Dragnet: The Big Hold-Up (EP4646)

Summary

Summary of "Dragnet: The Big Hold-Up" (EP4646) – The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio

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Introduction

In this episode of The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio, host Adam Graham delves into the intense and gripping Dragnet episode titled "The Big Hold-Up." Originally aired on March 8, 1951, this episode presents a harrowing case involving the notorious Rattlesnake Bandit and his enigmatic accomplice, Lois Hagen. Graham not only narrates the story but also provides insightful commentary, enhancing the listening experience for both longtime fans and newcomers to old-time radio dramas.

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Episode Plot Summary

Background and Crime

The story centers around Joe Friday, a dedicated detective sergeant, and his partner Ben Romero, who are assigned to a homicide detail in Los Angeles. The city is terrorized by the Rattlesnake Bandit, a ruthless criminal responsible for a series of brutal robberies and assaults.

• Initial Target:
  Joe Friday (03:15) recounts their first encounter:

  "It was Thursday, March 8. It was windy in Los Angeles. We were working the night watch on a homicide."

• Victims’ Suffering:
  The bandit has robbed six individuals without apparent reason, exhibiting a sadistic penchant for violence. For instance, in one instance, after failing to find sufficient money in a victim's wallet, the bandit:

  "...pistol whipped and messed him up quite a bit." (04:07)

Investigation Process

As the crimes escalate, Friday and Romero intensify their efforts to capture the bandit. The methodical police work involves collecting victim testimonies, analyzing crime scenes, and tracking the elusive getaway car.

• Victim Testimony:
  Ralph Younger (07:02) provides a critical account from his hospital bed:

  "I was teaching Thelma how to drive, Sergeant. We were forced up to the curb... He shoved the barrel of the gun against her head... Just shot her." (08:27)

• Suspect Description:
  The bandit is consistently described as a violent individual accompanied by a "bright looking blonde" woman, Lois Hagen, who seems to encourage his criminal activities.

Breakthrough and Resolution

The turning point comes when the detectives link the bandit and Hagen to a specific blue Chevrolet coupe, allowing them to narrow down their search. Through persistent investigation and strategic stakeouts, Friday and Romero successfully apprehend Frank Ralston Kilbride, the bandit, ending his spree of violence.

• Final Arrest:
  Joe Friday (26:11) commands Kilbride:

  "Police officers. You Lois Hagen? You get out of here."

• Conviction:
  The episode concludes with Kilbride’s identification and the trial of Lois Hagen, who is convicted on multiple counts of armed robbery and assault, serving her sentence in the state penitentiary for women.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• On the Nature of the Crimes:

  "The guy just seems to be looking for blood, that's all." – Joe Friday (04:09)

• Victim's Account of the Assault:

  "He shoved the barrel of the gun against her head... Just shot her." – Ralph Younger (08:27)

• On the Bandit’s Sadistic Behavior:

  "The victims all agree on that. No provocation at all. The guy just seems to get a kick out of punching in somebody's face." – Joe Friday (04:35)

• Regarding the Accomplice:

  "Lois Hagen, the blonde, nothing at all on her." – Thelma Donovan (04:20)

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Host’s Commentary

After the episode, Adam Graham reflects on its significance within the Dragnet series and the broader context of old-time radio dramas.

• On the Episode’s Impact:

  "A solid case with a brutal perpetrator and a good investigative process. However, it doesn't stand out as much in the series because Dragnet did several cases with similar crimes that people generally think of before this..." (27:30)

• On the Criminals’ Mistake:
  Graham highlights a critical error made by the bandit and Hagen—their failure to change vehicles—which ultimately led to their capture.

  "They just didn't understand the amount of advantage they were giving away. Likely, this was a case of inexperienced criminals who just knew how to pick their spots." (27:30)

• Podcast Updates:
  Graham also shares updates about the podcast’s future, including the introduction of a new newsletter to better engage with listeners amid changing internet dynamics. He emphasizes transitioning from traditional article formats to a more interactive and accessible newsletter through Patreon.

  "We'll be publishing this through Patreon... If you are interested in the newsletter and if you're not ready to support us on a paid basis, you can still go to patreon.com/radiodetectives and follow us for free..." (28:07)

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Conclusion

"The Big Hold-Up" stands out as a testament to the gritty realism and meticulous storytelling that Dragnet is renowned for. Through compelling narratives and authentic police procedures, the episode immerses listeners in the relentless pursuit of justice. Adam Graham’s thoughtful analysis further enriches the experience, offering deeper insights into the episodes’ nuances and the evolving landscape of old-time radio podcasts.

For fans of mystery and law enforcement dramas, this episode not only entertains but also underscores the timeless appeal of well-crafted detective stories.

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Listen to More:
Subscribe to The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio on your favorite podcast platform or visit greatdetectives.net to explore an extensive archive of classic detective series.

Transcript

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[Joe Friday]

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[Ralph Younger]

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[Adam Graham]

Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This is your host, Adam Graham. In a moment, I'm going to bring you this week's episode of Dragnet. But I do want to encourage you if you are enjoying the podcast to please follow us using your favorite podcast software. Also, our listener support and appreciation campaign continues. You can become one of our Patreon supporters for as little as $2 per month by going to patreon.comgreatdetectives.net now from January 4, 1951, here is the big hold up.

[Thelma Donovan]

The story you are about to hear is true. Only the names have been changed. To protect the innocent.

[Joe Friday]

You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned a homicide detail. A potential killer is on the loose in your city.

[Thelma Donovan]

He's robbed six people for no reason at all. He beats his victim senseless.

[Joe Friday]

He moves fast.

[Thelma Donovan]

He's well armed. Your job? Stop him.

[Narrator]

Dragnet, the documented drama of an actual crime. For the next 30 minutes, in cooperation with the Los Angeles Police Department, you will travel step by step on the side of the law through an actual case transcribed from official police files. From beginning to end, from crime to punishment, Dragnet is the story of your police force in action.

[Joe Friday]

It was Thursday, March 8. It was windy in Los Angeles. We were working the night watch on a homicide. My partner's Ben Romero, the boss of Thad Brown, Chief of detectives. My name's Friday. I was on the way back from the record Bureau. It was 11:45pm when I got to room 42. Homicide.

[Thelma Donovan]

Joe, hi. Bill Romero called about five minutes ago. He's on his way in from Georgia Street.

[Joe Friday]

Oh, thank you. The captain still around?

[Thelma Donovan]

He's gone for the night. You can catch him at home if you want. In trouble?

[Joe Friday]

The Rattlesnake Bandit. Got two more couples Tonight, Right about the same as the last three jobs he pulled. Pretty vicious. Gave the victims a bad going over.

[Thelma Donovan]

Who are they?

[Joe Friday]

Young salesman, his girlfriend. They were parked up in the Silver Lake area. Bandit robbed him when he didn't find enough money in the young fellow's wallet. He pistol whipped and messed him up quite a bit.

[Thelma Donovan]

Hmm. Why'd he do that?

[Joe Friday]

Oh, there's no reason for it. The young girl in the car had an engagement ring on. She offered to hand it over. The bandit pulled her out of the car, punched her in the face, hit her quite a few times. Guy just seems to be looking for blood, that's all.

[Thelma Donovan]

No leads on him, huh?

[Joe Friday]

No, not so far. It looks like I'm out. Have you got any aspirin, Bill?

[Thelma Donovan]

Yeah, I got a fresh bottle this afternoon.

[Joe Friday]

Lousy headache. I've had it all night.

[Thelma Donovan]

How about the thief's mo? The same. Huh.

[Joe Friday]

Well, he has been so far. He works the outlying districts, parking areas. Doesn't seem to be any reason at all for these sluggings. The victims all agree on that. No provocation at all. The guy just seems to get a kick out of punching in somebody's face.

[Thelma Donovan]

Two pills in there.

[Joe Friday]

Yeah, that's fine. Thank you.

[Thelma Donovan]

Boys in robbery turn up anything?

[Joe Friday]

No, neither have we. Bandit operates in hot cars. He's got a few good prints to work with. No make though.

[Thelma Donovan]

Guy works alone, huh?

[Joe Friday]

Well, he did for the first two jobs. Last few times he had a bright looking blonde with him. Good looking, you know, nice figure. Victims say that she stands by and just seems to egg him on. Seems to get a big thrill out of it, I guess.

[Thelma Donovan]

Hi, Bill. Jill, hi.

[Joe Friday]

How'd you do, man?

[Thelma Donovan]

Doctor didn't think it'd be a good idea to bother him too much tonight. We can talk to him tomorrow.

[Joe Friday]

How about the hold up man's description? Did you get that?

[Thelma Donovan]

Yeah, from the girl. Matches what the other victims gave us. She didn't see the getaway car though. Didn't have a chance.

[Joe Friday]

How about the young fellas? He's still unconscious.

[Thelma Donovan]

Yeah, they're gonna move him to County Hospital. You should have seen his face. Yeah, terrible. It's a mess. This bandit's girlfriend, the blonde, nothing at all on her. Dickinson. She's got a nice figure, good looking. Quite a few like that in Los Angeles. Well, they're getting out of these stick ups anyway. Can't be too much, huh?

[Joe Friday]

Oh, that's just it. None of the heists have netted them more than $50. Hardly worth the trouble.

[Thelma Donovan]

Hot shot.

[Joe Friday]

I'LL get it.

[Thelma Donovan]

What is it? Whatever.

[Joe Friday]

Rattlesnake Bandit. He got another couple.

[Thelma Donovan]

Where?

[Joe Friday]

South end of Echo Park. Yeah, he shot both of them together with Cummings and McCready from Homicide. Ben and I drove to the scene of the hold up and shooting in the Echo park area. The victims were identified as Ralph Younger, 34, a high school English teacher. He'd been beaten severely about the face and neck and shot once through the right shoulder. His companion was a Thelma Donovan, 26, a grade school teacher. She'd been shot through the temple just above the eyes. She was still alive but in a critical condition. We questioned Ralph Younger briefly before he was removed by ambulance to the Georgia Street Receiving Hospital. His description of the holdup man tallied exactly with that of the Rattlesnake Bandit. He also gave us the description and license number of the getaway car. We got out of broadcast in an apb. A routine check of the area failed to turn up any leads. 11am the next morning, Ralph Younger told us the story from his hospital bed.

[Ralph Younger]

I was. I was teaching Thelma how to drive, Sergeant. We were going along that side street when the sedan pulled up, forced us.

[Joe Friday]

Over to the curb.

[Thelma Donovan]

And your friend Ms. Donovan was sitting in the driver's seat then?

[Joe Friday]

That's right.

[Ralph Younger]

I got out on my side and started over to ask this fellow what he was doing crowding us like that. He rushed up to me and started slugging me in the face with his gun. Went down.

[Joe Friday]

What did Ms. Donovan do?

[Ralph Younger]

She started hollering for help. An old up guy ran over and shoved his gun at her. He had it pointed at her head. He grabbed Thelma's purse and started looking through it. For money, I guess.

[Joe Friday]

Mm.

[Ralph Younger]

Say, would you mind moving this pillow over a little bit?

[Thelma Donovan]

Sure. Got you. There we are there. How's that? Okay.

[Ralph Younger]

All right. Under the shoulder, please.

[Thelma Donovan]

All right?

[Ralph Younger]

Yeah, it's fine.

[Joe Friday]

Thanks. Were you lying on the street while all this was going on, Mr. Younger?

[Ralph Younger]

No. He yanked me to my feet, made me stand by the car with my hands up. Thelma was crying. The hold up man looked through her person and he said, who you trying to kid, lady? You got more money than this. Thelma told him the truth.

[Thelma Donovan]

Was all she had.

[Ralph Younger]

$3.

[Thelma Donovan]

And what happened then?

[Ralph Younger]

He shoved the barrel of the gun against her head. Right here by the temple. Then I heard the gun go off. Thelma fell over in the seat. Wasn't any reason for it. No reason at all. Just shot her.

[Joe Friday]

What did you do then? Do you remember?

[Ralph Younger]

I jumped for the man I wanted to kill him right there. He turned and fired the gun at me. Hit me right here below the shoulder. Then he ran out and got in his car and drove off. There was a blonde girl with him. I got a good look at her. Blonde, pretty attractive.

[Joe Friday]

Well, is there anything else about the man's description that you might have forgotten to tell us last night?

[Ralph Younger]

No, I don't think so. I gave you the license number of his car. Can't you find him that way?

[Thelma Donovan]

It was a stolen car, Ms. Young. We took it from one of his other victims. It was found out in Wiltshire this morning, abandoned.

[Ralph Younger]

I only wish I'd got my hands on him. Poor Thelma. How is she, do you know?

[Joe Friday]

Well, there's no late report. Maybe you better check with the doctor, huh? Yeah.

[Ralph Younger]

Hey, before you go, would you mind ringing this button here? It's for the nurse. The shoulder's giving me trouble again.

[Thelma Donovan]

Yeah, okay.

[Joe Friday]

Well, thanks very much. Younger. Sure hope that shoulder of yours gets better.

[Ralph Younger]

I hope so.

[Thelma Donovan]

Goodbye. We'll be checking with you later on.

[Ralph Younger]

Yeah, okay.

[Joe Friday]

My bad.

[Thelma Donovan]

Romero. Joe. How'd you do, Bill? Checked with the doctor. Donovan girl still unconscious. Pretty critical.

[Joe Friday]

What'd the doc say? She gonna pull through?

[Thelma Donovan]

She might. They can't tell yet. One thing sure, though. What's that? Bullet did a lot of damage. She's totally blind.

[Joe Friday]

Four days before, a bullet from the hold up gun had blinded schoolteacher Thelma Donovan for life. The Rattlesnake Bandit and his blonde girlfriend were unknown to the city of Los Angeles. In the space of little more than 96 hours, they robbed and slugged a dozen people from one end of the city to the other. In every case, the attacks were just about as brutal and vicious as they were unprovoked. The amount of money taken from each victim was negligible. The only apparent conclusion was that the bandit and his girlfriend were out for blood. That night, despite a citywide alert to all radio cars and patrolmen, the suspects robbed and slugged two more couples between the hours of 10pm and midnight. Between midnight and 1:30am they got two more victims. 2:30am Ben and I got back to the City Hall. The carpool looks like the place over there, huh?

[Thelma Donovan]

Wonder how Meridian Cummings made out.

[Joe Friday]

I hope they got more than we have.

[Thelma Donovan]

Yeah. Yeah, that's good.

[Joe Friday]

Right here.

[Thelma Donovan]

Want to get the radio, Joe? Yes.

[Joe Friday]

Let's go.

[Thelma Donovan]

Doggone it. I knew I forgot something.

[Joe Friday]

What's that?

[Thelma Donovan]

Cigarette. You got any left?

[Joe Friday]

I don't think so.

[Thelma Donovan]

Old pack is all.

[Joe Friday]

No, there's one left in Here.

[Thelma Donovan]

No, no, it's all right. I can't take your last moment.

[Joe Friday]

Go ahead. There's a machine upstairs with the elevator. I'll get some.

[Thelma Donovan]

All right. I sure better get these shoes half sold. I'll be walking around in my stock and feet pretty soon.

[Joe Friday]

You just got them a couple of weeks ago, didn't you?

[Thelma Donovan]

Yeah, that's right. Tops are as good as new. Soles of the darn things went just like that. No wonder they had them on sale.

[Joe Friday]

Yeah. Just a minute. I want to get those smokes.

[Thelma Donovan]

Oh, yeah. Skipper say he was going to stay around until about 2.

[Joe Friday]

Yeah, he's probably gone by now.

[Thelma Donovan]

It's a long day. Then they sang in the book.

[Joe Friday]

A minute.

[Thelma Donovan]

Yeah? Your wife called.

[Joe Friday]

I want you to get a refill on that prescription for your little boy.

[Thelma Donovan]

Oh, hi. How'd you two do?

[Joe Friday]

Nothing. How about you?

[Thelma Donovan]

Chandler called from Robbery a minute ago. Thinks they may have something. Yeah, at 2:11. Big service station out on Pico. Hold up. Man had a blonde in the car with him.

[Joe Friday]

What about description?

[Thelma Donovan]

Chives pretty well with the guy we're after. Well, the M.O. doesn't. That thief and his girl haven't tried anything but car hold up since they started.

[Joe Friday]

How'd they manage the job?

[Thelma Donovan]

Well, you know how they've been operating for transportation. They rob the people, steal their car. When they reach another victim, they transfer to his car. First time they switched that system was tonight hold up on South Hoover.

[Joe Friday]

The man and his wife, instead of.

[Thelma Donovan]

Changing over, they stayed in the blue Chevy coupe. Same one they took in the job before that. Up to now they've used the same hot car in the last three jobs. Sure gonna help if they stick with it. What about the gas station in Tampa? Well, excuse me. Probably Chandler. Homicide. Cummings. Yeah, Glenn. Uh huh. Five fall 389. Right. Thanks. They dug up a witness to the gas station job. Suspects drove off in a blue Chevy Coupe. License 5 Paul389.

[Joe Friday]

Same car, huh?

[Thelma Donovan]

It stops me. What was it take? 23 bucks. Slugged the attendant took off. The broadcast out Area's been alerted. Nothing yet.

[Joe Friday]

Okay, babe.

[Thelma Donovan]

Yep. Sure is growing into a long night. Yeah.

[Joe Friday]

You're gonna cover, huh, Bill?

[Thelma Donovan]

Yeah. Till Fergie gets back.

[Joe Friday]

Right. Well, we'll be checking with you.

[Thelma Donovan]

Guy. Homicide. Romero. Yeah. How's that? Yeah, right. Thanks. Drugstore in South Fig. 211. Slugging blonde girl drove the escape car.

[Joe Friday]

Yeah.

[Thelma Donovan]

5Paul389.

[Joe Friday]

In the next three hours before dawn, the Rattlesnake Bandit and his blonde girlfriend held up and robbed the restaurant and two more services stations and made good their escape. For some unknown reason, they continued to use the same stolen car, the blue Chevrolet coupe. By noon time the following day, composite pictures of the hold up couple were drawn up by the crime lab artist. From the descriptions given by the victims, the pictures were printed up and given wide distribution throughout the city. The description and license number of the escape car was in the hands of every radio car and patrolman in all divisions. The search was intense. Escape, it got us nothing. The following night in early morning, without even slowing their pace, the suspects added four more hold ups and sluggings to their credit. One of the victims was Fred Lerner, proprietor of a small lunch counter near 18th and Olive.

[Thelma Donovan]

I've been held up before, officer. Half dozen times. Never saw a punk as hard looking as this guy though. You're sure about the description, Mr. Lerner? Well, he stood just as close as you're standing to me now while look in his eye waving that gun around. I wasn't taking any chances. I gave him everything.

[Joe Friday]

Well, how much was that?

[Thelma Donovan]

Eighteen dollars and a half. Well, how about the getaway car? You pretty sure? The make and the color. I ran to the door there as soon as I left. Saw him drive off. There's a license just as I wrote it down. It's 5.5p389. I saw the whole thing. Sure surprised Lois would tie up with a punk like him.

[Joe Friday]

Lois? Who's that?

[Thelma Donovan]

Well, you know, the blonde who drives a car for him. Lois Hagen.

[Joe Friday]

How do you know that's her name?

[Thelma Donovan]

She used to be a waitress. Worked for my brother. Lois Hagen, blonde. I spotted her right away in that car. Yeah, yeah, sure. Lois.

[Ralph Younger]

Didn't you know it was her?

[Joe Friday]

7:30Am we put in a call to the record Bureau and had them check on the name and description of Lois Hagan. No, make no previous record. With the help of Fred Lerner and his brother, we traced the Hagan girl to a drive in where she used to work. There we checked the employment records and got an address on her. 1800 Norwich Drive. Turned out to be a small apartment house in West Hollywood. Ben checked with the landlady while I waited in the car.

[Thelma Donovan]

Well, that's it.

[Joe Friday]

What'd you get?

[Thelma Donovan]

Talked to the landlady. She's managed the apartment for 16 years. Yeah, she never heard of Lois Hagan.

[Narrator]

You are listening to Dragnet Authentic stories of your police force in action.

[Joe Friday]

Tuesday, March 13th. That night and the one following. The Rattlesnake Bandit and his blonde girlfriend. Supposedly Lois Hagen continued their campaign of hold ups and sluggings. They robbed two liquor stores, an all night cafe cigar shop and two more service stations. In each case, the descriptions of the suspects in their getaway car was the same. Routine investigations got nowhere. Ben and I went to work checking out the thin lead that we had on the girl known as Lois Hagen. After three days of pounding the pavement and asking questions, we found two former waitresses at drive in restaurants who had worked with Lois Hagen. Both of them gave us addresses where they thought the Hagan girl had lived at one time. One of them was a phony, it was a vacant lot. The other panned out, was a rooming house out in the Boyle Heights district. The manager told us that the Hagan girl lived there two years before. She told us that as far as she knew, the girl's mother, a Mrs. Ernestine Hagan, still ran a small French laundry on South Hobart boulevard. We found Mrs. Hagan working in her shop. She was a small, thin woman with gray hair.

[Mrs. Ernestine Hagan]

Yes? I have a daughter, Lois. What's the matter?

[Thelma Donovan]

I'd like to talk to her, Ms. Hagin. Do you know where we can locate her?

[Mrs. Ernestine Hagan]

Probably sounds funny to you. I haven't seen my daughter in two years.

[Joe Friday]

Do you have any idea where she's living, ma'am?

[Mrs. Ernestine Hagan]

No, she's not much of a daughter. We didn't get along. As I say, two years ago we had an argument. She left me. Never wrote a letter. I just don't know.

[Thelma Donovan]

I see.

[Mrs. Ernestine Hagan]

I heard she was living in Detroit for a while. I guess she's back here now. One of my lady friends, Mrs. McCormick, saw a shopping out in Hollywood. That was about a month ago.

[Joe Friday]

How old is your daughter, Ms. Hayes?

[Mrs. Ernestine Hagan]

She'll be 20 next month. She looks older than she really is. Would you excuse me, please? My flat iron back here? I have it heating.

[Thelma Donovan]

Certainly, ma'am.

[Joe Friday]

Do you have a copy of the composite picture of the girl?

[Thelma Donovan]

Yeah, yeah, it's right here.

[Mrs. Ernestine Hagan]

I didn't realize it was getting so late. I have this rush order to get ready by 4:00. Officers, if you want, you can come back here. We can talk while I get it out.

[Joe Friday]

All right, ma'am. Thank you. Come on.

[Mrs. Ernestine Hagan]

There's a chair there if you like.

[Thelma Donovan]

Oh, thank you.

[Mrs. Ernestine Hagan]

Seems I'm always so busy lately. I used to have some fine help. It's not so easy to find anymore. This iron seems awful hot. It's all right.

[Joe Friday]

I wonder if you'd mind looking at this picture, ma'am. This one here?

[Mrs. Ernestine Hagan]

Yeah. All Right. Looks something like Lois. You're looking for her? Is there any of it? Has she done something again?

[Joe Friday]

Well, we're not sure, ma'am. Has she been in trouble before?

[Mrs. Ernestine Hagan]

I can't be more ashamed of her than I already am. Yeah, she's been in trouble before. She was nothing but trouble. My only child. Her father died when she was a baby. I guess she needed a father. I couldn't do anything with her.

[Thelma Donovan]

Was your daughter ever in any serious trouble? With the police, I mean.

[Mrs. Ernestine Hagan]

I don't know. Maybe she was. I didn't hear about it. I tried to understand and we never got along. I don't know. This makes me sick to think about it.

[Joe Friday]

How about her friends, Mrs. Hagan? I mean her recent friends. Do you happen to know any of them?

[Mrs. Ernestine Hagan]

No. Lois never brought them home. I knew they were tramps. I heard the way the neighbors were talking. Trampy fellas, trampy girls. Drinking, doing things, you know. She didn't learn those things at home.

[Joe Friday]

What was Lois last known address? Do you have any idea at all?

[Mrs. Ernestine Hagan]

Place in Boyle Heights and boarding house, last I heard. Lois, she never wrote a letter. That's another thing.

[Thelma Donovan]

Yes, ma'am.

[Mrs. Ernestine Hagan]

She could have had the best education any girl could want. I worked 12 years in the laundry here to give it to her. I sent her to the convent. Even the nuns couldn't do anything with her. She only sassed him back. She finally quit altogether. I don't know.

[Joe Friday]

Can you think of anybody who might know where your daughter is? Maybe one of your relatives?

[Mrs. Ernestine Hagan]

We don't have any relatives here. I have a brother in Ohio, that's all. Those lace blouse is an awful lot of trouble. Would you pull out that plum, Sergeant, please?

[Thelma Donovan]

I smell it.

[Joe Friday]

I wonder if you have a picture of your daughter that we could borrow. We'll see that it's returned to you.

[Mrs. Ernestine Hagan]

Yeah, right. I got lots of pictures of Lois. She's a pretty girl, you know. Looks quite a bit like me when I was young.

[Thelma Donovan]

Yes, ma'am. Well, thanks very much for your time.

[Mrs. Ernestine Hagan]

Even the nurses at the hospital said it. When Lois is born. Beautiful child. Certainly strange, isn't it, Tarzan? When they're babies, they all look so clean and so good.

[Joe Friday]

Yes, ma'am.

[Mrs. Ernestine Hagan]

What happens to them?

[Joe Friday]

Before we left, Mrs. Hagan, we got a photograph of her daughter, Lois. And then we drove back to the office. We spent the rest of the afternoon showing the picture to several of the robbery victims. All of them identified the Hagan girl as the bandit's accomplice. We got out a supplementary Broadcast that night, the hold up couple failed to put in an appearance. The following night, the same. Not a sign of him. Still no sign of the escape car either. Where they might be hiding out, we had no idea. The search went on. Repeated checks through the stats office and the record bureau failed to turn up any new leads. We stayed on it. Four nights later, the still unidentified hold up man and Lois Hagen started in all over again. Two drugstore hold ups. Two robberies of couples in parked cars. All of the victims were beaten senseless. Monday, March 19, 8am.

[Thelma Donovan]

Joe.

[Joe Friday]

Hi. They turned up anything last night?

[Thelma Donovan]

Two more jobs. Both victims identified the Hagan girl as the accomplice.

[Joe Friday]

Anything else?

[Thelma Donovan]

Still using the same escape car? That's about it.

[Joe Friday]

Yeah, we're no closer than we were a week ago.

[Thelma Donovan]

I checked the hospital on the druggist they slugged.

[Joe Friday]

How's he doing?

[Thelma Donovan]

They don't know yet. Still unconscious.

[Joe Friday]

Forget it. Homicide Friday Yeah, Mike. Where? Yeah, right away.

[Thelma Donovan]

What have you got?

[Joe Friday]

32R. They're out on 18th and Hill. Yeah, the hold up car. They just spotted it 8:20am Together with Cummings and McCready, we drove out to 18th and Hill where the officers in unit 32R had the hold up car staked out. Was parked in the back of a large service station on Hill street near the corner of 18th. We talked with a manager and he told us that a blonde girl answering Lois Hagan's description had left the car there earlier that morning just to have the distributor fixed and the battery recharged. She told him that she'd call for the car early that night. Because of the way that the service station was situated. It would have been impossible to stake out on the blue coupe without making it look obvious. We explained the setup to the manager and made arrangements for Ben and I to pose as employees. That way we could keep a close watch on the car until the suspects called for. Cummings and McCready holed up in a coffee shop directly across the street. Two teams of men from ROB recovered from their vantage points. Ben and I took up our post as supervisors of the station's 10 minute car wash.

[Thelma Donovan]

They sure do a great business here, huh?

[Joe Friday]

Yeah. You mentioned to the manager about keeping the area clear around that car, didn't you? Yeah.

[Thelma Donovan]

It's all set up. We're not going to have an excuse in the world if we miss those two.

[Joe Friday]

Yeah, if they show up.

[Thelma Donovan]

What are we supposed to do now? Pull these tickets off the cars as they move off the wash line?

[Joe Friday]

Yeah, that's all. Just slip the tickets in that box over there. See?

[Thelma Donovan]

Mm. Must have run them a few dollars, huh? Installing all this equipment.

[Joe Friday]

Seems to be paying off, doesn't it? What time you got now?

[Thelma Donovan]

Few minutes past 4.

[Joe Friday]

Want to smoke?

[Thelma Donovan]

No, I just put one out.

[Joe Friday]

1Am Ben spotted a young blonde girl. Turn the corner onto Hill and start up the street toward the service station. As she came closer, she looked to the right and the left. She paused in front of the station, looked on both sides of the street and then she turned completely around and walked on past Lois Hagen.

[Thelma Donovan]

She's going right down to the corner. How about it?

[Joe Friday]

Yeah, I'll put in with you.

[Thelma Donovan]

How about a tail? We can't just let her walk away from us. Just a minute.

[Joe Friday]

Take a look.

[Thelma Donovan]

She's turning around. Coming back this way. She's coming in.

[Joe Friday]

We better get back to our car. Looks like it. Come on.

[Thelma Donovan]

Right.

[Joe Friday]

The young blonde entered the garage office, paid the repair bill and drove off in the hold up car. Ben and I followed an 80K. Cummings and McCree detailed us. The blue coupe moved two blocks down Hill street and then turned into an apartment garage. We parked on the street, went in and got the manager out of bed. We showed him Lois Hagen's picture. He told us that she was registered alone in apartment 16. He failed to recognize the description of the hold up man. McCready and three men from Rob recovered the front and back exits. Cummings, Ben and I climbed the stairs to the third floor.

[Thelma Donovan]

Number 16.

[Joe Friday]

Joe, you want to ring it?

[Mrs. Ernestine Hagan]

Yeah.

[Joe Friday]

Sorry, ma'am.

[Thelma Donovan]

Bedroom, Bill. Right. I'll take the kitchen.

[Mrs. Ernestine Hagan]

Wait a minute. What is this?

[Joe Friday]

Police officers. You Lois Hagen? You get out of here.

[Mrs. Ernestine Hagan]

Let me.

[Thelma Donovan]

Bedroom's empty. Nothing back here.

[Joe Friday]

All right, where is he? Come on, let's have it. Frank. Get out.

[Thelma Donovan]

Cops.

[Mrs. Ernestine Hagan]

Frank, get out.

[Thelma Donovan]

Upstairs. You watch your Bill.

[Joe Friday]

I got it. Come on, babe. Stairs.

[Thelma Donovan]

Joe. Watching.

[Joe Friday]

Yeah. Hold it. Back.

[Thelma Donovan]

Get off. Come on down, cop. Rest. Give me a roll.

[Joe Friday]

Give it up, mister. You haven't got a chance. We got the building covered, mister. Give it up.

[Thelma Donovan]

Look out, Joe. I'll get his gun.

[Joe Friday]

How is he?

[Thelma Donovan]

Dead. Joe. Ben, you all right?

[Joe Friday]

Yeah. Bill, you want to take the girl downstairs?

[Mrs. Ernestine Hagan]

Let me see, please. Frank. Frank.

[Thelma Donovan]

All right, lady.

[Mrs. Ernestine Hagan]

Didn't have to happen. I tried to tell him get away. Wouldn't listen. Never listen.

[Thelma Donovan]

Let's go.

[Mrs. Ernestine Hagan]

We were married yesterday. You didn't know that, did you? Just married?

[Thelma Donovan]

Yeah.

[Mrs. Ernestine Hagan]

Married two days.

[Thelma Donovan]

Yeah.

[Joe Friday]

Well, the honeymoon's over. Come on, lady. The story you have just heard was true. Only the names were changed to protect the innocent.

[Narrator]

On August 5, trial was held in Superior Court Department 87, City and County of Los Angeles, State of California. In a moment, the results of that trial.

[Joe Friday]

Now here's our star, Jack Webb. Thank you. Here's an invitation we just received from New York's famous Stork Club. Host Sherman Billingsley asked us to pass it on to you Dragnet listeners who have television sets. It reads, cordially invite you to see the Stork Club on television beginning this week. Well, Dragnet welcomes the Stork Club. It's a fine television show.

[Narrator]

The body of the dead hold up man was identified as that of Frank Ralston Kilbride. His accomplice, Lois Hagen, was tried and convicted on six counts of armed robbery and assault with a deadly weapon. She received sentences as prescribed by law and is now serving her term in the state penitentiary for women. You have just heard Dragnet, a series of authentic cases from official files. Technical advice for Dragnet comes from the office of Chief of Police W.H.

[Joe Friday]

Parker.

[Narrator]

We the People is next on NBC.

[Adam Graham]

Welcome back. A solid case with a brutal perpetrator and a good investigative process. However, it doesn't stand out as much in the series because Dragnet did several cases with similar crimes that people generally think of before this, such as the big badge. When you're thinking about robberies of parked cars, however, our perp in this one is much more brutal and dangerous even than the figure in that episode. I really felt bad for the teacher who they questioned in the hospital. Without going over the top, they really showed how much damage had been inflicted on that poor guy. Like in the big car, the criminals made a key mistake that's never explained. They switched to just using one car, which ultimately led the police to tracking them down again. We could speculate that it's most likely because they like that particular car and switching from vehicle to vehicle is a hassle. And they might have encountered some that they didn't like as much as that one and just decided to stick with one that worked for them. They just didn't understand the amount of advantage they were giving away. Likely, this was a case of inexperienced criminals who just knew how to pick their spots. Their only real distinction other than that is being sadist, and that doesn't require any skill or experience. Now, I should note that I've made an announcement on the Great Detectives of Old Time radio [e-mail] on our website for the past 15 years. Plus, since I started the podcast, nearly every week I've posted an article, usually something original. But occasionally I get really busy and I will repost an article from the archives. And when you've been doing this for as long as I have, there's a lot you can choose from to go ahead, polish up and repost. Last week was the last article I'll be posting in that format. The reason for this is that ultimately the Internet has changed, in my opinion anyway. Search engines are broken, which is at the core of the problem, but it's led to a whole lot less traffic coming into the articles that I post. You used to get a lot of traffic from Google for those articles, and that just does not happen anymore. So essentially I'm spending a bunch of time writing articles that nobody's reading, particularly compared to the level of readership we were getting a few years ago, even back in 2021. At the same time, I'm really impressed by the idea of having a newsletter as a podcaster to connect with listeners on the topic you're writing about. So to me it makes a lot more sense to invest my time into something that people are going to actually read and engage with. I'm still working out details on the newsletter, what its perimeters will be, and I'll be publishing some additional thoughts on that next week, but it will for now, publish bimonthly, with the first issue being released in May, and then we'll also have issues in July, September, and November of this year. There will be one or two feature articles or review, and I will actually be open to taking submissions from others. But we're not publishing 10 or 12 articles, we're going to have one or two. I already have themes picked out for each of the four newsletters we'll do this year. In terms of what I'll write about, it'll be very similar to the focus that I've had on the articles, so we'll be talking about vintage entertainment with an emphasis on audio dramas and mysteries. Over the years I've done reviews on a lot of things and articles on many subjects. We've talked about graphic novels, movies, and even a bit of music. But I think the body of work is really weighed to those two areas. And I'll also be sharing just those little random fascinating tidbits that I find as I go about and do my research. And some of you may have found that if you followed me on Twitter where I'll share something. But I know a lot of people aren't on Twitter and there are just some really neat things that I come across that would be of interest to people who enjoy this podcast. Now, in terms of distribution, I prefer not to over complicate things for myself or for listeners. I'm not going to start a separate platform for the newsletter. So we're not going to do a substack or something like that to start out with. We will actually be publishing this through Patreon. Now, that doesn't mean you have to be a paid Patreon supporter. Patreon has added the option of following the show on Patreon for free. Now, to be clear, if you're not a paid Patreon supporter, there are benefits that you don't get, like the monthly paid supporter newsletter. Don't get the paid supporter notifications or access to the extra programs. But there are a lot of things that we post that are publicly available, like episodes of the Old Time Radio, Snack Wagon and video theater. And this newsletter will be one of those things that our free Patreon supporters get access to. And we already have 136 people who are signed up as free Patreon supporters as of the time of this recording and add the 300 plus paid Patreon supporters. And I think that you've got a good base right there. So if you are interested in the newsletter and if you're not ready to support us on a paid basis, you can still go to patreon.com radiodetectives and follow us for free on Patreon. Again, you don't get all the benefits of being a paid Patreon supporter, but you do get the free public bimonthly newsletter. It occurs to me that I need to find some way to delineate this with a more official title. I'm still working on that because there is a newsletter that is Patreon only that goes out monthly, but you won't get that. Okay, so I hope that's clear, at least for now, and we'll have more clarification coming up. Well, now it's time to thank our Patreon supporter of the day and I want to go ahead and thank Amy. Amy's been one of our Patreon supporters since August, currently supporting the podcast at the psalmist level of $4 or more per month. Thanks so much for your support, Amy, and that will do it for today. If you're enjoying the podcast, please follow us using your favorite podcast software and be sure to rate and review the podcast wherever you download it from. We'll be back next Saturday with another episode of Dragnet. Join us this week for Public Domain Video Theater as we will be featuring an episode of Mr. And Mrs. North. You can catch that on our YouTube channel, as well as on Apple Podcast and other stores that pick up that feed, such as Podbean. And now you can catch it on Spotify. A video theater now on Spotify. But join us back here tomorrow for our final listener support and appreciation special. A yours truly, Johnny $omnibus.

[Ben Romero]

Where, don't misunderstand me. $. She was a real sweet girl, but there was something about her. I don't know. I hope you find her. Or maybe I don't.

[Thelma Donovan]

What are you talking about?

[Ben Romero]

She had plans of her own. Plans she never told me about. Look, I was in practice three years when she came to work for me, fresh out of high school. With all of it, she still made me feel like a little boy in knee pants. That smile of hers you could take two ways. And the look that went with it. I'm sure she's met a lot of men since she walked out on me. And I'll bet all of them have found out the same thing.

[Thelma Donovan]

What's that?

[Ben Romero]

That they've been taken.

[Thelma Donovan]

You mean money?

[Ben Romero]

Oh, it wasn't the watch or the necklace or the loans. Every now and then it was being taken worse. You know, being used and knowing you're being used.

[Thelma Donovan]

I don't quite get it.

[Ben Romero]

And I'll make it clear. That sweet, fresh, beautiful little girl was out to do everything and everybody for all she could get. She's rotten, you know? Just plain rotten.

[Adam Graham]

I hope you'll be with us then. In the meantime, send your comments to box Thirteenreatdetectives.net Follow us on Twitter at radiodetectives and check us out on Instagram. Instagram.com Great detectives from Boise, Idaho, this is your host, Adam Graham, signing off.