 This program is transcribed. The Equitable Life Assurance Society presents, this is your FBI. This is your FBI. The official broadcast from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Presented as a public service by the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States and the Equitable Society's representative in your community. In the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States, nearly four million members are banded together to build better futures for themselves and their families. Their reasons for becoming Equitable Society policy holders are many, but certainly among the most unselfish and far-sighted Equitable Society members are those parents who have seen the wisdom of an Equitable Education Fund. Fathers and mothers, in just 14 minutes the Equitable Society will tell you how to make sure that your children get the funds necessary for the education you want them to have through an Equitable Education Fund. Tonight's FBI file, the wrong way, shake down. From the swift completion of their appointed rounds, and while that is true of postman everywhere, it is likewise true of almost every government employee. No member of your FBI knows where his next assignment will take him, into what jeopardy it will place him, or under what conditions he will have to work. But that does not deter him, for he knows that crime can and does take place anywhere and amongst all types of people. Sometimes those crimes are long planned and intricately carried out, and sometimes they are committed almost on the spur of the moment. There are more of the latter type because most criminals are not people of intelligence or character. They are more likely to be insensible opportunists who look only for the smallest of openings before they strike. Tonight's file opens on the lawn of an exclusive summer resort. Three people, an elderly lady and two younger men, are just finishing a furious game of croquet. Go ahead Wilbur, it's your shot. I know. If you don't hit your mother's ball, the game is as good as over. I'm aware of that. Here goes. Go ahead Mrs. Wheeler, it's your shot. All I have to do is get the steak with my ball. That's right. Well, let's try it. You're the champ, Mrs. Wheeler. I think we'd better go up and have a cup of tea. That's a good idea Wilbur. Would you two join us? Oh, not me. I'm going up and take a shower after all that exercise, but we'll see you in the dining room. No, that'll be nice. Maybe we can eat together. Mrs. Wheeler, my wife doesn't allow me to make dates with strange women. Bye Wilbur. Please say goodbye for now. We'll see you later. Okay, so long. Bill, you're overdoing it. They're gone. Well, how'd you make out? I think I hit the jackpot. What did you get on them? Well, I looked in her purse and couldn't get anything. But when Wilbur hung his coat over the chair I was sitting on, I came up with a real interesting letter. What kind of letter? A guy's being blackmailed. That goon? The letter told the whole story. He stole a diamond ring at the hotel's central in Madison, Missouri. He's being shaken for 2,500. Well, I always say you never know where your next buck is coming from. What do you mean? Well, if he's being blackmailed, honey, we're getting in the act too. Meanwhile, in the nearby local FBI field office, special agent Jim Taylor approaches the desk of agent Keith Johnson. Keith, it's never going to get cool again, is it? I don't think so. The paper says we're due for more of the same tomorrow. Yeah. Say, Jim, what's this new case we're on all about? Extortion. We just finished with one extortion case. Well, that's where they gave us this one. What have we got so far? Not much. We don't have a description. We don't have a sample of the extortionist's handwriting, and we don't know where the extortioner is now. Dandy? Yeah. What's the operation? Well, it seems there was a reunion of the class of 28 of Madison University. A few of the old grads went out and celebrated pretty strenuously. Among them, one Mr. Rawlins. Nothing will strain you as much as trying to hold on to an old memory. Well, they found that out. The next morning, the house detective of the hotel knocked on the door of Mr. Rawlins' room. I see. He said that there was a valuable diamond ring missing from the next room, and he also said they had a report that Rawlins had wandered into that room the night before by mistake. What did Rawlins say? Well, he actually didn't remember, and he had such a terrible hangover that he couldn't do any arguing. Those 45-year-olds never learned that they can't drink that way anymore. Yeah. Well, the detective pretended to search the room, and in the pocket of Rawlins' tuxedo, he found the missing ring. Oh? At least he claimed that's where he found it. Then when he said he might be able to straighten everything out, Rawlins was only too happy to let him try. Uh-huh. Well, after Rawlins got home, he got a threatening letter asking him for $2,500. From the house detective? That's right, and he decided to pay. He was instructed to leave the money by the statue in the park on 7th Street. Well, how'd we happen to find out all about this, Jim? Rawlins ran into one of the men who was out with him that night, a Harry Sheridan. They compared notes and found out that they'd each paid $2,500 to the same man, and for stealing the same ring. Have you been able to get any list of the alumni who attended the class reunion? Yeah. Yeah, I've got it right here. Good. I also checked with the Central Hotel in Madison, Missouri, and as you probably already guessed, the extortioner wasn't really the house detective. I didn't think so. Let's split this sheet of names in half, Keith, and start making some phone calls. Wilbur. Yes, Mother? Something bothering you, dear? Well... Is it something in one of those letters they sent up from the desk? Mother, I'm trying to remember something. Well, maybe I can help you, dear. You're right about my being bothered, and it is by one of those letters. I knew it. The person who wrote it to me wants $5,000. What? From you? Yes. Oh, that's shocking. It's blackmail, Mother. The letter states, I know all about the diamond ring you stole at the Hotel Central in Madison, Missouri. Who signed the letter, Wilbur? There's no signature. I bet I know who sent it to you. Who? That man we've been playing croquet with. Mr. Brooks. Mr. Brooks? You had the other better in your coat pocket, and your coat was hanging over a chair when we were playing. But he was with us all the time. Well, his wife was sitting in that chair. She must have taken the letter out and read it. Why, that's terrible, Mother. What do we do about it? Well, I'm afraid the only thing we can do is answer the letter, dear. Sit down, Wilbur. We'll write him a reply. Is that you, Bill? Baby, call the man and order that mink. You got an answer. It was under the shrubs out back, just like I ordered it. And he's going to pay? Five Gs. Oh, wonderful. Could any of your other husbands have figured it out this fast? Oh, none of them. That's why I've stayed married to you for two whole years. Honey, what's the next move? I've got to contact him a little while. What for? Tell him where to leave the move. Where will that be? Well, I haven't decided yet. How about that lifeguard's platform down at the beach? There won't be anybody close to that once it gets dark. That'll be okay. I'll contact him right now. Keith, how'd you make out on your half of the Class 28? I haven't gotten anything so far. I just found another victim. The same racket? That's right. A man named Albie Scott. How long ago did he get his letter? A week ago, and he paid off on Tuesday night. Could he give any description of this witness? No. No, apparently all of the victims had such hangovers. The morning of the shakedown, they didn't pay much attention. And that's the only time any of them ever saw the extortioner. After that first call, he conducted his business by mail and by phone. How about the letter that was written to Scott? Has he still got it? No, he burned it the way the others did. Yeah, I guess it's a little too much to expect any of them would keep that kind of letter on file. Yeah, I'm afraid so. Well, where do we go from here? Well, I've been thinking about that. I think I may have an angle on this case. We can use one. Rollins and Sheridan, victims one and two, were out partying together while they were at that reunion. Well, I asked Scott who he had been out with. He said that he and an old chum had spent most of their time together. Hey, I think I see what you mean, and said old chum might be number four on their list. That's right. Did Scott have his address? He did, and I called, but they said he'd gone to Crestview Harbor. I called there. They said he was away on a fishing trip, but I think he just didn't want to answer the phone. Why? Well, maybe he's gotten his letter and doesn't want the law stepping in and giving him any publicity. You might be right. I just spoke to the boss about it. He gave us an OK to go out there. If our man is on a fishing trip, he probably won't be gone too long. When do we leave? Well, we catch the plane within an hour. Come here. How'd you do, honey? I'm a hero. That's what I am. Get a load of this green stuff. Here, peek through here. Hey, you didn't open the package down at the beach. I just wanted to make sure they didn't fill this with old newspaper clippings. Oh, honey, lay it out on the floor. The money? Yeah. I don't want to run barefoot over it. Who is it? What do we do? Do you think they suspect anything? No. How could they? I'll put the money away. You let them in. OK. Well, good evening, good evening. Good evening. Come right in. Right ahead, honey. Thank you. Well, where's your wife, Mr. Brooks? Oh, she's in the bedroom. She's dressing for dinner. Oh. Marge, the wheelers are here. I missed our croquet game today. Well, I had some business to attend to this afternoon. Oh. I'm sorry to keep you waiting. No, that's all right. We're really not very hungry. Shall we have a drink first? I think we should discuss something first. What's that? The $5,000 you collected this afternoon. What? My mother is referring to the money that was left for you on the beach. Well, I don't know what you're talking about. There's no point in covering them. Obviously, they know you wrote the letter. We not only know he wrote the letter, we want the money. You mean you're reneging? You want us to expose your son as a thief? My son isn't a thief, Mrs. Brooks. You see, we never paid that money. What? That letter you took out of my coat, Mrs. Brooks, wasn't sent to me. What do you mean? That was a letter mother had written for me to mail to a contributor we have here in Crestview Harbor. Wait a minute. You mean you were shaking somebody down? That's right, young man. But you've been very helpful to us. We were able to send him your letter instead of taking the risk of sending ours. You what? And you also spared us the rather dangerous task of picking up the package of money. Now, please, let us have the $5,000. Oh, no. Even when I back up my request with you? She has a gun. I think I should caution you both. She's quite expert with it. Well, thank you, Wilbur. Now, where's the money? Well, answer me. What'd you do with it, Marge? In the bedroom, under the bed. Wilbur, go fetch it, please. Yes, Mother. And look around while you're in there. See if you see anything that might be of sentimental value. I will, Mother. This is a great little idea you had. Oh, lay off. You have a perfect right to criticize him, young lady. He handled this whole affair rather clumsily. Look, you keep out of this. Young man, I'm just saying this for your own good. I hate to criticize, but you really haven't any talent for this business at all. Listen, I've... No, thanks. I also found some jewelry that belonged to them. Good boy. My jewelry. Now, take those curtain sashes. Tie the people up, put them in the closet, and we can have our dinner. We will return in just a moment to tonight's case from the files of your FBI. A few weeks from now on scores of elm-shaded campuses, the bells of our colleges will call the sons and daughters of America to the most valuable experience of their lives. I say valuable experience advisedly. Did you know that the average college graduate earned $72,000 more during his working years than the average American? $72,000 more than the men who don't go to college. Well, that's a lot of money. You're right, Stan. It is. There's a close tie-up between earning and learning. And that's why a father who really has his heart in his children's future doesn't leave their education to chance. He makes sure that they'll go to college. He makes sure with an equitable education fund. Well, I've got a little savings account for my boy's education. An equitable education fund goes a lot farther than that, Stan. It's a complete plan offered by the Equitable Life Assurance Society, and it gives you these three advantages. First, you start when your children are young and spread their educational costs over 10 or 15 years instead of taking a licking in four. Two, when your boy or girl is ready for education, the money is ready and waiting for him right there in the Equitable Education Fund. Three, this equitable plan works whether you live or die. If you are totally or permanently disabled, the fund continues to build up without any further payments. If you die, the education fund becomes fully established immediately. Well, say that sounds good. Whom do I see about it? A representative of the Equitable Society? Right, Stan. Get in touch with an equitable man soon or send a postcard care of this station to the Equitable Life Assurance Society. Yes, from the moment you sign for an educational fund with the Equitable Life Assurance Society, you can be sure that when the college bells ring in 1960 or 1965, your boy or girl will hear them and will be ready to answer the call. Now back to tonight's fire. The wrong way, shake down. That was garnered in the past 12 months from your fellow Americans by those vicious criminals who practice blackmail. That statement will always be true because the statistics are impossible to gather without the cooperation of those who have been victimized. By the very nature of the crime, though, if the extortion victims were willing to report their payments to the police, they would have gone to the police in the first place. In tonight's case from the files of your FBI, one criminal attempted extortion from another, but that does not mean that you, as a law-abiding citizen, may not be the next victim. If that should happen to you, there is only one thing for you to do. Go to your telephone, call the operator, tell her, please get me the police. Tonight's file continues in the closet of the hotel room occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Brooks. They've been battering at the door since Wilbur and Mrs. Wheeler left them there. This is great. We get ourselves untied and we still can't get out. Don't come to me with your troubles. You're a big help. I didn't think geniuses needed any help. How did I know they were larceny bums? Because you're the smartest husband I ever had, remember? I wish I was the smartest ex-husband you ever had. I got half your action. Oh, shut up. I'm going to try this door again. It's giving a little. I never thought I'd grow old in a closet. Don't worry. We'll get out of here. You better find those two when we do. I want my jewelry back. Now you keep talking like this was all my fault. Like I found the letter in Wilbur's coat. Oh, now I shouldn't have found the letter. That does it. Now let's call the desk and see if they're gone. Oh, sure they're gone. You think they're waiting for us? Go down to the lobby and see if you can find out where they went. Okay. And don't come back until you do. Keith, our guest was right. You mean you found the fourth victim? Uh-huh. Mr. John Mason, he was at home when I got there and he said he refused our call because he didn't want the publicity. Oh, then he's gotten a letter, too. Not only gotten a letter, but paid. And they tapped him for 5,000 instead of the usual 2,500. Well, I guess they thought he could stand it a little better. He wants us to drop the case. Forget all about it. Oh, sure. And that whoever did it go right on blackmailing somebody else. Hey, we got one break with Mason, though. At least he still had the letter. Did he give it to you? Mm-hmm. There it is. Take a look at it. Hey, that's a pretty distinctive handwriting. Yeah, that's why I think it might be a break. If this person never wrote anything else, we have on file the lab ought to be able to find it pretty quickly. Do you want me to send it through? Yeah, will you, Keith? Sure. Oh, before you do, have a photo stat made so we can use it around here. Use it for what, Jim? Well, I thought we'd check the hotel registers here in Crestview Harbour. See if anybody's handwriting checks for that. Good idea. I'll have the photo stat back as soon as I can. Okay. Meanwhile, I'm going to check the hotels. They did check out. Yeah, truly. But nobody knows where they went. Did you try the transportation desk? Uh-huh. He had a telegram in his pocket when I went through it. I'm trying to remember where it was from. What kind of a telegram? It was from a hotel confirming a reservation. Well, think of it, girl. Think of it. I've been trying. Look, maybe this will help you. Was the hotel in Chicago? No. New York? No. San Francisco? I've got it. It was San Francisco? No, but it was the San Carlos Hotel. What city? That I don't know. Oh, wait a minute. There's a book downstairs with the names of every hotel in the country. I'm going to get it and you'll just call every San Carlos Hotel we find until we come to the right one. Special Agent Johnson. Hello, Kate. Lab found out who it was, too. It's Bill Bentley. It's what? That's right, Jim, the check passer. Brooks. Oh, that's an old alias of his. Well, that's all he's ever been arrested for. It gets tougher instead of easier as we go along. Does anybody know where Brooks went when he checked out? No, but his room... You want any help? Yeah. Okay. And Kate? Were you sleeping? No. No, I've just been sitting here reminiscing. Do you know this was the first town your father was arrested in? Really? Yes. And I'm sorry to say it was because he didn't perform his routine properly. Oh. That's why it's important, Wilbert, to always keep practicing. Keep going over and over the job that you're to do. Well, it does get tiresome, Mother. I know, but it saves trouble. Now, now let's hear you go through your performance once more. Oh, Mother. Come on now. Very well. I knock on the door. When the party opens it, I walk in and say, Mr. Jones, I'm the house detective here. More firmly, Wilber. Yes, Mother. I'm the house detective here. There's been a serious charge made against you. That's better. The party in the next room claims he saw you walk in there last night. There's a very valuable ring missing from that room. I'm afraid I'm going to have to search your room. Fine, son. Now describe what you do. Well, I search the room. Then I palm the ring and find it in the gentleman's suit. Oh, correct. Well, one thing, Mother. I do have trouble palming the ring. That's why you have to keep practicing. That's what your father did. He eventually became so proficient he could palm a trunk. Mother, I've always meant to ask you, is this ring the same one that Dad used? Yes, son, it is. I'd venture to say that ring has been to more class reunions than the Dean of Harvard. Lawrence, Jim. Oh, good. Find anything up in Brooks' room? No, but I did find out there's a Wilber and Mrs. Wheeler mixed up in this somewhere. Where did they fit in? I don't know that yet. But when I didn't find anything in Brooks' room, I found out that Brooks had been looking frantically for either of the Wheeler's. Were they staying here too? They checked out a little while before the Brooks did. I went up to Mrs. Wheeler's room and in the wastebasket I found the paper that Mr. Mason had used to wrap the extortion money in. Well, that sure ties them in, Jim. Yeah, and now I wish we could find out how. No lead on where the Wheeler's went either, is there? No, neither couple left any forwarding address. Well, they're probably not traveling together. Brooks was around looking for Wheeler. No, but I'm not so sure that if we can find one, we won't find the other pretty close. What do you think we ought to do first? All the switchboard here is getting up all the telephone slips on every call that Brooks and Wheeler made. Let's go back there and see if we can get anything out of them. Oh, yes, Mother. Probably the tailor bringing back my suit. Well, it's nice to find your home. Step back and let a lady in. Mother, it's Mr. and Mrs. Brooks. You know what we came for? And this time I've got the gun. Oh, so I see. Come on, just lay that money you took in my damp little fist. And don't forget my jewelry. Oh, but we haven't got it. No, ain't that a shame? But it's true. Well, what happened? Did a big bad man come and take your money away? No. We deposited it in the bank. We always keep our money there. Oh, you do. Well, certainly. You've got to be very careful these days. There's so many dishonest people around. Tell whoever that is to go away. But it's the tailor with my suit. OK. Open the door a little bit and take the suit. But if you make any crack about what's going on, I'll shoot your mother so fast you'll never hear a hit the floor. I won't say anything. You won't have to hear a saying. Drop that gun, Mrs. Brooks. What? Drop it. Who are you? Special agent of the FBI. I've been on a long trip to get all four of you. Oh, you don't want us officers. It's them. Oh, no, Mrs. Wheeler. We want you and your son, too. Now come on, all of you. Mrs. Wheeler, her son Wilbur Wheeler, and William and Marjorie Brooks were tried, convicted, and sentenced to five years in prison on charges of extortion. The telephone slips, which the two special agents examined at the harbor in Switchboard, revealed that Bill Brooks had telephoned the San Carlos Hotel in eight different cities and that at the last one he had located Wilbur and Mrs. Wheeler. From that point on, it was just a matter of getting to the hotel in time to apprehend the four of them. And thus your FBI aided in the conviction of another group of criminals, aided in their convictions but did not obtain those sentences because that is not the work. Your FBI apprehends criminals, but the job of convicting them belongs to another branch of the Department of Justice. That procedure is followed out because of the fact that no one, at least of all the members of the bureau, wants your FBI to be anything but a fact-finding agency, an agency which has won the reputation of living up to the words which form their motto. F for fidelity, B for bravery, and I for integrity. F for fidelity, B for bravery, and I for integrity. FBI, fidelity, bravery, integrity. In just a moment, we will tell you about next week's case from the files of your FBI. Now one final question on the Equitable Education Fund. Mr. Keating, my boy has just celebrated his first birthday. Is that too young to start one of those plans for him? On the contrary, the sooner you start, the lower the yearly cost will be. Why is that? Because you have more years over which to spread the total amount required to send your boy to college. So why not get in touch with your Equitable Society representative? Look him up soon. Or write care of this station to the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States. Next week, we will dramatize another case from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. A case concerning the curious trail of stolen jewelry has three states. It's subject. Interstate theft. It's title. The Telltale Bracelet. The incidents used in tonight's Equitable Life Assurance Society's 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 persons living or dead is accidental. Tonight, the music was composed and conducted by Frederick Stein. The author was Jerry Lewis. Your narrator was William Woodson and Frederick Taylor was played by Stacey Harris. This is Your FBI is a very divine production. This is Larry Keating speaking for the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States and the Equitable Society's representative in your community. And inviting you to tune in again next week at the same time when the Equitable Life Assurance Society will bring you another thrilling story from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Telltale Bracelet on This is Your FBI. This program was transcribed. This is ABC, the American Broadcasting Company.