Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This
is your host, Adam Graham. If you have a comment, email it
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And now it is time for this week's episode of Dragnet. Once again,
we're bringing you a TV soundtrack of a story that was missing on radio.
This was aired on television on October eighth, nineteen fifty four, with
Ben Alexander playing Frank Smith. However, it was based on a radio play
from November eighth, nineteen forty nine, and the title is The Big Bar.
Ladies and gentlemen. The story you are about to see is true.
The names have been changed to protect the innocent. This is the city,
Los Angeles, California. I work here, I'm a copy. It was
Tuesday, February third, was cold in Los Angeles. We were working the
night watch out a homicide detail. My partner is Frank Smith. The boss's
Captain Lorman. My name's Friday. It was eighteen minutes past two am when
we got to number fifteen San Jose Street, the green Light tavern. A
killer was loose in the city. His weapon, a thirty eight caliber revolved
his objective robbery and murder. Ambulance on the way, Jarge can't use it.
They're both dead, wife and husband. You call a crime lab there
on the way. Okay, we better take a look in that back room.
Right is the way you found him, Carley. Nothing's been touched.
Safe was up when we got here, cleaned out, shot twice through the
back, both of them. They both dead. When you got here,
the old man was she wasn't. Did she say anything? She said the
whole guy wanted all the money in the safe. The old man gave it
to him, pleaded with him to shoot. Yeah, well, I was
handing over the money. The old man dropped a ten dollar bill. He
said he was sorry, stooped to pick it up. The guy shout him
through the back. The woman said, she turned to grab her husband.
Guy shot her through the back. She get a description. She didn't last
that long. What were their names? Mister and missus Enrique Couta. They
ran the place, good people, they always are. How much money the
guy got? Not enough to pay the check. Sergeant Allen and the crew
from the crime lab arrived and went to work. They dusted for fingerprints,
took pictures of the back room, the safe, the victims, Every object
that could have any possible tie in with the crime was photographed. Captain Norman
was with him. Looks like that job over on the East Side last month's
kipper. Same a mo kid with Ramsey get the witness. Yeah he worked
for the Katas, didn't he? Yeah? Bar boy, handy man.
You know Ramsey's getting no place with him? What the matter? Spanish can't
speak English? Well, how's your Spanish? Frank still high school Spanish?
All right, let's give it a try. Is he the only one here
when we got here? Yeah, trabaja komar boy. They're done senor three
months. Mister come saa pompeio in casa. The whisper is what's he saying,
Frank? Well, his name is Juan Padillo. He's been working here
for about three months. He lives next door in the rooming house. Claims
he got along fine with mister Kata. Ask him to tell us how it
happened. Everything one kerem saber exact demente come past soesto deigns the toto lo
ke se queda of tempo ka tanta henta abiya kennis ran totos lost ditayas tomasu
tiempo see timp mister andrente. He says it happened around closing time, five
minutes to two. Mister Katerra had locked up the front door. Sigo one
see you LaVar samos limp piano and sulugar LaVar. Lavara one was behind the
bar with missus Katerra. They were cleaning up the glasses and pulling them away.
There was only one customer left. He was sitting at the end of
the bar. That stow him back there. Go ahead, Frank Siga one
march, i'm a Pete. It's Tuaki simp, he says. The customer's
name was Pete. Was then last night, the night before, I always
stayed until closing time. One siga Senora Restor, he said, Cordras Lain
Stai Sto Marcaniell. He stimed Repete Muto. He says, about two o'clock,
missus Kota took the money from the cash Re just turned went into the
back room. Lofiicina. Yeah, in the office, and mister Kata sat
down and had a drink with this guy Pete. All right, what happened
then? Aweg okay pass When a joke in Pilo's Bassos comunos quantus minutosa stub
a kroki comosinko minutos cocondo rio bang bang caeso andansas the vo bang bang and
says Correa beer mister and missus coos and lsuelo a'bi a Sandri it's dombre pizza
infrently, what's he saying? Frank, he says, A couple of minutes
past two, he went back to the store room with a case of empty
bottles. It was back there about five minutes when he heard gunshots. He
ran out and saw Tearo and his wife on the floor. The skuy Pete
was going out the door la porta infrente. Yeah, the front door,
just a minute where the conna sayer. I asked the ombre Pete, si
love de nuevo? Who sing? He says he no Pete if he saw
him again? Does he anything about him? Where he lives, where he
hangs out? Sabbees don de viva pete one, don de coome, don
de semi. No, it's st Pete was in there for the past three
nights, That's all he knows. Ask hi if he remembers what Pete was
drinking when you Yeah, one said querta lo esta ombre Pete stab at tomando
look stabiendo s senor Scotchi water plain water, scotch and water. Drank the
same thing all night, same guy. Well, it ties in with that
other job over on the east side, wherever the guy works unconsciously seems to
order the same thing to drink. Then they dispense me, dispenser your official.
Y'll go, mask, I'll go, Masqueliso mine. You remember something
else? One the k masser, the musica cambio, He says, Pete
played the jukebox alone, signor miss Melodia, the Welta, the one said
she said, your back, wud benga calli signori? What's he doing?
He wants to show us the jukebox he said, he played the same tune
all night a senior official esta, the Welt the wilt funny man. That's
the one. Number fourteen two might be another one of his habits. Let's
play it. Go ahead, you got dame, thank mm hmmm. See
is ice? He says, that's the one. Must be in every juke
box in town. What does that prove? It was not going to be
very much. Helped a lot of people like that too. Only one man
who murdered to it. Ten minutes past three am, Tuesday, February third,
Captain Lorman Frank and I left the green Light tavern and we took one
video the young bartender back to the office with us with the help of an
interpreter. A police stenographer took down his statement and then we showed him three
volumes of coming out mugshots. Padillo and Frank started looking through him. Captain
Lormon and I went across the street to the old City Jail building, the
crime lamb to see Russ camp and ballistics. How's it going, Russ?
I was still working on It was pretty tough. Why what's the matter?
Right here? This is a bullet that killed that east Side bar on our
last month. Yeah, from a thirty eight Colt special. We know that
it's a metal piercing bullet and slugs some good shape. We weren't that lucky
tonight? How do you mean rust? Well, here's the four bullets they
fired in the back room of the green Light tavern tonight. What happened to
them must have had a heavy load. They penetrated the bodies and buried themselves
in the wall and floor, badly deformed. Yeah, it's going to take
some work. I can't tell you. I tried, now, what can
you tell us, Russ? Well, I checked the bullets, examined the
lands markings. They got a left hand twist and they came from a Colt.
Yeah, thirty eight Colt special same type gun killed that man last month.
Enough to go to court with visits. Enough for us right now,
we should get a make on one of these four bullets. Take a little
time. You see these two slugs, lands, grooves, straations. They're
pretty badly mutilated. There's no chance for any fancy work there. But we
still have a good bit left down here at the base of the bullet.
With any kind of a break, you can match them, I hope.
So you have a lead, Joe, Yeah, I got it, Prime,
I have Friday, Jeaff Rank Yeah, bry A Way Smith Yeah.
One. Patio just identified the killer. There's his picture, there's his package.
It's one sure, that's the right man. He spent some monsieur ld
hoss. That's Agura as to slumb, what's he senor essay? Let's choice?
Be sure now. According to his OAR card, Albert J. Stacy,
White, male American, five ft, eleven hundred and seventy pounds,
brown hair, blue eyes. Here's a red flag in his index card.
Violation of pro got out of San Quentin eighteen months ago. Burglary, auto
theft, armed robbery. He's used a gun before. That makes him number
one by four am an APB in a radiogram on Albert Stacey had been dispatched.
The man hunt got underway at ten o'clock that morning. Sergeant Allen reported
on his findings at the scene of the murder. No fingerprints, no additional
physical evidence. We counted on getting the suspects prints from the glass that he
was drinking from at the bar, but either Missus Kotera or Juan had unknowingly
given the killer his first big break. All the glasses had been washed,
wiped, and neatly put away before the shooting. The Prince had been destroyed
in the process. Just after lunch, Russ Camp and Ballistics came up with
an answer. The bullets which killed mister and missus Kotera came from the same
gun which killed the East Side bar owner a month before, a thirty eight
Colt Special homicide Laman, Yes, Carley, where good? Thanks? I
just picked up Stacy. They're bringing him in. Six pm, Tuesday,
February third, Albert Stacey was booked at the Main Jail on suspicion of one
to eighty seven PC. Murdered on his person was found a thirty eight Colt
Special. The gun was immediately taken to the crime lab for examination. Stacy
was up to the interrogation room. Frank and I questioned him for four hours.
He denied any connection with the two robberies and the murders. At ten
o'clock that night, we set out for coffee and sandwiches. Stacey ate heartily.
He was worried, but he didn't have the attitude of a trap murderer.
The questioning went on. Midnight came. Stacy hung on to his story.
He refused to say where he was at the time of the killings.
He had nothing to do with the robberies, nothing to do with the murders.
At four am, Frank and I took time out for a smoke.
He's bound to break. He's got to. Either he's a great actor or
I'm tired. He doesn't strike me as a guilty man. Well, I'm
with you, But what about his record and the mugshot? The kid picked
that? See how's it going? Nothing? Us Campus called about Stacy's gun.
Yeah, they were found the right man, We got the wrong gun.
Eleven am, Wednesday, February eleventh, we were refused to complaint against
Albert Stacey by the District Attorney's office. On the grounds that we were unable
to present sufficient evidence against him. We then filed on Stacy for violation of
the State Penal Code, Chapter three thirty nine Statutes of nineteen twenty three,
as amended nineteen forty seven, sub to an ex convict with a gun.
We put a hold on Stacey for his parole officer. He was to be
returned to San Quentin. Frank and I started all over again from the beginning.
A complete description of the suspect, along with his method of operation,
was distributed to every tavern and cocktail lounge in the city. A special detail
of men from the Metropolitan Division was assigned to stand a special watch between the
hours of midnight and three am. During the month that followed, we set
trap after trap for the killer. He failed to take the bait. Another
month passed. We watched, and we waited. One am, Saturday,
April fourth, Frank and I were cruising the central area. Attention all units
all units A two eleven and shooting in the bar on the corner of Brown
View and Allison. Eleven and shooting in the bar on the corner of Bell
View and Allison. Suspect left the scene on foot. Suspect is wearing black
quote light trousers one R five take the call quote three let's go one Katie
one k oh, one K eighty. Go ahead on that call of Belleview
and Allison. We are in the vicinity. We will have him one K
eighty. Roger one KTI. Any further description on the two eleven suspect one
K eighty, well for the details. Suspect wearing black quote light trousers left
the scene on foot O three, let's roll it. Two minutes later,
Frank and I got to the Windsor buffet. The robbery victims were the owners,
mister and Missus Ernest Weinberger. Missus Lienberger did all the talking. One
five am. Frank and I continue questioning mister and Missus Linberger. Their description
of the suspect, his m O and all of his actions matched those of
the man who had shot down Missus from Missus Katara two months before and the
east Side Barrow a month before that. The Weinbergers told us that the suspect
drank only Scotch in plain water and that he played the jukebox incessantly the same
tune. Funny man, that's right, funny man, that's what he played.
I got a good look at his wrist too, his right wrist.
What about it? He's got a picture tattooed on the underside. What kind
of a pictures? Like a cat? A black cat? Did you have
any chance to have the glass that he was drinking out of? Yeah,
it's over by the door, smashed the bets sure, I threw it at
him when he ran out the door. Two twelve am, Frank and I
drove mister and Missus Limberger to the office where we took their statements and filled
out a crime report. After that, we went down the hall to R
and I and had one of the officers on duty checked through the oddity file
for us that said Joe the only guy in the file with the tattoo of
a cat on his wrist. Yeah, he's got a different tattoo on his
left wrist. He's only got one name, Wesley R. Gutridge. We
pulled his mugshot. He was almost a dead ringer for Stacy. We compared
descriptions. They matched almost perfectly. A radiogram was sent out on him and
communications broadcast to Want for murder Captain Lorman. Frank and I checked our informants
and all our available sources of information for the whereabouts of Wesley Gutridge. There
was no trace of him. Two days passed. We continued cruising the central
and Hollandpech Park area. Unit run A five up for seven KMA three sixty
seven. Correction seven I six that's two four two one Beverly Boulevard are probably
now KMA three six seven. Attention all units. Attention all units at Fifth
and Winston. The bar at two eleven and shooting code three. Suspect left
the scene on foot. Suspect was headed west on Fifth Street. Attention all
units. All units at fifth and one. The name of the place was
Doris and Jim's. Inside we found a man lying on the floor, face
down. He was dead. There were three bullet wounds in his back.
Jim gave him the money, every penny of it he had. Jim gave
it to him. He didn't never insure him to kill him. We gave
him the money. Shut that thing off with him. Five am, Tuesday,
April seventh, Frank and I sat in on a meeting with Captain Warman.
Plans for a citywide dragnet operation to apprehend the killer were discussed and formulated.
By seven am, an overall plan was set in motion. Every available
man was ordered up for special duty in the Central area, the Newton Street
Division, the University Division, and the Holland Beckon Highland Park areas. Additional
men from the Metropolitan Division, plus an extra complement of forty five radio and
detective cars, were assigned to the manhunt. The search for Gutridges went on
all that day, all that night into the following morning. No sign of
him. Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, still no signamim. The
twenty four hour watch continued five days, ten days, two weeks. Tuesday,
April twenty eight, it was the end of the third week. Our
relief showed up a few minutes before midnight. Before we went home, Frank
and I stopped by the office to check with Captain Lorman. They told us
in homicide that he was down the hall in communications all units old units,
but's still in skipper just a minute all units two eleven and a shooting in
the bar at twelve thirty one North three Month one two three one North three
Month one K six one Adam's call CO three one K six one Roger K
six one. That's Ramsey and Crowley. I mean all units. Two eleven
suspect has been identified by victim as west League Guttridge murder suspect the twelve hundred
block of North freemonts in the stakeout area. Isn't it right on the edge
of it? I think, yeah, here it is right here. Petridge
is going to have a rough time. The neighborhood here should be pretty well
covered. All units on the two eleven un shooting at twelve thirty one North
Fremont. Suspect left scene in a light ten nineteen fifty Ford sedan license seven
Tom seven nine seven to two seven Tom seven to nine seven to two.
Suspect headed south on Fremont. Suspect headed south on Premont. One K sixty
one, one K sixty one. We have spotted two eleven suspect ten Fort
sedan licensed seven Toms seven nine seven to two. Suspect is traveling at high
rate of speed west on Third now crossing Lucas. We're in pursuit one K
six one Roger. All units on all frequencies stand by. One K sixty
one is in pursuit of two eleven murder suspect. Suspect is heading west on
Third Street, now crossing Lucas Avenue. One K sixty one. Pursuing suspect
west on Third Street, now crossing Union Avenue. Push it, Jim,
don't lose it. One K six one Roger all units. Suspect headed west
on Third Street, crossing Union Avenue. Units one, R one three,
one A one seventh, one R one nine block the intersection at Westlake and
Third Street, R thirteen, Roger one A one seventh Rogers on nineteen Roger
units one, R one one and one A one two block the intersection at
Third Street in Vorado one R eleven Rogers closing in on them. One K
sixty one, one K sixty one. Suspect now in north on Burlington,
crossing mirror Marn. North on Burlington, crossing mirror mar what's a truck,
Jim, Yeah, one K sixty one Roger all units. Suspect now headed
north on Burlington, crushing mirror Marn. North on Burlington, crushing mirror Marn.
Maybe they got in block one K six one one K six one go
ahead. Still pursuing suspect north on Burlington, now mossing Second Street. Looks
like a dead end. I think we got in block he's turning around once
at Jim. Here he comes. Look out, there goes our windshield.
You see all right, Jim. One K sixty one, one K sixty
one. Maybe you heard it. He got biased. Suspect now headed east
on Beverly Boulevard, crossing Belmont. Are you receiving us? One K sixty
one, We are receiving you. All units. Suspect now headed east on
Beverly Boulevard, now crossing Bilmont. One K sixty one is in pursuit.
One K sixty one. Suspect just turned off properly on the Bigueroa, heading
north on Pickeloa, crossing Temple, just to kind of hold it. Just
turned down Alpine. Hold it turned again. Suspect now headed north on Alabeda,
headed from the Southern Pacific Train Yards. File crossing North Broadway, going
into the yards. Sore losing Jim. All units. All units converge on
Southern Pacific Train Yards. All units converge on Southern Pacific Train Yards from North
Maine to the river, from Alabra Avenue to Macon Street. Suspect is in
the yards. Suspect is in the yards, not making it easy. It's
got nothing to lose one K sixty one, one K sixty one, one
K sixty one. Come in, one K sixty one, Come in,
one K six one. We have suspect in customers. We have suspect in
customs. One K six one, Roger all units, one K sixty one
has suspect in custody. Return to your districts. Return to your districts.
All frequency is clear real, I guess that does it? That sounds like
nobody was hurt. They didn't ask for an ambulance. Big night, Lucky
one. Well, I'm going home, see Hollers the morning. Good night's
givery, good night, good night night DM A three sixty seven time check,
go thirty am. How about that? As a matter, it's first
watch of mine. You would have worked the whole thing over, give it
a complete overhaul. Look at that, Joe, five minutes slow, Wa't
I talk to that jeweler? How long do you work on it? Just
four or five years ago? Why? Good night, Frank, Yeah,
the time you've got Lieutenant. On August twenty eighth, trial was held in
Department eighty two, Superior Court of the State of California in and for the
County of Los Angeles in a moment. The results of that trial, the
suspect was tried and convicted of murder in the first degree. Welcome back.
The weird thing about this is the scene with Franking Spanish. If anyone was
watching the TV series and paying really close attention to continuity, which people didn't
tend to do back in nineteen fifty four, they get a little bit confused
because in this episode Frank Smith speaks and understands Spanish to the witness. In
an episode a few weeks later on TV The Big Boys, Smith has to
filter his own questions to a Spanish speaking young woman through another officer who acts
as a translator. Now, of course this script was originally with Barton Yarnborough
in mind, but so was the other script. I listened to the Big
Boys episode in that particular scene, and that one aired in nineteen fifty and
it did have Barton Yarborough's character filter his questions in English to the Spanish speaking
officers. So apparently, if the radio script for this episode was the same,
both Brank Smith and Ben Romero were able to speak Spanish until they weren't.
I will say that the conclusion with the police cars tracking the suspect works
a whole lot better over audio than on television, as the TV version gives
us quite a bit of Joe Friday and Frank Smith looking around the room awkwardly.
You know, in terms of a story, it goes to a theme
that Dragged Now shows its willingness to cut against the typical dramatic narrative of police
shows and detective programs, because, of course the heroes are at the center
of the action. They're the ones who catch the bad guys and are always
there at the big moment, and Drag that as a series is like,
no, that's not how things work. Sure, sometimes that happens, but
sometimes you spend a lot of time investigating a case identifying the suspect, but
someone else is able to make the caller. And even though the majority of
the time they do have them as the ones apprehending the suspect, this is
a series that locks to mix things up by putting in that realistic ending where
that's not how it works out. I should also note that I did cut
a little at the end. There was a visual gag with Frank Smith asking
the lieutenant for the time that relied on facial expression and body language, but
was silent, and I think that that was something that was added in to
reflect Ben Alexander's comedic stylings but didn't transfer well to audio, so that part
a trim back. Other than that, though this works very good in its
original medium. The script does, and I'm glad we've got these TV episodes
out there so we can enjoy these stories that were originally broadcast over radio,
although it'll be nice to get back to actual radio programs next week. Now
we turned to listener comments and feedback, and we've got some comments on YouTube
regarding the truck hijacking listener rits in helpful or not ed. Bastrand is my
favorite character. I wish he had made it to the TV version. Well,
I think we'll get to hear some more ed Bastrand. I'll talk little
bit later on as to why that. I don't think he ended up making
the transition to television. And then a comment from Ryn, Sir, parly
Bear is the corner at the end quest he is everywhere. Well, I
thanks so much, and I've definitely been noticing parly Bear more. It's funny
because I think over the years he's been in hundreds, if not thousands,
of episodes we played, just hasn't stood out to me as much as he
has to some other listeners, and that's because I'm not as big a fan
of the Westerns and haven't listened a whole lot to gun Smoke, which I
think is what a lot of listeners connect to him. But with the tales
of the Texas Rangers, where you know, he was all over that series,
and I think we've heard some others, you know, particularly some of
these Johnny Dollar stories recently, and yeah, even Dragnet, where he's definitely
a press. There are so many actors, you know, and it's hard
to track because they put such a significant role in the Golden Age radio based
on the sheer number of guest appearances they made. You know, you've got
Howard mcneer, Virginia Greg, Betty lou Gerson, Paul Freese, William Conrad,
Big Perrin, Peggy Weber, and you start to list them, and
it's almost seems like an endless less and if you try to list them,
it seems like you've forgotten one who was really significant. I mean, these
performers might have hundreds of episodes in circulation, but they probably made thousands of
appearances and the fact that you had these actors who could be so versatile,
who could play all of these different sorts of roles, really is part of
what made it economical to be able to have the Golden Age of radio and
have the sheer amount of scripted programs that you had on air during this time.
So I go through different phases where I'm like starting to recognize more and
more different actors, and I am starting to notice a lot of Parly Bear
right now. Thanks so much for the comment. Now it's time to thank
our Patreon supporter of the day, and I'll want to go ahead and thank
Russell. Russell has been one of our Patreon supporters since October twenty sixteen,
currently supporting the podcast at the shamous level of four dollars or more per month.
Thank you so much for your support, Russell, and that will do
it for today. If you are enjoying the podcast, please follow us using
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sure to lock the video, subscribe to the channel, and mark the notification
bell. We will be back next Saturday with actual drag Net Radio episodes.
Public Domain Video Theater returns tomorrow with an episode of Dangerous Assignment. Check that
out at video Theater dot Great Detectives dot net or in our YouTube channel at
YouTube dot Great Detectives dot net. And we'll be back on Monday with the
Adventures of the Falcon where somebody kill him own. Yeah, that's why I'm
here. I need a detective. Heard a lot about you. Always figure
anybody has a reputation, he must have something on the ball. Oh,
concede the point, So we go inside and talk business. No need,
I'll only be a minute. I discovered the body. See, so I'm
on a spot. Cops just put me through the ringer. Any reason you
should be suspected other than discovering the body, and they suspect everybody. Oh
and you've got nothing to worry about, no more than anybody else. All
Right, it's like this, See who likes his agent all the time?
Gripes? How come am I doing more for me? Frexing me? Head
words often loud words. Uh, but he's my meal ticket. I'm going
to knock off my own meal ticket. Yes, the Golden Goose, Get
out of what are you wearing? Okay? Helleren try da Vaughan war at
the Zigzag Club. You think she did it. If she makes up in
it, how do you know she's a dame. FX's current I believe me
and a thing like this always include the dame in. I'll make a note
of it. Dame's at trouble. You can count of nothing but trouble.
Alerin you're speaking of the women I love. Thank it for me wearing nothing
but trouble. I hope you'll be with us then. In the meantime,
do send your comments to Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot net, follow us
on Twitter at Radio Detectives, and check us out on Instagram, Instagram,
dot com, slash Great Detectives from Boise Adohol. This is your host,
Adam Graham signing off.