 Presenting Joel McCrae as Jace Pearson in Tales of the Texas Rangers, tales of the Texas Rangers, authentic stories from their official files, Texas more than 260,000 square miles, and 50 men who make up the most famous and oldest law enforcement body in North America. Now from the files of the Texas Rangers come these stories based on facts. Only names, dates and places are fictitious for obvious reasons. The events themselves are a matter of record. Tonight's transcribed case, dead or alive. At exactly 9.13 a.m. on Wednesday, April 16, 1947, the French freighter Grand Camp, carrying a highly explosive cargo of ammonium nitrate fertilizer, blew up in the harbor at Texas City, Texas. It was the first in a chain of explosions as chemical plants, tin smelters and oil refineries disappeared in blasts and flame. Shortly after 1 a.m. the next morning, the major chain reaction was set off. The explosions rocking the city of Galveston 10 miles across the bay, where excited crowds gathered in the streets watching the raging flame pierce sky. X-ray, X-ray, Texas City death toll, 300, hundreds more mists and scores of bodies unidentified. Yeah, give me one, here. Read about it, unidentified death toll. Where are the names, Vance? Where's the list of the dead? They only got a few of them identified. Well, is Ralph's name there? Wait a minute. No, no, he's probably all right. A working square like him would be. But he worked at one of the refineries, they're burning. Stop blubbering. Want to attract attention to me? No, no, Vance, no, but he is my brother. I gotta worry about him, too, don't I? Yeah, yeah, come on. Over here in this doorway. Look at that blaze over there across the bay. What a spot, the cleaner. Money, jewelry, must be laying around the streets. Just wait! Vance, Vance, can't you crazy? There'll be police there. Range is your enough trouble now. Yeah, yeah, live your rights. But I'm gifting out of it, now, for good. And that place over there is gonna do it. Maybe your brother Ralph is one of the dead they haven't identified. You gotta go there, baby. If he is, you'll have to identify him. If he is there, and with the ones they don't know, there's nothing you can do to help him. But you can help me. Vance, what do you mean? Well, if you find him there, baby, you can identify the body and say it's mine. Vance! You want me in the clear, don't you, baby? They won't be chasing after me if they think I'm dead, don't you see? But my own brother, what are you asking me to do? I'm asking you, dude, as you're told. If you want to walk out of me, go ahead, but if you don't, you're gonna want me to keep on running for the rest of my life? Well, let him get me and send me to Huntsville for 10 to 20. Oh, I don't want anything that happened to you, Vance. You know that. Well, then show me, baby, show me. You can't help Ralph. He's over there, but you can't help me, don't you see? I'll get out of here tonight, and I'll let you know when to meet me. Maybe at that resort place we pass near Lake Bluewater. It'll be free, baby, you and me, free from their arms. But how? What'll we do for money? That'll be taken care of, too. As a safe and land-stone, I've been itching to get at it for a long time. One last box job, baby, and enough to see us through. Now, go ahead, right now. And remember, if you find your brother, he ain't Ralph Brenner, he's me, Vance Younger. And come back, pack up, and stay put till you hear from me. And then on its gravy, nobody ever arrests a dead man. By Friday morning, April 18th, more than 200 bodies, many still unidentified, were laid out in the Texas City High School gymnasium. Texas Rangers, including Ranger Jase Pearson, were on hand to help distort relative's make identification. Help me. You're sure your husband isn't in any of the other places where bodies are being held? No, no, Ranger. He may be all right. Lots of men have been so busy helping others, he may be one of those. Oh, it only he isn't here. That's hope he isn't. The embalmers are still working on more bodies over at McGar's garage. It's the only place handy. Keep your hopes up, but don't hope too much for a while. I'll be all right. As well start looking through this next row now there. They're pretty bad cases. Recognize anything on this one? No. This? No. I'm sorry. I'm very sorry, ma'am. Are you sure? That ring on his finger. I gave it to him a long time ago. It isn't easy, but try and get a grip. I'm all right, Ranger. You better give me the name for the tag. His name is Vance. My husband, Vance Young. The name burned in my mind like a branding iron. There was no time to ask her, and yet I had to ask. It was part of my job. I waited until we got out into the street. There's some information I have to get from you, Mrs. Young, about your husband. All right. Did he have a criminal record? Did you know we were looking for him for a string of safe crime? Oh, does that matter now? He's dead, isn't he? Yes, I'm sorry. You'll find some men at the desk in that building across the way. They'll help you with funeral arrangements. All right. Thank you very much. Vance Young. Hey, Jace! Huh? Oh, hello, Kurtz. Captain Simpson wants us. Where is he? He's in the hospital unit. Let's go. I'll be glad when this assignment is over. I hope we never see another one like it. Yeah. Let's help with five identifications today. You stand there with somebody and see their life fall apart because of a freak accident. The woman who just left, did she find somebody? Yeah, her husband. Kurtz? It was Vance Young. Vance Young? The Knobknocker? Yeah. It's like the explosion ended his case for our files. Don't you think we better check the body for prints and marks? I got it too badly. She identified him by a ring. Unidentified bodies give a Knobknocker like Young a big chance to disappear. I thought of that too, except for one thing. That woman's grief was real. She wasn't faking it. A week of horror and nightmares till the fires in Texas City were controlled and stopped and men with tight lips and grim courage started to rebuild the ruins. Most of us Rangers went back to regular duty in our regular areas. Then one day, well, but Kurtz and I had just finished a routine job and were driving back to headquarters. A call came through via a short wave. KTXA to Unit 10. KTXA to Unit 10. Unit 10 to KTXA. Go ahead, KTXA. Unit 10 proceed immediately to Landstone, Texas, Arthur County. Safe of mercantile store burglarized there at 4 a.m. today. Crime reported by ONO and store open at 9 30 a.m. this date. Any lead on responsible subject? Subject unidentified but known to be one man working alone, according to information given by Watchman. Watchman was overpowered, being treated at Landstone Emergency Hospital. Units 10 and 6 proceeding to Landstone will keep KTXA informed, Unit 10, 10-4. Assignment authority, Captain Sniffson. KTXA, Austin. Landstone, about 40 miles, Jason. Yeah. Knobknockin' job, huh? Yeah. At least though there's one safe specialist we can eliminate right from scratch on this one. Oh, Vance Young. Oh, yeah, I almost forgot about him. Dead men don't rob safes, do they? The Landstone Mercantile Store at 1150 and Sheriff Joe Pastrone showed us through. These back rooms are used for storage. He came in through the back, went through that door over there to the general office. That's where the safe is. How'd he get into the building? Of course, the Watchman will let him in. Watchman patrols this whole area, door shaker. He has keys to get into all the stores if he sees anything that looks funny. He must have met the safecracker outside. Yeah, I guess so. Watchman was pretty dazed this morning, with the darkest passion of him up at the hospital. Deputy, he'll drive him back here as soon as his head's fixed. Now, as you can see, we've been over everything for fingerprints. You find any? Sure, hundreds. They probably all belonged employees of the store. The best bet is to check the prints on the safe first. Already did that. Only two sets. Owner of the store and the bookkeeper. Well, that won't tell us anything, Jayce, unless one of them robbed the store. That isn't likely. Better have a look at the safe now, Sheriff. Sure thing. That last office back here. What make is a safe, Sheriff? It's a Will's Atlas new model. That's a tough box, Jayce. Steel and wrought iron plates and more alarm wires and the marionette show. Yeah, but a good safecracker could divert the alarm circuit without tripping it. Then the box is a cinch because he's got the wire holes to start working on. You figured it, Jayce. Backplate blown clean out. Yeah, and didn't even have to drill. Small nitro charges in the wire holes and it was as good as having a combination. Here's where you chump the alarm circuit. Neat hookup all right. You take the pictures of all this, Sheriff? Yeah, I can pick up a set of my office if you like. Thanks. Oh, Winky. Howdy, Sheriff. Rangers. I've been waiting for you. Now, this is a watchman. How's your head? Well, Aspen ain't going to help at any. I'll tell you that. You going to get the fro? I'm going to be able to answer that better when my fingerprints are checked. Fingerprints? He ain't going to find any he left. He's wearing gloves. Figured, Jayce. Yeah. Tell me, Winky, would you recognize the man if you saw him again? Could you pick out his picture? Yeah. If that his picture took a sack over his head, I could. That ain't likely. And his face was covered? And a sack over his head like a tool here. Holes for the eyes. He ain't going to catch them by no fingerprints or pictures. Maybe you ain't going to catch them at all. Oh, I wouldn't say that, Winky. Sheriff, would you mind going down to your office for prints of the pictures of the scene here? I'd like them sent onto my headquarters for an M.O. check. Sure. Take care of it right away. What kind of check is an M.O. check, Winger? It means modus operandi, Winky. All criminals have definite methods and habits. They're repeated on each job they do. Forms a pattern. Well, there's sure a pattern here, all right, Jayce. Method of entry. Where that circuit was jumped. Sack mask. Nitro charge in the Y-holes. Yeah. And it fits three men. Three safecrackers we've followed before. Yeah. There's Bert Larkin. He's still doing time in Folsom for a job he pulled on the coast. Yeah. And the other two are Jack Fontaine and Vance Young. Yeah, but Young is dead. That leaves us Fontaine. You mean you know who did it without nothing to tell you? There's plenty to tell us. Modus operandi can be almost as good as a fingerprint or a signature. I'll be waned. Maybe that fellow's gonna pay off for slugging me after all and for hurting my arm when he grabbed me on the alley there. How'd he grab you? Show me. Go ahead. Show me. On you? Well, let's see. He whipped my arm up behind me like this. Then he jabbed a thumb up behind my ear like this. Sure hurts, don't it? Sure does. Well, you can let go now. Judo still fits Fontaine, Jace. Yeah. Or Vance Young. He used it too on other jobs. When did he slug you? After he made me open up the back door and let him in. You mean he sneaked up on you before you could draw your gun? Sneaked nothing. That's why I didn't get on to him at first. Heard him come walking through the alley toward me like he's taken a shortcut. You heard him? Yeah, it was dark. So I didn't see the mask until a little match. He asked for a light, see? Then he grabbed me and he got me inside here and beat on me and kicked me. Jace, that doesn't sound like Fontaine. It wasn't Fontaine. He always sneaked a watchman from behind and they never heard him. He always wore sneakers. Well, then who? Vance Young. That match trick is Vance Young's. But Young is dead? Maybe yes, maybe no. But I know one thing. I'm going to find out. You are listening to Tales of the Texas Rangers starring Joel McCrae as Ranger Jace Pearson. And now we continue with tonight's case Dead or Alive, an authentic story from the files of the Texas Rangers. I headed for Texas City in Galveston. Kurtz and I had no way to move until we knew for certain whether Vance Young was dead or alive. As we drove, I put through a request for headquarters to dig up some information. We were still on the road when KTXA came up with the answers. KTXA to Unit 10. KTXA to Unit 10. Unit 10 to KTXA. Go ahead, KTXA. Have information you requested. Woman who identified body of Vance Young in Texas City gave name as Lillian Young, residing at 410 Harbor Lane, Galveston. Deceased was wearing ring used in identification. Has subject Lillian Young claimed ring? No claim has been filed yet. Ring is still being held at property claims in Texas City. Unit 10 also requested check on place where body identified as Vance Young was originally found. Body was among those recovered from debris of amalgamated refinery plant 7. Unit 10 believes identification may have been falsified. Possibility Vance Young still alive. Units 10 and 6 continuing investigation may be tied in with robbery in Landstone, Texas. Proceed and keep KTXA informed. Authority, Captain Stinson. Unit 10, 10-4. KTXA, Austin. You get that address, Kurtz? Yeah. 410 Harbor Lane, Galveston. If we're right, she may have cleared out by now, but we've got to try it. What do you want me to do? I'll drop you at Texas City. Get that ring and check every living person who worked at amalgamated. See if any of them remember that ring and the man who wore it. Right. I better call KTXA again and have that marriage record traced. Find out when and where that woman married Young. What her maiden name was, everything we can get. To be in Texas City in a couple of minutes, I can start to check from there and bring the information to you where we meet. A Harbor Lane address in Galveston. I found the rooming house Lillian and Vance Young had lived in, but I was too late. Lillian Young had checked out the day before. The landlord showed me the room. They lived here five, six months also. You get to know the husband very well? I'll tell you the truth, Ranger. I hardly ever saw him. The only time he ever left the place was at night. His wife said his eyes got hurt in the war or something. The sunlight bothered him. When did you see him last, when he moved out? Oh, no. He wasn't with her then. Last I saw him was the old way he went out about a week ago. Night of the big blast over at Texas City. Cracked the old plaster here. Are you sure you didn't see him after that? I'm positive. I don't think he ever did come back. Didn't even hear no talking from the room. Just her crying an awful lot. I see. She decided to leave kind of sudden. Oh, like a jackrabbit hearing a hound dog. Left for work yesterday morning, came steaming back by an hour later. Give me the keys, pack up and left. Came back from work. You know where she worked? Yeah. She was a waitress. The Bayshore Diner. Bayshore Diner. Thanks. So she up and quit on it just like that yesterday morning. Right smack in the middle of the breakfast rush, too. Cause the postman come in and give her a special liver letter. Who is it from? Who is it from? It was $20 of ham and in the fire. I got time to read a mail. All I know is she leaves me the serving, the dishes, and the cleaning. Oh, stop beefing. That little old gal had trouble. Yeah, yeah, you should talk. All you gotta do is drive one cab. You don't have the serving and the dishes and the cleaning. Why don't you find yourself a little old chaplain to hear your troubles and give me some coffee? Come on. Okay, okay. Maybe you can tell a ranger more about Lil and I can. Hanging around her, making eyes at her all day. You took her out when she left here. Is that right, driver? Did she leave here with you? Well, she hired my cab, but that's what you mean. Where'd you take her? Well, I took her home, waited while she packed some things and rushed her to the bus depot. She said somebody in her family was sick and she had to go help them right away. I guess that's what the letter was about. I was sitting there having my breakfast like I always do. Yeah, yeah, I understand. But what about the bus depot? You know what bus she caught? The northbound towards San Antonio. Cut at mighty fine, too. Got there just about a minute before the bus pulled out. Would have made it a lot easier if she didn't make me come dash and back about a mile after we left here. Back here to the diner? No, back to the laundry down the street. Guess she had some stuff in there. Although, she didn't bring a bundle out with her. But then on top of that, she says she can't pay me. Not that I'd mind, except for the ten extra blocks back to the laundry. I could have put the flag back up if she told me beforehand. You say the laundry's right down the street. Yeah, about half a block. Thanks. I'll walk down. Hey, Jayce! Hi, Kurtz. I left the Roman house, told me you came down here. Yeah, find out anything on that ring? Plenty. A couple of men who worked at Amalgamator recognized it. Belonged to a plant man named Ralph Brenner. And it wasn't Young's. No. I got that run down on Young's wife. Her maiden name was Lillian Brenner. The guy she identified was her brother, not her husband. Then that's why she was broken up. I knew that part wasn't an act. Come on. Where are we going? We're going into the laundry business. Yeah, she was real upset because the things wasn't ready, but you know how it was, Renjun. We was almost 10 days behind because of Texas City. There was even using our delivery trucks for emergency silverware. Some of our men left the job to help out. Yeah, yeah, sure. But what did she leave here? Waitress uniforms? Oh, plans. No. Diner up there has a regular uniform service. All she ever left here was men's shirts. Probably Vance's shirts, Jayce. Real good shirts, too, Ranger. Kinds don't have to starch at all. And real fancy colors, too. Dude wouldn't want to be found dead in some of them. Did she say she'd be back to pick them up? Oh, no. She asked me to send them to a COD. She said she needed the money she had on her for traveling. Shirts like that, you'd think her and her man was living off the top of the hog, but... Sure, sure. But did she give you an address? Oh, yeah, I got it right here in this book. Oh, yeah, I got it right here in this book. Right here. She wrote it down herself. General delivery, Lake Bluewater. The shirts are ready now. I'm going to mail them out tonight when I leave. We'll save you the trouble, wrap them up, and we'll deliver them for you. Kurtz and I headed for Lake Bluewater, towing our horses in a trailer, ready to follow Vance young no matter which way he moved. It was dark as we drove into the town. The clock on the courthouse was just straight. Not many people on the streets, Jayce. Looks like everything's closed up for the night, except for the moving, the drugstore. Better find a place and turn in. I think we ought to drive out of town, camp someplace off the lakeshore, walk the horses out for a while. I thought we were going to plant that laundry bundle at the post office in the morning, watch for a pickup. We are. Well, why not pasture the horses at the edge of town and find accommodations right here? If we stay in town overnight, it may start some talk. Talk drifts. We don't want to tip our hands. I guess you're right. Well, let's get out to the lake and find a campsite. Funny thing about young's wife remembering his shirts is his force of habit for a woman. Strong thing, habit. His safe-cracking habits told us he was still alive. And now maybe her habits are going to make him wish he was dead again. For the lake past the summer cottages skirting the shore on one side of it. Then as we rounded a curb and passed a house in a group of resort kevins, I spotted something. Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey. What's the matter? I saw something. Wait till I back up. Headlights picked it up as we came around this curb. There. Look at those. Well, I see the back of a few cabins, some wash on the line. Look at those two shirts on the end of the line. Look like a couple of rainbows, even on this light. Hey. rainbows even in this light hey that's the kind of color scheme Vance Young goes in for shirts we have in the laundry bundle are just like those lights on in a few of the cabins I'm gonna leave the car here while we have a look at those shirts horse trailer make too much of a racket if we drive in yeah no chance of being taken for tourists with that on the back better cut the motor and dots headlights yeah what was the laundry mark on those shirts we've got 410 mark there was a number of their house in Galveston come on let's see if we can find it on that line close the car doors easy right right take one of them down so we can get a better look at it what's the matter close pins stuck there I got it hold it low to the ground I'll cut my hand over the flashlight good here it is 410 these belong to our boy all right quite a few cabins Jase he's in one of them it's all we have to know come on start with this end cabin go right on down the line we better be ready for anything here's the first stop dark Jase yeah to feel your way around doesn't seem to be anybody living here this one's empty all right you want what that flash out before I fire ranges I put that's better who are you names a ed bullock I own these cabins just walking back from the boat dock with a couple of guests saw you sneaking in dark you you look for a place to stay now we're looking for a couple named young oh well that's funny it was mr. young who spotted your shadows hey mr. young was that young just with you yeah a human his wife was right behind me when I flashed lightning in here they spotted us Jase yeah come on my boat somebody started my boat is that the only boat you got down there only one with a motor there's a canoe we're not gonna reach him Jase they'll head across the lake how far is this bullet a mile ahead Kurt grab your horse from the trailer you can beat him around to the far side if you ride hard when you get there flash your light that'll keep him from trying the shore over there right what about you I'm taking the canoe and hurry a ranger I better go back to the office my wife you can think later mr. Bullock right now I need you going out in the canoe flash your light from this shore they'll think I'm here and they won't dare land on either side but make sure you don't turn the light on me in this canoe all right look turn your light on as soon as I get out in the open water I paddled the canoe toward the center of the lake Kurt's beat the unsound at the opposite shore and I could still hear their motor when I saw the beam of Kurt's light the young saw it too the beam wasn't strong enough I heard the boat in a turn and the motor came back toward me and it went dead on the dark water what just stopped the motor for that shut up they're waiting for us honey sure their lights don't reach us thanks we got to get out of here shut up and let me think there's a little wind the boat will drift to the far end of the lake that's so slow what do you want me to do I can't swim like you can't why can't you use the or because the all locks squeak stupid they'd hear him yeah there's only two of them they can't cover the whole shore she meant it so dark and I hey I hear something what something in the water crazy can't you see their lights on the shore well thanks I do hear something I see it it's a canoe what don't move young I'm coming into your boat what you I'll bring you with this or help help let go let go hey have you got me he can't swim where he's going it won't matter grab on the canoe and kick for sure I got a nice dry shirt waiting for him convicted of robbing a safe in the mercantile store Vance Young and the basis of his previous record was sentenced to life imprisonment at Huntsville this is Joel McCrae many of our listeners particularly in Texas recall these cases we've been dramatizing and some listeners have sent in questions about the Rangers yes it's true there are only 50 Texas Rangers and to show you how busy these Rangers are from 1946 to 1948 the Rangers handled nearly 17,000 cases with Texas as big as it is that means they cover about four times greater area per man than any other police officer in the world next week we'll have another authentic story I believe you'll enjoy very much like the others it's based on their official files adding further glory to the Rangers hope you'll be listening good night next week Joel McCrae and another authentic reenactment of a case from the piles of the Texas Rangers Joel McCrae is currently seen starring in the MGM production stars in my crown this story was transcribed and adapted by Joel Murcott and the program was produced and directed by Stacy Keach this is how give me speaking three times mean good times on NBC your Saturday hour of fun begins in four weeks you'll hear Judy Kanova and this young man hello everybody this is Dennis day on October 7th I'll be starting a new season on the air they'll be fun for all lots of music and laughs so join us for our opening show October 7th will be your favorite NBC station yes beginning October 7th here Dennis day then Judy Kanova in an hour of fun on NBC three times mean good times on NBC