 Ladies and gentlemen the story you're about to hear is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent Dragnet is brought to you by Chesterfield made by Liggett and Myers first major tobacco company to bring you a complete line of quality cigarettes Your detective sergeant you're assigned a robbery detail Two masked gunmen have held up a bank in your city the victims can't give you a lead to their identity Your job find them Today friends you hear these three words everywhere Chesterfields for me the Chesterfield you smoke today is the best cigarette ever made Best for you because Chesterfield gives you proof of highest quality low nicotine The taste you want the mildness you want Chesterfield is best for you because it's tested and approved by 30 years of scientific tobacco research Chesterfield is best for you because it has an established good record with smokers proven by test after test Yes friends the Chesterfield you smoke today is the best cigarette ever made for the taste you want the mildness you want Join the thousands now changing to Chesterfield always say Chesterfields for me the documented drama of an actual crime For the next 30 minutes in cooperation with the Los Angeles police department You will travel step-by-step on the side of the law through an actual case transcribed from official police files From beginning to end from crime to punishment drag net is the story of your police force in action It was Tuesday, June 3rd. It was warm in Los Angeles. We were working the day watch out a robbery detail My partner's Frank Smith the boss is chief of detectives Thad Brown. My name is Friday I was on my way back from the street, and it was 847 a.m When I got to the rear of the bank the manager's office Yes, ma'am you check with them. Yeah, they got the broadcast out right away long shot if it pays off Yeah, how much for description? I hope you're not saying that for my benefit young man I gave you all I could was hard to see their faces with those scarves on maybe you could have done better But I couldn't we're not trying to say that you didn't do good ma'am We understand the handicap that you were under I should hope so terrible thing I'm not a young woman anymore. Yes, ma'am. Now. Would you tell us just exactly what happened now right from the beginning? You mean starting when I come in this morning? Yes, ma'am. That's right. Hey to clock just like always That's when I got here Open the door and McKee and came right on in little suspecting what was waiting for me I tell you I was pretty surprised when they popped out at me. You didn't see him at first then Huh, of course not you think I would have come in if I'd have seen him no, ma'am Certainly not never would have come in when did you first see the two men? I came in and locked the door behind me rules say you got to lock the door I did and then I went back to the clothes closet to hang up my coat and umbrella I see go ahead kind of silly I guess carrying umbrella on a day like this, but I always do never know People always kind of smirk at me for carrying one But whenever it rains out of a clear sky, they don't smirk then I'm always the center of a crowd You just bet you yes, ma'am. Would you go ahead with what happened, please? Well, I hung up my umbrella and my coat and I came out the main part of the bank right out where those two assassins were And that's when you saw them. Is that right? Oh, no, they were KJ. They waited until I was away from the alarm system They were real sly. I see go ahead. I walked out the tables, you know where the deposit slips are out in the center Yes, ma'am out there. I walked out straighten up really isn't my job But I didn't have anything else to do so I thought I'd maybe just check and see if any of the points needed new nips I like a neat place, you know all the slips in the right place Rotters all clean and new neat When did you see the thieves as I was strengthening up the counter? That's when they stepped out the open where were they man over in the escrow department hiding behind the desk I guess that's the direction they came from I see now what they say to you the big one He looked at me with his steely eyes and told me to be quiet and nothing would happen said to be just quiet I'm not young anymore sergeant a thing like that can be a tremendous shock We're both of the men together at that time. I don't understand. Well, if they both come out from behind the counter Oh, yes, the big one had a machine gun and the other little scrawny one had a pistol Now you're positive the big one had a machine gun listen young man I've seen enough movies and television to know a machine gun when I see it Don't you think I don't now about the pistol was it a revolver and automatic what well look here Did it look like this this gun of mine? No No, it wasn't like that It was more the kind to see in movies more mean looking than that real mean looking kind of flat like I see it was an automatic I don't know what it was, but it was real mean and furthermore. I wouldn't be surprised There were real bullets in it not in the least all right now after they came out from behind the counter What happened they asked me what time the rest of the staff came in mm-hmm? I told them any time that seemed to make them happy Boy say that Because one of them the big one turned to the little runt and said just like clockwork That's what he said just like clockwork. I'm gonna tell you something sort of a clue. Yes, ma'am. That's it These fellas been planning this a long time. They knew all about how the bank works What time everybody comes in and all they even knew about the keys what keys the ones to the bank door They knew who had them First thing they wanted to know after they asked about the staff was where my key was you have a key to the wall No, not to the vault itself just to the doors in front of it You know the bar doors in front of the vault door to those Did you give the man your key? I didn't have much to say about it. I told you I think they might have had real bullets in those guns and I wasn't about to make sure After all I pay my taxes catching those fellas as your job not mind If you want to cash a check I can take care of you, but I'm not about to go out and after hen no fees What happened then you mean after I gave them the key that's right They made me get off to one side of the front doors and wait for the rest of the staff as they'd come in The hold up men would make them get into the closet in the rear of the bank where I hung my umbrella But they let you stay outside. Did they oh, yes They had me right up in front with those guns pointed at me every second every second I guess they wanted me to act as kind of a decoy, ma'am Well, when the other people who work in the bank came up to the door They could look inside and see me standing there that way. I guess they thought there wasn't anything wrong Came right in like lambs to the slaughter Next thing they knew there was a gun in their ribs and they was locked up in the closet What time did the manager come in poor mr. Blanton? He's not well, you know, he's not well at all Yes, ma'am. We saw him out front. Is he all right? He had an awful attack bad heart Well, they've taken him to Georgia Street receiving hospital. Did they find his pills? His pills mr. Blanton had a special kind of pills he takes when he has an attack some kind of explosive Always has them with him. Did the men find him? Well, I guess they did or else they had the necessary medication with him He's gonna be all right. Just need some rest. I'm glad of that sweet man widower What happened when he came in mr. Blanton? Yes, ma'am Well, he was just about pulled right in off the streets He just got his key in the door and they practically just yanked him right in right away wanders key to the vault door You have to have both of them in order to open it both of them have to be turned at the same time They asked him for his key at first. He didn't want to give it to him Told him to get out of his bank and to stop the foolishness just like that. He told him. I thought they were gonna shoot him But they didn't I think that hadn't been for the big one They would have the scrawny one wanted to want to kill mr. Blanton right in cold blood But the big one stopped him said to just get on with the job and get out of there That's what he said to get out of there. That's when mr. Blanton passed out cold Right on the floor attack You want to go ahead? Well, I guess they just about had a fight between themselves over that. Well, how do you mean the big one really read the run-off Told him he was stupid for making poor mr. Blanton pass out Said that now they'd have to wait for the combination of the safe But I stopped that I gave him the combination. You told him how to open the safe Certainly with poor mr. Blanton laying there on the floor all I could think about was them getting out of there That's all it was important. That's when they opened the safety. Yeah Went right over to mr. Blanton and got his key out of his pocket and unlocked the door By then the lock had switched off and they just opened up the vault and went in Cleaned it right out just scooped up the money and put it in a black bag and left First off, of course, they locked me up in the closet with the others and then they left So who turned in the alarm? I guess it was mr. Blanton. He was laying on the floor where he'd fell I guess he came to and up to get to the alarm system and turned it on must have been him Wasn't anybody else who could have done it During the time the men were in the bank that you hear them using the names I don't think I understand what you mean. Well, do they call each other by name at any time not that I heard is it important? Well, it'd help I didn't hear him use any but if worse comes to worse, I can do something about it Yes, ma'am. I've got a couple for him We obtained a complete description of the hold-up pair and a supplemental broadcast was put out The crime lab crew came out to the scene and went over the premises for physical evidence from their investigation We found that the bandits had made their entrance through a rear window They'd saw it through the steel bars and broken the glass from there. They'd come in and apparently had waited for the employees to arrive We'd ascertained from the cashier that both men had worn gloves so there was no chance of getting any fingerprints in The dirt on the alley pavement Lee Jones was able to find several good impressions of footprints These were photographed and booked as evidence Because of their placement it was more than likely that they belonged to the thieves Also in the alley he found several broken hacksaw blades These were booked their numbers noted and a request sent to the manufacturer for the name of the store that had sold them The other employees of the bank were questioned and they verified the story and the description that we'd gotten from the cashier The stats office started a run on the MO used and the victims were taken downtown and asked to go through the muck books They were not able to give us an identification of the things That afternoon at 347 p.m. Frank and I met back in the squad room Hi, hi, how'd the stats office do well? I got the list right here 18 possibles Yeah, any of them look good couple skipper around no you went over the inspector's office anything special Well, I want to check with him and who's gonna work with us on this thing We left word Murph and Gaffner with us. We can use pinkie and strong well if we need him It's Murph around no I went down to our and I you had to hunch this might tie in with a heist They worked on last month same MO figured he might as well check it out. Well, Susie gets back Maybe you'll give us a hand with this list. Yeah, how about the bank manager anywhere there? I call Georgia Street talk with dr. Sebastian. He said bland has been released to his own doctor What kind of conditions him should be able to talk to him tonight? I guess it was a pretty bad attack Sebastian said he was in rough shape Well, let's check out we can tag Murph in the hall. It's Gaffney with him. He was let's go. You want to sign us out? Yeah, I Got it robbery Friday. Yeah, he's here just a minute For you Frank. Okay. I want to take care of the book. Yeah, who is it? He didn't say just want to talk to you Smith speaking. Yeah, that's right Huh? Yeah, sure we can Yes, so we can right away Don't want to give me that address Yes, sir. Okay. Thank you. I have it. Yeah, right away. Good. Bye Splann's doctor now says he wants to see us right away Yeah, what about a bland says he remembers that when the thieves left the bank a customer came up to the door Yeah, he heard the big one tell the other one to take off his mask Uh-huh the customer got a good look at both of them We left the office immediately and drove over to the bank manager's home We talked with his doctor and we obtained permission to ask a few questions Blanton told us that as the two thieves had left the bank a woman pass her by had noticed the bank manager's key Still in the front door lock She'd stopped and knocked at the door to notify someone in the bank about the keys as she did the two holdup men had taken off Their masks and passed directly in front of her we asked Blanton if he knew the woman But he said that he'd never seen her before we asked if it was possible that she might be a customer of his bank He said it was possible that he'd just never seen her before He gave us her description and we started to check with the bank employees in the hopes that one of them could identify her None of them could We got out a supplemental bulletin asking if the woman be picked up in the meantime officers Murphy and Rafferty had checked out the list of Possibles that the stats office had come up with all of the names on the list either had alibis or could establish that They were not near the bank when it was robbed We checked all fi cards filed in the area without result Frank and I checked out of the office at 12 18 a.m. And went home to get some sleep the next day Wednesday June 3rd Frank was waiting for me when I got to work Don't sit down. We got a call to make yeah, Marie Logan called you remember the rental car agent out in the valley Oh, yeah, she gave us a hand on the identity young fella that knocked over the liquor store out. I told him the method one That's the one for what she got might be nothing, but we ought to check it out Says there's a woman who hangs around the local bars mooch and drinks never got a dime Yeah, she came in to see Marie yesterday afternoon. I want to rent a car to drive to New York Where do we fit in she wanted to pay in advance. Well offered Marie brand new hundred dollar bills From the statement we'd gotten from the bank, we knew that in the thirty four thousand dollars the thieves had taken there were several thousand dollars and one hundred dollar bills Frank and I signed out of the office and drove out to the San Fernando Valley at the corner of Valley Hart Boulevard and Dickens We found Marie Logan's rental agency It was a line of late model cars in front of a lot and at the rear we found a small wooden building Frank knocked at the door And we waited Yeah, oh hi, it's you hello miss Logan miss Logan. Hi Sergeant. Mr. Smith. Come on in. Thank you. Thanks very much Sure, I hope I haven't brought you guys out here in a while goose chase. I hope it works out All right, you want to fill us in this woman names Betty Gallic hangs around the bars in the neighborhood Spends her time catching drinks real bum Why do you figure we might be interested a couple of times? She's come in to rent a car just to use around town first few times I was stuck How do you mean checks should pay the deposit with a check then when she brought the car back She'd pay the bill by check check advance And when I'd call her she'd come in and pick it up and give me the cash to cover it That's the only reason I didn't turn it over to you. She always paid up this time She had the cash though. Yeah came in wanted a new Lincoln to drive to New York She's dressed like always cheap cotton dress cloth coat even had the imitation leather purse Kind of supposed to look like real leather, but as soon as you get inside ten feet You know what isn't you know what I mean? Yes, I think that kind well Anyway, when she asked for the car, I told her I couldn't let her have it said I'd been stung too many times before So right off. She said she wanted to pay cash That's when she opens his crummy purse and the door almost fell out must have had a couple of thousand dollars in there Maybe more you said something on the phone about hundred dollar bills Yeah, she pulled out a couple of them to show me she could pay cash. I asked her where she got him What'd you say to that? It wasn't any of my business so may as long as she had the money in a driver's license I should ought to run to the car. I thought I ought to check with you first Now you got an address on this galic woman. Yeah after I call this morning I checked through the records got her home address and the driver's license number. She got any friends, you know I just about on every bar stool where she hung out. I mean anyone special Oh, I don't know I saw a couple of times of the same guy in the place down at the corner hot days I sometimes go down there for a beer. Well, I've seen her there with this one guy a couple of times You know who he is. No, not his name. I've seen the two of them drive away together a couple of times He's got a flashy convertible. Guess he drove it out here honey me Of course got a New York license plate. Oh, excuse me. Yes, ma'am. Go ahead Logan Reynolds service. Yeah, uh-huh Yeah, I know her Yeah You sure about that? Sure. Okay. Thanks. Goodbye That tears it. What's wrong? There was a rental agency in Hollywood called to ask me about Betty Gallic Seems she gave me as a reference. Yeah came into their place and rented a car from them paid cash for it Was she there now? No, she left for New York this morning You are listening to dragnet the authentic story of your police force in action One of the biggest comedy hits of the year That's how the movie critics are describing Bob Hope's latest Paramount picture Casanova's big night Like so many other millions of smokers Bob and Audrey Dalton who appears with him in the picture say Chester fields for me First Audrey Dalton, I changed a Chesterfield King size because I think it's better than any other King size cigarette Bob Hope says five years. That's how long I've been smoking Chesterfields, and they have what it takes to satisfy me What's more? I've seen how they make Chesterfields down in their Durham factory, and I wouldn't smoke any other cigarette Try Chesterfields yourself. You'll find their best for you, too Yes, either way regular or King size smoke America's most popular two-way cigarette Join the thousands now changing to Chesterfield We contacted the rental agency that at least the car to Betty Gallic from them We got a description of the car and the license number and put out a local and an all-points bulletin on the vehicle We got in touch with the New York authorities and asked them to be on the lookout for the car We got the Gallic woman's address from the rental agency and we checked out her house We found nothing to give us any indication as to where she might have gone But we did find a silk scarf similar to the one described by the victims as having been warned by the holdup men We checked with the neighbors, but none of them could tell us where Betty Gallic had gone Two days went by while we followed down every lead that turned up the information from the crime lab was checked out But it let us know where the serial numbers on the hacksaw blades had come back But when we talked to the store owner, he was unable to tell us who had bought Saturday at 12 noon a meeting was held in the offices of Thad Brown Members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation were there They had agents working on the case, but they hadn't been able to come up with any more information than we'd gotten 214 p.m. Frank and I got back to the office The chief was sure mad. Oh, do you blame him? We haven't got very much Well seems like every time we do get a lead worth anything it goes to nothing. It's got in someplace. I got it robbery Friday. Yeah We did No when Yeah, right. No, I'll be right down to pick it up. Yeah, thanks. Bye. Those communications. They just got a wire from Chicago Yeah, they picked up the Gallic woman Betty Gallic had been picked up south of Chicago and held an answer to our communication However, when she was picked up, she was in the company of two other women. They were identified as her sisters We made arrangements to talk to her by long-distance telephone as soon as we started to ask her questions regarding the bank robbery She admitted being the driver of the getaway car She told us that the theft had been planned by a man. She knew only as dean She was unable to tell us any more about him. She went on to say that she'd met him in a bar in the valley along with the other two men She identified these two men as Richard and Matt. She was unable to give us their last names or tell us any more about them She did say however that Matt was from New York and that as far as she knew he was there at the time She went on to say that he was not with the trio when the bank was held up We questioned her further, but she was unable to give us any additional information on the three men She did however tell us that they had stayed at a motel located on Sepulveda Boulevard She gave us the name in the approximate location She was detained pending extradition in Chicago Saturday evening Frank and I drove out to the motel that the Gallic woman had mentioned. We rang the bell and waited Yeah lights on we got no vacancies police officers. We're gonna ask you some questions What about a couple of men who stayed here anybody in this place who's got trouble with the cops has to get out You tell me who they are and I'll throw them right at you. I don't want no trouble now You're looking for one of them is tall the other short named Dean and Richard. What about the last name? We haven't got that I don't need it. I know who you mean. Yeah, sure Dean Franklin Dick Norton a couple of no good They ain't here no more. You know where they are. I'm not sure. I think maybe I got an address in my desk. Come on in. Thank you I'm Jim Allison. Well, it's Frank Smith. My name's Friday. What are the boys done? Just routine. We want to talk to him. You won't tell me, huh? Don't be better if we talk to them about it. I have it your own way I don't want to get mixed up in anything those boys got themselves a bucket of trouble I want no part of it while I was here. They paid their rent didn't cause much trouble That's all I was interested in as long as they didn't cause any trouble. Yes, sir How long go they leave guess it's about a week ago. I got it in the books I can check it for you if you want. Yes, sir. We'd like to have the information sure I'll get it for you they have any visitors while they were here a couple of guys come around in the morning That's about it though look like bill collectors the boys never let him inside used to talk on the porch Three up move out at the same time. No Matt left a couple of days before said he was going back east I think he had some kind of a job back there It wasn't real chummy. You know kind of kept to themselves. All right, sir Would you see if you got that address where they might be? Oh sure forgot all about it. It's in the desk. I think Always running into this kind of thing with a motel. Yeah, sir. What's that wrong people renting rooms? We got no way of checking on them seems like whenever somebody's got trouble. They pick a motel to have it and never ends Yeah, here it is they left this in case I got any mail forms that just to send it on here You are thank you. It's a place out in West Los Angeles. Thank you very much Glad to help out. You can't tell me what this is about, huh? No, sir It's police business you figure you're gonna have any trouble with them Well, it's hard to say it'll depend on how they want it And if I was you I'd take it easy picking them up why because I know Franklin's got a gun We obtained the license number in the description of the car that the suspects had driven It was a late model convertible with New York license plates Before we left the motel we called our and I and checked the names Dean Franklin and Richard Norton We found that both of them had long felony records We talked to Captain Donahoe and had two more teams of men sent out from the office to meet us at the address that we've gotten from the motel manager From what we knew of the two men taking them into custody would be difficult Frank and I left the motel and drove out to the address in West Los Angeles Was a one-story wooden building set well back on a weed-filled lot a late model car was in the driveway Ten minutes after we got there officers Murphy Rafferty Mead and Lightner met us Murphy had brought two sawed-off shotguns loaded with double-ought buck and several tear gas grenades The only chance we had of taking them in without bloodshed was to use the one element on our side Surprise Murphy and Rafferty went around to the street at the back of the house and Lightner took the other When all of us were in position Frank and I prepared to move up to the front door Y'all set this minute. Let's go. I don't see anything. Now. I might have seen this you better take it easy Let's make it for the porch. Yeah, come on And I'll take the door when we get inside you go to the left. I'll handle the right side, right? How about it? Nothing places empty We searched the house, but we found no trace of the suspects from the clothing in the closets We figured they had not moved out and going over the house We found a machine gun hidden in one of the bedrooms the cartridge clip was loaded and the gun was ready for use We pulled the clip called the office and told them where we were then we settled down to wait for the suspects to return Murphy and Rafferty covered the rear approaches to the house Mead and Lightner were in cars parked down the street and Frank and I waited in the front room At 1046 p.m. The phone in the house rang three times and then it stopped. We waited for Franklin and Norton to come back 11 p.m. 11 30 still no sign of them start to get cold in the house midnight 1230 the phone rang again 1245 from down the street. We heard a car approach Joe. Yeah You see anything just a minute pull up curtain back It's a Ford sedan coming down this way Pulled into the driveway And it's them just the two of them near as I can tell you They get now the car. Yeah, how about lighting and me? Yeah, they see them They're starting to get out of the car down here better cover the door the coming in Police officer stand still Frank all right Franklin turn around How'd you get to us who told you put your hands behind you who told you we were here Somebody had to tell you you'd never got us without somebody tipping you it was that lush Betty wasn't it was her that told you all right outside come on move Had to be her. She was the only one that knew had to be her. You never made it without her. You're wrong. We don't made it come on The story you have just heard is true The names were changed to protect the innocent on November 14th trial was held in department 92 Superior court of the state of California in and for the county of Los Angeles in a moment the results of that trial now Here is our star Jack Webb. Thank you, George Veneman Thousands of smokers all across the country are now changing to Chesterfield. We'd like you to give them a try too I know you'll like them because the Chesterfield you smoke today is the best cigarette ever made for the taste You want and the mildness you want smoke America's most popular two-way cigarette regular king size Chesterfield Dean Roger Franklin Richard Henry Norton and Betty Elaine Gallick were tried and convicted of robbery in the first degree Robbery in the first degree is punishable by imprisonment in the state penitentiary for a period of from five years to life Further investigation showed that Matthew Arthur Ross had no part or knowledge of the crime You have just heard dragnet a series of authentic cases from official files Technical advice comes from the office of chief of police W. H. Parker Los Angeles police department Technical advisors captain Jack Donahoe sergeant Marty wins sergeant fans pressure Heard tonight were Ben Alexander Helen Cleve Georgia Ellis big parent Script by John Robinson music by Walter Schumann. How give me speaking Watch an entirely different dragnet case history each week on your local NBC television station Please check your newspapers for the day and time Chesterfield has brought you dragnet transcribed from Los Angeles Filter cigarette smokers here is headline news nationwide demand for L and M filters drops price Now you save up to four cents a pack 40 cents a carton now Everyone can afford America's highest quality and best filter tip cigarette Remember only L and M's have the miracle filter tip containing alpha cellulose you get much more flavor much less nicotine By L and M filters the distinctive monograms cigarette at the new low price L and M filters Here dane clark in crime and peter chambers following John Cameron swaysy and the news on the NBC radio network