Dragnet: The Big Pair (EP1694)

Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This is your host, Adam Graham. If you have a comment, send 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. Before we do get started, I do want to let you know the program's brought to you in part by

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

Dragnet.

You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned to burglary d Unidentified thieves start a campaign of burglaries in your city. Homes are broken into and.

Stripped of their furnishings.

There's no lead on the criminals.

Your job get them.

Dragnet 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 through an actual case, from official police files, from beginning to end, from crime to punishment. Dragnet is the story of your police force and action.

It was Monday, August third, was warm in Los Angeles. We're working a day watch out of burglary detail. My partner's Ben Romero. The boss's Thad Brown, Chief of Detectives. My name is Friday. I was on the way back from the business office and it was nine to twenty five am when I got through them. Forty five burglary detail.

You get all the money together, Joe.

Yeah, dollar from each man in the detail.

We got to buy the gift. When's Austin gonna get married next Sunday. You haven't got too much time. Why we always have to pick out the gift.

Somebody has to do. If you got any ideas what we got to get him.

Talk to my wife over the weekend. She thinks it'd be nice we get him time to start housekeeping with maybe some nice kitchen table lamp.

Yeah, I don't know if we have enough to do for a good lamp. But maybe they might like a bedspread you can always use them, or maybe a nice little blanket.

Huh, I don't know. Gotta be careful about those personal things. What do you mean, what's personal about a blanket? Well, we don't know much about the girl Austin's gonna marry. She might not need anything. What's that?

Well, what'd you want to know? A little girl?

Since stolen things?

I know that all depends. Why don't you come on in and tell us all about it?

Huh? Like to sit down a little girl?

I'm twelve years sold Standford? Sorry?

All right?

Now?

Would you like to tell us what's been stolen?

Everything? Everything's been stolen? We came back this morning and found it that way. Grandpa's awful mad.

Maybe we better get the facts to start with what's your name.

Ruth Emory Janette Jeannette, that's your last name?

No, Snyder, Ruth emorigion as Snyder.

Did you come down here alone?

Ruth?

Yes, Grandpa sent me. He's awful mad.

Where do you live with Grandpa? Where's that?

We're on College Avenue. Grandpa's lake's bothering him arthritis. So he told me to come down and tell you about it.

About what man?

Everything. We came back this morning on the train and when we got home we found everything was stolen. It's terrible.

What do you mean by everything?

I walked all over here to tell you. I'm thirst, sir, drinking fat in the hall.

Oh, we've got a cool over here. Let me get your copa.

Thank you.

You like to drink? Man?

Oh?

No, things.

All right, little lady, there you go, Thank you very much. Well, so I tell us what it's all about.

Grandpa and I got back to Los Angeles on the train this morning. It's been on a trip back to Indiana. We took a taxicab home from the station. When we got there, everything was gone. Everything that the rug in the dining room.

Yeah, all the furniture.

Everything's a bit sold for the chairs, my desk upstairs. The stole everything's been stolen. I want you to find it.

I mean someone broke in while you were gone and took all your furniture. Is that what you think?

You know?

They did a lock on the back door. It was broken. They took everything to the dining room rug. That's why grandpa's home now. He thinks the crooks will be back. He's sitting on the rug because he says if they take that, they'll have to take him too. We better hurry.

Yeah, Grandpa's not very big.

Am Ben and I drove little ruth and Snyder back to where home on College Avenue was an old fashioned wooden frame structure of few doors up from.

College Avenue in Everett Way.

Ruth Anne showed us inside and introduced us to her grandfather, mister John H.

Snyder, aged seventy eight.

He told us that a year ago he and his wife, ruth Anne's grandmother had come to California from Indiana and rented the house on College Avenue. The grandmother had fallen ill and passed away. Suddenly, three weeks ago, he and ruth Anne closed the house and took the body back to Indiana on the train for burial. On their return that morning, they found the house stripped of every piece of furniture. We checked room by room and listed the missing articles. We put in a call to latent fingerprints.

Do you happen to know the serial numbers of your home appliances, Missus Noddy, No.

Sir, I've lived with most of the furniture for forty years. You get to know the things you own in forty years.

I know it was in my room, Sergeant, my DES's my table and share the bed, the curtains.

I took every Well, how.

About the estimated value of the furniture, sir? What would you say it was worth?

Dallas?

And since I don't know what's a household of furniture wor anyone is there? Everybody puts thrown value on their things. Yes, salad on on a dining set, a wedding present, my hug in the front room table. Solid too got money in their day all gone.

Were there any leans against the furniture? Sir? Did you owe anything on the furniture? I mean there was no trouble with the finance company or anything like that.

We didn't even know what the finance company was. When the wife and I was married. It was sad enough trip as it was.

And Ruthy and me get here this morning and everything's gone. All we own, Ruthie, where the thieves broke in? Would you show the officers please spack this way?

How are you and your grandfather going to make out here, Ruth?

Grandpa says, we'll buy two cuts for the night, Army surplus smooth stove to cook on. We'll have to eat out. Maybe we'll have to go back to Indiana. Grandpa doesn't have much money. It's on a pension. Where's the back door? And see what they did to get in?

M must use the hammer and the crowbar smashed and playing through.

You'll find the crooks, won't you start?

We're gonna try, Ruth. Better have the crime lab check this.

Huh yeah.

How about your neighbors, Ruth? You know an of them?

Well, I know who they are.

I don't know any of them good. They're not very friendly.

We'd like to ask you and your grandfather a few more questions.

Ruth.

All right, I don't know what I'm going to do when school starts. I stole on, I stop even my composition, chat it.

Then they have to take those what's greaty in Ruthy?

I was in age seven, I'll be nba. Why did they take my school things?

I don't know you see how they got in back there?

Yes, sir, we did, by any chance? Did any of your neighbors know that you and ruth here were going away?

Why I didn't mention it?

No? Then no one kept an now on your house while you were going.

No, I didn't figure it was necessary.

I just remember Grandpa, Missus Murton, I told her we were going away. Who's that ruth She wants store down to the corners, bird storeph canaries, other kinds of birds too. Missus Murton's her name, stores right down the corner.

You figure she's the only one who knew you'd be going from the house, or sometimes must have been the only one.

All right, mister Snyder, we'll be back to see you later on. And here's our card. We'll see if we can't do something to help you out here.

Let's see here Friday merrow burglary detail. All right, thank you boy. Ruthie will show you to the door. Oh say, yes, you understand, but I'd like to apologize anyway.

I just couldn't do it. What's that sir offer you chair.

Ten thirty am, Ben and I called the Salvation Army and told them the Snyder's situation, and then we went down the street to the store at the corner of Cooley.

Javenue and Everett Way.

The sign on the window said Missus Merton's bird Land Manager Agnes Merton.

We tried the door was locked.

Cardboard clock hanging on the glass door read be back at one pm. So we went back up to Collige Avenue and we started ringing doorbells.

Some of the residents on the block didn't even know the Snyders.

Of those that did, only two had noticed any activity at the house during the three weeks mister Snyder and his granddaughter had been away. They told us that they'd seen a moving van park in front of the house about a week before. They also saw a man moving furniture from the house into the van. Neither of the two could describe the vehicle or remember its license number.

Twelve forty five PM. We had a cup of coffee.

And a hamburger, and then we headed back for Missus Merton's bird store. Yes, ma'am, police officers, you have a few questions for you.

Something about free, No, ma'am, but one of your neighbors. Oh, the Snyders. I lived just at the street running.

Oh, yes, old couple. Poor missus Snyder passed away, you know a few weeks ago.

Yes, we know.

They have a wonderful granddaughter, Ruthy. She and I are getting to be great friends. The Snyder's having some kind of trouble.

We're investigating a burglary at their house.

Oh that now you'll be fie.

Mary.

You heard what I told Blackly just see two fo wouldn't be.

Fat I guess you knew the Snyders have been away for the last few weeks.

Yes, I did, but they're back. I saw Ruthy pass the window this morning.

Have you noticed any activity around the Snyder's house since you've been going?

Yes? I did.

And just what you noticed? Ms Martin?

Well, it was seven or eight days ago. I think some white moving trucks stopped in front of their place and the two men started moving out to Snyder's furniture.

Huh.

Thought it was a little strange because Ruthy hadn't told me anything about moving. In fact, she said definitely she and her grandpa was coming back after poor missus Snyder's funeral in Indiana.

Did you investigate it?

All Man's What was that you, Fred? Yes, you ought to be ashamed. You can see I'm Busy's never out like that.

And all three of them bred Blackie Mary.

I'll take care of you.

What was I You saw the moving van from the Snyders.

Oh?

Yes, and I went up to the moving men and asked them if the Snyders were going back to Indiana. Well, of course they didn't know anything about it.

Did you inquire at the Snyder's house, Well.

No, it so happened.

I didn't.

I was on my way to one of the big avia areas in the valley and I just didn't have time to stop.

How about the moving vans? You haven't to notice the last.

I don't remember the numbers.

Any identifying marks about the truck. You might remember maybe a sign on the side.

Yes, the side of the truck was painted white and there was large blue lettering on it. Van in storage that said I remember that much?

Is that all?

Well?

Yes? As I said, I was in a hurry. I had to pick up three sick canaries out in the valley.

Is there anything else about the Internet? You can remember or anything at all.

No, I'm afraid not.

Well.

Thank you very much, missus Merton.

Here's our card if you happen to come across any further information.

Yes, all right, I have to go see the Snyders. Maybe I can help.

Bye, goodbye, ma'am. Thank you very much, Yes, goodbye.

Yeah, not much help there, not much. Give me an idea though, waiting present for the Austins. Yeah, maybe a couple of canaries and a nice cage. Five pm we went back to the office.

Reports had come in from two more victims that night, Than and I drove out to interview them. The circumstances of the theft and them of the criminals matched identically with the Snyder case.

Both of the families victimized had gone.

Off on vacations and neglected to notify either the neighbors or the patrolmen in their area.

Both had allowed daily.

Newspapers to collect on their doorsteps in their absence, and otherwise left signs that their homes were vacant.

In both cases, the thieves had forced an.

Entrance through a back door or window, stripped the house of every last piece of furniture, and either hauled away themselves or hired somebody to do it for them. We started canvassing the two areas where the crimes had been reported. Again, the neighbors saw the moving vans, but none were able to definitely identify the vehicles or their license numbers. Captain Fulton called us into his office.

You're going to have to try harder. I know they're hard. To get them, to get them, get them fast?

Is that about everything we can so force?

Given only one small lead.

The thieves seemed to be using a different moving van on each job.

We started the checking the movers around town, the transfer.

Companies, they and friends come up with any and yet no no luck there allows the rackety bad? Since I came on this detail, whole house, fls of furniture, everything up, family owns.

We'll stay on top of it. The Stat's office may come up with something.

How about an outlet for all that stuff that's been stolen? Thieves can't be sitting on it.

Foreign shopping, second hand details been alerted.

They're checking regular outlets, auction, how the second hand place? There's nothing yet?

What about some kind of preventive idea at least slow them down? Good dose of publicity on the whole thing with help. Only people wouldn't give it a secret when they're going away. Neighbors aren't alerted. That's why a lot of them didn't think much of it. When you saw the moving events park.

Goes out and drawing blinds, and the newspapers on the doorsteps didn't help much either.

It's an open invitation.

Well, i'll see what we can do on the publicity. And we've had one campaign on this already. Now excuse me, regulary Captain Polton.

What's the address? Okay, I god, thank you?

There you go another one. M sixty three are just call it in family back from vacation. Furniture all gone.

Here's your dress, sire, thank you.

Got to get on it right away.

Let's go. I'll have a little more help for you on this tomorrow.

Crowley and Barnes will be free.

They can work with the OKI.

Check you later, right, Sorrgy Friday, remember me, don't you missus?

Burton?

Oh?

Sure?

The bird story, yes, ma'am. How are you well?

They told me to wait here. I guess everything will be all right now. Yeah, I saw it today on Olive Street. Here the truck became to Snyder's house. That's the license.

Number you are listening to Dragnet. The case history of a police investigation presented in the public interest by Dragnet.

Tuesday, August eleventh, six pm. The license number which missus Merton had given us was checked through DMV. We found that the truck was registered in the name of a local secondhand furniture dealer by the name of Ralph Grismore. We checked his name to the Police Commission and then the Eye Bureau. He had a good reputation, no criminal record. Early the next morning we picked up mister Snyder and his granddaughter Ruth, and we drove to Grismore, a secondhand

The address was that of the snyders.

Man and a women's sergeant. They said they'd sold their house.

And there going east Man said the company worked for a transferred them to Boston, told me how to get back to.

Take all his new job.

Would you recognize the people if you saw him again, Grismore.

Oh, I think so. A woman was a great talker.

She said.

They figured on selling the stuff piece by piece they get more, but since they had to leave town the next day, she decided to sell a whole lot to a dealer.

You got the furniture for a pretty low price, didn't say.

That pretty good price. Yeah, that's why I went along in the fast deal. Wasn't going to talk myself out of a bargain. They wanted to sell fast. I want to buy.

I don't think anything was wrong, Sergeant, Yeah.

Missus Snyder, how long a dining room said?

That's it?

Right over there is sherman snip cigarburne on top, just above one of the legs.

Know it anywhere?

Seems to me that time I huged the table.

I'll look, sergeant, the table my best hear they all right here? Miss schools up too?

All right?

Yeah, they sure stuck me. All right, that's the last fast deal I am. I mean, how did they contact you, Chrismore? What kind of approach did you call me on the phone? And I came out and gave him the praise alund of stuff. Nothing suspicious about either the man or the woman.

That's so.

She was in a house dress man then around her head. The guy was in old clothes, just as home as you please, look like he was doing a little repair work around the house.

You know you noticed that they had a car park for the house.

No matter of fact, I didn't. It wasn't any in the driveway.

No argument over the price you offered him to the phone.

You know, I seemed to hesitate a little, but they took my first offer.

I thought I had a good deal. I know.

How'd they react after you agreed on the price, didn't it?

Hurry said they had to boil the train that night for Boston. They asked me to get the furniture out right away. The woman said they had other business to wind up. So if they weren't at the house when I came back with the van, why she leave the back door open for me?

I guess you realized you were going to have to place a hole on this furniture.

That you boy, I know, I had no one didn't blame but myself.

And you gave this man a woman a check for the full amount of the sale. Is that right?

Chrismer?

Five hundred and fifty dollars down the drain.

Do you have the cancel check?

No, not yet.

If you like, you'll probably get us from the bank. Don't imagine those crooks would waste any time cashing.

We'd appreciate it if you'd run down the bank with us now, O case.

Sir, sergeant, could I speak with mister Grismore, show him missus, nanny and mister Grismoer.

Yes, sir, I'm sorry about all this. I didn't know.

Oh, I understand, sir.

You buy furniture, don't you, Yes, sir, what could you give me for two army surplus cuts?

Grismore made arrangements to round up mister Snyder's furniture and ship it back to his home. Then we took him down to his bank, where he recovered the canceled check for five hundred and fifty dollars.

The endorsement read mister Thomas Butterworth.

According to the bank teller who waited on them, the suspects had cast the check shortly after the sale of the Snyder's furniture. From the second hand dealer and the clerk at the bank, we got a complete description of the man in one known as mister and Missus Butterworth. We also had photostatic copies made of the check and specimens of the handwriting from the endorsement. From the descriptions, we checked the suspects through the stats office.

We got nowhere.

During the next two weeks we found six more second hand dealers who had been taken in on the same furniture deal. The description of the man and woman matched, and so did the handwriting and the endorsements on each check. It was only one variation. The couple went under a different name on each occasion. Wednesday, August twenty six to nine am.

Questions like this today? That right, that's it?

Captain got the description? M all handwriting? Still can't reaching once?

These have been free wheeling for a month? Now, what's going to take a stopping?

Oh?

Ben came up with a pretty good idea this morning. We'd like to talk it.

Over with you. How's that kind of a system of decoy skipper? We were thinking might be a good idea to contact all the division captains and have them ask their men if they have any neighbors going on vacation.

Yeah, go ahead. Well, we've got.

A few dozen houses spotted around the city. We could plant a few things make them look obviously vacant. We'd keep the houses covered at all times. They got to ma pretty good bait for those thieves. How would you set it up? They could make arrangements to get a key to each home, keep the milk from favorite delivers coming, let them pile up on the doorstep. They could reimburse the people for whatever it cause we're not making any headway. We could run this for a couple of weeks to what happens.

What do you think?

Try it?

Nine thirty am we contacted all division commanders, requesting them to ask their men to contact burglary Detail if they knew of any of their neighbors about to leave on a vacation. During the next two days, the response came in and the plan went into effect. Forty homes throughout the city were spotted as decoys. They were kept under surveillance at all times. In the week that followed, two more burglaries are the same type were reported, but the

The stolen furniture kept turning up, but not the thieves.

Again, the homes that had been broken into displayed all the usual signs if the occupants were away, old circulars, newspaper scattered on the lawn, milk bottles, land up of the door, all the blinds drawn.

The decoy plan continued, no results.

August thirty.

First, we had a report of another burglery involving the theft of furniture.

We made our investigation. Two pm.

We went back to the office to get out a list of stolen articles.

Hi man, Joe, Hi Austin, when'd you get back from your honeymoon late last night?

Say tell them?

And I sure like to thank all you fellas for that wedding present you sent us. They aren't nice of you. We're over glad you liked it. Austin.

Sure a beauty.

I'd like to ask you a question about it, though, I hope you won't take it wrong. Oh go ahead, Well what is it? You've got an early American house? Answer? Yeah, that's right, it's an NT. Yeah, it's an apple theeter when the first ever bill?

Oh, sure, thanks a lot.

I get it.

Burglery Friday, Yeah, where right away?

Thanks? One of the decoy houses.

Yeah, we got a bite.

Together with Sergeants Crowley and Austin.

We drove out to the decoy house, where an unidentified man and a woman had been seen forcing entry through a back door. It had been spotted by a police officer's wife who lived next door and who had called in the report. We parked down the street from the decoy home and waited. Five minutes past we saw a woman dressed in a house coat come out onto the porch of the house, look up and down the.

Street, and then go back inside.

A few minutes after that, a gray Chevrolet Sedan pulled up in front of the house. A man in a dark suit got out and entered through the front door. Ben called communications for a make on the car.

Eighty K to control four eight OK to control four request DMV on six Mary six seven seven mate repeat six AM six seven seven mate information urging.

Roger EIGHTYK.

We waited.

There were no signs of activity from the dcoy house. Two minutes after Ben put in the call, we got our make on the gray sedan.

Troll forty eighty K eady K go ahead.

Six Mary six.

Seven seven eight six M sixty seven seven eight is registered to the Donahe Furniture company legal the same seven eight one one Harvard Boulevard. It is the Chevrolet Deluxe two doors to dam nineteen forty one, model engine number Z six VA four.

Four one four eighty k Roger M A three six seven.

A few minutes after the call back, a moving van drove down the street and backed into the driveway of the decoy house. The sign on the side of the van read Donnahoe Furniture Company. Two men got out, went up to the front door and were let in. They came out in a couple of minutes and loaded the sofa into the moving van. Okay, so Charlie and Austin get to sign any times. Hey, you would probably want to cover the back Austin.

Right, let's go Crown.

H Yeah, see you want something police officers like the then steal you.

Boston probably got her, all.

Right, Holt, what's this all about, you cops?

That's right, younks, Donald, I'm buying this lot of furniture something the matter.

You're buying from the wrong people and not for the owners. You better have your man move that stuff back in the house.

Okay for saying all right, relax, take it easy, Helen.

There's no use fighting.

They got it.

I told you that doesn't last forever.

Okay, all right, don't make it worse.

All right, let's go.

I'll take you better, fix you. Sure? Yeah, come on, man, the matter with you shared Austin looks to happen and she's trying to get away. Yeah, let's stick all over the car there. It doesn't look very good. Yeah it doesn't.

What are you gonna tell your new bride?

I got nothing to hide, and I'll tell her the truth. Yeah. She'll believe me, won't she?

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

On November twenty fifth, trial was held in Superior Court, Department eighty seven, City and 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.

Under our system of law, the jury selected the hearer cases accorded complete freedom. The jury's decision is the final result of the testimony and evidence presented in the course of the trial.

The suspects where I as mister and Missus Thomas Dunbar. They were arraigned on fifteen counts of burglary and tried and found guilty on all counts. They are now serving their terms in the state penitentiary. You have just heard Dragnet a series of authentic cases from official files. Technical advice came from the Office of Chief of Police W. H. Parker, Los Angeles Police Department.

Coming up Duffy's Tavern.

Bob Hope returns October third on NBC.

HI.

This is Andrew from OTR Westerns dot com. I wanted to invite you to come take a look at our site. We streamline. I have OTR Westerns twenty fours a day, seventies a week, along with putting out podcasts of old time radio Westerns. Check us out at Otrwesterns dot com. You're listening to the great detectives of old time Radio with Adam Graham. Now let's get back into the show.

Welcome back. Well.

This is an example of what Dragnet consistently did well. Is that they were able to educate as well as entertained, and they provide some very vital home safety tips for the nineteen fifties and some even do carry over to today.

In some ways, you can also.

See the lack of connectedness that many of us have with our neighbors can also be a security risk. There are other steps, particularly stopping mail delivery. There's certainly a good idea as well as if you do somebody letting them know, and they were able to illustrate that in a way that wasn't a pedantic but felt really natural in terms of what was going on, and they still managed to sprinkle it with a nice few bits of humor.

Kate.

Also over on Facebook, and I'm going to be trying to do this every now and again, I did a pull of Facebook fans as to how soon after an episode mode is released do they listen to it, and of our Facebook users, thirty four percent listen to a show within thirty four percent of it being released, twenty three percent listen to it on the same day, and eleven percent listen to it between eight and thirty days, and nineteen percent were less than a year behind, eleven

Two years or more behind what I was playing.

And it's a kind of an interesting point about the audience.

It definitely does make me.

About when I do time sensitive things, because sometimes I do the show expecting that most of my listeners are going to be listening to this program the same day.

This full suggests that may not be a bet.

Of course, the poll was taken from a relatively small sample and may not technically mean much, but the same could be said of many polls that have been in the news recently. At any rate, it's an interesting day to point and something I do need to think about when we come to other listeners support campaigns and things of that sort.

All right, Well, that will do it for today.

We will be back on Monday with Michael Shane and then join us back here next Saturday for another episode of dragnet in the meantime, Sender comments to 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 from Boise, Idaho. This is your host, Adam Grahamson and Off