Ladies and gentlemen, the story you are about to hear is true.
The names have been changed to protect the innocent.
Drag men.
You're a detective sergeant.
You're assigned to robbery detail.
Fourteen women in your city have been robbed and beaten.
You've got a half dozen descriptions of their attacker.
None of them match.
The man's still free.
Your job, get him.
It was Wednesday, November 26th.
It was cold in Los Angeles.
We were working the day watch out of robbery detail.
My partner's Frank Smith, the boss's chief of detectives, Thad Brown.
My name's Friday.
I was on my way back to the office and it was 2.34 p.m. when I got to room 27A.
Robbery.
Come on, Joe.
Everybody's in the skippers office.
All right.
I tagged by R&I to pick up these packages.
Anything on them?
No, not much.
We'll check them out, but they don't look like they're going anyplace.
Yeah, go ahead.
Joe, Frank, you want to come over here?
Yes, sir.
Sorry we're late.
Don't worry about it.
Let's get this thing on the road.
All right.
Want to settle down?
Let's get started.
The word's probably gotten to you about why we're here.
We found this purse snatching thing Friday and Smith had got.
Things got in the way out of hand.
Thief hit again, knife for life.
Victims at the county hospital in critical condition.
She was pistol whipped and it looks like she's got a fractured skull.
It's only a matter of time before somebody's killed.
That's the reason we're here, to see that it doesn't happen.
Now, you all got mimeographed M.O. sheets.
On it, you'll find what information we've got.
Some of it's pretty broad, but it's the best we've been able to come up with.
Friday and Smith have handled the thing to here, so I'll let them give you the details.
You want to come?
Yeah, all right, Skipper.
Well, first off, you'll notice on those M.O. sheets,
all of the crimes have been listed in the order that they happened.
Also, the place and the time.
There's also a description of the clothing the suspect wore,
and when we could get it, a description of the suspect.
Now, you'll notice that in most cases, there's quite a difference there
on the physical description of the suspect.
However, we've been able to put them all together,
and we've come up with a composite drawing that should look something like the suspect.
One thing that's fairly constant is the description of the clothing worn by the suspect.
It's almost always dark.
Wears a hat, and he's been known to wear a topcoat.
Now, the hat and the coat are also dark material.
Clear?
Yeah, yeah.
All right, now take a look over here at the wall map.
He's appointed all the jobs so you can get a little better picture of the operation.
Can you all see there?
Yeah.
All right.
The first one took place at 73rd Street just off Broadway, right here.
The rest of the pins along here show the jobs that he made from there,
all the way up to Jefferson.
He's also worked Avalon Boulevard, Central Avenue,
any street where there's a streetcar or a bus line, he's hit.
He works between the hours of 5.30 and 11.30 p.m.
The approach is almost always the same.
Frank, you want to tell them about the victim?
Yeah.
The victim will get off the streetcar usually, or the bus, whatever it is,
and starts to walk home.
As soon as the woman gets in the area that's not light as well or that hasn't got much traffic,
the guy walks up behind her and grabs him.
After that, he tries to take a purse.
If the victim offers any resistance, well, he usually slugs him.
It's caused the fact that two of the victims have seen a gun in his hand.
We know he's armed, so the gun's been described as revolver.
How about a car, Joe?
Excuse me.
Does the suspect drive one?
Car?
Yeah.
Well, we've got to assume that, yeah.
He's been seen a couple of times by people in the neighborhoods as he ran through their yards.
Pretty safe to figure that he's got a car parked on a side street somewhere.
None of the victims have seen a car, however, but we know he leaves the area immediately.
No description of the vehicle, huh?
No.
No, we've had a couple of calls, but they didn't check out.
Now, the plan here is to use police women as decoys and try to bait him out into the open.
That's the reason the women officers are here.
You figure to work the main arterials?
What was that?
You figure to work the main arterials?
Yeah.
Yeah, there'll be two officers assigned to follow each policewoman.
We've been able to obtain 10 in all.
That'll mean that 20 officers will be assigned to them.
The rest of you will be in the area somewhere.
Now, one of the things to look for is any vehicle which closely follows a streetcar or a bus.
How much?
What happened?
How about it? Any questions?
Yes.
How are we going to get our assignments?
Well, a skipper here has a list, Lomi.
All of the officers who work with a policewoman are noted.
The others are given the areas that they're supposed to patrol.
What about other calls coming in?
What?
Who's going to handle them?
I didn't hear you.
The other calls coming in, who's going to handle them?
Well, those officers are not assigned to a policewoman.
See, there'll be other units from the outlying areas on the operation, too.
They'll lend us a hand.
But remember this, under no circumstances are those officers working with a decoy to leave her.
Is that clear?
Yeah.
Don't leave the policewoman.
That's right.
Why don't we stick with the detail unless there's an emergency call?
Yeah, that's right.
Well, if we run into any problems, who do we call, Joe?
Well, we'll be in the area of 1K80, you can get in touch with us, Harry.
Mm-hmm.
How about it?
Well, if we pick up a suspect, should we get in touch with you?
Well, you can use your own judgment on that, George.
If you think it's a routine pick-up, take him to robbery and he'll be processed there.
Right.
Any more questions?
No.
Skipper, anything else?
We all know about the day's off cancellation.
Sorry it has to hit now, but that's the way it's got to be.
No one will draw any time until this thing is cleaned up.
Right.
Or Murphy.
If it won't do any good to have your wife call me, you're still going to have to worry.
That's it.
The operation will start tonight and go until the suspect's in custody.
Have a happy Thanksgiving.
Okay.
So, hey, wait a minute.
Before you go, the worksheet's on the board outside.
You can check it on the way out.
You better do that.
Right.
Is there anything else you need to carry it off?
No, it's all there, Skipper.
The only thing we can use now is luck.
No reason for you to be different.
The suspect had his share.
Frank and I left the office and drove out to the area of the operation.
The plan was that the policewomen would board the cars and buses
and get off at the points where previous sluggings had not taken place.
In the established M.O. of the suspect, it was noted that he never hit on any street more than once.
At 4 p.m. that afternoon, all of the units were in place and the plan was started.
During the night, several pickups were made, but no one was apprehended who resembled the suspect.
Those people who were detained were processed and they were either booked or released.
The following day, Thursday, November 27,
Frank and I checked the reports filed by officers in the field.
At 3 p.m., we stopped at a small restaurant and we had a plate of sliced turkey, cold gravy,
and some lumpy mashed potatoes.
We wished each other a happy Thanksgiving.
We went to the restaurant at 1K80 and cruised the streets marked for surveillance.
Another night went by without the suspect hitting.
Saturday, November 29, 1130 p.m.,
Frank and I were driving down San Pedro Street at Vernon Avenue.
Looks like another one shot, huh?
That's beginning to shape up that way, isn't it?
You figure the suspect knows about the operation? I mean where we're working?
You got as much as I have doesn't seem likely.
You got a cigarette? I'm out.
Yeah. There you go.
Yeah, I'm gonna give you a light.
Thanks.
They were sure hacked about Thanksgiving.
Well, I figured.
That didn't make me too mad. She had the in-laws over.
Yeah.
Her brother.
One thing about that guy, he eats more than any ten people.
You know, I've had to sit there and just look at him and everybody's through and he's still going strong.
Yeah.
Nephew was over too.
You know Little Sam? You've heard me talk about Little Sam?
No, I don't think so.
Yeah, Little Sam.
Kid's a monster.
Only ten years old, he's a real monster.
Hey, his sister lets the kid do whatever comes into his mind.
They say it isn't good to repress him.
What?
They say it isn't good to repress him. That's what they, you know, repress him.
Yeah.
I'd like to take him over. I'd repress him.
Yeah, I guess you'd do that real good, wouldn't you?
One K80. One K80. Meet unit one K87 at the 300 block, East 51st Street, code two.
One K80, Roger. KMA 367. Let's go.
Yeah, that's one of the units assigned to a decoy. Think it's a good one?
Well, there's one way to find out, isn't there?
Yeah.
Ask them.
South Park is located at the corner of San Pedro and 51st Street.
One of the police women had gotten off a streetcar at the corner of Main Street and 51st.
She'd walked east and then she passed the park.
A man had approached, blocked her progress and demanded money.
The man was pretty drunk and when the officers following the woman arrived at the scene, he was struggling with a policewoman.
He was taken into custody and we were called.
We took the man to room 27A and from there to the interrogation room.
Physically, he matched the description of the suspect as we'd gotten from the victims.
1215 A.M.
That's the dirtiest thing I've ever heard of, pulling me in here like this.
All right, what's your name?
I don't think I'm going to tell you.
Let me see your wallet.
Nothing in there. No juice.
Empty your pockets on the table.
Hey, you have a copy of the L.A. phone book on here?
Come on, Mr. Empty your pockets, will you?
All right.
Come on, everything.
How about your wallet?
There you are, young man. No juice.
Take the money out.
I told you, there's no juice.
No money in the wallet?
No.
All right, how about it? Is this your true name, Victor Nathaniel Roberts?
You think I use the alias?
Don't be smart. Where do you live?
Well, I have no pad.
Where have you been sleeping?
Where have I been?
You got a job?
What?
Do you work?
No.
You ever hold a job?
No.
Never had a job?
Can't remember one.
What were you doing on 51st Street tonight?
Oh, I was just looking around.
At 1130 at night?
The sun hurts my eyes.
All right.
I was just walking along the street.
This young woman stopped me.
She stopped you?
She tried to pick me up.
That girl was a policewoman.
You're telling me.
Now, what were you doing out there?
I'm never going there again.
Never been arrested?
Yes.
I'll check the record, John.
Is he gonna look me up?
What's that?
I say, is he gonna look me up?
He's gonna check your record, yeah.
Officer?
You mind a little constructive criticism?
Now, you listen, mister. Your funny time's running out here.
You must feel a little sleeky about this whole thing, don't you?
What's that?
I mean, this whole business about the policewoman.
Don't you think that that's going too far?
How long you been in Los Angeles?
Oh, sometime this year.
What do you mean by that?
Oh, checked in about a year.
What?
I said I checked in about a year.
A year ago, you mean?
Yeah, yeah, about a year ago.
Well, if you haven't got a job, how do you manage to live?
I haven't got a little drink, have you?
John.
Yeah?
See you in a minute.
All right.
You sit still.
What do you got?
Checked R&I. Got the word on Roberts.
Yeah, what about him?
He's been tagged 67 times for drunk.
All in L.A.?
Total's 92. Doesn't look like he's our man, though.
Why?
Well, he's been in Camarillo for the last three months.
We put on a call to the superintendent at the state hospital up at Camarillo.
He told us that Victor Roberts had only been released 10 days before.
He'd spent three months undergoing treatment for alcoholism.
The suspect we were looking for had been working for the past two months.
Roberts was booked in at the main jail on the charge of violation of Section 4127A, LAMC.
During the time we'd been working on the case, all known first snatchers had been picked up and interrogated.
Runs by the stats office had been made and the names they gave us had been checked out.
Locals and APBs were gotten out carrying the description and the MO of the suspect.
The leads that came in were followed up without result.
Informants were questioned and George Breton up at the C.I.I. in Sacramento furnished us a list of possible.
All in all, over 100 people had been questioned.
In the course of the investigation, several other cases were cleared, but our prime suspect was still free.
Meantime, the operation continued.
Each night at 4.30 p.m., 10 police women would board street cars and buses in the area.
Ten police cars carrying 20 officers would follow them.
In the immediate vicinity, another 40 men were patrolling the streets and alleys looking for the thief.
As a result of the newspaper stories on the string of crimes,
calls were coming into the complaint board at such a rate that they were jamming our normal facility.
Women refused to walk the streets alone after dark.
Apparently, the thief could come and go as he pleased.
In the next two days, he hit three times, but in areas that were not covered.
He began to hit in places he hadn't worked before.
He seemed to know where we were and that we were using decoys.
The search went on. Tuesday, December 2nd, we got a call from the manager of a cheap hotel in the Skid Row area.
We drove out to see her.
Right down this way. He's not in.
Well, just what is it you want us to see?
You wait. When you get a good look, you'll know.
Yes, ma'am.
Here we are. I'll get the door.
You just come on in.
Thank you. Yes, ma'am.
Over here.
I was cleaning up this morning. My girl, for sake of her, had to do it herself.
And just cleaning up, and I found them over here in the closet.
Yeah.
Up on the shelf. Can you see them up there, way back?
I don't remember. I forget a chair.
Well, I was just straightening up and I saw them and I thought to myself, I ought to call the police, get them right out here. That's what I thought to myself.
Yes, ma'am.
I always feel it's the duty of every citizen to cooperate with the police.
Yes, ma'am. Can you get your flashlight, please?
Huh?
Flashlight.
Oh, yeah. Here you go.
Well, do you see them, up there on the shelf?
Yes, ma'am. Frank.
Yeah?
Do you have any idea what kind of stuff there's something down there I could pick them up with?
Well, you'll find out anyway.
You don't have to worry about fingerprints. I guess I shouldn't have done it.
But when I found them, I picked them up, but I put them right back, right where I found them.
Here you are.
What you got?
Two women's purses.
Mm-hmm. Two.
Look inside of them. All kinds of cars and things. No money, but all kinds of other stuff. You just look.
Who has this room?
You mean registered?
Yeah.
I believe his name is Jerry Kilgallen. You asked me, though, I think it's phony.
You take the room alone, did he?
Oh, absolutely. This is a hotel for men who don't allow no women in.
Is it possible that somebody else left these purses up there?
Hardly. These rooms are cleaned every day. Cleaned thoroughly. I don't miss anything.
How about the identification of them, Joe?
I don't recognize the names. I'll have to check them.
Take a look at this, though. No, here. On the lining of the purse. This one.
Oh, yeah.
You'd better get it to the lab, huh?
What is it? Did you find something?
We're not sure.
Well, what is it I called you? I got a right to know. What is it?
It looks like blood stains.
We got a complete description of Jerry Kilgallen, and Frank called it into RNI.
We found no record on him under that name.
The purse was sent to Lieutenant Lee Jones at the crime lab, and after running a precipitate test,
he told us that the stains were human blood.
The stakeout was placed on the hotel, and that night Kilgallen was taken into custody.
Under interrogation, he admitted taking the purses from two women in a department store in downtown Los Angeles.
He went on to explain that he'd just gotten into town and that he was broke and hungry.
He gave us the date and the times of the thefts, and when we called the victims,
they were able to give us positive identification.
He told us that when he'd taken the second purse, he'd cut his hand on the clasp,
and that the blood stains he found were his own.
He was booked in at the main jail on the charge of suspicion of robbery.
That night, Frank and I took up our place in the dragnet operation. Nothing happened.
The next night went by without activity.
On Thursday night at approximately 845, a woman was slugged and robbed
after she left the bus on 71st Street just off Vermont.
All cars in the operation converged on the area, and a block-by-block search was made.
Additional officers were called in to aid in the hunt.
Every alley, every street, and every backyard was gone over thoroughly.
1115 p.m. While the search continued,
Frank and I drove down to Georgia Street Receiving Hospital to talk to the latest victims.
I was on my way home. I didn't think anything like this would happen.
I was just walking home.
Can you give us the description of the man?
I don't know. It was dark.
I was just walking home, and it happened.
Did you see the man at all?
Yes. It was dark.
Was he a tall man?
I guess so. I guess he was tall.
I talked to the other men. Isn't that enough? I talked to them.
We're trying to get all the information we can.
I don't remember good.
My head hurts. Isn't there something I can do to make my head stop hurting?
Did you see the man's face? Did you get a look at it?
Yes, I did. I saw his face.
Can you describe it for us? Can you tell us what he looked like?
I don't know. I don't feel good.
This is pretty important, ma'am.
He had a real white face.
What about his eyes? Can you tell us what color they were?
Blue.
How about his hair?
It looked brown. I'm not sure.
I think it was brown.
He had a hat on. I couldn't tell good.
All right. Just a few more questions now.
Can you tell what color his hat was?
I don't know. My head hurts. Can't you do something?
We'll send for the doctor again. We might be able to give you another set of it.
It hurts.
Was the man clean shaven?
I said, did he have a mustache?
No. No mustache.
Do you wear glasses? No.
Is there anything else you can tell us about his appearance?
No. Nothing.
He had a gun. I know that.
He had a gun. He hit me with a gun.
He hit me when I wouldn't give him the purse.
First he asked me for the money.
When I got out of my way, he said he'd kill me.
Then he hit me on the head.
He hit me as hard as he could.
All right, ma'am. Is there anything else you can tell us that might make it easier to identify him?
No. Nothing.
I told you everything I know. Nothing else.
All right. We're sorry to have bothered you. Thank you.
We'll be talking with you again when you're feeling better.
Yeah. You come back then.
I'll tell you I'll remember that. Thank you very much for your help.
All right. Ask the doctor to come back, won't you?
Yes, ma'am.
Officer. Yes, ma'am.
Something else might help a little bit.
What's that, ma'am?
Before he hit me, I remembered there was a fight.
I didn't want him to take my purse.
There was a fight. Yeah.
I tried to stop him and I scratched him.
Scratched him hard.
He broke a finger when I did it.
Can I help, won't I?
Yes, ma'am.
It should.
Last thing I remember before he hit me, he was bleeding a lot.
Where did you scratch him, ma'am? Do you remember? On the hand?
No. No, I...
Right across the face.
Left side.
We got to a phone we had a broadcast put out carrying the additional information on the man and the fact that he had been badly scratched.
Officers in the immediate area of the attack started to check of all the drug stores that were open in the hope that the thief had stopped for medication.
After getting the call out, Frank and I left the hospital and started back to search the area.
1146 p.m.
You talked to the doctor about the victim?
Yeah, she's in pretty bad shape.
We're going to move her to General. Sebastian says he might have to operate.
Be glad to get this guy.
Attention all units. Attention all units.
You want to turn it up now?
All units on frequency seven, please stand by.
All units in the vicinity of the 100 block on West 29th Street, Office of Needs Health, special attention 1K80, code three.
Lean on it.
Right.
All units in the vicinity of the 100 block on West 29th Street, Office of Needs Health, special attention 1K80, code three.
Frequency seven, clear.
I'll call in.
1K80 to Control One, acknowledging the call to the 100 block on West 29th Street, KMA 367.
It took us two and a half minutes to get to the location.
At the curb on the side of the street, we saw a parked police unit.
Standing next to it was a woman officer.
We pulled up next to the unit and talked to her.
She told us that our suspect had tried to attack her, and on the arrival of the two officers, it fled the scene.
At that moment, officers Sluder and Murphy were in pursuit.
While Frank got additional information from the policewoman, I went back to the car and got on the radio.
1K80 to Control One, 1K80 to Control One.
Control One to 1K80, go ahead.
Suspect is now on foot, being pursued by two plainclothes officers through backyards in the area of West 100 block between 29th Street and 30th Street.
Dispatch units to block intersections of Broadway and 29th Street.
Broadway and 30th.
Broadway and 28th Street.
Broadway and 27th.
Intersections of Main and 28th.
Main and 29th.
Main and 30th Street.
Main and 27th Street.
Control One to 1K80, Roger.
KMA 367.
I got the story, is that?
Yeah, let's go.
Policewoman says they're headed west.
The back of the house down there.
It's alright.
Let's move.
Attention all units.
1K80, suspect is now on foot, being pursued by two plainclothes officers through backyards in the area of West 100 block between 29th Street and 30th Street.
Flashlights over there, Joe.
Let's take a look.
See who it is?
No.
Duck back behind the garage.
Come on.
Slaughter, what do you got?
He's back there. Murphy's with him.
You guys alright?
Yeah.
Alright, let's take a look.
You want to call an ambulance, Frank?
Right.
How is he?
You better stop Frank.
Yeah.
Tell him to cancel out ambulance.
He opened up first, Joe.
Murph and I gave him every chance.
Well, that's more than he gave those women.
At the inquest, the coroner's jury returned a verdict that the suspect Kenneth Neal Stewart died as a result of gunshot wounds inflicted by police officers in the line of duty.
The death was listed as justifiable homicide.
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.