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 Dragon It.
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Sandy becoming a Patreon supporter at the Master Detective level
of fifteen dollars.
Speaker 2: Or more per month.
Speaker 1: Again, thanks so much for your support, Sandy. Now, from
March twentieth, nineteen fifty two, here is the Big Border.
Speaker 3: 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 a robbery detail. Two convicts escape
from the state penitentiary. They're heading for your city. They're armed,
they boasted, they won't be taken alive. Your job get them.
Speaker 4: Dragnet the document a 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 Wednesday, October sixth, that was cloudy in Los Angeles.
We were working a day watch out of robbery detail.
My partner's said, Jacob's the boss's up and didyon. My
name is Friday. We're on the way out from the
office and it was two forty pm when we got
to Kesterton Boulevard, number.
Speaker 6: Twelve fifty six. Sounds like she's having a party.
Speaker 2: Huh yeah, try it again. Maybe they can't hear it. Yes,
police officers, ma'am you Ruth Thompson.
Speaker 7: Yes, that's right. What is it.
Speaker 5: My name's Friday. This is my partner, Sergeant Jacob Central Robbery.
We'd like to talk you a few minutes if we could.
Speaker 8: Well, I have a.
Speaker 7: Party going on right now, if you my friends were over,
what'd you want?
Speaker 6: Sergeant brought Andy Poum. Miss Thompson, understand you know him.
Speaker 7: I didn't know him, Yes, I haven't seen him for
a long time, three or four years.
Speaker 6: Anyway, mind if we ask a few questions about him.
It won't take long.
Speaker 7: Hi, come in, please, thank you.
Speaker 2: We're sorry to disturb you, ma'm it's pretty important that
we wouldn't hold you up.
Speaker 7: It's all right down the hall here. We can talk
in the kitchen if you don't mind. It's my girlfriend's
birthday today, though, I'd be nice to have a little party.
Speaker 8: Four.
Speaker 7: Oh, I see chair there if you like, Oh here,
let me wipe it offle you spuild a drink on it.
Probably Dan was born.
Speaker 6: I suppose you know about Andy Palm, Miss Thompson. What
happened this morning? What's that about Andy Powell? You heard
what happened this morning?
Speaker 7: Just what I read in the morning paper. They said
he broke out of Sam Quentin, another man with him.
It's true, then he did break out.
Speaker 5: Yes, ma'am, that's the information we have. There's an all
points bulleting out on him.
Speaker 7: Well, I don't want to get involved in it. It's
not my business. Andy doesn't mean anything to me.
Speaker 2: Well, at the time he was set up, you were
engaged to Powell.
Speaker 6: Is that right?
Speaker 7: Yes, But that was before he got into trouble, before
he went to San Quentin. I saw him after the trial.
I told him how I felt about it.
Speaker 6: I told him wasn't any use an He called it off, that.
Speaker 7: It wasn't much else to do. It was robbery five
years to life. It wasn't the first time either. Andy
knew it would be a long time, so die, Really
I had to tell him I have to.
Speaker 2: Call it off.
Speaker 5: We understand you were on Powell's correspondence list while I
was up at Quinton.
Speaker 6: He wrote to him, did you yes?
Speaker 7: The first couple of months we haven't written lately though.
It wasn't any point to it, no point at all.
Speaker 5: Well, when was the last time you heard from Paul
Miss Thompson last time you wrote to him?
Speaker 7: Oh, eight or ten months least.
Speaker 8: That.
Speaker 7: As I say, there wasn't much sense in going on.
Andy knew he was in there for a long time.
He couldn't expect me to wait all that time. Matter
of fact, he said he didn't expect it.
Speaker 6: He told me that you've been up to visit Paul recently,
Miss Thompson.
Speaker 7: No, No, I haven't well, and you.
Speaker 2: Haven't seen him since he went up to Quentin. You'll
swear to that.
Speaker 7: Why do I have to swear to what I already
told you? Andy doesn't mean anything to me? Didn't make sense,
it's all over. I'm not even a relative. Why do
I have to swear to anything?
Speaker 6: You haven't seen Paul since he went up to Quintin
that right, Miss Thompson? Is that right?
Speaker 7: What if I saw him? If I didn't see him,
what difference does it make? It's none of my business?
Speaker 6: Or did you say, Miss Thompson, what difference.
Speaker 7: Does it make? I don't have anything to do with him.
He doesn't mean anything to me.
Speaker 2: I told you, did you see.
Speaker 7: Him this morning?
Speaker 2: When?
Speaker 7: Late this morning about ten thirty was no? Another man
was with you?
Speaker 6: Who was the other man? You recognized him?
Speaker 7: Bert Selby. That's the way he introduced to me. He
didn't try to hide it. Some fellow broke out of
jail with.
Speaker 2: What they want?
Speaker 7: Why were they here, clothes, money, looked like the devil,
both of them terrible.
Speaker 2: What'd you give them?
Speaker 7: They asked for? I'm not that silly. Didn't trust me
anymore and they trust you. And he had a knife.
I tried to tell him I didn't have any money.
He didn't believe me, came at me with that knife.
Speaker 2: I gave the.
Speaker 7: Money that much, about seventeen eighteen dollars, some loose change.
The emptied my purse, took it off anything else, closed
a couple of suits of my father's. He died last year.
They took his gun too. Never thought Andy b that way.
It was terrible.
Speaker 6: What kind of a gun wasn't miss Thompson.
Speaker 7: Quote revolver thirty eight. I think they took that and
closed the money. It's about ten thirty this morning, Malcolm.
Speaker 5: He didn't report that. You say you knew about the escape.
You know they were wanted, didn't you?
Speaker 7: Why should I? They warned me about it. They threatened me,
said they'd come back and get me if I told
the police. Look, I don't want to get mixed up
in this. I'm engaged on a nice fella. Now we
want to get married. I don't want to get mixed
up in this. Andy Powell's nothing to me.
Speaker 6: Do you watch the two men when they left the
house here and you noticed that they drove off my car?
Speaker 7: No, I didn't. I just shut the door and prayed.
I was rid of him. Took my money, food, my
dad's clothes. Don't make it any tougher. Huh, Please, that's.
Speaker 2: Not a question of that man. We have to find him.
We're going to need all the cooperation we can get.
Speaker 7: I told you everything I could. Honestly, he said they'd
come back and kill me if I even talked to you.
I can't do any more. I sure hope you don't
find him.
Speaker 6: How's that?
Speaker 7: When Andy went out the door. It's the last thing
he said. He said, if the cops ever found him,
there was going to be a fight. Terrible look on
his face. No, he said he'd never take him alive.
Speaker 5: The APB had come in a few minutes before eight
o'clock that morning, was from the Warden's office San Quentin.
The two suspects had been assigned to an early morning
work detail at the penitentiary, and they were first reported
missing at the seven am count. Number one suspect was
Andrew A. Powell, WMA twenty nine years, five nine, one
hundred and seventy five pounds, brown hair, blue eyes, tan complexion.
Suspect number two, Bertram O Selby, WMA, thirty one years,
five foot eleven, one hundred and sixty pounds, blonde hair,
gray eyes, tan complexion. Both of them had long criminal records.
Both of them had been serving time for armed robbery.
They'd used guns before. We figured if they had to,
they'd use them again. Before we left, Powell's ex girlfriend,
Ruth Thompson, we called the office and arranged for a
twenty four hour stakeout on her home in case the
escape primer's return. We also made arrangements for a stake
out at the downtown restaurant where she was employed his cashier.
We passed along the information which the Thompson girl had
given us, and a broadcast and an APB was gotten
out on the suspects. Four h five pm, ED and
I continued making the rounds of all unknown friends and
associates of the escape prisoners. We failed to come up
with any more leads. Five point fifty pm we went
back to the City.
Speaker 6: Hall, clouding up again. Huh over there in the east.
Speaker 2: Yeah, papers has rained tonight and tomorrow.
Speaker 6: We can sure use it my cats.
Speaker 2: What's the matter?
Speaker 6: I haven't had a chance to get the shoemakers yet. Yeah,
there pulling my shoe and meaning you get them half
sole to keep forgetting. Yeah, and don't tell me that's
the only pair of shoes you got. Oh, I've got
another pair at home and not comfortable though and not
broken in. It's in trouble with job. What do you
mean shoes? You get a new pair of start wearing
them around. It happens every time. No, sooner you get
the tops broken in, the soldier were Out's a vicious circle. Yeah,
all right? Word you know, hi, Jess?
Speaker 2: Anything in the book for us?
Speaker 6: I don't know. I don't think so I'll check it.
How do you to make out any well?
Speaker 2: Not too bad, Jess.
Speaker 5: We know Poll and Selby were in town this morning.
Good chances still here? Any kickback on that last all
points we got.
Speaker 6: Out nothing so far.
Speaker 9: Gaffney and rickets are running down a couple of possibles
right now. One of them might pan out nothing on
the book show. We're clear just saying it. On this
Powell and Selby thing, got a couple of possibles were
checking on. Both calls came in the last hour. One
was a hold of the Olympic near Vermont bun shop.
There two men pull it off, slugged the owner, took clothes, money,
twelve gage, shotgun.
Speaker 2: I'll about descriptions on them in and it seemed to
be fairly close.
Speaker 9: When I got over the phone, Gaffney and Rickitts are
out talking to the victim. They took mugs of Powell
and Selby along waiting for their callback.
Speaker 6: Now said you had two calls? What was the other one?
Two eleven?
Speaker 9: The slugging out on Hollywood Boulevard just about Western A
couple of thieves knocked over a dry goods store. Some
take clothes and money. Descriptions are pretty close there too,
Hollywood divisions covering waiting for their callback.
Speaker 6: Do you any want to smoke?
Speaker 2: Yeah?
Speaker 6: Thanks, yeah, thanks. Thompson girl is the only one who
had anything. Huh. None of the others could help you out. Yeah,
it's about size of it. Apparently Paul doesn't have too
many connections in town. Selby has even less. I'm more
a dozen names on that list. Were they Joe friends,
relatives or.
Speaker 2: An even dozen?
Speaker 5: A couple of bars Powell was known to hang out
when he was in town. Check them out too.
Speaker 2: Nothing.
Speaker 9: I sure made a bee line here after they broke Quinton.
It's a good five hundred miles stretch. They don't have
the connections here to help them, then, what's the big attraction?
Speaker 8: Yeah?
Speaker 6: I could have some help lined up, we don't know about.
Somebody'd hide them out, keep them in groceries for a
while as possible.
Speaker 5: They're making a run for one of the border towns
to j Wanta, MEXICALI maybe poll figured on more help
from the Thompson Girl. Clothes and money enough to get
him and sell me over in New Mexico.
Speaker 6: Huh, she said, all I got was seventeen dollars. I
had to cut Connors to make none that.
Speaker 8: Robbery.
Speaker 6: Gonzalez, Oh yeah, Jack, are you sure? Okay? Fine? Thanks? Bye,
We got Jack Recketts.
Speaker 9: He and Gaffney just finished talking to the owner of
the pawn shot that was held up at one on
Olympic Fill. They gave him a handful of mugshots check
he tabbed to them. Paul and Shelby.
Speaker 5: Six thirty PM A supplementary broadcast and an APB was
gotten out on the two suspects, and the Record Bureau's
photocopyroom turned out two thousand copies of Powell's and Selby's
mug shot for distribution. At nine PM, a theater on
Western Avenue was robbed of one hundred and ninety two dollars.
Powell and Selby were again identified as the hold up
men the robbery victim. The manager of the theater said
that both men were armed, one with a thirty eight revolver,
the other with a sawed off shotgun. Neither the manager
nor the two witnesses were able to tell us how
the thieves got away from the scene of the crime,
if they were on foot or if they had a car.
Eleven twenty pm, a hot shot call came through on
a hold up at a liquor store and delicatessen down
on South Central Avenue. For the third time that night,
Poull and Selby were identified from their mugshots as the
hold up men. They'd used the same weapons, the revolver
that they'd taken from the Thompson Girls home and the
shotgun that they picked up in the robbery of the
Olympic Boulevard pawn shop.
Speaker 2: Again, the victims were unable to.
Speaker 5: Tell us how the suspects got away, whether on foot
or by car. Midnight one am, there were still no
replies to supplementary broadcasts and bullets which had been gotten out.
One twenty five am, another hot shot call came through,
this time on a hold up and a slugging at
the twenty fifty Room, a small night club on West
ninth Street. Ed and I handled the call for the
fourth time. The bandits were identified as Powell and Selby,
and for the fourth time they'd made good their escape.
We interviewed the manager of the twenty fifty Room at
Hermann Saunders.
Speaker 6: Quite a few people in here at the time the
hold up, mister Saunders.
Speaker 9: Yeah, good for Thursday night, thirty or forty anyway, I
sure left in a hurry. This is the second time
this year we've been knocked over. Insurance company isn't going
to like it too much.
Speaker 2: How much money did they take all together?
Speaker 9: You know, little less than six hundred of the cash register,
mostly currency, some rolls of dives and quarters. Got another
one hundred and a half for my wallet about it.
They didn't take anything from the customers.
Speaker 5: You're sure about that identification now, there's no chance of
a mistake there.
Speaker 9: I'm positive I know Andy Paul anywhere. I should know him,
Like I told you, worked for me a.
Speaker 6: Year and a half.
Speaker 9: I was here at twenty fifty. Yeah, he worked behind
the bar. Good Man too. I don't get it at all.
You mean when I went bad, Well, yeah that too.
What I mean is, if you're going to hold up
a place, you don't pick a joint where everybody knows you.
I spotted any soon as I saw him at the bar,
so a couple of the waiters.
Speaker 5: He wasn't wearing any kind of a mask. He didn't
make any attempt to disguise himself.
Speaker 9: No stood their biggest life. Him and this other fella
didn't waste any time either. I pulled the guns, line
up everybody in the place and stood him against that
wall over there, real wild West style took over the
whole place. That could real wild Andy and this other
fellow must be crazy. Nobody was hurt, didn't slug anyway.
I slapped a few of the customers around. I thought
for a while they were really going to get rough.
Adis lined up against the wall, Andy was acting tough,
had this knife with him. Good four inch blade, went
right down the line, jabbing people with they're threatening him,
must be out of his mind.
Speaker 2: And you say he didn't take any money from the customers, Yeah.
Speaker 6: That's right.
Speaker 9: They worked it pretty fast, emptied the cash registered in
my wallet, then they beat it.
Speaker 6: Never so glad to see anybody go in my life life?
Speaker 2: Well how'd they get away?
Speaker 9: Do you have any idea on that old guy who
sells papers down the corner? He says he thinks he
saw a car pull away right after the stick up
said it was a blue sedan. Don't know much stock
you can put in at the old man's eyes on
what they used to be.
Speaker 6: Do you know Paul pretty well when he was working here,
mister Saunders? I mean, do you know any of his
friends people used to run with?
Speaker 9: No, I didn't know him that well. He worked for me,
that's all. I still have his old address, the place
he was living.
Speaker 6: When he worked for me.
Speaker 9: I can get it if you want, Yeah, if you would, please, sure,
No trouble. I just don't get it. Don't get it
at all. Of all the joints in time he could
have held up. He had a pick mine, the one
place he'd be recognized. Do you think he'd have better
sense when.
Speaker 6: You'd think so.
Speaker 9: Yeah, I'd ever hire a guy's dumb as that. Paul
holding up the place he worked for. Biggest mistake he
ever made.
Speaker 5: No, he made a bigger one yesterday. Yeah, what was
that when he broke prison two five am. Further investigation
at the scene of the latest hold up failed to
turn up any new leads. While Ed and I checked
on Powell's former address, which we'd gotten from the owner
of the twenty to fifty room, Gonzales, Ricketts, and Gaffney
continued checking the immediate neighborhood. In addition, the special detail
from Metro Division was sent in to cover the entire area.
The suspect's former address turned out to be a rooming
house up on West Temple Street. The landlady remembered Andy Powell,
but she had no forwarding address on him, and she
could tell us nothing about his former friends and associates.
We checked back with Gonzales, rickettson Gaffney, and they told
us that besides the old newspaper vendor, the counterman at
the coffee shop near the twenty fifty room, it also
spotted a blue sedan leaving the vicinity of the nightclub.
Shortly after the hold up. He was able to give
him the make, the model and a partial license number.
A supplementary all points had been gotten out on it
immediately and the information relayed to DMV and Auto Theft detail.
Speaker 2: Three.
Speaker 5: Ten am ed and I completed our assignment in the
investigation and went back to the office to check for
instructions from Captain Dideon.
Speaker 6: Can't sy how we'd be much used out on the
street the way things stand out, can you No? I
know everything's covered. I can think of supplementary All points
is out detail from Metro's work in the neighborhood.
Speaker 2: It's funny, isn't it.
Speaker 6: What's that?
Speaker 5: Unless Andy Powell going back to that place he used
to work and holding it up. That doesn't make any
sense at all, does it.
Speaker 6: That's for sure. Must have known somebody was going to
recognize him. Couldn't have been a coincidence.
Speaker 5: That was only one way I can figure it. They
don't care, either one of them. They got their money,
now a car, they both got guns. They're out to
go as far as they can.
Speaker 6: Oh, hi, Jess, all right, you just get back in, Yeah,
all right, Joe.
Speaker 9: Right, He was tired as you sound worse. Fair piece
of news, though, Yeah, what's that Paul and Selby? They
just found their hideout.
Speaker 5: After three hours of canvassing the general downtown area, particularly
in the vicinity of the last hold up, a team
of men working with a special detail from Metropolitan Division
interviewed a desk clerk in a small hotel on South
Broadway who recognized the suspects mugshots. The two of them
had registered early the morning before under the names J. E.
Dennis and Harold Thompson, both from Fresno, California. The hotel
room was searched and two San Quentin inmate uniforms were
found stuffed under the mattress of the bed. After the
room was processed for fingerprints, there was no doubt that
the occupants were Powell and Selby. The clerk had no
idea when they were supposed to return. The hotel was
staked out immediately, and the city wide search for the
escape prisoners went on. The following day, Thursday, October seventh,
eleven thirty am, still no sign of the suspects, no
further reports or leads as to their whereabouts. The search
went on ed and I signed back in at the office.
Ten minutes later, a long distance phone call came in
for us.
Speaker 6: When was that mort what's that? Yeah? Close enough, right,
we'll let you know ya. Bye, Mak good on San Diego.
Speaker 2: Yeah, what do you want?
Speaker 6: One of the traffic officers were checking a car about
eight o'clock this morning, five eighty six parking Lucidan. Fits
close to the description of the escape car.
Speaker 2: It was a pretty common model, isn't he see anything else?
Speaker 6: Traffic man checked the inside of the car glove compartment
found half a dozen rows of dives and quarters, the
same name stamped on all of them. Yeah, twenty fifty room.
Speaker 4: You are listening to dragnet authentic stories of your police
force in action.
Speaker 5: October seventh, Thursday, one pm, after we got the report
from Lieutenant mort Gear that the escape car, along with
a few dollars of the stolen money, had been located
in San Diego. That morning Ed and I had a
meeting with Captain Didion. Was beginning to look like our
first hunch was right. Howl and Selby's twenty four hour
campaign of hold ups in the Los Angeles area had
netted them a fresh change of clothes and more than
enough money to live on for a while. With the
locating of the escape car in San Diego, had looked
like the suspects were apparently taking the next logical step,
a fast move over the international border into Mexico, a
distance of less than twenty miles from San Diego. Probably
they figured once over the line they had a good
chance of losing themselves one on Captain Didion's orders, Jessicin
Zalez ed and I got in the car and headed
south for San Diego with a supply of mug shots
of the escape prisoners. We got there a few minutes
after four pm. We went directly to the San Diego
PD where we contacted Sergeant Tony McGuire, Robbery Detail.
Speaker 6: Tough week here.
Speaker 8: They've been driving you crazy up there.
Speaker 6: Just about Tony. Four robberies in twenty four hours has
given us a run. How about mort gear here?
Speaker 10: Ron, Yeah, he just went down the hall. Jest I
ought to be back in a minute. And why don't
you fellows sit down?
Speaker 6: Than?
Speaker 2: Thanks very much? Well, what's the latest, Tony? Anything since
you picked up that blue sedan?
Speaker 10: No, not much. Got the car and the impound had
a dust it for prints. We made them all right.
Both Seids, poul and Selby. No sign them around.
Speaker 8: Tom No got it pretty well covered too, not a trace.
Speaker 2: Le're in a good spot to make it over in
New Mexico. Hate to disappoint you.
Speaker 6: What do you mean we think they already made it?
Speaker 5: At six o'clock that night and zalez Ed and I,
together with Lieutenant gear Tony McGuire and Sergeants Gaton and Schultz,
drove south from San Diego to the international line. We
left mug shots of Powell and Selby with the immigration
officers at the entry gate, and then we drove into
the town of Ta contacted the local commandant of police
and he promised to school cooperation. He assigned a special
detail of his men to work with us in covering
the town. At eight pm, the block by block canvas
of the city began. Every back alley, every bar, every restaurant,
every hotel. They were all checked, the tourist attractions, the
souvenir stands, the nightclubs, the highlight pavilion. We went straight
through on it eight o'clock that night until five o'clock
the next morning. All it got us was sore feet
and a mediocre lead from a native taxi driver after
being shown the mugshots, he told one of the Mexican
officers in the detail that about noon that day, he
picked up two Americans resembling Powell and Selby and driven
them to the town of Takati, another Mexican tourist spot
about twenty five miles to the east. Ten thirty am
we drove over and checked with the police at Takati,
and they told us the two Americans had arrived in
the town that morning. He invited Jessicin Zales to go
along with the three of his men to the hotel
where the men were supposed to be staying ed.
Speaker 2: And I waited in the office.
Speaker 9: All right, all right, jess what he got oh much?
Went over the hotel. The two men weren't there, desk
clerk says, I told him they were driving out to
a little village about a mile from here. Police coming down.
Ask me to come back here and wait, said he
and his men, I drive out to the village and
check the man out.
Speaker 2: Seems a little funny to that.
Speaker 6: Really didn't invite me to come along. It's not a
good idea to push him. I mean, after all, it's
his jurisdiction. Yeah, we're supposed to wait here they get back. Yeah,
I'm out to him now.
Speaker 9: See yeah, yeah, see see about half an hour Yes,
all right, goodbye, sick, they're comment down.
Speaker 6: He and his men found the two Americans.
Speaker 9: Yeah, no, go, they're not Paul and Selby.
Speaker 5: Half an hour later, the police comming down of Takati
returned to the station along with his men and the
two American tourists in question. One look at him and
we knew we'd made the trip from Tijuana for nothing
except for their build and the color of their hair.
The two Americans bore a little or no resemblance to
Powell and Selby two point thirty pm, we headed back
for Tea j and we checked in with mort Gear
and the rest of the men. While we'd been gone,
they'd chased down half a dozen leads, but none of
them had panned out. The rest of the afternoon, we
covered the racetrack at Agua Calianti and distributed mugshots of
the suspects to all track police officers. The mutual windows
were covered and also the foreign book.
Speaker 2: No luck.
Speaker 5: The six of us took time out for a bite
a supper and we talked it over logically. The next
place in line to cover was either the fishing town
of Ensnada on the coast, or the city of Mexicali
further inland. We decided to try in Sonata first. Seven
point thirty that night, we checked in at the Ensinada
police station, where we met with a local subcommandant, Pedro Martinez.
Like the other commandants in Tijuana and Takati, he offered
full cooperation and gave us a special detail of men
to aid in the search. We gave him a supply
of mug shots of the two convicts to distribute among
his men.
Speaker 6: Hey you are these are pictures one of the Manrew Paul.
This one here is the other man, Bert Selby. All right,
thank you? What what see?
Speaker 4: Yes?
Speaker 8: These pictures one criminals? Therefore distribution to the man one.
Speaker 9: Each see, says the symbris seem to see.
Speaker 6: Excuse me?
Speaker 2: Yeah?
Speaker 6: Sorry, go ahead, Joe? What is What's got me?
Speaker 2: I don't know.
Speaker 6: See the look on his face when the chief showed
him mugshots.
Speaker 2: He he's got something on his mind. I just wait
a minute, Ovi.
Speaker 8: He says. I hope you would excuse me?
Speaker 2: Yes?
Speaker 10: Or anything wrong with my assistant Saverripo, he says, he
knows the pictures of these men.
Speaker 6: Oh, how's that?
Speaker 8: He says he saw these men this morning here in Nincenada.
Speaker 2: Yeah, he's sure about that, is he?
Speaker 8: Yes, sir, he says he's sure. He says, the two
men were here last night, right here in the station.
Speaker 2: You mean you're a man booked the men? They committed
some kind of crime.
Speaker 8: Oh, no, sir, they came in to report a crime.
Speaker 2: Eight twenty pm.
Speaker 5: On further questioning, the assistant to the ENSNATA Commandant of
Police told us that the night before, two men answering
Powell and Selby's description, had come in to file a
complaint at the Central police station. They charged that they'd
had their pockets picked at a local bar while they
were under the influence of alcohol. The two complainants, who
matched Powell's and Selby's descriptions perfectly signed themselves Je Dennis
and Harold Thompson, both from Presno, California, the same names
and addresses that had been used by the occupants of
the South Side Los Angeles hotel room where the discarded
prison uniforms had been found a day and.
Speaker 2: A half before.
Speaker 5: After a brief talk with a police commandant, he dispatched
a special detail to go out and pick up the
two men registered as Dennis and Thompson at a motel
near the south end of the city. At the Commandant's request,
we remained at the office. Nine pm nine thirty the
detail assigned to the job returned, but with only one
of the suspects with him, Andrew Powell, while resisting arrest.
The other suspect, identified as Selby, received a cut forward
and was being taken to a local clinic for treatment.
The commandant briefed us on what had happened. Their ooms
were searched Office of Friday.
Speaker 8: Some money was found. Also two gune say rivolrey shud
gun here they are.
Speaker 2: All right, thanks for very much. Well, Paul, how about it?
You're ready to cop out?
Speaker 6: What are you talking about? Cop out? Would you guys
come all the way down here for anyway. You can't
touch us. What makes you think we can? You can't.
That's all you know about it. You can't arrest us
down here. No jurisdiction. We didn't arrestue Paul. The Mexican
officers did.
Speaker 9: Okay, find out how they expect to get us out
of Mexico. Yes again, Copper you know you can't do it.
You haven't got the right.
Speaker 5: Maybe you want to tell us where you have the loot,
the money you're took in those hold ups.
Speaker 9: Why should I look? Why don't you admit it? We
got your beat, we got over the line. You can't
touch this down here.
Speaker 5: I don't bet on that, mister comment down, Yes, sir,
you want to tell them how it stands.
Speaker 8: I will see that the end Island charge of the
Northern District is notified. In the morning of your case.
You will see that you and your partner are deported.
Speaker 9: What are you trying to pull? You can't do that.
You know it's illegal, so's robbery. Paul, Come up, It
doesn't make any difference. You can't touch this in Mexico.
It's against the law. You can't touch it.
Speaker 10: A popular misconception, mister Paul, I'm afraid you have made
a mistake.
Speaker 2: If you like to compass the word, how long would
it be for us to receive the prisoners at the answer?
Speaker 8: I don't know A long time. I think maybe as
long as one o'clock tomorrow.
Speaker 9: You know you can't do this. You'll never get away
with it. I know a lawyer one I'll get him
to train that out.
Speaker 8: You understand, sergeant, we can't hand this man over to
you now.
Speaker 10: But if you will be at the international border at
one o'clock tomorrow, I'm sure they'll be crossing over.
Speaker 6: You can't do this. It's illegal. You know you can't.
Speaker 9: We're gonna try wasting your time. Why don't you admit it.
You can't arrest us. We got over the line, we
got your beat. You can't arrest us.
Speaker 8: And you know it.
Speaker 4: You know that.
Speaker 2: There's only one thing I know for sure.
Speaker 6: Powell.
Speaker 2: Yeah, San Quentin, you got out and you're going back.
Speaker 3: The story you have just heard was true. The names
were changed to protect the innocent.
Speaker 4: On December ninth, trial was held in Superior Court, Department
eighty seven, City in County of Los Angeles, State of California.
In a moment the results of that trial, Andrew Powell
and Bertram Selby were deported from Mexico as undesirable aliens
and turned over to US authorities at the international boarder.
They were immediately arrested by police officers on the American
side and returned to Los Angeles for trial. They pled
guilty to four counts of first degree robbery and received
sentences as prescribed by law. First degree robbery is punishable
by a prison term of from five years to life.
After being returned to San Quentin, Powell and Selby were
filed on, tried, and convicted of escape. Both of them
are now serving life terms in fulsome state penitentiary Represser California.
Speaker 3: For their cooperation in preparing tonight's broadcast. Dragnet wishes to
thank Chief of Police Adamy Jansen in the San Diego
Police Department.
Speaker 4: 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 Donaho, Sergeant Marty Winn, Sergeant Van Sprascher.
Heard Tonight where Barney Phillips with Connor Herbellus. Script by
Jim Mozer, music by Walter Schumann. Hell give me Speaking.
Speaker 2: Now, It's counter Spy on NBC.
Speaker 1: Welcome Back Well, an episode that illustrated the dangers of
believing a cultural myth when it really matters. In this case,
a lot of people had the idea that if you
committed a crime and you escaped across the Mexican border.
You were home free. And this reveals the truth. No,
not really, not at all. Really. Now, it is true,
of course that Sergeant Friday couldn't arrest them on Mexican soil,
But the truth is that Mexico has had a longstanding
extradition treaty with the United States, but they didn't even
bother with that, as you were dealing with a clear
case of escape convicts entering the country under an assumed name,
just going ahead and expelling them as undesirable aliens. That'll
do the track.
Speaker 6: Now.
Speaker 1: Of course, like with many popular myths, there is a
kernel of truth that the myth is based on. As
someone in law enforcement, you don't want your suspect escaping
to Mexico because you don't have jurisdiction there to follow
a legal process. You're going to end up losing time
and giving your fugitive a head start into the country
while you arrange things through proper channels. And in fact,
many fugitives have escaped from Mexico and remain hidden for
years because there are a lot of places to hide,
particularly if you know people who will help you, or
you know the country, or you understand the process and
you keep moving. If, on the other hand, you stay
relatively close to the border, and you so much assume
that you are home free in Mexico that you feel
free to go into the police station to file a
complaint about a pickpocket, then it will be a lot
easier for you to be caught. Now it's time to think.
Our Patreon supporter of the day, I want to go
ahead and thank Christine, Patreon supporter since March twenty eighteen,
currently supporting the podcast at the Shawmus level of four
dollars or more per month. Thanks so much for your support, Christine,
and that will do it for today. If you're enjoying
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And if you're enjoying the podcast on YouTube, be sure
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the notification bell. We will be back next Thursday with
another episode of drag Net. But join us back here
tomorrow for yours truly, John, eat all our ware now.
Speaker 11: As you were saying, mister Herling, yes, mister Doner, I
certainly hope mister.
Speaker 3: Moody shows up again.
Speaker 6: Your fine man, fine man.
Speaker 11: Used to come down here at the store for quiet
game of checkers. Now man, and the police have no
idea where he might have gone or why. Yeah, well,
I guess I'm about the only police we have here
in Kirkwood. All of course, I notified the state police,
and I.
Speaker 2: Presume they're still looking.
Speaker 11: For just what happened. Mister Hrling just took the bus.
Speaker 2: Into Philadelphia one day.
Speaker 11: Well, let's the last.
Speaker 2: We heard of him.
Speaker 11: Do you know anything about the beneficiary of his insurance.
Let's see, according to my list, it's your nephew, mister Dollar. Yeah,
Charles Mordy lives out in California. Yeah, mister Moody always
felt that he was the most deserving of his relatives,
left him everything, well, the insurance and his money. Yes,
you know, I know, because I'm the only lawyer here
in Kirkwood, and I made out a will for her.
You say, just the money to his nephew, except for
his wine cellar.
Speaker 3: All his property will go to the.
Speaker 11: Town wine cellar.
Speaker 2: Yes.
Speaker 11: If mister Moody doesn't come back, or if he's proved
to be dead, the wine cellar will go over to
a man over in Philadelphia had themselves a sort of
a girl met club.
Speaker 6: I guess you'd call it. I see.
Speaker 11: But now tell me, you know, I kind of wish
he will meet that wine cellar. Oh, you should see
the collection he has there from all over the world,
German wines and French. And I'm sure.
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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out on Instagram, Instagram, dot com slash Great Detectives From Boise, Idaho.
This is your host, Adam Graham's son and off