 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 transcribed as a public service by the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States and the Equitable Society's representative in your community. From time to time most men and women ask themselves, what will I be doing when I'm 65 years old? Well, that's largely up to you and the decision you make right now. Opportunity for an important decision will be offered to you in our middle commercial. It tells about the Equitable Society's independent 60s plan. This plan means exactly what it says, financial independence for you in your 60s. Listen carefully to this important message from the Equitable Society coming in about 14 minutes. Tonight, the subject of our FBI file, homicide, it's titled, The Night Rider. Special agents of the FBI come in contact with all kinds of criminals, ranging from the weaklings who drift into crime from sheer lack of character to some of the world's most brutal killers. Yet with all their experience, no agent would ever think of claiming the ability to pick out a criminal on site. By his face or bearing or the look in his eye. The point is this. Don't be misled by the villainous gangsters you see in the movies or on the stage. A visit to any prison will show you instantly that the vast majority of criminals don't look like criminals. Most of them look like ordinary, respectable citizens. Tonight's case from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation has been chosen because it demonstrates that you can't be too careful in your casual contacts with strangers. Honest-looking faces and frank, pleasant manners are meaningless. You can't recognize a criminal at sight. Tonight's file opens at a gas station located on a desolate stretch of highway in a western state. It is early evening. A car approaches and pulls into the station. The driver orders a full tank of gas. As the attendant cranks the pump, a young man approaches the car. Good evening. Hello. Are you heading for Santa Fe? No, not that far. I'd appreciate you taking me as far as you're going. Well, all right, hop in. Thanks, mister. The young man gets into the car and when the tank is filled, they drive off, streaking swiftly across the lonely desert road as miles accumulate on the turning speedometer. Finally, as they reach the top of a high plateau, the young hitchhiker speaks. I guess you better pull over now. Huh? Yeah, pull over and stop. Look, I... This is a real gun, mister. All right, come on now, get out. What for? This is far as you're going. You're not leaving me here. I'm afraid I've got to. But I'll freeze. That'll keep you from minding the cold too much. Short time later at a nearby county courthouse, Sheriff Martin is in his office when Deputy Watson enters. They call you from the morgue, Sheriff? Yeah. All they said was you brought in a body. Who's was it? A man named Paul Jackson. He'd been shot and dumped. Where? Out near the state line. Morgue, see how long he'd been dead? About an hour. Find anything besides a body? Well, some good tire impressions and a few footprints, but they weren't clear enough to be worth anything. Never are when you need them. This wallet was laying by the body. No money in it, but lots of papers. Is it Jackson's? Yep, there's pictures in it. From the papers, he was traveling salesman, so I'd guess those tire tracks was made by his car. Car gone? Uh-huh. Body was laying just off the highway. Was footprints laid any place? No. They were concentrated just beyond the tire marks as if two men come out of the car. And the money in Jackson's pockets? Not a cent. Yeah, well, this adds up to a hitchhiker. Mm-hmm. Any lead on the car? Yeah. Charge slip from gas station over in Arizona. It's got a license number and Jackson's signature. What's the date? Today's. Better call the gas station. You scrab the car and see if they remember anybody riding with Jackson. Hey, that's on talent truth. Which one? Southern fried chicken. No, it's too late for that. That's on the dinner. Oh. Any coffee left? You can have any of those sandwiches. Baked ham? All righty. Coffee an hour later. An hour, please. No, ma'am, hardly none at all. Thank you, ma'am. Be back in a minute. Where you going? Point your seven, letter T, seven. Now, if you see this car, notify the Winslow County Sheriff's Office immediately. That's whether you wanted it. He's gone. Later that evening at the FBI field office for that area, Special Agent Jim Taylor is finishing a report when his phone rings. Special Agent Taylor. Sheriff Martin calling, Taylor. Oh, yeah, I sure. Got another case out here for you. Kind this time. How do we figure it? Jackson give a hitchhiker a ride over in Arizona. Killing was done this side of the state line. Any description on the car? We just found it outside of town. Nobody near it though. No prints. Any identity hitchhiker? Partial. I'm giving someone a lift. Short have a coat. Yeah, it's not much help. Got a full circle of roadblocks up, and I'm bringing in every hitchhiker my man can find. Go ahead. Can you get down here? Yep, tomorrow morning. Question 40, ma'am, so far. Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Carter, this is Special Agent Taylor of the FBI. Hi, Mr. Carter. Hello. Mr. Carter's owner, that gas station Jackson stopped at, isn't he? No. Well, Mr. Carter, have you seen anybody who even comes close to the hitchhiker? No, sir, not yet. All right, send in the next men. Stand right there. All right, man, this won't take long. Start at that end. What's your name? Pete Miller. Where are you from? Fresco. When you leave there? Last week. Where? Santa Fe. Santa Fe? Mr. Carter isn't Santa Fe with a hitchhiker last night? Yes, sir, it is. Is that the kind of coat the man was wearing? No, sir, it's not. Is that the kind of coat the man was wearing? I don't think so. Is his face look familiar? No. No, sir, that's not him. All right, Miller. You can go. Next man. Name? J. Adams. Where are you from? Blocks, Mississippi. When did you leave there? A couple, three months ago. Where? Ain't no place special. I just kind of let myself drift, get me a ride, and go where it goes. Mr. Carter, I'd love a jacket. No. I didn't hear the man do too much talking last night. But from what little I did here, I don't remember him having a southern accent like this fellow. Recognize his face? No. No, I'm afraid that's not him either. All right, Adams, you can go. Next man. Just a question. Sure, for you, sure, the killer was inside the circle when you set up those roadblocks? Well, I'm positive. We found Jackson's car cracked up. The radiator is still worn off. Even if he got another lift right away, he couldn't have gone more than 20 miles. Pardon me, Sheriff. Yes, Watson? Somebody named Miss Gray to see you. Wants to talk to you about the Jackson case. Yeah, I'll be right out. Come on, Terry. Miss Gray. That's right. Is Special Agent Taylor the FBI? All right, Miss Gray. I understand you want to talk to us about the Jackson case. Yes. I own the two-states diner. Out near their zone line. Uh-huh. Uh, I heard you were looking for a black Plymouth sedan. I saw one last night. Did you see the license number? No, but a young man came in for dinner last night, ordered some food, and when I come back from the kitchen, he was gone. And I looked out and I saw him driving away in this black sedan. Stopped a short piece down the road. He got out, threw something, got back in, drove away. What time was this, Mrs. Gray? Coming up to 10 o'clock. Just after the killing. Yeah. And this morning, after I heard the news, I went and looked near where he stopped, and there was this gun. Wrapped like that? Oh, no. I saw some policemen do that in the movies so they wouldn't get any fingerprints on it, so I did it, too. Good for you. Now, what did this young man look like? Well, he was medium height. He wore a short coat coming out of the elbows. Sheriff, where are those pictures of the hitchhikers? Well, I'll get them. Now, Mrs. Gray, will you be good enough to look at these? Tell us if you can see anyone who looks like the young man. That's him. Which one's that? This one. Are you sure? I'm positive. Sheriff, we had the killer here and let him go. We will return in just a minute to tonight's exciting case from the official file of your FBI. But now, listen, those are the check writing machines at the home office of the Equitable Life Assurance Society. Every month, those checks go out to members who have paid up their Equitable Independent 60s plan. And here's Mr. George Ryan. You finished your payments last year, didn't you, Mr. Ryan? Right, Mr. Keating. So I resigned my job and started to enjoy life. In other words, Mr. Ryan, you're now cashing in on the three freedoms that go with an Independent 60s plan. First, freedom from money worries and job worries, financial independence. Well, I guess I'm like the village blacksmith in Longfellow's poem, Mr. Keating. You know, he looks the whole world in the face for he owes not any man. Second, with an Equitable Independent 60s plan, you're free to live anywhere you please. My children moved out to Arizona. Now, we've moved out there to live near them. Third, freedom to do the things you've always wanted to do. I'm getting my fill of sunshine at last, Mr. Keating. And it all happened because I talked to an equitable man years ago and he showed me how little it cost to start a plan like this. That's a fact. You don't have to earn big money to begin an Equitable Independent 60s plan. Ask your Equitable Representative to explain why you probably have a big head start towards Independent 60s because of your social security and the life insurance you already own. Often only a small amount of additional insurance is all it's required. A few dollars a week, did it for me? Friends, why not profit by Mr. Ryan's experience? Phone your Equitable Society Representative without delay or send a postcard care of this station to the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States. And now back to the FBI file, the Knight Rider. In dramatizing tonight's case from its files, the Federal Bureau of Investigation had one important purpose in mind. Your FBI wished to repeat a warning issued again and again by almost every law enforcement agency in the land. Every month in all sections of this country, scores of assaults, robberies, even murders are committed by hitchhikers. To those of you who drive a car, do not give any stranger a lift. Remember, you can't recognize a crook on site. For all you know, the harmless looking individual who thumbs a ride may be a hardened criminal or even a homicidal maniac. This danger is so well recognized that in more than one half of our states, hitchhiking is against the law. Many communities also have local ordinances prohibiting hitchhiking. If 1951's pattern of crime is similar to those of previous years, thousands of our citizens will be victimized by these hitchhikers. Moral, don't give anyone a ride. Then no one can take you for a ride. Tonight's FBI file continues later that day, especially Agent Taylor enters the county sheriff's office. Sheriff, anything come in on that hitchhiker yet? Not a word. Well, at least we're sure about him being inside that circle of roadblocks. Pretty small bone that you own. Sheriff's office. Who is this? Gus Rogers at the Chili Bowl. Go ahead, I can hear you. You still looking for that bird? Who? The one in the short coat. Yeah. Have you seen him? He's out front at the counter, working on some tamales. Feed him slow, he'll be right there. Nobody at the counter. Better go in. There's somebody on the floor. It's Gus. Gus, we'll have that gag off in a minute. Cut on his forehead. I'll cut the ropes on his legs. Gaggy. There we are. Thanks, Sheriff. Jump you, Gus? Yeah. That bash me with a sugar bowl. How come? Well, it must have hurt me calling you. It happened right after I came back. Yeah, your legs are free. Oh, thanks. Well, that's your answer. Were you not cold, Gus? No, but I wish I'd been. I sure didn't like hearing him drive off with my car. Now he's got transportation. And my gun. Yeah, sir. Oh, thanks. You better have a doctor look at you. Oh, I'm okay. Sheriff, let's send an alarm on his car. Like I said, Gus ain't hurt, Ben. Better get back to my office. Car 1, report and come in, Watson. In Gus's car. Where'd he go? Head for there. We'll meet you. Where is this painted cavern, Sheriff? Up in the hills. How far? A couple miles. Is there any tear gas in your car? Yeah, it wouldn't work. Why not? Roof of the cave's about 100 feet high. That's plenty long. Yeah, besides, at least 25 passageways leading off the cave. No, I see. Well, what's our procedure? We've just got to root him out. You know your way around in there? Very well. Will you stay together? No. Watson knows the place too. Will you take the left side? You stay with me. We'll walk around the right. Meet the back of the cave. Reach the back of the cave? You know this. It'll be a lot easier with the flash. Yeah? Getting close to the water. Safe enough to use a flash now. There it is. Lose some clothes. At what? Swim the rest of the way. You mean to get out? Yeah. Okay. Goodbye, Jagged. These are new shoes, Joe. Jeb, I don't see any outlet for that, remember? It's below the surface. Swim under that wall rock on the left. Where does that take us? Outside the cave. Ready? Yeah, let's get in. Oh, brother. Cold, huh? Go under right here. How far down? About five feet. This group for the opening. Okay. And take a deep breath. Right. See outside. That's it for the bank. What you now? See, for that opening. It's actually to St. Adam's too. Oh. Oh, he went the long way. It's climbing this hill. He's standing on each side of the opening. Our gunsmen will be much good. We'd better grab him. Yeah. Stand over there. I think we're ready. All right, come on. Get up. I'll carry what? All right. All right, come on. Come on, let's get out of the car. Jay Adams was turned over to local authorities, tried and convicted on a charge of first degree murder. You've heard tonight how one woman helped your FBI solve a murder. Not every woman has a chance to identify a fugitive killer, as did Mrs. Gray in this case. But in the current issue of McCall's magazine, FBI Director Jay Edgar Hoover tells what every woman can do to help prevent crime, or to clean up a crime-ridden community. If you want to know what you can do about the situation in your city, read what the women of Gary, Indiana, did about it in theirs, and read Jay Edgar Hoover's 10 Commandments of Crime Prevention in the current issue of McCall's magazine, now on the newsstands. America's criminals can be conquered if you do your share of the job. But that share has a price tag on it. You can buy a cleaner community only with civic alertness, energy, personal decency, and wholesome self-sacrifice. Decide for yourself whether that price is too steep for you. Before making your final decision, though, consider one thing. Upon your answer depends not only the welfare of every coming generation, but also your own self-preservation. Forty years ago, on June 1, 1911, the Equitable Life Assurance Society issued the first group insurance contract in the United States. On this 40th anniversary, the Equitable Society is proud of having pioneered a form of coverage that today furnishes life insurance protection to over 20 million American employees, accident and health insurance protection to over 10 million, hospital, surgical, and medical expenses insurance to over 8 million, and assures retirement insurance pensions to over 2 million workers. But we are proud of more than mere numbers. The group insurance movement, which the Equitable started 40 years ago, operates within the framework of the free American private economic system. It provides security without infringing upon liberty. It is an American system. And of that, we at the Equitable Society are particularly proud. Next week, we will dramatize another case from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It's subject, hijacking. It's titled, The Return of Father Crime. 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 places or persons living or dead is accidental. Tonight, the music was composed and conducted by Frederick Steiner. The author was Jerry D. Lewis. Your narrator was William Woodson, and special agent Taylor was played by Stacey Harris. Others in the cast were Herbert Ellis, Stanley Farrar, Lamont Johnson, Wally Mayer, Henry Morgan, and Peggy Weber. This is your FBI as 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 the same time, when the Equitable Life Assurance Society will bring you the Return of Father Crime on This Is Your FBI. Stay tuned for the adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. There's fun for the whole family when Ozzie and Harriet come your way next. This program came to you from Hollywood. Transcribe this as ABC, the American Broadcasting Company.