November 15, 2025 • 29 mins
Step into the world of classic crime with "The Dragnet Collection." Featuring iconic radio episodes from the golden age of detective drama, this collection brings you the methodical investigations, sharp dialogue, and thrilling cases of Sergeant Joe Friday and his team. If you love true crime, classic noir, or vintage radio, this is a must-listen!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Ladies and gentlemen.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
The entire production staff and technicians on Dragnet wish to
thank the American Weekly and the television editors of the
various newspapers which distribute the American Weekly for voting Dragnet
the best mystery drama on television for nineteen fifty one
nineteen fifty two. Our deepest thanks for this fine recognition.
(00:25):
The story you were about to hear is true. The
names have been changed to protect the innocent.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Fatima Cigarettes, best of all KINGSI Cigarettes brings you Dragnet
on both radio and television.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned a juvenile detail. An
eight months old baby is stolen from its mother. It's
the third case of child stealing reported in less than
three weeks. There's no lead on the suspect. Your job,
get him. Compare Fatima with any other King size cigarette.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Yes, compare Fatima with any other King size cigarette.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
One Fatima's length filters the smoke eighty five millimeters for
your protection.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Two Fatima's length cools the smoke for your protection.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Three Fatima's length gives you those extra puffs twenty one
percent longer than standard cigarette size.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
Fatima gives you more for your money.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
And in King Size Fatima you get an extra mild
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all King Size cigarettes.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
Dragnet the documented drama of an actual crime. For the
next thirty 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.
Speaker 4 (02:15):
It was Wednesday, June eighteenth, was warm in Los Angeles.
We were working the day Watch out of Juvenile Division.
My partner's Frank Smith. The boss is Captain Stein. My
name is Friday. It was six thirty pm when we
got back to thirteen thirty five Georgia Street, second floor,
the squadron.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
I I've been waiting for you, big EDL. How's it going?
Any sign of the baby? No, not yet. We're doing
everything we can. We haven't got to lead to our name.
Speaker 5 (02:36):
Eh, lozzy thing. How's it stack up? Anything like the
last two cases? Yeah, quite a bit.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
Same neighborhood, same general Imo where you.
Speaker 5 (02:42):
Checked with just about everybody in the vicinity. No one
saw the baby take and happened about ten o'clock this.
Speaker 4 (02:46):
Morning, ten fifteen, Missus Donaldson drove down to the neighborhood
shopping center to do her marketing. She had the baby
in a bass on that in the backseat of her car,
baby boy, eight months old. She pulled into the parking
lot right behind the market, left the baby asleep in
the car. She went into do he sh When she
came out, the baby was gone.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
How long was she in the market, and she told
us about twenty minutes.
Speaker 4 (03:04):
We talked to a half a dozen people who drove
their cars in and out of the parking lot about
that time.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
They couldn't help me. He didn't see anyone loitering around.
Speaker 5 (03:10):
How about delivery trucks, they usually unload supplies at the
back door, don't they.
Speaker 4 (03:13):
Already checked on that. We talked to the driver of
a bread truck. He was making a delivery about that time.
He couldn't help us either, the mother and Missus Donaldson.
She's the only one who came up with anything at all.
It's not much, but it's better than nothing. Yeah, But
when she parked her car and got out to go
in the market. She noticed a woman sitting in the
car park next to hers. When she came back and
found her baby was gone, she noticed that this woman's
car was gone too.
Speaker 5 (03:34):
Missus Donaldson described the woman for me. Yeah, she was
middle aged, she had gray hair. That's all she remembered.
How about the car the woman was in was a
green Sedan. That's the only thing, Missus Donaldson could tell us.
She's not even sure of that. And there's no one
else around the market that remembered the car. Well, if
there is, we haven't found them. We covered the whole neighborhood.
Skipper talked to everybody we could. Got us nowhere, smoke
him and thanks you, Joe, Yeah, thank you. I got
(03:55):
a wife, Captain, No kickback, yere on the broadcast the
old points you got out on the baby. No nothing
up to now. It's a carbon copy of the last
two job. No suspect, no more. Missus Donaldson can't think
of any reason at all for it.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
No, not a one.
Speaker 4 (04:11):
Her husband's a teamster, they don't have much money. She
couldn't think of any friend or relative who might possibly
want to take their baby.
Speaker 5 (04:17):
Baby normal and good health. Yeah, perfect, it's got me.
This makes it about one a week just to buy.
Martin baby was taking on the fifth, and Andrews' baby
was taken on the twelve. Both of them recovered in
twenty four hours. Nothing wrong with either of them. Sure,
it doesn't make sense.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Must be a psychokisa some kind. I think we can
go along on. Man. This one happened near Eighthan Dine
Heart right.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
Yeah, same neighborhood as the other two, About a twelve
square block area there.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
How about that lead you had on the old man
out there, you.
Speaker 4 (04:43):
Exhaust that, Yeah, the old gardener, We double checked him
this afternoon. He wasn't anywhere near the market when the
Donaldson baby was taken.
Speaker 5 (04:49):
How about the other two people? You had your eye
on either of them anywhere near the scene at the time.
Neither one of them, skipp are both clear. How's it
stand now?
Speaker 4 (04:56):
Well, we're doing everything possible. Dean Bergman went over to the
Donaldson car for prints. The bass in that too. There's
no word from him yet. Special detail for Metro Division
still going over the neighborhood.
Speaker 5 (05:06):
Nothing from them either, no sign of any physical evidence,
I mean, besides any possible princes.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
No, nothing. The usual number of tips from people in
the neighborhood checked on all of them. They went nowhere.
Speaker 5 (05:14):
Well, they just about run the gamut on this thing.
You have anything in mind? Joe and I were kicking
around an idea on the way back in figure it
might be worth a try, I mean, providing we get
the Donaldson case cleared.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
Yeah, Joe, Well, for.
Speaker 4 (05:26):
One thing, we figured the neighborhood out there works in
our favor. All three of the babies were taken in
the same twelve square block area. It's the strongest part
of the mo that we got to work on. Now,
if we get good enough coverage in that area out there,
it might lead somewhere.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
What kind of coverage, Well, maybe.
Speaker 4 (05:40):
A system of decoy something to draw the suspect out
at the right time.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
The right place. Makes sense. What have we got in money?
Speaker 4 (05:46):
Well, Frank and I were figuring if we could round
up half a dozen police women or so, let them
work different points around the neighborhood and make it obvious
that their housewives. Yeah, have each one of them with
a baby carriage. Spot them at the shopping centers out
there in that area. They leave the carriages outside the store,
go through the motions of doing your shopping and cover
each one of them.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
What do you do for bait? I think we can
fake it, skip her.
Speaker 5 (06:06):
Put a life sized doll in each of the carriages,
keep it pretty well covered. Very chance it will get
us a neighbor if we work it right. About half
a dozen police women. That's what you figure out for
you that I ought to do it. And excuse me now,
Guvenal Division Captain Stein. Yeah, that's right. How's that?
Speaker 1 (06:24):
I see this is Boulger? Yes, ma'am, I understand. How's that? Yes, ma'am?
If you like, all right? Thank you? Anybody queer one?
Speaker 5 (06:37):
Yeah, either one of you contacted missus Marion Bolger the
last month or so. You know it's not familiar to me.
How about you, Frank, I don't recall the name. Why
that was her on the phone. She wants to be investigated,
says she wants to prove to us that she's not
involved in any of these child stealing cases.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
How do you spell that name? Marion Bolger? B O
L G E.
Speaker 5 (06:54):
R Ewing Street address. No, I never heard of her.
What's the pitch got me? She kept saying, she's got
to have her name cleared. Zennison kept insisting she didn't
steal the Donaldson baby.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
We didn't say she did. We don't even know the woman.
You're going to check her out.
Speaker 4 (07:09):
We ran the name Marian Bulger through our and eye,
but there was no previous criminal record on her. Seven
twenty five pm, Frank Smith and I left the office
and drove out to the Ewing Street address to interview
the Bulger woman. Before we called at her home, we
checked with some of the neighbors. Most of them had
a favorable opinion of her. They described her as a
pleasant woman, slightly eccentric. The only complaint was that the
(07:29):
Bulger woman was very fond of children, and that she
kept most of the youngsters on the block well supplied
with cake and candy, despite repeated objections from the youngster's parents.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
Other than that, they seemed to like her.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
Eight oh five pm, Frank and I called on missus
Bulger and she ushered us into a neatly furnished living room.
She was an older woman, possibly in her early sixties,
dark brown hair streaked with gray.
Speaker 6 (07:51):
It's the honest truth, Sergeant. Anybody who really knows me
to tell you. I wouldn't do a thing like that.
I love children. I want all of them to be happy.
I wouldn't steal inyudges atte missus Bulger. Please, we'd like
to get straight.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
I don't care how it looks. I don't care what
they say.
Speaker 6 (08:02):
I didn't do it. I didn't steal those other two babies.
I didn't steal the Donaldson baby either.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
How'd you know the Donaldson baby was missing? Ma'am? It
just happened this morning evening paper.
Speaker 6 (08:09):
The whole story's in there so first I knew about
it to help me, but I got me even in paper.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
Please, sergeant, you got to believe me right now.
Speaker 4 (08:14):
I try to take it easy, ma'am. What gives you
the idea that we're accusing you of taking those babies?
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Haven't yet? Not in so many words? You're thinking about it, though,
I know that you've been told. How do you mean? Told?
Speaker 4 (08:23):
What?
Speaker 1 (08:23):
You know? What? I mean?
Speaker 6 (08:25):
All those stories going around about me, just because I
like children, because I enjoy them, I understand them. Just
because of that, they tried to make me out a
witch or something, trying to say I took.
Speaker 4 (08:35):
Those poor little bay Just a minute, ma'am, who said
you took the babies.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Out the store this afternoon.
Speaker 6 (08:39):
I heard them, that grocery clerk and that sillimitous murdock.
They laughed about it, tried to make out there's only
a fool, and well I knew better. They weren't fool,
and they meant it, accusing me of such a terrible thing.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
I just don't know when I've been so upset.
Speaker 4 (08:52):
Well, now, what grounds would they have for saying anything
like that, ma'am? I mean, even if they were fooling,
only because I love children, that's all. People in the
neighborhood the same way.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
They don't like me.
Speaker 6 (09:02):
They go around saying things about me just because I
understand their children better than they do, just because I
know how to treat children.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
No, I think you got it wrong, missus Bulger.
Speaker 4 (09:12):
The only complaints your neighbors have is that you treat
children too well, little, too much candy.
Speaker 6 (09:15):
I'm nothing wrong with give them a child candy, good
homemade fudge.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
I make it myself. Besides, how would you know about that.
We talk to your neighbors, ma'am. They had a lot
of nice things to say about you.
Speaker 6 (09:26):
Yes, I just bet they didnasty dirty stories they've been
passing them all over the neighborhood about me.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
No, ma'am, you've got it wrong. Just let me show you.
Come in here this way, the dining room, yes, ma'am.
Look at that. Look at that, yes, ma'am. It's very nice.
You see how I.
Speaker 6 (09:46):
Decorated the table, paper streamers all over the room. It's
supposed to be a party for the children in the neighborhood.
I worked a whole week getting it ready. I made
the cakes myself, decorate them too. I made everything in
my own kitchen, candy and sandwiches. Took me a whole week.
And that didn't even come. They didn't come, ma'am, the
(10:10):
neighborhood children. It was supposed to be for them, special
summer party I wanted to give them today. They didn't
even come. Their parents wouldn't let 'em, not one of them.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
Hm. It's a crime, terrible crime. All this good food. Well, now,
maybe there was a mistake, ma'am. Mm, there wasn't any mistake.
Speaker 6 (10:30):
I invited the children, fourteen of 'em. Mothers wouldn't let
'em come. I had everything ready, the little favors.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
Reach one of 'em.
Speaker 6 (10:39):
Now, look, ice creams all melted and hot coco boiled
away to nothing.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
Yes, even the paper streamers are coming down.
Speaker 6 (10:48):
Such a mean thing to do, keeping children from a party,
such a mean thing.
Speaker 5 (10:55):
Oh, we don't like to buy you, Missus Bulger. I
just like to ask you for your routine questions, and I'll.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
Let you long anything you want to know, Sergeant. Can
you account for your time this morning?
Speaker 4 (11:03):
Man?
Speaker 1 (11:03):
Between nine am and eleven am?
Speaker 6 (11:04):
Yes, of course I can. I was right here in
the house getting things ready for the party. My friend
Aggie Benson was with me. She's a school chum of mind.
She was helping me get things ready.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
Well, and you didn't leave the house at any time
this morning, No, sir, I didn't. You can ask Gaggi
if she had had her Do you have a car,
Missus Boser, Oh, I know, I wouldn't.
Speaker 6 (11:21):
Know what to do with it. I've had one. I
never learned to drive. What do you want to know
his routine?
Speaker 1 (11:25):
Man? Well, I guess we'd better be going frank, aren't you.
Speaker 6 (11:27):
And you don't believe those stories, do you? I mean,
just because I like children, i'd steal those babies. You
don't believe that, do you.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
No, ma'am? We haven't any reason to believe it.
Speaker 6 (11:35):
I knew you'd understand. I wouldn't do a thing like that.
I just love children, Sergeant, never had any of my own,
living here by myself, no husband, lonely, terrible thing being lonely. Yes, man,
is there's only one answer for it, children, big family.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
It's an old saying. It's very true.
Speaker 6 (11:52):
Man, when you get to be sixty three, you want
something else to wake up to beside the morning paper.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
Eight forty pm.
Speaker 4 (12:03):
Before we headed back for the office, Frank and I
made a thorough check on Missus Bolger, her background and
her alibi. We found nothing to link her in any
way with the child stealings. Nine to fifteen pm we
got back to the City Hall and went directly to
Layton Fingerprints, where we met with Dean Bergman. He'd found
several sets of prints on the Donaldson's car and on
the bassinette from which their baby had been stolen. Most
(12:25):
of them were those of the parents, mister and Missus Donaldson.
Bergmann was unable to identify the two foreign prints found
inside the car. We contacted the officers in charge of
the special detail checking the neighborhood where the latest child
stealing had occurred.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
They'd failed to uncover a lead.
Speaker 4 (12:40):
Seven forty eight am the following morning, Friday morning.
Speaker 5 (12:44):
Kevin Good, piece of news. Donaldson baby. They just found
him where Highland Park area. They found him in a
cardboard box. Apparently it's all right, little exposure. Doctors are
checking him over now at Georgia Street. How about the suspect,
and he sent him a trace. It was little more
different than the first two cases.
Speaker 4 (13:02):
Some twenty one hours after he'd been abducted from the
car in the parking lot at the rear of the
market near eighth and dine Hard, the Donaldson baby had
been recovered, apparently unharmed.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
The cardboard box.
Speaker 4 (13:11):
In which the baby had been found was gone over
for fingerprints. Routine investigation at the scene and in the
neighborhood where the child had been found failed to turn
up a lead on the abductor. Frank and I checked
with doctor George Hall, who'd examined the child.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
After that we talked with mister and missus Donaldson.
Speaker 4 (13:27):
The details of the case coincided almost point for point
were the first two abductions. The baby had been taken
then recovered in a twenty four hour period, outside of
slight exposure, the child was unharmed. Also, like the two
cases preceding it, something which the child was wearing at
the time of his abduction was missing. In the first case,
it was a small pink sweater, in the second a
(13:48):
pair of shoes the baby was wearing. In the case
of the Donaldson baby, it was a Sterling silver eye
D bracelet with the initials JD engraved on it. During
the next five days, Frank and I ran down every
lead we could get our hands on, and they went nowhere.
Our system of policewomen decoys was put in effect.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
It failed to get a rise.
Speaker 4 (14:06):
On the sixth day, Thursday, June twenty sixth, five thirty pm,
we got word of another child stealing, this time in
the Echo Park area. We drove out to talk to
the mother, a missus Chester Osborne.
Speaker 1 (14:16):
Yeah, that's right. Did the same thing I do every morning.
Speaker 7 (14:19):
Gave the baby her bath, dressed her, put her out
in the backyard and her buggy. She usually plays a while,
then she takes her nap.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
And about what time did you discover your baby was missing?
Speaker 7 (14:26):
I don't know exactly about two o'clock. I guess maybe
a couple of minutes after went out to see how
she was looked in the buggy and she was gone, Well.
Speaker 4 (14:34):
It's almost six o'clock now, miss Osbourne. How is it
that you waited so long before you notified us?
Speaker 1 (14:38):
Just kept holding It was a mistake, that's all.
Speaker 7 (14:41):
I went from house to house all over the neighborhood,
but as far as three blocks away, I asked everybody,
nobody saw my baby.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
You don't know what it means to me. Telephone ins oesmen,
would you answer it? Please? Whoever it is taking them
roll calling back, yes, ma'am, be glad to hello.
Speaker 4 (15:00):
Yeah, yes, sir, Oh yeah, Harry, we're here now, this
is Friday.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
How's that? When I see where? And so?
Speaker 4 (15:11):
Uh?
Speaker 1 (15:12):
Okay Harry, thanks, yeah, tell them we'll be right in
right away.
Speaker 4 (15:15):
Okay, bye, Well that was our office, missus osmarn You
can stop worrying now what it was about your little girls.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
She's all right. What do you mean? I just found
her three blocks from here. Again.
Speaker 4 (15:29):
With the lone exception of the time element, the Osbourne
Baby's abduction resembled closely the three previous cases. The crime
occurred in the same general area, the same general method
of operation was employed, and again outside of slight exposure,
the child was recovered unharmed. There was also an article
of clothing missing, a pink knitted bonnet, and as in
the previous three cases, the suspect had.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
Abandoned the baby without detection.
Speaker 4 (15:53):
Routine investigation, but the crime laboratory crew and juvenile officers
working the case failed to turn up a lead. During
the week that followed, additional personnel for both decoys and
steakhouts were assigned to the area without results. Friday, July fourth,
ten am, jolly.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
Busy, what do you got?
Speaker 5 (16:10):
Frank Galvin and Mildred Leslie just called in and this
child stealing thing looks like it might be something.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
You know, what's the pitch?
Speaker 5 (16:16):
It's Leslie Girls employed as a mate for mister Missus Roth.
Roth's a stockbroker. She's worked from yours, So she says, yeah,
Leslie Girls and upstairs made for the Roths. She's been
following this baby stealing case in the papers right along.
She thinks maybe Missus Roth can tell us.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
Something about it. Yeah, how's that? Well? The Leslie Girl
was cleaning Missus Roth's bedroom yesterday.
Speaker 5 (16:31):
She came across a few things started back in one
of the closets baby things, pink sweater, pink bontet, and
a pair of baby shoes.
Speaker 1 (16:37):
And she says they've all been used, they're not new.
A lot of mothers save baby clothes things like that.
Speaker 5 (16:41):
No, the roth woman won't have a reason to Yeah,
she's never had any children.
Speaker 3 (16:55):
You are listening to drag mitt authentic stories of your
police force.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
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Speaker 3 (17:09):
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Speaker 2 (17:21):
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Speaker 3 (17:28):
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Speaker 4 (17:58):
A Friday, July fourth, eleven am, Frank Smith and I
left the office and drove out to interview Mildred Leslie
at her apartment. She told us substantially the same things
she told Frank on the phone. The Leslie Girl had
been employed as a maid by mister and Missus Roth
for almost a year. She went on to tell us
(18:20):
that for the last few months or so, Missus Roth,
who was a fairly prominent club woman, had been acting
peculiarly and that mister Roth was worried about her. According
to the Leslie Girl, he'd consulted a doctor several times
about his wife. As for the articles of baby clothing,
they had been found stored back on a shelf in
Missus Roth's bedroom closet. The Leslie Girl told us that
she happened to find them while cleaning and dusting Missus
(18:41):
Roth's bedroom. Each of the articles she claimed she saw
seemed to tie in directly with the child stealings. A
pink sweater, a pink bonnet, a pair of baby shoes.
Identical items of clothing had been taken from each of
the previous abduction victims. After we left Mildred Leslie, Frank
and I got to a phone called a record bureau
and had to make a run for us on miss Roth.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
She had no previous criminal record.
Speaker 4 (19:02):
One twenty pm, we called mister Roth at his place
of business, but the office was closed because of the
Fourth of July holiday. We got in the car and
drove out to the Roth home, an old two story
mansion just above Silver Lake Reservoir. Missus Roth wasn't at home.
We interviewed her husband in the living room. What seems
to be the troubled sergeant. Why would you want to
see my wife?
Speaker 5 (19:20):
A few questions we'd like to ask her, mister Roth,
can you tell us where she is now? She took
a drive with some friends of hers. I think they
were going down to the beach club boy, But.
Speaker 4 (19:27):
We're investigating a juvenile case. Mister Roth. We think maybe
your wife can give us some information on him.
Speaker 1 (19:31):
I'm sorry she isn't home. It's too bad.
Speaker 5 (19:33):
He didn't call this morning. She didn't leave until after eleven.
She'll be home later to night. If you care to
call back. You're sure it's not something.
Speaker 1 (19:39):
I can help you with.
Speaker 4 (19:40):
Well, yes, sir, maybe you can like to ask you
a few questions about your wife's activities the last month
or so.
Speaker 5 (19:45):
Well, how do you mean some of the social works
he does with the club? Not quite, mister Roth. You
said you were from the juvenile division. Is it something
regarding her work with the underprivileged kids? Her club does
quite a bit of that, you know, Fred, I don't
know too much about it though. No, sure, it's not
that I don't think I understand what is it about.
Speaker 1 (20:01):
Mister Roth.
Speaker 4 (20:02):
We want you to understand that this is merely a
routine investigation. We don't want to offend in any way,
but we have some information that we've got to check out.
Speaker 1 (20:08):
What do you mean what kind of information.
Speaker 4 (20:10):
Well, there's been a series of child stealing cases the
last month or so. We're the investigating officers on it.
Maybe you read about them in the papers.
Speaker 5 (20:16):
Yes, I have. But what would my wife have to
do with that? Do you think she has some information
for you? She didn't say anything about it to me, Yes, sir,
I think she can help us quite a bit. I
don't know exactly when you'll be home. I don't have
any place to contact it. I do know the clubs
taking a group of children to the coliseum tonight the
big Fourth.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
Of July fireworks display, you know, Yes, I see.
Speaker 5 (20:34):
I'm gonna meet my wife there tonight. Maybe I could
give her a message for you, tell her to contact you.
Speaker 4 (20:38):
I find mister Roth, there is something that you can
do for us right now, though, Yes, would you take
us up to your wife's room, like to have a
look at it?
Speaker 1 (20:46):
Take it to her room.
Speaker 5 (20:47):
I don't understand what force or like we told you before, sir,
it's a routine investigation. I think if you take us
to your wife's room, I think we can clear the
whole thing up now. Probably won't be necessary to bother
you tonight. Well, I certainly don't understand. We've come along
if you like. The Darts's room is right to have.
The stairs, thank you certainly has me bathroom. What would
there be about Daris's room? It has to be investigated.
(21:07):
We don't know if there is anything, sir. Just appreciate
your cooperation.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
And at all.
Speaker 5 (21:11):
We haven't anything to hide here we are. This is
her room. Now, what is it you're looking for?
Speaker 1 (21:19):
And that's the bedroom closet?
Speaker 7 (21:20):
Is it?
Speaker 1 (21:21):
Yes?
Speaker 5 (21:21):
That's right to look at it. If we could certainly
go right ahead, right in the shelf up there, joke
and you reach it eye, yeah, I think so?
Speaker 1 (21:34):
What is it? What are you looking for? Here? You go, frank, Yeah,
pink bonnet, pink sweater. That's it.
Speaker 4 (21:40):
Here's the baby shooters, the ID bracelet, you know, initials, JD.
Speaker 5 (21:46):
Not much doubt, No baby clothes bracelet. Never seen them
around here? How'd you know they were here? Or we
weren't sure that they were, but I've never seen them before.
What are they doing in Darris's room?
Speaker 1 (21:57):
Why would she have to talk to her about this? Yes?
Or so do we?
Speaker 4 (22:04):
After finding the evidence in his wife's bedroom closet, we
continued to interview mister Roth. We briefed him on the
details of the case and explained about the articles of
baby clothing.
Speaker 1 (22:13):
It was very cooperative, but he found it hard.
Speaker 4 (22:15):
To believe that his wife was responsible for the abduction
of the babies. He told us that early in their marriage,
his wife did have a child, which died shortly after birth.
Complications left her unable to have any more children. When
she found out about this, it resulted in missus Roth
having a nervous breakdown, but apparently she recovered completely. Roth
went on to tell us that his wife was very
fond of children, that she devoted a great deal of
(22:37):
time to social.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
Work, caring for underprivileged children.
Speaker 4 (22:41):
He also told us that during the past month, with
the recurrence of her nervous condition, she'd been under a
doctor's care. Shortly after eight o'clock that night, along with
mister Roth, we drove to the Colisseum, where crowds of
people were gathering for the annual July fourth fireworks display.
Roth pointed out his wife. We went over and he
introduced us. These officers would like to talk to us.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
Honey, let's step over here.
Speaker 5 (23:03):
Well, I can't leave the children alone.
Speaker 4 (23:05):
You have me talk later.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
No, honey, it's pretty important. I think you better talk
to him now.
Speaker 8 (23:08):
Well, all right, if you say so, you'll have to
stay and watch the children, though, You'll be all right.
Speaker 1 (23:12):
We can keep an eye on them from over there.
Speaker 8 (23:14):
No, I can't leave them alone.
Speaker 1 (23:15):
You'll have to stay.
Speaker 4 (23:16):
Oh, all right, ma'am. I wonder if you step over here, please?
Speaker 1 (23:18):
Yes, huh, this ought to be all right right here.
Beautiful night tonight, isn't it. Children just love these things.
Speaker 4 (23:25):
I think they're just about ready to start the show.
Speaker 8 (23:28):
Yes, just look at that the colors.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
Isn't that card?
Speaker 1 (23:36):
Yes, ma'am.
Speaker 4 (23:37):
We'd like to drive you and your husband downtown to
Juvenile Division.
Speaker 1 (23:39):
We'd like to talk to you.
Speaker 4 (23:40):
What do you mean I can't leave now?
Speaker 1 (23:42):
I have these children with me.
Speaker 8 (23:44):
What do you want to see me about?
Speaker 1 (23:45):
What's the trouble? I think you know why we're here,
missus raw I do.
Speaker 8 (23:48):
Why do you want to talk to me?
Speaker 4 (23:50):
Well, we can start here, ma'am. We were at your
home this afternoon. Your husband showed us your bedroom. In
the closet we found the things up on the top shelf,
the baby clothed, the bracelet.
Speaker 8 (24:03):
Beautiful, just you.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
How about it? Missus Roth? Want to come along downtown?
Speaker 8 (24:08):
Just baby clothes, had them in my closet. It doesn't
mean anything.
Speaker 1 (24:11):
I'm afraid you're wrong. It means a good deal, ma'am.
You know that?
Speaker 7 (24:14):
Yes, all right?
Speaker 1 (24:16):
But do you want to tell us about it? Ms? Roth?
Speaker 4 (24:19):
Ms Roth?
Speaker 8 (24:21):
Where do I start? It's no beginning, just started. I
couldn't help myself.
Speaker 1 (24:26):
What can I say? You just tell us what happens?
Start anyplace? My baby died?
Speaker 8 (24:31):
Then they said, I couldn't have anymore.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
Yes, it started them.
Speaker 8 (24:35):
I told my husband, told the doctor too.
Speaker 1 (24:37):
They didn't understand.
Speaker 8 (24:39):
Nobody understands though I wanted my children, my own children.
Speaker 4 (24:43):
How about the Martin baby, missus Roth, the first one
you took?
Speaker 1 (24:46):
How'd that happened?
Speaker 8 (24:53):
Look another one, pruful, pike, beautiful?
Speaker 1 (24:58):
What about it, ma'am? The Martin baby? See how that happened?
Speaker 8 (25:01):
I saw him in the baby carriage outside the marketing,
such a cute baby.
Speaker 1 (25:06):
Pulled the covers back, looked at him.
Speaker 8 (25:09):
I didn't think I was gonna steal him.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
After I looked at.
Speaker 8 (25:12):
Him, I just wanted to hold him, hold him close.
Speaker 1 (25:15):
So I picked him up. You understand, don't you, Yes, ma'am.
He was such a sweet.
Speaker 8 (25:19):
Baby, could have been mine. I kept on holding him,
and then I started to put him down, back in
his carriage.
Speaker 4 (25:27):
I couldn't.
Speaker 1 (25:29):
I couldn't. What do you mean, ma'am? I couldn't put
the baby down. It's just like mine, it was mine.
Speaker 8 (25:37):
I can't explain it. I took the blanket from the buggy,
I put it around him.
Speaker 1 (25:41):
I walked away.
Speaker 8 (25:42):
Nobody knew it was my baby, yes, ma'am.
Speaker 1 (25:45):
Would you go on? Oh?
Speaker 8 (25:47):
My head, terrible headache.
Speaker 1 (25:51):
It's so hard to tell you.
Speaker 8 (25:53):
I couldn't even tell my husband I lied. I'd take
the baby and stop overnight at a motel and tell
my husband lies.
Speaker 1 (26:01):
I couldn't let him know. When you knew you were
doing wrong, didn't you? Yes, I knew it.
Speaker 8 (26:06):
Not when I was taking a baby though, not when
i'd picked them up, not when I felt them in
my arms, held to be close.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
It didn't seem wrong.
Speaker 8 (26:12):
Most natural thing in the world. I just pretended i'd
picked the baby up, I'd hold it close. It was
my baby. All of a sudden it was my baby.
Later on I had to face, had to stop pretending
the baby wasn't mine. I had to give it back.
Speaker 1 (26:30):
This isn't that wonderful?
Speaker 8 (26:32):
Loose screamers, the showers marvelous?
Speaker 1 (26:35):
Why'd you fand in the children? Man? Without notifying anyone?
I knew they'd be found.
Speaker 8 (26:39):
I make sure that always put them someplace where they
had to be found. Terrible headache. You don't know what
it's been like. I couldn't tell anyone, no one, Yes, ma'am,
you buy ready to go now, all right? I could
only explain it to you. I mean having a baby
then lose it. You don't know what it's like. No
(27:03):
one will ever know what it's like. No one.
Speaker 4 (27:06):
You took four babies, ma'am, Yes, how about their mothers?
Speaker 2 (27:18):
The story you have just heard was true. The names
were changed to protect the innocent.
Speaker 3 (27:23):
On October tenth, trial was held in Superior Court, Department
eighty eight, City and County of Los Angeles, State of California.
Speaker 1 (27:29):
In a moment, the results of that trial now here
is our star, Jack Webb. Thank you, George Fenneman.
Speaker 4 (27:35):
Friends, I believe all of us are willing to take
practical advice. That's why I like to make it plain
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(27:55):
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Speaker 3 (28:11):
Doris Evelyn Roth was tried and convicted of child stealing
under Section two seven eight Penal Code four counts. She
was placed on five years probation. One of the terms
of probation required that she would be under strict supervision
of a competent psychiatrist.
Speaker 1 (28:33):
You have just heard.
Speaker 3 (28:33):
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 Technical Advisors Captain Jack Donahoe, Sergeant
Marty Winn, Sergeant Vance Bracer. Heard tonight were her Bellus,
Vic Perrin, Virginia Gregg. Script by Jim Mosey, music by
Walter Schumann, Hell Gibney speaking.
Speaker 1 (29:01):
Being sized.
Speaker 2 (29:01):
Fatimas made for the same people who make popular Chesterfield
cigarettes has brought you Dragnet transcribed to Los Angeles
Speaker 1 (29:12):
Each Thursday night, It's Counterspy on NBC
Ladies and gentlemen.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
The entire production staff and technicians on Dragnet wish to
thank the American Weekly and the television editors of the
various newspapers which distribute the American Weekly for voting Dragnet
the best mystery drama on television for nineteen fifty one
nineteen fifty two. Our deepest thanks for this fine recognition.
(00:25):
The story you were about to hear is true. The
names have been changed to protect the innocent.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Fatima Cigarettes, best of all KINGSI Cigarettes brings you Dragnet
on both radio and television.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned a juvenile detail. An
eight months old baby is stolen from its mother. It's
the third case of child stealing reported in less than
three weeks. There's no lead on the suspect. Your job,
get him. Compare Fatima with any other King size cigarette.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Yes, compare Fatima with any other King size cigarette.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
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And in King Size Fatima you get an extra mild
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Speaker 3 (01:51):
Dragnet the documented drama of an actual crime. For the
next thirty 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.
Speaker 4 (02:15):
It was Wednesday, June eighteenth, was warm in Los Angeles.
We were working the day Watch out of Juvenile Division.
My partner's Frank Smith. The boss is Captain Stein. My
name is Friday. It was six thirty pm when we
got back to thirteen thirty five Georgia Street, second floor,
the squadron.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
I I've been waiting for you, big EDL. How's it going?
Any sign of the baby? No, not yet. We're doing
everything we can. We haven't got to lead to our name.
Speaker 5 (02:36):
Eh, lozzy thing. How's it stack up? Anything like the
last two cases? Yeah, quite a bit.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
Same neighborhood, same general Imo where you.
Speaker 5 (02:42):
Checked with just about everybody in the vicinity. No one
saw the baby take and happened about ten o'clock this.
Speaker 4 (02:46):
Morning, ten fifteen, Missus Donaldson drove down to the neighborhood
shopping center to do her marketing. She had the baby
in a bass on that in the backseat of her car,
baby boy, eight months old. She pulled into the parking
lot right behind the market, left the baby asleep in
the car. She went into do he sh When she
came out, the baby was gone.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
How long was she in the market, and she told
us about twenty minutes.
Speaker 4 (03:04):
We talked to a half a dozen people who drove
their cars in and out of the parking lot about
that time.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
They couldn't help me. He didn't see anyone loitering around.
Speaker 5 (03:10):
How about delivery trucks, they usually unload supplies at the
back door, don't they.
Speaker 4 (03:13):
Already checked on that. We talked to the driver of
a bread truck. He was making a delivery about that time.
He couldn't help us either, the mother and Missus Donaldson.
She's the only one who came up with anything at all.
It's not much, but it's better than nothing. Yeah, But
when she parked her car and got out to go
in the market. She noticed a woman sitting in the
car park next to hers. When she came back and
found her baby was gone, she noticed that this woman's
car was gone too.
Speaker 5 (03:34):
Missus Donaldson described the woman for me. Yeah, she was
middle aged, she had gray hair. That's all she remembered.
How about the car the woman was in was a
green Sedan. That's the only thing, Missus Donaldson could tell us.
She's not even sure of that. And there's no one
else around the market that remembered the car. Well, if
there is, we haven't found them. We covered the whole neighborhood.
Skipper talked to everybody we could. Got us nowhere, smoke
him and thanks you, Joe, Yeah, thank you. I got
(03:55):
a wife, Captain, No kickback, yere on the broadcast the
old points you got out on the baby. No nothing
up to now. It's a carbon copy of the last
two job. No suspect, no more. Missus Donaldson can't think
of any reason at all for it.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
No, not a one.
Speaker 4 (04:11):
Her husband's a teamster, they don't have much money. She
couldn't think of any friend or relative who might possibly
want to take their baby.
Speaker 5 (04:17):
Baby normal and good health. Yeah, perfect, it's got me.
This makes it about one a week just to buy.
Martin baby was taking on the fifth, and Andrews' baby
was taken on the twelve. Both of them recovered in
twenty four hours. Nothing wrong with either of them. Sure,
it doesn't make sense.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Must be a psychokisa some kind. I think we can
go along on. Man. This one happened near Eighthan Dine
Heart right.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
Yeah, same neighborhood as the other two, About a twelve
square block area there.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
How about that lead you had on the old man
out there, you.
Speaker 4 (04:43):
Exhaust that, Yeah, the old gardener, We double checked him
this afternoon. He wasn't anywhere near the market when the
Donaldson baby was taken.
Speaker 5 (04:49):
How about the other two people? You had your eye
on either of them anywhere near the scene at the time.
Neither one of them, skipp are both clear. How's it
stand now?
Speaker 4 (04:56):
Well, we're doing everything possible. Dean Bergman went over to the
Donaldson car for prints. The bass in that too. There's
no word from him yet. Special detail for Metro Division
still going over the neighborhood.
Speaker 5 (05:06):
Nothing from them either, no sign of any physical evidence,
I mean, besides any possible princes.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
No, nothing. The usual number of tips from people in
the neighborhood checked on all of them. They went nowhere.
Speaker 5 (05:14):
Well, they just about run the gamut on this thing.
You have anything in mind? Joe and I were kicking
around an idea on the way back in figure it
might be worth a try, I mean, providing we get
the Donaldson case cleared.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
Yeah, Joe, Well, for.
Speaker 4 (05:26):
One thing, we figured the neighborhood out there works in
our favor. All three of the babies were taken in
the same twelve square block area. It's the strongest part
of the mo that we got to work on. Now,
if we get good enough coverage in that area out there,
it might lead somewhere.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
What kind of coverage, Well, maybe.
Speaker 4 (05:40):
A system of decoy something to draw the suspect out
at the right time.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
The right place. Makes sense. What have we got in money?
Speaker 4 (05:46):
Well, Frank and I were figuring if we could round
up half a dozen police women or so, let them
work different points around the neighborhood and make it obvious
that their housewives. Yeah, have each one of them with
a baby carriage. Spot them at the shopping centers out
there in that area. They leave the carriages outside the store,
go through the motions of doing your shopping and cover
each one of them.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
What do you do for bait? I think we can
fake it, skip her.
Speaker 5 (06:06):
Put a life sized doll in each of the carriages,
keep it pretty well covered. Very chance it will get
us a neighbor if we work it right. About half
a dozen police women. That's what you figure out for
you that I ought to do it. And excuse me now,
Guvenal Division Captain Stein. Yeah, that's right. How's that?
Speaker 1 (06:24):
I see this is Boulger? Yes, ma'am, I understand. How's that? Yes, ma'am?
If you like, all right? Thank you? Anybody queer one?
Speaker 5 (06:37):
Yeah, either one of you contacted missus Marion Bolger the
last month or so. You know it's not familiar to me.
How about you, Frank, I don't recall the name. Why
that was her on the phone. She wants to be investigated,
says she wants to prove to us that she's not
involved in any of these child stealing cases.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
How do you spell that name? Marion Bolger? B O
L G E.
Speaker 5 (06:54):
R Ewing Street address. No, I never heard of her.
What's the pitch got me? She kept saying, she's got
to have her name cleared. Zennison kept insisting she didn't
steal the Donaldson baby.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
We didn't say she did. We don't even know the woman.
You're going to check her out.
Speaker 4 (07:09):
We ran the name Marian Bulger through our and eye,
but there was no previous criminal record on her. Seven
twenty five pm, Frank Smith and I left the office
and drove out to the Ewing Street address to interview
the Bulger woman. Before we called at her home, we
checked with some of the neighbors. Most of them had
a favorable opinion of her. They described her as a
pleasant woman, slightly eccentric. The only complaint was that the
(07:29):
Bulger woman was very fond of children, and that she
kept most of the youngsters on the block well supplied
with cake and candy, despite repeated objections from the youngster's parents.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
Other than that, they seemed to like her.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
Eight oh five pm, Frank and I called on missus
Bulger and she ushered us into a neatly furnished living room.
She was an older woman, possibly in her early sixties,
dark brown hair streaked with gray.
Speaker 6 (07:51):
It's the honest truth, Sergeant. Anybody who really knows me
to tell you. I wouldn't do a thing like that.
I love children. I want all of them to be happy.
I wouldn't steal inyudges atte missus Bulger. Please, we'd like
to get straight.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
I don't care how it looks. I don't care what
they say.
Speaker 6 (08:02):
I didn't do it. I didn't steal those other two babies.
I didn't steal the Donaldson baby either.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
How'd you know the Donaldson baby was missing? Ma'am? It
just happened this morning evening paper.
Speaker 6 (08:09):
The whole story's in there so first I knew about
it to help me, but I got me even in paper.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
Please, sergeant, you got to believe me right now.
Speaker 4 (08:14):
I try to take it easy, ma'am. What gives you
the idea that we're accusing you of taking those babies?
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Haven't yet? Not in so many words? You're thinking about it, though,
I know that you've been told. How do you mean? Told?
Speaker 4 (08:23):
What?
Speaker 1 (08:23):
You know? What? I mean?
Speaker 6 (08:25):
All those stories going around about me, just because I
like children, because I enjoy them, I understand them. Just
because of that, they tried to make me out a
witch or something, trying to say I took.
Speaker 4 (08:35):
Those poor little bay Just a minute, ma'am, who said
you took the babies.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Out the store this afternoon.
Speaker 6 (08:39):
I heard them, that grocery clerk and that sillimitous murdock.
They laughed about it, tried to make out there's only
a fool, and well I knew better. They weren't fool,
and they meant it, accusing me of such a terrible thing.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
I just don't know when I've been so upset.
Speaker 4 (08:52):
Well, now, what grounds would they have for saying anything
like that, ma'am? I mean, even if they were fooling,
only because I love children, that's all. People in the
neighborhood the same way.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
They don't like me.
Speaker 6 (09:02):
They go around saying things about me just because I
understand their children better than they do, just because I
know how to treat children.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
No, I think you got it wrong, missus Bulger.
Speaker 4 (09:12):
The only complaints your neighbors have is that you treat
children too well, little, too much candy.
Speaker 6 (09:15):
I'm nothing wrong with give them a child candy, good
homemade fudge.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
I make it myself. Besides, how would you know about that.
We talk to your neighbors, ma'am. They had a lot
of nice things to say about you.
Speaker 6 (09:26):
Yes, I just bet they didnasty dirty stories they've been
passing them all over the neighborhood about me.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
No, ma'am, you've got it wrong. Just let me show you.
Come in here this way, the dining room, yes, ma'am.
Look at that. Look at that, yes, ma'am. It's very nice.
You see how I.
Speaker 6 (09:46):
Decorated the table, paper streamers all over the room. It's
supposed to be a party for the children in the neighborhood.
I worked a whole week getting it ready. I made
the cakes myself, decorate them too. I made everything in
my own kitchen, candy and sandwiches. Took me a whole week.
And that didn't even come. They didn't come, ma'am, the
(10:10):
neighborhood children. It was supposed to be for them, special
summer party I wanted to give them today. They didn't
even come. Their parents wouldn't let 'em, not one of them.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
Hm. It's a crime, terrible crime. All this good food. Well, now,
maybe there was a mistake, ma'am. Mm, there wasn't any mistake.
Speaker 6 (10:30):
I invited the children, fourteen of 'em. Mothers wouldn't let
'em come. I had everything ready, the little favors.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
Reach one of 'em.
Speaker 6 (10:39):
Now, look, ice creams all melted and hot coco boiled
away to nothing.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
Yes, even the paper streamers are coming down.
Speaker 6 (10:48):
Such a mean thing to do, keeping children from a party,
such a mean thing.
Speaker 5 (10:55):
Oh, we don't like to buy you, Missus Bulger. I
just like to ask you for your routine questions, and I'll.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
Let you long anything you want to know, Sergeant. Can
you account for your time this morning?
Speaker 4 (11:03):
Man?
Speaker 1 (11:03):
Between nine am and eleven am?
Speaker 6 (11:04):
Yes, of course I can. I was right here in
the house getting things ready for the party. My friend
Aggie Benson was with me. She's a school chum of mind.
She was helping me get things ready.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
Well, and you didn't leave the house at any time
this morning, No, sir, I didn't. You can ask Gaggi
if she had had her Do you have a car,
Missus Boser, Oh, I know, I wouldn't.
Speaker 6 (11:21):
Know what to do with it. I've had one. I
never learned to drive. What do you want to know
his routine?
Speaker 1 (11:25):
Man? Well, I guess we'd better be going frank, aren't you.
Speaker 6 (11:27):
And you don't believe those stories, do you? I mean,
just because I like children, i'd steal those babies. You
don't believe that, do you.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
No, ma'am? We haven't any reason to believe it.
Speaker 6 (11:35):
I knew you'd understand. I wouldn't do a thing like that.
I just love children, Sergeant, never had any of my own,
living here by myself, no husband, lonely, terrible thing being lonely. Yes, man,
is there's only one answer for it, children, big family.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
It's an old saying. It's very true.
Speaker 6 (11:52):
Man, when you get to be sixty three, you want
something else to wake up to beside the morning paper.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
Eight forty pm.
Speaker 4 (12:03):
Before we headed back for the office, Frank and I
made a thorough check on Missus Bolger, her background and
her alibi. We found nothing to link her in any
way with the child stealings. Nine to fifteen pm we
got back to the City Hall and went directly to
Layton Fingerprints, where we met with Dean Bergman. He'd found
several sets of prints on the Donaldson's car and on
the bassinette from which their baby had been stolen. Most
(12:25):
of them were those of the parents, mister and Missus Donaldson.
Bergmann was unable to identify the two foreign prints found
inside the car. We contacted the officers in charge of
the special detail checking the neighborhood where the latest child
stealing had occurred.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
They'd failed to uncover a lead.
Speaker 4 (12:40):
Seven forty eight am the following morning, Friday morning.
Speaker 5 (12:44):
Kevin Good, piece of news. Donaldson baby. They just found
him where Highland Park area. They found him in a
cardboard box. Apparently it's all right, little exposure. Doctors are
checking him over now at Georgia Street. How about the suspect,
and he sent him a trace. It was little more
different than the first two cases.
Speaker 4 (13:02):
Some twenty one hours after he'd been abducted from the
car in the parking lot at the rear of the
market near eighth and dine Hard, the Donaldson baby had
been recovered, apparently unharmed.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
The cardboard box.
Speaker 4 (13:11):
In which the baby had been found was gone over
for fingerprints. Routine investigation at the scene and in the
neighborhood where the child had been found failed to turn
up a lead on the abductor. Frank and I checked
with doctor George Hall, who'd examined the child.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
After that we talked with mister and missus Donaldson.
Speaker 4 (13:27):
The details of the case coincided almost point for point
were the first two abductions. The baby had been taken
then recovered in a twenty four hour period, outside of
slight exposure, the child was unharmed. Also, like the two
cases preceding it, something which the child was wearing at
the time of his abduction was missing. In the first case,
it was a small pink sweater, in the second a
(13:48):
pair of shoes the baby was wearing. In the case
of the Donaldson baby, it was a Sterling silver eye
D bracelet with the initials JD engraved on it. During
the next five days, Frank and I ran down every
lead we could get our hands on, and they went nowhere.
Our system of policewomen decoys was put in effect.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
It failed to get a rise.
Speaker 4 (14:06):
On the sixth day, Thursday, June twenty sixth, five thirty pm,
we got word of another child stealing, this time in
the Echo Park area. We drove out to talk to
the mother, a missus Chester Osborne.
Speaker 1 (14:16):
Yeah, that's right. Did the same thing I do every morning.
Speaker 7 (14:19):
Gave the baby her bath, dressed her, put her out
in the backyard and her buggy. She usually plays a while,
then she takes her nap.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
And about what time did you discover your baby was missing?
Speaker 7 (14:26):
I don't know exactly about two o'clock. I guess maybe
a couple of minutes after went out to see how
she was looked in the buggy and she was gone, Well.
Speaker 4 (14:34):
It's almost six o'clock now, miss Osbourne. How is it
that you waited so long before you notified us?
Speaker 1 (14:38):
Just kept holding It was a mistake, that's all.
Speaker 7 (14:41):
I went from house to house all over the neighborhood,
but as far as three blocks away, I asked everybody,
nobody saw my baby.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
You don't know what it means to me. Telephone ins oesmen,
would you answer it? Please? Whoever it is taking them
roll calling back, yes, ma'am, be glad to hello.
Speaker 4 (15:00):
Yeah, yes, sir, Oh yeah, Harry, we're here now, this
is Friday.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
How's that? When I see where? And so?
Speaker 4 (15:11):
Uh?
Speaker 1 (15:12):
Okay Harry, thanks, yeah, tell them we'll be right in
right away.
Speaker 4 (15:15):
Okay, bye, Well that was our office, missus osmarn You
can stop worrying now what it was about your little girls.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
She's all right. What do you mean? I just found
her three blocks from here. Again.
Speaker 4 (15:29):
With the lone exception of the time element, the Osbourne
Baby's abduction resembled closely the three previous cases. The crime
occurred in the same general area, the same general method
of operation was employed, and again outside of slight exposure,
the child was recovered unharmed. There was also an article
of clothing missing, a pink knitted bonnet, and as in
the previous three cases, the suspect had.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
Abandoned the baby without detection.
Speaker 4 (15:53):
Routine investigation, but the crime laboratory crew and juvenile officers
working the case failed to turn up a lead. During
the week that followed, additional personnel for both decoys and
steakhouts were assigned to the area without results. Friday, July fourth,
ten am, jolly.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
Busy, what do you got?
Speaker 5 (16:10):
Frank Galvin and Mildred Leslie just called in and this
child stealing thing looks like it might be something.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
You know, what's the pitch?
Speaker 5 (16:16):
It's Leslie Girls employed as a mate for mister Missus Roth.
Roth's a stockbroker. She's worked from yours, So she says, yeah,
Leslie Girls and upstairs made for the Roths. She's been
following this baby stealing case in the papers right along.
She thinks maybe Missus Roth can tell us.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
Something about it. Yeah, how's that? Well? The Leslie Girl
was cleaning Missus Roth's bedroom yesterday.
Speaker 5 (16:31):
She came across a few things started back in one
of the closets baby things, pink sweater, pink bontet, and
a pair of baby shoes.
Speaker 1 (16:37):
And she says they've all been used, they're not new.
A lot of mothers save baby clothes things like that.
Speaker 5 (16:41):
No, the roth woman won't have a reason to Yeah,
she's never had any children.
Speaker 3 (16:55):
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police force.
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Speaker 4 (17:58):
A Friday, July fourth, eleven am, Frank Smith and I
left the office and drove out to interview Mildred Leslie
at her apartment. She told us substantially the same things
she told Frank on the phone. The Leslie Girl had
been employed as a maid by mister and Missus Roth
for almost a year. She went on to tell us
(18:20):
that for the last few months or so, Missus Roth,
who was a fairly prominent club woman, had been acting
peculiarly and that mister Roth was worried about her. According
to the Leslie Girl, he'd consulted a doctor several times
about his wife. As for the articles of baby clothing,
they had been found stored back on a shelf in
Missus Roth's bedroom closet. The Leslie Girl told us that
she happened to find them while cleaning and dusting Missus
(18:41):
Roth's bedroom. Each of the articles she claimed she saw
seemed to tie in directly with the child stealings. A
pink sweater, a pink bonnet, a pair of baby shoes.
Identical items of clothing had been taken from each of
the previous abduction victims. After we left Mildred Leslie, Frank
and I got to a phone called a record bureau
and had to make a run for us on miss Roth.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
She had no previous criminal record.
Speaker 4 (19:02):
One twenty pm, we called mister Roth at his place
of business, but the office was closed because of the
Fourth of July holiday. We got in the car and
drove out to the Roth home, an old two story
mansion just above Silver Lake Reservoir. Missus Roth wasn't at home.
We interviewed her husband in the living room. What seems
to be the troubled sergeant. Why would you want to
see my wife?
Speaker 5 (19:20):
A few questions we'd like to ask her, mister Roth,
can you tell us where she is now? She took
a drive with some friends of hers. I think they
were going down to the beach club boy, But.
Speaker 4 (19:27):
We're investigating a juvenile case. Mister Roth. We think maybe
your wife can give us some information on him.
Speaker 1 (19:31):
I'm sorry she isn't home. It's too bad.
Speaker 5 (19:33):
He didn't call this morning. She didn't leave until after eleven.
She'll be home later to night. If you care to
call back. You're sure it's not something.
Speaker 1 (19:39):
I can help you with.
Speaker 4 (19:40):
Well, yes, sir, maybe you can like to ask you
a few questions about your wife's activities the last month
or so.
Speaker 5 (19:45):
Well, how do you mean some of the social works
he does with the club? Not quite, mister Roth. You
said you were from the juvenile division. Is it something
regarding her work with the underprivileged kids? Her club does
quite a bit of that, you know, Fred, I don't
know too much about it though. No, sure, it's not
that I don't think I understand what is it about.
Speaker 1 (20:01):
Mister Roth.
Speaker 4 (20:02):
We want you to understand that this is merely a
routine investigation. We don't want to offend in any way,
but we have some information that we've got to check out.
Speaker 1 (20:08):
What do you mean what kind of information.
Speaker 4 (20:10):
Well, there's been a series of child stealing cases the
last month or so. We're the investigating officers on it.
Maybe you read about them in the papers.
Speaker 5 (20:16):
Yes, I have. But what would my wife have to
do with that? Do you think she has some information
for you? She didn't say anything about it to me, Yes, sir,
I think she can help us quite a bit. I
don't know exactly when you'll be home. I don't have
any place to contact it. I do know the clubs
taking a group of children to the coliseum tonight the
big Fourth.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
Of July fireworks display, you know, Yes, I see.
Speaker 5 (20:34):
I'm gonna meet my wife there tonight. Maybe I could
give her a message for you, tell her to contact you.
Speaker 4 (20:38):
I find mister Roth, there is something that you can
do for us right now, though, Yes, would you take
us up to your wife's room, like to have a
look at it?
Speaker 1 (20:46):
Take it to her room.
Speaker 5 (20:47):
I don't understand what force or like we told you before, sir,
it's a routine investigation. I think if you take us
to your wife's room, I think we can clear the
whole thing up now. Probably won't be necessary to bother
you tonight. Well, I certainly don't understand. We've come along
if you like. The Darts's room is right to have.
The stairs, thank you certainly has me bathroom. What would
there be about Daris's room? It has to be investigated.
(21:07):
We don't know if there is anything, sir. Just appreciate
your cooperation.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
And at all.
Speaker 5 (21:11):
We haven't anything to hide here we are. This is
her room. Now, what is it you're looking for?
Speaker 1 (21:19):
And that's the bedroom closet?
Speaker 7 (21:20):
Is it?
Speaker 1 (21:21):
Yes?
Speaker 5 (21:21):
That's right to look at it. If we could certainly
go right ahead, right in the shelf up there, joke
and you reach it eye, yeah, I think so?
Speaker 1 (21:34):
What is it? What are you looking for? Here? You go, frank, Yeah,
pink bonnet, pink sweater. That's it.
Speaker 4 (21:40):
Here's the baby shooters, the ID bracelet, you know, initials, JD.
Speaker 5 (21:46):
Not much doubt, No baby clothes bracelet. Never seen them
around here? How'd you know they were here? Or we
weren't sure that they were, but I've never seen them before.
What are they doing in Darris's room?
Speaker 1 (21:57):
Why would she have to talk to her about this? Yes?
Or so do we?
Speaker 4 (22:04):
After finding the evidence in his wife's bedroom closet, we
continued to interview mister Roth. We briefed him on the
details of the case and explained about the articles of
baby clothing.
Speaker 1 (22:13):
It was very cooperative, but he found it hard.
Speaker 4 (22:15):
To believe that his wife was responsible for the abduction
of the babies. He told us that early in their marriage,
his wife did have a child, which died shortly after birth.
Complications left her unable to have any more children. When
she found out about this, it resulted in missus Roth
having a nervous breakdown, but apparently she recovered completely. Roth
went on to tell us that his wife was very
fond of children, that she devoted a great deal of
(22:37):
time to social.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
Work, caring for underprivileged children.
Speaker 4 (22:41):
He also told us that during the past month, with
the recurrence of her nervous condition, she'd been under a
doctor's care. Shortly after eight o'clock that night, along with
mister Roth, we drove to the Colisseum, where crowds of
people were gathering for the annual July fourth fireworks display.
Roth pointed out his wife. We went over and he
introduced us. These officers would like to talk to us.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
Honey, let's step over here.
Speaker 5 (23:03):
Well, I can't leave the children alone.
Speaker 4 (23:05):
You have me talk later.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
No, honey, it's pretty important. I think you better talk
to him now.
Speaker 8 (23:08):
Well, all right, if you say so, you'll have to
stay and watch the children, though, You'll be all right.
Speaker 1 (23:12):
We can keep an eye on them from over there.
Speaker 8 (23:14):
No, I can't leave them alone.
Speaker 1 (23:15):
You'll have to stay.
Speaker 4 (23:16):
Oh, all right, ma'am. I wonder if you step over here, please?
Speaker 1 (23:18):
Yes, huh, this ought to be all right right here.
Beautiful night tonight, isn't it. Children just love these things.
Speaker 4 (23:25):
I think they're just about ready to start the show.
Speaker 8 (23:28):
Yes, just look at that the colors.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
Isn't that card?
Speaker 1 (23:36):
Yes, ma'am.
Speaker 4 (23:37):
We'd like to drive you and your husband downtown to
Juvenile Division.
Speaker 1 (23:39):
We'd like to talk to you.
Speaker 4 (23:40):
What do you mean I can't leave now?
Speaker 1 (23:42):
I have these children with me.
Speaker 8 (23:44):
What do you want to see me about?
Speaker 1 (23:45):
What's the trouble? I think you know why we're here,
missus raw I do.
Speaker 8 (23:48):
Why do you want to talk to me?
Speaker 4 (23:50):
Well, we can start here, ma'am. We were at your
home this afternoon. Your husband showed us your bedroom. In
the closet we found the things up on the top shelf,
the baby clothed, the bracelet.
Speaker 8 (24:03):
Beautiful, just you.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
How about it? Missus Roth? Want to come along downtown?
Speaker 8 (24:08):
Just baby clothes, had them in my closet. It doesn't
mean anything.
Speaker 1 (24:11):
I'm afraid you're wrong. It means a good deal, ma'am.
You know that?
Speaker 7 (24:14):
Yes, all right?
Speaker 1 (24:16):
But do you want to tell us about it? Ms? Roth?
Speaker 4 (24:19):
Ms Roth?
Speaker 8 (24:21):
Where do I start? It's no beginning, just started. I
couldn't help myself.
Speaker 1 (24:26):
What can I say? You just tell us what happens?
Start anyplace? My baby died?
Speaker 8 (24:31):
Then they said, I couldn't have anymore.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
Yes, it started them.
Speaker 8 (24:35):
I told my husband, told the doctor too.
Speaker 1 (24:37):
They didn't understand.
Speaker 8 (24:39):
Nobody understands though I wanted my children, my own children.
Speaker 4 (24:43):
How about the Martin baby, missus Roth, the first one
you took?
Speaker 1 (24:46):
How'd that happened?
Speaker 8 (24:53):
Look another one, pruful, pike, beautiful?
Speaker 1 (24:58):
What about it, ma'am? The Martin baby? See how that happened?
Speaker 8 (25:01):
I saw him in the baby carriage outside the marketing,
such a cute baby.
Speaker 1 (25:06):
Pulled the covers back, looked at him.
Speaker 8 (25:09):
I didn't think I was gonna steal him.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
After I looked at.
Speaker 8 (25:12):
Him, I just wanted to hold him, hold him close.
Speaker 1 (25:15):
So I picked him up. You understand, don't you, Yes, ma'am.
He was such a sweet.
Speaker 8 (25:19):
Baby, could have been mine. I kept on holding him,
and then I started to put him down, back in
his carriage.
Speaker 4 (25:27):
I couldn't.
Speaker 1 (25:29):
I couldn't. What do you mean, ma'am? I couldn't put
the baby down. It's just like mine, it was mine.
Speaker 8 (25:37):
I can't explain it. I took the blanket from the buggy,
I put it around him.
Speaker 1 (25:41):
I walked away.
Speaker 8 (25:42):
Nobody knew it was my baby, yes, ma'am.
Speaker 1 (25:45):
Would you go on? Oh?
Speaker 8 (25:47):
My head, terrible headache.
Speaker 1 (25:51):
It's so hard to tell you.
Speaker 8 (25:53):
I couldn't even tell my husband I lied. I'd take
the baby and stop overnight at a motel and tell
my husband lies.
Speaker 1 (26:01):
I couldn't let him know. When you knew you were
doing wrong, didn't you? Yes, I knew it.
Speaker 8 (26:06):
Not when I was taking a baby though, not when
i'd picked them up, not when I felt them in
my arms, held to be close.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
It didn't seem wrong.
Speaker 8 (26:12):
Most natural thing in the world. I just pretended i'd
picked the baby up, I'd hold it close. It was
my baby. All of a sudden it was my baby.
Later on I had to face, had to stop pretending
the baby wasn't mine. I had to give it back.
Speaker 1 (26:30):
This isn't that wonderful?
Speaker 8 (26:32):
Loose screamers, the showers marvelous?
Speaker 1 (26:35):
Why'd you fand in the children? Man? Without notifying anyone?
I knew they'd be found.
Speaker 8 (26:39):
I make sure that always put them someplace where they
had to be found. Terrible headache. You don't know what
it's been like. I couldn't tell anyone, no one, Yes, ma'am,
you buy ready to go now, all right? I could
only explain it to you. I mean having a baby
then lose it. You don't know what it's like. No
(27:03):
one will ever know what it's like. No one.
Speaker 4 (27:06):
You took four babies, ma'am, Yes, how about their mothers?
Speaker 2 (27:18):
The story you have just heard was true. The names
were changed to protect the innocent.
Speaker 3 (27:23):
On October tenth, trial was held in Superior Court, Department
eighty eight, City and County of Los Angeles, State of California.
Speaker 1 (27:29):
In a moment, the results of that trial now here
is our star, Jack Webb. Thank you, George Fenneman.
Speaker 4 (27:35):
Friends, I believe all of us are willing to take
practical advice. That's why I like to make it plain
that I want you to compare Fatima with the King
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Speaker 3 (28:11):
Doris Evelyn Roth was tried and convicted of child stealing
under Section two seven eight Penal Code four counts. She
was placed on five years probation. One of the terms
of probation required that she would be under strict supervision
of a competent psychiatrist.
Speaker 1 (28:33):
You have just heard.
Speaker 3 (28:33):
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 Technical Advisors Captain Jack Donahoe, Sergeant
Marty Winn, Sergeant Vance Bracer. Heard tonight were her Bellus,
Vic Perrin, Virginia Gregg. Script by Jim Mosey, music by
Walter Schumann, Hell Gibney speaking.
Speaker 1 (29:01):
Being sized.
Speaker 2 (29:01):
Fatimas made for the same people who make popular Chesterfield
cigarettes has brought you Dragnet transcribed to Los Angeles
Speaker 1 (29:12):
Each Thursday night, It's Counterspy on NBC
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