 of the Texas Rangers, starring Joel McRae as Ranger Jase Pearson. Another authentic reenactment of a case transcribed in the files of the Texas Rangers. The following story are fictitious for obvious reasons. The events themselves are a matter of record. Dear friends, this is Gordon McRae. If I may, I'd like to take a minute of your time to tell you about tomorrow's Monday Night of Music on NBC. We all have fine programs planned for you tomorrow, and I know that you'll find listening enjoyment when you tune to this NBC station. Begin your listening with the voice of Firestone and its guest soloist, Soprano Bidu Sayow. And then it's time for the railroad hour. And tomorrow night I'll have petite and lovely Mimi Benzell as my guest as we present the Sigmund Romberg Oscar Hammerstein success, East Wind. I know you'll enjoy the romance-filled songs in the railroad hour production of East Wind. So be our guests tomorrow right here on Good Old NBC. And to top off your Monday Night of Music, tomorrow the telephone hour will present an all-operatic program featuring ATCO Pienza. So remember for your Monday Night of Music on NBC. Tune to this station tomorrow for the voice of Firestone, the railroad hour, and the telephone hour. But now, let's hear today's adventure with the Texas Rangers. And now, from the files of the Texas Rangers, the case called the Rubout. It is 9.30 p.m. July 23rd, 1936. The night is sticky hot. In the dimly-lit dressing room of a border town fight arena, young, good-looking ex-cowpoke Johnny Buck is getting a last-minute rubdown from one of his handlers, Slim Corey. Hold still, cowboy. Man, you keep scrounging around like a frog in a frying pan. I'm plum-beat, Corey. Just plum-beat. You did a wicked shutout last night. What time's it, Corey? I reckon the semi-windup's just about over. Where's Mike Morales? Mike ain't coming, cowboy. What do you mean he ain't coming? Mike's my manager, ain't he? He's gotta be in my corner tonight. But you know he ain't coming? Yeah, he'll show. He likes that denaro too much to stay away. All right, let me up. It's wonder I got any hide left. All I get is a bad time. I wonder if the guy can't sleep nights. Well, that's your own fault, cowboy. You was warned to keep away from that young Philly. What Philly are you talking about? You know I'm talking about Mike Morales' kid sister Nina. Then don't go calling her no Philly. What about Nina? Oh, boy, I see it. Mike ain't kept her in a convent just so she can get mixed up with no leather pushing. Yeah, Mike should talk. It's starve that we're in for me eating leather every week. Where's Chico? Gotta have somebody in my corner size a lousy ruffle. No, you gotta relax, cowboy. Relax. I was the guy gonna relax when my manager takes a powder. My second takes a walk and forgets to come back. You go out and find it. Hey, let me wind up. It's almost over. Get ready, cowboy. Chico, where's Mike? Eh, for what you need, Mike? You doing the fighting? Eh, I have to mind to get dressed and high tail the heck out of here. What's the matter, cowboy? You looking chicken? Why, you crummy little... Eh, look, get your hands off me, you... I'm gonna kill you. That's for us, cowboy. We're on now. Let go of Chico. Turn him loose. You'll never be no looser. Okay, let's go. Eh, well, you're so excited about it. I didn't mean nothing, cowboy. Let's go. How you feel? Beat. Come on, beat. What's wrong, cowboy? Check it. There's like a hot rod, lippity cut into a cornfield. Shoulda punched with the redhead from the start instead of boxing it. Okay, cowboy. You've been boxing long enough. Go on and slug with killer. Yeah. It matters where I go out punching. At your, San Diego. It was rushed to the hospital. Sheriff Haynes, president of the fight, went along to investigate. While at the hospital, he was told the fighter might have been poisoned. This prompted the sheriff to call the Texas Rangers. Ranger Jase Pearson was assigned and joined Sheriff Haynes in the hospital corridor. Sure glad you got here, Jase. Whole ruckus smells high and a pole catsatting on a hot stove. How bad off is the kid, Sheriff? Pretty bad, Jase. Doc's in there with him now. Poison been identified? Not yet. I'd sure like to talk to Johnny Buck's manager. Is he around anywhere? Nope. What's more, he never even showed for the fight. Why? You mean he wasn't in Buck's corner? No, he wasn't. Then when I learned Buck had been poisoned, this really reeks. Seems like Morales stayed away because he knew what was gonna happen. Of course. Oh, I did see him outside the arena about eight tonight. He rushed up to me all in a sweat because his kid's sister Nina was gonna elope with Johnny Buck right after the fight. Said she was underage, wanted me to take her into custody if she showed up. That doesn't make sense. All Morales had to do was stick close to Johnny Buck, the girl that had to show sometime. Yeah. Gave me some story like if I stayed on the lookout at the arena, he'd be able to search for among her friends. So far, I've never seen hide in her hair ever. Where'd he go after he talked to you? Outside the arena? Said he had to see Chico Valdez. That's Johnny's trainer. Then I saw him drive off, oh, maybe 15 minutes later. I want Morales picked up, Sheriff. Right now he stacks up a pretty fair suspect. He sure had the motive. Could have done plenty in 15 minutes. Oh, Jayce, that's Doc Signalin. We can go in now. We weren't in there very long. Johnny Buck died mumbling Mike Morales' name. We checked the time for autopsy and sent out a pickup call for Morales. As we started out down the corridor, a pretty young Mexican girl came toward us, excitedly, almost in tears. Can you please tell me which room I can find Johnny Buck? Are you Nina Morales? Yes, I am. Nina, this is Ranger Pearson. He'd like to ask you a few questions. I've got to see Johnny. I know he's expecting me. Let's go into the waiting room, Nina. Sit down, Nina. Why can't I see Johnny first? I'll come right back here, honest I will. In a few minutes. Nina, perhaps you can tell us why your brother wasn't in Johnny's corner tonight. I think because he's no longer Johnny's manager. Why did he break up with Johnny? On account of me. It was silly. Mike said he didn't want me running around with price fighters. Said Johnny wasn't good enough for me. How would he know Johnny's good and kind? When did Mike find out about you and Johnny? I don't know for sure. He warned Johnny, but we still kept seeing each other. And last night I know Chico saw us. Well, when Johnny brought me home, there was big Mike waiting for us. What happened? Well, when I told him Johnny and I were going to get married, he went wild. He slapped me and then he and Johnny headed out. They fought? Johnny gave him a beating. What happened after that? He told Johnny they were through. He said before we could ever get married, he'd kill Johnny first. Well, Mike probably said that out of anger. He has a terrible temper. But I think he's going to feel differently after we're married. Thanks, Nina. That's all. I can go now. I can see Johnny. Yes. Nina. Yes? You don't want to see him, not now. But I do. That's why he came. What's wrong? I didn't do anything to him. You see? He's dead, Nina. I knew it. I could feel it. All the way down here, I knew it. Yesterday Johnny promised me he'd quit the fight game. We were going to be so happy. We were trying to calm the grief-stricken girl. A phone call came through from Haifey, a neighboring deputy who had picked up Mike Morales. I instructed him to meet us at the sheriff's office with Morales. Then we left, taking Nina with us in protective custody. It was almost 2.30 a.m. when Haifey reported to the sheriff in the outer office. Want to see Morales now, Jayce? Yeah. Nina, why don't you go with the sheriff and wait in the other office while we talk to your brother? You mind? No, I don't mind. This way, Nina. What are you doing here? Don't talk to me. Nina, baby. Honest. I was only thinking of you. I wanted you to go back to the convent to study. She knew about that. Stay on me, Johnny. No. Before you stay. No. No, no. Bring him in, sheriff. Inside. What did she just say to you? Yeah. She complained about a headache. Your sister speaks Spanish better than you understand it, Morales. Sit down. She's upset. She don't know what she's saying. You know about Johnny Buck? Yes. Yes, I know. He's a terrible thing. When did you last see him? I didn't see Johnny since night before the fight. That's not true, Mike. I saw you go into the arena myself last night. Yes, but I only went to take Chico to see the promoter, to turn over the purse to Chico. I didn't want Johnny to have money so he could run away with Nina. I'll check that. Okay, check. Go ahead. Didn't you go to Johnny's dressing room? Whoever said I didn't say pack of lies. Didn't you have to go to the dressing room to get Chico? I did not. I made him outside the promoter's office. Where you been all night? All over. Looking for Nina. Well, you should have been in your fighter's corner. My sister. She is more important to me. You knew something was going to happen to Johnny. Isn't that why you stayed away from the fight? No, I didn't know he was going to get killed. Who said he was killed? I... I don't know. I thought somebody... somebody said... You told Johnny you'd kill him. If he eloped with your sister. What were you going to do, Morales? Shoot him or strangle him? No, no, I wouldn't do these things. What would you do? Maybe poison him? Nothing. I wouldn't do nothing. I became a disaster. You've been drinking, Morales. Yeah. I had a few. On the count of poor Johnny. I... I've been trying to forget. Yeah? Well, I want you to remember when I talk to you again in the morning. In the meantime, maybe you better spend the night here. You? In jail? I got to go home. I got to take care of Nina. You need sleep, Mike. If you go home, you'll be up all night arguing with Nina. Ranger's right. You know the mood she's in. Yeah. I don't want no trouble. All right, Mike. Let's go. Maybe put Mike in the overnight tank and then drive Nina home. Actually, Jace, we don't have enough to hold, Morales, except maybe a drunk charge. Sure, drunk charge. Maybe a knife in the bullpen will loosen his tongue in the morning. Yeah. Jace, what did Nina yell at Mike in Spanish? She said, you killed my Johnny, her words to that effect. Think she'll tell that to a jury? I doubt it. Well, nothing more we can do now until we get the autopsy report, Sheriff. Let's get some sleep. I left the Sheriff's office and checked in at a local hotel. It seemed like I'd hardly fallen asleep when the phone began to ring. My watch said it was 6.30 a.m. Hello. Jace. Yeah, who's this? Sheriff Haines. Oh, I'm sorry, Sheriff. Are you sure you're awake? I am now. What's up? The doctor's phone. He's completed the autopsy report. Good. What is the show? I found even a trace of poison found in the stomach, Jace. It wasn't. What did kill Johnny Buck? Nitroglycerine. Nitroglycerine? That's right. It showed up in the bloodstream. Hmm. Jace, don't they use nitroglycerine for certain heart conditions? To pick up the heart, not exploded. Hey, wait a minute. It seems to me there are several cases on record where poison nitrates were absorbed through the skin. What did you get in that, Jace? Nitroglycerine is an odorless liquid. It dissolves in alcohol. Johnny could have had a rub down before he entered the ring. If the rubbing liniment had been spiked, his skin would absorb enough of it in the heat of action to kill him. Think you got something, Jace? How soon can we get into the arena? Anytime you say. Why? If I'm right about the liniment, Sheriff, we should find signs of it in the dressing room. Meet you there in 10 minutes. In just a moment, we will continue with tales of the Texas Rangers starring Joel McCrae as Ranger Jace Pearson. For almost two centuries, Americans have enjoyed the valuable privileges of freedom. Now, freedom needs each American to dedicate himself to its preservation. We must now allow our liberties to be endangered by neglect of our duties as citizens. During this year of rededication, join with your fellow Americans in reaffirming the principles on which this country is founded and the safeguarding of those principles. Make it your business to see that the federal state and local governments are conducted honestly. Help to maintain the good morale of your sons and daughters in the armed forces. Learn the facts about all candidates and issues. Then vote for the one you believe in. Make the most of every minute on your job. Produce as much as you can. And thus increase our military and economic strength. Work for better schools and a better community. Guard your American heritage of freedom. It needs you. We continue now with tales of the Texas Rangers and our authentic story, The Rubout. In the dressing room at the fight arena, we scraped up a dry residue from the floor and rubbing table and had it flown to the lab at Austin for immediate analysis. We released Morales after another talk, assigned a deputy to tail him, and then took off for a local gym where Chico and Corey worked with other boxers. It was 1115 when we got there. Lots of early cauliflower here, Jace. Yeah, I'll stick to the garden variety. You see either of Johnny's handlers, Sheriff? Yep. That's Chico holding the sandbag with the big heavyweight. Now, let's get over there. All right, come on, come on, Buster. Get some lard behind that hook. We'll just zing into the bag. Make believe it's your brother-in-law, huh? Uh, Chico. Yes. Can you come here? Oh, hi, Sheriff. Sure. Come on, snap into a little shadow box in Buster, huh? This is Ranger Pearson, Chico. Oh, yeah, yeah. Hi, Ranger. You know Johnny Buck died last night? Yeah, yeah, it was too bad. Too bad. Great kid, Johnny. Sure popped the cider in a couple of years. He couldn't miss. You were his rubber? No, I was his trainer. A second, you know. The brain trust. Robin, that's Corey's job. Were you in the dressing room with Johnny right up the ring time? Most of the time. I wouldn't leave that kid. It was like my own brother. Any outsiders in the dressing room? Maybe. Not what I was there. How about Morales? Mike? No, no. Mike was never in the dressing room. He was at the arena. I talked to him myself. Well, all I know is I met him outside the promoter's office. We had a talk to him about Johnny's dog. Well, that didn't take all night. No, no, no. Mike was there only a few minutes. I had to stick around. If Mike left by himself, how do you know he didn't go to Johnny's dressing room? Gosh, I don't know. Maybe he did. I wouldn't swear. Is Slim Corey around here? Corey? No, no, no. He ain't here today. He used to work with a couple of fighters, but he's sent a word that he's sick. I can't believe a word that he says. He'd have local most of the time. Hey, what's up, Ranger? Anything wrong about last night? Just the usual questions we ask when a fighter dies after a bout. That's a likely looking heavyweight you got there, Chico. Yeah, yeah, but shit. Nothing like Johnny Buff. You better get back to your boy. His shadow's going ahead on point. Yeah, that's what happens when I leave the big bomb. Well, so long, Ranger. Anything else you want to know, you can always find me here. Okay, I'll remember that. You got Corey's address, Sheriff? Yeah, Jayce. Let's go. Guess this cord should ring the doorbell. Maybe Corey ain't home. That's right again. Sheriff Haynes, Corey? What's wrong with you? I don't know for sure. Never felt like this before. Guess it's on the count of last night. What happened to Johnny? Did you rub him down before the fight? Yeah, I needed it real bad. Where'd you get the liniment? Chico, he brought it along in his satchel. Chico's badly broken up about Johnny. Chico? Who are you kidding, mister? Why, didn't they get along? Heck no. Since Johnny started beating his time with Mike's kid sister. Chico didn't like that, huh? Shucks. He went plum-local when he heard about Johnny and Nina fixing to get hitched. Why, the night of the fight, Chico was so crazy mad he wouldn't come near the dressing room. When he did, he and Johnny had a ruckus. Were you in the dressing room all the time Johnny was there? Yeah, most every minute at the time. Did Morales show up while you were there? No, Mike never showed it all. Somebody got an aspirin. You don't need an aspirin, Corey. You need a doctor. We're gonna get you to a hospital and fast. We took Corey to the hospital and waited for the diagnosis. Blood tests confirmed what we'd suspected. Corey was suffering from a trace of nitroglycerin poisoning. Immediate measures were taken to save him. When we went back to the sheriff's office, the lab report from Austin was waiting for me in the teletype room. What did you say, Jayce? Listen to this, Sheriff. Tests completed. Scrapings from dressing room, floor and table, definitely nitroglycerin. Impurities in residue is type of clay usually found in commercial dynamite. I don't get it. What does dynamite got to do with it? Simple enough. Dynamite contains nitroglycerin. The clay holds it together. Nitro could have been dissolved in alcohol and strained through a cloth. Well, I'll be darned. But how did Corey get poisoned with the stuff? Most likely, got into the pores of his hands while giving Johnny Buck his rub down. The reason Johnny went so fast was because his entire body was saturated with a poison liniment. Then our problem right now is to find the party who mixed the stuff. And Chico sure had a motive. If Corey was telling the truth, and I think we might get that answer at Mike Morales. Come in, Ranger, Sheriff. What do you know about Slim Corey? He's a good boy. Corey worked with my fighters for years. Even before I took on Johnny. How did Corey get along with Johnny Buck? Oh, he was a good friend. Always spilling him up with advice. I see. Nina around? Yeah, sure. Nina. What do you want? The Ranger and the Sheriff are here. Come down. Poor kid. We just got through making the arrangements for Johnny. Are you feeling now, Nina? What should I feel? I'd like to ask you something, Nina. I told you all I know. About Chico. Chico? What do I have to do with Chico? Weren't you good friends at one time? Never. I couldn't stand him. He's a sneak. He was always spying on me. He was jealous of Johnny? Crazy jealous. Mike. Was it Chico who told you about Johnny and Nina? Yes. Chico told me. He was always telling me all kinds of things. Things I couldn't believe. Did he tell you to get rid of Johnny? What do you mean? Get rid of Johnny. Break up with him, split. Oh. Yeah. Yeah, he put that idea in my head. He was the one. I see. I'm sorry to have troubled you again, Mike. Nina. Let's go, Sheriff. Looks like Chico's our boy, Jayce. Everything points to him like a signpost. Strong jealousy motive. Deliberate lies about his friendship with Johnny Buck. A dressing room brawl with Johnny on the night of the fight. And he was the one who gave Corey the rub and liniment. Yeah. Now all we need is definite proof that he spiked it to send Mr. Valdez to the big chair at Huntsville. We stopped to pick up a search warrant and then went on to Chico's home. It was exactly 3.47 p.m. when we pulled up in front of a weather-beaten two-room Adobe on the outskirts of town to see if we could find the final link of evidence that would help convict Chico for the murder of Johnny Buck. No one here, Jayce. The door might be unlocked. I'll try it. It isn't. You want to pick the lock? Let's go around the back. Hold it a second, Sheriff. I want to have a look at this trash box. Okay. Meantime, I'll see if the back door is unlocked. Back door's locked, too. There's a window open on the side. Good. Do you find something, Jayce? A very interesting looking piece of cloth. Sheriff, this might be it. This rag? Yeah. It could have been used to strain the nitroglycerin. You really think so, Jayce? I can almost tell that residue blindfolded. I might as well take the trash box and all this evidence. Want me to give you a hand with it? No, I can handle it. I'll park this stuff in the car. Meantime, you go inside through that window and open the door for me, will you? Okay. I said shut up! Give me your hand. Now you better shut up. You got a wife and kids. You better keep shut up. Where are you? Where are you? Fill this gun in your throat. One more sound from you and I blow a hole through it. Now roll over in your face. Now I dig into the floor and don't you move. Now I unlock the door for your range of frame. I give him a little surprise. Thought you'd turn your head. You're bleeding. Got my shoulder. I'll be okay. Looks pretty bad. You look kind of battered yourself, Sheriff. Yeah, I feel that way too. Chico, dead? No. Chico? Oh, my legs. They hurt me. They hurt something awful. Yeah? Well, that's what you get, Chico. You start messing around with dynamite. In just a moment, we will tell you the results of the case you have just heard. Hello, friends. This is Jack Parr. I'll be with you later this evening with a $64 question, but right now I'd like to remind you about some of the other great shows this evening on the NBC Radio Network. In just a few minutes, you'll hear the big show with Tallulah Bankhead and a big array of guest stars. And, of course, Meredith Wilson will be on hand to direct the big show orchestra and chorus. You will hear 90 minutes of scintillating comedy and music today on The Big Show. And then, right after The Big Show, sick around for the Phil Harris Alice Space Show with Frankie Remley, Julius Abruzio, Brother William, and the entire Harris household. It's a program that's sure to please you. Later today, Theatre Guild on the Air will bring you stars from Hollywood and Broadway in an exciting Broadway play. And right after Theatre Guild on the Air, I'll be back with a pocketful of money and the $64 question. I'll be talking to a lot of contestants tonight, and maybe you will hear one of your neighbors. So why not stay tuned right now to the NBC for a whole evening of great entertainment. I'll be looking for you in our radio audience tonight. And now, let's get back to the tales of the Texas Rangers. Now, here are the results of the case you have just heard. Ranger Pearson recovered from his wounds and was present at Chico Valdez's trial 10 weeks later when Chico confessed to the premeditated murder of Johnny Buck. On January 13, 1938, Chico paid a supreme penalty for his crime in the electric chair at the State Penitentiary in Huntsville. Sweet Joe McCray in another authentic reenactment of a case from the files of the Texas Rangers. And Francisco Story, a Warner Brothers release. The cast included Tony Barrett, Herb Bygren, Herb Ellis, Nester Paiva, Farley Baer, and Peggy Weber. Technical advisor was Captain M.T. Lone Wolf Gonzales of the Texas Rangers. This story was transcribed and adapted by Will Gould, and the program was produced and directed by Stacey Keach. Next, the big show brings you 90 minutes of music and comedy on NBC.