Speaker 1: The National Broadcasting Company presents Joel McCray in Tales of
the Texas Rangers from Hollywood. Another authentic reenactment of a
case transcribed from the files of the Texas Rangers, Tales
of the Texas Rangers, darring Joel McCrae as Ranger Jase Pearson,
Texas more than two hundred and sixty thousand squer miles
and fifty men who make up the most famous.
Speaker 2: And oldest law enforcement party in North America. Now from
the files of the Texas Rangers. From these stories, based
on fact only, names say some places are pignicious for
you have breason.
Speaker 1: They have themselves. A matter of records, case Fortnight, Open
and Shut It has one thirty seven a m September night,
nineteen forty five. John Messen, a Wealview rancher, is.
Speaker 3: Awakened by the sound of a speeding car screeching.
Speaker 1: To a stop on the driveway outside his house. Seconds later,
he jumps out of bed and reaches for a robe.
As the downstairs door opens. His daughter Conny comes up
the stairs screaming, starchey, what is it down stating what
happened brightened.
Speaker 4: He was a man with the bandana.
Speaker 1: Where Connie where? Candles to the rast. We were quite yeah, yeah,
now that I called the sheriff, I don't have a
get something great, Jack Boson father had his son in
the operator. Give me share of sights.
Speaker 3: I want to report a murder.
Speaker 1: Connie Meston was in no condition to be questioned, and
Sheriff Sykes had only an incoherent story to follow. He
called the Texas Rangers. Ranger Jace Pearson was a signed
to the case. He arrived at the Meston ran shortly
before dawn. Might as well wait here in the library, ranger.
Doctor's still in with the girl.
Speaker 3: He's had a mighty bad shock. Lee, tell you where
it happens hereff.
Speaker 1: Yeah, the old cattle road east to the ranch. I
got some men riding out there now.
Speaker 3: They'll call us as.
Speaker 1: Soon as they find the body. That girl isn't gonna
be able to talk real soon. We better get out
with your men.
Speaker 3: Oh, here's the girl's fine. I'm sorry to keep you waiting.
Speaker 1: There, you got here, ranger. Can we talk to your
daughter now, mister Meston. I'm afraid not doctors put it
to sleep, so she must have best see your rest
for a few hours. There's no point not waiting in
the sheriff. We can come back later. I'm sorry, but
that would be best about calibrade you. What's the best
way to get to that cattle road? Drive into town,
then around the highway. Be shorter to cut across the
ranch on horses. You've got yours and your curler. Maybe
mister Miston will end me once. Did you pick up
the stables? Care? Couldn't we drive across the range? No,
you've got a ravine to cross the stream to Ford.
What time did your daughter get home?
Speaker 3: This?
Speaker 1: And it just a minute before I called sheriff the
last of one feather. I've only been in bed about
now about up about twelve thirty and turned in.
Speaker 3: That's the car she came home in. Yeah, bob Baby's car.
Speaker 1: I heard her drive up, then I heard a crime
came in and pore up the stairs to my bedroom.
I'm afraid it's going to take a long time to
get over it, till anybody touch this car until I
could get a fingerprint man to go over it. Tell
me I've left his mark someplace.
Speaker 3: I'll see it touched. Well, I'll go get me a
horse and stable ranger.
Speaker 1: How well did your daughter know Brady well. They went
around together for a spell, but this date last night
was the first. It hadn't a long time.
Speaker 3: Lady worked for me.
Speaker 1: He's doing what accountant and all of the ranch business.
Got an office, and as we knew the house, I
see our radio for a fingerprint man to come down
from our lab while the sheriff's getting his horse. Want
me to ride with you for any reason? No better.
Do whatever you can to bring your daughter around so
we can talk to her.
Speaker 3: We'll be back later.
Speaker 1: I made my radio call, and then Sheriff's sykes and
I cut across the ranch to the old road. The
riders had just found Bob Brady's body. Nothing has been touched.
The riders waited while I was sheriff, and I went
over the.
Speaker 3: Ground, ending right beside the car when he was killed.
Car tracks are heaviest here where it was part.
Speaker 1: Yeah, Brady and the girls been walking around though. Prince
go over that way and then turn around and come
back here to the body. There was the third set
of prints mixed in with there must be the killers. Yeah.
And he came up the road here and stopped aside
of the car and walked on again and the powder
burns on Brady's coat. He was shot from close up.
I only saw the girl for a minute.
Speaker 3: He couldn't make much out of what she was saying.
Speaker 1: But I think Brady was killed with his own gun.
I'll come carried an automatic and the glove compartment.
Speaker 3: Of his car.
Speaker 1: He towed it. Quite a bit of the rancher's cash
on him. Sometimes it's funny the killer didn't use his
own gun unless he didn't have one. Oh, the girl said,
Brady tried to get his gun from the car, but
let's took the gun away from Brady did and killed him.
So I guess he couldn't have had a gun with
his own.
Speaker 3: It doesn't make sense he was taking a.
Speaker 1: Mighty big chance staging a hold up if he wasn't armed.
Although I guess it was robbery all right. Brady doesn't
seem to have a scent on him, no wallet, no wristwatch, nothing. Yeah,
no doubt about the morty. Well, I guess I better
have the body moved into town.
Speaker 3: Debut he could notify Braidy's mother.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm better order in the topsy report isn't gonna
tell us anything we don't know, though, I keep a
couple of your riders here. Sure is in, But what
do you want him to do? Beat the brush and
look for Brady's guns. While they're looking. We can follow
this extra set of tracks and see where they lead.
Speaker 3: I expected to follow.
Speaker 1: The marks of a man who didn't want to be followed,
the usual erratic trail a killer leaves when.
Speaker 3: He's trying to throw off pursuit. But this trail led
straight as an owl.
Speaker 1: Hey, whoever he is, he sure didn't cover his tracks
very well. No, unless he's headed for some spot where
he knows his trail will be lost. And wait a minute,
what is it? Trouble may start here? Heah turned off
up the road into the fields grounds. Born that way though,
and it's a path that's been used before.
Speaker 3: Come on, the grass has been trampled from regular use.
Anybody live out here, you know of Nope?
Speaker 1: Hey? Yeah, yeah, an old shack about a mile and
a half cross used to be a linehouse owner engine
to a Mexican. We better have a talk with him.
You can over a little faster, but keep your eye
out for those tracks as we go. Yeah. We reached
the shack in the earth around it with a bootprint
of a man and they match the ones we've been following.
He's in the right ranger. Yeah, they still have that
gun with him. He was up late. We're still missing.
Come on, we'll step there is the crying. Take a
look at these us this time? Is don't the meal
and the heel of one of them and my free
min phone?
Speaker 3: All right, he's our boy?
Speaker 1: All right?
Speaker 3: You break up?
Speaker 1: Who come on? Get up? Chris?
Speaker 3: What have I done? Why did you come here? What's
your name? Where were your last night?
Speaker 1: Right?
Speaker 3: I walked into tom.
Speaker 1: Anybody see you there? Say? There's the man in the
paki sport. I spoke they to buy a bottle of wine.
There's the bottle on the table. What time do you
leave town? Morales? It was almost me, not eight thing?
And you walked home to see what? Asking all these questions?
I don't know how long does it take you to
walk back here? Or maybe more? I don't have a watch.
Speaker 3: Are you sure you don't have a watch now?
Speaker 1: Says he? I never owned once? How about again? I thought?
Speaker 3: Have it gone?
Speaker 1: How did you come when you came out?
Speaker 3: Well?
Speaker 1: I don't remember, Samuel, I just walked you better remember
you came up the cattle road.
Speaker 3: We followed your boot tracks, but you alone all the time.
Speaker 1: You didn't see a car parks on the cattle road.
See says, there is men in gold there. They will remember.
Speaker 3: That they see me there all that chair.
Speaker 1: Go ahead, no hoes, When did they see you? On
the way home, I passed by the car. I think
maybe the car is broke down, so I took a
look inside, but there's nobody there. And then I walked
a little further. Made a man and girl. I asked them,
it's something wrong with the car, So I.
Speaker 3: Just go away.
Speaker 1: Senor if you can find him, they will remember. They
can peg all this day. This man's walking in so
right into the a chair, Jay, Yeah, too easy. You
better get dressed. Morales, you're coming with us. But why snuel?
What have I done? You'll find out later.
Speaker 3: Just get dressed.
Speaker 1: I saw me a shack.
Speaker 3: Sheriff, see if we can find that gun.
Speaker 1: We didn't find the gun or anything else that might
have been taken from Brady, and the sheriff's riders grew
a blank too, but we had enough to hold Morales
at the jail. We locked him up and went back
to the Medson ranch. Before you speak to my daughter. Gentlemen,
I want to ask you to it's trying to take
it easy in here, honey, it's share sights in the ranger.
Speaker 3: Holly, Hello, it's mester ing.
Speaker 1: Would you mind telling us just what happened last night? Well,
Bod called me, Bud Brady.
Speaker 5: He was going to see me. We hadn't seen each
other for some time.
Speaker 3: I thought he worked here at the ranch.
Speaker 1: Well he did.
Speaker 5: I kN we hadn't been out together for a long time.
Speaker 1: I'm sorry, go ahead.
Speaker 5: Well, he he picked me up here and we drove.
Then we parked up through cattle Road.
Speaker 1: Watch young poast park there on a hard fraend. You're
a sort of a lover's lane.
Speaker 5: We we'd been there quite a while talking.
Speaker 1: She God was gonna be.
Speaker 5: Married next month to a girl named one good Peterson.
Speaker 3: She's a school teacher, right, I see, go ahead, and
it's mester. Well.
Speaker 5: He asked me if I wouldn't change my mind and
make up with him before he got married, and it
was too late.
Speaker 3: I I.
Speaker 5: I told him we weren't life for each other. He
he'd be happier with somebody else. And then, well, all
of a sudden, the man came up to the car.
Speaker 1: It was dark and he had a band down over
his face.
Speaker 5: Go on, well he has something made us get out
of the car.
Speaker 1: I'm not sure. I was frightened.
Speaker 5: He had something in his hand. He took box wallet
and his watch and then and he told us to
stay right where was woked?
Speaker 1: Didn't he take anything from you? Well? Yes, yes, he
took my purse and then what happened? All of a sudden.
Speaker 5: Bob made a dash for the car. He got his
gun from the blood compartment, but the man was right
after him. He thought the man got gone away from parliament.
Speaker 1: Can you shut that's metering? What were you wearing? Just
a plain blue tap with a gracious freight drail on
his chair. After that, you took Bady's car and drove
back here and your father called the Sheriff's that right, Yes,
driving back from there, you had to come through town.
Why didn't you stop and get to a phone? I
was frightened.
Speaker 5: I couldn't think I wanted to get home.
Speaker 1: You should be able to understand that ranger. For all
the text your mister Neston, just checking.
Speaker 3: You said you were in bed and heard your daughter
drive up.
Speaker 1: At that right? Yeah, I told you before I locked
up and turned in about twelve thirty. Connie come home
about an hour later, came in and right up to
your bedroom. Is that right?
Speaker 3: Yes?
Speaker 1: Why just getting a picture? All right, Sheriff. We can
go now. Oh, we can find our own way out,
mister Medston.
Speaker 3: Miss Connie can come into town. Dictator statement in a.
Speaker 1: Day or so. Why, ranger, this looks like a quick
one to me. Case against the Mexican Morales is open.
And I didn't know, Sheriff, somebody's lying, Messton said. He
locked up and went to bed. His daughter came in
and went there to his bedroom. Well, the drama that
how did she get into the house. If Morales took
her purse, her keys would be in it, Well, she
might added, he in the pocket every day might have
except for one thing.
Speaker 3: That dress has no pockets.
Speaker 1: In just a moment, we will continue with Tales of
the Texas Rangers, starring Joe McClay as ranger Chase Pearson.
This man for National Broadcasting Company celebrates twenty five years
of bringing you the best radio programs seven days a week.
You can depend upon NBC for music, drama, comedy, editingment
of every kind, as well as the latest, up to
the minute news from every corner of the world. When
you tune where you hear the familiar NBC chimes, you
know your tune for the finest in radio listening. We
continue now with tales of the Texas Rangers and tonight's
case Open and Shut, an authentic story from the files
of the Texas Rangers.
Speaker 3: I checked on morales story as as I could.
Speaker 1: He had been in town and he had bought a
bottle of wine to take home with him the night
of the murder. But when I got back to the jail,
the sheriff had evidence piling up against the Mexican. Your
fingerprint clued up of coffee of prints to found on
Brady's car. These prints were found only on the door
of the car. Now compare with these, say man Ali
Matching said of the Prince, I rolled.
Speaker 3: Off Morales and your bought him in.
Speaker 1: He must have done it, maybe, but I'm not convinced.
I'll see you later here. Where are you going? Rangers?
To see Brady's mother and the girl he was going
to marry. The only boy said, let her two brothers
were killing the war. Please, mother, lady, We've got to
help the Ranger.
Speaker 3: Oh, I'm sorry, Range, that's all right, ma'am.
Speaker 1: How long had it been since your son had been
out with Connie Meston before last night? Six months?
Speaker 5: I thought it was Alize. How thought she'd leave alone
when she knew Whoman Mildred was good to be married?
Speaker 3: Did he boot about her much during the time he
wasn't seeing her?
Speaker 1: No, he knew it was dead.
Speaker 3: She was spoiled.
Speaker 1: She never really wanted it, said, County found out.
Speaker 3: You couldn't tell him? Oh, Miss Peterson, You and Brady
ever quarrel about Connie Meston. Oh no, he was already
he knew what she was.
Speaker 5: She's a cruel, heartless little cheek. She made his life miserable.
Speaker 1: And you want an idea why he called her and
asked her to see him that night?
Speaker 3: We Ranges. He didn't call her, she called him. You're
sure of that.
Speaker 1: I heard him to the phone.
Speaker 5: He didn't want to go, but she must have been insistent,
because after a while he said, all right, he's met it.
Speaker 1: Just look for the thanks Red.
Speaker 3: Is it true what we've heard?
Speaker 1: You've got the killer in jail. I wouldn't count on
that yet. I went back to the jail and questioned
Morales again.
Speaker 3: He was frightened, but his story.
Speaker 1: Never moved an inch from what he told us the
first time.
Speaker 3: Then I saw the.
Speaker 1: Sheriff, I spoke the district attorney jays he needsily got
enough to take the grand jury for an indictment. Give
me one of the mugshots you took a Morales when
you brought him in. Sure, here's a bit. Sure, thanks.
I want Connie Menston to look at it and see
if she can identify Morales. But she said the man
who stuck him up had a band down over his
She said a lot of things. Sheriff Brady struggled with
a man who killed him. Morales carried a bottle of wine.
Speaker 3: From town to his shack.
Speaker 1: We checked that if he had a struggle with anyone.
How come he didn't drop the bottle and break it?
Seems like it would have broke, don't it. You gotta
van downa here, Yeah, the one we took from Morales.
Speaker 3: Why no, not that one. I want one with a
different color and pattern.
Speaker 1: Maybe one of my deputy's ard get it. I want
to see how many lies Connie Medson can tell. I
won't be satisfied with the case against Morales. Until we
find Brady's gun and the things that were supposed to
be stolen. I went back to the Meston ranch the
next morning. Connie Meisson was taking Brady's death hard, as
hard as a rock.
Speaker 3: She wasn't with the ranch house.
Speaker 1: She was near the corral, sending a jumper to take
a FENI.
Speaker 4: Oh, come on, come on, come on, I said, I'll
teach you to book.
Speaker 1: I want you to.
Speaker 4: Stop, you jump.
Speaker 1: Come on, excuse you, horse, horazier. I didn't see you colored.
Speaker 3: Glad to see you recovered from you a shot. I
had to find something to help to pay my mind.
Speaker 5: Huh. Thought i'd work my horses.
Speaker 1: Got a met it in the short pass him next Sunday.
Speaker 3: Be nice.
Speaker 1: If the horse lives that long, the way you use
that whip, it happens to be my horse.
Speaker 5: How what do you want?
Speaker 1: Anyway? A little information? We may have the man who
killed Brady. Oh yeah, I heard the Mexican Lola news
gets a round.
Speaker 3: Here's a picture of him.
Speaker 1: Is he the man? Way he could be? He looks
like the wood.
Speaker 3: What do you recognize that scar on his chim? Yeah?
Speaker 1: But no, I mean no, he faces covey.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I almost forgot about that.
Speaker 1: Is this a Bandanny? His song? Really? It was lot,
but it was just like that one.
Speaker 3: Uh huh?
Speaker 1: Well thanks?
Speaker 4: Oh that all you want to know? Rangers?
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's all for now. I saw Tony Medston's father
as I was leaving the ranch. He came pale and
shaky seaming there. I was certain that County Neston was
lying all the way.
Speaker 3: The sheriff dropped a bombshell.
Speaker 1: In my lape. When I got back to the jail,
he was running for his tip. And Hey, sheriff serf,
who are you calling?
Speaker 5: God?
Speaker 1: I'm glad you got here.
Speaker 3: I was just heading from Rolla's place.
Speaker 1: You want to come along? I reckon, Why what's out there?
I think we're going to find the gun and the stuff.
Speaker 3: He's still good, he just got sick.
Speaker 1: Was posted last night in the mexicotection I was spending
in Spanish on yellow paper. It said look in cattle
tank near Morale's house. That was all reckon Morales truck
for a friend who decided to double crossing.
Speaker 3: We better get out there.
Speaker 1: Well, there's no doubt about this case, Marne. We find
that gun and Morales is headed to an electric chair,
for sure. Here. Here's something else. What you find the
watch wady as this wa good?
Speaker 3: Well, this is all of me.
Speaker 1: Come on, let's get out of the water. Sure, hur
nice hall, the gun, the girl first, Brady's wallet, wristwatch,
right on Morale's doorstep.
Speaker 3: That's the end of this case.
Speaker 1: No, it isn't it. Oh no, ja, Look at these things, sheriff.
Look at the muzzle of this gun.
Speaker 3: It's clawed, solid with dirt pack tight.
Speaker 1: We'll always some mud in the bottom of the cattle tank,
but this is mud. It's packed dirt and it's packs.
The tighter didn't dissolve in the water. Yeah, say that
is fine, sheriff. This gun was buried someplace after it
was fired, buried and then dug up again and thrown
into this cattle tank.
Speaker 3: Say you're right. Prices a dirt pack into the holds
of the walk band too.
Speaker 1: And in the wall. Sure, but look at this purse.
The purse wasn't buried or the same dirty bejanned in
the metal frame. Countie Meston's keys. She had him when
she ran home after Brady was shot. She brought the
first with her, the plant.
Speaker 3: With her stuff she dug up after she knew Morales
was under suspicion.
Speaker 1: You mean she killed Brady, buried the evidence before she
went home to make it look like robbery. Yeah, because
the real motive was jealousy, You old Morals. Another twenty
four hours. That'll be long enough to get what we need.
Then Connie Meston can take its place, but you've got
no proof on her. I'll send that anonymous note through
to the handwriting division of our lab. They can get
a sample of Connie Meston's writing from Horseshow registration blanks
that they'll.
Speaker 3: PASSO for compassion, Yes, but will let help ranger.
Speaker 1: After all, the note is printed and it is Fanish,
there'll still be similarity in letter formations. Besides, registration blanks
usually ask for printed information on.
Speaker 3: Breeding and identification.
Speaker 1: If Connie Meston.
Speaker 3: Wrote that note, lab or not, it's.
Speaker 1: It's check Connie Meston's printing on registration blanks for the
horse show match the printing on the anonymous note. It
was almost enough, but I wanted one more thing, a trace,
a third absumption she owned a trace that would match
the serf that is intact in the muzzle of Brady's
gun when it was buried. I drove out to the
Meston ranch and on Connie and the tables. Mind if
I come in?
Speaker 5: Oh you're here again?
Speaker 1: Well you want this time? I thought you might like
to know. We found Brady's gun. Anonymous note code is
where it was cattle tank out of morales place.
Speaker 3: H you got a good case soon. No, Morales didn't
put the gun in the tank.
Speaker 5: How do you know?
Speaker 1: Because the gun and the other things had been buried,
they were dug up again and thrown in the tank. Well,
maybe he decided to change the hard and place while
we were holding.
Speaker 3: Him in jail.
Speaker 1: It's not likely Morales didn't kill Brady. Do you know
who did? Not for sure, but we'll find out. Whoever
dug those things up must have carried them in something
while they were taking them to the cattle tank. Some dirts,
gin and the muzzle of the gun. We find out
what it was carried in clothing, maybe somebody's pocket. We
can match the dirt not land for she That's very
interest I thought you'd think so.
Speaker 3: Well, I just I better be getting back to town.
I drove away from the.
Speaker 1: Ranch and parked behind some trees that gave me a
view of the stable.
Speaker 3: A minute after I left.
Speaker 1: Her, kindness and came out riding like the wind. I
unloaded charcoals from the trailer and followed her, always keeping
cover of a peanut. She didn't seem to be carrying
anything to dispose of, but all of a sudden she
came to a stop by a stream. She took the
saddle bags and decided to shake them out over the water. Oh,
oh boy, oh boy, all right, charcoal, let's go, ye boys, yo, there's.
Speaker 3: I'll take those saddle.
Speaker 5: Bags, sure, and I lag against empty Lewis strings, and
that I know of, I'll take some then range.
Speaker 1: You can't anty, not as empty as you wish they were.
And a few grains of dirt stuck in the seam.
That's all we're gonna need. You can't make anything out
of that. Oh I got a few other things that
anonymous note in Spanish match the registration blanks you sent
into El Paso.
Speaker 3: I don't think you'll be showing your horses Sunday.
Speaker 1: You'll hear that quick.
Speaker 3: Don't be using this again either. I get on your horse,
ride for the house. Taking her in.
Speaker 1: Mister, you got an idea you started to suspect she
was the same time. Idea She's not flying ranger. She
didn't know nothing about it. I shot breaking, Sorry, but
that won't work either. I gotta pin down all the way.
I'll give you some money. What kind of a fun
are you? If you can't help you? About you? I
have started twenty years ago, before an election. Get to
be what you are. Maybe I'm not too legally guilty
of ageer, but I'm guilty raising of the way. It
is too bad you didn't think of it sooner.
Speaker 3: All right, Connie, let's get into town.
Speaker 1: Connie Messon's trial was spotted with hysterois that failed to
convince the court, although she maintained she was innocent in
the face of overwhelming evidence against her. Then, as the
trial near to close, she changed her plays. Are guilty,
and in an effort to avoid a death sentence, she confessed.
She was sentenced to the Women's prison at Huntsville for
fifty years. I Jael McLay and another authentic reenact on
of mccase from the files of not Pack the Fainers.
Joel McCray has currently seen starring in the Universal International
Technicola production Cattle Drive. The cast included Tony Ballott, John Banks,
Franca sext Bushman, Barley Bear and Bibby Jennet. Technical adviser
was Captain M. P. Longwolken Dallas of Defective Brains. This
story was transprised and adapted by Jael Murcott, and the
program is produced and directed by Staty Keith hell Get
Me Speakers, It's the Silver Jubilee on NBC. Next, It's
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Speaker 3: M