 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. H.O. In a few minutes, two Equitable Society policy holders will tell you how A.H.O. saved them from a mortgage foreclosure. A.H.O. means Assured Home Ownership. It's a home-saving plan offered by the Equitable Life Assurance Society. It combines a low-cost first mortgage with life insurance protection. Result? A mortgage that's practically foreclosure proof. Listen carefully to the Equitable Society's middle commercial. You'll get full information on this ideal plan for homeowners offered by the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States. Tonight's FBI file, The Larsonous Land Lady. The crime situation in the United States today is one which gives pause even to the most optimistic among us. For the records gathered in the past 12 months by the Federal Bureau of Investigation show that not only were more crimes committed last year than the year before an increase which placed the number of major crimes at over the 1,600,000 mark but also saw a greater number of repeaters arrested. In the language of law enforcement, a repeater is one who's arrested and who has a previous arrest record. Last year, more than 54% of those arrested by the members of your FBI and by the members of local police departments belonged in that category. No further proof should be needed that it is impossible to convince the real criminal the one who seeks to make his living at it. That crime does not pay. The usual progression in those records is that the first arrest comes at an early age and in a few years the side of one long sheet of paper is filled with small notations. Notations which read convicted March 13th, 6 months convicted December 10th, one to five years and so they go with the criminal never giving up always striving to commit that impossible thing a perfect crime. Its file opens on a small farm located some distance from a large eastern city. It is early afternoon inside the farmhouse two women sit reading. A grey haired man is standing by the window. He turns to one of the women and says, Julia. Yes, well done. Someone coming up the walk. Oh, it must be Mr. Lincoln. Who's Mr. Lincoln? Lily, must you know everything? No, I'm curious too. Curiosity killed the cat, Wilbur. Lily, go let him in. Okay. Is this Mrs. York's health farm? Well, ask the man in, Lily. Come on in. Oh, thanks. Are you Mr. Lincoln? Yeah, that's right. This is Miss Fulton, Mr. Lincoln. Hello. Miss Fulton. Oh, yes, and that's Mr. Norton. Oh, hi. Hello. Come with me into the next room, please. All right. Go ahead. Thank you. Have a chair? Yeah, thanks. Now, Mr. Lincoln, before I rent you a room, I'll have to explain certain rules of the house. We absolutely bar three types of people. Huh? Like who? Kidnappers, blackmailers and firebugs. Oh. May I ask why you came here? I robbed a bank. Oh, nice. Did you get a lot of money? 20,000 bucks. You're hot, I suppose. Real hot. You'll find our temperature very helpful. Well, those people I just met. Your fellow boarders. Mr. Norton came here to hide out 10 years ago, and like the place so well, he became a permanent guest. How about the dame? What's her reckon? Beauty parlors. She works in them? No, she holds them up. Oh. Oh, one other thing, Mr. Lincoln. Yeah, what's that? No mail. Why not? The house rule. Well, I'm going to hear from my brother. Have him address you, care of general delivery in Phillipsville. Okay. Can I see my room? Surely it's out back here. Come along. Say, uh... Yes? I hear you used to steal a little yourself. That's right. What was your touch? Well, I don't like to seem immodest, but in my younger days I was known as Queen of the Forgers. In fact, I'm still wanted by the police in seven states. Three weeks later, at a nearby FBI field office, Special Agent Jim Taylor is just greeting Agent Fred Austin. Oh, Fred. Hi, Jim. Good to see you again. You just found out this morning you were being assigned here. Why didn't you let me know? I wasn't sure of myself until two days ago. That's going to be nice working on a case with you again. Sit down. Sit down. I'll fill you in on the background. Good. Three weeks ago, a woman named Mrs. Horace Jefferson went to the local police and they sent her up here. She told me that she had been extorted by a man named John Lincoln. When? Oh, she had made a payment of $20,000 that day in cash. In return, she was to get some rather indiscreet letters that she had written to this Mr. Lincoln. Did she get the letters? No. No. That's why she came up here. I wish I could work up some sympathy for her, Jim, but I'm getting a little tired of having people pay extortioners and then come to us. Well, after the talk we had, I don't think she's likely to do any more, Fred. What about Lincoln? Is he using an alias? No. No. That's the name on his record. He had a previous record as an extortioner? A previous complaint about him. He's never been caught since he started this new tactic. What had he been arrested for? Oh, various forms of larceny. The extortion complaint was from a woman in Ohio. She got the same kind of letter Mrs. Jefferson received, one which threatened bodily harm. And after paying, she, too, failed to get her letters. Did Mrs. Jefferson know where Lincoln was living? Yeah, she told us. We almost caught him before he checked out of the hotel. Then inadvertently, we almost caught him again. What do you mean? Well, there was a hit-and-run accident about 10 miles north of here on the highway. Local police set up a roadblock near Phillipsville to try and find the car that was involved. Mm-hmm. Well, Lincoln was on a bus that was stopped by the roadblock. He must have thought the police were looking for him because he got off the bus and ran for it. How did you find out it was Lincoln? Well, the bus driver told the police, and they examined the baggage of the man that left behind. The extortion letters were in his police. Any idea where he went? Oh, none at all. Where do we go from there, Jim? I don't know, Fred. I've written to the local police in every city where Lincoln was ever arrested. I requested copies of their records on him. Good. Maybe we can get a lead from one of them Yes, Julia. Want to see a pretty signature? Look. See the barrel. Well, don't you think it's good? Julia, I want to say something. Yes? I've been very comfortable here all these years. I've enjoyed you. I've enjoyed your guests. What is it, Wilbur? Well, I'm afraid the time has come for me to leave. Why? Did you see this magazine section of the Sunday paper? No. There's a whole page about Mr. Lincoln. Oh, that's nice. Julia, he isn't a bank robber. He's wanted for extortion. Heavens, I can't believe it. Mr. Truth, look here. Well, I declare, where is he now? Out for a walk with Lily. Well, the minute he returns from the walk, I shall order him to pack and leave. Cigarette, Lily? No, thanks. Hey, we ought to be going to the house. It's almost supper time. OK. Well, let's see the rest, Ellen. About me? Yeah. Well, it's all pretty much the same. After the first beauty shop stick-up, I decided to stay in that field. That's what I've been doing ever since. Oh, I see. You know, well, I don't want this to sound like a beef, but if I had it to do over again, I'd have gone to high school. Even to college. Instead of wasting all that time with the gun. Don't sound wasted to me. Yeah, but I could have been learning stuff. Getting smart. With a good education, I could be stealing big. Could be. Oh, go ahead. Thanks. Oh, hi, Mr. Norton. Mrs. York wants to see you. What about? Oh, she'll tell you herself. Julia? Yes, Wilbur? They're back. I'm coming. What's all this about? Well, you'll see in a minute, Miss Foken. Mr. Lincoln. Yeah? I'm going to have to ask you to leave. What? Why? Look at this. Why? This article in the newspaper. It's about him. Well, let me see that. Imagine him trying to pass himself off as a respectable bank robber. You're an extortioner? Yeah, that's right. We have no room here for your kind. Look, I'm paying my rent, ain't I? There are more important things than money. Good for you, Julia. Mrs. York. What? Don't you think you're being kind and narrow-minded? I do not. There's lots of things worse than extortion. I'll be the judge of that. Oh, wait a minute. I'm not leaving, Grandma. Oh, man, this is my farm. You don't want to lose it, do you? You could if I blew a whistle on you. Oh, no. The cops had moved right in on this whole setup. You mean you'd turn her in? That's right. Scoundrel. Huh? Do I stay, Grandma? Yes. What about the tiller-tap room? Yes, Jim. Anything come in on the Lincoln alarm? Not as of about five minutes ago. And I think we have to make a trip. Where to? Well, I read those arrest records I got on Lincoln. I learned that he's got a brother named Marty. The first time Lincoln was arrested, this brother posted bail for him. Where does he live? Well, at that time, he was at an address in Pittsburgh. I called the Pittsburgh office and I asked them to check on him. Get a report back yet? Yeah, they found he'd moved to a hotel in Cincinnati. I called the Cincinnati office. They tried to locate him there. No luck again. Missed him by a couple of months. Hotel manager said that all he knew is the brother told him he was moving to Mid-City. What does his brother do? As far as we can find out, he's legitimate. At least he has no record. How about the Mid-City police? I've teletyped them and asked them to start a search. While they're doing that, let's take a plane and get out there. You're not getting as much milk out of her as you used to, Junior. Well, I guess maybe she's getting a little old. Mrs. York! Mrs. York! Something wrong, Lilith? John's gone. Mr. Lincoln? Yeah. I knew that. Huh? He checked out this morning. He what? Best news I've heard in years. Wendy, leave. About an hour ago. Oh. Lily, there are more fish in the sea than him. I'm going back to the house. I'll see you later. I didn't think you'd be able to get rid of him this quick, Julia. It was easy. How'd you do it? I read his mail. Oh, that helped. Well, he got a couple of letters from his brother. His brother's the one who's holding the extortion money for him. The $20,000? Mm-hmm. How'd you know that? It was right in one of the letters. Oh. So I practiced the brother's handwriting, and then I wrote a letter to Mr. Lincoln, making believe it was his brother who wrote it. I sent it to a friend of mine who lives in Mid-City, and he mailed it back. That's where the brother lives? Yes. What did you say in the letter that made him get out so quick? I said the coast was clear, and that he should come to Mid-City. Oh, he's going to be quite surprised when he finds his brother didn't write that letter. John Lincoln's got more than one surprise coming to him. What do you mean? I also forged a letter to his brother. What for? To have him send the $20,000 in extortion money here by parcel post. Oh, he'll never do that to you. That was silly. You think so? It arrived this morning. To tonight's file which shows how your FBI protects American citizens and American homes. Now, a typical case from the files of the Equitable Life Assurance Society. Let's have Mr. and Mrs. Howard Farnham tell you about it. Last winter, a car skidded into Howard's car. Well, Howard had to spend almost two months in the hospital. I'm a salesman on commission. My income dropped to nothing a week. Then our mortgage payment came due, and not one sent in the bank, and then, well, Howard, you tell them. Well, I suddenly remembered the cash fund in my Equitable Assured Home Ownership Plan. My Equitable Society representative had told me it could be used when emergencies like sickness or unemployment threatened home ownership. The cash fund in our plan not only covered the mortgage payment, but helped with the hospital bills. You see, the Farnham's Equitable Assured Home Ownership Plan combines a low-cost first mortgage with life insurance protection. The insurance element creates the emergency cash fund. This fund may also be used to pay off the mortgage well ahead of schedule. Right. By using this fund, many 20-year mortgages have been paid off in about 15 years. Under the Assured Home Ownership Plan, if the owner dies, the Equitable Society not only cancels the mortgage, but also returns to the widow every dollar her husband had paid to reduce the principal. Finally, during its life, the mortgage draws interest at only 4%. And there's a liberal allowance to cover title search, lawyer's fees, and other closing costs. So, for many reasons, a man may consider himself lucky. If his health, age, income, and the location of his home, enable him to qualify for an Equitable Assured Home Ownership Plan. For full information, see your Equitable Society representative or write care of this station to the Equitable Society. The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States. And now back through the FBI file, The Larsonous Landlady. The apparent lack of sympathy for Mrs. Jefferson, the extorted woman, on the part of the two special agents is not, as you might imagine, a callousness brought on by association with a great number of extortion cases. It couldn't be. Because every special agent is trained to regard every violation as being of equal importance. No crime is given less attention than any other. And no criminal is searched for with any less diligence than another. However, the special agents of your FBI would be something less than human if they did not regard the actions of Mrs. Jefferson with some annoyance. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has long been joined with other law enforcement agencies in trying to educate the public to the fact that any money you turn over to the extortioner is only a down payment. There is no attempt made to total the amount of money paid every year to extortioners because the figures are impossible to obtain. However, it seems safe to say that it runs heavily into the millions and that not one extortioner in a hundred has ever been satisfied with one payment. On this program tonight we repeat the advice given before. No matter what it is that you may be trying to hide should anyone attempt to extort any money from you under threat of exposure tell him you will pay. Make an appointment to meet him and then call your local police. Tonight's file continues at Mid City Police Headquarters. Fred, can I come in on the Lincoln alarm? No, Jim. Oh, I learned one thing while I was out. What's that? John Lincoln has been here in Mid City. Whether he still is is another question. How do you know he is here? I went over to see his brother. He told you? No, he said he hadn't seen John in a year. Then how? Well, I saw him in his office. Well, when I left there I decided to check at his home. And? There wasn't anyone in his apartment but when I showed John Lincoln's picture to the doorman of the building he said that he recognized him. From where? He said he'd been there just this morning. Sounds like we're getting someplace. Well, the doorman then told me that John had left a little while after he arrived. Did you have a surveillance set up in case he returns? No. The doorman said he called a cab for John and he knows the cabby pretty well. Good. We can find where he went from his brother's. We might be able to pick him up pretty quickly. Oh, Fred, I wish you'd go down and re-interview the brother. What for? Tell him the things we know. See if he'll change his mind and cooperate with us. Okay. Meanwhile, I'll stay here and wait for a call from the doorman. He said he'd phone as soon as he located that cabby. Anybody here? Who's John? Where is everybody? I... I thought you'd gone. I came back. Why'd you leave without telling me? I'll explain that later. Where's Grandma? She went to the movies. Old man Norton with her? Yeah. I'm glad you did come back. I had to. Grandma clipped me for my bundle. What? She took me for 20 Gs. How? She wrote a letter to my brother. Asked him to send all my money here. But why should he...? She wrote it in my handwriting. Oh. I came here to collect. You'll have a tough job getting it away from her. Really? You got a gun? Sure, I got a gun. What am I, a dressmaker? Let me have it. Why? I might need a little convincer when they come back. Well, it's pretty small. Does it shoot? Sure. Then it's big enough. Look, honey, told me the other day you want to graduate into a higher line of larceny. Isn't that right? That's right. Well, you work along with me on this. You helped me get the 20 Gs back. You just found yourself a partner. Did you make another trip, Fred? Why? I finally got to talk to the cab driver after the dormin located him. Did he remember John Lincoln? Yeah. Said he took him out to the airport. Good. Well, I went to the airport. I talked to every ticket clerk on duty. Any of them recognize the picture? Yes, one of them sold him a ticket earlier in the day. Why, too? Phillipsville. That's the place where Lincoln jumped the bus and left his luggage. I know. Oh, did you get anything from his brother that might be a lead? Just something that ties in with your story. Oh, what's that? He finally decided to cooperate with us. He told me that while John was hiding out, he wrote to him care of general delivery, Phillipsville. Huh? He didn't know anything else about the hideout? No. And I think he was telling me all he knew. And there's only one thing left for us to do, Fred. Let's take the next plane to Phillipsville. Good morning, Fred. Now, no one remembers seeing Lincoln today. That could mean he's still here in Phillipsville. Yes, but where? Did you check the cab line? Yeah, no luck. What about the bus that runs into the city? The driver who met that plane isn't back yet. Fred, why don't you wait here for him? Where are you going? To the post office to see if Lincoln's been there today. Any of the post office, Jim? No. The guy who was there a couple of hours ago. He was looking for a package that was addressed to him. The postmaster told him it was picked up by a woman named Mrs. Julia York. Who is she? The postmaster didn't know. I checked local records. I got nothing on her. But what now? Let's check every hotel and rooming house in town. I covered every hotel. No luck, Jim. Fred, I think this envelope might be the lead we want. Where did you get that? At the bus company. What's in it? The remains of an eyeglass lens that John Lincoln broke when he jumped off that bus at the roadblock. Let's go. Glad you liked it. Well, but I just don't like gangster pictures. All that shooting and killing just makes me shudder. Well, they are pretty spicy. Goodness, you'd think they'd make a picture once in a while about... Well, someone like my dear departed husband. He never carried a gun in his life. And he must have stolen a dozen fortunes. There'd be romance in that, Wilbur. High adventure. It would show that... Well, the lights are on in the house, Julia. Oh, well, Lily probably left them on. She may be sitting up reading. I suppose. Go ahead, Julia. Thank you, Wilbur. Greetings, Grandma. What? Surprise. Not necessarily. Lots of times folks fall in love with this place and just want to come back. That's right, Julia. There's a tug here. Yeah, I felt it. I'm... I'm complimented that you returned, Mr. Lincoln, but I'm sorry to announce that we've rented your room. Quit stalling, Mrs. York. He knows all about what you did. What's she talking about, Wilbur? I have no idea. You think this will give you an idea? Mr. Lincoln, the rules of this house do not permit the use of firearms in the living room. Get up the dough, Grandma. You want your rent money back? He wants the dough you clipped from him. The dough his brother sent to you. Lily, are you on his side? What if I am? Shame on you. Look, I've had enough of this. Not much when it comes to guns, but unless I get some action, I'm pulling this trigger. Throw it on the floor. Go on. That's it. Good for you, young man. Who are you? Special agent of the FBI. All of you here are under arrest. John Lincoln was found guilty in federal court and sentenced to serve five years for extortion. With his arrest, the other guests at the hideout were identified and it was found that they were wanted in a dozen different states. Combining the knowledge that John Lincoln wore thick glasses with the fact that he had stayed in the vicinity of Phillipsville for three and a half weeks, led Special Agent Taylor to question every optometrist in the area. Since this was done at night and because it had to be done in a hurry, the two Special Agents were forced to track down each of the people on their list. Some were at the movies, some at restaurants, some visiting friends, but finally the two agents located an optometrist who, upon being shown John Lincoln's picture, positively identified the blackmailer as having been one of his customers. After a quick trip back to the store the delivery slips. Special Agents Taylor and Austin learned the address to which the new glasses had been delivered. In that manner, your FBI was able not only to capture an extortioner and to put out of business the hideaway for criminals run by the old lady, but also to apprehend two other criminals wanted by the local police and thus further to protect you, the American people, from the onslaughts of these particular criminals. We will tell you about next week's exciting case from the files of your FBI. Now one last word to homeowners about the kind of mortgage you get in the equitable society's assured home ownership plan. First, it's a mortgage that's practically foreclosure proof. Right. If the owner dies, the mortgage is automatically canceled. During his life, the cash fund protects against emergencies such as illness and unemployment. Second, it's a mortgage that draws interest at only 4%. So what are you waiting for? See your equitable society representative soon. For full information about the assured home ownership plan designed for you by 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, a story revealing the operations of two contriving female criminals. It's subject, larceny. It's title, The Lonely Hearts Racket. 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 D. Lewis. Your narrator was William Woodson and Special Agent Taylor was played by Stacey Harris. The last were Tony Barrett, Marlo Dwyer, Frank Lovejoy, Paul McVeigh and Peggy Weber. 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 The Lonely Hearts Bracket on This Is Your FBI. This is ABC, the American Broadcasting Company.