Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This is your host, Adam Graham. If you have a comment, email it to me Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot net, follow us on Twitter at Radio Detectives, and become one of our friends on Facebook, Facebook dot com slash Radio Detectives. Well, before we do get started, I do want to let you know the programs brought to you by the financial support of our listeners, and I particularly want to thank
you for his support. You can support the show support dot Great Detectives dot net. You can also give to us on an ongoing basis recurring once a month Pytreon dot Great Detectives dot net, and we have levels from two dollars on up. A list available details there. But now it's time for today's episode of Dragnet. The original air date September fourteenth of nineteen fifty and the title is The Big Mac.
The story you were about to hear is true, only the names have been changed to protect the innocent. You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned to robbery detail. The small bakery shop in your city is held up. A man and his daughter are shot down without reason. Your job getting.
Drag meet the documented drama of an actual crime. For the next thirty minutes, in cooperation with the Los Angeles Police Department, you will travel step by step on the side of the law to an actual case from official police files, from beginning to end, from crime to punishment. Dragnet is the story of your police force in action.
It was Tuesday, November three, was Chile in Los Angeles. We were working the night watch out of robbery detail. My partner's Ben Romero. The boss is Captain ed Walker. My name is Friday. Was five minutes to midnight when we got to three eighteen Silver Avenue, Stendall's Bakery shop.
A Maryland Friday Central robber at sixteen.
Are my partner Olson's back there in the shop talking to the owner.
You answered the call, did you?
Yeah?
I must have been a crazy man. Shot two of them down, cold blood. They go in the ambulance now shot.
Up pretty bad.
Who runs the place?
Swedish family named Stendall, father, mother, two daughters, All four of them work in the bakery here.
They all here at the time of the robbery.
Yeah, the hold up man shot the father and the oldest daughter. The mother and the younger girl are in the back straight through that door.
Okay, thanks James, Right, Sergey, yo on the side of the door here looks like a bullet hole.
Yeah, thy Jacob, Sergy, you want to call into the crime lab, ask who send somebody out?
All right?
Thank you?
Hi you Olson. That's right, romere on Friday, sent for robbery. Oh how are you? These are two of the victims, missus Sidney Stendall, girls, her daughter named Jennifer. Any other witnesses not so far. Neighbor around here is pretty deserted this time of night. Hold up, man made a fast getaway and two people who were shocked. What kind of shape of then? And father and mister standle he's got a bullet wound on the right shoulder. Older daughter is
a lot worse. Her name is June, nineteen years old. Chat four or five times in the stomach or do you want to stand by?
Right? Yeah? Okay, missus Stendall, we're from robbery detail.
Yeah, how do you do?
How do you do?
Jeannie was Alexei and Sis plats for her to go too. You will excuse me for not getting up offer It doesn't feel so bad.
That's perfectly all right. Man.
Oh, thank you, okay, thank you very much.
You and your daughter here. We're in the front of the bakery shop at the time of the robbery, Is that right, miss Standle?
No?
Yeah, Nie was back here with her father. That's Lars, my husband. Unie and I were in the shop in front.
Who were you with, man, Uni?
Uni and I MoMA means June, my older sister, she calls it Uni.
Yeah, Yun oh yeah, do you mind telling us what happened?
Well, Yun, and I was scrubbing the floor of the shop. You choose the nightly scrubbed the floor of the shop. Then this man came in and pointed a gun. He wanted our money.
Boy, what time did he come in?
Eleven fifteen, eleven twenty, I don't remember for certain. He wanted dull money and I gave it to him.
How much was that man?
Yeah? No, do it omka bang? Twenty four dollars, Yeah, twenty four dollars. Used the paper money, He took it and put it in his pocket. Un my daughter, she started to cry. The man hit her. She cried some more than last.
Yeah.
He came around and from the back the man pointed the gun he made Lars and me and yeh he stand against that war, but not you. He took hold of her. Jenny, who's held the theay been vegan denman and but you.
He was getting fresh with your mom. The man tried to get fresh with June. Officers, June.
He tried to drag out the door with yeah you, and he hit him, hit him good and even like that, drew her against the counter and pushed June down. Crazy man class he looked. He kicked her.
M h.
Then Lars, my husband. He ran at the man. He hurt the gun loud and Lars fell down and I screamed, yeah, yeah, I screamed. He turned and I saw the man standing over you. He pointed the gun down at her. I see looked on him. He kept shooting her four maybe five times. Yeh, miscreamed, She kept screaming. The man ran off the door.
It's all right now.
And either one of you ever seen this man before?
No?
No, did I But you know him?
If you saw him again, I think so I.
Would, abser. I got a good look at him. He's wearing a blue cap like a baseball player wears.
Howd he get away? Was he on foot or did he have a car?
Nobody followed him, but after he left I heard a car start up down the block and then it drove away.
Do you have anything else to add, Missus Staniel.
I hope you catched the man. He beat his catch.
Yes, ma'am, we're gonna try.
Yin Arsenella, Calm and Nichols. Here, Mom, your officer, can you find the man? Please call me.
You keep the nickels, we'll call you. Before we left the scene of the robbery and shooting, Missus Stendall and her daughter gave us their description of the hold up man, together with the clothing he wore. The suspect had no outstanding physical characteristics that they'd noticed. The only thing unusual about his clothing was that he wore what appeared to be a baseball cap at the time of the hold up. She described the cap as light blue with a visor.
Together with officers Bechdel and Lopez from Central Robbery, we canvassed the immediate neighborhood for us their possible witnesses. We found none. The next morning we went out to the hospital. The condition of the older daughter, June, was critical. We interviewed the father. He could tell us nothing. At ten am, missus Stendall and her younger girl, Jenny were brought to the office and we started them looking through mug books
of Parolis previously convicted of armed robbery. Within two hours, both of them positively identified the picture of a recent San Quentin release as that of the hold up man. His name was Harold Best. We started a quick rundown.
You pulled the Packagejohnny, here's the dope.
Harold Best as Harold Norris alias Harold Thomps alias Tom Norris one term for arm robbery and Q got out four months ago. M owned description both match. How about the ex con file to check he's registered? Do you get ahold of his parlofs.
Yeah, twenty four to for to Excelsior Avenue's rooming. I'll let checks for the x con files. Cruel officer says Best went to work two weeks ago to filling station over on from mine. Yah doesn't seem to be able to hold a job. Quarrelsome n himself to dead. I've got robbery romel. You're right, that's all huh yeah, right, but great thinker. The crime lab they checked the slugs taken from the two victims. Yeah, they came from a thirty two caliber revolver. I'll be a cult anything else,
that's it. I'm too bad at dark. We've had worse. Yeah, maybe we can make that phone call pretty quick.
Two pm Wednesday, Ben and I drove out to his rooming house at twenty four to forty ex Celsia Avenue, and we found that Herbert Best was still living there. We had the landlady show us his room. Besides the usual personal belongings, we came across nothing of consequence. After questioning the landlady, we drove to the service station on Vermont Avenue where Best was supposed to be employed.
I don't seen him run around.
There's a fellow over there greasing your car in there as.
Oh oh yeah, it looks like Best.
Hey fella, you now, can you tell us if there's a Herbert Best working here?
Uh?
Man?
Why police officers would like to ask you?
Ah?
Matter routine investigation. Got a few questions for you supposed.
To have this greased up a quarter to four?
What am I supposed to do?
Please?
Your boss?
I'll find him.
Your got any heat on you?
Oh?
This is all a bar?
How long is it's gonna be a.
Couple of minutes. I'm gonna take more on a grease job. Put this singing shape.
I will wait for you.
How'd you find me? Mosey Line, lady of mine, No routine, general, you're very fetnah on. This trap is froze, he said, Chunk, Well, what's all about?
Got a few things are straightened out? Bess how long you been working here?
You didn't drive out here for that. That's not your game.
What's the pitch routine?
Investigation?
We'd like to know where you've been spending your nights. For instance, Sunday night, where were you?
Well, I don't know.
I went to a show. Yes, I saw Mickeyrny Pitcher where downtown? I had a beer after the show? Come home?
H How about Monday night? Uh?
Or went home after work? I was booked, went to bed early?
Can you prove it?
Land ladies saw me come in, always snooping around. She ought to know if I was there or not?
How about last night Tuesday?
Played some cards a friend of mine, him and his wife Penny Annie Pooker.
Where the place it's.
Down on Pico near the park. You can ask 'em what times you get there? I'm not sure. Oh, eight o'clock. I guess what.
Time did you leave?
What's it all about?
What time did you.
Leave roun midnight? Y'all must have been around midnight?
What'd you play with your friend and his wife?
Okr ook her loss as usual, took a street car home, went to bed.
I'm sure you didn't leave earlier.
Of course, I'm sure it was rum midnight? I remember, how do you remember? I looked at my watch, but not for you.
What times you get home?
It takes about a half hour on trolley. Must have been about twelve thirty.
And the land lady see you coming.
I don't know if she saw me or not? Always snoop aroun probably did?
You're not sure?
No, of course, I'm not sure she looks for me. I don't know for her.
You want a gun? Best?
You know better than not? Copper ex cons Can I have a gun?
Your friend and his wife now, they're going to back you up? If you were playing cards with him till midnight?
Why not?
I was?
There's a boss looking from here. I'd better let him know I'm here.
Best. What's that you got in your back pocket? There? In your back pocket? The right one? There?
Oh?
This yeah, baseball cap Why.
Four pm, Ben and I checked the suspects locker at the service station and then drove him back to the office. At the interrogation room, we continued questioning him. He denied any knowledge of the hold up and shooting at Stendall's bakery shop the night before. We asked him again about the friends he was supposed to be playing cards with at the time of the robbery. He told us that they lived over on Peico, but he couldn't remember the address.
He volunteered to direct this there, but he said they wouldn't be home. He told us their names were mister and missus Clyde Mitchell. They were in charge of the food concessions at one of the football stadiums in town. Best was held for suspicion of robbery. That night. We drove out and interviewed the landlady at his boarding house. She knew nothing of Best whereabouts the previous night. She didn't know what time he left or what time he returned. Ben and I went over his room again. There was
no sign of a gun. Friday, two pm, officers Beckall and Lopez went out to the hospital to see if mister Standell and his daughter June could identify best mug shots. Ben and I drove out to the stadium to locate and missus Clyde Mitchell was a high school football game going on.
High school kids here, have a lot of fun nowadays.
Best years of your life, Joe, you sound like you're eighty five.
Some nights. I feel like it. Way those kids turned out for these things. You'd think USC and Noted Dame were playing. You see the number on that gate over there, Yeah, it's twenty three. That the number of the gatekeeper gaming.
Yeah, must be the Mitchell stand over there.
Come on, oh mess, and you'll tell us where to find mister and missus Mitchell.
You'll run back to ten.
You're knocking the door. Thank you.
Godle Man to Mims Mitchell, it's all right. What is it police officers like talk to if you a few minutes, I'm.
Having a bottle lunch with some money.
Shut the door, yes, ma'am, Thank you.
Lowsy food business. You never get a chance to feed yourself, Yes, ma'am. Hey care for some of these new kind of potato chips? Revolutionary, it says, oh, mother, Thompson's poff chips flavored.
Get all kind.
See do you her a combination?
See girl like an egg?
Clint?
Sure tastes different?
Have come?
I would thank you.
See we're inquiring about a friend of yours, Miss Mitchell. Maybe you can tell us something about him.
Oh that.
Man, but the name of Herbert.
West herb you o time friend of my husbands?
What do you want to know?
You see him quite often, do you, Miss Mitchell?
Once?
Twice a month, Clyde and I played cards or glot bowling with him. Her pretty, you got me?
When's the last time you saw him?
Early this week?
Tuesday? I think?
Was sure it was Tuesday?
Mmm, see, yeah it was. We played card twice.
That's your play, that's right.
I a little poker cride and herbing me.
What time did best get to your place, Miss Mitchell?
Right after I finished up for the dinner dishes, around seven forty five?
I'd say, how long did you stay?
A couple hours?
We sat around, had a few drinks, played poker.
Nicol Emmett, what time do you leave?
Do you remember that?
A little before ten?
I think? Sure that man is important, A sure as.
I can be. Must have left before ten, because Clyde and I listened to the ten o'clock news alone. Then we went to bed ye after your.
Friend Best tells us he didn't leave your place until midnight.
Oh, that's not right. He must be mixed up.
He left before ten.
I'm sure that all right, miss Mitchell. Thank you say I hope I.
Haven't said anything I shouldn't have. I know Herb's next gun. Yeah, he likes to gamble, not checking out on for Tuesday night.
I that's right, you're playing too much poker for not playing enough. Three point thirty pm, we located mister Mitchell, corroborated his wife's story, and then we went back to the city hall. Officers Beckel and Lopez were waiting for us. They told us that they had seen mister Stendall and his daughter June at the hospital. Both of them had identified Herbert best mugshot as that of the hold up man had a show up Missus. Stendall and her daughter
identified Best. We checked auto records for all stolen cars that might tie in. There were none. We then started to work on the theory that he had taken a bus from his friend's place where he had been playing cars at the stend Doll Bakery where the shooting took place. Lopezan Bechdel rode the bus over the same route, took forty three minutes, plenty of time for Best, who have gotten from one place to the other, even on a
slow run. We interviewed the bus driver who'd been on duty that particular line Tuesday night between ten pm and midnight. He identified Best as one of his passengers, but he didn't remember where he got off. The next morning, Ben and I met with Ed Walker, captain of robbery.
How they got just sew the wu DA night out the case for him. Yeah, we got to complain. He'll be arrangdous afternoon.
That's doing a case.
He got well, he's one of the Stendall family. Identified Best. His alibi didn't stand up for Tuesday night, and we got that bus driver. He tapped Best too in that blue baseball camp. All we need now's the hold up again?
I hate to spoil it for you. This letter just came through the man. Have a look. What do you think I read in the paper this morning about Herbert Best. You've got the wrong guy. I'm the one who held up that baker. Every detail about that robbery is written down in that letter. The information wasn't in the newspaper story. Nobody else with the hold up man at no all those details. Yeah, wait a minute, isn't it If you don't believe I'm the right man, I'll shoot up a
couple of more jerks. Next time I'll kill him. It's no crank letdy, Oh it isn't You got the wrong man?
You are listening to dragnet.
After we received the anonymous letter in the mail confessing to distend All Bakery hold up, we met with the Deputy District Attorney. We acquainted him with the new facts in the case. That afternoon, the charges against Herbert Best were dropped. We started again at the beginning ten am Monday, November ninth, the members of the Stendall family were again
shown mug books of x cons with robbery records. This time they picked out eight mug shots of known robberymen, each with a marked resemblance to the original suspect, Herbert Best. Together with Officers Bechdel and Lopez, we started checking them out. The first two days we tracked down four of the eight. All of the four were in the clear. Five point fifteen pm we got back in the City Hall, the carpool seen any empty spots you no, but don't park
it in any one of the city councilman's stalls. Yeah, it might get so well, why don't you pull up here? Boyd'll take care of you. Yeah, that's just good, right good?
Oh God? And I knew there's something I forgot to do.
What's that?
Well? They had an underwear sale today and placed down on the South bag shorts T shirt, and I have feeling to be showing you get down.
There'll be another one. That place has sales all the time, don't they.
I mean twice a year on underwear stuff. I've got not gonna last the next time. Right, Wait a minute, jeaned back.
From here, high back, all right up, Yeah, I'd just make out.
The two men we checked with clean picked up something. Seventy seventh Street station. Go ahead, Ben, Well, what's that elevator door?
I'm sorry? Well, what's was seventy seventh Street?
A couple of minute in traffic out there covered an accident this afternoon ninety first in central hit and run, and so one of our traffic cars saw the collision, took out after the guy chased him ten blocks. While they were chasing him, they thought they saw the driver throw.
Something out of the car window.
What I'm coming to that. When they finally pulled a car over, great coup, the driver told him his shoulder was wrenching the accident. He was on his way to his own doctor. Our men took him the seventy seventh Street. Had the doc there look at him? Yeah, well, the doctor was treating the guy. Only one of the officers was in the room. When he turned to get a drink of water. The suspects slugged him, and then the doctor jumped out of the window, got away, teletypes out on.
He went to an awful lot of trouble to beat a traffic wrap.
Yeah, that's the way it impressed the boys out there. They got out of broadcast and the guy went back to the spot where they thought they saw the guy tossed this thing out of his car. When they were chased him, he found a thirty two coat revolver. Arrest camps checking it now in the crime lab.
What they see the man look like description.
Measures pretty close to our hold up gun.
I'll get a robbery Friday. Yeah, just a minute you.
Back, yeah, oh yeah, right, yeah, okay, fine, right, Rush camp checked thirty two revolved with the slugs and the stend All case. Yeah positive make.
The gray coop which the unidentified suspect had been driving had been checked out by traffic officers at seventy seven Street Division. They had found that the owner and driver of the car was a man named Bruno Stock, a two time loser with a page full of major and minor crimes to his credit. We checked his Mama sheet and we got out a broadcast on him in an apb A steake out had been placed at his last
known address. We picked up a sandwich and a cup of coffee for dinner, and then we started checking out Bruno Stock's relatives and friends. By six o'clock the following night, we still had no idea where he was. A little after nine pm, we got a call from an informant who told us that Tommy Josephson, a small time thief and reputedly a friend of Bruno Stocks, wanted to talk to us. We found him in a small apartment over on West sixth.
One thing I want to set you straight on, Bruno's no friend of mine. He's in on the heavy rackets. No heavy racket man's a friend of mine.
All right, we've got it. Now's Bruno.
He came here tonight quarter after six, moved right in on me, didn't even ask me.
What do you want with you?
Now?
You remember Bruno's no friend of mine.
Yeah, yeah, we got that. Now, what do you want?
A gun?
He knew I had one. I keep it for self protection. You can't trust these heavy men. Did you give him a gun? Can you give it to him? He took it, took me done like a rat. Maybe go out and bite dinner, my own dough. Have to bring it back here from Yeah, Bruno is no friend of mine. What he does with that gun is his criep. It's out of my hands.
When he leave here.
An hour ago, I think maybe a little less shot me down like a rat. Real heavy guy.
Where was Bruno going?
I don't know.
He's crazy. All them heavy guys are crazy. He talked like somebody with a paper head.
Can he tell you where he was going?
See a friend of his? Oven dogtown guy runs a bowling alley. Bruno's going to borrow his car.
He's heavy.
I tell you.
I said he was going out on a heist tonight. Did he ever write you guys a letter?
Why?
Well, he told me he was going to prove what he woke to you crazy. I didn't get it at all. Yeah, he said he was going out to kill a couple of jokes.
Nine thirty pm we got the address of the bowling alley run by Bruno Stock's friend and we called the office. An alert for the suspect was broadcast immediately. Together with Jean Bechdolen Lopez, we drove to the bowling alley. Ben and I went in. Bechdoln Lopez covered the eye side.
He's a good crowd, and wonder where they do business. I don't see any counter, no need? Oh yeah, yeah, there it is way over in front.
Oh yeah, there's nobody behind the cash o the show. How about that full on the white T shirt staying with a cigarette machine.
Yeah, it looks like he works here. That's come for me. Joe guy with him just turned towards you.
No, come on, he sees this.
He's going to the back, all right, you let's hold it up.
Come on.
He ducked in there to the right.
Joe down behind the alleys.
Hold it up, Stock now one to Joe went right through it. Come on here he is, get out. He's in there back top of the front, over the fence. Show there he is.
I'll give it back. Yeah, come on.
You see you got to be in the yard someway. Yeah yeah, where it come from?
I can't see keep down from.
Backstairs that house there he is?
Give it up, all right, mister.
You're tagg Come on, what's it? Look like?
It's a shoulder one? You want to shake him down?
Okay?
All right, yeah, get an ambuous what you back right?
I'll throw the cuffs on. Yah h ah, that said, Joe, Yeah, where you're going? I got a phone call to make.
The story you have just heard was true. On The names were changed to protect the innocent.
On February eighteenth, trial was held in Superior Court, Department eighty four, city in County of Los Angeles, State of California. In a moment the results of that trial.
And now here is our star, Jack Webb, thank you. In the record Bureau of all metropolitan police departments, there's a special file in which all known criminals are cataloged and cross index according to identifying Marx Marx, which helped the working detective.
Bruno. Alfred Stock was tried and convicted of first degree robbery and assault with intent to commit murder two counts. Because of his prior convictions, he was a judged and habitual criminal and sentenced to a life imprisonment. He is now serving his term in the state penitentiary. You have just heard Dragnet, a series of authentic cases from official files. Technical advice for Dragnet comes from the Office of Cheap of Police W. H. Parker, Los Angeles Police Department.
Coming up, Duffy Staver Next Tuesday.
It's Bibber mcgeeaw on NBC.
This is Andrew J.
Graham, author of the web surface series Oh and a Man of His Wife. You're listening to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio.
Welcome back. Well, a very well done episode of Dragnet. There are a couple of things I found really good here. The first was the questioning of the victim's wife. It was a very good scene with this of this actress playing this role in a very realistic way. I thought, very well done. And I also so like the way that they built up the case and then you know, a very strong, circumstantial case and then it basically turned out to be wrong and they had to start over again,
and that was very realistic. Just because you proved that he didn't go home from the card game when he said he did, and because he had a blue baseball camp doesn't necessarily mean gilt. Of course, they got a very cooperative criminal who was willing to tell them they made a mistake. But it's a kind of a thought provoking idea. When you have this very strong, circumstantial case, just absolutely crumble. Well, now we turn to listener comments and feedback, and we have this from Laura, who says,
thanks so much for the podcast. I've been listening to it for a couple of weeks now and I love it. Well, thanks so much, Laura. I appreciate your comments and that will actually do it for today. Over at Great Detectives dot net. Meant to say that at the start of the program, we have my review of Big Finish's adaptation of The Hound of the Baskervilles, and you can check
out all my reviews at Great Detectives dot net. Tomorrow we do have a video theater episode, as I'm announced last week, it's going to be the Big Producer Dragnet episode in honor of the late Martin Milner who appears in that episode. So be sure and watch that tomorrow. We'll be back on Monday with Michael Shane and Tuesday will feature Heartstone of the Desk Squad. And then next Saturday, be sure and join us back here for another episode
of Dragnet. Remember box thirteen at Great Detectives dot net, I follow us on Twitter at Radio Detectives, and become one of our friends on Facebook, Facebook dot com. Slash Radio Detectives from Boise, Idaho this year as your host, Adam Grahamson and Off