Sound off for Chesterfield. Chesterfield, the only cigarette in America to give you premium quality in both regular and king size, brings you drag men. Ladies and gentlemen, the story you are about to hear is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent. You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned a robbery detail. A series of holdups takes place in your city. The victims are managers of large markets. You've got a description of the suspect. Your job, get him. Thousands are changing to Chesterfield, both regular and king size, because only Chesterfield has premium quality in both sizes. That means king size Chesterfield contains tobaccos of better quality and higher price than any other king size cigarette. The same fine tobacco as in regular Chesterfield. There is absolutely no difference, except that king size Chesterfield is larger. Contains so much more of the same tobaccos, it gives more than a fifth longer smoke. Yes, more than a fifth longer smoke from king size Chesterfield. So remember, Chesterfield is the only cigarette to give you premium quality in both regular and king size. Buy them either way you like them, regular or king size. You'll find premium quality Chesterfields much milder. Yes, Chesterfield is best for you. Dragnet, the documented drama of an actual crime. For the next 30 minutes in cooperation with the Los Angeles Police Department, you will travel step by step on the side of the law through an actual case transcribed from official police files. From beginning to end, from crime to punishment, Dragnet is the story of your police force in action. It was Thursday, February 7th. It was raining in Los Angeles. We were working the day watch out of robbery detail. My partner is Frank Smith. The boss is Captain Didion. My name is Friday. I was on the way back from R&I and it was 8.42 a.m. when I got to room 27A. Robbery. Hi, you Joe? Yeah. Where you been? Gone to R&I. Oh, I'm sorry I'm late. No, it's no problem. Couldn't get the car started. The battery was dead. I had to call the gas station and have them get me started. Well, don't worry about it. It's okay. Anything here in the book? No. Checked them when I got in. Had a 211 out in Westwood last night. Same M.O. might be the guy. Who's checking it? Murph and Creasy went out there this morning. Here's the stuff we got last night. R&I went through it. Doesn't look like they got anything. You seen the skipper yet? No, I saw him come in. I didn't talk to him. Came in, went to his office carrying a bottle of milk. Well, that figures. He's like a barometer, isn't he Joe? When there's no milk on his desk, you know, everything's under control. Yeah. As soon as that milk comes out, you know the ulcers are grinding. Yeah, I suppose. Yeah, it must be real rough on him though. The way the papers have been yakking about this thing. I saw Captain Jack this morning on the way in. Yeah. He said the corner pockets leaned him all over him. Well, there's gotta be an answer some place. The guy can't just keep walking into the stores and walking out again. He's gotta make a mistake some place. Yeah. What's that figure? Six jobs so far? Yeah, six of them. Every one of them. He's made it clean. Hot shot. I'll get it. Well, those figures were wrong. Yeah? He just made it seven. For the past two months, a holdup man had been hitting markets throughout the central area. In each case, the description of the bandit was the same. His M.O. tallied with that used in other robberies. In each instance, the bandit had been waiting for the manager of the market when the store was open. At gunpoint, the suspect would force the manager to accompany him around the market. He'd push a wire food cart in front of him as they walked. He'd pick up various merchandise and place it in the basket. He'd then force the manager to open the safe, clean it out, lock the manager in a cold storage vault, and walk out of the market pushing the food cart in front of him. Special stakeouts had been arranged at the market. Extra units from Metro Division had been assigned to patrol duty, but the holdups continued. 922 A.M. Frank and I got to the address of the latest robbery, the county market at the corner of Olympic and Maryland. A radio car was there when we arrived. Come in. Yes, something you wanted. Police officers. It's my partner, Frank Smith. My name's Friday. Hello, I'm Arthur Scott. I'm the manager here. You got that man did this yet? No, sir, not yet. I wonder if you could tell us just what happened. Sure. You know where the other officers are, Mr. Scott? Outside someplace they were talking to the others, getting names and addresses, something like that. You want to check them, Frank? Yeah, sure. Fine. I wonder if you'd mind telling me just what happened. Well, the man was waiting for me when I came in this morning. I don't know how he got in. He just walked up behind me and said that I shouldn't cause any trouble. By what time was this, do you remember? Well, let's see. It must have been about 710, 715. Yeah, I came in the front door. Everything looked all right. I walked back here on my way to the office. He just came up and backed up me. Yes, sir. He had this gun. He pointed at me and told me not to cause any trouble, like I said. What kind of a gun was it, would you remember? It was just a gun. He pointed it right at me. Well, I understand that, sir. Do you remember if it was an automatic or a revolver? I guess it was a revolver, a long barrel. I could see the bullets in it. I knew it was loaded. I wasn't going to mess with him. Yes, sir. And what happened after he walked up to you? He told me that if I went along with him, I wouldn't get hurt. And then he walked me up to the front of the store by the check stands, took one of the baskets, and started to walk along the racks. Made me walk in front of him. Real nerve. He took his time. Well, while we walked along, he'd take things out of the displays. What kind of things? Well, you know, different kind of cheeses, caviar, took some special artichoke hearts. Things cost a buck and a half a jar. Expensive. Yes, sir. What did the man look like, Mr. Scott? Can you give us any kind of a description? Well, that's kind of hard. He had on this big overcoat and a brown hat pulled down, and then the black mask over his face. I couldn't get a very good look at him. Well, how old would you say he was? Oh, boy, I'd have to guess on that. Maybe 50, 55. Looked that old anyway. But all I could see was the bottom part of his face, like he was pretty old. How about the color of his eyes? Could you see them? Yeah, through the mask they were blue. Real light blue, kind of watery. About how tall would you say he was? Maybe five, two or three. Short little man. How about his weight? Real little, like I said. I don't think he weighed more than 130. That'd be outside, too. Was there anything unusual about him? Anything at all that you can remember? No, not that I can remember. Anything in the way he talked? Some accent of any kind? Anything like that? No, nothing at all there. How about the coat he was wearing? What color was that? Do you remember? It was a dark brown, sort of a herringbone. Real old, like he'd been worn for a long time, kind of frayed around the edges of the cuffs. You know, around here like this. And the buttonholes on the coat were all torn, too. Oh, excuse me. Yes, we're going to go ahead. Scott? Yeah? How much? Yeah, and how much case? Mm-hmm. That's not too bad. Yeah, well, order 25 cases of it, huh? We'll use it as a loss later this weekend. Oh, okay. Well, don't bother me about it now. You do what you think. Okay. Seems like nobody can do anything but you give people a little responsibility. They hardly ever know how to use it. Yes, sir. What if you'd go ahead with your story? Hmm? Well, right after this man picked up the food? Oh, well, at first I thought he was going to take that, and then I got thinking about the stuff in the papers. You know about the black mask bandit? Yes, sir. Well, I got thinking about that, and then I knew who he was. I tried to get as much information about him as I could. Not much anyway, but this time must have been 7.30 or so. Jack Thomas came in. He works in the vegetable department. And right away this guy said for him to get in the back. You mean back here? No, back in the meat department. Put him right in the refrigerator. Well, what about the other employees? What happened when they came in? He'd make them get back in the refrigerator. Cold. People were pretty lucky. Being as how it's cold outside, most of them had coats on. Would have froze if they didn't have. I understand. Customers too. They'd come in. He'd put them in the refrigerator. There was 14 people in there when he got through. A couple of kids, too. Came in with their mothers. I see. Well, then he took me back to the safe, made me open it. I thought about saying no, but it's a little safe. You know down low? Yes, sir. Well, I knelt down to work the combination. I looked up at him. He had the gun pointed right at my head. I looked right into the barrel, saw the bullets in the cylinders. I was scared, and I opened the safe. He took the money and put it in a paper bag and dropped it into the basket. And he put you in the refrigerator, too, did he? Yeah. That is, he started to when he opened the door of the people and they were all shivering, flailing their arms around, trying to keep warm. It's a little room, not much bigger than this, and there wasn't much room to flail. Anyway, they asked him if he wouldn't let them out. He said no, but then he asked me if there was someplace else he could put him. And I told him that the only place I could think of was another storage room. We use it sometimes when we've got a real big shipment of meat. Don't usually keep it under refrigeration. I see. They let you all go there, huh? Yeah, the darndest thing I ever saw. Fourteen of them. All fourteen herded them just like cattle. Moved them all to the other cooler. They were all so cold, they'd have done anything to get out of that one. I tell you, officer, I was scared that one of them might try to be brave about it and cause trouble. I think that guy would have killed him right on the spot. Yes, sir. Well, what'd he do then? Well, he locked the door. Then from when I could see through the cooler window, he just strolled out of the store and down the street. He was still wheeling the basket in front of me. Anything, Frank? Yeah, Joe. I checked with Wheelock from the radio car. He said they canvassed the neighborhood. Came up with a man who thinks he saw the band at Driveaway. Was he able to give us any kind of a description on the car? No. Said he saw this guy walking down the street pushing a basket and thought it was kind of funny. Didn't pay too much attention to it. Saw him get into a late model Ford and drive away. Couldn't give a very good description of the car. Said it was a dark color. Not sure about the year. The guy still had that mask on? No. Didn't have the mask, but the fella didn't notice anything about his face. Can't help us much there. He's gonna come down and look through the mug books. Oh, that's good. Do you have any idea how much money was taken here, sir? Well, I can't tell you to the penny, but I figure about $3,500. You usually keep this much money on hand, do you? No, not as a rule. I didn't get to the bank yesterday. We had an inventory sale going on. I just didn't get the chance. Did the band take anything you think might help us identify him? Anything from the safe that you might be able to describe? No, not a thing. Just the money. Of course, that's enough. There wasn't much in there. A wristwatch. It was lost here in the store. He looked at that but threw it back into the safe. Was he wearing gloves, do you remember? Yeah, he was. Looked like pigskin. Sort of a light tan. Oh, I know what you're thinking about. Fingerprints. Oh, with those gloves, he wouldn't leave anything. Yes, sir. Say, officer. Yeah? You talked to the other officer that was here, the one in the car? Yes, sir. I did. He was kind of in charge of the people in the icebox. Took care of them. Was any of them hurt? No, sir. Some of them were pretty cold, but they were all right. Yeah, we keep that box turned way down to sub-zero. Yes, sir. I wonder if, as police officers, you'd mind talking to those folks. They're all good customers here. I'd hate to lose them to Frenchie's Fine Foods down the street. Where is that, sir? Frenchie's Market just down the street. He's going to make a big thing out of this. By noontime, it'll be all over the neighborhood. Well, I'm sure none of your customers will blame you, sir. Well, no, officer. It ain't exactly that. That Frenchie's going to make a big reputation on my back. Well, Mr. Scott, markets have been held up before. Yeah, but not with our motto. What's that? We freeze anything. 946 A.M. Frank and I continued to talk to Arthur Scott. We questioned him about the actions of the holdup man, but he was unable to give us any new information. The crime lab came out and checked the store. The MO was the same. He'd entered through a rear window. Tool marks were found. Photographs were taken. No other physical evidence was found. 1014 A.M. We drove back to the office and checked with Captain Didion. Three other teams of men were assigned to help us in interviewing the people who had been locked up in the refrigerator. None of them could add anything to what we already knew. Because of the age of the bandit and the smoothness with which he operated, we had a hunch that he might have served some time in a state prison. Frank and I checked out a trip car and drove up to Folsom Penitentiary. We checked with Warden Heinze and told him what we wanted. For the next two days we checked the prison files. We got several possible leads, but when we got back to Los Angeles, none of them led anywhere. Tuesday, February 12th, 849 A.M. We checked with Captain Didion. Well, you come up with anything? No, not a thing, Skipper. We checked them all out. Nothing. How much longer do you figure it's going to take you to come up with something we can use? We're doing everything we can. We've run down every lead. They all go nowhere. Yeah, I know. I've been telling the corner pocket they had all month. It doesn't prove a thing, and they aren't buying it anymore. Well, Frank and I got an idea, Skipper. It's kind of wild, but we might turn it. Well, let's hear it. If you take a look at the map over here. In the last two months he's hit seven places here. Here, through here, and up and through here. Not much of a pattern, but maybe there's enough to work on here. And the way he's worked in the past, he's going to be waiting in the stores when the manager comes in. So the problem is to find some way to check the managers after they first get to the stores. So? Well, so most of the stores open about 8 o'clock. From what we've been able to check out, the managers get in about 6.30 to 7. We make arrangements for them to call the office after they're in the stores, and they've checked them through. How are you going to work the calling? Well, Frank and I figured if we could stagger the call, so we'd get one at, say, 6.30, next one at 6.31 or 6.32, you know, and so forth. We allow them five minutes leeway. If we haven't heard from them in that time, then we know something's wrong. How many men do you figure you're going to need to do this? Well, maybe two, three other teams, those and the men from Metro that we have now. It's Wildskipper, but it's about the only thing we've got left. How long will it take you to check with the store owners? Well, maybe two, three days. We figured we'd keep it in this area right over here. There seems to be maybe where he'll hit next is all we can say. Just a minute. Robbery, did he? Yeah. When? Are you sure about the ammo? Mm-hmm. Description? Send it in, will you? Right. Better enlarge that area. What do you mean? He just hit in Sacramento. Tuesday, February 12th, 3.45 p.m. Frank and I talked on the phone to Fritz Kaminski, chief of police in Sacramento. He told us that the market bandit went through the same sequence of events that had characterized his operations in Los Angeles. First, he took several food items from the display stands in the store, and then he forced the manager to open the safe. After robbing the safe, the thief locked the manager in a meat refrigeration locker and left the store. A witness in the neighborhood saw the suspect leave the store and said that he'd escaped in a late-modeled dark Ford sedan. He was unable to give as much of a description of the man, but he said that he was elderly, small, and that he'd been dressed in a brown overcoat and a brown hat, and he wore a black mask. There could be little doubt that it was the same man who had been hitting the markets in the Southland. Wednesday, February 13th, Frank and I checked out a trip car and we drove up to Sacramento. We talked with the victim and with the witness. Both of them were unable to find the thief's picture in the mug books. Sake outs were arranged on the markets in the Sacramento area, and additional bulletins were gotten out on the Ford sedan. Frank and I returned to Los Angeles and started to set up the plan that we discussed with Captain Didion. Each of the store managers agreed to cooperate, and starting the morning of February 18th, the plan was put into operation. Three weeks passed. The band had failed to hit again. March 18th, 637 a.m. Robbery, Mervin. What's that number? Yes? Robbery, Smith. Yes, sir. Okay, thanks. Number 38, okay. Right. Still no word from 34. We better get ready to roll on it. Let's see. That's that supermarket on Palmetto Avenue. That's right. Let's go. Merv? Yeah? Catch the rest of the calls, will you? Yes, sure, Joe. What do you think, Joe? I don't know. Let's find out. You are listening to Dragnet, the authentic story of your police force in action. The modern way to sell cigarettes is the Chesterfield way, both regular and king size, and we're the only one that does it. We tell you what Chesterfields are made of to give you premium quality in both popular sizes. 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It took us a little over five minutes to get to the store on Palmetto. As we went by the place, we couldn't see anyone through the front windows. The store looked empty. Frank pulled the car into the parking lot next door to the store, and we walked around to the front. How about it? No, I can't see anything from here. You want to cover the bank? Yeah. I'll give you time to get back there, then I'll go in the front. Right. Watch it. I tell you, I don't know the combination. I don't want any trouble. I'm trying to be nice. I don't want to hurt you. I'm hoping to save you and everything will be all right. You read the papers. You know about me. Now, do what I say. Nothing will happen. All right, mister. Let's hold it right there. Police officers, put that gun down. Watch it, Joe. It's coming at you. You okay, Joe? Yeah, I got him, Frank. Want to shake him down? Right. Here. You got him? You got the gun? Yeah, we got him. I was sure scared there for a minute. I tried to think about how I was going to stall him long enough for you to get here. Yeah. He's clean, Joe. All right, come on, mister. On your feet. Come on. What's your name? Clark. Leonard Clark. All right. Let's go. You want me to go along with you? Yeah, I want you to make a crime report. Fine. I'll do anything to help try to rob me. Lousy deal. Might have known something was wrong the way that guy played it. Should have known. Yeah, sure. You figure me for the guy you're looking for, this black mask bandit the paper's been yacking about? That's the way we figure it. Too bad, fellas. You can't make me for it. Is that right? Yeah, you're looking for somebody else. You got the wrong man. How old are you, Clark? 52. Ever serve any big time? Sure. What's that prove? Well, the way you look, the way you work this one, even the mask. We made you for it. Only one thing. What's that? You gotta prove it. Eight thirty a.m. We took Leonard Clark downtown to the city hall. We talked to him for about an hour. He admitted trying to hold up the market, but he insisted that he was not the black mask bandit. He told us that he'd read about the holdups in the paper and that it seemed like an easy way to pull a robbery. He told us that he'd used a pinch bar to jimmy a rear window in the market and then he entered the place. He told us that he'd waited for the manager to come in and then he tried to get him to open the safe. Sergeants Murphy and Creasy went out to his home. They found nothing there to tie him in with the other robberies. A check through R&I showed a record on Clark listing two convictions for 211 and one count of 245 P.C. He'd served time at both San Quentin and Folsom penitentiaries as well as some of the eastern penitentiaries. Mug shots of Clark were shown to the victims of the black mask bandit and they said that it was a possibility that he could be the man who'd robbed them. Friday, March 21st, a special show up was arranged and the victims were asked to be present. We explained that the questions asked were for the express purpose of acquainting the victims with the suspect's voice. Clark was brought out on the stage and asked his name. Leonard Clark. What were you arrested for? I don't know. You must know what you're being held for. They say I'm the black mask bandit. Are you? No. Were you armed when you were arrested? What? Were you armed when you were arrested? Yeah. What kind of weapon were you carrying? 38 revolver. Leonard, could you speak a little louder, please? 38 revolver. How long have you been in jail? Since Tozie. Where were you arrested? Market out on South Palmetto. It's a long street. Where on South Palmetto? 1721 on South Palmetto. What were you doing there? I was arrested for trying to hold up a place. You ever done any big time? Huh? I say you ever done any big time? Yeah. Where? They killed Folsom. What'd you do the time for, Leonard? Which time? Let's take him in order. How about Quentin? Five to life for robbery. How about Folsom? Same thing. You owe any time now? I'm on parole. Joe. Yeah? Ask him to turn around. One of the victims can't see him too good. All right. Leonard, take a quarter turn to your left. No, no, no, Leonard, to your left. All right, now another quarter turn. Another quarter turn. Now another quarter turn. No, no, same way, another quarter turn. Now face the front, Leonard. Where do you live? In Hollywood. Where? Corner of DeLoncrea Monroe, apartment house. It's a good sized corner. Which apartment? Ashley Arms, apartment 604. What do you do for a living? I'm a carpenter. A what? A carpenter, a carpenter, I said. You work steady? Yeah. Who do you work for? I'm a carpenter for a contractor named Gageley. Now look straight, will you, Leonard? Straight ahead. Yeah. You remember where you were on February 7th? That was a Thursday. No. You got no idea at all? Not at all. You own a car? Yeah. What make is it? There's a four. Speak up, will you, Leonard? We can't hear you. A four, a four. What color is it? Dark blue. What year? 1950. All right, Leonard. Now would you step over to the side of the stage? Uh-uh, the other way. Side of the stage. How's it look, Frank? Nothing yet. Manager at the county market seems to think it's him. The others aren't sure. Yeah. Maybe when we get the coat and mask on it'll help. Those clothes, Leonard, are they yours? Yeah, they're mine. How about that mask? That belong to you too? Yeah. Would you put the mask on? Just put it on. That's it. Now put the hat on. Not the way you usually wear it? That's right. All right. Take a quarter turn to your left. No, Leonard, your left. That's it. Now again. And again. Once more. All right, now face forward. All the way around. Come on, Leonard. Straight forward. That's it. Now repeat these words. Just be quiet and you won't get hurt. Just be quiet and you won't get hurt. Now say, open the safe and don't cause any trouble. Open the safe and don't cause any trouble. A little louder, Leonard. Open the safe and don't cause any trouble. All right, Leonard. You can take the mask off. How many times have you been arrested? I don't know. How many times did you say? Maybe 15, something like that. What did you fall for? Suspicion. Suspicion of what? A lot of things. They didn't nail me for it. How old are you now, Leonard? 52. How old were you when you were arrested the first time? 16. You've had quite a life, haven't you? Yeah, I fell among evil companions. All right, Leonard, that's all. How about it, Mr. Scott? I can't be sure, Sergeant, but I think that's a man. Can I see you a minute, Joe? Mm-mm. Scott just gave a tentative identification. Yeah, well, he's the only one. What do you mean? The others say we got the wrong man. 11.45 p.m. We returned Leonard Clark to his cell. Frank and I continued to question the victims of the black mask bandit. Only one of them was able to give us a tentative identification. Clark would be filed on the following morning for attempting to rob the market on Palmetto Avenue, pending investigation on the other charges. The working detective has come to know that many times at a show up, identifying witnesses sometimes become confused, sometimes fail to speak up for one reason or another, sometimes due to fear, the idea of incriminating a man, thus making the officer's task of bringing a suspect to justice all the more difficult. In spite of the lack of identifying witnesses, Frank and I felt reasonably sure that we had the black mask bandit in custody. The following morning, March 22nd, we checked into the office to fill out the follow-up forms. You know, Joe, I just can't figure it. He's got to be it. He's got the motive, the opportunity, everything. Yeah, M.O. matches. We got him on one count anyway. What happens now? I guess we just wait. If there aren't any more holdups, we know we got the right guy. That's about the only way we can do it. Anyway, you slice it, Clark's finished. The court gets through them this time, they'll nail him for life. Yeah, I suppose so. He sure looks like the guy to me, though. I tell you, Joe, he's got to be it. Everything fits with him, all the way down the line. That's what I figured, too. Friday, Smith? Yes, Gipper. Call from Hollywood Division. Just had one at 3rd and Selma. Yeah, what about it? Black mask bandit? We haven't got him. The story you have just heard was true. The names were changed to protect the innocent. On July 17th, trial was held in Department 89, Superior Court of the State of California, in and for the County of Los Angeles. In a moment, the results of that trial. Now, here is our star, Jack Webb. Thank you, George Fenomen. Friends, all of us who sell Chesterfields want to thank you for making 1952 such a wonderful year, both for Dragnet and for Chesterfield. Remember, Chesterfield makes it possible for us to bring you Dragnet, and in return, we hope you'll try our cigarette, because Chesterfield is best for you. Premium quality, Chesterfield. Either way you like them, regular or king size, they're much milder. Leonard Stanley Clark was tried and convicted of attempted robbery. Because of his previous criminal record, he was sentenced to life imprisonment without possibility of parole. He is now serving his term in the State Penitentiary, Folsom, California. Next week, the big mask, Part 2. Ladies and gentlemen, as an investment, bonds are better than ever. So whether you already buy on the payroll savings plan where you work, or the bond-a-month plan where you bank, get an extra bond for defense tomorrow. You have just heard Dragnet, a series of authentic cases from official files. Technical advice comes from the Office of Chief of Police, W.H. Parker, Los Angeles Police Department. Technical advisors, Captain Jack Donahoe, Sergeant Marty Wynn, Sergeant Vance Brasher. Heard tonight were Ben Alexander, Whit Connor, Harry Bartel, and the Chief of Police, John H. W. Bates. The Chief of Police, John H. Bates, and the Chief of Police, John H. Bates. Heard tonight were Ben Alexander, Whit Connor, Harry Bartel. Script by John Robinson. Music by Walter Schuman. Hal Gibney speaking. Sound off for Chesterfield. Either way you like them, regular or king size, you'll find premium quality Chesterfields much milder. Chesterfield has brought you Dragnet transcribed from Los Angeles. Tonight there's more adventure with Barry Craig, confidential investigator on NBC.
