21st Precinct 55-08-13 (097) The Tree

Summary

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Podcast Summary: 21st Precinct 55-08-13 (097) The Tree

Podcast: Harold's Old Time Radio
Episode Date: February 27, 2026
Original Broadcast: August 13, 1955
Theme: A Golden Age radio police drama depicting the daily work and human challenges faced by law enforcement in New York City.

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Episode Overview

In this episode of "21st Precinct," Captain Frank Kennelly and his officers pursue a burglar responsible for a rash of daytime apartment robberies, culminating in a dramatic chase that ends with the suspect cornered up a tree. The episode weaves police procedural with human drama as the officers strive to make a case while a victim's reluctance threatens to let the guilty walk free. The story balances crime investigation, tension, and empathy, capturing both the procedural grind and the personal lives impacted by police work.

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Key Discussion Points & Developments

1. The Ongoing Burglary Investigation

• The precinct has been targeted by a serial burglar who poses as a window washer, carrying a pail and cleaning supplies to access apartments unnoticed.
• Captain Kennelly narrates the scale of the crimes: “…no less than 32 daytime burglaries in the 21st Precinct alone. All committed by the same man using the same double prong Jimmy Claw to force open the door.” (04:11)

2. The Dramatic Chase and Stand-off

• The officers pursue the suspect through a brownstone and corner him up a large tree in the courtyard (“the only tree in the precinct”).
• Memorable Quote:
  • Patrolman Jacoby, reporting the scene:
    “He ran straight through the hall and out the back. The only place he could go was up the tree. That’s where he went...That guy can climb like a monkey.” (07:00)
• Attempts to coax him down fail, so the emergency crew prepares a ladder, but the burglar refuses and climbs higher until a branch breaks and he falls.

3. Recovery of Stolen Goods and Victim Reluctance

• The officers recover a pail dropped by the suspect, containing a woman's purse and $490 in cash.
• Detectives trace the owner via a shoe repair ticket—Mrs. Rose Briner of 792 E 67th Street—but she adamantly denies ownership of the purse and the money.
• Quote - Lieutenant King challenging Mrs. Briner:
  • “I don’t know what makes you reluctant to identify your own property. That money in the purse is yours—I know it, and you know it.” (16:36)

4. Personal Stakes and Pressure

• Police efforts are stymied by Mrs. Briner’s repeated denial, putting the case against the burglar in jeopardy.
• Lieutenant King threatens to hold her as a material witness, applying pressure:
  • “You make up your mind to tell the truth about that property or I’m going to ask the District Attorney to hold you as a material witness. You know what that means, don’t you?” (17:00)

5. The Suspect’s Interrogation

• At the hospital, with a broken arm and sprained ankle, the burglar, identified as Alvin Board, stonewalls the police attempt to tie him to additional crimes beyond the case in hand.
• Tense Exchange:
  • King: “You dropped that pail and the Jimmy…We’ve got the $490, we got the purse, we got the lady it belonged to, and we’ve got the jimmy you used to get in her door. What else do we need?”
  • Board: “Well, you must need something. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be here talking to me.” (22:00)

6. The Emotional Breakthrough

• Back at the precinct, with the pressure mounting, Mrs. Briner finally reveals her secret in front of her husband, Philip.
• Reveal:
  • “I cashed some war bonds. They were in my name from when I was working during the war…It was to send my daughter in California. She’s pregnant. She’s going to have a baby…and he don’t know…Phil was mad…He said if I ever wrote to her or sent her money, he’d leave…” (25:00)
• The emotional moment leads to understanding between husband and wife, and resolution for the police.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "He's up there about 20ft. They couldn't talk him down. I sent for the emergency truck and a ladder." — Sergeant Waters, explaining the unusual situation (03:20)
• "As long as he's up in the tree, he's not going to rob any flats." — Captain Kennelly, deadpanning about the temporary solution (05:19)
• "Let him go. Don't go after him. Stay off… Watch it. Get back." — The tense moment as officers try, and fail, to safely bring the burglar down (09:35)
• "This is one way to catch a burglar." — Officer commenting wryly after the suspect falls (09:53)
• "Well, as far as you're concerned, Alvin, I don't even feel sorry you fell out of a tree." — Lieutenant King's raw honesty about the emotional toll (22:57)
• "You're going to be a grandfather. Adele is going to have a baby." — Mrs. Briner, with an emotional confession that resolves the case (26:26)
• "You should have told me sooner…A baby. A Grandbaby." — Mr. Briner, with warmth after the fraught ordeal (26:51)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|---------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:06 | Introduction from Captain Kennelly, case briefing | | 03:20 | Discovery: burglar cornered up a tree | | 04:11 | Recap of the burglar’s method and list of crimes | | 07:00 | Patrolman's firsthand account of chasing the suspect | | 09:27 | Attempt to bring suspect down; branch breaks; suspect apprehended | | 13:35 | Police question victim Mrs. Briner, who denies her stolen property | | 16:36 | Victim pressured to admit ownership; threat of material witness | | 20:10 | Hospital interrogation: suspect refuses to confess to more crimes | | 25:00 | Emotional reveal: Mrs. Briner explains true reason for her denial | | 26:26 | Family reconciliation and emotional closure |

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Tone and Atmosphere

True to the style of 1950s radio drama:

• Matter-of-fact procedural narration: “21st Precinct. It’s just lines on a map of the city of New York…” (01:06)
• Wry police banter and fatigue
• Emphasis on both the technical and human struggles of police work
• Voice acting conveys both the tension of the manhunt and the emotion behind Mrs. Briner’s secret

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Summary

This episode, "The Tree," is a classic blend of police process and real human issues. It illustrates the relentless, sometimes thankless work of law enforcement, the difficulty in securing even open-and-shut cases, and the often hidden personal dramas of crime victims. The climactic chase up the only tree in the precinct, the reluctant eyewitness, and the poignant family confession all highlight how the personal and professional intersect in the day-to-day lives of police and citizens alike.

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Transcript

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[B]

21st briefing, Sergeant Waters. What do you mean you were robbed? Did somebody hold you up? Yeah. Yeah. Oh. Broken in your flat? Well, how much is missing? Yeah, yeah. You are by transcription in the muscle 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. I'll send the officers over to take a look. Yes, ma'. Am. All right. 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 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 Kennelly, Frank Kennelly. I'm captain in command of the 21st. I was working my day tour 8am to 6pm at 11:30am after patrolling the precinct for two hours in sector car number two, I instructed the operator, Patrolman Cody, to drive me downtown to the sixth Division, where I had an appointment with my immediate Superior, Inspector Edward McBride, who wanted to see me on an urgent manner. On arrival, I instructed Patrolman Kohy to wait in the car and walked up the stairs to the division office. Hello, Captain Canelli? Arnold. Is Inspector McBride in his office? No, sir. I'm sorry. Stuck in a meeting at the Burlas. Oh, he rang up here and told me to get in touch with you, Captain. I called your desk officer. He said you were on your way. That was a couple of minutes ago. Okay. Inspector McBride said I'd tell you he'd be in touch with you by phone later on. All right. Is Lieutenant Joyce around? No, sir. He's out on patrol. Well, look, I'll tell you what. Excuse me, Captain. Yeah, go ahead. 6th Division Patrolman Arnold. He's a charging water to the 25th. Captain Canelli get in there yet? Yes, Sergeant, he is. Hold on. Okay. See you, Captain. Oh, thanks. Captain Kennelly. Sergeant Waters. Captain. Yeah? You know that apartment outspeak is Romulus Mine? Yeah, just a second. Sergeant Arnold. Yes, sir. Could you hold that typing a second? Oh, I'm sorry, Captain. Yes, Sergeant, what is it? The apartment house thief who's been robbing the ground out from under it. Did we get him? Well, yes or no, Captain? They chased him up a tree. What do you mean, they chased him up a tree? A real tree, Captain. He's up there about 20ft. They couldn't talk him down. I sent for the emergency truck and a ladder. Well, are they sure it's the boy who's been giving us all the trouble? Well, he had the window wash, his pail and the jimmy cap. Couldn't be anyone else. Where is this? In the rear courtyard of a converted brownstone at 784East 67, said, Captain. I thought you might want to roll on it. I do. Thanks, Sergeant. Yes, sir. All right, I'll. I'll talk to Inspector McBride later on. Yes, sir. Will you be at the station house? Yes, as soon as we get a burglar down out of a tree. Yes, sir, I'll tell him. I wonder what kind of tree. I hurried downstairs, out onto the street and instructed Patrolman Coley to make the run to 784 East 67th Street. If the man in the tree was in fact the thief we sought, he was responsible for no less than 32 daytime burglaries in the 21st Precinct alone. On each, the thief had operated in exactly the same manner. He would carry a wash pail, rags and a chamois into an apartment building, walk upstairs, ostensibly to solicit a window cleaning job. As A result, no one could carry a water pail on the street without being stopped for questioning at least once in a block. But the burglaries went on, all committed by the same man using the same double prong Jimmy Claw to force open the door. When we arrived at the East 67th street address, two sector cars, the sergeant's car, the detective squad car and the emergency truck were parked in the block. I walked through the ground level hallway of the converted brownstone toward the rear courtyard. High up in the branches of the large tree in the center of the courtyard, I saw the suspect. Hello, Matt. Captain. The only tree in the precinct, Captain. He's got to find it. Well, as long as he's up in the tree, he's not going to rob any flats. Yes, sir. You got something there. Look, we'll stay here all day and all night. You better come down. Get up on that branch there. See if you can reach down from there. All right. Don't press him. He'll come down. We've got lots of time. What's that man around here? All right. Who? Who jumped him, man? Jacoby and Cahill. And take the car four, Captain. Well, looks like you get some sleep now. Yes, sir. If we get him down out of there by night. What do you say? Are you getting hungry? You want to come down and get something to eat? No, we're not hungry. Keep those sacks we're waiting for. What are you going to do? Well, he'll come down, man. I. I want to talk to Jacoby. Yes. Walk up lying around. Hello, Jacoby. Good work. Hello, Captain. Thanks. Except I wish I got my hands on him before he hit the tree. That guy can climb like a monkey. He was way up there before he could Finny up to the first branch. Is that what he was carrying? Yes, sir. He dropped the pail in the hall when we were chasing him through. Must have just come out of some flat. Captain. Under the chamois and the rags, there was a lady's purse in a pail, $490 in it. That's a lot of money. Yes, this. And tell me something, William. What are you trying to find? Any identification in the place? No, sir. Just the money in a plain envelope, a shoe repair ticket and a sale slip from a hardware store on Third Avenue. No name on anything. Well, that won't be any trouble, Jacoby. Anybody missing $490 is going to let us know about it. All right, take it easy. How'd you happen to jump in? Well, sir, I was riding his recorder with Cahill we turned into 67th Street. And I saw this guy walking down the street carrying a pail. And was this jimmy stuck in his belt. I said to Kale, I said, there's another window washer. So he said, let's go over. What do you say? I get tired of sitting up there. You want to come down camping? We stopped the car. Come on down. We're not going to play games with you all day. I'm not coming down. You keep those guys away from me. Take them away. That's all. Yes, Scoby. Well, as soon as the boys spotted the car stopping and me in the uniform, he took off. He ran down the block to the tail trailing behind him and me after him and Cahill after me. He ran into this building. There was a woman taking a baby carriage out the front door. I lost a little ground because the lady in the buggy were blocking my way by this time. Anyway, he ran straight through the hall and out the back. The only place he could go was up the tree. That's where he went. I almost got hold of his foot, but he threw the jimmy at me and hit me across the arm. I pulled back, and by the time I reached for him again, he got the tree. Yeah, the line. Good idea. I'll carry on down. Ellen Cahill came on through with the pail. And we tried to talk him down out of the tree, but he wouldn't come. So Cale went back out to the car and called in for help. The buddy's captain. Good work, Jacoby. It'll be a nice collar. Thank you, Captain. Oh, hang on to that bucket. Yes. All right. Run it up in the plant. Man. He better wait for me. Keep that ladder away from me.

[C]

Now, come on.

[B]

Don't. We've wasted enough time with you. Don't. Keep away from me. He's on a higher. Those branches are getting awfully thin up there, man. Don't climb up anymore. They're not going to hold you down. You fall. Let him go. Don't go after him. Stay off, El. Stay off. Watch it. Get back.

[C]

Here he comes.

[B]

Brother Jacoby, ring in for an ambulance. Yes, sir. All right. Step back here. Well, Captain, this is one way to catch a burglar. Within a few minutes, the ambulance arrived. And the burglar, who was identified as Alvin Bord through cards in his pockets, was taken to Metropolitan Hospital. Patrolman Jacoby was assigned to go along as a guard. Before leaving the scene, Lt. King instructed Detectives DeLuca and Howard to trace the owner of the purse containing $490 in cash found in the water pail. I resumed patrol, and it was not until ten minutes after one that I returned to the station house. Lieutenant Gorman was desk officer, and Sergeant Waters was on telephone switchboard duty. Sergeant. Hello, Captain. Inspector McBride wrangled for you. Oh, well, see if he can get him back while I sign the blotter. Yes, sir. 6 Division Patrolman Islands 21st briefing Sergeant Waters. Yes, sir. Captain, Canary's a talk to Inspector McBride. The inspector isn't here now, Sergeant. He's not taking his meal. Oh, I'll leave a message for him. That captain can only call. Yeah, okay, do that. Yes, sir. Did you get Inspector McBride, Sergeant? No, sir. He's out for a meal. I left a message you called. Oh, okay. Captain Kennelly. Oh, hello, Matt. Lieutenant King. Sergeant. Well, how is he, Matt? The boy that fell out of the tree. Fractured arm and a sprained ankle, that's all. I'm going over to the hospital to talk to him now. He got off lucky, didn't he? Yeah, he sure did. Come out of my office, man. Sure a relief to get that boy out of our hair. You're telling me. Sit down, man. How are you doing with it, man? Not so good, Captain. Gimme a novak. Are up going through his flat on East 110th street that just rang in. They found over $900 in CA cash there, but no evidence of any burglaries. What you got? The purse he had with him? I know that's just the one case I'd like to clear. The whole string of them. That $900 he has in his room won't help me any. No, it won't. No fur coat or a suit or a watch in the place. Nothing that can be identified in any of those jobs. Get rid of that stuff fast. Well, you've got one good case. Maybe when he realizes that, he'll open up about the rest of them also. Captain, I'm gonna talk to him now. Do you wanna ride over to the hospital with me? Yes, Matt. I'll go over with you. Okay, just a second. 21st Precinct. Captain Kennelli. Sergeant Warner's on TS. Captain, Detective DeLuca ringing F. Lieutenant King. Okay, DeLuca. For you, man. Oh, thanks. Lieutenant King. DeLuca. Lieutenant. We place the owner of the purse through the shoe repair ticket. Mrs. Rose Briner. 792E67. Good. Well, I don't know how good it is, Lieutenant. What do you mean? We came up to the flat here. Three feet. There's jimmy marks on the front door. Did you see Mrs. Brighter? Yes, sir. We've seen her. She's right here. I'm calling in from her living room. Well, she denies it's her purse or her money or her anything. Is it? Well, I think so, Lieutenant, but she says no. All right. I'm going to Metropolitan Hospital. I'll stop there on the way. Wait for me. What's the matter, Captain? This boy is right for 33 burglaries in this precinct alone. The way it looks, I'm gonna have trouble making even one case against him. Well, that's the way it goes, Matt. Some days it's hard to earn a dollar. With Lt. King, I drove to 792 East 67th Street, a tenement building that had been converted to small apartments in the the middle rent bracket. We parked the car and walked to the third floor. At apartment 3D. Jimmy Marks were plainly visible on both the jam and on the door itself, right at the lock. This door was forced open, Captain. Yeah. And today. You know, that $490 is mine. I'd identified in a hurry. I know people who'd identify it even if it wasn't there. Hello, Lieutenant. That Captain Kennelly. Hello, DeLuca. Is he the jimmy marks, Lieutenant? Yeah. See you then. There. Just a second. Yes, sir. What did the shoemaker say? He didn't have to say much, Lieutenant. Her name was on the other half of the ticket. The one attached to the shoes she left yesterday. Her name is address. Go to the hardware store. We didn't have to. We got the address from the shoemaker. Well, does she still deny that the purse and the money are hers? Yes, sir. Well, how does she account for the jimmy marks on the door? She says she never noticed him. What do you think the story is? What? Beats me, Lieutenant. She just sits there and lies. All right, let's talk to her. Yes, sir. One lie after another. Howard. Captain Howard. Mrs. Brighter, this is Lieutenant King, my commanding officer. And Captain Kennelly, commanding officer of the 21st Precinct. How do you do, Mrs. Brighter? What is your first name, Mrs. Brighter?

[C]

Rose.

[B]

You live here with Mr. Brighter? Yes. What's his first name? Philip. Is he at work? Yes. Where does he work?

[C]

For the Board of Education.

[B]

What does he do for the Board of Education?

[C]

In the office and accountant.

[B]

You live here alone? You and your husband?

[C]

Yes.

[B]

All alone. No children?

[C]

A married daughter. In the Army.

[B]

She's in the Army? A what?

[C]

No, her husband's a soldier in California. She's with him.

[B]

Oh, I see. Were you out of the house this morning?

[C]

Yes, to 34th Street. The doors are having sailed. I needed seats.

[B]

What time did you come home? 12 o'. Clock.

[C]

Quarter off.

[B]

Did you know that the apartment had been entered?

[C]

No.

[B]

Didn't you see that the door had been forced open?

[C]

No.

[B]

Did you notice a purse containing $490 was missing?

[C]

I had my purse with me.

[B]

You've got more than one purse, haven't you? Yes. The detective showed you a purse containing $490 in he.

[C]

Yes. It's not mine.

[B]

We had a receipt for a pair of shoes you left to be repaired yesterday. The shoe repairman says he knows you. He remembers you. Your name's on the other half of the ticket.

[C]

I don't care. The purse is not mine. Neither is the money.

[B]

Look, Mrs. Brighter, I don't know what makes you reluctant to identify your own property. I don't care what makes you reluctant. That money in the purse of yours. I know it and you know it.

[C]

They're not mine.

[B]

I've got a burglar who's been robbing his blind. He got into this apartment and 32 more the same way. I don't care what your problems are. I've got mine. I've got to keep that boy off the street. And you're going to help me do it whether you want to or not.

[C]

It's not. Not mine. It's not.

[B]

You make up your mind to tell the truth about that property or I'm going to ask the District Attorney to hold you as a material witness. You know what that means, don't you?

[C]

I don't care.

[B]

Well, you will. Care means you get put under bail. And if you can't make the bail, you get locked up. I'm not Kidding about this, Mrs. Brighthouse, the way it's going to be. Now, how about it? Is that your property?

[C]

No.

[B]

All right, Howard, take her in the station house. Notify her husband. No. Maybe he can help us.

[C]

No, don't call my husband. He don't know anything about it.

[B]

At least maybe he won't lie.

[C]

Don't call him.

[B]

Please. All right. Want to tell me the truth? Is that your property? Is it? No. All right, Mrs. Brighter. If you're not willing to help me, I'm certainly not going out of my way to help you. Take her in, Alex. Lieutenant King, Detective DeLuca and I left the apartment as Detective Howard prepared to take Mrs. Brider to the station house. We drove to the Queensborough Bridge and rode halfway across to the elevator which took our car and us to Welfare island, on which Metropolitan Hospital is situated at the hospital. We located the ward to which the suspect, Alvin Board, had been taken and walked down the long corridor toward the room. Through the open door, we could see Patrolman Jacoby seated alongside the bed. Now, that guy took a fall that far and wound up with only a broken arm. I'll never know. Maybe you saw in his head. An honest citizen would have been killed. All right, let's go in yet, then. Hello, Jacoby. Captain, Lieutenant King. Hi. The Lutheran calling. How's the patient? Complaining. What's the trouble, Alvin? This is better than jail, isn't it? Doctor's giving me a hard time poking around with needles. Well, Captain, the floor nurse came and said Sergeant Waters for. The message is that Inspector McBride returned your call and wants you to ring him up at the Vision as soon as you get here. All right. I'll be back right away, man. Take your time, Captain. Well, Alvin, how do you feel? Lousy. That'll teach you not to climb trees. There was only one place you could go that was down. But I hoped I could sprout wings and fly away. Wings won't do you any good, Alvin. I got your cage all picked out for you. See these? Yeah. These are squeals you're clearing for me. 32, and the one today is 33. Whose set of clears? I do. You're clearing my 33. And the squad commanders from the 17th, 19th and 23rd are coming up here. And you'll clear about 50 or 60 more. What do I get? A clear conscience, Alvin. I don't need no clear cut. Listen, you've been robbing us blind for six weeks. You hook me now, make it easy on yourself. Let me tell the district attorney. You try to help me. Why should I help you? What'd you do for me? I didn't do anything for you, Alvin. You want me to pin a medal on you? Then why should I help you? Guess we got you good, that's why. I don't see how you got me. All I did was fall out of trees. Ah, look, don't be a wise guy. You dropped that pail in the Jimmy. There was $490 and the lady's purse in the pail. We've been up talking to the lady. There are marks on the door where you jimmied it. So? So you're hooked on that one. After taking a look at your record, no judge in his right mind would hand you less than two. I don't know what to. I'm hooked on anything. I'll wait and see what you got. We've Got you. We've got the $490. We got the purse, we got the lady it belonged to. And we've got the jimmy you used to get in her door. What else do we need? Well, you must need something. If you did, you would be here talking to me. I came here to talk to you about those other 32. Come around again after I see what you got with the lady with the $490. If you got something, I'll talk to you. Maybe you can't blow hot and cold, Alvin. It's got to be one way or the other. For you, maybe, but not for me. Alvin, in all my life, I never met such a miserable human being lying there with a broken arm and a bad ankle, looking 10 years straight in the face. You won't tell me the right time of day. What's in it for me? That's all I want to know. You guys come around here wanting something. I don't have to talk to you. I don't. Why should I, huh? Alvin, for six weeks before I met you, I didn't like you. Because of you, I haven't spent one evening a week at home. My wife is boiling mad. My kids don't even recognize me. That's all right for a cop. I'm a compassionate guy. Anybody that's in trouble has my sympathy. It's always been my attitude in this job. But as far as you're concerned, Alvin, I don't even feel sorry you fell out of a tree. While I was out phoning unsuccessfully trying to reach the inspector, Lt. King continued to question the burglary suspect, Alvin Board for several minutes. He got no place. When I returned, I talked to him in regard to his fall from the tree. He confirmed by a statement what I had witnessed. No police officer was near him. He stepped on a dead branch and it broke. With Lt. King and Detective DeLuca. I left the hospital and returned to the car. When we arrived at the station house, the detectives went straight upstairs. I signed the blotter and asked Sergeant Waters on TS to try once more to reach Inspector McBride at Division. The inspector was still out on patrol. I looked over the reports and the communications that had accumulated. Then I went upstairs to see what progress Lt. King was making toward getting a presentable case of burglary against Alvin Boyd. 21st squad to Draco De Luca. Soldier. What? Oh, hold on just a second. Yes, sir, Captain. Lieutenant King in his office? Yes, sir. He's talking with our Mrs. Brighter. Go right in. Thanks. Well, where? Was it stolen? Yeah. Yeah. Captain Canary Come in, Captain. Yeah, I understand. Captain, you remember Mrs. Brighter? Yes. She doesn't believe the court will detain her as a material witness if she continues to be uncooperative. You still say that purse and the $490 don't belong to you, Mrs. Bright?

[C]

They don't. I said it and I say it again. They don't.

[B]

I think it's quite obvious that they do, Mrs. Briner.

[C]

No, they don't.

[B]

Also, it must be a pretty serious matter that's making you deny ownership of nearly $500. I'm sure you don't like the idea of losing $500 any more than the next person.

[C]

It's not mine.

[B]

What are you gonna do? Is your husband on the way, Mrs. Bryder?

[C]

Yes, he's coming.

[B]

Well, I'm sure that he'll take one look at the purse and the pair of shoes at the shoemaker and recognize them as yours. Is your husband involved in this in any way?

[C]

No.

[B]

Are you trying to conceal the fact from him that you had nearly $500 in your pocketbook? Is that the trouble? Well, he'll know it as soon as he gets here, Mrs. Brighter, because that's the first thing Lieutenant King is going to tell him. Isn't that right, Matt? Yes, sir. Now, if you tell us what the trouble is, why you deny the purse so the money is yours, maybe we can help you. You know, we get a lot of people in here with all kinds of troubles, and usually things work out all right. You didn't want your husband to know about the money, isn't that right? Yes.

[C]

I didn't want him to know.

[B]

Didn't you think he'd find out?

[C]

I didn't think so. I cashed some war bonds. They were in my name from when I was working during the war.

[B]

It was your money, wasn't it? Why couldn't your husband know about it?

[C]

He'd leave me. He'd know what it was for. He'd walk right out of the house. He said he would. He said he would over and over.

[B]

That's because you took your own money.

[C]

It was to send my daughter in California.

[B]

Oh.

[C]

She's pregnant. She's going to have a baby and he don't know.

[B]

Why not?

[C]

She's only 18. She was 17 when she ran away and got married to the soldier. Phil was mad. He was so mad. He said if I ever wrote to her or sent her money or anything, he'd leave. He'd walk right out. Right out of the house.

[B]

He doesn't know he's going to be a grandfather. No. Where'd you cast the bond?

[C]

At the bank yesterday.

[B]

Why didn't you get a check?

[C]

I should have. I know I should have. I didn't think of it. I was going to the post office this afternoon to buy money orders. When I came home, I swear the door was broken. I ran in the bedroom and the drawer was open. My other purse was gone. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know why. I don't want him to go.

[B]

I don't want him to leave.

[C]

Without him, I got nothing. I decided not to say anything. I made up my mind.

[B]

Yes, DeLuca? Lieutenant, come in. Mr. Brighter is here. All right. Ask him to come in. Yes, sir. Mr. Brighter, the lieutenant wants to see you.

[C]

Let me tell him. Let me tell him myself.

[B]

All right, if you want. In there, Mr. Brighter. Oh, what's the matter? What's the trouble?

[C]

Philip? You're going to be a grandfather. Adele is going to have a baby.

[B]

Thanks. The trouble you're in that. That's why you're at the police station. That's wonderful.

[C]

You're glad.

[B]

Well, why didn't you tell me? What did you wait for?

[C]

I thought. You know, what you said.

[B]

I was afraid as soon as I said it. I was sorry as soon as I said it. Every time. When? Where? How is she?

[C]

In California.

[B]

You should have told me sooner. A baby. A Grandbaby. Come in. Captain Kennelly, Inspector McBride is ringing up here for you. Oh, all right. But why are you here? Let's take it out here, Captain. Yeah, sure. Why? Well, excuse me. There's nothing wrong. You're sure there's nothing wrong? Take it on that expense, Captain. 21st Precinct. Captain Kennelly. Sergeant Waters. Captain, I'm sorry. Your inspector rang in for you, but his man down there got on the phone and said the inspector just had a call from the chief and left in the downtown. Okay. Yeah. Call you back at the place. Opportunity. Yeah, all right, Sergeant. Thanks. Well, everything's okay in there, Captain. Guess my troubles are over. You're lucky, Matt. I can't even find out what my troubles are. 21st briefing Sergeant Waters. Yeah? What kind of a bomb? Now, wait a minute. Just a second. Take it easy. In the art gallery. Where? Yeah, yeah, yeah. How'd you find a bomb? Oh, I see. Yeah. How many people? And so it goes all right. 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 transcribed 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 Sloane in the role of Captain Kennelly. Ken lynch as Lieutenant King, Harold Stone as Sergeant Waters. Featured in tonight's cast were Martin Blaine, Ethel Everett, Frank Marth, Larry Haynes and William Johnstone. Written and produced by Stanley Nist. Art Hannah Speaking.