 The national broadcasting company presents Joe McCrae in Tales of the Texas Rangers Tonight transcribed from Hollywood another authentic re-enactment of a case from the files of the Texas Rangers Today is Ranger Jayce Pearson 260,000 square miles and 50 men who make up the most famous and oldest law enforcement body in North America Here's come these stories based on fact only names dates and places are fictitious for obvious reasons The events themselves are a matter of records case for tonight blood harvest It is a moonless midnight September 16th 1947 a truck without lights is parked in a cultivated field several miles from Fairvale, Texas In the darkness two men are perspiring freely as they load veils of seasoned alfalfa onto the truck How many more we got to go slim 15 20 Now we can get it all on here then this will be the last load that suits me fine As soon as you get off the place with it better come on. Whoa take it easy. Will you slim? How about time out for a smoke smoke you out of your mind Trent? Oh, we're a half mile from the house and besides you said Mullen was asleep look Don't give me an argument. All right. All right But I'm moving more than 200 bales of stuff tonight. I'm gonna rest for a minute. You don't like it Load the rest out yourself. Okay. Don't get hot about it. I'm just as tired as you are Sit on a running board Mullen sure gonna be surprised when he gets a look at this field tomorrow. Hey sure is What do we get for this stuff about $30 a ton ain't bad bound to clear almost 200 bucks piece. Yeah Could make more net running a couple ahead of cattle without working up this pig sweat though Sure smart guy Run cattle and get picked up and sent to the pen Maybe there ain't as much money in alfalfa, but one thing about it There ain't no brand marks on the bales either nobody can say it ain't yours once you get in the clear with it Yeah, I guess you got a point Think Mullen's lab will suspicion you when he finds this field stripped tomorrow. Oh not a chance I'm an old war buddy ain't I and he saw me taking a sleeping pill before we turned in tonight At least he thinks he saw me taking Good thing ain't seeing you take this alfalfa. You lose your job for sure after tomorrow I can afford to lose it farm working for minutes for horses Hey, come on. We've rested long enough. I want to get you away from here. Okay Hey, give me that pitchfork. I'll push those last two bales back make more room on the tail of the truck Here it is. I got a real surprise tomorrow. What's matter slim? There's something moving. I don't hear nothing There it is again. Maybe it's Mullen. Maybe you woke up keep quiet It is him But answer me You can see the outlining of truck slim. I gotta start up and get out of here. Oh, no, I'm not the house So pilot and truck can come with me quick. I go to jail lady. Oh, no I'll slide around behind the truck. You stay here until he comes up to you. Yeah, but I wish I'd said you Who are you talk up fast? It's me you mullin. Harry Trent her trainer You lost Trent What are you doing in my field in the middle of the night with a truck full of miles out? Oh, I'll save it right where slim wait around to I Didn't run any place in my way. Don't move. There's a pitchfork. You feel against your ribs Just marched back to the house. What are you gonna do to him slim? I'm gonna lend him my bottle of sleeping pills and see to it that he takes an overdose of them It's nice clean and quiet that idea be great slim if I'd hold still for it But ain't about the whole still we got some trip. Let go of that for mullin Now mullin here's something you don't have to hold still for it But you'll hold still this time You killed him you killed Shut up. Oh, we got a run slim Get that load out of here and sell it like we planned then keep your mouth shut if you don't all shut up for you Just before dawn of the next morning a hound from a neighboring farm came across the body of Robin mullin It's being attracted its master who called the sheriff The sheriff requested aid from the Texas Rangers Ranger Jase Pearson was assigned There's a body Ranger blackhound dog over there came across it this morning set up a holler owner heard her No, she'd find something come around and see which one owns the dog fellow in the Mackinac Sam Richardson His farmer joins this one along the East fence were the other two men Harry Trent farm on the north is his and slim for him and Slim work this place with mullin. They was buddies in the war something You want to talk to him? Yeah in a minute Anybody touch that pitch for nope not even me yet. I figured it must be the murder weapon blood all over the prongs Hard to read Prince off that antelope. Yeah marks on the body show mullin was jabbed twice once would have been plenty I Sent for the JP, but I don't think we need an inquest to tag this as murder now But he'll have to order a medical examination to establish the time of death Mm-hmm fell kind of funny Left leg bend in under him. Well, there's a reason for that Pull up the pants leg and you'll see Yeah That explains it all right artificial leg in some kind of an accident if you can call Okinawa an accident You get the beach there with the first Marines lost a leg in an eye Left eyes glass could have picked an easier life and farming. Did you have any family sister Ellie lives over at Holtsville? Guess I'll have to bring her the news You could call the local minister at Holtsville. He can tell her better than you can We can drive over and see her later and find out if she knows anything. It's a good idea I'll talk to these other fellas now. Okay They don't seem to know much though. They may know when mullin was last seen alive It's not when a man gets pitchforked to death out in his own fields Fellas This is ranger Jason Pearson Ranger, this is Sam Richardson. Howdy, Terry Trent. Hello slim for him and I know you Richardson the sheriff tells me your dog found the body. That's right Who must have been about four a.m. I would just get out of bed when I heard her so I come running You always run out and investigate when you hear one of your hounds bayon No, but that black hound of mine is a good one and I ain't never heard a dog sound off like she did I see When did you see mullin last alive yesterday morning pass each other along the fence and said howdy How about you mr. Trent? I hadn't seen him for a couple of days Reckon slim here saw him last in how about it? Well, I'm sure I reckon I did last night We ate and then I turned in early Then this happened during the night must have far as I know Why would mullin come out to this field at night? I don't know I didn't even know he'd left the house until Richardson here come palm on a door and woke me up this morning after he found the body You live right on the place slim, huh? How come you didn't hear Richardson's dog? Sleeping kind of heavy. I took a sleep until last night must have knocked me out good Had a rough day yesterday. What do you mean rough? Well all the extra chores loading the alfalfa from this field onto the truck I was wondering how come there were so few bales from such a big cutting Well mullin had a buyer for most of it. I reckon any how he caught it at all here I see the tire tracks any idea who he sold it to they didn't say think somebody paid him for the stuff Then came back to rob him of the money jays could be sheriff Except that mullin made the robin mighty convenient by coming out into this field at night When we learn why he came out here, we'll be learning a lot After a while the justice of the peace showed up and took charge of the body Sheriff made his call to the minister holds bill so he could break the news to mullin's sister He gave her a couple of hours to get a grip and then drove over to see her He was he was only here last Sunday spending the day with Playing with a baby and arguing with Dan. Who's Dan? My husband. What were they arguing about? What? I didn't mean a real argument Politics cost a living, you know how men get talking. No, he's dead take it easy Ellie That's your brother's picture over the fireplace, isn't it? Yes in his uniform Just before he went overseas in the war Before he was hurt Anybody you know of who might gain anything by having your brother out of the way No, he never made any enemy. Yes, it was robbery like we figured before Jays No money on him and none in the house that we could find might have had time to bank the crop money yesterday We can check that with a bank might as well go then Ellie you shouldn't be here alone at a time like this The minister is coming back later. Why don't you call Dan have him come home from work? He's away for a few days on a business trip way on a business trip, huh? Who's he working for? Buying and selling for hat and speeding grain company Don't worry about me. I'll be all right. Well, if there's anything I can do just holler. Bye Ellie. Goodbye, ma'am My You gotta find out to kill my brother. You can't let him get away with it. We'll try not to ma'am I never thought how her husband's job might fit into this buying and selling the feed and grain Well, and so that alfalfa most likely man he sell it to it'd be his own brother-in-law It's something we're gonna check on hop in They'll put out a radio pickup for him. No, we'll drive over to the hat and feed and grain. They'll know where he is We'll pick him up ourselves Hatton's feed and grain company told us the area that Mullins brother-in-law Dan was working Caught up to him next morning making a selling stop at a dairy farm That must be Dan's car there by the barn Hatton company emblem on it. Yeah, let's find him There he is Other end of the barn leading on a stall must be the owner. He's talking to call him down here They don't have to he sees us coming this way now. Watch out for any sudden moves just in case Howdy Sheriff doesn't for me Ranger and I'd like a word with you Reckon it's about Ellie's brother. You heard about it. Yeah, my car radio this morning I called Ellie a little while ago. She told me you've been to see her a Couple stops. I just got a make around here, and then I'm heading for home When did you see Mullin last two days ago when I started out on this trip? You stopped by his place That's right social call or business business made a bid on his alfalfa We're just about finished sweating ready to be hauled for storage How'd you pay him for it by cash or company check? I didn't pay him for it Ranger. He said it wasn't for sale You better be sure that dad What do you mean? He means that that alfalfa was sold and moved just before Mullin was killed the same day You stopped there. We ever told you that's a lie. It's no lie Dan We saw it with our own eyes everything was hauled from there except maybe a dozen bales I don't care what you saw I know that alfalfa wasn't for sale to me or anybody else what makes you so sure then I'll tell you what makes me so sure You can check it with the bank Bob told me he'd made arrangements for a bank loan to buy 20 head of dairy cattle. That's why I'm sure He was getting them in next month and he needed that alfalfa for winter forage. He couldn't have sold it not to anybody You are listening to tales of the Texas Rangers starring Joel McCrae as Ranger Jayce Pearson We continue now with tonight's case blood harvest an authentic story from the files of the Texas Rangers Mullins bank verified the loan for buying the dairy herd Unless he changed his mind suddenly Mullin wouldn't have sold the feed he'd been needing for his own stock Sheriff and I headed back for Mullins farm We'll see slim around any place. Maybe into the funeral home. Let's take a look at the barn We've looked at the barn before Jayce no way we could miss a couple hundred bales alfalfas No, but we might have missed something we weren't looking for the last time Just look up. You see the loft is almost empty. He didn't need much forage with just one horse to feed. I'm looking for forage Here's what I'm interested in Just a bunch of scrap lumber and a keg of nails just about what he'd need to build stalls for that dairy herd Mullin was too far ahead with his plans to change his mind if you ask me sure looks that way What Mullin keep his hay truck and vehicle shut out back. Yeah, come on What do you want to see Jayce the truck that Slim said he and Mullin loaded that alfalfa on Looks like the shed is locked. No, it isn't mr. Wooden peg stuck through the lock ratchet. We can pull it I'll be rolling back There's a truck This the only truck he's got yep If this truck was used to haul alfalfa bales, they must have been tighter than any bales I've ever seen look at that truck bed clean as a whistle not a straw on the floor And sure This is the truck that was loaded out in that field. You can't be sure of that just because the bed is clean No, but I can be sure by the tires look at them Treads worn down almost smooth the tire marks we saw in the field were well marked plenty of tread. Hey, that's right They were Come on Take Mullin's horse from the barn throw a saddle on it I'll get short go a lot of my trailer and we'll take a little ride Where to out to the fields first so I can make a plaster cast of that tire tread truck was loaded heavy Impression was deep enough to hold why can't we drive out to cut across the neighboring farms, too And see if we can find any matching treads and other fields and see the ground better as we move on horseback This is easy to drive around the farms and check the tires on the trucks like we did here Yeah, but I don't want to be seen doing that we scare the man where after he might run before we get to him Okay, I'll have this nag ready in a minute If you're right, Jayce slim Ferryman has been lying about moving the alfalfa easy boy We'll find out if he was lying Explain why Mullin was out to that field at night because it'll mean that the crop was being stolen at night And he was killed when he saw who was stealing it How long is it take that cast to dry Jayce and be ready in a minute? I would be a lot of truck tires with that same tread Sure this piece I'm making a cast of has a cut mark across part of the tread Oh, I see find that same mark again someplace else. We can make another cast and use for evidence Here this is dry now How's that share good clear impression Jayce come on let's ride We check the neighboring farms Sam Richardson's place was clear and so were the two others and we cut through the north fence to Mullins farm And into the acreage owned by Harry Trent Looks like Trent moves his alfalfa crop to Jayce fields are clear. Yeah, where's the farmhouse other side of that patch of trees Yes, I don't keep us covered keep your eyes on the ground right Hey hold it hold it. What is it? Nothing tractor marks there. Not what we're looking for. Oh, well, let's keep going Quite a bit of straw on the ground over to the right sheriff. Let's move that way Yeah, Bobby Trent had his bail stacked there. He sure did That's what we're looking for. Oh Oh, kind of dim Jayce, but they're the same tread all right. Yeah, it looks like the same cut mark in the tread I'm gonna make another cast then after dark we can slip in and take a look at Trent's barn and his truck We slip back at night Trent's truck tires were the ones we were looking for heavy-duty we went from the vehicle shed to the barn Pretty dark night Jayce Hardly seeing here either See enough to find what I want. It's a ladder to the left. I here it is All right, I'm gonna climb up. Give me your flashlight Just a few bales I can Trent sold most of his alfalfa crop too Even if he had Mullins crop here, no way we could prove it. That's where you're wrong sheriff if Trent had it We're gonna prove it We cleared the farm without being spotted got to my car and drove back to town Robert Mullins wake it just ended at the funeral home as we pulled up at the sheriff's office We didn't have to be so careful out at Trent's place Jayce there He is going toward his car must come in to pay his respect. I just came out of the door of that cafe Oh, look who's in there at the counter slim ferryman. We could use some coffee. Come on Ranger howdy-may. How's the coffee twice turn it and it'll fling the spoon right back at you That sounds strong enough for a couple Mind if we sit with you slim help yourself Yeah, got a line on who killed mullin yet. No Too bad Mullin never mentioned the name of the man. He was selling that alfalfa to now too bad You think he might have mentioned it to one of the neighbors Sam Richardson, maybe you're Harry Trent. No, no I don't think so. I guess it isn't likely Man who doesn't tell his plans to an old buddy living right in the same house with him I guess he wouldn't tell anybody Here's your java sheriff Ranger you and mullin go all through the war together No, just part of it. Mm-hmm. Where'd you meet South Pacific? No here in the States. I Was a wart man at the General Hospital. Oh, then you weren't in action together. No, I see I thought you were real close friends. We were who says we weren't take it easy. Nobody said so I just meant you you weren't as close as buddies are when they're under fire together We were plenty close and don't let nobody tell you different Mullin was the best friend I ever had see sure when you get the guy who killed him I'd I'd like to be there to watch when they strap the rat in the electric chair I know just how you feel. I'll do my best to arrange that for you. Here's your money, May I'm going back to the farm and get some sleep if I can't Hardly had any since this happened. It's too bad. Maybe you ought to take one of your sleeping pills Yeah, yeah, maybe I will and I night sure night slim be sure rattle his teeth Jace He's pretty frank about his service record though only because he knew I could check it if he lied. Let's skip this coffee I want to see Ellie and her husband Dan Ellie and Dan were keeping alone some night Pigeon beside the body of Robert Mullin with Beck and Dan outside What is it? I won't leave Ellie alone too long I'm afraid you'll have to leave her alone for a while If you want to help us spring the trap on the man who killed your brother in law, you know who did it I think so, but I need your help to prove it. You got a helper. What do you want? How much acreage did Mullin have an alfalfa look like seven or eight acres eight's right? You know how much is it yield about two ton to an acre 16 ton all told that's a good deal for this year He took good care of his land. Why I'll tell you in a minute Sheriff we saw Trent's alfalfa acreage. I'd say he'd cut about six acres But then you don't have to say about six acres is right. How do you know I bought Trent's alfalfa crop for my company Good, how much almost 12 ton same acre yield is Bob Mullin's 12 tons. Are you sure that's all close I'm sure a feet and grain companies keep a record of everybody they purchase from sure and lots be identified I mean are they tagged or stored in such a way you could tell who they were brought from? Yeah, they are. What are you aiming at? Final proof to break Trent down Dan I want you to come with me get one of the bales Trent sold to your company And then we're gonna wake up every other feed and grain buyer in the county to see if he sold any more than 12 tons You got what we were after The day after mullin was killed and had sold an additional 15 tons to another company almost 50 miles away We got a sample bale and brought it back to the sheriff's office Hey, put it down here Dan. Yeah So Trent did sell more of it, huh? 15 tons more. We'll see how you can tell this bale from the other one You can't win your way him. Trent's bale's averaged 110 pounds to the bale on his own stuff The bale's in his second batch are tighter packed about 140 pounds to the bale. Hey wait a minute ranger There's something else different too. I just noticed Look at the wire on the bale's Looks the same to me. Maybe but you're not as used to seeing bale and wires I am wire on the bale's Trent sold me is 16 gauge Wire on this other bale is 14 gauge Bob mullin always used 14 gauge. Come on sheriff. Let's get Trent and make him talk once he opens up We'll see where slim ferriman fits. Yes. I see the pictures clear as you do now But how are we gonna prove that this second batch of alfalfa was stolen from Mullins place? We don't have to prove it Trent's the one who has to do the proven We do things big in Texas, but he's the first man who ever sold 27 tons of alfalfa from six acres. Let's go It was still dark when we turned in the road to Trent's farmhouse and the light went on inside as we came to a stop Oh two flowers I heard a car You thought it was somebody else No, no, no, I didn't know who it was. Oh, I thought you might be expecting slim ferriman But no, why would slim come here? I take a few lessons in farming Maybe so you could show him how to raise 27 tons of alfalfa on six acres What he said you must have raised that much Trent because you sold that much the 15 tons of it belonged to Mullin He bailed heavier and used 14 gauge wire while you used 16 gauge. I bought Mullins crop Why would he sell it to you instead of his brother Lord Dan? I mean I hold it for him. He thought the price would be better someplace else Not enough to all at 50 miles and besides you made that sale yesterday after Mullin was killed I have to do it I was in a trap if I told you about it slim would have killed me did he kill Mullin were you and I witness yeah Yeah, yeah, yeah, I saw him do it. I never touched them now I I thought you were him when you drove up. He's coming here this morning I got to check for Mullins alfalfa and slim was gonna pick it up and take it someplace for cash And there's a car coming now Jayce handcuffed Trent to the door knob of that closet quick right Come on sheriff slim won't stop. He'll see my cars. He makes the turn for the house He saw it. He's turning around get his tires That stopped him He's running for it. Jayce move off to that side the car shielding him right stop running slim You can't beat a bullet Circle in from the side and keep the door covered. I'm going in after him Gray of dawn was washing across the sky, but the barn was in deep shadow I slipped along the side wall and move slowly toward the stalls. I didn't see what came at me I just sensed it hurling through the air and I threw myself to the side hit the ground and fired You all right? Yeah, he threw that sickle at me from the stall. I didn't see him Don't even know how I hit him. I just felt it coming and fired mighty good aim He's dead So is Bob Mullin Let's get Trent and take him in For his complicity in the robbery and murder of Robert Mullin Harry Trent was sentenced to Huntsville Penitentiary for 50 years And here again is the star of our show Joel McCrae with another interesting story about the Texas Rangers The equipment of a Texas Ranger includes a pair of six guns a rifle a shotgun and other weapons Not to mention his horse horse trailer automobile and scientific crime detection apparatus However, there's been a fictional addition to the equipment as the result of motion pictures an addition that has the Rangers scratching their heads Roofily it came to the attention of one Ranger recently as he passed two small boys on the street The small fry turned to stare at him the Ranger got quite a shock when he heard one of them say Shucks. He ain't a real Texas Ranger. He ain't got a guitar Well, such is the influence of modern fiction But fortunately the criminals know the truth when they see a real Texas Ranger They don't look for a guitar. They look for the quickest means of transportation. They want distance not music Good night folks. See you next week Next week Joel McCrae and another authentic reenactment of a case from the files of the Texas Rangers Joel McCrae is currently seen starring in the Universal International Technicolor Productions Frenchies tonight's cast included Tony Barrett, Luke Rookman, Herb Bygren, Tom Cully, Wilms Herbert, Betty Moran and Gigi Pearson This story was transcribed and adapted by Joel Murkart and the program was produced and directed by Stacey Keach Al Gibney speaking Three chimes mean good times on NBC. Here's news of two outstanding musical events this Saturday, January 27th Arturo Toscanini begins the first of a new series with the NBC Symphony and Starting Monday, January 29th, the Boston Pops Orchestra will be heard in a new Monday evening concert series They call infantile paralysis the visible crippler. It strikes without mercy any place anywhere You can fight him with your dimes and dollars though. Send them today to your local March of Dimes headquarters Join the 1951 March of Dimes. The member Arturo Toscanini once again conducts the Symphony next Saturday on NBC