In this gripping episode, we dive into a classic tale of crime and investigation set in the vast expanses of California's desert. The story begins with the discovery of a dead body near Langford Well, prompting a meticulous investigation led by the San Bernardino Sheriff's Office. As the narrative unfolds, we follow the detectives as they piece together clues, from a mysterious memo pad found on the victim to the intricate web of telegraphic transfers and bank transactions. The pursuit of justice takes them across state lines, unraveling a complex case of murder and deception.
Listeners are taken on a journey through the meticulous process of crime-solving in the early 20th century, highlighting the perseverance and intelligence required to bring criminals to justice. The episode paints a vivid picture of the era's law enforcement techniques, contrasting the old west's rugged methods with the emerging scientific approaches. As the investigation reaches its climax, the story culminates in a dramatic courtroom showdown, showcasing the power of circumstantial evidence in securing a conviction. This episode is a testament to the relentless pursuit of truth and justice by law enforcement officers of the time.
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Calling all cars, the top luggage program created by Rio Grande. Can't learn in the sheriff's office calling all cars. Once in all, everybody. Can't believe in the sheriff's car is about Destiny's 11 driving a dead body in the desert near Langford Well. That's all. Officers of the law conducts many a secret investigation, but it is no secret as to what takes them there and brings them back with maximum speed, safety, and economy. Everyone on the Pacific Coast knows by this time that it is real brand new cracked gasoline that spins the wheels of more body cars, ambulances, fire engines, and other public service cars wherever it is sold than any other brand.
Yes. Most of the drivers of Mercedes cars use real than the class of the scooter, but they are not the only ones. Counts of thousands of motors also have discovered that this really superior gasoline starts more to say, take on a tank full of Rio Grande tracks so you will understand why this finer motor fuel is the most highly recommended gasoline in the West. For full measure or complete motoring pleasure, get three Old Sunday class that afternoon. It is our pleasure to present a message from the sheriff of San Bernardino County, Emmett L. K. Thank you doctor Linford. Good evening ladies and gentlemen.
Today throughout all the far flung territory that comprise of California there is not a single outpost of the law where out of state police methods are involved. Today the San Bernardino sheriff's office of which I have the honor to be the head is in common with every other law enforcement office in the state to quits and alerts to meet the best of the worst in criminal elements. Crimes today are of course the same as they were years ago. Murder is still murder but no longer does the sheriff gallop forth, the somewhat of a prostitute captive man through the factless desert but scientific methods are employed to bring the criminal to justice. Perseverance, patience and intelligence suggestion coupled with expert analysis considered it to the solution of the case we are about to hear.
Hey, sir. This is Jim Lucas out of Baggett. Oh, yeah. Fine. And say Walter, a couple of kids riding on top of an old prospectus wagon came through here a little while ago and said they saw man lying back at the message booth. It got close to line for twelve. That's right. Just a few hours ago. Club? No. Club. I'd say exactly. Unless the club fell back though, maybe a month. No, not for a couple of months. No dust storms either. Right where it was found. Alright, Walter. I'll be ready for you. Across the vast expanse of a county that is almost past the size of the entire state of New York, Sheriff's Bay piloted its men. Northwards, over historic Elatohome Pass, over which early day Mormon had driven off charge into the fertile San Bernardino Valley. Past pictureless Speckerville, speaking beside the meandering Mojave and out into a dusty road that leads to Langford well.
Right over there, behind that second clump of bushes. Oh yeah. Oh wait a minute, you see those two bows? Looks like the man was still here on the road and dragged over there. Yeah? Jesse Shields made those marks and here's a big chest of blood. Looks like the killer lasted a while here. Must have been a fairly small man. Now how do you know? Well I looked at the body this morning and the fellow wasn't very big himself. Well anyway we know that two men could have carried the body. Must have been just one man in on the job. That's what I figured. Oh is this the body? Yeah. What's there is left of it. No gentle work if the first is gonna cruise. Figure he'd weigh about a hundred and thirty five pounds. Wouldn't you Jim? Just about. Well hey Emmett, have butter off, bring your camera over here and the rest of you boys can be looking the ground over. Make a circle out about a hundred yards and don't miss anything. Alright then. Oh Jim, you better write down a list of these clothes and things. I'll pull them off to you. Now go ahead. Loose shirt shoes, knit sweater and then I got a white shirt, no problem, no color, no color, brown shirt, ten two. Any labels in the quote? No, not a one. There's a man who's killed in the car and then dragged over here. There's no blood whether he'll actually go and find anything in the pocket. I don't have a thing. Well here wait a minute, wait a minute. There's something down in the front of the white button.
Yeah. Here's what you can notice, it looks like. There's been sitting on the other side. You know, it looks like a seat off of a memo pad. Yes Yes sir, that's just what it is. How do we talk? It looks like there are some notes and some figures on here too. I can't make them out though. How about you Ernest? Well let's see. So, good sir. Just a better take it back. Look at that little good level if I were there. Guess that's the best. Well let's get busy and bury this fellow. Don't wanna take any more chances on losing any other identification I might see here. Realizing over the months headway is a constant of a case for the criminal where 1,000 to one, Sheriff K and his men have to work to establish the identity of the victim victim and the tide of the thunder thread of a glue to train the circumstances of his death.
What do you find on that table in it? Well besides a lot of pages I tell thee there's supposed to be a complete set right there on the back. Let's see. $87.79. That might mean anything. That's right. But since this is a bank no more I'd figure they must have much money. That's a natural assumption. Yeah but that doesn't go anywhere to lose to the case that we were before. I'm not so sure about that. So what do you mean? I'm going up to Oregon and see what I can find out in the security state bank. Do you think they'll be able to recognize this memo sheet? Maybe not but then again they might. If you can't, if this is the only clue we have we might as well work on it. I know I'm not going to pass it up. Well, I wish you luck dad. Thanks son. And keep an eye on things when I'm gone.
Good morning. May I help you? Well, yes. I'm looking for the president of this thing. Why he's not here right now going to lunch. Probably won't be back for two hours ago. Maybe I could help you. Well, maybe. I'm Walter Kaye, sheriff of San Bernardino County down in California. So how do you do sir? I'm George Dye, cashier of the bank. Well, make a good stand helping you with that. You see we had a little killing down in our neck of the woods some time back. Found out about it just after Christmas. Well we haven't got right in our ears of a clue as to the committeth of the matter. The only thing we found was this little piece of paper.
Now where did I put that? Right here, dear. You ever see a piece of paper like that? Yes. Well, yes you could. That's one of our memos. We keep them right here on the counter for the customer to you. I see, yes, the same kind all right. Well that means our man was here at least a minute, doesn't it? And that'd be good. We got the last shipment that he had about June. That was the first time that we'd used this particular time. There's a set of figures on the back right here. $87.79. Now I know it's asking a lot but is there a possibility that those figures mean anything to you? It would say, well I, I don't know about the other writing but mr. Stevens, the bank does it ever to wrote those figures down to one of the customers and I've got to know which customer. Those figures look familiar. Well let me think. No, no that wouldn't be the one.
Let's see. I, I, George, I do remember something about that. You see, I remember a transaction involving that amount. It was right around a holiday. How many cents? Actually that was Christmas, before that was Thanksgiving, and back started as Armistice, that's it. Right around the November. Do you remember who the customer was? Well, he wasn't exactly a customer. You see this man came in and Mr. Stevens took care of him. As I recalled he had a bank account, banking somewhere and he wanted to transfer his funds out here. He was just passing through here, said he'd become stranded. There's a telegraphic transfer if I remember rightly. Do you happen to remember the name? No, not offhand but I could pick up on it. I'll tell you what if we'll do, We'll call the telegraph office and ask them to go through their files of a couple of months ago and maybe we can get a double checkup.
Good day. Thank you. Have you got it fast? Hey. Is that the name? Harris, Harris, Harris, Harris. Hey, here it is, Wilford Hayes, received the security of state bank, Arden, Utah, eighty seven dollars and seventy nine cents in telegraphic transfer of funds at request of people's faith bank Detroit visiting. Mhmm. Happened to remember what this fellow looked like? Well yes. You see this business is a little out of the ordinary and I noticed a man rather closely. He had reddish brown hair as I recall or about the weight around, oh, one hundred and thirty or one hundred and forty, rather slight, had long tapering fingers, seemed rather refined and on a blue shirt suit I believe. Say what his business was?
Yes, I, I believe he said he was a printer going west to look for a job. That sounds like the man we found all right. Do you remember if he was alone? No, I don't think so. It seems there was another fellow with him. I didn't have any kind of a face or any feelings of him though so I didn't say particular attention to him. Seems like he was smooth, haven't seemed sort of quiet and reserved. I noticed that he did pay pretty close attention to when we make some British war bonds beyond. You don't happen to know where Hazel lived while he was here, do you? Well he did it with us to be grandeur itself. Now you might talk to Cyril Pinnock. He might have a line on him. Well thank you, I'm Walter Shays from San Bernardino, California.
I'm picking up on a couple of boys that came through here about the first of last month. Fellow named and another fellow named what. There's a few. I got a note. The most of the people we've come in contact with in the past few weeks. Let's see. Yep, yep, here it is. Hey, young fella, about 30. Like the text message, the one. That was with him. He told me the car was broken down. Headed out his rosa's garage to Washington Avenue. Sir, what can I do for you? I'm Josephine. Oh, well, Josephine told me you're coming out. Yes. I'm taking up on a step named Kaye and another named what? Remember? Yes. Besides the book was told to God I did for him. I looked him up after told me. Here's the answer right here. November 9 day eight plus.
Alright. So you lent him $5 on the car. Yeah. You said you needed the money to buy food for wives and babies. He is a good, don't have any record of a woman in this case. He wanted $25. Did he get it next day from Wyoming. And let him have 5 and stuck it on the bill. What kind of car was it? Small old one and two and twelve. What had a bill of sales, he'd come in again the day or two and picked it up. Recall how this man, Lotblitz, well a tree was five nine or 10 inches tall, guess he weighed around a hundred and sixty, a hundred and sixty five pounds, maybe a little more. Smooth sailing? Yeah, I believe he was. Light or dark? Dark, straight black hair, athletic build or slight. Decided athletic. Think I'll start looking for that young man.
He returned to his office in California asking for some information on a man who used to do business with his bank. His name is Hayes. Know anything about it? Yes. Yes. We got here. We received a letter from the sheriff too. They had to sell quite a large quantity of war bonds for him some time ago. He has a note here for about $20 He paid that off when he got the money from the barn to note with the savings account. According to our records he left about a hundred dollars in that account and left for California. You hear and hear more about him after that? Yes, yes he got several telegrams about his account and finally, plan thirty pounds of eighty seven seventy nine to Ogden. And where do you reckon spell how he lives while he was here? Well, the address he gave us was 1368. Uh-huh.
Think I went over there and see what the landlord might know. You missus Park. Yes. I'm looking for information on a chap named Hayes. Why?
[00:16:38] Unknown:
Mhmm. We're doing about the July 1, I believe. We live alone in the front room there. There is some town along the middle of the September.
[00:17:02] Unknown:
He paid the extra rent he said. And, when did he say he left? Just about the October.
[00:17:09] Unknown:
He left in a car with his mom at last. Tell him his new apartment. Just a second. Just a minute. It it
[00:17:35] Unknown:
Uh-huh. Well, I'm glad we got that. So thanks for calling. Look, Emma, I've got an idea about this piece. If they wired it all to that destroyed bank, he would have done it from close by the bank. Let's see here in check with the telegraph office. Okay. Well maybe we're police officers. We're trying to check a telegram we think might have been sent from here on November year. Can you see if you've got a record of it? Sure.
[00:18:16] Unknown:
Twenty sixth, '20 seventh, eighth, November '20 ninth. And lastly when will the telephone send? People's State Bank Detroit, Michigan sent by a fellow named Hayes. Mhmm. Here we are. Mhmm.
[00:18:29] Unknown:
Transfer all funds account Luther Hayes. Bank of Italy, seven cent hours, North End. Thanks miss, that helps a lot. You know, so that name was Hay, didn't you? That's bad. Well our records show that on December 1 '1 of our customers introduced him as to Hay who opened an account for transferring some funds from the bank in Detroit. That's the one. How much will it work for us? $1,100 So all charges been deducted. What address did he give? 1201 made in way. When was he in here last? Hay I mean. I don't know. Maybe $900 withdrawal on December 8. Is that the last sale that's going to come? Let's see.
No, it's a check date on the twelfth, so the date of December 9, endorsed by a man of two others. Now that would indicate that he was alive on December 9. Yes, I don't believe it. Neither do I. That buddy has been out there for at least a month and we found a few of this customer. Man, the name of Watts. W Watts. Similar to what? What did this what fellow look like? Upsized as nine or ten inches tall, weighed against around one hundred and sixty, one hundred and sixty five pounds, mostly shaven, straight black hair, got a round face. Not without let it go. Well, I think I was over to that latency today.
But the sheriff's check on the latent address out of his murder complaint, judging j h Watts with the murder of Wilford Hay. Send away to the chief of police in Boston. Ask them to check up on the address he got on one. At the Lancaster Pennsylvania police investigate him there. Okay. And ask them to watch the post office. Anything else? Yes, get a wire off to the motor vehicle department. Ask him to check up on that oval and to the out of state legislation. You better get a letter off to Sheriff Jones if it says no too. Ask him to find out from that fellow Thomas and Carruthers about that check he cast for Hayes. Get him to have Thomas beside the man. You'll let me search for this all right again. I have a part of the bulletin printed. Give him a complete description of what. Send him out to all the places up and down down the coast. What? To the metal supply to San Francisco the day of history. Why not? Well, I guess they ought to keep them busy for a while.
Within a few days, word came from San Francisco that a man answered what the system had cast the cash to the restaurant given the name of. San Francisco Officers took up to hunting earnest. The Texas parties pawned off the listers on a tank straight out were making the rounds of the branch post office as well as the main entrance of two officers. One day late in February, they were scanning the faces of patrons at the general delivery window and and this is for Jim and James Kreger. How do you spell it? C r e g g e r. James Kreger. There's one left hand. Alright, Kreger. Under arrest. Says who? We do. Three officers. And what's the idea? One little item of murder. Sentiment, you know? You're making a big mistake, mister.
I haven't ever been in Santo Nardino. No maybe not. We think you're j h what? We think you have been in Santo Nardino. Anyway that's where you're going. On April 10, he has dropped the file. District attorney George John Dean has entered available parade of witnesses. Your need is sellers? Yes. Clark Sellers. You're the next person in preparing handwriting? I am. I assume you're settled in handwriting with attendant Watts. There's a bit of Wilford Hayes. I will ask you if you'll examine them. I have. And what did you find? Well the handwriting of the man in Hay is the same as that found on the hotel register in Oregon and on the telegram sent to Martin.
It is in no way similar to that of what? Is the handwriting of what's similar to that found in the text March exhibit b in California on December 9? It is. This signature on this text signed in San Francisco spelling the name he and the endorsement of credit. Is this the signature of Wilford Hayes? No, it's not. It is identical with the handwriting of j h watt. That's all. Is the sill away? Is the sill away, dual employed by the Western Union Telegraph Company? Yes. Heraldy Seventh in Los Angeles. Do you recognize the defendant what? Yes sir. He was the man who sent the car down to be his right hand. Thank you. That's all. That's 11.
That's 11, you made spectrographic and microscopic steps. Stand taken from the scene where the body of Wilfred a was found. Yes? That is. And did you make similar analysis of stand taken from the clothing of the descendant's watch? I did. And were they similar? They were identical. Thank you. That's all. Mister Harris. Mister Harris, will you tell the court and jury just what happened in relation to the defendant now on trial on the evening of November 24 last? Well I was on my way to Las Vegas to look at some mining property I have up there. My car broke down on the road about 20 miles west of Vegas. I stopped off at Gilber Lake. Friend of mine lived there, runs a garage.
I took care of his garage for him that night. Did you see the defendant on that night? Yes sir. That evening he walked into the garage and said he was out of gasoline and saw down the road away. I walked part of the way down the road with him. Did he have a companion in the car with him? Yes sir. I saw a man in the car that answered the description the officers gave to this man, hey, did what say anything about this man? Well he said, I'm riding he was a dead one. Did you give any reason for this remark? No, you see. But you assure that the defendant was in the talking of a man who answered Hayes and Cipon on the night of November 24 and that this was at Silver Lake. Yes, sir, I am. Thank you. Alright, reverend Watts. Mister Watts, is the defendant VH Watts related to you? Yes. Yes my brother. Did you with any kind introduce your brother to any official of the Bank of Italy in Los Angeles? Yes. In one of the questions that's on a bank back east. I had reached him to the bank, stand through this sinister. What name did he use in opening the account? He used the name of Wilson Hayes. What reason did he give for using that name? He said he'd had some trouble by peace. And that's his trouble for the reason of the name. Sister what? From your address at this time.
And what is the reason for you being there? I was convicted in Los Angeles as grand lost and committed to my brother's bank account. Thank you, missus. That is all. Sheriff's case, You, Walter Kay, sheriff of San Bernardino County? I am. Have you seen the body of the man identified as Wilford Hay? I have. Upon what do you base your identification of this man? By a comparison of a handwriting on a sheet of memorandum paper found on the victim's body with specimens of his known murder. What other news, by a comparison of the victim's description as furnished by witnesses who knew him with that of the dead man. Then you can say positive that the man whose body was found in the desert you for hate I can. That is all. Thank you. That is the people's case.
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That's why you too will begin getting police car performance for your car when you'll fool him tomorrow morning and ask the friendly Rio Grande DeVito for a handful of Rio Grande De France. The gasoline preferred by officials for emergency cars. The The gasoline preferred by a great army of Moses for all emergencies. On October 15, '2 years after his crime, an apple review by the state's highest court Watts walked up the steps of the gallows of Sam's sentence, sent there by a wadded sheet of memorandum paper without an apparent qualm who plunged through the trap and the brutal murder of Wilford Hay was.
To those this case is referred to as an outstanding one covering the law of circumstantial evidence. This is the narrator Frederick Lindley giving you a good night for your grande. Calling all cards, a copyrighted program created by Rio Grande. Welcome to the police calling all car detention, broadcast two hundred twelve at Fifth And Olive, 50 offices. That is all remarkable. If you were on file for your life, you'd get the best lawyer in town. Fortunately, you're in no such predicament. But, friend, the life of your motor is at stake. Of the superior fuel.
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He stated, good evening friends. I can best practice this problem by quoting the words of captain Edward Shipman of our local narcotics division. He says, I wish I had time in the facilities to impress upon the American people the plots which I know to my heart are in motion to make this nation a dope ridden land. Then I would have the satisfaction of sending more of these diabolical plotters into prison cells and is stopping millions of our citizens into action. Our story tonight is only one part of this insidious status. Multiply it a thousand times and you may have some idea of the enormity of the faith. I shall have more to say along this line at the end of the program.
In a remote section of the northern state of Mexico, just south of the Big Bend, the country, a general converse with his agent, Juan Baca. Juan, I have orders to watch for use. Apparently these smugglers have grown bold. How much do you think they are carrying? According to the information I have received, there are drugs worth a million dollars of American money being carried by this smuggler. Where in Mexico is there is so much dough? Something from Japan. Then it is brought north and smuggled into The United States when you expect this caravan. And if this is the fastest way of dawn and it's heavily guarded by armed men. So we have the protection of our government.
Of course not. But there are other people who are not always conscientious about enforcing the law. What do you propose to do? A few miles to the south, a group of men, high powered rifles carried carefully atop battle bows rode toward the camp of the waiting general. How much further is it? Oh, not far enough, Kenya. Only after mine. That's what you've been saying for two hours. This 20 miles. No. What about the soldiers in the session?