 The story you were about to hear is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent. Detective Sergeant, you're assigned a robbery detail. A watch salesman tells you his sample case has been stolen. He says he knows the man who did it. Your job? Find him. It was Tuesday, October 4th. It was cool in Los Angeles. We were working the day watch out a robbery detail. My partner is Frank Smith. The boss is Chief of Detective Stad Brown. My name's Friday. We're on our way into the office and it was 746 a.m. when we got to room 27. I'll check the book. Any for us? No. Say you took Faye the movies last night. Well? Yeah. Darn good double bill. Mystery and a comedy. Sure had me fooled. What? The mystery had me fooled. I never can figure out who done it. It was this rich society girl. She lived in the penthouse, top floor, real modern kind of glass. Yeah. We only found her lying outside on the roof garden part. The doors were all locked. The police had to break them down to get in. As soon as they got in? Yes, sir. I'd like to report a robbery is this right place? Yes, sir. You want to sit down? Oh, thanks. My name's Liggins. Russell Liggins. Can you spell it please? Yeah, it's L-I-G-G-I-N-S. Liggins. This is Frank Smith. My name is Friday. I'm pleased to meet you. How you doing? I suppose you tell us what happened, Mr. Liggins. Be okay to smoke? Sure, go ahead. You fellas care for a cigarette? Yeah, thank you. Here, I have a light. Well, it was my own fault to begin with. It just wasn't using my head. Uh-huh. Company ought to fire me. I wouldn't blame them if they did. What company is that? Sentin' a watch company up in Seattle. I see. It's a new outfit. They import movements from Japan and put them in cases over here at Holt Salem, you know? Uh-huh. I'm one of their head salesmen. I came down for the Jewelless Convention. I see. The convention ended yesterday, and I was supposed to leave for home this morning, nine o'clock plain. I guess I have to take a later flight now. Yes. Oh, I have all the dumb stunts practically handed in my sample case on a silver platter. That's all. Oh, a hundred watches. Our best stuff. A lot of them in jeweled cases. Company want to make a good impression, you know? Uh-huh. Where'd the robbery take place, Mr. Liggins? In front of the hotel. For all intents and purposes, I guess. Which hotel? The Greystone. That's where I've been stopped. I see. Do you have any idea who robbed you? The best idea in the world. Yeah. Spent a couple of hours with him last night. Yeah. You see, what happened is this. Like I said, the convention was over yesterday, and I wound up about five o'clock in the afternoon. And while I had the whole evening ahead, I mean nothing to do. Go ahead. I had dinner there at the hotel, a couple drinks. Yeah. I stole too early to go to bed, so I thought I'd look the town over, you know? Stopped by Pershing Square and listened to those characters spouting off, and along about ten o'clock, I headed back toward the Greystone. Passed the bar and decided to go in for a nightcap. Do you remember the name of the bar? No, I'm afraid not. It's just a couple blocks from the hotel. I had a nice little combo in there. Played pretty good music. So I sat down for a while. Yeah. I guess I had a little too much to drink. Oh, I wasn't drunk or anything like that, but had my share. Must have been a little higher. I wouldn't have got started talking to a couple of strangers the way I did. They were sitting next to me, these two fellas. We'd get to chatting, you know? It was about music at first. They seemed to be enjoying it. One thing led to another, and they bought me a drink, and I had to pay them back, of course. Asked me what line I was in. I told them I sold watches. Said I was in town for the jewelry convention. They took a real big, so that's why they were here, too. They claimed they had a jewelry store in Salt Lake City. They mentioned their names? Oh, sure. They introduced themselves, but it didn't sink in. Not their last names, anyhow. Uh, George and Paul. Yeah, that's all I can remember. What happened then? Well, they started complaining about the quality of the watches they've been showing, said they hadn't seen anything worth buying. Oh, so I asked them if they'd looked at my samples, and they said they didn't think so. Uh-huh. I offered to make an appointment to show them my stuff, figured I could stay over an extra day on the chance of making a good sale. And they said that wouldn't be necessary for me, you know, to stay over it. Said they could meet me this morning for a left of the airport. Did you set up an appointment? Yes, sir. I told them I'd have to be earlier if I was still going to catch them playing, and that was fine with them, the earlier the better. Agreed to meet me at 7 a.m. They even offered to drive me to the airport. Couldn't ask for anything more than that, could I? No, sir. Well, anyway, I come downstairs about a quarter to seven to check out, and they were supposed to pick me up in front of the hotel. Yeah. Well, about five to seven, they come by. I hopped in the car, and we drove off. We hadn't gone more than a mile or so, and they pulled over and parked. A quiet street, not much traffic. I asked them why they were stopping there. I figured I was showing them my watches out at the airport. They said they wanted to look at them now. What was that again? They said that they want to look at them right now, you know, in the car. The watches? Yeah. Go ahead. And it struck me as kind of fine. I didn't see where it would make any difference. And they opened up the case, and they just sort of glanced inside. And then one of the fellows, the one named George, he took out a gun, started shoving me through the door, and I tried to argue with him. I wasn't getting anywhere, though. Pull the gun, man. Yeah. And he, you know, kind of pushed me with it. And finally, I asked him to please at least give me my suitcase. I said it wouldn't be worth anything to them, but I needed it. And they tossed it out on the street beside me and drove off. I see. What about your wallet? Hmm? Did they take your wallet, too? Oh, no. No, just the sample case. I guess they were in a hurry, didn't want to spend a lot of time there on the street in broad daylight or something. I see. As soon as they left, they started looking around for a cab and had a walk a couple of blocks before I found one. And then I got him to bring me right here. What kind of a car did they drive, you know? The fellows that robbed me? That's right. Um, sedan. I think it was black. A Ford. Did you get the license? No, I didn't even think of trying on that until after they were out of sight. Oh, now can you describe these men for us, please? Oh, sure. Uh, well, they were about 40. Medium-sized. Uh, Georgia black hair. And the other fellow, he had sort of sandy hair. You know, I see. Any marks or scars? I don't think so. How were they dressed? Uh, suits. Uh, conservative. Blue or kind of gray, maybe. I'm not sure. Were they wearing the same clothes this morning? Well, no, I don't know. They had on top coats today. I see. Now, you said their names were George and Paul. Yeah, that's right. Anything else that might help us identify them? Gosh, I'm afraid not. Do you have a list of serial numbers from your watches? We have. May we see it? Yeah, it's in my wallet. Hey, just a minute. There you go. Oh, thanks very much. I'll get out of the circuit, wife, Joe. OK. Is there anything else you want from me? Yes, sir. We'd like to have you show us the bar where you met these men. Well, no, sir. I'm not sure I can. A lot of bars in the neighborhood. And I didn't pay too much attention. You said they had a combo there? Yeah. Well, I thought it would make it easier. Well, I'll sure do my best. Yes, sir. I have to get my airline ticket changed, too. We'd appreciate it if you could stay over a couple of days. Oh? In case we turn them up, we'll need you to identify them. Well, there's a much chance of that, sir. Not to me. Well, the descriptions I gave you could be anybody. Yeah. Besides, a company will want me back on the job. That is if they don't fire me for this. Well, you know, you want the only thing they'll want back. Huh? They'll want those watches, too. Frank and I checked the MO and the descriptions Russell Liggins had given us with the stats office. They came up with 11 possibles. We took the names to R and I and pulled the packages. Liggins was unable to identify any of the mug shots. 10.13 a.m. We cruised the vicinity of the Greystone Hotel looking for the bar where Liggins had first met the suspect. He told us the Green Hat Cafe on 6th Street seemed familiar, but he wasn't certain. We left him in the car and we went inside to interview the bartender. Look, you boys know me. I run a nice, clean place. Don't even cut the liquor. Yeah. I ain't causing you no trouble. Why don't you lay off? Just a couple questions for you, Sam. Sure. A couple of questions. Next thing I know, I'm testifying in court. You got something you ought to testify about? No. No, of course not. I'm just talking. Well, then talk to us, huh? Okay. What do you want? You want the job here last night? Yeah, all evening. All evening? I got a little combo working in the joint now. They cost money. There's nothing left over for extra bartenders. You see that fell out in the car? Where? Not over here, Sam. Lean over. See, out there. Yeah, yeah, I see. Take a good look at him. All right. I look good. Have you ever been in your place? Like when? Last night. The bar was real crowded last night. Music helps the business. He might have been here. Well, yes or no, Sam. Yeah, yeah, he was here. Alone? Yeah, he came in alone. He took that stool over there, had a few drinks and left. You talk to anybody? They talk to me. What do you say? You like the music? That's about all. Who else he talked to? A girl sitting next to him. Who else? Well, I don't know her name. She comes in once in a while. Kind of nice looking. There were a couple of men in here, too, weren't there, Sam? Well, there were a lot of guys. Why? Well-dressed, middle-aged. Could be. They talked to him, too, didn't they? They fell in your car? Same guy, yeah. Well, if they did, I didn't see him. Had quite a conversation. I didn't hear it. Music's pretty loud. Who were they, Sam? Look, I don't ask for a driver's license unless the guy looks like he's underneath you. Come on, Sam. Who are they? That friend of yours out there. Yeah. And stool, that's where he sat. Uh-huh. The girl was next to him the whole evening. Well, he couldn't have talked to nobody else. We took Liggins into the Green Hat Cafe, and he said he was certain that that was where he had met the two men known as George and Paul. Sam Huffle, the owner of the bar, was equally certain that Liggins was mistaken. 1048 a.m. Frank and I drove Liggins over to the Greystone Hotel. While he went inside to re-register, we talked with the cab drivers who were stationed at the stand next to the main hotel entrance. One of them told us he had been parked there from about 6.30 until 7.15 a.m. that morning. I thought I was never going to give me a fair. When it starts like that the whole day, you shout, look at me now, been sitting here for the last 25 minutes. Uh-huh. Did you see a man clown at the hotel about five minutes to seven? I was watching those doors re-lanches if he came out. I saw him. Same fellow we just let on. Oh. You remember him? Sure. Did you notice the car he drove off in? You kidding? What do you mean? Just a hack of mine. Huh? He was my first fair this a.m. You picked him up here. That's right. It wasn't five or seven. Oh, closer to 7.30. Where'd you take him? The city hall. We went into the hotel and talked to the desk clerk. He told us that Liggins had been assigned the same room he had previously occupied. 4.17. He also told us that he was almost positive Liggins had not carried a sample case when he checked out that morning. We talked to the bellhop who had brought down Liggins baggage. He said Liggins had only one suitcase. 11.13 a.m. Frank and I went up to room 4.17. Come in. This is very kind of you. I'll be with you as soon as I get off the phone. Okay. Yes, sir. Well, they're there too, I guess, if that's all right. No. No, no, they didn't take my money. Thanks, I can manage. Oh, just one thing. Would you ask one of the girls to call my wife and explain to the lady? Oh, thank you very much. Bye. Well, I was just talking to boss at Seattle. He said it's all right for me to stick around a few days. Good. Now, you really think you can find those guys that fast, huh? Well, we may not have to look for them. What do you mean? We went checking your story, Liggins. Yeah? Leaks like a sieve. Lousy bartender, huh? Are you taking his word against mine? No, we got more than the bartender. Oh? The cab driver says he picked you up here at 7.20 and drove you down to City Hall. Well, he's crazy. He can have it in person. He must have picked up somebody who looks like me. That's all. We talked to the bellhop who brought down your luggage that wasn't in the sample case. I carried it myself. I wasn't going to let a bellhop handle something as valuable as that. He just didn't notice it. That's all. The desk clerk didn't notice it either. Well, I stood in front of his desk when I paid up. That's why. Mm-hmm. What do you guys want from me? Just tell us what happened to the sample case. I've told you the whole story. There was one thing he left out. What's that? The truth. We continued to question Russell Liggins in his hotel room. He insisted that he'd been telling us the truth. We confronted him with a cab driver, the desk clerk, the bellhop. He refused to change his story. 1.05 p.m., we drove Liggins down to the City Hall for further interrogation. How much of the watch is worth? A wholesale or retail. Both ways. About 4,000 wholesale, maybe 10 retail. A lot of money. Well, sure. Boss upset. Well, he wasn't very happy about it. He's insured, isn't he? Well, come on. Yeah, I guess so. Don't you know? Yeah, he's insured. He said so with a phone. He told me not to worry. You didn't know about the insurance before. What if I did? Maybe we'd better talk to your boss. What's his number? Come on, fella, what's his number? What are you going to tell him? That you've been handing us a line about being robbed? You think I robbed myself? Is that what you're getting at? What else can we think? Oh, you're crazy. Where are the watches? Somebody stole them. Yeah, George and Paul. Look, okay. It wasn't George and Paul. Go ahead. I made it up. The whole thing about them. You know, the fellas. I had to tell you something. Sure you did. Well, you want the truth, don't you? Well, you're getting it. The least you can do is try to believe it. You make it kind of hard to buy. Look, I went into that bar last night just like I told you. And the bartender was right. I didn't talk to anybody except the girl sitting beside me. Well, she said she came in because she liked the music. And I was feeling kind of lonesome. I don't know anybody in LA, so we started to talk. So her name was Barbara. She didn't give me her last name because she was married and she wanted to keep things on her first name basis. And that was all right with me. I told her to call me Russ. She said her husband worked nights, she was one of the aircraft plants. And I told her about my job that I sold watches. She kind of laughed when I told her. What about? There was a big coincidence. Maybe in a watch salesman she was planning to buy a watch. Probably the one she had was ready to give up the ghost. And then she showed it to me on her wrist. A real cheap kind. Just a piece of junk. Well, she asked me if maybe I could get her a new one wholesale. And I said I might be able to arrange it. And I suggested she come up to my room and look at the samples I had there. She wasn't looking up to anything. I figured we'd have a couple of drinks, but that was all. Sure. And then she kind of hesitated, said it wouldn't look very good. And finally she agreed we went over to the hotel and I had a bottle in my room and I fixed us a drink. And then I showed her the watches. She picked out the ones she liked, but she didn't have any money with her, not enough to pay for it anyway. Then I told her she could have it for free. You know, as a present. It wasn't an expensive model and I was going to pay the company back out of my own pocket. And then she said we ought to have a couple more drinks in order to kind of celebrate the present. She offered to fix it. Well, maybe she put something in mind or maybe they were just wrong. I don't know. Anyway, I don't remember much after that. Would you do a pass-off? Yeah, I guess so. Next thing I knew it was morning, about 6.30 and I'd fall asleep on the bed with all my clothes on. Yeah. That must be why she didn't take my wallet. All right, what happened then? Well, I didn't think anything was wrong. I couldn't remember when Barbara left, but I blacked out before when I've had a little too much. Yeah. So I took a shower and I got dressed. It was while I was dressing I noticed the sample case was gone. I looked everywhere for it. And you figured she took it. Now, who else could? Boy, you guys are pretty hard to convince, aren't you? Well, why didn't you tell us about Barbara when you first came in here? Well, I was thinking of my job. Yeah. The boss just promoted me a couple of months ago. I'm doing pretty good at making fair money. Is that so? Yeah, have you ever found out I'd let some dame roll me in a hotel room? Well, I'd be out of my ear. All right. And that's not all. I've got a wife. You guys married? He is. Well, maybe he'll understand. We've only been married a couple of years and Helen doesn't like the idea of me being on the road half the time. She's suspicious enough as it is. Yeah. So I did some quick thinking, come up with a story I gave you this morning, you know, about George and Paul. Well, it really wasn't my own idea exactly. What I mean is that I was talking to a salesman at the convention the other day, you know, one of the real old timers. He told me how some guys had robbed him once when he was just starting out and that's where I got the idea. Sort of switched it around to fit what happened to me. Well, I didn't see where I was doing any harm. I never thought you'd be able to get the watches back anyhow. Well, you didn't make it any easier for us. Well, maybe not. But you don't know Helen. She'd leave me sure as fate if this ever gets out. Yeah. I didn't mean to cause you any trouble and see to make any difference what I told you as long as the watches were gone. No, it makes a difference. Yeah? If we want to find out who took them. 3.15 p.m. We went back to the Grey Stone Hotel and talked to the manager. He gave us the home telephone number of the elevator boy who had been on duty the previous night. We called the boy and he told us he remembered taking a passenger who resembled Russell Liggins up to the third floor sometime after 2 a.m. in the morning. He also remembered that Liggins had been accompanied by a young lady. He did not remember bringing the lady down but he suggested that she might have used the stairs. We called the crime lab and they went over Liggins room. They found no useful fingerprints or other physical evidence. 5.15 p.m. we went back to the office. Liggins gave us a description of the girl known to him as Barbara. We showed him some mug shots but he was unable to identify any of the women. 7.18 p.m. Frank and I again interviewed the bartender at the Green Hat Cafe. Well, what did I tell you? Just a couple of questions, that's all. Next thing I know, you guys have moved in for the winners. All right, Sam. I'll take it easy. Have I got any choice? You remember the girl Liggins was talking to in here last night? So it's a girl now. I thought it was two guys. Oh, come on, Sam. You mentioned her yourself. I never figured you'd believe anything I told you. We want to know who she is. Just a girl, that's all. She comes in once in a while. She got a name? Never introduced herself. She live in the neighborhood? I don't know. Well, who does? Look, this Liggins is a character. He's already taken you for one ride today. Now why don't you get off? We'd like to get in touch with you, Sam. Get in touch? You gonna help? Well, how can I help you? I don't know her name. I don't know her address. Yeah, well, maybe you can find out. I busted my crystal ball just the other day. All right. We'll send him a couple of uniforms to watch you joint for a few days. Hmm? You got any objections? Oh, sure. Cops make me nervous. Like the customers nervous, too. Maybe you got the wrong kind of customers. What are you going to do? All right, talk to Jeanette. Jeanette? Yeah, the waitress. She's in the back room eating your chow. She know the girl we're looking for? Yeah, the real buddy, buddy. Spend half their time chinning together. Never get any work out of Jeanette once the other one comes in. All right, Sam. Thank you. You know, there's something that worried me. What's that? Whenever you guys show up, I make up my mind you're not going to get any answers from me. I'm not even going to give you the time of day. And then what happens? I end up telling you everything you want to know. Maybe you just like it, Sam. Yeah, that's what's been worrying me. I walked back into the kitchen of the Green Hat Café and interviewed the waitress, Jeanette Grover. She told us that her friend's name was Barbara Hooper. She also told us that she had no idea where Barbara lived. She used to have a room around Western, but she moved when she got married. How long ago was that? Three weeks. Oh, no, let's see. It's longer. Oh, they went to Vegas on a Sunday. It'd be four weeks next Sunday. You're sure you don't have her address, huh? No, she gave it to me once, but I didn't take it down. I wouldn't have no use for it. How's that? I don't get along with Tom. Tom? Yeah, that's Barbara's husband, Tom Cunning. Oh, say, that's right. I guess I made a mistake. Ma'am. When you asked me what her last name was, I said it was Hooper. I should have said Cunning now. Yes, ma'am. I don't know why she ever married him, a good-looking girl like Barbara. She could have done better. Cramp. That's all he is. Well, I told her what she's letting himself in for. He's got a record as long as my right arm. I've seen him come and go. When you're working a place like this, you can spot a rotten apple a mile off. I never figured he'd get into trouble this fast, though. What do you want with her? Just like to get in touch with her, that's all. I know, but it's not about cops. They want to get in touch. They mean business. You mind me giving you a piece of advice? Not at all. I don't blame her, whatever it is. He used to blame whatever she's done. You check into it and you see. The girl gets married to a wrong guy, and lives his whole life. Not her fault. Except for one thing. Yeah? She married him. We went back to the office and ran the name Thomas Kernan through the record bureau. They came up with a package. Kernan had served time for burglary and was now an active parole. We checked with Fred Galloway at adult parole. He told us that Kernan's last known address was an apartment on Western Avenue. We drove out there. You heard it. Okay, keep that hat on. Please officer, stand still. It was moving. Where's your wife? Out. Out where? I don't know. She wasn't here when I came home. We'll look around. Be my guest. I always knew you guys rode as ex-cons. That ain't no surprise, but I didn't know you started tickin' on her wives, too. No. She's a nice kid. Let's start in on her. You stay on my back. I'm used to it. But let her alone. Yeah. Yeah. I found this case in the closet. The watch is still inside. Most of them anyway. All right. The heck's that? You didn't know about this? First not. Yeah, sure. I never saw him before. Your wife did. Hmm? How soon was she back? I don't know. We'll wait. Up to you. Never saw those watches before in my life and tellin' you the truth. You bet you are. Even if Barbara did take her, that'll make me guilty anything. No. Stupid broad. I just started makin' with a question. She'll spill a whole deal. Thought you didn't know anything about it. Maybe I knew she was lookin' for a setup. What is that proof? Some setup. Guy with a suitcase full of watches. Dizzy Dame didn't even know they had serial numbers on him. What a brain. First job she ever pulled, she gets picked up. Time I was her age, I pulled half a dozen. You cops hadn't even tumbled once. You're a real bright. Let's see you, say we'll learn. Tried to teach her the ropes. Gets picked up on her first job. You know, you should have expected that. Why? What do you mean? Look who taught her. The story you've just heard is true. The names were changed to protect the innocent. On February 2nd, trial was held in Department 97, Superior Court of the State of California, in and for the county of Los Angeles. Peru Kernan was returned to the adult authority for violation of parole. Violation of parole is punishable by the term not served. Barbara Jane Kernan was found guilty of grand theft, one count. Grand theft is punishable by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than one year, or in the state prison for not less than one, nor more than 10 years. You have just heard, DRAGONET, the authentic story of your police force in action, and starring Jack Webb, a presentation of the United States Armed Forces Radio Service.