Joe Friday (0:01)

You can make a difference in someone's life, including your own, with a job in home care. These jobs offer flexible schedules, health care, retirement options, and free training. They also provide paid time off and opportunities for overtime. Visit oregonhomecarejobs.com to learn more and apply. That's oregonhomecarejobs.com packages by Expedia. You were made to be rechargeable. We were made to package flights, hotels and hammocks for less. Expedia made to travel.

Adam Graham (1:13)

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 first, I do want to encourage you. If you're enjoying the podcast, please follow us using your favorite podcast software. Today's program is brought to you in part by the financial support of our listeners. You can support the show by mailing a donation to Adam Graham, P.O. box 15913. That's P.O. box 15913, Boise, ID 83715. You can also become one of our ongoing Patreon supporters for as little as $2 per month. Just just go to patreon.greatdetactives.net now from March 8, 1951, here is the big New Year's.

Joe Friday (2:09)

You can make a difference in someone's life, including your own, with a job in home care. These jobs offer flexible schedules, health care, retirement options, and free training. They also provide paid time off and opportunities for overtime. Visit oregonhomecarejobs.com to learn more and apply. That's oregonhomecarejobs.com Ladies and gentlemen, the story you are about to hear is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent. You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned a homicide detail. It's New Year's Eve in your city, and you're on special duty. Thousands of people crowd downtown streets. One of them is a killer. Your job. Find them. Strikehead. 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. It was New Year's Eve. It was cold in Los Angeles. We were working the night watch out of homicide special duty. My partner's Ben Romero. The boss is Thad Brown, chief of Detective. My name's Friday. I was on the way back from dinner and it was 8:35pm when I got to room 42. Homicide. Joe. Hi, Barney. How is it outside? It's cold. Not keeping people at home, though. You check the crowds? Yeah. Been watching her from the window here. Seems bigger than last New Year. Crazy. You're on with Ben and me tonight. Is that right? Uh huh. Thought I was gonna have it off. Wife had a little house party planned and everything. Well, that's too bad. Maybe next time, huh? That's what I said last New Year's. Guess we better start moving. Yeah. Where's Ben? He went down the hall a minute. Said he'd be right back. I better take my top coat, huh? Yeah, I would if I were you. Nothing for us in the book, is there? Barney, I almost forgot. Jack Conley called. Having a little party out at his house. Want you Romero, to drop around when you get off. Said he'd call back. Hi, Jill. Hi. Everybody ready? Yeah. Let me grab my overcoat. All right. I just tagged by communications. Switchboard's lit up like a Christmas tree, just like last year. They're starting off strong. Calls coming in with a dozen. I'd like to see it just once. People celebrating New Year's without tearing up half the town. I get it. Homicide, Friday. Oh, yeah, Jack. Yeah. Well, Barney just mentioned it. Well, we'll try and make it. You know how things are tonight. Yeah, we'll try. Sure. Thanks a lot. Has Jack Conley been on his way home? He wants us to drop by his place if we get off early tonight. Not much chance of that. You ready? Yeah, I am. You, Barney? Let's go. I guess you can't tell. We might get a break. Hmm. The crowds are starting in pretty early. Good chance they'll break and go home right after midnight. That should get us off early. That was the idea last year, wasn't it, Ben? Yeah. What time did you get off? 6am together with Sergeant Barney Luchak, Ben and I left the City hall and started to cruise at the southern end of the central area. As any police officer can tell you, New Year's Eve for him is one of the hardest working nights in the year. This one was no different for us. Within an hour, we had more than a half a dozen calls to check out. Street fights, drunken driving, disturbing the peace. The usual complaints that you'd expect to get when a community of 3 million celebrates New Year's Eve. 9:43pm we were cruising in the area of Alameda and Macy Street. Unit 72R at Wilshire in Geneva at 3. 11. At 3:11 in KMA 36 7. Roger. 72R. Unit 1:12 at 83 Naylor Avenue. See the man, keep the peace. DMA 360. No stopping them, huh? It's a big night. Smoke, Joe? No, no thanks. Attention all units. All units in the vicinity at East Main and Darwin and officer needs help. That looks like we got one, huh? Yeah. All units in the vicinity at East Main and Darwin and officer needs help. EMA 367. Yes. We better handle it, huh? All right. The next one to the left. Ben. We can go out, darling. Yeah, I better call in. 80K to Control One Eight okay to Control One. What's the matter? I guess you're busy. 80K to Control One Eight, okay to Control One. Stand by 80K. Attention all units. All units in the vicinity. The call to East Main and Darwin is now a shooting. I guess you better push it then. Yep, got it. Down to the floor. All units in the vicinity. The call to East Main and Darwin is now shooting. The call is now code three. KMA 367. That's it coming up. Ben. East me? Yeah, there's a crowd there on the corner. I guess you better pull up here, huh? All right, Come on over by light pole. Ben. Joe. Man lying on the sidewalk. You want to check the crowd, Barney? Yeah. Okay. Let us through here, please. Can we get through? Excuse me. Look, would you please get back? Move back, please. All right, come on. I wonder if you just move along. Just move along. Move along. Give us a little room to work. Listening, please. Ben? Yeah, Joe, Have a look here. No. That's Jack Conley, right? He's dead. His full name was John Patrick Conley. Serial number 367 was one of the veteran officers in Central Homicide. He lay face down on the pavement, one of his legs straddling the curbstone. He'd been shot twice at the base of his skull. There were four more bullet wounds in his back. Ben got to a phone, called Homicide and told them what had happened. Two dozen cruiser cars and more than a half a hundred men were immediately dispatched to the scene of the killing. They circled the area for a dozen blocks around and started a door to door search for the killer. Suspicious looking pedestrians were stopped at every street corner and questioned. 10:30pm the ambulance arrived and Jack Conley's body was taken to the morgue along with Thaxter and Brian from Homicide. Barney Luciek. Ben and I continued checking in the immediate vicinity of the killing. We found no one who'd admit that they actually saw the shooting. Half A dozen people in the crowd told us that they heard the shots and they saw Connally fall to the pavement. They'd also seen a man standing behind Connolly turn and run down the street right after the shooting. No one had followed him. The man was described as medium build, wearing a dark suit and a dark hat. That's all it could tell us. 11:25pm Ben and I met Barney Luciek back at the car. Barney, you got anything? Checked out every store in the neighborhood that's open. Not much. How about you? Well, it's the same. Pretty thin. Brian and Thaxter turned up a newsboy down the street. He told him he saw the guy in the dark suit running down the street. Man thought he saw the guy come out of this bar here. We heard that too, Barney. We talked to the bartender. He doesn't recall the man. I want to say, I almost forgot. I check with the office. Mrs. Conley's been calling and wants to know where her husband is. Oh, yeah? I asked Personnel to hold off notifying her. Something bu fellas would want to tell her. You knew Conley pretty well, didn't you? Yeah. Long time. Family man, three kids. Few fellas that want to tell her. I'll call personnel back. They can do it. No, it's all right. Don't. 11:40pm Ben and I got in the car and headed out for the home of the slain officer, Jack Connolly. The house was on Ralston Avenue, just a few blocks from where Ben lived. We parked the car and started up the front walk. The lights were burning in the living room. Lousy job. What? I said it's a lousy job. Yeah. Better try it again, huh? He heard it. Somebody's coming. Hi, Joe. Ben. Hello, buddy. I'm sure glad you can make it. Everybody's here. Come in. Come in. Okay. Thank you. I'm still waiting for that wandering husband of mine. If he's not here by midnight, he's going to be in the doghouse for sure. Here, let me take your coat. No, Betty, that's all right. I wonder if we could go back into the kitchen. We'd like to talk to you. Can't you stay long? No, not too long. Oh, that's too bad. Well, come on back in the kitchen. I'll get you something. Maybe you can drop back later on. Jack should be here by then. You better be. Come on in. By the 1. Have you seen Jack? That's what we wanted to talk to you about, Betty. What? You want to sit down? Betty? What is it, Jeff? Tell me. Well, he had an accident. Where is he? I want to go see him. How about an accident? Pretty bad. I want to go see him, Joe. If he's hurt, I want to see him. Couldn't be that bad, could it? Yeah. Oh, please, Joe. Please not dad. Tell me, Joe. Please. I'm sorry, Betty. Dear God. Oh, God. Give me a hand here. Joe. Joe. She's white as a sheep. Be worse when she comes too. We better get ahold of the family doctor. No, we're gonna have to wait. We'll never get through now, huh? Phone lines are probably jammed. Midnight. Oh, yeah. Happy New Year. 12:30am we finally got a hold of the Connolly's family doctor and he told us that he'd be over as quickly as possible. Some of Ben Connolly's relatives at the party said that they'd look after things until the doctor arrived. Ben and I left the house and drove back to the scene of the murder. The house to house check of the entire area was still going on. There was no trace of the killer. 1:30am A low fog moved in over the city. Traffic began to thin out. A little street crowds disappeared. 2:00am the search went on. A little before 2:30, a patrolman on foot located a taxicab driver in the neighborhood who claimed that he'd seen a man answering the killer's description. Just after the shooting, Ben and I went down the street to talk to the the driver. He sat behind the wheel of his cab. It was especially equipped with shortwave radio to handle calls directly from the taxi company's dispatch office. Got to pass it on for whatever it's worth, Officer, it happened just a minute or two before I picked up my last bear. What time was that, do you remember? I remembering too. And I got it right here on the way, Bill. Yeah, yeah, here we go. 9:48pm I was parked just where I am now. Same old stand. Picked up a fare, drove them to North Main and Sotello, and I came back here. My cab broke down. Lousy distributor. I've been waiting for the repair truck ever since. Well, just what was it that happened before you picked up that fare here? Was it 9:48, is that right? Yeah. 9:48. Yeah. Well, I was gonna say it was just a minute or two before that. I was parked right here. This guy comes running down the street through the crowd. He was really running too. Yeah, go ahead. He's almost passed me when he stopped all of a sudden. Turned around and looked at me. I thought he wanted a cab, so I opened the door for him. He just looked at me and said, never mind, or something like that, and then he took off down the street. Maybe he was just a little goofed up. I don't know. Can you remember what he looked like? Oh, about your build, I guess. Medium. Had a hat on. Dark hat, dark suit. Did you get a look at his face? Yeah, he's about 28 or 30. Dark complexion. Anything else we remember about him? No, not for sure. He looked like a hundred other mooches down around this neighborhood. I quite like that. Good one. Just listen to those calls come in, huh? New Year's Eve, and I draw a lame cab. Well, there's nothing else that you remember about this man that you think might help us? No, you got it all, Sergeant. Just act a little queer, that's all. Goofed up, probably. Did you see which way he went when he took off? Right down the street that way. Lost himself in a crowd. I couldn't be bothered. How about when he came running down the street towards you? Did you happen to notice where he was coming from? Matter of fact, yeah. That was just after I heard those gunshots. Of course, I didn't know there were gunshots then. Yeah, Looked to me like he came out of that joint up there, right near where the cop was shot. Which joint was that? The228. That bar up there. Well, it wasn't much, but it was the only lead we had to go on. Seven persons in the vicinity at the time of the shooting had volunteered the information that the killer had been a recent customer at the 228 Club, the neighborhood tavern. The owner and bartender of the club, Ralph Stevens, had been questioned twice that night by different officers, and he twice denied that there was any possibility that the killer could have been a patron of his bar. Stevens denial didn't make any more sense than the killing itself. We made arrangements to have the cab driver we interviewed come down to the city hall to check through our mug books for the suspect. By 10am the next morning, the body of the slain homicide officer, Jack Connolly, had been posted. Four bullets were taken from his back, two from the base of his skull. Russ Camp ran the slugs through ballistics, where they were identified as having been fired from a.38 caliber Colt special revolver. 11am we drove back to the 228 Club, where we talked to some of the customers who'd been there the night before. Three of them told us that they'd seen a man answering the general description of the killer in the bar shortly before the shooting. Ben and I went back to the stock room at the rear of the bar and talked to the owner, Ralph Stevens. Look, how long does this thing have to go on anyway? I told you everything I knew last night. We know that Stevens. Doesn't seem to jive with what the rest of the witnesses saw, though. Maybe you better take it up with them. I don't know anything about it. I got work to do. And you're on my way there. Excuse me. How come you're so sure that the man we want wasn't in your place last night? I'm not on trial here. You asked me what I know and I told you. You don't mind? I got work to do. You mind moving over there? We'd appreciate it if you'd cooperate. If you want to know the truth, you're not good for my business here. Cops never are coming around asking questions. Customers don't like it. It's no good for business. No good at all. A cop was killed last night right outside your front door. Now, half a dozen people say that the guy who did it was in here drinking. I run this place. It's mine. I'd say the man wasn't in here. Still like to know how you're so sure? I'm getting a little tired of this. I don't have an office down at the City hall to lounge around in. I got work to do. How about leaving, huh? You want to get your coat? We can talk to you downtown. Come on. Not before I call my lawyer. Go ahead and call him. Where's your coat? Why do we have to have trouble? I haven't got any beasts with you? No trouble, Stevens. We have to get to the bottom of it, that's all. Like to have you cooperate, maybe. The guy was in here last night. He came in a couple of times, that's all. I didn't want it to get out. Bad for business, those things. Can't afford it. Keeps customers away. And the man was in here last night, is that right? I wasn't trying to cover it for him. Hardly know him. I just didn't want it to get out. I got a right to protect. Take my business. Who is the man? Harry Talman. He's a hothead. If he did it, it probably wasn't his fault. How do you mean? He was hyped up last night. Uses heroin. He probably didn't mean to shoot. Where do we find him? I wouldn't know if this is right. Old address. What is it? Fairview hotel. Try there. 11:35am New Year's Day. We Got in touch with Barney Luch and Tom Brian from Homicide. They drove downtown to check at the Fairview Hotel for the suspect. Ben and I finished questioning the owner of the 228 Club and we went back to the office. 11:58am Barney Luciek and Brian got back. Barney, what have you got? Fairview Hotel in South Grand. Was that the one? Yeah. Did you find it okay? Yeah. Talked to desk clerk Tom. He's registered there? Yeah, he was. Checked out two months ago. No leads. You are listening to Dragnet. A series of authentic case histories documented from official files. 1pm New Year's Day. After we found that the suspect, Harry Talmage, had checked out of the Fairview Hotel months before, Ben and I went back to the office and ran his name through R and I. The information given us by Ralph Stevens, the owner of the 228 Club was apparently correct. The record on Talmead showed that he was a confirmed user of narcotics. He served two brief terms for illegal possession of narcotics and another short term in the county jail for petty theft. We got out a broadcast and an APB on Talmage. We checked out all his known friends and relatives, the places that he frequented. Hotels, boarding houses that he'd stayed at. No leads. With the help of Lt. Walters and narcotics detail we finally found the trail most likely to lead us to the suspect. The peddlers who were suspected of supplying Talmage with narcotics. They were kept under a 24 hour watch. Three days passed. No results. January 4, 9am Ben and I went to the funeral and burial services for the murdered officer, Jack Conley. 11:00am we got back to the office. I don't know why Joe. I guess don't cotton to funerals. Not a cops funeral anyway. No, I don't blame you. His wife looked a lot better, didn't she? Yeah, she did bang up good considering. Meryl. Joe. Hi, Barney. I'll save money. Yeah. That young fellow you told me about it. He phoned you, Ben. Oh, is that right? You give him the information? Yeah. He wanted to know all about taking the police department examination. Now. Who's that? One of my neighbors. Boys. Nice kid. Wants to get on the force. I told him to apply at room 5. City hall any weekday. Can make his application then. That it? Fine, Bonnie, Thanks. Well, they got the recruiting campaign going on. Yeah, all this month. Taking applications from all over the country. I'll get it. Homicide, Friday. Oh yeah. Wallers. Just a minute. Okay. A, L, D S O N. Donaldson. Okay, fine. Thanks a lot. Lew Walters, Narcotics. Might be something what's that? Huh? Well, he got a line on one of the mules who used to push heroin to Talmage. Guy by the name of Donaldson. He's been sounded out. He's ready to talk to us. This Donaldson was close to Talmadge? Well, supposedly, yeah. You know where Talmage is? Well, let's ask him. Ben and I left the office and drove to the address on South Alameda where Donaldson, a friend of the murder suspect, was supposed to be staying. Turned out to be a cheap hotel in the skid row district. Was next to one of the rescue missions down there. We finally located Donaldson across the street. He was standing on the sidewalk along with four or five other men. They were listening to a small Salvation army band playing outside one of the beer joints. I hardly miss any of these sidewalk meetings, Sergeant. Like them, Van Busick. Even listen to the sermons. Do me a lot of good. Understand you're not pushing junk anymore, Donathon. Is that right? You want to call me Big, Sergeant. Name's really John, but everybody calls me Big. All right. No, I haven't been pushing junk, not for months. All through with it. Well, when's the last time that you saw Harry Talmings? A couple weeks ago. I'm not much for Harry anymore. Like I say, I've been regular at these sidewalk meetings. Hearing the sermon. Changes the way a fellow does things, you know? Yeah. A man's gotta turn good sometime during his life. Not getting any younger. 58. I figure it's time I start living by the word. Say, that's nice music, isn't it? Yeah. Do you have any idea where we might find Tommy Jenow? I might have a few ideas on it. I don't know. Say, I guess neither one of you fellows you snub. No, no, don't bother it does it? No, go ahead. Not sorry. I know the last boarding house Harry stayed at, if that'll help. Any place on 12th Street? I can give you the address. Well, is he still there, do you know? I don't think he is. No. Matter of fact, I'm sure he's not. Wish Harry'd come around and see me. Like to get him interested in these sidewalk meetings. Getting listening to the sermons might help him. Did an awful lot for me. Yes, sir. Will you say that you saw Talmage about two weeks ago? Well, not quite two weeks ago. It was a day after Christmas. Came down to my hotel and wanted some money. I couldn't give him any. That's when he told me he was moving. Going to some rooming House up around the City hall section up there. Did he mention any address? Not that I recollect, no. That sure is nice music, isn't it? Well, how about some of his other friends, Biggs? You think they might be able to help us? Well, Duke might help you. Harry and old Duke are still great friends. Duke sees them more than I do. Where do we find Duke? Well, you know the penny arcade down in South Maine? Right down from the train depot there? Yeah, that's where Duke works. He's a janitor there. I've been trying to get Duke to come to the sidewalk meetings, too. He sure could stand it, old Duke. Well, thanks very much, Biggs. Not at all, Sergeant. Always glad to help out. Now, look at that now. All out of snow. Say, you couldn't see your way clear, could you? There you go, Biggs. That's sure Christian. Love you, Sergeant. I'll handle this. Just like a personal loan. That's all right, Big. Don't say anything about us talking to you, though, huh? Not to anyone. No, sir, I won't. You can trust me. Say, when you see Harry, give him a message, huh? Well, what's that? You tell him to come and see me. I want him to show up at these meetings, hear the sermons. It could change everything, Sergeant. Could give him a new life, new soul. Brand new soul for Harry. Think of that. Yeah, he could use 1. 3pm Tuesday, January 4th. We drove down to the penny arcade on South Main. Harry Talmage's friend Duke wasn't there. The manager of the place gave us his home address and we checked it out. Duke wasn't there either. We staked out at the place for the rest of the afternoon. Duke failed to show. At 6 o' clock that night, Barney Luciek and Brian from Homicide came out and relieved us. Ben and I had dinner at Johnny Copen's and then we went back to the office. 7:20pm Want to grab that, Joe? Yeah, I got it. Homicide. Friday, Ms. Lucheck. Joe. Oh, yeah. Barney Thomas's friend just showed up here. We're talking to him now. Will he tell you anything? Yeah, he's got a pencil. Better write this down. All right, Wait a minute. Just a second. All right, go ahead. 1727 West Hoover, apartment three. It was 1727 West Hoover. Is that right? Yeah, apartment three. What's the pitch? All right, tell me. Duke says he's there now. All right, Barney. Thanks. Bye. Lucheck. Yeah. What's he got? Harry Talmage supposed to be at this address. Ben and I got in the car and drove out to the West Hoover street address where we met Luciek and Brian. 1727 was a small two story apartment house, Spanish stucco in style. Apartment three was at the rear of the first floor. All right, little chick, you want to pick up Brian? And you cover the back. All right, Joe, Come on. Ben, what's going on? Yes. Up the stairs, huh? Number three. Okay, I'll come. No sound inside. Doors open? No. Let's have a look. No, it's empty. Want to try the bedroom? I'll check the kitchen. Joe. Joe, in here. All right, Tommy, what then? Got a gun, Joe? Grab it. All right, you're like a cop. Come on, drop it. My arm. I got it, Joe. All right, come on, on your feet. All right, gentlemen. Backing. All right, come on, hold still.38 revolver, Joe. Cold Special. All right. How about it? Challenge. It's mine. What of it? Where's your coat? I don't know. Why'd you kill him? Because you wanted to, that's all. He was a cop. Is that your only reason? I told you he was a cop. What's the difference? A big difference, mister. Why I killed him. It's just one cop less. What's the difference? Ask his family. They'll tell you. The story you've just heard was true. Only the names were changed to protect the innocent. On March 26, trial was held in Superior Court Department 86, City and County of Los Angeles, State of California. In a moment, the results of that trial. Harold Wesley Talmage was found guilty of manslaughter by jury trial and was sentenced to the state penitentiary. He was paroled after serving six years in prison. 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. Stay tuned for counterspy More good mystery on NBC. You can make a difference in someone's life, including your own, with a job in home care. These jobs offer flexible schedules, health care, retirement options and free training. They also provide paid time off and opportunities for overtime. Visit oregonhomecarejobs.com to learn more and apply. That's oregonhomecarejobs.com packages by Expedia. You were made to be rechargeable. We were made to package flights, hotels and hammocks for less. Expedia Made to travel.