 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 Tales of the Texas Rangers starring Joel McCrae as Ranger Jayce 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 The Rangers come these stories based on fact only names dates and places are fictitious for obvious reasons The events themselves are a matter of record Case for tonight bad blood It is 7 p.m. September 14th 1950 in an isolated house trailer in the fields on the outskirts of Cheney, Texas Joel Prager an aircraft worker is packing a suitcase. There is a knock on the trailer door Just second Joe oh Howdy Russ ain't you gonna ask me in? Yeah, sure. Come on in See you packing already. That's right What's on your mind Russ? Well Joe I figured two weeks as long enough for old friends to be mad at each other I come to ask you to shake hands You know now that you're here. I can't figure just what we've been mad about Ain't anybody I'd rather shake hands with than you Russ. You're my boy But we ain't never gonna talk politics again. Oh, that's the deal Yeah, I didn't want you to leave feeling sore at me. Why are you going anyhow? Why are you pulling out your job solid? You're needed here. Well, I didn't want anybody to know about it yet, but looks like I'm needed someplace else, too Here read this Going back in the army, huh? I didn't know you stayed on a reserve list. I'm on it. All right You talked to him about this out of the plant after all you're married now. You got a kid You're in a sensual work. Maybe you could get out of it. I thought about it Russ, but Well, I don't want to get out of it. I got kind of a funny feeling about it a feeling I've had ever since the kid was born like well, maybe if I go again now Maybe I can help so he'll never have to go when he grows up. Yeah, I can't argue against that Not with two boys of my own one of them pushing 17 They let me have plenty worried about him with this courier thing. Oh, don't let it get you down Russ boy All right, so yeah, I was just about to fix me some grub. How about joining me? Oh, thanks But Ella's expecting me home. Say, where's Marge and a baby anyhow? Oh, she drove the kid up to her mother's today I got a week more before I report now, but we sort of figured we'd go away some place together Just the two of us, you know till I have to leave yeah Well, when you're pulling out of here tomorrow when Marge comes back Ella'd like to see you and Marge before you go. She's been beefing at me ever since you and me fell out Yeah, Marge has been bulldogging me about it. Well, can't you come and have supper with us tomorrow before you go? How about that? That's the deal swell Ella be tickled Well, guess I better be getting home the old pay envelope You need any help with anything. I mean we got a few dollars. No, no, thanks for us. We'll get by well Good luck to you fellow. We'll see you tomorrow. Sure thing Russ Say they had a draft somebody why couldn't they take that brother-in-law yours? Orville that'd be given aid and comfort to the enemy. Yeah, I know over they can give him any aid and comfort His department out the plan. We wasn't short-handed. He wouldn't last ten minutes. Well, good night, Joe. Good night, Russ Just second You forget something, but oh, it's you all yeah, it's me The rest was just yeah, I thought it was him coming back I know it was here been waiting out back long enough waiting for him to leave you could have come in rust on bite He doesn't like me reckon. That's your fault. Oh sure. Everything's my fault How come he's sticking up for him thought you and him wasn't talking we are now and I don't think it's any of your business What do you want over? Joe, I need some help. I got my check cast and I guess I didn't notice it till I was almost home I got a hole in the pocket. I lost my pay. Do I look like a half-wit to you? Well, I only one the last time you came to me with that story You said your pocket was picked and the time before that you said he got stuck with a loan you signed for somebody That's right. Joe honest stop using the word honest Orville doesn't sound right coming from you your money's gone You lost it in the pay night crap game at Holland. I haven't been near Holland's in weeks Oh, Joe, you got to help me my wife will book like a maverick under a brand and iron if I don't bring some money home You insist got some side money. I know we have I ain't denying that but this is one time you ain't dipping your hand into it Yeah, take a look at this paper. Go ahead read it Drafted huh Gonna play soldier again and leave my sister with a kid to take care of she and the kid will be taking care of all of you I'll see to that. You never had to give us anything and you never will Joe I need money And I ain't leaving here without it There's nothing here for you often better try someplace else. I said I wasn't leaving without that money Well, I reckon you'll be here a long time then or have to excuse me. I'm gonna fix myself I ain't gonna ask you again Joe glad to hear Just gonna keep ignoring me, huh? Like I wasn't even here. That's right Maybe I can make you pay a little attention with this Oh Put that down. No, I'm gonna help you dish out your supper like The body of Joe Prager was discovered when his wife returned to their trailer home early the following day Sheriff Vern LeMond immediately called for the help of a Texas Ranger Ranger Jase Pearson was assigned. He joined the sheriff at the scene of the crime shortly after noon I've kept the whole field blocked off Jase nobody's been near the place except Prager's wife and me and the deputies Good, where's the wife sitting over there in her car tried to get her to go into town to the hotel But she won't she's in in kind of a day shock. That's natural. You want to talk to her. I wouldn't help one She's like that. Maybe by the time we had to look around she'll break down and cry it out And then we may be able to get something Let's have a look inside the trailer right There's a body and there's a murder weapon Rot iron frying pan and be able to pull any prints off that metals to course That's why I just let it lay there medical examiner estimate the time of death He figured it was between six and eight o'clock last night Hmm suitcase on the bed half-packed Prager trying to run away from something. No, I don't think so Letter on the table here explains it I was in the armor reserve called back to duty. I see Where was he working here out of the aircraft plant other side of town spot welder I'll come his wife didn't report this until this morning or she was away for the night They got a baby baby oil and nipple jar on the dresser there Yeah, that's why the wife was away. She took the kid to her mother's up in Abilene come back this morning You check on that first thing got a list of eating places She stopped at both ways and she gasped up at a mobilization in Abilene last night after she got there Spots are away from here. All right. Let's check around outside. All right Will it be okay for the medical examiner to move the body now? Yeah, I think so How come they parked their trailer out here instead of using one of the parks near town save money? I guess rents are high with the plant working full blast Gasoline lamp in the trailer for light, but what they do for water There's a well out back used to be a house here some time ago, but it was moved They had everything they needed to get by I see want to walk out to the road where our cars are I can send one Of the boys into the funeral home to arrange a pickup all right Wait a minute sheriff. What's your feet? What's the matter these car tracks up the road to the trailer? Prager's own car I reckon same tracks all over the road from coming and going different tire pattern and a couple of the soft spots Though look here. Yeah Overlaps most of the older tracks, but Prager's car tracks go over the strange tread once right here Yeah, I see what you mean Another car must have driven in here after Ms. Prager left yesterday and that spot is where she drove over the tracks When she came back this morning the way I measure it and we can pull a cast off that tread may help us run down the car Hey One of your deputies coming up the road now. Yeah, that isn't one of my boys. Why'd they let him in? I don't know. Hey you How'd you get in here? I come to help my sister. Who is your sister Marge Prager's wife He was my brother-in-law. That's why the deputies let me through All right Your sister's sitting in the car back there. I reckon she does need somebody with her at that. Thanks. Wait a minute Yeah, range and walk along the edge of the road stay out of the tire tracks Why because we're asking you to isn't that good enough? Well, I only asked you for a reason that's all What's your name or James? You work with your brother-in-law Yeah, sure out at the plant not in the same department though. How'd you know your brother-in-law been killed? I didn't know until I saw your deputies down by the road and they told me isn't the aircraft plant working today Yeah, sure it is it's on the other side of town. What brought you out here now? I Got a lift out during lunch to see my sister that just about take your whole lunch hour and more if you didn't catch Your ride back right away. You make a habit of hitchhiking out here on your lunch hour No, of course don't and why'd you do it today? What are you asking me all this for? You're trying to pin something on me reckon that's gonna depend on how you answer come on talk up Well, I just Well, I wanted to ask her about my mother I knew that she'd been up homes, you know, I wanted to find out how my mother was I see your mother been sick Oh, yeah No, no, she's been all right. I reckon and why are the rush to get out here this afternoon? Why not tonight after work? Because I wanted to come that's all Anything else you want to know? Yes, when did you see your brother-in-law last? I don't know Free maybe four days ago not yesterday. No, not even at work. It's a big plant ranger You and me didn't even work in the same building what times you quit yesterday Five o'clock then you weren't working between say six and eight o'clock last night No, then where were you at that time and who was with you? Well, I cashed my check at Holland's and And then what did you come out here? Yeah, what I said. Yes. Yes, I come out here I'd have told you before if you hadn't started to question me so funny Why'd you say you hadn't seen Prager in three or four days if you saw him last night? I didn't see him last night. Listen, you just told I told you I come out here, but I didn't see Joe I Changed my mind about going in because it was a car parked here. Joe had company Well that fits in Jason those car cracks. Yeah, but it still doesn't tell us why Orville didn't go in I'll tell you why if you let me I Recognize the car it belongs to Russ Newcombe and I didn't want to go in while he was there because I didn't want to get mixed up in any Argument who's Russ Newcombe and why should there be an argument? Russ works out at the plant too him and Joe have been friends But they fell out a couple of weeks ago hadn't been talking then why would Newcombe visiting here? Why don't you ask Newcombe that it took a long time for you to suggest that Orville? Considering that Prager is dead and you knew that there'd been bad blood between him and the man You say was here last night I don't like to throw suspicion on a man for murder ranger, but you might a quick suspect in me a Man ain't likely to kill his brother-in-law Newcombe had the reason not me Now you're gonna let me go to my sister ain't you Jason? All right Orville go ahead Yeah, looks like this thing is cracking easy Jason sure does you better get out to the aircraft plant. Yeah We got enough to pick up Newcombe all right We got more than that that tire track on the road matches Newcombe's car We got enough on Newcombe to send him to Huntsville You are listening to tales of the Texas Rangers starring Joel McCrae as Ranger Jayce Pearson We continue now with tonight's case bad blood an authentic story from the files of the Texas Rangers We drove out to the aircraft plant news of Prager's death hadn't reached the place yet We were directed to Russ Newcombe's section leader and he pointed Newcombe out to us. He was on a welding job Hey, hey you up there Yeah knock off a minute come down from that wing will ya Be right there What are the office where we can talk you're gonna be glad it Yeah sheriff, what's up? You find a woman who owned that purse purse What purse what are you talking about first? I turned in the office about two months ago money in it Don't you remember? Oh, that was on a Sunday. Yes. I look different and work out there. Oh Yeah, what's this about sheriff? I thought he looked familiar turned in a woman's purse He found in the streets a couple of months back no identification in it and the owners never claimed it. Oh Where you're talking sheriff? I reckon it isn't a purse you won't see me about no it isn't you know Joe Prager No, I'm what Joe's one of my best friends. When'd you see him last only last night after his place? Why what's matter Joe and some kind trouble you say he was a good friend other people say you weren't on speaking terms for the last Couple of weeks we weren't until last night We where we got in a dumb political argument one day during lunch here both got hotter and we shoulder But you patched it up last night. Yeah, and word got around that Joe was quitting going away Well, I went out and buried the hatchet. You sure you mean a hatchet not a frying pan Look, you fellas asking me something which ain't telling me nothing you talk politics again with Prager last night No, no, we just shook hands and I asked him to bring his wife over for supper tonight and in a left That's all Prager still alive when you left. Well, what do you mean? It was Still alive You tell him me Joe Prager's dead. He was beaten to death last night with an iron frying pan Beating the death Joe. You see anybody else at the trailer. No, no, no We're alone just it was no come the law requires me to warn you that anything you say from here on can Be used against you use against me for what you're talking like I'm under arrest You are under arrest for the murder of Joe Prager We took nukem back to Cheney and locked him up. Meanwhile, Prager's body had been brought into a funeral home I went over to see Mrs. Prager to see if she could give further verification of a quarrel between her husband and the man under arrest Joe told me that Had some kind of an argument, but I didn't think it'd ever be as bad Is this I didn't think Why don't you leave her alone Ranger? I'd already told you there was bad blood now. Maybe you believe me other witnesses I'm gonna hurt anything horrible. I'm alright over. He's gotta find out everything. He wants to know what else do they need to know If you ask me they got enough of a case right now if we ask you but so far nobody has and until somebody does How about keeping quiet? All right You're the law go ahead and make a miserable I'm going over home sis. I'll be there if you want me I'm sorry to keep after you like this Mrs. Prager Did your husband ever have any trouble with anybody besides nukem? No Was he in fear of anybody worried about anything? No He was worried at first when the army letter came but when we decided it was right for him to go He didn't worry anymore Just figured out things so me and the baby could get along We We even had a little money saved We were going away together for a week. Just joined me To the place we went on our honeymoon We were gonna have so much fun Now I'll have to use that money To bury him. I'm sorry ma'am. Why did Russia do a thing like this to Joe? I Don't know ma'am. I never been able to figure out why men do a lot of things they do to each other I Went back to the sheriff's office. It looked like the case against nukem was just about closed But it opened again Opened wide when the sheriff showed me the personal effects that have been removed from Prager's body. Look at this Jace Thank Luke isn't it yep Prager's was in his shirt pocket Take a look at that last line drew out every dime he had yesterday afternoon. Mrs. Prager told me they had some savings They were gonna use it to go away. I reckon that's why he drew it out yesterday was payday at the plant to Jace So Prager should have had this amount he withdrew $312 plus his pay wasn't there any money on him less than a dollar in change I had my deputies go out and comb that trailer cupboards dishes. They didn't find a dime Nukem turned any money over to the jailer when you booked him about five dollars That's all but he had time to hide that money all we got to do is find out where he hit it if he did hide it What do you mean that purse nukem found a couple of months ago the one he turned into you? He mentioned that there was some money in it. That's right a little over a hundred dollars What are you thinking? I'm thinking about motives We've been figuring nukem killed Prager because he was nursing a grudge robbery angle changes that picture. Yeah Yeah, it sure does fellow who finds money and turns it in when he could keep it isn't likely to kill somebody and steal from him Unless of course he was trying to cover up He said he'd invited the Prager's to supper tonight and they were gonna come that's right You check on Orville's movements last night see if he was telling the truth had my deputy do it The only place to check was Holland's and he was there all right after work Cast his check there like he said then got in the crap game with some of the boys in the washroom He couldn't have played very long or he wouldn't have gotten the Prager's by seven o'clock when nukem was there I don't get what you're driving at Orville must have lost in that crap game game like that between fellows who work together The winners usually stick to the end. Yeah, they get sort of winner who quit until they've had a chance to get even Your deputies find any sign of bloody clothing when they check nukem's place. Nope, but they're checking the cleaning shops now You know where nukem lives sure you want to go over there just into the neighborhood I want to talk to nukem's butcher. Come on nukem's butcher. What can he tell you? What missus nukem ordered for tonight's dinner? I Saw the butcher and his answer to my question pull nukem back a step away from the electric chair I got my car and started to drive toward the field in Prager's trailer You look like you learned something Jayce. I did miss nukem ordered stew meat yesterday for tonight's supper She called up this morning and changed the order to lamb chops 12 lamb chops that mean anything to you and changing from stew meat to lamb chops sounds like she was expecting company When she orders lamb chops for her own family, she usually gets eight and I see The other four chops could have been for Prager and his wife then I think so and Prager was dead when she ordered him Well, nukem could have told her to order them for a cover up could have but it's a little too smart He didn't strike me as being that clever. Yeah, I'm gonna go along with that. I think you're right What do you expect to find at the trailer? I don't know and I want to look around a lot more than we did before I shouldn't have waited this long didn't seem to be any reason for it with the case we had against nukem Well, there's a reason now. We need a new case and I got a hunch which way it's gonna point. I Don't know Jayce. We've fine combed that trailer and there's nothing we didn't see before And the only strange car track you found on the road was nukem. Hey, wait a minute sheriff Somebody was sitting down here by the well Lean back against and had his feet stretched out. You can see where the edges of his heels were resting on the ground. Yeah Circle out around the back here. Let's do a little trail cutting You figured the killer took off away from the road if he was on foot it'd be his best bet He went to the highway and walked somebody might have seen him He had blood on his clothes He'd steer clear of town until it was late and everybody was sleeping. No, all right, Jayce Which way do you want me to go circle out that way? I'll work from this side. Okay? Hey, Jayce. Yes, Sheriff Orville was on foot. I know he was that's why we're looking We found the trail just as it was getting dark. It led me into open country I got my horse charcoal from the trailer behind my car while a sheriff went to a nearby farm to borrow a mount It was dark when he caught up to me You still on the trailer you're cutting to pick it up. I lost it a couple of times further back, but I'm on it now You know this country back here. Oh, I've ridden it before we'll be come to the Horner River soon About a half mile farther river angles toward town doesn't it sure does cuts under that bridge just outside Cheney That may be the way the killer followed to get back to town Let's ride for the river bank and see if we can pick up tracks there may save us time good idea big boy We found tracks on the bank all right just a few that led to the edge of the water and that was all we cut back and forth on Both banks for hours before we picked up a sign He'd come out of the river on rock and we barely spotted the place where he'd marked the ground again That's it. All right, Jayce same heel impression. He had us fooled for a while. All right. Now. Let's go. Come on, shark What's that up there ahead looks like a shack of some kind I don't know Jayce quite a few shacks in here along the river a lot of deer Some folks keep places for fishing and hunting. This tracks lead right to it. Yeah, get on boy. Come on, Charkey He's up here. All right Flash your light on that door. Yeah Yeah, lock spin sprung. It's open He was here all right left his marks and the dust on the floor I guess nobody's been using the place for quite a spell There's something else to put locker here lock on it busted, too Shirts and jeans in there. I'd like to bet there's one set missing or Well, or whoever it was stopped here to change clothes He must have known the setup is a funny smell in here sheriff like the place been smoked up not long ago There's something burning pot bellied stove there. Yeah Anything in it plenty close that didn't quite burn smells from kerosene He poured on him but he came through the river so his pants were wet fire must have smoldered out after he left Better pull those things out and see if we can save enough of them for identification. It's enough. All right Look at this blood stain didn't he wash off when he came through the water We prove who owns these things and we've got our man We'll be able to prove it look shirt was bundled up with a wet pants just enough to save most of the collar and this Laundry mark. Let's get back to town When we got back to Cheney, we got what we were after on our third laundry stop a half burn shirt belong to Orville James We went to his home. His wife was at the funeral parlor with mrs. Prager. So he was there alone What you want from me now? Sheriff's got a few things rolled up in that poncho. Maybe you might be able to identify him who? Who they belong to Joe and new come we want you to tell us all right sheriff unroll them Recognize ease. What's the matter Orville? You look kind of sick. I'm just upset about Joe That's all I was at the funeral home with my sister almost all night. Well, you ever seen these things before? Yeah Yeah, I've seen who's are they I could be wrong I guess but they look like new ones. That's funny. Well, what's funny about it? Looks like they were burned quite a bit. Yeah, but they were too wet to burn all the way Guess that gives you a real tight case against new come now doesn't it? It does doesn't it a perfect case except for the laundry mark on the shirt Laundry mark. That's right. Orville your laundry mark, but they can't be alone Better hold still Come on Why I'm always having people money Screaming about a hard she worked Always yelling about how she was ruining her hands scrubbing greasy work shirt, but she wasn't she was sending them out Laundry mark Killer killer. We're not gonna kill anybody Orville your killing days are over Open the door will you share sure? All right, Orville in the car. Let's go Orville James broke down at his trial and confessed the robbery slaying of his brother-in-law He was found guilty in less than 20 minutes and sentenced to Huntsville for the rest of his natural life Next week Joel McCrae in another authentic re-enactment of the case from the files of the Texas Rangers Joel McCrae is currently seen starring in the Universal International Technicolor production Frenchy Tonight's cast included Tony Barrett Paul freeze Whitfield Connor Sam Edwards Harley Bear and Barbara Luddy This story was transcribed and adapted by Joel Murcott and the program was produced and directed by Stacey Keith This is Hal Giffney speaking Three charms mean good times on NBC Tomorrow the voice of Firestone presents metropolitan opera Basso Chisare Shepi in a melodic variety of operatic selections Your Monday evening of music also includes the telephone hour and tomorrow's guest artist is the renowned coloratural soprano Lily Paul's among this Paul's selections tomorrow is the beautiful aria from Rigoletto Kara Nome Phil Baker asks the $64 question next on NBC