 Sound off for Chesterfield. Chesterfield, the only cigarette in America to give you premium quality in both regular and king size, brings you dragnet. Ladies and gentlemen, the story you are about to hear is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent. Sound off for Chesterfield. You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned a burglary detail. A string of store burglaries takes place in your city. The thieves work at night. They leave no physical evidence behind. Your job, get them. Thousands are changing to Chesterfield, both regular and king size, because Chesterfield is the first and only cigarette to give you premium quality in both sizes. That means king size Chesterfield contains tobaccos of better quality and higher price than any other king size cigarette. The same fine tobaccos as in regular Chesterfield. There is absolutely no difference, except that king size Chesterfield is larger, contains so much more of the same tobaccos, it gives more than a fifth longer smoke. Yes, more than a fifth longer smoke from king size Chesterfield. So remember, Chesterfield is the only cigarette to give you premium quality in both regular and king size. Buy them either way you like them, regular or king size. You'll find premium quality Chesterfield's much milder. Yes, Chesterfield is best for you. 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 Wednesday, January 23rd. It was cold in Los Angeles. We were working the day watch out a burglary detail. My partner's Frank Smith, the boss's Captain Wisdom, my name's Friday. We were on our way out from the office, and it was 10.36 a.m. when we got to the corner of Constance and Westlake. Nickel's dry goods store. Yes, something I can do for you gentlemen. Yes ma'am, we're police officers. Oh yes, about the robbery. Yes ma'am, are you glad it's Nickel? Yes, I am. I'm the owner. I found out that the safe had been robbed. I think you mean your safe was burgled, Mrs. Nickels. What? Well, you're safe. It's a technical term. We refer to it as having been burgled, not robbed. Burgled? Robbed? They took the money out of it. Well you see ma'am, a lot of people make that same mistake. A safe is burgled and a man is robbed. Oh, yeah. Well, I came in this morning. I didn't get your name. I'm sorry. My name's Friday. This is my partner, Frank Smith. Well, I'm pleased to meet you. Hi Bill. Like I said, I'm glad it's Nickels. Yes ma'am, if you'd just tell us what happened here. Oh, sure. Well I came in this morning, 8.30, just like I always do. I've been doing the same thing for the past ten years. Eight years at the old location. Always opened exactly 8.30 on the dot. Yes ma'am. Miss, Miss Nickels. I took my maiden name when my husband died. I'm sorry. Go right ahead, please. Oh, sure. I came in at 8.30 this morning, opened the door and came on in. Everything looked just like it should have, hung up my coat, then I rolled up the shade on the front window. After that, I opened the safe. And that's when I knew that I'd been robbed, burgled. That's right, ma'am. I could tell it right away. Safe was empty. Not a bit of money left. Cleaned it right out. Do you know how much money there was in the safe for Miss Nickels? Oh, yes. $423.76. I know exactly. That's right. I can't understand it either. It should have gone off. It should have worked. I can't understand why it didn't. What's that, ma'am? Burglar alarm. Oh. Yes, not a peep out of it. Nothing. A man that sold it to me said that if anybody so much as looked at something and thought about stealing it, the alarm would go off. But like I said, not a peep. Oh, I wonder if you'd excuse me for a minute. There's Mrs. Johnson, old customer. Yes, ma'am. It won't take a minute. Yes, ma'am. Good morning, Vera. Morning, Gladys. I want a pattern and some material. All right. What patterns do you want? Oh, I was over to the punk. It's the other night. Barbara had made some of the cutest pillows I ever saw. Looked like pieces of fruit. You know watermelon strawberries. Oh, yes. I know the ones you mean. She said she saw them in a magazine. Sent for the pattern, but I thought that anybody that had it, you'd be the one. Have you? Sure. It's new. I just got it in a couple of days ago. I guess you heard about my being burgled. No. Really? Sure. Last night. Those two gentlemen back there from the police came in to talk to me about it. And you were really raw burgled, Vera. Safe as burgled. A man is raw. Oh. Now, is this the pattern you want? Yes, that's the one. See there? I want to make the slice of watermelon and the strawberry. I think they look real nice on the bench in the parlor. Oh, yes. Yes, they sure would. They saw those things. Said she wanted to make some. You see them, Joe? No, no, I never have. They're real nice. Probably not too comfortable, but they sure look pretty. How much material do I need for just the two? I'm not sure. I'll have to look at the pattern. Do you want just the melon slice and the strawberry, that right? Yes. Mm-hmm. Well, for the melon you need, let's see. You want it out of cloth or plastic? What? Cloth or plastic. You can make them out of either. Cloth, I think. Yeah. Fay's going to use plastic. It's better for the kids. Yeah. You'll need three quarters of a yard of red and a quarter yard of green felt for the hull and stem. That's for the strawberry. And then for the melon, you'll need a half a yard of white, a half a yard of pink, and a half a yard of green. All right. Well, how about embroidery cotton? You'll need four skeins of the six strand black. I have plenty of that. Well, I'll measure it out for you. If you're adding some excitement around here this morning, all those policemen running around looking for fingerprints and clues was really excitement. Mm-hmm. Have they caught the man yet? No. That's what those three men are here for now. Want to ask them some questions? Certainly don't look like policemen. Now, why do you say that? Well, you know, they don't look anything like they do in the movies. Never do. Now, you will need some muslin for this, too. You want to get it now. No, I'll pick it up later. Got to get some batting, too. All right. That's the stuff that gives Fay trouble. What? Batting. You know, the stuff you put inside the pillows? Fay always has trouble with it. Stuff always creeps down to one end of the pillow. You got one real fat end and the other one just hasn't got anything in it. Kind of uncomfortable when you sit on it. Yeah. Just put that on the bill. Will you glad is? No, you betcha. Sure, I hope you get the burglary all straightened out. Oh, I know they will. Thanks for coming in. Now then, I'm sorry to keep you waiting. That's all right, ma'am. About that burglar alarm. Yes? About the switch. Are you sure you turned it on when you left the shop? Sure. You just bet I did. I always do. Right after I pull the shade down, I always switch on the system. It's supposed to ring when anybody tries to get into the place. It didn't work this time. Not even a peep. Well, now you say this time. Do you mean that something like this happened before? Oh, no. No. Just a figure of speech. No. Never been anything like this before. Did you notice anything disturbed in the place when you came in? Anything that made you think something might be wrong? No. Not a thing. Came in, rolled up the shade, and then opened the safe. That's the first I knew about it. Somebody opened it up. Must have known the combination. Just opened it up and took the money. Does anyone else have a key to your front door here? Anyone besides yourself? Well, there's Alan. Alan? Yes, Alan Hoffman. He comes in, straightens up for me. He's a decorator. At least he's trying to be one. He likes to come in and putter with the material. He works in some sort of store during the day, and then he comes in here in the evenings and works with the material. You know, tries out different things. Yes, ma'am. Does he have the combination to your safe? Oh, no. I'm the only one who has that. Do you know if he was in here last night? No, I don't. But I know that Alan wouldn't do a thing like this. I'm sure of that. How is it you let this Alan have a key to the place, ma'am? Let him have the run of the place when you're not here. Oh, well, I've known Alan for a long time. I knew his mother. We've always been good friends. Once in a while, he gets a commission to a house, and he always gets the material he needs from me. He's awfully nice. You'd like it. You know where we can get in touch with this, Mr. Hoffman? Sure. I can give you his address. Lives over on 9th. Got a real cute place, all modern and all. He does those mobiles. You know those things made out of iron, plastic, hangs from the ceiling, just hang there and go round and around. It's a new art form. Yes, ma'am. I don't understand them myself, but I guess there are a lot of people who do. Yeah. Are you insured against theft, ma'am? I beg your pardon. Do you have any insurance against theft? Sure, I have insurance. By golly, that's the first time I thought about it. I always thought that it was kind of a waste of money. Sure, glad I have it now. This whole thing won't cost me a cent. Well, now, outside of this Hoffman, do you hire anyone else in the store here? No. Well, I don't pay Alan anything. He just comes in and putters. There's no need for anyone else in the store. I have a man come in once in a while to wash the front windows, but no one's steady. Has there been anyone around regularly? Anyone who would be in a position to learn the combination of the safe, ma'am? Find out where the switch to the burglar alarm is? No. No, not that I can think of. Of course, most of my customers are pretty regular. Come in all the time, but I'm pretty sure that none of them would do a thing like this. Wonder if you could give us a list of the people who come in regularly, Miss Nichols? Sure, I can. But I don't want you to go around bothering them, asking a lot of questions and causing embarrassment. I just won't have it. Money just isn't that important. It doesn't make that much difference, especially since I'm insured. Well, we won't embarrass anyone. It's just that we'd like to have the list if we could. Oh, well, all right. What time did you close the store last night, Miss Nichols? 6.10. Same as always. Did you lock the store yourself? Yes, sir, I did. Did you notice anyone loitering around outside? Anyone who might have looked a little unusual like they were waiting for you to leave? No. I don't think so. If there was anyone, I didn't notice them. Did you leave any sort of a light burning in the place? I beg your pardon. Well, a night light. Do you leave one burning you when you close up? Sure, sure. That lamp on the counter, old coffee grinder, I leave that on, has 150 watt bulb, throws a lot of light. Of course, you can't see anything from the street when it close up. Just a lot of shadows. My big pardon. Well, I pulled the shade down when I leave. Once I had some material fade that was in the window. Since then, I pulled the shade down. When it's down, you can't see it inside in the street, at all. Uh-huh. If you don't mind, I'd like to make a phone call. Of course, ma'am. I want to call those people and tell them what I think of them. They're going to have to make good on that guarantee. Who's that, ma'am? Burglar alarm people. They didn't work at all. Not even a peep. 11.18 a.m., Frank and I checked by the crime lab to see if they'd been able to come up with any physical evidence from the scene of the burglary. As in the previous cases, there was nothing to work on. For the past month, the series of burglaries had been taking place in the same one block area. The M.O. in every instance was the same. Somehow, the doors to the shops were being unlocked, the safes rifled, and then closed up again. In those stores where there wasn't a safe, merchandise was stolen. In all of the burglaries, whoever was responsible for them got away without leaving a trace of physical evidence behind. Store employees were interrogated. Owners were questioned. None of them could give us any leads. The M.O. had been run through the stats office, but they couldn't help us. Stakeouts had been placed on the stores. The men were sent out from Metro Division to patrol the streets. The men saw nothing, but the burglaries continued. The thief or thieves seemed to know just what stores were under surveillance and seemed to keep clear of them. Wednesday, 12.14 p.m. We ran the name Alam Hoffman through R&I, but we got no make. Frank and I drove out to his home address on 9th Street. He met us at the door and asked us in. I'm doing some work back here. Mind if I go on with it? No, sir, you go right ahead. Right back here, Sun porch. I got a commission to do a place. I'm working on some mobiles for it. Oh, is that right? Yeah, I think I'll call it Doves at Sunrise. Well, sit down. Any place? Yeah, thanks. Just a couple of questions we'd like to ask you, Alam. Sure, what about? Were you in Ms. Nichols' shop last night? Oh, no, why? Can you tell us where you were last night? Yeah, I think so. I went to an exhibition of mobiles placed down on Pico, a friend of mine, had a one-man show. Great ideas. Bad color, but great idea. Can you prove you were there? Well, sure, if I have to. What's this all about anyway? I understand you have a key to the shop. Is that right? Yeah, Gladys gave it to me. I go down there and check the material. Get ideas for decorating. What do you work, Mr. Alvin? Right now, in a store out on Beverly antique shop, I want to go on business for myself interior decoration. I've been working for it a long time. A couple of more good commissions I'll be able to do it. Do you work at night down there very often? You mean at Gladys'? Yeah, that's right. Maybe a couple of times a week? What time do you usually get there? It depends on what I'm doing before. Usually I have dinner and then go by. What's this all about anyway? Is something wrong? You probably know that there have been several burglaries down in that area lately. Yeah, I heard about them. You figure I had something to do with them? Is that it? Well, we're trying to find out who's responsible for them. No, it isn't me. You ever notice anyone around the place when you were there at night? No, not that I remember. Hand me that piece of balls, will we? This wood here? Yeah. Yeah. Right, here you go. Thanks. No, I've never noticed anyone around there. What time do you finish up at the shop there? Sometimes, the latest two, maybe three in the morning. Uh-huh. Miss Nichols tell you where the burglar alarm switch is? Sure, I know. Couldn't move around the place without knowing about it. Have half the police force there if that thing ever went off. You got any idea as to how that safe could be opened by someone other than Miss Nichols? No, no, she's so touchy about that safe, she'd never let anyone get near her when she's opening. Even after she finishes the combination, she twirls a dial so you can't tell what number she's stopped on. You've looked, have you? No. I don't like what you're trying to say. Well, we're not trying to say anything, Hoffman. Well, you imply that I might try to knock over that safe? No, we didn't say that. You've said the same thing, asking me if I'd try to see the combination. Well, I'll just take it easy, Hoffman. If you haven't done anything, you got nothing to be afraid of. Got nothing to be afraid of. I just don't like your remarks, that's all. You ever been arrested? Hmm? I see you ever been arrested. Oh, no, no. A couple of tickets for running red lights, that's all. You give us the address of the place where you were last night? Yeah, I suppose so. You guys really think I had something to do with this, huh? We got to check everybody out, Hoffman. You came up on the list. Well, that's all it is, huh? That's all it is. Well, I'll give you the address. You can check there. I'll tell you, I was there till about 3.30 this morning. And then I went out to get something to eat. I came home about 5 this morning. Went right to bed. Anybody see you come in? No, I don't think so. You guys figure it might be an inside job, these burglars? Looks like it might be, yeah. Well, that's why I've got it figured. From what Gladys tells me, it's almost got to be. That right? Sure. Hand me that piece of red plastic, will you? The what? That piece of red plastic. This here? Yeah, that one. Oh, here. Thanks. Oh, sure, it's got to be somebody who knows all about the stores. You know, when to hit the safes, when not to. Where they walk into the places, no marks on the doors. Nothing broken. You seem to know quite a bit about the burglars. Well, you know, I heard about them. Talk to Gladys. Looks like an inside job to me. Say, officer. Yeah? Would you hand me one of those swivels there in the box? What? Here? Yeah, yeah. Thanks. Now, clip it on here and hang this thing. Just hang it up like that? Yeah. There, finished. Balance is good. Good movement. Doves at sunrise. Is that all it does? Just hang there? Yeah. What do you think of it? Of course, it isn't as good as war recumbent, but it gets the feeling across, don't you think? Yeah, it sure does. Doves at sunrise. Yeah, doves at sunrise. How about that? Oh, excuse me. Yeah, sure. Joe. This is Hoffman. Yeah? You get it? Who? What? Doves at sunrise. Sergeant Friday. Yeah. It's your office. Oh, thanks, Hoffman. Hello. Oh, yeah, Kevin. Mm-hmm. No, we're here now. Yeah. That's what he seems to. Yeah, who? All right, we'll be right in. All right, we've got a call to make. What? Over on Pico? Yeah, mm-hmm. All right, after that. Yeah, all right. Mm-hmm. Wisdom. Yeah, you want to see it. Yeah. We'll probably want to talk to you later, Mr. Hoffman. We can reach you at this number, is that right? Yeah, either here at the shop, if I'm not at either, Gladys knows where I am. All right, I wonder if you could give us the address on the phone number of the place where you were last night. Sure. Yeah. We've got a piece of paper here someplace. You never can find anything when you want it. Yeah. Oh, here we go. You, uh, you've got to go out there, huh? You can't take my word for it. That isn't the point, Mr. Hoffman. We can't take anybody's word for it. If we don't know it, we've got to check it out. Mm-hmm. I suppose so. Oh, here you are. Ask for Rudy. He's the one who had the exhibition. He'll tell you. Rudy, isn't he? Yes, that's right. I was with him all evening. He'll tell you. Okay, thanks, Hoffman. Oh. Say, uh... Yeah? I wonder if you could leave me your card and phone number. Yeah, sure. Here you are. Thank you. I'd like to give you a call. Sir? I'm holding my own show of mobiles. I'd like to have you two guys there. Yeah. Thank you very much. You bet. I'll be calling you. Yeah. Thanks a lot. What the captain wants? He's raising the roof. Says he just got a call from the corner pocket. They're leaning all over him. Yeah? Says he's tired of answering questions. Says we better come up with some of the answers for him. 12.58 a.m. Frank and I drove over to check on Alan Hoffman's alibi. We talked to Rudy Nixon. He told us that Hoffman had been with him until around 4.30 that morning. At that time, Nixon had dropped Hoffman off at his apartment. We drove back to the office and ran the name Rudy Nixon through R and I, but we got no make on anyone answering his description. 5.45 p.m. Frank and I reported for stakeout duty. The night went slow and we came up with nothing. The next morning at 8.16 a.m. we checked back into the office. You know, since we get this thing over with, I'm gonna sleep a week. Oh, man, you got company. I'm gonna tell Faye to send the kids out of town if anybody calls me, tell them I just left for Hindu stand by fast freight. Well, how'd it go? Nothing, Skipper. Sat there all night. Not a thing. How about the other guys? Oh, I just checked with Metro. None of their cars saw anything. The other men out there came in with the same. Now I got it. Berglary Wisdom. Yes, ma'am. Mm-hmm. For what time was that? Right. We'll send a couple of men right out. Use the address. They hit again. You are listening to DRAGNET, the authentic story of your police force in action. Chesterfield is best for you. But let us give you the facts and then you be your own judge. Chesterfield is the first cigarette to present this scientific evidence on the effects of smoking. A medical specialist is making regular bimonthly examinations of a group of people from various walks of life. 45% of this group have smoked Chesterfield for an average of 10 years. After eight months, the medical specialist reports that he observed no adverse effects on the nose, throat, and sinuses of the group from smoking Chesterfield. I'd say that means real mildness. And Chesterfield is the first and only premium quality cigarette available in both regular and king size. So buy them either way you like them, regular or king size. You'll find premium quality Chesterfield much milder. Yes, Chesterfield is best for you. Thursday, January 24th, 8.52 a.m. Frank and I drove out to see the latest victim of the burglars. The crew from the crime lab arrived and went over the place. The MO was exactly the same as in the previous steps. The front door had been unlocked, the safe had been opened, the contents taken, and then the safe closed. There was no physical evidence. However, on one point, the thief had varied his method of operation. The latest victim was the owner of a radio and television store. A check of his stock showed us that an expensive record player and none of their cars had reported seeing anyone on the streets carrying anything that fitted the description of the missing merchandise. The serial number of the set was given to us and a local and an APB was gotten out of it. We talked to Lieutenant Stevens at Metro and he agreed to double the number of cars cruising in the area that night. Three more teams of men from Burglarie were assigned to the stakeout detail. 6.02 p.m. Frank and I checked in for duty. Nothing happened. Two days passed, still no new leads. All employees of the stores that were victimized were checked and rechecked. Nothing. Saturday, January 26th, Frank and I were assigned to a toy shop in the middle of the block. We waited. 8 p.m. 9, 10.30 p.m. Nothing. Oh, boy, I'm stiff. Yeah. Joe. Mm-hmm. What time you got? 10.46. I sure wish I could have a smoke. Yeah. I wonder if he's gonna show. What do you think? I don't know. 11 o'clock. We waited. From time to time, we could see the lights of the undercover car go by the front entrance. Midnight. 12.30. Still nothing. Joe. Mm-hmm. Want a piece of this candy bar? No, I'm not hungry. All right. Sure you don't want some? No. We've been in every store in this block. Past months, I don't think the guy's gonna show. Mm-hmm. That's kind of stable. Wait a minute. What's that? Something moving, something. Sounds like the ventilator, doesn't it? Hey. I might even hold it. Yeah, look. See the ventilator on the far wall? What? Is that moving? Yeah. Somebody's coming out of there. See? One for the burglar alarm. See, look at that. What do you do? Snapped off the burglar alarm. Oh. Is that the safe? Yeah. It's got it open. Come on, let's take it. All right, Mr. Hold it right there. Watch it, Joe. He's gone for the ventilator. I see him. Come on. You see him? No. It's up in there somewhere. Yeah. All right, come on out of there, mister. There he is, Joe. Gun flash. Yeah, I see him. All right, come on, mister. Throw that gun out here. Get out of here, cop. You come back here. I'll kill you. You got no place to go up there. Now come on, give it up. I'm telling you, you come back here. I'll kill you. I will. I'm warning you. I'll kill you. Wait a minute. Wait. Don't shoot anymore. Please, don't shoot anymore. Please. I quit. Please. All right, throw that gun out here. Come on. Here it is. Wait, come on out of there. Come on. Come on out of there. You're going to come out of there? It's like he's got some kind of a room up there. Can you see? He's got himself a room. Yeah. He's got to get right out of the earth here. All right, come on. Come out from behind that crate. All right. Get your hands behind your head. I'm doing like you say. See, I got my hands just like you said. I quit. Are you going to shake them down? Yeah. Come on. Stand still. Put your hands against the wall. Clean, Joe. Listen here. Where I live. All right, we'll take a look. How about this, Joe? This room must be 20 feet square. This all the stuff you stolen? Yeah, most of it. What's your name? Warwick. Dan Warwick. Really had you guys going, didn't he? All right, let's go. Really had you. Couldn't figure it out. I used to watch you sit in the vents and watch you. Used to laugh how hard you were trying. Really had you going. Couldn't figure it out. Yeah, sure. Come on, now let's go. Really had you going. You never would have found me. I could have stayed here for years. Douglas wrote myself every bit of it all by myself. Stayed here when you guys were around, except when I watched you and you and the others. Couldn't figure out how I knew about the safes. Used to just sit there and watch them. Watch them open the things. Simple once you know how. Really had you going. All right. You bet you did. Run around in circles. Real fun. Yeah, we knew where we were going. The story you have just heard was true. The names were changed to protect the innocent. On May 17th, trial was held in Department 89, Superior Court of the State of California in and for the County of Los Angeles. In a moment, the results of that trial. Now, here is our star, Jack Webb. Thank you, George Phenomenon. Friends, it's getting a little closer to Christmas, and there's a man right near you. You're a neighborhood cigarette dealer who has a lot of fine gift ideas. Of course, he's featuring the gift of the year, the Chesterfield Christmas Carton. It's the ideal gift because Chesterfield is the only premium quality cigarette available to you in both regular and king size. Chesterfield is the one I smoke, and it's the one I'm giving for Christmas. Regular or king size, premium quality Chesterfields are much milder. Daniel Robert Warwick was tried and convicted of burglary in the first degree five counts, said counts to run consecutively. He received his sentence as prescribed by law. Burglary in the first degree is punishable by imprisonment in the state penitentiary for a period of not less than five years. Ladies and gentlemen, in the next seven years of bigger and bigger enrollments, America's grade schools will need nearly a quarter of a million extra teachers, besides those to fill normal vacancies. Education holds America's future, perhaps your future. 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. Technical advisors Captain Jack Donahoe, Sergeant Marty Winn, Sergeant Vance Preacher. Heard tonight were Ben Alexander, Gwyn Delano, Paul Richards. Script by John Robinson. Music by Walter Schumann. Hal Gibney speaking. Sound off for Chesterfield. Either way you like them, regular or king size, you'll find premium quality Chesterfields much milder. Chesterfield has brought you Dragnet transcribed from Los Angeles. Tonight, more adventure with Barry Craig, Confidential Investigator on NBC.