21st Precinct: The Bartender

21st Precinct Sergeant Klein. Yes? Where? 3120? In the barn grill. Now who's got? What's his name? Where's the man with the gun? You are in the must of him at the 21st Precinct, the narrow center.

Which way? A call is coming through. You will follow the action taken pursuant to that call from this minute until the final the final report is written in the 124 room at the 21st Precinct.

I'll send the officers. What? Talk into the phone. It's on its way. The ambulance is already on its way. That's the way it's over the officers. 21st Precinct. It's just lines on a map of the city of New York.

Most of the 173,000 people wedged into the 9th 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 persons, their homes and their property is my job.

My job and the job of the 160 patrolman, 11 sergeants and 4 lieutenants of whom I am the boss. My name is Connelly. Frank Connelly. I am captain in command of the 21st. I was working my 60m to 8am tour.

It was a hot morning night. I turned out to platoon for the late tour. I went on patrol of the precinct with the Coleman Johnny Farrell as operator and myself as reporter. At 255 we were driving south on Lexington Avenue in the 70s. There were few cars on the street and fewer pedestrians. All right cut across east on 72nd Johnny would take a

turn up first. Yes sir. What was the matter with your boys Johnny? I don't know what happened. And now would be the back of the front. Well I think that could be I don't know anything.

Nothing you ate or... One of the times I was a roar. I had to tell. Yeah, I know. And it keeps me from scratching. How are you going to keep a kid five years old from scratching and squeaking?

I'm going to tell somebody running. Where? This side. Down on the next block. Oh yeah. Let's take a look. The man. Pull up ahead of me. Police officer. What's your hurry? No. Hold up. I was running for the police station.

Okay, Captain. Yeah? Well, tell me, Mr. Hold up guys. They shut my book. Why? Bar and Grill. He's dead, I think he's dead. And why were you running? The police station. What was the matter with the phone?

I don't know. I was too excited, I guess. What's your name? Charlie. Charlie Burgess. I'm the bartender. Okay, get in the car. Open it off, Al. He's looking dead to me. Alright, get in, Charlie.

You go around, Johnny. That's it? Where is it? The bar and grill two blocks up. Oh, what's the speed of that? 31-20. 31-20, Johnny. That's two guys were there for an hour. Two guys were there for an hour.

Of course, that's all I take still, I'll take up a manual report for Robert shooting at the Bond Grill. 312-O-Lectingham. 312-O. That's right, we've got the witness, we're on our way. Okay, we were running to the police station.

Police stations in the other direction. 01-10-10-10-10-10-31, very chill. We're in a dress, three, and one, two, all the way back. All right, come on, Charlie, let's go. Come on. I didn't know where the police station was.

How should I know? Inside, Johnny. He's over there behind the bar. How come in here? Pull up, guys. Put a couple quarters in the two parts. I don't know. Good gun, Captain. Over here.

All right, let him lay his foul. Pull the plug on that two parts. That's registered clean now. Why'd they shoot him, Charlie? I don't know. Happened so fast, I don't know. What were you standing?

Right here, right for the bear captain. You were the bot in there? Yes, right. Substitute the regular thumbs I kiss. Why didn't they shoot you? I ducked. I ducked down behind the bar. And you were the bot, and then what did you do?

Change into your street clothes after the shooting? No. Dutch said I could go home early. Business was slow, I could go home so I'd say. And I'd be changed. What were you doing behind the bar?

It was my last night. I can back here so Dutch could give me my money. No other customers around when it happened? No, just the two hights. Hey, what is this? Anyhow, I'm sure we want to know from you, Sally.

What it is. Two sector cars, the Sergeant's car detected from the 21st squad and an ambulance arrived on the scene almost immediately. As required in homicide cases, Lieutenant Matt King commanding the 21st squad was called from his home.

Also notified when I'm in half-meats homicide squad, Medical Examiner's Office, the New York County District Attorney's Office, the Police Laboratory for late-and-fingerprint experts and the police photographer, and such superior officers of the Department as were concerned.

Promises were completely examined for late-and-fingerprint and other physical evidence. The apparent murder gun, carefully handled, was tagged for evidence by the Laboratory Men for Holistics and Fingerprint Examination. The body of the victim was taken to Bellevue Mogg for autopsy.

At 10 minutes before AM, Lieutenant King brought Charles Burgess to the station house for a detailed account. There in the 21st squad he was questioned by Lieutenant King in his office in the presence of the system to Deputy Attorney Lewis Curly, two detectives, and myself.

Now you said the two bandits were average height. Yes sir. Tell me what the means, Charlie, by average height. Average height? They weren't too big, they weren't too small. Did you say there was tall as I am?

A little taller, maybe. About as tall as Captain Canelich. About, yeah, I guess. Both of them? And they were about the same height. Well, one was a little taller than the other. There was only a little.

Which one? The one that fired the shot. The other one that fired the shot, he was a little taller. You told Captain Canelli on the scene that the other one was a little taller. That's what he said.

Well, one of them was a little taller. What are you trying to do to me anyway? Getting a little confused, darling. Well, this whole thing is enough to confuse anybody. No, darling. I had to say that.

I could use one. One of those qualities. I shouldn't be confusing if you're giving it the facts. The poll that I'll ask. Giving you the facts. The facts. All right. I'm telling you what happened.

What else do you want from me? Okay, fine. Nothing else, darling. Well, I was AME's office with a preliminary report of attendance. Yep. Two bullet wounds, one through the right shoulder, the other handed the left arm, went through the chest and pierced the heart.

That was a baby. Stand up a minute, darling. Lee? Yeah, you stand up. Why do you... Yeah, they're gonna... Come over here a minute. Yeah, sure. I tell you, the supposing detective Howard was a hold up man with a gun.

That's good, why do you write that? Supposing, Charlie, you would dutch. Yeah. About where was dutch standing from the hold up man with a shot for fire? Well, it was about here, I tell you.

Yeah. And where were you standing, Charlie? About right over there? bar run along this way. Captain, would you be telling? Yes, sure. Right, uh, bar to here? Yeah, right about there. I could show you better if I was myself. I want you to be Dutch. Yeah. But, all right, now the hold up man fired

the first shot bang and hit Dutch in the right shoulder. Yeah. The second shot bangs with the left arm and into the chest. The Dutch fell down. Yeah, that's right. He fell down. Are you sure that's about where the hold up man was standing? Yeah, that's where he was and above you positive telling

i'm positive okay that's about listening to i go home we've been after north a long time i'll tell you something telling that will be dead on time too request me continued for some minutes more jolly budger stated he would be able to recognize either of both of the two killers if you saw him again

finally coffee and sandwiches for Charlie sat on a bench in the corner, munching at his food. Two uniformed officers arrived with a pair of narcotic addicts they caught in the act of breaking into and stealing goods from parked cars on Madison Avenue. It was a good collar.

There'd been 10 to 20 squeals a night in the precinct concerning such thieves. As detectives started to talk to them, Charlie watched with mass nations from the bench. It was a question who was more in trouble.

I went back downstairs to the Mutter room and checked with the desk officer and the on the boxes. Other than the homicide it had been a quiet tour. I went into my office to read and sign reports which had accumulated during the tour. I was getting light out and with the dawn came the first breeze in 48 hours. It might be a

cooler day. Shortly before seven o'clock who, tenet king, came downstairs and crossed the mushroom to my office. That's a... Come in Matt. You got a minute? Yeah, sure. How you doing? I don't know. I think Charlie's telling I think he killed a man.

If you could have Captain, but we'll need a lot. You'll need to know with his gun where he got it and so forth. We'll need a straight story on what went on there. Yeah. Oh, could you use a couple of coffee, man?

Yeah. I think so. Hey, what about the three customers he's talking about? It probably didn't kill but somebody I'd kill. Somebody right out of his head. Sergeant, excuse me, Captain. Oh, Sergeant, excuse me, Captain.

Go ahead, take the clock. Twenty-first three things charging climb. Thirty-seven. All right, uh, listen, you're ringing in three minutes late. I don't care what the clock in the jewelry store says, according to this clock, you're three minutes late.

All right. Is there any hot coffee? Yes, there's no fire. Oh, thanks. They're triggered in the drawer. Good. Thanks. happened that I think Charlie tried to dip the tail and that's what I'm at it was an argument Charlie had a gun and bang the cash register was empty money had to go someplace Charlie didn't have it on him was many places in the store and I

know but he ran a block and I asked before you nailed him to have been dropped in the trash can all the way even a mailbox to the man yeah please Yeah, I'll help you self. I've got two men out checking every trash can and doorway between the bar and grill and where you stopped him Captain good

They could have had a friend who carried away. Yeah, that's a possibility Problem right now is what we're gonna do with Charlie I haven't got enough to book him in on homicide Assistant PA thinks we ought to take him down the court and have him held as a material witness sounds like a good idea

Oh, how's the coffee man? How'd man? Yeah? We know, Charlie, what we're going to do. He called his brother and I think they'll have a lawyer down there. The DA says, if they put up a fight, you'll need your testimony at the hearing, because you called him on the street.

I told him you were due to go off at eight. Well, that's all right, under there. He said he'd get it set down for a tune after 10, as possible. No, don't worry about it.

Thanks, Captain. It'll help us a lot. Coffee's your dream, fine? Yeah. That was a good color, you men made. A hern and a lot. of the clear most of those squeals we had breaking into cars. Better still, man. It ought to stop them. Yet there, instead of big point. 8 AM, I turned out the platoon for

the day to us. A few minutes later, with the two detectives and Charlie Burgess, I rode the police headquarters annex 400 Broom Street. We brought the car and took the elevator to the fifth floor of the Bureau of Criminal Identification, which approximately 8.30 AM.

Charlie was taken back to the combination MO and General Appint's file. Here, there are thousands of photographs of men with criminal records classified according to the type of crimes they had committed. Stick up men, burglars, forges, autoties, pickpockets, and so forth.

Within each classification, the photographs are broken down according to a general physical description, that is, according to height, weight, hair, color, complexion, and build. Charlie was seated on a stool in front of the file.

Fox and Howard stood on either side of him. I lean on a mobile file behind them and watch. Take a coat off, Charlie. He's got about 6,000 pictures to look at. That's right. No, that's all right.

No, food is really relaxed, Charlie. I'm making a career out of it. I'm relaxed. Now this is what's known as a visible-requed file. The 12 flies to a cabin that's so many one-parquet on each line.

Full face and full-fowl of the same man. All pull out of the slides, start dropping the parquet from front of you. Say no, and I'll drop the next one. I'm set. I guess. I'll relax, Charlie. You'll be here a long time.

I'm here to go. I thought he'll do a friend or a savior voice. But what? That's him, I'll tell you. That's the one that shot Dutch. Are you sure? I'm telling you. He studied a little longer, makes sure I don't have to study.

Why do you come here? I'll just step there, Charlie. Said I'd want to get mad at him. Like hitting the sweet stage. This thousand mugs to look at me makes the third picture. Well, either Charlie lives right or he's the best liar I ever met.

Well, listening to 21st Precinct, a factual account of the way the police work in the world's largest city. Charlie Burgess was put to work looking through the mugs for the number two men. Meanwhile, Detective Fox had an identification man pull the complete jacket on the suspect he identified, Al Hance, also known as Alfred Harrods.

A man with a record of two arrests and one conviction armed robbery. This information was telephoned to Lieutenant King, so was the report that the murder-run-born old-readable fingerprints. By 9.45 AM, Charlie had failed to identify pictures of a number two man.

He was taken to the car and we drove farther downtown to the criminal courts building at 100 Centres Street. There in Salony, Claudia was met by his brother and an attorney. After considerable argument before the magistrate, Charles Burgess was ordered held as a material witness in $15,000 bail, which could not be posted immediately.

But two detectives signed to a seat for Charlie and drove him back uptown over twenty-first. I went with him. Invert Charlie and the returns are... I mean... Oh Captain, thanks a lot. Oh, I'm sorry.

Captain, what are you doing with you, Frank? Yes. Sit down, Charlie. Look, sit down. Captain, you were in on this thing before any of us except Charlie, that is. You think you can get him to talk, sir?

Oh, I'm sorry. Look, I don't feel like talking to anybody. I'm bushed. Well, what do you think we are? I'm really pushed. Can I get some sleep? Maybe. Maybe. What kind of an answer is maybe.

It's as good as the answers you've been giving us, Charlie. You know I wouldn't do nothing like killing that. I liked him. I loved him. Brother, I loved him. Charlie, there's more murders over love than hate than telling you.

Everything stacks up against you, Charlie. You say that what three other fellas left the bar right before the holdup. We can't find a trace of them. They were in. They were in. You could have used the phone to call the cops. Instead, you ran to the police station.

Only you ran the wrong way. It's from Brooklyn. I only worked this three days. I got mixed up. That's natural. Is standing behind the bar in your street clothes, natural? No. Why did it happen when there were no customers in the joint, Carly?

I don't know. What do you want from me? Fact, Carly. Just fact. I'm giving you facts. That's all I've been giving you. Isn't it a fact that you waited until all the customers were gone and you pulled a gun on that?

No, it's not. Isn't it a fact that you shot him in cold blood with the intention of saying to hold up men walk in no and you were running away and ran right into my arms oh it's not so it's not so it's not yeah I hope it isn't so for your sake because

whoever did do it is going to wind up in the electric chair that was as far as we could get with Charlie I left him with Lieutenant King and went downstairs to the mushroom I signed the blotter and left the policing not do back on the job until eight the next morning in the meantime Lieutenant King had detailed two

men to trace Al Hance, a former convict whose picture was identified by Charlie Burgess. From different sources, they learned two facts. One that Hance owned an automobile, a 1949 Plymouth Coop painted Two Tone Greens, that Al Hance now lived someplace in the neighborhood of St.

Mary's Park, the Box. That night, an earlier than next morning, detected crews to streets within ten blocks of each side of this park looking for such a car. At four o'clock in the morning, one was spotted parked near the Mosshaven Yards of the New Haven Railroad.

The registration was checked through the Motor Vehicle Bureau. Carl was registered in the name of Al Hands. Two men of the 21st Squad were assigned to a stakeout. By 8am he had not shown up.

Two detectives were sent in relief. They watched him through 6pm. Still, no luck. At that time, Detective Sparks and Howard were sent in relief. They watched the car for seven hours. Simwadi, there he goes. Let's get him.

Wake up and say, oh, tell Al! What's the idea? Oh, he's playing... What's the idea? What do you want? You want to talk to your album? Alright, let's talk. What's the vase? What have you been doing with the past week?

I've been working? Working for a trucking company. You're in the Bronx. Days of night. When was the boss? I've been taking the girl. Every night. Yeah, almost every night. When I'm not working, you have the wrong party boys.

We'll see about that. Come on. Listen, why don't you save yourself a lot of trouble? Why don't you talk to her? She's gonna count for my time. We'll talk to her. What were you doing there, all the time?

Well, we were, et cetera. What's her girl's name? It means Warner. Warner, roughly. That's the honest, good, truth. Why did she live? There's only 350 seconds. Where are any 150 seconds? I don't know the number I can show you that out.

Okay, you show us the how. Come on, there's that car. The detective took Al Hands to that car. They drove to East 152nd Street where Hands pointed out the house in which he said the girl wanted to live.

They drove him downtown over the 21st for questioning by Lieutenant King concerning his activities of Tuesday night. He denied all knowledge of the hold up and murder. At four a.m. Lieutenant King instructed detective Fox and Howard to go back up to under the girls room.

Middle of the night. We're bleeding out. Ah, here we are. You got to have some self respect. You're a sound sleeper.

I got to take treatment, though. Doctor's ordered. And on any cops work the day shift, all you always do and come around the middle of the night and disturb in so many self respect like this.

Well, I mean, I wasn't too glad that you put on a commode. Well, I'm a... you know I'll have. Yes, sir, I know I'll have. I do know I know I'll have. When did you see him, or...

What day is it, anyway? This is Friday morning, four o'clock. Have you seen him this week? Yeah, I saw him a couple nights ago. Two days? When's the... when? Day before yesterday. No, wait a minute.

What was that, Tuesday, before yesterday? That's right. Here it is, yeah. Excuse me, I got it to the house. Go ahead. Oh, thanks. It's very good. What time together, Tuesday night? I don't know. Not nine, ten o'clock, something like that.

What time do you leave? Late, very late. About midnight? No, much later. What are you doing, Mike? One o'clock. No! Much later. Close it. to fall or something, too? Hey, close to four, huh? I don't know exactly where.

We'd rather come tight. What was he doing here all the time? Well, we were in less than anyway. We were drinking and we were playing tonight. The master. How you gonna ask? We were playing tonight.

All right, Wanda. We didn't get dressed. What? People wanted to help you downtown. Aaaahhh! Little of the night. I always in the middle of the night. Good, why do you? Now let the pen to reside, your aunt.

What's great for our own? Sorry, it looks terrible. I was on the job at 745 in the morning. After I turned out to platoon, I looked over the blotter and a rest record for a picture of water to curd in the precinct during the night.

Botanic King walked in the front door. Within were Detective Fox and Charlie Burgess. He told me that after a night of questioning, the girl had verified Al Hans' story in every particular. Now he was about to bring Charlie face to face with Hans.

With Lieutenant King, I followed Detective Fox and Charlie Burgess through the back room upstairs and into the detective squad. All right, Charlie, let's go inside. Captain? Yep. When's it going to be over? That's what I want to know.

Soon, Charlie. How am I? I'm getting sick of him. Oh, is it? Lieutenant. Oh, that's... that's... come in. I try to help him. I'm telling him. It's him. It's him.

It's him. It's him. It's him. It's him. Get his hands off me. Don't let him die. It's him. He's a guy. I thought he'd quiet. I'll bring her in here. We'll wrap it up. Okay.

He wouldn't take my word for it. I'm going to take one. It's just one. He'll see you, darling. Everything I'll see. Tell me something. Come on in. Inside, Walter. Oh, man. Don't let him die.

You don't have to rest. Sit down, Wonder. Hello, Warner. Oh, hands, why don't you stay out of trouble? I wouldn't have to lose myself for a second to wake up by policemen to turn out in a gallibike to you.

All right. Could they please? Wonder if you're involved in a very serious matter here. Oh, I'm always involved in a very serious matter, but how was it, Mar-How? Was there from around nine o'clock until after three in the morning, nothing you can say was saying.

How are you? Okay, Simon. Wanda, did you know this was a murder case? Ready, okay. Is it? Oh! Now was Al at your place between those times on Tuesday night? Tony, why's it not? We want the truth, Wanda.

I'm sorry, you're the truth. Have you ever been in jail? You all right, didn't you? You know I didn't. All along, overnight? I was in two nights once. Were you ever in two years or three years or five years?

in order to like one of them that's good enough to have any if you testify on paralean we prove it's a lie we can send you away for perjury or worse as a separate the murder and we will do that if you rely on the witness and we will find it find it

but i don't like that oh oh my god oh my god i'll tell you welcome look at that little hog get him He's getting any harm. Honestly, I didn't need to sleep. He was in a little couple.

And if I was asking a question to come up, then... All right, Juan, that's the time. Is there any harm? I didn't know what the murder do you? That, um... Yeah. Be okay. You'll come around in a minute.

You're free. You're free? Sorry if we gave you a hard time. That's all right, Lucana. You guys were just doing your job. I know that. I'll admit it. It looks bad for me. Awful, man.

Charlie, no matter how bad it looks for you, gonna look a lot worse for him. Twenty-first precinct Sergeant Klein. How'd you know it was Brothers Man? I'm so and 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. Incidents portrayed on tonight's 21st Precinct occurred last year, names which change to protect the interests of persons involved.

21st Precinct is presented with the official cooperation of the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association, an organization of more than 20,000 members of the Police Department City of New York. Ever its flown in the role of Captain Canalet, Ken Lynch, his Lieutenant King, featured in tonight's cast, Will Spahrick, Wendell Holmes, Chuck Webster, Bill Quinn, Bill Sterling and

Lawson Derby, written and directed by Stanley Niff, produced for CBS radio by John Ives. Arthane speaking.