 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. Presented as a public service by the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States and the Equitable Society's representative in your community. Are you covered by Social Security? Then please listen carefully. The public opinion polls by the Equitable Life Assurance Society show that millions of Americans know little or nothing about their Social Security. Yes, according to these Equitable Society surveys, you may be failing to safeguard rights worth thousands of dollars to you and your family. Therefore, as a public service, the Equitable Life Assurance Society will devote this program's entire middle commercial due in just 14 minutes to information on Social Security. Information that may mean money in your pocket. Tonight's FBI file, The Henpecht Hijacker. There are many people throughout the nation who hear the statistics of the current crime wave. Statistics like the one which tells that there is a major crime committed in this country every 20 seconds. Who shake their heads and give us their opinion, the theory that nothing is being done to stop the criminal. Nothing could be further from the truth. What those people must realize is that the number of law enforcement officers is limited. And in that limitation, the criminal enjoys an initial advantage. There is, according to the latest survey made by your FBI, approximately 130,000 police officers in the country, or one to every thousand people. Obviously it is impossible for that one law enforcement officer to keep a watch on a thousand people. For that reason, the wonder is not that there are as many crimes as there are. The wonder is that there aren't more. Tonight's file opens in a small furnished apartment in the midtown section of an eastern city. It is early evening and Marge and Jean Wheeler have just finished dinner. Where are you going? I got my cigarettes. You might help me with the dishes, you know. Leave them till later. Then you'll be too tired to help me. No thanks. What's the matter with you tonight? Every time I've said anything, you've yapped at me. I had lunch with Anne and Ruthie today. Oh, you got a load of it. I only had two drinks. I'll get with it. What's eating you? Ruthie was wearing a new mink coat today. Anne had a diamond bracelet that must have cost Harry 5,000. So what? Why should that make you so? Because I felt like a poor relation. I don't get it. They sat there. And they boasted about how great their husbands are doing. How do you think I felt? Well, I don't think I'm doing so bad. I'm making close to 10,000 a year now and it's steady. 10,000 a year. Harry makes that in one night. Well, let him make it his way. I'll make it mine. Haven't you got any ambition? Well, sure. You and Harry and George all started out together. You're as good as they are. I want to see you do as good as them. Honey, Harry sticks up a bank maybe twice a year and he lives on that the rest of the time. I couldn't do that. Why not? Because I don't like guns. I walked into a bank with a gun and stood in front of all those people. I'd feel foolish. All right. Do what George does. George is a hijacker. You need a gun for that, too. I just want to go along my own easy way with little stock market swindles and let everybody else live their own lives. Sure. Sure, let everybody live their own lives. What about mine? Doing my own cleaning, my own cooking, my own clothes, I'm sick of it. You better make dough. Big dough. And make it fast. But I can't. No buts about it. There's only one way to do it and that's with a gun. You've got one. Use it. Marge, I love you and I'd do anything to make you happy, but I can't use that gun on a job. That's final. Look, if you don't go out and steal something big inside of the next month, I'm leaving you. And that's final, too. Hey, Gene. Oh, hello, Eddie. Since when have you been in nature loving? I could ask you the same question. Oh, I come out to the park every day. I come to feed the pigeons. You ever do it? No. They're just like people. Some of them are stupid and some of them are smart. You see that black one down there? Uh-huh. He's a real last-knee bum. Watch what happens when I throw this handful of peanuts. He'll wind up with the biggest ones. You see that, Gene? What a beautiful feat. Yeah. Well, what's the matter with you, kid? Yeah, kind of down. I am. Well, what's wrong? It's Marge. Your wife? Yeah, she's beefing. Says I gotta hit a jackpot. Well, what's wrong with the touch you got? It's not big enough for her. She wants me to use a gun. Well, why don't you? I can't, Eddie. I just can't. That's all. Stop worrying. She'll forget it by tomorrow. No, no. She's serious. She's gonna leave me if I don't do something. I don't want her to go that bad. Let her go. I don't want her to go. Well, then... Maybe there's a way out. That's what I've been trying to think of. I've been digging over every dodge I ever heard about. Gene, I got it. What? Listen, you got any money stashed away? Yeah. I mean that Marge don't know about it. Oh, yeah, yeah. About, uh, about $1,500. Oh, that's perfect. Why? You know the Dawson finance company? You mean the place is Broadway in 38? Yeah, that's it. I'm gonna stick it up tonight. What's that got to do with me? Well, I've worked joints like this before. I usually score for about a G. $1,500. So what? So you go home tonight after midnight with $1,500. Give it to Marge and tell her you've done the job. Oh, she won't believe me. Well, tell her to look in the papers tomorrow morning. The story will be there. She's gotta go for it. Well, she might. I believe me it's a cinch. I hate to go for the $1,500. It'll be worth it. Yeah, yeah. It'll work. It'll work. Hey, look, how many those peanuts, will you? Pigeons are getting hungry. Is that you, Gene? Yeah, I'm Orange. It's after 1 o'clock. You said you... No, no, no. Take it easy, honey. I got a surprise for you. What? What does that look like? A gun. What does this look like? Gene, where did you get all that dough? Pull the stick up. What? You asked me to use a gun so I did. I can't believe it. How much did you get? A little over $1,500. Where'd you do the job? Dawson Finance Company, Broadway in 38. You did it all by yourself? Of course. Well, I must say this is a surprise. I didn't think you'd ever do it, Gene. I'm proud of you, honey. Well, show it, will you? What do you mean? I'm tired. I had a tough night. Yeah, yeah, I know. Where are the evening papers? Right here, honey. Well, let's have them, will you? Sure. I'm hungry, Marge. I'd like a sandwich and a bottle of beer. Sure, sure. I'll pick something right away. Anything else, dear? A little quiet. I want to read my papers. At 2.30 that morning, Special Agent Jim Taylor returned to the local FBI field office to meet agent Ben Adams. Hi, Ben. Oh, hi, Jim. Sorry I had to wake you. No, it's all right. I just wanted to get started on this case right away before it got cold. What's it about, Jim? Hold up. The Dawson finance company. It's a loan outfit up on Broadway and 38th Street. It was held up about 11.30 tonight. How'd we get in on a hold-up? Well, the bandit entered the building by telling the elevator operator he was an FBI man. I see. He then went up to the finance company office on the 11th floor, entered with a pass key and slugged Mr. Dawson. Sounds like it might have been an inside job. I thought of that, Ben, but Dawson wasn't killed. He was only slugged. Now, if the bandit had been someone Dawson knew, I don't think he'd left him alive to give us an identification when he comes to. That's true. Where's Dawson now? He's at emergency hospital. Did you get anything down at his office? No, not very much. Oh, I did pick up this page from the building register. This is the one the bandit signed. Lucky, it's the only signature on the page. Yeah, I thought we might get some prints off it. I'm going to send it over to the lab. I'll ask them to call you as soon as they've gotten anything. Where are you headed for? I'm going over to the hospital. I want to be around whenever Dawson comes to. Gene. Gene, wake up. Come on, get up. Go away. Let me sleep. I'm tired. Get up. What do you want? Look at this. What? The morning paper. There's a big story about the stick up on the front page. There is? What do they say? Where's the rest of it? The rest of what? The rest of the money from the stick up. What are you talking about? The paper says the job was good for 22,000. Why? You heard me. I had the same story on the radio this morning. Oh! Where's the rest of the dough? I haven't got it. It's stalling. I'm not stalling, Marge. You got 22,000 on the job. You gave me 1,500. That makes you 20,500 shy. Now, where is it? Marge, I got a confession to make. Well? I didn't do the job. What? Eddie Perkins did it. Wait a minute. What do you take me for? No, I swear to you. Eddie did the job. He told me about it in advance so I could make you think I did it. You're lying. Marge, I just did it to make you happy. There's only one way you can make me happy. Get me the rest of that 22,000. Yeah, but I... If you don't, I'm walking out of here and I'm not coming back. Anything come back from the lab, Ben? Yeah, they tried to smoke up some prints off that building register, but none of them came up good enough to work on. Ah, it's too bad. I hope you had better luck at the hospital. Oh, a little. I finally got into C. Dawson. How is he? He'll recover. He's got a nasty scalp wound, but it's not too serious. Could he give you anything? No, not much. When the bandit entered the office, he was wearing a brown handkerchief over his face as a mask. Do you recognize the bandit's general physical setup? Was anyone who worked for him? He's only got women working in the office. So I went back down to his office after I spoke to him, and he thought there might be some prints of the bandit on the cash box. The bandit was the last one to handle it. Were there any? Well, the box was covered with prints, but it was impossible to pick out any distinct ones. We did get one break, though. Got this handkerchief in. Oh, is that the one the bandit wore? Yeah, that's it. Where'd you find it? One of the cleaning women on the 11th floor found it in a closet about an hour ago. I took it back up to the hospital and Dawson identified it. I see, Jim. That was a laundry mark on this handkerchief. Yeah, yeah, I saw it. Now our job is to find out whose laundry mark it is. Who's there? It's me, Gene Willard. Yeah, OK, Gene. Hello, Eddie. Hi, Gene. Come on in. What are you doing up this early? Oh, I got another robot going with Marge. Well, what are you waking me up for? Because it's all your fault. My fault? Yeah. How did I get into this thing? It's that job you did. The one last night? Yeah. I went home and told Marge I did it, and I gave her the 1,500 like you said. Then this morning, she sees the papers and she wants the rest of the 22 Gs. Oh. Well, I'm sorry, Gene. I didn't know I was going to get that much. Well, that don't help me, Eddie. Marge thinks I got the dough, and I'm holding out on her. Look, Gene, I'll tell her the real story and square the wrap for you. That won't work, Eddie. Why not? I already tried it. You told her I did the job? That's right. She didn't believe me. Wow. Well, you got me in an awful jam, Eddie. I was only trying to help you. This could break up my marriage. Well, what do you want me to do? Give me the 22,000. What? I want the 22 Gs. You out of your mind. Eddie, I got to give that money to Marge. Look, get out of here, will you? It's the only way I can square myself. Will you blow? I can't, Eddie. I can't leave here without the money. Now come on, give it to me. Over my dead body. Okay. I'm sorry, Eddie. We will return in just a moment to tonight's file which shows how your FBI provides national security. Now let's devote a minute to social security. $12, $15, $18,000. That's what your social security rights can be equivalent to, depending on your age, salary, and family situation. Considering those values, it will pay you to look into the special service on social security, offered by the Equitable Life Assurance Society. This service consists of three steps. First step, full information. Your Equitable Society representative is ready to give you a complete and accurate picture of social security as it applies to you and your family. He'll tell you whether you're a fully insured worker or only currently insured, and what difference this will make in benefits you would receive. Or if you're nearing retirement age, he'll tell you what kind of work you could do and still be eligible for social security payments. Why be uninformed or misinformed when thousands of dollars may be at stake? See your Equitable Representative soon. Second step, an immediate checkup on your position under social security. Social Security Administration recommends that you make these checkups regularly. They prevent errors being made in your account. And the easiest way to check your account is to get the special form from your Equitable Representative, a form approved by the Social Security Administration. And the easiest way to check your account is a form approved by the Social Security Administration. Once you've determined you're standing under Social Security, you're ready to benefit from the last step of this free service offered by the Equitable Life Insurance Society. That step is to help you build Social Security into full security. Yes, your Equitable Society Representative will show you how a comparatively modest investment in life insurance will build Social Security into full security. In other words, he'll give you an analysis to show how life insurance and Social Security working as a team can give you and your family a future of freedom from money worries. There's no charge for this service. See your Equitable Society Representative immediately. All right, care of this station, to the Equitable Life Insurance Society. That's E-Q-U-I-T-A-B-L-E. The Equitable Life Insurance Society of the United States. And now back to the FBI file. The Henpecht hijacker. Tonight's case from the files of your FBI illustrates the fact that although criminals may use different avenues of approach to gain their illegal ends, the common influence motivating them is avarice, sheer, unadulterated, overwhelming greed. It is that greed which makes every criminal a parasite of our society. And in this case, as in biology, it is possible for the parasites to prove fatal, unless we do something and do it quickly to prevent the number of criminals from multiplying as rapidly as they have been, we give our law enforcement agencies no chance to stop the crime wave. Those agencies have certain restrictions as to the number of men they employ, and it has been shown that a city can be so deluged with criminals that the law has no chance of being enforced, that the criminals become a law unto themselves. What is true of a city can be true of a state or of a nation. And for that reason, the time for action is now. Action on your part to help fight the never-ending war against crime. Tonight's file continues as Special Agents Taylor and Adams drive through city traffic. Slow down, Jim. There's our laundry. I see it. Hey, Ben, we're really lucky. We haven't got a place to park. Yeah. You want to slide out this side? Well, the switchboard really did a job locating this laundry so fast. Yeah, those operators really cut loose once they get a job to do. Go ahead, Jim. Thanks, man. Good morning. Something I could do for him. Oh, I'm Mr. Taylor from the FBI. You're my credentials. Oh, yes, Mr. Taylor. I'm Mr. Merrick. Oh, yes. This is Mr. Adams from our office. How do you do? How do you do? This is the anchor chief our office told you about, Mr. Merrick. Uh-huh. Oh, yes. This is our laundry mark. Do you know who it belongs to? I don't know his name. This belongs to a man who brings his laundry in every week, himself. I see. And you tell us what he looks like? Yes. He's about 35, 6 foot tall, about 200 pounds. He's got black hair and he's got a blue star tattooed on the back of his left hand. Well, that's a pretty complete description, Mr. Merrick. Mr. Adams, all my life I've been reading stories in the papers about the police. They come to a laundry to find out whose laundry market it is and always it's the same thing. They never get a good description. That's right. I made up my mind a long time ago that I would study my customers. And if the police ever asked the Merrick laundry for a description, the Merrick laundry would be ready. Well, I wish there were more people as conscientious as that, Mr. Merrick. Oh, by the way, where do you deliver this man's laundry? I don't deliver it, Mr. Talon. He picks up his clean package when he brings in his dirty stuff. Do you know where he lives? No, I don't. All I know is that he lives in a hotel around here. How do you know that, Mr. Merrick? Because the first time he brought in his laundry, he told me that his hotel did his shirts once and they ruined three brand new ones. Well, he sounds like a very careful dresser. Oh, he is. Has he got any laundry with you now? Yes. He's got a package ready to be picked up. Fine. May we see it, please? Well, certainly. It's right here under the counter. Yeah. Why don't I pick out the right part? Oh, yes. Here it is. Here you are, gentlemen. Yeah. Yes, he is a careful dresser, Ben. Mm-hmm. Every one of these shirts come from Merchant and Thompson up on 50th Street. Yes. They're very expensive shirts, Mr. Talon. Ben, you've got the notes on that description that Mr. Merrick gave us, haven't you? Yes, Jim. Well, look, why don't you run back to the office? See if you can find anybody in our files answering that description, huh? Okay, Jim. While you're doing that, I'll go buy Merchant and Thompson and see if they can tell me who they made these shirts for. Marge! What is it? Where are you? In the living room. In the living room. What do you mean? What's the matter with me? Jane, you've been drinking. No kidding. You're drunk. Suppose I am. Now, don't you talk that way to me. I'll talk to you any way I want. You know why? Because I'm rich. You're rich. We're bolt-rich. Now, look at this. Money, money, money, money. So I was right. You did do that job. No, Eddie did the job. Then where did you get the money? I took it from Eddie. I hit him over the head. I hit him over the head and I took it. Jane, that's wonderful. I figured you'd think that way. What do you mean? Sweetheart, for your information, Eddie Perkins is my friend. I should say he was my friend. So what? I had a slugger guy. Maybe kill him for all I know, and all that please you. Oh, shut up, Jane. Give me the money. You ain't getting it. What? I made up my mind in the salon. You ain't getting one penny. Now, listen, Jane. You'll listen. Well, for weeks now I've been here and do this, Jane, or I'll leave you. Do that, Jane, or I'll leave you. Oh, here's a switch for you, kid. I want you to go. What? Yeah, you heard me, and I'll pack your bags and get out of here. Special Agent Adams. Hello, Ben. Oh, hi, Jim. Where are you? I'm over at the shirt makers. The shirts were made for a thief named Eddie Perkins. Oh, I don't think I know him. He's got a long record. Was it a holdup, man? Yeah, his last couple of arrests have been for armed robbery. Oh, did you get anything? No, Jim, not yet. File room's still working on the description. Have you got an address on Eddie Perkins at the store, Jim? They're getting it for me now. Oh, well, do you think I ought to get a warrant for Perkins' arrest before I leave the office? Yeah, it's a good idea. It's the central hotel. Yeah. We'll meet you there in 15 minutes in the lobby. Ben, I got here sooner than I expected, so I went on upstairs. Did you find Perkins? No, he wasn't in, but I got enough evidence to prove that he did the job. Yeah, what'd you find? Well, there were a half a dozen money bags from the Dawson finance company strewn all over the room. That's enough. And there was a fresh blood stain on the rug. How did that get there? I checked with Dr. Phillips. He's a house physician. He said he treated Perkins. For what? Head wound. When? About a half an hour ago. Was the head wound bad enough to prevent him from traveling? No, Ben, it wasn't. Sounds like he's taken off of the loop. Not according to the doctor's story. He says that Perkins was blazing mad and kept mumbling something about having been robbed. Yeah. Well, where did he go from the doctor's office? I don't know. But there's a dormant here at the hotel. A clerk has sent for him. Does the doctor have anything else, Jim? Well, he told me that he'd treated Perkins before and that he remembered that blue star that Mr. Merrick told us about that's tattooed in the back of his left hand. Yeah. Did the doctor know what Perkins' business was? No. No, he was quite surprised when I told him. Teller? Yes, that's right. I'm the dormant. Oh, yes. Tell me, did you see Mr. Perkins leave about half hour ago? Yes, sir. I got him a cab. Would you have any idea where he was going? Well, I only heard him tell the hacky he wanted to go to Midtown Village. That's a pretty big development, Jim. Yes, I know. There are 18 apartment houses there and I think there are 60 apartments in every building. But I think we can find Perkins if he's still there. Can I be of any more help to you, gentlemen? Yes, would you get us a cab, please? Ben, we're going to Midtown Village ourselves. Haven't you started the pack yet? Oh, jeez. Don't give me that. How can you do this to me? It's real easy. Gene. What is it? Why are you making me go away? You know why. I can't believe that's the real reason. You found another girl. That's why you're acting like this, isn't it? No. Then how could you be so cruel? Well, look, this was your idea in the first place. What do you mean? Going away. You've been threatening to do it right along. Oh, Gene, I was wrong. I don't want to go. Now, look. Please listen to me. Let me stay, honey. I'll never say I'll leave you again, honest. Well, please. Who's that? Probably the cab I called for you. Tell him to go away, honey. Please. Well, okay. Hello, smart boy. Eddie. Step back. Eddie Perkins. That's right, Marge. But I thought you were... Dead, maybe? Now, that's on my pal here. Look, Eddie, I can explain. I don't want any explanations. I want my dough. I know. I'm giving it back to you. What? I'm giving him back his money, Marge. Wait a minute. What about that mink coat and that jewelry? I thought we settled all that. How? We just made up, remember? That had nothing to do with the 22,000. We'll settle it some other time. You keep out of this. Gene, if you give him back that money, I'm leaving you. Now, look. I mean it. Now, wait a minute. Both of you have a gun here. See it? This gun calls for money. Drop that gun, Perkins. Cover him, Ben. Right. Who are you? Special agents of the FBI. Well, thank heavens. You got here just in time to save us from being robbed of 22,000 dollars. Really? Where is it? Show it to him, Gene. Yeah. You hear me? Okay. Here's some of it. Thank you. Ben, got you. Check the serial numbers on these bills with the ones that Dawson gave us, will you? Right. What does that mean? I think it should tell us who was really robbed of the 22,000. Eddie Perkins was convicted for violation of the Federal Impersonation Statute. He was then turned over to local authorities for prosecution for robbery. Gene and March Wheeler were also turned over to local authorities for obtaining under false pretense and robbery. Special Agent Taylor was pretty certain that Eddie Perkins could be traced at Midtown Village with ease because the doctor at the hotel who had treated him mentioned that he had bandaged Perkins' head. Once at Midtown Village, it was as Taylor had guessed simple to find out where the man with the bandaged head had gone and to follow that rather wide trail. And thus was your FBI able once again to close a case with a conviction and to close it within a matter of hours after the initial crime was reported. True, that meant working all night and most of the next day, but no Special Agent is a clock watcher. He works as your FBI has trained him to work 24 hours a day if need be and around the clock again if that will help him do his job. His job of fighting incessant warfare against America's Army of Criminals. In just a moment, we will tell you about next week's exciting case from the files of your FBI. Now a quick review of the special three-point service offered by your Equitable Society representative to help you get the most out of Social Security. First, he gives you a clear picture of what Social Security can accomplish for you. Second, your Equitable Society representative supplies you with a special form approved by the Social Security Administration for checking up on your position under Social Security. Third, he shows you how easy and inexpensive it is to build Social Security into full security. Don't fail to take advantage of this special service by your Equitable Representative and 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 case that dramatizes the most venal crime in the federal statutes. It's subject, kid mapping. It's title, Operation Ransom. 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 Lewis. Your narrator was William Woodson and Special Agent Taylor was played by Stacey Harris. This is Your FBI is a Jerry Divine 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. Operation Ransom on This is Your FBI.