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Transcript

Dragnet - "Twenty-Two Rifle for Christmas" (Old Time Radio, 1950) · Dragnet | Old Time Radio

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Jack Webb stars as Sergeant Joe Friday with Barton Yarborough
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: as Sergeant Ben Romero. On December 21, 1950, NBC broadcast Dragnet,
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: Episode 80, 22 Rifle for Christmas, sponsored by Fatima Cigarettes,
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: and re-recorded from a story first heard the previous December.
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: In pre-Christmas Los Angeles, Friday and Romero are assigned to
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: homicide detail when nine-year-old Stanley Johnstone disappears while his mother
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: is shopping. Bloodstains and an expended. 22 caliber cartridge near
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: the Johnstone home deepen the inquiry as the detectives work
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: with juvenile officers, the crime lab, and a widening search.
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: And now we return to the original broadcast.
• 0:57
  Speaker 2: The story you're about to hear is true. Only the
• 1:00
  Speaker 2: names have been changed to protect the innocent.
• 1:03
  Speaker 3: Fatima Cigarettes. Best of all long cigarettes. Brings you Dragnet.
• 1:09
  Speaker 4: You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned to homicide detail.
• 1:21
  Speaker 2: A small boy is reported missing from his home. His age,
• 1:25
  Speaker 2: nine years. Foul play is suspected. Your job, find him.
• 1:35
  Speaker 5: You'll be amazed when you compare Fatima with other long cigarettes.
• 1:40
  Speaker 3: You'll find they now cost the same. But in Fatima,
• 1:44
  Speaker 3: the difference is quality.
• 1:45
  Speaker 5: You see, Fatima is the quality king-size cigarette. Because it
• 1:50
  Speaker 5: contains the finest Turkish and domestic tobaccos, superbly blended. And
• 1:55
  Speaker 5: Fatima is extra mild. With a much different, much better
• 1:59
  Speaker 5: flavor and aroma than any other long cigarette.
• 2:02
  Speaker 3: So try comparing Fatima yourself. Fatima's now cost the same
• 2:07
  Speaker 3: as other long cigarettes. But your first pop will tell you.
• 2:12
  Speaker 6: Ah, that's different.
• 2:14
  Speaker 5: Yes, in Fatima, the difference is quality. Ask your dealer
• 2:18
  Speaker 5: for Fatima. The quality king-size cigarette. Best of all long cigarettes.
• 2:25
  Speaker 5: Start enjoying Fatima tomorrow.
• 2:28
  Speaker 3: Dragnet, the documented drama of an actual crime. For the
• 2:38
  Speaker 3: next 30 minutes, in cooperation with the Los Angeles Police Department,
• 2:41
  Speaker 3: you will travel step-by-step on the side of the law
• 2:44
  Speaker 3: through an actual case transcribed from official police files. From
• 2:48
  Speaker 3: beginning to end, from crime to punishment, Dragnet is the
• 2:51
  Speaker 3: story of your police force in action.
• 2:54
  Speaker 7: It was Thursday, December 22nd. It was cold in Los Angeles.
• 3:01
  Speaker 7: We were working a night watch out a homicide. My
• 3:03
  Speaker 7: partner's Ben Romero. The boss is Thad Brown, chief of detectives.
• 3:06
  Speaker 8: My name's Friday. I was on the way into work,
• 3:09
  Speaker 8: and it was 3.55 p.m. when I got to room 42. Homicide. Hi, Joe.
• 3:16
  Speaker 9: Ben?
• 3:16
  Speaker 10: Ben?
• 3:18
  Speaker 8: Well, here's the file on the Webster case.
• 3:20
  Speaker 2: You want to go to the follow-up for me?
• 3:22
  Speaker 8: Yeah. I'll get it. Homicide fighting. This Levinson, Unit 113J.
• 3:27
  Speaker 8: Got something for you. Yeah, Harry, what's doing?
• 3:30
  Speaker 1: Dorney and I are out here on.
• 3:31
  Speaker 2: Collins Avenue, 4656, trying to track down a nine-year-old boy.
• 3:35
  Speaker 8: Yeah, what's the story? The kid's missing, suspicion of foul play.
• 3:39
  Speaker 8: How long has he been gone? About two hours. Looks
• 3:41
  Speaker 8: like a job for homicide. How'd he figure?
• 3:43
  Speaker 2: The kid was last seen playing in the backyard of
• 3:45
  Speaker 2: his home.
• 3:46
  Speaker 10: Yeah?
• 3:46
  Speaker 9: We checked over the yard.
• 3:47
  Speaker 8: Did you find anything? Bloodstains, lots of them. They look new.
• 3:54
  Speaker 7: Ben and I left a message for Chief of Detectives
• 3:56
  Speaker 7: Thad Brown. Then we went over to the crime lab,
• 3:58
  Speaker 7: picked up Lieutenant Lee Jones, and drove out the Arroyo
• 4:00
  Speaker 7: Secoe Freeway to Collis Avenue.
• 4:02
  Speaker 8: It was an average neighborhood.
• 4:04
  Speaker 7: Number 4656 was a one-story green stucco residence situated on
• 4:08
  Speaker 7: the corner of Collis Avenue and Harrison Drive. Beyond the
• 4:12
  Speaker 7: backyard was attractive undeveloped land covered.
• 4:14
  Speaker 8: With scrub oak.
• 4:16
  Speaker 7: Harry Levinson from Highland Park Juvenile was waiting for us
• 4:18
  Speaker 7: in front of the house.
• 4:19
  Speaker 8: Let's back this way, fellas. Coming, Lynch. Bill, I got
• 4:21
  Speaker 8: my bag. Who notified you that the boy was missing, Harry?
• 4:25
  Speaker 10: Mother.
• 4:26
  Speaker 2: Said she went out to do some Christmas shopping about
• 4:28
  Speaker 2: 11 this morning.
• 4:29
  Speaker 8: Left the boy home. She came back about 2 this afternoon.
• 4:32
  Speaker 8: He was gone. What's the name? Johnstone. Kid's name is Stanley.
• 4:36
  Speaker 8: Nine years old. Was this gate open like this when
• 4:39
  Speaker 8: you got here? Yeah, I haven't touched the thing. I
• 4:42
  Speaker 8: hear the stains over here, Lieutenant Jones. Along the edge
• 4:44
  Speaker 8: of the walk.
• 4:45
  Speaker 9: See?
• 4:46
  Speaker 10: Yeah.
• 4:46
  Speaker 8: Let me see. Quite a few stains, huh? Yeah.
• 4:50
  Speaker 9: Yeah.
• 4:55
  Speaker 8: Looks like it might be blood. Try some benzidine on them.
• 5:05
  Speaker 9: There we are.
• 5:06
  Speaker 8: See what happens. Where's the kid's mother now, Harry? In
• 5:09
  Speaker 8: the house.
• 5:10
  Speaker 2: Doherty's talking to her. Did you talk to any of
• 5:12
  Speaker 2: the neighbors? People next door are the ones on this side.
• 5:15
  Speaker 2: They couldn't tell us anything.
• 5:16
  Speaker 8: There it is, fellas. Yelly.
• 5:17
  Speaker 2: These spots I covered with benzidine are turning blue. Bloodstain's
• 5:21
  Speaker 2: all right. Can't say definitely whether it's human or animal blood.
• 5:24
  Speaker 8: Do you have to go back to the lab to
• 5:25
  Speaker 8: run it through? Yeah, a biological precipitant test. Hand me
• 5:28
  Speaker 8: one of those glass files from my bag, will you? Yeah, sure. Okay,
• 5:33
  Speaker 8: here you go.
• 5:33
  Speaker 4: Thanks.
• 5:35
  Speaker 8: Scrape some flakes off for a test. There we are.
• 5:41
  Speaker 8: How soon can you tap the blood for us, Lee?
• 5:43
  Speaker 8: Precipital test won't run more than 20 minutes. It'll take
• 5:46
  Speaker 8: three or four hours to run a blood grouping, though.
• 5:50
  Speaker 8: That's it. Anything else you want to check? Levinson, anything else? Yeah,
• 5:56
  Speaker 8: right here in my handkerchief. Empty shell. That marker over
• 5:59
  Speaker 8: there by the rosebush? That's where I found it. From a. 22, huh? Yeah,
• 6:04
  Speaker 8: might tie in, might not. Lock it and dump it
• 6:06
  Speaker 8: in this envelope, will you?
• 6:07
  Speaker 9: Mm-hmm.
• 6:10
  Speaker 8: Here you go. Here you go. Did you get out
• 6:13
  Speaker 8: a missing broadcast on the boy here? Doherty did about
• 6:15
  Speaker 8: a half an hour ago. Here's a description here. Thank you.
• 6:18
  Speaker 8: Does your mother know about the bloodstain? No, we didn't
• 6:21
  Speaker 8: tell her. She's worried enough already. She has no idea
• 6:24
  Speaker 8: what might have happened to her boy, huh? No more
• 6:26
  Speaker 8: than we do.
• 6:28
  Speaker 2: She checked all her friends and relatives. We're covering the
• 6:30
  Speaker 2: neighborhood in a trace so far.
• 6:32
  Speaker 8: Not much to go of. Bloodstains. Empty cartridge. Yeah, it
• 6:36
  Speaker 8: could mean a hundred things. Any ideas, Freddy? Just one,
• 6:39
  Speaker 8: and I don't like it.
• 6:40
  Speaker 4: 4.30 p.m.
• 6:47
  Speaker 8: Thursday, December 22nd.
• 6:49
  Speaker 7: The neighborhood search for nine-year-old Stanley Johnstone continued. Lee Jones
• 6:53
  Speaker 7: went back to the crime lab to start the precipitant
• 6:55
  Speaker 7: test in the blood grouping. Levinson and his partner, Dorothy,
• 6:58
  Speaker 7: from Highland Juvenile, stood by. We called Chief of Detectives
• 7:01
  Speaker 7: Thad Brown, and he ordered up a special detail to
• 7:03
  Speaker 7: aid in the search for the missing boy.
• 7:05
  Speaker 8: Ben and I questioned the boy's mother, Mrs.
• 7:07
  Speaker 7: Ruth Johnstone, a woman in her early 40s. She seemed
• 7:10
  Speaker 7: fairly calm under the circumstances.
• 7:12
  Speaker 8: Miss Johnstone, is your boy Stanley in the habit of
• 7:14
  Speaker 8: wandering off without telling you where he's going?
• 7:16
  Speaker 6: No, he's not in the habit of wandering off, but
• 7:18
  Speaker 6: he has done it before.
• 7:19
  Speaker 8: Well, when was the last time, Miss Johnstone?
• 7:22
  Speaker 6: You don't have any children, do you, Sergeant Friday?
• 7:24
  Speaker 8: No, ma'am. I'm not married.
• 7:25
  Speaker 11: Well, there comes a time in every young boy's life
• 7:27
  Speaker 11: when he feels that it's time to leave home, go
• 7:29
  Speaker 11: out on his own. It usually happens somewhere around.
• 7:31
  Speaker 6: 8 to 10.
• 7:32
  Speaker 8: I think I know what you mean. I have a boy.
• 7:34
  Speaker 6: Well, then you know how it is.
• 7:35
  Speaker 11: My husband and I scolded Stanley one afternoon after school,
• 7:38
  Speaker 11: and he was quite put out about it.
• 7:40
  Speaker 6: Thought George and I were a fair.
• 7:41
  Speaker 9: Packed a few of his things and left.
• 7:44
  Speaker 8: Well, how long was he gone?
• 7:45
  Speaker 6: Oh, no time at all. About two hours. I was
• 7:47
  Speaker 6: worried about him, but my husband said to leave him alone.
• 7:49
  Speaker 6: Said every boy had to go through that stage.
• 7:51
  Speaker 8: Well, don't you think that he's run away from home
• 7:53
  Speaker 8: again this time?
• 7:54
  Speaker 11: Yes, I think so. He's been gone about four hours now.
• 7:58
  Speaker 11: I have a funny feeling about it.
• 8:00
  Speaker 8: Did you and his father have some misunderstanding with the
• 8:03
  Speaker 8: boy recently? That's just it.
• 8:04
  Speaker 11: We haven't.
• 8:06
  Speaker 6: I don't mind telling you now that we're talking about it.
• 8:08
  Speaker 6: I am getting worried.
• 8:10
  Speaker 7: Is there any place around that he might like to visit?
• 8:11
  Speaker 7: A hobby shop, playground, someplace he might be?
• 8:14
  Speaker 11: Yes, there's Jensen's model shop, Little Shannon Burroughs, but I've
• 8:17
  Speaker 11: already called there and he hasn't been seen all day.
• 8:19
  Speaker 11: I've called all his friends and they have no idea
• 8:22
  Speaker 11: where he is either.
• 8:23
  Speaker 8: We'd like a list of all of his friends and
• 8:24
  Speaker 8: the places that he was known to frequent.
• 8:26
  Speaker 6: Yes, all right, I'll give them to you.
• 8:29
  Speaker 8: Where do you suppose he is? Where's your husband now,
• 8:31
  Speaker 8: Miss Johnson?
• 8:32
  Speaker 11: At work.
• 8:33
  Speaker 6: George works for the city. He's a fireman.
• 8:35
  Speaker 8: What house is he staying in?
• 8:36
  Speaker 11: Engine Company 12. He's working the A platoon. He'll be
• 8:40
  Speaker 11: home tomorrow morning. I haven't told him his family's gone.
• 8:43
  Speaker 8: Well, is there any chance the boy might be down
• 8:45
  Speaker 8: at the firehouse with his father?
• 8:46
  Speaker 6: No, he seldom goes down there anymore. No, I don't
• 8:50
  Speaker 6: think he's there. I'm awfully worried.
• 8:53
  Speaker 9: May I call my husband?
• 8:55
  Speaker 8: Certainly, go right ahead.
• 9:01
  Speaker 6: I know George will be worried.
• 9:07
  Speaker 9: Engine Company 12, please.
• 9:09
  Speaker 6: Stanley's been gone too long.
• 9:11
  Speaker 8: Hello?
• 9:12
  Speaker 6: May I please speak with George Johnstone?
• 9:14
  Speaker 8: This is Mrs.
• 9:14
  Speaker 6: Johnstone. Thank you. Oh, I hate to call George at
• 9:19
  Speaker 6: his word.
• 9:20
  Speaker 4: Yes, ma'am.
• 9:21
  Speaker 8: Does your husband own a gun?
• 9:22
  Speaker 6: Yes, he does.
• 9:23
  Speaker 8: What caliber do you know?
• 9:25
  Speaker 6: It's a. 45 automatic. He got it not.
• 9:27
  Speaker 8: George?
• 9:28
  Speaker 11: This is Ruth. George, is Stanley down there with you
• 9:30
  Speaker 11: by any chance? Oh, no, I can't find him anywhere.
• 9:35
  Speaker 11: He wasn't here when I came home from doing my shopping.
• 9:37
  Speaker 11: There are two policemen here. No, I said there are
• 9:41
  Speaker 11: two policemen here. No, dear, I'll call you.
• 9:43
  Speaker 6: If we don't find him soon.
• 9:45
  Speaker 4: All right, dear.
• 9:48
  Speaker 6: Yes, you too.
• 9:50
  Speaker 12: Goodbye.
• 9:50
  Speaker 6: I didn't think he'd be with George.
• 9:55
  Speaker 8: At 45, is that the only gun in the household?
• 9:57
  Speaker 9: Yes.
• 9:59
  Speaker 11: Why are you asking about George? Has anything happened that
• 10:01
  Speaker 11: you're not telling me about?
• 10:02
  Speaker 8: No, ma'am, just routine checking. We'll have to take a
• 10:04
  Speaker 8: look at that. 45 if you don't mind.
• 10:06
  Speaker 11: Maybe I should tell you we do have another gun
• 10:08
  Speaker 11: in the house, but it's all wrapped up. George bought
• 10:10
  Speaker 11: it for Stanley's Christmas present.
• 10:12
  Speaker 8: What if we could see it, please?
• 10:13
  Speaker 6: Yes, well, will you have to unwrap it?
• 10:15
  Speaker 8: Yes, ma'am, I think so.
• 10:16
  Speaker 6: It's in the closet.
• 10:23
  Speaker 8: Richard.
• 10:24
  Speaker 6: He had to hide it.
• 10:25
  Speaker 8: Let me see.
• 10:28
  Speaker 6: Well, there's a paper that was wrapped in.
• 10:30
  Speaker 4: He's standing up the fountain.
• 10:33
  Speaker 11: It's gone.
• 10:34
  Speaker 6: You see, here's the gift card and the box the gun.
• 10:36
  Speaker 9: Came in, the rifle.
• 10:37
  Speaker 8: I wonder if I could look at that box, ma'am.
• 10:40
  Speaker 8: Thank you. How about it, Jim? 22 caliber.
• 10:46
  Speaker 7: Thursday, December 22nd, 5.15 p.m. It was getting dark. The
• 10:50
  Speaker 7: search for the missing boy continued. We checked the list
• 10:53
  Speaker 7: of Stanley Johnstone's friends. None of them or their parents
• 10:56
  Speaker 7: had any idea of his whereabouts. We talked with Levinson again.
• 11:00
  Speaker 7: He'd been in touch with the detail combing the neighborhood.
• 11:02
  Speaker 8: They'd found nothing.
• 11:04
  Speaker 7: We went down to Collis Avenue and 10th Street, service
• 11:06
  Speaker 7: station on the corner.
• 11:08
  Speaker 8: One nickel, you? Oh, I got one. Will you watch
• 11:10
  Speaker 8: the pad?
• 11:11
  Speaker 9: Yeah, I'm okay.
• 11:28
  Speaker 8: City Hall? 2667, please. 2667? I'm Lab Jones.
• 11:35
  Speaker 9: Hi, Lee.
• 11:36
  Speaker 8: Joe Friday. Yeah, Joe. Any sign of the Johnson kid? No,
• 11:38
  Speaker 8: not yet. How are you coming? Finished the precipitant test.
• 11:41
  Speaker 8: It's human blood.
• 11:42
  Speaker 9: Yeah.
• 11:42
  Speaker 8: Working on the blood group now. You know what type
• 11:44
  Speaker 8: the Johnson boy has? Well, I didn't want to upset
• 11:46
  Speaker 8: his mother. Thought I'd riddle the last thing. We're in
• 11:49
  Speaker 8: the neighborhood. Check with the family physician. That way you
• 11:51
  Speaker 8: won't disturb it. Yeah, I figured on that. Just a minute, Lee.
• 11:54
  Speaker 9: Yeah.
• 11:55
  Speaker 8: Yeah, Mick. Most is pulled up.
• 11:57
  Speaker 9: Okay.
• 11:58
  Speaker 8: Thad Brown's out here now. I'll check you later, Lee.
• 12:00
  Speaker 8: All right, Joe. All right, bye. Bye. Oh, here's William. Gentlemen,
• 12:07
  Speaker 8: how's it going? We just checked with Lee Jones.
• 12:09
  Speaker 4: Yeah, I know.
• 12:10
  Speaker 8: It's human blood. What do you think? We talked with
• 12:12
  Speaker 8: the boy's mother.
• 12:13
  Speaker 9: Mrs.
• 12:13
  Speaker 8: Johnstone found a gun missing. Yeah? Caliber's the same as
• 12:16
  Speaker 8: the empty casing Levinson found.
• 12:18
  Speaker 4: It's. 22.
• 12:18
  Speaker 8: You said the gun was missing?
• 12:19
  Speaker 7: Yeah, the Johnstones were going to give it to the
• 12:21
  Speaker 7: boys as a Christmas present.
• 12:22
  Speaker 8: They had it hidden, but it's gone. Any idea who
• 12:24
  Speaker 8: took it?
• 12:25
  Speaker 7: Well, they left the Christmas wrapping behind. I think it
• 12:27
  Speaker 7: was the kid.. 22 wrapping, huh?
• 12:30
  Speaker 8: Nine-year-old boy. When's he going to learn?
• 12:33
  Speaker 2: First, it's carbide cannons on the 4th of July.
• 12:36
  Speaker 8: The city issued ordinance after ordinance.
• 12:38
  Speaker 2: A few thousand kids around the country had to lose
• 12:39
  Speaker 2: their eyes, fingers, hands before the parents.
• 12:41
  Speaker 8: Would give us a full cooperation to outlaw them. I
• 12:43
  Speaker 8: know what you mean. Sure you do.
• 12:44
  Speaker 2: You and every other cop in the country became the
• 12:46
  Speaker 2: heavies trying to clamp down on them.
• 12:48
  Speaker 8: Tell us the same story. This time it's guns for Christmas. Well,
• 12:50
  Speaker 8: I know what you're thinking, but we're not sure yet. Listen, Friday.
• 12:53
  Speaker 8: There's a city ordinance against giving a gun to a kid.
• 12:55
  Speaker 9: You know that.
• 12:56
  Speaker 8: Yeah, I know that.
• 12:57
  Speaker 2: There's a missing boy and a missing gun. There's blood
• 12:59
  Speaker 2: on the ground and an empty shell. That's enough for me.
• 13:01
  Speaker 8: Well, we're going to stay with it. Something's got to break.
• 13:03
  Speaker 10: Yeah?
• 13:03
  Speaker 8: I hope it's not the hearts of that kid's parents.
• 13:05
  Speaker 4: All right, Chief.
• 13:07
  Speaker 8: Been looking for you, Friday. What do you got, Harry?
• 13:08
  Speaker 8: Found the gun. New. 22 rifle. I'd say it's been
• 13:11
  Speaker 8: fired recently. Where'd you find it, Levinson? Back up there
• 13:13
  Speaker 8: in that scrub oak behind the Johnstone house. Mrs. Johnstone
• 13:16
  Speaker 8: identified it. Buckley took it down to the crime lab. Thanks, Harry.
• 13:19
  Speaker 8: Is Mrs. Johnstone okay? Pretty sick now. Doherty came up
• 13:22
  Speaker 8: with something else. What's that? There's another one missing. An
• 13:25
  Speaker 8: eight-year-old boy.
• 13:25
  Speaker 4: 6.30 p.m.
• 13:30
  Speaker 7: We talked with Officer Doherty about the other missing boy.
• 13:33
  Speaker 7: He told us that his name was Stephen Morheim, eight
• 13:35
  Speaker 7: years old. His family had just moved into the neighborhood.
• 13:38
  Speaker 7: It seemed that no one besides the Morheim family knew
• 13:41
  Speaker 7: that the boys played together.
• 13:43
  Speaker 9: Mrs.
• 13:43
  Speaker 7: Morheim told us that Stephen told her that he was
• 13:45
  Speaker 7: going out to play and he'd be home by 6
• 13:47
  Speaker 7: o'clock for dinner. She told us that he was an
• 13:49
  Speaker 7: unusually prompt boy and almost never overstayed his playtime. We
• 13:53
  Speaker 7: got a description of the Morheim boy and put out
• 13:55
  Speaker 7: a missing broadcast. We called the Johnstones family doctor. He
• 13:59
  Speaker 7: told us that Stanley's blood was type O. At 7 p.m.,
• 14:02
  Speaker 7: we talked again with Mrs.
• 14:03
  Speaker 8: John Morheim.
• 14:06
  Speaker 9: Are you sure Mrs. Johnstone doesn't know where the boys are?
• 14:09
  Speaker 8: She has no idea, Mrs. Morhaime.
• 14:10
  Speaker 6: Oh, this is terrible.
• 14:13
  Speaker 9: Just awful.
• 14:15
  Speaker 12: I feel there's more to this thing, something you're not
• 14:17
  Speaker 12: telling me.
• 14:18
  Speaker 8: It was nice to upset you until we know a
• 14:19
  Speaker 8: few things for sure.
• 14:20
  Speaker 12: Then you're holding back something.
• 14:22
  Speaker 8: Oh, no, please try not to worry, Mrs. Morhaime.
• 14:23
  Speaker 7: There are certain things that we're going to have to
• 14:25
  Speaker 7: ask you, routine questions and any kind of investigation.
• 14:28
  Speaker 12: Is there anything else you want to know?
• 14:29
  Speaker 8: Yes, ma'am. What is your boy's blood type?
• 14:32
  Speaker 12: That's a funny question. Do you think anything's happened to him?
• 14:36
  Speaker 12: Have you found him and you're not telling me?
• 14:38
  Speaker 8: No, ma'am, we haven't found him. And we don't think
• 14:39
  Speaker 8: anything's happened to him. His blood type?
• 14:42
  Speaker 9: Yes, ma'am.
• 14:44
  Speaker 12: I think I have it written down in Stevie's baby book.
• 14:50
  Speaker 8: Yes, here it is.
• 14:52
  Speaker 12: It's type O.
• 14:53
  Speaker 8: Thank you. I wonder if I might use your phone?
• 14:55
  Speaker 12: Yes, of course.
• 14:56
  Speaker 1: It's in the hall.
• 14:57
  Speaker 6: I'll be right back then.
• 14:57
  Speaker 11: Okay.
• 14:58
  Speaker 8: Thank you.
• 15:11
  Speaker 6: City Hall.
• 15:12
  Speaker 8: Uh, 2667, please.
• 15:14
  Speaker 4: 2667?
• 15:15
  Speaker 8: Grand Lab. Thank you.
• 15:16
  Speaker 11: Hello, Ray.
• 15:17
  Speaker 8: This is Joe Friday.
• 15:17
  Speaker 9: Is Lee there?
• 15:18
  Speaker 8: Just a minute, Joe. Take two, Lee.
• 15:20
  Speaker 4: All right.
• 15:23
  Speaker 8: Jones speaking. Checking back, Lee. Did you get the blood
• 15:26
  Speaker 8: types on the two missing boys? Yeah. Both type O.
• 15:28
  Speaker 8: So are the stains, Joe. Type O.
• 15:30
  Speaker 9: All right.
• 15:41
  Speaker 3: You are listening to Dragnet for the solution to an
• 15:44
  Speaker 3: actual case from official police files. Now, here's a real
• 15:49
  Speaker 3: solution to many of your Christmas shopping problems.
• 15:51
  Speaker 5: If your friends smoke long cigarettes, give the best of
• 15:55
  Speaker 5: long cigarettes. Give king-size Fatima.
• 15:58
  Speaker 3: You see, Fatima's now cost the same as other long cigarettes.
• 16:03
  Speaker 3: But in Fatima, the difference is quality.
• 16:06
  Speaker 9: Quality of tobaccos.
• 16:08
  Speaker 5: The finest Turkish and domestic varieties, extra mild and superbly blended,
• 16:13
  Speaker 5: to give smokers a much different, much better flavor and
• 16:16
  Speaker 5: aroma than any other long cigarette.
• 16:19
  Speaker 3: Quality of manufacture. Smooth, plump cigarettes rolled in the finest
• 16:24
  Speaker 3: paper money can buy.
• 16:25
  Speaker 8: Quality.
• 16:26
  Speaker 5: Even to the appearance of the distinctive royal blue Fatima
• 16:29
  Speaker 5: gift carton. Christmas wrapped and carefully sealed to ensure Fatima's rich, fresh,
• 16:35
  Speaker 5: extra mild flavor. Remember, Fatima's now cost the same as
• 16:40
  Speaker 5: other long cigarettes. But in Fatima, the difference is quality.
• 16:45
  Speaker 5: So this Christmas, give your friends the best. Give Fatima
• 16:50
  Speaker 5: the quality king-size cigarette. Best of all long cigarettes.
• 16:55
  Speaker 4: The End 8.
• 17:03
  Speaker 8: P.m., Thursday, December 22nd.
• 17:05
  Speaker 7: Still no sign of either of the missing boys. Chief
• 17:08
  Speaker 7: Detective Thad Brown went back to headquarters to direct the
• 17:10
  Speaker 7: search from there. He dispatched another detail of 50 men
• 17:13
  Speaker 7: to aid in the hunt for.
• 17:14
  Speaker 8: The missing youngsters. 8.30 p.m. It was getting colder.
• 17:18
  Speaker 7: The citrus growers were warned to expect a freeze. We
• 17:21
  Speaker 7: went up the block to see Mrs.
• 17:22
  Speaker 8: Johnstone. Her husband had quit work early and returned home.
• 17:25
  Speaker 8: We talked with him.
• 17:26
  Speaker 7: He could tell us nothing more than we already knew.
• 17:29
  Speaker 7: We still had not informed either of the families about
• 17:31
  Speaker 7: the bloodstains and the empty cartridge casing which had been
• 17:33
  Speaker 7: discovered in the backyard of the Johnstone home. It was
• 17:36
  Speaker 7: more than possible that they had a right to know
• 17:38
  Speaker 7: about our findings, but Ben and I felt there was
• 17:40
  Speaker 7: no cause to add to the distress of the two
• 17:42
  Speaker 7: families at this time. If the two missing boys were
• 17:45
  Speaker 7: found alive and well, then the bloodstains and the cartridge
• 17:48
  Speaker 7: would be of no concern to the relieved parents. At 8.40 p.m.,
• 17:52
  Speaker 7: Ben and I left the Johnstone house and went to
• 17:54
  Speaker 7: the home of Mr.
• 17:54
  Speaker 8: And Mrs. John Moorheim. Mrs. Moorheim, you said your husband
• 17:57
  Speaker 8: worked at a market.
• 17:59
  Speaker 12: Yes, he telephoned about 15 minutes ago, said he was
• 18:01
  Speaker 12: closing up right away. He'll be here any minute. I
• 18:05
  Speaker 12: do wish Stevie would call, come home. It's so cold
• 18:09
  Speaker 12: out tonight. All he had on was a thin cotton jacket.
• 18:14
  Speaker 12: can he'll be all right stevie's father's such sensitive man
• 18:17
  Speaker 12: he and the boy are so close i know he's
• 18:19
  Speaker 12: terribly upset.
• 18:20
  Speaker 8: Now you're sure there's no place that you might have
• 18:22
  Speaker 8: forgotten someplace where the boy might be.
• 18:24
  Speaker 12: No no place no anything's happened to the boy it'll.
• 18:28
  Speaker 13: Just kill john no you sit still i'll get it
• 18:31
  Speaker 13: miss morgan joe mary johnstone kid he's been found.
• 18:49
  Speaker 6: He's home, Sergeant. He's come home. Thank God he's all right.
• 18:53
  Speaker 8: Where's he been? Did he tell you?
• 18:54
  Speaker 9: No.
• 18:55
  Speaker 6: No, he didn't.
• 18:56
  Speaker 11: His clothes are all dirty and he's acting strange. I've
• 18:58
  Speaker 11: never seen him like this.
• 18:59
  Speaker 8: How do you mean, Miss Johnston?
• 19:01
  Speaker 11: He just came to the front door and said, Hello, Mom.
• 19:04
  Speaker 11: He sat down in a chair and stared at the floor.
• 19:06
  Speaker 11: He won't talk to his father or me.
• 19:08
  Speaker 8: Do you mind if I talk to him?
• 19:09
  Speaker 6: No, go ahead. I asked him about the little Morheim boy,
• 19:12
  Speaker 6: but he wouldn't tell me a thing.
• 19:13
  Speaker 8: Where is he now?
• 19:15
  Speaker 6: Right over there in the living room.
• 19:19
  Speaker 8: Looks all right.
• 19:20
  Speaker 11: Yes.
• 19:23
  Speaker 8: Son.
• 19:25
  Speaker 6: Son, this is a police officer. He wants to talk
• 19:28
  Speaker 6: to you. Don't be afraid, dear. He only wants to
• 19:33
  Speaker 6: ask you some questions.
• 19:36
  Speaker 8: Son.
• 19:36
  Speaker 9: Son. You see, Sergeant?
• 19:42
  Speaker 8: Stanley, look at me, son. Come on, youngster, get your
• 19:46
  Speaker 8: head up there. That's better. You had your mother pretty worried,
• 19:49
  Speaker 8: you know. that you want to tell us where you've.
• 19:52
  Speaker 13: Been we should try to get him to eat a
• 19:53
  Speaker 13: little something you hear that son want something to eat
• 20:00
  Speaker 13: Stanley there's another little boy up the.
• 20:01
  Speaker 7: Studio hasn't come home you know where he is his
• 20:04
  Speaker 7: father and mother are worried about him too just like
• 20:06
  Speaker 7: your folks were we're going to ask you to help
• 20:09
  Speaker 7: us find him.
• 20:10
  Speaker 9: I killed him. I killed Steve with the. 22. We
• 20:16
  Speaker 9: were only playing, but I killed him.
• 20:18
  Speaker 8: How do you know you killed him? Maybe he's only
• 20:20
  Speaker 8: hurt now, isn't it?
• 20:22
  Speaker 9: No, he's dead. I know he's dead.
• 20:24
  Speaker 10: The gun went off.
• 20:26
  Speaker 9: I forgot we put bullets in there.
• 20:28
  Speaker 8: Where is he standing?
• 20:30
  Speaker 9: I hit him. I was scared. I didn't want anybody
• 20:34
  Speaker 9: to find him.
• 20:35
  Speaker 8: Where did you hide him, son?
• 20:36
  Speaker 9: In a cave up on the hill. I didn't mean it.
• 20:40
  Speaker 9: He was my pal.
• 20:41
  Speaker 8: Do you want to show us where's Stanley?
• 20:43
  Speaker 9: Yes, I'll show you. Please don't send me to.
• 20:53
  Speaker 8: Jail.
• 20:53
  Speaker 7: 9.15 p.m., Thursday, December 22nd. Nine-year-old Stanley Johnstone led the
• 20:58
  Speaker 7: way up the hill behind the backyard of his home.
• 21:00
  Speaker 7: He showed us the wagon he moved the body in.
• 21:02
  Speaker 7: His father came along with us. About 50 feet from
• 21:05
  Speaker 7: the crest of the hill, a boy pointed to a
• 21:07
  Speaker 7: thicket of scrub oak. There we found a small cave
• 21:09
  Speaker 7: holding the body of Stephen Morheim. There was a single
• 21:12
  Speaker 7: bullet wound in his chest just below his heart.
• 21:15
  Speaker 8: It was dead. It covered the body. Stanley, how did
• 21:18
  Speaker 8: it happen?
• 21:19
  Speaker 10: I knew my folks were going to give me the
• 21:21
  Speaker 10: gun for Christmas. I knew where it was, and I
• 21:24
  Speaker 10: got it. There was a box of bullets with it.
• 21:27
  Speaker 8: Were you pointing the gun at Stevenson?
• 21:30
  Speaker 9: No, sir. No, sir, I wasn't.
• 21:32
  Speaker 10: It was Steve's turn to play with it. I was
• 21:35
  Speaker 10: chasing him. He tripped over that stump there and he fell.
• 21:40
  Speaker 10: Gun hit him in the stomach and it went off. Well,
• 21:43
  Speaker 10: why do you think you killed him if you're telling
• 21:44
  Speaker 10: us the truth?
• 21:45
  Speaker 9: I'm telling the truth. That's the truth.
• 21:48
  Speaker 8: Well, I believe you, son, but why do you think
• 21:50
  Speaker 8: you killed him?
• 21:51
  Speaker 10: Was my gun steve he'd still be alive if i
• 21:54
  Speaker 10: didn't go and get it he should have waited till
• 21:57
  Speaker 10: christmas it's.
• 21:58
  Speaker 9: All my fault.
• 22:01
  Speaker 8: Where have you been all.
• 22:02
  Speaker 6: This time in the cave with steve what were you
• 22:06
  Speaker 6: doing in there son.
• 22:08
  Speaker 9: I was praying i was praying for god to make
• 22:11
  Speaker 9: him alive again.
• 22:19
  Speaker 7: After a thorough investigation, Ben and I were convinced that
• 22:21
  Speaker 7: the shooting of Stephen Morhaime was accidental. Lieutenant Lee Jones'
• 22:24
  Speaker 7: findings substantiated the Johnstone boys' story even to the smallest detail.
• 22:29
  Speaker 7: We put in a call to the coroner's office and
• 22:30
  Speaker 7: acquainted him with the facts.
• 22:32
  Speaker 8: He designated a local.
• 22:33
  Speaker 7: Mortuary to handle a body pending autopsy and granted us
• 22:36
  Speaker 7: permission to remove the body to the Morhaime home.
• 22:39
  Speaker 9: Mrs.
• 22:40
  Speaker 7: Morhaime collapsed. A family doctor was called. Ben and I
• 22:44
  Speaker 7: sat in the living room to wait for John Morhaime,
• 22:46
  Speaker 7: the dead boy's father.
• 22:51
  Speaker 4: Edith?
• 22:54
  Speaker 8: Edith?
• 22:55
  Speaker 11: Mr.
• 22:55
  Speaker 2: Morhaime?
• 22:56
  Speaker 8: Yeah, you're the police? Yes. Well, where's Edith? Where's my wife?
• 23:01
  Speaker 8: Has my boy come home? Have you found him? Yes, sir. Well,
• 23:07
  Speaker 8: where is he? Steve?
• 23:12
  Speaker 12: Stevie?
• 23:14
  Speaker 8: Where's Steve? He's hurt, isn't he?
• 23:19
  Speaker 4: Yes, sir, he is.
• 23:22
  Speaker 8: Where is he? I want to see him. He's hurt bad, Mr.
• 23:25
  Speaker 4: Moreau.
• 23:26
  Speaker 6: Where is he?
• 23:27
  Speaker 9: I want to see him.
• 23:31
  Speaker 8: How bad? Pretty bad. He's dead. All right, if I
• 23:41
  Speaker 8: go in. Yes, sir, if you want to. Will you
• 23:45
  Speaker 8: go with me? Sure. Don't make it any harder.
• 23:48
  Speaker 9: On yourself, Mr.
• 23:49
  Speaker 4: Moreau.
• 23:51
  Speaker 8: I want to see my boy. Mr. Moore, I.
• 24:08
  Speaker 8: Listen to me, son. We got you a lot of
• 24:13
  Speaker 8: nice things for Christmas. Everything you wanted.
• 24:19
  Speaker 6: I got you the three new cars for the train.
• 24:21
  Speaker 13: That one with the searchlight on it really works, son.
• 24:28
  Speaker 8: Got you that new switch you wanted. A lot more track. Oh,
• 24:35
  Speaker 8: now you can have a big layout. And, you know,
• 24:40
  Speaker 8: that new baseball mitt we saw.
• 24:44
  Speaker 4: I got it for you.
• 24:46
  Speaker 8: The cowboy outfit you wanted. I got that for.
• 24:52
  Speaker 9: You.
• 24:52
  Speaker 8: Mr. Moriarty. Come on, you.
• 24:58
  Speaker 5: What happened?
• 24:59
  Speaker 8: It was an accident. He was playing with a Johnstone
• 25:02
  Speaker 8: boy up the street. Playing with a gun. It went off.
• 25:08
  Speaker 8: What was the other boy's name? Stanley Johnstone. It was
• 25:12
  Speaker 8: an accident.
• 25:13
  Speaker 4: Mr.
• 25:14
  Speaker 8: Moran, where are you going? I want to see that boy.
• 25:20
  Speaker 7: We had no idea what the dead boy's father had
• 25:22
  Speaker 7: in mind. We didn't feel that we should try to
• 25:24
  Speaker 7: restrain him. We went along with him up the street
• 25:26
  Speaker 7: to the Johnstone home.
• 25:34
  Speaker 8: I'm Stevie's father. Where's your boy? I'm sorry.
• 25:39
  Speaker 6: We brought the rifle.
• 25:42
  Speaker 11: We were going to tell him not to use it
• 25:43
  Speaker 11: unless his father was with him until.
• 25:46
  Speaker 6: He learned how to treat firearms.
• 25:47
  Speaker 8: Where's your boy?
• 25:49
  Speaker 9: Right here.
• 25:51
  Speaker 6: Won't you come in?
• 25:52
  Speaker 8: It's all right, Miss Johnson. You're the boy that was
• 26:01
  Speaker 8: with Stevie?
• 26:03
  Speaker 9: Yes, sir.
• 26:04
  Speaker 8: What's your name?
• 26:04
  Speaker 10: Stanley.
• 26:05
  Speaker 9: Stanley?
• 26:08
  Speaker 13: I know it wasn't your fault, Stanley. I wonder if
• 26:12
  Speaker 13: you'd do something for me.
• 26:14
  Speaker 9: Yes, sir.
• 26:14
  Speaker 13: I've got a lot of nice presents for Stevie. I
• 26:19
  Speaker 13: know he'd want you to have them. I want to
• 26:23
  Speaker 13: give them to you on Christmas Eve.
• 26:25
  Speaker 8: Mom?
• 26:28
  Speaker 6: I think that'd be a fine idea, son.
• 26:31
  Speaker 8: Come on, then. What's it all prove, Joe?
• 26:44
  Speaker 2: You don't give a kid a gun for Christmas. The
• 26:55
  Speaker 2: story you have just heard was true. Only the names
• 26:59
  Speaker 2: were changed.
• 27:00
  Speaker 8: To protect the innocent.
• 27:02
  Speaker 3: On December 24th, 1948, a coroner's inquest was held in
• 27:04
  Speaker 3: the county morgue, city and county of Los Angeles, state
• 27:06
  Speaker 3: of California.
• 27:07
  Speaker 8: In a moment, the results of that inquest.
• 27:11
  Speaker 5: Now, here is our.
• 27:12
  Speaker 8: Star, Jack Webb. Thank you.
• 27:15
  Speaker 7: To get year-round thanks for the gift you give this Christmas,
• 27:19
  Speaker 7: give cartons of Fatimas to every long cigarette smoker on
• 27:22
  Speaker 7: your list. Christmas Fatimas in the special royal blue slipover
• 27:26
  Speaker 7: jacket make a perfect gift just as is. And to
• 27:30
  Speaker 7: my friends who sell Fatimas, the retail dealers and the
• 27:33
  Speaker 7: wholesale distributors all over America, to each one of you,
• 27:36
  Speaker 7: a special season's greeting.
• 27:39
  Speaker 8: And to everyone, a Merry Christmas.
• 27:51
  Speaker 3: At the coroner's inquest, it was officially recorded that Stephen
• 27:54
  Speaker 3: Morheim's death was the result of an accident. Stanley Johnstone
• 27:57
  Speaker 3: was absolved of any legal responsibility for his friend's death.
• 28:03
  Speaker 4: Oh, my God.
• 28:23
  Speaker 3: You have just heard Dragnet, a series of authentic cases
• 28:26
  Speaker 3: from official files. Technical advice for Dragnet comes from the
• 28:30
  Speaker 3: office of Chief of Police W.H. Parker, Los Angeles Police Department.
• 28:40
  Speaker 5: This is Bob Hope.
• 28:41
  Speaker 8: Can we steal a second?
• 28:43
  Speaker 4: Chesterfield, Chesterfield, always wins first place.
• 28:46
  Speaker 11: That milder mild tobacco never leaves an aftertaste.
• 28:50
  Speaker 8: So open a pack, give them a smell.
• 28:53
  Speaker 4: Then you'll smoke them.
• 28:55
  Speaker 8: Don't forget to give Crosby for Christmas.
• 28:57
  Speaker 5: I mean the Chesterfield Christmas carton with Bing as Papa
• 29:00
  Speaker 5: Santa Claus.
• 29:01
  Speaker 8: See you Tuesday.
• 29:12
  Speaker 5: Fatima Cigarettes, best of all long cigarettes, has brought you Dragnet,
• 29:18
  Speaker 5: portions transcribed from Los Angeles.
• 29:27
  Speaker 3: We the People is next with more Good Times on NBC.
• 29:37
  Speaker 1: We close with Dragnet, Episode 8.
• 29:40
  Speaker 8: 80, 22, Rifle for Christmas.
• 29:42
  Speaker 1: Good night and thank you for joining us for this
• 29:44
  Speaker 1: Christmas season case.