 The national broadcasting company presents Joe McCrae in Tales of the Texas Rangers Tonight transcribed from Hollywood another authentic re-enactment of a case from the files of the Texas Rangers Tales of the Texas Rangers starring Joel McCrae as Ranger Jayce Pearson Texas more than 260,000 square miles and 50 men who make up the most famous and oldest law enforcement body in North America 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 room 114 It is 447 p.m. The afternoon of October 29th 1927 Liz Ferris a chambermaid at the Hotel Alamo in the town of Limpia, Texas Approaches Sam Bixby the desk clerk Mr. Bixby Liz thought you went home. I can't see if I'll ever get home till I get the rooms finished and I still ain't been in room 114 114 That's mr. Ballin's room. Oh, he went out a couple hours ago Well, he left one of them do not disturb cards on his door just the same His key ain't in the box there. I looked before while you're sorting out the mail Oh, well, he probably just forgot to leave his key. You got your past key you can get in Well, how'd you know he didn't come back again without you seeing him? I suppose he's in there taking a bath All right, Liz. All right, come on. I'll come back with you. Give me the keys Some folks don't care at all when I finish work long as they can sleep the day away Now, Liz, mr. Bollin's been here for two days and this is the first time he's given you any trouble Well, if it ain't him it's somebody else There there's that do not disturb card on the door like I said, did you try knocking that on the door? Of course I didn't I got some consideration for other folks even if they ain't got none for me Sides I run the vacuum clean in the hall hard enough to wake the dead Well, he don't answer the knock Sure, he went out. Well, if you're so sure why don't you open the door then? You uh You in mr. Bollin Mr. Bollin He's out. All right. Go ahead. Liz. All right. I'll make the bed first and get the Let me out of here. No, no, now be quiet. Liz. Don't let the other guests hear you. I better call the sheriff right away Sheriff James Curfus reached the murder scene and immediately sent out a request for assistance from the texas rangers Ranger jay's person was assigned to investigate He joined the sheriff in room 114 of the alamo hotel Everything just like I found it ranger except and I had to bed moves so I could get a look at the body Throat slashed, huh? Looks like it was done with a straight edge razor sheriff. Yeah Weapon ain't around any place. So that's what made me figure it was murder for sure I could have figured that out even if the razor was around Palms of his hands are cut too. He tried to grab the razor and get it away from whoever killed him Oh, I see we better cover him with a sheet Austin'll have a fingerprint man here soon You know who he is the name on the register is Henry Bolin Benny at two days Come up from Lone Star to sell some cattle at the auction bone all the way up here from Lone Star to auction cattle That's pretty far Yeah, nothing. You mentioned it is Yeah, plenty for who discovered the body a desk looking cleaning woman. You must have passed him out in the hall I told him to wait right outside. Yeah, I saw him. We better talk to him. All right Just trying to clean the room Ranger wants to talk. Oh sure thing already told you all I know sheriff anybody come in to visit in this room today Well, that's hard to say ranger a lot of cattlemen in town when the auction's running Well, nobody stopped by the desk, but you know, how it is man know each other visit around sure If he'd been out tending his business like a man ought to be he might and be dead. That's what I say Now Liz. I told you he was out. I saw him go when was this No, a little later maybe but it didn't see him come in again Are you sure it was Bolin you saw might have been somebody dressed like him wearing his clothes Maybe. Oh, no. I saw him good enough. No for sure Stopped just a few feet from the desk to wipe his eyeglasses with a handkerchief eyeglasses. Is something wrong with that G? I'll tell you in a minute He wears glasses all the time every time I see When you opened this door most the body was hidden by the bed, wasn't it? Yeah, the bed's been moved since then. I think you better come in and identify the body Oh, do we have to I'm afraid it's necessary as the man in here didn't wear glasses. Come on Well, okay Now lookie. Uh, he wouldn't have to be wearing him when he was killed. He never wore him Man who wears glasses all the time has little pressure marks alongside the bridge of his nose It's a thing we always look for helps with identification Now move the sheet What But that ain't mr. Bolin. No, it ain't well then who is this fella? Sheriff, I don't know. I never saw him before he he's a lot different Mr. Bolin not only wore glasses. He had a mustache and this fella don't this couldn't be him clean shaven No, sir could not looks like bolin. Isn't our victim sheriff Looks like he's the killer I made some photos of the dead man got a quick developing job done and headed for lone star the town bolin That given is his address on the way. I called my headquarters and asked to have ranger steve clark meet me there He was waiting at the county courthouse when I drove up Oh Howdy steve been waiting long no just got here about half hour ago say what's up Headquarters fill you in on the killing of the alamo hotel in limpia. Yeah, they told me about it You're good. How far out's the bolin ranch? Well, it begins nine miles southwest What do we do glot and grab bolin if he's around but it isn't likely After checking out of that hotel and leaving a dead man in his room Why'd you head this way then? Well, nobody at limpia had seen the dead man before We've got to find out who he is If there was bad blood between him and bolin somebody around here might know about it That's good thought I'll load my horse in with yours and we can go out to the ranch and wake him up The bolin ranch was plenty big spreading and sprawling out south of the main highway The ranch house was deserted except for a mexican woman. She was frightened and wouldn't unlatch the screen door We just want to talk to you, ma'am You come back again with mr. Boland is here. We're texas rangers. We just want some information from you I know nothing. Please you go away. If mr. Boland is in there. We'd like to talk to him. No one is here Senior no one but me. Oh, do you any good to hide him, ma'am? If he's not there Why can't we come in and look around? No, we should have gotten the search warrant changed. Yeah, she's just frightened because she's alone There ought to be somebody else around a ranch this size bolin must have hands Uh, where are the men senora the vaqueros who work on the ranch? All right senora you can go back to bed. We'll go talk to them Your senora wasn't too happy to see you boy. I know Well, let's get the horses out of the trailer You really want to look for those cow folks tonight? Yeah, because we've got plenty of other things to do in the morning Come on charcoal What's on your mind for the morning? Find out where boland banks watch his account so we can trace him if he caches a check any place Hey, it'll make it tougher for him to hide. All right. That's how I want to make it tough Well, that's right Boland had plenty of stock all right we passed cows and calves for the score But ground marks showed that the main herds the selling beef were driving south Railroad runs to the south jays just the moving them that way for shipping figures That's why we had to ride so far That must make take them three or four days to cut out the steers and drive them to a main camp We ought to be spotting some riders soon trail marks have been getting fresher And if we don't we're going to have to rest these ponies. We've been knocking on them steady now for about It's all right. We're getting close they can rest soon Look, well mace over there in the moonlight. Look down at the base on the east end Yeah campfire come on shark and see the stock now only part of the herd from the looks of it probably got a few Folks working each section driving into the railhead from different angles They can drive them any way they want all I want is somebody who can identify the photographs of a dead man Made by cow folks. They gotta be around horses couldn't move far if they were hobbled But there ain't any they moved around the other side of the mace Oh Brushing rock the edge of the mace. Oh easy. We better get off our horses. Jay. Make sure that a target for them. Yeah Rangers all right My name's frank. Tell her this child is small. Never mind the introductions tell her You always throw lead at anybody riding this range. I've fired over your head just a warning a warning for what? It's orders rangers Somebody's been making over some stock and bowling told us to be on look out for strange riders bowling He around no When'd you see him last just before we started out on roundup Tell her now ain't seen anybody but each other for almost a week And you don't have any idea where your boss might be now would we know You seem mighty anxious to find him. I am mighty anxious the boss in some kind of trouble He's in plenty of trouble and find it out sooner or later He's wanted for murdering a man in a hotel in limpia So if you know where he is or even where he might be you better talk up What do we know we tell you right off, but we don't know anybody bowling's been having trouble with no Boss never had trouble with nobody. There's a dead man who disagree with that if he could Get those photos out of your saddlebag. Will you Steve right? Maybe you can identify the man bowling killed. Yeah, yeah, Jay Thanks Here tell her you're too small. Huh take a look Wassey ranger Bowlin never killed this man. What makes you so sure of that because this is the boss This is a picture of bowlin himself You are listening to tales of the texas rangers starring joel mccray as ranger jace pierce We continue now with tonight's case room 114 an authentic story from the files of the texas rangers We had our killer cold knew his name is address and he turned out to be the dead man and the case fell apart It didn't make sense. You're sure this is a photo of bowlin. We ought to know We've been working for him for a year ever since he came down from y omen and bought this spread That's clerk at the hotel in limpea said he'd never seen this man before I can't help that But bowlin was registered at that hotel for two days Clerk said he wore eyeglasses and a mustache and the man he saw wasn't henry bowlin himself fishy about this whole thing Jayce, I can't figure why anybody minute steve, huh? You fella said bowlin thought somebody was running his stock off. Yes, right Is his brand registered? Well, sure it is box b brand. Thanks. We want any more information. We'll be out to see you later Come on steve. But jayce. Come on get mounted Get up char. Get up. Come on. Hope you catch the man. Yeah, thanks What's on your mind jace or to ask about the missing cattle and the brand registration Bowlin thought some of his cattle were missing but the registered brand stolen cattle are hard to get rid of It wouldn't be so hard if the thief took them to an out-of-the-way auction barn like the one in limpea And then pretended to be bowlin when he sold them. Hey jace, that makes sense. Sure it does That's why somebody registered the alamo under bowlin's name and bowlin must have found out about it Went up to limpea for his showdown and got himself killed. That's the picture. I'll buy it jace But who killed it? That's something we're gonna have to find out But whoever it was it was somebody bowlin knew or he wouldn't have been able to follow him to that hotel room And if the cattle were stolen from here by somebody bowlin knew and bowlin hadn't been here very long The thief might have been one of his own ranch hands. We'll play it that way steve Let's stick around here and see if we can find a poke with a mustache and eyeglasses During the next morning we spotted a pair of riders and asked if they knew of a hand with a mustache and glasses There was such a man on the ranch and they told us what general direction he might be working in A couple of hours later. We found him alone pushing some strays out of a blind draw That's him jace. Just saw the sun reflect on his glasses. Let's go You there are your questions Much-dashed, yeah Just sit tight on that horse until I get your rifle Oh, look ranger when you come riding down on me like I've done something grab my gun I reckon I got a right to know what it's all about you've been at the alamo hotel in limpia recently Never been in limpia in my whole life where you've been for the past four days right here on this range working anybody with you No, just me how come the other hands are working in twos and threes. Well, I I've been working through this badland strip. No heard in here nothing But a few strays a one man can dig out. That's how I've come anybody seen you here in the last couple of days How could anybody see me? I've been way back in that scrub canyon. Yeah If nobody saw you there, nobody'd see you if you weren't there either What's your name? Dave budin budin, huh? All right, you better come with us come with you for what I ain't coming any place I'm not asking you. I'm telling you Somebody murdered your boss. Henry Boland up in limpia yesterday Murdered Hank Boland. That's right the description of the killer fits you What Well, you're crazy. I've been right here. I'll tell you tell me anything you want But you're coming to limpia. I want a couple of people to get a look at you We got back to the car and drove Dave budin to the sheriff's office in limpia to see if he could be identified Ranger, I'm telling you. I ain't never been near this town. If you haven't been here You've got nothing to worry about. Did you send for the chambermaid and the desk clerk chef? Yeah, yeah, they'll be here right off. Thanks. As a matter of fact, here they come now at the outside steps They're seeing through the window ranger. I'm telling you. You better not say anything just now budin German Howdy, honey Ray, can you remember the ranger here? I mean likely would forget him after seeing him only yesterday Liz mr. Vixby. I want you to meet mr. budin hot. Howdy, howdy Doesn't seem like you've ever met mr. budin before I thought maybe you had No, can't say I ever had the pleasure. Me neither. Although for a minute it did look like like who now listen lady You know I'm just gonna say it looked like saraline He's all bold the one that run off when everybody expected that he's going to get married Thanks, Liz mr. Vixby I just wanted to be sure that this man wasn't the one who was registered under the name of Henry Boland Oh, I see. Oh, no, nothing like him except for the Eyeglasses and the mustache. Yeah, I guess we might as well let these folks go back to the hotel Jason Yeah, looks like you were telling the truth budin. I'm sorry. No harm done ranger No way you could have known Yeah, jeez. I've been thinking You suppose uh mustache and eyeglasses might have been a disguise to throw us off. That's a thought sheriff It's been done before. Well, I ain't the way it was this time ranger. Why not vixby? Well, them glasses may have been fake, but not the mustache Man, you're after had a real mustache. I know because because I seen him in the barber shop and the barber trimmed it We put budin on the bust alone star and sent him back to the boland ranch Clark and I spent the next day questioning everybody in limpia the crew at the auction barn cattlemen everybody They couldn't add a thing to what we already knew When we got back to the sheriff's office, there was more of that news Had a call from your headquarters at orson jays may check those prints the lab crew lifted from 114 Whoever left him had no record. Yeah, that does it I still think it must have been somebody from boland's ranch somebody he knew that's what we think and that's the way it looks Let's face it jays could have been a stranger stole the cattle Boland found out about it went in for a showdown like any hothead and got himself killed Killer could have come in from any direction and left in any direction. That's right jays. No way you're telling Come in Howdy sheriff rangers Yeah, something we can do for you. Well, my name is denning. I drive a line haul for interstate trucking Route tween new orleans el Paso. I think I got some information you might want Least wise their thoughts are over at the alamo hotel. What kind of information this Key to room 114 the alamo Where'd you get this? Well, it was night for last night of the day boland was killed jays. Yeah go ahead Yes, my relief man was driving we made a coffee stop place about 40 mile this side loon star Pull a truck in the side of the service station there I was sleeping didn't want no coffee So I stayed in the cabin doors while a relift man went inside. I got it go on. Well cattle truck pulled in for gas Well empty empty cattle truck, huh? Edit which way southwest start loon star. You notice the license Well, no, no, but there was a mark on the side Box with a b in the middle of it boland's box b brand jays must have been the truck used to haul the stolen cattle up here Yeah, and the haul the killer back to the ranch What about the key? I was coming to that Felling the cattle truck he paid for the gas. I didn't say him too good I was just sort of slumped in my cab, you know half groggy not exactly watching him, but seeing I know what you mean Well, when he fished money out of his pocket, I saw him kind of look at something he dug out with it Then he sort of looked around like he was looking for someplace to throw it Station man left him to go inside for change Then the fellow walked right past my truck real quick He didn't see me of course goes a cab with dark and I heard him throw something Make kind of a clink Then he went back to the cattle rig and drove off. That's what it threw away this hotel key here That's it. I found a way my partner came out We went back to check the top and the tailgate and I sort of looked around and found the key with my flash How come you didn't just drop it in the mailbox? Well, we had a lot of stops along the line loading unloading And the rod came right through here thought I'd stop it and just drop it off Information happy any it sure does Thanks. My headquarters will see to it. Your boss hears about it, too Sheriff better take down his statement. Okay, jeez. Come on steve. See you later. All right Getting back to the lone star as fast as the wheels will turn pile in Are we going to narrow it down chase budin was the only hand with the mustache and the glasses and he's clear Glasses still could have been phony something the killer wore only while he was in limpia We know the mustache wasn't a phony bowlin's hands have been on roundup for a couple of weeks A lot of them let their beards grow would have been a simple matter to shave the beard and leave a lip cover Sneak away with a load of cattle and then shave clean before he got back I know I know but budin was the only hand working alone One of the others did it and disappeared for a few days his sidekick know about it Doesn't have to be a one-man job steve sidekick could be in on it, too That figures What's our play jays fingerprint them all and get a check on the prince up at austin I think we can wrap it up quicker in that We know the killer doesn't have a beard now and uses a straight razor. That was the murder weapon Yeah budin can tell us which of the men shave with straight razors and once we know that We can settle the rest with a camera. I got in the car trunk now By asking the straight razor men if they'd like to pose for a couple of identification pictures with eye Glasses and a phony mustache Tell them we'll have to hold them until the pictures are seen by a couple of witnesses in limpia That ought to flush some action from them action I'm betting the man who killed bolin will raise more fuss than the alligator when the lake went dry Got back to lone star just in time Bank had taken over the management of bolin's ranch as executors and the roundup was just about complete Last the herd was being driven into the stockpins in the railroad siding when we reached the south end of the ranch There's budin jays take care of the horses over there by the corral. Yeah, come on Hey budin hey budin I want to talk to you a minute How you making out That will make out fine if you will help pretty sure it was somebody on the ranch who killed your boss Well, how can I help you just tell me which of the pokes use straight razors for shaving What's he is Jones And teller and happy teller, huh? Say jays isn't either bright boy that fired on us first time we rode out on the range He's the one all right He was clean shaven too fella with him was named small You know where they are budin. Well, it was over there a minute ago driving a lot Here they come now jays around the end of the corral with the horses. Hey, you better drift away budin sure thing I'd like to have another talk with you teller you too small sure ain't you what's it about make your way till you're this much What do you want? Yeah Find out who killed bolin. We're pretty sure it's one of the hands All you fellas without beards are going in with us What for why yeah What would that prove prove plenty when we get what we want? Take photos of all of you with prop eyeglasses and mustache on you couple of people in limpia want to see them Really? They think they recognize somebody that ain't legal evidence. We'll have something to help it along We'll fingerprint the man they think they saw because bolin's killer left his prints all over that hotel room raise it warn me I helped steal the catalyst all I didn't go to limpia. He did. I told you to shut up your rest. All right, teller you can both This is horse and dope behind the other mounts at the rack frightened animal reared over Knocked small into me before clark could grab the bottle You got yourself in a trap calling after you You're a dead pigeon in that cattle shoe. Don't you believe in ranger? No, that shot you fired already got the cattle stirred up Hey, you man down in the pen Open the gate so the herd can move into the chute. They open that gate knife. You'll get tromped to death All right boys open up the gate Here give me your arm I'll pull you out of there good ranger. Okay. Don't don't let me drop now I don't I don't want to make no trouble ranger. I made a mistake. I admitted You made a big mistake teller Too bad. You didn't use that razor strictly for shaving Go on For his part in the crime charles small received a sentence of 25 years Frank teller was tried and convicted for the murder of rancher. Henry bolin Today after two decades. He still serves his sentence Life imprisonment now here again is the start of our show. Joel mccray Reflecting on the old time one riot one ranger reputation of the texas rangers a visitor to texas recently mentioned to a ranger That he'd been noticing a number of current press reports Where two rangers had participated in the quelling of a riot or investigation of a crime After citing this observance to the ranger the man asked How come two men are being assigned to some of these cases now are the rangers less effective than they used to be? Lanky ranger shook his head. Oh, no, he said one ranger is still sufficient to handle the situation. All right, but In these days of complex legal technicalities, we've been sending two of them along one to take care of what trouble there is And the other one to serve as a sort of a disinterested witness Good night folks. See you next week Next week Joel mccray in another authentic reenactment of a case from the files of the texas rangers Joel mccray is currently seen starring in the mgm production stars in my crown Tonight's cast included tony barrett and diamond herb bygren peggy weber tom mckee bill johnstone herb ellis and barney phillips This story was transcribed and adapted by joel mercott and the program was produced and directed by stacey keech This is how give me speaking Three times mean good times on nbc Monday chimes mean the best in music on nbc tomorrow night Gordon mccray stars in the railroad hour presentation of the operetta the firefly The nbc symphony presents a one-hour concert featuring works by vivaldi vogner and strevinsky Tomorrow's nbc symphony concert marks the first in the series under the baton of the widely acclaimed young conductor guido cantelli Now the 64 dollar question three times mean good times on nbc