Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
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Speaker 3 (00:07):
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Speaker 1 (00:20):
Ladies and gentlemen. The story you were about to hear
is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent.
You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned a robbery detail. You
get a telephone call from a woman who wants to
(00:41):
see you. She says it's about her husband. She's afraid
he's going to pull a hold up your job. Check
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Speaker 3 (02:21):
Dragnet the document a drama of an actual crime. For
the next thirty minutes, in cooperation with the Los Angeles
Police Department, you will travel step by step on the
side of the law through an actual case transcribed from
official police filence. From beginning to end, from crime to punishment,
Dragnet is the story of your police force in action.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
It was Wednesday, May eighteenth. This was cool in Los Angeles.
We're working the day watch out of robbery detail. My
partner's Frank Smith, the boss as TV detective stab Bround.
My name is Friday. I was on my way into
the office and it was seven forty nine am when
I got to Room twenty seven A robbery.
Speaker 5 (03:00):
One and Joe Hi bomb. Well, well, what good morning?
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Frank?
Speaker 5 (03:16):
Oh right?
Speaker 2 (03:17):
What's eating you? Are you mad about something?
Speaker 6 (03:20):
Would I be mad about?
Speaker 2 (03:22):
I don't know, but you didn't say good morning.
Speaker 6 (03:24):
I'm just not going over there anymore. That's all overwhere
the Talbot's who? The talbots you know, lived down the
streets sells real estate. Well, we bought our house from him.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
You see.
Speaker 6 (03:33):
We got to be friends, at least his wife and
fair friends. I never cared for him much myself.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
What happened? Mhmm between you and him? You have to fight.
I don't fight with people. Joe.
Speaker 6 (03:44):
You know that I just found him out, that's all,
just found him out. The kind of a guy really is,
is that right? Yeah? They use signals? What signals? Him
and his wife? Can you imagine that they use him?
Speaker 2 (03:54):
What kind of signals?
Speaker 6 (03:56):
Different ones for different words?
Speaker 2 (03:58):
What do you mean?
Speaker 5 (03:59):
One?
Speaker 6 (03:59):
They play charades?
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Oh, I say, had.
Speaker 6 (04:02):
Us over their place last night, some other couples two
about eight or ten of us and all the yeah,
ten five on each side. And for the charade game?
You played it, haven't you?
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (04:11):
When I was about ten years old, we used to
play When I look buddy, it's no kids game, not
the way they play?
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Was that right?
Speaker 6 (04:17):
I'll give you stuff to act out, titles and quotations
you've never even heard of half of them. And the
top it off, they got signals. Yeah, now verb little word,
big word, person's name, letters, the alphabet. They got signals
for all of them. You can spell something out. What's
the point of the game, beach?
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Pretty bad? Didn't they last night? In the game you lost?
Speaker 6 (04:35):
It hasn't got anything to do with it, Joe. It
doesn't matter who wins or loses. It's the principle of
the things, all of the signals. Yeah, I get it,
and they use them. Robbery Friday, Yes, ma'am. Well, I
don't know what seems to be the trouble. I see, Yes,
I guess we could.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Where is that? Are they open this early? All right, yes, ma'am,
we'll be there. Goodbye. Lady wants to talk to us,
say she'll meet us at a bar out on Melrose.
Speaker 6 (05:09):
What's it all about?
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Her husband? Yeah, he bought a gun. Frank and I
drove over to a small bar in the corner of
Melrose in eighth. It was eight twenty three am when
we got there.
Speaker 7 (05:25):
Morning jets. Well, Well, if it be a little eye opener,
just coffee, how about you?
Speaker 6 (05:29):
I don't have a cup too please?
Speaker 7 (05:31):
Now, if fight isn't ready yet, I just finished putting
it on.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
That's all right.
Speaker 5 (05:33):
We're in no hurry, there's a cafe right around the corner.
Speaker 7 (05:36):
They're open now.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
Well, we'll wait suit yourself.
Speaker 7 (05:39):
I guess you guys aren't like me.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
How's that?
Speaker 7 (05:41):
When I want my morning to coffee, I want it
right now. I don't even all awake until after I've
had a couple of cups.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Try if we take a booth.
Speaker 8 (05:48):
Sure, first, one's all cleaned up.
Speaker 7 (05:49):
I haven't had time to get to the others yet.
Speaker 6 (05:50):
All right, thank you, Yeah, it looks like we got
here first. You know she'd give you a name. Did
she tell you her name?
Speaker 2 (06:00):
No? No, I said she didn't want to talk over
the phone.
Speaker 8 (06:02):
Uh Joe, Hi, Sally, Hi? Give me a shot with you?
Speaker 7 (06:09):
Sure?
Speaker 8 (06:09):
A scotch?
Speaker 9 (06:10):
Yeah, okay, go ahead, mister, take a good look.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
I was waiting for somebody. I guess I made a mistake.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
Yeah you should.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
I'm sorry.
Speaker 4 (06:26):
A little later on it might be interested, but not
at eight thirty am. Gotting worse all the time, isn't it?
Speaker 5 (06:34):
Y'all?
Speaker 9 (06:34):
Can't even have a morning pick me up without some
guy starting to move in on her.
Speaker 4 (06:38):
Well, he was looking at.
Speaker 8 (06:40):
Your mike, got at you put on a tab?
Speaker 4 (06:47):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (06:48):
Sure, see.
Speaker 8 (06:50):
How your coffees about ready.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
All right?
Speaker 8 (06:52):
Thank you want creamy sugar?
Speaker 2 (06:54):
No black?
Speaker 8 (06:55):
How about you?
Speaker 5 (06:56):
Same?
Speaker 7 (06:56):
Coming up?
Speaker 5 (06:59):
Don't I know?
Speaker 8 (07:00):
Attention to Sally. Yeah you must have got out on
the wrong side of the bed today. Usually she's real friendly,
you know what I mean?
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Yeah, no, just don't take it personally. That's all right,
I forget it.
Speaker 7 (07:10):
Too bad. You guys came in so early, long tourd evening.
We got a lot of action here.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
We're meeting somebody.
Speaker 8 (07:16):
Okay, just telling you that's all.
Speaker 6 (07:21):
Gosh.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
Yeah, boy, that's hot.
Speaker 4 (07:24):
Al right.
Speaker 6 (07:25):
I think I burnt my tongue.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
That's too bad.
Speaker 8 (07:30):
Top Cat bar Mike speaking. Oh well, I don't know, yeah, yeah, okay, sure, Hey.
Speaker 5 (07:39):
What do you guys?
Speaker 8 (07:40):
Gotta name sounds.
Speaker 6 (07:41):
I'm like Friday, that's right, while you're being stood up,
huh she said, to tell you.
Speaker 5 (07:45):
Not to wait.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Frank and I left the tom Cat Barn. We went
back to the office. Ten seventeen am. An informant called
with a tip about a grocery store hold up that
had taken place the previous Monday. We interrogated a possible suspect,
but his alibi checked out. The next day, Thursday May eighteenth,
nine forty three am.
Speaker 8 (08:07):
Okay robbery smith.
Speaker 6 (08:11):
Oh oh, y, asked man Josh.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
For you okay Friday? Yeah, yeah, I remember, well we
were there. Well, why don't you give me your name
this time? No, I'm sorry, we'll have to have your
name Flint f L I n T all right now
(08:37):
lookman's flint. If this is some kind of a gag,
all right, if you're sure this time? Right, all right?
Goodbye to the woman again. Woman who called yesterday morning?
Speaker 6 (08:50):
Oh yeah, what she want now? Same thing made us
at the bar, and then she's on the level.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
I don't know.
Speaker 6 (08:55):
It sounds like at this time, why didn't she show
up yesterday?
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Then say she tried but she just couldn't.
Speaker 6 (08:59):
Why not?
Speaker 2 (09:00):
Said something about loving her husband? Eh, when the chips
were down, she couldn't bring herself to turn him into us.
Speaker 6 (09:04):
Yeah, but you will not, say.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
She hasked to if she can't wait any longer, oh,
I says it might be too late. Ten sixteen am,
Frank and I left the office and drove out to
the bar. When we got there, there was only one
customer in the place, a small, dark haired woman sitting
in the corner booth. Hi, how are you a day? Well?
Speaker 7 (09:25):
The beak off again. Yeah, okay, what do you want now?
Speaker 2 (09:28):
We'll let you know. M That woman over there in
the corner, Yeah, do you know who she is?
Speaker 7 (09:33):
Uh h, I don't think she'd been in before.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
All right, thank you?
Speaker 8 (09:36):
I say that reminds me. Yeah, Sally was around last night.
I asked about you.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 8 (09:41):
I guess she had a change of heart. She's a
pretty good kid.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Yeah, miss Flint, Are you miss Flynn?
Speaker 4 (09:52):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (09:52):
Well, my name's Friday. It's my partner, Frank Smith.
Speaker 6 (09:56):
Can we sit down there?
Speaker 8 (09:58):
I guess so you guys watch your coffee over.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Yeah, I'll be fine.
Speaker 8 (10:01):
How about the lady?
Speaker 2 (10:02):
Would you like something?
Speaker 7 (10:02):
Man?
Speaker 4 (10:04):
I'd like a drink? All right, I'm gonna need it.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
What'll it be?
Speaker 4 (10:08):
I don't care. Bourbon, I guess bourbon and ginger ale.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Lady wants a bourbon and ginger ale.
Speaker 4 (10:14):
Does he know ma'am the bartender? Does he know your cops?
Speaker 10 (10:18):
No?
Speaker 2 (10:18):
I don't think so. We haven't told him.
Speaker 4 (10:20):
If anybody finds out, i'd talk to you. If rod
ever finds out, I guess that just about wash us up.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
Roger. Your husband's that right?
Speaker 4 (10:27):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (10:28):
Rodney Flint Well, is that his name?
Speaker 7 (10:33):
Not?
Speaker 4 (10:33):
Really not his real name?
Speaker 2 (10:35):
What is it?
Speaker 4 (10:35):
Then? I don't know if I'm doing the right thing.
I just don't know. He'd never understand. He'd say I
was double crossing him. Maybe I am, Maybe he aren't.
Speaker 7 (10:45):
Two coffees and bourbon and ginger.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
Where we are you?
Speaker 7 (10:48):
That's a buck even.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
There?
Speaker 4 (10:51):
You go?
Speaker 7 (10:52):
Okay, thank you?
Speaker 4 (10:56):
Four years. I've been thinking about it, living with it.
Four years, have been trying to make up my mind
whether I should go to the police or not.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
Yes, ma'am, but the.
Speaker 4 (11:05):
Things seem to be working out. He was doing so well,
making good money. He's changed too, honest, he has well.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
And I suppose you give us the whole story.
Speaker 4 (11:14):
You married, sergeant, No, ma'am, how about you?
Speaker 6 (11:18):
Yeah, I'm married.
Speaker 4 (11:19):
Tell me something, mister, and you tell me the truth.
Speaker 6 (11:21):
What's that?
Speaker 4 (11:22):
Suppose your wife got you in trouble. Suppose she squealed
on you. What would you think of her?
Speaker 6 (11:28):
Well, I guess it would depend on why she did it.
Speaker 4 (11:30):
Oh, I've got a reason, best reason in the world.
Speaker 6 (11:34):
I'm in love with him, best ma'am.
Speaker 4 (11:36):
If I wasn't, i'd just walk out. If I didn't
love him, m'd have walked out.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
Years ago, Now, when you called us yesterday, you said
your husband had bought a gun.
Speaker 4 (11:44):
Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 6 (11:45):
Do you know what he wants with it?
Speaker 7 (11:47):
No?
Speaker 4 (11:47):
Not for sure.
Speaker 6 (11:49):
You got a pretty good idea, though, haven't you.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
Was your husband ever done any time as Flynn?
Speaker 4 (11:55):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (11:55):
What for?
Speaker 4 (11:57):
He stole a car?
Speaker 2 (11:58):
Anything else?
Speaker 4 (11:59):
Robbery? Supermarket? Back east?
Speaker 6 (12:01):
Whereabouts?
Speaker 4 (12:02):
Michigan? He used to live in Detroit. How much time
did he do seven years?
Speaker 2 (12:07):
Did he come out free?
Speaker 4 (12:08):
I don't know what you mean, I'm sorry.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
Afterwards? Was he on parole? Did he have to report
to a parole officer?
Speaker 4 (12:14):
Oh? Yes, how long he was supposed to be ten years?
Speaker 2 (12:18):
When did he get out of prison?
Speaker 4 (12:19):
Five years ago?
Speaker 2 (12:21):
When did you come to California about a year later?
Did he have permission to leave the state of Michigan?
Speaker 4 (12:28):
No?
Speaker 2 (12:30):
What made him leave then?
Speaker 4 (12:31):
I just came home one day, said he couldn't take
it any longer, said he was going to la and
that it was up to me whether I came with
him or not.
Speaker 6 (12:38):
Do you know if he's wanted for anything else beside
violation of parole?
Speaker 4 (12:42):
I don't think so.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
You know, you still haven't told us his real name?
Speaker 4 (12:46):
Frasey Ralph frasey anything.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
It's missus frazy. Huh what about the gun?
Speaker 4 (12:52):
Well, like I said, everything was going along pretty well.
He's got a good job and he's had three or
four raises. Where's he Workine Pacific Crest Oil Company. He
likes the work, they like him. But the longer we
live out here, the better things are. Well, that just
makes him more scared. Scared, Oh, that somebody will find
(13:13):
out who he really is and then he'll have to
go back to prison. If he just sees a cop,
he goes all to pieces. He's sure they've finally caught
up with him, just a traffic cop. Even he gets
worse all the time, jumpy and nervous and well, scared,
that's the only word for it. He's been drinking a
lot more too, nearly every night. Then just last week
(13:36):
he ran into a guy that used to be a friend.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
Of his back in Detroit.
Speaker 4 (13:39):
Yeah, this fellow knows all about him, that he's been
in prison. And Rod's afraid, I mean Ralph. I've called
him Rod so long I keep forgetting that it isn't
his real name. Sure anyway, he's he's afraid this guy
will say something to somebody that'll all come out. It's
just driving him crazy. So he bought a gun.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
Do you see why.
Speaker 4 (14:02):
He was pretty drunk night before last. That's when he
brought it home. He mumbled something, if he was going
to go back to prison anyway, he might as well
make it worth their while. Maybe he's planning another robbery.
I don't know. I don't really think he would, But
with all this drinking and being stared up, he said, well,
(14:24):
I don't know what he might do.
Speaker 6 (14:28):
Where's the gun now, i'm's crazy at home?
Speaker 4 (14:30):
He hid it in the stove, in the pan under
the broiler, at least that's where he put it last night.
After after what well, you see, he was carrying on
doing a lot of talking, and he was holding the
gun at the same time, waving it around, telling me
how easy it'd be to go out and rob Somebody
said that way he could get enough money for us
(14:51):
to leave the country and can go to Mexico, maybe
where they'd never find us. Right in the middle of everything,
the pistol went off. He was just an accident. He
wasn't pointing at anything. The bullet only went into the ceiling.
I'm sure he didn't mean to pull the trigger.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
Yes, ma'am.
Speaker 4 (15:08):
But when he heard the shot he acted like he
was going out of his mind. He was sure the
neighbors had heard it too, and that they'd report it
to the police.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
What'd he do then, Well, he.
Speaker 4 (15:17):
Dug the bullet out of the ceiling got rid of it.
After that, he just waited. How that proves he's changed,
doesn't it that he really isn't a criminal anymore?
Speaker 2 (15:27):
Do you mean that?
Speaker 7 (15:28):
Well?
Speaker 4 (15:29):
He didn't run away. Yeah, he stayed there all night
long waiting, and he didn't keep the gun. He put
it in the oven. He didn't have it on him,
so there wouldn't have been any trouble even if the
police did come. See. I kept praying that they would
over and over. I prayed you'd come and find out
who he is. He's got to go back to prison
(15:51):
and finish out his sentence. I'm sure of that now.
If he doesn't, I just don't know what will happen
to him.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
What about you, miss frasy me, he's in prison. What'll
you do?
Speaker 4 (16:01):
Oh? I can work. I did before.
Speaker 6 (16:03):
I'm managed m It's crazy what times your husband come
home from work.
Speaker 4 (16:07):
It's later and later since he started drinking nine o'clock,
maybe even ten. He's never there for supper anymore.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
Is there someplace else you can go this evening over
to a neighbors Maybe?
Speaker 4 (16:20):
I suppose so.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
Why well, it might be better if you weren't there
when we pick him up.
Speaker 4 (16:24):
But you can't. I mean, well, not so soon, not tonight.
Does it have to be tonight?
Speaker 2 (16:31):
Yes, ma'am, it does.
Speaker 4 (16:34):
And know it was me that I had something to
do with it. He's bombing.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
No, we'll keep you out of it if we can.
Speaker 4 (16:40):
What are you gonna tell him? What kind of an
excuse would you use?
Speaker 2 (16:43):
Let's see what kind he has?
Speaker 4 (16:59):
Stop?
Speaker 8 (17:00):
Start smoking with a smile.
Speaker 6 (17:03):
With Chesterfield Smooth, cooler, milder Chesterfield, Pull the smile and
you smokeing.
Speaker 8 (17:11):
Just give him a try.
Speaker 11 (17:13):
Chesterfee is best for you, they said, is fine.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
When you shop stop Remember vacation time is carton time.
The cigarette to take with you is Chesterfield made the
modern way with Acirae. Take along a couple of cartons
and put a smile in your smoking Chesterfield Smoother, cooler,
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(17:42):
cigarette satisfies like Chesterfield.
Speaker 8 (17:46):
Pull the smile and you smokeing.
Speaker 11 (17:48):
Just give him a try. Chester feels best for you,
they said, is fine.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
Frank and I continued to talk to Missus Frasey. She
agreed to be out of the house during the evening.
She also gave us a description of her husband. She
said he was WMA, thirty eight years old, five eleven
and they weighed about one hundred and seventy. She told
us he had black hair, brown eyes, and a dark complexion.
Eleven twenty seven am we went back to the office.
We ran the names Rodney Flint and Ralph Frasey threw
(18:23):
ourn eye. They had nothing on Flint. Under Frasey, we
found a want from the State of Michigan for a
violation of parole. The dates given on the want checked
with what Missus Frasey had told us. We contacted the
Pacific Crest Oil Refinery, and without stating that we were
from the police department, we learned that a man named
Rodney Flint had been employed there for the last three years.
They said he was a steady, dependable worker. Six thirty
(18:46):
two PM we drove out to the address Missus Frasey
had given us. It was a modest, one story home
just off Santa Monica boulevard. We parked across the street
and waited for Frasey to return from work. Seven oh
five pm we saw missus Frasey go into a neighbor's
home three doors west. Frank and I continue to wait
eight forty six pm.
Speaker 6 (19:04):
Yeah, cross the street and he's.
Speaker 2 (19:06):
Turned into the driveway. Let's give him a minute. Let
him get inside, all right? Now the lights are on there,
let's go.
Speaker 10 (19:15):
Okay. I want to see the bell over there. Oh yeah,
it's coming.
Speaker 4 (19:38):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
We'd like to talk to you for a minute. What
about we're police officers, police. This is Frank Smith. My
name's Friday.
Speaker 4 (19:46):
Hi.
Speaker 7 (19:47):
I I didn't send him for no cops. That's right.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
If we come in, what do you want? Just want
to talk to you, that's all alight.
Speaker 7 (19:52):
Do your talking out here?
Speaker 6 (19:53):
Be easy. If we were inside, I ain't got all night,
neither of we.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
This won't take very long.
Speaker 6 (20:02):
I stand right, Hey, what standstill?
Speaker 7 (20:05):
What is all?
Speaker 2 (20:06):
I say?
Speaker 6 (20:07):
He's clean?
Speaker 2 (20:07):
Joe? What's your name? Come on? Give us your name?
Speaker 7 (20:11):
Flint, first name to Rod Rodney?
Speaker 2 (20:14):
You long?
Speaker 7 (20:15):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (20:16):
You live alone?
Speaker 7 (20:17):
All rife? Shot?
Speaker 12 (20:18):
She left me note said she's going over the neighbors
babysit for.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
Were you home last night?
Speaker 7 (20:23):
Yeah? I was home all night from about ten o'clock on.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
Did you hear a gun go off? What a gun?
Did you hear one go off?
Speaker 7 (20:30):
Of course?
Speaker 2 (20:30):
Not? Well, somebody didn't. They reported it said it sounded
like it came from.
Speaker 7 (20:33):
This house last night.
Speaker 6 (20:35):
She said, that's right, Flint boy.
Speaker 7 (20:36):
What a police voice.
Speaker 12 (20:38):
Your cops. I'll be real proud of you. So yeah,
it's all you gotta do. Check up on some character
who's been hearing things.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
There wasn't any shot, Huh, I didn't hear I see
kind of late to be asking anything. We just got
around to it, like the whole day.
Speaker 7 (20:52):
Where's your needed cop? What are you supposed to do?
Make an appointment ahead of time?
Speaker 6 (20:56):
Are you're sure about this about what? You didn't hear
any gun fight?
Speaker 7 (20:59):
I didn't hear nothing.
Speaker 12 (21:00):
And there's a lot of traffic down the boulevard. Maybe
a car was backfiring. Maybe that's where do.
Speaker 2 (21:05):
You own again? Are you sure about that?
Speaker 7 (21:07):
Well? I'd know if I had a gun, wouldn't I?
Speaker 2 (21:10):
Sorry? If we look around?
Speaker 7 (21:11):
What four?
Speaker 2 (21:12):
I want to give your place the once over?
Speaker 12 (21:14):
No it's not okay. Oh, ain't gonna have you a
busting in. You're now, come on, go on.
Speaker 7 (21:18):
Beat it.
Speaker 4 (21:19):
Huh.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
We can get a search warrant and come back.
Speaker 7 (21:20):
Are you listening to me and you listen good?
Speaker 4 (21:22):
Huh?
Speaker 7 (21:22):
This isn't skid wrong, mister, This is my home. I
own it.
Speaker 12 (21:25):
Are you're not missing around a main street bum? Either
I got a good job or a big company. They
pay a lot of taxes in this town. They pay
a lot of your salary.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 12 (21:32):
My boss a pretty important guy. He's got friends. And
now you just take your little badges.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
And move on, all right.
Speaker 6 (21:37):
Plan, If that's the way you want, that's the way
I want it.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
Just give us one more thing. What are you afraid of?
Speaker 7 (21:43):
I'm not afraid of anything.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
You guys, especially, you're not very anxious for us to
look around. There must be a reason for that.
Speaker 7 (21:50):
Well okay, okay, go ahead and search. It's no skin
off of my nose, all right, thanks, bad change.
Speaker 12 (21:56):
You'd have a fine on something even if it was here.
Speaker 7 (21:59):
Dumb cops.
Speaker 12 (22:00):
So it took your whole day to get here, a
whole day to answer one lousy crack pot call.
Speaker 2 (22:03):
Well, don't forget Yeah it got answered, Frank, and I
began a routine search of the house. Well, Frank went
through the two bedrooms. I took the living room and
dining area. We found nothing suspicious. Nine pm. We'd finished
with the front part of the home and we went
into the kitchen. The suspect followed us.
Speaker 12 (22:23):
Okay, if I fix myself a drink while you're messing
the join up.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
It's up to you.
Speaker 7 (22:27):
You guys want one, right, I'm blast you want one?
Speaker 2 (22:31):
No thanks?
Speaker 7 (22:32):
What about you?
Speaker 5 (22:33):
No thanks?
Speaker 7 (22:34):
You don't drink? Eh, not hurting my feelings.
Speaker 5 (22:41):
I'll check the.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
Service sports job all right.
Speaker 12 (22:48):
You know, my wife's gonna raise kine when she sees
what you guys had done to the house.
Speaker 2 (22:51):
Well being as careful as we can flint.
Speaker 12 (22:53):
Yeah, sure, well not come on, how about winding it
up just a couple of minutes. Well, you boys really
believe in wasting time, don't you. What do they do
pay you by the hour?
Speaker 2 (23:01):
There's nothing out there, Joe, I guess that takes care
of it.
Speaker 12 (23:09):
Yeah, come on, I'll be glad to show you to
the door.
Speaker 6 (23:12):
We'll find our way this minute. She checked the stove. Mhm,
the stove. No, I thought you did?
Speaker 2 (23:20):
All right?
Speaker 4 (23:21):
All right?
Speaker 6 (23:22):
No?
Speaker 2 (23:22):
What we forgot something?
Speaker 7 (23:23):
Yeah?
Speaker 8 (23:26):
It looks empty.
Speaker 7 (23:27):
What's with you? You think I'm cooking a gun?
Speaker 8 (23:30):
Yeah, it's okay, Joe?
Speaker 2 (23:31):
All right?
Speaker 4 (23:32):
Who do I get this pan?
Speaker 7 (23:33):
Backed?
Speaker 2 (23:34):
Hey? Watch it?
Speaker 8 (23:34):
There got them jokes.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
Wait a minute, plint, you're not going anywhere.
Speaker 12 (23:38):
Look, I don't know what this is all about it.
I never saw that gun before in my whole life. Yeah,
I don't even know how it got.
Speaker 2 (23:44):
Well, let's talk about it downtown. Come on.
Speaker 12 (23:46):
Look, wait a minute. Now, you can't hold me in
like this. What have I done? You gotta have a charge.
I know the law. You gotta charge me with something.
You won't find anything.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
We found again, we drove this at baked down to
the city hall, rolled his prints and booked him in
on suspicion of robbery. Eleven o six pm. We brought
him into the squad room for questioning.
Speaker 6 (24:09):
All right, sit down over there.
Speaker 7 (24:14):
What kind of a frame is this? Come on, how
about letting me in on it? Uh?
Speaker 2 (24:18):
Whould I rob You can forget about our robbery charge.
I guess we made a mistake.
Speaker 7 (24:22):
Well that's what I've been telling you know.
Speaker 2 (24:23):
We had to check the gun. We had to be sure, all.
Speaker 12 (24:25):
Right, said I ain't No, Yeah, Okay, no hard feelings.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
What you've heard me? Sit down. Maybe we were wrong
about the robbery charge, but we came up with something else.
I want from Michigan. Violation of parole?
Speaker 6 (24:41):
What about it? Phrasy?
Speaker 2 (24:43):
Well, well, what.
Speaker 7 (24:46):
Do you want to know? You've got it all the story.
Speaker 2 (24:48):
Why'd you leave Michigan? When did you jump parole?
Speaker 7 (24:49):
Or what differences made?
Speaker 2 (24:51):
What would you tell us about it?
Speaker 12 (24:52):
I didn't have no choice. Yeah, I used to play
around some pretty rough boys. I got out of the joint.
Speaker 7 (24:58):
They're still in Detroit. Looked me up.
Speaker 12 (25:02):
Aye, you guys will think I'm conning you, But well,
look I I wanted to go straight.
Speaker 7 (25:06):
They had different ideas.
Speaker 12 (25:07):
Yeah, so we came out here, Dorothy and me. She's
my wife. I see, well you can check on me.
I've been clean ever since. I asked the company talk
to anybody about me to I'll tell you I'm clean now.
Speaker 7 (25:18):
Not gonna help back in Michigan.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
No, that's not up to us.
Speaker 12 (25:22):
Sure, I thought that was why they sent you to jail,
so you'd learn something so when you come out you
won't do it again.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
That's part of it.
Speaker 7 (25:29):
Well I learned, What good did it do me?
Speaker 2 (25:31):
Maybe you didn't learn enough.
Speaker 7 (25:33):
Huh.
Speaker 2 (25:33):
There's a law against the next convict having a gun.
Speaker 7 (25:36):
Are you gonna stick me with that one too?
Speaker 2 (25:37):
That's not up to us either.
Speaker 7 (25:39):
I was the gun that hadn't been to that gun,
you'd never found me.
Speaker 2 (25:42):
It might have taken a little longer, that's all, sure,
that's what did.
Speaker 12 (25:45):
I don't know why it went off the other night.
I I thought the safety was on.
Speaker 7 (25:48):
Just my luck.
Speaker 12 (25:50):
I never had a decent break in my whole life,
not one. Well, is there any more you guys.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
Won No, I guess not, not now anyway.
Speaker 7 (25:59):
So if I call my.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
Wife, yeah, we'll fix it for you.
Speaker 7 (26:03):
Why now she's gonna say it?
Speaker 2 (26:05):
I don't know.
Speaker 7 (26:06):
I guess you'll stick by me.
Speaker 12 (26:07):
She always has throw all the rotten brakes in a
matter of what.
Speaker 7 (26:12):
Yeah, she'll stick.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
Then you must have had one good break then, huh
huh when you married her.
Speaker 1 (26:25):
The story you've just heard is true. The names were
changed to protect the innocent.
Speaker 3 (26:30):
On Thursday, May twenty fifth, the meeting was held in
the District Attorney's office in and for the County of
Los Angeles, State of California. In a moment, the results
of that meeting now.
Speaker 2 (26:39):
Here is our star Jack Webb, Thank you, George Veneman. Friends,
discover for yourself what modern science can do to increase
your cigarette enjoyment. Remember, accurate puts a smile and your
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Speaker 3 (27:05):
In the interest of justice and because of the suspect's
good behavior record in Los Angeles, it was decided not
to press charges against him for possessing a gun. Ralph
Putnam Frasey alias Rodney Flint was turned over to Michigan
authorities to serve out his previous sentence. He has since
been released and has returned to his former employment in
Los Angeles. You have just heard Dragnet, a series of
(27:36):
authentic cases from official files. Technical advice comes from the
Office of Chief of Police W. H. Parker, Los Angeles
Police Department Technical advisors Captain Jack Donahoe, Sergeant Marty Wynne,
Sergeant Van S.
Speaker 6 (27:48):
Fraser.
Speaker 3 (27:49):
Heard tonight were Ben Alexander, Stacy, Harris, herb Ellis, Vivi Janis,
script by Frank Burt, music by Walter Schumann, Hell Gidney speaking.
Speaker 1 (28:01):
Watch an entirely different Dragnet case history. Each week on
your local NBC television station. Please check your newspapers for
the day in time. Chesterfield has brought you Dragnet. Transcribe
from Los Angeles.
Speaker 10 (28:14):
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Yes, Llen M's Got everything. Superior taste, superior Tobaccos, superior filter.
It's the Miracle Tip, pure and white by Len M,
America's best filter tip cigarette.
Speaker 1 (28:45):
Here Dragnet next week, same time, same station.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
Tonight.
Speaker 1 (28:59):
Here a special broadcast The Atom Menace and Promise on
most NBC radio stations
Chesterfield brings you drag net.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Put a smile in your smoking.
Speaker 3 (00:07):
By Chesterfield Smoother, cooler, best for you.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Ladies and gentlemen. The story you were about to hear
is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent.
You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned a robbery detail. You
get a telephone call from a woman who wants to
(00:41):
see you. She says it's about her husband. She's afraid
he's going to pull a hold up your job. Check
it out. Listen, listen to news of an electronic miracle,
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the greatest improvement in cigarette making in thirty years. It's
the ACU Ray, and it's a Chesterfield exclusive.
Speaker 4 (01:12):
To you.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
It means cooler smoking, smoother smoking than was ever possible before.
The ACU ray electronically checks and controls the making of
your Chesterfield, So for the first time you get a
perfect smoke column from end to end. You'll marvel at
the extra flavor that comes through. Yet, because this measurably
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never possible before. Yes, from the first puff to the last,
your Chesterfield smokes smoother. Your Chesterfield smokes cooler. Chesterfield is
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to increase your cigarette enjoyment. Change to Chesterfield and put
a smile in your smoking. Look for the new Chesterfield carton.
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Speaker 3 (02:21):
Dragnet the document a drama of an actual crime. For
the next thirty minutes, in cooperation with the Los Angeles
Police Department, you will travel step by step on the
side of the law through an actual case transcribed from
official police filence. From beginning to end, from crime to punishment,
Dragnet is the story of your police force in action.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
It was Wednesday, May eighteenth. This was cool in Los Angeles.
We're working the day watch out of robbery detail. My
partner's Frank Smith, the boss as TV detective stab Bround.
My name is Friday. I was on my way into
the office and it was seven forty nine am when
I got to Room twenty seven A robbery.
Speaker 5 (03:00):
One and Joe Hi bomb. Well, well, what good morning?
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Frank?
Speaker 5 (03:16):
Oh right?
Speaker 2 (03:17):
What's eating you? Are you mad about something?
Speaker 6 (03:20):
Would I be mad about?
Speaker 2 (03:22):
I don't know, but you didn't say good morning.
Speaker 6 (03:24):
I'm just not going over there anymore. That's all overwhere
the Talbot's who? The talbots you know, lived down the
streets sells real estate. Well, we bought our house from him.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
You see.
Speaker 6 (03:33):
We got to be friends, at least his wife and
fair friends. I never cared for him much myself.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
What happened? Mhmm between you and him? You have to fight.
I don't fight with people. Joe.
Speaker 6 (03:44):
You know that I just found him out, that's all,
just found him out. The kind of a guy really is,
is that right? Yeah? They use signals? What signals? Him
and his wife? Can you imagine that they use him?
Speaker 2 (03:54):
What kind of signals?
Speaker 6 (03:56):
Different ones for different words?
Speaker 2 (03:58):
What do you mean?
Speaker 5 (03:59):
One?
Speaker 6 (03:59):
They play charades?
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Oh, I say, had.
Speaker 6 (04:02):
Us over their place last night, some other couples two
about eight or ten of us and all the yeah,
ten five on each side. And for the charade game?
You played it, haven't you?
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (04:11):
When I was about ten years old, we used to
play When I look buddy, it's no kids game, not
the way they play?
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Was that right?
Speaker 6 (04:17):
I'll give you stuff to act out, titles and quotations
you've never even heard of half of them. And the
top it off, they got signals. Yeah, now verb little word,
big word, person's name, letters, the alphabet. They got signals
for all of them. You can spell something out. What's
the point of the game, beach?
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Pretty bad? Didn't they last night? In the game you lost?
Speaker 6 (04:35):
It hasn't got anything to do with it, Joe. It
doesn't matter who wins or loses. It's the principle of
the things, all of the signals. Yeah, I get it,
and they use them. Robbery Friday, Yes, ma'am. Well, I
don't know what seems to be the trouble. I see, Yes,
I guess we could.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Where is that? Are they open this early? All right, yes, ma'am,
we'll be there. Goodbye. Lady wants to talk to us,
say she'll meet us at a bar out on Melrose.
Speaker 6 (05:09):
What's it all about?
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Her husband? Yeah, he bought a gun. Frank and I
drove over to a small bar in the corner of
Melrose in eighth. It was eight twenty three am when
we got there.
Speaker 7 (05:25):
Morning jets. Well, Well, if it be a little eye opener,
just coffee, how about you?
Speaker 6 (05:29):
I don't have a cup too please?
Speaker 7 (05:31):
Now, if fight isn't ready yet, I just finished putting
it on.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
That's all right.
Speaker 5 (05:33):
We're in no hurry, there's a cafe right around the corner.
Speaker 7 (05:36):
They're open now.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
Well, we'll wait suit yourself.
Speaker 7 (05:39):
I guess you guys aren't like me.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
How's that?
Speaker 7 (05:41):
When I want my morning to coffee, I want it
right now. I don't even all awake until after I've
had a couple of cups.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Try if we take a booth.
Speaker 8 (05:48):
Sure, first, one's all cleaned up.
Speaker 7 (05:49):
I haven't had time to get to the others yet.
Speaker 6 (05:50):
All right, thank you, Yeah, it looks like we got
here first. You know she'd give you a name. Did
she tell you her name?
Speaker 2 (06:00):
No? No, I said she didn't want to talk over
the phone.
Speaker 8 (06:02):
Uh Joe, Hi, Sally, Hi? Give me a shot with you?
Speaker 7 (06:09):
Sure?
Speaker 8 (06:09):
A scotch?
Speaker 9 (06:10):
Yeah, okay, go ahead, mister, take a good look.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
I was waiting for somebody. I guess I made a mistake.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
Yeah you should.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
I'm sorry.
Speaker 4 (06:26):
A little later on it might be interested, but not
at eight thirty am. Gotting worse all the time, isn't it?
Speaker 5 (06:34):
Y'all?
Speaker 9 (06:34):
Can't even have a morning pick me up without some
guy starting to move in on her.
Speaker 4 (06:38):
Well, he was looking at.
Speaker 8 (06:40):
Your mike, got at you put on a tab?
Speaker 4 (06:47):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (06:48):
Sure, see.
Speaker 8 (06:50):
How your coffees about ready.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
All right?
Speaker 8 (06:52):
Thank you want creamy sugar?
Speaker 2 (06:54):
No black?
Speaker 8 (06:55):
How about you?
Speaker 5 (06:56):
Same?
Speaker 7 (06:56):
Coming up?
Speaker 5 (06:59):
Don't I know?
Speaker 8 (07:00):
Attention to Sally. Yeah you must have got out on
the wrong side of the bed today. Usually she's real friendly,
you know what I mean?
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Yeah, no, just don't take it personally. That's all right,
I forget it.
Speaker 7 (07:10):
Too bad. You guys came in so early, long tourd evening.
We got a lot of action here.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
We're meeting somebody.
Speaker 8 (07:16):
Okay, just telling you that's all.
Speaker 6 (07:21):
Gosh.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
Yeah, boy, that's hot.
Speaker 4 (07:24):
Al right.
Speaker 6 (07:25):
I think I burnt my tongue.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
That's too bad.
Speaker 8 (07:30):
Top Cat bar Mike speaking. Oh well, I don't know, yeah, yeah, okay, sure, Hey.
Speaker 5 (07:39):
What do you guys?
Speaker 8 (07:40):
Gotta name sounds.
Speaker 6 (07:41):
I'm like Friday, that's right, while you're being stood up,
huh she said, to tell you.
Speaker 5 (07:45):
Not to wait.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Frank and I left the tom Cat Barn. We went
back to the office. Ten seventeen am. An informant called
with a tip about a grocery store hold up that
had taken place the previous Monday. We interrogated a possible suspect,
but his alibi checked out. The next day, Thursday May eighteenth,
nine forty three am.
Speaker 8 (08:07):
Okay robbery smith.
Speaker 6 (08:11):
Oh oh, y, asked man Josh.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
For you okay Friday? Yeah, yeah, I remember, well we
were there. Well, why don't you give me your name
this time? No, I'm sorry, we'll have to have your
name Flint f L I n T all right now
(08:37):
lookman's flint. If this is some kind of a gag,
all right, if you're sure this time? Right, all right?
Goodbye to the woman again. Woman who called yesterday morning?
Speaker 6 (08:50):
Oh yeah, what she want now? Same thing made us
at the bar, and then she's on the level.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
I don't know.
Speaker 6 (08:55):
It sounds like at this time, why didn't she show
up yesterday?
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Then say she tried but she just couldn't.
Speaker 6 (08:59):
Why not?
Speaker 2 (09:00):
Said something about loving her husband? Eh, when the chips
were down, she couldn't bring herself to turn him into us.
Speaker 6 (09:04):
Yeah, but you will not, say.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
She hasked to if she can't wait any longer, oh,
I says it might be too late. Ten sixteen am,
Frank and I left the office and drove out to
the bar. When we got there, there was only one
customer in the place, a small, dark haired woman sitting
in the corner booth. Hi, how are you a day? Well?
Speaker 7 (09:25):
The beak off again. Yeah, okay, what do you want now?
Speaker 2 (09:28):
We'll let you know. M That woman over there in
the corner, Yeah, do you know who she is?
Speaker 7 (09:33):
Uh h, I don't think she'd been in before.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
All right, thank you?
Speaker 8 (09:36):
I say that reminds me. Yeah, Sally was around last night.
I asked about you.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 8 (09:41):
I guess she had a change of heart. She's a
pretty good kid.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Yeah, miss Flint, Are you miss Flynn?
Speaker 4 (09:52):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (09:52):
Well, my name's Friday. It's my partner, Frank Smith.
Speaker 6 (09:56):
Can we sit down there?
Speaker 8 (09:58):
I guess so you guys watch your coffee over.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Yeah, I'll be fine.
Speaker 8 (10:01):
How about the lady?
Speaker 2 (10:02):
Would you like something?
Speaker 7 (10:02):
Man?
Speaker 4 (10:04):
I'd like a drink? All right, I'm gonna need it.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
What'll it be?
Speaker 4 (10:08):
I don't care. Bourbon, I guess bourbon and ginger ale.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Lady wants a bourbon and ginger ale.
Speaker 4 (10:14):
Does he know ma'am the bartender? Does he know your cops?
Speaker 10 (10:18):
No?
Speaker 2 (10:18):
I don't think so. We haven't told him.
Speaker 4 (10:20):
If anybody finds out, i'd talk to you. If rod
ever finds out, I guess that just about wash us up.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
Roger. Your husband's that right?
Speaker 4 (10:27):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (10:28):
Rodney Flint Well, is that his name?
Speaker 7 (10:33):
Not?
Speaker 4 (10:33):
Really not his real name?
Speaker 2 (10:35):
What is it?
Speaker 4 (10:35):
Then? I don't know if I'm doing the right thing.
I just don't know. He'd never understand. He'd say I
was double crossing him. Maybe I am, Maybe he aren't.
Speaker 7 (10:45):
Two coffees and bourbon and ginger.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
Where we are you?
Speaker 7 (10:48):
That's a buck even.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
There?
Speaker 4 (10:51):
You go?
Speaker 7 (10:52):
Okay, thank you?
Speaker 4 (10:56):
Four years. I've been thinking about it, living with it.
Four years, have been trying to make up my mind
whether I should go to the police or not.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
Yes, ma'am, but the.
Speaker 4 (11:05):
Things seem to be working out. He was doing so well,
making good money. He's changed too, honest, he has well.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
And I suppose you give us the whole story.
Speaker 4 (11:14):
You married, sergeant, No, ma'am, how about you?
Speaker 6 (11:18):
Yeah, I'm married.
Speaker 4 (11:19):
Tell me something, mister, and you tell me the truth.
Speaker 6 (11:21):
What's that?
Speaker 4 (11:22):
Suppose your wife got you in trouble. Suppose she squealed
on you. What would you think of her?
Speaker 6 (11:28):
Well, I guess it would depend on why she did it.
Speaker 4 (11:30):
Oh, I've got a reason, best reason in the world.
Speaker 6 (11:34):
I'm in love with him, best ma'am.
Speaker 4 (11:36):
If I wasn't, i'd just walk out. If I didn't
love him, m'd have walked out.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
Years ago, Now, when you called us yesterday, you said
your husband had bought a gun.
Speaker 4 (11:44):
Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 6 (11:45):
Do you know what he wants with it?
Speaker 7 (11:47):
No?
Speaker 4 (11:47):
Not for sure.
Speaker 6 (11:49):
You got a pretty good idea, though, haven't you.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
Was your husband ever done any time as Flynn?
Speaker 4 (11:55):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (11:55):
What for?
Speaker 4 (11:57):
He stole a car?
Speaker 2 (11:58):
Anything else?
Speaker 4 (11:59):
Robbery? Supermarket? Back east?
Speaker 6 (12:01):
Whereabouts?
Speaker 4 (12:02):
Michigan? He used to live in Detroit. How much time
did he do seven years?
Speaker 2 (12:07):
Did he come out free?
Speaker 4 (12:08):
I don't know what you mean, I'm sorry.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
Afterwards? Was he on parole? Did he have to report
to a parole officer?
Speaker 4 (12:14):
Oh? Yes, how long he was supposed to be ten years?
Speaker 2 (12:18):
When did he get out of prison?
Speaker 4 (12:19):
Five years ago?
Speaker 2 (12:21):
When did you come to California about a year later?
Did he have permission to leave the state of Michigan?
Speaker 4 (12:28):
No?
Speaker 2 (12:30):
What made him leave then?
Speaker 4 (12:31):
I just came home one day, said he couldn't take
it any longer, said he was going to la and
that it was up to me whether I came with
him or not.
Speaker 6 (12:38):
Do you know if he's wanted for anything else beside
violation of parole?
Speaker 4 (12:42):
I don't think so.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
You know, you still haven't told us his real name?
Speaker 4 (12:46):
Frasey Ralph frasey anything.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
It's missus frazy. Huh what about the gun?
Speaker 4 (12:52):
Well, like I said, everything was going along pretty well.
He's got a good job and he's had three or
four raises. Where's he Workine Pacific Crest Oil Company. He
likes the work, they like him. But the longer we
live out here, the better things are. Well, that just
makes him more scared. Scared, Oh, that somebody will find
(13:13):
out who he really is and then he'll have to
go back to prison. If he just sees a cop,
he goes all to pieces. He's sure they've finally caught
up with him, just a traffic cop. Even he gets
worse all the time, jumpy and nervous and well, scared,
that's the only word for it. He's been drinking a
lot more too, nearly every night. Then just last week
(13:36):
he ran into a guy that used to be a friend.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
Of his back in Detroit.
Speaker 4 (13:39):
Yeah, this fellow knows all about him, that he's been
in prison. And Rod's afraid, I mean Ralph. I've called
him Rod so long I keep forgetting that it isn't
his real name. Sure anyway, he's he's afraid this guy
will say something to somebody that'll all come out. It's
just driving him crazy. So he bought a gun.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
Do you see why.
Speaker 4 (14:02):
He was pretty drunk night before last. That's when he
brought it home. He mumbled something, if he was going
to go back to prison anyway, he might as well
make it worth their while. Maybe he's planning another robbery.
I don't know. I don't really think he would, But
with all this drinking and being stared up, he said, well,
(14:24):
I don't know what he might do.
Speaker 6 (14:28):
Where's the gun now, i'm's crazy at home?
Speaker 4 (14:30):
He hid it in the stove, in the pan under
the broiler, at least that's where he put it last night.
After after what well, you see, he was carrying on
doing a lot of talking, and he was holding the
gun at the same time, waving it around, telling me
how easy it'd be to go out and rob Somebody
said that way he could get enough money for us
(14:51):
to leave the country and can go to Mexico, maybe
where they'd never find us. Right in the middle of everything,
the pistol went off. He was just an accident. He
wasn't pointing at anything. The bullet only went into the ceiling.
I'm sure he didn't mean to pull the trigger.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
Yes, ma'am.
Speaker 4 (15:08):
But when he heard the shot he acted like he
was going out of his mind. He was sure the
neighbors had heard it too, and that they'd report it
to the police.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
What'd he do then, Well, he.
Speaker 4 (15:17):
Dug the bullet out of the ceiling got rid of it.
After that, he just waited. How that proves he's changed,
doesn't it that he really isn't a criminal anymore?
Speaker 2 (15:27):
Do you mean that?
Speaker 7 (15:28):
Well?
Speaker 4 (15:29):
He didn't run away. Yeah, he stayed there all night
long waiting, and he didn't keep the gun. He put
it in the oven. He didn't have it on him,
so there wouldn't have been any trouble even if the
police did come. See. I kept praying that they would
over and over. I prayed you'd come and find out
who he is. He's got to go back to prison
(15:51):
and finish out his sentence. I'm sure of that now.
If he doesn't, I just don't know what will happen
to him.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
What about you, miss frasy me, he's in prison. What'll
you do?
Speaker 4 (16:01):
Oh? I can work. I did before.
Speaker 6 (16:03):
I'm managed m It's crazy what times your husband come
home from work.
Speaker 4 (16:07):
It's later and later since he started drinking nine o'clock,
maybe even ten. He's never there for supper anymore.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
Is there someplace else you can go this evening over
to a neighbors Maybe?
Speaker 4 (16:20):
I suppose so.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
Why well, it might be better if you weren't there
when we pick him up.
Speaker 4 (16:24):
But you can't. I mean, well, not so soon, not tonight.
Does it have to be tonight?
Speaker 2 (16:31):
Yes, ma'am, it does.
Speaker 4 (16:34):
And know it was me that I had something to
do with it. He's bombing.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
No, we'll keep you out of it if we can.
Speaker 4 (16:40):
What are you gonna tell him? What kind of an
excuse would you use?
Speaker 2 (16:43):
Let's see what kind he has?
Speaker 4 (16:59):
Stop?
Speaker 8 (17:00):
Start smoking with a smile.
Speaker 6 (17:03):
With Chesterfield Smooth, cooler, milder Chesterfield, Pull the smile and
you smokeing.
Speaker 8 (17:11):
Just give him a try.
Speaker 11 (17:13):
Chesterfee is best for you, they said, is fine.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
When you shop stop Remember vacation time is carton time.
The cigarette to take with you is Chesterfield made the
modern way with Acirae. Take along a couple of cartons
and put a smile in your smoking Chesterfield Smoother, cooler,
best for you. Remember in the whole wide world, no
(17:42):
cigarette satisfies like Chesterfield.
Speaker 8 (17:46):
Pull the smile and you smokeing.
Speaker 11 (17:48):
Just give him a try. Chester feels best for you,
they said, is fine.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
Frank and I continued to talk to Missus Frasey. She
agreed to be out of the house during the evening.
She also gave us a description of her husband. She
said he was WMA, thirty eight years old, five eleven
and they weighed about one hundred and seventy. She told
us he had black hair, brown eyes, and a dark complexion.
Eleven twenty seven am we went back to the office.
We ran the names Rodney Flint and Ralph Frasey threw
(18:23):
ourn eye. They had nothing on Flint. Under Frasey, we
found a want from the State of Michigan for a
violation of parole. The dates given on the want checked
with what Missus Frasey had told us. We contacted the
Pacific Crest Oil Refinery, and without stating that we were
from the police department, we learned that a man named
Rodney Flint had been employed there for the last three years.
They said he was a steady, dependable worker. Six thirty
(18:46):
two PM we drove out to the address Missus Frasey
had given us. It was a modest, one story home
just off Santa Monica boulevard. We parked across the street
and waited for Frasey to return from work. Seven oh
five pm we saw missus Frasey go into a neighbor's
home three doors west. Frank and I continue to wait
eight forty six pm.
Speaker 6 (19:04):
Yeah, cross the street and he's.
Speaker 2 (19:06):
Turned into the driveway. Let's give him a minute. Let
him get inside, all right? Now the lights are on there,
let's go.
Speaker 10 (19:15):
Okay. I want to see the bell over there. Oh yeah,
it's coming.
Speaker 4 (19:38):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
We'd like to talk to you for a minute. What
about we're police officers, police. This is Frank Smith. My
name's Friday.
Speaker 4 (19:46):
Hi.
Speaker 7 (19:47):
I I didn't send him for no cops. That's right.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
If we come in, what do you want? Just want
to talk to you, that's all alight.
Speaker 7 (19:52):
Do your talking out here?
Speaker 6 (19:53):
Be easy. If we were inside, I ain't got all night,
neither of we.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
This won't take very long.
Speaker 6 (20:02):
I stand right, Hey, what standstill?
Speaker 7 (20:05):
What is all?
Speaker 2 (20:06):
I say?
Speaker 6 (20:07):
He's clean?
Speaker 2 (20:07):
Joe? What's your name? Come on? Give us your name?
Speaker 7 (20:11):
Flint, first name to Rod Rodney?
Speaker 2 (20:14):
You long?
Speaker 7 (20:15):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (20:16):
You live alone?
Speaker 7 (20:17):
All rife? Shot?
Speaker 12 (20:18):
She left me note said she's going over the neighbors
babysit for.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
Were you home last night?
Speaker 7 (20:23):
Yeah? I was home all night from about ten o'clock on.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
Did you hear a gun go off? What a gun?
Did you hear one go off?
Speaker 7 (20:30):
Of course?
Speaker 2 (20:30):
Not? Well, somebody didn't. They reported it said it sounded
like it came from.
Speaker 7 (20:33):
This house last night.
Speaker 6 (20:35):
She said, that's right, Flint boy.
Speaker 7 (20:36):
What a police voice.
Speaker 12 (20:38):
Your cops. I'll be real proud of you. So yeah,
it's all you gotta do. Check up on some character
who's been hearing things.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
There wasn't any shot, Huh, I didn't hear I see
kind of late to be asking anything. We just got
around to it, like the whole day.
Speaker 7 (20:52):
Where's your needed cop? What are you supposed to do?
Make an appointment ahead of time?
Speaker 6 (20:56):
Are you're sure about this about what? You didn't hear
any gun fight?
Speaker 7 (20:59):
I didn't hear nothing.
Speaker 12 (21:00):
And there's a lot of traffic down the boulevard. Maybe
a car was backfiring. Maybe that's where do.
Speaker 2 (21:05):
You own again? Are you sure about that?
Speaker 7 (21:07):
Well? I'd know if I had a gun, wouldn't I?
Speaker 2 (21:10):
Sorry? If we look around?
Speaker 7 (21:11):
What four?
Speaker 2 (21:12):
I want to give your place the once over?
Speaker 12 (21:14):
No it's not okay. Oh, ain't gonna have you a
busting in. You're now, come on, go on.
Speaker 7 (21:18):
Beat it.
Speaker 4 (21:19):
Huh.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
We can get a search warrant and come back.
Speaker 7 (21:20):
Are you listening to me and you listen good?
Speaker 4 (21:22):
Huh?
Speaker 7 (21:22):
This isn't skid wrong, mister, This is my home. I
own it.
Speaker 12 (21:25):
Are you're not missing around a main street bum? Either
I got a good job or a big company. They
pay a lot of taxes in this town. They pay
a lot of your salary.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 12 (21:32):
My boss a pretty important guy. He's got friends. And
now you just take your little badges.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
And move on, all right.
Speaker 6 (21:37):
Plan, If that's the way you want, that's the way
I want it.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
Just give us one more thing. What are you afraid of?
Speaker 7 (21:43):
I'm not afraid of anything.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
You guys, especially, you're not very anxious for us to
look around. There must be a reason for that.
Speaker 7 (21:50):
Well okay, okay, go ahead and search. It's no skin
off of my nose, all right, thanks, bad change.
Speaker 12 (21:56):
You'd have a fine on something even if it was here.
Speaker 7 (21:59):
Dumb cops.
Speaker 12 (22:00):
So it took your whole day to get here, a
whole day to answer one lousy crack pot call.
Speaker 2 (22:03):
Well, don't forget Yeah it got answered, Frank, and I
began a routine search of the house. Well, Frank went
through the two bedrooms. I took the living room and
dining area. We found nothing suspicious. Nine pm. We'd finished
with the front part of the home and we went
into the kitchen. The suspect followed us.
Speaker 12 (22:23):
Okay, if I fix myself a drink while you're messing
the join up.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
It's up to you.
Speaker 7 (22:27):
You guys want one, right, I'm blast you want one?
Speaker 2 (22:31):
No thanks?
Speaker 7 (22:32):
What about you?
Speaker 5 (22:33):
No thanks?
Speaker 7 (22:34):
You don't drink? Eh, not hurting my feelings.
Speaker 5 (22:41):
I'll check the.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
Service sports job all right.
Speaker 12 (22:48):
You know, my wife's gonna raise kine when she sees
what you guys had done to the house.
Speaker 2 (22:51):
Well being as careful as we can flint.
Speaker 12 (22:53):
Yeah, sure, well not come on, how about winding it
up just a couple of minutes. Well, you boys really
believe in wasting time, don't you. What do they do
pay you by the hour?
Speaker 2 (23:01):
There's nothing out there, Joe, I guess that takes care
of it.
Speaker 12 (23:09):
Yeah, come on, I'll be glad to show you to
the door.
Speaker 6 (23:12):
We'll find our way this minute. She checked the stove. Mhm,
the stove. No, I thought you did?
Speaker 2 (23:20):
All right?
Speaker 4 (23:21):
All right?
Speaker 6 (23:22):
No?
Speaker 2 (23:22):
What we forgot something?
Speaker 7 (23:23):
Yeah?
Speaker 8 (23:26):
It looks empty.
Speaker 7 (23:27):
What's with you? You think I'm cooking a gun?
Speaker 8 (23:30):
Yeah, it's okay, Joe?
Speaker 2 (23:31):
All right?
Speaker 4 (23:32):
Who do I get this pan?
Speaker 7 (23:33):
Backed?
Speaker 2 (23:34):
Hey? Watch it?
Speaker 8 (23:34):
There got them jokes.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
Wait a minute, plint, you're not going anywhere.
Speaker 12 (23:38):
Look, I don't know what this is all about it.
I never saw that gun before in my whole life. Yeah,
I don't even know how it got.
Speaker 2 (23:44):
Well, let's talk about it downtown. Come on.
Speaker 12 (23:46):
Look, wait a minute. Now, you can't hold me in
like this. What have I done? You gotta have a charge.
I know the law. You gotta charge me with something.
You won't find anything.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
We found again, we drove this at baked down to
the city hall, rolled his prints and booked him in
on suspicion of robbery. Eleven o six pm. We brought
him into the squad room for questioning.
Speaker 6 (24:09):
All right, sit down over there.
Speaker 7 (24:14):
What kind of a frame is this? Come on, how
about letting me in on it? Uh?
Speaker 2 (24:18):
Whould I rob You can forget about our robbery charge.
I guess we made a mistake.
Speaker 7 (24:22):
Well that's what I've been telling you know.
Speaker 2 (24:23):
We had to check the gun. We had to be sure, all.
Speaker 12 (24:25):
Right, said I ain't No, Yeah, Okay, no hard feelings.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
What you've heard me? Sit down. Maybe we were wrong
about the robbery charge, but we came up with something else.
I want from Michigan. Violation of parole?
Speaker 6 (24:41):
What about it? Phrasy?
Speaker 2 (24:43):
Well, well, what.
Speaker 7 (24:46):
Do you want to know? You've got it all the story.
Speaker 2 (24:48):
Why'd you leave Michigan? When did you jump parole?
Speaker 7 (24:49):
Or what differences made?
Speaker 2 (24:51):
What would you tell us about it?
Speaker 12 (24:52):
I didn't have no choice. Yeah, I used to play
around some pretty rough boys. I got out of the joint.
Speaker 7 (24:58):
They're still in Detroit. Looked me up.
Speaker 12 (25:02):
Aye, you guys will think I'm conning you, But well,
look I I wanted to go straight.
Speaker 7 (25:06):
They had different ideas.
Speaker 12 (25:07):
Yeah, so we came out here, Dorothy and me. She's
my wife. I see, well you can check on me.
I've been clean ever since. I asked the company talk
to anybody about me to I'll tell you I'm clean now.
Speaker 7 (25:18):
Not gonna help back in Michigan.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
No, that's not up to us.
Speaker 12 (25:22):
Sure, I thought that was why they sent you to jail,
so you'd learn something so when you come out you
won't do it again.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
That's part of it.
Speaker 7 (25:29):
Well I learned, What good did it do me?
Speaker 2 (25:31):
Maybe you didn't learn enough.
Speaker 7 (25:33):
Huh.
Speaker 2 (25:33):
There's a law against the next convict having a gun.
Speaker 7 (25:36):
Are you gonna stick me with that one too?
Speaker 2 (25:37):
That's not up to us either.
Speaker 7 (25:39):
I was the gun that hadn't been to that gun,
you'd never found me.
Speaker 2 (25:42):
It might have taken a little longer, that's all, sure,
that's what did.
Speaker 12 (25:45):
I don't know why it went off the other night.
I I thought the safety was on.
Speaker 7 (25:48):
Just my luck.
Speaker 12 (25:50):
I never had a decent break in my whole life,
not one. Well, is there any more you guys.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
Won No, I guess not, not now anyway.
Speaker 7 (25:59):
So if I call my.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
Wife, yeah, we'll fix it for you.
Speaker 7 (26:03):
Why now she's gonna say it?
Speaker 2 (26:05):
I don't know.
Speaker 7 (26:06):
I guess you'll stick by me.
Speaker 12 (26:07):
She always has throw all the rotten brakes in a
matter of what.
Speaker 7 (26:12):
Yeah, she'll stick.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
Then you must have had one good break then, huh
huh when you married her.
Speaker 1 (26:25):
The story you've just heard is true. The names were
changed to protect the innocent.
Speaker 3 (26:30):
On Thursday, May twenty fifth, the meeting was held in
the District Attorney's office in and for the County of
Los Angeles, State of California. In a moment, the results
of that meeting now.
Speaker 2 (26:39):
Here is our star Jack Webb, Thank you, George Veneman. Friends,
discover for yourself what modern science can do to increase
your cigarette enjoyment. Remember, accurate puts a smile and your
smoking enjoy a smoothness and coolness never possible before Chesterfield
best for you.
Speaker 3 (27:05):
In the interest of justice and because of the suspect's
good behavior record in Los Angeles, it was decided not
to press charges against him for possessing a gun. Ralph
Putnam Frasey alias Rodney Flint was turned over to Michigan
authorities to serve out his previous sentence. He has since
been released and has returned to his former employment in
Los Angeles. You have just heard Dragnet, a series of
(27:36):
authentic cases from official files. Technical advice comes from the
Office of Chief of Police W. H. Parker, Los Angeles
Police Department Technical advisors Captain Jack Donahoe, Sergeant Marty Wynne,
Sergeant Van S.
Speaker 6 (27:48):
Fraser.
Speaker 3 (27:49):
Heard tonight were Ben Alexander, Stacy, Harris, herb Ellis, Vivi Janis,
script by Frank Burt, music by Walter Schumann, Hell Gidney speaking.
Speaker 1 (28:01):
Watch an entirely different Dragnet case history. Each week on
your local NBC television station. Please check your newspapers for
the day in time. Chesterfield has brought you Dragnet. Transcribe
from Los Angeles.
Speaker 10 (28:14):
This is it.
Speaker 4 (28:16):
L and M Filters.
Speaker 13 (28:17):
It stands out from all the rest Miracle.
Speaker 5 (28:22):
Tids, much more flavor.
Speaker 9 (28:24):
Ellen M's got everything.
Speaker 4 (28:27):
It's the best.
Speaker 13 (28:28):
Yes, Llen M's Got everything. Superior taste, superior Tobaccos, superior filter.
It's the Miracle Tip, pure and white by Len M,
America's best filter tip cigarette.
Speaker 1 (28:45):
Here Dragnet next week, same time, same station.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
Tonight.
Speaker 1 (28:59):
Here a special broadcast The Atom Menace and Promise on
most NBC radio stations
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