Ladies and gentlemen, the story you are about to hear is true.
The names have been changed to protect the innocent.
Drag next.
Your detective sergeant, you are assigned a robbery detail.
A supermarket in your city has been robbed.
The thief wore a disguise.
You don't know who he is or what he looks like.
Your job, find him.
It was Wednesday, August 13th.
It was warm in Los Angeles.
We were working a day watch out a robbery detail.
My partner is Frank Smith, the boss of TV Detectives, Fab Brown.
My name is Friday.
I was on my way into the office.
It was 7.58 a.m. when I got to room 27A.
Robbery.
Morning, Frank.
You been in long?
About a week.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry, man.
No, I don't do that.
What did I do to you?
Well something gotmesan, and they told me they were trying to steal my
aufge heater.
What did you do, man?
Well, they told me to grab it.
So I took it and threw it.
No, it's choose anything.
No, it's my stuff.
It's not a paper body.
It's all your stuff.
I have to put it in your box.
iku you take a look at it.
Hey fine.
I feel about to say you got to know I didn't mean anything by it didn't certainly not the farthest thing from my mind
What was what she thought I meant?
You know Joe sometimes I think they just don't understand me. Well, I don't understand either on this one. Oh
That's right. You want to take so I got to think of myself you were no guy dead
Oh, I got to think of myself. We got a problem. You kind of think your old buddy knows all about it
Yeah, so I got to tell you and I'll tell you all about it right now
Yeah, you see after dinner last night. We had those Swedish meatballs that they make so good. So what meatballs Swedish ones?
Oh, yeah, I had those out there one very good excellent
Well after dinner last night we went in the living room sat down to watch the television
Mm-hmm, I switched on the set and I kind of arranged the pillows and settled back
Couple of minutes later if they come in with a box
One of those big flat ones like dresses coming. Mm-hmm
You bought a new dress
Joe that's why she fixed the meatballs. I
Don't know how this is gonna end but up to here. I must be on face that I guess. Yeah, well, I don't understand any of it
Oh, well, I'll say no
See whenever she wants me to go along with something she's already done. She always makes Swedish meatballs
Well, I could figure that part out. What was in the box address Joe. She bought a dress. Oh, it was a dress
Yeah, she opened up the box. He shows it to me. Tell me how she bought it on sale
Every notice every time a woman buys a dress. It's always on sale
No, I can't say as I ever had well believe me buddy and always there on sir on sale
I don't want you to go through the whole day with this on your mind
But if you don't get to the point every time for to sign out, I'll talk about well
I didn't mean anything but nothing she held the dress up for me to see and all I did. I just said what size
You know
Well, look at these mugshots now. No, wait a minute. I want to finish you asked me what I was mad about
I want to tell you
I asked you what size the dress was. She told me was a 12 a 12 a 12
So I just kind of casually mentioned that when we got married she wore a 9. That's all I said that she wore a 9
Well, look at the mugshots now. No, wait a minute. Will you help me with this thing?
Being partners can't help a little we'll look at the mugshots when we were married
She wore a 9 and she just flipped her wig. Joe. She got real mad walked out of the room
Right out of the room. Yeah, I
Meant she was getting back
Let's go corner Grand Union, yeah
Hold up
For the time we got to the supermarket a broad gas carrying effect had been gotten out to all cars in the city
A small crowd of people have gathered in front of the store in the office from the radio. You know, we keep them back from the entrance
An ambulance had been called when we got there the attendants were giving emergency treatment to the day manager of the store
He's been struck on the left side of the head just a little bit. He's made his getaway
The attendant told us that the man was suffering from a mild concussion
Frank and I entered the store and talked to one of the police when he was there
He led us back to a small office in the rear of the place where we met the other two victims
One was the cashier of the store. I'm a Watson
The other was the man who had the meat concession in the store Tom spent we asked him to tell us what happened
First thing I saw was when the parking lot guy was standing right beside door
That's right. Just standing there calm as could be I saw him when I opened up the place
Mm-hmm. Go ahead
Well, I unlocked the door and we all came in and the man did too just walked right in
We don't normally let people come in for eight hardly ever but since Gerald was there we figured he'd take care of the man
You mean Gerald's the man the ambulance? Yeah, that's right
Hold up tell him an awful clout on the head giving concussion concussion the head
Tell me something about that too. What's that was watching? I don't really think he'll hit that hard
I think it's just putting on to get sympathy now or that ain't right
I could say things like that maybe not but I tell you you remember remember the time he cut his finger when he was moving
The kid is an empty soda pop bottle. Yeah, well you were there had to rush him to the hospital had a tan
So now a lot of foolishness piece of adhesive would have taken care of it
Sympathy that's what he wants. Can we go on with what we're talking about? What happened after he came in the store, please?
I went upstairs and turned on the lights. Have to turn them on from up there. Offices up there. That's where I was
Turned on the lights and come down to open the safe. Is that your job to open the safe in the morning? Yeah
And she's right here. Yes, sir. What happened there? Well, Gerald was going out back over to the door
So going to meet second and that's right enough. Where was Holden entering this time?
Just kind of strolling around looking at the different displays up and down the aisle just looking
Gerald opened up the back door and come back asked a fellow if there's something special he's looking for
I said he wanted to know where the left of and told he was
Gerald told him fellow went back to get some that's the jail cop but we know different a lot different
But would you go on with it? Well, I was upstairs counting the receipts for yesterday getting the bank statement ready
Permit cashier. Yeah, there we go. Would you go on please?
Well first thing I know the man standing right behind me holding this gun pointed right at me
He just didn't like to scare me out of my wits. Must have been terrible, Irma
It was. I just turned around and there he was with this gun just about scared me to death
That's when he asked you for the money, did he? He didn't ask. He just told me to put it in the wooden box he had
Just put it in the box. What did he say? What were his exact words?
Well, he just kind of walked over and said put the money in the box and don't cause no trouble
This is a stickup. I thought he said it. Irma, did you just what he said?
Yes, sir. I gave him the money, dumped it all in the box just like he said
Then he told me to lay down on the floor. He just told me to lay down and not to make any noise
He would come back and kill me. I think he could have done it too. I think he would have, Irma
That's why I did what he said, flatten the floor. Did he have the box when he came in?
Yeah, I had it under his arm. Out down behind the meat counter, all of a sudden I heard this scream
That was me. I let out a yell and Tom here heard it
So Gerald, we tried to look at each other and then I grabbed the meat cleaver and started up the stairs
I didn't know what was wrong, but I did know Irma was in trouble. I appreciate that, Tom
I knew you were in trouble and I came a-running. Got the stairs, come up the office and never saw him
He was just coming down. He still had the gun, did he? Yeah, he had the gun in the box
I didn't know what was in it at that time, but I had an idea. I just hefted the cleaver and started up the stairs
Stopped when he saw me. Stopped right in his tracks. Tom's awful brain
Yes, ma'am. So he told me to get out of his way or else he'd kill me
Wade was pointing that gun around trying to believe him, so I backed down the stairs and him right behind me
All the time he had that gun pointed at me. Where was the manager all the time?
You mean Gerald? I don't know. I was upstairs
I saw him. He was down by the cash register in front
He saw this guy coming down the stairs and he ran for the phone to call the police
The fellow saw him and he took off after Gerald. I thought he was going to shoot him, but he didn't
Just kidding. He gave him a concussion of the head
He's after sympathy, that's all
Oh, now Irma, you're wrong. I've seen it. He gave Gerald an awful hit right along here, real hard
Now which way did the man go after he left the store, please?
He ran down that way, down Union
Uh-huh. Will you describe the man for us?
Well, he was about five feet tall
He would be a little better if you told us one at a time
I guess you'd never get it that way. It'd be a little difficult for you
You go ahead, Irma
Well, I told the other policeman he was about the funniest looking little man I ever saw, real little
Oh, not really. I think he just kind of hunched over
Well, he looked little
About how tall was he?
Oh, about five foot eight, maybe nine
I think that's about right. Tell him about the way he was dressed
Oh, yes. Had on this black overcoat and a hat
All pulled down over his eyes
The hat, I mean
What color was his hair, do you remember?
Well, what I could see was that it was kind of blonde, light colored
Yeah, that's right. And he had a mustache
Yeah, real big. Looked like the old fashioned kind. Black people, worn out, kid, you know, handlebar, black
Real black
Uh-huh. Well, he left the store. Did you notice that he got into a car?
Yeah, he did. I saw him run down the street and he jumped in one, dark color
I'm not sure what kind it was. I think it might have been a Hudson, late model
I saw that. I was looking out the side window upstairs and I saw the same thing
Did you tell the other officers about it?
Well, I didn't. I needed to die
I guess you better get out of broadcast, aren't you?
Did you happen to get the license number of the car?
Yeah, that's where I went to work. Got it written down right here on razor. See?
Numbers ain't too plain, but you can make them out
I don't know, sir, I can't. You'll have to help me there
I got it, too. Right here. I saw him get in the car and I rolled it down
Uh-huh. Thank you.
Having the number of cars is going to make it easier to catch a fella, ain't it?
It should make it a snap to find out who owns the car and that's the man
Well, it's not going to be that easy, I'm afraid
Why?
Both numbers are different
A supplemental broadcast was gotten out carrying both the license numbers that the victims had gotten
Frank put in a call to DMV asking him to forward all information on the numbers
The crime lab crew came out and went over the place with fingerprints, but they were not able to turn up anything that we could use
We continued to question the butcher in the cashier. We got a complete description of his feet
The one outstanding thing that both of them agreed on was the mustache
Both said that it was a direct contrast to the color of the man's hair
And said that it might have been darkened with shoe polish or some kind of grease
People in the vicinity were questioned, but none of them were able to supply us with any new information
The injured manager was removed to Georgia Street Receiving Hospital for emergency treatment and then referred to his own doctor
Frank and I talked to him, but he only verified the story that we'd gotten from the other two people in the store
12.45 p.m. We returned to the city hall and asked the staff's office to start a run on the MO for us
The victims were asked to go through the mugbook, but they were not able to identify any of the photographs
Frank and I spent the rest of the day talking to the other storekeepers in the vicinity of the robbery
We asked each of them if they'd seen anyone loitering in the area, anyone who looked suspicious
From each of them we got the same answers
None of them could help us in establishing the identity of the suspect
The kickback on the license number came in from Sacramento, but when we checked out the information
We were no closer to apprehending the thief
The next morning Thursday, August 14th, Frank and I met in the squad room
Hi, Joe. Morning. How's my old buddy this morning?
I'm all right. He's still unhappy. The problem with pay straight now?
Oh, yeah, sure. I got home last night. Everything's great.
All right. Hey, we started last night.
What's that?
Me and me, we're going on a diet. We're supposed to lose a little weight.
That's nice. Yeah, we're going to lose a little weight.
Anything new on the market, Holder?
No, the staff's office should finish the run for us this morning when we start checking out the possible.
Good thing I wore my walk-in shoes.
I get it.
Robbery Friday.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
No, that's right.
No, that's right. We'd like to hear it.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, sure.
All right, we'll be out and see you.
No, right away.
All right, thank you very much. Bye.
What do you got?
Cash here out at the market. That Irma Watson might have something for us.
What's that?
She says she thinks she knows who the suspect is.
Frank and I drove out to the market.
We went upstairs to the office in the rear of the store and met Irma Watson.
She was seated at a desk with a large ledger book open in front of her.
I got to thinking it over last night after I got home about the hold-up man.
Yes, ma'am.
There was something about him.
The way he acted and talked made me think I knew who he was, that I'd seen him someplace before.
Uh-huh.
I'd already waked most of the night just thinking about it.
But then all of a sudden it came to me right out of the arcade.
Yes, ma'am.
What?
Well, I knew where it was, but I thought I knew him from.
Where, ma'am?
Right here in the store.
You mean he's a customer?
No, he works for us right here in the store.
That's where I've seen him.
That mustache kind of fooled me for a minute, but not for long.
I remembered.
What's the man's name?
I didn't remember that.
Oh.
Not last night, but I came down here this morning and started through the books and came upon it.
Got it right here.
Take a look for yourself.
See?
Right there.
Get Elgwood?
That's him, I'm sure of it.
Does Elgwood work here now?
Well, yes and no.
Yeah?
Well, he doesn't, he doesn't.
He's still got the job, but he ain't working right now.
Got a leave of absence.
He's got ulcers.
Said he wanted to get them taken care of.
Said he had to go out of town and see a specialist.
Get his ulcers fixed.
When did he leave?
Last week.
See, I got it right here.
Last day he worked was Wednesday, August 6th.
That was the last day.
Do you have his home address?
He's been heading out for you.
Thank you.
I'll be right back.
Thank you very much.
You're welcome.
I'm sure of it.
Miss Watson, we'll check into it.
The only thing I can't figure out is that mustache.
What's that?
The mustache.
Can't figure out how he could have grown it so fast.
Takes longer than a week to get a mustache like that, doesn't it?
Well, that's a fair bit.
And why?
Well, you're buying it.
Frank and I returned to the office to run the name Jed Elgwood through the record bureau.
While Frank went through the packages checking the description we'd gotten of the suspect,
I went down to the staff's office and picked up the list of possible that they had for us.
Ten twenty-six AM.
I met Frank back at the RNI counter.
Fine.
How's it going?
It looks like we got a libelin.
Hmm?
Got a Jed Elgwood here pretty close to the description.
Yeah.
Beckard and E. St. Louis.
Done big time back there, not locally.
What are you called for?
I'm robbery.
You are listening to Dragness, the authentic story of your police force in action.
We sent an immediate request to the authorities in St. Louis asking to pay forward all available
information on their suspect, Jed Elgwood.
One fifteen PM.
Frank and I drove out to the address we'd been given by the cashier at the supermarket.
It was a one-story redwood house in the Beverly Glen area.
We rang the order.
Yes?
You like to see Jed Elgwood?
He's not here.
Well, do you know where he's been reaching?
What's this about?
Are you in trouble again?
What?
You're in trouble again?
Well, we'd like to talk to him, please.
You're cops?
Or police officers.
Uh-huh.
Figures.
What's he done this time?
Well, it's just routine.
We want to ask him a couple questions.
Where is he?
I don't know.
Well, he lives here, doesn't he?
Yeah, I don't know where he is.
I haven't seen him since day before yesterday.
He's packed up and left.
I don't know where he went.
Well, didn't he give you any idea where he was going?
None.
Went through my purse, took what money I had, and shoved off.
Don't much matter to me if I never see him again.
I'll probably be better off.
What if we could see his thing?
Anybody like?
Yes, sir.
Sure.
Come on in.
You're in his room.
I'm about to throw him out.
I don't want him.
I don't think you'll be back for him this time.
Found the house.
You're in trouble.
I'm sorry.
Found the house.
This way.
Thank you, ma'am.
What are you after him for?
I'll be a little better if we talk to him.
Sure.
It doesn't matter to me until with him.
I've had trouble with cops since we've been married.
I didn't know he had a record when I met him.
Until after we got married, I found out he was a jailbird.
Right after we got married, the cops started coming around asking questions.
How long have you been married?
Eighteen months.
Got him back in St. Louis.
Must have been right after he got out of jail.
I didn't know what to do.
Would you know if he had any people in California?
I never saw him.
He never talked about him.
Did he drive a car?
Yes.
No, he didn't own one.
This is room.
Steps there.
Thank you.
I'll take it.
I'm going to throw it all out.
Anything there you want, just take it with you.
I don't think that will be necessary.
Well, they offer still money.
I don't think that will be necessary.
Well, they offer still good, but you don't take it.
I'll throw it out.
Your husband got any close friends at all in town?
Yeah, got a lot of bums.
Can you give us their names?
One name I know, Larry Jessup.
And then Jed used to pal around all the time.
I think his job at the store took up too much power.
I think he had quit.
I understand your husband had trouble with his stump.
Yeah, also.
Was he under the care of a doctor?
Uh-huh.
All the time taking pills and eating special things.
Got to the point where nothing I cooked was right for the ulcer.
We didn't know him to fight all the time.
Miserable 18 months.
I'm glad he's gone.
Never seen him again.
It'll be a week too soon.
Can you give us the doctor's name?
Yeah, one of the bills there.
Got it in with the rest of them.
Reminds me.
Can you answer me something?
What's that?
Am I responsible for his bills, the one being granted himself without my help?
I got a fair?
Well, ma'am, that's not a police problem.
You better check with a lawyer on that.
A lawyer?
Yes, ma'am.
More expense.
Seems like all I do is play a game.
I'm not a lawyer.
I'm a lawyer.
More expense.
Seems like all I do is put out money for him.
Oh, yeah, I'm glad he's gone.
Do you have a picture of him?
You mean like a snapshot?
Yes, ma'am.
No, I wouldn't let nobody take pictures of him.
Say it was bad luck.
You had a mustache, didn't you?
Not too bad, no.
There's alcohol.
Yeah?
Do you know what's on the insectograph record?
Oh, those are mine.
I'm a stenographer.
I said I'd like to work at home.
Those are mine.
Oh.
Just letters.
The one thing you ever did for me.
What's that?
Made that box for records.
Real big thing.
Took him all day to make it.
Just a plain, simple wooden box.
I thought it was a Taj Mahal, the only thing you ever did for me.
Your husband get many phone calls here?
No.
Not that he would notice.
Larry'd call once in a while.
I told you there was real power.
You ever hear any of the conversations by any chance?
I miss him.
You know what they were talking about?
Not too good.
They used to get real cheap, good.
You know, low voices.
They were planning something.
No, I don't know what it was that they were planning something.
What if you saw a jeff if he'd drive a car?
Yeah.
You know what time?
I don't know.
You not know what time it was?
Yeah.
You don't know what time it was?
Yeah.
Ten, twenty, fifteen.
Congratulations, sir.
You know what time it is?
Yeah.
You know what time?
Yeah.
No.
We got the address of the suspect's friend, and we drove back to the City Hall.
We made arrangements for a stakeout to be placed on the house in addition to asking Councilman Ellsworth to call us in the event that she heard from her husband.
We ran the name Lawrence Jessup through R & I, and we came up with a criminal record form that listed several arrests for burglary and auto theft.
According to his package, he'd never been convicted in California.
California. We sent a telekip up to George Bredt, the C.I.I. in Sacramento, asking for
further information on the man. Four-fifty p.m. Frank and I left the office and drove
out to the address given us by the suspect's wife. With a large boarding house in the Hollywood
Hills area, we talked to the landlady. She told us Jessup wasn't in, but she expected
him by six p.m. We asked if she'd ever seen the man answering Jed Ellsworth's description.
She said that such a man was a frequent visitor in Jessup's room. Five p.m. Frank and I,
and the company and the landlady checked the room. We found nothing to tie Jessup in with
a robbery. We waited for him. Five-fifty-eight p.m. We came up the stairs and opened the door.
What are you guys doing here?
Police officers. It's Frank Smith. My name's Friday.
I still want to know what you're doing here.
Got a couple of questions we want to ask you, Jessup.
Go ahead. I got nothing to hide. Ask.
Where's Jed Ellsworth?
I don't know. I haven't seen him in a couple of days. Why?
I understand you two are pretty good friends.
We're friends. The guy's off as a rocker.
What do you mean, man?
What I said. He only got out of the can a couple of years ago. Right away, he's doing his
best to get back in.
Is that right?
Sure. A couple of days ago he called. Said he had to see me right away.
Had a big idea for both of us to make a lot of money.
Still?
Well, I don't want to have to work all my life, so I told him I'd listen.
He laid out this big deal where he could knock off a supermarket.
Told him it all worked out. I told him I didn't want no part of it.
I could sure use a dog, yeah, but not take a chance on going to jail for it.
I already got a record. That's the rest of my life.
Fuck you the last couple of times. It didn't fall.
No, I just said I was crazy not to pick up some easy money.
You heard from him, Seth, there?
Yeah, saw him yesterday. Came over in the morning. Told me to forget all about the market job.
Said he realized it was wrong. Asked me to drive him out to Pomona.
What for, did he say?
Yeah, he said he'd walk down on Hazel. That's his wife.
Yeah, we know.
Said he left her and was going to Pomona. Had a job out there.
You drive him?
Yeah, to a motel there. Show it to her if you want.
Is he still there?
I don't know as far as I know he is. That's where I left him.
Sitting out there counting his money.
What money?
He told me he drew all the dough out of his and Hazel's account.
Said she wasn't going to get any of it. Must have had about four thousand bucks.
You know what bank he had the money in?
No, he didn't say. I didn't know him and Hazel had that much.
Of course, she works pretty hard. Trifty, you know.
Get over said she was stingy.
Lot of money.
Had it in this wooden box, all stacked in there, real neat.
Hard to believe.
What's that?
Thought the box.
Scared about the laziest guy I ever knew. Last one to work with his hands.
Sure proud of it though.
Said he made the box himself.
Larry, Jessup, Frank and I drove out to the motel in Pomona.
We checked with the manager, but found that the suspect had checked out that morning.
Fortunately, the room had not been cleaned yet and we went over.
On a shelf in a closet, we found the wooden box that Jessup had spoken of.
It was a duplicate of the one that we'd seen at the suspect's home.
We told the manager we were taking it with us and asked her to notify us in the event Ellsworth returned.
Asked if he had a car when he left.
Asked for the name of Frank to come back from the suspect's room.
Sure looks like he pulled a robbery, huh?
Seems to be.
Joe?
Hey there.
We checked with the automobile rental agencies in the area.
None of them had seen the man answering the suspect's description.
We asked them to call us if such a man did come in.
We drove by Ellsworth's house and picked up the wooden box that he'd made for his life's photograph record.
Both of the containers were taken to the crime lab for comparison.
We drove to the market that had been held up.
All three of the victims were shown the false mustache that we found in the motel.
All three said it was identical with the one that the holdup man had worn.
Investigation linked Joe and cut from the same piece of paper.
The nails used were made for the same machine.
The box we'd found at the motel was shown to both the butcher and the cashier.
They said that it was the same one that the thief had carried.
A local and an APB were put out on the suspect asking him to be picked up for suspicion of robbery.
For the next three days, the surveillance on the suspect's house was maintained.
All of Mrs. Ellsworth's activities were observed.
Sunday, August 17th, we got a call that the suspect's wife had left the house carrying a suitcase.
The officers on stakeout followed her to the subway terminal in downtown Los Angeles.
We met them there.
Mrs. Ellsworth walked down to the landing and appeared to be waiting.
Mike and I took over the surveillance. We waited. 9.30 p.m. 10, 10.15, 10.18 p.m.
Joe, there I see. Looks like the description.
Go and throw this money.
I might as well get it together.
Yeah, sure. Come on.
Hey, Jesus.
Joe, stop it.
Come on, Mike.
My uncle is holding up. Police officers.
Come on, drop the gun, or you're not going to get out of here.
Let's get it back to him.
Now, come on.
He's hurt.
I'll get an ambulance for him.
You did. You killed him.
No, we sent for an ambulance.
I didn't want him to get hurt. I didn't want him to get hurt.
Why didn't you call us when you heard from him?
I don't know. I don't know.
He said if I met him, he'd give me some money so I could pay the bills with you.
He was going to give me some money. I was going to call you if I got the money.
I was going to call.
Yeah, sure you were.
Chance to get out from under, get even.
He didn't care when we were together.
I was the one who worried about it, and he never cared. He never paid a bill.
Don't worry. He's going to pay this one.
Jed Warren Ellsworth was tried and convicted of robbery in the first degree
and received sentence as prescribed by law.
Robbery in the first degree is punishable by imprisonment in the state penitentiary
for a period of from five years to life.
You have just heard Dragnet, the authentic story of your police force in action
and starring Jack Webb, a presentation of the United States Armed Forces Radio Service.