Tales of Wells Fargo (1957–1962): Season 3, Episode 20 - The Cleanup - full transcript

DRIVER: Hyah! Come on!

JIM: I've run into all
sorts of crooked deals

during my years
as an investigator,

but the one at Silver
City took the cake.

Here was a town
so tough and lawless

that it wouldn't let
Wells Fargo go through

unless we paid tribute.

A Wells Fargo agent
wrote the home office

and appealed for help.

That's where I came in.

Wells Fargo always pays its way,



but never for the
right to do business.

I didn't know too much
about what was going on,

but I had no idea that
before I could straighten out

the mess we were in,

I'd have to clean
up a whole town.

Well, what's it gonna be, Casey?

It's not my money.

I can't pay off
until I get the word.

Oh, stop horsin' around, Laredo.

If you let him get away with it,

the others won't kick in.

LAREDO: You heard
what the man said, Casey.

You already had two weeks.

I wrote 'em, I tell you.



They haven't answered yet.

Give me time!

Yeah, you'll get all
the time you ever need.

No! No! No!

Oh!

Casey.

Anybody home?

Mr. Casey?

I was lookin' for Mr. Casey.

He ain't here.

When do you expect him back?

I don't.

He's dead.

Dead?

What happened to him?

Who are you, mister?

My name's Jim Hardie,

an investigator from
the San Francisco office.

Oh, I heard of you, Mr. Hardie.

Casey got himself
killed yesterday.

I'm Jason, the handyman.

Nice to know you.

Could you tell me what happened?

I don't know.

I was out back cleanin'
up. Casey was in here.

Then I heard the shot.

Go on.

I ran in, and...

there he was on the floor, dead.

Didn't you hear anyone?

No, sir. It's just
like I told you.

I heard the shot
and came on the run.

And you didn't see anything?

Place was empty.

Mr. Casey wrote to our office.

That's why I'm here.

He said that there are
people who were tryin'

to make Wells Fargo pay
up to do business here.

What do you know about that?

Nothin'.

He never discussed it with you?

No, sir.

Do you know of
anyone else in town

that has to pay in
order to do business?

Look, Mr. Hardie,

I do my work, mind my business.

It's healthier that way.

You must've heard something.

I said all I'm gonna say.

After you found the
body, what'd you do?

Will you let me alone?

Did you look outside?

I didn't see nothin'.

No one on the street?

Sure.

But how could I tell if they
had anything to do with it?

Who were they?

I saw their backs.

I can't be sure. Whose backs?

How do I know if
they came from here?

I saw two men walkin'
into Matt Carson's saloon.

That's all I saw.

What are you afraid of, Jason?

You don't know this town.

You don't know what's been
goin' on since Carson turned up.

Suppose you tell me.

Why don't you ask around?

There's others that
know more than I do.

Look, I... I got work to do.

Mr. Jason. Who's
the sheriff here?

Pete Haney.

Is it that the one from Abilene?

Yeah.

He's a good man.

He should be able to
take care of anything.

Abilene's a long time ago.

He's scared now,
drunk half the time.

Are you sure we're talking
about the same man?

We might as well
have no one as him.

Carson runs the town,
Haney sits in his office

and looks the other way.

Maybe I oughta
have a talk with him.

He won't talk.

He wants to live
so bad, it hurts.

What about this Matt Carson?

I told you, I don't
know nothin'.

Don't you make out that I do.

No one pays me to be a hero.

No, I suppose we don't.

Would you do one
other thing for me?

Would you walk over with me then

and introduce me to Haney?

I would not. No, sir.

I don't even want
to be seen with you.

Come to think of it, Mr. Hardie,

I don't wanna work here no more.

Here's the keys.

Oh, I know what you're
thinkin'. That I'm a coward.

Well, you're right, I am.

A dyed-in-the wool,
hundred-percent, yard-wide coward.

And furthermore,
I'm leavin' town.

Oh, uh...

Don't count on any help
around here, Mr. Hardie.

The town's full
of people like me.

JIM: There's nothing
worse than fear.

It spreads like the plague.

Sometimes a whole town
could be destroyed by it.

I could guess from
what Jason had told me

that Matt Carson had
brought the fear with him,

and I had a hunch
that Wells Fargo

wasn't the only outfit
being forced to pay off.

Only we wouldn't
shell out a dime.

You lookin' for me?

If you're the sheriff, I am.

I'm the sheriff.

I'm Jim Hardie from Wells Fargo.

Hardie...

It's too bad about Casey.

That's what you're
here for, ain't it?

Yes, it is.

Sure wish I knew who did it.

I had a report that
there were two men

seen walking up the
street right after the killing.

They were headed toward
Matt Carson's saloon.

Where'd you hear that?

Does it matter?

By golly, it does. It sure does.

If you got a witness, I
wanna know about it.

I'm the sheriff here.
I want to talk to him.

He won't talk.

He's afraid of Matt Carson.

Every witness is entitled to
the full protection of the law.

All right. I'll bring
in my witness

if you'll lock him up and
guarantee me his safety.

Oh, now, wait a
minute. I'll do all I can,

but I won't guarantee nothin'.

Then I won't produce my witness.

Are you gonna lock me
up for obstructing justice?

Matt Carson's got his
sign on you, too, hasn't he?

I remember when I was
a boy down in Louisiana.

I used to hear about Pete Haney.

Was a big name then.

I remember whenever
men got together,

they'd talk all about
Pete Haney and the law

and Abilene and Virginia City.

Get outta here!

I can't do that.

There are good
people in this town,

and they're dependin' on you,

and you're not
earnin' your keep.

Will you leave me alone?

They elected a reputation,
but they got a shadow,

a man who's afraid to
stand up to Matt Carson.

You expect me to stand up
against Carson and his gunmen?

That'd be suicide.

Well, call in the townspeople.

Lay it on the line.
Tell 'em the truth.

Then... Then deputize every
able-bodied man, and go after him.

I talked to someone.
They said it was my job.

It is your job,

but law and order's
everybody's responsibility.

I'm not as young as I was.

Oh, I can handle the usual,

but when it comes to tanglin'
with Carson and his gunmen,

I'm out of my class now.

Who are you working
for, Mr. Haney?

Dad.

Oh, excuse me.

Lucy, this is Mr. Hardie
from Wells Fargo.

This is my daughter, Lucy.

It's nice to meet you, ma'am.

My father's doing all
he can, Mr. Hardie.

It isn't always easy.

No, it's not always
easy to do the right thing.

Good day, sir.

Well, what did he have to say?

Nothin'. Everything's fine.

I guess there's nothin' lower

than a man who
tarnishes the star.

Dad...

Dad, what did he have to say?

Nothing you haven't
been telling me

ever since Carson came to town.

Aw, Dad, that's
a kind of courage

you're gonna sleep off.

Get outta here!

JIM: I hated to be
rough on the old man,

but I had no choice.

I wanted to build
a fire under him

so that he'd strap on
his gun and do his job,

but I didn't want to get
him killed while he was at it.

Come on.

What do you want?

You just had a visitor, Pops.

Who is he?

It's got nothin' to do with you.

You didn't answer
the question, old man.

I told you to... Who is he?

He's from Wells Fargo.
What does he want?

He's lookin' into Casey's death.

Casey only died yesterday.

How come he found out so soon?

I don't know.

We better pass the word.

Old man...

if Matt finds out
you sent for him,

you gonna be sadder,
but not a day older.

Aw, please, Dad.

Dad, you've gotta draw
the line somewhere.

My own daughter
turnin' against me!

I heard you...

Aw, you shouldn't have told 'em.

Now they're gonna be
out gunning for Mr. Hardie.

He don't mean nothin' to me!

He don't know what
it's like to grow old

and not have a dollar.

To scrimp and
save and lose it all.

If it hadn't been for the flood,

we'd be settin' pretty,

rockin' on our own front porch,

watchin' our own cattle.

If it hadn't been for the flood.

I didn't want this job.

I knew most any wet-eared
kid could outdraw me,

but there was nothin' else.

There was nothin'
else, was there, Lucy?

No. No, I guess not.

It was quiet here.

A real quiet little town.

How could I know Carson
was gonna move in?

I couldn't know that, Lucy.

Could I?

No, no, I guess you couldn't.

I'm doin' the best I can.

Oh, please, honey.

Don't you be mad at me.

Who's that?

Me and Wes.

MATT: All right.

What's up, boys?

There's a Wells
Fargo man in town,

lookin' into what
happened to Casey.

Who sent for him?

Haney didn't know.

'Course, Haney
don't know nothin'.

He was gettin' tanked up
and feelin' sorry for himself.

I don't think we'll have
to worry about Mr. Haney.

Right.

But keep an eye
on this Fargo man,

and let him know you are.

Nothin' scares a man faster
than to know he's bein' watched.

He'll backtrack every time.

What if he don't?

Then you know what to do.

What do you suppose
goes on in there?

We ain't gonna find
out standin' here.

Come on.

Everyone I've talked to
seems to blame Haney

because Matt Carson moved in.

Everything was fine
till Carson showed up.

Maybe not as fine as you think.

Huh?

There are other towns
in the west like Silver City,

but it was no accident that
Matt Carson picked this one.

He sent his men
out ahead of time

to look things over,
and what'd he find?

He found a bunch of men

who were afraid to
stand up for their rights.

JIM: Men who'd rather
pay out dollars rather than...

Than stand up and fight
for their self-respect.

Now, just a minute, young
man. You can't talk like that here.

Well, I wish you'd get
that mad at Matt Carson.

All right.

So we're afraid.

But most of us are
fresh from the East.

We never handled a gun.

We elected a Sheriff.

They told us he was a good one.

Enforcing the law
is his business.

And if he can't do it,
for whatever reason,

then let's hire someone who can.

And what assurance
do you have that

the man you hire
could do a better job?

MAN: Well, he
couldn't do any worse.

Then let's get us
half a dozen men

who know their way around.

Gunfighters, you mean. Yeah.

That's a good idea. Do that.

Then there's gonna be a fight,
and somebody's gonna win.

If it's Matt Carson, he'll
really take over this town.

He'll wind up and all of
you be workin' for him.

And if he doesn't win,
your own gunfighters will,

and they'll take
up where he left off.

You'll be right back
where you started.

No. Preserving
the peace of a town

is not just one man's
job. It's everyone's job.

I don't think you
have any alternative

but to get in behind Pete Haney

and help him. Help yourselves.

That Wells Fargo man's
got a big mouth, ain't he?

Yeah.

Fine spread.

The flood... If
it hadn't been...

for the flood...

Get out of here!

I wouldn't worry too
much about what they said.

Oh, no, no. They've got a
right to be angry with Dad.

When I tell you to,
stop to fix your stocking,

then look back.

There's two men there.

I'd like to know their
names if you know them.

All right.

They work for Carson.

Let's see. The young
fella's name is Wes,

and the other one is Laredo,

but I don't know his last name.

You better watch
yourself, Mr. Hardie,

'cause they're going to jump
you the first chance they get.

Long as I can see 'em,
I don't worry about em'.

Huh?

I learned a long time ago

not to be afraid of
anything you can see.

Just the unexpected.

Good night, ma'am. Good night.

JIM: Well, I sure had
a busy day, all right.

Tryin' to build a fire
under the merchants,

put some gravel into
Pete, cheer up Miss Lucy.

I was actually no closer
to solving Casey's murder

than when I arrived,

and I still had no legal proof

who was tryin' to
squeeze Wells Fargo.

I didn't even know if I
could keep the office open,

and there was a stage due
in the day after tomorrow.

If you wanna know something,
why don't you ask me?

What's eatin' you, mister?

I don't like bein' followed.

I don't know what it
is you wanna know,

but maybe I can tell ya.

My name's Jim Hardie.
I work for Wells Fargo.

You're Laredo, and
you call yourself Wes.

You work for Matt Carson.

Just a minute.

You go back and tell him from me

that if there's any way at all

I can pin Casey's murder
on him, I'm going to,

if it's the last thing I do.

That just might be, mister.

Heck, maybe I better take you

back to your kennel
and tell him myself.

Move out.

JIM: Inside.

Where's Carson?

In his office, I guess.

Let's go.

Well, knock on the door.

Who's that?

Tell him.

It's me and Wes, Matt.

We got that Wells
Fargo man with us.

Come on in.

Stay where you are, Carson.

You two line up
alongside of him.

Now let's get down to business.

Anything you say.

I'll make it as
brief as possible.

I'm gonna open that Wells
Fargo office tomorrow,

and the next stage is gonna
come through on schedule.

If anything happens to that,

then there's gonna be
a lot happen right here.

Very interesting.

But why are ya telling it to me?

I run a saloon.

What possible connection
could I have with Wells Fargo?

None whatsoever,

and I'm gonna see
that it stays that way.

Good night.

Not in here, you fool.

JIM: The chips were down.

When Haney saw
what was going on,

he'd have to back me up.

If he didn't, he was
finished as a Sheriff

and as a man.

This is my play.

Haney!

What happened?

JIM: Get a doctor.

Get old Doc!

Is she hurt bad? Bad enough.

PETE: What's goin' on here?

Lucy's been shot.

PETE: Lucy?

Carson's men. It
was meant for me.

Lucy.

DOC: Let me through.
Excuse me, boys.

Excuse me. Let
me through, please.

Can we be of any
help to you, Doctor?

Put some water on to boil.

Excuse me.

Go take it easy, Pete.

JIM: What can you say to a
man whose daughter's dying,

and who blames himself for it?

Words of comfort
can be as useless

as an empty cartridge shell.

She's asking for you, Sheriff.

Is she goin' to...

She'll be all right.

It was close, though.

Thank you, Doctor.

He says you're
gonna be all right.

I should've listened
to Mr. Hardie.

Maybe...

Maybe it's not too late.

Well, what are we gonna do?

If she makes it,
we'll bluff it out.

If she doesn't...

JIM: It was up to
the old man now.

It was his play.

No matter what happened,
I had to give him his chance.

If Carson forced his hand

and he was too slow on the draw,

I couldn't interfere.

Pete wanted it that way.

I'm sorry for what
happened, Pete.

I hope she pulls through.

She will. That's good.

I'm serving notice
on you now, Carson.

I'm giving you just one
hour to get outta town.

What are you talkin' about?

If you and your men
haven't gone by 11:00,

I'm closing you up

and bringing charges
against you for extortion.

Extortion?

You talk big, old man.

Big enough for
a tin-horn like you.

You're awful good
with your mouth.

What else you good with?

Well, Mr. Hardie, I may
not be so fast anymore,

but there's one thing you
can't take away from a man.

That's experience.

Why, I've forgotten more tricks

than these coots will ever know.

I think you're right, Sheriff.

All right, you
men, let's be going.

JIM: It's nearly
three years now,

and things are real
quiet in Silver City.

Folks know that Pete's the law,

and who wants to
tangle with Pete Haney

of Abilene and Silver City?