 Presenting Joel McCrae as Jase Pearson in Tales of the Texas Rangers. Texas Rangers, authentic stories from their official files. Texas, more than 260,000 square miles. And 50 men who make up the most famous and oldest law enforcement body in North America. Tales of the Texas Rangers come these stories based on facts. Only names, states, and places are fictitious for obvious reasons. The events themselves are a matter of record. Last transcribed case, Candy Man. It is 4 p.m. April 14, 1947. A prisoner at the jail in Pentland County, Texas is being returned to his cell as the visiting hour comes to an end. His name is Paul Abbott, serving out a six-month sentence for petty larceny. His cellmate John Saygood has not had a visitor. For Saygood is being held without bail awaiting trial for murder. Wife, bring what I told you to get for me. Yeah. Yeah, I got it, Johnny. Candy and the razor blades. You know we're not supposed to have razor blades. Yeah. If they find them, I may they might put me in jail. What are you so nervous about with your lousy six-month flat bit? I'm facing the chair and my nerves are still better than yours. Look, Saygood, I only got a month and a half to go. I don't want to get in no trouble. Lay off. You're telling me what I should do, you cheap heister? No, kid. Really? No. Gee, kid, I'm sorry. Maybe I play too rough and you're my pal. Model prisoners like you with only a few weeks to go never get searched after a visit. And you're so good to me. Have a piece of candy, pal. I don't want any. Okay. You know, while you've been out visiting, I've been thinking. I'm going to let you and your wife do me another favor. A big favor. Look, I got to be careful while I ask her. I can't upset her now. You know that? Oh, that's right. The babies do soon, ain't it, Papa? Wouldn't want the kid to start out without an old man, would you? What do you mean, Johnny? I wanted to see if your wife could get these razor blades in. Next time she comes, tell her to bring me a hacksaw and a gun. No. No, Johnny. You don't want to see me go to the chair, do you? Now, if you do, I could take one of these blades to your throat. No. No, Johnny. Keep your voice down. All right. All right, Johnny. All right. I'll do it. I'll do it. You won't do it. Now, don't kid me. I can hear the wheels turning and that square head of yours. Next time the screw takes you out of here, you'll spill your guts. I won't, Johnny. I swear. I know you won't. Now, tell you why. Because if you're rat on me, somebody will slip a shiv into you. In jail or out. Now, remember that. Remember it if you ever want to see that kid. You don't realize what you're asking me to do. I ain't asking. I'm telling. If you decide to get brave with your own neck, remember I can have your wife taken care of, too. You wouldn't. You wouldn't do that. Now, I... Oh, shut up. Here comes the screw. What's the yelp on Belle? What's going on in here? We was just arguing. That's all. Belle, what? Baseball. How many games Gary played for the Yanks? Is that right, Abbott? Ain't that right, Abbott? Yeah, that's right. Baseball. Prantic with fear, Paul Abbott yielded to Saygood and, through his wife, obtained the gun and hacksaw. The blow-off came a week later when the Pentland County Jailer was killed and Saygood and Abbott escaped. While roadblocks were being quickly set up by Ranger and Highway Patrol units, Ranger Jase Pearson contacted Sheriff Leonard Ginn at the County Jail. And they were in this cell, Ranger. Yeah, tongue of the lock has been hacksawed, Sheriff. Yeah, they must have waited in the passage until the jailer turned the corner here and shot him through the stomach and took his keys. Any idea where they got the gun? No, no, but Abbott's wife was allowed to visit. She could have slipped it into him. You've got to pick up out for her. Mm-hmm. Deputy's out after now. Abbott made a big jump when they gunned the jailer and Petty Lars needed to jail break and murder. I don't know. A murderer like Saygood, he had a reason to crash out. But a first-timer like Abbott with only four weeks to go, he doesn't figure to make a break. Just the same. Abbott's gone with Saygood. We may find out why when we bring in his wife. Sometimes a man goes places he doesn't want to go with a gun in his back. What could I do, Sheriff? What else could I do? That man would have killed him. Did you arrange anything else for them, Mrs. Abbott? Get clothing or an automobile? No, how could I? I even had to lie to my mother to get money. To buy the gun. Poe was in jail and I wasn't working. I was always borrowing money to bring them things. I understand. The one behind the bars doesn't do all the suffering. I'd have done anything for Poe. I had to take the food out of my mouth to buy things for that other man. And it isn't me alone. I'll be having my baby soon. Why did Poe go with him? Why? I don't think he went willingly, Mrs. Abbott. I'm afraid he went at the point of that gun you brought in. I'll begin to agree with that, Ranger. You told us you brought Saygood a lot of candy. Yes. More than a dollar's worth every week. There's a real sweet, too, Jase. Always sitting up at Yammer for sugared mealtimes. Yeah. Mrs. Abbott, will you excuse us for a moment? Sheriff, I want to see you for a second. Oh, sure, sure. You got anybody watching our house in case Abbott and Saygood show up there? Yeah, it's covered. Good. Your office hasn't any report of a stolen car, huh? No, nothing yet. They're probably on foot. Could be out of the county by now, though. We have other Ranger units in the area. I'm going to call my headquarters and have one of them come with me so he can beat the countryside. Okay. Anything else you want me to handle? Yeah, they'll have to eat wherever they are. And even if they have money, they won't take a chance on being spotted buying anything for a while. Hmm, that figures. I want you to make a careful check on any robbery report you get from food stores. I'd like an itemized account of everything that's taken. I got a hunch Saygood will make a special effort to get his hands on some candy. All that day, nothing turned up in the roadblock. Ranger Jim Leeds and I rode through the countryside without finding a trace of the man we were after. But on the following morning... Maybe we've been heading the wrong way, Jayce. I don't think so, Leeds. Coming this way would have been the fastest trail out of the county. Other ways all wilderness for more than 80 miles. Too much of them on foot without supplies. Still figuring they cut through toward US 280, eh? They must have. They'll have to get to a car someplace unless they got a spot to hole up in real close. I don't think Saygood would take that chance. He'll want distance. Yeah. Farmhouse head. Hmm. A rider coming too. He's really pounding leather. He sees us. Coming right this way. Let's meet him. Howdy, strangers. Hey, I didn't expect anybody so soon. What do you mean? Well, I just called the sheriff less than half an hour ago. Ain't that why you're here? You didn't know about your call. What happened? Well, my dog's first a couple of prowlers during the night. I went out all night hunting them, right? I put in a call before. Maybe you're a boy. You know what they look like? No. All I saw was two shadows. Dogs woke me up like I told you. Men was prowling around. You better have a look at his place, Leeds. We'll ride back with you. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. How long ago did it happen? Oh, I reckon it was 2 a.m., about six hours ago. You say you chased them? Yeah, but I couldn't spot them in the dark. Just rode around all night. I'd have had any sense. I had a call right away, but he threw a couple of shots at me when I saw him and I got hot and went for my gun and lit up. I see. They get anything? When I went back to the house this morning, my missus had a couple of shirts and jeans with me. Must be say good and have it all right. Getting rid of their jail clothes. They have horses? No, I didn't hear any. Maybe they were going to take a couple of yours and didn't have time to get them. How come your dogs didn't stay after them? Dogs end up. Should have turned them loose, but like I said, I was too hot to do any thinking after they shot at me. If you had done any thinking, you'd have stayed home. One of the men you were chasing is a killer and about as cold now. We picked up their trail near the farmhouse and about four miles out, we found the ashes of a fire and chicken bones and feathers and in the brush near the same spot, a bundle of prison clothes. From there, the trail led straight to the U.S. highway. You can see the road through the brush now, Jase. Yeah. Let's hope we spot a highway patrol car before we... Now what's the matter? Something off the road in that patch of Douglas fir. Looks like the front of a truck pulled pretty far back. Come on, get up, Chuck. Whoa, good boy. A haul truck. Stacked with new cars. Uh-huh. That's what they are. Well screened from the road, all right. Yeah. The driver doesn't seem to be around. Unloading ramps down, Jase. Tire tracks on the ground. They've got a car now, all right. Wonder what happened to the driver of the truck? Blood on the cab seat. More on the running board in the ground. Goes this way. Dead, Jase. Probably tried to go for help and couldn't make it. Yeah. Looks like Say Good's trademark. Shot through the stomach. You are listening to Tales of the Texas Rangers, starring Joel McCrae as Ranger Jase Pearson. Now we continue with tonight's case, Candyman, an authentic story from the files of the Texas Rangers. I left the horses with leads at the nearest town. He did some checking while I got a lift back to Pentland to pick up the car and horse trailer. And I drove back to meet leads where I'd left him. Come on, boy. Get them, trailer. Ooh, good boy. Oh, Jase. Roll as soon as we can figure out which way. You check on those gas stations? Highway patrol went all the way down the line. No station service to car we're looking for. No pump locks were broken during the night. They must have driven as far as they wanted to go and ditch the car somewhere within about 100 miles from me. How do you figure that? New cars coming off the assembly line only get a few gallons of gas put in them. If they didn't take on more gas, they got as far as they could on what was in the main. That makes sense. Wheelhead West. They get that trouble in Oklahoma and Louisiana according to his record, so he'd go to New Mexico where he's clean and he left the state. Yeah? Guess it's our best shot. Unit 10 to KTXA. Go ahead, KTXA. Have report for Unit 10 on subject, John Saygood. Only known associate of Saygood's was woman known as Marcella Roberts. Present whereabouts unknown. Last location was place of business, beauty salon in Abilene, Texas. Left there two months ago. Unit 10 request check of cosmetic distributors and supply houses. Check recent orders as possible source of new address on subject, Marcella Roberts. We'll do it. Have another message coming in for Unit 10 standby. Unit 10 standing by. Maybe they found the car, chief. Big help if they have. It is Unit 10. General Starr, Pike Hill entered during early morning, situated 30 miles west your present location. Check of stolen merchandise includes candy. That fits subject, Saygood. Proceeding to Pike Hill immediately, Unit 10, 10-4. KTXA, Austin. I'm glad we're just for a day break. Yeah. You see anybody? No, no, but open the door into the store and then the dang cat popped into my room and start pern and rubbing against my leg. So I just figured she'd knock something over, so I went home back to bed. I see. You know anybody broken in until I got up this morning and found the door glass busted. Must have slept through that though. I sleep real sound. Guess I woke up when they knocked this stack of canned goods over. Got them up and got them all stacked again now. You call the sheriff right away? Yep, yep. Soon as I found a few dollars from the cash drawer missing. Didn't think about the candy counter. Don't keep much, you know. A couple of kids coming later on wanting some peppermint lifesavers. And I saw a whole box of them was gone and some chocolate bars. Yes, that's when the sheriff got in touch with us then. And we'll rope off this showcase and have somebody from our lab come in to check it for fingerprints so we can be sure it was the man we were after. Not much doubt about it, geez. Nothing like being sure. We drove further west from Pike Hill past Virgo while we waited for the fingerprint check. We combed the brush along the highway, looking for the car say good navidad stolen, but there was no sign of it. If it was abandoned, it might stay hidden for weeks. Nothing in here, geez. Now, it would have been a good spot to ditch a car though. They couldn't have driven much further than this. Well, they find it further on. Maybe. Maybe we've already passed it. Call in your car radio, geez. I heard it. Unit 10 to KTXA. Come in, Unit 10. Unit 10 to KTXA. Go ahead, KTXA. Report on subject Marcella Roberts. Cosmetic distributor check shows Nail and Amel ordered in subject's name two weeks ago. Delivery made to adorable beauty salon, Virgo, Texas. Units 10 and 7, continuing investigation. Unit 10, 10-4. Highland leads. Virgo's about 50 miles back, geez. Had a hunch we came too far. Figure the woman's helping him hide out? Sega didn't head in this direction without a reason. If she isn't hiding him, she'll no worries headed. Roberts wasn't at work, nor was she at her home when we got there. But she came home about an hour later. We left our car out of sight. She didn't see us until she came up the steps of the private entrance on the porch. Miss Roberts? What? Oh. Oh, Ranger. I didn't see you. I thought you might be able to help us. You know a man named John Saygood? I used to know him a long time ago. You've seen him lately? Well, how could I? I heard that he was in jail. Paper boy must have been neglecting you lately. He's out. We're looking for him. All right, Ranger. I'll tell you what I know. He probably headed for Oklahoma City. He told me once that he could always hide out there if he got in any trouble. He should have carried our compass because he headed the wrong way. He broke into a store at Pike Hill before sunup this morning, and he was still moving in this direction when he left there. Well, I haven't seen him. Good. And you won't mind if we take a look through your apartment. If you've got any objection, one of us can wait here while the other gets the warrant. All right, you can come in. I only hesitated because the place is a mess. Sure, but we won't tell the neighbors. Come on, let's go. Well, here you are. I couldn't hide a mouse in here. Leads, check the bathroom and closets. I'll look in the kitchen. All right, Jay. Nobody here, Jay, that's for sure. But there was somebody here. What do you mean? I mean, if you were a better housekeeper, you might make a better liar. You could have swept up these candy wrappers on the floor. Is there a law against eating candy? I eat it all the time. So does Sega. You happen to have a 30-day diet packed up on your kitchen wall. Your figure says you've been following it pretty close. You can't prove anything with that. Maybe not, but there's something else. Two different brands of cigarettes in this ashtray. One brand doesn't have any lipstick on them. I had a boyfriend visit me. I'm going to check every store in this town and find out if you bought a load of groceries today. And if you did, you better be able to show them or prove where they went. Ranger went. You're concealing and aiding a murderer. You can serve a lot of time for that, Marcella. Enough to rub off those good looks before you get out. I don't want to go to jail. But you don't know Johnny. He killed me. Where is he? Well, I took him and the other fella up the back road to the Sierra Diablo for you. He didn't hide out there and come back in a week after I raised some money for him to get out of the country. Lead us out to where you left him. Don't bother about raising that money. He isn't going to be needing it. We followed her to the place where say good nabbit had been dropped at the base of the wild Sierra Diablo country catching the last rays of the sun. Leeds and I took our horses out of the trailer and started after them. Getting pretty dark, Jase. Yeah. We'll have to leave the horses and go on foot soon or we'll lose this trail. I hardly see anything now. Hold up a minute. Whoa, whoa, charcoal. What? Moist patch here. One of them slipped and fell. The one making the heaviest tracks. Probably say good. No, Abbott. Say good's bigger, but he's using Abbott for a pack meal to carry supplies. Look how the tracks sprout out. Yeah. You sure must be carrying weight all right. I handed right to that rocky ground ahead and he won't find any more prints as clear as these. Want to tie the horses off here? No, I think we better lead them. I can walk this ground and we may need them coming out. Now let's keep going. We have lost him, Jase. Keep flashing your light around. Keep it cupped. All right. I'll spread out a little. No. No, wait a minute. Come back. What'd you find? Earth is soft at the base of this rock. Yeah, but no prints in it, Jase. No, but look at those marks. Brattle snake tracks. Yeah. Wasn't moving away from here, though. Den's probably in under the rock. Was weaving back and forth. Rappler only does that when it's disturbed. You mean they scared it, passed them by? Something scared it. Some loose rock fell around here not long ago, either. You can see where it chipped as it fell. Chips are fresh. Haven't been weathered over. Then they must have knocked it loose, climbing up around the rock. Yeah. Let's find out. If they did come this way, they must have moved along this ledge. Use your light again. All right, Jase. Look at this. A piece of broken shoelace. Snapped while they were climbing. And they sat there and tied the rest of it. You see where his back rubbed dirt off the rock behind him. Yeah. He made straight for that plateau. Gives Seigur a clear view of anything coming up by day. Gonna leave the horses here and go on? No. Climb down and get them. We'll circle the rocks and take the long way up. Gives Seigur a chance to fall asleep. We may be able to take him alive. We reached the plateau, broad, flat patch, just under the final scent of the high peaks of the range and picked up the trail again. It led straight toward a clump of trees and brush and through the trees, we saw the globe aflame. We moved toward it. The moon is pretty bright now, Jase. We're out here. They're in cover. Unless they move between us and that far. It's funny Seigur to keep a fire going at night. He did it in the day for cooking, but it's a giveaway in the dark. He probably figures he's safe enough. He's got to keep an eye on Abbott. Unless we're wrong and Abbott's so long because he wants to be. We'll find that out when the showdown comes. Don't sign any movement there yet, Jase. We better leave the horses now and we'll stake them out here and split. Circle in on foot and take them. Fuck now, please. Now I knew what was wrong with the fire. It was a decoy Seigur that set up. He was someplace in the rim of the brush behind us. I twisted around looking for a flash of his gun if he fired again. Turn it up, Rangers. Let me get a good shot. I'll put one right to your belly. You didn't expect to get away, did you, Seigur? You ain't got me yet. We can wait. You'll never get out of here unless we take you out. We got four guns. You're one, Seigur. Don't forget the extra joker I dealt myself. Talk up, Abbott. I still got Abbott. Little papa. And if one of you got a bullet mark for me, remember it's got to go through him first. Keep him talking, Jase. Maybe I can crawl around. No, no. No, no. He's trigger happy. If he heard a sound, he'd put a bullet in Abbott's back. What do you say, Rangers? You want to see this punk die? I remember I got nothing to lose by gunning it. What do you want, Seigur? I'll make you a deal. We don't make deals. You'll make this. What are Abbott's dead? He's not calling, Rangers. He'll kill me. I got a wife on a kid's time. Ain't that touching, Rangers? Now you're gonna play ball with me. What's your deal? Back off. Wait on so I can see you go. And leave us your horses. And remember, Abbott will be in front of me when we come out to get him. Jase, we can let him come out, and then we can... Sure. Sure, I know. All right, Seigur. Good. You got a deal. I loosened the cinch on Charco. We backed away ready in case they fired, and they moved out into the moonlight. Seigur kept Abbott between us and got him up on Lee's horse. Then he started to mount Charco. Hold on, Rangers! Shake him, Charco! Shake them, boy! Come on, Lee. You won't be able to hit anything but the ground. There goes Seigur. Watch him. You all right, Abbott? Yeah. Yeah, I'm all right. Get up, Seigur. Oh, my arm! Never borrow a Ranger's horse when a Ranger's around unless he wants you to have him. I'm glad I didn't have to kill you, Seigur. I want the rest of the prisoners at Pentland to see you back in that cell. Might help them make up their minds never to come back again. You've been stuck that lesson with me, Ranger. Once I get out, you won't see me there again. Good, Abbott. It's no place for a wife and kid to go visiting. All right, Seigur. Get going. John Seigur was brought to trial and found guilty on three counts of murder. His sentence, death in the electric chair. This is Joel McCrae. Many tales about the Texas Rangers have been repeated until they are legend. And here's one of my favorites. Many years ago, rioting broke out in a Texas town where the mayor appealed for aid from the Rangers. He was at the railroad depot to meet the expected help when a stranger got off the train and approached him. Are you the mayor? The stranger asked. The mayor, looking anxiously for the Ranger force, said, yeah, but I have no time to talk to you now. I'm waiting for the Texas Rangers to stop this rioting. The stranger said, I'm the Ranger. I was sent down to help you. The mayor's mouth dropped open in dismay. They only send one Ranger? Puzzled by the question, the Ranger said, you only got one riot, haven't you? Don't forget our date, same time next week, folks. See you then. 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 saddle tramp. Tonight's cast included Tony Barrett, Frank Martin, Reed Hadley, Wilms Herbert, Dick Ryan, and Lorraine Tuttle. This story was transcribed and adapted by Joel Mercott, and the program was produced and directed by Stacey Keech. This is Hal Gibney speaking. Three chimes mean good times on NBC. The secret of Dennis Day's comedy is that he always appears perplexed and bewildered. Dennis will be back on the network of the chimes Saturday, October 7th. That's three weeks from tonight with more delightful mix-ups and popular music in the thrilling day manner. And that same Saturday, October 7th, also marks the return of Judy Konova with more of her mountain-style music and mayhem. This is NBC, the national broadcasting company.