 The National Broadcasting Company presents Joe McCrae in Tales of the Texas Rangers Tonight transcribed from Hollywood another authentic reenactment of a case from the files of the Texas Rangers Rangers starring Joel McCrae as Ranger Jase Pearson Texas more than 260,000 square miles and 50 men who make up the most famous and oldest law enforcement body in North America Rangers 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 Death in the cards. It is 11 30 p.m. On the night of January 26 1947 at the ranch house of Chester Gentry in Reeves County, Texas Chester is on the telephone as his steps on will enters. All right, call me when you find him Thanks, Sheriff Well, you've been well just out having a beer that Sheriff Bennett you're talking to yeah Your friend to which telephones you want to go told that you You didn't tell a sheriff about towing. I sure didn't sheriff just called to say located to which his room and house over in Biggestown but to which wouldn't say I've told you a hundred times It's the worst thing in the world you could do to which finds out it killed me Well, I maybe has found out you told a sheriff maybe his owner's way here right now to get me Look, you got to give me the money to pay him off now No, we'll no more money. Do you know what you're saying? He'll kill me if I don't pay me to miss now You listen to me will I reached the end of my rope in this whole rotten mess. I'm through and I couldn't get another dime from me I've done everything I can for you, but you're just no good. Please dad. I need that dough now You shut up and listen to me You're my died I promised right do everything I could for you and I have I treated you like you was my own son I've given you a home. I've given you money a lot of money What have you done with it? You've thrown it away to a slimy gambler named to which but dad two months has been going on for two Months you've been bleeding me white to pay off that gambler. I told you to stay away from him But you didn't now it's high time for me to meet him and tell him face-to-face to stay away from you No dad no no if you just give me the money this once more straight now. I promise your promises ain't worth a bill of straw That's what you said last week. You're straight now Told you then I'd give you just one week to do it and if you didn't You'd get no more money from me now or ever dad. You don't mean oh don't I you got yourself into this mess You get yourself out of it so which can bluff you but he can't bluff me What's the matter window to which I just saw him at the wind Now he's gone. It's probably heading for the front door. All right, let him turn off the lights. We'll put down no more Get my gun. I'll give this to which are reception. He ain't looking for no dad. No front door Let's stay away from that door dad. Don't open it. Please don't can't see a thing. Now look will you Chester gentry laid dead at his own front door will immediately notified Sheriff Bennett's office Sheriff requested help in the Texas Rangers Ranger Jase Pearson was assigned to the case. He joined Sheriff Bennett at the gentry ranch Yeah, it looks like an open and shut case case Kovic came here to get will but it was Chester who opened the door and collected the slugs instead Where was the body sheriff lying right across front door way here? How long go the shooting take place a couple hours ago Chester notified me earlier in the evening He'd gotten a call from this tovich the call came from bigger town So I went over there to see if I could find him I located his rooming house, but he checked out Looks like while I was there. He was here You say tovich have been bleeding will and Chester for some time I'm about two months according to what Chester told me on the phone. Well, let's talk to well. Oh Sheriff come on in This is Ranger Pearson will he'd like to ask you a couple questions sure ranger How long have you known this tovich will a couple of months I guess where'd your first meeting Pete's place down the highway That's a roadhouse chase that were you did your gambling? No Tovich would call me from time to time tell me had a game lined up So I'd meet him at his room and house and biggest time who else was in the games a couple other fellas Different ones each time. I didn't know any of them didn't even know the names you kept losing to tovich, didn't you? Yeah, I did but you kept on playing cards with him Well, I kept thinking my luck would change your luck never changes when you're up against the professional gambler Guess I know that now. It's too bad. You didn't know it two months ago. Your stepfather might still be alive Ranger There just isn't a thing you can say to me that I haven't already said to myself I've been sitting here for two hours thinking about it Known if I had the guts to straighten out this wouldn't happen It's only one thing I hope right now Hope somehow dad knows how I feel All right, well What does tovich look like? Well pretty ordinary looking fellow. Can you never notice the crowd about my height? I'd say black hair regular features nothing to really set him apart. It's pretty general Guess it is, but it's best I can do okay better get some sleep you find any tracks outside sheriff Nope, my deputy scarred the yard, but it's too gravely to hold any kind of tracks car or foot Will you remember hearing a car pull away from here after the shooting one? No, right? Yeah Come think of it. I didn't even hear one come up. Hmm Okay When it gets light, we'll ride around a little in the back of the ranch sheriff and see if we can pick up any footprints All right, in the meantime, let's take a run over to bigger's town and talk to tovich's landlady Maybe she can give us a better line on him afraid. I can't help you much on a description ranger I only got a good look at tovich once that was when I rented this room to him two months ago No, it's pretty strange that it'd be the only time you saw him mrs. Packer. Well, he came and went by night I'd hear voices in his room sometimes in the evening a couple of times a woman's voice But as far as seeing him around I didn't you said he checked out earlier tonight Didn't you see him then? No, he just left an envelope under my door with his key and the money He owed on the room. You think you'd recognize him if you saw him again, mrs. Packer. Well, I might I don't know But to sit down and describe him to you. I'm afraid I can't be much help there I don't like it sheriff Man's been living in this room for two months. Take a look around you. It's clean too clean Nothing here to give us any line on Hey, wait a minute. Have you cleaned this room since tovich checked out? No, I ain't gotten around to it yet I was figuring on giving it a good swamping out in the morning. I'd like to save you the trouble What do you mean like to have one of our men from the lab vacuum the room for you? well My back the way sure ain't gonna say no You figure on having the content to the dust bag analyze J. Yeah Tovich has covered his tracks pretty well so far But maybe he doesn't know you can sometimes pick up a lot besides dust with a vacuum cleaner Mrs. Packer if you should ever see Tovich again, I'd like you to get in touch with me right away Well, you can count on that Ranger say I don't hanker to have any killers running loose around my room in-house Don came and the only thing new on the case was the publicity Papers were carrying the story with pictures of Chester and Will the sheriff and I started scouring the country and back of the gentry ranch on horseback This is hunting weather Jace with all that frost on the ground. Yeah, so far the hunting hasn't been good Let's see. We're right in line with the back of the ranch house now. Yeah, maybe we better split up and go Hold it. Oh Take a look on the ground there. Yeah Foot tracks Coming from the back of the ranch house, too and judging from the distance between the tracks. He was in a hurry. Come on Headin straight north for the river Jace. He could be trying for the new Mexico border. Could be You know one thing should be pretty easy to follow the tracks in the frost. Yeah There's something funny about these tracks though. What do you mean? I don't know yet And just put my finger on it, but we'll keep trailing see if we can put our finger on Tovich Come on charcoal. Can't understand why you don't want to cross the river Jace Tracks led to smack into it back there. I know it's sheriff But let's just keep looking along the bank on this side. Okay, but he probably waited along a spell then kept going on the other side What's on the other side Santa Fe track about 15 mile away and what's between the river and the tracks just open country That's what I mean. I don't think Tovich would risk 15 miles of open country. Yeah See your point Yeah, we'll keep looking along this side then and we don't have to look any farther sheriff Look there. They are Charky Hey they They sure Tax coming up out of the river and heading back the way we came There's still one thing. I don't understand. What's that? The shooting took place by 1130 last night Tovich could have been halfway across that open country on the other side of the river by dawn Now why did you double back? I think I've got an answer for that sheriff I told you a while back something was bothering me about those tracks. I finally figured out what it is Oh, look at the tracks and then look at the hoof marks of our horses They look just about the same to me Hey They both cut down through the frost. Yeah, that's the point. What time you figure the frost formed on the ground this morning? Between four and five maybe and those tracks were made after the frost formed They cut through it if they'd been made before the frost it would have formed over them. Wait a minute Maybe tovich realized he killed the wrong man Maybe he hid around the ranch trying for another crack at will now those tracks are heading toward the ranch again Come on sheriff. We better get back there in a hurry We followed the tracks back to the highway a mile below the ranch and lost them there Then we headed for the ranch house was no sign of life around the place And don't see will outside anywhere and his cars in the driveway. I hope we're not too late Well Well, oh morning sheriff ranger. Yeah, that's a relief. Oh come on in Something to matter we thought there might be can I use your phone? I want to call my office and see if there's anything new. Hey, sir back in the hauler. Okay. Thanks Ranger What's the sheriff mean about being relieved to see me? Well, it's possible tovich hung around here the ranch last night after the shooting. What? You see or hear anything after we left It wasn't my imagination. What do you mean? Well after he fell his left I locked up tight about there for this morning sound woke me up. What kind of a sound well like somebody walking around I'd say You think could have been tovich. I don't know Well, I've got dad's gun Tovich ever shows up around here again. I'll handle law enforcings our business will don't try and take it into your own hands. Yes Yes, sir Now what is it? My deputy just told me that landlady miss Packer phoned the office for you about an hour ago Mrs. Packer. Yeah, they told her to call out here. Well, yeah Did a Mrs. Packer phone me? Oh Well woman phone didn't leave a name, but she did leave a number. I got her written down right here Thanks operator two seven three four Jay How long go'd she call will oh about a hour ago? I guess she leave any message No, just said to ask you to call you told her to get in touch with you. She ever saw tovich again. Jayce. Yeah, I know No answer Come on sheriff. We better get over to bigger's town and find out what's on mrs. Packer's mind Mrs. Packer Mrs. Packer look Jayce on the table there by the phone Newspaper Folded to the story of the killing. Well, she can't have gone very far coffee is boiling on the hot plate That's just about boiled dry. Come on. Let's take a look in the next room You know, it's funny. She'd call and then be Jayce on the bed Yeah Strangled who are listening to tales of the Texas Rangers starring Joel McCrae as Ranger Jayce Pearson We continue now with tonight's case death in the cards an authentic story from the files of the Texas Rangers You know where fast on this case first Chester gentry then mrs. Packer We questioned all the rumors, but none of them had seen a thing and we went back to the sheriff's office And Jayce there's no doubt about it at all Miss Packer was trying to tell you something about Tovich, but he got to her first and killed her to shut her mouth Yeah, we know who the killer is. All right, but the big question is where is he? It's just like the earth opened and swallowed him up Well, every sheriff's office in the state's been alerted highway patrols on the lookout to so sooner or later. We're bound Yeah, excuse me, Jason Sheriff Bennett speaking. Oh Yeah, just a minute your headquarters Jayce Kevin Stinson. Thanks Hello, Kevin. What'd they find? I read heads in Texas captain afraid. That's not much help. Thanks a lot, Kevin I'll keep you posted Sheriff we haven't had any luck finding Tovich. Have we who you sure haven't? Okay, now we're gonna start looking for Tovich's girl. His girl? How many beauty parlors do you figure there are in Biggers town? I don't know six or seven maybe before the day is over. We'll know exactly how many there are We're gonna visit them all the sheriff had underestimated the town. There were ten of them We had no luck on the first seven and then just a dark we hit number eight There we found an operator who remembered giving a henna dye job to a girl named Thelma Parrish about a week ago We learned that Thelma was a waitress in a coffee shop. So I parked my car on the corner and we dropped in on her Well, you men look like you could use a nice cup of coffee Nothing I'd like better right now than having a pretty red-headed waitress pour me one ma'am. My thank you ranger Coming up. What do you think Jayce? I think maybe cream black in black here, too Here y'all. Thanks Senior boyfriend lately Boyfriend tovich who? Tovich You must have me mixed up with somebody else ranger. I don't know anybody by that name. Are you real sure about that ma'am? Well, of course I am a girl sure who she does know and who she doesn't well either. I'm mistaken or you're lying to me Look, I don't know what this is all about, but I do know better than lie to a ranger. I hope so Well, come on sheriff. We better be getting back to your office. Okay, Jayce Here's for the coffee Sorry, I can't help you any about what's his name. So am I This way sheriff. Where are we going across the street? Yeah, but the car's on this side around the corner keep walking She's watching us from inside. Oh, I think she was lying. That's what I want to find out She seemed pretty sure of herself. Okay. We're out of her line of sight now. Let's get in this doorway quick Good we're in the shadows here. She can't spot us from across the street now We'll just keep an eye on the front of that coffee. She's looking. She's coming outside False alarm. She's just washing the windows. Yeah Well, that's the fastest washed job I've ever seen. She's heading inside again. She came out to make sure we'd gone come on Work away along the sidewalk until we can see across the street into the coffee shop. Yeah, but she may spot us. Hold it She's on the phone with her back to us. She was lying. All right, probably calling tovich right now Sheriff how about slipping into the drugstore and tracing that call? I can keep an eye on the front of the shop from my car I'll meet you there Sheriff disappeared into the drugstore. I waited in my car Couple of minutes later. He came over and got in wearing a very puzzled look Must be some mistake. Jay. What do you mean? I'm a waitress. She just telephoned the gentry ranch I don't think there is any mistake sheriff and right now it doesn't surprise me much Yeah, but as far as we know the only one of the gentry ranch is will yeah But will is gonna have company as soon as we can make it there Wait a minute. You're trying to say that will gentry sheriff. It looks like there is no tovich and never has been I guess the boy we've been up against right from the start is will gentry I Radioed KTXA to set up a roadblock on the highway ten miles each way from the gentry ranch in case will should take off Before we could get there and I jammed the gas pedal of the floor and held it there You're leaving me way behind will gentry looks like I was way behind for a while to looking back on it It all falls into place We know will was always after money from his stepfather Chester and he invented the story about a gambler named tovich Isn't excuse to get that money even when so far as to rent a room in bigger town under that name But when Chester cracked down and threatened to disinherit him We'll use the same tovich device to kill Chester that way he'd get all Chester's money So when Chester opened the front door thinking tovich was outside there wasn't anybody there at all and it was will who plugged me Unit 10 go ahead KTXA Unit 10 10 for Well, we got the roadblock set up Tucker's junctions about five miles the other side of the gentry ranch, isn't it yep And with another highway patrol car back office at the bigger town turn off Looks like we got will bottled up tide if he makes a run for it There's no side roads off the highway for six or seven miles long here good Since we get the top of this rise we ought to be able to spot the gentry ranch. Yeah ranch house only a mile or so from here Jayce It was will who made those tracks in the frost then huh? He heard me say we'd start trailing in the morning I guess he figured on giving us something to trail yeah, and that explains miss Packers murder, too She must have seen will's picture in the paper Recognize him as tovich so she tried to phone you and when she called the ranch house will knew he had to shut her mouth for keeps We probably got back from killing her just before we showed up at the ranch house after the trailing there is a ranch house Only half mile more now wait the taillight swinging out on the highway. He's making a run for it What kind of cars he drive? Gray sedan isn't it yep Unit 10 to all units and roadblock Subject will gentry attempting getaway proceeding east on highway 19 and gray sedan unit 10 pursuing Unit 10 go ahead unit 203 That's only a couple miles east of us Jayce proceed west on highway 19 unit 203 Unit 10 Claire. Yeah, we got him bottled up for sure Jayce We're back stopped at both ends, and we're coming at him from both ends. It's a squeeze place Sure, hope so Unit 10 the unit 203 Have you sighted gentry's car yet? Unit 10 Claire. I Don't get it sheriff. We should have spotted gentry by this time. We're almost together They watch it Jayce sharp band in the road just ahead just past this drive-in movie here. Yeah, I see it Only way gentry could get off the highways to ditch his car, and I don't think he'd do that Hey, the red light coming at us that must be unit 203 He's stopping to but where's will No sign of gentry. No, but there aren't any side roads at all. He couldn't have vanished into thin air Hey, wait a minute that drive-in movie. We just passed you think you turned in it's the only place He could have turned in come on back to the drive-in theater stationed the highway patrol car at the exit Then the sheriff and I talked to the theater manager He remembered a gray sedan pulling in there a few minutes before He'd sent it at the rear aisle so the three of us circled around the theater on the outside of the fence and then came in Through a small gate in the rear, but gentry's car wasn't in the back row But he's gonna be in this back row ranger. That's where I sent him look They can spot in the row one in the next row ahead. He could have warmed his way forward a few rows Yeah, that's right. A lot of people do that trying to get a better spot about 200 cars in here It's gonna be like looking for anything hold it Three aisles up near the side Yeah That's his car. All right Gonna take him now Jason. I can't there's too many cars around them. It's a cinchy won't come peacefully Somebody might get shot if we can only get the car on each side of him to get clear I could make an announcement on the public address. No, it's no good. He probably starts shooting I can't warn the car on each side will would spot me same goes for you sheriff want me to do it you I don't know it'll be pretty Hey, wait a minute. Yeah, I think I got it You go up to the car on this side of will tell them to clear out in exactly one minute Then go to will's car Tell them you're checking the reception on those speakers they hang on the side of their cars And then go to the car the other side of him tell them to clear out in two minutes Good idea that way. Maybe we'll won't get suspicious 30 seconds after the second car leaves turn on all the lights. Okay, I'll give it a whirl See ya have control over We watched the manager go along the line of cars He worked his way to will's car then passed it to the one beyond then he headed for the projection booth so far so good Seconds ticked by the end of the first minute the car this side of will pulled out Another minute went by and the car the other side of will got going He's out in the open now. Yeah 20 seconds till the lights go on come on and we get just a little closer. I'll take him from this side Jayce he's starting up in the scott's dishes. He won't get far Well come out of that car with your hands in the air. There go the lights on You okay, Jayce. Yeah, are you sure not him down? Hit him in the shoulder That's up to the state of Texas will not me, but I think they'll oblige you all right Will Gentry was tried and convicted of the murders of Chester Gentry and Leona Packer on the morning of April 12th 1948 he was executed in the electric chair at Huntsville Penitentiary Here again is the star of our show Joel McCrae with another interesting story about the Texas Rangers Although the Texas Rangers is a highly organized law enforcement agency the men themselves are rugged individualists One Ranger in particular that I know of carries his six shooters with only five shells in each gun One day was asked why he did this if the hammers resting on an empty chamber. He said the gun can't be fired accidentally But said his interested friend with only five bullets instead of six in the gun Aren't you endangering your own position? Maybe so he said with a grin But if you can't hit your target with five shells the sixth one won't do you much good anyhow Good night folks. See you next week Joel McCrae and 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 Bill Johnstone, Barley Bear, Jeanette Nolan, Byron Kane, Mike Barrett and Ernie Newton This story was transcribed and adapted by Bob Reif and the program is produced and directed by Stacey Heech Hal Gibney speaking Three times mean good times on NBC Remember all the delightful troubles that beset Mr. Blannings when he built his dream house Well starting next Sunday afternoon You can hear the further adventures of the beleaguered Mr. Blannings and his wonderful wife Muriel It's top listening for the entire family next Sunday and Sundays thereafter when Carrie Grant and Betsy Drake star as Mr. And Mrs. Blannings Stay tuned for the $64 question tomorrow hear the symphony on NBC