Dragnet - Big Dream

0:00Sound off for Chesterfield. Chesterfield is best for you. First cigarette with premium quality in both regular and king size. Chesterfield brings you dragnet. Ladies and gentlemen, the story you are 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. You get a call that a large market has been held up. You have a good description of the thief. Your job? Get him. Years ahead of the mole. Chesterfield is years ahead of the mole.

1:04The quality contrast between Chesterfield and other leading cigarettes is a revealing story. Recent chemical analyses give an index of good quality for the country's six leading cigarette brands. The index of good quality table, a ratio of high sugar to low nicotine, shows Chesterfield quality highest. 15% higher than its nearest competitor. And Chesterfield quality 31% higher than the average of the five other leading brands. Yes, Chesterfield is first with premium quality in both regular and king size. Don't you want to try a cigarette with a record like that? 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 transcribed from official police files.

2:06From beginning to end, from crime to punishment, Dragnet is the story of your police force in action. It was Monday, March 10th. It was raining in Los Angeles. We were working the day watch out a robbery detail. My partners Frank Smith, the boss is Captain Dittian. My name is Friday. I was on my way into the office and it was 8.02 a.m. when I got to room 27A. robbery. Got it? The uprank. She really coming down in it? Yeah, pouring out in the valley. That's all? Yeah. Keeps coming down like this going to cause a lot of trouble. Sure makes fame, man. Yeah, how's that? I'm going to get Starena like this and she'd be against to think about the house. You know, doing something about it. Changing stuff around. That's all? We got the whole day yesterday moving furniture. Finally got it all set just before dinner. Looked pretty good too. What happened? Well, we got through dinner and all went in to look at television. Yeah. The way she had the furniture, none of us could see a thing. And chairs were either so close you couldn't see her else they were all way across the room.

3:09No, well you're not supposed to get too close are you anyway? Yeah, but Joey only got a 10-inch screen. We got one of those big magnifiers on it and if you get to one side, everybody looks like they got the mumps. Had to move all the stuff back the way it was. It's a hot shot. I'll get it. I get you coat. We got one to roll on. What is it? Licker Star robbery. 812 a.m. We arrived at the scene of the hold-up. It was a large liquor grocery store at the corner of San Marino Avenue in six streets. A radio unit was already there. Frank and I checked with him and then we talked with the victim and Mr. Henry Alden. I was just standing there at the counter. This old guy came in and pulled the gun. He told me one of the money. I gave it to him. He said in the phone when he was elderly, is that right? Yeah, old guy. I must have been about 65 or 70. Real bum. How do you mean? Well, it was dressed, you know, old clothes, real CD. What if they tell us just what happened? Sure. It was about 8 this morning. I opened up and I was there making out the deposits slip for the bank.

4:11I walked in the back door and pulled his gun. Tell me one of the money. Well, like I said, I gave it to him. He told me to get into the closet back there. He told me to light on on the floor. I did and he had that gun pointed right on my head. I did like you told me. I see what happened then. Well, he walked over to the door and flipped the lock on him a couple of times. You know, I make sure it works. Yeah. And then he figured it was okay and he told me not to make any noise for the five minutes. He locked the door. Well, that's it. To go all the money. How much money did he take, would you know? Yeah, to the penny. I just finished adding it up just a minute. Right. We got the figures on the machine. Take it right away. That is $5,200 and 52 cents. That's it exactly. You said the guy came in the back door, is that right? Yeah, that's right. Were you open? I mean, was the start open for business? No, we weren't. You see, I usually open before 830. Maybe the back door opened up for deliveries. Bread, milk, stuff like that. What if he could give us a description of the man?

5:11Sure, like I said, he was old. I'd say around 70, not in there. About how tall was he? I'd say maybe, uh, 5'7, not much more than that. How much did he weigh, would you know? Not much, maybe 125. How about his complexion? Real 10, like you've done in the Sun a lot. Face was all wrinkle. How about the color of his eyes? Blue. Real blue. Mm-hmm. You know, what about his clothes? Not a real bum. Had on this old overcoat, brown, all frayed, ragged around the sleeves. Had a patch on the right elbow. Patch looked like it was kind of dark, surge material. Was he wearing it, huh? Yeah, blue. I'll beat up. You could see the dirt around the brim. How about he shirt the trousers? Blue striped shirt and old kind of brown pants, no press. I was like, he was getting ready to jump in. A real seedy. Yeah, see, did he wear glasses? No. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. A real seedy. You know, see, did he wear glasses? No, I didn't. Was he clean-shaven or do you wear him a stain? Well, I had about a four or five-day old growth of beard. White. I think so.

6:11Did he have any marks or scars that you could see? No, nothing like that. We just not that I could see. How about the gun? Was it a revolver and automatic? Well, that looked like an automatic. Might have been a 45. I didn't look too close at that. Yeah. Did he have any sort of an accent? What are you talking about? No, nothing like that. All right, Mr. Alden. You know, I'll get the description after I print things. Mr. Alden, did the man say anything to you that might help identify him? No, not that I can think of. He kept telling me that he was real sorry he had to do this. Said, I'm really sorry, but I have to have the money. I have to. He kept asking me if I understood. I told him no. He said that some day I would. Real weird. He kept apologizing while he robbed me. I see. You the only guy right? No, no, I'm just a manager. The owner's Mr. Wood, he's going to be real mad when he hears about this. Second time in three months we've been held up, getting a little tiring. A couple more times the insurance company isn't going to stand for. Yes, sir. Do you usually have that much money in the store? Most of the weekends, yeah. You see, a lot of our stuff is pretty expensive. This is about the only store in the neighborhood that's open over Sunday.

7:13Get a lot of trade. We can business usually runs between three and five thousand. Mm-hmm. About how many employees are there in the store? Three, all to all. We stay open until two thirty in the morning. I come in in the morning and work until noon, Hank comes in and there's two of us until six. And John comes in and he works on through. Once know how Mr. Wood comes in himself and we get busy. What if I could have their names now, Mrs. Wood? Sure. They weren't involved there, I'm sure of that. But we have to check them out anyway, Mr. Alden. Yeah, I suppose so. But I tell you, you knew what he was doing, the way he moved. The way he knew just when to come in, as far as done that sort of thing before. I'm gonna say he was sorry about taking the money. He wasn't fooling anybody. Well, it's not a soul. Real bummed CD, you know? Yes, sir. All that baloney about how he had to have the money wasn't any other way. He wasn't sorry, not at all. Yeah, well, he probably will be. 9.30 a.m., Frank and I started the canvas of the immediate vicinity.

8:14None of the store owners in the area had seen anyone answering the description of the hold-up, man. None of them had seen any suspicious cars in the area. We asked the liquor store manager to go with us to the city hall to look at the mud books. We called the store owner and when he arrived, we drove downtown. The victim went through the mud books on no-one hold-up, man, but failed to make an identification. A local in an APB were gotten out on the suspect. We asked the stats office to make a run on the M.O.U.s, and they came back with 14 possibles. It took us two days to check them out. They let us know where. The papers caught on to the story and letters began to pour in with advice and tips. On Monday, March 17, the full week after the robbery, Frank and I had lunch and check back into the office. See the afternoon papers, Joe? Yeah, pretty funny, huh? Yeah, I should have taken up the story. Everybody got a different idea who the old guy is and why he did it. Did he read some of the stories? Yeah, sure. The only thing is, a lot of people seem to think the old guys are real robin hood. And that's all right, but they forget that they walked in that store with a gun. Wasn't anybody to say that he wouldn't have pulled the trigger if somebody got in his way? Yeah.

9:14I should be glad when we get him in front of what it's all about. I get it. Probably Friday. Yes, ma'am, it is. No, ma'am. No, ma'am. We haven't caught him yet. What was that? Yes, ma'am. Why would you give me that address again? Yes, I have it. Yes, ma'am. Why, thank you. There's another one. What's that? The guy who runs a place out on ninth street says he's got a tenant that she sure is the old fellow we're looking for. How come? He says all the old guy does is stay up in his room. The other day, the landlord's daughter went upstairs for something. Tenant chasted down the stairs, yelling at her to stay away from his room. Oh, that's sort of thing. He was tired of people not respecting his rights. The rights of an old man. Something like that. I couldn't get it all the phone. Description she gave him. Pretty much matches the one we got. What do you figure? We got no choice. We'll check it out. One fifty-eighth, ma'am. Frank and I got to the roaming house on ninth street. It was a large four-story building. We talked to the landlord and she gave us one information she could. She told us that the tenant's name was Roger Dietrich.

10:15She told us that he'd lived in the building for the past eight years. She went on to tell us that he had some sort of a private income that he rarely left his room. The landlord explained that earlier the same morning, her eleven-year-old daughter had gone to the attic to get some old newspapers. And that on the way, she'd run into Mr. Dietrich. The tenant had yelled at her and told her that as long as he was paying rent on the room, he wouldn't have anybody snooping around. We checked and found that he got no mail except the single letter a month with the income check. 2.30 p.m. Frank and I went up to the fourth floor and knocked at the door. And you want to try it again? Yeah. Go away! I don't want any going away! Mr. Dietrich, who is it? Police officers, we'd like to talk to you. Oh, just a minute. Who'd you say you were? Police officers, we'd like to talk to you. What's your name? My name's Friday. This is my partner, Frank Smith.

11:16Uh-huh. I guess it's all right. Come here. Thank you, sir. Well, guess it's about that thing this morning, huh? Sir. Why are you going to have to play K-J with me? I know that she called you. The old busy bother, that bad kid of ours is just like her. He's always snooping. Well, wasn't anything to it? The kid come up here and snooping around and try to find out what I was doing. I'm not ready yet. What do you mean, sir, not ready? No, the book's not finished yet. It will be in another year. And the whole world, you can see it. Maybe men, their ways. Give them some hope to avoid what's coming. Plus, that's not why we're here. Don't lie to me. I know all about you. I know that you'd be around. You're trying to stop me. I knew it. I knew it all the time. You see that stack of magazines over there? Yeah. Every copy of Life magazine never printed. Fight for the first. I keep track, you know. Use it for research.

12:16Well, I don't quite understand, Mr. Dietrich. That's for my book. Oh, yeah. It's going to be in five volumes called The Eagles of the Machine Age. And it's the fact on mankind. Five volumes. That's the five volumes. Got the first four finished. Working on the last one now. That's how I knew you were coming. I worked it out on the charts. Well, we'd like to talk to you about what you were doing a week ago, sir. Oh, you worked? Oh, well. Well, yes, I figured on that. I knew you should be checking me. I knew it. I saw it in the chart. I'm getting close now. Well, it's going to sit up and be taken over. Sit right up. Yes, sir. Did you go out last Monday? Monday? Well, yes. Yes, yes. I went out to get some supplies. I got them coming back. Would you tell us what time of day that was? Oh, night, sir. I always go out at night, yes, sir. Where'd you get these? What are these supplies? Well, this little place to industry. Always buy things there. Very nice, you know? Yes, sir. And the man down there would be able to tell us if you were there with me. Oh, sure, yes.

13:16Him and me had to talk about my book. That was really interesting. We talk all the time, I hear. I just finished running for you, though, about what's going to happen to the machines allowed to continue? Ah, it's going to be terrible. I'll make you print. The way the world's going. Oh, he's had them all. Now the hajury's gone. Gonna blow the world right away. Even if they stop that, things aren't going to be the same. They're all going to be different. All right. You just bet you. You know what kids are going to look like? A thousand years from now? Well, sir, I imagine pretty much the same way to do now, huh? Yes, sir. And I just way you're wrong. Sit down, picture right here. That's volume four, you know. This volume four. I'll get it. There you are. See? Do it up myself. Yeah. Well, what is it? Well, you see, that's the way we're all going to look.

14:16You see there? See? A large here. All brain. Little bitty legs. That's from what we would be doing at the walk. You see, just riding all the time. One great big eye right in the middle of the head. And the right arm fit only for eating breakfast food. It makes noises and turns no television set. See? Uh, clever. Yes, sir. That's what the chart says we're going to look like if we all eat at a bomb. Yes, sir. I wonder if you mind coming downtown with us. You know, the autumn will be. Yes, sir. I'm afraid not. You see, I don't believe in them. And I'm going to last, you see. Well, I'm sorry, Mr. Dietrich, but we have to ask you to go with us. Police business, huh? Yes, sir, that's right. Well, I don't like it, but I guess I got no choice. That's right. Yes, sir, that's right. Well, all right. That way, as we're riding the autumn will be. It won't be around long, you know. And it just fade right out of existence. How's going to happen in my book?

15:17Uh-huh. Volume five. 3.01 p.m. We drove Roger Dietrich down to the city hall and checked him through R&I. We found no record on him. We got in touch with the hold-up victim, Henry Alden, and asked him to come down to the city hall to see if he could identify the suspect. He got to the robbery squad room at 4.15 p.m. No, no, I'm sure of it. That's not the guy. What's all this about anyway? What are you officers trying to do? Well, it's all right, Mr. Dietrich. We're just conducting a routine investigation. It's all right now. Oh, it is, huh? Yes, sir. We can take you home now if you like. Isn't that police car? Yes, sir. Well, how about this fella? Are you going to? Nothing. Oh, well, now. Maybe I'll do just that. Would you mind dropping me off at Pershing Square? I'd like to listen to speech. A friend of mine's making this afternoon. Brilliant, man. I don't mind. He's already written 12 books. All on us, sir. O.D.D.S. odds. Like, um, what are the chances of a company to be able to get a job? Like, um, what are the chances of a company falling on your house?

16:19Or, uh, what are the chances of a certain horse winning the Kentucky Derby? All things like that, you know. Brilliant, man. Yes, sir. He's dead and broke. That right. Well, it spends all his money on research. I got it. Probably Friday. Yeah, Barnes. Uh-huh. Yeah. When did you pick him up? Yeah. All right. No, we'll be right over. Any? Yeah. Barnes over at the main jail since they got a drunk over there who's doing a lot of bragging. What about heist and liquor store for $5,200? $4.30 p.m. We had Roger DeCrick taken to his home and then Frank and I went over to the main jail. We talked to officer Phil Barnes. He told us that an Arnold Jefferson had been picked up in book for LAMC 4127A on the previous day. Barnes went on to say that this was Jefferson's 42nd arrest on drunk charges. We had the suspect brought to the interview room and we talked to him. All right, Jefferson. Now, what's all this about you holding up a liquor store? What do you know about it? You mess the description of the man who committed the robbery.

17:21The clothes there that you're wearing are like the ones the victim described. Now, about it. You think he's proven to not meet Tonya? Yeah, if Alden identifies you, we can. Alden, he's the man who was robbed. He's outside now. He wants to take a look at you. And won't be necessary. You got the right, man. You are listening to Dragnet, the authentic story of your police force in action. Chesterfield is best for you. Listen to this report. It's a report never before made about a cigarette. Smoke day after day by a group of people smoking from 10 to 40 cigarettes a day for a full year. Here's Chesterfield's record. A medical specialist giving this group thorough examinations every two months for a full year. Reports know adverse effects to their nose, throat, and sinuses from smoking Chesterfield.

18:24Don't you want to try a cigarette with a record like that? You'll find Chesterfield's best for you. They're much milder with an extraordinarily good taste. And for your pocketbook, Chesterfield is America's best cigarette. Chesterfield, years ahead of them all. We had the victim, Henry Aldham, look at the suspect, Arnold Jefferson. He identified him positively as a man who had held up the liquor store. We took Jefferson back to the city hall and checked him through R&I. He had no felony record. 7.30 p.m., we took him to the interrogation room. I knew you'd get me, knew it all the time. That's right. Sure. I knew it even before a hell of a store. You know, I didn't really want to do it. You know, I really meant it when I told him I was sorry about doing it. Really meant it. I guess maybe you find that kind of hard to believe. I was supposed to tell us about it. Yeah. I guess the best way to be the start from the beginning, huh?

19:26Yeah. First thing you should understand is I think basically I'm an honest man. All my life, I've never cheated to anyone or taken anything that didn't belong to me. I've tried to live pretty much for the Golden Rule. Yes, sir. Sometimes, maybe lots of times, it'd be a little hard to do, but I did my best. Yes, sir. Go ahead. I was born in the middle of West. It's tiny little town. You probably never heard of it. He didn't don't most of the map. Went to school there through the eighth grade. Then I decided that I wanted to see the rest of the country. Worked my way through every one of the 48, every one of them. Did a lot of things, met a lot of people. That's right. Well, all that time, all my life, I never did anything real big. Nothing that I could ever tell anybody about and be proud. Nothing to tell people about. Yes, sir. I'm 72 years old now. It's a long time to live and never do anything big. Long time. Came downtown one day, sat in a plaza in the sun, met some real nice people. People like me, people without much reason.

20:26Got to come down every day, sit and talk and exchange ideas, found a lot of good friends, most of them were alone. And I guess being alone made us members of the same club. Got to be sort of a large. 17 of us. You used to meet, talk about things, where the world would go, and how things look for the future, all things like that. Friends. Yes, sir. How'd you get along all this time? How'd you live? Oh, I got a little pension from state, and I forget along long. I don't need much. Well, one day I got to thinking about how I didn't really have anything big to remember. That's when I decided. You mean on the robbery? Yep. Decided that if I could get my hands on a lot of money, a lot of it, all at once, I could have something. No. So I started to figure. First off, I had to figure what kind of a store to rob. Had to be one where I could get enough money, thought about quite a while. When I had that figure, I picked up a store, and then I, uh, Caste, that right? Yeah, that's right. Well, and I, Caste, the store, figured how I'd do it.

21:26And I figured that I'd have to have a gun. There. Got one of those little plastic ones, bought the dime store, pictured up a shoe black. Couldn't hurt anybody, just plastic. Look real, but couldn't hurt anyone. Of course, the victim wouldn't know that would he? Yes, I thought considerable about that. Worried about it a lot. About how, if there was any trouble, it'd make it hard with just a plastic gun. Oh, and not that I wanted to hurt anybody. I didn't. But I got to thinking, what would happen if somebody got scared and thought it was real? Could be trouble there. No, no, no, no. Before I'd go any further, I want you to know that right at this point, I knew I was doing wrong. I knew it. I knew that I'd have to go to jail for what it did. New it and it didn't matter. Had to be that way. Well, if you knew that, why'd you go ahead with the robber? Yeah. Wasn't any other way to get the money. Please, none that I could think of. Believe me, I tried to think of one. All right, go ahead. And I held up the place, took the money, and then I made the man get into closet. Did that show he wouldn't try to follow me?

22:26I'm sorry about it. I tried to tell him, but I don't think he really believed it. I don't think he did. What'd you do then? I took a bus out the airport. I thought about taking a cab, but then I figured that I'd want to save as much money as I could, so I was having it later. You know, I inquired around out there at the airport and found a place where I could rent a airplane. I paid for it in advance, so there wouldn't be any trouble. I hired it to go to San Francisco, round trip, both ways. You hired an airplane? Yep. Big one. Carried 18 people. That's what I needed. Real comfortable seats, two motors, had a girl paint on the front. From the war, I guess. All right, go ahead. Well, I took the bus back to town, and I started walking around the Plaza. Rounded up all 17 of my friends, hold bunch of them. Talked to them all. Guys who had been nice to me, they've been for wasn't anything I could do for them. Tollum meet me at first in Maine, right? But a fountain in front of City Hall at night. Tollum and I was going to throw a party. A party they'd never forget.

23:26Well, we got together that night, and took a cab out there at the airport. Well, matter of fact, we took four cabs. Had to show the drivers that I had the money for the tickets. I guess they thought they was going to try to get a free ride, but anyway, when I showed them the money, they drove us out. Give them a good tip. Nice fellows. Got on their plane and flew up to San Francisco. Wonderful. Got into the city and then we started. Really had a time, lasted three days. Wasn't anything we didn't see? Nothing we didn't do. Three days of it. Real living. Everything is on me, paid for it all. Went to the best places, drank best food, drank finest wines. Really lived. What'd you say when you were in San Francisco? Hotel down on Howard. Not the richest in town, but real nice, clean rooms. All right, go ahead. Well, about the time that I thought we'd stayed long enough, we all got on the plane and come back. Got in Wednesday morning. Took cabs downtown and then we all went to breakfast. Had a real whopper.

24:27Kind of a farewell for the whole party. After I settled up with the waitress, I only had $1.75 left. Give it to her for a tip. Sure, made her happy. I don't guess she made too much down there. Yeah. Well, does any of your friends know where you'd get in the movie for this party? No, no, she and I first got the idea. I told him that I had a real rich brother. Told him that he died and that I was his only relative, that all the money would get to me. I figured that I could sort of set things up by doing that. She seemed to work all right and none of them said anything. Uh-huh. You remember the man you chartered the airplane from? So sure. Real nice fella. I got his card. I kept it. Starts with souvenir. I can give it to him if you want it. Yeah, well, that's a hell of a... You ever done any big time? Me? Oh, no, no. Well, just a drink or rest. Lots of them. Yeah. Big thing about this is that I wish there was some way to keep the boys and find out so they wouldn't have to know. Of course, I know that I'm not going to see him again, but just the same. What are they going to think?

25:27How are they going to take this when they hear about it? I don't know. I sure was wrong. Real wrong. How long have they put me in jail for? You guys know? Well, it depends. Ken John White. What the court says. Oh, still have to go to prison, though, huh? Yeah, I'm a great soul. Mm-hmm. Well, I haven't got much left. Guess no matter what the say, it's going to be life for me. Well, sir, we're not the ones to decide that. Yes, I know. You guys have been real nice. The way I'm glad it's over. Like I said before, I knew you'd get me. I knew it all the time right from the beginning. I had to figure out how to be when you did get me. What a shame. How I'd act. Wasn't it hard? I thought it was going to be. Not hard, though. One thing, though, yeah, what's that? I kind of wish I hadn't done it. I really do. Keep thinking. The more friends, how they're going to take it. Yeah. You want to go? You're going to take me back now, huh? Yeah, probably we have to. You're going to put me back in the tank?

26:27They're all not this time. Upstairs? Yeah, upstairs. That means I'll have a cell all over myself. Be nice. I'd like to be alone. All right. You all set Jefferson? Yeah. This way. 72 years, nothing to show for us. Nothing. Only one thing I can really say I did with my life. What's that Jefferson? We should send it to two years. The story you've just heard was true. The names were James to protect the innocent. On July 24, trial was held in Department 89,

27:29Superior Court of the State of California, in and for the County of Los Angeles, in a moment the results of that trial. Now here is our star, Jack Webb. Thank you, George Feneman. I hope you'll remember the facts George Feneman reported to you earlier. Recent chemical analyses give an index of good quality for the country's six leading brands. The index of good quality table, a ratio of high sugar to low nicotine, showed Chesterfield quality highest. 15% higher than its nearest competitor. In Chesterfield quality, 31% higher than the average of the five other leading brands. Now I'd like you to try Chesterfields today. I know they're best for me, and I'm sure you'll find Chesterfields are best for you. Arnold Peter Jefferson was tried and found guilty of one count of robbery in the second degree. He was sentenced to the state penitentiary for the term as prescribed by law. Robbery in the second degree is punishable by imprisonment for a period of not less than one year.

28:30Ladies and gentlemen, we wish to thank the editors of Real Magazine for their article, High Tension on TV, in the April issue now on sale. 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 Donahose, Sergeant Marty Wynn, Sergeant Fenns Prasier. Her tonight, where Ben Alexander, Vic Rodman, Ralph Moody, scripted by John Robinson, Music by Walter Schumann, hell-gip-me-speaking. For a million labs, tune in Chesterfield's Martin Lewis Show, Tuesday on the same NBC station, and sound off for Chesterfields. Either regular or king-size, you'll find premium quality Chesterfield much milder. Chesterfield is best for you.

29:34Chesterfield has brought you dragnet transcribed from Los Angeles. Tonight it's adventure with Barry Craig on NBC.