 From Hollywood, another authentic re-enactment of a case transcribed from the files of the Texas Rangers. Pearson, Texas more than 260,000 square miles. And 50 men who make up the most famous and oldest law enforcement body in North America. Files of the Texas Rangers come these stories based on facts. Names, dates, and places are fictitious for obvious reasons. The events themselves are a matter of record. Case for tonight, Death Shaft. It is 9.30 a.m. November 18, 1941 in the Big Bend country of West Texas. J.C. Wilford of the Bureau of Mines and Fred Blaisdell are winding up a narrow dirt road toward Blaisdell's abandoned mine in Black Hawk Canyon. How long'd you say it's been since you operated your mine, Mr. Blaisdell? I never have operated, Wilford. It was left me by my brother when he passed on. Oh, I see. I was understood there was ore here if you had the money to get it out, but I didn't. So I just let her sit here. Haven't even been near the place for two years anyway. But lately I've been reading that the government's anxious to get some of these mines going again. So I got in touch with you at the Bureau of Mines to see if you think it's a worthwhile proposition. Well, if it looks promising and tall, we can make a thorough survey, do a little diamond drilling, and see what we've got. And then if it looks good, you think the government will loan the money to operate it? That's something I can't answer. All we at the Bureau do is make the recommendation. Pretty desolate country around here, isn't it? Yeah, I'll see. And here we are. Is that the entrance to the mine ahead? Yeah, yeah, that's it. All boarded up. And padlock. It's my brother put that door on the entrance to the shaft when it could work in the mine. Yeah, I got my key. What's the matter, please? Key doesn't seem to fit. Well, you sure it's the right one? Yeah. Hey, this isn't the same lock on here. What? Well, there was a master padlock on here before. Now it's just a cheap one from a dime store, looks like. That's strange. Who'd want a switch lock? Why? I don't know. Somebody must have been snooping around up here. Wait. Piece iron bar line over here. See if I can... Ah, that lock on. Fairly new lock by the look of it. Yeah. Okay, let's open it up. Yeah, I got the flashlight. I better go first. Okay, weapon. Yeah, these grips collect a lot of moisture when the mine's not in use. Please do. What's the matter, weapon? Look, they're on the ground in front of us. Holy smoke, a skeleton. Closed just about all right of the way. And a different padlock on the entrance. Looks like somebody didn't want this skeleton found, weapon. Yeah, and if you take a look at the skull, you'll see why. Hey, it's all bashed in. It sure is. The club were all rocked by the look of it. Yeah. Whoever that was, looks like he was murdered. The two men notified Sheriff Benson, who requested help from the Texas Rangers. Ranger Jase Pearson was assigned to the case. Joining the sheriff and two men, it blazed his mind. Hmm. Pretty damp, Sheriff. Sure is. You men touch anything in here? Not a thing, Ranger. After I plied off the new lock, we come inside. But just as soon as we saw the skeleton, we got out in a hurry and called the sheriff. Isn't that right, Wilper? Yeah, that's right, Ranger. Well, there it is, Jase. Yeah. The skull sure is bashed in. It'd be pretty hard to tell how long he's been dead, Jase. Yeah, her mains would deteriorate pretty fast in this dampness. And as far as telling who it is, clothes are all rotted away, so the same would go for any papers he might have been carrying. Just a minute, Sheriff. Hmm? Look, these loose rocks on the side here. All right. Looks like a leather wallet. It is. Pretty well preserved, too. Sure, sure. It was a little higher than the skeleton up out of the wet. Yeah. Pretty lucky for us. Looks that way. Any money in it? Just some papers. Hmm. Might have been robbery. He'll have took the money, then tossed the billfold away. Can you make out the writing on any of the papers? Gilbert W. Madden. Madden? Uh, name mean anything to you, Blaisle? Uh, just trying to think. No, I don't, I don't remember ever hearing it before. How about you, Mr. Wilford? Being from the Bureau of Mines, you probably spend a lot of time around this part of the state. You ever hear the name before? Madden. Sounds a little familiar, but I can't seem to police it, Ranger. I'm sorry. Okay. I guess that'll be all for now. Let's get back outside. The one signed statement's from you. You can drop around the Sheriff's office and make him. I'll be in this afternoon if that's okay. Sure. See you then, Blaisle. Well, Wilford, I'll give you a lift back to town. All right. You through here, Jess? Not quite. Take this broken padlock along. I don't want to look at this hasp on the door. I doubt if you can tell much from that. It's all scratched up where Blaisle fell right off that padlock. Yeah, I know. There's one thing sort of puzzles me a little, Sheriff. What is it? This new lock isn't rusty enough to have been out here in the open for very long. What do you figure that means? I won't know until I can get some idea of the approximate time of death. Come on, let's get back to town and start checking on Gilbert Madden. See if we can find out how long ago he was murdered. Back at the Sheriff's office, I checked through the missing persons reports and found one on Gilbert Madden filed by his wife eight months before. Mrs. Madden was promptly notified and requested to meet us at the Sheriff's office for routine questioning. Have a seat, Miss Madden. Thank you, Sheriff. Sorry to be asking questions at a time like this, ma'am. That's all right, Ranger. I don't suppose there's any doubt it was Gil. I'm afraid not, ma'am. We found his wallet and the lab confirmed the identification by means of the teeth. Well, I've felt for some time that Gil must be dead. In a way, it's almost better knowing instead of wondering. I know. Mrs. Madden, our lab's trying to establish the time of your husband's murder. Now, according to our information, you filed this missing persons report on last March 23rd, a little less than eight months ago. That's right. What were the circumstances surrounding your husband's disappearance? Well, Gilbert was a mine broker. He made trips in the mining country every now and then. He planned to be away for two or three weeks, so I decided to visit my relatives in Kansas while he was gone. I see. When was that? Right around the first of March, as I remember. And how long were you in Kansas? Three weeks. Did you hear from your husband during that time? Oh, yes, I did. I got a letter from him just a couple of days before I was to return home, saying he would meet my train. But he wasn't at the depot when I arrived. I called all over town trying to locate him, and then when I couldn't, I got worried. The next day I filed the report with a police. Well, let's see. That'd make it about the 20th of March when you got that last letter from your husband. That means he was alive up until the time he mailed it anyway, which would be about the 18th of March. Come in. I left my statement with your deputy, Sheriff. Anything else? Oh, I reckon not. Mrs. Madden is Mr. Blaisdell. How did you? Mrs. Madden? Mr. Blaisdell owns the mine where your husband's body was discovered. Oh. Sorry to make your acquaintance under this sort of circumstance, Mrs. Madden. Sheriff, I'm sure you told me where this mine was over the phone when you notified me, but what with the shock I don't seem to remember. Oh, my mine is over in Black Hawk Canyon, Mrs. Madden. Black Hawk Canyon? That mean anything to you, Mrs. Madden? Oh, Willie. Who? Oh, Willie. He lives up in Black Hawk Canyon somewhere. Look, Mrs. Madden, who is this old Willie? Well, he has a mine up there. He's a strange old man. He's very eccentric. Well, what makes you think he had anything to do with this? Because in that last letter I got from Gil, but he mentioned something about old Willie pestering him again. I didn't pay much attention to it at the time. I still don't get the connection between your husband and this old Willie, Mrs. Madden. Well, you see, about two years ago, my husband made a business trip into that region. I went with him. This old Willie was hanging around a little store where we stopped for a cold drink. When he found out my husband was a mine broker, he became very excited. Said he had a valuable mine he wanted Gilbert to look at. Did your husband inspect Willie's mine? No, because the storekeeper broke in and told us Willie's mine was worthless. Willie became furious and finally the storekeeper threw him out. I see. Did Willie threaten your husband, Mrs. Madden? Well, he wrote a few crazy sort of letters to Gilbert, accusing him of being a spy of what he called the big companies. Mr. Blaisdell, have you ever heard of this old Willie? No, I haven't, but that doesn't mean anything. I'm not acquainted with anybody in that area. Jayce, I sure think this old Willie is worth questioning. So do I, Sheriff. We'll head back to Black Hawk Canyon and see if we can find him. Right now, he sounds like a first-class murder suspect. In just a moment, we will continue with tales of the Texas Rangers starring Joel McCrae as Ranger Jayce Pearson. It's the Silver Jubilee on NBC. Here's great news for all of you Western fans. Beginning next Friday on most NBC stations, Roy Rogers, the King of the Cowboys, and Day Levens, the Queen of the West will bring you the new Roy Rogers show. Yes, beginning next Friday, be sure to listen for Roy Rogers, Day Levens, and Trigger in New Adventures in Paradise Valley. It's the Roy Rogers show Friday on most NBC stations. Be sure to listen. We continue now with tales of the Texas Rangers and tonight's case, Death Shaft, an authentic story from the files of the Texas Rangers. As a matter of routine, I checked up on Mrs. Madden's story of her visit to relatives in Kansas and quickly confirmed the fact that she was there during the period she had stated. Next, Sheriff Benson and I drove to the small general store in Black Hawk Canyon and questioned the storekeeper. Oh, Willie? Sure I know him, Ranger. Comes in here once a month regular for supplies. Crazy as a coot. Where does he live, Price? About 20 miles up the canyon. He's got a no-count mine up on East Rim. Of course, he thinks it's just chock-full oar. Mr. Price, I want you to think back about two years ago, an incident involving old Willie and a mind-broker named Madden is supposed to have taken place here in your store. You remember anything about it? Sure do. Willie started giving his mind-broker the usual jaw-wagging about his mind being valuable. So I figured I'd better stick more in and tell the fellow Willie's mind wasn't worth it to add bones in. What happened then? Willie flew off the handle in his crazy way, started spouting a bunch of threats and other loony talks, so I finally had to kick him out of the store. Well, Jay said sure checks with what Miss Madden told us. Yeah. Mr. Price, can you give us directions for finding Willie's place we'd like to pay him a visit? Well, pretty rough country up there. And we got horses in a trailer outside. Oh, wait. In that case, you can make it all right. You'll find the trail leading north off the road up ahead about five miles. Stick to the trail until they cross that dry creek. Then you'll see another trail taking up the side of the canyon. The second trail leads us to Willie's mine, huh? Yep. Of course. May not find him there. Why not? He's pretty skittish about visitors. That's just why I want to pay him a visit. See if he's got anything to be skittish about. We should be just about there, Sheriff. Yeah, by the climb. Looks like we're directly across the canyon from Blaise Del's mine. Listen, Earl, it must be Willie. He's all right. Once we get around this bend in the trail, yeah, it looks like some dickens up ahead there. And just take a look at that shag there. Some place. Galvanized iron, tar paper, cardboard. I wonder what keeps it up. Probably that stovepipe sticking up through the center of the roof. Yeah, it's smoking too. Willie must be home all right. Oh, who's charcoal? Oh, boy. Would you look at the junkies got hanging on the outside walls. Pieces of barbed wire, tin cans, keys, bottles. Looks like Willie's part pack wrap. The door's open. Nobody inside. Inside looks like the outside. Only more so. Wonder where I'll hold it. Hmm? Look, over there in the bushes. Yeah, something moved all right. Willie, come out of there. Willie! Hey, somebody's coming out all right. Sure don't look very friendly with that rifle. What do you finish watch? You throw that rifle down and we'll tell you. You got no call to come poking around my property. You're wrong there, Willie. This is Sheriff Benson and I'm Ranger Pearson. We want to ask you a few questions. Now drop that rifle and come over here. You think I'm going to tell you about my mind, don't you? Yeah, and I'm not. Just a minute, Willie. You want to get it away from me just like all the rest. You're spies for them. That's what you are. You come poking around here. What are you talking about, Willie? Spies for whom? For the big companies. They all want my mind because they know it's right smack dab on the biggest vein in the county. That's why they send spies snooping around here, like you two. I don't know, Jase. Willie, have you ever been near the Blazdel mine across the canyon from here? He's as good as this and is. Answer my question. Have you ever been near there? Yeah, maybe. How long ago? Oh, a couple of days. What were you doing over there? Patrolling. What do you mean patrolling? Oh, I patrolled all over. Got a watch for the spies. Hmm. Ever hear the name Gilbert Madden? He ain't going to never get my mind. All I need is a little money to offer him. I asked you a question, Willie. Have you ever heard of Gilbert Madden? You heard him, Willie. Maybe I have, and maybe I ain't. You fellas come up here spying just like he did. Just like who? Madden? Think you're pretty smart, don't you? But you're not going to trap me. He had his chance to get me money for the mine, but he wouldn't. Is that why you killed him? I think you're going to get me confused with your smart self, don't you? Hell, you ain't. I ain't got too much on my mind patrolling to worry about kiddin' anybody. Yeah? I wonder. We got a witness that you had a fight with, Madden. And for the more- Just a minute, Sheriff. What is it? Just happened to notice something hanging on the outside wall here. Just a bunch of old rusty keys. Yeah. But this one isn't as rusty as the rest. Well, let me see. Jeez. That key's the same make as the locked Blaisdell, right off the entrance to his mind. That's right, Sheriff. Come here, Willie. Hey, whatcha want? Where'd you get this key? Say, that's a goodin'. You want to trade some? Where'd you get it? I saved keys. Quit, Stalin, Willie. Where'd you get it? Come in around here, askin' me all kinds of questions. You got no car! I'll get that padlock back in office, Chase. I'm sure interested to see whether this key fits it. So am I. Come on, Willie. Get your borough. We're going to take a ride. Come down here with you, fellas. You think I'm not wise, do ya? Padlock's in my desk here. Get me down here while one of your other spies snoops around my mind. Take your samples. Here it is. Let's have it. Okay, now I'll try this key in it. Fits. Sure does. Well, I guess that does it all right. Can I go now? No, Willie. I don't think you'll be goin' anywhere for a while. The sheriff booked Willie, but we were unable to get any sort of coherent statement out of him. Finally, we locked him up and went back into the sheriff's office. Well, regardless of whether or not he gives us a confession, I suppose we could get a conviction all right. Maybe. Unless they find him mentally incompetent. Even so, they'll put him away. Yeah, that's just what I was thinkin'. It'd be pretty rough on him if he happened to be innocent, wouldn't it? You be? Innocent? Now, Jay. Yeah. I know. We have two witnesses to the fact that Willie threatened Gilbert Madden. That's right. Mrs. Madden and the storekeeper. But what clenches it is a padlock on Blaise Dell's mind, Jayce. That key we found at Willie's shack fits it. That's about as solid evidence as there is, seems to me. I wonder. What do you mean? A couple of things about this don't feel quite right to me, sheriff. Well, what, for instance? Well, near as the lab configured, Madden was murdered about eight months ago. That's right. Last March. But the lock blazed all the time. But the lock blazed all broke off the mine entrance, was hardly rusty at all. And neither was the key we found hanging out in the open at Willie's shack. What's wrong with that, Jayce? Willie broke off the original lock when he hid Madden's body. But Madden died eight months ago, and that second lock couldn't have been on the hasp that long. Well, maybe Willie didn't put the lock on right away. Maybe later he got to worryin' about somebody discovering the body, and, well, that's when he put it on. Sheriff, the time you're most worried about a body being discovered is right after you've killed a man, not several months later. Sure. That's the way a sensible person would react. But remember who we're dealing with. Old Willie. Who's not exactly what you call a sensible man. I know, Sheriff. But then there's the part about the key hanging right out in plain sight at Willie's shack. Now, Jayce, you said yourself Willie was pot-packed, right? Remember all the junk he had hanging around the shack? Sure, I do, Sheriff. I also remember what Willie said when we showed him that key. Say, that's a good one. Just like he never noticed it before. What are you gettin' at, Jayce? Maybe Willie did kill Madden. But it seems to me there's a bare chance he didn't. Then how'd they get that key? We could've found it, or it could've been planted there. That'd be awful tough to prove, either way, Jayce. Sure it would. As long as it's a possibility, we're not closing the case. Come on, let's talk to Mrs. Madden and see if she can give us a line on anybody besides old Willie who might have a reason for killing her husband. We drove out to the Madden house but Mrs. Madden was unable to give us any new information. She suggested we go through her husband's business records which were in a spare room he'd used for an office. So the Sheriff and I started in. An hour later, the only things we found just made it look all the worse for Willie. What do you got, Jayce? A bunch of letters written on wrapping paper. Addressed to Madden. Crazy threatening letters. Who wrote them? You guess. Willie? Yeah, Willie. Listen, you better watch out. I ain't gonna let you steal my mind. That's Willie all right. Rest something like that? Yeah. All six of them. Well, Jayce, it looks all the worse for Willie now. We've been through just about all Madden's records and papers. Any threatening letters or all we come up with? Yeah, and from the looks of it, Madden kept records of just about everything. Well, we might as well put these papers back, I guess. Oh, OK. What do you got there? A pile of canceled checks. Hand them over now. Stick them here in the drawer. OK, just thumb them through. I guess there's nothing here. Hey, what is it? Sheriff, look at this check. It's dated two years ago. Hmm? Let's see. Well, what about it? It's just made out the case and signed by Madden. Yeah. But take a look at this pencil writing up in the corner. Pencil writing, let's... Well, I'll be. So will I. Come on. You want to make an arrest? Not yet. I need more proof and I think I know a way to get it. Just go along with whatever I say. Sure, Jayce. Did you find anything that's in the help and Gilbert's papers, Range Pearson? I think we did, Mrs. Madden. You said you accompanied your husband on his business trip into the Black Hawk Canyon area two years ago. That's right. Why'd he go there? I think he'll rise up the situation, find out what mines were for sale. I see. He didn't actually transact any business, though. No. Of course, this really wanted him to come up and see his mine, but when the storekeeper told us the mine was no good. Yeah. And you stayed right with your husband the whole trip? Yes. Okay. Thanks, ma'am. You say you found something in Gilbert's papers? We don't know for sure, so I'd like to give you a receipt for these canceled checks. Here you are. Canceled checks? Yeah. It looks like one of them's going to take the wrong man out of jail and put the right man in. Come on, Sheriff. I see. Well, I'm glad to hear it. If there's anything more I can do. We'll let you know, Mrs. Madden. Goodbye. She's lying, Jayce. I got a trooper. What now? We'll watch her. Have one of your deputies keep an eye on him. We don't want him to get away, but we don't want to pick him up yet, either. Okay, I'll call my officer in the drug store. I'll wait in my car around the corner. Meet me there. The sheriff made his call and rejoined me. We sat in my car waiting. And a little after dark, Mrs. Madden's car pulled away from her house heading out of town. We followed, keeping well back. Two miles out of town, she pulled off the highway, parked behind another car, got out and headed into the brush. The sheriff and I worked our way slowly and quietly in the direction she'd taken. Should be around here somewhere. Keep it as quiet as possible, sheriff. Reckons, you come out here to meet him. Looks fine. Listen. Yeah. I hear him talking. Look, they're not clearing ahead. Let's ease up a little. Oh, you must have overlooked something when you went through those wreckings. No, I'm sure I didn't, Fred. I found the entry he made where you paid him for praising your mind two years ago. I tore it out. There's nothing in those wreckings to show the two of you knew each other. You're wrong there, ma'am. Hold it real steady, Blaisdall. Pearson. Yeah. So the two of you didn't know each other until I introduced you, huh? You've been in it together ever since you met two years ago. Clare, you little fool. You were tricked into coming out here so they could catch us together. They didn't have any proof of anything. I got proof right here in my pocket that you lied when you said you didn't know Madden, Blaisdall. Yeah, what kind of proof? Something you overlooked, Mrs. Madden. A check made out to cash. You didn't notice the pencil writing on it. Pencil writing. Your husband made a notation that the check was to cover expenses of a trip he'd made to appraise Blaisdall's mind two years ago. You told me you were with yours, but the whole trip. So you lied about not knowing Blaisdall. Clare, you stupid. You got to listen to me. I didn't want any part of it, but Blaisdall forced me to. What's that? I'm in the clear. I was in Kansas when it happened. Blaisdall killed my husband. Oh, that's how you stick by me, is it? Why, you little... Hold it, Blaisdall. You're not going to get away free, Clare. I guarantee that. Sure, I killed Madden, Ranger, but it was her idea. That's a lie. All right, from the start, it was her idea. How to go about it? Put the body in my own mind and change lines. He's lying, Ranger. Plant the key at Willie, Shaq. Pretend she and I didn't know each other. Then produce the body so she could collect on the insurance. All of it was her idea. You shut up! You shut up! I'm not half finished yet. Got a wedge out on me, will you? Way like it through spills. Shut up, you little... Shut up! You know, Sheriff, strikes me we've only got one problem left. What's that, Jay? Getting them to talk slow enough so a stenographer can get it all down. Come on, both of you. Fred Blaisdill and Clara Madden were indicted and placed on trial for the brutal murder of Gilbert Madden. For her part in the crime, Clara was sentenced to 50 years in the women's prison at Gorry. On the morning of May 3, 1942, Blaisdill was put to death in the electric chair. And now, here's the star of our show, Joel McCrae. Hello, folks. First of all, we want to thank you kindly for the many wonderful letters and cards we received during the summer months. It's mighty heartwarming to know we have so many good friends. As a matter of fact, the Rangers themselves have received quite a few of your letters, too. And like us, they certainly appreciated hearing from you. I'm sure that most of you will recall reading about a great Texas Ranger captain who retired from active duty on July 31 of this year. Some of our stories have been based on his exploits. He's the famous Captain M.T. Lone Wolf Gonzales, whose favorite guns are engraved with the code he has always lived by in his colorful career. Never draw me without cause, nor shield me without dishonor. Tomorrow, it'll be exactly 31 years since Lone Wolf was sworn in as a Texas Ranger. And as in the past year, so in the years to come, we are proud to have him as our technical advisor. Congratulations, Cap. See you next week, folks. Next week, Joel McCray in another authentic reenactment of a case from the files of the Texas Rangers. Joel McCray is currently seen starring in the Universal International Technical of Production cattle drive. The cast included Tony Barrett, Bill Johnstone, Lamont Johnson, Ken Christie, Betty Lugerson, and Brad Brown. Technical advisor was Captain M.T. Lone Wolf Gonzales of the Texas Rangers. This story was transcribed and adapted by Bob Wright, and the program is produced and directed by Stacey Keats. Hell, give me speaking. It's the Silver Jubilee on NBC. Today, hear the glittering premiere program of the big show broadcast from London and featuring Sir Lawrence Olivier, Fred Allen, Beatrice Lilly, and your unpredictable hostess, Tallulah Bankhead. Then join in the fun with the Phil Harris Alice Faye show as they launch their new comedy season. And later, Theatre Guild on the Air brings you Joseph Cotton and Joan Fontaine in Main Street by Sinclair Lewis. Ladies and gentlemen, the program you can't take it with you starring Walter Brenner is now heard at a new time and day. That's Friday on most NBC stations. Stay tuned for the big show and Tallulah on NBC, the national broadcasting company.