21st Precinct, Sergeant Waters. What do you mean missing? What? Well, how old is the little girl? Four and a half? Oh, is she with her mother? Yeah. Where? What's that address? You're in the master room at the 21st Precinct, the nerve center. A call is coming through. You will follow the action taken pursuant to that call from this minute until the final report is written in the 124 room at the 21st Precinct. All right. Tell her I'm sending the officers right over. Now tell her not to go out looking for them. The officers will be right there. That's right. 21st Precinct. It's just lines on a map of the city of New York. Most of the 173,000 people wedged into the nine tenths of a square mile between Fifth Avenue and the East River wouldn't know if you asked them that they lived or worked in the 21st. Whether they know it or not, the security of their homes, their persons, and their property is the job of the men of the 21st Precinct. The 21st, 160 patrolmen, 11 sergeants, and four lieutenants of whom I am the boss. My name is Kennelly, Frank Kennelly. I'm captain in command of the 21st. I was working my day tour. After I turned out the platoon at 8 a.m. and conferred with Lieutenant Gorman, the desk officer, about a patrol problem, I went into my office to read, digest, and sign nearly 100 reports and communications that had accumulated since I was last on duty 24 hours before. At 920, I was still at the paperwork. 21st Precinct, Captain Kennelly. This is Sergeant Waters on CS, Captain. We've got a child under seven reported missing. Where is it? 1132nd Avenue. Is that the resident? No, sir. It's a laundrette. The mother was in there with the family wash. The kid with withering has just disappeared. Okay, I'll be right out. Yes. This is Sergeant Waters at 21st. Desk officer here, Lieutenant Gorman wants to speak to Captain Fleischer. 60 seconds to 50, Captain. Yeah. No, he won't talk to anyone else. There's a notification on a missing child under seven. All right, I'll hold on. You'll notify CDPants? Yes, sir. First thing. Hold on, Captain Fleischer. Lieutenant Gorman, Captain Fleischer on the line. Okay. Captain Fleischer, this is Lieutenant Gorman, desk officer 21st. We have a report of a missing child under seven. The name is Gloria Sollent, S-O-L-E-N-T. Age four and a half, daughter of Mrs. David Sollent. David, 278 E-60th Street. That's right, E-60th. She was in the company of her mother and Jerry's laundrette at 1132nd Avenue. Disappeared. Have we got her at 917? No sir, not yet. I'm going to as soon as I get to you. Okay. You're welcome, Captain. You'll notify the 21st squad, Commander Pat? I'm going to do it right now. Sergeant, would you ring up there from Lieutenant King? Yes, sir. Lieutenant King on the job today? I called him to come in a little while ago, Captain. Mr. Sergeant, we're ordered on CS, Lieutenant. Lieutenant Gorman would like to talk to you. Yes, sir. Lieutenant King's on the line, Lieutenant. Okay. Hello, Matt. Yeah. I'm going to get her, Sergeant. Patrolman on post there, sir. The owner of the laundrette went out on the street and got him. He rang in with him. He's all up and down the block and in every store. He can't find the kid. What'd you send over there? I sent the cars two and three, Captain. What about the Sergeant? Sergeant Burns went sick, Captain. He just had a bad wreck on the east of the drive. Sergeant Collins is over there. You better get a patrolman in here to relieve you on CS. We need a Sergeant over there to take charge of the uniform men. Yes, sir. He was wearing blue jeans, a white sweater, a red check shirt, red shoes, white socks. Yeah, man. Let me talk to Lieutenant King when you're finished, man. Yes, sir, Captain. No, no, no. Four and a half. Yeah. Well, that's about all we got so far. Just a second, Matt. Captain Cannella wants to talk to you. Okay, Captain. Thank you. Hello, Matt. Captain. I have five patrolmen and a Sergeant over there, Matt. They're yours. And any more you need. Thanks, Captain. I'm going myself right now. How about you? You want a ride? All right. I'll be right here for you. Yeah. Hello, CB. It's your Sergeant Warner, 23rd. You have a 631 call, 23rd. Okay, Matt. Keep your finger on this thing up for a minute. Stay on their tails until that kid is found. Yes, sir, I will. You can count on it. There are few occurrences which are handled with more urgency than the report of a missing child. On the basis of 100 years' experience, the police department of the city of New York has found that although nearly all missing children are eventually located and returned home safely, prompt and thorough police action might prevent an accident or crime involving the child. The action to be taken is described in great detail in the manual of procedure and rules and regulations 316. With or without suspicion of a crime being involved, the desk officer is obliged to refer the report to the detective squad commander for immediate investigation. As required in no other type of case, the desk officer must in addition personally and forthwith notify the captain in charge of the detective district, the immediate superior of the squad commander. Assistance in the form of men, radio motor patrol cars, police launches, emergency service squad, transit police, and the facilities of any other department of the city must be made available forthwith on request of the detective commander in charge. All superior officers of the patrol force must cooperate with the detective commander and render any assistance requested. In compliance with Lieutenant King, I drove over to 1132nd Avenue, Jerry's Laundrette from Webber Thirds, would you come in? Okay, Johnny. Captain, is he on there? Find a place to park, Johnny, we'll see him inside. Yes, sir. There's Vacaro. Vacaro? Yes, sir. Any sign of the child, Vacaro? No, sir. I've just been rechecking in the stores all along the block. Nobody's seen it. Who's on the job? We have. Tachran and Giordano in sector card two, Lieutenant, and Eisman and Nelson in sector card three. Where are they? Eisman and Nelson. They're in the building. They're in the building. They're in the building. They're in the building. They're in the building. They're in the building. Where are they? Eisman and Nelson are cruising around to see if they can locate the girl on the street. Copper and Giordano are climbing stairs in the building up and down the block. Where's the mother? Inside. She brought in the family wash and was sitting talking and reading a magazine after it was in the machine. Where'd she went? She looked up and this kid was gone. Go ahead. Yes. Where is she? In back. The proprietor has a little office in back. Is that the proprietor? Yes, sir. Mr. Aker? Just a second. What is it? $43.06, $23.45.91. Excuse me if I don't keep these figures going and get way ahead of me. Mr. Aker, Captain Cannelli and Lieutenant King, Mr. Gerriak. How do you do? Hello. Are you here when the child was prepared, Mr. Aker? Yeah, sure. I was right here, I'm telling you. Everything was peaceful. Nothing but the machines going. And all of a sudden she lets out this scream, Mr. Collins. Uh-huh. I got a hand stuck in a machine or something. I ran up there and she's yelling something about Gloria, my baby. I don't know, I thought the baby was in the machine. Well, then this other lady, her friend, she told me the lady's kid is gone. I said, calm down. Now how far could she go? So we looked around the store, in front and in the back, nothing. We went out on the sidewalk and looked around, there was still nothing. Well, then I was getting worried too. This policeman came by and I told him and that's all I know. The mother's in back? Yeah, in a little office I got back there. Who's with her? I left a friend there with her. Well, that friend had to go home, officer. She said she had some soup home on her stove and she had to turn it off before it boiled away. She said she'd be back. You got her name, the count? Yes, Mrs. Annabel Navin, 278-60. Yeah, that's right, Mrs. Navin. The same building as her mother. Well, let's talk to her. Listen, do you need me? Breaks my heart. I don't know, I got a couple kids myself. You get to thinking what could happen. That's all right, Mr. Hector, you stay here. All right, right in back there on the left. Thank you very much. I'll be right back. Mr. Collins, is the door open? No, not yet. I don't understand where's it going. I just don't understand. Mrs. Collins, this is Captain Finnelli. Hello. And Lieutenant King. Mrs. Collins. I'm so sorry to cause all this trouble and I appreciate your help. I really appreciate it. Well, it's our job, Mrs. Collins. But, Harold, you'd better go on out to the street and see what you can do. Yes. Go ahead, Bacow. We'll find him, Mrs. Collins. I hope so, I just hope so. Is it all right if I shut the door, Mrs. Collins? The door? Be a little quieter. How you get the officer description of your little girl? You said she was four and a half. Yes, and she's wearing blue jeans and she had on a long white sweater and red tears with white socks. What's the color of her hair? Red hair. It's sort of, close to my red skull. Where could she have gone? That's what I don't understand. Where? I'm going to try to find that out. Mrs. Collins, what time did you leave the house this morning? Well, it was about, let's see, it was about ten minutes to nine o'clock. I took the wash and I took Gloria and I came over to see you. Were you near the front door or toward the back? Oh, toward the back. I like to get toward the back because there's less traffic in and out. And I have a favorite machine, number 11. I was putting that first load in the machine and I told Gloria to be a good girl and play. I got the washing and she was playing and I started talking and this was number 11. She was washing right next to me and I was talking and looking at the pictures in the magazine and then I looked up to see where Gloria was and she was gone. I guess I'll head out of screen. That's what Jerry said I did anyway. Then you decided to look for her. Yes. We looked all over this door and front, back, under the counter, even in here. There was a lady up in front washing one of the first machines and after she saw Gloria go out. Well, she didn't take so. She didn't remember. She was busy with the war so we went out on the street and we looked around. We couldn't find her. We looked at the stores and then Jerry said, by the way, we'd just better tell the cop on the beat. So we saw him on the corner and we told him. Were there any other children in here at the time, Mrs. Sloan? Well, usually there are. Let's see. No, not this morning when I came, but that didn't make any difference because Gloria plays very nice by herself and Jerry's got blocks and toys over in the corner for when mothers bring their children in. Did you see anyone come or go? What do you mean? Did anyone come into the store you noticed particularly? Well, no. I was talking to Mrs. Nevin and reading notes. Nobody I noticed. Oh, there was just a laundry man. What laundry man? From the wholesale laundry. You know, some of the customers like to get things like seats and shirts. Jerry has their service and you can get seats and shirts and things like that all done for you. He's the only one you noticed, the man from the wholesale laundry. Yeah, yeah, that's right. You know, I was worried before, but now I'm getting scared. I'm really getting scared. Do you think it would do any good if I just went out again and looked through? Well, the officers have a good description. They'll know it. Come in. Oh, come in, Sergeant. I've got someone to bring out. Say yes, Captain. Good. What do you want Sergeant Waters to do, man? Tell you what I think would be the best thing, Bill. Yes, sir? You supervise the members of the patrol force who are making the search. Yes, sir. You'll find Vaccaro, Cochran, Giordano, and Eisman on the job. There'll probably be more to come. Yes, sir. I'll get right on it. Excuse me, John. I have no eyes on you. Come in, Johnny. Yes, sir. Mrs. Salentzitz, Detective Bender. How do you do? I went over to your house, Mrs. Salentzitz. I thought maybe somebody might have found the child and brought her home. But they didn't. No. What's your husband's first name, Mrs. Salentzitz? David. What's his occupation? He's a butcher. He works in Morseman Market. Have you notified him that the child is missing? No. Why not? Well, you see, we're separated. For how long? Since the middle of August. Where has he been living? In a furnished room in the village someplace. I don't know. I just swear. Have you seen him, Mrs. Salentzitz? Oh, yes. He comes to get Groy on Sundays and brings her home. Is that the arrangement? Yes. Every Sunday and every Tuesday. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. Is that the arrangement? Yes. Every Sunday and every once in a while, all night, too. Does he confer the name to your support? Oh, yes. Every week, just like the clock. Is he satisfied with the arrangement? Well, I mean, he never said anything that he wasn't. He's the one that wanted to break up. Now, me, I was satisfied. Look, and we don't... We don't... Oh, no. No, not that. We wouldn't. We'll find out whether he would or not. Bender, yes, I understand. Check him out. Yes, sir, right away. Call me one way or the other. Yes. Oh, I don't think so. I really don't think so. I wouldn't believe Dad could do a thing like that. Why, I couldn't believe Dad. Well, in this job, Mr. Sorens, what we believe to be the case doesn't matter. It's what we find out that counts. You are listening to 21st Precinct, a factual account of the way the police are handling the case. I'm sure you've heard of the case. I've heard of it. I've heard of it. I've heard of it. I've heard of it. I've heard of it. I've heard of it. I've heard of it. I've heard of it. I've heard of it. I've heard of it. I've heard of it. I've heard of it in L.A. I've heard of it in L.A. were assigned by Lieutenant King to seek out all acquaintances of the mother in the neighborhood, the parents of all the girls' playmates, all the customers known to have been in the launderette at the time of the disappearance, and to make personal inquiries concerning the child. An alarm describing Zerl was typed to every precinct in the city and a radio message concerning her was broadcast to all motor patrol cars in the borough of Manhattan. Despite all the effort, at 10.38 a.m. there was still no sign of her. As I stood by, Lieutenant King telephoned to Captain Fleischer, the commander of the 6th Detective District from the counter in the launderette. You're what, Captain? All right, as soon as possible. Ma'am. Hold on a second, Captain Fleischer. Yes, Captain. If we're going to expand the search, maybe he could put in for some rookies from the Academy. We'd get a lot of men and they'd cover a lot of ground. That's a good idea. Captain Pennelly suggests instead of draining men from the precinct, you might want to put in a request for some rookies from the Academy. Yeah, that could be a big help in searching all the buildings around here. Yes, sir. All right, I'll keep in touch with you. Sir, that was good about the rookies. Go ahead. In the meantime, he's requesting the 19th, 20th, and 23rd to send over a car and three men each. That's good. He's sending up two detectives each from the 19th and 23rd squads and he's asking the division inspector for four plain closings. They all ought to be here within 15 to 20 minutes. Boy, this neighborhood is sure jumping. Well, it'll be jumping more, Mr. Ancher. I got to give you credit. When you do something, you do it. You don't get around. Child, that age is pretty helpless. Even if she's all right, she's probably too scared to tell anyone who she is or where she lives. How's the mother doing? How do you think? Yeah. Can you excuse me a minute? I can get in there. Yeah, sure. Oh, this is the headache end of the business. The finish work. A lot of bookkeeping, a lot of complaints, and not much profit. Right at the service you got to have. Mama can come in here and work the machines all she wants. The papa wants the shirts. I'm professional, so I'm stuck with it. Where's another load from the knocker buttons off? Mr. Ancher, as we're getting in your way around here, I'm sorry. Who said you're getting in my way? We're required to conduct a search from the point where the child was last seen. Listen, Captain, everybody's doing their part. I'll do mine. We're just about finishing up the next block, Lieutenant. Every building's item? Every building's half the bottom. Basements, roofs, halls. They're knocking on every door, nothing. We'll just have to keep at it. Well, which way do you want it to go next? Next block east or you want it to go uptown another block? Oh, what do you say, Captain? It's a tough job, man. Tell you what'll help. Start your men on the next block east. I just spoke to Captain Fleischer. We're getting nine more patrolmen in here any minute. Oh, good. And start your men east. When they get here, we'll start them on the next block uptown from where you left off. Yes, sir. I'll get them going. I better check the desk off for you. Yeah, that's a good idea, man. Maybe I ought to see how the mother's doing. Yeah, what you would. Hello, this is Lieutenant King. Oh, excuse me, Mr. Ancher. Help yourself. Foreman, please. Foreman, please. Did you find her? No, not yet, Mrs. Sullivan. I'm sitting here thinking what could have happened to her. Now, where could she go? Don't you want to look many eggs? There's only this thing I can think of. No, Mrs. Sullivan. Well, what else? Kidnappers? What would kidnappers want? I haven't got anything. They haven't got anything. I don't think you ought to jump to conclusions. It's been two hours, Donald. It's just a little girl, four and a half. She couldn't have disappeared. A winner. She wasn't out of my sight two minutes. Not two minutes. We'll find her. Sure, yeah, but how? When? Alive? Not two minutes. Come in. Captain, Lieutenant King would like to see you. Any message to give? No, Mrs. Sullivan. Excuse me, Mrs. Sullivan. Yes? Excuse me. I brought the husband up, Captain. Lieutenant King's father. Lady, if you want to bring your own sop out, how can I stay in business? Captain Cannelli, Mrs. David Sullivan. Mrs. Sullivan? It's something more than she's just lost, isn't it? You know as much as we do, Mrs. Sullivan. You were at work when this detective came down to the market. Yeah, I was at work in the store. I was cutting a side of beef. Is that right? He was at work all night. How long have you and your wife been separated, Mrs. Sullivan? Two, three months, something like this. What was the reason for the separation? Isn't it necessary to go into that? I think it is. For seven years we're married. Since the month after I got out of the Army. Seven years. Nag, nag, nag. Do a big shot. Talk better, dress nicer. Meet the Long Island. Seven years, nag. Was it for Gloria? This would have happened a long time ago. But even with Gloria, enough is enough. Mr. Sullivan, we know that you love your daughter. And we know you were at work when this thing happened. But if you have anything to do with this. Me? Well, I mean, if you send a friend or a relative or anybody else up here to take that child, we'll find out about it. Well, listen, you're barking up the wrong tree. Yes, I'm assuming that I am. But just in case I'm not, I want to tell you that we've got 30 men on the job right now. And there are more coming. Your wife is in there worried to death. I'm worried to death, too. Now, if you're behind this in any way, Mr. Sullivan, you're in for a lot of trouble. I'm not behind. Now is the time to get it straightened out. I'm telling you. All right. I just want you to understand. I understand. Send him. Yes, sir. All right, see you, gentlemen. Take him to the store. I find his slot. Jerry's laundry. Give him a hand. OK, look, I'll be right away. Oh, Lieutenant King, telephone. Thank you. Are you the father? Yes. I'm the father of my daughter. I've got my papers. No word yet, Captain. All right, sir. Yes, sir, I'll watch out for him. Yes, sir. Captain's line here? Yes, sir. There are 14 men on the way up from the police academy. Sergeant is in command. Sounds good. Well, you're getting some service to find your daughter, Mr. Sullivan. These guys have been breaking our necks. Tough guy, sir. A bunch of softies if I ever seen any. I know how much you do, and I appreciate it. Don't you think you'd better talk to your wife? Yeah, I'd get that out to her. Well, listen, while you're over here, somebody might bring Gloria home to the flat. I've got a man posted over there. Oh. Hello, Evelyn. Oh, David. They'll find her, Evelyn. They'll find her. Now, don't worry. Two hours, sir, two hours. What could she be? They'll find her. Won't you? Oh, we're certainly trying. You know how many policemen they got looking for? Is that right? That's right. 30 policemen now, more are coming. 50 policemen, Evelyn. How could 50 policemen not find her? I'm glad you came, David. It sounds like you. Yeah, yeah, I know. Is your cold better? On Sunday, you look bad. You're terrible. I'm terrible. They'll find her, Evelyn. Believe me. I want to ring in, Captain. I'll go with you, man. Are they going to find her? Don't worry about it. I wish I was that confident. Me too. It's getting to be a long time. I know. If somebody came in and took that girl out of here right from under her mother's nose, he had a lot of nerve. We haven't had a squeal like that around here in a long time, have we? I don't remember any for a year or two. How about in the district? Not that I can recall. Last one I heard about was up in the Bronx, and they got the guy. Yeah. Excuse me, coming through, I've got to push this into the bank. All right, coming in. I got enough room there? Mr. Rector. Yeah? What's that? That's the bane of my existence. That's a load of finish work to go out in the morning, and I'll have another basket full by then. Excuse me. All right, just a second. Mrs. Sullivan. Yeah? Any news? No, not yet. Would you come out here a minute, Mrs. Sullivan? Yes. You said before that you remember the man from the wholesale laundry coming in while you were doing your wash before you noticed Gloria was gone. Yes, I did. Mr. Rector, does he take this big canvas basket out with him? True. Every day, loaded with dirty wash, and he brings it in through a clean. Or was the basket out in the front of the store waiting for him? I didn't see him. I keep him in back. Could Gloria have wandered in the bank? Well, yeah, the whole place is open. I let the kids go all over. There's nothing could hurt them around here. There's a million kids coming in. I let them wander all over. He's got an idea, Captain. What? I don't get it. Look, folks, you two wait in the office, will you please? If you think something, we've got a right to know what's out there. Evelyn, please, if they can find it, they will. Go ahead. However, we should be sure you let us know. Yes, as soon as we find out something. What's the story? I don't get it. Well, there's a chance the girl might have climbed into one of the laundry baskets this morning. The driver was in here then. The mother remembered that much, and it's ridiculous. Maybe. Then again, maybe it isn't so ridiculous. What's the name of the laundry you take from? The new metro. Where are they located? Oh, by the West Side on Amsterdam Avenue. 68, 69th Street. Isn't that someplace? Do you have the same driver every day? Yeah, this is on his roof. And what's his name? Murray. And what's his first name? I don't know whether Murray's his first name or his last name. I just call him Murray. What's the phone number over there? At the laundry? Yeah. It's Academy, Academy 24599. All right, let's get them on the phone. Sure, I'll apply to anything. Lieutenant Kane telephoned a new metro laundry and spoke to the delivery manager. He explained quickly what he was after and secured the telephone numbers along the route of the large truck that had made a delivery and pickup at Jerry's Launderette shortly after 9 o'clock. After three telephone calls, he learned that the truck had just left after making a stop on 1st Avenue near 36th Street. He called the next place the truck was due to stop, a laundry on 38th Street near Lexington Avenue. A truck was expected but had not yet arrived. With Detective John Bender, Lieutenant King hurried to his car and drove downtown to intercept the truck. In the meantime, the search in the neighborhood went on. I phoned CB to dispatch a motor patrol car from the 15th Precinct to the address in case the truck arrived before Lieutenant King. We waited in Jerry's Launderette for word. I don't know about you, Captain, but the suspense is killing me. It's only a hunch. Oh, you understell yourself. How do you ever expect to be an inspector? Hey, what about the Mr. and Mrs.? Don't you think you ought to let them in on it? No, they might get too hopeful. If it doesn't work, they'll work off them before. Hey, that could be it. Take it. Jerry's Launderette. Who? No, he hasn't worked here six months. No. I don't know. I haven't got any idea. Look, look, I can't tie up the phone. I'm expecting an emergency... Yeah, you too. Tell them the truth. They don't believe you. Right across from the Academy, Captain. Oh, yes, Sergeant. Should I start them over there going uptown? Well, I'll tell you, Sergeant. Get it, Mr. Everett. Yeah. Jerry's Launderette. Yeah? Who's this? Did you find a kid? Huh? All right, Captain. Thanks. Captain Cannelli. Matt King, Captain. Yes, Matt. The girl was on the truck. Good. They found her. She was playing in the basket and decided to hide under the laundry. Yeah? She thought it was fun being rolled outside. When she got in the truck, she got scared. Every time the driver opened up the back, she kept quiet from fright. Well, is she all right, man? Yeah, she's fine. She's got a great big ice cream cone. She wants to talk to her mother. All right. Hold the phone. I'll put it on. Sergeant, send those men back to the Academy. Yes, sir. Captain. Yeah, she can use the expense in the office. It's a little more private. Mrs. Collins. Yeah? Any news? I found her on the phone, Mrs. Collins. This one? Yeah, that one. Gloria, we found her. Navy? Hello, my baby. Oh, darling, good morning, kid. Oh, that's good. Look, I'll see you very soon. Would you like to talk to Daddy? He's here. Yeah, please. Yes, we're here together and we're going to come and get you together. Yeah, please. Hello, Gloria. Yes. Yes, I know. You tell me all about it, huh? You know something, Captain? You've done a great job. Great. I should have been a cop. Yes, baby. Yeah, it seems great now. But the way I thought it was going to turn out, you could have had the job for two cents. Twenty-first precinct, Sergeant Waters. Where? How do you know he was killed? Where is it? Between 3rd and Lexington or 2nd and 3rd? Well, who found him? Oh, looks like he what? Why, how'd that happen? Yeah? Yeah. All right. And so it goes, around the clock, through the week, every day, every year. A police precinct in the city of New York is a flesh and blood miracle round. Anyone can catch the brass ring, or the brass ring can catch anyone. Twenty-first precinct, a factual account of the way the police work in the world's largest city, is presented with the official cooperation of the Patrolman's Benevolent Association, an organization of more than 20,000 members of the police department's city of New York. Everett Sloan and the role of Captain Kennelly, Ken Lynch as Lieutenant King, featured in tonight's cast were Lawson Zerby, Ralph Camargo, Bill Zuckert, Mandel Kramer, Harold Stone, and Eileen Palmer, written and directed by Stanley Niss, produced for CBS Radio by John Ives. Our panel speaking.
