Speaker 1: Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho.
This is your host, Adam Graham. In a moment, we're
going to bring you this week's episode of Dragonnap. But
first I do want to encourage you. If you're enjoying
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at Patreon dot Great Detectives dot net. But now, from
November twenty second, nineteen fifty one, here is today's episode,
The Big Hands.
Speaker 2: The story you were about to hear is true. The
names have been changed to protect the innocent. You're a
detective sergeant. You're assigned to homicide detail. An unidentified woman
has found murdered in a hotel room cause of death strangulation.
There's no lead to the identity of the killer.
Speaker 3: Your job find him.
Speaker 4: 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 violence,
from beginning to end, from crime to punishment. Dragnet is
the story of your police force in action.
Speaker 5: It was Tuesday, October twenty seventh. It was cold in
Los Angeles. We're working the day watch out a homicide.
My partner's Ben Romero. The boss' is Thad Brown, Chief
of Detectives.
Speaker 6: My name is Friday.
Speaker 5: It was one thirty five pm when we got to
the old Central Jail Building, third floor the crime lamb.
Speaker 7: How are you doing length, Joe?
Speaker 6: How's it going? Did you check the stuff yet?
Speaker 8: Yeah?
Speaker 9: Most of it? Come on back here? Kay, well this
is all of it.
Speaker 6: Did you find anything we can get a lead out of?
Speaker 9: Nothing? Too good?
Speaker 10: No, I don't think you could identify her from what
we've got here the Morgue post about it yet?
Speaker 6: Yeah? Just this morning? How about fingerprints?
Speaker 4: Lead?
Speaker 6: They find any in that hotel?
Speaker 9: No farm prints, no dead end there?
Speaker 7: What about the woman's purse? Did you anything.
Speaker 10: No chance you can see the fabric here, won't take
a print. Contents of the purse here, usual stuff, comb, lipstick,
key chain, one key on it, half pack of chewing
gum coin pursts are dying, two nickels in it.
Speaker 9: That's all it.
Speaker 6: According to the room truck at the hotel, she had
a wallet weather when she checked in. There's no sign
of that was it?
Speaker 9: No sign of it in the hotel room either, checked everything.
Speaker 2: Is that?
Speaker 7: The only piece of jewelry found on the body. That
wedding ring there.
Speaker 10: Yeah, it's a cheap ring, no markings on it, no
way of tracing it. But the only thing I can
tell you if she was pretty well dressed. That's an
expensive bag there, Yeah, showing out a cheap dress either.
Same for a coat and shoes. They cost the money too.
Speaker 6: How about labels on any of that stuff?
Speaker 10: One on the coat, Yeah, and can see right here.
Ben with Department Stare Los Angeles coach fairly knew they
might be able to give you something on it. Maybe
the people at the hotel got anything there.
Speaker 5: Could have been bitterly. The woman checked in last night
around eight o'clock. She registered as John Ross.
Speaker 9: And wife La didn't even see the man with.
Speaker 5: It, No nobody broom clerk says the woman came in alone.
She said her husband was out parking the car, so
she registered for both of them. Clerk said he left
the desk a few minutes after that. Figures the man
must have come in sometime while he was gone. Nobody
on duty at the desk after midnight. He could have
left the hotel anytime after that without being seen.
Speaker 7: She registered at eight pm the corner and says she
died about ten thirty.
Speaker 9: You're not even sure there was a man with that. Yeah.
Speaker 7: The woman who was raised next door to the murdering room,
she told her she heard a man and a woman
arguing it was about ten o'clock.
Speaker 11: Could have got pretty loud.
Speaker 10: No idea who the woman really was, huh. I suppose
that John Ross and wife business doesn't mean anything.
Speaker 6: That's pretty doubtful. But all we got to go on
is the physical description from the corner. She's a small
woman five foot one ninety nine quarter pounds, wasn't they been? Yeah,
brown hair, blue eyes, about thirty one, thirty two years old.
We got our prints off to Washington.
Speaker 9: Got any idea.
Speaker 5: We figured maybe it could be a psycho killer. How
did you figure The corner's report listed strangulation is the
cause of death.
Speaker 6: Whoever did it made sure her neck was broken.
Speaker 5: At approximately six o'clock that morning, in a second floor
room of a downtown hotel, the body of an unidentified
woman was found murdered. Preliminary investigation failed to reveal the
true identity of the victim or the killer. As far
as physical evidence was concerned, there wasn't much to go on.
The deep bruises on her neck and throat, along with
a crushed vertebrae at the base of her skull, indicated
a savage attack one five PM. Through the label on
the dead woman's coat, we traced the garment to a
department store where it had been purchased, but they had
no record on it. It was a cash purchase and
the salesgirl couldn't remember the customer. Investigation during the next
two days failed to turn up any leads. We showed
a more picture of the victim to bartenders, waitresses, parking
a lot of tendants.
Speaker 6: In the vicinity of the hotel. They couldn't identify her.
Speaker 5: We rechecked tenants and employees at the hotel that got
us nothing. Thursday, five forty eight pm.
Speaker 7: One answer at your lafe to find Yeah, victim was
a nice looking woman, well dressed, nice clothes. How comes
she's staying in a cheap hotel down the neighborhood like that?
It doesn't jibe from my mind? Were that's sorry to say? Sure,
got me stop two days leg work and we're no play.
Speaker 5: We might be in better shape when we get that
kickback from Washington. That's you're a hope, So go ahead.
Speaker 6: They excuse me, Yes, sir, can we help you?
Speaker 11: Well, no, I don't know. I guess it all depends.
I'm waiting for a couple of detectives here.
Speaker 7: Well, who is it?
Speaker 11: You wanted to see a couple of detectives.
Speaker 7: Who are they?
Speaker 11: It's pretty confidential, you know, I have to talk to them.
Told me to see Friday and Romero. Ben Friday and
Joe Romero detectives handling the case.
Speaker 5: Yes, sir, I'm Joe Friday. This is my partner, Ben Romero.
So we're handling the case. What do you want to
see us about?
Speaker 11: They said you were working on that murder case, that
woman they found in the hotel. Yes, sir, that's right,
that's so you see your badges. Yes, sir, here's our identification.
Mm hmmm. Read about that murder in the paper.
Speaker 6: You know.
Speaker 11: You better come over here. Yeah, you're going to thank
me for this. I got all you want to know
about that murder.
Speaker 7: You mind telling us your name, sir?
Speaker 11: I don't mind. L. P. Morgan was a good friend
of hers. You know he used to work with him.
Speaker 6: You mean the dead woman, it's.
Speaker 11: The same one. I never forget a face. Maud McLeod
saw that picture in the paper and I said to myself,
there's old Maud.
Speaker 6: You're pretty sure that, are you? Mister Morden?
Speaker 11: Sure, I'm sure. I'm Maud McLeod used to work together
in the circus. Maud was a bareback girl, you know,
investment Andre, a real trooper.
Speaker 7: What makes you so sure it's the same oman, mister Morgan?
When was the last time you saw this friend of yours?
This Martin mccloth well. I used to see her all
the time work the old sales photo together. Got a
photo of her. Do you mind if we take a
look at it.
Speaker 11: That's why I came down here. I want to help out.
You's got to be identified. Let's see got here's somewhere
so more in a circus custome. Yeah, here it just
take a look at that. It's mord ain't it.
Speaker 7: Mmm, well, I don't know, sir. It doesn't seem to
be too much resemblance.
Speaker 11: Here is that right?
Speaker 7: Grad, you've made a mistake, mister Morgan. Thanks for your
cooperation anyhow. I appreciate you coming in.
Speaker 11: Sure it was Maud, I got it.
Speaker 6: Homicide Friday. Oh yeah, Frank, Uh huh is that right?
What to say?
Speaker 5: Huh yeah, okay, fine, no, we'll pick it out. Yeah, thanks,
anythink communications they got the kickback from Washington on the
dead woman's fingerprints and you left. They got to identify
she worked at an aircraft plant during the war. Names
Doris Fraser.
Speaker 11: I can't help it to think you fellows are missing
at BET. I knew that dead woman.
Speaker 5: Well, she's already been identified, mister Morgan. We know who
she is, names Doris Fraser.
Speaker 6: That's so, yes, sir, that's right.
Speaker 11: Oh what do you think of that?
Speaker 2: Oh, Maud?
Speaker 11: She went and changed her name.
Speaker 5: Thursday, six thirty five pm, Ben and I went down
the hall to Communications and got a copy of the
kickback from Washington. The murder victim was identified as Doris
Eileen Fraser. She applied for a position as a typist
at the Eagle Aircraft Plant in Burbank in nineteen forty two.
Next morning, we checked the personnel office at the plant.
We found that Doris Fraser had been employed as a
typist from nineteen forty two to nineteen forty four, and
going over our application, we found our last known address
listed as seventy three forty six Oakdale Avenue. Her application
stated she was single, with no previous employment, with no
known relatives, we could uncover no further information on the girl.
We drove across town to the Oakdale Avenue address, a
large apartment building in a better than average neighborhood. The
manager told us that Doris Fraser had lived there up
to eight months before. He said that a few weeks
before she moved, she was married to a tall, dark
haired man, but he was unable to remember his name.
The manager also told us that the newly married couple
apparently began having trouble from the day that they were married.
We checked the next forwarding address, a boarding house for
women in the south end of the city. Ben and
I interviewed the woman in charge of missus, Francis Watson.
We talked to her back in the kitchen of the
boarding house while she polished to set a silverware.
Speaker 12: I saw that picture in the paper. I didn't connect
it with Doris, though. She was a much prettier girl
when she lived here.
Speaker 7: You say she left here about eighteen months agoms watching.
Speaker 12: Yes, maybe a little more. It might be closer to
two years. I'd have to check my rent receipts to
be sure.
Speaker 7: Did you happen to know anything about the Fraser girl
is watching? I mean, did you know much about her
personal life?
Speaker 11: Of all?
Speaker 12: Well, of course I always insist on references any good
boarding house. Does you know Doris was a nice girl
in many ways? Of course, she had her shortcomings. I
suppose we all do. When she first came here, she
seemed like such a nice girl, and then she started
to go downhill. I just don't know what got into her.
Speaker 6: Well, what do you mean, man, Was she in some
kind of trouble?
Speaker 12: Well, of course when she first came here we didn't
know it, but she was married. This is a home
for single girls. We have our rules and regulations, just
like any other respectable place. This man we understand well,
as we came to find out later, Doris wasn't only married,
but she was fighting with her husband. I understand he
wasn't much at all. She was thinking of getting a divorce.
Speaker 6: As a matter of fact, Will did you ever meet
her husband, miss Watson?
Speaker 8: No?
Speaker 12: I never did. I suppose It's just as well. I
didn't understand that Doris left him after they'd been married
only a few months.
Speaker 7: M you know what his name is, ma'am.
Speaker 12: No, I have no idea. Doris always used her maiden
name when she was with me.
Speaker 7: Then you never saw this man as what? And he
never came to housh here?
Speaker 12: No, I didn't say I never saw him. I said
I didn't meet him. Yes, there was once when he
came to the house to see Doris.
Speaker 7: What was the occasion you mind telling us by? Oh?
Speaker 12: It was most unpleasant. I can tell you that, not me,
see now, Yes, Doris, I've been here about six months.
By that time I was beginning to see the real
side of the girl. No character, Sergeant, no character at all.
It shows up every time.
Speaker 6: Yes, ma'am, what if you'd go on please?
Speaker 12: Well, as I was saying, it was after about six
months when this man brought Doris home late one night,
about a quarter till midnight, I'd say, upset the whole house.
Speaker 7: How was that man?
Speaker 12: The two of them, this man and Doris, they stood
right out there in the hall, had a terrible quarrel language.
It was dreadful the top of their lungs too. My
husband went out to quiet them down, but the man
left before he had a chance to call him down.
The upset the whole house.
Speaker 5: Now, this man, the Fraser woman was arguing with You're
sure that that was her husband?
Speaker 12: Well as sure as I can be. That's what Doris
told me. Anyway, the day after, I called her in
and told her I just couldn't tolerate behavior like that.
It upset her quite a bit. I remember she cried
so it wouldn't happen again. That's when she told me
she was trying to get a divorce.
Speaker 6: Is that what the big argument was about? Would you
know that?
Speaker 12: Yes, she said she wanted a divorce. Her husband didn't.
He wanted her back with him. Certainly, is sad the
way some people mix up their lives.
Speaker 7: Yes, ma'am. By any chances you get a good look
at this man husband, nummy.
Speaker 12: Well, he was tall and had dark hair. That's about
all I remember. He was well dressed too.
Speaker 7: I see when Doris Fraser left your missus watching, did
she leave her forward and addressed with you? No, she didn't.
Speaker 12: I haven't any idea where she moved.
Speaker 6: What kind of work was she doing while she was
living here? Do you have any idea where she was employed?
Speaker 12: Yes, that was one of the references she gave me.
Furniture company down on Venice Boulevard, If I remember correctly,
I have the address my record book. Certainly is unfortunate.
Speaker 6: The whole thing, Yes, ma'am, it is.
Speaker 12: He even tried to talk to her before she left,
sat her down and talked to her for a whole afternoon.
I guess it was just a waste of time.
Speaker 7: How's that man in.
Speaker 12: Trouble with her husband? Terrible thing. He seemed to treat
her so badly to have been fighting all the time.
I believe she was actually afraid of him. She told
me it was very jealous. He drank ran around. That's
why I couldn't understand it.
Speaker 6: You couldn't understand what, ma'am Doris.
Speaker 12: When she moved away from here, ma'am, she said she
was going back with her husband.
Speaker 5: The landlady, Francis Watson, gave us the address of the
furniture store where the murder victim had been employed, and
we drove down to check with a personnel manager of
mister Collins. He said that Doris Fraser had been fired
from her job ten months before. He said she'd been
let go because she was constantly late for work and
that she got into the habit of asking for salary
advances too often. Collins also told us that he'd heard
about the trouble between the Fraser woman and her husband.
He said he'd seen the husband in the store several
times when he came to call for his wife. He
identified the husband as Steve and Arnold. The description was
approximately the same, a tall, well dressed man, dark hair,
heavy build. The personnel manager gave us the last known address.
Speaker 6: They had on the victim.
Speaker 5: The following morning, we checked it out, an apartment hotel
in the East Wiltshire area. She was still registered there
together with her husband, Steve and Arnold, but the desk
clerk told us that Arnold hadn't been living there for
the past three months. He had no idea where Arnold
had moved he didn't know where he worked. While a
desk clerk stood by, Ben and I went upstairs and
checked the apartment.
Speaker 6: Anything Joe, No, nothing.
Speaker 7: Nothing in the bedroom, like Lee says, she goes in
for nice clothes. About all I can figure what you
got there?
Speaker 6: See it lying on the desk here, looks like she
started to let her and didn't get to finish it.
Speaker 7: What's it say there?
Speaker 5: It's date of October twenty third. That's over a week ago,
says dear George. I've been meaning to write to you before,
but that's all.
Speaker 6: That's as far as she got.
Speaker 7: George. First time we've run into that name on this
deal makes more than one man in her life.
Speaker 5: He There's a couple more letters here. They're all addressed
to her, unopen. See well we can go buy her.
The return addresses telephone bill, ad from a woman's store, postcard,
another ad. Here's something Santa Monica, postmar Check the name
on that return, yeah, Steve and Arnold. Twelve thirty five pm.
We called the office and check Steven Arnold through R
and I. He had no criminal record. The return address,
which he'd listed on the envelope of a letter to
his wife, was one o eight to six specific Front Boulevard.
We located it on the beach, just below Santa Monica
was a small Hamburger stand owned and operated by the
dead woman's husband.
Speaker 8: No, I haven't seen Doris for a couple of months anyway.
Speaker 7: Why, I understand you had an apartment with your wife
in the East Wilson neighborhood. Is that right, McDonald?
Speaker 8: Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 7: Mind telling us why you left?
Speaker 8: No, I don't mind. I want to move closer to
my work, that's all. That place is way too far out.
Speaker 6: Well, how is your wife didn't move with you? Sir?
Speaker 8: She want to stay close to town. Doesn't care for
the beach much bad for his sinus?
Speaker 5: I guess, well, did you have an argument with your
wife inold some kind of a disagreement? Is that one
of the reasons you moved?
Speaker 8: Yeah, you might call it that. We're getting a divorce.
Speaker 2: That's so.
Speaker 8: Yeah, it was the best thing all the way around.
There's nothing of fighting and scrapping the last year. Anyway,
we decided to call it quits. You excuse me a minute.
I gotta put some cold drinks. It's cooler.
Speaker 6: Yeah, I got right ahead.
Speaker 8: Would you do you care for cold drink, no coke,
maybe nothing.
Speaker 6: Did you get the divorce from your wife, mister Arnold.
Speaker 8: Yeah, that's right, I'm divorcing her. Why do you want
to know?
Speaker 6: You remember that last time you saw your wife? The
exact date?
Speaker 8: I mean, oh, I don't think I remember that. Been
at least three months, I'll say that much.
Speaker 7: You spend most of your time down here at the beach,
do you, miss Darner?
Speaker 8: Yeah, that's right. I get into town once or twice
a month. They sure you were like a coke. They
gonna have one myself if you don't mind. Sure I
got cold, Well, it sure as cold.
Speaker 7: How about last Tuesday night? So you happened to be
in town that night?
Speaker 12: Oh?
Speaker 8: Last time was two three weeks ago? Anyway, went in
to see a show. I was working here last Tuesday night.
Work every night except Monday. It's only night I'm closed
up for her.
Speaker 6: Is there anyone who can votch for that?
Speaker 8: I don't think I get this. Why do you want
to know?
Speaker 6: Well, is there anybody who can votch for you?
Speaker 8: Well? Sure, half a dozen people. Anyway, A fellow runs
a place next door. The guys in the rest of
the stalls up and down the way. Here they can
all vouch for me. I worked till one am, same
as usual. Just a minute, hey, beg.
Speaker 5: Go Steve hop over here for a minute, so I
don't want to talk to you about Yeah, just a minute, hey,
big thank.
Speaker 8: He'll be right over you. Fellows want a cup of
coffee or anything?
Speaker 7: No, I would. I'd like to have a change for
that cigarette, mes, you know, if you don't mind.
Speaker 8: Oh, sure.
Speaker 7: There you are, think yes, Steve.
Speaker 8: Hey, uh, these fellows have detective vict guess about some
kind of jam my wife, got it? Do they want
to know where I was last Tuesday night?
Speaker 4: Yeah?
Speaker 8: They want somebody to vouch for him.
Speaker 6: Sure, did you see mister Arnold last Tuesday night?
Speaker 7: I was working next door.
Speaker 13: Steve was here all night.
Speaker 4: You are listening to dragnet authentic stories of your police
force in action.
Speaker 5: Saturday October thirty, first two pm, Ben and I checked
with a dozen different concession operators in the neighborhood of
Steven Arnold's eating place.
Speaker 6: They all corroborated the fact.
Speaker 5: That on the night his wife had met her death
in a downtown hotel, Arnold had been working at his
stand until one am. Despite all the previous indications that
he might have been responsible for the murder of his wife,
we had to eliminate him as a possible suspect. Two
twenty pm, on the way back into town, we stopped
by the apartment hotel where Doris Fraser was living at
the time of her murder. After checking further with the
tenants and with the help in the building, we found
out that the victim had been in the habit of
eating most of her meals at restaurants in the immediate neighborhood.
After some two hours of checking and running into six restaurants,
we found a small coffee shop four blocks from the
apartment building, where one of the waitresses identified Doris Fraser's picture.
Speaker 14: Yeah, that's her offic terrible picture though she looks so
much older.
Speaker 7: About how often would you say miss Fraser.
Speaker 14: Came in here, man, Well, three or four times a week.
I'd say the bus stops right out there on the corner.
She'd usually have breakfast, then grab the bus and go
to work. Some nights, coming home from work, she'd stopping
here for dinner.
Speaker 6: Nice girl.
Speaker 11: Quiet.
Speaker 6: Did you get to know her at all? Miss? I mean,
did you happen to know any of her? Friends here
in the neighborhood.
Speaker 14: No, As I say, she was a quiet person, not
very talkative, usually read while she was eating, book or magazine.
Speaker 6: Uh huh. Did she ever come in here with anyone else?
Speaker 11: Do you know that?
Speaker 12: Yeah? Quite a few times.
Speaker 14: You seemed to have a boyfriend chause she was attractive, small.
Speaker 12: You know, but real cute looking.
Speaker 7: M Do you happen to know any of these men?
Speaker 14: No, I'm sorry, I don't.
Speaker 7: Anyone of them in particular. She came in with very often.
Speaker 14: Let's see, I think there was one blonde, good dresser,
kind of tall, good looking. They usually came in together
for breakfast.
Speaker 6: How long ago was this miss you recall?
Speaker 14: Oh, say, up until a couple of weeks ago. I
usually waited on him in the morning.
Speaker 12: That's how I happened to remember.
Speaker 6: I see. Did you ever happen to hear this man's name?
Speaker 14: Let me see George?
Speaker 12: I think that was it.
Speaker 15: Yeah.
Speaker 6: Would you happen to know if he lives in the neighborhood?
Speaker 12: No, sorry, I don't.
Speaker 7: Has this man been in here in the past week?
Speaker 6: You know?
Speaker 12: Yes he has. He came in for breakfast.
Speaker 6: What day was that?
Speaker 11: This morning?
Speaker 6: Before we left the coffee shop.
Speaker 5: We questioned the cashier, who came up with the information
that the man known as George usually left his car
parked at the service station across the street. We left
our card and asked the cashier to call us in
case the suspect returned. At the service station, they also
remembered the man known as George, but they told us
he hadn't been in for the past month. They'd done
some work in his car for him in the past,
so they had a record of his license number. We
called our DMV and found that the car was registered
to a car Lucy in East Hollywood four forty five pm.
We drove out and interviewed Lucy at his home, but
he came nowhere near the description of the suspect. He
told us that he had purchased the car six weeks
before from a man known as George Crane. He described
Crane as tall, blonde, and well dressed. From the bill
of sale. We got Crane's address, a motel on East Manchester.
The manager there told us that George Crane had moved
a week before. He said that Crane had left no
forwarding address, but he did remember where he worked. He
was a driller in one of the oil fields down
in Long Beach. We checked the oil company's personnel office downtown,
but they were closed for the day six eighteen pm.
We went back to the office and pulled the package
on George Crane from R and.
Speaker 7: I get anything on him.
Speaker 6: He's got our record. Here's the package here.
Speaker 5: Yeah, nothing, very heavy drunk charge two years ago, another
one last year, disorderly combat resisting arrest.
Speaker 7: That's about all I'm seeing. Yeah, description checks out all
the way.
Speaker 6: You called the night officer of that oil company digit.
Speaker 7: Yeah, they couldn't tell us anything, said call back first
thing in the morning. I want to Rachel, I got it.
Speaker 6: Yeah, onmic side Friday.
Speaker 5: Who how's that? Oh yeah, sure, yes sir, No it's
around Friday. Not yeah, thanks anyway, you beat yeah, yah goobye.
Speaker 6: A alad does it? Who was that guy who was
any of the other day? You remember that Alfred P.
Morgan or whatever it was?
Speaker 7: Oh one knee want wanted to buy a drink.
Speaker 6: He's celebrating. Huh his old friend Maud. He just found her.
Eight am.
Speaker 5: The next morning, we checked with the personnel department of
the oil company's downtown offices. They told us that George
Crane was employed as a driller, that he'd been working
for the company for the past five years, and that
he had a good employment record. They told us he
was on the day shift and that he was scheduled
to report for work on Rigs six nineteen at the
Long Beach Field. At eight o'clock that morning, Ben and
I got in the car drove down a Long Beach
where we located the murder suspect, George Crane at work
in the field.
Speaker 15: Doris Frasier, I'm sorry, sor, and I don't think I
know anybody about that name.
Speaker 13: How about Doris Arnold?
Speaker 7: Mister Crane?
Speaker 13: Would you know anybody by that name? Arnold? No, No,
I'm afraid not. What's it all about. You own a car,
do you, sir?
Speaker 8: Yeah?
Speaker 13: That's it right over there, that dark sidan.
Speaker 16: Yeah. Have you had it long?
Speaker 8: Oh?
Speaker 15: I've had it a couple of weeks. Last thing I
had was giving me a lot of trouble.
Speaker 16: Did you trade it in?
Speaker 11: No?
Speaker 13: I sold it for a private party fell out in Hollywood.
You mind taking a look at this picture, mister Crane? Yeah, Ah,
doesn't look like anybody I know.
Speaker 15: Why am I supposed to we think you should. Yes, sir,
I don't think I follow you.
Speaker 17: Do you spend any time around the East Wiltster district Crane, Eastwelter?
Speaker 15: You said, yeah, Oh, I've probably been over there a
couple of times.
Speaker 13: Not lately though.
Speaker 7: How about the coffee shop on the corner of Gramercy
and Meringo.
Speaker 13: You ever been in there? Not that I remember?
Speaker 11: No.
Speaker 17: Well, a waitress in that coffee shop and the cashier too.
They say they've got a pretty regular customer. You put
your description exactly sure you've.
Speaker 13: Never been in there? Well, I'm not positive. I wouldn't
swear I've never been in the place. What's the difference anyway?
Speaker 16: Well, how about that service station across the street from
the coffee shop? You ever parked your car there?
Speaker 6: They ever do any work on it for you?
Speaker 16: Oh?
Speaker 15: Say, I bet I know the place you're talking about. Yeah, yeah,
I've been there quite a few times.
Speaker 13: It's a good station. They've done some good jobs in
the car for me. I remember it now.
Speaker 16: Well, I guess you remember the coffee shop Crane, Yeah,
I think I do now, Right across the streets from
the station, I did. Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 13: Well, what do you want to know about it.
Speaker 17: When's the last time you were in there, Crane? Well,
tell you the truth. I couldn't be sure.
Speaker 7: We talked to a waitress in there yesterday.
Speaker 13: She said you were in that morning for breakfast.
Speaker 7: Do you remember that?
Speaker 15: She's way off the track on that when I could
tell you that I wasn't near the place yesterday morning.
Speaker 16: Well, cashier remembers you too, She says you were in.
How about it, Crane?
Speaker 13: What difference does it make? What's this thing all about?
Speaker 8: Anyway?
Speaker 16: I want to take another look at this picture.
Speaker 13: Well, I told you once I don't know the woman.
I never saw her before in my life.
Speaker 16: Why don't you give it some thought?
Speaker 6: Huh?
Speaker 16: I said, why don't you give it some thoughts?
Speaker 5: You remembered East Wilshire, You remember the service station, You
finally remember the coffee shop.
Speaker 16: Maybe you can remember her.
Speaker 13: I tell you I don't know her. I never saw
in my Look. Let's go on the shed where we
can hear each other.
Speaker 5: Huh.
Speaker 8: All right, that's a little better.
Speaker 12: Huh.
Speaker 7: The waitress in the place says you were there quite
a few times with a woman. You usually came in
for breakfast. You stopped going there about two weeks ago.
Speaker 2: I don't know her.
Speaker 7: What's the matter? Clean? You figure you got something to hide.
Speaker 13: I don't know what you're talking about. I don't know her.
What do you figures she got to do with me?
Speaker 2: Anyway?
Speaker 5: We checked her apartment, mister, we found a letter she
was writing to you. You're not ready to tell us?
Speaker 18: What's the letter? That doesn't mean anything, can't prove anything
by the letter? What are you thinking anyway?
Speaker 6: We think you're lying, Crane. We think you got a
reason for it.
Speaker 18: What do you say doesn't prove anything?
Speaker 13: Maybe I know her and that doesn't mean anything at all.
Speaker 6: We think it does.
Speaker 2: Yeah, we think you killed her.
Speaker 18: That's the way it looks to you.
Speaker 7: That's the way it looks.
Speaker 13: I don't think you can prove it.
Speaker 6: We're going to try now, how about it?
Speaker 11: Well?
Speaker 18: It going easier for me in five minutes.
Speaker 6: That's not up to us.
Speaker 18: I don't know why I did it. What am I
going to give for a reason. I don't know why
I killed him.
Speaker 6: I wouldn't know.
Speaker 18: Crane didn't really have any reason. That sounds funny, doesn't it?
No reason at all? I just killed her? Am I
going to tell him? If I don't have a reason.
How can I ask him to let me off easy?
How can I ask?
Speaker 6: I don't know, but they'll have an answer.
Speaker 2: The story you have just heard was true. The names
were changed to protect the innocent.
Speaker 4: On February eighth, trial was held in Superior Court, Department
ninety two, City and County of Los Angeles, State of California.
In a moment the results of that trial, and.
Speaker 2: Now here is our star, Jack Webb.
Speaker 5: Thank you friends, all of us on Dragnet. Sincerely hope
that all of you enjoyed a happy Thanksgiving.
Speaker 4: George Martin Crane was tried and convicted in Superior Court
of murder in the first degree. He is now serving
a life term in the state penitentiary. You have just
heard drag Met a series of authentic cases from official files.
Technical advice comes from the Office of Chief of Police,
wh Parker, Los Angeles Police Department.
Speaker 2: Next, Counter Spy Fights, International Intrigue. Stay tuned to NBC.
Speaker 1: Welcome Back. This episode is textbook drag Nat, but it
is very well realized way. Essentially, I hear them and
their investigative process as they followed lead after lead, beginning
with an unidentified woman strangled in a hotel room to
really get details about her and her life and at
last finding her killer. It was a laborious process, even
when they found the car and the license plate, No,
that didn't get them there. Dragnett often bills itself as
taking you step by step with the police on an
actual case from crime to punishment. But usually there's kind
of a middle of the investigation that really gets emphasized,
and we get enough to understand what's gone on before,
and then we're kind of put you know, several steps
into the investigation. But here, you know, it is just
step by step. Okay, this didn't work well, we learned this,
and now we do this. It's just a fascinating thing.
It should not work as well as it does. But
again it's just Webb's ability to make these details and
each element realistic and interesting that is such a hallmark
of Dragnet. And I also did like the little bit
of comedy relief they worked in with mister Morgan, which
I think just does help the pacing. So well, you've
got just like this little comedic break in the middle,
and then on we go got two of them, actually,
and I'm glad that at least he got good news
with his friend maud Well. Now we turn to listener
comments and feedback, and we start over on Patreon. We've
got quite a few comments regarding the big hit and
run killer. Jeff writes, the suspect Miller letting some guy
named Paul he seems to barely know, go off with
his bakery truck to supposedly move a television seems ridiculous
on the face of it. Also, if Miller left the
bakery for a few minutes to say goodbye to some
friends at a nearby hotel, why weren't those friends contacted
to back up that part of his alibi? Their questions.
I would say that you're right that it was ridiculous
on the face of it, and that's why he needed
to prove that he done it, because if the police
were able to find corroborating evidence, it's a you know,
ladies and gentlemen of the jury, my client just loaned
this truck. No, we don't know is his full name. No,
we don't have any prov he actually borrowed it. As
to the friends in the hotel, that's like I said,
that's another fair question. Now a lot of people can
use the friend thing kind of loosely, it could refer
to somebody he had meant a long time ago, ran
into again and they said, hey, before I leave town,
why don't you come by the hotel and say goodbye.
But he didn't have the information or could use it
to refer to people who were in town temporarily he
had met and befriended. You know, I mean, a guy
who loans his bakery shock to somebody is apt to
do these sort of things. So I can see him
having friends that he doesn't have their address for that
he met them at some point. Now you would think
that they could check with the hotel, but the desk
Clark may not have even seen him going up, So
I tend to assume that they looked into it, but
just could not find any corroboration for that detail of
his alibi. And then Kevin comments leave it to Sergeant
Friday to continually stomp on suspects, constitutional riots, no warrants
or lawyers ever present. The depth of this apppisode was
shockingly simple. All the information provided after one phone call
the ticket lady with eight minutes till she could take
a break and talk right inside to start questioning doctor,
I know you're doing brain surgery right now, but we'd
like to ask some questions. It's really important. Apparently no
writer ever asked does this sound real? Well, Kevin, believe me,
on Dragnet writers more than anywhere else asked does this
sound real? I think that there is a subtle distinction
between performing brain surgery and working as a movie theater
ticket taker. It's slightly less complex. And in this case,
there weren't really people who were coming by during this time,
which is believable because there are times where it's really
kind of slow. Plus, let's just be honest here, that
you're sitting in your ticket window and you see this
car come right in front of your eyes and run
down this elderly woman and her grandson's that's something that
is very upsetting, maybe even traumatic, depending on how you
define that, And she probably just wanted to talk about it.
I think the most unrealistic thing to say is let
me go ahead and just sit here and twiddle my
thumbs waiting for somebody to want to buy a ticket.
You witnessed something like that, and you want to talk
about it, and you know, if you are minded, you
want to see the person who did that caught injustice. Done,
and I think that was her mode and I didn't
feel that was unrealistic at all. Doctor who done it
observes did not see that coming over on Instagram. Brain's
bitten rights. What a twisty story. Daniel Miller, the truck
slash Deli guy, may not have been the hit and
riding driver, but boy is he guilty of a lot
of bad judgment and decisions. Lends the company truck to
someone he doesn't know the name of, and leaves his
part time job to say goodbye to some other friends,
and changes his story constantly. I guess he was lucky
the real guilty party fest up. I don't know if
i'd say the guy fest up as much was called out,
but yeah, I think that the incredible thing about Dragnet
is that you are dealing with true life stories. There
is every reason to disbelieve him, but it is one
of the greatest twists in the whole history of this
program that as absurd as this man's story was, he
was telling the truth and of course a lot of
bad judgment. And you can speculate on that as well
because you add up his hours. The guys working around
seventy hours a week and that can leave you burnout
and lead to you making less than great decisions. Or
you can also be needing to do that because you've
made some less than great decisions. Either way, definitely guilty
of bad judgment, but thankfully for him, that's not a crime.
All right, Well, now it's time to thank our Patreon
supporter of the day, and I want to thank Dianne,
a Patreon supporter since July of twenty twenty three, 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, Diane, and that will do it
for today. If you're enjoying the podcast, please follow us
using your podcast software and be short of rate and
review the podcast wherever you download it from. We will
be back next Thursday with another episode of Dragnet. But
join us back here tomorrow for yours truly. Johnny Dollar
Where Johnny Dollar Insurance?
Speaker 2: Yeah that's right now. Look, I want you to let
me into his apartment?
Speaker 6: Where's the right his way?
Speaker 8: Something wrong, mister Dollar?
Speaker 2: Just a routine investigation.
Speaker 19: Oh, I was sure he'd done nothing wrong.
Speaker 18: Oh why do you say that?
Speaker 6: Nice quiet home man like him.
Speaker 19: Why should he only excitement he ever has is when
his niece comes to visit with him.
Speaker 2: His niece here's sir, names Virginia.
Speaker 19: Jenny Locker, wonderful girl sort of drops in here to
look after him once in a while, cook him a
good meal.
Speaker 17: Now here we are, mll It sure looks like he
left in a hurry.
Speaker 2: How's it soaping? Durspull dot Where can I find this
niche you mentioned? Why didn't you see her when you
just came in? That curl who bumped into me down
on the lobby, that was Jenny Lockhart.
Speaker 1: I hope you'll be with us then in the meantime.
Send your comments to Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot net.
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on Instagram, Instagram, dot com slash Great Detectives from Boise, Idaho.
This is your host, Adam Graham signing off.