 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 transcribed as a public service by the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States and the Equitable Society's representative in your community. Most people spend their lives worrying about how to make more money. Actually, the more you make, the more you spend, unless you have a plan and most people don't. Now, if you are interested in planning for the future, interested in avoiding unnecessary worry, why not consult the man who can help you best of all? Consult a specialist, your local Equitable Society representative. In about 14 minutes, I want to tell you more about your Equitable Society representative and how he can help you enjoy the many advantages of membership in the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States. Tonight, the subject of our FBI file, Bank Robbery, its title, Killer for Higher. We often hear crime referred to as big business. This is not an accurate comparison. To a certain extent, the underworld has adopted some methods of large businesses. It controls huge amounts of capital, requires keen management and planning, demands efficiency of its employees in carrying out its orders. But here, the similarity ends. Whereas businessmen can survey and graph their future prospects with some degree of accuracy, criminals cannot. For the simple reason that slip-ups, disloyalty of their underlings, unanticipated moves on the part of law enforcement officials, all these are unpredictable hazards. The underworld can never close its books, knowing for sure that all the figures are in. Tonight, your FBI presents another case from its files. It shows how a well-planned crime can go wrong. Even years after its apparently successful completion, tonight's FBI file opens in a smart nightclub located in a large Midwestern city. In a small office in the rear of this establishment, Dan Preston, the owner of the club, is just greeting a visitor. Uh, sit down, Mr. Graham. Okay. Use the cars? No. When did you get in town? A couple hours ago. Ah, you made good time. Yeah, I want to get out just as quick. All right, well, we'll get right down to business. Good. Are you familiar with this town? Not very. Do you know where the central hotel is? No, but I'll find it. It's over on the west side. It's a small hotel. You may have to... Look, can a cab get there? Yeah. Don't forget the directions. Just give me the address. Okay. Here it is. Right. The party I want taken care of lives in the central hotel, room 819. Uh-huh. Here's the key. What's the party's name? Burton. I got it. Graham. Yeah. How do you intend to handle the, uh, killing? Why? Well, I just thought in as much as this is a hotel, you're going to be... Look, Mr. Preston, let's get something straight, huh? You own this nightclub, don't you? Yeah. Am I telling you how to run it? No. And don't tell me how to run my business. I'm sorry. What about money? I'll pay when the job is done. You can come back here tomorrow night. I don't want to wait around that long. What's the matter with tomorrow morning? I won't be here. Oh, where do you live? I'll come there. All right. Here's my card. Thanks. Ah, I guess it's time I went to work. Don't rumble, sweetheart. Who are you? It don't matter. How did you get... Look, I got a gun to you. Now let me ask the questions, huh? Go ahead. You live in this room? Yes. What's your name? Burton. Where's your husband? I don't have one. Well, where's your brother then? Your father? That's a blank, too, mister. Who else lives in this room with you? Nobody. You live here alone? Yeah. This is no good. Where are you going? I'm getting out of here. Wait! Let me ask you one question. Well... Who sent you here? Nobody. Honey, I've been around. I know a hired gunsel when I see one. Is that a fag? Yes. That is your touch, right? You're right. Now tell me who paid you to come here. No dice. Was it a guy named Preston? Was it? Sweetheart, my business, we always protect the client. I know it was Preston. I should have figured he'd make this kind of play. Look, what difference does it make who it was? You came off lucky, didn't you? Yeah. And forget it. Now let me out of here. Wait. One more question. What now? You were paid to get rid of me. Why didn't you do it? Look, I don't... I want to know. I don't kill dames. Do you buy dame strings? Sometimes. I'm awful thirsty. In the same city a bit later that evening, in the FBI field office, Special Agent Jim Taylor has just returned from an assignment. Jim? Yeah, Paul. A call came in for you less than five minutes ago. I took the message. Oh, it wasn't... Interstate Bus Company, a driver you wanted to see is out of town. You'll come over here to see you first thing in the morning. Oh, good. What are you working on? Why, it's kind of a strange assignment. What's the story? Thief named Wally Lander was convicted two years ago of a bank messenger. Over $78,000 was stolen on the job, and this money was never recovered. Yes. A few days ago, Lander sent word to the warden at state's prison that he wanted to give some information as to the whereabouts of the money. What brought that on? Well, it turned out to be revenge. Lander revealed that he had two confederates on the job, a man and a woman. They evidently promised to take care of Lander's family out of the loot, and when they reneged, he talked. Who were these people? Man's name was Dan Guthrie, the woman. She was Guthrie's girl. Her name was Gwen Burton. And you were looking for them? Yeah, that's right. What progress have you made? Well, we've established that Guthrie and his girl were living in Cleveland at the time of the robbery. Immediately after it, Guthrie disappeared. What about the Burton girl? No, she stayed on there. Evidently, Guthrie walked out on her. She was living in a cheap room, looking his cashier in a restaurant. He apparently wound up with all the money. Yeah, exactly. Has the girl been picked up? No, she left Cleveland two days ago. Believed to be headed for here. I see. From what we could gather, she's looking for Guthrie. She'd been tipped off that he was here. Do you know where to find her? No, not yet. This bus driver I sent for may help us on that, though. She was on his bus. Have you alerted the local police? Yeah, gave them the girl's picture, and they're starting a check on all hotels. Should get something on her very soon. Harry, I could go on for hours with all the details, but that's more or less the story. Sounds like a nice guy. Charming. Look, when he walked on on you, didn't he leave you any part of that $78,000? Nah. How about the guy in the can? Did he do anything for him? Wally Land? Yeah. Not a nickel's worth. Harry, can we have another drink? Oh, sure, honey. Waiter. Yeah? Let's have the same thing, huh? All right. Look, honey, how'd you tell him here? Well, like I told you, I was a cashier in this joint in Cleveland. Yeah. No time grifter came in one night, slipped me a note when he paid his check. Ah. The note said he'd seen Guthrie in this town, that he was using his old name, Preston. Oh. It also said he was doing what he always wanted to do. Well, I knew that many was operating a nightclub. So? So I called enough joints till I finally nailed him. Would you ask him for your cut? Of course. He said he'd bring it to me tonight. Instead, he sent you. He did send you, didn't he? Yeah. I knew it. Are you sorry? Not now. Here you are. Oh, you just sent him down. Right. Harry. Yeah, honey. How much was he paying you? For knocking you off? Yeah. Five bills. Did you collect? No. You know, he owes me a pretty good chunk. My end of that job was over 20,000. Huh? Solid numbers. If you'll take a mark or... how'd you like to work for me? He just made yourself a deal. Jim, did you talk to the bus driver? Yeah, he just left here. Give you anything? Well, I showed him the Burton girl's picture. He definitely identified her, so that she'd come in on his bus. Did he have any idea where she went? No, unfortunately, he didn't. Oh, uh, these pictures just came in, Jim. No? What are they? Pictures of Guthrie. Oh, fine. Washington also sent a copy of his record. Good. Can I see it? Shelley, here you are. Thanks. I read through it. There's nothing there at all. They indicate where he's been for the last two years. I didn't imagine there would be. After all, he wound up with that 78,000. That's enough for a man to retire on for a few years, at least. Do you think he's gone into some legitimate business? Yeah, it could be. Well, even if he's here in town, he won't be easy to find. Probably changed his name, even his appearance. Yeah, I'd figure. Jim, I sent Guthrie's pictures and a copy of his record to the police. They might have something on him. I hope so. It'll make it look... No, I'll get a call. Special Agent Taylor. Oh, yes, Sergeant. Yeah, we'll write that down with you. Okay. Good work, Sergeant. Yeah, thanks a lot. Bye. Paul, we're getting some action. Bye, Jim. Have us police headquarters. The Burton girl is registered at the Central Hotel. I think I better get right over there. Hello, Mr. Preston. What are you doing here? Waiting for you. How did you get into my apartment? You told me to come here. Not while I was out. I don't like to hang around in hallways. I don't like intruders. That makes us even. Did you, uh, go to the Central Hotel last night? Yeah. Well... Well, what? Did you take care of that party? Nope. Why not? You didn't tell me it was a dame. What difference does that make? That's out of my line. Look, I made a deal with you. I got a better offer. What do you mean? Well, let me tell him, Harry. When? Hello, Dan. When? Where did you come from? Mr. Graham brought me here. Yeah, he's in a brand new business. Now he brings them back alive. What's this all about? Why don't you give him the run down, honey? Mr. Graham here is now working for me. Now look... I told him our whole story, Dan. He figures I'm a lot more reliable to do business with. What are you talking about? $78,000. That's the amount you ran out with, remember? Now go in the first place. Save the alibis. We ain't got time for that. We ain't got time for any chatter. We just came here to collect. Collect what? My inn. I figured it out on the way over. It comes to $26,000. This whole thing is ridiculous. I want my cut then, now. You're not getting anything. Mr., you're in no position to talk that way. You keep out of this. I've got to protect my interest. I'm on the payroll. Now get out of here, both of you. Harry, sure I'm a mean business, huh? Yeah, sure, honey. Now wait a minute. A few more treatments, honey. You'll collect. We will return in just a moment to tonight's exciting case from the official files of your FBI. But right now, I'd like to explode a popular notion. Making big money is not always the answer to a successful future. People with average incomes are able to protect their families, provide for their children's education, own their own homes free and clear, and provide freedom from worry after 60. Now the experience of Mr. George Gaines may show you how you too can enjoy greater peace of mind. Will you tell us, Mr. Gaines, how an equitable society representative solved your problem? Well, I'm a working man, Mr. Keating. While I have social security, I knew that wouldn't be enough to keep my wife and kids well housed, well clothed, and well fed if something happened to me. And it worried me. And then I heard you talk about a plan that would protect my family, no matter what. That's the Equitable Family Security Plan. Yes, the Family Security Plan. So I called up our local equitable representative. The first time he came to see us, he gave us a chart. Now this chart helped us to figure out how much more we'd need in addition to Social Security to protect our family. That's the famous fact-finding chart for fathers and mothers. It's free to anyone interested in providing family security. Well, it certainly was a big help. And now if anything happens to me, my family will live comfortably until my youngest child finishes high school. Believe me, I'm glad I took your advice and called our local equitable society representative. That's good advice for everyone whose problem is future security. Get acquainted with a man who knows best how to help, your local equitable society representative. Ask him for your free fact-finding chart for fathers and mothers. No matter what your insurance problem, building the right plan is simple when you know how. And your friendly, helpful, equitable representative knows how. There's no obligation. Simply consult your local telephone directory for the name of your local equitable representative. Or write to the equitable society care of this station. That's E-Q-U-I-T-A-B-L-E. The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States. And now back to tonight's FBI fire. Killer for hire. Time and time again, you've probably heard the expression honor among thieves. Case after case from FBI files reveals, just as does tonight's story, that there's not much. There just isn't room in the criminal mind for honor in our sense of the word. In order to be a criminal, one must crush all normal moral codes, must develop a new set of rules to live by. It's a lonely life living in the shadows of the underworld. Never for a moment dare a person trust completely his fellow criminals. Nor for one moment can he relax his vigilance to protect himself from betrayal. Just as Gwen Burton, Dan Preston and Harry Graham have to be always on guard in tonight's FBI case. Tonight's file continues in Dan Preston's apartment. Preston, still unconscious, is stretched out on the floor. His erstwhile girl, Gwen Burton, and her gunman confederate are searching the premises. Find anything in that desk, honey? Not yet. Let's see what's in this drawer. I figured there'd be a wall safe behind one of these pictures. This is full of nothing but letters. Why, that dirty cheat, these letters are from James. What's the matter? Look at this. This letter was written three years ago. I was still going with him then. My darling, Dan, our date last night will be remembered always. How do you like that guy? Well, you stop being a female. We got work to do. Well, there's no dough in his desk. Where else can we... Wait a minute. He's coming, too. How do we handle it now? We'll find out where his dough is. Otherwise, he gets the full treatment. Good. What? What hit me? He was standing right on the track, mister. Next time, you don't get off so easy. Can I get up? Stay where you are. And let's continue our discussion. Before you left us, we were talking about $20,000. I know. The girl wants her money, mister. But I tell you... Look, let me tip you off. For now on, I use a gun. I'll get it up. I haven't got it here. Where is it? In my office, at the club. Where in the office? In a safe. Okay, I want you to call the club. Tell them I'm coming over. Tell them I'm getting something out. Tell them I'm getting something out of the safe to bring back to you. You'll do that, won't you? Okay. I'll buy the combination. I'll give it to her. Well, honey, let me have it now. Jim, I've been looking all over for you. The hotel manager said you were on the floor below. Did you get the search warrant? Yeah, I have it right here. Good, this is the Burton Girls' Room. I got a pass key. No sign of her, Jim? No, she left the hotel early this morning. But he didn't answer to Guthrie's description. No, it doesn't. Go ahead, Paul. Right. Well, it might be a good idea to search the rooms if we get any leads. Well, there's a small bag over there. Yeah, I'll take a look at that. I'll see what's in that closet. Okay. Could the management give you any line on what she's been doing? No, not much. He said she made quite a few phone calls. She's getting the slips together. We'll pick them up on our way out. There's nothing in here. I got something. Yeah? Well, what is it? It's a note. What does it say? It's addressed to her from a man who signs himself Pete. Yes? Says he saw Guthrie here, and Guthrie's using his old name. Uh-huh. Also states he's doing what he always wanted to do. The Burton Girl must know both these things. In that case, Jim, she's probably already found him. I know, which means she may never come back here. Well, we'll post someone here to watch for her anyway. Right. Just get on and pick up those slips on the telephone course you made. Graham. Yeah? Why don't you put that gun away? It makes me nervous. I'd be nervous without it. You handled me quite effectively before without a gun. You didn't know the score, then. Tell me something, will you? What? Why did you double-cross me? What do you mean? You started out in this deal working for me. Why did you switch? I didn't like the way you operate. Was that the only reason? Yeah. I thought it could have been because you got a better offer. That had nothing to do with it. What has she promised you? What's it to you? I'd like to enter my bid. I don't get it. If I were to top her offer, maybe you'd come back to my team. Mister, that's just why I can't do business with you. Okay. Can we, uh, have a drink? Yeah, I guess so. There's some scotch in the cabinet there. Would you, uh, get it? Where? On the lower shelf. I don't see any s- Well, that ties the score. Hey, Jim, the warden of the state's prison just called me back. And? He questioned Wally Lander about Guthrie. He came up with anything? No, he had no idea about Guthrie's old name wise. How about the business he always wanted to be in? You know nothing about that either. How are you making out? I've combed through Guthrie's record. That didn't give us anything. Any word from the hotel? I just called there five minutes ago. The girl still hasn't returned. Excuse me, Jim. Yeah, Bob? Here's a report on his telephone numbers. Oh, thanks. Oh, Bob, they get a location on all of them? Yes. It's all there. Fine. Thanks, Bob. Is this the cause the girl made from the hotel? Yeah, that's right. She made 21 calls. That's the only one. Okay. The first one is a nightclub called the Ace of Clubs. Next to the bar eight, Angel Room. Are they all nightclubs? So far, they seem to be. Next three are. Jim, I think we've hit something. Yeah, these four clubs, too. This could be the business Guthrie always wanted to be in. Uh-huh. All these calls were the nightclubs. Did the manager of the hotel give you those calls in the sequence they were made? No, I said they were all mixed up. That's too bad. Obviously, the last call she made was where she found them. Yeah, I know. Well, I guess we'll just have to go to each place and bring Guthrie's picture with us. That should give us... No, wait a minute, Paul. I don't think we'll have to do that. Why not? Well, look, all these clubs begin with either the letter A, B, or C. Now, she must have worked from a classified phone book. Called each club and the order was listed. In that case, the, uh... Circle Club is the last place she called. Come on, Paul, that'll be our first place. Come in, Gwen. Where's Harry? He's inside. Did you, uh, get the money? Yeah. Hope you didn't have any trouble. No, I thought you said Harry was in here. There he is. Where? Right there on the floor. What happened? It was just my turn to hit him. What is this? It's my party now, Gwen. Let me have my money. Wait a minute. Give it to me, I said. Gather it's in that bag. It's not your money. It belongs to me, and you know it. Honey, we're not going into that again. Besides, you'll have no need for it. Why not? One has to be alive to enjoy money. What are you talking about? I'm going to have to kill you, Gwen. In fact, I'm killing you both. Now, wait, Dan, I... It'll all be very legitimate, too. I'll say I came in, found you rifling my apartment, and I had to let you have it. You'll never get away with it. Now, you forget, honey. In this town, I'm an honest man. Now, would you like it first? Dan, don't. Put away that gun. I'm sorry, Gwen. That gun. What? Stop it, I said. I'll pick up his gun, Jim. Who are you? Special agents, the FBI. You heard him. You heard what he was going to do. Yes, Miss Burton, we know all about both of you. It's where the manager let us in the back way. All right, Paul, let's revive that man on the floor and take him all down to the office. Gwen Burton was sentenced to serve 10 years in a federal penitentiary for bank robbery. Her former accomplice was given a 20-year term for the same crime. Harry Graham was turned over to the local authorities to be prosecuted on an old murder charge. And thus, your FBI thwarted the plans of three criminals and also apprehended one for whom they had been looking for more than two years. Two years is a long time in the life of a criminal, but not to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, for their patience never runs out. Your FBI never gives up in the search for a criminal, even if it takes two, 10, or 20 years. No file is ever closed unless it is marked convicted or dead. Did you know that most people, no matter how much money they make, are often in financial hot water? The trouble is not many people know how to make the best use of the money they have. Now, there is one man who does know how to help you make the best use of your money. He is your local equitable society representative. His job in life is to help you take the uncertainty out of tomorrow and assure protection for yourself and the ones you love. Why not consult him? There's no obligation. Consult your local telephone directory for the name of your local representative of 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. Its subject, extortion, its title, The Bridal Shakedown. 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 places or persons living or dead is accidental. Tonight, the music was composed and conducted by Frederick Steiner. Your narrator was William Woodson, and special agent Taylor was played by Stacey Harris. Others in the cast were Anthony Barrett, Jim Backers, Betty Lugerson, Tony Hughes, and Carlton Young. 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 this same time when the Equitable Life Assurance Society will bring you another thrilling transcribed story from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Bridal Shakedown on This is Your FBI. This program came to you from Hollywood.