 The national broadcasting company presents Joe McCrae in tales of the Texas Rangers Tonight transcribe from Hollywood another authentic reenactment of a case from the files of the Texas Rangers Rangers starring Joel McCrae as Ranger Jayce Pearson Texas more than 260,000 square miles 50 men will make up the most famous and oldest law enforcement body in North America March 28th 1947 Robert Coots a new hand on the triangle ranch is repairing a fence on the southeast range. He stops as a right Howdy, Frank be me Well, I see you finally got my job. I got a job because there was one open If you left it open, that's your worry. I reckon not mine You've been making up to the old man trying to get me fired ever since you came into this country That ain't so and you know it I've been looking for work. Yeah, but you didn't get fired on my account You got psyched cuz you can't leave a bottle alone sounds like you're calling me a liar. I ain't calling you anything I'm just telling you How about clearing off? You telling me to clear off this range? All right, I'll get but before I do I'm gonna whip your tailcoats You better not try it break because you ain't about to whip my tail Now clear off like I told you Don't come back ain't gonna be no need for me to come back It's the other barrel for good measure All right boy The body of ranch hand Robert Coots was discovered by the owner of the ranch next day when he rode out to search for the missing rider He summoned the sheriff and the sheriff called for the assistance of a Texas Ranger Ranger Jase Pearson was assigned to the case Say you spotted the buzzards this morning, mr. Galt. Yeah. Yeah, and I found Coots I'm look up and he must have been shot sometime yesterday Thought I heard a shotgun yesterday afternoon To the road out then why didn't you? Sheriff, you know we've been having a time with the coyotes and mountain cats lately I just figured one of my hands must have spotted one and cut loose Coots was fixing a break in the fence Might have known something was wrong when Coots didn't come back to the ranch last night Spots just up ahead with my deputy standing. Yeah, I can see the body now Anybody been stealing cattle around here lately sheriff. Oh, if you head down then chase nothing big Coots might have run into somebody doing it though might have here. We are Less than a week ago. It was new around here chase only been here about a month old told Say where he came from yep over on Martha Hit with both barrels Jase once through the stomach once through the head is on the ground when the second charge hit him No, look some of the shot clipped the grass Killers horse stopped here, too. Looks like it must have a fist fight with the man who killed him How do you figure that Jase a little dried blood on the grass here scuffle marks and some of the blades pressed down as though Somebody been lying here. Yeah, Coots was shot though. I'd be his blood, you know, but his wounds He was killed instantly He didn't move 15 feet and then back again after getting blasted like that Come on Yeah, what you looking for horse moved off this way Prince mixed right in with some of your herd It was grazing around here and then took off mighty sudden See here where they dug in to get started. Yeah, that could mean a cattle thief. All right chasing the stock Jace We'll find out. Let's get back to the horses and follow this trail I don't see how you can tell that hurt moved up range toward the Mesa Anybody stealing them would have been driving them to the south fence where the state road is Have to get them to a truck to get him away. Yeah, but what made him run then Jace? Shotgun must have stampeded him. They'd been driven Someone left marks where they cut out to get away from the rider and the rider would have left tracks cutting after I see what you mean, but shouldn't we keep on trailing them though? Yeah, but not this way He was headed for rocky ground near the Mesa trying to lose anybody who might follow him. He's smart I don't get your plan. Well, he was careful leaving here after he killed a man He might have been so careful riding in before he killed We'll backtrack the trail he took getting here and might tell us where he came from that makes sense Jace. Let's go Ranger can I have the body picked up by the funeral house now? Yeah, and even an autopsy isn't gonna tell us much Thought you could tell a lot from the shot. They killed somebody that Ballistic stuff, you know not so much with a shotgun barrels are smooth bore Don't leave rifle marks, but hey hold it What you find Ranger These Empty 16-gauge shotgun shells Killer might have ejected him here to reload his shotgun case. He ran into trouble. No Can you tell anything with those if we find the gun they came from we might be able to Match the way the hammer hits the shell yeah If we find the shotgun every rancher and cowpock in the county must have one The sheriff and I backtracked on the approach the killer had used to get to the triangle ranch owned by galt But we came to a dead end Well, Jace guess this as far as we go And follow him on pavement or the gravel road shoulder and rode out from town. It's too bad I was hoping he'd come from a ranch someplace with a narratives down to one spot Not much we can do now set them go around examining shotguns one other thing first a couple of deep tracks in that ditch off the road Must have had rain here recently. Yeah day for yesterday. That's why I left such a clear print there yesterday then I Want to get a kit for my radio car and drive back here What for take a couple of photographs of that print make a plaster impression of it help us to identify the horse if we find him We took the cast and headed for town to check every horse in the territory would have been impossible So I had to gamble on a shortcut Audi Hey, uh mind dropping that hammer a minute and taking a look at this What is it plaster cast Shoe print of a left hind hoof you remember making a shoe like this head a common pleasure It was cocked or something. I might remember but I don't know I know it's a tough one But all shoes are a little different and we're in different places hoops have to be fitted for slightly different shapes. That's true All right If I come across that shoe now after seeing the cast I might recognize it good I'm gonna leave this cast here if anybody brings in a horse to be shot and a left hind hoof looks like the cast Don't touch it until you call us. You're right glad to have keep my eyes open Any other blacksmiths around here sheriff? Oh, not for over 50 miles We go look over that gun now you start on it. I'm gonna pay another visit to the Triangle Ranch I want to talk with mr. Galt again Finish here in a minute Joe turn on rest of the irrigation pumps with it That's fine. Good What was it you wanted to know I asked you if cute seemed nervous Like he'd been running away from something or somebody he was afraid might catch up with him No, I can't say dead Well, he was anxious about what's fine the job seemed like good workers. So when I had an opener and I took him on regular Oh, one of your hands leave. I know You say I had to fire a folk named Harvey Breck Fired him huh? Why drinking making trouble in the bunkhouse not doing his work. Did this break no coots? Yeah, just been seeing him around how to break take it when you told him he was fired It's kind of drunk cuss me out a little that all yep Paid him off give him an extra month like I do with any hand. I have to let go Seemed all right after that. You know where this break is living now Here he's bunked up one of them deserted doby huts by the old Quicksilver mine Roads washed out though. All the huts are empty since mine stop operating Why are you? You gonna see I sure intend to I went back to town picked up the sheriff We rode our horses out to the abandoned mine. I've checked a hundred guns today Chase every tough and near tough. I could think it's no good though I know no hammer marks like the one we're looking for You fire the guns to get a test shell for comparison sure, but I swear none of them was a gun we want I Kept the most likely ones and labeled them for you though good You can add one more when we test Breck's gun and here the shacks now Must be that one little smokes coming up the chimney There's brick it is coming your fellas looking for how to share how to break Ranger wants a few words with you Okay, mind if we come inside All right Reckon you know that somebody killed the man who took your place over at the triangle ranch Yes, so I heard happened Tuesday afternoon. Where were you? I was right here Anybody who says I wasn't as a liar. Nobody said anything yet Where's your shotgun? I don't have a gun you don't huh? And where's the gun you cleaned not long ago? I didn't click and tell me you didn't This oily rag in the corner says you did This rag was used for cleaning the gun enough now. It's better get the gun break. We want to see it Son of the bunk 16 gauge double barrel. Yeah loaded to let me have it a minute It's with the shells you've been carrying Shut up Rick Twins all right sheriff no doubt about these match them Brack we found these shells on the triangle ranch hammer marks match yours and Coots was killed with a shotgun not that gun Sure, you found shells from it on the triangle ranch because I worked on the triangle ranch remember Get laughed at a court with evidence like that. I fired a hundred shots out there at coyotes The story could hold race. Yeah, maybe maybe not Because there's one other thing brick We're all gonna take a ride into town after I check the shoes on your horse. That's real interesting Ranger Because if we're riding into town, you'll be packing me behind you. I don't own a horse You are listening to tales of the Texas Rangers starring Joel McCrae as Ranger Jayce Pearson Now we continue with tonight's case the cactus pair an authentic story from the files of the Texas Rangers Brack had a stop and he knew it his story about the coyotes and the empty shotgun shells covered him And we didn't even have enough to take him in we left him and headed back for town if he is the one chase We're gonna have a time proving it Gun would have made a strong case against anybody who hadn't worked on the ranch, but he can now by that. Yeah You got something you mind Jayce. What is it? He swore he hadn't been on the triangle ranch in a week since golf fired him. Yeah We can't prove otherwise. I don't know If he did shoot at a coyote must have been before golf fired him That means those empty shells would have been lying out in the ground when it rained two days ago Cardboard portion of the shells don't look like they'd been wet. My son could have dried them out after the rain Jayce. Yeah, there's some metal on the shell, too I'm gonna send those shells through to the lab at Austin You think they'll be able to tell it they've been out in the rain or not metal gets wet got to be some oxidation Label know whether there is or not if there isn't I mean the shells were fired in the past two days Yeah, but he'd still stick to a story Jayce You know how jury is with scientific evidence little leery of it sometimes. I know we'll need more I Wasn't thinking of the shells as jury evidence I was thinking of him as a time saver for us. Oh, he's telling the truth. You'll have to start all over But if he's lying We'll have to trip him up. I sent the shells through to Austin and while I waited for a report I drove to Coot's old home at Marfa. He'd been well-liked there No reason for anybody to follow him and kill him. It was a routine check and on the way back I got my report from Austin KTXA to unit 10 Unit 10 to KTXA go ahead Every port of Austin lab on exhibit submitted by unit 10 for examination ready for it Lab reports slight oxidation probably caused by brief exposure to normal night moisture No evidence that shells were thoroughly soaked though No indication of such exposure and lab report 10 for unit 10 clear Go back south as hard as I could when I got near the quick silver mine I took charcoal out of the trailer and rode on to the shack Brick had been using to make sure he was still around Oh boy, oh charcoal. What's the word this time? I just want to make sure you're still around. That's all. Well, you see me, don't you? Yeah, I see something else, too. Looks like you've been packing a few things in there. That's my business Not yours. I'll make it my business if you try to leave this county. Now look ranger You've got nothing on me or you'd have taken me in before I want to move out of here I reckon I can move you try it and you'll hit the county jail so fast It won't even give your spurs time to rattle. Yeah, you're talking big, but you ain't got a charge to hold me on Ain't no law against shooting coyotes No, but there's a law against moving into a shack without the owner's permission The mining company give you the right to live here. Yeah, it isn't gonna be hard to check on All right, then ranger go back to town and check Because until you do and get a warrant you got no right in here. Have you? Okay, Brett. I'll be back and you better be here. I got back to town as fast as I could I had to have a minor charge to hold him on as I pulled up to the sheriff's office. I found out I wasn't gonna need it Stay in the car chase. Why what's happening? You got here just in time. We're just heading for my car. Let's move Which way straight ahead blacksmith shop, he found the horse we've been looking for Oh Yeah Here ranger look just like the cast. Oh See this nick in the left-hand shoe this nail bent a little same as the impression on the cast that's it all right Who owns him? You're probably gonna eat me out for this But he's mine yours you mean to say you couldn't recognize a shoe you fitted to one of your own horses Well, that's a trouble ranger. I didn't show him I only bought him a month ago and I was just gonna put new plates on him for the first time now That's how come I just spotted the shoe or were you doing out on the triangle ranch when Coots was killed But ranger I wasn't out there your horse was last Tuesday, but I wasn't riding him I loaned him out. You better tell us who you loaned him to well Let Harvey Breck use him what right well my wife can tell you I'll call her you don't have to call her come on sheriff Let's go He stopped for the sheriff's horse loaded him in a double trailer with charcoal and headed to the mine Left the car at the washout unloaded the horses and rode to the adobe shack. Breck was using We got enough to take him in now Jase be still here. He was packing to leave look. He hasn't left yet Here's the hut he was using like a light under the door. We're on time then not much to spare It's essentially figures to move out tonight. He won't move now Stop here. Oh He isn't gonna come easy sheriff watch out for that shotgun. He wants gunplay. He can have it And we'll know the answers the door Open up. We know you in there break now come on They be waiting in there so he can nail us with that shotgun if we bust in we can wait out here for you Brick that light in there could keep us waiting all night if he's gone You mean it's a trick to slow us up. We'll find out keep that door covered while I kick it in Bracket made his getaway We went over the ground outside to get his direction led toward rugged country and we followed as fast as we could on horseback I'm back and forth to pick up his marks I'm up into these hills sheriff made some time He was easy to trail this far and he's on foot. Yeah, but we're gonna be on foot too now Why he's headed for the border chase real grand that way, but no horse can take this country between here and there. Oh boy How far is it to the river? 40 miles the country the devil won't have and we'll have to cover every inch of it on foot That's what he's doing. Come on. Let's go. We must be close to him by Hey, look sheriff. That's him topping the ridge Get the cover under that lead Humbler horses so they can move off and graze later. How are we gonna get to him? Long way up that ridge and we'll be moving right into his sights. You go around that way All right, crawl and hug whatever cover you can find I'll go the other way and see if we can't circle in behind him Inches at a time at the side of the treacherous slope took almost an hour. It was just what Greg wanted All right, don't move Yes Jase he isn't here. Of course. He isn't I should have figured his play only reasonably fired from up here We're so trinkets and they're giving him time sure it was he's ahead of us for the night to cover him We don't have horses to give us an edge anymore See if we can pick up his trail of jays If we're going into this we're gonna need water no time to go back for it now We'll have to get it as we find it if we find it He's headed this way come on. We'll have to keep trail cutting and it's gonna be plenty rough It's like the sheriff said Country the devil wouldn't have Breck was piling up a lead with every hour of the night We have to cover two miles to his one chase Every time we lose the trail he gains ground It can't be helped we get to the top of this rich in it. Maybe the wrong one again like the last true we climbed The daylight in a couple of hours Be able to spot his tracks Better than we can move faster. Maybe we better rest until then can't Counting on him having to rest That's the only time we can make up on him Like in your right chase But it'll be another day and night of this without a wink and no guarantee we catch him at that He may go any direction to make us crossing you want to rest a few hours while I go on ahead if you're going I'm going good Come on. If we only knew what you hold it sheriff Scrub between the rocks. Yeah, throw your light on it. All right Look Barely grown in the earth between the rocks Roots ripped out a little and exposed. Yeah fresh to Grab the scrub to pull himself up. Good Means we aren't climbing this and for nothing this time. No Better keep on climbing It was 24 hours Getting dark again Jase. Yeah More mountains ahead Hey, wait and lose them. No no cut over this way Something on the ground by that cactus patch Yeah Dug for water again and hit it to Still wet Dig a little Get a drink for yourself Knows the country all right Never misses Seems to know just where to dig if Even a mouthful of water What's it doing over there? He ain't here Rested to Cactus pairs been cutting skin Sun hasn't dried the skins out yet. He's only an hour or so ahead now This track show he's slowing down still going fast enough to make that river sometime tonight though We'll be there too then a little water running up in this hole now Jase If I to take him out for You first thanks then let's move We trust as hard as we could he was getting closer to the river Going towards that Elena Canyon Chase rivers narrow there. How far that's a half a mile away Gotta run then sheriff Can you make it? I Look This shotgun didn't hold it any further Lightning up to make his last run. I think I heard something to hit keep going We've ready And we broke through the brush at the river. He was just waiting in Stop break. I'll get him make me put a bullet in you back there You ain't taking me. Oh, yes, I am I go I'm over the border You're still in the river Yeah You're gonna have to help me drag him to shore You more feet eat a mate Needed just a few more seconds Just about as long as it took to eat a cactus RV brek was tried and convicted for the murder of Robert Coates His sentence 99 years Joel McCrae When the Allies invaded Normandy in World War two they got an idea as to how far the fame of the Texas Rangers had spread Both surrendering Nazis and liberated free French said they knew the war was as good as over because the Texas Rangers had landed Of course, it was the heroic American Ranger troops who made the landings But nothing could convince the Nazi war prisoners that these were not the terrible Texans They'd heard about in many American legends Good night, folks. See you same time next week Next week Joel McCrae and another authentic reenactment of a case from the files of the Texas Rangers He's starring in the MGM production stars in my crown The night's cast included Tony Barrett, Wilms Herbert, Tom McKee and Gerald Moore This story was transcribed and adapted by Joel Murcott and the program was produced and directed by Stacey Keen This is Hal Gibney speaking Three times mean good times on NBC Monday means music on NBC Tomorrow night the voice of Firestone presents a selection of melodies in the Christmas spirit with Metropolitan opera star Jerome Heinz a soloist the NBC Symphony brings you another one-hour concert Featuring works by Vivaldi and Beethoven under the baton of the brilliant young conductor Guido Cantelli Stay tuned for the $64 question with more good times on NBC