THE BIG LOVE and THE BIG SETUP DRAGNET

Summary

Summary of "THE BIG LOVE and THE BIG SETUP" – Dragnet Episode

Hosted by Jon Hagadorn on 1001 Radio Crime Solvers

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Introduction

In this gripping episode of Dragnet, titled "THE BIG LOVE and THE BIG SETUP," listeners are taken through a meticulously detailed investigation of a harrowing crime involving a missing woman, her child, and a suspected lover. The narrative, enriched with authentic dialogues and procedural insights, showcases the relentless pursuit of justice by Detectives Joe Friday and Ben Romero.

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Case Overview

The story begins on Thursday, September 10th, in the Westlake district of Los Angeles, where Philip Gorman returns home to discover his wife, Barbara Gorman, and their two-year-old daughter, Nancy, missing. With no immediate clues or motives, the disappearance baffled the homicide division for five agonizing days.

[00:32] Jack Webb: "You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned a homicide detail. A woman and her two-year-old child disappear suddenly."

Initial Investigation

Detectives Joe Friday and Ben Romero are tasked with unraveling the mystery. The initial absence of evidence and leads forces them to delve deeper into the personal lives of the missing family.

[04:03] Joe Friday: "Well, how much of a romance was Mrs. Gorman supposed to be having with this Ralph Kane?"

Emerging Leads

A breakthrough comes when neighbor John Pearson reports that Barbara Gorman was allegedly involved with Ralph Kane, a local printer. Pearson claims that Kane disappeared shortly after the Gormans went missing, sparking suspicions of foul play.

[07:06] Joe Friday: "The Gorman case had a call from one of their neighbors while you were gone. Where was that calendar of ours?"

Interrogations and Revelations

As the investigation progresses, Friday and Romero uncover strained relations within the Gorman household. Philip Gorman reveals marital discord and hints at possible motives rooted in jealousy and resentment.

[10:23] John Pearson: "Maybe they did. I've been trying to check around them all and not getting very far. There's only one thing I'm really worried about. That's my little girl, Nancy."

The Turning Point

Two weeks into the investigation, a significant development surfaces. Friday and Romero discover Barbara Gorman and Ralph Kane under surveillance at an auto court in East LA. However, Nancy Gorman's whereabouts remain elusive.

[18:31] Joe Friday: "Saturday, May 16, 9pm along with Levinson and McCready from Homicide, Ben and I drove out to the sheriff's substation in the east end of the city."

Confession and Tragedy

Under intense interrogation, Barbara Gorman breaks down and confesses the tragic truth. She admits to orchestrating a "death pact" with Ralph Kane after realizing the depth of her disdain for her child. Their plan led to the accidental death of Nancy.

[23:45] Barbara Gorman: "We found a nice place in the desert. There were nice flowers there. We buried Nancy."

Autopsy and Convictions

The autopsy results reveal discrepancies, uncovering that Nancy was murdered with bullet wounds, contradicting the initial claim of accidental death. Faced with incontrovertible evidence, both Gorman and Kane plead guilty to first-degree murder. Barbara Gorman receives a life sentence, while Ralph Kane is sentenced to death and subsequently executed.

[27:56] Joe Friday: "At 5:00 am we put in a call for Lieutenant Lee Jones and the crime lab crew and the coroner."

Conclusion

"The Big Love and The Big Setup" serves as a poignant reminder of the complexities of human emotions and the lengths individuals might go to conceal their darkest deeds. Through diligent investigation and unwavering determination, Detectives Friday and Romero bring closure to a family shattered by betrayal and tragedy.

[26:36] John Pearson: "I just wanted to see her just once more. What's that about a mother, Ralph King. What is it that can make them do it?"

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Key Takeaways

• Complex Motivations: The case highlights how personal relationships and hidden resentments can lead to catastrophic outcomes.

• Methodical Investigation: The thorough approach of Detectives Friday and Romero underscores the importance of patience and attention to detail in solving crimes.

• Impact of Confessions: Genuine confessions, even under extreme pressure, can be pivotal in uncovering the truth.

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Notable Quotes:

• Joe Friday on the Assignment:
  "[00:32] You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned a homicide detail."

• John Pearson expressing concern for his child:
  "[07:06] Such a sweet little thing. Mrs. Gorman kept her under an iron hand."

• Barbara Gorman's confession:
  "[24:34] I didn't mean it that way. You've got to understand."

• Philip Gorman on the tragedy:
  "[26:56] She's only two. What could make anybody do a thing like that?"

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This episode meticulously weaves together the threads of familial discord, deception, and the relentless pursuit of truth, embodying the essence of classic radio detective storytelling.

Transcript

[Jack Webb]

Ladies and gentlemen, this program is for you, not your children. The story you are about to hear is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent.

[Ben Romero]

Fatima cigarettes. Best of all. Long cigarettes brings you Dragnet.

[Jack Webb]

You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned a homicide detail. A woman and her two year old child disappears suddenly. There's no apparent reason for it. Five days pass, no trace of them. Your job, find them. Webster's Dictionary. Definition of the word compare.

[Ben Romero]

Compare. Examine for purpose of discovering resemblance or difference.

[Jack Webb]

Now let's compare Fatima with any other king size cigarette.

[Ben Romero]

The resemblance. Fatima's are the same length as other king size cigarettes. 85 millimeters. Fatima has the same circumference, 1 and 164 inches around.

[Jack Webb]

And Fatima filters the smoke exactly the same long distance as other king size cigarettes.

[Ben Romero]

The difference in Fatima, the difference is quality.

[Jack Webb]

You see, Fatima contains the finest domestic and Turkish tobaccos. Superbly blended to make Fatima extra mild. You get all the advantages of extra length plus Fatima quality, which no other king size cigarette has.

[Ben Romero]

So compare Fatima yourself. Your first puff will tell you.

[Barbara Gorman]

Ah, that's different.

[Jack Webb]

Yes, in Fatima, the difference is quality. Buy Fatima best of all. Long cigarettes.

[Ben Romero]

Dragnet. The documented drama of an actual crime. For the next 30 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 transcribed from official police files. From beginning to end, from crime to punishment, Dragnet is the story of your police force in action.

[Joe Friday]

Was Tuesday, April 20th was overcast in Los Angeles. We were working the day watch out of Homicide. My partner's Ben Romero. The boss is Captain Blaine Steed. My name's Friday. I was on the way back from communications and it was 1:35pm when I got to room 42. Homicide.

[Philip Gorman]

Hi, Joe. What's doing?

[Joe Friday]

Well, not much. Magic. Where'd Ben go?

[Philip Gorman]

Inside. Captain's office.

[Ralph Kane]

Be right back.

[Joe Friday]

Oh, thank you. Keeping you busy?

[Philip Gorman]

Oh, about the same. Little hectic around the house though.

[Joe Friday]

Well, that's right. Ben mentioned something about that. You're getting ready for a wedding out there, aren't you?

[Ralph Kane]

Yep.

[Philip Gorman]

My daughter Alice.

[John Pearson]

Sure.

[Philip Gorman]

Getting a nice fellow.

[Joe Friday]

Is that so? Yep.

[Philip Gorman]

Ambitious kid. Part time accountant. Goes to law school at night down Loyola. Real nice fella.

[Ralph Kane]

Mm.

[Joe Friday]

When are getting married?

[Philip Gorman]

Week from Saturday. It's gonna be a big church thing. Sure glad. Doesn't happen often, huh?

[Joe Friday]

How do you mean?

[Philip Gorman]

Big production. Never saw so many bills in my life. New dress for Alice. Going away. Luggage, bridesmaids, dresses, eats, drinks. New carpet for the hall. New curtains. In the living room. Wife must think I'm made of this stuff.

[Joe Friday]

You should have had all boys mank.

[Ralph Kane]

Yeah.

[Joe Friday]

You're giving your daughter away, huh?

[Philip Gorman]

Yeah. Well, that reminds me. I gotta be sure and send my suit to cleaners. Get a good press job on it. Sure is funny.

[Joe Friday]

What's that?

[Philip Gorman]

Seems for years the wife's been afraid we'd never get Alice married off. Now it's finally in the works. The wife's still unhappy.

[Joe Friday]

Oh, well, how's that?

[Philip Gorman]

Goes around. Moping around the house, wiping at her eyes. Keeps muttering something about losing her little girl. Her little girl is leaving her? I don't know.

[Joe Friday]

Well, how old's your daughter?

[Ralph Kane]

32.

[Philip Gorman]

Well, I'll be down at Stats office if anybody wants me.

[Joe Friday]

Right, man.

[Philip Gorman]

Oh, pardon me, Ben.

[Ralph Kane]

Excuse me. I didn't see. Okay.

[Joe Friday]

Hi. Where you been?

[Ralph Kane]

Making a couple of phone calls. I think we might have something.

[Joe Friday]

Yeah? What's that?

[Ralph Kane]

The Gorman case had a call from one of their neighbors while you were gone. Where was that calendar of ours?

[Joe Friday]

Gee, I don't know. Well, here. I got one in my pocket here in my wallet.

[Ralph Kane]

Oh, really?

[Joe Friday]

Here you are.

[Ralph Kane]

Okay. Well, let's see now. Mrs. Gorman and her little girl, Nancy disappeared on the 15th. Is that right?

[Joe Friday]

Yeah, Thursday.

[Ralph Kane]

Why? And the husband, Mr. Gorman, filed a missing complaint on Friday morning, right?

[Joe Friday]

Yeah. What are you getting at?

[Ralph Kane]

Well, you remember when we talked to Mr. Gorman, he couldn't think of any reason why his wife and his little girl should disappear like they did.

[Joe Friday]

Yeah.

[Ralph Kane]

Remember me asking him the question if his wife ran around at all, if she was interested in any other man?

[Joe Friday]

That's right. He told you no, didn't he?

[Ralph Kane]

This man who just called in, he lives out in the Gorman neighborhood. He swears up and down that Mrs. Gorman was keeping company with another man.

[Joe Friday]

Well, who is this neighbor anyway?

[Ralph Kane]

Name's John Pearson. He lives about four blocks from the Gormans.

[Joe Friday]

Well, we talked to neighbors a lot closer than that to the Gormans. They didn't seem to know anything about it. What else this guy tell you?

[Ralph Kane]

Well, let's see. The man Mrs. Gorman was supposed to be running out with is a Ralph Kane. Lives next door to Mr. Pearson.

[Joe Friday]

Well, how'd this Pearson sound to you?

[Ralph Kane]

Pretty typical neighborhood watchdog. But here's the interesting part. Mrs. Gorman and little daughter Nancy disappeared last Thursday. Now, according to Pearson, this Ralph Kane hasn't been seen around since Friday night. He told me on the phone he saw Kane toss a couple of suitcases in his car late Friday night and drive off. See he hasn't come back in.

[Joe Friday]

Yeah, it might be something. Well, how much of a romance was Mrs. Gorman supposed to be having with this Ralph Kane?

[Ralph Kane]

It's pretty heavy according to Pearson. Said it's been going on for six months anyhow.

[Joe Friday]

And Mr. Gorman didn't know anything about it?

[Ralph Kane]

He got me there. If he did, he didn't let us in on it. Wonder if he'd have any reason to cover it up.

[Joe Friday]

It's possible, I guess. Didn't want the scandal. How sure are you that Ralph Kane's really missing? Might be just off on a weekend, huh?

[Ralph Kane]

No, I checked the place he worked. He's a printer. Didn't show up for work Monday. Didn't show up today either.

[Joe Friday]

No message, no excuse, nothing.

[Ralph Kane]

I called a friend of Kane's that Pearson knew about. Friend doesn't know where he's going.

[Joe Friday]

I guess we better get on it. It's the first decent lead in five days.

[Ralph Kane]

Yeah, Just thinking, Joe. Neighbors like Pearson.

[Joe Friday]

Uh huh.

[Ralph Kane]

What would we do without him?

[Joe Friday]

Five days before, on a Thursday evening, a Mr. Philip Gorman returned to his home in the Westlake district of Los Angeles to find his wife, Barbara Gorman and his two year old daughter Nancy missing. The there wasn't any note, no explanation of any kind. Few clothes were gone. Mr. Gorman filed a missing report and a broadcast and an APB were gotten out on the mother and daughter. Neighbors, friends and relatives were checked. No leads. Routine investigation failed to turn up anything. Mr. Gorman could give us. No explanation for the disappearance. After three days we got out of a radiogram. Still no results. Tuesday, 1:50pm Ben and I got in the car and drove out to see John Pearson, who'd phoned in the information about Mrs. Gorman supposed boyfriend, Ralph Kane. We found Pearson out on the back porch of his home feeding some milk to a pair of house cats.

[John Pearson]

I thought Everybody knew that, Sergeant. Mrs. Gorman running around with that Ralph Kane. I'm no busybody. I wouldn't have mentioned at all if this hadn't happened.

[Ralph Kane]

You say Kane had been seeing Mrs. Gorman for the last six months. Is that right, Mr. Pearson?

[John Pearson]

About six months. That's how long I've seen it. Go on, James, don't be such a hog. Let Fred have some of the milk too.

[Ralph Kane]

Greedy little devils.

[Joe Friday]

Do you know of anybody else in the neighborhood who's been aware of this Mr. Pearson? I mean, Mrs. Gorman and this Ralph Kane.

[John Pearson]

Well, I know for sure that Thelma White next door knows about it. She's mentioned it to me. Kane used to park with Mrs. Gorman near that vacant lot by Thelma's house. Those were the nights that Mr. Gorman was working late.

[Joe Friday]

Would you know if Mr. Gorman was aware of this? That his wife was running around with another man?

[John Pearson]

I'm pretty sure he did, Sergeant. That's the strange part about it.

[Ralph Kane]

How do you know, sir?

[John Pearson]

George, the man who delivers the groceries, he just happened to mention to me once.

[Ralph Kane]

Mm.

[John Pearson]

All right, James.

[Ralph Kane]

Right.

[John Pearson]

It's all gone now. Run off and play. Yes, George, the grocery man, he made a delivery to the Gormans once and heard them rowing about it. George said Mr. Gorman was very mad. Talked divorce, all that sort of thing.

[Joe Friday]

Well, how about the Gorman's little girl, Mr. Pearson? Little Nancy?

[John Pearson]

Tragic, Sergeant. Such a sweet little thing. Mrs. Gorman kept her under an iron hand. Imagine, the little girl's only two years old. Mrs. Gorman was after her with a stick all the time. She's not much of a mother. Not the way I look at it, anyway.

[Joe Friday]

Well, what's your opinion of all this? Do you think that Ralph Kane has run off with Ms. Gorman?

[John Pearson]

What else can you think? Two of them carry on for six months. Mrs. Gorman disappears Thursday. Mr. Kane leaves Friday night. What else can you think?

[Ralph Kane]

This neighbor of yours, Thelma White, does she live in this house over here? Over on the right?

[John Pearson]

That's right. Right next door. You go over and talk to her. She's home now. Thelma will tell you the same thing I did.

[Ralph Kane]

All right, sir. Thank you very much.

[John Pearson]

Not at all, Sergeant. Just one thing I can't understand about Mrs. Gorman's little girl. Little Nancy. Can't quite understand why she's gone. Doesn't seem to fit somehow.

[Joe Friday]

How do you mean?

[John Pearson]

If you're gonna run off with a man, you don't take your family along.

[Joe Friday]

2:15Pm we went next door and talked with a neighbor, Thelma White. She told us the same story as Pearson. From the two of them, we got the description. DMV furnished us with a license number of Ralph Kane's car. We checked further with Kane's friends, relatives and his landlady. No one had seen or heard from him since late Friday. We searched the duplex where he lived. No leads. We went back to the office and checked Kane through R and I. He had one arrest for petty theft. We got out a broadcast and an APB on him. That night, Ben and I drove out to see the husband and father of the missing woman and youngster, Philip Gorman. He was employed as a groundskeeper at one of the baseball parks in the city.

[Ralph Kane]

Pretty fair turnout tonight, huh?

[Joe Friday]

Yeah, Weather's cleared up a little. Probably helped, huh? Where's the groundkeeper shack? Down at the end there.

[Ralph Kane]

Yeah, you can't see it from here. Just below the end of the bleachers there.

[Joe Friday]

Well, come out here very often?

[Ralph Kane]

Not as often as I'd like to. It's down this way. Hey, watch your step there. Joe. Is a mud puddle. Yeah, I see it.

[John Pearson]

Sorry, you. You'll have to get back in the stands. You're not allowed down this end.

[Ralph Kane]

How are you, Mr. Gorman?

[Joe Friday]

Friday.

[Ralph Kane]

Romero. You remember us?

[John Pearson]

Yeah, sure. I didn't recognize you for a minute.

[Joe Friday]

You got a few minutes, Mr. Gorman? We'd like to talk to you if we could.

[John Pearson]

We're sure. Right now? If you want. You found out something about the wife?

[Ralph Kane]

Little girl?

[Joe Friday]

No, sir. Nothing definite. Got a few questions we'd like to ask you.

[John Pearson]

That's fine with me. I got nothing to do for a couple of mornings. What's it all about?

[Ralph Kane]

Well, when we talked to you at your house the other day, Gorman, you remember me asking if you could think of any reason why your wife and your little girl should disappear like you did?

[John Pearson]

Yeah, I remember. There was nothing I can think of.

[Joe Friday]

Sergeant, do you recall us asking you if your wife might have been interested in some other man? Somebody she might go off with?

[John Pearson]

Yeah, I remember all that. I told you, I didn't think that was it.

[Joe Friday]

Now, look, if you know something and you're not telling us because you don't want the scandal, you can forget that, Gorman. Because whatever you tell us is in strict confidence.

[John Pearson]

You know I don't know what you mean, Sergeant. I told you everything I know.

[Ralph Kane]

We'll be honest with you, Gorm. We think you're trying to cover up.

[John Pearson]

Well, that's not true. I. I don't have anything to cover up.

[Joe Friday]

We picked up some new information on your wife this afternoon. We hear she was pretty friendly with a man named Ralph Kane. Lives a few blocks from your house. We hear that you knew what was going on. You and your wife Barbara had a row, you talked divorce. How about it?

[John Pearson]

Well, let's go inside the shack here, huh, and get away from some of this noise.

[Joe Friday]

Fine.

[Ralph Kane]

Sure.

[John Pearson]

I hope you don't mind it in here. It's a little dirty. I keep all the maintenance stuff in here.

[Ralph Kane]

That's all right, Gorman. Now, how about Ralph King? Yeah.

[John Pearson]

Yeah, I knew about it. It's like you said, all the scandal. I just didn't want it to get out.

[Joe Friday]

Well, look, if you're going to hold out on us, it's not going to help much to find your wife and little girl.

[John Pearson]

I know, Sergeant. I just didn't want people to find out what a bum I married. You know what some neighbors are like.

[Ralph Kane]

Mm.

[John Pearson]

I can't understand how it happened. I met the wife when I was in the army.

[Joe Friday]

I see.

[John Pearson]

I brought her back out here. Everything was fine after the baby was born. She started to change. Nothing satisfied her. She began to run around nothing but a bum. But I guess I found out too late.

[Joe Friday]

Now, this Ralph Kane, what do you know about him?

[John Pearson]

He's a single guy, works at print shop downtown. He's a pretty good looking guy. He's got money to spend. That's all Barbara cares about.

[Ralph Kane]

Well, what's your idea about him, huh? You think Kane and your wife have gone off together?

[John Pearson]

I'll tell you the truth, I'm not sure. Maybe they did. I've been trying to check around them all and not getting very far. There's only one thing I'm really worried about. That's my little girl, Nancy. I don't care what my wife does or how far she goes. I just want my little girl back, that's all.

[Joe Friday]

Have you any idea at all where your wife might have gone?

[John Pearson]

No, none at all. She didn't know California too well. She's only been out here a year.

[Ralph Kane]

Mm.

[Joe Friday]

You don't know any of Kane's friends? His hangouts or places you think he might go?

[John Pearson]

I've never even met the guy, Sonia. I'm going to, though. I know what he looks like.

[Ralph Kane]

I'll meet him. There's just one more thing, Gorman. If your wife was set on running off with another man, why did you take your little girl with her? She wasn't too devoted to the baby, I understand.

[John Pearson]

Yeah, that's right. That's what's got me worried. The only thing I can figure out is the wife hated me more than I thought. She knew that. I thought Nancy's about the greatest thing alive. I guess rather than let me have her, she took Nancy along with her.

[Joe Friday]

Well, is it possible she might drop the baby off of some friend or relative and tell them to keep?

[John Pearson]

Well, I've checked on that already. Sergeant, you got the names of all the people we know? I'm sure they'd get in touch with.

[Ralph Kane]

Me if they had Nancy. We'll double check them anyhow.

[Joe Friday]

All right?

[Ralph Kane]

Now, if there's anything else comes up, you let us know right away.

[John Pearson]

All right, Sergeant. It's just the baby, that's all. Nancy is as far as I'm concerned. My Wife never lived. It's kind of hard to take her with.

[Joe Friday]

Yes, it is.

[John Pearson]

I think you got the finest setup in the world. Nice home job, baby. Good furniture. Everything you need. Yeah, everything but a wife.

[Joe Friday]

The search for the missing wife and the two year old daughter went on. The broadcasts and teletypes on Mrs. Gorman and Ralph Kane failed to net us a thing. A week passed. There were no leads. Another week went by. Nothing. The half dozen replies we'd gotten on our teletype went nowhere. They were blind leads. Wednesday, May 5th. We got a call from the manager of an auto court in the south end of the city. He told us that a man, a woman and a little girl answering the description of the missing trio had stopped at his place the night before, along with Jack McCready from Homicide. Ben and I drove out and interviewed the man. We showed him Pictures of Kane, Mrs. Gorman and 2 year old Nancy. He identified all three. He could give us no idea where they'd gone. We checked through the cottage where they stayed.

[Ralph Kane]

No, nothing. Just about as clean as you can get.

[Joe Friday]

A little something here.

[Ralph Kane]

What's that? Look here.

[Joe Friday]

Kid's picture book.

[Ralph Kane]

Let's see.

[Joe Friday]

Yeah, take a look right here.

[Ralph Kane]

This book belongs to Nancy Gorman. Well, we know they were here. That's about it. Hey, Ben. Joe.

[Joe Friday]

Yeah, Mac, where are ya?

[Ralph Kane]

Out in the back. Come here. All right. What have you got? Come here.

[Philip Gorman]

Have a look.

[Joe Friday]

Where'd you find that?

[Philip Gorman]

Poking around this trash barrel here.

[Ralph Kane]

Looks like part of a little girl's dress, huh? Yeah. There's not much there. Did you find the rest of it?

[Philip Gorman]

That's all there is, just that little collar.

[Joe Friday]

Take a look here, Ben. These stains right here. Over here too.

[Ralph Kane]

Yeah. What do you think, Mac?

[Joe Friday]

Blood stains?

[Philip Gorman]

I'd say so.

[Joe Friday]

We drove back to the office, to the crime lab and had Lee Jones run the stains on the dress. He ran a benzidine test and then a biological precipitant. The stains were made by human blood. Well, it still didn't put us any closer to the missing child or her mother. The search went on. We redoubled our efforts. No luck. Another 10 days passed. We had a few more responses to our all points bulletin, but none of them panned out. On May 16, we got two more leads to check out. They went nowhere. We got back to the office a.

[Ralph Kane]

Little after 6pm Better call Mr. Gorman after we check in, huh? Keep him off of our backs.

[Joe Friday]

Yeah, I hate to keep telling him the same thing. No word?

[Ralph Kane]

Yeah, how about it?

[Joe Friday]

You call Gorman tonight, huh?

[Ralph Kane]

All right, Mac. What's Dylan got?

[Philip Gorman]

Something for you, Sheriff. Substation called east la.

[Ralph Kane]

Now, what about the Gorman case?

[Philip Gorman]

They found him.

[Ralph Kane]

Where?

[Philip Gorman]

Another auto court right there in East LA. Ralph Kane and Mrs. Gorman. They got them both under surveillance.

[Joe Friday]

How about the little girl, Nancy?

[Philip Gorman]

Well, that's a hitch, huh? No sign of her.

[Ben Romero]

You are listening to Dragnet Authentic cases from official files. Now let's look at our Fatima files.

[Jack Webb]

Listed under H. Hardwick. Cedric Hardwick, distinguished actor. He says, I find Fatima a very pleasing cigarette.

[John Pearson]

It has a distinctly better flavor.

[Jack Webb]

K. Kelly. Nancy Kelly, star of the Broadway hit Season in the Sun.

[Barbara Gorman]

She says between scenes and after the show, I like to relax in my.

[Ralph Kane]

Dressing room and light up a Fatima.

[Barbara Gorman]

They have a really different flavor. And what's important to me, they're extra mild.

[Jack Webb]

Listed under L. Lovett. Vice Admiral Leland P. Lovett, United States Navy, retired.

[Ralph Kane]

He says, I smoked Fatimas when I was a midshipman. I still do because they have a better flavor and aroma. Fatima is easily the best of all long cigarettes.

[Jack Webb]

Friends, our files show Fatima sales are going up, up every day.

[Ben Romero]

The reason for Fatima's ever increasing popularity can be summed up in two words. Fatima quality.

[Jack Webb]

Yes, Fatima gives you all the advantages of extra length plus Fatima quality, which no other king size cigarette has.

[Ben Romero]

So if you smoke a king size.

[Jack Webb]

Cigarette, compare Fatima, you'll find they now cost the same. But your first puff will tell you, ah, that's different. Because in Fatima, the difference is quality. Buy Fatima best of all long cigarettes.

[Joe Friday]

Saturday, May 16, 9pm along with Levinson and McCready from Homicide, Ben and I drove out to the sheriff's substation in the east end of the city. One of the deputy sheriffs directed us to the motor court where Mrs. Barbara Gorman and Ralph Kane were under surveillance. We found the two of them in one of the rear cottages. There was no trace of 2 year old Nancy Gorman. Levinson and MacReady took Ralph Kane out to the car to interrogate him. Ben and I remained in the cottage with Mrs. Gorman. She was a tall blonde, thin faced and nervous. She spoke with a decided accent. We questioned her for more than two hours. We got nowhere.

[Ralph Kane]

Why don't you sit down, Mrs. Gorman? Relax.

[Barbara Gorman]

How can anyone relax these questions? You have no right to do this.

[Joe Friday]

Well, maybe you haven't got it straight, Ms. Gorman. This is a pretty important matter we'd like to find out about your little girl.

[Barbara Gorman]

Told you, I don't know. She ran away.

[Joe Friday]

Yes, ma'am. Now, we've had 10 different versions. You stopped at a hotel In Nevada, and she disappeared. You were at an auto court in Bakersfield. She ran away during the night. We've heard just about all of them. How about the truth?

[Barbara Gorman]

I told you everything. I'm going to tell you. I don't know what's happened to the kid. She's gone. That's all. She's gone.

[Ralph Kane]

Got to be an explanation for it. Where is she? Gone.

[Barbara Gorman]

She ran away. How many times do I have to tell you? I left with Raph, who went out of the city. After a few days, Nancy got lonesome. She wanted to see her father. We were asleep one night and she ran away. That's all there is to it. It's simple. Why can't you understand?

[Joe Friday]

You're gonna have to do better, Ned. Ms. Garman, now how about the truth? What happened?

[Barbara Gorman]

Can't keep me here all night. Where's Raph? I want Raph.

[Joe Friday]

Why'd you take the child with you in the first place? Ms. Garman, it's pretty obvious that you didn't want her. Did Kane want you to take her along?

[Barbara Gorman]

Oh, no. He wanted me to leave her. Just he and I, that's all he wanted. Should have left her there. All this trouble. Questions.

[Ralph Kane]

There's an easy remedy, ma'am. What'd you really do with the little girl?

[Barbara Gorman]

She wandered off.

[H]

It's the truth.

[Barbara Gorman]

We didn't know it. She wandered off. We couldn't help it.

[Ralph Kane]

How about the little dress we found in that auto court with stains on it?

[Barbara Gorman]

Same questions. You always ask the same questions.

[Joe Friday]

What about the dress, ma'am?

[Barbara Gorman]

Do I always have to repeat? I told you? Ralph got his hand. He was shaving. It was just an old dress, a rag. Ralph bandaged his hand with it.

[Joe Friday]

Well, you usually wear bandages a while, don't you? Don't just throw them away.

[Barbara Gorman]

It was only a scratch. He didn't need the rag very long.

[Ralph Kane]

Quite a few stains on the dress, ma'am. Must have been more than just a scratch.

[Barbara Gorman]

No, it was just a scratch. Can't you believe anything I say?

[Joe Friday]

No, not so far.

[Barbara Gorman]

Please, can't I go outside for a few minutes? I have a headache. It's so hot in here.

[Ralph Kane]

All right, Ms. Groom.

[Joe Friday]

Go ahead, man.

[Ralph Kane]

Yeah, thanks.

[Barbara Gorman]

The air, it's so good. Terrible headache.

[Joe Friday]

You mind telling us something, Ms. Gorman?

[Barbara Gorman]

Please, can't you let me alone for a minute?

[Joe Friday]

Why did you leave your husband?

[Barbara Gorman]

Him. Any woman would leave him. It's Raph. I love Raph.

[Ralph Kane]

And your little girl? What about her?

[Barbara Gorman]

My husband wanted her, not me. I'm just not like that. I didn't want her in the first place. It was a mistake. Terrible mistake.

[Joe Friday]

Is that why you got rid of her?

[Barbara Gorman]

What now?

[Joe Friday]

It's pretty obvious by this time, ma'am. When you left your husband, you took your little girl along for spite. Kane didn't want her. You found out you didn't either. So you got rid of her now, is that it?

[Barbara Gorman]

I didn't say that. You're putting words in my mouth. I didn't say that at all.

[Joe Friday]

Joe.

[Philip Gorman]

Ben.

[Ralph Kane]

Yeah, Mack. Over here.

[Philip Gorman]

Kane's given us half the story. Shouldn't be too hard to get the rest.

[Barbara Gorman]

It's a lie. There's no story to tell. Nancy ran away. That's all we know, Mac.

[Philip Gorman]

Kane says they tried some kind of a death pact. He and Mrs. Gorman here got in a room and turned on the gas.

[Barbara Gorman]

He didn't tell you? He didn't tell you?

[Philip Gorman]

Afraid so, ma'am. That's your boyfriend's story.

[Ralph Kane]

What else may?

[Philip Gorman]

Well, as I say, Kane and Mrs. Gorman got in the room, agreed to end it all. They had a little girl with them in the room.

[Joe Friday]

Well, why was that?

[Philip Gorman]

Kane says he doesn't know. Seemed to simplify things, having the kid with him.

[Ralph Kane]

He tell you what happened?

[Philip Gorman]

Yeah, they turned on the gas.

[Barbara Gorman]

No, no, never mind, Ms. Gorman. Never mind. You don't have to say it.

[Joe Friday]

You want to tell us about it, Ms. Gorman?

[Barbara Gorman]

Yes, I'll tell you.

[Joe Friday]

3Am we went back inside the cottage. At the auto court, we gave her a cigarette and Barbara Gorman sat down and told us the story. Four days after she'd left with her two year old daughter and Ralph Kane. She knew she'd made a mistake. She admitted that she never should have taken the child. She said the little girl seemed to be in their way all the time. Kane was all for deserting the child or sending her back to her father. Mrs. Gorman wouldn't agree to it, just out of pure spite. One night in an auto court, she and Kane had a big drinking party. They brooded over the mix up that they'd gotten themselves into. Kane didn't have any money to get married. He knew he'd lost his job. Even if they could get married, Mrs. Gorman wasn't sure she could get a divorce. Another full day and night of drinking and they decided on a lover's death pact. They turned on the gas.

[Ralph Kane]

I don't get it, Mrs. Gorman. Why'd you have your little girl in the room with you? Why didn't you leave her with somebody? With anybody?

[Barbara Gorman]

Why? She was Mine wasn't she? I thought we could go together, all three of us. But it didn't work that way.

[Joe Friday]

What happened?

[Barbara Gorman]

Raf and I woke up. Throats were burning. My eyes were burning. Looked over Nancy. She wasn't moving. It was just like she was asleep.

[Joe Friday]

What'd you do then?

[Barbara Gorman]

We got in the car and left. We found a nice place in the desert. There were nice flowers there. We buried Nancy.

[Ralph Kane]

How about you and Ralph Kane? You knew you were in deeper. Why didn't you try it again?

[Barbara Gorman]

Oh, we did. A couple of times. We loved each other. The only thing we could do. But every time we tried, we couldn't go through with it. We tried. We never could finish it. Ralph got a job. We were gonna buy a gun. Tomorrow we try again.

[Joe Friday]

Can you show us where you buried your little girl?

[Barbara Gorman]

Yes. Place in the desert. Out near Palm Springs. It was a nice place. There's lots of nice flowers around. You understand, don't you? We're in love, Raph and I. Yeah. My husband wouldn't understand the way I loved Raph. It was everything. It was the whole world. Raph and I. I didn't mean it that way. For Nancy. It was a mistake. You've got to understand. I didn't mean it that way.

[Ralph Kane]

That's the way it is.

[Barbara Gorman]

Doesn't matter. You can't hurt us. Not Raph and I. You can't take away what we've got. You'll never take that away.

[Joe Friday]

All right. You want to get your coat?

[Barbara Gorman]

Yes. Doesn't matter what happens. It's for Raph. I don't care what they do. I'll keep on loving him. Same way I love him now. Doesn't matter. We'll pay for our mistakes.

[Joe Friday]

Yeah, lady, they're gonna cost you. At 5:00am we put in a call for Lieutenant Lee Jones and the crime lab crew and the coroner. When they arrived at the auto court, we drove to the spot in the desert near Palm Springs where Ralph Kane and Mrs. Gorman pointed out the spot where they'd buried Nancy. The body was uncovered at the exact spot. Was taken back to town to the county morgue where an autopsy was performed. Kane and Mrs. Gorman were booked on suspicion of murder. By 5:00 that afternoon we had the results of the autopsy.

[Philip Gorman]

Yeah, Doctor?

[Ralph Kane]

Uh huh. Right.

[Philip Gorman]

Thank you. Bye.

[Ralph Kane]

What's the story, Max?

[Philip Gorman]

Not what we thought.

[Joe Friday]

How do you mean?

[Philip Gorman]

I think Mrs. Gorman sold us a bill of goods. Little girl didn't die in a room full of gas.

[Joe Friday]

What'd the doc say?

[Philip Gorman]

He found two bullet holes in the.

[Joe Friday]

Body that night, after hours of interrogation, Ralph Kane and Mrs. Barbara Gorman both broke down and confessed that they'd killed the child in cold blood. They pleaded drunkenness, that they weren't responsible for their actions. They were returned to their cells and held without bail. The child's father, Philip Gorman, was notified the following morning. Ben and I accompanied him to the county morgue.

[Ralph Kane]

It's this way, Mr. Gorman.

[John Pearson]

Oh, thanks.

[Joe Friday]

You sure you want to go through with this, sir? Mr. Gorman?

[John Pearson]

Well, I might as well tell you the truth. I'm not sure I do.

[Ralph Kane]

It isn't going to help much, Mr. Gorman. Believe me, it isn't.

[John Pearson]

I just wanted to see her just once more.

[Joe Friday]

Yeah, well, it doesn't work out. Wouldn't be the same. Not the way you remember.

[John Pearson]

Just wanted to see. I just wanted to find out. What's that about a mother, Ralph King. What is it that can make them do it?

[Ralph Kane]

Little girl.

[John Pearson]

She's only two. What could make anybody do a thing like that?

[Joe Friday]

Your wife called it love.

[Jack Webb]

The story you have just heard was true. Only the names were changed to protect the innocent.

[Ben Romero]

On September 10, trial was held in Superior Court Department 89 City and County of Los Angeles, State of California. In a moment, the results of that trial.

[Jack Webb]

And now, here is our star, Jack Webb.

[Joe Friday]

Thank you, friends. Tonight you've heard just a few of the reasons why you should smoke Fatima. It sums up this way. Fatima gives you all the advantages of extra length, plus Fatima quality, which no other King size cigarette has. Tamara, buy Fatima in the golden yellow package. Remember, they're extra mild with a different better flavor and aroma.

[Ben Romero]

Mrs. Barbara Gorman and Ralph Donald Kane were tried and convicted in Superior Court of murder in the first degree. Mrs. Gorman was sentenced to life imprisonment. Kane received the death penalty. He was executed at the State Penitentiary, San Quentin, California.

[Jack Webb]

Ladies and gentlemen, the Bill of Rights section of the United States Constitution protects our freedom. Today that freedom is endangered by tyranny and aggression. Every American must help make our free government an example to all peoples by dedicating himself to a constant, active citizenship freedom needs.

[Ben Romero]

You have just heard, Dragnet. A series of authentic cases from official files. Technical advice comes from the office of Chief of Police W.H. parker, Los Angeles Police Department.

[Jack Webb]

Fatima cigarettes. Best of all, long cigarettes has brought you Dragnet. Transcribed from Los Angeles.

[John Pearson]

Stay tuned for.

[Jack Webb]

Counter Spy next over most NBC stations. The story you are about to hear is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent.

[Ben Romero]

Fatima cigarettes. Best of all, long cigarettes brings you Dragnet.

[Jack Webb]

You're a detective sergeant you're assigned a burglary detail. A gang of clever thieves are at work at your city. In three months, they they've looted fashionable homes of $100,000 in furs and jewels. There's no clue to their identity. Your job get em. In Fatima, the difference is quality.

[Ben Romero]

Yes, in Fatima, the difference is quality.

[Jack Webb]

Quality of tobaccos, the finest domestic and Turkish varieties. Extra mild, superbly blended. To give you Fatima's much different, much better flavor and aroma.

[Ben Romero]

Quality of manufacture, smooth, round, perfect Fatima cigarettes rolled in the finest paper money can buy. Manufactured in the newest and most modern of all cigarette factories.

[Jack Webb]

Quality even to the appearance of the bright, clean, golden yellow Fatima package.

[Ben Romero]

So compare Fatima yourself today.

[Jack Webb]

You'll find Fatima gives you all the advantages of extra length plus Fatima quality, which no other king size cigarette has.

[Ben Romero]

Yes, light up a Fatima. Your first puff will tell you ah.

[Barbara Gorman]

That's different.

[Jack Webb]

Because in Fatima, the difference is quality.

[Ben Romero]

Dragnet, the documented drama of an actual crime. For the next 30 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. Transcribed from official police files. From beginning to end, from crime to punishment, Dragnet is the story of your police force in action.

[Joe Friday]

It was Wednesday, January 10th. It was cold in Los Angeles. We were working the day watch out of burglary detail. My partner's Ben Romero. The boss is Captain Wisdom. My name's Friday. It was 11:15am when we got back to the city hall. Captain Wisdom's office.

[Ralph Kane]

Hi, Skipper. Hi.

[Philip Gorman]

How'd you make out?

[Ralph Kane]

Not too good. Same old story.

[Philip Gorman]

Anybody in the house when the thieves broke in?

[Joe Friday]

Yeah, the children's nurse was there. She said the burglary took place about midnight. She was asleep in bed at the time. Nurse said she woke up when she heard the thieves forcing their way in through a side door. She jumped out of bed, ran for the telephone in the hallway and they grabbed her before she could reach it.

[Philip Gorman]

Do her any harm?

[Joe Friday]

Well, a little, yeah. They tied her up, locked her in a closet.

[Ralph Kane]

Same M.O. as the other job, Skipper. Three men. Each of them wore gloves and a mask. They took all the furs and jewelry they could find. Nothing else.

[Philip Gorman]

Nurse give you the same general description on the three of them?

[Ralph Kane]

Yeah. It's not gonna help much. Said two of the men were tall, medium bill and one was short, heavy bill. She was so rattled she couldn't even remember the clothes they had on.

[Philip Gorman]

12 jobs for the same gang in three months. We don't even have a good description of them. How Slow. Can we move?

[Ralph Kane]

Doing everything we can, Skipper.

[Philip Gorman]

Excuse me, girl. Burglary wisdom.

[Ralph Kane]

Uh huh.

[Philip Gorman]

Not until 2:00. No, that's all right. 2:00 sharp. Right. Bye. Just had an appointment cancel out. How about a cup of coffee downstairs?

[Ralph Kane]

Yeah.

[Philip Gorman]

I didn't even have a chance for breakfast this morning.

[Joe Friday]

Fine with me.

[Ralph Kane]

Grab my hat, will you?

[Joe Friday]

I'll get it. Here you go.

[Ralph Kane]

Thanks.

[Philip Gorman]

Guess you talked to the owners of the house, huh? The place was broken into last night.

[Joe Friday]

Yeah, we did. Mr. And Ms. Peterson, they got home a couple hours after the burglary. Took a quick inventory.

[Philip Gorman]

What did they find?

[Joe Friday]

Missing furs and jewels. Same as the other jobs. Almost $12,000 worth. That's the biggest haul yet.

[Philip Gorman]

I don't have to spell it out for you. We need a break on this thing. We need it bad.

[Ralph Kane]

More pressure from the front office, huh?

[Philip Gorman]

Coming from all sides. The victims are insurance companies, newspapers. They got a right to cry. Those thieves have been grabbing furs and jewels for three months.

[Ralph Kane]

We're doing everything about it we can do, Skipper. Planning stakeouts, working our informants, running down every lead we can get our hands on. Covered every angle I can think of.

[Philip Gorman]

They don't worry about the angles we cover. They want results. They want their property back.

[Ralph Kane]

Go ahead, Skipper. Go ahead.

[Joe Friday]

Thank you.

[Philip Gorman]

Now, how about the stuff they took on the job last night? You get it on the stolen property list?

[Joe Friday]

Yeah, it's all listed. That's one thing that really gets me. What are the thieves doing with all that stuff? The furs and the jewelry? We've had every pawn shop in the city on the alert since they started working. Checked on every possible outlet we know of. Any place they could use to dump the stuff. They haven't turned up a trace of it.

[Philip Gorman]

No results from those APBs you got out?

[Joe Friday]

Well, yeah, a few, but none of them are panned out.

[Ralph Kane]

How about trying the cafeteria here? They got pretty good coffee.

[Joe Friday]

That's a good idea.

[Ralph Kane]

Why don't you two grab a table, I'll get the coffee.

[Philip Gorman]

Right. Ben? Oh, hold the cream on mine, will you?

[Ralph Kane]

Right, Skipper.

[Joe Friday]

How's this?

[Philip Gorman]

This all right? Yeah, it's fine.

[Ralph Kane]

Three chairs.

[Joe Friday]

Yeah.

[Philip Gorman]

Okay. How about it Friday? You or Ben got any ideas at all?

[Joe Friday]

Well, there's one thing we wanted to talk over with you. We were kicking the idea around on the way back into the office. Would you like a smoke?

[Philip Gorman]

Oh, thanks. Mm.

[Joe Friday]

There you go. Last night we were comparing the different stories we got from the burglary victims.

[Ben Romero]

Yeah.

[Philip Gorman]

Light? Thank you.

[Joe Friday]

You get a light all right.

[Philip Gorman]

Yeah, it's all right. Thanks. Go ahead.

[Joe Friday]

Well, that's one thing that all their stories seem to have in common. Now, that's counting all 12 victims.

[Ralph Kane]

Yeah.

[Philip Gorman]

What's that?

[Joe Friday]

Let's see. I got a piece of paper here. I got it all figured out. Yeah, we know all the victims are fairly wealthy people. They go out quite a bit. Parties, nightclubs, things like that.

[Philip Gorman]

Yeah. None of them were at home at the time the burglaries were pulled?

[Joe Friday]

That's right. Yeah.

[Ralph Kane]

Here you go. There's your skipper. No cream, Joe? Thank you very much.

[Joe Friday]

I was just telling the captain about that idea we were talking about on the way back in.

[Ralph Kane]

Yeah? Oh, yeah.

[Philip Gorman]

All right, so none of the victims were home at the time of the burglary. Where does it go from there?

[Joe Friday]

Well, for one thing, we all pretty much agree that there must be a finger man working with the gang, don't we? Somebody who knows the victims aren't home. Somebody who also knows the victims aren't wearing the furs or jewels on that particular night. Is that right?

[Ralph Kane]

That's right.

[Philip Gorman]

We've been going on that assumption. The question is, who's the finger man?

[Joe Friday]

Well, that's what I'm trying to get at here. Ben and I compared the victim's stories. We found out that in every case, each of the victims had been out in some public place from three to five days before the night of the burglary. Now, at that time, every one of them wore furs and expensive jewelry.

[Philip Gorman]

Yeah.

[Ralph Kane]

Why don't you read off some of those examples we got there, Jill?

[Joe Friday]

Okay. Well, here's the first one. Mr. And Mrs. Charles King. Now, on December 10th, they went to a nightclub out in Hollywood. Mrs. King wore a fur coat and quite a bit of jewelry. On December 14, they went out to a theater. They didn't dress up at all. They left the furs and jewels at home. That's the night that their house was burglarized.

[Philip Gorman]

And this same pattern shows up in every one of the victim stories?

[Joe Friday]

No, no, it's not quite that close, but the same elements seem to be there.

[Ralph Kane]

Here's another one, skipper. Let's see. Mr. And Mrs. Lyons, November 20th, they went to a big party at a restaurant out on Sunset. Woman wore jewelry, expensive fur wrap. Week later, they went to a party at a friend's house. Mrs. Lyons left her furs and jewelry at home. And the same night the thieves broke in.

[Philip Gorman]

That's a pretty good angle. How do you tie up all the loose ends?

[Joe Friday]

Well, I see a paper Again, Ben, we got it halfway figured right here. Just before each of the victims was taken, they appeared in a public place wearing the furs and jewelry. We've got a list of all the places. Nightclubs, restaurants. There's about six of them here.

[Philip Gorman]

So the finger man for the gang must be watching these six places.

[Ralph Kane]

He spots the people with expensive furs and jewelry and tips off the gang. They watch the house. Next time the people go out and the thieves see the woman isn't wearing her furs and things and they move in.

[Joe Friday]

It's not a sure thing. We're just guessing. You understand? What do you think?

[Philip Gorman]

Sounds like a fair guess.

[Ralph Kane]

Let's move on it. We'll have to cover each of those nightclubs and the restaurants. It's gonna take more men, more time. Could be nothing but a blind alley.

[Philip Gorman]

We got the men, we got the time. Let's try it.

[Joe Friday]

10Pm Wednesday, January 10th. Our idea for stopping the burglary gang by reaching their spotter or finger man was put into operation. The half dozen nightclubs and restaurants where we thought the spotter might be checking off richly dressed couples. As future burglary victims were placed under strict surveillance. Managers and employees of each of the places were questioned. It went slow. The first week got us four leads to check out. They led nowhere. Any and all suspicious looking persons loitering in or near the clubs and restaurants that we had staked out were questioned and checked out thoroughly. Another week passed. No results. In the meantime, on January 23, the burglary gang hit again. This time at a dentist's home in the Hollywood Hills. The maid, a Ms. Ilsa Bergstrom, was the only one present at the time of the burglary. Ben and I drove out to interview her.

[H]

It was soon before midnight. The Mr. And Mrs. Was gone out. They have a sitting with the television.

[Ralph Kane]

The three men broke in the side door. Is that right, Ms. Burke?

[H]

Yeah, the side door. I think so. Ever sitting near the television watts. I hear this sound and I turn around and the three men, they're right there in the room with me. I thought I could scream, but I couldn't.

[Joe Friday]

Do you remember what the men looked like, Ms. Bergstrom? How they were dressed?

[H]

I don't know. I was so much being frightened. One of them had a jacket on, I think. Dark jackets.

[Ralph Kane]

The others.

[Joe Friday]

I don't know anything else about them that you noticed.

[H]

They had masks all over their faces. I couldn't see. I jumped up. I tried to scream, but I was so much frightened.

[Ralph Kane]

What'd they do then? Ms. Yeah.

[H]

They put a cloth all around my mouth so I couldn't make noise. Then they tied my hands and my feet and they put me in the closet out there. You smelled the whole way? I was kicking and hitting at them.

[Ralph Kane]

Had you ever seen any of the men before, Ms. Burton?

[H]

No, never before.

[Joe Friday]

Do you think you'd know any of the men if you saw them again?

[H]

I shouldn't be sure. One of them, maybe. I might know him.

[Joe Friday]

Well, how do you mean? Did you get a look at his dress?

[H]

Yeah, only it was very quick. When they was putting me in the closet, I was hitting and kicking at them. One of the men, I knocked his hat off. It fell on the floor. I pulled at the thing on his face, the mask, almost. It came off.

[Ralph Kane]

Well, from what you could see. What did the man look like?

[H]

Blond hair. I can't remember. There's not so much on top. Only on the side here. And there was right there by the forehead here, a scar going over that way?

[Joe Friday]

Yeah. Was he a big man, do you know? As big as the other?

[H]

No, he was a smaller man. He was bigger this way, you know, fatter. Yeah. He was so mad when I knocked his head off, I thought maybe he'd kill me. They only put me in the closet, you know, and then they closed the door. I could hear them upstairs going through the Mr. And Mrs. Room.

[Ralph Kane]

You're pretty sure the description you've given us, Ms. Bersho.

[H]

Yeah. The scar, the blonde hair. Not so much on top. I remember that. It was. Well, I was so much frightened, I thought they'd kill me.

[Joe Friday]

Now, after they locked you in the closet, they didn't come back? That's the last you saw them?

[H]

Yeah, they didn't come back to me. I could hear them moving around upstairs. And then I could hear them leave after a while, like all night before the Mr. And Mrs. Came home and found me. Was so much frightened. This. This thing wouldn't happen in Sweden. That's where I come from. Sweden?

[Ralph Kane]

Yes, ma'am. You sure there's nothing else about these men that you've noticed or something we ought to know about?

[I]

No.

[H]

Everything I saw, yes. What happened. I told you the way it was. This never would have happened in Sweden. Not like this. These robbers like this.

[Ralph Kane]

Burglars, man.

[H]

Yeah, these burglars. I thought I'd be dead. Never would happen in Sweden like this.

[Ralph Kane]

You mean you don't have burglars in Sweden?

[H]

Oh, yeah, yeah, we have burglars.

[Joe Friday]

Well, then just how do you mean.

[H]

That we have burglars? But they don't break in the house when somebody's there. They're a little bit yams.

[Ralph Kane]

Is that so? Yeah.

[H]

They wait till everybody's gone from the house, then they break it. Even burglars should be handling a little bit.

[Joe Friday]

Before we left the house, we checked with the owners. Took their crime report and a list of their stolen property. Some $6,000 in jewelry and fur coats. The maid's description of one of the three men in the gang wasn't complete, but it was the best that we'd had on him in three months. Frank Cunningham and the Eye Bureau had the description of the scar on the suspect's forehead. Checked through the oddity file. Meantime, Ben and I paired up the additional facts about the suspect. The scar, the color and condition of his hair, along with his general description, his approximate weight and height. We had the stats office make a run for us and all ex cons with burglary records who fitted the overall description. They came up with a list of 10 names, and we started checking them out. One of the first listed was a Russell Snow. We checked his last known address, but he'd moved. His mail was being forwarded in care of his brother, George Snow, who managed the Neptune Plunge, a public indoor swimming pool in the East Hollywood neighborhood. We drove out to interview the brother.

[Ralph Kane]

Pretty good size for an indoor pool, huh?

[Joe Friday]

Yeah, it is. It's a nice layout they got.

[Ralph Kane]

Must be the office. Straight ahead there. Hey, Joe. Joe, what's that? That girl over there. Look at that bathing suit she's got on.

[Joe Friday]

Yeah, they keep getting smaller, don't they?

[Ralph Kane]

Makes you embarrassed just to look at them. Maybe I'm just getting old.

[John Pearson]

Yes, sir?

[Ralph Kane]

We're looking for George Snow. Yeah, I'm him. Police officers, Mr. Snow. Like to talk to you a few minutes, if we could. Oh, yeah.

[Ben Romero]

Hey, let me grab a towel over here.

[Joe Friday]

Get dried off, though. Sure.

[Philip Gorman]

Come on over.

[Joe Friday]

Pull up one of these deck chairs here.

[Ralph Kane]

All right. Thank you.

[Joe Friday]

Thank you very much.

[Philip Gorman]

Well, what is it, officers?

[Ralph Kane]

What can I do for you?

[Joe Friday]

You have a brother, isn't that right, sir? A Russell Snow.

[Jack Webb]

Yeah, that's right.

[Ralph Kane]

Russ is my brother. Anything wrong?

[Joe Friday]

We'd like to locate him if we could. Do you know where we can find him?

[Ralph Kane]

No, don't think I can.

[Ben Romero]

Last I heard from Russ was about six months ago. Said he was going to take a job in Minneapolis. Not in trouble again, is he?

[Ralph Kane]

Not that we know of. We'd like to locate him, that's all.

[Ben Romero]

I don't think I can help you much, Russ. Isn't much of a letter writer. Only time I hear from him is when he's in town.

[Joe Friday]

We've checked at the last place your brother was staying. They told us he left word to forward all his mail here to you.

[Jack Webb]

Is that right?

[Ben Romero]

Yeah, that's right. Russ asked me to take care of it. No letters have come through so far, though.

[Ralph Kane]

Mm.

[Joe Friday]

Were you to hang onto his mail or send it on to him in Minneapolis?

[Ben Romero]

No, I was gonna hang on to him. Russ said he'd pick up his mail next time he was through. As I say, that was six months ago. I haven't seen or heard from him since.

[Ralph Kane]

Then you wouldn't know if he was actually in Minneapolis or not?

[Ben Romero]

Well, no, I wouldn't guess. You know, my brother Russell had a police record.

[Joe Friday]

Yeah, sir, we do.

[Ben Romero]

He had that trouble a couple of.

[Joe Friday]

Years ago, that burglary rep.

[Ben Romero]

I think Russ learned his lesson.

[Ralph Kane]

Are you your brother's only living relative? I mean, is there anyone else in town who might have heard from him?

[John Pearson]

I don't know, Officer.

[Ben Romero]

Excuse me. Just me.

[Jack Webb]

All right, kids.

[Ben Romero]

No running around the side of the pool, you hear?

[Jack Webb]

You slip and break your neck.

[Philip Gorman]

No more running.

[Ralph Kane]

Sorry.

[Joe Friday]

You gotta watch Mike the Hawk. Yes, sir.

[Ben Romero]

Like I was saying, I can't think of anybody who might have heard from Russ. I'm his only relation. But he does have a few friends around town. I mean, legitimate fellows, you know?

[Ralph Kane]

Yeah.

[Ben Romero]

They come around once in a while.

[Joe Friday]

Drop in and say hello.

[Ralph Kane]

Have any of them heard from your brother?

[Ben Romero]

He might have, but I didn't ask him. There's old Matt Garson. He's a good friend of my brother's. He was in the other day, but he didn't say anything about hearing from Russ. Might be that he has. Maybe you didn't think to mention it.

[Joe Friday]

Where does this Matt Garson stay, do you know?

[Ben Romero]

I really couldn't tell you, officer. That's a real character. Kind of a floater. Doesn't stay with one job more than two months. Like last week when he was in here?

[Ralph Kane]

Yes, sir.

[Ben Romero]

He's a real pitchman. Gave me a big sales talk. Biggest bargain on earth. Said he'd sell me a couple of them real cheap. I didn't have any use for him.

[Joe Friday]

What's that, sir? For a coach? Before we left, George Snow gave us a complete description of Matt Garson together with the names of five of Garson's acquaintances who might know of his. When Ben and I got back to the City hall, we checked Garson's name and description through R and I. He had a record of two fairly recent arrests, but no convictions. Both arrests were for suspicion of burglary. We checked on Garson's last known residence. He'd moved, no forwarding address. His last place of employment was listed as the Park Tivoli nightclub out on Wilshire Boulevard. The Park Tivoli was one of the six places that we'd staked out as a possible working ground for the burglary gang's finger man. A place where he could spot expensively dressed persons, check on their home addresses and line them up as future burglary victims. Ben, put in a call to the manager of the Park Tivoli to check on Garson's employment.

[Ralph Kane]

What was that, sir? Last July. I see. Well, yes, sir. We'll probably be out tonight.

[Joe Friday]

Right.

[Ralph Kane]

Thank you. Bye.

[Joe Friday]

What'd you get?

[Ralph Kane]

Garson worked out there all right. Parking lot attendant. He quit last July. If he's the guy checking off the customer's furs and jewels, he's in a perfect spot. Manager told me that Garson has a girlfriend. She still works at the club. Might be the answer, Joe.

[Joe Friday]

Well, how do you figure?

[Ralph Kane]

She runs a hat check stand.

[Ben Romero]

You are in the communications division of a metropolitan police department. The teletype, room.

[Philip Gorman]

43, Los 52951, 1203pm APB, WMA. 155 foot 6, dark hair, dark eyes, wearing gray suit, no hat. Suspect is wearing glasses, heavy build, 22 years. Suspect is armed with blue steel revolver. Any information forward?

[Ben Romero]

You have just heard a teletype description of a suspect. This information will apply to many, but careful screening will eliminate all but one.

[Jack Webb]

You'll find the same is true when you examine king size cigarettes. Yes, careful screening will eliminate all but Fatima.

[Ben Romero]

Compare Fatima. Fatima's are the same length as any other king size cigarette. 85 millimeters. Fatima has the same circumference, 1 and 164 inches around.

[Jack Webb]

And Fatima filters the smoke exactly the same long distance as other king size cigarettes.

[Ben Romero]

But in Fatima, the difference is quality.

[Jack Webb]

Fatima gives you extra mildness, a much different, much better flavor and aroma. You get all the advantages of extra length plus Fatima quality, which no other king size cigarette has.

[Ben Romero]

So compare Fatima yourself. Your first puff will tell you, Ah, that's different.

[Jack Webb]

Yes, in Fatima, the difference is quality. Buy Fatima. Best of all, long cigarettes.

[Joe Friday]

One of the biggest problems that faces a police officer working the burglary detail is not only apprehending the thief, but also recovering the stolen property. Dozens of criminals of this type will spend 5, 10 or even 15 years in prison. If they know that on their release, they will have a stake of thousands of dollars in stolen property which they've hidden somewhere to start over again with. Thursday, January 26, 5:00pm we got out a broadcast and an APB on the burglary suspect, Matt Garson. Then we began checking back on his girlfriend, Virginia Ramsey, who worked as a hat check girl at the Park Tivoli nightclub on Wilshire Boulevard. It was one of the six probable places where we thought that the finger man for the burglary gang was lining up potential victims. Despite the fact that she often associated with known criminal suspects, the Ramsey girl had no previous criminal record herself. That night, after she reported in for work at the club, Ben and I checked her apartment. In one of the closets we found three expensive fur coats. They were all identified as property taken in previous burglaries by the gang. In a strong box in the desk we found a half a dozen pieces of expensive jewelry also identified on the stolen property list. Ben and I got in the car and drove to the Park Tivoli nightclub.

[I]

Your hat, sir. Check your hat.

[Ralph Kane]

Your name Virginia Ramsey?

[I]

Yes, that's right.

[Joe Friday]

Police officers, Ms. Ramsey. Like to talk to you downtown.

[I]

Beg your pardon?

[Joe Friday]

I say we're police officers. Here's our identification. Like to talk to you downtown.

[I]

What's it all about? I haven't done anything.

[Ralph Kane]

Then there's no reason to worry. We'd just like to ask you a few questions, that's all.

[I]

What about?

[Ralph Kane]

A man by the name of Matt Garson understands. You know him quite well.

[I]

No, I don't know him. I don't even know what you're talking about.

[Joe Friday]

Want to get your coat, Ms. Ramsey? We'll talk it over downtown, huh?

[I]

I'm working now. Listen, I won't be off till 2 o'clock. I can't just walk off the job.

[Joe Friday]

We just talk to the manager. He's gonna have one of the other girls take your place. Do you want to get your coat, please?

[I]

All right. You sure you checked with the manager? I don't want to lose my job, leaving like this.

[Ralph Kane]

We talk to him. It's all right.

[Joe Friday]

This way, please. I'll out the side door.

[I]

I'd like to know what this whole thing's all about. I think I have a right to know. Pulling me off a job like this.

[Joe Friday]

We told you, Ms. Ramsey, it's about a friend of yours, Matt Garson. He used to work here at the club, didn't he?

[I]

I wouldn't know. A lot of people work Here. I don't know them all. Why should you want him anyway?

[Ralph Kane]

Do you know him?

[I]

I think I might, yes. Not sure. Why do you want it?

[Joe Friday]

For interrogation? Just like to ask him a few questions.

[I]

Why?

[Joe Friday]

You ready to admit that you know Garson?

[I]

I think I'm right. Yeah, I know him.

[Ralph Kane]

Wanna get in, Ms. Ramsey?

[I]

I still don't know what it's all about. Why do you want Matt Garson?

[Joe Friday]

Same reason we want you. Suspicion of burglary.

[I]

You don't know what you're talking about. You can't prove anything against me.

[Joe Friday]

We already have, miss. We found three fur coats in your apartment. There was some jewelry there.

[I]

Those things are mine. Every one of them. They're all mine, Right?

[Joe Friday]

Come on. You're wasting time. They're stolen property, you know that.

[Ralph Kane]

How about it, miss? You want to tell us about Matt Garson? Where is he?

[I]

I told you. Told you the first time.

[Joe Friday]

Yeah.

[I]

I don't know him.

[Joe Friday]

10:00Pm we drove the suspect, Virginia Ramsey, downtown to the city hall and took her to the interrogation room. We questioned her continuously until well past midnight. She refused to admit anything. We gave her time to rest a little and set out for some food. Then we resumed the interrogations. 2:00am The Ramsey girl still refused to admit any connection with Matt Garson, his friend Russell Snow or any members of the burglary gang. We stayed with it. By 4am we'd halfway convinced her that protecting the members of the gang wasn't the answer. That the best thing for her to do would be to cooperate. 5:30am Can I have a cigarette?

[Ralph Kane]

Yeah. Here you are.

[I]

I'll tell you about it. I know Matt Garson. He's one of the gang.

[Joe Friday]

You know where he is?

[I]

No. He got me into it. He made me do it. There wasn't anything else I could do.

[Joe Friday]

What did he make you do?

[I]

Well, when I was checking coats and things at the club, I was supposed to watch for customers with money, expensive furs and jewels. I found out who they were and then I tell Matt. He'd tell the others.

[Ralph Kane]

Who are the others?

[I]

One of them is Johnny Lang. There are a couple of others, but I don't know their names. Believe me, Sergeant, Matt made me do it. He got me into it before I knew what it was all about. When I found out, he threatened to frame me if I didn't go along with him.

[Joe Friday]

Do you know where any of these men live? Where they hang out?

[I]

No. None of them. Not even met. Ever since he moved, he wouldn't give me his new address.

[Joe Friday]

Do you Think Garson will try to contact you at your apartment in the next few days? Maybe.

[I]

No, I don't think so. Not until after the next job. They're waiting on it now. They've been watching the house.

[Ralph Kane]

Which house is that?

[I]

Place out in West Hollywood. Wealthy people. They were in the club about a week ago.

[Joe Friday]

And the gang's waiting for them to go out some night and leave their valuables at home.

[Ralph Kane]

Is that it?

[I]

Yeah, that's right. Matt says it's an easy house to break into. He thinks it ought to be a cinch.

[Joe Friday]

Matt ought to know better, huh? It's the easy ones you trip over. Before we booked her in on suspicion of burglary, Virginia Ramsey gave us the name and address of the people in West Hollywood who were supposedly the next victims on the burglary gangs list. Later in the morning, we drove out to see the people. A Mr. And Mrs. Thomas Thornson told them the story and laid out our plans, which they agreed to. That night. The Thornsons left their home a few minutes before 9. They were simply dressed. No furs, no jewels. At 9:35, three men scaled a fence at the rear of the Thornson's home and broke in through a side door. Right behind them was a detail of a half a dozen officers who moved in and made the arrest. The three suspects were taken downtown, where they were identified as Russell Snow, Matt Garson and Howard Farris. We searched out apartments, their cars and garages. There was no trace of the stolen property. Each of the men were brought to the interrogation room separately for questioning. Matt Garson was the first. He denied any knowledge of where the loot was hidden.

[John Pearson]

That's the truth. I don't know where the stuff is. I work for the outfit, that's all.

[Ralph Kane]

You've been working for three months without a payoff. Is that what you're trying to tell her?

[John Pearson]

Well, we haven't been turning over everything we got. We've been holding out half the stuff, selling it on the side. I just worked for the Outfit, that's all.

[Ralph Kane]

That's not the way we get it, Garson. You're supposed to be the big man. You masterminded the deal. Me? Who told you that?

[Joe Friday]

Your girlfriend, Virginia Ramsey. We picked her up yesterday. She told us everything.

[John Pearson]

What'd she tell you?

[Joe Friday]

You're the big man. It was your idea. You ran the works.

[Ralph Kane]

What about it, Gordon?

[John Pearson]

Big joke, Sergeant, on both of us.

[Ralph Kane]

What do you mean?

[John Pearson]

You can ask the other boys. They'll tell you the same thing. We can prove it, too. There's only one boss in this operation. Yeah, Virginia Ramsey.

[Joe Friday]

For a 23 year old girl, it seemed like a new record of some kind. If it was true. We checked the other suspects, Russell Snow and Howard Farris. They told us substantially the same story. The Ramsey girl had formulated all the plans and directed the entire operation of the gang since its inception. They insisted that they had no idea where the stolen property was hidden. But they did know that the Ramsey girl had a safety deposit box in a downtown bank. We made a canvas of banks in the downtown area and a day later we located the safety deposit box listed in Ms. Ramsey's name. We obtained a court order and the box was open. In it we found practically all of the stolen jewelry. Almost $50,000 worth. Ben and I went back to the main jail where we had Virginia Ramsey signed out for investigation. We brought her to the interrogation room where we confronted her with the evidence.

[I]

I didn't think you'd find out. I didn't think you'd ever find out.

[Ralph Kane]

How about the furs, Ms. Ramsey?

[I]

I got the key. You can have it. I rented a private garage. I got them stored in there.

[Jack Webb]

All of them?

[I]

Just about, yeah. You picked up the others in my apartment.

[Joe Friday]

How'd you manage to run this whole operation? Those men you had working for you, you cut them in for practically nothing. They were experts. The best in the business.

[I]

That's why I hired them. They were the best. It's too bad. Should have worked out too bad. Didn't go.

[Ralph Kane]

You had a pretty fair run.

[I]

Wasn't half bad for me, was it? I'm only 23. First time I ever tried anything like it.

[Ralph Kane]

What gave you the idea?

[I]

I don't know. I wanted things. Pretty smart setup though, don't you think, Sergeant?

[Joe Friday]

How's that?

[I]

Wouldn't you say I played the whole thing pretty smart?

[Joe Friday]

Oh, I don't know. You figure it.

[I]

What?

[Joe Friday]

You're in jail, aren't you?

[Jack Webb]

The story you have just heard was true. Only the names were changed to protect the innocent. On March 28, trial was held in Superior Court Department 89, City and County of Los Angeles, State of California. In a moment, the results of that trial. Now, here is our star, Jack Webb.

[Joe Friday]

Thank you, friends. If you smoke a long cigarette, I want you to get acquainted with Fatima's. This weekend, for instance. When you're relaxing and taking it easy, you'll really appreciate Fatima's better flavor and aroma. And I know you'll like Fatima's extra mildness. Make a note. Tomorrow by Fatimas in the Familiar Yellow Carton.

[Jack Webb]

23 year old Virginia Ramsay, the leader of the gang, was tried and convicted on four counts of first degree burglary and four counts of receiving stolen property. The three male members of the gang were convicted of first degree burglary, also four counts. They are now serving their terms in the state penitentiary. First degree burglary is punishable by imprisonment for not less than five years. Receiving stolen property is punishable by imprisonment for not less than six months nor more than five years. Ladies and gentlemen, vacation time is here again and a great many of you will be taking trips in your automobile. Danger is never absent from the highways of America.

[Joe Friday]

Be careful.

[Jack Webb]

The care you take may save a life and that life may be your own.

[Ben Romero]

You have just heard Dragnet a series of authentic cases from official files. Technical advice comes from the office of Chief of Police W.H. parker, Los Angeles Police Department.

[Jack Webb]

Fatima Cigarettes. Best of all, long cigarettes has brought you Dragnet. Transcribed from Los Angeles. Stay tuned for Counter Spy next over most NBC stations.