 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 on tonight's program. It is our pleasure to present Mr. J. Edgar Hoover Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation who will speak to you from Washington, DC We have stated that this program is presented by the Equitable Life Assurance Society as a public service This applies not only to the program itself, but to the commercials all Equitable Society messages are designed to be of service to you to point out ways and means by which you can give greater security To your loved ones to keep you informed on present-day developments in insurance For instance tonight's Equitable Society message is on a type of insurance which touches the lives of 50 million Americans Yet most of the 50 million know little or nothing about it So it will pay you in just 14 minutes to listen to the message on group insurance from the Equitable Life Assurance Society Tonight's FBI file the indifferent mother Every law enforcement agency in the nation is faced with many seemingly eternal problems And when as sometimes happens those problems appear in pairs Then the path to a solution becomes that much more difficult juvenile delinquency always a major problem has recently become entwined with one of America's most serious crimes auto theft In a recent study made by your FBI of the field of crime during the first six months of this year one figure stood out That figure was the total value of automobiles stolen during those six months And that figure was more than 31 million dollars The night's file opens in an apartment located in one of the residential sections of an eastern city Alice Roberts a slim pretty teenage girl is just entering her mother's bedroom Hello Alice. Hey, what are you getting all dressed up for? Are you going out? Yes, please don't bother me now dear, but mama Alice stop stammering dear. What do you want? Well, I Was just hoping you'd be home tonight to help me with my dress. What dress? My costume darling, will you stop talking and rebels what costume the costume? I'm wearing in the school play tomorrow. Oh Is that tomorrow? Yeah Oh mother don't tell me you're not coming. Why I'll die now Alice don't be dramatic But mother I have a date to go to a matinee tomorrow with Mrs. Williams But you can always see a matinee But tomorrow's the only time we're giving the school play now Alice Mrs. Williams would be very offended if I called at the last minute, but you knew about the school play a month ago Well, I'm sorry darling. I just forgot about it. Oh now. Don't start that out. Oh, mother Please listen to me. Everybody else's parents will be there. You've got to come Alice No, how do I look? Huh? I asked you how do I look? Oh? well Okay Well, I've got to be going you better. Let me sleep late in the morning dear. I'll be home quite late tonight. Oh Good luck tomorrow darling with your plan That ain't the reason you got the same trouble. I have What do you mean? Your mother didn't show up mine didn't either. Isn't that it? Didn't even send any flowers. Oh look honey. What do you care? Don't you I don't pay any attention to those things anymore I'm used to them but Don't you feel funny when your own mother doesn't care enough to show up? Well, it used to bother me, but I ride with it now. My mother lives her life I live mine. You want to do the same thing? You're a pretty girl like me What's the thought I would like to go out with you? My mother doesn't let me go out Is she gonna be home tonight? No She's got a date to go someplace to a party. That's fine. Then why don't you come home with me for dinner? I got a date tonight. I'll have him get a friend for you Meanwhile at the local FBI field office Special Agent Jim Taylor is just greeting Ned Hamilton a policeman attached to the local force. I'll pull up a chair, man Yeah, thanks, Jim. Hey, congratulations on winning that pistol shooting contest. You beat some pretty good shots Thanks. I've got a problem Jim that calls for something more than being a good shot What's your trouble? You know how many automobiles are stolen every day in this town? No, it's quite a few. Well, there's a new angle on it now. Oh, what's that young kids are stealing some of them But that's always happened that not this way to you the old days any car stolen by a kid to be used for a joy ride and Abandoned, that's right. These cars are disappearing. I've got a list here of motor and serial numbers on cars That have been stolen that haven't turned up anywhere Well, then they must be selling them someplace in it But who'd buy a car from a kid? I wish I knew that's what I came up to see you about You think there's an FBI violation someplace yes You see we picked up one of the kids who stole a car get anything from him not much He's only 16, but he's got that misguided notion about honor among thieves, so he wouldn't talk What about his parents and I didn't get spoken to them. Mm-hmm. They asked us to keep the kid in jail It's a nice attitude to make the story even nicer the kid was drunk and he was picked up I could have kid dad a to get whiskey in this town. He didn't he got it out of that Clara's and Clara who's that well she runs a juke joint across the state line That's why I can't touch her But I know that high school kids from all over the town go out there and the place is one of the biggest contributors to juvenile Delinquency that we have that name and Clara is very deceptive. So is she I'd like to see that place I wish you would Jim just run out take a look for yourself. Okay. I think I will Where's that list of serial numbers on the stolen cars? Oh? Hey, Archer. Thanks. I'll send an alarm on these at once And Clara hi aunt Clara. Oh, Ricky boy sit down sit down Thanks, how about a nice big slice of homemade pie made with Aunt Clara's own lovin hands? I Ain't hungry. Thanks. Well, what's on your mind Ricky boy? Well, I got a date tonight. That's nice anybody I know yeah, Flo Duncan. Is that the little blonde you had out here Sunday night? Yeah, that's the one say she's real cute. Yeah, I think so too Kind of got the shorts I need some cash That's a nice number can I have it for me? Yeah Ricky boy your account is overdrawn. I can't be you haven't turned in a car in a month Given a lot of parties in a sense, but I told you I got a date What time is your day? I'm picking Flo up in front of her house at 8 30. Well, it's only 6 30 now Look Ricky, why don't you be a smart little boy? You've got two hours Go into town and steal yourself another car That's right man We got pretty quick action on that list of stolen cars that you gave us Oh, what if you got the Cleveland office made a raid yesterday and broke up a big stolen car ring It was operating out of there one of the cars they found in the garage was on your list Any idea how they got the car to Cleveland no none so far But the Cleveland office is working on that and from what they tell it's out to us It's indicated the ring got cars from local agents all over the country then they changed the cars numbers and sold it. That's it Oh, Jim, did you get out to Aunt Clara's? Yes? Yes? Yes, I just looked around the place was teeming with kids and all of them Drinking quite heavily. Do you see anything that tied in with the stolen cars? No, I didn't but if this aunt Clara is tied in With that racket. She's gonna be a difficult one to trip up Yeah, I know That it'll probably take Cleveland office a couple of weeks to go through all of the papers They seized when they made that raid but my suggestion is we keep our eyes open at this end Okay, as soon as you get word in the next car that's reported stolen Get in huh, okay, you get in first hour. Wait a minute. She's coming. Oh, yeah, I forgot to tell you I thought maybe to get a date for it. Can you read? Well, look, so I really don't care to force myself head in there'll be guys fighting over you before the night Drive to Sam don't worry about Rick's driving. He's very conservative. Yeah, but I'll quit beefing. Will you sorry Where'd you dig her up? Oh, we go to school together We were in a program of the play right here if you'd like to see it. I'm driving Well, you might know some of the kids one to tonight's case from the files of your FBI Now a 52nd interview on group insurance with a man who's recently had a lot of sickness in his family Isn't that so Sam sure as mr. Keating within six months my kids had mumps and measles Then my wife caught an ammonia and all the rest of us came down with the flu Oh, that was tough going Sam. I'll bet you owe a mint of money to your doctor. No, sir I don't know Doc Smalley one red Sam for I work We've got complete group insurance with the equitable society and that even covers medical expenses for you and your family I bet it does while we had 20 visits from Doc Smalley Not counting the times we went to his office, but checks from the equitable society paid the doc faster than he's ever been paid Before yes group insurance with the equitable society was a mighty good thing for you Sam And it's just as good for your company for three good reasons first. It means satisfied loyal workers Yeah, think of getting life insurance accident and sickness insurance and retirement income plus hospitals surgical and medical benefits all in one Package from the equitable society without any medical examination second group insurance with the equitable life insurance society Decreases labor turnover all right a fellow thinks twice before he walks out on a job Which gives him extra insurance coverage at far lower cost and he could buy it as an individual third equitable society group Insurance improves quality and quantity of production believe me I do better work now that I've got rid of all those worries about sickness and accidents and my wife and kids future Well, I hope every employer in this radio audience Here's what you said and that every one of them is resolving now to get the facts on complete group insurance Protection from an equitable society expert get in touch with the nearest office of the equitable society That's eq ui t a b l e all right direct to the New York home office of the equitable life insurance society of the United States And now back to the FBI file the indifferent mother The night's case from the files of your FBI gradually illustrates how easy it is for the most innocent youngster to get into trouble How very important it is that every child be given as much parental guidance as possible Because without that guidance without that pillar to lean on any young boy or girl can easily become involved in any one of a series of major crime Children don't just grow They must be helped and in helping them you help fight the greatest problem American law enforcement officers face today The problem of juvenile delinquency The night file continues at the local FBI field office Special agent Jim Taylor is studying the later report from the Cleveland field office about the stolen car gang when the telephone rings This lady in Taylor speaking No, I'm down to city hospital. Hey, what happened to your what was the girl's name who was in the car Have you sent on alarm on the car yet? Well Ned did you get an address on this Robert's girl? Yes 10 North Adams. I go out there right now and Ned when I finish I'll meet you at the hospital Coming out here with a heap and a cop started to chase me. Did you shake him off better than that? What do you mean? He's on a motorcycle. I let him get alongside. I mean then I swerved and he went into a ditch What did you do with the car? Downstairs Ricky boy, are you crazy? You want to get everybody thrown into jail? What do you want me to do stop and get picked up? I want some protection. Where's your girl? She's down in the car. There's another girl with us. What'll I do? Get back downstairs and wait for me Dallas I'm coming. It was my daughter. She's always losing her key. Are you Mrs. Roberts? My name is Taylor. I'm a special agent of the FBI Here are my credentials the FBI What do you want here? It's about your daughter Alice Alice Where is she? I don't know where she is. Mrs. Roberts. That's why I came here. What's happened to her? She was seen tonight riding in a stolen car along the old post road That can't be true mr. Taylor. She's in the school play at Washington High School tonight that school play was held this afternoon It was yes I was sure it was tonight. Mrs. Roberts. Did she say where she was going tonight? Well, I didn't ask her. I haven't the faintest idea. Can you give me the name of some of her close friends? They might know well, I I don't really know any of Alice's friends Well, then can you tell me where your daughter likes to go when she goes out? Well, how would I know girls usually tell their mothers about things like that? Yes, especially if the mother's show any interest A little late for that Mrs. Roberts. However, if you try to help me, we'll do everything we can to find it Well, what are you doing Ricky boy robbing the cradle? Look, I mean the other one. What's she crying for her mother? No, she felt sorry for the cop on the motorcycle and wants to call the police It's served you right Ricky boy. I've told you a dozen times. It's always better to work alone Why did the job alone? I picked them up after. You should have delivered the car before you picked them up It's too late for that now. What do I do next? What do you do with us? Please dear, one thing at a time Rick, the first thing to do is to get rid of the car. Okay Put the girls in my office and we'll lock them in while you're gone. Right. Don't go near the garage with that car It's too hot. Just take it out on the road someplace and leave it and when you come back I'll let you know what I've decided about the girls Call that girl's mother or not a bit You know, I can understand why her daughter is out with the kind of company. She's keeping She's just letting that girl go up by herself. Yeah, they know the type one thing puzzles me though I spoke to the patrolman's daughter after I spoke to you. She swore this Alice Roberts is a fine girl Yeah, she is with that kind of a mother. It's a miracle. Oh, have you spoken to your office since you talked to me? Yes, I called him just before I came down to meet you man They found the car that the motorcycle patrolman was chasing they did where about five miles the other side of the state Did you get the exact location? Yes, I did. Come on. I'd like to take a look at that car Program from the shore that was given at Washington High School this afternoon It has Alice Roberts name on it. Well, it proves she was in the car. All right Yeah The car wasn't left yet too long ago either the motor still worn many fingerprints inside none that are good enough to help us I guess this dent here Where the motorcycle hit? Yes, it's fresh dent scratches are still clean Well, at least we're getting a little closer to whoever did the job. We couldn't have missed him by very much Matt, how about the state trooper who found the car? Do you give you anything? No, I was just talking to him He didn't see anybody around here. How do you happen to be on a dirt road like this? The farmer who owns that field saw the car and called the state police barracks Oh, I see. Trooper made a complete inspection of the ground followed a set of man's footprints up the dirt road But he lost them when they reached the concrete highway a set of man's footprints that all yeah Why well that means you must have dropped the girls off someplace before he decided to get rid of the car That's right. You come on. Let's take a look around up the outside of the car. I only went over the inside Let's use your flashlight too. Okay That's what down here Didn't you tell me that these were brand new tires that the owner had just put on the car this afternoon? That's right You see those little bits of bluestone that are caught in the tire. Yeah, what about them? They could lead us to that missing trio Oh She's done his beef and cry about wanting to go home. I want to know you were stealing cars. So now, you know You've got rid of the car, huh? Look, we want to get out of here. You're getting out of here. You're letting them go. No, but I'm getting rid of them What do you mean you girls are taking a little trip and I think we should get ready for it right now Ricky boy, I'll need your help. Okay. What is it? Well, you're going away And I have something here that should make you sleep through the whole journey hold her first week. No No, keep away from me. Shut up special agent the FBI. What are you doing here? I think that's obvious Well, how did you know we were here? The car that was abandoned the night had blue stones stuck in the tires I remembered that the driveway here was covered with blue stones Can you please take us out? There's a policeman upstairs will take you home. I'm going to drive Aunt Clara here and a young friend on the jail Woman known as Aunt Clara was tried convicted and given a ten-year sentence for violation of the motor vehicle theft act Her young accomplice Ricky Hill was sentenced to reformatory until he reaches majority This is your FBI brings you a message on juvenile delinquency from the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation The next voice you hear will be that of mr. J. Edgar Hoover speaking to you from Washington, DC My message tonight is directed to the mothers and fathers of America to all adult citizens responsible for the welfare of our youth During the war years when age 17 was leading all other age groups in frequency of arrests The volume of juvenile delinquency in the United States reached an all-time high It was disheartening to see thousands of our youngsters caught in the backwash of war But I had hopes then that the condition was temporary That after the war the factors that contributed to delinquency would be removed and corrected That apparently was wishful thinking there was an encouraging decline in youthful delinquency immediately after the war But arrests of youngsters are again on the increase During the first nine months of 1947 arrests of boys 18 to 20 years of age increased nearly 27% over the same period in 1946 More over some of the wartime teen age offenders have grown up and many are now committing more serious crimes With a major crime occurring every 18 seconds. It is time to pause and examine the problem I have noted that there is something lacking in the home life of most youngsters who violate the law Even the delinquents who are from apparently normal homes are victims of parental neglect The parents are either too careless or too busy with their own pleasures to give sufficient time companionship and interest to their children. I am convinced that a parent's gravest responsibility Is to understand his children and win their confidence Many fine law abiding parents actually do not know what their children are doing or how they spend their leisure time When they find out it is often too late Their remorse does not remove the shame which their negligence has caused Boys and girls are not hard to please a little attention given to their problems and pleasure can mean so much They violate the conventions of society because they aren't happy Because they feel insecure and because they have not had the love and sympathy do them Hence my message is for the parents Are you the parents of our young people doing everything in your power to develop your boys and girls into good citizens? Do you know your sons and daughters? Do you have their confidence? Are you acquainted with their friends and do you know how they spend their leisure time? If you do not I suggest that you take inventory and do what is necessary To make your home a place of learning as well as a place of living a little more attention Given to your child today may save the beginning of a life of degradation tomorrow Thank You mr. Hoover for your telling and forthright message In just a moment we will tell you about next week's exciting case from the files of your FBI Now some more useful facts on equitable society group insurance It's a bargain for workers because it enables the company to give its employees the benefit of its wholesale purchasing power It's a bargain for the management because it builds loyalty and goodwill decreases personnel turnover Improves quality and quantity of production For instance the president of the Colgate Pamela Pete company mr. E. H. Little says Colgate Pamela Pete company together with some employees has recognized the advantages of group insurance protection We believe that certain basic group plans are an important feature of a well-balanced industrial relations program If your company does not have group insurance or if your group program is incomplete Get in touch immediately with the nearest office of the equitable life insurance society of the United States Next week we will dramatize another case from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation The colorful story of a cross-country quest for a stolen fortune its subject Bond theft its title Lady lucks husband The incidents used in tonight's equitable life insurance society's broadcast are adapted from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation However, all names used are fictitious and any similarity there are to the names of persons living or dead is accidental Tonight the music was composed and conducted by Frederick Steiner the author was Jerry Lewis Your narrator was Dean Carlton and special agent Taylor was played by Stacy Harris This is your FBI is a Jerry divine production This is Larry Keating speaking for the equitable life insurance 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 For this is your FBI This is ABC the American broadcasting company