
A Mexican knifes a fellow countryman and kidnaps a girl. An escape on a train filled with sheep leads Jace and the Rangers on a cross-country race. Jose escapes from jail and the hunt begins once again. Original Air Date: June 08,
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Hey, this is Sarah. Look, I'm standing out front of a.m. p.m. Right now and, well, you're sweet and all, but I found something more fulfilling, even kind of cheesy. But I like it. Sure, you met some of my dietary needs, but they've just got it all. So farewell. Oatmeal. So long, you strange soggy. Break up with bland breakfast and taste AM PM's bacon, egg and cheese biscuit made with ktree eggs, smoked bacon and melty cheese on a buttery biscuit. AM PM Too much Good stuff. Welcome to the Old Time Radio Westerns. I'm your host, Andrew Rines, and I'm excited to bring you another episode absolutely free. The this is one of over 80 episodes released monthly for your enjoyment. Now let's get into this episode. Tales of the Texas Rangers, starring Joel McCray as Ranger Jace Pearson. Another authentic reenactment of a case transcribed from the files of the Texas Rangers. Names, dates and places in the following story are fictitious for obvious reasons. 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So remember, every day, Monday through Friday, chase your blues away with the wonderful daytime programs on this station of the NBC Radio Network. Now here's today's tales of the Texas Rangers. And now, from the files of the Texas Rangers, the case called illegal entry. It is 10:30 on a night late in August, 1940, in the southwest Texas town of El Corso, near the border. The streets of the Mexican section are dark and quiet. A man stands smoking a cigarette in a doorway on one of the darker streets. When he hears steps approaching, he throws his cigarette away. Hey, senor. Si? I want to ask you something. Si? What is it? You know, some people named Gomez live on this street. Senor, on this street there are maybe 10 Gomez families. Which one you mean? They're supposed to live at number 624. I couldn't find the house. This is no surprise. The house numbers, they go only to 500. This can't be here. Look, it's written on this piece of paper. 624. Yes. It's too dark. I cannot see the paper. Can you see this knife? Kite? You make one move, you never move again. What do you want? Your money. Give it to me. Oliver, I got no money. Give it to me. I say I got no money. If I got money, you're not gonna get it. Oh, you Jordan. I can kill you. Give me that knife. See, I give it to you. Help. Help. Shut up. Help him. Come back here. Stop him. Stop this. He's going up the stairs. What is all. Get back in that room. Shut up, Ricely. You throw. You all alone here? Why you want. Where's door Lito? Come on, we go out. No, senor. Do you want me to use this knife on you? Come on. Wait a minute. This pocketbook on the table. You got money in there? Senor, please. Is my paper the whole way? See? See, this is better. Now we go down. Oh, no. Go on. Go down. And remember the knife and me will right behind you. Come on, Hur. Get good. Come here. Now, look, we're going out to the street. Anybody stop us? We're just out for a walk. You hear that? Now put your arm through mine. That's A knife. See? And if you tip off anybody, I push that knife right through you. Now come on. Walk this way. To the right. Where are you taking me? Shut up and walk Faster. Come on. Faster. The people searching for the fugitive became suspicious when they saw a light under Maria Santos front door and failed to receive an answer to their knocking. The sheriff was summoned. When he gained entrance to the room and saw the back door open, he phoned for assistance from the Texas Rangers. Rangers Jace Pearson and Clay Morgan were assigned. Ranger Morgan arrived first and after a preliminary investigation went out to his car to send a radio call. Can KDXA give lab crews approximate time of arrival? Lab crew will be at el Corso within two hours. 10 4, unit 22 clear. KDXA Austin. Over here, Jase. Been here long, Clay? Oh, maybe half an hour. Left the sheriff in charge upstairs. Report I got said a hold up man stabbed somebody. Yeah, and then took off. Happened about two hours ago. Fella hurt bad? Just his arm. He helped chase the thief. People around here think the man went into this building. What do you think? I know he's not here now. There's a room upstairs with a back door open. Man could have gotten in and taken the girl that lived there along with him. For protection. Sure she wasn't in on the deal. Well, I thought of that, but the fellow who was stabbed said there was only one person. The stuff from the girl's purse is dumped all over the place. She could have been robbed too. Anybody get a good look at the thief? The victim said the man was Mexican. Couldn't see his face though. Too dark. Any possibility of prints up in the girls room? Well, I found a few on her purse. Pretty blurred. They could be the girls. I called the lab anyhow. Well, looks like our best bet's to find that girl. You have a description of her? Better than that. Found a picture in a room. Yeah, one on the left is her. I'm gonna take it over to the sheriff's office now and put it on the wire. Anybody doing a house to house? Yeah, deputies are taking care of that. Well, I better get moving. You coming along? No, I reckon I'll get upstairs and have a quick look around. And I'll give those deputies a hand looking for the girl. Okay, Jason. See you as soon as I get Clay. Clay. Oh, hello, Sheriff. Oh, howdy, Jace. You're just in time. All right. What's up? My deputy called. They've located Maria Santos. You all right? I don't know. My men found her in a boxcar down at the Freight yards. When we arrived at the freight depot, we saw attendance carrying Maria Santos on a stretcher toward an ambulance. She'd been badly beaten, but she was still conscious. We decided that since she was the only person who had seen the man we were after, it was necessary to get a statement from her immediately. I got the doctor's permission to question Maria on the way to the hospital. As soon as she was settled in the ambulance, I climbed in. He could still be around the yard somewhere. Clay. Sheriff and I'll go over the place with a fine tooth comb. See you later, Jace. I'm Ranger Pearson, Ms. Santos. Oh. Do you find him yet? No. That's why I'd like to ask you a few questions. Will it hurt you too much to talk? I can talk, senor. It's only that. Oh, my side. Did he stab you? But when we walked to the freight yards, he held a knife in my sight. He kept sticking me. You get a good look at his face? The face I will never forget. Have you ever seen him before? No, senor. I don't think he's from El Corso. Maybe. Maybe he from Mexico. Can you give me an idea what he looked like? Something that'll help us identify him. Well, he had two scars. What kind of scars? One under his eye, a little one, and a bigger scar. The corner of his mouth. Make him look like he's always smiling. But this man, he's not the kind who smiles. Did he take you directly from your room to the freight yards? He made me walk through the streets with him. Sometimes we pass people and I want to yell. But he had the knife and my sighting kept sticking. What happened when you got the freight yards? Well, we walk and we keep on walking. I was tired, but he wouldn't let me stop. Then I hear the jeep cry, the sheep you see on the freight train. The train began to move and all of a sudden this man, he get excited. He make me run over to a boxcar that stand by itself. Was that when he hit you? I think so. It's hard to remember now. Did you see where he ran after he hit you? No, senor. The last thing I remember, I see his face, his mouth that looked like he was smiling. Then you don't have any idea if he ran toward that moving train? No, senor. This money. You think maybe he get away on the train? That's hard to say, Ms. Santos. We're gonna do our best to find out. As soon as we reached the hospital, I got a ride back to the freight yards. Our man had not been found. I figured it was more than an even chance he had escaped on the freight train Maria described. I checked with a train master. He informed me that a train carrying sheep had left several hours before. It was a slow freight, due in Lubbock at noon the next day. I picked up Clay and we headed north on the highway, which paralleled the railroad tracks. Ought to be catching up with the train pretty soon. Jason, what do you figure on doing when we come alongside? Not much we can do till it's light. I was thinking about that. If we try to stop the train now, he might get away in the dark. But it won't be light for over an hour. Yeah. No. Hey. Bet that's it up ahead. Aren't those caboose lights? Looks like them. She's not moving very fast. Gives you a funny feeling knowing our man might be riding that baby. Wish we could be sure, though. I got a hunch he had a train getaway in mind when he took the girl down to freight yards in El Corso. What are we gonna do? Drive alongside the train till daylight? That's too risky. If he is aboard and happens to spot us, he'll get suspicious and skip. Be better if we stop someplace up ahead and wait for him. Got any ideas? Not yet. Get the map out of the glove compartment, will you, Clay? Yeah. What do you want? No. See if you can locate the next station the trains do to pass through. Let's see. Yeah. Nearest town from here would be hamlet, about 12 miles up ahead. Twelve miles? That won't give us too much time. Anything north of that? Not for 40 miles. Then it'll have to be Hamlet. What do you have in mind? Need some advice about the best place to have the train stopped. Gotta get word to the engineer, warn him what's gonna happen. Unit 10 to KTXA. KTXA to unit 10. Go ahead, unit 10. This unit now alongside northbound freight train number 24 positioned 12 miles south of Hamlet. Believe man who committed El Corso holdup aboard train. Can KTXA relay message immediately to railroad operations chief. Can do. What is the message? Unit 10, in order to make search of train as early as possible after daylight, this unit requests that engineers stop train at some suitable point north of Hamlet, Texas. Suggest unpopulated open area to be selected to reduce chance of fugitives escape. 10 4. This unit will check with Hamlet station master to learn if message was received in time for him to deliver it to train. 10 4. Unit 10 clear. 80 ex. Now there's the engine. Jace sure is A straining up that hill. Yeah. Let's hope it keeps on moving. Slow. Lot of things have to happen before that train passes through Hamlet. The door must be around the other side. Yeah. Sounds like the station master's doing some typing. Could be the message for that freight. If he doesn't type any faster than that, the train will be in Lubbock before he finishes. Howdy, gents. Hey, you must be them rangers want to have 24 stop. That's right. Just got the message in on the ticker here. Typing it up now. And don't let us disturb you. Oh, you ain't disturbing me. Not a bit. Long as I've been here, I learned how to type pretty good and talk same time. Gonna have the engineers top 24 up at twin Forks Junction, if that's all right with you fellas. How far is that from here? Eighteen and a half miles. Ought it'll be good in light time she gets there. Pretty flat country. Oh, flat and palm of your hand, you can see 2, 3 miles both sides of the track. That's fine. Isn't that the train? Yep. Yep, that's her. Right on time, too. Well, you sure you're gonna finish that message before it gets here? Why sure. She's got a good quarter mile yet. Here we are. Now, just get me a couple of water hoops my landed. I'll be ready. Can we help you? Nope, I got him right over here. Yep. They understand there's some kind of criminal on that train? We think so. I don't want to rush you, but that train sounds pretty close. Now, don't you worry, Ranger. She's only down by the first switch. Got plenty of time. Old Steve Dillon and his conductor will have their arms through those hoops. Just when they're supposed to say, you rangers want to come out on the platform with me? We'll come along, but we'll have to stay out of sight in case our man happens to be watching. Sure. You can stand right behind these posts here. Thanks. Can't nobody see from the train behind these here posts. Be back in a minute or two, Rangers. By the way he was moving, I was sure he wouldn't make it. Reckon when you've been at this as long as he has, you get pretty good at timing. Howdy, Steve. Engineer got the one hoop? Yeah. Keep your eyes open, Clay. Maybe we'll spot somebody aboard. Not if he'll poke his nose out now. Probably sleeping. Maybe so. Mostly sheep cars. Not likely he's in one of those. It's hard to say. There's enough others for him to hide in. Grab her, John. Well, well, he got the message. Rangers reckon the rest is up to you. Thanks. Come on, Clay. Let's go meet a train. In just a moment, we will continue with Tales of the Texas Rangers, starring Joel McCray as Ranger Jace Pearson. Too fast, Trevor. Too fast. Here at the Zebra, research shows people would rather teach their kids to drive than search for auto and home insurance. I know what I'm doing, Mom. Or attend a corporate team building workshop. Go team. Feel that synergy. Or be regaled by Uncle Frank's conspiracy theories. They're listening to us right now. That's why the Zebra searches for you comparing over 100 insurance companies to find savings no one else can Compare. Today@thezebra.com we do the searching. You do the savings. Weight loss solutions are not one size fits all. Hers makes it simpler to get started and stick with a weight loss plan backed by expert guided online care that puts your weight loss goals first. 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On the way we radioed headquarters and asked for some officers from the nearest town to assist us. Four of them were waiting when we arrived just past daybreak at the junction. As I gave the men last minute instructions, the train was visible in the distance. We don't have much time, men, so we better get moving. Constable, you take a man head down the track, work from the caboose forward. As soon as the train stops, you other two men cross the track. When the train stops, split up and work from the middle toward both ends. If you spot him, sing out. Reckon we better get the rifles chased just in case he makes a break across that flatland. Yeah. Sure hope he hasn't jumped off somewhere along the line. If he got on, I don't think he jumped. He doesn't know we're on his trail. I guess you're right. It's that he'd be anxious to get as far as he could from El Corso. Here she comes. He better get over and signal the engineer exactly where we want him to stop. Seems like he's going pretty fast. Reckon that old station master got the message mixed up? I don't think so. He's starting to slow down now. Yeah? Yeah. Let's go. Want to try this box car first, huh? Not in here. Next one's a sheep car. Probably won't find him in there. We'll just check to make sure if he plays, huh? That gondola car down there. Yeah. Somebody poked his head over the side just for a second. Come on. We know you're in there. Come on out. Sure you saw. Hold this rifle. I'm going up and get him. Right. I'll keep you covered, Jace. Now watch yourself. Okay, you. Come on. Get up and get out of that corner. I said come on. That night Let me go. Let me go Said drop that knife. That's better. Now I'll take it. My shoulder. Come on, get out of this car. Move. Okay, up over the side. All right. You all right? Yeah. What you want from me? I didn't do nothing. Yeah, Looks like the boy we want. Jason. Those two scars on his face. Check with the description. Tell the engineer to go ahead, play. Sure. Okay. We've got him. What's your name? I didn't do nothing. What you want me for? What's your name? Jose Lagura. You're under arrest, Jose. Okay. Robbery, assault and kidnapping. Come on. I don't go. No. Grab him, J. Grab him. You don't get me. Put the cuffs on him, Clay. You got the wrong van, senor. I didn't do nothing. Maybe not a couple of people saw you last night. Could be you'll change your tune when they see you again. Come on. We took our prisoner back to El Corso and delivered him to the sheriff. For two hours, Jose denied all charges against him. At noon, the sheriff had him taken back to his cell. We phoned the hospital and learned that Maria Santos and Felipe Rivera, the man who had been stabbed, were both well enough to come down and make an identification. I picked up the two witnesses and at one o' clock we walked along the courthouse corridor. Senor, you're sure when I see this man, he will not hurt me? Not much chance of that, miss. Scares me. Just to remember him is enough to make my backbone cold. I'd like to have him alone for five minutes. Only five minutes? He is a bad one, this man. Yeah. Just go right in. Well, that's what we wanted to know. You have a record of the girl's name? Yeah, I'll hold on. Getting some interesting dope on our boy Jays. Good. You remember Ms. Santos and Mr. Rivera? Sure. Both of you feeling better today? Oh, si, senor. Much better. The sheriff? In the next room. I'm doing some paperwork. You folks make yourselves comfortable. I'll be right back. I got the witnesses outside, Sheriff. Fine. Chase. I'll phone upstairs. Have my deputy bring Jose down. I'll be in there as soon as I finish his report. Take your time. So long. Give me a second, Jase, huh? Seems Jose is quite a record here and in Mexico. What's he been up for here? Petty theft. He moved around a labor contract about 15 months ago. Got a 60 day sentence after he'd been here a month. He's deported as soon as he was released from jail. How about in Mexico? He wanted there for armed robbery. Could be why he didn't head back over the border after last night. There might be another reason. What's that? Girl by the name of Lupi Alvarez. How does she fit in? Jose used to go with her. At his trial, he told the judge he stole the money so he could marry her. Howdy, folks. Reckon you can identify the man who roughed you up last night? I Know see him, senor. But if I hear his voice, I will know his face. Hard to forgive. Yeah. I should have been down here by now. I better go see what's holding up the works. Remember now, when he comes in, you don't have to say anything till he's out of the room again. Just take a good look at him. You will ask him to talk, senor? Sure. We'll have him talk. I'm still afraid, senor. Now you don't have to worry about a thing, Ms. Santos. What's that? Sounds like the sheriff's calling us. Come on. Yeah. Please. Please. Where are you, Sheriff? Up here on the stairs. Right up here. Holy. It's a deputy. What happened, Sheriff? He's been slugged and his gun's gone. Jose's gotten away. We sent out an all points bulletin on Jose. Then we started combing the town for him. He had disappeared without leaving a trace. We decided that Lupi Alvarez, the girl whose name appeared on Jose's record, might possibly give us a lead. Following day, we checked her home in Laredo. An aunt told us that Lupi and her family were in North Texas picking cotton. Could be found on a farm outside Middle River. On the afternoon of the next day, we arrived at the farm. Lupi was out in the fields. But the foreman pointed out her mother lugging a sack of cotton toward the scales. See, I am Rosalvares. You excuse. I'm so out of breath, but it's hard work to carry the cotton. We'd like to talk to you about your daughter, Mrs. Alvarez. Lupe. Lupe's done nothing, senores. We know that. We're trying to find a friend of hers, Jose Lagura. Oh, this one, he is no friend of Lupe. Didn't she used to go with him? No, senor. Oh, once Lupe, she go out with Jose. Oh, she do not like him. Jose, he's crazy for her. He run after her. He make Lupe afraid. He's a bad one, this Jose. Has Lupi heard from him recently? No, senor. Lupe, she does not even know he's back from Mexico. How'd you know he was back? Why should I not know, senor? He was here only a few hours ago. What? See, when I bring the load of cotton before this one Jose, he stand by the scale. He look like crazy man. He see me. He asks me where Lupe is. You tell him. Me tell Jose where Lupe is? No, senor. I lied to him. I say Lupe is in town today. Do you know where Jose Went see first. He tried to borrow money from me. When I say no, he go to Juan, the boy who drive one of the trucks to the car engine. He asked Juan for a ride into town. Did he take him? See Juan, he does not like Jose, but he's a nice boy. He take Jose with him. Juan come back yet? No, senor. Many trucks come to the garden gin. Sometimes Juan have to wait six to eight hours. Maybe he's still there. Thanks. Please, seniors, if you find Jose, you will not tell him where Lupe is. He will make trouble for her. Don't worry, senora. If we find Jose, we're going to see he doesn't make trouble for anybody. Not for a long while. We went to the cotton gin and found Juan, the boy who had driven Jose into town. His truck was in the middle of a line of trucks which moved slowly toward the gin. Juan told us Jose had borrowed $3 from him and gone on into town to get something to eat. He'd asked Juan to wait at the gin, saying he wanted a ride with him back to the farm. We decided our best chance for picking up Jose was to watch Juan's truck. We stood behind an empty wagon near the gin and waited. I don't know, Jace. It's been over an hour. Maybe we'd have done better to cover the town instead of waiting for him here. Maybe. And I think he'll head back here. He wanted to get out to the farm, make another try to see Lupy. He could have walked. Not likely. He did six miles out there. He knows he's got a sure ride here with Juan. All the same, I'd feel better if I knew exactly where he was. Don't forget he's got that deputy's gun and he walking toward the truck. Yeah, look at the way he's staggering. Hey, since he didn't use that $3 for food. Let's go, Ma. You go have a drink with me, huh? You know, do you work all the time? What's the matter? You work all the time? Juan, huh? Forget about Juan. You can talk to us now. What? No, no, no. Stand still. Jose get the gun fight. Yeah, I got it. How you find it? The dirty one, he tell you, huh? Come on, Jose. Popular boy back in El Corso. We want to get you there fast. No, I don't go. Let's get moving. I don't go to El Corso. Only be for a little while. Jose and I think the state will give you a more permanent home. In just a moment, we will tell you the results of the case you have just heard. Later today, friends, you're invited to hear the sparkling premier performance of a new radio series, Best Plays. Best Plays will present a series of one hour adaptations of many of the nation's great stage shows. Today you will hear Maxwell Anderson's Winter Set, co starring Burgess Meredith and Maureen Stapleton. Then later, be sure to hear Meredith Wilson's Music Room. Meredith will bring you the finest in recorded music as well as interviews with some of the music world's greatest artists. Yes, Meredith Wilson's Music Room is another new addition to your Sunday lineup of great radio listening on the NBC Radio Network. And tomorrow you'll hear more top musical entertainment on NBC. Monday's musical offerings this week include Eleanor Steber on the Voice of Firestone, Dorothy Warren shold and Gordon MacRae on the railroad Hour and Michael Rabin on the Telephone Hour. So make your Monday evening listening a relaxing pleasure by tuning to all these wonderful musical shows. Now here is the conclusion of tonight's Tales of the Texas Rangers. And now here are the results of the case you have just heard. Jose Lagura was tried and convicted on counts of armed robbery, felonious assault and kidnapping. He was sentenced to 23 years in the state prison at Richmond, Texas. The Mexican government requested that upon his release he be sent to Mexico to serve sentence for crimes committed in that country. Next week, Joel McRae in another authentic reenactment of a case from the files of the Texas Rangers. Joel McCray is currently seen starring in San Francisco Story, a Warner Brothers release. In the cast you heard Herb Ellis as Ranger Clay Morgan. The role of Jose Lagura was portrayed by Tony Barrett and Lillian Viek was Maria Santos. Jeanette Nolan was heard as Rosa Alvarez, Hal March played the role of the sheriff and the station master was Jan Arvin. Technical advisor was Captain MT Lone Wolf Gonzalez of the Texas Rangers. This story was transcribed and adapted by Charles E. Israel and the program was produced and directed by Stacy Keats. Hal Gibney speaking Tonight, the Chase brings you more adventure on NBC. This has been a presentation of OTRWesterns.com and we hope you enjoyed. Please take some time to like and rate this episode within your favorite podcast application. Follow us on Facebook by going to otrwesterns.com Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube channel by going to otrwesterns.Com YouTube become one of our ranch hands and unlock some exclusive content. We want to thank our most recent ranch hands, Steve and Ron W. Who joined us recently. You too can join by going to otrwesterns.com donate send us an email podcasttrwesterns.com and you can call and leave us a voicemail. 707-986-8739 this episode is copyrighted under the Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Copyright. For more information go to otrwesterns.com copyright have a great day and thanks for listening. Sam.
Podcast: Old Time Radio Westerns
Host: Andrew Rhynes
Episode Title: Illegal Entry – Tales of the Texas Rangers
Original Air Date: June 8, 1952
Podcast Release Date: September 24, 2025
Featured Actors: Joel McCray (Ranger Jace Pearson), Herb Ellis (Ranger Clay Morgan)
In this episode, host Andrew Rhynes presents a restored broadcast of Tales of the Texas Rangers, transporting listeners to the rugged Texas-Mexico border in 1940. The case, "Illegal Entry," dramatizes Ranger Jace Pearson’s pursuit of a violent fugitive who commits multiple crimes while fleeing from justice. The story highlights the grit of law enforcement, the vulnerability of border-town residents, and the suspenseful methods used by the Rangers to track down a dangerous criminal across towns, trains, and cotton fields.
[08:04–14:22]
[14:54–22:41]
[22:41–29:40]
[31:30–37:39]
[38:00–46:31]
[46:32–49:13]
[49:14–50:22]
| Timestamp | Segment | Notes | |------------|----------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------| | 08:04 | Crime in El Corso | Robbery, stabbing, kidnapping commence | | 14:54 | Rangers Join the Case | Maria found, investigation intensifies | | 20:05 | Maria Describes Attacker | Distinguishing scars revealed | | 24:40 | Chasing Train, Hamlet Station Plan | Coordination for sting operation | | 29:27 | Capture of Jose on Train | Dramatic confrontation and arrest | | 36:32 | Jose Escapes Custody | Deputy assaulted, gun stolen | | 43:18 | Rosa Alvarez Interview | Jose’s desperation and search for Lupi revealed | | 48:49 | Final Capture at Cotton Gin | Jose apprehended, drunken and defiant | | 49:14 | Case Resolution | Legal fate and extradition |
The original script combines taut, suspenseful dialogue with period-authentic accents, folksy humor (especially in the railroad scenes), and an undercurrent of tension from both the location and the era. Characters express fear, grit, and determination; the Rangers are steady, calm, and deeply methodical.
Illegal Entry showcases the dramatic chase and eventual capture of a dangerous fugitive across the wide Texas landscape. The episode is driven by sharp procedural work, vivid frontier settings, and deep empathy for the victims. The enhanced audio and meticulous restoration by Old Time Radio Westerns let today’s listeners relive the anxiety, suspense, and ultimate triumph of justice in classic Western radio storytelling.