 It's National Wheaties Week. Yes, it's National Wheaties Week. And Wheaties present Joel McCray in Tales of the Texas Rangers. On stage tonight transcribed from Hollywood another in the Wheaties Big Parade of exciting half-hour presentations. Ranger 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. From the files of the Texas Rangers come these stories based on facts. Only names, dates and places are fictitious for obvious reasons. The events themselves are a matter of records. Tonight's case, the open range. It is August 4th, 1948. Morey Buckland, his son Dave, are driving across their ranch in a jeep dropping off salt cakes for their cattle. That was the last stop, Pa. Here, well, drop this one here. What's the matter, Pa? The last salt cake we dropped here is hardly touched. Look at it. Huh? Why, uh, no point leaving another one. Usually quite a few head around here. Wonder why they're not touching it. Suppose somebody could be running them off. The rustle is, Pa. That's kind of out of date, I'd say. Maybe there's a break and a fence down by the old road. Yeah. Well, you better drive around the cottonwoods and have a look. There's a break. We can fix it right now. I have to go back and get horses, though. We're gonna pick up the strays. Yeah. We'll be able to see the fence now as soon as we get over this rise. Hey, Pa. Pa, a big truck down there and a bunch of men and some of our stuff. So that's what's been happening to him. Speed it up. I'll get my rifle back here. The sea is coming. You fellas better stay right where you are. Two for this. Those of the Texas Rangers will continue in just a moment. It's National Wheaties Week, all right, and it couldn't happen to a nicer flake. Because, look, there's a whole kernel of wheat in every Wheaties flake. And you know whole wheat. Of course, the naturally sweet whole wheat flavor of Wheaties is important, too. And good, my, my. Come on, help celebrate National Wheaties Week. Just buy them. That's all. Buy them and see how Wheaties at 7 can help at 11. Dave Buckleman has said drag his father to the jeep and drive to the nearest hospital, but the father was dead on arrival. Sheriff Clyde Johnson immediately called the Texas Rangers and Ranger Jase Pearson was assigned to the case. What are you looking for, Ranger? I thought we'd find some truck tire markings here, Sheriff. The ground's plenty hard except for the dust settle on top. That'll hold a track, but... Hey, look. Oh, that's a big, wide mark. Yeah. Probably some brush hung from the tailgate of the truck. Wipe the tread right out behind them. Let's go through the fence. Yeah. Must have been operating right about here. Yeah. Plenty of cattle tracks, but no boot prints. Wiped out their tracks like they did with the truck. Smart. Probably dragged branches behind them. You can see where they were here, though. The back of crumbs and paper where they ground out their cigarettes. Yeah. Looks like 15 or 20 head they run off from the marks. Mm-hmm. All right, let's go back to the car for a second. How do the Bucklers brand their herd? Just a simple letter L. Buckler's wife's name was Lou. Do you know if their brand has been registered? I don't believe it ever was, Ranger. Why? Gotta make a radio call to KTXA in Austin. Unit 10 to KTXA. Unit 10 to KTXA. KTXA to Unit 10. Go ahead, Unit 10. Unit 10 requests headquarters to ask all commission houses to be on lookout for marketing of any cattle-carrying letter L brand or any altered brand that might have been made to cover letter L. Will do, Unit 10. May be part of stock stolen from Buckler Ranch on 8-4. Notify Unit 10 if any lead turns up. Unit 10, 10-4. We'll keep Unit 10 informed at the XA Austin. Good idea, that call. Might get a lead. Yeah. When we get through here, I want to go into the hospital and see Dave Buckler. He might just be able to describe that. Hey, wait. What do you got? Old cigarette lying right here near this bush. And scorched. Somebody started to light it but didn't finish. Yeah. Must match both the lion and the bush. Whatever happened, it made a fella forget about his cigarette. Must have been when the Bucklers came over the hill. They saw him through the cigarette and matches down just he was getting ready to light up. Yeah, that could be all right. Half the matches are still in the book. Ones that are missing are all torn off from the left side of the book. So? So the man who had this book of matches is left-handed. Let's get into the hospital. No, Ranger. I'm right-handed, so is Pop. Matches couldn't have been ours. Just making sure. Can you describe any of the stock they made off with, Buckler? Well, yeah. Some of them were white-faced. But there was one of the calves that had a mottled face. Mottled, huh? Yeah. Good. That helps. My plaw was such a good guy, Ranger. I wish I could climb out of here and help you find those dirty... Can you give me any kind of a description of the men? No. Never got a good look at them. A couple of days went by then a week. There was no sign of the Buckler cattle with the L brand. No orders to see Captain Stinson. No sign of those cattle, huh? Not ahead, Captain. Well, they might be afraid to unload them so soon after a killing. That means they'd have to vendor all of the brands and put them out to graze. I don't think they'd want to be too close to them for fear of being spotted. Neither do I, Jase. That's why I've got an idea. Ever think of trying Camp Hood? No, but I should have. It's a perfect spot for him. 35 square miles of free grazing land. Ever since the army deactivated the camp, a lot of ranches have been using it. Our last check showed 15,000 head there. All kinds of brands. Fattening up until the owners cut them out for marketing. Sure. Buckler's cattle with altered brands covering that L could be waiting there for the thief to come back and get them whenever he wants. Yeah, that's what I thought. That's a lot of territory and a lot of cattle for one man to cover. I'm going to have Bud Kurtz come in and go with you. Kurtz? Fine. We got him stopped on the selling end. Now it's up to you to find those cattle. They're the only key to the killer. Bud Kurtz and I drove to Camp Hood. Unloaded our horses and started to check the open range. In three days we ran across more than 50 brands, all legitimate. But on the fourth day... Cow folks are pretty busy, Kurtz. Yeah, cutting out a few calves over there. There's a branding fire and two men. You'll see us coming. Keep your eyes peeled. They may be alright, but if they aren't, one of them may throw a gun. Howdy. You can let that one go, Pete. No. Hold him for a minute. What's the matter, Ranger? Let me prisk you. I'll get this, fella. Why? What's wrong, Ranger? I ain't got no gun. Just checking out. What's your brand? Nothing on this, fella. Well, there's the iron right there. Jay in the center of a box, huh? Yeah. My name's Jack Stern. Got a ranch up in Box Canyon. Brand's supposed to be Jack in the box. What are you doing with this stock? Well, changing over to my brand. From what? An ale brand? No, a square U. Like that one over there. Ain't added my brand on him yet. Take a look at it. Yeah, I see. It's a square U now, but it was an ale. And brand's been altered. Okay, let him go. Find something, Jayce? Yeah. Where'd you get this stock? I bought them last night. Is anything wrong? They were stolen a week ago. I got a bill of sale for them, Ranger. A fellow who had them was cutting them out yesterday. Said he was taking some steers to market, but he wanted to sell the calves for $60 ahead. So he wouldn't have to keep coming all the way back from Rollo to get them. Came from Rollo, huh? That's what he said. Here's the bill of sale. Name was Vic Moran. Ranger, you must be making a mistake. Maybe. How many calves do you sell you? Eight of them. Boys bought these two in here, and they're getting the others now. Good. Is there a model face and a bunch, Stern? Well, yeah, there is. Guess that settles it, Jayce. This is Buckler's stock. Yeah, you better drive them out and have a van pick them up. Lab can examine the brand. Now, what about my money? Your claims against the man who sold them to you, Vic Moran from Rollo. If that was his right name. If he moved steers out, too, Jayce, they should be turning up at a commission house in a day or so. Yeah. In the meantime, Stern, I'll have to hold you and your boys in custody for possession of stolen property. Ain't it enough that I lost $480? Maybe it'll teach you not to pay cash for cattle until you've checked on them. I didn't pay cash. We gave Moran the check. The check? You mean he took a check from you? Yeah. Hey, maybe I can stop payment. You won't have to. We'll do it for you. Where's your bank? Ranchers and Merchants Clust and Abilene. The president knows me. His name's Chalmers. All right, Stern. Kurt, you bring him and his boys into town with a stock. I'll meet you there. I got to get to a phone and call that bank. I rode charcoal hard into town, found a phone and put a call through for Mr. Chalmers, president of the bank in Abilene. But I was too late. I'm sorry, Ranger Pearson, but Mr. Moranth cashed that check shortly after we opened this morning. Did you ask Moranth for identification? Yes, but he didn't have any on him. You cashed the check anyhow? Well, he asked us to call his bank in Rallo for a reference to save him time. He even paid for the call. You mean he actually comes from Rallo and asks us to call his bank in Rallo and they've heard of him there? The Rallo State Bank said he had an account there. But you don't actually know whether the man was Moranth. Well, after all, Ranger, when the man paid for the call to his own bank in Rallo, did Moranth endorse the check? Yes, it was endorsed in my presence. Will you rush that endorsed check to my headquarters? I want to look at that signature. When the check came through, Kurtz and I left for Rallo, Texas. At Rallo, we went directly to Moranth's bank. Uh, Vic Moranth? Well, yeah, I know him. This is signature? I'll have to compare it with his signature card just a moment. M-M-A-M-A-S-M-A-U. Ah, here we are. Uh, now we take both signatures and see. They're not the same, Jace. No. Thank you. Anytime, Ranger. Come on. What now, Jace? Moranth's ranch is only about a mile out. We'd better drive out there and see him. Or you won't have a drink, Ranger? No thanks. So, somebody's been using my name, huh? Looks that way. You know who it might be? No, but it's a cinch it wouldn't be a friend. Forgery's a mighty low trick. I figure it may have happened a hundred times before, Mr. Moranth, but this is the first time we caught it. I'm mighty glad you did. I don't like my name being mixed up with Thedon and Killen. Of course, you'd never see the checks. They'd go right back to the man who made them out after they were cashed. Anybody ever forge your name to a check that went through your own bank? I know. If anybody had, and I knew it, I'd have taken a bull whip to him. No help here, Jace. No. Well, thanks for your cooperation, Mr. Moranth. We can find our way out. So long, Mr. Moranth. You sure you won't take one of these before you go? I'm having another. No thanks. You've certainly led us into a blind pass. Huh? I said Moranth was no help. What's the matter with you, Jace? I was just thinking of that book of matches I found on the range out of bucklers. The ones that were dropped by somebody left-handed? Yeah. I watched Moranth pouring that drink for himself. He's left-handed, Kurtz. Well, that's mighty thin and circumstantial, Jace. Sure I know it is. Just a passing thought. I'm better called KTXA. Unit 10 to KTXA. Unit 10 back in service. KTXA to Unit 10. Have message for you. Go ahead, KTXA. Cattle with Elbran offered for sale this afternoon at Tully Commission House, Fort Worth. Cattle Inspector reports Grant might have been Elbran from Buckler Ranch. Did Commissioner get name and address of Seller? Seller refused to have checked mailed. Said he would pick it up tomorrow after stock was weighed and priced. Gave his name is Vic Moranth, Rallo, Texas. Just left Moranth at home in Rallo. Unit 10 and Unit 6 proceeding to Fort Worth will be there when Commission House opens in morning. Unit 10, 10-4. Got a long drive ahead of us, Jace. Yeah, but this is the break we've waited for. It's not so important now, is it, that Moranth happened to be left-handed? No. Not now, it isn't. In just a moment, we continue with Tales of the Texas Rangers starring Joel McCray as Ranger Jace Pearson. It's National Wheaties Week everywhere. Even backstage in our studio here tonight. Sure it is. We're all buying and eating Wheaties this week. And here's living proof. The man who dramatizes Tales of the Texas Rangers, Mr. Joel Murcott. Am I right, Joel? Are you getting your Wheaties? I sure am, Frank. And not only that, I've got Wheaties written to the breakfast script for Mrs. Murcott and our four kids too. Seems like eating Wheaties is little enough to do for them when they do so much for us. Folks, I hope you feel that way, but even if you don't, try Wheaties once. Just to show us you like our shows, what do you say? After all, National Wheaties Week only comes once a year. Thank you, Joel Murcott. We reached Fort Worth during the night and examined the cattle in the Commission House stockpins. They're part of the Buckler L Brands, all right. All next day, Bud Kurtz and I were staked out in the Commission House office. The man impersonating Murath never showed to pick up his check. Well, I have to wait again tomorrow, Chase. I don't think so. He won't be coming. What do you mean? Our man didn't show because somebody tipped him not to show. You think somebody in the Commission House slipped up? Maybe not, Kurtz. Maybe we slipped up. Maybe we did. What do you mean, Chase? I'll tell you, as soon as we find a photograph of Vic Murath, the real one from Rallo, it took almost two days to find a picture. We went through newspaper files, breeders' publications, cattlemen and ranchers' journals, county fair souvenir books. Captain Stinson found what I was after. Chase, look. Is Murath one of these? Yeah. Yeah, that's it, Captain. That's Murath in the center. Group picture. Who are the others? Picture comes from a breeder's journal. It says it's the Murath Ranch Rodeo team. Had the highest group score at the Rallo Rodeo in 1946, two years ago. I want to see if Stern or Chalmers the banker can identify Murath as the man who sold those calves. But we know it wasn't Murath, Chase. The signatures didn't match. They don't have to. Murath is left-handed. He might have endorsed the check with his right hand just to cover up. Hey, Chase, may have something there. It's worth trying. Stern has been released. I'll call him at his ranch and have him meet us at his bank in Abilene. How about it, Stern? Is this the man, the bear-headed one in the center? No. No ranger. I never saw him before. How about you, Chalmers? Is this the man who presented the check? No. No, it isn't. Another washout, Chase. And let me see that picture again. Sure. Here. I am. I'm not sure, but this fellow on the end, right here. You look at it, Chalmers. Why, yes. Yes, I believe that is the man. One of the cowpokes, huh? Come on, Kurtz. We're going to visit the sheriff at Rallo. Yeah. Yeah, I know that fellow. Quit working for Murath about a year ago. He bought himself a little ranch not far from Murath's, uh, over near Comanche Gulch. Cowpoke has to be pretty thrifty to buy a ranch. What's his name? Uh, Buzz Black. How do they get over to Comanche Gulch, Chase? Yeah. Thanks, Sheriff. Sure. Glad to be of service. We're going to be able to tell Murath who's been using his name. We don't have to tell him. I got a hunch he already knows. What makes you say that? Black didn't go back to pick up that check. Somebody warned him those cattle were getting hot. That means Murath. But if he's in on it, why would he let Black use his name? Because he's smart. False signature makes him look like an innocent victim. His reputation is good. And as we went to him, he knew we were on the trail, and he told Black and the others to lay low. Right. Let's get Black for a starter. Scared me, right? Drop that hammer. Oh, sure. Sure. I don't know what this is all about, but I... It's about an old man who was shot to death while you were running off some of his cattle with an ale brand. Me? You're crazy, aren't I? You got three people who can identify you. Man who bought the calves, banker who cashed a check, and the commissioner who bought the steers and fought worse. All right. So what? I found a cattle out at Camp Hood. You don't find cattle with a brand on them. They weren't Mavericks. You'd better talk, Black. I'll talk when I see a lawyer. You wait that long, and Murath will run out, and you'll be facing it alone. That old rancher was murdered. I didn't shoot him. I swear, Ranger. No jury's gonna believe you, unless you tell us who did it, and we find the gun he used. All right. All right. It was Murath. He started the whole thing with his idea. Who rode with you? One folks from here, six from Murath's place. What's that? Rather taken off in a brush, Chase. Stop, you! Too late. He made cover. Isn't the Murath ranch over that way, Black? Yeah, yeah. That was my rider. He must have sneaked up and hurt us. I'm gonna handcuff you to this wagon. Now, wait a minute. We'll be back for you later. Come on, Kurtz. They don't know we're coming down. They'll scatter it, Chase. You better call headquarters for more units. We put through the call and headed for Murath's ranch in the car, hoping to beat the rider. He must have stopped on the way and phoned Murath because the ranch was clear when we got there. Ah, they cleared out, Chase. Better get the horses out of the trailer and start tracking. Wait a minute, Kurtz. Look at this driveway. Funny marks. Yeah. Brush trailing behind the truck to wipe out the tracks. I've seen that before. And this is fresh. A branch caught in the edge of that mesquite when they turned into the road and snapped it. The brake is new. That means they're heading for the highway. Probably all riding together in the truck will be an arsenal on wheels. Come on. Units we called for can set up roadblocks and converge on them. Unit 10 to KTXA. Unit 10 to KTXA. KTXA to Unit 10. Go ahead. Subjects wanted for killing of Maury Buckler making getaway and cattle truck from Murath's ranch at Rallo. Check license numbers of vehicles registered to Murath. We're going, Unit 10. Subjects headed for main highway will probably turn south toward closest border point. Unit 10 and Unit 6 headed that way. Have other units converge on area and set up roadblocks with highway patrol. Units 3 and 8 nearby. We'll notify them. We'll make direct contacts with units as we close in. Unit 10. 10-4. Kurtz, you can come out there the sheriff's radio car in town. Give us a chance to spread out more. It's going to be like tackling a tank, Jase. Yeah. Break out a Tommy gun and put it on the seat. We moved in from all points. On those side roads that weren't covered by our units. Murath and his men were lost in our rain. I kept my foot heavy on the gas pedal and far ahead as I approached the intersection of State 12. I saw the truck dip over a rise. Unit 10 to Unit 3. Unit 10 to Unit 3. Unit 3, go ahead, Unit 10. Subjects truck less than a mile ahead of Unit 10 nearing intersection point, your area. Ready for the Unit 10. Unit 6 to Unit 10. Go ahead, Unit 6. Unit 6 now on Main Highway, south of the intersection. Blocked highway at that point, Unit 6. Subjects are between Unit 6 and Unit 10 now unless they turn off. Call the intersection. Good, Unit 3. Unit 8 has blocked still further south if subjects break through. Closer to the speeding trucks at top to rise and hit it down toward the intersection of the State Highway. I can see the sheriff's car, Kurtz had borrowed, blocking the road. Unit 3's car in the center of the turn off. The truck skidded and started to make a turn and come back toward it. I swung my car across the road, grabbed the toby gun and jumped out. I'm OK. All right, you men, get over there and keep your hands up. I got them covered, Jace. One dead in the back there and a couple wounded. Hey, where's Barat? Around the other side of the cab, dead. He came out shooting and I nailed him. Better break that rifle out of his grip. Holistics can tell if it's the one that killed Buckler. It'll be the one all right. Or he wouldn't have tried so hard to keep us from getting him. Barat's rifle was positively identified as the one used in the slaying of Rancho Mori Buckler. Buzz Black and the other men who had assisted Barat were given penitentiary sentences ranging from 20 to 99 years. Here's the Wheaties man, Frank Martin. Another triumph for the Rangers and another grand performance by our dissingui star, Mr. Joel McRae. And here he is with a few words for you personally about National Wheaties Week. I hope you're enjoying Tales of the Texas Rangers and it would give me a whole lot of pleasure, partner, if I thought you'd go out and get a box of Wheaties tomorrow because of our program. Since it's National Wheaties Week, it's a pretty good time to get those Wheaties. Will you do that? Good night. Good night, Joel. And oh, Wheaties and I were going to send you a free case of Wheaties. But then we thought, oh, that's silly. Joel McRae eats Wheaties, so chances are his kitchen shelf is loaded. And what National Wheaties Week is really for is to get other people to eat Wheaties. Frankly, folks, it's to get you to know and appreciate the fact that there's a whole kernel of wheat in every Wheaties Flake. That's right, a whole kernel of wheat in every Wheaties Flake. National Wheaties Week is for you to buy Wheaties and try them and see for yourself how Wheaties at 7 can help at 11. So no free Wheaties to you, Joel. You can buy them just like all the rest of it. Right, folks? Don't forget, breakfast of champions. Come on, everybody, to the Wheaties Party. Eat a lot of Wheaties like the champions do. Dance together cheek to cheek. This is National Wheaties Week. Eat a lot of Wheaties like the champions do. Wheaties and breakfast of champions. Next week, Joel McCrae and another authentic re-enactment of a case from the files of The Texas Rangers. The scene starring in the Universal International Technicolor production Saddle Trench. Tonight's cast included Tony Barrett, Tom Tully, Burt Holland, Joe Dubal, Byron Kane, Paul Dubuff, and Bob Cole. This story was transcribed and adapted by Joel Mercott, and the program is produced and directed by Stacey Keith, Hal Gibney speaking. And this is the Wheaties Man, Frank Martin inviting you to listen on Wednesday night to Brian Donlevy in Dangerous Assignment on the Wheaties Big Parade. See you then. And remember, it's National Wheaties Week. Tomorrow, Sam's Fade cuts a caper and Robert Merrill sings on NBC. Thank you.