 Ladies and gentlemen, the story 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 robbery detail. A pair of holdout men have been operating in your city. You know their method of operation. You know what they look like. Your job? It was Wednesday, June 8th. It was warm in Los Angeles. We were working the day to watch out a robbery detail. My partner is Frank Smith, the boss of Chief of Detectives Thad Brown. My name's Friday. We're on our way out from the office, and it was 10.14 a.m. when we got to the corner of Roberta and Mercury, the After Hours Cafe. Would you like to see Harry Prentice? Yeah, I'm him. What do you want? Police officers. This is my partner, Frank Smith. My name's Friday. Oh, all right. About last night, huh? Yeah. Were you here? Yeah, it sure was. I'm the only one who's got a key. Place is open. I'm here. Yes, sir. Know about the robbery? Yeah, sure. What do you want to know? Oh, would you tell us what happened? You should have read the papers this morning. All about it in there. Got a couple of copies if you want to see them. No, that won't be necessary. No trouble at all. I'm having to have a couple of copies right here. Now, here, take a look right here. Now, here it is. Now, I'll read it to you. Last night at the After Hours Cafe, and we should give him the address, at the After Hours Cafe, two gunmen held up in B. Jeffrey Hanks. The victim was approached outside the bar, and when asked for his money... Yes, sir. Now, we saw all that. We'd just like to hear your version if we could. Oh, well, okay. What do you want to know? Did you see the man? The gunman? That's right. Yeah, sure. I told the other cops I did. Gave me a description of everything. Uh-huh. No sending about their speech, an accent, maybe? No. I asked them what they wanted. One, a big one. You ordered a scotch and a rocks. The other one asked for plain grapefruit juice. No booze, just the juice. Now, lucky I had it. Got a couple of cans in for vodka drinks. Don't get a lot of call for it. The guy drank all I had. When did the victim come in? Now, you mean Hanks? Yeah. Almost been about 8.30. Some place in here. Walked in, sat down. Had you seen him before? No, brand new face. Nice working guy, though. Kind of like they have for regulars. Yeah, quiet, good drinker. Doesn't bother the singles at the bar. Nice, you know what I mean? Yeah. I had a place full of them. I wouldn't have no worries. How do you happen to get mixed up with the other dude, you know? Yeah, you mean Hanks? That's right. I don't know. I wasn't paying a lot of attention. Portable Martini left him alone. A friend of mine, lady type, was here. We were talking to her. Her and her boyfriend had been having trouble. He belted her around a little bit. Not bad. Couple of scratches, you know what I mean? I think so. Well, she was asking me what to do. We've been friends for a long time since I opened a place. Anyway, we was talking so I didn't see what happened. No. All I know is that the three of them got up and moved to the booth in the bank. Ordered another round. Uh-huh. I hardly got the drinks back to the table and they was ready for another one. Go ahead. Kept running from the bar to their table for the next couple of hours. You hear anything they were saying? No, not much. The one who was drinking scotch, he got a little plastered and loud. Told him a couple of times to shut up. Said I'd have to 86 him if they didn't. Yeah. Kept it up so I told him to leave. Didn't take it kindly. What do you mean then? I started to get rough. You know, telling me that they didn't have to take no guff from a barkeep. No. Well, I told him I wasn't drinking the grapefruit juice. I told him to get his friends out. He says we're not causing any trouble. And I said that's the way I want to keep it. All right. So he said for me to leave him alone. And I said to the grapefruit, I said for him to leave right then. I don't want you in my place, I said. Yeah. Well, I saw Scotch on the rocks. He said tell his cat to go hide his head. Like that, he said. And turned the bear loose. I grabbed the both of them, threw them out through the door. O-U-T. Yeah. And I went back for the other guy. Nice looking one. It was pretty gasp by then. About eight martinis asked him to leave. He did. Yeah. Do you have any trouble with it? No, no, sir. Just asked. He walked out. Were the other two outside when he left? Yeah. I stand on the sidewalk. I throw him the shovel off. I call the cops. Oh, Scotch on the rocks. He said for me to go soak my head. Now, I was going after him. And I figured it wouldn't do no good. So I came back inside. A couple of minutes later, there was a nice guy. Thanks. Thanks. Oh, yeah. Well, he came in, all beat up. Closed to a real mess. No. Big cut right along here. He said he'd been robbed. Wanted me to call the cops. Had you ever seen either of the two men before? You mean Scotch on the rocks and Griffin? That's right. No, no, I never did. Why don't you take a look at this description, see if it's right. Here. Yeah, sure. Glad to help her. Yeah, yeah, that looks about right. You got anything you can add to it? No. There's a couple of guys. Nothing at the bottom that stand out. Would you know him if he saw him again? Hard to say, you know what I mean. Yes. A couple of guys came in in order to drink. Nothing special. Not sure I could point him out for you. Anybody, forget him. Not quite. Huh? We won't. 11.30 a.m. We left the barn, went back to the city hall. We checked with the stats office and picked up the results of their latest run. They listed four possibles, but when we read the names, we were no closer to the hold-up men than we had been. The names were ones that we checked and cleared before. Frank and I went back to robbery. There was a message for us to see Captain Donahoe. We went into his office. Yeah. Mm-hmm. No. Far as I know there's nothing to learn. That's right. Uh-huh. What? Hi, Skipper. Captain. I was Chief Brown. Been calling all morning. Yeah. You know what he wants? What do I tell him? Well, we talked to the bartender. He can't give us anything. What about the victim? Not much there, either. Able to come up with a name? No, so he didn't hear anything. That's a big help. Well? Sit down. Thank you. Figure that? Yeah, thanks. Smith? Yes. I got it. From the beginning. What do you got? Good ammo. Good description. I got an idea of a liner working, and that's about it. What about stats? We'll run four names. What's on them? Clean. They all been checked before. Got to be something around town on them. Well, there should be, but they're just isn't. How about your informants? No, they haven't been able to tell us anything. Straight? No reason they should lie. Victims and witnesses seen the mug books? All we got. They haven't been able to come up with an identification. Burton, the CIA sent all the stuff he's got on the method of operation. We've checked it all through. What about the places they could spend the money? Well, we've been to Gardena a dozen times. There's nothing out there. Well, on Vegas? Talk to the department over there. They're giving us all the help they can, but they haven't turned anything yet. We even got the racetracks covered. Possible you missed something? Sure, it's possible. I don't know what it could be. You knew you wouldn't have missed it? Yeah. From the beginning? Go over. Okay. First report was made on... Got it here. Here it is. Tuesday, April 26th. Victim came out of the bar. Two men stopped him, started the conversation, got him into a car, beat him and robbed him. Six weeks ago. That's right. The guys are still running. The next one was on Friday, April 29th. Same ammo, same description. How often has it been happening since? A couple of times a week. You can't find a leak? No, sir. No rumbles? No, no, we haven't run down. Anybody in the office got anything? We talked to me in the storm well. I thought they had it made for us, but their lead didn't go any place. That money they're getting isn't sitting in their pockets, being spent someplace. We can't find the cash register. I'll tell you this. The fellow they nailed last night, what's his name? Differing Inks. Yeah. Well, he's got some friends in the city hall. They're pretty upset about what happened, called the chief this morning. He's been on me. He's been giving it to you. He won't be happy with excuses, and I don't want to give him any, so don't hand me any. Right. Well, it's down simple. I don't care how you do it. I don't care where. Just get it done. I want those two men, and I want them fast. All right. I know how it is. Now you do too. Yes, sir. I don't like the pressure any more than you do. We're getting it all the way around. People that are making the noise should follow us around for a couple of days. That's the difference. They don't have to. Huh? You're getting paid. Frank and I went over every piece of information we had on the case. We re-read the reports that had been filed by the officers at the scene. Statements from witnesses and victims were gone over again. The names the stats office had given us were run through our eye again. None of it did any good. We still didn't have a lead to the identity of the thieves. Three days passed while we talked to informants and questioned other sources of information. On Sunday, June 12th, we got back to the office from talking to a bartender out on the Olympic Boulevard. Well, that's another one that didn't go any place. Yeah. You want to get the book? I got it. Probably fatty. Uh-huh. Yeah, Jack. Yeah, where's the place? Mm-hmm. Yeah, I got it. Yeah, I guess the word's all over. Yeah. Okay, we'll check it out. Thanks, boy. All right, bye. There's nothing in the book. Thank God. I want to know if you could make it for dinner tonight. Got a barbecue plan. You better call it off. You got other plans? That was McCready on the phone. He just got a call from a bartender out in Wilshire. Yeah. A woman crying in her beer says he figured we want to check it out. What is it? She says her boyfriend is one of our suspects. The bar Sergeant Jack McCready had mentioned was on the corner of Wilshire Boulevard in Ingram Street. There were two people in the place when we arrived. One an elderly man sitting near the door and the other a middle-aged woman at the rear of the bar. We checked with a bartender and he told us that he'd made the call. He went on to say that the woman had come in about 10 that morning. Since that time, she'd been crying and mumbling something about going to the police. Frank and I went back to talk to her. I understand that you want to talk to the police. Yes, I got to do it with you. My name is Friday. This is my partner Frank Smith. How you doing? You're caught, sir. What do you want to see us about, lady? That bum, Derwin. That's what it's about. Bum. What's his name? Is it Derwin? Yeah, we don't know good. He's crying down to me all the time, hasn't he? I think we was married all the time. What's his last name, do you know? Oh, Brooke. Derwin, oh, Brooke. You like to buy me a drink? I don't think you had enough of that, lady. Well, that's where you're wrong. I was supposed to show you that you don't know what you're talking about. And then you went to me, though. I haven't caught Derwin, none. What's he done? Hold ups. Ma'am? Hold ups. I say he's done all over town. Oh, Derwin's been holding people up. See your husband? Me? Derwin's right? That's right. That's real funny. You know how that is. I mean, Derwin married. But I don't think I wouldn't do it. No, for men don't think it. But it ain't true. Not at all. I'm not sure. Well, Derwin's just a friend. I've been a friend for 12 years. That's a long time. That's right. I've been holding hands for 12 years. But we ain't married. You don't want to. Will you tell us about the hold ups that he's been pulling? He's been all the papers. And you haven't read it? All the papers. Are you sure they were cops? Why don't you tell us about Derwin? He's lousy. All the time talking about how somebody would get married. All the time talking like that. I got a couple of bucks put away and we'll take the big step. That's why he was all the time saying it was a big step. So what happened? Here's a couple of bucks that he takes off with another girl. Lousy bum, Derwin. He's miserable. Now, where'd he get the money? I mean, the hold ups. Like on the paper, I've told you that before. He's one year after he's beaten up all those people in front of bars. He's pretty good at beating people up, you know. He's good at that. Not much else, but he's real good at that. Have you ever talked about the hold ups to you? Oh, no, that'd be kind of sorry. I wouldn't have talked to anybody but a little me. Well, how do you know he's involved? Well, just because I know that, no. What's his fellow look like? Derwin? That's right. I guess the person who says he's a real nice looking fellow, I guess that's what you'd say. I would. Mm-hmm. And we got dark hair. Kind of roll away, right here. Here? Yeah. In front. How tall is he? Oh, he's a big one. Well, how tall? About six feet. Mm-hmm. How much does he weigh? I don't know. I guess a couple hundred pounds. Is he fat or thin? Kind of thin. Then? Mm-hmm. How old is he? 38. 38 years old. Two years older than me. Two years. What color is his eyes? Brown. Has he ever been arrested? Hmm? I don't know. Maybe he has. He's never said nothing to me. No word. Want to run it through? Yeah, I'll check. You want to arrest him? We'll talk to him. Yeah. You do that. You tell him from me, I think he's bummed. But 12 years, he's been telling me, when he has a couple of bucks, we take a step. And then he runs out with another girl, a little while, is he, Derwin? You know where we can find him? I don't know. I guess he's home. I don't know a place else he'd be. Home? Yeah, the address? Sure. It's 1-8275 Margo Street. What's that? Can't you hear very well? 1-8275 Margo Street. Oh, yeah, I got it. Hillside 75321, I thought he left. Hillside 75321. That's what I said. On the second floor, Margo Street. Do you have any close friends that you know of? Sure. A girl he walked out with, she's a close friend. Any men? Nope. Derwin don't like nobody on his back. He likes to be alone. No fellas, he's close to none. John? Hill? Excuse me a minute, lady. Oh, yeah, I'm sure he'll go to his head. Tell the person I thought I'd have a drink, though. What do you got? I only checked R and I on hold, bro. How's he staying? Found a couple at the description. One of them might be good. Well, done time for robbery. Do you owe anything? No, got out clean. Wonder if he stayed that way. Margo Street address. We checked with the landlady. She told us that Holbrook had moved in approximately six weeks before. She went on to say that he'd been behind his rent, but that he'd paid what he owed and had given her the money for an additional two months. She said that she didn't know what he did for a living. He had few visitors in the landlady couldn't tell us if he owned a car. According to her, he was in his room. I and I went up to see him. Don't mind if we look around, will ya? Well, go ahead. You won't find anything. I'll check it, John. Tell me what you want. Maybe I can give you a hand. You just sit still there. Sure, I got nothing to worry about. Tear the place apart. Just make sure you put it all back. Right where you found it. That's clean, John. I could have told you that. Sure you could. Well, let me know why you're rousing me. You work for a living? Why? Do ya? No. Well, we hear it. You're doing pretty well with the money. I guess you'd say that. You might tell us where you got it. Why is investment? That's it, huh? Sure. Read the financial page all the time. A couple of bucks here. A couple more there. First thing you know, you're on your way to a million. Well, the way it came down, she might have made the money the hard way. Whoever told you that's a liar. So? I got a pretty good idea of who's got the big mouth. Mm-hmm. Don't make any difference. You can't tag me for anything. Why don't you tell us? I will. You're beefing about the money. Well, you can't say I didn't make it from investments. I don't have to prove it. You do. Mm-hmm. You gotta prove I didn't make it from investing. I think we might be able to. Go ahead. I'll give you something else. What? I don't think you're gonna like the interest. Back to the city hall and talk to him. For over an hour, he refused to admit any part in the hold-ups. We made arrangements for the victims to come down and see him. Witnesses were asked to special show-ups, but they failed to give us a positive identification. Holbrook's name came up on the overtime sheet and he was released from custody. It was nothing we could do. Another week went by. Holbrook was kept under constant surveillance. Monday, June 20th. Frank and I were in the squad room. Righty. Smith? Yeah, Skipper. We're here. Hi, Captain. What do you got? Your boys did another job last night. I'm West LA. We didn't see the reports. Just came in. Got a meeting with Warman this afternoon. Be there. Homicide? Yeah. Victim died without regaining consciousness. Suspect? Enough to know it's the two fellows you're after. How's your hot suspect? What's his name? Holbrook. That's all right. You able to keep him this time? No, I don't think so. What's the matter? The report says the hold-up took place at 10.15. Yeah? Holbrook was asleep at 9. We'd been keeping Durwin Holbrook under surveillance. They verified the fact that the suspect had been in his room at the time of the robbery and that there was no way for him to have left the apartment. We went out to the hospital and talked to the officer that had been with the latest victim. He said that the dead man hadn't said anything to help identify his assailant. He was with a bartender at the place where the beating had occurred. He remembered two men in the bar and he remembered them talking with the victim but he was unable to tell us anything more. Additional broadcasts were gotten out. At the meeting with Captain Lawman it was decided that from that point the investigation would be a joint operation between robbery and homicide. After the meeting, Frank, Captain Donahoe and I met back in room 27. Come on in. Sit down. Yeah? Well, you heard it. Yeah. How you gonna work it? It's only one way of rolling stake out. Thought you tried that, Rob. This time we'll use more cars. Better work. This latest one's really got the corner pocket screaming. How you gonna set it up? Well, that job out in West L.A. is the first time he's moved out of Central. I think we can figure he'll be back. That's playing it the long way. There's nothing left. Oh, by it. How's it gonna work? We'll take a look at the map over here. He's been hitting in this area along here. Up to now we've had it covered in through here and here. Now we can put additional cars on these streets and maybe over here, huh? How about a check system? It'll be kind of hard to work out, Skipper. We'll be in a three-way car. Recreating this partner will be in one. And that way we can keep cabs on what's going on. When you start? Well, if we can swing it tonight. Talk to McCready? No, not the whole thing. We'll go over part of it. What's he think? He goes with us. It's the only way. Then it better come through for you. Hmm? You don't get another chance. At 7.20 that night the rolling stake out began. It continued for another week. Several arrests were made, but when the suspects were checked they were ruled out as the ones that we were looking for. In the meantime, the holdup men hit twice more in the area under surveillance. Bartender started closing their places early. Pressure from citizens groups and newspapers got a little worse. Apparently, there was nothing we could do to stop the thieves. Tuesday, June 28th. We stopped for some beef. Now it's going to be another long night. I hope we get something out of it. Yeah. Howdy, fellas. What'll it be? Well, a couple of eggs over easy. I get it. I'm a side order of bacon. Well, thank you. Now, how about you? That sounds good, Joe. I'll have the same. Only make my eggs straight up. Well, you know, I'll have a side order of ham. Righto. Two coffees. Will you bring them right away? Sure thing. I'll get them for you right now. Listen, I gotta get home. I will have a cup of coffee. I'll drop you off. Wife's going to be sore if I don't make it pretty quick. Well, let her be sore. That's a trouble with women today. All the time trying to run our lives. It's right. Have your coffee. We'll meet my friend. You'll like him. It feels so good. All right. Just take it easy. Joe. Tall guy. Fits it with scale. Looks like he might be setting one up. Let's get him. Wife, do you have any trouble staying with us? Something you want? Why don't you let us take a look at your identification? Why? Because I ask you. Who are you? Police officer. Watch out. What's your charge? You've got to make one. Come on. You've got to make a charge. You can't take me without it. All right. Try suspicion or robbery. Enough for me. You keep believing that fellow. I will. You're out on a limb cop. You've got flowers. You've got it wrong. Tell me about it. We won't have to. We'll let the jury do it. We took the suspect back to the city hall. He was identified as Emmett Noonan. He refused to admit any part in the hold-ups. He wouldn't tell us who the friend was that he'd mentioned to the intended victim. A check of R and I revealed that he'd served sentences at San Quentin and at Folsom for armed robbery. We pulled his mug shot and a team of detectives went out to check with the victims. It was an hour before they got back to the office. We talked to him and then we went to see Noonan. I'm not going to give up, cop. You've got nothing to make it charge on. You know it. I don't know how long you want to play this game, but I'd like to get on and get some sleep. We just got word from the officers who checked your picture with the victims. Yeah. They gave us a positive identification. Nothing different about me. Lots of guys look the same. Why don't you come off at noon? We got you made and you know it. I don't know anything of the kind, cop. You're saying one thing, I say different. It's my word against yours. We'll see who the court believes. We've got a head start. How do you figure that? It fits the way you work. Any record I got you can't mention in court. As far as they're concerned, I'm clean. You want to call it a day? We can all get some sleep. What do you do for a living? I'm a salesman. What do you sell? Different things. Name them? Magazines, sometimes hosiery. Different things. When's the last time you worked? Six months ago. How have you lived since then? I saved my money. You know, you're in for more than a robbery charge. I'm not standing that. Man out in West L.A. died. That's too bad. I didn't see anything about it in the papers. The only way I didn't know. Who was the guy with you on the job? I don't know what you're talking about. You know we'll get to him when I save yourself a lot of time. I don't know. Nothing of that kind. You guys are out of your scopes. All right, Newman. Let's go. Now you can unlock the door? Yeah, this one. Where are we going? Main jail. For how long? Until they pass sentence. You sound pretty sure. We are. Come on. It's too bad about you guys. What's that? How long have you been working on these robberies? A couple of months. And I'm your pigeon. You're the man. Must make you feel kind of lousy. Hmm? Be so sure and then find out you're wrong. You know, if I keep my mouth shut, you aren't going to have a case. You know, I'm going to tell you real simple. We can identify you positively. We've got a dozen people who are going to get up on a stand and point you out as a man who knocked them down and walked on them. The time we get through with you, we'll have enough on you for a five minute deliberation. You're ruling out one thing, Captain. Yeah, what's that? The jury. All I need is one person who won't go with the rest of them. One who doesn't listen. You got it all figured out. Yeah. One person doesn't care. I got it made. Just one. Well, then you're in real trouble. Huh? We'll find twelve who do. The story you've just heard is true. The names were changed to protect the innocent. On November 19th, trial was held in Department 98, Superior Court of the State of California, in and for the County of Los Angeles. Mission resulted in the arrest of Jerome Nathan Pollock as an accomplice in the robberies. Both he and Emmett David Noonan were tried and convicted of murder in the first degree. The jury failed to return a recommendation of leniency and both men received the maximum sentence. They were put to death in the lethal gas chamber at the State Penitentiary San Quentin, California. DRAGNET is a presentation of the United States Armed Forces Radio Service.