Original subtitles

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[Narrator] Whenever the laws of any state are broken,

a duly authorized organization swings into action.

It may be called the state police, state troopers,

militia, the rangers, or the highway patrol.

These are the stories of the men whose training, skill, and courage

have enforced and preserved our state laws.

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? ... [Narrator] Knowing the criminal's motive frequently aids the law enforcement agency.

On November 27th, an emotional crisis caused

Helen Barton to commit the most difficult crime of all to solve,

the crime without a motive.

Joe, listen. I'm not going back. I've had all of your mother I can take.

You know how she is. Give her a little more time.

Helen, we've been married a year and she treats melike a servant and you like a child.

Well, she can run your life if you want her to, but she's not running mine.

That's her way. Take your choice, either her or me.

Joe, please. I just can't pick up and leave her. Then go back to her.

Hello? Oh, Irene.

Is Helen there?

Is she all right? She's not here.

I don't know. You didn't upset her, did you?

I told **** I love her. I love her too.

She's your daughter, but she happens to be my wife.

It's my right to take care of her the way I see fit,

in my own house and on my own farm.

That's what you want. We'll see what Helen has to say about it.

[siren]

**** case, we've got enough evidence to move in, so you take it from there. If you want me, I'll be at DMV.

[phone rings] Yes. Hit and run?

I got it.

Did you say hit and run? Highway 12, into Canyon Bridge.

When? About 20 minutes ago. Beat cars are on the way.

Tell them to disregard.

Dorsey, get everything I need in the car.

Scrapers, tweezers, camera, film, plaster the works. Don't miss a thing. Come on, hurry it up.

Anybody see the accident?

Man by the name of Dilling is at the scene, but he didn't see the car.

Well, that figures. Hurry it up, Dorsey, will ya?

I've got it all.

All right, let's go.

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Helen?

Helen.

What happened?

Joe?

I ran over a man. Where?

At the bridge. He's still there.

But you stopped, didn't you? No.

I mean, yes.

Oh, I don't know. I left him.

Why? I didn't know what I was doing.

I was thinking about Joe when it happened. I don't know how.

Joe wasn't coming back. He talked about a divorce.

I was losing him and I couldn't stand it.

I've got to get him back.

You've got to help me, Mama. Help me.

Ooo, my head is bursting. [crying]

There, there, dear. Now, I want you to lie down, Helen. Rest.

Ted, get me the bromide from the medicine chest.

I'll take care of everything, darling.

Don't you think we should call the police?

Get me the bromide, Ted.

Now don't you... [crying] My hand. I want to wash it.

Yes, darling, I'll do everything for you. You know that.

Sure sorry I didn't see nothin'.

That's too bad.

What are you lookin' for?

Blood on the wood means blood on the car.

If it's the same type **** if we can find the car.

Dorsey, let me have another envelope, will ya? Coming up.

You find something?

Yeah, it looks like dirt.

Fender dirt. From the underside of the fender when it hit.

What's that for?

You see, Mr. Dilling,

analyzing the fender dirt, we can tell where the car came from.

Different parts of the country, different dirt.

Well, what do you know about that?

All right, seal these. We'll initial them for identification. Pick up all the broken glass around, will you?

Right, I just finished pulling the plaster from the tire print. It's the only print, it may be the hit and run.

Okay

Mr. Dilling? Yes, sir? What do you...

How did you find the body?

Well, I was going over to the store and I saw him layin' there.

And you've been here ever since?

Yes, sir, except when I phoned the police.

Has there been anybody here besides the ambulance crew?

I don't think so. At least no cars stopped.

Now, Mr. Dilling, I want you to think. Think good.

Did you see a woman around here?

No woman, no, sir. I'd remember that.

Have you got a lead?

I don't know. While I was workin', I noticed a shoe print over there.

Could be a woman's. Make an impression of it, will you?

2150 to headquarters.

Go ahead 2150.

Additional information on a hit and run vehicle.

Car may have damaged left front fender. 10-4?

I'll explain everything later, Joe. Just listen.

I'm sending Helen to you.

She'll drive the station wagon.

Now, if anybody asks you, Helen came in the station wagon this morning.

I came in the coupe. I left in the coupe. You understand?

All right.

Did you put the coupe in the garage?

Station wagon's out. Helen and I don't like...

I'll take care of everything, Ted.

Darling, you're going back to Joe's.

I'll report the accident.

I'll notify the insurance company. I'll take care of everything.

Now, come on, dear. Joe's waiting for you.

Ted, get the insurance company on the telephone.

I'll talk to them.

I should have called the police. I'm going to do it right now, dear. Go ahead.

Everything's going to be all right. Take the back road. There's less traffic.

All right.

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Irene, you can't tell the insurance company you did it.

Do you want to kill Helen?

You know what she's been through with Joe.

She couldn't face the police now. She'd really have a nervous breakdown.

Is that what you want?

No, no, not while I'm here to take care of her.

Irene, the law.

Helen is no criminal. It was an accident,

and it can't be helped now.

The only thing the law wants is to protect the man, and it's no difference to the police if I take the blame.

Besides, who's going to know?

Oh, hello, Mr. Brewster?

Mrs. Tewell.

Over a million cars in the state, 250,000 in the county, and half of them driven by women. Any one of them could have done it.

That's not counting out-of-state cars. [phone ringing]

Matthews. Oh, hello, Wilson. The man talk yet?

Well shoot everything down here, will ya? All right, thanks.

Critical?

We'll know in a little while.

They type his blood?

What's left of it, O positive.

That was the same as you brought back on that piece of telegraph pole.

It'll be on the car, too.

If we find the car.

Got a lead on that headlight glass.

Dealer in town says they haven't used that kind of glass in the last eight years.

Say what make the car was? Couldn't say.

Well, we got something anyway.

Put it in the APB. Make sure the wreakers and the auto repair shops get this one.

Right.

Al, what about the fender dirt? I'm working on it. [phone rings]

Matthews.

Okay, bring him in.

Hey, Dan. What?

Take a look. What is it?

What do you think?

Looks like dirt and...

it's a grain. Corn.

Chicken feed? Chicken farm?

It's possible.

Things are starting to add up.

It's a lightweight car.

Why?

Take a look at these tire impressions. That's the shoe print.

This is the suspected vehicle. It's about a four inch tread.

That's a patrol car tire?

Yeah, it's about a five inch tread and it sank a good two inches deeper.

Same dirt 40 minutes later.

Narrower a tread means a lighter car. Not sinking so deep means the same.

Add it to the APB. Also, add the possibility of half ton pickup used on a farm.

Dan, do you see this smear?

What is it, blood? Paint. Gray paint.

Not a factory job. [2 men talking at the same time]

Yeah, well, that's all we have now.

All right, I'll call you back when we get some more information. Right.

Well, let's see. What have we got so far?

Old car, lightweight, half ton pickup,

Left front fender and headlight damage.

That's enough to put out on the radio and let the people help us.

I'll get it out.

Oh, put it on just before the weather report.

Farmers will know what their neighbors are driving. Okay.

Yeah?

There's a lady out here who says we're looking for her. On the hit and run.

Oh, you don't say.

Well, send her in.

Tell Dorsey to hold the broadcast.

I'd like to break a case the easy way for a change.

Now she'll either fit the picture or she won't.

That's Mr. Matthews.

I'm Mrs. Irene Tewell. I ran over a man with my car near Canyon Bridge,

and I came here to tell you that I did it. It was an accident.

Did you get here in the car that hit the man?

Yes, the ... nine years ago.

What color is it? Gray, light gray.

Do you work?

Oh, I own the Tewell Chicken Farm on Highway 12.

Won't you sit down?

Thank you.

What did you do after you hit him?

I got panicky, but I stopped.

Uh, then I drove home.

And finally, after I got a hold of myself, I knew I'd done the wrong thing.

I came here.

When you got home, did you change your clothes?

No.

Your coat? No, why?

Your shoes?

No.

What's the matter?

Would you mind giving Officer Dorsey your left shoe?

Mrs. Tewell, what ... ?

[Narrator] ... to her husband was being dogged by a heavy weight of guilty conscience,

slowing down her car,

plunging her deeper and deeper into emotional inbalance

So far you haven't been able to remember a thing about the accident

except you hit a man near Canyon Bridge. Is that your story?

I just don't remember exactly how it happened.

But you remember that neither your husband or your daughter were with you. Is that right?

Yes.

All right.

Hold her.

I'm going to see what kind of a story your husband has to tell.

And your daughter.

And you say you weren't with your wife. No, I wasn't. I was right here, home.

What did she tell you about the accident?

Just that she'd hit a man.

Where's your daughter?

She's still with her husband.

Where was your wife coming from at the time of the accident?

From Joe's. Joe Barton, my son-in-law.

And you'll swear that your daughter wasn't with your wife?

Why do you want me to swear for her?

What do you want anyway? It was only an accident.

No, it was a felony.

Punishable by a prison term.

It's a felony for a driver to leave the scene of an accident.

A felony? You wouldn't want to compound a felony, would you?

[sigh] I told Irene not to do it. To do what?

Take the blame for Helen.

It was Helen who was driving back from her husband's.

All right. Where's your daughter?

Irene sent her back to her husband to cover up for her.

And where does he live?

You don't understand. She was over... [harsh] Where does he live?

In Hilton.

[dejected] 12753 Pine Street.

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[sound of car fades out, and bird song is heard]

[bird song and chickens clucking]

Mama? Helen!

What are you doing here?

I went as far as I could, but I began to be afraid.

The car kept slowing down and stopping.

I began to feel so tired as if I were running.

We're in trouble now. Where's Mama?

She went to the police. I shouldn't have run away.

It was Mama who told you to. I don't mean to Joe's.

I mean from the accident. It wasn't your fault.

You were upset about Joe.

I got out of the car and I saw him on the ground.

I wanted to go to him, but...

he was all twisted up and broken.

I got frightened.

It was my fault, Papa.

I didn't watch the road. I was on the wrong side and then he moved.

Helen, please. Please. I can't leave him lying there like that.

I've got to go to him. No. Wait. I'll get you another sedative.

Helen!

[chicken sounds]

I tell you she isn't here.

I've taken all the conniving I'm going to take on this case.

Your wife is guilty of a hit and run felony and you're just as guilty by hiding her.

I tell you it was her mother who did it.

I just left the Tewell farm. Her father told me the truth. Now where is she?

Oh.

I don't get it. For law abiding... concealing acriminal.

What, have you gone temporarily insane or what?

I guess we have. It's all that mother of hers.

You're over 21. Where is she?

Helen was supposed to come here, but she hasn't gotten here.

That's the truth, Mr. Matthews.

We'll pick her up. [phone rings]

Hello?

Ted, where's Helen? She never got here. The police...

What?

It's my father-in-law. He said Helen came back home.

Let me have it.

This is Matthews.

What?

I was telling Joe. She's out of her mind.

She went back to where she hit that man. Thanks.

This your wife?

Yes.

Pretty girl.

She's on her way to the bridge on Highway 12.

Hello, this is Dan Matthews.

Send any available units

to Highway 12 and Canyon Bridge.

Pick up suspect. Her name is Helen Barton.

She's a brunette.

Oh, I'd say about 30.

Be careful. She's emotionally upset.

I'll meet you there. Right.

Oh! [sniffs]

I didn't mean to leave you lying here. I shouldn't have run away.

You're the one that done it.

No, it was an accident.

It was murder.

Murder? [gasping]

[siren]

Mister! I was standing over there,

and I saw that woman drive up in a station wagon.

She said it was an accident.

Helen!

Leave me alone, Joe.

Helen, please.

I killed him, Joe.

It was an accident.

Leave me alone, Joe.

It was an accident.

No, it was murder.

I shouldn't have run away.

I'm always running away.

I'm not, gonna run away anymore.

You don't seem to be doin' much good.

Give her a chance to calm down. Let me try.

How's the guy she hit? A little luck he might make it.

All right.

Helen.

... come near me. Who are you?

That's unimportant.

I just want to tell you, the man you hit isn't dead.

He's hurt. He's very badly hurt.

I saw him lyin' there.

He isn't dead. [traffic is very loud ...]

I know that you didn't do this deliberately.

Of course not. I wouldn't kill anybody. [ending last syllable with a squeak]

Then why are you doing this? [panting]

No, it isn't.

belongs to your mother and your father and your husband.

Remember, God giveth.

And God taketh away.

[panting]

[loud road noise]

All because she wouldn't stop.

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See the Highway Patrol in action again next week.

Until then, remember,

leave blood at the Red Cross, not on the highway.

This is Broderick Crawford saying, see you next week.

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