Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This
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dot Great Detectives dot net. Well, now it is time for this week's
episode of Dragnet. The original aired eight April twenty seventh, nineteen fifty and
the title is The Big Job. The story you were about to hear is
true, only the names have been changed to protect the innocent Dragnet. You're
a detective sergeant. You're assigned to Bunco Fugitive Detail. You receive information an
escaped criminal is hiding out in your city. He's dangerous, he may be
armed. Your job get him. Dragnet the documented drama of an actual crime.
For the next thirty minutes, in cooperation with the Los Angeles Police Department,
you will travel step by step on the side of the law through an
actual case from official police files, from beginning to end, from crime to
punishment. Dragnet is the story if you were police. Force in action was
Thursday, April twenty seventh, was warm in Los Angeles. We're working a
night watch out of Bunco Fugitive Detail. My partner's Ben Romero. The boss
is Blaine Steed, captain of Bunco Fugitive My name is Friday. I was
on the way back from communications. At was six forty five pm when I
got the room thirty eight squadroom. Hi, Hi, how about some dinner?
Then we got one to check out. First year's a Teletope you ever
just brought it in? Thanks from San Rafel. Huh, chick up and
hold for this department. One Alfred Garvey wanted for suspicion forgery, robbery.
This man poses as a fingerprint expert from sant Refel Police Department. Here's his
mother book from the record Bureau. We're informed Garvey is registered at the Fair
Deal Hotel or City. We're saying over your person Broadway, please advise us
on his arrest and officers will arrive with warrant signed chief please Frank Kelly Sandrafel,
California. Shouldn't take long to pick you then, all right, we
can eat later. I guess him, Max, what do you doing around?
I thought you took off on vacation. I am just came back to
pick up some stuff for my locker. Oh Dutch, Sure, listen,
the wife's got the car. There are you guys going anywhere near North Main
and Daily? Yeah, we're gonna leave right now. Okay, let me
grab my coat. All right? You live out near Himing Park, don't
you? Man? Yeah? White? The kids shopping in the cars afternoon
and get them shoes for a vacation. Did sure? Scuff up the toes
in a hurry. All right, y'all said, let's go. Where are
you going on your vacation? Big bear? We're gonna stayed a whole three
weeks ian while I was own a cabin up there. They even pay the
utilities for us. It's pretty nice. Only one trouble. What's that they're
coming with us? Oh? Yeah, what'd you brought in the captain stall?
All right in the back? Okay, you two still working in that
valley? Case? No, we washed it up monday. What's this one?
Selle type for Sandra Fell? And once some guy picked up? Here's
a mug shot. Who's Richard's gonna work with? What? He's gone?
There? I don't know what's the crowd up ahead? Oh yeah, Priner's
convention. I forgot they were having them parade tonight. You better stay over
to the one side. I think we can get through, all right,
watch those kids there? There we go. That's the place up ahead in
it. Indeed, yeah, we gotta stop by his hotel a minute,
Max, you wanna wait here? Alchemy a big turnout for the parade.
No, yeah, it's a big crowd. They're a deal hotel. Those
rates thirty five cents a day, two dollars a week. Yes, I
can I help you? Police officers, would you look at this picture please?
All right? Maybe registered as Alfred Garvey Garby Short came in yesterday.
The picture makes him look old. Is he in now? Let's see are
the wrong? Three or seven? The kid's gone, he must be in.
Thank you. Yes, elevators down there at the end of it,
or okay, elevators and youth. Let's take the stairs. I'll wait for
you here. I want to see the parade came in. I've never seen
it to fail. Let's see stairs. Every time my archiers hurt, we
get a thief to check who lives upstairs? Just one more flight? Yeah?
Three or five? Three? Seven? Nors? Let's have a look.
Man's empty. Nothing in the Yeah, pretty fast? Checkout came from
downstairs the lobby. Come on, hurry up, okay, please the police.
It's Maxwell Max Maxie. All right, run out the door, blue
suit. You showed your friend wall an ambulance. You run out the door.
Shoot your friend. Come on, Ben, call that ambulance, will
you? Hey you do you see a man come out of this hotel?
Did you just see a man come out of this hotel? I don't know.
All right, Ben, you go that way. I'll check up this
way. What doesn't matter, what's where you're going. Do you see a
man running up this way? Just now? But my height? Blue suit?
I didn't see anybody. Did you see anybody? Wait? Hey,
boy, no, listen, did you see him? A man running by
here a minute of go in a blue suit? Maybe I didn't notice.
I'm sorry, sorry, lady man man over here? You just bought him.
Know, we're gonna need hell. Right, come on, we call
the obulence. You better help your friend. He's bleeding. I don't know
what to do. Ben, get a whole communication to get some help out
here. Right. If the guy get done of the elevator, it was
Garby, your friend to right to stop your Garby showing right in the far
right. Stop yelling. He's terrible. Now, look he's bleeding. You
better do shut up, Max, Max? How is it Chester? You
all right? Easy? Huh? Garby came out of the elevator fast with
a gun. All right, take it easy, huh yoh. I got
communications there blocking off the area. It's fine. What's that front door?
Will you keep those people out of Hereah? Yeah, Chest, I'll be
here in a minute. Boy, call the wife eleanor ambulance this year.
Yeah, you know bad. He's not gonna get any worse. He's dead.
The name on the personnel report, said John Warren, Maxwell Sergeant Los
Angeles Police Department badge number one O three seven seven. The nearest living relative
wife eleanor Jean Maxwell. Dependents John Maxwell Junior six years, Deborah Lee Maxwell
two years. Death in line of duty. April twenty seventh, seven fifteen
pm. John Maxwell's body was removed from Georgia Street to the County Morgue at
seven forty five. A special detail of men from Homicide and Bunco Fugitive were
on the scene to aid in the investigation of the killing. The neighborhood where
the Fairdeal Hotel was located was covered for a half mile around. By nine
o'clock, the parade was over and the area was cleared. We had a
single lead to work with in checking out the different taxicab stands in the neighborhood.
We found out that three separate fares had been picked up within two blocks
of the hotel. Four minutes after the shooting, Ben and I went to
the office of the taxicab company. Abs and question were called in and the
waybills were checked. The times of the three different trips were listed, and
so was the address of each destination. We copied down the addresses and then
interviewed the drivers. We're gonna give each one of you half a dozen fixtures,
like to see if you didn't identify and he of them as passengers you
picked up tonight near the fare Deal hotel. All right, here you go,
yeah, four five six, Check them carefully here yours right here.
Take a good look at each one of them. Okay, right now,
fellas, take your time, look them all over, real good before you
make up your mind. Yeah, here's the one, sergeant, no mistake.
Let me see. Where'd you pick up this man? About a block
from a hotel. I drove him to a place on fourteenth Street, same
address on the wait beat Ben, Yeah, Alford Garvey, Ben and I,
along with Ricketson Chandler from Homicide, drove out to the fourteenth Street address
another small trenchon hotel. The clerk on duty identified Garvey from his mugs.
He said the suspect had called at the hotel at about seven forty five that
night and asked to see one of the guests, Missus Lorraine Thomas. The
clerk said he told Garvey Missus Thomas was out, that she hadn't been there
for four days. Ricketson Chandler went on steakout in the lobby of the hotel,
and Ben and I went up to the second floor to stake out missus
Thomas's room. Friday eleven, twenty five am, Lorraine Thomas returned to the
hotel and was taken into custody. We took her a homicide and questioned her
for more than an hour. She admitted that she was acquainted with Garvey,
but that's all. One o'clock we went to Clifton's cafeteria for lunch. Yeah,
I can't take this track, Thanks silverware. Get here a little earlier,
you wouldn't get it. Look at that line. You were the first
one he ran to after the shooting. Garvey doesn't have many friends in Los
Angeles. Maybe that's why I look near. I'll have a mixed green salad.
Kind of worked as garvey duty. You know. He told me it
was in the Merchant Marines. Whole slap, None of that potato salad.
Please? Do you know what he does in the Merchant Marine? Told me
a steward French dreads And do you know any of his friends in town?
No? I don't bride bread. Can I have an extra butterfleece? Oh?
French trolle. What kind of you want in? Give me some of
those bisiness, thank you. I don't know Garby usually stay at the Fair
Deal Hotel when he's in town. I don't know that split piece soups and
looks good. And we told you that the police up in the north were
looking for him. Yeah, I know you did. Like I told you,
I've been out with him a few times. That's all I know about
him. You must have introduced you to some of his friends. I'll have
the prime ribs. They're rare, that piece. How about it? Did
you ever meet any of his friends? Yeah? One or two? No,
no, gravy, meet low brown gravy. You remember any of the
names of his friends. I just met him, that's all I don't remember.
Let me have a roast turkey. Go kind of heavy on that dressing,
right? Did you ever go out with any of'em? No?
Why do you think Garvey went to your hotel after the shooting? I don't
know. Maybe you figured you to hide him. I don't know why you
should. You killed a man and had it straight for your place. Doesn't
make you look too good. I can't help that. I like some of
those string beans. Please, it's Thomas. You know it's gonna go hard
on you if you're holding back information on Garvey. I'm not. Why don't
you take someone that summer? Squashed? Joe? Good boy? But I
can't eat that much? When'd you first meet Garvey? About three years ago?
Up in Saint Joleno. You might as well keep your nose clean.
How do you mean we're gonna reach you? Miss Thomas? You might as
well tell us all you know. Look, if Garvey's killing people, I
don't want to have any more to do with him. We do? Now?
Where is he? I told you? I don't know? Squashed?
Please? You said you had a little boy, didn't you, Miss Thomas?
Do we have to talk about it now? Thought we were gonna have
lunch? I told you little boy, it's seven years. Where is he
now? He's in school up in San Francisco? This this line going off
a slow lunchtime. You know that top that Garvey killed last year? Mashed
potatoes country gravest? You what I said? Yes? I know he killed
a cop. He had a little boy too. There's nothing I can do,
no potatoes than Yeah, there's something you can do, Miss Thomas.
You can tell us where Garvey is. If I know, I'd tell you
runch riest. We're kidding iss missus Thomas, but we're not gonna kids you.
You know a lot more about this than you're telling us. Maybe I
do, but I'm scared. Who are you afraid of? Well? Why
can't you count me out of this? I don't want any part of it.
You're in all the way. The only way you're gonna get at is
to tell us what you know? You kill me? Well, something happens
to me. Nobody's gonna worry about my key. You don't have to worry.
He's not gonna find that. Uh No, no desert place now?
Boat kill me? Boat? Who's the other one trouble? No matter what
you trying to do, Garby's working with somebody is an it. His name
is Jack Flemming. It made me promise to cover for him. Give him
a place to hide out whenever the heat is on. Then you know where
they are? No, I don't. That's the truth. Why do they
need a place to hide out? You said Garby killed a cop? What
about Flemming? Joe, I'm better move along one side? What about Flemming?
I'm gonna pull some jobs all right, we can skip the dessert.
Come on, I'll take the check for all of them. Let's go.
What kind of jobs where hold up tomorrow night? Three Kings liquor store out
in Wiltshire. Let's sit down. They're both the same, Garby and Flimming.
They can't hold a gun without using table. You dropped your tray.
I'll get you some more. Don't bother. I'm not hungry anymore. You
are listening to Dragnett. The case history of a police investigation presented in the
Public Interest. Saturday, April twenty ninth, last rites were held for Sergeant
John Maxwell and he was buried at Holy Cross Cemetery. A guard of honor
from the Police Department was present, along with most of the men Maxwell had
worked with in Bunco fugitive detail. The Chief of Detectives delivered a short eulogy
and one of the men from the department band sounded taps over the grave.
We got back to the opposite at noon, checked in at the record bureau.
A photo copyroom had taken negatives of Garvey's and Flemings coming out mugs and
made duplicates that were distributed to all officers. The steakouts continued at the fair
Deal in the fourteenth Street Hotel, where Lorraine Thomas was staying. She was
put under protective custody. Ben and I Rickettson Chandler went on steakout at the
Three Kings, his liquor store on Wilshire Boulevard. It was a large,
modern place and it did a volume business, especially on Saturday night. Ricketson
Chandler covered the store from the outside. Ben and I were stationed in the
supply room at the rear of the place, where we had the main counter
and most of the store in full view. We set up a pre arrange
signal with a clerk on duty, and if and when Garvey and Fleming showed
up, the clerk was to accidentally knock an empty bottle off the counter.
Were waited until midnight. Nothing happened. It's the first customer in half an
hour's kind of slow. Yeah, wait a minute, here comes another one.
No soon, it's a woman clerk, sure got the jitters I put
in with him. Oh, I could go for a hamburger. I wasn't
very hungry. Then I couldn't known them bory boy. Yeah, thanks,
Wait a minute, the customer, Yeah, man, can't see his face
too well with a head on. Can you that's Fleming? Come on,
police officers, get your hands up. Why should go you're hitting? It's
going out the front. Come on, Rickets and China stopped him. Yeah
he's down, Watch him get the gun. Yeah, yeah, here it.
That's Flemming all right, Ricketts, call an ambulance. What's the score?
Looks like one in the shoulder and legs too. What about Garby?
I don't know. What do you think Fleming stopped all the slugs? Yeah,
let's ask him. The wounded suspect was tweeted at Georgia Street Receiving Hospital
and then booked into the prison ward at the General Hospital at eleven am the
next day. We questioned him, but he refused to admit that he even
knew Alfred Garvey. We requestioned Fleming for the next three days, with no
results. The stakeouts continued, the search went on. There was no response
to our APV. Garvey was still at large. As far as we were
concerned, there was only one way to get directly to Garvey, and that
was through Fleming. We called on Lorraine Thomas again and asked her that if
she'd try to get some information on Fleming. Try to get him to talk
and to tell her where Garvey was. I'm not even sure if he knows
where Garby's hiding. You must have a good idea. Even if he has,
you're not going to tell me. You wouldn't trust me that fun go
further with you, and he will with us. He wanted to give us
his name from Fred. It's up to you this times. Why can't you
let me out of this? I looked figured it this way. You knew
about Fleming and Garvey. You knew they were in town, knew what they
were up to. He didn't break your back to save that dead cops life.
Garvey shot him. I did you know he was a killer. You
know he had a gun. What do you want me to do? Get
close to Fleming, visit him every day till he tek he doesn't trust me
I told you, and get him to trust her with you two favors for
him. He wants to contact friends to raise money for a lawyer. Help
him do that, run errands, do anything for him within reason. Suppose
he finds out about the holder that I told you about it, He's got
a long stretch a hit him. He won't bother you. They'll kill me
if they find out. They wouldn't wait a minute. They won't find out,
all right, won't be my fault. Al did the shooting, he
killed the cop. Let him square it up. He'll square it with the
cork. There's only one trouble. Yeah, Maxwell's wife and kids. Hot
is Al square with him. In the morning of May eighth, suspect Jack
Fleming was removed from his private room and wheeled down to the X ray lab
on the pretext of treatment. While he was absent, a dictaphone was placed
in his room by a sand crew from the crime lab. Fleming was then
returned that afternoon while Ben and I listened in on earphones in the next room,
Lorraine Thomas paid her first visit to Fleming. We had briefed her on
how to proceed in getting a suspect to talk, in particular to reveal Garvey's
hideout. Was a slow process. For the next fifteen days, between the
hours of two and four in the afternoon, missus Thomas visited Fleming while Ben
and I monitored their conversation in the adjoining room. For fifteen days, despite
all our shows of confidence, Fleming refused to confide he was sullen and close
mouthed. Some afternoons, he would hardly speak to her. On the sixteenth
day, his mood seemed to be improving. Here, let me taxcept to
look for you. Jack, is that belly? That's good? Thanks.
I got in touch with Dave and Johnny like you asked me to. Let
me say. Rollie said they could get you the money for the lawyer the
day after tomorrow Day said he might be over to see you tonight. It's
fine. Once I get a lawyer, I'll stop worrying. I stopped by
Danelli's place too. Pap Royce was in there, going back tomorrow to see
him. You ought to be able to help. You've been okayla right.
I won't forget it four Yeah, sure, Sorry, you had to get
it this winter. Forget it. I can give it back where it came
from. That brought you some new magazines, a couple of candy bars.
Put him over here and there the bad way. Yeah. Sure, let
me get him for you. Yeah, Jack, I'll put him right here
on this table. I'll bring you some more tomorrow. That's fine. You're
gonna try and see prop Rose again tomorrow. Yeah, they told me.
Being around noon. For sure, I don't see him, then I'll keep
trying till I do. Yeah, that's it. Oh, listen, something
else here. I don't want to talk loud that cops might have bought this
room. Yeah. Well tonight, I want you to go to Georgia's giant,
the Blue Moon, down on South Flower. Yeah. And as for
George and Tabari, he's usually around from eleven nine. Tell George you've seen
me. He'll know it, and tell him to take you to all take
me down, yeah, el Garvey, George knows the place. Yeah,
okay, Jack, and keep your mouth shut. I don't talk to anybody
but George. He knows the place, all right, Ji, he'll help
you out. Well, yeah, it's a long link. Quit paid,
let's go. Ten pm, the detail of three cars followed Lorraine Thomas to
the Blue Moon Tavern on South Flower Street. We parked down the block and
watched her go in. At fifteen minutes past eleven, she came out with
a small, fat man in a dark blue suit. They got in a
tan colored coop and drove south. The cruiser cars, using three way radio,
tailed the coop alternately out through the Echo Park area and then back to
the starting point at the Blue Moon Tavern. Lorraine Thomas went back into the
bar with a man and twenty minutes later came out, caught a taxi and
took it to our hotel on Fourteenth Street. We drove back to the office.
It was five minutes past one am. That's it. I get it.
My cofus it to Friday, Lorraine Thomas sergeant. He showed me the
place George did where we drove past it ten thirty two Alamo Apartment three.
Garvey there now no, George said, He's supposed to be there tomorrow in
the afternoon five o'clock. George said, all have to go alone. Are
they watching the place? I think so? Garvey stand with another man.
I got guns. You know where Garby is now? George wouldn't tell me.
We can't afford to tip our hand. How do we know Garby will
be there at five o'clock tomorrow? That's just it. We don't May ninth,
three pm, an immediate stakeout was placed at the suspected hide out.
The detail of twenty plain clothesmen began filtering into the neighborhood in the vicinity of
ten thirty two Alamos Street, A three story apartment house at that address was
checked thoroughly and then covered on all sides. Apartment three on the first floor
was checked out too. Was registered to a Thomas King, whom the manager
identified as Alfred Garvey from his mugshot. To avoid pedestrian casualties, we toured
the immediate vicinity between three and four point thirty that afternoon, advising residents and
storekeepers to clear the street and stay inside. At four thirty five pm,
the men in the detail took up their assigned positions. We waited, hold
out a light ways. Yeah, I'll have a lot of trouble for that
punk Garvy. It'd be more trouble if he doesn't show most sex left can
poope coming down the street behind it, say one retail last night, a
girl driving his two guys waiting. You know, Garvey's one of them.
They're pulling up. Ready, Wait a minute, let's go police officers.
Hold it right there. Oh, don't get up. Throw them in,
Garby, you haven't got a chance. I hold both. Come on,
Den the other guy, rotten case, rotten business. The story you have
just heard was true, only the names were changed to protect the innocent.
On August second, trial was held in Superior Court Department ninety three, city
in County of Los Angeles, State of California. In a moment the results
of that trial, Jack Fleming, the only survivor of the hold up gang,
was found guilty of several counts of armed robbery. Garvey's accomplices who aided
him in hiding out were tried and convicted of being accessories. They are serving
prison terms as prescribed by law. You have just heard Dragnets, a series
of authentic cases from official files Technical Advice Board. Dragnet comes from the Office
of Chief of Police W. A. Wharton, Los Angeles Police Department.
The Halls of Ivy is pleasant. Listening tomorrow on NBC Welcome Back. Maybe
I should have included a warning for people who are getting hungry, because it
was getting close to dinner time when I was listening to that, and the
cafeteria scene was causing me all kinds of problems. This sounds good. I
think I really am hungry. I had a sense as soon as Max got
a ride from Friday and Romero that he was a dead man. It does
make me wonder how rules in modern departments work for these sort of situations,
giving a ride to an off duty officer who was presumably unarmed since he was
technically out of the office. It seems like this huge liability issue for the
police and also just a safety risk to the officer. And you makes you
want whether occurrences like this have led various departments to tighten up rules on having
these sort of ride shares on duty. Obviously they didn't expect the Garvy to
be carrying a gun. You know, he was wanted on a forgery warrant,
but you never know when you go out to get a suspect, and
so I wonder how the modern departments handle this. All right, well,
listener comments and feedback, and we start with Alexis over on Good Pods and
Alexis Rights regarding the Big Watch. Once again, the sound effects make this
theater of the mind crystal clear, and I definitely agree, and there are
some really good effects on this week's episode as well. The sounds of the
parade and the sounds of the cafeteria, you know, very distinct, and
the sound of the cafeteria, Yeah, it made it so you could taste
it, but that may just have been me. And also I want to
thank Alexis for rating an episode of Mister Chameleon, the Bottom paid For Murder
Case, as well as the Dangerous Assignment episode, the Stolen Computer looprints.
And then we also have comments on YouTube Prime Alien Rights regarding the Big Book.
Adam, you do a fantastic job. Thanks for all the hard work.
We appreciate you. And then also a nice also and many thanks from
Zorg. Well, thank you so much. Appreciate your con comments. Now
it's time to thank our Patreon supporter of the day, and I want to
go ahead and thank John. John has been one of our Patreon supporters since
September of twenty sixteen, currently supporting the show at the shawmus level of four
dollars or more per month. Thank you so much for your support, John,
and that will do it for today. If you're enjoying the podcast,
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Saturday with another episode of drag Net. This weekend, check out public Domain
video theater Video Theater dot Great Detectives dot net, or on our YouTube channel.
It's another bulldog drumming movie. And we'll be back on Monday with another
adventure of the fulk and where I just picked up a little number who's out
of a mind to meet the fulcon interested? Nope, one five feet two,
I said, I wasn't this here? That were the shame? Oh?
What's the name Judy Wainwright who you're well? She does killed out Compton
and Brady's boy. That's right, she wants to hire you. Is that
why you call me? Yeah? Well, tell miss Wayne Right, I'm
not interested. Ah, you're being smart, Mike. What do you mean?
Well, strictly between you and me and the guy who's hiding under your
racing form. This little girl hasn't got a prayer, got a chance.
She's up the well known creek without a paddle. I bet the jury won't
take twenty minutes to strap her into the chair. Want to hear the story
she tried to give U? No, never mind, sergeant, you always
follow up a story. Tell Ms Wayne Right, I'll be over to hear
it myself. I hope you'll be with us then in the meantime, send
your comments to Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot nant, follow us on Twitter
at Radio Detectives, and check us out on Instagram, Instagram dot com slash
Great Detectives From Boise Autohole, this is your host, Adam Graham's son no