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Calling All Cars 34-01-17 ep008 The Steele Kidnapping
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Calling All Cars 34-01-17 ep008 The Steele Kidnapping
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Stiles Mackenzie
We interrupt this program to bring you an important Wayfair message. Wayfair's got style tips for every home. This is Stiles Mackenzie helping you make those rooms sing. Today's Style Tip when it comes to making a statement, treat bold patterns like neutrals. Go wild like an untamed animal. Print area rug under a rustic farmhouse table. From wayfair.com this has been your Wayfair style tip to keep those interiors superior. Wayfair Every style. Every home Calling all cars a copyrighted program created by the Rio Grande Oil Company and Fletcher, who were shot to death tonight in Bo Heights. Suspect of driving a battered old Ford. Description of old suspect obtainable is a medium height, has thin hair, wearing a Tuckered suit. Get him, boy. That's all. If you are the average motorist, you buy gasoline for only one or two cars. What would you do if you had to supply thousands of cars of gasoline? You would check pretty carefully all the different brands. You'd analyze their many claims. And not satisfied with claims, you'd make actual tests yourselves to see which gasoline is most powerful, which is the fastest, which gasoline really does give more miles to the gallon. That's how the buyers for large cities like Los Angeles and Oakland select the gasoline for their thousands of police fires emergency cars by actual tests. But gasoline wins these tests. Nearly everyone knows that Rio Grande cracked Gasoline has won them for years and thereby won the contract to supply gasoline for more police, fire and emergency cars than any other brand in this market. It is an honor to have the finest, fastest, most powerful motors on the road using your gasoline. Rio Grande is able to hold this leadership only by producing a gasoline which actually outperforms others. No other gasoline can equal this performance because Rio Grande holds the exclusive patent rights to manufacture cracked gasoline by the Sinclair process. Millions of dollars have been invested in special refinery apparatus which breaks gasoline drops into unbelievably small atoms so they'll burn more efficiently in your car. Rio Grande balances quacks gasoline so it starts quicker than other brands, so it generates more power so it speeds up faster. And this cracking and balancing ensures that Rio Grandic crack burns evenly and completely so there's no waste. As in gasolines made by the ordinary refining processes. You can actually feel the difference in your own car when you change to Rio Grande cracked gasoline. One tankful will convince you that there's a world of difference. Please try. And now we are pleased to present Chief James E. Davis of the Los Angeles Police Department. Chief Davis. Good evening, friends. It is only when a police officer is slain while protecting your life and property that many of you realize how dangerous and at times how thankless his life is. The brutal killing of two men with whom I worked in the first auto patrol in the city of Los Angeles 15 years ago startled me as it did the entire police personnel of the state into such a realization. Tonight's dramatization of that fiendish slaying and the manhunt that followed it will, I sincerely hope, impress upon you the peril in which your police officers work. I hope, too, that it will serve as a warning to those who live outside the law that it is far more dangerous to shoot a policeman and take a chance on getting away than it is to surrender. For although a detective will do his best no matter what the case is, he will do a little better than his best, go with less sleep than the little he normally gets, follow clue after clue, never giving up when he is searching for the murder of a fellow officer. It is the night of December 6, 1921. In Mosley's Auditorium at Grand Avenue and 16th street, the annual police ball is being held. Clad in severe black and white evening dress, accomoded by their ladies in dazzling colorful gowns, the guardians of the law are at this moment being led by Mayor George E. Cryer in the grand march immediately behind the mayor marches Police Chief Charles E. Jones. Just as the march is drawing to a close, an attendant approaches the chief. Beg pardon, Chief. Yes, what is it? Important telephone call, sir. Tell them to wait. They said to get you to the phone at once. It's headquarters. Very well. Will you pardon me, my dear? Always business, you know. Certainly, Go right ahead. Right here. Oh, yes, thank you. Hello? Chief Jones speaking. What? Yes, all right, I'll be right down. Stop the music. Professor, other officers. I have just had a call from headquarters. It was a report that Officer Vilbrett and Officer Harry Cluster have just been murdered. I guess the party's over for tonight, boys. As the grief stricken officers file silently out of the auditorium, newsboys are already screaming the headlines of extras heralding the death of the two policemen. Chief Jones goes to headquarters immediately, followed by the Shaft officers, many of whom have not stopped to change her evening dressing uniforms. A citywide manhunt is ordered at once for the brutal killers who, not content with riddling the bodies of Bretton Cluster with bullets, had benightly driven the car backwards and forwards over the already dead bodies. The next morning, Detectives Jesse Urban and Harry Hickok are assigned to assist. Harry J. Ringman Knight, Chief of the Theft Bureau of the Automobile Club of Southern California in investigating the crime. You know, boys, I'd rather capture the murders of Brett and Custer than any criminals I have ever brought in. These boys were close friends of mine. We've worked on plenty of cases together. And a finer pair of salad breads I have never known. Yep, that's right. They were great guys. They have to go that way. You get any more door bunny down at headquarters? Well, not much. They found a couple of girls who saw it happen from the front room of their house. But they were so scared they didn't remember much. Just isn't any clue. Personally, I think an outside mob did it. I'll bet they highballed out of town right afterwards. No, it doesn't sound right to me. Why? Well, it seems to me they needed some quick dough or they never would have been working Boyle Heights. Thinly settled. And there's no big door to knock over up there. Yeah, that's right. My guess is they're still around. Let's go out of neighborhood and look the place over. But a close questioning of the residents in the neighborhood of the scene of the crime fails to reveal anyone save the two girls who would see it happen. But Raymond will not admit defeat. Two nights later, he returns by himself and continues his question. This time he is successful. He finds an old ET Gold miner who had not been home on his previous round of the neighborhood. Yep. Yes, I seen the shooting. I was sitting on the porch smoking my pipe when I see these two cars go by. One was an old Ford. The other was the police car, I suppose. Yes. And what happened? Well, I heard somebody from the rear of the first car yelled, boys, don't do that. And there were two shots and the man fell out of it. The policeman in the second car got out and ran up. Just then another guy gets out the Ford and starts running across the vacant lot. How was he dressed? He wore a light checkered suit, like a gambler, I'd say. And I saw him in the streetlight and his hair was light and thin. Would you know him if you saw him again? Yes. Yes, I'm certain it would. Good. What else happened? Well, the policeman called this fellow to halt. And instead the hombre in the check suit fired a shot at him. Then there was a shot in the back of the car and I heard the glass splintering. Then the man in the tech suit, he come back to the car and they drove the Ford over the bodies of the policeman and then drove away. How many men were there in the Car? Oh, I don't know. I guess about four. Man, why didn't you report this to the police? Listen, mister, I've lived in the West a long time in the gold camps and the silver mines. And I've seen a lot of shooting scrapes. And I'm alive now because I don't meddle in other people's business. Next day, Detective Raymond returns to the scene of the crime. Searching for clues. In a pile of rubbish along the curb, he finds a small, irregular piece of glass. Elated at this discovery, he brings it to the chief. Well, Chief, here's a clue. What's that? A piece of broken glass. My guess is that it's from the windshield that was shattered by bullets the other night. Any fingerprints on it? Hardly. It was shot away. All you have to do is find a car with a broken windshield that will fit that piece. Yeah, but I want to. With all the automobiles in Los Angeles, that's quite a job. Yeah, there's no doubt about that. But I've got two clues. One of the guys wore a check suit. And this piece of glass fits into a windshield someplace. And if it's humanly possible these two crews are going to avenge the murders of Brett and Cluster. Go do it, Harry. You've cut out a big job for yourself, but I'm all for you. Two nights later, Raymond and Irvin are cruising through the Central Avenue district. On the routine job of searching for automobile thieves. Suddenly, as they turn to 40th Street. Harry, look. What? Stop the car a minute and turn out the lights. What is it? See those two cars down the street there? Yeah. Oh, I get it. Tire fees, huh? Well, we'll just take those lads in. Come on. Okay. Turn on your lights like you was going to drive by. What? That windshield has a sticker on it, like comes on new windshield. Oh, what of it? Hey, what are you driving past for? Aren't you going to pinch him? Nope. I got a hunch. Revan, what's the matter with you? Listen, I may be crazy, but that was a new windshield in that Ford. This old prospector who saw the shooting said they used an old Ford and that one of the bullets shattered the windshield. Those guys might be the ones we're looking for. Yeah, they might at that. Well, we're going to follow them and find out. Irvin and Raymond tail the suspected car to Hermosa beach, where it enters a garage behind the house a block from the ocean. The windows of the house are lit up, and the two detectives remain on watch until the lights go out at 4:30 next morning. They are at the stakeout early, accompanied by Hitcock. And their vigil is rewarded when three men and two women come out of the house tied in bathing suits and go down to the beach. Leaving Hickok on watch in front, the two detectives go around to the back door. They enter by means of Raymond's pass key. Hey, Harry, here's an Eiffel. What's that in this drawer here? Look. Revolvers, automatic. And look at this sawed off shotgun and all the slugs. Hey, let's get a look at the garage. Okay. Well, there's the old Ford in the garage. Yeah. Now, I want to take a look at this windshield. By gosh, Albin, I'm right. What's that? This is a new windshield. Here's the price on this sticker. Say, Harry, here's the old one here. And it's broken. Where? On this bench. Oh, boy. This is more like it. What are you fixing in your pocket for that piece of glass I picked up on the street? Wait a minute. Here it is. Here it is now. Now, let's see. It fits. This is the gang that murdered Brett and Cluster. The next day, the three detectives return and watch until the same three men and two women go to the beach for their swim. Then they interview the occupants of the adjoining. It all depends on what they look like here. Yeah. I'll starve and I'll find out if it's okay. How do you do, ma' am? Could you tell me who lives next door? I don't know. Why are you asking? Well, they're interested in knowing. Well, I don't know nothing about them. They just moved in a couple of weeks ago. They keep it themselves and so do I. Seems like they're still up mighty late, though. I see. So you never met them then, huh? No, I don't do no visiting with neighbors out here in California. Now, back in Grand Island, Nebraska, where I come from, it was different. Yes, of course. As a matter of fact, ma' am, we're police officers. Police officers? Oh, I declare. And we'd like to keep watch on these people next door. Why? What have they done? Well, we don't know, but we're interested in finding out. I wonder if you could let us occupy a room on the side of your house next to theirs. Well, I don't know. I'll have to talk. Paul, a paw. Yes, Henrietta, what is it? Well, what you want? These men are police officers. Hey, it's the law poor. Hey, what they ask to us for they ain't poor. They want to watch the folks next door. It's all right. Well, I suppose so. Have they shown you their badges? Oh, well, of course. There you are, then. Well, that looks sure enough like the real thing. You can come in. That's fine. Go into the room here, Cox. We've got to plant that machine right. It is a simple matter to find a Dictaphone behind the curtain in the house that suspects and run a line or the shifting beat sand to the house next door. All day the detectives lie in hiding, alternately taking turns listening at the victor bones. Late in the afternoon, the party returns from the beach. And then as they sit around the dinner table, the detectives get an earful. Hey, get a load of this. Let me tell you, guy, you better never doubt Bill's nerve when he's around. Oh, yeah? Yeah. Curly and Phil will be down tonight to talk things over. Ask him about that time in Utah. Yeah. Yeah, that's right. Curly and Bill pulled plenty of fast ones on the Mormons. Oh, come on, boys. Cut the arguing. Have some more potatoes. Sure. Bleach for them. Where's Babs, Maud? She's lying down. She got a headache in the sun today. Hey, here's Curly now. He just let himself in. Hiya, Curly. Hi, Curly. How's it, boy? Hello, boys. Hiya, Maud. Where's Bill? I couldn't make it so early. You'll be down later. Hey, got some grubs for me? Sure, Curly. Here you are. Got any angles, Curly? Yeah, a couple. Hey, get this girl. You know we gotta get busy and get some dough. Sure, that's right. Just as soon as you line up the jobs, we'll pull em. Yeah, well, we've had some good jobs lined up. And we'd be getting the door right now if you had any nerve. Nerve? What do you mean I ain't got no nerve? I had plenty the night we bumped off them two coppers over in Boyle Heights. Didn't I? Didn't I go to the receiving hospital and make sure them two guys were dead? Didn't I? The rest of you monkeys didn't have you. There's no doubt about it. Those are the birds that killed Breton cluster. Come on, let's knock them over right now. Yeah, come on, Harry, let's go. Now, wait a minute. We've got these mugs anytime we want to take them. Let's wait until this Bill fella comes. Let's get them all at once. Later, Bill, the apparent leader of the mob, arrives and they discuss a job. They have in mind, that will net them some Christmas money. When Curly and Bill leave the place, Raymond follows Curly and Irvin and Hickok kill Bill, thus discovering the Los Angeles addresses of both men. The next night, the three detectives decide to arrest the gang. But Jess is missing. They plan to get an early dinner and hoping Jess will have arrived by the time they get back to knock the place over them. But on their return. Hey, this is funny. What's that? The house is dark. Do you suppose that they're. Pardon, Constable. Yes, they moved out while you was away. They did? Yes. They all left less than 15 minutes ago. A baggage man came and took their stuff away and they all piled into that old Ford of theirs. I couldn't stop them. No, no, of course not. We should have knocked over the six of them while we had a chance. Yeah, but I did find one thing out that I got the license number of the car and the name of the expressman. Through the quick fitted cooperation of the old lady, the detectives are unable to pick up the trailer. Once more, the express man, when questioned, tells him the address on South Hope street where he transferred the baggage for one of the girls. They raid the girls room and take her to headquarters. Heedless of her loud protests, they question her house tonight. Finally. Now, look at here, Marge. It's up to you. You can tell us the truth and save yourself, or you can lie to us. And sure as I'm standing here, you'll hang. Just as all the rest of your friends are going to hang. Listen, boys, you got me all wrong. I ain't done a thing, honest, I. I come from a good family, I do. I'd never harm a living thing, not even a copper. Yeah, we know that, Marge. Now, we're not doubting you. But what we want to know is what do you know about these other guys? Now remember, if you want to talk, it'll save your neck. You're innocent. We want to believe you. Well, I guess they bumped off the bulls all right. That's what they claimed anyway. Who are these guys? Who's Curly? Well, his real name is Willard Thompson. And Bill. Who's he? He's Bill Brinkhurst. They both serve time up in Utah. Well, what about the rest of them? Jim Wheaton, Cal Rowe and Jess Wendell are their names. Jim Wheaton, Cal Rowell and Jess Wendell. Hey, tell me, why did you leave the beach so suddenly? The boys have got a hunt, that's all. Well, are they now? I don't know. Oh, I don't. I wish I'd never Seen them. I'm straight. I am. I was trained to be a nurse. And if things hadn't been for tough, I'd never taken up with them. I wish I was dead. I wish I was dead. Through Marge's information, the detectives arrest Babs. Her story agrees with Marge's in every substantial detail. Then the roundup is on, and Earnest Curly is the first to be awakened from a sound sleep and placed under arrest. A breakout of additional detectives is left in Curly Thompson's room. While Raymond Irvin and Hickok Ray Brinkhurst dwelling, he too is captured before he can shoot. And a short while later, Wheaton is taken as he walks into the trap in Curly's room. Next day, Raoul, too walks into the arms of the law. As they are staked out in Thompson's room. With the entire gang, excepting just Wendell rounded up, the detectives proceed to question the suspect. Under the grilling, Wheaton and Lowell quickly confessed their participation in the crime, though stoutly maintaining neither had shot the two policemen. Thompson is questioned next. Listen, you big flat foot, you're just wasting your time. I won't talk, no matter what. Now look here, Thompson. Remember that time when informer sent you back to the Rolled gang in Utah? What's that got to do with this rat? Nothing much. You know who squirted on you for a $25 reward? No, I don't. Maybe you don't care. I'm telling you anyway. It was your pal Brinkhurst. You're a liar. Oh, I don't think so. Thompson. Here's the Reward receipt for $25 paid out to William Brinkhurst. Why, he was my best friend. Yeah, that looks like it, doesn't it? Now will you come clean? No. Just because he was a dirty stool pigeon, you only think I'm one you'll never get nothing out of. And Curly Thompson stoutly maintains his silence. Brinkhurst is next to be questioned. He claims he was helping his wife with the washing on the night of December 6th. Mrs. Brinkhurst is brought in to face her husband. Mrs. Brinkhurst, your husband tells us that he was helping you do the washing on the night of December 6th. Is that true? Go ahead, Molly, and tell him about it. That was the night you had such a bad rheumatism in your left hand, remember? No, Bill, it won't work this time. I covered you up. I lied for you for the last time. You got to face it alone now. I've given you the best of myself. Why, there's nothing left now. I'm. I'm burned Out. Bill, I'm through protecting you. I'm like someone to protect me for a change. No, officer. My husband was not home that night. Two days before Christmas, Detective Raymond locates the estranged wife of Jess Wendell, the only member of the gang still at liberty. She gives the officer a picture of Wendell and the license number of his Ford coupe. Raymond returns in high spirits. The for the officer of Secretary Mitchell of the Yoel Club. Mr. Mitchell, I've got a picture and a complete description of the last one of that gang. Good. What do you propose to do? I want to run him down. Well, aren't you satisfied of the four you have? No, sir. I'm going to get every one of those guys that kill my pals. This one bell is the toughest of the lot. I want to broadside the west with circulars announcing the $10,000 reward offered. General alive. Go ahead. Going to cost money to print and mail these flyers. I'll send through an order to advance you whatever funds you need. That's great. After a long search for a printer, Raymond finally finds one willing to undertake such a mammoth order. On Christmas Eve, 20 traffic officers at the from headquarters to augment the careful staff of the order club and the circulars ink still wet, are in the mail. By midnight of Christmas Eve. The day after Christmas, the phone rings on Raymond's desk. Sergeant Raymond speaking. There's a lot of California's calling. Hello? Hello? I want to talk to Sergeant Zingman. You are speaking to him. Good. This is Constable Harris. I'm in charge of a road during your marriage. I just got your circular today. The man you ran passed through nine days before yesterday. He did? Are you sure? Yeah. He was driving a Ford coupe piled down with bedding. He drove up and asked for something to eat. I told him he'd have to wait until I heard the business. He looked scared, said he was in a hurry. I was suspicious. So I took down his license number and he drove away. And what was the number? The same as the one on your circular. That's fine, Constable. And thank you for your information. All right, Captain. Can I do anything else for you? Nothing right now. If you can, I'll get in touch with you. All right. Goodbye. Goodbye. Now we can start to move w Western Union. I want you to take a telegram going to every Western Union office in Southern California. Beginning at Maryland and then through Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. You know what they're doing? Never mind that. Charge it to the Automobile Club of Southern California. At Raymond's request, Santa Fe Railroad dispatchers send Wendell's description of every station on the Santa Fe throughout California, Arizona and New Mexico. Every brakeman, conductor, porter, engineer and fireman is French with a copy of the message describing Wendell in his automobile. The message which begins one of the widest manhunts in the history of the Southwest. While hundreds of keen eyed officers in every town in hamlets in three states are searching for the fugitive, word comes from humor that a man answering Wendell's description stole a pair of Arizona license plates and is heading east. Then from Oakland, Arizona comes a flight that Wendell's coupe had passed through that town. Raymond, Irvin and Hickok missing the eastbound limited jump in their car and race it to San Bernardino, intending to board it there. Arriving ahead of the train, Raymond telephoned Sheriff Mahoney in Kingman, Arizona. Hello? Hello, Sheriff Mahoney? I'll try. This is Sergeant Raymond of Los Angeles. Could you get me a circular describing Jeff Wendell? Well, this Wendell was last seen heading east through Oakman. Detectives Irvin and Hickok and I are taking the 1040 in a couple of minutes but I'd like you to start after him right away. As the three Los Angeles detectives climbed through the cajon path aboard one train, Sheriff Mahoney and his deputy rumble across the desert on another. Seated at a table in the dining car, they scan the highway that parallels the track. Really? Might as well eat while we're working. That's right. Where can I get you gentlemen? Let's see. We'll get some of this Virginia ham and sweet potatoes but that's mighty good to go through. Y Make mine the same Y I'll get it right away. Not much traffic out in the highway today. No, Too cold to drive across the desert this time. In Europe. Lots of people traveling by train if this is a sample. Yep. Hey, my got a head there. What? That flex back on the road. That might be it. Yeah, might. Well, keep your eyes open. It's. Yep, it's the Ford and it has B piled on the back. That's it. Hold that emergency cord. The idea of pulling the cor can't stop to explain. Conductor, I'm set up of this car. Come on Red, get your gun out. Wade. Car is empty. Dead as I see Fixing hands about it. Right. Hey buddy, where's the guy that owns that fort? Coupe or him? Oh, he come ask for food. I tell him go to the section house my woman feed him. I'll go in there and tell him to come out with his hands in the air. There is the door. Mahoney no, he's disappeared. Come on, let's take him. I'm afraid it's too late now. Yes. Bumped himself off. Look, he only wounded himself with the first shot. Then he had the nerve to pump three more into himself. Hold on. He's moving. Take that gun from him. Don't worry, boy. I'm through bumping off coppers. But the joke's on you boys. You can't hang me now. Wendell died on the westbound train bringing him back to Los Angeles. Jim Wheaton and Cal Rowell were given life by a jury that took into consideration their confessions. And on April 21, 1924, Brinkhurst and Thompson were hanged in San Quentin. By agreement among themselves Raymond, Ervin and Hickok. Whose splendid detective work brought this case to a successful close, split the ten thousand dollar reward and gave one half to the widow of officer Brett. And the other half to the widow of officer class. Thank you, Chief David. Police officers realize that their lives are at stake when they speed up their emergency cars to capture the criminals. They can't take chances on ordinary gasoline and risk a stalled engine, a fouled spark plug, a sluggish motor. That's why many thousands of operators of emergency cars agree on Rio Grande cracked gasoline and specified exclusively. Drive your car into your neighborhood via Grand Station and you'll get exactly the same cracked gasoline that police and emergency car drivers prefer above all others. You'll also get some novel new coins with your change called Police Money. Boys and girls everywhere are saving this free police money because they can exchange these valuable coins for a complete junior detective outfit. So while you're enjoying police car performance in your car, you're also helping some boy or girl to get 14 free gifts. In the latest issue of the Calling All Cars News which you can get free from any Rio Grande dealer. You will find a full description of these gifts together with fascinating luster to true crime stories and late movie and radio news. Get your free copy of the news right away. All Rio Grande dealers are now recommending Sinclair Motor Oil. Sinclair not only equals any other oil made but also has certain features found in no other oil. Before you get your coin case filled again, ask your Rio Grande crack gathering dealer about Sinclair Motor Oil's advantage. This is Frederick Lindsley saying good night for the Rio Grande Oil Company.