 The Equitable Life Assurance Society presents This Is Your FBI. This Is Your FBI, the official broadcast from the Files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Presented as a public service by the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States and the Equitable Society's representative in your community. Among the many life insurance plans offered by our sponsor, the Equitable Life Assurance Society, one is of particular interest to home owners. This plan combines a money-saving mortgage with life insurance security all in one package. For further information on this Equitable Society Assured Home Ownership Plan, listen carefully to the middle commercial in about 14 minutes. Tonight's FBI file, The Fugitive Traveler. There are more than 5,000 crimes committed in the United States every day. When you pause to think about that fact, your mind conjures up the dark streets of a big city late at night. But the experience of your FBI in dealing with crimes in every one of the 48 states is that crimes don't happen because of geography, but because of people. Crimes are being committed tonight in crowded tenement slums and in peaceful moonlit valleys because there is a criminal president in each case. It is true that there are more crimes committed in big cities. But no section of the nation is so remote that it remains isolated from the crime wave. The night's FBI file opens in a farmhouse located in a hilly section of one of our eastern states. It is early evening. A young girl is seated alone on the back steps of this hillside dwelling. In a valley below, a passenger train moves swiftly through the dust. The girl watches the train, her eyes follow it intently. Well, what is it, Aunt Bessie? I've been calling you for the last five minutes. Sorry, I didn't hear you. Did you bring in some wood? Yes, ma'am. Did you feed the chickens? Yes. Did you bring in the eggs? I think I did. Well, where are they? Uh, didn't I put them on the kitchen table? No. Oh, I must have left them in the barn. In the barn? Why? I just forgot them, I guess. Well, go get them. Oh, Aunt Bessie, please, not right now. Just let me wait till the train goes around the hill. Oh, good heavens, child. When will you stop this foolish nonsense, moaning over trains, moaning over books, moaning over going to power off cases? I'll get the eggs. If you just give a little more thought once in a while to the fact that I'm an old woman trying to run this farm all by myself, and at least that a strong young girl like yourself can do it. I'm getting them, Aunt Bessie. I know. Let me go in the house. What else is in that house? Is that all? Yes, just the two of them. How did you get here? Where did you come from? I put off a train, a freight train. Oh. That's how you were hurt? Yeah. Yeah, that's it. I see. Look, I just want to rest a while, and I'll get out of here. But you're bleeding, so you need a doctor. I'll find my own doctor. Did you come from far away? What's that to you? I just wondered. Len! Len! What is it? My aunt, I've got to go. Wait a minute, wait a minute. Do me a favor, a big favor. Don't, don't tell her I'm here. Why? Just do me that favor, please. All right. I'll come back later. Some 50 miles away from the lonely farmhouse in a nearby city at the local FBI field office, special agent Jim Taylor is approaching the desk of the agent in charge. You wanted to see me, Mr. Henderson? Yes, Jim, come in. All right, sir. Jim, you're about finished with the Brooks case, aren't you? Yes, I dictated my full report this morning. Good. We just received a teletype that you can go to work on. Oh, what's it about? Criminal named Ralph Alias Rip Gibson was being transported here from the penitentiary to testify to federal trial. Yes. He was traveling by train, had an armed guard with him. I see. While on road, he requested to go to the washroom. Guard consented. Once he was in there, Gibson smashed the washroom window and jumped off. While the train was in motion? Yes. When did the guard discover this? Almost immediately. He heard the glass crash and rushed to the train platform, saw Gibson rolling down the embankment, fired at him, believed he wounded him. But Gibson still got away. Yes. When did all this happen, sir? Several hours ago. Many trace of him since? No. The train was stopped, searching party was organized, but Gibson must have found some means of transportation that took him out of the immediate neighborhood. Well, if the guard did wound him and it's serious enough, he'll most likely be needing medical attention. We have already notified all doctors in the escape area. Local police are cooperating to him. Oh, good. I want you to stand by, Jim. All right. As soon as we get a definite lead, we'll go to work. How's your arm? Okay, I guess. I brought some bandage from water. Maybe you'd like me to take care of it. All right, go ahead. I'd have been out sooner, but I had to wait till my aunt went to bed. You didn't tell her about me? No. I've got to rip your shirt sleeve. It may hurt a little. All right, I won't mind. Are you... Sorry. Okay. Now let me bathe it. Yeah, sure. I've got to get the wound cleaned first. The bullet went right through, didn't it? What bullet? The one the guard fired at you. What are you talking about? I know who you are. What is this? I just heard the report on the radio. Your name is Gibson Rip Gibson. You escaped from your guard, jumped from a moving train. He shot at you. Look, I don't know what you're talking about. They gave you a description. Now just lift your shoulder a little. Did your aunt hear this report? No. Do you tell anybody else? No. Please lift your shoulder. Okay. That's fine. Now I can put the bandage on. Look, Miss... Nan. Nan Carroll. Nan. Why didn't you blow a whistle? What do you mean? Why don't you call the cops and let them know I'm here? Doesn't matter. I want to know. I know what it's like to be caged. Huh? To not be able to get away, to be free. I've spent my whole life right here. Anyone who can escape from anything, I envy. I get it. That's the best I can do with the bandage. Well, thanks. I better go now. There's some milk and cheese that I brought out. I'll bring you a real meal in the morning. Well... Good night. Good night. Mr. Henderson. Yes, what is it? If you've got the time, so I'd like to have you give a report on Ralph Gibson. Let's have him. All right. Well, two hours ago, we received word from a witness who saw a man answering to Gibson's description hop a freight train about half a mile from the point where he jumped. I see. This witness was a railroad employee. He said the train was a westbound freight. Its destination was a point about 50 miles down the line in Centerville, to be exact. This was two hours ago? That's right, sir. The train should be there by now. Yes, I know. I've already contacted the yards. Some railroad detectors are going to search the train for me. No guarantee. We have no guarantee, of course, that he didn't jump off somewhere en route. I know. Excuse me. Sure. Henderson speaking. Yeah, just a minute. For you, Jim. Thanks. Hello. Yes. Oh, hello there. Really? Or did you pick up any other clues? I see. Well, thanks a lot. Right. Goodbye. That was the Centerville Railroad Police. What did they have? A coat that they positively identified as belonging to Gibson was found in one of the freight cars. But no sign of him. No, they feel he jumped off somewhere en route. Oh, by the way, there was a bullet hole in the coat, and it was quite heavily stained with blood, so he was wounded. Jim, I suggest that you alert the local police all along that 50-mile route. Right, sir. Then arrange for a crew to cover the tracks. See if you can pick up any evidence on where he jumped off that freight. Yes, Aunt Bessie. Where did you been all morning? I just went out a half hour ago. Well, where did you go? I took a walk. What were you doing in the barn? The barn? I just saw you coming out of there. I was putting away some tools. Oh. I think I'll go... Wait a minute. What? I played in your hand. That's my best china. What were you doing with it? I just picked it up. You had it in your hand when you came in. Well, if you must know, I used it to feed the chickens. My best china? I'm sorry, Aunt Bessie. Wait. Huh? What's that all over your apron? Where? Right there. Looks like blood. Who's blood? I cut my finger. Let me see it. Please, Aunt Bessie. Leave me alone. Now, just a minute, young lady. There's no point in making a fuss over just a little cutter. I'm going to go upstairs and fix it right now. You were able to move. Yeah. I thought you wouldn't come back till later. Something's happened. What? It's my aunt. She knows I'm here? No, but she saw me come from the barn before, and she saw the plate and some blood stains on my apron. I didn't know how to handle it. That's why I came here. What should I do? Let me think. I won't let her come into the barn. I promise you that. Even if she wants to... Wait a minute. Tell me something about her, would you? What? She got a car? Yes. Is it around here now? Yes. How is she fixed? I don't know what you mean. She got dough, money. Well, she has a bank account, yes. How much are you keeping it? I don't know for sure. What about how much? Well, the last time she gave me her bank book to take him to town there was $800. There you go. Not too bad. Why do you want to know all this? Well, I'll tell you, honey. I feel sorry for you. Real sorry, see? A kid like you should get a chance to live big. Yes. I'm going to give you that chance. Huh? By taking you away from here. Oh. Well, of course we're going to need some cash and a car. That's got to get from your aunt. Oh, she'd never help us. I'm sure she wouldn't. Honey, she won't have much to say about it. Huh? We're taking. Oh, I couldn't do that. Look, you told me last night you've been spending your whole life in a cage. This is your chance, baby. Your chance to bust out. I know, I know. If you don't take it, you'll spend the rest of your life in this trap. You can sit here watching trains. Wait. Huh? Look out the window. My aunt's coming. Coming here? Yes. I'll stall her. Keep her off. Hold it. Let her come in. Let her come in. I'll let her find out what it feels like to be caged. Tonight's case from the official FBI files will be reopened in just a moment. Where Claire and I have lived together all these happy years. Where Sonny took his first steps. The place and all the world we love the best. If that's the way you feel about your home, then it's time you knew about the Equitable Society's Assured Home Ownership Plan. It's a money saver, it's a home saver. 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All in all, a man is mighty lucky if his health, age, income, and the location of his home qualify him for an equitable, assured home ownership plan. Well, how can I find out if I qualify, Mr. Keating? Ask your Equitable Society representative. Get full information on the plan that protects you against the two major hazards of home mortgages. Death and hard times. Look in the phone book or send a postcard care of this station to the Equitable Society. That's E-Q-U-I-T-A-B-L-E. The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States. And now back to the FBI file, The Fugitive Traveler. The night's case from the files of your FBI points up two important morals. Important because they concern you. The first is that wherever you are, however hidden your shelter may be, the crime wave in this country is your problem because it is a wave that may wash up on your shore at any time. The second moral and one which your FBI cannot impress upon you too strongly is that you, the decent citizen, should have nothing whatever to do with any criminal. You do not help him by condoning his crime. Instead, you only endanger yourself and become an accessory to his crime. When you come in contact with a criminal, your duty is clear. You should do one thing and one thing only. Notify your local police. The night's file continues at the FBI field office. Special Agent Jim Taylor is just reporting to the agent in charge. Mr Anderson. Yes, Jim. Sending out that crew to cover the railroad tracks is what results. Really? What happened? They're pretty certain they've located the exact spot where Gibson left the freight train. Good. It's about 25 miles east of Centerville and they're a community called Ridgewood. Well, I know Ridgewood. I'm a good sheriff up there. Name's Morgan. Yes, that's right, sir. I just talked to him. Oh, fine. The track crew called him in on the case as soon as they established where Gibson had jumped. He's taking over right now. I think you better get right down there, Jim. All right, sir. Get Morgan to work with you. I'm sure he'll be helpful. Good. I'll let you have a report, sir, as soon as anything breaks. Nan? Yes. How's your aunt? I just brought her some soup. You didn't untie her? No. She would go from mad at me. Well, she's lucky we brought her in her house. She could still be tied up in that barn. How do you feel? I'm okay. Did the walk-in from the barn tire you? No, no, I'm doing fine. Rip? Hmm? When do we leave here? Just figure that now. Look, what about this bank account? My aunt? Yeah. What is it? Savings or checking? She writes checks. Would the bank take your signature? Oh, no. We've got to get her to sign it. Rip, I wish we could just leave here and forget about the money. Are you kidding? You wouldn't get as far as that next corner. Well, she'll never sign a check for you. I know she won't. Where's the checkbook? Over there in her sewing basket. Bring it here. I'll get it assigned. Sheriff Morgan? That's right. Hello, I'm Jim Taylor. How you doing, Jim? I'd know you. Any word on Gibson, sir? Nothing yet, I'm afraid. We have a number of searching parties out looking for him. I see. Our bad break was at a drain last night. What do you mean? Well, as you know, Gibson's presence in this territory was established by that railroad crew who found blood stains leading down that embankment. Yes. When I got out there, I picked up Gibson's trail. I followed it to a stream about 100 yards away. It's a shallow stream. Gibson waited into it. Obviously, to avoid detection. Right. Just at that point, the rain started. Both sides of the stream up and down for several miles. But we weren't able to find any trace of where he came out. The rain, of course, had washed it away. I see. Sheriff, could you determine if he was bleeding much? I think he lost quite a good deal of blood. Then he couldn't have gotten very far. I know. I've set up a house-to-house search for him. Oh, I'd like to join you in that, if I may. You certainly can. Did you drive down here? Yes. Well, we'll divide up our assignment. I'll give you half a dozen farmhouses all on one roll. Okay? You'll have no trouble finding it. Fine. Let's have that list, and I'll get started. Did you sign the check? Was there any trouble? Of course not. She was very happy to do it. That's not true. You didn't hurt her. I didn't have to. What time is it? Almost one o'clock. Does this bank stay open till three? I think so. All right. You'd better get into town and cash us. How much is it for? Five hundred. Dollars? What else? Keep going. Rip, I don't think they'd give me that much money. Look, you've got to check here with your aunt's signature on it. Tell them that she sent you in for the doll. Tell them she needs it to take a trip. Yes, but I... They know you at the bank, don't they? Yes. All right, then get it. Rip. Shhh. Get rid of whoever it is. I'll hide it here. Yes. Are you Miss Carol? That's right. My name is Taylor. I'm a special agent of the FBI. Yes. Here are my credentials. What do you want here? Well, I don't wish to alarm you, but we have every reason to believe there's rather a dangerous criminal at large somewhere in this vicinity. Oh. Have you seen any strangers around your place in the past 24 hours? No, sir. I have the man's picture here. I'd like to have you look at it, please. All right. How would you try to remember him? And if you should see anyone resembling this man, get in touch with your sheriff at once. I will. I understand you live here with your aunt. That's right, but she's upstairs taking a nap. Oh, I see. Well, just pass this information on to her, too, will you? Yes, sir. Thank you. Oh, uh, by the way, would you mind if I took a look around in your bar? No, go ahead. Thanks again. Goodbye, Miss Carol. Goodbye. He was from the FBI. Yeah, I know. I heard the whole thing. He's gone to the barn. He won't find anything. He cleaned up around where I'd been. Oh. Now look, you wait long enough for him to pull away from here. Then get into town and cash that check. How'd you make out? I didn't get a thing, sir. I drew a blank, too. Look, I'll tell you what. I'll review all the calls I made and see if by any chance I missed a farmhouse. Go ahead. By my first call was a family name Pastor, a man in white. Right. You have any trouble getting in? No, I... Well, they're not usually very sociable as strangers. They were very cooperative. My second call was a man named Stuart. Oh, Pop Stuart. You had to shout at him, I bet. He seemed pretty dead. He is. My third stop was at the Carol Farmhouse. Who'd you talk to, man or Aunt Bessie? The girl, man. I was thinking of that. Probably just as well. Aunt Bessie's a man-hater. Oh? She won't have one around the place. Wait a minute. Not even a hired hand? No, sir. Hasn't been a man around there in years. Sheriff, I think we ought to go back to the Carol Place. Stay behind the door just in case. Well, how'd you make out? They cashed the check. Good, baby. Let's have the door. Just a minute. Here. Okay. Small bills. That's good. Where's the car? Out back. Give me the keys. Are we leaving right now? Let's have the keys. Don't you think we should do something about my aunt first? We just can't leave her tied up. Honey, will you give me those keys? Sure. Here. I'll go get my bag. Wait. I've changed the schedule. What do you mean? You stay here. Oh, no. You heard me. But everything we planned, the reason I did all this was to get away. You've got to take me with you, Rick. No, Dice. You promised. Look, sweetheart, you're better off here. I don't want to stay here. I want to go with you. Honey, I might as well tell you right now. Going away with me was strictly a routine. What? What would I do with you? All the things you said we'd do together. The places you'd take me, the clothes I'd get. Baby, did you ever look at yourself in the mirror? What do you mean? Guys just don't go anyplace with an ug like you. Oh. I'm getting out of here. No, wait. You can't leave me. You can't. You can't. No, no. Don't change. You just stay put. Hello, Gibson. You saved us the trouble of coming in for you. Who are you? A special agent of the FBI. What? I was just showing the sheriff here why I came back to this farmhouse. Your footprints there in the mud. Now I think we should arrange to put you back behind bars. Ralph Gibson was returned to prison after being given an additional 20-year sentence in a state court for his brutal assault on the elderly farm woman. And thus, another criminal was brought back after escape by your FBI and a lyrical local policeman. Another instance in which local authorities led a very important hand to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Your FBI has stated before and wishes to repeat that it owes a great debt of gratitude to local police departments all over the nation for the cooperation it has received from those departments. And on this official broadcast, it wishes publicly to thank every local law enforcement agency in the United States. In just a moment, we will tell you about next week's exciting case from the files of your FBI. You say my equitable society representative is the man who'll tell me if I can qualify for an assured home ownership plan, Mr. Keating? That's right, Joe. And don't forget, you get a lot of good things in that plan. A mortgage that's paid in full if the owner dies. If not, a cash fund to be used in financial emergencies. And mortgage interest at only 4%. No wonder it's called America's finest plan for home ownership. So don't delay. See your equitable representative soon. Or write to the Equitable Society care of this station. That's E-Q-U-I-T-A-B-L-E. The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States. Next week, we will bring you another colorful story from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The curious cameraman. The incidents used in tonight's Equitable Life Assurance Society's broadcast are adapted from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. However, all names used are fictitious. And any similarity thereof to the names of persons living or dead is accidental. Tonight, the music was composed and conducted by Frederick Steiner. Your narrator was Dean Carlton. And special agent Taylor was played by Stacey Harris. This is your FBI is a Jerry Divine production. This is Larry Keating speaking for the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States. And the Equitable Society's representative in your community. And inviting you to tune in again next week at the same time when the Equitable Life Assurance Society will bring you another thrilling story from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The curious cameraman on This Is Your FBI. This is ABC, the American Broadcasting Company.