hope that he was putting us
12:50
on the right track. The quickest way to make sure was to see if
12:54
some of the details on little Norman Fisher's story would check out. Jessicin Zalez
12:58
and Manuel Pana took the job of trying to locate a whole made pickup truck
13:01
with two sevens in the license number. They started by checking all the late
13:05
three point eight forums, the vehicle theft and impound reports. The next morning,
13:09
Ben and I called the General Hospital and talked with doctor Sebastian. He
13:13
told us that the victim, George Kwan, had improved sufficiently to allow a
13:16
brief interview. It was ten fourteen am when we got toward see general hospital.
13:20
Doctor tells you a little better this morning, mister Gwan. Yes,
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sir, I shall be all right, although it is quite painful at times.
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We're sorry about you, mister Kwan, but we've got to have a
13:30
little more information on the robbery. Oh, I will tell you all I
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can, Sir. I should like to recover the missing jade pieces. It
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is a great loss to me. Did you get any kind of a look
13:41
at the man who hit you? Well, he attacked me from behind,
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not me to the pavement. I made an attempt to get to my feet,
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but he struck me again and again here at the vase of my neck.
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You didn't see him at all, and a noosa, I did not.
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Do you have any idea who could have done this? Unfortunately, no,
13:58
I cannot think of anyone who what was stolen from you? We know
14:03
it was jade, but can you give us a more detailed description? Well,
14:07
sir, I lost two thumb rings, very rare collectors items thumb rings.
14:11
And how much were they worth? What you say, Well, I
14:15
paid eight thousand for the two rings. I wonder if you could describe them
14:18
to us. We both rings were relics of the time when the Chinese archer
14:24
drew his hunting bowl with a special thumb ring. Any particular identifying marks on
14:28
them? Ooh uh. They both have linings of fine gold to fit them
14:33
to the fingers of the new owners. Who were the new owner? I
14:35
had just purchased them yesterday before I was robbed. I was on my way
14:39
to San Francisco to show them to prospective by us. Who did you buy
14:45
the rings from? Mister coin? Missus Inz Curtis a very reputable dealer.
14:50
We have done business for many years. I wonder if we could have her
14:52
business addresser. Uh, she has her office at her home. It is
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uh uh nineteen fifty the seven Harper Annex off Sunset Boulevard in Beverly Hills.
15:05
How many people knew that you had the jade on you at that particular time
15:07
yesterday? Oh? Let me see. There were only two other bias present
15:15
beside missus Curtis. Uh, do not recall their names. They were new
15:20
to me. Missus Curtis would know. Mister Quan will know that you're tired.
15:22
We have just one more question. Certainly, I wonder if I might
15:28
trouble you to hemmy that tumbler of water with a glass straw. Shirley,
15:31
there you are, Thank you very much. You're welcome. Now those stumblings,
15:41
mister Quan, would there be any practical disposition of them other than selling
15:45
them as they are? Who were hardly Sergeant to anyone who really knows the
15:50
value of jade, it would be unheard of to change them in any way.
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I say, well, thank you, mister Kuan. Will do our
15:56
best, you know, Sergeant, with Chinese place a great sentimental value on
16:00
our jed, We'll do everything we can to recover. Thank you. May
16:06
I tell you my favorite quotition on Jede, Yes, sir, it is
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from the writings of Tong Juntso. He wrote, the magic powers of Heron
16:17
and Earth always combined to form perfect result, so the pure essences of hell
16:23
and water become solidified in precious jade. Ben and I drove out to nineteen
16:30
fifty seven Hyperatics, the residence of missus Anail's Curtis. There was no one
16:34
at home. They left one of our cars. That was twelve twenty two
16:37
pm when they got back to Central Divisions. Here's a phone message for you,
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Joe. What's to say? Called Jess don Zales, who's at Wilchair
16:45
Division. Okay, thanks Man Welter Detectives, Didion, Hi, Harry Gonzale,
17:00
just three d it Zales Friday, Jesse. We got the truck and
17:06
we got the driver. We'll be right out something else, Joe, Yeah,
17:08
the kid was right. There were two sevens in the license number.
17:22
You are listening to dragnet for the solution to an actual case from official police
17:26
files. Wilbur Rasmussen, white male American, aged thirty one, five feet
17:37
ten inches, one hundred and ninety pounds, black hair, brown eyes.
17:41
He was the driver of the truck, and Zales and Pena began by checking
17:45
through all of the reports of trucks impounded during the past twenty four hours.
17:48
There were twenty three. Out of those twenty three, they narrowed down to
17:52
four possibilities. The third vehicle that they checked fitted the young witnesses description of
17:56
the hold up truck. We still could not be absolutely certain that the impounded
18:00
truck was the one we were looking for. The same could be said of
18:03
the driver, Wilburt Rasmussen. The net result of checking impound reports doesn't always
18:07
result in the apprehension of a suspect, but in this case we were lucky.
18:11
The driver had been picked up for drunk driving. It was one thirty
18:14
pm when we checked in at the Wilshire Division. Hi, Jess, where
18:18
is You're a little late? Pretty minute? He's gone released on bail.
18:22
Who furnished the bail? The woman who works for missus Aignez Curtis, Well,
18:26
that doesn't figure, yes, or does it? Why not? How
18:29
many people knew Kwan had the jade? That's not my guest. Kwan vouchis
18:32
for has been doing visions with her for a year. What do you think,
18:34
Joe, it's your show. I'm just tagging along. Well one thing,
18:37
sure, just a minute, Wilcher, did you take his Gonzales opinion?
18:45
He did? No, Maybe back here, m Friday and Romaro were
18:52
here right. The Fisher kid just identified Rasmussen's picture. The identification of Wilbert
19:00
Rasmussen by six year old Norman Fisher was far from sufficient to take the case
19:04
to court. We had to have evidence, lots of it. Rassmussen had
19:07
been given a thorough shakedown, his apartment and the truck. There was no
19:11
sign of the stolen jade rings. Gonzalez told us that the truck had come
19:15
from the U Drive truck rental on Figueroa Street. We checked with mister Crockett
19:18
that you drive. Let me have another look at that picture. Boys,
19:22
Yeah, here you are. Would you say his name was Rasmussen? Wilbur
19:27
Rasmussen. You want to know if you rented a truck from this wing yesterday,
19:32
maybe the day before? No, not this fellow never seen him before
19:40
we left you drive. We checked over the rental contract on the truck in
19:42
question. The deposit check for the truck was signed by missus Ainaz Curtis.
19:47
The truck was checked out at six am. The rental contract, the actual
19:52
release form showing to whom the vehicle had been rented, was signed by a
19:55
Harry Wilson. Rasmussen's name did not appear on any of the usual rental forms.
20:00
My nature of you drive was positive that he had not rented a truck
20:02
to Rass Muscle. We drove out to nineteen fifty seven Harper Annex. This
20:06
time we found missus Irons Curtis at home. I'm terribly sorry about mister Kahan.
20:11
Did they have everything he needs in the hospital? Yes? Man?
20:15
How long did you say this? Harry Wilson had been working for you six
20:18
or eight weeks. But I'm sure you're wrong about him. Were not accusing
20:22
him of anything, miss Curtis. We just won't talk to him. He
20:23
certainly came to me well recommended. He was a nice man. When's the
20:27
last time you signed? Day before yesterday? He asked for his check,
20:33
said he was quitting. Told him I was sorry to see him go.
20:37
I'm anxious to get that guest house finished. How about rass Muscle, missus
20:40
Curtis, how long has he been with you? Will Brisbane? With me
20:42
for about seven months? Good worker, but he drinks too much. Feel
20:47
sorry for him. You've rented trucks from the new drive coming right along?
20:49
Oh, yes, from mister Crockett. We had to have a truck to
20:55
haul our building supplies. I'm saving an awful lot of money contracting this Myself's
20:59
great, Yes, ma'am. The deposit on this last rintal? Did you
21:03
give that check to Wilson or to Rasmusen? I sent both of them down
21:06
to pick it up. Like I say, Wilby's been drinking rather heavily lately,
21:10
and I think Harry is the better driver of the two. Do you
21:12
know which one of those men was driving the truck about five thirty in the
21:15
afternoon day before yesterday. How would I know? That's Sergey. All I
21:18
know is that I sent both of them down. I told Harry to drive.
21:22
I see, Mss Curtis. Were either of those men present the day
21:26
you sold the jade rings to mister Kwan? No, they have nothing to
21:29
do with my gym business. Whatever. Did either of these men know about
21:32
mister Kwan's purchase. That's possible they knew he was here. I'm sure they
21:37
saw him come in. It's entirely possible that they might have overheard something.
21:41
Why did mister Kauan leave your house about five o'clock by the time the two
21:45
men go after the truck. Oh, they picked that up early in the
21:48
morning. Mister Crocky down and you drive, says it. Only Harry Wilson
21:51
checked out the truck because he's never seen rastmal before. That's entirely possible.
21:56
Like I say, they might well have made other arrangements. Were there any
22:00
other people present when mister Kwan bought that jade, Yes, there were two
22:03
other buyers. They were bidding for the thum rings too. Mister Kron had
22:07
the high bid, so I sold them to hymn. What if we could
22:10
have their names? I certainly I'll write them down for you, Miss Curtis.
22:14
Do you have any idea where we might locate Harry Wilson? He told
22:17
me he was going to Mexico, said he had friends down there. Well,
22:19
thank you, missus Curtis, you've been very helpful. Are you sure
22:22
there isn't anything mister Kwan needs? Yes, ma'am, two jade rings.
22:29
Missus Ainaz Curtis gave us a detailed description of Harry Wilson. She also gave
22:33
us the names and addresses of the two other buyers who were present when mister
22:36
George quant His purchased. We checked them out and found them to be equally
22:40
as reputable as Missus Curtis. They could tell us nothing of the robbery.
22:42
Went back to the office and got out an a TV and a radiogram on
22:45
Harry Wilson from the description given us by Missus Curtis. State gots Re maintained
22:49
at Wilbert Rasmussen's apartment and at the home of missus Ains Curtis. It was
22:53
four thirty pm when we got to the second floor of the Old City Jail
22:56
building. The crime lab Lee Jones. The evidence laid out for us.
23:00
Any thing about the handkerchief boys, the bloodstains old ones along with the new
23:06
ones. How does that figure? We know how the new ones were made
23:08
when the handkerchief was filled with buckshot and used on Quan. The old ones,
23:11
how to tell? How old did you say they were? The handkerchief
23:15
has been through the laundry a few times. Stains didn't come out. Laundry
23:18
marks right here. I don't see him. Man used peerless laundry Infra red
23:23
marking system. Let me show him infra red lampley. Yeah, there's your
23:27
marking PNYA traca down. Who's it belonged to? Man? Use the name
23:32
of Harry Wilson. There was nothing to do now but wait for some word
23:37
on Harry Wilson. The stakeouts continued. We requested Robert Rass Muscle and we
23:41
talked again with Missus Curtis and George Kuan. It was Tuesday, December the
23:45
eighth. We checked in for work at eight am, whining, Yes,
23:48
hi, Joe, where's bend Reunications? Getting a mail? Any word on
23:52
the new chief of detect Nothing but your guess that good man. Maybe Sloan's
23:59
a good man too. When you come in here not yet, why maybe
24:02
you'd like to take a little airplane tree. What do you got shy?
24:04
In Wyoming? They picked up Harry Wilson two days later, Thursday, December
24:11
the tenth, Harry Wilson was returned to the Los Angeles County Jail and booked
24:15
on suspicion of robbery. We checked with Lieutenant Frank Cunningham and the Record Bureau.
24:18
From Wilson's fingerprints, he ran a make on him. Harry Wilson was
24:22
an alias. We found out that he had lengthy records of arrests and jail
24:26
terms for robbery, burglary, and grand larceny. Mister Crockett at you drive
24:30
identified Wilson's picture. It was a two time loser. It's up to you,
24:33
Wilson. It can go hard for your easy I'm in a spot.
24:37
Huh, you're in a spot. Lay it out for him, Jess.
24:38
So I'll stack against you, Wilson. We know you ranted the truck.
24:41
You knew qualms of missus Curtis House. Your handkerchief was found at the scene
24:45
of the crime. He wouldn't believe me if I said I didn't do it.
24:48
That kind of evidence, How can we I didn't. I don't know
24:51
if I can prove it, but I didn't. If you didn't, will
24:52
help you prove it. First, you got to believe me, you know
24:56
why. Yeah, I've had it twice once morning in for life. All
25:00
right, you got it figured? Now what he got to say? Rassmussen
25:03
did it? He knocked one over. Where were you buying my ticket for
25:06
Cheyenne? I didn't want any part of it? How did you account for
25:08
that hand? That chief? It was mine? But Rasmussen had it.
25:11
He got his finger one day in the job. I loaned it to him.
25:14
That chicks old bloodstains noon. All right, let's pick up Rassmussen.
25:18
Oh you're at it, pick up the Curtis dain. She planned it,
25:25
Wilber. Rass Mussel was picked up and brought in. After intense cross questioning,
25:29
we confronted him with Harry Wilson's statement. In the face of this testimony,
25:32
he broke completely. He gave us a full confession implicating missus Aeinaz Curtis.
25:36
He admitted beating George Kwan and taking the jade thumb rings. He said
25:40
he received two hundred dollars from missus Curtis for the job. He requested that
25:44
he'd be allowed to turn state's evidence. Missus Ainaz Curtis was brought to the
25:47
interrogation room. Osh, you gentlemen, have proof to substantiate all these accusations.
25:52
Yes, maam, we have better be good. I have a fine
25:56
lawyer. We've got signed and recorded confessions of Wilson and Rasmussen, the two
26:00
men I worked for. You care we play the recording for you? It
26:02
won't be necessary, Mis Curtis. You've got eight thousand dollars for those rings?
26:07
Wasn't that enough? Not when I could make sixteen? No, where
26:11
the ring is now? I'm not going to get life for this, you
26:14
know. No, Jay doesn't spoil. It'll still be good when I get
26:19
out. Yeah, but you'll be too old to appreciate it, Miss Curtis.
26:22
Okay, honey, that was a funny one. Sure, what how
26:30
about it? Did you figure this way? Joe? You don't expect me
26:33
to answer that, do you? Well? The story you have just heard
26:44
was true, only the names were changed to protect the innocent. On March
26:49
second, nineteen forty nine, trial was held in Superior Court Department eighty two,
26:53
City and County of Los Angeles, State of California in a moment.
26:56
The results of that trial, missus Ainez Curtis was tried and convicted of robbery
27:11
and conspiracy. She received the maximum sentence as prescribed by law in consideration for
27:15
turning state's evidence. Wilbur Rasmussen received a minimum term. Ah, you have
27:26
just heard Dragnet, a new series of authentic cases from official files. Technical
27:32
advice for Dragnet comes from the office of Acting Chief of Police W. A.
27:36
Wharton, Los Angeles Police Department. Dragnet honors the City of Knoxville,
27:41
State of Tennessee, and the men who make up the Knoxville Police Department,
27:45
another of America's great law enforcement agencies. One of these men Sergeant Joe H.
27:52
Roberts, director of the Knoxville City School Safety Patrols, who dedicates his
27:56
life to making yours more secure. Fatima Cigarettes, the best of long cigarettes,
28:06
has brought you Dragnet fortune. Transcribed from Los Angeles. Welcome back.
28:18
Well, this is quite an episode. When I listened to these oldest Dragnet
28:22
episodes, they just seem to have so much in them, from an awkward
28:27
farewell toast to one of the best interrogation scenes ever, and then a very
28:33
unusual ending in that the crook that the loot is not recovered, which is
28:40
something that does happen in quite a few police cases, though not a whole
28:44
lot of Dragnet cases, where there's usually at least some sort of partial recovery.
28:48
Of course, this episode marked the official departure of Ed Baxtran and really
28:56
does close the door on that era of having a really active hands on captain
29:06
on him, something that had really been intermittently part of the show for its
29:10
first twenty eight episodes. Now it will become less common as the focus really
29:15
just does get fixed on Friday and his partner, and of course this means
29:21
the departure of Raymond Burgh for now, though he would return in the pilot
29:26
television episode of Dragnet, which we will be bringing to you in a little
29:32
while. I really love the scene where Friday was questioning the six year old,
29:37
and even Friday's narration showed that he saw a potential in this witness,
29:44
even when the case when the imagination they could get carried away also might mean
29:48
that they would notice some larger details that an adult witness might miss. We
29:55
don't have too many scenes dealing with children, witnesses, and Dragnet. This
30:00
was just very well done and just a very clever scene here. That conclusion,
30:07
like I said, very different, that he's willing to go to jail
30:11
over the jade and keep it concealed, even though mean extra time in prison.
30:17
Even then, eight thousand dollars extra really wouldn't be worth all that,
30:22
or at least it would seem not to be the case. Now we turn
30:26
to listener comments and feedback, and I have this from Edward, he mails
30:33
in along with his donation. Really enjoy your podcast without TV since August sixth
30:38
and fourteen. Now get entertainment from old time radio apps and online archives.
30:45
I will get a TV soon, but really enjoy the treasure trove of radio
30:48
shows. Love the music, your input and analysis. I like the fact
30:56
that I learn to pay attention to details and follow along so I have a
31:03
greater attention span. Well, thanks so much. I do appreciate your kind
31:07
remarks, and thanks so much for supporting the show that will actually do it
31:11
for today. We'll be back on Monday with the Saint and join us back
31:17
here next Saturday for another episode of Dragnet in the meantime, sendra comments to
31:22
Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot net, follow us on Twitter at Radio Detectives,
31:26
and become one of our friends on Facebook, Facebook dot com. Slash
31:32
Radio Detectives from Laiseidaho. This is your host, Adam Graham, signing off.