November 8, 2025 • 26 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 (00:07):
Ladies and gentlemen, the story you are about to hear
is true.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
The names have been changed to protect the innocent. You're
a detective sergeant. You're assigned the homicide detail. You get
a call that a seventy two year old man has
been murdered, his invalid wife has been brutally beaten. There's
(00:32):
no lead to the assailants. Your job get.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Them drag meant the document a drama of an actual crime.
For the next thirty minutes, in cooperation with the Los
Angeles Police Department, you will travel step by.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
Step on the side of the law through.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
An actual case transcribed from official police violence. From beginning
to end, from crime to punishment, is the story of
your police force in action.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
It was Tuesday, August twelfth. It was warm in Los Angeles.
We were working the day watch out of Homicide Detail.
My partner's Frank Smith. The boss's Dad Brown, Chief of Detectives.
Speaker 5 (01:15):
My name is Friday.
Speaker 4 (01:16):
They're on the way out from the office and it
was eight twelve am when we got to eighty four
sixty nine North Brighton Avenue. The front door, Yes, miss Hurley, Yes,
who were you police officers?
Speaker 5 (01:27):
Just my partner, Frank smith. My name's Friday.
Speaker 6 (01:29):
Oh it's about time you got here.
Speaker 5 (01:31):
Yes, ma'am, I wonder if we could see missus Stone.
Speaker 6 (01:33):
I don't think so.
Speaker 7 (01:34):
The ambulance man's with her now, giving her some kind
of pill, something to calm her down. Lord knows the
poor thing certainly needs something.
Speaker 5 (01:40):
Yes, ma'am, we'd like to see your please.
Speaker 7 (01:42):
Like I said, I don't know if you can. I'll
have to ask the ambulance man.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
Well, I'm sure it's all right man. If you just
let us talk to the attendant.
Speaker 6 (01:48):
You just wait here. I'll talk to him now.
Speaker 4 (01:51):
Look, I don't like to be rude, man, but this
is a murder investigation.
Speaker 5 (01:54):
If you'll open the door, please.
Speaker 6 (01:55):
Do I know you're what you say you are? How
do I know your cops identification? Looks enough?
Speaker 5 (02:02):
Like? Yeah?
Speaker 6 (02:03):
I guess all right, come.
Speaker 5 (02:05):
On, thank you. Where is missus.
Speaker 7 (02:11):
Stone back there in the back bedroom.
Speaker 4 (02:13):
I'll check with the attendant drag frame or if you
could tell us what you know about this.
Speaker 7 (02:17):
Missus Hurley, you just bet I can you just bet
that poor woman back there she's lying at death's door because.
Speaker 6 (02:25):
You didn't do your job.
Speaker 7 (02:26):
You know that, ma'am, at Death's door. It's your job
to see that things like this don't happen. That's what
you're paid for.
Speaker 8 (02:32):
And look, just look her, poor husband dead and herself
all beaten.
Speaker 6 (02:36):
Poor thing.
Speaker 8 (02:37):
I just don't understand what the world's coming to when
things like this can happen.
Speaker 4 (02:40):
Well, first, man, there was no way we could stop this.
I think you understand that we're trying to clean it up.
Speaker 5 (02:44):
Now. We're going to need your help to do it. Now,
if you just tell me what happened.
Speaker 6 (02:47):
Man, But you say I know different, all right, Miss Hurley.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
The faster we can get started on this thing, the
better chance we have of getting the people responsible for.
Speaker 6 (02:55):
It, I suppose. So, oh, what do you want to know?
Speaker 4 (02:59):
Well, if you, well, you start at the beginning and
tell me what you know about it.
Speaker 7 (03:02):
Yeah, well, it started this morning about seven or seven fifteen.
I think I heard this noise at the back door,
kind of a.
Speaker 6 (03:10):
Scratching kind of noise and a moan.
Speaker 7 (03:12):
A little tiny moon sounded like it was way off,
kind of in the distance.
Speaker 5 (03:17):
Yes, ma'am.
Speaker 7 (03:18):
First I wasn't sure that I wasn't dreaming the whole thing.
You know how it is when you're awakened out of
a sound sleep underst Well, it was like that took
me about ten minutes before I knew that there really
was something there. Well, I got up and went to
the door, and that's when I found her right there
at the back door, kind of laying on the porch.
I could see right away that someone had beaten her.
(03:39):
That's when I called the ambulance. And then she told
me about how her husband had been killed.
Speaker 6 (03:43):
And then I called you.
Speaker 7 (03:44):
The other car, the one with the men in uniform,
come out. They looked around, and then they went over
to the.
Speaker 4 (03:50):
House now to be the Ston's house that's right next door.
I see, how about it, Frank, that's pretty bad, Joe.
Speaker 5 (03:56):
They're treating her now, can we see her?
Speaker 9 (03:57):
Only attendant says they'll be all right for a couple
of minutes, not much more than that. They're gonna take
her to Georgia Street. Okay, he said he'd let us
know we could.
Speaker 5 (04:04):
Talk to her. A right. Fine. Did she tell you
what happened, missus Hurley, anything at all?
Speaker 7 (04:08):
Just that there was two men they come in and
beat up on her, killed her husband.
Speaker 10 (04:12):
That was enough.
Speaker 7 (04:13):
Wasn't look at her and I could tell she was hurt.
Bad and her an invalid. I just don't understand how
anybody in their right mind could do a thing like this.
Speaker 6 (04:21):
I just don't understand it.
Speaker 5 (04:23):
Yes, man, may you say that she's an invalid? Is
that right? Yes?
Speaker 7 (04:26):
They were involved in an auto accident a couple of
years ago. Some drunk ran right into 'em, smashed.
Speaker 8 (04:31):
The car all up, laid mister Stone up for a
couple of months, and put Patricia in a wheelchair for
the rest of her life.
Speaker 6 (04:36):
Can't walk it all. She crawled over here. Don't know
how she did it. It's great courage.
Speaker 5 (04:41):
Yes, ma'am. Did you hear anything at all? Last? Not
any disturbances, ceremony, not a.
Speaker 7 (04:46):
Thing, went to bed about ten, slept like a rock.
Didn't hear a thing until this morning. That was about
seven seven fifteen. Maybe, Like I said, Nope, I.
Speaker 6 (04:54):
Didn't hear a thing.
Speaker 4 (04:55):
Well do you know if there was anyone that the
Stones were afraid of, anyone who might have done anything
like this?
Speaker 6 (04:59):
No, I can't think of a soul.
Speaker 5 (05:01):
How about money, ma'am.
Speaker 9 (05:02):
Did mister Stone keep large sums of money around the house?
Speaker 5 (05:05):
Well?
Speaker 11 (05:05):
No, I don't know. You might have. Yeah, well, yeah,
I hell you wanna see her now.
Speaker 7 (05:10):
Yeah, come on, Frank right, you gonna wanna talk to
me some more.
Speaker 5 (05:13):
Yes, ma'am, we'll be back.
Speaker 10 (05:19):
Hm hm.
Speaker 8 (05:22):
Hm h.
Speaker 4 (05:25):
Missus Stone, hm, Missus Stone.
Speaker 6 (05:31):
Yes, who is it?
Speaker 5 (05:32):
Police officers, ma'am. We know you don't feel well, but
there are a few questions we'd like to ask, if
you don't mind.
Speaker 10 (05:38):
You got the men yet, the ones who did this?
Speaker 5 (05:41):
No, ma'am, not yet.
Speaker 10 (05:42):
I tried to tell I tried.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
They just wouldn't listen, ma'am.
Speaker 10 (05:47):
I told 'em to take it there. They wanted to
leave us a loon, Just leave us a loon. I
tried to tell them. They wouldn't listen. They killed Henry,
they tried to kill me.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
Do you know who they were, Missus Stone? Hum, I said,
do you know who they were? The men who did this?
Do you know who they were? Had you ever seen
him before?
Speaker 1 (06:06):
No?
Speaker 10 (06:07):
I don't think so. It was dark then I heard
them argue with Henry. I tried to get up. I
tried to help them, but I couldn't. I screamed. If
they didn't pay attention, then they killed it, lamb.
Speaker 5 (06:21):
Can you describe 'em for us? Tell us how tall
they were? How they were dressed.
Speaker 10 (06:24):
Made They didn't know that I was there, And they came
into my room and they said they'd kill the other one,
so they might as well kill me too. I tried
to tell them to go away, and they wouldn't listen.
They just hit me and hit me, hit me? There
was anything I could do?
Speaker 5 (06:41):
Did they drive a car? Man?
Speaker 4 (06:42):
Was there anything and tell us that might help us
in identifying them? Did one of them use a name?
Speaker 5 (06:46):
Maybe they.
Speaker 10 (06:49):
They put that pillow over my head. I don't know why.
I told 'em they could take what they wanted take it?
Did they just leave us alone?
Speaker 6 (06:57):
But they didn't?
Speaker 10 (06:58):
They killed him? Alright, they try to kill me?
Speaker 4 (07:01):
Alright, missus Stone, Everything's gonna be alright here.
Speaker 5 (07:04):
Don't worry and I just try and get some rest.
Speaker 10 (07:06):
Doesn't matter much now, isn't anything that Matterson Moore? Nothing nose?
They killed Henry?
Speaker 5 (07:15):
Alright? Now, Please try not to get upset.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Joke, Yeah, better get her down time?
Speaker 5 (07:23):
Well, how's it look for her?
Speaker 1 (07:24):
How what a her chances depends?
Speaker 5 (07:26):
Yeah?
Speaker 11 (07:27):
How hard she wants to try?
Speaker 4 (07:36):
Eight forty six am, the ambulance removed missus Stone to
Georgia Street Receiving Hospital. We put in a call to
the crime lab, and then we talked to the neighbor
and missus Hurley.
Speaker 5 (07:44):
She could add little to what she'd already told us.
She said that she'd.
Speaker 4 (07:48):
Heard no loud noises during the night, and that she'd
seen no one in the neighborhood acting suspicious. She told us, however,
that mister Stone was known to have kept large.
Speaker 5 (07:55):
Sums of money in the house.
Speaker 4 (07:57):
She went on to say that he made no attempt
to hide his distrust of thanks and then he had
often said that all of his money was on the premises.
And I know two am prying and I went next
door to the Stone home, the crime lab and Lake
the fingerprint crews had arrived and were going over the
place for physical evidence.
Speaker 11 (08:12):
We talked to Ray Pinker of the crime lab. This
is how they got in, Yeah, to try the screen.
Huh must have done it with their hands. Been finding
two marks. Figured the door was open and that right, Yeah,
it looks that way, one of those old fashioned locks.
No indications they forced it.
Speaker 5 (08:24):
Did you find anything else?
Speaker 11 (08:26):
Took a look back here in the closet. I'm sure
threw the place up, didn't they. Yeah, I went through everything.
He took the pictures off the walls. Yeah, ripped up
the bedding.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
Wasn't the drawer.
Speaker 11 (08:36):
They didn't go through any prints it all Bergmann's checking
it hadn't found anything yet or.
Speaker 5 (08:41):
No, I'm pretty bad.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
Here. Look at the mattress on the husband's bed.
Speaker 11 (08:48):
Tore it all up. Stuffing scattered around the room. Looks
like a tornado went through the place. The closets back here,
This was missus Stone's room.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
See where they dragged her.
Speaker 11 (08:59):
Yeah, must have hit her the first time about here,
and then they dragged over with this closet, dropped her
in here.
Speaker 5 (09:04):
Huh.
Speaker 11 (09:07):
You see where she stacked those suitcases up there to
pour suff out the window.
Speaker 5 (09:11):
But I don't know how she did it. Bad off
as she was.
Speaker 11 (09:14):
Looks like robbery was the motive, and I right can't
agree with that, Joe, What come on?
Speaker 1 (09:19):
Back in the Stone's room, we found the murder weapon.
Checked around.
Speaker 11 (09:25):
It looks like they picked him up in the backyard
there and take a look.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
Couple of wooden clubs.
Speaker 11 (09:32):
Looks like they came from a walnut tree just outside
the back door. Kind of blows the robbery angle. Yeah,
they were ready to kill the Stones when they came
in m.
Speaker 5 (09:45):
Nine thirty am. The Crime I have finished their investigation
of the house. The backyard and the surrounding ground were
going over. In the soft earth.
Speaker 4 (09:52):
At the foot of one of the walnut trees, a
pair of footprints was found, and plaster casts were made
of him. On the lower limbs of the trees. We
found a place where the two clubs could have been taken.
Speaker 5 (10:03):
The rest of the yard and the immediate vicinity were combed,
but we found nothing. Twelve fifteen pm Frank put in
a call.
Speaker 4 (10:09):
To Georgia Street Receiving Hospital. They told him that Missus
Stone had been given emergency treatment and then had been
removed to the county hospital.
Speaker 5 (10:17):
Her condition was listed as critical.
Speaker 4 (10:19):
They said that it would be some time before we'd
be able to talk to her. One point thirty pm
we began to canvass the neighborhood from the people in
the surrounding houses. We found that mister Stone had retired
from the wholesale grocery business about ten years ago.
Speaker 5 (10:32):
He devoted himself to the cultivation.
Speaker 4 (10:33):
Of prize roses and the care of Missus Stone. The
neighbors told us that the Stones were quiet and that
they seldom entertained three point fifteen pm. We went back
to talk to missus Hurley.
Speaker 6 (10:44):
I knew you'd be back, ma'am.
Speaker 7 (10:45):
I knew you'd come back to talk to me again.
Could have told you a lot, but I thought I'd
just let you try and find out for yourself.
Speaker 6 (10:52):
Didn't do too well, did you, did you?
Speaker 5 (10:55):
I don't think I understand this, Early simple.
Speaker 6 (10:58):
Anything you want to know about this neighborhood to come
to the source, that's me. Anybody knows what's going on here?
I do.
Speaker 5 (11:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (11:05):
Well, if you had information that you thought we should
have had, why didn't you tell us before, ma'am?
Speaker 8 (11:09):
I didn't want to, ma'am, I said, I didn't want to.
Speaker 7 (11:12):
Still say that you were responsible for this whole thing.
Speaker 6 (11:15):
Done your job and it wouldn't have happened. Oh I
still haven't forgot.
Speaker 4 (11:18):
Oh no, sir, Look, missus Early, this is a murder investigation.
I told you that before man has been killed, a
woman's been badly beaten.
Speaker 5 (11:23):
We're gonna need all the cooperation from you that we
can get.
Speaker 6 (11:26):
Ready now, huh, I'll cooperate. I'll tell you what you wanna.
Speaker 5 (11:30):
Know, all right, miss Early? First, you have any idea
who might have done this.
Speaker 7 (11:35):
You just bet I have who, ma'am, their boy. Only
one that's mean enough to do it? Only one their boy, sure,
Herman Junior, he's the one, you just bet.
Speaker 5 (11:45):
Why do you say that?
Speaker 7 (11:46):
Because I know that's why mean kid always had trouble
with him, because the.
Speaker 6 (11:51):
Only trouble ever was between Patricia and me. Troublemaker, but
he was pure and simpler trouble maker.
Speaker 5 (11:57):
How old is this boy? Miss? Early thirty six?
Speaker 6 (11:59):
A real monster?
Speaker 5 (12:00):
You know where the boy is now?
Speaker 6 (12:01):
No, and I'm not interested.
Speaker 7 (12:02):
Happiest day of my life when he moved out of
the house.
Speaker 6 (12:05):
Oh, he and I.
Speaker 7 (12:06):
Used to get in some arguments. Little brat stand there
and think he was so big.
Speaker 6 (12:12):
Finally mister Stone saw it, told him to get out.
Speaker 7 (12:15):
Moved right out of the house, bagging parcel right out.
Speaker 5 (12:18):
You mean that, mister Stone and the boy had arguments.
Speaker 6 (12:21):
See that's what I mean.
Speaker 8 (12:24):
No, wonder if people.
Speaker 6 (12:24):
Don't cooperate with you, I beg your pardon, I say something,
and then you ask me if I mean it. Of
course I mean it. I wouldn't say it otherwise. Like
people will ask what time is that? You tell him?
And then they ask if you're sure they don't wanna
believe you. Why did they ask you in the first place?
Speaker 5 (12:37):
Course, ma'am. Were you there at the time, man, No.
Speaker 6 (12:40):
No, I wasn't.
Speaker 7 (12:41):
It was a warm night, just a couple of months ago.
All the windows was open, and I just couldn't help
seeing end of their house, you know, houses being close together.
Speaker 8 (12:48):
You can understand it, yes, ma'am, we can understand.
Speaker 6 (12:53):
I don't like the way you said that, young man.
Speaker 5 (12:56):
I didn't mean anything by it necessarily, Mum.
Speaker 7 (12:58):
Well, I suppose not, but I did don't want you
to get the idea that I'm the nosey type.
Speaker 5 (13:05):
Oh no, man, not at all.
Speaker 7 (13:07):
Well, anyway, mister Stone told herman to get his things
and get out right out that night.
Speaker 5 (13:17):
Well did the boy leave that night?
Speaker 7 (13:18):
Oh yes, yes, were right into his room and packed
said he'd never come back, that he didn't want anything
more to do with the old man. And his father
said that was the way he wanted it, that he
was gonna cut.
Speaker 6 (13:30):
Him out of his will. Well, you can just believe
that's when the trouble really started.
Speaker 5 (13:34):
Now where was missus Stone? All this time?
Speaker 7 (13:36):
She was in her room, but she come out wheeled
herself right out told him to stop this foolishness.
Speaker 8 (13:43):
She always was kind of pampering the boy.
Speaker 7 (13:45):
I think myself that's what caused him to be like
he was, you know, tied to his mother's.
Speaker 8 (13:49):
Apron strings all the time.
Speaker 7 (13:52):
That's when Herman said that about doing something, said that
the old man was senile, said that he was crazy,
that the money was his and he was going to
see that he got it. Said he meant to have
it if he had to kill somebody.
Speaker 4 (14:12):
Four to ten pm we got the full name and
description of the Stone boy from Missus Hurley. We went
back to the office and ran the name through R
and I. We found a Herman Stone Junior with a
record listing three arrests on charges of forty one to
twenty seven a LAMC. We checked out his last known address,
a hotel on South Hill, and found that he'd moved
several weeks before. The manager gave us a forwarding address,
(14:34):
and at six ten pm Frank and I drove out
to see him. Was a large apartment hotel on Wilshire Boulevard.
Speaker 5 (14:40):
We talked to the desk clerk, Sure.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
I know Herman.
Speaker 11 (14:42):
Nice guy.
Speaker 12 (14:43):
Once in a while, it gets a little loud, but
most of the time he's a real nice guy.
Speaker 5 (14:46):
Is he here now?
Speaker 10 (14:47):
I don't think so?
Speaker 1 (14:48):
Let me look.
Speaker 12 (14:51):
Keys here, I think I so. I'm glad about an
hour ago he wasn't feeling too bad.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
Hangar any idea where you might be?
Speaker 10 (14:58):
Oh?
Speaker 5 (14:58):
Like I said, I didn't talk to him to you
know what he does for a living? Harm?
Speaker 1 (15:02):
Yes, sir, I don't think.
Speaker 6 (15:03):
He does nothing.
Speaker 12 (15:04):
Plays the horses a little bit, picks up a buck
that way, good player. Sure knows the dogs. Giving me
a couple of tips didn't do any good? He sure
does all right, man, a real killing yesterday. Must have
hit it for about four or five thousand, is that right?
Speaker 1 (15:17):
Yeah?
Speaker 12 (15:17):
Showed me the money this morning, real big role, at
least four or five grand tipsy gave me.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
Never did that good?
Speaker 5 (15:23):
You got any idea where he was last night? So
what's this all about?
Speaker 1 (15:26):
Anyway?
Speaker 5 (15:26):
Or done something?
Speaker 6 (15:27):
Well?
Speaker 5 (15:27):
I'll be better if we talked to him.
Speaker 12 (15:28):
Oh yeah, well yeah, I guess you guys know what
you're doing.
Speaker 5 (15:33):
And why?
Speaker 1 (15:34):
Yes, sir, he asked.
Speaker 12 (15:35):
Me if I knew what he was doing last night?
Speaker 5 (15:36):
Uh huh, I sure do.
Speaker 12 (15:38):
He really tied one on, of course, with his luck
I don't wonder he really tied one on. Sure loaded
he got in here, he had a bottle. So you
won't say anything about this the management when you no, sure,
we won't any of that happen. They don't approve of drinking.
Well I'm gonna do it, you understand. Kind of stuffy,
but that's the way they look at it.
Speaker 5 (15:54):
Uh huh.
Speaker 12 (15:56):
Like I said, Old Herm rolls in here and he's
got this bottle, asked me to have one with it. Well,
I don't like to get him sore, so I do,
and we have a couple more.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
Old Herm. That boy can really put it away.
Speaker 5 (16:07):
I asked her what time was that, Well.
Speaker 11 (16:09):
Let's see, I guess about seven maybe seven fifteen.
Speaker 5 (16:12):
Did he go out after that?
Speaker 12 (16:13):
Sure didn't killed a bottle? And then he passed right
out cold, slept there on that couch.
Speaker 5 (16:18):
Uh huh.
Speaker 11 (16:19):
Now, sir, Old Herm didn't go any place.
Speaker 4 (16:26):
Eight twelve pm, Herman Stone returned to the hotel.
Speaker 5 (16:30):
Frank and I talked to him for about an hour.
Speaker 4 (16:32):
He appeared quite shaken when we told him of his
father's death. We questioned him about the money that he'd
suddenly come up with. He explained that he'd wanted at
the races. He gave us the name of the man
who accompanied him to the track. Frank and I checked
with him and found that Stone's story was true. We
checked his shoe size and found that it was not
the same as the print found at the scene of
the murder. Ten forty six pm, we called the office
(16:54):
and they told us that we'd gotten a message from
the county hospital.
Speaker 5 (16:57):
Missus Stone was able to talk.
Speaker 4 (16:59):
She wasn't completely out of danger, but buying a relapse
she was.
Speaker 5 (17:01):
Expected to recover. Frank and I drove out to the
hospital and talk to her.
Speaker 10 (17:05):
I wish I could help you more than I have,
but they're just asn't anything else.
Speaker 5 (17:08):
Well, could you give us any idea of about how
tall they were?
Speaker 10 (17:11):
That'd be pretty hard to do, mister Friday. I was
lying down and they came into my room. I could
only guess, but I'd say it may be as tall
as you. I don't think much taller.
Speaker 5 (17:22):
I say, you know, how about their build, ma'am? Was
it heavy or slight?
Speaker 10 (17:25):
I can't be sure. I guess if I must say
one or the other, I have to say they're about medium.
One was very strong though, h the one that carried
me into the closet. He was strong, just lifted me
out of bed and carried me over as the closet
threw me on the floor.
Speaker 5 (17:42):
Did your husband have any large amounts of money in
the house.
Speaker 10 (17:46):
Yes, yes he did. Herman never believed in bags, not
since the crash. Always said that he could take care
of the money as well as they could, as ma'am.
He had all of his savings in the house, kept
them in the mattress on it on his bed.
Speaker 5 (18:01):
Do you know about how much that might be, missus Stone.
Speaker 10 (18:04):
I'd only be guessing, but I'd say maybe twelve or
thirteen thousand dollars.
Speaker 6 (18:08):
He used to talk about it too.
Speaker 10 (18:10):
I know that didn't help any.
Speaker 5 (18:11):
Oh, who would you talk to, missus Stone?
Speaker 10 (18:13):
People in the neighborhood used to tell them that he
didn't get the interest, but that he always knew just
where his money was used.
Speaker 6 (18:20):
To ask them that they could say the same.
Speaker 5 (18:23):
Anything of anybody in the neighborhood who might do a
thing like.
Speaker 10 (18:25):
This, Oh no, we've lived there for a long time. No,
none of them would even think about it.
Speaker 4 (18:32):
I say, did you or your husband have any enemies?
Anyone that you had any arguments with me?
Speaker 10 (18:36):
Mm, No, there wasn't anyone.
Speaker 6 (18:40):
Mister Pidy, Yes, ma'am.
Speaker 10 (18:43):
Does my son know about this? Does he know that
his father's n Does he know about it?
Speaker 5 (18:52):
Yes, ma'am, he does. He's outside in the hall right now.
He said he'd like to see.
Speaker 10 (18:55):
M poor boy never didn't get along with this phone there.
I tried to make them understand each other. I tried
so hard, didn't seem to do any good.
Speaker 4 (19:09):
Well, if there's nothing else that she can tell us, ma'am.
Speaker 10 (19:12):
And there's one thing I hate to mention. It seems
so silly.
Speaker 5 (19:17):
What's that? Missus?
Speaker 10 (19:18):
Don Well, when they were arguing with herman in the
next room, they got very loud. I thought that I
recognized one of the voices. And I can't be sure,
but at the time I thought it, yes, ma'am. Then
when they came into my room, I was pretty sure,
but I could be wrong and ill. I wouldn't wanna
caused anybody any trouble. I wouldn't wanna make a mistake.
Speaker 5 (19:39):
Well, who do you think it might have been? Whose
voice do you think it was?
Speaker 10 (19:43):
It sounded like Smokey's Who Smokey? He used to do
some work around the yard for herman. There was a
year or so ago. I haven't seen him since then.
Speaker 5 (19:52):
Well do you know where we can get in touch
with him, ma'am?
Speaker 10 (19:55):
No, I don't. As I said, I haven't seen him
in over a year.
Speaker 5 (19:58):
What's his full name, missus Dann, Come on, I don't know.
Speaker 10 (20:01):
But that's why I thought it might be a little silly.
I don't even know his right name. Just told us
his name was Smoky. A young man always had a
cigarette and his mouth changed smoker. I think he'd call
uh huh. Herman used to kid him about it or
not smoking all the time. I don't think Smokey liked it.
He was a pretty serious young man. Used to get
(20:23):
a little angry at her.
Speaker 5 (20:24):
I see, can you give us a description of the man?
Speaker 10 (20:27):
Yes, nice looking boy. I hope I haven't made a mistake.
I hope I haven't done the wrong thing.
Speaker 5 (20:34):
Why don't you worry about it? Miss Stone?
Speaker 4 (20:36):
That's his worry now. We continued to talk to missus Stone.
We got the description of the handyman who'd worked for
her husband. Eleven twenty eight pm. We went back to
the city Hall and ran the name of description through
the Moniker files in R and Eye, we came up
with one good possible and checking his record, we.
Speaker 5 (20:59):
Found that his full name was Charles P. Roxford. His
age was listed as thirty seven years.
Speaker 4 (21:04):
The rest of his description match the one we'd gotten
from Missus Stone. He had an arrest record listing several
charges of forgery, and at that time there was an
outstanding wat on him for check passing.
Speaker 5 (21:14):
He went back to the office and called Forgery Division.
Speaker 4 (21:16):
Yeah Roxford, Yeah, that's right, Charles are huh oh, I
want to talk to him about a killing out on Brighton.
Speaker 5 (21:22):
Yeah, well when was that? Yeah, okay, we'll be right there.
Well that's a break. What do you mean they know
where he is? They got him.
Speaker 4 (21:37):
Charles Roxford had been picked up a few minutes before
by officers in Forgery Division while he was trying to
pass a bad check.
Speaker 5 (21:43):
Frank and I went down the hall and took the
prisoner to the interrogation room. We talked to him for
two hours.
Speaker 4 (21:48):
During that time, he'd ad met nothing except his name
and that he'd been trying to pass a phony check.
Speaker 11 (21:53):
You're you're rocker and you know it.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
You got me for one thing. Hanging paper. That's it,
and you can't make any more out of it.
Speaker 5 (21:58):
How about this money we found on you?
Speaker 1 (22:00):
Yeah about it?
Speaker 5 (22:00):
Where did it come from?
Speaker 1 (22:01):
I want to where a crap game?
Speaker 5 (22:03):
Where was the game?
Speaker 11 (22:03):
I forgot?
Speaker 1 (22:04):
It was a floating game moved around a lot.
Speaker 5 (22:06):
You worked for the Stone family of years so ago.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
I don't know. I might have. I worked for a
lot of people.
Speaker 5 (22:11):
You work for him.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
I might have.
Speaker 11 (22:12):
Like I said, they seem to think you did all right,
so I did?
Speaker 1 (22:16):
What's that mean?
Speaker 5 (22:16):
Do you ever have any arguments with Stone?
Speaker 1 (22:18):
You know, got along good, never had no trouble.
Speaker 5 (22:20):
His wife thinks different, all right, So that's right, and.
Speaker 11 (22:22):
She's off a rocket too. And now look, maybe you
guys got all night, but I am going to any
place about booking me in.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
Let's talk in the morning.
Speaker 5 (22:29):
Then I find Roxford.
Speaker 4 (22:31):
As soon as you answer a few more questions, all
I know, maybe you forgot something.
Speaker 5 (22:34):
Let's go over it again. What do you say?
Speaker 10 (22:37):
All right?
Speaker 1 (22:39):
Where do you want to start?
Speaker 9 (22:40):
Can you tell us what you've been doing the last
few days?
Speaker 11 (22:43):
Any day in particular? Do you want to run down
minute by me?
Speaker 2 (22:45):
You just tell us what you've been doing with you
Let's see Yeah, it's Tuesday inner.
Speaker 5 (22:49):
Yeah, it's Tuesday.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
Let's start with Monday then, all right with you?
Speaker 5 (22:52):
Come on, get on with it now.
Speaker 11 (22:54):
I got up yesterday morning about I was eleven thirty,
let a cigarette, got dressed, went down there and had
some breakfast. Interesting, go ahead, I can spice it up
for you, you know, if you want. It's kind of dupe
when you tell it strange.
Speaker 5 (23:06):
You just tell a story.
Speaker 11 (23:07):
Oh what are you guys trying to prove? What are
you trying to tell?
Speaker 5 (23:09):
What did you do last night?
Speaker 11 (23:10):
I had dinner, went to a show. What's dinner place
down on Spring?
Speaker 5 (23:13):
Eat alone?
Speaker 10 (23:14):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (23:14):
What'd you do then?
Speaker 1 (23:15):
Like I said, I went to a show?
Speaker 5 (23:17):
Went with you?
Speaker 11 (23:17):
No, buddy, I didn't say anybody went with me?
Speaker 5 (23:19):
Oh I must have thought you said that.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
Yeah, I went alone?
Speaker 5 (23:23):
Right where'd you go? After that?
Speaker 11 (23:25):
I walked around and had a couple of drinks where
I'm barred on fifth.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
What time was that about twelve thirty or so?
Speaker 5 (23:30):
Anybody with you? No? You know the bartender.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
No, I never went in a place before.
Speaker 5 (23:34):
Then you got no way of proving you were there. No,
do I have to it'd help?
Speaker 1 (23:37):
Or why I'm a big boy now?
Speaker 11 (23:39):
I don't have to explain anything to you.
Speaker 1 (23:40):
Guys. I get off my back.
Speaker 11 (23:42):
Whether I'm getting sick, im playing foot seat?
Speaker 5 (23:44):
Where did you go after you left that?
Speaker 1 (23:45):
I went home? Where is that? It's a place over.
Speaker 11 (23:48):
On fourth times you get in, I don't know, maybe
one thirty two.
Speaker 5 (23:52):
Desk clerk, So you come in?
Speaker 1 (23:54):
Yeah, just sleep.
Speaker 5 (23:55):
How long would you say you worked for the Stone?
Speaker 1 (23:57):
I didn't.
Speaker 11 (23:58):
You said I worked for me a year ago. I
guess so I forgot? What's this bit about the Stone?
Speaker 5 (24:03):
See? Any way? Approving where you were last night?
Speaker 1 (24:04):
Like I said, I don't have to.
Speaker 5 (24:06):
That's the way you look at it. Mister. You're in trouble.
If you can't come up with an alibi, we can't break.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
Is that a right? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (24:10):
Why because missus Stone got a good look at you,
she couldn't know the lights were out?
Speaker 5 (24:14):
Yeah, I know that's clever. Roxford. Do you want to
tell us about it? Now? Come on, Roxford?
Speaker 1 (24:21):
All right, I shouldn't know. I should have known.
Speaker 11 (24:24):
I never should have done it, but I didn't have
any choice. You can't figure that, can you?
Speaker 5 (24:28):
What do you mean? Well?
Speaker 11 (24:29):
I owed this money. The guys are getting tired of waiting.
They said, I had to come up with it. I
didn't have any choice, right, Sure, well you can see it,
can't you. I had to come up with the money.
I tried to win it back. The more I played,
the more I owed him. There just wasn't any other way.
I knew Woman's Stone had it wasn't doing him and
the good and I needed it. And I knew where
he kept the money. It was with you, Jackie Forbes.
Speaker 5 (24:49):
You know where we can find him?
Speaker 1 (24:51):
Yeah, yeah, I'll tell you all right.
Speaker 5 (24:52):
You want to get smarted for French?
Speaker 1 (24:54):
Yeah, I should have known.
Speaker 11 (24:57):
I should have known, but there just wasn't any choice.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
Wasn't any other way?
Speaker 5 (25:01):
Why did you kill him?
Speaker 1 (25:02):
He knew I was. There's no choice.
Speaker 11 (25:03):
I had it, right we sure you can see that yourself,
can't you. I couldn't find any other way.
Speaker 2 (25:08):
It looked very hard, did you? The story you have
just heard was true. The names were changed to protect
the innocent.
Speaker 3 (25:22):
On December tenth, trial was held in Department eighty nine,
Superior Court of the State of California in and for
the County of Los Angeles. In a moment the results
of that trial, Charles Richard Roxford and Jack Allen Forbes
(25:43):
were tried and convicted of murder in the first degree.
They were executed in the lethal gas chamber at the
State Penitentiary San Quentin, California. I've just heard Dragnet a
series of authentic cases from official files. Technical advice comes
(26:05):
from the Office of Chief of Police W. H. Parker,
Los Angeles Police Department.
Ladies and gentlemen, the story you are about to hear
is true.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
The names have been changed to protect the innocent. You're
a detective sergeant. You're assigned the homicide detail. You get
a call that a seventy two year old man has
been murdered, his invalid wife has been brutally beaten. There's
(00:32):
no lead to the assailants. Your job get.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Them drag meant the document a drama of an actual crime.
For the next thirty minutes, in cooperation with the Los
Angeles Police Department, you will travel step by.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
Step on the side of the law through.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
An actual case transcribed from official police violence. From beginning
to end, from crime to punishment, is the story of
your police force in action.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
It was Tuesday, August twelfth. It was warm in Los Angeles.
We were working the day watch out of Homicide Detail.
My partner's Frank Smith. The boss's Dad Brown, Chief of Detectives.
Speaker 5 (01:15):
My name is Friday.
Speaker 4 (01:16):
They're on the way out from the office and it
was eight twelve am when we got to eighty four
sixty nine North Brighton Avenue. The front door, Yes, miss Hurley, Yes,
who were you police officers?
Speaker 5 (01:27):
Just my partner, Frank smith. My name's Friday.
Speaker 6 (01:29):
Oh it's about time you got here.
Speaker 5 (01:31):
Yes, ma'am, I wonder if we could see missus Stone.
Speaker 6 (01:33):
I don't think so.
Speaker 7 (01:34):
The ambulance man's with her now, giving her some kind
of pill, something to calm her down. Lord knows the
poor thing certainly needs something.
Speaker 5 (01:40):
Yes, ma'am, we'd like to see your please.
Speaker 7 (01:42):
Like I said, I don't know if you can. I'll
have to ask the ambulance man.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
Well, I'm sure it's all right man. If you just
let us talk to the attendant.
Speaker 6 (01:48):
You just wait here. I'll talk to him now.
Speaker 4 (01:51):
Look, I don't like to be rude, man, but this
is a murder investigation.
Speaker 5 (01:54):
If you'll open the door, please.
Speaker 6 (01:55):
Do I know you're what you say you are? How
do I know your cops identification? Looks enough?
Speaker 5 (02:02):
Like? Yeah?
Speaker 6 (02:03):
I guess all right, come.
Speaker 5 (02:05):
On, thank you. Where is missus.
Speaker 7 (02:11):
Stone back there in the back bedroom.
Speaker 4 (02:13):
I'll check with the attendant drag frame or if you
could tell us what you know about this.
Speaker 7 (02:17):
Missus Hurley, you just bet I can you just bet
that poor woman back there she's lying at death's door because.
Speaker 6 (02:25):
You didn't do your job.
Speaker 7 (02:26):
You know that, ma'am, at Death's door. It's your job
to see that things like this don't happen. That's what
you're paid for.
Speaker 8 (02:32):
And look, just look her, poor husband dead and herself
all beaten.
Speaker 6 (02:36):
Poor thing.
Speaker 8 (02:37):
I just don't understand what the world's coming to when
things like this can happen.
Speaker 4 (02:40):
Well, first, man, there was no way we could stop this.
I think you understand that we're trying to clean it up.
Speaker 5 (02:44):
Now. We're going to need your help to do it. Now,
if you just tell me what happened.
Speaker 6 (02:47):
Man, But you say I know different, all right, Miss Hurley.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
The faster we can get started on this thing, the
better chance we have of getting the people responsible for.
Speaker 6 (02:55):
It, I suppose. So, oh, what do you want to know?
Speaker 4 (02:59):
Well, if you, well, you start at the beginning and
tell me what you know about it.
Speaker 7 (03:02):
Yeah, well, it started this morning about seven or seven fifteen.
I think I heard this noise at the back door,
kind of a.
Speaker 6 (03:10):
Scratching kind of noise and a moan.
Speaker 7 (03:12):
A little tiny moon sounded like it was way off,
kind of in the distance.
Speaker 5 (03:17):
Yes, ma'am.
Speaker 7 (03:18):
First I wasn't sure that I wasn't dreaming the whole thing.
You know how it is when you're awakened out of
a sound sleep underst Well, it was like that took
me about ten minutes before I knew that there really
was something there. Well, I got up and went to
the door, and that's when I found her right there
at the back door, kind of laying on the porch.
I could see right away that someone had beaten her.
(03:39):
That's when I called the ambulance. And then she told
me about how her husband had been killed.
Speaker 6 (03:43):
And then I called you.
Speaker 7 (03:44):
The other car, the one with the men in uniform,
come out. They looked around, and then they went over
to the.
Speaker 4 (03:50):
House now to be the Ston's house that's right next door.
I see, how about it, Frank, that's pretty bad, Joe.
Speaker 5 (03:56):
They're treating her now, can we see her?
Speaker 9 (03:57):
Only attendant says they'll be all right for a couple
of minutes, not much more than that. They're gonna take
her to Georgia Street. Okay, he said he'd let us
know we could.
Speaker 5 (04:04):
Talk to her. A right. Fine. Did she tell you
what happened, missus Hurley, anything at all?
Speaker 7 (04:08):
Just that there was two men they come in and
beat up on her, killed her husband.
Speaker 10 (04:12):
That was enough.
Speaker 7 (04:13):
Wasn't look at her and I could tell she was hurt.
Bad and her an invalid. I just don't understand how
anybody in their right mind could do a thing like this.
Speaker 6 (04:21):
I just don't understand it.
Speaker 5 (04:23):
Yes, man, may you say that she's an invalid? Is
that right? Yes?
Speaker 7 (04:26):
They were involved in an auto accident a couple of
years ago. Some drunk ran right into 'em, smashed.
Speaker 8 (04:31):
The car all up, laid mister Stone up for a
couple of months, and put Patricia in a wheelchair for
the rest of her life.
Speaker 6 (04:36):
Can't walk it all. She crawled over here. Don't know
how she did it. It's great courage.
Speaker 5 (04:41):
Yes, ma'am. Did you hear anything at all? Last? Not
any disturbances, ceremony, not a.
Speaker 7 (04:46):
Thing, went to bed about ten, slept like a rock.
Didn't hear a thing until this morning. That was about
seven seven fifteen. Maybe, Like I said, Nope, I.
Speaker 6 (04:54):
Didn't hear a thing.
Speaker 4 (04:55):
Well do you know if there was anyone that the
Stones were afraid of, anyone who might have done anything
like this?
Speaker 6 (04:59):
No, I can't think of a soul.
Speaker 5 (05:01):
How about money, ma'am.
Speaker 9 (05:02):
Did mister Stone keep large sums of money around the house?
Speaker 5 (05:05):
Well?
Speaker 11 (05:05):
No, I don't know. You might have. Yeah, well, yeah,
I hell you wanna see her now.
Speaker 7 (05:10):
Yeah, come on, Frank right, you gonna wanna talk to
me some more.
Speaker 5 (05:13):
Yes, ma'am, we'll be back.
Speaker 10 (05:19):
Hm hm.
Speaker 8 (05:22):
Hm h.
Speaker 4 (05:25):
Missus Stone, hm, Missus Stone.
Speaker 6 (05:31):
Yes, who is it?
Speaker 5 (05:32):
Police officers, ma'am. We know you don't feel well, but
there are a few questions we'd like to ask, if
you don't mind.
Speaker 10 (05:38):
You got the men yet, the ones who did this?
Speaker 5 (05:41):
No, ma'am, not yet.
Speaker 10 (05:42):
I tried to tell I tried.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
They just wouldn't listen, ma'am.
Speaker 10 (05:47):
I told 'em to take it there. They wanted to
leave us a loon, Just leave us a loon. I
tried to tell them. They wouldn't listen. They killed Henry,
they tried to kill me.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
Do you know who they were, Missus Stone? Hum, I said,
do you know who they were? The men who did this?
Do you know who they were? Had you ever seen
him before?
Speaker 1 (06:06):
No?
Speaker 10 (06:07):
I don't think so. It was dark then I heard
them argue with Henry. I tried to get up. I
tried to help them, but I couldn't. I screamed. If
they didn't pay attention, then they killed it, lamb.
Speaker 5 (06:21):
Can you describe 'em for us? Tell us how tall
they were? How they were dressed.
Speaker 10 (06:24):
Made They didn't know that I was there, And they came
into my room and they said they'd kill the other one,
so they might as well kill me too. I tried
to tell them to go away, and they wouldn't listen.
They just hit me and hit me, hit me? There
was anything I could do?
Speaker 5 (06:41):
Did they drive a car? Man?
Speaker 4 (06:42):
Was there anything and tell us that might help us
in identifying them? Did one of them use a name?
Speaker 5 (06:46):
Maybe they.
Speaker 10 (06:49):
They put that pillow over my head. I don't know why.
I told 'em they could take what they wanted take it?
Did they just leave us alone?
Speaker 6 (06:57):
But they didn't?
Speaker 10 (06:58):
They killed him? Alright, they try to kill me?
Speaker 4 (07:01):
Alright, missus Stone, Everything's gonna be alright here.
Speaker 5 (07:04):
Don't worry and I just try and get some rest.
Speaker 10 (07:06):
Doesn't matter much now, isn't anything that Matterson Moore? Nothing nose?
They killed Henry?
Speaker 5 (07:15):
Alright? Now, Please try not to get upset.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Joke, Yeah, better get her down time?
Speaker 5 (07:23):
Well, how's it look for her?
Speaker 1 (07:24):
How what a her chances depends?
Speaker 5 (07:26):
Yeah?
Speaker 11 (07:27):
How hard she wants to try?
Speaker 4 (07:36):
Eight forty six am, the ambulance removed missus Stone to
Georgia Street Receiving Hospital. We put in a call to
the crime lab, and then we talked to the neighbor
and missus Hurley.
Speaker 5 (07:44):
She could add little to what she'd already told us.
She said that she'd.
Speaker 4 (07:48):
Heard no loud noises during the night, and that she'd
seen no one in the neighborhood acting suspicious. She told us, however,
that mister Stone was known to have kept large.
Speaker 5 (07:55):
Sums of money in the house.
Speaker 4 (07:57):
She went on to say that he made no attempt
to hide his distrust of thanks and then he had
often said that all of his money was on the premises.
And I know two am prying and I went next
door to the Stone home, the crime lab and Lake
the fingerprint crews had arrived and were going over the
place for physical evidence.
Speaker 11 (08:12):
We talked to Ray Pinker of the crime lab. This
is how they got in, Yeah, to try the screen.
Huh must have done it with their hands. Been finding
two marks. Figured the door was open and that right, Yeah,
it looks that way, one of those old fashioned locks.
No indications they forced it.
Speaker 5 (08:24):
Did you find anything else?
Speaker 11 (08:26):
Took a look back here in the closet. I'm sure
threw the place up, didn't they. Yeah, I went through everything.
He took the pictures off the walls. Yeah, ripped up
the bedding.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
Wasn't the drawer.
Speaker 11 (08:36):
They didn't go through any prints it all Bergmann's checking
it hadn't found anything yet or.
Speaker 5 (08:41):
No, I'm pretty bad.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
Here. Look at the mattress on the husband's bed.
Speaker 11 (08:48):
Tore it all up. Stuffing scattered around the room. Looks
like a tornado went through the place. The closets back here,
This was missus Stone's room.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
See where they dragged her.
Speaker 11 (08:59):
Yeah, must have hit her the first time about here,
and then they dragged over with this closet, dropped her
in here.
Speaker 5 (09:04):
Huh.
Speaker 11 (09:07):
You see where she stacked those suitcases up there to
pour suff out the window.
Speaker 5 (09:11):
But I don't know how she did it. Bad off
as she was.
Speaker 11 (09:14):
Looks like robbery was the motive, and I right can't
agree with that, Joe, What come on?
Speaker 1 (09:19):
Back in the Stone's room, we found the murder weapon.
Checked around.
Speaker 11 (09:25):
It looks like they picked him up in the backyard
there and take a look.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
Couple of wooden clubs.
Speaker 11 (09:32):
Looks like they came from a walnut tree just outside
the back door. Kind of blows the robbery angle. Yeah,
they were ready to kill the Stones when they came
in m.
Speaker 5 (09:45):
Nine thirty am. The Crime I have finished their investigation
of the house. The backyard and the surrounding ground were
going over. In the soft earth.
Speaker 4 (09:52):
At the foot of one of the walnut trees, a
pair of footprints was found, and plaster casts were made
of him. On the lower limbs of the trees. We
found a place where the two clubs could have been taken.
Speaker 5 (10:03):
The rest of the yard and the immediate vicinity were combed,
but we found nothing. Twelve fifteen pm Frank put in
a call.
Speaker 4 (10:09):
To Georgia Street Receiving Hospital. They told him that Missus
Stone had been given emergency treatment and then had been
removed to the county hospital.
Speaker 5 (10:17):
Her condition was listed as critical.
Speaker 4 (10:19):
They said that it would be some time before we'd
be able to talk to her. One point thirty pm
we began to canvass the neighborhood from the people in
the surrounding houses. We found that mister Stone had retired
from the wholesale grocery business about ten years ago.
Speaker 5 (10:32):
He devoted himself to the cultivation.
Speaker 4 (10:33):
Of prize roses and the care of Missus Stone. The
neighbors told us that the Stones were quiet and that
they seldom entertained three point fifteen pm. We went back
to talk to missus Hurley.
Speaker 6 (10:44):
I knew you'd be back, ma'am.
Speaker 7 (10:45):
I knew you'd come back to talk to me again.
Could have told you a lot, but I thought I'd
just let you try and find out for yourself.
Speaker 6 (10:52):
Didn't do too well, did you, did you?
Speaker 5 (10:55):
I don't think I understand this, Early simple.
Speaker 6 (10:58):
Anything you want to know about this neighborhood to come
to the source, that's me. Anybody knows what's going on here?
I do.
Speaker 5 (11:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (11:05):
Well, if you had information that you thought we should
have had, why didn't you tell us before, ma'am?
Speaker 8 (11:09):
I didn't want to, ma'am, I said, I didn't want to.
Speaker 7 (11:12):
Still say that you were responsible for this whole thing.
Speaker 6 (11:15):
Done your job and it wouldn't have happened. Oh I
still haven't forgot.
Speaker 4 (11:18):
Oh no, sir, Look, missus Early, this is a murder investigation.
I told you that before man has been killed, a
woman's been badly beaten.
Speaker 5 (11:23):
We're gonna need all the cooperation from you that we
can get.
Speaker 6 (11:26):
Ready now, huh, I'll cooperate. I'll tell you what you wanna.
Speaker 5 (11:30):
Know, all right, miss Early? First, you have any idea
who might have done this.
Speaker 7 (11:35):
You just bet I have who, ma'am, their boy. Only
one that's mean enough to do it? Only one their boy, sure,
Herman Junior, he's the one, you just bet.
Speaker 5 (11:45):
Why do you say that?
Speaker 7 (11:46):
Because I know that's why mean kid always had trouble
with him, because the.
Speaker 6 (11:51):
Only trouble ever was between Patricia and me. Troublemaker, but
he was pure and simpler trouble maker.
Speaker 5 (11:57):
How old is this boy? Miss? Early thirty six?
Speaker 6 (11:59):
A real monster?
Speaker 5 (12:00):
You know where the boy is now?
Speaker 6 (12:01):
No, and I'm not interested.
Speaker 7 (12:02):
Happiest day of my life when he moved out of
the house.
Speaker 6 (12:05):
Oh, he and I.
Speaker 7 (12:06):
Used to get in some arguments. Little brat stand there
and think he was so big.
Speaker 6 (12:12):
Finally mister Stone saw it, told him to get out.
Speaker 7 (12:15):
Moved right out of the house, bagging parcel right out.
Speaker 5 (12:18):
You mean that, mister Stone and the boy had arguments.
Speaker 6 (12:21):
See that's what I mean.
Speaker 8 (12:24):
No, wonder if people.
Speaker 6 (12:24):
Don't cooperate with you, I beg your pardon, I say something,
and then you ask me if I mean it. Of
course I mean it. I wouldn't say it otherwise. Like
people will ask what time is that? You tell him?
And then they ask if you're sure they don't wanna
believe you. Why did they ask you in the first place?
Speaker 5 (12:37):
Course, ma'am. Were you there at the time, man, No.
Speaker 6 (12:40):
No, I wasn't.
Speaker 7 (12:41):
It was a warm night, just a couple of months ago.
All the windows was open, and I just couldn't help
seeing end of their house, you know, houses being close together.
Speaker 8 (12:48):
You can understand it, yes, ma'am, we can understand.
Speaker 6 (12:53):
I don't like the way you said that, young man.
Speaker 5 (12:56):
I didn't mean anything by it necessarily, Mum.
Speaker 7 (12:58):
Well, I suppose not, but I did don't want you
to get the idea that I'm the nosey type.
Speaker 5 (13:05):
Oh no, man, not at all.
Speaker 7 (13:07):
Well, anyway, mister Stone told herman to get his things
and get out right out that night.
Speaker 5 (13:17):
Well did the boy leave that night?
Speaker 7 (13:18):
Oh yes, yes, were right into his room and packed
said he'd never come back, that he didn't want anything
more to do with the old man. And his father
said that was the way he wanted it, that he
was gonna cut.
Speaker 6 (13:30):
Him out of his will. Well, you can just believe
that's when the trouble really started.
Speaker 5 (13:34):
Now where was missus Stone? All this time?
Speaker 7 (13:36):
She was in her room, but she come out wheeled
herself right out told him to stop this foolishness.
Speaker 8 (13:43):
She always was kind of pampering the boy.
Speaker 7 (13:45):
I think myself that's what caused him to be like
he was, you know, tied to his mother's.
Speaker 8 (13:49):
Apron strings all the time.
Speaker 7 (13:52):
That's when Herman said that about doing something, said that
the old man was senile, said that he was crazy,
that the money was his and he was going to
see that he got it. Said he meant to have
it if he had to kill somebody.
Speaker 4 (14:12):
Four to ten pm we got the full name and
description of the Stone boy from Missus Hurley. We went
back to the office and ran the name through R
and I. We found a Herman Stone Junior with a
record listing three arrests on charges of forty one to
twenty seven a LAMC. We checked out his last known address,
a hotel on South Hill, and found that he'd moved
several weeks before. The manager gave us a forwarding address,
(14:34):
and at six ten pm Frank and I drove out
to see him. Was a large apartment hotel on Wilshire Boulevard.
Speaker 5 (14:40):
We talked to the desk clerk, Sure.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
I know Herman.
Speaker 11 (14:42):
Nice guy.
Speaker 12 (14:43):
Once in a while, it gets a little loud, but
most of the time he's a real nice guy.
Speaker 5 (14:46):
Is he here now?
Speaker 10 (14:47):
I don't think so?
Speaker 1 (14:48):
Let me look.
Speaker 12 (14:51):
Keys here, I think I so. I'm glad about an
hour ago he wasn't feeling too bad.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
Hangar any idea where you might be?
Speaker 10 (14:58):
Oh?
Speaker 5 (14:58):
Like I said, I didn't talk to him to you
know what he does for a living? Harm?
Speaker 1 (15:02):
Yes, sir, I don't think.
Speaker 6 (15:03):
He does nothing.
Speaker 12 (15:04):
Plays the horses a little bit, picks up a buck
that way, good player. Sure knows the dogs. Giving me
a couple of tips didn't do any good? He sure
does all right, man, a real killing yesterday. Must have
hit it for about four or five thousand, is that right?
Speaker 1 (15:17):
Yeah?
Speaker 12 (15:17):
Showed me the money this morning, real big role, at
least four or five grand tipsy gave me.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
Never did that good?
Speaker 5 (15:23):
You got any idea where he was last night? So
what's this all about?
Speaker 1 (15:26):
Anyway?
Speaker 5 (15:26):
Or done something?
Speaker 6 (15:27):
Well?
Speaker 5 (15:27):
I'll be better if we talked to him.
Speaker 12 (15:28):
Oh yeah, well yeah, I guess you guys know what
you're doing.
Speaker 5 (15:33):
And why?
Speaker 1 (15:34):
Yes, sir, he asked.
Speaker 12 (15:35):
Me if I knew what he was doing last night?
Speaker 5 (15:36):
Uh huh, I sure do.
Speaker 12 (15:38):
He really tied one on, of course, with his luck
I don't wonder he really tied one on. Sure loaded
he got in here, he had a bottle. So you
won't say anything about this the management when you no, sure,
we won't any of that happen. They don't approve of drinking.
Well I'm gonna do it, you understand. Kind of stuffy,
but that's the way they look at it.
Speaker 5 (15:54):
Uh huh.
Speaker 12 (15:56):
Like I said, Old Herm rolls in here and he's
got this bottle, asked me to have one with it. Well,
I don't like to get him sore, so I do,
and we have a couple more.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
Old Herm. That boy can really put it away.
Speaker 5 (16:07):
I asked her what time was that, Well.
Speaker 11 (16:09):
Let's see, I guess about seven maybe seven fifteen.
Speaker 5 (16:12):
Did he go out after that?
Speaker 12 (16:13):
Sure didn't killed a bottle? And then he passed right
out cold, slept there on that couch.
Speaker 5 (16:18):
Uh huh.
Speaker 11 (16:19):
Now, sir, Old Herm didn't go any place.
Speaker 4 (16:26):
Eight twelve pm, Herman Stone returned to the hotel.
Speaker 5 (16:30):
Frank and I talked to him for about an hour.
Speaker 4 (16:32):
He appeared quite shaken when we told him of his
father's death. We questioned him about the money that he'd
suddenly come up with. He explained that he'd wanted at
the races. He gave us the name of the man
who accompanied him to the track. Frank and I checked
with him and found that Stone's story was true. We
checked his shoe size and found that it was not
the same as the print found at the scene of
the murder. Ten forty six pm, we called the office
(16:54):
and they told us that we'd gotten a message from
the county hospital.
Speaker 5 (16:57):
Missus Stone was able to talk.
Speaker 4 (16:59):
She wasn't completely out of danger, but buying a relapse
she was.
Speaker 5 (17:01):
Expected to recover. Frank and I drove out to the
hospital and talk to her.
Speaker 10 (17:05):
I wish I could help you more than I have,
but they're just asn't anything else.
Speaker 5 (17:08):
Well, could you give us any idea of about how
tall they were?
Speaker 10 (17:11):
That'd be pretty hard to do, mister Friday. I was
lying down and they came into my room. I could
only guess, but I'd say it may be as tall
as you. I don't think much taller.
Speaker 5 (17:22):
I say, you know, how about their build, ma'am? Was
it heavy or slight?
Speaker 10 (17:25):
I can't be sure. I guess if I must say
one or the other, I have to say they're about medium.
One was very strong though, h the one that carried
me into the closet. He was strong, just lifted me
out of bed and carried me over as the closet
threw me on the floor.
Speaker 5 (17:42):
Did your husband have any large amounts of money in
the house.
Speaker 10 (17:46):
Yes, yes he did. Herman never believed in bags, not
since the crash. Always said that he could take care
of the money as well as they could, as ma'am.
He had all of his savings in the house, kept
them in the mattress on it on his bed.
Speaker 5 (18:01):
Do you know about how much that might be, missus Stone.
Speaker 10 (18:04):
I'd only be guessing, but I'd say maybe twelve or
thirteen thousand dollars.
Speaker 6 (18:08):
He used to talk about it too.
Speaker 10 (18:10):
I know that didn't help any.
Speaker 5 (18:11):
Oh, who would you talk to, missus Stone?
Speaker 10 (18:13):
People in the neighborhood used to tell them that he
didn't get the interest, but that he always knew just
where his money was used.
Speaker 6 (18:20):
To ask them that they could say the same.
Speaker 5 (18:23):
Anything of anybody in the neighborhood who might do a
thing like.
Speaker 10 (18:25):
This, Oh no, we've lived there for a long time. No,
none of them would even think about it.
Speaker 4 (18:32):
I say, did you or your husband have any enemies?
Anyone that you had any arguments with me?
Speaker 10 (18:36):
Mm, No, there wasn't anyone.
Speaker 6 (18:40):
Mister Pidy, Yes, ma'am.
Speaker 10 (18:43):
Does my son know about this? Does he know that
his father's n Does he know about it?
Speaker 5 (18:52):
Yes, ma'am, he does. He's outside in the hall right now.
He said he'd like to see.
Speaker 10 (18:55):
M poor boy never didn't get along with this phone there.
I tried to make them understand each other. I tried
so hard, didn't seem to do any good.
Speaker 4 (19:09):
Well, if there's nothing else that she can tell us, ma'am.
Speaker 10 (19:12):
And there's one thing I hate to mention. It seems
so silly.
Speaker 5 (19:17):
What's that? Missus?
Speaker 10 (19:18):
Don Well, when they were arguing with herman in the
next room, they got very loud. I thought that I
recognized one of the voices. And I can't be sure,
but at the time I thought it, yes, ma'am. Then
when they came into my room, I was pretty sure,
but I could be wrong and ill. I wouldn't wanna
caused anybody any trouble. I wouldn't wanna make a mistake.
Speaker 5 (19:39):
Well, who do you think it might have been? Whose
voice do you think it was?
Speaker 10 (19:43):
It sounded like Smokey's Who Smokey? He used to do
some work around the yard for herman. There was a
year or so ago. I haven't seen him since then.
Speaker 5 (19:52):
Well do you know where we can get in touch
with him, ma'am?
Speaker 10 (19:55):
No, I don't. As I said, I haven't seen him
in over a year.
Speaker 5 (19:58):
What's his full name, missus Dann, Come on, I don't know.
Speaker 10 (20:01):
But that's why I thought it might be a little silly.
I don't even know his right name. Just told us
his name was Smoky. A young man always had a
cigarette and his mouth changed smoker. I think he'd call
uh huh. Herman used to kid him about it or
not smoking all the time. I don't think Smokey liked it.
He was a pretty serious young man. Used to get
(20:23):
a little angry at her.
Speaker 5 (20:24):
I see, can you give us a description of the man?
Speaker 10 (20:27):
Yes, nice looking boy. I hope I haven't made a mistake.
I hope I haven't done the wrong thing.
Speaker 5 (20:34):
Why don't you worry about it? Miss Stone?
Speaker 4 (20:36):
That's his worry now. We continued to talk to missus Stone.
We got the description of the handyman who'd worked for
her husband. Eleven twenty eight pm. We went back to
the city Hall and ran the name of description through
the Moniker files in R and Eye, we came up
with one good possible and checking his record, we.
Speaker 5 (20:59):
Found that his full name was Charles P. Roxford. His
age was listed as thirty seven years.
Speaker 4 (21:04):
The rest of his description match the one we'd gotten
from Missus Stone. He had an arrest record listing several
charges of forgery, and at that time there was an
outstanding wat on him for check passing.
Speaker 5 (21:14):
He went back to the office and called Forgery Division.
Speaker 4 (21:16):
Yeah Roxford, Yeah, that's right, Charles are huh oh, I
want to talk to him about a killing out on Brighton.
Speaker 5 (21:22):
Yeah, well when was that? Yeah, okay, we'll be right there.
Well that's a break. What do you mean they know
where he is? They got him.
Speaker 4 (21:37):
Charles Roxford had been picked up a few minutes before
by officers in Forgery Division while he was trying to
pass a bad check.
Speaker 5 (21:43):
Frank and I went down the hall and took the
prisoner to the interrogation room. We talked to him for
two hours.
Speaker 4 (21:48):
During that time, he'd ad met nothing except his name
and that he'd been trying to pass a phony check.
Speaker 11 (21:53):
You're you're rocker and you know it.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
You got me for one thing. Hanging paper. That's it,
and you can't make any more out of it.
Speaker 5 (21:58):
How about this money we found on you?
Speaker 1 (22:00):
Yeah about it?
Speaker 5 (22:00):
Where did it come from?
Speaker 1 (22:01):
I want to where a crap game?
Speaker 5 (22:03):
Where was the game?
Speaker 11 (22:03):
I forgot?
Speaker 1 (22:04):
It was a floating game moved around a lot.
Speaker 5 (22:06):
You worked for the Stone family of years so ago.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
I don't know. I might have. I worked for a
lot of people.
Speaker 5 (22:11):
You work for him.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
I might have.
Speaker 11 (22:12):
Like I said, they seem to think you did all right,
so I did?
Speaker 1 (22:16):
What's that mean?
Speaker 5 (22:16):
Do you ever have any arguments with Stone?
Speaker 1 (22:18):
You know, got along good, never had no trouble.
Speaker 5 (22:20):
His wife thinks different, all right, So that's right, and.
Speaker 11 (22:22):
She's off a rocket too. And now look, maybe you
guys got all night, but I am going to any
place about booking me in.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
Let's talk in the morning.
Speaker 5 (22:29):
Then I find Roxford.
Speaker 4 (22:31):
As soon as you answer a few more questions, all
I know, maybe you forgot something.
Speaker 5 (22:34):
Let's go over it again. What do you say?
Speaker 10 (22:37):
All right?
Speaker 1 (22:39):
Where do you want to start?
Speaker 9 (22:40):
Can you tell us what you've been doing the last
few days?
Speaker 11 (22:43):
Any day in particular? Do you want to run down
minute by me?
Speaker 2 (22:45):
You just tell us what you've been doing with you
Let's see Yeah, it's Tuesday inner.
Speaker 5 (22:49):
Yeah, it's Tuesday.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
Let's start with Monday then, all right with you?
Speaker 5 (22:52):
Come on, get on with it now.
Speaker 11 (22:54):
I got up yesterday morning about I was eleven thirty,
let a cigarette, got dressed, went down there and had
some breakfast. Interesting, go ahead, I can spice it up
for you, you know, if you want. It's kind of dupe
when you tell it strange.
Speaker 5 (23:06):
You just tell a story.
Speaker 11 (23:07):
Oh what are you guys trying to prove? What are
you trying to tell?
Speaker 5 (23:09):
What did you do last night?
Speaker 11 (23:10):
I had dinner, went to a show. What's dinner place
down on Spring?
Speaker 5 (23:13):
Eat alone?
Speaker 10 (23:14):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (23:14):
What'd you do then?
Speaker 1 (23:15):
Like I said, I went to a show?
Speaker 5 (23:17):
Went with you?
Speaker 11 (23:17):
No, buddy, I didn't say anybody went with me?
Speaker 5 (23:19):
Oh I must have thought you said that.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
Yeah, I went alone?
Speaker 5 (23:23):
Right where'd you go? After that?
Speaker 11 (23:25):
I walked around and had a couple of drinks where
I'm barred on fifth.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
What time was that about twelve thirty or so?
Speaker 5 (23:30):
Anybody with you? No? You know the bartender.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
No, I never went in a place before.
Speaker 5 (23:34):
Then you got no way of proving you were there. No,
do I have to it'd help?
Speaker 1 (23:37):
Or why I'm a big boy now?
Speaker 11 (23:39):
I don't have to explain anything to you.
Speaker 1 (23:40):
Guys. I get off my back.
Speaker 11 (23:42):
Whether I'm getting sick, im playing foot seat?
Speaker 5 (23:44):
Where did you go after you left that?
Speaker 1 (23:45):
I went home? Where is that? It's a place over.
Speaker 11 (23:48):
On fourth times you get in, I don't know, maybe
one thirty two.
Speaker 5 (23:52):
Desk clerk, So you come in?
Speaker 1 (23:54):
Yeah, just sleep.
Speaker 5 (23:55):
How long would you say you worked for the Stone?
Speaker 1 (23:57):
I didn't.
Speaker 11 (23:58):
You said I worked for me a year ago. I
guess so I forgot? What's this bit about the Stone?
Speaker 5 (24:03):
See? Any way? Approving where you were last night?
Speaker 1 (24:04):
Like I said, I don't have to.
Speaker 5 (24:06):
That's the way you look at it. Mister. You're in trouble.
If you can't come up with an alibi, we can't break.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
Is that a right? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (24:10):
Why because missus Stone got a good look at you,
she couldn't know the lights were out?
Speaker 5 (24:14):
Yeah, I know that's clever. Roxford. Do you want to
tell us about it? Now? Come on, Roxford?
Speaker 1 (24:21):
All right, I shouldn't know. I should have known.
Speaker 11 (24:24):
I never should have done it, but I didn't have
any choice. You can't figure that, can you?
Speaker 5 (24:28):
What do you mean? Well?
Speaker 11 (24:29):
I owed this money. The guys are getting tired of waiting.
They said, I had to come up with it. I
didn't have any choice, right, Sure, well you can see it,
can't you. I had to come up with the money.
I tried to win it back. The more I played,
the more I owed him. There just wasn't any other way.
I knew Woman's Stone had it wasn't doing him and
the good and I needed it. And I knew where
he kept the money. It was with you, Jackie Forbes.
Speaker 5 (24:49):
You know where we can find him?
Speaker 1 (24:51):
Yeah, yeah, I'll tell you all right.
Speaker 5 (24:52):
You want to get smarted for French?
Speaker 1 (24:54):
Yeah, I should have known.
Speaker 11 (24:57):
I should have known, but there just wasn't any choice.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
Wasn't any other way?
Speaker 5 (25:01):
Why did you kill him?
Speaker 1 (25:02):
He knew I was. There's no choice.
Speaker 11 (25:03):
I had it, right we sure you can see that yourself,
can't you. I couldn't find any other way.
Speaker 2 (25:08):
It looked very hard, did you? The story you have
just heard was true. The names were changed to protect
the innocent.
Speaker 3 (25:22):
On December tenth, trial was held in Department eighty nine,
Superior Court of the State of California in and for
the County of Los Angeles. In a moment the results
of that trial, Charles Richard Roxford and Jack Allen Forbes
(25:43):
were tried and convicted of murder in the first degree.
They were executed in the lethal gas chamber at the
State Penitentiary San Quentin, California. I've just heard Dragnet a
series of authentic cases from official files. Technical advice comes
(26:05):
from the Office of Chief of Police W. H. Parker,
Los Angeles Police Department.
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