Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This
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just read the article today at Great Detectives dot net. Well, now,
from June fifteenth of nineteen fifty. Here now is the big press, ladies
and gentlemen. One year ago, tonight, through the of your local National
Broadcasting Company station, we were privileged to enjoy your attention at the premiere broadcast
of a new series of authentic documented dramas entitled Dragnet. This evening, on
the occasion of our first anniversary as weekly guests in your home, the cast,
technicians and producers of Dragnet wish to state publicly that our indebtedness is enormous
for the degree of success which Dragnet has achieved during the past year. Our
first and greatest obligation is to you, our weekly listeners, for your support
for your many kind letters of encouragement, criticism and appraisal. If Dragnet is
a proven success, then you have made it so. Behind the scenes.
We have many more people to thank, our engineers, our sound technicians,
our caste to the radio editors and columnists across the nation, also a sincere
thank you for your judgment of our efforts. Additionally, claims on our thanks
are held by the Los Angeles Police Department for the National Broadcasting Company. To
all of these and to you, our gratitude here at the starting point of
Dragnet's second year of broadcasting. Our wish is twofold. First that we may
enjoy your continued support. Secondly, that we may deserve that support. Thank
you. The story you are 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 robbery detail. Scores of law women have been beaten and robbed.
The victims have been unable to identify the criminals. Your job get them.
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 transcribed from official police
filence, from beginning to end, from crime to punishment, Dragnet is the
story of your police force in action. It was Monday, July first,
was mild in Los Angeles. You're working to night watch out of robbery detail.
My partner's Ben Romero. The boss is ed Walker, Captain a robbery.
My name is Friday. Was nine to twenty seven PM when I left
the phone booth at the Sunset driving and got to our car eightk anything new.
Captain Walker's wife had her baby boy eight pounds. Oh that's swell.
She all right? Yeah, so does the captain? Look at the uniform
on the waitress them. They should dress them up, don't they good?
Evening? Hi Daisy? Oh hello, didn't recognize you. What do you
have? The usual? No? I think I'll have something else besides the
hamburger this time. Here's the man. You take a choice, Thank you.
I'm kind of hungry. Maybe I'll take a mill two are eight sixteen
west five shrimps? Good? Where's that right there? Oh? Yeah?
Ninety five cents? What's all this stuff I've been reading in the paper?
What's that? A couple of guys going around snatching purses and beating up women.
Paper says it's happened seven times in the last two weeks. Roast beef
ninety cents. Roast beef's good too. Don't you know who's been doing it?
No? Not yet. What do you get from these liver and onions?
With everything else? Dow potatoes and coffee eighty five cents? Could just
take the purse? Fa do they have to beat up the women? We
don't know. The headlines during me in the face every time I open the
paper. I'm getting afraid to walk home at night. Do you get coffee
and dessert with the Salisbury's Day? Yeah? Sixty five seventy two t Roger
and your car here? Do you guys know what I've been talking about?
Yeah, Daisy, you know I'll take the Salisbury's Day. Yeah, Saul,
I Hamburger specials on two. Well done on mine? Please burn?
Okay, be a couple of minutes. Thanks. All units in the vicinity
of one oh one six North Magett, that's us get ready four ps from
slugging three All units in the vicinity of one oh one six North Mcatten for
eighty four ps and slugging prow three sixty one. I have take the call.
I let her know where's going. Okay, I'll be right there.
Oh we're leaving, We'll be back. Okay. You know I've been wondering,
and said Hamburger and Salisbury's take. What's the different price? To the
police officer. The lowest thief and most cowardly is the person snatcher who prays
on women for more than a month. Alown women throughout the western section of
the city have been robbed and beaten The descriptions were confused and varied because the
attacks took place at night. Ten oh six pm. We got to the
location on North McAdden where the woman was lying on the sidewalks. She'd been
badly beaten about the face and neck, and her jaw had been broken.
Officers Read and Shell of Unit sixty one half were already there. Any witnesses
offer, Yeah, there's man in the sweater here, saw it happened?
Says the victim's name is Swanson, is mister kahnn How do you do?
This is Sergeant Roma. My name is Friday. I wonder if we could
talk to you please, certainly? Do you want to come into the house.
It's right over here, will be all right. Our officer there says
that you saw it happen. That's right. I was watching television. I
heard this scream outside. I looked out and saw the two men beating her
up. Can you describe it? The light there wasn't real good. But
they're about as tall as you two, but they had slighter bills. How
old were they could you see that? I'd say they were young and maybe
eighteen nineteen. I saw them knock her down. It was terrible. They
hit her and then they kicked her. They picked up the person and ran
down that way, and you called the play, Yes, but not right
away. I ran out and saw them get in the car across the street.
They drove right past me. Then they turned east there on remain.
Can you describe the car for I got the license number for you. The
last three numbers were five five two, Just three numbers. Yeah. Can
you describe the car? What kind was it? Oh? I don't know.
It was new. I think it was black, maybe it said or
was it a large car or small? Oh? Kind of medium. Do
you notice the back of it? Yeah, that's where I saw the license
plate. No, I mean did you notice anything about the car? Maybe
a dent on the fender or sticker on the window. I didn't look at
the window. Did the car have a spot ladder, a radio antenna?
I guess I didn't see any. I was trying to look at the license
plates. Did you know anything unusual about the car and any identifying marks at
all? Oh? No, I didn't notice. How about the make of
the car. Do you see what kind of one? No? The last
three numbers on the license plate were five to five two California license plate,
Yes, it was. That should be enough here. Do you think you'll
catch them tonight? Do you know how many plates end? In? Five
five two? Well? Ben called in a general description of the car and
the two attackers. I talked to the other bystanders. I found out that
the victim's name was Missus Frida K. Swanson, a widow. She had
a room at one to three North McAdden. None of the neighbors had seen
the robbery or the beating take place. Eleven, twenty eight pm, Ben
and I arrived at Hollywood Receiving Hospital interview Missus Swanson, but she was unable
to talk or to identify her attackers. She wrote on a piece of paper
that she'd been slugged from behind. She never got a good look at the
man. Besides a broken jaw, she was suffering from a fractured wrist,
a broken nose, and bruises about the face body. Tuesday, July second,
the getaway car used in the attack on the previous night was found abandoned
on Hollywood Boulevard and proved to be a stolen car license number six young four
five five two. The victim's empty purse was found inside. Routine investigation developed
no leads. We met with Captain Walker. Because the last four attacks had
taken place within a six block radius. We set up a plan of decoys
in an attempt to trap the two perse snatchers. Four policewomen from Juvenile Bureau
and a special detail from Metropolitan Division was signed Tuesday four pm. The special
detail was ordered to the squad room for briefing. Oh, Joe, Oh,
Hier Dorothy, hi's a taxedo back in Mossball? Yeah? Hi,
are your feet? My feet? Nothing the matter with them. You're a
good dancer. Yeah, I bet I could use some lessons. Oh,
you don't need lessons, Joe, you need practice. Okay, let's get
started. I don't have to tell you the risks involved in an operation like
this. I want all of you to know where everybody will be at any
given time, by all of you police women and also the men who'll be
in the squad Guys. If anybody misses anything, stop me. If we
don't have much of a description of the men were after the two of them
both about eighteen years old. Usually they wear sneakers, slacks, and sport
coats. They've been in different kinds of cars, all of them stolen and
keep each car for a few days and ditch it. Hould on the map,
will you, Joe? Yes? Over Now, here's the area here
residential. Ninety percent of the dwellings have garages, so if a car is
parked on the street, it might be on you. Each of you will
be given a list of cars stolen in the last forty eight hours. Still
outstanding. I want you to check all park cars against the hot sheet.
Oh first, hold up your purses, please, young lady. That person
is too small. I'm afraid let's make it look worthwhile. Yes, all
right, once you won't be carrying your guns in your purse. You wear
a shoulder holster. Before you leave, Sergeant Friday will pass out some mark
bills I want you to carry. Okay't off, police woman short. You'll
board a westbound street car at Western and Santa Monica Boulevard at at nine o
three pm. Don't worry about these schedules the street carlb there. Get off
at Las Palmas at nine thirteen, walk south to Willoughby, turn east on
Willoughby to Hudson, and north one block to Romaine. You go westn Romain
to Kowenga, then retrace your steps to the starting point and you're through.
Got it? Yes, you'll be covered by Unit eighty one cave yep.
How fast or slaw should we walk? Oh, I'd say a pretty good
pace. No woman likes to be alone on the streets at night, so
it'll be natural. Yes, police woman ball. Yes, you board an
eastbound bus at Lebray and Melrose at nine thirty five pm. You get off
at Wilcox and Melrose at nine. Walk north on Wilcox to Wearing, Turn
west on Wearing for two blocks, and north on Cherokee. Follow Cherokee for
two blocks, Turn east on Romain, follow Romaine to Cold, and turn
north on Coal. When you get to Santa Monica Boulevard, retrace your steps
to your starting point. You'll be covered by Unit eighty seven. K Will
the cars be cruising or will be part both Friday and Romero be cruising all
the time. I'll get to the others when I finished with these instructions.
Of course, if you see any police car, give no recognition. Yeah,
you said the two suspects were sneakers. That's right. It'd be pretty
hard to hear them come up behind you, I'd say, so, did
any of the victims here they had they wouldn't be victims. Nine pm the
decoy plan went into effect. We waited. Tuesday night passed, nothing happened.
Wednesday night nothing. Thursday July fourth, the decoy plan was enlarged to
include a larger area, but everything was quiet. Friday July fifth, Captain
Walker decided that the new plan, covering an area from Robraya to Vine Street
and from Sunset to Beverly, would be kept in operation. Ten forty five
pm, Ben and I cruise the exposed area. We've been thinking about moving
to a new place. Yeah. Only trouble is we don't know what's gonna
happen. You mean if rent control goes off. Yeah, we don't know
if prints will go up or now he's got a lease. Seventy one and
Mariposa five h seven parties. We're gonna know what to do. We even
toss the coin to decide. It's about as good a way as any coin
came up tails four times in a row. You know, wife changed your
mind on each coss No decisions Rogers seventy one on not a policewoman down there,
Yeah, Nancy, sure you've got a right there. South on Hudson
east on Melrose, then up will Cox to Sunset all units will it be?
And Hudson for eighty four bs and slugging both three. Let's roll on
it eighty three, Ye will it be? And Hudson for eighty four bs
and slugging code three. We drove to Willoughby to solve the corner and saw
a woman sitting on the grass with a few people around. She was a
young woman, about twenty five. Her clothes had been torn and was a
red weld in her right cheekbone. She was trying to get to her feet
as we came up. There'll be an ambulance here in a few minutes.
Miss, Can you tell us how it happened? My cheeks swelling? Did
you see who attacks? Yes? I did. I can tell you about
him. Look here I ripped off one of their pockets. These cards fell
off m driver's license George Landon. Here's the piece of cloth I threw off
his pocket. Sun take that man? Thank you? You want to stay
with her? See if I can get a make on this license here?
Okay, would you give me your name? Please? Barbara Cutis I live
on put eighty K to control one eight? Ok? To control one.
Go ahead, Eddy check suspect for making warrants. George Landon mail, White,
age eighteen, five feet nine inches, one hundred and fifty five pounds,
blue eyes, black hair, Address twenty seven, twenty two and a
half, Arthur Avenue, Cam E three six seven, God your eighty k
I'm gonna Did you see the car? Yes? I saw a white sidewall
tires of the club coup. I tried to see the license to play.
I couldn't make it out. What good was it case? I don't know,
God Green, I think I'm so mad I could boil. Can you
describe the man? Well, you got the driver's license, it's all there.
Well it's just for one of them. And you said there were two
men. I don't know. I grabbed one of their coats and the other
one hit me. I think I'm so mad about it. If I tried
to scream and nothing had come out, I understand. All right, Hi,
you're the sixty three f we got the call. It's fine. This
is the victim of this, Curtis. If you'll handle the report and see
that she gets home. We got to lead to check out here. Okay,
thank you? Can't your call back, Jill, we better get it.
Come out of eighty k to control one go ahead, eighty k.
Suspect as mister minor m felony record one arrest suspicion of robbery and one arrest
GTA no once at this time all streets and address on suspect twenty seven twenty
two and one half Arthur Avenue, Roger been in trouble before fell a named
mister Mayor. Yeah, and he and dress matches maybe this cloth does?
You? Are listening to Dragnet? Friday, eleven PM. Ben and I
drove to twenty seven to twenty two and a half. Arthur Avenue was a
small house at the rear of a lot on the east end of town.
Alongside the front house, there was a narrow passageway leading to the house in
the back of a small lawn. Between the two was no alley, and
anybody leaving from the front or back door had to go through the narrow passage.
As we approached the house, a light was on in the front room
and through the window we could see a middle aged woman reading a magazine.
We rang the bell, Yes, police officers, does George Landon live here?
Why? Yes, he does? I miss aunt, Miss Landon,
what do you want? Will we come in? Why? Yes, i'll
won't you sit down? Thank you? Man? Is George Landon at home
now? No, he isn't, but I think he'll be home soon.
He never stays out late. He isn't in any trouble, is he.
Do you know where he is with his friends? I suppose he's a popular
boy. He really should be home soon. Where has he been, miss
Lendon? I don't know. He goes out at night, you know,
with his friends. Well, I really don't know. You see, it's
difficult to keep track of a young boy. He's a big boy, and
he's full of vitality. He has to find things to do. Yes,
ma'am. He lives here with me. I'm his aunt. I'm not married,
so I take care of him. His parents died when he was a
baby. I say, is George worker? Does he go to school?
Oh? He's finished school. You aren't here about that automobile that was torn
a year ago, are you no, ma'am? Oh, he had some
trouble then. I'm sure he didn't do it. Since then, he's been
very good. He hasn't missed a day's work, and he goes to church
with me anytime I ask him? Where does he spend his evenings? Do
you know what I told you? With his friends? A young man has
to use up his energy. I don't try to hold him too tightly.
Good boy like him. Can we look at his room? Oh? Yes,
if it's right here, right, I'll show you how neat he keeps
it so there in that night, Yes, ma'am. I'm not trying to
defend him. I'm only telling you about him. He keeps his room cleaned
up himself. He smokes a little, but I've never smelled a drop of
liquor on his breath. He's a very good boy, yes, ma'am.
He even reads a lot. You. You can see his books over here.
Yes, ma'am, you learn if we look around little No, No,
that's all right. Should be home soon. He's probably at a movie.
Do you wanna wait for him? No, I won't be necessary.
He's always home by midnight. I'm telling you. We're here. Oh that
must be George, now, George. Yeah, these men would like to
talk to you. They're police officers. All right, Take it easy,
young fellow. We'll go hold him, turn him around. Yep, how
stands for a young fella. That's no gun. What do you guys think
you're doing? I didn't do anything. It was just out for a ride
this year, nephew. Yes, coat string Joe pocket ripped off this year.
Driver's license here, George, Yeah, I lost it when last week?
It was found tonight. So what how'd you tear your coat getting out
of the car the other night? Here's a piece of cloth. A girl
who was attacked tonight gave it to us. It matches the tear there in
your coat. What if you done? George? Tell her I didn't want
to do it. I didn't want to do it anytime he talked me into
it, he made me do it. He's got a gun, and he
stole the cars. He made all the plans. Who made all the plans?
Tommy? Oh, we never did anything. He said to hang out
at the drug store until that time a year ago. What's his last name?
He said that it had always be held against me, and I better
go along with him. Tommy? Who Decker? Was he with you tonight?
Yeah? He's the one that hit her when she grabbed hold of me.
He's the one that always had him. I never wanted him to do
it. Where's the stuff you took out of that purse. Tommy's gonna hide
it where back of where he works? Where's that garage? Someplace? I
don't know where. He just started working there. Where does place on West
Sixth? I never been there. What does this Decker look like? Same
age I am, but about an inch taller and must be fifteen pounds heavier.
He's got dark hair. How's he dressed? Just like me? Sneakers
and bronze slacks and a tan sport code. Better call the office, man,
Yeah? Can I use your telephone? Man, it's in the hall
behind the door. You said Decker's got a gun? Yeah, officer,
Will you tell me the truth? I'll try. Man. Are George and
this Tommy Decker the two men the papers have been writing about. I'm afraid
so the ones who'd been robbing the women and beating them up. I didn't
mean it. I didn't know what I was doing. I raised your George.
I didn't either. Eleven forty two pm we checked into the office with
the eighteen year old suspect, George Landon. While Ben and a police deenographer
took down the statement. I went down to R and I and pulled a
package on the other suspect Thomas Decker. His MAMA sheet showed a petition had
been filed on four fifty nine PC and FO eighty eight PC. They also
showed three different recent addresses for Decker, one on West sixth Street, one
on South Mariposa, and a third on North Catalina. Two units were dispatched
to the first two addresses. Ben and I went to the address on North
Catalina rooming house. We learned from Decker's landlady that he was working as an
apprentice mechanic on the swing shift at a large garage on South Flower Street.
Twelve fifty one am. Ben and I arrived at the garage. I beg
you Parke, Yes, police officer. Does Thomas Decker work here? Yeah?
He works here? Hicker? Why yeah here, Harry is back?
Thank you? Where you want you Thomas Decker? Yeah, police officers like
to talk to you. Watch it, Joe, come on him and he
he's going in the locker room. All right, let's lock hit him.
Don't go. Hey, you you over there and they're all out of this
locker room. Yeah, come on, man, here we are. Watch
it came from behind that car back. But they don't I cover me,
all right, Ben, give it back to throw your gun out, throw
it out right, I come on off, hands behind your head. I'll
get the gun, all right. You turn around watching Joe, watch it.
He's getting away and I'm loft outstairs. No, no, there,
I go, come up, let me come, let me go, all
right. I get the cups on them bed. Yeah, eighteen years old?
What's it prove? Let I go? Sometimes you kind of wonder if
it's true. What's There's no such thing as a bad boy. The story
you have just heard was true. Only the names have been changed to protect
the innocent. On November, first trial was held in Superior Court, Department
eighty two, City and County of Los Angeles, State of California. In
a moment the results of that trial, Thomas Decker and George Landon were tried
and convicted on five counts of grand theft person, five counts of grand theft
auto, and five counts of assault with intent to do great bodily harm.
They were sentenced to the state penitentiary for a term as prescribed by law and
are now serving their sentence. Ladies and gentlemen, Chief of Police W.
A. Wharton, speaking from his office in City Hall, Los Angeles,
California. As Chief of Police of the City of Los Angeles, I wish
to extend my hottiest congratulations to the program Dragnet on the occasion of its first
anniversary. The overwhelming success of this program, as indicated by the hundreds of
commendatory letters, telegrams and personal comments I feel, has been due to the
splendid job of portraying police officers and their work. The American public, by
its enthusiastic acceptance of Dragnet, has indicated a desire for fractual police programs.
The Los Angeles Police Department is proud to contribute to the constructive entertainment of both
adults and children through this medium. May I extend my best wishes to the
National Broadcasting Company, the sponsor, the actors, the writer, and the
producer of Dragnet, and I trust there will be many more years of continued
success for this program. You have just heard Dragnet a series of authentic cases
from official files. Technical advice for Dragnet comes from the Office of Chief of
Police W. A. Wharton, S Angeles Police Department. Next, a
great news show, Sarah's Private Caper on NBC. This is Andrew Ryan's with
OTR Westerns dot com, where we stream live old time radio Westerns twenty four
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That's OTR Westerns dot com slash Live. You're listening to the great detectives
of old time radio with Adam Graham. And now let's get back into the
show. Welcome back. Well, they were a little late for strict first
anniversary celebration, as that was on June the third. The last week's show
was their fifty second script and this was their fifty third. Some preemptions and
schedule changes played into that. I really appreciated the opening of the show.
It showed kind of an old fashioned sense of gratitude to the audience, and
whether every program did this or not, I think there was that sense during
the golden age of entertainment. It was a reminder of what acting, performing
singing was for the great mass of entertainers. Now you might have your prima
donnas, your big big stars on occasion, but for a lot of actors,
for most of them, acting was very g work. It was dependent
on you going from town to town and city to city, gig to gig,
playing the same part in the same role over and over again, never
quite knowing sometimes where your next meal would come from. William Gargan wrote about
his career on the stage of course, the star of Barry Craig, confidential
investigator and such a great personality in Hollywood, and he wrote about how the
type of things that you went through as an actor and even the early days
of movies could often be quite brutal to many of the early stars of the
silence and even into the talkies. So you have now starting the nineteen thirties
radio where you don't have to go anywhere or travel anywhere. You're able to
ply your trade every week because someone's willing to invite you into their hall.
You are, i guessed in their home because they value what you have to
offer. And this was the type of program different from other crime programs where
parents would call their kids and say, come on, it's time to listen
to Dragnet and they valued that because they remembered I think the roots of acting
and what it often is for many amateur actors, people who never quite make
it big, but major entertainment industry often gets disconnected from that. Maybe it's
a familiarity with the idea of television and big movies and an expectation that this
is the way that it ought to be. It may be a little bit
of familiarity breeding contempt, but that's something you don't get from the golden age
of entertainment. I think in this episode we also hear how drag that wasn't
just about telling you how the police work, but really educating people in good
citizenship and being a good witness. A chief example being that gentleman who really
tried to help out the police but mispertinent details. Getting a license number is
great, but you want to try and focus and get as much information as
possible. Even if he'd gotten the full license number, it could have been
a case where you could have a plight that doesn't match the car. And
I will say that this first season of Dragnet, and it's pretty much true
throughout this Throughout Dragnet, the main role we do see the policewomen in is
undercover and in decoy sort of roles, and I think there is a certain
element of realism, and that was, I think, at this point in
history, one of the biggest parts of police work. And certainly that's always
going to be true when you do have crimes that are targeted specifically against women,
but it was very predominant in the nineteen fifties. Perhaps it's for that
reason that the very first ever show about a policewoman as a television show was
called Decoy. And while it's fair to criticize some of the limitations that many
police departments placed on women, that should not be a criticism of the very
brave policewomen in so many departments, because in any situation taking on this role
as a decoy is this episode really illustrated that, despite whatever precautions they took,
this was a dangerous situation that ultimately the guard against everything. For at
any rate, a very interesting episode, and I think I probably spent more
time talking about the introduction and conclusion in terms of recognizing Dragnet's achievement than I
did the show itself. But that will do it for today. We'll be
back on Monday with the Saint. Join us back here next Saturday for another
episode of Dragnet. In the meantime, send your comments to Box thirteen at
Great Detectives dot net, follow us on Twitter at Radio Detectives, and become
one of our friends on Facebook, Facebook dot com. Slash Radio Detectives from
Boise, Idaho. This is your host, Adam Grahamson and Off