 The Equitable Life Assurance Society presents This Is Your F.B.I. This Is Your F.B.I. 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. Many doctors agree that worry is often the real cause of what seem to be physical ailments. The cause of much needless worry is money. Some men worry about the future security of their wives and children. Others worry about poverty and dependency in old age. Others wonder how they'll ever give their children a good education. If any or all of these problems bother you, get in touch with a neighbor of yours. He's your local representative of the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States. In about 13 minutes, I'd like to tell you more about him and the freedom from worry that comes with membership in the Equitable Life Assurance Society. Tonight, the subject of our F.B.I. file, Extortion, its title, The Seagull Shakedown. The professional criminal, almost without exception, depends on some kind of protection which will, he hopes, keep him out of prison. Sometimes this takes the form of gun and getaway car or an attempt to establish alibis or by witnesses. However, there is one lawbreaker who counts on getting his protection from the very victims of his crime. This is the extortionist. Statistics in the F.B.I. file show that, as in the case you are about to hear, many of these criminal parasites have been able to operate for years without their activities ever being reported to law enforcement agencies. Once the payoff starts, the hapless victim of the extortionist finds himself an accomplice in a conspiracy against his own pocketbook, his own peace of mind, and perhaps even his life. Tonight's F.B.I. file opens at a fashionable beach club located in a small resort town a few miles from a large west coast city. An attractive young woman lies stretched out on the sand watching a pair of husky twin boys who race the waves toward shore. Darling, I'm watching. Well, well, well, in that bathing suit, my dear, you hardly look old enough to be anyone's mother. Much less the parent of a pair of seals. Hello, Mr. Worth. No, no, no, Mary, not Mr. Worth. The boys call me Uncle Albertino. Uncle Albertin. That's better. Won't you sit down? Thank you, my dear. Isn't often a man my age who gets to spend time with such a pretty girl? No, Uncle Albert. You know, vacation's done you worlds of good, Mary. You look positively radiant. I wish I could stay out this season. Well, why not, hmm? Well, Chris didn't leave us that well provided. Well, too bad, too bad. You know, it'd be fine for the boys. Are you staying long, Uncle Albert? Indefinitely, I hope. You see, I live here now. How wonderful. You're retired then, huh? Ah, one can never retire from life, my dear. Let's just say that I've withdrawn from the main arena. Well, all the same, I end for you. So quiet here, so peaceful. Ah, but the sea's not peaceful. In these very waves, the tragedy of life goes on. Big fish eat little fish, and are interned. Uncle Albert! I see, I see, dear. You're fighting, you birds are fighting! You see, my dear, fish to go to Jaeger. Jaeger? Yes, that's a remarkably smart variety of seagulls. You see, he lets the other girls find the fish. Then he frightens them and steals their catch. That's horrible. No, that's natural. Oh, dear, dear, dear, I almost forgot. The carnival. Carnival? Mm-hmm. One's opened down the beach, and I thought the boys might join me in a ride on the merry-go-round. Oh, I bet they would. Well, how about it, Chris? Want to go on the merry-go-round? Can we, can we, Uncle Albert? Why, of course you may. Mommy? Oh, it's all right. Come along, come along. Your Uncle Albert will show you how to, how to catch the brass ring. What's that? Well, it's a very important thing in life, knowing how to catch the brass ring. Come on, boys. We're off to catch the brass ring. We're off to catch the brass ring. We're off to catch the brass ring. For the life of me, I just can't even understand it. I understand what's so wrong. How your twins and my gene can keep riding that thing. I got it again. Chris, well, that's the first time he's caught the ring. I get seasick just watching him. Oh, it's too bad. Well, you, you don't need to worry about your offspring, Mrs. Bradley. I don't. You know what's, it's a proven fact that the stomach of the immature homo sapiens is, is lined with cast iron. Honest? Oh, mister. Uh-oh, there she goes. Straight for the ice cream stand. Excuse me, everybody. Gene, honey, you want to spoil your dinner now. Oh, dear, dear, dear, dear, dear. The protective instincts of motherhood. It's good to sit down. Uncle Albert, you're wonderful with the children. Well, I can't help it. I just actually love them. Uncle Albert. Yes, my dear? I've got to talk to somebody. Well, if I can help you, I... I don't know. Read this. Shocking. No signature? No. I've been one in the mail every day for a week. Like this? Worse. Well, is it true? Any of it? Of course not. My husband was a fine man. A fine officer. Declaimed that he took money and sold out his room. Now, now, now. You have nothing to worry about. As long as you can prove his innocence. Prove. They're all dead. How can I? What shall I do? Well, I'd advise paying off. But it's all a lie. Well, so much of what you read. Truth isn't important. It's what people believe to be true. And they'll believe the worst about Chris? Inevitably. So, well, I should... I should pay the five thousand if I were you. Five thousand? Well, that would be sufficient, I should think. But the letters don't say how much. Well, I'm sure that five thousand will do. How can you be the man who wrote the letters, my wife? Mary, I wrote them. You wrote them. Yes, like the jager I choose. Let others do my fishing for me. Well, my dear. I don't know what to say. Well, you'll be at the club dance tomorrow night? Yes. My joints are a bit creaky for the samba, but I often stand on the pier, you know, listen to the music, watch the sea. I'll be there. I'm sure of it. Mommy! Mommy! Hey, wait, Chris! Save the white horse for your Uncle Albert! The following morning at the FBI field office in the nearby Metropolis, Special Agent Taylor reports to agent in charge Robert Woods. Yes, Taylor. Here. Take a look at this photograph. Thank you, sir. Mean anything to you? Well, I'd guess she's somebody's rich aunt. Name's Anna Allen, local society leader, prominent in half a dozen charitable organizations. And? Her body was found at 9 a.m. yesterday. Coroner lists cause of death as coronary thrombosis. Where do we fit in, sir? Her death may or may not have been attributable to a series of threatening letters found in her effects. Which classification, bodily harm or personal scandal? Some of both, according to her lawyer. She pay off? Mm-hmm. Here's the file, what there is of it. Thanks. Ten years. And in cash? That's right. Regular withdrawal of small bills. Attorney for the estate is Frank Harriman down in the first national building. He has the letters, so you might as well start there. All right, I'll get right on it. You know, it's funny, Mr. Woods. Mm-hmm? If she'd come to us ten years ago, she could have saved herself a lot of money. Yes, a lot of money, and maybe a heart attack. 320, yourself, Mary. Of course, I told us none of my business, but while we're talking about the dignity of the club, you'd think the board would do something about those bikini bathing suits better boothers always wearing. That's my game. Like I was saying to Jeff last week, of course he's a man. He doesn't look at things quite the same, but it's your serve. Sue, remember that fur cape of mine, pastel mink? Sure, what about it? You always liked it, didn't you? Honey, I've been green with him for two years. Would you be interested in buying it? What? You can have it for a thousand, it's worth twice that. Well, I don't know, man. It's a perfect condition. Yeah, but there's... Jeff, he's kind of conservative. About money, anyway. You could ask him. Okay. Well, how come you want to sell it? I need the money. Oh? It's for a friend. She... Well, she's pretty desperate. Well, how desperate? $5,000. Wow. I promised to help her. Is she sick or something? No, it's, um... Well, I guess you'd call it blackmail. She's gonna pay it? Well, what else can she do? I know what I'd do. I tell my husband all about it. Jeff's always getting me out of trouble. Like the time I drove the car through Carson's play class. Well, this girl can't do that. Why not? She hasn't got a husband. She's a widow. Oh, I see. Turn up anything on the extortion, Taylor? Well, it looks like these notes were an outside job, Mr. Woods. They were all typed in the same machine. An Adler, Model 37. For him? I'm manufactured in Frankfurt. There's not money around this part of the country. And we'll send out photographic samples. Check the distributor. And all you got? Well, I think the writer was a man. Of course, friend of the deceased. She had a lot of friends. Yeah, I know. Three address books for them. Well, get on it. Maybe you can narrow them down. All right, sir. Good evening, Mary. I expected you sooner. I couldn't get away. My, my, my, what a lovely gown. You shouldn't have come without a raffle. The sea air is chill. Thanks. Oh, but I, I am concerned about your health. It's very important to me, my dear. I know. Mary, I'm afraid that you don't understand. I, I bet you know, Malice, my child, as a matter of fact, it's quite, quite the contrary. It's because I'm so very fond of the boys and the view that I, I selected you to be my, uh, well, my, my family. Your family? Yes. See, I'm not young anymore, and, uh, I have a certain standard to maintain since I haven't any children or grandchildren to support me in my old age. I, I've had to adopt them. Ah. I'd hoped it wouldn't be necessary to call them. I had an old friend who kept me in, uh, shall we say, uh, fish and chips, but, uh, she had a bad heart and, well, I've only a few more years at best. You want them to be happy years, don't you, Mary? Oh. Come, Mary, wait. Wait, wait, you haven't given your old Uncle Al but his fish. Let go of me! Mary! Keep away from me! Be careful! That's raining! Dear Lord, dear Lord, dear Lord. We will return in just a moment to tonight's exciting case from the official files of your FBI. One way to get the most out of life is to have a good salad education. Now, you want that kind of education for your child, but you may not be sure that you're making enough money to see the child through. That was the problem that had Mr. William Warden bothered until he became a member of the Equitable Society. How about that, Mr. Warden? That's true, Mr. Keating. I have three children, two girls and a boy, and I wanted them to have a good education. What had me sitting up nights was this. How in the world could I do it on the kind of money I make or if something happened to me? And how did you solve your problem, Mr. Warden? My local Equitable representative solved it for me. You see, I heard you describe an educational plan on this program that seemed to fit my pocketbook. That's our Equitable Education Fund. That is correct. Then my Equitable man showed me how I could spread the costs for my children's education over 15 years while they were growing up and without putting a crimp in our budget. And it was mighty reassuring to know, too, that if something happened to me, the entire fund became established with no more premiums to pay. Lucky day for me and my children when I called my Equitable man. He's a real credit to Equitable and he's a good man to do business with. If there are any other fathers listening in who want to give their children a real break, it's easy. Call up your local Equitable representative. Yes, you'll find your local Equitable representative a helpful neighbor and a good man to do business with. Now is life insurance. So no matter what your life insurance problem, security for your wife and youngsters and independent old age, ownership of your home free and clear, talk it over with your friendly and helpful Equitable representative. Simply consult your local telephone directory for the name of your local representative of the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States. And now back to the FBI file, The Seagull Shake Down. Figures in the possession of your FBI show crime to be America's poorest paid occupation. Added to this factor are hazards, imprisonment, nervous strain, bodily injury, degenerative illness. Yet as in tonight's case the FBI files frequently reveal a professional criminal of apparent superior intellect and education. This so called smart crook thinks the world owes him a living. That he's too smart to work for it, too smart for the law. He has to find out the hard way the futility of playing a lone hand against the intelligent, scientific, thorough army of law enforcement agents. By then it's too late. A mind that might have served mankind has been used only for its own destruction. Tonight's FBI file continues at headquarters where special agent in charge Woods receives a phone call. Woods speaking. Hello Mr. Woods, this is Rich Franklin Yes Rich, what can we do for you? Need a little help. Glad to do what we can. Anything on our jurisdiction? What's the case? Fall play? Not sure yet. Where do we fit in? Threatening bodily harm? Yes. I'll get an agent on it. Where will you be? Then you think Mary Cornel's so called friend was really Mary herself? I'm just positive of it Mr. Taylor. In the first place that stuff about having no husband and being a widow and just ain't no woman in her right mind trying to sell her only mink coat just to help out a friend. Mrs. Bradley you're sure Mary didn't drop any hint about who might be trying to extort money from her? No, not a whisper. But I know who it was. You do? A man who killed her, that's who. Well that's right, isn't it? That's why she was... she was murdered. Well we don't know that she was murdered Mrs. Bradley that's one of the things we're trying to find out. He killed her all right. One way or another he killed her. Those poor kids of hers. Yes I know. If I ever lay my hands on him I'll... Well suppose you'll leave that to the law Mrs. Bradley. That's our job. Hold it Rich will you? You found something? I think so. Some blood on its piling. Corners report showed skull fracture is cause of death didn't it? Well that's right. Rich you got a pocket knife? Yeah. Here Jim catch it. Thanks. Get a lab report on this blood smear and save it types out like the dead women's. You figure she fell through that railing and hit her head on the way down? Yeah she looks that way. Which could rule out murder. Yeah. Yeah might. Want to check anything more out here? No. Let's shove off. I want to get the specimen in the laboratory for examination right away. Here's the lab report on the cornel extortion notes Mr. Woods. Show anything? Done on ordinary typing paper. 25% ragged content. Bond. Common brand. What about the machine? Old office model Remington. Elite type. Capital A off-center. And? And that's it so far. Oh I spotted an old Remington in the lobby at the shore bird club. Rich Franklin's picking up a specimen for us now. Well this one sounds full time. You want to ship someone else onto the Allen case? No no sir. I don't. You think there's a tie? Could be. Mrs. Allen belonged to shore bird along with a dozen other clubs. Hmm. Notes reveal the same method of operation? No I'm afraid not. You don't know each other? Well not well anyway. Mary Cornel wasn't on my list. There's no Allen in the drowned woman's address book. Different typewriter. Different MO. I know there's nothing tangible sir. It's just that there's something about those notes. They're smooth and literate. Almost too literate. Hmm. How do you account for the switched typewriter? Maybe he was short of money, pawned or sold his own. Then used the club machine to go after his next victim. Sounds worth a try. Now I'll put Phillips on the pawn shops. You correlate the two sets of address books and run down the duplications. Ride. While Agent John Phillips checked local pawn shops and second hand stores for a recently disposed of Adler model 37, Agent Jim Taylor made a tedious comparison of address books. Twenty names were duplicated starting with Anderson Marie and ending with Worth, Albert, each a potential suspect. Each to be investigated, checked and if innocent, cleared. Meanwhile, on the pier at the Shorebird Club, Albert Worth went fishing. Catching anything? Well, it seems Mrs. Bradley that the fish have already had their lunch. Right over here. That's where they say the accident happened right here. Oh, it was an accident then. Well, I guess so. That's what the police say. Oh, a tragedy, a real tragedy. I wish there was something more I could do. Why, you were just wonderful to the boys taking care of them till their hand came from Cincinnati. Poor lost twins. Just like Romulus and Remus alone in the wilderness. Huh? Oh, yeah. I wonder why she was on the pier that time of night. Well, the way the FBI figures it. FBI, I thought you said it was an accident. Oh, sure, but well, I guess it's all right to tell you, you and her being so friendly and all. It looks like Mary came out here to meet a man. Oh? An extortionist. Really? You mean someone was trying to blackmail her? Uh-huh. Well, that's why the FBI is on the case. Well, how do you know? Well, Mary told me all about it that afternoon before. Oh? Well, not exactly everything. Well, I don't figure the FBI would like me to be talking about it. Dear, dear, dear, dear, poor Mary. Who was this man? Is someone out of her past? Well, I don't rightly know, she didn't say. Oh, how unfortunate. I figure the FBI will find out pretty quick. They most always do, I guess. Do they? I guess your luck's improving. You gotta buy. Yeah, so I have. Uh-huh. Oh, he got off the hook. I'm afraid so. Well, you don't seem very concerned. Well, when you've lived as long as I have my dear, you'll learn that there are always other fish in the ocean. All right, Mrs. Nummons. Yes, thank you very much for your help. We appreciate it. 12 down, 8 to go. Who's next? Ah, next one's Mervyn Richards, dealer in antiques. Married, three kids. I'll get it. Wood speaking. What? Oh, fine, Phillips. Good. Yes. Okay, shoot. Jack's typewriteria, 218 West Third Avenue. Stick around, someone will be right down. Is that all right, Lou? Sounds like it. Salesman remembers taking one as a trade-in on a Corona portable. Sellers was a fellow named Goldsmith. A mill Goldsmith. A mill Goldsmith. Not on the list. Oh, did Phillips check the machine's identity? Store a job due to an eastern wholesaler. Okay, here I go. Oh, Mr. Worth, are you moving out? Oh, no, no, no. My dear, these bags are just for a little trip. I have to go away for a few days. Darn it. Kind of sudden, wasn't it? Yes, yes, it was. Business? Well, not exactly. Tell you the truth. It concerns Mary. Oh, really? Yes, I think I know who was, you know, shaking her down, so to speak. Well, gee, Mr. Worth, that's wonderful. Who is he? Well, I prefer not to see you, my dear. I'd rather that the FBI checked into it first. I see what you mean. Oh, that's my cab, I think. Taylor, that's his name. Who? The FBI agent who was here, Mr. Taylor. Oh, yes, yes, yes. Well, I remember to ask for him. Cabby, I want to go to the air. Mr. Taylor, I was just mentioning you. Mr. Worth here was just going downtown to see you. Mr. Worth, this is the FBI man. I was telling you about him. How do you do? Hello, Worth. It's quite a coincidence. I came all the way down here to see you. Why don't we ride back to town together? Maybe we can have a nice long talk. Oh, dear, oh, dear. Well, I don't suppose I have much choice in the matter. No, Worth. No choice at all. Albert Worth was found guilty of violating the Federal Extortion Act and was sentenced to five years when detainers were filed against Worth by state authorities in connection with the deaths of the two victims. The typewriter shop provided Agent Taylor with the address of the man who had traded in the Adler, interviewed at FBI field headquarters he revealed that he had bought it from a friend, Albert Worth. FBI lab reports on the Adler typewriter clearly showed this to be the machine used in writing the extortion notes received by Mrs. Anna Allen. The case of Albert Worth demonstrates the way law enforcement agencies operate against extortionists and blackmailers. If you or any of your friends or family receive extortion threats of any kind immediately notify your local police department or the nearest office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Don't pay off. Without his victims to shield him the extortionist will soon be extinct. No matter what your income may be the chances are you think you'd be happier with your money. Actually, your future security depends on how you handle the money you do make. If your problem is how to take care of your money then make a date with a neighbor of yours. He's your local equitable society representative. If you have an average income he can show you how to protect your family provide for your children's education own your own home. Why not talk it over with him? Consult your telephone directory for the name of your local representative on the entirety of the United States. Next week we will dramatize another case from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Its subject internal security its title is Brothers Keeper. The incidents used in tonight's equitable life assurance societies 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 Robert Yale Libet. Your narrator was William Woodson and special agent Taylor was played by Stacey Harris. Others in the cast were Richard Beals, Georgia Ellis, Betty Lugerson, Lou Merrill, Vernon Rich and Victor Rodman. This is your FBI is a Jerry Divine production. This is Larry Keating speaking for the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States and is 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. His Brothers Keeper on This Is Your FBI This program came to you from Hollywood.