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21st Precinct 54-03-24 (037) The Package - Harold's Old Time Radio | Wave AI Podcast Notes

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21st Precinct 54-03-24 (037) The Package

Harold's Old Time Radio

Sun Feb 22 2026

Summary

21st Precinct – "The Package"

Podcast: Harold's Old Time Radio
Episode: 54-03-24 (037)
Summary by: Harold’s Old Time Radio
Date: February 22, 2026

Overview:

This episode of 21st Precinct dramatizes a tense day at a New York City police precinct in the 1950s, as the officers investigate a bomb threat at an art gallery. Captain Frank Kennelly and his officers respond to the call, handle an anxious public, and pursue the source of the extortion attempt. The episode provides a window into police procedure, public anxiety, and the psychological toll of threats in postwar urban America.

Key Discussion Points & Plot Breakdown

1. The Initial Threat & Precinct Life

[00:35] The story opens with Captain Kennelly in the 21st Precinct describing the daily operations and responsibilities of the officers.
[01:40] The mundane is juxtaposed with the extraordinary as Kennelly discusses everyday concerns (like the price of a baseball mitt for a patrolman’s kid).
[03:00] Mr. Wolfschman, a local shop owner, complains about youths loitering around his store—anxieties about “14, 15 year-old bullies”—and shares fears of deteriorating public order.
- Notable Quote: “To tell you the truth, I’m a little bit scared of them myself.” — Mr. Wolfschman [03:20]

2. The Bomb Threat at the Broadstone Gallery

[04:26] They get a call: an anonymous tip claims a bomb was planted during an art auction at the Broadstone Gallery.
- “Bomb?” — Sergeant Jackson [04:30]
[05:30] Police evacuate the gallery quickly and methodically, focusing first on public safety before searching for the suspected device.
- Notable Quote: “We haven’t looked yet. The first job was to get the people out.” — Sergeant Jackson [05:52]
[07:19] They discover a suspicious package under a chair; careful, tense teamwork allows them to isolate it and prepare for a possible blast.
[09:25] The package contains only a lady’s hat, left behind by a patron; tension dissolves.
- Memorable Moment: The banter around the price of a baseball glove returns, underscoring the stress and relief of police work.

3. Investigation & Extortion Demand

[10:39] The officers interview Mr. Broadstone and his staff to reconstruct the threat:
- Ms. McLeave recounts the first call—polite, pressing, a “matter of life and death.” [11:39-12:24]
- “He was very polite. Really very polite.” — Ms. McLeave [11:54]
[13:18] Broadstone recalls taking the second call. The caller insists there’s a bomb, urges swift action.
[17:00] The caller reveals his motive: $5,000 or he’ll place a real bomb next time.
- “Because I want something from you... I want $5,000… So I don’t really put a bomb in your gallery. And next time I will.” — Anonymous Caller [17:23]

4. Police Procedure: Tracking Down the Perpetrator

[18:02] The gallery staff are frightened. Police surmise the caller is not a professional but possibly a disgruntled former employee or someone with a grudge.
[20:57] Hours pass; detectives are assigned to monitor the gallery and Broadstone’s apartment continuously.
[22:19] A breakthrough: Mr. Broadstone receives a newspaper-pasted ransom note, signed with a name and address.
- “Deliver $5,000 by tonight at midnight. You must not fail. As I said, this is a matter of life and death.” — Ransom Note [22:34]

5. The Culprit Identified: Carlton Attbury

[23:43-25:16] Police visit the address; Carlton Attbury is a reclusive, eccentric man living off an inheritance, frustrated at being cut off by the bank, fearful of being sent back to the hospital.
- “Because I need it. But why him? … They said I have to go back to the hospital. And that’s not fair, is it? … I don’t want to go back to the hospital.” — Carlton Attbury [25:33]
- He admits he never intended to use a real bomb: “I wasn’t going to make the bomb. I really wasn’t. I knew I wouldn’t need to if I frightened him enough.” [27:03]
- The police prepare to return him to psychiatric care, having resolved the threat.

6. Reflections on Police Work

[28:14] Captain Kennelly closes with a monologue on the unpredictable and relentless nature of police work—a “flesh and blood merry-go-round.”
The episode ends with credits for the cast and production team, emphasizing its roots in real police procedures.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“If we get [the suspicious package] under [the rug], that’d hold any blast down to a minimum.” — Captain Kelly [08:42]
“These days, $13 isn’t so much.” (comic relief after the bomb turns out to be a lady’s hat) — Dylan [09:54]
“This had to happen to me. Why did it have to happen to me?” — Mr. Broadstone [18:22]
“He didn’t threaten to bomb the police station. He threatened to bomb my place of business.” — Ms. McLeave [18:06]
“There has to be a reason for everything.” — Carlton Attbury [25:50]

Important Segment Timestamps

00:35: Introduction to precinct life and officers
03:00: Community concerns and neighborhood tensions
04:26: Bomb threat call comes in
07:19: Discovery of the suspicious package
09:39: Package is harmless; officers relax
10:39: Interviews with gallery staff begin
13:18: First extortion call
17:00: Second extortion call, demand stated
22:34: Ransom note is received and examined
25:16: Interview with the suspect, Carlton Attbury
28:14: Captain’s closing reflection on police work

Tone & Language

The episode’s tone is matter-of-fact, procedural, and punctuated by moments of dry, understated humor among officers. Dialogues reflect the earnestness and pressures of daily police work, concern for community welfare, and empathy for those involved, including the disturbed caller. The language stays true to period radio drama, formal yet accessible, and with a deep respect for public service.

Takeaways for the Listener

This 21st Precinct episode dramatizes not only the technical aspects of police investigation but also the human anxieties of modern urban life: fear of violence, unpredictability, loneliness, and the desire for stability.
The threat reveals deeper issues—mental illness, economic uncertainty, and community relations—as much as it tests the efficiency and empathy of law enforcement.
The everyday and the extraordinary intertwine, as officers juggle family life, neighbor complaints, and genuine threats to public safety.

[End of Summary]

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Transcript

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Captain Kelly (0:35)

21st Precinct. Sergeant Tierney. Yes. What kind of bomb. Wait a minute. Just a second. Take it easy. In the art gallery. Where?

Sergeant Jackson (0:46)

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Captain Kelly (0:50)

You are in the muster room at the 23rd 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. No, no, don't do that. The officers will be right there. Yeah, go outside on the sidewalk and wait for them. That's right. 21st Precinct. It's just lines on a map of the city of New York. Most of the 173,000 people wedged in to the 9/10 of a square mile between Fifth Avenue and the east river wouldn't know if you asked them that 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. The 21st. 160 patrolmen, 11 sergeants and four lieutenants, of whom I'm the boss. My name is Kelly. Frank Canelli. I'm captain in command of the 21st. I was working my day tour, 8am to 6pm it was warm and sunny. After I turned out the platoon, I cleaned up the paperwork that had accumulated since I was last on duty 24 hours before then, after seeing two visitors in regard to their applications for gun permits, Secretary number three came by the station house for me. And I went on patrol of the precinct with patrolman Eugene Dillon as operator. The other kid comes home, Captain, he says to me, pop, you promised me this year I could have a new mitt. Uh huh. Trapper, he wants, you know, the new style for outfielders. The movie house down on the next block. Dylan. Yes, sir. I wanted to stop in the candy store next morning. Yes, sir. Well, he's got it all picked out. Took me down to the sporting goods store. 13 for a mitt. 13. That's a lot of money. It used to be the best mitt you could buy with $5 tops. $13. How do they expect anybody to spend $13 for a mitt for a kid, a 10 year old? Because all the kids are getting them. I said, Not 13 bucks, Buster. Not 13 bucks for a glove. Well, he was holding back the tears, Captain. And I started a weekend and I thought his mother could use an Easter dress and I could use some shoes and the kid needs some clothes himself. So I said a big final no. Yeah, well, that's a lot of money for a glove. Yes. So you're telling me. I'll be out in a minute. Yes. He. Captain. Captain, hello. Hello, Mr. Wolfschmant. Always a pleasure. Captain, I stopped by to tell you that we're going to have to do something about that element that's beginning to hang out here at night. Mr. Wolfschman, what can you do? Soda, Captain? No. No, thanks. Not even a small chocolate? Nothing?

Captain Kelly (13:18)

What did Ms. McLeaf say to you when she found you? Well, essentially the same thing. She told you that the man said it was a matter of life and death. You decided to take the call? Well, Lieutenant, I have a wife and children, a lot of friends. A matter of life and death can take in a lot of territory. So I went to the phone. Did you come up here upstairs to take the call? No, Captain, I stayed downstairs. I went to a little anteroom off the main gallery. We have an extension in there, the salesman's phone. I see. What was the conversation you had on the phone? Well, I picked up the phone. I said, hello, and he asked, Is this Mr. Broadstone? I said, yes, And I asked who it was calling. He said something like, never mind. And he told me there was a bomb in the place. Well, I thought somebody was kidding me. That's hardly something to kid about. Yes, sir, that's what I told him. But he said he wasn't kidding and might go off any minute. Well, I started asking some questions, but he. He wouldn't talk to me. He hung up. What did you do? Well, I stood there for a minute. I didn't know exactly what to do, whether to call the police first or get the people out. There were 50 or 60 people out there in the gallery at the auction. I decided to call the police first and not to tell the people. Let the police handle that. If I got up there and said there was a bomb in the place, there might be a mad rush for the door and somebody would be sure to get hurt or killed. But I couldn't believe, really, there was a bomb in the place. I thought somebody might be pulling a joke. So I called the police and went out to the sidewalk to wait for them. Well, that was the wisest thing to do. Thank you. Well, the first ones got there almost as soon as I got outside that sargent. I explained to him what happened. Meanwhile, another police car came up and they told me to stay on the sidewalk. They went in and handled the whole thing. They must have handled it fine, because the people started walking out slowly. No disorder, pushing, anything like that. They did a good job, all that. Mr. Broadstone, did the voice of the man on the phone sound in any way familiar to you? No, I can't see that it did, Mr. Gleason. You said he was extremely polite and rather well spoken.

Captain Kelly (18:22)

We will. This had to happen to me. Why did it have to happen to me? Nothing's happened to you yet, Mr. Broadstone. We'll try to see that it doesn't. Lieutenant King was soon Convinced that the man we sought was not a professional extortionist, a telephone check with the Bureau of Criminal Information showed that no complaint of this type had been reported in a considerable period of time any place in the city. City. Although extortion by threat to bomb was once quite common, he leaned rather to the theory that the call was from a disgruntled and psychopathic former employee or a disappointed artist whose work had been turned down by Mr. Broadstone. Two detectives, assisted by employees were set to work on the records of the gallery to look for just such possibilities. In addition, Mr. Broadstone was questioned closely about his personal life. The threat might have it face his there. Mr. Broadstone said he was happily married and went out with no other women he could think of. No enemies he had made through business dealings. He discounted entirely the possibility of a personal vendetta. Lt. King, however, instructed two of his detectives to make a thorough check to verify Broadstone's assertions. By noon, all the uniformed officers who answered the call had been instructed to resume patrol and the case was left entirely in the hands of the detective. I returned to my other duties at 4pm I turned out the platoon for the night tour, after which I worked with a 124 man at our first attempt to arrange the vacation schedule to the satisfaction of as many men as possible. At 6 I changed the civilian clothes, signed the blotter and left the precinct to go off duty until the following day when I walk into the station house at 3:30pm Hello, Captain. Go ahead, take the call. I'll sign the blotter. Yes, sir. 21st Precinct. Sergeant Jackson. What's going on here? Yes, sir. He just got in. Captain. Yeah? Lieutenant King wants to know if he can see you for a minute. Yeah, sure. Before the turnout. The captain wants to know before the turnout. Lieutenant. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. All right. Is he coming down? Yes, sir. He'll be right downstairs. Okay. There's some messages on your desk, Captain. I've got a couple more here. Oh, and Sergeant Collins went sick. No. What's the matter with him? His wife rang in. He says it looks like the virus. He's got a doctor coming. Okay. Is Lieutenant Snyder in the house yet? I didn't see him come in, Captain. I'll tell him to come into my office when he gets here. Yes, sir. I'll be in there. Hello, Captain. Oh, man. Come in.

Captain Kelly (25:16)

it is that one. Hell, He hasn't gone off on one of his three day yachts, man, I don't think so. He's waiting for the 5,000. You want to try it again? Coming. Yes, Mr. Carlton. Mad Brian? Yes. Mr. Marvin? Yes. Oh, did Mr. Broadstone send you gentlemen? In a way, yes. Well, please come in. Have you been standing here long? I didn't hear the door at first. The electric, Fraser, you know. Well, there's so many of you. Won't you come in the living room? No, that's Howard. Yes, sir. Lieutenant, I got you. Where are they going? Just to look around. Oh, well, it's a very attractive apartment. Did you bring the money? No, you didn't. But that was my understanding with Mr. Broadstone. Where police officers. But I need the money. How did you happen to pick on Mr. Broadstone? Why should he give it to you? Well, because I need it. But why him? Where have you been getting it up until now? From the bank. But they won't send me anymore. They said I have to go back to the hospital. And that's not fair, is it? It's my money. It was left to me by my mother. Why shouldn't they send it to me? I don't have to go back to the hospital just because they say so. I don't like it there. What makes you think Mr. Broadstone should give it to you? Because I walked past his gallery every day and every day there were different paintings in the window. Never the same. Always different. I don't want to go back to the hospital. Why did you threaten to leave a bomb in the place if I didn't? Why else would he give me the money? Had to be a reason. Has to be a reason for everything. Nothing back there, Lieutenant. Okay. I don't want to go back to the hospital. Do I have to? Is that where you're going to take me? Where's the stuff you were going to make the bomb out of? Oh, I wasn't going to make the bomb. I really wasn't. I knew I wouldn't need to if I frightened him enough. Did you think of what would happen to you if you didn't frighten him at all? Yes, but what difference did that make? I was going back to the hospital. And anyway. Well, I guess you will after a few stops on the way. 21st Precinct. Sergeant Tierney. Yeah, what is it you lost? Briefcase, huh? Yeah. Where'd you get out of the taxi?