 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. Tonight you have a chance to do one of your friends a real favor. If you know someone who needs an ideal home mortgage, you can not phone him and tell him to listen to this program for an important message coming in about 14 minutes. The Equitable Society will give complete details on their assured home ownership plan. This famous equitable plan is a money saver, a worry saver, a home saver because it combines a low-interest rate mortgage with special life insurance protection, all in one package. It's America's finest plan for home ownership by the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States. Tonight's FBI file, The Lonesome Lamester. The case from the files of your FBI demonstrates that for the most part, criminals are primarily opportunists. Not many of them plan carefully to commit their first crime. That happens because circumstances present them with an opportunity for illegal gain and either their weakness or their greed overpowers their sense of right and wrong and they plunge into a criminal career. It does little good to attempt to impress upon those people the irrefutable fact that crime can never possibly be made to pay because even if they accept that fact, it would not prevent them from the commission of that first crime. When circumstances conspire to present them with that opportunity to gain something without earning it, they are so overcome by the temptation that they do not stop to think. They grab automatically. Or in that moment when they make that decision, they adopt for themselves the motto of the criminal. The motto of every criminal throughout the world. To take first and ask questions later. Night's file opens in the dimly lit hallway of a walk-up tenement in a large Midwestern city. A man and woman are standing outside an apartment door. Well, thanks for bringing me home, Mr. Snyder. That's all right. I'd ask in but the place isn't this. Oh, well I have some errands to do anyway. Okay. Wait. Yeah? Are you going to be busy later on? I don't know why. I thought, I don't want you to think I'm being fresh or anything. I thought maybe we could go to a movie. So will. Then you'll go? Sure. Where do you want me to meet you? Well, will here be all right? Sure. I'll pick you up then in about an hour. Fine. See you later. All right. Sally. Oh, you're home, huh? Who's the guy? His name is Snyder. I mean, where'd he come from? He's a customer at the restaurant. He's got a pretty nice car. How do you know? I made you out the window. Oh, well. Your dress is pretty good, too. I didn't notice. Throw in your little romance, did you? He's a lonesome guy. Now drop it. I went to bet me today during lunch. Sorry, a nice dress. It was too much dough, but I went for it. Mm-hmm. I won't get it till tomorrow. Haven't it altered? Seems I'm having measurement trouble. They had to let it out about two inches. You know, there's something funny about him. About who? Your friend. Alla, you still. I'm trying to figure him out. Get his ankle. Look, why does there always have to be an angle with everybody? Because there always is. Oh. Look, why would a guy with nice clothes and a good car eat at that hash house? How do I know? You know, the bum must be one of them suburban cheats. He'd probably get a nice home, a nice little wife who don't understand him. And he comes to town once a week to let off steam. He told me he's single. The guys have been handing that line out since before a silent picture. Well, I believe him. Okay, all right, all right. No, I heard him say he was going to pick you up in an hour. That's right. Where are you going? To the movies. Do you mind? No. In fact, I'm glad you're going. The next morning at the local FBI field office, special agent Jim Taylor is working on a file as agent Vince Cameron approaches. Jim. Oh, yes, Vince. I came over to say goodbye for a couple of days. I'm off to the hospital. Why, what's wrong? I got to have my tonsils out. Hey, it's too bad. I wish you were going to be with me on the Stevens case. He was the teller at the National Security Bank who disappeared suddenly last May. Oh, I wasn't with this office then. Oh, well, the story is, when the bank examiners came in to check the books, they found that Stevens was $62,000 short. He got quite a bit of publicity. I imagine. And as I say, he just disappeared, but completely. How come we're suddenly getting active on the case again? There's been a new development. Mr. Woods at the bank called and said he had some information about Stevens. I see. It seems that a depositor is a friend who took a cruise to South America some six months ago. He showed some movies that he took on the trip. Oh. And the depositor recognized a man who was standing in the background. It was Stevens. Oh. So he called Mr. Woods at the bank and he definitely identified Stevens. That was six months ago, Jim. He could have covered a lot of territory in that time. Maybe he has, Vince, but at least we're six months closer to him. Have you spoken to the man with the pictures yet? I'm going over to meet him now. Hey, what do you do at the hospital? In an hour. Well, I'll take care of the legwork on the Stevens case. You just worry about taking care of yourself. What is it, honey? How do you like it? Like what? Find a dress. Oh. Looks okay. Well, thanks. How'd you like the movie last night, huh? Not bad. Hey, do you like that part about the fight in the mountain cabin? Yeah, I thought... Have you seen the picture? Mm-hmm. When? Last night. Huh? I was sitting right behind you. Oh, now look. I wanted to follow your friend, find out where he lives. Al, I wish you'd... He lives alone at the Kenmore apartments. I went back to the place this morning. He was out, so I let myself in. To his apartment? Mm-hmm. I get a passkey. Al, why? I told you I wanted to find out about him. In case the whole joint. All I could find was a social security card and a driver's license. You know, there's something funny about that guy. What do you mean? Well, according to the license and the social security, his name ain't Snyder. They were made out in the name of Harold Stevens and Cleveland. Maybe they belong to a friend. Mm-hmm. The description on the driver's license fits him too good. Well, what do you make of it, then? I think that guy is a lannister. Oh, that's him and little character. Yeah, I'm going to find out. How? Got me a friend in Cleveland. I'll write him a letter. I'll just ask him to dig around on anybody named Harold Stevens. Hi, Jim. Hey, Vance. Good to see you. Thanks. How come they let you out of the hospital so soon? I was too healthy. Why don't you look fine? I feel good. Oh, that's new in the Stevens case. Plenty. I went over and looked at those movies and interviewed the man who owned them, a man named Baker. Did he remember Stevens with the trip? Yes. He said he'd gotten quite friendly with him. Fine. Stevens boarded the boat in Rio and went all the way to New Orleans. He said he was going to stay there for a couple of weeks and invited Baker to have dinner with him. I don't know of a better place to get a dinner invitation. Yes, but Baker wasn't sticking around New Orleans that long, so he had to pass it up. I wired the New Orleans office, asked them to check the hotels and see if they could get any lead on Stevens. Any luck? Yes, they found he had registered at one of the hotels, but he stayed two weeks and left. Any forwarding address? Yes, a whole series of them. Here's the list. From New Orleans, he went to San Antonio, San Antonio to the Grand Canyon, Grand Canyon to Los Angeles. Really seeing the world. From Los Angeles to San Francisco, San Francisco to Yellowstone Park, Yellowstone Park to Bay City. You couldn't have gone any more places if you joined the Navy. No. Well, the trail ends at Bay City, and it looks like a dead end. How come? He checked out of the hotel in Bay City, and at that place, he left no forwarding address. I see. He used several different names on the journey, but they weren't too difficult to trace because every one of them were with his real initials. Have the Bay City police been notified? Yeah, they're making a check on him now. You know, Vince, I've got an idea he's still up there. Why? Every place that he did leave, he left a forwarding address. Now, he had the transportation desk and his tickets, too. In Bay City, he just checked out. No forwarding address, no tickets, no nothing. Vince, tell me, do you feel well enough to do some traveling? Sure. Now, let's take a trip to Bay City. I got an answer. An answer? From what? The guy I wrote to in Cleveland about your friend Snyder. Oh. You know what? Mr. Snyder, or to use his real name, Mr. Stevens, a bank for 62 beautiful Gs. Oh, I don't believe it. Oh, honey, honey. I talked to my boy on the phone, told me the whole story. Well, what do you know? Wonder what made him do it. 62 Gs? Look, baby, what do we care what made him do it? We know he's the guy. That's all it counts. Al, if he stole $62,000 from a bank, he's too big for us. No, none of he's got any that dough left, he ain't. Well, you just can't go in and stick them up. Uh-uh. I don't figure I'm doing it that way. Well, what are you going to do? You just get them up here. I'll show you. Oh, baby, baby, this is the big one. Let's hook them while we got the chance. Oh, Mr. Snyder. Hello, Sally. Come on in. Thanks. I, uh, I'd like you to meet a friend of mine. Oh, I didn't mean to break in while you had company. That's all right. Mr. Snyder, this is Mr. Adams. It's very nice to meet you. Ah, same here. I'm sorry to be late, Sally. I'd have been here sooner, but there was such a crowd at the station. What station? The railroad station. I went down to check my bags. You going someplace? Yes. I wanted to come by here before I left. I'd have come down even if you hadn't called me. You see, I wanted to thank you. Thank you? For what? For being such a pleasant company. For being nice to me like you have. Uh, where are you going, Mr. Snyder? Well, I'm going east. Oh, and I guess we better get right down to business, huh? What do you mean? Well, I'd done something a few days ago which wasn't exactly ethical, Mr. Snyder. I busted into your apartment. What? You don't leave much around for a guy to look at, but I did find a social security card and a driver's license. They were made out to a Harold's students. Look, mister, you had no right... Let me finish, huh? The description on the license fits you real good. The hometown on it was Cleveland, so I wrote to a plan of mine there. I don't want to hear any more about this. Just stay put, brother. I heard from my friend in Cleveland today. Now I know why you changed your name. That's quite a job you did. 62 thou is a real good score. Mr. Snyder, are you really that guy? Yes, sir. Well, that saves us time. Mr. Snyder, we've got a deal. I'll figure out a deal. What are you talking about? We think you're a nice guy, so we ain't going to blow whistle. All you've got to do is cut us in. I don't understand. Give us a piece of the 62 Gs and we'll send nothing to the cops. I'm afraid you're too late with that, Mr. Adams. What? I've already decided to give myself up to the police. What? I'm on my way back to Cleveland now. You must be off your rocker. No, no. But I was when I stole the money. I've been miserable ever since, knowing that they were looking for me afraid of every stranger, every knock on the door. Are you really going to turn yourself in? Yes. I've got $40,000 left. I'm going to give that much back to them and ask for mercy. So, you see, Mr. Adams, whatever your idea was, it won't work. Sit down. What? I said sit down. You got 40 Gs, Mr. You ain't gone no place. We will return in just a moment to tonight's file which shows how your FBI protects American citizens and American home. Now a word about another type of home protection. Protection to make sure that some sad day you won't have to turn to your wife and say... It's no use, dear. I can't borrow another cent. All those doctor and hospital bills last winter and then losing my job this spring, now they're going to foreclose the mortgage. We're going to lose our home. When a man has worked and saved for a home of his own, it's pretty hard to lose it. And that's why the Equitable Society created its assured home ownership plan. This money-saving, home-saving plan combines a low-cost first mortgage with life insurance to give you two-fold protection against the two greatest dangers in home mortgages. The first danger is hard time. In the Equitable Society's assured home ownership plan, a special cash fund is built up during the owner's lifetime. It's always ready for use of sickness or unemployment, threatened home security. As the mortgage shrinks, this cash fund increases. For example, it can be used to pay off a 20-year mortgage in approximately 15 years. The second hazard in home mortgages is the death of the breadwinner. In the assured home ownership plan, the Equitable Society cancels the mortgage if the owner dies. It's paid off in full. And what's more, every dollar previously paid under the plan to reduce the principal is returned to the widow along with the canceled mortgage. Last but not least, the mortgage interest is only 4%. And there's a liberal allowance to cover title search, lawyer's fees, and other closing costs. So all in all, a man is very fortunate if his health, age, income, his home, and his location qualify him for an Equitable Assured Home Ownership Plan. To find out if you qualify, get in touch with your Equitable Society representative. Look in the phone book or write care of this station to the Equitable Society. That's E-Q-U-I-T-A-P-L-E. The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States. And now back to the FBI file. The Lonesome Lamester. The world is a large planet. According to the best available figures, it consists of more than 51 million square miles and is inhabited by more than 2 billion people. But with all of that, it can still be very small when you are the object of an intensive manhunt. Nowhere is there an island of putter safety for you. Nowhere are you absolutely free of the fear that the next person you meet will not be the one to recognize you. Or even that the next knock on the door will not be the police who have at long last caught up with you. Living under those conditions, there is constant terror. Sleep becomes a terrible memory. You stay awake night after night planning your next move, planning which retreat to use until finally you weary of the constant pressure. You weary because you are sure of one thing. You are not sleeping. And you know there are others who are not sleeping. Others who are searching for you. Others like your FBI. Tonight's file continues at police headquarters in Bay City. Well, Vince, I went by the central hotel. That's the place Stephen stayed when he first got to Bay City. Anybody there remember him? No, but we checked back through the reservations. His name was there. Well, that doesn't tell us anything we didn't know before. Except that I learned that he checked out at 322. How does that help, Jim? Well, I figured there was a chance he might have taken a taxi from in front of the hotel because he did have some baggage with him. I see. Now, this box here is full of taxi trip records. Every cab ride that was taken on the afternoon of the 7th is in this box. We've got to go through every one of them? Well, that's already been done. Excuse me. Special Agent Taylor. Yes. You have? That's fine. Just a moment, please. Okay, go ahead. 814 West Jefferson Street. I've got it. Yes, thanks very much, Captain. Vince, that was Captain Lane up at the Second Precinct. A taxi trip record led one of his men to Stephen's apartment. Let's get a search warrant and get up there. Look, it's Snider. I'm going to ask you once more. Where is the money? I can't tell you. You want me to go to work on you again? Oh, let me try. Mr. Snider, or whatever your name is, please tell him where you got the money. I can't, Sally. It's the bank's money, and I'm going to return it to them. Your friend here can hit me all at once. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. I get an idea. What is it? He checked his bags. He's probably got the dough in one of those bags. Yeah. I'm going to fresco him. Stand up, you... No, I said... Leave me alone. No, you... No, right this way. Let's see where we... Easy, Mr. Leave me alone. Wait a minute. Here they are. Look, there's two claim checks. Sally, take this and get those bags. This is the closest we've been to Stephen's. This place looks like it's been cleaned out, Jim. Yeah, the superintendent said it was bare. Any point in our looking around? I want to examine that waste basket. The superintendent was full of torn letters. All kinds of papers. Huh? I wonder what made Stephen's leave. No telling. I doubt that he could have normally were closing in. Hey, Vince. What? Here, look at this. Is it from the basket? Yeah, it's part of a letter. Look at what's written on this piece here. W-O-O and then here on this one, D-S. Woods. Mm-hmm. Isn't that the president of that bank? That's right. Vince, will you take Stephen's picture down to the railroad station? Sure. And see if anybody can recognize him. All right, where'll I meet you? Back at headquarters. I haven't worked on a jigsaw puzzle in years, but I'm going to try to piece this letter together. It might help us. Atchoo, Sally? Yeah. Thought you were never coming back. Well, these things are heavy. Take them, will you? All right, all right. Clear that table up, will you, honey? I'll throw this one right up there. All right. You tied him up, huh? Yeah. Now the bag's locked. Yeah, let me try this key, head in his pocket. Look at all that green stuff. Oh, baby, it's all ours. Hey, what happens to him now? What do you mean? Well, he'll go to the cops as soon as we let him free. We ought to blow him. No, no. We can't just sit here. Honey, we got a little deal, a little square, everything. How'd you make out at the railroad station, Vince? Nobody recognized the picture, but that doesn't make any difference now. Oh, why not? Stevens is in a cell down the hall. He's what? He was brought in about 15 minutes ago by a young girl and her boyfriend. The girl works in a restaurant as a cashier and Stevens came in for dinner. Wow. She recognized it from a picture in a detective magazine. One of those wanted pictures? Yes. Mm-hmm. Said she called her boyfriend because she was afraid she wouldn't be able to handle Stevens along. Vince, have you seen Stevens? Yes, I went down and had a talk with him. He's got a story. Oh, what kind? He stated that this young couple stole $40,000 from him. He also claimed he was about to make partial restitution when they took the money. I see. Oh, I couldn't piece those bits of that letter together, so I sent them over to the lab. We shouldn't need them now, Jim. Well, I'll see what the report is on it anyway. Vince, I think I'll go down and talk to Stevens. House tomorrow. Tell him I quit. Yeah. Call that hash house tomorrow. Tell him I quit. Yeah. I'm gonna stay in bed till noon. Oh, I swear. When do we collect the reward? Pretty soon, I think. What a head for larceny. I never would have thought of it. You're a girl. You're not supposed to have brains. Ha. You say the nicest things. Who that? Don't know. Should I answer? Sure, go ahead. Okay, coming. Sherman? That's right. Who is it, baby? I'm finding out. I'm a special agent of the FBI, Miss Sherman. Oh? You're my credentials. He's from the FBI, Al. I'd bring him in. Come in. Thank you. I suppose you'd come to ask me some more questions about that guy, Stevens, eh? Yes, yes, I have. Well, there was no hero stuff in the deal. As soon as I see who he was, I know there's only one thing that they'll call across. Mr. Chandler, what happens with the reward? When do we get it? Well, I have sort of a presentation to make you both right now. Oh? These warrants are for your arrest. What is this? I had a talk with Mr. Stevens. He said he was about to surrender voluntarily to return $40,000 out of that money that he'd stolen. He's a liar. I don't think so. You see, we found some torn pieces of paper in the wastebasket in his apartment. They proved to us he was telling the truth. Look, Mr. Chandler. The laboratory pieced them together. They proved to be a letter that Stevens wrote to the bank he used to work for. It said that he was returning to Cleveland and was bringing back $40,000. He didn't have a dime on him when we caught him. That's the truth. I'd save that story for a judge, if I were you. And I'd make up another one, too. What do you mean? To explain what those two bags are doing in that corner over there with the chess on them. I believe they belong to Steven. We brought him here before we took him to police station. I believe that. I also believe he took his money. But now before we go, are you going to give me that money or do I have to look around and find it myself? Herbert Snyder was sentenced to 10 years for bank embezzlement. Al Adams and his girlfriend, Sally, also received 10-year sentences for receiving stolen property. And thus, once more, did the laboratory of your FBI publish the proof which was needed by a special agent in order to close the case successfully. The lab, as it is called, does not perform dramatic miracles, but it does do a thorough and partial job of helping to investigate crime scientifically. 16 years ago, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Laboratory started with one man and one microscope. Today, there are 300 trained scientists at work examining evidence of crimes committed in every state. Last year, more than 100,000 such pieces were examined. And in every instance, the lab was not looking for evidence to convict. It was looking for the result of a scientific investigation. And science knows no master. It will prove innocence as well as guilt. And for that reason, the laboratory of your FBI functions the way every other branch of the Bureau does, as an impartial protector of you, the citizens of America. In just a moment, we will tell you about next week's exciting case from the files of your FBI. Friends, if you were impressed a few minutes ago by what I told you about the Equitable Society's Assured Home Ownership Plan, if the idea appeals to you of a low-interest rate first mortgage combined with life insurance to protect your home against death and hard times, then I suggest that you get in touch with your equitable representative soon. He'll show you exactly what this plan will do for you personally. How much money it can save you, how much added security it will give you. So contact your Equitable Society representative without delay. Or write care of this station to the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States. Next week we will dramatize another case from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case that describes the callous operations of a hired assassin, its subject, parole violation. It's title, The Big Guy. 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 Jerry Lewis. Your narrator was William Woodson and special agent Taylor was played by Stacey Harris. This is your FBI is a Jerry Divine production. This is Larry Keating speaking for the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States and the Equitable Society's representative in your community. And inviting you to tune in again next week at the same time when the Equitable Life Assurance Society will bring you another thrilling story from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Big Guy on This Is Your FBI. This is ABC, the American Broadcasting Company.