July 31, 2023 • 26 mins
Dragnet, one of the most iconic old-time radio series, captivated audiences during its heyday. Originally airing from 1949 to 1957, with a revival in the 1960s, Dragnet brought a realistic and gritty portrayal of law enforcement to the airwaves. Created and produced by Jack Webb, who also starred as Sergeant Joe Friday, the show followed the investigations of the Los Angeles Police Department. Known for its distinctive rapid-fire dialogue and the infamous line "Just the facts, ma'am," Dragnet presented a no-nonsense approach to solving crimes. With its emphasis on authenticity, the series drew inspiration from actual police cases and featured real stories from the LAPD. This immersive experience, combined with Webb's impeccable delivery, made Dragnet a beloved and enduring radio program, allowing listeners to vicariously experience the challenges and triumphs of law enforcement. Check out all of the great radio programming available to one and all at www.xzbn.net
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:07):
Ladies and gentlemen. The story youare about to hear is true. The
names have been changed to protect theinnocent. You're a detective sergeant. You're
assigned to Homicide Detail. A nightwatchman has been staffed to death in a
(00:29):
downtown appliant store. There's no apparentmotive for the killing, no lead to
the suspect. Your job find him. Dragment the documented drama of an actual
(00:52):
crime. For the next thirty minutes, in cooperation with the Los Angeles Police
Department, you will travel step bystep on the side of the law through
an actual case, transcribed from officialpolice finals, from beginning to end,
from crime to punishment. Dragnet isthe story of your police force. In
action was Monday, August eight.It was warm in Los Angeles. We're
(01:19):
working to day watch out of HomicideDetail. My partner's Frank Smith. The
boss's Captain Larman. My name isFriday. We're on the way out from
the office and it was eight twentysix am when we got to the corner
of Seventh and do Common Streets.Bentley ap Plans Company. Sure a big
place, there's somebody coming. Yeah, where do you want police officers?
(01:42):
Oh? Yeah, just a minute. Come on in. Thank you.
Thanks. I guess you'd be agood idea if I locked the door again,
huh, if you'd like to Yes, good idea. He no,
it's also. My name is RalphBentley. I'm the one who put in
the call. This Frank Smith.My name is Freddy. Where's the body?
(02:07):
Oh? Back here in the stockroom? Oh, Fons bent Our
building is Superintendent Curtis Hormone. Seehere now, yeah, he's upstairs.
All right, I suppose you wantto talk to him. Yes, we
will, I'll get it. Goahead. Oh oh over here, it's
behind these packing cases. We cansee there he was stabbed. I sure,
(02:34):
messing. Yeah. What's his name? Bentley? The victim's name,
Oh, Clyde Maddock. I madethe ick. I k no see what
time was the body discovered? Itmust have been about seven to thirty.
That's when Hormone comes to work.Did you find the right away? I
don't know. I haven't been ableto get him to say much. When
(02:54):
I came in, he was juststanding here looking at the body, was
kind of numb. You know whattime did you get here? Must have
been about seven forty five. That'swhen I called you yes, or about
that time. Yeah, that's whenit was. And seven forty five.
How long has this Maddock worked foryou? Oh? Three years almost four.
Has anything in here been disturbed,Not that I know of. I
(03:16):
don't think Hallman touched anything. Icouldn't talk to him very much, but
I'm pretty sure he knows enough toleave things alone. Oh, I sure
can't understand it. What's it?We'll take a look around. It doesn't
look back that there's a fight.I look like it to you. No,
Well that's it. What do youmean? Well, it stands to
reason it was somebody he knew ofsomething stranger to be. Signs he wouldn't
(03:37):
just let somebody come up and stabin the back. Noway doesn't seem likely,
does it. Well, In thethree years he's been with us,
I've never heard anyone say an unkindthing about Maddock. Not one man didn't
have an enemy in the world.Doesn't mean much. One of his friends
didn't like him. Man. Eightthirty am. We put in a call
(04:05):
to the crime I haven't asked themto come out and go over the scene.
The manager led us upstairs to themain offices and we met the building
superintendent Curtis Holman. It was asmall man in his early fifties. I
don't care how luksman to Friday.I didn't do it. You got to
believe that I didn't have anything todo with it. And nobody says you
did. Home when the officers justwant to ask you some questions. Well,
I don't want him think I killedhim. I want to think that
(04:28):
what time did you find the body? I guess must have been around seven
thirty someplace around in there. Yousee, I just come in, lock
the door after me, and thenI was going to come up here and
change my clothes. You know,I got my own closet down there in
the hall, my own closet.Answered I was coming back going upstairs,
and I show him just laying thereright away. I knew he he did.
You didn't have to have nobody tellme that I knew he we did.
(04:50):
What'd you do? Nothing? Couldn'tcouldn't do nothing. First time I
ever saw I did, man,I don't know. Its just stood there
look first time. Yeah, that'swhere he was when I came in.
Yeah, I was just there.You see, I didn't kill him,
wouldn't me? Somebody did it?But wouldn't me all right, Homon,
all right? Man? Were hisfriends, Clyde and me friends? I
(05:14):
guess I should have told you hedoesn't mean any harm. Blade Kribby watching
a while in the morning, Meand Clyde played Cribby. Was there anybody
else in the store when you gothere? At home? Kh are you
talking to me? Yes? Ordid you see anybody else in the place
when you got here? No?Just me and Clyde? Only he was
dead. How did you get in? Got a key? See right here,
(05:35):
my own key. How many keysare they, mister Batwin? Oh,
it's three out. I got onehome and has one Madic got the
other one, maybe contacted. Hisfamily hasn't got one. As far as
we know, he hasn't got anypeople. You can give us his address.
Well, sure, no trouble atall. It was upstairs. Part
of the deal we worked out whenhe started a little room on the third
floor. He gets that on thesalary, real nice way. He fixed
(05:57):
it up, all painted bookshelves,a lot of books all over the place.
Books. What if we could seeit, certainly and you like it?
Bel nice room, nice your mind, which I had it. We
can go down this way. Iwant me to go up with him,
Yeah, sir, if you liketo. Sure, I like Clyde.
You room be faster if we takethe stairs right uh here we are all
(06:24):
right, go ahead, right?I guess Clad ahead about every book printed,
great one for reading? That's sooh yeah, all time had his
patient the book, all time readingsmart, knew all kinds of things.
Just ask Clad the question and heknew the answered at all time. Telling
(06:45):
him he should go on the quizshows he'd won them. All knew the
names of all the presidents when they'reelected, all about him. Is that
right? That's right down this way. I used to sit there and look
through the books. Didn't make muchsense to me. But Clyde shore like
them all right home, and I'msure the officers know what you mean.
Just try and tell them that's allcome about Clyde. Sure, oh,
(07:09):
this is it. It's a lot. If you have a key, no
I don't. I got one.Got on the ring. You want me
to open the door, if youwould, yeah, sure thing, glad
to help you find the right one. Now here you drop this, um,
why do you have a key tothe room? Clyde gave it to
me, said, was all rightfor me to have it case I won't
(07:30):
clean up. He let me dothat clean up? All right, Well
do you have the key? Yeah? Here did hey? Yeah? H
hey, sure looks like there wasa party in here. Yeah. Certainly
didn't have any idea of things likethis one on. Well just look at
(07:54):
this room. Bear bottles all overthe place, glasses, empty bottle.
His place is filthy. I wasgoing to clean it up, mister Beidley,
honest, I was right after Ifinished the dretch to build. Now
I'm going to clean it up.Gee, fourteen beer bottles all of empty.
Boy, let's see how a mancould drink that much beer. Looks
(08:16):
like he had some help. Whatyou got? They look at these glances.
Yea lipstick him? I'm sorry,Well that really doesn't. That's the
capper, sir. When he tookthe job, I made it perfectly clear
and all mistake about it, noneat all. What do you mean beer
drinking out? Oh? Mine,he's got that right. But I told
(08:39):
him I wasn't supposed to be anywomen up here. Now he knew it
doesn't look good place of business.It just doesn't look good. I told
him if he broke the rule once, just once, he'd be sorry about
it. That's what I told him. He's got no quarrel about it now.
Huh, he's sorry. The crimelab arrived and started to go over
(09:05):
the room. After photographs had beentaken, the body was removed to the
County Morgue. Apparently the victim haddied of internal hemorrhage caused by three deep
stab wounds in the back. They'dbeen 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. Allof them knew him as a quiet man
who kept pretty much to himself.We asked about the women friends. They
(09:28):
couldn't help us there either. Thequestioning continued. As far as I know,
there wasn't anybody you ever mentioned anyfriends? Do you? No?
We didn't talk much. I didn'tsee him a lot. You know,
he'd be in the halls or somethinglike that. But we didn't talk much.
Is there anything more you can tellus that might help? I don't
think so. If I think ofanything, I'll let you know. All
right, Thank you very much?Yes, sure, getting us nowhere,
(09:58):
Yeah, let's have the next allright? You come in on his laugh.
Yes, it's horror last is thatright? That's right? My name
Smith is so sorry Friday? Areyou? Thanks? You down? Thank
you? Guess it's about mister Maddick. Huh, that's right. Awful thing
(10:20):
to have happened. I work inthe office almost right under his room.
Kind of gives me the creeps tothink about creepy. Did you know him
very well? Yeah? I guessyou could say I did. I went
to lunch with him a couple oftimes. Even had a couple of dates,
not flower type dates, so okay, you didn't bring flowers. Met
after work and went to dinner.Nothing serious. Do you know any of
(10:43):
his other friends? Just about everybodyin the place and anybody that wasn't friends
with mister Madick. Everybody liked him. Is there anybody special? I mean,
like a girlfriend, that's right.I don't know. That's maybe it
was Bessie. Who's that Bessy rownher? Mister d were pretty friendly,
ask me, I'd say, mighteven have been serious. You work here,
(11:05):
Yeah, stock room clerk, headof the department, pretty important job,
got charge of all the ordering.Yeah you ever been in mister maddox
room. I know you're just tryingto do what you think is right,
mister Friday, but I don't likewhat you're getting. No offense, Miss
last, just routine question. Ohthe answers. No, I told you.
I just went out with him acouple of times. That's all you
(11:28):
remember. That is miss rolland herethis morning. No, if she isn't
so funny, thank you Do's notlike her to miss a day's work.
Long as I have been here.She's never done it before, Always here,
always on time. That's why it'sso funny. She called this morning
and said she wouldn't be able tomake it. She say why not?
Really kind of talked around it,you know. Matter of fact, I
(11:50):
didn't think she had a real reasonfor not coming in. I was at
the way she acted. Say youdon't think that you do with mister matic
d. I wouldn't know. Ibet that's it. She knows something.
That's why she's not coming. That'sa reason. It's possible more nuts.
She knows something. I'll bet youon it, bet you anything. I
(12:11):
wouldn't be too fair. We'd liketo see you win. We checked all
the employees of the store through Rand I, except for two drunk arrests.
For the janitor, Curtis Hallman.There was no record on any of
them. We tried to contact BessieRowan at her home, but she wasn't
(12:35):
there. The neighbors weren't able totell us anything it might aid us in
finding her. We asked him tonotify us in the event she returned.
At twelve forty six pm, anunidentified woman called the Bentley Appliance Company and
asked for the victim. She wastold that he was out and was asked
to leave a phone number where shecould be contacted. Frank and I checked
with a phone company and found thatthe number was assigned to a public phone
booth in a downtown department store.We drove over to the place and talked
(12:58):
with one of the clerks. Yes, it seems to me there was a
woman by the foom boose. Canyou give us a description, ever,
not a very good one, I'mafraid, well you can tell us my
help. See, there is onething though might not mean anything. What
is it? Man? Her hairreal red, about the brightest red I've
(13:18):
ever seen. Had to come froma bottle. Never saw any natural hair
of that color. Does that helpyou any Well, we don't know yet
I didn't think it would just somethingyou remember, something kind of outstanding.
I just thought of it, figuredit might be a way for you to
remember if it's the one you're lookingfor. All of it is, we've
gone another way. Thirty five pm, Frank and I went back to the
(13:46):
City Hall and checked into the office. There was a note in the book
for us to get in touch withSergeant Jay Allen with the crime Lab.
He just finished his preliminary examination ofphysical evidence and wanted to go over his
findings with us. Backhead Joe,Okay, well, how'd you do,
Bray Take a look? Yeah,these are the bare bottles we found on
(14:07):
the room fourteen. Are clean.Able to lift three good prints from all
of the glasses, enough for identification, come up with a finger, not
enough for classification of it anything else. Went over the room with a vacuum
creator. Finally, listen to couchhearing imitation stone Morning's goal filled. Nothing
else on any way of checking whereit was budget. I'll be pretty hard.
(14:31):
Costume jewelry, A lot of placesmake it even more in that selling.
Yeah, found this handkerchief from thefloor under the couch. No monogram,
any laundry marks, yeah, wentover with ultro vibe. There's nothing
there is that it Well, lipstickmarks in the glasses we lifted them,
might be able to use them anidentification. Yeah, you come up with
(14:52):
a motive. No, no,as news we can tell. There wasn't
anything stolen from the store and thevictim had thirty six dollars in cash on
him, expensive watch ring. Noneof it was touched. Have you got
any more for us, Jane.I couldn't find the murder weapon, wasn't
in the room. We checked therest of the place. Couldn't turn it.
Any idea what it might have been, Jane. A sharp instrument,
probably a pocket knife, three inchplay one more thing, not sure about
(15:16):
it? Yeah, yeah, I'lltake a look. What are you gonna
do? Hair boniment the victim's jacket. No way of telling how long they've
been there human, Yeah, whereverthey belonged or shouldn't be too hard to
spot bright Red. We left thecrime lab and drove over to the Bentley
(15:41):
Appliants Company. We went up tothe second floor and talked with the secretary
again. Coral l Ask Sure Ican give you a description of Bessie.
No trouble at all. Have youheard from her today, not since this
morning. I told you about that. You know how she wouldn't be in
Yeah, that's the only time.Now about the description. What color hair
does she have? It's a limecolor, darker light, kind of in
(16:03):
between. I guess that's the reasonshe fixes it up, I mean touch
up. Usually a sort of strawberrybrown. I guess your color. Last
time she did it, I guessit was a week ago. She had
an accident with the die. Shedid something wrong. Sure looked funny.
What do you mean what turned outwrong? Embarrassed all over the place.
Everybody was making cracks about it.She said she was going to redo it
(16:25):
first chance she had. Yeah,I kind of laughed myself. It was
pretty hard to imagine. What's thatcolor? Red hair? We returned to
the office and filled out the reports. At six eighteen pm, we got
a call from one of the suspectsneighbors telling us that she'd returned home.
(16:48):
We drew about to talk to her. Yeah, Bessie, wrong, that's
right. Who are you a policeofficer? Like? Talk to you?
Well, I I haven't got anythingto say to you. I'm not gonna
do any my skod tho huh isit? You're gonna take me down the
poop anyway, aren't you? Aren'tyou? Gonna might be better if we
(17:10):
talk to the inside. Oh well, then come on the end. There
no difference where we talk, nota bit. Chin gonna believe me anyway
about what I didn't kill Clyde.You ain't gonna believe me, are you?
Why don't you tell us? Allright? I will. Well,
you don't think of that? Huh? Well do you think of that?
You're alone here? No? Igot three of our friends side in the
(17:32):
closet. They usually don't come outsaily though, wait until it gets dark.
That's when they like it once dark. Now you want me to tell
you now? Huh do you aboutwhat about Clyde? How he's dead?
You want me to? Why don'tyou try? No matter what I say,
you're gonna believe what you want too, So it'd probably be easier if
I want to lie with you,wouldn't I know? It might be okay?
(17:52):
Then I killed him six twenty threepm. We continued to talk to
(18:29):
Bessie Rowan. Frank went out tothe kitchen and made a pot of coffee.
After we'd gotten several cups down MissRowan. She sobered up and was
able to answer our question. Ididn't need it. I wasn't feeling very
good. I guess that's why Isaid it. To see him Saturday night.
Yeah, after work, Mattie,we went to the place in the
corner. I had a couple ofdrinks, and then I came home.
Every Bendy's room went Jimmy as acompany. Wouldn't do any good to lie
(18:51):
about it. Yeah, I've beenthere when I don't know. I guess
the last time was a week ago, somewhere in there. I had a
couple of drinks. How doing Mattiget along all right? We didn't set
the world on fire? How'd youknow? I was dead? Heard it
where I'd rather not say, likesomebody in trouble. You've got a good
sized piece of that right now.Why don't you tell us? A friend
of mine I called this morning.That's how you found out. Yeah,
(19:15):
I guess his friend wasn't supposed tosay anything. Soon as she did,
she told me not to say anything. What time to see madic Lass,
I guess it was about seven thirty. Right after we came out of the
bar. He walked me back tothe parking lot and I came home.
Anybody watched for that. You canprove it then, though, maybe they
changed the laws. Huh what doyou mean by that? I always thought
you had to prove I was guilty. They've done away with that and start
(19:37):
proving. I get a coat andwe'll go downtown. You're gonna book me.
We'll see. You gotta make acharge, don't you If you want
it that way? Mind, I'llget a jacket. Where is it a
bedroom closet? You want to showme? You don't trust anybody? Do
you just get the coat? Lady, that's the one. Okay, there
(19:59):
you are the gentleman would hold it. Yeah, it's all set. Yeah,
I guess we turned off the coffee. I think, so better be
sure I'm not going to come homeand have to clean and burn coffee pot.
I don't worry about it. Youmight not be coming home. The
(20:21):
woman was taken downtown of the CityHall. Her fingerprints were taken. We
checked her name and description through ourand I once more, but we failed
to come up with a record foreight fifteen pm. While I talked to
her in the squad room, Frankwent down the hall. You're gonna let
me go home. As soon asyou tell us the truth. I've told
you everything. I know. It'sall you're gonna get. Yeah, there
(20:41):
is what's that the solution to thecase. It might be it's a report
from waiting Prince. Yeah, yourfingerprints match were the ones we found on
some glasses in his room. Whatdoes that mean you were in his room?
I've already admitted that. Told usyou weren't there Saturday, So he's
a sloppy house keeping. Now.We talked to the janitor. He cleaned
the room Saturday morning, the glassesweren't there. Then I bought him as
(21:04):
ron, make it easier if yougive us a statement. Come on,
all right, I had to sayhere, but I didn't kill him,
and that's the truth. Go ahead. After we left the bar, he
asked me to come up and havea nightcap. I did. We had
some stuff to talk over, whatwe wanted to get married. We talked
about it before. There was somethingthat hanging him up. I don't know
(21:25):
what it was. I told himwe couldn't go on like that anymore.
It had to be the one wayor the other. Either we'd get married
or else we'd call the whole thingoff. Yeah, he asked for a
couple of days, said he'd cleanup whatever the trouble was. By then
I told him to go ahead.That's all. I had a couple of
drinks and then I left and Icame straight home. What time do you
get here? About ten? Maybeten thirty? Why did you lie to
us? I don't know. Iwas drunk. You saw that I got
(21:49):
scared. I'm good. Sure you'dthink I did it. Did Maddick have
any other girlfriends? I don't know. We didn't talk about it. Did
he mention anybody else? Yeah,I guess. A couple of times he
talked about some girl it was givinghim trouble, called him at work,
you know, on his back.I told him he was trying to get
rid of her. Possible she mighthave been the reason you couldn't get married.
Yeah, it might be. Youknow anything about her? No,
(22:11):
you can't talk much about her.A couple of times he'd be hacked because
she'd called the store and made abig scene. Said she was usually gassed.
She was a real lush where heput it, drunk most of the
time. It's funny though. Shedidn't go for hard booze. Man just
drank beer. On the chance thatthe empty beer bottles we'd found in the
(22:38):
victim's room had been bought in theneighborhood, we began an immediate canvass of
the liquor stars in the area.We gave the dealers a description of Clyde
Mattock, and we also asked ifa woman had purchased fourteen bottles of beer
in the first five stars. Wedrew a blank, but the clerk in
the sex told us that he hadmade such a sale on Saturday night to
a woman. He was unable totell us who she was, but he
did say that he'd seen her severaltimes in neighborhood bars. We started to
(23:02):
check them. Several bartenders knew thewoman, but were unable to tell us
her name or where we could findher. In twelve twenty, we stopped
at the place called the Pink Pigeon. Yeah, I know her in here
all the time. She's a verydrinker. You know her name? Let
me thank Yeah, Glad is somethingI don't think I ever heard. The
last part wouldn't make me unhappy ifshe didn't come back. What do you
mean, Oh, she's all thetime? Tank, loud, dirty mouth,
(23:23):
sick like that doesn't do the placeany good, you know, Or
you can get in touch with her. What's the matter, she's done something.
We'd like to talk to her.I was sure. I didn't mean
to stick my nose in where itdon't belong to. All right, you
know where you can find her?I don't know. I guess her place
would be as good as any.But where's that? A couple of blocks
up? It's a brown house asecond from the corner. You can't miss
it, just like her, areal mess as weeds all around. It's
a brown house. All right,Thank you. I'm glad to help Bob.
(23:45):
I've been saying for a long timeshe was gonna end up in real
trouble. I've been saying that fora long time. I've been telling everybody.
They didn't believe me. Really willnow. We left the bar and
drove over to the house the bartenderhad described. There was a light on
in the front room. When wegot there. The name on the mailbox
read missus Clyde Maddock. Yeah,you're miss Manic. That's right. Who
(24:11):
are you? Police officer? Comeon in, I've been expecting you.
Wait a minute, I'll get acoach's all right, I'll get it.
It kind of surprised me. How'sthat. I kind of figured you'd find
me before this, didn't think it'dtake this long. Did you kill him?
Yeah? He wanted a divorce.I wouldn't give it to him.
(24:33):
I wanted to marry some flues youwhere he worked. It wouldn't give me
a chance to work things out.I tried to convince him was wrong.
I told him if he tried toleave me, be sorry. I tried
to convince him. Wouldn't believe me? Or maybe he does. Now let's
go. Story you've just heard istrue. The names were changed to protect
(25:03):
the innocent. On December sixteenth,trial was held in Department ninety seventh Superior
Court of the State of California inand for the County of Los Angeles.
In a moment the results of thattrial, Gladys Markholmadock was tried and convicted
(25:30):
of murder in the second degree andreceived punishment as prescribed by law. Murder
in the second degree is punishable byimprisonment for a period of from five years
to life in the state penitentiary.You have just heard Dragnet, a series
(26:02):
of authentic cases from official files.Technical advice comes from the Office of Chief
of Police W. H. Parker, Los Angeles Police Department.
Ladies and gentlemen. The story youare about to hear is true. The
names have been changed to protect theinnocent. You're a detective sergeant. You're
assigned to Homicide Detail. A nightwatchman has been staffed to death in a
(00:29):
downtown appliant store. There's no apparentmotive for the killing, no lead to
the suspect. Your job find him. Dragment the documented drama of an actual
(00:52):
crime. For the next thirty minutes, in cooperation with the Los Angeles Police
Department, you will travel step bystep on the side of the law through
an actual case, transcribed from officialpolice finals, from beginning to end,
from crime to punishment. Dragnet isthe story of your police force. In
action was Monday, August eight.It was warm in Los Angeles. We're
(01:19):
working to day watch out of HomicideDetail. My partner's Frank Smith. The
boss's Captain Larman. My name isFriday. We're on the way out from
the office and it was eight twentysix am when we got to the corner
of Seventh and do Common Streets.Bentley ap Plans Company. Sure a big
place, there's somebody coming. Yeah, where do you want police officers?
(01:42):
Oh? Yeah, just a minute. Come on in. Thank you.
Thanks. I guess you'd be agood idea if I locked the door again,
huh, if you'd like to Yes, good idea. He no,
it's also. My name is RalphBentley. I'm the one who put in
the call. This Frank Smith.My name is Freddy. Where's the body?
(02:07):
Oh? Back here in the stockroom? Oh, Fons bent Our
building is Superintendent Curtis Hormone. Seehere now, yeah, he's upstairs.
All right, I suppose you wantto talk to him. Yes, we
will, I'll get it. Goahead. Oh oh over here, it's
behind these packing cases. We cansee there he was stabbed. I sure,
(02:34):
messing. Yeah. What's his name? Bentley? The victim's name,
Oh, Clyde Maddock. I madethe ick. I k no see what
time was the body discovered? Itmust have been about seven to thirty.
That's when Hormone comes to work.Did you find the right away? I
don't know. I haven't been ableto get him to say much. When
(02:54):
I came in, he was juststanding here looking at the body, was
kind of numb. You know whattime did you get here? Must have
been about seven forty five. That'swhen I called you yes, or about
that time. Yeah, that's whenit was. And seven forty five.
How long has this Maddock worked foryou? Oh? Three years almost four.
Has anything in here been disturbed,Not that I know of. I
(03:16):
don't think Hallman touched anything. Icouldn't talk to him very much, but
I'm pretty sure he knows enough toleave things alone. Oh, I sure
can't understand it. What's it?We'll take a look around. It doesn't
look back that there's a fight.I look like it to you. No,
Well that's it. What do youmean? Well, it stands to
reason it was somebody he knew ofsomething stranger to be. Signs he wouldn't
(03:37):
just let somebody come up and stabin the back. Noway doesn't seem likely,
does it. Well, In thethree years he's been with us,
I've never heard anyone say an unkindthing about Maddock. Not one man didn't
have an enemy in the world.Doesn't mean much. One of his friends
didn't like him. Man. Eightthirty am. We put in a call
(04:05):
to the crime I haven't asked themto come out and go over the scene.
The manager led us upstairs to themain offices and we met the building
superintendent Curtis Holman. It was asmall man in his early fifties. I
don't care how luksman to Friday.I didn't do it. You got to
believe that I didn't have anything todo with it. And nobody says you
did. Home when the officers justwant to ask you some questions. Well,
I don't want him think I killedhim. I want to think that
(04:28):
what time did you find the body? I guess must have been around seven
thirty someplace around in there. Yousee, I just come in, lock
the door after me, and thenI was going to come up here and
change my clothes. You know,I got my own closet down there in
the hall, my own closet.Answered I was coming back going upstairs,
and I show him just laying thereright away. I knew he he did.
You didn't have to have nobody tellme that I knew he we did.
(04:50):
What'd you do? Nothing? Couldn'tcouldn't do nothing. First time I
ever saw I did, man,I don't know. Its just stood there
look first time. Yeah, that'swhere he was when I came in.
Yeah, I was just there.You see, I didn't kill him,
wouldn't me? Somebody did it?But wouldn't me all right, Homon,
all right? Man? Were hisfriends, Clyde and me friends? I
(05:14):
guess I should have told you hedoesn't mean any harm. Blade Kribby watching
a while in the morning, Meand Clyde played Cribby. Was there anybody
else in the store when you gothere? At home? Kh are you
talking to me? Yes? Ordid you see anybody else in the place
when you got here? No?Just me and Clyde? Only he was
dead. How did you get in? Got a key? See right here,
(05:35):
my own key. How many keysare they, mister Batwin? Oh,
it's three out. I got onehome and has one Madic got the
other one, maybe contacted. Hisfamily hasn't got one. As far as
we know, he hasn't got anypeople. You can give us his address.
Well, sure, no trouble atall. It was upstairs. Part
of the deal we worked out whenhe started a little room on the third
floor. He gets that on thesalary, real nice way. He fixed
(05:57):
it up, all painted bookshelves,a lot of books all over the place.
Books. What if we could seeit, certainly and you like it?
Bel nice room, nice your mind, which I had it. We
can go down this way. Iwant me to go up with him,
Yeah, sir, if you liketo. Sure, I like Clyde.
You room be faster if we takethe stairs right uh here we are all
(06:24):
right, go ahead, right?I guess Clad ahead about every book printed,
great one for reading? That's sooh yeah, all time had his
patient the book, all time readingsmart, knew all kinds of things.
Just ask Clad the question and heknew the answered at all time. Telling
(06:45):
him he should go on the quizshows he'd won them. All knew the
names of all the presidents when they'reelected, all about him. Is that
right? That's right down this way. I used to sit there and look
through the books. Didn't make muchsense to me. But Clyde shore like
them all right home, and I'msure the officers know what you mean.
Just try and tell them that's allcome about Clyde. Sure, oh,
(07:09):
this is it. It's a lot. If you have a key, no
I don't. I got one.Got on the ring. You want me
to open the door, if youwould, yeah, sure thing, glad
to help you find the right one. Now here you drop this, um,
why do you have a key tothe room? Clyde gave it to
me, said, was all rightfor me to have it case I won't
(07:30):
clean up. He let me dothat clean up? All right, Well
do you have the key? Yeah? Here did hey? Yeah? H
hey, sure looks like there wasa party in here. Yeah. Certainly
didn't have any idea of things likethis one on. Well just look at
(07:54):
this room. Bear bottles all overthe place, glasses, empty bottle.
His place is filthy. I wasgoing to clean it up, mister Beidley,
honest, I was right after Ifinished the dretch to build. Now
I'm going to clean it up.Gee, fourteen beer bottles all of empty.
Boy, let's see how a mancould drink that much beer. Looks
(08:16):
like he had some help. Whatyou got? They look at these glances.
Yea lipstick him? I'm sorry,Well that really doesn't. That's the
capper, sir. When he tookthe job, I made it perfectly clear
and all mistake about it, noneat all. What do you mean beer
drinking out? Oh? Mine,he's got that right. But I told
(08:39):
him I wasn't supposed to be anywomen up here. Now he knew it
doesn't look good place of business.It just doesn't look good. I told
him if he broke the rule once, just once, he'd be sorry about
it. That's what I told him. He's got no quarrel about it now.
Huh, he's sorry. The crimelab arrived and started to go over
(09:05):
the room. After photographs had beentaken, the body was removed to the
County Morgue. Apparently the victim haddied of internal hemorrhage caused by three deep
stab wounds in the back. They'dbeen 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. Allof them knew him as a quiet man
who kept pretty much to himself.We asked about the women friends. They
(09:28):
couldn't help us there either. Thequestioning continued. As far as I know,
there wasn't anybody you ever mentioned anyfriends? Do you? No?
We didn't talk much. I didn'tsee him a lot. You know,
he'd be in the halls or somethinglike that. But we didn't talk much.
Is there anything more you can tellus that might help? I don't
think so. If I think ofanything, I'll let you know. All
right, Thank you very much?Yes, sure, getting us nowhere,
(09:58):
Yeah, let's have the next allright? You come in on his laugh.
Yes, it's horror last is thatright? That's right? My name
Smith is so sorry Friday? Areyou? Thanks? You down? Thank
you? Guess it's about mister Maddick. Huh, that's right. Awful thing
(10:20):
to have happened. I work inthe office almost right under his room.
Kind of gives me the creeps tothink about creepy. Did you know him
very well? Yeah? I guessyou could say I did. I went
to lunch with him a couple oftimes. Even had a couple of dates,
not flower type dates, so okay, you didn't bring flowers. Met
after work and went to dinner.Nothing serious. Do you know any of
(10:43):
his other friends? Just about everybodyin the place and anybody that wasn't friends
with mister Madick. Everybody liked him. Is there anybody special? I mean,
like a girlfriend, that's right.I don't know. That's maybe it
was Bessie. Who's that Bessy rownher? Mister d were pretty friendly,
ask me, I'd say, mighteven have been serious. You work here,
(11:05):
Yeah, stock room clerk, headof the department, pretty important job,
got charge of all the ordering.Yeah you ever been in mister maddox
room. I know you're just tryingto do what you think is right,
mister Friday, but I don't likewhat you're getting. No offense, Miss
last, just routine question. Ohthe answers. No, I told you.
I just went out with him acouple of times. That's all you
(11:28):
remember. That is miss rolland herethis morning. No, if she isn't
so funny, thank you Do's notlike her to miss a day's work.
Long as I have been here.She's never done it before, Always here,
always on time. That's why it'sso funny. She called this morning
and said she wouldn't be able tomake it. She say why not?
Really kind of talked around it,you know. Matter of fact, I
(11:50):
didn't think she had a real reasonfor not coming in. I was at
the way she acted. Say youdon't think that you do with mister matic
d. I wouldn't know. Ibet that's it. She knows something.
That's why she's not coming. That'sa reason. It's possible more nuts.
She knows something. I'll bet youon it, bet you anything. I
(12:11):
wouldn't be too fair. We'd liketo see you win. We checked all
the employees of the store through Rand I, except for two drunk arrests.
For the janitor, Curtis Hallman.There was no record on any of
them. We tried to contact BessieRowan at her home, but she wasn't
(12:35):
there. The neighbors weren't able totell us anything it might aid us in
finding her. We asked him tonotify us in the event she returned.
At twelve forty six pm, anunidentified woman called the Bentley Appliance Company and
asked for the victim. She wastold that he was out and was asked
to leave a phone number where shecould be contacted. Frank and I checked
with a phone company and found thatthe number was assigned to a public phone
booth in a downtown department store.We drove over to the place and talked
(12:58):
with one of the clerks. Yes, it seems to me there was a
woman by the foom boose. Canyou give us a description, ever,
not a very good one, I'mafraid, well you can tell us my
help. See, there is onething though might not mean anything. What
is it? Man? Her hairreal red, about the brightest red I've
(13:18):
ever seen. Had to come froma bottle. Never saw any natural hair
of that color. Does that helpyou any Well, we don't know yet
I didn't think it would just somethingyou remember, something kind of outstanding.
I just thought of it, figuredit might be a way for you to
remember if it's the one you're lookingfor. All of it is, we've
gone another way. Thirty five pm, Frank and I went back to the
(13:46):
City Hall and checked into the office. There was a note in the book
for us to get in touch withSergeant Jay Allen with the crime Lab.
He just finished his preliminary examination ofphysical evidence and wanted to go over his
findings with us. Backhead Joe,Okay, well, how'd you do,
Bray Take a look? Yeah,these are the bare bottles we found on
(14:07):
the room fourteen. Are clean.Able to lift three good prints from all
of the glasses, enough for identification, come up with a finger, not
enough for classification of it anything else. Went over the room with a vacuum
creator. Finally, listen to couchhearing imitation stone Morning's goal filled. Nothing
else on any way of checking whereit was budget. I'll be pretty hard.
(14:31):
Costume jewelry, A lot of placesmake it even more in that selling.
Yeah, found this handkerchief from thefloor under the couch. No monogram,
any laundry marks, yeah, wentover with ultro vibe. There's nothing
there is that it Well, lipstickmarks in the glasses we lifted them,
might be able to use them anidentification. Yeah, you come up with
(14:52):
a motive. No, no,as news we can tell. There wasn't
anything stolen from the store and thevictim had thirty six dollars in cash on
him, expensive watch ring. Noneof it was touched. Have you got
any more for us, Jane.I couldn't find the murder weapon, wasn't
in the room. We checked therest of the place. Couldn't turn it.
Any idea what it might have been, Jane. A sharp instrument,
probably a pocket knife, three inchplay one more thing, not sure about
(15:16):
it? Yeah, yeah, I'lltake a look. What are you gonna
do? Hair boniment the victim's jacket. No way of telling how long they've
been there human, Yeah, whereverthey belonged or shouldn't be too hard to
spot bright Red. We left thecrime lab and drove over to the Bentley
(15:41):
Appliants Company. We went up tothe second floor and talked with the secretary
again. Coral l Ask Sure Ican give you a description of Bessie.
No trouble at all. Have youheard from her today, not since this
morning. I told you about that. You know how she wouldn't be in
Yeah, that's the only time.Now about the description. What color hair
does she have? It's a limecolor, darker light, kind of in
(16:03):
between. I guess that's the reasonshe fixes it up, I mean touch
up. Usually a sort of strawberrybrown. I guess your color. Last
time she did it, I guessit was a week ago. She had
an accident with the die. Shedid something wrong. Sure looked funny.
What do you mean what turned outwrong? Embarrassed all over the place.
Everybody was making cracks about it.She said she was going to redo it
(16:25):
first chance she had. Yeah,I kind of laughed myself. It was
pretty hard to imagine. What's thatcolor? Red hair? We returned to
the office and filled out the reports. At six eighteen pm, we got
a call from one of the suspectsneighbors telling us that she'd returned home.
(16:48):
We drew about to talk to her. Yeah, Bessie, wrong, that's
right. Who are you a policeofficer? Like? Talk to you?
Well, I I haven't got anythingto say to you. I'm not gonna
do any my skod tho huh isit? You're gonna take me down the
poop anyway, aren't you? Aren'tyou? Gonna might be better if we
(17:10):
talk to the inside. Oh well, then come on the end. There
no difference where we talk, nota bit. Chin gonna believe me anyway
about what I didn't kill Clyde.You ain't gonna believe me, are you?
Why don't you tell us? Allright? I will. Well,
you don't think of that? Huh? Well do you think of that?
You're alone here? No? Igot three of our friends side in the
(17:32):
closet. They usually don't come outsaily though, wait until it gets dark.
That's when they like it once dark. Now you want me to tell
you now? Huh do you aboutwhat about Clyde? How he's dead?
You want me to? Why don'tyou try? No matter what I say,
you're gonna believe what you want too, So it'd probably be easier if
I want to lie with you,wouldn't I know? It might be okay?
(17:52):
Then I killed him six twenty threepm. We continued to talk to
(18:29):
Bessie Rowan. Frank went out tothe kitchen and made a pot of coffee.
After we'd gotten several cups down MissRowan. She sobered up and was
able to answer our question. Ididn't need it. I wasn't feeling very
good. I guess that's why Isaid it. To see him Saturday night.
Yeah, after work, Mattie,we went to the place in the
corner. I had a couple ofdrinks, and then I came home.
Every Bendy's room went Jimmy as acompany. Wouldn't do any good to lie
(18:51):
about it. Yeah, I've beenthere when I don't know. I guess
the last time was a week ago, somewhere in there. I had a
couple of drinks. How doing Mattiget along all right? We didn't set
the world on fire? How'd youknow? I was dead? Heard it
where I'd rather not say, likesomebody in trouble. You've got a good
sized piece of that right now.Why don't you tell us? A friend
of mine I called this morning.That's how you found out. Yeah,
(19:15):
I guess his friend wasn't supposed tosay anything. Soon as she did,
she told me not to say anything. What time to see madic Lass,
I guess it was about seven thirty. Right after we came out of the
bar. He walked me back tothe parking lot and I came home.
Anybody watched for that. You canprove it then, though, maybe they
changed the laws. Huh what doyou mean by that? I always thought
you had to prove I was guilty. They've done away with that and start
(19:37):
proving. I get a coat andwe'll go downtown. You're gonna book me.
We'll see. You gotta make acharge, don't you If you want
it that way? Mind, I'llget a jacket. Where is it a
bedroom closet? You want to showme? You don't trust anybody? Do
you just get the coat? Lady, that's the one. Okay, there
(19:59):
you are the gentleman would hold it. Yeah, it's all set. Yeah,
I guess we turned off the coffee. I think, so better be
sure I'm not going to come homeand have to clean and burn coffee pot.
I don't worry about it. Youmight not be coming home. The
(20:21):
woman was taken downtown of the CityHall. Her fingerprints were taken. We
checked her name and description through ourand I once more, but we failed
to come up with a record foreight fifteen pm. While I talked to
her in the squad room, Frankwent down the hall. You're gonna let
me go home. As soon asyou tell us the truth. I've told
you everything. I know. It'sall you're gonna get. Yeah, there
(20:41):
is what's that the solution to thecase. It might be it's a report
from waiting Prince. Yeah, yourfingerprints match were the ones we found on
some glasses in his room. Whatdoes that mean you were in his room?
I've already admitted that. Told usyou weren't there Saturday, So he's
a sloppy house keeping. Now.We talked to the janitor. He cleaned
the room Saturday morning, the glassesweren't there. Then I bought him as
(21:04):
ron, make it easier if yougive us a statement. Come on,
all right, I had to sayhere, but I didn't kill him,
and that's the truth. Go ahead. After we left the bar, he
asked me to come up and havea nightcap. I did. We had
some stuff to talk over, whatwe wanted to get married. We talked
about it before. There was somethingthat hanging him up. I don't know
(21:25):
what it was. I told himwe couldn't go on like that anymore.
It had to be the one wayor the other. Either we'd get married
or else we'd call the whole thingoff. Yeah, he asked for a
couple of days, said he'd cleanup whatever the trouble was. By then
I told him to go ahead.That's all. I had a couple of
drinks and then I left and Icame straight home. What time do you
get here? About ten? Maybeten thirty? Why did you lie to
us? I don't know. Iwas drunk. You saw that I got
(21:49):
scared. I'm good. Sure you'dthink I did it. Did Maddick have
any other girlfriends? I don't know. We didn't talk about it. Did
he mention anybody else? Yeah,I guess. A couple of times he
talked about some girl it was givinghim trouble, called him at work,
you know, on his back.I told him he was trying to get
rid of her. Possible she mighthave been the reason you couldn't get married.
Yeah, it might be. Youknow anything about her? No,
(22:11):
you can't talk much about her.A couple of times he'd be hacked because
she'd called the store and made abig scene. Said she was usually gassed.
She was a real lush where heput it, drunk most of the
time. It's funny though. Shedidn't go for hard booze. Man just
drank beer. On the chance thatthe empty beer bottles we'd found in the
(22:38):
victim's room had been bought in theneighborhood, we began an immediate canvass of
the liquor stars in the area.We gave the dealers a description of Clyde
Mattock, and we also asked ifa woman had purchased fourteen bottles of beer
in the first five stars. Wedrew a blank, but the clerk in
the sex told us that he hadmade such a sale on Saturday night to
a woman. He was unable totell us who she was, but he
did say that he'd seen her severaltimes in neighborhood bars. We started to
(23:02):
check them. Several bartenders knew thewoman, but were unable to tell us
her name or where we could findher. In twelve twenty, we stopped
at the place called the Pink Pigeon. Yeah, I know her in here
all the time. She's a verydrinker. You know her name? Let
me thank Yeah, Glad is somethingI don't think I ever heard. The
last part wouldn't make me unhappy ifshe didn't come back. What do you
mean, Oh, she's all thetime? Tank, loud, dirty mouth,
(23:23):
sick like that doesn't do the placeany good, you know, Or
you can get in touch with her. What's the matter, she's done something.
We'd like to talk to her.I was sure. I didn't mean
to stick my nose in where itdon't belong to. All right, you
know where you can find her?I don't know. I guess her place
would be as good as any.But where's that? A couple of blocks
up? It's a brown house asecond from the corner. You can't miss
it, just like her, areal mess as weeds all around. It's
a brown house. All right,Thank you. I'm glad to help Bob.
(23:45):
I've been saying for a long timeshe was gonna end up in real
trouble. I've been saying that fora long time. I've been telling everybody.
They didn't believe me. Really willnow. We left the bar and
drove over to the house the bartenderhad described. There was a light on
in the front room. When wegot there. The name on the mailbox
read missus Clyde Maddock. Yeah,you're miss Manic. That's right. Who
(24:11):
are you? Police officer? Comeon in, I've been expecting you.
Wait a minute, I'll get acoach's all right, I'll get it.
It kind of surprised me. How'sthat. I kind of figured you'd find
me before this, didn't think it'dtake this long. Did you kill him?
Yeah? He wanted a divorce.I wouldn't give it to him.
(24:33):
I wanted to marry some flues youwhere he worked. It wouldn't give me
a chance to work things out.I tried to convince him was wrong.
I told him if he tried toleave me, be sorry. I tried
to convince him. Wouldn't believe me? Or maybe he does. Now let's
go. Story you've just heard istrue. The names were changed to protect
(25:03):
the innocent. On December sixteenth,trial was held in Department ninety seventh Superior
Court of the State of California inand for the County of Los Angeles.
In a moment the results of thattrial, Gladys Markholmadock was tried and convicted
(25:30):
of murder in the second degree andreceived punishment as prescribed by law. Murder
in the second degree is punishable byimprisonment for a period of from five years
to life in the state penitentiary.You have just heard Dragnet, a series
(26:02):
of authentic cases from official files.Technical advice comes from the Office of Chief
of Police W. H. Parker, Los Angeles Police Department.
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