Latest / Great Detectives of Old Time Radio Volume 2|Mystery Audio Dramas / Dragnet: Myra the Redhead (EP1400)

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Dragnet: Myra the Redhead (EP1400) · Great Detectives of Old Time Radio Volume 2|Mystery Audio Dramas

0:28
Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise Idahol. This is
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Great detectives dot net. Well over at great Detectives dot net. We're celebrating
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we've done previously that new listeners may not have got a chance to hear,
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net. You can also subscribe to my weekly article through the Kendle Store,
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for two weeks. Well now where it's time for Dragnet. I should say
1:45
that at this point the program is off of its a summer trial, and
1:49
it's in a period where it's being sustained by the network without an actual sponsor.
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Today's program's original air date was September one of nineteen forty nine, and
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the hotel as Auto Burglaries aka Mara the Redhead. Here is another in NBC's
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great parade of new shows. Ladies and Gentlemen, The story you are about
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to hear is true, only the names have been changed to protect the innocent.
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NBC brings you Dragnet. You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned to Auto
2:38
theft detail. In three months, more than two hundred and fifty cars have
2:43
been broken into property mounting well into thousands of dollars has been stolen. Two
2:50
youthful members of the gang have been apprehended, the all important brains of the
2:54
criminal ring, the leaders are still at large. Your job, get them
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drag Net. The documented drama of an actual crime, investigated and solved by
3:07
the men who unrelentingly stand watch on the security of your home, your family,
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and your life. All the next thirty minutes. In cooperation with the
3:15
Los Angeles Police Department, you will travel step by step on the side of
3:20
the law through an actual case from official police files, from beginning to end,
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from crime to punishment. Drag Net is the story of your police force
3:30
in action. It was Monday, March second. It was cold in Los
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Angeles. We were working the night shift out of auto theft. My partner's
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Ben Romero. The boss is ed Backstrand, Chief of Detectives. My name's
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Friday. I was on the way back from the interrogation room and it was
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ten fifty eight pm when I got to the room. Twenty six, chief
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of Detective's office. Real tough kids, aren't they. Yeah, they would
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admit a thing that's them. Thanks. When'd you begin up? About eight
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thirty to night in the parking lot behind the Star Theater out on Sunset.
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He was lifting the radio out of a forty eight convertible. He's had lots
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of experience. The part says you picked up a nineteen year old girl with
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him. She was waiting for the guy in a parked car across the street
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from the theater. The car was full of loot. The first real break
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we've had on those little burglaries in three months, and it's no good to
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us. Neither one of them will talk. They won't even admit they know
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each other. He run makes on them, just did. We've been questioning
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the boy for an hour, getting nowhere? What's his name again? Freeman?
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Stanley Freeman Ah age twenty address, Duke, Montana, down here for
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a vacation. He doesn't lie very well. Ed, He's never been to
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Buke, Montana in his life. Knows less about the town than I do.
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Well, get to him, right, ed? Where'd you put the
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girl? We had a policewoman take her to our office. We can talk
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to her when we finish with the boy. What's her story? Hasn't any
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She won't even open her mouth? Nineteen years old? Probably needs a good
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spanking now, get him to talk, right? Did you run and make
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Joe? Yeah? He's clean yet wise? How flat foots look? You're
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in a bad spots sun. That kind of talk isn't gonna help, says
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you. We caught you red handed trying to steal a radio that didn't belong
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to you from a car didn't belong to you. Is that right? That's
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enough to send you to San Quentin, boy, you better give us the
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story. Shut up. We've got all the evidence we need for him.
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Maybe you don't realize how serious this is. We've had more than two hundred
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and fifty car burglaries in this city in the past three months, over two
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hundred thousand dollars with the property has been stolen. That's a lot of money.
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So what so you're the number one suspect, young fellow. Your method
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of operation and breaking into that car to night is the same use and most
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of the other burglaries. That means you're not going to be tried just for
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this job tonight. What do you get in that flat foot listen, son
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in the state of California, breaking into a locked car as a fallon,
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you can go to State penantin tri for that. And we're gonna finally complaint
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of burglary with the district attorney in the morning. You say you're from Butte,
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Montana. All right, I don't believe you, but we'll make sure.
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Ben. Go out of our office and call the news photographers. Stanley
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here is gonna have his picture on the front page of every newspaper in Los
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Angeles tomorrow. All right, Joe, no, you can't. I won't
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let you. I got my rights. Let's marry youngster. Everybody wants his
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picture in the paper. Yeah, well I don't. I won't let him.
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We got your picture already for him, and remember I took it when
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their finger printed. You can't use it, you can't. I'll get a
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lawyer. The porters will be over in a couple of minutes. We have
6:41
to give me a story and your picture too, this one. You won't,
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you won't? You right? All right, get your hands off.
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I'm not down. All right, now, let's have it straight. Don't
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let him use the picture. Don't let him. You can't swer. We
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got to have the truth. So now look, you're twenty years old.
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You know right from wrong. You'll have to take your medicine. If you
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cooperate, we'll do all we can to help. Oh. I live out
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in the Wilshire district. All I wanted was a little extra money. We
7:18
didn't take much. Well, we didn't think it was so wrong. It
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was stealing freeman. You know that's wrong. Where do you live out there?
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White Pave eight twenty one Piper? You won't give him my picture?
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You live there with your family? Yeah? My mother father's dead. Promise
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me you won't give him the picture. My mother she'd see it. I'll
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promise me. You're working with a gang and those autoburgerhies. We know that.
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Now. Who are they? Where are they? And what's the setup?
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I can't they get me for it? Who'd get you? I can't
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tell you. I can't. Who's your girlfriend, Stanley, the one you
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were with tonight, Johann Joanne Miller. Where does she live? Piper Avenue?
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The same as me. Lives on the same block, eight sixty six
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at her home. You live there with her full Yeah, mother and father,
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they work, and you got her into this. Isn't that the story
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she gave us? Ben I did not. I didn't. It was her.
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She said. A bunch of kids were doing it. It was quick
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money, something to do with night. She started it. All right,
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Ramero, I'll go see the girl. You stay here with Freeman, all
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right, Joe, just stay putting that chair for him. Hi, Marge,
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Oh, Joe, you and Romero handling this case? Yeah, I
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like to talk to the girl a few minutes. Marche when you stand by
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here? Thanks? All right? Miss? What's your name? Age and
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address? I told this lady cop fifteen minutes ago. I'm not saying anything.
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All right, then we'll tell you. Your name's Joanne Miller. You
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live at eight sixty six Piper Avenue. You live with your father and mother,
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both of them work. You're a liar, that's not me. You're
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nineteen years old, you live on the same block as your boyfriend, Stanley
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Freeman, and you're the one who got it mixed up in this gang.
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Right. No, it's not white, it's not I didn't do anything.
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It's only half the story. Freeman told us everything you want to hear.
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The rest. No, stan wouldn't tell you. He wouldn't. He told
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us how you got it mixed up in it? Quick money, that's what
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you told him. No, it was him. I can prove it.
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The rest of the kids will tell you he got me in this. Ask
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him. They'll tell you it was Stanley and Fred Milford and George Jansen.
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They started, all three of them. All right. When you tell a
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story to a police stenographer, I'll tell him everything. He's not blaming this
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on me. Marge. Will you go get this stenographer right now? How
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many persons in this gang of years? Oh, about ten or twelve and
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it's not my gang either. He got me into this, and now he's
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trying to lie his way out, blaming me. How long you've been doing
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this burglarizing cars? Me only about two weeks. It was supposed to be
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fun, something to do tonight. The rest of them been added a couple
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of months. Who's the head of the gang? I told you it's him,
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Stanley and Fred Milford and Jansen, all three. I only started going
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out with him two weeks ago, maybe less, All right, Julianne,
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tell it to the stenographer the same way. Penographer will be in a minute.
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Joe. Okay, Marge, thanks, stay with it. Jo.
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Just about a close case. Ben. The girl gave us a full confession.
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She didn't. Oh, you're not tricking me again. She didn't.
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She told us you're one of the leaders of the gang. Stanley said you
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got her into all this. The other two are George, Jansen and Fred
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Milford. About a dozen kids in the gang. All I'm about your age,
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Isn't that right? She's lying? Can't you tell she's lying? She
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got me into the gang? She did. She's Milford's girlfriend. Ask her,
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Oh, she can't lie out of that one. She got me into
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what I can prove it. Who's the real leader of the gang. He
11:00
started it, He organized the whole thing. He collects the stuff we get,
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and he delivers it. Jansen helps him do it. What do you
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mean he delivers this stuff? Where does he deliver it? Somewhere in Dogtown?
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I think down around South May near the railroad yards. Who had delivered
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too, I don't know exactly. I heard Jansen mention the name ones Myra.
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He said it's supposed to be a big secret Myra. That's that's all
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I remember. Where does Jansen and Milford lane? Jansen rooms down on East
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Flower ten forty two. I think it's it's a rooming house. And Milford
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lives two blocks over from me on Quincy two thirty four Quincy It is with
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his grandmother. Got that? Ben? All right, all right, let's
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pick up Milford and Jansen. It was ten minutes past one when Ben and
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I returned to headquarters with George Jansen and Fred Milford in our custody. In
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Jansen's room at ten forty two East Flowers Street, we found two fur coats,
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a box full of new car accessories, an SNW thirty eight revolver,
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and a forty five automatic. When we picked up Fred Milford at his home,
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we discovered five deluxe car radios hidden in the garage, plus a valuable
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assortment of cameras, cigarette lighters, and clothing. Both Jansen and Milford refused
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to talk, but when we got them to headquarters and showed them the science
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statements of Stanley Freeman and the girl Joanne Miller, they broke Milford down.
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Where else did you and your gang operate besides the Wilshire district? No place
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sell me out there. That's all same type of car burglers have been committed
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all over the city. You're telling us your gang didn't have a hand in
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them. It's a truth. Our territory was Wiltshire District. We didn't go
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outside. You mean some other gangs responsible. I don't know. All I
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know is we didn't have any part of them. He was there another gang,
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Milford, Maybe, I don't know. You find out none of my
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business. It is your business. Milford. You admit you and your gang
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committed fifty five jobs in the past three and a half months. That leaves
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about two hundred jobs be accounted for that. I'll try to figure it out.
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We have figured it out. I think you and your gang of young
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thieves pulled every one of those two hundred and fifty job. If there is
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any other gang, that's the story. The Districtorney's going to get it.
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You're crazy. There is I know there is, and give us the information
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and save yourself a lot of trouble. Oh we're not the only ones,
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That's all I know, Milford. Do you know how many years you get
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for Ottoberger? I told you we're not the only ones. There must be
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a couple of others besides us. Vince Mahoney, he's got a gang.
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Where does Mahoney operate? West Hollywood and Beverly? Where's he live? I
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don't know, honest, I only met him a couple of times. Where'd
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you meet I don't remember. Where'd you meet him? Milfing delivery? I
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met him done at the delivery place a couple of nights when you delivered the
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property you stole from cars? Is that right? Yeah? Where was the
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downe by the railroad yards? Where Chavis Street? If it's a little alley
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off he's main who'd you deliver this stuff too? He told you our names
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Mara, that's all I know. We meet her and some guy on Tuesday
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nights. We get him the stuff and they pay us off. Mahoney delivers
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the same night I do. Do you meet her every Tuesday? Name?
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Yeah, you're going to meet her this Tuesday tomorrow. Name. I don't
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know. I guess so, same place? Yeah? Are you the only
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one she deals with? Sometimes? Joanne? Your joant? I know what
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you're thinking. You want to use me to trap Myra? What's it worth?
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You know better than that? How about it? Milford? Oh?
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What else? Kind to give me another cigarette? By three point thirty that
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morning, the signed statements and confessions were piling up fast. Milford gave us
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a list of the names and the dresses of each member and his gang,
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and within an hour they were all under questioning at headquarters. Most of the
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suspects, about one third of them girls, ranged in age from eighteen to
14:43
twenty one. As they told their individual stories, the scope of the case
14:48
grew until it covered most of the city. By late afternoon of the next
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day, Tuesday, March third, three more gangs operating in Venice, bel
14:56
Air and North Hollywood have been apprehended. They confess to more than an hundred
15:00
and seventy five burglaries from locked cars, during the past three and a half
15:03
months. At five o'clock that afternoon, Ben and I met with Chief Backstrand
15:07
in his office. How many admissions you have now over fifty? Ed,
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you're the gang leader's statements. That's the story, man, it's pretty much
15:16
the same. They all say, this woman Myra set up operation. You
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mean she got the kids and put them to work burglarizing cars. Well,
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not exactly. She picked the leaders, contacted them in bars or on the
15:26
street, asking them if they wanted to pick up some spare money getting auto
15:30
parts for then she didn't tell them to go out and burglarize cars. Well,
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not in so many words, ed. No. After they brought in
15:35
auto parts for a couple of weeks, she told them to bring her everything
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they could find outside the car. Inside. Those the words she used.
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Five of the kids dictated those words into this sign complation that should hold in
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court. What else did you get on this woman? Oh, she taught
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him how to work, going to wear gloves, all angles. Well,
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we got most of the small frime. Where do we find this Myra woman?
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Any description on her? Yeah, kids say she's about thirty three thirty
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four, good looking, redhead, five feet five, about one hundred and
16:06
twenty world read no description on the guy she runs with? You run a
16:08
makehun her yet Yeah, no previous record. We set up a steakout for
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tonight. Two of the gang leaders have volunteered to go along, as Milford
16:15
and Vince Mahoney. Eh good down on Chevies where she usually meets them.
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Yet try when eleven fifteen, that's a regular time for the meet According to
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the kid, all right, I'll be at home. Call me. I
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don't want to miss out on this one. When Ben and I left at
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Backstrand's office, we went home for dinner. In a few hours sleep,
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at nine thirty pm, we were back at the office. We met the
16:42
man in the special detail which backstranded a sign for the steakout that night.
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We briefed them on their duties, and then we got Fred Milford and Vince
16:51
Mahoney out of their cells. To avoid any possible suspicion of the presence of
16:55
a trap, we had Milford's permission to use his car in the steakhout.
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The car, what she had said, he had driven to the delivery meetings
17:02
with the woman and Mayra at least a dozen times before we arrived at the
17:06
stakeout area Shabaz Alley in East Maine at nine fifty eight. The meeting was
17:11
scheduled for eleven fifteen. The moon was out, but the sky was overcast,
17:15
and it was a cold wind blowing from the east. Hey, what
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time you got, sergeant? Mm? About ten? Why a mail?
17:22
Friends getting nervous? No, I just wonder how are your cops gonna rig
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this thing? In just a couple of minutes. We're going to plant you
17:29
two in Milford's car parked up there in the alley. Now you stay there
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until Myra shows up. We'll do the rest. Yeah, I know,
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But what'll we say? Suppose she asked for some stuff We ain't got any.
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You won't need any. You won't have much time for talking. Suppose
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she wises up, Maybe she'll pull a gun. Maybe does she carry one?
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No, never saw her with one. Don't worry, Milford. We'll
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make sure you're not in danger. She's an awful temper. That redhead got
17:52
mad at me once when I squawked at the price as she was paying us
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for radios? What was she pen you? Moon ideo good shape? Seven
18:00
bucks? She got all the gravy and you got all the grief. Yeah,
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Joe. You Yeah, Steve, what do you got? Oh?
18:08
The man are all staked out, Joe got the area covered from every angle?
18:11
All right? You got an extra man to stay in Milford's car?
18:14
Oh I had that myself. Fine, thanks, Okay, set you Yeah,
18:18
I'm Milford. Mahoney. We're gonna put you too in your car.
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Now. That's going to be an officer with you. So there's no need
18:23
to be nervous or afraid. Just sit in the car and act natural when
18:27
this Mara drives up. Don't leave the car. I ever come to you.
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You got it? Sure? Okay, all right, Joe, let's
18:33
go. Sure is cold out. I don't even have a heater in my
18:41
car. I'm stolen up. Okay, Steve, here they are all right
18:49
boys. Milford get in first behind the wheel, Okay, Honey in the
18:53
middle. I sit in the back, and we'll be parking that garage across
18:56
the street. Steve got a perfect view of the alley. Okay, then
19:00
check with you lady, right mean night, Joe. Yeah, come on,
19:17
it's cold here in the garage in it. Yeah, it might be
19:22
a long way. What time you got six minutes past ten? Thank you?
19:36
Hi? Joe? What is it? It's nothing. I thought that
19:41
passing car was turned in the alley, relaxed, surly, lonely, places
19:51
dark gets on your nerve. That's it, Ben, half past eleven,
20:03
nothing yet somebody might have tipped roll. Yeah, that's what I was afraid
20:07
of. Let's wait it out anyway, Joe have blue Cooper just turned in
20:14
the alley. Let's go on, run Ben by you all right, break
20:21
up, quit fighting? What'd you get Steve here? He is just drove
20:25
up in the coop, got out and called Milford mahoney by the first names.
20:27
He's in on it? What about the girl? No sign? Kid
20:30
was the only one in the car? All right? Tell him in the
20:32
steakouts offered, and I'd have n't report back in. We'll take a kid
20:33
with us. Okay, all right, young fellow this way, are you
20:37
cops thinking toning? I ain't done nothing, look sport. We heard that
20:40
from fifty four different kids yesterday. We're tired of that line. Come on.
20:45
When we got back to the office, we took the boy to the
20:51
interrogation room and questioned him. He gave his name as Matthew Lighter, aged
20:55
twenty one. He wouldn't break until Vince Mahoney definitely identified him as a member
21:00
of his car burglary gang and the special favorite of the red headed woman they
21:03
called Myra. Then Lighter copped out and told Ben and I that he had
21:07
talked with Myra as late as ten o'clock tonight. He told us that she
21:11
had heard that the police had picked up some of the gang members, and
21:14
she asked Lighter to drive down to the Shabaz Alley meeting place he was supposed
21:18
to tell Milfred and Mahoney that the weekly delivery date was off until further notice.
21:22
We questioned Matthew Lighter for an hour and a half. You told us
21:26
a little while ago that you talked with this woman Myra late tonight. Yeah,
21:30
Where'd you talk to her? At her home? Her? I don't
21:33
if he's stupid. Nobody knows where she lives. I met her at a
21:36
bar, which bar Julius out of Santa Monica. How did she contact you?
21:41
Called me at home? She's not such a bad dame. She treats
21:45
you right. Sure, that's why in jail did you ever call her on
21:48
the phone. I don't know her number, none of the kids do.
21:51
She's smart. She taught me all I know about the racket. You'll up
21:55
a rough time getting her maybe, but we'll get her. Ben and I
22:02
left the office at two am and went home to bed. We reported in
22:07
at eight that morning to head Backstrand. The three of us went down the
22:10
street to Cocain's restaurant for a cup of coffee. Nobody was in a good
22:14
mood. We had most or all the small fry in the city white burglary
22:18
ring, but it seemed we were still a long way from cracking the inner
22:22
circle. The latter kids said that none of them knows where she lives,
22:26
what our phone number is, nothing vice of sugary. I think we still
22:30
have a few angles to study on that score. Right now, I've got
22:33
some more bad news for you. What's that you've been through your mail this
22:37
morning? Oh? That's yet we haven't had a chance. I saw the
22:41
overnight reports. There were thirty two car burglaries last night, thirty two all
22:47
the way from Wilmington to North Hollywood. How you figured it? I can't.
22:51
This girl Myra must have an army of kids working for How much did
22:55
they get in any idea? A rough estimate about three thousand dollars. Usual
22:59
stuff people are foolish enough to leave in their cars watches cameras for expensive clothes.
23:04
M is the same, and like the others, if the car happens
23:08
to have a rigid handle locked, they slip a piece of pipe over the
23:11
handle for a lever and break it. If that doesn't work, they probably
23:15
open the wing window. Some of the windows were smashed out. Sounds like
23:18
an awful hurried joe. Yeah, maybe this moraw wants a few big nights
23:22
before she pedals the stuff and gets out. For going to get her,
23:25
we can't waste time. Any suspects picked up last night's gaber. None?
23:30
Well, where did they hit? Most of the car outside the Pan Pacific
23:33
the parking lot hockey game going on must have been four thousand cars for them
23:37
to pick over them. They picked the best, as usual, and you
23:41
better get on it. There's one way to handle it. What's that she
23:47
works fast? You work a little faster. We got back to the office
23:52
and we went over the reports one by one. Then we called the young
23:56
gang members to the interrogation room and questioned them separately and request we got nowhere.
24:02
Many of them had met Myra on the street in the bar, but
24:04
not one of them had any idea where she lives. At least that's what
24:07
they told us. Men had a hunch that Matthew Lighter knew more than he
24:11
was telling. We had him brought to the interrogation room and all that afternoon
24:15
until ten o'clock that night, with interruptions for his meal periods. We talked
24:19
with Lighter. He would admit nothing more than what he'd already told us.
24:23
Yeah, it's got me beat, Joe. Yeah, let's check it out.
24:30
If we're going on, Joe man, I'm Mike Skipper in. We've
24:34
gone the whole room a minute. Right back hold of him. Yeah.
24:37
See who detectives always handed? Yeah, well you Joe? Oh thanks,
24:45
well, yeah he does. We'll be right over. I was Sergeant Hopkins
24:52
over the jail. Matthew Lighter's got something to tell us, says it's important.
25:03
I have a chair here, ladder. Yeah, thanks, all right,
25:08
you wanted to see us. I'm getting even with that Dame Myra.
25:11
I'm squaring with you. Yeah. If she told me if I was picked
25:15
up, she'd have me out in a couple of hours. She promised me
25:18
a lawyer if anything happened, said she'd get me bail. All right,
25:22
Where can we find her? I don't know if she's there now, but
25:23
you can find out at Francisco Motors big use Carlott Garage too shot on Melrose
25:30
past Los Sienaca. What's the time? That's where she fenced. Most of
25:33
the stuff we stole. Some old guy she buddies with runs the place.
25:37
Big shop in the back store. A lot of hot stuff there, Barney,
25:42
Yes, we're through with him. Take him back. We checked with
25:49
Chief Backstrand, and then we drove out to the Francisco Motor Company. We
25:53
located it on the corner of Melrose in Geneva Avenue. Was a big layout
25:57
consisted of a large used car lot sign bannering the slogan Deluxeto Accessories lowest prices
26:04
in town. Along the back end of the lot there was a large L
26:07
shaped garage. We found the man in charge and he gave his name as
26:11
Paul Hackett, the owner of the car lot. In the garage we found
26:17
the entrance to a large back storeroom was loaded with thousands of dollars worth of
26:21
bottle, radios, spotlights, cratefuls of assorted car accessories, special closets built
26:26
into the walls of the garage contained racks of fur coats, suits, dresses.
26:30
Below that, smaller boxes containing watches and cameras, all wrapped in tissue
26:33
paper. You can save all of us a lot of time and trouble by
26:37
talking to us. Now, mister Hackett, where is Myra? I don't
26:41
know who you're talking about. I don't know what you're talking about. Can
26:44
you explain what we just found in your garage? I didn't know it was
26:45
there. I didn't know I was stolen. Well, which is it,
26:48
mister Hackett? Make up your mind. I bought it, but I didn't
26:52
know it was stolen. You can't prove I did know. I think we
26:55
can prove it, mister Hackett. Some of those stolen car radios stored back
26:57
there. The serial numbers are filed off in the workmanch Here is full of
27:00
filings. I I didn't know. You'll have to do better than that.
27:06
How does Myra figure in? I don't know. I don't know what you're
27:08
talking about. It's all right with us, Hackett. We found the stuff
27:11
and we got you. We don't find Myra. You'll be doing time for
27:15
two people. Stand still. You can't. You can't do this to me.
27:21
I don't know anything about it. Come on, Hacket, if we've
27:22
taken you in, all right, get in the car. Come on in
27:32
the car, and I going to jail. You're going to jail, all
27:37
right. I'll take it at Myra. Acket told us that Myra lived at
27:45
thirteen forty five Munich Drive in Beverly Hills. He said that he was Mayra's
27:48
husband. He told us that he'd been in a legitimate garage business for ten
27:52
years before he married Myra. She talked him into the racket. He identified
27:56
thirteen forty five Munich Drive as their home. When we got there, we
28:00
found stores of stolen property similar to those found in the garage. Mara was
28:04
not there. Hackett had no idea where she might be. We sat down
28:08
in the living room and waited one hour, two hours, three hours.
28:18
After five hours of waiting, the monotony started to wear on everybody's nerves,
28:21
especially Hackett's. The whole thing. It was her idea. I should have
28:26
known all hers. She did this to me. I won't take it alone.
28:30
Where is she? You tell us? Hackett told you, I don't
28:33
know. She couldn't have gone. She didn't know. I'm not going to
28:36
try it. Quiet down, quiet dinner at your Paul, But I heard
28:42
you talking to some bos he the police, Myra, the police. Your
28:48
smart kids told them the whole story. What are you talking about? My
28:52
smart kids? Are these cops here on the liver? Get your dirty hands
28:55
off me. Gotta like kids, right, Joe, she gotta do it.
28:59
Who do you think you? Yeah? There, that'll hold you for
29:02
a while. All right, Come on you too, let's go all right,
29:04
Copper, you win? Stupid husbands? How many times I tell you?
29:11
Don't trust those kids. Don't start that stuff in the garage. Don't
29:14
open it for anybody. Get a lawyer, No, you knew better.
29:17
Dump jerk the idea. Have those cops camping in the living room waiting for
29:21
me? Why didn't you warn me? Little Daborscha. That's what I'm gonna
29:23
do. I'll stick you for plenty jerk, All right, inside you two.
29:33
You gotta smoke man, m Yeah, thanks, I'm just thinking.
29:45
Boy, those kids were right. She's a pretty nice looking woman. Yeah,
29:51
nice face, beautiful figure. Sure talks a lot, though, doesn't
29:56
she. Yeah, Hey, Joe, remind me to take home some flowers
30:02
to my wife. To night wing. The story you have just heard is
30:11
true, only the names were changed. To protect the innocent. Paul and
30:18
Myra Hackett were tried and convicted on seven separate counts of receiving stolen property.
30:23
They are now serving out their sentences in the state penitentiary. Realizing that most
30:29
of the young persons involved in the case were influenced by the strong personality of
30:33
Paul and Myra Hackett, a separate investigation was made into the backgrounds and home
30:37
life of the young offenders. In most cases, they were found to be
30:41
basically good, and they were placed on probation and returned to their homes.
30:51
You have just heard the thirteenth in a new series of authentic cases from official
30:55
files. Technical advice for Dragnet comes from the office of W. A.
30:59
Wharton, Acting Chief of Police, Los Angeles Police Department. Tonight's program is
31:04
dedicated to Detective Harry William Vosper of the Seattle Washington Police Department, on the
31:11
night of July twenty first, nineteen forty nine, gave his life so that
31:15
yours might be more secure. Dragnet came to you from Los Angeles and now
31:26
an important announcement. Starting this Saturday, September third, Dragnet will be heard
31:32
at a new time over your NBC station, consult your local newspaper for the
31:36
new listening time. And now, speaking in behalf of the producers in the
31:40
entire cast of Dragnet, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you
31:44
for your many kind letters of encouragement and approval. Remember next Saturday for Dragnet.
31:48
This is NBC the National Broadcasting Company. Welcome back. This is such
32:02
a good episode. Started out kind of routine, but then I love the
32:07
part where the kid being interrogated at the beginning does such a quick change,
32:13
and then how they from being tough and defiant though really actually in sort of
32:20
a nineteen thirty sort of way. The whole says you and calling them flatfoots
32:25
sound up maybe a little bit out of eight even for this time, but
32:30
who knows, may have gone to a lot of old movies, right the
32:31
way that goes to wanting to avoid having this picture in the paper, and
32:36
then the way they play off the testimony a boyfriend and girlfriend to get to
32:40
the truth, and then the whole episode is just this fascinating thing where they
32:45
take this big car theft ring which is so complex and has achieved so much
32:53
from a criminal perspective, and really just peel back all the layers like it's
32:59
an onion. It's a really engrossing story, and it's one of those things
33:02
that Dragnet does particularly well. Only other series, whether it's Racket Squad or
33:10
This is Your FBI, well occasionally do an episode like this. But I
33:15
like this Dragnet story the way you get through it, and you really get
33:21
an impression of Myra as this really sort of poisonous character. And I guess
33:27
in one way you can compare it a little bit to an episode that we
33:30
that I didn't care as much for, the Johnny Dler called the Emily Braddock
33:35
Matter. And what makes Myra, I think much more impressive for this sort
33:39
of story is with Emily Braddock, we just got told right away everything we
33:45
need to know. In the first few minutes here we actually get a picture
33:49
of our operation a little bit before we even know about Myra, and then
33:54
each step of the way we begin to get more insights into how she's this
34:00
really manipulative person with a great corrupting influence. Of course, the end was
34:07
interesting with the kids going on probation, which in most cases, if they
34:13
didn't have any past trouble, does make a lot of sense. Because I'll
34:16
ring this size. You know you couldn't just jail everybody. Now we turn
34:21
to some listener comments and feedback. First of all, note from Richard,
34:25
My wife and I enjoy your various recordings every night. They put my wife
34:30
to sleep much better than any fill Best to you, keep up the nice
34:35
work well. Thanks so much, Richard, and thanks so much. Shut
34:38
to your wife for listening. And Mary says, simply love the podcast.
34:43
We also had a few comments on the episode sixteen Jewel Fans. Chuck opines
34:49
on this, saying, you ask why Friday and Romero took Walter Tracy with
34:52
them, as they can miss the area's hotels, rooming houses, and center
34:58
instead of using a photo. In my view, based on twenty five years
35:01
experience as a prosecutory, taking Tracy with them offered the chance to offer to
35:07
obtain a spontaneous and excited remark by the landlord, meta manager, etc.
35:15
Showing that he recognized Tracy and a tenant. Of course, having Tracy a
35:19
company Friday and Romero increases the dramatic effect using a photo, as you suggest,
35:24
it would have been more efficient only if additional detectors or patrol officers were
35:29
temporarily deployed to assist in the area canvas. If no additional officers were assigned
35:34
to assist Friday and Romero, the task cuting zena photo would have taken just
35:38
as long as it did, although Friday and Romero would have been spared the
35:43
constant griping by Tracy Well, I will take your word for Jack. Thanks
35:47
so much for the comments and appreciate the expertise, as you have twenty five
35:52
more years of prosecutorial experience than I do, which means I don't have any.
35:57
I think it makes a lot of sense, and in some ways the
36:00
effect you could almost tell a shift in the character, not to acceptance of
36:08
this, but kind of, you know, I kind of you know,
36:13
like a blithe acceptance. But there's a way in which going to this neighborhood,
36:21
you know, and going around it wore him down. And then you
36:27
know, after all of his bluster to finally be caught, that may have
36:30
also helped bring about the confession. So good points. Other comments here from
36:42
Renee says I'm enjoying this series all over again. It's even better the second
36:46
time around. Sign quality is excellent for show of this old and Darren says
36:52
fun since Harry Morgan was one of the good guys in the TV series.
36:59
Well, it's interesting. There's certainly people who act around web will play all
37:05
sorts of roles. We'll eventually hear a young Martin Milner play one of Friday's
37:13
replacement partner, and he'll go on to play criminals and other sorts of roles
37:19
in both radio and television versions of Dragnet. And finally, we have an
37:23
iTunes review. This one comes from Mumpy Raff, who says the app is
37:30
great. If you love old time radio or one who enjoys listening to audiobooks,
37:35
you will enjoy this app like so many others. It took me a
37:37
while to get to use to Adam's voice and style, but he does a
37:42
lot of research and this is interesting and enjoyable. I really enjoy anything with
37:46
Bob Bailey. Well, thanks so much. I appreciate you taking the time
37:51
to review the app, and that will do it for today tomorrow. Today
37:58
this was our fourteen hundred apisode. We're celebrating tomorrow with a one hour special
38:05
fourteen, celebrating our fourteen hundredth episode as well as our fifth year on the
38:10
program. It's going to be a very special program. Be sure and listen
38:15
for that. Monday we'll be back to the Saint and next Saturday we'll be
38:20
back with another episode of Dragnet. In the meantime, sendra comments to Box
38:24
thirteen Great Detectives dot net, follow us on Twitter, Radio Detectives, and
38:30
become one of our friends on Facebook, Facebook dot com. Slash Radio Detectives
38:35
from Boise, Idaho. This is your host, Adam Grahamson and off