 The Equitable Life Assurance Society presents This Is Your F.B.I. This Is Your F.B.I. The official broadcast from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation presented as a public service by the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States and the Equitable Society's representative in your community. Now I should like to introduce a representative of our sponsor, the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States. Your future is his business, security in years to come for you, your home and your family. I'm here to say a word to the fathers and mothers of our great radio audience. In about 14 minutes, Mr. Keating is going to tell you about the Equitable Society's famous fact-finding chart for fathers and mothers. I know from personal experience what a difference this equitable chart can make in terms of a family's future security and happiness. So, mother and dad, please listen carefully, won't you, to Mr. Keating's very interesting and stimulating description of the fact-finding chart for fathers and mothers. It's a special service available through the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States. Tonight's F.B.I. file, The Blundering Felon. There are styles in crime and seasons for them too. Some predominate the arrest records of the nation in summer, others in winter. As a general rule, warm weather sees crimes against the person, while winter brings crimes against property. In addition, there are crimes that go out of fashion like the stealing of horses or the badger game. But some acts of lawlessness resist the ages and remain a source of work for law enforcement agencies throughout the years. Such a crime is hijacking. While the word itself is comparatively new, dating back to the days of prohibition, the crime is as old as our history. There is a record, for instance, in the annals of early New York, long before the Revolution, which shows that one of the prevalent crimes was the robbing of Indians as they were making their way into the city with goods. The robberies grew to such proportions as a matter of fact that the citizens banded together and deported what they called a rattle watch, a small band of men who protected the Indians and who came to protect other citizens later. That rattle watch was one of the very first organized police departments in the nation. And while it cut down the number of hijackings, it could not obliterate the crime entirely. Now, hundreds of years later, hijacking is still with us. And a safe guess is that it will still be with us always, until one thing is changed. When men no longer covet what is their neighbors, perhaps hijacking and all other crimes will vanish. Until then, remain prepared, prepared to fight it to the very end. The night's file opens in a saloon located in the downtown section of a large eastern city. A small, bespectacled young man is seated at a corner table, drinking alone when a friend approaches. Oh, hello, Bert. Well, you're alone, kid? Yeah. Mind if I join you? No. What's the matter? You act like you've got the downsies, kid. Bert, do me a favor. Don't call me kid. Okay. Let's have a drink. Sure. Waiter? Yeah? Bring me another double. What do you have, Bert? Just a beer. Coming right up. Hey, what's with the doubles? You trying to drown something? Well, yeah. What is it? It's my old man, Bert. He treats me like I'm about ten years old. He won't let me do anything I want to do. Well, what do you want to do? I want to steal something and all on my own. What the hell? Why don't you? Pops dead against it. Heating-solved thieves are stupid. Be like me. He says, be a fan. Let the guys in the steel work for you. But I don't want to be like him, Bert. I don't want to sit behind a desk all day like a bookkeeper. I want to be a thief. Pops just don't understand. Here's your drinks. Oh, put them down. Right. Say, uh, Eddie. Yeah? You really want to be a thief? Of course I do. You sure this ain't whiskey talking? No. Then I think I got a job for you. What kind? Well, I glummed a valise this afternoon. It's got two army uniforms in it. Yeah? I got a job where I can use them uniforms. And you want me to do it with you? Yeah. Hey, Bert. That's swell. Can you work tomorrow night? Can I? Any time you say. Okay. Meet me here at 7. Sure. Well, here's to you, Bert. Right. And you're giving me this opportunity. The next evening at the local FBI field office, special agent Jim Taylor is seated at his desk when agent Eric Howard approaches. Hey, German. How about some dinner? No, sure. It's 7, you know. Yeah, I just want to finish a report on something that came in a little while ago. But he lost his thief named Bert Sutter, clipped two soldiers for the luggage. Where? In front of one of those splot joints down on South Street. Gordon's part of the city. Yeah. Soldiers made positive identification of this Sutter character's picture at headquarters today. How do we fit in? Oh, we're not in on the luggage stealing, but a couple of hours ago a report came in that two men in army uniforms tried to pass themselves off as military police out on Route 11. Oh. They attempted a hijacker truck, but the driver suspected they weren't MPs and got away. He identified Sutter's picture, but he couldn't give us anything on the partner. I assume it was an alarm, huh? Yeah. Well, have you got the Sutter's records? Yeah. Mm-hmm. There you are. Oh, partner, right here. Sure. Special Agent Taylor speaking. He asked you. I did? When? Mm-hmm. He's there now? Yeah. Yeah, I'd like to question him. Yes. Thanks very much. Bye. Another report on our phony soldiers. Sutter and his partner? That's right. They just hijacked a truck on the highway near Jackson Springs. Well, there goes our dinner. Yeah. Eric, will you see what you can dig up on Sutter at this end? Okay. I'll go out to Jackson Springs and interview that truck driver. Huh? Can I... Can I see you a minute? I'm busy, sir. Yeah, but I want to show you something. Something I did. What? What is it? It's a truck. I stole it. What? I stole it. What? I stole it. What? I stole a truck pop. It's right outside in the garage. Are you serious? Yeah, you can look at it yourself. Well... Come on. Did you do this job alone? No, with Bert Sutter. Sutter? A fathead. Oh, you got him all wrong. Pop, he knows his business. He planned the whole job. Go ahead. All right. That's it. Right over there. That big trailer job? Yeah. And it's full of silk. Silk? Yeah, Bert had it spotted for a week. Did you have any trouble? No, sir. You're clean. Well, I still can't believe it. You know, son, I must confess something to you. The main reason why I never approved of you being a thief was I always felt that... Well, that you weren't up to it. But I've approved different, huh? Yes, I guess you did. There you are. Go ahead in. Pop, look it over. Okay. I told Bert that you were the only one we bring the stuff to. He didn't like that at first, but I told him after all, Bert, my father's a fence. It'd sure look funny if I stole something and then did business with somebody else. So he said, okay. Hey! Yeah? What did you say this truck was full of silk? Silk, huh? For your information, stupid, you hijacked a full truckload of chocolate marshmallow cookies. Good morning, Eric. Hi, Jim. Haven't you been to bed? No. No, I spent the night up at Jackson Springs. Get anything from the truck driver? No, not too much. Sure, he identified Sutter. I got a description of his complaint. I went down to that flop house on South Street, Jim, where the Sutter guy clipped the soldiers' bags. Yeah? Dig up anything there? Sutter used to live in the neighborhood of a small hotel. I talked to the clerk. He checked out over a month ago. No forwarding address, I suppose? No. But I did get a little background on him. No? Hijacking's a pretty ambitious step for him, Jim. Up to now, he's been mixed up in petty larceny activity. Well, that's indicated by the way he handled this job. What do you mean? After the driver, both he and his partner were extremely nervous. What's more, I'm convinced they even held up the wrong truck. Why? Well, their loot was 10,000 cartons of chocolate marshmallow cookies. What? That's right, chocolate marshmallow cookies. Look, Eric, I made up a list of wholesale grossers, caterers, and anyone else who might be able to use a lot of cookies. Let's alert all of them and then hope that Sutter tries to make a sale. Where? Bring me another double. Okay. Hiya, Eddie Boy. Hello, Bert. I was hoping you'd get here a little early. Well, hit me with it, kid. Let's see the scratch. The pale from your romance. There is no pale. What do you mean? My pup wasn't interested. He didn't want a truckload of silk? Bert, that was a truckload of cookies. What? Chocolate marshmallow cookies. 10,000 cartons of them. Cookies? Are you sure? I've been eating them all morning. Here's your drink. Hey, waiter. Yeah? Bring me a double. Hey, my pup's real sore about this. What's he sore about? Did you ever see 10,000 cartons of chocolate marshmallow cookies? They take up quite a bit of space, Bert. Well, he's a fence, ain't he? Let him find somebody who wants them. I already told him that. Well, he says the only guy who'd want 10,000 cartons of cookies is somebody with 10,000 cartons of tea. Look, if he don't want them, we'll get somebody else to handle them. 10,000 cartons? Well, maybe we can get rid of them a little at a time. That's what I was trying to do when I ate them. That's an awful lot of cookies. Here's your drink. Thanks. You're welcome. This is a real problem, Bert. My pup says we got to get him out of the garage by tomorrow. What do we do? Oh, stop worrying. Just leave everything to me. I'll get the truck out of there, and I'll get rid of the cookies, even if I have to throw them in the river. What is it? I'm going to see you in a minute. What do you want? Well, it's about those cookies. Don't make a noise. They're gone, Pop. Huh? Bert's stuttered. Took them out of here, trucking all. Are you sure? Well, that's a relief. Sorry to interrupt your work. Oh, wait a minute. I want to have a talk with you. Sit down. I hope that you've gained something from this experience. You see, some... the truth of the matter is, I wish you could steal. If you did it successfully. Look how much easier it would be for me. You could steal? I could fence the stuff. We could keep the money in the family. Well, Pop, I could try it again. No, no, no. You've had it, boy. Now, my advice is that you make the best of what you got right here. You mean be in a fence? That's right. And I can tell you right now, son, it's a business you need never be ashamed of. It takes just as much talent as any other line. I'll give you an example. I bought a truckload of electric blankets last July. Nobody needed blankets then. I paid five bucks a piece for them. Now, it's winter time. I sold them yesterday to Harry Jenkins for 20. A profit of $15 a blanket. Now, is that a bad deal? No, sir. Now, there's lots of things about this business that would appeal to you if you'd only get interested. And don't feel badly about the other thing. Some people just can't be free. You're one of them. It's nothing against you. It's like some people can't swim. You understand? Yes, sir. Now, run along. I've got work here, too. Yes, sir. Hello. Hi, Harry. Uh, huh? Huh? Well, that can't be. Yeah. Yes, I see. Look up. I'll call you back. Hey, Harry. Yeah? Come here. What is it? That was the guy who bought the blankets. Blankets I kept for six months until I could make a profit of them. I get paid. I deliver them at what happens. You ruin the whole deal. Me, Pop. What do you mean? He paid me for electric blankets, and he winds up with a truckload of chocolate marshmallow cookies. We will return in just a moment to tonight's exciting case from the official files of your FBI. Now a quick interview with a man who's looking as pleased as if he's just heard that his ticket won a sweepstakes. Tom, I hear you discovered how to get rid of a 10-year worry in 10 minutes flat. Well, that's true, Miss Keating. And all it cost me to do that was a penny postcard. I wrote to an equitable representative and asked him for the fact-finding chart for fathers and mothers. Before we go any further, Tom, let me tell our audience just what this fact-finding chart is. It was created by the Equitable Society to answer a question that most fathers ask themselves again and again. That question is, if I die before my children have finished high school, what happens? How much money will my wife need to take care of those kids properly? I guess every father who really loves his family knows how that thought haunts you. But once a man gets hold of this fact-finding chart for fathers and mothers, his haunted days are over. It gives you a sound and reliable basis for figuring up the minimum income your family would need to carry on without you. Every item, food, rent, clothes, amusements and so on, is provided for. And every step of the way is made clear by simple, easy-to-understand pictures. After my wife and I filled in the chart, it turned out that I'd been worrying over a problem that wasn't really too hard to leak. With my social security and the life insurance I already owned, only a moderate amount of additional insurance protection was necessary. My equitable representative worked out the whole thing for me. Just one thing more, Tom. How much did you pay for the fact-finding chart? Hey, I was free. Yes. This chart is just one of many services available from the Equitable Life Assurance Society. It costs you nothing and does not obligate you in any way. Just drop a hint to any representative of the Equitable Society and he'll be glad to see that you get a copy. Or send a postcard, care of this ABC station, to the Equitable Life Assurance Society that's spelled E-Q-U-I-T-A-B-L-E. The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States. And now back to the FBI file, The Blundering Felon. The relationship between Eddie Treten and his father in tonight's case from the files of your FBI is not a caricature. However much it may seem so to you who are law-abiding decent citizens. These people see nothing wrong in a young man's aspirations to be a thief, nor in trying to raise a boy to live a life of crime. They see nothing wrong in it because to them that is not abnormal living. Their entire lives are surrounded by every kind of criminal behavior and because it is all they know, it seems right to them. Their basic belief is that only the fit deserve to survive and by the fit they mean those who can steal without being caught. To have these people as fellow members of society is bad enough, but even worse is the attitude of too many citizens toward them, for there are those who look upon these hoodlums as romantic and courageous. Your FBI cannot comment upon the romantic part, for that happens to be a matter of personal taste and preference. But every member of the Federal Bureau of Investigation can tell you without fear of contradiction that the courage of any criminal is made of metal, metal in the shape of a gun. Take that away from him and watch the magic transformation. The snarling hoodlum with murder in his eyes becomes a cringing beggar, pleading for the one thing he never gave away in his career as a criminal, a thing called mercy. Tonight's file continues at the local FBI field office. Police headquarters just called, Eric. They found the stolen truck. Oh, where? Out on the post road near the pro river bridge. What about the cookies? Nah, they were gone. I don't imagine they were sold, Jim. Nah, not that quickly. My guess is Sutter has stanched them away someplace upstate before he abandoned the truck. What do you base that on? Well, the police told me the truck was in an accident last night on the post road. It side-cycled a car and kept on going. The driver of the car reported the truck's license number. It was heading north then, away from town. When it was found three hours later, it was headed back in this direction. So you think they went north to get rid of the cookies? Yeah. And that localizes the hiding place to somewhere within an hour and a half driving radius. That could be a long way, Jim. No, not in that truck, Eric. There was a governor on the motor. It couldn't hit any better than 30. Oh. Wait here, will you? See if any word comes in on the Sutter alarm? Okay. I'm going up and take a look at that truck. Over for you. Will you quit yelling? This is a pool room, not a ballpark. Tryin' out these bank shots. Burt, I've got to talk to you. What about? You took the wrong stuff. You took a load of blankets. And the guy who was supposed to get the blankets has now got the cookies. Well, how could that have happened? I don't know, but it did. I took a big red truck. They were both in big red trucks. You took the wrong one. Oh. Now I'm in an awful jam. My old man kicked me out. What for? Because the blankets are at the bottom of the river. Now where'd you get that idea? You told me that's what you were going to do with them. I said I'd throw them in the river if I had to. Well, I didn't have to. You mean I mean they're okay. I stashed them in a barn upstate. Honest, Bert. Yes. A friend of mine's got a farm up there. He let me use the joint. Gee, that's wonderful. Let's go up there right now. Wait a minute. What's your hurry? I got to get squared with Pop. The guy he delivered the cookies to is really sorry. He said he's going to bring them back and make Pop eat every one of them. Well, no, wait a minute. Going up there ain't that easy, kid. What do you mean? I did dump the truck. In the river? No, I left it on the highway. Well, the cops must have got it by now. Well, I'll get another truck. Where? From my Pop's garage. I thought he threw you out. I'll sneak one. We've got to get that stuff back. Come on, Bert. Well, okay. Boy, if I ever get this mess straightened out, I'll tell you one thing. I'm going to work for my Pop and that's all. Being a thief is too much trouble. Hello, Jim. A lab called me? Not since I came in. How'd you make out? Oh, I'll know more when I hear from the lab. I examined the truck pretty thoroughly. Found some prints on the door handle. They turned out to be setters. I got some others, too. They're being checked. Is that what you were waiting to hear from the lab? No, I sent them some mud, some red mud. It was on the inside of the tires on the truck. That means the truck left the highway someplace. Probably to get rid of the cookies. Yeah. Oh, pardon me. Yeah. Special Agent Taylor speaking. Oh, hello, Jack. That is? Where? Oh, wait a minute. Let me write that down. Okay, go ahead. Yeah. I got it. All right? Yeah. Yeah, I know the section. Thanks very much, Jack. That was a report from the petrographic section of the lab. A report on the mud? Yeah, they gave it a thorough examination. It appears to match her from a section about two and a half miles east of Centerville. That would be right off the post road. Right. Come on, Eric. Let's get up there. Eric, we're certainly getting cooperation. On the chief of police? From every man on the Centerville force. They're doing what amounts to a house-to-house check. Good. Yeah. Take a look at this map. This is the countryside surrounding Centerville. Wherever you see a circle, there's an average of five or more farm houses. Yeah? Now, each deputy is covering two of the circled areas. They plan to interview every farmer and check in as soon as they find anything that's at all suspicious. Jim, how long will this coverage take? Well, I'll see the men start at, uh, well, an hour ago. Chief figures they can visit every area before it gets dark. I'll get it, Eric. Okay. Taylor speaking. Yes, chief? You did? How long ago was that? Yeah. What? No, no, I don't think you're sure. Well, I'll explain that to you. Yes, we'll come right into your office. That was our break, Eric. Come on. What happened? Chief said one of these deputies called in. He's located at the cookies. They're in a barn about three miles east of here. Go ahead. Right. That's not all. The deputy was leaving the property to call in. He reported two men pulled up to the barn on the truck. Well, let's get them. I don't think we should, Eric. I believe they should be allowed to get away. Why? I'll tell you why when we get to the chief's office. That's the garage right there. I know. When you get to the door, blow the horn three times. Somebody will open up. Mm-hmm. I kind of hope my father isn't there. Why? Well, I'd rather get the stuff all unpacked and let him see that it's really the blanket this time. Somebody should put his head out of that little window. Oh, there he is. It's me, Charlie! Roy! Okay, Bert. You can drive right in. Well... I guess you can leave it right here. Okay. Let's get out and unload, huh? Sure. What is this? Oh, hello, Pop. Hi, Mr. Trenton. What are you doing with my truck? We went to pick something up. What have they got this time? Waffles? No, Pop. We brought back the blankets. Huh? That's right, Mr. Trenton. You'll find everyone of them in the back of that truck. I don't believe it. Well, let me open up and show you. I wanted to surprise you, Pop. I wanted to have them all unpacked and out before you got here. I'll be surprised enough if they're here. There! You see, Pop? See what those cartons say? Yeah, it's them all right. Now, the next thing you do is get those crackers out of here. Cookies, Mr. Trenton. Whatever they are, get them out. Start moving. Don't bother moving any of you. Huh? All the cuffs and all of them, Eric. Right, Jim. Are you cops? They're special agents at the FBI. Uh, look, Mr., I got nothing to do with this outfit. We have evidence that contradicts that shutter. You're coming down to headquarters with them and all the loot. Pop Trenton, his son Eddie, and Bert's shutter were tried on the charge of larceny from interstate shipment. All three were convicted and sentenced to long terms in a federal penitentiary. The phone call which Special Agent Taylor received told him that the truck had been spotted, the truck containing stolen property and two wanted criminals. Special Agent Taylor's decision not to seize the truck and make the arrest was not a hasty one, for it was in line with the policy of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. That policy is based on patience, on waiting for the small fry to lead the way so that the more important criminals can be apprehended. For only in that way is any real advance possible in the war against crime. Underlings like Bert's shutter can be replaced by criminal syndicates with no trouble, but the arrest and conviction of offense seriously hampers the work of any illicit organization. There may be times when such a policy of watchful waiting may seem to allow criminals to ply their trade without hindrance, but over the years, which is the only way the results of any policy can be viewed, that patience has resulted in the capture of thousands of high-ranking lawbreakers, thousands who now form part of our tremendous prison population. And so, another case from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation was closed. Closed because of hard work by two special agents, by the staff of the laboratory, and also by the local police. Cooperation which daily pays off in greater protection for every decent citizen. In just a moment, you will hear about next week's exciting case from the files of your FBI. But first, a few words from our Equitable Society representative on the fact-finding chart for fathers and mothers. Folks, I simply want to remind you that this fact-finding chart for fathers and mothers is just the opposite of hard to get. There are 8,000 of us Equitable Society representatives in this country, and any one of us will be glad to see that you get a copy. No charge, no obligation. Just phone one of us Equitable Society representatives. Or send a postcard, care of this station, to the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States. Next week, we will dramatize another case from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, a terse account of the operations of a highly organized gang of thieves. It's subject, Rand Larsenay. It's titled, The Waterfront Stickups. The incidents used in tonight's Equitable Life Assurance Society's broadcast are adapted from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. However, all names used are fictitious, and any similarity thereof to the names of persons living or dead is accidental. Tonight, the music was composed and conducted by Frederick Steiner. The author was Jerry D. Lewis. Your narrator was William Woodson, and Special Agent Taylor was played by Stacey Harris. Others in the cast were Parley Bear, Ed Begley, J.C. Flippen, Louis Jean Hite, and Tony Hughes. This is your FBI as a Jerry Devine production. This is Larry Keating speaking for the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States, and the Equitable Society's representative in your community, and inviting you to tune in again next week at this same time, where the Equitable Life Assurance Society will bring you another thrilling story from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The waterfront stickups on this is your FBI. This is ABC, the American Broadcasting Company.