 From Hollywood it's time now for Johnny dollar Here mr. Dollar century style. I know mr. Elliott. How are you today terrible? You there about Sheldon Forbes Well, that's pretty usual mr. Elliott Forbes admitted taking the money from your firm. He's guilty is charged You're the injured party. They want to get on with the prosecution. Oh, so you do whatever they say mr. No, not a bit your checks on the way to you right now You can thank me, but I'm not going back my job's just beginning I have to recover the money for the insurance company and every week day night Bob Bailey and the transcribed adventures of the man with the Action-packed expense account America's fabulous freelance insurance investigators. Oh, it's truly Johnny dollar Expense account submitted by special investigator Johnny dollar to the Continental Adjustment Bureau 418 Elizabeth Avenue Hartford, Connecticut The following is an accounting of expenditures during my investigation of the Forbes matter theft of nearly five thousand dollars Expenses continued item four. I think it is ten dollars deposited on a rented car first stop central division headquarters Where I was informed that Sheldon Thomas Forbes had been formally arraigned. It was being held in the city jail Second stop an address on 56th Street second floor next to a dental laboratory and on the door It said Edward Gumby attorney at law and below it said walk in so I did Mr. Gumby Edward Gumby was standing in front of a gas heater in the inner office Which consisted of nothing more than a telephone a desk and a dozen law books It was a medium-sized man about 40 or so little tired little seedy, but he had a nice grin That's right. Mr. Gumby. You don't know me. I'm with Continental Adjustment Bureau representing Delaware Eastern liability in this Forbes matter Oh, yes, yes, yes, of course understand your representing Sheldon Forbes. Is that right? I Don't know whether it is or not, Mr. Dollar. I happened to be in magistrates court this morning when Forbes was arraigned I took him on because he didn't have counsel and the court appointed me. I Don't know whether he took me on or not. Sit down. Sit down. Oh, thanks York is the coldest city in the world absolutely the coldest when it's cold Yeah, sure is look. I don't want to take up a lot of your time. Mr. Gumby. I'm I've got time boy. That's all I've got. What's on your mind? Your client mostly he's admitted guilt But of course, we're interested in recovering the money. He stole $4,285. Yeah, I can't blame your company for that. Well prosecution could probably be stopped if we made recovery Sure. I thought I'd tell you this and in case you had any influence on Forbes. Well, I appreciate that Mr. Dollar Very understandable But as I say I was court appointed I really haven't talked to him yet So I'll have to confess I don't have any influence with him at all yet Struck me as a nice sort of chap Don't quite get it myself probably an explanation for it Married once I understand and widowed right after the war. He Worked for century styles about five years Have you talked to police yet? No I understand they're gonna work on it today Maybe they'll have a little more information for you about the recovery Yeah, probably find the money in an old sock or something like that. That's the way these things generally run, you know, I Agreed with mr. Gumby that was truly the way these kind of cases usually ran And I was a little surprised that afternoon when I spoke to the officers at the city jail They reported that a complete search of Forbes apartment and automobile honor nothing like a missing money They further reported that they had found no reliable evidence of any material possessions that the money could have been spent for My next stop city jail. He won't tell you anything. Hmm. Get this trap shut all the time. He's been in here So I was we've been able to find out no previous record no background When checking his prints with Washington I don't know about this one You know The ex cop wise I mean won't give a police officer the time of day That means he could have been in before on the other hand it could mean he's just scared that too They get easy for this is mr. Dollar. He wants to talk to you for us. Hi Yeah, thanks, sir Right they treating you okay swell What do you want to want to talk to you? Well, I don't want to talk to you. I don't want to talk to anybody. Why not? I just don't want to see anybody. That's all Now you're acting like a baby Forbes. You'll have to talk to somebody don't lecture me mr. Insurance investigator I've had all the lectures I want for myself I Don't know why you're here. I I thought we settled our business yesterday. The whole thing's just a technicality I've been arraigned. I've got my confession. I'll go into court and they'll give me the business What are you doing in here anyway? It's well day to be outside Yeah, it is Want to smoke? Oh, thanks. Oh Why are you here to help you out of this mess if you'll let me Not a bit Why should you want to help me? Well, it's not because I have any use for you mr. You're nothing to me, but a guy who stole a pile of money my job is to get it back $4,285 Yes that how about it Forbes isn't it enough that I'm in jail But that I'll go to prison. That's enough for the police but not for my insurance company Oh, it's too bad about your insurance company. No, it's too bad about you. You're being foolish a Holder partial recovery can have a great deal to do with what happens to you from now on Three years is the minimum sentence, you know 12 years maximum Now is it worth it? Sure Sure, it's worth it and I don't want to be foolish anymore, but I have been foolish. I Took it nice bet it every dime of it. There's no way to pay it back. What did you spend it on it? Doesn't make any difference. They make a lot of difference. You can redeem it turn it back. Oh, I can't why did you take the money? All right, look your salary is close to a hundred a week you're single wasn't that enough to live on? Why don't you get out of here? I Don't have anything to tell you ever been in trouble before Under another name in another state They consider backgrounds like that when a man comes up to be sentenced Forbes this is your first offense. Are you trying to shield someone? Why don't you go away? You've been trying the market. Did you gamble? No, no? Yeah, just leave me alone. I won't tell you a thing if you bought something with it or gave it to someone if it Can be recovered in some part. Oh, no Go away and leave me alone. I'd like to believe me I would you're a thief Forbes and you're gonna get what's coming to you, but I can't leave you alone Listen how you listen to me If I don't get the information I want from you, I'll get it elsewhere I'm gonna be very honest with you Eastern Delaware wrote a comprehensive policy on century styles promising to identify them and fall for every laws caused by fire A theft on their promises in case you didn't know Forbes an insurance company won't take the word of some guy sitting in a jail cell Sitting in a jail cell feeling sorry for himself where there's cash to be recovered Now you swiped it within the last month. You have something to show for it somewhere somehow Whatever you spend it on or whoever you spend it on remember that that money is the same as stolen property a car a diamond ring or something Now if you give it to someone or spend it when it wasn't yours, it's still redeemable and we mean to redeem it All right now. What do you have to say? This won't do you any good. Don't don't try to bulldoze me I'm no punk or crawling into a drugstore when no late at night. I'm a college graduate I've been in the business world 10 years or better I know what I want to tell you and what I want to keep to myself and I don't want to talk to you about this You or anybody else? I? Can't make it any clearer than that. Do you understand and there's no way or no person who can make me talk about it. I Took the lousy money. I've admitted that I did a bad job of it. You caught me I confessed and you've got me now What more is there? That's the whole story Okay Have it your way forbs go Just go On my way out I saw his attorney Edward Gumby on his way in to see forbs I waited around the sergeant's desk accidentally on purpose. I glanced at the admitted visitors register Only two people had contacted for since his arrest Gumby and myself That struck me as odd A glance at his folder named no close relatives named no one in fact I was thinking about that when Gumby came out from his visit gonna be looking worn out Hi, hi, how'd you do not so good? They tell me something He asked you to contact a girl or anyone. Nope. I don't think he has a girl I don't think he has anybody Want some coffee? Yeah, good idea We slushed across the street and found a diner Expense account item 542 cents coffee and sinkers for Ed Gumby and myself. I think you're gonna strike out Don't I already have I think I have to huh? You know what I've been talking to him about in there all this time the same thing as you restitution But he won't open his mouth about it He didn't say one thing though. He wants me to wave a jury trial and go up for sentencing What yeah, plead guilty and take it sure to get at least three years What can I do Got any ideas? Well, I've got a lot of ideas dollar and all of them make me sick inside That boy's not a criminal He took that money because he was desperate about something. You know that from the awkward way he took it He spent it on something and he won't talk about it But now he's about to ruin his whole life in spite of what you or I or anybody else tries to do for him All he has to do is give back the money or promise restitution or call up a friend and borrow it With his clean background the court had listened to a mercy plea. You told him all this I told him I told him and you told him and what does he do? He waves his right. I tell you I'm gonna hate to file this waiver, but I've got to do it More coffee, you know No, thanks dollar, you know what Forbes is what? He's something I call a calendar job calendar job 33 years old not nothing about that Born with one war just ended Raised in a depression and then bang up another war You might say the first 25 years of his life nothing but war and depression Or the effects thereof a calendar job And Apparently, it's what he wants But mr. Dollar, I'm gonna hate to see him go to prison. You know something, mr. Company So am I? There'll be another intriguing episode in our story of the Forbes matter tomorrow tomorrow a sudden twist in the case that Throws all the usual theories right out the window the unexpected Join us. Won't you yours truly Johnny dollar first truly Johnny dollars starring Bob Bailey is In Hollywood written by John Dawson. It is produced and directed by Jack John stone Be sure to join us tomorrow night same time and station for the next exciting episode of yours truly Johnny dollar Roy Rowan speaking