The story you are 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 bunko fugitive detail.
You receive information an escaped criminal is hiding out in your city.
He's dangerous.
He may be armed.
Your job, get him.
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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 from official police
files.
From beginning to end, from crime to punishment, Dragnet is the story of your police force
in action.
Was Thursday, April 27.
It was warm in Los Angeles.
We're working a night watch out of bunko fugitive detail.
My partner's Ben Romero.
The boss is Blaine Steed, captain of bunko fugitive.
My name's Friday.
I was on the way back from communications and it was 6.45 p.m. when I got to room 38,
squad room.
Hi.
How are you?
How about some dinner?
Well, we got one to check out first.
Here's the teletypes.
Kimber just brought it in.
Thanks.
San Rafael, huh?
Pick up and hold for this department.
One Alfred Garvey.
Wanted for suspicion, forgery, robbery.
This man poses as a suspect.
He's a suspect.
He's a suspect.
He's a suspect.
He's a suspect.
He's a suspect.
He's a suspect.
He's a suspect.
This man poses as a fingerprint expert from San Rafael Police Department.
Here's his mug pulled from the record bureau.
We're informed Garvey is registered at the Fair Deal Hotel, your city.
Where's he at?
Over near First and Broadway.
Please advise us on his arrest and officers will arrive with warrant signed Chief Police
Frank Kelly, San Rafael, California.
Shouldn't take long to pick him up.
All right.
We can eat later, I guess.
Hi.
Hi, Max.
What are you doing around?
I thought you took off on vacation.
I just came back to pick up some stuff from my locker.
Soft touch.
Sure.
Listen, the wife's got the car there.
You guys going anywhere near North Main and Daly?
Yeah, we're going to leave right now.
Oh, okay.
Let me grab my coat.
All right.
You live out near Highland Park, don't you, Mike?
Yeah.
Mike took the kids shopping in the car this afternoon.
And I got him shoes for our vacation.
Kids sure scuff up the toes in a hurry.
All right, you all set?
Let's go.
Where are you going on your vacation?
Big bear.
We're going to stay the whole three weeks.
The in-laws own a cabin up there.
They even pay the utilities for us.
That's pretty nice.
Only one trouble.
What's that?
They're coming with us.
Oh.
Where'd you park?
In the captain's stall.
All right.
I'll ride in the back.
Okay.
I'll take care of it.
All right.
I'll take care of it.
All right.
I'll take care of it.
All right.
I'll take care of it.
All right.
I'll take care of it.
All right.
You two still working on that valley case?
No.
We washed it up Monday.
What's this one?
Tell-a-type from San Rafael and what some guy picked up.
There's a mugshot.
Who's Richard's going to work with while he's gone, Mike?
I don't know.
What's the crowd up ahead?
Oh, yeah.
Freiners Convention.
I forgot that they were having a parade tonight.
You better stay over to one side.
I think we can get through all right.
Watch those kids there.
Yeah, there we go.
That's the place up ahead, isn't it?
Fair deal, yeah.
We gotta stop by this hotel a minute, Max.
You want to wait here?
I'll come in.
All right.
It's a big turnout for the parade, huh?
Yeah, it's a big crowd.
Fair deal hotel.
Look at those rates.
$2.35 a day, $2 a week.
Yes, sir, can I help you?
Police officers, would you look at this picture, please?
All right.
Maybe registered as Alfred Garvey.
Garvey sure came in yesterday.
The picture makes him look old.
Is he in now?
Let's see.
Garvey room 307.
The key is gone.
He must be in.
Yes, sir.
Elevator's down there at the end of the hall.
Okay.
The elevator's in use.
Let's take the stairs.
I'll wait for you here.
I want to see the parade.
Okay, Max.
I've never seen it to fail.
What's that?
Stairs.
Every time my archie's hurt, we get a thief to check who lives upstairs.
Just one more flight.
Yeah.
305, 307.
Door's open.
Let's have a look.
Come on.
It's empty.
Nothing in the closet.
Yeah, pretty fast checkout.
It came from downstairs.
The lobby, come on.
Yep.
Come on, hurry up.
Hey, stop him!
Stop that guy, police!
The police!
It's Maxwell.
Max, Max, are you all right?
He went out the door.
Blue suit.
He was carving.
He shot your friend.
Call an ambulance.
He ran out the door.
He shot your friend.
Come on, Ben.
Call an ambulance, will you?
Hey, you.
Did you see a man come out of this hotel?
What'd you say?
Did you just see a man come out of this hotel?
I don't know.
All right, Ben, you go that way.
I'll check up this way.
Yeah, right.
What's the matter?
Watch where you're going, huh?
Did you see a man running up this way just now about my height?
Blue suit?
No, I didn't see anybody.
Did you see anybody?
Hey, hey, boy.
Yeah, you want a paper, mister?
No, listen, did you see a man running by here a minute ago in a blue suit?
Maybe.
I didn't notice.
Do you want a paper?
I'm sorry.
Sorry, lady.
Ben, Ben, over here.
Yeah.
Did you spot him?
No, we're gonna need help.
All right, come on.
I called an ambulance.
You better help your friend.
He's bleeding.
I don't know what to do.
Ben, get a hold of communications.
Get some help out here.
All right.
The guy came down the elevator.
He was carving.
He was carving.
He was carving.
He was carving.
He was carving.
He was carving.
He was carving.
Your friend tried to stop him.
Garvey shot him right in the face.
All right, stop yelling, huh?
He was terrible.
Now look, he's bleeding.
You better do something.
Will you shut up?
Max, Max, how is it?
Man, chest hurts.
All right, easy, huh?
Garvey came out of the elevator fast with a gun.
All right, take it easy now.
Joe, I've got communications there blocking off the area.
That's fine.
Watch that front door.
Will you keep those people out of here?
Yeah, yeah.
Chest hurts.
Chest?
I'll be here in a minute, boy.
Call the wife, Eleanor.
Ambulance this year?
Yeah.
He looks bad.
He's not going to get any worse.
He's dead.
The name on the personnel report said John Warren Maxwell, Sergeant.
Los Angeles Police Department, badge number 103-77.
Nearest living relative, wife, Eleanor Jean Maxwell.
Dependents, John Maxwell Jr., six years.
Deborah Lee Maxwell, two years.
Death and line of duty, April 27th, 715 p.m.
John Maxwell's body was removed from Georgia Street to the county morgue.
At 745, a special detail of men from homicide and bunko fugitive were on the scene to aid in the investigation of the killing.
The neighborhood where the Fair Deal Hotel was located was covered for a half mile around.
By nine o'clock, the parade was over and the area was cleared.
We had a single lead to work with.
In checking out the different taxi cab stands in the neighborhood,
we found out that three separate fares had been picked up within two blocks of the hotel, four minutes after the shooting.
Ben and I went to the offices of the taxi cab company.
The cabs in question were called in and the way bills were checked.
The times of the three different trips were listed and so was the address of each destination.
We copied down the addresses and then interviewed the drivers.
We're going to give each one of you half a dozen pictures.
I'd like to see if you can identify any of them as passengers you picked up tonight near the Fair Deal Hotel.
All right, here you go. Four, five, six.
Check them carefully, please.
Here, yours, right here.
Take a good look at each one of them.
Okay, thanks.
Now, fellas, take your time.
Look them all over real good before you make up your minds.
Here. Here's the one, Sergeant. No mistake.
Let me see. Where'd you pick up this man?
About a block from the hotel. I drove him to a place on 14th Street. Same address on the way bill.
Ben.
Yeah?
Alfred Garvey.
Ben and I, along with Ricketson Chandler from homicide, drove out to the 14th Street address, another small, transient hotel.
The clerk on duty identified Garvey from his mugshot.
He said the suspect had called at the hotel at about 745 that night and asked to see one of the guests, Mrs. Lorraine Thomas.
The clerk said he told Garvey Mrs. Thomas was out, that she hadn't been there for four days.
Ricketson Chandler went on stakeout in the lobby of the hotel, and Ben and I went up to the second floor to stake out Mrs. Thomas' room Friday, 1125 a.m.
Lorraine Thomas returned to the hotel and was taken into custody.
We took her to homicide and questioned her for more than an hour.
She admitted that she was acquainted with Garvey, but that's all.
One o'clock. We went to Clifton's cafeteria for lunch.
Here, take this tray.
Thanks.
Silverware?
Hmm.
You were the first one he ran to after the shooting.
Garvey doesn't have many friends in Los Angeles. Maybe that's why he looked me up. I'll have a mixed green salad, please.
What kind of work does Garvey do, do you know?
He told me he was in the Merchant Marines.
Coleslaw.
Some of that potato salad, please.
Do you know what he does in the Merchant Marines?
He told me his steward. French dressing, please.
Do you know any of his friends in town?
No, I don't. Dry bread. Can I have an extra butter, please?
I'm French roll. What kind do you want, Ben?
Give me some of those biscuits.
Thank you.
Does Garvey usually stay at the Fair Deal Hotel when he's in town?
I don't know.
That split-piece soup sure looks good.
We told you the police up north were looking for him.
Yeah, I know you did.
Like I told you, I've been out with him a few times. That's all I know about him.
He must have introduced you to some of his friends.
I'll have the prime ribs there. Rare. That piece there.
How about it? Did you ever meet any of his friends?
Yeah, one or two. No, no gravy.
Meatloaf, brown gravy. Remember any of the names of his friends?
I just met him, that's all. I don't remember.
Let me have a roast turkey. Go kind of heavy on that dressing, will you?
Did you ever go out with any of them?
No.
Why do you think Garvey went to your hotel after the shooting?
I don't know.
Maybe he figured you'd hide him.
I don't know why he should.
He killed a man and headed straight for your place.
That doesn't make you look too good.
I can't help that. I like some of those string beans, please.
Miss Thomas, you know it's going to go hard on you if you're holding back information on Garvey.
I'm not.
Why don't you take some of that summer squash, Joe? It's good for you.
I can't eat that much. When did you first meet Garvey?
About three years ago, up in St. Helena.
You might as well keep your nose clean.
How do you mean?
We're going to reach him, Miss Thomas. You might as well tell us all you know.
Look, if Garvey's killing people, I don't want to have any more to do with him.
We do. Now, where is he?
I told you, I don't know.
Squash, please.
You said you had a little boy, didn't you, Miss Thomas?
Do we have to talk about it now? I thought we were going to have lunch.
How old's your little boy?
He's seven years old.
Where is he now?
He's in school up in San Francisco.
Isn't this line going off a flow?
It's lunchtime.
You know that cop that Garvey killed last night?
Mashed potatoes, country gravy.
Do you hear what I said?
Yes, I know he killed a cop.
He had a little boy, too.
There's nothing I can do.
No potatoes, thanks.
Yeah, there's something you can do, Miss Thomas. You can tell us where Garvey is.
If I knew, I'd tell you.
Brunch fries, please.
You're kidding us, Miss Thomas, but we're not going to kid you.
You know a lot more about this than you're telling us.
Maybe I do, but I'm scared.
Who are you afraid of?
Look, why can't you count me out of this? I don't want any part of it.
You're in all the way. The only way you're going to get out is to tell us what you know.
He'll kill me.
If something happens to me, nobody's going to worry about my kid.
You don't have to worry. He's not going to find out.
No, no dessert, please.
Now both kill me.
Both? Who's the other one?
Who wants the you? It's trouble no matter what you try to do. Nothing but trouble.
Garvey's working with somebody, is that it?
His name's Jack Fleming.
Yeah?
They made me promise to cover for him, give him a place to hide out whenever the heat was on.
Then you know where they are.
No, I don't. That's the truth.
Why do they need a place to hide out?
You said Garvey killed a cop.
What about Fleming?
Oh, Joe, you better move along.
Oh, I'm sorry.
What about Fleming?
They're going to pull some jobs.
All right, we can skip the dessert. Come on.
I'll take a check for all of them.
Let's go.
What kind of jobs? Where?
Hold up. Tomorrow night.
Three Kings Liquor Store out in Wilshire.
Let's sit down.
They're both the same, Garvey and Fleming.
They can't hold a gun without usin'.
Here's the table.
Oh, you dropped your tray. I'll get you some more.
Don't bother. I'm not hungry anymore.
You are listening to Dragnet, the case history of a police investigation, presented in the public interest by Fatima Cigarettes.
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The Last Rites
Saturday, April 29th.
Last Rites were held for Sergeant John Maxwell and he was buried at Holy Cross Cemetery.
A guard of honor from the police department was present along with most of the men Maxwell had worked with in Munko fugitive detail.
The chief of detectives delivered a short eulogy and one of the men from the department band sounded taps over the grave.
We got back to the office at noon, checked in at the record bureau.
The photocopy room had taken negatives of Garvey's and Fleming's coming out mugs and made duplicates that were distributed to all officers.
The stakeouts continued at the Fair Deal in the 14th Street Hotel where Lorraine Thomas was staying.
She was put under protective custody.
Ben and I, Ricketts and Chandler went on stakeout at the Three Kings Liquor Store on Wilshire Boulevard.
It was a large modern place and it did a volume business, especially on Saturday night.
Ricketts and Chandler covered the store from the outside.
Ben and I were stationed in the supply room at the rear of the place where we had the main counter and most of the store in full view.
We set up a prearranged signal with the clerk on duty and if and when Garvey and Fleming showed up, the clerk was to accidentally knock an empty bottle off the counter.
We waited until midnight. Nothing happened.
It's the first customer in half an hour, it's kind of slow.
Yeah, wait a minute, here comes another one.
No sale, it's a woman.
The clerk sure got the jitters.
I'll put in with him.
I could go for a hamburger.
What did you eat there?
I wasn't very hungry, man.
I got an almond bar, you want?
Yeah, thanks. Wait a minute, another customer.
Yeah, man, can't see his face too well with that hat on, can you?
That's Fleming, come on.
Police officers, get your hands up.
Watch it, Joe.
You're hitting.
He's going out the front, come on.
Ricketts and Chandler stopped him.
Yeah, he's down, watch him. Get the gun.
Yeah.
Yeah, here, here, there.
That's Fleming, all right.
Ricketts, call an ambulance.
What's the score?
Looks like one in the shoulder and legs too.
What about Garvey?
I don't know.
What do you think?
Fleming stopped all the slugs.
Yeah.
Let's ask him.
The wounded suspect was treated at Georgia Street Receiving Hospital
and then booked into the prison ward at the General Hospital.
At 11 a.m. the next day, we questioned him,
but he refused to admit that he even knew Alfred Garvey.
We re-questioned Fleming for the next three days with no results.
The stakeouts continued, the search went on.
There was no response to our APB.
Garvey was still at large.
As far as we were concerned, there was only one way to get directly to Garvey,
and that was through Fleming.
We called on Lorraine Thomas again and asked her that if she would try to get some information on Fleming,
try to get him to talk and to tell her where Garvey was.
I'm not even sure if he knows where Garvey's hiding.
He must have a good idea.
Even if he has, he's not going to tell me. He wouldn't trust me that far.
He'll go further with you than he will with us. He won't even give us his name.
I'm afraid it's up to you, Miss Thomas.
Why can't you let me out of this?
Look, figure it this way.
You knew about Fleming and Garvey. You knew they were in town. You knew what they were up to.
You didn't break your back to save that dead cop's life.
Garvey shot him. I didn't.
You knew he was a killer. You knew he had a gun.
What do you want me to do?
Get close to Fleming. Visit him every day till he talks.
He doesn't trust me. I told you.
Then get him to trust you, will you? Do favors for him.
He wants to contact friends to raise money for a lawyer. Help him do that.
Run errands. Do anything for him within reason.
Suppose he finds out about the holdup that I told you about it.
He's got a long stretch ahead of him. He won't bother you.
They'll kill me if they find out. They wouldn't wait a minute.
They won't find out.
All right. It won't be my fault.
Al did the shooting. He killed the cop, let him square it up.
He'll square it with the court. There's only one trouble.
Maxwell's wife and kids, how does Al square it with them?
On the morning of May 8th, suspect Jack Fleming was removed from his private room
and wheeled down to the X-ray lab on the pretext of treatment.
While he was absent, a dictaphone was placed in his room by a sound crew from the crime lab.
Fleming was then returned.
That afternoon, while Ben and I listened in on earphones in the next room,
Lorraine Thomas paid her first visit to Fleming.
We had briefed her on how to proceed in getting a suspect to talk,
in particular to reveal Garvey's hideout. It was a slow process.
For the next 15 days, between the hours of 2 and 4 in the afternoon,
Mrs. Thomas visited Fleming while Ben and I monitored their conversation in the adjoining room.
For 15 days, despite all her shows of confidence, Fleming refused to confide.
He was sullen and closed-mouthed. Some afternoons he would hardly speak to her.
On the 16th day, his mood seemed to be improving.
Here, let me fix that pillow for you, Jack.
There, buddy?
Yeah, that's good. Thanks.
I, uh, I got in touch with Dave and Johnny like you asked me to.
Huh? What'd they say?
Well, they said they could get you the money for the lawyer the day after tomorrow.
And Dave said he might be over to see you tonight.
That's fine. Once I get a lawyer, I'll stop worrying.
I stopped by Denelli's place, too.
Pop Royce wasn't there. I'm going back tomorrow to see him.
He ought to be able to help.
You've been okay, Lurie. I won't forget it.
That's what friends are for.
Jim, I'm sure sorry you had to get it this way.
I can give it back where it came from.
Say, I bought you some new magazines, a couple of candy bars.
Well, put them over here near the bed, will you?
Yeah, sure. Let me get them for you.
There, Jack. See, I'll put them right here at this table.
I'll bring you some more tomorrow.
No, that's fine. You're going to try and see Pop Royce again tomorrow?
Yeah, they told me he'd be in around noon for sure.
If I don't see him then, I'll keep trying till I do.
Yeah, that's it. Oh, listen, there's something else.
Sure, Jack.
Come here. I don't want to talk loud.
The cops might have bugged this room.
Yeah.
All right. A little closer.
Okay.
Tonight, I want you to go to George's joint, the Blue Moon, down on South Flower.
Yeah?
And ask for George at the bar. He's usually around from 11.
Tell George you've seen me. He'll know it.
Then tell him to take you to Al.
Take me to Al?
Yeah, Al Garvey. George knows the place.
Yeah? Okay, Jack.
And keep your mouth shut. Don't talk to anybody but George. He knows the place.
All right, Jack. It'll help you out.
Well, yeah. It's a long wait.
We're paid.
Let's go.
Ten forty-five p.m. A detail of three cars followed Lorraine Thomas to the Blue Moon Tavern on South Flower Street.
We parked down the block and watched her go in.
At fifteen minutes past eleven, she came out with a small fat man in a dark blue suit.
They got in a tan-colored coupe and drove south.
The cruiser cars, using three-way radio, tailed the coupe alternately out through the Echo Park area
and then back to the starting point at the Blue Moon Tavern.
Lorraine Thomas went back into the bar with a man and twenty minutes later came out,
caught a taxi and took it to her hotel on Fourteenth Street.
We drove back to the office. It was five minutes past one a.m.
That's it.
I get it.
Monco Fugitive Friday.
Lorraine Thomas, Sergeant. He showed me the place George did.
Where?
We drove past it. Ten thirty-two Alamo, apartment three.
Is Garvey there now?
No. George said he's supposed to be there tomorrow in the afternoon, five o'clock.
George said I'll have to go alone.
Are they watching the place?
I think so. Garvey's staying with another man. They got guns.
You know where Garvey is now?
George wouldn't tell me.
We can't afford to tip our hand. How do we know Garvey will be there at five o'clock tomorrow?
That's just it. We don't.
May 9th, three p.m.
An immediate stakeout was placed at the suspected hideout.
A detail of twenty plain clothesmen began filtering into the neighborhood in the vicinity of ten thirty-two Alamo Street.
A three-story apartment house at that address was checked thoroughly and then covered on all sides.
Apartment three on the first floor was checked out too.
It was registered to a Thomas King, whom the manager identified as Alfred Garvey from his mugshot.
To avoid pedestrian casualties, we toured the immediate vicinity between three and four thirty that afternoon,
advising residents and storekeepers to clear the street and stay inside.
At four thirty-five p.m., the men in the detail took up their assigned positions. We waited.
Hold that light, will you, Jim?
Yeah.
Thanks. I'm in a lot of trouble for that punk Garvey.
There'll be more trouble if he doesn't show.
No search left. Handcoupé coming down the street behind us.
Same one we tailed last night.
A girl driving. There's two guys with him.
You know, Garvey's one of them. They're pulling up.
Ready?
Wait a minute.
All right, let's go.
Police officers, hold it right there.
Hell, cops!
Get down!
They're behind the car.
Throw them in, Garvey. You haven't got a chance.
Hell, break from the house!
All right, hold it, Ben.
Can't see. Both of them.
Come on.
Both dead.
Both dead. Garvey, the other guy.
Rotten case.
It's a rotten business.
The story you have just heard was true.
Only the names were changed to protect the innocent.
On August 2nd, trial was held in Superior Court,
Department 93, City and County of Los Angeles, State of Florida.
In a moment, the results of that trial.
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Jack Fleming, the only survivor of the holdup gang, was found guilty of several counts of armed robbery.
Garvey's accomplices who aided him in hiding out were tried and convicted of being accessories.
They are serving prison terms as prescribed by law.
You have just heard Dragnet, a series of authentic cases from official files.
Technical advice for Dragnet comes from the Office of Chief of Police, W.A. Wharton, Los Angeles Police Department.
Fatima cigarettes, the best of all long cigarettes, has brought you Dragnet from Los Angeles.
The halls of Ivy is pleasant listening tomorrow on NBC.
Music