 of the Texas Rangers starring Joel McRae as Ranger Jase Pearson. Another authentic re-enactment of a case transcribed from the files of the Texas Rangers. Places in the following story are fictitious for obvious reasons. The events themselves are a matter of record. Later this evening, great entertainment continues on the NBC radio network with such stellar programs as The Big Show, The Phil Harris Alice Faye Show, Theatre Guild on the Air and The $64 Question. Immediately following tales of the Texas Rangers, you'll hear The Big Show with Tallulah Bankhead and Oliver guest stars, along with Meredith Wilson and The Big Show Chorus and Orchestra. The Big Show brings 90 minutes of enjoyable listening and then Phil Harris and Alice Faye step before the NBC microphones to bring you mirth and music in their own inimitable manner. Later it's Theatre Guild on the Air and then too you'll be happily entertained by Jack Parr as he asks The $64 Question. So keep tuned here for continuous great entertainment. And now back to tales of the Texas Rangers. Now from the files of the Texas Rangers, the case called Cold Blood. It is 7.30 on the night of April 22nd, 1935. In a shack in a poor section of Lundy and East Texas town, a young widow feeds her baby. As the room grows dark, she gets up and crosses to an oil lamp on the table. Now you hush, honey. Don't you be crying. We'll have us a nice bright light in just a minute. There. You see, honey? I told you I'd get rid of the shadow. Who's there? It's Eli, Nellie. Open up, quick. Eli, are we tonight? Don't stand talking, Nellie. Let me in. Lock it. Lock the door. Eli, you're hurt. You got yourself in trouble, ain't you? Let me sit down. I've got to rest. Rest. Nellie, put out the light. All right, Eli. I'm in trouble, you and him. I run all the way from the farm. All the way. I'm your sister, Eli. I've got a right to know what kind of trouble. Nellie, I'm scared, Nellie. I'm scared bad. Oh, honey, don't. You sit right there. I'm going to get some water. I'll wash the blood off your face. You all right, Nellie? Don't you worry. There's some light from the street. I see pretty good in the dark anyhow. Hush, baby. I'm busy now. This will hurt some, Eli. There. You're a good sister, Nellie. She always was a good sister. Oh, still? You're going to tell me about it? Miss Dean. She's dead. Miss Dean? Mr. Dean, say I kill her. He come down to my shack. Say Miss Dean dead and I kill her. Say my coat was in the room where she's dead. He beat me, Nellie. You fight him? No. He's all right. I tripped him. He fell on the floor and I run away. All the way from the farm I run. Eli, you ought to go to the shack. I can't. You know that. I go in the town. I know. I got to hide. I got to hide fast. What good is that going to do? They'll get you. They'll get you sure. I got to hide. A few days they don't find me. Maybe I can get out of the state. Then they'll never find me. Oh, they'll find you. Where are you figuring on hiding? You know that old shack in the swamp? Place we used to play when we was kids? It ain't good enough. They'll find you sure. But you're right. You got to hide and you got to have food. Nellie. Uh-huh. There's something you ain't asked me yet. Look, here's a loaf of bread and some smoked meat. It ain't much, but it'll keep you going, Spell. Nellie, you ain't to ask me if I did kill Miss D. I don't have to ask you, Eli. You're my brother. And that's all I need to know. You're a good sister. If you're going to hide, you better get out of here. Yeah, you're looking for more. Let them come. They ain't going to hear nothing from me. You be careful, Eli. You be awful careful. I will. Maybe I'm going to get away. I can write you. Let you know where I'm going. You don't write me nothing. You hear nothing. Well, let me look out first. Go ahead, Nell. So long. So long. Oh, God bless you. Oh. The sheriff was notified by Ralph Dean, a farmer, that his wife had been murdered. He hurried to the scene of the crime and then requested assistance from the Texas Rangers. Shortly past 10 p.m. Rangers Jase Pearson and Clay Morgan arrived at the Dean farmhouse. The sheriff met them at their car. Howdy, Sheriff. Howdy, boys. Howdy. The body's in the bedroom. I left everything just like it was. Her husband's still around? Yeah. He was going to take off, but I figured you'd want to talk to him. He's waiting in the front room now. Come on. Where do you want to take off for? Well, you know how it is, Jase. Dean says it was his hired hand killed his wife. He's boiling mad. He wants to go out looking for the boy himself. What's the hired hand's name? Eli Wilbur, been with Dean near five years. We haven't been able to locate him since the murder. Uh, Ralph? Ralph, this is Ranger Pearson and Ranger Morgan. I do, Mr. Dean. Sorry to hear about your wife. Yeah. Glad you're here, Rangers. Maybe you can talk some sense into the sheriff. Now, you look here, Ralph. You look here, Sheriff. I told you when I called you, Eli Wilbur killed my wife. What are you waiting for? Why don't you got a posse out tracking him down? Because I'm handling this my own way, Ralph. Your way? Man, be panting around like this. Well, he's probably miles away by now. He's got to be killed, I tell you. Just the way he killed my wife. If he's guilty, we'll get him. You'll get him. I'm telling you one thing, Sheriff. If that boy ain't taking care of, I'm going to see to it you ain't elected again. Listen here, Ralph. Dean and I ain't taking threats from you and nobody else. Well, just a minute, both of you. Sheriff, take Clay into the bedroom where he can have a look at the body. I want to ask Mr. Dean a few questions. All right, Jase. Yeah, right through here, Clay. Yeah. What makes you think Eli killed your wife, Mr. Dean? Think? I know. He's coaching her in it. Rip them hair, pieces still in Nettle's hands. She must... Yes, well, she's dead. She's dead, Ranger. What time do you find your wife's body? Oh, about six. When I come in from the fields and we're now pulling stumps till then. Wasn't Eli with you? No. He played sick today. But I don't need no one else. Did Eli come into the house often? Of course not. Only when I called him. Thanks, Mr. Dean. That'll be all for now. Are you going to get the sheriff to organize that pussy? That won't be necessary. Well, then I'm going to organize one of my own. I've got these friends here. That boy ain't going to get away with this. We're going to catch him and... You let us handle this. We'll get the person who killed your wife. All right, Ranger. There's no law against taking a little trip into this swamp to hunt gaiters, is there? Take my advice, Mr. Dean. Don't interfere with the law. She was strangled, Chase. Must have put up quite a fight from the look of the room. Uh-huh. These bruises on her neck are pretty bad. The man who put them there must have had strong fingers. Yeah, I've had a good look around. Aside from that coat she's holding, there's not much in the way of evidence. The coat belongs to the boy, all right. I'd say it looks mighty bad for him. He can't get far away. We'll put out a bulletin on him. If he's gone into those swamps, all the bulletins in the world ain't gonna do no good. Has he got any relatives in town? A sister, Nellie Johnson. My deputy was there early this evening. She wouldn't tell him nothing. Don't believe you'll get much information from her. We'll try our luck anyhow. Come on, Clay. Yes. You Nellie Johnson? Yes, sir. We'd like to talk to you. Oh, come in, sir. You too, sir. We're looking for your brother, Nellie. Can you tell us where he is? He didn't do it, Mr. Ranger. I know Eli didn't kill Miss Dean. Now, do you know Miss Dean was killed, Nellie? That gentleman who worked for the sheriff, he came here early tonight looking for Eli. Say Miss Dean was dead. I told him Eli didn't do it. Maybe he didn't, but he shouldn't have run away. If he'd run away, it's only causing scares. Have you seen Eli tonight? No, sir. I ain't seen him for a full week. He stayed out to Miss Dean's farm. Do you have any idea where he might be hiding? Oh, no, sir. Can't say as I do. Nellie, if Eli killed Miss Dean, we're going to catch him. He'll be punished for what he did. But if he's innocent, we're going to protect him. You understand that, don't you? Yes, sir. Then you know we have to find him. We can't help him if we don't. Mr. Ranger, you've got to believe what I say. I don't know where Eli is. I just don't know. You're sure he wasn't here earlier this evening? Oh, yes, sir. I'm real sure. Nellie, these two spots here by the table leg. You know what they are? I... No, sir. I don't know. They're fresh blood stains, Nellie. You want to tell us how they got there? Well, sir... Oh, yes, sir. I remember now when I was fixing supper. I cut my finger. Where'd you cut your finger? Show us. I... Oh, Mr. Ranger, please. If you didn't cut your finger, somebody else must have left those blood spots. He was here tonight, wasn't he, Nellie? Eli was here. Mr. Ranger... Why don't you tell us what you know? It'll be better all the way around. I don't want him to get hurt. My baby brother, I know he didn't do nothing. I don't want him to get hurt. He won't get hurt, Nellie. We can promise you that. He was here, wasn't he? Yes, sir. Yes, sir. He was here. When? About 7.30, just after he run from the farm. Why'd he run away? He found out Miss Dean was dead and he was scared of Miss Dean and scared that people in town do something to him. You know where he is now? Yes, sir. He's hiding in the shack in a small place we call old Marcus and the shack. Oh, please, Mr. Ranger, don't let nothing happen to Eli. Don't let nothing happen to him. Don't worry, Nellie. We'll see Eli gets a fair deal all the way through. By the way, how'd he get hurt? Hurt? He must have been bleeding when he came here. How'd it happen? You won't tell Mr. Dean, I told you. Just tell us how it happened, Nellie. Well, sir, Miss Dean come after Eli. Say he killed Miss Dean, he beat Eli. Make Eli's face bleed. All right, Nellie. Thanks. You know, Jay, she might have been telling the truth about how Eli got hurt. But it could be Mrs. Dean scratching him while they were struggling. I don't think so. There would have been skin under her fingernails and there wasn't. But if Dean did beat up Eli, it means he saw him after the murder. If he did, it's something he forgot to tell me. Maybe we ought to have another talk with him. We will after we pick up Eli. Let's find out how to get to Moccas and Shaq. The sheriff wasn't in his office, but his deputy told us how to reach the Shaq Nellie had described. We drove to the edge of town, unloaded our horses from the trailer and rode toward the swamp. We reached at about nine that morning when we started in. Shouldn't be far now, Jay. There's the three oaks and the will of the deputy told us about. Shaq ought to be about a hundred yards in from here. Not exactly the kind of place I'd like to spend a vacation. Well, I never heard anybody advertising it as a resort, but fool, Shaq, fool. Clay, listen. Sounds like we're not the only ones out after Eli this morning. Yeah. Reckon Dean didn't take my advice after all. Let's get going. That could mean a lot of trouble. At least they don't seem to know where Eli is. Let's hope we do. I got a hunch Nellie was telling the truth. If Eli hasn't heard those dogs and taken off deeper into the swamp, we ought to find him. It won't take us long to know. Jay, there's Shaq. Oh, fool, Shaq. Good day. Stay on your toes, Clay. He's lovely to make a break. Yeah. He looks empty, Jay. Yeah. I thought it was at first, too. Huh? This piece of rough and flooring. All right, Eli. Come up out of there. You rangers. Thank God. Oh, thank God. Will I be under the floorboard? Please, please, don't let him get me. Please. Nobody's going to get you, Eli. You're coming back to town with us. They'll catch me. They won't listen to nothing I got to say. I hear them the whole night. They got dogs. Crawl up, Eli. Yes, sir. Please don't let them hurt me, Mr. Ranger. They want to kill me. I know they want to kill me. Don't worry. If anybody's going to get you, you'll have to get us first. In just a moment, we will continue with tales of the Texas Rangers starring Joel McCray as Ranger Jayce Pearson. None of us would knowingly betray our country or endanger our loved ones and homes. Yet each of us betrays all these when we are tolerant of or don't fight back at group prejudice. When we stand for such hate, we're doing the very thing that communists want us to do. They'd like to see us divided. Christian against Jew, white neighbor against colored neighbor, or native born against foreign born. If our enemies could divide all the small groups that make up this country, then we would be weak and could be easily overcome. Now, as probably never before, we need to be united as an example to our allies who look to us for hope and as a warning to our enemies that we are truly a united states of America. Work for understanding, accept or reject people on their individual worth, refuse to listen to or spread rumors against a race or religion, speak up wherever you are, against prejudice. And now, back to tales of the Texas Rangers. We continue now with tales of the Texas Rangers and our authentic story, Cold Blood. We got Eli out of the shack and onto my horse. As we started for town, we could hear the sound of dogs and men getting closer. When we reached solid ground and came into a clearing, we saw them arranged across the path we had to take. There were eight of them on horses with Dean at their head. A group of men was silent as we stopped at the edge of the clearing, 30 yards away from them. They look pretty mean, Jayce, and they're all armed. They're gonna get me. I know they're gonna get me. Take it easy, Eli. What do you say, Jayce? We'll go through, walk your horse slow and don't say anything unless they speak to us. Eli? Yes, sir. If there's a fight and something happens to our horse, stay close to me. Yes, sir. You reckon they'll be crazy enough to try anything? Don't be long till we find out. Get up, Chucky. Don't look like they're gonna move, Jayce. Maybe not. Morning, Mr. Dean. If you don't mind, we'd like to get past. Sure, angel, sure. Just thought as how since we all met out here, we have a nice, friendly talk. I'm glad you mentioned it because I want to have a talk with you. Right now, I'm a little busy. Yeah, you got yourself a prisoner, I see. We didn't do so good in our hunt. Whole night edit and we're empty handed. Too bad. If you and your friends would get out of the way, we'd like to get our man back to town. I expect you would. Wonder how it would be if we helped you. Be ashamed if you got away after you took so much trouble getting him. We'll manage. All right, ranger. Open up there for the rangers, boys. Thanks. I meant what I said about that talk. We'll be out to see you this afternoon. Sure, anytime. And ranger. Yeah? Just make sure that boy there gets a kind of trial he deserves. I believe he will. Now. It was past noon when we got Eli back to town and into a cell. He was still scared but recovered enough to eat a good-sized meal. At one o'clock, we went up to question him. Sheriff led Clay and me along to the cell block. Well, one thing, Chase, you can be sure Eli's gonna get all the attention we can give him. He's the only prisoner we got now. Yeah, probably better that way. Don't know what Dean and his gang might try. Oh, damn. Clay told me he had a little trouble on the way in but I don't expect him to try much now. A bunch of blow hearts. No, the same. I wouldn't like to have been Eli. They'd have caught him out in that swamp. Yeah, that's different. But here in the lock-up, me and my deputy's on the job. I'll be down in the corridor holler when you want me. Thanks, Sheriff. Hello, Eli. You feel better now? Yes, sir. Much better. Not so scared now. Good. We just want to ask you a few questions. Yes, sir. Eli, did you kill Mrs. Dean? No, sir. Your coat was found in her hands? Mr. Ranger, I don't know how come my coat got in his Dean's hands, but I didn't kill it. Did you tell Mr. Dean you were sick yesterday afternoon? Sick? No, sir. I'd never been sick a day in my life. Mr. Dean said that you told him you were. Wonder how come he said that? He knowed I wasn't sick, sent me out in the field with the mule, told me to pull stumps. And you went out there? Yes, sir. I was out there all afternoon, coming to the evening. Mr. Dean with you? No, sir. He stayed in to the house. Say, Mrs. Dean, she don't feel so good. She didn't sound like she was sick, though. How do you mean? I come up to the house after lunch to find out what I got to do the rest of the day. I hear Mrs. Dean talking pretty loud to Mr. Dean. Did you hear what she was saying? No, sir. I don't listen much no more. Mrs. Dean, she always speaks right sharp to Mr. Dean. Uh-huh. Eli, when did you see Mr. Dean last? When he come to my shack after I come in from the field. Why did he come to see you? Because Mrs. Dean was dead. Mr. Dean say I didn't. He wouldn't listen to nothing. I didn't kill Mrs. Dean. I swear I didn't. Did anybody else see you out in the field yesterday afternoon? Well, no, sir. Don't reckon nobody did. Eli, were you working all afternoon? Yes, sir. I was working the whole... No, sir. I forgot. I quit once. What for? I stopped to kill me a rattler. You what? There was a big rattler curled up in the sun next to a stump. I didn't see him till the mule squealed. Then I picked up a rock and let fly. Killed him right off. Did you leave the snake line where you killed him? Yes, sir. I got no use for no rattler dead or alive. Eli, this is important. I want you to tell me exactly where you killed that rattlesnake. Well, sir, it was someplace in Mr. Dean's north field. So much happened since you did it. I don't recollect just where. I reckon we'll have to stage our own private snake hunt. Uh-huh. Some folks say it's bad luck to kill a rattler, Mr. Ranger. It appears like mine's already started. Don't worry, Eli. Killing that rattler might bring you more good luck than anything you ever did. We found a dead rattler where Eli said he'd kill it in Dean's north field. We took the remains of the snake with us, figuring our lab could tell us approximately how long it had been dead. Then we decided to call our hand with Dean, but he wasn't home. We headed for town. It was 5.20 when we pulled up in front of the sheriff's office. He was standing outside. I could tell something was wrong even before he reached the car. Jayce, hey, I was just going to call your headquarters and have him get you fellas on the radio. What's wrong? Somebody just broke in the jail. It took Eli away. Holy! Who was it, Sheriff? That's just it, Jayce. I don't know. I'd swear it was Ralph Dean and his bunch, but I don't know. Oh, that happened. Well, everything was quiet. There wasn't even nothing you could feel in town like you sometimes can. I went home for supper and left my deputy here. They broke in then? Yep. Got my deputy. Just he was coming down and taking Eli's supper. Slugged him and got the keys. He didn't even get a look at him. Oh, I never sure to laugh. You couldn't have known. I think we've got to do now. Somebody awfully excited about something. Why, Attorney Matthews. Sure. I've been trying to call. What is it, Ernie? Let me catch my brother. That boy had Jayce. Yeah, what about him? They got him. Who? Scum, nothing but scum. Ralph Dean and the rest of his crowd. They're crazy, Sheriff. I'm crazy. Where were they heading? Don't know. It was not cutting wood back in my place. So I'm riding past. Got the boy. They're crazy. They're going away from town past your place? Yeah, yeah. Probably Graham Woods, Jayce. Come on, Sheriff. Show us where it is. The Sheriff drove ahead and we followed. When we got as far as we could by road, we unloaded the horses, and the Sheriff pointed out Graham Woods. Clay and I started out. Five minutes later, we were entering the woods. It was just getting dark as we picked up the trail. The tracks seemed to lead right into the woods, Jayce. Yeah. Hope we're not too late. At least we won't have any trouble getting the worms that did it. That's not enough. We've got to save that boy's life. Jayce. Over there for the left. Yeah. Get up. Come on. We ride in as close as we can, then make the rest of it on foot. Wouldn't it be faster if we went all the way on horses? Yeah. The Sheriff's coming. They'll kill Eli and take off before we get there. They'll probably too busy to hear anything. They won't take the chance. The life would be close enough. We'll check it out. Yeah, boy. Flashlight. Go easy, Clay. Please listen, Toby. I didn't kill Miss D. You've got to listen to me. She's like the boy's point you to have your life saved, man. All right? Go ahead. Talk. That's D. Uh-huh. What are you waiting for, Eli? Go on and talk. We'll listen to you. I know I didn't know you, Mr. D. Didn't kill Miss D. Why was your coach doing in my way? Thanks enough for me. What about you, boy? Don't! You got the rope ready? All of you. Drop those guns. Ranger! I said drop those guns. That's better. Now, all of you stay where you are. I'm tired, Eli Clay. Get him down off that horse. Right. All right, Ranger. You stop this. What for? He's gonna die anyhow. He never had a chance to prove his innocence, Dean. He's a murderer, ain't he? He killed my wife. I'm not so sure of that. I found his coat in Ethel's hands. What more do you want? It could be. Eli didn't leave that coat. What are you talking about, Ranger? Let me see your hands, Dean. What for? Let me see them. Now, the backs. How'd you get those bruises on your knuckles? They're from pulling stumps yesterday. You sure they didn't get bruised from beating up Eli? You're crazy. I never beat him up. Maybe you waited till Eli came in from work, accused him of killing your wife, beat him up and let him get away so you could get your gang of hoodlums after him. That's a lie. I never seen Eli. I was working in the fields all afternoon, alone. Eli says he was the only one working in the fields yesterday. That's true. Oh, he does, eh? Well, whose word are you gonna take? Wait a minute, Dean. We might be able to prove Eli was in the fields. Oh. He said he killed a rattlesnake. We found it where he said it would be. If our lab says it was killed yesterday afternoon, it's pretty good proof. You're trying to railroad me. You know better than that. But you gotta prove where you were yesterday afternoon. What do I gotta prove anything for? Because if you don't, you gotta murder charge against you for killing your wife. You hear that, boys? You're gonna stand here and let him take sides against us? No. The only side I'm taking is the law of Texas. Come on. You're going back to town. I ain't going nowhere. I said come on. You ain't taking me. No. Get up, Dean. All right, the rest of you. Come on. Stop moving. Go. Get up. Hey. You're gonna get something you've tried to keep, Eli, from heaven. A fair trial. Go on. Eli. Yes, sir? You walk with me. Yes, sir. In just a moment, we will tell you the results of the case you have just heard. There's fine entertainment every day right here on the NBC radio network. 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And now, back to tales of the Texas Rangers. And now, here are the results of the case you have just heard. Laboratory investigation of the rattlesnake upheld Eli Wilder's story. Faced with this and other evidence, Ralph Dean confessed to killing his wife after a violent quarrel over money. The seven men who assisted in the attempted lynching were tried before a jury of citizens of their own county and given prescribed jail terms. Dean convicted of murder was sentenced to life imprisonment at Huntsville. Sweet Joel McCray in another authentic reenactment of a case from the files of the Texas Rangers. Cluted Tony Barrett, Vivian Weber, Bob Davis, Parley Baer, Herb Ellis, and Bill Johnstone. Technical advisor was Captain M. T. Lon Wolf-Gonzalez of the Texas Rangers. This story was transcribed and adapted by Charles E. Israel, and the program was produced and directed by Stacey Keach. Hal, give me speaking. Next, the big show brings you drama, comedy, and music on NBC.