Ladies and gentlemen, the story you are about to hear is true.
The names have been changed to protect the innocent.
Dragmint.
You're a detective sergeant.
You're assigned a robbery detail.
Two men are terrorizing your city.
They're both armed and considered dangerous.
Your job, get them.
It was Thursday, September 9th.
It was warm in Los Angeles.
We were working the night watch out of robbery detail.
My partner's Frank Smith, the boss of Chief of Detective Stad Brown.
My name's Friday.
I was on my way back from the street and it was 1142 p.m. when I got to the 814 club,
the back room.
I hate to think what's going to happen when Mr. Negri hears about it.
It's going to be pretty bad.
Yes, sir.
How about it, Jim?
You catch the fellows yet?
No, sir.
Description's out.
Guys from the F cars are checking the neighborhood.
Haven't got nothing yet, though, huh?
No, sir, not yet.
Wish I was home.
Sir?
If I was home, I could turn off the phone.
I got one of those attachments in the extension in the bedroom that turns it off.
Wish I was there now.
Mr. Negri's really going to be sore.
Was there anything at all about the two men that would stand out and make it a little
easier for us to identify them?
I'll tell you the truth, Sergeant, if there was, I didn't see it.
All right.
I was scared, darn scared.
I'm not afraid to say so.
Yes, sir.
I can tell you again if you want me to about the robbery.
All right, if you would.
It might be something you didn't remember the first time through.
Okay.
Guess it was about a quarter-eleven when we came in.
Just a guess, but I think it was about then.
Uh-huh.
A dark one.
The other machine gun.
He kind of moved over so he had a good look at the people sitting at the bar.
What kind of a gun was it?
Machine gun.
I see.
Go ahead.
I guess he could have hit them all from where he was.
He pulled the gun kind of low, you know, like at his hip here.
What about the other one?
Well, he waited with his friend and he walked up to the bar, stood right in the middle of
the floor.
He had the automatic, huh?
Yeah.
Yeah, looked like a.45.
He stood right in the middle of the place, just looking there, watching me.
What happened then?
Well, a fellow out in front reached over and pulled the plug in the jukebox, turned it
off right in the middle of the record, pulled the plug.
And that's what made the other people turn around.
Uh-huh.
Turned right around and looked at the guns.
That's when the light fell, the one with the.45.
He said, sit where you are.
This is a stick-up.
Are those his exact words?
Well, near as I can remember, yeah.
He kind of had a squeaky little voice, like it was still changing, you know?
Yes, sir.
But those were the words.
Sit right where you are.
This is a stick-up.
All right, Mr. Gilmore, you want to go ahead?
Well, the one with the funny voice told everybody to get up and turn around so they was facing
the bar, you know, with their back to the hold-up man.
Made them all turn around.
Uh-huh.
Then he told them to start from the back of the place and walk over to one of the tables
and dump all their money out.
Said not to forget anything.
Put it all there.
Did they take anything besides money?
Not that I saw.
I wonder if a couple of people had pretty good-looking watches on, but the only thing
the bandits seemed to want was cash.
I see.
And they left after they got the money, is that right?
Yeah.
Walked to the door and said for us not to try calling anybody for five minutes.
After that, they walked out.
Did you see if they had a car?
No, sir.
Didn't even go near the door.
We did like they said, five minutes, and after that, I called you.
You'd know them again if you saw them, would you?
You bet I would.
You put me in a crowd with them and I'll tell you.
No trouble there.
I'd know them.
Oh, excuse me.
Go right ahead.
814 Club.
Yeah.
Oh, yeah, Mr. Negri.
Uh-huh.
That's right.
Well, who called you?
Yeah.
Well, there wasn't anything I could do about Mr. Negri.
No, sir.
Both of them had guns.
Yeah.
Well, you could have been the only one who had guns.
Yeah.
I could have been the only one who had guns.
Yeah.
I could have been the only one who had guns.
Yeah.
I could have been the only one who had guns.
Yeah.
I could have been the only one who had guns.
Yeah.
All right, sir.
That's the way you feel about it.
All right, sir.
Fine.
I'll be in in the morning.
Right.
All right.
Fired me.
Well, that's too bad.
I thought I heard you say you'd be in in the morning, though.
Yeah.
Well, I come in to pick up my money, you know.
I see.
By the time I get here tomorrow, I'll have another change of heart, so hire me back.
I've been fired 12 times already.
12?
He always hires me back.
Doesn't anybody else work for him?
They're right.
Well, you had a lot of trouble keeping help.
A lot of...
He thinks I should have stopped to hold up men myself.
Just walked in with my bare hands and stopped him.
Pretty silly when you think of it.
Uh-huh.
He says they're only kidding with the guns, that they wouldn't have really shot me.
Pretty silly.
Says he'd have bet on it.
They're right.
Doesn't take too much to figure that out.
Yeah.
Either way, I'd have lost, wouldn't I?
The description of the suspects, the method of operation they'd used, everything about
the robbery sounded just as if it had been read from IMO bulletins.
For the past three weeks, Frank and I had been after the two gunmen.
All sources of information had been tapped.
Victims and witnesses had been questioned and re-questioned.
People in the immediate vicinity had been talked to.
Mugshots had been pulled and worn out by handling.
To date, in concrete information, we had exactly what we'd started with.
Two gunmen who were moving around at will and robbing citizens where and when they chose.
The victims of the latest robbery were shown the mugbook, but they were unable to make
an identification.
The canvas of the area turned up no usable information.
Frank and I worked until 3.45 a.m. and then we filled out the log and left the office.
The next morning, we checked with Captain Donahoe and Chief Brown.
As a result of the meeting, we arrived at the only possible solution to apprehending
the suspect.
Leg work and a lot of it.
We spent the rest of the afternoon re-checking informants.
At 9.30 p.m., we stopped for dinner and then we went back to the office.
You got the address Sam gave you?
Yeah, it's here somewhere.
Yeah, there it is.
You think it's worth checking out?
Well, we got nothing else to do.
We might as well.
As soon as I get these straightened up, we can take a ride out there and see them.
Yeah.
Robert Murphy.
Yeah, he's here.
Just come in.
Friday?
Yeah, Murr.
Take three, will you, Joe?
Thanks.
Three?
Yeah.
This is Friday.
Yeah, boy.
When was that?
Most possible.
Did you see anybody else?
All right, we'll come right over.
Bye.
Highland Park.
They just picked up a guy for 459.
Yeah.
Matches the description of our blonde holdup man.
You think it'll check out?
I don't know.
They shook him down when he was picked up.
They found a 45 with a full clip.
It's pretty heavy for a burglar.
Yeah, let's go over and talk to him.
It should be a break.
We've been chasing luck long enough.
Well, maybe we caught up.
Frank and I signed out of the office immediately and we started over to Highland Park.
It wasn't the first time we'd gone out on a similar call.
During the time we'd been after the holdup men, there'd been several others.
All of them had to be checked out.
We never knew when an odd piece of information might turn the lead that we'd been looking
for.
Just before we turned off onto Avenue 64, a call came in over the radio.
All units on sequence C-1, stand by.
You want to turn it up?
Yeah, I got it.
All units on sequence C-1, stand by.
Stand by 11-J-4.
All units on sequence C-1, please stand by.
Sounds like a good one.
Yeah, wait a minute.
All units in the vicinity of Highland Park area.
All units in the vicinity of 6045 Yorke Boulevard, Highland Park Division.
Units 11F2, 11F3, 11F5, and 11F7.
And all traffic units, attention.
That's a big one.
At 1047 PM, this date, 11-J-4, 11-J-4, 11-J-4, 11-J-4, 11-J-4, 11-J-4, 11-J-4, 11-J-4, 11-J-4,
11-J-4, and 11-J-4, 11-J-4, 11-J-4.
man entered the Highland Park Police Station and forced an officer to release two prisoners.
The man was armed with a submachine gun believed to be a.45 caliber. Suspect is described
as WMA. Sounds like our boy.
The Highland Park Police Division is a large brick building located on York Boulevard.
On the ground floor is a booking desk and a couple of administration offices. Directly
behind the booking counter across the hall is a cell block. Prisoners are held there
pending further investigation or transfer to the main jail. When Frank and I arrived,
there were a dozen police cars around the building. Other units were searching the area
for the escaped suspects. The call had gone out to the entire state and members of the
Highway Patrol and the Sheriff's Department and all other departments were joining in
the manhunt. Frank and I talked to Officer Boyd Hutchins, the policeman who had been on
duty when the escape took place. Well he came in this side door and first I thought he just
wanted some information. Uh huh. When I walked over to take care of him I couldn't see the
gun. He was carrying it low kind of hidden by the counter. You didn't see him come into
the building then? No I was on the phone. First I knew is when he asked me if he could see
Burton. Uh huh. I told him we couldn't swing it right then. Said he'd have to come back.
And that's when he asked me if there was anybody around who could okay a visit. Well. I told
him there was and said for him to come back in the morning. That's when he showed you
the gun huh? Yeah he brought it right up over the counter. Said for me not to cause any
trouble and I wouldn't get hurt. He didn't have to tell me. Yeah. There had been a chance
for me to take on him. I'd have tried but I didn't see how it would have proved anything
for me to bleed all over him. Yeah. They made me take him back to the cell block. I unlocked
the door and he told Burton to come out. Where about the other guy? Oh his name is Kenneth
Leckner. He was in the same cell with Burton. Guy with a machine gun asked if he wanted
to go for the ride and Leckner said yes and then the three of them walked out of the
building. Did they make any attempt to tie you up or anything like that? No. They just
said sit tight and I wasn't about to argue. What do you know about this Leckner? Oh he
was picked up on a want from Oklahoma. What charge? Murder.
We went to the city hall and we checked the name Gale Burton through R&I. There was no
record on him in Los Angeles. We forwarded the information on him to George Bretton up
at C.I.I. in Sacramento. The rest of the night was spent in checking out the possible places
the suspects might have been hiding. In a city of over two million people there are
a lot of places. While we were combing the city men from the sheriff's department were
going over the county territory. We had a vague description of the car that was used
but it might match any one of several hundred being driven on the streets of Los Angeles.
Road blocks were set up on principal routes leaving the city. Special details were standing
by at all train and bus depots and the airports were covered. Leaves and days off for all
personnel were cancelled and by the time the search got out of low gear over three thousand
policemen were looking for the three men. Field stations were set up in the less populated
areas and coffee and hot soup were served to the men participating in the search. The
night dragged on without result. Saturday, September 11th we received a report that two
men answering the descriptions of Burton and the man who had aided in his escape had tried
to rent a boat down in San Diego. However when this was checked out it proved to be false.
Saturday afternoon we received information from George Bretton that Burton had an arrest
record in Sacramento and that mugshots and all information were being forwarded. We got
in touch with the authorities in the northern city and asked them to check further on the
friends and relatives of Burton. When the mugshots arrived they were shown to the holdup
victims. Mr. Gilmore would like to have you take a look at these pictures to see if you
recognize any of them. You think there might be one here of the fellow who held us up?
No we want you to tell us if you can. Uh huh. No. Not him. Uh huh. No. Well you remember
how I told you Mr. Negrid gave me my job back? Yeah I remember that. He did. Just like always.
Oh that's fine. As soon as he read in the papers how they broke out of jail he said I was
right not to cause trouble. As soon as he found out about the jail break. We're not sure
they're the same men yet Mr. Gilmore. Don't know why. Sir? Don't know why? He ain't sure.
Here's his picture. This is the man who held you up? Yep. One and the same. How about it
Jeff? It's Burton. The other victims also identified Burton as one of the men who had
held them up. With the name of the man we at least had some place to start. We put in
a call to Sacramento and we talked to the police department up there. We found that
the suspect had been arrested on charges of suspicion of burglary, suspicion of robbery,
ADW and assault with intent to do great bodily harm. In spite of the numerous arrests Burton
had only served one term in the county jail. We got all available information on him and
the search was intensified. We'd gotten reports from informants that the three men might
try to escape across the border into Mexico. San Diego was notified of this and Al Gaten
was dispatched to the international boundary of Tijuana to aid the Mexican police. Two
days passed without news of the suspects. Monday September 13th Frank and I got back
into the office from chasing down a lead that went nowhere. Better check with a skipper.
Yeah I'll do it right away. I got it. Robbery Friday. Yeah all right I'll take it. Long
distance San Francisco. Might have gotten up there. Hello. This Friday. Oh yeah Eddie.
Mm hmm. Yeah well we got the identification from Brereton. No nothing yet. When was that?
That could be. It'd give them time wouldn't it. Just a minute Frank. Yeah. It's Eddie
Vandivert up there. When did these guys pull the first job? I think it was August 16th
placed over on Pico. That's the first one. Yeah. August 16th Ed. No the other one doesn't
show up on any of the sheets. Kenneth Leckner. No we're expecting it from Oklahoma. You
guys will check it out for us then huh. All right let us know as soon as you got something
definite will you. Right. OK Ed. Thanks for calling. Right bye. What's he got? Well I
got a rumble that Brereton was up there the first part of August. He stayed about a week
he said. Yeah. Ed says he's got an informant down in the Fillmore district used to run
with Brereton. Might give us a lead on the partner. How come? Well according to the
informant Brereton met a guy up north they got real chummy. They left town together.
Come up with a name? Yeah he did. Kirby Monet M-O-N-E-T. Been in trouble? A couple of
times. Petty stuff. Rumbles got it but he was always talking about going big forming his
own gang cutting into the heavy stuff. Matching. Real good. Monet's description is the same
as our number two man. Pictures of Kirby Monet arrived from San Francisco and when they
were shown to the victims of the thieves we had a positive identification on our second
suspect. Armed with this information the job of the men in the field was considerably
easier. Now they knew who they were looking for. Ten forty two p.m. Frank and I started
downstairs for our car. Excuse me Paul. Yeah. Can you tell me where the office of the chief
is? Down the hall and to the right. Thanks. Wait a minute fellow. Hold on. What do you
want to see the chief about? That's personal. Maybe you better tell me huh? If I wanted
you I'd ask it that way. All right get over the wall. Better shake him down Frank. All
right over here. You don't have to go through all this I'm not going to cause you any trouble.
Your name's Kenna Fleckner isn't it? That's right. If you couldn't find me you figured
I'd come to you. Frank and I took the suspect to the squad room we got in touch with Chief
of Detective Stab Brown we told him what had happened and he said he'd come over to the
office as soon as possible. We shook Kenna Fleckner but we found nothing. We asked him
to tell us about the jail break. I didn't have nothing to do with it you got to believe
that. We'll let you tell us. I'm giving it to you the way it happened. Where are Monet
and Burton? I don't know last I saw them they were on our West Pico. You got an address?
No. They were sitting in the car they had a place case and they were waiting for the
crowd to clear before they took it. You know what place it was? That's a bar out there.
Got the name? No I haven't got any idea. I told you I want no part of it that's the reason
I left. You haven't gotten any idea where the place is huh? No none. You want to tag
communications Frank tell them about it? Yeah I'll get right away. You guys must have
every cop in the country out looking for us never saw so much fuzz. No. I can't go that
route anymore it doesn't work out for me never was any good at running. Do you hear anything
at all about the plans they were making? No not a lot I don't think they trusted me very
much I was with them but like an inlaw or something. I'll tell you something sergeant.
What's that? These guys are roof jobs both of them. What do you mean? Well they lost
the road all the time talking about how they're going to put class back in holdups going to
form a big gang and really jump the cops all the time talking like that roof jobs. You
got any idea where we can pick them up? Ain't nothing I'd like better than to give you the
address but I ain't got it. What about this car they're using can you give us a description
of it? Yeah it's a 52 Nash four door. Stole them? Must be they had it when we left Highland
Park. You give us the number on the plate? I don't think so I can't pull it up. I don't
think I ever really took a good look at it. What about this machine gun they got shells
for it? They're loaded with them these two guys are heavy enough to start a small war
on their own when they carry a chopper and a 45 in his belt. Burton's got two 45s and
a 38 he carries a 38 strapped to his leg. He's always laughing about it says even if he's
picked up he's got to take it out. These guys are real far out they've been reading too
many comic books all the time talking about Dillinger and Floyd. Burton even took to smoking
cigars as it makes him look like Doc Barker. And then he can give us it'll help us nail
him? No nothing. Alright like man let's go. You're taking me to jail? That's right. Now
you do me a favor huh Sergeant? What's that? Give me a cell by myself I hadn't much sleep
in the last couple of days I'd sure like to get some. Alright let's see what we can do.
Alright sit still a minute. Alright let's go. You got to put these on again? That's right.
Alright come on. Get the word out? Yeah a little late. What do you mean? Burton and Monet
have already hit the bar. Patrol car spotted them on the way out. Yeah. There was a beef
and the men in the car took Burton into custody. Dropped him in the car and started to bring
him in. Hadn't gone more than a couple of blocks when Monet drove up. Rammed the police car
and started shooting. Anybody hurt? Yeah he took Burton away from the men in the unit and
shot one of them. How bad? He's at Georgia Street receiving now. They don't expect him
to live. We had Count Fleckner held for the Oklahoma authorities. We contacted Captain
Donahoe and told him what had happened. He'd taken over the search for the two suspects
in the Pico area. A blockade had been set up on all streets leading into and out of
the area. All vehicles were being stopped and searched. All pedestrians were being interrogated.
Frank and I joined in the manhunt. By 6.30 the next morning, Wednesday September 15th,
the area had been covered without result. However in checking all automobiles in the
vicinity of the holdup, we'd come across a 1952 Nash, gray in color. The left front fender
was damaged and it matched the description of the suspect's car very close. We put a
stakeout on the vehicle and it was kept under watch for the next 24 hours. During that time
no one approached it. We checked the license number with Auto Theft Division and found
the car to be stolen. It had been taken from the owner five days before on September 10th.
We brought Kenneth Leckner from the main jail and he positively identified the car as the
one driven by Monet and Burton. At the end of the surveillance, a crew from the crime lab
came out and identified paint scrapings from the damaged fender as having come from the
police car that had been rammed. The crew from Layton Prince came out and went over the
car. While they worked, Frank and I stood by. Looks like we got a turn. It's not going to
do us much good if we can't find the guy with the key. Well, they should be about finished
now. I'll check with them. All right. I'll walk over with you. Excuse me. Yes ma'am,
something we can do for you. You know what those men are doing to that car? Police business.
You a cop? That's right. You tell me what's going on? Investigation. Of what, the car?
That's right. What are you looking for? Information. Not going to tell me, huh?
Well, it'd be a little better if we didn't, ma'am. OK. But he's not going to like it,
not a bit. Who's that? A fellow that owns the car. He's not going to like having all you
guys room around. You know the man that owns the car? Sure. He's beginning to get married.
I know him. What's his name? Monet. Kind of French-like. Romantic. How long you know him?
Not long. Sort of a whirlwind courtship, you'd say. Just met each other and we knew. You
know where this Monet is now? Not right off. I know where he'll be. Where is that? At his
place. I'm supposed to meet him there at 7.30 tonight. We've got a date. Why, you want to
talk to him? That's right. He's a nice fellow. You'll like him. Almost everybody does. Is
that right? Never knew anybody met Kirby. Didn't want to be around him all the time.
Everybody wants to be around Kirby. You know him. You'll see. Well, I won't be too hard,
man. Huh? He's already convinced us. We had the girl, Drusilla Roth, show us where the
suspect was living. The results of the investigation by Layton Prince brought out several partial
fingerprints. These were identified as belonging to both suspects. We checked with the landlady
at the apartment. She verified the fact that Monet and Burton had moved into the place three
days before. She told us that neither man was at home. In our company, we checked the
room. Under a pile of dirty clothes in one of the bureau drawers, we found several boxes
of ammunition for the 45s and the 38. There were also several hundred rounds of cartridges
for the machine gun. Because of the physical structure of the building, it was decided
that the best way to keep the place under surveillance would be for one team to cover
the front door, another to watch the rear entrance, and a third to wait in the room
itself. Frank called the office and Sergeants Murphy, Rafferty, and Benson, along with
Lieutenant Stoner, came out to help us. We instructed the manager to stay in her room
and not let on to either of the suspects that we were in the building. We waited. 6.45
p.m.
Should be showing up pretty quick, huh?
Yeah. Any word from George Street?
I talked to Stoner when he got here. I've given Simon a couple of transfusions. I figure
they're going to be able to transfer him to General the first thing in the morning.
You gonna make it then?
It looks like it. They took a 38 out of his left lung, two more out of his hip. Pretty
rough go.
Yeah.
What time he got?
6.47.
Should be here by now. He's going to keep that date.
Now there's another one that comes first.
At 7.06 p.m. there was a knock on the door. There was a signal with weeder rings. We opened
it and found that Lieutenant Stoner had come up to tell us that Gail Burton had been taken
into custody. He'd approached the apartment, and as soon as the officers stopped him, he'd
surrendered, offering no resistance. Stoner wanted to tell us that he and Benson would
take the suspect downtown for booking. Frank and I settled back to wait for Manet.
All right, Tony.
Why don't you like a smoke?
Why is it, Joe, you and I always draw the stake inside the room where all we can do
is sit?
I don't know. You usually ask for it that way, don't you?
Well, next time we're going to take one of the entrances. Sit out there in the car.
Smoke when you want. If you want something to eat, just run down the drug store for a
candy bar. It's a lot better duty, Joe.
Hmm.
I thought I heard somebody coming tonight.
Yeah.
What was that?
Yeah.
All right, Manet, hold it right there.
Watch it, Joe.
I see him.
Down this way.
All right, hold it. Any sign of him?
No. He might have gone down the stairs.
The apartment at the end of the hall.
Right, come on.
All right, Manet, come on out.
So last time around, Manet, throw that gun out and you follow it.
Not coming out.
All right, let's go in.
Wait a minute.
I'll knock.
All right, don't shoot me. I quit. I don't want to fight.
Throw the gun out here.
Right there. Drop it.
All right, here it is.
Come on, I can see it.
I got it.
All right, hands behind your head. Back out of the door.
Come on, turn around.
Keep those hands where we can see them.
Okay, okay, I'm coming.
I don't shoot anymore. I won't give you no more time.
All right, hold it right there.
Don't move.
Keep those hands up.
I'll check.
There's another one. 45.
Had it in his belt.
I'd have given it to you. I wasn't going to try it anymore.
Yeah, sure. Keep still.
All right.
Take your hands down.
Back of it.
One at a time.
All right.
Try not to turn around.
You're going to take me in now?
That's right.
That cop I shot, he didn't die.
No, you're pretty lucky.
And all you got me for is robbery. That's all. Just robbery.
That's how it looks from here, doesn't it?
Robbery, that's all. Jail term doesn't make a lot of difference.
Is that right?
Sure. And a jail built can hold me. Not one.
I'll get out. I'll be running again. You'll see.
I wouldn't give odds.
Huh? Bigger men than you said they'd come back.
Yeah, show me. I'd sure like to meet him.
Don't worry, you will.
Kenneth Nelson Leckner was returned to the state of Oklahoma for prosecution on a murder charge.
A hold was placed against him by the state of California in the event he was paroled.
Gail Claude Burton and Kirby Arno Monet were tried and convicted of robbery in the first degree, six counts.
Violation of Section 4574 P.C., bringing a firearm into a prison.
Violation of the machine gun law and assault with intent to commit murder.
Robbery in the first degree is punishable by imprisonment for a period of not less than five years.
Violation of Section 4574 is punishable by imprisonment for a period of not less than one year in the state penitentiary.
Violation of the machine gun law is punishable by a term in the state prison not to exceed five years and or a fine of $5,000.
Assault with intent to commit murder is punishable by imprisonment for a period of not less than one nor more than 14 years in the state penitentiary.
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.
Fangirling with the New States Army Soldier Duke abundant soldier.