Dragnet: Production 2 aka Homicide aka The Nickel Plated Gun

Ladies and gentlemen, the story you are about to hear is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent. Dragnet! The documented drama of an actual crime investigated and solved by the men who unrelampingly stand watch on the security of your home, your family and your life.

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 from official police files From beginning to end from crime to punishment This is the story of your police force in action dragnet It was Tuesday March 25th was cold in Los Angeles

We were working the night watch out of homicide I got it Ed. At one, two, four, five East O'Hinnestream. Two, four.

Two officers shot. At one, two, four, five East O'Hinnestream. Two officers shot. What do you got, Friday? Read it. Two officers shot. Where's Romero? Right here, Skeever. Okay, you've got one to roll on. Get going.

Both Ben and I knew where we were heading. We'd recognize the address. It was the trapdoor cafe had joined in the south end of town that did business with a pretty rough crowd 13 minutes later. We pulled up in front Two patrolmen had the crowd pretty well pushed back. It was a cruiser car in front of the cafe

The car door was open at an officer was called across the sea It was conscious but weak and one of his pant legs was pretty red Hello, sir. Hi. How you doing? I've done better. Yeah, well what happened?

Williams and I were cruising We've been keeping an eye on this cafe lately Tonight we decided to take a look. And just as we went in, two guys left in the hurry, the back door, we followed them out into the alley.

It was dark out there, and I called them. I said, hey, fellas, just a minute. I want to talk to you. They stopped. I'll say. One of them whirled. He had a gun in his left hand.

He shot both of us. Left hand, huh? Williams went down and out. I went down, but I took a shot at them. No effect. And I started crawling out here to the car, so I could call in.

You started crawling, yeah. Oh, wait a minute, Emerson weren't there any people around by that time? Yeah, quite a few ran out at the shots. You mean nobody would help you to the car? That's right.

You got a good look at either of the gunmen. Well, one of them was tall, I think he was a redhead. That was something funny about his nose. That's all I saw, it's too dark out there.

Williams was closer, I think he got a good look. Yo, the other officer, Williams, he's in pretty bad shape. Is he breathing? He's still alive, Emerson. I don't know how much time is good. Ambulance? On the way.

Okay, let's round up all the men who were in the cafe were taking them in. We took all the men back to the city hall. There were 23 in the trap dork of faith at the time of the shooting.

We questioned all of them. One of them said there had been a redhead in the place but he couldn't describe him. Ben and I left the interrogation room and we went back to the squad room.

Friday, Romero. Got a minute? Yeah, Ed. Sit down. Okay. You got anything from those people you questioned? Nothing, we could use. How's Williams? Pretty bad. Under the operator. Soon as he comes out of shock.

Probably in the morning. Your boys will be there. Yeah, we will. The surgeon digs that slug out, get it and mark it for evidence. Yeah. Skipper them two men shot without asking any questions. They must be hot.

Yeah. Same thing occurred to me. When we get that slug, the ballistics can tell us whether that gun's been used on other jobs. We got enough of their modus operandi to have the statistician give us a run through on the IBM now.

One of them is left handy and a huge quick. Okay, be in surgery tomorrow morning at 9. Neither Ben or I said much in the way home, but we were both thinking the same thing.

I knew the chief was thinking it too. Here were two men who shot a couple of police officers without asking any questions. I suppose you've heard a lot of stories about what the force thinks of cop killers.

Sure, we don't like to lose our friends and partners any better than anybody else would. Why not figure it this way? If these two guys would gun a couple of armed police officers, do you think they'd hesitate to shoot you, the unarmed citizen?

The next morning at 9 o'clock Ben and I had scrubbed up and we were in surgery. Williams was on the table. The surgeon started in. A lot of minutes later he got the slug. As for Williams, they took out 7 feet of his intestine and said he might pull through.

Here's a report from ballistics. Slug, they took out of Williams, come from a 44 Smith and Westman. A same gun was used in a liquor store killing about a month ago. You call the statistician?

Yeah, she's running all the cards on previous shooting through the IBM machine. You ought to be through about now, let's take a look. Okay. Come on. Hi, Ellen. Two seconds. Okay. Well, that's it for you.

These cards will give you all the shootings for a by two men on foot, a shot quake, one of them left handed. Right. They're all yours. Sure can't tell a lot from just a bunch of little holes in these cars, can you?

Hmm, I can't, but this IBM machine can. Never ceases to amaze me. Okay, so we check the cards, huh? Yeah, sure. Get him in the bin. Here we are. Huh? Yeah. Here's that liquor store killing, ballistics tied the Smith & Wesson in on.

Same gun that Emerson Williams has shot with? Check's out. The liquor store was in the same neighborhood as the trap-dork of faith. Same gun, huh? Got to be. How long ago? A month ago, yeah.

Ben, take the DR number off this card and let's pull the crime report on that job. We pulled the crime report out of the files and said that there was only one witness to that liquor store telling a month ago. That witness was a woman.

Miss Forbes, I'm sorry to disturb you like this, but we'd like to ask some questions about that liquor store killing you witness a little over a month ago. Well, I told the police everything I knew about it then.

Yeah, we know, but maybe you wouldn't mind telling us again, huh? No, I guess not. I... I've been trying to forget it to tell the truth. Was... terrible. I really didn't see so very much because I was also scared.

I understand. But try to describe again just what happened, will you? Well, it was about ten o'clock at night. I was walking down the street toward home when I realized I was all a cigarette.

Well, I was right in front of the liquor store then, so I went in. The clerk was behind the corner and there were two men standing there, arguing. I didn't change in your mind. I thought we was going to get bourbon.

Now let's get the wine. I want bourbon. Gosh, too much wine's good enough. The rest of them want bourbon too. We better talk to them. Well, okay. We'll be back when we make up our mind, Mr.

Two men walked out of the store and the clerk smiled at me and shrugged his shoulders. I bought a pack of cigarettes and turned to leave. But just then the two men came back in again and each of them had a gun in his hand.

There's a stick out, Mr. Clerk just sort of crumpled at the floor. I couldn't believe my eyes, but that's just how it happened. The man said this is a stick up and then they shot him right away.

Get over against the wall, lady, or you'll get the same. One of them punched the nose stay on the cash register. I was shaking, so I almost caved in. He scooped the money out of the drawer and stuck it into his pocket.

And then... And the other one went over to where the liquor clerk was lying face down. Nelt down beside the clerk and... But he's gone against the clerk's spine. and they both ran out of the store.

He could give us a terrible act. Clerkey was lying there. Health was wounded and they delivered us. Yeah, Miss Forbes, I understand. Oh, Miss Forbes. You said that both of the men had guns. Yes.

One of the guns was black and the other was sort of fancy looking. What do you mean, Miss Forbes? Well, it was real shiny. Necro played. I wouldn't know about that, but it was shiny.

There were two guns, huh? Yes. Well now about the men themselves. Well I was so scared their faces just didn't register with me. The one who shot the clerk at the back was sort of stalky.

What about the best I can do? You mentioned in the report that one of the men was left-handed. Yes, I do remember that. Uh-huh. Look, Miss Forbes, this is very important to us. One of the men was a redhead.

Redhead? Why no, I didn't see any redhead. I'm not sure. Scare for me and George Runwrights smack into a stone mall on this thing. What's the complication? Well, there's more than one head. In the first place, we know that the 44th Smith and Westin was used in both shootings.

But the descriptions of the men involved, don't check. Police officer Emerson said he thought the man at, uh, but shot him in Williams outside the Trapdoor Cafe was a tall, left-handed redhead. Said to some funny about his nose.

You think Williams got a better look at him? I probably did, but Williams isn't strong enough to talk yet. And the girl that witnessed the liquor store killing a month ago said that one nose man was left hanging. But she said neither of them was ready.

And on top of all that, now we've got two guns to worry about. The girl mentioned two guns, so we checked the autopsy report on that liquor clerk. And the bullet that actually killed him came from a 32-20, not a 44-smither lesson.

That fact didn't get any publicity at the time, did it? No, it didn't. Okay, we won't give it any publicity now either. Well, out on, it's just the 44th Smith and Wessonware actor. Because of whoever owns the 3220 finds out it's hot, we'll never get it.

Anything else? Well, we sent teletypes to all out land stations in neighboring cities. Told them if they get any red-headed suspects, no matter what charge they got them on, to hold them for questioning. Yeah. Now, how about this 3220, the actual murder weapon, and he leads on it?

We've got one, Ed. We've been checking the records and we discovered that four hours after the liquor store killing a taxi driver in the neighborhood was shot in Rob. The plug was pretty well mashed, but there was enough to tell it was from a 32-20.

So we're going over to Quest and it takes the driver now. Good. Well, I think you boys are on the right trail. So far what we've got is mostly unrelated facts, but sooner or later those facts have all got to tie in at some point along the line.

Find that point. Well Ben and I went over to see the taxi driver, a guy who was living on borrowed time. Yeah, it was about two o'clock in the morning when it happened. I got a call to pick up a fair near a hundred and fifth in Avalon, you know.

Well I got there, somebody came over, pulled up my cap door and said, this is a stick up. Then blowy, let me have it. Just like that. Yeah, just like that. Same deal as others, you.

Itchy trigger finger. Yeah. Did you get any kind of a look at the fella? No, no, it was too dark. Hey, um, Gordon to the report, you got shot in the chair. Yeah, that's right.

Oh, you're maybe wondering how come I'm still alive, huh? I'll tell you about it. It's like something you'd seen a bad movie, you know? You know, I'm carrying a few silver dollars with me, nine of them to be exact.

So I decided to stick them in my breast pocket. Well, Mr. Thatcher saved my life. This slug hit them silver dollars. That's the one for the book, huh? Yeah, you've started. Well, thanks very much.

Say, incidentally, we had a little trouble finding you today. You weren't at the stand you operated out of last month. Look, look, I'm not only not my usual stand. I'm not driving a hack no more. Oh, look after what happened. Are you kidding?

No, I don't want to push my luck any further than it's been pushed. Yeah, I figure I had it, you know And about that time Ben and I were beginning to figure weed had it. We were getting nowhere fast We had a few informants nosing around but so far they hadn't come up with any leads

Well, Ben and I followed up all the teletypes that poured in we just got back from Santa Ana where we'd been questioning a red-headed suspect and we'd flop in the squad room when cheap backstrands door open.

Friday, Romero, got a minute? Yes, give him. Any luck with the son and the redheads? No, none at all. I guess you haven't heard the latest. We just knocked that back in town, give him.

Earlier this morning, another cab driver got shot. What? Yeah. Man came up to his taxi, opened the door, said, this is a stick up and shot him. Well, it went through one leg and into the other, but the driver managed to start his cab and drove over to a buffet, the fake called in from there.

Oh, boys recovered the slugs? Yeah. Came from the same 44th Smith and Western that was used in the other two jobs. The cab driver get a look at the gunman. Yeah, briefly. Was it the redhead?

No. Well, the stocky guy. It wasn't redheaded, it wasn't stocky. It's all the driver knows. That's great. Scareper, this is beginning to sound like a gun of the month, Club. You reckon somebody's renting them guns out?

Well, they're passing the guns around all right, but I think they're working together the way they operate indicates that. Yeah, the trigger half the routine. the buildings apparently more than a business to them, it's a pleasure too.

That's why we've got to get to them fast. Come over here. All right. Here. Take a look at this map. Here's the trapdoor cafe and over here's the liquor store. And down here's where the first cab driver got shot.

Right here's where the second one got it. All of the shootings have taken place within an area of 10 square blocks. Okay. Tonight we're going to throw a block cage around that whole area. Good.

expect at 10 p.m. At 9.45 p.m. cars and officers started drifting into the area by 2s and 3s. At a 10 when back strand Ben and I arrived the whole area was so uptighted in a tick.

Davis, catch, all set. All set. We got a primary line on the secondary line. If anyone tries to make a break we'll pick them up in a second there. Okay, Friday and Romero here will cruise around the area with me. Go to work, man.

car in the area was shaking down. The same process was also followed in all persons on foot. The blockade went on all night. By the end of that time we'd brought in 217 suspects. 26 of them were redheads.

What's your name? Henry Wagner. What do you work? Lomba Ria. What time did you get through work last night? About six I guess. What'd you do then? At some dinner. Where? Harry's Grand. Then what?

Shut the little pool. Look, I tell you, I'm done now, think. Now, let's go back to the day before yesterday. It worked out. And that's the way it went all day long. We shot question after question at them, working them gradually back to the days on which the shootings had taken place.

When it was all over, we got six men wanted in other cities on various charges. We got quite an assortment of guns and knives. But as far as the shootings were concerned, we got nothing.

Well, I guess that's the last of them. I was running out of questions there, Thane. You two boys better go on home, get some sleep. Well, I was kind of figuring on checking back over the reports to see if we might have overlooked something.

I said go on home. You two boys have been at it for 32 hours straight. Look at you. Both of them can hardly stand up. You need sleep. It's 4pm now. Don't come back until 10pm.

When I walked into the squad room at 10, Ben was already there, an informant had just phoned in a new lead. He told Ben he'd heard about a gang that had been hanging out down around the Devere bungalow court in the south end of town.

We knew that the Devere was close to the trapdoor cafe, so we went over to talk to the manager. Joe, I've been meaning to ask you. You checked on how Williams is getting along. Yeah, I did.

I called the hospital this afternoon. It's going to be all right. Oh, that's fine. Well, here we are. Here we are. Manage is open. You got a lad on it. Yeah. I'm Sergeant Friday Police.

This is Sergeant Romero. Yeah. We'd like a little information. Well, sure. Come in. Thank you. What can I do for you? Well, do you hear anything about a gang that hangs out down around here anywhere?

Gang or no? How about your tenants here? Any of them ever been in trouble, you or nothing? No. This ain't exactly the best neighborhood in time. We try to keep things under control. Once in a while one of them will get out of line but when that happens we keep them out of here.

He heaved anybody out lately. Yeah I did. Found his wife a few weeks ago. They had a fight and wanted to bungalow. She took a shot at him but she missed. Partly by the name of Stuba, Carl Stuba.

What did this Stuba look like? Oh sort of tall skinny. Was it your red head? No. Now we'd like to take a look at that bungalow that he lived in. Sure sure. Help yourself down the end there number five. Still vacant.

That doesn't... stupid didn't leave a thing behind. Matter of fact, we don't have anything to prove that this stoob is tied in at all. We're only working on a hunt. Hey, Joe, look. Where? Up on the wall there. Just for the wind.

Oh, yeah. Now that plaster there, it's newer than the rest. You got a knife? Sure I have, boy. And I'm carving. It... That manager'd be awful unhappy if he was here. Yeah, he would. Hey, Joe, here it is. A slug.

They plastered right over. Okay, dig it out and let's hope it matches. It matched. The slug from the wall came from the same 44th Smith and Wesson that had been used in the other shootings.

So now we had a name to work on, Carl Stuba. But he'd done a good job of dropping out of sight. Well, the next day Ben thought he had another lead. I'd just been talking to another informant, Joe.

He says he heard that there's a feller down in that neighborhood been trying to sell a gun lately. What kind of a gun? played it with steer horn handle nickel play maybe that's our 44 Smith and West maybe did the informant know who this man was they had the fellers name was Alonzo yeah Alonzo who yes the Lonzo that's all they need so now we had two

names Stuba and Alonzo but no men to go with him so we went back to making rounds of the substations interviewing red-headed suspects we took a few of to Williams who was home from the hospital by now, but he couldn't identify any of them as the man who shot him. Still, we kept checking. Finally, we got around to the 77th Street Station. We questioned

the suspects they were holding there and we just started to leave when one of the officers called us. Hey, Sarge, we're holding somebody else you might want to look at. Redhead? No. Much to George. Suspicion of burglary? Small job. Oh, I don't know. What do you think, Ben? What's special, He lives in the same neighborhood where the shootings took place.

Alright, where you got him? Down here. You admit anything? Nope. He's pretty surly. Here we are. Thanks. Hi. What do you want? I'm Sergeant Friday. This is Sergeant Romero. We'd like to ask you a few questions.

Look, I already told the other cops all I know. I didn't steal my radio from that jerk. What's your name? We've been through all that one. Come on, what's your name? Jax and the Lanzo Jax.

Jack's Alonzo I looked at man and Ben looked at me this could be the Alonzo would been trying to peddle at Smith and Wesson Ben and I both knew here was one suspect we'd have to be real careful with Well on so I'm Gordon to the record this burglary your suspect it up took place on the night of the 27

Look how many times do I have to tell you guys he doesn't have anything to do with it You got an alibi for that night sure I got an alibi I was I with a couple of friends I can tell you what your friends name What on his cranberry other Stuba?

The guy who used to live in the bungalow court. Well we told Alonzo he'd have to produce his two friends to give him an alibi for the burglary charge any bit. He went with us and he pointed out where Stuba was living now.

No wonder we hadn't been able to find him. It was a little shack at the back of a lot behind two houses. We thought it was a chicken coop at first. We took Alonzo back to the station and we picked up Stuba.

He was surprised to see us and not very happy. We took him in. We took him in. Next, Alonzo gave us Crandall's address. Yeah? Mr. Crandall in? No. Will he be back soon? I don't know.

Who are you? Sergeant Friday, Sergeant Romero Police. What do you want with him? Oh, nothing important, lady. We just wanted him as a witness. Oh. Well, I don't know just when he'll be back. Probably an hour or two.

OK, thanks. We went down the street away and we staked out in the car. We sat there for about five hours, and then Ben nudged me in the ribs. Thank you, huh? Joe tickled up.

Coming along the side well. Yeah, and he's got red hair. Come on. Crandall? Huh? Your name Crandall? For you. Friday Romero police. Police? What do you want? With me, I haven't done nothing. Well then you got nothing in the world to worry about.

Come on. ["The Star-Spangled Banner"] We questioned Crandall for an hour, but he wouldn't give an image tonight, everything. Then we put him in a car and we drove over to Officer Williams' house. I left Ben in the living room with Crandall while I went in Williams' bedroom.

Hello, Sarge. Hi, Williams. How you doing? A little better, I think. That's fine. Look, we've got another redhead outside. Bring him in. Okay. All right, Crandall, come on in here. Who's in there? Why'd you bring me over here?

Come on in here. How about it, Williams? Okay. There's the guy. No, that guy that shot me. Well, Crandall. No! Yeah. It was an accident. I didn't mean to shoot him, it was an accident!

Whoa! Once Crandall got started, he talked his head off. He also admitted being in on the liquor store killing, but insisted he was only the lookout. We took him back to the station and got his whole story down on a tape recorder.

Yeah, he was left handed. Then we went back to Alonzo, who didn't know we had Crandall's confession. We met the chief in the hall outside the room where they were holding Alonzo. About ready to die the nut?

Oh, hope so, Chief. But Alonzo hasn't given any yet. And we still haven't found those good. We've got one of them. Which one? Smith and Wesson. Stuba popped about that one ten minutes ago. So they left it with his girl.

A couple of the boys were on their way over to get it now. That's good, Ed. That leaves just the 32-20. You have mentioned the 32-20 to Alonzo, Ed. No. He still thinks we're after that Smith and Wesson, and that's the way we're going to play it right now.

Go ahead. Look, how much longer are you guys gonna hold me here? Didn't you check with us friends of mine? Long so we got a tip at you been trying to sell a gun, laden.

A gun? Yeah, 44 Smith and Wesson. Oh, heh. No, it's not true. That Smith and Wesson's been using a couple of robbery jobs this month, and we think it's your gun. That's a lie. Any proof of that?

Well, yeah. Sure I got proof of that. I used to have a gun, but it wasn't a Smith and Wesson. Look, if I tell you where it is, that ought to convince you. It'll help things.

Okay. I sold it to one neighbor of mine. He gave me seven bucks. I'll give you his address. You sure it's not a Smith and Lassen? Sure, I'm sure. It's a 3220. Yeah, it worked. We went to the neighbor's address and he admitted having bought the 3220, but said he lent it to a friend who'd never returned it. The friend had hocked the gun to a barber.

The barber gave him 15 bucks and a haircut for it. We finally got it from the barber and we came back to the station. I'm all set, Joe. I'm being in the next room. Just give me the knife.

Okay. Hello, Alonso. Hey, you got the gun. Yeah, we got the gun. Well, now maybe you'll believe I'm on the level. Okay, if I go now? I guess we won't be able to hold you here much longer.

You can say that again, brother. You gotta save the lot of time, if you listen to what I've been trying to tell you all along. I guess you're right, Alonso. Sure, I'm right. You know, you guys would be a lot better off believe guys like me the first time we tell you something

but on the liquor that was on the lookout was outside it was the other two who pulled that one Stu Bon Alonso Alonso killed it, click, click Hold it Alonso dirty, squint it on All right Alonso, that's enough Now come on, how about it?

Come, what's the use? All right, that's like you said Okay Ben, bring a recorder in here Alonzo's ready to make a record now. By playing back Crandall's statement that we'd recorded earlier, we got a full confession from Alonzo.

We took the three of them out and had them reenact the four shootings, and we photographed it on sound film. Crandall, the redhead, was the one who shot the two police officers, but he was only the lookout for the liquor store killing, which explains why the girl witnessed didn't see him in the store.

Stuba and Alonzo were the ones who pulled that job, and Alonzo, the worst of the bunch, was the one who put the 32-20 against the spine of the wounded clerk. The three of them took turns at shooting the cab drivers and robbing them, that accounted for the mixed up descriptions including all that left-handed business.

Two of the three suspects happened to be left-handed. Well, that was the crop. Crandall Alonzo, Stuba. Four shootings, three robberies, four attempted murders, one murder. The three men were tried and convicted. They're all in the state penitentiary. Crandals there for life. Alonzo and Stuba. They'll be executed next week.

Filett, will you, Ben? Frignet! What you have just heard was true. Only the names were changed to protect the innocent. You have just heard the second in a new series of authentic cases from official files.

The Medical Advice for Dragnet comes from the Office of CB Horrell, Chief of Police, Los Angeles Police Department. The program is dedicated to Radio Officer Delmer E. Cook of Los Angeles Police Department, who on the afternoon of December 6, 1948 gave his life so that yours might be more secure.

Dragnet came to you from Los Angeles. This is NBC, the National Broadcasting Company.