Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Ladies and gentlemen. The story you are about to hear
is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent.
You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned a homicide detail. A
(00:28):
night watchman has been stabbed to death in a downtown
appliant store. There's no apparent motive for the killing, no
lead to the suspect.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Your job find him.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Drag meant the documented drama of an actual crime. For
the next thirty minutes, in cooperation with the Los Angeles
Police Department, you will travel step by step on the
side of the law through an actual case. Transcribed from
official police silence, from beginning to end, from crime to punishment.
Dragnet is the story of your police force and action.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
It was Monday, August eighth. It was warm in Los Angeles.
We were working a day watch out, a homicide detail.
My partner's Frank Smith. The boss's Captain Larmon. My name
is Friday. We're on the way out from the office
and it was eight twenty six am when we got
to the corner of seventh and du Common Streets.
Speaker 5 (01:31):
Bentley Appliants Company. Sure a big place, there's somebody coming.
Speaker 6 (01:40):
Yeah, what do you want?
Speaker 5 (01:42):
Police officers.
Speaker 7 (01:43):
Oh yeah, just a.
Speaker 8 (01:44):
Minute, come on in.
Speaker 5 (01:48):
Thank you excellent.
Speaker 6 (01:51):
I guess would be a good idea if I locked
the door again.
Speaker 5 (01:53):
Huh, if you'd like to yesterday, good idea.
Speaker 6 (01:59):
No, it's also My name is Ralph Bentley. I'm the
one who put in the call.
Speaker 5 (02:03):
This is Frank Smith. My name is Friday.
Speaker 9 (02:05):
I do I do?
Speaker 5 (02:06):
Where's the body?
Speaker 6 (02:07):
Oh? Back here in the stock room. Who fond him
our building is Superintendent Curtis Holman?
Speaker 5 (02:12):
Is he here now?
Speaker 6 (02:13):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (02:13):
He's upstairs? All right?
Speaker 6 (02:15):
I suppose you want to talk to him, Yes, we will,
I'll get it.
Speaker 5 (02:21):
Go ahead. Oh over here, it's behind his packing cases.
Uh huh, we can see there he was stabbed. Yeah,
sure messing.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (02:36):
What's his name? Bentley? The victim's name, Oh, Clyde Maddick.
I made the is k I K no see. What
time was the body discovered?
Speaker 6 (02:48):
It must have been about seven to thirty. That's when
Holman comes to work.
Speaker 5 (02:51):
Did you find it right away? I don't know.
Speaker 6 (02:53):
I haven't been able to get him to say much.
When I came in, he was just standing here looking
at the body, was kind of numb.
Speaker 5 (02:58):
You know what time did you get here?
Speaker 6 (03:01):
Must have been about seven forty five.
Speaker 5 (03:03):
That's when I called you a yes, sir about that time. Yeah,
that's when it was in seven forty five. How long
does this matic worked for you?
Speaker 3 (03:09):
Oh?
Speaker 5 (03:10):
Three years almost four? Has anything in here been disturbed?
Speaker 6 (03:15):
Not that I know of. I don't think Holmand touched anything.
Speaker 7 (03:19):
I couldn't talk to him very much, but I'm pretty
sure he knows enough to leave things alone.
Speaker 5 (03:24):
Well, I sure can't understand it. What's it? We'll take
a look around.
Speaker 6 (03:27):
It doesn't look like there's a fight.
Speaker 5 (03:29):
I look like it to you. No, Well that's it.
What do you mean?
Speaker 7 (03:33):
Well, it stands to reason it was somebody he knew of,
some stranger to be signs he wouldn't just let somebody
come up and step in the back.
Speaker 5 (03:39):
Now he doesn't seem likely, does it.
Speaker 7 (03:41):
Well, in the three years he's been with us, I've
never heard anyone say an unkind of thing about Maddic.
Speaker 5 (03:45):
Not one man didn't have an enemy in the world.
One doesn't mean much. Hm.
Speaker 4 (03:49):
One of his friends didn't like him. Then eight thirty
am we put in a call to the crime lab
and asked them to come out and go over the scene.
The manager led us upstairs to the main offices, and
(04:11):
we met the building superintendent, Curtis Hallman. It was a
small man in his early fifties.
Speaker 8 (04:16):
I don't care how it looks at your Friday. I
didn't do it. You got to believe that I didn't
have anything to do with it.
Speaker 6 (04:21):
I know what he says. You did home.
Speaker 5 (04:22):
When the officers just want to ask you some questions.
Speaker 8 (04:24):
Well, I don't want them to think I killed him.
I don't want me to think that.
Speaker 5 (04:28):
What time did you find the body?
Speaker 8 (04:30):
I guess must have been around seven thirty someplace around
in there. You see, I just come in, locked the
door after me, and then I was gonna come up
here and change my clothes. You know, I got my
own closet down there in the hall, my own closet.
Speaker 10 (04:42):
I said.
Speaker 8 (04:43):
I was coming back going upstairs, and I saw him
just laying there right away. I knew he was. Did
You didn't have to have nobody tell me that I
knew he did.
Speaker 5 (04:51):
What'd you do?
Speaker 8 (04:52):
Nothing? Couldn't let's say, couldn't do nothing. First time I
ever saw I did, man, I don't know. I guess
just stood there. Look the first time.
Speaker 6 (05:01):
Yeah, that's where he was when I came in.
Speaker 8 (05:03):
Yeah, I was just there. You see, I didn't kill him.
Wasn't me? Somebody did it, but wasn't me?
Speaker 5 (05:08):
All right?
Speaker 10 (05:08):
All right?
Speaker 8 (05:09):
Now we's friends, Clyde and me friends.
Speaker 5 (05:13):
I guess I should have told you he doesn't mean
any harm.
Speaker 8 (05:17):
Blayde caribbage wanted to in the morning, me and Clyde
played cribbage.
Speaker 5 (05:21):
Was there anybody else in the store when you got
here home?
Speaker 8 (05:24):
Huh? You're talking to me?
Speaker 7 (05:26):
Yes?
Speaker 5 (05:26):
Or did you see anybody else in the place when.
Speaker 11 (05:28):
You got here?
Speaker 7 (05:29):
No?
Speaker 8 (05:29):
Just me and Clyde. Only he was dead.
Speaker 5 (05:32):
How'd you get in?
Speaker 8 (05:33):
Got a key? See right here, my own key.
Speaker 5 (05:37):
How many keys are they, mister Badwin?
Speaker 6 (05:39):
Oh it's three out. I got one home and has
one matter?
Speaker 5 (05:41):
Had the other one? Have you contacted his family hasn't
got one. As far as we know, he hasn't got
any people. You can give us his address as well.
Speaker 6 (05:48):
Sure, no trouble at all.
Speaker 5 (05:49):
It is upstairs. Part of the deal we worked out
when he started a little room on the third floor.
Speaker 8 (05:54):
He gets that on the salary, real nice way. He
fixed it up, all painted bookshelves, a lot of books
all over the place.
Speaker 10 (06:01):
Books.
Speaker 5 (06:01):
What if we could see it certainly, and.
Speaker 8 (06:03):
You like it? Feel a nice room? Nice in mind?
Wish I had it.
Speaker 5 (06:08):
We can go down this way.
Speaker 8 (06:11):
Want me to go up with you?
Speaker 5 (06:12):
Yes, sir, if you liked it?
Speaker 8 (06:13):
Sure, I like Clyde.
Speaker 6 (06:15):
Room be faster if we take.
Speaker 5 (06:17):
The stairs right here we are all right, go ahead,
I'll try it.
Speaker 8 (06:30):
I guess clad. I had about every book printed, great
one for reading, that's all. Oh, yeah, all time, had
his pat in the book, all time reading. Smart, knew
all kinds of things. Just asked quite a question and
he knew the answered. I was all the time telling
him he should go on the quiz shows. He'd one
them all, knew the names of all the presidents when
they was elected. All about him.
Speaker 5 (06:51):
Is that right? That's right down this way.
Speaker 8 (06:58):
I used to sit there and look to the books.
Didn't make much sense to me, But Clyde Shore liked
him all right home, And I'm sure the officers know
what you mean. Just try and tell them that's all.
Tell him about Clyde.
Speaker 5 (07:08):
Sure, Oh, this is it.
Speaker 6 (07:11):
It's a lot.
Speaker 5 (07:12):
If you have a key, no I.
Speaker 8 (07:13):
Don't, I got one, got down the ring. You want
me to open the door, if you would?
Speaker 5 (07:17):
Yeah?
Speaker 8 (07:18):
Sure, thing. Glad to help you find the right one.
Now here you drop this?
Speaker 6 (07:25):
Why do you have a key to the room?
Speaker 8 (07:27):
Clyde gave it to me, said it was all right
for me to have it case I won't clean up.
He let me do that clean.
Speaker 6 (07:32):
Up, all right? Well do you have the key?
Speaker 8 (07:36):
Yeah? Here is here you are?
Speaker 5 (07:40):
Hm?
Speaker 7 (07:43):
Hey, sure looks like there was a party in here.
Noah certainly didn't have any idea things like this went on. Well,
I just look at this room.
Speaker 6 (07:56):
Your bottles all over the.
Speaker 5 (07:57):
Place, glasses, empty bottle.
Speaker 6 (08:01):
This place is filthy.
Speaker 8 (08:02):
I was being cleaned up, mister, badly, honest, I was
right after I finished the rest of the building. Now
I'm going clean it up.
Speaker 5 (08:08):
Jeez.
Speaker 7 (08:10):
Fourteen beer bottles, all of empty. Boy, let's see how
man could drink that much beer.
Speaker 5 (08:17):
Looks like he had some help.
Speaker 8 (08:18):
Huh what you got say?
Speaker 5 (08:20):
Look at these glances? Yeah, lipsticks don't touch him. I'm sorry,
Well that really doesn't.
Speaker 7 (08:29):
That's the kapper, sir, Oh, when he took the job
and made a perfectly clear and no mistake about it,
none at all.
Speaker 6 (08:35):
What do you mean beer drinking out o mind?
Speaker 5 (08:37):
He's got that right.
Speaker 6 (08:39):
But I told him there wasn't supposed to be any
women up here. Now he knew.
Speaker 7 (08:42):
It doesn't look good place of business, just doesn't look good.
I told him, if he broke the rule once, just once,
he'd be sorry about it.
Speaker 5 (08:49):
That's what I told him. He's got no quarrel about
it now. Huh, he's sorry.
Speaker 4 (09:04):
The crime lab arrived and started to go over the room.
After photographs had been taken, the body was removed to
the County Morgue. Apparently the victim had died of internal
hemorrhage caused by three deep stab wounds in the back.
He'd been dead about thirty six hours. From questioning the
other employees of the store, we were able to find
out a little about the victim's background. All of them
knew him as a quiet man who kept pretty much
(09:25):
to himself. We asked about the women friends. They couldn't
help us there either. The questioning continued.
Speaker 12 (09:31):
As far as I know, there wasn't anybody you.
Speaker 5 (09:34):
Ever mentioned any friends to you.
Speaker 12 (09:36):
No, we didn't talk much. I didn't see him a lot.
Speaker 11 (09:38):
You know, he'd be in the halls or something like that,
But we didn't talk much.
Speaker 5 (09:42):
Is there anything more you can tell us that might
help I.
Speaker 12 (09:45):
Don't think so. If I think of anything, I'll let
you know.
Speaker 5 (09:48):
All right, thank you very much? Is that all? Yes, ma'am?
Speaker 6 (09:56):
Sure?
Speaker 5 (09:57):
Getting us nowhere? Yeah, let's have the next.
Speaker 10 (10:04):
Do you commend now on his last? Yes, it's a
horror last.
Speaker 5 (10:08):
Is that right? That's right? My name Smith is so
sorry Friday, I do are you like? Saidan?
Speaker 12 (10:15):
Thank you?
Speaker 11 (10:17):
I guess it's about mister maddick.
Speaker 10 (10:19):
Huh, that's right.
Speaker 11 (10:20):
Awful thing to have happened. I work in the office
almost right under his room. Kind of gives me the
creeps to think about it, creepy.
Speaker 5 (10:28):
Did you know him very well?
Speaker 11 (10:29):
I guess you could say I did. I went to
lunch with him a couple of times, even had a
couple of dates, not flower type dates, so he didn't
bring flowers. Met after work and went to dinner. Nothing serious.
Speaker 10 (10:41):
M Do you know any of his other friends?
Speaker 11 (10:44):
Just about everybody in the place, and anybody that wasn't
friends with mister maddic.
Speaker 12 (10:48):
Everybody liked him.
Speaker 5 (10:49):
Is there anybody especially mean.
Speaker 11 (10:51):
Like a girlfriend?
Speaker 10 (10:52):
That's right?
Speaker 11 (10:53):
I don't know. That's maybe it was Bessie. Who's that
Bessie Rowan? Her and mister pretty friendly asked me. I'd
say it might even have been serious. You work here, Yeah,
stock room clerk, head of the department. I see, pretty
important job, got charge of all the ordering.
Speaker 5 (11:11):
Yeah, you ever been in mister Maddock's room.
Speaker 11 (11:15):
I know you're just trying to do what you think
is right, mister Friday, but I don't like what you're getting.
Speaker 5 (11:20):
No offense, Miss lasked, just a routine question.
Speaker 12 (11:24):
Oh the answer is no.
Speaker 11 (11:25):
I told you. I just went out with him a
couple of times.
Speaker 5 (11:27):
That's all I see. You remember that is miss Rowan
here this morning.
Speaker 11 (11:33):
No, she isn't so funny thing too. You mean, it's
not like her to miss a day's work long as
I've been here. She never done it before, Always here,
always on time. That's why it's so funny. She called
this morning and said she wouldn't be able to make it.
Speaker 5 (11:46):
She say why not?
Speaker 11 (11:47):
Really kind of talked around it, you know, matter of fact.
I didn't think she had a real reason for not
coming in. How was that the way she acted? Say
you don't think any did you do, mister Mattick, I
wouldn't know. I bet that's it. She knows something, that's
why she's not coming.
Speaker 5 (12:06):
That's the reason it's possible.
Speaker 11 (12:07):
More nuts.
Speaker 12 (12:08):
She knows something.
Speaker 11 (12:09):
I'll bet you on it, bet you anything.
Speaker 5 (12:11):
I wouldn't be too fair. We'd like to see you win.
Speaker 4 (12:24):
We checked all the employees of the store through R
and I. Except for two drunk arrests for the janitor,
Curtis Hallman, there was no record on any of them.
We tried to contact Bessie Rowan at her home, but
she wasn't there. The neighbors were n't able to tell
us anything that might at us in finding her.
Speaker 5 (12:39):
We asked them to notify us in the event she returned.
Speaker 4 (12:42):
At twelve forty six pm, an identified woman called the
Bentley Appliants Company and asked for the victim. She was
told that he was out and was asked to leave
a phone number where she could be contacted. Frank and
I checked with the phone company and found that the
number was assigned to a public phone booth in a
downtown department store.
Speaker 5 (12:57):
We drove over to the place and talked with one
of the clerks.
Speaker 9 (13:00):
Yes, it seems to me there was a woman by
the phone booze.
Speaker 5 (13:03):
Can he give us a description?
Speaker 11 (13:04):
Ever, not a very good one, I'm afraid.
Speaker 5 (13:07):
Well anything you can tell. That's why help see.
Speaker 12 (13:10):
There is one thing though, what's a might not mean anything?
Speaker 5 (13:13):
But what is it? Ma'am?
Speaker 9 (13:14):
Her hair no real red? Thought the brightest red I've
ever seen had to come from a bottle. Never saw
any natural hair of that color. Does that help you.
Speaker 5 (13:24):
Any well, we don't know yet.
Speaker 9 (13:26):
I didn't think it would. Just something you remember, something
kind of outstanding.
Speaker 12 (13:31):
I just thought of it.
Speaker 9 (13:32):
Figured it might be a way for you to remember
if it's the one you're looking for.
Speaker 4 (13:36):
Well, if it is, we've gone another way. Four point
thirty five pm, Frank and I went back to the
City Hall and checked into the office. There was a
note in the book for us to get in touch
with Sergeant Jay Allen at the crime Lab. He just
finished his preliminary examination of physical evidence and wanted to
(13:56):
go over his findings with us.
Speaker 5 (13:58):
Backhead Joe Frank, Okay, well, how'd you do?
Speaker 10 (14:04):
I'd bad here. Take a look.
Speaker 13 (14:07):
Yeah, these are the bare bottles we found in the
room fourteen, and they're clean, able to lift three good
prints and.
Speaker 10 (14:12):
More of the glasses.
Speaker 13 (14:13):
Enough for identification you come up with a finger, not
enough for classification of it anything else.
Speaker 10 (14:19):
I went over the room with a vacuum cleaner.
Speaker 13 (14:21):
Found listening to couch, hearing imitation stone, morning's gold filled.
Speaker 10 (14:27):
Nothing else on.
Speaker 5 (14:27):
Them anyway, checking where it was botching, it'll.
Speaker 13 (14:30):
Be pretty hard. Costume jewelry, A lot of places make
it even.
Speaker 10 (14:34):
More in that cellar. Yeah, found this handkerchief on the
floor under the couch.
Speaker 5 (14:39):
There's no monogram, any laundry marks.
Speaker 10 (14:42):
Yeah, went over with ultra violet.
Speaker 8 (14:44):
There's nothing there is that it.
Speaker 13 (14:47):
Wow, lipstick marks and the glasses we lifted might be
able to use them on identification.
Speaker 10 (14:51):
Yeah, you come up with a motive youat no.
Speaker 4 (14:54):
Those news We can tell there wasn't anything stolen from
the store and the victim had thirty six dollars in
cash on them, expensive watch ring, none of it was touched.
Speaker 5 (15:04):
You got any more force, Jay.
Speaker 13 (15:05):
I couldn't find the murder weapon, wasn't in the room.
We checked the rest of the place, couldn't.
Speaker 5 (15:09):
Turn it any idea what it might have been, Jane.
Speaker 13 (15:11):
A sharp instrument, probably a pocket knife three inch play. Oh,
one more thing, not sure about it?
Speaker 8 (15:16):
Yeah, here I get it.
Speaker 10 (15:21):
Take a look.
Speaker 5 (15:22):
What are you going to there?
Speaker 13 (15:23):
Hair bottom on the victim's jacket. No way of telling
how long they had been there human Yeah, whoever they belonged,
it shouldn't be too hard to spot.
Speaker 5 (15:30):
What do you mean bright red?
Speaker 4 (15:40):
We left the crime lab and drove over to the
Bentley of Plants Company. We went up to the second
floor and talked with the secretary again.
Speaker 11 (15:46):
Kral l Ask, Sure I can give you a description
of Bessie. No trouble at all.
Speaker 5 (15:50):
Have you heard from her today?
Speaker 11 (15:51):
Not since this morning? I told you about that? You
know how she wouldn't be in Yeah, that's the only time.
Speaker 5 (15:57):
Now about the description. What color hair does she have?
It's a lawn color, darker.
Speaker 11 (16:01):
Light come in between. I guess that's the reason she
fixes it up.
Speaker 5 (16:05):
What do I mean touch up?
Speaker 11 (16:07):
Usually a sort of strawberry blan. I guess you call
her last time she did it? I guess it was
a week ago. She had an accident with the die.
She did something wrong. Sure looked funny.
Speaker 5 (16:17):
What do you mean?
Speaker 11 (16:18):
What turned out wrong? Embarrister all over the place. Everybody
was making cracks about it. She said she was going
to redo it first chance she had.
Speaker 5 (16:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 11 (16:26):
I kind of laughed myself. It was pretty hard to imagine.
Speaker 5 (16:29):
What's that?
Speaker 11 (16:30):
That color? Red hair?
Speaker 5 (16:40):
We returned to the office and filled out the reports.
Speaker 4 (16:43):
At six eighteen pm, we got a call from one
of the suspects neighbors, telling us that she'd returned home.
Speaker 5 (16:48):
We grew about to talk to her.
Speaker 10 (16:54):
Yeah, Bessie Ron, that's right?
Speaker 12 (16:56):
Who are you?
Speaker 5 (16:57):
A police officer? Like to talk to you?
Speaker 11 (16:59):
Well, I haven't got anything to say to you. I'm
not gonna do my school dog.
Speaker 12 (17:03):
Huh is it? You're gonna take me down the poop anyway?
Speaker 8 (17:07):
Aren't you?
Speaker 12 (17:09):
Aren't you gonne?
Speaker 5 (17:09):
It might be better if we talk to you inside.
Speaker 11 (17:11):
Oh well, then come on then, maybe no difference where
we talk, not a bit. You ain't gonna believe me
anyway about what that I didn't kill Clyde.
Speaker 12 (17:20):
You ain't gonna believe me, are you?
Speaker 5 (17:22):
Why don't you tell us?
Speaker 12 (17:24):
All right?
Speaker 5 (17:24):
I will?
Speaker 12 (17:25):
What do you think of that?
Speaker 5 (17:26):
Huh?
Speaker 12 (17:27):
Well do you think of that?
Speaker 5 (17:29):
You alone? Here?
Speaker 3 (17:30):
No?
Speaker 11 (17:30):
I got three of our friends hide in the closet.
They usually don't come out that cerily, though, Wait until
it gets dark. That's when they like it once dark.
And you want me to tell you now? Huh about
what about Clyde?
Speaker 12 (17:42):
How he's dead?
Speaker 5 (17:43):
If you want me to why don't you try.
Speaker 11 (17:45):
No matter what I say, You're gonna believe what you
want to. So it probably be easier if I went
along with you, wouldn't It might be okay? Then I
killed him.
Speaker 4 (18:27):
Six twenty three pm. We continued to talk to Bessie Rowan.
Frank went out to the kitchen and made a pot
of coffee. After we'd gotten several cups down Miss Rowan,
she sobered up and was able to answer our question.
Speaker 12 (18:36):
I didn't mean it. I wasn't feeling very good. I
guess that's why I said.
Speaker 5 (18:39):
You see him Saturday night?
Speaker 12 (18:40):
Yeah, after work, Matti. We went to the place in
the corner. He had a couple of drinks and then
I came home.
Speaker 5 (18:47):
Have ever been in his room?
Speaker 11 (18:48):
Went to me as a company. It wouldn't do any
good to lie about it. Yeah, I've been there when
I don't know. I guess the last time was a
week ago, somewhere in there. I had a couple of drinks.
Speaker 5 (18:58):
I'm doing, Madi, get along all right.
Speaker 12 (19:00):
We didn't set the world on fire.
Speaker 5 (19:01):
How do you know?
Speaker 8 (19:02):
It was dead?
Speaker 5 (19:03):
Heard it where i'd.
Speaker 12 (19:04):
Ratter, not say like somebody in trouble.
Speaker 5 (19:06):
You've got a good sized piece of that right now?
Why don't you tell us?
Speaker 12 (19:10):
Friend of mine I called this morning.
Speaker 5 (19:13):
That's how you found out?
Speaker 11 (19:14):
Yeah, I guess his friend wasn't supposed to say anything.
As soon as she did, she told me not to
say anything.
Speaker 5 (19:19):
What time to see Mada class?
Speaker 12 (19:21):
I guess it was about.
Speaker 11 (19:22):
Seven point thirty. Right after we came out of the bar.
He walked me back to the parking lot and I
came home.
Speaker 5 (19:28):
Anybody votched for that? No, you can prove it.
Speaker 12 (19:30):
Then though, maybe they changed the laws.
Speaker 5 (19:33):
Huh what do you mean to that?
Speaker 11 (19:34):
I always thought you had to prove I was guilty.
They've done away with that. No, and start proving right.
Speaker 5 (19:38):
Get a coat and we'll go downtown.
Speaker 10 (19:40):
You're going to book me, we'll see.
Speaker 12 (19:42):
You gotta make a charge, don't you.
Speaker 13 (19:44):
If you want it that way, I'll get a jacket.
Speaker 10 (19:48):
Where is it?
Speaker 12 (19:49):
Bedroom closet?
Speaker 5 (19:50):
You want to show me?
Speaker 11 (19:51):
You don't trust anybody doing you just got the.
Speaker 5 (19:52):
Coat, lad, that's the one. Okay, there we are gentlemen,
would hold it? Yeah? All set?
Speaker 12 (20:04):
Yeah, I guess. So we turn off the coffee.
Speaker 11 (20:07):
I think so you better be sure I'm not gonna
come home and have to clean and burn coffee pot.
Speaker 4 (20:11):
I don't worry about it. You might not be coming home.
The woman was taken downtown to the city Hall. Her
fingerprints were taken. We checked her name and description through
our and I once more, but we failed to come
up with a record for eight fifteen pm. While I
(20:31):
talked to her in the squad room, Frank went down
the hall.
Speaker 12 (20:34):
You're gonna let me go home as.
Speaker 5 (20:35):
Soon as you tell us the truth.
Speaker 12 (20:36):
I've told you everything I know. It's all you're gonna get.
Speaker 5 (20:40):
Yere it is.
Speaker 12 (20:47):
What's that the solution to the case.
Speaker 4 (20:49):
It might be it's a report from Layton Prince. Yeah,
your fingerprints matched with the ones we found in some
glasses in his room.
Speaker 5 (20:54):
What does that mean you were in his room.
Speaker 12 (20:56):
I've already admitted this, sold as.
Speaker 5 (20:58):
You weren't there Saturday, so he's a sloppy house.
Speaker 6 (21:00):
Now.
Speaker 4 (21:00):
We talked to the janitor. He cleaned the room Saturday morning.
The glasses weren't there, then, how about him?
Speaker 5 (21:05):
It's wrong. Make it easier if you give us a statement.
Speaker 11 (21:09):
Come on, all right, I was there, but I didn't
kill him, and that's the truth.
Speaker 5 (21:15):
Go ahead.
Speaker 11 (21:16):
After we left the bar, he asked me to come
up and have a night cap.
Speaker 5 (21:18):
I did.
Speaker 11 (21:19):
We had some stuff to talk over, what we wanted
to get married.
Speaker 12 (21:23):
We talked about it before.
Speaker 11 (21:24):
There was something hanging him up. I don't know what
it was. I told him we couldn't go on like
that anymore. It had to be either one way or
the other. Either we'd get married or else we'd call
the whole thing off.
Speaker 5 (21:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 11 (21:34):
He asked for a couple of days, said he'd clean
up whatever the trouble was. By then.
Speaker 12 (21:38):
I told him to go ahead. That's all. I had
a couple of drinks and then I left and I
came straight home.
Speaker 5 (21:42):
What times you get there?
Speaker 12 (21:43):
About ten? Maybe ten thirty?
Speaker 5 (21:45):
Why'd you lie to us?
Speaker 12 (21:46):
I don't know.
Speaker 11 (21:48):
I was drunk. You saw that. I got scared. I'd
sure you'd think I did it.
Speaker 5 (21:53):
Did Mattic have any other girlfriends?
Speaker 13 (21:55):
I don't know.
Speaker 12 (21:55):
We didn't talk about it.
Speaker 5 (21:56):
Did he mention anybody else?
Speaker 8 (21:57):
Yeah?
Speaker 11 (21:58):
I guess A couple of times he talked about some
girl that was giving him trouble, called him at work,
you know, and he's back.
Speaker 12 (22:04):
Told me he was trying to get rid of her.
Speaker 5 (22:05):
Possible she might have been the reason you couldn't get married. Yeah,
it might be you know anything about it.
Speaker 12 (22:10):
No, he didn't talk much about her.
Speaker 11 (22:12):
A couple of times he'd be hacked because she'd called
the store and made a big scene. Said she was
usually ghasted. She was a real lush where he put it,
drunk most of the time. It's funny though. She didn't
go for herd booze. Uh just drank beer.
Speaker 4 (22:37):
On the chance that the empty beer bottles we'd found
in the victim's room had been bought in the neighborhood,
we began an immediate canvas of the liquor stores in
the area. We gave the dealers a description of Clyde Mattick,
and we also asked if a woman had purchased fourteen bottles.
Speaker 5 (22:48):
Of beer in the first five stars.
Speaker 4 (22:51):
We drew a blank, but the clerk in the sixth
told us that he had made such a sale on
Saturday night to a woman. He was unable to tell
us who she was, but he did say that he'd
seen her several times in the neighborhood bars. We started
to check them. Several bartenders knew the woman, but were
unable to tell us her name or where we could
find her.
Speaker 5 (23:08):
At twelve twenty. We stopped at the place called the
Pink Pigeon. Yeah, I know her in here all the time.
She's a very drinker, you know what I mean?
Speaker 10 (23:15):
Let me think.
Speaker 5 (23:16):
Yeah, I'm glad as something. I don't think I ever
heard the last part. Wouldn't make me unhappy if she
didn't come back. What do you mean? Woh, she's all
a time tank, loud, dirty mouth stick like that. Doesn't
do the place any good. You know where you can
get in touch with her? What's the matter if she'd
done something we'd like to talk to her?
Speaker 10 (23:30):
Well?
Speaker 5 (23:30):
Sure, I didn't mean to stick my nose anywhere it
don't belongs. All right, you know where we can find her?
I don't know.
Speaker 13 (23:34):
I guess her place be as good as any. Well,
where's that a couple of blocks up? It's a brown house,
second from the corner. You can't miss it, just like her,
a real mess as weeds all around. It's a brown house.
Speaker 5 (23:43):
All I thank you. I'm glad to help Bob.
Speaker 13 (23:45):
I've been saying for a long time she was gonna
end up in real trouble. Been saying that for a
long time. I've been telling everybody. They didn't believe me.
Speaker 5 (23:50):
Well they will now.
Speaker 4 (23:58):
We left the bar and drove over to the house
the bartender had described. There was a light on in
the front room. When we got there. The name on
the mailbox read Missus Clyde Mattock.
Speaker 5 (24:09):
Yes, you're mis matic, that's right.
Speaker 8 (24:12):
Who are you?
Speaker 5 (24:12):
Police officer?
Speaker 12 (24:14):
Come on in, I've been expecting you. Wait a minute,
I'll get.
Speaker 5 (24:20):
A coat, get it.
Speaker 12 (24:22):
It kind of surprised me.
Speaker 5 (24:24):
How's that.
Speaker 11 (24:25):
I kind of figured you'd find me before this. Didn't
think it'd take this long.
Speaker 5 (24:29):
Did you kill him?
Speaker 6 (24:30):
Yeah?
Speaker 12 (24:32):
He wanted a divorce. I wouldn't give it to him.
Wanted to marry some fluesy where he worked. It wouldn't
give me a chance to work things out. I tried
to convince me he was wrong.
Speaker 11 (24:42):
I told him if he tried to leave me, be sorry.
Speaker 12 (24:46):
I tried to convince him. Wouldn't believe me?
Speaker 5 (24:49):
Or maybe he does. Now let's go.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
The story you've just heard is true. The names were
changed to protect the innocent.
Speaker 3 (25:04):
On December sixteenth, trial was held in Department ninety seven,
Superior Court of the State of California in and for
the County of Los Angeles. In a moment, the results
of that trial. Gladys Markham maddict was tried and convicted
(25:31):
of murder in the second degree and received punishment as
prescribed by law. Murder in the second degree is punishable
by imprisonment for a period of from five years to
life in the state penitentiary. You have just heard Dragnet,
(26:02):
a series of authentic cases from official files. Technical advice
comes from the Office of Chief of Police W. H. Parker,
Los Angeles Police Department HA
Ladies and gentlemen. The story you are about to hear
is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent.
You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned a homicide detail. A
(00:28):
night watchman has been stabbed to death in a downtown
appliant store. There's no apparent motive for the killing, no
lead to the suspect.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Your job find him.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Drag meant the documented drama of an actual crime. For
the next thirty minutes, in cooperation with the Los Angeles
Police Department, you will travel step by step on the
side of the law through an actual case. Transcribed from
official police silence, from beginning to end, from crime to punishment.
Dragnet is the story of your police force and action.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
It was Monday, August eighth. It was warm in Los Angeles.
We were working a day watch out, a homicide detail.
My partner's Frank Smith. The boss's Captain Larmon. My name
is Friday. We're on the way out from the office
and it was eight twenty six am when we got
to the corner of seventh and du Common Streets.
Speaker 5 (01:31):
Bentley Appliants Company. Sure a big place, there's somebody coming.
Speaker 6 (01:40):
Yeah, what do you want?
Speaker 5 (01:42):
Police officers.
Speaker 7 (01:43):
Oh yeah, just a.
Speaker 8 (01:44):
Minute, come on in.
Speaker 5 (01:48):
Thank you excellent.
Speaker 6 (01:51):
I guess would be a good idea if I locked
the door again.
Speaker 5 (01:53):
Huh, if you'd like to yesterday, good idea.
Speaker 6 (01:59):
No, it's also My name is Ralph Bentley. I'm the
one who put in the call.
Speaker 5 (02:03):
This is Frank Smith. My name is Friday.
Speaker 9 (02:05):
I do I do?
Speaker 5 (02:06):
Where's the body?
Speaker 6 (02:07):
Oh? Back here in the stock room. Who fond him
our building is Superintendent Curtis Holman?
Speaker 5 (02:12):
Is he here now?
Speaker 6 (02:13):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (02:13):
He's upstairs? All right?
Speaker 6 (02:15):
I suppose you want to talk to him, Yes, we will,
I'll get it.
Speaker 5 (02:21):
Go ahead. Oh over here, it's behind his packing cases.
Uh huh, we can see there he was stabbed. Yeah,
sure messing.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (02:36):
What's his name? Bentley? The victim's name, Oh, Clyde Maddick.
I made the is k I K no see. What
time was the body discovered?
Speaker 6 (02:48):
It must have been about seven to thirty. That's when
Holman comes to work.
Speaker 5 (02:51):
Did you find it right away? I don't know.
Speaker 6 (02:53):
I haven't been able to get him to say much.
When I came in, he was just standing here looking
at the body, was kind of numb.
Speaker 5 (02:58):
You know what time did you get here?
Speaker 6 (03:01):
Must have been about seven forty five.
Speaker 5 (03:03):
That's when I called you a yes, sir about that time. Yeah,
that's when it was in seven forty five. How long
does this matic worked for you?
Speaker 3 (03:09):
Oh?
Speaker 5 (03:10):
Three years almost four? Has anything in here been disturbed?
Speaker 6 (03:15):
Not that I know of. I don't think Holmand touched anything.
Speaker 7 (03:19):
I couldn't talk to him very much, but I'm pretty
sure he knows enough to leave things alone.
Speaker 5 (03:24):
Well, I sure can't understand it. What's it? We'll take
a look around.
Speaker 6 (03:27):
It doesn't look like there's a fight.
Speaker 5 (03:29):
I look like it to you. No, Well that's it.
What do you mean?
Speaker 7 (03:33):
Well, it stands to reason it was somebody he knew of,
some stranger to be signs he wouldn't just let somebody
come up and step in the back.
Speaker 5 (03:39):
Now he doesn't seem likely, does it.
Speaker 7 (03:41):
Well, in the three years he's been with us, I've
never heard anyone say an unkind of thing about Maddic.
Speaker 5 (03:45):
Not one man didn't have an enemy in the world.
One doesn't mean much. Hm.
Speaker 4 (03:49):
One of his friends didn't like him. Then eight thirty
am we put in a call to the crime lab
and asked them to come out and go over the scene.
The manager led us upstairs to the main offices, and
(04:11):
we met the building superintendent, Curtis Hallman. It was a
small man in his early fifties.
Speaker 8 (04:16):
I don't care how it looks at your Friday. I
didn't do it. You got to believe that I didn't
have anything to do with it.
Speaker 6 (04:21):
I know what he says. You did home.
Speaker 5 (04:22):
When the officers just want to ask you some questions.
Speaker 8 (04:24):
Well, I don't want them to think I killed him.
I don't want me to think that.
Speaker 5 (04:28):
What time did you find the body?
Speaker 8 (04:30):
I guess must have been around seven thirty someplace around
in there. You see, I just come in, locked the
door after me, and then I was gonna come up
here and change my clothes. You know, I got my
own closet down there in the hall, my own closet.
Speaker 10 (04:42):
I said.
Speaker 8 (04:43):
I was coming back going upstairs, and I saw him
just laying there right away. I knew he was. Did
You didn't have to have nobody tell me that I
knew he did.
Speaker 5 (04:51):
What'd you do?
Speaker 8 (04:52):
Nothing? Couldn't let's say, couldn't do nothing. First time I
ever saw I did, man, I don't know. I guess
just stood there. Look the first time.
Speaker 6 (05:01):
Yeah, that's where he was when I came in.
Speaker 8 (05:03):
Yeah, I was just there. You see, I didn't kill him.
Wasn't me? Somebody did it, but wasn't me?
Speaker 5 (05:08):
All right?
Speaker 10 (05:08):
All right?
Speaker 8 (05:09):
Now we's friends, Clyde and me friends.
Speaker 5 (05:13):
I guess I should have told you he doesn't mean
any harm.
Speaker 8 (05:17):
Blayde caribbage wanted to in the morning, me and Clyde
played cribbage.
Speaker 5 (05:21):
Was there anybody else in the store when you got
here home?
Speaker 8 (05:24):
Huh? You're talking to me?
Speaker 7 (05:26):
Yes?
Speaker 5 (05:26):
Or did you see anybody else in the place when.
Speaker 11 (05:28):
You got here?
Speaker 7 (05:29):
No?
Speaker 8 (05:29):
Just me and Clyde. Only he was dead.
Speaker 5 (05:32):
How'd you get in?
Speaker 8 (05:33):
Got a key? See right here, my own key.
Speaker 5 (05:37):
How many keys are they, mister Badwin?
Speaker 6 (05:39):
Oh it's three out. I got one home and has
one matter?
Speaker 5 (05:41):
Had the other one? Have you contacted his family hasn't
got one. As far as we know, he hasn't got
any people. You can give us his address as well.
Speaker 6 (05:48):
Sure, no trouble at all.
Speaker 5 (05:49):
It is upstairs. Part of the deal we worked out
when he started a little room on the third floor.
Speaker 8 (05:54):
He gets that on the salary, real nice way. He
fixed it up, all painted bookshelves, a lot of books
all over the place.
Speaker 10 (06:01):
Books.
Speaker 5 (06:01):
What if we could see it certainly, and.
Speaker 8 (06:03):
You like it? Feel a nice room? Nice in mind?
Wish I had it.
Speaker 5 (06:08):
We can go down this way.
Speaker 8 (06:11):
Want me to go up with you?
Speaker 5 (06:12):
Yes, sir, if you liked it?
Speaker 8 (06:13):
Sure, I like Clyde.
Speaker 6 (06:15):
Room be faster if we take.
Speaker 5 (06:17):
The stairs right here we are all right, go ahead,
I'll try it.
Speaker 8 (06:30):
I guess clad. I had about every book printed, great
one for reading, that's all. Oh, yeah, all time, had
his pat in the book, all time reading. Smart, knew
all kinds of things. Just asked quite a question and
he knew the answered. I was all the time telling
him he should go on the quiz shows. He'd one
them all, knew the names of all the presidents when
they was elected. All about him.
Speaker 5 (06:51):
Is that right? That's right down this way.
Speaker 8 (06:58):
I used to sit there and look to the books.
Didn't make much sense to me, But Clyde Shore liked
him all right home, And I'm sure the officers know
what you mean. Just try and tell them that's all.
Tell him about Clyde.
Speaker 5 (07:08):
Sure, Oh, this is it.
Speaker 6 (07:11):
It's a lot.
Speaker 5 (07:12):
If you have a key, no I.
Speaker 8 (07:13):
Don't, I got one, got down the ring. You want
me to open the door, if you would?
Speaker 5 (07:17):
Yeah?
Speaker 8 (07:18):
Sure, thing. Glad to help you find the right one.
Now here you drop this?
Speaker 6 (07:25):
Why do you have a key to the room?
Speaker 8 (07:27):
Clyde gave it to me, said it was all right
for me to have it case I won't clean up.
He let me do that clean.
Speaker 6 (07:32):
Up, all right? Well do you have the key?
Speaker 8 (07:36):
Yeah? Here is here you are?
Speaker 5 (07:40):
Hm?
Speaker 7 (07:43):
Hey, sure looks like there was a party in here.
Noah certainly didn't have any idea things like this went on. Well,
I just look at this room.
Speaker 6 (07:56):
Your bottles all over the.
Speaker 5 (07:57):
Place, glasses, empty bottle.
Speaker 6 (08:01):
This place is filthy.
Speaker 8 (08:02):
I was being cleaned up, mister, badly, honest, I was
right after I finished the rest of the building. Now
I'm going clean it up.
Speaker 5 (08:08):
Jeez.
Speaker 7 (08:10):
Fourteen beer bottles, all of empty. Boy, let's see how
man could drink that much beer.
Speaker 5 (08:17):
Looks like he had some help.
Speaker 8 (08:18):
Huh what you got say?
Speaker 5 (08:20):
Look at these glances? Yeah, lipsticks don't touch him. I'm sorry,
Well that really doesn't.
Speaker 7 (08:29):
That's the kapper, sir, Oh, when he took the job
and made a perfectly clear and no mistake about it,
none at all.
Speaker 6 (08:35):
What do you mean beer drinking out o mind?
Speaker 5 (08:37):
He's got that right.
Speaker 6 (08:39):
But I told him there wasn't supposed to be any
women up here. Now he knew.
Speaker 7 (08:42):
It doesn't look good place of business, just doesn't look good.
I told him, if he broke the rule once, just once,
he'd be sorry about it.
Speaker 5 (08:49):
That's what I told him. He's got no quarrel about
it now. Huh, he's sorry.
Speaker 4 (09:04):
The crime lab arrived and started to go over the room.
After photographs had been taken, the body was removed to
the County Morgue. Apparently the victim had died of internal
hemorrhage caused by three deep stab wounds in the back.
He'd been dead about thirty six hours. From questioning the
other employees of the store, we were able to find
out a little about the victim's background. All of them
knew him as a quiet man who kept pretty much
(09:25):
to himself. We asked about the women friends. They couldn't
help us there either. The questioning continued.
Speaker 12 (09:31):
As far as I know, there wasn't anybody you.
Speaker 5 (09:34):
Ever mentioned any friends to you.
Speaker 12 (09:36):
No, we didn't talk much. I didn't see him a lot.
Speaker 11 (09:38):
You know, he'd be in the halls or something like that,
But we didn't talk much.
Speaker 5 (09:42):
Is there anything more you can tell us that might
help I.
Speaker 12 (09:45):
Don't think so. If I think of anything, I'll let
you know.
Speaker 5 (09:48):
All right, thank you very much? Is that all? Yes, ma'am?
Speaker 6 (09:56):
Sure?
Speaker 5 (09:57):
Getting us nowhere? Yeah, let's have the next.
Speaker 10 (10:04):
Do you commend now on his last? Yes, it's a
horror last.
Speaker 5 (10:08):
Is that right? That's right? My name Smith is so
sorry Friday, I do are you like? Saidan?
Speaker 12 (10:15):
Thank you?
Speaker 11 (10:17):
I guess it's about mister maddick.
Speaker 10 (10:19):
Huh, that's right.
Speaker 11 (10:20):
Awful thing to have happened. I work in the office
almost right under his room. Kind of gives me the
creeps to think about it, creepy.
Speaker 5 (10:28):
Did you know him very well?
Speaker 11 (10:29):
I guess you could say I did. I went to
lunch with him a couple of times, even had a
couple of dates, not flower type dates, so he didn't
bring flowers. Met after work and went to dinner. Nothing serious.
Speaker 10 (10:41):
M Do you know any of his other friends?
Speaker 11 (10:44):
Just about everybody in the place, and anybody that wasn't
friends with mister maddic.
Speaker 12 (10:48):
Everybody liked him.
Speaker 5 (10:49):
Is there anybody especially mean.
Speaker 11 (10:51):
Like a girlfriend?
Speaker 10 (10:52):
That's right?
Speaker 11 (10:53):
I don't know. That's maybe it was Bessie. Who's that
Bessie Rowan? Her and mister pretty friendly asked me. I'd
say it might even have been serious. You work here, Yeah,
stock room clerk, head of the department. I see, pretty
important job, got charge of all the ordering.
Speaker 5 (11:11):
Yeah, you ever been in mister Maddock's room.
Speaker 11 (11:15):
I know you're just trying to do what you think
is right, mister Friday, but I don't like what you're getting.
Speaker 5 (11:20):
No offense, Miss lasked, just a routine question.
Speaker 12 (11:24):
Oh the answer is no.
Speaker 11 (11:25):
I told you. I just went out with him a
couple of times.
Speaker 5 (11:27):
That's all I see. You remember that is miss Rowan
here this morning.
Speaker 11 (11:33):
No, she isn't so funny thing too. You mean, it's
not like her to miss a day's work long as
I've been here. She never done it before, Always here,
always on time. That's why it's so funny. She called
this morning and said she wouldn't be able to make it.
Speaker 5 (11:46):
She say why not?
Speaker 11 (11:47):
Really kind of talked around it, you know, matter of fact.
I didn't think she had a real reason for not
coming in. How was that the way she acted? Say
you don't think any did you do, mister Mattick, I
wouldn't know. I bet that's it. She knows something, that's
why she's not coming.
Speaker 5 (12:06):
That's the reason it's possible.
Speaker 11 (12:07):
More nuts.
Speaker 12 (12:08):
She knows something.
Speaker 11 (12:09):
I'll bet you on it, bet you anything.
Speaker 5 (12:11):
I wouldn't be too fair. We'd like to see you win.
Speaker 4 (12:24):
We checked all the employees of the store through R
and I. Except for two drunk arrests for the janitor,
Curtis Hallman, there was no record on any of them.
We tried to contact Bessie Rowan at her home, but
she wasn't there. The neighbors were n't able to tell
us anything that might at us in finding her.
Speaker 5 (12:39):
We asked them to notify us in the event she returned.
Speaker 4 (12:42):
At twelve forty six pm, an identified woman called the
Bentley Appliants Company and asked for the victim. She was
told that he was out and was asked to leave
a phone number where she could be contacted. Frank and
I checked with the phone company and found that the
number was assigned to a public phone booth in a
downtown department store.
Speaker 5 (12:57):
We drove over to the place and talked with one
of the clerks.
Speaker 9 (13:00):
Yes, it seems to me there was a woman by
the phone booze.
Speaker 5 (13:03):
Can he give us a description?
Speaker 11 (13:04):
Ever, not a very good one, I'm afraid.
Speaker 5 (13:07):
Well anything you can tell. That's why help see.
Speaker 12 (13:10):
There is one thing though, what's a might not mean anything?
Speaker 5 (13:13):
But what is it? Ma'am?
Speaker 9 (13:14):
Her hair no real red? Thought the brightest red I've
ever seen had to come from a bottle. Never saw
any natural hair of that color. Does that help you.
Speaker 5 (13:24):
Any well, we don't know yet.
Speaker 9 (13:26):
I didn't think it would. Just something you remember, something
kind of outstanding.
Speaker 12 (13:31):
I just thought of it.
Speaker 9 (13:32):
Figured it might be a way for you to remember
if it's the one you're looking for.
Speaker 4 (13:36):
Well, if it is, we've gone another way. Four point
thirty five pm, Frank and I went back to the
City Hall and checked into the office. There was a
note in the book for us to get in touch
with Sergeant Jay Allen at the crime Lab. He just
finished his preliminary examination of physical evidence and wanted to
(13:56):
go over his findings with us.
Speaker 5 (13:58):
Backhead Joe Frank, Okay, well, how'd you do?
Speaker 10 (14:04):
I'd bad here. Take a look.
Speaker 13 (14:07):
Yeah, these are the bare bottles we found in the
room fourteen, and they're clean, able to lift three good
prints and.
Speaker 10 (14:12):
More of the glasses.
Speaker 13 (14:13):
Enough for identification you come up with a finger, not
enough for classification of it anything else.
Speaker 10 (14:19):
I went over the room with a vacuum cleaner.
Speaker 13 (14:21):
Found listening to couch, hearing imitation stone, morning's gold filled.
Speaker 10 (14:27):
Nothing else on.
Speaker 5 (14:27):
Them anyway, checking where it was botching, it'll.
Speaker 13 (14:30):
Be pretty hard. Costume jewelry, A lot of places make
it even.
Speaker 10 (14:34):
More in that cellar. Yeah, found this handkerchief on the
floor under the couch.
Speaker 5 (14:39):
There's no monogram, any laundry marks.
Speaker 10 (14:42):
Yeah, went over with ultra violet.
Speaker 8 (14:44):
There's nothing there is that it.
Speaker 13 (14:47):
Wow, lipstick marks and the glasses we lifted might be
able to use them on identification.
Speaker 10 (14:51):
Yeah, you come up with a motive youat no.
Speaker 4 (14:54):
Those news We can tell there wasn't anything stolen from
the store and the victim had thirty six dollars in
cash on them, expensive watch ring, none of it was touched.
Speaker 5 (15:04):
You got any more force, Jay.
Speaker 13 (15:05):
I couldn't find the murder weapon, wasn't in the room.
We checked the rest of the place, couldn't.
Speaker 5 (15:09):
Turn it any idea what it might have been, Jane.
Speaker 13 (15:11):
A sharp instrument, probably a pocket knife three inch play. Oh,
one more thing, not sure about it?
Speaker 8 (15:16):
Yeah, here I get it.
Speaker 10 (15:21):
Take a look.
Speaker 5 (15:22):
What are you going to there?
Speaker 13 (15:23):
Hair bottom on the victim's jacket. No way of telling
how long they had been there human Yeah, whoever they belonged,
it shouldn't be too hard to spot.
Speaker 5 (15:30):
What do you mean bright red?
Speaker 4 (15:40):
We left the crime lab and drove over to the
Bentley of Plants Company. We went up to the second
floor and talked with the secretary again.
Speaker 11 (15:46):
Kral l Ask, Sure I can give you a description
of Bessie. No trouble at all.
Speaker 5 (15:50):
Have you heard from her today?
Speaker 11 (15:51):
Not since this morning? I told you about that? You
know how she wouldn't be in Yeah, that's the only time.
Speaker 5 (15:57):
Now about the description. What color hair does she have?
It's a lawn color, darker.
Speaker 11 (16:01):
Light come in between. I guess that's the reason she
fixes it up.
Speaker 5 (16:05):
What do I mean touch up?
Speaker 11 (16:07):
Usually a sort of strawberry blan. I guess you call
her last time she did it? I guess it was
a week ago. She had an accident with the die.
She did something wrong. Sure looked funny.
Speaker 5 (16:17):
What do you mean?
Speaker 11 (16:18):
What turned out wrong? Embarrister all over the place. Everybody
was making cracks about it. She said she was going
to redo it first chance she had.
Speaker 5 (16:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 11 (16:26):
I kind of laughed myself. It was pretty hard to imagine.
Speaker 5 (16:29):
What's that?
Speaker 11 (16:30):
That color? Red hair?
Speaker 5 (16:40):
We returned to the office and filled out the reports.
Speaker 4 (16:43):
At six eighteen pm, we got a call from one
of the suspects neighbors, telling us that she'd returned home.
Speaker 5 (16:48):
We grew about to talk to her.
Speaker 10 (16:54):
Yeah, Bessie Ron, that's right?
Speaker 12 (16:56):
Who are you?
Speaker 5 (16:57):
A police officer? Like to talk to you?
Speaker 11 (16:59):
Well, I haven't got anything to say to you. I'm
not gonna do my school dog.
Speaker 12 (17:03):
Huh is it? You're gonna take me down the poop anyway?
Speaker 8 (17:07):
Aren't you?
Speaker 12 (17:09):
Aren't you gonne?
Speaker 5 (17:09):
It might be better if we talk to you inside.
Speaker 11 (17:11):
Oh well, then come on then, maybe no difference where
we talk, not a bit. You ain't gonna believe me
anyway about what that I didn't kill Clyde.
Speaker 12 (17:20):
You ain't gonna believe me, are you?
Speaker 5 (17:22):
Why don't you tell us?
Speaker 12 (17:24):
All right?
Speaker 5 (17:24):
I will?
Speaker 12 (17:25):
What do you think of that?
Speaker 5 (17:26):
Huh?
Speaker 12 (17:27):
Well do you think of that?
Speaker 5 (17:29):
You alone? Here?
Speaker 3 (17:30):
No?
Speaker 11 (17:30):
I got three of our friends hide in the closet.
They usually don't come out that cerily, though, Wait until
it gets dark. That's when they like it once dark.
And you want me to tell you now? Huh about
what about Clyde?
Speaker 12 (17:42):
How he's dead?
Speaker 5 (17:43):
If you want me to why don't you try.
Speaker 11 (17:45):
No matter what I say, You're gonna believe what you
want to. So it probably be easier if I went
along with you, wouldn't It might be okay? Then I
killed him.
Speaker 4 (18:27):
Six twenty three pm. We continued to talk to Bessie Rowan.
Frank went out to the kitchen and made a pot
of coffee. After we'd gotten several cups down Miss Rowan,
she sobered up and was able to answer our question.
Speaker 12 (18:36):
I didn't mean it. I wasn't feeling very good. I
guess that's why I said.
Speaker 5 (18:39):
You see him Saturday night?
Speaker 12 (18:40):
Yeah, after work, Matti. We went to the place in
the corner. He had a couple of drinks and then
I came home.
Speaker 5 (18:47):
Have ever been in his room?
Speaker 11 (18:48):
Went to me as a company. It wouldn't do any
good to lie about it. Yeah, I've been there when
I don't know. I guess the last time was a
week ago, somewhere in there. I had a couple of drinks.
Speaker 5 (18:58):
I'm doing, Madi, get along all right.
Speaker 12 (19:00):
We didn't set the world on fire.
Speaker 5 (19:01):
How do you know?
Speaker 8 (19:02):
It was dead?
Speaker 5 (19:03):
Heard it where i'd.
Speaker 12 (19:04):
Ratter, not say like somebody in trouble.
Speaker 5 (19:06):
You've got a good sized piece of that right now?
Why don't you tell us?
Speaker 12 (19:10):
Friend of mine I called this morning.
Speaker 5 (19:13):
That's how you found out?
Speaker 11 (19:14):
Yeah, I guess his friend wasn't supposed to say anything.
As soon as she did, she told me not to
say anything.
Speaker 5 (19:19):
What time to see Mada class?
Speaker 12 (19:21):
I guess it was about.
Speaker 11 (19:22):
Seven point thirty. Right after we came out of the bar.
He walked me back to the parking lot and I
came home.
Speaker 5 (19:28):
Anybody votched for that? No, you can prove it.
Speaker 12 (19:30):
Then though, maybe they changed the laws.
Speaker 5 (19:33):
Huh what do you mean to that?
Speaker 11 (19:34):
I always thought you had to prove I was guilty.
They've done away with that. No, and start proving right.
Speaker 5 (19:38):
Get a coat and we'll go downtown.
Speaker 10 (19:40):
You're going to book me, we'll see.
Speaker 12 (19:42):
You gotta make a charge, don't you.
Speaker 13 (19:44):
If you want it that way, I'll get a jacket.
Speaker 10 (19:48):
Where is it?
Speaker 12 (19:49):
Bedroom closet?
Speaker 5 (19:50):
You want to show me?
Speaker 11 (19:51):
You don't trust anybody doing you just got the.
Speaker 5 (19:52):
Coat, lad, that's the one. Okay, there we are gentlemen,
would hold it? Yeah? All set?
Speaker 12 (20:04):
Yeah, I guess. So we turn off the coffee.
Speaker 11 (20:07):
I think so you better be sure I'm not gonna
come home and have to clean and burn coffee pot.
Speaker 4 (20:11):
I don't worry about it. You might not be coming home.
The woman was taken downtown to the city Hall. Her
fingerprints were taken. We checked her name and description through
our and I once more, but we failed to come
up with a record for eight fifteen pm. While I
(20:31):
talked to her in the squad room, Frank went down
the hall.
Speaker 12 (20:34):
You're gonna let me go home as.
Speaker 5 (20:35):
Soon as you tell us the truth.
Speaker 12 (20:36):
I've told you everything I know. It's all you're gonna get.
Speaker 5 (20:40):
Yere it is.
Speaker 12 (20:47):
What's that the solution to the case.
Speaker 4 (20:49):
It might be it's a report from Layton Prince. Yeah,
your fingerprints matched with the ones we found in some
glasses in his room.
Speaker 5 (20:54):
What does that mean you were in his room.
Speaker 12 (20:56):
I've already admitted this, sold as.
Speaker 5 (20:58):
You weren't there Saturday, so he's a sloppy house.
Speaker 6 (21:00):
Now.
Speaker 4 (21:00):
We talked to the janitor. He cleaned the room Saturday morning.
The glasses weren't there, then, how about him?
Speaker 5 (21:05):
It's wrong. Make it easier if you give us a statement.
Speaker 11 (21:09):
Come on, all right, I was there, but I didn't
kill him, and that's the truth.
Speaker 5 (21:15):
Go ahead.
Speaker 11 (21:16):
After we left the bar, he asked me to come
up and have a night cap.
Speaker 5 (21:18):
I did.
Speaker 11 (21:19):
We had some stuff to talk over, what we wanted
to get married.
Speaker 12 (21:23):
We talked about it before.
Speaker 11 (21:24):
There was something hanging him up. I don't know what
it was. I told him we couldn't go on like
that anymore. It had to be either one way or
the other. Either we'd get married or else we'd call
the whole thing off.
Speaker 5 (21:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 11 (21:34):
He asked for a couple of days, said he'd clean
up whatever the trouble was. By then.
Speaker 12 (21:38):
I told him to go ahead. That's all. I had
a couple of drinks and then I left and I
came straight home.
Speaker 5 (21:42):
What times you get there?
Speaker 12 (21:43):
About ten? Maybe ten thirty?
Speaker 5 (21:45):
Why'd you lie to us?
Speaker 12 (21:46):
I don't know.
Speaker 11 (21:48):
I was drunk. You saw that. I got scared. I'd
sure you'd think I did it.
Speaker 5 (21:53):
Did Mattic have any other girlfriends?
Speaker 13 (21:55):
I don't know.
Speaker 12 (21:55):
We didn't talk about it.
Speaker 5 (21:56):
Did he mention anybody else?
Speaker 8 (21:57):
Yeah?
Speaker 11 (21:58):
I guess A couple of times he talked about some
girl that was giving him trouble, called him at work,
you know, and he's back.
Speaker 12 (22:04):
Told me he was trying to get rid of her.
Speaker 5 (22:05):
Possible she might have been the reason you couldn't get married. Yeah,
it might be you know anything about it.
Speaker 12 (22:10):
No, he didn't talk much about her.
Speaker 11 (22:12):
A couple of times he'd be hacked because she'd called
the store and made a big scene. Said she was
usually ghasted. She was a real lush where he put it,
drunk most of the time. It's funny though. She didn't
go for herd booze. Uh just drank beer.
Speaker 4 (22:37):
On the chance that the empty beer bottles we'd found
in the victim's room had been bought in the neighborhood,
we began an immediate canvas of the liquor stores in
the area. We gave the dealers a description of Clyde Mattick,
and we also asked if a woman had purchased fourteen bottles.
Speaker 5 (22:48):
Of beer in the first five stars.
Speaker 4 (22:51):
We drew a blank, but the clerk in the sixth
told us that he had made such a sale on
Saturday night to a woman. He was unable to tell
us who she was, but he did say that he'd
seen her several times in the neighborhood bars. We started
to check them. Several bartenders knew the woman, but were
unable to tell us her name or where we could
find her.
Speaker 5 (23:08):
At twelve twenty. We stopped at the place called the
Pink Pigeon. Yeah, I know her in here all the time.
She's a very drinker, you know what I mean?
Speaker 10 (23:15):
Let me think.
Speaker 5 (23:16):
Yeah, I'm glad as something. I don't think I ever
heard the last part. Wouldn't make me unhappy if she
didn't come back. What do you mean? Woh, she's all
a time tank, loud, dirty mouth stick like that. Doesn't
do the place any good. You know where you can
get in touch with her? What's the matter if she'd
done something we'd like to talk to her?
Speaker 10 (23:30):
Well?
Speaker 5 (23:30):
Sure, I didn't mean to stick my nose anywhere it
don't belongs. All right, you know where we can find her?
I don't know.
Speaker 13 (23:34):
I guess her place be as good as any. Well,
where's that a couple of blocks up? It's a brown house,
second from the corner. You can't miss it, just like her,
a real mess as weeds all around. It's a brown house.
Speaker 5 (23:43):
All I thank you. I'm glad to help Bob.
Speaker 13 (23:45):
I've been saying for a long time she was gonna
end up in real trouble. Been saying that for a
long time. I've been telling everybody. They didn't believe me.
Speaker 5 (23:50):
Well they will now.
Speaker 4 (23:58):
We left the bar and drove over to the house
the bartender had described. There was a light on in
the front room. When we got there. The name on
the mailbox read Missus Clyde Mattock.
Speaker 5 (24:09):
Yes, you're mis matic, that's right.
Speaker 8 (24:12):
Who are you?
Speaker 5 (24:12):
Police officer?
Speaker 12 (24:14):
Come on in, I've been expecting you. Wait a minute,
I'll get.
Speaker 5 (24:20):
A coat, get it.
Speaker 12 (24:22):
It kind of surprised me.
Speaker 5 (24:24):
How's that.
Speaker 11 (24:25):
I kind of figured you'd find me before this. Didn't
think it'd take this long.
Speaker 5 (24:29):
Did you kill him?
Speaker 6 (24:30):
Yeah?
Speaker 12 (24:32):
He wanted a divorce. I wouldn't give it to him.
Wanted to marry some fluesy where he worked. It wouldn't
give me a chance to work things out. I tried
to convince me he was wrong.
Speaker 11 (24:42):
I told him if he tried to leave me, be sorry.
Speaker 12 (24:46):
I tried to convince him. Wouldn't believe me?
Speaker 5 (24:49):
Or maybe he does. Now let's go.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
The story you've just heard is true. The names were
changed to protect the innocent.
Speaker 3 (25:04):
On December sixteenth, trial was held in Department ninety seven,
Superior Court of the State of California in and for
the County of Los Angeles. In a moment, the results
of that trial. Gladys Markham maddict was tried and convicted
(25:31):
of murder in the second degree and received punishment as
prescribed by law. Murder in the second degree is punishable
by imprisonment for a period of from five years to
life in the state penitentiary. You have just heard Dragnet,
(26:02):
a series of authentic cases from official files. Technical advice
comes from the Office of Chief of Police W. H. Parker,
Los Angeles Police Department HA
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