Dragnet: The Big Impression (EP5094)

0:02 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.

0:42 But first, I want.

0:43 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 Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, that's PO 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. And I want to thank our latest Patreon supporter, Brian, supporting the show at the Shamus level of $ 4 or more per month. Thanks so much for your support, Brian. Now, from August the 7th, 1952, here is The Big Impressions.

1:39 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. An elderly man has been beaten and robbed of a fortune in unsaid diamonds. The thief has made good his escape. Your job, find him.

2:16 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.

2:41 It was Tuesday, July 12th. It was hot in Los Angeles. We were working the day watch out of robbery detail. My partner's Frank Smith. The boss is Captain Didion. My name's Friday. It was 10.46 a.m. when we got to the Morgan Hotel. Room 922. Yes? Police officer, sir.

2:56 My name's Friday. This is my partner, Frank Smith.

2:58 Oh, yes, sir.

2:59 I'm the manager, Arnold Jackson.

3:00 Yes, sir. We're here regarding the robbery, sir.

3:03 Oh, Mr.

3:03 Ruman's in their bedroom.

3:04 He's lying down. Has there been a radio unit here, Mr.

3:06 Jackson? Yes, they just went down the hall. The victim in here, sir? Yes, that's right. Thank you very much, Mr. Jackson.

3:12 Sure.

3:14 Mr. Ruman? Yes? My name's Friday, sir. This is my partner, Frank Smith, Central Robbery.

3:18 Oh, yes.

3:19 Captain Friday? No, sir. It's Sergeant, Mr.

3:21 Ruman.

3:21 Sergeant? I thought, sure, they'd send a captain. Well, now, if you can just tell us what happened here. Well, I brought the.

3:26 Stones up here to show him and his father. We made an appointment. He hit me, took everything.

3:31 How much was it, sir?

3:31 Can you tell us?

3:32 Everything there was, finest collection, best stones, took my sample case and everything.

3:36 What did the case look like, sir?

3:38 Just a plain sample case, this high, about this wide.

3:41 So you had to make it about 14 by 18, is that right? Black, black, black leather, plain sample case.

3:47 Any identifying marks, initials, anything like that?

3:49 No, just a plain black leather case. I don't care about the bag, it's the diamonds. I couldn't come close to their value. Maybe $ 100, 000, maybe more.

3:56 Now, you say you made an appointment with him. Who is the man, sir? Fred Roberts.

4:00 I met him about three weeks ago at my club, having lunch with a friend, another journalist, and he introduced us. We hit it off right away. He seemed to be a real nice fellow. I can't understand it.

4:09 Fred Roberts. What are you describing for us, sir?

4:11 I'd say he's about 28 or 30. Could say he's a nice-looking fellow. Sure wore nice clothes. Looked like a real businessman. Always carried a briefcase, no.

4:20 About how tall would you say he was? Tall? Well, I'm 5'6. He's about 3 inches taller. I'd say he's about 5'9.

4:27 Not too heavy.

4:28 Medium build. About your size. How about his hair, sir? What color was that? Do you remember? Brown.

4:33 Straight brown hair. Might have had a part. I never noticed it. He had brown eyes, too. Shouldn't be any problem. People in the hotel must know him. These are his rooms.

4:40 I'll call the office and have them get out a broadcast on the description.

4:43 All right, fine. You want to check with the other fellows, see if they've come up with anything? I'll stay here with Mr. Ruman.

4:46 Okay.

4:47 Thanks, Frank. You'll have no trouble identifying the man, will you, Mr. Ruman? No, sir.

4:51 I know him. Those eyes never forget him.

4:53 I should have known from the start. Sir?

4:55 His eyes are shifty, little bitty things set close together. I should have known not to trust him with eyes like that.

5:01 Now, you say you met this man about three weeks ago, is that right?

5:04 Well, this Roberts fellow told me that he was down here from San Francisco. Said he was going into the diamond business. Said he was down there here, rather, to buy stock. That he'd heard that I could lay my hands on some fine stones and he wanted to see what I had to offer, I say.

5:19 Did he say that he was going to buy the stones himself?

5:21 Oh, no.

5:22 He told me that his father was putting up the money. He said that his father was coming down here today and that if he like the merchandise, we could make a deal. Funny thing, though, I should have known right off.

5:30 What's that, sir?

5:32 Well, when I came up here this afternoon and showed him the stones I'd brought, he didn't know the good from the bad.

5:36 What, sir?

5:37 Well, in almost any collection, there are bound to be a few stones that aren't absolutely perfect. They look all right, but there may be a small flaw someplace inside the stone. Naturally, their value isn't the highest.

5:47 I see, and this Roberts didn't know the difference.

5:49 No, but I should have known anyway. Those eyes, you know, the meanest eyes I ever saw and so close together.

5:54 Well, was there anything unusual that you might have noticed about Roberts? Anything about his speech, his manner, anything at all that might help us identify him?

5:59 No, just like I told you. Seemed nice enough. Well, did he give you any indication that there might be something wrong? Not at all. Of course, I wondered about it. He's not knowing much about diamonds, but I figured that if he was.

6:10 willing to pay what I wanted, I didn't have to concern myself with what he was going to do with the stones.

6:14 Well, Mr. Roman, I wonder if we could start from the beginning, exactly what happened here. He knocked me out. No, sir, I mean what led up to his hitting it. Oh, I'm sorry.

6:23 Well, as I said, he told me to bring the stones up here for his father to see. I did, and then we waited for the father to show up. We were over there by the window looking at the stones. You know, they look better than some of them.

6:32 Yes, sir.

6:33 Well, when we finished, he.

6:34 Said something about his father never being on time. I turned to look out the window, and that's when he hit me, right here on the back of my head.

6:41 Can you see it? Yes, sir, I can. Is it bleeding? Don't lie to me. I'm not afraid. Can you see any blood there? No, sir, there's quite a bump on the back there. Are you sure? Yes, sir. You're telling me the truth? Yes, sir, there's no blood. Joe? Yeah, Frank.

6:52 See you in a minute?

6:52 Sure. Excuse me a minute, Mr.

6:53 Roman.

6:53 Sure, that's all right. Yeah, Frank.

6:56 Call the office. They put out the description. The area's being covered. Leighton Prince been called?

7:00 Yeah.

7:00 How's Roman getting along?

7:01 Well, he's got quite an ache in his head, but he seems to be okay.

7:03 The manager says he's called the house. Doctors should be here right away.

7:06 Sergeant? Yes, sir. Have you caught him yet, Roberts? No, sir, not yet.

7:10 As soon as the doctor looks at you, sir, we'd like you to go down to police headquarters with us, if you would.

7:13 Of course.

7:14 But you shouldn't have too much trouble catching him, not with those eyes. Real little beady. Yes, sir. Well, what do you want me to do at police headquarters, Sergeant? Well, we want to take a full statement, have you look at some pictures, if you would. With you two?

7:25 Yes, sir.

7:25 Anything wrong?

7:26 Oh, no, no.

7:27 But you'd figure with all those diamonds gone and that fellow hitting me and all, it just seems that they could have done better.

7:32 Well, how's that, Mr.

7:33 Roman? Seemed he couldn't have sent a captain.

7:39 11.15 a.m.

7:40 Leighton Prince arrived and went over the rooms. Frank and I were unable to find the instrument Roman had been struck with. Checking with the desk clerk and the elevator operator, we were able to get a composite description of Fred Roberts. It tallied closely with the one given us by Ruman. The desk clerk told us that Roberts had checked into the hotel that morning. We obtained a copy of the hotel registration card carrying Roberts' signature for handwriting analysis. The immediate area was thoroughly searched. The suspect had made good his escape. We contacted the victim's office and asked for a full inventory of the stolen diamonds. They were unable to give us a complete inventory at the time, but

8:14 advised us that the loss would run well over $ 150, 000.

8:16 11.57 a.m.

8:20 After the hotel doctor had examined Ruman and said his wounds were superficial, we drove down to the city hall. While Ruman was looking at the mug books, Frank and I checked the name Fred Roberts and his description through R & I. We were unable to find a record on him. We contacted the stats office and requested a run on the M.O. Local and all points bulletins were gotten out on the suspect. After looking through the mug books, Ruman was unable to come up with an identification. Further interrogation of the victim failed to turn up any new evidence.

8:47 The information furnished by the stats office and other contacts yielded nothing. The investigation continued. Three weeks went by. Tuesday, August 2nd, 8.05 a.m. I checked into the office.

8:59 Joe?

8:59 Yeah.

8:59 You're late.

9:00 I've been waiting for you.

9:01 It's only been five minutes. Well, there's a lot to do here, you know. You're in a good mood. What's the problem?

9:04 It's the in-laws again. I didn't sleep a wink last night. Oh, what happened?

9:08 That brother-in-law, a real wise guy, knows how to do everything better than anybody else. Nothing he doesn't know.

9:12 Well, look, Frank, I'm on your side. What's the bet here?

9:15 Remember how I told you about this place out in the valley where the steaks are so good?

9:18 Yeah, it's a butcher shop, wasn't it?

9:19 Yeah, that's right.

9:20 Well, I stopped by last night and I got six of the biggest steaks I could find.

9:24 Real beauties. Filets. Yeah?

9:26 I figured on a barbecue, you know, out in the backyards.

9:29 Anyway, I get the charcoal out and the kindling and all the stuff.

9:32 Right away, my brother-in-law says I'm doing it wrong.

9:34 Why didn't you tell him?

9:35 The wife.

9:35 She's got to hear how they barbecue back in Sioux Falls. So the brother-in-law throws out all the stuff I'd done, and he starts all over. It took him three hours.

9:42 Now what happened?

9:43 Well, he never got the fire started. By the time he let me get at it, it was too dark to do anything. He ended up in the kitchen with waffles. He had indigestion all night.

9:50 Well, that's the way it goes, don't it? I suppose so. Sorry I jumped on you.

9:53 That's all right. I don't much care for waffles for dinner myself. I get it, Frank. Robbery Friday. Yes, sir. Mm-hmm. What was that address again? Okay, yes, sir. We'll check it right away.

10:05 Right.

10:06 Anything?

10:07 One of our contacts is a rumble down at Jay's down in South Main. Guy's letting it get around that he's got some loose diamonds for sale.

10:12 You say when they could be bought?

10:13 Yeah, tonight.

10:15 All right.

10:15 8.14 a.m.

10:20 We signed out and drove over to Jay's bar. We met with our informant. The buy was to take place in the bar at 8.30 that night. He gave us a description of the man who was selling the stones. We checked back into the office and filled Captain Didion in on the latest developments of the case. The plan was laid out that Frank and I would stake out inside the bar. Four other men were assigned to cover the outside of the meeting place. They would be able to be in constant communication with each other through walkie-talkie equipment.

10:43 7.43 p.m.

10:46 Frank and I took up our positions at the bar. The other men were at their assigned positions.

10:50 We waited.

10:50 8.19 p.m. Three men came in and took a table at the rear of the place. They ordered drinks and sat down and talked. None of them matched the description our informant had given us.

11:01 8.34 p.m. Joe? Yeah?

11:05 Just came in. Fits the description pretty closely.

11:08 He's heading back there. Looks like he's one of the three guys we've been waiting for, doesn't he?

11:11 Yeah.

11:13 What was that he took out of his pocket? I don't know.

11:14 Can't hear a thing from here either. Looks like it's going to get louder, doesn't it?

11:18 All right, that's fine with me. I didn't ask you to buy the stuff. You can see for yourself it's good. The price is right. If you don't want to buy it, then you're wasting my time.

11:24 Lousy, chintzy deal. You get me here and then you pull a deal like this? As far as I'm concerned, the buy's off.

11:29 Nobody sent for you.

11:29 Forget it. Let's see him. He's got the stones. Let's take him, Frank.

11:32 Let's go.

11:32 Get the bag.

11:34 All right, hold it up, police officers. Watch it, Joe.

11:35 Hey, hey, hey, hey.

11:38 All right, now stand right where you are. Keep your hands out in the open. You want to shake them down, Frank?

11:41 Yeah.

11:42 Stand still, you.

11:43 What are you tagging us for? Just having a drink? What are you trying to do?

11:45 They're clean, Joe.

11:46 My boy got away. They'll pick him up outside. Look, what do you want us for? Just sitting here having a drink.

11:50 What are you trying to prove?

11:51 Skip it, mister. You're selling us nothing here. I don't know what you're talking about.

11:53 Frank?

11:54 Yeah, hold still. Here's my cuffs. All right, let's go.

11:58 I'll check outside, see if they got the other one. Look, you don't need these handcuffs. I'm not going anyplace. I got nothing to hide.

12:03 What's this all about? Save it, mister. Save what? Come in here to have a couple of drinks. We're not bothering anybody.

12:08 Just a quiet drink.

12:09 You guys jump on us.

12:10 What's the pitch, anyway?

12:11 Let's stop playing games here. There was a diamond buy tonight, and you were in on it.

12:13 Diamonds?

12:14 Are you kidding? Here, look at me.

12:16 Do I look like the kind of a guy who can afford diamonds?

12:18 Not only that, but who buys diamonds in a bar? Now, look, let's get this thing squared away.

12:22 Herman and Stromwell got the other one, said they'd take him up to the office.

12:24 Anything on him?

12:25 No, dropped it while they were chasing him.

12:26 What's that?

12:27 A bag of unset diamonds.

12:33 The three suspects we'd apprehended inside the bar were questioned. After a brief interrogation, the suspects admitted that they had gone to the bar for the purpose of buying diamonds. They explained that it was their impression that the stones had been smuggled into the country. The three men were booked in on suspicion of robbery pending further investigation. The fourth man, the one who was in possession of the diamonds, was identified as Larry Fry. We checked him through R & I and found that he had a previous record of four arrests receiving stolen property dating back to 1946.

13:01 Frank and I took the suspect to the interrogation room. He told us that he'd found the diamonds in a back alley. The interrogation continued, but we were unable to change the suspect's story. A special show-up was arranged for Mr. Ruman, the victim in the jewel robbery. After looking at the suspect closely, he stated positively that this was not the man who had held him up. However, examination showed that the stones found were part of the diamonds taken in the robbery.

13:26 The suspect was booked at the city jail.

13:28 A check of his residence and other leads failed to turn up any additional information. Wednesday, August 3rd, 1240 a.m. We had Fry brought from his cell. All right, sit down, Fry.

13:39 All right.

13:42 Don't you guys ever get tired of trying? What do you mean, Fry?

13:44 You know what I mean.

13:45 Questions. Don't you guys ever get tired? You getting tired?

13:47 Yeah, a little.

13:48 Then why don't you save us all a lot of trouble and tell us what you know?

13:50 I don't know what you're after. Believe me, if I knew what you wanted, I'd try to help. Suppose we start again.

13:54 Anything you want. I got nothing but time. Where'd you get the diamonds? I found them. Where? In an alley. What alley? I don't remember. You find 20,000 unset diamonds in an alley? You don't remember which alley? That's right. I don't remember which alley. There's a lot of alleys in L.A.

14:04 Now with $ 20, 000 in diamonds laying around.

14:06 True. Then why don't you tell us where you found the diamonds? I told you, in an alley. What were you doing at Jay's place? Having a drink, that against the law? No, but trying to sell stolen diamonds is.

14:14 All right, you called it. I was there to sell diamonds, but I didn't know they were stolen. I tried to sell them, just trying to make a buck. Everybody's got to live. I told you, now leave me alone. I got enough trouble in this can with this lousy chow they throw at you.

14:25 I don't feel so good, huh? Let me go back to my cell and lay down. Oh, kid, you guys ever eaten this jail food? It's terrible. I've eaten it. It's not too bad.

14:32 You got a stomach made out of solid brass. Like to have the bromo concession around here. Look, I really wish I could help you guys, but, honest, there's nothing to tell. I found the diamonds in an alley. Sure, I'd try to sell them, but that's it. Now, you guys know if there's anything I could do.

14:44 All right, now, you come off it, mister. You better get this story straight. We're through playing with you. Maybe you don't know how you stand.

14:48 I'll fill you in.

14:49 A man's slugged, and $ 150, 000 in diamonds are stolen from him. Part of those diamonds turn up in your pocket. You say you found them. I can't buy that, and I don't think anyone else will. You come in here playing like a lily, clean and white. Well, your record doesn't make it that easy to buy.

14:59 That's how you stand, mister. The whole thing's right in your lap. It fits you like a new suit. Now, it's up to you.

15:03 Is that the way it is?

15:05 You call it.

15:06 No other way?

15:06 None.

15:08 Yeah.

15:09 Well, if I could only get some decent food under my belt and a little fresh air, I might be able to give you guys the answers.

15:24 You are listening to Dragnet. Authentic stories of your police force in action.

15:28 You are listening to Dragnet.

15:36 We continued to interrogate Fry.

15:38 From the evasive answers he gave us, it looked as if he was lying about his part in the robbery.

15:43 When an interrogation seems to.

15:44 Bog down, a working detective usually tries to find some subject with which to draw the suspect out, some weak point in his makeup. Maybe it's his parents, his wife, or his children. It might be the fear of having loved ones find out about the crime he's accused of committing. In Fry's case, questions about his family failed to produce any results.

16:03 We tried other subjects, religion, baseball, golf, fishing. None of them seemed to bring him out of his shell.

16:09 Occasionally, during the interrogation, he'd refer to the jail food, comparing it to the other food he'd eaten. As the questioning went on, we found that Fry considered himself a gourmet, talking about the dishes that he'd eaten.

16:20 At various restaurants.

16:22 We tried to lead the questioning around to the diamond theft, but he constantly brought the conversation back to food. Fry had presented us with a possible wedge, and we decided to use it. We signed him out of the city jail and drove him down to Phillips Restaurant for dinner. When the waiter brought the menu, Fry didn't read it.

16:39 He ordered soup, salad, and two French dip sandwiches. As he ate, we tried to get him to talk, but he refused, saying that he wanted to finish his dinner first. Frank and I each had a sandwich and some coffee. Fry continued to eat. He ordered two more sandwiches. Finally, he pushed his chair back and said that he'd had enough.

16:56 Now for some dessert, huh? Dessert?

16:58 Yeah, a meal's not complete without dessert.

16:59 I figured I'd have some apple pie a la mode and some coffee. How is the coffee here? It's good. Now, how about the information?

17:05 You know, Friday, that's why you can eat that jail food. You don't take care of your stomach. You gotta learn to relax after a meal. Relax, you'll live longer.

17:10 Well, what was that song and dance you gave us about telling us all about it, just a gimmick to get a free meal?

17:14 I told you, take it easy. I'll give you the story after dessert.

17:17 All right, Frank.

17:18 Yeah.

17:19 Get the pie and coffee. Now, the waiter seems to be busy here.

17:21 You wanted that a la mode, Frank?

17:23 That's right, a la mode. No cream in the coffee.

17:24 Mm-hmm.

17:26 Nice place here. They do a good business. They've been here a long time. Best French dip sandwiches I've ever eaten. Nice and lean, aren't they?

17:31 Yeah, they put out a good meal. Here's your client coffee.

17:34 Thanks. Three spoons of sugar? That's right. Coffee sure smells good. Hey, it tastes good, too. All right, let's get on to business, Fry. Now, what about the diamonds? Where'd you get them?

17:46 From a guy named Joe. What's his last name?

17:48 Never heard of him.

17:49 He gave you the diamonds to sell. You don't know his last name?

17:51 Yeah, that's right.

17:52 Where'd you pick up the diamonds?

17:53 Didn't. Joe came by my house and left them.

17:54 What's this Joe like? Oh, medium height, about 32, medium weight. How about his coloring?

17:59 Medium. He's a real ordinary looking fella.

18:01 Where'd he say he got the diamonds? He brought them out from the east with him. Didn't tell me where he got them back there. I think he's done time someplace.

18:06 Why'd you say that? I just figured it. The way he talks, the way he handles himself. Got the marks.

18:10 You'd know him if you saw him again? Oh, sure. Think you could point him out to us? Have you got him? No, but if he's done time, there's a mug of them. Figures we got it. Want to look through the mug books? Sure. How did this Joe get in touch with you? Called the house. Told me what time he'd be there. When do you usually call? Most any time.

18:25 I know what you're figuring, but it won't work. This whole thing's been in the papers. He won't call me now. Too smart for that.

18:29 He won't show.

18:29 How about the diamonds? Don't you think he'll be sorry about you being picked up?

18:32 So he's sorry. He's got no beef. He's still got 130 grand in stones. He's got no worries. Say, how about some more coffee? No, you've had it for the night, Fry. Let's go. Oh, thanks for the meal. Sure appreciate it.

18:42 Jail food was killing me.

18:43 You know, a good meal always makes me sleepy. Sure getting late. Hey, let's knock it off for tonight, huh, fellas? I'm bushed. No, let's look through the mug books and we can call it a night. Honest, fellas, I'm so tired I can hardly see straight. Feeling like this, I couldn't be sure. All right, Fry, we'll take you back and we'll see you the first thing in the morning so we can get started. Okay. Say, I was just wondering. Yeah?

19:00 You think you could work out something for breakfast?

19:01 2.30 a.m.

19:06 After returning the suspect to the city jail, Frank and I went back to the office.

19:10 We were certain that Fry.

19:11 Was in some way implicated in the diamond theft, but we didn't know just how he fit in.

19:16 Frank and I signed out and went home to get some sleep. 4.45 a.m.

19:19 I got a call from the business office that a man who identified himself as Joe Ashton had been picked up on a drunk charge. When arrested, he was carrying a black leather case, similar to the one taken in the robbery, containing a large quantity of unset diamonds. The man was belligerent, and other than his name, he refused to tell the arresting officers anything. I called Frank and picked him up on the way into the office. When we arrived at the city hall, the suspect had sobered up considerably and With a little questioning, he identified himself as.

19:48 A jewelry salesman... from Oakland, California.

19:51 We contacted his employer in Oakland and received an identification on him. Further investigation showed that Ashton was in legal possession of the diamond. During investigations, false leads are constantly turned up and although circumstances may tend to discount them, each one has to be.

20:07 Thoroughly checked out. 7.45 a.m.

20:09 Frank and I had breakfast at Johnny Cokin's and at 8.32 we signed Fry out of the city jail for interrogation.

20:17 You had breakfast yet, Friday? Yeah, I just finished. Too bad. How about you, Smith? Yeah. What'd you have?

20:22 Waffles. Yeah, I sure like some hot waffles.

20:25 I didn't eat here. Figure you guys might take me out again. What are you trying to prove, Fry? Now let's go over and look at those mug books, huh? Okay. Hands behind you. Oh, now look. Behind you.

20:33 All right, let's go.

20:38 All right, in the elevator. I'll get it, Frank.

20:41 Yeah.

20:50 Sure, a nice day, but it's warm out. It's gonna be.

20:52 Yeah.

20:52 Go ahead.

21:02 Sure you guys don't want a cup of coffee? No, I told you we'd eat. Right in the back, Fry. Sure. Say, I sure appreciated that meal last night. That's good. We going to City Hall? Yeah, that's right. That way you keep the mug books?

21:28 Yeah.

21:31 Hey, no kidding, Friday. I gotta have some coffee. My stomach's growling. All right, Fry.

21:34 We'll get you some coffee. You know, that whole bit about Joe doesn't ring. I'm afraid we can't buy it.

21:38 Okay, so it's a phony story, but I'll give you the right one.

21:41 Where'd you get the diamonds? From a guy out in the valley. Where in the valley? Out at the Astor Studios. Got a picture lot?

21:45 Yeah.

21:46 Frank, let's head out the freeway. We're going out the valley. Hey, wait a minute. I don't want to see him.

21:50 He'll blow his top if he finds out I told you. This guy's crazy, a real nut. You better drop me back at the jail.

21:54 I'll wait.

21:55 How do we know this isn't another stall? It isn't.

21:57 You'll see.

21:57 What's this guy's name, this friend of yours? He's no friend, just a guy I met. Had a business deal. What's his name? Calls himself Fred Roberts.

22:07 We took Friday breakfast and then we returned him to the city jail. We went back to the city hall and rechecked the name Fred Roberts through R & I. There was no record. Those with similar names were checked. None of them matched the description of the suspect. 11.20 a.m., Frank and I headed for the San Fernando Valley. Astor Studios was one of the older lots in town. It had been years since they'd made a picture of their own.

22:29 Most of their business now was in renting stage space to television companies.

22:32 Frank and I checked at the gate and we.

22:34 Were sent up to personnel. The company records on Roberts showed that he'd been at the studio for four years in.

22:39 The property department.

22:41 According to the girl in the personnel office, Roberts was highly regarded by his employers and fellow workers. She told us that we could find him in the prop building on the back lot. Frank and I started back to see him.

22:53 That must be it back there, the big building with all the windows?

22:56 Yep.

22:57 Sure a lot going on, huh?

22:58 Yeah, TV's using a lot of movies, I guess. Most of the good stuff's on film, isn't it?

23:02 I suppose so.

23:02 About all Elizabeth likes to watch is the wrestling matches with those real old movies.

23:06 I don't get to see much of the new stuff.

23:08 If she's not looking at some show that's 20 years old, the kids are watching.

23:10 A puppet show.

23:11 Well, you need two sets, then.

23:12 I've been thinking about that show.

23:13 Not that I don't like wrestling, but I'd like to see the ball game once in a while and those news forum shows.

23:18 You know, keep up with what's going on in the world.

23:20 Yeah. This looks like it here, huh?

23:23 Yeah.

23:23 That's him back there with the spray gun, isn't it?

23:24 Yep. Hey, Mr. Roberts?

23:27 Mr.

23:27 Roberts?

23:27 Yeah?

23:27 I'd like to talk to you, sir.

23:29 Just a minute. I've got to hit this before it drags.

23:30 All right, sir.

23:32 All right, now what can I do for you?

23:38 Police officers, Mr.

23:39 Roberts.

23:40 What? Wait a minute. Who'd you say you were? Police officers.

23:46 Oh, I'm sorry I caused you this trouble. I thought at first you were bill collectors coming in here like you're dead and all that. You can understand that, can't you?

23:54 I've had a little trouble lately. I didn't mean to cause a fuss.

23:56 Yeah, sure. We'd like to talk to you downtown.

23:58 What about?

23:59 Some diamonds that were stolen.

24:00 Certainly, I'll go with you, but why me? What makes you think I had anything to do with it? Just routine, Mr. Roberts. Your name came up and we have to check it out. More than glad to help.

24:08 I hope you don't think that I was trying to run away from you before. It was just that I thought you were someone else.

24:12 All right, Mr.

24:13 Roberts. You want to get your coat? Sure.

24:15 I'll have to call the front office and tell them where I'm going. I'm the only one here today.

24:18 No, we'll call them on the way out. Fine.

24:20 A lot of work.

24:23 Hope this won't take long. Should I tape my car? I wouldn't like to trouble you to bring me back.

24:30 No trouble, Mr.

24:31 Roberts.

24:34 Sure a nice day, isn't it? Good for exteriors. Exteriors? Yeah, you know, outdoor shots. Good light.

24:41 Oh, yeah.

24:42 Run into a lot of trouble if you haven't got good light. Like to take a look around?

24:47 No, I'm afraid we haven't got the time, Mr.

24:48 Roberts.

24:49 All right, here's your car.

24:52 Say.

24:53 I don't want to tell you fellas your business, but can't we talk here? I really shouldn't leave.

24:56 No, I'm afraid not, Mr. Roberts. There's someone downtown we want you to meet.

24:59 Oh?

24:59 Yeah, a man by the name of Ruman, Sam Ruman.

25:04 You said Ruman?

25:04 Yeah, that's right.

25:06 No use trying to kid you then.

25:08 Sir?

25:09 About the diamond.

25:10 No, I'm afraid not.

25:12 How'd you find him?

25:12 That's not important. Do you have the rest of the stone? Most of them.

25:16 Some of them are up in San Francisco. I can give you the name of the man who has them. He picked up some of them.

25:20 I read about it in the paper. How about the rest of them?

25:23 Buried them on a golf course south of here.

25:25 I can show you the place.

25:26 You want to get them now? Yeah, we'd like to, yeah. Well, go over the pass and into La Brea. Straight out La Brea. I'll tell you where to turn.

25:31 All right.

25:33 Fry, he the one that told you?

25:35 You planned the robbery yourself, did you?

25:37 Yeah, I had to raise money. Funny.

25:39 What's that?

25:41 You work in pictures in any job and people think you make a lot of money.

25:45 It's not true. It's like any other job. Good living, but you don't make as much as people think you do. That's why I did it.

25:51 Yeah.

25:51 Yeah.

25:52 Planned the thing for a long time. Figured every angle.

25:56 Be able to pay off my car, all my bills. There was no gag about me thinking you were bill collectors. You've been trying to find my car for the past month.

26:05 Gonna take it away.

26:06 You know how it is.

26:06 Yeah, sure.

26:09 All my life I've been working, working to make something out of myself. Everybody in this town seems to do okay. Money, big home, a car. Twelve years I've been working as a prop man.

26:19 Twelve years. Got tired of waiting? I wanted all those things. I figured I waited long enough, you know?

26:25 Yeah.

26:26 What's wrong with trying to build some kind of a future for yourself? I just wanted a future, that's all.

26:31 Yeah, well, you got one.

26:39 The story you have just heard was true. The names were changed to protect the innocent.

26:44 On November 15th, trial was held in Superior Court, Department 89, City and County of Los Angeles, State of California.

26:50 In a moment, the results of that trial.

26:55 Fred Roberts was tried and convicted of robbery in the second degree. Robbery in the second degree is punishable by imprisonment in the state penitentiary or in the county jail. He is now serving his time in the county jail.

27:12 Ladies and gentlemen, at this very moment in Korea, the lives of soldiers wounded in battle today are being saved by.

27:19 Transfusions of blood and blood plasma.

27:22 You can give these men the gift of life, a pint of your blood. The Department of Defense is calling for all Americans to roll up their sleeves. There is no substitute for blood. The need is urgent. The need is now. Call your local Red Cross chapter or blood donor center for an appointment.

27:41 And please keep it.

27:41 © BF-WATCH TV 2021.

28:17 Friday, hear the Mario Lanza Show on NBC.

28:29 Welcome back. Okay, I think that the criminal who managed to get meals out of Joe Friday for his cooperation was pretty smart. I think it was unethical to give him a false lead. Ethics isn't really the name of the game with criminals. It's a case where, particularly if you love good food, you're not going to really get any for all the years you're going to be in jail, so...

29:00 it's understandable to try and see if you can finagle a good meal or two before you go away. I think Vic Perron's portrayal of Frank Smith is an interesting one. I don't think it actually matched well with Jack Webb, and particularly not in the way that both Ben Alexander and later Harry Morgan would in bringing humor into these films.

29:30 often very serious episodes, but it even lacks kind of the charm of Barton Yarborough's complaining. It does sometimes bring up relatable subjects, particularly the second segment where he is annoyed about the way television is going in his house. And it's one of those bits that's really a bright cultural artifact. And like a lot of radio at the time that talked about television, it referenced wrestling as being something on television. And this was really true of the Los Angeles market where wrestling on television was a big deal because stations needed local programming and it was cheap to make. And the nature of the sport made it so that you know you just had a small ring that you're kind of watching on TV there's no ball

30:38 moving around and your focal point is going to be these two wrestlers and this got wrestling having a real moment and this is of course before the stuff that a lot of people grew up with as wrestling you know has become more and more and more and more But it was so popular that you could watch it every single night. And you had each of the five stations in Los Angeles covering wrestling. It also mentioned old movies, which would have been relatively cheap to license, as opposed to newer films. Now, in some ways, the lack of newer films may have allowed... series, particularly the Lux Radio Theater, to continue on a few more years, although the decline in interest in radio would lead to the conclusion of

31:36 that series as well. And there were attempts to do something similar to what Lux had done on radio with the Lux Video Theater and the 20th Century Fox Hour. But adapting great Hollywood films on a TV budget only had so much appeal. And then there were puppet shows, which probably worked for television for the same reason that wrestling did. And keep in mind that TV was a very anticipated invention. People have been talking about it since the 30s, and there were some experimental broadcasts from that era even done. There's a lot of anticipation and Frank Smith is looking at knots of wrestling, 20-year-old movies and puppet shows and thinking, you know, maybe I'll need another set.

32:31 Most likely, you know, that would be something you'd have to finance because TVs were still quite expensive at the time. But it's interesting to see how quickly inflicting family desires over television became such a big issue and how soon the desire for multiple TVs actually began, particularly in such a middle-class profession as a police detective. We'll listen to her comments and feedback now, and we have some comments on the big trio. We start on Patreon with Jeff, who writes, Very interesting that Jack Webb rated this episode as his favorite. I can see why, and appreciate your observation about the more mundane but essential side of police work.

33:20 My car was totaled this summer by someone making an illegal U-turn. I was very grateful for the police handling the aftermath that day. Fortunately, no one was injured. Well, those are always scary situations to be in. Then we have a comment over on Spotify from a random Spotify user who writes, This episode was so heavy. I almost needed a spotter to listen to it. Could have used some Barton Yarborough to tell a mother-in-law story. Yeah, definitely a very heavy story. I think they tried to lighten it a little bit with the middle story, but those...

34:00 First and last really do hit quite hard. And then comments on YouTube. James had been waiting for this all morning to hear this episode. And then Jeffrey writes, I wasn't aware of a law that says you have to stick your arm out of the window to signal a turn. I know you're supposed to signal if riding a bike.

34:27 Was it different back then or does it vary by state? I started driving in the early 80s. I too was surprised when Friday mentioned a wife beater. Take care. Well, thanks so much. And yes, Jeff, it was different. While you had a history of turn signals being introduced as devices on cars, it wasn't really standard equipment till the mid 1950s. And in most states, if you look at the state law regarding turn signals, they are required on cars after a certain manufacture date, usually the mid-1950s. Before then, you would use hand signals in traffic. So yeah, the law has changed since then. The only times I've used hand signals while driving is once when I realized my signal lights were out, I used and signals for my

35:26 turns until I could get it to the shop, which I did as quickly as possible. But thanks so much. Great question. Now it's time to thank our Patreon supporter of the day. Thank you to Daniel, Patreon supporter since August 2024, currently supporting the podcast at the Detective Sergeant level of $ 7. 14 or more per month. Thanks so much for your support, Daniel, and that will do it for today.

35:51 If you're enjoying the podcast, please follow us using your favorite podcast software, and be sure to rate and review the podcast wherever you download it from. We'll be back next Thursday with another episode of Dragnet, but join us back here tomorrow for yours truly, Johnny Dollar, where.

36:10 Well, sir.

36:11 It seems to me it would have been a lot safer to have an armored car deliver that money to the depository of some bank.

36:16 During the day.

36:18 Maybe several times a day.

36:19 Exactly what John suggested some time ago. I suppose I should have listened to him.

36:27 Well, go on, sir.

36:28 Last Saturday, after we closed, things went along quite as usual. That is, until Mr. Ellery in sporting goods, always the last to bring his money to the vault, until he knocked on Harker's door.

36:40 Well, right on cue.

36:42 Excuse me.

36:43 Come in.

36:45 Mr.

36:45 McNair, I.

36:46 John, John, come in, please. I want you to meet Mr. Johnny Dollar. This is John Harker.

36:53 Dollar, hiya.

36:55 Dollar represents the insurance companies we trust will make good on our loss.

36:59 Well, I certainly hope you can make more progress than the police have, Mr.

37:02 Dollar.

37:02 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 greatgatactives. From Boise, Idaho, this is your host, Adam Graham, signing off.