 you're about to hear is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent. Fatima cigarettes. Best of all, long cigarettes brings you dragnet. You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned to robbery detail. A doctor is severely beaten, robbed and left in critical condition. Suspicion points to a narcotics addict. Your job? Get him. You'll be amazed when you compare Fatima with other long cigarettes. You'll find they now cost the same. But in Fatima, the difference is quality. You see, Fatima is the quality king-size cigarette. Because it contains the finest domestic and Turkish tobaccos superbly blended. And Fatima is extra mild with a much different, much better flavor and aroma than any other long cigarette. So compare Fatima yourself. Fatima is now cost the same as other long cigarettes, but your first puff will tell you. Ah, that's different. Yes, in Fatima, the difference is quality. Ask your dealer for Fatima, the quality king-size cigarette. Best of all, long cigarettes. Start enjoying Fatima tomorrow. Dragnet, 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, Dragnet is the story of your police force in action. It was Monday, August 7th. It was warm in Los Angeles. We were working the day watch out a robbery detail. My partner's Ben Romero, the boss is Thad Brown, Chief of Detectives. My name's Friday. It was 1.15 p.m. when I got to 4656 Collis Avenue, the front door. Excuse me, sir. Yeah, ma, it's me. Didn't expect you so soon. Well, I'm off for lunch and Ben and I were in the neighborhood, so... Oh, well, I'll get the telegram. Thank you. I say I'm glad you couldn't get home. Telegrams always make me nervous. Nobody ever sends a telegram. This is important here, sir. Thank you. Yes, they do, ma. Some people send wires to invite you to lunch or to a reception or something like that. Is that so? Sure. You just forgotten. Haven't you? I've gotten them before like that. There's no way to do anyhow. Why not? People always associate frightening things with telegrams. Well, aren't you going to open them? Oh, yeah, sure. Now, if you were worried, you could open it, ma. It'd been all right. I don't even know why I never open anything addressed to you, Joseph. Anything important? It's from Belmont, my old high school. Oh, yeah. They want me to come up next week. They're having some sort of assembly up there. Want me to talk to the student body. Oh, that's nice. You going to go? Yeah, I think I better, don't you? Well, I have to clear it through Captain Sheldon, though. I think it's awfully nice for them to remember you. What are you going to talk on to say? Yeah, police work, it says here. I'll have to think of something to base it on, though, won't I? You'll have to memorize it, Joseph. It doesn't look well for a man to stand up on a platform, read a prepared talk. Yeah, I know. Well, that's Ben. I gotta go, ma. Would you and Ben like some lunch? I can fix you something in about a minute. No, we haven't got time, girl. I'll see you later. I don't know why they couldn't have written a letter instead. What's that, ma? I said they could have written you a letter, besides it's much cheaper than the telegram. Yeah, ma, I'll see you later. Bye, Joseph. Bye. Just cut a call, Joe. They want us to call your office. Oh, well, I might as well do it from the house, huh? Yeah, all right. I'll be right back. Right. It's just me again, ma. Came back to use the phone. Oh, it's Friday, Glenn. Got one for you, Joe. What? I can't hear you, Glenn. Got one for you. Wait a minute. I can't hear you. Hey, ma, would you hold that vacuum for a minute, please? I can't hear. Thank you. I'm sorry, Glenn. What'd you say again? That's right. That young kid hit again, doctor's office. Yeah, it's that same. Did he use the gun? All right, we'll get right on it. Right, bye. Yeah, bye. Then hype hit again. Doctor's office beat him up pretty bad. He's down at Georgia. Great combination, isn't it, Joe? What's that? Armful of narcotics and a loaded gun. Monday, August 7th. Since June 27th, Ben and I had been assigned to a case involving a young narcotics thief. For seven weeks now, he'd been robbing every possible source available to him of narcotics. Since the inception of the investigation, we'd seen this young criminal develop from a small-time sneak thief to a full-fledged armed and vicious thug. The descriptions of the young thief taken from his various victims tallied almost to the letter. Blonde, light complexion, small stature, five, seven to five, ten, nervous and unusually juvenile in appearance. Everything possible was being done for his quick apprehension. Hundreds of mug shots were screened and shown to victims, no identification. 3.30 p.m., we checked back in at the office, went to see Sergeant Ed Hall, Narcotics Division. Chandler said you went over to Georgia Street to see that doctor. Yeah, I tried, Ed. Short visit. Poor guy. Pretty bad, huh? No, the guy's really a mess. Kid must have worked overtime on him. And what's his condition? Still critical, and we laugh. They wouldn't let us stay long. We got a description. It's the same kid. Doctor's name was Gannon, huh? 55 years old. Yeah, pistol wepting. Knocked out seven of his teeth, fractured his jaw. Doctor was wearing glasses. They don't know if he'll see out of his right eye anymore. Well, this puts Junior in the big leagues now. Yeah, it sure does. We got out of supplementary all points on him. Here's a list of the junk that he got. It's quite a haul here. Yeah. Morphine quarter grain, 30 vials. Five vials, half grain coating. Dolphin quarter grain, six vials. Yeah, he did all right. Long list here. We got that from the nurse. She was out to lunch when it happened. It's a small office out there, and the doctor closes up at noon. Nurse goes out to lunch, and he eats in the office. That's when the kid got to him. He knew when to hit, didn't he? Yeah. Our boys haven't been able to turn up a thing for you. Nobody seems to know the kid. Well, the amount of stuff he hauled out of that doctor's office, something on a show, shouldn't it? Should, yeah, all like that. You got anything at all to work on? Yeah, that car that was used on the job still got its take down. Well, we'll just pick this up for the report countering when we're done. Car was reported stolen two hours after the robbery. It's a little bit of a breakdown. The report was taken on at the Walsher station. Mrs. Irving Adams states that her husband had notified her that the car was stolen from him while he was at work today. So he always parks it out in front on the street. We haven't checked it out yet. We figured it was a good place to start, Mammy. Wait a minute. What did you say that name was? Irving Adams. No, let me see that before. Well, this Adams is a user. He's up in County now waiting trial. Are you sure about that? Yeah, Walker and I picked him up. I just talked to Adams up in the County Jail this morning. How long has he been in? Let's see. It was last Tuesday, July 30th. The car couldn't have been stolen from Adams today if he's been in jail for a week. Well, there's one guy can figure it out for you, Adams. 4.05 p.m. We went up to the 10th floor of the County Jail, the interview room. We talked to Irving Adams for an hour. He said he wanted to cooperate, but he couldn't explain his wife's action in reporting a car stolen from him. He kept repeating that he knew his wife was not involved in anything, that she was innocent of any complicity in the case of the youthful gunman. He could give us no information on anyone fitting the gunman's description. He insisted that the entire matter was a mistake and that his wife could clear everything up if we just talked to her. 5.20 p.m. Ben and I drove out to 239 West 92nd Street. The Adams residence was a small white bungalow trimmed in red. The front lawn needed cutting and care. There were four bottles of soured milk on the front porch, along with several old newspapers. The front blinds were down, although it was still early. The front porch light was burning. The other homes in the neighborhood appeared to be neat and well kept. The screen door was ajar and supported by one rusty hinge. 5.21 p.m. Looks like nobody's home. Well, let's give it a try, huh? Give me a minute. I'll cover the back. Right. Yes. Police officer, my name's Friday. You're Mrs. Irving Adams? Yes, that's right. Well, I talked to you about your stolen car. Have you found it? Yes, we have. Can I come in? Places in such a mess. Can't we talk here? Well, if you don't mind, I'd rather come inside. All right. Don't look at the house. I've been kind of sick. Haven't felt much like cleaning up. All right. What's wrong here, are you? Right now, my husband's at work. Might if I go through the house. You mean search it? You got a warrant? No, I just want to go to the back door. What for? Well, my partner's around back there. This is the way to the back door here. That's right. This it? It's locked. Key's in the door. All right. Hey, Ben? Yeah. Everything all right? Yeah, fine. Is he a police officer, too? Yeah, that's right. This all the rest of the house here? What do you mean? Well, just these three rooms here? Yes, that's all. I thought you said you were alone here? I am. Who's that woman lying down in the other room? That's Catherine. I didn't want you bothering her. She's been sick, too. She sleeps most of the time. I just forgot about her. Anybody else around? No, nobody. No, I mean anybody sick or otherwise. Anyone besides you and this girl in there? Well, you've been in every room in the house except the bathroom. This it here? Yes. Okay. I don't understand all this. I reported my car stolen and you come out here and search my house. If I did steal my car, I wouldn't hide it in here. Yeah. Ben, want to come in? Yeah. Could you tell me something? Yeah. Why are you here? Well, I told you we find your car. This is Sergeant Romero. How do you do? What's the trouble? Anything wrong? Who'd you say your car was stolen from? From me. It was my car. Is that the way you made the report, Ms. Adams? It was stolen from you? I think so, yes. Ms. Adams, according to the report that you made out this morning, you stated that the car was stolen from your husband, isn't it, right? Is that what I said? Yes, ma'am. That's right. I don't remember we both used the car so much. I forgot. Well, now, which is it? You or your husband? I'm not sure. You've been drinking heavy? A little bit. Just eased my nerves. I haven't been feeling well. It's obvious you're not drunk, Ms. Adams. Why don't you keep your story straight? Well, officer, I am telling the truth. Well, your husband's in the county jail. He's been there for a week. The car couldn't have been stolen from him. Now, could it? I didn't say it was stolen from him. Here's your signature, Ms. Adams. Yes, sir. This is a copy of the auto theft report that you made at the Wilshire Division. Yes. Well, now, is this report a true one or a false one? There's a penalty for making a false report, Ms. Adams. I'm sure you're aware of that. I only want my car back. Where was it stolen from? Whatever it says there, my husband. Now, we just told you that he's in jail. He's still in there. We just talked to him. The car couldn't have been stolen from him. Have you got anything to say to that? No. Well, I think we better go downtown where you can sit and straighten yourself out and give us some right answers. I don't want to go to jail. Well, that's just where you're going if you don't snap out of it and come up with the truth. I know who you want. It's Rex Burley, isn't it? Who's Rex Burley? Young kid, blond, small. He told me he was in some kind of trouble with the car. Said if I'd told the police it was stolen, it'd be all right that way. Do you know where he is now? No, I don't. You sure about that? That's the truth. Yeah, come on. Catherine's awful sick. She always sleep this heavy? Only when she's sick. She's really out, isn't she? Yeah. Look at her leg. Yeah, she's a user. Say, this girl's on narcotics, Miss Adams. Are you a user? No, I'm not. I don't know where Catherine gets it. How about Rex Burley? He's on it, too. Maybe she gets it from him. Is there any stuff in the house now? Not that I know of. You want to tell us where Rex Burley is? I don't know. He called here about an hour ago. Catherine talked to him. Did he tell her where he was? Yes, he did. She wrote it down on a piece of paper. Where is that paper? Under a pillow. You are listening to Dragnet. From beginning to end, Dragnet is the authentic story of your police force in action. Now, from beginning to end, the Fatima story. Actual convincing proof that in Fatima, the difference is quality. Quality of tobaccos, the finest domestic and Turkish varieties, extra mild and superbly blended to give you a much different, much better flavor and aroma. Quality of manufacture, smooth, round, perfect cigarettes, rolled in the finest paper money can buy, manufactured in the newest and most modern of all cigarette factories. Quality, even to the appearance of the bright, clean, gold and yellow package, carefully wrapped and sealed to bring you Fatima's rich, fresh, extra mild flavor. Because of its quality, its extra mildness, it's better flavor and aroma. More long cigarette smokers are now insisting on Fatima than ever before. So if you smoke a long cigarette, compare Fatima. You'll find they now cost the same, but your first puff will tell you. Ah, that's different. Yes, in Fatima, the difference is quality. Insist on Fatima. Start enjoying the quality king-size cigarette, Fatima. Best of all, long cigarettes. Monday, August 7th, 6.30 p.m. The young girl who was identified as Catherine Dorrance was awakened and she produced Rex Burley's address. She stated that she'd known him for the past year. She had just graduated from high school and gave her age as 18. And talking further with both Iris Adams and Catherine Dorrance, we found that the description of Rex Burley checked out with that giveness from the suspect's victims. They both stated that, as far as they knew, it was his true name that he had no friends or associates known to them. A check with R and I showed no record on the name Rex Burley. At 6.30 p.m., Sergeant's Hall and Walker from Narcotics Division arrived and continued the investigation of the two female suspects. A stakeout was placed on the house at 239 West 92nd Street. The address we got from Catherine Dorrance was a hotel on Washington Boulevard. We drove out and checked with the clerk. We asked if he had anyone registered under the name of Rex Burley and he told us no. We gave him Burley's description. He said that a young man similar to that had registered and was in room 210. We got a pass key from the clerk. We walked up to the second floor. This is it. Lights on under the door. Yeah. Careful, huh? Yeah. Open up. We want to talk to you. It's the key in the door. Yeah. Pass key's no good. All right. Come on. Open up. Police officers. He isn't going to open. All right. Let's hit it. All right, again. Once more. Windows open. Up the fire escape, Joe. Police officers, hold it up. Watch it. You all right? Yeah. All right. Come on. Let's go. He doesn't want to stop. He's over the side, under the roof. All right. Come on. See him? No. It's pretty dark. All right. Come on. Easy now. Over there on that side. Can you see him? No. It's too dark. Watch that skyline. He's over there in that corner. See him? Yeah. Now he's going. Must have ducked back down. Well, he's in that corner. All right. Let's take him. Now keep down. You circle around from that side. I'll go around this way. All right. Be careful. Keep down. Keep those hands up. All right. Stand still. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. All right. Get your hands behind you. Ben. Let's go, Burley. I didn't mean to do that. You should have thought about that a long time ago. How old are you, Burley? 20. You're living pretty high, aren't you? I had to have this stuff. I needed it. How else could I get it? I didn't have the money to buy it. You didn't have to get started on it. Come on. Let's go. I didn't want to get started. All of a sudden, I'm just on it. I couldn't do anything about it. You don't understand. There was just somebody else to explain it to. There is, but they won't understand it either. Monday, August 7th, 840 p.m. Rex Burley was taken downtown to the robbery division for further interrogation. He told us that he was in his senior year in high school when he got started on narcotics. He kept repeating that he didn't mean to get started. He readily admitted his participation in six narcotics robberies. He told us that he got Catherine Dorrance. His 18-year-old girlfriend started on dope. Gene Bechtel took his statement and a complete report was made. A partial recovery of the stolen narcotics was made from his hotel room. The remainder had been found at Irving Adams residence on 92nd Street. Both female suspects, Iris Adams and Catherine Dorrance were filed on for violation of the State Narcotics Act. A show-up was scheduled for August 8th to allow a positive identification from Rex Burley's victims. We received word from Georgia Street that Dr. Gannon's condition was improved. The suspect was transported to the main jail where he was booked. It was 10.38 p.m. when I got to 1456 Collis Avenue, the front door. Yeah, ma. No, I'm not hungry. I'll fix you something. I'm kind of tired. I just like to sit down for a minute. All right. There's evening paper. Oh, thank you. What'd you do to the sleeve of your coat? Oh, well, I guess I must have ripped it, huh? Yeah. You slip it off. I mended it after I fixed you some dinner. Well, why don't you sit down and work on it now if you want to? I've got something I'd kind of like to go over with you. All right. You remember that telegram from Belmont this morning? Yeah, your old high school. Mm-hmm. Well, I think I got an idea for a speech, maybe. Get the... Just made a few notes here. Wrote down some of it. You think you feel like listening to it? See if it's okay. All right. You're at the speech today? Well, it's just part of it. I hadn't written a clarity on it. I just got a few notes. I want to see what you thought of it. All right. Let me have your coat, son. Yeah. There you go. Thank you. Now, let's hear you talk. Well, remember, it's not written down yet. It's just kind of hidden misses I go along. Mm-hmm. I think I can get the thought across, and then I'll put it all down on paper. All right. Um... Mr. Fisher, that's the principal up there, you know? Yes. Mr. Fisher remembers the faculty and students. I'd like to tell you about a young boy who started out in high school and ended up on the roof of a downtown hotel dodging police bullets. I'd like to tell you about his girlfriend, 18 years old and a dope addict. This young fella started out on narcotics in search of a new thrill, something new that he hadn't experienced in his young life. He was still in high school when a group of the more high-living youngsters used to congregate at the local malt shop. That's not so good, is it? Well, maybe it's not better this way. There was a malt shop on the corner where some of the youngsters used to get together after school, kind of a place where, if you had the right connections and our young boy and girl did, you could get a drink of liquor in the back room. Well, the high school faculty knows all about this local malt shop, and they inform the authorities and pressure is brought to bear. But the man who operates the place is clever. If you can call the operations of a man like this clever, he knows how to cover up, how to keep the front room legitimate and the back room a spawning place for juvenile delinquency. And the students don't help much. There seems to be something during the formation of a juvenile mind that when his teachers or his parents catch him doing wrong, or they try to tell him it's bad, he prides himself and seeing how long he can get away with it under covers. Seems to be the stylish thing to do to outwit your parents and teachers. As the youngsters grow older, they invariably find out how infantile and stupid this is, but sometimes it's too late. That sounds kind of stuffy, ma. What do you think? Sounds like the truth. Let me hear the rest of it. Well, you know how kids are. Sometimes they resent it if they think you're lecturing them. Maybe they could have been with Ben a night and I might make a difference. Why don't I make this too long, ma? I think maybe I ought to finish up something like this. From this small shop on the corner in that back room, our young boy gets a good shove down the road of self-degradation. He has the right connections and isn't too long before he graduates the liquor in the back room for something he thinks it's far better, narcotics. He's heard that unlike liquor, you can't smell it on his breath and he's a real veteran now. He has hangovers. He's heard that narcotics doesn't leave you with a hangover. So it doesn't take too long before in our, well, police parlance, he's hooked. Living in this day and age, he thought that they taught him well in his economics and civics classes. He thought he knew what post-war inflation was all about. He didn't have the vaguest notion of the cost of his daily supply of narcotics once he was hooked on it. He found that before long, he had to have his daily dosage. In no time at all, he found that it was all he could do to get by on $30 a day. That's what it cost him. $30 each and every day or he became violently ill, so sick that he couldn't seem to function properly. Well, in order to maintain his daily needs, he got a gun and he robbed and he beat people and he stole. He shared with his girlfriend and he dragged her down with him. He ended up on the roof of a hotel trying to shoot his way out. Well, the boy was 20 years old. His girlfriend was 18. Two years ago, they both sat out there in a high school auditorium during an assembly. He went a long way, didn't he? In his two years out of high school, he was taken into custody on the night of August 7th. He was crying when we put the handcuffs on him. He was crying when we left him in his cell at the county jail. I guess he's still crying. Now, what do you think, Ma? That's just rough, I haven't... You'll believe it. You think it'll do any good? Well, I don't know, Ma. It's up to them. You have just heard was true. Only the names were changed to protect the innocent. On November 9th, trial was held in Superior Court, Department 83, City and County of Los Angeles, State of California. In a moment, the results of that trial. And now, here is our star, Jack Webb. Thank you. Friends, there are many cases on record of two people, not related. Looking so much alike, it's hard to tell them apart. A quick check of fingerprints, however, easily proves who's who. Now, at first sight, you could just as easily be fooled by king-sized cigarettes. If you were to place a Fatima and any other king-sized cigarette side by side, you'd find they look identical. But believe me, there's a real difference. In Fatima, that difference is quality. Quality that gives you extra mildness, a much better flavor and aroma. Compare Fatima with any king-sized cigarette. The size is the same, now the price is the same. But in Fatima, the difference is quality. Buy a pack tomorrow. Rex Martin Burley was found guilty of three counts of robbery in the first degree and was sentenced to the state penitentiary where he is now serving his term. First degree robbery is punishable by imprisonment from five years to life. The Federal Civil Defense Administration will send you an air raid instruction sheet. If you will write the superintendent of documents, Washington, D.C., and closing five cents in coin or stamps. 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. Fatima cigarettes, best of all, long cigarettes has brought you Dragnet, portions transcribed from Los Angeles. Stay tuned for Counter-Spire, next over many NBC stations.