December 25, 2025 • 34 mins
Todays Mystery: Joe Friday and Ben Romero investigate a series of high-priced shoplifting cases.
Original Radio Broadcast Date: October 11, 1951
Originating from Hollywood
Starred: Jack Webb as Sergeant Joe Friday, Barton Yarborough as Sergeant Ben Romero, Herb Butterfield
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Join us again tomorrow for another detective drama from the Golden Age of Radio.
Original Radio Broadcast Date: October 11, 1951
Originating from Hollywood
Starred: Jack Webb as Sergeant Joe Friday, Barton Yarborough as Sergeant Ben Romero, Herb Butterfield
Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net
Patreon Supporter of the Day:
Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net.
Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715
Take the listener survey…http://survey.greatdetectives.net
Give us a call 208-991-4783
Become one of our friends on Facebook.
Follow us on Instagram at http://instagram.com/greatdetectives
Follow us on Twitter@radiodetectives
Join us again tomorrow for another detective drama from the Golden Age of Radio.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho.
This is your host, Adam Graham. In a moment, we're
going to bring you this week's episode of Dragnet. But
first I do want to encourage you. If you're enjoying
the podcast, please follow us using your favorite podcast software.
(00:51):
And today's program is brought to you in part by
the financial support of our listeners. You can support the
show on a one time basis by mainly an a
donation to Adam Graham Peelbox one five nine one three.
That's peel Box one five nine thirteen Boise, Alaho eight
three seven one five, and you can also become one
(01:13):
of our ongoing Patreon supporters for his little last two
dollars per month at Patreon dot Great Detectives dot net.
But now, from October eleventh, nineteen fifty one, here is
the Big Shoplift.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
The story you're about to hear is true. The names
have been changed to protect the innocent. You're a detective sergeant.
You're assigned the burglary detail. A wave of shoplifting breaks
out in your city. There's no pattern to the thieves operations.
(02:02):
There are no leads weeks pass, the number of thefts
keep growing. Your job stop them.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Dragnet the documented drama of an actual crime. While the
next thirty minutes, in cooperation with the Los Angeles Police Department,
you will travel step by step on the side of
the law through an actual case transcribed from official police buyers,
from beginning to end, from crime to punishment. Dragnet is
the story of your police force in action.
Speaker 4 (02:44):
It was Tuesday, August twenty second, was hot in Los Angeles.
We're working the day watch out of burglary detail. My
partner's Ben Romero. The boss is Captain Wisdom. My name's Friday.
It was two eighteen pm when we got to Anthony's
Store for Women, the general manager's office. Mister Radio, come
right in. Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 5 (03:04):
My name is from Marrow said, I talked to you
on the phone. This is my partner, Sergeant Friday, how earlier.
How are you certainly glad to see him? Yeah, let
me get another chair here.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 5 (03:14):
I haven't had time for my have to lench cigarette
yet you got to join me. I gotta like, oh, well,
I guess you know what the problem is. No need
for me to go all the way back and stuff
from the beginning. I didn't get it quite clear on
the phone, mister alliot.
Speaker 4 (03:35):
When did this last thing come up?
Speaker 5 (03:37):
Well, the way we have figured out, it must have
happened around closing time yesterday between five five thirty.
Speaker 4 (03:41):
We figured the store was pretty crowded at that time,
was it.
Speaker 5 (03:44):
Yeah, it's pretty busy with a special pre winter showing
in the further department. No one noticed it was gone
till after we'd closed up.
Speaker 4 (03:51):
Can you give us a description of the piece of merchandise, auster.
Speaker 5 (03:53):
Elia, Yes, yeah, we got it right, complete description, silver
blue mink stole, saturn lining, two slash pockets, silver chain fastener,
complete description of it for thank you.
Speaker 4 (04:08):
These are the code numbers in the serial number signs.
That's right.
Speaker 5 (04:12):
The whole thing's getting way out of hand side and
we had a lot of things lifted from the store
the last few weeks, but nothing this big.
Speaker 4 (04:18):
This keeps up. I don't see how we're going to
get our insurance rem new.
Speaker 5 (04:21):
I guess your store detectives you're working on this latest
woman missing burn. Yes, but it's the same as all
the recent cases we've had. They haven't been able to
find a thing All the personnel have been checked. All
the people who are around the depopping on the further stolen,
I mean those it was possible to check on. As
far as we know, they're all clear.
Speaker 4 (04:39):
What were the circumstances of this thing? This really? I mean,
was this mink stole on the display rack? Did one
of the models have it on? Exactly? How was it? Well,
it was model.
Speaker 5 (04:47):
Yes, after we've shown the several parties, it was put
back in Stark. We have a special rack for the
stoles regularly and closed cabinet sliding doors on the cabinets
usually open during the store hours. I see there was
a store detective in the department of the time. All
those salespeople are standing around. You didn't understand why one
of them didn't see it happened.
Speaker 4 (05:06):
Mister Allie, you say this is the first time an
expensive item like this has been lifted from this door.
That's right about the personnel, Miss Rellie, you say there's
been a check made on each one of them since
this thing started. Yeah, so that's correct, and there's no
reason to be suspicious at all of any one of
your people.
Speaker 5 (05:21):
Well, as a matter of fact, there is one sergeant
the sales girl. She was up in five in the
sweet sixteen shop, and she was moved down to cosmetics
on the street floor.
Speaker 4 (05:29):
What is it to make you suspicious? Parry?
Speaker 5 (05:32):
Well, before I say anything, I want to make it Perry.
You're clear to you. We've never had any real proof
that there was something wrong there. Directly started with us
eight years ago. That's a girl's name, Doc Kirkin. She
came to us right out of high school. Seemed to
be doing all right that along with the customers, dress sneakly,
always on time, and all of a sudden this shoplifting started.
(05:54):
We didn't think there was any connection. For us, thought
it was only coincidence. How do you manage it? Well,
just for instance, they wait, amant, get the file on
the right hand, and dead, I see, I am here
it is. Out of the first fourteen items that disappear,
(06:16):
six of them are out of Dorothy Kirkman's department, right
out of her section, casuals, sweater's, expensive blouse as scarves.
Speaker 4 (06:22):
So I say, at first we wrote it off to.
Speaker 5 (06:24):
Coincidence, but it kept recurring. Her section almost seemed to
be the focal point of all the shoplifting.
Speaker 4 (06:30):
But that was at the beginning, of course, did you
have the Kirkman girl watched Miss arling Ya as we did.
The apartment had kept a NYE and.
Speaker 5 (06:36):
Well, I guess Dorothy noticed that she resented it quite
a bit, had a little spat with the head of
the department. We thought it'd be best for everyone as
she transferred, so we had to move downstairs to cosmetics.
Speaker 4 (06:48):
How did that arrangement work out?
Speaker 6 (06:50):
Well?
Speaker 5 (06:50):
For the first few weeks fine, and we started missing
things out of cosmetics. A lot of it didn't amount
to too much. A lot of it did make up
kids expensive perfumes. This time he called her in and
tried to talk to her about it a nice way.
He got very resonful.
Speaker 4 (07:05):
She denied knowing anything about it. An yes, you are
very upset of curus. There is one thing I will say.
Speaker 5 (07:11):
The items and cosmetics are on display all over the
contests felt easy for anybody to pick them up. The
fact still remains as stealing began on her department upstairs.
She moves over to cosmetics, and all of a sudden
the losses increased there.
Speaker 4 (07:25):
What would you figure, Yes, yeah, I see what you mean.
Wonder if you could have somebody point out this Dorothy
Kirkman for us. Miss Elia, I think, Mayane, we better
have a talk with it and would like to help
your size. And I'm afraid that's not possible. Oh what
do you mean? She quit last Saturday. We got all
the information available on Dorothy Kirkman from the store's personnel files,
and then we called the office and gave him a
description of the stolen fur. We asked them to check
(07:48):
the Kirkman girl through and I she had no previous
criminal record. Before we left the store, we went to
the fur department, talked to all the salespeople concerned, but
we were unable to come up with anything new regarding
the theft of the silver blue minks. We drove out
to Dorothy Kirkman's last known address. She wasn't at home,
but her mother was. The mother told us that the
day before her daughter had started on a new job
(08:09):
as a salesgirl at the House of Raymond, and exclusive
shop specializing in all types of cosmetics. We checked the
phone book and found that the House of Raymond was
located in the same ten blocks stretch along Wilshire Boulevard
where the shoplifting campaign was going on. It was one
of the few places along there that the thieves hadn't bothered.
It was three blocks from Anthony's Store for Women, the
(08:29):
Kirkman girl's former place of employment. Four or five pm,
we located her behind one of the front counters. Across
the aisle. Half a dozen women were listening to a
makeup demonstrator giving a talk on complexion care. Dorothy Kirkman
seemed pleasant and cooperative.
Speaker 6 (08:44):
No, I don't mind telling you. I got sickond tared
of being called a thief. That's why I quit Anthony's.
A little event goes a long way.
Speaker 5 (08:51):
You started working here at Raymond's yesterday, Miss Kirkman's error.
Speaker 6 (08:54):
Yes, that's right. I think I'm going to like it
a lot better than Anthony's.
Speaker 4 (08:57):
M While you were working here at Anthony's, ma'am, I
suppose you to. I heard that quite a bit of
shoplifting was going on, so I.
Speaker 7 (09:02):
Knew about it. I guess every girl in the store,
and you're it. They had a big personnel meeting about it.
Speaker 4 (09:07):
You have any suspicions of your own, Miss Kirkland, How
do you mean that? Well? I mean, was there anyone
in particular that you might have been a little suspicious?
Of maybe one of the customers.
Speaker 7 (09:14):
No, I've waited on some real weird ones, but I
didn't see any of them ever try to walk out
with anything. Well, I knew was what mister Elliott told
us at that meeting.
Speaker 5 (09:23):
Well, this might be an embarrassing question for you, mission,
we'd appreciate an understanding.
Speaker 4 (09:27):
Yes, what about the sales girls you worked with? Did
any of them ever give you cass to be suspicions?
Speaker 6 (09:33):
You mean, do I think any of them were doing
the stealing? No, there was some of them I didn't like.
I didn't trust him either, but I wouldn't accuse him
of stealing. I wouldn't accuse anybody unless I had proved.
That's more than I can say for.
Speaker 8 (09:44):
Some people I know.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
O'Brien, Any chance did you happen to be in Anthony's
this past Monday?
Speaker 9 (09:49):
Monday?
Speaker 10 (09:50):
No?
Speaker 6 (09:50):
Why did he ask?
Speaker 4 (09:51):
When you were working on the fifth floor off the
street at Anthony's? For I understand that when the merchandise
first started disappearing, a pretty good percentage of it was
out of your section.
Speaker 6 (10:00):
That's what the toom he is.
Speaker 4 (10:01):
And then when you were transferred downstairs to the cosmetics condor,
quite a few things started disappearing from there. Now we'd
like an understand heer, missus Kirkman, do you have any
explanations at all?
Speaker 11 (10:10):
Of us?
Speaker 6 (10:11):
I'll tell you the same thing I told them that
the store. Sergeant, I can't explain it, but I didn't
have anything to.
Speaker 11 (10:16):
Do with it.
Speaker 5 (10:16):
Believe me, well, you don't have to admit miss It's
pretty much of a coincidence, isn't it.
Speaker 9 (10:21):
Sergeant.
Speaker 6 (10:21):
You can call it anything you want to. I didn't
have anything to do with it. The only thing I ever.
Speaker 7 (10:26):
Took home from that store was my paycheck. Would you
excuse me, please, customer, I have to win, yes.
Speaker 4 (10:31):
Mainly, right, I have h What do you think? I
don't know. It's a nice enough girl. Seems to be
telling the truth. Could be a coincidence the way it
worked out, nothing to prove otherwise. Four thirty eight pm
we finished questioning the suspect, Dorothy Kirkman and Ben and
I went back to the office and made arrangements to
(10:53):
have the girl kept under temporary surveillance. A bulletin had
been gotten out on the missing first stole. The pawn
shop detail had been notable, and a description of the
fur had been placed on the stolen property list. The
following day, along with Sergeants Dick Rubles and Jim Taber,
we continued our investigation of the latest shoplifting complaints. It
went slow, a lot of leg work and no progress.
Like the dozens of other items of merchandise which had
(11:15):
vanished in the last eight weeks, there wasn't a trace
of the missing fur stole. More men were added to
the special detail on duty in the ten block area
where the ceiling was going on. Anybody in the city
who'd ever served time for shoplifting was checked and rechecked.
Constant surveillance was maintained over a half a dozen known
thieves who we figured might be involved. It got us nothing. When'sday,
August twenty third, five thirty pm. No leads, no progress.
(11:39):
We went back to the office.
Speaker 5 (11:42):
I sure hope I get home before six o'clock. And
I want to see that shoe.
Speaker 4 (11:45):
Repair man out in our neighborhood. Oh, what's the matter?
He needs some half soles.
Speaker 10 (11:49):
No.
Speaker 5 (11:49):
I went in his shop the other day and he
conned me into a new set of art supports. As
a matter of fact, he didn't even call him art
support or do. He said they were meta carsals support,
you know, support some men at Tarcon. Yeah, that's one
of the bones on the foot. He saw me a
pair of these things and told me I should wear
only one of them in my rack shoe.
Speaker 4 (12:05):
Now, what's the matter with that? Isn't it working out measurable?
Speaker 5 (12:08):
I feel like I've been walking around with one foot
in the bucket.
Speaker 4 (12:16):
I checked the book. Okay anything?
Speaker 5 (12:23):
Yeah, sure it is from Robus. What you got at
mink fur? It's been found.
Speaker 4 (12:29):
Two hours before, at approximately three thirty pm in the
main depot of the Santa Fe Bus Lines, a thirty
eight year old housewife, a Missus Harriet Briggs, noticed an
unclaimed parcel lying on one of the benches in the
depot waiting room. When it became apparent to Missus Briggs
that the parcel was either lost or forgotten, she picked
it up and took it to the clerk in charge
of Lost and Found articles. In checking the package for
(12:51):
some kind of identification, they discovered the silver blue mink
stole inside. The car was dispatched to pick up the fur,
and it was identified as the garment taken from Anthony's
first salon. Missus Briggs volunteered to come along to the
office to give what information she could. A steakout was
placed at the bus depot in case anybody called for
the package. Five point fifty pm we interviewed missus Briggs
(13:11):
in the.
Speaker 12 (13:11):
Squad room that's right Offster. It was just a little
before three point thirty. I was in the bus depole
there waiting for my husband. That's when I first noticed
this package lying on the bench.
Speaker 8 (13:22):
Just across from me.
Speaker 4 (13:23):
I see, wou'd you go on pleasiness break.
Speaker 12 (13:25):
I didn't think anything of it at first. I went
on reading the afternoon paper. But no one came for
the package. It was just lying there. Was there a
long time.
Speaker 4 (13:34):
How long would you say, ma'am? I mean before you
pick it up and took it to the Lost and
Fine clerk.
Speaker 12 (13:38):
Oh, I'd say twenty minutes, uh.
Speaker 8 (13:42):
Half an hour that much at least.
Speaker 12 (13:45):
I left it with the young man at the counter there,
and I told him I'd be back to see if
anyone claimed it. Well, when I did get back, that's
after I had dinner with my husband, Carl, we found
out what was in the package.
Speaker 8 (14:00):
Certainly strange, don't you think of yes.
Speaker 4 (14:02):
Ma'am, did you happen to notice at all who it
was it left the packager.
Speaker 13 (14:06):
Well, I'm not really sure, officer, but.
Speaker 8 (14:09):
I think I know who it was. A tall woman.
She had a brown jacket.
Speaker 12 (14:16):
If I remember rightly, I think you'd say she was
in her early thirties.
Speaker 4 (14:21):
Have you ever seen this woman before, Miss Brakes?
Speaker 12 (14:23):
No, I never did very attractive, as I recall that
she wore blackses.
Speaker 4 (14:29):
Anything else about it you might have noticed.
Speaker 14 (14:31):
I think she had blonde hair.
Speaker 9 (14:34):
I remember that much.
Speaker 12 (14:36):
The reason I do remember it is cause she wore
it like I used to when I was a girl,
you know, sort of back in in the bun like this.
Speaker 5 (14:44):
And J're pretty sure that this woman you described as
the one who left the packager.
Speaker 13 (14:49):
I remember rightly she was the She's the only one
that sat across from me. Yes, it must be her,
but it wasn't her. I don't know who else it
could have been.
Speaker 4 (15:00):
All Right, Miss Briggs, thank you very much. We appreciate it.
Speaker 9 (15:02):
That beautiful fur.
Speaker 8 (15:04):
I know that woman must be just sick about loseness. Certainly,
hope you find an.
Speaker 4 (15:08):
Officer, yes, ma'am, so do we We had the Stat's
office make a run for us and all females with
shoplifting records who fitted the description of the woman who'd
left the mink stole in the waiting room at the
bus depot. The following morning, we checked with the men
on steak out of the depot. They told us nobody
had come back to report losing such a parcel. Together
with Roubles and Tabor, we spent most of the day
(15:30):
checking out the names on the list of known shoplifters
which the Stats Office had made up for us. Names
of possible suspects who physically resembled a tall, blonde woman
seen at the depot. We got nowhere. Either they had
ironclad alibis or they had since moved out of the city.
We ran down every possible angle on the freak recovery
of the missing fur stole. During the next ten days,
the case got more involved than it already was. Some
(15:52):
of the stolen articles of new merchandise began showing up,
but not through any of the channels we expected. Some
of the items were found Dumpton's sidewalk refuse cans, Some
were found in hotel lobbies, in the post office, in theaters.
Some were found tossed in vacant lots. The only logical
answer we could figure was that it was the work
of somebody who was stealing for just the love of stealing.
(16:12):
I clept a maniac. Tuesday, September fourth, a fifteen year
old girl in one of the exclusive residential neighborhoods reported
finding two parcels containing women's clothing and expensive costume jewelry.
They still had the price tags on them, and they
totaled three hundred and sixty dollars. Ben and I drove
out to talk to the girl of Patricia Denvers. Where'd
you happen to find these things? For Trivia dy lot?
Speaker 11 (16:33):
Right down the block there, I was on my way
home from the show. I took the things home and
showed my mother. She called the police.
Speaker 9 (16:39):
Nobody claims it's package with a costume jewelry? Can I
keep it? Certainly of beautiful?
Speaker 4 (16:43):
Afraid not, miss. We know who the things belonged to.
Were going to have to return them.
Speaker 6 (16:47):
Oh, I certainly don't understand that.
Speaker 4 (16:49):
Well, what do you mean?
Speaker 9 (16:50):
As far as I could see, she threw the things away.
I thought she didn't want What.
Speaker 4 (16:53):
Do you mean who didn't want them?
Speaker 9 (16:55):
Well, the lady who threw him in the empty lot?
Speaker 4 (16:57):
You saw who it was that threw the packages in
that lot.
Speaker 11 (17:00):
Yes, I was on my way home from the show,
just like I told you, I could see this lady
walking up ahead of me. She was about a block away.
I get when she went by the lot. I saw
her take these packages from under arm and toss them
in the grass. She wouldn't do that if she wanted them,
would she did.
Speaker 4 (17:14):
You get a good look at this woman, You have
any idea what she looks like.
Speaker 11 (17:16):
She's a good looking one. Tall, she's beautiful, blond hair.
Husband's adoctor and you know who she is.
Speaker 4 (17:22):
You've seen him before.
Speaker 9 (17:23):
Well, I don't know where to talk to. I just
see her in the neighborhood.
Speaker 4 (17:26):
Does she live around here? Do you know that? Yeah?
Speaker 9 (17:28):
All right next door to my girlfriend.
Speaker 3 (17:40):
You are listening to dragnet Authentic stories of your police
force and action.
Speaker 4 (17:53):
Tuesday, September fourth, five, fifteen VM, with the help of
the fifteen year old girl, Patricia Denvers, we got the
name and address of the woman who had been seen
tossing the parcels of stolen merchandise into a vacant lot
in the west end of the city. The woman was
identified as a Missus Virginia Sterling, the wife of a
doctor Bruce Sterling, a fairly prominent young surgeon with offices
in Beverly Hills. Missus Sterling and her husband had no children,
(18:17):
at least a richly furnished apartment in the residential section
of the city that was considered better than the upper
middle class. We checked Virginia Sterling through our and IYE,
but she had no previous criminal record that we knew of.
Together with Sergeants Rubles and Tabor, we covered the various
stores along Wilshire Boulevard that had been victimized in the
recent shoplifting campaign. We found that Missus Sterling had charge
accounts at almost every one of the stores. Generally speaking,
(18:39):
we found her accounts in very good standing and among
the store people she was regarded as what is referred
to as a fine customer, a good spender, and a
good credit risk. Right down to the retail Credit Association,
there was nothing but favorable reports on the woman. Seven
fifteen pm, Ben and I had a hamburger and some
chili and a cup of coffee for dinner, and then
we drove out to the apartment of doctor Sterling and
his wife, Missus Sterling answered the door and invited us in.
(19:02):
We identified ourselves. She told us the doctor was out
on a call. She showed us into the living room,
modern furniture and direct lighting, expensive rugs.
Speaker 8 (19:10):
Won't you sit down, gentlemen?
Speaker 4 (19:11):
Thank you very much? Should I get you a drink?
I was just having my coffee and brandy? No, thank you.
Speaker 8 (19:15):
I really don't know when the doctor will be back.
He was called over to the hospital. Is there anything
I can help you with?
Speaker 4 (19:19):
Well?
Speaker 5 (19:20):
As a matter of fact, Missus Sterling, we came out
to talk to you, not your husband.
Speaker 8 (19:23):
Oh really, what is it you wanted to talk to
me about?
Speaker 4 (19:26):
Sergeant ma'am well Man?
Speaker 5 (19:27):
We understand that you do quite a bit of your
shopping along Wilship Bulevard, Is that right?
Speaker 4 (19:31):
Well?
Speaker 14 (19:32):
Yes, I shop downtown quite often, except the problem of parking.
Speaker 8 (19:36):
I find it a lot more than Senian.
Speaker 4 (19:37):
Why do you ask, Missus Sterling? Do you do much
of your shopping at Anthony's? I believe that's out in
the Wheelshair district.
Speaker 8 (19:42):
Yes, I do, for my sports clothes especially, they have
a very good selection.
Speaker 4 (19:46):
Would you remember if you were in Anthony's on the
twenty second of last month? I believe that was a
Tuesday on a Tuesday.
Speaker 8 (19:54):
No, I don't think I could remember one way or
the other. I really don't have.
Speaker 14 (19:57):
Any special day for shopping. I just go when I
feel like it I need something.
Speaker 5 (20:00):
Have you ever been in a person line of Anthony's, ma'am?
Have you ever made any purchases there?
Speaker 14 (20:05):
I suppose I've been in almost every department of Anthony's
at one time or another. I can tell you, though,
I've never bought any freuds there. As I told you,
the main reason I go there at all is because
of their sports. Where could you tell me what this
is about?
Speaker 4 (20:17):
Please? Routine investigation, ma'am. I wonder if you could tell
us this.
Speaker 5 (20:21):
Do you have any occasion to travel in the area
of the Santa Fe bus depot by bus?
Speaker 14 (20:25):
No, I don't think I've been on a bus since
well since I've been married, and that'll be six years
it's coming December.
Speaker 4 (20:32):
You've never been in the Santa Fe bus depot downtown.
Speaker 8 (20:35):
No.
Speaker 14 (20:36):
I think I know where it is. I've driven past it.
I've never been inside, though. Why should you want to
know that?
Speaker 4 (20:42):
Well, Miss Sterling, We're gonna be honest with you. This
has to do with an investigation we're on now. We've
had a couple of reports that you were seeing at
the Santa Fe bus depot on August twenty third. That
was on a Wednesday. Reports came from pretty reliable people.
Speaker 14 (20:54):
Well, I certainly consider myself reliable, and I say I've
never been there. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like
some kind of explanation for this questioning.
Speaker 4 (21:01):
You mean you have no idea why we drove out
here to talk to you.
Speaker 14 (21:04):
Of course, not number one, I don't understand your questions
at oh.
Speaker 8 (21:07):
Number two, I'd like to know what they have to
do with me.
Speaker 4 (21:10):
Well, has this to do with you, ma'am? Last August
twenty third, a woman in a brown sports jacket, answering
your description, left the package in the Santa Fe bus depot.
This package contained a mink stole taken from Anthony's. The
woman who left the package in the depot fits your
description perfectly.
Speaker 8 (21:25):
That's all. That's a coincidence, Yes, ma'am.
Speaker 4 (21:27):
Maybe I suppose you've read in the papers about the
big increase in shoplifting. Most of it's taking place right
in the area where you say you do most of
your buying. Well, we've checked out every single one of
the cases, Misisterling, took us a long time. We found
a dozen salespeople in those stores. Every one of them
tells us that you were around a particular store when
the shoplifting took place. A lot of averages, Miss Sterling,
(21:48):
you show up too often in the reports.
Speaker 8 (21:50):
Would you please leave my house? Both out? You please?
Speaker 4 (21:54):
I'm sorry, Miss Sterling, but you'd have to come along
with us.
Speaker 8 (21:57):
What do you mean by that?
Speaker 14 (21:59):
Don't you know you can get in trouble making five accusations.
I'm going to call my husband right.
Speaker 5 (22:04):
Now, Yes, ma'am, peel I go right ahead, sergeant, Yes, ma'am.
Speaker 6 (22:25):
What is it?
Speaker 8 (22:27):
What do you want to know? You can tell me.
Speaker 4 (22:29):
I think you know already.
Speaker 8 (22:31):
What do you want tell me? Please?
Speaker 4 (22:34):
We've got your story, ma'am. Right up to this afternoon.
You went shopping today. You stole things, as usual when
you try to get rid of them. You were seen
right in this neighborhood where they can lock down the
next corner and you throw them away. There. Somebody saw you.
They didn't know it was me, Yes, ma'am, they know
it was you. Yes.
Speaker 8 (22:52):
How can I make them understand?
Speaker 4 (22:55):
You know?
Speaker 14 (22:56):
No ma'am, horrible shame. I couldn't tell my husband, I
couldn't tell Boose.
Speaker 4 (23:05):
I couldn't Well, never mind, we'll tell them for you.
Nine thirty five pm we got in the car and
drove missus Sterling downtown to the city Hall. We took
her to the interrogation room, called a police stenographer, and
we began to take her complete statement. One of the
first things she did was to admit full responsibility for
(23:27):
the series of shopliftings, which had been going on for
over two months. She told us that her kleptomania, the
urge to steal things, had started with her as far
back as her junior high school years. She admitted as
a girl, she stole books, tablets, pencils, pieces of chalk,
and as she grew older it seemed to get more
serious with her. It carried over into her college years,
and that's when her stealing first got her into trouble.
Speaker 9 (23:48):
It's when I joined a sorority.
Speaker 14 (23:50):
It was just like high school. I was all alone.
We had a lot of clever girls.
Speaker 8 (23:54):
In our house.
Speaker 14 (23:55):
Some of them were smart, some of them were pretty.
All of them seemed to be doing something except me.
Speaker 8 (24:00):
I had to prove it to them. I guess I
had to prove it to myself.
Speaker 4 (24:04):
I was smart too.
Speaker 5 (24:05):
Uh see, you figured that taking things was the best
way to prove that.
Speaker 14 (24:09):
Yes, I suppose so. Of course it wasn't easy, you know.
The awful part was I got caught one day. It
was kind of a relief in a way. I mean,
how could they know I was just as smart as
they were?
Speaker 8 (24:20):
They didn't find out what I was doing.
Speaker 4 (24:22):
Did you stay on a college after that, Miss Sterling?
Speaker 8 (24:24):
Oh no, I couldn't.
Speaker 14 (24:25):
After that, they voted me out of the sorority.
Speaker 8 (24:28):
There wasn't anything to do but leave, so I left.
Speaker 4 (24:29):
Uh huh? What happened after that?
Speaker 14 (24:31):
I went to New York and stayed with an at
I have there. I got a job, had several jobs.
The same thing came up again. I lost two of
the jobs, same thing over again. I just couldn't help.
It always mean so much to me, taking things, not
being caught, getting away, getting away things I took.
Speaker 8 (24:52):
They aintver meant anything to me. Nothing just taking.
Speaker 14 (24:57):
Them, not having anyone knowing, That's all.
Speaker 8 (25:00):
It was important. It made up for that feeling being
all alone.
Speaker 4 (25:05):
Yes, ma'am. And this thing went on I mean even
after you were married.
Speaker 8 (25:08):
No, not at first. I guess maybe a year or two.
We were very happy Bruce and I and.
Speaker 14 (25:15):
Then he got busy, came out here and began to
build his practice. I didn't see as much of him.
We both wanted children, we wanted them very much. There
weren't any. Bruce began to spend more time away from home,
just like before.
Speaker 8 (25:31):
Same thing. I wasn't important. I was all alone again.
Wasn't anybody You know what I mean? Don't you search it?
Speaker 4 (25:42):
Yes, ma'am.
Speaker 8 (25:43):
There ought to be an answer to someplace. There isn't
anything worse than being alone, was there?
Speaker 4 (25:51):
I guess interrogation room Friday, Yeah I did. He is
on his way now, Yeah right, yeah, thank you. Doctor
Sterling just called said he was on his way in.
He ought to be here in a couple of minutes.
Speaker 8 (26:07):
I don't want to see Bruce.
Speaker 9 (26:09):
He's so good. I would know how to tell him.
Speaker 4 (26:12):
No worry, ma'am, it'll be all right.
Speaker 14 (26:14):
No, I'm alone, he's alone. It'll never be all right anymore.
Speaker 4 (26:21):
Well, he's always winging now and he wants to see you.
Speaker 8 (26:23):
I tell him, what's it going to be like? What's
going to happen after this.
Speaker 4 (26:30):
I don't know, ma'am, but you won't be alone anymore.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
The story you have just heard was true. The names
were changed to protect the innocent.
Speaker 3 (26:45):
On December ninth, trial was held in Superior Court, Department
eighty eighth, City and County of Los Angeles, State of California.
In a moment the results of that trial, Missus Virginia
Sterling was tried and convicted on several counts of grand
(27:06):
theft and received the sentence as prescribed by law. The
terms to run concurrently, Grand theft is punishable by imprisonment
for not less than one or more than ten years.
You have just heard Dragnet, a series of authentic cases
(27:28):
from official files. Technical advice comes from the Office of
Chief of Police W. H. Parker, Los Angeles Police Department.
Speaker 10 (27:51):
Stay tuned for a Counterspy next on NBC.
Speaker 1 (28:02):
Welcome Back. This episode contains one of the more interesting
changes in adapting a story from radio to television, because
the television version of Joe Friday comes off as a
lot more compassionate. The way the closing line is delivered
(28:24):
comes as a bit of a zinger, and we like that.
When they're dealing with hardened criminals or people who've committed
horrible crimes or who have done really bad things. This
lady confessed to shoplifting due to a life time of
loneliness and insecurity, and in part as a result of
(28:48):
the pain of infertility and sadness in her marriage. As
a result, the big Zinger lands flat and commits across
as a bit mean and uncalled for. The TV version
ends with her saying that there had to be an answer,
and Friday looking on empathetically as she's going through this
(29:08):
whole statement and then saying, there is, but you won't
find it in jail. And this acknowledges the fact that
she made mistakes that will cost her her freedom for
the time, but treats it as the sad case it is,
and it's an example where the choice on television is
a definite improvement. I sympathize with the salesgirl who had
(29:31):
to quit. I feel that if an objective outsider looked
at the store's actions and her engagement with her on shoplifting,
they'd find it was not as friendly as the manager
told Friday. In Romero was definitely a victim of circumstance.
(29:52):
She was transferred to another department, not because anyone had
seen her doing anything, but just because because there were
thefts in her department. And worse than that, they transferred
her to a department where it would have been easy
for anybody to walk off with something. So if she
(30:13):
had been a thief, if you were creating opportunity for
more thiever, how exactly did they think that was going
to work. If you think that there are thefts in
a department, you have a store detective observe, you use
surveillance tactics, you don't let the person know what's going on.
(30:35):
You don't move them around to other departments, particularly where
it's far harder to prevent thefts. I mean, all they
did was alienate a long time employee for no good reason. Well,
listener comments and feedback now, and we have some comments
on the Big One Ad and Harrison riots Mane. Harrison
(31:00):
certainly had a dark origin story, a reference to some
of those future famous names showing up and on an
old time radio program, Mechanic sixty six says, good one.
I'm watching Perry Mason for the third time, and it's
a new experience after listening to this podcast. So many
of the people I've heard are on there, and I
(31:23):
can put a face to them, starting with Larry Thor
in the first episode with a couple of lines as
the police surgeon, to two episodes so far with Stacy Harris,
Virginia Gregg, John Stevenson, Jeannette Nolan, Peter Leeds who I
think also played some animal sounds, John Dayner, and so
(31:44):
many more. Well, Perry Mason is a remarkable series for
the number of old time radio actors who appeared in there.
There was a website it's no longer active, but thankful
archive by the wayback machine through Internet archive called Digital Deli,
(32:08):
and that site had profiles of old time radio actors
and so many of the actor's pictures that they featured
were screenshots from old episodes of Perry Mason. Now, certainly
there are other series that old time radio actors appeared in,
but that seemed to be a bit of a clearing house.
(32:31):
Now it's time to thank our Patreon supporter of the day,
and I want to go ahead and think Diane, Patreon
supporter since July twenty twenty three, currently supporting the podcast
at the Detective Sergeant level of seven dollars and fourteen
cents or more per month. Thanks so much for your support, Diane,
and that will do it for today. If you're enjoying
(32:52):
the podcast, please follow us using your favorite podcast software
and be sure to rate and review the podcast wherever
where you download it from. We will be back in
three weeks with another episode of Dragnet, but join us
back here tomorrow for yours truly, Johnny doll or Ware.
Speaker 10 (33:13):
One of our craft got out there from Santa Monica
Harbor not more than forty minutes after she went down.
Speaker 15 (33:19):
How'd you find out about it?
Speaker 10 (33:21):
Pong call from somebody living along the beach. Potato stood
out there blowing the whistle and fog going woke him up.
By the time he got out of bed, he said,
it looked like a regular fireworks display about a half
mile off shore.
Speaker 4 (33:37):
Huh, you see.
Speaker 10 (33:38):
Where they put a marker?
Speaker 15 (33:39):
Boy, have wouldn't the wind and current move that slick
and whatever wreckage?
Speaker 4 (33:45):
There is no wind.
Speaker 10 (33:47):
That's why there's still some fog out there, and they're
allowing for drift. Don't worry. If there's anything left to
the data, those boys will find it. Now. Excuse me,
what do you please? I gotta keep a check on operations.
Speaker 15 (33:59):
Yeah, sure, Kevin see Henley, you say, mister and missus Marler. Okay, Well,
if the Coast Guarden Santa Monica through them, they're probably
back at the home in Westwood. I think i'd like
to talk to them.
Speaker 4 (34:11):
By all means.
Speaker 15 (34:12):
Oh, I don't exactly see any particular reason to investigating
the company policy.
Speaker 10 (34:16):
Mister Dollar on any claim over one hundred thicks.
Speaker 15 (34:18):
Yeah, but the claim can't have been made yet.
Speaker 10 (34:20):
I don't worry. It will be win a.
Speaker 15 (34:22):
Minute one hundred and fifty thousand dollars yacht. But you
said the claim could go as high as a quarter million. Yeah,
that's because of missus Merrill's jewelry, which you always took
with it always had lost too.
Speaker 3 (34:33):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (34:34):
I haven't yet talked to her. Then let's do it.
Speaker 1 (34:36):
I hope you'll be with us then. In the meantime,
send your comments to Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot yet,
follow us on Twitter at Radio Detectives, and follow us
on Instagram, Instagram, dot com, slash Great Detectives from Boise Atahol.
This is your host, Adam raham Son and off
Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho.
This is your host, Adam Graham. In a moment, we're
going to bring you this week's episode of Dragnet. But
first I do want to encourage you. If you're enjoying
the podcast, please follow us using your favorite podcast software.
(00:51):
And today's program is brought to you in part by
the financial support of our listeners. You can support the
show on a one time basis by mainly an a
donation to Adam Graham Peelbox one five nine one three.
That's peel Box one five nine thirteen Boise, Alaho eight
three seven one five, and you can also become one
(01:13):
of our ongoing Patreon supporters for his little last two
dollars per month at Patreon dot Great Detectives dot net.
But now, from October eleventh, nineteen fifty one, here is
the Big Shoplift.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
The story you're about to hear is true. The names
have been changed to protect the innocent. You're a detective sergeant.
You're assigned the burglary detail. A wave of shoplifting breaks
out in your city. There's no pattern to the thieves operations.
(02:02):
There are no leads weeks pass, the number of thefts
keep growing. Your job stop them.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Dragnet the documented drama of an actual crime. While the
next thirty minutes, in cooperation with the Los Angeles Police Department,
you will travel step by step on the side of
the law through an actual case transcribed from official police buyers,
from beginning to end, from crime to punishment. Dragnet is
the story of your police force in action.
Speaker 4 (02:44):
It was Tuesday, August twenty second, was hot in Los Angeles.
We're working the day watch out of burglary detail. My
partner's Ben Romero. The boss is Captain Wisdom. My name's Friday.
It was two eighteen pm when we got to Anthony's
Store for Women, the general manager's office. Mister Radio, come
right in. Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 5 (03:04):
My name is from Marrow said, I talked to you
on the phone. This is my partner, Sergeant Friday, how earlier.
How are you certainly glad to see him? Yeah, let
me get another chair here.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 5 (03:14):
I haven't had time for my have to lench cigarette
yet you got to join me. I gotta like, oh, well,
I guess you know what the problem is. No need
for me to go all the way back and stuff
from the beginning. I didn't get it quite clear on
the phone, mister alliot.
Speaker 4 (03:35):
When did this last thing come up?
Speaker 5 (03:37):
Well, the way we have figured out, it must have
happened around closing time yesterday between five five thirty.
Speaker 4 (03:41):
We figured the store was pretty crowded at that time,
was it.
Speaker 5 (03:44):
Yeah, it's pretty busy with a special pre winter showing
in the further department. No one noticed it was gone
till after we'd closed up.
Speaker 4 (03:51):
Can you give us a description of the piece of merchandise, auster.
Speaker 5 (03:53):
Elia, Yes, yeah, we got it right, complete description, silver
blue mink stole, saturn lining, two slash pockets, silver chain fastener,
complete description of it for thank you.
Speaker 4 (04:08):
These are the code numbers in the serial number signs.
That's right.
Speaker 5 (04:12):
The whole thing's getting way out of hand side and
we had a lot of things lifted from the store
the last few weeks, but nothing this big.
Speaker 4 (04:18):
This keeps up. I don't see how we're going to
get our insurance rem new.
Speaker 5 (04:21):
I guess your store detectives you're working on this latest
woman missing burn. Yes, but it's the same as all
the recent cases we've had. They haven't been able to
find a thing All the personnel have been checked. All
the people who are around the depopping on the further stolen,
I mean those it was possible to check on. As
far as we know, they're all clear.
Speaker 4 (04:39):
What were the circumstances of this thing? This really? I mean,
was this mink stole on the display rack? Did one
of the models have it on? Exactly? How was it? Well,
it was model.
Speaker 5 (04:47):
Yes, after we've shown the several parties, it was put
back in Stark. We have a special rack for the
stoles regularly and closed cabinet sliding doors on the cabinets
usually open during the store hours. I see there was
a store detective in the department of the time. All
those salespeople are standing around. You didn't understand why one
of them didn't see it happened.
Speaker 4 (05:06):
Mister Allie, you say this is the first time an
expensive item like this has been lifted from this door.
That's right about the personnel, Miss Rellie, you say there's
been a check made on each one of them since
this thing started. Yeah, so that's correct, and there's no
reason to be suspicious at all of any one of
your people.
Speaker 5 (05:21):
Well, as a matter of fact, there is one sergeant
the sales girl. She was up in five in the
sweet sixteen shop, and she was moved down to cosmetics
on the street floor.
Speaker 4 (05:29):
What is it to make you suspicious? Parry?
Speaker 5 (05:32):
Well, before I say anything, I want to make it Perry.
You're clear to you. We've never had any real proof
that there was something wrong there. Directly started with us
eight years ago. That's a girl's name, Doc Kirkin. She
came to us right out of high school. Seemed to
be doing all right that along with the customers, dress sneakly,
always on time, and all of a sudden this shoplifting started.
(05:54):
We didn't think there was any connection. For us, thought
it was only coincidence. How do you manage it? Well,
just for instance, they wait, amant, get the file on
the right hand, and dead, I see, I am here
it is. Out of the first fourteen items that disappear,
(06:16):
six of them are out of Dorothy Kirkman's department, right
out of her section, casuals, sweater's, expensive blouse as scarves.
Speaker 4 (06:22):
So I say, at first we wrote it off to.
Speaker 5 (06:24):
Coincidence, but it kept recurring. Her section almost seemed to
be the focal point of all the shoplifting.
Speaker 4 (06:30):
But that was at the beginning, of course, did you
have the Kirkman girl watched Miss arling Ya as we did.
The apartment had kept a NYE and.
Speaker 5 (06:36):
Well, I guess Dorothy noticed that she resented it quite
a bit, had a little spat with the head of
the department. We thought it'd be best for everyone as
she transferred, so we had to move downstairs to cosmetics.
Speaker 4 (06:48):
How did that arrangement work out?
Speaker 6 (06:50):
Well?
Speaker 5 (06:50):
For the first few weeks fine, and we started missing
things out of cosmetics. A lot of it didn't amount
to too much. A lot of it did make up
kids expensive perfumes. This time he called her in and
tried to talk to her about it a nice way.
He got very resonful.
Speaker 4 (07:05):
She denied knowing anything about it. An yes, you are
very upset of curus. There is one thing I will say.
Speaker 5 (07:11):
The items and cosmetics are on display all over the
contests felt easy for anybody to pick them up. The
fact still remains as stealing began on her department upstairs.
She moves over to cosmetics, and all of a sudden
the losses increased there.
Speaker 4 (07:25):
What would you figure, Yes, yeah, I see what you mean.
Wonder if you could have somebody point out this Dorothy
Kirkman for us. Miss Elia, I think, Mayane, we better
have a talk with it and would like to help
your size. And I'm afraid that's not possible. Oh what
do you mean? She quit last Saturday. We got all
the information available on Dorothy Kirkman from the store's personnel files,
and then we called the office and gave him a
description of the stolen fur. We asked them to check
(07:48):
the Kirkman girl through and I she had no previous
criminal record. Before we left the store, we went to
the fur department, talked to all the salespeople concerned, but
we were unable to come up with anything new regarding
the theft of the silver blue minks. We drove out
to Dorothy Kirkman's last known address. She wasn't at home,
but her mother was. The mother told us that the
day before her daughter had started on a new job
(08:09):
as a salesgirl at the House of Raymond, and exclusive
shop specializing in all types of cosmetics. We checked the
phone book and found that the House of Raymond was
located in the same ten blocks stretch along Wilshire Boulevard
where the shoplifting campaign was going on. It was one
of the few places along there that the thieves hadn't bothered.
It was three blocks from Anthony's Store for Women, the
(08:29):
Kirkman girl's former place of employment. Four or five pm,
we located her behind one of the front counters. Across
the aisle. Half a dozen women were listening to a
makeup demonstrator giving a talk on complexion care. Dorothy Kirkman
seemed pleasant and cooperative.
Speaker 6 (08:44):
No, I don't mind telling you. I got sickond tared
of being called a thief. That's why I quit Anthony's.
A little event goes a long way.
Speaker 5 (08:51):
You started working here at Raymond's yesterday, Miss Kirkman's error.
Speaker 6 (08:54):
Yes, that's right. I think I'm going to like it
a lot better than Anthony's.
Speaker 4 (08:57):
M While you were working here at Anthony's, ma'am, I
suppose you to. I heard that quite a bit of
shoplifting was going on, so I.
Speaker 7 (09:02):
Knew about it. I guess every girl in the store,
and you're it. They had a big personnel meeting about it.
Speaker 4 (09:07):
You have any suspicions of your own, Miss Kirkland, How
do you mean that? Well? I mean, was there anyone
in particular that you might have been a little suspicious?
Of maybe one of the customers.
Speaker 7 (09:14):
No, I've waited on some real weird ones, but I
didn't see any of them ever try to walk out
with anything. Well, I knew was what mister Elliott told
us at that meeting.
Speaker 5 (09:23):
Well, this might be an embarrassing question for you, mission,
we'd appreciate an understanding.
Speaker 4 (09:27):
Yes, what about the sales girls you worked with? Did
any of them ever give you cass to be suspicions?
Speaker 6 (09:33):
You mean, do I think any of them were doing
the stealing? No, there was some of them I didn't like.
I didn't trust him either, but I wouldn't accuse him
of stealing. I wouldn't accuse anybody unless I had proved.
That's more than I can say for.
Speaker 8 (09:44):
Some people I know.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
O'Brien, Any chance did you happen to be in Anthony's
this past Monday?
Speaker 9 (09:49):
Monday?
Speaker 10 (09:50):
No?
Speaker 6 (09:50):
Why did he ask?
Speaker 4 (09:51):
When you were working on the fifth floor off the
street at Anthony's? For I understand that when the merchandise
first started disappearing, a pretty good percentage of it was
out of your section.
Speaker 6 (10:00):
That's what the toom he is.
Speaker 4 (10:01):
And then when you were transferred downstairs to the cosmetics condor,
quite a few things started disappearing from there. Now we'd
like an understand heer, missus Kirkman, do you have any
explanations at all?
Speaker 11 (10:10):
Of us?
Speaker 6 (10:11):
I'll tell you the same thing I told them that
the store. Sergeant, I can't explain it, but I didn't
have anything to.
Speaker 11 (10:16):
Do with it.
Speaker 5 (10:16):
Believe me, well, you don't have to admit miss It's
pretty much of a coincidence, isn't it.
Speaker 9 (10:21):
Sergeant.
Speaker 6 (10:21):
You can call it anything you want to. I didn't
have anything to do with it. The only thing I ever.
Speaker 7 (10:26):
Took home from that store was my paycheck. Would you
excuse me, please, customer, I have to win, yes.
Speaker 4 (10:31):
Mainly, right, I have h What do you think? I
don't know. It's a nice enough girl. Seems to be
telling the truth. Could be a coincidence the way it
worked out, nothing to prove otherwise. Four thirty eight pm
we finished questioning the suspect, Dorothy Kirkman and Ben and
I went back to the office and made arrangements to
(10:53):
have the girl kept under temporary surveillance. A bulletin had
been gotten out on the missing first stole. The pawn
shop detail had been notable, and a description of the
fur had been placed on the stolen property list. The
following day, along with Sergeants Dick Rubles and Jim Taber,
we continued our investigation of the latest shoplifting complaints. It
went slow, a lot of leg work and no progress.
Like the dozens of other items of merchandise which had
(11:15):
vanished in the last eight weeks, there wasn't a trace
of the missing fur stole. More men were added to
the special detail on duty in the ten block area
where the ceiling was going on. Anybody in the city
who'd ever served time for shoplifting was checked and rechecked.
Constant surveillance was maintained over a half a dozen known
thieves who we figured might be involved. It got us nothing. When'sday,
August twenty third, five thirty pm. No leads, no progress.
(11:39):
We went back to the office.
Speaker 5 (11:42):
I sure hope I get home before six o'clock. And
I want to see that shoe.
Speaker 4 (11:45):
Repair man out in our neighborhood. Oh, what's the matter?
He needs some half soles.
Speaker 10 (11:49):
No.
Speaker 5 (11:49):
I went in his shop the other day and he
conned me into a new set of art supports. As
a matter of fact, he didn't even call him art
support or do. He said they were meta carsals support,
you know, support some men at Tarcon. Yeah, that's one
of the bones on the foot. He saw me a
pair of these things and told me I should wear
only one of them in my rack shoe.
Speaker 4 (12:05):
Now, what's the matter with that? Isn't it working out measurable?
Speaker 5 (12:08):
I feel like I've been walking around with one foot
in the bucket.
Speaker 4 (12:16):
I checked the book. Okay anything?
Speaker 5 (12:23):
Yeah, sure it is from Robus. What you got at
mink fur? It's been found.
Speaker 4 (12:29):
Two hours before, at approximately three thirty pm in the
main depot of the Santa Fe Bus Lines, a thirty
eight year old housewife, a Missus Harriet Briggs, noticed an
unclaimed parcel lying on one of the benches in the
depot waiting room. When it became apparent to Missus Briggs
that the parcel was either lost or forgotten, she picked
it up and took it to the clerk in charge
of Lost and Found articles. In checking the package for
(12:51):
some kind of identification, they discovered the silver blue mink
stole inside. The car was dispatched to pick up the fur,
and it was identified as the garment taken from Anthony's
first salon. Missus Briggs volunteered to come along to the
office to give what information she could. A steakout was
placed at the bus depot in case anybody called for
the package. Five point fifty pm we interviewed missus Briggs
(13:11):
in the.
Speaker 12 (13:11):
Squad room that's right Offster. It was just a little
before three point thirty. I was in the bus depole
there waiting for my husband. That's when I first noticed
this package lying on the bench.
Speaker 8 (13:22):
Just across from me.
Speaker 4 (13:23):
I see, wou'd you go on pleasiness break.
Speaker 12 (13:25):
I didn't think anything of it at first. I went
on reading the afternoon paper. But no one came for
the package. It was just lying there. Was there a
long time.
Speaker 4 (13:34):
How long would you say, ma'am? I mean before you
pick it up and took it to the Lost and
Fine clerk.
Speaker 12 (13:38):
Oh, I'd say twenty minutes, uh.
Speaker 8 (13:42):
Half an hour that much at least.
Speaker 12 (13:45):
I left it with the young man at the counter there,
and I told him I'd be back to see if
anyone claimed it. Well, when I did get back, that's
after I had dinner with my husband, Carl, we found
out what was in the package.
Speaker 8 (14:00):
Certainly strange, don't you think of yes.
Speaker 4 (14:02):
Ma'am, did you happen to notice at all who it
was it left the packager.
Speaker 13 (14:06):
Well, I'm not really sure, officer, but.
Speaker 8 (14:09):
I think I know who it was. A tall woman.
She had a brown jacket.
Speaker 12 (14:16):
If I remember rightly, I think you'd say she was
in her early thirties.
Speaker 4 (14:21):
Have you ever seen this woman before, Miss Brakes?
Speaker 12 (14:23):
No, I never did very attractive, as I recall that
she wore blackses.
Speaker 4 (14:29):
Anything else about it you might have noticed.
Speaker 14 (14:31):
I think she had blonde hair.
Speaker 9 (14:34):
I remember that much.
Speaker 12 (14:36):
The reason I do remember it is cause she wore
it like I used to when I was a girl,
you know, sort of back in in the bun like this.
Speaker 5 (14:44):
And J're pretty sure that this woman you described as
the one who left the packager.
Speaker 13 (14:49):
I remember rightly she was the She's the only one
that sat across from me. Yes, it must be her,
but it wasn't her. I don't know who else it
could have been.
Speaker 4 (15:00):
All Right, Miss Briggs, thank you very much. We appreciate it.
Speaker 9 (15:02):
That beautiful fur.
Speaker 8 (15:04):
I know that woman must be just sick about loseness. Certainly,
hope you find an.
Speaker 4 (15:08):
Officer, yes, ma'am, so do we We had the Stat's
office make a run for us and all females with
shoplifting records who fitted the description of the woman who'd
left the mink stole in the waiting room at the
bus depot. The following morning, we checked with the men
on steak out of the depot. They told us nobody
had come back to report losing such a parcel. Together
with Roubles and Tabor, we spent most of the day
(15:30):
checking out the names on the list of known shoplifters
which the Stats Office had made up for us. Names
of possible suspects who physically resembled a tall, blonde woman
seen at the depot. We got nowhere. Either they had
ironclad alibis or they had since moved out of the city.
We ran down every possible angle on the freak recovery
of the missing fur stole. During the next ten days,
the case got more involved than it already was. Some
(15:52):
of the stolen articles of new merchandise began showing up,
but not through any of the channels we expected. Some
of the items were found Dumpton's sidewalk refuse cans, Some
were found in hotel lobbies, in the post office, in theaters.
Some were found tossed in vacant lots. The only logical
answer we could figure was that it was the work
of somebody who was stealing for just the love of stealing.
(16:12):
I clept a maniac. Tuesday, September fourth, a fifteen year
old girl in one of the exclusive residential neighborhoods reported
finding two parcels containing women's clothing and expensive costume jewelry.
They still had the price tags on them, and they
totaled three hundred and sixty dollars. Ben and I drove
out to talk to the girl of Patricia Denvers. Where'd
you happen to find these things? For Trivia dy lot?
Speaker 11 (16:33):
Right down the block there, I was on my way
home from the show. I took the things home and
showed my mother. She called the police.
Speaker 9 (16:39):
Nobody claims it's package with a costume jewelry? Can I
keep it? Certainly of beautiful?
Speaker 4 (16:43):
Afraid not, miss. We know who the things belonged to.
Were going to have to return them.
Speaker 6 (16:47):
Oh, I certainly don't understand that.
Speaker 4 (16:49):
Well, what do you mean?
Speaker 9 (16:50):
As far as I could see, she threw the things away.
I thought she didn't want What.
Speaker 4 (16:53):
Do you mean who didn't want them?
Speaker 9 (16:55):
Well, the lady who threw him in the empty lot?
Speaker 4 (16:57):
You saw who it was that threw the packages in
that lot.
Speaker 11 (17:00):
Yes, I was on my way home from the show,
just like I told you, I could see this lady
walking up ahead of me. She was about a block away.
I get when she went by the lot. I saw
her take these packages from under arm and toss them
in the grass. She wouldn't do that if she wanted them,
would she did.
Speaker 4 (17:14):
You get a good look at this woman, You have
any idea what she looks like.
Speaker 11 (17:16):
She's a good looking one. Tall, she's beautiful, blond hair.
Husband's adoctor and you know who she is.
Speaker 4 (17:22):
You've seen him before.
Speaker 9 (17:23):
Well, I don't know where to talk to. I just
see her in the neighborhood.
Speaker 4 (17:26):
Does she live around here? Do you know that? Yeah?
Speaker 9 (17:28):
All right next door to my girlfriend.
Speaker 3 (17:40):
You are listening to dragnet Authentic stories of your police
force and action.
Speaker 4 (17:53):
Tuesday, September fourth, five, fifteen VM, with the help of
the fifteen year old girl, Patricia Denvers, we got the
name and address of the woman who had been seen
tossing the parcels of stolen merchandise into a vacant lot
in the west end of the city. The woman was
identified as a Missus Virginia Sterling, the wife of a
doctor Bruce Sterling, a fairly prominent young surgeon with offices
in Beverly Hills. Missus Sterling and her husband had no children,
(18:17):
at least a richly furnished apartment in the residential section
of the city that was considered better than the upper
middle class. We checked Virginia Sterling through our and IYE,
but she had no previous criminal record that we knew of.
Together with Sergeants Rubles and Tabor, we covered the various
stores along Wilshire Boulevard that had been victimized in the
recent shoplifting campaign. We found that Missus Sterling had charge
accounts at almost every one of the stores. Generally speaking,
(18:39):
we found her accounts in very good standing and among
the store people she was regarded as what is referred
to as a fine customer, a good spender, and a
good credit risk. Right down to the retail Credit Association,
there was nothing but favorable reports on the woman. Seven
fifteen pm, Ben and I had a hamburger and some
chili and a cup of coffee for dinner, and then
we drove out to the apartment of doctor Sterling and
his wife, Missus Sterling answered the door and invited us in.
(19:02):
We identified ourselves. She told us the doctor was out
on a call. She showed us into the living room,
modern furniture and direct lighting, expensive rugs.
Speaker 8 (19:10):
Won't you sit down, gentlemen?
Speaker 4 (19:11):
Thank you very much? Should I get you a drink?
I was just having my coffee and brandy? No, thank you.
Speaker 8 (19:15):
I really don't know when the doctor will be back.
He was called over to the hospital. Is there anything
I can help you with?
Speaker 4 (19:19):
Well?
Speaker 5 (19:20):
As a matter of fact, Missus Sterling, we came out
to talk to you, not your husband.
Speaker 8 (19:23):
Oh really, what is it you wanted to talk to
me about?
Speaker 4 (19:26):
Sergeant ma'am well Man?
Speaker 5 (19:27):
We understand that you do quite a bit of your
shopping along Wilship Bulevard, Is that right?
Speaker 4 (19:31):
Well?
Speaker 14 (19:32):
Yes, I shop downtown quite often, except the problem of parking.
Speaker 8 (19:36):
I find it a lot more than Senian.
Speaker 4 (19:37):
Why do you ask, Missus Sterling? Do you do much
of your shopping at Anthony's? I believe that's out in
the Wheelshair district.
Speaker 8 (19:42):
Yes, I do, for my sports clothes especially, they have
a very good selection.
Speaker 4 (19:46):
Would you remember if you were in Anthony's on the
twenty second of last month? I believe that was a
Tuesday on a Tuesday.
Speaker 8 (19:54):
No, I don't think I could remember one way or
the other. I really don't have.
Speaker 14 (19:57):
Any special day for shopping. I just go when I
feel like it I need something.
Speaker 5 (20:00):
Have you ever been in a person line of Anthony's, ma'am?
Have you ever made any purchases there?
Speaker 14 (20:05):
I suppose I've been in almost every department of Anthony's
at one time or another. I can tell you, though,
I've never bought any freuds there. As I told you,
the main reason I go there at all is because
of their sports. Where could you tell me what this
is about?
Speaker 4 (20:17):
Please? Routine investigation, ma'am. I wonder if you could tell
us this.
Speaker 5 (20:21):
Do you have any occasion to travel in the area
of the Santa Fe bus depot by bus?
Speaker 14 (20:25):
No, I don't think I've been on a bus since
well since I've been married, and that'll be six years
it's coming December.
Speaker 4 (20:32):
You've never been in the Santa Fe bus depot downtown.
Speaker 8 (20:35):
No.
Speaker 14 (20:36):
I think I know where it is. I've driven past it.
I've never been inside, though. Why should you want to
know that?
Speaker 4 (20:42):
Well, Miss Sterling, We're gonna be honest with you. This
has to do with an investigation we're on now. We've
had a couple of reports that you were seeing at
the Santa Fe bus depot on August twenty third. That
was on a Wednesday. Reports came from pretty reliable people.
Speaker 14 (20:54):
Well, I certainly consider myself reliable, and I say I've
never been there. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like
some kind of explanation for this questioning.
Speaker 4 (21:01):
You mean you have no idea why we drove out
here to talk to you.
Speaker 14 (21:04):
Of course, not number one, I don't understand your questions
at oh.
Speaker 8 (21:07):
Number two, I'd like to know what they have to
do with me.
Speaker 4 (21:10):
Well, has this to do with you, ma'am? Last August
twenty third, a woman in a brown sports jacket, answering
your description, left the package in the Santa Fe bus depot.
This package contained a mink stole taken from Anthony's. The
woman who left the package in the depot fits your
description perfectly.
Speaker 8 (21:25):
That's all. That's a coincidence, Yes, ma'am.
Speaker 4 (21:27):
Maybe I suppose you've read in the papers about the
big increase in shoplifting. Most of it's taking place right
in the area where you say you do most of
your buying. Well, we've checked out every single one of
the cases, Misisterling, took us a long time. We found
a dozen salespeople in those stores. Every one of them
tells us that you were around a particular store when
the shoplifting took place. A lot of averages, Miss Sterling,
(21:48):
you show up too often in the reports.
Speaker 8 (21:50):
Would you please leave my house? Both out? You please?
Speaker 4 (21:54):
I'm sorry, Miss Sterling, but you'd have to come along
with us.
Speaker 8 (21:57):
What do you mean by that?
Speaker 14 (21:59):
Don't you know you can get in trouble making five accusations.
I'm going to call my husband right.
Speaker 5 (22:04):
Now, Yes, ma'am, peel I go right ahead, sergeant, Yes, ma'am.
Speaker 6 (22:25):
What is it?
Speaker 8 (22:27):
What do you want to know? You can tell me.
Speaker 4 (22:29):
I think you know already.
Speaker 8 (22:31):
What do you want tell me? Please?
Speaker 4 (22:34):
We've got your story, ma'am. Right up to this afternoon.
You went shopping today. You stole things, as usual when
you try to get rid of them. You were seen
right in this neighborhood where they can lock down the
next corner and you throw them away. There. Somebody saw you.
They didn't know it was me, Yes, ma'am, they know
it was you. Yes.
Speaker 8 (22:52):
How can I make them understand?
Speaker 4 (22:55):
You know?
Speaker 14 (22:56):
No ma'am, horrible shame. I couldn't tell my husband, I
couldn't tell Boose.
Speaker 4 (23:05):
I couldn't Well, never mind, we'll tell them for you.
Nine thirty five pm we got in the car and
drove missus Sterling downtown to the city Hall. We took
her to the interrogation room, called a police stenographer, and
we began to take her complete statement. One of the
first things she did was to admit full responsibility for
(23:27):
the series of shopliftings, which had been going on for
over two months. She told us that her kleptomania, the
urge to steal things, had started with her as far
back as her junior high school years. She admitted as
a girl, she stole books, tablets, pencils, pieces of chalk,
and as she grew older it seemed to get more
serious with her. It carried over into her college years,
and that's when her stealing first got her into trouble.
Speaker 9 (23:48):
It's when I joined a sorority.
Speaker 14 (23:50):
It was just like high school. I was all alone.
We had a lot of clever girls.
Speaker 8 (23:54):
In our house.
Speaker 14 (23:55):
Some of them were smart, some of them were pretty.
All of them seemed to be doing something except me.
Speaker 8 (24:00):
I had to prove it to them. I guess I
had to prove it to myself.
Speaker 4 (24:04):
I was smart too.
Speaker 5 (24:05):
Uh see, you figured that taking things was the best
way to prove that.
Speaker 14 (24:09):
Yes, I suppose so. Of course it wasn't easy, you know.
The awful part was I got caught one day. It
was kind of a relief in a way. I mean,
how could they know I was just as smart as
they were?
Speaker 8 (24:20):
They didn't find out what I was doing.
Speaker 4 (24:22):
Did you stay on a college after that, Miss Sterling?
Speaker 8 (24:24):
Oh no, I couldn't.
Speaker 14 (24:25):
After that, they voted me out of the sorority.
Speaker 8 (24:28):
There wasn't anything to do but leave, so I left.
Speaker 4 (24:29):
Uh huh? What happened after that?
Speaker 14 (24:31):
I went to New York and stayed with an at
I have there. I got a job, had several jobs.
The same thing came up again. I lost two of
the jobs, same thing over again. I just couldn't help.
It always mean so much to me, taking things, not
being caught, getting away, getting away things I took.
Speaker 8 (24:52):
They aintver meant anything to me. Nothing just taking.
Speaker 14 (24:57):
Them, not having anyone knowing, That's all.
Speaker 8 (25:00):
It was important. It made up for that feeling being
all alone.
Speaker 4 (25:05):
Yes, ma'am. And this thing went on I mean even
after you were married.
Speaker 8 (25:08):
No, not at first. I guess maybe a year or two.
We were very happy Bruce and I and.
Speaker 14 (25:15):
Then he got busy, came out here and began to
build his practice. I didn't see as much of him.
We both wanted children, we wanted them very much. There
weren't any. Bruce began to spend more time away from home,
just like before.
Speaker 8 (25:31):
Same thing. I wasn't important. I was all alone again.
Wasn't anybody You know what I mean? Don't you search it?
Speaker 4 (25:42):
Yes, ma'am.
Speaker 8 (25:43):
There ought to be an answer to someplace. There isn't
anything worse than being alone, was there?
Speaker 4 (25:51):
I guess interrogation room Friday, Yeah I did. He is
on his way now, Yeah right, yeah, thank you. Doctor
Sterling just called said he was on his way in.
He ought to be here in a couple of minutes.
Speaker 8 (26:07):
I don't want to see Bruce.
Speaker 9 (26:09):
He's so good. I would know how to tell him.
Speaker 4 (26:12):
No worry, ma'am, it'll be all right.
Speaker 14 (26:14):
No, I'm alone, he's alone. It'll never be all right anymore.
Speaker 4 (26:21):
Well, he's always winging now and he wants to see you.
Speaker 8 (26:23):
I tell him, what's it going to be like? What's
going to happen after this.
Speaker 4 (26:30):
I don't know, ma'am, but you won't be alone anymore.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
The story you have just heard was true. The names
were changed to protect the innocent.
Speaker 3 (26:45):
On December ninth, trial was held in Superior Court, Department
eighty eighth, City and County of Los Angeles, State of California.
In a moment the results of that trial, Missus Virginia
Sterling was tried and convicted on several counts of grand
(27:06):
theft and received the sentence as prescribed by law. The
terms to run concurrently, Grand theft is punishable by imprisonment
for not less than one or more than ten years.
You have just heard Dragnet, a series of authentic cases
(27:28):
from official files. Technical advice comes from the Office of
Chief of Police W. H. Parker, Los Angeles Police Department.
Speaker 10 (27:51):
Stay tuned for a Counterspy next on NBC.
Speaker 1 (28:02):
Welcome Back. This episode contains one of the more interesting
changes in adapting a story from radio to television, because
the television version of Joe Friday comes off as a
lot more compassionate. The way the closing line is delivered
(28:24):
comes as a bit of a zinger, and we like that.
When they're dealing with hardened criminals or people who've committed
horrible crimes or who have done really bad things. This
lady confessed to shoplifting due to a life time of
loneliness and insecurity, and in part as a result of
(28:48):
the pain of infertility and sadness in her marriage. As
a result, the big Zinger lands flat and commits across
as a bit mean and uncalled for. The TV version
ends with her saying that there had to be an answer,
and Friday looking on empathetically as she's going through this
(29:08):
whole statement and then saying, there is, but you won't
find it in jail. And this acknowledges the fact that
she made mistakes that will cost her her freedom for
the time, but treats it as the sad case it is,
and it's an example where the choice on television is
a definite improvement. I sympathize with the salesgirl who had
(29:31):
to quit. I feel that if an objective outsider looked
at the store's actions and her engagement with her on shoplifting,
they'd find it was not as friendly as the manager
told Friday. In Romero was definitely a victim of circumstance.
(29:52):
She was transferred to another department, not because anyone had
seen her doing anything, but just because because there were
thefts in her department. And worse than that, they transferred
her to a department where it would have been easy
for anybody to walk off with something. So if she
(30:13):
had been a thief, if you were creating opportunity for
more thiever, how exactly did they think that was going
to work. If you think that there are thefts in
a department, you have a store detective observe, you use
surveillance tactics, you don't let the person know what's going on.
(30:35):
You don't move them around to other departments, particularly where
it's far harder to prevent thefts. I mean, all they
did was alienate a long time employee for no good reason. Well,
listener comments and feedback now, and we have some comments
on the Big One Ad and Harrison riots Mane. Harrison
(31:00):
certainly had a dark origin story, a reference to some
of those future famous names showing up and on an
old time radio program, Mechanic sixty six says, good one.
I'm watching Perry Mason for the third time, and it's
a new experience after listening to this podcast. So many
of the people I've heard are on there, and I
(31:23):
can put a face to them, starting with Larry Thor
in the first episode with a couple of lines as
the police surgeon, to two episodes so far with Stacy Harris,
Virginia Gregg, John Stevenson, Jeannette Nolan, Peter Leeds who I
think also played some animal sounds, John Dayner, and so
(31:44):
many more. Well, Perry Mason is a remarkable series for
the number of old time radio actors who appeared in there.
There was a website it's no longer active, but thankful
archive by the wayback machine through Internet archive called Digital Deli,
(32:08):
and that site had profiles of old time radio actors
and so many of the actor's pictures that they featured
were screenshots from old episodes of Perry Mason. Now, certainly
there are other series that old time radio actors appeared in,
but that seemed to be a bit of a clearing house.
(32:31):
Now it's time to thank our Patreon supporter of the day,
and I want to go ahead and think Diane, Patreon
supporter since July twenty twenty three, currently supporting the podcast
at the Detective Sergeant level of seven dollars and fourteen
cents or more per month. Thanks so much for your support, Diane,
and that will do it for today. If you're enjoying
(32:52):
the podcast, please follow us using your favorite podcast software
and be sure to rate and review the podcast wherever
where you download it from. We will be back in
three weeks with another episode of Dragnet, but join us
back here tomorrow for yours truly, Johnny doll or Ware.
Speaker 10 (33:13):
One of our craft got out there from Santa Monica
Harbor not more than forty minutes after she went down.
Speaker 15 (33:19):
How'd you find out about it?
Speaker 10 (33:21):
Pong call from somebody living along the beach. Potato stood
out there blowing the whistle and fog going woke him up.
By the time he got out of bed, he said,
it looked like a regular fireworks display about a half
mile off shore.
Speaker 4 (33:37):
Huh, you see.
Speaker 10 (33:38):
Where they put a marker?
Speaker 15 (33:39):
Boy, have wouldn't the wind and current move that slick
and whatever wreckage?
Speaker 4 (33:45):
There is no wind.
Speaker 10 (33:47):
That's why there's still some fog out there, and they're
allowing for drift. Don't worry. If there's anything left to
the data, those boys will find it. Now. Excuse me,
what do you please? I gotta keep a check on operations.
Speaker 15 (33:59):
Yeah, sure, Kevin see Henley, you say, mister and missus Marler. Okay, Well,
if the Coast Guarden Santa Monica through them, they're probably
back at the home in Westwood. I think i'd like
to talk to them.
Speaker 4 (34:11):
By all means.
Speaker 15 (34:12):
Oh, I don't exactly see any particular reason to investigating
the company policy.
Speaker 10 (34:16):
Mister Dollar on any claim over one hundred thicks.
Speaker 15 (34:18):
Yeah, but the claim can't have been made yet.
Speaker 10 (34:20):
I don't worry. It will be win a.
Speaker 15 (34:22):
Minute one hundred and fifty thousand dollars yacht. But you
said the claim could go as high as a quarter million. Yeah,
that's because of missus Merrill's jewelry, which you always took
with it always had lost too.
Speaker 3 (34:33):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (34:34):
I haven't yet talked to her. Then let's do it.
Speaker 1 (34:36):
I hope you'll be with us then. In the meantime,
send your comments to Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot yet,
follow us on Twitter at Radio Detectives, and follow us
on Instagram, Instagram, dot com, slash Great Detectives from Boise Atahol.
This is your host, Adam raham Son and off
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