- Three men are the suspects in the beating death of a former vaudevillian actress found in her apartment. The possible reason for her murder could be among the contents of an old steamer trunk which she kept locked in her room. Surveillance equipment is used to solve the mystery.—tomtrekp
- Synopsis - The Big Trunk Season 3 Episode 19 Aired 1-7-54 Friday, Smith are working day watch out of Homicide Division. Friday narrates a man had jumped from a downtown ten-story building, no identification of the victim, with the investigation proceeding when the victim is identified and why he jumped.
Sgt. Jack Gotch takes a hot-shot call, a victim found at a nearby hotel room, a white-stucco building in the heart of the skid-row district. Lorraine Washburn is the hotel manager, she shows Friday, Smith to the second floor room, #12.
Joe narrates a description of the room contents full of memorabilia from vaudeville days, the center of the room was an open steamer trunk, newspaper clippings scattered about, the room looked like it had been ransacked. In the room was the victim, tied to a chair, she was a young woman, beaten about the face and hair. Near the body was an empty wine bottle, a pair of broken glasses, a steel pipe with blood stains; the landlady identified the victim as Thelma Porter. Thelma had been a resident for at least two years. Thelma was a widow, she and her late husband used to tour the vaudeville circuit. Lorraine was bringing fresh linen around to the tenants, when Thelma did not answer, Lorraine used her pass key and found the body.
Sgt. Jack Gotch shows up, followed by the crime lab crew taking pictures and prints. A survey of the residents leads to stories of Thelma telling bar patrons of the trunk-contents. The neighbors say Thelma kept the trunk closed, not letting any of the residents see inside. Sgt. Jack Gotch says the trunk contained mining stock receipts, not worth the paper they were printed on. Jack adds, the coroner's report was multiple-skull fractures.
Friday, Smith are out and about searching for more information on the dead woman. Babs Sheldon is interviewed. Babs said she knew the victim for about five years. Thelma talked a lot at the bars, but she never let on to the trunk or contents. Gotch tells the guys a bartender overheard some winos talk about the trunk in her apartment, and breaking it open. Friday, Smith, Gotch are off to investigate.
The three were known around skid-row making it easy to find them; their names were Harold Young and two brothers, John Parkson and his brother, Arnold. The three men are cuffed, brought to HQ for questioning. The police get nothing from the three men; same story told by all. Gotch asks Friday if putting them all in a room will make any difference, Friday says let's give it a try.
Two of the three are put in the same interrogation room, the room is set up with listening devices, the two men begin to look for listening devices and Friday enters telling them to sit and stay. Their conversation continues with Friday, Smith listening. Finally John Parkson says to Harry Young he found nothing in the trunk. Friday, Smith enter the room, break up the scuffle between the two men, Gotch enters with Arnold, while John says he killed her.
John Parkson was executed in the lethal gas chamber at the State Penitentiary, San Quentin, CA. Harold Young and Arnold Parkson were found to have not been implicated in the crime and they were released from custody.
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