21st Precinct, Sergeant Burns. Yeah, that's right. We want an ambulance up here at the station house. What's that? Oh, yeah, an injured prisoner. Well, who gave it to you? CB? We've got no idea. You are in the 21st Precinct. The call is coming through. You will follow the action taken pursuant to that call. We'll be there. The 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. Well, he'll have to go to Bellevue. He's a prisoner. Okay. Yeah. We'll be looking for them. 21st Precinct. It just lines on a map of the city of New York. Most of the 173,000 people wedged into the nine-tenths of the square mile between 5th Avenue and the East River wouldn't know if you asked them if 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'm the boss. My name is Cannelli, Frank Cannelli. I'm captain in command of the 21st. I was working my night tour, 4 p.m. to 8 a.m. The weather was cold and still. After a brief flurry of activity between 8 and 10 p.m., including a two-alarm fire on 2nd Avenue, a bad auto accident on the East River Drive, and the attempted robbery of a delicatessen on 86th Street, things quieted down. I turned out the platoon for the 12 to 8 at midnight and went on patrol of the precinct. Things were still quiet. At 1.35 a.m., Lieutenant Patrick Gorman was on duty as desk officer at the station house, and Sergeant Fred Burns sat at the telephone switchboard. The stillness was broken occasionally by the hum of the switchboard or a call over the monitor of KEA, the police radio. ...the police radio... 21st Precinct, Sergeant Burns. Could you connect me with the detectives, please? Yes, sir. Just a second. Sergeant. Yes, sir? What time is Jacobi due to ring in? Well, I say it's... 40, Lieutenant. When he does, ask him what the delay is on that notification from the 92nd. Yes, sir, I will. Oh, that's 12 days getting me down, Lieutenant. When do you swing? After this tour, thank goodness. That's Jacobi. Hope you'd better let me talk to him. Yes. No, it's not him, Lieutenant. The call for the detectives, they're finished. Oh, okay. What time did the skipper say he'd get back to the house? He didn't say. How about a cup of coffee, Lieutenant? There's some hot back there. Oh, no, no, thanks. I've got a lot of stuff to write up, and I've got to file all the cards. That's Jacobi. You still want to talk to him? Yeah. 21st Precinct, Sergeant Burns. Is this the police? Yeah, that's right. Oh, is this the burglar in my apartment? There was or there is right now? There is right now. I saw him. I came home, opened the door, and he was... Lady, wait a minute. There he was! Do you live in the apartment all alone? Yes, all alone. I got scared and ran out. I couldn't find any place open, so I used this phone on the street. It says to call police. Did you get a good look at the man? No, I didn't wait to get a good look. I was scared. You're sure it's not someone you know? I'm sure. I'm positive. Oh, is he still in the building? I think so. I think he's still up in the apartment. All right. Our assembly officer's right over there. What's the address of your apartment? 194 East 68th Street. Are you talking to the police call box on the street right there? Yes, I'm talking to the police. All right, lady. You just stay right there. Wait for the officers. Will I be here soon? Yeah, right away. If you see the man come out of the building, remember which way he went. See if he's got a car. All right. The officers will be there right away. What have you got, Sergeant? A lady with burglars, Lieutenant. Communications Bureau, Patrolman Donahue. This is Sergeant Burns at 21st. Will you send a car to 194 East 68th? A woman rang in on the call box and said there was a prowler in her apartment. She's waiting on the street at the call box. Okay, right away. One burglar? How many does she need? Car 681, can't. Car 681 at 70th and 2nd Avenue. That'll be $194.68. Take me to one of your clients. We'll adopt a power and a problem case. One for... Filling upstairs with the detective's hard and give it to them too. Yes, sir. But they'll hate me for it. As soon as the call was received by Sector Car Number 3, Patrolman Paul Vacano Operator and Patrolman William Coley Recorder, they started on the three block run to 194 East 68th Street. Following instructions in the manual of procedure, they did not sound a siren in order to approach the scene quietly and apprehend the criminal, if any. I don't see it, Coley. Maybe she's standing around the corner. Yeah, maybe. Yeah, there she is. You're the one that called the police? Yes, that was me. You're the one? Yeah. Which building is it? That one across the street. How do you know it was a burglar? Well, I had this date and I came home. I went upstairs and opened the door and he was in the apartment. Uh-huh. Didn't he jump when you opened the door? I don't think he has a jump. Did you see anyone come out of the building? No, not a soul. The street door locked? Yes. Give me your key, Miss. Oh, yes. Here. Which apartment is it? 2A, the second floor right at the top of the stairs. Does this key fit the door upstairs, too? Yes. Oh, uh, you better wait down here in the hall, huh? All right. Right here. OK, Coley? Yeah, let's go. Get set. She may be right. I'm set. The door is standing open. Yeah. Yeah, she must have left it that way. Kick it. Look. There he is. Well, how do you like that? Old Tonner, come on. Wake up, Pop. Well, how did he get up from the bar, Rick? Come on, Pop. On your feet. Oh, come on. Come on. What do you want with that, dear? Sit up there, come on. Sit up. Let me alone, will you? I've been through all the ladies' liquor. Sit up. I don't want to sit up. Well, call him still, huh? I want to see what's on him. Sit up. Let me alone. We didn't, we didn't let him alone. Nothing. We'd better get her up here, Paul. Yeah. All right, Pop. Sit up, will you? Sit it out, son. Let me alone, all right? Don't give me a pant, son. You just sit up. Mick? Was he in there? Yeah, he was in there. We got him. You better come up. Is it all right? Yeah, yeah, it's all right. Well, who is he? How'd he get in? Man, we haven't had time to find that out yet. What, are you trying to steal something? Just your liquor, it looks like. My liquor? Oh, before we go in, let me get your name, huh? Tomden, Audrey Tandon. Is that Miss or Mrs? Miss. It was the strangest sensation opening the door and seeing him. Yeah, I'll bet. C-O-M-P-D-E-N? A, C-A. You, uh, live here alone? Yes, that's right, my apartment. You see, I had a date tonight, a business date, really. I'm a fashion designer. This is a crime. All right, let's go in. We went to a nightclub and he just took me in the downstairs door. All right, now come on. Oh, that poor old man. Is he a burglar, Miss Camden? How did you get in here? Oh, should I know? I don't know. I got in at all. Are you looking for a drink? I don't know. Oh, totally, this is Miss Camden. You know this man, Miss Camden? No, how would I know him? Nobody knows me, nobody. Oh, look. Oh, my two-fifths of twelve-year-old Scots. I got them for Christmas and I was saving them. He would rather have had camp heat, Miss Camden. What's your name, Mr? I had a name, I did on it. What is it? I had one. All right, now come on. Let's have some answers. Yes, you'll show. What's your name? You don't have to talk to him like that, do you? How else would you talk to him, lady? I suppose he would have hit you over the head when you came in. He might have if he hadn't found a whiskey first. How'd you get in, Pop? I live here. You do not. I do, I've always lived here, right here. I'd better ring in, Miss Carr. Yeah, go ahead. Is this my home? Can I use your phone, Miss Camden, to call the station? Yes, right over there. It's all mine. Come on, thanks. I can come in my own house, drink my own whiskey, can't I? All right, Doctor. Hi, there, Joe. How'd you get in? I don't know. What are you looking at? I don't know what it is. 21st precinct, Sergeant Byrne. This is Coley, Sergeant. Yeah? What you got there? Well, there was a plowler in the place, all right? We got him. Any trouble? He was asleep in the chair, Sergeant. He's a rummy. How'd he get in? Well, that's what we're trying to find out. If we can ever get him down to Earth, enough to talk sense. All right, come on in here with him when you get through there. Yes, sir. Oh, uh, yes, Sergeant. The captain heard the call in the air. He rang in here to ask what it was. I told him we hadn't heard yet. He's probably on his way there. OK, Sergeant. I have another call, Coley. Yes, sir. Bye. Now, come on, Pop. Sit up straight there and talk to me. This is my house. This is my house. Maybe you need some coffee. He needs a lot more than coffee, Miss Camden. Come on, Pop. How did you get in here? I live here. It's my house. How's the captain, Paul? Uh, hello, look out. Captain. Coley. Captain. Well, what have we got? This is Miss Camden, Captain Kennelly. Hello. Miss Camden. Sit up, Pop. Uh, uh, she came home and found him in the place. Well, look, you'll pass out again, Pop. I don't know who he is or how he got in. He found a liquor and did away with two bottles of prized gas. A Christmas gift. Oh, thank you. How'd you get in here, mister? My house. I was here at mine. Look, Pop, we played around long enough. Why'd you get in, and what are you doing here? I live here. Now come off it, will you? I do. I got the key. Where would I live here? Stay out of that pocket. I'll get you the key. Here, give me that. I live here. All right, let's try it in the door, Vakal. Yes, sir. Go on with my key. All right, now sit. I want my key, Pop. Don't worry about it, see? Go ahead and try it, Vakal. Yes, sir. Well, that's funny, Captain. Couldn't work better if it was made for the locket. It probably was, Vakal. That's funnier still. The derelict who was caught unlawfully inside the apartment of the fashion designer, Miss Audrey Camden, was taken to the station house by Patrolman Coley and Vakal. The victim, Miss Camden, was told that it might be necessary to appear in court at a later date as complaining witness. She agreed. As I resumed my other duties, the arresting officers escorted their prisoner, slightly recovered but still rather unwieldy, into the front door of the station house at 2.23 a.m. All right, Pop, go in. All right, boy, watch your mouth. Take it steady there. Go on up to the desk. Who you got there? Willie Sutton? Yes, Sergeant. You want to buy an interest in my commendation? Here he is, Lieutenant. Better take him upstairs, and let the detective talk to him, Coley. He's not in much of a talking mood, Lieutenant. What are you doing, huh? Stand on your own two feet. Better take him upstairs anyway. Okay, now, let's go. Who's making the call, are you Coley? Yes, sir. Okay, get my hand upstairs for a second. Yes, sir. All right. And come back down and report to the captain. He has to ride up to the 23rd. Yes, sir. All right, come on, Platt. No, I don't want to go over. All right, steady, steady. You go for your meal now. Come on, Pop, come on. You want to let me go? Just walk. We'll let you alone. You're through the door. That way. No, I didn't do anything. I'm going to the door. You're going to the door. You're through the door. That way. No, I didn't do nothing. I was in my own house. You're living in a dream world, Pop. You should stick to Bay Run. That scotch is poison. Go on up to Bay. I live there? Upstairs. Go ahead. I do. Well, you live here now. Get going, will you? I bought the furniture. I paid the rent. And the telephone and the lights for everything? Yeah, for everything except the scotch. Scotch too? The scotch too? Upstairs. Scotch too? Will you, Pop? I'm going to the door. What? No beer? Beer too? You're living, Pop. Come on, Pop. You can do better than that. Go ahead. Just right to that door. Detective. 21st squad, detective. Is that where I'm going? You're there. Inside. Go on. 21st squad, detective Kinney. Over there, Antonin. No. Come on. No, he's not here. He's not here. He's not here. He's not here. He's not here. He's not here. He's not here. He's not here. He's not here. He's not here. He's not here, either. They're out on a flat. I'm here all alone. I'm catching the sit-on, Pop. Yeah? No idea, gap. Yeah, all right. I'll see what I can do. Yeah. Is this for me? For my compliments. Is this the whippersnapper who breaks into ladies apartment and drinks the whiskey? It's my apartment. You stick with your story, Pop. It sounds good to me. Well, goodbye, one and all. I just hope he's nothing to stay here. Leave it up in the coward's. All right. What's your name, Pop? Tell the man your name. We've been having that trouble with him all night. Look, mister, I really don't care what your name is. Not personally, but I gotta make out what we call a 61. The first thing I gotta do is put down your name. Is it gonna kill you to tell me? George. John. Couldn't you have thought of a better one than that? George John. George John. How old are you, George? Take a guess. I'm 58. Now we're moving. Sit up, Pop. Where do you live? If any. 194 East 68th Street. Well, let's stop playing, Pop. Where do you hang out? Down to Bowie? What place? 194 East 68th Street. All right, no known address. Got an occupation? On the board. That's nice of you. Now, what were you doing in the ladies' apartment? My apartment. Come on, Pop. I'm carrying a pocketful of squeals. I got no time to waste. Excuse me, gentlemen. 21st Squad, Detective Kinney. No, he's not here. Who's calling? Oh, another inspector. Not tonight. Lieutenant King's due at eight in the morning. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Yes, sir, I'll leave a message for him. Why do inspectors sound exactly like people? Beats me. So, what were you doing in your apartment? I just went home. Well, we're not gonna get any place with them tonight, Colie. Book him in. We'll try him again in the morning before you go to court. Okay. I just went home. Look, he had a key that fit the door. You want to put that down? Is that the key? Yeah, that's it. Now, you're gonna come to fit the door. Give me my key. All right, sit down. I want my key. Give me that key. Where's mine? Watch it. Brother. What happened? Let me get the phone up. I think he knocked his head on the corner of the desk. Yeah. Pop? Pop? He's out good. It's a question whether it's from the whiskey or the four. From the both, I guess. Pop? I ought to call downstairs and have a ring for an ambulance. Yeah. Come on, Pop. Nothing. You better call. He doesn't look so good to me. An ambulance was called and the prisoner was removed to Bellevue Hospital for treatment of a head injury and acute alcoholism. According to Article 24 of the manual of procedure, in any unusual occurrence concerning a prisoner, including such an injury, it is contingent upon the commanding officer of the precinct to make a complete and thorough investigation. In response to a radio call, I returned to the station house from the 23rd precinct where I was making an inspection as senior officer on night duty in the division. By the time I finished my interview with Detective Kinney, Patrolman Coley had returned from Bellevue where he had accompanied the prisoner in the ambulance. I talked to him. The incident appeared unavoidable. I instructed the desk officer to check Bellevue every hour to inquire about the condition of the prisoner. It wasn't until 7.30 a.m. that the doctor said he would allow questioning. After I turned out the platoon for the 8 to 4 tour, I rode down to Bellevue with Lieutenant Matt King, commanding officer of the 21st Detected Squad. We drove into the hospital grounds at 26th Street and 1st Avenue and went by special elevator directly to the prison ward on the second floor of I Building. We identified ourselves to the Department of Correction Guard and he opened the steel door and admitted Lieutenant King in need of the ward. Thanks. This way. That's him there. Okay, thanks. Okay, he's been washed, fed, and he's a new man. Thank you. Pleasure. Well, how do you feel this morning? All right, not bad. I'm Captain Cannelly. This is Lieutenant King. Yes. You gave the name of George Jones at the station house last night. That's not your real name, is it? No. What is? Gettley. George Gettley. Where do you live? No place, no place in particular. Do you remember what occurred in the detective squad office upstairs? Not too well. Do you remember how you got hurt? I remember I wanted my key. I wanted to get it. I fell, I think. I fell and hit myself. Where were the officers when you fell? They were right there. They tried to help me and I fell anyway. I think that's what happened. I had a lot to drink. Why did you break into that woman's apartment last night? I didn't break into any place. Well, that's where you were found. I didn't break in. I used my key. Where did you get the key? It's mine. How did you know it's at that particular door? I knew. How? Oh, I used to live there. Long time ago. In that apartment? Yeah, right there. When? Oh, long time ago. Before the war. Way before the war. 1935, 36. Come on, George. You didn't live there. Where'd you steal the key? I didn't steal it. It's mine. I used to live there. It doesn't mean any harm. I just wanted to see if she was still there. Who? My wife. My boy. I got a son. He's 22 now. 22. Did you expect to find him there? I didn't know what to expect. You see, I was away. I didn't know. Have you ever looked for them? No. I was away. Away where? Oh, California, Minnesota, Chicago, every place. What made you think they'd still be there? I didn't think. I just hoped. You lived there in 1935, 36? Yes. What have you been doing since? Bumming around. Just bumming around. And you haven't been in touch with your family? No. You see, she told me to get out. She said she was tired of my going off on tears every so often. Hitting the bottle all the time, staying away three or four days, losing my job all the time. I had good jobs. Very good jobs. Doing what? I was an editor. Book editor. I was good. Publishers always used to say, George, you're a crackerjack. Just lay off the bottle. That's all. Just lay off. My wife, she said the same thing. She couldn't want me around the boy like that, you know. She said next time it happens and I got like that, I didn't have to bother to come home. Well, then I was all right. I was all right for a long time. The first thing I realized, I was in Philadelphia in a hotel. She said if it ever happened again, don't come home. So I didn't. Didn't you come back to New York at all? No. She didn't want me. I didn't think there was any use. So I just started bumming around. All these years? Yeah, all these years. The only thing I kept was the key. You know, you get drunk and guys load you for whatever you got in your pockets. They didn't steal my key, though. I got two dollars and I bought a little silver chain. I wore it around my neck. All these years, I wore the key around my neck. When did you get back to New York? Oh, a couple of days ago, I don't know. I decided to come uptown and just walk by to see what the place looked like. Just walk by, but I didn't have the courage. I had a couple of dollars for some dishwashing I did, so I bought some wine just to get courage. I guess it gave me too much courage. I used my key and got into the downstairs door, and I went upstairs. I was going to open the door and walk in and say, here I am. She wasn't there. And the whole place was different. Not my furniture or anything. So I just found the whiskey and sat down and drank it. I didn't mean to do any harm. Well, you certainly did some harm. Yeah, I know. Would you tell the lady I'm sorry? I am sorry. You know I am. Yes, I guess I do. You want to find your family? No, why should I do that? Why should I break in on their lives now? I want to, yeah. They're probably happy. I only bring them trouble, that's all. Look, now you do me a favor. You just leave me George Jones. Forget about George Jettley. George Jettley should be dead and buried. He not only should be, he is. After the interview was completed, Lieutenant King and I returned to the station house, where before I went off duty I was obliged to prepare a 49, reporting the facts and circumstances involved in the injury of the prisoner. On the way uptown, Lieutenant King and I talked about the case. We agreed that the charge of burglary against George Jettley would not stand up in court. Burglary involves unlawful entry with intent to commit a felony. In this instance, the intent was lacking. From 42nd Street almost to the station house, we rode in silence. I don't know what Matt King was thinking about, but I had George Jettley on my mind. The dregs of humanity are being washed up constantly. It's not hard to be sympathetic when you think that it might happen to anyone, even yourself. Just before we arrived at the station house, we started talking again. We agreed that a conviction for unlawful entry, a misdemeanor carrying an indeterminate sentence, might be the best thing for Jettley. His time in jail with his attendant's medical treatment might be a step toward rehabilitation, if rehabilitation was at all possible. As we walked up the stairs and into the master room, I suggested to Lieutenant King that he request the missing persons bureau to make a discreet inquiry concerning the wife and son of the man. There was a good possibility they'd welcome a reunion. Well, I've got to get upstairs, Captain. Yeah, I'll see you, Matt. I'll let you know what Missing Persons says about his family. All right. 21st Precinct, Sergeant Burns. Oh, hello, Captain. All right, 27th. That lady is waiting for you, Captain. Oh. You're Captain Canale, aren't you? Yes. You were up to my apartment last night when that man broke out. Yes, I was there, Miss Canale. I couldn't sleep last night thinking about him. It was my apartment. I don't think I could have prosecuted him. The detectives are working on it, Miss Canale. You ought to talk to them. I just don't want to prosecute. I couldn't go through that, sending him to jail. Don't you realize that a term in jail might be the best thing for him? A big jail would be good for anyone. It might be good for him. You think so? Yes. That's the trouble with the police, Miss. Did the Canale cure for everything? Not for everything, Miss Canale. The cure for him is pretty young. Only 22. And we're going to find it. 21st Precinct, Sergeant Burns. No, Captain Canale isn't here. Detective who, the missing person? Yeah. Oh, yeah? Oh, you're located at Jetley Furn, huh? That's all right. I'll tell the captain. Furn's going to visit him at Bellevue this afternoon. Yeah. Well, the captain will be glad to hear that. Yeah. Okay, I'll get the message. 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. 21st 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, city of New York. Everett Sloan and the role of Captain Canale, Ken Lynch as Lieutenant King. Featured in tonight's cast were Gene Gillespie, Bill Smith, Santa Sartega, Wendell Holmes, Bill Quinn, Frank Marth, and John Sylvester. Written and directed by Stanley Nitz. Produced for CBS Radio by John Ives. Our kind of speaking.
