Speaker 1: Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Kalispell, Montana.
This is your host, Adam Graham. In a moment, we're
going to bring you this week's episode of Drag Napp.
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going to Patreon dot Great Detectives dot net. But now,
from April the tenth of nineteen fifty two, here is
the big show.
Speaker 2: The stary you were about to hear is true. The
names have been changed to protect the innocent. You're a
detective sergeant. You're assigned a juvenile division. You got a
call from one of the bus line terminals in your city.
A seven week old baby has been abandoned in the
depot waiting room. There's no sign of the mother, no
lead to or whereabouts. Your job find her.
Speaker 3: Dragnet the documented drama of an actual crime. Well 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 bolence,
from beginning to end, from crime to punishment.
Speaker 4: Dragnet is the story of your police force. In action.
Speaker 5: Was Wednesday, August fourteenth, That was hot in Los Angeles.
We're working the day watch out of Juvenile Division, my partner,
said Jacob to the bosses, Captain.
Speaker 6: Stein, Commander Juvenile Division. My name is Friday.
Speaker 5: We're on the way out from the office, and it
was eleven oh five am when we got to the
corner of sixth in Los Angeles streets the bus depot,
use me, ma'am and missus Lewis.
Speaker 7: Yes, that's Rid Are you the police, Yes.
Speaker 6: Ma'am, it's my partner side and Jacob's name's Friday. Juvenile Division.
How do you do.
Speaker 8: I'm certainly glad you're here. I've been waiting around the
seat be four hours. I don't know what to do.
Speaker 4: The baby must be getting pretty heavy, ma'amkes's down over here.
Speaker 6: Thought about it all right, thank you?
Speaker 8: Yeah, that's all right, honey, you sleep me clease you
by the things.
Speaker 5: That's a shame, yes, ma'am. Well, report we got didn't
go into detail.
Speaker 6: Some woman left the baby with you, is that right?
Speaker 4: Yes?
Speaker 7: As soon as we got off the bus this.
Speaker 9: Morning, she said she'd only be gone a few minutes.
Speaker 8: It's been hours.
Speaker 7: I don't know what to do.
Speaker 6: Well, did you know the woman missus?
Speaker 8: Well, her name's Dorothew Miller. She's from Arizona, Tucsons.
Speaker 9: We got off the bus and she asked me if
i'd hold her baby while she went to get a luggage.
She said she'd meet me right there by the information there.
He's been waiting ever since. She hadn't come back. I
don't know what to think of it.
Speaker 4: How well do you know this darting on her man?
Speaker 8: Well, not too well. But she seemed like such a
nice girl, friendly and very socially.
Speaker 4: We sat together all the way in, got on the
bus with her two sons.
Speaker 9: At its Oh no, I'm from Cincinnati. I got on
the bus there and then went down to Dallas. Had
a visit with an ad of mine down there. I
got another bus at Dallas to come up here, went
along and started very nice. Same bus I came in
on this morning. I'm not getting my husband, army man,
he's coming in on a transport from overseas, coming in tomorrow.
Speaker 5: So you say this, Dorothy Eveiller, I bought it the
bus of Tucson with a baby. She rode all the
way into Lost Age the hill.
Speaker 9: Yes, right into this seapo. She sat on the seat
next to mine. He struck up a conversation. Got to
be quite good friends, he said a sepa. I stand imagine.
Speaker 4: How did the Miller woman seen him as though? It's
all right? I mean, was there anything odd about her behavior?
Anything unusual?
Speaker 9: No, nothing at all. Seemed to me to be a
perfect mother. Took good care of the baby woman. For
here's what's the upsetting for her to go off like this,
leave her baby where the stranger does.
Speaker 10: Makes me sense?
Speaker 6: Well, now you say you talk to this Dorothy Miller
quite a bit along the way, man, I.
Speaker 10: Thank you for what was that?
Speaker 4: Maybe if we move out the card, Joe think me
a lot easier.
Speaker 5: To That's a good idea, Miss Lords. Would you mind
coming along with us to our car parks. Just down
the street should be a little quet roun.
Speaker 9: Yes, I have these two believes.
Speaker 6: Okay, be out this way there she'd be. I'm sorry,
hardly part of help you ever won know that?
Speaker 4: No, that's okay.
Speaker 6: Just down the street here, ma'am.
Speaker 8: Oh, miss gilful Day, it was shame or its troubled?
Speaker 6: H Can you make it all right? Miss lord?
Speaker 10: Oh?
Speaker 8: Yes I can too.
Speaker 6: I'm gonna slip the lashes and back of the funny
room there, yeah, okay, in your hands.
Speaker 5: Okay, not about this miller woman, Miss Louis.
Speaker 6: I was gonna ask you.
Speaker 5: Yes, well, that she happened to tell you where she
lived in tu Soon, if she had any people or
any family.
Speaker 9: No, I don't recall anything like that. She talks about
some of the girlfriends she had, their their babies.
Speaker 10: She didn't mention any of.
Speaker 8: Them by name.
Speaker 5: Those I about her description as low as anything unusual there, No, I.
Speaker 9: Wouldn't say so small girl, I put three or four,
I'd say one hundred and ten or fifteen pounds, dark hair,
shoulder length, dark eyes, knife and classie, very pretty eyes.
Speaker 6: Wow, how old would you say?
Speaker 7: Twenty?
Speaker 9: It's what she told me anyway, She said she had
a brisbee in May. I remember we talked about that
she was born under the same fine eyewa.
Speaker 4: Char as the bull, and all the talk she had
was this and on our girls. She never gave you
any reason to think that anything was wrong with it,
didn't seem to be despondent, depressed about anything.
Speaker 8: Perfectly normal girl, as far as I could tell, I
just can't get over it. I can't imagine her doing
anything like this.
Speaker 6: Well, how'd you seem this morning when you got in
on the bus. Pretty much the same?
Speaker 8: Yes, I think. So we got off the bus together.
Speaker 9: She had her hands full with the baby, so I
helped her off with the hand belief she was carrying.
When we got inside the waiting room, she mentioned that
she had to go pick up some luggage from the
tech stands. She asked me if I'd mind very much
holding her baby while she went after it.
Speaker 8: I said, no, not at all. She went around the
corner of the baggage stand and that's the last I saw.
Speaker 6: You checked around the depot and you had her page.
Speaker 9: I talked to everyone in the place. The porter's ticket
close information to travelers aid not one of.
Speaker 8: Them could help. I tried everybody there, more friends than
ether than is he trying to think you were wonderful.
It's adorable. It's a little boy, she said. He named Steven.
Speaker 4: Yes, ma'am. Oh, you say you've been way around the
depot three hours? Has the baby been said?
Speaker 9: Yes, this handsley similar girl gave me the whole. I
found a bottleful of formula in it, and that's coffee
shop warmed it for me. A little teller here finished
it off.
Speaker 8: Well, I guess we'll be wanting some more pretty soon.
Speaker 4: I guess we're there back in Huh Yeah, I guess.
Speaker 8: I can't imagine it. I just can't imagine this little boy.
Just look at him.
Speaker 10: Yes, her own baby, so small, helpless?
Speaker 7: How could she go off and leave him?
Speaker 6: Well, I guess she had a reason. Must have been important.
Speaker 10: A sudden week old baby, what's more important than that.
Speaker 5: Before we left the bus depot, ed contacted the clerk
at the depot information desk and left our card with him.
If anyone came in to make inquiries about the abandoned child,
he was to advise him to get in touch with us.
Eleven forty eight am, the woman who had been left.
Speaker 6: With the baby. Missus Marjorie Lewis, agreed to return to
the office with us and give us a complete report
on everything she knew about the case.
Speaker 5: As soon as we got back, we briefed Captain Stein
on what happened, and he assigned Policewoman Betty Stone to
come in.
Speaker 6: And help out with the baby.
Speaker 5: A cursory examination seemed to indicate there was nothing abnormal
about the baby nor apparent deformities. We checked the blanket
in a baby's clothing, but we found no identifying marks
of any.
Speaker 6: Use to it.
Speaker 5: Policewoman Stone made the baby comfortable for the time being,
and then she began to check through the contents of
the small police which the baby's mother had left with
Missus Lewis.
Speaker 6: It contained the usual assortment baby oil, powder, dextros, a
few cans of milk, a couple of blankets, and the
supply of diapers. Ed and I continued to interview Missus Lewis.
Speaker 4: Is the miller woman's first baby, do you know or
did she happen to mention it?
Speaker 8: Yes, it's her first, That's what she told me.
Speaker 6: Anyway, did you talk about the baby's health at all?
Was there any trouble there, would you know?
Speaker 9: Well, she did say she had some trouble with the formula.
At first, it didn't seem to suit. The baby wasn't
anything serious though, As a matter of fact, that does
worry me a little bit.
Speaker 8: Such, what's that the baby's formula?
Speaker 9: Missus Miller did say it had to be fixed a
special way, some special medicine she put in it too.
Speaker 7: Are you sure the baby's going to get good care?
Speaker 4: Yes, man's no need to worry. He'll be moved to
general hospital a la fassa.
Speaker 9: But the special formula, the medicine she was giving him,
Will they know about that?
Speaker 8: Will they know how to see him?
Speaker 5: Well, they've handle cases like this performulas, Lewis, They're pretty competent.
Speaker 6: People don't know what to do.
Speaker 8: I truly hope so. I don't know why I'm so
considered her.
Speaker 10: I guess it's just the little scholars, so small all alone.
It's a helpless, terrible change.
Speaker 6: Yes, man, about this special formula the baby has to have.
What's the reason for that? Would you know the baby
been sick recently?
Speaker 8: No, I don't think so.
Speaker 9: Missus Miller did say he was a little sick when
he was born, spend a little time in an incubator.
I don't believe it was critical though, at least I
didn't gather.
Speaker 11: It that well.
Speaker 6: Thank you very much, miss Lewis. Appreciate your cooperation everything
you've done on it.
Speaker 8: Not at all, tach, and I only wish I could
be more.
Speaker 4: Hell, do you mind telling us where you'll be stopping
in town? Then hospital? We might have the contact you again?
Speaker 8: Well right, don't have any reservations. I was thinking of
staying at a hotel close to downtown.
Speaker 6: Was a big convention in town. Most of the place,
they're pretty crowd. We'd be glad to help you find
a hotel space if you're like, oh, well, that's.
Speaker 8: Certainly very nice. Not at all, so I concidy. Could
I see you a minute?
Speaker 6: Please? Yeah? Sorry, it was excuse me please?
Speaker 12: Sure, yeah, I bet it or a policewoman. I'm not
bad at checking diapers. What do you mean over here?
Belief the mother elects of missus Lewis.
Speaker 6: Did you come up with anything?
Speaker 12: Didn't exort first, went over to Belief. Everything inside nothing
and I started putting the things back in the bag.
Found this nut stack of diapers there paid receipt for
a hospital bill eternity.
Speaker 6: Ward Santa Maria Hospital too Son.
Speaker 12: There's a patient name right there at the top, Dorothy Miller.
Speaker 6: Twelve thirty PM a local broadcast and an APB was
gotten out on Dorothy Miller. And then we sent a communication.
Speaker 5: To the Tucson Police Department laying out the story for
them and asking him to check with the Santa Maria.
Speaker 6: A Hospital there for a possible lead.
Speaker 5: On the missing mother. Meantime, the baby was removed to
General Hospital. We found accommodations for missus Lewis at a
downtown hotel.
Speaker 6: We dropped her off there and then we drove back
to the bus depot on Sixth Street.
Speaker 5: We tried to locate the driver of the bus on
which the Miller woman and her baby had arrived that morning.
We were told he was off duty and then he
wouldn't report back until eight.
Speaker 6: O'clock the following morning. We left our card along.
Speaker 5: With a message for the driver asking him to contact
as as soon as he returned. For the rest of
the afternoon, Ed and I, along with the two other
men from Juvenile Division, checked.
Speaker 6: With all the bus depot personnel, but we were unable
to turn up any kind of a lead.
Speaker 5: After that, we started making the rounds of the hotels, bars, restaurants,
and taxi cab stands in the nameborhood.
Speaker 6: The same result. Nothing. Seven fifty five am.
Speaker 5: The following morning, I reported back in for work money Joe, alright,
bety head check in yet?
Speaker 12: Uh h, I went out for a minute, says be
right back.
Speaker 6: What do you know anything.
Speaker 12: New communication for you from the Tucson PD kick back
on that query you got off to him yesterday. Take
ed left it in near by.
Speaker 6: Well, thanks, Betty, I'll get it.
Speaker 11: M hmm.
Speaker 6: Do you see that edge short coming?
Speaker 12: Yeah, confirms the fact the woman had her baby in
that hospital.
Speaker 6: Still not much help, though, Yeah, I say they checked
out her last known address in Tucson. Should move, no
forwarding address, no landin their relatives or friends.
Speaker 12: The day the baby was borne seems to check.
Speaker 6: Out June twenty fourth, Thanks for baby just about seven
weeks old. It's part here. Doesn't make much sense out
of it.
Speaker 12: The Miller girl's description, Yeah, mis.
Speaker 6: Lewis said Dorothy Miller was small and dark, long, dark haired,
dark eyes. People at the hospital described her as being blonde,
fairly tall, blue eyes, long blonde hair, about twenty nine,
thirty years old.
Speaker 12: Missus Lewis said the Miller girl just turned twenty.
Speaker 6: Didn't see she said, she doesn't figure.
Speaker 12: A little too much to write off this coincidence to
Dorothy Miller's having babies same day, same hospital.
Speaker 6: And I just sent this think this description of the
Miller girl, fairly tall, long lawn Here, there's Lewis has
long lawn here. Oh hi, Joe, Hi, what's doing?
Speaker 4: A bus driver we wanted to talk to and wanted
to throw the bus Dorothy Miller and the baby came
in on yesterday. That description miss Lewis gave us A
Dorothy Miller driver doesn't remember anyone like that on his
buts he remembered miss Lewis. Though she didn't get on
the bus at Dallas. She didn't sit next to a
younger with a baby either.
Speaker 6: Driver says, he's surely what's the pitch.
Speaker 4: Lewis got on the bus at Tucsons she had a
baby in her arms.
Speaker 3: You are listening to dragnet authentic stories of your police
force and action.
Speaker 5: Jacobs and I went into the adjoining room, where we
continued to interview the bus driver. The same man who
had been driving a bus on which Missus Lewis and
the abandoned baby and his mother supposedly had arrived in
Los Angeles the day before. The more we talked to
the driver, the more he convinced it that the story
we'd gotten from Missus Marjorie Lewis was a long way
from the truth.
Speaker 6: He repeated that he was absolutely sure.
Speaker 5: That Missus Lewis did not get on the bus at Dallas,
that she boarded the bush at Tucsons, and that at
the time she got on she was holding a baby
in her arms. He was just as positive that Missus
Lewis held a baby in her arms all the way
to Los Angeles, and that she did not sit next
to a young, dark haired girl, but an elderly woman.
He also told us that none of his passengers on
that particular trip fitted the description of Dorothy Miller has
given us by Missus Lewis. Eight fifty am before the
bus driver left, we got his address and a phone
number where we could get in touch with him if necessary.
Nine oh five, Ams Ed and I got in the
car go to the downtown hotel where.
Speaker 6: Missus Lewis was staying and.
Speaker 5: Called her room from the phone in the lobby. She
told us that her husband, Army and Walter Lewis, had
arrived in from overseas earlier that morning and checked in
at the hotel.
Speaker 6: I asked her if her.
Speaker 5: Husband was with her, but she said no, he was
downstairs at the.
Speaker 6: Hotel barber shop ed and I got in the elevator
and went up to see her.
Speaker 5: Outside and down on the street you could hear the
sounds of a parade passing by. It was American Legion
Conventional week, the traditional parade, some.
Speaker 6: Parade in this.
Speaker 8: Oh, good morning, come in free, Thank you very.
Speaker 6: Much, ma'am.
Speaker 4: What happened?
Speaker 7: Did you find out anything?
Speaker 6: Well, A few things, ma'am. We've been checking around.
Speaker 5: Two or three more questions we'd like to ask you
if you don't mind, well, no, not at all.
Speaker 7: How the baby are they taking care of it?
Speaker 6: The yes, ma'am, it's fine and checked at the hospital.
Is doing real well.
Speaker 8: I'm goad and the mirror's girl, do I see Millie?
Did you find out anything?
Speaker 4: We have been able to low kid, I know treasure
at all. While we're here, Miss Lewis, a few things
we'd like to have you straightened out for us.
Speaker 10: Well, I'll do.
Speaker 9: Anything I can to help, since I already told you
everything I could remember about the girl.
Speaker 6: Well, now we're going to be honest with you, miss Lewis.
I don't think you're telling the truth.
Speaker 8: I don't understand.
Speaker 6: Doctor.
Speaker 5: The man who was driving a bus you came in
on yesterday, the same bush you say Dorothy Miller and
her baby were on.
Speaker 7: Yes, that's right.
Speaker 5: Well, the bus driver couldn't remember the Miller girl told
us none of his passions and even came close to
her description.
Speaker 8: Well, there was quite a few people on the bus.
Speaker 10: I guess you can't blame for not remembering it.
Speaker 4: You remembered you, miss Lewis, you were sitting there at
the front of the bus. He doesn't remember anyone with
a baby sitting next to.
Speaker 8: You, though, I guess you made a mistake. You can't
remember everything when they said you.
Speaker 4: Were holding a baby.
Speaker 7: I don't understand.
Speaker 10: What is it you're trying to find out.
Speaker 6: Well, we talked to you yesterday. You told us that
she got on the bus of Dallas.
Speaker 11: Isn't it right?
Speaker 10: Yes? What would that have to do with it?
Speaker 5: The bus driver says, you got on a Tucson you
seemed to remember pretty well. He says, when he got
on the bus, you were holding.
Speaker 6: A baby in your arms.
Speaker 10: That's silly. He's wrong.
Speaker 7: He must have leaking kids with somebody else.
Speaker 4: I don't see how man. He says, you were the
only woman on the bus with a baby.
Speaker 10: What's the point of his charge. I don't understand any
of this.
Speaker 5: Well, Frankly needed to weave. I don't know why you're
lying to us about this, but apparently you are.
Speaker 10: You're wrong. I'm not lying.
Speaker 7: It happened just the way I told you. The girl
gave me the baby to hold, and then she disappeared.
There's no reason for me to lie about that.
Speaker 5: We find a receipt for a hospital Doloment, the least
with the baby's things in it. The receipt was made
out to Dorothy Miller.
Speaker 10: Well, that's proves it justice.
Speaker 8: She was on the bus with us, and her baby
was with us.
Speaker 4: The check was made with a hospital too. Son. They
remember the name Dorothy Miller. She gave birth to a
baby boy about seven weeks ago. She wasn't the same
girl you described to us, though the description wasn't even closer.
Speaker 7: Then it must be a mistake. I guess somebody made
a mistake.
Speaker 10: I can't understand any of this.
Speaker 6: Well.
Speaker 4: They sent us back a description of the Dorothy Miller,
who said at the hospital it's a fairly tall woman,
long blonde hair, by twenty nine to thirty. Yes, description
fits humans, Lois, that's almost perfectly.
Speaker 6: It's wrong.
Speaker 10: It has to be wrong.
Speaker 8: Who think's a mistake.
Speaker 11: I beg your pie.
Speaker 7: I say the whole thing is a mistake. It has
to be wrong.
Speaker 6: No, I don't think so, ma'am.
Speaker 7: Why don't you tell me what did you think?
Speaker 6: Tell me there is no Dorothy Miller. There never was.
There's no such person, ma'am.
Speaker 10: That's what you really think. I invented it. I made
it all up.
Speaker 6: Did you.
Speaker 10: And the baby?
Speaker 8: What about him?
Speaker 7: There's no dog for your miller? What about the baby?
Speaker 6: I don't know. You want to tell us, Miss Lewis?
Speaker 4: Yes, yes, Louis, and I guess something.
Speaker 6: Boy, you are all right.
Speaker 10: I suppose I knew it would happen sometimes I.
Speaker 7: Try not to think about it. H and you call
from downstairs. I knew you'd found out.
Speaker 10: That's why. Yes, my husband was with me, isn't it
He didn't want to embarrass you.
Speaker 5: We wanted to give you a chance to tell your
side of the story, but maybe you wanted to keep
it from your husband.
Speaker 10: No, it doesn't matter. I'll tell him. We'll be back
in a few minutes. You can do anything he wants.
I won't blame you. We'll pack your bags and walk
up and leave, and I won't blame him.
Speaker 11: All right, You want to tell us about him, Well,
I think you.
Speaker 8: Know my baby, my own baby, and I shouldn't keep him.
Speaker 7: There wasn't anything else to.
Speaker 10: Do, susin.
Speaker 7: My own baby.
Speaker 4: You made up the whole story. But the girl died
and Millner are leaving a baby with you?
Speaker 6: Is Louis.
Speaker 10: It's a beautiful day, big crowd for the parade and
lined all the way up the street.
Speaker 6: You must have had a reason for him, his louis
giving your baby away. Now do you want to tell
us about it?
Speaker 10: Yeah? Sorry, it won't make a difference to done. It's
all done. My husband. I'm thinking about Wilder. I'm going
to have to hurt him, and I don't want to
hurt him. I don't know I'm going to tell him.
I tried to make him understand all the time before
he left, her overseas. It's almost two years ago. I
tried to make him understand. He wouldn't listen. He didn't believe.
He thought I was fooling. Yes, I love him start
and I tried to explain, I just want to be alone.
Having him away all the time. I knew it was
going to be trouble. I knew it. I didn't want
to be alone. He didn't understan. He only said I
was schooling. He left for overseason October. All the almost
two years ago. I went down to Wilmington. I saw
him leave on the boat, so then watched him go.
I wasn't going to see it twenty four months. Wouldn't
see no children, no family. It's the two room apartments.
You would believe. You only would have taken me with him.
Speaker 6: Where were you living at that time?
Speaker 10: Man up the coast, just the side of Santa Barbara.
I told what I couldn't be alone. I needed something.
They only had children. He'd only taken me with it.
Didn't have to be this way.
Speaker 7: He could have taken me with him, he could have
arranged it.
Speaker 10: He wouldn't. He left me alone. I tried to tell him,
he left me here alone. Yeah, I took it for
a year, a whole year, two room apartments, being alone.
I wrote to Walter twice a week.
Speaker 12: He wrote to me.
Speaker 6: Did he do any good?
Speaker 10: He didn't want me with him a whole year and
it got too much.
Speaker 4: You mean you could have joined him overseas.
Speaker 9: I don't know why kept writing to him. He kept
putting me off a whole year. It got too much
to room apartment alone. You can't spend your life that way.
I started going out, having dates. I had to get out,
started going to party different people just I drank too much.
Didn't want to be alone. It's always drunk. There's one party.
I don't even remember who I went with if I
was drinking. I don't know when I left. I don't
even remember who I was put didn't have to be
This didn't have to happen.
Speaker 6: Are you all right, miss lord? And there's something when
you get.
Speaker 10: You, I'm all right. I didn't know what to do
when the problem other doctors. He didn't understand you, I
mean the way I felt. Said the baby would be
born in June. I cried. He didn't understand.
Speaker 6: That's nice.
Speaker 10: When the time came, I went to Tucson Arizona had
my baby. At least I wasn't alone. Used a different
name in the hospital, Dorothy Miller. Maybe it wasn't Walter's baby,
but it was mine, but mine. I thought at first
it wouldn't make much differs, But it did, though, did ah?
I knew what it means. I loved Walter and I
still love him. If you found out I knew.
Speaker 7: What it would mean, I couldn't even think about it.
Speaker 10: I love Walter. I couldn't even think about telling him.
Speaker 6: So do you think you don't giving up the baby?
Giving him away? About the idea, I can't.
Speaker 10: Tell you how many times I worked it out in
my mind, day after day.
Speaker 7: I almost went crazy with it. Walder the baby was won.
Speaker 10: I finally decided Walter the thing was fair.
Speaker 6: Won't you well? I wouldn't know, man, it's your decisions
up to you.
Speaker 10: I don't know how to tell him. Won't you help me?
Please help me? Tell Walter?
Speaker 6: All right?
Speaker 10: You're like oame.
Speaker 8: I mean to make a choice.
Speaker 10: When you have to hurt somebody have to choose between
the two of them, one of them has to be churched.
Ma'am her husband and markas which one.
Speaker 5: Ten thirty eight am at missus lewis request, and I
stayed on at the hotel room until her husband, Army
Captain Walller Lewis, returned. He was a tall, dark haired
man in his late thirty dark eyes and complexion. Missus
Lewis was waiting in the adjoining room. It wasn't easy,
but as best we could ed and I breached the husband.
Speaker 6: On what had happened. His first reaction was fairly normal.
Speaker 5: He took it pretty hard. We kept on talking to him.
After a while he calmed down. We laid out the
whole story for him again.
Speaker 11: She's turned the baby over to police.
Speaker 6: Is that it?
Speaker 11: She gave the baby up.
Speaker 4: Yes, she figured it was the only things he could do.
Speaker 11: It's kind of hard to believe in. What's the answer?
What am I supposed to do?
Speaker 10: All?
Speaker 5: Sure, I know some of our business captains. I think
you might try looking at it from your wife's point
of view. Maybe, But I mean I'm pretty obvious she's
still in love with you. I think she's showing you that. Yeah, well,
she was in a jam. It was a big choice
for it to Mike. She knew she was wrong, she
made a mistake. She was ready to pay for it.
It was either you or the baby.
Speaker 11: She knew that.
Speaker 6: She decided to give up the baby. Baby's all right now,
somebody's taking care of her.
Speaker 4: Yes, sir, baby boy.
Speaker 11: Where's March?
Speaker 6: Now?
Speaker 11: My wife in the next room.
Speaker 6: I want to say her, Well, maybe you should wait
this a little while.
Speaker 11: It's all right.
Speaker 6: I just want to tell her something.
Speaker 10: A h.
Speaker 6: All right today, all right, you don't have to say anything, March.
Speaker 7: We'll do what you want.
Speaker 10: I don't right, got it right, don't do anything to work.
I just want to tell you I love you.
Speaker 6: And then, okay, get.
Speaker 11: On my come on.
Speaker 6: I will anything you can do. I won't play. It's
gonna be all right, honey, nothing to cry about.
Speaker 11: Everything will be all right. Try and take me. Do
you got a little mistakes?
Speaker 6: Right?
Speaker 11: I guess I made my share of it?
Speaker 6: Oh my god? Often?
Speaker 11: Yes, like that your favorite? You got a car downstairs? Yes,
we do. W if your mind dropping me by the hospital.
I like to see my son.
Speaker 6: The story you have just heard was true.
Speaker 4: The names were changed to protect Unison.
Speaker 3: On Thursday, August fifteenth, a meeting withheld in the District
Attorney's Office at Ian County of Los Angeles, State of California,
in a moment the results of that meeting. At the
meeting and the District Attorney's office, it was decided that,
in the interests of justice, no criminal complaint be filed
against missus Marjorie Lewis.
Speaker 4: The baby was released to the custody of her and
her husband.
Speaker 2: Ladies and gentlemen, Betty Mills, Western Representative of Radio and
Television Mirror Magazine.
Speaker 13: The editors of Radio and Television Mirror are happy to
announce that in the annual awards poll conducted by Radio
and TV Mirror Magazine, American radio listeners from coast to
coast to voted Dragnet their favorite program of its type
to the second consecutive year. In addition, the nation's radio
listeners had voted Jack Webb their favorite dramatic radio actor.
Speaker 6: Thank you very much, Betty on behalf of our cast,
our entire production staff, and myself.
Speaker 2: Be sure to read the feature story about Jack Webb
and the current issue of Radio and Television Mirror Magazine
now on the newsstands.
Speaker 3: You have just heard drag Mat a series of authentic
cases from official files. Technical advice comes from the.
Speaker 4: Office of Chief of Police W. H.
Speaker 3: Parker, Los Angeles Police Department Technical Advisors, Captain Jack Donaho,
Sergeant Hardy Winn, Sergeant vans Bracher. Heard tonight were Barney Phillips,
Virginia Craig, Harry Bartel, Helen Fleeve. Script by Jim Moser,
music by Walter Schumann. Hell give me speaking.
Speaker 6: No, It's coder Spy on NBC.
Speaker 1: Welcome back. Well, this one is a favorite of mine.
It's a very human episode on a lot of levels. There's,
of course some small ways, such as having Friday and
Jacobs find a hotel room with a big convention in
town that's not necessarily something you would associate that sort
of level of service. I do have a sense that
working in juvenile you might have been more familiar with
that sort of setup than if you'd worked in other departments.
And of course, the case itself comes down to messy
human failings and trying to figure out how to deal
with it. And again you see some great compassion from
Friday and Jacobs in going beyond the legally required investigation
to help tell the husband, and they walked a fine
line in doing that, even in suggesting that he consider
things from his wist's point of view. Broddy was clear
that he knew that this was not really his business.
They did try to achieve some level of understanding, and
that also might be another reflection of the nature of
the work in the juvenile division as opposed to other
areas within the LAPD. The radio version of this episode
caused no particular controversy. However, once it aired on television,
there were people who felt that the episode was in
some way promoting or excusing adultery, which seems to sadly
miss the point of of what the episode was portrayed,
as the episode made no attempt to excuse immoral behavior,
but rather showed a compassionate response in the aftermath or
all involved. I think it's actually quite a beautiful story,
particularly for a series like Dragnet, which can often have
some really rough turns. All right, listener comments and feedback now,
and we have a comment on Spotify regarding the big
rows from a random Spotify user. When I find out
that the person raising me is capable of murder and
getting away with it when a curfew is set, I
am home on time every night. Well, as I said
on a recent Johnny Dowler episode, there is homicide, but
not all homicides are murders by any measure. The whole
situation with her sister was very fraught, It was emotionally charged.
She alleged that the sister attacked her and she acted
in self defense, and the court believed her. And even
if it had been decided that the actions were inappropriate
for self defense, I couldn't see her being convicted of
murder at most manslaughter. But then again, if you're a
kid thinking about ditching curfew, does that fine distinction actually matter.
Then we have a comment from Martin over on our
listener survey, who rites with Adam as our host for
Old Time Radio. We've discovered so many great programs and
stories a well considered god to old radio dramas well.
Thank you so much, appreciate you taking the time to
fill that out from over in London, England. Now it's
time to thank our Patreon supporter of the day. I
want to thank Brenda, Patreon supporter since September twenty twenty five,
currently supporting the podcast at the Shalmus level of four
dollars or more per month. Thanks so much for your support, Brenda,
And that'll 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. We will be back in two weeks with
another episode of Dragnet. Join us for encores next week,
but join us back here tomorrow for yours truly Jony Dollar.
Speaker 6: Where Polyick is Henry Davidson Pollick.
Speaker 3: That's it, the widower of Selfter that's the one on
And he lived here in his apartment too, that is boy.
Speaker 2: He died.
Speaker 4: That was back in fifty six, with all his money,
all his insurance with his wife.
Speaker 3: Oh goodness knows why?
Speaker 6: How did he die?
Speaker 11: In that big plane?
Speaker 4: Grads got over the desert, don't you remember?
Speaker 11: Not as single as your vibrate? What's good? What kind
of a man was he?
Speaker 6: Ooh himself didn't like it so much?
Speaker 4: And his wife okay, I guess she was let younger
than him, spent all his money all the time. He
didn't like it. Man like that shouldn't be married.
Speaker 6: Nobody must have thought a lot of it or leader everything.
Speaker 10: He just didn't like being married.
Speaker 8: Died down.
Speaker 4: Let an interview with his work. Oh his death got
him out with and give her some money to spend
before she died.
Speaker 6: But somebody's been.
Speaker 11: Playing that money back.
Speaker 4: Well, you think maybe she's suffered to change her heart
something like that.
Speaker 3: Do you think she realized she never.
Speaker 6: Deserved what he left? It that what you're thinking.
Speaker 4: Sure, that might have been a possibility except for one thing.
Speaker 11: The money's still coming in. Oh he is there anybody
to whom she might have turned over that insurance her?
Speaker 2: Give anything to anybody else?
Speaker 8: Not?
Speaker 6: Herm is there and.
Speaker 2: You're absolutely sure that she's dead.
Speaker 6: I carried her in off.
Speaker 4: The street after the car hit her.
Speaker 11: You don't believe me, asked the doctor.
Speaker 4: Doctor Jules Maitland overrun Park Avenue, ask the police.
Speaker 11: Yeah, maybe I will.
Speaker 1: Hope you'll be with us then in the meantime, since
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.