The FBI Story Page #2

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...two electric primer caps,

a timer and a six-volt battery.

Stand up.

Put the cuffs on him.

In case I get any mail...

...you can send it to Caon City Prison

for the next month or so.

After that, you can send it to hell.

Jack Graham's only mistake

was that he was absent-minded.

He forgot about the broad research powers

of the FBI.

Its high-speed communications,

its endless flow of vital correspondence.

A laboratory equipped

to analyze any and all documents.

The serology section...

...geared to break down

every known blood sample.

A firearms section,

containing 2000 weapons.

Rifles, shotguns, pistols,

revolvers and machine guns...

...most of them collected

from its clientele.

It took years to build up the FBI,

to train it and retrain it...

...to staff it with lawyers, accountants,

scientists, all working together.

So when Jack Graham

took on the modern FBI...

...he took on too much and too many.

He bargained badly.

Now, in the old days, Jack Graham

might've gotten off a lot cheaper.

He could have killed 49 people

for a little under $ 11, tax included...

...because the bureau

was a haphazard outfit.

Nobody knew exactly how

it got started or where it was going.

As a matter of fact,

it wasn't really a bureau...

...it was sort of an afterthought.

Now, here is the original building

in Washington.

We occupied one small floor

of that building.

It was out-of-date, disorganized.

Didn't even have enough space

to keep decent records.

Actually, that was sort of

the main incentive...

...for catching a criminal in those days:

Arrest him before his file gets too thick.

And on top of that,

there was a lot of politics.

It was that way too

in some of the field offices.

Knoxville, for instance.

I know because I was there.

It was early May in 1924.

There were some good men, all right,

but there was politics and laziness too.

And nothing ever seemed to be

planned or worked out.

I've seen pillow fights

that were better organized.

No, no, no. Push it harder. Push it.

It might catch on or something.

Chip, you'll have to squeeze

on through there.

We're trying to fix this fan.

Six times I wrote them

in Washington about that fan.

Six times I told them

we're gonna swelter down here.

- What's that?

- Affidavits.

And they don't even bother

to answer. Not a line.

Marge, how many times

did I write them?

Six times, sir.

That's right, six times.

And not one line back,

not one measly line.

And in the meantime,

we sit here and swelter.

- Harry, about these affidavits...

- Let me ask you just one fair question.

- Does it seem warm in here to you?

- Well, yes, I guess so.

It's sweltering, that's what it is.

And they give us one measly fan.

- And that don't work.

- This is important.

These affidavits.

They're from Fairfield County.

I got four of them,

from four people.

There are a lot of other people

just like them.

- Just like what?

- It's a system that's been going on.

- The people are in bondage out there.

- Somebody's got them locked up?

That's practically it.

Yeah, they're tied to the land.

They're even afraid to vote.

It's happening all over Fairfield County.

And it works just as easy as pie.

Now, suppose a fella gets

put into jail for some reason.

All right, the land owners

go to the magistrate...

...and they pay off the fella's fine.

Then bring him back

and let him work it off.

Only, he never gets it worked off.

And the debt just keeps building up

and building up and piling up...

I don't know what we can do about it.

I told you, faster.

You're slower than the fan.

Whirl it. Whirl it.

I'll tell you what we can do about it.

We can send a report in to Washington.

We're not gonna waste

one more 2-cent stamp...

...till we get this thing fixed there

about that fan.

These people can't vote.

They don't need to until November.

In the meantime, we sit here and swelter.

People's rights are being violated.

What if they are?

We don't know anything about it.

We've never had a case

on anything like that.

What if you didn't have a case on murder?

Would you let that go?

You'd let somebody stab people because

you didn't have a catalog number on it?

- Oh, don't be silly.

- This is the same thing.

- It's exactly the same thing.

- All right, all right.

- Send in your report. Send it in, send it in.

- Attaboy, Harry. Thank you, Harry.

I'm just trying to keep things

in perspective around here, that's all.

Afternoon mail.

Don't we never get

any magazines anymore?

- Oh, hi, Chip.

- Hi, Sam.

- There was a call for you from the library.

- Yeah.

How do you suppose a fella

like Harry ever got into the bureau?

- Breaking and entering. Clear violation.

- Yeah.

Some state bigwig pushed it

to get him off their payroll.

Well, well, well.

Drop your paper clips, everybody.

We're gonna take a trip, on the house.

Now, in the first place,

the bureau's got a new director.

"Special Agent in Charge, SAC Dakins,

Agent Hardesty and Agent Crandall...

...are hereby instructed

to report to Washington...

...at 9:
00 on the morning

of May 29."

That's good.

Now you can tell them about the fan.

And don't think I won't.

Sure. Sure, you will.

- Hey, what do you suppose it means?

- I don't know.

All right, everybody, get your paperwork

all straightened out, now.

I'll be at the library, Harry.

- Good luck.

- Yeah, thanks.

Yeah.

Good morning.

I wonder, do you happen

to have that book?

Well, if we do, it'll be

in the Mystery section.

- I'll show you.

- Thank you.

Darling, not every day.

Somebody's going to notice.

Nobody can read books quite that fast.

You've got nothing

to worry about, Lucy.

I always pick books with large print,

you see.

Oh, I'm sorry.

You know, I wish they'd sort of

spread things out here a little.

Kind of cramped in here.

Look at all these books, too.

It's not very romantic, kissing somebody

right in the middle of the murder section.

You've got a better suggestion?

Well, as a matter of fact, I have.

That's why I came over.

Lucy, I think we ought to get married.

Married? Well, right away?

Oh, no, tomorrow

will be soon enough, I think.

Chip, you're crazy.

You can't just go get married

like ordering a ham sandwich.

You can if you're hungry.

We love each other, don't we?

Well, why tomorrow?

Well, you see, word has just come in

that I have to go to Washington...

...at the end of the month.

And I'm not sure when I'll be back.

I'm not sure I'll ever be back at all.

You know, I may be transferred.

So we'll have to get married right away,

and then we can work in a honeymoon.

Well, it's impossible.

Why, you don't think

your folks would approve?

No, that's not it.

- I won't.

- What?

Now, we've talked

about this before, Chip.

Well, you mean my job, huh?

I love you very much, Chip.

But I wouldn't marry you tomorrow

or any other day...

...as long as you work for that bureau.

- You're not being fair.

- I don't think you're being fair to yourself.

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