Dragnet - Big Threat

0:00The story you were about to hear is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent. Fatima cigarettes. Best of all long cigarettes bring you dragnet. The detective sergeant assigned the robbery detail. A middle-aged businessman in your city is robbed and beaten senseless. The hold of men escape. The victim refuses to report the crime. Your job investigates. You'll be amazed when you compare Fatima with other long cigarettes. You'll find they now cost the same. But in Fatima, the difference is quality. You'll see Fatima is the quality king-sized cigarette because it contains the finest domestic and Turkish tobacco superbly blended. And Fatima is extra mild.

1:04Well, the much different, much better, flavor and aroma than any other long cigarette. So compare Fatima yourself. Fatima is now cost the same as other long cigarettes. But your first puff will tell you... Oh, that's different. Yes, in Fatima, the difference is quality. Ask your dealer for Fatima. But quality king-sized cigarette. Best of all long cigarettes. Start enjoying Fatima tomorrow. The document, a 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. From beginning to end, from crime to punishment, dragnet is the story of your police force in action. But bad news, never- Carlo.

2:04BYCLUS Well excuse the oktober eight, this was overcast in Los Angeles. We were working the day watch out a robbery detail. My partner has been ram mail... The boss has cap examination, my name's Friday. It was about 1,000-23 a.m when we had the 700 South Hill Boulevard. The bus were recording in studios. What do you think? Oh, yeah, yeah, there it is. Main office, second floor. Yeah. Who is that, Joe? What? At Portrait up around the wall. Wait a minute. Some printing underneath here. Nice painting. Yeah, it says Damien, the father of the accordion, the Vienna 1829. What do you know about that? I'm going to be it down there, huh? Yeah. I'm going to try. Yeah. Yes, sir? Are you Lewis Butler?

3:05Yeah, that's right. And can I help you? Police officers, Mr. Butler, like talk you for a minute. Is your name Friday? Yes, sir, that's right. That's my partner, Sergeant Romero. How did he do? How did he do? I didn't know. That's my partner, Sergeant Romero. How did he do? I'm sorry, Sergeant. I told you on the phone, I just don't want to talk about it. A way to appreciate it if we could have your full operation. It's a pretty important matter. Well, I'm the only one concerned in it as far as I can see. I just assume forget the whole thing. Besides, I got a pretty busy day ahead of me. Well, we'd like to straighten you out. Mr. Butler concerns a lot more people than just yourself. No, we're not going to take much of your time just a few questions at all. I told you on the phone, Sergeant. I don't want to talk about it. Can't you just forget about the whole thing? It's only going to take a few minutes, sir. All right. Come in if you want. Thank you for your help. The place is in kind of a mess. Wives away from mothers. You can sit down if you want. Oh, thank you very, very much. All right, Pepper. I'll feed you just a minute.

4:05It's a nice catch you got there. Siamese? No, Betty. It's my wife's. Don't care too much for cats myself. All right, Pepper. No, wait a minute. You didn't know it was better. Here you go, Pepper. I don't want to hold you for a while. Look at that, Jill. It's your ghost for that male company. Sure does. You're going to have to make it fast, Sergeant. I've got an appointment for lunch downtown. I just like to have you elaborate on what Dr. Hart told us is. He's your family, Dr. Bidaway. Yeah, that's right. He had no business calling in the first place. I told him I didn't want it to get out. What did he tell you? He said you came to him for treatment night before last. You told him you had been beaten up and robbed. He treated you for cuts and bruises about the face and head. No, it was nothing. Didn't amount to anything. Well, was there actually a robbery, Mr. Butler? Believe me, Sergeant, it didn't amount to anything. I don't even want to go into it.

5:05How much of the robbery involved money, I mean? I'd rather not say. I don't want any fuss made about it. That's why I didn't report it. Just this and worth it to me. When to stand the hold up, men took more than $800 from me. Wouldn't you like to get that money back? I don't want to be nasty about this thing, but I was the one who was held up. Now, if I don't want to press the case, I don't see why anyone else should worry about it. It was my money. How about the beating with Steve's gave you? It's nothing serious. It's like I told you on the phone. I want to forget about the whole thing. Well, it must have been involved more than just a few scratches from the looks of it and the doctor had to treat you. Take my word for a please. I'm all right. I don't want to press charges. I'm pretty sure you didn't give us some kind of an explanation, Mr. Butler. Why, I don't want to bother that, so there's nothing to explain. We were after it meant that this is a little unusual. Somebody beat you up, slugs you, take $800 from you, and you don't want to do anything about it. You're going to have to excuse me, men. I have one of my accordion students down the hall in the practice room. Almost time for him to go. I have to give him his lesson for next week. All right, trigger out of head. It won't be long to be with me. How about that, men?

6:07I'd like to be scared today. I mean, wherever it was they gave him a going over after his head and bandages, baseball, swallowing. Here's something for me. Well, he's not going to be much help unless we can talk him into a crime report. Somebody's got to tell him. I bet on it. Oh, hi there, kitty. Hi, kitty. I've been thinking it over officers. Sorry I had to come out here, go to all this trouble, but I just assumed forget the whole thing. I don't even want to talk about it if you don't mind. We don't mean to high pressure your butler, but we like some kind of an explanation. I can't you understand, I just don't want to make a big fuss about it. I'd like to have you go along with my feelings in the matter. It's my affair, isn't it? No, sir, it's ours, too. Half a dozen people like yourself have been beaten up and robbed in this neighborhood all in the last five weeks. Now, if we can find the thieves, we can put a stop to it. We can make sure the same thing doesn't happen to your neighbors. Well, they're going to have to look out for themselves. I'm not getting tied up in a big investigation. The neighbors don't worry about me. For any good, a little further, isn't it, man? You've been beaten up and robbed once. How do you know it isn't going to happen again?

7:07Well, it's not that so. Make sure it doesn't. How? What's going to stop the same thieves from knocking you over again? Look, if it's all the same to you, I want to forget about this. I'm going to have to be running along. It's getting late. No, it's just one more thing, butler. When the doctor was treating you the other night, this doctor heart. He says you told him that you knew who the whole of men were and how is that right? No, he got it all mixed up. I didn't mean it that way. How did you mean it? I'm in a funny position. I just can't explain that so. I can't take the chance. Did the whole of men threaten me? I can't talk about it. Give me a break, please. You're making a mistake, Mr. Play ball of those thieves in the ruin. It's not only me, it's my family, too. I'm not going to take the chance. If they threaten you and your family, you're taking more of a chance keeping quiet about it. They'll bleed your white, blackmail, robbery, anything you can think of. Now this has happened before. Can't you see the spot I've been? I know who they are. I know what they can do. I got a wife to think about. Would you put your family in an opposition? You were buying protection from a couple of hoods. Now figure it out. How much is it worth? How far can you trust them? If you pick them up, they'll know I told you. I don't want anything to happen. Can't you see that I have no choice?

8:07What else can I do? Help us put the thieves over there. You'll have all the protection you need. They're locked up. It's a big order. I don't know. You and your wife will be under 24-hour guard. Now that's a promise. How long would that have to go on? Long enough to bring the trial and convict them? How about? They warned me about telling the police. They said they'd get both of us if I did. Me and my wife. Now they meant it, too. They'd get us. What could you do about it? Get them first. After another hour of talking, we finally persuaded the robbery victim, Lewis Butler, to come downtown with us. He dictated a full statement about the hold-up and filed a crime report. He told us he'd been robbed and slugged late at night, a few blocks from his music studio. 820 dollars had been taken from him by two bandits, both of whom were armed, both of whom he recognized. He said one of the men was a Marvin Carter, a former bartender at a neighborhood tavern. The other was Ralph Quincy, a merchant seaman. We went across the street and met with Deputy District Attorney Fred Henderson. The next day, the case was presented to the Graham jury and a true bill was returned. The two suspects, Marvin Carter and Ralph Quincy were indicted on one count of armed robbery.

9:11That afternoon, both of them were booked to the main jail and then released after posting a required bail of $10,000. 4.30 pm, Ben and I went back to the office and met with Captain Dittian. Hi, making out on it. Pretty fair, sheep, skip. The arrangement set for two weeks from Thursday. How about protection for the victim? It's all set up. Butler and his wife are under 24-hour guard. Three teams of men on it. It's two thieves getting out on bail. It's not going to make it any easier. Are you working with from the DA's office? Anderson. Seems you think we've got a nebby convict, both men? We're making some sure. Well, for one thing, we've got a line on a couple of good witnesses to the hold-up. Excuse me. Robbery, Dittian. Yeah, Mike. No, I'll check it before I leave. Right. What was that about with us? A man with an even bot luck runs a drugstore. He and his son were in the neighborhood when Lewis Butler was held up. They're supposed to aspire to two thieves running from the scene. Have you talked to him yet? Just over the phone. We've gotten the appointment with him at six o'clock tonight to take the statement. I guess I don't have to tell you.

10:11It stays close to the thing. As you can't, if we miss this time, we may not get another chance. You know, as well as anyone else, tough it's been reaching these things. Yeah. Well, it wouldn't be this far along if Butler didn't decide to cooperate with file charges. I wish I knew how many victims there are in this thing just like Butler. People we don't even know about, so scared they don't dare file charges. I guess there's a dozen of them anyway. I can't figure it. People hire police force on salary to protect them and their property. Then they turn around and try to make a deal with a bunch of hoods by them all. I'm probably gotten on the hold-up again. Well, how do you mean? The two of you have got ten, Carter and Quincy. Anyone else working with him? No. It's possible, not sure yet. Both Carter and Quincy have juvenile records that's about it. We're still checking on him. Robbery did him. Yeah, Tom. Uh-huh. Right. No, I'll tell him. They're here with me now. Right, thank you. It started already. How's that? The victim, Louis Butler. He got a phone call at his house a few minutes ago. Yeah. Figuring it was one of the hold-up canning they gave Butler a choice.

11:12What did they say? Either he drops and charges or they'll kill him. 5.30 pm. Captain Diddy and issued orders that the two suspects in the case, Marvin Carter and Ralph Quincy, be placed under 24-hour surveillance. An additional team of men was assigned to guard Louis Butler. Each officer was carefully instructed to take all possible precautions to prevent the robbery victim and his wife from being harmed in any way. 6 pm. Ben and I met with the two witnesses to the hold-up. A drug store proprietor Sam Bartlett and his teenage son Harold. They told us that they'd been in the immediate vicinity the night Butler was robbed and that they'd gotten a good look at the two gunmen as they ran from the scene of the hold-up. Bartlett and his son Harold identified the suspects as Marvin Carter and Ralph Quincy. Statements were taken and both witnesses were warned to maintain absolute secrecy about their part in the case. Next day we made arrangements to have the drugest and his son subpoenaed for the superior quarter-reignment.

12:12Six days went by. Third is the October 17th. 8 am. We checked in the office and found the message waiting for us. What is it, Joe? The drug is son Harold Bartlett. What about it? Find him in an alley three o'clock this morning. What? We're in a slugged and beaten. Late that afternoon Ben and I received permission from the doctors to visit briefly with our witness 17-year-old Harold Bartlett. His injuries were painful but not critical. The beating he'd received was nothing less than brutal. His left forearm had been broken and he'd been beaten viciously about the face and chest. He told us that he was on his way home from a neighborhood movie just before midnight when two men jumped him from behind on a deserted street. I drove around some, maybe five or ten minutes. Most of them had a late three-minute car. Why do you say that? There were two in the back seat with me. Somebody else had to be doing the drive.

13:13We had to be a sedan or a club coo. I guess so yeah. After he drove around a while he stopped the car and then he began slugging me. Didn't say a word the whole time. He just started slugging me. I asked him why and just kept slugging me. Very few. At first I think they were hitting me with their fist. It felt like something a lot harder. A piece of iron and a metal or something. That's when I grabbed the cloth off of my face and started to holler. What happened then? Oh, yes, nobody heard me. Nobody came anyway. One of the men swore at me and grabbed my arm. It was something. Sure, sure. They didn't say anything to you or they said, you know, that's all just before they pushed me out of the car. I was like, I was at that time for hours. Or they started to talk to you here. He would be saying. I was about that robbery. My father and me saw. The boy they talked to us about last week.

14:14What did they say about it? I said, maybe this will help you keep your mouth shut. Stay out of the people's business. They said that a couple of times. They said a lot more had happened to Dad and me if we went to the police. If we have witnesses at that trial. Do you remember the little colleague you had in my name? No, I don't. I don't remember anyway. Son, you remember when we talked to you and your father last week we told you to say nothing about the case to anyone. I remember it, Sergeant. That's my fault. Did you tell other people that you were to witness in the case? Did you mention it in public? Yes, I did. I didn't think it was that important. I talked about it quite a bit. I'm sorry, it's my fault. You remember it from now on? I saved a lot more from it. I remember, Sergeant. Those two men last night scared me for a while. I guess most of what was talking on. How do you mean, sir? They were warning me about staying away from the cops.

15:15They said they killed me and my dad. We were witnesses. They were trying to scare us off. They were for one. We were on your head a sample last night, son. Yeah. Were they for one? After we left Harry Bartlett, we went back to the office and arranged for a 24-hour guard to be assigned to the teenage boy and his father. A thorough investigation of the attack on the boy failed to turn up any leads. On the surface, the two robbery suspects, Carter and Quincy, were not involved. During the week that followed, we heard of no further threats or attacks, either on the victim Lewis Butler or the witnesses involved in the case. Ben and I worked with Deputy District Attorney Henderson preparing the case against the two suspects. Two days before the trial opened in Superior Court, we got an urgent call. Yeah, I know, but how did that happen? Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah, I tell him things. What's the trouble? Couldn't be worse. No victim. What do you mean? Mr. and Mrs. Butler. I'm disappeared.

16:17You are listening to Dragnet. From beginning to end, Dragnet is the authentic story of your police force in action. Now from beginning to end, the Fatima story. Actual convincing proof that in Fatima, the difference is quality. Quality of tobacco. The finest domestic and Turkish varieties. Extra mild and superbly blended. To give you a much different, much better flavor and aroma. Quality of manufacture. Smooth, round, perfect cigarettes. Rolled in the finest paper money can buy. Manufactured in the newest and most modern of all cigarette factories. Quality, even to the appearance of the bright, clean, golden yellow package. Carefully wrapped and sealed. To bring you Fatima's rich, fresh, extra mild flavor. Because of its quality, it's extra mildness.

17:19It's better flavor and aroma. More long cigarette smokers are now insisting on Fatima than ever before. So if you smoke a long cigarette, compare Fatima. You'll find they now cost the same. But your first puff will tell you... Oh, that's different. Yes, in Fatima, the difference is quality. Insist on Fatima. Start enjoying the quality, king-size cigarette. Fatima. Best of all, long cigarettes. Tuesday, November 5th 9am. The trial of robbery suspects Marvin Carter and Ralph Quincy opened in Superior Court Department 88. The complaining witness, Lewis Butler, failed to appear. For two solid days, we'd been busy checking all of the Butler's friends and relatives in the city. They couldn't help. Each time the butlers had left their residence, they'd been under surveillance.

18:20We'd had an understanding with them that in the event that they were in their automobile, and for some reason the officers assigned to them lost them in traffic, the butlers would immediately return to their home. On the night of November 3rd, under the pretext of going to a neighborhood theater, the butlers made a right-hand turn from a left-hand lane of traffic, so it became obvious that they were trying to elude the officers following them. The check was made at their home as pre-arranged, and they failed to return. When they failed to appear for the trial, a bench warrant was issued by Superior Court for the missing couple. Deputy District Attorney Henderson asked the Court to grant a delay in order to find the butlers that was granted. In the meantime, we got not a broad cast in an APB. Missing persons' detail helped out in the search. Still no sign. Tuesday, November 12th, 11 a.m., Deputy DA Henderson phoned us from the Hall of Justice. When was that, correct? That right. Well, thanks a lot. What do you have to say? The Attorney for Cardin Quinti asked the Court for dismissal, no complaining witness.

19:23Well, the judge ruled on it yet? Yeah, case dismissed. No matter how guilty the two men might have seemed, there was nothing further anyone could do. Without a complaining witness, our case was finished. The two suspects Carter and Quinti were released from custody. In a few days, Quinti left town for the east. Carter remained in the city. The search for Mr. and Mrs. Butler went on. No sign of either one of them. December came and the Christmas holidays, new years. On January 16th, Louis Butler suddenly reappeared back in town and surrendered on the bench warrant. They explained to the judge that because of the numerous threats on their lives just before the trial, they were afraid to appear and that they left the state without telling anyone. The judge gave them a lecture in a warning and dismissed charges. Another month passed, February and March. On April 2nd, we got word from Denver, Colorado, that one of our former robbery suspects, Ralph Quinti, and shot and killed a 24-year-old policeman while attempting a robbery in that city.

20:27Quinti was tried and convicted of murder and received the life term. In the meantime, we'd heard little or nothing about the other former robbery suspect, Marvin Carter. Another two months passed. Spring months were on into summer. Monday, July 8th, 8 a.m. Friday? Romero? See you a minute. Yes, given. You want to sit down? You got something for you? I do. A hold-up victim, man, by the name of Sheridan came in late last night, filed his crime report. Here. Have a look. Thank you. Let's see, Jill. You know what, Sarah, it happened in the same area where we had that rash hold-up last fall. I see. Victim robbed and beaten. Suspects use the same approach, same ammo, followed it right down the line. Yeah. Victim warned not to contact police, bodily harm threatened if victim did so. How about the descriptions of the hold-up men here that they can pretty sure about them? Gaffney handled a report. The victim said he got a good look at one of the thieves. Gaffney gave him a bunch of mugshots to look at. Here's the one he picked out of the line.

21:28Okay. Have a look, Jill. Marvin Carter. As soon as the robbery reported come in, an immediate check had been made of Marvin Carter's last known address, an apartment in the West Pico district. The landlord revealed the suspect had moved at least two months before. We got out of broad gas and an APB on him. Together with Sergeant Scanzales and Henry, Ben and I started on a systematic check of all of Carter's known friends, relatives and associates. After that, we started on the places he was known to frequent hotels, bars, restaurants, no luck. Two weeks went by. There were no further reports of robberies where the ammo of the criminal matched that of Carter's. Tuesday, July 26, 2pm. We got a call from one of our informants of birdies Simmons, who told us that he might have some information for us. He said it concerned Marvin Carter. He told us he'd met us at MacArthur Park on the six-thread side at 2.30pm. 2.50pm.

22:31You'll have to excuse me, Sergeant. Sorry, I'm late. I have to move from that other place. Things haven't been going too good for me. That's all right, Burie. What's the matter? No luck with the horses? Yeah, a lot of luck. It's all bad. If it's a pig in the race, I have to bet on him every time, getting so I can't even pick him to show anymore. I don't know. What else is new with your birdie? You know, Javier? No, I'm still looking down around some of the joints, South Maiden, Alabama, keeping an air of the ground. I suppose. Yeah, thanks. No matter if I do. There you go. White for you. What have you heard, Burie? Anything you'll help? That Marvin Carter, you're still looking for him, aren't you? Not sure. Any remember? I had it last night having the beard down town. I knew you fell us wearing a little bind on the thing. I always liked to help you when you were in a bind. Well, what'd you hear, Burie? Kind of still in town hiding out. Like I say, always liked to help you out when you needed. I know what it is to be in a bind. That's when you appreciate help most. I'm kind of in a bind right now. A little short, you know?

23:36A couple of dollars, Burie. That's all I have on me, a light-help yard. You saved my life, Sergeant. Tell you the truth. I didn't know where Denim was coming from tonight. No need telling you, I appreciate it. What was this you heard about Carter? Still in town. Is it placed down by Venice? Little beach. Uh-huh. Kind has been seen there once, twice lately. A little seafood joint. Fiddle clams. Thumb by the beach. Well, is that somebody's story or is it the real thing? The real thing, Sergeant. You know me better than that. No friendly leads from me. Where's Carter supposed to be staying down there, you know? Well, I don't, I don't, I guess. What do you mean? This move to tell me about Carlo last night, he didn't know the address, but he described the place Carter supposed to be hiding out in. I know that you're not me, but you don't know the address. No, but I can point out the place he means. It's a shack right along the big way down there, down by the beach. I want to run down there with his mouth. Sure, I'll find it out for you. I'll not go near it though. I said that. I don't want to mix with it. That's all. I got the wood.

24:36I mean, Carter, won't be an easy one to take. How do you know? He's got a gun. Two fifty-five p.m., along with our informant, Bertie Simmons, Ben and I drove down to the beach town of Venice. Bertie pointed out a brown wooden frame cottage where Carter was supposed to be hiding out. Well, Bertie waited in the car. Ben and I checked it out. There was nobody at home, but there was plenty of evidence inside the cottage that Carter was living there. I went back down the street to where we parked our car. I kept an eye on the cottage while Ben got to a phone to call the office. Pretty down here, I saw you. Yeah, it's nice day. I don't get out in the air enough. I think that's my trouble. Some of this good ocean air makes you feel like a minute. Yeah. Did you notice the place where your partner went to phone down the street there? Yeah, what about it? You see the sign, beer and a clam, right over the door. Beer and clams?

25:37Yeah, mm-hmm. Best in the city. I know. I've been there. Only great. Good beer for a dying, fresh clam. Nothing better. You like clams? Yeah, they're all right once in a while. What am I going to do with you two after way through all night? Well, we'll get you back to town, Bert. You'll figure out something for you. Hi, Ben. Did you get all the captain? Yeah. Marvin Carter was picked up downtown 20 minutes ago. What? Yeah, it's driving the rented car. Traffic in the victim. Well, they tab him on his description. No, at first. Reason they noticed him was because he was double parked on a busy street and they pulled him off and got a better look. I didn't. Any trouble with him? None at all. Got him booked at Main Jail. See, that's sure too bad. And what do you remember? It's your case, isn't it? How long your fellow has been working on it? It's about a year, huh, Joe. Yeah, I just about. Coming all this way for nothing. You're ready to make the pension if somebody else does it for you. Must be kind of disappointing, huh?

26:38All that time, all that work? No Carter's in jail, that's the main thing. I guess you better drive back in, huh, Ben? Yeah, say, just a minute, Sergeant. No, you must come in all this way for nothing. What if you do me a favor? What's that, Bert? That sign down the street. Wait, the blue and white sign bearing clam. What if you could drop me off right in front? Bearing clam? Oh, yeah, Bert, I got it. You're nice of you. Just like I was saying. What's that? No, you must come in all this way for nothing. The story you have just heard was true. Only the names were changed to protect the innocent. On October 29th, trial was held in Superior Court Department 86 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. Thank you. Friends, let me tell you how to size a king-sized cigarette. First take a Fatima and then any other king-sized.

27:40A side-by-side, the two look alike, but they're not. Because no other king-sized cigarette has Fatima quality. That's right. In Fatima, the difference is quality. Quality that results from a blend of the finest domestic and Turkish tobacco. Quality that gives you extra mildness. A much better flavor in aroma. Remember, if you haven't tried Fatima yet, take my advice. Buy a pack. Smoke Fatima's meal discover what I know. In Fatima, the difference is quality. Marvin Lawrence Carter was tried and convicted on several counts of first degree robbery. And was sentenced to the state penitentiary where he is now serving his term. First degree robbery is punishable by imprisonment from five years to life. Ladies and gentlemen, Miss Lyell Rooks, editor of Radio Television Mirror. The readers of Radio Television Mirror have chosen Dragnet,

28:41the favorite program of its type for 1950. I am privileged to present the citation to you on behalf of the editors and readers of Radio Television Mirror through alternation. Thank you, Miss Rooks. You have just heard Dragnet, a series of authentic cases from official files. Technical advice comes from the office of Chief of Police, WH Parker, Los Angeles, Police Department. Fatima Sigaretz, best of all long Sigaretz, is brought to Dragnet, portions transcribed from Los Angeles. Stay tuned for counters by next over many NBC stations.