 The national broadcasting company presents Joel McCrae in Tales of the Texas Rangers Tonight transcribed from Hollywood another authentic re-enactment of a case from the files of the Texas Rangers Tales of the Texas Rangers starring Joel McCrae as Ranger Jayce Pearson Texas more than two hundred and sixty thousand square miles And 50 men will make up the most famous and oldest law enforcement body in North America Files of the Texas Rangers come these stories based on fact only names dates and places are fictitious for obvious reasons The events themselves are a matter of record case for tonight. No living witnesses It is 11 30 a.m. A Monday morning in November 1939 Sheriff Ross Betsby turns his car into a quiet residential street of Harper's Landing, Texas Seated in the car with him is mrs. Blackburn a medical assistant She becomes increasingly nervous as they approach a sign marking the home of dr. Walter Hennett Now don't go get and jump him is blackburn There could be a hundred reasons for the doc to be missing not doc him it and you know it It ain't like him to just disappear No sign of him since Saturday night wasn't a church yesterday and he ended his house this morning He's always there for visitor now is at 9 30 so he's probably out on a house call Maybe over to the hospital at Ridge Hill if he was the phone operator'd know about it Besides his car still in the garage. Well, here's a house better get out of the car and see if we can't raise it That's what I've been trying to do all morning Sure, he wasn't at church yesterday Of course, I'm sure he always gave me a ride home to my place And I'd always make Sunday breakfast for him before he'd start on his house calls You don't work for a man for ten years without learning his habits especially a doctor. Well, he's got to be around someplace Oh Hello, doc, you have a key miss blackburn never needed one before Front door the waiting room's always been open except at night. Of course. He could have driven off with somebody, but Well, I don't know If he's here, why doesn't he answer? Well, even doctors get sick and doc him. It's no young street might have had a stroke What are you gonna do Sheriff? We got to get inside I got no legal right to bust in without a warrant, but that'll take time and maybe this can't wait Why don't you just go in then doc knows you he'd understand. He doesn't understand I reckon he'll just have to sue me for a broken window I'll knock this in with my gun and I'll climb in and let you in through the door hurry Where's Doc's bedroom back here not here bed's been used though. It was all made up Saturday night when I left Then he slept here Saturday night bathroom door is open Nothing in there Reckon we better go through the rest of the house Kitchen's clear. You can see out back through the windows. There's nothing there either sure if I'm I'm frightened the sliding door to his office was closed when we come into the waiting room Better have a look at that office He isn't in here. I don't know Better stay back miss blackburn Dressed in a robe and pajamas Must had a heart attack come in here to get something for it and wait a minute. What is it? Only his robe It looks like blood to his blood from a bullet wound He's been murdered Sheriff vets be made an immediate request for the aid of a Texas Ranger Ranger Jase Pearson was assigned. He joined the sheriff at the home of dr. Hemmitt shortly after 1 p.m Jase it is miss blackburn. She was docked helper and this is Ranger Pearson miss blackburn Howdy, howdy, ma'am. I asked miss blackburn to stay until you got here Reckon she knows more about docking anybody. I gather you didn't live here in the house, ma'am. No, I Have my own place. I don't know just what I'd like to ask you yet until I look around Would you mind waiting a little longer stay as long as you need me? Thanks, ma'am Where's the body sheriff in the office through that sliding door? I've been keeping it closed off. Nobody's been in here but me and one deputy. He just took a couple of pictures Good I got a good examiner been here yet. No, but he'll be along soon. He's driving down from Hesterville Mark alongside the docks temple here and bruise about two inches long The pretty heavy blow looks like he might have been knocked out with a gun barrel that figures because he wasn't standing up When he was shot he was lying here on the floor what makes you think so bullet went right through the chest and buried in the Floor under him. I moved him a little and I dug the slug out here 45 yeah There's something funny about this though quite a bit of blood on this examination table almost six feet away from the body Yeah, I wanted about that myself the instrument tray and surgical dressings pulled up beside the table There's a couple of hypodermic needles that look like they've been used Well Jay's doc couldn't have been trying to treat his own wound He never moved after he was shot of that slug wouldn't have been in the floor right under him Of course he he might have staggered around before he was shot after he got hit on the head It's still wouldn't account for the blood on this table. There was no bleeding from the mark on his head That means the blood on the table come from somebody else medical examiner can type it for us later I want to see mrs. Blackburn for a minute Yeah We can use some help from you now mrs. Blackburn. I'll tell you anything I can Mrs. Blackburn was it part of your job to clean the doctor's office. Yes Every day after his final visit an hour according to the sign outside his evening hours were from 5 to 7 p.m That's right. You clean the place after 7 p.m. Saturday night. Yes What time did you leave? Well, doctor had a few calls to make after visiting hours house calls Awaited until he got back and fixed his dinner for him. I reckon it was late when I left after 10 o'clock Look through the door of the examination room for a minute Yes, sir. Is that surgical tray usually in that position? I mean did you leave it like that Saturday night? No Everything was put away in the cabinet. How about the examination table you clean that off Saturday night Yes, was the doctor expecting any patient after you left late? No, no He said he was going right to bed and he must have gone to J's the bed had been slipped in and you can see what it was Wearing I think it'd be all right for you to go home now ma'am if I need any more information we can reach you there Thank you. Tell the deputy outside that I said to drive you home like I just soon walk Yes, well, thanks for helping mrs. Blackburn Well, that settles one thing Jase doc had an unexpected patient late Saturday night somebody who routed him out of bed and killed him But why I got an idea it was to keep the doc from calling you keep him from calling me What do you mean whoever came here was hurt bleeding? So it wasn't a planned visit not somebody who came here deliberately to kill the doc Doc was killed to keep him from talking about the visit Oh doc Kammet had never talked about a patient's business only in one case where the law would require it He'd have to report it if he treated anybody for a bullet wound That's right Jase that could be it that probe on the instrument tray has blood on it And that's just what a doc could use to dig out a bullet. I know I've had a few dug out myself Let's comb this examination room again What are you looking for if we're right a slug doc him at dug out of his patient We found it wrapped in a piece of bloodstained gauze in one of the trash containers There was something else in the container to part of a faded blue denim shirt that had been used to bind the wound You must have been a bad wound Jase that denim was soaked. Yeah, take a look at this slug Looks like a slug from a savage 303, but doc was killed by a 45 That's natural the man who came here wounded was shot someplace else by somebody else wouldn't be the same gun Fellow we're after must have been in a gunfight thing the way it shapes up With all that blood he couldn't have come far couldn't have waited too long to get to a doctor and the chances are he wasn't alone Somebody must have been helping him. Oh, they could have just left doc knocked out trust him up and gotten away Why'd they have to kill him? I can't answer that one when the medical examiner gives us the wounded man's blood type I'm gonna send the two slugs we've got through the Austin for a ballistic check Get a rundown on every police report involving gunplay that took place anywhere within a hundred miles I hear on Saturday night The medical examiner came and after a quick check gave us the blood type of the man we were after I range for the two slugs We had to be sent through to Austin at the same time phone for a complete report on all shooting incidents that had occurred on Saturday night Then the sheriff and I started to drive to his office This looks like a tough one to me Jase We got a blood type to check for but I reckon a million people in Texas have type old blood Yeah, but not all of them are gonna have a recent bullet wound They can't account for you're right if we find one who's been wounded But for all we know the man doc treated might have got himself shot by accident if he did He wouldn't have killed the doc to keep him from reporting it. I guess you got me hugged hide on that point Jase but all the same I don't hold it a minute sheriff It's for me Unit 10 to KTXA. Go ahead Ten four What is it? Go on slope of Thunder Ridge Roebling County about 70 miles west your present location Time of death not yet determined waiting report of medical examiner Ten four is another unit assigned to that case This unit proceeding to join unit three to explore possibility of link between two killings Ten four Ten four unit 10 clear You think that might hook up with us Jase. It's the only thing that's turned up another range of units there unit three That's Steve Clark. We can work it together. Suppose. I leave you on deck here to cover anything that turns up suits me Just brought me in my office Even to this fellow you're gonna see was killed on Saturday night Jase. It could still be a coincidence I know but it'll stop being a coincidence if he was killed by the same 45 that was used to murder doc Himmett I dropped the sheriff off then headed for Thunder Ridge when I got to the base I unloaded charcoal for my horse trailer and started the climb The sun was sinking as I started up the slope and darkness came fast I spotted torches moving like fireflies. I rode for them Easy easy charcoal watch your foot and boy Hello there That's you Steve Right coming up to you Howdy Steve. Howdy Jase got a walkie-talkie message. You were coming didn't come down the road to meet you because we wanted to get the Body out of here the medical examiner can't do much till we get it into town Where is the body back there in a pack mule with the sheriff's deputies? I'm leading the way down. I might as well get moving then I'll ride with you right all right. We're gonna move again Follow this gully all the way down and watch your step Come on. Come on. Charity Any line on how long he's been dead not for sure But I think it's gonna fit in with what you're looking for what I can judge he was killed Saturday night Got anything to back that up. Yeah, the man's a cowpoke works on that ranch at the base of the ridge He rode up here Saturday night to see some Mexican galleys been caught But he never did get back to the ranch after he left her shack I wonder why anybody traveled all the way up here to kill him He was ambushed on the way back to the ranch had been just as easy for the killer to wait until he hit the flat Down by the ranch funny you should say that why because he was shot down on the flat And how does body get up here and there's I can figure he started to ride back up to get help He wasn't killed right off fell out of the saddle and died where it fell seems to me He'd have ridden on to the ranch for help the ranch house is 11 miles off back up this way was only one mile Chase, I'll be able to show you the whole thing when we get down. I'll follow this tracks both ways Say you you leave your car near mine. Yeah Well, they shooting took place not far from where we parked There was a break in the fence there and the marks of a truck But they weren't deep enough to make a cast of them you mean whoever gunned him had a truck down there Yeah, that's right chase or say they're cattle tracks all over the place, too I might mean he surprised somebody who was trying to run some stock off the place Yeah, not only trying but succeeding a few widefaces that were grazing in that section can't be located It is fitting with your doctor killing depends on whether your cop oak was killed by a 45 And whether he returned fire and hit one of the many saw down there And he fought with them. All right, he was carrying a saddle rifle He dropped it when he got hit a wrecking. I found it beside his tracks down below Oh, he sent it on Austin only one thing you got to tell me then and I'll know if the two killings go hand-in-hand What kind of a rifle was the cop oak using what kind you're looking for jesh savage 303 you got a case That's what it was In just a moment we will continue with tales of the Texas Rangers starring Joel McCray as Ranger chase Pearson Three times mean good times on NBC. We're posting a little because here at NBC You'll find the roughest toughest most romantic crime fighters ever assembled under one network roof take Wednesday evening For example on Wednesdays you'll hear action with mr.. District Attorney the big story and that new daring private I Rex Saunders played by Rex Harrison. So just keep your mystery ear glued to your NBC station every Wednesday We continue now with tales of the Texas Rangers and tonight's case No living witnesses an authentic story from the files of the Texas Rangers The cowpauke and dr. Hammett had been killed by the same man All right, Ballistics proved the bullet dug out of the floor from under the doctor was a twin to the 45 taken out of the Murdered cowpauke Steve Clark and I put our horses in the double trailer. I was towing and headed for Harper's Landing Ballistic boys at the lab didn't take long comparing those slugs did they I never do it all fits even test fire the cowpaukes rifle It fired the slug doc Hammett took out of that patient. We're looking for we're not only looking for we're gonna find him And whoever was with him it must be more than one man. All right What you told me about the blood on that piece of denim shirt He couldn't have been in any condition to drive by himself not all the way to Harper's Landing 70 miles and he must have known he was gonna need a doctor Hey, you look like that gives you an idea it does I think it answers a question the sheriff asked me why they killed the doc instead of just tying him up and what's the answer They killed him because they didn't just happen by his place They knew doc Hammett and he knew them. That's a big conclusion Jason. It's not hard to reach either Look Steve doc Hammett's house in Harper's Landing isn't on the main street through town It's on a side street not easy to find in the middle of the night unless you knew where it was Not only that but they had to pass through two bigger towns on the way there towns with more than one doctor Steve if you were shot and wanted to keep it covered, but you had to be treated. What would you do? Well, go to my own family doctor reckon and hope that I could talk him into keeping it quiet You're right Jason. That means the men we're after must live in or near Harper's Landing Let's say on a ranch somewhere outside the town someplace they could have taken stolen cattle We know the brand mark and those stolen white faces say we're gonna do some range riding until we find them until they show up For sale at some commission house or auction barn You think the sheriff will be willing to ride with us. He will doc Hammett was a friend of his and the sheriff doesn't take to killers Carson ranch is about two mile farther on might stop there and get some grub if you'd like I'm all for it chef. How about it? Jay's haven't taken much eating time for the past two days Oh, why don't you just grab a handful of range grass? It's loaded with vitamins Hey, you'll be loaded with buckshot if you come up with any more ideas like that Yeah, come on Jay's for we get to skinny that a gust of wind will lift us right out of the saddle Okay, okay, I guess the horses can use a rest. You see there, chef. He don't care about us. Just the horses Look who's talking I never saw you sit down to a meal without seeing to it that your horse was fed and watered first I was only kidding Jayce. Let's get out of that Larson place. All right. Get up boy. I Wish we'd find some sign of those white faces We must have looked over a couple of thousand head without finding a single all the brand And they got to be around Steve. They haven't been sold through any commission house or barn All records have been checked back through last Saturday. Yeah, we better find them soon for too many people know what we're doing Ranchers have seen us know we're not riding this range for exercise Yeah at the Larson ranch off there to the right of the Mesa there Nope, that place belongs to Auntie Covern and his son Jed. Yeah, pull up a minute Those cattle racking kind of funny Jayce Disturbing excited milling around can't see any reason for it wide open range No sign of a coyote or a mountain cat must be something they smell I've seen them act just that way when a beef has been slaughtered on the range blood smell stirs them up They start bunching just like that. No, nothing in that herd to interest us though, Jayce Can see none of them's white faces their white parts might have been painted over You know that kind of camouflage been used before I can't tell do we get close up? We're gonna have to check them sooner or later might as well be now. Well, there goes our lunch Steve Yeah, I guess they eat on the Cobra in place, too. Yeah, but the ants in Jed ain't exactly hospitable Well, come on get up boy. Yeah, and they're bunching right along Cobra and Spence line That's good. We don't have to cut the fence We can just tie the horses off there and climb through make sure are acting up All right, hold up. Oh I'll hold the wattage. Thanks Climb through Sheriff, and I'll come through and hold it for Steve right Okay, Steve come ahead. Okay. I'm clear. Let it go. Ain't no strange stock here, Jayce They're all wearing Cobra's brand. Yeah, I can't spot any that have been altered. Besides, it's not a white face in the lot It's you that plane now What are they so head up about me it beats me What are you looking at Jayce tracks the way they've been milling around Marks form a big circle a boulder over there seems to be the middle of it They move up toward it, and they start to mill and pull back. Come on Wow, look at the Messer red ants around that boulder. I just pouring in and out of that varmin hole under it Hey, look at them holes bigger than it looks most of it's been covered by the boulder Hey, let's see if we can move it out Steve Jam too tight Jayce enough an opening for my arm stretch flat and stick my hand down there Go walk out Jayce. We'll get ants all over you Care about the ants so much. I just hope I don't get a miss a gopher teeth in my hand Feeling anything down there? Yeah Look quick line. Hey, Jayce. You better wash that off right away. I will you got your wire clippers sure What's the matter got the fence and bring the horses through we're gonna pull this boulder. Why Jayce? What's down there felt like a bunch of fresh skinned beef hides They were hides all right Strip from a half dozen white face a place where the brand should have been we're burned over to obliterate what had been there Pack the hides on our horses and headed for the Coburn ranch house They sure wiped out any proof on those hides. Yeah, there wasn't something wrong with them They wouldn't have gone to the trouble of hiding them Pretty smart butcher in the stuff before they sold it probably figured every commission house in the state to be watching for brands They couldn't risk altering them and they couldn't risk keeping the stock around You've seen the Coburns lately sheriff haven't seen Jed for some time But I saw yancy only last night at the drugstore in town. Yeah, he buying something. Yeah, he was a lot of stuff Bandages adhesive tape. I saw the druggist wrapping it up sounds like the stuff they'd need to change dresses on a bad We're coming to their sheds house just the other side of right right into the sheds leave the horses there I don't want them to see these hides yet. Okay Take a look on that floor there jesh over there Yeah, one spot cleaned up mighty good. Look look at the beam right over it meat hooks little blood on them Yeah, I must have done his butchering right here made awful sure to get that floor clean. Let's go talk to them There's yancy now at the back screen door How do you have seen what you fellas want on my place the Rangers want to have a little talk with you I ain't got much time for talking. I got work to do. It's all we where's your son? I don't know. What do you mean? You don't know just like I said, I don't know Anything else that can help you with don't get smart yancy. You know where Jed is you better talk up He took yourself a little trip down to Mexico Suppose you invite us in and tell us all about it Rick and I don't have to heavy in if I don't want you sheriff He's perfectly right sheriff So Steve and I'll just wait here while you ride into town and get a warrant and we can invite ourselves in You want to make us do it the hard way and see I Ain't got nothing to hide one come in come in you keep a gun in the house Shotgun man the corner by the shoe about a 45 yet see never own one You haven't slaughtered any beef lately either. Have you? Any log in it nobody said there was Stashing the hides away under a boulder is a little bit unusual. You're getting kind of pale yancy. Are there ain't no What'd you stop for yancy? You're about to say there aren't any brand marks left on those hides, weren't you? You put the words in my mouth choose your own words, but answer me tell the truth Where's your son Jed? I told you he's not in Mexico. He's holed up some place recovering from a wound The wound doc him it was killed for treating. I don't know what you're talking about kidding here. Tell you Jays look at that ladder there in the corner Just a ladder. I was we're spiky to do some pink a man who's gonna paint usually buys some paint before he brings a ladder in What's that up in the ceiling looks like entry into the attic? That's better I'll hold this for safe keeping you might hurt somebody Keeping covered Steve. I'm gonna use that ladder and see what we got upstairs. I'll help you Jason Jed's probably up there, and he ain't kind of come quiet if he's corner Be smart Jed you can't get out of that attic. No See you first remember there we don't have to come up after you Jed We can rake every foot of that ceiling with gun fire That's just a sample you can make it look like a sieve and you look like one with it Now you better get down here with your father while you still got the chance come down Jed Come down or they'll kill you we didn't do nothing. They can't prove nothing. How about it Jed? All right But my leg is hurt You have to bring the light on to help me down. Sure. Just to make it friendly Open that trap all the way and drop your gun down here All right Yeah, that's better Set the ladder up again This is the gun we wanted Steve yeah 45 all right yet ease yourself down and I'll help you My leg hurts We didn't do nothing and that's all we ever gonna see we didn't do nothing here You love it up in Huntsville then it's full of innocent fellows just like you you ready Steve Yeah, Sheriff all said Jason good. All right, Yancy Jed get moving Throughout their trial Yancy and Jed coven steadfastly denied any crime however, Jed's blood type matched the blood found in the office of dr. Hemit and ballistic experts definitely identified his 45 caliber gun as the weapon used to murder both Dr Hemit and the cowboy whose body was found on Thunder Ridge It took the jury less than two hours to bring in a verdict of guilty The covens were sentenced to Huntsville Penitentiary for the rest of their natural lives And now here again is the start of our show Joel McCrae I believe you'll enjoy an amusing story I heard recently comes from a young lady who lives in the Lone Star State It seems that a Sunday school teacher was making quite an impression with the little ones in her class as she told How the pharaohs of early Egypt drove the children of Israel from that land a little fellow in the front row was biting His nails fiercely as the teacher went on to describe the cruelty's inflicted upon the Israelites How they were beaten and driven forth without food or water when the story was over the young fries stared straight ahead Finally he snapped gee whiz. Where were the Texas Rangers? See you next week folks. Good night Next week Joel McCrae in another authentic reenactment of a case from the files of the Texas Rangers Joel McCrae is currently seen starring in the Universal International Technicolor production Frenchy tonight's cast included Tony Barrett Virginia Greg Herb Ellis Ed Begley and Harley Bear This story was transcribed and adapted by Joel Mercott and the program was produced and directed by Stacey Keats Hal Gibney speaking Three times mean good times on NBC Turn back the calendar tomorrow evening The railroad hour takes you back to a golden bygone era with a refreshing presentation of the musical comedy high-button shoes Railroad hour singing star Gordon Macrae is joined by Margaret Whiting for this program and remember tomorrow You'll also hear a concert by the Boston Pops Orchestra Phil Baker invites you to join the $64 question next on NBC