21st Precinct, Sergeant Waters. Yeah, that's right. That was our policeman working over there. What do you want to know for? Well, how does what they're doing concern you? Yeah. Yeah. Well, you'll just have to bear with me. You are in the muster 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. Yeah, we'll be through there right away. As soon as possible. Yes, sir. Yeah, welcome. 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 the 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'm the boss. My name is Kennelly, Frank Kennelly. I'm captain in command of the 21st. I was working my night tour 4 p.m. to 8 a.m. But in fact, I had been on the job for three consecutive days. The election had come on a day which, according to my duty chart, would normally have been time off. But as is required, I had been on the job since I signed the blotter at 7.38 a.m. on Monday. For every man in the department, the regular duty chart went out at 8 p.m. on Monday night. Then they were on the job guarding the polls and the voting machines and then tabulating for 16 hours straight. Then they went on reserve for 8 hours more, then back on the job. After I turned out the platoon at midnight, I lay down on the couch in my office and slept for the first time in nearly 48 hours. Meanwhile, the men were taking over their posts, and one of them, patrolman Daniel Mercado, walked over the prescribed route from the station house to Madison Avenue. After relieving patrolman Edward Farrell on his assigned post, he began to try the doors to the shops along the avenue. As he was in the process of this operation, the car in which Sergeant William Waters was riding his recorder and patrolman Joseph Ahern as operator pulled up to the curb. Okay, stay in the car while I talk to him. Yes, sir. Mercado. Yes, Sergeant. There's a street light out down the next block. Do you report it? Farrell said it had been out for about two hours when I relieved him. He reported it. Okay. He said they're on the way to fix it. All right. It's still out at the end of the tour. Make another report of it. Yes, sir. They've been having trouble in this whole circuit up here the last couple of days. What's that? What's what? A knocking. I don't hear any knocking, Sergeant. What's that? What's what? A knocking. I don't hear any knocking, Sergeant. Stop now. There it is. Sounds like somebody hitting a window. Where's it coming from? Everything's closed in the block. What about upstairs in one of the apartments? It could be, Sergeant. Hold it. I don't think it's from upstairs. All right. Sounds like it's from way down that way, Sergeant. Yes, Sergeant. Come here. Yes, sir. There it is, Sergeant. Yeah. I think it's from way down that way, the next block. Yes, Sergeant. Hello, Mark. John, somebody's knocking on some glass, huh? I don't hear it. Well, wait just a second, you will. There it is. Yeah. From down the next block. What do you think? You got me. Could be coming from across the street. Hold it. All right. Yes, sir. We'll walk down. You'll be in the car. Okay, Sergeant. Come on, MacArthur. There it is. Still sounds from down that way. Come on. Keep your eyes on those apartments when it's upstairs. Okay. I'll look in the stores. It rings out like a bell. It sure does. There's nothing to stop it this time of night. Sergeant. Yeah? It's down here, the drug store. Okay. The drug store. Okay. The drug store's closed. A horn. Who is it? Somebody inside. What? Somebody inside the drug store, he said. There's somebody inside. Burglars? No, Sergeant. No burglars. A woman's locked in there. All right, lady, take it easy. Take it easy. Can you get me out? How did you get in? I was locked in. I was using the door. Lady, you'll have to come closer to the door and talk a little bit louder. I can't hear what you're saying. I was in the telephone booth when the store closed. In the telephone booth? Yes, that's right. Wouldn't you know it? All right. I was in the telephone booth when all of a sudden the lights went out. I didn't know what happened. I hung up and the place was closed. It was locked tight. How long ago was this? What? How long ago was it? I don't know. I hadn't any idea. About 10 or 15 minutes ago? He usually closes between 12 and 12.30, Sergeant. He was closed when I came on post. I think he was. What did he say? He was talking to me. Oh, I've been trying to attract somebody's attention. I've been just standing here knocking on the door with a half a dollar. All right, lady. I would have called the police, but the dime I used in the phone was the last dime or quarter or nickel I had. All I had was the half dollar. Now, look, don't get panicky. Just take it easy and we'll get you out. I'm not panicky. I'm just trying to tell you what happened. I know I'll get out. Good. I was getting a little worried until somebody heard me, but I know I'll be all right now. Yeah, you'll be fine. Now, what I want you to do is reach up on the inside of the door. See if you can find a latch to turn. You mean a knob? That's right. See if you can find a knob. The only thing is this. And I tried that before. That won't do it. The key is the only thing that'll open that, Sergeant. Now, listen, if the store has a burglar alarm service, they always have a key at the office. There'd be a sign that says protected by Holmes or Burns Patrol or whoever it is. Yes, sir, usually. There's no back door, is there, McConnell? No, sir, this is the only way in or out. Let me put my light up on the trance. There's no trance on, Joe. You think there's anything you can do? We'll get you out. Don't worry about it. I'm not worried. What building is this in, number 24? Yes, Sergeant, 24. All right, now, Harn, walk around the corner of the building entrance. Find what apartment the superintendent lives in. See if you see if he's got a key to the store. Yes, sir. All right, get going. I'm on my way, Sergeant. McConnell. Yes, sir. Go to the call box and ring in. Tell the lieutenant what we've got. Okay, Sergeant. He might want to check homes for Tech of anyway and Burns and... What's the name of that drug? Erich, Paul Erich. All right, go on. Okay, Sergeant. Yes, lady? You're not going away and leave me? No, we're not going any place. Oh, that's good. I saw them leave. I sent them to see if they could find somebody with a key. Oh, thank you. You're welcome. Now, listen. Yes? Didn't the druggist know you were in the telephone booth? No, I guess he didn't. It's in a funny place way in the back, in an alcove almost. Was he alone in the store? I think so. Didn't he see you come in? What? Didn't he see you when you came in the store? Maybe he did, but I was in the booth so long, I guess he forgot. What's your name? Grace Nader. How do you spell that? G-R-A-D-E. The last name? O-N-A-D-D-E-R. Is that miss or misses? Miss. Where do you live? Around the corner there at number 22. Don't you have a phone in your apartment? Oh, yes. Why didn't you use that instead of coming down here? Well, the call I was making was rather of personal nature. I didn't care to have my roommate overhear it. Oh, I see. What did you say? I said I see. I understand. Oh, thank you very much. You're welcome. How long do you think I have to stay in here? Until we can find someone with a key. Do you know someone? Well, it's in this apartment building. The super might have a key. Do you think so? Maybe. And if the druggist subscribes to the burglar alarm service, they'll have a key for sure. It doesn't look to me like he subscribed to it. It's such a small store. And besides, there's none of that silver and pink on the windows. There's all kinds of burglar alarms. Oh. Supposing he doesn't subscribe. Then we've got the owner's name and phone number on file at the station house. We'll get him down here to open up. I don't think he's gonna like that very much. Well, he should have looked around the store before he locked up. What did you say? He should have looked around the store better. Hey, hey, hey, what's the tumult here? What's the tumult? All right, keep moving. Oh, excuse me, officer. I didn't mean to usurp your prerogative. I'm not usurping anything, mister. You just better go on home and get in bed. Well, what have we got? A damsel in distress. Ah, yoo-hoo. Go on, go on. You better hypnotize. Who put her in there? Yoo-hoo. Get moving, will you? Listen, listen, listen. I am not drunk. I'm only offering you my technical know-how for this damsel in distress. If you think I'm drunk... Yeah, I think so. You are perfectly mistaken. All I had was one rocks on a scotch with a whisk of Pemmon wheel. Now, look, will you get going? Go on home. All right, all right, all right. A word from the wise is sufficient. Ha-ha. Yoo-hoo. Good night. Good night, sweet damsel in distress. He was a big help. I'll put you in a mental... I was worried. I thought you were going to arrest him. Him? Ha-ha. No, we've got bigger trouble. I say we've got bigger trouble. You know, I'm beginning to get a little worried. What? I'm beginning to get a little bit worried, I said. Are you in a hurry to get any place? No. Will anyone be concerned about you? Just my roommate, but I don't care about her or whether she's concerned. All right, then, relax. Enjoy the first that's being made, obvious. I can't. I can't relax. You were relaxed before. We'll get you out, don't worry. I know you'll get me out. I have no doubt about that. I'll try to be calm and collected. I just feel that I'm going to lose control. I feel so ridiculous in here. How do you think I feel out here? I spoke to the desk, officer sergeant. Yeah? They rang over the homes. This store isn't a subscriber. They got no key. Burns, either. I didn't think they would be. How's she doing? She's still in there. Is there any news? Did you find the key? No, not yet. Sergeant, Lieutenant got the owner's name from the business house file. Like I told you, it's Erridge, Paul Erridge. He lives up Washington Heights. The lieutenant said if the super didn't have a key to ring in again, then he'd get hold of Mr. Erridge right away. Okay. Yes? What's going on? What are you plotting out there? We're not plotting anything, lady, except how to get you out. Here's a hand, Sergeant. How'd you do, John? I woke up the super, Sergeant. Yeah? He's got no key to any of these stores. All he handles is the residential apartments in the building. These stores here are handled direct by the office. Okay. McConnell, you better ring in to the lieutenant again. Tell him we can't locate a key. Okay. Right away, Sergeant. The super said he'd come and see if he could give us a hand as soon as he gets dressed, but he doesn't know what there is that he can do. There's another other way out of this store, is there? No, sir, he says there isn't. Just this door. Yes, lady? Did you get a key? No, not yet. I thought that that policeman went to wake up the super of the building. He did. The super's got no key to any of the stores. Oh, what are we going to do? How am I going to get out? We'll get you out. You keep saying that, but you don't do anything. Just don't worry. I ask worry. I'm getting worried to death. We've got the home telephone number of the drugist in the files at the station house. The other officer went to call the box. He's going to ask the lieutenant to phone the drugist to come down here. Do you think he'll come? He'll come, yeah. He might not feel very good about it. He might not feel very good about it, but he'll come. Oh, well, I hope so. What's that super's name, huh? Charlie. He said he'd come out as soon as he got dressed. Yes, Sergeant. He doesn't know what he can do, though. Yes, ma'am? Where did this drugist live? In Washington Heights. How long should he take him to get here? About a half hour, a little more, maybe. Oh, goodness. What? I said, my goodness. Oh, Sergeant. You're ringing, McConnell? Yes, sir, I rang in. The desk officer called up the drugist's home. Is he coming down to open up? No, sir, his wife said he wasn't there. Well, maybe he didn't have time to get home yet. Well, he's not coming home. He doesn't live there. His wife told the lieutenant they were separated about a month ago. Well, where does the wife say he's living now? She told the lieutenant she doesn't know. She knows how to get in touch with him when she has to, doesn't she? Yes, sir, she knows that. Well, where does she reach him? Right here. Right here at the store. You are listening to 21st Precinct, the factual account of the way police work in the world's largest city. You have a horrible feeling that something is wrong when the radio goes dead. You turn on the television set. Nothing there, either. You walk out on the street to look for your newspaper, but it isn't on your porch, your front lawn, no place. And then you notice the silence all around you. No voices, not a one. The theater lights are off. The public auditorium is boarded up. You're frightened. You don't know what's wrong. I'll tell you what's wrong. You've just found out what it would be like to live under a system of government that controls the freedom of speech. There are such systems in the world today, but a group of men took care that it wouldn't happen to you. They did their best to keep you safe. It wouldn't happen to you. They did their work 165 years ago when they wrote the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. In the first article of those 10 original amendments, they said, Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech or of the press. Those men, men like Franklin and Jefferson, made it official, made it a law. Every time we have our say in public or in private, we're exercising that law, and exercise is good. If someone else doesn't like what we say, he's entitled to his own opinion, and he's entitled to voice it just as loudly and clearly as he wants. That's guaranteed by our Constitution, by our Bill of Rights. Freedom of speech. It's one of our freedoms. Now back to 21st Precinct and Captain Cannelly. Although I had been without rest for many hours, I was not able to fall asleep on the couch in my office. After 20 minutes or so, I had gotten up, washed my face, and walked into the muster room where I saw Lieutenant Matt King, commander of the 21st Detective Squad, come into the station house. He'd been on the job the same number of hours as I. Detectives as well as members of the patrol force are assigned to election day duty either at the polls or on patrol in uniform. Oh, Matt. Hello, Captain. I saw you coming in when you should be going out. Why don't you go home? I thought about it, Captain. I've got to be back here at 7.30 in the morning. Just used one of the beds upstairs. Oh, well, how about a cup of coffee? Yeah, sure, Captain. Brad, is there any hot coffee? Yes, sir. The sugar's in the drawer, Captain. Good. It was a pretty quiet election, Captain. Yeah, pretty quiet. Go ahead, man. How do you think you'll like the new governor? Oh, I don't know. We'll see what he does after the first of the year. Here you are. Thanks. That's enough, Captain. Okay. Sugar, Matt? Yes, thanks. Well, how did your squad make out with its election duty? Any hitches? No, no hitches, no, sir. But Fitz had a time for himself. Did he? Yes, sir. He said everything was nice and quiet at the polling place he was assigned to, until about two o'clock, that is. Yeah. And in walks this individual who says she's Mrs. So-and-so. Well, the husky voice didn't bother the election clerks too much, but that heavy beard made them a little suspicious, despite the beautiful fur coat and the high-heeled shoes. So they called over Fitz. Was he the man? Yes, sir. Fitz says he was quite a guy. Said it took all three cops that were there to help get him quieted down. Well, what was the idea? Well, it seems he voted earlier in the day. Mrs. So-and-so was sick and bad, and he'd be darned if she was going to lose her vote. He said she told him exactly how she wanted to vote and he was going to vote for her. The election clerks and Fitz and a half dozen cops weren't going to stop him. What happened to him? Well, they got him tagged for a psycho down at Bellevue. It's going to be a long time before Fitz lives down that closed eye he got from a lady. I guess it will. Excuse me, Captain. Yes, Lieutenant. Hi, Red. Matt. They've got a woman locked in a drug store over in Madison Avenue. How'd she get in there? She was in the phone booth when the drug has closed up. Yeah? Super of the building said he's got no key. We got out the drugger's phone number from the business house file. His wife says she separated from him about a month and she doesn't know where he's living. Well, have they got a burglar alarm service? I checked homes, Captain. Store isn't a subscriber. Who's on the job over there? Sergeant Waters, Captain, and McArdo and DeHearn. Sergeant says the woman started off kind of cool and collected when they first got there, but she's getting a little panicky now. Are you making any further effort to locate the druggers? Yes, sir. He's got a mother who lives in the Bronx. According to the wife, the mother's got no phone. She doesn't think he's living with the mother, but the mother might know where he is. I got the 50th precinct to send a man over there to talk to the mother. Any friends of the man or employees of the store? The wife says he's got a pharmacist working for him, a new one. She doesn't know his name. Came to work after they got separated. She used to help him out in the store herself. She doesn't happen to have a key around the house there. No, sir. Sergeant Waters wanted to know what I thought about sending for the emergency squad to take the door off or cut the glass out or do whatever they could to get around. You better hold up on that for a while, Ren. Yes, sir. I'll take a ride over there and see what it looks like. Have a car come around for me. Okay. Right away, Captain. You want to come take a look, man? No, Captain, no thanks. I spend too much of my time now seeing people who are locked up. In a few minutes, Sector Car Number 3 came by the house for me and drove me over to the drug store on Madison Avenue, whereby this time a few people had gathered despite the lateness of the hour. As the car pulled to a stop behind the sergeant's car, I could see considerable activity in the doorway. All right. You wait here. All right, folks. There's nothing to see. You might as well move on, Captain. Hello, Arn. Where's Sergeant Waters? In the doorway there, talking to her. Okay. Yes, sir. Just keep moving. Sergeant. Oh, hello, Captain. Well, how you doing? Well, she's still in there. Miss Snyder? Yes? I sent one of the officers with the super of the building. They went to call somebody from the real estate company. We'll see if they've got a key. It's getting to be an awfully long time. We'll know something in a few minutes. You've been saying that. You've been saying we'll know something in a few minutes, but an awful long time has gone by. We're doing everything we can. I don't know about that. I don't know if you are. I'm still locked in here. I'm Captain Kennelly. We'll get you out. We'll get you out soon. Captain! You've got to talk closer to the door, Captain. I said we'll get you out very soon. I hope so. I only hope so. She's in there too much longer, Captain. She's going to go to pieces. I don't know whether I blame her. No, sir. Neither would I. I was thinking about getting the emergency truck over here and taking that door off or the glass out or something. I don't think they could take the door off. They're butted hinges. They could jimmy it open. That would cause a lot of damage. Best thing might be to cut the glass out. Yes, sir. Mercado went with the Super? Yes, sir. Who are they calling? Some executive from the real estate company that manages this building. Oh, yeah. Super says he might know where there's a key to the store, and if he doesn't, he might know who to call. There she goes again. Officer? Yes? Any news? They haven't come back yet. Oh. I'm getting very thirsty. Thirsty? Yes, very thirsty. Well, why don't you go behind the soda fountain and get a glass of water? You think it would be all right? It'd be all right, sure. If you say so. Yes, go ahead. All right, I will. Well, I don't keep her busy for a minute, anyway. Yeah. Uh, Hearn? Yes, sir? Did you call me, Sergeant? Captain did. Yes, sir. Take a walk down to the call box. Ring in to Lieutenant Gorman, see if he's had any luck in locating the druggists. Yes, sir. And tell him I'll be here until we get her out. Okay, Captain, I'll go in. Let me know what he says. Yes, sir. The 50th was going to send a man around to his mother's place. Yes, I know. All right, Miss Snader. We're right here. I got my drink of water. That's good. And I found this chair, too. There's no sense standing here when I can be sitting. Yes, you'll be a lot more comfortable. It's not how comfortable I am that makes a difference, but I'm getting very nervous. What? I'm getting very nervous. I want to get out of here. We'll get you out. I want you to get me out now. Right now. There's no reason why I'm having to be here. There's no reason why I can't get out right now. Like I told you, lady. If we can't find somebody with a key, we'll get the emergency squad over here to take off the door. I'd sure like to know when. Very soon. You've been saying that. Captain. All right. Just relax. You'll be all right. Yes, McConnell. Captain, this is Charlie. Super at number 28. Glad to know you, Captain. Hello. Some deal we got here, huh? Yeah. You have any luck? No luck at all. I went inside and I called up my boss, which is Mr. Doyle. Well, did he have a key? Well, Mr. Doyle has got charge of residential rentals only. So he told me to call up Mr. Matthews, which is in charge of business rentals. I said, look, Mr. Doyle, Mr. Matthews don't owe me from a hole in the ground. So Mr. Doyle called up Mr. Matthews and Mr. Doyle called me back. Well, did Mr. Matthews have the key? I know, sir. They said they got no keys to any of these stores. At least that's what Mr. Doyle told me and Mr. Matthews told him. I talked to Mr. Doyle, Captain. He said that Matthews assured him there was no master key to these stores in their office. The only one who has a key is the tenant. I rang into the house, Captain. Yes, Sergeant. Lieutenant Gorman says the 50th got back to him. They sent a man by the house of the man's mother. She doesn't know where he's living. She hasn't heard from him in over a month. Captain. Yes, okay. Now look, Miss Nader. Put that chair down. Put it down. No, I'm going to get out of here. Look, we've got the emergency squad on the way, Miss Nader. You've been saying that. Now put that chair down. What's the trouble, Sergeant? You better get back, Mercado. Keep the rest of them back. Yes, sir. Come on, A'Hen. Let's get them back. Miss Nader. I'm getting out. You better get out of the way. I think she means it, Captain. Get back. Get back now. Put that chair down. We'll get you out. Get back. Get back. Come on, Captain. Miss Nader. Captain, come on. What? Well, are you all right, sir? Yeah, I'm all right. I'm sorry. I pushed you, Captain, but I saw that chair coming down. Don't worry about it. Thanks. Yes, sir. Well, I did it. Yeah. You did it. I had to. Please help me. Now, don't step through there yet. There's a lot of that jagged glass hanging there. Mercado. Yes, Captain. Yeah, right here. Take your nightstick. Clean that glass off around there. Yes, sir. Stand a few feet back in there, Miss Nader. I want to come out. You'll be able to step out in a minute. All right. It's only going to be a minute. Excuse me, Sergeant. Go ahead, Mercado. It's all yours. Yes, sir. Okay, Mercado, that's good. Well, Captain, I guess she solved the problem for us. I guess she did. And from now on, I don't think she'll mind if a roommate overhears a phone conversation. Twenty-first precinct, Sergeant Waters. Who are you, the watchman? What'd they break into? Did you see the thieves? Yeah? Yeah? Well, what's missing? Oh, yeah? Well, what was all that doing in a tool shack? Yeah. 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, city of New York. Everett Sloan in the role of Captain Cannelly, Ken Lynch as Lieutenant King, Harold Stone as Sergeant Waters. Featured in tonight's cast were Abby Lewis, John Sylvester, John Gibson, Santos Ortega, and Bob Dryden, written and directed by Stanley Nis, produced for CBS Radio by John Ives, Ed Fleming speaking. This is the United States Armed Forces Radio and Television Service. Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music
