Latest / Dragnet | Old Time Radio / Dragnet - "Big Shakedown" (Old Time Radio, 1952)

Transcript

Dragnet - "Big Shakedown" (Old Time Radio, 1952) · Dragnet | Old Time Radio

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: James Moser wrote this May 22, 1952, NBC presentation of Dragnet,
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: with Jack Webb as Sergeant Joe Friday and Herb Ellis
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: as Officer Frank Smith. In episode 154, Big Shakedown, Friday
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: and Smith are assigned to vice detail when a small-time
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: bookmaker reports weekly protection demands from a man claiming to
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: be a vice officer. The complaint points to a phony
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: police officer extortion racket, sending the officers to determine whether
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: the man is genuine and.
• 0:35
  Speaker 2: Trace the scheme.
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: With Fatima Cigarettes as sponsor, this was part of Dragnet's
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: Thursday night run on NBC. Ladies and gentlemen, we now
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: take you back to the original broadcast.
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: The story you are about to hear is true.
• 0:58
  Speaker 3: The names have been changed to protect the innocent.
• 1:01
  Speaker 4: Fatima Cigarettes. Best of all king-size cigarettes brings you Dragnet
• 1:05
  Speaker 4: on both radio and television.
• 1:16
  Speaker 3: You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned to Wilshire Division, Vice Detail.
• 1:21
  Speaker 3: An informant sends you word about an extortion racket going
• 1:23
  Speaker 3: on in your area... The victim, a bookmaker. The suspect,
• 1:28
  Speaker 3: a police officer. Your job, check it out. Compare Fatima
• 1:36
  Speaker 3: with any other king-size cigarette.
• 1:38
  Speaker 4: Yes, compare Fatima with any other king-size cigarette.
• 1:42
  Speaker 5: One.
• 1:43
  Speaker 3: Fatima's length filters the smoke 85 millimeters for your protection.
• 1:47
  Speaker 4: Two, Fatima's length cools the smoke for your protection.
• 1:51
  Speaker 3: Three, Fatima's length gives you those extra puffs, 21% longer
• 1:56
  Speaker 3: than standard cigarette size.
• 1:58
  Speaker 4: Fatima gives you more for your money.
• 2:01
  Speaker 3: And in king size Fatima, you get an extra mild
• 2:04
  Speaker 3: and soothing smoke, plus the added protection of Fatima quality.
• 2:09
  Speaker 3: Buy Fatima in the bright sunny yellow pack. Best of all,
• 2:14
  Speaker 3: king-size cigarettes.
• 2:22
  Speaker 4: Dragnet, the documented drama of an actual crime. For the
• 2:25
  Speaker 4: next 30 minutes, in cooperation with the Los Angeles Police Department,
• 2:29
  Speaker 4: you will travel step-by-step on the side of the law
• 2:32
  Speaker 4: through an actual case transcribed from official police files. From
• 2:36
  Speaker 4: beginning to end, from crime to punishment, Dragnet is the
• 2:39
  Speaker 4: story of your police force in action.
• 2:47
  Speaker 6: It was Tuesday, October 18th. It was hot in Los Angeles.
• 2:50
  Speaker 6: We were working the day watch out of Wilshire Division.
• 2:52
  Speaker 3: Vice detail. My partner's Frank Smith. The boss is Captain Hayes.
• 2:56
  Speaker 3: My name's Friday.
• 2:57
  Speaker 6: We were on the way downtown from the office and
• 2:59
  Speaker 6: it was 9.35 a.m.
• 3:00
  Speaker 3: When we got to the felony section of the main jail.
• 3:03
  Speaker 3: The interview room. Sit down, Mr.
• 3:07
  Speaker 7: Lawrence.
• 3:07
  Speaker 2: Thanks. Got your message when we checked in this morning.
• 3:11
  Speaker 2: What's it about? Well, I finally made up my mind.
• 3:13
  Speaker 2: I've had enough of this. Say, either one of you
• 3:15
  Speaker 2: got a cigarette or left mine back in the cell. Yeah, sure.
• 3:18
  Speaker 3: Here you are, Lawrence.
• 3:19
  Speaker 8: Oh, thanks.
• 3:20
  Speaker 2: You bet. Here's a match for you.
• 3:24
  Speaker 3: Now, what's the story?
• 3:25
  Speaker 2: What's on your mind?
• 3:27
  Speaker 9: Well, I've been thinking about it most of the night.
• 3:30
  Speaker 9: I didn't get very much sleep. Say, you remember yesterday?
• 3:33
  Speaker 9: I mean, when you arrested me?
• 3:35
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 3:36
  Speaker 2: Well, it's just like I told you then. I'm not
• 3:38
  Speaker 2: trying to kid anybody. I admit it.
• 3:41
  Speaker 9: I've been taking a few bets. It wasn't any big operation, though,
• 3:44
  Speaker 9: you know. I was just laying off a few bets
• 3:46
  Speaker 9: for my friends, you know, people.
• 3:48
  Speaker 2: In the neighborhood.
• 3:49
  Speaker 3: We know all that, Lawrence. We went through that yesterday.
• 3:51
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I know. I just wanted to make sure we
• 3:53
  Speaker 2: got it straight.
• 3:54
  Speaker 8: We aren't any big operators.
• 3:56
  Speaker 9: We just ran the bookmaking as a, you know, sideline.
• 3:59
  Speaker 9: Business hasn't been too good lately. Had to make it
• 4:02
  Speaker 9: up somehow. Sorry, Lawrence, we can't feel bad about it.
• 4:05
  Speaker 9: You were tagged for making the book before. You should
• 4:06
  Speaker 9: have learned your lesson.
• 4:07
  Speaker 8: Oh, I know, I know.
• 4:08
  Speaker 2: I know, and I'm not singing the blues. I'm not
• 4:10
  Speaker 2: trying to alibi.
• 4:10
  Speaker 8: I didn't call you down here for that.
• 4:12
  Speaker 3: Well, what's this all about?
• 4:13
  Speaker 8: Well, like I told you, I've been thinking about it
• 4:15
  Speaker 8: a lot.
• 4:15
  Speaker 9: I didn't sleep hard at all last night. I finally
• 4:19
  Speaker 9: made up my mind, though I'm going to get it
• 4:20
  Speaker 9: off my.
• 4:21
  Speaker 2: Chest if it kills me. All right, what's that?
• 4:23
  Speaker 8: I'm no stoolie.
• 4:25
  Speaker 9: I don't want to get anybody in trouble, but there's
• 4:27
  Speaker 9: one thing I believe in, and that's playing it square,
• 4:29
  Speaker 9: no matter what you do. Just like now, Sergeant.
• 4:32
  Speaker 2: I ain't beating about the rest. You know that. What
• 4:34
  Speaker 2: do you get, Matt? What do you want to tell us?
• 4:36
  Speaker 3: Oh, all right. Here it is.
• 4:38
  Speaker 8: You know what the record is. I stood a pinch
• 4:40
  Speaker 8: for bookmaking a year.
• 4:41
  Speaker 2: And a half ago.
• 4:42
  Speaker 9: I got the thing all squared away, and it came
• 4:44
  Speaker 9: back to my business.
• 4:46
  Speaker 2: I learned my lesson.
• 4:47
  Speaker 9: I didn't want any more trouble, so I laid off
• 4:50
  Speaker 9: the books.
• 4:50
  Speaker 2: All right. Fill us in.
• 4:51
  Speaker 3: What about this policeman?
• 4:52
  Speaker 2: I'm getting to it.
• 4:53
  Speaker 8: Just a minute. Hey, I'm sorry. You've got another cigarette, please.
• 4:57
  Speaker 8: I'm a.
• 4:59
  Speaker 2: I'm a little jumpy this morning. Yeah, I don't see you. Thanks. Oh,
• 5:03
  Speaker 2: thanks a lot.
• 5:09
  Speaker 9: Well, like I was saying, you know, when I cleared
• 5:11
  Speaker 9: up the last beef, I forgot all about the horses.
• 5:13
  Speaker 8: I was off them for good.
• 5:14
  Speaker 9: My wife made me promise. I wouldn't have anything more
• 5:18
  Speaker 9: to do with them. We'd just run the business, you know,
• 5:20
  Speaker 9: live on what.
• 5:21
  Speaker 8: We made, and we'd get along fine.
• 5:23
  Speaker 3: All right, go ahead.
• 5:24
  Speaker 9: Everything was going fine, too. The business wasn't too good,
• 5:27
  Speaker 9: but We made out. Then the trouble started. My oldest boy,
• 5:31
  Speaker 9: that's Harry Jr. He had an accident on the job
• 5:35
  Speaker 9: and he broke his hip. I had to help his
• 5:37
  Speaker 9: family out while he was in the hospital. Like I say,
• 5:39
  Speaker 9: the business wasn't making too much money, but we made out, though.
• 5:43
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 5:44
  Speaker 8: Then.
• 5:44
  Speaker 3: Joanne.
• 5:45
  Speaker 8: Yeah, well, then just as soon as Harry got well,
• 5:48
  Speaker 8: the wife came down.
• 5:50
  Speaker 3: Gallbladder.
• 5:51
  Speaker 8: She had to have an operation. Really cost money, you know.
• 5:55
  Speaker 7: Yeah.
• 5:55
  Speaker 8: Well, wife was resting at home. She didn't come down
• 5:59
  Speaker 8: to the store.
• 6:00
  Speaker 9: I started with the books again, you know, just taking
• 6:03
  Speaker 9: a few bets on the side, just a few.
• 6:06
  Speaker 2: I didn't really want to do it.
• 6:07
  Speaker 8: Just one of those things, you know. I didn't have
• 6:10
  Speaker 8: anybody to go to.
• 6:11
  Speaker 2: The bills had to be paid. Where does this policeman
• 6:13
  Speaker 2: fit in with this Ray Williams? Well, I'm just.
• 6:15
  Speaker 4: Coming to it.
• 6:17
  Speaker 9: Well, he came in the store. He said he wanted
• 6:18
  Speaker 9: to make a bet. I didn't know him from Adam,
• 6:20
  Speaker 9: so I played careful, you know. I told him I
• 6:24
  Speaker 9: wasn't making books, and then he said he was a
• 6:26
  Speaker 9: good friend of Myra's.
• 6:28
  Speaker 8: Myra, that's a gal who runs a beauty parlor on Crenshaw.
• 6:31
  Speaker 8: She used to make books, but she isn't now.
• 6:33
  Speaker 2: Yeah, we know the spot.
• 6:34
  Speaker 8: Well, when he said that he knew Myra, I.
• 6:37
  Speaker 2: Figured it was all right, so I took the bet.
• 6:41
  Speaker 2: That's when it started.
• 6:41
  Speaker 8: As soon as he makes the bet, he comes out and.
• 6:43
  Speaker 2: Says he's a cop working for Vice.
• 6:46
  Speaker 9: I thought he was just kidding, and he flashes this identification.
• 6:49
  Speaker 2: What kind of identification?
• 6:51
  Speaker 1: Bag.
• 6:51
  Speaker 3: What kind of a badge?
• 6:53
  Speaker 2: Well, I don't know. Just a badge.
• 6:56
  Speaker 8: Looked all right.
• 6:57
  Speaker 3: All right, have a look. This one here, was it
• 6:59
  Speaker 3: like this one?
• 7:01
  Speaker 8: I don't know. I didn't get too good a look
• 7:03
  Speaker 8: at it.
• 7:04
  Speaker 2: It might have been something like that.
• 7:05
  Speaker 7: I don't know.
• 7:06
  Speaker 2: Did you ask for any other identification? Did he volunteer
• 7:08
  Speaker 2: to show you any? No. No, I didn't ask for any.
• 7:11
  Speaker 8: I'm scared.
• 7:12
  Speaker 9: I just figured I was arrested again, that's all. He
• 7:15
  Speaker 9: seemed to know all about the first pinch. I stood
• 7:17
  Speaker 9: for making a book.
• 7:17
  Speaker 8: He told me that I'd been operating for about a
• 7:19
  Speaker 8: month and a half. He said he had his eye
• 7:21
  Speaker 8: on me.
• 7:21
  Speaker 2: What did he do after he told you he was
• 7:23
  Speaker 2: a policeman?
• 7:24
  Speaker 9: Well, I started to explain to him how the thing
• 7:26
  Speaker 9: shaped up. While I was making books again, how I
• 7:29
  Speaker 9: had to pay up those doctor's.
• 7:30
  Speaker 2: Bills, I tried to beg off.
• 7:32
  Speaker 8: I told him that I quit right now. Then he
• 7:35
  Speaker 8: turns around and tells me I don't have to.
• 7:37
  Speaker 3: What do you mean?
• 7:38
  Speaker 8: Well, that's just what he said. He didn't make sense
• 7:41
  Speaker 8: to me either.
• 7:42
  Speaker 7: Then he went on.
• 7:43
  Speaker 2: He told me I was operating in his destiny.
• 7:45
  Speaker 8: He said it'd be okay if I went right along
• 7:48
  Speaker 8: the way I was.
• 7:49
  Speaker 7: He told that.
• 7:52
  Speaker 2: I didn't stand any pitches. Yes, sir. What else did
• 7:54
  Speaker 2: he say?
• 7:55
  Speaker 9: Well, he said he wasn't the only one who'd have
• 7:58
  Speaker 9: to be taken care of. He said there was his partner,
• 8:01
  Speaker 9: and a couple of guys over him, they'd have to
• 8:04
  Speaker 9: be taken care of, too. He said the juice would
• 8:06
  Speaker 9: cost me 100.
• 8:07
  Speaker 2: Bucks a week.
• 8:08
  Speaker 9: I tried to explain to him that. Well, I told
• 8:11
  Speaker 9: him that I wasn't operating big. I was just on
• 8:13
  Speaker 9: the side. I said I wasn't making that much a week.
• 8:15
  Speaker 9: I thought all I was doing was about 50. That's all,
• 8:18
  Speaker 9: just 50. Then he said, well, he says, all right,
• 8:21
  Speaker 9: if that's the way you feel about it, I'll just
• 8:23
  Speaker 9: take you down, book you now.
• 8:25
  Speaker 3: Mm-hmm.
• 8:26
  Speaker 9: Well, I told him I didn't want to stand a
• 8:29
  Speaker 9: pinch again and I'd do the best that I could.
• 8:31
  Speaker 9: So he finally said, I'll give you two weeks to
• 8:34
  Speaker 9: go ahead and open this thing up. He said, I'd
• 8:36
  Speaker 9: have to do more business because the juice was just
• 8:38
  Speaker 9: going to cost me a.
• 8:39
  Speaker 7: Hundred a week. He didn't care how high I got it.
• 8:41
  Speaker 2: This policeman told you to go ahead and open up, huh?
• 8:44
  Speaker 2: For a hundred a week, you could go ahead and
• 8:45
  Speaker 2: make book and nobody'd bother you.
• 8:46
  Speaker 8: Yeah.
• 8:47
  Speaker 3: Did your wife ever see this policeman, this fellow Williams?
• 8:50
  Speaker 8: Yeah, she saw him.
• 8:50
  Speaker 2: She saw him a couple of times.
• 8:52
  Speaker 8: She saw me giving him the money.
• 8:54
  Speaker 2: But when did.
• 8:55
  Speaker 9: All this start? About the first of July. Paid him
• 9:00
  Speaker 9: $ 100 every week since then. Yeah, I'm almost glad your
• 9:05
  Speaker 9: fellas picked me up, I understand. He was running me
• 9:08
  Speaker 9: to the ground. He had me in a bind.
• 9:10
  Speaker 2: You say the man's name was Ray Williams, is that right?
• 9:12
  Speaker 8: Yeah, that's right.
• 9:13
  Speaker 2: He said he had a partner. Did you ever see him?
• 9:15
  Speaker 10: No.
• 9:16
  Speaker 2: No, I never did.
• 9:17
  Speaker 3: Did Williams ever come in with anybody? Did you ever
• 9:18
  Speaker 3: see him with anybody? Well, no.
• 9:20
  Speaker 8: As a matter of fact, I never did. One time
• 9:22
  Speaker 8: I asked him who his partner was. He says, none
• 9:24
  Speaker 8: of my business.
• 9:25
  Speaker 2: What kind of a car does he drive?
• 9:27
  Speaker 8: I don't know.
• 9:28
  Speaker 2: Never came to my place in the car.
• 9:29
  Speaker 8: He always walked.
• 9:30
  Speaker 3: He came on foot. Do you know anything else about him?
• 9:32
  Speaker 3: Where does he live?
• 9:33
  Speaker 2: I don't know.
• 9:34
  Speaker 8: He never told me.
• 9:35
  Speaker 2: He never told me anything, you see.
• 9:37
  Speaker 7: Nothing.
• 9:38
  Speaker 9: Once I asked him what station he was working out at,
• 9:40
  Speaker 9: where his boss was. He got a little hard with me.
• 9:43
  Speaker 9: He told me not to get nosy, not to ask
• 9:45
  Speaker 9: so many questions.
• 9:46
  Speaker 3: Is there anything else you can tell us about Williams?
• 9:47
  Speaker 3: Maybe where he hangs out, people he knows, anything you
• 9:49
  Speaker 3: figure will help us?
• 9:50
  Speaker 2: No. Works out well, sir. You are going.
• 9:54
  Speaker 3: Ray Williams.
• 9:55
  Speaker 1: Yeah, Ray Williams.
• 9:57
  Speaker 2: You a policeman?
• 9:58
  Speaker 3: Not in my book. Frank and I continued questioning the prisoner,
• 10:05
  Speaker 3: Harold Lawrence, and he gave us.
• 10:06
  Speaker 6: A complete description of the extortionist, the man he knew
• 10:09
  Speaker 6: as Officer Ray Williams.
• 10:11
  Speaker 3: Frank got on the phone, notified the Commander of Internal
• 10:13
  Speaker 3: Affairs Division of the latest development, and he advised us
• 10:16
  Speaker 3: to bring the prisoner to his office immediately. We signed
• 10:19
  Speaker 3: Lawrence out of the main jail for investigation and took
• 10:21
  Speaker 3: him to the city hall, room 37.
• 10:22
  Speaker 6: With the help of Sergeants Lloyd Reiner and Floyd Phillips,
• 10:27
  Speaker 6: we started checking through the personnel files for the suspect.
• 10:30
  Speaker 6: Neither Frank nor myself recognized the name or the description
• 10:33
  Speaker 6: of Williams as given us by Lawrence. The first step
• 10:36
  Speaker 6: was to show the prisoner photographs of every police officer
• 10:39
  Speaker 6: in the department, regardless of rank or detail. He was
• 10:42
  Speaker 6: unable to make an identification.
• 10:44
  Speaker 3: We then showed him photographs of all police officers, retired
• 10:47
  Speaker 3: or otherwise. He failed to identify any of them as Williams.
• 10:51
  Speaker 3: We showed him photographs of all civilian employees of the department. Again,
• 10:55
  Speaker 3: no identification. He was unable to find anyone who even
• 10:58
  Speaker 3: closely resembled the extortionist. Not satisfied with this, the prisoner
• 11:02
  Speaker 3: was shown photographs of all law enforcement agency's personnel in
• 11:06
  Speaker 3: the area. The same results. No identification. 4.18 p.m.
• 11:12
  Speaker 6: While Reiner and Phillips continued checking on their end, we
• 11:14
  Speaker 6: returned the prisoner to the main jail, and then Frank
• 11:17
  Speaker 6: and I drove out to see his wife, Mrs.
• 11:19
  Speaker 3: Mildred Lawrence. We located her at Lawrence's place of business,
• 11:22
  Speaker 3: a small pet shop just off Wilshire Boulevard.
• 11:26
  Speaker 7: What is it this time?
• 11:27
  Speaker 5: Haven't we got enough trouble? What do you want now?
• 11:29
  Speaker 2: We just got through talking to your husband, ma'am. A
• 11:30
  Speaker 2: few things we'd like to clear up. I'd like to
• 11:32
  Speaker 2: talk to you a few minutes if we could.
• 11:33
  Speaker 5: You talked to Harry? How is he?
• 11:35
  Speaker 2: He's all right, ma'am.
• 11:35
  Speaker 3: We've been with him all day. We're still looking into
• 11:37
  Speaker 3: the case.
• 11:37
  Speaker 5: Why can't you let him alone? He admitted what he
• 11:39
  Speaker 5: was doing. He wasn't lying. He told you everything.
• 11:42
  Speaker 3: Yes, ma'am. We appreciate that.
• 11:43
  Speaker 5: Why don't you let him alone?
• 11:44
  Speaker 9: Let me alone.
• 11:45
  Speaker 2: Trouble.
• 11:46
  Speaker 7: That's all we've had.
• 11:47
  Speaker 5: Sickness and trouble. No end of it.
• 11:48
  Speaker 3: Well, we realize that, Ms. Lawrence. We don't like to
• 11:50
  Speaker 3: bother you, but there's something we have to straighten out here.
• 11:52
  Speaker 5: I haven't anything to tell you. I'm busy. Left alone
• 11:55
  Speaker 5: here to run the store. No help.
• 11:57
  Speaker 7: I'm sick.
• 11:58
  Speaker 5: Shouldn't even be down here.
• 12:00
  Speaker 7: Let us alone.
• 12:00
  Speaker 5: Let me alone.
• 12:01
  Speaker 7: Harry was wrong.
• 12:02
  Speaker 5: He'll pay for it. We're not asking you for anything.
• 12:04
  Speaker 2: We're asking you for something, ma'am. We'd like you to
• 12:05
  Speaker 2: help us.
• 12:06
  Speaker 7: Help you?
• 12:08
  Speaker 3: Why?
• 12:09
  Speaker 10: Policeman all our lives. As far as I'm concerned, you're
• 12:11
  Speaker 10: nothing but trouble. Reason for all our trouble.
• 12:13
  Speaker 3: Well, that's what we'd like to talk to you about, ma'am.
• 12:15
  Speaker 5: I haven't anything to say, I told you.
• 12:17
  Speaker 8: I'm a sick woman.
• 12:18
  Speaker 5: Got a lot of work to do. Do you mind
• 12:20
  Speaker 5: stepping aside there? Got this whole bin of dog food
• 12:23
  Speaker 5: to package up. Can't just stand around and talk. Poor
• 12:26
  Speaker 5: little pups have to be fed, haven't even cleaned their
• 12:28
  Speaker 5: litter yet.
• 12:29
  Speaker 3: We appreciate how you feel, Ms.
• 12:31
  Speaker 7: Lawrence.
• 12:31
  Speaker 3: We won't take up too much of your time. Can't
• 12:33
  Speaker 3: you give us just a few minutes, please?
• 12:34
  Speaker 5: Now, you listen to me.
• 12:35
  Speaker 10: I've tried to be nice to you. I've got no
• 12:37
  Speaker 10: reason to either. I could tell you a lot of
• 12:39
  Speaker 10: things about policemen, things you wouldn't want to listen to.
• 12:42
  Speaker 10: You think you're so smart. Maybe Harry was doing wrong,
• 12:45
  Speaker 10: but he's not the only one. I could tell you
• 12:46
  Speaker 10: plenty if I wanted.
• 12:47
  Speaker 3: Well, that's what we're here for, ma'am. We told you
• 12:49
  Speaker 3: we were with your husband all day.
• 12:50
  Speaker 5: Then why don't you let me alone? Talked to one
• 12:53
  Speaker 5: cop already today. I told him to stay away and
• 12:54
  Speaker 5: you do the same. I told him just what I
• 12:56
  Speaker 5: thought of him. Lowdown thief.
• 12:58
  Speaker 2: Who was this policeman you talked to today?
• 13:00
  Speaker 7: You know who he is.
• 13:01
  Speaker 5: We're at the same place with you. You big, honest policeman.
• 13:05
  Speaker 5: You never do anything wrong. That Ray Williams ought to
• 13:08
  Speaker 5: be in jail just like Harry is.
• 13:09
  Speaker 3: Ray Williams? That the man who was here today?
• 13:11
  Speaker 5: That's what I said, wasn't it? Now, will you get
• 13:13
  Speaker 5: out of here?
• 13:13
  Speaker 2: Now, look, Ms. Lawrence, just a minute, please.
• 13:16
  Speaker 3: We talked to your husband and he told us all
• 13:17
  Speaker 3: about this man, Williams.
• 13:18
  Speaker 5: Why don't you do something about it? Go get him
• 13:20
  Speaker 5: and put him in jail, just like you did Harry.
• 13:22
  Speaker 3: That's what we're trying to do, if you'll just help us.
• 13:24
  Speaker 3: Williams isn't a policeman.
• 13:26
  Speaker 7: What do you mean?
• 13:26
  Speaker 2: Yes, ma'am. That's what we've been trying to tell you.
• 13:28
  Speaker 2: We talked to your husband. He told us the whole story.
• 13:30
  Speaker 3: How can you tell?
• 13:31
  Speaker 7: How do you know he's not a policeman?
• 13:32
  Speaker 3: He's not, ma'am. We're sure of that.
• 13:34
  Speaker 5: Harry said he was. Showed Harry his badge.
• 13:36
  Speaker 6: Well, that doesn't make him a policeman, ma'am. We had
• 13:39
  Speaker 6: your husband look at pictures of every officer in this area.
• 13:41
  Speaker 6: He convinced himself that Williams isn't a policeman.
• 13:44
  Speaker 7: If he isn't a policeman, who is he?
• 13:45
  Speaker 2: That's what we want to find out. Will you help us? Mrs.
• 13:49
  Speaker 3: Lawrence?
• 13:50
  Speaker 8: You'll have to excuse me.
• 13:51
  Speaker 5: I didn't mean to be nasty.
• 13:53
  Speaker 7: Just that I've been sick.
• 13:55
  Speaker 8: All this trouble, Harry in jail.
• 13:57
  Speaker 2: Yes, ma'am, we understand that.
• 13:58
  Speaker 3: Now, you say Williams was here today. About what time
• 14:00
  Speaker 3: was that?
• 14:01
  Speaker 10: It was before lunch, about 11.30, quarter to 12, I think.
• 14:04
  Speaker 7: He came here to get money.
• 14:05
  Speaker 8: That's what he always came for.
• 14:07
  Speaker 3: Did he say he'd be back?
• 14:08
  Speaker 5: No, I told him never to come back. Told him
• 14:11
  Speaker 5: Harry was in jail. All the money we gave him, what.
• 14:13
  Speaker 8: Good did it do?
• 14:14
  Speaker 5: Said I'd go to the city hall if he ever
• 14:15
  Speaker 5: came back.
• 14:16
  Speaker 2: What'd he say to that?
• 14:17
  Speaker 5: He said Harry had to expect an arrest now and then.
• 14:19
  Speaker 5: I told him Harry wasn't going to get arrested anymore.
• 14:22
  Speaker 10: He was through with all that junk. People like him, too.
• 14:25
  Speaker 10: Then he swore at me. Saw me some real nasty names.
• 14:29
  Speaker 10: Told me I'd better keep my mouth shut or I'd
• 14:31
  Speaker 10: get worse than Harry did.
• 14:32
  Speaker 5: Then he went out and slammed the door.
• 14:33
  Speaker 3: Was he driving a car? Did you notice?
• 14:35
  Speaker 5: No, I never saw him in one.
• 14:36
  Speaker 3: Is there anything you know about Williams at all? I mean,
• 14:38
  Speaker 3: anything that would help us locate him, maybe?
• 14:41
  Speaker 5: No, I don't think so. All I know is he
• 14:44
  Speaker 5: said he was a policeman.
• 14:45
  Speaker 7: His name was Ray Williams.
• 14:47
  Speaker 5: Couldn't Harry tell you anything? Maybe he knows.
• 14:48
  Speaker 2: No, ma'am, he couldn't tell us much.
• 14:51
  Speaker 7: Oh, excuse me, please.
• 14:52
  Speaker 2: Yes, ma'am.
• 14:54
  Speaker 5: Nice, this pet shop.
• 14:56
  Speaker 2: Yes?
• 14:57
  Speaker 5: What's that?
• 14:58
  Speaker 1: Oh, what?
• 14:59
  Speaker 3: Hello.
• 15:00
  Speaker 1: Hello.
• 15:01
  Speaker 2: Ma'am?
• 15:04
  Speaker 8: It was Ray Williams.
• 15:08
  Speaker 5: Said he just drove by here. He saw us.
• 15:09
  Speaker 3: What do you want?
• 15:10
  Speaker 5: Said he saw me talking to you. He knows you're
• 15:12
  Speaker 5: a policeman. Told me to keep my mouth shut. Said
• 15:15
  Speaker 5: if I don't, he's coming back.
• 15:16
  Speaker 10: Yeah?
• 15:16
  Speaker 7: He said he'd kill me.
• 15:21
  Speaker 6: Before we left, we called in and arranged for a
• 15:23
  Speaker 6: 24-hour stakeout on Lawrence's pet shop and also on the
• 15:26
  Speaker 6: Lawrence home. Until the suspect was apprehended, she would be
• 15:29
  Speaker 6: given a 24-hour protection.
• 15:31
  Speaker 3: The next day, we picked up Mrs.
• 15:33
  Speaker 6: Lawrence and brought her downtown to the city hall, room 23.
• 15:36
  Speaker 6: She was unable to identify any of the photographs of
• 15:38
  Speaker 6: police officers in the area.
• 15:40
  Speaker 3: In addition to the personnel photographs, Mrs.
• 15:42
  Speaker 6: Lawrence also went through a group of pictures which Sergeants
• 15:45
  Speaker 6: Reiner and Phillips came up with. They'd had a run
• 15:48
  Speaker 6: made through the stats office on all known extortionists using
• 15:51
  Speaker 6: the same M.O. Williams used, posing as a police officer.
• 15:54
  Speaker 6: From this group, both Mr.
• 15:56
  Speaker 8: And Mrs.
• 15:56
  Speaker 3: Lawrence gave us two partial identifications. Both men were picked up, questioned,
• 16:01
  Speaker 3: and eliminated. Meantime, we'd gotten out a local broadcast and
• 16:04
  Speaker 3: a teletype was sent to George Brereton, CII Sacramento, asking
• 16:08
  Speaker 3: for assistance in identifying the extortion suspect. The investigation went on.
• 16:12
  Speaker 3: Two days passed. No leads on the suspect. In checking
• 16:16
  Speaker 3: on other possible victims of the extortionist, Ray Williams, we
• 16:19
  Speaker 3: drove to interview Myra Thomas, operator of a beauty shop
• 16:22
  Speaker 3: out on Crenshaw. She was a tall, good-looking brunette in
• 16:25
  Speaker 3: her early 30s.
• 16:26
  Speaker 2: This man we're looking for, Miss Thomas Ray Williams, we
• 16:28
  Speaker 2: understand he's a friend of yours.
• 16:30
  Speaker 7: Please, Sergeant, you've described the man to me. You told
• 16:32
  Speaker 7: me his name. It doesn't mean a thing to me.
• 16:34
  Speaker 7: I don't know him.
• 16:34
  Speaker 2: Well, then how'd he get your name, Miss?
• 16:36
  Speaker 7: I'm sure I don't know. I'm sorry I can't help you.
• 16:38
  Speaker 3: Well, now, apparently the man knows you or he knows
• 16:40
  Speaker 3: about you.
• 16:41
  Speaker 7: I don't think I understand you. It makes you think
• 16:43
  Speaker 7: this man Williams knows me.
• 16:44
  Speaker 3: We've already told you, ma'am.
• 16:45
  Speaker 7: Mr.
• 16:45
  Speaker 3: Lawrence says that when Ray Williams first approached him, he
• 16:48
  Speaker 3: used your name as a means of introduction. Now, it's
• 16:50
  Speaker 3: not a coincidence. I think you'll admit that.
• 16:52
  Speaker 7: I just don't understand what it has to do with me.
• 16:53
  Speaker 7: I know how you feel. I have an idea what
• 16:56
  Speaker 7: you're thinking. I was in trouble once, that bookmaking thing.
• 17:00
  Speaker 7: I learned my lesson, though. I'm through with that business.
• 17:02
  Speaker 2: We're not here about that or the rest, ma'am. We
• 17:04
  Speaker 2: don't want to bother you. Just thought you might be
• 17:05
  Speaker 2: able to help us locate Williams.
• 17:06
  Speaker 7: I'm sorry. I don't think I can.
• 17:08
  Speaker 3: Possibly he might have been using another name, ma'am.
• 17:10
  Speaker 7: I still wouldn't know him. Description doesn't sound like anybody
• 17:13
  Speaker 7: I ever knew.
• 17:14
  Speaker 3: You know the Lawrences pretty well, do you?
• 17:16
  Speaker 7: Yes, I wouldn't say pretty well, but I do know them.
• 17:19
  Speaker 2: Have you seen them lately, either one of them?
• 17:20
  Speaker 7: No, I haven't.
• 17:21
  Speaker 3: You haven't talked with Mrs.
• 17:22
  Speaker 2: Lawrence the last couple of days?
• 17:23
  Speaker 3: No, why? We thought Mrs. Lawrence might have told you
• 17:26
  Speaker 3: what kind of a man this.
• 17:27
  Speaker 2: Ray Williams is.
• 17:27
  Speaker 7: What do you mean? What's so bad about posing as
• 17:30
  Speaker 7: a policeman?
• 17:30
  Speaker 3: Well, it's more than that, ma'am. He telephoned Mrs. Lawrence,
• 17:32
  Speaker 3: threatened her if she talked to the police about him. What? Yes, ma'am.
• 17:35
  Speaker 2: He said he'd kill her. Yes, ma'am, that's right.
• 17:39
  Speaker 7: Couldn't be. He wouldn't do a thing like that.
• 17:42
  Speaker 3: You know him that well?
• 17:54
  Speaker 4: You are listening to Dragnet. Authentic stories of your police
• 17:58
  Speaker 4: force in action.
• 17:59
  Speaker 3: Because of its quality, Fatima is the one king-size cigarette
• 18:04
  Speaker 3: that stands out. Here's the practical way to prove that yourself.
• 18:08
  Speaker 4: Compare Fatima with any other king-size cigarette.
• 18:11
  Speaker 3: One, Fatima's length filters the smoke 85 millimeters for your protection.
• 18:16
  Speaker 4: Two, Fatima's length cools the smoke for your protection.
• 18:20
  Speaker 3: Three, Fatima's length gives you those extra puffs, 21% longer
• 18:25
  Speaker 3: than standard cigarette size.
• 18:27
  Speaker 4: Fatima gives you more for your money.
• 18:29
  Speaker 3: And in king-size Fatima, you get an extra mild and
• 18:33
  Speaker 3: soothing smoke. plus the added protection of Fatima quality.
• 18:37
  Speaker 4: Because of its quality, its extra mildness, and superbly blended tobaccos,
• 18:43
  Speaker 4: more and more smokers coast to coast are switching to
• 18:46
  Speaker 4: Fatima every day.
• 18:47
  Speaker 3: Buy Fatima. Your money back plus postage. If you're not convinced,
• 18:52
  Speaker 3: Fatima is better than the king-size cigarette you're now smoking.
• 18:56
  Speaker 4: Just return the pack and the unsmoked Fatimas by August 1st, 1952. Fatima,
• 19:01
  Speaker 4: Box 37, New York 1.
• 19:03
  Speaker 3: Add to your smoking enjoyment. Smoke king-size Fatima. Extra mild
• 19:09
  Speaker 3: and soothing. Plus the added protection of Fatima quality. Get
• 19:14
  Speaker 3: Fatima in the bright sunny yellow pack. Best of all
• 19:18
  Speaker 3: king-size cigarettes. The idea of an extortionist posing as a
• 19:29
  Speaker 3: policeman to obtain money certainly was nothing new. The idea
• 19:32
  Speaker 3: is as old as crime itself.
• 19:34
  Speaker 6: It's one of the most vicious types of extortion in
• 19:36
  Speaker 6: the eyes of law enforcement agencies because so many such
• 19:39
  Speaker 6: cases go unreported to proper authorities by the victims. Usually,
• 19:43
  Speaker 6: the victim is a person of circumstances with something to hide.
• 19:46
  Speaker 6: The extortionist discovers the person's secret by one means or another,
• 19:49
  Speaker 6: and he begins the never-ending process of draining the victim
• 19:52
  Speaker 6: of his last dollar, all under the guise of being
• 19:55
  Speaker 6: a police officer. If the victim's intelligent enough, at the
• 19:59
  Speaker 6: first approach by the extortionist, he takes the matter to
• 20:01
  Speaker 6: the proper authorities. If he isn't, and he's lucky enough
• 20:04
  Speaker 6: eventually to escape the extortion trap, he goes on for
• 20:07
  Speaker 6: the rest of his life believing that a man who
• 20:09
  Speaker 6: was hired to protect him was the source of all
• 20:11
  Speaker 6: his trouble. And for the rest of his life, he
• 20:14
  Speaker 6: hangs on to his idea, and he passes it on
• 20:16
  Speaker 6: to others. A complete disrespect for.
• 20:18
  Speaker 3: Law and law enforcement officers.
• 20:22
  Speaker 6: Saturday, October 22nd, 2.15 p.m., Frank Smith and I continued
• 20:26
  Speaker 6: questioning the beauty shop.
• 20:27
  Speaker 3: Operator, Myra Thomas.
• 20:28
  Speaker 6: The more we talked with her, the more we were
• 20:30
  Speaker 6: convinced that she was acquainted with the suspect, Ray Williams.
• 20:33
  Speaker 6: In order to convince her of the suspect's viciousness, we
• 20:36
  Speaker 6: drove her over to see Mrs.
• 20:37
  Speaker 3: Lawrence at the pet shop. After their talk, we drove
• 20:40
  Speaker 3: Myra Thomas back to the beauty shop and she told
• 20:42
  Speaker 3: us the story.
• 20:44
  Speaker 7: I guess I have to admit it. He certainly had
• 20:46
  Speaker 7: me fooled. I thought he was a policeman.
• 20:48
  Speaker 2: You say he showed you his identification, ma'am. I mean,
• 20:49
  Speaker 2: when he first approached you.
• 20:51
  Speaker 7: Yes, he showed me the badge. It looked authentic to me.
• 20:53
  Speaker 7: And the way he talked, the things he said. I
• 20:55
  Speaker 7: thought he was a policeman. I really did.
• 20:57
  Speaker 3: Now, you've heard our end of the story, Miss Thomas.
• 20:59
  Speaker 3: You've talked to Mrs. Lawrence. Are you willing to help
• 21:01
  Speaker 3: us now?
• 21:02
  Speaker 7: It won't get around, will it? It won't be in
• 21:03
  Speaker 7: the newspapers.
• 21:04
  Speaker 3: It won't get it from us, no.
• 21:05
  Speaker 7: You won't tell my husband, will you? He doesn't have
• 21:07
  Speaker 7: to know all about this.
• 21:08
  Speaker 8: No, ma'am.
• 21:09
  Speaker 3: Not unless you want him to.
• 21:10
  Speaker 7: Well, I don't. We're not getting along too well, if
• 21:12
  Speaker 7: it is. Williams is the trouble, too. Guess I should
• 21:15
  Speaker 7: have told you when you first asked me.
• 21:17
  Speaker 2: What's that, miss?
• 21:18
  Speaker 7: Just like the Lawrences. I was paying him off, too.
• 21:20
  Speaker 7: A lot longer than the Lawrences. Every week I paid him,
• 21:23
  Speaker 7: and I couldn't tell anyone. Couldn't even tell my husband.
• 21:25
  Speaker 2: What's that, ma'am?
• 21:26
  Speaker 7: Guess I thought I was smart. The bookmaking thing, I mean.
• 21:29
  Speaker 7: Started taking a few bets from the girls in the shop.
• 21:31
  Speaker 7: Just small ones. I didn't mean anything by it. And
• 21:33
  Speaker 7: this Williams came in one day. Said his girlfriend made
• 21:37
  Speaker 7: a bet with me, and wanted to place one, too.
• 21:39
  Speaker 3: Did you take it?
• 21:41
  Speaker 1: Yes.
• 21:41
  Speaker 7: Like I told you, I thought I was smart. As
• 21:43
  Speaker 7: soon as I took the bed, he showed me the badge,
• 21:44
  Speaker 7: told me he was a police officer. That's when it started.
• 21:48
  Speaker 7: Same thing, just like the Lawrences.
• 21:50
  Speaker 2: How about after you arrested Miss Thomas? What happened with
• 21:52
  Speaker 2: Williams then?
• 21:53
  Speaker 7: Oh, after I got it settled, Williams came back to
• 21:55
  Speaker 7: the shop again. I told him then I was through
• 21:57
  Speaker 7: with the horses. Wouldn't have anything to do with it again.
• 21:59
  Speaker 7: After that, I didn't see him for a while. I
• 22:01
  Speaker 7: sure was glad.
• 22:02
  Speaker 2: You've seen him since?
• 22:03
  Speaker 3: You know where we can locate him now?
• 22:05
  Speaker 7: No, I don't. I have seen him since, though. You
• 22:08
  Speaker 7: promised me my husband won't know about this. You give
• 22:10
  Speaker 7: me your word.
• 22:10
  Speaker 6: Miss Thomas, if you don't want your husband to know
• 22:12
  Speaker 6: about this, it's your business. He'll never hear it from us.
• 22:14
  Speaker 7: It's got to be that way. Believe me. I love
• 22:17
  Speaker 7: my husband. Ray Williams has caused us nothing but trouble.
• 22:20
  Speaker 7: Can't tell you the worry he's caused me. I mean,
• 22:21
  Speaker 7: besides all the money I paid him, too.
• 22:23
  Speaker 2: You mean you're still paying him?
• 22:24
  Speaker 7: Yes, that's right. Every week. I don't know how low
• 22:27
  Speaker 7: that man is. I can't begin to tell you. I
• 22:30
  Speaker 7: thought he was a policeman.
• 22:31
  Speaker 3: Why are you still paying him off, ma'am? You mind
• 22:33
  Speaker 3: telling us that?
• 22:34
  Speaker 7: No, I guess I don't mind. I've gone this far.
• 22:37
  Speaker 7: All right. It was while my husband and I were separated.
• 22:41
  Speaker 7: We had a fight. We were separated. I started going
• 22:43
  Speaker 7: out on dates. Nothing serious. One night, I was out
• 22:46
  Speaker 7: with a fellow from out of town. Nice fellow. Ray
• 22:50
  Speaker 7: Williams saw me. And the fellow sitting in the car.
• 22:52
  Speaker 7: Parking lot right in back of the bar. Even necking.
• 22:55
  Speaker 7: Williams come by and he knew that I saw him.
• 22:58
  Speaker 2: I see.
• 22:58
  Speaker 7: Wasn't anything wrong, really. I love my husband. He wouldn't
• 23:01
  Speaker 7: understand about the fellow that night, though. I mean, if
• 23:04
  Speaker 7: Williams ever told him.
• 23:05
  Speaker 3: That's what he's been holding over your head, has he?
• 23:07
  Speaker 7: Yes, it's more than a year now. I've paid him
• 23:09
  Speaker 7: every week. I'll tell you the truth, Sergeant. I can't
• 23:11
  Speaker 7: go on much longer. I can't.
• 23:13
  Speaker 3: Well, you don't have to worry about it anymore. Just
• 23:15
  Speaker 3: help us locate the man. That's all you have to
• 23:16
  Speaker 3: do now.
• 23:17
  Speaker 7: Well, I don't know where he lives, but I know
• 23:19
  Speaker 7: he's going to contact me. He always does.
• 23:21
  Speaker 2: That's what we'd like to know. How does he contact you?
• 23:23
  Speaker 7: He phones usually once a week, maybe every other week.
• 23:26
  Speaker 7: Calls me and tells me to meet him someplace and
• 23:28
  Speaker 7: bring the money, $ 50 every week.
• 23:30
  Speaker 3: Do you have a regular time that he calls you?
• 23:31
  Speaker 7: No, almost any time. It's never the same day, never
• 23:34
  Speaker 7: the same place I meet him. I haven't heard from
• 23:36
  Speaker 7: him in over a week now. He should be calling
• 23:37
  Speaker 7: pretty soon.
• 23:38
  Speaker 2: I guess.
• 23:38
  Speaker 3: Mm-hmm.
• 23:39
  Speaker 2: Usually call here. Does he phone you at home? Both places.
• 23:42
  Speaker 7: He seems to know where to reach me. I don't
• 23:44
  Speaker 7: know what I'm going to do this time. I just
• 23:45
  Speaker 7: don't know.
• 23:46
  Speaker 3: Ma'am?
• 23:47
  Speaker 7: I haven't got the money for him. I'm broke. Four
• 23:48
  Speaker 7: or five dollars, that's all I have.
• 23:50
  Speaker 3: Well, don't worry about it.
• 23:51
  Speaker 7: But he's going to want his payoff. You know that.
• 23:53
  Speaker 7: What am I going to do?
• 23:54
  Speaker 3: This time it's on us. Before we left Myra Thomas
• 24:00
  Speaker 3: at the beauty shop, we had a definite understanding that
• 24:02
  Speaker 3: as soon as she heard from the extortionist, Ray Williams,
• 24:05
  Speaker 3: she was to call us immediately, any time of the
• 24:07
  Speaker 3: day or night. Then we called the office and made
• 24:10
  Speaker 3: arrangements for stakeouts to be placed both at the beauty
• 24:12
  Speaker 3: shop and at Myra Thomas' home in case Williams decided
• 24:15
  Speaker 3: to contact her in person. The Thomas woman was given
• 24:18
  Speaker 3: a plain envelope containing $ 50 and marked bills, which she
• 24:21
  Speaker 3: was to hand over to the suspect the next time
• 24:23
  Speaker 3: he demanded his regular payoff. Two days went by. Tuesday,
• 24:29
  Speaker 3: October 25th. No word on the suspect. Thursday, the 27th.
• 24:33
  Speaker 3: Still no word. Saturday morning, October 29th.
• 24:37
  Speaker 8: I got it.
• 24:39
  Speaker 2: All right. Vice Detail Smith.
• 24:42
  Speaker 3: How's that?
• 24:44
  Speaker 7: Oh, yeah.
• 24:45
  Speaker 2: Uh-huh, I see.
• 24:46
  Speaker 3: Hold on, huh?
• 24:46
  Speaker 2: Pencil, Joe?
• 24:47
  Speaker 3: Yeah, here you go.
• 24:48
  Speaker 2: How was that place again? Okay. The time?
• 24:54
  Speaker 9: Mm-hmm.
• 24:55
  Speaker 4: Yeah, surely.
• 24:56
  Speaker 2: About half an hour.
• 24:57
  Speaker 3: Yes, ma'am. We'll be there. Goodbye.
• 24:58
  Speaker 2: What do you got, Frank?
• 24:59
  Speaker 3: Anything?
• 25:00
  Speaker 2: Yeah, Myra Thomas.
• 25:01
  Speaker 4: Yeah?
• 25:01
  Speaker 2: He wants to see us. I told her we'd be
• 25:02
  Speaker 2: over in about half an hour.
• 25:03
  Speaker 3: What's the deal?
• 25:04
  Speaker 2: Williams called her. He wants his money.
• 25:05
  Speaker 4: 11.15 a.m.
• 25:10
  Speaker 3: Frank and I got in the car and drove out
• 25:11
  Speaker 3: to see Myra Thomas at her apartment. She told us
• 25:14
  Speaker 3: that the suspect, Ray.
• 25:15
  Speaker 6: Williams, had telephoned her shortly before 11 o'clock that morning
• 25:18
  Speaker 6: and set up a date to meet her for his
• 25:20
  Speaker 6: regular payoff at 10 o'clock that night. The designated meeting
• 25:23
  Speaker 6: place was a small nightclub out on Santa Monica Boulevard.
• 25:26
  Speaker 6: The Thomas woman was to meet Williams at the bar.
• 25:29
  Speaker 6: We told her to get there a few minutes ahead
• 25:31
  Speaker 6: of time, and if.
• 25:31
  Speaker 3: She happened to spot Frank and I in the nightclub,
• 25:33
  Speaker 3: she was to give no sign of recognition. As far
• 25:36
  Speaker 3: as the actual payoff was concerned, we instructed her to
• 25:39
  Speaker 3: hand over the envelope containing the money to the suspect
• 25:41
  Speaker 3: when he demanded it without any argument. Shortly after 9
• 25:45
  Speaker 3: o'clock that night, Frank and I entered the nightclub and
• 25:48
  Speaker 3: got a table directly adjoining the bar. It was a
• 25:50
  Speaker 3: modernistic affair, lighted from below with a blue fluorescent lamp.
• 25:54
  Speaker 3: A four-piece orchestra was playing at the rear of the place.
• 25:58
  Speaker 3: Nobody was dancing. Only a few of the tables were occupied,
• 26:01
  Speaker 3: but the bar was doing a good business. We waited. 9.30, 9.45.
• 26:08
  Speaker 3: We spotted Myra Thomas as she entered the club. She
• 26:11
  Speaker 3: went to the far end of the bar, sat down
• 26:13
  Speaker 3: on one of the stools and ordered a highball. 9.50,
• 26:15
  Speaker 3: 10 p.m. We kept waiting. 10.15, 10.30.
• 26:21
  Speaker 6: Still no sign of the suspect. We watched Myra Thomas
• 26:24
  Speaker 6: order another highball.
• 26:26
  Speaker 2: Getting late, Joe.
• 26:27
  Speaker 3: Yeah, what time you got?
• 26:28
  Speaker 2: 25 to 11. Joe, just came in, coming this way,
• 26:31
  Speaker 2: gray suit?
• 26:32
  Speaker 7: Yeah.
• 26:32
  Speaker 3: What do you think? The description fits, doesn't it?
• 26:35
  Speaker 2: Yeah, it must be. Go up to Miss Thomas, talk
• 26:37
  Speaker 2: to her. All right. He's got the envelope.
• 26:39
  Speaker 3: All right, just a minute.
• 26:40
  Speaker 2: Let's give him room. He's leaving. Going for the front door.
• 26:42
  Speaker 3: What do you say?
• 26:43
  Speaker 2: Let's go. Not wasting any time.
• 26:46
  Speaker 3: Come on, let's hurry. Down the street. Come on.
• 26:52
  Speaker 8: All right, mister, hold it.
• 26:55
  Speaker 2: What's the matter?
• 26:55
  Speaker 3: What do you want? Police officers would like to talk
• 26:57
  Speaker 3: to you. Me? What about?
• 26:58
  Speaker 2: What's the matter?
• 26:58
  Speaker 3: You got your identification?
• 26:59
  Speaker 8: Oh, sure, right here.
• 27:00
  Speaker 3: What do you want? We'd like to look at it.
• 27:02
  Speaker 2: Oh, sure, I hear you. Oh, excuse me. That's your badge? Oh, no,
• 27:06
  Speaker 2: it's nothing.
• 27:06
  Speaker 3: Where'd you get that phony badge?
• 27:08
  Speaker 2: Friend of mine. Why, what's the matter? What do you
• 27:10
  Speaker 2: got in your right-hand pocket?
• 27:11
  Speaker 8: Nothing, just an envelope. Why?
• 27:12
  Speaker 3: Is there money in that envelope?
• 27:14
  Speaker 2: What'd you say?
• 27:14
  Speaker 3: I said, is there any money in that envelope?
• 27:16
  Speaker 2: Currency. Yeah, I think so.
• 27:17
  Speaker 3: Why?
• 27:17
  Speaker 5: What's the difference?
• 27:18
  Speaker 3: You know the serial numbers on the bills in that envelope?
• 27:20
  Speaker 2: Look, I don't know what you mean, serial numbers on
• 27:22
  Speaker 2: the money.
• 27:22
  Speaker 3: What are you getting at? You got seven pieces of
• 27:24
  Speaker 3: paper money in that envelope. Three $ 10 bills and four fives.
• 27:27
  Speaker 2: Yeah, what about it? Extortion, mister.
• 27:28
  Speaker 3: You know the pitch. Now, come on, let's go. Now,
• 27:30
  Speaker 3: hold it. Wait a minute.
• 27:31
  Speaker 8: Let's get this straight, huh?
• 27:33
  Speaker 3: So I got an envelope in my pocket.
• 27:34
  Speaker 4: Ordinary envelope.
• 27:35
  Speaker 2: That supposed to make me a criminal?
• 27:37
  Speaker 8: No.
• 27:37
  Speaker 3: No more than that badge makes you a cop.
• 27:39
  Speaker 7: Come on.
• 27:40
  Speaker 3: The story you have just heard was true. The names
• 27:50
  Speaker 3: were changed to protect the innocent.
• 27:52
  Speaker 4: On January 8th, trial was held in Superior Court, Department 86,
• 27:55
  Speaker 4: City and County of Los Angeles, State of California.
• 27:58
  Speaker 2: In a moment, the results of that trial. Now, here
• 28:02
  Speaker 2: is our star, Jack Webb.
• 28:04
  Speaker 3: Thank you, George Fenneman.
• 28:05
  Speaker 6: Friends, our sales records show that more and more smokers
• 28:08
  Speaker 6: every day are switching to king-size Fatima. Now, this makes
• 28:11
  Speaker 6: us feel especially good because it backs up what we've
• 28:13
  Speaker 6: been telling you, that Fatima gives you more for your money.
• 28:16
  Speaker 6: No other king-size cigarette can match Fatima quality. When you
• 28:19
  Speaker 6: buy your first pack and compare them with the cigarettes
• 28:22
  Speaker 6: you've been smoking, you'll notice Fatima's do have a better
• 28:25
  Speaker 6: flavor and aroma, and you'll like their extra mild and
• 28:27
  Speaker 6: soothing smoke. Next time, buy Fatima. Best of all, king-size cigarettes.
• 28:41
  Speaker 4: Raymond Edward Williams was tried and convicted of extortion one
• 28:44
  Speaker 4: count and impersonating an officer one count. He received sentences
• 28:48
  Speaker 4: as prescribed by law and is now serving his term
• 28:51
  Speaker 4: in the state penitentiary. Extortion is punishable by imprisonment for
• 28:54
  Speaker 4: not less than one nor more than ten years. Impersonation
• 28:58
  Speaker 4: of an officer is punishable by a fine of not
• 29:00
  Speaker 4: more than $ 1, 000 or by imprisonment for not more than
• 29:04
  Speaker 4: one year or by both such fine and imprisonment.
• 29:08
  Speaker 3: Friends, sometime during the next two weeks, you'll be asked
• 29:11
  Speaker 3: to buy a poppy in memory of those who fought
• 29:13
  Speaker 3: to keep freedom alive. Give generously when you're asked and
• 29:16
  Speaker 3: wear your poppy proudly.
• 29:26
  Speaker 4: You have just heard Dragnet, the series of authentic cases
• 29:29
  Speaker 4: from official files. Technical advice comes from the Office of
• 29:32
  Speaker 4: Chief of Police, W.H. Parker, Los Angeles Police Department. Technical advisors,
• 29:37
  Speaker 4: Captain Jack Donahoe, Sergeant Marty Wynn, Sergeant Van... King Size Fatima,
• 29:31
  Speaker 4: made by the same people who make popular Chesterfield cigarettes,
• 29:33
  Speaker 4: has brought you Dragnet, transcribed from Los Angeles.
• 30:06
  Speaker 3: Stay tuned for Counterspy next on NBC.
• 30:15
  Speaker 1: This has been Dragnet, episode 154, Big Shakedown. Follow Dragnet
• 30:20
  Speaker 1: for more classic broadcasts.