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About this Episode
Step into the world of classic crime with "The Dragnet Collection." Featuring iconic radio episodes from the golden age of detective drama, this collection brings you the methodical investigations, sharp dialogue, and thrilling cases of Sergeant Joe Friday and his team. If you love true crime, classic noir, or vintage radio, this is a must-listen!
Hosts & Guests
Transcript
The story you're about to hear is true.
The names have been changed to protect the innocent.
The detective sergeant assigned a robbery detail.
A pair of holdout men have been operating in your city.
The detective sergeant assigned a robbery detail.
to robbery detail.
A parent of holdout man have been operating in your city.
You know their method of operation.
You know what they look like.
Your job, get him.
There was Wednesday, June 8th.
It was warm in Los Angeles.
We were working the day watch out of robbery detail.
My partner's Frank Smith, the boss of Chief of Detectives
that brown.
My name's Friday.
We're on our way out from the office, and it was 10, 14 a.m.
and we got to the corner of Roberta in Mercury,
the after-hours cafe.
Yeah, a little bit.
Do I see Harry Prentice?
Yeah, I'm him, what do you want?
Police officers.
My partner Frank Smith, my name's Frank.
Oh, all right.
Five lives, nine, huh?
Yeah, were you here?
Yeah, sure was.
The only one's got a key.
Place is open, I'm here.
Yes, sir, you know about the robbery.
Yeah, sure, what do you want to know?
Would you tell us what happened?
You should have read the papers this morning, all about it,
and then you've got a couple of copies if you want to see him.
No, that won't be necessary.
No, no trouble at all.
I haven't had a couple of copies right here.
Yeah, here, take a look right here.
Yeah, I hit it.
Yeah, I'll read it to you.
Last night at the after-hours cafe,
we should give him the address.
At the after-hours cafe, two gunmen held up
and beat Jeffrey Hanks.
The victim was approached outside the bar
and went asked for his money.
Yes, and now we saw all that.
We just like to hear your version if we could.
Oh, oh, okay.
What do you want to know?
Did you see them in?
At the gun?
That's right.
Yeah, sure, I told the other cops I did.
Gave me a description of everything.
You know something about their speech and accent, maybe?
No.
I asked them what they wanted, one big one.
You ordered a scotch and a rocks.
Other one asked for plain grapefruit juice.
No booze, just a juice.
And lucky I had it.
Got a couple of cans in for vodka drinks.
Don't get a lot of call for it.
Guy drank all I had.
One of the victim could be.
Yeah, you mean Hanks?
Yeah.
Almost been about 830 someplace in there.
Walk in, set out.
I just seen them before.
No, brand new face.
Nice working guy, though.
Kind of like to have for regulars.
That's all.
Yeah, quiet, good drinker.
Doesn't bother the singles at the bar.
Nice.
You know what I mean?
Yeah.
I had a place full of them.
I wouldn't have no worries.
How do you have to get mixed up with the other two, do you know?
You mean Hanks?
That's right.
I don't know.
I wasn't paying a lot of attention.
Portable martini left them alone.
A friend of mine, lady type, was here.
We're talking to her and her boyfriend.
We haven't trouble.
We belted her around a little bit.
Not bad.
A couple of scratchy.
You know what I mean?
I think so.
Well, she was asking me what to do.
We've been friends for a long time since I opened a place.
Anyway, we was talking so I didn't see what happened.
No.
I was at the three.
I got up and moved to the booth in the back.
I ordered another round.
Uh-huh.
I hardly got the drinks back to the table.
And they was ready for another one.
Go ahead.
I kept running from the bar to their table for the next couple of hours.
You hear anything they were saying?
No, not much.
When I was drinking scotch, you got a little plastered and loud.
I told them a couple of times I shut up.
I said I have to 86 them if they didn't.
Yeah.
I kept it up so I told them to leave.
Didn't take it kindly.
What do you mean?
I'm going to start to get rough.
You know, it's telling me that they didn't have to take no gut
from a barkeep.
No.
I told them.
I wanted to drink in a grapefruit juice.
I told him to get his friends out.
And he said, we're not causing any trouble.
And I said, that's the way I want to keep her.
So he said for me to leave Malone.
And I said to the grapefruit.
I said for him to leave right then.
I don't want you in my place.
I said.
Yeah.
Well, and so scotch on a rock.
He said, tell his cat to go hide his head.
Like that.
He said it.
And turn the bear loose.
And I grabbed the both of them, threw them out through the door.
Oh, you see.
Yeah.
And I went back to the other guy.
Nice looking one.
And he got the gas by then.
And about eight martinis asked him to leave.
He did.
Yeah.
Do you have any trouble with it?
No.
Just asked.
He worked out.
Well, the other two outside when he left.
He asked him on the sidewalk.
I told him to shove off.
I call the cops.
Oh, scotch on a rock.
So he said for me to go soak my head.
I was going after him.
And I figured it wouldn't do no good.
So I came back inside.
A couple of minutes later.
That was a nice guy.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Oh, yeah.
Well, he came in all beat up, closed to him.
Real mess.
Yeah.
Big cut right.
Right along here.
So he'd been robbed while I need to call a cops.
Had you ever seen either of the two men before?
You mean scotch on a rock and grip?
That's right.
No, no, I never did.
Or did you take a look at this description?
Let's see if it's right.
Here.
Yeah, sure.
Glad to help out.
Yeah.
Yeah, that looks about right.
I don't think you could have had to do it.
No.
There's a couple of guys.
Nothing but them stand out.
Would you know them if it's on again?
Hard to say, you know what I mean?
Yes.
A couple of guys came in order to drink.
Nothing special.
Not sure I could point them out for you.
Anybody, forget them.
Not quite.
Huh?
We won't.
11.30 AM.
We left the barn, went back to the city hall.
We checked with the stats office and picked up the results of their latest run.
They listed four possible, but when we read the names,
we were no closer to the holdup men than we had been.
The names were ones that we checked and cleared before.
Frank and I went back to robbery.
It was a message for us to see Captain Donahoe.
We went into his office.
Yeah?
Mm-hmm.
No, far as I know, there's nothing new on it.
That's right.
Uh-huh.
They just came in.
What?
All right.
I'll let you know right away.
Yeah.
Bye.
Come on in.
Hi, Skipper.
Kevin.
I was keep brown.
Been calling all morning.
Yeah.
You know what he wants?
What do I tell him?
Well, we talked to the bartender.
He can't give us anything.
What about the victim?
Not much there either.
Able to come up with a name?
No, I said he didn't hear anything.
That's a big help.
Huh?
Sit down.
Thank you.
Yeah, thanks, sir.
Smith?
Yes, Captain.
I got it.
Thanks, John.
From the beginning.
What do you got?
Good ammo, good description.
We got an idea of a liner working, and that's about it.
What about stats?
Just pick up a new run, four names.
What's on them?
Clean.
They all been checked before.
Got to be something around town on them.
Well, there should be, but there just isn't.
How about your informants?
No, they haven't been able to tell us anything.
Strike?
No reason they should lie.
Victims and witnesses seem to mug books.
All we got.
They haven't been able to come up with an identification.
Burrton, up at the CIA, said all the stuff.
He's got a method of operation.
We've checked it all through.
What about the places they can spend the money?
Well, we've been the guardian half dozen times.
Nothing out there.
Well, on Vegas.
Talk to the department over there.
They're giving us all the help they can, but they haven't turned anything yet.
We even got the racetracks covered.
Possibly you missed something?
Sure, it's possible.
I don't know what it could be.
You knew you wouldn't have missed it.
You know.
From the beginning?
Go over.
Okay.
First report was made on...
Let me move.
Got it here.
Here it is.
Tuesday, April 26th.
Victim came out of the bar.
Two men stopped him, started a conversation.
Got him in a car.
Read him and robbed him.
Six weeks ago.
That's right.
The guys are still running.
The next one was on Friday, April 29th.
Same ammo, same description.
How often has it been happening since?
A couple of times a week.
You can't find a leak?
No, sir.
No rumble?
No, we haven't run down.
Anybody in the office got anything.
We talked to me in the storm well.
I thought they had it made for us, but they really didn't own a place.
Money they're getting isn't sitting in their pockets.
Being spent someplace.
We can't find the cash register.
I'll tell you this.
The fellow they nail last night.
What's his name?
Jeffrey Higgs.
Yeah.
Well, he's got some friends in the city hall.
They're pretty upset about what happened.
Called the chief this morning.
He's been on me.
I'm giving it to you.
He won't be happy with excuses.
And I don't want to give him any.
So don't hand me any.
Right?
Well, it's down simple.
I don't care how you do it.
I don't care where.
I just get it done.
I want those two men, and I want them fast.
Right.
I know how it is.
Now you do, too.
Yes, sir.
I don't like to pressure any more than you do.
We're getting it all the way around.
People that are making the noise should follow us around for a couple of days.
That's the difference.
They don't have to.
Huh?
You're getting paid.
Frank and I went over every piece of information we had on the case.
We reread the reports that had been filed by the officers at the scene.
Statements from witnesses and victims were gone over again.
The names of staff's officer given us were run through on eye again.
None of it didn't be good.
We still didn't have a lead to the identity of the other thieves.
Three days passed while we talked to informants and questioned other sources of information.
On Sunday, June 12th, we got back to the office from talking to a bartender out on Olympic Boulevard.
Well, that's another one that didn't go any place.
No.
You want to get the book?
Yeah, I think so.
I got it.
Probably fatty.
Uh-huh.
Yeah, Jack.
Yeah, where is the place?
Hmm?
Wait a minute.
Yeah, I got it.
Yeah, I guess the word's all over.
Yeah.
Okay, we'll check it out.
Thanks, boy.
Right, bye.
There's nothing in the book.
Thank God.
I want to know if you could make it for dinner tonight.
Got a barbecue plan.
You better call it off.
You got other plans?
I was McCready on the phone.
He just got a call from a bartender out in Wilshire.
Yeah.
A woman crying in her beer says he figured we want to check it out.
What is it?
She says her boyfriend is one of our suspects.
The bar Sergeant Jack McCready had mentioned was on the corner of Wilshire Boulevard in England Street.
There were two people in the place when we arrived.
One, an elderly man sitting near the door and the other, a middle-aged woman at the rear of the bar.
We checked with a bartender and he told us that he'd made the call.
He went on to say that the woman had come in about 10 in that morning.
Since that time, she'd been crying and mumbling something about going to the police.
I think I went back to talk to her.
Yeah.
There it goes.
Is this something?
I understand that you want to cut the police.
I got to do it to you.
My name is Friday.
It's my partner Frank Smith.
How you doing?
You're cut, too.
What do you want to see us about, ladies?
That bum, Darwin.
That's what it's about.
It's bum.
What's his name?
Is it Darwin?
Yeah.
We don't know good.
He played down to me all the time, hitting me.
I think he was mad all the time.
What's his last name, you know?
Oh, Brook.
Darwin, oh, Brook.
You like to buy me drinks?
Oh, he had enough of that, lady.
Well, that's where you're wrong.
Of course, to show you that you don't know what you're talking about.
And then you wanted to meet all you haven't cut, Darwin.
None.
What's he done?
Hold up.
Man.
Hold up.
I say stand all over town.
Hold Darwin.
Stand all the people up.
So you're husband?
Me?
Darwin's wife?
That's right.
That's real funny.
No, that is.
I mean, Darwin married.
I don't think I wouldn't do it.
No, for men don't think it.
But they're true.
Not at all.
No, sir.
Darwin is a friend.
I've been a friend for 12 years.
That's a long time.
That's right.
I've been holding hands for 12 years.
We're married.
You don't want to.
Will you tell us about the holdups that he's been pulling?
Ben, all the papers.
Well, you haven't read it.
All the papers.
Are you sure you were a cop?
Why don't you tell us about Darwin?
Well, I was a cop.
All the time.
Talking about how someday we'd get married.
All the time.
Talking like that.
I got a couple of bucks for a whim.
We'll take the big step as well.
He was awesome.
I'm saying it's a big step.
So what happens?
He has a couple of bucks and he takes off for another girl.
I'll see if I'm there.
He's miserable.
Where do you get the money?
I don't know what else.
Like on the paper, I choose it out of four.
He's running after all those people in front of us.
He's pretty good at beating people up.
He's good at that.
Not much else, but he's real good at that.
You ever talked about the holdups to you?
Oh, no.
I'd be shy.
He wouldn't talk to anybody.
But I don't need you.
And how do you know he's involved?
Well, just because I know.
What does fellow look like?
The Derwood?
That's right.
I guess the person would say he was drawing.
And I thought, I guess that's what you would say.
I would.
And he's got dark hair.
Kind of roll away right here.
You hear?
He's in front of Derwood.
How tall is he?
Oh, he's a big one.
Well, how tall?
About six feet?
How much do you weigh?
I don't know.
I guess I have a couple hundred pounds.
Is he fat or thin?
Kind of thin.
How old is he?
38 years old.
Two years old or a me?
Two years.
What color is he?
Brown.
Do you ever been arrested?
I see, he ever been arrested.
I don't know.
Maybe he has.
I've never said nothing to me in other words.
Want to run through?
Yeah, I'll check.
Do you want to run through?
We'll talk to him.
Yeah.
You do that.
You tell him from me, I think he's bummed.
But twelve years, you didn't tell me.
He has a couple of bites.
We take a step.
And he runs out with another girl.
A little while.
He's everyone.
You know where we can find him?
I don't know.
I guess he's home.
I don't know.
I thought he'd be home.
Do you have the address?
Sure.
It's one eight to seven half Margot Street.
What's that?
Can she do very well?
One eight to seven and a half Margot Street.
Oh, yeah, I got it.
So, five, seven, five, three, two, one.
Sorry, that's...
So, five, seven, five, three, two, one.
I'm sorry, I said.
On a second floor, Margot Street.
Do you have any close friends that you know of?
Sure, girl.
You walked out with us.
She's a close friend.
Any men?
Nope.
You don't like nobody on his back.
You like to bail on him.
You know, it's all a case cost.
No, none.
So, yeah.
Excuse me, a minute, lady.
Oh, yeah, I'm sure you're good as hell.
I was a fellow bartender.
It's all about the drink, though.
What do you got?
All right, check to Iron Eye on Holbrook.
How's he staying?
I found a couple of fifths of description.
One of them might be good.
Done time for robbery.
Is there anything?
No, I'll get out clean.
What if he stayed that way?
Frank and I left the bar and drove over to the Margot Street address.
We checked with the landlord.
And she told us that Holbrook had moved in approximately six weeks before.
She went on to say that he'd been behind his rent,
but that he'd paid what he owed,
and that he'd given her the money for an additional two months.
She said that she didn't know what he did for a living.
He had a few visitors in the landlord.
He couldn't tell us if he owned a car.
According to her, he was in his room.
Frank and I went up to see him.
There it is.
There it is.
What do you say?
No.
Where is he?
Go in Holbrook.
Just a minute.
Where do you want?
Police officer.
Hey!
You got no right to bust here like this.
There's nothing wrong.
Then you won't mind if we look around with you.
Oh, go ahead. You won't find anything.
I'll check it, you know.
Tell me what you want.
Maybe I can give you a hand.
You just sit still there.
Sure, I got nothing to worry about.
Tell the place to park.
Just make sure you put it all back.
Right where you found it.
Let's clean, Joe.
I could have told you that.
Sure you could.
Might let me know why you're roused to me.
You work for a living?
Why?
Do you?
No.
Where we hear it, you're doing pretty well with the money.
I guess you'd say it.
You mind telling us where you got it?
Why is investment?
That's it, huh?
Sure.
Read the financial page all the time.
A couple of bucks here.
A couple more there.
First thing, you know, you're on your way to a million.
A little way it came to us.
You might have made the money the hard way.
Whoever told you that's a liar.
So, sure.
And I got a pretty good idea who's got the big mouth.
Don't make any difference.
You can't tag me for anything.
Why don't you tell us?
I will.
You're beefing about the money.
Well, you can't say I didn't make it from investments.
I don't have to prove it.
You do.
You got to prove I didn't make it from investing.
I think we might be able to.
Go ahead.
I'll give you something else.
What?
I don't think you're going to like the interest.
We took Derwin Holbrook back to the city hall and talked to him.
Through over an hour, he refused to admit any part in the hold-ups.
We made arrangements for the victims to come down and see him.
Witnesses were asked to special show-ups,
but they failed to give us a positive identification.
Holbrook's name came up on the overtime.
Sheetney was released from custody.
It was nothing we could do.
Another week went by.
Holbrook was kept under constant surveillance.
Monday, June 20th.
Frank and I were in the squad room.
Righty?
Smith?
Yeah, Skipper, we're here.
I can't.
What do you got?
Your boys didn't know the job last night.
I'm West LA.
We didn't see the reports.
Just came in.
Got a meeting with the warmen this afternoon.
Be there.
Homicide?
Yeah.
They come died without regaining consciousness.
We need to skip through the suspect.
Enough to know it's the two fellows you're after.
How's your hot suspect?
What's his name?
Holbrook.
I'm sorry.
You able to keep him this time?
No, I don't think so.
That's a matter.
Reports, there's a hold-up took place at 10-15.
Yeah.
Holbrook was asleep at the rain.
We rechecked with the team of men who had been keeping
Durwin Holbrook under surveillance.
They verified the fact that the suspect had been in his room
at the time of the robbery and that there was no way for him
to have left the apartment.
We went out to the hospital and talked to the officer
that had been with the latest victim.
He said that the dead man hadn't said anything
to help identify as a salient.
We talked to the bartender at the place where the beating
had occurred.
He remembered two men in the bar and he remembered them
talking with the victim, but he was unable to tell us
anything more.
Additional broadcasts were gotten out.
At the meeting with Captain Alaman,
it was decided that from that point, the investigation
would be a joint operation between robbery and homicide.
After the meeting, Frank, Captain Donahoe and I
met back in room 27.
Come on in.
Sit down.
You know.
Well, you heard it.
And how are you going to work it?
There's only one way you're really staying out.
Thought you tried that route.
This time we used more cars.
Better work.
This latest one's really got the corner pocket screaming.
How are you going to set it up?
Well, that job out in West LA is the first time
he's moved out of central.
I think we can figure it over you back.
That's playing it the long way.
There's nothing left.
Oh, bye.
How's it going to work?
Let me take a look at the map over here.
He's been hitting in this area along here.
Up to now, we've had it covered in through here and here.
Now, we can put additional cars on these streets.
And maybe over here, huh?
How about a check system?
It'll be kind of hard to work out, Skipper.
We'll be in a three-way car.
We're creating this partner.
We'll be in one.
And that way, we can keep tabs on what's going on.
When you start.
Well, if we can swing it tonight.
Talk to McCreedy?
No, not the whole thing.
We went over part of it.
What do you think?
He goes with us.
See only way.
Then it better come through for you.
You don't get another chance.
At 7.20 that night, the rolling stakeout began.
It continued for another week.
Several arrests were made, but when the suspects were checked,
they were ruled out as the ones that we were looking for.
In the meantime, the holdup men hit twice more in the area under surveillance.
Bartender started closing their places early.
Pressure from citizens, groups, and newspapers got a little worse.
Apparently, there was nothing we could do to stop the thieves.
Tuesday, June 28th.
We stopped for something to eat.
That's going to be another long night.
I hope we get something out of it.
Yeah.
Howdy, fellas.
Well, it'll be.
Well, a couple of eggs over easy.
I got it.
A side order of bacon.
Well, thank you.
How about you?
That sounds good, Jim.
I'll have the same.
Only make my eggs straight up.
Well, you know, I'll have a side order of ham.
Righto.
And two coffees we bring right away.
Sure thing.
I'll get them for you right now.
Listen, I ain't got to get home.
I'll have a cup of coffee.
I'll drop you off.
Wife's going to be sore.
And I'll make it pretty quick.
Well, let her be sore.
That's a trouble with women today.
All the time, trying to run her lives.
Have your coffee.
We'll eat my friends.
You'll like them.
I feel so good. Maybe I'll leave now.
Look, you'll be all right. Just take it easy.
Yeah.
All right.
That's it.
Clicking might be setting one up. Let's check it.
Wife, do you have any trouble?
Stay with us.
From you one.
What if you let us take a look at your identification?
Why?
Because I ask you.
Who are you?
Police officers.
Watch out.
Come on.
Come on.
Come on here.
Get up.
Come on.
Shut me around.
That's all it's about.
We didn't do nothing.
And don't worry about it.
You get nothing to hold me on.
We'll talk about it downtown.
Come on. Let's go.
What's the charge? You got to make one.
Come on. You got to make a charge.
You can't take me without it.
All right. Try suspicion of robbery.
Enough for me.
You keep believing I felt it.
I will.
You're out on a limb, cop.
You got nothing. I'll be free in a couple hours.
You got it wrong.
Tell me about it.
We won't have to.
We'll let the jury do it.
We took the suspect back to the city hall.
He was identified as Ameth Noonan.
He refused to admit any part in the holdups.
He wouldn't tell us who the friend was
and he didn't mention to the intended victim.
A check of R&I revealed that he'd served sentences
of Sam Quentin and at Folsom for armed robbery.
We pulled his mug shot and a team of detectives
went out to check with the victims.
It was an hour before they got back to the office.
We talked to him and then we went to see Noonan.
You said you'd turn me out now?
No, not quite.
When you're going to give up, cop, you got nothing to make a charge on.
You know it.
I don't know how long you want to play this game.
But I'd like to get home and get some sleep.
We just got word from the officers who checked your picture
with the victims.
I gave us a positive identification.
Nothing different about me.
Lots of guys look the same.
Why don't you come off a Noonan?
We got you a maiden.
You know it.
I don't know anything that kind cop.
You're saying one thing.
I say different.
It's my word against yours.
We'll see who the court believes.
We got a head start.
How do you figure that?
That's the way you work.
Any record I got you can't mention in court
because I concerned I'm clean.
You want to call it a day?
We can all get some sleep.
What do you do for a living?
I'm a salesman.
What do you sell?
Different things.
Name them.
Different things.
Yeah.
One's the last time you work.
Six months ago.
I've lived since then.
I saved my money.
You know, you're in for more than a robbery charge.
I'm not standing that.
Man, out in West LA died.
That's too bad.
I didn't see anything about it in the papers.
The only way I didn't know.
Who was the guy with you on the jobs?
I know what you're talking about.
You know we'll get to him.
I'm not saving him a lot of time.
I don't know.
Nothing of that kind.
You guys are out of your scope.
All right.
Let's go.
Now you can unlock the door.
Yeah, this one.
Where we going?
For how long?
Until they pass sentence.
You sound pretty sure.
Yeah, come on.
Hey, it's too bad about you guys.
What's that?
How long have you been working on these robberies?
A couple of months.
And I'm your agent.
You're the man.
Let's make you feel kind of lousy.
Be so sure and then find out you're wrong.
You know if I keep my mouth shut, you're not going to have a case.
You know, Phil, I'm going to tell you real simple.
We can identify you positively.
We've got a dozen people who are going to get up on a stand and point you out as a man or knock them down and walk down them.
The time we get through with you will have enough on you for a five minute deliberation.
You're ruling out one thing, Captain.
Yeah, what's that?
The jury.
All I need is one person who won't go with the rest of them.
One who doesn't listen.
You got it all figured out.
Yeah.
One person doesn't care.
I got it made just one.
Well, and you're in real trouble.
Huh?
We'll find twelve who do.
The story you'll just heard is true.
The names were changed to protect the innocent.
On November 19th, trial was held in Department 98, Superior Court of the State of California, in and fall the county of Los Angeles.
Further investigation resulted in the arrest of Jerome Nathan Pollock as an accomplice in the robberies.
Both he and Emmett David Noonan were tried and convicted of murder in the first degree.
The jury failed to return a recommendation of leniency and both men received the maximum sentence.
They were put to death in the lethal gas chamber at the State Penitentiary San Quentin, California.
Dragnet is a presentation of the United States Armed Forces Radio Service.
The United States Armed Forces Radio Service.
The United States Armed Forces Radio Service.
