Dragnet: The Big Drive (EP5099)

0:03 THE END.

0:28 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 first, I want to encourage you, if you're enjoying the podcast, please follow us using your favorite podcast software. 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 to Adam Graham, P.O.

0:58 Box 15913, that's P.O. Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715. And you can also become one of our ongoing Patreon supporters for as little as $ 2 per month at patreon.greatdetectives.net. But now, from August 14th, 1952, here is The Big Drive. The Big Drive.

1:29 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 to Homicide Division. You get a call that the body of a dead man has been found in a vacant lot. The man has been beaten to death. Your job, investigate.

2:06 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. From beginning to end, from crime to punishment, Dragnet is the story of your police force in action.

2:31 It was Wednesday, February 6th. It was cold in Los Angeles. We were working the day watch out a homicide division. My partner's Frank Smith. The boss is Captain Warman. My name's Friday. It was 10.14 a.m. when I got to room 42.

2:43 Homicide.

2:43 Frank?

2:45 In here, Joe.

2:46 Right.

2:47 Hi.

2:48 Morning, Skipper.

2:48 Joe, Smith says you ran into a bad one out there on Fountain.

2:51 Yeah, we did.

2:52 Must have been quite a fight out there. The victim's clothes were pretty well torn up. The ground around the body was all trampled. I wonder if we could tell that much.

2:57 How do you mean?

2:57 Well, the body was found by a couple of schoolgirls. A vacant lot out there near Fountain and Selma. Girls took a shortcut through the lot, and when they saw the body, they let out enough screams to get the whole neighborhood over there.

3:06 Mother put in the call. By the time the radio unit got there, the neighbors had walked over the whole area. They got the people back right away, but most of the physical evidence, if there was any, had been trampled out.

3:14 That helps.

3:15 Any of those people see or hear anything?

3:17 No, nothing.

3:18 How was he killed?

3:19 We found a big piece of concrete near the body, bloodstains on it. The crime lab's checking it now.

3:23 They find anything else?

3:24 No, they're still checking the scene. Lee's gonna call. Crowd made such a mess out of the place.

3:28 A lot of houses around there. Somebody must have heard something.

3:30 Well, we talked to a young girl who lives a couple of doors down from the lot. Seemed she and her boyfriend were coming home from a show. Said about 9, 45, 10 o'clock they noticed a car parked in front of the lot.

3:39 Yeah.

3:39 Girl said they noticed right away. Afraid it might be some guys out to cause trouble. She told us that when she and her boyfriend walked by, they heard loud talking, men arguing.

3:46 Was she able to describe the car?

3:48 Just said it was a dark sedan, late model, 51 or 52.

3:51 We checked the boyfriend. He told about the same story. Said he thought the car was a dark blue Ford.

3:54 Yeah.

3:55 Well, anyway, the girl said she got scared and went right into the house. A few minutes later, they heard a car tear by. They looked up the street, and the parked car was gone. This was around 10 o'clock.

4:03 Yeah, that's right.

4:04 That might make it about the time of the killing.

4:05 Well, we'll know better when the body's posted.

4:07 The girl or her boyfriend able to describe the men?

4:09 No, soap skipper. All they could tell us was it looked like there were two men in the car. Said they couldn't get a good look at them.

4:14 License number?

4:15 No.

4:15 The boy said he thought of taking it down, but he didn't.

4:17 Tough break.

4:17 Hanson and Cummings helped check the neighborhood. They didn't do any better. Seems like everybody in the vicinity was away for the evening.

4:24 McCorn or Frank?

4:25 Hanson just brought this in. Guy's wall of stuff in his pockets.

4:28 Yeah, let's take a look.

4:30 Driver's license. Name's John Allen Iverson. Address, been scratched. No, here it is, in the back. Had it changed. 6295 North Serrano Avenue. Height, 5'9. Born October 2nd, 23. Make him 28, huh? That's right. Weight, 136. Eyes, hazel, brown hair.

4:46 What else is in it?

4:48 Calendar from an oil company. Blank check. Picture of a puppy. Dalmatian, huh?

4:52 Looks like it, doesn't it?

4:55 Picture of a woman. Let's see that. Here, wait a minute. Here's a card. Case of accident, please notify Mrs. Alfred Iverson, mother, 6295 Serrano Avenue, Hollywood, 98844.

5:07 Probably her picture. She been notified yet?

5:09 No, not yet.

5:12 Keys, comb, nail file, cigarettes, couple of slugs. Good for one play. Match folder.

5:18 Let me see that, huh? George's Pool and Snooker, Burbank Boulevard.

5:22 Yeah.

5:23 Yeah. Found $ 13. 42 in his pocket. He was wearing a wristwatch, too.

5:26 Yeah, the watch looked new. It was expensive.

5:28 The money in the watch is still there. It doesn't look like robbery.

5:30 No, not much. Seems the thief would have taken him anyway.

5:32 Any ideas on a motive?

5:34 It's hard to say, Skipper. Could be almost anything.

5:36 Not much to go on. Lousy thing.

5:38 And it's not getting any better.

5:39 Yeah?

5:40 We've got to tell his mother now. 10.50 a.m.

5:48 We call Lee Jones to see if he'd been able to come up with any new information. He told us that besides the piece of cement, his crew had been able to find little other physical evidence. Tests of the blood found on the concrete were not finished, but Lee said that it looked like the murder weapon.

6:01 Although the ground.

6:02 Around the body was fairly soft, the people in the neighborhood effectively obliterated any footprints that the killer might have left.

6:08 We were faced with the old problem.

6:10 The average citizen, in an attempt to be helpful, had unknowingly destroyed what physical evidence we might have found. We went by R & I and checked the name John Allen Iverson without result.

6:19 11.35 a.m.

6:22 Frank and I signed out and drove to the address listed on Iverson's driver's license, 6295 North Serrano Avenue. It was a small frame cottage set well back on the lot. The yard was well kept, and as we climbed the front stairs, we could hear a dog barking in the rear of the house. We rang the bell, and a lady in her middle 60s answered the door. It was the woman in the picture that we'd found in Iverson's wallet.

6:41 Yes?

6:42 Mrs. Iverson?

6:42 Yes?

6:43 Police officers, ma'am. I'd like to talk to you if we could. Of course.

6:45 Won't you come in?

6:46 Thank you very much.

6:48 You'll have to excuse the way I look. I was in the middle of baking. What was it you wanted, officer? Oh, I'm sorry. I don't remember your name.

6:55 Joe Friday, ma'am. This is my partner, Frank Smith.

6:57 How do? Is it about the dog barking at night? We've tried to keep him quiet. Alarm clocks, hot water bottles, everything. He's just a puppy, though, officers. He doesn't know.

7:06 No, ma'am.

7:06 It's not about the dog. It's about your boy.

7:08 John?

7:09 What's he done?

7:09 Well, he's had an accident, Ms. Iverson.

7:11 An accident?

7:12 John?

7:12 Yes, ma'am.

7:13 Serious?

7:14 Yes, ma'am. It's pretty serious.

7:15 You're sure it's my boy, John Allen Iverson?

7:18 Yes, ma'am.

7:19 It's your boy.

7:21 He's in the hospital. Is that it?

7:23 No, ma'am.

7:23 He's not in the hospital.

7:24 Not in the hospital.

7:27 He's dead?

7:28 Yes, ma'am.

7:28 I'm sorry.

7:29 John?

7:30 John Allen Iverson?

7:32 You're sure?

7:33 Yes, ma'am.

7:34 We're sure.

7:36 Oh, no.

7:37 It can't be.

7:39 I won't let it be.

7:41 John, my baby. You've got to be wrong.

7:44 I'm sorry, ma'am.

7:45 John.

7:48 John, Dad.

7:50 Go away from me.

7:52 For always.

7:54 Why?

7:55 Why does it.

7:55 Have to be John?

7:58 Why? It's always the same question, isn't it?

8:04 Yeah.

8:04 How do you answer it? Frank put in a call to Mrs. Iverson's doctor. Five minutes later, he arrived and gave her a sedative. We asked if we could talk to her, and he told us that it'd be all right if we kept the questioning brief. He explained that Mr. Iverson, John's father, had died two years before and that his passing had hit Mrs. Iverson pretty hard. He said that it'd be a few minutes before the sedative took full effect and that we might talk to the woman until then.

8:32 Frank and I walked into the bedroom.

8:34 I hope you'll forgive me for crying.

8:36 Yes, ma'am, we understand, Mrs. Iverson. There are a few questions we'd like to ask you.

8:39 How did it happen? Auto accident?

8:41 No, ma'am. He was murdered. Murdered?

8:43 Why?

8:46 Who did it? Have you caught him yet?

8:47 No, not yet, ma'am. That's why we need your help.

8:50 Anything I can do? Anything at all? John murdered. Doesn't seem possible. So hard to believe.

8:58 Yes, ma'am.

9:00 Was there anyone you might know of who didn't like your son? Someone who might have hated him enough to do this?

9:04 No one.

9:05 No one at all. John had a lot of friends... Wasn't anybody who didn't like him bright and cheery, always smiling? I'm sorry. Please, I want to help. Get this over with. Go ahead with the questions.

9:22 You're all right, ma'am. You like my handkerchief?

9:24 Oh, thank you. Now, what was it you were asking?

9:31 Could you tell us where your son worked?

9:33 Airplane factory out in the valley. He was an inspector. Just got a promotion, a raise. He was so proud. First rung of the ladder, he said, on his way up.

9:42 What factory do you work at, ma'am?

9:43 Webster's. They make parts. John worked the morning shift, midnight to seven in the morning. Said there was a better chance for advancement on the morning shift.

9:51 How about girls, ma'am? Anyone special your son saw quite a bit of?

9:54 Oh, just Alice. Alice Johnson saw her quite a bit. He was going to see her last night. Had a date for 6.30.

9:59 When did he leave the house?

10:01 Do you recall? Oh, 6.15 or so.

10:03 Alice just lives a few doors down the street. John was going to take her to a championship match over in Burbank.

10:08 Ma'am?

10:09 Billiards.

10:09 Oh, John loved to play billiards. I always liked it, too. John always said that when he got married, he was going to have a table right in the house.

10:16 Do you happen to remember where in Burbank this billiard mattress was going to be held?

10:19 I'm not sure, but I think John said at George's place, right on Burbank Boulevard.

10:24 Do you know if your son had a large amount of money with him when he left?

10:26 Oh, he had his week's pay with him. He just cashed his check this afternoon, and then he gave me the $ 30 for the house. He had the rest of it.

10:33 About how much would that be?

10:34 Oh, maybe $ 40, $ 45. How about jewelry, ma'am?

10:38 He carry any rings, anything like that?

10:39 No, John didn't believe in wearing a ring. Said he'd do that when he got married. There was his watch. He had that.

10:45 Rest watch, ma'am?

10:46 Yes, he always carried it. Kept perfect time.

10:48 Did your son have a car, Ms.

10:49 Iverson?

10:50 Yes, a Ford, 1951 Ford.

10:51 What color do you know?

10:52 Dark blue. Pretty car. He was so proud of it.

10:55 I wonder if you'd have the license number of the car, ma'am.

10:57 Yes, I think you'll find it with the phone book in the bureau. He keeps... He kept all his papers there.

11:03 I wonder if it would be all right if we got it, ma'am.

11:05 Yes, all right.

11:05 Thank you.

11:08 Is this it, ma'am?

11:11 Yes, that's it. I still can't believe it.

11:14 Yes, ma'am.

11:15 It's going to be a hard thing to get used to, isn't it?

11:18 Ma'am?

11:19 Life without a son.

11:20 12.40 p.m., Frank and I drove back to the office and checked the license number we'd gotten through DMV. The car was registered to a John Allen Iverson, 6295 North Serrano Avenue, legal owner, Bank of America. A local and an all-points bulletin were gotten out on the car, all occupants to be held for investigation. In the event the car was found abandoned, a stakeout was to be placed on it and homicide was to be notified. We checked the name Alice Johnstone through R & I, but there was no record on her. 1.50 p.m., Frank and I drove out to her place of employment, an unpainted furniture factory on Ventura Boulevard. We questioned the girl for a good hour, and she explained that John Iverson was usually

12:04 on time for his dates with her, but the previous night he'd called to say that he'd be a little late. He called several more times and finally said that he was afraid they'd better cancel the date and that he'd call for her in the morning. She told us that she could think of no reason for anyone to be jealous of her spending so much time with Iverson, that he was the only date that she'd had for over a year. She gave us names and addresses of mutual friends to add to the list we already had to check out. 3.05 p.m. Frank and I went for something to eat.

12:30 Is that all you're going to eat, Frank? Just that little salad? Yeah, Elizabeth's got the idea I ought to cut down on my lunches. Says I'm getting too heavy around the middle. That's too bad.

12:38 Chili was good.

12:39 Yeah, it looks good. Pretty spicy, was it?

12:42 No, no, just right. A lot of beef.

12:44 Uh-huh. Joe?

12:46 Yeah?

12:47 You think I'm getting too fat?

12:48 No, you don't look it to me.

12:49 When a man gets in his 30s, he's supposed to look a little portly, isn't he?

12:52 I don't know, Frank. You couldn't prove it by me, huh?

12:54 Oh, I always heard so. My father was pretty heavy. That has a lot to do with it. That so? Well, sure, you know. It's heredity, that stuff. A lot of beef, huh?

13:02 Now, look, Frank, why don't you have a bowl of the chili? It doesn't look like it's got too many calories in it.

13:05 No, it doesn't, does it?

13:08 Miss?

13:09 Oh, Miss, could I have a bowl of that chili? Some of that coconut cream pie, too.

13:14 Thanks.

13:14 Yeah, right away.

13:16 What do you figure, Joe, about the Iverson?

13:18 I can't figure it. If we could just come up with a motive, it might be easier. Give us some place to start.

13:22 Yeah.

13:23 Young kid. Seemed everybody liked him.

13:25 It looks that way. I've been thinking about that robbery angle.

13:28 His mother said he left the house with about $ 45, didn't she? We find him, and he's only got 13 of it left.

13:33 Where'd the rest go? And that watch.

13:35 If anybody was going to hold him up, they'd take the watch. They could have gotten something for it.

13:38 Pig of revenge? Jealousy?

13:39 I don't know.

13:40 The girl said there wasn't any reason for that. Look, as soon as you finish your lunch, let's check the place he worked. The guys he worked with, maybe they can give us the answer. It's been done before.

13:47 Yeah?

13:48 Iverson. Just got a raise and a promotion. Maybe somebody thought they should have got it.

13:55 Before we left the lunchroom, we called the list of names in the R & I.

13:59 3.32 p.m.

14:00 Frank and I drove out to the aircraft plant where John Iverson had been employed. We checked with the foreman of the shop, the men he worked with, the personnel office, everyone he came in contact with during the day's work. They all gave us the same answer, that they could see no reason why anyone would want to take his life. 4.56 p.m.

14:17 The list of names we'd given R & I had come back with no make. None of the names had any criminal record. We called the county morgue and found that the coroner had posted the body and that the cause of death was listed as a subarachnoid hemorrhage due to multiple depressed fractures of the skull. Lee Jones had finished the test and was able to tell us that the piece of concrete found at the scene was.

14:34 More than likely the murder weapon.

14:36 6.15 p.m.

14:38 Frank and I drove over to Burbank to George's Pool and Snooker Hall. It was a big place with a lot of neon over the entrance.

14:44 Inside, there were about ten tables with a row of theater chairs on each side of the large room. Just off the entrance was a small bar. Except for a man brushing off the tables, the place was empty.

14:55 Hi, what'll it be? Pool, billiards, a snooker?

14:57 You the manager here?

14:58 No, I'm not.

14:59 I kind of run the place, though, when he's not here. Something I can do?

15:01 We're police officers. My name is Friday. This is my partner, Frank Smith.

15:04 How do.

15:04 I'm Sam Howard. Were you on duty here last night, Mr.

15:06 Howard?

15:07 Yeah, until about midnight.

15:08 I leave then.

15:08 Sometimes when George asks me, I stay on, but I usually shove off about midnight. Why, anything wrong? I can get George on the phone.

15:14 Do you know a man by the name of Iverson, John Iverson? You ever see him around here?

15:17 Iverson?

15:18 There's an awful lot of guys come in here, hard to tell. What's he look like?

15:22 5'9, about 136 pounds, brown hair. Likes to play billiards, I understand.

15:25 John, I.

15:26 Yeah, I think I know who you mean. Never knew his last name before, but he comes in here quite a bit. Always plays billiards, three cushion.

15:31 You see him last night?

15:33 An awful lot of people here last night. Had a match, pretty crowded.

15:36 Well, was he in here last night?

15:37 Well, yeah.

15:38 Came in, watched the match for a while, then he sat up at the bar, had a couple of beers.

15:41 Was he drinking with anybody? Let me think.

15:45 Yeah, he and another guy were talking it up. The other guy was popping for the drinks.

15:47 You know the other man?

15:48 No, sir. Don't think I ever saw him before.

15:50 About what time was that? Gee, it's hard to say. I was pretty busy. It's important, Mr.

15:54 Howard.

15:54 Like that, huh?

15:56 Well, I'd say it was 7 o'clock, maybe 7.30. Johnny came in first. He watched the matches for a while. Then when this other guy came in, they both moved to the bar. Stayed there talking until about 9.30, 9.45. Then they walked out together.

16:08 They were together all evening then?

16:09 Yeah, near as I can tell.

16:10 What did this other man look like?

16:12 Let me think.

16:14 I'd say he was maybe.

16:15 36, 37. Had kind of dark hair.

16:17 How tall would you say he was? Well, about your height. 5'10 or 11. Had on a plaid sport jacket. I noticed that because I've been looking for one like it. You know, sort of Glen plaid, only with more color. Not exactly loud.

16:27 What color was the jacket?

16:28 Blue.

16:29 Real rich blue. Must have cost a fellow a lot. During the conversation, did Iverson and this other man seem to get along all right?

16:34 Oh, yeah, even when the fellow lost the bet.

16:36 What bet?

16:37 Yeah, they had a bet on a match. The other guy lost, and he had to pay Johnny ten bucks. Didn't have the cash, had to cash a check.

16:42 You cash it here?

16:43 Yeah, it was a payroll check. George doesn't like it when we cash personal checks. If they bounce, we have to stand the loss.

16:48 You think we could locate that check, Mr.

16:49 Howard?

16:49 Do you happen to remember the company name on it?

16:51 No, not right off. I can get it for you.

16:53 Sir?

16:53 Well, George wasn't feeling too well today, so he didn't get to the bank. Check's still in the safe.

17:00 The check was issued from the Kimberly Insurance Company and made out to Martin G.

17:04 Weber.

17:04 The endorsement was made by Weber with a notation of his address under the signature. We called the office and had the name run through R & I. There was no record on him. According to the information we'd gotten from Sam Howard, the last time the victim was seen alive at 9.45 p.m., he was in the company of Martin Weber. Frank and I got in the car and drove out to the Kimberly Insurance Company. It was a large building on San Fernando Road. The employees were leaving the building when Frank and I got to the office of the general manager. We asked him about Weber, and he told us that he'd been with the firm for the past ten years, starting as a runner on the floor and rising to the position of office manager. He

17:38 told us further that in his entire ten years of service, Weber had never been late or missed a day's work. However, on that particular morning, he hadn't shown up at all. We called our office and arranged for a stakeout on the building of.

17:49 The insurance company.

17:51 Frank and I drove out to Weber's home, a modern apartment house in the North Hollywood area. We rang the bell, but there was no answer. We checked with the landlord, and he told us that he hadn't seen Weber the night before. In the company of the manager, we checked Weber's apartment. He was not there, and from what we could see, the bed had not been slept in. In further checking, the manager was able to give us the name and address of Weber's sister, a Mrs.

18:11 Madge Wilson. We arranged for a stakeout.

18:13 On the apartment. 9.20 p.m., Frank and I drove over to check with his sister.

18:19 Yes? Ms.

18:20 Wilson? That's right.

18:21 Police officers, Ms.

18:21 Wilson.

18:22 I'd like to talk to you. My name's Friday. This is my partner, Frank Smith.

18:24 Come in.

18:25 But I thought all this had been cleared up.

18:26 Ma'am.

18:27 Well, you hear about my brother Martin, aren't you?

18:28 Well, yes, ma'am.

18:29 I don't think I understand.

18:30 Neither do I.

18:31 It seems to me that you'd spend your time trying to find out why the man did it instead of bothering us.

18:35 My husband won't like this at all. We're taxpayers. We've got rights.

18:37 Just a minute, ma'am. I think maybe there's a misunderstanding here.

18:40 Nothing of the sort. You're here to talk about Martin, aren't you?

18:42 Yes, ma'am.

18:42 No misunderstanding at all. He had an accident. It's up to you to take care of the man who did it. Put him in jail for a long time.

18:47 I'm sorry, Mrs. Wilson. I'm not sure we know what you're talking about.

18:50 Well, this is the limit.

18:51 My poor husband spends practically the whole night filling out forms and you didn't even take time to read them. I'm talking about Martin's accident. The man who ran him down last night, put him in the hospital, broke his leg. That's what I'm talking about. I've got two kids upstairs with bad colds, and I haven't got time to stand around and talk to you.

19:07 If there's anything else you want to know, you can talk to my husband. He'll tell you.

19:10 You say your brother was run down by a car last night, ma'am?

19:13 Yes, last night.

19:15 And he's in the hospital now?

19:16 Yes, yes, yes.

19:17 Now, look, we're only trying to conduct an investigation, ma'am. Could you tell us what time this accident.

19:21 Happened and where? All right.

19:23 All right.

19:24 It's on the report, if you'd only read it.

19:25 Yes, ma'am.

19:27 Martin was on his way home last night.

19:28 He stepped off the curb out on Burbank Boulevard, and this car came right around the corner and hit him.

19:33 Broke his leg. Sent him to the hospital. He's been there ever since. He's there now.

19:37 What time did this happen, ma'am?

19:38 Do you know?

19:39 Sure I know.

19:40 It was 9.45.

19:40 The End.

19:52 You are listening to Dragnet. Authentic stories of your police force in action.

19:56 Dragnet.

20:03 When we explained about John Iverson's death to Mrs. Wilson, she was extremely apologetic about the way she'd acted. She went on to say that her brother did have an appointment with Iverson the night before. We put in a call to Sergeant Erbson of the Accident Record Bureau downtown, and he told us that there was a traffic accident report which listed the time of the accident at 9.46, corroborating the story given us by Mrs.

20:22 Wilson.

20:23 Weber had been given emergency treatment at Georgia Street and then transferred to General Hospital. From what Sam Howard had told us, we knew that Iverson had been alive at approximately 9.45 p.m. The deputy coroner's fixed the time of death at approximately 10 or 10.30 p.m. The fact that Martin Weber had been run down by a car at 9.46 p.m.

20:42 seemed to absolve him of any part in the crime. The stakeouts at his place of business and his home were removed. Frank and I drove over to General Hospital to interview Martin Weber. His leg was in traction, but he seemed to be in good spirits.

20:54 I was on my way home, just stepped off the curb to catch a bus. Next thing I know, I looked up right into a pair of headlights. Almost scared me to death. And whammo, I was on the street, my leg broken.

21:03 Well, I'm covered. The whole thing won't cost me a cent.

21:05 Yes, sir. We were talking to Sam Howard over at George's Billiard Hall. He said you were there with John Iverson last night. That right?

21:11 Yeah, that's right.

21:12 Had a talk with old John.

21:13 Had a big business deal, trying to sell him some insurance.

21:16 Oh, I didn't know you were a salesman, Mr.

21:17 Webber.

21:18 Well, I'm not really.

21:19 Office manager. I don't like the job. Figured if I could bring in a good sale, the boss might let me have a crack at selling.

21:23 Well, did Iverson give you any indication that he wanted any insurance?

21:26 Well, not right off. He's always been worried about his mother, though. You know, if anything should happen to her.

21:31 Yeah.

21:32 Anyway, a couple of days ago, one of the press men out at the plant where John works was killed.

21:35 Accident.

21:36 I thought this might be a good chance to try to sell John some coverage. You know, life. Leave his mother a little something.

21:41 Yes, sir.

21:42 Well, old John wasn't an easy one, let me tell you.

21:45 Told me he wasn't completely sold on insurance yet, and then he said he'd leave it up to the billiard match.

21:49 Sir?

21:50 If the championship changed hands, then John would buy some insurance. If it didn't, I had to pay him ten bucks.

21:55 I lost. Had to cash my paycheck to do it, too. Those are the breaks, though, aren't they? Lose a sale and I get hit by a car. Say, what's this all about, anyway? Why all the questions about old John?

22:05 Well, he was killed last night, Mr.

22:07 Weaver.

22:08 Killed?

22:08 What do you mean?

22:09 He was murdered.

22:10 Well, how'd it happen?

22:11 That's what we're trying to find out, sir. While you were at the bar with Iverson, did you see him talk to anybody, anyone besides you?

22:18 No, he made a couple of phone calls, said they were to his girlfriend, but that's about all. Now, wait a minute.

22:23 Yeah?

22:23 When we got outside the bar, there were a couple of guys that came up and.

22:27 Talked to him.

22:28 Had these men been in the bar?

22:30 Yeah, come to think of it, they were sitting right next to us. When I had to cash that check, I didn't have a pen to endorse it, and one of the guys gave me his to use.

22:37 You ever seen him before?

22:38 No, I don't think I ever did.

22:39 Can you describe the men, Mr. Weber, what they looked like?

22:42 I didn't pay much attention to him. One of the fellas was a big guy, maybe six feet or more, a couple hundred pounds anyway.

22:47 How old would you say?

22:48 Oh, maybe 37, around there. I'd know him if I saw him again.

22:52 Well, how's that, sir?

22:53 The scar had a scar right across here on his forehead. Made him look like he was frowning.

22:57 All the time. How about the other man?

22:59 I'm afraid I can't be of much help there. He was short, 5'5 or 6', heavy, 180 more or less. I think he was wearing a flannel suit. I can't be sure about that.

23:08 You saw these men out on the sidewalk with Iverson right after you left the bar, is that right?

23:11 Yeah.

23:12 After I told John goodnight, I walked over to the corner. I saw these two fellas come up to John, and from what I could hear, they were asking.

23:17 Him for a lift someplace.

23:18 He gave him a ride, did he?

23:19 I don't know.

23:20 I saw my bus come and made a run for it.

23:22 Was there anything else you can tell us about these men that might help? Anything at all? Any little thing you might remember?

23:26 Gee, not that I can remember. I didn't really pay a lot of attention to them. Just a couple of guys sitting next to us. One of them lent me his pen.

23:32 Well, how about the pen? Was there any initials on it?

23:34 No. It was the tall guy, the one with the scar. He loaned it to me.

23:37 It was one of those plastic things, you know, with a figure that disappears when you turn it upside down.

23:41 I know the kind you mean.

23:42 I noticed it because I thought it was kind of cute. Anyway, it was put out by a Venetian blind company.

23:46 It had the name right on it.

23:47 Can you remember the name?

23:49 Let me see.

23:51 Rogers.

23:52 Rogers Blind Company.

23:53 All right, fine. Here's our card. If you remember anything else, we'd appreciate a call.

23:57 Sure thing. Say, you fellas going out to Rogers?

24:00 Yes, sir.

24:01 I kind of hate to ask.

24:02 Yes, sir.

24:04 Can you pick up one of those pens for me? 11.35 p.m.

24:12 We called the office, and they told us that Iverson's car had been found abandoned up on Wonderland Drive in Laurel Canyon, was taken to the police garage and impounded. The crime lab had gone over the car for fingerprints, and in eliminating the prints of the people known to have been in the car and friends of Iverson, they'd come up with one unidentified print. As remote as it was, the lead about the pen had to be checked out.

24:34 We called the Rogers Blind Company, and the night watchman gave us the home phone number of the personnel manager.

24:39 We called him and he agreed to meet us at the plant.

24:41 We gave him the description of the man who had talked to Iverson outside of the bar, and he was able to identify him as a Peter Standish, a former salesman with the company. He recognized Standish from the description of the scar, but he was unable to tell us the name of the other man. The personnel manager furnished us with Standish's last known address, but he'd moved and left no forwarding address. Frank and I went back to the office and ran the name through R & I.

25:04 Standish had a record of two arrests on suspicion of 211 PC, one of them only a month before. Sergeants Hanson and Cummings drove out to the general hospital to show a mugshot of Standish to Martin Weber. He positively identified the suspect as the man he'd seen talking to Iverson on the night of the murder. We checked with Dean Bergman and Leighton Prince. The fingerprint found in the car matched perfectly with the prints of Standish. Frank and I drove out to the last address in the suspect's arrest report. The manager of the apartment told us that he'd gone out a few minutes before. She told us that there was another man living in the apartment with Standish, and the description she gave tallied closely with the one

25:36 we had of the man seen with Standish in the bar the night of the murder. She informed us that he was registered under the name of Charles Teal. In the company of the manager, we made a search of the suspect's apartment, but we found nothing. We asked the manager not to give any indication that we were in the apartment, and she agreed to cooperate. We settled down to wait. An hour went by, an hour and a half, two hours.

26:01 Yeah, sure. Well, I'm getting tired of it, Teal. Every night the same thing dragging you out of some crummy bar. You don't knock it off, I'm gonna get myself another boy. Not only that, but I'm getting sick of.

26:09 All right, let's hold it right there.

26:10 Cops!

26:10 Lousy cops!

26:15 All right, hold it, mister.

26:16 Hold still.

26:18 Fuzz, crummy fuzz.

26:19 I had to walk right into it. How's the other one, Frank?

26:21 He's out.

26:21 Wanna shake him down?

26:22 Yeah. What do you want with me, cop? I done nothing. You got nothing to hold me for? He's clean, Joe. So's the other one.

26:27 We got plenty, Standish.

26:28 Let's go.

26:29 What?

26:29 What you gotta mean?

26:30 Murder, mister.

26:31 Murder me?

26:31 You're crazy.

26:32 You're off your rocker.

26:32 Yeah, sure.

26:33 All right, Frank.

26:34 I'm getting him up. Come on.

26:36 I told you, Stanish. I told you they'd get us. Shut up.

26:38 All right, let's hold it right there, mister.

26:39 Don't make any more problems.

26:40 It was him.

26:41 He did it.

26:41 I didn't want to. It was his idea. I'll tell you all about it.

26:43 I should have known not to trust you, T.

26:44 Look what you got me into.

26:45 We only wanted his money. He wouldn't give it to us. Stanish kept trying to hit him with that piece of cement. I tried to make him stop. You didn't try to stop me.

26:50 Splitting the dough. You got more in half.

26:52 Don't worry about it. What do you mean you split this one even?

27:01 The story you have just heard was true. The names were changed to protect the innocent.

27:06 On June 4th, 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. Peter James Standish and Charles Edward Teal were tried and convicted of robbery and murder in the first degree. They were sentenced to life imprisonment. They're now serving their term in the state penitentiary, San Quentin, California. 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 Donahoe, Sergeant Marty Wynn, Sergeant Vance Brasher. Heard tonight were Ken Patterson, Gwen Delano,

27:59 Jack Crucian. Script by John Robinson. Music by Walter Schumann. Hal Gibney speaking.

28:13 Friday, hear the Mario Lanza Show over NBC.

28:22 Welcome back. The process by which Friday goes about notifying people of loved one's death has always seemed a bit roundabout, where the survivor has to effectively guess that their loved one has passed away. Now, I do wonder whether this is an LAPD procedure that's being portrayed, or it's an attempt to reflect the human drama of the moment and the reluctance of Friday and the difficulty of sharing the news, it certainly does add dramatic tension. And there was a school of thought on this that when it came to notifying loved ones of someone's death, it was best to do it in stages because it could be way too much for them to accept if you did it all at once. And it feels like that's what Friday tends

29:24 to do. Of course, now the idea is for law enforcement to be direct but compassionate in explaining what happened. This was the only episode with Kim Patterson as Frank Smith. I just talked about this in the Public Domain Video Theater episode Patterson appeared in, The Big Jump, but there was a strong hope because unlike, say, Barty Phillips, he looked very different from Webb. He was slightly overweight. He had a mustache and filmed the big jump and recorded this episode. But he and Webb had some sort of argument.

30:11 I don't know what about. But the end result was that Webb fired Patterson. The TV episode went out more than a month later, Patterson appears, but he's not identified as Friday's partner. And the circumstances of that case make it pretty easy just to have, you know, a bunch of officers coming out in sort of an ad hoc way.

30:38 And on television, he also isn't called Frank Smith, but Bill Lockwood. You do get some sense from this episode that Webb... had some definitive ideas at this point. We're seven and a half months after the passing of Barton Yarborough at this point. He had some idea about what he wanted from the actor who would play the new partner and what he wanted that character to be. Certainly the gag about Frank's weight in this episode implies some things that we would also end up seeing play out when Ben Alexander took over the role. However, because they were not yet connected with Ben Alexander, the series, over radio anyway, would resume with Herb Ellis playing Frank Smith.

31:35 Thank you to Bettina, Patreon supporter, since May of 2021. currently supporting the podcast at the detective sergeant level of $ 7. 14 or more per month. Thanks so much for the support, Bettina, and that will do it for today. If you're enjoying the podcast, please follow us using your favorite podcast software.

32:01 and be sure to rate and review the podcast wherever you download it from. We'll be back next Thursday with another episode of Dragnet, but join us back here tomorrow for yours truly, Johnny Dollarware.

32:15 Sure, Dollar. Complete equipment for it. Winch, line, slings, everything.

32:19 Good.

32:20 You see, we not only give a lot of demonstrations, instruction, that sort of thing... But now and then a Coast Guard calls on us to help with an actual rescue at sea. What'd you say your price is? $ 300. That includes me at the control. Okay, then it's a deal. Okay, we'll take off just as soon as the wind goes down a few more knots. Oh, sorry, Tink.

32:37 We gotta take off right away.

32:39 But if the wind starts blowing up again... It won't, and I got that straight from the Coast Guard.

32:42 You're sure of that?

32:43 I'm sure, so let's go. Well, I don't know if the tower will give me clearance.

32:48 Then forget the tower.

32:49 Well, now, wait a minute. $ 400? But I could lose my license, Dollar, get in a lot of trouble. Well, there's nothing else taking off from the field right now. I know. But that flight that just came in had a pretty rough time of it. Tell the tower it's an emergency, a rescue operation if you have to. But please, let's get going. Now, listen. It could be very dangerous.

33:07 All right. That's a chance we'll have to take.

33:09 500.

33:09 550.

33:10 Keep talking. After all, it's 400,000 bucks this thing.

33:15 What?

33:15 600 bucks.

33:15 Take it or leave it.

33:20 I hope you'll be with us then. In the meantime, send your comments to box13 at greatdetectives.net. Follow us on Twitter at Radio Detectives and check us out on Instagram, instagram.com slash greatdetectives. From Boise, Idaho, this is your host, Adam Graham, signing off.