Original subtitles

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when I married Aaron Walston we moved

out to his tobacco farm it was about 10

Mi outside of Taro and I have to say the

isolation of that little farm was

something I had not known

before by the time I was 20 our baby

Patti aelle was two and we worked hard

getting that crop out every

year I didn't think much about whether

there would be anything else for me but

then the summer of 1937 changed my life

forever at that time I didn't understand

all the things that happened but I knew

they were

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irrevocable

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when my grandmother Jo georgana

died I was as lonely as I ever had been

in my

life georgana had raised me ever since

my mother

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died

sorry about your

grandmother thank

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you are you going to stay at our

house now I'm scared to stay there by

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myself well what about living at your

daddy's his wife Ruth is my mother's

younger sister I

know well I feel kind of funny about

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that

what are you doing this baby asleep yeah

baby's

asleep one or two last night we just

shrug me off I had to get up to crack a

dawn

Aon sometimes I think you're just doing

this cuz can't think of anything better

to

do

daddy hired boys from all over Easter

North Carolina to work at the funeral

home when his friends couldn't think of

what to do with their boys they sent him

to Mr will for a

job you say boys one will

oh

man I got that Clark Gable picture at

the

theater or you don't wear no

undershirt you won't see that one do you

will how do you expect me to keep the

theater

running

Here Comes F looking for a job we what

want

B I got too many boyss in now struther

don't matter they know you all of EAS of

North Carolina for having a soft

heart I don't have any work and a room

upstairs Plum

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full

he ain't from T County I bet she's a

walk away from CCC

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camp I'm looking for Mr

will ask

inside I don't work

here thank

you

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what are you

doing just waiting here like you told

me

Aaron your folks are

here hello Mr tat hi there Roxy Aon

we're going to ride over over to Eureka

see Aunt Sally thought some of you all

might want to ride by Tor with us I

believe I'll just stay here I got my new

seedlings just getting started yall come

in Roxy W you and baby go on in maybe

we'll do

that there there's your grandpa over

there there's your

grandma

yeah baby you look like a cat under a

[Laughter]

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collard

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I well look who's

here we're just waiting for your Daddy

come here baby come here we're just

waiting for your daddy went there was a

wreck out at the crossroads last night

and he had to stop by I have something

important to tell you come on it's

important come

home I grew up playing in the backyard

there so what happened to the coffin for

the Mr mie doll we haven't played in

those coffin since raer tried to sail

off the top he did Daddy's going to have

him hauled away I had copied the design

for my Playhouse out of my Weekly Reader

and then buil it out of old

coffins the main thing my friends at

school wanted to know was had I ever

seen anybody

dead

right Callie and me finally saw a dead

person we heard at school that this man

had got burned up that they had him down

here we pushed the door open real fast

there was this little thing lying up on

the table like a long out of fireplace

we went flying up to the front of the

house and then we saw somebody sitting

on the stairs watching us he wasn't like

the other Funeral Home boys he said you

must be Mr Wheels girl I told him I was

as little as girl Roxy is as big as girl

he said if she's new prettier than you

she must be real

pretty I couldn't believe I was standing

there talking to a grown man like

that who you got in there will old fate

Renfro you remember him poor old fell he

got hit broadside with a freight train

over here at the golden weed tear him up

much oh yeah he looks bad I worked on

him near all night that boy Jack came in

and helped me he's good with his hands

you know he's cool about it too he was

eating a bit of Honey bar 10 minutes

after we

quit you going to keep it oh I can't I I

can't

rather it'd be a natural you know real

natural but you know I got too many boys

working here now

ja's right smart fell he he reminds me

of somebody but I can't think

who what the hell just ran for giv you

goodbye what's he doing sneaking up on

me like C what's he doing over there oh

you Shaggy headed Rascal go did you

think you get B him G down there at the

hotel that boy Roxy I believe you could

use dose Mr Apple White scap youan you

always look like you'd be afraid to say

boo to a

goose two weeks later in the middle of

March the old hear pulled up our

drive at first I thought it was Daddy

coming to see

me but it was Jack

Ruffin I'm Jack Ruffin

hey want to draw what do you

want I'm sorry I thought you knew I was

coming out

all I know is just somebody I never seen

before in my

life well miss walon if your husband

didn't tell you I guess I

will come to help

out your daddy run the funeral

home Mr will

Stanton he's the one who sent me over

here

that was neb just dropped me

off Mr will said you might be able to

use some help out here that's right I

sure could come

on

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I had seen Jack Ruffin

before he was with

georgana in a

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dream

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Roxy I'm driving Jack back to town the

up will'll be ready soon I'll be back

soon

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well dinner's not fit get to eat now

don't worry about it got me a hot dog in

town Jack Ruffin's coming out next

Saturday why don't you kick us up at

chicken stew chicken stew when did you

get to know this Jack ruffing so good

fixing well we're going to check on it

Saturday and he's bring this guitar out

we're going to pick a few

songs well you hardly ever see a

saw I didn't know you knew him well I

didn't know him before this

morning gave me this mandolin

string had it right there in his

suitcase he just gave it to

me

the wind was blowing hard the night Jack

came for dinner and I couldn't help

thinking about georgana

superstitions you know every time

something bad's happened to me in my

life it's happened to me in the month of

March it's like a big black cloud that

just hangs

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there there's something in the

Wind

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Aaron hey hey how are you feel

good

so how you like North

Carolina I like

it well how many boys does Mr will have

over there now too

many must put stuff in

that excuse me watch your fingers

excuse

me what's your baby's name it's Patty

Estelle but everybody just calls her

baby except Aron's mother Estelle she

calls her Estelle like every syllable is

just nailed

down excuse

me

this is good this is real

good here here have some

more got

L hey

ja he can you uh plan on coming out

tonight yeah I just got me some new

strings this morning listen neb wanted

to come out if that's

okay well

uh I don't want to turn into a get

together okay I'll see you

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tonight

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n

no I can't talk to you about this stuff

you're a married man with a family to

boot besides you don't want to hear

about my date with AA I got news for you

jack me and AA Chisum went study in e8th

grade is that so yeah it is in fact I'll

never forget one Saturday afternoon a

and I were over at her sister's

house I was sitting on the couch

Ava had her head in my lap all of a

sudden she shifts around she says Aaron

your belt buckle hitting me in the head

I said AA I'm not wearing a bell her

sister looked at me real embarrassed I

don't think AA knew what was going

[Laughter]

on so where' you say your parents

are my parents are dead I'm sorry it's

all right of a long time ago well I made

you all pecan

pie it we'll be up there in a

minute come on

baby let's go

yeah

hello hello Jack um eron's not here

right

now

ready

hey Aon some weather

huh

yep how this going to be

conceed this is perfect that's what this

is it's perfect

conceivable you know how muddy the roads

will be I don't know why you don't just

stay out

here you just make yourself a bed in the

spare

room

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I guess it would be a lot easier if I

was just staying out here I why don't

you bring your clothes and things on out

you know I use the hell I know you could

tell neb to bring my things out now and

just not go back soon as it quits

raining we have plenty to do

then Roxy won don't you clean out that

shift robe in the spare room so Jack can

put his things in it she's only got her

sewing stuff in there

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now

okay come

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in lower

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down

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might as well get on to bed

early we're going to need this rest when

it comes time to

Prime soon as that sun ever comes back

out it'll get to grow in real

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fast it's quit

raining

come on

in quit raining

yeah sure

did well I guess I'll get on back to

town now I'll see you see

you see you in the

morning see you in the

morning

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SP

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you want to pick a little

tonight N I think we're going to go on

the bed

early you know where the keys are I mean

if you need the truck to go in and see

AA or anything like that you go ahead

and use it

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neb came by last night

uhhuh

need some help with a wreck out by

Johnson

Crossroads old preacher and his wife

swerved in a ditch her pretty

bad

for

[Applause]

Roxy re says Daddy needs me to come over

to help him start to fix that Back Fence

horses got out again last night I got to

get over there sorry I can't watch baby

today well do you think you can take

baby to

Daddy's yeah I can do

that come on pretty

baby you're going to go see cie

there you go baby want to go for a ride

in that big black car that's where we're

going why don't you get that hot hair

cut

off

Roxy I thought you were halfway to

Raleigh

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for

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I just want to say that I appreciate

every one of y'all out here I have a

real good feeling about the crop this

year treat every leaf is special don't

let the littlest Leaf burn up in the sun

we got to

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eat

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look she got

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f

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come here come here

oh somebody

come

here

here you Lord come back here oh Lord

come back here come here come back here

come back here Lord come back here come

back here you Lord come by here oh Lord

come by here

there you go

Jack you don't get much sleep with this

tobacco Kieran do you can't afford

it two years ago I lost my Best Barn

burn

up well you want me to stay down here

tonight no I'll stay down here tonight

you stay down here tomorrow night

okay

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e

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huh hone you have to move a little

faster you're moving like you

sleepwalking

oh boy R you've been fishing lately not

pass me some more those string

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beans Bo got a hold on ready perfect

time need P

perfect let's get back

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boy I think it's fixing to get real warm

this afternoon it sure is listen we got

to get those mes first okay they're

going to need some

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water

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f

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for

I think we got to get on over to hos

Landing for that

barbecue you know the only reason I

didn't go sit up with him last night to

help him cook that pig

was that's my best Barn C out there I

just want to see

it I just don't care a thing about going

not

go I don't see

why I'm just not

gone I feel like I'm in the way over

there now

Roxy you know my family thinks so much

of you and love to see

baby

Aaron there's something about the Fourth

of July that just tears my nerves all to

pieces it's all those loud noises and

firecrackers and all and those folks

driving around in those fast pickup

trucks

drunk like it's just too hot everybody's

crazy the expecting us

Roxy

No Ex I can't hear you

no will you do what you

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pleaseing

for

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long

Lifeline long C crook a double love

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line I got your a

present just wait a minute I got to go

baby I'm sure diaper about ready to

fall just a second

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okay

now mom

mama that's good okay baby that's good

and then you want to take a picture of

me baby

well now we're going to try a little

PR right

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there

ready this going to be some picture

huh

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Jack help I'll get the

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truck

I was cooking some peas and baby

tomor where is she

the

doctor you can take her home

now keep her quiet and keep her in bed

oh and if she should have happen to wake

up tonight you might rub her with some

more of

this I'll come out and uh check on her

in the morning see how she's getting

on are there going to be

scars probably

yes how's

baby where's the Cod at I hit it

Aaron can't you take care of your own

family

let me take

her

Roxy

something daddy wants me to talk to you

about daddy mentioned something about

Jack staying

here it might be

better he said we ought to get the first

back at the market then give him some

money and send him

off I've already told

him I told Jack that after the opening

say we'll be able to manage without

him why don't you tell him

too somebody at the church mentioned to

the folks that it didn't look right with

you and Jack staying in the same

house talk to Jack about

it

Jack like that

to like that

to Jack got to talk to you talk to you I

got to talk to

you

I love you

Roxy you're prettier than any

AA don't

worry he's not coming down

here

I came down here to tell you jack you

have to

go I'm married I have a

baby you could run off of me I'm married

Jack

did you talk to

Jack

yes

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they been been a little

low

pick star out trouble

Jack all

right

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goddess hot dogs in the Greeks

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first day of Market

1937 I never thought I'd get

a

10

I never thought I would I mean I mean

she's worth it and all I just I never

thought I'd get

it they're having a dance down at rain

RS this year I don't see why we can't go

you get baby up early we can go on in

take in the whole

festival Jack can take care of things

around

here

I'll see you

tomorrow all

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right jack still had a pool for me and I

thought then that maybe he always

would but I had to make a

choice

all I hoped was that Aaron and I could

forget everything that had happened and

start

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over

Joel enjoy yourself last night oh the

pageant was beautiful the whole family

was there and it was just it was

wonderful a nice Festival oh it sure was

listen I need you to ride with me over

to

Daddy's I only to get that new truck I

bought from him before we go down to

Carolina beach you can drive it back

here

you're going to get

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stoned God damn it

Roxy come on down back of the barn Aaron

I want to show you something I killed

down the other

day I don't know what it

is something

strange something strange kind of

animal

Aaron baby's Aaron's not

here put some clothes on baby we got to

go go where don't ask me that just get

your clothes put some things in your

suitcase we got to go now get her

banket

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where's

Aaron get in the

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car jack where is Aaron you don't really

want to know Roxy just get in the

car I'll tell you about it

later

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got

room I just I need to go home do you see

what's on my overall you won't want to

go

home I can't keep it in any

longer I hit him not too far from the

hole I hit him with the hole Rocky the

the hole I dug I dug is okay Roxy hit

him twice at the hole I dug the hole

Roxy I dug the hole behind the bar

Saturday while y'all were in town and I

sat out there and I looked into it all

day and all night and I called him out

there and I hit him and

I covered him

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up

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we better be leaving

here

Roxy I'll treat you

right I'll say you'll be ready to

go come on

say kiss me now and

say

we've got to

go got the bus tickets to

Birmingham I know somebody we can stay

with I don't know

why I don't know why I ever thought

you'd go with me

I'll come back for you as soon as I

can

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we picked up Jack Ruffin when he was

getting on the

bus he told us where he buried your

husband we called up to Tarboro some of

your people went out there and they dug

him

up he made a full

confession says you two planned it

together

you never saw those bloody overalls till

yesterday no sir you sure about that yes

sir you real sure

yes I believe we're going home now

she'll be rained on Monday

morning she's going to be a rained

Roger

I don't know how to say this to you Roxy

but I want you to know a little

about what it was like

you know I'm used to that phone ringing

all times in the night but this time it

I just didn't know what to

think I mean that'd be somebody

crazy but it did finally get through to

me that they were saying the sheriff in

Georgia had

called and that a probably dead you and

Jack were off

somewhere I called Ruth to come to the

phone try to make some sense out of it

but

she just as bad as me at first I told

him I'd be right on out there they said

it's no use of course I went I couldn't

get the farm fast enough

somehow I thought you might be there

even though they said you were in

Georgia when I got out there

they had already gone right to the Grave

sorry hole not anyway from the barn

anybody could have found it anybody

could have found that

hole what was the matter with that boy

Jack what could he been thinking

of what was I thinking

her

you got to see him

Roxy got to make yourself look right at

him

for

oh Roxy you hold tied to that baby Roxy

your misses or not don't you

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worry

your daddy wanted to buy you one but I

told him I wanted to pick it

out nearly everybody in the world's got

some kind of

secret but everybody doesn't get found

out and have the pictures put in the

paper we're going to do the best we

can when you walk in there tomorrow you

stand up straight and hold your

shoulders

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back you with Jack Ruffin why didn't you

go to your husband's funeral you really

love this guy Jack

rff

picture my wife

please did you murder your and answer

the

question

door

Bale please read the

confession

I stayed home all day Saturday and

Sunday while the won were gone I dug the

grave on Saturday about 3:00 in the

afternoon I used the shovel which I got

from the walston's

house I left the shovel at the

hole I hit him in the back of the head

with the

shovel knocked him out the first

lick he was lying down on his face when

I hit him the second time

I had been sleeping with her no use to

say I love her and will die loving

her I had intercourse with her from

June in a way she knew I killed him in a

way she didn't she wanted to run off

with me but she couldn't because of her

husband so I killed her

husband now Mrs Walston would you tell

the gentleman of the jury how you met

and got to know Jack

ruffing he came out to help my husband

with the

well and then he started helping with

the tobacco

crop Aaron told him to come on and and

move

in Aaron would go down to the barn one

night and Jack would go down the

next

I got up while Aaron was still

sleeping and I went down to the

barn and I got back before he woke

up now M Ruffin I'm going to ask you a

little bit about those Knights down in

the barn I Mrs Walston but those Knights

down in the barn were your idea weren't

they he asked me to come down there but

they were your idea weren't they

I wanted to

go so you were in no way forced to go

down into that Barn were you Mrs

Ruffin I am Mrs Walston now please

describe to the gentleman of the jury

just what happened on the first occasion

you had intercourse with

him you heard the question ma'am please

describe to the gentleman of the jury

the first occasion on which you had

intercourse with

him my husband had gone

off and it happened in the garden in the

garden and the next

time I don't

know it might have been the next day and

these relations did occur every day

thereafter did they

not sometimes I was

sick but when your husband was gone and

you weren't sick it happened every day

didn't

it please let the record reflect that

the witness is nodded the answer

yes

for

him for the

state and for everybody else for God's

sake don't turn him loose but a life

sentence in prison would constitute a

far more severe punishment than the

death

penalty whatever damn Nation comes out

of this

case she is the foundation for

it now gentlemen

you have heard the evidence after a

comparatively short time this man was

living in the house with more freedom

than the woman's husband she has been

unfaithful to her child unfaithful to

her husband and unfaithful to her God

not in the annals of the history of

North Carolina have we had a murder of

such brutality as to compare with this

one gentlemen I want you to return a

verdict of guilty

I want you to send Jack Ruffin and

Roxanna Walston to the gas

chamber

no

wait she never did say she'd run off

with

me I pushed her into the car that night

she didn't know what

happened and when I finally told her she

ran away from me and

hid

they said yesterday that I do not have a

heart I do have a

heart and there's grief in my heart at

the

bottom we hold her up here I'll give

some water watch your head

Ruth we have a verdict in the Walston

murder case the jury went out at 11:25

and they were back at 12:05 they found

Mrs roxan Walston not guilty of

conspiracy to murder and they found Mr

Jack Ruffin guilty of murder in the

first degree with no recommendation for

Mercy ankers is fluttered as the judge

in toned the death

sentence I know Kate would be happy to

have

her that sounds just like something a

man would say that's half her trouble

now listening to Ghost Stories all her

life and always doing something some man

thought she ought to do how can she go

to Virginia or anywhere else she needs

to learn to do something something first

could you lower your voice

please you know this was your mother's

bed

that's why I brought you in

here there's no better medicine in this

whole world than lying in your mama's

bed it was our Mama's bed

too I lay right here myself when I

wasn't much older than you are talking

to

Mama when I was in that tourist camp in

Geor Georgia with

him I didn't know how to say no can't go

with

you never said no to anybody in my

life except for Aaron on the 4th of

July different things happen to

different people

Roxy don't think you're the only one

something bad ever happened

to what really matters this is how you

behave after it's

over and it is

over

daddy I'd like to go to the farm

today you got to get your driving

license

sometime I'm going

to

and then I think you and me and Ruth

ought to we ought to talk about you

getting on a train heading up to

Fredericksburg staying with a Kate for a

while Daddy I know I won't stay in

tarbor for my whole

life but right now my child needs her

family

she needs a stable

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home I'm going to stay right here and

I'm going to write it

out just the same as

you and

Ruth and our whole

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family

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