 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 This rangers starring Joe McCrae is Ranger Jase Pearson Texas more than two hundred and sixty thousand square miles 50 men will make up the most famous and oldest law enforcement party in North America Christmas present p.m. December 21st four days before Christmas in the Depression year of 1931 On a city street corner in North Texas a man dressed as Santa Claus suddenly leaves his post beside a large red pot labeled help the poor Shivering with cold he enters the newly opened building of the Panhandle equity bank and approaches the bank guard Say master You might if I stay here a few minutes warm up a little sure don't I've been watching you through the winter Don't know how you stood it as long as you did. Oh this Santa Claus out That's pretty warm at first, but then the cold sort of creeps in on you How long they expect you to stand out on that? Oh eight to two six hours. That's all Two o'clock right now you can go home not till my relief man shows up I can't can't leave that he gets here some money in the pot out there. Oh Well, why don't you wait right in here till you see I was hoping you'd say that cuz I'm sure oh There is now just drove up in a car. Oh, he can't leave a car parked there in front of the bank There's a time limit on parking. Well, I think he's just wondering why I'm not there. I better go out and oh He sees me. He's coming in. Howdy was wondering when you get here. God let me come in warm up I hope your Santa Claus suit is warmer than his will be closed up by the time you need woman I don't think I'll get very cold I got a cool 45 my pocket pointer right for you belly now Don't move or don't move you said keep your hand away from your gun You you guys are pulling the stick up. No kidding you figure that all out by yourself stupid Let's make it a nice quiet stick up I just walked to the rear of the bank with us take us through the door to the money in the vault now go on You'll never get away with this you just trying to track any attention you never lived You know whether we're doing that The girl by the desk has to open it it's button control well tell you won't end Me miss Keen Yeah Something wrong with your love it you look kind of sick it'd be more than sick if you let out one year They got guns in their pockets miss Keen watch your mouth sister Nobody else can see us now dick is gone. I've got it now sister whether he losing others up to you Understand what do you want me to do open the kids of those money trays get to it? All right You got the sack tell her what to put in at them stuff it into your jacket when you're through all right and remember sis One yep, and this jerk gets it All right. All right go on Come on a stubborn the sack. What are you gonna do when you leave come on fast? What do you mean? We'll give you a chance to get away. I mean we won't yell or anything until you're gone honest Oh, yeah, that's real nice of you. Maybe you ought to be wearing the Santa Claus suit instead of me You think I'm gonna fall for a hurry up will you one of the bank executives is heading back here. All right. All right I'm almost through so I get it my bear. What are you doing back here? Love it? Why aren't you out front the leaves of Santa Claus fellas, mr. Peabody just wanted to go What's the other one doing in the ball there? Miss Keen mother? Good answers question later when and if he comes to Congratulations on your self-control you'll have to get medals for saving your own lives The statewide alarm was put out to all law enforcement agencies in a matter of minutes But the perpetrators of the Santa Claus stick up had vanished Texas Ranger J. Spearson closest unit to the scene of the crime was requested to investigate The chief police gave me the general details. I'd like to get your story firsthand. Well, I Saw the guard take them through there Ranger I went back to see why he was leaving his post on the bank floor and that That's when I got hit. You have any idea how big they were. No, I don't I was too excited. I see What's your name Leon Peabody? I'm second vice-principal How about the girl miss Keen and the guard love it both of them were knocked out too miss Keen finally came to And we sent her home, but they took love it to the hospital. He wasn't in good shape Sculpture they don't know I'll come you stayed around. It's a nasty bump you've got I feel it too plenty But I knew the police would need whatever information they is so I stayed and you better sit down. Oh, thanks You think you could recognize either of the holed up men That's the way they were I'm afraid not it's a cinch. They chuck those Santa Claus suits right after they left here I hope they left a few fingerprints both of them were wearing gloves You get a tally on how much they made off with we're running a tape on it. We'll know in a couple of minutes Men who pull this job work pretty smoothly. They seem to know the setup behind the partitions there Have any your employees ever been in any trouble? Those men weren't employees of the bank. I know they weren't but somebody inside could have supplied them with your new layout Help them plan the job. Well, so all of our employees have been with us for at least a year And we haven't taken on any new one since we moved over here two months ago. Mr. Peabody. Oh, yes, darling Is that the rundown? Yes, sir 63,800 and we've got serial numbers on some of the larger bills. Good. That'll help if they try to pass any I'll take a copy of that list. Police can alert the other banks and merchants We'll get numbers out on the statewide and interstate. We may run down some more serial numbers when we cross-check deposit That'll be fine. I Think you ought to go home now, Mr. Peabody. We can reach you there if you're needed. Oh, thank you I guess I shouldn't even think about myself. Oh, I'm a bachelor, but the God love it He's got a wife and three children. Yeah, could he rotten Christmas present for them if he doesn't pull through? I paid a call on Miss Keen the girl who'd been slugged But she was in the state of shock and hysteria by nightfall all possible angles had been checked and we still didn't have a lead My boss Ranger Captain Stinson flew in and I met him at the airport drove him to town You talked to all the welfare agencies that have Santa Claus is stationed on the streets Yeah, and every man they have checked out clean. It was a phony set up Captain even though one of the bandits spent the whole day right out in the corner outside the bank Well, that was smart got the bank guard used to seeing him Yeah City police are checking to see if they can find out where the suits came from and who got them good idea How's the bank guard doing love it? I checked the hospital. He's still out No fracture, but they can't bring him around He may have KTX. He was Jason. Yeah Unit 10 go ahead KTX a city police report stolen car found in alley off Crockett Street between Maple and Lolley Maybe car used in pen handle equity bank robbery police chief request your assistance Ten four proceeding there immediately Unit 10 clear We better get there fast this may be the break we need Proud cars spot didn't check the license on the stolen car list. When was it reported stolen chief earlier this morning But the owner says it might have been missing since yesterday. He's been away. You check on him. Yep He's clear where he said he was what makes you fellas think this is the car found this on the floor under the seat Big red button. Hmm. Oh for Santa suit. All right. I'm gonna climb in behind the wheel for a second Ask one of the men in the prowl car to flash his light this way. Sure. Let's have a spotlight here with your boys Okay, okay. They're do Ranger. Yeah, that's fine Yeah, if any of your men move this rear vision mirror chief dope How about this front seat you slide it back to get that button you found who just saw it under there and reached in good What are you trying to figure Jason last fellow drove this car was pretty big about an inch or inch and a half taller And I am what makes you think so because the seats all the way back where it would be for tall driver And I have to raise myself a bit to get a clear view through the rear vision mirror. Yeah, that's good thinking Yes, yeah, but maybe he didn't touch anything. Maybe he left the car just like it was when he stole it I'll give odds against that Man who's getting away from a bank stick up wants to know what's coming behind him All roads out of the city had been underwatched since the report of the robbery So the men we were after figured to be close by but all we knew was that one of them was about six foot three In the morning, we made a routine check with police headquarters Morning Rangers morning to morning chief your men come across anything. I'm just going to check through this report Tells us location is just about every Santa Claus suit in town All of them belong to organizations using for the Christmas parties was once a while They let some private individual bar for kid party or something as if they put up deposit money You got a list of the places that have loaned suits out and who got them that top paper. I was just starting to check it Look if you like. Thanks Like we might be adding a murder charge to the armed robbery captain The bank guard dead not yet, but it looks bad. They're operating for blood club on the brain. He's Wait a minute. What is it Jace? We've got a boy to talk to look at this list two suits borrowed from two different organizations But both borrowed by the same man Anthony Ross one two four pedagogues Street Say that's worth looking into Jace. Come on. Let's pick him up You are listening to tales of the Texas Rangers starring Joel McCrae as Ranger Jace Pearson We continue now with tonight's case Christmas present an authentic story from the files of the Texas Rangers The home of Anthony Ross at one two four pedagogues Street turned out to be a rundown shack on the outskirts of town a Small boy and girl not dressed well enough against the cold stop playing with a mongrel dog as we drove up They stared at us while we went up the rickety porch The dog barking at our heels It's all right boy. It's all right. Take it easy There's a good Texas Rangers you Anthony Ross. Yeah, we'd like to come in. Oh sure Annie you and Jim take the dog. We can start with those boxes on the table. What's in them? I don't I don't know just just a couple of packages. That's all they they ain't mine. You better open them up Just yeah, no no wait a minute. I tell you they ain't mine You got no right to this search warrant says we have Search warrant and now look now the those things ain't stolen. They were rented a Couple of Santa suits are a cabin and look a button missing from the jacket of this one I don't know what this is all about. What why are you coming? Maybe we can refresh your memory The guard you slugged at the Panhandle equity bank isn't expected to live what who was wearing the other suit Ross Who was your partner? What are you guys doing to me? I I don't know what you're talking about. We're talking about the $63,000 stick up you and somebody else pulled yesterday and since you're about 5 foot 10 I can tell you that your partner is about 6 3 Ranges you're making a mistake. I don't even know anything about a hold up a button missing from this suit was found in your Getaway car the one your partner drove it wasn't me. I'll tell you I didn't even know what kind of costumes were in them boxes. They ain't mine and where'd you get them? I Picked them up at a couple of places yesterday morning. You say you picked them up and you're trying to tell us you don't know What's in the boxes? I picked them up for somebody else. They were rented out in your name the woman ordered him in my name What woman the one who hired me to pick him up. That's a pretty funny story Ross Who was this woman you're talking about? What's her name? I don't know. I don't even know You better come with us Ross. No, no, no, no, no, you know, you got to listen to me Please please listen. You got to believe me. I Was in town early yesterday morning. She she come right up to me on the street I was putting pulling my kids old wagon a long time to find some junk I might sell You sure you don't want to think this story over before you go any further She asked me if I want to earn a dollar running a couple errands. I said sure a Bucket give my kids a meal for a change She asked me my name and address and I told her and then then she told me to wait Well, or she went into a booth and made some phone calls when she come out She sent me to two different clubs told me that'd be costumes and packages She had him left in my name to avoid confusion. She said you didn't think that was funny Mr. All I could think about was earning that dollar. She she give me money Deposit money for the costumes and And told me to come back and meet her with the stuff on that same corner Where were you at two o'clock yesterday afternoon? I was looking around for a junk again for a couple hours after I delivered the packages and And I guess it's two o'clock. I was walking back home from town There's a long walk to here in this weather Cost of a bus ride will buy a loaf of bread for the kids you saw outside. Is that a crime? What's it to you if I walk my feet off to feed my kids? All right, Ross. That was a nice act, but there's a big hole in it You say you delivered the Santa Claus suits to a woman. You didn't know but you've still got them Yeah, I got them. They're gonna mean a good Christmas Yeah, but you're not gonna believe what I tell you the woman came here last night drove up in a car Woke me up. She she said she was leaving town in a hurry It didn't have time to take the costumes back yourself and And if I take him back, I could keep the deposits $15 each But you're not gonna believe that are you you better get your coat Will you will you give me a chance to ask one of the neighbors to watch out for my kids I'm afraid you'll be gone too long for that. I'm sorry, but we'll have to take him into the juvenile home. Oh I guess I guess they'll get better care of there than I've been able to give I get my coat Ross you've been doing any painting around here This place look like it ever saw paint put me jazzed that geez I just noticed this inside the leg of this Santa Claus Suit paint blob looks fresh. Well, how come it's inside the leg not outside? I don't know that's something we'll have to figure. This is the large size suit must have been worn by the big boy We're looking for Captain and I did a job. We hated dropping the Ross kids off the juvenile home Sometimes it's the only thing to do they cried for their father Always makes something inside you cry a little with him. He took Ross to the jail and locked him up Well, that seems to be it rangers The timing comes up the trial. He should be ready to name his accomplice That is if we don't find him before then I'd go along with that chief if we'd found any money on him or in the house Even a few dollars Kids got under your skin. I just they got under yours captain. You know it. Yeah But we got to remember that bank guard has kids too Yeah, you got any late reports on him from the hospital man station there says the operation is over Don't know how it's gonna come out yet, though. You might as well go over there and check with the doctors Jase I got to get back to company headquarters. Do me a favor then you're heading toward Austin Take the sat outfits with you and have them sent on to the lab get an analysis of that paint in the trousers Maybe some traces in the boots too. Well, how come the boots they made to go on over regular shoes I figured that paint stain on the inside of the pants came from a blob of paint on the shoe of the man who put Them on I see all right Jase you want to know the content of the paint and see if lab can run down the source Is that it yeah, you were working up to some kind of a lead maybe a few things I'm trying to fit together. Maybe they won't fit if they do though. You'll hear from me Over to the hospital and checked with the doctors the outcome was still in doubt Guards wife was there face twisted with worry and fear There was nothing I could do to help. I got some sleep then in the morning. I went back to see the police chief. Oh Ranger I'm glad you dropped in Had a long distance call from your lab headquarters at Austin report on that paint Yeah, close it all down paint is manufactured right here in town brand name is light glow light glow Can you get a list of local painting contractors who use it? Well, I reckon just about all of them do it's a good paint And this wouldn't hardly be Texas if we didn't deal with a local outfit. Would it know it wouldn't Thanks a lot. I'll see you later the way you're going over to the panhandle equity bank Mr. Peabody, you know who painted this bank before you opened well They was a contract for the building Included the paint and I guess that was done on the subcontract. Can you find out from the contractor? Sure But you mind my asking why I told you the day of the robbery Everything was too well planned like the men who did it knew the inside of the bank as I remember you're seeing that You think the painter's me of that's what I think but why not some of the construction men? I've got a reason for being interested in painters check it for me. Will you he checked Contractor gave the name of the painters two men Eddie West and Martin Puggan They'd been working the day of the robbery. He said at a house on the north side of town I went out to the house to see the owner. Well, yes ranger. They worked here all day that day I remember we heard the report of the robbery on the radio. They were both here all day Yes, didn't even go out to eat had their lunches with them And a smelly when the house gets painted most women usually get out of the way I wanted to watch him so I was here every minute to see they didn't get sloppy. I like things neat. I see well Thanks, ma'am. I'm sorry I bothered you Why are you asking about him Ranger? Nothing important not as long as you say they were here Goodbye, ma'am. Merry Christmas to you She was the alibi for Eddie West and Martin Puggan She was too nervous about answering a few simple questions nervous enough to make me wonder I went back to the jail got Anthony Ross out in my custody and drove him to the north side of town All right, get out Ross. We're going in here for a minute. Why what are you trying to frame now? I just want you to meet somebody Well back again Ranger. I thought we'd That's her Ranger. That's the woman was he who is this man? You ought to remember me lady My kids are in juvenile home on a county you and I've been in jail I never saw you before in my whole life. Tell him the truth. Tell him Ranger I got those costumes for her for her That word fits somebody all right Can I come in and have a look around ma'am up for what do you want? I want to check over the painting job to see if it's just new painting or if there's some new plaster under it You can't come in you have no right the boys your alibi and for must have come back here after they cracked the bank Because you must have picked them up in your car after they ditched the one they're using. I don't know what you're talking about Wouldn't carry the money on them. Did they cover it up here safe under fresh plaster and paint until it cools off? No, I can call for a search warrant and wait till the crew comes and tears this place apart We'll go better for you if you don't try to cover the money isn't here. Well, come on. Come on. Where is it? It's it's here. All right In that wall Behind the picture come on Ross Which one's your boyfriend fog in her West Eddie? West He said we'd get married Go to Europe next year. You'll all go someplace next year, but it won't be Europe West about six foot three Yes How did you know I got an early Christmas present somebody sent me a crystal ball So as I call the police and dig out that bank money you're coming with us Ranger I'm clear now. Ain't I looks that way Ross But you'll have to go back to jail for a while and be checked out with the local police I won't take any longer than it'll take me to pick up Eddie West and Martin Poggin. I Made my call then took West's girlfriend and Anthony Ross back to jail Poggin and West were playing it smart working right up to Christmas Eve like a couple of house painters would be doing I Found out where they were working a loft of a warehouse local police covered the building while I went in Eddie who's that? Who came in probably the watchman watch out for those paint cans. Don't worry. I see him That ain't the watchman boys Eddie. Come on. They share those word. We can see you Uncommon, but seein me isn't gonna make you happy He had to take this ranger shit. How can I got my gun? Are they ranger something you want? Yeah, I want the two men who robbed the panhandle equity bank What would we know about that ranger? I'm down off that scaffold now. I'll tell you okay Marty lower way Too bad you aren't working in a place with a phone your girlfriend could have warned you earlier I'm bleeding. I just make you when you try to dig for that gun in your pocket. You're not hurt Somebody should have told you that the real Santa Claus gives he doesn't take Get up and try this present. I've got for you a pair of handcuffs Well, that winds it up for sure ranger didn't turn out too bad either. Just heard from the hospital Guard past the crisis. He's gonna be all right. You couldn't have better news chief just in time, too It's getting dark Christmas Eve Are you let Anthony Ross go mm-hmm about 10 minutes ago? He didn't seem too happy though like just like he didn't care what were these kids in the juvenile home and everything Judge might need to release him if he can't care for him Ross didn't have a dime not even bus fare. It'd take him a couple hours to walk home Oh, why didn't I think well, maybe it's just as well that way? Let me call the judge and mr. Peabody the bank vice president stores will be open late, won't they sure sure? Why it'll take Ross a long time to get to his house Maybe we can get some of your boys to help us and change his mind about Christmas You're him coming up the walk now. I'm coming slow. His tail is dry. Yeah, not that I blame you for the kids asleep Yeah, all bundled up in them new blankets Ranger and the chief The lights lights They're on The power company turned them off. Yeah, they sent a man out to turn them on again. What? What's what's all this stuff? ornaments Christmas trio all those toys and things tomorrow's Christmas Ross for you and your kids They're in the bedroom asleep My kids You brought my kids back to me. Yes, and there's plenty of grub in the kitchen and you've got a job Starting next week at the Panhandle equity bank. Just go in and see mr. Peabody after the holiday Meanwhile, he sent you a little cash in this envelope Sort of a Christmas bonus just like the rest the employees get We have to be going Merry Christmas. Yep. Merry Christmas, Ross My merry Christmas fellows Merry Christmas In God bless you Thanks God bless you on behalf of all of us on tales of the Texas Rangers This is Joel McCrae wishing you a very merry Christmas Next week Joel McCrae and another authentic re-enactment of a case from the files of the Texas Rangers Is currently seen starring in the Universal International Technicolor production Frenchie tonight's cast included Tony Barrett Shepard Menken Jim Nussar Virginia Greg Victor Rodman and Byron Kane This story was transcribed and adapted by Joel Murcott and the program was produced and directed by Stacey Keats. This is how give me speak Three times mean good times on NBC Monday means music on NBC and for your Christmas night listening pleasure tomorrow the voice of firestone presents Soprano Eleanor Stiever in a thrilling selection of Christmas melodies Next Jack Parr calls a marine veteran in Japan on NBC