Tales of the Texas Rangers: The Trigger Man

Wheaties presents Joel McCray 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 McCray as Ranger 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. From the files of the Texas Rangers come these stories based on fact.

Only names, dates and places are fictitious or obvious reasons. The events themselves are a matter of record. Case for tonight? The trigger men. At 9 o'clock on the evening of May 27, 1947, Jasper Leech, operator of an independent service station in Piedo, Oklahoma was preparing to shut down for the night.

Suddenly, two men in a green convertible pulled into the service island of this station. For the night fellas pumps are all locked. We gotta get some gas. Oh, all night place on the highway south, Mr. Big Station. You're heading that way.

I don't like Big Stations. We're gashing up right here. I got a tire you can fix. Now look, I told you I'm closer than I... Hey, stop the chatter, will you? I heard him hick. Now get moving. I'll put a slug in you.

All right, Mr. I ain't arguing with a gun. He gets that pump cord. Make him fill a couple extra five gallon chance. All right, Joe, stop playing the podium and get that flat sparrow. Here's a hot for action.

Okay, okay, but let's take it up, man. Well, come on, hey, she'd get with a pump. Keys are in the office. Well, let's get them. And while we're in here, you might as well open this safe.

I don't know the combination. Yeah. Oh! I said open it, you're a hick. All right, Mr. I'll open it. But you ain't getting away with this. this not by a dang sight we'll talk that over later just you and me just you and me ADX 8 all units Oklahoma State Police advised at about 9 p.m. of 527 gas station

attended in 8 Oklahoma was robbed and beaten to death with Tyrion subject tentatively identified as number one Joe Gordon average size eyes blue hair blonde complexion fair number two tiny Gordon 6 foot 3 peculiar wall pigeon to same coloring as brother. Subjects now believe to be in Texas and root to Mexican border. One is six states and FBI from murder, bank robbery, narcotics,

other judges. His caution is men are dangerous. Tails of the Texas Rangers will continue in just a moment. Get up and get Adam with Wheaties. Yup, for folks up and doing, for folks going places, breakfast of champions. Sure begin a better breakfast with Wheaties tomorrow and see if you don't feel the difference all morning long. Here's why. There's a whole kernel of wheat in every Wheaties

flake. You got it? There's a whole kernel of wheat in every Wheaties flake. That's why Wheaties can give so much. Energy, you bet whole wheat energy. Vitamins and minerals, you bet and protein too. That's why Wheaties at seven can make a difference at eleven.

There is energy in them, Darth Lakes, you try them. Tomorrow morning make yours, Wheaties. Or on the milk, put on the fruit and eat happy. Yes, and work happy. Tomorrow see for yourself how Wheaties at seven can help at eleven. Breakfast of champions. Breakfast for you.

There were no further signs of the Gordon brothers on the night of May 27th. But on the morning of the 28th, Captain Stinson of the Texas Rangers received a report that looked like a lead and immediately sent for Ranger Jase Pearson.

He sent for me, Captain. Yeah, Jase. I want you to get right over to the General Hospital in Palo Pito County. Been a double shooting, Deputy Sheriff and his son. Where did it happen? Yeah, Mineral Wells, but check the hospital first.

Shooting took place during the night. Rancher found them in this morning. Mineral Wells, that's on the road south from Ada, Oklahoma. You think it might have been the Gordon brothers? It smells like them. They were headed south according to all previous reports.

I figure they're making their run for the border, and they'll kill anybody who tries to stop them. Sure looks that way. The deputy never saw who gunned him, Jace. If he can talk, get all the information you can.

And if it looks like the Gordon's, stay with it all the way. We don't want them to get across the border. I understand. Judging by their past movements, they steal cars and dump them for new ones at regular intervals, before they get too hot.

So don't pin too much in any car descriptions. I won't. I'll see you later. Oh, Jace. Yeah? You get anything hot reported by phone. If I have anything for you, I'll have the radio dispatcher tell you to call in.

The men we're after might have a short wave set. Right, Kevin. One thing more, Jase. This department hasn't lost a man in a long time. Let's keep it that way. Yeah. I wouldn't want to be the one to spoil a record.

I checked my car out and headed for Pelopinoe County. I reached the hospital at 9.45 AM and saw the doctor in charge. He'll pull through, I think, but his condition is critical. Shot three times for the back, one of the bullets is large in his spine.

Which room's he in? I'll show you. Deputy's son hurt bad, too. Too bad, Ranger. Dead unarrivaled. He know it? Yeah, he knows. Be better if you could wait. I wish I could. I can't. I understand.

He's in here. But he was lying on his stomach. A day's look on his face like he was remembering something over and over, but still couldn't believe him. I nailed on the floor beside him so he could see me while he was telling me what happened.

You see, my boy built himself one of them hot rod casts at an old chassis in spare parts. You know youngsters, yeah. I broke down on him last night. Full with it, couldn't get it to start.

Called up home about midnight. Tell me in his ma why was out so late. Sure, I drove out in my car and meet him where he called from up at Salesville. Both fool around with his car son but wasn't fixing to go at all.

Here, you sip a little water through this glass straw. You couldn't get the car started. Yeah, yeah, so finally I told the kid to come on home. And we'd get to take care of today.

I don't matter now. I'm on the way home. That's the carpet place. He raises silk when he picks that. The worms feed off and leaves the mulbert trees. He was passing the grove, the carpet's mulberries.

A spotted file, a little camp file, like deep in the grove, almost out of sight. I see. Thought I better stop and have a look. The kid, he wanted to get out of the car with me.

Well, I let him, but I had no way in knowing. Now, of course, you couldn't know. We walked in. I guess they're here to come and one of them kicked at the fire. I saw this shadow. That's all.

I yelled at him to stand where there wasn't. They started blasting. Turned pushing kid down. Something hit me in the back. When I came to, when my kid was lying there, I had to feed from me.

I have to talk anymore. Get a pony range. Please get him. Me and my kid. With ranch outside Minnall Wells, Big Jim Carvert, the owner of the place, took me into the mulberry grove where the deputy and his boy had been gunned.

Well, this is the spot. Sheriff's combed it over pretty complete though. Had their fire right over here. What are you digging out of their mashes? Fire wasn't burning long. Started it with a road map and an envelope.

A corner of the envelope, not quite burned, and just make out the stand. It's Mexican. Maybe our lab can make out the postmark. Out of that shawd, honk? Yeah. If I can slide it into this fresh envelope, I'll break it up too much.

You fellas sure can figure a lot from a littler, reckon? Sometimes. When they left, they went through there toward the road. How do you know that? Here's a mark where the fire was kicked. Steps from it moved that way.

It might have been the sheriff and his men. Not in low-heel eastern boots. See the impressions? Oh. One set, same as yours or mine, except for the difference in boots. The other set scuffs in at the toes, man, who made those as pigeon-toed.

You sound like a good draw, picture of them. I could now. Let's see where these prints lead. They led to the road, or almost to the road. Just at the edge of the Grob where tire markings were, car had been backed into the mulberries to screen it from sight.

Well, this is it, all right. Consider it scrape the branches. Did more unscraping. And this one's been torn off. A part that got torn off isn't on the ground. Low branch too. Oh, that means something.

From the tire marks and the height of the branch, it means the baggage compartment of the car was open and then closed down on the end of the branch. See, it snapped off on the car move.

You sound like that's worth knowing. It might be worth plenty. The highway patrol turns up an abandoned car with a piece of mulberry branch caught on it. I drove back to headquarters and turned the charred envelope over to the lab. And I went in and reported a Captain Stinson.

Sounds like the Gordon brothers are right. I'd bet on it. And if they're in the habit of ditching their cars, we better check on all the stolen and abandoned. We find a car we know which way they're headed.

How's send out a bulletin on it? What did labs say about the envelope? Burn pretty bad, Captain, but they think they can restore it. Take time, though. And if they can bring out that Mexican postmark, it might tell us where the Gordon's planned across the border.

That's what I was thinking. They won't go through a regular border station. It'll be an illegal crossing. They'll probably have a hideaway arranged on the other side. Yeah, probably other members of the Crawford gang.

I figure they'll try to make it before tomorrow morning. They'll be making their big run tonight. Well, head south, Jase, toward the border. We'll relay all information to he as it comes up. I better get charcoal out of the barn and hitch up my horse trailer.

That's a good idea. Wherever they try to cross, it's a cinch. It won't be good territory for a car. The border stations aren't covered though, aren't they? In case they do try legal crossing. Now, their mugs are hanging in every customs house from Brownsville to El Paso.

If the eye is given an extra cover, and the Mexican police are helping too. I better get going then. So long, Captain. So long, Geece. And good luck. I loaded charcoal into the horse trailer and headed south, aiming for the center of the border near Valverde County so I could change my direction fast either way.

I kept a lead foot on the gas pedal. Towards sundown I was just outside El Dorado when the radio dispatcher came through telling me to call headquarters. I got Captain Stinson on long distance. That maulberry branches panel.

How long ago was he planning to try a border crossing in Presidio or Booster County then? Any report on that burned envelope? The report's stuck. I'll do my best Captain. So long. Well, it's another baseball summer with ball fans all over the country watching their favorites and baseball champions all over the major leagues eating their Wheaties.

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That's why Weedies at 7 can help at 11. You have some. Weedies, the crisp way to get your whole week. Tomorrow morning, make yours milk and fruit and weedies. Breakfast of champions. See for yourself how Weedies at 7 can help at 11.

I started for the roadblock area in Pecas County but I never got there. I was still 50 miles away when headquarters radioed me to contact them by phone. Had a feeling the news wasn't going to be good, and it wasn't.

We can forget about Pika's countergies. Where? My comic got on the highway patrol and the sheriff's car. Kill anybody? Two. And two more badly wounded. The men were just fine when they didn't answer a radio call.

Then the Gordon's could be at the border by now. The wildest part of the... Where was it mailed from? For kidding. Worse for them and for us. River swollen by spring rains. They'll need a boat to cross.

Countess Sheriff can be through the mountains with pau- I'll get as close as I can by car and then charcoal I'll ride in. The Paseo corner, we'll have them. You're the closest Ranger unit, Jase.

No time for waiting. Now's the time for getting them. You'll hear from me. In the south of Brewster County, the world comes to an end. I drove as far as I could and met one wing of the Sheriff's Paseo where Maravi is quick.

Runs into the Rio Grande. Any sign of them, Sheriff? Nope. Got men working in from the other side of the mountains, though. I'll get my horse and ride in with you ways and we can split and fan out.

Good. Might be fine horse, Rangers. The best. Come on, Charco. Hey, what's your... your man knows this section best. I'm your Sanchez, I reckon. I'd like him to ride with me when we split. Oh, he'd be proud to. Sanchez!

Hey! You want me for something, Cher? Ranger wants you to ride with him. That's good with me. Thanks, Sanchez. You got any signal arranged with the rest of your posse? Three shots. Two seconds, three, each one.

Good. Well, that's right. Alright, man. Mount up. And we'll follow the river, and then you can drop off in pairs and head in toward the peak. Sheriff will pair you off. If you hit ground to rough for your horses, tie him off and move through on foot.

All got that? Alright, alright, let's move. Joe and Tiny Gordon were inside of it. The country got rougher and no horse could have taken it without the light of the moon. Possie pared off and thinned out. Finally the sheriff and his last deputy turned off.

Sanchez and I went on alone. How far are we from Bokea Sanchez? About five miles, señor, and it will be right across the Rio. We better turn toward the peak then. We can't go in there and find the horses. Maybe we should leave them right here. Easy to find again.

You're probably right. Oh, oh, oh. I am off over here. See? There are some cabins up here in the mountain, but the men we are after wouldn't know about them. What kind of cabins? All hunters cabins from long ago when they were good hunting, but most of the game is gone.

Nobody lives in them anymore. No, but the Gordon's might know about them anyhow. You said they do not know this country. Yeah, they could have been told, meeting somebody in Mexico. Some of their gang might have come through here before, and that's why they picked this spot.

They're such a hurry, though. I don't think they would stop. They would if the big boy got tired. The big boy? Yeah, Tiny Gordon. He's pigeon-toed. Something wrong with his feet. feet big and heavy and carrying a lot of weight. It's gonna slow down in this country. I think you're right Ranger Pearson. Yeah, he ain't got good feet. He's

so damn plenty in here. The cabins and the territory we're covering. See, two of them. Let's take a look. See the first one is right up this way to the left about two miles in. Doesn't seem to be anybody in there. No. Maybe they just wait in there. Soon find out. Stay clear of the doorway and keep your gun ready while I

I go in see but you better have your guns ready to worry I got them watch it come in with the lamps in you know I don't think I'll light it after all use your flashlight instead see there feel a glass lamp chimney it's warm Sunyo use less than half an hour ago could any of the posse have

reached here before us I don't see how they all turn in further back I mean the group working in from the other side no they came all away from hot springs further than where we start. That's where the sheriff's deputy went together.

Flash your light around a little. See? Wait, turned on that chair again. Somebody's sitting there not long ago and scraped the spot on the floor. Sent with his legs straight out. Scraping was done by his heels.

See, you have a good eye. I think I'll sit down there and stretch my legs. My heels reach those marks? No, not quite so far. But why do you do that? Because I'm six feet tall, man, that's sat in that chair's taller.

Tiny Gordon is six foot three. Come on. Brown, see which way they headed. See? I think this way, Ranger Pearson. Why? What'd you find? Somebody step on the dead log, take off a piece of the bark.

Yeah. And Prince there too. Here, flash your light. See? Here. Two sets. One of them with a toes turning in. And throw the light that way. See? That bush. First one through here held the branch back for the other to pass.

Knocked off a few berries. Crushed them on the ground. He's still wet from the juice. We got the direction now. Let's move. Better put that light on. They're headed for the Rio, alright? Should we fire the gun now, the signal for the posse?

No, we're too close. Gordon's might hear it too. Probably think they're safe in here. They don't know we've got a postmark. Better chance of getting them cold if they don't know. She... You think they're gonna fight if we catch them?

With murder charges in a couple of states, they got nothing to lose. They'll fight plenty. They left the trail all the way. Easy to follow even by moonlight. Got freshers, we moved along and saw more and more spots where tiny Gordon had stopped to rest.

And the pace spots where Joe Gordon had moved around restless, they waiting for him. It wasn't long before we could hear the lapping of the Rio Grande as the foothills dipped down to him. Then we heard things moving and talking in the reeds at the edge of the river.

Okay, all right, take it easy, man. How do you know? I didn't really better learn it. It's quick of this last night. Let's try it again. No, we ain't moving on a train schedule. Suppose they don't come.

You lighten a couple of hours. So we'll go back in that cabin and hold up again until tomorrow night. Besides, who's going to see his vehicle? Maybe an idiot or something. Hey, no, who's lagging to be cramping around?

What are you? Daniel, pull up something? No, it's right. No one should tell me to try a little... I'm a bad tiny. We figured that right. They're expecting a pickup from the Mexican side. She's putting the boat down.

I'm a couple of years coming. Lucky if it's carrying a 40% You try to carry a Tommy gun away. You were flopping around in half. It'll kill yourself with me too. I might kill you someday, Joe.

Shoot your mouth off. Come on, come on, try it. I'll bug your brain. Why are you? You want to put you to George, old dad? Try it. Well, they got 45s. But so do we.

See, let's move in and take them. We slipped down to the edge of the reeds. I kept Sanchez to move off about 30 yards so they'd have to come between us that they made a break away from the river.

We couldn't see him in the reeds, but they couldn't see us either. Sanchez reached his position and then I straightened up. Tiny! Yo! Now Texas Ranger, as a posse of 20 men in the hills, you're surrounded.

Will you come out? How long do you any good? This way, Tiny! Open up, Sanchez! That's a posse signal, Tiny! They'll all be heading this way. You'll be here! I'm out of time. You're going empty.

Why is it cut man? How do you fellas ever kill anybody? You don't even come close. Where do you think I'll? Where do you? Rest of the posse you'll be here soon. It'll be daylight.

We'll starve you out and burn you out. You're home tight. You better give up while you can. I ain't giving up. I'll take a lot of your heads with me. Come on, Joe. Please. Please. Please.

Wait a minute. Alright, Sanchez. You gotta take it off. I guess this job is almost finished. Almost finished.

They look very finished good. I mean the rest of the Crawford gang are from across the river. They have a nice surprise for them if they come over in their boat. Pothie will be here soon and we may be able to take them by surprise.

Ease it indeed, Trucenio. You know, I don't think their life is very much. I saw what they did to a deputy sheriff and his kid. I didn't like that Gordon brother's very much either. Two hours later, other members of the Crawford Gang were surprised and captured without resistance when they crossed the Rio Grande to keep their rendezvous with the Gordon brothers.

They were turned over to federal authorities to stand trial for their crimes. Well, partner, whether you're riding the Texas prairie or smelting steel in Pittsburgh, first you need your Wheaties. Yeah, breakfast of champions for folks with big things to do.

It's a brighter morning and a better job when you begin a good breakfast with Wheaties. Here's why. There's a whole kernel of wheat in every Wheaties' flake. Yes, there's a whole kernel of wheat in every Wheaties' flake.

That's why Wheaties can give so much. Whole wheat vitamins and minerals, protein too. Whole wheat energy to help you stride through the morning high-widen handsome. Yes, there's a whole kernel of wheat in every Wheaties' flake.

That's how Wheaties at seven can help at eleven. You try them. Gold in flakes. Crisp flakes. Wheaties flakes. Have some tomorrow with milk and fruit, and see yourself how Wheaties at Seven can help at 11.

Next week Joel McCray and another authentic reenactment of a case from the files of... The Texas Rangers! Joel McCray will soon be seen starring in the Universal International Technicolor Production Saddleprint. Tonight's cast included Tony Barrett, Tom McKee, Tom Holland, Jack Druschen, Byron Kane, and Jane O'Vello.

This story was transcribed and adapted by Joel Merkop, and the program was produced and directed by Stacy Keats. This is How Give Me Speaking. And it's the Wheaties Man, Frank Martin, inviting you to listen Tuesday night to the Penny Singleton show on the Wheaties Big Parade.

See you then! Tomorrow Rose Banton sings with the Summer Symphony on...