 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. Your social security takes you a long way toward full security, but not all the way. That's why you'll be interested in the Equitable Society's plan for turning social security into full security. So in just 13 minutes listen carefully. We have an important message on this subject from the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States. Tonight the subject of our FBI file armed robbery. It's title crime for sale. Only one person can eliminate crime. You the honest citizen. And until that is understood fully by the American people, our home bread army of criminals will continue to increase. Your FBI knows only too well that the job of crime eradication is more than merely hunting and arresting lawbreakers. That can be and is done by your law enforcement agencies. But responsibility rarely belongs to the people victimized by crime. Really belongs to you. In far too many cases, criminals are aided by their victims. Cars are stolen because you leave your keys in the ignition after parking. Homes are burglarized because you go out and forget to lock a window or a back door. You are held up because you flash too much money or because you spoke too freely in a public place. The naming of each bad habit is not important. What is important is that you the American people adopt a new and more sensible viewpoint. The viewpoint that crime is almost constantly at your elbow and that you can aid in crime prevention by doing one thing. By exercising constant vigilance. Tonight's FBI file opens in the downtown district of a large eastern city. A fashionable beauty parlor is closing for the day when one of the hairdressers approaches the table of a blonde manicurist. Don't put away your tray. Why not? I got a hang meal that's killing me. You want the scissors blow? Oh you do it. I'd stab myself. You look beat. Oh, I'm dead. Just dead. The business getting you down? It's not the business. It's the customers. Talk, talk, talk all day long. I know what you mean. Take that Mrs. Emery. Besides her trip and her new clothes, now I have to hear the history of her new pooch. I never told me it'd be like this when I took the course. You have to go through that every day too. No. You're lucky. Thanks Annie. That's fine. Oh still no. Put fresh polish on. Say Annie, if you got paid for listening to those dames, would you listen real good? Who'd pay for that? A friend of mine. He likes people who are good listeners. Manicurists especially. Oh, has he got a beauty parlor? Well, not exactly. Oh, well, I couldn't even consider leaving here anyhow. I have too many regular customers. Well, you don't have to quit. You could work for him right here in this place. Oh. G-Flo, I don't understand. Well, when they talk to you about their apartment, for instance, get the details. You know how it's laid out, how it's furnished. Yeah. And, well, if they're going away, find out exactly when and where and how long they'll be out of town. Then what? I tell my friend. He's a society reporter. He wants all the copy he can get and he's willing to pay for it. Really? Five bucks for every good tip. That's what he's offered me and I'm cutting you in. Gee, I could use some extra money with Christmas coming up and all. Then you're in business. When you get something, you tell me and I'll tell him. Gosh. Now maybe I can buy some real nice Christmas presents. Who for? Myself. Oh, just a minute, just a minute. Hello, Chuck. Oh, hi, Flo. Uh, grab a chair. I'll be with you in a minute. Okay. Call room service if you want a drink. No thanks. I thought you were off the bike, Arb. Oh, that's my ulcers again. How can a big strong guy like you get ulcers? Trying to run an efficient business. You don't know the overhead I've got, you know. Yeah, you make plenty. Yeah, sure, but it's not all profit. My work don't end when somebody brings in a tip. I got to sell the job, get rid of the loot and pay everybody off. Well, what have you got for me? I better read it to you. Mrs. Emory, 455 Park Drive. It's a good neighborhood. Sixth room apartment, wall safe behind portrait of Mrs. Emory in living room. Behind portrait in living room. All right, I got it. She's taking a trip to California. Be gone 10 days. She leaves on Monday. Her maid's going with her. No one will be in the apartment until she returns. Uh, that manicurist dig this? Yeah, Annie. Think you can sell it? Oh, sure, sure. It's high-class merchandise. Yeah, I got time for one drink. What do we have? Uh, call down an order, whatever you want, huh? How about you? Oh, no thanks. I never drink during business hours. A few weeks later, a veterans organization is parading past the building in which your FBI has its local field office. Special agent Taylor makes his way across the crowded sidewalk. Jim. Oh, hello, Larry. All right, get a minute. Sure. Grab the quick line so I can watch this. I'm going to push over for a brass band. So am I. I wish you could see him, but I got to keep an eye field for pickpockets. Yeah, the chief put 30 extra men on this thing. No. You going to be in the office later? No, I've got to go uptown to interview a witness. Why? I wanted some help on a few jewel burglaries. We've had three of the last couple of weeks and I can't get a lead on any of them. No, any FBI jurisdiction? No, nothing I know of. Well, there's only one thing I can do for you then. You got a list of the loot? Yeah, from each job. Here, uh, this stuff was taken from the apartment of a Mrs. Emery. And this is what a couple named York reported missing. And there's what the thief took at the home of a Mr. and Mrs. Allen. Okay, Larry, I'll send him on to Washington having posted in our national stolen property file. Thanks. Each job was pulled while the victim was away on vacation. We haven't got a single good lead. Sounds real professional. Yeah, they must have been. At the Allen's there was a mink coat on the sofa being aired and the thief passed it. Just opened the wall safe, took the jewelry, a thousand dollars in cash and walked out. Jim, look at him throw that baton, huh? That boy's real good. I'll see you later, Jim. I just spotted somebody borrowing a wallet. You had your lunch? Not yet. Come on, let's go grab a sandwich. Okay. Oh, brother, what a morning I put in. I was busy too. This your cone? Uh-huh. Oh, thanks. Oh, I knew I had something to tell you. What? I've got a scoop for your friend. Good. You know the thing I told you about Mrs. Emery taking a trip? Uh-huh. And about Mrs. York and Mrs. Allen taking trips too? They going away again? No, but they were all in this morning. And what do you think? Well, they were gone. Their houses were robbed. Really? Oh, whoa, look. Did you ever see such a beautiful hat? See that price tag? For 35 bucks, the fruit on top ought to be real. Do you think your friend would pay 35 dollars for that scoop? What scoop? Well, I just told you. Three of my customers go on vacation and they're all robbed. Isn't that a coincidence? It sure is. And I did what you told me. I got all the details. And maybe your friend can put my name in the paper. Annie, have you told anybody else about this? Well, just you. That's why it's a scoop. Well, take my advice. Forget the whole thing. Now, come on. Let's get that sandwich. But, Flo, this is my chance to get my name in the paper. Kid, fame ain't food. If it gets out, the three of your customers got robbed. They might start thinking you're a jinx or something and go someplace else for their manicures. Gee, you think so? Sure, and you'd get canned. Oh, that'd be awful. If I got fired, I wouldn't hear anything to tell you. And your friend wouldn't have anything to write. Maybe he'd get fired, too. Well, that's why you got to think about what you do and say. You got responsibilities now. Special agents of your FBI work only on violations of over 120 laws over which Congress has given the Bureau jurisdiction. However, your FBI also aides local police throughout the country by making available to them without cost the use of the FBI crime laboratory. The Bureau also aides local law enforcement agencies by its national stolen property file, a file which lists articles stolen all over the nation, a file which came to play its part in this case. Hello, Jim. Oh, hi, Larry. How are you making out on those jewels? They're still no leads. Oh, we're in on them. Oh, welcome. Yeah, the police in Robertsville arrested a fence and found more than $5,000 worth of stolen jewelry. Robertsville? Yeah, that they probably figured a fence that far away would be pretty safe. And that he went across the state line. We can sure use the help. I hope we can give it to you. I'll send the Robertsville police a list of serial numbers off those stolen bills, huh? The $1,000 that was taken at the Allens? Yeah, they're all brand new fives that Mr. Allen got to use as Christmas presents. Yeah, here, you'll want the numbers, too. Oh, thanks, Larry. We've circularized all local banks, but if the jewelry went to Robertsville, maybe the money did, too. Hey, are all the victims in town now? Yeah, and screaming for action, OK? I think I'll go interview them. Hello, Laughing Boy. Never mind the jokes, Flo. Now, your stomach can't be in that bad shape. Oh, no, no, no, no. It's wonderful, wonderful. You know, I don't know why I stay in this business. You get one thing running smooth and something else goes wrong. Chuck, if somebody gave you a passkey to the mint, you'd worry about him changing the lock. Oh, sure, sure. It's nothing to you that my fence got knocked off. Which one? The man in Robertsville. So, get a new one. It's not that easy. Coming to the end of the year, thought I'd show a little profit, be able to take it easier next year. Well, if your guy in Robertsville was such a genius, how come he got sacheted? Oh, probably callousness. You know, that's the downfall of any business without a standard of procedure. A procedure, I know. We've been through this before. As of now, there are some changes in my standard. OK. From now on, don't come to this room. The porter in the lobby will handle all messages. How about payoffs? You'll take care of those, too. If you have anything for me, leave it with him in an envelope. I'll do the same when there's anything I've got for you. There's something you can get to me right now. What? $300. Oh, oh, yes, of course. Well, I've got it right here. There we are. Thanks. Now, don't forget to pay the manicurist. I won't. Oh, listen to it. All day, all night. You know, with taxes the way they are, a man's got to be crazy to stay in business. Larry, I think I found a lead. Let me put you one up on me, Jim. You know anything about Jenny's beauty parlor over near the park? No. Why? The three women who were robbed all go there. Well, I checked the city license bureau and the beauty operators' union, neither the owner nor any of the help is a record, though. Let's go down and do some questioning anyway. All right. Oh, there's one thing I want you to check for me. Hello, Crawford. Oh, pardon me. Hello, Crawford. Charlie, you calling me? Child type coming in for you from the 22nd precinct. Oh, thanks, Charlie. Come on, Jim. Let's get it. Yo. That beauty parlor is in the 22nd. Oh, yeah. You know, we ought to try and get a list of all the customers at that place. Maybe some others have been robbed that we don't know about. It's all machine three. Thanks, Charlie. Jim, this ties in with what? The lead you had. Some of those new $5 bills were deposited at the National Bank. By whom? A manicurist at Jenny's Beauty Parlor. In just a few moments, we'll hear the thrilling conclusion of tonight's case from the official files of the FBI. But first, I'd like to have you meet Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Gilbert, a young couple who are now facing a problem which every family must eventually face. Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert. Good evening, Mr. Keating. Good evening. Mr. Gilbert, you told me that you're worried about security for your family. You want to be sure that your wife and children will be well-fed, well-housed, and well-clothed if something happened to you. Well, that's right, Mr. Keating. If I should die, all that Mary and the kids would have to live on is my social security. About $115 a month, Mr. Keating. I don't see how we could get along on that. Well, how much would it take? Well, that's our problem. And that's why Mary and I got so interested in that chart you were talking about on the radio. You mean the equitable fact-finding chart for fathers and mothers? Well, let's take a look at it. It's made to answer your exact problems. With this chart, in just five minutes, you can figure out exactly what income would be needed. These easy-to-understand pictures guide you every step of the way. Now, notice that all the major items of living expense are included. The answer you get is accurate and reliable. Well, that's just what we need. Well, you bet it is. How much do these charts cost, Mr. Keating? Not a penny. Your equitable representative will be happy to give you a copy, and he'll be glad to show you how to turn your social security into full security. That sounds awfully good to me, but does it cost much? Mrs. Gilbert, full security may cost you a lot less than you think. You see, your social security is a good head start, so all you may need to get full security is a small additional amount of insurance. Does that help you with your problem, Mr. Gilbert? You've helped us a lot, Mr. Keating, and thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert. Well, friends, that will give you some idea of how valuable the Equitable Society fact-finding chart for fathers and mothers might be to you and your family. So get in touch with your equitable representative soon. Ask him for your free copy of the Equitable Fact-Finding Chart for Fathers and Mothers. That's E-Q-U-I-T-A-B-L-E. The Equitable Life-Assuring Society of the United States. And now back to the FBI file, Crime for Sale. It is with the hope of bringing exhibits of the different types of criminal that the Federal Bureau of Investigation helps bring this program to you, so that you have examples of the actual lawbreakers before you, where you may study them and try to understand why and how they became criminals. Pathology is taught by physical dissection. Something of the same sort should be of value in learning why there is a disease called crime. Surely one of the basic reasons is greed. As one criminal put it, everyone I knew had to work for a living. They didn't get much out of it. What I wanted was big automobiles and things like that. I didn't see how I was going to get them by making a fool of myself and working all my life, so I decided to take what I wanted. End of quotes. The man who said that was Alvin Carthus, once America's public enemy number one. His sentiments are those of most criminals who decide to take what they want. What makes it important to every decent citizen is that the person they take from is you. Tonight's FBI file continues at the fashionable beauty parlor. Special Agent Taylor is interviewing Annie Gray. Now, Miss Gray, about those $5 bills. What was wrong with them? Well, nothing. Then I don't see why you're making all this fuss. I wanted to earn some extra Christmas money. Is that anything to call out the FBI about? No. See, I'm right. May I ask you another question, then? Sure. You said you earned those $5 bills, Miss Gray. Yes. Where? Well, there's a girl here named Flo Mitchell. She's nice and she likes me, so she told me about a friend of hers who works on a paper who... maybe I'd better start over. All right, please do. This friend of Flo Mitchell's works on a paper. He's a society reporter, and so when any of my customers... we get a lot of society people here. Yes, I know. But when any of my customers told me about going away, I was supposed to find out everything I could. Then I told Flo, she told her friend, and I got $5. And you told this Flo Mitchell about Mrs. Emory, Mrs. York, and Mrs. Allen all taking trips? And I was right every time. Tell me, did Miss Mitchell come to work today? Oh, sure. She's in the other room with everybody else. All right, thank you. I still don't see what's wrong. Miss Flo Mitchell, please. I'm Flo Mitchell. Will you come in here, please? What's this all about? Flo, I had to tell him. Tell him what? About you giving her some $5 bills for information about customers who were leaving the city. She told you that? Yes, that's right. Lying won't help you now, Annie. Flo! I'm sorry, kid. In a spot like this, I can't protect you. I never gave you any $5 bills. Hello. Hello, Chuck? Yes, is that you, Flo? What? Oh, no. Well, what about the rest of the 300? Now, don't do anything foolish, Flo. Did the cops question you? Yeah. And didn't arrest you? No. Running now would be an admission of guilt. Just sit tight. Well, but I... Believe me, I know about things like this. Now, about your $285, I'll stand the loss. Drop by the porter's desk. There'll be an envelope waiting for you with good money in it. I'll be there tonight. No case under investigation by your FBI has worked on by only one agent. In addition to Special Agent Taylor, a resident agent in Robertsville was checking the records of every person ever arrested with the fence. In Washington, the FBI crime laboratory was carefully inspecting every piece of jewelry taken during the raid and going over each ring, each clip, each bracelet for fingerprints to find a suspect. A suspect who might have committed the three robberies. A suspect who finally turned up. Jim, we got a break. Oh, what happened? The cashier at the Melody Cafe pasted that list of serial numbers over the register. About two hours ago, a customer used two of the bills to pay his check. The cashier called headquarters. I picked up the man who spent him, and we got a full confession. Who is he? Always a safecracker named Blackie Millette. Millette. He got a record this long. How does a beauty parlor fit in? Well, I don't know. Millette says he never heard of any gray or flow, Mitchell. Well, he must have gotten information someplace about those three families being out of town. Yeah, but he told me he bought the job. No, from whom? He doesn't know the man's name. Why? Well, he claims he hit town and a friend called a number for him, then introduced him over the phone to somebody named Chuck. And this mysterious Chuck sold him the three robberies? Yeah, that's his story. How'd they conduct their business? He left envelopes for Chuck or vice versa at the Porter's desk in the lobby of the River Hotel. And he claims he's never seen this person? No, he doesn't even know his name. Now, come on, Larry. Let's go see the River Hotel Porter. Can I help you? Yes, Porter. I'm Special Agent Taylor of the FBI. This is Lieutenant Crawford of the police. How do you do it, sir? I'm looking for a man named Chuck. We don't know his last name. Chuck? Yes, sir. We think he's a guest here. Mister, there's a thousand rooms in this hotel. Well, this man leaves envelopes with you, and sometimes people leave one for him. Oh, is that who you mean? You know him? Yes. He was by here a little while ago. And what is his name? I have no idea. Do you know what room he's in? Well, I'm not even sure he lives here. Well, when he came by before, did he leave an envelope? Mm-hmm. May we see it, please? I guess so. Here you are. Thanks. Yeah, Jim, look at the name on it. Yeah. Oh, Porter, when is Miss Flow Mitchell supposed to get this? Well, these things don't usually sit around long. Fine. Can you do us a favor? Name it. When Miss Mitchell shows up, tell her there's no envelope here. All I need is a crash helmet. Well, how's that, Larry? Well, I spent the war on a General Sherman tank in the South Pacific, and this reminds me of it. What, hiding behind potted ponds? Yeah. We used to camouflage our tank with branches. Wait a minute, Larry. That's Flow Mitchell. And where? The girl in the brown coat. See, she's going over to the writing desk. Yeah, that's her. That looks like money that she took out of her purse. Mm-hmm. Wish we knew what she's writing on that envelope. There she comes. Yes, ma'am. Can I help you? You got an envelope for Flow Mitchell? Wait a minute, look. No, ma'am. You sure? Positive. There's got to be one. Sorry, ma'am. Where are the house phones? Over there. Oh, never mind. I'll go right upstairs. Jim, let's follow her. When she gets closer to the elevators you take out after her. Okay, how about you? I can't, Larry. She knows me from the beauty parlor. That's right. Uh-oh, we're both out of action. She's heading straight for the powder room. Oh, fine. Well, we can move over behind that post. Yeah, come on. Well, thanks, Porter. You're welcome. This gives us a good vantage point. Mm-hmm. Everything's working out so far. Too bad you didn't give the porter that envelope. There's a house phone on each floor. As soon as she goes into the room you call me here and I'll join you. Yeah. Door's open. Pardon me, ma'am. Are you talking to me? Yes, there's a tall girl wearing a brown coat in there. The one with the big hat? Yes. She went out the other door. Jim, come on. Now, hold it, Larry. Two more banks of elevators on that side of the hotel. Hey, we can catch her. Miss, is there any way of getting to those elevators besides through the powder room? You go out to the street down to the next corner. I see. Well, thank you, ma'am. We won't have time for that. Jim, we're gone. She must be on her way upstairs by now. Yeah, I'm afraid so. There's no point in waiting for her to come down. She'll never tell us who she visited. Wait a minute, Larry. Maybe she won't have to. Let's go. Where? Over to that writing desk that she used. Okay, okay. I'm coming. Hello. Fine guy you are. First you give me hot money and then you hang me up. I told you never to come to this room again. Save the standard procedure, business. If you've got any idea, you can con me out of that 285 bucks. You're wacky. What are you talking about? Money. That green stuff you hate to part with. This isn't a tough enough business. I gotta get mixed up with a crazy dame. Never mind the flattery. Where's my money? Where I said it would be in an envelope at the porter's desk. Now, please get out. Not so fast. You're not getting another dime from me. We agreed on the price and that's it. Look, Chum, I've just been to the porter's desk. He don't know from any envelope with my name on it. I left it there an hour ago. Tell him, not me. All right, come on. Where? Downstairs to the porter's desk. I'll prove to you it's there. Okay. Hello. What? Chuck, he's an FBI man. That's right. You're both under arrest. Chuck Burnett and Flo Mitchell were convicted in federal court for aiding and debating in a violation of the interstate transportation of government property statute and sentenced to a federal prison. Special Agent Taylor and Detective Crawford arrived at Chuck Burnett's room because Flo Mitchell had used a fresh blotter from the hotel writing desk after she addressed the envelope to room 713. Upon finding the blotter, it became a simple matter to read the inverted number and to reach the room shortly after the girl did. Thus, through the close cooperation of a local law enforcement agency and your FBI, the career of a man who tried to put crime on an assembly line basis was halted. Halted before he could make you or one of your neighbors his next victim. An even more important result was the freeing from suspicion of Annie Gray, the manicurist whom Flo Mitchell had attempted to frame. The meticulous care exercised by modern day law enforcement agencies like the Federal Bureau of Investigation represents one of the finest attributes of the American way of life. A way of life founded on decency and on the sovereign rights of you, the individual. Now just two things to remember about the equitable spack-finding chart for fathers and mothers. First, it shows you exactly what monthly income your family would require if the breadwinner should die unexpectedly. Second, this pictorial chart doesn't cost you one cent. Ask your Equitable Society representative for a free copy or send a postcard care of this station to the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States. Next week we will dramatize another case from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It's subject, armed robbery. It's titled The Innocent Santa Clause. 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 Patty Chapman, Whitfield Conner, Bill Conrad, Tony Hughes and Isabel June. This is your FBI. A Jerry Divine production was directed by Sid Goodwin. 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 transcribe story from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The innocent Santa Claus 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.