 The Equitable Life Assurance Society presents, this is your FBI. This is your FBI. The official broadcast from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Transcribed and presented as a public service by the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States. And the Equitable Society is representative in your community. Did you ever hear of getting an invitation to hear a radio commercial? Well, that's what has happened today. Thousands of people receive postcard invitations from representatives of the Equitable Life Assurance Society. Postcards inviting them to hear tonight's middle commercial. Tonight's commercial is an important one. Something everyone should hear. It concerns the Equitable Society's independent sixties plan. A practical, workable plan for people who want to look forward to complete independence in their sixties. I'll be back in approximately 14 minutes to give you full information on this special plan offered by the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States. Tonight's FBI file, The Larsonous Bride. Despite its popularity in the public frames and in private speech, a million is still a large number. So large, in fact, that it is impossible for the human mind to picture a million of anything. Yet the word has become so much a part of our pattern of living that it has almost lost its meaning. Therefore, some new approach must be found to tell you that in the last six-month period analyzed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the value of property stolen in the United States amounted to more than 57 million dollars. That means that the total for the year, since the next six-month period saw an increase, was well over 100 million dollars. Perhaps you will get some idea of how much that amount of money really is when you look at it comparatively. It means that almost a dollar per person was stolen for every man, woman and child in the country. It also means that in one year the criminals of this nation stole property valued at more money than it cost the original 13 states to fight an eight-year war of independence. In fewer words, freedom from tyranny was less expensive for the American people than freedom from crime. The night's file opens in the hallway of an apartment house located in a large eastern city. A young couple has just gotten out of the elevator. They walk to the door of an apartment and open it. Wait first. Hmm? Aren't you forgetting something, dear? What? You're supposed to carry me over the threshold. Oh, sure. Come on, honey. How do you like the place? You're beautiful. Oh, honey. Well, where have you been? Mother! Hello, Mrs. Carson. Yeah, where have you been? We stepped off at our house to get my bags, Mother. We just came back to get mine. Milted, where are your bags? In the lobby. Go get them. But Mrs. Carson, our train, it leaves in an hour. I canceled your reservation. What? Mother, this is our honeymoon. That can wait. I've arranged for your husband to get some work. What kind of work? You'll serve as an apprentice to a man I've known for years. We're meeting him tomorrow. Where? In Boston at his hotel. We'll all get down the midnight train. Oh, Mother. These are my orders. Bert? Yes, ma'am. If you listen to what this man tells you and watch him closely when he works inside of a year, I predict you'll be the best young thief in town. Coming. Hello, Colonel. Well, Martha Carson. Enter. Enter all of you. Go ahead, Mother. Okay. Colonel Anderson, this is my daughter Milted and her husband, Bert Johnson. I am delighted to meet you both. How do you do, sir? Martha, I never would have believed that you had a daughter this old. Stop the con. Is he a real Colonel? Oh, of course not. But he's wearing a real Colonel's uniform. I have a collection of uniforms, my dear. And when we get some time, I'll show you my wardrobe. Why, Eisenhower himself... Let's get down to business, Colonel. Oh, yes, of course, of course. Well, when you called me, Martha, and said that you were bringing this pair of young lovebirds into my bar, I thought of an enterprise into which they will fit admirably. Again. But before I agree to take them on, I'll have to ask them a few questions. Go ahead. You first, young man. Now tell me, have you any kind of a record at all? Well, I deserted from the Army. That's not bad. Have you ever done any legitimate stealing? Nothing very big, sir. I've done a kid stuff. I see. But he's willing to work hard. That touching devotion. You'll do, young man. Thank you, sir. Now, how about you, Mildred? Have you any record? Oh, Colonel, she's too young. Too young? I'm surprised that any child of yours wasn't born with a record. Look, do you want to use them or don't you? Of course, Martha. Of course I use both of them. There is one rather important thing that I thus far have omitted mentioning. What's that? This operation of mine requires an investment of an original stake which I unfortunately do not possess. However, since you're interested in the welfare of these children... How much? About $4,000. Well, all right. For the sake of their marriage, I'll let you have it to give them a start. Splendid. Just write out a check. We'll get some lunch. And then we'll see you back to the railroad station. What for? What didn't you say these young people were just married yesterday? I thought you brought them here so they could start their honeymoon. Colonel, it's not that I don't trust you, but with that much money invested, I'm staying on this honeymoon with them. Several weeks later, at an FBI field office, Special Agent Jim Taylor approaches the desk of Agent Andy Nelson. Morning, Andy. Hi, Jim. You were a long way from your desk, aren't you? I came over to see you. Oh, about what? A new case. What guard? Impersonation. Here? Not yet. Well, here's the fill-in on it. The young man and a woman go to the outskirts of a city and find a large parcel of available vacant land. They pose as honeymooners. They claim they want to buy the property to build a range for themselves. However, the young man says that his money is being transferred from a bank in another city and he has only six or seven thousand dollars in cash with him. I see. Well, being anxious to sell the property owner gives the young couple an option for 90 days and return for, say, oh, five thousand dollars. So far, this is all very legal? All right. Well, about a week later, however, a man wearing a Colonel's uniform calls on the property owner and says that he is interested in purchasing the property for use by the government as an airfield. Then what happens? Well, then the man posing as a Colonel offers twice the price that the young couple offers. Well, if the property owner is already given the couple an option. And that's this window. After the fake Colonel leaves, the owner gets a hold of the couple and buys back the option. Had a nice profit to the couple. Then, of course, the Colonel never reappears. Well, I'll come worrying on it. You mean this office? A local police at the last place they pulled this window. I think the trio is headed here. Have you sent out any local alarm? Not yet, Andy. I'm having flyers printed up on all three of them. As soon as they're ready, we'll start distribution. Listen to this. Ten days of restful ocean cruising. Two gala nights and two full days for sightseeing. Participate in the colorful life of this great South American city. I guess it's in South America. What are you reading? It's a travel folder. What's the point in reading if we're not going any place? Well, maybe someday Mother will let us take a honeymoon by ourselves. No, sir. Yes, Mother. I want to talk to both of you. We're through working with the Colonel. Good. What happened, Mother? He just insulted me. Where? Down in the lobby. I met him as I was coming in. What'd he say? He had some out-of-town newspapers. They were from the cities we've been working. There were stories about the jobs we pulled, and they all said we stole more than we actually did. Oh. He accused me of stealing the difference. Mother. What? Did you? Did I what? Steal from the Colonel, too, on each job? Sure, but he has no right to accuse me of it. How about the job in this town, Mrs. Carson? Are we going through with it? Yeah, but when it's finished, the Colonel gets nothing. We'll take all the money and leave. Andy, anything coming on the swindlers? Only one thing, Jim, and that's no help. Oh, it's that. I'll check to see if the Colonel had any arrest record in the town he's already worked. And did he? Yes. He was arrested six years ago. For what? Suspicion of swindling an elderly woman. He got out on bail. Jumped a bond. Who's bond with it? His own. He put up $5,000 in cash. Must have hurt. Well, it didn't really cost him a dime, Jim. Oh, how come? While he was being held, he convinced a dozen of his prison mates that he'd buried a box containing $100,000. He then sold them copies of a map showing where the loot was buried. Oh, no. The maps turned out to be worthless, of course, but by that time he was out of prison and out of the state. Sounds like there are a lot of people looking for him. Including the clerk at every hotel and roaming house here. I circularized him this morning through the local police. Fine, I just finished alerting the list of real estate agents. Well, how about the owners of large pieces of property? Jim, do you think we ought to warn them? Well, the real estate board said it would take care of that. Oh, good. Landy, let's run over what we know about the Colonel. All right. We know he's a glib talker. We know he eats in expensive restaurants. We know that he had uniforms tailored by one of the best shops in New York. We know... Hey, Landy, why didn't we think of this before? The Colonel eats and wears nothing but the best. How does that help? That means he probably lives in a place that's just as exclusive, like a private club. Yeah. Landy, I'm going to check every good club in town. Mildred. Yes, dear? I want to talk to you. What is it? Well, I kind of hate to say this against your own flesh and blood, your mother, I mean. But I'd sort of like it better if we could go off on our own. Mother's only trying to help you, Bert. I know. She's just launching your career. I've got a right to launch my own career. Bert. I mean it. She's got no right to run things like this. Look, Mildred, for all she knows, I might even want to take an honest job someplace. Oh, Bert, you don't mean that. I do. I'm going to have a talk with your mother about this whole thing. I'm just going to... Yes, mother. Did the colonel call here this morning? No, mother. Mrs. Carson? How about the man you bought the option from? Mr. William? Yeah, did he call? No. Mrs. Carson, I want to talk to you. Please, Bert, we've got business to tend to. You paid that Mr. Williams the $8,000 for the option, didn't you? Yes. I better call the colonel. Mrs. Carson, this is a very important matter I wish to discuss. Bert, this is a very important matter I'm going to take care of. Now, I want to find out... Oh, Colonel Anderson, please. Mrs. Carson, I wish you'd listen to me for just a minute. I've got a matter to discuss with you. Hello? This is Martha. Oh, good morning, Martha. I sound as if you just got up. On the contrary, my dear, you caught me just as I was leaving. On your way to see Mr. Williams? Oh, no, I've already seen him. Oh, he hasn't called here yet. I know that, and he won't. Why not? Oh, look, you're not going to bring that up again. Well, that day... The $8,000 of my money for an option... In just a minute to tonight's exciting FBI file. Tonight, I have an invitation from the Equitable Society for men and women in their 30s and 40s. It's a brief but very important message concerning the Equitable Society's famous Independent 60s plan. Now, there's nothing complicated about Independent 60s. It means just what it says. Freedom and independence beginning at the age of 60. Freedom from money worries. Freedom from job worries. The Independent 60s plan. You're self-supporting and self-respecting. You can live as you like and where you like. Let me tell you what I've done under the plan, Mr. Keating. Down on the Florida Gulf, I'm building my own home. A complete five-room house. The kind of place I always wanted. You mean you're actually doing the construction work yourself? Practically all of it, Mr. Keating. And when it's finished, my wife and I are going to settle down and really enjoy life. Fishing, swimming, sunbathing. There's everything you could ask for in Florida. You know, Tom, when I talk to a man like you, I wonder why everybody doesn't join the Equitable Society's Independent 60s plan. I think I know the reason, Mr. Keating. People think it takes a small fortune to get in on a plan like this. I know I did. Who gave you the facts? I talked with an Equitable Society representative. He showed me I practically had Independent 60s already. Thanks to Social Security and the life insurance I already own. That's often the case, Tom. It takes only a small amount of additional insurance to enable a man to look forward with complete confidence to Independent 60s. A few extra dollars a week did it for me. So why not see your Equitable Representative with our delay? Phone him soon, or send a postcard care of this station to the Equitable Society. That's E-Q-U-I-T-A-B-L-E. Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States. Now back to the FBI file, The Larsenous Bride. So long as men and women like the ones in tonight's case from the files of your FBI are at liberty, and in your community, you are a potential victim. There is no way in which you, the citizen, can apprehend them. But there is a way you can aid in seeing to it that they do not visit your city. That simple method of self-protection is to have the very best local police force that is within your power to get. Criminals are everywhere, in every city. But there are fewer of them in those fortunate cities where there is a strong local force. The basic reason for mentioning this on tonight's program is that you do have it within your power to strengthen your city law enforcement agency. As a voter, you have in your possession a deadly weapon. Deadly to the criminal. Because if you live in a city where the police are woefully underpaid, as is the case in almost every section of the nation, you can do something about it. With higher pay, you will get not only more protection from a force with better morale, but you will also get a larger force. And just as it is a fact that many policemen are underpaid, so it is an accompanying fact that many staffs are under-manned. Give your local police your support, and they will repay that confidence the way you want it repaid with more protection from the criminal for you, the decent citizen. Tonight's file continues at the local FBI field office. Andy, we got a tough break. What's that, Jim? We were right in our theory that the Colonel might be staying at a private club. He was at the Hudson Club, but he checked out a little while before I got there. That is tough. And he lead on where he went. The only thing at the club, the switchboard, is checking the one that he called the most often. That might help. Yeah, but that's all I got. How about his room? No, it had just been cleaned. I checked at the transportation desk at the club, but he didn't buy any tickets from them. Maybe he's still in town. Could be, Andy, but I doubt it. Have you sent flyers to the railroad station? Yeah, to the airport, the bus station, and car rental agencies. The only other thing we know is that he visited someone here in town. He asked at the club one day for directions to Emory Street. This is Mr. Taylor. This is Ms. Hopkins at the switchboard, Mr. Taylor. Oh, yes, Ms. Hopkins. That number you gave me doesn't answer. Have you found out where it is? Yes, sir. No. Thank you, Ms. Hopkins. Yes, sir. Come on, Eddie. Where are we going? To 21 Emory Street and say we can locate the honeymooners. Shouldn't I be mad? That dirty crook stealing all my money. Imagine him accusing me and then stealing himself. But Mrs. Carson, you were going to steal from him, weren't you? Shut up! To the railroad station. I heard you say that to the cab driver. Then you shouldn't have asked. I mean, from there, Mother. Back to your husband's apartment. Back in Madison? Yes. Mother? What? Are you going to let the colonel just take all our money? In the first place, it's my money, not ours. And in the second place, he's not going to get away with it. How are you going to stop him? We'll meet him. Where? At your apartment. Mother, how do you know he's in Madison? I saw a list of cities in his room one day. I didn't know what they were, but I copied them down just in case. What kind of a list of cities, Mother? Just plain cities. That's the list he's using for his trip. So far he's stuck to the list and Madison is next. But Mrs. Carson? What? Madison is a big place. How are we ever going to find him? I've got that all figured out. Landy, judging by the superintendent's description, there's not much doubt that this is the couple we watched. No. I wonder who the older woman with them was. Does she appear any place on the record? Not in any of the swindles, no. Jim, maybe. Got that key the super gave you? Yeah, yeah, right. Go ahead. Oh, thanks, Jim. There's plenty there. Yeah. You know, we really seem to have the just missed them on this case. I'll take a look in this closet. Okay. I'll see if we're any luck with prints around it. Yeah. Real empty, Jim. Find anything? Yeah. Yeah, the number prints on this glass top here. Looks like Goodwin's, too. Let's work them up, Andy. They might tell us a lot about our missing couple. I always thought Madison was a smaller town than this, Andy. It mustroom during the war. Wait a minute, Jim. Here's the address coming up. Number 216. 214. 212. And a vacant lot. 210 is a vacant lot. Andy, where's that data we got from the draft board on the young man? Right here. Is 210 the right number? Yes. We get a set of fingerprints. Washington identifies them as belonging to an army deserter. The army deserter is our young honeymooner, and now the address he gave his draft board is a vacant lot. You know, Jim, I really thought we were going to clean this thing up. Hey, wait a minute. You know, we still might, Andy. How? Take a look at that store there across the street. What about it? You see the lettering across the window? Sure. Now look at the number. It's painted a different color. I don't see what you're driving at, Andy. It's just a theory, Andy. Let's get on the city hall. In the bedroom, he just got back. I know. I went out a little while after you did. Where? To answer an ad. An ad in the papers? Mother, he didn't take a job, did he? Of course not. Well, then what kind of an ad was it? The Colonel's ad. The Colonel? Yeah, I put an ad in the local paper looking for property, so I had Bert answer it. Oh. The Colonel's hired a new pair of honeymooners. They came and gave Bert money for an option on some property. Well, we don't own any. Bert showed them a fake deed. Hi, honey. Hello, dear. Mother was just telling me about the money from the Colonel. Yeah, $2,000. $2,000? But that's less than the Colonel stole from us. $6,000 less, but we'll get the rest. How? This should answer that. Yeah, Colonel, we're home. Huh? Bert is the one who answered your ad this morning. That's right, Colonel. Well, that was quite right of you, Martha. I thought you'd like it. I want that other $6,000 you stole. Oh, that. I'm afraid that's rather a lost cause. What? You see, in the Army, such a thing is referred to as a calculated risk. You send out so many men in order to gain such and such an objective. What's that got to do with our $6,000? I sent out $2,000 this morning in an effort to gain perhaps another five. I took my calculated risk and lost. So? That I regard as an operation which failed, and I no longer let it disturb me. And I suggest that you do the same regarding the other $6,000. Oh, no. I'm afraid you have no choice. They have fallen on the field of battle, and so far as you're concerned, they are my prisoners of war. Drop all the army talk. We want that money, and we want it now. Martha, I see that I have failed to instill in you an appreciation of sound military maneuvering. Therefore, I shall take my leave. Wait a minute. Just a minute, Colonel. Huh? Hey, Andy, we've got all of them. Oh, good. You're all under arrest. Huh? Martha, exactly who are your borish visitors? I don't know. We're special agents of the FBI. Oh, fellow government employees, eh? I'll save it, Anderson. You can all tell your stories when we get to headquarters. The criminals in tonight's case were tried and convicted. Howard Anderson, alias the Colonel, received a sentence of ten years. Bert Johnson was sentenced to serve seven years, and both his wife and mother-in-law were imprisoned for terms of five years. The problem which faced the two special agents, having an address and finding a vacant lot at that number, was resolved by Special Agent Taylor's observation that the store across the street had the number painted in a different color than the name of the store. A visit to City Hall and the Bureau of Records substantiated his theory that the district had been rezoned, and that the vacant lot, which was 210, had only just come by that number. It then developed that the building which was formerly 210 North Adams Street was now, after the rezoning, 2055 North Adams. A visit to that address revealed that it was an apartment house in which Bert Johnson was a tenant. And so, because of hard work on the part of two special agents, plus diligent investigation and keen observation, your FBI was able to close four criminal careers, and in that manner further to protect you, the American people. In just a moment, we will tell you about next week's exciting case from the files of your FBI. Now, two final questions on the Equitable Society's Independent 60s plan. Mr. Keating, suppose I start a plan now, and then my income goes up in the next few years. Can I increase the amount of my Independent 60s plan? An excellent idea. Your Equitable Society representative will be glad to lay out a plan like that for you. For what sort of an income will this plan give me in my 60s? The exact figure depends on your present income and your future needs. In any case, the sooner you investigate, the better. Ask your Equitable representative to drop around for a friendly visit. Call him soon, or write 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. An exciting account of the exploits of a gang of professional criminals. It's subject. Robbery. It's title. The Big Buildup. 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 with the names of persons living or dead is accidental. Tonight's program was transcribed, and the music was composed and conducted by Frederick Steiner. The author was Jerry D. Lowes. Your narrator was William Woodson, and special agent Taylor was played by Stacey Harris. Others in the cast were B. Benaderit, Patty Chapman, Roland Morris, Herb Rawlinson, Theodore Von Elts, and Betty White. This is Your FBI is a gerrydivine 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 when the Equitable Life Assurance Society will bring you another thrilling story from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Big Buildup on This Is Your FBI. This is ABC, the American Broadcasting Company.