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Dragnet - "Big Fraud" (Old Time Radio, 1953) · Dragnet | Old Time Radio

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Traveling businessmen in Los Angeles are reporting encounters with men
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: who claim to be narcotics officers and demand money after
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: a staged arrest. On October 27th, 1953, NBC brought that
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: case to Dragnet, episode 219.
• 0:18
  Speaker 2: Big Fraud.
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: Sergeant Joe Friday and Officer Frank Smith, assigned to the
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: LAPD bunco fugitive detail on the day watch, traced the
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: complaints to a confidence racket built on phony credentials and intimidation.
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: Jack Webb and Ben Alexander lead a cast, including Vic Perrin,
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: Paul Richards, and Herb Ellis, in a script by John Robinson.
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: The story later returned as a 1954 Dragnet television episode
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: under the same title. And now, the original broadcast.
• 0:52
  Speaker 3: ¶ ¶.
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: Ladies and gentlemen, the story you are about to hear
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent.
• 1:06
  Speaker 4: Dragnet is brought to you by Chesterfield. Made by Liggett
• 1:10
  Speaker 4: & Myers. First major tobacco company to give you a
• 1:13
  Speaker 4: complete line of quality cigarettes.
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned to Bunko Fugitive Detail.
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: An extortion ring is operating in your city. The victims
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: are wealthy businessmen. The thieves claim they're policemen. Your job,
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: check them out. Friends, this month's Chesterfield poster features the
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: world's greatest golfer, Ben Hogan. Now here's what he has
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: to say about Chesterfield.
• 1:49
  Speaker 5: I'm a Chesterfield smoker and have been for seven years.
• 1:53
  Speaker 5: The reason's simple. Chesterfield is the best for me. They're milder,
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• 2:01
  Speaker 6: Take Ben Hogan's advice. Try Chesterfield.
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  Speaker 1: The only cigarette ever to give you proof of low nicotine,
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• 2:12
  Speaker 7: Chesterfield.
• 2:13
  Speaker 6: Regular or king size. Best for you.
• 2:18
  Speaker 7: Chesterfield.
• 2:24
  Speaker 4: Dragnet, the documented drama of an actual crime. For the
• 2:28
  Speaker 4: next 30 minutes, in cooperation with the Los Angeles Police Department,
• 2:32
  Speaker 4: you will travel step by step on the side of
• 2:34
  Speaker 4: the law through an actual case transcribed from official police files.
• 2:38
  Speaker 4: From beginning to end, from crime to punishment, Dragnet is
• 2:42
  Speaker 4: the story of your police force in action.
• 2:50
  Speaker 7: It was Tuesday, August 10th. It was warm in Los Angeles.
• 2:53
  Speaker 8: We were working the day watch out of Bunko Fugitive Detail.
• 2:55
  Speaker 8: My partner's Frank Smith. The boss is Captain Didion.
• 2:57
  Speaker 7: My name's Friday.
• 2:58
  Speaker 8: I'd spent the morning in court, and it was 11.45 a.m.
• 3:01
  Speaker 8: when I got back to room 38, Bunko Division.
• 3:04
  Speaker 9: Well, I'm telling you, you better do something about it.
• 3:05
  Speaker 9: It's getting terrible when a citizen has a thing like
• 3:07
  Speaker 9: this happen to him.
• 3:08
  Speaker 7: All right, Mr.
• 3:08
  Speaker 1: Mather.
• 3:09
  Speaker 7: If you'll take it easy, tell me what happened.
• 3:10
  Speaker 10: I got a lot of friends in this town. I
• 3:11
  Speaker 10: happen to know one of the councilmen real well. If
• 3:13
  Speaker 10: you don't clean this thing up, you're going to be
• 3:15
  Speaker 10: walking a beat out in a plum thicket.
• 3:16
  Speaker 7: Just a minute, Mr.
• 3:17
  Speaker 8: Mather.
• 3:17
  Speaker 2: Here's my partner. Now, if you'll tell us what happened,
• 3:19
  Speaker 2: maybe we can help you out.
• 3:20
  Speaker 9: You don't need no partner. Just go out and arrest
• 3:22
  Speaker 9: them fellas. Go get them.
• 3:23
  Speaker 7: What's the matter here? This is Mr. Keith Mather, Joe.
• 3:25
  Speaker 7: It's my partner, Sergeant Friday.
• 3:26
  Speaker 4: How are you, sir?
• 3:27
  Speaker 9: Now, don't you come around here trying to smooth things over.
• 3:29
  Speaker 10: I'm not going to be happy until them hoodlums are
• 3:31
  Speaker 10: in jail where they belong. I'm telling you the same
• 3:33
  Speaker 10: as I told this fella. You do something about this,
• 3:35
  Speaker 10: I'm going to.
• 3:35
  Speaker 9: Take it to the mayor.
• 3:36
  Speaker 7: What's the matter here, Frank? I don't know.
• 3:38
  Speaker 2: Been trying to find out.
• 3:39
  Speaker 9: Well, what you going to do about it?
• 3:41
  Speaker 7: How about a cigarette, huh? Thank you. Here, I have
• 3:44
  Speaker 7: a match. There you are.
• 3:49
  Speaker 9: How about it?
• 3:50
  Speaker 2: Sir?
• 3:51
  Speaker 8: Well, how about it?
• 3:51
  Speaker 9: What you gonna do?
• 3:52
  Speaker 8: Well, sir, if you'd start right at the beginning and
• 3:54
  Speaker 8: tell us what this is all about, maybe we can
• 3:55
  Speaker 8: give you a hand.
• 3:56
  Speaker 10: Well, here's the shoe shine in the world. It's worth $ 5.
• 3:59
  Speaker 10: I don't care what kind of wax they use. Not
• 4:00
  Speaker 10: for $ 5. No, sir.
• 4:01
  Speaker 2: Shoe shine?
• 4:02
  Speaker 7: Yes.
• 4:02
  Speaker 9: They call it imported wax.
• 4:04
  Speaker 10: Where they charge for it must be brought in from Timbuktu.
• 4:07
  Speaker 7: Ridiculous.
• 4:07
  Speaker 2: I'll get the report.
• 4:08
  Speaker 7: All right.
• 4:09
  Speaker 9: Take a match and light it, and they burn the
• 4:10
  Speaker 9: edges of your shoe soles. Don't do nothing but smoke
• 4:13
  Speaker 9: up your shoes, that's all. Just smoke up your shoes.
• 4:14
  Speaker 9: A $ 5 hot foot.
• 4:15
  Speaker 7: You want to give us your full name, sir?
• 4:17
  Speaker 9: Keith Jefferson Mather. Right down the street that threatened me.
• 4:21
  Speaker 7: Where'd this happen, sir?
• 4:22
  Speaker 9: Shoe shine stand in the corner of Main and Cola.
• 4:24
  Speaker 9: Little place with pin-up pictures all over the walls. Never
• 4:26
  Speaker 9: seen so many pin-ups.
• 4:27
  Speaker 7: Mm-hmm.
• 4:28
  Speaker 6: Do you know if they had a card showing the
• 4:29
  Speaker 6: prices of the shines?
• 4:30
  Speaker 9: Well, I didn't see one of them pictures. Hard to tell.
• 4:33
  Speaker 7: Well, if you'd just tell us in your own words
• 4:34
  Speaker 7: exactly what happened, would you please?
• 4:36
  Speaker 9: I was on my way to work. Had a very
• 4:38
  Speaker 9: busy day.
• 4:38
  Speaker 10: A lot of important appointments. I just parked my car
• 4:40
  Speaker 10: and I was walking along and went by this place.
• 4:41
  Speaker 10: A fellow standing there asked me if I wanted a shine.
• 4:44
  Speaker 10: Just so happened I did, so I climbed up in
• 4:45
  Speaker 10: the chair. Well, I was sitting there reading the paper,
• 4:47
  Speaker 10: and the man asked me if I wanted imported wax.
• 4:50
  Speaker 10: I wasn't paying a lot of attention. I guess I
• 4:51
  Speaker 10: said yes. Next thing I know, I think he's trying
• 4:53
  Speaker 10: to give me a hot foot.
• 4:54
  Speaker 9: I look down.
• 4:55
  Speaker 2: He's got this big kitchen match out. He's burning the
• 4:57
  Speaker 2: edges of my soles.
• 4:58
  Speaker 10: Smoke coming up. I told him to stop it. I
• 5:00
  Speaker 10: got down from the chair. I was plenty sore. You
• 5:01
  Speaker 10: can just bet I was sore.
• 5:02
  Speaker 9: Plenty.
• 5:03
  Speaker 7: Yeah, so we can understand.
• 5:04
  Speaker 2: Well, I had him a half a dollar.
• 5:06
  Speaker 9: Figured that'd take care of the tip, too.
• 5:07
  Speaker 2: Wasn't a very good shine.
• 5:09
  Speaker 9: Come right down to it, a half dollar was too much.
• 5:11
  Speaker 2: All that smoke... Best thing I know, he said the
• 5:14
  Speaker 2: shine was $ 5.
• 5:15
  Speaker 9: $ 5 almost climbed right down top of the place. Couldn't
• 5:17
  Speaker 9: believe my ears. Can you imagine $ 5 for a shine?
• 5:20
  Speaker 7: That's when the men got out of the car, did they?
• 5:21
  Speaker 2: That's right.
• 5:22
  Speaker 10: Them three fellas got right out.
• 5:25
  Speaker 9: Say, how'd you know about that?
• 5:26
  Speaker 7: Well, sir, this isn't a new operation.
• 5:28
  Speaker 9: You mean tell me this happened before?
• 5:29
  Speaker 7: Yes, sir. We get a couple dozen complaints a week.
• 5:31
  Speaker 7: We'll finish up this report, and if you'll point out
• 5:33
  Speaker 7: the place, we'll have a look.
• 5:34
  Speaker 10: Then you can just start writing. I told you I
• 5:36
  Speaker 10: had a lot of important appointments. I can't spend all
• 5:37
  Speaker 10: day here.
• 5:40
  Speaker 2: Can I see someone here, please?
• 5:41
  Speaker 7: Yes, sir. You want to go ahead with this, Frank?
• 5:42
  Speaker 7: I'll see what he wants. Yes, sir.
• 5:45
  Speaker 3: Yes, sir.
• 5:46
  Speaker 2: Could I help you? I want to give myself up.
• 5:48
  Speaker 7: Sir?
• 5:49
  Speaker 2: This is Bunko Fugitive, isn't it? That's what it says
• 5:51
  Speaker 2: on the door. Yes, sir.
• 5:52
  Speaker 7: That's right.
• 5:53
  Speaker 2: I want to give myself up. I'm tired of running.
• 5:55
  Speaker 2: I haven't got any place to go. Would you like
• 5:57
  Speaker 2: to tell me what this is all about? I gave
• 5:58
  Speaker 2: him every nickel I had. I haven't even got enough
• 6:00
  Speaker 2: money to go home. All I want is enough to
• 6:03
  Speaker 2: eat and get back home. I gave him everything.
• 6:05
  Speaker 7: I don't believe I understand you, sir.
• 6:07
  Speaker 2: I gave him all the money I had. He said
• 6:08
  Speaker 2: it'd be all right. Now I'm broke and I want
• 6:10
  Speaker 2: a bar enough to get home.
• 6:11
  Speaker 7: Who are you talking about? Who'd you give the money to?
• 6:13
  Speaker 2: Policemen.
• 6:16
  Speaker 8: The man who'd walked into the office identified himself as
• 6:18
  Speaker 8: Martin Dietrich. From the story he gave us, it appeared
• 6:21
  Speaker 8: that he'd been the victim of a shakedown by a
• 6:22
  Speaker 8: person or persons representing themselves as police officers. We turned
• 6:26
  Speaker 8: the shoeshine parlor complaint over to one of the other
• 6:28
  Speaker 8: officers for investigation and then we took Dietrich across the
• 6:30
  Speaker 8: street to the federal cafe. We sat down in a
• 6:33
  Speaker 8: booth and ordered coffee while the victim had breakfast. He
• 6:36
  Speaker 8: acted as if he hadn't eaten in several days. Frank
• 6:38
  Speaker 8: and I waited until he finished, and then we started
• 6:40
  Speaker 8: to question him.
• 6:41
  Speaker 9: If you'll just tell us what happened, Dietrich.
• 6:43
  Speaker 2: Sure. I'm from Chicago. I worked for a wholesale drug
• 6:46
  Speaker 2: company back there, and I had to come out here
• 6:47
  Speaker 2: on business. I got in last Saturday.
• 6:49
  Speaker 7: That'd be August 7th, would it?
• 6:51
  Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, the 7th. I got in at 8.45 on
• 6:53
  Speaker 2: the Super Chief. Well, I didn't have any business to
• 6:55
  Speaker 2: do until yesterday, so I thought I'd look the town over,
• 6:58
  Speaker 2: get settled, you know? Yes, sir. I didn't even have
• 7:00
  Speaker 2: hotel reservations, so after I got off the train, I
• 7:02
  Speaker 2: was waiting for my baggage to be checked through, and
• 7:04
  Speaker 2: I went over to the coffee shop for some coffee.
• 7:06
  Speaker 2: Sat down, started to read the paper. Must have been
• 7:08
  Speaker 2: there for about 15, 20 minutes when this guy came
• 7:11
  Speaker 2: in and sat down next to me. Go ahead. He
• 7:14
  Speaker 2: just sat there for a couple of minutes. I didn't
• 7:15
  Speaker 2: pay any attention to him. Busy reading the paper, you know?
• 7:18
  Speaker 7: Mm-hmm.
• 7:18
  Speaker 2: Then he asked me for a match... I gave him one,
• 7:21
  Speaker 2: told him to keep the pack. I remember telling him that.
• 7:24
  Speaker 2: Next thing I know, we're in a big conversation. Turns
• 7:26
  Speaker 2: out he's from Chicago, too.
• 7:27
  Speaker 7: Did he tell you his name?
• 7:28
  Speaker 2: He said it was Gabriel Bush. Told me he was
• 7:31
  Speaker 2: in the wholesale liquor business. Said he was out here
• 7:33
  Speaker 2: on a selling trip, checking up on the branch office.
• 7:37
  Speaker 2: I went right along with him. Seemed like such a
• 7:38
  Speaker 2: nice fellow. Well-dressed, cultured. Even knowing it, you sure wouldn't
• 7:42
  Speaker 2: figure him for what he was.
• 7:44
  Speaker 7: What was that, sir?
• 7:45
  Speaker 2: A narcotic addict.
• 7:46
  Speaker 7: You sure about that?
• 7:47
  Speaker 2: Well, I should be. It cost me over $ 3, 000 to
• 7:50
  Speaker 2: find out. You want to go on, sir? We got
• 7:53
  Speaker 2: a cab and went out to a big hotel on Wilshire.
• 7:55
  Speaker 2: He had reservations there. He signed the card and we
• 7:57
  Speaker 2: went up the room. The way he acted, you'd never
• 8:00
  Speaker 2: know anything was wrong, never even suspected.
• 8:02
  Speaker 7: I see.
• 8:02
  Speaker 2: Well, we no sooner got in the room that Gabe
• 8:05
  Speaker 2: started to unpack his suitcase.
• 8:06
  Speaker 7: Gabe?
• 8:07
  Speaker 2: Yeah, Gabriel Bush.
• 8:08
  Speaker 11: Oh, yeah.
• 8:08
  Speaker 2: He told me to call him Gabe. Said he was
• 8:10
  Speaker 2: named after a great uncle or something. Didn't care much
• 8:12
  Speaker 2: for the name.
• 8:12
  Speaker 7: I see. Go ahead, please.
• 8:14
  Speaker 2: Well, he unpacked his bag, and I guess I should
• 8:16
  Speaker 2: have noticed something then, the way he acted.
• 8:18
  Speaker 7: How do you mean?
• 8:19
  Speaker 2: When he took the stuff out of his bag, he
• 8:20
  Speaker 2: acted like he didn't want me to see what he
• 8:22
  Speaker 2: was doing. But he did it in a funny way,
• 8:24
  Speaker 2: so I couldn't miss noticing it. You know what I mean?
• 8:26
  Speaker 7: I think I do, yeah.
• 8:27
  Speaker 2: Well, he went into the bathroom, stayed in there a
• 8:29
  Speaker 2: couple of minutes, and then when he came out, he
• 8:31
  Speaker 2: had his sleeve rolled up, had a piece of cotton
• 8:32
  Speaker 2: on his arm, like when they give you a transfusion.
• 8:34
  Speaker 2: You know here?
• 8:35
  Speaker 8: Yeah.
• 8:36
  Speaker 2: He had this little leather case, and when he went
• 8:39
  Speaker 2: to put it away, he dropped it. Spilled the stuff
• 8:41
  Speaker 2: in it all over the floor. I should have gotten
• 8:43
  Speaker 2: out right then, right there. If I'd had any brains,
• 8:45
  Speaker 2: I would have gotten out.
• 8:46
  Speaker 7: What was in the case, do you know?
• 8:48
  Speaker 2: All the stuff for taking narcotics, hypodermic needle, all that stuff.
• 8:51
  Speaker 7: Now, what did he say when he dropped this?
• 8:52
  Speaker 2: He just tried to laugh it off. Then he told
• 8:54
  Speaker 2: me that he was a diabetic, said that he had
• 8:56
  Speaker 2: to take insulin shots. About that time, the other two
• 8:58
  Speaker 2: guys came in.
• 8:59
  Speaker 7: What did these two men want?
• 9:01
  Speaker 2: Said Gabe was a narcotic addict. Said they'd been after
• 9:03
  Speaker 2: him for a long time and that they'd gotten word
• 9:04
  Speaker 2: from the Chicago police that he was coming out here.
• 9:06
  Speaker 7: Yeah.
• 9:07
  Speaker 2: And told me that they'd been following us since we
• 9:09
  Speaker 2: got off the train. Been following us all the time.
• 9:11
  Speaker 2: What'd they do then? Took us downstairs and put us
• 9:13
  Speaker 2: in a car. Said they were going to take us
• 9:15
  Speaker 2: to jail. Tried to talk to them, tell them I
• 9:17
  Speaker 2: didn't have any part in what Gabe was doing. I
• 9:19
  Speaker 2: didn't even know about the narcotics. One of them said
• 9:21
  Speaker 2: they knew that.
• 9:22
  Speaker 7: That you weren't involved in it? Yeah. Yeah.
• 9:25
  Speaker 2: Then the other one opened up the glove compartment of
• 9:26
  Speaker 2: the car and took out a microphone, called in here
• 9:28
  Speaker 2: to police headquarters, gave them Gabe's name and mine, said
• 9:31
  Speaker 2: they had us in custody and were bringing us in.
• 9:33
  Speaker 2: I kept asking the one guy in the back with
• 9:35
  Speaker 2: me to let me go, let me get out of
• 9:36
  Speaker 2: the car.
• 9:37
  Speaker 3: What'd he say?
• 9:38
  Speaker 2: Oh, he told me that they'd like to, but it
• 9:39
  Speaker 2: was too late, that they'd already called in my name,
• 9:41
  Speaker 2: said they couldn't do anything about it now. I told
• 9:43
  Speaker 2: him how it'd ruin me if the story got out.
• 9:46
  Speaker 2: How could I explain it to my bosses? That's when
• 9:48
  Speaker 2: they told me there was a way.
• 9:49
  Speaker 7: Yeah.
• 9:50
  Speaker 2: The one fellow said that if I could afford to
• 9:52
  Speaker 2: take care of all the policemen who knew that I'd
• 9:53
  Speaker 2: been picked up, maybe they could fix it. The other one,
• 9:56
  Speaker 2: the one in the front seat, said that wasn't a
• 9:57
  Speaker 2: good idea, that they should book me. Well, they got into...
• 10:00
  Speaker 2: discussion about it. The one guy wanted to let me go.
• 10:02
  Speaker 2: The other one said not to. Finally, the one with me,
• 10:04
  Speaker 2: the one in the back seat, went out. I gave
• 10:07
  Speaker 2: him all the money I had.
• 10:07
  Speaker 7: $ 3, 350.
• 10:08
  Speaker 2: How much? $ 3, 350.
• 10:09
  Speaker 7: I see.
• 10:11
  Speaker 2: Then they pulled the car over the curb and told
• 10:14
  Speaker 2: me to get out.
• 10:15
  Speaker 7: The badge these two men showed you, did it look
• 10:18
  Speaker 7: like this one?
• 10:20
  Speaker 2: I think so. I was so worried I didn't get
• 10:22
  Speaker 2: a real close look at it. I think it was
• 10:24
  Speaker 2: the same.
• 10:25
  Speaker 7: I see. Either one of them tell you their names?
• 10:27
  Speaker 2: Not the one in the front seat. The one who
• 10:29
  Speaker 2: wanted to let me go said his name was Lang.
• 10:30
  Speaker 2: He said he was a sergeant. Did he tell you
• 10:32
  Speaker 2: where he worked?
• 10:33
  Speaker 3: Just narcotics.
• 10:34
  Speaker 2: That's all he said.
• 10:35
  Speaker 7: You gave him this money all in cash, did you? Yeah,
• 10:38
  Speaker 7: all of it.
• 10:39
  Speaker 9: Say, do you know him?
• 10:39
  Speaker 2: You know these two officers?
• 10:40
  Speaker 7: No, sir, we don't.
• 10:42
  Speaker 2: You said they were policemen. The badges, the police car,
• 10:44
  Speaker 2: even the radio.
• 10:45
  Speaker 7: Did you hear anyone talk back to him on that radio?
• 10:47
  Speaker 2: I don't remember it. I was so upset about what
• 10:50
  Speaker 2: was happening, I didn't pay any attention to what was
• 10:51
  Speaker 2: going on. All I could think about was that I
• 10:54
  Speaker 2: was going to jail for something I didn't know anything about. No,
• 10:57
  Speaker 2: I don't remember.
• 10:58
  Speaker 7: What kind of a car was it? A Chevrolet. What color?
• 11:01
  Speaker 7: Sort of a light gray. Will you show us the
• 11:03
  Speaker 7: hotel where all this happened?
• 11:05
  Speaker 2: Sure, but I don't understand all this. The other two
• 11:07
  Speaker 2: policemen said that if I gave them the money, everything
• 11:09
  Speaker 2: would be all right. They said they could fix it up.
• 11:11
  Speaker 2: I don't want any trouble. All I want is enough
• 11:13
  Speaker 2: money to get home. They said they'd fix the whole
• 11:15
  Speaker 2: thing up. They told me there wouldn't be any trouble.
• 11:17
  Speaker 2: No trouble.
• 11:17
  Speaker 7: Yes, sir.
• 11:18
  Speaker 2: You think they're really cops?
• 11:20
  Speaker 7: I don't know, but they're wrong about one thing.
• 11:21
  Speaker 2: What's that?
• 11:22
  Speaker 8: There's going to be trouble. 12.52 p.m. We took the victim,
• 11:29
  Speaker 8: Martin Dietrich, back to the city hall. We got in
• 11:30
  Speaker 8: touch with Lieutenant Iannone, Internal Affairs Division. We filled him
• 11:33
  Speaker 8: in on what had happened. He started an immediate check
• 11:36
  Speaker 8: of all police officers in the city and the county.
• 11:38
  Speaker 8: Working from the description we'd gotten from the victim, we
• 11:41
  Speaker 8: notified the narcotics detail.
• 11:42
  Speaker 7: They went to work on it.
• 11:43
  Speaker 8: A local and an APB were gotten out on the suspects.
• 11:46
  Speaker 8: We checked the name Gabriel Bush through R & I,
• 11:48
  Speaker 8: but when the mug shots from the packages that we
• 11:50
  Speaker 8: came up with were shown to Dietrich, he was unable.
• 11:52
  Speaker 7: To give us an identification. 3.15 p.m.
• 11:55
  Speaker 8: We drove the victim out to the hotel where he
• 11:57
  Speaker 8: told us the shakedown had occurred.
• 11:59
  Speaker 7: In the company of the manager, we went upstairs.
• 12:04
  Speaker 2: Come right in. This is the room.
• 12:08
  Speaker 7: How about it, Dietrich? Yeah, this is where he brought me. Mr. Alden,
• 12:11
  Speaker 7: do you know anything about the man who took this room?
• 12:12
  Speaker 2: You mean Mr. Bush?
• 12:13
  Speaker 7: Yes, sir. No, I don't.
• 12:14
  Speaker 2: I do remember when he came in, registered with this
• 12:16
  Speaker 2: gentleman here.
• 12:17
  Speaker 7: Had a reservation.
• 12:18
  Speaker 2: I had the boy bring him up to the room.
• 12:19
  Speaker 7: Yes, sir.
• 12:20
  Speaker 3: Well, all the time Mr.
• 12:21
  Speaker 2: Bush was signing the card, he was telling Mr. Dietrich
• 12:23
  Speaker 2: here that there was a convention in town. How all
• 12:25
  Speaker 2: the hotels were full up. Well, that's not right. We
• 12:28
  Speaker 2: haven't had a really big convention in a couple of months. Why,
• 12:31
  Speaker 2: right here in this place, we've got several rooms.
• 12:32
  Speaker 7: We could have let Mr.
• 12:33
  Speaker 2: Dietrich have. Not that we're not doing a good business,
• 12:36
  Speaker 2: you understand, not at all.
• 12:37
  Speaker 4: Yes, sir.
• 12:38
  Speaker 2: But we do have a few very nice rooms.
• 12:40
  Speaker 7: Have you ever seen us, Mr. Bush, before?
• 12:41
  Speaker 5: No.
• 12:42
  Speaker 2: No, I don't think I ever have.
• 12:44
  Speaker 7: All right, sir. If we could take a look at
• 12:46
  Speaker 7: the registration card, and then we'd like to talk to
• 12:47
  Speaker 7: the cashier. Sure.
• 12:48
  Speaker 6: Do you know if their bill was paid when they
• 12:49
  Speaker 6: checked out?
• 12:50
  Speaker 2: I imagine so. I don't collect the money. Cashier does that.
• 12:53
  Speaker 3: We can ask her.
• 12:53
  Speaker 4: All right, sir.
• 12:55
  Speaker 2: You think you might get a clue from her?
• 12:56
  Speaker 7: Well, we'd like to talk to her.
• 12:57
  Speaker 2: She won't be able to tell you anything that I
• 12:59
  Speaker 2: haven't filled you in on already.
• 13:00
  Speaker 7: Sir?
• 13:01
  Speaker 2: Well, it follows. I'm the manager here. Anything goes on,
• 13:04
  Speaker 2: I'm going to know about it. Not only that, but
• 13:06
  Speaker 2: I've worked a lot with our security officer. How's that, sir?
• 13:10
  Speaker 2: House detective?
• 13:12
  Speaker 7: Oh, yeah.
• 13:13
  Speaker 2: Oh, yes, I help him out all the time. People
• 13:15
  Speaker 2: are always trying to get away with hotel property, but
• 13:17
  Speaker 2: we stop them. Come right down to it, I could
• 13:19
  Speaker 2: almost be a policeman myself. All I need is a
• 13:21
  Speaker 2: badge and a gun.
• 13:22
  Speaker 7: Afraid you're a little wrong there, mister.
• 13:23
  Speaker 2: Just a badge and a gun.
• 13:24
  Speaker 7: They don't make you a cop.
• 13:25
  Speaker 2: 4.38 p.m.
• 13:32
  Speaker 8: We talked to the cashier at the hotel. She told
• 13:34
  Speaker 8: us that the bill for the room had been paid
• 13:36
  Speaker 8: by Gabriel Bush at 2.15 the afternoon of the shakedown,
• 13:39
  Speaker 8: three hours after Martin Dietrich had turned over all his
• 13:41
  Speaker 8: money to the thieves. She told us that the bill
• 13:44
  Speaker 8: had been paid with cash and that she could give
• 13:45
  Speaker 8: us no further information on the man. We obtained the
• 13:48
  Speaker 8: registration card the suspect had signed when he checked into
• 13:50
  Speaker 8: the hotel. In the usual processing of the card by
• 13:53
  Speaker 8: hotel employees, it had been handled so much that lifting
• 13:56
  Speaker 8: fingerprints from it was impossible. The card was turned over
• 13:59
  Speaker 8: to Don Myers in handwriting.
• 14:00
  Speaker 7: To be checked.
• 14:00
  Speaker 8: 5.20 p.m. The victim started to look through the photographs
• 14:04
  Speaker 8: of police officers. Lieutenant Iannone's preliminary investigation had failed to
• 14:08
  Speaker 8: turn up any police officers who matched the description of
• 14:10
  Speaker 8: the shakedown men. A check with the officers from narcotics
• 14:13
  Speaker 8: detail meant it was nothing. They were still checking their
• 14:15
  Speaker 8: sources of information to help us in coming up with
• 14:17
  Speaker 8: a lead. 11.16 p.m. We took the victim out for
• 14:20
  Speaker 8: dinner and then we came back to the city hall
• 14:22
  Speaker 8: and continued to go through the pictures. At 1.26 a.m.
• 14:25
  Speaker 8: he finished the last book without finding the men who
• 14:27
  Speaker 8: claimed that they were police officers. We checked out of
• 14:29
  Speaker 8: the office and Dietrich spent the night at Frank's house.
• 14:32
  Speaker 8: The following morning, Wednesday, August 11th, 8.04 a.m., Frank and
• 14:35
  Speaker 8: I met with Captain Didion.
• 14:36
  Speaker 7: In his office.
• 14:37
  Speaker 3: Well, where are you on it?
• 14:38
  Speaker 7: Not too far, Skipper.
• 14:39
  Speaker 3: What have you got?
• 14:39
  Speaker 7: Well, we checked the files. We're pretty sure that they
• 14:41
  Speaker 7: aren't policemen.
• 14:42
  Speaker 3: How about narcotics? They come up with anything?
• 14:43
  Speaker 2: Not yet. They're still working on it.
• 14:45
  Speaker 3: You need any extra men?
• 14:46
  Speaker 7: No, not right now. We might later.
• 14:48
  Speaker 3: I got Johnny DeBetta standing by.
• 14:49
  Speaker 8: You can use anybody else you need, but clean this
• 14:51
  Speaker 8: thing up.
• 14:52
  Speaker 3: Where do you go from here?
• 14:53
  Speaker 8: Well, we're getting descriptions out to all the hotels, warning
• 14:55
  Speaker 8: them about the racket, asking them to call us if
• 14:57
  Speaker 8: this Bush guy registers again.
• 14:59
  Speaker 3: Doesn't seem like he'll use the same name again.
• 15:01
  Speaker 2: No reason not to, Skipper. He doesn't know we're on
• 15:03
  Speaker 2: to him.
• 15:03
  Speaker 3: I suppose so. I got an idea last night. Might work.
• 15:08
  Speaker 3: At least it'd be something to start on.
• 15:09
  Speaker 7: All right.
• 15:11
  Speaker 8: Well, it figures that the only men who'll go for
• 15:12
  Speaker 8: this dodge have got responsible positions in their hometowns. If
• 15:15
  Speaker 8: they didn't have, they wouldn't care about being brought down
• 15:17
  Speaker 8: here along with Bush.
• 15:18
  Speaker 7: Is that right? Yeah, that follows.
• 15:20
  Speaker 2: They gotta be from out of town so the con
• 15:21
  Speaker 2: men can get rid of them fast.
• 15:23
  Speaker 7: Yeah.
• 15:23
  Speaker 3: Now, this Dietrich, he was picked up in the Union Station, right?
• 15:27
  Speaker 7: Yeah, that's right.
• 15:28
  Speaker 2: And if you're gonna pick your men up, that's the
• 15:29
  Speaker 2: place to do it. Try to nail them while they're
• 15:31
  Speaker 2: setting the mark. Yeah, it might work.
• 15:33
  Speaker 7: Be better if one of us was the mark, though.
• 15:34
  Speaker 3: That's what I had in mind. You got any good luggage, Joe? Expensive-looking?
• 15:38
  Speaker 7: Well, I got a set my mother gave me last Christmas.
• 15:40
  Speaker 7: Looks pretty good to me.
• 15:41
  Speaker 2: Well, try it then. Smith, you'll work with DeBette. Keep
• 15:44
  Speaker 2: a tail on Friday from the time he gets into
• 15:45
  Speaker 2: Union Depot.
• 15:46
  Speaker 7: Joe. Yeah.
• 15:49
  Speaker 3: Here's a timetable.
• 15:50
  Speaker 7: What?
• 15:50
  Speaker 2: Tomorrow morning you start riding the train.
• 16:03
  Speaker 4: You are listening to Dragnet, the authentic story of your
• 16:06
  Speaker 4: police force in action. It's taking place at your dealers,
• 16:11
  Speaker 4: cigarette dealers coast to coast. Smokers by the thousands are
• 16:15
  Speaker 4: now changing to Chesterfield. Join them today, and you'll be
• 16:19
  Speaker 4: smoking the only cigarette that gives you proof of low nicotine,
• 16:24
  Speaker 4: highest quality. I want you to know that's a matter
• 16:27
  Speaker 4: of record, and so is this. As I've been telling you,
• 16:31
  Speaker 4: Chesterfield is the only cigarette with this proven record with smokers.
• 16:36
  Speaker 4: No adverse effects to the nose, throat, and sinuses from
• 16:40
  Speaker 4: smoking Chesterfields. Good reasons why you should change to Chesterfield?
• 16:46
  Speaker 6: You bet. Ask for Chesterfield, regular or king size, best
• 16:51
  Speaker 6: for you.
• 16:52
  Speaker 8: Chesterfield The following morning, Thursday, August 12th, I drove out
• 17:04
  Speaker 8: to Pasadena. At 8.12 a.m., I caught the train on
• 17:07
  Speaker 8: its last stop before it reached the Union.
• 17:08
  Speaker 7: Depot in Los Angeles.
• 17:11
  Speaker 8: At 8.45 a.m., the train pulled into the station. I
• 17:13
  Speaker 8: got off, walked up the ramp into the terminal. From there,
• 17:16
  Speaker 8: I walked over to the coffee shop and waited for
• 17:18
  Speaker 8: over an hour. From where I sat, I could see
• 17:20
  Speaker 8: Frank and Sergeant.
• 17:21
  Speaker 7: John DeBetta further down the counter.
• 17:24
  Speaker 8: At the end of the hour, no attempt had been
• 17:25
  Speaker 8: made to approach me, and we called off the operation
• 17:27
  Speaker 8: for the day. While I was in the coffee shop,
• 17:30
  Speaker 8: I watched for anybody matching the description of the suspect, Bush.
• 17:33
  Speaker 7: But if he was there, we didn't see him.
• 17:35
  Speaker 8: The operation was staged again for the next two days
• 17:37
  Speaker 8: without results. On Sunday, August 15th, I went through the
• 17:40
  Speaker 8: same procedure. After the waitress brought my coffee.
• 17:43
  Speaker 7: I waited. 9.02 a.m.
• 17:47
  Speaker 2: Mind if I sit down here?
• 17:48
  Speaker 7: No, go right ahead. Here, I'll move my coat.
• 17:50
  Speaker 8: I'll get it for you. You're not going to need
• 17:52
  Speaker 8: an overcoat out here.
• 17:53
  Speaker 2: Sure is hot.
• 17:54
  Speaker 7: Yeah, I guess so. This is my first trip. Thought
• 17:56
  Speaker 7: I'd bring one with me anyway.
• 17:57
  Speaker 2: California weather, you know.
• 17:58
  Speaker 8: Yeah, you never know. Where are you from?
• 18:00
  Speaker 2: Chicago. Want to take the chief in?
• 18:02
  Speaker 7: Yeah. Just thought I'd have a cup of coffee before
• 18:04
  Speaker 7: I started out to find a hotel. Yeah.
• 18:06
  Speaker 8: Guess I ought to introduce myself. I'm Gabriel Bush. Friends
• 18:09
  Speaker 8: call me Gabe.
• 18:10
  Speaker 7: Well, my name's Friday. Did you just get in, too?
• 18:12
  Speaker 8: Yeah. I work for a wholesale liquor company in Chicago.
• 18:14
  Speaker 3: That's a small world.
• 18:15
  Speaker 7: Where are your offices?
• 18:17
  Speaker 2: State Street.
• 18:17
  Speaker 8: Had a little trouble with our West Coast office, so
• 18:19
  Speaker 8: the boss sent me out to see if I can
• 18:20
  Speaker 8: straighten it out.
• 18:21
  Speaker 2: What are you doing here?
• 18:22
  Speaker 7: Oh, just kind of business and pleasure. Mm-hmm.
• 18:24
  Speaker 2: What line are you in?
• 18:25
  Speaker 7: Machine tools.
• 18:26
  Speaker 8: How long are you going to be in town?
• 18:28
  Speaker 7: Well, as a matter of fact, I'm leaving Tuesday.
• 18:30
  Speaker 8: That doesn't give you a lot of time here. You
• 18:31
  Speaker 8: know anybody in town?
• 18:32
  Speaker 7: No, sir, I don't. Not a soul.
• 18:34
  Speaker 2: Where'd you say you're staying?
• 18:36
  Speaker 8: Well, I'm not staying anyplace. I haven't got a place yet.
• 18:38
  Speaker 8: Thought I'd go over to the Statler. Oh, you're not
• 18:39
  Speaker 8: going to get in there. As a matter of fact,
• 18:40
  Speaker 8: you're going to have a rough time getting in anyplace.
• 18:42
  Speaker 7: Oh, is that so?
• 18:43
  Speaker 8: Yeah, there's a big convention in town. No rooms to
• 18:44
  Speaker 8: be had. I made my reservation a couple.
• 18:47
  Speaker 2: Of weeks ago. The office out here took care of it.
• 18:49
  Speaker 7: I didn't know it would be that crowded.
• 18:51
  Speaker 2: I'll tell you what.
• 18:51
  Speaker 7: Yeah?
• 18:52
  Speaker 2: Come on over to my hotel.
• 18:53
  Speaker 8: You can park your luggage there, and I'll get in
• 18:54
  Speaker 8: touch with a couple of friends here.
• 18:56
  Speaker 2: And see what they can do.
• 18:57
  Speaker 7: Well, it's sure nice of you, but I don't want
• 18:58
  Speaker 7: you to go to a lot of trouble. I'll find
• 19:00
  Speaker 7: a place somewhere.
• 19:00
  Speaker 8: It's no trouble at all. Can't let a fellow Chicagoan
• 19:02
  Speaker 8: stand out in the cold. I'm sure the boys can
• 19:05
  Speaker 8: find you a place. You know, I sure appreciate all this.
• 19:07
  Speaker 2: I don't think anything about it.
• 19:08
  Speaker 7: Who knows?
• 19:09
  Speaker 8: Maybe you'll be able to do something for me someday. Yeah,
• 19:11
  Speaker 8: maybe I can. We walked out of the terminal and
• 19:17
  Speaker 8: we got into a cab. I could see Frank and
• 19:19
  Speaker 8: DeBetta following us. The address Bush gave the cab driver
• 19:22
  Speaker 8: was out on Wilshire. We pulled up in front of
• 19:24
  Speaker 8: the place we went in. The suspect signed the registration
• 19:26
  Speaker 8: card and we went upstairs. All the time he kept
• 19:29
  Speaker 8: up a running conversation about how difficult it was to
• 19:31
  Speaker 8: get a hotel room. The bellboy left our bags in
• 19:34
  Speaker 8: the room and asked us if we wanted them opened.
• 19:36
  Speaker 8: Bush made it apparent to both the boy and to
• 19:37
  Speaker 8: me that he was the only one.
• 19:39
  Speaker 7: Who was going to open his own suitcase.
• 19:40
  Speaker 8: After the bellboy left the room, Bush laid his bag
• 19:42
  Speaker 8: on the bed and snapped it open. He took out
• 19:44
  Speaker 8: a small leather case, trying to keep me from seeing it,
• 19:46
  Speaker 8: and at the same time making sure that I did.
• 19:49
  Speaker 8: He went into the bathroom and after about two minutes
• 19:51
  Speaker 8: he came out he'd taken off his coat and his
• 19:52
  Speaker 8: left shirt sleeve was rolled back he.
• 19:54
  Speaker 7: Had a small piece of cotton on his arm.
• 19:57
  Speaker 8: I feel a lot better now.
• 19:59
  Speaker 7: What's the matter? Something wrong?
• 20:00
  Speaker 8: Oh, no, nothing at all.
• 20:01
  Speaker 2: You see, I'm a diabetic. I have to take insulin
• 20:03
  Speaker 2: shots every so often.
• 20:04
  Speaker 7: Oh, that's too bad.
• 20:05
  Speaker 2: I'll get this back in.
• 20:06
  Speaker 8: My suitcase and we can start looking for a room
• 20:07
  Speaker 8: for you.
• 20:08
  Speaker 7: That's nice of you. Oh, here, let me give you
• 20:10
  Speaker 7: a hand. I'll help you pick it up.
• 20:11
  Speaker 2: Oh, no, it's all right.
• 20:12
  Speaker 7: Don't worry about it. I can get it. Here, just
• 20:14
  Speaker 7: a minute. I guess this spoon's part of it, isn't it?
• 20:16
  Speaker 2: Oh, yeah.
• 20:18
  Speaker 7: I didn't know you used a spoon for insulin. I'll
• 20:20
  Speaker 7: get it.
• 20:20
  Speaker 9: Wait a minute. Let me put this stuff away.
• 20:22
  Speaker 7: Well, I'll open the door and see who it is anyway, huh? Yeah,
• 20:26
  Speaker 7: what do you want?
• 20:27
  Speaker 3: Police officers.
• 20:27
  Speaker 2: You're under arrest.
• 20:28
  Speaker 7: What for?
• 20:29
  Speaker 2: Narcotics.
• 20:30
  Speaker 8: What are you doing breaking in here like this? You
• 20:32
  Speaker 8: got no right coming in a room like this.
• 20:33
  Speaker 1: I'd knock it off, Bush. We've been after you for
• 20:36
  Speaker 1: a long time. We finally nailed you, and I don't
• 20:37
  Speaker 1: ball about it.
• 20:38
  Speaker 8: This other fellow a cop, too? Yeah, this is my partner,
• 20:40
  Speaker 8: Roger Silvey. Now, listen, I had no part in this.
• 20:42
  Speaker 8: I just met this guy. If you want him, okay,
• 20:44
  Speaker 8: but don't tie me in with.
• 20:45
  Speaker 7: Him, please.
• 20:45
  Speaker 2: Too bad, mister. Get your coat.
• 20:47
  Speaker 7: Where are we going?
• 20:48
  Speaker 2: Downtown. We've got to book you.
• 20:49
  Speaker 7: But I had no part in this. I tell you,
• 20:50
  Speaker 7: I just met the guy just this morning down at
• 20:52
  Speaker 7: the depot. I just met him. I'm not mixed up
• 20:53
  Speaker 7: in anything.
• 20:53
  Speaker 8: If my company finds out about this, it's going to
• 20:55
  Speaker 8: cost me my job. Now, you guys have got to
• 20:56
  Speaker 8: give me a.
• 20:56
  Speaker 2: Break, please. Should have thought of that before, mister. A
• 20:59
  Speaker 2: little late now.
• 20:59
  Speaker 7: Yeah, but if my boss hears about this, he's going
• 21:01
  Speaker 7: to kill me.
• 21:01
  Speaker 8: Come on, why don't you give the guy a break?
• 21:03
  Speaker 2: He's telling the truth. I just met him. He's got
• 21:04
  Speaker 2: no piece of the action. That's rough. Maybe next time
• 21:06
  Speaker 2: he'll be more careful who he bums around with. Let's go. Oh, please,
• 21:09
  Speaker 2: give him a break. You guys are all alike.
• 21:11
  Speaker 6: You cry when you get tagged.
• 21:12
  Speaker 2: Yeah, but this isn't right. Let's go. We're taking you in.
• 21:14
  Speaker 7: What's the charge?
• 21:15
  Speaker 2: We'll tell you in jail.
• 21:20
  Speaker 8: The two men had shown us badges when they came in,
• 21:22
  Speaker 8: but they'd flashed them by so fast there was no
• 21:24
  Speaker 8: way of taking a good.
• 21:24
  Speaker 7: Look at them. They made Bush and I get our
• 21:26
  Speaker 7: things together, and then they took us downstairs.
• 21:28
  Speaker 8: As we walked through the lobby, I nodded to Frank
• 21:30
  Speaker 8: and Johnny DiBetta. They followed us at a distance. The
• 21:33
  Speaker 8: plan was that I'd get in the car with the
• 21:34
  Speaker 8: suspects and then give them the money. After that, they'd
• 21:37
  Speaker 8: be taken into custody. Until they'd actually taken the money,
• 21:39
  Speaker 8: all we could prosecute them on was a charge of
• 21:41
  Speaker 8: impersonating an officer.
• 21:43
  Speaker 7: Once the currency was in their possession, we could prove extortion,
• 21:45
  Speaker 7: a felony.
• 21:46
  Speaker 8: After we left the hotel, we walked up Wilshire Boulevard
• 21:49
  Speaker 8: and we stopped by a gray Chevrolet.
• 21:50
  Speaker 2: All right, get in.
• 21:52
  Speaker 7: Is this a police car?
• 21:53
  Speaker 2: That's right. I'll take this one in front with me. Okay.
• 21:57
  Speaker 2: All right, get in.
• 22:02
  Speaker 7: You're making a mistake.
• 22:03
  Speaker 2: Well, let the judge worry about that. I'll call in
• 22:06
  Speaker 2: and tell him we're coming in.
• 22:07
  Speaker 7: Right.
• 22:09
  Speaker 8: This is car 12-7, car 12-7. We have two prisoners
• 22:12
  Speaker 8: in custody. We're taking them downtown for booking. Repeat, we
• 22:15
  Speaker 8: have two prisoners in custody. We're taking them downtown for booking.
• 22:18
  Speaker 8: All right, just sit back, mister.
• 22:21
  Speaker 2: You got a long ride.
• 22:22
  Speaker 7: What are they going to do to me?
• 22:23
  Speaker 2: We just booked you. After that, it's up to the court.
• 22:25
  Speaker 7: Yeah, but they're going to let me go, aren't they?
• 22:27
  Speaker 7: I don't know.
• 22:28
  Speaker 8: I got a big drive on now about narcotics. Court's
• 22:30
  Speaker 8: getting pretty rough. Had a guy up just last week.
• 22:32
  Speaker 8: They caught him in a car with another fellow who
• 22:34
  Speaker 8: was smoking marijuana. This one guy didn't even know it
• 22:36
  Speaker 8: was tea. They really nailed him. Hey, how long did
• 22:38
  Speaker 8: they give Jansen? You mean on that tea wrap last week?
• 22:40
  Speaker 2: Yeah, five years.
• 22:42
  Speaker 7: You see, they're really getting rough. Yeah, but you know
• 22:44
  Speaker 7: I didn't have anything to do with this.
• 22:45
  Speaker 3: You said that yourself.
• 22:46
  Speaker 7: You know that. Listen, isn't there some way? There's got
• 22:51
  Speaker 7: to be a way.
• 22:52
  Speaker 9: I don't know.
• 22:54
  Speaker 8: We don't like to see guys like you nailed, but
• 22:55
  Speaker 8: the pressure's on us, too. We'd like to just let
• 22:57
  Speaker 8: you out of the car, forget we ever saw you.
• 22:59
  Speaker 2: We can't do it.
• 23:00
  Speaker 7: Why not? Why can't you?
• 23:01
  Speaker 2: Too many people know we picked you up. Well, who?
• 23:03
  Speaker 7: Who knows it?
• 23:04
  Speaker 2: Well, our office, for one.
• 23:05
  Speaker 8: As soon as we spotted you and Bush at the hotel,
• 23:07
  Speaker 8: we called them. Told them we were going to take
• 23:08
  Speaker 8: you into custody. My partner just called in and told
• 23:10
  Speaker 8: them we had you. People on the radio know it.
• 23:12
  Speaker 2: Must be a couple of dozen. I'm sorry.
• 23:15
  Speaker 3: There's nothing we can do.
• 23:16
  Speaker 2: Sorry.
• 23:16
  Speaker 7: That's a lousy deal. It's going to ruin me. You
• 23:19
  Speaker 7: guys know that. I'll lose my job. I'll be through.
• 23:21
  Speaker 3: I don't know.
• 23:23
  Speaker 2: We'd like to help you out, but you can see
• 23:25
  Speaker 2: there just isn't any way.
• 23:26
  Speaker 7: But there's got to be. Sylvie?
• 23:29
  Speaker 5: Yeah?
• 23:29
  Speaker 7: Yeah?
• 23:31
  Speaker 2: How about it?
• 23:31
  Speaker 6: Can't we just let him out?
• 23:33
  Speaker 2: You tell me how we're going to get away with it.
• 23:34
  Speaker 2: How are we going.
• 23:35
  Speaker 8: To explain when he isn't there to be booked? Oh, look,
• 23:37
  Speaker 8: he's a nice guy. I don't want to see him
• 23:38
  Speaker 8: get into trouble for something he didn't do.
• 23:40
  Speaker 2: Neither do I, but how do you figure to square it?
• 23:42
  Speaker 2: You're bright, Cox.
• 23:43
  Speaker 8: Come on, give the guy a break. Suppose we could
• 23:45
  Speaker 8: take care of the watch, Commander. Maybe he'd forget we
• 23:47
  Speaker 8: called in. Taking care of him is expensive.
• 23:50
  Speaker 7: Yeah.
• 23:50
  Speaker 2: How much money you got him?
• 23:53
  Speaker 7: About $ 2, 500.
• 23:53
  Speaker 8: That's not too much.
• 23:55
  Speaker 3: Can you raise any more?
• 23:57
  Speaker 7: No, not without sending home.
• 23:58
  Speaker 2: I can't do that. How about it, Sylvie?
• 24:01
  Speaker 7: 2,500 enough?
• 24:01
  Speaker 2: Won't go very far. A lot of people to take
• 24:03
  Speaker 2: care of.
• 24:04
  Speaker 7: That's all he's got. Ain't enough.
• 24:06
  Speaker 2: Let's book him.
• 24:07
  Speaker 7: Oh, come on.
• 24:07
  Speaker 8: We've been riding together a long time, Sylvie. This is
• 24:09
  Speaker 8: the lousiest deal we've ever had to pull.
• 24:11
  Speaker 2: We take the 2,500 and explain it to the commander.
• 24:13
  Speaker 7: It'll work.
• 24:14
  Speaker 2: Come on, let's give the guy a chance. If it
• 24:16
  Speaker 2: goes wrong, it's on your neck. All right, all right.
• 24:18
  Speaker 2: I'll take the beef. Okay, shove him out. We've got
• 24:20
  Speaker 2: to take Bush in, though.
• 24:21
  Speaker 8: All right.
• 24:21
  Speaker 2: Come on, give me the money.
• 24:22
  Speaker 7: Sure. Here you are.
• 24:23
  Speaker 2: It's all there.
• 24:25
  Speaker 7: Okay. Sylvie?
• 24:26
  Speaker 2: Pull over. Let's let him out. Where are we? Fourth
• 24:29
  Speaker 2: and Spring.
• 24:31
  Speaker 8: Would you mind dropping me off a couple of blocks
• 24:32
  Speaker 8: up the street? This isn't a taxi service, mister. You're
• 24:35
  Speaker 8: coming out of this smelling like a rose. Don't press
• 24:37
  Speaker 8: your luck.
• 24:37
  Speaker 7: Just a couple of blocks up there near First. Why?
• 24:39
  Speaker 2: What's over there?
• 24:39
  Speaker 7: City Hall. You're under arrest.
• 24:46
  Speaker 8: The three men were taken into custody and then the
• 24:48
  Speaker 8: marked money was booked as evidence. We got in touch
• 24:50
  Speaker 8: with the victim, Martin Dietrich, and asked him to come
• 24:52
  Speaker 8: down to the city hall and.
• 24:52
  Speaker 7: Give us an identification.
• 24:54
  Speaker 8: He looked at the suspects and then stated positively that
• 24:56
  Speaker 8: they were the men who'd shaken him down.
• 24:57
  Speaker 2: That's them.
• 24:58
  Speaker 7: You'll sign a complaint?
• 24:59
  Speaker 2: You bet I will.
• 25:00
  Speaker 8: I want to see him get theirs. Oh, it's all
• 25:01
  Speaker 8: a beef, a little con game, that's all. So we
• 25:03
  Speaker 8: took the mark.
• 25:04
  Speaker 2: Shut up, Lang. They've still got to prove it.
• 25:05
  Speaker 1: That ain't going to be hard with the help your
• 25:06
  Speaker 1: friend Gabe handed out to them. Imagine being so dumb
• 25:09
  Speaker 1: you pick a cop as a mark.
• 25:10
  Speaker 2: Both of you went along with it. Oh, you're dumb, Gabe.
• 25:12
  Speaker 2: Face it.
• 25:13
  Speaker 7: All right, let's go. Come on, mister.
• 25:16
  Speaker 2: Don't give me no orders, cop. You got me in custody.
• 25:19
  Speaker 2: That's enough. Now, don't order me around. I'll go when
• 25:20
  Speaker 2: I'm ready.
• 25:21
  Speaker 7: Come on, Lane.
• 25:23
  Speaker 2: You know something, cop? I think I play the part
• 25:24
  Speaker 2: better than you do.
• 25:25
  Speaker 7: I'm going to tell you something, mister. I want you
• 25:27
  Speaker 7: to remember it. As a con man, you're a flop.
• 25:29
  Speaker 8: You wouldn't know a mark if he came up and
• 25:30
  Speaker 8: hit you right in the mouth.
• 25:31
  Speaker 7: Besides being bad at that, you're a liar. The worst
• 25:33
  Speaker 7: kind of liar.
• 25:34
  Speaker 8: You go around telling people that you're a cop. You
• 25:36
  Speaker 8: flash a tin badge and right off, you're the law.
• 25:38
  Speaker 8: You don't care what you do or who you hurt.
• 25:40
  Speaker 8: I've been in this business a long time. I've seen
• 25:41
  Speaker 8: a lot of 510s come across the desk here. Guys
• 25:43
  Speaker 8: who take old women, cheap crumbs with a handkerchief switch
• 25:45
  Speaker 8: and the smack game. But at least they don't try
• 25:47
  Speaker 8: to hide behind a phony badge. We don't know how
• 25:49
  Speaker 8: many people you pulled this cheap deal on, but we're
• 25:50
  Speaker 8: going to find out. We'll get every name there is
• 25:52
  Speaker 8: and then we'll make you on all of them.
• 25:53
  Speaker 2: I live in this town.
• 25:54
  Speaker 7: I work here and I like it.
• 25:55
  Speaker 8: There are 4,500 men in the city who feel the
• 25:57
  Speaker 8: same way, all cops. Men are trying to prove that
• 25:59
  Speaker 8: the law is here to protect people, not to cut
• 26:00
  Speaker 8: them down. They spend every day of the year making
• 26:03
  Speaker 8: up a good score and you come along and tilt it.
• 26:05
  Speaker 8: Every one of those people you hit thinks he's been
• 26:07
  Speaker 8: taken by a cop now. A cop whose hand was
• 26:09
  Speaker 8: reaching for money that wasn't his.
• 26:11
  Speaker 7: You keep wearing that grin, Lang. See if you can
• 26:13
  Speaker 7: still make it when we turn the key on you.
• 26:15
  Speaker 7: Now let's go. You want to take him outside, Frank?
• 26:19
  Speaker 7: I'll be right with you.
• 26:20
  Speaker 2: Yeah, come on. That all you need me for?
• 26:27
  Speaker 7: Yeah, Martin, we'll be in touch with you.
• 26:29
  Speaker 1: Right.
• 26:30
  Speaker 2: Too bad about all this, isn't it?
• 26:32
  Speaker 9: Yeah.
• 26:33
  Speaker 2: All those people that Bunch took, they're always going to
• 26:35
  Speaker 2: think those guys were real cops.
• 26:36
  Speaker 7: Yeah, that's right.
• 26:37
  Speaker 2: Never going to know. Of course, you can't blame them,
• 26:39
  Speaker 2: not really. Look how they got to me. I guess
• 26:42
  Speaker 2: there just ain't any way to tell if a guy
• 26:43
  Speaker 2: flashes a badge or no. How are you going to tell?
• 26:45
  Speaker 7: Yeah, there's one way.
• 26:46
  Speaker 2: How are you going to know he's a fake?
• 26:48
  Speaker 7: When he asks you for money.
• 26:56
  Speaker 1: The story you have just heard is true. The names
• 26:59
  Speaker 1: were changed to protect the innocent.
• 27:01
  Speaker 4: On December 17th, trial was held in Department 92, Superior
• 27:05
  Speaker 4: Court of the State of California.
• 27:06
  Speaker 3: In and for the County of Los Angeles. In a moment,
• 27:09
  Speaker 3: the results of that trial.
• 27:10
  Speaker 2: Now, here is our star, Jack Webb.
• 27:13
  Speaker 7: Thank you, George Fenneman.
• 27:14
  Speaker 8: Friends, we'd like to express our appreciation to all of
• 27:17
  Speaker 8: you who made our Dragnet.
• 27:18
  Speaker 7: Theme song so popular.
• 27:20
  Speaker 8: Whenever or wherever you hear it, we hope it'll remind
• 27:22
  Speaker 8: you to try our Chesterfields. To join the thousands who
• 27:25
  Speaker 8: are changing to Chesterfields and getting the one cigarette that's
• 27:28
  Speaker 8: low in nicotine, highest in quality.
• 27:30
  Speaker 7: Chesterfield. Best for me, best for you.
• 27:34
  Speaker 9: Chesterfield.
• 27:42
  Speaker 4: Gerald Richard Lang, Richard Harris Silby, and Gabriel Norris Bush
• 27:46
  Speaker 4: were tried and convicted of violation of Section 518 PC extortion.
• 27:50
  Speaker 4: They received sentences prescribed by law. Violation of Section 518
• 27:54
  Speaker 4: PC is punishable by imprisonment in the state penitentiary for
• 27:57
  Speaker 4: a period of not less than one, nor more than
• 28:00
  Speaker 4: ten years. You have just heard Dragnet, a series of
• 28:13
  Speaker 4: authentic cases from official files. Technical advice comes from the
• 28:17
  Speaker 4: office of Chief of.
• 28:18
  Speaker 2: Police, W.H. Parker, Los Angeles Police Department.
• 28:21
  Speaker 4: Technical advisors, Captain Jack Donahoe, Sergeant Marty Wynn, Sergeant France Brasher.
• 28:26
  Speaker 4: Heard tonight were Ben Alexander, Vic Perrin, Herb Ellis, Paul Richards.
• 28:30
  Speaker 4: Script by John Robinson. Music by Walter Schumann. Hal Gibney speaking.
• 28:37
  Speaker 1: Watch an entirely new Dragnet case history each week on
• 28:40
  Speaker 1: your local NBC television station. Please check your newspapers for
• 28:44
  Speaker 1: the day and time. Chesterfield has brought you Dragnet, transcribed
• 28:50
  Speaker 1: from Los Angeles.
• 28:58
  Speaker 6: Have you tried new cork tip Fatima?
• 29:00
  Speaker 11: It's the smooth smoke with Fatima tips of perfect cork.
• 29:05
  Speaker 11: King size for longer filterings. and Fatima quality for a
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  Speaker 11: much better flavor and aroma. Fatima is made and guaranteed
• 29:13
  Speaker 11: by Liggett & Myers Tobacco Company.
• 29:16
  Speaker 2: Try Fatima today.
• 29:20
  Speaker 1: Hear Frank Sinatra as Rocky Fortune tonight on the NBC
• 29:24
  Speaker 1: Radio Network. This concludes Dragnet, episode 219, Big Fraud. Follow
• 29:36
  Speaker 1: Dragnet for more classic broadcasts.