21st Precinct 56-01-13 (119) The Platform

Summary

Podcast Summary: Harold's Old Time Radio — 21st Precinct 56-01-13 (119) “The Platform”

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Main Theme & Purpose

In this episode of "21st Precinct,” listeners are transported to the tense, bustling atmosphere of a New York City police station in the 1950s, where personal loyalty, police process, and public duty collide. The episode, “The Platform,” dramatizes the efforts of the 21st Precinct’s officers as they handle multiple cases in one night, most notably tracking down a fugitive accused of murdering his wife, while also grappling with the emotional fallout for the fugitive’s extended family.

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Key Discussion Points and Storyline

1. Raid on a Dice Game (0:35–2:52)

• The episode opens with the precinct responding to a report of illegal gambling. Captain Cronin, narrating, details a dice game raid in the back of a barbershop.
  • “Seventeen men were placed under arrest. The patrol wagon was summoned. They were brought to the station house for booking.” (00:56, Captain Cronin)
• The scene is chaotic, reflecting the lively, unpredictable nature of police work.

2. Mrs. Deason’s Dilemma (2:52–10:29)

• Amidst the hubbub, Mrs. Eva Deason arrives, troubled, seeking help from the police about her husband’s brother, Fred, who is wanted for murdering his wife.
  • “You know how many times I walked past the police station? How many times before I came in?” (03:59, Mrs. Deason)
  • She reveals her husband, John, has been clandestinely helping the fugitive Fred by giving him money withdrawn from their savings.
  • Mrs. Deason confides her fears: “His brother could kill three wives and rob four banks, see John – he’ll be all right. It’s a loyalty stick up for the family.” (08:02, Mrs. Deason)
  • She expresses her frustration at her husband’s denial of Fred's madness: “I can’t mention it around the house. One word that anything’s wrong with Fred makes John mad. He thinks it’s a reflection on him. He thinks people will say it runs in the family.” (08:20, Mrs. Deason)
  • She finally resolves, “That’s what I made up my mind. Enough’s enough.” (10:29, Mrs. Deason)

3. Police Strategy & Interrogation (11:33–19:00)

• Captain Cronin takes Mrs. Deason to the Detective Squad, where Lieutenant King corroborates her story with Brooklyn’s 62nd squad. It’s confirmed the fugitive, Fred, is still at large, suspected to approach his brother for aid.
• Officers bring in John Deason, Mrs. Deason's husband, for questioning:
  • John initially denies recent contact with Fred and offers an alternative explanation for the money: “I took the money out of the bank for other personal reasons. To pay somebody I owed it.” (15:32, John Deason)
  • Under pressure, his defensive loyalty and denial are evident: “You’re crazier than he is!” (18:59, John Deason, to his wife)

4. Family Loyalty vs. Duty (19:05–20:41)

• The family’s emotional crisis comes to a head as Eva declares her intention to leave John:
  • “Because I can’t live with a man who don’t know right from wrong. Even after 15 years.” (19:22, Mrs. Deason)
• John finally cracks under the pressure, confessing the truth:
  • “I met him. Yes, twice. He called my place of business. He said he needed some money. I went to the bank and I got it... He called on the telephone yesterday. Here’s another hundred dollars. I took that out of the bank today.” (19:51, John Deason)
  • John reveals the meeting place: the 77th Street station at midnight, where Fred threatened violence if not given money.

5. The Platform Stakeout and Capture (20:41–24:35)

• Police set up an elaborate stakeout at the subway platform.
  • “Detectives were posted near the change booth at turnstiles and at frequent intervals along the Hundred Yard Underground platform…” (21:32, Captain Cronin)
• After tense waiting, Fred arrives, but attempts to flee onto the tracks:
  • “Fred, hold up. Get off the track. He’s going to hit the third rail. Now. Fred. Fred.” (24:01, Officer on the scene)
  • Chaos ensues and Fred is apprehended, injured by contact with the third rail.
  • “He did his brother a favor. We’ll have to plead insanity.” (24:35, Captain Cronin)

6. Poignant Close (24:35–End)

• The episode closes with Captain Cronin reflecting on the constant flux of police work:
  • “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.” (24:50, Captain Cronin)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Enough’s enough.” (10:29, Mrs. Deason)
• “A husband tells a wife a lie about some money, she runs to the police. You ever hear anything so ridiculous? That’s what’s the matter with lying. Mr. Deason keeps getting people in trouble.” (16:26, Captain Cronin)
• “Because I can’t live with a man who don’t know right from wrong. Even after 15 years.” (19:22, Mrs. Deason)
• “He did his brother a favor. We’ll have to plead insanity.” (24:35, Captain Cronin)
• Reflections on the precinct: “A flesh and blood merry-go-round… Anyone can catch the brass ring, or the brass ring can catch anyone.” (24:50, Captain Cronin)

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Key Timestamps

• 00:35 — Opening set-up: Captain Cronin narrates precinct events.
• 02:54 — Mrs. Deason approaches police for help.
• 04:25 — Mrs. Deason reveals deep family trouble and the fugitive’s crime.
• 10:29 — Mrs. Deason decides “enough’s enough.”
• 13:20 — Police plan: Investigation proceeds, John Deason to be picked up.
• 15:06–19:00 — Interrogation of John Deason and dramatic family confrontation.
• 20:41 — John confesses meeting details with Fred; police prepare the stakeout.
• 22:44–24:35 — Subway platform climax: Fred’s arrival, attempted escape, and capture.
• 24:50 — Captain’s closing thoughts on the nature of police work.

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Tone & Style

• The episode maintains a solemn, procedural, and suspenseful tone, with dramatic dialogue interspersed with the steady, no-nonsense narration of Captain Cronin.
• Themes of duty versus family loyalty, the cost of secrecy, and the striving for justice in the face of human frailty are sharply drawn.

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This summary preserves the tension and humanity of the original broadcast, offering newcomers to old time radio a glimpse into both vintage police drama and the timeless dilemmas found at the intersection of family, crime, and civic responsibility.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

21st Precinct. Sergeant Waters. Sergeants and four lieutenants, of whom I'm the boss. My name is Cronin. Vincent P. Cronin. I'm Captain in command of the 21st Precinct. I was doing night duty. 4pm to 8am was a busy night in the precinct. At 8:20pm Patrolman Joseph McGill rang in stating he had reason to believe there was a dice game in progress in the rear of a barbershop on his post. The desk officer, Lieutenant Patrick Gorman, conveyed this information to me and I instructed him to notify the 6th Division plane clothesman whose job it is to enforce the laws relating to public morals in the 21st and the other precincts of the division. At five minutes after 9pm four plainclothesmen arrived in the precinct to act on the information. With the assistance of Patrolman McGill, two men from sector car number two and myself, the suspected premises were raided. A dice game was in fact in operation. 17 men were placed under arrest. The patrol wagon was summoned. They were brought to the station house for booking. The muster room was swarming with suspects and police officers as Lt. Gorman took the pedigree of the first suspect and entered it into the arrest record. I stood behind the desk.

[C]

All right, all right. Keep it quiet.

[B]

Where do you think you are? All right, next.

[C]

That's this one.

[B]

Come on, Step right up there. What's your name? That's the traffic, huh, Captain? Yes. Yes. Joe. IW first name is? Joseph. Joseph? Yeah. What's the middle name? Joseph. C. Joseph. Carlo. C, A, R, L. That's right. C, A, R. Round. How do you spell the last time? E, R, W, O, D. Hey, look, I want to get this straight. I wasn't shooting crap. I was in the barbershop to get a haircut. You could ask anybody. How old are you? 32 in March. Where do you live? 3420 Florence Avenue in the Bronx. In the Bronx? Yeah. What's your occupation? Electric? Electrical. Contact. When McAdo rings in, I Want to talk to him, Sergeant? Okay, Captain. Search him to go. Why is he half. There's a bondman coming. He's on his way. Do what the. Lieutenant Pelgia. We don't want to be here all night getting you. Okay, but I was. Let's see what that woman wants, Sergeant. Yes, sir. Now, lady, over here, please. Everything.

[C]

Excuse me. I didn't want to be any trouble.

[B]

What can we do for you?

[C]

I want to talk to someone to police me.

[B]

What about?

[C]

Well, I don't know how to.

[B]

Excuse me.

[C]

Yes, all right.

[B]

21st Precinct, Sergeant Waters. Lieutenant Garment is busy now. What'd you find there? Yeah, all right. Wait just a second, will you? It'll be just a minute, lady.

[C]

All right. Don't worry.

[B]

Captain, would you mind handing me that aided card out of desk there? Oh, which one, sir? That's it right there. There you go. Thanks, Captain. He's in Roosevelt Hospital with a possible fractured leg. Right leg. Take the call, Sergeant. I'll talk to a woman. I'm Captain Cronin.

[C]

How do you do?

[B]

Pretty busy here. Suppose you step into my office.

[C]

All right. I don't mean to be any bother.

[B]

All right. In this way. Stand on your own. Two pieces.

[C]

Is it like that all the time? So busy?

[B]

No, not all the time. Would you sit down, miss?

[C]

Mrs. Deason. Mrs. Eva Deason.

[B]

Sit down here, Mrs. Deason.

[C]

Thank you. Thank you very much.

[B]

Oh, what can we do for you?

[C]

You know how many times I walked past the police station? How many times before I came in?

[B]

What's the trouble, Mrs. Asian trouble.

[C]

All right. So much trouble. I don't sleep nights. I don't sleep nights for two weeks.

[B]

What trouble?

[C]

Instead of coming to the police station, maybe I should have kept right on walking by.

[B]

But you're in now.

[C]

Yes, I'm in.

[B]

Please sit down. You want me to tell me about it?

[C]

All right. But I'm married. 15 years, going on 16. If I tell you, I might as well move out. If I don't move out, I'll get kicked out. 15 years.

[B]

It's something about your husband.

[C]

Yes, I know about his brother.

[B]

What's the trouble with him?

[C]

Crazy. Insane.

[B]

Well, Mrs. Deason, that's not our job.

[C]

He shot his wife. He killed her. Oh, crazy.

[B]

When did this happen?

[C]

Six, seven weeks ago. I don't know.

[B]

Where?

[C]

At his home. Brooklyn. He came home one night and took a shotgun, the shotgun he used to hunt ducks. He shot her and she's dead.

[B]

Why did he shoot her?

[C]

No reason. Crazy.

[B]

He must have thought he had a reason.

[C]

He said she was running around. He said she ran around with all different men. He said it for years.

[B]

Was she running around? No.

[C]

Nothing he gave home all the time. A nice woman was scared all the time. Said he was going to kill her. And he did.

[B]

What's his name?

[C]

Who? My husband?

[B]

No, his brother.

[C]

Just like my husband. Eason. My husband's John. He's Fred.

[B]

Where is he now?

[C]

Fred?

[B]

Yes.

[C]

I don't know right now.

[B]

Wasn't he arrested?

[C]

They didn't catch him yet.

[B]

Are they looking for him?

[C]

Oh, sure. Yeah. They knew right away it was him that killed her with his gun. The lady downstairs from them heard the shot. He came out in the hall. He was running down the stairs. He ran down the stairs now on the street.

[B]

And they haven't caught him yet?

[C]

No.

[B]

This was in Brooklyn six or seven weeks ago.

[C]

Yes, Brooklyn.

[B]

The police have been working on it, haven't they?

[C]

Oh, sure. All the time. From as soon as she was shot. The detective came to our house and told us about it. We went to Brooklyn with him, some police station there. We went to the place where they had her laid out in a. What do you call it? A morgue. They asked us a lot of questions.

[B]

Who is us?

[C]

Me and my husband, John. They asked us all about him. They asked John if he knew where his brother could be and everything like that.

[B]

Did he know?

[C]

How could he? We don't see Fred very often for a long time. He lives in Brooklyn, us in Manhattan. Maybe two or three times a year, you know?

[B]

Yeah. Yeah. Does your husband have any other brothers or sisters?

[C]

No, just him, Fred. So a day or two goes by and he still isn't caught. We went to a funeral and everything like that. There were detectives at the funeral, too. Same detectives that talked to us. They said they thought maybe Fred would come, but he didn't. After the funeral, one of the detectives came to our house. He waited there. And then another detective came and also waited.

[B]

Have they still got detectives planted at your house, Mrs. Dateson?

[C]

Planted? What do you mean, planted?

[B]

Well, I. I mean, are they still waiting there? No.

[C]

After 10 days or maybe two weeks, one of them came in for a cup of coffee with John and me. And he said the detective, they thought Fred had gone away from town, Pennsylvania someplace. He said they wouldn't wait at our house anymore.

[B]

Well, what's the problem now, Mrs. Diesen?

[C]

The problem is John heard from Fred. Oh, Fred called John on the telephone at his place of business two weeks ago.

[B]

Didn't John call the detective?

[C]

No.

[B]

Why didn't you come?

[C]

I didn't know. I didn't know until the day before yesterday. I went to put money in the savings account. I saw $200 was taken out. $100 once and $100 again. When John came home, I showed him the bank book. He told me his brother called him on the job and told him he needed money. He called him twice for money. Twice he went to the bank and got it out. Hundred dollars each time.

[B]

Why didn't he get in touch with the detectives?

[C]

He wouldn't do anything against his brother.

[B]

You. You said he's out of his mind.

[C]

I say he's out of his mind. Yes. Detectives say he's out of his mind. Everybody says he's out of his mind. Everybody except John. John don't believe it. He sticks up. His brother could kill three wives and rob four banks. See John. He'll be all right. It's a loyalty stick up for the family.

[B]

Yeah, but doesn't he realize his brother's liable to get violent with him?

[C]

How could he realize that if he don't realize he's crazy? I see I can't mention it around the house. One word that anything's wrong with Fred makes John mad. He thinks it's a reflection on him. He thinks people will say it runs in the family. He's insane, too. He should realize it. I asked him who's kidding who? Wasn't Fred in Harlem State Hospital for two years? I asked him why did they send him this. He said to get arrest. What are you going to do with something like that? Can't even talk to him about the subject.

[B]

Why didn't you come and see us before? Or call a Brooklyn detective?

[C]

Because before he'd already seen Fred and the money was gone. So was Fred. What good would it do? Just get me in a big argument with John, that's all. And now I noticed today the bank book was gone again. He took it when he went to work.

[B]

I see.

[C]

It was back after supper. Back where we keep it all the time. In the drawer with his socks. Another hundred dollars was drawn out.

[B]

You think he saw his brother during the day?

[C]

No.

[B]

Oh, why not?

[C]

Because also after dinner he went to paint the pipes under the sink. Took off his good pants and put on his old pants. The hundred dollars was still in his good pants then.

[B]

You think, Mrs. Deason, that he hasn't seen his brother yet?

[C]

I don't think it. I know it.

[B]

Maybe seeing him tonight?

[C]

No. Tonight. Right now he's playing seven called rummy with a neighbor. The neighbor's flat downstairs.

[B]

Where did you say you were going?

[C]

86 street, to the movies.

[B]

That didn't make him suspicious?

[C]

Why? Whenever he plays rummy, I go to movies.

[B]

What time does he expect you home?

[C]

11:15, 11:30, when he finishes the rummy game.

[B]

All right, Mr. Jason. In the meantime, I'd like to take upstairs to talk to the detectives here, if you want.

[C]

All right. Now.

[B]

Yes,

[C]

Captain.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

I don't want you to think this is because John took $300 from the bank. He did to his brother.

[B]

I didn't say I thought that.

[C]

$300 takes a long time to save. To give it to a maniac that goes around killing wives is not right. I'm loyal. Also, there's a time and place to do the right thing. That's what I made up my mind. Enough's enough.

[B]

I agree with you, Mrs. D. Enough is enough.

[D]

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[C]

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[A]

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[C]

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[A]

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[B]

I took Mrs. Deason upstairs to the 21st Detective Squad and into the office of Lieutenant Matt King, commanding officer of the squad. There she went through substantially the same story she told to me. As Lieutenant King and one of his detectives began to question the woman in greater detail. I left, walked down the worn stairs and through the back room, out into the muster room. The crop shooters were still being booked at the desk. As I went to my office and closed the door at my desk, I dug deeper into the pile of reports and communications to be signed in time for the precinct messenger to take them to division headquarters with the morning mail. Yes, Lieutenant King. Come in.

[C]

All right, now keep it quiet.

[B]

Come at. What's going on out there? It's like a convention, huh? There's convention of crapshooters. Well, how many of them did you bag? 17. Sit down. Is that all? Looks like more. The others are playing clothesmen from Division. Oh, Lieutenant Gorman is going to have writers cramp before he's finished with that hall. Yeah. What did you think of this Mrs. Deason story, Matt? Looks pretty good, Captain. I called out to the 62nd squad. They had such a case. Fred Decent, the husband of the dead woman, is still a fugitive. The squad his assistant was on the job. He told me they suspected the man might turn up at his brother's. As a matter of fact, I remember they spoke to me a month or so ago that they were going to put a plant on an apartment building here in this precinct. Where are you going from here, man? Well, their case, this acting squad commander I spoke to and the detective carrying the squeal are on the way over now. What are they going to do? Put a tail on the husband, See if he takes the money to Fred. We thought we might do that at first, but we decided over the phone to pick him up tonight. Why? This John Deason is anything like his wife says he is, he's taking a chance. He might just shut up the other way. He'd probably lead you to Fred. We thought it out pretty much. He might have had a date to meet his brother today and missed him. We could tail him around for two or three weeks before they make contact again. Yeah, well, maybe. No. Oh, what I wanted to see about, Captain, is I sent DeLuca and Novak over to the flat a little while ago to pick up Mr. Deason and bring him in. The wife's upstairs. Thought maybe I could talk to him in here for a few minutes before I took him up to the squad. If you're not too busy. Oh, sure. Sorry, man. I told the sergeant on TS to ring in here when they get back to the house with him. Or I can wait out in the muster room. No, no, stay right where you are. They're due back now. Mrs. Deason told you he was playing cards in the neighbor's flat? Yeah, so she told me. I got the name and location from her. Oh, I got something I want to show you. Yes, sir? My recommendation for departmental recognition of Sergeant Lyons and patrol connection with that gunfight they had with that stick up man. Poor Chris. Oh, yeah. They ought to get commendations out of it, don't you think? Well, I think a commendation for Nelson Sights and Lions ought to do better. He ought to get honorable mention. I wouldn't mind? Wouldn't be surprised if he did. Excuse me. Yes? 21st Precinct. Captain Cronin. Sergeant Waters on TS. Captain. Is Lieutenant King in that? Yeah, he's right here. Deluka Novaka here. He asked me to stop them when they got back to the house and ring in here. All right. Hold on, Matt. DeLuca and Novak are out of the well. Ask them to come in, Captain. If it's all right, Sergeant, have them come in here.

[C]

Yes, sir.

[B]

In the captain's office, Sergeant. Yes, sir. How you doing out there with the dice players? Lieutenant's got about half of them booked, Captain. It's low. All right. Yes, come in. Come in, lad. All right, go ahead, Mr. Deason. Drag somebody away from a peaceful rum. He gave no vac. You better go on up and catch while whitey takes his meal. Sit down here, Mr. Deeson. I know nothing. I. I told the detectives from Brooklyn.

[C]

I know nothing.

[B]

I told this detective tonight. I know nothing. I tell you, I know nothing. You don't have to know anything to sit down. Mr. Deason. This is Captain Cronin. I'm Lieutenant King. How do you do? Hello. Mr. Deason. I don't suppose there's any need for me to tell you how important it is for us to apprehend you. But everybody has already told me. As important as it is for us, it's just as important for him. His safety is involved and his health. Nothing wrong with his health. Never anything wrong with his health. He's as healthy as an ox. As an ox? Yeah. He looked well when you saw him. Yes, when I saw him. A week before he. Before his wife died. Do you think there's any doubt that he killed his wife? I think nothing. I only know what I know. It's been established beyond all doubt that he killed his wife, Mr. Deason, you know that. I don't know that. I was not there, but he did. Were you there? Captain? The evidence is quite conclusive. I don't give this for the evidence. Is that why you've seen your brother on several occasions? When? Since he's been a fugitive. Who said I saw my brother? Didn't you? Eva has been talking to you. You saw him on two. I know it was Eva. No, it was her. Because that's when I said to her, I saw him twice. Man can't even lie to his wife without the police. They come in the vlog. Why did you lie to your wife? If her voice a lie? It was a lie because I had to tell her something she'd believe. About what I did with the money. You know about the money, too? Yes, sure. Tell a woman a secret. I took the money out of the bank for other personal reasons. What other personal reasons? Pay somebody I owed it. Here we go. At my place of business, the shipping clerk takes bets on horses. I owed him $200. $200? Yes, sir. Then why did you draw it out of the bank $100 at a time if you owed him 200? Because I told him I would pay him a hundred at a time. Settle at 200. Yours? That is right. One and one. That's two. And what was the other hundred drawn out today for him sneak to look at the bank book tonight too, huh? Where is she? I could give her a piece of my mind, that. Is she here? What was the hundred a day for, Mr. De? Also for the bookmaker? Yes. Thought you only owed him 200. I. I was trying to win back the 200, so I lost another hundred also. 300 altogether. 300? That's what you paid him, is that right? 300? Yes, except I. I didn't pay him the last hundred yet. I still have it in my pocket. You want to see it? No, no, sorry. What's the name of the shipping clerk? Bookmaker. Yeah. What's his name? His name is Al. What's his last name? I don't know. You work in the same place. You don't know his last name? We're in different departments. A big place. All right. We'll find out who runs to the police with lies. A husband tells a wife a lie about some money, she runs to the police. You ever hear anything so ridiculous? That's what's the matter with lying. Mr. Deason keeps getting people in trouble. The interrogation of John Deason continued for some minutes. Was a difficult job for Lieutenant King. He needed information regarding the whereabouts of the killer. But he couldn't afford to press too hard for fear that the witness would stop talking entirely. He skirted the subjects that were touchy to John Deason, kept going over and over the ground previously covered in the hope that the witness would be caught in a tangle of his own lies. It didn't work. At 10:30, Lt. King and Detective Deluca left my office with John Deason, took him out into the muster room where the process of booking the gamblers was continuing. I stood in the doorway of my office, watched them go into the back room, up the stairs to the second floor, on their way to the office of the 21st Detective Squad. All right, Mr. Decent, inside when I have to be at work. At 8 in the morning. I. I hope you realize, Eva, family secrets. Family secrets.

[C]

You tell family secrets about a wife killer.

[B]

Family secrets, folks. The maniac part, that wife killer part, that don't bother you? All right, let's settle down. The money, the $300.

[C]

You're crazier than he is.

[B]

He is not crazy, Large. Now, you get that through your head. All right, Mrs. D. I got enough

[C]

through my head already.

[B]

Not crazy now, Mr. Jason, let me go. Now I can talk to my own wife.

[C]

Your wife? Yes, but not for long.

[B]

What do you mean, not for long?

[C]

I mean not for long. Only for as long as it takes me to pack my clothes and go to my sister.

[B]

Ah, but after 15 years.

[C]

After 15 years?

[A]

Why?

[C]

Because I can't live with a man who don't know right from wrong. Even after 50 years. That's right. I know it's right. How do you know what he's doing? Maybe he's killing somebody else. Maybe right this minute.

[B]

Eva, please sit down, Mrs. Thiessen, please.

[C]

I'm not going to sit down. I'm leaving. I'm going. I'm through.

[B]

Sit down, Eva, please. No, I'll talk to him.

[C]

I'll. I'll tell him. All right. If you tell him, I'll sit down.

[B]

I met him. Yes, Twice. He called my place of business. He said he needed some money. I went to the bank and I got it. And then he called again. More money. Where's he living? I don't know. I didn't ask him. You have more money for him now, don't you? Yeah. He called on the telephone yesterday. Here's another hundred dollars. I took that out of the bank today. When are you supposed to give him, Max? Tonight at midnight. Where? Told me to be on the subway platform, 77th Street Station. He's get off the train and meet me at midnight. He'll be met. He's got a gun. Pistol. He said he'd shoot. He'd shoot anybody. He don't care. He said if I didn't get him the money, he'd hold up places. He'd shoot the people. That's why I got it. I didn't want anybody to get shot. That's why John. Poor John.

[C]

I'm sorry.

[B]

I'm sorry, too. Very sorry. You'll be on the subway platform, John. We'll all meet him. No, I'm not going. I'm me. We need you to point him out. Not me. I won't point out my own brother. Don't ask me to do that. Please. Let me be that loyal. All right. We'll get him without you. Arrangements were begun immediately to plant the 77th street subway station of the Lexington Avenue line in order to apprehend the fugitive when he stepped off the train at midnight. Lt. King conferred with me and requested assistance in the form of members of my command. To cover the stairs leading to the street of both the uptown and downtown sides of the station. Detectives were posted near the change booth at turnstiles and at frequent intervals along the Hundred Yard Underground platform at which the trains pulled to a stop. Other detectives were assigned aboard each train as it stopped at the preceding station. We waited. Several locals stopped at the station. Several express trains went through. On the inside track, no one resembling the fugitive had gotten off a train by 12:10. Here comes another train, Captain. That looks like an express now. Guess there is an express. Well, the locals shouldn't be far behind. 12 minutes after Hunt. 12 minutes after 12. Yeah. Think he's got a show? That beats me much. It would beat me worse if John wasn't telling the truth. If he was supposed to meet his brother some other time in some other place. Here comes a local. Nelson. Looks like everybody's set. Better be on this one or the next one is coming. Six times. Not many passengers, Captain. No way down there. The last car. Now, look. Yeah, that could have been him getting off. Listen. Salute the man. Come on. Gotta talk to him. For crying out loud. Lud, watch it.

[C]

Come on. There it is. That way. On the track. Jump on the track.

[B]

Bloody. You all right? He got me with one in the neck. Bring in from the ambulance. Come on, Captain.

[C]

Bring in from the ambulance. He got a shot.

[B]

Look out. Jumping down, Cap. Here. Like the third rail, huh? Yeah. All right.

[C]

There we go.

[B]

Hold up there.

[C]

Hold up.

[B]

Crossing over. Watch it. Hold it, man. I see him.

[C]

Get over. Get over. He doesn't know.

[B]

Come on.

[C]

There he is. Hold up.

[B]

Let's cross over. Matt, Watch it. Captain, Downtown Express. Yes.

[C]

There.

[B]

See him?

[C]

There he is. Across the track. Out of the way.

[B]

See him, Captain? No.

[C]

There he is. Come on. Come on, Sergeant. Yeah. There we go. That's the track. That's the track. Fred. Fred, hold up. Get off the track. He's going to hit the third rail. Now. Fred. Fred. Watch this. What is it?

[B]

He's down.

[C]

He's down. He's down.

[B]

Watch him. You see that spot? I saw it. Yeah, I saw it. We're going 10ft. Why'd you make it so fast? Roger. I crossed the track up above. All right, watch him. Watch him now. Grab his gun.

[C]

Got it.

[B]

Fen. Fenn. He's had it. I think.

[C]

How is it? Everything okay?

[B]

It's okay. At least one thing, Matt. Why, Captain? He did his brother a favor. We'll have to plead insanity. 21st Precinct. Sergeant Waters. Why do you want a policeman? What's the trouble there? Yeah? Whose car is it? Yours. 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 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. James Gregory in the role of Captain Cronin. Ken lynch as Lieutenant King. Harold Stone of Sergeant Waters. Featured in tonight's cast were Santos Ortega, Bill Zilkert, Abby Lewis, John Sylvester and John Larkin. 21st Precinct is written and produced by Stanley Ness. Art Hannah Stevens.