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Dragnet, the documentary 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 Wednesday, March 18th.
It was cold in Los Angeles. We're working the night watch out of robbery detail. My partner's
Ben Romero. The boss is Captain Ed Walker. My name is Friday. It was 9 48 p.m. when I got to room 27A,
robbery detail. Hi, you ready to go? Yeah, we're gonna hustle. Here's your top coat, Joe. Thank
you, Ben. Where's Tom? We can pick him up down the hall. He's checking out some tear gas shelves.
Might need him. How about the address? You confirm it? 2100 Buchanan Avenue. It's a corner house.
Skipper? You know what to expect when you get out there. Don't take any chances. He's alone in the
house, all right? Supposed to be. Yeah, that won't give you much of a break. How do you mean? He's
heavy on guns, two revolvers and a hunting rifle. He's not shy about using them. Don't forget it.
Right, Ed. Slacks, Ben? Let's go. Okay. It's been a long haul. Yeah, hopeless washes it up.
Hunting rifle, couple of revolvers. What do you think, Joe? 18 robberies in three months. You
know the guy as well as I do. Yeah. What's your guess? His name was Hoffman, George R.
In our files, his criminal record dated back to high school days. Petty theft, grand theft, auto,
burglary, armed robbery. His record included two terms at Preston Reformatory and one at San
Quentin. Hoffman's latest campaign was a three-month run of armed robberies. We tried everything we knew
to stop him, but it wasn't enough. We'd failed to get a line on him until one of Captain Walker's
informants came up with a tip that Hoffman had been hiding out for the past month in a small bungalow
on the corner of Buchanan Avenue and Selma Street. According to the information, the suspect had a
good supply of food, ammunition, and three guns. 10, 15 p.m. Together with Sergeants Tom Gaffney and
Slats Henry, Ben and I parked our car down the street and started toward the house. It was foggy.
The street was poorly lighted. As we approached the house, we could see a light burning in one of
the rooms at the rear of the bungalow. The light in the back room, George, just went out. Yeah.
Slats, you and Tom want to cover the back? Right. Let's go, Tom. Be careful. Yeah.
All right, Ben. Easy, huh?
Wait a minute, Joe. Curtain's in that corner room. I thought I saw a move.
Come on, Ben. The front door. Come on. Hit it. Yeah.
Come on. Hit it again. Yeah. All right. Come on.
They got it blocked or something. Something piled against it. Come on. Once more.
Watch the furniture, Joe. Yeah. That front room's clear.
Joe, in the back. Come on.
Went outside window. Where'd he go? Across the street. Got him pinned down behind that car there.
He's in the car. All right, let's go for the tires.
All right, Hoffman, give it up. Cover this end, Slats. Right. Ben, that hedge across the street,
you see it? Yeah. OK. Let's run for it. Come on. You OK, Joe? Yeah. Hoffman,
you haven't got a chance. Throw out your guns. OK, Ben, give it back. All right. All right. I'm coming out.
Throw out your guns. Throw them in the street. Here they are.
All right, get out of the car. Hands behind your head. Come on.
All right. All right. Hands behind your back now. Slats. Yeah. You want to get our car? Right, Joe.
Who told you? Who gave you the tip? Does it matter? I made it easy enough for you. Lousy car wouldn't
start. It'd be three miles away if it would have started. Better call a tow truck, huh, Joe? Let me
give it a look, huh? Lousy luck, that's all it is. What was wrong with it, Joe? I tried it. It
wouldn't start for me. It should have turned on the ignition. George Hoffman was taken downtown
and booked on suspicion of robbery. At a special show up, he was identified by more than a dozen
of his robbery victims. Between his arraignments and his preliminary hearings, we worked together
with the district attorney's office in lining up witnesses and preparing the evidence against the
suspect. We figured we had an airtight case. Hoffman's trial in Superior Court was set for May 14th.
Hi, Joe. Hi, Slats. What's doing? Is it still raining, Hoffman? Yeah. This trial's coming up.
Hey, what happened to your eye? Yeah, how about that? I'll never live with that down. Yeah, come here. Let's see.
This real black eye I ever had had a bruise plenty. They hurt, you know. Yeah, how'd that happen?
Well, every week, Gaffney and I go up to the neighborhood boys club after work to help
coach the kids in sports, you know. Well, last week we had boxing lessons. Yeah. I was coaching this
one youngster. He turned out to be a lot quicker than I thought. You're really connected. I guess
everybody in the building's heard the story, huh? Yeah, just about. Gaffney took care of that. Captain
called me in this morning, asked me if I wanted to file assault charges against the kid. Some joke.
Never fails. You still coaching the kids up there? Not this week. Kids are supposed to get lessons in
wrestling. I'm not taking any chances. Yeah? They've been watching television for months.
I'll see you later, man. Yeah. Oh, nice, Lance. Hi, Ben. How are you? Pretty good. Put your coat on, Joe.
Yeah? What's the matter? George Hoffman. Yeah? Just broke a jail.
The morning of his escape, Hoffman was scheduled to appear in Superior Court for arraignment.
According to routine, he was taken from his county jail cell on the 12th floor of the
building. He was arrested on the day of the arrest. He was arrested on the day of the
arrest. He was arrested on the day of the arrest. He was arrested on the day of the arrest. He was
taken from his county jail cell on the 12th floor of the Hall of Justice and escorted to the jail
shower room on the 14th floor. There he was to take a bath, changed to his civilian clothes for his
appearance in court. While he was in the shower room, he turned on the hot water faucets, filling
the room with steam to hide his actions from the guard. He succeeded in forcing his way out through
one of the windows, climbed up one story to the roof. Realizing that he couldn't escape down
the edge of the roof and using the narrow crevices between the bricks to hold on, he climbed seven
stories down the outside of the building. At the eighth floor, he found an open window and got
inside. He slugged a bailiff who tried to stop him and then ran down the remaining flights of
stairs into the street and disappeared in the crowd. 20 minutes later, he robbed a dentist
office at 3rd and Los Angeles streets and got away. Police and sheriff's deputies covered the city
room. Ben and I were among them. 11 55 p.m. We checked back in with Captain Ed Walker.
You want to cut that speaker bin? Yeah.
Nothing. Not a trace of him. He must have a good friend someplace in town. Everything's covered. His
friends, relatives, his hideout, everyone he knows, every place he's ever been. We've plugged every
loophole we can think of. The depots, terminals, the airports, still no trace of him. I don't know.
It sure is a strange one. No stranger than climbing down the side of a building. Did you check that
story out, Ed? It's the truth. Apparently Hoffman planned the thing out pretty carefully. How do you
mean? The sheriff's men talked to some of the prisoners in the jail. They said Hoffman was
practicing for it since the day we put him in there. He'd work out five to six hours every night
building up his hands and fingers. How'd he do that? He used the upper bunk in his cell,
hang from the edge of it with the tips of his fingers. He'd do it for hours pulling his body up
and down. Made little grooves in the wall, dug his fingertips into him. Prisoners say he got so he
could hold himself up like that. Ten minutes of the stretch. That's pretty amazing. How about the bail
if he slugged? He'll be all right. A couple of bad bumps on the head, that's all.
Robbery, Walker. Oh yeah, little John. I sent them out about 10 minutes ago to relieve you.
Yeah, they ought to be there pretty soon. Right. How about our schedule, Ed? As far as I know,
we're going all night on this thing. Sheriff's office is the same. You two were relieved at 1130.
Better check back about 5 30 a.m. Okay? Right. It's a hot shot. I got it.
What is it? Drugstore holdup. They think it's Hoffman.
The scene of the holdup was the Rex Lake Pharmacy on the corner of Pico Boulevard and Pine Lake
Street. The victim, a Mr. Clarence Gerringer, told us that the holdup man had entered through a rear
door, slugged him and escaped on foot with his overcoat and about 150 dollars in cash.
We showed him a number of mug shots. He identified George Hoffman as the bandit. A special detail of
men were ordered on a thorough search of the general area around the drugstore. No sign of
the suspect. The citywide dragnet caught him. He was a man of the word. He was a man of the word.
The citywide dragnet continued all that night and into the next day. No developments. The search went
on. A week passed. Two weeks. At 10 p.m. on the day Hoffman was scheduled to be tried in Superior
Court, he beat up and robbed a 40-year-old liquor salesman in the Highland Park area.
Again, he made good his escape. Routine investigation failed to turn up a single lead.
June 8th. The suspect was still at large. The legwork continued.
817. Is that the address you got? Yeah, he said it was near the corner. Oh yeah, yeah, there it is.
The town's end hobby shop. Yeah, let's go in.
Joe, look at the electric train. Look at that one. Beautiful layout, huh? I guess that's all they
handle in here, electric trains. There must be money in it. Look at those signals there and
switches. They're all automatic. I wonder if my boy is old enough for a train yet.
There must be the manager over there. Come on. Say, excuse me, sir. Just a moment, please. Be right with you.
You've got to check this transformer. All right.
Uh-huh. Automatic coupling on the tanker car. Looked out of kilter.
Automatic coupling on the tanker car. Looked out of kilter. No mistake. Now, now let's see.
Yeah, she's a dandy, isn't she? All right. I'm sorry, gentlemen. Have to keep up our maintenance on
the rolling stock. What can I do for you? Police officers. We're looking for a Mr. Townsend. Oh yes,
I'm Roy Townsend. Are you the sergeant I talked with on the phone? Yes, sir. That's right. This is
my partner, Sergeant Romero. How can I do that? You mentioned that you might have some information
for us. Yes, as a matter of fact, I may have. About that fellow who climbed out and escaped.
Well, it was in all the papers. George Hoffman. Hoffman, Hoffman, that's it.
I'm a pretty good one for faces. I think I might have seen him last night. Where was that? On my
way home from the meeting. I belong to a model train club. Don't get enough of it here every day.
Yes, sir. We'd like to know about this man that you saw. As I say, I saw him going into the
auto court just down the street from where Mother and I live. It was pretty late after midnight.
Where do you live, Mr. Townsend? All the way by Pasadena, Royal Oaks Avenue. I know Mrs. Cox at
the auto court very well. I see. Well, this man that you saw last night, you're sure it was Hoffman?
I saw his picture in the paper when he climbed down and escaped. I don't say I'm positive it was
him, but I'm good on faces. Well, I wonder if you'd mind checking through these pictures. Not at all.
This one. He's the one I saw. Am I right? That's Hoffman. Do you happen to know if he's staying
there at that auto court? Oh, yes. He's been there for a month. Say, Sergeant, if you find out it
really is this Hoffman, don't tell Mrs. Cox at the auto court or they'll just break her heart.
Oh, is that so? She's sort of an amateur detective. She thinks she knows faces better than I do.
After we left the train shop, we called the office and filled them in.
Captain Walker called Pasadena and notified them. Then we drove out to the auto court where the
suspect was reportedly seen. Yes, you want something? Yeah, are you Mrs. Cox? Yes, I'm the manager here.
If you want lodgings, we're filled up. You might try the Golden Eagle straight down the street there.
Police officers, Mrs. Cox. Do you have Mr. Hoffman staying here? Hoffman? No, I don't.
Got a Hoffmeyer, though. You sure that's not it? No, look, would you look at this picture, ma'am.
Recognize him? Yes, but his name's not Hoffman. It's Kane,
number 23. He's not in, though, left this morning. Oh, is that so? Yes, won't be back for another hour.
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Before going on stakeout at the auto court where George Hoffman was registered, Ben put in a call
to the office. The owner of the court, Mrs. Cox, gave us a passkey to cottage number 23 where the
suspect was staying. We advised her to say nothing to Hoffman when he returned. We went to cottage 23
and waited. An hour passed. Hoffman failed to show. Another hour went by. Still no sign of him.
Well, what do you think? You got me, I don't know. One hour overdue. No chance it could have been
tipped. I don't see how. Mrs. Cox is the only one who knows we're here. There's no reason for her to
warn him. I don't know. His things are all here. His clothes. Well, we've had longer waits than this.
Relax, huh? Yeah. Hey, wait a minute. Can you see who it is? Man, coming from next door.
Joe? Okay, I'll cover you. Open it.
Oh, your new telephone directory? Oh, yeah, thanks. Anything wrong? No, there's nothing wrong. Thanks.
New phone book. Yeah.
We waited another hour. George Hoffman still had failed to appear. At four that afternoon,
we checked with the office. No word. At five thirty, we were still waiting. I'm just thinking, Joe.
Yeah. That fella Townsend in the train shop. That sure must be a dandy Hoffman.
Electric train. It runs into money, though, doesn't it? I think I'll talk to the wife about it.
Their education, you know. My boy sure get a kick out of having his own train. He's pretty young,
isn't he? Three years old. I could show him how to work it, put things together for him.
I'll get him. All right. Yeah. Oh, yeah, Leiden. I don't know when. Okay, thanks. What's doing?
Skipper just got a call from Pasadena. Yeah. They picked up Hoffman ten minutes ago.
The suspect George Hoffman was taken back to Los Angeles and lodged in county jail.
This time there was no escape. At his superior court trial on August 16th, he was convicted on
several counts of armed robbery and sentenced to the state penitentiary. From August to January of
the following year, the months went fast. We washed up a string of liquor store holdups just
before Christmas, got two days off. My uncle George and Aunt Allen came down from Renton,
Washington, and they were all in the hospital. We had to get them out of the hospital.
One came down from Renton, Washington to visit with my mother during the holidays.
In January, Ben was off work for a week with a bad dose of flu. Another five months went by.
Toward the end of June, we got word that George Hoffman was no longer at the state penitentiary.
After serving 11 months, the former holdup man had been paroled into the army with a provision
that he serve overseas. Another three weeks passed. July 12th, Tuesday, Ben and I had lunch at
Cokin's Cafe and checked back in at the office. I wish Cokin would change his menus a little often.
Fried beans and pastrami sandwiches. He seems to have the same thing every time.
You sure dug into him. I got the idea that you like him.
Like him all right. I don't just eat too much, that's all. Three sandwiches, two plates of beans.
I wonder I never eat dinner.
Ben, Joe?
Yeah.
You two back from lunch? I want to grab a sandwich.
Yeah, go ahead, slats. We can cover.
Okay, thanks. Chair, there's somebody waiting in the next room for you. I want to see you.
Okay, see you later.
Right.
Want to see who it is, Joe? I'll check the book.
Yeah, all right, fine.
Yes, sir, my name's Friday. You want to see me?
Yeah, that's right, Sergeant. Remember me? George Hoffman?
Oh, yeah, Hoffman. The army uniform there. I didn't recognize you.
Yeah, I thought I might fool you. I guess you heard about me. Good break, huh?
I'm glad you feel that way. How you doing with the army, huh?
Pretty good. I like it.
Well, that's fine.
Just thought I'd drop up and see you fellas. You still that partner you had? What's his name?
Rodriguez?
Romero. Yeah, yeah, we still work together.
Yeah, Romero. I knew it was some kind of name like that.
Yeah, well, come on in, Hoffman.
Oh, thanks.
Hey, Ben, George Hoffman here. He stopped in to see us.
Oh, yeah.
Hi. It's been a long time, Hoffman. How are you?
Pretty good, Sergeant. Thanks. Just thought I'd stop by, you know, show there's no hard feelings.
Oh, sure thing. You got any idea when you're going overseas?
Oh, boys in my outfit figure day after tomorrow. That's kind of one reason why I dropped in to see you.
Well, how's that?
Well, I know it's pretty nervy, but I got lots of that. You see, a bunch of us are on leave till
tomorrow noon. Figured we'd go out tonight and I'm a little short. You know how the army pays.
Okay. Well, how about a couple of bucks, George? Will that do you any good?
Sure, I swear to you, Sergeant. Believe me, I'll see you get it back.
Here's a couple more, Hoffman. Might help out.
Well, it's no use telling you how much I appreciate it. I give you my word I won't forget it.
I'm going to pay this money back to you.
Oh, forget it, George. We're glad to help you out.
Well, thanks again for the touch, huh? Sure and I see you.
Okay. Now drop a card if you get a chance. Like to hear how you're doing over there.
Sure thing. See you later, huh?
Right. Good luck to you, boy.
Well, looks like a turn for the better anyway, huh?
But it was my last two bucks, dog. Gone did it never fail.
Well, we had to give him something.
Yeah, but what do I do for lunch money tomorrow?
2 p.m. We drove out to the Wilshire district to interview a robbery victim.
We brought him back downtown and took his statement.
4.30 p.m. We checked back in with Captain Walker.
Hi, skipper. Henry says that ex-con George Hoffman was in today.
Yeah. Yeah, that's right, Ed. Why?
Have a look. Thanks.
The MP's left about 20 minutes ago.
Well, your two bucks went for nothing, Ben. Hoffman's wanted.
Huh?
He broke out of Army prison 10 o'clock this morning.
Together with the Army authorities, local officers joined in the citywide search for George Hoffman.
At 10 o'clock that night, a food market on Santa Fe and Riala was robbed and the proprietor beaten.
From our mug shots, the victim identified Hoffman as the holdup man.
Shortly after midnight, a drugstore on Crenshaw was held up.
Hoffman was again tabbed as the suspect.
The next two days, the search was intensified. No leads.
Two more days went by.
Late Saturday morning, we got a hurry-up call from the detail on duty at the Union station.
Hoffman had been reported in the vicinity.
Ben and I drove down to the depot to check with the officer in charge, Slats Henry.
Spot him, Joe?
No. Let's have a look back at the ticket counters, huh?
Yeah, there he is over by the phone booth. Come on.
Hi, Slats.
Hi. Looks pretty good.
What's the story?
One of the newsboys up the street gave us a tip.
About an hour ago, a guy gave him a dollar to come down here and buy a ticket for him.
Ticket to Phoenix.
Yeah?
Kid came in, bought the ticket, went back up the street and gave it to the man.
We showed the kid a bunch of mug shots. He picked out Hoffman's.
Yeah. He's not wearing his army uniform, huh?
No. Brown suit, dark blue overcoat, no hat. That's what the kid told us.
Any idea which train he was taking for Phoenix?
Not exactly. He asked when the first train for Phoenix was.
Newsboy told him 3.35.
Mm-hmm. Ten minutes to 12 now.
You got enough men to handle it, Slats?
Everything's covered. Only one thing lacking.
Yeah?
Hoffman.
Well, the stakeout continued on the Union Station. Ben and I, together with Gaffney and Henry from
robbery, covered the bars, restaurants and hotels in the immediate area for a sign of the suspect.
2.30 p.m.
What do you think?
We better head back down for the station and see what's going on.
You're okay.
I'd like to have a dime for every mile we have logged on this case.
Yeah.
Joe, have a look.
Where?
Across the street, dark blue overcoat. Same build as Hoffman.
I'll bet on him. Come on.
He spotted us.
Yeah, that's Hoffman. Come on.
We'll pick it up.
I lost him, Joe. Where'd he go?
Turned down first, Joe.
He's got a gun.
He's got a gun.
He's got a gun.
He's got a gun.
He's got a gun.
He's got a gun.
Joe, where'd he go? Turned down first street. Come on, hurry.
Yeah.
Across the street, Ben. Watch the traffic.
Where'd he go?
I've seen him.
That antique store on the corner. He ran in there.
Come on. Yeah.
There he is. All right, Hoffman.
Out of the way, mister.
All right, hold it right there, Hoffman.
I'm coming out. Move.
Watch it, Joe.
I said I'm coming on. You hear me?
You're going the hard way, George.
Come on, drop it. Drop it.
All right, Hoffman.
All right, Hoffman. All right. On your feet.
Come on, get up.
Now, get your hands behind you.
Sure.
What goods are going to do you?
All right, mister. Let's go.
What goods are going to do? I already proved it.
I can break jail any time. I proved it twice.
You're going right back in again.
What's that prove?
The story you have just heard was true.
Only the names were changed to protect the innocent.
On October 8th, trial was held in Superior Court,
Department 89, City and County of Los Angeles, State of California.
In a moment, the results of that trial.
Now, here is our star, Jack Webb.
Thank you.
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George R. Hoffman was tried and convicted
on several counts of robbery and received a life sentence
as a hardened criminal.
After serving 10 months of his sentence,
Hoffman attempted an escape and failed.
A few weeks later, he took his own life in his prison cell by hanging.
Ladies and gentlemen, next week, in answer to your requests,
Dragnet will repeat A Gun for Christmas,
the actual case history broadcast last year during the Yuletide season.
That's next Thursday, December 21st.
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.H. Parker, Los Angeles Police Department.
This is Bob Hope. Can we steal a second?
Don't forget to give Crosby for Christmas.
I mean the Chesterfield Christmas Carton with Bing as Papa Santa Claus.
See you Tuesday.
Fatima cigarettes, the best of all long cigarettes,
has brought you Dragnet, portions transcribed from Los Angeles.
We the People is next with more good times on NBC.