 The Equitable Life Assurance Society presents This is your FBI This is your FBI, an 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 Are you one of the 50 million Americans covered by Social Security? If so, have you any clear idea of your rights and benefits under Social Security? Well, there may be a pleasant surprise in store for you. For in a few minutes, you will learn from our sponsor the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States how easy it is to build Social Security into full security. Tonight's FBI file, The Friendly Hitchhiker One of the outstanding characteristics of the average American is the natural friendliness toward the stranger. This is an admirable trait, and certainly in general it is one to be preserved and encouraged. But unfortunately, there are a great many persons at large who make criminal capital of friendliness. And there are many occasions, such as in tonight's case from the files of your FBI, when it is wise to avoid the stranger altogether. Already the prairie growth was beginning to take on the first tints of a Texas Panhandle sunset and the young man in the sailor suit trudging along the highway with his battered suitcase. It looked as if night would catch him still some 50 miles from his goal. Amarillo. Unless this car that's coming down the highway stops. You stop. Going east sailor? Yes sir. Then get aboard son. Gee, thanks. I was afraid you would plow right on by. I didn't notice your uniform until I was right on you. Some people stop for it, some don't. I guess you can't blame anybody for not wanting to take a chance I guess. How far you're coming from sailor? I just got my discharge in California the other day. Been to hospital out there. I guess that means you earned one of those campaign ribbons the hard way. Huh. Wasn't as hard for me as it was for some of the other fellows though. Where are you bone? Amarillo. Well, so am I. Not kidding. Is that home? Yes sir. My uncle has a place outside of town. He's a retired rancher. I see. Well, now that you're out of the Navy, what are you going to do? Well, I've got to go to work. Say, you haven't got a job for me, have you? I'm afraid a young fellow with your experiences wouldn't find my kind of business very exciting. Well, what kind of business you went to? I pick up stocks of jewelry that small retail stores get stuck with and sell at an auction at my shop in Los Angeles. Oh, I see. I'm picking up some stuff in Amarillo this evening. Uh huh. Well, by the way, what's a good hotel in Amarillo? Well, uh, two or three good ones. Have a look, mister. You don't have to spend your money on a hotel. What do you mean? Well, you've been nice to me, giving me a lift. I know my uncle would be more than glad to have you. Why don't you stay with us till you get ready to go back? Well, no, I wouldn't want to impose. Oh, you don't impose on people in Texas by staying with them, mister. You'll make them very happy. And besides, you'll get some real old cowhand cookin' and lots of fresh air that's swell for sleepin'. How about it? Shoal, swell. Some 300 miles back west and shortly before the hitchhiker was picked up, special agents Allen and Burnett of the FBI's Los Angeles office engaged in a manhunt, landed at the Albuquerque airport in response to a police report. After a brief conference at police headquarters, they procured a car and drove it once to a tourist camp west of the city for a talk with the owner. Well, gentlemen, that picture sure looks like the young fellow that stopped here last night, all right? Well, he was wearing a sailor suit with a lot of ribbon. What kind of a car was he driving, sir? It was a black Chevy sedan, California license. Do you remember the license number? Um, no, sir. About how old was it? Well, I'd say it was the same as my brother's got to 42. Oh, that checks Burnett. What name did he register? Jack Smith. Here it is on the register right over here. There it is. Jack Smith. Burnett, where's that sample of Jack Newton's handwriting? Here you are. Thanks. I'd say it was the same writing, Allen? Yes. May we borrow this page for a few days, sir? We'll return it, sir. Why, sure you can. His real name is Newton, huh? The man we're looking for used the name of Jack Newton. He jumped his parole in Los Angeles two days ago. Got a sailor uniform, some ribbons, rented a car, and took out with it. Wow. We put out a general police alert as soon as the car was reported missing, but we were just a little too late with it to nail him here. What time did he leave, sir? Well, he didn't pull in until around daylight, slept until about noon, then took off. And that gives him about a six-hour start on it. Well, if he kept on east in this highway, he could have made Amarillo by now. How use your phone, sir? What's our move, Allen? Well, notify Amarillo to spread a 300-mile alarm, then head for there ourselves. All right, this way, Mr. Ogden. Very well. This will be your room right here, sir. Well, thank you. I still feel that this is a sort of an imposition. I wish you'd stop saying that, Mr. Ogden. You're going to make my uncle real sore right out. He certainly will. You were nice enough to give my nephew a ride here. What I can do is try to repay you for that kind. Well, I certainly appreciate it. Any particular time you want to be getting up in the morning? Yes, pretty early. I have to be in town by nine o'clock. I will see that you're up on time, Mr. Ogden. Sure. That's no problem here. Thank you. Well, good night, sir. Good night. Good night, Mr. Ogden. Good night. Jack, suppose you give me the tally on all this. Where do we get out of range? Okay. What's the story? Well, I land out of LA three days ago. Yeah? This morning, the hot car was driving. Got too hot and caught fire, so I had to hoof it. Mm-hmm. Well, I'm a few miles down the road, see, when this Ogden guy gives me a lift. That's fine, but why don't you bring him here? I'm not running any tourist camp. Let me give you the whole run down, will you? Well... I'd pump the guy on the way in. Found that he's a jewelry auctioneer in Los Angeles. A legitimate businessman? That's right. Look, son, running a hideout for you crossed country boys in trouble and taken in legit at the same time as dangerous business. I don't want to get... Let me finish, will you? This guy's going into Amarillo in the morning to pick up a load of jewelry. Then he's coming back here again. Get it? Oh. If we can't figure out some way to split that jewelry between us, we ought to give up. Now, do you see why I brought him here? Yeah. Yeah. Does it still bother you? Bother me? Son, how can you say such a thing? I've never entertained a more welcome guest. We've knocked off 240 miles of it, Alan. Yeah, at least about 50 more to Amarillo. I hope there's good news waiting for us. Not much chance this sooner. We didn't contact Amarillo from the tourist camp in time for them to head off Newton before he got there. But they spread out a 300-mile alarm northeast and south of there. I know. Slow down for now. Huh? What for? There's a car off the road there up ahead. Oh, yeah. No tail light, either. Oh. Maybe we'd better have a look. You don't think we're going to find Newton parked out here? Well, not a look. That car's been on fire. Yeah. Come on, let's take a look at it. All right. Looks pretty well burned out, too. Yeah. Ted, you got your flash? Yeah. Right here. Hey, look at that license. That's Newton's car, all right. There's no one in it. This'll make Newton a little harder to find. Well, he's still probably wearing the sailor suit and, certainly, he still has the same face, hair, eyes, and build. And if he's on foot now, that could slow him down a lot. I hope so. He might even be somewhere around Amarillo right now. Well, let's take a quick look around here and then drive in there and find out. What are you digging that holes for, Art? Looking for oil? Son, I told you to stay in the house and keep a lookout for Argin. It's not back from town yet. What's with the digging? Well, I'll tell you the truth. This is something special for him. What do you mean? Well, he can't take his jewelry and let him go, can he? What? I'd be all right for you because you're pulling out, but I'm not going anywhere. I'm staked out right here, and he could have the law on me in no time. Yeah, but if you pump him off... No! Who'd ever think he was buried in the hole down back old man Fillmore's corral? I'm a respectable citizen in these parts, son. Yeah, sure, but just the same... Hold on. Listen. There's Argin now. Just pull into the drive. Come on. Let's get back to the house. That you, Mr. Argin? Yes. Jack and I is down to look after the stock a little. Oh. Have to treat him like babies, you know. Yes, I'll bet you do. Then come on up to the house. Well, let's get your business in town. Take care of all right? Yes. Hold on. You mean you got that suitcase full of jewels? Well, not quite full. I found a dangerous trap with him, I think, but I reckon you packed a gun with you. Yes, but thank goodness I've never had to use it yet. Go in, sir. Go in. I go. Go ahead, Jack. Well, heck in your eyes, we'll set your jewels down right here in the kitchen, Mr. Argin. I beg your pardon? Look, it's me that ought to be begging your pardon, instead of you begging mine. But I guess we won't make any ceremony about it. I'm sorry, I don't understand. Well, now, maybe this will be more convincing. All right, son, take his gun off him and then he identifying papers that might be in his pocket. Yeah, sure. I'll take a look in this suitcase. Hey, there must be a fortune of jewels in here. I couldn't. Find his gun? Yeah, yeah, I got it. Let's look at all this stuff. Honk, you slugged Ogden with that blackjack. Yeah? The cops found Ogden's gun in his hand. They might figure he shot you just before he passed out, right? I suppose they would if that was the case. What do you mean, sir? I mean, this way I get all the jewels in Ogden's car, too. No, wait a minute. You can't do it. You know what? Maybe there would have been room for both of you now. We will return in just a moment to tonight's case, which shows how your FBI helps provide national security. Now, let's listen in on a conversation about social security between a high-salaryed executive and his friend, the equitable society representative. Well, frankly, Milton, I've never given much thought to social security. I suppose it's a good thing for the man who earns $40, $50 a week, but when you get a lot more than that, it's pretty much small potatoes, isn't it? I don't know, Paul, is $8,000 small potatoes to you? Of course not. But what's $8,000 got to do with social security? Look, Paul, when you get to be 65, it will cost you $8,000 at today's rates to buy an annuity that would give you the same retirement income you'll get under social security. And $8,000 is a lot of money. Well, I'll say it is. When you put it that way, Milton, social security is an asset to any man, whether he makes $50 a week or 500. Yes, many Americans don't realize what a wonderful asset they have in social security. They have never discovered how easy it is to build social security into full security through life insurance. Well, that's a job that we representatives of the Equitable Society are always glad to undertake. For instance, if you already own some life insurance, your Equitable Society representative may be able to show you how only a few dollars extra per month will give your family complete protection and assure you a comfortable retirement income through the Equitable Extended Income Plan. Remember, your social security benefits vary according to your age, salary, and family situation. So why not get the facts and find out exactly what you are entitled to under social security? The government has prepared a special card that will help you secure this information. To obtain one of these cards, get in touch with your Equitable Society representative, or send your name and address on a postcard to the Equitable Society care of this station. That's E-Q-U-I-T-A-B-L-E, the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States. And now, back to the FBI file, the friendly hitchhiker. There are hundreds of honest persons in and out of uniform hitchhiking along the highways of America today, but the safest policy for any motorist is this. No matter when or where you see a hitchhiker's thumb, keep right on going. It may cost you no more than time to stop, but in thousands of cases, it has cost a lot more. Special Agent Allen and Burnett of the FBI had arrived at the Amarillo Police Headquarters when a telephone call came in from the Fillmore Place just out of town. Since the message involved the man that were trailing, Allen and Burnett were given complete charge, and a few minutes later... All right, Mr. Ogden, let's have the rest of the story, sir. Well, when I came to life, I was lying on the floor there. Not more than three feet from his body, and I had the pistol in my hand. This is your pistol, Mr. Ogden? Yes, but I swear I didn't shoot him. If you were being threatened with a blackjack, you would have been justified in defending yourself. But there wasn't time. It all happened so quickly. Mr. Ogden, just how were you lying on the floor when you came to, sir? Well, I was... Will you show us? If you don't mind, sir? Of course I don't. Thank you. I was just about like this. Half on your right side like that? Yes. And when you came to, sir, where was the pistol? I was holding it in this... in my... What? Well, that proves I couldn't have shot him. The pistol was in my left hand. Where is your shoulder holster placed? Here, you can see for yourself, right here. Under my left arm. I'm right-handed. If I had shot Fillmore, the gun would have been in my right hand. Mr. Ogden, we're not trying to pin a murder on you, sir. In your case, it wouldn't have been murder anyway. We're merely trying to establish evidence that will help fasten the guilt on the real murderer. It's pretty obvious what actually happened. Yes, you see, after Fillmore struck you down, Jack Newton took your gun, shot Fillmore, put the gun in your hand, took all the jewels for himself, and escaped in your car. But in his hurry, he made the mistake of putting the gun in your left hand. I'm awfully glad he did. Burnett, will you get on the phone and start telling the police about the body here? Right. Before you're through, I'll have Mr. Ogden's full description of his car. Okay. Operator. Operator, give me the emerald of police headquarters. And Burnett, have the police broadcast the description of Newton and the car, then set up roadblocks as quick as possible in every direction. Oh, Mr. Ogden, you'll give me a full description of your car. Okay. Cream and sugar? No, it's just black. Okay. Like something with that? Uh-uh. You tell it, don't it? I don't want nothing. Which way are you traveling? Why? Making conversations. Head and knees. Oh. Well, the reason I asked was if you're going to be on the road tonight, you'd better look out. For what? For what I heard on the radio. What are you talking about? It was an FBI broadcast. What? They said everybody should be on the lookout for this man that just murdered somebody in Amoril. They say what he looked like? Huh? They said he was about 25 years old and had brown hair and kind of greenish eyes and might be wearing a... What do I owe you? Well, will you only had coffee? Yeah. Well, wait a minute, you get some change. Keep it. Probably scared, huh? Tell him about that... Wait a minute. Brown hair, green eyes, sailor, operator, operator. Roadblocks set up for radius of 300 miles around Amoril. Good. How's your map, Kelly? Well, I've got just about every roadside gas station, lunch stand, and tourist camp on the entire area staked out with these pins. Oh, good work. Are they going to repeat the broadcast? Every half hour till we make a strike. I don't know what we've got to do. We'll sit right here at the phone. They've assigned us and wait. It's been a half hour now since the third broadcast. We've got to be hearing it. I've got my fingers crossed, Alan. Hello. Yes. Yes, we'll put her on, please. Who is it? Operator, Las Vegas, New Mexico. New Mexico? Newton must be doubling back towards California. Hello. Hello. Yes. Miss, Miss, please talk a little louder and try not to be so excited. I'm ready to go. To get you a truck of rolling out of here for that long haul, now. OK. Long time. I had a little trouble with my car. It broke down about two miles back. I'm afraid I can't be much help to you. I didn't mean for you to go pull her in. I thought you might rent me a car to get to the next town. Well, there's no car here until my brother-in-law comes to relieve me in the morning. Oh. But I'll tell you what I'll do, son. Oh, what's that? If you just wait right here, I'll go inside and phone for somebody to come out and get you. You just wait right out here. Wait a minute, mister. Well? You're not going to phone for anybody to help me. You're going to phone for somebody to come get me, just like you said. What? You heard that radio broadcast about me, didn't you? I don't know what you're talking about. You're lying, but you're not going to trap me. Wait. Come back here. We're the special agents of the FBI. Hey, you fellas didn't come all the way from our Hammerillers and Sarphone. No, we were already on the trail and called in and got your report. Well, he ate Mr. Mourner now and he's on foot besides. Good. Which way did he go? Well, he lit out running hard as he could down the road going west. Well, you can't afford to keep the road long. No, he'd get lost out there on that desert. A desperate man will take any kind of chance. Of course, he might stumble onto them caves off over there. Oh, where's this, sir? Oh, about three miles across the flat. It's where the hills begin. Burnett, let's see if we can pick up where he turned off into the desert. Right. If you do, you're heading out to have no trouble tracking him across that red sand. That's what I figure. Come on, Burnett. Go straight ahead into the tunnel and the other turns off sharply to the left. I must listen to see if we can pick up a sound. Yeah, you don't have to drive one of these tunnels. We take the wrong one. He would double back and get out. We can't miss hearing the door. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'll make sure you're completely safe. All right. Well, all right. I'll come back and get out. You can't miss hearing the door. Yeah, that's right. Let's take this one of the left first. We get the right one. Come on! You better get up now or you might fall on that rock car there and never get out of here. Stay where you are. I will fall on that rock. There must be a fool, Oton. Come on again. If I come after me, or I'll take the jump. Do it! You heard me. Joe is up to you, Oton. We're coming in at... You heard me. I'll jump! It's much easier to take somebody else's life than it is you're own, isn't it? Jack Newton was returned to the state of Texas to stand trial for the murder of Robert Fillmore. He was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment. As mentioned earlier, the average American's natural friendliness is an admirable trait and one to be preserved and encouraged. The greatness of our nation is based on friendship and without it, our rendezvous with destiny would be meaningless. But your FBI asks you to exercise caution, particularly when you feel inclined to give a lift to a hitchhiker. The files of your FBI reveal case after case proving that the safest policy with hitchhikers is to keep right on driving. In just a moment we'll tell you about next week's colorful story from the files of your FBI. And now once again friends, let me remind you that no matter how much you earn, you have a valuable asset in social security. And your equitable society representative will gladly show you how easy it is to build your social security into full security. He will explain to you how social security and life insurance can work together for your complete protection and will help you determine exactly where you stand under social security. No obligation of course. Phone him tomorrow. Your equitable society representative is listed in your local phone book under the name The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States. Next week we will bring you another colorful story from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Careless Kidnappers. 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 persons living or dead is accidental. Tonight the music was composed and conducted by Frederick Steiner. The author was Frank Ferries and your narrator was Dean Carlton. This is your FBI is a gerry-divine production. Now this is Milton Cross speaking for the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States and the Equitable Society's representative in your community and inviting you to tune in again next week at this same time when the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States will bring you another colorful story from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Careless Kidnappers on This Is Your FBI. This is ABC, the American Broadcasting Company.