Speaker 1: Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Tarracios. Graham. In
a moment, we're gonna bring you this week's episode of
dragnapp But first I do want to please follow us
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Great Detectives dot net. Now from March thirteenth, nineteen fifty two,
here is the Big Fire.
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 a homicide detail. You receive a
complaint about the owner of an apartment building. He signs
leases for the apartments, then he threatens to kill the
tenants if they move in your job investigate.
Speaker 3: 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 4: It was Wednesday, May night was hot in Los Angeles.
We were working the night Watch out of homicide detail.
My partner's Ed Jacobs. The boss's Captain Mormon. My name's Friday.
It was six forty seven pm when I got back
to the Capitol Avenue Auto Corp. Gotti's number eleven.
Speaker 5: No, no reason in the world for it. I tried
to reason with him. He wouldn't even listen. It's the
craziest thing I ever saw.
Speaker 6: Yes, and Jeorde, you find the phone right? Yeah?
Speaker 4: I checked the office. Lope says. They picked up Daniels
a few minutes ago. They'd bring him downtown.
Speaker 7: Now they got him that they're going to put him in.
Speaker 4: Well, it depends, ma'am. It's going to take a little
more investigating first.
Speaker 7: I don't see what else you need. He threatened us
with a gun. Me and Doris asked me if that
isn't a crime.
Speaker 6: I don't know what is a few more questions we'd
like to ask you, man, if you don't mind, couple
of things we'd like to clear up.
Speaker 5: I told you just how it happened, Doris, I'll tell
you the same thing. It's just a crazy old man.
If you ask me how to be put away?
Speaker 4: Do you ever have any trouble with mister Daniels before
this afternoon? Miss Cameron?
Speaker 7: Excuse me? The baby?
Speaker 4: Yes?
Speaker 7: What is it now? Honey? Can't you sleep? You try now?
Speaker 4: I want you.
Speaker 7: Daddy'll be home pretty soon.
Speaker 6: Boy, you try and sleep, Miss Cameron.
Speaker 7: Yes, oh, you'll be quiet now. I don't want any
trouble from you. You heard me, be quiet now?
Speaker 6: You got your hands full?
Speaker 5: Man, don't I know what a canary of four months
old baby trying to keep house on an auto court.
Speaker 7: I knew it was going to be like this. I
never would have left passer Robles.
Speaker 4: You've only been in town a week or so? Is
that right?
Speaker 7: It's closer to two weeks. Seems more like two months.
Speaker 5: Trying to get along in a place like this, a
room in the bath, no place to cook, rints out diapers.
Speaker 7: It's terrible.
Speaker 5: I told my husband, he should come down here alone,
find us a place to live first, then we could move.
Speaker 7: No, he had to have it his way.
Speaker 4: Say, your husband made the first contact with Daniels. He
gave him a deposit on this apartment.
Speaker 7: That's right.
Speaker 5: The same day started work at the aircraft plant in
the valley. We've been living in passor Robe since we
got married a month ago. Pete, that's my husband. You
get a lead on this aircraft job down here. Him
and Ralph came down signed.
Speaker 7: Up for it.
Speaker 6: Ralph, who's that, ma'am?
Speaker 5: Ralph Ashby? He's Doris's husband. Doris Ashby, she's my best girlfriend.
We were neighbors out in passer Rob. I see we're
not doing much better than.
Speaker 7: We are right now.
Speaker 5: They're staying in another court up the street, same thing,
room in the bath. Doris is expecting to a poor kid.
Speaker 7: Did you hear me? You'd be quiet now. You want
to wake up the baby.
Speaker 4: About the arrangements your husband made with Daniels to Lease's apartment,
Miss Cameron.
Speaker 5: When it was all this, we could go Monday, the
day after I moved down here, my husband and Ralph
Ashby saw the rental ad in the paper and they
went over and talked to Daniels. He said, all right,
he had an apartment for the Ashby's, the one for us,
nice places too.
Speaker 4: I see.
Speaker 5: Ralph and my husband signed the leases, gave him the
first and last month's rent in advance.
Speaker 7: Was all decided.
Speaker 6: Well, how is it you couldn't move in right away,
miss Cameron?
Speaker 5: He said, he was in the apartment house redecorated. Daniels
Did I mean? He told Ralph and my husband the
apartments would probably be ready for us on the eighth.
That was yesterday, he said, the ninth, for sure, And
that's today, And.
Speaker 4: You tried to move in this afternoon and Daniel's refused
to let you in. Is that it?
Speaker 5: I had the movers get all our things out of
storage and move them out to the apartment. So then
my girlfriend, Doris, the movers were just starting to get
our furniture out of the van and move it into
the apartment when mister Daniels showed up. He acted like
a crazy man.
Speaker 6: Would to give any reasons why he couldn't move him.
Speaker 5: We tried to give us a lot of reasons. None
of them made any sense. She could ask Doris, She'll
tell you.
Speaker 7: She was there with me.
Speaker 4: Well, what did Daniel's say? Not just for instance.
Speaker 5: We said a lot of things. First, he told us
there was no water in the apartments, hadn't been turned
on yet. He said the gas wasn't turned on either.
Well I knew that was a lie. I was in
the apartment late in the morning. Everything was fine, the
gas was.
Speaker 7: Working, so was the water.
Speaker 5: I see when I caught him in that lye, he
got madder than ever, made some more excuses. Then he
started yelling and swearing at me right there on the sidewalk.
Said the apartment just wasn't ready yet.
Speaker 7: I told him he'd climb a tree. We signed the
least who paid the rent.
Speaker 5: We were moving in anyway, told the movers to go
ahead take in the furniture.
Speaker 6: What Daniels say then?
Speaker 7: Nothing?
Speaker 5: He just got real purple in the face, and he
put his hand in his coat pocket and he took
out a gun.
Speaker 7: Pointed it at me and Doris, and I had the
baby in my arms.
Speaker 4: Imagine that he actually told you he shoots you. You
tried to move in the apartment the right.
Speaker 5: So many words, Yes, he did. He threatened the moving
man too. They tried to talk to him. He wouldn't listen.
We all tried to talk to him. We didn't make
any sense at all. I wasn't gonna take any chances
with the baby in my arm. Doris and I got
in the car and drove away, so the movers they
left with us. I can't say I'll blame them either.
Tat Daniels must be out of his mind. It's the
only thing Nighting figure real nut Well.
Speaker 4: Did either you or your husband have any arguments with
him at all before this afternoon?
Speaker 7: No, everything was fine. This afternoon was the second time
I ever spoke to the man.
Speaker 4: He had no objections to your having children or pets
in the apartment.
Speaker 7: None at all.
Speaker 5: That's one of the first things my husband told Daniels
when he went to look at the apartment. We had
a baby in a canary. Daniels said it was all
right with him. He didn't object at all.
Speaker 6: I understand there's six apartments in the building, Miss Cameron.
Speaker 5: That right, Yes, that's right. They're all vacant as far
as I know. Daniel was just bought the bullion a
month ago. That's why he told my husband. Anyway, he
had the place redecorated and the work was all done.
The apartments are just sitting there. That's why I can't
understand it. Why won't he let us move in? Yes,
we paid our money, signed the least he gave us
any kind of a good reason why we shouldn't move in.
Speaker 7: I could understand it.
Speaker 5: But to keep us out for no reason at all,
to stand out there in the sidewalk and threaten to
shoot us if we move in, me with a baby
in my arms, I don't know.
Speaker 7: He must be crazy.
Speaker 4: You say you were in the apartment this morning, Missus Cameron.
Did you notice anything unusual about the place, anything out
of the ordinary. No?
Speaker 7: Nothing.
Speaker 4: When you say Daniels couldn't give any reason at all
why you shouldn't move in, just.
Speaker 7: One, it convinced me.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I had gone before we left, Missus Cameron. We
took her crime report and had her sign it, and
then we drove back downtown to the squadroom where Geene
Bechdel and Lloyd Bond were waiting with the suspect, Edward Daniels.
They'd already checked him through our and eye. He had
no previous criminal record. They gave us a twenty two
caliber H and R Revolver along with six shells, which
had been found on the suspect at the time of
his arrest. The gun had been loaded. Pawn Shop records
showed that the weapon had been purchased by the suspect
and had been registered in his name. We had stenographer
Eleanor Eastlack type up the crime report and ed and
I took Daniels down the hall of the interrogation room.
He was a small, thin man, blue eyes, gray hair.
Speaker 8: Don't know what all the fuss is about out in
the building. I can keep people out of for WANTA.
Speaker 6: When we saw the leash signed with the Camerons. The
other couple too. They paid their rent. Why the sudden
change of heart.
Speaker 8: I don't think that's any of your business. Mattered between
me and the tenant.
Speaker 4: It's our business when you threaten them with a gun.
Daniel's assault with a deadly weapon, that's a felony.
Speaker 8: Didn't hurt the woman, just wanted to scare. That's all
just a couple of farmers anyway. Never should have given
them the lease in the first place. While was a
kid with him, not bird chirping all the time.
Speaker 4: Odd you happen to have that gun with you this afternoon.
Speaker 8: Didn't happen to have it carry it all the time.
It's my business. Isn't it registered down here?
Speaker 6: I mean, you got a permit to carry this gun.
Speaker 8: Don't need a permit. Its registered, isn't it.
Speaker 4: It gave you the idea because the gun's registered, you
can carry it around.
Speaker 8: Your pocket, friend of mine. Nothing wrong with it, is there?
Speaker 4: Having a gun registered is nothing more than keeping a
permanent record of it. You can keep the gun in
your home or in your office, but it doesn't give
you the right to carry it around with you.
Speaker 8: Oh well, to tell me that when I had it registered?
Speaker 6: You were told much of Daniels.
Speaker 8: You know that, well, I don't remember.
Speaker 6: It doesn't make much difference if you remember or not.
Nobody is a permit to threaten people with a gun.
Speaker 8: Told you it wasn't going to hurt her. She just
kept arguing with me. I'm a sick man, you know.
Thought she was going to hit me.
Speaker 4: You. Meanwhile, she was holding that baby in her arms.
I come off with, Daniels, what's this thing all about?
Speaker 8: Told you before? I think that's my Because.
Speaker 4: You signed a year's least with the cameras, you accepted
the first and last month's rent. You took their money,
you're advising they could move in this afternoon. When they
try to move in, you meet him at the front
door and threaten them with a gun. Now, what's it
all about? None of this makes any sense?
Speaker 8: Change my mind. I'm not ready to rent them out yet.
Speaker 6: Well, and why'd you sign that, least with the cameraon?
Sow about it, mister Daniels. If there's something in that
building you're trying to cover up, you might as well
tell there's a couple of men out there now checking it.
Speaker 8: You can go ahead and check. I don't care, they
won't find anything. Got nothing to hide. How long you
lived here, Daniels, eighteen twenty years.
Speaker 4: Why where'd you live before you came here?
Speaker 8: Ohio? Cleveland, Ohio.
Speaker 4: You ever been arrested?
Speaker 8: Yeah, couple of traffic tickets. Cops said, I went through
a stop signal. It wasn't gilly though. What's the point anyway?
What are you trying to get at, trying to force
me to let those people in that apartment.
Speaker 6: I'm not trying to force into anything, Daniels. Business about
the lease is a civil matter that's between you and
the camerons.
Speaker 8: And what are you holding me here for We told.
Speaker 4: You you threatened that woman with a gun. She sent an
ADW report.
Speaker 8: What do you mean ADW assault with a deadly weapon?
Speaker 4: That's a pretty serious charge.
Speaker 8: Daniels didn't hurt the woman, didn't even touch her.
Speaker 6: Planted the gun at her, didn't you.
Speaker 9: Yeah?
Speaker 6: Gun was loaded, wasn't it.
Speaker 8: Yeah?
Speaker 6: Capable of being fired.
Speaker 8: Yeah, But I wasn't going to shoot her. I told you,
just wanted to scare her off, get her out of there.
It's the truth. I wasn't going to shoot her. What
do I have to do to convince you?
Speaker 4: You don't have to convince us.
Speaker 8: What do you mean, who do I have to convince?
Speaker 4: You? Got your choice? A judge or jury ed and
I took the suspect, Edward Daniels down to the main jail,
where we booke him in on suspicion of four sixty
seven PCADW. Before he was locked up, Daniels asked us
if we would take the keys to his car and
the keys to his apartment house to an Oliver Randall,
an employee of his who acted as a janitor and
general handyman at two other apartment houses Daniel's own. We
told him we would. After we left the main jail,
we checked by the office, and then we drove out
to the location of the apartment house to interview the
neighbors and deliver the keys to Daniel's handyman, Oliver Randall.
Other than telling us that they considered mister Daniels a
little eccentric, the neighbors were unable to give us any
additional information that might help us in the prosecution. After
we finished talking to the neighbors, we went across the
street to the apartment house. There were lights burning in
the upper rear apartment. We tried the bell, but there
was no answer. From the set of keys Daniels had
given us. We found the one that fit the door
and let ourselves in. We heard somebody moving around on
the floor above us. We went up and found a
man there who identified himself as Oliver Randall. He appeared
nervous and upset. There were papers and rags scattered over
the floor of the room.
Speaker 9: Oh yeah, I was just cleaning up here. Mister Daniels
told me to be sure and clean the step the
papers and gentle.
Speaker 6: I see, well, here's some keys for your Randall. Daniels
ask to get them to you.
Speaker 9: Oh yeah, Piper and house keys. Mister Daniels was supposed
to meet me here, he said, eight o'clock. I think
that's but he said, I wonder where he is. You
know where he is.
Speaker 4: He's in jail.
Speaker 9: Oh what's he doing in jail? Did he do something wrong?
Speaker 4: He's had a complaint file against him, assault with a
deadly weapon.
Speaker 9: Where it happened he get mad at somebody. Mister Daniels
gotten awful, bad temper. When he gets mad at somebody,
he doesn't forget it. I know I worked for him.
How long have you worked for him, Randall? I don't know,
A long time, maybe five years.
Speaker 4: I forget You say Daniels is a bad temper. Have
you ever known him to be violent? Randall?
Speaker 9: How's that?
Speaker 4: Well? Have you ever known him to be violent? I mean,
have you ever known him to hurt anyone?
Speaker 9: I don't know. I don't remember. A lot of times
he says he's gonna do things. I work for him.
You know a lot of times he gets mad at me.
He says, I don't work fast than or I don't
do the right things. He always carries his gun, you know,
once he said he was gonna shoot me. I was
pretty scared. You live with mister Daniels, do you No,
I have a room downstairs in another apartment house Sea
Oones and place over on South Hoover. It's a nice room.
It's got a window in it.
Speaker 6: You're on a regular salary, that the way you work?
Speaker 9: Yeah, fifteen dollars a week. I get the room free two.
It's not bad.
Speaker 4: You ever been arrested, Randall me?
Speaker 9: No, I've never been arrested.
Speaker 4: Have you ever been in the state hospital any kind
of an institution.
Speaker 10: No.
Speaker 9: I was put Camaio for a couple of years. I
didn't like it too much. I came down here to
live with my sister. She's dead now, she died about
four years ago. She's the one that got me this job.
You know that's Oh yeah, this isn't a bad job
at all. John's are pretty hard to get now, That's
what mister Daniels says. It's real tough to get a
good job. Now. That's why I do what I'm told.
I better get on fixing up this place.
Speaker 4: How do all these rags and papers get here? Randal
the painters leaving behind?
Speaker 9: Oh I guess so, I guess somebody left him here.
Speaker 4: We understood the apartments were already cleaned up, they were
ready to move into.
Speaker 9: What's that?
Speaker 4: I say, we understood the apartments were all fixed up,
that they were ready for the tenants to move right into.
Speaker 9: Oh, I don't know. I wouldn't know about that. Mister
Daniels takes care of renting the places. I just help him.
I do what he tells me.
Speaker 6: Joe, Yeah, you notice that smell seems to be stronger
out in the hall.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I think I do. How long has it been
since the painters were working here? Randal? Do you know
that painters?
Speaker 9: I don't know. A couple of days. I guess what's
the man?
Speaker 4: That's a pretty strong smell. Might be painting or something
like that. Don't you notice it?
Speaker 9: Oh? Yeah, I've been wondering that. I noticed that when
I came in. It might be from upstairs. The attic
painters were working up there too, I think.
Speaker 6: Don't you think you ought to check it see what
it is?
Speaker 9: Mister Daniels didn't tell me too. I guess they're better though.
Smell it's pretty strong. I guess I better see what
it is.
Speaker 4: How do you get to the attic from here?
Speaker 9: Down the end of the hall. There's a stairway there.
It goes right up in the attic. Off show you
all right, fine, Yeah, snows like gasoline or something.
Speaker 6: Only apartments are vacans, that right, No one living in
the building.
Speaker 9: All yeah, that's right. We go up the stairs here,
Sir Daniels had the whole place work over. Nobody here
at all? Right now, I guess he'll be moving in
pretty soon. It's gonna be a lot of work. Got
the other two apartment houses take care of, and there's
gonna be this place. It's gonna be a lot of work.
Speaker 4: Daniels, Hire anyone else beside yourself to help out with
the work.
Speaker 9: I mean, no, I don't think so. Just me. I
keep pretty busy. Here's the attic.
Speaker 6: Yeah, it's must be where it's coming from.
Speaker 4: Yeah, it's strong enough to knock you over in.
Speaker 9: The light switch is over.
Speaker 6: Here's a mess, sure mess, papers, boxes, pound a little rags.
Speaker 4: Had five yeallon? Can they're on the floor, kerosena. Yeah,
it's just about empty too.
Speaker 9: It's all spilled all over the floor. Mister Daniels ain't
gonna like that. He's gonna get mad.
Speaker 4: Usually keep this stuff up here. Do you Rental?
Speaker 9: No, I guess it was with the painters stuff. There's
cans and things on the table there. I guess he
got knocked off and spilled spilled all over the place,
didn't they.
Speaker 6: Well, how come a painting crew didn't take their stuff
with him when they left? All this equipment here are
all finished with a job, aren't they?
Speaker 9: I guess so you'd have to ask mister Daniels about that.
They're all finished on the inside. I know that they
had the outside to do though. Maybe that's why they
left their stuff.
Speaker 4: It was not a very safe way to leave it. Rags, papers,
Look here, kerosene spilled all over. You better get this
place cleaned up first, don't you think, Rendal?
Speaker 9: I don't know. I sure wish mister Daniels was here.
You won't let him know what?
Speaker 4: Do you mean? Let him know what?
Speaker 9: Don't tell him? I'll let you see the attic. Huh.
Speaker 4: Nine thirty five pm. Ed and I left the handyman
Oliver Randall at his apartment house, went outside and got
in the car. Neither one of us could find any
explanation for it, but we both had a hunch that
was something wrong with a setup. We drove to a
neighborhood service station, called the office and told them we
were going to stake the apartment house. We drove back
and found a place to park where we could keep
the building under surveillance without being seen. We waited ten
pm ten thirty eleven o'clock. At a few minutes past eleven,
we saw Randall come out of the front door of
the apartment, get in a blue sedan and drive off.
We followed him to an apartment building on West Pico
and saw him uter a rear door. We waited. At
twelve fifteen am, ed got to a phone called Captain
Bernard at the Business Office and notified him of our location.
At twelve forty five am, two men arrived to relieve
us and we briefed him on the facts. We drove
back to the office, made out of fifteen point seven
to Captain Norman, and signed out. At four o'clock. The
next afternoon, we reported back in for work. We checked
the book and found a message that the suspect, Edward
Daniels had been released from jail that morning on a
wrint bail twenty five hundred dollars. The wrint was returnable Thursday,
May tenth. There was also a message in the book
for us to contact Daniel's attorney, A Richard Tiernan ed
put in the call.
Speaker 6: Yes, sir, I see what's that? Yeah, yeah, I know
all right, mister Turnan, Yeah, thank you, goodbye. You are right, Joe,
what do you mean? Daniel's lawyer want to know how
serious the charges are. It says Daniels is pretty upset.
It seems he had some trouble lately his insurance company.
Speaker 4: More, what's the matter? You have an accident?
Speaker 6: Insurance company doesn't seem to think it was an accident
happened two months ago at an apartment house over in
South Union. Yeah, burn don.
Speaker 3: You are listening to dragnet authentic stories of your police
force in action.
Speaker 4: Thursday May tenth, four thirty pm, we contacted the Fire
Department's arson Squad to find out if the fire at
Daniel's apartment house on South Union Avenue two months before
was under investigation. After checking back, they told us investigators
from the arson squad had found a large amount of
kerosene to be present and some of the burned timbers
found in the debris after the fire was put out.
They said that mister Daniels had admitted after the fire
that the apartment building had been recently redecorated, and that
kerosene paint and other inflammables had been stored in the
attic of the building. Ed and I contacted the insurance
adjuster handling the case as Snyder Peebles, and he told
us there wasn't any doubt in his mind that the
fire at Daniel's apartment house two months before was of
incendiary origin, but he said so far the investigators were
unable to prove it. The one thing that seemed to
puzzle him was if Daniels planned on burning down the building,
why did he go to the trouble and expense of
redecorating first.
Speaker 9: Well.
Speaker 4: As soon as it was dark ed and I drove
out relieved the men on stakeout at the apartment house
on West Pico, where the handyman Oliver Randall had his room.
They reported no unusual activity during the day. Seven thirty
two pm, Randal came out of the apartment house, got
in a car and drove off.
Speaker 6: We followed him. If we got this Randall made right,
it shouldn't be too long before we find out Daniels
are using him to work something out. I'm pretty sure
we can count on that.
Speaker 4: Yeah, maybe I'll watch it d he's turning down Union. Yeah,
he's pulling up ahead. Don't cry him.
Speaker 6: There's a good spot here. Shouldn't be able to see it,
all right, pull.
Speaker 4: Up in here, all right, it's fine. He's getting out
of the car.
Speaker 6: He's going over the house, down the driveway, going around back.
He's out of side.
Speaker 4: Now right, let's go.
Speaker 6: There's still no lights in the place. Oh yeah, there
they go in the basement. All right, easy, let's take
it easily. Yeah, I think I can see the back
door from here, right, Come on, easy?
Speaker 4: Now, what is it? Right? Easy with this story? Ed?
Don't let it be huh? Why now sounds like somebody
upstairs the right Come on, watch a step man, come
on next floor up? Yeah, yeah, it's up in the attic.
Come on, all right, come on through the store back
in the corner.
Speaker 6: End, I say, all, I told you, what's the mattic.
Speaker 4: There's a fire right over in the corner. I'll get it.
Speaker 9: Hold on him, right, well, don't put it out.
Speaker 11: You needn't help show you're getting a right So I'm
getting an r a minute.
Speaker 4: All I got it.
Speaker 6: Okay, you want to get the lights and I got him.
Speaker 4: All right, Randall, what's the story.
Speaker 9: You told me to do it? He told me to
come back tonight and burn the whole place down.
Speaker 6: Who told you?
Speaker 9: He said, I'll you go back to the place, to
the attic, light a match, that's all, and then get out.
Mister Daniels. That's just what he said.
Speaker 4: Daniels told you to do this.
Speaker 9: He told me, just light a fire and nobody'd know.
He said, there wasn't going to be any trouble, no
trouble at all.
Speaker 4: It gives you the edge, doesn't it.
Speaker 9: No trouble?
Speaker 4: He said, yeah, Well, next time and you see him,
you can call him a liar. Eight fifty pm, after
making sure that the place was secure and that there
was no danger of fire from the recent arsenal, attempt
ed and I took the suspect, Oliver Randall outside and
put him in the car where we questioned him. He
made no attempt to disguise the fact that he had
been directed by his regular employer, Edward Daniels, to commit
arson by setting fire to the attic of the apartment house.
In addition, he told us that Daniels had threatened him
with bodily harm if he refused to obey the order
and set fire to the building.
Speaker 9: He had this gun, you know, mister Daniels did. He
always had it with him. I was scared of it.
I don't mind telling you.
Speaker 6: Huh. He threatened to kill you if you didn't do
what he wanted that.
Speaker 9: Yeah, I guess so. You used to get mad all
out of the time, and he had this gun. He
as had the gun and get mad at me and
tell me he was going to shoot me. I'm afraid
of guns.
Speaker 4: How about to fire at the other apartment house Ali,
the one over on South Union Avenue.
Speaker 9: That was a big fire.
Speaker 4: Did you start that one?
Speaker 9: Daniels told me there was nobody living there. He said
nobody'd get hurt. Nobody did get hurt.
Speaker 6: Did they Do you start the fire?
Speaker 9: Yeah? I guess so, I guess I did.
Speaker 6: Mister Daniels tell you to do it?
Speaker 9: He said it was his building, he owned it, He
could do anything whether he wanted to. I didn't want
to do it. He told me i'd have to. He
said he'd hurt me with that gun, and he said
he'd fire me too. I didn't want to lose my job.
Speaker 4: You knew you were doing wrong, didn't Jolly?
Speaker 2: Well?
Speaker 9: I guess I did, yee? What could I do?
Speaker 2: Though?
Speaker 9: I didn't want to lose my job? Good jobs aren't
too easy to get nowadays. You know that.
Speaker 4: Where's mister Daniels? Now?
Speaker 9: You know you're not going to tell him what I
told you? Are? He said, not to say anything about it.
He said, nobody believe me anyway. Nobody said he'd tell
everybody I was a liar, said they'd believe him before
they'd believe me.
Speaker 6: Where's Daniels?
Speaker 4: Now?
Speaker 9: If I tell you, you won't let him hurt me,
will you?
Speaker 6: No, we won't let him hurt you. You're gonna have
to help us out, though.
Speaker 9: What do you want me to do?
Speaker 4: Like to find out where Daniels is? First?
Speaker 9: He's in a movie over on Pico by his house.
He's waiting for me.
Speaker 4: You mean he's waiting for you in the show?
Speaker 9: See in the center section ten rows from the back.
He's waiting for me.
Speaker 6: Now, well, how's it you're supposed to meet him there?
Speaker 9: No, he said, if anybody wanted to know where we
were tonight, this is proof we didn't start the fire.
Speaker 4: We were at the show.
Speaker 9: I was supposed to start the fire and then go
to the show and meet him ten rows from the
back of the center section.
Speaker 4: You want to show us where this movie is, Alie.
Speaker 9: Yeah, okay, mister Daniels won't tell you anything. No, he's
going to be mad. He won't tell you anything.
Speaker 4: Well, that's where we need your help.
Speaker 6: Ally, what do you mean, We'll let him tell you.
Speaker 4: Nine four pm, ED and I, along with a suspect,
Oliver Randall, drove to the movie house on West Pico.
On the way, we explained to Randal what he was
supposed to do. Nine fifty five pm, we parked our
car half a block from the movie house, bought three tickets,
and went inside. The feature picture was still on. There
wasn't much of a crowd. We sent Randal down the
aisle ahead of us and watched him move into the
tenth row and sit down next to somebody. Ed and
I followed him down and found seats in the road
directly behind him. We recognized the man sitting next to
Randall as Edward Daniels.
Speaker 9: Hello, mister Daniels, I did it just the way you
told me up in the attic. It was okay.
Speaker 8: Nobody saw you didn't have any trouble, doll.
Speaker 9: No, it was okay. I don't feel so good about it, though,
What do you mean what are you talking about?
Speaker 8: I don't know.
Speaker 9: Maybe somebody might find out. Don't you think we'd get
in trouble if they've found out?
Speaker 8: We just keep your mouth shut out, attended there, nobody's
going to.
Speaker 4: Find out, all right, Daniels, you mind coming outside? We'd
like to talk to you.
Speaker 8: What are you doing here?
Speaker 6: Come on, we'll talk that time.
Speaker 8: What's this all about?
Speaker 4: We'll let you tell us.
Speaker 6: All right?
Speaker 8: What do you want? You' arresting me?
Speaker 4: That's right, mister.
Speaker 8: Why what's it supposed to be this time?
Speaker 6: Thank?
Speaker 2: You know?
Speaker 6: Arsenal conspiracy? Cotton Randall here? Call him right in the act.
He told us the whole story?
Speaker 9: What Holly?
Speaker 8: What story?
Speaker 4: What is this?
Speaker 9: I told you I didn't want to do it, mister Daniels,
I told you we'd get in trouble.
Speaker 8: Fool, stupid fool. Should have known better.
Speaker 6: Yeah, you should have just two questions for you, Daniels.
Why'd you burn down your own property? Why'd you redecorate
the buildings? First?
Speaker 8: I never forgot it, told him, when had happened. I
wouldn't forget it as long as I lived.
Speaker 4: What do you mean forget what?
Speaker 8: Twenty four years ago? I was just starting out a
small store back in Ohio burned down, real fire. Was
the insurance company. They wouldn't believe me. Had to sue
lost the whole thing, had to start all over again.
I told him I'll never forget it. Told him I'd
make him pay.
Speaker 6: You've been nursing this grudge for twenty four years.
Speaker 8: Why not? Why shouldn't I lost everything everything I had?
Speaker 4: Why do you redecorate the apartment house if you planned
to burn him down?
Speaker 8: Simple? Gave me a good excuse. Can have all those
things stored in the buildings? Paint kerosene? Besides, who think
I'd burned down the building right after I got done?
Redecorating on a bad idea? Worked pretty good, didn't it.
Speaker 4: Yeah, you're going to jail. You figured.
Speaker 2: The story you have just heard was true. The names
were changed to protect the innocent.
Speaker 3: On August eighteenth, trial was held in Superior Court, Department
eighty six, City and County of Los Angeles, State of California.
In a moment, the results of that trial.
Speaker 2: Now here is our star Jack Webb.
Speaker 4: Thank you, George Gentleman. Friends. Comparisons are often very helpful
in modern police work. Now, for instance, the suspect may
be identified by comparing his mo or method of operation
with the known facts of a case.
Speaker 3: Edward John Daniels was tried and convicted of two counts
of conspiracy and one count of arson, and received the
sentence as prescribed by law. Conspiracy is punishable by imprisonment
in the state penitentiary for not more than two years.
Arson is punishable by a prison term of not less
than one or more than five years. Daniels accomplice, Oliver Randall,
was examined by three psychiatrists appointed by the court and
was found to be mentally incompetent. He was placed in
a state hospital for the mentally deficient. The charge of
assault with a deadly weapon against Edward Daniels was dismissed.
Ha ha, 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 Advisor, Captain Jack Donahoe, Sergeant Marty Winn,
Sergeant Vans Brecher heard tonight We're Barney Phillips and Vic Perrin.
Script by Jim Mosey, music by Walter Schumann, Hell Gibney speaking.
Speaker 4: Well, It's Counterspy on NBC.
Speaker 1: Welcome Back. Dragnett has followed Broadways My Beat in our
line up for nearly a year, ever since we went
from six shows a week to five, and I have
to say, this is the first time that the Broadways
My Beat episode has a more believable motive. It kind
of shows that truth is stranger than fiction. Now, if
you did a Broadways My Bat or a Johnny Dollar
story where the criminal began setting fires insurance payouts as
an act of revenge against the insurance industry, yeah, I
mean it's not even against the company, because you know,
if we've been listening to Johnny doll Er, yeah, we
do evidentely have the idea that it's very unlikely that
the same company is going to be ensuring property in
Ohio as will be insuring property in California. So he's
essentially doing this to get back at the insurance industry.
And he's right that the fact that he had the
places repainted and paid for all that work help to
cover the fire in terms of the insurance company being like,
why would he do this? But he's also ensuring that
he's getting the least profitable insurance fraud, because part of
the fraud is pain to have the property repainted and
totally done off. And the guy had the goal to
be like, boy, wasn't this a clever plan? Officers, It's
not clever when the reason that the police in the
insurance company can't catch you is they can't imagine you
being that stupid, petty and spiteful. Again, such a point
would be ridiculous on Broadways, My Bait and other programs,
but here, apparently he is close enough to cheot a life.
And this was from the one suspect that they did
find mentally competent to stand trial. Listener comments and feedback,
and we start on YouTube with some comments on the
bake producer Jeffrey Wrights, love your wrap up of the
day's show. Yeah, thank goodness, such crime against kids is
punished more stiffly now we truckers have organizations such as
TAT to identify and report human trafficking and juvenile exploitation.
Thanks Adam, and thanks so much. I appreciate the comment.
Jeffrey and I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that
despite the fact of courts not really having strict enforcement
at the time, Dragnet was doing Yelman's work in explaining
how these type of schemes took advantage of young women.
And this would even continue into the nineteen sixties series,
and doubtless what Dragnet did lay to the found foundation
for changes in the law regarding these offenses. On the
same episode Immortal Sergeant Rights, thank you Adam for bringing
us this great episode, and James says, excellent episode. Thanks well,
Thank you so much. I appreciate you taking the time
to comment over there on YouTube. Well, now it is
time to thank our Patreon supporter of the day. Thank
you to Roger, Patreon supporter since July of twenty twenty four,
currently supporting the podcast at the Shawmus level of four
dollars or more per month. Thanks so much for your support, Roger,
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'll be back next Thursday with
another episode of Dragonnet, but join us back here tomorrow
for yours, truly, Johnny dall more aware?
Speaker 12: When did he and Baron get out of the clink
about two weeks ago?
Speaker 9: I see?
Speaker 12: So, what's the proposition Shakli has made?
Speaker 10: Your brother, Johnny Adam has spent the past nine years,
ever since he was released, out there building up this
small brokerage office here in the east. Now he and
his wife are finally beginning to reap the fruits of
their labors. Children, two fine upstanding kids, are in college
over in New York State.
Speaker 12: So, but if it were ever.
Speaker 10: To become known that he once served a term in
prison for participation in a stocks.
Speaker 11: Fan, I would kind of pull a rugger right out
from under him.
Speaker 4: What.
Speaker 10: It would completely ruin him, Johnny, And it would probably
kill his wife. This nine years of struggle of trying
to make up for that one mistake has been just
as hard for her as it has for him. Right now,
she happens to be in the hospital with a serious
heart condition.
Speaker 8: I see.
Speaker 12: Is she the beneficiary of his insurance?
Speaker 4: Yes? She?
Speaker 10: And then of course the children.
Speaker 12: All right, now, what is this proposition that Shackli has made.
Speaker 10: He's demanded seventy five thousand dollars happen.
Speaker 4: Wow.
Speaker 10: Yes, unless Adam pays it in cash and unmarked bills,
Shockley will release to the papers anonymously.
Speaker 4: Of course.
Speaker 10: Well, he'll tell them all about Adam's unfortunate part in
that stock selling racket years ago.
Speaker 11: Which means that if Adam had a single customer left
instead of a week to be America, then Shockley says,
after he's.
Speaker 3: Ruined him, he'll kill him.
Speaker 12: He'll want it unless he pays this money. Of course,
he'll make it look like suicide after all.
Speaker 10: Under the circumstances, well you know, the ruined businessman.
Speaker 12: Yeah, I do know.
Speaker 11: Sure, there'll be no reason for anyone to think it
isn't suicide exactly. Wait a minute, that's the insurance angle,
isn't it. Yes, If Adam's death is called suicide, his
policy'll be void.
Speaker 12: His wife and kids will get nothing.
Speaker 10: And if this man Shockly is as clever as Adam
says he is, he'll do it in such a way
that any court in the land.
Speaker 12: Will call it suice sor well, I just can't believe it.
Speaker 1: I hope you'll be with us then. In the meantime,
send your comments to Box thirteen great Net follow us
on Twitter at Radio Detectives and check us out on Instagram, Instagram,
dot com, slash Great Detectives from Boise, Idaho. This is
your host, Adam graham Son and all