October 17, 2025 • 28 mins
Chronicles the cases of a law enforcement officer in the American West, blending traditional Western themes with modern investigative techniques. The stories are based on real cases.
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Speaker 1 (00:11):
The Texas Rangers.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Texas Rangers first to advance, last to retreat, Texas more.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
Than two hundred and sixty thousand square.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Miles and fifty men who make up the most famous
and oldest law enforcement body in North America.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Now from the files of the Texas Rangers come these
stories based on facts only. Names, dates, and places are
fictitious for obvious reasons. The events themselves are a matter
of record.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
To a Texas Ranger may go as many as four
assignments a week. The case may lead him into the
remotest corner of the plains or the crowded streets of
the biggest cities. But wherever he goes, he commands respect
to Texans. His badge is the symbol of security.
Speaker 4 (01:22):
This is Ranger Jace Pearson. The case we called by
just a number began on the morning of July fifteenth,
last year. The Stephens Ranch, located just about in the
middle of Carson County, was where it started. Started. When
the Stephens kid, aged nine, came running up the long
drive to his house. Really, Mammy, I thought, I thought,
(01:56):
what did you see? Billy? Answer me something?
Speaker 1 (02:01):
Carl, Carl Harl.
Speaker 5 (02:05):
And his mom and.
Speaker 4 (02:07):
Dad don't tell me what's wrong, Tam, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Looking at him, Billy, it's dead. It's me son. Come
on now, what the trouble Carl?
Speaker 4 (02:18):
Carl about Carl Evans?
Speaker 6 (02:22):
Can that ride?
Speaker 1 (02:22):
Billy?
Speaker 7 (02:23):
What about Carl? Something wrong with the Evans place? Take
care of I'm going to ride over there.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
Tram Stevens saddled a horse and rode to the Evans
ranch over three miles away. But he saw there made
him call the sheriff, who arrived a half hour later.
Speaker 5 (02:47):
They're in here, sheriff, all right, sir, oh this this
is what Billy saw.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
Kid hysterically when I left. Look you here, Glenron Sam, Yeah,
I'll touch it flowing. Tom Evans was killed with.
Speaker 7 (03:09):
It and him the kid car Yeah, a little Carl
but kind of dirty.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
Who do a thing like this?
Speaker 4 (03:18):
I'll be hard to find out who did it? Hard.
I'm telling when it happened. Oh yeah, I see, I reckon.
Even autopsy won't tell much, not in this case. Sheriff
(03:43):
Larkins was right. The triple murder had been committed too
long before, no way of telling how long. The sheriff
got in touch of the rangers, and Odza higned to
the case together, Riff Larkins and I went over to
Evans place. There's a room range of piercing. Okay, Sheriff,
let's have a look places just like me and Sam
(04:04):
Stevens found it sefting the bodies. Sure a kind of
a manse, isn't It was a lot worse. Any fingerprints here,
nobody's touched in it, and not even the phone been
leaving the prince for you. Okay, I'll see what we
can pick up meantime? O, oh, what are you looking at?
(04:27):
Had any rain here lately? Rain near ear drop? Why? Look?
M looks like a little clump of mud duck kicked
under the bed? Mean anything? Maybe? Funny shape, kind of
like it came from the instep of a man's boot.
So let's go out sign. Oh, sure, only one way
(04:48):
a piece of dirt could be plump in a man's
boot if you walk in wet earth. But I's going
around here, so chances are nobody around here had this
piece of mud in his boot. He likely different kind
of earth here. Let's see you got something to go on. Sure,
only one thing wrong, I would say, when was the
(05:11):
man here windy killed? Flowing? Tom Evans and Carol. Yeah,
and why maybe maybe if we learned when the while answered, So,
how's that figure? Don't know? Not yet? Well, let's get
back to town. I want to match this clump of
mud against the boots. Everybody who went in that room
(05:31):
ain't gonna be hard. Only five people from around here,
not counting Evans's. Okay, let's get back pretty well kept ranch. Yeah,
Tom Evans liked it that. I wonder why I let
that fence goce which not here? Hey, what is it?
(05:52):
The hogs? Hogg? Sure? Tom's hogs just their star ain't
one here? I think the killers told him, come on,
here's why they're not here, sheriff. This break in the fence.
Figure the killer might have busted through. Uhuh, hogs did.
More likely rails are broken through from the inside. See
pushed out. Hogs did it, and be unlikely Mana'd steal hogs.
(06:14):
Too easy for somebody to spot him. So why why
what hogs broke out for some reason? Scared? Well, it's
the killer cut across the sty. There's no chance to
find his tracks not in here. Look, I wonder if
I could talk to Billy Stevens. All right, So got
an idea, let's go. Hello, Billy. Huh, nice pony, Billy
(06:47):
yours Huh, Yeah, he's mine. She don't know you, mister. Oh,
I'll fix that. Oh boy he got named mm hm
Jinks fixing for trubble. Got a good mouth, fine legs,
(07:09):
good boy Jinks. You let everybody pet him. Oh, I
can't blame him for that. Oh. By the way, my
name is Pearson, Billy Jase Pearson, Hobby. Howdy you come
and see my dad? Well, as a matter of fact, Billy,
I'd drop by to see you me. Yep. Ever seen
(07:30):
one of these.
Speaker 8 (07:31):
Billy Texas ranger badge?
Speaker 4 (07:34):
That's right? You you a ranger?
Speaker 9 (07:37):
Sure, am gee, Billy, you arranger Pearson kind of need
your help mine real bad light.
Speaker 4 (07:48):
I but sure the other day you went to see
your friend Carl curl Evans. I want you to remember something, Billy.
It'll be a big help to me if you can.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
I ain't gonna think.
Speaker 4 (08:05):
Not about that, Billy. About the hogs hogs? Mmmm? Did
you see the hogs, mister, mister Evans.
Speaker 8 (08:13):
Hogs?
Speaker 4 (08:14):
That's it? Sure, my song in the sty No.
Speaker 8 (08:19):
No, they were loose, running around, loose, sure, sure, running
around making noise. And then I went up to the door.
I'm not nobody answered. I went to the window. I
looked in, looked in.
Speaker 4 (08:40):
Fine, fine, guess we'll ride down about the hogs in
the notebook and I'll put it in my report with
my name, with your name. You'll probably get a letter
of thanks to the colonel. I will sure thing. Well,
Billy be seeing you?
Speaker 5 (08:56):
Hey?
Speaker 8 (08:57):
Can I tell the kids I helped the ranger?
Speaker 4 (09:00):
You gee?
Speaker 9 (09:02):
You bet?
Speaker 8 (09:02):
You?
Speaker 1 (09:03):
Okay?
Speaker 4 (09:04):
You tell him I couldn't have done without you. After
Billy told me what I wanted to know, Sheriff Warkins
and I went back to the Evans ranch. In the
barn we found three sacks of fiend, two full, and
(09:25):
one was just enough taken out for one feeding of
the hogs. Then I checked with the feed store in town.
Sure Tom Evans bought all his feed. Here. You got
a record of the last time he's in, ma'am? Sure
have right here in the campbo Can I see it, ma'am?
Can anything for a ranger? It is right here the
(09:47):
ninth of July, that's right, just six days for for
Billy Stepton. Uh huh, six days before piercing any time?
Speaker 7 (09:57):
You ready got all the people together who was in
that room cut on the same boots of war that day.
Speaker 4 (10:01):
Oh, thanks, Sheriff. Now, ma'am, you're sure it was the ninth.
It was the ninth. Could have told you that Pearson,
A couple other folks saw Tom Evans here in town. Yeah,
I know him and his family could have been killed
anytime between the ninth and the fifteenth. Yeah, ma'am, Yes,
Tom Evans say anything in a hurry, anything like that,
(10:22):
But yes, I remember him telling me he had to
get back with feed.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
He was all out.
Speaker 4 (10:27):
Sure that just sure as I'm standing here. Good, thank you, ma'am.
Let's go, Sheriff.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
Sure, I'll forget him, Thank you, ma'am.
Speaker 4 (10:37):
Fitting together, the murders were committed late on the ninth
or early the morning of the tenth. I figured Tom
Evans bought feed on the ninth, three bags of it,
and he said he was all out of feed at
the ranch. He had to get home to feed the hogs.
We found those bags to feed, Sheriff, two of them
on open, yeah, and the third with just enough feed
taken out for one feeding. Sure Tom fed the hogs
(10:59):
on the ninth. On the tenth, he didn't because he
was dead. Murdered.
Speaker 7 (11:04):
Got something to go on at last? Yeah, well it
is something.
Speaker 4 (11:09):
I guess so, but I'm counting more on this, Sheriff.
A little piece of mud earth that came from someplace else,
carried in by the murderer on his boot. How do
you know it comes from someplace else? Never see earth
this color around here? No, I've seen this kind in
Wheeler County. Wheeler. That's a long pieces, so much the better.
(11:31):
Better come on, Sheriff. I got a lot of questions
to ask in a real short space of time. To
get him asked. Mud hogs didn't sound or look like much. Meantime,
(11:51):
the killer might have made tracks for any place in Texas.
He might have headed for the border in New Mexico,
or got himself lost in the lonely stretches of New
Mexico or in the big cities. Oh Wlahoma had a
whole week's start. Meantime, I reported back to my company
Captain played Travis. He was an enthusiastic and it's not
much to go on, Jason, little enough, But working on
(12:12):
a shoe strings better than nothing. How does a shoe
string look? Never gets any longer?
Speaker 1 (12:17):
Anyway?
Speaker 4 (12:17):
Cap Evans was in town on the ninth, and he
went to the bank, drew out one hundred dollars.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
Couldn't find that money on his rank.
Speaker 4 (12:24):
Robbery. Yeah, the way I figured the killer was surprised
grabbed this flat iron. Uh huh. That iron's been gone
over by the lad and the only thing on it
was blood. And the Evans couldn't pick up a clean
print any place in the murder room either. Every figure
it mightn't have been a stranger. Sure, but I'm laying
my money on that piece of mud. Oh say, a
(12:45):
report on it came from the Austin lad You want
to look at it, sure do? Okay it is and
you were right about Wheeler County. It looks like we're
narrowing down a little. This particular sample found in southwest
Wheeler County still covers a good piece of territory. Yeah,
(13:05):
but there's just so many ranches in that section, branches.
Oh you figure your man might have worked done with him?
Could be the way I look at it. He wandered
down into Carson County into town minus seen Evans with
the money tail into the rank, not being seen by anyone.
That's my point. Cap this time, hear there's a lot
of folks passing through looking for work. Ever pay much
(13:25):
attention to one of them?
Speaker 1 (13:26):
Yeah, lots of times.
Speaker 4 (13:28):
You're paid to do it. Other folks aren't. Not unless
he acts up to attract attention. So you've got no description,
might get one in Wheeler County. I'm gonna check every
ranch there and sending samples to Earth from every one
of them. Be seeing you, How are you going? I'll
take the radio car keep in touch that way, and
I'd like to take this flat iron with me. If
(13:50):
it's okay with you, it's okay with me. Oh, better
take a horse trailer too. Something tells me when I
find our man, there'll be someplace only a horse can
get to Somewhere. I once read that a man had
(14:15):
found a needle in a haystack, dit it on a bed. Well,
there was only one haystack. Southwest Wheeler County was one
ranch after another, and every dead and I ran into
gave the killer another break, a longer lead, a better
chance to get away. The man who found the needle
knew what a needle looked like. We had no description.
(14:36):
A needle stayed in one place. Our man could move around.
I ask a lot of questions all the same every
place I hit. Then on a ranch near Ramsel, I
got the first real lead.
Speaker 7 (14:50):
Come on, have some coffee, we can talk. Don't go
to any trouble. Trouble for a ranger. You boys, got
any idea what you look like when you turn up?
Speaker 1 (15:00):
Good or bad?
Speaker 4 (15:01):
Son? Does folks living out here all alone?
Speaker 1 (15:03):
That bad Joe wins like a handshake? How would you
like somebody? Well, it can't stay long, mister Williams. Oh
looking for somebody?
Speaker 4 (15:09):
Eh, a murderer? Uh?
Speaker 1 (15:12):
Can I help any I don't know.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
It all depends depends on whether you hired any hands
the last oh month or so. Sure got him here
and I I won't see him. No, No, besides, I
don't think my man would be here.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
But you're looking, you come here.
Speaker 4 (15:27):
I want to know if any hands left here around
the ninth of the month this month? M nice nice? Nope,
didn't close out nobody on the ninth the seventh, dude
just about right closed out all that day? Or well,
you know him, never laid eyes on him before it
took him on a couple of months ago. Why do leave?
Ornery cuts?
Speaker 7 (15:47):
Never got along with anybody, Always ask him for his
pay in advance, had it spent afford here this quack.
Speaker 4 (15:52):
I want you to think carefully, give me the best
description of him you possibly can give every detail, how
he talked, acted, looked everything. If he could hears you, huh.
I don't know, mister Williams. Until I get a better lead,
I'll trail this one. Williams gave me Orwell's description. I
(16:19):
sent it into company headquarters, along with a sample of
earth and the Williams Ranch. Then I kept checking it. Yeah,
here and there. Orwell had been seen gott in a
poker game, lost some money, picked up a few dollars,
doing odd jobs, but always moving westward toward Carson County.
In the scene of the murders. Meantime, I put in
(16:40):
a call for Captain Travis through our Amarilla radio KTXC.
He was out, but an hour later he came through Unit.
Speaker 6 (16:48):
Three, Unit ten, Unit three to Unit.
Speaker 4 (16:51):
Ten, Unit ten to Unit three, Unit ten in Gray
County outside of Lafers. Anything for Unit ten and.
Speaker 6 (17:00):
Samples of earth from Williams Ranch and murder sen established identical.
Your description of suspect sent out on all points bullet,
But suspect may be across border.
Speaker 4 (17:09):
But now Unit ten believes suspects still in state.
Speaker 6 (17:13):
Why Unit ten.
Speaker 4 (17:14):
When suspect left Williams Ranch, he had his pay, didn't
keep it long. Evidence indicates suspect a drifter, probably thinks
he's safe by now and won't move fast.
Speaker 6 (17:24):
Highway patrols and ranger units near borders alerted.
Speaker 4 (17:28):
Suspect's previous travel habits indicate he stays to back trails.
Speaker 6 (17:32):
Which direction you move in Unit ten.
Speaker 4 (17:35):
Unit ten moving west toward Carson County, will keep Unit
three informed.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
Unit ten ten four.
Speaker 4 (17:53):
Covered every ranch Sherry Farm, traveling by radio car when
I could, and on a horse when I had to
leave the highways. Once or twice I got a dim
lead on our well, but he was like quicksilver. He
keptain moving. The more he did, the more I was
convinced he was the killer. And then I just got
over into Carson County when Captain Travis contacted me by radio.
Speaker 6 (18:14):
Unit three to Unit ten, Unit three two.
Speaker 4 (18:17):
Unit ten, Unit ten to Unit three, go ahead, Unit
three another lead.
Speaker 10 (18:22):
On Carson County. Suspect this one's still smoking. Just came
in here. It is Unit ten A man answering suspects
description reported scene near Pelly Ranch up near Amilla.
Speaker 4 (18:34):
Will investigate Unit ten ten four. I covered the sixty
odd miles of the Pelly Ranch near Amarilla in something
less than an hour. Got in touch with the foreman
and told him what I wanted, but he told me
got no hand name, poor world ranger? Sure done? Sure
(18:57):
man you described as the pope named Martin? Is mean
a thing? Probably a phony name? Sure it could be.
What do you want to do about it? Where is
this smartin riding fence norther here? I want to get
to him, Not in your car. I got a horse,
you don't need it to look at here. If this
guy is what you say, in't going to stay long
in one place? End's get paid off yesterday and Martin's
(19:17):
headed for the north fence earlier this morning? Where'd you
start from? Show you come on? You see this or
Well was riding a sorrel, that's what he left the
Williams Ranch on. Well, this Martin's riding The black man
can change horse as well as his name. Sure you
see him start out this morning? Yeap rode his furs
the edge of the corral with me. Tell him what
I want it done. That'll help some looks like it'll
(19:39):
be a trailing job. Yes, guess so. Well, here's where
he started from. Big mess of tracks here. I'm telling
which one's Martin's horse? But do you ride off alone?
Straighten r heading for the bench? Well, thanks a lot,
I'll see if I can pick him up. I rode
(20:05):
for two hours, setting back and forth in an arc,
trying to pick up the trail, and then I got
a break. I wanted to pull up at a stream
to water his horse, and there were boot tracks in
the soft earth around the stream. Single but that hadn't
(20:25):
bend smoked two over four paper was still fresh. The
horses tracks didn't go north from there, They turned off
due west and kept along the bank of the stream.
Looked like orwell or Martin was keeping close to water.
That meant he wasn't gonna ride in a north fence,
but was heading for the border in New Mexico. He
wanted good camping spots handy. Yeah, I looked like Martin
(20:50):
was my man, but I didn't know for sure. It
was late afternoon when I spotted him riding up ahead,
(21:10):
well off the Pelly ranch. I put my badge away
and my gun's under my shirt and caught up with him. Howdy, howdy.
I've been been trying to find you. Boss sent me out.
Boss sure back at Pelly's looking for me. Yeah, I'm
(21:33):
looking for you. Why seems like there's a big break
in the north fence. Stocks getting through at all? Oh
you're a long way from the North fence, and it
seems to me you're riding the wrong way. Seems to
me it's none of your business, mister. I thought you
(21:55):
were working for Pelly. I'll come wait. Yeah, you tell Pelly.
Speaker 11 (22:03):
Just took a look at the fence. Too much of
it for me. He wasn't working for Pelly when I left,
just got took on this morning. Oh, well, you go
fix a fence. I'm going my way. Uh I told you,
I'm going my way.
Speaker 4 (22:22):
Oh harm if I ride a piece with you? Is there?
I ain't ask you to unsociable? Ain't you nosy? Ain't
you no? Just friendly?
Speaker 11 (22:32):
Oh? Look I don't want anybody riding with me. I
get on your way. We're gonna have trouble now.
Speaker 4 (22:39):
Funny, I keep looking at you, thinking I've seen you before.
He could have swore us are you in Carson County?
Never was that?
Speaker 1 (22:52):
It seems like I saw you must have worked there.
Speaker 4 (22:54):
That was there. I said, okay, okay, man, gonna make
a mistake, Kenny.
Speaker 11 (22:57):
I get on your way. Something funny, mister, Yeah, just thinking.
Speaker 4 (23:05):
Boss sends me out to find you, and here you
are dusting off here. I am feeling the same way.
I ain't anxious to work either. Oh, I'll come. I
thought you was just took on. Yeah, yeah, but change
my mind. I got enough money. Oh you sure ran
(23:26):
into the little crap game kind of ran in luck.
That's so. Yeah. I couldn't make a wrong throw cat
bobbin seven eleven, one right after the other.
Speaker 11 (23:35):
A man gets in luck, you can make a kill. Yeah,
five hundred, Yeah, yeah, I guess sit. Don't feel much
like working.
Speaker 4 (23:45):
Thought maybe i'd hit for New Mexico, maybe go as
far as California.
Speaker 11 (23:50):
I thought so myself. Yeah, okay, you want to ride
with me?
Speaker 4 (23:55):
Okay? By me? Well, I like good company myself, especially
when I got a camp out. Hey you was sleeping.
(24:28):
Hey some you won my saddle bag, Martin, I I
thought you was sleeping. Huh, don't reach for it, Martin,
I'll blow your head off. What are you getting head
up about? Man starts to go through my saddle bags
(24:48):
while I'm sleeping. Well, there's no need for that gun.
I was just looking for cigarettes. Yeah, sure, that's all.
What else you tell me?
Speaker 11 (24:59):
Oh huh suspicious? Like, ain't you call it careful?
Speaker 6 (25:05):
Yeah?
Speaker 11 (25:05):
Sure, sure you got a cigarette, some packs and saddle bags.
Speaker 4 (25:10):
Don't mind me nosing around him? Now? Now, well, I'm
looking no cigarettes wrapped up in a piece of old blanket.
Speaker 1 (25:20):
Other one.
Speaker 6 (25:22):
Is it?
Speaker 4 (25:23):
Yeah, that's it wrapped up in that What are you
going here? He is like a ton of mind. Might
be unroll the blanket, recognize that flat iron? Orwell, Harwell
got himself between me and my horse. He slapped it, fired,
(25:44):
my horse jumped forward. I rolled over and away when
Orwell fired again, and then he was gone. Wait till
morning was to give him a ticket to freedom, trail
him on foot for over an hour we played cat
and mount stillness of the country. Then I came to
(26:04):
a little arroya. Orwell you're not gonna get away, or
well come out with your hands in the air, or
well hear me, okay.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
I'm coming in after you.
Speaker 4 (26:54):
Doll's your gun out? Orwell yeah, yeah, gun flight. She's
made good targets in the dark Orwell, Oh come, you
know my name found it out still say you've never
been in Carson County.
Speaker 5 (27:11):
Oh you.
Speaker 4 (27:13):
Jase Pearson Texas Rangers.
Speaker 6 (27:16):
Three.
Speaker 4 (27:17):
Nothing you got on me? Nothing I think there is. Orwell,
you gave yourself away when you saw the flat iron.
The flat iron that killed a man, his wife, and
a little kid. Okay, we better get gone. The case
(27:42):
was closed when Orwell broke down and confessed not long
after he went to the electric chair at Huntsville.
Speaker 2 (27:57):
You have just heard an authentic reenactment to the case
from the files of them, the Texas Rangers.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
Tonight's script was written by Russell Hughes and produced by
Stacy Keach. Next week, the National Broadcasting Company will bring
you another case from the records of the oldest law
enforcement body in North America, the Texas Rangers.
The Texas Rangers.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Texas Rangers first to advance, last to retreat, Texas more.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
Than two hundred and sixty thousand square.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Miles and fifty men who make up the most famous
and oldest law enforcement body in North America.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Now from the files of the Texas Rangers come these
stories based on facts only. Names, dates, and places are
fictitious for obvious reasons. The events themselves are a matter
of record.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
To a Texas Ranger may go as many as four
assignments a week. The case may lead him into the
remotest corner of the plains or the crowded streets of
the biggest cities. But wherever he goes, he commands respect
to Texans. His badge is the symbol of security.
Speaker 4 (01:22):
This is Ranger Jace Pearson. The case we called by
just a number began on the morning of July fifteenth,
last year. The Stephens Ranch, located just about in the
middle of Carson County, was where it started. Started. When
the Stephens kid, aged nine, came running up the long
drive to his house. Really, Mammy, I thought, I thought,
(01:56):
what did you see? Billy? Answer me something?
Speaker 1 (02:01):
Carl, Carl Harl.
Speaker 5 (02:05):
And his mom and.
Speaker 4 (02:07):
Dad don't tell me what's wrong, Tam, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Looking at him, Billy, it's dead. It's me son. Come
on now, what the trouble Carl?
Speaker 4 (02:18):
Carl about Carl Evans?
Speaker 6 (02:22):
Can that ride?
Speaker 1 (02:22):
Billy?
Speaker 7 (02:23):
What about Carl? Something wrong with the Evans place? Take
care of I'm going to ride over there.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
Tram Stevens saddled a horse and rode to the Evans
ranch over three miles away. But he saw there made
him call the sheriff, who arrived a half hour later.
Speaker 5 (02:47):
They're in here, sheriff, all right, sir, oh this this
is what Billy saw.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
Kid hysterically when I left. Look you here, Glenron Sam, Yeah,
I'll touch it flowing. Tom Evans was killed with.
Speaker 7 (03:09):
It and him the kid car Yeah, a little Carl
but kind of dirty.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
Who do a thing like this?
Speaker 4 (03:18):
I'll be hard to find out who did it? Hard.
I'm telling when it happened. Oh yeah, I see, I reckon.
Even autopsy won't tell much, not in this case. Sheriff
(03:43):
Larkins was right. The triple murder had been committed too
long before, no way of telling how long. The sheriff
got in touch of the rangers, and Odza higned to
the case together, Riff Larkins and I went over to
Evans place. There's a room range of piercing. Okay, Sheriff,
let's have a look places just like me and Sam
(04:04):
Stevens found it sefting the bodies. Sure a kind of
a manse, isn't It was a lot worse. Any fingerprints here,
nobody's touched in it, and not even the phone been
leaving the prince for you. Okay, I'll see what we
can pick up meantime? O, oh, what are you looking at?
(04:27):
Had any rain here lately? Rain near ear drop? Why? Look?
M looks like a little clump of mud duck kicked
under the bed? Mean anything? Maybe? Funny shape, kind of
like it came from the instep of a man's boot.
So let's go out sign. Oh, sure, only one way
(04:48):
a piece of dirt could be plump in a man's
boot if you walk in wet earth. But I's going
around here, so chances are nobody around here had this
piece of mud in his boot. He likely different kind
of earth here. Let's see you got something to go on. Sure,
only one thing wrong, I would say, when was the
(05:11):
man here windy killed? Flowing? Tom Evans and Carol. Yeah,
and why maybe maybe if we learned when the while answered, So,
how's that figure? Don't know? Not yet? Well, let's get
back to town. I want to match this clump of
mud against the boots. Everybody who went in that room
(05:31):
ain't gonna be hard. Only five people from around here,
not counting Evans's. Okay, let's get back pretty well kept ranch. Yeah,
Tom Evans liked it that. I wonder why I let
that fence goce which not here? Hey, what is it?
(05:52):
The hogs? Hogg? Sure? Tom's hogs just their star ain't
one here? I think the killers told him, come on,
here's why they're not here, sheriff. This break in the fence.
Figure the killer might have busted through. Uhuh, hogs did.
More likely rails are broken through from the inside. See
pushed out. Hogs did it, and be unlikely Mana'd steal hogs.
(06:14):
Too easy for somebody to spot him. So why why
what hogs broke out for some reason? Scared? Well, it's
the killer cut across the sty. There's no chance to
find his tracks not in here. Look, I wonder if
I could talk to Billy Stevens. All right, So got
an idea, let's go. Hello, Billy. Huh, nice pony, Billy
(06:47):
yours Huh, Yeah, he's mine. She don't know you, mister. Oh,
I'll fix that. Oh boy he got named mm hm
Jinks fixing for trubble. Got a good mouth, fine legs,
(07:09):
good boy Jinks. You let everybody pet him. Oh, I
can't blame him for that. Oh. By the way, my
name is Pearson, Billy Jase Pearson, Hobby. Howdy you come
and see my dad? Well, as a matter of fact, Billy,
I'd drop by to see you me. Yep. Ever seen
(07:30):
one of these.
Speaker 8 (07:31):
Billy Texas ranger badge?
Speaker 4 (07:34):
That's right? You you a ranger?
Speaker 9 (07:37):
Sure, am gee, Billy, you arranger Pearson kind of need
your help mine real bad light.
Speaker 4 (07:48):
I but sure the other day you went to see
your friend Carl curl Evans. I want you to remember something, Billy.
It'll be a big help to me if you can.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
I ain't gonna think.
Speaker 4 (08:05):
Not about that, Billy. About the hogs hogs? Mmmm? Did
you see the hogs, mister, mister Evans.
Speaker 8 (08:13):
Hogs?
Speaker 4 (08:14):
That's it? Sure, my song in the sty No.
Speaker 8 (08:19):
No, they were loose, running around, loose, sure, sure, running
around making noise. And then I went up to the door.
I'm not nobody answered. I went to the window. I
looked in, looked in.
Speaker 4 (08:40):
Fine, fine, guess we'll ride down about the hogs in
the notebook and I'll put it in my report with
my name, with your name. You'll probably get a letter
of thanks to the colonel. I will sure thing. Well,
Billy be seeing you?
Speaker 5 (08:56):
Hey?
Speaker 8 (08:57):
Can I tell the kids I helped the ranger?
Speaker 4 (09:00):
You gee?
Speaker 9 (09:02):
You bet?
Speaker 8 (09:02):
You?
Speaker 1 (09:03):
Okay?
Speaker 4 (09:04):
You tell him I couldn't have done without you. After
Billy told me what I wanted to know, Sheriff Warkins
and I went back to the Evans ranch. In the
barn we found three sacks of fiend, two full, and
(09:25):
one was just enough taken out for one feeding of
the hogs. Then I checked with the feed store in town.
Sure Tom Evans bought all his feed. Here. You got
a record of the last time he's in, ma'am? Sure
have right here in the campbo Can I see it, ma'am?
Can anything for a ranger? It is right here the
(09:47):
ninth of July, that's right, just six days for for
Billy Stepton. Uh huh, six days before piercing any time?
Speaker 7 (09:57):
You ready got all the people together who was in
that room cut on the same boots of war that day.
Speaker 4 (10:01):
Oh, thanks, Sheriff. Now, ma'am, you're sure it was the ninth.
It was the ninth. Could have told you that Pearson,
A couple other folks saw Tom Evans here in town. Yeah,
I know him and his family could have been killed
anytime between the ninth and the fifteenth. Yeah, ma'am, Yes,
Tom Evans say anything in a hurry, anything like that,
(10:22):
But yes, I remember him telling me he had to
get back with feed.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
He was all out.
Speaker 4 (10:27):
Sure that just sure as I'm standing here. Good, thank you, ma'am.
Let's go, Sheriff.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
Sure, I'll forget him, Thank you, ma'am.
Speaker 4 (10:37):
Fitting together, the murders were committed late on the ninth
or early the morning of the tenth. I figured Tom
Evans bought feed on the ninth, three bags of it,
and he said he was all out of feed at
the ranch. He had to get home to feed the hogs.
We found those bags to feed, Sheriff, two of them
on open, yeah, and the third with just enough feed
taken out for one feeding. Sure Tom fed the hogs
(10:59):
on the ninth. On the tenth, he didn't because he
was dead. Murdered.
Speaker 7 (11:04):
Got something to go on at last? Yeah, well it
is something.
Speaker 4 (11:09):
I guess so, but I'm counting more on this, Sheriff.
A little piece of mud earth that came from someplace else,
carried in by the murderer on his boot. How do
you know it comes from someplace else? Never see earth
this color around here? No, I've seen this kind in
Wheeler County. Wheeler. That's a long pieces, so much the better.
(11:31):
Better come on, Sheriff. I got a lot of questions
to ask in a real short space of time. To
get him asked. Mud hogs didn't sound or look like much. Meantime,
(11:51):
the killer might have made tracks for any place in Texas.
He might have headed for the border in New Mexico,
or got himself lost in the lonely stretches of New
Mexico or in the big cities. Oh Wlahoma had a
whole week's start. Meantime, I reported back to my company
Captain played Travis. He was an enthusiastic and it's not
much to go on, Jason, little enough, But working on
(12:12):
a shoe strings better than nothing. How does a shoe
string look? Never gets any longer?
Speaker 1 (12:17):
Anyway?
Speaker 4 (12:17):
Cap Evans was in town on the ninth, and he
went to the bank, drew out one hundred dollars.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
Couldn't find that money on his rank.
Speaker 4 (12:24):
Robbery. Yeah, the way I figured the killer was surprised
grabbed this flat iron. Uh huh. That iron's been gone
over by the lad and the only thing on it
was blood. And the Evans couldn't pick up a clean
print any place in the murder room either. Every figure
it mightn't have been a stranger. Sure, but I'm laying
my money on that piece of mud. Oh say, a
(12:45):
report on it came from the Austin lad You want
to look at it, sure do? Okay it is and
you were right about Wheeler County. It looks like we're
narrowing down a little. This particular sample found in southwest
Wheeler County still covers a good piece of territory. Yeah,
(13:05):
but there's just so many ranches in that section, branches.
Oh you figure your man might have worked done with him?
Could be the way I look at it. He wandered
down into Carson County into town minus seen Evans with
the money tail into the rank, not being seen by anyone.
That's my point. Cap this time, hear there's a lot
of folks passing through looking for work. Ever pay much
(13:25):
attention to one of them?
Speaker 1 (13:26):
Yeah, lots of times.
Speaker 4 (13:28):
You're paid to do it. Other folks aren't. Not unless
he acts up to attract attention. So you've got no description,
might get one in Wheeler County. I'm gonna check every
ranch there and sending samples to Earth from every one
of them. Be seeing you, How are you going? I'll
take the radio car keep in touch that way, and
I'd like to take this flat iron with me. If
(13:50):
it's okay with you, it's okay with me. Oh, better
take a horse trailer too. Something tells me when I
find our man, there'll be someplace only a horse can
get to Somewhere. I once read that a man had
(14:15):
found a needle in a haystack, dit it on a bed. Well,
there was only one haystack. Southwest Wheeler County was one
ranch after another, and every dead and I ran into
gave the killer another break, a longer lead, a better
chance to get away. The man who found the needle
knew what a needle looked like. We had no description.
(14:36):
A needle stayed in one place. Our man could move around.
I ask a lot of questions all the same every
place I hit. Then on a ranch near Ramsel, I
got the first real lead.
Speaker 7 (14:50):
Come on, have some coffee, we can talk. Don't go
to any trouble. Trouble for a ranger. You boys, got
any idea what you look like when you turn up?
Speaker 1 (15:00):
Good or bad?
Speaker 4 (15:01):
Son? Does folks living out here all alone?
Speaker 1 (15:03):
That bad Joe wins like a handshake? How would you
like somebody? Well, it can't stay long, mister Williams. Oh
looking for somebody?
Speaker 4 (15:09):
Eh, a murderer? Uh?
Speaker 1 (15:12):
Can I help any I don't know.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
It all depends depends on whether you hired any hands
the last oh month or so. Sure got him here
and I I won't see him. No, No, besides, I
don't think my man would be here.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
But you're looking, you come here.
Speaker 4 (15:27):
I want to know if any hands left here around
the ninth of the month this month? M nice nice? Nope,
didn't close out nobody on the ninth the seventh, dude
just about right closed out all that day? Or well,
you know him, never laid eyes on him before it
took him on a couple of months ago. Why do leave?
Ornery cuts?
Speaker 7 (15:47):
Never got along with anybody, Always ask him for his
pay in advance, had it spent afford here this quack.
Speaker 4 (15:52):
I want you to think carefully, give me the best
description of him you possibly can give every detail, how
he talked, acted, looked everything. If he could hears you, huh.
I don't know, mister Williams. Until I get a better lead,
I'll trail this one. Williams gave me Orwell's description. I
(16:19):
sent it into company headquarters, along with a sample of
earth and the Williams Ranch. Then I kept checking it. Yeah,
here and there. Orwell had been seen gott in a
poker game, lost some money, picked up a few dollars,
doing odd jobs, but always moving westward toward Carson County.
In the scene of the murders. Meantime, I put in
(16:40):
a call for Captain Travis through our Amarilla radio KTXC.
He was out, but an hour later he came through Unit.
Speaker 6 (16:48):
Three, Unit ten, Unit three to Unit.
Speaker 4 (16:51):
Ten, Unit ten to Unit three, Unit ten in Gray
County outside of Lafers. Anything for Unit ten and.
Speaker 6 (17:00):
Samples of earth from Williams Ranch and murder sen established identical.
Your description of suspect sent out on all points bullet,
But suspect may be across border.
Speaker 4 (17:09):
But now Unit ten believes suspects still in state.
Speaker 6 (17:13):
Why Unit ten.
Speaker 4 (17:14):
When suspect left Williams Ranch, he had his pay, didn't
keep it long. Evidence indicates suspect a drifter, probably thinks
he's safe by now and won't move fast.
Speaker 6 (17:24):
Highway patrols and ranger units near borders alerted.
Speaker 4 (17:28):
Suspect's previous travel habits indicate he stays to back trails.
Speaker 6 (17:32):
Which direction you move in Unit ten.
Speaker 4 (17:35):
Unit ten moving west toward Carson County, will keep Unit
three informed.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
Unit ten ten four.
Speaker 4 (17:53):
Covered every ranch Sherry Farm, traveling by radio car when
I could, and on a horse when I had to
leave the highways. Once or twice I got a dim
lead on our well, but he was like quicksilver. He
keptain moving. The more he did, the more I was
convinced he was the killer. And then I just got
over into Carson County when Captain Travis contacted me by radio.
Speaker 6 (18:14):
Unit three to Unit ten, Unit three two.
Speaker 4 (18:17):
Unit ten, Unit ten to Unit three, go ahead, Unit
three another lead.
Speaker 10 (18:22):
On Carson County. Suspect this one's still smoking. Just came
in here. It is Unit ten A man answering suspects
description reported scene near Pelly Ranch up near Amilla.
Speaker 4 (18:34):
Will investigate Unit ten ten four. I covered the sixty
odd miles of the Pelly Ranch near Amarilla in something
less than an hour. Got in touch with the foreman
and told him what I wanted, but he told me
got no hand name, poor world ranger? Sure done? Sure
(18:57):
man you described as the pope named Martin? Is mean
a thing? Probably a phony name? Sure it could be.
What do you want to do about it? Where is
this smartin riding fence norther here? I want to get
to him, Not in your car. I got a horse,
you don't need it to look at here. If this
guy is what you say, in't going to stay long
in one place? End's get paid off yesterday and Martin's
(19:17):
headed for the north fence earlier this morning? Where'd you
start from? Show you come on? You see this or
Well was riding a sorrel, that's what he left the
Williams Ranch on. Well, this Martin's riding The black man
can change horse as well as his name. Sure you
see him start out this morning? Yeap rode his furs
the edge of the corral with me. Tell him what
I want it done. That'll help some looks like it'll
(19:39):
be a trailing job. Yes, guess so. Well, here's where
he started from. Big mess of tracks here. I'm telling
which one's Martin's horse? But do you ride off alone?
Straighten r heading for the bench? Well, thanks a lot,
I'll see if I can pick him up. I rode
(20:05):
for two hours, setting back and forth in an arc,
trying to pick up the trail, and then I got
a break. I wanted to pull up at a stream
to water his horse, and there were boot tracks in
the soft earth around the stream. Single but that hadn't
(20:25):
bend smoked two over four paper was still fresh. The
horses tracks didn't go north from there, They turned off
due west and kept along the bank of the stream.
Looked like orwell or Martin was keeping close to water.
That meant he wasn't gonna ride in a north fence,
but was heading for the border in New Mexico. He
wanted good camping spots handy. Yeah, I looked like Martin
(20:50):
was my man, but I didn't know for sure. It
was late afternoon when I spotted him riding up ahead,
(21:10):
well off the Pelly ranch. I put my badge away
and my gun's under my shirt and caught up with him. Howdy, howdy.
I've been been trying to find you. Boss sent me out.
Boss sure back at Pelly's looking for me. Yeah, I'm
(21:33):
looking for you. Why seems like there's a big break
in the north fence. Stocks getting through at all? Oh
you're a long way from the North fence, and it
seems to me you're riding the wrong way. Seems to
me it's none of your business, mister. I thought you
(21:55):
were working for Pelly. I'll come wait. Yeah, you tell Pelly.
Speaker 11 (22:03):
Just took a look at the fence. Too much of
it for me. He wasn't working for Pelly when I left,
just got took on this morning. Oh, well, you go
fix a fence. I'm going my way. Uh I told you,
I'm going my way.
Speaker 4 (22:22):
Oh harm if I ride a piece with you? Is there?
I ain't ask you to unsociable? Ain't you nosy? Ain't
you no? Just friendly?
Speaker 11 (22:32):
Oh? Look I don't want anybody riding with me. I
get on your way. We're gonna have trouble now.
Speaker 4 (22:39):
Funny, I keep looking at you, thinking I've seen you before.
He could have swore us are you in Carson County?
Never was that?
Speaker 1 (22:52):
It seems like I saw you must have worked there.
Speaker 4 (22:54):
That was there. I said, okay, okay, man, gonna make
a mistake, Kenny.
Speaker 11 (22:57):
I get on your way. Something funny, mister, Yeah, just thinking.
Speaker 4 (23:05):
Boss sends me out to find you, and here you
are dusting off here. I am feeling the same way.
I ain't anxious to work either. Oh, I'll come. I
thought you was just took on. Yeah, yeah, but change
my mind. I got enough money. Oh you sure ran
(23:26):
into the little crap game kind of ran in luck.
That's so. Yeah. I couldn't make a wrong throw cat
bobbin seven eleven, one right after the other.
Speaker 11 (23:35):
A man gets in luck, you can make a kill. Yeah,
five hundred, Yeah, yeah, I guess sit. Don't feel much
like working.
Speaker 4 (23:45):
Thought maybe i'd hit for New Mexico, maybe go as
far as California.
Speaker 11 (23:50):
I thought so myself. Yeah, okay, you want to ride
with me?
Speaker 4 (23:55):
Okay? By me? Well, I like good company myself, especially
when I got a camp out. Hey you was sleeping.
(24:28):
Hey some you won my saddle bag, Martin, I I
thought you was sleeping. Huh, don't reach for it, Martin,
I'll blow your head off. What are you getting head
up about? Man starts to go through my saddle bags
(24:48):
while I'm sleeping. Well, there's no need for that gun.
I was just looking for cigarettes. Yeah, sure, that's all.
What else you tell me?
Speaker 11 (24:59):
Oh huh suspicious? Like, ain't you call it careful?
Speaker 6 (25:05):
Yeah?
Speaker 11 (25:05):
Sure, sure you got a cigarette, some packs and saddle bags.
Speaker 4 (25:10):
Don't mind me nosing around him? Now? Now, well, I'm
looking no cigarettes wrapped up in a piece of old blanket.
Speaker 1 (25:20):
Other one.
Speaker 6 (25:22):
Is it?
Speaker 4 (25:23):
Yeah, that's it wrapped up in that What are you
going here? He is like a ton of mind. Might
be unroll the blanket, recognize that flat iron? Orwell, Harwell
got himself between me and my horse. He slapped it, fired,
(25:44):
my horse jumped forward. I rolled over and away when
Orwell fired again, and then he was gone. Wait till
morning was to give him a ticket to freedom, trail
him on foot for over an hour we played cat
and mount stillness of the country. Then I came to
(26:04):
a little arroya. Orwell you're not gonna get away, or
well come out with your hands in the air, or
well hear me, okay.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
I'm coming in after you.
Speaker 4 (26:54):
Doll's your gun out? Orwell yeah, yeah, gun flight. She's
made good targets in the dark Orwell, Oh come, you
know my name found it out still say you've never
been in Carson County.
Speaker 5 (27:11):
Oh you.
Speaker 4 (27:13):
Jase Pearson Texas Rangers.
Speaker 6 (27:16):
Three.
Speaker 4 (27:17):
Nothing you got on me? Nothing I think there is. Orwell,
you gave yourself away when you saw the flat iron.
The flat iron that killed a man, his wife, and
a little kid. Okay, we better get gone. The case
(27:42):
was closed when Orwell broke down and confessed not long
after he went to the electric chair at Huntsville.
Speaker 2 (27:57):
You have just heard an authentic reenactment to the case
from the files of them, the Texas Rangers.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
Tonight's script was written by Russell Hughes and produced by
Stacy Keach. Next week, the National Broadcasting Company will bring
you another case from the records of the oldest law
enforcement body in North America, the Texas Rangers.
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