Dragnet: The Big Jump (EP4652)

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Great Detectives Present Dragnet (Old Time Radio) – "Dragnet: The Big Jump (EP4652)"

Release Date: March 15, 2025
Host: Adam Graham

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Introduction

In the latest episode of The Great Detectives Present Dragnet, host Adam Graham delves into "Dragnet: The Big Jump," reintroducing listeners to the authentic dramatizations of Los Angeles Police Department cases from the mid-20th century. This episode centers around a tense standoff involving a man threatening to leap from a 13-story building, showcasing the procedural prowess of Sergeant Joe Friday and his partner, Ben Romero.

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Summary of "Dragnet: The Big Jump"

Case Overview

The episode unfolds on a warm Thursday afternoon, September 6th, where Sergeant Joe Friday and Detective Ben Romero are dispatched to the Fitzroy Building at 3rd and Temple streets. A man named Walter Harrison has positioned himself on a narrow window ledge of the 13th floor, threatening to jump within the hour.

Key Characters

• Sergeant Joe Friday: The composed and methodical lead detective.
• Detective Ben Romero: Friday's seasoned partner, providing support and insights.
• Captain Steed: The commanding officer overseeing the situation.
• Dr. Turner & Dr. Wright: Medical professionals involved in Harrison's case.
• Ruth Harrison: Walter Harrison's sister, acting as a mediator.
• Ms. Lenahan: Nurse assisting in the situation.
• Walter Harrison: The distressed individual on the ledge.

Progression of Events

Upon arrival, Friday and Romero assess the scene. The building's immediate surroundings are cordoned off, with onlookers crowding the streets below. Inside the Fitzroy Building, the detectives gather information about Harrison's mental state and recent behavior.

Notable Interaction: At [12:23], Friday engages directly with Harrison:

Joe Friday: "It's all right with me, Walter. Why do you want to kill yourself? You're only gonna hurt people."

Harrison responds with anger and distrust, revealing his paranoia:

Walter Harrison: "You don't care about people. You don't care about me."

As the clock ticks closer to 2:00 PM, tension escalates. Harrison writes a note stating, "Don't touch my body," indicating his definitive intent to jump. Sensing the gravity of the situation, Friday decides to personally approach Harrison, reasoning that a direct conversation might de-escalate the crisis.

Climactic Confrontation

At [1:43 PM], Friday manages to inch his way onto the ledge, facing Harrison face-to-face. Throughout their interaction, Friday employs empathy and firmness, attempting to persuade Harrison to abandon his plan. Despite his efforts, Harrison's volatile demeanor persists, culminating in a physical altercation where Harrison threatens violence.

Key Quote During Confrontation:

Joe Friday: "You promised your sister. 2:00. You're still gonna break that promise."

The situation reaches a critical point as a rescue team attempts to lower a man with a lasso to physically restrain Harrison. However, Harrison grows suspicious of their intervention, leading to further confrontation. Despite the relentless efforts of Friday and Romero, Harrison ultimately climbs back into the building.

Resolution

The episode concludes with Harrison being deemed mentally incompetent after a hearing, resulting in his commitment to a private sanitarium. Tragically, seven months later, Harrison takes his own life by hanging. The narrative underscores the complexities of mental health crises and the challenges law enforcement faces in such situations.

Closing Narration:

"Dragnet, a series of authentic cases from official files. Technical advice comes from the office of Chief of Police W.H. Parker, Los Angeles Police Department."

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Host's Analysis and Insights

Adam Graham provides a thoughtful analysis of the episode, highlighting the nuanced performances, particularly Stacy Harris's portrayal of Walter Harrison. He contrasts this character with Harris's previous roles, noting the depth and variation in his acting within the Dragnet series.

Discussion Points:

• Character Development: Graham appreciates the portrayal of Harrison as a paranoid and deeply disturbed individual, differentiating him from more monomaniacal characters in other episodes.

• Storytelling Techniques: He observes that while Dragnet episodes often include expository dialogue that may contradict the "show, don't tell" principle, it effectively conveys the procedural mindset of the police force.

• Police Procedural Realism: The episode exemplifies the dedication and risk law enforcement officers undertake to protect citizens, even when outcomes are not favorable.

Notable Insight:

"Friday's explanation makes their point of view clear. It's like any other citizen in danger. Part of the job is being willing to push put your life at risk in order to protect the lives of citizens, and if you're not willing to do that, you don't really belong on the police force."

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Listener Comments and Feedback

Adam engages with listener feedback, showcasing positive reception and thoughtful critiques.

• Emmett from Facebook remarked on the quality of the episode without offering spoilers.

• Catherine praised the episode for portraying police in a favorable light, especially highlighting the complexity of the antagonist, Hoffman.

• John and Laurel from various platforms expressed their admiration for the show's depth and entertainment value, with Lauren sharing a personal connection to Boise, Idaho.

Highlighted Listener Feedback:

Catherine: "I thought this episode showed the police in a good light today. If someone is shooting at them, there is no way they're going in breaking the door down. Hoffman certainly was a piece of work though."

Adam responds warmly, sharing personal anecdotes and emphasizing the show's reach and community.

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Conclusion

"Dragnet: The Big Jump" offers a gripping exploration of a police standoff with underlying themes of mental health and the moral complexities faced by law enforcement. Adam Graham's insightful commentary and the episode's authentic dramatization provide listeners with both entertainment and a deeper understanding of procedural policing during the 1950s.

For those new to the series, this episode serves as a compelling entry point, blending suspenseful storytelling with character-driven narratives that highlight the unwavering commitment of detectives like Joe Friday and Ben Romero.

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Thank you for tuning into The Great Detectives Present Dragnet. Follow us on your favorite podcast platform to stay updated with more authentic old-time radio detective stories.

Transcript

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[Ben Romero]

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[Ms. Lenahan]

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[Ben Romero]

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[Joe Friday]

Clouds are wholly unable to support the weight of an adult human.

[Ben Romero]

What's happening?

[Joe Friday]

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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, we're going to bring you this week's episode of Dragnet, but I do want to encourage you. If you're enjoying the podcast, please follow us using your favorite podcast software. Our listener Support and appreciation campaign concludes today and you can become one of our ongoing Patreon supporters for as little as $2 per month by going to patreon.greatdetectives.net and I want to welcome our latest Patreon supporter, Denise, coming on board at the shamus level of $4 or more per month. Thanks so much for your support, denise. Now, from January 11, 1950, here is.

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[Narrator]

The story you are about to hear is true.

[Ben Romero]

Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent.

[Narrator]

You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned a homicide detail.

[Ben Romero]

A man crouches on the window ledge of a downtown building 13 stories above the street. He threatens to leap to his death within the hour. 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, September 6th. It was warm in Los Angeles. We're working the day.

[Ben Romero]

Watch out.

[Joe Friday]

A homicide detail. My partner's Ben Romero. The boss is Captain Steed. My name's Friday. I was on the way back from communications and it was 1:28pm when I got to room 42, homicide. You ready, Skipper?

[Ben Romero]

Yes.

[Joe Friday]

Yeah, coming, Ben.

[Ben Romero]

What's up? Just got the call. Third and Temple.

[Joe Friday]

Yeah.

[Ben Romero]

Fitzroy Building, 13th floor. They got a jumper. Righty, Ben. Let's hustle it.

[Joe Friday]

Right.

[Ben Romero]

What's the story, Skipper took the call. Not much to tell. Guys perched out on a window ledge 13 floors up, threatening to jump. Yeah. What time you got, Romero? 1:33. Not much time. What? The guy on the ledge you served notice?

[Joe Friday]

Well, how do you mean?

[Ben Romero]

Says he's gonna jump.

[Joe Friday]

At 2:00, 1:36pm Ben pulled the car to a stop at 3rd and Temple. We double parked near the intersection and started across the street to the building. On the northeast corner was a steel frame structure with a block granite facing. The stone lettering over the main entrance read R.H. fitzroy Building 1927. The immediate area had been blocked off in all directions. The sidewalks directly adjacent to the building on 3rd street and on Temple street had also been cleared of all pedestrian traffic. Hundreds of curious onlookers jammed against police lines at the far side of the intersection, reaching back for a full block in either direction. Hundreds more had packed in behind them. Thirteen stories above the pavement was the center of attraction, the figure of a man standing upright on a narrow ledge, looking down at the crowd on the street directly below him, men from the Fire department's rescue squad were hurriedly stretching out nets. We entered the building, took the elevator to the 13th floor.

[Ben Romero]

Who's standing by up here, Skipper? Bechtel and Wiseman. They saw the crowd gathering in the street on the way back from lunch, looked up and saw a guy on the ledge that came right up.

[Joe Friday]

How long has the guy been standing out there?

[Ben Romero]

About 15 minutes. Sure, join the crowd. Must be a couple of thousand people down there. What was that room number, Friday?

[Joe Friday]

1305. Yeah, it's down this way. There's Bechtel.

[Ben Romero]

Beck. Hi. I've been watching for you. The office is down here. Okay.

[Joe Friday]

How's it stand now?

[Ben Romero]

He's still out there, ready to jump. We got 22 minutes to figure out how to stop him. What's the story, anyway? I'll let the doctor tell you. Go ahead. Through here, nurse. Where'd Dr. Turner go?

[Ms. Lenahan]

He went down to meet Dr. Wright. He's bringing him right up.

[Ben Romero]

This is Captain Steed, Homicide. Ms. Lenahan.

[Ms. Lenahan]

How do you do?

[Ben Romero]

Sergeant Friday. Romero.

[Joe Friday]

How do you do? How. Nurse, how are you?

[Ben Romero]

Here's how he climbed outside this window here? Yeah. Right now he's standing on the ledge about 12ft to the right of the window. The ledge is about 14 inches wide. No other windows closer to him? No, this is it. Did you try to talk him out of it, get him back inside? We took a turn at it. Yeah. Wiseman crawled out on the ledge, talked to him. So did I. He's one of the queerest jumpers I've come across.

[Joe Friday]

What do you mean?

[Ben Romero]

He's got a hammer with him. Carpenter's hammer. Whenever you get close to him, he takes a cut at you. Wiseman wasn't looking for it. Had to duck fast. He almost went over.

[Joe Friday]

Is there any other way to reach him?

[Ben Romero]

Double check the whole layout. This window's the closest. What about lowering a man from the roof? Wide piece of cornice up there, a big overhang. Put a man down on a rope and he'd be hanging three feet from the side of the building. Wouldn't come close to the guy. How about this doctor you mentioned, Beck? You figure he can help? It's worth a try. Ms. Lennon?

[Ms. Lenahan]

Yes, Sergeant?

[Ben Romero]

You saw it happen. You know better than I do what Dr. Turner's idea is. Would you fill these men in, please? Make it brief.

[Ms. Lenahan]

Surely.

[Joe Friday]

Now, this man on the ledge, who is he? Do you know?

[Ms. Lenahan]

Walter Harrison's his name. He's one of the doctor's patients. His sister brought him in for a routine checkup. That was about 1 o'clock.

[Ben Romero]

How old is the man?

[Ms. Lenahan]

41. His sister told us he's been complaining of a backache lately while the doctor was examining him. And Mr. Harrison flew up all of a sudden. He yelled out we were trying to cripple him, that we wanted to kill him. Excuse me, please.

[Joe Friday]

Sure.

[Ms. Lenahan]

Dr. Turner's office. No, I'm sorry. Not this afternoon. We have an awful lot of trouble. Yes, all right. Thank you.

[Joe Friday]

Well, what happened after Harrison started to.

[Ms. Lenahan]

Act up, Ms. Lennon, Dr. Turner and I tried to hold him. He shoved us both out of the way. He hit the doctor in the face. Then he ran to the window, got out on that ledge and crawled along the side of the building. He's been there ever since.

[Ben Romero]

Ms. Harrison has a mental case?

[Ms. Lenahan]

Yes, he's been for 10 years. Been in and out of the state hospital at Camarillo a couple of times. Sister Ruth's been taking care of him. She was here when it happened.

[Ben Romero]

Where is she now?

[Ms. Lenahan]

Next door, the treatment room. Thelma, that's the other nurse. She's looking after Ms. Harrison. She's pretty close to hysterics.

[Ben Romero]

Tried to talk to her skipper. Not much help so far. You say the doctor's been treating this Mr. Harrison?

[Ms. Lenahan]

No, he just came in for a physical checkup. Dr. Reich's been handling his mental condition. That's where Dr. Turner is now. Getting Reich. He has his office in the next building.

[Joe Friday]

What time you got, Ben?

[Ben Romero]

It's getting short. 19 minutes to 2. How about the time element, Beck? If he's gonna kill himself, why is he waiting for 2:00 to do it? It's got me. He scribbled a note out there, threw it down to the street. One of the men in the rescue squad grabbed it and brought it up. I got it right here. Let me see. Can I look at that statue?

[Joe Friday]

They want my life. They want. What's his next one?

[Ben Romero]

Dead. Dead. They want me dead.

[Joe Friday]

I'd like to pray first. I'll jump at 2:00. What's this last thing, Ben? I can't read this.

[Ben Romero]

Let me see. At 2 o'clock. Don't touch my body. That's it. Don't touch my body. You saw the guy at close range, Beck. What do you think he's serious? I don't know. I'm not even gonna guess. How about me going out and talking to him? Skipper, it might work. Won't do any harm. That ledge is 14 inches wide. Romero, if you Slip. I don't want to explain it to your wife and kid.

[Joe Friday]

Well, how about me giving it a try? That jumper case last October. I was on that one.

[Ben Romero]

It's volunteer duty, Joe. I'm not gonna order you. You know the risk.

[Joe Friday]

Yeah, I'll watch it. You want to stand by here at the window, Ben?

[Ben Romero]

Yeah. Okay.

[Joe Friday]

Let's get that window up, huh?

[Ben Romero]

Those blinds? Yeah. Those blinds up.

[Joe Friday]

Okay. I'll give you a hand with the window.

[Ben Romero]

All right. Come on. Up she goes.

[Joe Friday]

A little stuck.

[Ben Romero]

Yeah, it is.

[Joe Friday]

All the way up, huh?

[Ben Romero]

There it goes. Okay. Be careful now, huh?

[Joe Friday]

Yeah, I will.

[Ben Romero]

Joe.

[Joe Friday]

Yeah. Back.

[Ben Romero]

Don't forget about that hammer the guy's got. It's just my guess.

[Joe Friday]

Yeah, what's that?

[Ben Romero]

The guy might want to die. I don't think he wants to do it alone.

[Joe Friday]

1:43Pm if we could take Walter Harrison's word for it, we had exactly 17 minutes to talk him into a change of mind before he plunged to his death on the pavement 13 stories below. I crawled out of the window and started inching my way along. The narrow ledge went slow. I kept my eyes on Harrison. He stood about 10ft away from me, looking down at the crowds jamming the streets below. I edged along to within eight feet of him. He didn't seem to notice me. Was a fairly tall man, about 5 foot 10, medium build, dark hair. He was wearing gray pinstripe trousers, a white shirt. No coat, no necktie. I got to within six feet of him. He raised one arm and made a motion with his fist at the crowd below.

[Walter Harrison]

Animals. You dirty spaghetti. You won't touch me.

[Ms. Lenahan]

I'll jump right through you.

[Walter Harrison]

No one even touched me.

[Joe Friday]

I kept edging toward him. He still didn't seem to notice me. Turned his body a little. Kept pounding the side of the building with a hammer. I got a look at his right hand. In it. He held the carpenter's hammer. I got to within five feet of him. An airliner passed overhead. Harrison looked up. He muttered something. Then he turned. He saw me.

[Walter Harrison]

I'm gonna kill you.

[Joe Friday]

It's all right with me. Walter. Why do you want to kill yourself? You're only gonna hurt people.

[Walter Harrison]

You don't care about people. You don't care about me.

[Joe Friday]

What am I doing out here? Well, you got it wrong, Walter. A lot of people care about you. They want you back inside. They want you where it's safe.

[Walter Harrison]

You're another one of those. You want to get your hands on me? You want to grab me. Well, you're not. I'm going to kill you.

[Joe Friday]

It's all right, Walter. You can kill me. I want to help you first.

[Walter Harrison]

You stay back. Don't you move anymore. I got this hammer and I'll smash your face with it. Smash you.

[Joe Friday]

I only want to talk to you. I know we can straighten this out.

[Walter Harrison]

I'll do it my way. You understand? My way. I know who you are. You've been after me before. I know what it's all about.

[Joe Friday]

I know you do, Walter. But you got it wrong. Now look, you're gonna jump off this building at 2:00. That's in 15 minutes.

[Walter Harrison]

That's right.

[Ben Romero]

You bet I am.

[Joe Friday]

All right, now let's. Let's talk it over for five of those minutes, huh? Can't do any harm. I'm not gonna hurt you. How about it? Okay.

[Walter Harrison]

Why should I talk to you?

[Joe Friday]

Because I care about what happens to you. So does your sister. So do a lot of people.

[Walter Harrison]

Well, then you're like a lot of people. You want to get your hands on me. Like those animals down there. The whole dirty pack of them. They want to grab on and get all around close and put their hands on me. Well, they're not gonna do it.

[Joe Friday]

Of course they're not. Nobody's gonna hurt you. You know that, don't you?

[Walter Harrison]

You bet your life they're not. You see that dirty pack down there? Well, they don't know it, but I'm gonna jump right through them. I'm gonna jump right through all of them. They won't even touch me. And I can do it right now.

[Joe Friday]

Wait a minute, Walter. Forget your promise.

[Walter Harrison]

What are you talking about? What promise?

[Joe Friday]

2:00. You wrote that down yourself. You said you wouldn't jump until it was two o'clock, didn't you?

[Walter Harrison]

That was no promise. I just wrote it down, that's all. Just 2:00.

[Joe Friday]

Yeah, well, your sister believed it. We gave her the note. She says that you promise. Are you gonna make a liar out of yourself?

[Walter Harrison]

You're the liar. Ruth didn't say that. She didn't say it was a promise.

[Joe Friday]

You gotta take my word for that. All right, let's go in and ask her. How about it?

[Ben Romero]

See.

[Walter Harrison]

See Ruth inside. Sure.

[Joe Friday]

Come on. Come on. Take my hand, Waller.

[Ben Romero]

All right, all right.

[Walter Harrison]

I. I'll take your hand. Watch your step.

[Joe Friday]

Look out, will you?

[Walter Harrison]

You'll get back. Get back. Now, now. Next time I won't miss. I'll smash your whole arm up.

[Ben Romero]

You.

[Walter Harrison]

You think you're pretty smart, don't you? You trying to trick Me? Well, I told you before, I. I know who you are you're trying to get your hands on.

[Joe Friday]

You promised your sister. 2:00. You're still gonna break that promise.

[Walter Harrison]

I'm not like you in that back down there. I don't break promise.

[Joe Friday]

Everybody knows that, Walter. They trust you. Come on. How about talking this thing out?

[Walter Harrison]

What time?

[Joe Friday]

1:46. 14 minutes to go.

[Walter Harrison]

How do I know that's the town?

[Joe Friday]

Well, you can look at my watch. Here. Right here.

[Walter Harrison]

You stand back. I told you before, you stay away from me.

[Joe Friday]

Just wanted to show you the time, that's all. All right. You can look at that big clock up the street. See the one on the side of the Hobart building up there?

[Walter Harrison]

14 minutes. How do I know that? Strike. How do I know they're not in with you two?

[Joe Friday]

You already said it. Big company. They don't care about you or me. They got a business to run. Their clock. They don't care what happened.

[Walter Harrison]

No, no, of course not.

[Ben Romero]

They don't.

[Joe Friday]

They don't care.

[Ben Romero]

All right.

[Walter Harrison]

Well, I'll just keep an eye on them clock.

[Ben Romero]

All right.

[Joe Friday]

You don't mind if I talk while you wait, do you?

[Ben Romero]

What's that plane?

[Walter Harrison]

What's it doing up there?

[Joe Friday]

Well, it's just an airliner. Probably on its way into Burbank.

[Ben Romero]

You're not fooling me. That plane's been by before.

[Walter Harrison]

It's flying low, too.

[Joe Friday]

Yeah, I guess I didn't notice it. Well, what difference does it make?

[Walter Harrison]

Probably watch, flying back and forth.

[Ben Romero]

Maybe they're the police.

[Walter Harrison]

They're trying to do something. They're trying to get their hands on me.

[Joe Friday]

Well, let's see. Yeah, Might be their plane. It's a big one.

[Walter Harrison]

Sure, sure, they're trying to. There's something coming right by here.

[Ben Romero]

Flying low.

[Walter Harrison]

It's the same one. I. I can see. Look.

[Ben Romero]

Look.

[Walter Harrison]

You see there on the wing?

[Joe Friday]

Yeah. What's that?

[Walter Harrison]

The. The number right there on the wing. It's the same one that passed over a few minutes ago. You get away for a minute.

[Joe Friday]

All right. Water. Give me that.

[Ms. Lenahan]

I'm going to kill you.

[Joe Friday]

Give it to me.

[Walter Harrison]

Don't you. You thought you tricked me. You didn't know I had my pocket knife. Well, I can kill you with it now. I can kill you right now.

[Joe Friday]

Yeah, I told you before, it's all right with me. Look out there. Watch your step on the ledge, will you?

[Walter Harrison]

I should have cut your hand off. I should have cut your whole arm off and thrown it to those animals down there.

[Joe Friday]

Look.

[Ben Romero]

Look at that blood all over your head.

[Joe Friday]

I'm sorry, Waller. It's not your fault. I just wanted to talk the whole thing over, to tell you how your sister feels about.

[Walter Harrison]

You're a liar. I. I knew it when I looked at you. And I know. You get away. You get away before I kill you.

[Joe Friday]

Look, there's only one thing I can tell you. There's Sister Ruth sitting inside there, and she's worried sick. She's waiting for you. She wants to take you home.

[Ben Romero]

Now.

[Joe Friday]

How about it? There's no reason for all this. You know that, don't you?

[Ben Romero]

Do I?

[Joe Friday]

Sure you do. Your sister and your family, they care about you. They want you home again. They want you with them. There's no reason to be standing out here now, is there?

[Ben Romero]

You.

[Walter Harrison]

You wait till 2:00, mister.

[Joe Friday]

Yeah.

[Walter Harrison]

I'll show you the reason.

[Joe Friday]

1:48Pm 12 minutes left. I made my way along the ledge through the window back into the office. Dr. Wright, a man who'd been treating Walter Harrison for his mental sickness, was already there with Dr. Turner. While the nurse bandaged up my hand, Captain Steed, Ben and I talked with him.

[Ben Romero]

I've treated Harrison for 10 years, on and off. I guess he showed some improvement. Not much. Definite paranoid tendencies. Did he ever try this before, Dr. Wright? Not to my knowledge. His sister might tell you more. I really don't know what to advise you to do. He's never been this violent before, using a hammer and I.

[Ms. Lenahan]

Sergeant.

[Ben Romero]

That feel all right? Yeah, that's fine. Thank you. There's only one thing I've got to know, Doctor. Is it worth letting another one of my men go out there on that ledge? I'm afraid that's your decision, Captain. It may help. It may not. I know the patient, but I can't read his mind.

[Joe Friday]

Was just thinking we might bring Harrison's sister to the window and have her talk to him. Think that might help, Doctor?

[Ben Romero]

Very possible. It might. In a spot like this. I'm in the same boat you are. It's all guesswork. You think Harrison's really gonna be ready to jump at 2:00, Doctor? From what Sergeant Friday tells me, yes, I think he'll jump. We got to come up with something. We can't just stand around, watch a guy take a dive down 13 stories. I wish I knew the answer. There's got to be one someplace. There's got to be an answer. Let's check your watch.

[Joe Friday]

We got 10 minutes to find it.

[Narrator]

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

[Joe Friday]

It's a sworn duty of the peace officer to protect the lives of the citizens of the community in which he serves. That isn't always limited to protecting the citizens from criminals and lawbreakers. Oftentimes the citizen has to be protected from himself. The drunken driver can do as much harm to his own person as he can to others. The same for the narcotic addict. The same for mental incompetence such as Walter Harrison. If he was being assaulted, robbed or shot at by a gunman, it would have been no more serious. Harrison's life was in jeopardy. Trying to save him had to be the first consideration. 1:50pm Sergeant Jack Wiseman inched his way out on the ledge of the 13th story and kept Walter Harrison busy talking. Anything to keep his mind off the jump. Captain Steed got on the phone and talked to the manager of the hobart building. A 12 story structure three blocks away with a large clock set into either side of it. The same clock Harrison was keeping time by?

[Ben Romero]

Yeah, that's right. Just so you don't make it look too obvious. Okay, Mr. Walsh. Thank you. They're gonna do all they can. Let's hope it works. Yeah.

[Joe Friday]

What'd he say?

[Ben Romero]

They're gonna start slowing down the clock in the building right away. If Harrison goes by that time, it's gonna be a long 10 minutes.

[Joe Friday]

Well, how much? They figure they can stretch it about.

[Ben Romero]

Five or six minutes without making it look too obvious.

[Joe Friday]

We can sure use it. Let's hope Harrison doesn't catch on.

[Ben Romero]

Manager said they'll stop the clock when it's a minute to go. It'll never reach 2:00. Skipper? Yeah, Romero? I just checked with the rescue squad down the street. They're stringing out more nets. Yeah, they're not guaranteeing anything. How do you mean? They're worried about those ledges jutting up from the building every other floor they see. If Harrison jumps close enough, he's bound to hit one of them. If he does, he'll be dead before he reaches street level. Nets down there won't do him any good. Well, nothing we can do about it. Something else we'll have to hand over to Luck.

[Joe Friday]

Have they come up with any ideas, Ben?

[Ben Romero]

Just one. Sounds like it could work.

[Joe Friday]

What's that?

[Ben Romero]

They figured, like we did, the overhang on the roof is too wide to lower a man directly down on top of Harrison to grab. Yeah, they think it might work if they try this. Put a man in a rope sling just over the edge of the roof, lower him down toward Harrison as close as possible without detonate. Give him a good line. Let him try to rope Harrison. I don't know.

[Joe Friday]

They got any candidates to try it?

[Ben Romero]

Yeah, one guy's been on the rescue squad for years. Supposed to be an expert with a lasso.

[Joe Friday]

Captain?

[Ben Romero]

No. Might do it.

[Narrator]

I don't know.

[Ben Romero]

Yeah.

[Joe Friday]

What happens if he misses Harrison?

[Ben Romero]

Who knows what happens if Harrison jumps. Captain, I just got off that ledge in a hurry. He came at me with that knife.

[Joe Friday]

Is he any closer to the window?

[Ben Romero]

Backed off again. Something else. That clock in the Hobart building. Yeah. Pretty sure he's wise to that gimmick. He's giving it up.

[Joe Friday]

What do you mean?

[Ben Romero]

The 2 o'clock deadline. He's not gonna wait for it.

[Joe Friday]

1:55Pm A specially equipped police car with loudspeakers mounted on the roof was rushed to the intersection of Third and Temple streets opposite the Fitzroy building. Sergeant Jack Wiseman took Walter Harrison's sister Ruth down in the elevator to the street. She got on the police car microphone and started talking to her brother over the loudspeakers. Word was passed to the special detail of men from the fire department's rescue squad standing by on the roof of the building. They went to work. Captain Steed went up to the roof to see if he could assist them. Ben and I waited in the office on the 13th floor. The nurse, Ms. Lenahan and Jean Bechtel were with us. 1:57pm the men on the roof started to lower. The man from the rescue squad in a rope sling. He held a double strength lasso in his hands. The end of it was wrapped around his body and tied securely. Ben and I watched from the window. We looked along the narrow ledge. Walter Harrison stood erect and motionless, an open pocket knife in one hand, his feet poised in the brink of a 13 story jump. The voice of Harrison's sister drifted up from the loudspeakers down on the street.

[Ms. Lenahan]

Father, this is Ruth. Walter, can you hear me? This is Ruth. I want you to come home with me.

[Ben Romero]

Walter.

[Ms. Lenahan]

Please. You've got to understand.

[Ben Romero]

Sister's doing all right. Finish it for sure if he looks up. Yeah, sure will.

[Ms. Lenahan]

There's nothing wrong. No one's going to hurt you. We want to help you.

[Walter Harrison]

Walter.

[Ms. Lenahan]

Please.

[Ben Romero]

I can't see. Jill. They're letting the man down.

[Joe Friday]

Yeah. Coming slow. Wait a minute.

[Ms. Lenahan]

There's nothing to be afraid of. You know that, don't you? Come home with me, please. I'll take care of you. I'll see that you're safe, that you're all right.

[Ben Romero]

Joe, how's Harrison doing? Can you see?

[Joe Friday]

Yeah, he's looking down, not moving at all.

[Ms. Lenahan]

Nobody's gonna hurt you, believe me. These people are your friends. They want to help you. Can you hear me, Walter? They want to help you.

[Joe Friday]

That's it. What man? Coming down on the rope. He's just above Harrison.

[Ms. Lenahan]

Now, they're your friends. You can trust me. Your sister, Bruce. You've got to trust me, Walter. I want to take care of you. I want to take you home.

[Ben Romero]

Yeah, I see the man now. He's right above him. Got the lasso ready.

[Joe Friday]

Keep your fingers crossed.

[Ben Romero]

What is it? What's happening? The lasso. He's throwing it.

[Walter Harrison]

Get him away from me. Missed, Joey. Missed.

[Ben Romero]

Walter.

[Joe Friday]

Wait a minute.

[Walter Harrison]

Harrison. Get him away. Pull that man up.

[Joe Friday]

Pull him out of the way. He's still on the ledge. I'm going out.

[Ben Romero]

Joe, wait a minute.

[Joe Friday]

Yeah.

[Ben Romero]

It's only a chance. Yeah. Why don't you get him mad at you? Say anything, insult him. Well, I'll try anything to make him go for you. If you can get him down to this window, I can grab him.

[Joe Friday]

If I get him by the window, I'll hold on to him, huh?

[Ben Romero]

Yeah. When you grab him, try to lean as close to the building as you can.

[Joe Friday]

There's not much to lean on the other way. 1:59pm I got through the window and out onto the ledge. The crowd's jamming. The streets below had swollen to almost twice their size. A few blocks away, the big clock on the side of the Hobart building read five minutes to two. But Harrison wasn't looking at it. He still had his eyes fixed on the pavement 13 stories beneath us. He torn off his collar and his shirt was ripped open at the neck. He waved his arms and shouted at the crowd below as he tottered along the ledge toward the corner of the building, away from the window that I was supposed to lure him into. In his right hand, he still held onto the open pocket. Now.

[Walter Harrison]

You'Re not going to get your hands on me. You're not even going to get close.

[Joe Friday]

Wait a minute, Harrison. Watch it.

[Walter Harrison]

You. You watch me, mister. I'm going to jump right through them down there, those dirty animals. You just watch.

[Adam Graham]

All right?

[Joe Friday]

Wait a minute. I got a message for you from your sister Ruth. Now, do you want to hear it?

[Walter Harrison]

You. You won't get your hands on me. None of you. I'll see you later.

[Joe Friday]

You're a phony, Harrison. You're a pony. Liar.

[Walter Harrison]

I'm a what?

[Joe Friday]

You heard me. You're not Kidding anybody?

[Walter Harrison]

You don't think I can jump, huh? Why, you just. What?

[Joe Friday]

Anybody can jump. Any phony can do that.

[Walter Harrison]

What?

[Joe Friday]

It doesn't take anything. Those animals down there in the street, any one of them could do that. You're just like one of them.

[Walter Harrison]

I've still got this knife. I've used it before. I can kill you.

[Joe Friday]

You couldn't kill anything. You haven't got the guts. You're a phony.

[Ben Romero]

You're alive.

[Walter Harrison]

You're a rotten liar. I can cut you to pieces. Oh, you talk.

[Joe Friday]

Me, Harrison, but you're all talk.

[Walter Harrison]

I can cut you to pieces.

[Joe Friday]

You haven't got me fooled, mister, not for a minute.

[Walter Harrison]

I'll cut you to pieces.

[Joe Friday]

You haven't got half the nerve. You're a phony and you know it.

[Walter Harrison]

You're a rotten liar. You stand still. Go on. You stand still. In the heartstrings.

[Joe Friday]

Oh, you talk a real good game.

[Ben Romero]

But that's about all.

[Joe Friday]

You're all talk.

[Walter Harrison]

I'll show you. I still have my knife, and you do right now.

[Joe Friday]

Yeah, sure you will.

[Walter Harrison]

You're backing away. You're afraid.

[Joe Friday]

You're a phony, Harrison. Nobody's afraid of a phony.

[Walter Harrison]

Cut you up good.

[Joe Friday]

I'm waiting for you. Come on. What's the matter, Harrison?

[Walter Harrison]

You're not. You're not waiting. Stand still and stop backing away. Now stop, I tell you.

[Joe Friday]

You come and get me, huh? Haven't you got enough nerve? You're just talking again. All talk, huh?

[Walter Harrison]

That window. You've got to stop by the window and then I'll cut you to pieces.

[Joe Friday]

All right, Harrison.

[Ben Romero]

Here.

[Joe Friday]

Now you go ahead. Prove you're a phony.

[Walter Harrison]

I'll show you, you rotten luck. All right, Walter.

[Joe Friday]

Now drop it.

[Walter Harrison]

Drop it. I gotta kill you, you rotten. I'll get you to please. Robert. Joe, look out.

[Ben Romero]

Grab them. They're gonna fall. Well, how close can it get? Yeah, Nurse, that was just wonderful.

[Ms. Lenahan]

Sergeant. Both of you. Are you all right?

[Ben Romero]

Yeah, fine.

[Joe Friday]

Would you mind getting Captain Steve for us, please? You know who he is?

[Ms. Lenahan]

Surely. Right away.

[Ben Romero]

Graham. Yeah, it was a rough one minute there. Looked like you were both going over the side. Yeah. Thought I'd lost you, Joe.

[Joe Friday]

Well, you didn't have to worry.

[Ben Romero]

No, no.

[Joe Friday]

You told me which way to lean.

[Narrator]

The story you have just heard was true. Only the names were changed to protect the innocent. On September 10, the sanity hearing was held at the County Hospital Psychopathic Ward, City and county of Los Angeles, State of California. In a moment, the results of that.

[Ben Romero]

Hearing.

[Narrator]

After being examined by six psychiatrists. Walter John Harrison was judged mentally incompetent. On his sister's request, he was committed to a private sanitarium. Seven months later, Harrison took his own life by hanging. You have just heard Dragnet, a series of authentic cases from official files. Technical advice comes from the office of Chief of Police W.H. parker, Los Angeles Police Department.

[Ben Romero]

We the People is next with stories of TODAY on NBC.

[Joe Friday]

From taco night in Tulum to sushi in Tokyo, make every bite rewarding with gold from Amex. Wherever you dine four times Membership rewards points at restaurants worldwide are piling up, but learn [e-mail] Explore Gold terms and Points Cap apply Dinner time.

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[Adam Graham]

Welcome back. Really a great episode and different from your typical Dragnet story. Listening to this series, you really appreciate Stacy Harris Range as an actor. He plays a lot of criminals, madmen, ordinary citizens, occasionally other police officers, but they're not all the same. A great example of this is this episode, because most recently on Public Domain Video Theater we featured the Human Bomb, the first TV episode of Dragnet, where he played another character who was a bit disturbed in Vernon Carney, who was threatening to blow up City Hall. However, it's a very different performance, as Carney's more of a monomaniac and the man in this story is more paranoid and disturbed in so many ways. One big rule of modern storytelling is show don't tell, and Friday's explanations of why the police do things they do tend to violate that rule. But nevertheless, I think it's helpful as it communicates information that explains the actions in a way that I think are hard to Otherwise, you can imagine a listener thinking, okay, it's horrible that this guy is going to jump, but you tried to talk him down. He's violent. He's determined to jump. What are you guys doing risking men trying to save someone who doesn't want to be saved? Friday's explanation makes their point of view clear. It's like any other citizen in danger. Part of the job is being willing to push put your life at risk in order to protect the lives of citizens, and if you're not willing to do that, you don't really belong on the police force. It was tragic that he ended up killing himself anyway seven months later. But following Friday's reasoning and analogy, that would be like if you're a police officer and you save someone from an armed robbery, only for them to get killed in a mugging seven months later. Later. I also liked the part at the end with Friday's remark that he was going to be alright because Romero had told him the right way to lean. It's a classic bit of cop humor to defuse a situation and to not dwell on the fact that you just nearly died. It's in the same vein as when at the end of the City hall bombing or radio version of the human bomb, Friday slips and falls on the steps of City hall and sent the bomb flying, which could have killed him and probably some other people and done major damage to the City Hall. But it didn't go off because of how the device was rigged for a hard pull and Romero just kind of stood over him and said, clumsy. It really indicates the thoroughness with which Jack Webb had researched the police and the amount of time he spent with them that he picked up the cadences of their humor and works that into the scripts. Well, now we turn to listener comments and feedback and on Facebook, Emmett writes regarding the episode the Big Family. This was a surprisingly good episode. In order to avoid spoilers, he just leaves it at that. And regarding the episode the Big Break, Catherine wrote, I thought this episode showed the police in a good light today. If someone is shooting at them, there is no way they're going in breaking the door down. Hoffman certainly was a piece of work though. And that comment comes from YouTube and I definitely agree on Hoffman. This very unique, very dangerous, but still fascinating character and one of the best ones that you'll find in the 1950s TV series. And we have a couple of comments over on the site called X. John writes, love your show. And then Laurel writes, I think I'm on the second listen to all of your feeds. Depot bench here, 8 hours overnight at the USPS on 1.2 speed covers a lot of shows. Thanks Adam for hours of entertainment in one place. Well, thanks so much Laurel. And for those of you who aren't in Boise, the Bench is an area in Boise. And I've never heard the phrase depot bench before, but it's actually kind of helpful in that it's near the old train depot here in Boise. We don't actually have train service passenger train service, but we used to, and now that area is a park. I actually took my now 3 year old son down there and, and he loved the engine they have on display. And of course I lived really close to the depot within about two and a half miles. I guess I would have been depot bench for about 16 years. So those things I. I'm really tickled when I hear the show is being listened to in parts of the world far away. But it's also something special when you hear folks are listening to it within a few miles of where you live. Well, thanks so much. Appreciate the comment, Lauren. Well, now it is time to thank our Patreon supporter of the day and I want to go ahead and thank Emily. Emily's been one of our patreon supporters since February 2021, currently supporting the podcast at the rookie level of $2 or more per month. Thanks so much for your support, Emily. And that will actually do it for today. If you're enjoying the podcast, please follow us using your favorite podcast software. And if you're enjoying the podcast on YouTube, be sure to like the video, subscribe to the channel and mark the notification bell. We'll be back next Saturday with another episode of Dragnet. And join us back here next Tuesday for hot coffee. But we will be back tomorrow with our 4650 50th episode special where.

[Ben Romero]

All right, doc, now it's your turn. You mentioned the letter. Yes, yes.

[Narrator]

Here, read it.

[Ben Romero]

You quacks are all alike. Murderers, honest people aren't safe from butchers like you. If the law won't punish you, I will. The avenger. Now, she went to a lot of trouble, didn't she? Cut out all the letters from the magazine. She reads like a woman's. Could be a man. Of course, I suppose you've handled this, haven't you?

[Joe Friday]

You mean fingerprints?

[Narrator]

Mm, yes, I guess so.

[Ben Romero]

I didn't know what it was, of course. Well, it doesn't matter, Doc. She probably wore gloves.

[Joe Friday]

I wouldn't worry too much about it. You wouldn't worry about it?

[Ben Romero]

No, no. It's not addressed to you. No, no, no, take it easy. I only meant. Well, we get hundreds of poison pen stuff like this every year. 99% of them turn out to be crank letters. And the other 1%, Lieutenant, what do.

[Joe Friday]

They turn out to be?

[Adam Graham]

I hope you'll be with us then. In the meantime, send your comments to Box13GreatDetectives.net follow us on Twitter at radiodetectives and check us out on Instagram. Instagram.com greatdetectives From Boise, Idaho, this is your host Adam Graham signing off from.

[Joe Friday]

Taco night in Tulum to Sushi in Tokyo. Make every bite rewarding with gold from Amex wherever you dine four times. Membership rewards points at restaurants worldwide are piling up. Learn more at americanexpress.com Explore-Gold terms and points Cap apply.

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