Ladies and gentlemen, the story you are about to hear is true. The names have been changed
to protect the innocent. Dragmen. You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned a robbery
detail. A pair of thieves has been terrorizing the merchants in your city. They're described
as a man and a woman. From their actions, you know they're capable of murder. Your job,
stop them. It was Wednesday, July 23rd. It was warm in Los Angeles. We were working the
night watch out a robbery detail. My partner's Frank Smith. The boss is Chief of Detective
Stab Brown. My name's Friday. I was on my way back from the main jail and it was 8.16
p.m. when I got to room 27A. Robbery detail. Hi, Slats. Joe, any word from Frank? Yeah,
I talked to Skipper this morning. He said they were having a little trouble with that extradition.
Anything big? No, I guess not. Chief Brown said the authorities back in St. Louis would
get us straightened out. Frank ought to be back in the middle next week. Skipper said
he wants me to work with you on that liquor store thing. Gaffney and I can use some help.
We run down just about every lead there is. They all end up in the same place. Well, I
got a little of it. You want to film me and them arrest? Yeah. Hot shot. I'll get it.
You can get it firsthand. Yeah. They just scored again. Sergeant Slats, Henry, Tom Gaffney
and I went downstairs to the carpool. We took out our robbery car and we rolled on the call
code three. It took us a little over ten minutes to get to the corner of Alexandria and Burns
and the place that had reported being robbed was a small neighborhood liquor store. By
the time we'd gotten there, a radio card answered the call and a felony car from Hollywood division
had gotten there. While Gaffney talked with the men in the felony car, Slats and I went
inside the store to see the victim. The uniformed officer who was with him told us that the
elderly man's name was Charles Osborne. We got what information the officer had been
able to get and while he went to his unit to get out a broadcast on the suspects, Slats
and I talked to Osborne. Well, there's much to tell. I guess they worked it the same way
they've been doing. That's the way our tells the papers. Same. There were two of them,
were there? Yeah, a man and a woman, two. Might be better if you told us just exactly
what happened. Well, just pick up any paper. It's all there. They've been doing the same
thing for a couple of weeks. I don't understand it. I don't. What's that, Mr. Osborne? Well,
these two just walk into any store and take what they want. You guys don't seem to be
able to stop them. You go great guns after they've held up somebody, then you're great.
But why are you when they're doing the robbing, huh? Why are you there? Where? Well, if you
just calm down here and tell us what happened, we might be able to do something about it.
Oh, well, they come in just like always. By what time was that? Well, it must have been
round eight. I was a little too busy to look at my watch. Do you want to go ahead? Well,
there was two of them, man and the woman. Yes, sir. Man and the woman. They're over
there at the door. Woman walked right up here at the counter, right up, stood there. First
off, I thought she had a cold or something. Wasn't long that thought held on. No, no,
sir, not long at all. Yes, sir. Turned out to be a mask. Thanks, if you know. Right across
here. Right here across her face. About that time, of course, I realized there was something
was wrong, you know, anybody walks into the store with a mask off, they don't mean no
good. Oh, none. Yes, sir. Did you get a good look at the pair before they put the masks
on? No, sir, not at all. No, no, they had them kind of up over their mouths when they
come in, kind of like they was going to cough or something. Then they took their hands away
and I could see that the handkerchief was tied right on. Tied. Yes, sir. Do you want
to go ahead? Well, this woman come over to the counter and asked me for a bottle of Canadian
whiskey. Just as calm as can be. I spot right out. I walked over, you see, there. Yeah,
that's where I keep the Canadian stuff and got a bottle. I see. Got it right down and
I turned around and there she was, just standing there with the mask on. Had it tied right
around. Tied. Yes, sir. What happened then? Well, I asked them what the big idea was.
I thought that maybe they were playing a little joke, you see. They was. What was on me. Woman
told me to put the bottle in the paper bag and put the money in the bag, too. Told me
to open the register and just put all the money right in the bag. Did you see if they
were armed? No wonder you haven't caught them. Sir? You've got a life-size picture of me
giving them the money if they wasn't armed. You got that kind of idea? No, sir, we just
want to know if they had guns. Of course they had. God, did you see them? Well, naturally.
Right out in the open. No, no, no, no. Wait, wait, wait, wait a second. Come right down
to it. I didn't actually see them. The fellow, he was at the door over there. He had his
hand in his pocket. She had her hand in a purse, see, like this. You see? Like this,
kind of. Come right down to it. I didn't really see them, no. But I'm sure they were there,
I'm sure. Yes, sir. Well, what happened after the woman asked for the money? Well, her and
the fellow just told me not to move for five minutes. Had me to keep real still. Said I
wouldn't get hurt. I just took it easy. And they left the store. Did they walk away from
the place? Oh, no, no, sir. They had a car parked right out in front, right in front.
Got into that and wore it down the street. I counted to a hundred by ones and then called
you. Did the uniformed officer get a description? Yes, sir. Right off. All right, Mr. Osborne,
if you'd give us a description of the pair. Well, the woman was about, oh, maybe five
foot three, round in there, weighting around a hundred and thirty. Just flaming red. Had
do I. What color were the eyes? Flaming red. Flaming red. I told you that before. No, sir,
not her eyes. Her eyes. Yes. Why? Oh, I'm all confused here. Well, her eyes were blue.
Yes, sir. That's how I knew that. Her hair was bright red. What was she wearing? Oh,
had on a kind of beret, green, kind of green coat, red purse, red shoes, low heel. The
front was cut out. How about the man? What did he look like? Oh, he's a big one. He must
have been around sixty. I couldn't tell good because he was standing over there with a
door, but he was a big one. I tell you, he weighed about a hundred and seventy, maybe
more. How about his coloring? Dark, dark hair, dark eyes. Of course, I couldn't see anything
very good. Then he had that mask on. What was he wearing? He had a blue suit on, looked
kind of like it was linen. How about his shirt and tie? White shirt, black tie. Shirt was
a button down collar. No hat. Did either one of them have any marks or scars that might
make it easier to identify him? Not that I could see, no, sir. How about accents? Either
of them have any kind of speech peculiarity? No. Exactly what did the woman say to you?
Do you remember the word she used? Uh-huh. Well, first off, she asked for the whiskey.
She said, give me a bottle of Canadian whiskey. Didn't mention any special brand. Then when
I brought it back, she said, just put it in the paper bag and then to the register and
that too. That's what the woman said. Did the man say anything at all? Well, when he
was leaving, he said, stay put, Pop. Stay there for five minutes. You won't get hurt.
Those are his words. Exactly. I remember them. All right, sir. We'd like you to come downtown
and check some pictures for us, if you will. Well, I guess it'll be all right. You guys
should sure get on the ball, though. It's getting pretty bad. Sir? It seems a little
silly you can't catch these people right out instead of rushing around locking the door
after the horse has been stole. It was a little late then, seems to me. Yes, sir. Well, they've
been pretty lucky. They'll probably try this same thing again. Yeah. We'll try to be there
the next time. A search of the immediate area failed to turn up anything that might lead
to the identity of the thieves. A broadcast had been gotten out to all cars in the city,
giving the description of the couple, the automobile they were driving and the clothes
they were wearing. The pair was there for the past three weeks. In that, they planned
to work. They'd steal a car. Then on the night that they started their operation, they'd
pick one of the city's main arterials and start at one end of it. They'd hit three or
four stores in the area in a period of half an hour. The stolen car would be parked on
a side street and the couple would make good their escape. All of the routine efforts had
been made to identify them. Due to the fact that a woman was involved in the operation,
the state adult authority for women had been contacted for the names of recent parolees.
But when these had been checked out, we netted nothing. Because of the circumstances of the
MO, we felt that the first break in the case would come through the woman. The stats office
had made several runs and the possible had been checked out. Results, nothing. Five minutes
after we'd left the first victim, we got a call. The pair had hit again further down
on Alexandria Avenue.
All right, let us through here, please.
Police officers, let us through.
Let us through.
Please.
You the cop?
Yes, sir, that's right.
I'm the fellow who was robbed. I'm him.
Slash, you want to see if we can try to clear the front of the place?
Right.
Okay.
All right, sir, if you'd like to tell us what happened here.
Terrible. Most terrible thing that ever happened to me.
Yes, sir.
I got to have a little something to calm my nerves. Got to.
What, can I get you anything, sir?
Don't have to, son. I got all right here. Whole store full of it. Just a minute.
Yes, sir.
A little brandy, that's what I need. Mother's sure going to think I took the little nip
just to have it. Going to have to explain the whole thing to her. Imagine me being robbed.
Yes, sir. Now, if you'd tell us what happened here.
Say, excuse me, you like a little of this?
No, sir.
Yeah. These two came in here not more than five minutes ago. Man and woman. Came right
in and asked for a bottle of whiskey.
Do you recall what brand?
Didn't ask for no special brand. Just said they wanted Canada whiskey. Blend.
You'd be able to give us a description of them?
Well, the woman had red hair and that's about the only thing I do remember about her. Other
than the way she talked.
How do you mean, sir?
Foul mouth. The way she swore at me. Just something fierce.
What did she say?
Oh, just a swear word, you know. I guess I didn't get the bottle fast enough for him.
Just told me to hurry.
Well, she just said it like that.
Where was the man during this time?
Oh, he was over here at the cash register with a gun.
The woman there, too?
No, no. She said over the door. Seemed to be the lookout or something. She didn't come
up past through there. Right there by the big chip rack. That's about how she come.
You said they used guns to get a gun?
Oh, yeah. Big guns. I guess they must have been that long. The bear must have been in
that big round.
What kind of a gun was it, would you know?
I don't think I know what you mean.
Wasn't it an automatic or a revolver?
I'm sorry, officer, but I don't understand. All I know is it was the biggest gun I ever
saw. Must have been that long, that big round.
Did it look like this one?
Oh, no. No, that's just a pea shooter compared to when that fellow was waving around.
Did you see a car when they left?
Yeah, I did. Right out in front it was. Parked in front of the sign. You see there where
it says reserved for patrons?
Yes, sir.
Right there. That's where the car was. After the fellow told me to dump the cash into the
paper bag with the bottle, the woman opened the door and both of them ran out and jumped
into the car. Roared off down the street. But I got a good look at it. Real good.
Then you can give us a description of it.
You bet I can. Dark, 1953 Ford sedan. Four door. Had one of them sun things on the front.
You know, like a shade. Used to have them on the baggage when I was a young man. Guess
if you wait long enough they get back to everything.
Yes, sir.
How much money did they get away with, sir?
Guess must have been around $225. Round in there someplace. Give a couple, take a couple.
Do you think you'd know either one of these people if you ever saw them again?
No. You'd just bet I would. Even with those masks on I'd be able to pick them right. You
just stand there and I'll point them out. Never forget that gun. Biggest gun I ever
saw. Must have been that long, that big round.
How'd they look, Joe?
Same couple. Description fits perfectly.
I checked around the people in the crowd, found one old guy who says he saw the pair come
out of the store. Got a good description of the car.
Good one. I can tell you anything you want to know.
Yes, sir. We appreciate that. We do want to talk to everybody who knows anything about
the holdup.
All right. You go ahead and talk to the other fella. You go right ahead.
I got something he can't give you.
What's that, sir?
A license number, the car that drove.
An immediate supplementary broadcast was gotten out to the cars in the area with special attention
to the units covering Alexandria Avenue. The search for the pair of thieves went on, but
as the hours passed and they failed to hit again, it became apparent that they had eluded
us again. The next morning, the car was found abandoned on the east side of Los Angeles.
It was a stolen vehicle, and after it had been checked for the crime lab for latent
prints, we were no further toward apprehending the suspects. Conferences were held with the
chief of detectives, Thad Brown, and it was decided to place an extensive stakeout on
the liquor stores in the Hollywood area. From past performances, the pair seemed to work
their operation in that general area more than the other parts of town. The stakeout
was maintained for three days without results. On Tuesday night, July 29th, Sergeant Henry
and I waited in the squad room for reports from the other officers out in the field.
One fifteen a.m.
Looks like another night shot.
Yeah, still no action. Stores will be closing in about forty-five minutes now.
Yeah. You got a cigarette? I'm out.
Yeah. I think there's a couple left in here. Yeah, just two. Here, go ahead.
I'll go down the hall and get a couple back later.
All right. Here.
Heard from Frank?
No, I talked to Fay the night before last. She got a letter from him. Said he thought
he'd be back by the end of the week.
Say how it's going?
No, he just read me a couple parts of the letter. I guess it's all straightened out.
Suspect's coming back on his own.
Extraditions can sure be a pain. I had to go back to New Orleans on one last year. Had
a miserable time. Guy gave us a lot of trouble.
Yeah, I remember. I get it.
Now let's go. They just hit again.
In the stakeout area?
No, out in Highland Park. They're way out on this one.
What do you mean?
Well, the victim decided to give them a little trouble.
Yeah?
The male suspect broke off the bottom of a whiskey bottle and worked the victim over.
Almost killed him.
At 1.13 a.m., the pair of thieves had entered a small all-night grocery store in the Highland
Park area. They'd gone through the usual part of their M.O. asking for the bottle of Canadian
whiskey and then the money. However, when they asked the victim to turn over the money
to them, he had told them to get out of the store. The male member of the team had grabbed
the bottle, hit it against the counter breaking off the bottom, and then struck the victim
several times about the head and shoulders. When we'd gotten the call, the man had been
removed to Georgia Street Receiving Hospital where he was in a critical condition. An immediate
search of the area had failed to turn up anything that might lead us to the apprehension of
the man and woman. A city-wide broadcast was gotten out on the pair and arrangements were
made for their description to be broadcast on the police television program. Newspapers
carried the stories and joined with us in asking for full cooperation from the public.
For the next three days, we received several calls with information on the suspects, but
when all of these were checked and sifted, we were right back where we started. The stakeouts
were maintained on the liquor stores, but the suspects failed to hit again. On Monday,
August 4th, we got a call from the county hospital telling us that the latest victim
was in condition to be interviewed. Slats, Henry, and I drove over to see him. He was
unable to tell us anything more than the dozen victims before him had told us. 3.15 p.m.
We went back to the office. Want to check the book? Yeah, I'll get it. Yeah, there's
a message here that Arise McKay called. He left a number. Say what he wanted? No, he
just wants us to call. This table, we got to put something under his leg. It sure wobbles
under him. Been that way for years. Mike, speak to Mr. Arise McKay, please. My name
is Friday, Los Angeles Police Department. No, Police Department. Yes, surely. It's the
Attorney's Office. Yes, sir. Mm-hmm. This is Sergeant Friday. Yes, sir. Certainly. When
was this? Mm-hmm. All right, sir. No, we'll be right over. Yes, sir. Thank you very much.
There might be something. What did he say? A woman was in his office this afternoon.
Yeah. Said something about being involved in the robbery. Sergeant, Henry and I signed
out of the office and drove over to the address the lawyer had given me on the phone. We waited
in the reception room for a few minutes, and then his secretary ushered us into Mr. McKay's
office. Come in, gentlemen. Thank you very much. Thank you. I'm Arise McKay. Yes, sir.
This is Sergeant Henry. My name's Friday. Oh, yes. You're the gentleman I talked to on
the phone. That's right. Well, sit down and I'll try and tell you what happened. All right.
Thank you very much. You've got to realize my problem in this thing. Yes, sir. What's
that? Well, if this isn't anything worthwhile, I certainly don't want to have a client embarrassed.
You can understand that. Yes, sir. I suppose I just tell you what happened, and then we
can go on from there. All right. That'll be fine. A couple of days ago, I got a call from
a young woman who said she wanted me to handle a divorce for her. We set up an appointment
for her this afternoon. She came in and we went over the problem. I don't want to go
over the detail of the divorce action. I don't think that'll have any bearing on the rest
of it. All right, sir. Well, to get to the short of it, we were going over the necessary
information. The door burst open and this man came in. I wanted to know what it was
all about. My secretary was right behind him, seeing that he just pushed his way right through
the reception room. Well, who was he, do you know? Well, he said he was the woman's husband.
That true? Well, apparently, I told my secretary to wait outside, then I asked him what he
wanted. He didn't pay any attention to me at first, said it wasn't any of my concern,
told me to keep my hose out of it. And he and the woman had a big discussion. It seems
that he didn't want her to divorce him, made all sorts of promises how things would be
different if she came back to him. At first, she seemed to go along with the idea. As you
know, we like to affect a reconciliation wherever possible. So I told them to go ahead and talk
it over. Well, I left them in the office and went out of the reception room. For a while,
it seemed they were getting along all right. And the shouting died down and they seemed
to have agreed. All of a sudden, it broke loose again. They started screaming at each
other and I went right back in the office and just as I opened the door, I heard the
man tell her that if she didn't come back, he'd cause her luck. He said for her to remember
that she was been up to, and these were the exact words. Don't forget, you're mixed up
in those stick ups as deep as me. I see. Can you give us the name and address of the couple?
Yes, sir. I have it right here. Thank you. Pretty difficult to imagine that she'd be
involved in anything like that. Pretty woman, beautiful hair. Is that right? Yes, flaming
red. We obtained the address the woman had given
Reese McKay and we checked her name through R and I. We found no criminal record on anyone
answering her description. When I called Chief Brown and told him what had happened, I asked
the record division to make a run on the husband. We found that he'd been arrested three years
before for attempted armed robbery, but that he'd been released for lack of evidence. 540
p.m. Slats and I drove over to the woman's address. The name on the mailbox in the apartment
lobby read Mr. and Mrs. George Winston. We rang the bell and we identified ourselves.
You want to come in? Thank you very much. Is there anyone else here, ma'am? You mean in
the apartment? Yes. No, I'm alone. Where's that door lead, ma'am? Bedroom. You mind if
we take a look? Maybe you better tell me what this is all about first, huh? You better go
ahead and slam. Yeah. I suppose you're very hot of nerve. Yes, ma'am. Well, that's true.
What's this all about? Isn't there some law that says you've got to make a complaint or
something? Where's your husband? That bum. Where is he? I don't know and I don't care
if I never see him again. Nothing but trouble did I ever get from him. Miserable man. Do
you have any idea where he is? No. I don't think I'd tell you if I did until you let
me know what this is all about. What's your husband do for a living, ma'am? You guys are
so interested in him, why don't you ask him yourselves? The place is clean, Joe. I told
you that going in. What's this all about? Now come on, tell me or get out. We understand
you and your husband had an argument this morning. Two of you mentioned something about a robbery.
Oh, I understand it all now. Now it's all real plain. Look, what George said was a joke.
That's all just a joke. He didn't mean anything by it. The way we got the stories. Except.
Come downtown and tell us all about it. What for? Oh, we've got some people down there
we'd like you to meet. I've got enough friends. Well, let's put it down if these people would
like to meet you. Do you want to get your coat? I think there's supposed to be something
like a charge in there. Yes, ma'am, that's the way you want it. I do? Oh, it's suspicion
of robbery. What makes you think you can make it stick? Well, we wouldn't be taking in if
we didn't figure we had a case. You'd save all of us a lot of trouble if you'd tell us
where we can pick up your husband. What's in it for me? What do you got now? Nothing.
Well, that's the best we can do. What makes you think you can hold up this kind of a charge?
A dozen victims, for one thing. Slats, do you want to check the closet and see if you
can find a green coat and red shoes and purse? Yeah. What happens if I've got a green coat?
Well, it makes us look pretty good, doesn't it? A lot of girls got green coats. Yeah,
we're looking for one. Is she supposed to look like me? The description we got matches
exactly. A lot of people in the world look like me. Same people who have green coats.
Got them, Joe. Found them up on the shelf in the closet. Take a look. They match what
we heard. Would you like to try this coat on? Is that right? You just bet, and it's going
to cost the city a lot of money because I'm really going to make a big thing out of this.
Well, if we're wrong, we'll admit it. Then you admit you could be making a mistake. No,
we don't. I read in the papers where there was an old guy beat up in a robbery. One's
you're after me for? My day, yeah. How's he doing, the old guy? We're not sure yet. He's
going to live though, isn't he? I told you, Miss Winston, we're not sure. You got a cigarette?
Yeah. You really think you can put me in those stores? Yes, we do. I can't make a deal, huh?
You know, tell you things and have it going easier? No, ma'am. All we can do is see that
it's the way. Best I can get? That's the best. I'll take it. What? I'll tell you about it.
Tell you the whole thing. All right, go ahead. You got it, George. I knew when he hit that
old man we'd had it. Knew it right away. That's why we quit, I was afraid. If the guy died,
you'd be able to kill him. I didn't like the robbery part, but I didn't want any part of
a killing. I never did like the set up. Never. I used to tell George I didn't like it. I didn't
wanna be forever and he wanted to be the big man. He used to sit here after hitting up wouldn't
get the morning they laughed at the cops because he had them running after them. You know where
he is? He's in a hotel down on West Seventh, using the name Evanston. I'll give you the
address. All right, miss. Oh, George. You're gonna be a real surprise when you walk in on
him real surprised. Sure wish I could see the expression on his face when he finds out what
happened. Sure like to see it. Well that makes you even doesn't it? Huh? You'll want to see yours.
Geraldine Roland Winston were tried agree five counts as prescribed by law.
Robbery in the first degree is punishable by imprisonment for a period of not less than five
years in the state penitentiary. You have just heard Dragnet, authentic story of your police
force in action and starring Jack Webb, a presentation of the United States Armed Forces
radio service.