Dragnet: The Big Listen 01/05/1954

Summary

Choice Classic Radio Detectives | Old Time Radio

Episode: Dragnet: The Big Listen (January 5, 1954)

Release Date: January 28, 2025

---

Introduction

In this captivating episode of Dragnet, featured on Choice Classic Radio’s Dragnet: The Big Listen, listeners are immersed in a meticulous police investigation centered around counterfeit currency. The narrative showcases the procedural rigor and attention to detail that defined the Golden Age of Radio Detectives.

Case Assignment and Initial Investigation

The story begins with Detective Friday being assigned to a new case. An informant has tipped off the police about three known gangsters who have recently moved into Los Angeles, albeit with no clear motives or connections.

Detective Friday narrates:

“It was Wednesday, August 4th. It was warm in Los Angeles. We were working the day. Watch out. A robbery detail.” [02:11]

Upon arriving at the Osborne Turkish Bath steam room at 9:42 AM, Detective Friday and his partner, Frank Smith, begin their surveillance. They interact with the management and gather preliminary information about a suspicious visitor, Vernon Carmichael, who exhibited unusual behavior and possession of a shoulder holster.

Detective Friday remarks:

“When he starts to talk about his high powered friends and this deal they're out to pull, I kind of figure there's something wrong.” [04:14]

Gathering Evidence

Detectives Friday and Smith take meticulous notes, capturing details such as Carmichael’s mention of a person named Bud, indicating a higher authority in the counterfeit operation. They also secure Fidel fingerprints from a water glass used by Carmichael, which later prove pivotal.

Detective Friday explains:

“Both men were well known to the police department in Pittsburgh as hoodlums.” [05:17]

By August 6th, the Department of Motor Vehicles in Pennsylvania identifies the car’s registration to Howard Nielsen, revealing a criminal history. However, initial searches for Vernon's address yield no results, pushing the detectives to broaden their canvas of potential suspects.

Surveillance and Wiretapping

With limited leads, Detectives Friday and Smith increase their surveillance efforts. Over the following week, Carmichael, Nielsen, and their associate Ernest Hunter maintain a consistent routine, meeting at their hotel without engaging in any significant local contacts or phone communications.

At 7:49 AM, the team finalizes their surveillance strategy:

“We got it for you. Carmichael and Nielsen. We found the hotel.” [07:49]

Deciding to employ wiretapping, they install listening devices in the suspects' room. The operation is executed with precision, ensuring all legal protocols are followed, including obtaining necessary permits from the Federal Communications Commission.

Detective Friday notes:

“We make arrangements with radio car officers to pick up the suspects for investigation.” [10:25]

Interception and Arrest

The wiretapped conversations reveal vague plans without actionable details until August 17-18, when the suspects discuss an imminent deal involving narcotics. Despite heightened surveillance, the operation doesn’t immediately yield concrete evidence.

However, on Tuesday night, 9:40 PM, communications intercepts inform Detectives Friday and Smith that the suspects are in custody, leading to their strategic installation of listening equipment.

Rough Transcription of Interception:

Suspect: “We all right, we get it. Robbery, Friday.” [09:20]

Confrontation and Aftermath

Following further surveillance, the detectives track the suspects to a small bar where Carmichael is seen carrying a package. During the confrontation, the detectives seize $20,000 in counterfeit bills, triggering the involvement of the Secret Service for currency verification.

Detective Friday asserts:

“At that time, they were in the room, they argued continually. They talked about the deal they were working on.” [14:10]

Despite Carmichael's refusal to divulge information about the counterfeit operation, fingerprints and further investigation link him and his associates to previous criminal activities. The Secret Service's analysis confirms the high-quality nature of the counterfeit bills, despite minor imperfections.

Final Investigation and Conviction

Weeks of intensive investigation culminate in identifying Stanley Jackson, the mastermind behind the counterfeit operation. Surveillance of Jackson’s print shop in eastern Los Angeles leads to his arrest on October 14. Upon confrontation, Jackson vehemently denies wrongdoing but is ultimately convicted alongside his associates.

Detective Friday declares:

“You have just heard Dragnet. The authentic story of your police force in action.” [26:17]

Notable Quotes

• Detective Friday:

  “I might not go anyplace, but I thought I ought to fill you guys in on it.” [03:24]

• Carmichael:

  “Nice to have you shut for a while. You open your mouth anymore, you got more trouble you can handle.” [12:57]

• Stanley Jackson:

  “They're real money. It's perfect. Absolutely perfect, mister.” [25:19]

Conclusion

Dragnet: The Big Listen masterfully illustrates the intricacies of police work, emphasizing patience, evidence-based investigation, and inter-agency cooperation. The episode not only entertains but also educates listeners on the procedural elements of law enforcement, embodying the essence of old-time radio detective storytelling.

---

Final Thoughts

For enthusiasts of classic detective dramas, this episode stands as a testament to the enduring appeal of methodical and realistic portrayals of crime-solving. Dragnet continues to resonate, highlighting the timeless virtues of integrity and diligence within the force.

---

This detailed summary captures the essence of the Dragnet: The Big Listen episode, ensuring both long-time fans and new listeners gain comprehensive insights into the storyline and its procedural brilliance.

Transcript

[Podbean Announcer]

Your message amplified.

[Narrator]

Ready to share your message with the world? Start your podcast journey with Podbean.

[Podbean Announcer]

Podbean Podbean Podbean. Podbean, the AI powered all in one podcast platform.

[Detective]

Thousands of businesses and enterprises trust Podbean to launch their podcasts.

[Podbean Announcer]

Launch your podcast on Podbean today.

[Detective]

My school uses Podbean.

[Narrator]

My church too.

[Podbean Announcer]

I love it. I really do. 89% of business leaders say AI is a top priority. But with AI tools popping up everywhere, how do you separate the helpful from the hype? The right choice is crucial, which is why teams at one third of Fortune 500 companies use Grammarly. With over 15 years of experience building responsible, secure AI, Grammarly isn't just another AI communication assistant. It's how companies like yours increase productivity while keeping data protected and private. Designed to fit the needs of business, Grammarly is backed by a user first privacy policy and industry leading security credentials. This means you won't have to worry about the safety of your company information. Grammarly also emphasizes responsible AI so your company can avoid harmful bias. See why 70,000 teams and 30 million people trust [e-mail] Enterprise that's Grammarly.com Enterprise Grammarly Enterprise Ready AI.

[Narrator]

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 [e-mail] Ladies and gentlemen, the story.

[Detective]

You are about to hear is true.

[Narrator]

The names have been changed to protect the innocent. Dragnet, you're a detective sergeant. You're assigned a robbery detail. You get a call from an informant telling you the three known gangsters have moved into your city.

[Detective]

You don't know who they are or.

[Narrator]

Why they're in Los Angeles. Your job. Check them out. It was Wednesday, August 4th. It was warm in Los Angeles. We were working the day. Watch out. A robbery detail. My partner's Frank Smith. The boss is chief of Detective Stad Brown. My name's Friday. We're on our way out from the office and it was 9:42am when we got to the Osborne Turkish Bath steam room. Hot, isn't it? Yeah. Must be Dell back there. Yeah. Dell. Yeah. Who is it? It's Friday and Smith.

[Detective]

I'll be right with you.

[Narrator]

Okay. Hey, Joe. Did you ever have one of these or what? Turkey spas. Ever had one? No. No, I never have. I understand they're great for coals. You just sit there and it burns the germs right out. It's great. You ever have one? No. But Arman, my brother in law, he takes them all the time. Tells me about how it does for coals. Next time he has one, I think I'll go with him. Yeah, good idea.

[Detective]

Hi. Sorry to keep you waiting. We've been having trouble with the boiler. Gotta keep a close check on the steam pressure in here.

[Narrator]

That's okay.

[Detective]

Let's get out of here, huh?

[Narrator]

It won't make me unhappy. It sure is hot, Del.

[Detective]

Come on upstairs. We can talk there.

[Narrator]

Okay. What do you got for us, Del?

[Detective]

I might not go anyplace, but I thought I ought to fill you guys in on it. Fella rolled in here last night. Must have been about 10:30. Night? Man's out with a cold, so I had to fill in.

[Narrator]

A cold?

[Detective]

Yeah, Some kind of virus or something.

[Narrator]

Oh, yeah.

[Detective]

Come on, we can talk in the office. Sit down. You mind if I go over some of these bills while we talk?

[Narrator]

No, go ahead.

[Detective]

Well, Ms. Bimbo pulls in here last night. Really carrying a load. I registered him and had Jimmy take him upstairs. Guys kind of loud, you know, rolling all over the place. I wanted to get him upstairs to a room, figuring he'd sack out and we wouldn't hear no more from him. Yeah, well, he had a different idea. A couple minutes later, he comes downstairs, wants to know what's going on.

[Narrator]

What do you mean?

[Detective]

Wants to know where the steam room is. Says he's not going to sit in the little room all night. He paid for his steam bath. That's what he wants.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Detective]

When he starts to talk about his high powered friends and this deal they're out to pull, I kind of figure there's something wrong.

[Narrator]

Did he tell you who the friends were?

[Detective]

No, not right now. I just mentioned a guy named Bud. Kept talking how Bud was gonna be sore at him because he got drunk. Must have said it a hundred times how Bud was gonna be real sore. Sounded to me like this Bud is the big man in the deal.

[Narrator]

I see. No idea what the deal is though, huh?

[Detective]

No. Most he said was that when they left town they were all gonna have a lot of money. More money than I'd ever seen.

[Narrator]

You got the name on this guy?

[Detective]

Oh, here's the register here. Let's see. Hey, you can see right here. Run in Carmichael, Los Angeles.

[Narrator]

Didn't give an address, huh?

[Detective]

Once he mentioned he had to meet Bud at a hotel down on South Flower. Didn't say which one, though.

[Narrator]

Flower's a Long Street Bell. That doesn't help much. Didn't give any ideas at all of what the deal was gonna be, huh?

[Detective]

No. Must be a good one, though.

[Narrator]

Why'd he say that?

[Detective]

Well, when I took him up to his room last night, I could see his clothes hanging on a chair.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Detective]

On top of his coat, he had a shoulder holster. Looked like a.45 automatic in it. Way I look at it, guy that's carrying that kind of muscle is figuring on scoring heavy.

[Narrator]

You make any phone calls while he was here?

[Detective]

No.

[Narrator]

Anybody had the room since he left?

[Detective]

No. I told the cleanup man to leave it alone. Figured you'd want to go over it.

[Narrator]

It's a good idea. What time do you leave this morning?

[Detective]

Jimmy says it was about 7:30. I figured sure he'd sleep most of the morning. If I'd have known he was gonna leave that early, I'd have called you last night.

[Narrator]

Well, we better take a look at that room. Del might be able to come up with something that'll tell us who he is.

[Detective]

I got something else for you.

[Narrator]

Yeah, what's that?

[Detective]

I mentioned this Carmichael to Jimmy last night. Told him that I thought there was something wrong. Yeah, the reason the guy left so early is that he got a call from somebody. Guess it's the guy that picked him up.

[Narrator]

Did this Jimmy see who it was?

[Detective]

No. Did the next best thing, though.

[Narrator]

Yeah, what's that?

[Detective]

Got the license number of the car.

[Narrator]

10:15Am we got in touch with Leighton Prince and Harlan Stahl. Sent a crew out to go over the room. Frank put in a call to the Record Bureau and he had the name Vernon Carmichael checked. There was no record on anyone answering the description that we'd gotten from the manager of the Turkish Bath. In addition, a radiogram was sent to the Department of Motor Vehicles in Pennsylvania asking for all available information on the owner of the car bearing the license number that we've been given. 11:30am Harlem Stahl's crew finished checking the room and they told us that they'd been able to lift a complete set of clean fingerprints from a water glass. They were photographed and classified in. Checking our files was no record of the prints. They were forwarded to George Breton up at Sacramento, to CII and to the FBI in Washington, D.C. two days passed. On Friday, August 6th, we got the word from DMV in Pennsylvania that the car was registered to a Howard Nielsen. The radiogram also gave us a description of the car and the registered owner's address in Pittsburgh. On receipt of this information, we got in touch with a police department in Pittsburgh and found that Howard Bud Nielsen had a misdemeanor record. Late Friday afternoon, the kickback from Washington, D.C. arrived with the information. The fingerprints found in the room at the Turkish bath were those of Vernon Carmichael. His record listed arrests for petty theft and robbery in Pennsylvania. He'd been brought to trial, but he'd been acquitted. Both men were well known to the police department in Pittsburgh as hoodlums. On Saturday morning, the mug shots of both Nielsen and Carmichael arrived 10:15am we met with Lieutenant Jack Smyers and we decided that the information, coupled with the records of the two men, made the incident worth investigation. The mug shots of the pair were copied and a canvas of the hotels on South Flower street was started in an attempt to find the residents of the suspects. The search went on for another two days without results. Monday, August 9, 11:47am Frank and I got back to the office from communications. You know, we're gonna feel pretty silly if Carmichael and Nielsen are already back there. Yeah, I know. It's beginning to look like the tip from Dell about the hotel on Flower was off, huh? Still a lot of places to check, though. Liquor Friday. Yeah.

[Detective]

We got it for you.

[Suspect]

What?

[Detective]

Carmichael and Nielsen. We found the hotel.

[Narrator]

At 10:30 that morning. Officers Murphy and Rafferty had gotten the first affirmative answer to their questions about the suspects. A room clerk in a small hotel at the corner of South Flower street and Bunker Hill Avenue had recognized the mug shots of Carmichael and Nielsen. Further questioning brought out the name of the third man in the trio. He was identified as Ernest Hunter. A check of the name through our records netted us no new information on him, and the name in the description was forwarded again to Brereton, up at CII in Sacramento, and again to Pittsburgh for possible identification. In talks with Lt. Smyers and Chief of Detective Stad Brown, it was decided to keep the man under 24 hour surveillance. Three additional teams of men from robbery detail were assigned to the duty. For the next seven days, the three men were under constant watch. Their habits were regular. Their movements during the day followed the same general pattern. The kickback on Ernest Hunter disclosed no criminal record. At the end of the first week of watching the men, it was decided that the next step in the operation was to place a microphone in their room so that we might be able to monitor their conversations. Frank and I got in touch with the sound crew at the crime lab and we made arrangements with them. The necessary permits were obtained from the Federal Communications Commission and the listening equipment itself was ready. We made arrangements with radio car officers to pick up the suspects for investigation. The sound Crew Frank and I, along with Murphy and Rafferty stood by for word that the trio was in Custody Tuesday night, 9:40pm should be getting word pretty quick. Yeah.

[Detective]

Red two to red one. Red two to red one. Come in, red one.

[Narrator]

That's Murph. Yeah. Red one to red two. Come in, red two.

[Detective]

Any word yet, Gover?

[Narrator]

No, not yet.

[Detective]

We're all set in the manager's apartment. Monitor to Outpost 1. Monitor to Outpost 1. Coming, Outpost 1.

[Narrator]

Sounds like they got it. Yeah. You want to take it? Yeah. Stand by, Red Three. Outpost One to monitor. Outpost One to Monitor. Go ahead.

[Detective]

Monitor to Outpost One. Information received that suspects are in custody. Repeat, suspects are in custody.

[Narrator]

Acknowledged. Outpost One to Monitor. Outpost One to Monitor. Message received. Outpost One up. You heard it. Yeah. Red One to Red Two and Red Three. Red One to Red Two and Red Three. Do you read me, Red Two and Three?

[Detective]

Red Two to Red One. Read you, Red Three to Red One. Receiving clearly.

[Narrator]

Red One to Red Three. Suspects are now in custody. Proceed with installation of listening equipment. Over.

[Detective]

Roger, Red 1.

[Narrator]

Red 3, please keep contact.

[Detective]

Will do, Red 1. Red 3 out.

[Narrator]

Red 1 to Red 2. Come in, Red 2.

[Detective]

Red 2 to Red 1.

[Narrator]

Murph, can you see the suspect's apartment from where you are?

[Detective]

Not good, Joe. It's down the hall and around the corner, first door. Over.

[Narrator]

Red 1 to Red 3. Come in, Red 3.

[Detective]

Red 3 to Red 1.

[Narrator]

Are you in the apartment yet?

[Detective]

Yeah, Joe, we're just starting to install the bug.

[Narrator]

Is there a radio in the room?

[Detective]

Yeah, small table model. It's on the nightstand next to the bed.

[Narrator]

Can you fix that before you leave?

[Detective]

Yeah. I'll pull one of the wires so it won't work.

[Narrator]

Good. Where you putting the bug?

[Detective]

We're landing on the edge of the carpet near the door to the kitchen. Should be able to pick up the whole room from there.

[Narrator]

Well, there's nothing to do now until we get it finished, huh? Yeah. We got the recorder all set up? Yeah, it's in the room. Sound crew came in this afternoon, made the installation on it. You know how to work it? Yeah, I think so. Jack checked me out on it. It's pretty simple, just like playing a piano. Press a key and away it goes. Well, I hope you got it. I've always had trouble with him. Last time out, I wanted to rewind one of the spools and listen to something. Ended up erasing everything we had. Yes, I remember that very well. I was afraid you wouldn't. 11:15pm the installation of the listening equipment was Completed, and Frank and I, along with Officer Pat Murphy, took up our positions in the room we intended to use as a monitoring post. Officer Rafferty went back to the city hall and told them that we'd finished and we were ready to have the suspects released. In the meantime, Carmichael, Nielsen and Hunter had been fingerprinted and mugged. A search of their persons had failed to reveal any incriminating evidence, and the time that they'd been held had allowed us to make the necessary installation. After the trio had been released, we received information that they were proceeding toward the hotel. Frank, Murphy and I waited for them at the monitor post to come into their room. 12:35am that's them. Get the recorder. Huh?

[Suspect]

Right.

[Narrator]

You want to take care of the log, Frank? Yeah. See, it's 12:36am that's it.

[Suspect]

Lousy deal, boy. Just wanted to ask you some questions, that's all. That's what you think they had a reason? You're so smart, you tell me why. Ah, shut up, will you, Carmichael? You weren't such a big man when he started asking you the questions. You all the time saying how he was going to tell them all. Why don't you shut your mouth? Probably when you got tanked up in that Turkish rat. That's probably what tipped him. What tip? A couple of uniformed cops stop us on a routine investigation. They got nothing. Anything.

[Detective]

Honest.

[Suspect]

You think he'll let us go? Well, do you? You think he'll let us go? Oh, why don't you dry up, Hunter? Turn on the radio. We're here. Get some music. Yeah.

[Podbean Announcer]

Podbean, your message amplified.

[Narrator]

Ready to share your message with the world. Start your podcast journey with Podbean.

[Podbean Announcer]

Podbean, the AI powered all in one podcast platform.

[Detective]

Thousands of businesses and enterprises trust Podbean to launch their podcasts.

[Podbean Announcer]

Use Podbean to record your podcasts.

[Narrator]

Use Podbean AI to optimize your podcast.

[Podbean Announcer]

Use Podbean AI to turn your blog into a podcast.

[Narrator]

Use Podbean to distribute your podcast everywhere.

[Podbean Announcer]

Launch your podcast on Podbean today.

[Suspect]

And next time you get tanked, come back here.

[Narrator]

Huh?

[Suspect]

Don't go roaming all over town. That's why they picked us up. You said something. What did I say? You know what I said. Huh? Do you? You being a big man, you tell.

[Detective]

Me what I said to him.

[Suspect]

They picked me up. Go ahead, tell me you said something. I don't know what it was, but you shut off your mouth. Hey, Hunter, what's the matter with the radio? I thought you were going to turn it on. I'm trying to be broken. Don't worry, it doesn't make any difference. I'm going to emphasize. Nice to have you shut for a while. You open your mouth anymore, you got more trouble you can handle. That's the way it looks to you? Yeah. Done. You guys don't shut up, I'm going to throw one of you out of here. Now shut up and get some sleep. Tonight. Tonight. So we got the radio in the.

[Narrator]

Face and that's the way it went. For the next five days. When the men were in the room, they argued continually. They talked about the deal they were working on. But from their conversation there was no way of learning what they planned when they left the room. They were constantly under surveillance, but their movements were routine. They took their meals in the same restaurant. They went to movies. They sat in bars, always together. During the time they were out of the apartment, they made no local contacts. They received no telephone calls. They made none. We knew that they were planning something, but there was no way of knowing what it was. All conversation in the room was recorded and listened to over and over again in the hope that we could come up with some kind of a lead. But the time spent in replaying the recordings netted us nothing. From what they'd said, we figured that whatever they were planning would take place on either Tuesday, August 17, or on Wednesday, August 18. On Tuesday, three way cars were assigned to the streets in front of the hotel. But the suspects acted as usual on Wednesday. They didn't leave their room. Frank Murphy and I continued to wait on the streets outside. Three other teams of men were standing by in undercover cars. 9:30pm that's their telephone. Get the recorder. Murr.

[Detective]

Yep.

[Narrator]

9:31Pm yeah, I'll get it.

[Suspect]

Hello? Yeah. Uh huh. When? Right. Okay, we leave right now. Yep. What? Yeah, that's the word we got.

[Narrator]

Right.

[Suspect]

We'll see you in about 30 minutes. Right. Hey, how are we gonna know you? Yeah, I got it. Right. Hey, who was that? The contact? Yeah. There's a stuff just got in. We're supposed to pick it up right away. Oh, looks like they would go to work now. It's too soon for me. Let's go.

[Narrator]

That's it. I'll get it out. Outpost 1, the unit. 1K89. 1K88. 1K87. Suspects are leaving room. Suspects are leaving room. Outpost 1 out. All right, let's go. I wish we knew what it was.

[Detective]

Sounds like it might be narcotics.

[Narrator]

Well, it could be. Doesn't make a lot of difference. Does it? Yeah. At least we know it's something. By the time we got to the street, the suspects were getting into their car and pulling away from the curb. Frank, Murphy and I got to our car and followed them. They drove down South Flower to the corner of Palm Drive and turned left. Three blocks further, they pulled into a gas station and apparently asked directions. They turned south on Broadway and drove about a mile. At Santa Barbara Avenue, they turned left again and drove three blocks. They stopped and parked the car in front of a small bar. We informed the other units of the activity and asked them to stand by in the area. Carmichael got out of the car and entered the bar. Murphy left us and entered the bar after him. Carmichael returned in a few minutes with another man. The two of them got back into the car and they talked. At the end of that time, all four of the men got out of the automobile and they entered the bar. Shortly after that, Carmichael, Nielsen and Hunter walked out of the place. Carmichael was carrying a small package wrapped in plain brown paper and tied with a string. The fourth man wasn't with him. Frank and I got out of our car and approached the men. As they stood talking, I'd hold it up. Police officers. Over there. Put your hands up on that wall.

[Detective]

What's going on?

[Narrator]

Get your hands up there. Frank, you want to check my package? Yeah. Keep your hands on that wall.

[Detective]

Lousy deal. I hope you're happy, Carmichael.

[Narrator]

I hope you're real happy.

[Detective]

What are you talking about? Gotta lay this one to you.

[Narrator]

You really took care of this. Stand still and keep quiet. How about it, Frank? I don't know. What do you mean? Where's money? Twenty dollar bills. Fifteen. Twenty thousand dollars worth. Queer as far as I can tell. It's good. Where's that put us? Well, there's $20,000 here. Yeah. Let's find out where they got it. 10:02am the four suspects were taken into custody and removed to the City hall for interrogation. We got in touch with the Secret Service and asked them to come over to the office to check on the currency. The agent arrived and after looking at the money, pointed out several minute mistakes that had been made in the engraving of the plates. He went on to explain, however, that this particular printing was one of the best that he'd ever seen. He told us that the paper used in the bills would be analyzed and that we'd receive copies of the reports as soon as they were finished. 12:14am While Murphy, Rafferty and the Secret Service man questioned Nielsen in the interrogation room, Frank and I talked to Carmichael in the squadroom. We questioned him for about an hour, but he refused to say anything that would help us get a lead to the source of the counterfeit. 1:30am how long you figure you can keep this up, Carmichael?

[Detective]

I don't know what you're talking about.

[Narrator]

Now, come off it. We're getting tired of playing kid games here. We want to know where the queer came from. Now, who says it's queer? Guy that printed it was pretty sloppy. Made a lot of mistakes. Joe Ymer.

[Detective]

See you, man.

[Narrator]

Yeah. Be right back. Yeah. How you doing?

[Detective]

Nothing. Nielsen won't say a word. Gives it to us that he didn't know what was going on. Says he just went out there to pick up a package.

[Narrator]

They say who they were running the errand for?

[Detective]

Well, tells it just he went along for the ride. The whole thing was Carmichael's idea. We thought maybe we'd go to work on Hunter, see what we can get from him.

[Narrator]

Okay.

[Detective]

You gonna stick with the Carmichael?

[Narrator]

Yeah, I guess so. From what we heard in the room, if there's gonna be a break, I got a hunch that's gonna come from him.

[Detective]

Okay. You got anything, let us know, huh?

[Narrator]

Right away.

[Detective]

Big man's back again. Your friend there tell you all about it?

[Narrator]

No, but yours did. Nielsen just laid the whole thing in your lap.

[Detective]

You're kidding.

[Narrator]

You want to talk to him?

[Detective]

What did he say?

[Narrator]

Well, he tells it, he was just along for the ride. You're the big wheel in the whole thing.

[Detective]

He said that?

[Narrator]

I said you could talk to him if you want to.

[Detective]

Well, he ain't gonna make it. He ain't gonna lay it on me.

[Narrator]

You wanna tell us your side of it?

[Detective]

Yeah, I'll tell you the way it happened. That lousy bum. How do you like that? Him saying I'm the wheel. I'll tell you.

[Narrator]

All right. Now, where'd the queer come from?

[Detective]

I don't know.

[Narrator]

I thought you were gonna tell us.

[Detective]

I'm doing that. I really don't know where it came from.

[Narrator]

You turn up with $20,000 and $20 bills and you ask us to believe that you don't know where it was printed?

[Detective]

I'm not asking you anything. I'm tell it.

[Narrator]

Well, tell us about your part, Nielsen.

[Detective]

Hunter and me were approached in Pittsburgh.

[Narrator]

By who?

[Detective]

I don't know.

[Narrator]

We're going that way again, huh?

[Detective]

All right, so you don't believe me. That's the way it happened.

[Narrator]

The guy who approached you just walked up and said, Here's 20,000 bucks. Just like that, huh?

[Detective]

No, the deal was that Nielsen, Hunter and me were supposed to come out here. We were supposed to check into a hotel and wait for a call. Guy who called us would have the queer. He'd turn it over to us and we'd pass it.

[Narrator]

You bought the counterfeit? Yeah. What'd you pay for it?

[Detective]

Two and a half.

[Narrator]

For $20?

[Detective]

Yeah, two and a half for 20.

[Narrator]

You paid the other man we picked up?

[Detective]

Yeah, we gave him 2500 bucks.

[Narrator]

You ever seen a man before?

[Detective]

What?

[Narrator]

The man you bought the queer from. Do you know him?

[Detective]

No, I never saw him before.

[Narrator]

He's not the man who made the original contact in Pittsburgh?

[Detective]

No. A guy back east was an old man.

[Narrator]

How old?

[Detective]

I don't know. Maybe 55, 60. Around in there.

[Narrator]

Not the fellow you met tonight?

[Detective]

I told you that before. It's not the same man.

[Narrator]

Use a name of any kind?

[Detective]

No, he said just to call him Pop, that's all. Pop.

[Narrator]

Give us a description of this man, Pop.

[Detective]

What's in it for me?

[Narrator]

Well, what do you got now? Nothing. All right. It'll stay that way. You're in big trouble, Carmichael. If you're smart at all, you're gonna cop out the whole thing and cooperate with us.

[Detective]

Lousy Nielsen. Him all the time yelling about how it was all set, all the time saying we had it made. Sure. I'll go with you. I just want to see Nielsen get his, that's all. Just want to see him get his.

[Narrator]

We're gonna want you to look at some pictures, too. I told you I'd go the route.

[Detective]

You just tell me what you want to know. If I got the answer, so have you.

[Narrator]

All right.

[Detective]

What'd he tell you?

[Narrator]

What?

[Detective]

At lousy Nielsen, what'd he tell you about how it happened? You tell you the way I did, you tell it that way?

[Narrator]

Pretty much, yeah. Sure.

[Detective]

That's the way it happened. Can't be told any other way.

[Narrator]

Yeah, well, Nielsen might give you an argument there. Further interrogation of the other three men in the operation served to corroborate the story that we've been given by Carmichael. $2,500 in cash was found on the fourth suspect. Once the other men were confronted with the fact that Carmichael had told us everything he knew concerning the operation, they all followed suit. But other than telling us that they knew the head man in the counterfeiting act as Pop, they couldn't come up with any further information. From the man who'd been in the bar, we learned that he'd met Pop in Pittsburgh. He also told us that as far as he knew, the counterfeiter had been in prison at one time or another. However, the suspect was unable to tell us in what state or on what charges Popp had served time. He went on to tell us that he'd gotten the money in Pittsburgh and that Pop had told him that he'd be contacted later. The Secret Service had completed their analysis of the counterfeit bills. And they told us that they were some of the most perfect printing jobs that they'd run across. The counterfeiter had made one major mistake, however, in the printing of the currency. It impregnated the paper with small silken hairs so that it would stand close inspection. The currency now in use is made with nylon hairs. The agent from the Secret Service told us that they had agents working on tracing the manufacturer of the paper in the hopes that they could come up with a lead as to the identity of pop. The four suspects were booked into the city jail. Thursday, August 19th. We ran the name Pop through our moniker file of the 47 cards turned over to us by the Record Bureau. 19 of the suspects listed matched the descriptions that we've been given. The pictures of the men were pulled and shown to Carmichael and the other three suspects. They were unable to give us an identification. The name and description was sent to George Brereton in Sacramento. And he sent us another 150 possible. These were checked out without result. The nickname and physical description of the man was sent to Washington. And we got back over a thousand names and pictures. It took us six weeks working with the Secret Service to check out these possibles. The results? Nothing. Tuesday, October 5th. Frank and I got back to the office. I get it. Robbery, Friday. Yeah. All right. Wait a minute. Wait. I get that down. All right, go ahead. Uh huh. Yeah. Yeah. Well, it should check out. Right? Okay, we'll meet you. What you got? Report of the paper and the queer bills just came through. Yeah, Looks like we found Pop. In checking the manufacturers of paper similar to that used in the counterfeit twenty dollar bills, the Secret Service had come up with the name of a small print shop in the eastern section of Los Angeles. The paper used was of an unusual type and there were not many orders for it. This particular shop had ordered large quantities of it in the past and was continuing to use it. In checking out the name of the man on the order blanks, the Secret Service had found that he'd been convicted of robbery and had served a term in the federal penitentiary in Atlanta. He'd been released and had come to California and opened a small print shop. We spent the next two days checking the suspect out. His name was given to Stanley Jackson, age 47. For the next week, the print shop and Jackson himself were kept under constant surveillance. On Thursday, October 14, at 11:50pm the suspect was followed to his print shop.

[Detective]

I'll cover the front of the shop, Joe.

[Narrator]

Right, Murphy. Come on, Frank. Yeah, Joe. Yeah. Sounds like a press, doesn't it? Yeah. Come on. Back door is around here. You see what's going on in there? No. Got the windows all painted over. What do you figure? Well, it doesn't leave us with a lot of choice. If we go in and he's not printing counterfeit, we're gonna make him so hinky that we might never nail him. Yeah. If we don't go in, he might get rid of the plates and we're in trouble there, too. Yeah. Like I said, we haven't got much choice, have we? All right, let's go.

[Detective]

What's going on? What are you doing there?

[Narrator]

Police officers. You're under arrest. You want to take the press, Frank?

[Detective]

Frank, you got no right to come in here like this. I know my rights. You haven't got a warrant. You've got no right to act like this.

[Narrator]

Want to kill it, Frank? I got the plates are in the press, Joe. Doing the green overlay. Take a look.

[Detective]

You haven't got any right touching those. They're mine. They belong to me, mister.

[Narrator]

Where'd you get the plates, Jackson?

[Detective]

They're good, aren't they, mister? The very best.

[Narrator]

Where'd you get them?

[Detective]

Made em. Made them myself.

[Narrator]

Where'd you learn engraving?

[Detective]

In prison. When they sent me to prison, I learned all about engraving. Real engraving. Not photo process, but the real thing. Finest plates I've ever seen. The best. Beautiful money, isn't it? Best I've ever seen. Fool anybody. Did it all myself. Pass it anywhere. Fool anybody, anywhere. Yeah, just look at it, mister. That's a genuine article, isn't it? Real money. It's perfect. Absolutely perfect, mister.

[Narrator]

No, you're wrong there. The government didn't print it. Vernon Alex Carmichael Howard Raymond Nielsen, Ernest.

[Detective]

Richard Hunter, Philip Roger Harger and Stanley Norman Jackson were tried and convicted of.

[Narrator]

Violation of Title 18, U.S. code, Section 474.

[Detective]

Printing and issuing counterfeit money.

[Narrator]

Violation of this title is punishable by.

[Detective]

A fine of $5,000 and imprisonment in.

[Narrator]

A federal penitentiary for a period not.

[Detective]

To exceed 15 years.

[Narrator]

You have just heard Dragnet.

[Detective]

The authentic story of your police force in action.

[Narrator]

And starring Jack Webb. A presentation of the United States Armed Forces Radio Service.