 The story you're about to hear is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent. Dragmen. You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned a robbery detail. You get a call from an informant telling you the three known gangsters have moved into your city. You don't know who they are or why they're in Los Angeles. Your job, check them out. It was Wednesday, August 4th. It was warm in Los Angeles. We were working the day watch out a robbery detail. My partner's Frank Smith. My boss is chief of detective Stad Brown. My name's Friday. We were on our way out from the office, and it was 9.42 a.m. when we got to the Osborne Turkish band. Steam room. Hot in there. Yeah. There must be Dell back there. Yeah. Dell? Yeah, who is it? Friday and Smith. Oliver, I'm with you. Okay. Hey, Joe, did you ever have one of these? Well, what? Turkish bands. You ever had one? No, no, I never had. I understand they're great for coals. You just sit there and it burns the germs right out. It's great. You ever have one? No, but I'm in. My brother-in-law, he takes them all the time. It tells me about how it does for coals. Next time he has one, I think I'll go with him. Yeah, that's a good idea. All right. Sorry to keep you waiting. We've been having trouble with the boiler. Got to keep a close check on the steam pressure in here. That's okay. Let's get out of here, huh? It won't make me unhappy. It sure is hot, Dell. Go on upstairs. We can talk there. Okay. What do you got for us, Dell? I might not go anyplace, but I thought I'd fill you guys in on it. For a group? I thought it rolled in here last night. It must have been about 10.30. The night man's out with a coal, so I had to fill in. A coal? Yeah, some kind of virus or something. Oh, yeah. Come on, we can talk in the office. Sit down here. Mind if I go over some of these bills while we talk? No, go ahead. Well, uh, this bimbo pulls in here last night, really carrying a load. I registered him and had Jimmy take him upstairs. Guy's kind of loud, you know, rolling all over the place. I wanted to get him upstairs to a room. Figured he'd sack out, and we wouldn't hear no more from him. Yeah. Well, he had a different idea. A couple of minutes later, he comes downstairs, wants to know what's going on. What do you mean? He wants to know where the steam room is. Says he's not going to sit in the little room all night. He paid for his steam bath. That's what he wants. Yeah. When he starts to talk about his high-powered friends and this deal they're out to pull, I kind of figure there's something wrong. You tell you where the friends were? No, not right now. I just mentioned a guy named Bud. Kept talking how Bud was going to be sore at him because he got drunk. Must have said it a hundred times. How Bud was going to be real sore. Sounded to me like this. Bud is the big man of the deal. I see. No idea what the deal is, though, huh? No, most he said was that when they left town, they were all going to have a lot of money. No money than I'd ever seen. You got the name on this guy? Oh, here's the register here. Let's see. Hey, you can see right here. We're in Carmichael, Los Angeles. Didn't give an address, huh? Once he mentioned he had to meet Bud at a hotel down on South Flower. Didn't say which one, though. Well, Flower's a long street, though. That doesn't help much. Didn't give any ideas at all of what the deal was going to be, huh? Yeah, that must be a good one, though. Why do you say that? Well, when I took him up to his room last night, I could see his clothes hanging on a chair. Yeah. On top of his coat, he had a shoulder holster. Looked like a .45 automatic in it. Well, I look at it. The guy that's carrying that kind of muscle is figuring on scoring heavy. You make any phone calls while I was here? No. Anybody had the room since he left? No, I told the cleanup man to leave it alone. I figured you'd want to go over it. That's a good idea. What time do you leave this morning? Jimmy says it was about 7.30. I figured sure he'd sleep most of the morning. I thought I'd known he was going to leave that early. I had a call to you last night. Well, we better take a look at that room, Del. Might be able to come up with something that'll tell us who he is. I got something else for you. Yeah, what's that? I mentioned this car, Michael, to Jimmy last night. I told him when I thought there was something wrong. Yeah. The reason the guy left so early is that he got a call from somebody. I guess it's the guy that picked him up. Did this Jimmy see who it was? No, did the next best thing, though. Yeah, what's that? Got the license number of the car. 10.15 a.m., we got in touch with Layton Prince and Harlan Stahl sent a crew out to go over the room. Frank put him a call to the record bureau. He had the name Vernon Carmichael checked. There was no record on anyone answering the description that we'd gotten from the manager of the Turkish bands. In addition, the radiogram was sent to the Department of Motor Vehicles in Pennsylvania asking for all available information on the owner of the car bearing the license number that we'd been given. 11.30 a.m., Harlan Stahl's crew finished checking the room and they told us that they'd been able to lift a complete set of clean fingerprints from a water glass. They were photographed and classified. In checking our files, there was no record of the prints. They were forwarded to George Gretten up at Sacramento to CII and to the FBI in Washington, D.C. 2 days passed. On Friday, August 6th, we got the word from DMV in Pennsylvania that the car was registered to a Howard Nielsen. The radiogram also gave us a description of the car and the registered owner's address in Pittsburgh. On receipt of this information, we got in touch with the police department in Pittsburgh and found that Howard Bud Nielsen had a misdemeanor record. Late Friday afternoon, the kickback from Washington, D.C. arrived with the information that the fingerprints found in the room at the Turkish bath were those of Vernon Carmichael. His record listed arrests for petty theft and robbery in Pennsylvania. He'd been brought to trial, but he'd been acquitted. Both men were well-known to the police department in Pittsburgh as hoodlums. On Saturday morning, the mug shots of both Nielsen and Carmichael arrived. 10.15 a.m., we met with Lieutenant Jack Smyers and we decided that the information coupled with the records of the two men made the incident worth investigation. The mug shots of the pair were copied and a canvas of the hotels on South Flower Street was started in an attempt to find the residents of the suspects. The search went on for another two days until the results. Monday, August 9th, 11.47 a.m., Frank and I got back to the office from communications. You know, we're going to feel pretty silly if Carmichael and Nielsen are already back there. It's beginning to look like the tip from Dell about the hotel on Flower was off, huh? Still a lot of places to check, though. Friday? Yeah. We got it for you. What? Carmichael and Nielsen. We found the hotel. At 10.30 that morning, officers Murphy and Rafferty had gotten the first affirmative answer to their questions about the suspects. At the corner of South Flower Street in Bunker Hill Avenue had recognized the mug shots of Carmichael and Nielsen. Further questioning brought out the name of the third man in the trio. He was identified as Ernest Hunter. A check of the name through our records netted us no new information on him and the name in the description was forwarded again to Brereton up at CII in Sacramento and again to Pittsburgh for possible identification. In talks with Lieutenant Smyers and Chief of Detectives Thad Brown, it was decided to keep the man under 24-hour surveillance. Three additional teams of men were assigned to the duty. For the next seven days, the three men were under constant watch. Their habits were regular. Their movements during the day followed the same general pattern. The kickback on Ernest Hunter disclosed no criminal record. At the end of the first week of watching the man, it was decided that the next step in the operation was to place a microphone in their room so that we might be able to monitor their conversations. Frank and I got in touch with the sound crew at the crime lab and we made arrangements with them. The necessary permits were obtained from the Federal Communications Commission to ensure that the sound itself was ready. We made arrangements with radio car officers to pick up the suspects for investigation. The sound crew, Frank and I, along with Murphy and Rafferty, stood by for a word that the trio was in custody. Tuesday night, 9.40 p.m. Should be getting word pretty quick. Yeah. Red one to red two. Come in, red two. No, on a chat. Sounds like they got it. Yeah, you want to take it? I'll post one to monitor. I'll post one to monitor. Go ahead. They can receive that suspects are in custody. Repeat suspects are in custody at knowledge. I'll post one to monitor. I'll post one to monitor. Message received. I'll post one up. You heard it. Yeah. Red one to red two and red three. Red one to red two and red three. You read me red two and three? Red one to red three. Suspects are now in custody. installation of listening equipment over red three please keep contact red one to red two come in red two can you see the suspect's apartment from where you are red one to red three come in red three are you in the apartment yet. Is there a radio in the room. Can you fix that before you leave good where you put in a bug nothing to do now until finished yeah we got the recorder all set up yeah it's in the room sound crew came in this afternoon made the installation do you know how to work it yeah I think so jack check me out on it's pretty simple just like playing a piano press a key in a way it goes well I hope you got it I've always had trouble with it last time I wanted to rewind one of the spools and listen to something ended up erasing everything we had I remember that very well I was afraid 11.15 p.m. the installation of the listening equipment was completed and Frank and I along with Officer Pat Murphy took up our positions in the room we intended to use as a monitoring post officer Rapparty went back to the city hall and told them that we finished we were ready to have the suspects released in the meantime Carmichael Nielsen and Hunter had been fingerprinted and mugged a search of their persons had failed to reveal any incriminating evidence and the time that they'd been held it allowed us to make the necessary installation after the trio had been released we received information that they were proceeding toward the hotel Frank Murphy and I waited for them at the monitor post to come into their room 12.35 a.m. That's them get the recorder right don't take care of the walk Frank yeah it's 12.36 a.m. That's it. That's what you think they had a reason you're so smart you tell me why I shut up with your car like you weren't such a big man when you start to ask you the questions all the time saying I was going to tell them why don't you shut up probably when you got tanked up in that Turkish brand that's probably what different what to a couple of uniform cops stop us on a routine investigation they got nothing anything on it again let us go we'll do it you think you let us go why don't you I am Hunter turn on the radio where it gets the music the next time you get tanked back here I don't go roaming all over town that's why I picked this up you said something what I say you know what I tell you you're being a big man you tell me what I said to me up go ahead tell me you said something I don't know what it was but you shut up your mouth. I don't know what's wrong with the radio if I just want to turn it off. You open your mouth anymore you got more trouble you can have that's the way it looks to you. You guys don't shut up I'm going to throw one of you out of here shut up get some sleep tonight. That's the way it went for the next five days when the men were in the room they argued continually they talked about the deal they were working on but from their conversation there was no way of learning what they planned when they left the room they were constantly under surveillance but their movements were routine they took their meals in the same restaurant they went to movies they sat in bars always together during the time they were out of the apartment they made no local contacts they received no telephone calls they made none we knew that they were planning something but there was no way of knowing what it was all conversation in the room was recorded and listened to over and over again in the hope that we could come up with some kind of a lead but the time spent in replaying the recordings and that is nothing from what they'd said we figured that whatever they were planning would take place on either Tuesday August 17th or on Wednesday August 18th on Tuesday three-way cars were assigned to the streets in front of the hotel but the suspects acted as usual on Wednesday they didn't leave their room Frank Murphy and I continued to wait on the streets outside three other teams of men were standing by and undercover cars 9 30 p.m. that's their telephone get the recorder yep 9 31 p.m. yeah okay we'll be right now what? yeah that's the word we got right we'll see in about thirty-nine hey uh how are we going to know you? yeah yeah I got it right contact? yeah stuff just got in we're supposed to pick it up right away oh looks like maybe we've got to work now let's do it for me let's go that's it outpost one the units 1K89 1K88 1K87 suspects are leaving room suspects are leaving room outpost one out all right let's go I wish we knew what it was kind of like it might be narcotics well it could be doesn't make a lot of difference does it yeah at least we know it's something for the time we got to the street the suspects were getting into their car and pulling away from the curb Frank Murphy and I got to our car and followed them they drove down south flower to the corner of palm drive and turned left three blocks further they pulled into a gas station and apparently asked directions they turned south on Broadway and drove about a mile at Santa Barbara Avenue they turned left again and drove three blocks they stopped and parked the car in front of a small bar we informed the other units of the activity and asked them to stand by in the area Carmichael got out of the car and ended the bar Murphy left us and ended the bar after him Carmichael returned in a few minutes with another man the two of them got back into the car and they talked at the end of that time all four of the men got out of the automobile and then they entered the bar shortly after that Carmichael Nielsen and Hunter walked out of the place Carmichael was carrying a small package wrapped in plain brown paper and tied with a string the fourth man wasn't with him Frank and I got out of our car and approached the men as they stood talking all right hold it up police officers over there put your hands up on that wall what's going on get your hands up there Frank you want to check on the package yeah keep your hands on that wall lousy deal I hope you're happy Carmichael I hope you're real happy what are you talking about I've got to lay this one to you you really took care of this hands still and keep quiet how about it Frank I don't know what do you mean where's money twenty dollar bills what's your fifteen twenty thousand dollars worth where as far as I can tell it's good where's that put it well there's twenty thousand dollars here yeah let's find out where they got it ten o two a.m. the four suspects were taken into custody and removed to the city hall for interrogation we got in touch with the secret service and asked them to come over to the office to check on the currency the agent arrived and after looking at the money he pointed out several minute mistakes that had been made in the engraving of the plates he went on to explain however that this particular printing was one of the best that he'd ever seen he told us that the paper used in the bills would be analyzed and that we'd receive copies of the reports as soon as they were finished twelve fourteen a.m. while Murphy Rafferty and the Secret Service man questioned Nielsen in the interrogation room Frank and I talked to Carmichael in the squad room we questioned him for about an hour but he refused to say anything that would help us get a lead to the source of the counterfeit one thirty a.m. how long do you think you can keep this up Carmichael I don't know what you're talking about come off but we're getting tired of playing kid games here we want to know where the queer came from now who says it's queer guy that printed it was pretty sloppy made a lot of mistakes Joe you're a man yeah you're right back how you doing nothing Nielsen won't say a word gives it to us that he didn't know what was going on says he just went out there to pick up a package they say who they were running the errand for tells it just he went along for the ride the whole thing was Carmichael's idea we thought maybe we'd go to work on hunter see what we can get from him okay you can stick with Carmichael I guess so from what we heard in the room if there's going to be a break I got a hunch it's going to come from him okay you got anything but it's not right away big man's back again your friend I tell you all about it no but yours did Nielsen just laid the whole thing in your lap you're kidding you want to talk to him what do you say well he tells it he was just long for the ride you're the big wheel in the whole thing he said that I said you could talk to him if you want to we ain't going to make it he ain't going to lay it on me you want to tell us your side of it yeah I'll tell you the way it happened hey lousy bum how do you like that him saying I'm the wheel I'll tell you all right now where'd the queer come from I don't know I thought you were going to tell us I'm doing that I really don't know where he came from you turn up with twenty thousand dollars and twenty dollar bills and you ask us to believe that you don't know where it was printed I'm not asking you anything I'm telling you what I know that's it well tell us about your part Nielsen, Hunter and me were approached in pits by who I don't know we're going that way again so you don't believe me that's the way it happened the guy who approached you just walked up and said here's twenty thousand bucks just like that no the deal was that Nielsen, Hunter and me were supposed to come out here we were supposed to check into a hotel and wait for a call guy who called us would have the queer he turned it over to us and we'd pass it you bought the counterfeit? yeah what did you pay for it? two and a half for twenty dollars yeah two and a half for twenty you paid the other man we picked up? yeah we gave him twenty five hundred bucks you ever seen a man before? what? the man you bought the queer from do you know him? no I never saw him before he's not the man who made the original contact in Pittsburgh no a guy back east was an old man how old? I don't know maybe fifty five, sixty around in there in the name of any kind? no he's just a calling pop that's all pop give us a description of this man pop what's in it for me? well what do you got now? nothing alright it'll stay that way you're in big trouble Carmichael if you're smart at all you're gonna cop out the whole thing and cooperate with us it allows me Nielsen him all the time yelling about how it was all set all the time saying we had it made sure I'll go with you I just want to see Nielsen get his that's all just want to see him get his we're gonna want you to look at some pictures too I told you I'd go the right you just tell me what you want to know if I got the answers so of you what do you tell you? what? that allows me Nielsen what do you tell you about how it happened you tell the way I did you tell it that way? very much yeah sure that's the way it happened can't be told the other way yeah well Nielsen might give you an argument there further interrogation of the other three men in the operation served to corroborate the story that we've been given by Carmichael twenty five hundred dollars in cash was found on the fourth suspect once the other men were confronted with the fact that Carmichael had told us everything he knew concerning the operation they all followed suit but other than telling us that they knew the head man and the counterfeiting act as pop they couldn't come up with any further information from a man who had been in the bar we learned that he'd met pop in Pittsburgh he also told us that as far as he knew the counterfeiter had been in prison at one time or another however the suspect was unable to tell us in what state or on what charges pop had served time he went on to tell us that he'd gotten the money in Pittsburgh and that pop had told him that he'd be contacted later the secret service had completed their analysis of the counterfeit bills and they told us that they were some of the most perfect printing jobs that they'd run across the counterfeiter had made one major mistake however in the printing of the currency he'd impregnated the paper with small silken hairs so that it would stand close inspection the currency now in use is made with nylon hairs the agent from the secret service told us they had agents working on tracing the manufacturer of the paper in the hopes that they could come up with a lead as to the identity of pop the four suspects were booked into the city jail Thursday, August 19th we ran the name pop through our moniker file of the forty seven cards turned over to us by the record bureau nineteen of the suspects listed matched the descriptions that we'd been given the pictures of the men were pulled and shown to Clarem Ico and the other three suspects they were unable to give us an identification the name and description was sent to George Brereton in Sacramento and he sent us another hundred and fifty possible these were checked out without result the nickname and physical description of the man was sent to Washington and we got back over a thousand names and pictures it took us six weeks working with the secret service to check out these possible the results, nothing Tuesday, October 5th, Frank and I got back to the office I get it robbery, friday yeah wait a minute, wait until I get that down go ahead yeah, well it should check out okay, we'll meet you what you got report of the paper and the queer bills just came through looks like we found pop in checking the manufacturers of paper similar to that used in the counterfeit twenty dollars the secret service had come up with the name of a small print shop in the eastern section of Los Angeles the paper used was of an unusual type and there were not many orders for it this particular shop had ordered large quantities of it in the past and was continuing to use it in checking out the name of the man on the order blanks the secret service had found that he'd been convicted of robbery and had served to term in the federal penitentiary in Atlanta he'd been released and had come to California and opened a small print shop we spent the next two days checking the suspect out his name was given to Stanley Jackson age forty-seven for the next week the print shop and Jackson himself were kept under constant surveillance on Thursday October fourteenth at eleven fifty p.m. the suspect was followed to his print shop I'll come to the front of the shop, Joe right, man come on, Frank yeah sounds like a press, doesn't it? yeah come on the back doors are out here do you see what's going on in there? no, the windows all painted over well, it doesn't leave us with a lot of choice if we go in and he's not putting counterfeit we're going to make him so hinky that we might never nail him if we don't go in, he might get rid of the plates we're in trouble there, too yeah, like I said, we haven't got much choice, have we? all right, let's go what's going on? what are you doing in here? police officers, you're under arrest you've got no right to come in here like this I know my rights, you haven't got a warrant you've got no right to act like this do you want to kill it, Frank? I got it if anybody right touching those, they're mine they belong to me, mister where'd you get the plates, Jackson? they're good, aren't they, mister? the very best where'd you get them? made them? made them myself where'd you learn engraving? in prison when they sent me to prison, I learned all about engraving real engraving not photoprocessed, but the real thing finest plates I've ever seen, the best beautiful money, isn't it? best I've ever seen, fool anybody did it all myself, pass it anywhere, fool anybody anywhere yeah just look at it, mister that's a genuine article, isn't it? perfect, absolutely perfect, mister no, you're wrong there, the government didn't print it Alex Carmichael, Howard Raymond Nielsen Ernest Richard Hunter, Philip Roger Harger and Stanley Norman Jackson were tried and convicted of violation of Title 18, US code Section 474 printing and issuing counterfeit money violation of this title is punishable by a fine of $5,000 and imprisonment in a federal penitentiary for a period not to exceed 15 years you have just heard Dragnet, the authentic story of your police force in action and starring Jack Webb a presentation of the United States Armed Forces Radio Service