- 9 hours ago
In this episode, Sergeant Friday and Officer Gannon investigate the theft of over $200,000 worth of Imperial Jade reported stolen in a burglary.
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TVTranscript
00:26This is the city, Los Angeles, California.
00:31On Spring Street, you'll find the Pacific Coast Stock Exchange and the big banks.
00:35You can borrow a million dollars on a few minutes' notice, if your credit's good enough.
00:39The people who make or get the million-dollar loans usually live a long way from their work, many of
00:45them here in Bel Air.
00:47Hundred-thousand-dollar homes are commonplace here.
00:50So are half-million-dollar estates.
00:52The good life of Bel Air attracts some of the best lawyers, doctors, bankers, and merchants.
00:57It also attracts some of the best thieves.
01:00That's where I come in. I carry a badge.
01:03It was Wednesday, April 14th. It was warm in Los Angeles.
01:05We were working the day watch out of Burglary Division.
01:07The boss is Captain Mac.
01:09My partner's Bill Gannon.
01:12My name's Friday.
01:14Fine jade is one of the world's most precious gems.
01:18Imperial jade is one of the most scarce.
01:20Its value is almost limitless.
01:22A jewel thief operating in the Bel Air section of the city had stolen $200,000 worth of it.
01:27We had to try and apprehend him.
01:40The story you are about to see is true.
01:43The names have been changed to protect the innocent.
01:46The story you are about to see is true.
02:11Something wrong?
02:12I'm afraid so, Joe. It's from the Army.
02:14Well, how do you know?
02:16I can read, Joe. It says right there, Department of the Army, Signal Corps.
02:19No, I mean, how do you know something's wrong?
02:21Why else would they be writing to me?
02:23Why don't you open it and find out?
02:25I'm almost afraid to.
02:26You know how some people get premonitions?
02:28I'm one of them.
02:29Open it.
02:31You got a knife or a letter opener?
02:37There's no way to open a letter, Joe.
02:39Here's the envelope.
02:42What's it say?
02:47Specky's dead.
02:48Who?
02:48Specky.
02:50Great old bird, Joe.
02:52Did he die in action?
02:53No. Old age.
02:55Sorry. Friend of yours, huh?
02:57Not personally, no.
02:58But all of us in the Valley Loft knew him.
03:00He was a late hatch in 1954.
03:03Never trained a mile.
03:04One of the fastest living birds alive, Joe.
03:07Now he's dead.
03:08Right there in the mimeographed letter.
03:10Who are you talking about?
03:11One of the greatest U.S. Army carrier pigeons ever to fly.
03:14I didn't know you were interested in homing pigeons.
03:17Ever since that squab deal fell through.
03:19You remember I was going to raise him?
03:21But it's too much work.
03:22I don't have the time to do it right.
03:23So I went into homing pigeons.
03:25Oh, I see.
03:26Got a great bird right now, Joe.
03:28Kids and I took him 50 miles away up to Lancaster.
03:31Turned him loose.
03:32Is that right?
03:33That's what you do, you know.
03:34You start him out on short flights first.
03:36Work him up to longer ones.
03:37How long did it take your bird to get home?
03:39Well, we took him up to Lancaster about three weeks ago Sunday.
03:42Yeah.
03:43He didn't take off right away.
03:44Kind of walked around and pecked at the dry grass in this vacant lot up there.
03:49Uh-huh.
03:50Then he hit the air.
03:51Beautiful sight, Joe.
03:53Almost straight up.
03:55Then he headed dead west.
03:56When did he get home?
03:58Well, that was three weeks ago Sunday, and I figure him being a young bird,
04:02sort of like his first solo flight, you could say.
04:04He isn't back yet.
04:05No, but we expect him any time now.
04:09Friday, pick up two.
04:13This is Friday.
04:16What's the location?
04:19Yeah.
04:20Estimated loss?
04:22Uh-huh.
04:24Have you called the lab yet?
04:26Good.
04:27Let me have your D.R.
04:30Right.
04:30I have it.
04:31Thanks, Lieutenant.
04:33That was Lieutenant Armstrong, West L.A.
04:35Yeah.
04:35House in Bel Air.
04:36It was just hit.
04:37Jewel thief.
04:38What'd he get?
04:38$200,000 worth of Imperial Jade.
04:481042 a.m., Bill and I drove to the Bel Air address.
04:51For the past three weeks, a series of jewel thefts had occurred in and around the Bel Air section.
04:56The burglar had been hitting during the daylight hours when no one was at home.
05:00We had put out a special bulletin asking to be notified of any jewel burglaries that fitted this M.O.
05:06The reported loss was a sizable one, and a great deal of time would be involved in the investigation.
05:12So, Lieutenant Grover Armstrong, commander of the West Los Angeles detectives, had asked that Bill and I take the case
05:17over.
05:19I certainly sent enough of you people out on a case.
05:22Yes, ma'am.
05:22This is my partner, Bill Gannon.
05:23My name's Friday.
05:24Yes.
05:25Well, you'll have to excuse me.
05:26I have to call the insurance company, and then I'll be back to answer more of your questions.
05:29And I suppose you have a thousand, as though any of them will help me get my jade back, will
05:34they?
05:34We'll try, Mrs. Grant.
05:35Yes.
05:40Hiya, Mac.
05:40Mac.
05:41Sergeant, you know my partner, Frank Adams?
05:43Hello, Frank.
05:43You want to give us a story, Mac?
05:44We got here at 9.35.
05:46Gardner came to work at 9.
05:47Said he heard somebody running out the back door.
05:49A few minutes later, Mrs. Graham returned home.
05:51From where, do you know?
05:52Charity Breakfast.
05:53When she got home, she discovered the burglary.
05:55Says the safe contained $200,000 worth of imperial jade.
05:58Who's the insurance company?
06:00National Jewelry Indemnity.
06:02Full coverage, she says.
06:03What's the gardener's name?
06:04Henry Morito.
06:05He's out and back.
06:06We'll take off now.
06:08Anything else you need?
06:09No, thanks, Mac.
06:10Adams.
06:14Better get Leighton Prince and a safe man out here right away.
06:16I'll call Wamsley and Bart.
06:18Right.
06:21Just look at this room.
06:23Whoever did it didn't have to make such a mess.
06:26No, ma'am.
06:26We're going to need a complete inventory of your losses.
06:29The insurance company has it.
06:30We'll need it, too.
06:31Six pieces of fine imperial jade.
06:33You'll never find it.
06:34How's that, ma'am?
06:35It's rare.
06:36It's priceless.
06:36It'll be on a plane today for Asia.
06:38Is that right?
06:39It's practically sacred there.
06:40There are Chinese and Japanese collectors who will give fortunes for a single piece of imperial.
06:46Look at this.
06:47This is all I have left of my collection.
06:49This one photo.
06:52This little peach is priceless.
06:55Yes, ma'am.
06:56It'll be all right if we keep this.
06:57It'll be returned after the investigation.
06:59It's all right.
06:59Notice the rich green color.
07:02It's the quality of the mineral that counts.
07:04A photo simply doesn't do it justice.
07:06Leighton Prince and that bar on the way.
07:08Believe me, I know jade, Sergeant.
07:10I was brought up in Hong Kong.
07:11My father was a dealer and I married a dealer.
07:13Where's your husband now, Ms. Graham?
07:15He's dead.
07:16He was on a buying trip to Burma.
07:18Chartered a little plane and it went down.
07:20Yes, ma'am.
07:21I don't see what earthly good all these questions will do.
07:24Anyone can see what happened.
07:26Yes, ma'am.
07:26The robber cut a hole in the screen, opened the window, searched the room,
07:30pried the hinges off the safe, took the jade and ran.
07:33Whoever it was finished up when the gardener came to work.
07:36Henry heard the thief leave, you know.
07:37Is there anyone else in the household?
07:39I have a maid, Mary Carstairs, but she had the day off.
07:42Is Wednesday her regular day off?
07:44No, she asked for it.
07:45Some sick relative or something like that.
07:48Would you happen to know where she went?
07:49No, I have no idea.
07:50Ask her.
07:51She'll be back tomorrow morning.
07:52How many other people knew you had this jade collection, ma'am?
07:56Everybody.
07:56Simply everybody.
07:57I entertain a great deal.
07:59My club, the Benefit League, you know, the usual.
08:02Everyone who comes here insists on seeing it.
08:04You're not going to hound them, are you?
08:06We're not going to hound anyone, ma'am.
08:08We're only interested in trying to get your jade back for you and pick up whoever stole it.
08:13Yes, well, I'd like as little publicity as possible.
08:17I certainly don't want any of my friends disturbed.
08:20We'll try not to.
08:21I suppose this will be all over the newspapers.
08:23They won't get it from us.
08:25Just make certain you don't disturb any of my friends over this dreadful situation.
08:29Well, now, like I said, Ms. Graham, we'll try not to.
08:32I don't want them involved.
08:33Well, there's only one way they might be.
08:35Yes?
08:36If one of them stole your jade.
08:4811.31 a.m.
08:50Officer Bill Walmsley of the Scientific Investigation Division had begun trying to lift latent prints.
08:55All members of the Graham household would be fingerprinted for elimination purposes.
08:59Any remaining prints could be a clue to the burglary.
09:02Sergeant Ed Barr, the burglary division's safe expert, had finished his examination of the safe.
09:07This doesn't add, Joe.
09:09What's that, Ed?
09:10Dust guards have been pried or knocked off.
09:13Only thing they're good for is to keep the hinges clean.
09:15They don't have anything to do with breaking the safe open.
09:17Yeah.
09:17It wasn't a knob knocker.
09:18No caps, no prying, no force of any kind.
09:21Then how was it opened?
09:22Easiest thing in the world.
09:23Yeah.
09:24Whoever opened it knew the combination.
09:3112.17 p.m.
09:33Bill and I talked to Henry Morito, the gardener.
09:35He told us that he had arrived at the Graham home at about 9 a.m.
09:38He was positive of the time because he'd been listening to the radio in his truck.
09:42When he arrived, he heard what sounded like someone running out of the house and slamming a door.
09:46But he had not seen anyone.
09:49The screen where it's cut bends out, not in.
09:53Yeah.
09:54It was cut from the outside, the ends of the wire'd bend in, wouldn't they?
09:57Looks that way to me.
09:58And this window, once you cut the hole in the screen, you'd have to pry it open.
10:04No Jimmy marks, no pry marks.
10:10This window was open from the inside.
10:163.37 p.m.
10:17Bill and I drove back to the office.
10:19John Benjamin, special agent for the National Jewelry Indemnity Company, was waiting for us.
10:24Benjamin was an ex-police officer and an old friend.
10:27His company had insured the Graham jade.
10:29Joe, it smells phony from beginning to end.
10:32You going to deny the claim, John?
10:34We can't without positive evidence.
10:35The insurance company has to pay off on a loss.
10:38It's a contract we make.
10:39The only out is proof that there wasn't any loss.
10:44Here's a copy of what she had insured.
10:47I didn't know any kind of jade ran this high.
10:49Imperial does.
10:50You know her collection was insured for full value.
10:52$200,000.
10:53Who evaluated the collection before you issued the policy, would you know?
10:57Lin Fong, over in the Metropolitan Building.
10:59He's the best expert on the coast.
11:01Oh, there's no doubt about it.
11:02She had $200,000 worth of jade, all right.
11:05People I work for always take a dim view of paying off on a phony claim.
11:10My boss isn't going to like this.
11:12Neither are ours, John, and there's a lot more of them.
11:15No.
11:15Last census, about $3 million.
11:264.30 p.m.
11:28The Metropolitan Building at 315 West 5th is the jewelry manufacturing center for Los Angeles
11:33and much of the world.
11:34Every tenant deals in jewelry in some form or another.
11:37You can order rings for a high school graduation class or diamonds for royalty.
11:43Lin Fong was an old established dealer with an established reputation.
11:47Yes, of course.
11:48I knew the complete history of every piece.
11:51Mr. Graham, the late Mr. Graham.
11:53He consulted me before every purchase.
11:55Not that we always agreed.
11:57He was very headstrong, very emotional.
12:00Now, this dancing figure.
12:02That's part of the Graham collection, is it?
12:04Yes.
12:05I have photos of all the Graham pieces.
12:07But this is nephrite.
12:09Definitely nephrite.
12:10Then it's not jade?
12:12Oh, yes.
12:14Jade.
12:15The best jade, the treasures, the rich pieces,
12:18true or imperial jade, are jadeite.
12:20They can only come from Upper Burma or Tibet or the Yunnan province of China.
12:26Yes, sir.
12:26The relatively common nephrite, which got its name from the Greek word for kidney because
12:31it was once worn for kidney diseases, is found in Turkestan, New Zealand, Siberia,
12:37Poland.
12:37You can even find it in Alaska.
12:39I said to him, my dear friend, even you can make a mistake.
12:44He refused to listen.
12:46It has since been sold.
12:47By whom, Mr. Lin?
12:49His wife.
12:50She's disposed of most of the nephrite the last couple of years.
12:53The rest of the collection was considered very good, wasn't it?
12:56Exquisite.
12:57There are merchants in Hong Kong who would give a great deal for it.
13:00Is that so?
13:01She has been selling it off, piece by piece.
13:04I handled a few minor sales, but most of it has been going overseas.
13:08Yes, sir.
13:08In fact, I was surprised when the insurance man called me today to say that she had reported
13:13this big theft.
13:14Is that right?
13:15I didn't think she had any jade left.
13:26Thursday, April 15th, 9.35 a.m.
13:29We ran a credit check on Mrs. Francine Graham.
13:31It indicated her bank balance was low and the Bel Air home was heavily mortgaged.
13:36Her only major asset had been the $200,000 worth of jade.
13:41We questioned the maid, Mary Carstairs.
13:43She said that the previous day she had gone to the general hospital to see her sister who
13:47was recuperating from a minor operation.
13:50She said she didn't know anything about the burglary until she returned to the Graham residence.
13:54We asked her if she knew the combination to the safe.
13:56She told us she did not.
13:59No.
13:59No one but my husband and myself knew the combination of that safe.
14:02No one.
14:03Are you sure it was locked?
14:04Absolutely.
14:05Did you ever give the combination to your maid or your gardener or anyone else?
14:09Instead of standing around here casting suspicion on my help and me, why aren't you out
14:12looking for the thief?
14:13Either of you, gentlemen, there's a call from your office.
14:16I'll take it, Joe.
14:18Right this way, sir.
14:21Sergeant, you realize you're hindering my insurance claim.
14:24No, Mrs. Graham, we're not.
14:26It's a sizable one.
14:27I've paid enormous premiums for years.
14:29You know that sometimes these things can be difficult.
14:31I wouldn't want anything to delay it.
14:33You also wouldn't want them to pay off on a dishonest claim, would you?
14:36Naturally, I want everybody to be sure you insist I'm being dishonest.
14:39No, ma'am, but there are a couple of unusual circumstances surrounding the burglary.
14:43Is that so?
14:44Yes, ma'am.
14:44And just like you, we want to be sure.
14:47Joe?
14:49Excuse me, Mrs. Graham.
14:52That was Wamsley, Layton Prince.
14:54Yeah.
14:54He says to hustle back in, he's come up with something.
15:0310.20 a.m.
15:04Bill and I drove back to the office and met with Bill Wamsley and S.I.D.
15:07Remember the goldfish bowl in the room out there?
15:10Well, that's where they were.
15:12Both sides.
15:14Indicating that the bowl was moved, or at least picked up.
15:16Yeah.
15:17Look here.
15:21Beautiful set of prints.
15:23Right and left.
15:25Checked them through.
15:27Who do they belong to?
15:29Small-time thief.
15:30Name of Ben Martin.
15:3710.35 a.m.
15:38Bill and I knew Ben Martin.
15:40We'd handled him before.
15:41We drove out to his last known address.
15:43He had checked out several days before.
15:45His landlady had no idea where he went.
15:49We returned to the office and put out an APB on the suspect, Ben Martin.
15:5411.47 a.m.
15:56We met with Captain Mac to review what we had on the Graham-Jade burglary.
16:00Doesn't add up for eight cents, does it?
16:02No, sir.
16:03Martin's never been known to go in for the big-time stuff.
16:05No safe jobs.
16:06Mostly rings, jewelry, clothing.
16:07Nothing else missing from the house?
16:09No, sir.
16:09You figure Martin was scared off of the gardener?
16:11Well, that's the way it looks.
16:13Well, one thing, sir.
16:14What's that?
16:14Martin was in that house before we were.
16:16Maybe he knows something that we don't.
16:18Yeah, sir.
16:19Find him and ask him.
16:31Monday, April 19th, 9.37 a.m.
16:34Four days went by.
16:35Bill and I checked with our informants to try and dig up a lead as to the whereabouts of Ben
16:38Martin.
16:39We had no luck.
16:4210.40 a.m.
16:43John Benjamin, the special agent for the insurance company, said he wanted to talk to us.
16:47They haven't turned him yet, huh?
16:48Not so far.
16:49I just had a meeting with my boss.
16:51He's instructed our people to start settling the grand claim.
16:54Well, naturally, if it's legit, we want to pay off.
16:57But, Joe, I just don't think it is.
16:59Friday, take four.
17:02It's Friday.
17:04Yeah, Brown.
17:05Where?
17:07Good.
17:08We'll be right here.
17:10Yeah.
17:11Thanks, guy.
17:12That was Van Nuys.
17:13They just collared Martin.
17:14They're bringing him right down.
17:2011.32 a.m.
17:21The suspect, Ben Martin, was brought downtown by Van Nuys Detective Sergeant Brown and his partner, C.T. Zumel.
17:27We advised him of his constitutional rights.
17:30You understand it?
17:31Sure do.
17:31Don't mean nothing to me.
17:32What do you want to know?
17:33Talk to us, Ben.
17:35Which job?
17:36How many of you pulled since you got out of queue?
17:38I've been doing pretty good, Gannon.
17:40Till today.
17:4111 jobs and one dud.
17:43That's the one we're interested in.
17:44The grand place?
17:45Why?
17:46I didn't get a thing.
17:47Didn't you?
17:47You know I didn't.
17:48I just picked the wrong day.
17:51I'm a crummy gardener.
17:52Tell us about it.
17:53What's the tell?
17:54I get inside, just start to prowl the place, and he shows up.
17:57Figured maybe he might have a key.
17:58You know, like they sometimes do to get inside and water the plants.
18:01So I blew.
18:02You didn't take anything along with you?
18:04Like what?
18:05I seen the safe.
18:06What good would that do me?
18:08I can't bust no safe.
18:09No way.
18:10Ben, do you ever hear of Imperial Jade?
18:13I heard of Jade?
18:14I want you to level with us, Ben.
18:16Did you walk off with any from the Graham house?
18:18Not me, Sergeant.
18:19No way.
18:20I had never heard of that Imperial stuff.
18:22I wouldn't even know what it looks like, so how could I ice any?
18:25Maybe you got some good advice.
18:27From who?
18:27I don't know.
18:27One Swedish person.
18:29What's that got to do with it?
18:30Well, it's where it comes from, ain't it?
18:31Switzerland?
18:34You made a pretty good mess out of that room, didn't you?
18:36Look, I keep telling you, and I'm leveling.
18:37I didn't touch nothing.
18:39You touched the goldfish.
18:40Oh, all right, but that's all.
18:42I walked out of the place empty.
18:43That's the truth.
18:44I mean, you know me.
18:47One thing, I don't lie to you.
18:49Yeah?
18:50You and Friday here sent me up twice.
18:51You know me.
18:52I don't even operate at night.
18:54Only daytimes, because it's only second degree.
18:56I don't even carry no tools.
18:57It's small time.
18:59Yeah, well, maybe you figure you're ready for the big time.
19:01No, sir.
19:02Not me.
19:03I just ain't smart enough.
19:04Is that right?
19:05I'll leave it to you.
19:06In the last four months, I pull 11 jobs, right?
19:08If you say so.
19:09Pull all them jobs, and I walk off with a pretty fair haul each time.
19:13You don't grab me for one of them.
19:14Yeah.
19:16I just walk through a house in Bel Air, and you put the arm on me.
19:2612.34 p.m.
19:28Bill and I drove out to Bel Air to see Mrs. Francine Graham.
19:32We picked up the man who entered your house Wednesday morning, Miss Graham.
19:35Then you got my jade back.
19:37No, ma'am.
19:38Then it was as I told you.
19:39He got rid of it, shipped it out of the country.
19:41No, ma'am.
19:41He didn't do anything with it.
19:42He didn't take it.
19:43Well, of course he did.
19:44He's lying to you.
19:45We've handled this man before, Miss Graham.
19:47We've sent him to prison twice.
19:48He doesn't operate in rare items like Imperial Jade.
19:51He does now.
19:52Afraid not, Miss Graham.
19:53This is a small-time burglar, and they don't change their way of operating.
19:56He didn't take your jade unless someone gave him the combination to your safe.
19:59Maybe someone did.
20:01How could they?
20:01You told us you were the only one that had that combination.
20:04Maybe he got it somehow.
20:05Not unless you gave it to him.
20:07You know better than to say a thing like that, Sergeant.
20:09Do I?
20:10Perhaps I should telephone my attorney.
20:12You seem to be accusing me of taking my own jade.
20:14That's entirely up to you, ma'am.
20:16You really believe that, don't you?
20:18What we believe doesn't matter.
20:19All we know is $200,000 worth of jade is missing.
20:22We know that someone who knew the combination to that safe took the jade.
20:26And you'd like me to say that I did and make your job easier for you,
20:29help you close a case you can't solve.
20:30Isn't that what you want?
20:31We want the truth, Ms. Graham.
20:33Really?
20:34Then why don't you insist that man you picked up tell you where he got the combination of my safe?
20:38Because we don't think he ever got it.
20:40Then how did he get into my safe?
20:41He didn't.
20:56Sergeant.
20:57Yes, ma'am?
20:58When my husband died, he left no personal insurance of any kind.
21:01He had it all in his jade collection.
21:03That was covered, but nothing else.
21:05He'd borrowed against the mortgage on this house, against my insurance.
21:09Everything.
21:10Oh, he had a good business, but when he passed away, everything went.
21:14Everything except his collection.
21:16Yes, ma'am.
21:17I tried to make ends meet.
21:19I sold some of the pieces.
21:21I thought for a while I might be able to work it out.
21:24Then it just seemed that bills mounted up and there was no money to cover them.
21:28Then when the gardener reported to me what had happened Wednesday, I decided to do it.
21:32Yes, ma'am.
21:33Go on.
21:33I decided to use that man being in my house as an excuse for a robbery.
21:38It seemed like such a perfect series of coincidental events.
21:40The man breaking in, my maid asking for the day off.
21:44Yes, ma'am.
21:44I cut the hole in the screen, fiddled with the safe, and messed up the room and called you people.
21:50Where's the jade, Mrs. Graham?
21:52Sold.
21:53All of it.
21:54Over six months now.
21:56I had to sell it off piece by piece.
21:59I just had to have the money.
22:00Who did you sell it to?
22:01This man from Hong Kong.
22:03A man my husband bought some pieces from.
22:05He would come to the house, bring the cash, and pick up the jade.
22:09You have no idea what it was like.
22:12Trying to keep the house, my car, the good things that I'd grown used to having most of my life.
22:18Yes, ma'am.
22:18And my friends, the clubs, the women's leagues, some of the money the jade brought I gave to charity, sergeant.
22:25Yes, ma'am.
22:26A great deal more than you might imagine.
22:28My charities are important to me.
22:30The pride of being able to give so much to them.
22:33Almost $100,000 in the last nine months.
22:36Yes, ma'am.
22:36We'll have to ask you to come downtown with us, Mrs. Graham.
22:39I understand.
22:42Sergeant, tell me.
22:44Yes, ma'am.
22:45Do you think I really did wrong?
22:47I mean, after all, it was my jade.
22:49Mrs. Graham, you were trying to collect insurance on a fraudulent claim.
22:53I don't think I ever would have taken that check.
22:55Is that right?
22:55Not when it came right down to it.
22:59I don't believe I ever would have taken it.
23:01Well, we'll never really know, will we?
23:27The story you have just seen is true.
23:30The names were changed to protect the innocent.
23:34On November 1st, trial was held in Department 187, Superior Court of the State of California,
23:40in and for the County of Los Angeles.
23:42In a moment, the results of that trial.
23:49The suspect was found guilty on seven counts of burglary in the second degree.
23:53Each count of burglary in the second degree is punishable by imprisonment in the county jail
23:58not exceeding one year, or in the state prison for not less than one year, or more than 15 years.
24:13The attorney for Francine Graham wrote to the insurance company withdrawing her claim for the jade that was insured.
24:19The company decided not to prosecute.
24:22Mrs. Graham has since moved to another city.
24:28The company decided not to prosecute.
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