Wheaties presents Joel McCrae in Tales of the Texas Rangers on stage tonight, transcribed
from Hollywood. Another in the Wheaties Big Parade of exciting half hour presentations,
Tales of the Texas Rangers, starring Joel McCrae as Ranger Pearson, Texas more
than two hundred and sixty thousand square miles and fifty 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 fact only. Names, dates,
and places are big fishes for obvious reasons. They events themselves are a
matter of record. Case for tonight Apatchee Peak. Shortly after midnight on October
four, last a late model blue Sedan came to a stop at a traffic
light on the highway leading southwest out of Wichita Falls, Texas. While the
driver waited the light to change, a figure moved out from the shadows and
tapped on the window of a sedan I didn't hear with the window up,
said you going near askell I don't know where is it. I'm headed for
Alpasso. That's my direction. Now about a ride all right, hop in.
Thanks money? Hard getting a ride as you like? Uh huh?
How far is uh? Haskell? About eighty miles? But I'm going past
there up near a patch of peek, hey, far from the mail pass
Oh good, keep me from falling asleep at the wheel. I got to
be an alpasso in the morning. Business appointment you from the East New York.
It just the accent sticks out right, And so what kind of business
in salesman airplane parts? You get tired? I can drive a spell.
Hey, that's a thought as soon as I start to feel sleepy. Sure,
give a chance to rest up. Good. It's almost four am,
being audest in twenty minutes. Do you want to take over? Yeah,
I guess I can stop place on this highway. I haven't seen another corn
an hour. I'll slide over. You get out and come round. Now
you get out, Well, it's just as easy for you. Hey,
Hey, what are you doing with that gun? I need money, mister,
and you've got it. Sure, sure, I'll give it to you.
I won't report him or anything I'll get I know you won't, mister.
Tales of the Texas Rangers will continue in just a moment tonight as special
guest Wheaties Champion Robert Feller. Oh, by golly, it's always fun the
meat of Wheaties champion, especially when he's as nice a guy as Bob Feller,
the Cleveland Indian. Hello, Bob, I ed, Are you seeing
many baseball games these days? Oh? You bad? Robert? You eating
many wheaties these days? What a question? Well, I've been eating Wheene's
for breakfast almost every morning for pretty close to twenty years and still going strong.
Whitties are money, tough to get tired of. I guess wheenies and
milk and fruit will still be my favorite breakfast when I'm too old to climb
out of the dugout. Now that won't be happening for a lot of years
yet. Thanks for stopping in. Bob Feller, a real Wheaty's champ.
You know, gentlemen of the audience, this man Feller has a wife and
youngsters, even as you and I. His paycheck depends in part on healthy
energy, just as ours does. You got my point? We need him
too. Wheaties Breakfast of Champions, get yours And now back to our story
with Joel McCrae as Ranger Pearson. The body was discovered at eight fifteen in
the morning of October fourth, when the fence ride up from the ranch bordering
the highway found it in the brush at the side of the road. He
reported the discovery to the nearest sh Erraff and the sheriff relaid the report to
the Texas Rangers. Ranger Jase Pearson was assigned to the case. There's the
body of Jace under that sheet. Where was he found? The sheriff about
eleven mile east. Must have been dumped out of a car and shot three
times, one through the neck and two through the chest. Thirty eight colar
Yeah, corner got two of the slugs. Any identification on him or anything?
Jace? Whoever done it even stole the clothes off him, stepping his
shirt and shorts the necktime, and a pack of cigarettes from his shirt.
Punky, it's all there on the table, Hm, Andre mark on the
shirt. That might help Corners say how long he's been dead? Oh,
since four or five o'clock this morning? Hum? These cigarettes were they on
him? Yeah? Why may help any maybe a whole lot? Look at
this New York state tax stamp. Can you make something out of there?
Only the one pack of cigarettes wouldn't have lasted him from New York to Texas.
Probably bought a cartner to start out on the trip, so his home
might be in New York. I'm reckon an awful lot of folks to buy
a cottoner smokes in New York. Case, Yeah, but it's a place
to start. Checking that laundry mark on the shirt. It will be a
help we know who this man is. I'll send these things into the lab
and they can send a wire photo of the mark to New York. The
corner has some pictures of the body. I'll put them on the wire too.
You got a deputy to get the stuff to my headquarter, sure thing.
I'll call him good and we can get out and check the scene.
Had this little piece of road here blocked off some who cars could wipe out
anything good? Eh, body was found right in here, Yeah, ragged
in from the road. Back of the heels scraped along. Their clothing caught
on the mesquite here. And what''re picking off there? A little fibers of
cloth snagged on here. A lat men get through with these and may be
able to tell us what kind of duds they came from. Let's take a
look at the road, fresh headed tire tracks here on the shoulder. Jans,
Yeah, I noticed him. Impressions deeper here that's where they stopped.
Look at the marks around it. Body was dragged out of the driver's side.
That makes a difference. Means the dead man must have been driving,
so it was a good chance it was his own car. I reckon it
is, But how about the other villa? Could be the same old story,
Sheriff, a hitchhiker. Man have to be a fool and take a
hitchhiker through this country, didn't I? Yeah, a fool. The trouble
with fools is most of them are nice people. They don't rate being killed.
I'm gonna play a hunch, make some work for the Highway Patrol.
Captain Stimpson's out on investigation. I may be able to reach him in his
car. Unit ten, the Unit three, Unit ten, the Unit three,
Unit three, the Unit ten Go ahead. Unit ten requests all points
bullet and alerting Highway Patrol and Ranger units to stop and check all cars carrying
New York state plates. Exhibit you sent over and arrived Unit ten. You
know, just going on that cigarette tax stamp? Are you no? Captain
murder scene check indicates victim was driving car he would stumped from, might have
been his own. We're trying guess how soon can we expect report from New
York police on laundry mark That don't take time, Unit ten, We'll keep
you informed. I have reports on exhibits in a few hours. We'll keep
Unit three informed if I move from this location, Unit ten, ten to
four. After the ten fourth sign off, I took the sheriff back to
his office, and that's when the hardest part of all hunting began, the
waiting. The only thing we knew for certain about the murdered car was that
it was heading west on the road to pake Us now Passo. I headed
the same way, stopping to ask questions at all the smaller towns, the
cafes, and service stations wherever a man on the run might risk stopping.
But all the answers were the same New York car. You say, no,
no, I don't think so. I only saw I went out of
state all day from Oklahoma. Well, thanks, any how many to sit
down have some coffee and pie? Ranger, Oh no, thanks, I
gotta find a fellow. No, I sure remember it. If a New
York car stopped here for gas. Ain'teen one of the week. Well thanks,
uh ranger. Yeah, the kid runs the pumps a little while I'm
eating. Maybe he saw something. I call him out. If you want
to wait till I catch his fellas win you I wait? Oh, but
see I I just remembered the kid didn't sell nothing today. Well thanks.
Anyhow, we've been working on the Royal Dation York. But we don't know
this nobody, I guess not. They detour passed you fifty yards away.
The one who might see swan he holds the red flag when the car is
coming down there, boll He don't even to look up. He just hear
the car and wave the flag. He too busy looking in the movie magazine
at Betty Gravel. Well thanks. By nightfall, I was just outside of
Pacas. I pulled into a grove near an auto quarter place i'd stomped before.
Let my horse, Charcoal get down from the trailer. Barely got him
unloaded when another Ranger car pulled in. Yeah, Kurtz Hoti boy HOI what
are you doing down here? Got a teletype for from the headquarters. Murdered
man's name was Roger Bradley, New York City salesman from airplane pods. Outfit
identification positive, Yeah, pictures, laundry mark everything. Police up there,
trace the laundrymark. Bradley's wife identified the pictures. Was married. Yeah,
three kids. Car you're looking for as a forty nine blue sedan. Here's
the making license number. Highway patrol hasn't spotted at any place. Nope.
But here's a list of all the clothes Bradley was scaring on the trip.
Pretty complete description. Can't understand why nobody's seen that car. Killer might have
gotten out of the state, had a good start. I hope that isn't
it, Kurtz. Three kids have to grow up without their father because of
a gun crazy hitchhiker. I know what you mean. Let's hope he's still
in Texas. If he is, we're gonna find him in just a moment.
We continue with Tales of the Texas Rangers, starring Joel McCrae as Rangers
Chase Pearson. Next time you bounce out of bed in the morning, Well
you do bounce, don't you. Well, Okay, let's say next time
you get out of bed, head for the wheaties. Sure enough, head
for the wheaties at seven am, and see how they help at eleven am.
Yes, they can make a difference at eleven and they can make a
difference at the breakfast table. It's likely to be a pleasanter place with a
bowlful of crisp, little old wheaties next to your spoon and napkin. The
reason is, of course, the whole hearted, whole wheat taste of wheaties.
You're getting. All that sweet is a nut, whole wheat flavor in
every wheati's flake. Pour on the milk, put on the fruit, and
dig right in to one of the finest openings then a morning ever had.
And then see how much finer the morning itself goes when you've started with breakfast
of champions. That full whole wheat really gives with vitality. You know,
there's a whole kernel of wheat and every flake of wheaty's. I'll see if
you don't notice the difference all morning long, less of the mid morning slump,
more of the up and adam punch, you know what I mean?
All right, then you try it tomorrow next day for a good breakfast,
for a good morning, start with wheaties. See yourself how wheaties at seven,
can help at eleven And now back to Joel McCrae as Ranger jas Pearson
in Tales of the Texas Rangers. For the next five days, Ranger Kurtz
and I worked our way west, but we couldn't get a lead. Then,
on the afternoon of October tenth, six days after the killing, we
stopped and unloaded our horses at Eagle Flat in Hudsforth County. Blacksmiths place is
open. Yeah, horses can drink from his trough. Hey, look at
that folk leaning against the fence there. They sure do get dutied up for
Saturday. In that legal flash. Yeah, chritz matter Jason. That suit?
No polk ordered that through a male catalog. It looks like one of
the suits described on the teletype. Yeah, let's find out. Howdy,
Well, how do you range it? You live around here, work the
Long Bowl ranch up near Tabernacle Mountain. Fday. Nice suit you got there,
kind of fancy. Yeah, ain'ted the thing from New York label,
says New York. Huh what'd you get that suit? Well? I bought
off. Now wait a minute, range with this ain't stolen, is it?
Yeah? The man who was stolen from his dead. Oh man,
I just bought off. When a feller come by the bunk house, when
oh reckon it was about five days ago. He'd drive up with a bunch
of stuff. Drove up. What kind of car? A new seed?
Dan Blue noticed the license plates on the car? No, no, what
do you think, Kurtz? He's seen I'm in or he is imn Were
you on the ranch October fourth? This is the first time I've been off
of it in two weeks. I bought the suit. I'm telling you you
buy anything else? Yeah, this, watch your hands. Wow, I'm
just gonna show you a wallet. The fellow threw in with a suit.
All right, get it out, hey, y'all faded him ten dollars for
the suit and this identifications cards and everything's stripped. You take anything out of
here, want nothing to day? Just like I got a zept for my
five dollars and the money. Parker killer took all identification out of these celluloid
cardholders. Might have left some prints. Ought to get it to the lab.
Yeah, all right, you better come with us now. Look,
I didn't do nothing. Why are you taking me to the sheriff. You
can give us a description of the man who sold you the duds. If
your story checks out clean, you've got nothing to worry about. Oh it's
clean, all right, let's go. We checked the Polk's story at the
Longbo Ranch. He was telling the truth, all right. At least we
had a description of the man we were after. Now about twenty years old,
dark, five foot seven, about one hundred and forty pounds. Kurtz
and I unloaded our horses. Which way were riding Jase Coboy head north into
the hills road. Peter's art past his ranch, though nothing but a trail.
He might have turned back to the highway. Alarm was out for the
time he passed here. If he went back to a main highway, the
car would have been spotted. He's ditched it up here someplace. Oh,
let's ride, get up there, charcoal. Yeah. We rode north from
the long Bow Ranch, cutting into the mosquite seed of the flank. The
road got thinner and more difficult, and just when I thought we might have
come too far, we spotted the car. Reckon, that's it, let's
see. Uh huh. Smart rolled it into a gully and then covered it
with dirt and grass. Nobody had ever spotted unless they were looking for it.
Let's get back and report it. Unit ten to kt XP, Unit
ten to kt XP, kt XP go ahead. Uniten Unit ten located blue
sedan registered to Roger Bradley, New York City. A unit kt XP just
got report of fingerprints on say Lloyd. Current holders of bullet sent in.
One sent definitely those of murder victim Roger Bradley. Another set identified as being
those of Lenny Tripper. Please repeat Lenny Tripper, Lenny Tripper, any line
on him. Quanted by army for desertion three months ago. Description chicks last
known address lived with father and mother in Kevin, near Apache Peak. Carr
was found north of Long Bowl Ranch, Apache Peaks, about ten miles further
in. Will investigate Unit ten ten to four. It was some down when
we got started. The country we had to go through is tough enough by
daylight. Was after midnight when we sighted a patchy peek. There was still
a light on in a cabin nested down in the foothills. Wool boy,
easy, keep kind of laid hours up here, don't they too late?
Better tie the horses to that mesquite and slip up and look in. Yeah,
come on, boy. Chase something moving over there? See it looks
like a couple of burrows. Let's take a look at him. You boys
up past your bedtime?'t you feel'em? Both in us sweat all
kicked up? Then packing too, and the hairs matted down where they've been
cinched for they time to be working. Burrs here, Come on, let's
see the house. Looks through the window, then eaton? Got our boy
though too old? Must be Tripper's father. Look, there's the old lady
too. You go around the back way and I'll go in through the front.
Wait to hear me, not get in right? Open up? Who's
that Texas ranger? What do you want? Lendy Tripper? He here?
Mind if I come in and make sure? Lend him in? No?
Uh what? Just another ranger at the back? Missus Tripper? You wanna
let him into? Go ahead, and don't mind if where when he shooting?
Do you now? I'll go right? Ahare this year a regular meal
time? Might he eat? Worn and water? Nothing on? Pack?
Jase? Where's your boy? Mister Tripper? You're the ranger? You find
him? We ain't seen him in the year since he joined the army.
You haven't seen him in the last three months either since he deserted from the
army. You heard what you said, get me smoop Moore. If you
want to help your boy, you better help us. I don't help you.
He's in Mexico. Didn't there more than a month? Mexico? Huh?
Thanks? Mind? If I uh have one of those cigarettes, mister
Tripper, yeah, never mind, I reckon, you can buy you or
I just got a hankering for one of those. Can't always get a cigarette
like that? What do you mean, Ranger? A New York tax stamp
on the pack? Tripper? Those cigarettes were stolen from a murdered man six
days ago. What were you doing with those burroughs outside? They've been packing
right, I was bringing some stuff down and been brush becking up to peak
band of silver mines up there? Jase, is your son hiding out one
of those mind Stripper? Were you packing supplies to him? I told you
what I was doing. That boys wanted for murder, and if you're smart,
you'll take us to him and tell him to surrender. Do what they
say, Paul, they were along. I didn't know about the murder.
He just said on he was after him. Come on, Kurtz, we
better go up after him. Oh, don't go ahead, go after him.
He'll kill you. Next what he'll do, he'll kill you. We
had to go up on foot. It was two treacherous for the horses,
and trailing over that rocky ground in the darkness slowed us to the crawling speed
of an overfed snake. There got to be less earth and more rock,
and the burrow tracks grew fainter. We tried to pick'em up by moonlight
and flashlight. Uh, it could have gone in any direction from here.
Jase can't pick up a mark. Seems to level off a bit on that
shelf ahead. Might be a narrow trail there. Oh so getting steeper.
Huh too steep for burrows kerts. What dwarf folk here? Flashier light?
Yeah, that's it, hold it anything, Yeah, branch band, it's
been brushed. Look here been nibbled a bit too recent. Torn leaves are
still fresh. Well we're headed right then. Must have gone straight ahead between
those big rocks. Yeah, uh, this is it all right. Look
at the side of the rock like the mic appealed off little fiber stuff bury
pack ropes must have scraped it. Let's keep going. Oh we finally reached
the summit where the Oaks and Cedar's fought for whatever Smike gift their roots could
get on the earth between the rocks. Dawn found us on a high shelf,
facing a rise that led to the open mouth of an abandoned silver mine.
Tray leads straight enough. Now, yeah he's there, Chase, Yeah,
I'm but twenty feet back in. He could pick us off and we
never even get to see him. Stay down and keep the whole covered.
What are you gonna do? Just call him out, Tripper, Lannie,
Tripper. He ain't gonna answer, Chase. You can't get out, Tripper,
Stay down, Jason. How he's got a rifle? Is what is
that? Thirty eight he killed Bradley with. You're gonna come out, Tripper.
If we'd only packed a stick of dynamite, he'd come out soon enough.
We'll be buried in there. Maybe the idea of dynamite would be enough.
Go over down the shelf and let him see you just once on the
way, not long enough to draw a bead. Maybe we can bluff him.
Why don't you go Donald, let me my idea. I'll stay go
ahead, Be careful, jeez, you missed him, Tripper, you're not
gonna get another shot. He went down to our burs to get some dynamite.
We're gonna see you in there, Tripper, you better come out kill
me. I won't if you do what I tell you. Leave your rifle
in there. Come out with your hands passed behind your head. All right,
Tripper, now come out. He came out of the shaft, slowly,
first to blur, and then into the light, with his hands behind
his head. I got up and he walked toward me. He wasn't wearing
a gun belt, but there was something in the way he moved that made
me keep my hands close to my holsters. Then he made a quick side
step and his hands came from behind his head, and I caught the glend
of a thirty eight. I'm all right, gun handed arm put a tourniquet
on him. He'll take it down. What's the matter with you, Jase?
Look kind of funny just thinking of his folks down there, his mother
and even the old man, just trying to help him because he belongs to
them in spite of everything he's done. Folks are like that. We gotta
bring him in and break their hearts. Yeah, makes you wonder why I
ever wanted to wear bad until you remember the man he killed and three kids
who have to go up without him. That makes you know you couldn't ever
want to do anything but wear a badge. There's a that'll hold him all
right, Tripper on your feet, let's go. A ballistic check of the
thirty eight that Lenny Tripper carried showed it to be the murder weapon used in
the slaying of Roger Bradley. With that and other evidence accumulated by a range
of Pearson and the Department, Tripper was convicted and sentenced to death in the
electric chair. Well, Joe, you did a fine job of clearing up
that case. I've got a little mystery at home. Maybe you can help
me try Joel. Well, it's the case of the disappearing wheaties. Every
once in a while, when I'm all set for a breakfast bowl of wheaties,
my cook says, sorry, we're fresh out. Why that's no mystery.
Wheedies are so good, so crisp, so loaded with natural Sonny Hole
week flavor. They're just doing last long. I know, But what can
I do? Well, you can get up early before anyone else gets at
the wheaties or buy two or three bunss at a time. I think you
hit it, Frank, anything good it item. Thank you Joel McCrae.
Next week Joel McCrae and another authentic reenactment of the case from the files of
the Texas Rangers. Joel McCray will soon be seen in the MGM production Stars
in My Crown. Tonight's cast included Tony Barrett, Phill, Johnstone, Sam
Edwards, Well do you both? Byron Kin and Virginia grad And this is
the Wheaties Man, Frank Martin inviting you to listen on Monday to Frank Lovejoy
and night Beat on the Wheaties Big Baraid. See you. Then tomorrow listen
for Dorothy Maynor. Now It's Basin Street on NBC.