Dragnet: The Big Flight 11/17/1953

Summary

Summary of "Dragnet: The Big Flight" Episode on Choice Classic Radio Detectives | Old Time Radio

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Introduction

In the December 10, 2024 release of Choice Classic Radio Detectives' episode titled "Dragnet: The Big Flight," listeners are transported back to the golden age of radio detective storytelling. Hosted by Choice Classic Radio, this episode delves into a gripping narrative of crime, investigation, and relentless pursuit of justice set in the chilly backdrop of Los Angeles on November 3rd, 1953.

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The Robbery at Lockton Market

The episode opens with Detective Sergeant Joe Friday and his partner, Frank Smith, responding to a high-stakes robbery call at Lockton Market. It’s a cold Tuesday morning at 9:46 AM when they arrive at Lockwood and Barton avenues to find the store operators brutally beaten and a heist in progress.

Friday [00:09]: “Ladies and gentlemen, the story you are about to hear is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent.”

Upon arrival, they assess the chaotic scene, dealing with the injured store operators, Clifford Hall and Andrew Richard. The detectives begin their investigation by taking statements from the victims and gathering initial evidence.

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Collecting Evidence and Initial Leads

Detective Friday instructs Officer Jackson to file a 211 report while he and Smith begin to clean the scene and secure evidence.

Jackson [02:20]: “I really do love Podbean.”

As they examine the aftermath, they find a bottle and evidence scattered around, indicating a fierce struggle. Clifford Hall, the primary victim, provides a detailed account of the events leading up to the robbery.

Cliff Hall [03:08]: “First off, I thought they were customers. Yeah, a couple of them walked to the back of the place.”

Cliff describes how the robbers, a trio, orchestrated the heist with coordinated aggression, using both automatic and revolver firearms to intimidate and steal approximately $8,000 from the store.

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Witness Testimony and Suspect Description

A crucial witness comes forward—a woman parked half a block away—who observed the three men entering and leaving the vicinity. Her testimony provides a valuable description of the suspects and the stolen vehicle, a late-model Plymouth or Ford with distinctive markings.

Narrator [07:20]: “The description she gave us matched the one we'd gotten of the thieves.”

Detectives Friday and Smith cross-reference the information with the police database, identifying Jerry Evanston as a person of interest based on his past records and methodology matching the current crime.

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Challenging Leads and Alibis

Despite identifying Harold Bishop as a prime suspect due to victim identification, complications arise. Bishop is on parole in Phoenix, Arizona, and his alibi seems airtight, presenting a paradox where the evidence points to a man who theoretically couldn't be present to commit the crime.

Friday [15:43]: “We had a suspect, and yet, he couldn't have committed the crime.”

This leads Friday and Smith to scrutinize Bishop's past and parole activities, uncovering inconsistencies that suggest possible manipulation of his alibi. The detectives hypothesize that Bishop could be exploiting flight routes between Phoenix and Los Angeles to orchestrate the robbery and evade capture.

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The Stakeout and Capture

Determined to catch Bishop, Friday and Smith organize a stakeout at the airport, anticipating Bishop’s potential arrival to avoid suspicion. Their persistence pays off when Bishop attempts another robbery, leading to a high-tension chase.

Frank Smith [20:27]: “We gotta find it. From what Finley said about the gang starting up operation, doesn't sound like just one job.”

In a dramatic culmination, the detectives pursue Bishop in a taxi, resulting in a collision that obscures his escape. As they close in, Bishop attempts to flee by jumping from an elevator shaft, but is apprehended despite his desperate final attempts.

Bishop [25:17]: “I'll be up at the joints for life. No warning. Should you?”

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Conclusion and Justice Served

The episode concludes with Bishop and his accomplices—Albert Martin Kruger, Harold Nelson Bishop, Thomas Nagel Leahy, and Charles Everett Lee—being tried and convicted for first-degree robbery. Their sentences are severe, reflecting their criminal activities and prior records, with Leahy receiving a life sentence in Folsom Penitentiary.

Narrator [25:39]: “Albert Martin Kruger, Harold Nelson Bishop, Thomas Nagel Leahy and Charles Everett Lee were taken into custody and brought to trial for two counts of robbery in the first degree.”

Detective Friday epitomizes the relentless pursuit of justice, showcasing the meticulous nature of police work and the complexities involved in solving crimes where evidence and alibis clash.

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Notable Quotes

Throughout the episode, several quotes stand out, encapsulating the tension and determination of the detectives:

• Frank Smith [05:38]: “You’ve got to remember that when you order a half a dozen enchiladas.”

• Detective Friday [10:16]: “You have been out of this room all day, huh?”

• Frank Smith [20:38]: “We gotta get it.”

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Final Thoughts

"Dragnet: The Big Flight" masterfully blends suspense, procedural detail, and character development to deliver an engaging old-time radio experience. Listeners are drawn into the intricate investigation led by Joe Friday and Frank Smith, witnessing the challenges and triumphs of law enforcement in the mid-20th century. This episode not only entertains but also pays homage to the enduring legacy of radio detective storytelling.

Transcript

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[Detective]

Health insurance doesn't have to break the [e-mail] we're here to get you covered. Visit oregonhealthcare.gov to get started. Welcome to Choice Classic Radio where we bring to you the greatest old time radio shows like us on Facebook. Subscribe to us on YouTube and thank you for donating at choice classicradio.com Ladies and gentlemen, the story you are about to hear is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent. You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned a robbery detail. Three holdup men have robbed and beaten two supermarket operators in your city. You've got a good description of the thieves? Your job. Get him. It was Tuesday, November 3rd. It was cold in Los Angeles. We were working the day. Watch out. A robbery detail. My partner is Frank Smith, the boss. Chief of Detective Thad Brown. My name's Friday. We'd gotten a hot shot call about a robbery and it was 9:46am when we got to the corner of Lockwood and Barton avenues. The Lockton Market officer back there? Yeah, Friday and Smith, Central Robbery.

[Customer]

Oh, yeah, I'm Jackson, unit 387.

[Detective]

You answered the call?

[Customer]

Yeah, we got here a couple of minutes ago.

[Detective]

Where's the victim? Back room there.

[Customer]

He's pretty bad off. Ambulance attendant's with him now. My partner's checking the neighborhood. If there's nothing you need me for, I'll give him a hand.

[Detective]

Yeah, make a 211 report before you Lee, will you? Right. Thank you. Looks like there was quite a fight. Yeah. Stuff all over the place. Come on.

[Customer]

What do you got in that bottle? It sure stinks.

[Detective]

You gotta clean up these st.

Try to hold still, huh?

Ow.

[Customer]

Hey, take it easy, huh?

[Detective]

Yeah.

[Customer]

Something you want?

[Detective]

We're out of Central Robbery. Is this the victim?

[Customer]

Yeah, a couple of cuts, nothing serious. Tell him about Andy. He's the one who really got it.

[Detective]

Who's Andy? The other clerk. Pretty rough.

[Customer]

Looks like it might be a fractured jaw. He's in the truck now. Let me get this tape on you now, huh?

[Detective]

Oh, that should do it.

[Customer]

Might be a good idea if you saw your doctor.

[Detective]

Yeah.

[Customer]

What about Andy, we're gonna take him down to Georgia Street Receiving. You gonna call me and let me know about him? It might be better if you call them.

[Detective]

Yeah, okay.

[Customer]

I see you guys, huh?

[Detective]

Yeah. All right.

[Customer]

Yeah, thanks.

[Detective]

Yeah, sure.

[Customer]

Boy, that one guy really clouded me.

[Detective]

Hurt? Mm. One of you fuel up to telling us what happened here?

[Customer]

Three of them.

[Detective]

Three?

[Customer]

He came in and held up the place. Clouded me and Andy. Sure hope he's gonna be all right.

[Detective]

What's your name, sir? Cliff Hall. You own the store, do you? No.

[Customer]

Me and Andy run it, though. We'd like to buy it.

[Detective]

What time did these men come in?

[Customer]

Must have been around 9:30. Around there.

[Detective]

Did you give the officers or answered the call or description of the men?

[Customer]

Yeah, that was the first thing they asked me.

[Detective]

Go ahead, please.

[Customer]

I was getting the money ready for the bank deposit. Andy was back here stacking bottle cases. These three guys came in. First off, I thought they were customers. Yeah, a couple of them walked to the back of the place. I thought they were picking out stuff. The other one kind of stood around by the cash register where I was.

[Detective]

Go ahead.

[Customer]

Well, after he was there for a minute and I see the other two aren't picking up nothing I asked him if there was something I could get for him. That's when he pulled out a gun.

[Detective]

What about the other two?

[Customer]

Oh, it worked like they had some kind of signal. As soon as the one in front pulled his gun, the other two did too. Carl asked me to put all the money in a paper bag. Got the bag from up in front there, took it right out of the stack and handed it to me. He said for me to put the dough in it.

[Detective]

You recall his exact words? What? The way he said it. The words he used. You recall them?

[Customer]

Let me see. I think it was. Put all the dough in this bag. Don't say anything. Just do as I say. That was the way he said.

[Detective]

What'd you do then?

[Customer]

Like he said, he had that gun pointed right at me. I could see the other two guys. I wasn't gonna do anything but what he told me. I put the money in the bag. I thought they'd leave the place. But that's when Andy came out. I guess he wondered what the other two were after. You see, from where he was, he couldn't see the guns.

[Detective]

True.

[Customer]

He walked out to them, asked if there was anything special they were looking for.

[Detective]

Mm. What happened then?

[Customer]

Then he saw what was happening. He saw the guns and he tried to throw the guys out.

[Detective]

I don't know why.

[Customer]

He did it. Andy's like that. He gets an ide in his head and there isn't anything. It'll shake it loose. He tied into those two guys. Almost had him whipped, too, even with the guns. The guy that was with me saw what was going on, yelled back at him, told him not to shoot. He ran back and laid his gun alongside Andy's head. Clotted him right along in here. Andy dropped like a sack of potatoes and the three guys ran out of the store.

[Detective]

How much money did they get?

[Customer]

You know, I hadn't finished up with a bank statement yet. I'd just be guessing, but I'd say about $8,000. Might run to 8. 5, but that's about it.

[Detective]

I see. If you could just give us a description of the man.

[Customer]

All three of them.

[Detective]

If you could yell.

[Customer]

The one who was with me must have been about 5:11. Kind of dark, complected. Had straight black hair.

[Detective]

What color were his eyes? Brown. You have any marks or scars you could see?

[Customer]

No.

[Detective]

Clean shaven?

[Customer]

Yeah, I had a real dark beard. Looked kind of like he had some kind of talcum powder on.

[Detective]

Do you remember how he was dressed?

[Customer]

Let's see. Dark blue suit, gray top coat, gray hat.

[Detective]

Was he wearing a tie, do you know?

[Customer]

Yeah, a gray tie with maroon stripes. You know, kind of diagonal. A thin tie.

[Detective]

Anything unusual about him, make it easier for us to identify him?

[Customer]

No, I don't think so.

[Detective]

How about the gun he was carrying? What kind was it?

[Customer]

I couldn't see the name.

[Detective]

No, sir. I mean, was it an automatic or revolver?

[Customer]

Oh, an automatic. Looked like a big caliber. I'd say.45. One of the other fellows had a revolver, but the guy with me and the small one had automatics.

[Detective]

You know if they drove a car?

[Customer]

If they did, I didn't see it. Might have had it parked right out in front, for all I know. I told you I was busy when they came in. When they left, I was too worried about Andy to pay any attention to him. The way they hit him. A terrible thing. Right along here. Oh, excuse me a minute. I got some aspirin here in the drawer.

[Detective]

Yes, sir.

[Customer]

Sure hope Andy's gonna be all right. We've been together a long time. Can't get over that little guy. The one who hit me. I should have taken him. But the big one, he's a tough looking.

[Detective]

A real fighter. Well, this is gonna help much, huh? He's gonna lose this one. We got the descriptions of the other two men and a supplementary local broadcast was gotten out the Two officers who'd answered the call found a woman in the neighborhood who'd seen three men leave the vicinity immediately after the robbery. She said that she was parked in a car half a block from the store on the same side of the street. She explained that about 9:20am a car had pulled into a parking place in front of her. She'd seen three men leave the car and walk down the sidewalk in the direction of the lockdown market. About 10 minutes later, the men came back to the car. They appeared to be in a hurry. One of the men was upset and arguing with the other two. She told the officers that they'd gotten into the car and driven off toward Hollywood Boulevard. We asked her to describe the three men. The description she gave us matched the one we'd gotten of the thieves. She gave us a description of the car and another supplementary broadcast was put out. We asked her to come down the City hall to go through the mug books to see if she could give us a positive identification. The report from Georgia Street Receiving Hospital indicated that the victim of the slugging, Andrew Richard, was suffering from a fractured jaw and a concussion. He was given emergency treatment and removed to the county hospital. The crime lab crew came out and they went over the store for physical evidence. They were able to lift three partial fingerprints from the counter next to the cash register. Dean Bergman and Latent Prince explained that the partials were not enough for identification but that if we apprehended the holdup man, he'd be able to tell us if they'd left the impressions. 10:27am we took the victim, Clifford hall, and the woman who'd seen the car to the mud room. They went through the mud books, but they were unable to come up with an identification. We had the stats office make a run on the mo. They came back with a list of 17 names of men who at one time or another had used the same method of operation. The list was split and Sergeants Mead and Lightner worked with us in checking the names out. Thursday, 3:48pm Frank and I got to the sixth name on our list. Jerry Evanston. That right? Yeah, sure. Dark in this hall. He ought to wash the windows, let some light in. Yeah, here we are. Why not be in? We'll try it again. Now. Let's talk to the manager. Yeah.

Yeah, who is it?

Manager. We want to see a minute, Mr. Man.

What do you want, out of sleep?

Come on, Emerson, open up.

Get out of here, please.

Officer, come on. Watch Joe. All right, Come on.

[Customer]

What are you doing?

[Detective]

I'm Clean. Look, you got no right to come busting in here like this.

Yeah, you're so clean. What are you putting that trouble for?

I get scared, that's all. I just got scared. Well, how'd you feel if somebody walked you up and shoves their way into your room? You ain't gonna stand around and just let them do it.

Hey, Clean.

John, I told you that I got no trouble. I don't want none. You check with Galloway. He'll tell you I'm home every night at 9:00 every night.

Where were you this morning? Huh? This morning, where were you?

What time?

You just tell us what you did. Starting when you got up.

I was up all night. I got a virus or something. I couldn't sleep. Take a look there in the dresser. You can see the stuff I've been taking. I haven't been out of this room. Not for a couple of days.

Can you prove that? Why, can you?

No, there wasn't anybody here.

You got any phone calls? No.

I don't know what this is all about, but you guys are leaning on me for nothing. Now, you talk to Galloway. He'll tell you I've been working. Look here, I'll show you.

Where you going?

I just want to show you something I got in the drawer.

Well, you stay right there. I'll get it for you.

Okay? I got nothing to hide. Take a look in the top drawer there. Left hand side.

Yeah. These what you mean?

Yeah, that's it. Now take the rubber band off and look. You'll see I'm telling you the truth. Now, you see, it's all the check receipts I've gotten from where I worked. You look at them. I'm working every day and I'm home at night. Oh, nine o'clock every night.

How about it, Joe? Yeah.

You see?

You have been out of this room all day, huh?

[Customer]

Not a minute.

[Detective]

Come on. What's all this about anyway? What are you guys after?

We figured maybe you could tell us. Yeah.

I'm sorry. Without you telling me what you want, there's nothing I can give you.

You see any of the boys anymore?

You mean the fellows I knew before I fell?

That's right.

Not if I can help it. I'm trying to stay away from them.

See any of them lately?

Yeah. Saw Alex a couple days ago.

Alex?

Yeah, Alex Finley. I knew him when I was up in Kiwi. Came in where I was working.

Did you talk to him at all? Right.

Just said hello past couple of minutes. Talking about some of the guys we knew.

Seeing the rackets now, I don't know. Is he on parole?

Yeah, I think so.

Did he give you anything?

Oh, a couple of rumbles. But if I turn them over to you, I don't want a credit for them. You don't know where you got them.

All right.

Alex tells me there's a gang that's going to start working here in town. Market jobs.

How many men?

From what Alex says, there's four.

All heavy guys. Finley with him?

No, I don't think so. He told it to me that he just heard it.

Did he say anything about who the four men are?

No, I don't think he knew. He just said they were heavy and they were starting to work.

You know where we can get in touch with Alex? No.

Well, you might check with Galloway at the parole office. He might have.

Yeah, we will.

I'll probably see him again. I'll try to get the information if I can. Well, what is it? What does he want to know? Who the guys are?

That's right.

Okay. Now, like I told you, though, I don't want any credit for it. I'm in real trouble if it gets around that I'm playing footsie with you.

Yeah, sure.

I'll try to find out when they're gonna start working, too.

Well, don't you worry about that, huh? We already know that. 4:10pm we got in touch with Fred Galloway at the State Adult Parole Officers and we checked on Jerry Evanston. From what the record showed, the story Evanston had told us was true. His parole officer had reported him working and apparently living up to the conditions of his release. We left him one of our cards and asked him to call us in the event he heard from Alex Finley. 4:21pm we checked back into the office and we met with Sergeants Mead and Lightner. They told us that they checked out the names on their half of the list without result. We sent a teletype up to George Brerett in CII Sacramento, giving him the description of the hold up men and listing the MO that they'd used. We asked him to run the information through their files and forward any information they came up with. 5:19pm we went out to get something to eat and then we checked back into the office. Good dinner, huh, Joe? Yeah. I never saw a guy could eat so many enchiladas as you. Nah, I can't help it. Get started on them. Can't seem to stop. Yeah. You got any soda in your locker? No. You got trouble again? You know I always do when we have Enchiladas. You ought to remember that when you order a half a dozen. I suppose so. I get it. Robbery, Friday. Yep. When was that? We're pretty sure. Are they. Has the lab been called yet? Yep. Okay. Right. Thanks. Well, that's a break. Yeah. They just found the getaway car. 6:47pm we left the office and drove out to where the car had been found. Was parked on Lockwood Avenue, five blocks from the market that had been robbed. The radio car. Officers who spotted it had called the office immediately when they saw a brown paper bag in the back seat bearing the printed name Lockton Market. A crew from Leighton Prince came out and went over the car. They were able to come up with a single print from a man's index finger. Bergman compared it with the partials found at the market. They masked. We checked the white slip in the car and found that the vehicle was stolen. The report on it had been filed at 10:37am that morning. We talked with the people in the immediate vicinity, but none of them were able to tell us anything about the people who parked the car. However, we did come up with an elderly man who told us that he'd seen three men get into another car at about 9:45 that morning. He said that he remembered it because the driver of the car had pulled into a parking space and stopped the motor. Another automobile had parked directly in front of the car and the driver of the first machine had moved so that there was no one in front of him. The man went on to say that a few minutes after the driver pulled into the second parking place, three men had come around the corner, gotten into the car and the four of them had driven off. The witness was unable to give us a description of the car other than to say that it was a late model Plymouth or Ford. The only description he could give us of the men was that one of them was large and was wearing a gray top coat and a hat and that one of them was small. 8:40pm Frank and I went back to the office and checked out for the night. The following morning at 8:02am I checked back in for work. Hi, Joe. Good morning. Kind of cold out. Yeah. You look happy this morning. I didn't sleep a wink last night, Joe. Not a wink. What's the matter? Stomach? Next time I even think about eating enchiladas, stop me, will you, Joe? Yeah, sure. Any mail come in? I don't know. I just got in. There's an ad here from that store over on West 6. They're having their Annual sale. Yeah, I want to try to get over there. Like to get me a new suit for Christmas. Here's a special delivery from Breton. Huh? Probably those mugs we asked for. I'll see.

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[Detective]

Health insurance doesn't have to break the [e-mail] we're here to get you covered. Visit oregonhealthcare.gov to get started. Yeah, there's six of them. You want to get in touch with Cliff hall and drive over and have him take a look at them? Yeah. You got any other pictures? Yeah, we can mix them up. I'll call Hall. Okay. I sure hope we get an identity. We haven't got much to go on. There's got to be a break someplace. We gotta find it. From what Finley said about the gang starting up operation, doesn't sound like just one job. No. They start on a string, they can do a lot of damage. It doesn't give us much choice, does it? No. We gotta get to them. 8:27am Frank and I left the office and drove over to talk to the victim, Cliff Hall. We showed him the mug shots George Bradon had sent us. He picked one out and said that he was positive that the man in the picture was the one who'd held him up. The name on the mug shot was Harold Bishop. According to the record Brighton had sent us, Bishop had been convicted twice on violation of 211pc armed robbery. 9:20am we drove over to the county hospital and showed the pictures to the other victim, Andrew Rich. He picked the mug shot of Bishop as a suspect who'd robbed and beaten him. The notation on Bishop's picture gave us the information that he was on parole at the time. We returned to the office and put in a call to Fred Galloway at the state Adult Parole office. Yeah, Fred, this is Joe Friday. Mm. Yeah, fine. We'd like some information on a Herald Bishop, San Francisco number 826-0926. That's right. Male, white, Caucasian. We got a mug from Brad. No, he says he's on parole. Yeah, if he will. Thanks a lot. He's checking the master file now. Mead and Lightner are standing by if we need him. When we get this address, we're gonna have to move fast. Yeah. Yeah, Fred, when was that? Well, how's his report there? I see. No, I don't know. Yeah, I suppose. Right, Fred. Thank you. Well, you can tell Meade and Lightner to relax. Bishop's got an out of state parole. He's living over in Phoenix. Well, he still could be getting into California. No, not likely, huh? Fred checked with his parole officer. Yeah, he's got a job, and he's been reporting to his parole officer every month. We asked Fred Galloway at the state parole office to contact Bishop's parole officer in Phoenix and check him closely. The report came back that the suspect had a job with a small contractor and that he'd been working regularly. He'd also been giving monthly reports to his officer. We'd had a suspect identified by two of his victims. And yet, if the information we'd gotten was correct, it would have been a physical impossibility for him to have committed the robbery. We got a copy of his jacket and looked over his past record. We found that Bishop had been arrested for armed robbery the first time, 18 years previously. He'd been brought to trial and acquitted. The next arrest was 10 months after his trial. He'd been convicted and served six years at San Quentin. He'd been released, and within six months, Bishop had been picked up again. This time he was sent to Folsom Penitentiary. While he was there, he appeared to be a model prisoner. And after serving four and a half years, he'd been placed on parole. After leaving the prison he'd requested and been granted an out of state leave. In checking Bishop's MO we found that it matched exactly that of the thieves who'd held up the lockdown market. The time of approach was the same. The number of men used was the same. The method of leaving the scene was exact. We had a suspect, and yet he couldn't have committed the crime. Three weeks passed. On Saturday, November 26, the thieves hit again. In checking with the victims, they identified the mugshot of Bishop. We put in a long distance call to the Phoenix Police Department and asked them to check on the suspect. We got word back that he was in their city. They told us that he wasn't at work due to a virus infection. They went on to say that they checked with his landlady and that she told him that Bishop hadn't left his apartment at all on the day of the theft. Monday November 28th. We got our first break in the case. I'll get it. Robbery. Smith. Yeah. Oh, yeah, Jerry. Uh huh. You sure about that? Where? Uh huh. How about the rest of them? Yeah, just a minute. Toss me that pad with you. Here you go. Okay, Jerry, Go ahead. Yeah. Mm. How do you spell it? L, A, L, E, A, H, Y? Uh huh. I got it. Mm. You know the address? Yeah. Okay. Thanks, Jerry. We'll get in touch with you. Right. Terry Evanston. Remember the guy we talked to over on South 7th? Yeah. Well, the way he tells it, we aren't too far off. What do you mean? He saw Bishop in town last Saturday. We put in a call and we found that there were two major airlines with flights to Phoenix. The flight time they listed was 1 hour and 35 minutes by air. If Bishop caught the last flight leaving Phoenix, he could arrive in los angeles at 11:20pm the night before he planned to commit a robbery the next day. After the holdup, he could catch a plane from the Los Angeles International Airport that would have him back in Phoenix at 8:25pm by doing this, he would be absent from his work only one day and he could schedule his flight so as not to hit on the days when he had an interview with his parole officer. Tuesday, November 29th. A meeting was held in Chief Thad Brown's office. It was decided to put a special stake out on the airport and wait for the suspect to come into town. At that time, he'd be followed and taken into custody as he prepared to commit another robbery. The names of the three other men Jerry Evanson had given Frank as having been involved in the holdups had been checked through R and I. All three of them had arrest records. Surveillances were placed on their homes and they were kept under constant watch. Monday, December 12, 11:15pm Frank and I relieved the stakeout at the airport. There's a bench over there. We can keep all the gates in view. Yeah. Wonder when he's gonna hit again? I don't know. The last couple of weeks have sure dragged by him, but. Yeah. Anything on the other three guys? Well, I talked to Pinky Mead this morning. He and Lightner staked out at Leahy's apartment. How they doing? Nothing. They're parked in the car down the street. From what they say, Leahy's like a clock. He comes in at 5am leaves at 9pm every day. You got a cigarette? Yeah. There you go. Joe? Yeah. Bishop. Let's let him get outside. Yeah. Wonder if he's got any luggage. No. They're bringing up outside. We can wait for him there. All right. Come on. You see him? Yeah. There he is. Getting into that cab. Come on. Frank and I got in our car and followed the cab taken by the suspect. We followed him out of the airport grounds and then up La Brea Avenue. The cab turned right on Washington Boulevard and headed for downtown Los Angeles. We pulled up to a stoplight. Still got him? Yeah. He's still up ahead in front of that blue Mercury. See him? Yeah. You got the number of the cabin? Mm. 2974. There's the light. All right, let's go. Better try to pick it up a little, Frank. Cap's pulling away from us. Yeah. Think he's seen us? No. Can't you close in a little? Traffic's too heavy. Can't use a siren. We'll tip him. Yeah. Still see him? Yeah. There's a break guy. Head to making a right turn now. We're right behind the cab. Yeah. I'll close in now. Good. Watch it, Frank. That guy. Pull him out of the alley. Hold on. As we drove down the street after the stoplight had changed, a car had failed to make a boulevard stop coming out of an alley and we'd hit it broadside. The damage done to both cars was considerable and we'd lost our suspect. Frank got to a phone and called the office. He gave them the number of the cab that Bishop was in and asked for a traffic investigation car. The office started a search for the missing suspect. Lt. Jack Smyers told us to proceed to the apartment of Tom Leahy to wait for further development. In the meantime, a citywide broadcast went out carrying the description of Bishop and the other three men involved in the theft. Frank and I arrived at the apartment and we relieved Mead and Lighteners. We had the manager of the place let us into Leahy's room. We waited. 1:30am 2:30. 4:00. 5:30am Frank and I had been on duty for over 21 hours. At 5:45, the phone in the apartment rang once and then it quit. That was the arranged signal between us and the office. Frank put in a call. Lt. Smyers told us that Officers Max Herman and Ed Benson were on the way out to relieve us. Fifteen minutes later, we heard somebody in the hall. Yeah? Yeah. Probably Benson and Herman. Yeah, I get it. Watch it. Give it up, Bishop. You all right, Joe? Yeah. Come on. He's going upstairs. Making for the rope. Come on. See him? No. You want to take that side? Right. Watch it. The eye of the Elevator shaft. Joe. Yeah, I see him. Get away from the cop. You're in trouble, Bishop. Don't build any more for yourself. I got nothing to lose being held again. I'll be up at the joints for life. Going cross. No warning. Should you? There's no way off this roof. Bishop, throw that gun out here and you follow it. You're out of your mind, cop. Give it up, Bishop. Come on. Throw that gun out. I'm going out, cop. Just trying to stop me. I'll blow your head off. You all right, Joe? Yeah. How is he now? I better call an ambulance. Yeah. What's that? Fell out of his pocket. Wait a minute. Something he'll never use. Airplane ticket to Phoenix.

[Narrator]

Albert Martin Kruger, Harold Nelson Bishop, Thomas Nagel Leahy and Charles Everett Lee Were taken into custody and brought to trial for two counts of robbery in the first degree. They were convicted and received sentence as prescribed by law. Robbery in the first degree is punishable by imprisonment in the state penitentiary. For a period of not less than five years. Because of his previous record, Thomas Nagel Leahy was given the maximum sentence and is now serving life imprisonment in the state penitentiary, Folsom, California.

[Detective]

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