Case Closed! – "Crime Classics and Dragnet"
RelicRadio.com | January 28, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of "Case Closed!" reopens two dramatic crime stories from the golden age of radio: Crime Classics' "Madeline Smith, Maid or Murderess?" (originally aired January 20, 1954) and Dragnet's "The Big Betty" (November 23, 1950). The host, Thomas Hyland, acts as a connoisseur of true crime, delving into real stories from court records and newspapers, while Dragnet exemplifies early police procedural storytelling. Each segment takes listeners through intrigue, love, deception, and law enforcement’s relentless pursuit of justice.

Segment 1: Crime Classics – "Madeline Smith, Maid or Murderess?"

[00:10] – [27:47]

Theme & Setting

• Set in 1857 Glasgow, Scotland, this true crime story tells of love, social ambition, blackmail, and an infamous murder trial.
• Central figure: Madeline Smith, a young woman accused of poisoning her lover, Pierre Emile L'Angelier.

Key Discussion Points

The Courtship and Triangle

• Narrator sets the scene: “Even in the middle 1800s, Kelvingrove park was a place to be reckoned with...” [03:00]
• Pierre Emile L'Angelier, a refined lodger, becomes enamored with Madeline Smith, daughter of a wealthy architect.
• Their romance becomes passionate but forbidden, with clandestine meetings and affectionate letters – Pierre’s leverage over Madeline.
• A rival suitor, William Minnock, enters the picture at her father's urging—creating both romantic and social complications.

Love Letters as Leverage

• Pierre refuses to return Madeline’s letters:
  • “If you look with love at another man, I will take the letters to your father and prove to him that your love for this another man is a passing thing." – Pierre [15:00]
• Madeline accuses Pierre of blackmailing her, but he deflects, trying to mix possessiveness with affection.

The Poison Plot

• Madeline requests arsenic from an apothecary:
  • “Apothecary. I would like 5 ounces of arsenic.” [15:46]
• Pierre, soon after their next intimate rendezvous and cups of hot chocolate, is struck by illness—twice surviving, before succumbing.

The Investigation and Trial

• Pierre is discovered dead, and his landlady presents Madeline’s letters to the police as evidence.
• Forensic examiners find 86 grains of arsenic in his body.
• Madeline is tried for attempted murder and murder:
  • “To one charge of attempted murder, Madeline Smith was found not guilty. To the other charge…not proven. To the charge of murder, the verdict not proven.” [26:30]
• William Minnock testifies, expressing shock; Madeline is ultimately acquitted.
• The tale ends with ironic commentary on Madeline’s later life:
  • “She lived till she was 90 years old, an amazing thing, her complexion always clear and youthful. She was a frequent sight at the drug counters, a big buyer of arsenic, wherever she was.” [27:15]

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “You are blackmailing me, Pierre.” – Madeleine [15:16]
• “Cruel and gentle. Sane and mad. The prerogatives of a man in love.” – Pierre [19:13]
• “For each day, each night that I come here to you and hold you close, I bind you closer to me. And there is no escape.” – Pierre [23:36]

Segment 2: Dragnet – "The Big Betty"

[30:23] – [58:07]

Theme & Setting

• Police procedural dramatizing an LAPD bunco detail’s pursuit of a petty swindling gang preying on the bereaved via the “obituary racket.”

Key Discussion Points

The Grift Exposed

• Victim Ms. Bergstrom brings in evidence: a fake wristwatch and pen set, sold as “gifts” from her deceased fiancé. She paid dearly, thinking they honored his last wishes.
• The conman exploits grieving relatives, using obituaries and casualty lists to target likely victims.
  • “That’s one thing they never could tap me for. Obituary racket. Lousiest racket there is.” – Judd, former conman [37:25]
• Detectives Friday and Romero meticulously trace the ring, evidencing early procedural police work: interviews, informants, mug shots, stakeouts, and forensic matching of cheap merchandise.

The Investigation

• Police follow leads on a group of four or five conmen from the Midwest, working together but keeping their leader mysterious.
• Breakthrough comes as Judd’s brother connects the gang to daily obituary lists and a local hotel.
• Two key suspects, Wesley Fisher and Raymond Breen, are found with loot and arrested.
• The investigation reveals a full network—gang members never directly meet their boss, only communicate through intermediaries.

The Woman Behind the Scam

• As the investigation deepens, complaints indicate a woman now participates.
• Wesley Fisher, facing heavy charges, flips and names Betty McGraw as the mastermind.
  • “Her name’s Betty McGraw. She’s the one you’ve been looking for. The whole idea was hers. She planned it out. She got everybody together. It was her show.” – Fisher [54:22]
• Police track her New Year’s Eve to a crowded hotel bar, arresting her in a bittersweet, almost cinematic fashion as Auld Lang Syne plays.
• McGraw is unrepentant and flippant even in custody:
  • “Is there a bar outside? I didn’t know there was a bar outside.” – Betty McGraw [56:12]

The Outcome & Reflections

• All members of the bunco gang, including the ringleader, are convicted of grand theft and sent to state prison.
  • “The remaining members…were tried and convicted of grand theft. They are now serving their terms in the state penitentiary.” [58:07]
• Closing lines emphasize Dragnet’s authenticity and commitment to justice.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “How could anybody get lower than that?... They keep trying.” – Ms. Bergstrom / Friday [36:15]
• “You wouldn’t know the truth if it followed you, mister. Now, look, maybe you’re great at conning old men and young girls, but don’t try to pass any of it here.” – Friday to Fisher [53:21]
• “Happy New Year… Maybe next year we’ll have it off.” – Friday, as arrest concludes during holiday revelry [56:31]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:07] – Pierre expresses infatuation with Madeline; the romantic triangle begins.
• [15:46] – Madeleine requests arsenic – pivotal moment in true crime story.
• [25:07] – Pierre’s death and subsequent investigation.
• [26:30] – The trial verdicts.
• [36:13] – Emotional impact of the con on victims (“How could anybody get lower than that?”).
• [54:22] – Fisher implicates Betty McGraw.
• [56:10] – New Year’s Eve arrest scene, bittersweet closure.

Tone & Style

• Crime Classics: Wry, ironic narration with tragic undercurrents; darkly humorous, almost poetic description of macabre details.
• Dragnet: Gritty, straightforward, and methodical, focusing on hard police work and understated emotional beats.

Final Thoughts

This episode showcases the range and enduring appeal of golden age crime radio, balancing melodramatic true crime with sharply rendered police procedure. The intersection of personal tragedy and public justice is explored from different angles, demonstrating how timeless these stories remain.

Notable Moments for New Listeners:

• The psychological battle between Madeline Smith and Pierre L’Angelier, culminating in murder and an ambiguous verdict.
• The deeply human cost of con games, as shown through Ms. Bergstrom’s heartbreak and the unrepentant bravado of criminals.
• Two styles—melancholic wit and no-nonsense realism—that defined midcentury crime drama.

Listeners new and old will find these case files both entertaining and a window into cultural anxieties of their times.