 Remember a hallmark card when you carry enough to send the very best. Our bring you a true story from the life of J. Edgar Hoover. On the Hallmark Hall of Faith. Here's our distinguished host, Mr. Edward Arnold. And welcome to the Hallmark Hall of Fame. Tonight our true story is transcribed from the life of John Eschewuva, the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In honoring Mr. Hoover, we also honor the FBI and the thousands of men whose meticulous, relentless labors have built one of the world's greatest law enforcement agencies. The case you are about to hear was selected by the FBI because it exemplifies the teamwork and cooperation between the local law enforcement agencies, the Bureau and you, the private citizen that is so necessary in the constant battle against crime. Tonight the Hallmark Hall of Fame presents a radio document extracted from the official files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Department of Justice. And now, here's Frank Goss. Did you have a nice Christmas? I surely hope you did. And I hope Hallmark Cards contributed to your pleasure with both the cards you received and the ones you chose to carry your personal greetings to your friends. This week too, you'll find that Hallmark Cards can be of service to you. For in the fine stores featuring Hallmark Cards, you'll find special thank you cards and Hallmark note papers so you can express your appreciation and gratitude for favors or gifts or cards received at Christmas. And you'll find a handsome array of New Year's cards to send your wishes for a bright and happy New Year ahead. So this evening, why not make a list of the people whose friendship you'd like to acknowledge and plan to send them each a Hallmark New Year's card. They'll appreciate your thoughtfulness and the fact that it's a Hallmark card will give them extra pleasure. For everyone knows the Hallmark and Crown on the back of a card. The symbol you look for when you'll carry enough to send the very best. And now, Edward Arnold brings you the Hallmark Hall of Pays. Shortly after 8.30 a.m., January the 17th, 1934, Lincoln sedan approaches the intersection of Goodrich and Lexington avenues in St. Paul, Minnesota. The driver, Edward George Bremmer, a member of a wealthy and prominent St. Paul family. As this is custom during the school term, he has driven his nine-year-old daughter, Hersey, to a private school and is proceeding to his office at a local bank. As he stops for a traffic sign at Lexington Avenue, a stranger approaches the left front door of his vehicle. All right, Brendan, move over. Hey, what is this? You can't think not. Wait a minute. Get out of here. Let's go. About 10.40 a.m., Walter McGee, a contractor, received a telephone call. In his office, 118 West Central Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota. Hello? This is Mr. McGee. That's right. You were friend of Ed Bremmer's. Why, yes, yes. There's a note for you out the side door. If you want to see it again, you'll do like it says. Just like it says. Hello, who is this? Hello? Hereby declared him on a very desperate undertaking. Don't try to cross us. Your future and these are the important issue. Follow these instructions to the letter. Police have never helped in such a spot and won't this time either. Be Washington, D.C., please. National, eight, seven, one, one, seven. Friend is none too comfortable now, so don't delay. Federal Bureau of Investigation. Eight, seven, one, one, seven. The emergency number of the FBI. Available to any citizen 24 hours a day. Accord to this number sets in motion a chain reaction activating law enforcement agencies on a national basis. At 4 p.m. January the 17th, 1934, a meeting is held in the office of the director located in the Justice Department, Washington, D.C. The facts have already begun to pile up. The ransom demanded is $200,000. Payment to be made in five and ten dollar bills. No new money, no consecutive numbers, large variety of issues. Excuse me, Mr. Hoover. Yes, Mr. Bryant. Wouldn't that seem to indicate that the kidnappers are professionals? Part of an organized gang? In my opinion, yes. Is there a method of payment established, sir? The go-between is to insert an advertisement in the personal column of the Minneapolis Tribune. Payment instructions will follow. What about the second note? The one supposed to be from Brammer himself. Is that genuine? Any further word on that, Tulson? Well, both notes are addressed to Charles McGee. McGee's name is Walter. They're misspellings in both notes. However, there seems some possibility that Brammer's signature is in his own handwriting. Both notes and handwriting specimens are being flown to Washington. Good. Get them into the technical laboratory right away. When the handwriting experts finish, have chemical and microscopic tests run on the paper. Like full report on quality, content, manufacture, and distribution outlets in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. Yes, sir. Bryant, you and Kern will take the first available plane to St. Paul. I've ordered 20 special agents with experience in this type of case flown into the area. They'll operate under your supervision. Very good, sir. Keep all activities under cover in order to facilitate the victim's release. Well, what about the ransom money, sir? The Brammer family is an indicated desire to make payment. You'll arrange for the Federal Reserve Bank and St. Paul to have a register made of the serial numbers of all bills. All right, sir. Only... Yes? The police report on the abandoned Lincoln Saddam. One Brammer was driving at the time of the crime. It mentions blood stain. That's right. Brownish stains on steering wheel, gear shift, door sill, back of front seat, and car floor. Identified as human blood. Well, sir, taken with the business about the note, wouldn't that lead to the assumption that Brammer's already dead? We can't make that assumption, Brian. As long as there's a chance he's alive, our first job is to keep him that way. All right, gentlemen, that's it. You'll work out of the St. Paul Field Office, but I want personal reports on all developments. The special agents of the FBI work under cover to ascertain the whereabouts of Edward Brammer and the identity of his abductors. Further ransom notes are received by Walter McGee and several other persons in the St. Paul area. One addressed to Mrs. Edward Brammer and headed the APATS is unquestionably in the victim's own handwriting. For the moment, at least, Edward Brammer is still among the living. On January the 25th, following instructions given by the kidnappers, Walter McGee attempts to deliver the ransom payment. However, contact with the criminals is not established. For 10 days, silence. Then on February the 6th, a new demand for payment is received. Intermediary, Walter McGee proceeds to Zambrota, Minnesota, and deposits two suit boxes containing the sum of $200,000. At a spot marked by four red flashlights beside a dirt road. 24 hours later, at Rochester, Minnesota, Edward G. Brammer is released. Then you haven't any idea, Mr. Brammer, how long it took to reach the hideout? No, I'm afraid not, gentlemen. After I became conscious, I was still pretty woozy and blindfolded, of course. I'm not sure, but I seem to think that we passed through a city. Not a big city, a medium-sized, maybe. You were blindfolded the whole time? No, no, not exactly. After a few days I was allowed to be without the blindfold, but only in the one room. Then you never saw the house itself? The exterior, I mean. No. How about sounds, Mr. Brammer? You remember hearing anything distinctive? Well, not really distinctive. There were a couple of dogs, barked a lot. Anything else? Let me see you. Children playing, three or four of them. About what age? Oh, I don't know that. Somewhere between four and eight, I guess. Then there was a baby upstairs. He cried a lot in the fuss. Year, year and a half old, I guess. That's about the ordinary age. It was my kids, anyway. I used to think a lot about her at sea, quite a lot. Especially when I heard that baby. I guess you understand. Sure. What about inanimate sounds? Traffic, for instance. Yes, traffic. Heavy? Main highway? Quite a few trucks and buses. I remember them shifting gears a lot. Like at a stop sign or railroad crossing? Yes, that's what it sounded like. There were some trains, too. Not too close. Mostly morning and evening. Commuter special. Yeah, might be. Any noises peculiar to the house itself? Well, not that I can think of. Wait a minute. I'm pretty sure there was a coal stove in the next room. I could hear the coal being fed into it. Let's see now. That gives us a house with children and dogs. Having a coal stove. Near a main highway, not too far from the commuter. Mind describing the room, sir? Well, uh, small. 10 by 12, I'd say, and run down. Old brass bed, fairly new wallpaper, and, oh, the wallpaper. Do you remember the pattern? Clusters of forget-me-not surrounded by think roses. Think you could recognize it in a sample book? I'll never forget that wallpaper, Mr. Bram. One more thing, Mr. Bram, the trip back from the hideout to Rochester. Remember any unusual details about that? Well, as I already told you, gentlemen, we started out in a business coop, then switched to a four-door car of some kind, a sedan, I guess. And I had a squat on the floor behind the driver. There was a tin can next to me, about a regular, oh, five-gallon gasoline can. I'd say I could rest my elbow on it as we drove. Sure about it's bringing a gasoline can? Yes, positive. I could smell the paper. And then when we were partway, we turned off the main road, drove about ten minutes, and then stopped. I heard two of the men get out of the car, open up the trunk, and take out some tin cans. There were two or three of them, I think. And then they poured the gas into the tank. Now, you say this was off the main road. That's right. There was a lot of gravel striking against the fenders. Of course, it could have been some kind of a detour. Gentlemen, I'm afraid I haven't been much help, right? Do you mind telling me, in a case like this, with so little to go on, is there any chance that they're getting caught? No, I'd say the odds are about a hundred to one. That they get away? No, sir. That they go to prison. Much to work from, traffic into cold store, with wallpaper paddling and a couple of dogs, some gas cans and an old brass bed. From Washington, J. Edgar Hoover orders a careful rundown of every lead. Special agents from all parts of the country are flown to St. Paul to help do the job. February 8th, FBI agents locate a wallpaper pattern similar to the one described by Edward Bremmer in the St. Paul branch of a national mail order house. It is identified by the victim as identical to that on the wall of the kidnap room. A full check of sales records is commenced. February 9th, special agents following the route taken by Walter McGee in paying the ransom discover four flashlights in the field several miles south of some border, Minnesota. They are traced to the F&W Grand Silver Store 67th St. St. Paul. A girl employee's description of the purchaser is forwarded to the FBI identification division in Washington to be checked against known criminal files. February 10th, as a result of an FBI bulletin the sheriff of Columbia County, Wisconsin, turns over to the bureau for large gasoline cans and a funnel found by a farmer near Portage, Wisconsin. They are flown immediately to Washington, D.C. They are checked by the single fingerprint section of the FBI's identification division for latent fingerprints. Now the meeting is called by Mr. Hoover. All right gentlemen, we've got some evidence. Let's see if we can put it together and come up with some answers. We know that there were at least five men involved in the kidnapping. We know we're dealing with a highly organized gang. Most likely one of long standing. Next there's a latent thumbprint on one of the gasoline cans. Is this a file, sir? Yes, Arthur Barker, also known as Doc Barker. Next the sales girl's description of the man who purchased the flashlights appears to be that of Alvin Carpus. And the girl has identified a photograph. Well it all seems to add up. The Barker Carpus gang. Exactly. Just about the most dangerous and best organized group of criminals still at large. Well we've made progress. We know our enemy, we know he's tough. Now let's find him. Probably we've all said it one time or another. Wouldn't it be grand if we could keep the spirit of Christmas all through the year? Well you know some people never lose that wonderful spirit of warm friendliness and kindness. And right now the fine stores where you buy hallmark cards have a gift for you that's about the handiest way I know to help you keep Christmas thoughtfulness the whole year through. It's the hallmark date book for 1955. And it's yours absolutely free as a gift from that store. This little book, small enough to fit your purse or billfold, has a calendar page for every month of the year with ample room on each date to write in your engagements and the names of friends you want to remember on that day. There's space for addresses too as well as room for your Christmas card list which you'll probably want to bring up to date right now. The hallmark date book actually serves you as your social secretary throughout the year reminding you of birthdays, anniversaries and all those occasions when you want your friends to know you care. The store has this hallmark date book for you a kind of remembrance that's yours for the asking. If the fine stores that feature hallmark cards way of wishing you health and happiness for the new year. And now Edward Arnold brings you the second act of our true story from the life of John Edgar Hoover. The investigation of the kidnapping of Edward Bremer is over. J. Edgar Hoover and his aides have pinpointed their quarry. The Barker-Carpus gang, a big business gang. More of directors, Kate Ma Barker who made killing a family occupation. Her sons, Doc and Fred Barker both known killers, Alvin Carpus already one of America's most modern men. Phase two takes time and patience and monotonous perseverance. Eleven months go by without a major arrest. Finally in the first week of January 1935 the efforts of the director and of hundreds of special agents begins to lay off. Doc Barker is located in Chicago, Illinois placed under surveillance 6.30 p.m. January the 8th. Federal officers in the United States Department of Justice are under arrest. Among Doc Barker's effects special agents find the following enough small arms to equip a squad of infantry, a letter in the handwriting of his brother Fred, mentioning an alligator hunt for a critter named Old Joe, a map of Florida with a pencil circle around the area of Ocala. J. Edgar Hoover moves quickly. Special agents were flown into the Marion County area of Florida. Investigation shows that Kate Barker and her son Fred are residing in the cottage located on Lake Weah. At dawn on the 16th of January a picked raiding party approaches this cottage. The Barkers resisted arrest when the government agents entered the house. Both Ma Barker and her son were dead. Pause the files on the Barker family now, Mr. Hoover. Ma and Freddie were buried this morning, Doc's son is with Alcatraz. That moves corpus to the head of the list. Yes, sir. I've been working up the current date on him. I thought we might find a lead. All right, I'll tear it. Well, for one thing, we know that he looks different. He and the Barker boys all tried to change their appearance on fingerprints by plastic surgery. The Barkers are any example that's probably a pretty badly-bought job. Yes, sir. Anything else? There's one more item, fishing. He's become a nut on this subject. Our information is that he'd rather fish than eat. It's just about all he lives for now. Hmm. It's funny. Man writes his name all over the middle of the continent with a machine gun. Get what he wants and find out what he really wants. He could have gotten with a bamboo pole and a bent pin. Yeah. Well, I sent out a bulletin to all field officers and local police to keep special surveillance on fishing resorts and tackle shops. The work is slow, methodical, and monotonous. The results? No. In Corpus Christi, Texas, a peer operator recognizes a photograph. You're sure this is the same man, Mrs. Humboldt? Dead sure. Oh, I'd know those eyes in place. Cold. Like one of them big river catfish. Look out one of my boats most every day. You can get much, though. Always complaining about the fishing. Finally, about two weeks ago, he stopped coming. I guess he moved on. Any idea of where? Ever hear him mention trying some other spot? Yeah, come to think of it. He did say something about going to New Orleans. To know his name? Great nurse. Lives somewhere in the neighborhood, though. Seen him around, drives a dark car, a Plymouth, maybe. The reason I remember him so clear was that yellow jig. Can't catch no fish on a yellow feather in New Orleans this time of year. The word is flinched to Washington that Alan Corpus, public enemy number one, has been located. The director, accompanied by Associate Director Towson and a pitch squad of Special Agents, flies to New Orleans to take personal command of the Rating Party. These plans are a detailed layout of the apartment Corpus' occupying on Canal Street. As you can see, it's on a busy intersection. Windows covering both corners. Two exits. Just about a perfect defensive position. Which way do we approach, sir? The Rating Party will be divided into four groups. Group one, consisting of two cars, will park on Canal Street at 5 p.m. Towson and I will approach the building from the north, meeting out against the other car at the door. Group two will cover the back of the building. Bryant, you will take charge there. Yes, sir. Groups three and four will be deployed on rooftops and in an automobile cordon, respectively. Any further questions? Uh, Canal Street is pretty heavily traveled that time of day, sir. Arrangements have been made with city street maintenance to hold one lane closed on the side of Canal Street nearest Corpus' apartment until just prior to 5 o'clock. That should enable us to rendezvous without interference from traffic and still not alert the fugitive. Yeah. All right, gentlemen, we'll get the equipment together and be ready to go at 4 p.m. The other groups are in position already. If it had shown up just two minutes sooner, I could have welcomed you in style. That's right, sir. I just checked the apartment. After all this... about white horses, I mean. First, an eventual conviction of Valvin Corpus, J. Edgar Hoover and the special agents of the FBI wrote finesse to the violent history of the Barca Corpus gang. The end result, 25 convictions, three persons killed resisting arrest and three more killed by their own associates. Incidentally, we think you will be interested to know that Mr. Edward Bremer, the man who was kidnapped by the Carpus Barca gang, is living today and in fact is president of the commercial state bank in St. Paul, Minnesota. I'm sure Mr. Edward Bremer is one man who can testify to the effectiveness and brilliant detective work of Mr. Hoover and his FBI. We asked the director if he had any comment to add to tonight's presentation. He asked us to say this, that there isn't one hero in the war against crime, but many. Thousands of law enforcement officers at every level of government and more thousands of courageous and alert private citizens without whose cooperation no law enforcement agency could function. In the words of Mr. Hoover, the war against crime is total war. Winning it is everybody's job. Turn in just a moment. We'll be on the Hallmark Hall of Fame and will be 1955. And on behalf of the makers of Hallmark Carbs and all of us associated with the Hall of Fame program, I'd like to wish all of you a most happy and bright new year. In the year to come, as in the past, we will present plays about real people, plays planned for the enjoyment of the whole family. We hope you'll find them both entertaining and stimulating. We want to thank you for joining us on Sundays. Our thanks too for remembering throughout the year the mark and crown on the back of the cards you send. The symbol that you look for when you carry enough to send the very best. Now, here is Edward Arnold. That sounds like an excellent idea to me, Frank. But this is the time of year we all like to do a little stock taking to figure out where we are and where we're going. And this Hallmark date book sounds like a good way to take an inventory of how we're doing on the friendship side. You know, the older I get, the more I realize how much friends mean and how much little acts of thoughtfulness mean in keeping friendships growing. I'm sure the person who uses a Hallmark date book throughout this next year will be a happier person by the end of 1955. Well, next week we're starting out the new year with an exciting story on the Hallmark Hall of Fame. We have Leif Erickson, the famous Viking, who first set foot on the shores of North America more than 1,000 years ago. It's a very exciting adventure and I hope you will join us. And so, until next week this is Edward Arnold saying good night. Third in tonight's cast were Barney Phillips, Harry Bartell, Wendell Holmes, Dick Perrick, Clank Gersall, Lou Krugman, Whitfield Conner, Herb Butterfield, Virginia Gregg, and Roy Glenn Seaman. Next week the Hallmark Hall of Fame on television will present a dramatic story from the life of William Tell. This is Frank Goss saying good night to you until next week at this same time. A true story from the life of Leif Erickson, the famous Viking. The following week, a true story from the life of President Andrew Johnson starring Mr. Edward Arnold on the Hallmark Hall of Fame.