 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 three hold-up men have robbed and beaten two supermarket operators in your city you've got a good description of the thieves your job get them was Tuesday November 3rd it was cold Los Angeles we were working the day watch out a robbery detail my partners Frank Smith the boss of chief of detectives that brown my name's party we've gotten a hot shot call about a robbery and it was 946 a.m. and we got to the corner of Lockwood and Barton Avenue was the Lockton market officer back there now Friday and Smith simple robbery oh yeah I'm Jackson unit 3 a7 you answered the call yeah we got here a couple of minutes ago where's the victim back room there he's pretty bad off ambulance attendance with him now mm-hmm my partners checking the neighborhood if there's nothing you need me for I'll get my hand yeah make it to a level before you leave with you right thank you looks like it was quite a fight stuff all over the place come on but he got my bottle sure stick I got to clean up these cuts try to hold still oh I think it easy huh yeah something you want we're out of central robbery is this the victim yeah a couple of cuts nothing serious tell him about Andy he's the one who really got it who's Andy yeah the clerk pretty rough looks like I might be a fracture Joe he's on the truck now let me get this tape on you know that you do it might be a good idea if you saw your doctor yeah what about Andy we're gonna take him down Georgia Street receiving you're gonna call me let me know about it I might be better if you call them yeah okay I see you guys yeah thanks sure one guy really clouded me hurts mm-hmm what if you're not telling us what happened here it's three of them three came in and held up the place clouded me and Andy sure hope he's gonna be all right what's your name sir Cliff Hall you own the store to you no me and he run it though we'd like to buy it what time these men come in must been around 930 run in there did you give the officers or answer the call of description of the man yeah it was the first thing they asked me go ahead please I was getting the money ready for the bank deposit Andy was back here stacking bottle cases these three guys came in first off I thought they were customers you know couple of them walk to the back of the place I thought they were picking out stuff the other one kind of stood around by the cash register where I was go ahead well after he was there for a minute and I see the other two aren't picking up nothing I asked him if there was something I could get for him that's when he pulled out a gun what about the other two or work like they had some kind of signal as soon as the one in front pulled his gun the other two did too I'll ask me to put all the money in a paper bag got the bag from up in front there took it right out of the stock and handed to tell me said for me to put the dough in it you recall his exact words what the way you said it the words are used you recall them let me say I think it was put all the dough in this bag don't say anything just do as I say that was the way you said what you do that like he said you know that gun pointed right at me I could see the other two guys I wasn't going to do anything but what he told me I put the money in the bag I thought they'd leave the place but that's when Andy came out I guess he wonder what the other two were after you see from where he was he couldn't see the guns well he walked out to him as if there's anything specially we're looking for what happened then then he saw what was happening saw the guns and he tried to throw the guys I don't know why he did it and he's like that he gets an idea in his head and there isn't anything it'll shake it loose he tied into those two guys almost had him whip to even with the guns the guy that was with me so it was going on yell back at him told him not to shoot he ran back and laid his gun alongside Andy's head it all clotted him right along in here and he dropped like a sack of potatoes and the three guys ran out of the store how much money do they get you know I hadn't finished up with a bank statement yet I just be guessing but I'd say about eight thousand dollars might run to eight five but that's about it I see if you could just give us a description of the man all three of them if you could yell the one who was with me must have been about five eleven kind of dark complex it had straight black hair the color was eyes brown you have any marks or scars you could see no clean shaving yeah I had a real dark beard look kind of like he had some kind of talcum powder on you remember how he was dressed see dark blue suit great top coat gray hat was he wearing a tie do you know yeah a great tie with maroon stripes you know kind of diagonal a thin tie anything unusual about him make it easier for us to identify no I don't think so how about the gun he was carrying what kind was it I couldn't see the name no sir I mean was it an automatic or revolver oh an automatic look like a big caliber I'd say forty five one of the other fellas had a revolver but the guy with me in the small one had automatics you know if they drove a car what they did I didn't see it might have had to park right out in front for all I know I told you I was busy when they came in when they left I was too worried about Andy to pay any attention to him they hit a terrible thing right along here oh excuse me a minute I got some aspirin here in the door yes I hope that he's gonna be all right we've been together a long time can't get over that little guy the one who hit me I should have taken him but the big one is tough looking a real fighter I was gonna help much huh he's gonna lose this one we got the descriptions of the other two men in the supplementary local broadcast was gotten out the two officers who've answered the call found a woman in the neighborhood who'd seen three men leave the vicinity immediately after the robbery she said that she was parked in a car half a block from the store on the same side of the street she explained that about 9 20 a.m. a car pulled into a parking place in front of her she'd seen three men leave the car and walk down the sidewalk in the direction of the locked in market about 10 minutes later the men came back to the car they appeared to be in a hurry one of the men was upset and arguing with the other two she told the officers that they'd gotten into the car and driven off toward Hollywood Boulevard we asked her to describe the three men the description she gave us matched the one we'd gotten of the thieves she gave us a description of the car and another supplementary broadcast was put out we asked her to come down the city hall to go through the mudbooks to see if she could give us a positive identification the report from George Street receiving hospital indicated that the victim of the slugging Andrew Rich was suffering from a fractured jaw and a concussion he was given emergency treatment and removed to the county hospital the crime lab crew came out and they went over the store for physical evidence they were able to lift three partial fingerprints from the counter next to the cash register Dean Bergman and Layton Prince explained that the partials were not enough for identification but that if we apprehended the holdup man he'd be able to tell us if they'd left the impressions 1027 a.m. we took the victim Clifford Hall and the woman who'd seen the car to the mudroom they went through the mudbooks but they were unable to come up with an identification we had the stats office make a run on the M.O. They came back with a list of 17 names of men who at one time or another had used the same method of operation the list was split and sergeants Mead and Lightner worked with us in checking the names out Thursday three forty eight p.m. Frank and I got to the sixth name on our list Jerry Evans tonight right yeah sure dark in this hall we ought to watch the windows let some light in here we are light out be in we'll try again now let's talk to manager yeah manager we want to see a minute Mr. man what do you want to sleep come on in this and open up we can get out of here we thought. You got no right to come busting in here like that you're so clean we put not trouble for it's good that's all I just got scared I do feel somebody walk you up and shovels away into your room you ain't going to stand around and just let him do it. It's clean job I told you that I got no trouble I don't want none you check with Galloway you'll tell you I'm home every night at nine o'clock every night I'll tell you this morning this morning where were you what time you just tell us what you did starting when he got up as up all night I got a virus or something I couldn't sleep take a look down the dresser you can see the stuff I've been taking I haven't been out of this room not for a couple of days can you prove that why can you know there wasn't anybody here you get any phone calls no I don't know what this is all about you guys are leaning on me for nothing now you talk to gallery I'll tell you I've been working well look you're sure you're going I just want to show you something I got in a draw you stay right there I'll get it for you okay I'm gonna hide take a look in a top drawer there left hand side please what you mean yeah I'll take the rubber band off and look you'll see I'm telling you the truth you see it's all the check receipts I've gotten from where I work you look at them I'm working every day and I'm home at night no nine o'clock every night I bought it Joe you see yeah I'm out of this room all day huh not a minute but come on what's all this about anyway what do you guys have to figure maybe you could tell us yeah I'm sorry without you telling me what you want there's nothing I can give you you see any of the boys anymore I mean the fellas I know before fell that's right now if I can help it I'm trying to stay away from see any of them lately yeah so Alex couple days ago Alex yeah Alex Finley I knew him when I was up in QE came in where I was working to talk to him at all right to settle all past couple and talking about some of the guys we see in the rackets now I don't know John Pearl yeah I think so do you give you anything oh a couple of rumbles but if I turn them over to you I don't want to credit for them you don't know where you got them all right Alex tells me there's a gang that's going to start working here in town market jobs how many men from what Alex says is for all heavy guys Finley with him you know I don't think so he told it to me that he just heard it do you say anything about who the four men are no I don't think you know he just said they were heavy and they were starting to work you know we can get in touch with Alex no well you might check with Galloway at the parole office he might have yeah we will I'll probably see him again I'll try to get the information if I can but what is it what do you want to know who the guys are that's right okay now like I told you though I don't want any credit for it I'm in real trouble if it gets around that I'm playing footsie with you sure I'll try to find out when they're going to start working to well don't you worry about that huh we already know that 410 p.m. we got in touch with Fed Galloway at the state adult parole officers and we checked on Jerry Evanston from what the record showed the story Evanston had told us was true his parole officer had reported him working and apparently living up to the conditions of his release we left him one of our cards and asked him to call us in the event he heard from Alex Finley 421 p.m. we checked back into the office and we met with sergeants Mead and Lightning they told us that they checked out the names on their half of the list without result we sent a teletype up to George Brett and CII Sacramento giving him the description of the holdup men and listing the M.O. that they've used we asked him to run the information through their files and forward any information they came up with 519 p.m. we're not to get something to eat and then we checked back into the office good dinner huh Joe yeah I wish all guy could eat so many enchiladas as you yeah I can't help it you get started on them can't seem to stop yeah you got any soda in your locker you know you got trouble again you know I always do and we have enchiladas you'll remember that when you order a half a dozen I suppose so I get it robbery Friday yeah when was that we're pretty sure are they there's a lab been called yeah yeah okay right thanks that's a break yeah they just found the getaway car 647 p.m. we left the office and drove out to where the car had been found was parked on Lockwood Avenue five blocks from the market that had been robbed the radio car officers spotted that had called the office immediately when they saw a brown paper bag in the backseat bearing the printed name locked in the market a crew from Leighton Prince came out and went over the car they were able to come up with a single print from a man's index finger Bergman compared it with the parcels found at the market they matched we checked the white slip in the car and found that the vehicle was stolen the report on it had been filed at 1037 a.m. that morning we talked with the people in the immediate vicinity but none of them were able to tell us anything about the people who'd parked the car however we did come up with an elderly man who told us that he'd seen three men get into another car at about 945 that morning he said that he remembered it because the driver of the car pulled into a parking space and stopped the motor another automobile had parked directly in front of the car and the driver of the first machine had moved so that there was no one in front of them man went on to say that a few minutes after the driver pulled into the second parking place three men had come around the corner gotten into the car and the forum had driven off the witness was unable to give us a description of the car other than to say that it was a late model Plymouth or Ford the only description he could give us of the men was that one of them was large and was wearing a gray topcoat and a hat and that one of them was small 840 p.m. Frank and I went back to the office and checked out for the night the following morning at 8 0 2 a.m. I checked back in for work. Hi Joe morning kind of cold out yeah you look happy this morning I didn't sleep a wink last night Joe not a wink it's a matter of stomach next time I even think about eating enchilada stop me will you Joe yeah sure any mail come in I don't know I just got in as an ad here from that store over in West 6 they're having annual sale yeah I want to try to get over there like to get me a new suit for Christmas there's a special delivery from Brecken probably those mugs we asked for I'll see yeah for six of them you want to get in touch with Cliff Hall drive over and have him take a look at him yeah you got any other pictures yeah we mix them up I'll call hall okay I sure hope we get an identity I'm good much to go on there's got to be a break someplace we're gonna find it from what Philly said about the gang starting up operation doesn't sound like just one job you know start on a string they can do a lot of damage doesn't give us much choice doesn't know I gotta get to him 827 a.m. Frank and I left the office and drove over to talk to the victim Cliff Hall we showed him the mug shots George Brereton had sent us he picked one out and said that he was positive that the man in the picture was the one who held him up the name on the mug shot was Harold Bishop according to the record Brereton had sent us Bishop had been convicted twice on violation of 211 PC armed robbery 920 a.m. we drove over to the county hospital and showed the pictures to the other victim Andrew Rich he picked a mug shot of Bishop as a suspect who'd robbed and beaten him the notation on Bishop's picture gave us the information that he was on parole at the time we returned to the office and put in a call to Fred Galloway at the state adult parole office yeah Fred this is Joe Friday mm-hmm yeah fine we like some information on a Harold Bishop San Francisco number a 2609 26 that's right male white Caucasian we got a mug from Brereton now he says on parole yeah if you will thanks a lot checking the master file now meeting lightener standing by if we need him and we get this address we're gonna have to move fast yeah yeah Fred when was that well I was his report there I see no I don't know yeah I suppose right Fred thank you well you can tell me lightener to relax Bishop's got an out of state parole he's living over in Phoenix well he still could be getting into California not likely Fred checked with his parole officer yeah he's got a job and he's been reporting to his parole officer every month we asked Fred Galloway at the state parole office to contact Bishop's parole officer in Phoenix and check him closely the report came back the suspect had a job with a small contractor and they've been working regularly he'd also been giving monthly reports to his officer we've had a suspect identified by two of his victims and yet if the information we'd gotten was correct it would have been a physical impossibility for him to have committed the robbery we got a copy of his jacket and looked over his past record we found that Bishop had been arrested for armed robbery the first time 18 years previously he'd been brought to trial and acquitted the next arrest was 10 months after his trial he'd been convicted and served six years at San Quentin he'd been released and within six months Bishop had been picked up again this time he was sent to Folsom Penitentiary while he was there he appeared to be a model prisoner and after serving four and a half years he'd been placed on parole after leaving the prison he'd requested and been granted an out-of-state leave in checking Bishop's MO we found that it masked exactly that of the thieves who'd held up the locked in market the time of approach was the same the number of men used was the same the method of leaving the scene was exact we had a suspect and yet he couldn't have committed the crime three weeks past on Saturday November 26 the thieves hit again in checking with the victims they identified the mugshot of Bishop we put in a long distance call to the Phoenix Police Department and asked them to check on the suspect we got word back that he was in their city they told us that he wasn't at work due to a virus infection they went on to say that they checked with his landlady and that she told him that Bishop hadn't left his apartment at all on the day of the theft Monday November 28 we got our first break in the case I'll get it probably spend yeah oh yeah Jerry uh-huh you sure about that where how about the rest of them yeah just a minute toss me that towel yeah here you go okay Jerry go ahead yeah how do you spell out LA L E A H Y I got you know the address yeah okay thanks Jerry we're getting touch with you right Jerry Evans remember the guy we talked to over in South 7 yeah all the way he tells it we aren't too far off how they mean he saw Bishop in town last Saturday we put in a call and we found that there were two major airlines with flights to Phoenix the flight time they listed was one hour and 35 minutes by air if Bishop caught the last flight leaving Phoenix he could arrive in Los Angeles at 11 20 p.m. the night before he planned to commit a robbery the next day after the holdup he could catch a plane from the Los Angeles International Airport that would have him back in Phoenix at 8 25 p.m. by doing this he would be absent from his work only one day and he could schedule his flight so as not to hit on the days when he had an interview with his parole officer Tuesday November 29th a meeting was held in Chief Thad Brown's office was decided to put a special stake out on the airport and wait for the suspect to come into town at that time he'd be followed and taken into custody as he prepared to commit another robbery the names of the three other men Jerry Evanston had given Frank as having been involved in the holdups had been checked through our eye all three of them had arrest records surveillance is replaced on their homes when they were kept under constant watch Monday December 12th 11 15 p.m. Frank and I relieved the stake out at the airport or the bench over there we keep all the gates and you know wonder when he's going to hit again I don't know last couple of weeks you're dragged by him. Yeah anything on the other three guys well I talked to pink you need this morning he and lighten your stake out of ladies apartment how they don't nothing the parking car down the street what they say ladies like a clock he comes in at 5 a.m. leaves at 9 p.m. every day you're saying that yeah. Here you go. Joe yeah. Bishop let's let him get outside or if he's got any luggage I'll be bringing up outside we can wait for him there. Come on and see him. Yeah there he is getting into that cab come on Frank and I got in our car and followed the cab taken by the suspect we followed him out of the airport grounds and then up the Bray Avenue the cab turned right on Washington Boulevard and headed for downtown Los Angeles we pulled up to a stoplight still got him. Yeah he's still up ahead in front of that blue mercury see him. Yeah you got the number the cab. Two nine seven four. There's the light. Let's go better try to pick it up a little Frank cat pulled away from us. Yeah. I think he's seen us. No. Can't you close in a little traffic too heavy. He's a siren. We'll get him. Yeah. Don't see him. Yeah. There's a break. Guy had to make it a right turn. Now we're right behind the cab. Yeah I'll close in. Good. Watch it Frank that guy pulling out of the alley. Hold on. We drove down the street after the stoplight had changed the car had failed to make a boulevard stop coming out of an alley and we'd hit it broadside. The damage done to both cars was considerable. We lost our suspect Frank got to a phone and call the office gave them the number of the cat that Bishop was in and asked for a traffic investigation car. The office started a search for the missing suspect Lieutenant Jack Smires told us to proceed to the apartment of Tom Leahy to wait for further development. In the meantime a city wide broadcast went out carrying the description of Bishop and the other three men involved in the theft. Frank and I arrived at the apartment when we relieved me and lighten it. We had the manager the place let us into Lady's room. We waited. One thirty a.m. two thirty four o'clock five thirty a.m. Frank and I had been on duty for over twenty one hours at five forty five the phone in the apartment rang once and then it quit. That was the arranged signal between us in the office. Frank put in the call. Lieutenant Smires told us that officers Max Herman and Ed Benson were on the way out to relieve us fifteen minutes later we heard somebody in the hall. Yeah probably Benson and Herman yeah. I get it. All right yeah come on you want to take that side right watch it. I'd better call an ambulance yeah that's about his pocket you'll never use an airplane ticket to Phoenix Kruger Harold Nelson Bishop Thomas Nagel Leahy and Charles Everett Lee were taken into custody and brought to trial for two counts of robbery in the first degree they were convicted and received sentence as prescribed by law robbery in the first degree is punishable by imprisonment in the state penitentiary for a period of not less than five years because of his previous record Thomas Nagel Leahy was given the maximum sentence and is now serving life imprisonment in the state penitentiary Folsom California. Dragnet is a presentation of the United States armed forces radio service.