 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 transcribed as a public service by the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States and the Equitable Society's representative in your community. A-H-O. A-H-O. Those are three important letters in the lives of thousands of homeowners. They stand for the Assured Home Ownership Plan of the Equitable Life Assurance Society. A money-saving home-saving plan designed to speed the day when you say, Our mortgage is all paid off. We own our home free and clear. Interested? Then please listen carefully in about 13 minutes for full information on the Equitable A-H-O plan. Tonight, the subject of our FBI file, Armed Robbery. It's titled, The Intruder. The files of your FBI contain many instances of well-meaning men and women who get into trouble with the law, merely by associating with criminals. Usually, their intentions were harmless enough, perhaps even noble. Many people who would never dream of committing a crime themselves, nevertheless seek excitement by consorting with those who do. Psychologists might say they are seeking vicarious substitute thrills. Others like to try their hand at reforming criminals. We of the FBI applaud their good motives, but deplore their lack of common sense. Rehabilitating criminals is a job for experts. Remember that even the experts are by no means always successful. Your FBI urges you strongly to leave criminals to those whose job it is to reform them or apprehend them. Tonight's case points out vividly the possible danger of not doing so. Tonight's FBI file opens at a winter resort located in an eastern state. In an isolated cottage off the main highway, a girl sits waxing a pair of skis. Another girl comes out of the bedroom. Yeah, honey. Mind if I wear your gold earrings? No, go ahead. Thanks. What time is it? Just 8.30. Good. Turn around. Let's see how you look. Well? You look lovely. Thanks. In fact, you look so lovely. I hate to see it wasted. What do you mean? You know what I mean, Ann. Guy, you're going out with... No, don't start that again. You don't even know Al. I know his reputation. Oh, Ruth. I got the whole story on him the other night. I know. He's a racketeer. He's no good. You told me all that. Doesn't that matter? Look, Ruth, I spend 50 weeks a year slaving in an office. My dates are usually a friend of my brother's or the boy next door. So? So this is a vacation. Two short weeks away from that endless doll routine, and I'm going to make the most of it. With Al? Yes, with Al. Ruth, it's fun to be with him. It's exciting. Sure, sure. We go the best places. Everybody knows him. We get the best table. And... Listen to me a minute, will you? Well... I know how you feel. Believe me, I do. But just let me say something. Go ahead. When I was your age, a date with a guy like Al would have been exciting to me, too. But as you grow up, you learn things. You learn that fellas you pick up at a dance at a resort who act like big shots like Al. Don't run one, two, six with that friend of your brother's or the boy next door. End of sermon. Ruthie, you're awfully sweet. But don't worry about me, will you? Oh, that must be Al now. Oh? Is Al Benton here? No. You expect him, don't you? Well, yes. Then I'll come in and wait. Well, I... And who is that? I don't know. What? Just the two of you here? What do you want? Al Benton. I told you he isn't here. I'll wait. Well, not just a minute. I thought you... I said I'd wait. Meanwhile, in the teletype room at an FBI field office in a nearby city, Special Agent Jim Taylor watches the machines as Agent Bob Warren approaches. Jim, how about some dinner? Oh, no, no thanks, Bob. I've got to stick around. Something special? Yeah, I'm waiting for a report from Washington. What about it? Some fingerprints I sent back there this morning by wire photo. Hmm. They're on that central bank holdup. What's the story? Well, two men held up the cashier of the bank. Took over $8,000. The car they used was found about four hours later across the state line. How about the two men? One of them was still in the car. Good. No, no, not so good. He was dead. Shot through the heart. What about the money? No sign of it. Had there been any gunplay in the holdup? No. I believe he was killed by his partner. That's the usual loyalty of one thief to another. Any identification? Dead man was named Johnson, at least that's one of his aliases. A bitual criminal. Long record. How about the one that got away? I've got a fair description on him, but I'm hoping for more than that. I picked up some prints in the car in the back of the rearview mirror. Johnson? No, no, I've already checked that. Are those the ones you sent to Washington? Yeah, that's right. Well, wish you luck, Jim. Thanks. Can I bring you back to sandwich? Yeah, well, you're having cheese on ride. Tastes fine. Coffee? Yeah, black, please. Anything else? That's all. Hey, where are you going? Into the kitchen. What for? I want to make some coffee. Stay where you are. Then will you do us one favor? Will you put that gun away? Not till after I use it. Please, what's this all about? I'm waiting for Al. Why? You'll see. You're going to shoot him, aren't you? That's right. Couldn't you pick someplace else? No. Why not? Because I know he's coming here. Hey, what time is it? Almost 9.15. You was due at 9? Yes. Well, remember what I told you. When he knocks, you answer the door. Ask him right in and don't rumble. I... I can't do it. You'd better, sweetheart, or all of you get it. Would you mind telling us why you want to kill him? Well, your brother and Al were partners. They pulled a stick up yesterday. What? After they'd done the job, Al knocked my brother off. Feed it with the dough. How do you know all this? Great fun. I even know he's planning to lamb out of town tonight. Take this dame here with him. Man, is that true? Yes. Oh. But I didn't know anything about this other stuff. Honest truth, baby. Hey, wait a minute. Don't answer that till I tell you what to do. But I... If that's Al, you tell him to come right over here. And don't give him no office that anything's wrong. You understand? Yes. Okay. Answer it. Hello? Is that you, Ann? Yes, Al. Honey, I got tied up here down at the inn. Let me send a cab for you, huh? Well, I... I'd rather not, Al. Why not? I'd rather you called for me. That's all right. That's swell. No two investigations are ever exactly alike because no two crimes are ever perfect duplicates. On some cases, an agent works for days, weeks, and sometimes even months before he finds a lead. Before he begins to unravel the tangled web of evidence. And then there are those other cases. Cases where the first night's work produces an avalanche of results. Cases such as this one. One combination on a ride coming up. Oh, thanks, Bob. Here's your coffee. Oh, great. Anything break? Yeah, plenty. A report on those fingerprints came in right after you left. Were they identified? Yeah. I'm along to a small-time racketeer named Al Benton. Al Benton? That name's familiar. Yeah. We had him in here for questioning on that liquor hijacking case last year. Oh, yeah, sure. Well, I dug out his picture. Williams took it over to the central bank. He just called. Flurks identified Benton as one of the two bandits. Well, you have been moving. I just know. There's more? Yeah. I started a quick check on Benton. I found out he'd been living in a hotel over on 12th Street, but he'd moved over a month ago. They know where he's gone? Well, he didn't leave a forwarding address, but the hotel porter remembered shipping his trunk to an inn out at Snake Hill. That's a ski resort. Yeah. Well, there were only two wins out there, and the first one I called told me that Mr. Al Benton was one of their guests. Well, all this happened when I was out to dinner. Well, that's the way it goes, Bob. He spent endless hours waiting, and then, wham, everything breaks at once. I suppose now you're headed for Snake Hill. Oh? We're heading for Snake Hill. What? Yeah, the SAC put you on the case, too, Bob. Let's go. Hey, you, sit on. Relax. Are you kidding? Sit on, I said. Look, I... I can't stand this much longer. Now, don't you start again. I... I can't help it. I don't want no crying going when he shows here. What time is it now? 10.15. It should be here. Listen, I believe what you told us about Al killing your brother to be true. But why do you try to settle the score? Turn him over to the police and let the law settle it for you. I do this my way. Yeah, but... I don't want to hear no more about it. Wait. What's the matter? There's the headlights of a car coming up the hill. That's your private road, innit? No other cabins on it? No. Okay. This is it. Oh, no, no. Shut up! Both of you. Only Knox and here answers the door. He's almost here. Invite the guy to come right in. I'll take care of the rest. The car's out front. It stopped. Did you hear what I told you? Yes. I'll have your girlfriend here with me. If you make the wrong move, it'll be just too bad for her. Just a minute. There's no one here. There. What is this? I tell you, nobody's there. You're lying. No, she ain't checked. Huh? The window. That's why I come in from the back. We will return in just a minute to tonight's exciting case from the official file which shows how your FBI helps promote America's security. And now listen to three letters that spell security for many thousands of homeowners. A-H-O. A is for assured. H is for home. O is for ownership. You have three words together and you have the famous assured home ownership plan of the Equitable Society. It's known as America's finest plan of home ownership because it includes benefits not always found in other mortgage plans. First benefit, an equitable A-H-O plan gives you a way to pay off your mortgage years ahead of time. In other words, one of the primary purposes of this plan is to hasten the day when you can sit back and tell yourself, my mortgage is paid off in full. I own my house free and clear. How does this happen? Well, it's very simple. Equitable A-H-O gives you a low-cost first mortgage teamed up with life insurance. One monthly payment takes care of both. Thanks to the insurance element, a constantly growing cash loan fund is created. Year by year, the mortgage grows smaller and the cash loan fund larger until it's actually big enough to pay off what's left of the mortgage. Imagine paying off a 20-year mortgage in about 14 years. That's what hundreds of A-H-O owners have actually done. Second benefit of an Equitable Assured Home Ownership Plan. If the owner dies, his widow doesn't inherit a mortgage. She inherits the home free and clear. Not only that, in addition to canceling the mortgage, the Equitable Society also returns to the widow. Every cent her husband has paid to reduce the principal. Last but not least, an A-H-O mortgage draws interest at only 4%. So all in all, a man may count himself fortunate if his age, income, health 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 Life Assurance Society. Remember, the sooner you start an Equitable Assured Home Ownership Plan, the sooner you'll be able to say, No mortgage on our home, we own it free and clear. And now back to the FBI file, the intruder. A remark made by Agent Taylor tonight is worth repeating. He said, I believe he was killed by his partner. That's the usual loyalty of one thief to another. If that comment seems hard-boiled, remember that your FBI agents know criminals, not by reading about them in books, but from personal contact. FBI men know that the saying, there's honor among thieves, just isn't true in the vast majority of cases. Criminals are out for themselves and themselves alone. Even the code against squealing, so strong among young hoodlums, is often violated when they're caught, when they're safe behind locked doors, when they want to save their own hides. Those who work behind the scenes in children's courts know this all too well. Your FBI is convinced there is no code a criminal will abide by, unless it's to his advantage to do so. Being romantic or sentimental about the underworld shows a complete ignorance of the facts. Your first approach to understanding crime in America is to become a realist. Stop sentimentalizing either crime or criminals. Tonight's FBI file continues back at the cabin. The two terrified girls stand staring at the body of the dead hoodlum. He's dead. That's right, baby. Killed him. What else could I do? He was out to get me. I'm calling the police. Wait a minute. We've been through enough here tonight. Get away from that phone. Oh, no. Operator. Get away, I said. Operator. Ow! Ain't no time to be calling cops. And make your girlfriend behave here, will you? Get out of here, Al. Huh? I said get out. Hey, what is this? We've got a date, remember? I found out all about you tonight. What you really are, and I don't want any part of it. No, wait, baby. Keep away from me. Oh, no, no, no. You're coming with me anyway. She is not. Look, you both know too many things about me now, so let's go out the car, huh? No. Come on. I'll make up my mind what to do with you along the way. The time element is an important factor in every case, especially in a case like this, a case involving murder. In that respect, the criminal enjoys the early advantage. Enjoys it because he can move with almost reckless haste. Move quickly and easily. The special agents of your FBI, though, move cautiously. Or they must take one step at a time. Hoping each step will bring them closer. Closer to the killer. That looks like the door to the lobby down there at the end of the porch. Hell. You know, I think the snake hill in has seen better days. Definitely. Here you are. I'll get it. Go ahead, Bob. Thanks. Mmm. This is certainly a busy place. Yeah, if you like canaries. Do you suppose they could tell us where the proprietor is? There's a bell over in the desk at my day off. Come on. Okay. All that did is stop the concert and I'll try it again. Coming. Coming. Oh, what can I do for you gentlemen? Are you in charge here? I'm the proprietor, yeah. We're special agents of the FBI. Oh. Here are our credentials. Well, why are you here? We'd like to talk to one of your guests, a man named Al Benton. Oh, you're too late. What do you mean? I checked out of here just about ten minutes ago. Now, where'd he go? I don't know. And to be frank with you, I don't care. I was very happy to see him leave. Why? He was a most unsavory person. Tell me, sir. Did he have a car? Yeah. Oh, would anyone around here know where he was going? No. Oh, wait a minute. Well? I recall something about a girl he was going to meet. Yes, go on. Yes, she lives in one of the cabins up the hill. Do you know her name? No, sir. Do you know which cabin? No, I don't. Then where did you get this information? He ordered a taxi to be sent up for her. Then he changed his mind and went himself. Well, if he ordered the cab, he must have told the driver what cabin to go to. Say, that's right. I'll check with my phone operator. She put the call in. Excuse me, please. Certainly. If he left here ten minutes ago, that's not too much of a start. No. We could still get lucky and nail him at the girl's cabin. Hmm. That is if we could find out which cabin it is. Yeah, you're so right. Well, Captain, I believe I have the information you've been seeking. Good. The girl's name is Anne Madison. The cabin is less than a mile from here. Can you tell us how to get there, please? Yeah, follow the road out front as far as you can go. Well, in which direction? Oh, to the left. Fine, thank you. Cabin is on the hill. There's a driveway leading up there. Fine, thank you, sir. Come on, Bob. All right, stay right there by the car, both of you. I'm dumping this baby back here in the sun. Ruthie? Yeah, honey? Do you think we should try to run away? Not now, not here. He's too quick with that gun. We'll never get away from you. Yes, we will. I hope you're all right. Oh, Ruth, forgive me, please. Oh, what is it? Terribleness. It's all my fault. Look, we'll get out of it some way. I know, won't it? I want you both to sit in front with me here. Okay. And look, let's get a few things straight before we take off. We'll be passing other cars, other people, maybe cops. Don't try to tip them off about our little party, or you'll both be sorry. Go ahead, Ann. Wait a minute. The car down there at the foot of the hill just turned on your driveway. Car coming up here? Yeah. Listen, both of you, whoever it is, I want you to get rid of them fast. I'm gonna hide here in my car, and if either one of you blows a whistle, this gun goes off. Hello? We're looking for Miss Ann Madison. I'm Ann Madison. Oh, we're special agents of the FBI. Oh? Yes, we were informed that a Mr. Al Benton was on his way up here to see you. Al Benton? Yes, that's right. You know him? Well, I'm sure she knows him. He's here. I don't care. We've been kicked around enough. Look, if you want Al Benton, he's right here. Look out! Get on over! Anyone hurt? No. Benton in that car? Yes. Come on, Bob. We don't seem to be gaining on him. I know. Only this road would straighten out. I think it does after this bend. He's turning left out to the peninsula. Stay with him. Can't even see him now. We're waiting till we get over this hill. If I remember right, there's a fork in the road up ahead. Yep, there it is. And no Benton. Turn right. There are his tire tracks. I still don't see him. Just keep going. Is that the municipal airport up ahead? Yeah, that's it. Look, there's his car now. Turning into the airport gate. I figured he'd head for here and try to get a plane out. Give it everything you've got, Bob. We've got to stop him before he does board a plane. Bob. Yeah? We're going to have to be plenty careful on this one. With guns, you mean? Yeah, there's too many people on it. Well... Wait a minute. You see? Yeah, there he is. Up there, see by gate four. Come on. He's seen us, Bob. Yeah. He's running through the gate. I don't see him. No. I suppose he headed for those hangers down there. No, he couldn't get to him that fast. What do we do, Jim? We can't lose him now. I know, I know. Hey, wait a minute. What? Look out there. There he is, running across the field. Yeah. Bob, wait! Look at that fool. There's a plane taking off. He doesn't see it. He's running right across its path. Benton! I'd say the file on Al Benton is closed. The death of Al Benton saved the cost of trying him on a charge of murder and allowed your FBI to stamp the word closed across his file. In that respect, what Agent Taylor said was true. The Al Benton file was closed. In a larger sense, though, it still remains open and will continue to be open as long as there are men like Al Benton alive and free. Your FBI and other law enforcement agencies can try to apprehend those others, but only after they have committed their crimes. Your job lies in the field of crime prevention, in the wiping out of the Al Benton breed. In that task, you may have the advice and aid, the cooperation of police officers everywhere. But the real work must be done by you. By you in whatever your role might be. Parent, citizen, or just plain decent human being interested in making your community a better place in which to live. Now a quick review of two advantages of the Equitable Assured Home Ownership Plan. First, the mortgage bears interest at only 4%. Second, the plan provides for a cash loan fund that may be used to pay off a 20-year mortgage in about 14 years. For further information about the Assured Home Ownership Plan, see your Equitable Society representative or send a postcard care of this station to the Equitable Life Assurance Society. Next week, we will dramatize another case from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It's subject, Armed Robbery. It's titled, The Toy Bandit. 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 places or persons living or dead is accidental. Tonight, the music was composed and conducted by Frederick Steiner. The narrator was William Woodson, and Special Agent Taylor was played by Stacey Harris. Others in the cast were Richard Crenna, Lamont Johnson, Joyce McClusty, Paul Richards, John Sheehan, and Peggy Weber. This is your FBI is a Jerry Devine 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 transcribe story from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Toy Bandit on This Is Your FBI. Stay tuned for the adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. There's fun for the whole family when Ozzie and Harriet come your way next. This program came to you from Hollywood.