Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This
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the shamous level of four dollars or more per month. Thank you so much
for your support. Ron. Well, now it is time for this week's
episode of Dragenet. The original air date March ninth, nineteen fifty and the
title is The Big Thank You. The story you are about to hear is
true, only the names have been changed to protect the innocent. Gray.
You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned to homicide detail. A confessed murderess is
parole from the State Prison for Women. After seven months, the parole office
loses contact with her. Your job find her drag met the documented druma of
an actual crime. While 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 of your police force. In
action. Was Thursday, March ninth, was foggy at Los Angeles. We're
working the day watch out a homicide detail. My partner's Ben Romero. The
boss is that Brown, Chief of detectives. My name is Friday. We're
on our way back from the State Building and it was two forty five pm
when we got to the City Hall room twenty ninth, handwriting analysis. I
want to have a seat, Fred, Okay, thanks, I'll see if
gun's wrong maybe in the back room. Done my done? You here?
Yeah? Oh hi, Ben, got a quick job for you. Donky's
pay a few minute. Thanks, so, hi, Joe didn't see you.
I like to have you meet Fred Galloway, State Parol. Fred.
This is Don Myers, our handwriting man. I got a couple of signatures
here. I like to have you check them now if you can, I
can try. Let's see what you got. Do you want to show him?
Fred? Yeah? These three sheets here, Don mark November, December,
January. I'd like to know if the signatures on them compare with the
signatures on these two here. They're marked February and March. Let me see
night. Yeah, I shouldn't take long. Why don't you allays have a
second? Yeah? Okay, how's this thing shape up? Fred? You
figured that the Johnson woman's jumped your parole got me? I don't know what
to think. How long has it been since you got out of brain?
Well, let me check you out on the details. I got the dope
right here. Annie Marie Johnson, you sent up for a life term nineteen
thirty three, murdered her husband John shot him to death, started appealing for
parole nineteen forty. Finally won a May fourteenth last year, paroled into the
custody of missus Laura Jene Miller. Where does this Missus Laller live. Don
Wilmington, old friend of the Johnson woman. She fought for ten years to
get her released from Taatchepee. Have you been in touch with missus Muller lately?
For only by mail? We've been sending her monthly report forms all long.
She's the person that Annie Johnson was paroled to, so the form has
to be filled out and signed by Missus Muller and mail back. Man.
Yeah, that's where you figured that something was wrong. We got the February
and reports back from her own time, all the usual questions answered promptly,
and it was the signature writing didn't look like Missus Muller said down, Oh,
you think that Johnson woman is faking the signature. Maybe tried to contact
the Muller house half a dozen times past couple of days. Nobody home.
Here you go, man, got it? Yeah, let me see he's
three here November, December, January. They were signed by the same person.
Down signatures on the February and March reports. They're pretty bad imitations.
One person signed these two, another person signing these. No match at all.
Well, then the signatures on the last two reports were forged. I'd
say, so she went up for murder. That's your department. You want
to run it down. Sure, let's say that up to there could be
a lot of things, could be nothing. Anny Johnson ought to know.
Ben and I checked out of the office and drove down to Wilmington. We
located the home of mister and missus Joseph Muller on the Seaboard Drive, just
off ad On Hind. The street was an old fashioned two story house set
back on a corner lot, along with plenty of shrubbery. It was a
faded gray with lots of Victorian gingerbread hung all over it, fancy carved gables,
carriage driveway with hitching posts, and pieces of thick colored glass setting some
kind of a design in the window of the front door. Out in the
harbor beyond Terminal Islands, you can hear the fog horns. They sure get
the fog out here. You know, it's pretty thick today. My aunt
used to live just above here. Grand Avenue. Couldn't take the fog,
so she lived out the valley. Garden could stand some taking care of.
You know, weeds are doing five. We'll try it again. What do
you think. Let's try the neighbors. Huh, you know that house across
the street must be somebody there. I saw a woman shaking a dust my
about the window when we drove a all right, kind of a bleep looking
spot up here on the hill, isn't it not? Many houses are,
yeah, and this fog is doing nothing for me. Chows, you're right
down to the baron. What's the name of the mailboxer you see, miss
h Carpenter? Well, maybe she can tell us something. Are you the
sewing machine man? No, man, we're police officers. Like to ask
you a few questions. Oh, I'm sorry if you came about my singer.
No, ma'am, I can't do any more work on my pleasant skirt
and selling machines fixed, and it has to be done by Saturday. Our
folk dancing groups having a big gambree Saturday night. We're sitting inside. Thank
you. It's is Sergeant Romero. My name's Friday. How folks so refreshing,
isn't it very vitalizing? Yes, ma'am. Are you acquainted with mister
and missus Muller across the street miscon the Muellers. Yes, I've known them
for years and they haven't Annie Johnson living with them. Yes, one of
my very good friends. She's employed as a housemaid for the Mullers. Is
that right? Well, I guess you could call it that. Actually,
she's more of the companion the missus Mueller. Seems poor mister Muller got sick.
What's his trouble? His mind? Poor man just lost his senses.
He's at the State hospital at Norwalk when they send him there saying Missus March
must have been last November, Yes, became violent. Do you know where
Missus Muller is now? In Sanatarum out your Pasadena? Not well at all?
And Annie Johnson? Is she still living at Muller's house close the street?
She went downtown to do some shopping today. Did she say when she'd
be back? No, she didn't. But we have a meeting of our
book appreciation club day thirty tonight here at my house, and I certainly don't
think she'd missed the meeting. Missus Gardener, do you happen to know the
name of the Santa Jameer's mother's name, gir Waves, that's Madanna told me
Garways rest home out by Pasadena. Have any of the neighbors been not the
visitor. Well, no, we haven't, and you said the doctor's there.
Thought it'd be better. Missus Mudia didn't have visitors. I wonder if
you tell us where we could find a public telephone in the neighborhood. You
can lose my phone, sergeants right back there in the hall. Fine,
thank you, I'll call them, Joe all right, I'll have the operator
at George. You sure you can find your way back there, Sergeant,
it's right under general person's picture. Yes, I'm drum. I was just
thinking, can you, sergeant? Yes? Would you know anything about repairing
selling the sea? No, I'm afraid not. Love you are Missus Anna
Johnson's chat, Sergeant is simply gorgeous. Look at that her Genie person and
the brother they wing. Sheting and live with the Muellers. Good Missus Johnson.
Missus Muller always seems to get along fairly well together to you. I
mean no arguments. I knows he's this person in the world to get along
with all those girls in the neighborhood. Just adore Joe talk to sanitarium,
Yeah, I do, but checked the name. Yeah, Missus Muller is
not there. They never heard of her. Ben and I left and interviewed
some of the other people in the neighborhood. They all had the same high
opinion of Annie Johnson as Miss Carpenter did. They all had the impression Thatsu
Muller was under doctor's care at the Garaway Rest Home in Pasadena. Annie Johnson
told them so. We found out that Missus Muller had one other living relative
besides her husband, a niece, Lorraine Muller. She lived out on Norwich
Drive in Beverly Hills. Five thirty PM. Then and I drove back to
the office and made a spot check of every private rest home and sanitarium listed
in the Los Angeles area. Missus Muller wasn't at any of them. We
called the State hospital at Norwalk and they informed us that Joseph Muller was there,
having been committed the second of November the previous year. It was critically
ill. We put in another call to the Muller home, still no answer.
Six fifteen pm. We'd go out to Beverly Hills to the home of
Missus Muller's niece, Lorraine. She was a tall, good looking girl with
blonde hair and a bad cough. I don't think I can help you,
sir. I moved out in my aunt's house three months ago. I haven't
seen your since. Were you staying at the house when Annie Johnson came to
live there. I was raised in that house. Mother and dad died when
I was a baby. Uncle Joe and Aunt Laura took care of me.
They're wonderful people. Would you mind telling us why you moved? I don't
mind. Everything was fine until Annie Johnson came. I didn't get along with
hey fot all the time. I don't know why. I just didn't like
her. When Annie moved in, she took over the whole house. Oh
what's the connection between your aunt and Missus Johnson? Any blood relationship? Okay?
Annie was the school child with Aunt Laura. When they sent her to
prison for killing her husband, she wrote for help, and your aunt helped
you. She worked for eleven years at it. I don't know how much
money she spent lawyers, you know. Yeah, she finally got for all
and then she took Missus Johnson on as a housekeeper. Is that right?
She never did any work, Jack, like she owned the house, like
my Aunt Minkle ordered everything they've done for when's the last time you heard from
your aunt. It was a few months ago, around Christmas time. I
called her up to wish you were merry Christmas. We had no idea where
missus Muller might be. Now some friends that she could be staying with me.
No, Aunt Laury has a fefferent. They all live in the neighborhood.
She's not in the abit of going off without telling anyway. Oh,
never anything like that. I don't understand. Something must be wrong. Annie.
Do you think she's done something? Do you? No, she couldn't
have. She owes everything to Aunt Laura, her freedom of good home,
nice clothes, money, everything, money I could give her. Some people
are like that. If it's free, they never get too much. Before
we left Lorraine Muller's house, we got the name of her aunt's lawyer.
We had dinner at our lunch cord On Losielli, and then we go back
to Wilmington to the Moller house. Lights were burning in the front windows.
The fog was thick. Now, Yes, that's her singing, yeah,
wondering that mm hm. And you see him through the curtain view. Yeah,
she didn't hear him. Let's ring it again here she comes. Yes,
are you missus Johnson? Yes? That's right. What is this?
Police officers are identification? Oh yes, why do't you come in? Thank
you? Mark you We'll go in the parlor. Shall all right? No?
February and March. Yes, we think the signature is on those two
reports are forged. Oh whose? Oh? Yes, I don't know what
to say. I really didn't think it was that serious. I knew the
reports had to be set in. Did you sign missus mother's name on?
Well, yes, I did you see Lauren Muller's at a sanitarium now nesting
half. I didn't want to bother her with all this business, so I
signed them and put them in the mail. But Fordery, I I didn't
think it was that serious. What sanitarium is Missus Muller staying Garways, A
very nice place is near Pasadena. She's been there about two months now.
Have you been out to visit her yet? No, I haven't. I'm
a little ashamed of myself. I've just been too busy keeping up the house.
Here's lots of word. Yeahs understand, I suppose you drove missus Muller
to the sanitarium. As a matter of fact, I didn't you say if
we don't have a car, so she took a taxi cab. Have you
telephoned missus Mullark the sanitarium? There's just once the day she went in.
She's there for a good risk. I don't feel that anyone should bother,
not even myself. Does she have any other relatives besides her husband? That
is not at all for mister Muller. We had to send him away,
you know, to Warwick State Hospital. Yes, ma'am got out of hand,
just terrible. He almost murdered poor Laura once and those were awful days.
He's much better off where he is. It's too bad. Well that's
about all, Miss Johnson. Oh here, let me show you to the
door. Thanks. You'd better contact your parole officer the first thing in the
morning and clear up this matter of the reports. I'll do that, Thank
you. Good night, Miss Johnson, thanks again, all right, good
night. What time you got twenty minutes after ay h light just went on
the Annie? Yeah, what do you think you better go take a look
around. What do you think we'll find? I don't know. There may
be a reason for some of those lies, she told us. Eight thirty
five pm. Annie Johnson left the house and crossed the street. To miss
Carpenter's place in the Muller house. In a small desk in one of the
rear bedrooms on the first floor, we found a file for missus Muller's business
papers. In the file we located three of our insurance policies. That was
one for five thousand and two for thirty five hundred. Each policy had a
writer attacks changing the beneficiary from Joseph Marr the husband, to Annie Johnson twelve
thousand dollars worth insurance. Yeah, let's get them back on this floor.
You get the policy numbers and yeah, let's see. We'll see phone bill,
light bill. Here's one Laborville daughter right now. I paid to Tom
McCrae, George Danny Johnson. Let's go. Yeah, I want to get
this address here, Tom McCray East Jefferson. There's a cat. Yeah,
let's go see what we can fly upstairs. H it's pretty care We went
upstairs to the second floor of the house and searched the rooms. We went
up another flight of stairs to the attic. For a full half hour,
we searched through dozens of corrugated cartlans crammed with souvenirs and picture postcards. Joe
come here. Yeah, thank a, look, I have the newspaper.
Three empty cartrigie. We got a gun and we got a suspect. Those
insurance policies could be the morning. Let's pray to god there's no victim.
You are listening to Dragnet for the step by step solution to an actual police
case. Ten PM, an immediate stakeout was placed on the Muller residence in
case Annie Johnson made an attempt to leave during the night. Ben and I
took the gun that we'd found to the crime lab for analysis. The next
morning, we checked with the Mulliner's family attorney. He had no ideas to
the whereabouts of Missus Muller, but he told us that about three months ago
she'd ordered them to draw up a new will for Under the new provisions,
Annie Johnson was to be the sole heir of the Muller house and property,
plus an additional fifteen hundred dollars in bonds. Friday, March tenth, eleven
am. While Ben check with the insurance company, I met with Captain Elliot,
a homicide got everything with a victim. I'm where are you're looking.
We'd like to shake down the Muller House again before we look anyplace else.
Didn't have a chance to give it a throw. Going over last night,
you sold in the idea that Johnson woman looks like it. Sure it couldn't
be a freak disappearance. Don't say nothing in my book. Annie Johnson's got
some big reasons for lying to us. I'd like to find him. Did
you figure in doing that? But if we could pull her in and question
her, just to get her away from the Moller place, I'd like to
take a detail thement out there and shake the house and top the bottom.
Checked with the insurance companies that issued Ms. Muller's policies. Yeah, we
got it right. Annie Johnson gets a door if Missus Mullt dies. So
something else. The changes in the policies were made during the last two months
at her home. It doesn't Jim, why not? Why Annie Johnson told
us that Missus Muller's been in the sanitarium for more than two here's a gabbage,
Joe, what's that? Gilan seen has went out to the state hospital
at Norwalks, talked to mister Murry. Yeah, Joseph Muller died at eight
o'clock last night. Death from Nashville Causes said, what's that proof? Wait
a minute. When Joseph Muller was committed to the institution, Annie Johnson figured
prominently in that commitment. She had a lot to do with send him away.
She didn't take any chances, did she. Annie Johnson has left with
the house, the bonds, and the insurance money. She had only antings.
Yeah, but the right one. While Captain Elliott called in Annie Johnson
and questioned her, Ben and I, together with the detail of men from
Homicide and Lieutenant Lee Jones from the Crime Lab, drove out to Wilmington and
started a thorough search of the Muller house. We took a floor by floor,
starting with the attic. By four o'clock that afternoon we had searched the
attic and the second floor completely without finding any additional physical evidence. Five point
thirty pm, still nothing. The fog was coming into fat night. Captain
Elliot called and said that Johnson woman was on her way home. The search
went on. Have you checked the seller yet, Let's give it a look.
Huh, Joe, Come on down, ladies, lesbian, we're checking
some stains we got Lee picked up this line of stains here, Joe you
run down from the top of the stairs. You faint. Let me see
mm hmm, shoot drops. Some fans don't see what happens. Okay,
let's have a look around Gil so we can find there's no latch down here.
You'll have to use your flash. I go on. Much of anything
is just to use the attic for the storage. Please. Yeah, wait
a minute, put the light over this way where you go in the corner.
That's it. See something I don't know? Yeah, have a look
here, new patch of cement looks for he knew alongside the rest. Yeah,
there's a sledge in a couple of shovels back in the garage. Get
them with you. Yeah, oh yeah, they just turned blue blood.
Lee Jones took some sample scrapings and went back to the crime lab and give
them a precipitate test to determine if the steins were made by human or animal
blood. We broke away the patch of snow cement work in the cellar and
we began digging. Six point thirty pm, Annie Johnson came home. We
met her in the living room. Sergeant, I whether if you'd mind explaining
this intrusion, Well, not at all. Will you sit down. I
believe I'm the one to over hospitality here. It's my house, is it,
Miss Johnson, Well, it's in my charge. It's my responsibility,
yes, ma'am, I dear. We'd just like to clear up a few
things, that's all. I think the police department's taken up enough of my
time and spent half the day at the city Hall answering silly questions. Now,
if you don't excuse me, I have an appointment at computer shop at
seven o'clock. Maybe a better cancelor. I don't see any reason why I
should. What is that noise coming from the cellar? Someone's down there.
They're police officers, Miss Johnson. We was searching the How searching this house
was whose permission? Maybe they didn't make it clearly of downtown. We've got
a good reason to believe that the crime has been committed. Why missus Mauller
she's missing. I told your Captain Elliott this afternoon. Laura could have left
the sanitarium. She might have gone east to visit some friends in Cincinnati.
I think she has some friends in Cincinnati. How could missus Muller leave the
sanitarium? She was never there. Maybe she didn't stay at Garraway's could have
been another rest home, but she said you phoned her at Garaways. She
said you talked to her there. Who's men downstairs? They gonna dig up
the whole house. I tried this bill, missus Johnson. Would you mind
telling us what it was for? And there there's a section of the cellar
floor and never been cemented. I decided to have it done while Laura was
away. Men are digging it up, miss Johnson. Why are they digging
it up? What right have they investigation? We'll see that the cement work
is redone when we're finish. This is impossible. I forbid it. This
house is is my responsibility. No need to worry. Everything will be left
exactly the way it was. We'll leave the house as soon as the minter
finished. Oh well, then perhaps I can keep my appointment with a hairdresser.
I won't be long. She'd be back around nine. I'm sorry.
I think you better stay. But I've told you everything I know. Did
you kill Laura? Mar Did I kill? I can't take any more this?
Why would I want to kill Laura? She's done everything for me,
She's given me a new life. You kill her? I no of course
I didn't kill her. No, and there's no need to be upset.
Oh my nerves. I got to have something, glass of sherry? Yeah?
How long is it gonna take them all? Depends? Man, there's
no reason for this. You don't know that anything's happened to Lara. I
try. Laura's the best friend. I haven't over her. Eleven years,
that's how long she to make them let me out of prison. She's the
only one who believed in me. Yes, she is. She's given me
everything. She wants me to have everything, everything I want. I wouldn't
have a reason for killing her. Why my clothes, my home, here
are money, They're all Laura. She's given them to me. Would you
like a glass of sherry, Sergeant Pratty, No, no thanks. You
know, Laura was much older than I, Sergeant. She could have taken
her own life. She didn't have much to live for, old and sick,
but I got everything to live for. Laura used to tell me that,
so she gave me everything. Laura was much older than I. Would
you care for a glass of sherry, Sergeant Row No, thank you.
This whole thing is so silly. Lara's away on a trip. She's much
older than I am. You know I'm thirty eight. You wouldn't take me
for a woman thirty eight years old, wi ise Sergeant. No, ma'am.
I know I'm not really young anymore, but I'm still attractive, don't
you Anyway? A lot of men prefer the cure of women, women with
experienced the background. I know how to take care of a man. Jure.
Yeah, yeah, remember my widding. Yeah, we found her.
You didn't have anything, of course she wanted not I would. She knows,
I didn't mean. She's the only one who knows what I went through
years in prison. Understood me. She gave me everything, everything she did.
Ask anybody. They all know how Laura about me? Ask anybody?
Ask her. The story you have just heard was true, only the names
were changed to protect the innocent. On July fourteenth, trial was held in
superior courts City and County of Los Angeles, State of California. In a
moment the results of that trial, Annie Marie Johnson was tried and convicted of
murder in the first degree. She was executed in the lethal gas chamber at
the State Penitentiary San Quentin, California. You have just heard dragnets authentic cases
from official files. Technical advice for Dragnet comes from the Office of Chief of
Police W. A. Wharton, Los Angeles Police Department. Dragnet wishes to
thank the editors of Radio Television Life magazine. They have judged Dragnet the outstanding
new program of the past radio season. Fatima Cigarettes the best of all Long
Cigarettes has brought you Dragnet from Los Angeles tomorrow. Here the Ronald Coleman's charming
series The Halls of Ivy on NBC welcome back. Well sadly, a very
believable story. I really appreciated what they did with the music when Annie Johnson
was talking and the basement was being torn up in lock with other dramatic elements.
Dragnet doesn't use music other than the theme and bridges between scenes all the
time, but when it does, it's intentional and it has an impact.
The way you had the combination of Annie Johnson talking, the music playing,
and the digging just really emped up the suspense and really set the stage for
a dramatic climax to the story. So absolutely well done. A very solid
episode of dragging It here. All right, Well, now it's time to
thank our Patreon supporter of the day, and I want to go ahead and
think Dan. Dan has been one of our Patreon supporters since March of twenty
sixteen. He's currently supporting the podcast at the Detective Sergeant level of seven dollars
and fourteen cents or more per month. Thank you so much for your support,
Dan, and that will do it for today. If you're enjoying the
podcast, please follow us using your favorite podcast software and be sure to rate
and review the podcast wherever you download it. From next Tuesday, listen for
a previously unplayed up episode of The Thin Man, and next Saturday we'll be
back with another episode of Dragnet. But join us back here on Monday for
an episode of the Adventures of the Fall Can Wear a Big Game and the
Crook selected this room. Still is preposterous to think that one of us,
welly, Banister, you trying to tell me that you boys all have complete
trust in one another more or less. I don't think we'd care to accuse
each other of well severy why were you playing for cash? Well? He
is right, Banister, He's absolutely right. We didn't past each other's checks.
How can we pust each other's words? That's it? Fright, hag,
Get out of you're wearing. Your services aren't required. After all,
I'm not going to have my friends insulted, or yourself or myself. Get
out now just a minute? Better you keep out of this fright haag?
Well wearing? All right? All right, I'm going I see I got
a little too close for comfort? What do you mean by that? Keep
your hands to yourself, banister, Just have the suit cleaned. What did
you guide to the layoff? Change your mind again? You know where to
find me. So long, gentlemen, I hope you'll be with us then
in the meantime, send your comments to Box thirteen at Greatdetectives dot net,
follow us on Twitter at Radio Detectives, and check us out on Instagram,
Instagram, dot com slash Great Detectives from Boise, Idaho. This is your
host, Adam Graham signing off.