 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. The Equitable Life Assurance Society has nearly 8,000 trained representatives from coast to coast serving over 4 million members. Tonight, an Equitable Society representative has a brief but important message on Social Security. Undoubtedly you've heard about the new Social Security law. Millions of self-employed businessmen, salesmen and others are now included for the first time and those already covered have had their benefits greatly increased. To whichever group you belong, can you think of a better time to look into your family's changed financial position and see just where you stand? To make this a simple job, the Equitable Society has revised its famous fact-finding chart for fathers and mothers. Mr. Keating will tell you all about it in just 14 minutes. Don't miss this important message from the Equitable Life Assurance Society. Tonight, FBI file number 292. It's subject, extortion. It's title, The Backstage Shakedown. With the possible exception of the wanton killer, no criminal is more ruthless than the extortioner. In his arsenal lie many weapons, but perhaps the most potent is fear. Fear on the part of the victim that non-payment will mean exposure, may even mean the destruction of a lifetime's work. Despite that, no criminal is more vulnerable for his defeat is assured when the victim, instead of crumbling, fights back. Different crimes are fought in different ways, but there is only one way to fight the extortioner. Upon the first approach, notify your local police. They form your first line of defense against crime. Give them the chance to do their job, and they will see it done. Tonight's file opens at an FBI field office located in a large Midwestern city. Special Agent Jim Taylor returns to his desk to find Police Sergeant Ken Brown waiting. Oh, hello, Ken. Hi, Jim. Hey, where'd you get that sunburn? It's just a plain old-fashioned windburn. I've been up in the woods the last three days on a surveillance. Well, you're not getting much rest between cases. Oh? I was just in to see your agent in charge. He said to work with you. Oh, and what? You ever hear of the Roswell Construction Company? Oh, I've seen their trucks around town. Why? Mr. Roswell came to headquarters this morning, wanted us to locate his wife. Seems she disappeared yesterday. Is this a kidnapping? I don't think so, but there's extortion mixed up in it. Huh? Roswell found this bundle of letters here in his wife's desk. Oh, thanks. They refer to the fact that five years ago she was in show business doing a strip tease act. Apparently, her husband never knew this. The letter is threatened to expose her. Oh, I see. And the husband thinks that this threat of exposure made her run away. How long have you been married? Three years. You done any checking on her? Just locally, so far. How about her family? She has none. Do these letters ask for any sum of money, Ken? Yeah, $5,000. To be paid when? Well, they didn't say that. You got a full description on Mrs. Roswell? Yeah, right here. Oh, thank you. I'll get an envelope, send these letters onto our lab. The letters are composed of words that were clipped from the newspaper. How about the envelopes? Well, they were addressed by hand. Good. Well, the lab can analyze the handwriting and attempt to trace the origin of those clipped words. I'll let you know, Ken, when I hear anything. That afternoon on the stage of a small theater in a nearby city, a comedian, complete with baggy pants and putty nose, is just concluding a sketch. You mean to stand there in front of this large and intelligent audience and tell me you never heard of a sauerkraut pie? I've never heard of sauerkraut pie. What's that you got in your hand, Al? This is pumpkin pie. And what's in the outer world? That's custard. But I don't eat those kind of pies. Okay, my friend, then wear them. Come on, take a bow. What for? Just take a bow. Thank you! All right, girls, get on stage. Look, start the line moving and smile. Will you smile? Can I talk to you a minute? What about? Look, I don't want to sound like I'm beefing or anything, but you're kind of crowding those laughs on me, kid. Laughs? You've been getting laughs? I've been getting the ones you ain't stepped on. For instance? Well, for instance, a pie. Space them. Don't hit me with a second. Wonder the laugh gets a chance to build. Now, wait a minute. No third banana's going to tell me how to lay out a joke. Oh, are you two Ruben again? Yeah, and we don't need any striptease. It'll straighten it out. Is that why you've been cutting out my billing? What do you mean? I was just in your dressing room. There were programs on your shelf. All of them with my name cut out. I don't know what you're talking about. Okay, okay. This ain't Madison Square Garden. Fight on your own time. Well, what's he pulling at? Look, get ready, Helen. You're on next. And you two, get dressed for the finale. Oh, send him right in. Yes, sir. This is about my wife. That's right. Same to us with your complaint. Have you found anything? Well, your wife bought a ticket on the nine o'clock plane last night to Hillsborough. A ticket clerk out at the airport made positive identification, and the Hillsborough police are trying to locate her for us now. I see. Tell me, does she have any close friends there? I've never heard of mention any. The police said that you would look for her address book if you located it yet? Yes, yes. I've gone all through it. And anyone with addresses in it in the three cities where the extortion notes are postmarked? No. Well, we may still get some news today, sir. Well, how, Mr. Till? We're checking every western union office to see if any clerks remember your wife sending a wire to Hillsborough. But she doesn't know anybody there. Well, in a case like this, Mr. Roswell, we've got to investigate every possible angle, sir. Yes. Are you still have the notes? Yes, they're being examined by our laboratory. I'll notify you, sir, when I get a report. All right, girls. Girls. Well, you tomatoes, listen to me. Now stand by for the opening number. I'm ringing in the overture. Opening number? After two months on the road, you ask me that. Honey, by the fifth show every day, I get a little confused. Okay, you're in the opening. And you're supposed to be wearing the red sequins. Well, it's too late to change. Oh, fine. Al? Al, I want to see a minute, please. Is this a beef? I just want to give you my two-week notice. Here, put it in writing. Oh, quitting, huh? That's right. I'll leave the play after we play Brook City. Oh, remind me to throw a big party the night you leave, will you? I will, dear. And remind me not to come to it. Al, see the management gets that notice, please. I hate straight men. Girls, will you lift up them plumes? We just had them plucked and cleaned last week. I also hate dames. Hey, Helen. Al, what do you think? What? What do you think just happened? We already know. Paul's quit. Oh, I know about that, but this is even better news. Remember when we played Dallas? There was an all-night saloon near the hotel? Yeah, I remember the joint. Well, I went in there one night and I walked up to the bar. A 10-gallon hat stacked over and said, you're not from Texas. I said, no, but I can see in the eyes of Texas, they're upon you. So he says, go ahead. Well, you know how I say. Yeah, like a knife being sharpened. Honey, you'd kill this guy. When I finished the first number, I segwayed into Mexicala Rose and finished off with two courses of deep in the heart of. By now, there ain't a dry eye in the house. Or a good ear. Well, when I finished the 10-gallon hat, wiped his tears away, throws his arms around my shoulder and tells me I got a piece of the next oil well he hits. And? I just got a phone call. It was him. He said a well came in and he'd meet me. All I do is sign some papers and start collecting. You're getting a cut in on an oil well? That's right. Oh, Randy, honey, that's great. I also hate comedians. Where's the guy meeting you? In Brook City. By the way, Al, I'm handed in my notice, too, with that kind of loot who asked to tell jokes. Look, as far as I'm concerned, the whole company can give their notice. Right now, that overtures them and we got a show to do. All right, come on. Places, everybody. Stand by. The thing from the police at Hillsborough? No, not yet, Ken, but I've got a lead. The lab reported on the extortion notes this morning. You know, they clipped out words, the ones that were pasted on the letter paper? Yeah. Well, they checked on it. Found it was better than newsprint and not quite as good as magazine stock. They finally determined that it was from a theater program. In all three notes? Yeah, that's right. And they're from the same program, apparently, because the words strip T's queen were clipped out on one chunk. Then the extortioner could be someone who worked in a show with Mrs. Roswell. Yeah, and I think we've identified the show that person's with now. How? Well, the notes having been mailed from three different cities, our resident agent in each place, checked theaters there. One particular show played in all three towns. Could you learn where they are now? Yeah, they open here tomorrow afternoon. Well, that's a break. Yeah, but not the big one, Ken. There are 28 people in that show. Any one of them could have sent that note. Look, will you contact the company when they get in? I may not be back in time. Yeah, where are you going? See if I can locate Mrs. Roswell in Hillsborough. Brown speaking. Ken, Jim Taylor. I've located Mrs. Roswell. In Hillsborough? Yeah, that's right. How'd you find her? Well, we knew she hadn't made any calls from her home or sent any wire, so when I got out to the airport, I decided to check with the telephone counter there. I showed the operators a picture, and one of them remembered her putting in a call to Hillsborough. Well, did she give you the number? Yeah, and when I got here, I checked with the local phone company. I found the address it was listed under. And Mrs. Roswell is there? Yeah. Ken, call her husband, will you? Have him meet me here in Hillsborough. We will return in just a minute to tonight's exciting case from the official files of your FBI. Now, the Equitable Life Assurance Society is an important announcement about its famous fact-finding chart for fathers and mothers. A new and completely revised edition of this Equitable Society chart has just come off the press. The recent sweeping change in the social security law was the reason Equitable undertook this revision. If you're one of the 10 million Americans who has just been added to the social security roles, you'll certainly want this fact-finding chart for fathers and mothers. And the chart is equally useful to those who have had social security and are due to receive increased benefits. When you get this chart, you assume that the breadwinner of your family has died before his time. The family's regular monthly income is cut off. But the children still need shoes, a roof over their heads, nourishing food. And how much is all that going to cost? What monthly income would your family need to keep going without you? The fact-finding chart for fathers and mothers will give you a reliable and accurate answer. With their new social security benefits, how many additional dollars will they need every week to be well-fed, well-housed, well-clothed until the youngest child finishes high school? In five minutes, the fact-finding chart for fathers and mothers gives you an answer you can trust, guides you every step of the way with simple, easy-to-understand pictures. Think what a relief not to have to worry and wonder any longer. Once you have the facts before you, you can plan intelligently. Chances are that with your present life insurance and your new social security benefits, only a small amount of additional life insurance will do that job of giving your family complete security. Your equitable representative will be glad to work out a sound and economical program for you. In any event, the first step is to ask him for a copy of the revised fact-finding chart for fathers and mothers. There is no change, of course, and no obligation. So get in touch with your equitable representative soon or right care of this station to the Equitable Life Assurance Society. That's E-Q-U-I-T-A-B-L-E. The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States. And now back to the FBI file, The Backstage Shakedown. There is a basic reason behind each crime, and the one chosen by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for dramatization tonight is no exception. This extortion could not have progressed as it did without Mrs. Roswell's lack of faith in her husband and in her community and without her mistake of running away. An even more common mistake among extortion victims is paying and hoping in that way to settle the matter. It rarely does, for almost never is an extortioner satisfied with one payment. More often, he returns from time to time. Always for what he promises will be the last installment. Whatever the basis of the extortion might be, paying is not the way out. Your FBI has had years of experience with extortion schemes. Take their advice. Expose the extortioner and save yourself. The night's file continues later the same day in an apartment house in Hillsborough. This is the apartment here, Mr. Roswell. Have you seen my wife? I've seen her about 20 minutes ago. She know I'm coming? No, sir, I haven't talked to her. Yes? Hello, Betty. Eric. I've come to take you home. Oh, darling. No, you see. I'm so glad you're here. No, no. How did you ever find me? Well, Mr. Taylor here found you. Oh, I'm sorry. He's with the FBI. This is my wife, Mr. Taylor. How do you do? Mr. Roswell, I'll wait for you down the hall. Oh, all right. Betty, when you disappeared, I went to the FBI for help. You see, dear, I found those letters. Oh. Why didn't you tell me about them? Eric, I couldn't. Because of what I'd say or think? Partly that, but mostly what other people would say or think. Betty, listen to me. I love you. You're my wife. I don't care what you did before you knew me. But your reputation. The only reputation I'm interested in is the one we maintain with each other. Come on now. Let's go home. We've still got a job to do. We've got to help the police and the FBI find out who wrote those notes. Oh, hi, Ken. I was just on my way up to your office. Huh? That show trip arrived this morning. Huh? I went down to the station to watch them come in. Interview any of them? No, I thought I'd better wait for you. Most of them are staying at the central hotel. I just left Mrs. Roswell. Her husband brought her home? Yeah. I had a list of names of the members of the company that just arrived. We went over it. Any suspects? Too many, unfortunately. She knows almost every one of them, Ken. Oh, and another letter arrived this morning. Mail from the town where they just played. Any instructions in it? Yeah. She used to go backstage this afternoon at the matinee and pick up a note that would be in the mailbox. Should we go along? No. I think it's best that she goes along, Ken. Now, I'm glad I didn't interview any of that troupe. I might have scared the extortioner off. Yeah, that's right. Oh, by the way, I received another teletype from our lab. They checked the handwriting on the envelopes of the notes. It was not done by any known extortioner. Well, maybe we won't need that kind of item, Jim. We should be closing in soon. Yeah, I think we will be, Ken. Just as soon as Mrs. Roswell picks up the note and follows out the instructions. All right, boys, get the table ready. Lemon bit coming up. Hello, Al. Look, honey, we're trying... Betty. Betty Craig. Betty Roswell, Al. Oh, that's right. You're married. Say, you're sure an ad for it, kid. You look swell. Thanks. What's the action? You got any kids? No. No family yet. Hey, Randy. Randy, look who's here. Well, old one, two, three kids. Hello, Betty. Hello, Randy. You haven't changed a bit. He hasn't changed a joke, either. How's the show going? Well, I'm doing great, but business could be better. That television is rough on the box office. I'm going to tell him. The towns we've been planned, they don't even have radios. Oh, my Betty. Oh, hello, Helen. Well, get a load of that bracelet. What are those things? Ice cubes? Of course. Helen, how'd you ever lose all that weight? Oh, split weeks, five a day, and aspirin sandwiches. All right, let's have that street drop. Lemon bit coming up. Randy. First, Paul. Paul. Take it easy. Take it easy. I'll be there. The girls haven't even... Oh, hello, Betty. Hello, Paul. Now, what you doing here? I'm... I'm living here now. Oh, is that a fact? Then you've come to pick up the note. Is that it? What do you mean? There's a note for you out in the mailbox. I saw it when it came in. Oh, thanks, Paul. I'll get it right now. Roswell, Jim. Yeah, she picked up the note. Oh, what were the instructions? She used to wrap $5,000 in a package, address it to a Mr. Webster, and leave it at the desk at the hotel central. Where's Mrs. Roswell now? At the bank, getting the money. Don't you think we ought to have somebody going around with her, Jim? Oh, she doesn't know it can, but we've got a man keeping her into surveillance now. Oh, and the hotel agreed to allow one of our agents to work on the desk until the package is clean. Good. Come on, let's get over there. Any signal yet? No, Jim. I just called the office. They got a report from the lab. The note Mrs. Roswell picked up today was written by the same person who addressed the extortion envelopes. That means it's worth... Jim, the signal. Yeah. All right, come on. Just a minute there. You mean me? That's right. I'm a special agent of the FBI. This is Detective Sergeant Brown of the police. Come on. You know what's in that package, Mr. Webster? My name's not Webster. It's Randy Randolph. I'm the comic at the show down at the strand. How did you happen to pick up that package? One of the girls in the show sent me a note and asked me to get it for her. Have you got that note, please? No. What's all this about? You're carrying $5,000 of extortion money. Huh? What's the name of this girl you claim sent you the note? Oh, Helen, the stripper with one of our show. There she got a full name. Helen Wilson. Why didn't she pick up the package herself? She stayed in her dressing room between shows. Do you think she'd still be there? I guess so. Ken, go by and see her, will you? Sure, Jim. We'll meet your headquarters. I'll bring you where you can. Right. I told you before I got to get back to the theater, so whatever's going on... Well, this is a nice jackpot you got me into, Helen. I don't know what you're talking about. Miss Wilson, I'll explain why you were brought here. I wish you would. You wrote Mr. Randolph here a note asking him to get a package for you at the hotel's central desk. Who wrote who a note? It was in my dressing room after the finale. And the package he picked up contained extortion money. Wait a minute. You mean he got Nail picking up extortion dough and then tried to pin the rap on me? Is that it? I just told him the truth. Hey, now I get it. That routine you were given out about strike and oil was a phony. What routine was that? He did a verse and two choruses on a guy who called him from Dallas. Said he'd meet him here and give him royalties on an oil well he owned. That story was on the level. Who was this man? Well, his first name was Hank. That's all I remember. Anybody with you when you got this call? No. Naturally. And the topper is the guy hasn't shown. I tell you, it's the truth. Now look, please. I think we're getting off the subject. Miss Wilson, someone with your show wrote three extortion letters to a woman here in town. The letters were composed of words clipped out of a theater program and they were mailed from the three... Hold it. Was that about a theater program? The words in the letter were clipped out of a program from your show. Why didn't you say that before? Randy, remember me beefing about Paul cutting my billing out of the programs? Paul who? Paul Caswell, Randy's straight man. I went in his dressing room one day and saw some programs and my billing was cut out of each one of them. What do you mean, your billing? Yet him. She means the way she's described on the program with a marquee. And how are you described, Miss Wilson? As the world's greatest strip tease queen. You hear that, Jim? Strip tease queen. Did you think I played chess for a living? Miss Wilson, those three words appeared in each letter that the extortionist sent. Then Paul Caswell's your boy. When's your next performance? Forty minutes. Ken, I've got a few phone calls to make. I'll meet you all backstage. Girls, girls, will you gather around a minute? Now look, we've only done two performances here and so far we've had ten beefs from out front about the way you're working on the runway. Now I know this is out of character but you're supposed to be beautiful dames, Paradeon. Mr. Dawson is on a kind of the runway. What do you mean? With his holes in it. Ah, that's to match your heads. Now come on, line up and get ready. Now. Yeah, now. Yeah, Randy. You seen Paul? He just went to his dressing room. Oh, thanks. Now come on, girls. Well, once keep us... Will you take a little higher so they can come and Paul's in his dressing room? You want to talk to him now, Sergeant? Or do you want to wait for your FBI friend to get here? Well, I'd rather wait for Taylor but I don't want this man to get away. We better go to his dressing room. We won't have to. This is Paul coming now. He ain't made up. Just got his street clothes on. Looks like he's leaving. Well, will you help me stall him till Taylor gets here? Okay. Well, I know you're going to hate this but I'm saying goodbye. You mean you're quitting right now? That's right. Who is this? Randy, a new straight man? No, this is a friend of mine. Hey, Randy, you and Paul are on next. Well, it's like I'm doing a single now. Paul's leaving now. He's what? I don't act surprised. They gave you my notice last week. Ken! Ken! Oh, hi, Jim. Well, I found out what I wanted. Good. How are these two men? Well, that's Paul Caswell. The stage manager, Al Dawson. Well, he's the man I want to talk to. Who are you? I'm a special agent of the FBI. Well, what do you want with me? Our hand-running experts examine the hotel's central register. Your signature shows you address three extortion letters to a Mrs. Roswell. Are you kidding? No. You also wrote a note that she picked up here during the matinee requesting her to leave $5,000 at the hotel desk. Look, I didn't call for any dough, did I? No, you framed Mr. Randolph here into calling for it and I assume you intended to relieve him of the package as soon as he got back here. Put the cuffs on him, Ken. Let's get going. Al Dawson was tried and convicted in federal court on a charge of extortion. Upon being found guilty, he received a sentence of five years in a federal penitentiary. Tonight's case is an example of how careful the Federal Bureau of Investigation is to secure all the evidence before making an arrest. The records show that more than 97% of all people arrested by special agents last year were later convicted when tried in a court of law. As in this case, the job of the special agent is frequently to prove the innocence of people cast under suspicion by circumstances. There are no ends to the lengths to which your FBI will go in that regard. In one as yet unsolved case, for example, more than 25,000 potential suspects have been cleared. As it does on all files, work will continue on this one. Will continue so long as there is a living suspect. Will continue so long as there is an FBI. In just a moment, you will hear about next week's exciting case from the files of your FBI. But first, another quick message from our Equitable Society representative on the fact-finding chart for fathers and mothers. This equitable chart can do a lot for you fathers and mothers. And the best part about it is, it's so easy to get. There's no charge or obligation. Simply get in touch with the equitable representative nearest you and ask for the fact-finding chart for fathers and mothers. Revised to meet the new social security benefits. Or send a postcard care of this radio 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. File number 293. Its subject. Homicide. Its title. The Prodigal Hoodlum. 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. The author was Jerry D. Lewis. Your narrator was William Woodson, and special agent Taylor was played by Stacey Harrods. Others in the cast were V. Benaderet, Ralph Dumkey, Georgia Ellis, JC Flippen, Bill Johnstone, Charles Maxwell, and Carlton Young. 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 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 transcribe story from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Prodigal Hoodlum on This Is Your FBI. Stay tuned for the adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. There's fun for the whole family when Ozzie and Harriet come your way next.