 Lord Chesterfield, Chesterfield, low in nicotine, highest in quality, best for you, Chesterfield brings you dragonet. What you are about to hear is true, the names have been changed to protect the innocent. You're a detective sergeant, you're assigned a homicide detail, you get a call that a man has barricaded himself in his apartment, the report says he's going to kill himself. Your job, stop him. Smokers by the thousands are now changing to Chesterfield, the only cigarette ever to give you one, proof of low nicotine, highest quality, two, this proven record with smokers, no adverse effects to the nose, throat and sinuses from smoking Chesterfield, Chesterfield, regular or king size, low in nicotine, highest in quality, best for you. 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, dragonet is the story of your police force in action. It was Wednesday, November 18th, it was cold in Los Angeles, we were working the day, watch out a homicide detail, my partner's Frank Smith, the boss is Captain Warman, my name's Friday, I was on my way back to the office and it was 10.32 a.m. when I got to room 42, homicide. So, now, that didn't take too long. Now Sol just got the coffee made, here you are. All right, boy, it sure is hot. Mm-hmm. Anything come in? No, it's been pretty quiet. I got it. Homicide Friday. Yes, ma'am. Mm-hmm. Yes, ma'am. When was that? Mm-hmm. No, ma'am. No, if you'll wait just... Yes, I understand, but... Yes, ma'am, if you'll wait just a moment, I'll transfer you to robbery. Yes, ma'am. Well, I'll explain it to you over there. Right. Would you hold on, please? Would you give this call to 2511, please? Yes, that's right. Sure dismal weather. Yeah. Feels like it's gonna rain, doesn't it? Paper says it might hit tonight. Yeah. Well, I hope it clears up before Sunday. Boy, do you get figured out this time? Well, Joe, I don't understand why you say it that way. You don't, huh? No. Well, what do you get figured? Take a look at this. I got just the ticket right here. The ticket, huh? Yes, sir, look at that. The answer to every homeowner's prayer. Take a look. Neal, gotta be a beauty, isn't it? No, if you say so. Now, look. Look here, Joe. Look what it says. Easy, simple, install, and a few hours. Just the ticket. Do you need one of these? Have you seen our backyard lately? No, not for a couple of weeks. Looked all right the last time I did see it. Well, you ought to see it now. It's pretty bad. It is, huh? Awful. I just stand there, look at Perry's yard, and I want to throw rocks at mine. Perry's the fireman, isn't he? No, Joe. That's Neal you're thinking of. He lives on the other side. Perry's the insurance salesman. Oh, yeah, that's right. Yeah. He's the one who tries all their sales talks out on you. That's pretty good, too. Joe, would you believe it up to now? I've bought $246,000 worth of insurance. What? Yeah, me, just a policeman. Of course, it's all on paper, just on paper. Yeah. What's wrong with your yard? Too dry. Too dry. Yeah. Hot weather this summer, you know. Little plants that they put out drop like flies, Joe. They die. Like flies. But this is the answer. That's right here. See? Home sprinkler system. Install it yourself. What's that? Look at it. What is it? It's a home sprinkler system, Joe. Read what it says here. There's this corrosion, rust, and rot. Is the answer? It is. Right? I'm going to put one of these little gems from a backyard. Just turn on the faucet. Everything's all watered. You don't have to stand there with a hose. Just turn it on and it's watered. You're going to put this in yourself, are you? Well, I could, Joe. Like it says here in the paper, it shouldn't be any trouble at all. Who's going to do it? Well, I thought I'd get all the stuff together and then just start on it Sunday. You know, about 10, 10, 30 in the morning. Oh, Perry and Neil worked out in the yard at that time. They do, huh? Yeah. They'll see this little gem and they're going to hop over the fence, see what it's all about. And then what happens? I got them, Joe. I got them. You have? Sure, Joe. They see me laying out the sprinkler system right off. They're going to want to help. Well, if you want them to give you a hand, why don't you just ask them? Well, you just can't do it that way, Joe. It wouldn't be right. It wouldn't, huh? No. It's subtle. Remember the kid that white washed the fence? Who? You know, Huck Finn or whatever his name was, white washed the fence. You're still reading those books? No, but I remember that he was pretty subtle. I got to figure it out. They'll come over and, you know, look around, start asking questions. And next thing, they'll be working. After we get the system in, I'll throw a little barbecue and just sit around, turn on the new sprinkler and it'll be cool. Yeah. Sure. Hope it clears up before Sunday. Well, it doesn't matter, does it? Well, sure, Joe. If it rains, son, the old Perry and Neil won't be out in their yards. They won't be able to see me with the hoses and the sprinkler heads over there. Yeah, but if it rains, there won't be any need to put in the sprinkler system right away, will there? I got it. I'm aside Friday. Yeah, Sid. Uh-huh. Did you talk to him? What did he say? Right. All right, we'll be right over. Want to get your coat? What is it? Sid Hughes over at the mirror. Yeah. Just got a call from a guy who's going to kill himself. 10.37 a.m. Frank and I notified the complaint board what had happened and then we left the office. As we drove out of the City Hall garage, it started to rain. We turned up 1st Street and then over to Spring. Sid Hughes, the reporter who had called me, was waiting in front of the mirror building. Sid, over here. Oh. You got the address, Sid? Yeah, here. 2682 North Artmore, out by the ambassador. Hi, Smith. Hi, Sid. All right, let's go. Well, a couple of minutes ago, the guy called. I answered the phone. Told me his name was Jan Patecek. Said he was going to kill himself. Yeah. I talked to him for a couple of seconds. It was easy to see he wasn't just another crank. He meant what he said. How'd he happen to call you? I don't know. He said something about the paper treating him right. Said he wanted to thank us. You know what he's talking about? No, I got Casey Shahan working on it now. He's our city editor. Yeah, I know. Checking the morgue file to see if he can come up with anything. Have you ever heard of him, Frank? No. Name does nothing to mean. I come here to figure he's on the level, Sid. Well, the way he talked, I can't put my finger on it. Just something in the way he sounded. You knew he meant what he said. What'd you tell him? I tried to bluff it through. Told him that there wasn't anything so important he ought to kill himself over. Yeah. I asked him to let me talk to him. I asked him to wait until I could see him. What'd he say to that? He told me he wouldn't do any good. Nothing can make him change his mind. Said I'd be wasting my time. Yeah. Told him I had a lot of it. He wouldn't do any harm to let me see him. He went along with that, did he? Yeah. Said he'd wait 15 minutes. Told me to come along not to figure on trying anything. Well, Frank, you better kill the siren when we get near the place. Right. What time you got? 1042. Can we go any faster? What time? I told you I believed the guy. Yeah. I said to get there before 11.05. 2682 Ardmore was a two-story Spanish-type apartment house. It was a large courtyard in the center of the U-shaped building. Apartment number eight was at the rear of the yard. When we got there, there were several other people standing by the entrance. Two police units had arrived and the officers were trying to keep the crowd away from the door to the apartment. 11.03 a.m. As we walked back toward Padacheck's apartment, Sid Hughes and I tried to figure some way to talk the man out of carrying out his threat to take his own life. I'm not sure how to handle this thing, Joe. It would be pretty bad if I went in and botched it up. I wish you could do it. Has Padacheck ever seen you before? I don't think so. Well, we can try a switch if you want to. Tell him I'm Sid Hughes. They'd be better, Joe. You got some idea what to do in there. I'm not sure I could swing it. All right. I told him I'd shove one of my cards from the newspaper into the door. That way he'd know it was me. All right. Now, after you're inside, I'll try and get in touch with Casey and see what he's been able to come up with on Padacheck. Good. Oh, better leave your gun here. I told him I'd come on arm. All right. You think it's a good idea to go in there without a gun, Joe? No, we haven't got much to say about it. The big thing right now is to try to get him out alive. Yeah, I guess you're right. OK, you want to hang on to this for me? Right. All right. Let's give it a try. It's Sid Hughes, Padacheck. I told you I'd be out here. You want to let me in? What about the card? All right. Here it is. Under the door. Take the card, man. I don't know. I hope this thing works out. You're going to try to get in touch with your office. Aren't you, Sid? Yeah. And see what you can get on them. Right. Might help. The police are there. I'm not going to let them in. They aren't going to bother you? Tell them to go away. Tell them to get off the porch. All right, Frank. You better get the other officers to clear the place out. Right. All right. The police are gone now. You want to let me in? Will you bring my mail in for me? What's that? My mail. It's in the box, right on the side of the porch. In the box. All right. I'll get it. Right now, let me in, huh? I'll stand right there. You don't need that gun. I'm not going to cause you any trouble. Turn around. I told you I was coming on arm. Turn around. We'll see. All right. Put the gun down. You're not going to need that. I feel better with it. Mind if I take off my raincoat? No. Go ahead and make yourself comfortable. Here's your mail. Thanks. Aren't you going to open it up? No reason to. It's nothing important. You can't tell. It might be. There isn't. I know that. You want a cigarette? No, no. But you go ahead. Here, have one of these. I want to be able to see your hands. What's this all about? There's no other way. What do you mean? All night I've been thinking about it. I got home. There's nothing for me anymore. I'm not going to prison. If they think they're going to take me, then they're wrong. Who says you're going to prison? The authorities. They said I have to go to jail for 90 days. I know how they plan it. They tell me 90 days, and then they'll keep me there for more. Well, I'm not going back to prison. You've been in jail before? Yes, five years. Before? For nothing. Five years because I didn't agree with what they were doing. I'm not going back. I'm not going. I'll kill myself first. All right. Take it easy. You want to start from the beginning and tell me what happened? I said I forged a man's name to a check. Did you? Yes, but you've got to understand I didn't have any money. I'm going to take my car away from me. I'm behind on my rent here. I owe money. All my creditors were hounding me. I thought if I could just get a little money to pay the bills, then I could pay it back when I got a job. I was going to pay it back. All of it. I really was. How much was the check? $250. Whose name did you sign? A man I know. I got a check and signed his name. He has the money. I was going to pay him back. I have a job coming up. As soon as I got paid, I was going to put the money back. I didn't mean any harm. I knew what was wrong, but it was the only thing I could think of. They were hounding me. What about that car? Couldn't you sell it? I suppose so, but then if I did, I wouldn't be able to get to my job. I needed my car for that. I had to keep the machine. Well, you'll have a trial. If you tell them what happened, they'll probably understand the court will make an allowance. I've had a trial. I told them I was guilty. That I did forged a check. They told me I had to go to jail. You said you'd been in prison before. Yes. Five years and I escaped. Where was that? In Czechoslovakia. They put me in prison because I wouldn't do what they told me. They killed my father and my mother, and then they put me in prison. I know what it's like. I'm not going back. Well, the prisons here aren't concentration camps. You know that. That's what you say. I know different. I've lived in them. You see here? She tore a teeth in front. Yes, I see them. Well, they're false. Was that right? I lost the teeth when I was kicked by a guard. You know why I was kicked? You know why he did it? No. Because my clothes were torn. That's the reason he kicked me. I tore my clothes so he knocked my forefront teeth. That's all over now, isn't it? Things like that don't happen here. Well, maybe not out in front of people, but they happen in the prisons. I'm not going to have it happen to me again. There were 800 of us. All the rest is at the same time. 800, Mr. Hughes. Yeah. 800 men, people I knew. 800 human beings with homes and families. And I'm the only one alive now. All the rest were killed. All taken to Buchenwald and run through the showers. Now, don't tell me about prisons, Mr. Hughes. I know. I've lived in them. Tell me something. Yes. You remember the name of the judge here on the forgery charge? Yes. Well, let me call him. Let me get him over here and talk this thing over. We can work something out. There's no reason for you to do a thing like you're planning here. It's not that important. Maybe not to you. It isn't to anybody that we can work something out here. Let me call the judge. No, sit down, Mr. Hughes. Look, I'm not a stupid man. I have degrees from three universities. I speak four languages. I spent five years jumping every time a guard looked at me. Five years wishing they'd kill me. Five years wishing I could live in hell because it'd be much better than the way things work. Now they think they're going back. They're not. You understand that, don't you, Mr. Hughes? Don't you? Yeah, I think I understand it. Look, you said yourself that you thought about it all night. Now isn't it possible that you're making this thing more important than it really is? No. I came in here to help you. I want you to help yourself. Now get your hands off me, Mr. Hughes. Now get over there. But I don't know how to tell you, Padacheque. I don't know how to make you believe me, but none of us want to hurt you. We want you to be happy here. That's one of the reasons you came to this country, isn't it? Yes, I read the books about freedom. That's why I came here. And now they're trying to take that freedom away from me before I even have it. They're trying to take it away from me. I forwarded a check. I admitted it. I told them I did it. But I told them I'd pay the money back. That didn't seem to make any difference. They still said I had to go to jail. Well, you said yourself that you were put in prison for not agreeing with the authorities, isn't that what you said? Yes, that's what I said. Well, they don't do that in this country. You know that. Everybody's entitled to his own opinion, live his own life. We've got laws, laws that are written by the people to protect the people. You understand that, don't you? The people themselves understand that. Well, you don't break a law just a little bit. Either you keep it or you don't. Do you understand that? Yes. Well, you broke the law, didn't you? Isn't that right? I told you I did. I broke the law. All right. Now listen, after you've broken a law, you can't make it right by saying you'll pay the money back. But the fact that you do want to rectify your mistake will certainly be taken into consideration by anybody in authority. Do you understand that? I don't know. I try to think... I've thought about it over and over. I can't come to any answer. Where are you going? I'm going to take something with this headache. Not a bad thing. What's this here? What? This note here on the bureau. That's what I wrote. Tell them why I did it so they'd know. Nobody understands what has happened to me. I cannot accept a jail term. All I want is to find peace and freedom. I guess this is the only way to do that. I'm sorry to cause anybody any trouble. Please take care of my dogs. Padacheck. Yes? You know this is all wrong, don't you? I don't know. I wish I did, but I don't know. No, we're not going to need this. There's going to be no reason for it. What are you doing? Get away from that. Leave my things alone. Like all the rest, you don't understand either. You better get out of here. Get out. All right, if that's the way you want it. Why'd you crumple up this note? Now, why? I didn't think that you'd need it. I thought we had this thing straightened down. But we haven't. I told you, get out. All right, wait a minute. Wait a minute. You said that you'd plead guilty. You admitted you forged that check, isn't that right? That's what I said. Well, how come you're here? How come you happen to be home? They gave me 24 hours to arrange care for my dogs. I put up a bond. They gave me 24 hours. Where'd you get the money for the bond? One of the companies by the jail. They put it up for me. Well, how about the dogs? Did you take care of them? No, not yet. Where are they? Up in the kitchen. Can I see them? You like dogs? Certainly I like dogs. All right, come on. Just one smarter, this little one's Eric. Yeah, they look like real good dogs. They are. They're red shepherds. Only friends I have. That's not true. You got friends. Who? Tell me who. Well, me, for one, I'd like to be your friend. If you'll just give me the chance. How about it? What do you say? What's that on your belt? What? The leather case on your belt. What is it? You don't have to answer. I'll tell you. It's a bullet clip. You're not said hues, are you? Are you? No, Jim. No, you're a policeman. You're here to take me to prison, but you made a mistake, a big mistake. Yeah. I'm going to kill you. I'm going to drag net. The authentic story of your police force in action. At cigarette dealers. In vending machines. At supermarkets and stores, coast to coast. Chesterfields, please. Smokers by the thousands. Yes, smokers by the thousands are now changing to Chesterfield. They only cigarette ever to give you one proof of low nicotine, highest quality. Chemical analyses of the country's six leading brands confirm that. Two, the only cigarette ever to give you this proven record with smokers. Again and again, over a full year and one half, a group of Chesterfield smokers have been given thorough medical examinations. The doctor's reports are a matter of record. No adverse effects to the nose, throat and sinuses from smoking Chesterfield. Our responsible independent research laboratory supervises this continuing program. Chesterfield, the only cigarette ever with a record like this. Chesterfield, best for you. 11.18 a.m. I've been in the apartment with Jan Patecek for 13 minutes. During that time, he dealt a chrome-plated luger pointed at me. We've gone into the kitchen to see the dogs and Patecek had noticed the cartridge clip on my belt. When I'd given Mike Dunn and Holster to Frank, I'd forgotten to take the clip off. Patecek had noticed it when I kneeled down to pet the dogs. He'd looked at it for a minute and then he motioned me to go into the living room. He followed, keeping the gun pointed at me. When we got into the center of the room, he told me to sit down and he walked over to the other side of the room and sat on a chair. There's some cigarettes on the table next to you. Please give me one. Yeah, sure. Here, hon. Just throw it over here. All right, here you are. Thanks. Take one yourself if you like. Your policeman, aren't you? That's right. You know, killing isn't new to me. I've done it before. All right. Yeah. See this gun? Yeah. I killed the man who wounded. He was the one at the prison camp, the one who kicked me. After I escaped, I went back. Now I have the gun. Now I don't have to listen to other people who tell me what to do or when or how to do it. You'll listen to me because you know if you don't, I'll kill you. You know that, don't you? Maybe. I've seen a lot of killing. I know what it is. I won't hesitate to kill you. What about the people you know here? What about? How are they going to feel after you've done away with yourself? No matter to them. You sound pretty sure about that. I'm sure as I can be. You mean that in the two years that you've been over here in this country, you haven't made any friends that are going to care about you? Not at all. What about the people in that picture? Why? Right here. This photograph here. Christmas party. All the signatures won't they care? No. How about this one here? It says to Jan with deepest regards. Signed Mary Jane. Is this her? Yes, it's her. Looks like a nice girl to me. She is. Well, she'll care, won't she? I don't think so. Why? Because all of them, they felt sorry for me all the time. They tried to make it easier because they felt sorry for me. They thought I didn't know, but I did all the time. I knew. Well, some of the things that they wrote on the pictures doesn't make it look like that. Some of them are pretty nice. They didn't mean them. You really believe that? I don't have any other choice. How long has it been since you did believe in anything? Long time. How long? I guess since my mother died. When was that? At the beginning of the war. Right after the conference. They came one night. They took her and my father. Took them both and never saw them again. I heard what happened. I guess that's the time I stopped believing in anything. How'd you happen to come over to this country? After I escaped, I went to England for five years. I worked with the Czech forces there. Then when the war was over, I got permission to come here. I think you said before that you came over here because you wanted the freedom, isn't that right? Yes. You found it, didn't you? I guess. Anyone ever tried to tell you where you could go? No. Or church to go to? No. You can say what you think, can't you? Well, what do you want to do this thing? I try to tell you, I know about prisons. I know what goes on behind the doors. I lived there. I lived and died in them. You ever been in one? Yes. As a prisoner? No, not as a prisoner. Well, that's just it. They got you fooled, too. I remember when the people from the relief organizations would come along, the guard would take us out in the court of the prison. They'd make a stand there and tell the people how good they were to us. If we didn't say it that way, then they'd take us back and beat us to death. I know what goes on behind the doors. Because I saw it. I lived it. Now, don't tell me what happens. Now, you and your law come along and tell me that you're going to send me back. What about them? Who's going to take care of the dogs? Isn't that the reason that you're here? Isn't that the reason you came home? Who's going to take care of them? I don't know. Somebody will. They're going to miss you. They'll miss me feeding them. That's all. You know better than me. Your mother, Eric, be quiet. You only seem to mind, don't they? They're well trained. Have you ever shown them? No. They have a lot of good dog shows around here. You ought to show them. They probably do real good. Do they have dog shows in prison? I don't know how to tell you. I don't know how to make you believe me. If you just let me get that judge over here, let him talk to you. Maybe he can make you believe that it's not going to be like it was in your country. You'll be well fed. You'll get decent clothes. Nobody's going to beat you. We don't do things like that here. I'm not going to prison. Just let me get that judge over here. Now, let me call him on the phone. He can be here in just a few minutes. He'll tell you. He can do something. There's no reason why we can't work this thing out. Now, let me try to help you, please. I want to believe you, Mr. Friday. I really do, but it's hard to believe in anything. I'll just ask you one thing. Trust me. I've never seen you before. I don't know you outside of this room, but I ask you to believe me. I promise you, I'll give you my word that I won't let anything happen to you. I don't know. I don't know. Let me have that gun. Let me take it. Then we can work things out. Do you think we can do it? I think we can. John? John, let me in. I want to see you. They're here now to take me. You won't let them do it, will you? Please, don't let them take me. Don't worry. All right, you down there. Get away from that door. All right, come on, Jan. I'll go crazy if they put me in prison again. I know I will. I don't want to go back. Jan, come on. Give me the gun, will you? I won't go back. If I go this time, it'll be for good. Now, if they take me this time, they'll kill me for what I did. I know that will. No, they won't, Jan. Now, please, give me that gun. Get away from that door and stay away, will you? They're going to break in. Quick. We've got to hide. If they find us, they'll kill us both. Come on, Jan. Don't let anybody hurt you. I promise. I'll give you my word. Now, give me that gun. You mean that? I do. You won't let them take me? No, now, come on. Give me the gun. I want to believe you. I want to believe you. Now, you do it. Trust me, Jan. I won't let you down. Come on. Give me the gun. Get away from that door. I'm doing the best I can. I just stand still, you. All right. We did all we could, Joe. This guy got biases. Pat, check over the money. We tried to stop him, Joe. You're the man who was with him? That's right. Well, you had no business up there. I had no money. He was going to jail. I wanted to get him before he left. I had a right to be here. If you'd kept your nose out of this, I'd have gotten it straight down. Sure you would have. Had a check's dead. I know that. I heard the shot. I'm out a couple of hundred dollars he owed me. Think I'll ever get it back? I hope you're happy. You just took a couple of hundred dollars away from me, didn't you? Sit. Yeah. Let's go. Mr. Protect the Innocent. On November 19th, an autopsy was performed in the coroner's office in and for the county of Los Angeles, state of California. In a moment, the results of that autopsy. Now, here is our star, Jack Webb. Thank you, George Fenerman. Friends, we've been getting letters from people all over the country telling us that they've switched to Chesterfield. Just as I've been telling you, thousands of smokers are changing to Chesterfield because only Chesterfield gives proof of low nicotine, highest quality. That's why I recommend you try them today. Regular or king size, you'll find Chesterfield best for you. The coroner's autopsy disclosed that the death of Jan Padacheck resulted from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. It was officially recorded as a suicide. 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 Pham's Brasher. Heard tonight were Ben Alexander, Whit Connor, Big Perrin, Jack Frushan. Script by John Robinson. Music by Walter Schumann. Hell, give me speaking. Watch an entirely new Dragnet case history each week on your local NBC television station. Please check your newspaper for the day and time. Chesterfield has brought you Dragnet transcribed from Los Angeles. Have you tried new cork-tipped Fatima? It's the smooth smoke. Here's why. New Fatima tips of perfect cork. King size for longer filtering. And Fatima quality for a much better flavor and aroma. Remember, Fatima has the tip for your lips. Try new Fatima. See how smooth it is. Fatima is made by the makers of Chesterfield, Liget and Myers, one of Tobacco's most respected names. Visit with Cousin Willie next on NBC.