August 6, 2025 • 25 mins
Dragnet - Old Time Radio Show - 248 The Big Help
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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 were about to hear
is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent.
Drag Met. You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned a forgery detail.
A group of check passers is working in your city.
(00:29):
They've hit over fifty places of business. You have no
leed to their true identity. They're still working your job.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Stop them.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
It was Wednesday, July eleventh. It was warm in Los Angeles.
We were working to day watch out of forgery detail.
My partner's thanks Smith the boss as he detective stab
down my name's sign. We're on our way af from
the office. That was eleven twenty am when we got
to the corner of York Boulevard and Buchanan Street.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
You're Canon Market. Yeah, tell me a nutting Paul like
see Tom Dawson.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
He is in the back.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Then by kind of lopping cold cereal tag it Yeah,
mister Dawson. Yeah, police officers as like to talk to you.
I'm about to check that's right. I don't mind if
I go ahead with this display. I like to get
it finished. They got enough trouble with the bunt as
it is. I don't want to build anymore.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
As you go.
Speaker 4 (01:21):
I had this fellow copy too.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Yes, sir, this is Officer Frank Smith. My name is Farder.
How do you do, miss Dark?
Speaker 5 (01:27):
Sure, hope you can get the guy that gave me
the paper when it stands Now, I'm going to have
to make it up out of my salary. I don't
make that much should I haven't told my wife yet.
You're gonna scream like an eagle when she finds out
you got a real strict budget. Sure gonna lons it up.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Do you have the check?
Speaker 5 (01:41):
Yeah, you got it right here. Came back from the
bank this morning. The boss gave it to me. Here
you go, pus same as the others.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Looks like, yeah here. How's that look to you? Sir?
The display look all right?
Speaker 5 (01:59):
Oh yes, sir, get this mask clinched and saw them.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
We can't tell us about the man who gave you
the check.
Speaker 5 (02:05):
What do you want to know?
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Well, what kind of edification did he use?
Speaker 5 (02:08):
Just about the whole thing? Driver's license, social Security card,
gasoline credit.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Card that works, the pencil notation on the back of
the check, just his license number.
Speaker 5 (02:17):
Let me take a look there. Yeah, yeah, that's it.
I figured sure it'd be good, nice looking fella. Sure,
never going for a paperhanger. You give a description of him? Yeah, sure, ken,
I got a good look at it. This sure ought
to sell this stuff.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
But's that's it? And say this ought to sell this stuff.
Speaker 5 (02:40):
This mask for giving them away? When you buy the
breakfast food extra quarter and you get one of these
head things kids, sure go for him whole display to
go around it and see the finished mask goes right there,
makes to look like the cardboard kids wearing it. You
want to go ahead with the questions when I put
it together?
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Yes, sir, have you ever seen this man before?
Speaker 5 (03:00):
Now, Churt, he might have been around. We do a
pretty good business. Could have been in. I wouldn't have
remembered wed he say to you, just came in and
bought some groceries. Must have been about a dollar and
a half, it's worth. Asked me to cash a check.
I told him the manager you'd have to okay it
told him the manager wasn't here, he'd.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Have to wait. Wellky dinyone else give the okay.
Speaker 5 (03:18):
I'm not supposed to. If we do and something goes wrong,
we're stuck for it.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
I said.
Speaker 5 (03:22):
The guy told me he didn't have time. Said he
was on his lunch hour and he had to get
the groceries home. So I asked him if he had
any identification. He said he did. Looked all right to me,
so I checked. Say, would you hold this mask for
me while I get the rubber band around the top.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (03:37):
Sure, Now wait till I winded around a couple of times.
We put these things up high, but the kids still
find a way to get him down. They're not put
together good. They don't last long. Let's see if this
is what goes in next the eyepiece. Take the eyepiece
(03:59):
and put it in inside the mask, slip into the notches.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Why and teen? I said, See?
Speaker 4 (04:06):
Did you look at the layers identification closely?
Speaker 5 (04:09):
How do you mean close? Well, take a good look
at it, good enough to think it was all right
to catch a check.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
It looked genuine, Hugh.
Speaker 5 (04:16):
If it didn't, I wouldn't have gone for the money.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
I said, was there anything about the layer that it'd
make it easier for us to identify him?
Speaker 5 (04:22):
Not that I could see. It looked ordinary enough, nothing
special about him, nothing that would stand out. Hold it
a minute, was.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
You while I put the ear pieces in? Yes?
Speaker 5 (04:33):
Thanks? I guess it's all there is.
Speaker 6 (04:37):
Put it up.
Speaker 5 (04:38):
You're on the top that does it.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
I'll say, look, sorry, huh kind of scary.
Speaker 5 (04:47):
Sure, hope the boss likes it. Sure been on my
back since that check came back. Seems like everything I
do is wrong. Be glad when this day is over. Yeah,
sure you want to give us that description though the
other man who gave me the chat's right. Sure, I
want to do all I ca can to help you.
Think if you catch him, I'll be able to get
the money back. Well, outside to say, sir, sure, hop's
eighty nine sixty. It's a lot of money. I hate
(05:08):
to lose it. How much of that eighty nine sixty? Yes,
I don't even want to think about where my wife's
gonna say. That will be pretty rough. Yes, sir, we understand.
How old was the man? About twenty seven around in there?
Speaker 2 (05:21):
About how tall was he?
Speaker 5 (05:22):
Five nine? I guess say, if you do catch him,
how do you go about getting the money down? Well,
let's book this evidence first and then I get it back. Well,
that depends on what happens.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
At the trial. It's not up to us to decide, sir.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
You see, the suspect has gotten us several other people too.
If there is anything to recover, they've got a share
of it.
Speaker 5 (05:37):
And I probably won't get what's coming to me.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Well now serve, but you can be sure of one thing.
Speaker 5 (05:41):
What's that suspect will.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
Eleven forty six am. We got the complete description of
the suspect and we made arrangements for the victim to
come down to the city Hall and go through.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
The mud books.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
The information on the driver's license was check through R
and I in the Department of Motor Vehicles and we found.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
It to be false.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
The first bad check had come to our attention on
February sixteenth, five months previously. Between them and the present forgery,
the gang had taken approximately sixty thousand dollars from businessmen
in the south Land area. All attempts had been made
to stop them. The checks cash were all issued for
the same amount, ninety one dollars and ten cents. The
checks were drawn on real companies, but on banks where
(06:24):
no account existed. Examination of the forgeries by the crime
lab and by handwriting showed that the checks themselves were
not genuine.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
The signatures on each of them varied.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
The typewriter used to fill in the paye and the
date was different in each instance, as was the check
protector used m O Bulletins carrying pictures of the checks
and lists of the companies that they were drawn on
were gotten out to all supermarkets and check cashing agencies
in the city. None of the precautions we took did
any good. The gang continued to operate. Each of the
victims was questioned, but the descriptions of the suspect that
(06:54):
they gave us was different in each instance. Examination of
pictures of known check forgers using the same method out
of Operation NETTA does nothing. The Stat's office had made
several runs on the information we had, but they were
not able to come up with any new evidence. George
Brett Enough at Sacramento was contacted and he furnished this
a list of possibles.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
These were all checked out and several arrests were.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
Made clearing up other forgeries, but our prime suspects were
still free and they were still operating. Wednesday, four to
fifteen pm, Frank and I came back from Captain Weelsh's office.
Speaker 4 (07:24):
Well, now only know how the skipper feels.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
Can you blame him? No?
Speaker 3 (07:27):
I guess man, We're doing all we can If the
people who run the stores won't look at the bulletins,
there's nothing we can do, and breaks are bound to
go with us pretty soon. They got to start. Sometimes
I get it forgery Friday. Wait just a minute, ma'am.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Fergie eron, I don't know. I'll think of looking back. Hey,
ferget that, Reggie. No he's not here. He's not here
right now. Can I take a message? Yes, ma'am. No,
he's not working.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
Today, yes, ma'am. Well, if you give me your number,
I'll have him call when he gets in.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
All right, that's.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
Nine eight, yes, ma'am. No, No, it's right in the
message book. No, he'll see it, that's right, yes, ma'am. Mhm, No,
he'll look at the book when he comes in. No,
the first thing, you bet well, you're more than welcome, yes, ma'am.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Bye Troba. No, she just didn't believe that Fergie'd get
the message. Yeah, I know. Sometimes face has the same.
Speaker 6 (08:25):
Thing, Sergeant Friday.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Yes, that's all I be money.
Speaker 6 (08:29):
I'm sure you be in.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
You know my partner, Frank Smith. Don't you Beetrice Starling?
Speaker 7 (08:33):
Yeah, we've been sure.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
I'm seeing a long time sit down. B Yeah. Thanks
there you go. We what can we do for you?
Speaker 7 (08:41):
It's thought i'd drop in and say hello, it's been
a while, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
It has it that. How's it been going pretty good?
Speaker 7 (08:46):
Get myself a job when I got out. Things are
working good for me. How long as you've been there,
year ago, last January?
Speaker 2 (08:52):
Wells anyone can do for you?
Speaker 6 (08:54):
No, might be the other way around.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
What do you mean.
Speaker 7 (08:58):
I never got a chance to tell you, sergeant, how
much I appreciated what you did for me, what you
said in court.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
Oh, we just told him the truth.
Speaker 8 (09:04):
I know.
Speaker 6 (09:04):
It's done a.
Speaker 7 (09:05):
Lot harder with me if you hadn't been on my side.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
What's nice of you to think of it that way? Anyway?
Speaker 6 (09:09):
True, you never get a chance before. And now maybe
there's a way I can pay you back.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
That's not necessary, I know, I know, don't want to.
All right, what do you got?
Speaker 7 (09:17):
You know how it is when you get out of
jail you need a lot of people in the business.
They all got a deal for you, something to put
your back.
Speaker 6 (09:22):
On your feet.
Speaker 5 (09:23):
Uh.
Speaker 7 (09:23):
No, same thing happened with me. I stayed clear of it,
though you never went near. Well, I'm not gonna cony
A couple of times pretty hard.
Speaker 6 (09:30):
But I'm on the road and I'm gonna stay there.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Oh that's good to hear.
Speaker 7 (09:33):
Yeah, you get rumbled, you know, things come up. Uh huh,
I got one the other day, more than a rumble.
How about you right away? Figure there's the way to
pay your back?
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Well, what is it?
Speaker 6 (09:45):
Met a guy in a bar a little place near
where I work. Usually after work. I stopped them and
have a beer while I wait for the traffic to
clear up before I go home.
Speaker 7 (09:52):
The other night, thought come up and started talking.
Speaker 6 (09:54):
A nice looking guy.
Speaker 7 (09:56):
We got talking about different things, nothing big, just things,
you know, how you do buyer asking what I did
for a living. Our things were going like that, and
he wanted to.
Speaker 6 (10:06):
Know if I'd like to pick up a few extra bucks.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
Yeah, he said.
Speaker 7 (10:09):
He wanted me to cash a check for him. I
told him I didn't have the money. Didn't make me
a difference how small a check was. I didn't have
a loop. Then he sprung it. He didn't want me
to cash it myself, said he wanted me to take
it to the store and get it cashed.
Speaker 6 (10:22):
Said he'd give me half what the check was for.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
Well, why didn't he do it himself?
Speaker 6 (10:26):
I asked him the same thing.
Speaker 7 (10:27):
That's when he told me. Since I heard it, I
figured it might be something for you.
Speaker 6 (10:31):
He said. The check was stolen.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
Beatrice Dowling had been convicted of forgery three years before.
She'd been sentenced to the California Institution for Women at Corona, California.
Frank and I had a small part in the investigation
that resulted in their conviction. During the trial, we testified
that her cooperation had aided us and apprehending the rest
of the gang and allowing us to clean up the
entire operation. Since she'd been paroled, we'd lost track of her,
(10:57):
but on those occasions when we talked to a parole officer,
we found that she was living up to all of
the conditions of her release. Frank and I took her
across the street to a restaurant and we talked further
to her.
Speaker 7 (11:06):
That's the sugar, what you say, Yeah, you don't use it?
Speaker 2 (11:09):
No, I don't think How about you, mister Smith, No thanks,
I'll take it back to How about this guy? What
did you tell him?
Speaker 7 (11:16):
M said, I'd think over the deal and let him know.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
Did you get a chance to see the checks?
Speaker 6 (11:20):
M couple him out of a wallet in his coat.
I didn't get a good look.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
At him though, Uh huh. How about the man himself?
But you'd you ever seen four?
Speaker 6 (11:26):
Well, I don't think so.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
You know why I picked you.
Speaker 7 (11:29):
I've been trying to figure that one myself. The only
thing I can think of. It's the bartender there knows
a fellow once he might have given the words he
got any record that you know the bartender, Yeah, I
don't think so. That's the talk big, But I don't
think he's ever done big time.
Speaker 4 (11:42):
He set up anything about meeting the man with a check.
Speaker 7 (11:44):
No, definitely told him i'd think it over. Ask him
if I decided to do it with the offer still
be open.
Speaker 6 (11:49):
Yeah, he said it would, said to.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
Look him up at the same bar.
Speaker 6 (11:53):
Yeah, but I could get in touch with him there.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
Any special time we got to name one.
Speaker 4 (11:58):
I want you to know.
Speaker 7 (11:58):
I wasn't even figuring to go through it, but not
for a minute. And he told me the checks were
still And I thought right away about you.
Speaker 6 (12:04):
But you might want the information. I never figured to
get mixed up in it.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
Oh we'll buy it.
Speaker 6 (12:08):
Are you gonna do about it?
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Try to find out where the checks came from While
you were talking to this guy, did you use the
name at all?
Speaker 6 (12:14):
No? Not right out.
Speaker 7 (12:15):
While we were sitting there, another fella come in and
talk to him. I heard the other guy call him Cecil.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
How about this other man? Do you know him?
Speaker 7 (12:21):
No?
Speaker 2 (12:22):
Never saw him around the bar.
Speaker 6 (12:23):
No, I never did.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Luck for there's something I don't understand.
Speaker 4 (12:25):
If you stop at this bar all the time, how
come I.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
Haven't seen this Cecil before. Looks like he's a regular
customer of the place.
Speaker 6 (12:31):
You don't believe me, do you.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
I'm just trying to get us traight.
Speaker 6 (12:34):
I told you before.
Speaker 7 (12:34):
I only go in there about five thirty. I'm only
in the place maybe fifteen minutes.
Speaker 6 (12:38):
Then I leave a lot of time when people are
coming in and out that I'm not there.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
I see.
Speaker 7 (12:44):
Listen, I'm trying to give you guys something for free.
Speaker 6 (12:48):
You don't want it, don't worry. You're not going to
hurt my feet.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
No, it's not that.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
But Frank and I've been on a thing for the
last four months. Here's been giving us a lot of trouble.
Speaker 5 (12:55):
Yeah, well it's it.
Speaker 6 (12:57):
I think it's worth anything.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
We're going to check it out.
Speaker 4 (13:00):
Does Cecil give you any idea where he got the checks.
Speaker 7 (13:02):
He said they were stolen payroll checks, all made out
and ready to endorsement.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
Well, if they're made out, what about identification?
Speaker 7 (13:07):
He said he had that all. I'd need to put
the checks through.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
We sure you any of it?
Speaker 9 (13:12):
All?
Speaker 7 (13:12):
Just said that he had it already.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
All right, be what if you come back to the
office and check to the books for U see if
you can spot this cecil.
Speaker 6 (13:19):
Oh, sure, I'll be glad to help out.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
I get a bill, we can leave it.
Speaker 7 (13:24):
I don't want to bring this up, sergeant, Yeah, what's
I hope you'll understand. I'm not trying to get out
a line.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
I'll go aheady.
Speaker 7 (13:30):
They know me in this spot, so a cecil knows
me what it happened. If I want ahead of the deal,
you mean to make the connection for us, Yeah, line
him up, find out how a GA's working. Then you
move in and make the pinch.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
Well, we can't ask you to do that.
Speaker 7 (13:40):
It's not your idea, and I just figured that it
might be easier all around you and mister Smith will
be right there as soon as I get the information,
and it's.
Speaker 6 (13:47):
Up to you.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
Well, I to check that with the skipper we'll find
out what he thinks of The idea might be.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
Pretty dangerous and thought of that too.
Speaker 7 (13:52):
Only one thing bothers me, what's that somebody's along the line.
I'm gonna have to tell this joker if I don't
go to the deal, he's gonna find out I'm working
with you when he.
Speaker 6 (14:00):
Does be there.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
We returned to the office and made arrangements to meet
Beatrice Dowling. The next day, Frank and I got the
name and description of the bartender at the place where
the Dowling woman said she'd been approached.
Speaker 2 (14:16):
We ran up through our and I, but we were
not able to find a record for the man.
Speaker 3 (14:20):
The next morning, we met with Captain Welsh and told
him of the idea. He agreed that it appeared to
be the only way we had a stopping the suspect.
We contacted Miss Dowling and made arrangements for her to
be kept under constant surveillance.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
The same day, Thursday.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
July twelfth, at five twenty pm, she entered the bar.
Frank and I were parked down the street in our car.
I'm bout to see the doorway. Well, all to do
now is wait, yeah, here, I want a cigarette.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
Frank got one?
Speaker 3 (14:46):
Oh, so a matter of you have a cigarette?
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Yeah you got one? Eye there, just some right here? Sure? Yeah? Nice. Oh,
I should be glad to get home. Yeah. They and
me had a big argument last night. Right then, I know. Oh.
I came home. I gus about seven thirty. Found in there.
Speaker 3 (15:13):
Right after dinner, I got ready for bed. That's when
I saw it. I should have known right from the start.
Shouldn't know what well Fay fake Swedish meatballs for dinner again?
Right then, I should have known that's what had happened.
You know, she always figures he'll soften me up so
I won't mind. For what she buy this time, a
new bedroom set, king sized bed, Joe mattress springs, a
(15:37):
couple of those new rubber pillars, you know, those bouncy
smooth I took one look at him, and naturally the.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
Roof went off.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
You means she bought the whole thing. She refurnished the
whole room. Costs a lot of money to it, That's
what I thought. I was pretty sorry about it too,
and we had a few words, and.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
I guess it's pretty bad.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
When I got calmed down, she was asleep, and then
I saw the bill.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
Couldn't believe it. You wouldn't either, Joe. It wasn't big
at all. All right, Yeah, I sure slept good. I
think I could make a Joe. What's it?
Speaker 3 (16:17):
You know how I'm always talking about sleeping for a
week now, Well, all the way I slept last night,
I think I could make it.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
You know something that you like to try? How are
you gonna have to wait to try? And take a
look down there? Huh? The bar? Beatrice coming up?
Speaker 3 (16:28):
Oh yeah, a couple of guys with her and acting
kind of funny after Yeah, where they're shoving around.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
There was only one reason for that. Yeah, they find
out about us.
Speaker 3 (16:46):
Frank and I followed the three people down the street
half a block from the bar. They got into a
black Oldsmobile Sedan and pulled out into the line of traffic.
We kept them under surveillance while they drove to the
downtown area. We called communications and got a rolling make on.
The car was registered to see some matter twenty four
eighty two North Alexandria and Hollywood.
Speaker 2 (17:03):
We requested that Maddox be checked. Threw on and I
and we found that he'd been.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
Arrested twice before and charges a grand theft, and they'd
served one term at San Quentin and one term at
fulsome penitentiary. At the corner of Broadway in Clay Streets,
the trio pulled into a parking.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
Lot and they left the car.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
Frank and I have parked our unit and followed them
to a stationary store. From the street, we could see
Maddox talk to a salesman while the other man walked
up to a display of typewriters. He took a slip
of paper from his pocket and apparently tried the machine.
But the time he was finished, Maddox had gotten through
talking to the clerk and they used the same piece
of paper to try a check protector. During this operation,
Beatrice Dowling stood by and waited for him. Finally, the
(17:39):
three of them left the store and walked two blocks
east to a large mine. There we saw Maddox hand
the Dowling woman an envelope. After that, she entered the
store and came back a few minutes later. Frank and
I were about ten feet from the pair of checkmen
when the woman returned.
Speaker 5 (17:53):
It is had to go sus him money and cats
through a ball and make the squire half his mind
us wherever we sat up.
Speaker 3 (18:00):
Let's go Frank, all right, Maddix, hold it up, cool,
what's the cell of a police officers?
Speaker 2 (18:05):
You're under arrest for what it spell out? The beef?
How's forgery? Fifth? I don't know.
Speaker 5 (18:09):
You won't hang it on me.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
Don't book it, mister, you'll get shut out.
Speaker 5 (18:12):
Wrong beef, I won't already have you paid for.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
It with a bad check. The two suspects were taken
to the city hall. The second man was identified as
Raymond Johnstone. We checked him through records and identification. We
found that he'd had a long fellony record. He'd served
sentences in both San Quentin and Fulsom, and from the
record we found that he was in Fulsom at the
time Maddox was serving his turn. We talked to Johnston
(18:37):
for an hour, but he refused to admit any complicity
in the forgeries. Nine to fifteen pm, officers Ferguson and
Reagan went out to the address we've gotten for Mattox
and Frank and I talked to the suspect in the
interrogation room. I came on, MADEX empty your pockets because
we want you to do I get this stuff back,
put it.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
On the table.
Speaker 5 (18:53):
You got in an enough and you want will you let.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
Us figure that wall? Come on on the table.
Speaker 5 (19:00):
It's a wallet, handkerchief, change, baggage. You get the keys
and that's it all right.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
No other coat, pockets, cigarettes, lighter, some more change and
pocketing stuff inside pockets Too's nothing there you'd be interested in.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
Inside pockets A couple of letters. Must take a.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
Look the true name cecil James Maddox.
Speaker 2 (19:32):
Yeah, who's this stuff belonged to?
Speaker 3 (19:34):
I don't know anything about it, River's license, social Security card,
oil company, credit cards don't belong to you to They
take a good look.
Speaker 5 (19:39):
Cop, You see my name on it.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
We found them in your pockets.
Speaker 5 (19:42):
Cleaner must have list all come up at max.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
We got your nailed and you know it.
Speaker 5 (19:44):
You gotta show me.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
Like these other envelopes here, same thing on all of them. Now,
what'd you get them?
Speaker 5 (19:48):
I told you I got a sloppy cleaner.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
Frank you want to change? See a friggies bag? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (19:59):
You got me money in the out a couple of bucks.
Take it out, Sure, I'll give it to you. Keep
it in your hands, give me the wallet.
Speaker 5 (20:10):
You find anything interesting and then I'll.
Speaker 2 (20:11):
Split it with. How about these checks? Would you get them?
I forget you better start remembering, mister.
Speaker 5 (20:18):
I'm trying.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
It just isn't working on it pretty important that you do.
Speaker 5 (20:21):
I think I found them. Whare I don't remember?
Speaker 3 (20:23):
You turn up with five hundred dollars worth of checks
and you don't where you got them.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
I haven't got the slightest diet. But what about this receipt?
What's it?
Speaker 5 (20:28):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
It's in your wallet. You must have put it there.
Look at the back.
Speaker 5 (20:31):
There's a phone number on them.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
Maybe that's where I kept it.
Speaker 5 (20:34):
No phone number here, and I can't tell you where
I got it. I guess I've been carrying it around
for a.
Speaker 2 (20:37):
Long dated a couple of months ago.
Speaker 5 (20:39):
It's a long time.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
Look, what are you trying to prove with this innocent pitch?
You know we got your going in. We're going to
make a pegery complaint stick. Now, why A you're trying
to make it higher.
Speaker 5 (20:45):
I don't think you can trip me for the beef.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
There's a couple officers over at your apartment. Now, if
they come up with the press you used to print
up the checks and the identification you've had it, mister just.
Speaker 5 (20:52):
They find the press right, only one big hole in
the ferry sale that so I haven't got a press.
I don't know where I got those checks. I think
I bought them. You try to take me to court
that kind of evidence and you will make a front page.
Is the dumbest cop of the year.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
Yeah, Pat's on the way here.
Speaker 5 (21:05):
Maddox only one door and you're in front of that.
I'm not going anywhere.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
Just sit still. Yeah, how's it going for? Not two
good cop? How'd you do? When I talked to Fergie,
they went over Maddox's apartment. Yeah, I didn't find anything.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
We went back into the interrogation room and we talked
to the suspect. He'd admit nothing. We talked to Raymond Johnstone,
but he refused to cooperate with us. A thorough search
was made of their car, but we failed to turn
up anything new. We contacted the printer who had made
up the receipt blanks. He checked his records and he
was able to give us the adviss of the place
that had ordered him.
Speaker 2 (21:41):
Officers Ferguson, Reagan, Frank and I drove out to the place.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
It was a cheap hotel located on the seventh, we
checked with the desk perk and showed him the receipt.
He told us the two men answering the descriptions of
the suspects had rented a room two months previously. He
went on to say that there was a third man
with a pair and that he was in the room
at the time. We asked about luggies, and the ork
said that the trio had moved in several large trunks
without the room number. And while Ferguson and Regan coover
(22:05):
the rear of the building, Frank and I went.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
Up to the room down this way.
Speaker 8 (22:13):
All right, yeah, yeah, Paul Adley, that's right, what do
you want want to talk to you.
Speaker 5 (22:23):
I'm kind of busy right now.
Speaker 2 (22:24):
What's it a police officers? Get out of the out.
You got no call to busting here.
Speaker 5 (22:31):
I'm not doing anything wrong, so I just try to
keep us out. I just don't like cops running all
over the place.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
Where's that door?
Speaker 5 (22:35):
Go bedroom? But there ain't nothing that concerns you.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
I'll take a look. You stay out of there. What's
this all about?
Speaker 5 (22:41):
Anyway? What are your cops trying to build?
Speaker 2 (22:43):
Go by a prank? Take a look ad over here?
Pressing everything.
Speaker 5 (22:52):
Huh, I do a little printing for the neighborhood people.
There's nothing to concern you.
Speaker 3 (22:55):
You do work for the Department of Motor Vehicles too.
What these driver's license planks?
Speaker 2 (22:59):
What are they for? Who tips you?
Speaker 5 (23:01):
But who told you about the point?
Speaker 2 (23:03):
Who told you? Don't make any difference?
Speaker 5 (23:04):
You bet it does all the difference in the world.
I don't know what they told you, but I'm not
gonna take the beef alone. I'm not gonna take it along.
So yeah, you go back and tell Cecil and right
that they're going with me. I'm not going to carry
this by myself. You tell them, I will you sure
pony deal anyway? I sit here with the press, all
the checks. Anything goes wrong on the one that stands
for it. They're out with the money.
Speaker 2 (23:21):
One sided.
Speaker 5 (23:22):
That's what it is.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
They get the kicks.
Speaker 5 (23:23):
I get to work one sided.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
No, not this term. You're all gonna come out, even.
Speaker 9 (23:35):
Cecil James Maddox, Raymond Richard Johnstone, and Paul Milton Hedley
were tried and convicted on eighteen counts of forgery. They
received sentence as prescribed by law. Forgery is punishable by
imprisonment in the county jail for not more than one year,
or by imprisonment for not more than fourteen years.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
In the state penitentiary.
Speaker 5 (23:55):
You have just heard Dragnet, the authentic story of your
police force in action and starring Jack Webb, a presentation
of the United States Armed Forces Radio Service
Ladies and gentlemen. The story you were about to hear
is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent.
Drag Met. You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned a forgery detail.
A group of check passers is working in your city.
(00:29):
They've hit over fifty places of business. You have no
leed to their true identity. They're still working your job.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Stop them.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
It was Wednesday, July eleventh. It was warm in Los Angeles.
We were working to day watch out of forgery detail.
My partner's thanks Smith the boss as he detective stab
down my name's sign. We're on our way af from
the office. That was eleven twenty am when we got
to the corner of York Boulevard and Buchanan Street.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
You're Canon Market. Yeah, tell me a nutting Paul like
see Tom Dawson.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
He is in the back.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Then by kind of lopping cold cereal tag it Yeah,
mister Dawson. Yeah, police officers as like to talk to you.
I'm about to check that's right. I don't mind if
I go ahead with this display. I like to get
it finished. They got enough trouble with the bunt as
it is. I don't want to build anymore.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
As you go.
Speaker 4 (01:21):
I had this fellow copy too.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Yes, sir, this is Officer Frank Smith. My name is Farder.
How do you do, miss Dark?
Speaker 5 (01:27):
Sure, hope you can get the guy that gave me
the paper when it stands Now, I'm going to have
to make it up out of my salary. I don't
make that much should I haven't told my wife yet.
You're gonna scream like an eagle when she finds out
you got a real strict budget. Sure gonna lons it up.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Do you have the check?
Speaker 5 (01:41):
Yeah, you got it right here. Came back from the
bank this morning. The boss gave it to me. Here
you go, pus same as the others.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Looks like, yeah here. How's that look to you? Sir?
The display look all right?
Speaker 5 (01:59):
Oh yes, sir, get this mask clinched and saw them.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
We can't tell us about the man who gave you
the check.
Speaker 5 (02:05):
What do you want to know?
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Well, what kind of edification did he use?
Speaker 5 (02:08):
Just about the whole thing? Driver's license, social Security card,
gasoline credit.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Card that works, the pencil notation on the back of
the check, just his license number.
Speaker 5 (02:17):
Let me take a look there. Yeah, yeah, that's it.
I figured sure it'd be good, nice looking fella. Sure,
never going for a paperhanger. You give a description of him? Yeah, sure, ken,
I got a good look at it. This sure ought
to sell this stuff.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
But's that's it? And say this ought to sell this stuff.
Speaker 5 (02:40):
This mask for giving them away? When you buy the
breakfast food extra quarter and you get one of these
head things kids, sure go for him whole display to
go around it and see the finished mask goes right there,
makes to look like the cardboard kids wearing it. You
want to go ahead with the questions when I put
it together?
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Yes, sir, have you ever seen this man before?
Speaker 5 (03:00):
Now, Churt, he might have been around. We do a
pretty good business. Could have been in. I wouldn't have
remembered wed he say to you, just came in and
bought some groceries. Must have been about a dollar and
a half, it's worth. Asked me to cash a check.
I told him the manager you'd have to okay it
told him the manager wasn't here, he'd.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Have to wait. Wellky dinyone else give the okay.
Speaker 5 (03:18):
I'm not supposed to. If we do and something goes wrong,
we're stuck for it.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
I said.
Speaker 5 (03:22):
The guy told me he didn't have time. Said he
was on his lunch hour and he had to get
the groceries home. So I asked him if he had
any identification. He said he did. Looked all right to me,
so I checked. Say, would you hold this mask for
me while I get the rubber band around the top.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (03:37):
Sure, Now wait till I winded around a couple of times.
We put these things up high, but the kids still
find a way to get him down. They're not put
together good. They don't last long. Let's see if this
is what goes in next the eyepiece. Take the eyepiece
(03:59):
and put it in inside the mask, slip into the notches.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Why and teen? I said, See?
Speaker 4 (04:06):
Did you look at the layers identification closely?
Speaker 5 (04:09):
How do you mean close? Well, take a good look
at it, good enough to think it was all right
to catch a check.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
It looked genuine, Hugh.
Speaker 5 (04:16):
If it didn't, I wouldn't have gone for the money.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
I said, was there anything about the layer that it'd
make it easier for us to identify him?
Speaker 5 (04:22):
Not that I could see. It looked ordinary enough, nothing
special about him, nothing that would stand out. Hold it
a minute, was.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
You while I put the ear pieces in? Yes?
Speaker 5 (04:33):
Thanks? I guess it's all there is.
Speaker 6 (04:37):
Put it up.
Speaker 5 (04:38):
You're on the top that does it.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
I'll say, look, sorry, huh kind of scary.
Speaker 5 (04:47):
Sure, hope the boss likes it. Sure been on my
back since that check came back. Seems like everything I
do is wrong. Be glad when this day is over. Yeah,
sure you want to give us that description though the
other man who gave me the chat's right. Sure, I
want to do all I ca can to help you.
Think if you catch him, I'll be able to get
the money back. Well, outside to say, sir, sure, hop's
eighty nine sixty. It's a lot of money. I hate
(05:08):
to lose it. How much of that eighty nine sixty? Yes,
I don't even want to think about where my wife's
gonna say. That will be pretty rough. Yes, sir, we understand.
How old was the man? About twenty seven around in there?
Speaker 2 (05:21):
About how tall was he?
Speaker 5 (05:22):
Five nine? I guess say, if you do catch him,
how do you go about getting the money down? Well,
let's book this evidence first and then I get it back. Well,
that depends on what happens.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
At the trial. It's not up to us to decide, sir.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
You see, the suspect has gotten us several other people too.
If there is anything to recover, they've got a share
of it.
Speaker 5 (05:37):
And I probably won't get what's coming to me.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Well now serve, but you can be sure of one thing.
Speaker 5 (05:41):
What's that suspect will.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
Eleven forty six am. We got the complete description of
the suspect and we made arrangements for the victim to
come down to the city Hall and go through.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
The mud books.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
The information on the driver's license was check through R
and I in the Department of Motor Vehicles and we found.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
It to be false.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
The first bad check had come to our attention on
February sixteenth, five months previously. Between them and the present forgery,
the gang had taken approximately sixty thousand dollars from businessmen
in the south Land area. All attempts had been made
to stop them. The checks cash were all issued for
the same amount, ninety one dollars and ten cents. The
checks were drawn on real companies, but on banks where
(06:24):
no account existed. Examination of the forgeries by the crime
lab and by handwriting showed that the checks themselves were
not genuine.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
The signatures on each of them varied.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
The typewriter used to fill in the paye and the
date was different in each instance, as was the check
protector used m O Bulletins carrying pictures of the checks
and lists of the companies that they were drawn on
were gotten out to all supermarkets and check cashing agencies
in the city. None of the precautions we took did
any good. The gang continued to operate. Each of the
victims was questioned, but the descriptions of the suspect that
(06:54):
they gave us was different in each instance. Examination of
pictures of known check forgers using the same method out
of Operation NETTA does nothing. The Stat's office had made
several runs on the information we had, but they were
not able to come up with any new evidence. George
Brett Enough at Sacramento was contacted and he furnished this
a list of possibles.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
These were all checked out and several arrests were.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
Made clearing up other forgeries, but our prime suspects were
still free and they were still operating. Wednesday, four to
fifteen pm, Frank and I came back from Captain Weelsh's office.
Speaker 4 (07:24):
Well, now only know how the skipper feels.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
Can you blame him? No?
Speaker 3 (07:27):
I guess man, We're doing all we can If the
people who run the stores won't look at the bulletins,
there's nothing we can do, and breaks are bound to
go with us pretty soon. They got to start. Sometimes
I get it forgery Friday. Wait just a minute, ma'am.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Fergie eron, I don't know. I'll think of looking back. Hey,
ferget that, Reggie. No he's not here. He's not here
right now. Can I take a message? Yes, ma'am. No,
he's not working.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
Today, yes, ma'am. Well, if you give me your number,
I'll have him call when he gets in.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
All right, that's.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
Nine eight, yes, ma'am. No, No, it's right in the
message book. No, he'll see it, that's right, yes, ma'am. Mhm, No,
he'll look at the book when he comes in. No,
the first thing, you bet well, you're more than welcome, yes, ma'am.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Bye Troba. No, she just didn't believe that Fergie'd get
the message. Yeah, I know. Sometimes face has the same.
Speaker 6 (08:25):
Thing, Sergeant Friday.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Yes, that's all I be money.
Speaker 6 (08:29):
I'm sure you be in.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
You know my partner, Frank Smith. Don't you Beetrice Starling?
Speaker 7 (08:33):
Yeah, we've been sure.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
I'm seeing a long time sit down. B Yeah. Thanks
there you go. We what can we do for you?
Speaker 7 (08:41):
It's thought i'd drop in and say hello, it's been
a while, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
It has it that. How's it been going pretty good?
Speaker 7 (08:46):
Get myself a job when I got out. Things are
working good for me. How long as you've been there,
year ago, last January?
Speaker 2 (08:52):
Wells anyone can do for you?
Speaker 6 (08:54):
No, might be the other way around.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
What do you mean.
Speaker 7 (08:58):
I never got a chance to tell you, sergeant, how
much I appreciated what you did for me, what you
said in court.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
Oh, we just told him the truth.
Speaker 8 (09:04):
I know.
Speaker 6 (09:04):
It's done a.
Speaker 7 (09:05):
Lot harder with me if you hadn't been on my side.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
What's nice of you to think of it that way? Anyway?
Speaker 6 (09:09):
True, you never get a chance before. And now maybe
there's a way I can pay you back.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
That's not necessary, I know, I know, don't want to.
All right, what do you got?
Speaker 7 (09:17):
You know how it is when you get out of
jail you need a lot of people in the business.
They all got a deal for you, something to put
your back.
Speaker 6 (09:22):
On your feet.
Speaker 5 (09:23):
Uh.
Speaker 7 (09:23):
No, same thing happened with me. I stayed clear of it,
though you never went near. Well, I'm not gonna cony
A couple of times pretty hard.
Speaker 6 (09:30):
But I'm on the road and I'm gonna stay there.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Oh that's good to hear.
Speaker 7 (09:33):
Yeah, you get rumbled, you know, things come up. Uh huh,
I got one the other day, more than a rumble.
How about you right away? Figure there's the way to
pay your back?
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Well, what is it?
Speaker 6 (09:45):
Met a guy in a bar a little place near
where I work. Usually after work. I stopped them and
have a beer while I wait for the traffic to
clear up before I go home.
Speaker 7 (09:52):
The other night, thought come up and started talking.
Speaker 6 (09:54):
A nice looking guy.
Speaker 7 (09:56):
We got talking about different things, nothing big, just things,
you know, how you do buyer asking what I did
for a living. Our things were going like that, and
he wanted to.
Speaker 6 (10:06):
Know if I'd like to pick up a few extra bucks.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
Yeah, he said.
Speaker 7 (10:09):
He wanted me to cash a check for him. I
told him I didn't have the money. Didn't make me
a difference how small a check was. I didn't have
a loop. Then he sprung it. He didn't want me
to cash it myself, said he wanted me to take
it to the store and get it cashed.
Speaker 6 (10:22):
Said he'd give me half what the check was for.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
Well, why didn't he do it himself?
Speaker 6 (10:26):
I asked him the same thing.
Speaker 7 (10:27):
That's when he told me. Since I heard it, I
figured it might be something for you.
Speaker 6 (10:31):
He said. The check was stolen.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
Beatrice Dowling had been convicted of forgery three years before.
She'd been sentenced to the California Institution for Women at Corona, California.
Frank and I had a small part in the investigation
that resulted in their conviction. During the trial, we testified
that her cooperation had aided us and apprehending the rest
of the gang and allowing us to clean up the
entire operation. Since she'd been paroled, we'd lost track of her,
(10:57):
but on those occasions when we talked to a parole officer,
we found that she was living up to all of
the conditions of her release. Frank and I took her
across the street to a restaurant and we talked further
to her.
Speaker 7 (11:06):
That's the sugar, what you say, Yeah, you don't use it?
Speaker 2 (11:09):
No, I don't think How about you, mister Smith, No thanks,
I'll take it back to How about this guy? What
did you tell him?
Speaker 7 (11:16):
M said, I'd think over the deal and let him know.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
Did you get a chance to see the checks?
Speaker 6 (11:20):
M couple him out of a wallet in his coat.
I didn't get a good look.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
At him though, Uh huh. How about the man himself?
But you'd you ever seen four?
Speaker 6 (11:26):
Well, I don't think so.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
You know why I picked you.
Speaker 7 (11:29):
I've been trying to figure that one myself. The only
thing I can think of. It's the bartender there knows
a fellow once he might have given the words he
got any record that you know the bartender, Yeah, I
don't think so. That's the talk big, But I don't
think he's ever done big time.
Speaker 4 (11:42):
He set up anything about meeting the man with a check.
Speaker 7 (11:44):
No, definitely told him i'd think it over. Ask him
if I decided to do it with the offer still
be open.
Speaker 6 (11:49):
Yeah, he said it would, said to.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
Look him up at the same bar.
Speaker 6 (11:53):
Yeah, but I could get in touch with him there.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
Any special time we got to name one.
Speaker 4 (11:58):
I want you to know.
Speaker 7 (11:58):
I wasn't even figuring to go through it, but not
for a minute. And he told me the checks were
still And I thought right away about you.
Speaker 6 (12:04):
But you might want the information. I never figured to
get mixed up in it.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
Oh we'll buy it.
Speaker 6 (12:08):
Are you gonna do about it?
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Try to find out where the checks came from While
you were talking to this guy, did you use the
name at all?
Speaker 6 (12:14):
No? Not right out.
Speaker 7 (12:15):
While we were sitting there, another fella come in and
talk to him. I heard the other guy call him Cecil.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
How about this other man? Do you know him?
Speaker 7 (12:21):
No?
Speaker 2 (12:22):
Never saw him around the bar.
Speaker 6 (12:23):
No, I never did.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Luck for there's something I don't understand.
Speaker 4 (12:25):
If you stop at this bar all the time, how
come I.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
Haven't seen this Cecil before. Looks like he's a regular
customer of the place.
Speaker 6 (12:31):
You don't believe me, do you.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
I'm just trying to get us traight.
Speaker 6 (12:34):
I told you before.
Speaker 7 (12:34):
I only go in there about five thirty. I'm only
in the place maybe fifteen minutes.
Speaker 6 (12:38):
Then I leave a lot of time when people are
coming in and out that I'm not there.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
I see.
Speaker 7 (12:44):
Listen, I'm trying to give you guys something for free.
Speaker 6 (12:48):
You don't want it, don't worry. You're not going to
hurt my feet.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
No, it's not that.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
But Frank and I've been on a thing for the
last four months. Here's been giving us a lot of trouble.
Speaker 5 (12:55):
Yeah, well it's it.
Speaker 6 (12:57):
I think it's worth anything.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
We're going to check it out.
Speaker 4 (13:00):
Does Cecil give you any idea where he got the checks.
Speaker 7 (13:02):
He said they were stolen payroll checks, all made out
and ready to endorsement.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
Well, if they're made out, what about identification?
Speaker 7 (13:07):
He said he had that all. I'd need to put
the checks through.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
We sure you any of it?
Speaker 9 (13:12):
All?
Speaker 7 (13:12):
Just said that he had it already.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
All right, be what if you come back to the
office and check to the books for U see if
you can spot this cecil.
Speaker 6 (13:19):
Oh, sure, I'll be glad to help out.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
I get a bill, we can leave it.
Speaker 7 (13:24):
I don't want to bring this up, sergeant, Yeah, what's
I hope you'll understand. I'm not trying to get out
a line.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
I'll go aheady.
Speaker 7 (13:30):
They know me in this spot, so a cecil knows
me what it happened. If I want ahead of the deal,
you mean to make the connection for us, Yeah, line
him up, find out how a GA's working. Then you
move in and make the pinch.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
Well, we can't ask you to do that.
Speaker 7 (13:40):
It's not your idea, and I just figured that it
might be easier all around you and mister Smith will
be right there as soon as I get the information,
and it's.
Speaker 6 (13:47):
Up to you.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
Well, I to check that with the skipper we'll find
out what he thinks of The idea might be.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
Pretty dangerous and thought of that too.
Speaker 7 (13:52):
Only one thing bothers me, what's that somebody's along the line.
I'm gonna have to tell this joker if I don't
go to the deal, he's gonna find out I'm working
with you when he.
Speaker 6 (14:00):
Does be there.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
We returned to the office and made arrangements to meet
Beatrice Dowling. The next day, Frank and I got the
name and description of the bartender at the place where
the Dowling woman said she'd been approached.
Speaker 2 (14:16):
We ran up through our and I, but we were
not able to find a record for the man.
Speaker 3 (14:20):
The next morning, we met with Captain Welsh and told
him of the idea. He agreed that it appeared to
be the only way we had a stopping the suspect.
We contacted Miss Dowling and made arrangements for her to
be kept under constant surveillance.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
The same day, Thursday.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
July twelfth, at five twenty pm, she entered the bar.
Frank and I were parked down the street in our car.
I'm bout to see the doorway. Well, all to do
now is wait, yeah, here, I want a cigarette.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
Frank got one?
Speaker 3 (14:46):
Oh, so a matter of you have a cigarette?
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Yeah you got one? Eye there, just some right here? Sure? Yeah? Nice. Oh,
I should be glad to get home. Yeah. They and
me had a big argument last night. Right then, I know. Oh.
I came home. I gus about seven thirty. Found in there.
Speaker 3 (15:13):
Right after dinner, I got ready for bed. That's when
I saw it. I should have known right from the start.
Shouldn't know what well Fay fake Swedish meatballs for dinner again?
Right then, I should have known that's what had happened.
You know, she always figures he'll soften me up so
I won't mind. For what she buy this time, a
new bedroom set, king sized bed, Joe mattress springs, a
(15:37):
couple of those new rubber pillars, you know, those bouncy
smooth I took one look at him, and naturally the.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
Roof went off.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
You means she bought the whole thing. She refurnished the
whole room. Costs a lot of money to it, That's
what I thought. I was pretty sorry about it too,
and we had a few words, and.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
I guess it's pretty bad.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
When I got calmed down, she was asleep, and then
I saw the bill.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
Couldn't believe it. You wouldn't either, Joe. It wasn't big
at all. All right, Yeah, I sure slept good. I
think I could make a Joe. What's it?
Speaker 3 (16:17):
You know how I'm always talking about sleeping for a
week now, Well, all the way I slept last night,
I think I could make it.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
You know something that you like to try? How are
you gonna have to wait to try? And take a
look down there? Huh? The bar? Beatrice coming up?
Speaker 3 (16:28):
Oh yeah, a couple of guys with her and acting
kind of funny after Yeah, where they're shoving around.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
There was only one reason for that. Yeah, they find
out about us.
Speaker 3 (16:46):
Frank and I followed the three people down the street
half a block from the bar. They got into a
black Oldsmobile Sedan and pulled out into the line of traffic.
We kept them under surveillance while they drove to the
downtown area. We called communications and got a rolling make on.
The car was registered to see some matter twenty four
eighty two North Alexandria and Hollywood.
Speaker 2 (17:03):
We requested that Maddox be checked. Threw on and I
and we found that he'd been.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
Arrested twice before and charges a grand theft, and they'd
served one term at San Quentin and one term at
fulsome penitentiary. At the corner of Broadway in Clay Streets,
the trio pulled into a parking.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
Lot and they left the car.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
Frank and I have parked our unit and followed them
to a stationary store. From the street, we could see
Maddox talk to a salesman while the other man walked
up to a display of typewriters. He took a slip
of paper from his pocket and apparently tried the machine.
But the time he was finished, Maddox had gotten through
talking to the clerk and they used the same piece
of paper to try a check protector. During this operation,
Beatrice Dowling stood by and waited for him. Finally, the
(17:39):
three of them left the store and walked two blocks
east to a large mine. There we saw Maddox hand
the Dowling woman an envelope. After that, she entered the
store and came back a few minutes later. Frank and
I were about ten feet from the pair of checkmen
when the woman returned.
Speaker 5 (17:53):
It is had to go sus him money and cats
through a ball and make the squire half his mind
us wherever we sat up.
Speaker 3 (18:00):
Let's go Frank, all right, Maddix, hold it up, cool,
what's the cell of a police officers?
Speaker 2 (18:05):
You're under arrest for what it spell out? The beef?
How's forgery? Fifth? I don't know.
Speaker 5 (18:09):
You won't hang it on me.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
Don't book it, mister, you'll get shut out.
Speaker 5 (18:12):
Wrong beef, I won't already have you paid for.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
It with a bad check. The two suspects were taken
to the city hall. The second man was identified as
Raymond Johnstone. We checked him through records and identification. We
found that he'd had a long fellony record. He'd served
sentences in both San Quentin and Fulsom, and from the
record we found that he was in Fulsom at the
time Maddox was serving his turn. We talked to Johnston
(18:37):
for an hour, but he refused to admit any complicity
in the forgeries. Nine to fifteen pm, officers Ferguson and
Reagan went out to the address we've gotten for Mattox
and Frank and I talked to the suspect in the
interrogation room. I came on, MADEX empty your pockets because
we want you to do I get this stuff back,
put it.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
On the table.
Speaker 5 (18:53):
You got in an enough and you want will you let.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
Us figure that wall? Come on on the table.
Speaker 5 (19:00):
It's a wallet, handkerchief, change, baggage. You get the keys
and that's it all right.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
No other coat, pockets, cigarettes, lighter, some more change and
pocketing stuff inside pockets Too's nothing there you'd be interested in.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
Inside pockets A couple of letters. Must take a.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
Look the true name cecil James Maddox.
Speaker 2 (19:32):
Yeah, who's this stuff belonged to?
Speaker 3 (19:34):
I don't know anything about it, River's license, social Security card,
oil company, credit cards don't belong to you to They
take a good look.
Speaker 5 (19:39):
Cop, You see my name on it.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
We found them in your pockets.
Speaker 5 (19:42):
Cleaner must have list all come up at max.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
We got your nailed and you know it.
Speaker 5 (19:44):
You gotta show me.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
Like these other envelopes here, same thing on all of them. Now,
what'd you get them?
Speaker 5 (19:48):
I told you I got a sloppy cleaner.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
Frank you want to change? See a friggies bag? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (19:59):
You got me money in the out a couple of bucks.
Take it out, Sure, I'll give it to you. Keep
it in your hands, give me the wallet.
Speaker 5 (20:10):
You find anything interesting and then I'll.
Speaker 2 (20:11):
Split it with. How about these checks? Would you get them?
I forget you better start remembering, mister.
Speaker 5 (20:18):
I'm trying.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
It just isn't working on it pretty important that you do.
Speaker 5 (20:21):
I think I found them. Whare I don't remember?
Speaker 3 (20:23):
You turn up with five hundred dollars worth of checks
and you don't where you got them.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
I haven't got the slightest diet. But what about this receipt?
What's it?
Speaker 5 (20:28):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
It's in your wallet. You must have put it there.
Look at the back.
Speaker 5 (20:31):
There's a phone number on them.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
Maybe that's where I kept it.
Speaker 5 (20:34):
No phone number here, and I can't tell you where
I got it. I guess I've been carrying it around
for a.
Speaker 2 (20:37):
Long dated a couple of months ago.
Speaker 5 (20:39):
It's a long time.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
Look, what are you trying to prove with this innocent pitch?
You know we got your going in. We're going to
make a pegery complaint stick. Now, why A you're trying
to make it higher.
Speaker 5 (20:45):
I don't think you can trip me for the beef.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
There's a couple officers over at your apartment. Now, if
they come up with the press you used to print
up the checks and the identification you've had it, mister just.
Speaker 5 (20:52):
They find the press right, only one big hole in
the ferry sale that so I haven't got a press.
I don't know where I got those checks. I think
I bought them. You try to take me to court
that kind of evidence and you will make a front page.
Is the dumbest cop of the year.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
Yeah, Pat's on the way here.
Speaker 5 (21:05):
Maddox only one door and you're in front of that.
I'm not going anywhere.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
Just sit still. Yeah, how's it going for? Not two
good cop? How'd you do? When I talked to Fergie,
they went over Maddox's apartment. Yeah, I didn't find anything.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
We went back into the interrogation room and we talked
to the suspect. He'd admit nothing. We talked to Raymond Johnstone,
but he refused to cooperate with us. A thorough search
was made of their car, but we failed to turn
up anything new. We contacted the printer who had made
up the receipt blanks. He checked his records and he
was able to give us the adviss of the place
that had ordered him.
Speaker 2 (21:41):
Officers Ferguson, Reagan, Frank and I drove out to the place.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
It was a cheap hotel located on the seventh, we
checked with the desk perk and showed him the receipt.
He told us the two men answering the descriptions of
the suspects had rented a room two months previously. He
went on to say that there was a third man
with a pair and that he was in the room
at the time. We asked about luggies, and the ork
said that the trio had moved in several large trunks
without the room number. And while Ferguson and Regan coover
(22:05):
the rear of the building, Frank and I went.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
Up to the room down this way.
Speaker 8 (22:13):
All right, yeah, yeah, Paul Adley, that's right, what do
you want want to talk to you.
Speaker 5 (22:23):
I'm kind of busy right now.
Speaker 2 (22:24):
What's it a police officers? Get out of the out.
You got no call to busting here.
Speaker 5 (22:31):
I'm not doing anything wrong, so I just try to
keep us out. I just don't like cops running all
over the place.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
Where's that door?
Speaker 5 (22:35):
Go bedroom? But there ain't nothing that concerns you.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
I'll take a look. You stay out of there. What's
this all about?
Speaker 5 (22:41):
Anyway? What are your cops trying to build?
Speaker 2 (22:43):
Go by a prank? Take a look ad over here?
Pressing everything.
Speaker 5 (22:52):
Huh, I do a little printing for the neighborhood people.
There's nothing to concern you.
Speaker 3 (22:55):
You do work for the Department of Motor Vehicles too.
What these driver's license planks?
Speaker 2 (22:59):
What are they for? Who tips you?
Speaker 5 (23:01):
But who told you about the point?
Speaker 2 (23:03):
Who told you? Don't make any difference?
Speaker 5 (23:04):
You bet it does all the difference in the world.
I don't know what they told you, but I'm not
gonna take the beef alone. I'm not gonna take it along.
So yeah, you go back and tell Cecil and right
that they're going with me. I'm not going to carry
this by myself. You tell them, I will you sure
pony deal anyway? I sit here with the press, all
the checks. Anything goes wrong on the one that stands
for it. They're out with the money.
Speaker 2 (23:21):
One sided.
Speaker 5 (23:22):
That's what it is.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
They get the kicks.
Speaker 5 (23:23):
I get to work one sided.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
No, not this term. You're all gonna come out, even.
Speaker 9 (23:35):
Cecil James Maddox, Raymond Richard Johnstone, and Paul Milton Hedley
were tried and convicted on eighteen counts of forgery. They
received sentence as prescribed by law. Forgery is punishable by
imprisonment in the county jail for not more than one year,
or by imprisonment for not more than fourteen years.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
In the state penitentiary.
Speaker 5 (23:55):
You have just heard Dragnet, the authentic story of your
police force in action and starring Jack Webb, a presentation
of the United States Armed Forces Radio Service
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