Podcast Summary: Harold’s Old Time Radio

Episode: 21st Precinct 54-12-01 (073) "The Purse"

Aired: February 25, 2026
Podcast Host: Harolds Old Time Radio

Main Theme

This episode of “21st Precinct,” originally aired December 1, 1954, captures the meticulous, everyday police work emblematic of classic radio drama. The story centers on a mysterious young woman found at a New York bar, apparently suffering from amnesia. As officers try to identify her and unravel her story, the narrative explores themes of identity, policing procedure, and the quiet, sometimes lonely lives of ordinary people in the city. The episode is notably rich in period detail and character-driven interactions, offering a vivid look into mid-century urban life and policing.

Key Discussion Points & Episode Breakdown

1. Setting the Scene: The 21st Precinct’s Night Watch

• [00:28] The episode begins in the “muster room,” the nerve center of the 21st Precinct in NYC, as Captain Frank Kennelly sets the context:
  • 173,000 people, 160 patrolmen, 11 sergeants, and 4 lieutenants.
  • Captain Kennelly’s narration conveys both authority and a sense of personal investment in his district.

Quote:
"You are in the muster room of the 21st Precinct, the nerve center..."
— Captain Kennelly (00:15)

2. The Discovery: A Woman Without a Name

• [02:15] Patrolman Edward Farrell is approached by Josh and Elliot, staff at the local Bar & Grill, about a young woman (later identified as Evelyn Burgess) sitting alone, unresponsive, and apparently suffering from amnesia.
• Scene highlights the officers’ compassion, skepticism, and the bar staff’s moral dilemma about kicking "a pretty little thing" out onto the street.

Quote:
"She just sits there staring with them eyes... she don’t know anything. She don’t even know herself."
— Josh (03:13)

3. The Amnesia Interrogation

• [04:38-08:00] The conversation between Farrell and the young woman:
  • Basic identity questions are met with confusion or logical but empty answers.
  • She knows current events (Eisenhower as president, Bing Crosby as a singer), but nothing personal.
  • No identification or purse; only a hanky, some change, a compact, lipstick.

Memorable Dialogue:
"Well, it seems I know a lot of things until I start to think about them, and then I don’t know much."
— The Young Woman (05:05)

"If you don’t know what your name is, how do you know you don’t know anything about baseball?"
— Patrolman Farrell (05:34)

• The officers remain skeptical but proceed with thoroughness and care.

4. At the Precinct: Police Procedure and Compassion

• [09:39-13:16] Sergeant Waters and Farrell continue questioning at the station.
• The woman muses over her own case, noting her “nice nails,” and demonstrates both anxiety and a need for human connection.
• Police explain fingerprint procedures and potential for being identified via missing persons files.

Quote:
"Because my memory might be gone, but my intuition isn’t. My intuition tells me I’ve never been fingerprinted before."
— The Young Woman (11:31)

• Discussion about whether she's married, her origins, and psychiatric help if needed at Bellevue Hospital.

5. The Purse Discovery

• [16:23] Joe Board, a city sanitation worker, finds an abandoned, expensive purse (ostrich leather), containing identification for “Evelyn Burgess” from Hobart, Maryland.
• The physical description matches the young woman.

Quote:
"Everything in here but money... A woman lives in Maryland. There’s a car registration, operator’s license, and all that."
— Joe Board (16:53)

• The wallet and description are matched with the woman upstairs, who still claims no knowledge of her identity.

6. Unraveling the Truth

• [20:34-25:00] The truth emerges during questioning by Captain Kennelly and his detectives:
  • The officers confront the woman with the evidence from the purse and her matching description.
  • She confesses: her amnesia is a ruse. Her name is Evelyn (“Mrs. Burgess”), not a real amnesia victim.

Key Reveal:
“This whole amnesia thing is just a fake. Isn’t that right?”
— Captain Kennelly (23:30)
“Yes, that’s right. One great big fake.”
— Evelyn/Mrs. Burgess (23:36)

7. Motive Unveiled: A Personal Crisis

• [25:04-27:55] Mrs. Burgess explains she’s from Baltimore, bored and isolated in small-town Hobart, Maryland, with her lawyer husband.
• Seeking escape, she planned to disappear and start anew in New York, even considering a career in television, but quickly realized her plan’s emotional cost.
• The “amnesia” story was invented as a way to return home without confronting her husband directly.

Quote:
"You can say anything you want to say, but that’s the truth. I want to go back to him."
— Mrs. Burgess (27:53)

8. Aftermath: Consequences and Compassion

• [28:15-end] The officers gently admonish her for wasting police resources but empathize with her situation. She has technically broken no law.
• They arrange to contact her husband, but leave it to her to explain her actions.
• Episode closes with the usual bustle of the precinct and Captain Kennelly’s summation of the ongoing, cyclical nature of police work.

Quote:
"A police precinct in the city of New York is a flesh and blood merry-go-round. Anyone can catch the brass ring."
— Narration (29:10)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Logical Out-of-the-Box Thinking:
  "Well, if you don’t know what your name is and where you live, how do you know you don’t know anything about baseball?" — Farrell (05:34)

• The Confession:
  “It’s Mrs. Burgess. This whole amnesia thing is just a fake. Isn’t that right?... One great big fake.” — Mrs. Burgess (23:28–23:36)

• On Small-Town Life and Yearning:
  “Not my husband. I mean, Hobart. Nothing happens.” — Mrs. Burgess (25:16)

• On Human Frailty:
  "You wasted enough of his time, didn’t you?” — Captain (24:46)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:28] – Introduction to the 21st Precinct, Captain Kennelly’s overview
• [02:55] – Discovery of the mysterious woman at the bar
• [04:38–07:00] – Initial questioning of the woman
• [09:39–13:16] – At the precinct, further attempts at identification
• [16:23] – The purse is found, providing a critical clue
• [20:34–22:00] – Confrontation and gently pressing for the truth
• [23:28–23:36] – Mrs. Burgess confesses to faking amnesia
• [25:04–27:55] – Explaining her motives; yearning for escape and her husband
• [28:15–29:10] – Human consequences, police perspective, and closing narration

Tone & Style

The episode is characterized by gentle, realistic dialogue, mixing wry police humor with patient, methodical investigation. There’s an undercurrent of empathy—officers balance skepticism with sincere desire to help, highlighting the “human” side of police work.

Conclusion

"21st Precinct: The Purse" is a bittersweet, keenly observed slice of mid-20th-century city life. The story gracefully transitions from police procedural mystery to a personal drama about loneliness, escape, and regret—showcasing both the procedures and humanity at the heart of classic radio drama.