Speaker 1: Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho.
This is your host, Adam Brahm. In a moment, we're
going to bring you this week's episode of dragnapp. But
first I want to encourage you. If you're enjoying the podcast,
please follow us using your favorite podcast software. Today's program
is brought you a part by the financial support of
our listeners. You can become one of our ongoing Patreon
supporters for as little last two dollars per month at
Patreon dot Great Detectives dot net. Now we have the
first of many casting changes in terms of Joe Friday's partner.
This is a decision that played out on radio, but
really had its root in the television program Ed Jacobs
was meant primarily as a stop get and the network
really thought that Barney Phillips looked too much like Jack Webb,
and throughout Dragging its first season, they tried a lot
of things in order to make this less apparent. They
use glasses, they dyed Barney Phillips hair, and they also
for one episode gave him this amazing leather rain jacket,
which I really wish had gotten more airtime. Yeah, if
they had to. They could just say it was raining
all the time in Los Angeles, but apparently they were
not satisfied, and so they began the search for a
permanent partner. This mostly doesn't play out very much on TV,
as Barney Phillips would play at Jacobs throughout the entirety
of the first season, and then in the second season
it wouldn't be long before Ben Alexander would take over
as Frank Smith. But over radio it was different, and
they tried a few different things. This may have been
the best idea they had, and if it had worked,
it would have been a big shift in the series.
The new partner, unlike Friday's other partners, was a younger man,
and so was the actor who played him, Martin Milner,
who had just turned twenty one and would go on
to success on television, most notably in Route sixty six
and then later for Web again in Adam twelve. Now
from April seventeenth, nineteen fifty two, Here is the Big Bunco.
Speaker 2: The story you were about to hear is true. The
names have been changed to protect the innocence. You're a
detective sergeant. You're assigned the Bunco detail. An experienced confidence.
Man is set up up. From his first two victims,
he gets more than eight thousand dollars. You've got one
good lead on the suspect, his method of operation, Your
job get him.
Speaker 3: Drag Met the documented drama of an actual crime. All
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 files, from beginning to end, from crime to punishment.
Drag Net is the story of your police force and action.
Speaker 4: It was Tuesday, December ninth. It was Wendy in Los Angeles.
We were working the day watch out of Bunco Detail.
My partner's said Jacob's the bosses Captain Steve. My name
is Friday. I was on the way into the office
and it was seven p fifty am when I got
your room, thirty eight Bunco detail. All right, Joe, All right, Charlie,
how'd you make out yesterday? Nothing?
Speaker 5: The luck?
Speaker 6: It all?
Speaker 7: Nothing's going to help with my same description on the guy,
he used the same name, Samemo. Didn't get anything we
don't already know about him. How about you?
Speaker 4: You're luck?
Speaker 6: Anybody ooh, about the same.
Speaker 4: Checked out the building with a suspect, rented office space,
he moved out three days ago. No forwarding address. Check
the hotel he was supposed to be stopping at didn't pan.
Speaker 6: Out, didn't time. Let's take his neck out again. Now,
it doesn't guarantee we'll reach him too late to start.
Speaker 4: When the complaints come in, we're gonna have to take
up a faster way of getting to him.
Speaker 6: Hey, you gott imagine? Yeah, sure, yeah, thanks.
Speaker 7: Oh, by the way, I just heard about your partner
at Jacob's understand.
Speaker 4: You're losing Oh yeah, temporarily anyway to do well. He's
going on a loan out up at the academy. It's
going to be an instructor up there. Two months anyway,
maybe more. When does this happen tomorrow? For tenth What.
Speaker 6: Are you gonna do for a partner? You and Ken'
gonna work again?
Speaker 4: No, the Captain's bringing in the new man. Young fellow's
been working in the business office.
Speaker 6: I mean the big Irish kid works the early morning.
Speaker 4: No, No, this boy's been working days names Bill Lockwood.
I asked for him so as I found I was
going to lose it. You know well a little bit.
Yeah you remember Ben ro Meryl. Yeah, sure, well Lockwood's
a nephew of Ben's sister's boy tall right here.
Speaker 7: Oh yeah, I've seen him round it seems to be
a nice new kid and a good record hit or
the captain thinks.
Speaker 4: So figures he got to work in pretty well.
Speaker 6: And by the way, have you seen Ben's wife?
Speaker 4: Wait? Yeah, I did a couple of weeks ago. Seems
to be doing all right still missus Ben, of course.
Speaker 8: Yeah.
Speaker 6: I imagine the little boys shirt getting big. Looks a
lot like his dad too, miss him quite a bit yourself. Yeah, Charlie,
I guess I do. Well, I'm better get on my horse.
You get some check in to do. Now op the lock.
Speaker 7: When boy works out for you, Well, I think you'll
do all right, And say I'd be crazy about the
idea myself behind me breaking in a new man, no
detective experience, I go out.
Speaker 6: To pick up a thief.
Speaker 7: I like to figure I've got some good backing. I mean,
I'm a partner. I'm used to it. It's tough enough
watching out for yourself, let alone at green youngster.
Speaker 4: Well, somebody had to do it for us. That's the
way it goes. Yeah, I remember when I first studied.
It didn't come much greener in me. Partner did all
the work, took all the chances, helped me every further way.
Speaker 6: You never mentioned it once.
Speaker 4: I never forgot that it's a good cop.
Speaker 6: What was his name? Ben Romo.
Speaker 4: In a particular setup, before a man's eligible to apply
for duty and the detective girl, he has to have
a minimum or five years experience as a police officer,
either assigned to radio patrol, traffic duty, or some other
general assignment. After the initial five years of service, the
men go through a screening process to determine which department
of which job they'll put and do best some positions
that they seem to show a natural aptitude corps. If
a man applies for duty and a division of the
Detective Bureau, and if he's accepted, he's assigned a partner
to work with the day he goes on the job,
generally a working detective with some experience. In the case
of Ben's nephew, Bill Lockwood, he put in his first
five years working wheelshair traffic and also doing radio patrol
in Holland beck in seventy seven street divisions. After spending
another eleven months in our business office. Captain Steed put
in a request for him and he was transferred. When
I heard ed Jacobs was going to be loaned to
the Police Academy as an instructor, I talked to Captain
Steed about Lockwood and he assigned him as my new partner.
The changeover happened in the middle of one of the
toughest investigations we'd had in months, a bunco artist who
was working hard at the Business Opportunities Racket. The following morning,
December tenth, Bill Lockwood reported in for work. When we
grow about to check a potential lead on the suspect
on the way I laid out the case for him.
Nothing on the men in r and I huh, no
record at all. No, no, as far as me know,
Bill check Brett up at Sacramento CII nothing doing there.
He couldn't help it. And what have you been growing on?
His description? Yeah? That and his mo and his name.
He uses a different alias on each job. Russell Pressed
and that was the last name in Youth.
Speaker 6: I see.
Speaker 4: He usually starts by putting a want ad in the paper.
Speaker 5: Is that well?
Speaker 4: He rents himself an office first, usually pretty expensive when
well furnished. Then he hires a good looking secretary, has
her put a want ad in the daily papers for him,
and he's in business. And how do the ads are?
As usual? Yeah, typical thing you see in the daily paper.
Business opportunity for people with vision, good investment, high profits
applying out, you know. And then he gives his address
and phone numbers. There's nothing clever about it, but people
still go for it. Can give them many replies.
Speaker 1: Do you know?
Speaker 4: Well, we figured he got between twenty and thirty on
that last daily pulled. Seems all he has to do
is land run victim out of the bunch with enough money,
and he's got it made. Took his first victim here
for five thousand, second one for thirty two hundred. The
Lively women took him for their last dollar.
Speaker 7: About the way he sets up the deal with these
different businessmen, Joe, I don't think I got it quite straight,
you know what I mean? Well, I'll say the owner
of that manufacturing plant is Russell Preston.
Speaker 4: Lined up, you know, you say. Preston went to the plant.
Speaker 7: Introduced himself as a business advisor, told the owner of
the plant he had some people with money to invest.
Speaker 4: He convinced the owner who's legitimate.
Speaker 7: The other time and Preston had his two victims shown
through the plant and convinced him they ought to invest
their money in the business. You know it's do you
mean to say the plant owners were acting in good faith?
Speaker 4: Well, they were all checked out Bill everything about him.
They all have good business reputation. They didn't know any
more about the deal and the victim. They needed more
capital for their business, and they figured this was it.
Speaker 7: There's Preston or whatever his name is. Sure must have
a line that won't stop.
Speaker 4: It's got everything that goes with it. Nice clothes, well mannered,
good looking. He doesn't try to high pressure. Anybody tells
him if they have confidence in him, he'd be glad
to invest their money if they had it all. He
shows him right through the office. Pretty good pitch.
Speaker 6: Once they're sold on him, he's got him over a barrel.
Speaker 4: It's about the size of it.
Speaker 7: You know, money, there's no record on him. Sure sounds
like he's had a lot of experience.
Speaker 6: What are the other names he's used, you remember?
Speaker 4: Well, just two of them we know of Russell R.
Preston and George a fairchild. I guess the newspapers have
been checked out. Huh ones he ran on? What ends did? Yeah,
we've all been talked to, all their personal beant notified
to have watch for ads of that type. Be one
way to get a lead on him if he try
it again.
Speaker 7: Well, what about the buildings where we rented office space?
Isn't the people their help any Well?
Speaker 4: They confirmed his description. We picked up samples of his handwriting.
It's about it. He only rented the officers long enough
to cover his deal about two weeks. See one hundred
block is just built.
Speaker 6: And see over there, let's see you.
Speaker 4: Yeah, seventeen hundred. We want the next on eighteen eleven.
Who's this woman we're gonna talk to? Vivian Castle?
Speaker 6: All right?
Speaker 4: Yeah, I'm not sure if she's the right girl or not.
Got the lead from the employment agency. Chance she might
be the girl Preston hired to be a secretary. I
don't know a good parting place up there ahead?
Speaker 5: Huh yeah, that's good.
Speaker 4: Pull up anywhere along here, it's fine. Two hours down
Joe Real Estate Office, eighteen Elevean.
Speaker 6: Sea, Good morning, good morning.
Speaker 8: Can I help him?
Speaker 4: Police officers? Man? We'd like to talk to him, Miss Castle,
Vivian Castle.
Speaker 8: Well, I'm Vivian Castle.
Speaker 4: Where's our identification? This is my partner, Officer Lockwood. My
name is Friday.
Speaker 8: How do you do? What is it you want? Officer?
Speaker 4: We'd like to find out a few known George Fairchild Man.
Speaker 8: Fairchild, No, I don't know anyone by that name.
Speaker 7: How about a Russell Preston, Miss that I mean.
Speaker 6: Anything to you?
Speaker 8: Oh? I used to work for mister Preston.
Speaker 4: Russell Preston about how long ago was that?
Speaker 8: One's a month and a half ago?
Speaker 4: Where does he have his offices?
Speaker 8: He did have him on South Grand near eight, the
old Bill Montes Harris building.
Speaker 4: Would you mind describing mister Preston for ust, ma'am? Just
the general description?
Speaker 8: Might he was about forty forty five years old, brown here,
a little gray, nice build, seem to be very nice
man at first, always dressed so nice word dark tousu
seemed to be very nice.
Speaker 6: Checks out so far, y'all now telling me what it's about.
Speaker 4: Well, we'd like to locate mister Preston man. You only
idea where he is now?
Speaker 8: I wish I did. I'd call a State Labor commission.
It seemed like such a nice man. I've never been
so disappointed in my life. What do you mean he
owes me two weeks to pay sixty five dollars a week?
I need's a private secretary. Good jobs aren't hard to
get now either. He can't say he's giving me a
break when he hired And are you from the labor Commissions?
Speaker 4: No, ma'am or not? Would you tell us how long
you work for this mister Preston?
Speaker 8: Just three weeks? He said, I was going to get
paid every Friday. Give me the money for the first
week and that's all. Kept waiting for my pay, but
he kept putting me off. Last week and a half,
he didn't even show up at the office. I was
there all alone, eight hours a day. The building manager
shut up and told me he was all over. The
person closed the office didn't mean you have the decency
to come in and say thank you goodbry. I just left.
Speaker 4: And you have no idea at oh where mister Preston
is now?
Speaker 8: No, sir, I wish I did.
Speaker 7: Were there any office files, mail files anywhere to get
a possible line on him?
Speaker 8: As far as I know, I didn't keep any files
for him, and in fact, I didn't do any work
at all. It's the show piece. I guess that's all
he can't me. Therefore no reason why I shouldn't pay me, though,
Are you sure you're not from the Labor Commission?
Speaker 4: Did mister Preston ever? Have you place any want adds
in the daily papers missus Castle?
Speaker 8: M Yeah, he did a couple of times ads for
business opportunities. You know, he was in the investment business,
helped people invest in money.
Speaker 4: Would you have to know anyone who invested money with him?
I mean, would you know him by name?
Speaker 8: No? Not by name. Quite a few people came through
the office. I know a few of them made deals
with mister Preston. I wouldn't remember their names, though.
Speaker 7: And you don't know any friends he might have had
in town, any of his business associates.
Speaker 8: No, they're not a one. I didn't know he had
any associates.
Speaker 4: How about where he was staying in this castle? You
must have known that.
Speaker 8: Yeah, the first weeks I was there, I did the
only week I got paid for him. He was staying
at a small hotel on South far The next week though,
I don't know where he went after that, neither just
the hotel.
Speaker 4: I asked him, well, during the time you worked for him, man,
did you ever have anything to do with mister Preston socially?
I mean, was it part of your job? You bought
to dinner with him? Things like that? Yeah?
Speaker 8: I did once or twice. When he asked him, I
didn't think he was part of my job. So the
Preston didn't mention it either. Once we went out to
dinner just the tourists. Now, the time he went out
with my girlfriend, Norma, I had a terrible kind mister
Preston was awful.
Speaker 4: How do you mean?
Speaker 8: Well, he thanked too much and was throwing his way around,
you know, the bus, making a play for my girlfriend Norma.
I think he liked her quite a bit. She was embarrassing, though. Look,
would you mind telling me what's the matter. Is mister
Preston in trouble with the police.
Speaker 4: Yes, Ma'a'm afraid so she did some people out of
quite a bit of money. It's not the first time.
Speaker 8: Either, Hey, what was it? Would you do?
Speaker 4: Confidence scheme? Selling interest in the company he had no
connection with?
Speaker 8: That is a no limits. I guess it's my own thought.
I shouldn't nun where it's happened before. Well, they hire you,
they give you a beautiful office and I soft chair
to sit on, and never give you any work to do.
Don't have to live to finger. I finally got the j.
Speaker 4: Yeah, this is the kind you have to watch out for,
Bill Lockwood and't. I continued questioning the former secretary of
Russell Preston alias George Fairchild, but she was unable to
come up with any kind of a definite lead as
to the suspects. Whereabout We left our card with a
girl and she promised to contact us in the event
she came across any information regarding Preston. For the rest
of the day, we ran down three more possible leads.
They came from an informant, a head waiter in the
second rate nightclub, a small time drifter with an extra grind,
and they all figured they had the right answer where
to find Preston.
Speaker 6: We checked out the three.
Speaker 4: Locations they gave us a motel out near Santa Monica,
a rooming house in Hollywood, a cocktail lounge, and Highland Park.
Not one of the three paid off. Russell Preston alias
George Fairchild wasn't known at any of the places. Either
by name, dress, or physical description. During the next three weeks,
along with Sergeants Charlie Riblet and Ken Scarce of Bunco Detail,
Bill Lockwood and I ran down every possible lead on
the suspect hotels, the want ed departments of the daily papers,
managers of downtown office buildings, secretarial employment agencies, small businesses,
advertising stock for sale. They got us nothing, despite all
the precautions in all the lake work. On January sixth,
we got a call from a missus Marie Barrett in
the West Lake Park area. She owned and managed the
toy shop just off Wiltshire Boulevard. Bill Lockwood and I
drove out to talk to her.
Speaker 9: Yeah, they told me it was the opportunity of a lifetime,
a big opportunity, and I just can't believe it.
Speaker 4: I can't understand it.
Speaker 9: Why even took me out and showed me the fast tree,
get him the man around the place they're making plastics.
Speaker 6: Showed me the whole plant.
Speaker 4: Said the plant was out in Glendale.
Speaker 9: Now what about It was right along with fan Cananda Road,
maybe a mile or two before you get to the
Air Force.
Speaker 8: They showed me to the whole plant.
Speaker 4: Who showed your films there owner of.
Speaker 9: The place in this, mister Fairchild, a big place making
plastics of all kinds.
Speaker 8: There was a new prince.
Speaker 4: What was mister Fairchild's first name? Do you remember?
Speaker 9: George? George Fairchild an associates. That was the name of
the door of the office when I went up to
see him. Of course, I really didn't have a notion
to invest any money.
Speaker 4: When I first went up.
Speaker 9: It was a newspaper edge, you know, And I answered
lots of kind of a hobby with me.
Speaker 8: Yes.
Speaker 9: So when it to see him, and we talked, and
as I say, I wasn't thinking of investing any money,
but mister Fairchild seemed like such a nice man, seemed
to have a good business head on his shoulders. Well
ended up with me putting my whole seatingsoccown into the
plastics plant six thousand.
Speaker 4: Four hundred dollars, every tenny of us. I hadn't heard
from mister Fairchild, sink.
Speaker 6: I just don't know what to think.
Speaker 4: I can't understand it. Do you have any idea where
to contact this Fairchild now? And he address telephone number?
Speaker 9: Well, I called his office. It's in the Oxford Exchange building.
There's no answer though they fas is connected. I've been
trying for a week to contact mister Fairchild. I mean,
six thousand and four hundred dollars. I just don't know
what to do. All my savings, I don't know what
to do. M excuse me, please, customer, I can't afford.
Speaker 6: It, mister sale. Now, yes, ma'am, you've right ahead.
Speaker 9: Hell and you've help that lady.
Speaker 4: Please. Looks like he scored again.
Speaker 6: Huh.
Speaker 4: I wouldn't die it.
Speaker 6: She seems to do a fair business here, huh.
Speaker 4: I mean after Christmas and all. Yeah, I suppose of
course the women go for it. You hang up a
sales sign. You can't beat them off with a club.
See this gadget here? Pretty clever?
Speaker 6: Huh yeah, minister Sherman tank?
Speaker 4: What's it due?
Speaker 6: Watch? Don't know?
Speaker 4: Well? How about that?
Speaker 6: Pretty cute, isn't it.
Speaker 7: Cannon's on the side, Spark's coming out, and after you've
got one for Christmas, you.
Speaker 6: Got a lot of power.
Speaker 4: Try to climb over just about anything.
Speaker 6: Uh huh?
Speaker 8: Alright, to keep you waiting if there's customer's after.
Speaker 4: You tenant to surely we understand now about this money
you gave Fairchild and this bad the sixty four hundred dollars.
How'd you work that? I mean, did you give him
a check or how'd you do it?
Speaker 8: Yes?
Speaker 9: I gave him a check, let's cash. The same day
I gave it to him. I found that out from
the bank.
Speaker 4: What was he was supposed to get for your money? Man?
Speaker 9: Interest in the plastics company?
Speaker 4: One fifth interest?
Speaker 9: Seemed like such a good idea at the time.
Speaker 4: Did you ever discuss the deal with the owners of
the plastics company? I mean when mister Fairchild wasn't around.
Speaker 9: No, I guess I never did. Mister Fairchild didn't think
it was a good idea. Said he wanted me to
get the most for my money. Said he was afraid
of the company owners. Talked to him alone, he might
argue me to take him this profit.
Speaker 4: He didn't want me to talk to him at all.
If he wasn't around, and you weren't suspicious of him
at all.
Speaker 9: Huh, mister fairy Child, Oh, very nice man. There are
few things he did. It made me a little uncertain.
But he always explained everything to him. He always had
a good reason for everything he did. Nice man, clean cut,
well addressed, beautiful manners. They never take him for anything
but a gentleman.
Speaker 8: You see what I mean?
Speaker 6: What do you mean him?
Speaker 4: Yes?
Speaker 9: Not just a perfect gentleman.
Speaker 4: I don't know what to think.
Speaker 9: I can't call him a crook. He just isn't the kind.
Speaker 6: Well, they took your money, was there?
Speaker 4: What else would you call him? Two eighteen PM, when
we got through interviewing the latest victim, Marie Barrett, Bill
Lockwood and I drove out to the plastics company on
San Fernando Road, where we talked to the owner and manager.
The story was pretty much the same. The suspect, using
the name of George Fairchild, had called on them three
weeks before, introducing himself as an investment counselor. He told
them he had clients with money to invest in the
growing industry, such as theirs, and they went for the story.
They told us Fairchild had come back to her three
times with different persons whom he introduced as his clients.
They'd been shown through the plastics plant and given a
sales talk. That's about all the company owners could tell us.
When we got back to the office, we checked their
names through the regular business channels and found out they
were reputable businessmen. It was nothing to indicate that they
had anything to do with the suspects bunco Operations four
thirty pm. Joe, Yeah, girl out.
Speaker 7: Here to see us and when he used to be
Preston's secretary of Vivian Castle Again she said what she wanted.
Speaker 4: No, seems a little anxious.
Speaker 8: Oh sir, I'm glad I found Gene.
Speaker 6: Oh are you miss Castle?
Speaker 8: Mr? I was going to phone you, but I couldn't
even do your number, lost the card you game, so
I decided to come down. You remember talking to me,
don't you about mister Preston my over Have you heard
from Heim? No? I haven't. But you remember me telling
me about my girlfriend Norma. I mean the time mister
Preston took me up. Norman and our boyfriend were wizuses,
the way mister Preston kept making a play for Norma. Well,
I saw Norma at lunchtime today, first time in week.
She told me she got a call from mister Preston.
I told her I'd tell you all about it. She's
got a date with him dinner Friday night.
Speaker 3: You are listening to drag met authentic stories of your
police force and action.
Speaker 4: Wednesday, January sixth, four fifty PM. We called Vivian Castle's girlfriend,
Norma Cummings, and then we drove out to talk to her.
The Commings girl told us that Russell Preston the telephone
that morning and made the date with her for Friday
night at seven point thirty. He said they were to
have dinner at a nightclub out in the Wiltshire district.
He also mentioned to her that he was staying in
a hotel, but she didn't know the name of the location.
We made arrangements for a stake out at Norma cummings apartment.
The girl agreed to cooperate with us. Thursday, January seventh,
we checked with a personnel at the different restaurants, bars,
and nightclubs which Preston and the Commings girl were to visit.
Some of them remembered Preston, but as far as they knew,
he hadn't been back. We left our cards with each
one of them and we asked him to contact us
if he should return. Just after lunch on Friday, we
got a phone call from Norma Cummings.
Speaker 6: When was that miss? Did you find out where he was?
Speaker 4: I see?
Speaker 6: Will you be there for the rest of the day?
Speaker 8: No?
Speaker 4: I fine, Yeah, we'll call you back goodbye.
Speaker 7: Yeah, Cummings girl, she's at work. She just had a
phone call from Preston. She tried to find out where
he was. No girl, what he had to say dinner day?
He had with her at night?
Speaker 6: Now he call it off.
Speaker 4: Later that afternoon we went out and talked to the
Cummings girl. She told us Pressed and explained on the
phone that he had to cancel a date that night
because of some business deal it had come up. He
told her he'd get in touch with her over the weekend.
He didn't. By Thursday of the following week, she still
hadn't heard from him. Two days later, on a Saturday afternoon,
we got a call from one of the cocktail lounges.
Pressed and had visited. The bartender remembered us being in
there to inquire about the suspect, and he'd saved our card.
He said Preston was there now with another man drinking
at the bar. We asked the bartender to try and
delay the suspect as long as possible, and we got
in the car and drove to the location. It was
too late. The bartender explained that he tried to delay
the man that he thought was Preston, but he didn't
have much luck. The suspect had left a few minutes
after the bartender had called us. He'd been drinking heavily.
The man Presston had been with was still there. He
was sitting at an old upright piano in the back
of the place, trying to pick out a tune with
one finger. Hill and I went back and talked to him.
He gave his name as Fred Sandel.
Speaker 6: Yeah, that's right. I was drinking of a fellow. Why smile.
You never seen a man before? Yeah, once or twice
I place up the streets seven eight.
Speaker 5: I had a couple of.
Speaker 6: Drinks with him. Man, you know his name? What's the
angle you want him for?
Speaker 9: Something?
Speaker 4: Was just a routine check.
Speaker 6: We'd like to talk to him. Oh, I don't know.
I might know his name. Yeah, well, well, what's the
angle on the thing you want him for?
Speaker 4: Something?
Speaker 6: Vague?
Speaker 4: They want to talk to him?
Speaker 6: That's eyes something like that. Hey, he didn't look like
that kind of guy. I was he thinking that we
couldn't get that name.
Speaker 5: How about it?
Speaker 6: You say you might know the man's name, what was it? Well,
I don't know. I'm not sure if I'm the one
that I intended.
Speaker 5: What do you mean?
Speaker 10: Well, I don't want to get anybody in trouble. I
want to give out names. What's the angle on him?
Speaker 4: You want him for something? Biger make enough you?
Speaker 6: Oh?
Speaker 10: Well, his name's prest him. I think if that's the
name he gave me. Anyway, I went on bars in
the neighborhood that once in a while.
Speaker 4: How much you know about it?
Speaker 6: Much? I have a few drinks so that now, then
talk a little bit. That's about all.
Speaker 10: Where'd you say your name was Samdell? Fred Samdell? Well,
what's the angle on this Preston? We want to get
in touch with him?
Speaker 4: You know?
Speaker 6: I know I might I go on for something big
in them?
Speaker 10: Or what's the difference we want him? Well, there could
be a lot of difference. I mean, what's the angle.
If it's important to you and I helped you, you
probably won't do the right thing.
Speaker 6: Huh.
Speaker 4: I don't know if I got you right?
Speaker 10: Well, I mean, if you if you really want the guy,
you know I it's important to you and I helped
you reaching you, you'd want to make it square with me,
would't you?
Speaker 8: Not?
Speaker 6: That I'm asked for payoff? You understand that.
Speaker 10: Yeah, we understand where's Preston lived. Well, I didn't say
I knew where the guy lives. I didn't say that.
Speaker 6: I'm not sure, am I? I don't know if I'll
tell you?
Speaker 4: Do you want to stand by here? Bill? I better
check yet?
Speaker 5: Yeah?
Speaker 6: Fine, okay.
Speaker 11: Any two six, two five five, I could be.
Speaker 4: Ron and yeah, John, This is Joe Friday bunco. Yeah Friday,
I to check on the suspect. John. He gives the
name of Fred Sandel. He's a wm A, about forty
five five f ten hundred and seventy pounds, brown hair,
brown eyes, ready complexion, small scar just below the left ear.
Speaker 2: Okay, I'll go to call you.
Speaker 4: Back on that. Yeah, would you please? I'm a Dunkirk
three five oh one six right, I'll call you. Thanks, well,
say John, you switch me over the bunkle please, I'm
part from outside.
Speaker 6: Yeah, sure, hang on, thank you?
Speaker 4: Would you want to.
Speaker 6: Switch this call over the bunk on detail? Please?
Speaker 2: Unco rilin?
Speaker 4: Joe Friday, Jobby anything doing? Oh yeah, Joe quite a bit.
And that suspect of yours wrestled Preston.
Speaker 5: Been picked up?
Speaker 4: Yeah, how'd that happen? Radio car picking up?
Speaker 2: Eight in South Grand drunk charge.
Speaker 7: I understand it's pretty well plastered, running around the middle
of the street, had quite a bit of money on
him and brought him into Robert good question.
Speaker 4: Well you're sure as Preston.
Speaker 7: Description checks a couple of sets of identification owning too,
one for Russell Preston, one.
Speaker 11: For George fairchow where they got him out next door
interrogation room.
Speaker 6: Ken scarcely talking to him.
Speaker 2: He's dropping iron to the jobs.
Speaker 4: Key Chowie, thanks a lot, we'll be right here it well,
see a minute, Yeah, you might as well check in.
Preston has been picked up when probably just after you
left this bar, radio car spotted him.
Speaker 6: Man, how about that?
Speaker 7: You know, you work two months in a case and
just when we start to get close, somebody else picks
the guy up.
Speaker 10: You know, it's right, it's not very exciting, you know.
I was just thinking, Oh, I don't want to be
a hoardhead about this thing, you know. I mean, if
you want this guy presson, i'd be glad I help
you find I don't want to be a hot head.
Speaker 11: Excuse me a minute, Yeah, John, Yeah, I gotta make
on that name you asked for friend sent down there's
a on him.
Speaker 6: And theft, all though, got to put a long record.
You want me to read it?
Speaker 4: All though? That's all right, John, right, right, right, thank you?
Speaker 6: Why do you say so?
Speaker 10: I don't suppose to sit down and have a drink
and talk things over, and I'll show you where I.
Speaker 6: Think this person hangs out.
Speaker 4: I mean, if we make make the right deal. Well,
it's already been made. Do you want to grab your
top coat? There? We'd like to talk to you downtown me.
Speaker 6: What what are you talking about?
Speaker 10: Grand theft auto? They want you a mystery? Wait a minute,
you made a mistake. You didn't come in here looking
for me. You know the even the side of my
case for this ain't fair.
Speaker 4: Get your code.
Speaker 6: Let's go. Oh but the same thing. You're coming here
look for Preston. You didn't want me. We do know
what kind of deals you call that you're looking for Preston.
Speaker 4: You picked me up.
Speaker 6: What's the angle?
Speaker 4: There's no angle. Some days you got to settle for less.
That's all, Come on, let's go. The story you have
just heard was true. The names were changed to protect
the innocent.
Speaker 3: On April fifth, trial was held in Superior Court Department
eighty nine city in County of Los Angeles, State of California.
Speaker 5: In a moment the results of that trial. Russell R.
Speaker 3: Preston alias George Fairchild alias Robert Fairchild was tried and
convicted on three counts of grand theft. Fred Sandel was
tried convicted of grand theft one count. Both men received
sentences as prescribed by law. They are now serving their
terms in the State Penitentiary San Quentin, California. Grand theft
is punishable by imprisonment for not less than one nor
more than ten years. You have just heard Dragnet a
series of authentic cases from official files. Technical advice comes
from the Office of Chief of Police W. H. Parker,
Los Angeles Police Department Technical advisors Captain Jack Donahoe, Sergeant
Marty Wynn, Sergeant Vans Braser. Heard tonight were Martin Milner, Marion,
Richmond Bick Rodman. Script by Jim Mosy, music by Walter Schumann,
hel Gidney speaking.
Speaker 5: Now It's counter Spy on NBC.
Speaker 1: Welcome Back. The idea of Bill Lockwood as Friday's partner
is probably the one of the more dramatic character ideas
that Dragnet ever had for one of their place characters,
with Friday shifting into being a mentor and helping bring
up a new generation of detectives, passing on what had
been given to him, and have kept the spirit of
Ben Romero alive. It would have been an ongoing nod
to the show's Jenneson and its first partner. Looking even
further down the line, it also might have provided Jack
Webb with an exit route from the series Web wanted
to in the TV version of Dragnet after one hundred episodes.
He had the idea of Friday being promoted and serving
as a mentor figure to younger officers. Now, the network
was at that point not particularly interested in replacing the
star of one of its biggest hits with young, unknown actors. However,
if Martin Milner had two or three seasons under his
belt playing Friday's partner, and Milner was a very solid
actor capable of carrying a television series himself, it might
have been easier to pitch the network on having Friday
promoted and Bill Lockwood becoming the main character with a
new partner. It's a case where it would have, one
way or another changed the history of American television. I'm
not saying it would be better or worse, but it
would definitely have been different. But this is a case
where America's military efforts interfered as Milner was drafted. Now,
Milner would actually continue to make mostly uncredited appearances on radio.
In Dragnet Web ran a tot schedule with them also
having to get television done at the same time, and
they recorded two episodes per day on Sundays, and when
Milner could, he got a pass, came down and would
actually earn a month's pay in playing in both episodes
that ended up being released. Those who knew Milner considered
him really a working actor. He had some important parts
of those two big television series that I mentioned already,
as well as Swiss Family Robinson, which only lasted a season.
He was a dedicated, hard working performer, loved his family,
and he also really truly loved fishing. He pretty much
had retired from acting by the mid nineteen nineties, but
in nineteen ninety three he began hosting a radio program
in San Diego on the weekends called Let's Talk Hookup,
a fishing talk show, and was very active in the
fishing community and by all accounts for those who met
him He was a very good guy to go fishing
with by all accounts, an outstanding individual, very good actor,
who would play a major role in the sort of
tried net extended universe. I guess with Adam twelve, but
might have had a different future on the main series
had some other things gone differently. Then I do want
to go ahead and talk a little bit about Fred Sandel.
He might be even more foolish than guys in the
Big Border. At least they believed a common myth about
border crossing and being home free in Mexico. Fred was
such a genius that he essentially called attention to himself
and affected his own imprisonment for grand theft. Whereas had
he given a generic answer like oh, I could help
you out, but honestly, we were just having a drink.
I've never met him before. All he managed to do
was to get Friday to call R and I, because
apparently he was operating under the supposition that if Friday
was investigating this bunk o caase, that was pretty much
all he was concerned with. And of course you'll hear
on various dramatic shows that police officers saying I'm not
really concerned about whatever minor crime you're doing as I'm
investigating this other crime, and that may happen in real life,
but in this case, Sandell found himself a very nice
consolation prize. And of course this episode was also a
bit of a lesson for Bill Lockwood, and it suggests
some of the things that the series might have done
in terms of him learning on their job and learning
what it's like, and the simple lesson that just because
you put in the like working you did all of
this doesn't guarantee that you're going to be in on
the capture. You're part of a tame and sometimes you
put months into an investigation and have very little to
do with the way that it ends up. Concluding all right, well,
now it's time to think our Patreon supporter of the
day and I want to thank Pam, Patreon supporter since
February twenty twenty four, currently supporting the podcast at the
Detective Sergeant level of seven dollars and fourteen cents or
more per month. Thanks so much for your support, Pam,
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. We will be back next Thursday
with another episode of Dragging Net, but join us on
Friday for yours truly Johnny, it all our where will mister?
Speaker 6: Yes, sir, that's very interesting.
Speaker 2: I beg your pardon.
Speaker 8: What's the matter?
Speaker 7: Don't you good? I said, that's very interesting.
Speaker 8: You see, my name is.
Speaker 6: Carsh No, no, you miss?
Speaker 8: What can I do for you?
Speaker 4: Mister cash? No, listen with you?
Speaker 2: This is Johnny Dollar.
Speaker 8: Oh now, what's the.
Speaker 7: Idea of trying to confuse me that way?
Speaker 4: I'm Carshwright, you remember, Yes, sir, and Johnny, how did
you do it?
Speaker 8: Do? What?
Speaker 4: Get out here so fast? I only put in that
called a Hartford about and here you are?
Speaker 7: I mean, how did you manage it?
Speaker 10: Oh?
Speaker 6: Well, you see, mister, I know these new jet.
Speaker 10: Flights are pretty fast.
Speaker 4: But Johnny, you haven't been fooling around with some of
those rocket ships.
Speaker 3: No, no, no, I'm afraid not.
Speaker 2: I I just happened to be here already.
Speaker 6: You see.
Speaker 5: I was working on a case of at Marrow Bay.
Speaker 4: And did you talk? Yeah? It came out all right.
Speaker 7: Well, congratulations, Johnny, you are a one day and I
think you deserve some kind of a reward for it,
So maybe I'll think of something.
Speaker 6: Oh well, thanks, but that won't be necessary what you say.
Speaker 4: I know that I'm deeply indebted to you for the
things you've done for me. Johnny, Well, I don't worry.
Speaker 8: About it whatever you say.
Speaker 7: Guys, you've talked to you.
Speaker 1: Goodbye.
Speaker 4: Yeah, now, wait a minute, what weas a minute?
Speaker 1: Can't you see?
Speaker 4: I'm busy? But you sent for me I did.
Speaker 2: Yeah, you called Hartford said you wanted to see me
right away.
Speaker 4: Oh, of course, what's the matter with you?
Speaker 1: Anyway?
Speaker 10: Of course I want to see you.
Speaker 4: Jonathan Peebles too, right away. Who is Jonathan Peebles. He's
an old friend of mine.
Speaker 1: He lives out here.
Speaker 4: I telephoned him to come running too. Oh well, what's
it all about, mister guid Right, Just you get yourself
on over here to my house and I'll tell you.
I don't you waste any time. You're just pretty important.
Speaker 6: Huh important.
Speaker 1: I hope you'll be with us then in the meantime.
Send your comments to Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot ne,
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This is your host, Adam Graham, Sign and off.