 Dragnet. 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. It was Friday, March 16th. It was damp in Los Angeles. We're working the night watch out of homicide. My partner's Ben Romero. The boss is Thad Brown, Chief of Detectives. My name's Friday. It was 11.45 p.m. when we got to where we parked our car, the second in the main. A couple of drops on the windshield. Yeah, I hope it holds off. I was thinking of calling out to see the Cubs and Parks play an exhibition game tomorrow. Guess maybe now I won't. You might be lucky. What's the weather man say? Ooh. Get the radio on. It's a slow night. Yeah. It might not be tomorrow night. What? March 17th, isn't it? Oh, yeah. 62A, call your station. All units in vicinity of 102 South Virgil 211 and shooting code 3. It's a hot one. All units in vicinity of 102 South Virgil 211 and shooting code 3. Unit 13, take the call. Happy St. Patrick's Day. 11.58 p.m., we arrived at 102 South Virgil, the Bartlett Hotel, a four-story building. Sergeant Shimer met us in the lobby and informed us that the shooting took place at 11.40 p.m. in room 432, occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Theodore v. Benham. Mrs. Benham was the victim. We went up to the fourth floor where Officer McCready was stationed outside the room. Any witnesses? Only Benham says it was a thief. You talking to people on this floor? None of them saw anything. They were all in their rooms. Any other way out of here? Uh, stairway in the rear leads to the roof. I took a look. Nothing up there. Where's Benham? Across the hall lying down. Cox's with him. Okay, let's look at the body. We went into the room, a dreary place with a single light hanging from the center of the ceiling. The carpet was faded and worn in spots. On the north side were a closet in the bathroom. Against the east wall was a dresser. Across the room was a double bed and at the foot of the bed a window, looking out over the roofs of the joining buildings and the marquee of a movie house down the street. A steamer trunk was in the corner and a straight back chair was next to the door. The mirror of the dresser was smashed and on the dresser a Gideon Bible. On the bed was the body of a woman sprawled face down. There were several splotches of blood on her coat. And the chair was a 3220 revolver which McCready said belonged to Benham, a husband of the murdered woman. We asked McCready to put in a call to the crime lab and we went across the hall to question Benham. This is an awful shock. I'm not feeling well. I'm under doctor's care. I'm a failure. Awful shock. Sit down, please. Yes. I... I don't know what it'll do to me. I should be in the sanitarium right now. What scene are you taking, girl? Lincoln Sanitarium and Eagle Rock. Could you tell us what happened tonight? Well, I... Yes. We... My wife and I went out to the Sycamore Cafe over in Alvarado. What time was that? Oh, about 9.30. We had a cup of drinks and something to eat, listened to a piano player, then came home. I knocked the door and Elizabeth went in first, went over to the dresser. I just walked over to her when a man stepped out of the closet in the back of us. He had a gun. Mm-hmm. Can you describe him? I don't know. I don't know. Did you see his face? No. He had a blue band down over his face and he had a cap on, a blue and white check. Did you notice his clothes? No. No, I didn't. Anything else? He seemed very nervous and he wasn't holding the gun still. My wife was opening the purse and I said, well, I haven't got very much, but I'll give you what we have. And he fired and hit Elizabeth. I pulled my gun from my overcoat and started shooting. Are you an inhabit of carrying a gun? No. No, no, I noticed suspicious looking men following me lately, so I bought one. Is this the gun here? Yeah. Then what happened? Well, I fired all the bullets. I don't know how I missed the room, small. He kept moving around all the time. Mm-hmm. But I guess I did miss. Then he ran out of the room. But how old would you say this man looked? Oh, sir, I haven't the faintest idea. I'll see you in a minute, Sergeant. Sure. We'll be back, Mr. Benham. This has been an awful shock to me. Remember how his wife fell? McCready told us that Sergeant Shimer had found a woman in the Nevada Hotel next door who might know something. When next door in question, Mrs. Caroline Cromwell, the resident of the hotel, she occupied room 415 on the top floor. She told us that about 20 seconds after she heard the shots, she looked out the door of her room and saw a man come down the back stairs, which leads to the roof of the hotel, and entered room 402. She'd seen the man several times and was positive of her identification. Sergeant Shimer said the man was registered as Jack Morrison in the winter room 402. Come on again. Police officer. What do you want? I'd like to ask a couple of questions. I was going to bed. We'd like to talk to you. It won't take very long. All right. What do you want to know? How long have you been in your room? About ten minutes. Why? Where were you? To the movie. Which one? Right down the street. Why are you asking me all these questions? Have you been drinking? Hello. Not much. Mind if we look around a little? I was out all the time. I didn't know nothing about a shooting. Then you won't mind if we look around. I don't find nothing here. These are all the clothes you've got? Yeah. Is this your coat? Yeah. No. You're wearing this tonight, were you? No. It's only coat and a closet. What did you do with the coat you were wearing? I guess I was wearing that one. Just spell it. What? The bottle of whiskey. That broke. How? How do I know? You've got a hole here in the sleeve. What did you do with the broken bottle? Where? I don't know, on the street. Yo, I found something. A shirt stuck down between the wall and the bathtub. Looks like blood on it. Is this yours? Where's the shirt you wore tonight? Take off your pajama, Tom. Why? Take it off. All right. But I didn't have nothing to do with that shooting next door. What happened to your arm? Guy shot at me. Who? I don't know. I bought a bottle and had a couple of drinks and went to the movie for a little while. Would you mind moving away from the bed, please? No. Thank you. I came out of the movie because I was getting dizzy. I went up on the roof here to get some air. While I was standing there, a guy ran across the roof and shot at me. What did the man look like? I don't know. He came from the roof of the hotel next door and ran into this place. How big was he? It was dark. I couldn't see. What'd you do? Well, after I was sure he was gone, I came down. I was going to have my arm fixed in the morning. Better get your clothes on. Why? Well, you got a pretty bad arm. We're going to have it fixed up. We'll take you to George Street receiving hospital. It's all right. I don't have to go there. All right. Anything, Ben? No. You got a clean shirt? No. Well, you better wear your pajamas off then. I'll hear something. What did you say your name is? Jack Mars. Here's a card I found in the closet. It says, Tommy Kane, report for work, Joe's Cafe at o'clock March 1st. Who's Tommy Kane? That's me. Where you from? Elgin, Illinois. How old are you? I'm 22. Why'd you leave Elgin? No work. I've been bumming around. You ever been arrested? I was picked up in a vague charge a month ago. Here? Yeah. I don't know why you guys are bothering with me. When somebody gets shot, we bother. 1.30 a.m., we took Kane to George Street receiving hospital where they found that a muscle in his upper right arm had been severed and the right side of his chest was bruised. Before taking him to Ward 1,300 General Hospital for further treatment, we took him back to the roof of the Nevada hotel. Still trying to ring. Yeah. Where were you standing when you got shot at, Kane? Over there. I was leaning against the bricks. Where'd the man come from? Out of that door and the other roof. The roof of the Bartlett Hotel? Yeah. Was he running when he shot at you? Yeah, yeah, he was. Where'd he run? Right across here where we are. Then he went through this door here, into the Nevada Hotel. Did you notice anything unusual about him? Well, his face was covered with a handkerchief and he wore a checkered cap. Thought you said before it was too dark. I could see that. I mean, you know, I could see that. I couldn't see his face. You were standing over there with the fabric? Yeah. About, uh... About here? Yeah, that's it. Mm-hmm. All right, let's get over the roof of the Bartlett. It's a little high. Can I help you over? No. Come on, Ben. Yeah. Ever been in this hotel before, Kane? No. Everything all right, McCree? Yeah. Crime lab's here. Check at the murder room. Ben, I'm awake. I think so. Mr. Benham? Yes. Mind if we come in? Of course not. You ever seen this man before? Let me see. Can you stand over there in the light? My eyes aren't as good as they used to be. Okay. Move over there. How's that? That's better. Is this the man who shot your wife? No, that's not the man. We left instructions for another car to take Theodore Benham to the Lincoln Sanitarium and Eagle Rock. We took Kane to Ward 1300 General Hospital. 2.42 a.m., we arrived back at the Bartlett Hotel where police chemist Ray Pinker had finished his examination. Three slugs, 38 caliber, and five slugs, 32-20, were found in the mattress and the walls, all on the same side of the room. On the floor of the room were found a piece of white cloth and some brown threads. Ray Pinker returned to the crime lab while Ben and I made a search of both hotels, the incinerators, the alley, and all likely places for the missing 38 was not found. 3.48 a.m., Ben went to the record bureau to check on any possible criminal record Kane might have had. I went to the crime lab to see what Ray Pinker had found. There's nothing on this one. Must have been a clean mess. There's nothing on these four 32-20s. Where'd you find those? We dug the 38 out of the window frame. 32-20s are in the south and east walls. How about the others here? Well, on these two 38 slugs, I found my newt portions of threads. They compare with the dress and coat one of the deceivers. Hi. Hi, Ben. I checked Kane's record. He told the truth. Nothing more than a vague charge, huh? How's this going? There's threads on two of the 38 slugs. And on one of the 32-20s. Same kind of threads? Yeah, the same kind. 32-20, that's the gun Ben and me used. Yeah. Did you check the cloth here? Well, right now. Must have been shooting awful while. Where'd you find that 32-20 slug, Ray? On the floor near the bed. That's not any of the other 32-20s. No. Yeah, this piece of cloth matches the shirt. How about the coat and those threads? Got only a couple threads at night, man. Let me have the coat. Here you are. You better have Ben him taking another look at Kane, huh? Yeah, I guess so. I could use a cup of coffee. How about you? As soon as we get finished. How about it, Ray? Yeah, a match. Well, that's it, huh? Oh, one more thing. Yeah? Fresh stains on the carpet of that room. What kind? Whiskey. March 18th, we picked up Ben him at Lincoln Sanitarium and drove him to the General Hospital. Three times, he asked us to stop someplace so he could have a drink. We told him you'd have to wait. We arrived at Ward 1300 at 1.40 p.m. and Kane was brought out. Take a good look, Mr. Ben. No, that isn't the man. I'm sure of it. All right, Kane, tie this handkerchief over your face. No, no, this way. That's right. Now put on this cap. Kane, stand over there, please. A little further. That's good. All right, Mr. Ben? You know, his eyes and forehead look a little familiar, but I don't know. All my nerves are all shot. I can't be positive. I'm a sick man. All right, Kane. Wish I could help you, boys. How do we... Come along, please. You don't have to take me back to Sanitarium. Just take me to his streetcar. I'll make it all right. All right, then. Yeah. Can I see you a minute? Sure. Yeah. Did you notice anything when you first brought Kane out of the ward? No. You must have been closing the door. Yeah, I was. And that man, Benham, he winked at him. We took Benham back to his Sanitarium. On the way, he asked if he could be excused from testifying at the inquest and preliminary hearing. We told him it couldn't be done. 7 p.m., Ben and I returned to the general hospital and took Kane into a small room and joined the prison ward. After three hours of interrogation, he stuck to his story. Cigarette, Kane. Thanks. How's it going? All right. It hurts a little now. When are you guys going home? When we get a straight story. I've been telling you all I know. Yeah, you've been telling us the same story for two days, but it doesn't hold water. What do you mean? How do you account for the fact that parts of your clothing were found in that room? I told you before, you must have made a mistake. No, no, it's no mistake. Mr. Benham's starting to think he recognized you. What? Why do you wink at you? He didn't wink at me. We got somebody here who saw him. And he seems to think whoever did the shooting didn't take the gun with him. When we drove him back to the Sanitarium, he asked us if we found it yet. He thinks we will. How long has Benham lived in LA? A long time. How long? Why do you want to know how long he's lived here? Is a dead woman really his wife? Well, certainly she's his wife. What? Where's he been since the shooting? In the Sanitarium in Eagle Rock. What's the matter with him? Hemophilia. You know what that is? No. You sure that was his wife? Positive. She wasn't a stool pigeon? Stool pigeon? What'd you get that out of you? You guys never saw her before. Never. You never heard of her? Kane, what's eating you? Did you check on her? We always do. Don't make mistakes on anything like that, do you? Not at all. Look, she was a pretty nice woman from all we could find out. Happily married for 30 years. Something's wrong. What, Kane? What's wrong? Hold it, setup. Yeah? Yeah. What'd Benham say about me? We told you. He says you look a little bit like the man. Did you say anything else? He winked at you, Kane. Why? She wasn't a bad-looking woman. Wasn't she, Kane? All right, now how about it? You guys swear that was his wife? Yeah. Okay, I'll tell you where the 38 is. Where? The mattress on the roof of the Nevada Hotel. Benham cut a hole in it that day. He told me to hide the gun there after the shoot. All right, let's have a look. I don't want anybody to know I'm telling you this. Why? Benham's a real smart guy. He's got a gang. He's in on it as much as I am. Yeah? He double-crossed me. He tried to kill me. I'm going to jail. He's going with me. Maybe he will. Kane told us that he had known Benham for about two months. During that time, Benham helped him along by giving him a couple of dollars every month. On March 11th, Benham got Kane a room in the Nevada Hotel and gave him $20 to buy a gun, which Kane did. On March 15th, he gave Kane a blue bandana and a checkered cap. On March 16th, he told Kane that he'd been sent by a gang in Chicago to kill a woman who was a stool pigeon. He promised Kane $100 for his help. Early that evening, Benham told Kane how to enter their room and where to hide. When they came home, Benham stood by the door. Kane stepped out of the closet and, after a few words, shot the woman. As he moved toward the bed, Benham started shooting at him. Kane ran from the room and hid the gun in the mattress on the roof and then went to his room and flushed the cap and bandana down the drain. 11.15 p.m. Ben and I found the gun where Kane said it would be. 38 Special Detective Colt Revolver, two-inch barrel, number 381327. 11.52 p.m. We checked and found no evidence that Benham belonged to any kind of a gang. March 19, 9 a.m. Ben and I reported into homicide and picked up Captain Steed. We went over to Dr. Wagner to learn his autopsy report. It showed that the deceased had been shot three times. 238 slugs and 13220 were recovered from the victim's body. They were initialed for evidence. 8 p.m. Captain Steed, Ben and I went to the sanitarium and told Benham that there were a few angles we wanted to clear up before the end quest next morning. Benham got dressed and we drove back to the Bartlett Hotel. It was raining. I'm still trying to remember what happened. I was very shocked that night. Yeah, I suppose you were. Well, sometimes my memory comes back for a little bit. The red light? Yeah, I see. You know, the man who did the shooting knew you lived in Room 432 and he knew you'd be gone that night. How do you suppose he figured that out? Well, I'd been noticing a lot of men had been following me. It was just vicious looking, wasn't it? I told that to Sergeant Friday, didn't I, Sergeant? Yeah, that's right. Must've been one of them. You ever give money to characters on the street so much they might follow you? Yeah, that must be it. Many times I used to do that. I'd be nice to them. They'd try to make friends. Do you remember any of them? Yeah, I do. There was a old man Dorsey and Jolly Swanson and a fella named... Cain. Lane. Cain? Yeah, that's it. Cain. There you are. There you are. The young man you took me to see in the hospital. I'm thinking, I believe that's Cain. Are you sure? Quite sure. He's the burglar. What makes you think he was a burglar? Well, what else would he be? You didn't rifle any of the drawers. You're stealing anything, did you? Must've got there just before us. Did you have anything important there? I guess, some insurance policies. And your wife? Yeah. How much? Well, one policy for 4,000 and two for 2,500 years. Who's the beneficiary? Right. I am. We took Benham up to room 432 where he got out the insurance policies on his wife and showed them to us. Then Captain Steed asked him to re-enact the shooting. Benham acted as the killer. I played Benham, and Ben acted as his wife. Well, the man was over here in the closet. My wife and I came in that door and my wife went up to the dressing room. Oh, over here? Yeah. And then I closed the door and went over behind her. Like this? No, she was closer to the bed. Oh, here? Yeah. Were you standing next to her? Yeah. You started to take off your coat? Well, I was just going to when this man stepped out of his closet here. How far? Oh, here. Yeah, right here. Then what? Well, he held the gun in his hand and asked how much money we had, and Elizabeth said we didn't have any money. And he said, well, I don't have any money, but I don't have any money. And Elizabeth said we didn't have much. From here? Yeah, but she turned around. Like this? Yeah, that's it. What happened then? Well, then I said I haven't got very much, but I'll give you what we have, and he started shooting. Yeah, but you said before that your wife started looking in her purse. Yeah, that's it. She did. I forgot. And that made him think she was going after a gun. How do you know? Well, I suppose that's what he thought. He shot and Elizabeth fell in the bed. I pulled out my gun and started shooting, and the man ran out the door, and that's all. That's exactly what happened, huh? Just as I remember it. Will it help you? Not very much. What's the matter? Well, if you were standing where I am, there'd be bullet holes on that side of the room there, wouldn't it? They're all on this side. I see. I got it. Come with me. Where are you going? On the roof. What for? I want to show you something. Yeah, it's raining. There are two umbrellas in the closet. I'll get them. What's up there? I think I know where that gun might be hidden. I'll bet it's there. Here, you take this umbrella. Thanks. We'll take this one, Captain. Let's go. I'll bet it's up there. We'll find it. You got your flashlight, Ben? Yeah. It should be around here somewhere. What? A mattress. My wife used to take sun baths on it. Where would it be? Just about here. I don't see any. You sure it's up here? I bet it's on the next roof. Didn't you say Cain lived in that hotel? He probably moved it. The flashlight over there, behind that elevator shaft. There? Yeah, there. You see it? We have to climb over this pair but to get on the other roof. Watch it, Captain. It's pretty slippery. Okay. Man, it is slippery. This mattress here? That's it. Take a look, Joe. Right. Nothing here. Did you look all around there? Did you look in the corners? No. That'd be a good place to hide the gun, don't you think? Hey, let me see. There might be a hole cut in one of them. No. Maybe the other corner. No. And maybe this one. Yeah. You see, the mattress has been cut. No. No. It's got to be here. Where is it? Oh, it's here. I'll find it. I'll find it. You're getting wet, Joe. We got the 38 cane told us about it. You ready to talk? Yeah. The insurance. Have I did it? Yeah. I'm a sick man. Let's go, Benham. On your feet. This is the United States Armed Forces Radio Service, The Voice of Information and Education.