Dragnet: The Big Check (EP1676)

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The story you are about to hear is true, only the names have been changed.

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You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned a forgery detail. An accomplished check forger is at work in your city. His victims small businessmen. You know his m O.

You don't know his identity.

Your job.

Get him.

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Dragnet, the documented drama of an actual crime, will the next thirty minutes in cooperation with the Los Angeles Police Department. You will travel step by step on the side of the law through an actual case, from official police violence, from beginning to end, from crime to punishment. Dragnet is the story of your police force in action.

It was Monday, February fourth, was cold in Los Angeles. We were working a day watch out of forgery detail. My partner's Ben Romero. The boss is Captain Elliott. My name is Friday. I was on the way home from the office, and it was eight twenty five pm when I got to Collis Avenue, remember.

Forty six fifty six. Joseph said you, Yeama.

We're in the living room. We have company.

Oh that's all.

Hello Joe, remember Mary found?

I sure do? How are you, miss Foller?

Just signed Joe? Thank you doing some shopping out this wedd thought I stop buying. Have a cup of tea with your mother.

Well it's good to see. How are things in the old neighborhood now?

Oh? Pretty much the same?

Oh?

Miss Daily remember her finally die? Yeah, I suppose it was for the best. So I'm just telling your mother. Jim and Louise watching finally moved. Jim got a new job. How by all the dinner?

Oh that's all.

Yeah, Na, you certainly looking, find Joe. Don't you wear your police uniform anymore?

Mind? No, Mary and Joseph's and the detective girl now hasn't learned his uniform from here?

Oh that's right. I remember now that note you sent me your Christmas guide here before last. What do you do now, Joe?

Forgery detail my partner and I am a bum checkcases my that certainly must.

Be under it. Have you had your dinner at Jersey.

Yes, ma'am, I stopped at the place out in Santa Monica and had something.

Yes when Mary brought me some nice coffee cakes finding for filling, would you like them of a couple of comfort yours?

No, I don't know.

You sit down in your chair there and rest yourself, cos I'm so tired. I have no idea how hard they work.

You remember Genevieve, don't you? Joe my oldest girl?

Oh?

Yeah, sure? How is she just fine?

Lots of boyfriends as usual, going out all the time.

Well, that's good.

She asked to be remembered to you. I think you and Jen were stuck on each other at one time. Where to do?

Oh?

We went to a couple of dances in high school a r. I think she started going to stay with another fella.

Young girls never open their will off coffee and Joe soon set it here in the end table.

Nice. I don't think I can use it much.

Delicious coffee cake? You smell?

Yeah?

Nice?

Oh?

My quarter to nine, I should have left, have an ago.

Oh you have to go. Maybe she's visits throng. We're so sure?

Well, I got a lot of iron introduced and I have to make Carl's lunch. He's always so fussy about his lunch.

Yes, I get your cold.

Well, it's nice seeing you again, Jim. Do you want to be remembered to Jenevieve?

Yeah, tell her hello, William is father.

If you're over our way, be sure and drop in and see us. Let me say Jenney's home office by six. She often says, she'd like to see you again. All same, good night, Joe. You'd be sure to come and see us now, Jenny'll be looking forward to it.

Okay, his following tonight, she's all right.

You know I wouldn't be You're mine.

Nice person, married, hind time trying to find a husband for Geneva.

Yeah, hey mom, I'm not very hungry. I can't even know.

She's such a shame. Waves lovely copy cake been used on the same case.

Yeah, same one.

It's taking it off your long time.

Oh we've been on it two months here.

Never understand that when people write bad checks always get caught.

Well, it's easy living while it lasts.

Now you know what the man's handwriting is like? Don't you know who the man is?

Well, we think so much, we're not sure. There's hundreds of checkmen at work, almost alike. Some of them even look alike. There's always a big enough field to pick from.

Our problems picking the right one.

I don't know much about it, but the whole thing is kind of silly to me.

How's that?

What's this man's supposed to be doing? They're around your small neighborhood stores cashing fifteen twenty dollars checks? Have you got himself a job? He's probably doing that much in money day, doing good? Honest?

So he? Ben didn't call before I got home?

Did he?

He was going to interview one of the bum check victims on his way home the grocery store onner down of Highland Park.

It might be him. Now we're not that yeah Friday talking. There's Ben Joe.

I've got a partial identification from the Grocer's nothing great.

Which mug shot did he?

Like?

Stanley Buelbeck grocer thinks it might have been the guy pushed the check.

He can't be sure.

Thirty three bum checks passed, Samemo, not one positive identification.

Something's funny, isn't it?

All?

Got me stuff?

We know the endorsements on every one of those checks was written with the same guy. He was practiced the same story on every one of his victims. Yeah, those thirty three people are either blind and they're kidding it.

There was only one other answer. We're looking for the wrong man.

For two months and two days in different shopping districts throughout the city, a man described as well dressed, middle aged. It's been passing worthless checks on independent neighborhoods this man. Most of the victims were proprietors of small shops, meet markets, liquor stores, grocery stores. In none of the cases was the check written for more than twenty five dollars.

With the help of the Stat's office.

And our record bureau, we've gone through the list of experienced checkmen until we found one man who's description and m O. Matt's perfectly with that of a suspecture. The man's name was Stanley Buebeck.

We can't locate him cabin Another thing, we can't get a positive identification from many of the victims.

And find a suspect they can identify. They've been tracking the guy for two months. What's the big mestery?

Oh, he tabbed the man of Stanley Bubeck and his record. His m is description the all tie in perfectly. Now, we're not sure it's him.

What I mean, Well, if it is bu Beck, it's.

Almost a sure thing that one of the victims could have made him on one of his mud shots. None of them can make up their minds.

Look, maybe one of you two would like to be kept in the forgery for a day. Sit in this office and listen to complaints coming over that phone about this guy at the front office. Neighborhood, business men's clubs, retail merchants. They tell me they're trouble, so I'm passing them on to you. Whoever this paper hanger is.

We want him, We want it fast, lowsy little twenty dollars checks. We'll probably have a lot better target if you drive something bigger and.

Don't think he and a hundred dollars checkmen like him, don't know that you won't find him stealing company paychecks and flood in the town with paper. They take it from the little guy, and they take it in small amounts, but add up those small amounts at the end of the year, and they'll scare you.

It's a rotten part about it. None of those victims can afford.

A bad check at grocer Donnely stands on his feet all day and at a profit of ten to fifteen dollars, he gets tagged with one bad check and he's working for nothing.

We've got bulletins out on the suspect. All the small businessmen in town. I've all been alerting.

Excuse me, catn.

Ellian, Okay, don right away, Don Myers, he went over the handwriting those last three checks.

Wants to see you.

Okay, how about that special bulletin you got out to the prisons on Stanley Bubeck And he replies nothing, ex g me, all right, stay on it, right, let's go for it.

Yes, I'd give a right arm for a line on this guy. Yeah.

Well it would move a lot faster if somebody'd help us follow those checks closer. The way it's running now, we hear about the paper two weeks after it's been cash and few bag.

Thing isn't over much, you know, you just find another line to get a settle. Hi, don oh hi, U.

Just finished up on those last three checks that came in. You want to give me a look, how do they say? But well, you can see for yourself right here, yeah, uh here the three I just went over and uh, here are half a dozen bad ones for cash last month. The endorsements on this half doesn't match perfectly on those other three. Well, i'd say they were endorsed with the same person. Oh look here you can notice the capitol letters.

The first name see yeah, yeah, But.

He connects the capitals in the last.

Name see not very bright. Yeah.

And I much doubt my mind.

All the other handwriting factors tied in form skill shading, They all match up. The movement terminals are all the same for my money. Yeah, here the way he writes the lower case letters. That's interested for me.

How's that done? Well?

Here the inclination of the terminal stroke on the s see the breest land above the horizontal's just about fifty five degrees in all cases. Now, the finger movement in his capitals have plenty of freedom. They're not shaded much. Nothing like this in his lower case letters though. You see here, Yeah, I think I know what you mean. That much freedom here, lots of shading and the pressure

No change is a doll in the style all he made. The signature just look a little different.

All eight factors match up. Though it's the same person.

All we have to do is find him.

How about this fella, Stanley Bubeck, I thought you had him tap.

I We're not too sure about him, but it's the only line we got to work on, so we'll have to do for now.

I lamera a man in the office, say you and Joe.

Names Loomis, right, Fred me there in a minute.

Well, thanks John, we'll check you later. Sure, okay, see you let's go back.

How you do you mister Loomis, Yes, Sir Sagan Rameril No, this is sergeant Ramoo here. My name is Friday. Oh all right, what can we do for you?

It's about these checks, are you? These are right here?

Yeah?

You see.

I run a delicatessen out on Sunset, and a few days ago a new customer came in for a few things and paid for them with these checks.

He came in twice.

Yeah, go ahead, Well I got the checks back today. They're no good. I tried to look up the man at the address he gave but there's no such address, you can. I see one's for fifteen dollars, the other ones for twenty. And the reason I asked for you, man, is because I know the man who runs a drug store across the street, George home Quist. He had some bad checks about a month ago, he said, dud took care of him.

Oh yeah, yeah, I remember you recall a man who passed these checks, Misteris.

Yes, I think I do.

He told me he was new in the neighborhood and he was looking for a place to trade. Well, I guess we're all anxious for new business.

I took the checks.

He got those mud shots there, man, Yeah, yeah, thank you. How about these men, mister Loomis, and he haven't looked anything like the person who passed the checks on you.

No, let's see this one. Yes, it does look like a man in a way. I don't know if I could be.

Absolutely sure, Andy, bu vaccine him.

Pot.

Well, it looks like you're stuck with a couple of bad ones. Mister lumis probably the same man who passed checks on your druggist friend.

We're doing everything we can to run this man down.

What about the checks, isn't there anything I can do about them.

No, sir, I'm sorry, not right now. We would like to have you make out a crime report if you will, and would you.

Leave these checks with us?

Bad here as just came in for you, I replied from Salt Lake City, Utah on that bullet and you sent out on the Stanley Bubreck.

Yeah, he's been in jail for five months.

We sent a request to Salt Lake asking him to question Stanley Bubeck if he knew of any forger who matched his description or used his m O.

BW.

Beck could tell us nothing.

Wednesday, February sixth we threw away the results of two months of investigation.

We went back and started from the beginning.

Despite all precautions and warnings, the checks kept coming in at the rate of half a.

Dozen a week.

The same mo O was used, the same handwriting showed up in the signatures on the checks.

Again. With the help of the staff and.

The statistician's office and the record Bureau, we waited through hundreds of names of known checkmen and compiled a new list of thirty eight possible suspects. Each one fitted the general description of the forger. Each one at some time in his forgery career, had he was the same general method of operation. Well, after days of leg work, we finally boiled down the list of possibles to three names, George Roberts, James Young, and Harry L.

Johansson.

We got out a flyer to all the small businessmen in the areas where the forger operated. Another week passed, the worthless checks kept showing up at the rate of two and three a day. On February twenty first, Ben and I answered a call from a druggist in the Echo Park district.

He bought some toothpaste and a cotton of cigarettes. Sergeant asked me to cash a twenty dollars.

Check for it.

Did you ever seen the men before?

No?

He gave me the same old story about being new in the neighborhood. That's when I remembered that police full of in the department sent me.

Do you still have that bullet?

No?

I looked it over, and then I guess it got mislaid.

I wonder if you'd mind taking a look at these pictures here, not at all these right here?

M sure this one right on top that's the man.

Yeah, sure, I am.

It only happened a few hours ago. Do you know who he is?

Harry L Joe Hanson. That's the name we have on him.

Doesn't mean anything to me. He got real happy when I wouldn't take his check, stalked right out of the store, very suspicious.

Did you follow him?

No?

I told Ralph, my clerk, to follow him.

Ralph, you want to tell these officers about that man this morning?

I followed him down the street for blackman, turned the corner.

That's where I lost him.

Bad. Yeah, all I got was a license number.

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September twenty first, Thursday, three pm. We took the license number which the drugstore clerk had given us. We went back to the office and checked it through DMV. We found the car was registered to a Russell Burrows on Pico Boulevard.

We checked O out.

He told us that he had loaned his car the day before to a friend of his. He identified the friend as Harry L. Johansson and gave us his last known address, six fourteen Elderwood Avenue.

We got out a broadcast on the car.

The Elderwood Avenue address turned out to be a single story wooden frame house in the southern part of the city on the edge of the industrial district.

It needed a coat of paint.

A woman in her elderly thirties answered the door and identified herself as Missus Johansson. She invited us into the living room. Who was a baby playing on the floor.

I don't expect my husband home for another two weeks, sergeant. He's a cosmetic salesman, travels all over the Western States.

When did he leave on this last trip, Missus Johnson, the.

First of the month. Why is anything wrong?

What's the name of the cosmetics company that your husband works for?

Harrington Universal offices are down on East Maine.

Do you know a friend of your husband's name Russell Burrows.

Yes, I do. He's kind of a friend of the family. Please, sergeant, if there's anything wrong, I don't know.

We talked to mister Burr's this afternoon. He told us your husband's in town. Burr's learning his car.

Harry, that's silly, is still on the road. He'd certainly let me know if he was coming back early.

You sure that man?

Would you excuse me a minute, sergeant, I'll have to put the baby to bed.

Certainly, come on body, I'll be back in a minute.

Kind of a funny set up in it. I mean, Johnson's pushing bum checks. The money isn't going into his home.

Here.

Life doesn't act like she knows anything, seems cooperative.

I'm afraid we're gonna have to level whether if we're gonna find out anything.

You've got a cute little girl. I'm sorry, sir, It's perfectly all right. Just a few more questions.

Is it possible that your husband could be in town and you might not know what I mean, but he be staying with a friend or some relatives.

You know, fairy was in town, he'd come home. Why would he stay with anyone else?

When did you last year from your husband?

Last week? He wrote from San Francisco, He was right there on the mantle.

Well, besides that letter, do you have any other samples of your husband's handwriting?

Run? Huh?

Well I think so? Yes, Where did you say you were from?

Central Division? Forgery? Detail?

You investigate checks bad checks?

That man? That's right? And you know about my husband this prison record.

Yes, Harry promised me he was through it all that. He gave me his word.

Sorry, man, about a month ago, he had some extra money. He wouldn't tell me where he got it. Look, sergeant, maybe you've made a mistake. Maybe it's not Harry at all. You're not sure, are you?

Did your husband use the phone much? I mean for out of town call sake, No.

Just that one toll call a Long Beach number. I think he has a business friend down there I.

Used to call.

Do you know the number, man, I can show you. It's on last month's phonevill Ple's sergeant. If Harry's done something wrong, he did it for us, me and the baby. Harry's not bad. He's done something. He did it for us. Harry hasn't had it easy. He wanted to get things for the baby, clothes, better house. Oh he wanted it was a little happiness, a little happiness.

We had it wrong, man, you don't buy it with bum checks. Before we left missus Johansson, we called and had a stake out placed on the house, and then we got a sample of her husband's handwriting and the Long Beach telephone number that he was in the habit of calling it.

The next morning, Don Myers.

And handwriting compared Harry Johansson's letter with the signatures on the worthless checks.

It matched.

We called the Harrington Universal Cosmetics company. They never heard of Harry Johansson. We called that long beach phone number. A woman answered and gave us the address where the telephone was installed. Turned out to be a swanky, modern apartment house. In apartment eighteen, we interviewed a good looking brunette. She identified herself as Harry Johansson's commonweal wife.

She was well dressed in the apartment, richly FURNI what's.

It all about? What do you want? Harry?

Thanks? Business? You know where he is, But what's he done? Do you know where he is?

He drove into Hollywood this morning, might be back tonight, and I don't know for sure.

Is this your partner?

Yeah? Mind?

And Harry, yeah sure. Joe Hunts is not here now, of course, I'm sure why well, and you won't mind if we come in and look around him.

I have a right to know what it's all about.

Johnson's wanted for forgery, and if you want to get involved, you'll help him hide out.

I'm not ask him for that kind of trouble.

Go ahead and look, take the bedroom, leave in all right?

I have a mind, cup, Thanks for help, honey.

I don't want me part of your troubles Harry. I didn't know a thing about it.

All, Ben, Yeah, you better come along to lady.

We'll tell him here. I don't know what a about. What's the idea getting me mixed up in this?

How do you think I was paying for this place? Taken you out bound us clothes for you.

I don't want any part of it. Three room apartment, a couple of addresses. That's all he ever got me.

You've got no complaints, lady. That's morning bought his kids.

One pm Friday, Ben and I took Harry Johanson to the County jail, where he was booked for suspicion of forgery. We called missus Johanson a notifighter. She immediately contacted friends and relatives and raised enough money for a writ to have her husband released from jail. Three days later, Johanson was arranged on a date set for his preliminary hearing. After the arrangement, Ben and I took him back to the county jail for rebooking.

I'd like to ask you a question, Johnson. Yeah, you've got any money off you own?

The whn't just stick to your own business?

Cover that family of years is having a pretty rough time. Your wife barred every since she could find to bail you out, And what's she going to live on?

Good relatives?

Oh it's yell. Come on, Johansson.

I'm not gonna put me back in full same, not in a hundred years.

You've done two stretches already for hanging paper. You should have known better, mister.

You got it all figured out, haven't your fuzz? Well, I'm not going.

Back take any You got a couple of more weeks on the veil before the trial.

Yeah, a couple of weeks.

What's the matter with you? Don't you feel well?

I won't get me back to fulsom.

You're not making it an easier on yourself, all right, don't you?

Don't your cops understand I hate it, every lousy bit of it.

I'm not going back to fulsome.

I'm not going back the understand it's a.

Good idea, mister. You remember that when you get out.

A book.

Mary Johansson in the county jail. His bail was continued and he was released pending the trial. During the next week, along with the District Attorney's office, Ben and I helped prepare the case against Johansson. Three days before the trial opened, we had a phone call from missus Johansson. She told us that her husband had disappeared. Well, there's nothing we could do until he actually failed to appear in Superior

Two days passed, no sign up, nothing. Joe um Lay just checked it out.

How about those two ex conpoals of Johansson's to check them?

Yeah? Nothing.

Then I don't see I can last out much longer. When should have close no money? He still got a check book. When did Skipper say.

Was coming back? Tend fifteen? Now I'll get it forgery Friday, Joseph, this is your mother. Oh yeah, I am. I forgot to.

Tell you when you're called earlier.

You're supposed to be home tonight by eight o'clock.

What's that?

My Mary Powler? She's coming over to visit tonight and Genevieve's coming with her.

Yeah, well, look, will you try to explain to them that I'm working and I can't get away?

Huh well, all right, Joseph.

I'll try if I possibly can. I'll try to make it home by ten. I'll I'll be all right.

I'll see what I can do. Genevieve's going to be disurprised.

Yeah, if I'm later than that, don't wait up for me.

Huh, yes, all right.

Then bye, Ma, Yes, Joseph, Oh Thanksgiver all just came in.

Yeah, I found Johnson.

Captain Elliott, Ben and I drove out the highway to the Tahunga Wash. We turned off and headed into the mount policing area.

Capa.

Elliott directed us onto a dirt road. Half way up one of the mountains. We spotted a group of cars pulled off on the shoulder of the road. We parked behind them and got out and started over. Who found the cars?

Kevin, one of the people living back in my house, spotted in this way.

Home from Warren H. Barnings are here in a hurry.

Yeah, Hi Davehi, you doing Joe Cat my lep?

How long has you been dead?

This last night?

I figure.

I'm on our.

You talked to the man who found Johnson's body day, Yeah.

He didn't touch the thing.

What'd you find?

Powder burns on the temple, powder on the hands. Boys from homicide found the note. It's on the seat right next to him. Here it is here, been checked.

Yeah, I think I'll ties in Dave pretty tight.

Yeah.

Jean Beckel from homicide wants to talk to you, Captain.

Okay, if you right back, Joe's right.

Who do you address note too?

Joey?

No, my girlfriend? Look what he wrote it on? Yeah, blank check.

The story you've just heard was true, only the names were changed to protect the innocent.

On April ninth, an inquest was held in the Coroner's office on the main floor of the Hall of Justice, Los Angeles, California. In a moment the results of that inquest, and.

Now here is our star, Jack Webb, thank you.

The working detective comes in contact with many people in his daily tour of duty, people who are willing.

To cooperate and those who won't even try.

It's a difficult task, but the police officer has been trained to try to please everybody to the best of his ability.

So with a cigarette, the.

People who make Fatima try to please all long cigarette smokers. They carefully select and blend the finest Turkish and domestic tobaccos to make Fatima Extra Mile, the best of all long cigarettes. If you're a long cigarette smoker like I am, smoke Fatima. Every pack is extra mild Fatima.

On April ninth, the coroner's jury returned a verdict that the death of Harry Al Johansson was caused by a gunshot wound in the head, self inflicted. You have just heard Dragnet, a series of authentic cases from official files. Technical advice for Dragnet comes from the Office of Chief of Police W. H. Parker, Los Angeles Police Department.

Fatima Cigarettes, the best of all long cigarettes, has brought you Dragnet from Los Angeles.

Coming up Duffy's Tavern. More good Times on NBC.

This is Andrew J.

Graham, author of the web surface series Oh and a Mana's Wife. You're listening to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio.

Welcome back. Well. This was one of those episodes that took us back in time to a far more innocent time and showed us why we're a little more cynical these days, and it is always a challenge actually to even get a check cashed these days because of the type of check fraw that's gone on. That was kind of documented a little bit as to what had happened in the past in the movie Catch Me if you Can,