The Big Story

Pillars of Society

English · True Crime, Dramatic Readings

In 1933, Frank Basey was convicted of robbing a dry goods store, despite insisting that he had been at home with his mother. He volunteered to take a lie detector test administered by Leonarde Keeler of Northwestern University’s Scientific Crime Detection Laboratory. The test suggested Basey was innocent, but the judge refused to grant him a new trial.

Basey’s brother Max continued to seek justice, petitioning Governor Davey and gathering support from the jurors. The governor eventually agreed to pardon Frank, who was released on February 2, 1936. The brothers later moved to California, where Frank worked as an aviation mechanic.

This episode of The Big Story dramatizes a case drawn from newspaper reporting, following the conviction, the effort to overturn it, and the long wait for a pardon. Its focus on investigative work and the pursuit of justice brings a real-life crime story to the radio drama format.

This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.