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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 Dragnet.
But before we do get started, I want to let you know that today's program is brought to you in part by the financial support of our listeners. you can support the show on a one-time basis by mailing a donation to Adam Graham, P.O.
Box 15913, that's P.O.Box 15913, Boise, Idaho, 83715.You can also become one of our ongoing Patreon supporters for as little as $2 per month at patreon.greatdetectives.net.Now, from September 14th, 1950, here is the big make.
The story you are about to hear is true.Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent.You're a detective sergeant.You're assigned to robbery detail.A small bakery shop in your city is held up.
A man and his daughter are shot down without reason.Your job.Get him.
Dragnet, the documented drama of an actual crime.For the next 30 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 from official police files.
From beginning to end, from crime to punishment, Dragnet is the story of your police force in action.
It was Tuesday, November 3rd.It was chilly in Los Angeles.We were working the night watch out of robbery detail.My partner's Ben Romero.The boss is Captain Ed Walker.My name's Friday.It was five minutes to midnight when we got to 318 Silver Avenue.
Romero and Friday sent for robbery.
Hi, I'm Jacob's unit, 16-R.My partner Olsen's back there in the shop talking to the owner.You answered the call, did you?Yeah, must have been a crazy man shot two of them down, cold blood.They're going to the ambulance now. Shot up pretty bad.
Who runs the place?Swedish family named Stendhal.Father, mother, two daughters.All four of them work in the bakery here.
They all here at the time of the robbery?
Yeah, the hold-up man shot the father and the oldest daughter.The mother and the younger girl are in the back straight through that door.Okay.
Joe.On the side of the door here, looks like a bullet hole.
You want to call into the crime lab, ask them to send somebody out?Right.Thank you.
Hi, are you Olsen?That's right.Romero and Friday sent for robbery.
Oh, how are you?These are two of the victims, Mrs. Signy Stendhal.Girl's her daughter, name's Jennifer.Any other witnesses?Not so far.Neighborhood around here is pretty deserted this time of night.Hold up, man made a fast getaway.
Two people who were shot, what kind of shape are they in?
Father, Mr. Stendhal, he's got a bullet wound in the right shoulder. Older daughter's a lot worse, her name's June.19 years old, shot four or five times to the stomach.Do you want to stand by?Right, yeah.Okay.
Mrs. Stendhal, we're from robbery detail.
Jenny.You will excuse me for not getting up, officer.I don't feel so well.
Perfectly all right, ma'am.
Well, thank you again.Thank you very much.
You and your daughter here were in the front of the bakery shop at the time of the robbery.Is that right, Miss Stendhal?
No.Eunie was back here with her father.That's Lars, my husband.Eunie and I were in the shopping front.
Oh, who were you with, ma'am?
Eunie.Eunie and I. Mama means June.My older sister, she calls her June.Yeah, June.
Oh, yeah.Do you mind telling us what happened?
Well, June and I were scrubbing the floor of the shop.Every Tuesday night, we scrubbed the floor of the shop.Then this man came in and pointed a gun.He wanted our money.
About what time did he come in?
I don't remember for certain.He wanted our money and I gave it to him.How much was that, ma'am?
Yeah, 24 dollars.Used the paper money.He took it and put it in his pocket.June, my daughter, she started to cry.The man hit her.She cried some more. Then Lars and Jenny came running from the back.
The man pointed a gun.He made Lars and me and Jenny stand against that wall.But not June.He took hold of her.Jenny, who saved you?
It was getting fresh with her, Mom.The man tried to get fresh with June officers. June hit him.He tried to drag out the door with... Yeah, June hit him.
Hit him good.And he went like that.Threw her against the counter and pushed June down.Crazy man.Crazy look.He kicked her.Then Lars, my husband, he ran at the man. I heard the gun, loud.And Lars fell down.
Yeah.Janne screamed.I turned and I saw the man standing over Jyn.He pointed the gun down at her.
Crazy look on him.He kept shooting her.Four, maybe five times.Jyn screamed. She kept screaming.The man ran out the door.
It's all right now, Miss Henry.Had either one of you ever seen this man before?
Neither did I. Would you know him if you saw him again?
Yeah, I think so.I would, officer.I got a good look at him.He was wearing a blue cap, like a baseball player wears.
How did he get away?Was he on foot or did he have a car?
Nobody followed him, but after he left, I heard a car start up down the block, then it drove away.
Do you have anything else to add, Mrs. Denham?
I hope you catch the man.He's bad.Please catch him.
We're going to try.Yes, ma'am.Here, officer.When you find the man, please call me.
You keep the nickels.We'll call you.Before we left the scene of the robbery and shooting, Mrs. Stendahl and her daughter gave us their description of the hold-up man together with the clothing he wore.
The suspect had no outstanding physical characteristics that they'd noticed.The only thing unusual about his clothing was that he wore what appeared to be a baseball cap at the time of the hold-up.She described the cap as light blue with a visor.
Together with Officers Bechtel and Lopez from Central Robbery, we canvassed the immediate neighborhood for other possible witnesses.We found none.The next morning, we went out to the hospital.The condition of the older daughter, June, was critical.
We interviewed the father.He could tell us nothing. At 10 a.m., Mrs. Stendhal and her younger girl, Jenny, were brought to the office and we started them looking through mug books of parolees previously convicted of armed robbery.
Within two hours, both of them positively identified the picture of a recent San Quentin release as that of the hold-up man.His name was Harold Best.We started a quick rundown.You pulled a package, Johnny?Yeah, here's the dope.
Harold Best, alias Harold Norris, alias Harold Thompson, alias Tom Norris. One term for armed robbery in queue.Got out four months ago.M.O.and description both match.
How about the ex-con files you're checking?He's registered.
Did you get a hold of his parole officer?
Yeah, 2440 Excelsior Avenue is rooming, huh?All that checks are the ex-con files.Parole officer says Best went to work two weeks ago at a filling station over on Vermont.Yeah?Doesn't seem to be able to hold a job.Quarrelsome.Run himself into debt.
I got it.Robbery Romero.Yeah, right.That's all, huh?Yeah.Right, bye. Ray Pinker at the crime lab, they checked the slugs taken from the two victims.Yeah.They came with a .32 caliber revolver.Probably a Colt.Anything else?That's it.
Not too bad a start.We've had worse.Yeah.Maybe we can make that phone call pretty quick.
2 p.m.Wednesday, Ben and I drove out to his rooming house at 2440 Excelsior Avenue and we found that Herbert Best was still living there.We had the landlady show us his room.
Besides the usual personal belongings, we came across nothing of consequence.After questioning the landlady, we drove to the service station on Vermont Avenue, where Best was supposed to be employed.
I don't see anyone around.There's a fellow over there greasing a car on the right.Oh, yeah.That looks like Best.
Can you tell us if there's a Herbert Best working here?
Police officers would like to talk to you.Yeah?What's the matter?Routine investigation.Got a few questions for you.
I'm supposed to have this car greased up in a quarter to four.What am I supposed to do, please?You're the boss.
I'll find him, Joe. Got any heat on you?
No.What's it all about?How long's this gonna be?Couple minutes.Gonna take more than a grease job, put this thing in shape.Well, we'll wait for you.How'd you find me?That nosy landlady of mine?No, routine channels.Every fetton on this trap is froze.
Well, what's it all about?Got a few things to straighten out, Bess.How long you been working here?
You wouldn't drive out here for that.That's not your game.
What's the pitch?Routine investigation.We'd like to know where you've been spending your nights.For instance?Sunday night.Where were you?
Well, I don't know.I went to a show.Yeah, I saw a Mickey Rooney picture.
Downtown.Had a beer after the show.Come home.
Well, I went home after work.I was pooped.Went to bed early.
Landlady saw me come in while I was snooping around.She ought to know if I was there or not.How about last night, Tuesday?Played some cards with a friend of mine, him and his wife, Penny Annie Booker.
There's a place, it's down on Pico, near the park.You can ask them.
What time did you get there?
I'm not sure, about 8 o'clock, I guess.
Around midnight, yeah.Must have been around midnight.
What'd you play with your friend and his wife?
Poker.Poker.A loss, as usual.Took a streetcar home, went to bed.
You sure you didn't leave earlier?
Of course I'm sure. It was around midnight, I remember.
I looked at my watch.Good enough for you?What time did you get home?Well, it takes about a half hour on a trolley.Must have been about 12.30.Did your landlady see you come in?I don't know if she saw me or not.Always snooping around.Probably did.
You're not sure?No, of course I'm not sure.She looks for me, I don't look for her.You own a gun best.
You know better than that, copper.Ex-cons can't have a gun.Your friend and his wife.Now they're gonna back you up if you were playing cards with them till midnight.
Why not?I was.Say that there's a boss looking for me.I better let him know I'm here.
What's that you got in your back pocket there?
In your back pocket, the right one there.
At 4 p.m., Ben and I checked the suspect's locker at the service station and then drove him back to the office at the interrogation room.We continued questioning him.
He denied any knowledge of the holdup and shooting at Stendhal's bakery shop the night before.We asked him again about the friends he was supposed to be playing cards with at the time of the robbery.
He told us that they lived over on Pico, but he couldn't remember the address.He volunteered to direct us there, but he said they wouldn't be home.
He told us their names were Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Mitchell, but they were in charge of the food concessions at one of the football stadiums in town. Best was held for suspicion of robbery.
That night we drove out and interviewed the landlady at his boarding house.She knew nothing of Best's whereabouts the previous night.She didn't know what time he left or what time he returned.Ben and I went over his room again.
There was no sign of a gun.Friday, 2 p.m., Officers Bechtle and Lopez went out to the hospital to see if Mr. Stendhal and his daughter June could identify Best's mugshot.Ben and I drove out to the stadium to locate Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Mitchell.
There was a high school football game going on.
High school kids sure have a lot of fun nowadays.Best years of your life, Joe.You sound like you're 85.Some nights I feel like it.The way those kids turn out for these things, you'd think USC and Notre Dame were playing.
You see the number on that gate over there?Yeah, it's 23.That the number the gatekeeper gave him?Yeah.Must be the Mitchell stand over there.Come on. Oh, miss, can you tell us where to find Mr. and Ms.Mitchell?
Yeah, around back of the stand here.Knock on the door.
Police officers would like to talk to you if you have a few minutes.
All right, I'm having a bite of lunch, but come on in.Shut the door.
Lousy food business.You never get a chance to feed yourself.
Hey, care for some of these?New kind of potato chip.Revolutionary, it says.Mother Thompson's Puff Chips.Flavored.Get all kinds, see?These here are a combination, uh, let's see.Garlic and eggplant.Sure tastes different, huh, Tom?
No, thank you very much.I wouldn't.Thank you.Say, we're inquiring about a friend of yours, Ms.Mitchell.Maybe you can tell us something about him.
A man by the name of Herbert Best.
Herb?Yeah, old-time friend of my husband's.Why do you want to know?
You see him quite often, do you, Ms.Mitchell?
Once or twice a month.Clyde and I play cards or go out bowling with him.Herb's a pretty good company.
When's the last time you saw him?
Early this week, Tuesday, I think it was.
Let's see, yeah.It was.We played cards, why?
That's right, a little poker.Clyde and Herb and me.
What time did Best get to your place, Ms.Mitchell?
Well, right after I finished up with the dinner dishes, around 7.45, I'd say.
A couple of hours.We sat around, had a few drinks, played poker, nickel limit.
A little before 10, I think.
You sure that ma'am is important?
Sure as I can be.Must have left before 10, because Clyde and I listened to the 10 o'clock news alone.Then we went to bed right after.
Your friend Bess tells us he didn't leave your place until midnight.
Oh, that's not right.Her must be mixed up.He left before 10, I'm sure of that.
All right, Ms.Mitchell.Thank you.
See, I hope I haven't said anything I shouldn't have.I know Herb's next con.
He likes to gamble.I'm not checking up on him for Tuesday night, are you?
We playing too much poker?
We're not playing enough.3.30 p.m.We located Mr. Mitchell, corroborated his wife's story, and then we went back to the city hall.Officers Bechtel and Lopez were waiting for us.
They told us that they had seen Mr. Stendhal and his daughter June at the hospital.Both of them had identified Herbert Best's mugshot as that of the hold-up man.At a show-up, Mrs. Stendhal and her daughter identified Best.
We checked auto records for all stolen cars at my tie-in.There were none.We then started to work on the theory that he had taken a bus from his friend's place where he had been playing cards at the Stendhal bakery where the shooting took place.
Lopez and Bechtel rode the bus over the same route.It took 43 minutes.Plenty of time for Best to have gotten from one place to the other, even on a slow run.
We interviewed the bus driver who'd been on duty that particular line Tuesday night between 10 p.m.and midnight.He identified Best as one of his passengers, but he didn't remember where he got off.
The next morning, Ben and I met with Ed Walker, Captain of the robbery.
How'd you make out?Just saw the deputy D.A.Laid out the case for him.Yeah?We got the complaint.He'll be arraigned this afternoon.How strong a case you got?
Well, each one of the Stendhal family identified best.His alibi didn't stand up for Tuesday night.Uh-huh.And we got that bus driver.He tapped best, too.And that blue baseball cap.All we need now is the holdup gun.I hate to spoil it for you.
This letter just came through in the mail.Have a look.Thanks.What do you think? I read in the paper this morning about Herbert Best.You've got the wrong guy.I'm the one who held up that bakery.
Every detail about that robbery is written down in that letter.The information wasn't in the newspaper story.Nobody else but the hold-up man would know all those details.Yeah, wait a minute, isn't it?Yeah.
If you don't believe I'm the right man, I'll shoot up a couple of more jerks.Next time, I'll kill them.It's no crank, Luddy.No, it isn't.You got the wrong man.
You are listening to Dragnet, the case history of a police investigation presented in the public interest.
After we received the anonymous letter in the mail confessing to the Stendhal Bakery holdup, we met with the deputy district attorney.We acquainted him with the new facts in the case.That afternoon, the charges against Herbert Best were dropped.
We started again at the beginning. 10 a.m.Monday, November 9th, the members of the Stendhal family were again shown mug books of ex-cons with robbery records.
This time, they picked out eight mug shots of known robbery men, each with a marked resemblance to the original suspect, Herbert Best.Together with officers Bechtel and Lopez, we started checking them out.
The first two days, we tracked down four of the eight.All of the four were in the clear.5.15 p.m., we got back to the city hall, the carpool. See any empty spots, Joe?No, but don't park it in any one of the city councilman's stalls.
Why don't you pull up here?Boyd will take care of it.Oh, God.That's good right there.
Oh, Garnet, I knew there was something I forgot to do.What's that?Well, they had an underwear sale today.Had to place down on the South Fig, shorts, T-shirts. Wife told me to be sure and get down there.Well, there'll be another one.
That place has sales all the time, don't they?Only twice a year on underwear.Stuff I've got's not gonna last till next time.
Friday?Ben?Wait a minute.
I'm seeing Beck for real.Hi, Beck.
Two men we checked were clean.We picked up something at 77th Street Station.Go ahead, Ben.
Watch that elevator door down there.I'm sorry.What's with 77th Street?
A couple of men in traffic out there covered an accident this afternoon, 91st and Central, hit and run.
One of our traffic cars saw the collision, took out after the guy, chased him 10 blocks.And while they were chasing him, they thought they saw the driver throw something out of the car window.
I'm coming to that.When they finally pulled the car over, Grey Coupe, the driver told him his shoulder was wrenched in the accident, he was on his way to his own doctor.Our men took him to 77th Street, had the doctor look at him.
Well, the doc was treating the guy, only one of the officers was in the room.When he turned to get a drink of water, the suspect slugged him, then the doctor.Jumped out of the window, got away.Teletypes out on him.
He went to an awful lot of trouble to beat a traffic ramp.
Yeah, that's the way to impress the boys out there.They got out of broadcasting the guy, went back to the spot where they thought they saw the guy toss this thing out of his car when they were chasing him.
They found a .32 Colt revolver.Arrest camp's checking it now in the crime lab.What did they say the man looked like? Description measures pretty close to our holdup guy.I'll get it.
Yeah.Oh, yeah, Russ.Yeah.Okay, fine, right.Russ Camp, check the 32 revolver with the slugs in the Stendhal case.Yeah.Positive make.
The gray coupe, which the unidentified suspect had been driving, had been checked out by traffic officers at 77th Street Division.
They had found that the owner and driver of the car was a man named Bruno Stock, a two-time loser with a page full of major and minor crimes to his credit.We checked his mama sheet, and we got out a broadcast on him in an APB.
A stakeout had been placed at his last known address.We picked up a sandwich and a cup of coffee for dinner, and then we started checking out Bruno Stock's relatives and friends. By 6 o'clock the following night, we still had no idea where he was.
A little after 9 p.m., we got a call from an informant who told us that a Tommy Josephson, a small-time thief and reputedly a friend of Bruno Stock's, wanted to talk to us.We found him in a small apartment over on West 6th.
One thing I want to set you straight on.Bruno's no friend of mine.He's in on the heavy rackets.No heavy racket man's a friend of mine.All right, we got it.Now, where's Bruno?He came here tonight, quarter after six.Moved right in on me.
Didn't even ask me.What'd he want with you?Now, you remember, Bruno's no friend of mine.Yeah, we got that.Now, what'd he want?A gun.He knew I had one.I keep it for self-protection.You can't trust these heavy men.
Did you give him the gun?
Give it to him.He took it.Shook me down like a rat.Made me go out and buy dinner for him.My own dough. Have to bring it back here from.
Bruno's no friend of mine.What he does with that gun is his grief.It's out of my hands.
An hour ago, I think.Maybe a little less.Shook me down like a rat.Real heavy guy.
I don't know.He's crazy.All them heavy guys are crazy.Talk like somebody with a paper head.
Did he tell you where he was going?
See a friend of his over in Dogtown.Guy runs a bowling alley.Bruno's gonna borrow his car.What for?He's heavy, I tell you.Said he was going out on a heist tonight. Did he ever write you guys a letter?
Well, he told me he was gonna prove what he wrote to you.Crazy.I didn't get it at all.
Said he was going out to kill a couple of jerks.
9.30 p.m.We got the address of the bowling alley run by Bruno Stock's friend and we called the office.An alert for the suspect was broadcast immediately.Together with Gene Bechtel and Lopez, we drove to the bowling alley.Ben and I went in.
Bechtel and Lopez covered the outside.
It's a good crowd.I wonder where they do business.I don't see any counter.No, neither do I. Oh, yeah, yeah.
Oh, yeah.There's nobody behind the cash register.How about that fellow in the white T-shirt standing by the cigarette machine?Yeah, looks like he works here.
Let's go.Joe, the guy with him just turned towards us.Bruno, come on.He sees us.He's going for the back.All right, Joe, let's hold it up.He ducked in there to the right, Joe.Down behind the alley.Hold it up, Stock.The window, Joe.
Went right through it.Come on. There he is.Get out.Joe!He's in there, Beck.Cover the front.Over the fence, Joe.There he is.All right, give it back.Yeah.
No.He's got to be in the yard someplace.Yeah.Where'd it come from?I can't see.Keep down. Backstairs to that house, there he is.Give it up, Stock!
All right, mister.Give tag, come on.What's it look like?It's a shoulder wound.You want to shake him down?
Yeah.Get an ambulance, we'll be back.Right.I'll throw the cuffs on him, huh? Well, that's it, Joe.Yeah.Where are you going?I got a phone call to make.
The story you have just heard was true.Only the names were changed to protect the innocent.
On February 18th, trial was held in Superior Court, Department 84, City and County of Los Angeles, State of California.In a moment, the results of that trial.
And now, here is our star, Jack Webb.Jack Webb.Thank you.
In the Record Bureau of all metropolitan police departments, there's a special file in which all known criminals are catalogued and cross-indexed according to identifying marks, marks which help the working detective.
Bruno Alfred Stock was tried and convicted of first-degree robbery and assault with intent to commit murder, two counts.Because of his prior convictions, he was a judged and habitual criminal and sentenced to a life imprisonment.
He is now serving his term in the state penitentiary. You have just heard Dragnet, a series of authentic cases from official files.Technical advice for Dragnet comes from the office of Chief of Police W.H.Parker, Los Angeles Police Department.
Coming up, Duffy Staver.Next Tuesday, it's Fibber McGee on NBC.
Welcome back!As a dramatic device, I love the promise of the phone call.It was a good character moment when she offered Friday the change.
It said a lot about the family and then it was also hinted at once in the course of the story before getting paid off at the end. It was interesting and a bit scary how the case was built up against the first suspect.
It's part of the way that Dragnet didn't portray the police as infallible, but as honest men doing the best they can.That said, if the actual criminal hadn't taken umbrage at the fact that they attributed his crimes to someone else,
they might have ended up sending an innocent man to jail for a crime he didn't commit.
This points to one of the big problems with eyewitness testimony, which we tend to think of as the best evidence or is very reliable, when in fact there are so many things that can throw it off.
off, and as the episode showed, the family went on to identify suspects who looked very similar to the first person they'd chosen.
Of course, the suspect didn't do himself any favors by expecting his friends to back up his phony alibi, which made him look very guilty.Well, listen to our comments and feedback now.
And Paul left a simple, good work regarding the episode, The Big Chance on YouTube. And Ranza wrote regarding our 15th anniversary episode, congrats Adam on 15 years, and here's to at least that many more.Keep up the great work.
Well, thank you so much.And now it is time to thank our Patreon supporter of the day, and I want to thank Christine, Patreon supporter since July 2020, currently supporting the podcast at the Detective Sergeant level of $7.14 or more per month.
Thank you so much for your support, Christine.And that will actually 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 Saturday with another episode of Dragnet.Tomorrow, we will have our Sunday Encore, but we will resume new podcast on Monday with an episode of The Adventures of the Falcon, where
about my cousin Ernest.He and I, as far as I know, are the only heirs to our uncle's estate.That be George Sherman, the industrialist?Yes.Yes, that's right.Definitely not dimes.No.No, it's millions.That's why I... What's the matter?I don't know.
It's just... I feel a little funny all of a sudden.But I'll be all right now.What was I saying? You were telling me about your cousin, Ernest.Yes, yes.He was here a little while ago.He had a... I wonder why I'm getting so sleepy.
I better get you a shot of brandy.Where do you... No, no.That's what... That's how I... It must be... Truman.
I hope you'll be with us then.In the meantime, send your comments to box13 at greatdetectives.net.Follow us on Twitter at radiodetectives, and check us out on Instagram, instagram.com slash greatdetectives.
From Boise, Idaho, this is your host, Adam Graham, signing off.
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