THIS MAN DAWSON – Arson Ring – 1960
This is episode 22 of the 1959-60 Police series, THIS MAN DAWSON. The series ran for a total of 39 episodes. Keith Andes headlines the series about an Ex-Military Officer hired to run a big city Police Department. The city is never named. Each episode starts and finishes with William Conrad doing the narration of the night's story.
There has been a string of fires throughout the city and the Police are sure they are arson jobs. The problem for the Police is they cannot find any solid evidence the fires were deliberate. The Insurance boys are forced to pay off on the fires. They are also sure something screwy is going on.
Two men, Chris Alcaide and Charles Seel are the brains behind the arson operation. Seel makes the deals with the business owners for a share of the insurance payoff, while mechanical whiz Alcaide makes the devices to ignite the fires. He is so good at this that the arson bunch can never find a cause.
A former firebug, Rick Turner is seen in the crowd at one of the fires. Police Chief Andes has the man brought in for a chat. Turner swears he was just passing by and stopped to watch. He has been on the straight and narrow since his trip to jail over a fire. Andes tends to believe the man and lets him out.
Andes has his detectives go over all the records of the businesses who have been burnt out, for any common threads. It seems in all 15 cases there had been loan applications made to the same bank. The detectives soon come up with another loan applicant who fits the bill as a new victim. He was turned down for a loan and his business is doing poorly. The Police stake out the business and sure enough Alcaide and Seel show up ready to start a fresh weenie roast. The Police swoop in to grab the pair. Seel draws a weapon and collects some unneeded lead while Alcaide offers no resistance.
This is a nicely put together episode that moves along smoothly from start to finish.
This is episode 22 of the 1959-60 Police series, THIS MAN DAWSON. The series ran for a total of 39 episodes. Keith Andes headlines the series about an Ex-Military Officer hired to run a big city Police Department. The city is never named. Each episode starts and finishes with William Conrad doing the narration of the night's story.
There has been a string of fires throughout the city and the Police are sure they are arson jobs. The problem for the Police is they cannot find any solid evidence the fires were deliberate. The Insurance boys are forced to pay off on the fires. They are also sure something screwy is going on.
Two men, Chris Alcaide and Charles Seel are the brains behind the arson operation. Seel makes the deals with the business owners for a share of the insurance payoff, while mechanical whiz Alcaide makes the devices to ignite the fires. He is so good at this that the arson bunch can never find a cause.
A former firebug, Rick Turner is seen in the crowd at one of the fires. Police Chief Andes has the man brought in for a chat. Turner swears he was just passing by and stopped to watch. He has been on the straight and narrow since his trip to jail over a fire. Andes tends to believe the man and lets him out.
Andes has his detectives go over all the records of the businesses who have been burnt out, for any common threads. It seems in all 15 cases there had been loan applications made to the same bank. The detectives soon come up with another loan applicant who fits the bill as a new victim. He was turned down for a loan and his business is doing poorly. The Police stake out the business and sure enough Alcaide and Seel show up ready to start a fresh weenie roast. The Police swoop in to grab the pair. Seel draws a weapon and collects some unneeded lead while Alcaide offers no resistance.
This is a nicely put together episode that moves along smoothly from start to finish.