 The story you are about to hear is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent. Fatima Cigarettes. Best of all, long cigarettes brings you dragnet. You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned the homicide detail. A well-known businessman in your city disappears suddenly from his home. He's seen driving away from the house in the company of two unidentified men. There's no explanation for it. Your job? Find him. How does Fatima compare with other king-sized cigarettes? Fatimas are the same length and circumference. 85 millimeters long, one and one sixty-fourths inches around. And Fatima filters the smoke exactly the same long distance as any other king-sized cigarette. Tell me then, how is Fatima different from other king-sized cigarettes? In Fatima, the difference is quality. Fatima gives you extra mildness, a much different, much better flavor and aroma. Remember, Fatima has all the advantages of extra length plus Fatima quality, which no other king-sized cigarette has. So, insist on the best. Smoke king-sized Fatima. Best of all, long cigarettes. Dragnet, the documented drama of an actual crime. For the next thirty 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 Wednesday, October 10th, that was mild in Los Angeles. We were working the night watch out of homicide detail. My partner is Ben Romero, the boss is Captain Lorman. My name's Friday. I was on the way back from the record bureau, and it was 10.38 p.m. when I got to room 42. Homicide. Hey, Ben? Romero? Back here, Joe. Captain's office. Oh, yeah. Kevin? Joe? Sit down. Thank you. I got your call. What's it all about? You're closer to it than I am, Skipper. You want to brief him? It's a man by the name of Tony Richmond. He disappeared from his house tonight, Joe. Looks like it might be foul play. Tony Richmond. Name sounds all familiar, doesn't it? Runs a couple of garages around town and promotes sports events on the side. What's the story on him? Here's the way we got it from Richmond's wife. He was at home tonight. The whole family was sitting in a back room looking at television. Richmond, his wife, two children and his father-in-law. About nine o'clock the doorbell rang. Richmond went to answer it. He hasn't been seen since. That's right. Mrs. Richmond said she thought she heard a little loud talking at the front door and didn't pay any attention to it. When her husband didn't come back, she went to have a look. The front door was wide open. Her husband was gone. No explanation for it at all. One of the Richmond's neighbors was sitting by a front window at the time of Mrs. Sanford. She said she saw Mr. Richmond come down the front steps about that time. One man on either side of him. She got the idea Richmond didn't want to go with him. Was there any description on the two men? It seemed complete. The neighbor said she wasn't sure, but it looked to her like the two men pushed Richmond in a dark colored sedan and drove off. Not much description on the car either, Joe. Where does that leave us? We're not positive there's anything wrong yet. There's a possibility it's nothing more than a misunderstanding. How do you figure? We got a couple of men out at the Richmond's house now. The wife told him that Mr. Richmond had a business appointment at 10 o'clock tonight. She didn't know where or with whom. Could have been with those two men. It doesn't sound quite right though. I mean walking out without even telling his wife. No. Something else to consider. The wife said that when Richmond went to answer the front door, he was in his shirt sleeve. When the neighbor saw him come down the stairs with the two men, she said he had his coat on. If those two guys were going to grab him off, they wouldn't wait for him to get his coat. How's the stand now? He got out of broadcast on the description of the two men in the car. Not an awful lot to go on, no license number. Anybody in particular who might have had it in for Richmond? Is there anything like that? No, not that we know of so far. He dressed pretty well, obviously had money, wore quite a bit of jewelry. Well, what have you got lined up for, Skipper? Well, I've got Barrett and Tommy Bryan standing by at the Richmond's house now, still checking around with Richmond's friends, some of his business associates. Nothing so far. Excuse me. Sure. I'm aside, Norman. Yeah, Tom. How's that? Uh-huh, when? You're right away. You know what to do. Keep in touch. Right? Well, it takes it out of the guessing stage. That was Bryan out at the Richmond house. Mrs. Richmond just got a phone call a few minutes ago. Yeah. Man's voice, he told her they were holding her husband. Well, what's her pitch? If she wants him back alive, it'll cost $20,000. As in all cases involving abduction to extort ransom, the investigating police officer is faced immediately with a dozen problems. But first and foremost is the safe return of the victim. When that's accomplished and the danger of death or bodily harm to the victim is removed, the officers then have the freedom to openly hunt down the abductors. But until the time the victim is safely returned, apprehending the criminal suspects remains a secondary consideration. 10.45 p.m. Together with Captain Lorman, Ben and I left the office and drove out to the Richmond's home, out in North Hollywood, the scene of the abduction. We parked our car several blocks away and entered the house from a back street. It was a large sprawling ranch-style home, richly landscaped. We went inside and checked with the two men from Homicide on Duty, Barrett and Brian. They told us that there'd been no more phone calls, anonymous or otherwise. They also told us that so far, the victim's wife, Adele Richmond, had been hostile and uncooperative. The abductors had warned her on the telephone about calling in the police, and now she was all for paying a $20,000 ransom and handling the case without the police. While Ben, Tommy, Brian and Barrett rechecked the neighborhood for other possible witnesses to the abduction, Captain Lorman and I went inside and met the victim's wife and the victim's father-in-law, Fred Wellman. The wife was an attractive brunette in her early 30s. Can't you understand? I just don't want the policemen here. They can be watching the house right now. They'll kill Tony if they know you're here. Now, honey, there's no use getting upset like this. It isn't going to do any good. Your father's right, ma'am. I know it's hard on you, but getting all worked up isn't going to help much. I'd never called you in the first place. I can handle this. I'll pay them the money. I'll pay many things as long as they bring my husband back safe. Yes, ma'am, that's possible. And what makes you think you can trust those men? How do you know you'll get your husband back after you pay the $20,000? That's what they told me. When I talked to them on the phone, that's what they promised me. Well, they promised other people, too, ma'am. You give them $20,000, they'll want $40,000. Give them just one opening. They're going to run it into the ground. They'll take everything they can get and you still won't have your husband back. Well, there's no other way. I have to take the chance. There is another way, Ms. Richmond. That's why we're here. What if it gets in the papers? Publicity. Those men are bound to hear about it. There won't be a line in the newspapers. I promise you that. As far as we're concerned, the only men who'll know about it will be the officers working the case. We'll do everything we can, ma'am. But we're going to have to have your cooperation. I don't know. If anything happens to Tom... I've got to sit down. I can't even think. I'm so worried. That's it, honey. Here, you sit here. I'll get you some coffee. A good hot cup of coffee. Would you see how the children are dead? See if they're covered. Yeah, sure, honey. You just rest. You care for some coffee, officer? No, thank you. No, thank you. All right. Now, about that phone call that you got, Ms. Richmond? They told me $20,000. If they get it, they'll let Tony go. What else did they tell you? That's all. They had Tony, and that if I wanted to see him again alive, we'd have to pay $20,000. Well, what about the arrangements for delivering the money? Did you discuss that at all? No, all he said was get $20,000 in small bills. He said that, too. He said he'd contact me later about delivering the money. Officer, I can't get that much money together tonight. I don't think you'll have to, ma'am. I'm pretty sure the abductors know that, too. Now, how about the voice on the phone, Ms. Richmond? Is there any chance that you might have recognized it? No, I haven't any idea who it was. Well, did he give you any hint at all as to about how much time it should be allowed to get the money together? Well, he said he'd call later on. I got the idea he meant later on tonight. He told me he'd have more instructions for me then. I'd like to ask you once more, Mrs. Richmond. Can you think of anyone who might try something like this on your husband? Maybe somebody who needed money who would carry the grudge against Mr. Richmond. No one at all. Tony always got along very well in business. He works hard. He works awfully hard. I'm sorry, officer. I can't help thinking. The whole thing would be better all around if I just pay the money and make them let my husband go. No, no. It's just the point, ma'am. Like we said, how do you know they're going to let him go? If they can make $20,000 overnight, it's a good bet they're not going to let him go that easy. He can't make those kind of deals with them. Now, believe us. Tony, what can I do with anything? I've got your coffee, Dale. Good, hot coffee. I looked in on the children. They were covered. Now you try some of this coffee now. Thank you, Dad. Well, what are we going to do, officers? We can't just sit here and wait. There's a few things I'd like to brief you on to start with. Yes. There'll be a couple of our men stationed here at all times. Another thing. Do you have more than one telephone in the house? Yes, sir. We do. There's one here in the den, one in the kitchen. And we have a plug-in extension for the living room. Fine. The next time the phone rings, you answer it, Mrs. Richmond. One of us will be listening in on the extension. The one in the kitchen, I'd be closest. All right. Now, if it's one of your husband's abductors calling, you tell them it's going to take you time to raise the money. Tell them at least two days. Well, I suppose they insist. But they say they want it sooner. They could kill my husband tonight. Well, they could, ma'am. But I don't think they will. It's a pretty good bet that they've planned on some waiting. Most people don't keep $20,000 around the house, and they know as well as you do. The banks don't open until 10 o'clock tomorrow morning. Something else, Mrs. Richmond. Make it clear to them that you won't have any direct hand in the transaction, paying the ransom. Tell them you're too sick, you're too upset, and that your brother will take care of everything. You mean one of your officers? Yes, ma'am. Sergeant Friday here can take care of that, eh? Well, they believe me. Don't you think they'll get suspicious? Well, maybe. But you have to remember, ma'am, suspicious or not, they're only interested in getting the money and then getting away. Our first problem is to get your husband home safe. When we've got that done, we can worry about the abductors. I see. All right, officer. I'll do all I can to help. Fine, Mrs. Richmond. I think you'll find it's the best way. Joe, you and Romero will be on duty here for the night. Right. You monitor all the incoming calls. We'll try and get a tracer on them if you can keep the guy talking on the line long enough. Uh-huh. I'll make arrangements for another phone line in here in the use of the neighbor's phone next door. Okay, fine. Do you know if the people next door are home now, sir? Yes, sir. I think the other name's Thompson. Almost positive they're home. All right, Mrs. Richmond. You want to take that? Yes. Don't pick it up till I tell you. Joe, over here at this extension, all right? Both of you pick up your receivers at the same time. You ready, Joe? Right. Mrs. Richmond? Now. Hello? Is this Mrs. Richmond? Yes, this is she. This call is about your husband, Mrs. Richmond. I want to tell you something. I can't handle this alone. Don't erase the old one, lady. Just listen. Get the instructions. I'm only going to say them once. That's in 20s. Bring the cops in on this and we'll kill your husband tonight. Now, remember it. Please listen. Can I better help? Hello? It's a fast one. I wouldn't even give her a chance to talk. What'd you say, Sergeant? What was it? Let's go back in there. Yeah. Did you hear him, officer? He wouldn't let me talk. It's just like the last time I couldn't even tell him. Yes, ma'am. We heard him. Why don't you sit down right here? Said not to call the police. Said they'd kill him tonight. They'd kill Tony. Grab it, Jack. I got her. Poor Del. All right. Do you want to clear this off off? Yes, sir. Poor Del is too much for her. All right. There we go. Yeah. I think you ought to call your family doctor, sir. It might help her quite a bit. Get her a little rest anyway. I already did, sir. And I could see this coming. I'll get a blanket. And what do you think? I only want 20,000 by tomorrow. 5s, 10s, 20s. Said more instructions coming. Threatened to kill Richmond if we moved in. Mm-hmm. How'd he sound? Like he meant it. 12.35 a.m. Captain Warman and I remained with the phone. The family doctor arrived, gave Mrs. Richmond a sedative, and she lay down for a rest in her room. Barrett, Tom Bryan, and Ben came back to the house just before 1 a.m. They had a few more details on the description of the car used by the abductors, which they'd gotten from residents in the neighborhood. The information was relayed to communications and a supplementary broadcast and an APB were gotten out. Ben and I stood watch at the house for the rest of the night, but there were no more calls. In the early morning, stakeouts were set up at the victim's place of business and also at the banks where he maintained his accounts and safety deposit boxes. That night, Ben and I still were at the Richmond place standing by at the phone. There'd been no contact from the abductors during the day. We waited. Midnight. 3 a.m. 6 a.m. No word. Another day passed. And then another. Still no contact. No trace of Mr. Richmond or his abductors. Saturday, October 13th, hope for the victim began to fade. Ben and I stayed on at the Richmond house. Say, could I get you off to something to eat maybe? A nice piece of cold beef in the ice box could make you sandwich. No, no, thank you. Just the same. How's Mrs. Richmond tonight, sir? Is she feeling any better? My daughter, no. No better. She took a couple of pills the doctor gave her, trying to get a few winks of sleep, poor girl. Well, there's no issue sitting up with a surf. You'd like to get a little sleep yourself. No, I'd just soon sit up. Couldn't sleep anyway. Yeah. Don't suppose either you would care for a little nip, huh? No, no. No, thanks. I guess you wouldn't mind if I had one myself. It seems lately that's the only thing that relaxes me. You can go right ahead. When you get to be my age, a little bit of help's now, man. Oh, there's some new magazines on the table there. Might help to pass the time for you. Thank you, sir. Three days now. Not even a word about Tony. What do you really think, officer? It was pretty hard to tell, Mr. Wellman. We're doing everything possible to find your son-in-law. There's not much to go on so far. Funny thing about Tony, young fellow ambitious. Look what happens. Yes. Wouldn't mind if I turn on the radio here, wouldn't you? I'll keep it low. No, you can go right ahead. Yeah, it's a funny thing about Tony. The day he married my daughter, I knew he was going to make it. Right fellow, Tony. Sure been good to me. That's a... Sure thing. Took me in right after the wife died. I was out of work at the time. Been with him ever since. Attended the garden, kind of cleaned up things. Tony's always been real good to me. No in-law trouble, nothing like that. Mm-hmm. Look what happens. Young fellow starts with almost nothing. Builds a good business, family, nice home. Just look what happens. I was no need to give up yet, sir. There's a good chance he's still all right. I don't know. I guess I just got a feeling about it. What do you mean? About Tony, he's a fine young man. Things like this, they always happen to the fine young man. You'd take me, for instance. I wouldn't make money the way Tony does. Build a big business the way he has. I guess that's why I'd never been in the trouble he's in. I don't think I'd follow you. I guess I never wanted it, sergeant. Couldn't get interested in making money. You break your back like Tony does. You work and you work. You get a big bank account. Get the home, the big car, and the swimming pool. You work for it like Tony did. You work hard. You get your big checkbook and everything you want. Just look what happens. Poor Tony works night and day for the money right now. He's no better off than the guy who's only worth a dime. They don't hold beggars for ransom, do they? Excuse me, sir. I wonder if you have an extra book of matches around. Sure thing, sergeant. I've got some in the kitchen. I'm sure you wouldn't care for a little nip. No, sir, no thanks. I think I might. A little bit helps now on that. Ben? Yeah. I wonder what he means wherever now and then. Do you want to grab the extension out in the kitchen? Right. What'll I say, huh? Uh-huh. Now. Okay. Hello? Yeah, that's right. No, not right now. This is her brother talking. Is there any message? Well, she's not here. If you've got a message for her. What would you say this is? Well, this is her brother talking. She'd like to leave a message for Ms. Richmond. I'll see. Well, maybe you can tell me who you are. This is Tony Richmond. Where's my wife? Richmond, where are you? Who is this? Where are you? Where can we find you? Good morning. How soon can we meet you? All right. Half an hour. Something else. I got all of the content. Yeah. You are listening to Dragnet. Authentic cases from official police files. Now, let's look at our Fatima files. Listed under H. Hardwick. Cedric Hardwick, distinguished actor. He says, I find Fatima a very pleasing cigarette. It has a distinctly better flavor. Listed under M. Morley. Maggie Morley, television actress. She says, I like a long cigarette and I like it extra mild. That's why it's Fatima for me. Friends, our files show Fatima's sales are going up. Up every day. The reason for Fatima's ever-increasing popularity can be summed up in two words. Fatima quality. Fatima gives you extra mildness, a much different, much better flavor and aroma. If you smoke a king-size cigarette, remember this. Fatima has all the advantages of extra length plus Fatima quality, which no other king-size cigarette has. In Fatima, the difference is quality. So insist on the best. Insist on king-size Fatima. Next time, buy Fatima in the distinctive golden-yellow package. 1.30 a.m. After we got the call from the man who identified himself as the victim of the abduction, Tony Richmond, we put in a call for Captain Warman. We told him about the phone call from the victim. His request forced to pick him up and also about the conditions he stipulated that we follow. The captain ordered three cruiser cars and a car to pick up Ben and me and take us to the location specified in the phone conversation. 2 a.m. With the red light turned on, we pulled up at the approximate location indicated. It was a lonely spot on a lonely road a little more than a mile off the nearest highway. We waited. We didn't know what to expect. It could be that the phone call supposedly from Tony Richmond had actually been made by one of the abductors. It could be that it was nothing more than a diversionary action intended to distract our attention while the abductors carried out their plans to obtain the ransom money from the victim's wife and make good their escape. We kept waiting. Ben sounded the horn at frequent intervals. Captain Warman and myself stood up in front of the car in the glare of the headlights. 10 minutes went by. 15 minutes. Finally, a half a dozen yards down the road, we spotted a man climbing up the side of the drainage ditch and onto the road. He walked slowly toward us into the glare of the headlights. In his right hand, he held a gun. You can put the gun down, mister. Go to the police, show me. Here's our car. Here's our identification. Here you are. It's badge ID card. Oh, thank God. Thank God, thank God. The first thing we did was to notify the victim's wife and family that he'd been found and that he was unharmed. Then we called the office and told them what had happened. We offered to drive Richmond to his home immediately, but he told us that he was all right and insisted that he show us where the abductors had held him captive. We got in the car and started driving north along a dirt road that led off Sepulveda. On the way, Richmond briefed us on what had happened. He said that he'd been taken at gunpoint at the front door of his home four nights before, forced into a car by two men that he'd failed to recognize and then driven to an abandoned shack in a deserted area in the San Fernando Valley. The two men had tied him hand and foot, partially stripped him, gagged him and placed him under a floor of the shack and left him there. One of the men returned each day to give him something to eat. That night, Richmond told us that his captor failed to retie his hand securely. When the man left, Richmond succeeded in taking him away and left, Richmond succeeded in freeing himself from the ropes, made his way to a phone and called his house. Outside of shock and exposure, he seemed to be all right. After pointing out the shack he'd been held captive in and after we'd checked through it, Richmond was taken home in one of the cruiser cars. Ben and I remained on stake out at the shack. Where'd he die? Can you see the shack all right from here? Just about, yeah. Keep an eye field on the road, huh? Yeah. Go smoke? We waited. Nothing happened. 3 a.m. 3.30. No sign of the suspects. 4.30. 5 a.m. 5.12 a.m. Ben spotted the headlights of a car at least a mile down the road. We watched them come toward us. When it got close enough we saw it was a dark-colored, late-model sedan. It fitted the description of the abductor's car perfectly. It swung off the dirt road and pulled to a stop near the shack. One man got out. All right, let's go. All right, Mr. Police Officer, hold it right there. Down, Joe. See him, Ben? Yeah, I ducked behind his car. All right, throw out your gun. I've got some good cover, Joe. All right, let's go. Come on, move in. Easy. Find the car. Hands behind your head. Cover me, Joe. I'll shake him down, all right. All right, hold it right there. Okay, Joe. He's clean. All right, hands behind you. Sure like to play it safe, don't you? Hand cuffs. They work pretty good, mister. Much better than rope. We called the office. A relief team came out to replace us on stakeout, and we took the suspect downtown to the interrogation room. He was checked through R&I and identified as Gerald Adams, a one-time loser. Together with Barrett and Brian, we questioned the suspect. For three hours, he refused to admit that he had any part in the abduction of Tony Richmond. We gave up for the time being, took him to the main jail where he was booked on suspicion of kidnapping. A little after 11 a.m., Gerald Adams' partner showed up out at the shack in the valley. He was taken into custody. He was brought downtown, confronted with the evidence against him, and he gave us a full statement admitting his guilt. Late that afternoon, we went back to the main jail, signed out Adams for investigation, and brought him back to the interrogation room. Have a seat, Adams. Okay, what is it this time? Same as before, Adams. What do you say? You gonna tell us about it? I told you my story this morning, mister. You got it all. If I maybe you'd like to know, we picked up your partner and he gave us a signed statement. There's a copy of it. Have a look. It's down in black and white. Your partner says you were in it with him all the way. What'd you say, Adam? Doesn't mean anything to me. You probably forced it out of him. Well, that's not what he says. He blames the whole thing on you. He says you set up the deal. You gave the orders. You made the phone calls for the ransom money. He says that's the way he's gonna tell it in court. He's gonna need a lot of proof. He gave it to us. He showed us your apartment, a couple of ransom notes you'd written. Showed us the typewriter you wrote him on. Showed us the clothes you wore the night you grabbed Mr. Richmond. He's a liar. Not according to our crime lab, he's not. They checked over the clothes, found particles of dirt and pollen in the trouser cuffs. They match up with samples we took from that field out by the shack. Well, it ain't true. None of it's true. You guys are liars. Well, there's a statement, Adam. It's all there. If you got any corrections in the story, now's the time to make them. Adam? There's only one thing I want to know. Yeah? How did it happen? How'd you get a line on us? Richmond got away from the shack. We staked out on it until you came along. I figure he couldn't have gotten away. I had it all worked out. Your partner didn't. I shot him just what to do. I had to handle that thing. I shot him where to hide, Richmond. Couldn't have goofed up. I shot him the whole routine. You know, there's one thing you didn't show. Yeah? How to tie a knot. The story you've just heard was true. Only the names were changed to protect the innocent. On December 18th, trial was held in Superior Court, Department 87, City and County of Los Angeles, State of California. In a moment, the results of that trial. And now here is our star, Jack Webb. Thank you. I'd like to speak for a few seconds to our good friends, the cigarette dealers all over the country. Our latest reports show national Fatima sales are still going up. Every day of the week, more and more smokers are enjoying king-size Fatima. Now as a result, every so often we receive letters from listeners telling us that their dealer is out of Fatimas. So I'd like to suggest this. You can do yourself and your customers a big favor by making sure you always have enough Fatimas to meet the ever-increasing demand. Put them out on the counter and watch how your customers go for Fatima quality. Fatima. Best of all, long cigarettes. Thank you. Gerald Adams and his accomplice in the abduction of Tony Richmond were tried and convicted in Superior Court of kidnapping. The state penal code stipulates that kidnapping for the purpose of extorting money is punishable either by death or by imprisonment in the state penitentiary from 25 years to life. Both Adams and his partner are now serving life terms in the state penitentiary, Folsom, California. Ladies and gentlemen, one of the first contributions to the special $5 million Red Cross flood relief appeal was $2.07 in pennies and nickels from two nine-year-old playmates in Kansas City, Missouri. Stepping up to the reception desk in the Kansas City Red Cross chapter, the pair proudly offered their earnings gained from touring neighborhood streets, reciting and singing nursery rhymes. For money the Red Cross provides for rebuilding a house or refurnishing it or for helping a family find the means to help itself will be given outright, not lent. These were the words of President Truman in asking the American public to contribute at least $5 million to the Red Cross to aid the disaster-stricken people of Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Illinois. Won't you help through your local Red Cross chapter? You have just heard Dragnet, a series of authentic cases from official files. Technical advice comes from the Office of Chief of Police W.H. Parker, Los Angeles Police Department. Fatima cigarettes, best of all long cigarettes, has brought you Dragnet transcribed from Los Angeles. Stay tuned for counterspying next over NBC.