 city has been robbed the thief wore disguise we're working today watch out of robbery detail my partners Frank Smith the boss of chief of detectives fat brown my name is Friday I was on my way into the office that was 7 58 a.m. when I got to room 27 a robbery one of Frank you've been in one it'll be a hot one today in it yeah that's what the paper said anything in the book about those mugs they commit some burden yeah I put them in your box thank you take a look at them hey Frank what I say that you see the mugs oh no what's the matter hey what happened Joe you know me you know how I feel about today you got to know I didn't mean anything by it you didn't mean certainly not so far this thing for my mind what was what she thought I meant you know Joe sometimes I think they just don't understand me well I don't understand you either on this one oh that's right you weren't there so I got to think of myself you were I got to think of myself and get a problem you can't make your old buddy knows all about it yeah so I got to fill you in I'll tell you all about it right now yeah you see after dinner last night we had those Swedish meatballs that they make so good the one meatballs Swedish ones oh yeah I had those up yeah one very good excellent well after dinner last night we went in the living room sat down to watch the television I switched on the set arranged the back a couple of minutes later they come in with a box on those big flat ones like dresses come in you know she bought a new dress Joe that's why she fixed the meatballs I don't know how this is gonna end but up to here I must be on face I guess yeah well I don't understand any of it oh well I'll straighten that out see whenever she wants me to go along with something she's already done she always makes Swedish meatballs well I could figure that part out what was in the box a dress Joe she bought a dress oh it was a dress yeah she opened up the box she shows it to me tell me how she bought it on sale ever notice every time a woman buys a dress it's always on sale no I can't say as I ever have well believe me buddy it always is on sale on sale I don't want you to go through the whole day with this on your mind but if you don't get to the point every time horses sign out oh well I didn't mean anything but nothing she held the dress up for me to see and all I did I just said what size you know look at these mug shots now no wait a minute I want to finish you asked me what I was mad about I want to tell you I asked her what size the dress was she told me it was a 12 a 12 a 12 yeah so I just kind of casually mentioned the one we got married she wore a nine that's all I said that she wore a nine well look at the mug shots now no wait a minute well you help me with this thing being partners you can't help a little we'll look at the mug shot when we were married she wore a nine and she just flipped her wig Joe she got real mad walked out of the room right out of the room yeah I meant she was getting fat yeah she did hot shot I'll get it let's go corner grand deal union and hold up for the time we got to the supermarket a broadcast carrying the description of the suspect has been gotten out to all cars in the city a small crowd of people had gathered in front of the store and the officers from the radio unit were attempting to keep them back from the ambulance had been called when we got there the attendance were giving emergency treatment to the day manager of the store he's been struck on the left side of the head just above the ear by the suspect when he made his getaway the attendant told us that the man was suffering from a mild concussion Frank and I entered the store and talked to one of the police when he was there he led us back to a small office in the rear of the place where we met the other two victims one with the cashier of the store Erma Watson the other with the man who had the meat concession in the store Tom spent we asked him to tell us what happened first thing I saw was going to park the car in the lock guy was down right beside door that's right to stand there calm as could be I saw him when I opened up the place mm-hmm go ahead well I am locked the door and we all came in man did to just walk right in we don't normal let people come in for eight hardly ever but since Gerald was there we figured he'd take care of the man they mean Gerald the man the ambulance yeah that's right pull up he'll give him an awful lot on the head given concussion concussion the head tell you something about that too what's that was what I don't really think Carol's hit that hard I think he's just putting on to get sympathy now Erma daddy right I'd good say things like that maybe not but I tell you you remember remember the time he cut his finger when he was moving the cases of empty soda pop bottles yeah well you were there had to rush him to the hospital have his hands so not a lot of foolishness piece of adhesive would have taken care of it sympathy that's what he wants can we go on with what we're talking about what happened after he came in the store please oh I went upstairs and I turned on the lights have to turn them off up there officers up there that's where I was turned on the lights and come down to open the safe is that your job to open safe in the morning yeah she's cashier yes or what happened then well Gerald was going out back to open the delivery door I'll go over in the meat section kind of straightening up where was the whole upland during this time just kind of strolling around looking at the different displays up and down the house just looking Gerald opened up the back door and come back as a fella there's something special he's looking for a girl guy said he wanted to know where they fell out of anchovies was Gerald told him well I went back to get some that's the Gerald top it we know different yeah a lot different so would you go on please well I was upstairs counting the receipts from yesterday getting the bank statement ready for him as a cashier yeah there we go would you go on please well first thing I know the man standing right behind me holding this gun pointed right at me you can just that he liked to scare me out of my wits must have been terrible or it was I just turned around and there he was with this gun just about scared me to death that's when he asked you for the money did he didn't ask he just told me to put it in a wooden box he had just put it in the box what do you say what were his exact words well he just kind of walked over and said put the money in the box and don't cause no trouble this is a stick up like that he said it or did just what he said sir I gave him the money dumped it all in the box just like he said they told me to lay down on the floor just told me to lay down and not to make any noise he would come back and kill me I think he'd have done it too I think you were the room I well I did what he said flat on the floor did he have the box when he came in yeah I had it under his arm I was down behind the meat counter all of a sudden I heard this scream that was me I let our yelling and Tom here heard it so Gerald we kind of looked at each other and then I grabbed the meat cleaver and started up the stairs I didn't know what was wrong but I didn't know it was in trouble I appreciate that Tom I knew you're in trouble and I came around and got the stairs come up the office and then I saw him he was just coming down he still had the gun did he yeah that gun in the box I didn't know what was in it at that time but I had an idea I just kept the cleaver and started up the stairs stopped when he saw me stopped right in his tracks Tom's awful brave so he told me to get out of his way or else he'd kill me where he pointed that gun around kind of believed him so I backed down the stairs and him right behind me all the time he had that gun pointed at me where was the manager all this time you mean Gerald mm-hmm I don't know I was now I saw him you're down to the cash register in front you saw this guy coming down the stairs and ran for the phone to call the police fella saw him and he took off after Gerald I thought he was going to shoot him but he didn't just hit him give him a concussion of the head exactly sympathy that's all one hour and a year wrong I've seen it he gave Gerald an awful hit right along here were you hard now which way the man go after he left the store please they ran down that way down Union I will you describe the man for me was about five feet and he was going to be a little better if you told us one of the time I guess you'd never get it that way a little difficult so you go ahead Irma well I told the other policeman he was about the funniest looking little man I ever saw real little oh not really I think you just kind of hunched over well he looked little but how tall was it oh about five foot eight maybe nine guess that's about right tell him about the way he was dressed oh yeah had on this black overcoat and a hat all pulled down over his eyes the hat I mean what color was his hair do you remember and what I could see but it was kind of long like colored that's right and yet a must-have you know real big look like old-fashioned kind like people wore now to kid you know handlebar black real black well he left the store did you notice we got into a car yeah he did I saw him run down the street and jump in one dark color I'm not sure what kind it was I think it might have been a Hudson Lake model I saw that I was looking up the side window upstairs and I saw the same thing did you tell the other officers about it I didn't need to die I guess you better get out of broadcast on yeah you happen to get the license number of the car yeah that's where I went to work got it written down right here on my apron she numbers ain't too plain but you can make them out no sir I can't you'll have to help me there I got it too right here I saw I'm getting the car and I wrote it down thank you having the number the car is going to make it easier to catch my lane it should make it a snap just find out who owns the car and man it's not gonna be that easy I'm afraid why both numbers are different a supplemental broadcast was gotten out carrying both the license numbers at the victims of docking Frank put in a call to DMV asking him to forward all information on the numbers the prime lab crew came out and went over the place for fingerprints but they were not able to turn up anything we could use we continued to question the butcher in the cashier we've got a complete description of the thing the one outstanding thing that both of them agreed on was the mustache both said that it was a direct contrast to the color of the man's hair and said that it might have been darkened with shoe polish or some kind of grease people in the vicinity were questioned but none of them were able to supply us with any new information the injured manager was removed to Georgia Street receiving hospital for emergency treatment and then referred to his own doctor Frank and I talked to him but he only verified the story that we've gotten from the other two people in the store 1245 p.m. we returned to the city hall and asked the stats office to start a run on the M.O. for us the victims were asked to go through the mug books but they were not able to identify any of the photographs Frank and I spent the rest of the day talking to the other storekeepers in the vicinity of the robbery we asked each of them if they'd seen anyone watering in the area anyone who looks suspicious from each of them we got the same answer none of them could help us in establishing the identity of the suspect the kickback on the license number came in from Sacramento but when we checked out the information we were no closer to apprehending the thing the next morning Thursday August 14th Frank and I met in the squad room hi Joe how's my old buddy this morning I'm alright sound happy the problem with a straight now oh yeah sure got home last night everything's great all right hey we started last night what's that thing and me we're going on a diet lose a little weight that's nice yeah there's a little weight anything new in the market hold it no the stats office should finish the run for us this morning when you start checking out the possible good thing I wore my walking shoes I get it probably Friday yeah no that's right no that's all right here yeah sure all right we'll be out and see you no right away all right thank you very much bye what do you got cash here out at the market that Irma Watson yeah might have something for us what's that she says she thinks she knows who the suspect is Frank and I drove out to the market we went upstairs to the office in the rear of the store and met Irma Watson she was seated at the desk with a large ledger book opened in front of her I got the thing in an over last night after I got home about the hold up man something about him the way he acted and talked made me think I knew he was that I'd seen him some place before uh-huh we're most of the night just thinking about it and then all of a sudden it came to me right out of the arcade yes man go ahead well I mean we're across that I thought I knew him for a man right here in the store you mean he's a customer no he works for us right here in the store that's where I've seen him mustache kind of fooled me for a minute but not for long I remember what the man's name I didn't remember that not last night but I came down here this morning and started through the books and came upon it got it right here take a look for yourself see right there jet elsewhere that's him I'm sure of it what's elsewhere work here now well yes and no where he doesn't he doesn't he still got the job but he ain't working right now gotta leave of absence he's got all that he wanted to get him taken care of so he had to go out of town and see a specialist get his ulcerate when do you leave last week see I got it right here last day he worked was Wednesday August 6th that was the last day you have his home address you just that got it right here wrote all the information out for you thank you very much I'm sure of it all right let's walk and we'll check into it only thing I can't figure out is that mustache the mustache can't figure out how he could have grown it so fast takes longer than a week to get a mustache like that doesn't it oh well where you buy it Frank and I returned to the office to run the name Jed Ellsworth through the record bill while Frank went through the packages checking the description we got another suspect I went down to the stats office and picked up the list of possible that they had for us 1026 a.m. I met Frank back at the R&I counter hi how's it going looks like we got a live one hmm that of Jed Ellsworth here pretty close to the description yeah record in the East St. Louis done big time back there 24 for I'm robbery listening to drag net the authentic story of your police force in action we sent an immediate request to the authorities in St. Louis asking to stay forward all available information on their suspect Jed Ellsworth 1.15 p.m. Frank and I drove out to the address we've been given by the cash here at the supermarket was a one-story Redwood house in the Beverly Glen area we rang the front doorbell yes we'd like to see Jed Ellsworth not here what do you know where we can reach him what is the body in trouble again ma'am jet in trouble again we'd like to talk to him please your cop or police officers figures what you done this time it's just routine we want to ask him a couple questions where I don't know well he lives here doesn't yeah I don't know where he is and seems to stay before yesterday packed up in the left I don't know where he went didn't give me any idea where it was going none went through my purse I put money I hadn't shoved off don't much matter to me if I never see him again my property be better off wonder if we could see his thing you mean what he left sure come on in in his room I'm about to throw him out I don't want him I don't think you'd be back for him this time down the hall this way thank you man what are you after him for I'll be a little better if we talk to him sure matter to me I'm through with him the trouble with cops since we've been married I didn't know he had a record when I met him until after we got married I found out it was a jail bird right after we got married the cops started coming around asking questions how long have you been married 15 months heading back in St. Louis I said right after he got out of jail I didn't know a thing dead wouldn't have nothing to do with him I mean nothing but trouble would you know if he has any people in California but I ever saw he never talked about him does he drive a car jet no didn't own one every needed one and go to one of these rental agencies rent one this is room stuff's there on the bed thank you I'll check I'm gonna throw it all out anything there you want just take it with you I don't think that'll be necessary well they offer it's still good but you don't take off your love your husband got any close friends at all in town yeah a lot of bum give us their name one name I know Larry Jessup and Jed used to pal around all the time I think his job at the store took up too much pal time that's the reason Jed quit understand your husband had trouble with his stuff yeah also was you under the care of a doctor all the time taking pills and eating special things at the point where nothing I cook was right for the ulcer we did nothing but fight all the time miserable 18 months I'm glad he's gone never seen again it'll be a week too soon can you give us the doctor's name yeah one of the bills there got it in with the rest of them reminds me can you answer me something what's that am I responsible for his bills and one day brand of himself without my help I gotta fail well man that's not a police problem you better check with a lawyer on the right yes more expensive like all I do is put out money for him oh yeah picture of me like a smash up yes man no I wouldn't let nobody take pictures of him so it was bad luck yeah I'm a stash didn't he yeah you know what's on the graph record oh those are mine I'm a stenographer something that you're working on those are mine just letters one thing you ever did for me what's that made that box for record real big thing took him all day to make it just a plain simple wooden box you thought it was a Taj Mahal only thing you ever did for me your husband get many phone calls here no notice where he called once in a while I told you there was real palate you ever hear any of the conversations by the chance on this hand you know what they were talking about not too good they get real secret you know low voices they were planning something now I don't know what it was that they were planning something this is all a jessopy drive a car yeah you know what time yeah we got the address of the suspect's friend then we drove back to the city hall we made arrangements for a stakeout to be placed on the house in addition to asking mrs. Ellsworth to call us in the event that she heard from her husband we ran the name Lawrence Jessup through our and I and we came up with a criminal record form that listed several arrests for burglary and auto theft according to his package he'd never been convicted in California we sent a teletype up to George Brerick and CII and Sacramento asking for further information on the man 450 p.m. Frank and I left the office and drove out to the address given us with the suspect's wife with a large boarding house in the Hollywood Hills area we talked to the landlady she told us Jessup wasn't in but she expected him by 6 p.m. we asked if she'd ever seen a man answering Jed Ellsworth description she said the touch a man was a frequent visitor in Jessup's room 5 p.m. Frank and I and the company in the landlady checked the room we found nothing to tie Jessup in with a robbery we waited for 5.58 p.m. came up the stairs and opened the door what are you guys doing here police officers is Frank Smith my name's Friday I still want to know what you're doing here got a couple of questions we're on to ask you Jessup go ahead I got nothing to hide asked where's Jed Ellsworth I don't know I haven't seen him a couple of days why understand you two are pretty good friends were friends guys off his rocker how do you mean that what I said we got out of the can a couple of years ago right away is doing his best to get back in that right sure a couple of days ago he called said he had to see me right away had a big idea for both of us make a lot of money well I don't have to work all my life so I told him I'd listen laid out this big deal where he could knock off a supermarket told me had it all planned how did all work out real good good miss I told him I didn't want no part of it I could sure use a dog yeah but not to take a chance on going to jail for it already got a record I had enough to do with cops last me the rest of my life been lucky the last couple of times it didn't fall but I don't want to I'm punching a clock now that's what it's gonna be I told him that he was gonna go ahead with the job no I just said I was crazy not to pick up some easy money you heard from him says that yeah so I'm yesterday came over in the morning told me to forget all about the market job said he realized it was wrong asked me to drive not to come on what board do you say yeah he said he'd walk down on Hazel that's his wife yeah we know so he left her and we're going to Pomona had a job out there you're driving yeah to a motel there show it to you if you want is he still there I don't know as far as I know he is that's where I left him sitting out there counting his money what money you told me drew all the dough out of his and Hazel's account said she wasn't gonna get any of it must have had about 4,000 bucks you know what bank he had the money you know he didn't say I didn't know him and Hazel had that much of course she works pretty hard thrifty you know get always said she was stingy a lot of money yeah had it in this wooden box all stacked in there real neat hard to believe what's that but the box she had about the latest guy ever knew last one to work with his hands sure proud of it though said he made the box himself Larry Jessup Frank and I drove out to the motel in Pomona we checked with a manager but found that the suspect had checked out that morning fortunately the room had not been cleaned yet and we went over on a shelf in a closet we found the wooden box that Jessup had spoken of was a duplicate of the one that we'd seen at the suspects home we told the manager we were taking it with us and asked her to notify us in the event Ellsworth returned we asked if he had a car when he left the manager told us he didn't but that he had asked for the name of some automobile rental agencies in Pomona Jessup and I went out to our car and waited for Frank to come back from the suspects room sure looks like he pulled the robbery huh seems to fit him real good doesn't Joe yeah look at that found it under the bed only black mustache checked with the automobile rental agencies in the area none of them had seen a man answering the suspect's description we asked him to call us if such a man did come in we drove by Ellsworth's house and picked up the wooden box that he'd made for his wife's dictograph record both of the containers were taken to the crime lab for comparison we go to the market that had been held up all three of the victims were shown the false mustache that we found in a motel all three said it was identical with the one that the holdup man had worn after his investigation we Joe said that the two wooden boxes were cut from the same piece of three fly wood paint particles on the wood mask the nails used were made for the same machine the box we found at the motel was shown to both the butcher and the cashier they said that it was the same one that the thief had carried a local in an APB were put out on the suspect asking that he be picked up for suspicion of robbery for the next three days the surveillance on the suspect's house was maintained all of Mrs. Ellsworth's activities were observed Sunday August 17th we got a call with the suspect's wife had left the house carrying a suitcase the officers on stake out followed her to the subway terminal downtown Los Angeles we met them there Mrs. Ellsworth walked down to the landing and appeared to be waiting Frank and I took over the surveillance we waited 9 30 p.m. 10 10 15 10 18 p.m. Joe looks like the description. Hey Seasons. I don't want to hold it up. You're not going to get out of here I'll get an ambulance right now we've sent for an ambulance and one can hurt I didn't want to hurt why don't you call us when you heard from him. I don't know I don't know he said if I met him he'd give me some money to pay the bills what you owed he was going to give me some money I was going to call you after I got the money I was going to call yeah sure you were chance to get up for Monday to get even he didn't care what we were together I was the one who worried about it he never cared he never paid a bill or he's going to pay this one Ellsworth was tried and convicted of robbery in the first degree and received sentence as prescribed by law robbery in the first degree is punishable by imprisonment in the state penitentiary for a period of from five years to life you have just heard dragnet the authentic story of your police force in action and starring Jack Webb a presentation of the United States Armed Forces radio service.