The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio| Daily Mystery Dramas
Dragnet: The Big Honeymoon (EP4969)
07 May 2026
Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
Chapter 1: What is the main premise of 'The Big Honeymoon' episode?
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THE END
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, please follow us using your favorite podcast software. And today's program is also brought to you in part by the financial support of our listeners.
You can support the show on a one-time basis, support.greatdetectives.net, and become one of our ongoing Patreon supporters for as little as $2 per month. Just go to patreon.greatdetectives.net. But now, from February 7th, 1952, here is The Big Honeymoon.
Ladies and gentlemen, due to technical difficulties beyond our control at the moment, the Dragnet program originally scheduled at this period has been postponed temporarily. It will be heard in just a few moments. My name is Friday. We're on the way out from the office. It was 10.38 a.m. when we got to Paris Avenue. Number 213. Yes?
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Chapter 2: How do Joe Friday and Ed Jacobs investigate the con man?
Dorothy has her share of the estate. It's a shame, I suppose. Awful shame. Disappointment. She should have known better, a woman her age. Had your sister ever been married before, Miss Wagner? Yes. When she was 18. Ran off to Chicago and married a young fellow. She claimed she loved him, too. Naturally, he was after our money. My father and I went and brought her home.
We had the marriage annulled. It was that way all her life. Half a dozen men. They brought Dorothy nothing but misery. And this was the last, this Charles Reynolds. How about his background, ma'am? His business connections? He ever mention any of that to you or your sister? Claimed he had interests all over. South America, Australia. Seemed to have plenty of money. Guess his kind always has.
Do you think you'll find him? We're going to try, Miss Wagner. Dorothy went upstairs to her bedroom and stayed there. She looks so strange. She took out some pressed flowers from a book some boy had given them to her once years ago. Don't know who. She just sat on the edge of her bed and stared at them old pressed flowers. Next morning the maid came upstairs and Dorothy was lying on the floor.
Empty bottle of pills next to her. Awful disgrace. Never happened before in our family. Mm-hmm. If you don't mind, Miss Wagner, we'd like to get as many particulars about this man Reynolds as you can remember.
There. That's the last.
I don't know what else to tell you, officer. All I know is I was young when Dorothy was young. I could have had a man if I wanted. But I didn't run off when I was 18 to marry a boy. I knew my duty. If it wasn't proper, it wasn't a love. I didn't run off as a middle-aged woman to marry a fortune hunter either. What made her do it? I wouldn't know, ma'am. She was your sister.
What kind of a man was he? What kind of a mind? Making love, kissing her, just to take her money. Imagine, selling somebody with a kiss. Well, it's not the first time, ma'am. Is that so? Look it up. You'll find it in the Bible.
The End
11.18 a.m. We continued to interview the victim's sister for another 40 minutes, and then we left the Wagner home, drove back to the office, and continued our investigation of the suspect, Charles R. Reynolds. As far as we were concerned, the criminal was new to us, but the crime wasn't. The marriage racket's as old as any con game on earth, and as con games go, it's one of the lowest.
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Chapter 3: What evidence leads to the identification of Charles Reynolds?
The musicians in their shirt sleeves. Kingsbury was reserved and not too cooperative. Yes, I was acquainted with Mr. Reynolds, no more than the other guests, though. That's not the way we get it, Mr. Kingsbury. We hear you were pretty friendly with him. Only as far as my job goes, that's my business, making people feel at home, making them comfortable.
Well, I understand Reynolds was a pretty heavy tipper, is that right? He always took good care of me and the boys, the waiters. He was very generous. Did he expect anything special in return for the tips that he gave you? I don't think I understand. Oh, I think you do. How about it? Well, he was always very good to us, all of us. I could hardly refuse. Refuse what?
When he first moved into the hotel, he became friendly with me, introduced himself, gave me a good tip in advance to take care of him. First few nights here, he spent at the cocktail bar, you know, meeting people, buying a few drinks, getting acquainted. Third or fourth night, that's when he asked me. Yeah, huh?
He said when some prominent women came into the dining room, wealthy women, would I point them out to him? Single women, of course. Mm-hmm. I couldn't see any harm in it. He put a $20 bill in my hand. I said, yes, I would. After all, we have to look out for ourselves. Did he expect anything else for those tips? I don't know. I don't think he'll be right if I told you.
You know, while we're here, Mr. Kingsbury, we leveled with him. We expect you to do the same with us. Well, there was the two Wagner sisters. They came here every Sunday night for dinner, regular routine for them. Yeah? Mr. Reynolds was at the bar. He asked who they were, and I told him. He seemed impressed. He asked me to help with an introduction to them, and I did.
Next afternoon, he came to me again. He said he was taking one of the Wagner sisters to dinner that night. It was important to him. He gave me another big tip. Said he wanted us to roll out the red carpet for him that night. Mm-hmm. What'd that consist of? Well, special consideration, the best treatment in the house, you know. I was to act as if I'd known him for years. Well, it was a good tip.
I did what he asked. As I say, we have to look out for ourselves. Has this happened more than once today? Two or three times, yeah. Miss Wagner, uh, Dorothy Wagner, she seemed impressed. At the time, I didn't think anything was wrong with it. You actually didn't know Reynolds, is that right? You'd never seen him before. Well, I suppose, yes. I only found out later, though, reading the papers.
I mean, what really happened. I didn't know what he was at the time. You couldn't see what Reynolds was up to? You didn't know what he was doing? No, naturally not. He was a good tipper. That's all I know. It was the money. We have to look out for ourselves. Yeah. I felt sorry about Miss Wagner. I went to the funeral. They couldn't say I'm to blame, could they? What happened, I mean.
It's not on my conscience. You wouldn't say so, would you? She's dead, mister. You figure it. Thursday, October 13th. The investigation continued. Still no sign of the suspect. We got an answer from Las Vegas and also from the Chicago PD's bunco detail on our inquiries. They enclosed mug shots and fingerprint classification of the suspect, Frank Richland, alias Charles R. Reynolds.
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Chapter 4: What role does the victim's sister play in the investigation?
When they find him, they hit him. Now, the $3,000 he got from you, ma'am, how did that work? I mean, did you give him the money, lend it to him? Just what was it? When we came back from Mexico from being married... Mr. Richland and me and Lars. He said he was waiting for money from his bank in New York. Mr. Richland said that. He wrote me a check for $3,000. I gave him our check for $3,000.
Even Lars thought it was all right. Didn't you, Lars? Yeah. He was crazy. His check was no good. He beat him up. He punched him good. That's quite a bit of money, Mr. Lindstrom. What kind of a story did he give you? He would buy the tickets for a honeymoon trip. That's what he said. A long trip together. Romantic. Mr. Richland and me and Lars. He didn't mind Lars coming along either.
Did he, Lars? No, he didn't mind. Now, this Richland disappeared right after he cashed your check, is that right? Yes, sir. He got the money and he was gone. Six days ago. We never heard him. I don't know why he did this to us. I thought he loved me. I thought he was my husband. You haven't seen or heard anything of him since he disappeared? Not me nor Lars. But maybe they know.
That's why they call you officers.
Yes, ma'am.
We have this friend downtown, James Svensson. He met Mr. Richland once when he was here. Svensson called us on the telephone. He said he saw Mr. Richland downtown going into the hotel. Are you sure it was Richland? Yeah, he said he thought so. How long ago did he see him? Last night. We got on the phone right away and talked to the friend of the Lindstroms, James Swenson.
He gave us the name and location of the downtown hotel where he thought he'd seen the suspect, Richland, the night before. Ed called the hotel and checked with the desk clerk.
Yeah, that's right. Fairly tall, wavy gray hair, fair complexion. Might be registered as John Richland. Mm-hmm. That's right. Okay, we'll check with you later.
Bye. Good luck. Guy registered as Harold Richland. Descriptions match. He's still there? Checked out this morning.
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Chapter 5: How does the investigation reveal the suspect's background?
Look, I don't know what you want, officers, but this is a mistake. Your name Charles Reynolds? Reynolds? No, my name's Richland. That'll do. Let's go. Now, just a minute, please. What am I accused of? Who's accusing me? Last pigeon you had lined up. She wanted us to tell you. Helen Stokes. Stokes. Phony dame. You can't believe her, officer. She's phony. She's nothing but a con artist.
That's a good reason to believe her. What? Takes one to know one. 7.05 p.m. After checking through the cottage, Ed and I drove Ritzland downtown and took him to the interrogation room. He'd admit nothing. We called Miss Wagner, the sister of his first victim, and she was still in town. She agreed to come down to the office to confront the suspect.
So did the second victim, Agar Lindstrom, and her brother, Lars. Cars were set out to pick them up. At a special show-up, Richland was picked out as the guilty man. We took him back to the interrogation room. Miss Wagner was the first one called in. She again identified Richland, alias Reynolds, as the man who had married and swindled her sister, Dorothy. All right, Miss Wagner, that'll be all.
Thanks very much for coming in. Yes, all right. Thank you. Look, I don't know that woman. I'm not trying to be stubborn, but I'm afraid you're wrong. I'm not the man you want. outside. You're waiting. All right. Bring him in. Miss Lindstrom? Mr. Lindstrom? Come in, please. Miss Lindstrom? Mr. Lindstrom?
Yeah, it's him.
Yeah. I don't know you. I've never seen you before. You married me young. You wanted to be my husband. You said that. Why did you want to hurt me? Sorry, I don't know her. You said for you and me and Lars to go on the boat on the moon around the world. You and me and Lars, you said all those things. Why did you want to hurt us? Oh, why? Is that enough for you?
I don't know what they're talking about. May I bait you up? Take it easy, Mr. Lindstrom. Lars. Lies. He said we all go around the world, honeymoon. All right, all right. Get him out of here. Okay, Mr. Lindstrom. Thanks.
It's no good, Lars. Come.
No, please. Out this way, please. Yeah, thank him. He hit you. Thank you very much.
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Chapter 6: What are the consequences of the marriage scam revealed in the episode?
I see. Now, don't get any funny ideas, Mr. Investigator. The police have found nothing whatsoever to suggest arson. Nor will they. You sound pretty sure of that. I'm sure of it. Even if it were a job that you didn't have done? I'm sure of it. You know something, Mr. Barnwell? I'm not. So if you can be of any help in putting through my... Did you hear what I said? I heard, Mr. Dollar.
Doesn't worry me a bit.
I hope you'll be with us then. In the meantime, send your comments to box13 at greatdetectives.net. Follow us on Twitter at Radio Detectives and check us out on Instagram, instagram.com slash greatdetectives. From Boise, Idaho, this is your host, Adam Graham, signing off. Sometimes your search for a new home can feel like it's going nowhere.
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