21st Precinct 53-09-15 (011) The Dog Day

Summary

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21st Precinct – "The Dog Day" (Aired: September 15, 1953)

Podcast: Harold's Old Time Radio
Episode: 21st Precinct 53-09-15 (011) The Dog Day
Date: September 2, 2025 (podcast release)

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Episode Overview

This episode of "21st Precinct" takes listeners deep into a day-in-the-life drama at a New York City police station, focusing on a moral dilemma sparked by a routine but emotional dog bite incident. As Captain Kennelly and his officers navigate bureaucratic hurdles, family grief, and the strict demands of public health law, the narrative reveals both the procedures and the deep humanity that underlie police work in the 1950s.

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Key Discussion Points & Story Beats

Opening in the Precinct [00:57–04:55]

• Daily life at the station: Captain Frank Kennelly begins his evening tour, discusses ongoing building maintenance issues with the acting superintendent.
• Tone setting: Mundane problems (radiators, cracked plaster, worn stairs) establish realism and the unglamorous side of police leadership.
• Personal matters: Captain is approached by Harold Weald, a taxi driver with a desperate plea regarding his daughter’s dog bite.

The Dog Bite Incident [05:00–12:00]

• Interview with Mr. Weald: Details of the incident—four-year-old daughter bitten by a neighbor’s dog, repetition of medical care, need for rabies shots if the dog isn’t brought in.
• Public health law: The tension between bureaucracy and urgency is palpable, as Capt. Kennelly explains to Mr. Weald the legal steps; a 480V notice is required to deliver the dog for rabies observation.
• Frustration mounts: The dog’s owner, Mrs. Whitney, is unresponsive to police visits, heightening the stakes with the threat of 22 painful injections for the child.

The Search for Mrs. Whitney [12:01–16:03]

• Police procedural: Officers repeatedly attempt to contact Mrs. Whitney at her upscale apartment. Building staff confirm someone is home, having heard the dog barking, but no one answers.
• Escalation: The situation is complicated by Mrs. Whitney’s social status (wife of a prominent judge) and her refusal to cooperate, suggesting deeper personal issues.

Emotional Confrontation with Mrs. Whitney [16:04–17:03]

• Face-to-face: Captain Kennelly, Officer Singleton, and the building manager finally confront Mrs. Whitney at her apartment. She’s distraught, refuses to relinquish her dog “Jeff,” whom she calls her last companion.
• Heartbreaking resistance: Mrs. Whitney’s pain and isolation emerge as she clings to the dog, revealing emotional trauma underpinning her actions.

Notable Quote

• “He’s all we’ve got. We have no family, just Jeff, that’s all.”
  —Mrs. Whitney [16:31]

Aftermath and Rabies Law Context [17:04–17:41]

• Procedure: Notice is served, but officers doubt Mrs. Whitney’s compliance. The necessity and difficulty of police work, even for minor incidents, is highlighted.

Meeting with Judge Whitney [17:42–22:50]

• Judge’s perspective: The judge returns from a trip to find his wife won’t even open the door to him. He confides in Captain Kennelly about their recent tragedy – both of their sons died in a car crash, and Jeff the dog was their boys’ pet.
• Psychological depth: The dog represents all that’s left of the family, explaining Mrs. Whitney’s irrational resistance and vulnerability.

Notable Quote

• “We had two sons… They were both killed… I suppose she turned to the dog, as Jeff was the boys’ dog.”
  —Judge Whitney [22:27]

Resolution: Compassion and Compliance [22:51–28:32]

• Empathy in action: Captain Kennelly has Mr. Weald accompany them to speak directly to Mrs. Whitney.
• Mrs. Whitney’s surrender: Confronted with the real suffering her actions would cause a young girl, Mrs. Whitney relents (“Not 22 injections…”) and allows her dog to be taken for observation.
• Emotional crescendo: The dialogue reveals her longing for connection (“I never had a little girl. I always wanted one.”), and a plea for vigilance over loved ones is spoken as she gives up the dog.

Notable Quote

• “Every minute of your life… Because without it, you won’t have any life.”
  —Mrs. Whitney to Mr. Weald [28:28]

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Memorable Moments & Quotes — With Timestamps

• [16:31] Mrs. Whitney: “He’s all we’ve got. We have no family, just Jeff, that’s all.”
• [22:27] Judge Whitney: “We had two sons… They were both killed… I suppose she turned to the dog, as Jeff was the boys’ dog.”
• [27:14] Mrs. Whitney: “And she's such a little girl. How old is she?” / Mr. Weald: “Four.”
• [28:28] Mrs. Whitney: “Every minute of your life… Because without it, you won’t have any life.”

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Important Segment Timestamps

• [00:57] – Arrival at the 21st Precinct; introduction to the day’s setting.
• [05:00] – Mr. Weald’s plea to Captain Kennelly.
• [12:01] – Police attempt to serve notice at Mrs. Whitney's apartment.
• [16:04] – Confrontation with Mrs. Whitney; refusal to surrender the dog.
• [17:40] – Rabies law explanation.
• [22:27] – Judge Whitney’s family tragedy revealed.
• [25:39] – Final emotional confrontation at the apartment.
• [28:06] – Mrs. Whitney relinquishes the dog, making peace.

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Analysis & Tone

The episode is steeped in empathy and the “everyday heroism” of police work, its tone alternating between procedural calm and emotional rawness. The show balances the rigid application of the law with deep sympathy for personal loss, demonstrating the complexity behind what would seem a simple public health case. The humanity of every person involved – the desperate father, the grieving wife, the beleaguered police officers – is rendered with care and restraint characteristic of 1950s radio drama.

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Conclusion

21st Precinct's "The Dog Day" is a quintessential Golden Age of Radio police drama – methodical, just, but brimming with heart. The episode uses a seemingly minor incident to explore grief, duty, and compassion, leaving listeners with empathy for all parties and a renewed respect for both law and the frailties of the human spirit.

Transcript

[A]

Hey there.

[B]

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[A]

Wayfair Every style, every home. 21st Precinct. Sergeant Klein. Well, who got bitten? Owl or where's the dog? You are in the muster room at the 21st Precinct, the nerve center. A call is coming through. You will follow the action taken pursuant to that call from this minute until the final report is written in the 124 room at the 21st Precinct. All right. You just wait right there in the emergency room. Yes, right there. I have an officer come over. Yes, right away. 21st Precinct. It's just lines on a map of the city of New York. Most of the 173,000 people wedged into the 9/10 of a square mile between Fifth Avenue and the east river wouldn't know if you asked them if they lived or worked in the 21st. Whether they know it or not, the security of their homes, their persons and their property is the job of the men of the 21st Precinct. 21st Precinct. 160 patrolmen, 11 sergeants and four lieutenants, of whom I'm the boss. My name is Kennelly, Frank Kennelly. I'm captain in command of the 21st. It was 3:55pm when I came into the precinct house for my night tour, which would keep me on the job until 8 the following morning. As I signed the blotter, Sergeant Burns, who was filling in as desk officer, told me that acting superintendent of buildings of the department was in the house making a routine inspection. After I turned out the platoon. I went upstairs and found the acting superintendent of buildings on the third floor. I called his attention to the cracked plaster in the hall ceiling on that floor and to the fact that during the last winter, the radiators failed to heat the floor comfortably on the way down. I showed him the worn condition of the stairs from the second floor to the back room. And as we came out into the muster room, I told him about the plumbing difficulties in the cells. Well, thanks, Captain. Do you have any idea when these repairs will be made? There's a lot of work to do, Captain. There's nearly a hundred buildings in the department, and most of them need work, lots of work. Oh, yes, I understand that. But some need attention sooner than others, don't you think? Oh, yes. Yes, some do. That's why I make an inspection. Well, this muster room, for instance. It hasn't been painted since 1941. Did you realize that, Captain? You know, I'd like to do everything and I'd like to do it right, but there's been only so much money appropriated. Well, it's been a pleasure, Captain. Sign the blotter and get on my way. A little bit behind schedule. I still have to visit the 23rd this afternoon. Where were you? Oh, Mr. Balmy wants to sign the blotter. Sergeant Burns, step on around the back of the desk, Mr. Baling. Right over here, Mr. Baling. Thank you, Captain. Well, that one's got whiskers. I used to use it myself. Bring it on time. What's doing, Sergeant? Oh, nothing much, Captain. Except that young fellow over there is waiting to see you. Who is he? Do you know? He says his name is Weald. Harold Weald. Said it was personal. I told him you were busy, said he'd wait. He wouldn't tell either me or Sergeant Burns what was on his mind. Excuse me, Captain. Yeah, go ahead. Way burst briefing Sergeant Klein. Well, thanks for all your courtesies, Captain. I'll try to get something done. I promise you that. Oh, you what, ma'? Am. Absolutely necessary, Mr. Baldley, that we get sufficient heat up on the third floor. No one can work. Listen, madam, it's a long time until winter. Please, madam. Yes, it was a long time since last winter, too. That's when I reported. You have my word, Captain. There'll be someone here within two weeks. That's a civil action, madam. If he owes your money, we can't collect it. You better see your lawyer. Oh, I'll talk to that fellow that's waiting, Sergeant. Yes, sir. If you can't afford A lawyer. Go to the Legal Aid Society. Legal aid, sir? Doc. Mr. Wheel? Yes, that's right. Captain Connolly. Kennelly. Oh, I'm sorry. That's all right. Well, what can I do for you? Well, listen, captain, I'm sorry to bother you, but I got an awful problem. It's my kid. What's the trouble? Well, she got bit by a dog. When was this? Friday morning. Where? In the playground there. You know, 62nd Street, York Avenue. How old is she? Four. She's four. Excuse me, Captain. Yes? Division. Cabinet's calling in for you. All right. Thanks, sergeant. I'll take it in my office. Yes, sir. Come in. Mr. Wheel. Yeah. Thanks. My mother takes you to the playground almost every day. Go ahead. Thank you. Have a seat there. I didn't think there was anything to it. Excuse me a minute. Oh, yeah, sure. Captain Kennelly. Hello, Denny. Oh, just fine. When? Well, just a second. Let me look my chart. Yeah? Yeah, I'm working Monday. Where? All right, I'll be there. Okay, so long. How'd you happen to get bitten, Mr. Weald? Well, I wasn't there personally. I was working. What do you do? Me? I'm a driver for the Ace Taxis. I should be on the job now, but I thought I better take off the afternoon, get this straightened out. How bad was the bite? Well, bad enough, I guess. He got her in the thigh. You know, he really dug in. Did she get medical treatment? Oh, yeah. Yeah. My wife said the lady with the dog was very nice. Janet? That's my wife. She got kind of excited at first, but Doctor fixed it up, said nothing serious. Sorry, I forgot the whole thing, you know, until I got a call from my wife this afternoon. What happened then? Well, my wife was all excited. She called my dispatcher, left word for me to call her. When I did, she said somebody had been around from the Board of Health. Told her they couldn't get hold of the lady with a dog. And if they didn't, by tomorrow morning, she'd have to bring the kid down for rabies shots. As 22 shots takes 22 days. Where does the woman with the dog live in this precinct? I don't know whether it's in this precinct. It's Mrs. Charles Whitney. 190 something place north. That's in this precinct? Yes. So I had to walk over there before. It's a big apartment house, very expensive. I started to go in. The doorman asked me who I wanted, so I told him the whole story. He buzzed up to the apartment. There wasn't any answer. He told me a policeman had been around two or three times today and the day before. Policemen couldn't find anybody there either. Is he from here, that policeman? Yes, that's right. In dog bite cases, there's a 480V notice to be served on the owner. A notice to deliver the dog to the ASPCA for observation. Well, anyway, I got to talking to the doorman and he said he thought sure somebody was home because the elevator man heard the dog barking in the apartment when he. When he went up there on the floor for something else this afternoon. Oh, is that so? Well, I'm only going by what the doorman said. The elevator man said. Now, look, the lady was very nice, but I don't want my kid to go through any 22 shots. What's more important, a dog or a kid? What do you think, Mr. Weald? Well, I know what I think. The important thing is what you think that Mrs. Whitney, her husband is a big shot. Judge, the doorman told me. You sit here, Mr. Weald. Well, I'll sit here, but is that gonna get me action? That's what I want, action. That's what you're going to get. I'll be right back. Sergeant Burns. That's Captain, what are you doing about a 480 volts on a dog bite case? All right. Is that this one on Second Place North, Captain? Yes, that's the one. What are you doing about it? It's still hanging, Captain. Lieutenant Snyder said he had a man go by there three times during the day tour. There's nobody home. Well, did they go upstairs and see? I don't know about that, Captain. He just said it was still hanging. They haven't been able to serve it. I gave it to Singleton and told him to try as soon as he got over there. You know who that is? That's Judge Charles Whitney. Yes, I know. Now, listen, the father of the child the dog bit is in my office. He's been told to bring the child down to start a series of 22 rabies injections beginning tomorrow morning. Unless that dog is delivered today. Doesn't seem to be anybody home, Captain. Well, the father says the doorman told him there was somebody home. Now get on it. Yes, sir. I went back into my office and told Mr. Weald, the father of the dog bite victim, that we would make a further effort to serve the 480v notice on the owner of the dog. I advised him to return to his home and promised that we would notify him later concerning any results we obtained. The torman, Singleton, rang in and reported that he again went to 190 Sutton Place north and attempted to reach the occupants of the Whitney apartment by the house phone. There was no answer. He left a copy of the notice with the doorman. He was instructed to go upstairs and knock on the door. In the meantime, I read and signed such reports as had accumulated since I was last on duty and placed them in the box to be sent by messenger to division headquarters. At 10 minutes to 5, I went back out into the muster room and walked over to the desk. He's trying to reach the judge at his office, captain. Good. Sergeant Klein, did Singleton ring in again? No, sir, not yet. Judge Charles Windley's office, please. I thought this might be the quickest way to get some information. It might be. Yes? Hello, this is Sergeant Burns at the 21st Precinct. Is Judge Whitney there, please? Oh, is he? Oh, I see. When? Thank you very much. Oh, did Mrs. Whitney go with him? As I see. Well, thank you very much. He's out of town, captain. Yeah. He went to Boston for the American Fire association convention. Secretary expects him back tonight. He's flying in. Did Mrs. Whitney go with him? No, sir. Not that his secretary knows of. Far as his secretary knows, Mrs. Whitney's at home. I see. Look up the telephone number of their apartment and call over there. Yes, 21st Pre. Thank Sergeant Klein. Their phone might not be listed. Yes, Singleton. What'd you find out? Is that Singleton? Sergeant, hold on. Yes, sir. It's Singleton. All right, let me talk to him. Feed right there, captain. Hold on. Singleton, this is Captain Canelli. Yes, sir. Did you serve that notice? No, sir. Oh, did you go up to the floor? Yes, sir. What happened? Well, I knocked on the door, captain. There wasn't any answer. Then I heard that dog bark inside. I knocked again. Finally, she came and talked to me through the door. Who came? Mrs. Whitney Kenton. Wouldn't she open the door? No, sir. I told her I had the notice to serve on her to deliver the dog for observation. She said she wouldn't give up the dog. She wouldn't open the door. Did you explain to her that the Department of Health just has to examine the dog? That they won't molest or mistreat the animal? Yes, sir. But she refused to open the door. Where are you calling from now? The lobby of the apartment building. All right, you stay there. I'll be right over. Yes, sir. Sergeant. Yes, sir. Put out a call for a car to come by the house for me. Yes, sir. Captain. She's there, huh? Captain, she's there? Yes, so's the dog. She wouldn't open the door. Did she say why she wouldn't, Captain? No. That's what I'm going over to find out. What if she still refuses? Okay, you get a warrant to go in and get the dog. That won't look very nice. Cops break Down Judge's door. Some headline. Is this better? 4 year old girl takes 22 anti Arabia's injections. No headline. You are listening to 21st Precinct. A factual account of the way police work in the world's largest city. When you apply. And now back to 21st Precinct and Captain Frank Canelli. The disease of rabies is almost extinct. This is due almost entirely to the cooperation between police and public health authorities and the strict enforcement of the laws relating to dog bite cases. These laws call for the compulsory observation of dogs and other animals who are carriers of the disease after they have bitten and for compulsory treatment of human victims. Bitten by an animal that has escaped. The fact that the disease is now rare does not lessen the strictness of enforcement. The idea is to keep it rare. At 5.05pm the car came by the station house and drove me to 1907 Place North. A new apartment building in a high rent classification location. As we drove up, I saw patrolman Singleton on the sidewalk in front of the building. A man was standing there talking with him. All right, wait for me here. Hello, Captain. Take a look. Captain, this is Mr. Tedburn. He's the super, the building, the resident manager. Mr. Tedburn. How do you do? You've been waiting down here since you rang in, Singleton. Yes, sir. I really don't see what's all the excitement, Captain. Don't you? The Whitneys are respectable people. He's an important judge. To have policemen running through the halls over something like this, it's ridiculous. Mr. Tedman, I've just been talking to the father of the girl who was bitten by that dog. If that dog isn't delivered for observation, that four year old girl will have to start a series of 22 injections. Is that ridiculous? Well, I just want to save embarrassment is all. There's no embarrassment on our account. If she'd accept service of the notice, everything would be very quiet and simple. What kind of dog is it, Singleton? Well, the doorman told me. Boxer cat. That is right. Big Boxer. Ah, big fellow. Yes, sir. All right, let's go off. Yes, sir. Do you mind if I come along also? I'd be glad to have you, Mr. Tedburn. You can see that we don't embarrass anyone. The doorman held the door open for us and we walked into the foyer of the building. It was decorated in black and white. On the elevator, Singleton directed the operator to take us to the 14th floor. When we got off, Mr. Tedburn led the way to apartment 14B. No one was in the hall. Either the neighbors on the floor didn't know what was going on or they didn't care. Ah, this is it. Shall I ring, Captain? Go ahead. Yes, there it is. Try again. Yes, sir. This is Whitney. We're police officers. We want to talk to you. It is a wonder the neighbors haven't complained about that dog. Certainly does raise the roof, doesn't he, Mrs. Whitney? You know, Captain, I'm beginning to more and more see this thing from your point of view. Are you? Under these circumstances, I think I have a right to use my passkey. She sat on the. Mrs. Whitney, please go away.

[C]

Close the door, please.

[A]

I want to talk to you. Mrs. Whitney, you can't take him.

[C]

I won't let you.

[A]

I'm not going to take him. I want to talk to you, that's all.

[C]

Come on.

[A]

Come on. Where is she going? I don't know. She's coming back. She went to put the dog in the other room.

[C]

I. I want you to shut the door and let me alone.

[A]

You don't seem to understand the seriousness of this, Mrs. Whitney.

[C]

You want to take Jeff away.

[A]

I don't want to him away.

[C]

He's all we've got. Jeff's all we've got. We have no family, just Jeff, that's all.

[A]

I'm not going to take him away. I just have to give you this notice. Singleton. Oh, yes, sir. Here it is. I want you to take this, Mrs.

[C]

W. No, no, I won't.

[A]

It's a notice to deliver your dog to the ASPCA by 10 o' clock tomorrow morning.

[C]

Well, I'll take it, but I won't deliver him. I won't. You can't have him. He's the only thing I've got left. The only thing.

[A]

All right, let's shut the door. Thank you, Ms. Whitney.

[C]

I won't.

[A]

Do you think she will bring that dog down there? I don't. She's been served with the notice. Okay, Singleton, get back on the job. Yes, sir. People can live in a building 20 years and you never know they ever existed. 20 years. Hit that elevator bell, will you, Singleton? Miss it then? A little thing like this can cause so much trouble. It's always the little things that cause trouble, Mr. Tedburn? People seem to manage the big ones. If you're a maintenance supervisor at a manufacturing facility and your machinery isn't working right, Grainger knows you need to understand what's wrong as soon as possible. So when a conveyor motor falters, Grainger offers diagnostic tools like calibration kits and multimeters to help you identify and fix the problem. With Granger, you can be confident you have everything you need to keep your facility running smoothly. Call 1-800-granger. Click granger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done. We rolled down on the elevator. I thanked Mr. Tedburn for his assistance and came out of the building with Singleton. He resumed walking his post and I got into the car and went back to the precinct house. There, as the officer who served the 480v form on Mrs. Whitney, I filled in the lower half and delivered it to the desk officer to be forwarded to the Bureau of Preventable Diseases, Department of Health. Sergeant Burns told me that Patrolman Mercado had come upon a boy, 17, in the act of turning in a false alarm. He chased him up the stairs of a tenement and over the roofs of three adjacent buildings before he was apprehended. The boy admitted turning in at least five false alarms during the last month. I went on patrol of the precinct, during which I stopped on post number two, saw Patrolman Mercado, and congratulated him on the arrest. Later, while I was still on patrol, there was a radio signal to call in. He stopped at the nearest box, and I was told by Sergeant Klein that a visitor was waiting for me. Judge Charles Whitney. I had my operator drive me around to the precinct house. When I got out of the car, I instructed him to pick up his partner, who had been taking his meal period, and resume patrol. As the car drove away, I crossed the sidewalk and walked up into the Monster Room. Hello, Sergeant. Captain. 21st briefing. Where's the judge? I suggested the judge wait in your office, Captain. All right. Oh, what's doing, Sergeant? Oh, it's been a quiet tour, Captain. All right, I'll be in my office. Yes, sir. 21st free. Thanks. Sergeant Klein. Okay. The what? Judge Whitney. Oh, hello, Captain. We've met before, haven't we? Yes, I think so. It's some dinner. Oh, yeah. Well, sit down, Judge. Thank you. I just got into LaGuardia from Boston an hour ago. Yes, sir, I know. I understand you were over to the apartment, Captain. Yes, that's right. We were there, and I'm sorry If we found it necessary to be a little insistent with Mrs. Whitney. But I don't have to tell you the law in these dog bite cases, Judge, if I wasn't able to affect service the way I did, I would have been required to get a warrant and break the door down. I hope you were able to explain that to Mrs. Whitney. Captain. I haven't been able to explain anything to Mrs. Windley. She wouldn't open the door for me either. Wouldn't she? No. I came home from the airport and went upstairs and tried my key. She had the chain on the door. Wouldn't open it. Wouldn't even talk to me. Building manager came upstairs and told me what had happened. I'm sorry, Judge. Well, it's not your fault, Captain. I don't blame you. I should have seen it coming. After I even knew it was coming, and I couldn't bring myself to believe it. What's that, sir? A breakdown. I should have seen it the night I left for Boston. It was the same night that Jeff bit the child. Oh, he's a boxer, you know. So we named him James J. Jeffrey. Jeff for short. I told her before I left that she would probably be called upon to deliver the dog for observation. And I should have seen from my attitude then that this was going to happen. I was in a hurry to catch the plane. She was all right until then. I understand she was fine when the dog bit the child. That she took the mother and the child to the emergency room, paid the bill, so forth. Yes, that's the report we got, too. But the minute I mentioned the possibility she might have to turn Jeff over for observation, she changed. What was the reason for the change? You know, Jeff. Yes, I do. I think I do. See, captain, we had two sons, Richard and Charles Jr. They were a year and a half apart, 19 and 20. They were in school at Yale. Last June, they were driving down to New York after school. Their car turned over on the Merritt Parkway. They were both killed. Both of them. Well, I'm sorry to hear that, Judge. If you have children of your own, you can imagine what it did to us. We went away, but that didn't help. Nothing helped for myself. I found escape in my work. A judge can work hard, you know, And I did. But Nora didn't have anything like work. I suppose she turned to the dog. As Jeff was the boy's dog, she saw the possibility that she'd lose the dog that brought it on. I'm sure that that's the answer. It probably is. Yes, sir. Wouldn't even open the door. She doesn't even trust me. If I'd have known what the circumstances were, perhaps we could have used some other means. Any way for you to know, Captain? I'm not worried about that now. She's locked up in there alone. That's what I'm worried about. I don't know what's playing on her mind. Well, if you want to go into the apartment, Judge, I can call the emergency squad to give us a hand. They have a way with doors. Yes, but only as a last resort. No, I. I'd like to try persuasion some more. I had the door open this wide, the same as you did. I. I called to her. She wouldn't answer. I couldn't think of anything else to say or do. I came over here. Do you have any ideas, Captain? Besides the emergency squad, I mean. Well, perhaps I have one. Just one. It might work. I don't know anything, Captain. I'm willing to try anything. Judge Whitney was a forlorn looking man. As I left him sitting in my office and walked out into the muster room. I gave Sergeant Klein instructions to have a car drive around at the precinct house to pick us up. Also, I told him to have sector car number one go to the home of Harold Weald, the father of the dog bite victim. They were instructed to locate Mr. Weald and ask if he would accompany them to 190 Sutton Place North. The car came by to drive Judge Whitney and myself to his apartment house. We rode the elevator to the 14th floor in silence. Is this way, Captain. Yes, I know. Of course you do. Well, I'd suggest you try your key again, John. Yeah, that's a good idea. Still on the chain, Nora. Nora, why don't you try calling the dog? If he comes to the door, maybe she will too. Yes, that's a good idea. Jeff, boy. Hey, Jeff. Hey, Jeff. Hey, Jeff. Come on. Jeff usually comes when I call him, Captain. Well, I think she has him in the back with the door closed. That's where she had him before. Nora, please. Please come to the door. Nora. Please, Nora. Let me try. Mrs. Whitney. This is Whitney. Now that way to your right. Oh, yeah. Took a little while. Locate him, Captains. Hello, Captain. Judge Whitney, Mr. Wheel. Hi. How do you do, Judge? Patrolman Singleton. How do you do? Please deny, sir. He told me about all the trouble you've been having. Judge, I don't like to cause any trouble, but after all my little girl, I think it's the other way around. As far as trouble being caused is concerned, Mr. Wheel. Now don't worry about that. Well, I think you better call the emergency squad, Captain. This isn't going to do any good. Try again, Judge. Once more. All right. Nora. Nora, please come to the door. Nora. Nora. I think she's coming. She is?

[C]

Please close the door.

[A]

Charles, let me in.

[C]

Nora, you've got to close the door and go away.

[A]

Sweetheart, sweetheart, now, please.

[C]

I'm not going to let you in. You're part of the law, too. You're on their side.

[A]

Mrs. Whitney, close the door, please. This is Mr. We. He's the father of the little girl.

[C]

Oh, how is she?

[A]

She's all right, I think. Ma'. Am.

[C]

I'm sorry. I'm terribly sorry. Jeff never bitten anyone before. I think it was an accident. I think he was just trying to get that red ball she was playing with. Just the red ball. He's a very good dog, really.

[A]

Yes, ma'. Am.

[C]

Are you sure she's all right?

[A]

We hope she'll be all right. She has to take 22 injections.

[C]

22 injections? Why?

[A]

Because we can't get Jeff to see that he doesn't have rabies.

[C]

Oh, Jeff doesn't have rabies. You know he don't.

[A]

We have to make sure, ma'. Am, that's the law.

[C]

I don't want to hear about the law. That's all I ever hear about.

[A]

You don't want that little four year old girl to go through 22 injections, do you, Mrs. Whitney?

[C]

Oh, no. That'd be a shame.

[A]

Well, it's up to you.

[C]

It's not up to me. Jeff doesn't have rabies. Anybody can see that. Anybody.

[A]

When were you told to bring your little girl to the Department of Health, Mr. Wheel? Tomorrow morning, 10 o'. Clock.

[C]

All 22 at 1.

[A]

No, ma', am, it takes 22 days.

[C]

Oh, no. Poor little girl.

[A]

Nothing will happen to Jeff, Mrs. Whitney, believe me, they'll take good care of him. You'll have him back.

[C]

They'll keep him. They'll take him away from me, just like everything else. 22 injections?

[A]

That's right.

[C]

And she's such a little girl. How old is she? Four. Yes, four. That's right. She was crying and her leg hurt her. But those little curls with a ribbon. I remember those little curls with the ribbon. I never had a little girl. I always wanted one. Not 22 injections.

[A]

Yes, ma', am. 22.

[C]

Please close the door, Mrs. Whitney, close the door. I can't get the chain off if you don't close the door.

[A]

Yes, ma'. Am. What's she waiting for? All right, take it easy, sweetheart. I'm sorry. I'm very sorry.

[C]

There's a lot to be sorry about, isn't there? So much.

[A]

Thank you, Mrs. Windy.

[C]

Nothing to thank me for. Jeff's in there. In the bedroom.

[A]

I'll see that he gets where he has to go. Captain. Good.

[C]

Young man.

[A]

Me?

[C]

Yes.

[A]

Yes, ma'. Am. Mrs. Whitney want you watcher every minute.

[C]

Every minute of your life.

[A]

Yes, ma'. Am.

[C]

Because without it, you won't have any life.

[A]

21St Precinct. Sergeant Klein. He jumped or he's going to jump. Where is he? On a ledge. Where is it? East 71. And so it goes. Around the clock through the week, every day, every year. A police precinct in the city of New York is a flesh and blood merry go round. Anyone can catch the brass ring, or the brass ring can catch anyone. 21st Precinct. A factual account of the way the police work in the world's largest city is presented with the official cooperation of the Patrolman's Benevolent association, an organization of more than 20,000 members of the Police Department, City of New York. Everett Sloan in the role of Captain Kennelly. Featured in tonight's cast were Lawson Zerby, Wendell Holmes, Bill Zuckert, Don McLaughlin, Barbara Weeks, Bill Lipton and Donald Bain. Written and directed by Stanley Nis May Lord Avery speak.