Dragnet: The Big Roll (EP5074)

The Great Detectives Present Dragnet (Old Time Radio)

Sergeant Joe Friday and Frank Smith investigate the violent abduction of Kenneth L. Gorman from a downtown Los Angeles street near the 797 Club. Following clues from an abandoned gray sedan, bloodstains,

Key takeaways

• Sgt. Joe Friday and Frank Smith respond to an abduction near the 797 Club on March 18, 1952, where witness Leon Morley reports two men dragging a screaming victim into a gray sedan.
• The abandoned vehicle is registered to Kenneth L. Gorman, who had just collected a $300 debt from his friend Fred Bernard before disappearing.

Main topics

• Police investigation methodology
• Witness testimony and alibi verification

Notable quotes

"The story you are about to hear is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent."

Conclusion

The episode demonstrates classic mid-century police procedural storyte

Transcript preview

Speaker 3 (0:06) Thank you. Speaker 3 (0:08) © BF-WATCH TV 2021 Speaker 3 (0:28) Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This is your host, Adam Graham. In a moment, we're going to bring you this week's episode of Dragnet. But first, I want to encourage you, if you're enjoying the podcast, to please follow us using your favorite podcast software. And if you are enjoying the podcast, you can support us on a one-time basis by mailing a donation to Adam Graham, P.O. Box 15913. That's P.O. Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715. But now, from June 26, 1952, here is The Big Roll. Speaker 1 (1:25) The story you are about to hear is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent. Speaker 1 (1:38) You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned to homicide detail. An unidentified man is abducted from a downtown street. The scene is checked where the man was reported taken. Bloodstains are found on the sidewalk. The abductors escaped in a gray sedan. No one saw the license number. Your job, get him. Speaker 1 (2:08) 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. Speaker 6 (2:32) It was Monday, March 18th. It was overcast in Los Angeles. We were working the night watch out of homicide detail. My partner's Frank Smith. The boss is Captain Lorman. My name's Friday. It was 6.48 p.m. when we got to the corner of 11th and South Pierce Street. The 797 Club. Speaker 2 (2:48) Sorry, no more service tonight. Closing up. Your name Leon Morley? Yeah, I can't serve you any drinks, so closing up. Speaker 6 (2:53) Police officers, Mr. Morley. Speaker 8 (2:55) I'd like to talk to you a minute, if you don't mind. Oh, I'm sorry. I thought maybe you were after a drink. We were just talking to the officers in the radio car up the street, the car that answered the call out here tonight. They told us you were one of the people who saw what happened. Speaker 2 (3:05) Well, yeah, I guess I did. I saw part of it anyway. Lousy deal kind of thing makes your ulcers pop. That's why I'm closing down early, going home. We're following through on the investigation, Mr. Morley. I'd like to have you tell us everything you know about it, if you would, everything that you saw. I told the cops in the radio car everything I know. It was about 6 o'clock, and I heard this big commotion out in the street. I didn't know what it was. It sounded like somebody was hurt. I went out and took a look. Marie in the beauty shop next door, she was outside rubbernecking, too. She saw as much as I did. You talked to her? Yes, sir, we have. She wasn't too clear on some of the details. Maybe you can straighten it out Speaker 6 (3:34) for us. Speaker 8 (3:35) I'm Speaker 6 (3:35) glad Speaker 8 (3:35) to, if Speaker 6 (3:35) I can. What do you want to know? You Speaker 8 (3:37) mind telling us in your own words just exactly how it happened? I mean, how Speaker 2 (3:40) you saw it? Well, there's not an awful lot to it. I was working behind the bar here, and it was around 6 o'clock, like I say, maybe a couple of minutes after. I was just fixing up a round of drinks for some fellas when I heard this noise outside. Yeah. Didn't know what it was at first. Sounded like somebody screaming, like they were hurt. You said you heard this commotion outside the bar about 6 o'clock. Yeah, that's right. Well, I didn't arrive right then. I finished mixing the round of drinks. First, I thought the racket was just a couple of early drunks, but it kept on. A man screaming. It got louder, and I decided to take a look. I went out and looked down the street a couple of doors, down toward the corner. Which corner is that, Mr. Moore? The nearest one, down to the left. Here, I'll show you. All right, fine. I didn't know what was happening. Terrible sound. Man screaming at the top of his lungs. You recognize who the man was? No, I didn't. Never saw him before. Didn't get too good a look at him anyway. He was getting kind of dark. Here, let me show you. Over here by the window. All right. Speaker 2 (4:33) I see it was right down there, just next to that mailbox. These two guys had a hold of the man who was screaming. They were trying to drag him into a car, a gray sedan. The man was trying to fight him off. Can you describe any of these three men for us? No, I couldn't be sure about it. Like I say, it was getting kind of dark. Well, you can see for yourself, they were about 7,500 feet away. This man, they were trying to drag him into the car. He kept screaming, leave me alone, you can have the money. Leave me alone, you can have my car. Looked like he was hurt to me, blood on his clothes. Didn't anybody try to help him? Well, you know how this neighborhood is. When there's trouble, they all cut out. They don't want to get involved. Happened pretty fast, anyway. These two guys got this man in the back seat of the car, and the big guy got in the back seat with him. The smaller guy got in the front seat, and they took off. And which way did they go, Mr. Morley? Straight down the street there. Turned right at that corner. Speaker 6 (5:19) Did Speaker 2 (5:19) you happen to see the license number? No, I thought of it, though. They didn't turn the car lights on. It went by pretty fast, too. I couldn't get a good look at it. Was it a California plate, do you know? Oh, yeah, I noticed that much. That's about all, though. What kind of a car was it? Like I told you, a gray sedan, four-door. I couldn't tell the make. Fairly new car. Well, did you notice anything outstanding Speaker 6 (5:37) about the car? Anything at all? Well, I don't know. What do you mean, outstanding? Well, special markings of any kind. Anything unusual. Maybe some of the accessories. Spotlight? Anything like that? Speaker 2 (5:46) No, nothing I noticed. The rear bumper was bent out, I think. Matter of fact, I'm pretty sure of it. Rear bumper? Yeah. I saw it when they drove off. They drove right past the place here. Speaker 8 (5:55) How about the men, sir? Can you describe them at all? Speaker 2 (5:58) No. One was pretty tall and thin. The other one was smaller. About the same build on the thin side. They sure must have worked that guy over. He was all bent over. Looked like he was holding his stomach. Stains all down the front of his suit. On the sidewalk, too. I guess you saw that. Yes, sir, we did. Now, you're sure that you've never seen any of these men before? Nothing familiar about them at all? No, sir, not to me. I think if I saw them before, I'd know it. Oh, just a minute. It's probably the wife. Excuse me. I'll be right back. Yeah, Speaker 6 (6:21) sure. What do you think, Joe? Well, Speaker 4 (6:23) it Speaker 6 (6:23) doesn't look too good. Stains on the sidewalk down there. If it was just a robbery, why'd they take the guy with them? Speaker 2 (6:27) He Speaker 6 (6:27) got me. He possibly might have recognized him. Maybe you got something, but I hope you're wrong. If he can make the hoods, there's a good chance they're not going to turn the man loose alive. Speaker 2 (6:34) Sergeant. Speaker 6 (6:34) Yeah. Speaker 2 (6:35) It's your office on the phone. I want to talk to either one of you. I'll get it, General. All right, thanks, Frank. Phone's straight back, Sergeant. Enter the bar. Yeah. Okay, thanks. Look, Sergeant, I've got to have something to quiet my nerves. How about you? You want a drink? No, no, thanks. Speaker 6 (6:47) Besides the woman in that beauty shop next door, Mr. Morley, did you notice anyone else around and saw what went on? Speaker 2 (6:51) No, as far as I know, Marie and I were the only ones. Just like I told you, when there's any trouble around this neighborhood, they get off the street quick. You can't think of anything else that might give us a break on this? Anything at all now? Wish I could. I think I told you just about everything. Sure feel lousy. Joe. Yeah. Speaker 8 (7:07) I was talking to Harry. Yeah. 1A1 found the car, gray sedan. Where'd they find it? Third and Bixler. It was empty. Key's still in it. You sure it's the right car? Bloodstains in the back seat. Speaker 6 (7:20) 7.18 p.m. Frank and I left the 797 Club, got in the car, and drove down to 3rd and Bixel, where the abandoned gray sedan had been located. It matched the same general description of the abductor's car, a four-door gray sedan, late model, with a damaged rear bumper. Dean Bergman from Leighton Prince dusted the car and succeeded in raising a half a dozen fingerprints, which he took back to the office for possible identification. The crime lab crew went over the car for additional physical evidence. The stains found on the back seat were identified as having been made by human blood. The white slip attached to the steering post showed the car was registered to a Kenneth L. Gorman at a Canal Street address. Before Frank and I left the scene, we got a report that approximately 20 minutes prior to the time the gray sedan had been located, another car had been stolen. It was a maroon, late model Club Coupe, licensed 7 Tom 7972. It had been taken in the same neighborhood, less than two blocks from where the gray sedan was abandoned. A broadcast and an APB was gotten out on it immediately. 8.05 p.m. After checking by the office, Frank and I drove down to check on the home address of the registered owner of the gray sedan, Kenneth L. Gorman. It was a white wood-framed cottage at the upper end of Canal Street. The woman who answered the door identified herself as Mrs. Elsie Gorman, a small middle-aged woman, blue eyes, partially graying hair. Speaker 5 (8:36) No, I'm sorry, officers. My husband isn't home right now. Speaker 8 (8:39) Where is he, Mrs. Gorman, do you know? Speaker 5 (8:40) Well, he went downtown to see a friend of his, business appointment. Is it anything