 The national broadcasting company presents Joel McCrae in tales of the Texas Rangers From Hollywood another authentic re-enactment of a case transcribed from the files of the Texas Rangers Texas more than 260,000 square miles body in North America face for tonight fugitives trail It is approximately 1130 on the night of January 21st, 1948 Mr. And Mrs. Ben Purvis are driving back to their ranch on the outskirts of Newby, Texas The car a small black sedan finally swings off the main highway Turns into a long narrow dirt road leading to the ranch buildings Looks like we got company Ben there's a car parking from the house. Yeah Probably one of our lean sport friends Look, I thought you told her we didn't like your fellas hanging around Now Ben he probably just have by to pick up and take her home. We told her with the back about this time Well, just the same I don't crap about Arlene. You know babysitters are hot enough to get out here without I still think you could find somebody else I was never sold on that girl. She's kind of wild Never know what she's gonna do. All right, then just stop worrying looks like Dave Fenton's car Yeah, it is this car. You sit still then I'll open the glass doors Thought he and Arlene split up You got the plants Mrs. Sutton gave you sort of flowers. They're gonna be Real nice long side the house. They don't you Yeah, I guess so You know, Ben, I'm kind of glad we went over to see Mrs. Sutton tonight. Yeah, she's real nice old lady Sure held up fine at the funeral this afternoon. It's gonna be hard on her for a while though poor thing After all she and Mr. Sutton were mad almost 40 years. Now it's gone. Yeah Well, doc warned him to slow down after that last attack he had No, he wouldn't hear it Sounds like our young and zacked up. We shouldn't be crying now if Arlene gave me 10 o'clock boss You just like her to forget She's not funny Arlene Probably in with the baby unless hey, what's this matter? Look cheers turned over My good table lamp on the floor Oh Then look it broken. What the heck's been going on around here Arlene, honey, you take the lamp. I'm going in the baby Arlene Is that cool girl anyway? Baby all right. No, look at this baby's bottle full. Here's a woman and she didn't give misfeeding I'm gonna have a look out back Okay, Dave Fenton She's dead I'm discovering the body of Dave Fenton Ben Purvis immediately called the sheriff's office The sheriff put out an all-points bulletin for the ranking girl and requested aid from the Texas Rangers Ranger Jase Pearson was assigned arriving at the purpose ran shortly after 4 a.m There's the body Jase Blast caught him right behind the ear. Not very pretty is it shotgun wounds never are When this happened doc figures sometime between 9 and 10 o'clock last night Just a kid 19 work at his paws gas station in town seemed like a real nice boy days real nice Anybody touch this shotgun? No, who's it belong to Ben Purvis says he generally keeps it behind the kitchen door It's babysitter Arlene Arlene Rankin here's a description of her I Send a man over to her house right after Purvis called me her Paul said she hadn't come home Man still out there keeping an eye on the place in case she does show up I don't think she will which one's Purvis over there, but the fence talking to the justice of the peace Then oh If you want to talk to mrs. Purvis Jay, she's inside later maybe you want me chair Yeah, then this here's Ranger Pearson Jase Ben Purvis. Howdy ranger. Howdy mr. Purvis Sheriff tells me that you and your wife were out visiting when this happened. That's right We were over the Sutton place times you leave the house here last night Well, let me see I drove over to Arlene's house around 6 30 I picked her up and brought her back here Then the wife and I left. I guess that was around 7 You know if she was expecting this fenton boy to drop in on her and no no I don't Have you ever come around here before oh sure lots of times he dropped by to take her home Only he stopped coming around a couple months ago. Why was that? Well, there's I can figure she and Fenton must have had a fallen out of some sort Maybe she got tired of she had a lot of boyfriends new ones every time you turn around I see Who's the latest you know no it's pretty hard to keep up with her Couple weeks or so ago. It was Lanny Hayes. He's supposed to come by last night. I wouldn't know that ranger You usually take her home. That's right whenever there's no fella here to pick her up You know Jase I figured that Fenton here got sore because she threw him over they had a fight She killed him and beat it and could have happened that way and it could have been the reason why she didn't take Fenton's car She'd been spotted too easy that girl Ain't surprised she'd pull her stunt like this at all This gun of yours, mr. Purvis you always keep it loaded. Yes, sir And it's usually sat in behind the kitchen door. Did Arlene know it was there? I don't see how she could have missed noticing it ranger I want to take this gun with me mr. Purvis have the lab man check the fingerprints or sure sure go ahead All right, Sheriff. I guess the JP can take charge of the body now. Let's get moving Anybody in mind you want to see yeah Some of Arlene's friends and we'll start with a boy. She's been going with lately this Lenny Hayes He lives over the drugstore. Oh, but let's see it's after five now Jase. He's probably on his way to work Where's that auction barn? He's sort of a general Tagging cattle heard him around the place. All right, let's look him up Ray of dawn was creeping over the horizon as we reached the auction barn The sheriff and I'm out of the stairs to the platform overlooking the pins below See Lenny Hayes any worse sheriff? Yeah. Yeah, there he is down there coming along the runway Lenny Oh, Lenny. Yeah want to talk to you. Come on Jay. Morning, Sheriff. Morning Lenny I figured you'd be coming around. Oh, you heard what's happening. Yeah, this is ranger Jay's Pearson Lenny He wants to ask you some questions. Sure. When'd you see Arlene Rankin last Lenny? Yes, it afternoon at Sutton funeral Everybody in town was there I guess you talk to her for a few minutes I asked her to go to the basketball game at the school gym, but she couldn't she'd already promised to sit for the purpose folks I see What happened between Arlene and Dave Fenton? Do you know they just busted up? That's all how'd he take it? Well, he could be pretty nasty when things didn't go the way he wanted He called her up a lot after that wanted to patch things up, but Arlene wouldn't have any of it He got good and so were a couple of times. Do you think Arlene was frightened by him? Well, sure the guy was crazy jealous and never knew what he might do. I see Do you have any idea where Arlene could be right now? Nope, no idea at all. All right. Thanks Oh, could I ask you something Ranger? Yeah look If Arlene did kill Fenton it It could have been self defense, couldn't it? Maybe Suppose he'd come out there looking for trouble Couldn't she have picked up the gun to scare him away not meaning to pull the trigger and the gun went off? Accidentally that what you're driving at Lenny. Sure. Why not? Well in that case you shouldn't have run away Well, yeah, that was a crazy thing to do I guess But look if she was to give herself up now and if she could prove it was self-defense an accident Go on. Well, I mean things that go easier on her wouldn't it? Has Arlene been in touch with you Lenny? Has she? Listen Ranger, I don't want to get in any trouble, but you won't if you tell the truth Well, this thing is getting me down. I want to get it off my mind If I told you where she is, would you give her a break? I'm not a judge. Where is she? She phoned me last night from Covington from the bus depot Covington, huh? Yeah, she said she was in trouble wouldn't tell me what it was She said she needed money Well, I didn't have any not even enough to buy gas to drive over there. What'd you tell her? I told her I'd see if I could raise some but well, she hung up on me What time did she make this phone call around midnight a few minutes before I Remember because I was listening to the radio and the station signed off while I was talking to her There's a bus comes through here around 10 30 and it goes into Covington a little before midnight Jace That's the one she probably took. Come on sheriff. Let's head for Covington We spent the major part of the day combing the town of Covington There wasn't a single trace of Arlene Rankin late that afternoon the sheriff and I wound up at the bus depot That's a talking to the woman behind the lunch counter Well, let me see now Girl about so high and blonde hair coming on the late bus you say Let me see the youngster was she 17 Say that wouldn't be the ranking girl Ranger. That's right. Heard about it on the radio this morning Say you mean she's here in Covington. We believe she was here last night Land sakes imagine that have you seen a girl answering her description, ma'am. Well, no wait a minute Say there was a girl just like your description. You sure man. Mm-hmm last night by closing time I was throwing out the coffee when she come up and ask me for glass of water Girl about so I really cracked it. Yeah, nervous or upset. She sure did Oh and say she asked me where the lorry place was at that Ned lorry owns a hardware store Ned lorry That's right him and his wife live down the street three block big white house on the corner. Want me to show you? No, thanks. We'll find it man Doesn't seem to be anybody at home. I'm pretty sure there is sheriff. I heard someone moving inside Hey, you're right. Yes, there is somebody in there. I just saw the winter curtains move Reckon I ought to slip around back. Hold it. Yeah Ranger what is it? Afternoon miss we're beginning to think there wasn't anyone at home Sorry if I kept y'all taking a nap Wasn't sure if I heard someone at the door now. We're looking for a girl named Eileen Rankin Eileen Rankin There's no one here by that name. That's so this is a lorry resident. We know that miss Well, the only three of us living here my sister her husband and myself. You don't know Eileen Rankin. No Should I here's a picture miss ever see her before? See No, no, I never saw her before your sister and her husband at home. No, I'm alone Mind if we come in? We just want to look around Sounds like it's in this room Jason. There's no one in there. We'll have a look anyway miss When the shutter Jayce winds banging it against the house Get me wake up tonight. Look if you tell me what this is all about suitcase over there on the chair miss Who does it belong to? Baggage tag gear says Continental Trailways Jayce. That's how I got here by bus. What's that miss arrived last night? Just here visiting my sister What time did your bus get in last night? Oldes round midnight. You talked to anyone at the depot. No, I don't think it is. Are you sure? Wait, I did ask the woman at the lunch counter how to get here I see that lady back at the lunch counter sure has an imagination Jayce Tell me miss did any other girl get off the bus when you did last night? No other girl positive. Yes, I think so. What do you make of that Jayce? Take a look at this photograph again miss you recall seeing this girl among the passengers Well, no, I don't remember seen of course the bus was crowded night really didn't pay much attention to the others on board I see look would you mind telling me what this is all about? No cause for you to worry miss. Sorry. We bothered you Come on sheriff There was no reason to doubt the word of the girl at the Lowry house Arlene Rankin hadn't gotten off the bus at Covington the night before The sheriff and I drove back to his office in Newby and we had another talk with Lenny Hayes But it's the truth. I'll tell you Arlene did call me. She's not in Covington Lenny We're pretty sure of that. Well, maybe she went on don't see how she could have done that all roads been blocked You've been lying, haven't you Lenny? No, no You could have made up that story about the phone call from Covington just to throw us off the trail No, I didn't you gotta believe we're willing to lay out You never received a phone call Lenny that Arlene wasn't even on that bus last night. She must have been I'll get it Thanks, Sheriff Yeah, you know Lenny you can save us a lot of trouble. What's that? What do you mean stop trying to cover up for Arlene? You're trying to protect her by sending us on a wild goose chase. That's not true now. Listen Lenny There's no saying holy chair Like maybe we owe Lenny here in apology. Oh That bus we figured Arlene wasn't on was being vacuumed in Dallas this afternoon and a purse was found behind one of the seat cushions a purse What about it? belong to Arlene Rankin You are listening to tales of the Texas Rangers starring Joel McCrae as Ranger Jayce Pearson Now we continue with tonight's case fugitives trail an authentic story from the files of the Texas Rangers Finding Arlene Rankin's purse on that bus indicated we'd been wrong about Lenny Hayes Yet the girl we'd talked to in Covington had been positive that Arlene hadn't gotten off the bus there the night before I Put in a call to the Continental Trailways Company and found out that the driver the bus was due back in Newby in an hour You're waiting at the bus station when he came in Nope, I don't think I can help you Ranger. You know what the Rankin girl looks like yeah So picture having a Dallas paper this afternoon. You don't remember seeing her get off the bus anywhere along the line. Nope You remember seeing her get on the bus here in Newby. Look, I pick up quite a load here last night a Lot of high school kids ranger maybe this Rankin guy was one of them Maybe she wasn't didn't pay much attention. I just want to get rolling. You know hurry. Were you running high and schedule? See ordinarily, there's a five-minute wait here one cup of coffee. Well, I had to basketball came to high school gym went over time and well Didn't want to shove off. I knew most of the kids were counting on getting a bus Wait a minute. You were late taking off sure almost 10 minutes. What time did you arrive at Covington? Well, but all those stops along the way. I lost another five minutes didn't pull in the Covington to 1250 well 15. Yes. Yes, sure. Yeah All right driver. Thanks. Sure. Now. Sorry. I wasn't much out Frank. See you sure. Yeah Kind of interesting isn't Jase if the bus didn't get the Covington until 1215 How could Arlene have called Lenny from the bus depot there a few minutes before 12? Doesn't seem to add up doesn't sure of of course Might have got the time mixed up. I don't think so. He seemed pretty sure of it. You call He must have lied. We'll know about that for sure. Once we talked to the telephone company over at Covington Back at the sheriff's office, I called the Covington phone company asked them to check a call from the Covington bus station to Lenny's number in newbie There was no record of any such call Sheriff sent one of his deputies out to bring Lenny in and we waited Yeah, and it's just like we figured Jase the girl wasn't on the bus at all Only how do you account for the purse? It was found on the bus a plan sheriff Then he could have slipped aboard the bus last night put it in there Well, the driver was in the cafe having coffee. Yeah Yeah, he could have done that the mighty careless of a girl to forget her purse when she's trying to make a getaway Don't you think a little too careless? I won't say that thought hasn't crossed my mind Jase and you know chef Something else bothers me It seems like Lenny went to an awful lot of trouble trying to cover up for the girl Well any kid who's as crazy about a girl as he is I know but if he was really trying to shield her He'd have done a lot better by keeping his mouth shut. He's been real cooperative. He's been working at it a little too hard What are you driving at Jase? Just a hunch sheriff But if I can force Lenny into making a move it might be in the wrong direction for him But in the right direction for us. I hold it. Yes. Oh, well, come on in Lenny. Thanks, Charlie Any news of Arlene not a sign of her yet Well Dallas is pretty big place the fact that her purse was found on the bus and Dallas doesn't necessarily mean she's there She could have gotten off the bus anywhere along the line Yeah, I guess so Lenny About this phone call you said you got Still don't believe me. Maybe you were mistaken. Maybe Arlene just told you she was calling from Covington No, no, I heard operator. She said it was Covington. I see Well, we'll check with a phone company anyway, just to make sure with a phone coming But Arlene called me from a payphone. How can you check? Doesn't make any difference phone company keeps a record of all long-distance calls Didn't you know that? No, no, I didn't well anyway, that isn't why I asked you to drop in Lenny. We think you can help us So what we'd like you to talk to some of Arlene's friends Maybe you can find out more than we have me if you want to help us, don't you you'd be helping Arlene Well sure sure I want to help well then get to her friends tell them if they know something they better talk up and get in a Lot of trouble by withholding information Yeah, I guess they can Okay, that's all Lenny. Let us know if you hear anything Yeah Yeah, I'll let you know Ranger The Sheriff and I waited a few moments after Lenny had left the office and then we eased out into the street We saw him get into his car halfway down the block and take off In the darkness we watched the taillight disappear toward the edge of town. We followed him What's he up to Jace? I don't know that's a second time. He's driven around the cemetery Arlene wouldn't be hiding in there, would she look turning on to the other highway now head in south good Maybe we can get a little closer Jace lots more traffic on that road. He's speeding up suits me fine At least we'll get to wherever we're going that much sooner A quarter of an hour later Lenny Hayes turned off the main highway into a narrow dirt road Switched off my headlights and followed we spent another 15 minutes Trailing him as he cruised up and down the back roads like he was searching for something And we wound up on the highway once more when we reached the outskirts of newbie turned again drove right into the cemetery Stop any sign of him Jace. There's his car parked up ahead easy easy now Better stay here in the shadows might spot us in this moonlight I'm sure like to know what the same he'll let kids up to Hold it. Yeah There he is Where Jace over there near the fence. What's he doing? Digging Say wait a minute Look at the flowers over there Jace pushed over to one side That's Harry Sutton's grave What's he doing digging around there? Freshly turned ground sheriff. He's trying to hide something. He can do it quickly Let's move up a little closer. Yeah Here this way around the hedge. Yeah, move up behind his car Stay down sheriff What's he doing? Stop digging He's coming this way to the car from the trunk compartment. Let me take a look Throwing something out of the trunk It looks like even at this distance, there's no mistake in all he's dragging out of there a body I Guess we can get him now chef All right, Lenny stop where you are. Don't move. Huh? He's making a break for a chase. Let's go This way Jace. He's heading around back of the chapel. All right, the places did he go? I don't know Do you hear anything? Hey, wait a minute. I thought I saw something move over there behind that tombstone Let's take a look wait Circle around that way he is there. Let's see if we can maneuver him in position. So he make a break for his car I'll be waiting for it. All right Careful. He may have a gun for it As far as you go I said simmer down You all right. Yeah Come on. Let's go on back of the car and have a look at that body It's our lead ranking all right Jason. How about it Lenny you feel like talking? He's playing me for a second She was really crazy about Fenton all the time. She was me to make him jealous. When'd you find that out last night when I Sneaked over to the purpose place. I saw him together. I Went out of my head. I guess you went inside got the gun and shot them. I didn't mean to do it Just wanted to scare him. I didn't mean to I suppose you didn't mean to kill Arlene either I had to I had to kill her to keep her from talking. You had the body in the trunk compartment here all this time Yeah, I Waited too long last night trying to make up my mind what to do with it Sheriff's men were all over the place looking for you thought you'd get away with making it look like Arlene had killed Fenton and run off Almost did get away with it. Yeah almost Penitentiaries full of people who almost got away with it too Come on. Let's go For the brutal murders of Dave Fenton and Arlene Rankin Lenny Hayes was sentenced to Huntsville Penitentiary for the rest of his life And now here again is the star of our show Joel McCrae one day last year We received a card from a little girl who wanted to be a Texas Ranger She said she didn't have a horse, but she did have a mule and could ride We learned last week that this same little girl was stricken with a serious illness and has been in bed all summer When she heard our first show a few weeks ago. She asked her father to help her write a poem and send it to us We'd like to read it R is for Ranger stalwart and strong a for his aim that never goes wrong in for his nerve calm steady and sharp G for his gun never misses the mark he is for effort endurance in fight and R for respect for the things that are right Vanallu that's a fine poem and it's deeply appreciated Honey, you're gonna get well because in spirit You're a Texas Ranger Next week Joel McCrae and another authentic re-enactment of a case from the files of the Texas Rangers Joel McCrae is currently seen starring in the Universal International Technicolor production cattle drive The cast included Tony Barrett, Lillian Biuff, Whitfield Conner, Farley Bayer, Sam Edwards and Marion Richmond Technical advisor was captain M.T. Lone Wolf Gonzalez of the Texas Rangers This story was transcribed and adapted by Adrian Jendol and the program was produced and directed by Stacey Keith Hal Gibney speaking It's the silver jubilee on NBC Sunday is your invitation to find radio entertainment with the big show bill harris and alice bay and theater guild on the air Yes, here are all three on NBC Next it's the big show on NBC