 The story you're about to hear is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent. Dragment! You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned a robbery detail. A pair of thieves has been terrorizing the merchants in your city. They're described as a man and a woman. From their actions, you know they're capable of murder. Your job? Stop them. It was Wednesday, July 23rd. It was warm in Los Angeles. We were working the night watch out a robbery detail. My partner's Frank Smith. The boss is Chief of Detective Stab Brown. My name's Friday. I was on my way back from the main jail and it was 8, 16 p.m. when I got to room 27A. Robbery detail. Hi, Slap. Joe, any word from Frank? Yeah, I talked to Skipper this morning. He said they were having a little trouble with that extradition. Anything big? No, I guess not. Chief Brown said the authorities back in St. Louis would get us straightened out. Frank ought to be back in the middle next week. Skipper said he wants me to work with you on that liquor store thing. Gaffney and I can use some help. We run down just about every lead there is. They all end up in the same place. Well, I got a little of it. You want to fill me in on the rest? Yeah. Hot shot, I'll get it. Well, you can get it firsthand. Yeah. They just scored again. Sergeant Slats Henry, Tom Gaffney and I went downstairs to the car pool. We took out our robbery car and we rolled on the call code 3. It took us a little over 10 minutes to get to the corner of Alexandria and Burns Avenue. The place that had reported being robbed was a small neighborhood liquor store. By the time we'd gotten there, a radio card answered the call and a felony car from Hollywood Division had gotten there. While Gaffney talked with the men in the felony car, Slats and I went inside the store to see the victim. The uniformed officer who was with him told us that the elderly man's name was Charles Osborne. We got what information the officer had been able to get. And while he went to his unit to get out a broadcast on the suspects, Slats and I talked to Osborne. Well, there's much to tell. I guess they worked at the same way they've been doing. That's the way I tell the papers. There were two of them were there? Yeah, a man and a woman, two. Might be better if you told us just exactly what happened. We'll just pick up any paper. It's all there. They've been doing the same thing for a couple of weeks. I don't understand it. I don't. What's that, Mr. Osborne? Well, these two just walk into any store and take what they want. You guys don't seem to be able to stop them. You go great guns after they've held up somebody, then you're great. But where are you when they're doing the robbing, huh? Where are you then? Where? Well, if you'll just calm down here and tell us what happened, we might be able to do something about it. Oh, well, they come in just like always. By what time was that? Well, it must have been round eight. I was a little too busy to look at my watch. Mm-hmm. Do you want to go ahead? Well, there was two of them, man and the woman. Yes, sir. Man and the woman stood over there at the door. Woman walked right up here at the counter, right up, stood there. First off, I thought she had a cold or something. It wasn't long that thought held on, though. No, sir, not long at all. Yes, sir. Turned out to be a mask. Thanks, you know, right across here, right here across her face. About that time, of course, I realized there was something was wrong, you know? Anybody walks into a store with a mask off, they don't mean no good or none. Yes, sir. Did you get a good look at the pair before they put the masks on? No, sir, not at all. No, no. They had them kind of up over their mouths when they come in, kind of like they were going to cough or something. Then they took their hands away and I could see that the handkerchief was tied right on, tied. Yes, sir. Do you want to go ahead? Well, this woman come over to the counter and asked me for a bottle of Canadian whiskey. Just as calm as can be, I spot right out. Not by my dog. I walked over, you see, there. Yeah, that's where I keep the Canadian stuff and got a bottle. I see. Got it right down and I turned around and there she was, just standing there with a mask on. Had it tied right around, tied. Yes, sir. What happened then? Well, I asked them what the big idea was. I thought that maybe they was playing a little joke, you see. They was, but it was on me. Woman told me to put the bottle in the paper bag and put the money in the bag, too. Told me to open the register and just put all the money right in the bag. Did you see if they were armed? No one do you haven't caught them. Sir? You got a life-sized picture of me giving them the money if it wasn't armed. You got that kind of idea? No, sir, we just wanted to know if they had guns. Well, of course they had guns. Did you see them? Well, naturally. Right out in the open. No, no, no, no. Wait, wait, wait, wait a second. Come right down to it. I didn't actually see them. The fellow, he was at the door over there. He had his hand in his pocket. She had her hand in a purse. See, like this. You see? Like this, kind of, come right down to it. I didn't really see them, no. Well, I'm sure they was there. I'm sure. Yes, sir. Well, what happened after the woman asked for the money? Well, her and the fellow just told me not to move for five minutes. Had me to keep real still. I wouldn't get hurt. I just took it easy. And they left the store. They walk away from the place? Oh, no, no, sir. They had a car parked right out in front, right in front. Right into that ward down the street. I counted to a hundred by once and then called you. Did the uniformed officer get a description? Yes, yes, right off. All right, Mr. Osborne, if you'd give us a description of the pair. Well, the woman was about, oh, there may be five-foot-three around in there, waiting around to 130. Just flaming red. Had do I, there really was that color. What color were the eyes? Flaming red, flaming red. I told you that before. No, sir, not her, not her eye. Her eyes. Yes. Why? Oh, I'm all confused here. Well, her eyes were blue. Yes, sir. So that's how I knew that. Her was bright red. What was she wearing? Oh, had on a kind of Brett, the green kind of green coat, red purse, red shoes, low heel. The front was cut out. How about the man? What do you look like? Oh, he's a big one. He must have been around 60 by. I couldn't tell good cause he was standing over there with a door. But he was a big one. I tell you, he weighed about 170. Maybe more. How about his coloring? Dark, dark hair, dark eyes. Of course, I couldn't see anything very good. Then he had that mask on. What was he wearing? He had a blue suit on. It looked kind of like it was linen. How about his shirt and tie? White shirt, black tie. Shirt was a button-down collar. No hat. Did either one of them have any marks or scars that might make it easier to identify him? Not that I could see. No, sir. How about accents? Either of them have any kind of speech peculiarity? No. Exactly what the woman said to you. Do you remember the words she used? Uh-huh. Well, first off, she asked for the whiskey. He said, give me a bottle of Canadian whiskey. Didn't mention any special brand. Then when I brought it back, she said, just put it in a paper bag, and empty the register in there, too. That's what the woman said. Did the man say anything at all? Well, when it was leaving, he said, stay put, pop. Maybe after five minutes, you won't get hurt. Those are his words. Exactly. I remember them. All right, sir. We'd like you to come downtown and check some pictures for us, if you will. Well, I guess it'll be all right. You guys should sure get on the ball, though. It's getting pretty bad. Sir? It seems a little silly. You can't catch these people right out. Instead of rushing around locking the door after the horse has been stolen. A little late then seems to me. Yes, sir. Well, they've been pretty lucky. They'll probably try the same thing again. Yeah. We'll try to be there the next time. A search of the immediate area failed to turn up anything that might lead to the identity of the feeds. A broadcast had been gotten out to all cars in the city, giving the description of the couple the automobile they were driving and the clothes they were wearing. The parents were set for three weeks. In that, they planned to work. They'd steal a car. Then on the night that they started their operation, they'd pick one of the city's main arterials and start at one end of it. They'd hit three or four stores in the area in a period of half an hour. The stolen car would be parked on a side street, and the couple would make good their escape. All of the routine efforts had been made to identify them. Due to the fact that a woman was involved in the operation, the state adult authority for women had been contacted for the names of recent parolees. But when these had been checked out, we netted nothing. Because of the circumstances of the MO, we felt the first break in the case would come through the woman. The stats office had made several runs, and the possibles had been checked out. Results, nothing. Five minutes after we'd left the first victim, we got a call. The parrot hit again, further down on Alexandria Avenue. All right, let us through here, please. You the cop? Yes, sir, that's right. I'm the fellow that was robbed. I'm him. Glad you weren't even trying to clear the further place. All right, sir, if you'd like to tell us what happened here. Terrible. The most terrible thing that ever happened to me. Yes, sir. I got to have a little something to calm my nerves. Well, can I get you anything, sir? Don't have to, son. I got all right here. A whole store full of it. Just a minute. Yes, sir. A little brandy, that's what I need. Mother's sure going to think I took a little nip just to have it. Going to have to explain the whole thing to her. Imagine me being robbed. Yes, sir. Now, if you'd tell us what happened here. Yeah. Excuse me, do you like a little of this? No, sir. These two came in here not more than five minutes ago. Man, woman. Came right in, asked for a bottle of whiskey. Do you recall what brand? Didn't ask for no special brand. Just said they wanted Canada whiskey. Blend. Mm-hmm. You'd be able to give us a description of them? Well, a woman had red hair, and that's about the only thing I do remember about her. Other than the way she talked. How do you mean to? Foul mouth. The way she swore at me. Just something fierce. What did she say? Oh, just swear words, you know. I guess I didn't get the bottle fast enough for him. Just told me to hurry up. When she said it like that. Where was the man during this time? Oh, he was over here at the cash register. The woman there, too? No, no, she stayed over the door. Seemed to be the lookout or something. She didn't come up past her there. Mm-hmm. Right there by the bit of chip rack. That's about where she come. Mm-hmm. And you said they used guns. Did you ever get them? Oh, yeah, big guns. I guess they must have been that long, and the bearer must have been that big around. What kind of a gun was it, would you know? I don't think I know what you mean. Or was it an automatic revolver? And I'm sorry, officer, but I don't understand. All I know of it was the biggest gun I ever saw. Must have been that long, that big around. Did it look like this one? Oh, no. No, that's just a T-shooter compared to when that fella was waving around. Did you see a car when they left? Yeah, I did. Right out in front it was. Park in front of the sign. Hey, you see there where it says reserve for patrons? Yeah, sir. Yeah, right there. That's where the car was. After the fella told me to dump the cash into the paper bag with a bottle, the woman opened the door, and both of them ran out and jumped into the car, roared off down the street. But I got a good look at it, real good. Then you can give us a description of it. You bet I can. Dark, 1953, Ford sedan. Four-door. Had one of them sun things on the front. You know, like a shade. Yes, sir. Used to have them on the buggy when I was a young man. Guess if you wait long enough, they get back to everything. Yes, sir. How much money did they get away with, sir? Oh, I guess it must have been around $225. Round in there someplace, give a couple, take a couple. Do you think you'd know either one of these people if you ever saw them again? Home. You just bet I would. Even with those masks on, I'd be able to pick them up. You just stand there and I'll point them out. Ah, never forget that gun. The biggest gun I ever saw. Must have been that long, that big around. How's it look, Joe? Well, it's the same couple. The description fits perfectly. I checked around the people in the crowd, found one old guy who says he saw the pair come out of the store. Got a good description of the car. One. I can tell you anything you want to know. Yes, sir. We appreciate that, sir. We do want to talk to everybody who knows anything about the holdup. All right. You go ahead and talk to the other fella. You go right ahead. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I got something he can't give you. What's that, sir? A license number of the car they drove. An immediate supplementary broadcast was gotten out to the cars in the area with special attention to the units covering Alexandria Avenue. The search for the pair of thieves went on, but as the hours passed and they failed to hit again, it became apparent that they had eluded us again. The next morning, the car was found abandoned on the east side of Los Angeles. It was a stolen vehicle, and after it had been checked for the crime lab for latent prints, we were no further toward apprehending the suspects. The conferences were held with the chief of detectives, Thad Brown, and it was decided to place an extensive stakeout on the liquor stores in the Hollywood area. From past performances, the pair seemed to work their operation in that general area more than the other parts of town. The stakeout was maintained for three days without results. On Tuesday night, July 29th, Sergeant Henry and I waited in the squad room for reports from the other officers out in the field. 1.15 a.m. Looks like another night shot. Yeah, still no action. The stores will be closing in about 45 minutes now. Yeah. You got a cigarette? I'm out. Yeah. I think there's a couple left in here. Yeah, just two. Here, go ahead. I'll go down the hall and get a couple of things. Oh, it's all right. Here. Heard from Frank? No, I talked to Faye night before last. She got a letter from him. He said he thought he'd be back by the end of the week. Say how it's going? No, he just read me a couple parts of the letter. I guess it's all straightened out. Suspect's coming back on his own. Extraditions can sure be a pain. I had to go back to New Orleans on one last year. Had a miserable time. Got to give us a lot of trouble. Yeah, I remember. I get it. Now, let's go. They just hit again. The stakeout area? No, out in Highland Park. They're way out on this one. What do you mean? Well, the victim decided to give him a little trouble. Yeah. The male suspect broke off the bottom of a whiskey bottle and worked the victim over. Mm-hmm. Almost killed him. 1.13 a.m. The pair of thieves had entered a small all-night grocery store in the Highland Park area. They'd gone through the usual part of their MO asking for the bottle of Canadian whiskey and then the money. However, when they asked the victim to turn over the money to them, he had told them to get out of the store. The male member of the team had grabbed the bottle, hit it against the counter breaking off the bottom, and then struck the victim several times about the head and shoulders. When we'd gotten the call, a man had been removed to George Street receiving hospital where he was in a critical condition. An immediate search of the area had failed to turn up anything that might lead us to the apprehension of the man and woman. A city-wide broadcast was gotten out on the pair and arrangements were made for their description to be broadcast on the police television program. Newspapers carried the stories and joined with us in asking for full cooperation from the public. For the next three days, we received several calls with information on the suspects, but when all of these were checked and sifted, we were right back where we started. The stakeouts were maintained on the liquor stores, but the suspects failed to hit again. On Monday, August 4th, we got a call from the county hospital telling us that the latest victim was in condition to be interviewed. Slatts Henry and I drove over to see him. He was unable to tell us anything more than the dozen victims before him had told us. 3.15 p.m., we went back to the office. Want to check the book? Yeah, I'll get it. Yeah, there's a message here that a Reese McKay call. He left a number. Say what he wanted? No, he just wants us to call. There's a table we got to put something in this leg. It sure wobbles, doesn't it? Been that way for years. I'd like to speak to Mr. Reese McKay, please. My name is Friday, Los Angeles Police Department. No Police Department? Yes, surely. It's Attorney's Office. Yes, sir? Mm-hmm. This is Sergeant Friday. Yes, sir. Certainly. When was this? Mm-hmm. All right, sir. No, we'll be right over. Yes, sir. Thank you very much. Oh, it might be something. What did he say? Woman was in his office this afternoon. Yeah. Said something about being involved in the robbery. Sergeant Henry and I signed out of the office and drove over to the address the lawyer had given me on the phone. We waited in the reception room for a few minutes, and then his secretary ushered this into Mr. McKay's office. Come in, gentlemen. Thank you very much. Thank you. I'm Reese McKay. Yes, sir. This is Sergeant Henry. My name's Friday. Oh, yes, you're the gentleman I talked to on the phone. That's right. Well, sit down and I'll try and tell you what happened. All right, thank you very much. We've got to realize my problem in this thing. Yes, sir, what's that? Well, if this isn't anything worthwhile, I certainly don't want to have a client embarrassed. You can understand that. Yes, sir. I suppose I'd just tell you what happened, and we can go on from there. All right, that'll be fine. A couple of days ago, I got a call from a young woman who said she wanted me to handle a divorce for her. We set up an appointment for it this afternoon. She came in and we went over the problem. I don't want to go into the detail of the divorce action. I don't think that'll have any bearing on the rest of it. All right, sir. Well, they get to the short of it. But we were going over the necessary information. The door burst open and this man came in. I wonder to know what it was all about. My secretary was right behind him, seeing that he just pushed his way right through the reception room. Well, who was he, do you know? Well, he said he was the woman's husband. That true? Well, apparently, I told my secretary to wait outside. Then I asked him what he wanted. He didn't pay any attention to me at first, said it wasn't any of my concern, and told me to keep my nose out of it. And he and the woman had a big discussion. Seems that he didn't want her to divorce. He made all sorts of promises how things would be different if she came back to him. First, she seemed to go along with the idea. As you know, we like to affect a reconciliation wherever possible. So I told them to go ahead and talk it over. Well, I left them in the office and went out of the reception room for a while. It seemed they were getting along all right. And the shouting died down. They seemed to have agreed. All of a sudden, it broke loose again. They started screaming at each other. And I went right back into the office. And just as I opened the door, I heard the man tell her that if she didn't come back, he'd cause her lucky secretary to remember that she was spitting it up so that these were the exact words. Don't forget, you're mixed up in those stick-ups as deep as me. All right, see. Can you give us the name and address of the couple? Yes, sir. I have it right here. Thank you. Pretty difficult to imagine that she'd be involved in anything like that. Pretty woman, beautiful hair. Is that right? Yes, flaming red. We obtained the address the woman had given Reese McKay and we checked her name through R&I. We found no criminal record on anyone answering her description. Black or she brown and told him what had happened. I asked the record division to make a run on the husband. We found that he'd been arrested three years before for attempted armed robbery, but that he'd been released for lack of evidence. 5.40 p.m. Slats and I drove over to the woman's address. The name on the mailbox in the apartment lobby read Mr. and Mrs. George Winston. We rang the bell and we identified ourselves. You want to come in? Thank you very much. Is there anyone else here, ma'am? You mean in the apartment? Yes. No, I'm alone. Where's that door lead, ma'am? Bedroom. You mind if we take a look? Maybe you better tell me what this is all about first, huh? You better go ahead, Salam. Yeah. I suppose you're a lot of nerve. Yes, ma'am. Well, that's true. What's this all about? Isn't there some law that says you got to make a complaint or something? Where's your husband? That bum. Where is he? I don't know and I don't care if I never see him again. Nothing but trouble that I ever get from him. A miserable man. Do you have any idea where he is? No. Don't think I'd tell you if I did until you let me know what this is all about. What's your husband do for a living, ma'am? You guys are so interested in him, aren't you? Ask him yourselves. Place is clean, Joe. I told you that going in. What's this all about? Come on. Tell me or get out. We understand you and your husband had an argument this morning. Two of you mentioned something about a robbery. I understand it all now. Now it's all real plain. Look, what George said was a joke. That's all just a joke. He didn't mean anything by it. The way we got the stories. Except. Come downtown and tell us all that. What for? Oh, we've got some people down there. We'd like you to meet. I've got enough friends. Well, let's put it down. These people would like to meet you. Do you want to get your coat? I think they're supposed to be something like a charge, isn't there? Yes, ma'am. That's the way you want it. I do. All right. Suspicion to robbery. What makes you think you can make it stick? Well, we wouldn't be taking any in it. We didn't figure we had a case. You'd save all of us a lot of trouble if you'd tell us where we can pick up your husband. What's in it for me? What do you got now? Nothing. Well, that's the best we can do. What makes you think you can hold up this kind of a charge? A dozen victims, for one thing. Platte, do you want to check the closet to see if you can find the green coat in the red shoes and purse? Yeah. What happens if I've got a green coat? Well, it makes us look pretty good, doesn't it? A lot of girls got green coats. Yeah, we're looking for one. Does she supposed to look like me? The description we've got matches exactly. A lot of people in the world look like me. Same people who have green coats? Got them, Joe. Found them up on the shelf in the closet. Take a look. They match what we heard. Now, if you'd like to try this coat on, ma'am. Is that right? You just bet. And it's going to cost the city a lot of money because I'm really going to make a big thing out of this. Well, if we're wrong, we'll admit it. Then you admit you could be making a mistake. No, we don't. I read in the papers where there was an old guy beat up in a robbery. Wasn't you after me, Pa? My baby, yeah. How's he doing, the old guy? We're not sure yet. He's going to live, though, isn't he? I told you, Ms. Winston, we're not sure. You got a cigarette? Yeah. Here. You really think you can put me in those stores? Yes, we do. I can't make a deal, huh? And I'll tell you things and have it going easier? No, ma'am. All we can do is see that it's my way. The best I can get? That's the best. I'll take it. What? I'll tell you about it. I'll tell you the whole thing. All right. Go ahead. You got it. I knew when he hit that old man we'd had it. No, right away. That's why we quit. I was afraid. If the guy died, you'd be able to murder. I didn't like the robbery part, but I didn't want any part of a killing. I never did like the set up. Never. I used to tell George I didn't like it. That didn't make a difference to him. He wanted to be the big man. He used to sit here after hitting. Look what he'd get the morning he'd laugh at the cops because he had him running after themselves. You know where he is? Yeah. He's in a hotel down on West 7th using the name Evanston. I'll give it to you, Greg. All right. Let's go. Old George. He's going to be real surprised when you walk in on him. Real surprised. I sure wish I could see the expression on his face when he finds out what happened. I sure like to see it. Well, that makes you even, doesn't it? Huh? You'll want to see yours. Geraldine Roland Winston will try to agree five counts and says prescribed by law. Robbery in the first degree is punishable by imprisonment for a period of not less than five years in the state penitentiary. You have just heard dragnet, authentic story of your police force in action and starring Jack Webb, a presentation of the United States Armed Forces Radio Service.