Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) - full transcript

Tomorrow we will bury this one

This Pipe Person.

Our messenger to Wah-kon-tah.

It is time to bury this Pipe

with dignity...

...and put away its teachings.

The children outside listening...

...they will learn another language.

They will be taught by white people.

They will learn new ways...

...and will not know our ways.

Phillips

Oil workmen, right here.

Kraceon Oil

pipeline crew, over here.

Burbank Oil Field, over here.

Marland Oil!

Rock hounds

for Phillips Oil, this truck.

Make it rich. You can make it

rich. Make it rich. Right here.

Phillips Oil workmen!

Ernest!

Yeah.

- Ernest Burkhart?

- Henry. - Yeah.

Henry Roan.

- I'm taking you to your uncle Hale.

- All right.

Come on. Let's go.

This is us, right here.

Come on, stop!

Whose land is this, Henry?

My land.

My land.

Well, well, well.

Our war hero has arrived.

Welcome home, Ernest.

Welcome home.

It's so good to see you again.

I'm so glad you made it.

Brother.

- Thanks for writin', huh?

- Good to have you back, Brother.

Ernest, now, here's your aunt

Myrtle and your cousin, little Willie.

Welcome. It's so good

to see you.

Look how big she's grown.

Isn't that something?

Now, this is a

cattle ranch. There's no oil here.

No oil? Yeah. No oil, no fear,

so I'm settled with no fear.

Time will run out.

This wealth will run dry,

drier than the seven years of famine

that plagued the pharaohs of old.

They're a sick people.

They're kindly people, big-hearted

people, but they're sickly.

What about you?

You see bloodshed?

- Some.

- Mm-hmm.

Well, I was a... I was a

cook in... in the infantry.

Mm-hmm.

You see Kelsie Morrison?

He was over there.

- I did.

- Yeah.

- Otis Griggs and the others, if...

- ...if you remember.

Soldiers have to eat. You fed

the soldiers that won the war.

- Well, saw more die from the flu, but...

- Mmm.

So what happened

to your stomach?

My... My gut, it burst.

Mmm, mmm.

You almost lost your life.

They gave me a belt and told me

not to do any heavy lifting.

Well, you made a good choice

coming back here, 'cause here...

I know.

Money flows freely here, now.

Well, I do...

I do love that money, sir.

Don't call me "sir."

You call me "Uncle,"

or call me "King," like

you used to. Remember?

- Call you "King"?

- Yeah.

King.

Now, you didn't pick up

any disease over there, did you?

- No. No.

- Sure?

I'm sure, sir. I'm sure.

Not that I know of.

You keep that thing

wrapped up over there?

- I did. I did.

- Mmm.

- As best you could.

- As best I could.

Yeah.

You like women?

Ah, you know I like women.

That's my weakness.

What kinds they got out there?

- Just white.

- Just white, that I saw. - Hmm.

Mm-hmm.

You like red?

Red?

- You mean - that kind of red?

- Mm-hmm.

I like red. I like white.

I like blue.

I like all of 'em.

Don't matter to me. I'm

greedy. - Mmm.

I... I like the heavy ones. I like

the heavy ones, pretty ones, soft,

ones that smell good, you know.

Well, we gotta keep an eye

on you. You're all over the place.

Uh, speaking of that...

Hey, Byron.

Yeah.

Oh.

Oh, yeah, that's good.

That's... That's real good.

Don't get played out in the open

with alcohol, you hear?

'Cause then

you'll cause trouble.

- Right, Byron?

- That's right, King.

- Mmm.

- No, sir. I w... I won't. I won't.

Now, most fellas out here

are crooked.

Some do things right, most

do bad, so don't be simple.

- No, sir. I won't.

- Don't make small trouble about nothing.

You gonna make trouble,

make it big.

Get a big payoff for that,

you hear?

Yes, sir.

You see, I am officially

reserve deputy sheriff in Fairfax.

I don't want to bring

unwanted eyes.

- I won't find that trouble.

- Yeah.

I won't do stupid things.

And you got your head on

straight after being over there?

Course I do. I'm not... I'm not

thick, sir. I'm... I'm... I'm strong.

Well, I got a place

I'm gonna put you.

- That'll be driving.

- Mmm.

'Cause you can't do much else

'cause of your gut.

You don't read much, do you?

Read?

Do you read, yeah. Read much?

Well, I can read.

Eh. Well,

you smarten yourself up.

Get him that book

on the Osage, Byron.

- This one?

- Yeah, that one.

- You smarten yourself up.

- I... I can read, sir.

The Osage.

They have the worst land possible...

...but the good Lord,

he outsmarted everybody.

The land had oil on it.

Black gold.

But they're wise people.

They worked it so as they had the say

who gets the oil, who gets the headrights.

The Osage are sharp.

They don't talk much,

so that might make you feel

like you've got to run

your mouth to fill the space,

especially you been drinking.

Better you be quiet if you

don't got nothing smart to say.

Don't get caught on that.

It's what they call,

"blackbird talk."

Blackbird talk.

Just 'cause they're not talking,

don't mean they don't know

everything about everything.

Yeah, Osage are the finest and

most beautiful people on God's earth.

John Whitehair, age 23.

No investigation.

Bill Stepson, age 29.

No investigation.

Anna Sanford, age 41.

No investigation.

Rose Lewis...

age 25.

No investigation.

There we go.

And Sara Butler, age 21.

Suicide.

State your name.

I'm Mollie Kyle. Incompetent.

What is your allotment number?

Two hundred eighty-five.

You've asked for

additional moneys of $752

to pay a medical bill

for an abscess.

Yes, sir.

Was the operation successful?

Yes, sir.

And the diabetes?

I have a prescription at Fairfax Drugs.

I'll send my help to fill twice monthly.

You gotta look out for that,

you know.

Now, Mollie, it's your mother.

You know she's restricted too, so

we have to account for every penny.

It says here she spent

$319 and 05 cents for meat

at the grocery.

Don't you think that's an awful

lot of meat for what she needs?

Yes, Mr. Beaty.

Well, you'll look after that,

won't you?

Yes.

All right, people. Let's form a

line here for allotment payments.

Unrestricted only.

Restricted, take your guardian. He

has to be with you to sign your checks.

You need to find your guardian.

Nothing new this time, folks.

Thirty-dollar photo

for posterity.

Don't you wanna preserve

your family history? Come on.

How about you, sir? You... Now,

don't go after him.

He don't know nothing.

He's an amateur.

You need a proper photo

for you and your family.

For you, sir? $40.

For you, sir? $40.

How much? $40?$40.

All right. I got $35

cash for you right now.

- Take it or leave it.

- Thirty-five's a deal.

Let's have it, get it done.

Y'all are gonna make

a pretty picture.

Y'all, come on this way,

over here.

My wife's been feeling poorly.

The doctor says it's her constitution.

The boy's got asthma.

His asthma's holding him back.

He just needs a chance.

You've got your checks.

You're unrestricted. Please.

We'll take one. In that color.

Thank you. Thank you!

I'll tell you what, you run

out of gas, you get a flat tire,

you come right on back

and buy another.

Ma'am, you need a

ride? That's my bucket, right there.

Thank you.

Gotta be careful. A lot of

characters around here today.

Hey, Ernest!

Hey, Kelsie Morrison!

- We were at the front - together in France.

- Hey!

- How you doing?

- Great to see you! - You too. You too.

My wife, Catherine Cole.

Oh, pleased to meet you.

Pleased to meet you.

Full blood.

Sky People, right? Sky People?

- Middle Water. Middle Water.

- Oh.

Lot of money on this.

Whoo!

You got money on this race?

No. No.

Let's go, then.

Yep.

I'm sorry to hear

she's not doing good.

You know, Father,

just as stubborn as ever.

Tell your mom I'm praying

for her, okay?

- Take care. Yeah.

- Thank you, Father.

You know who I mean

when I say Mollie Kyle?

You know the one,

with the sisters.

- I know which one.

- Mollie. - Yeah. Mollie.

She lives with her mother, Lizzie.

I know, Uncle, which one.

I know her.

I've bee...

I've been driving her.

- Driving her?

- Yeah.

Matt Williams used

to go with her for a time.

They're not together

in a way now,

so that means

you could have a proposition

with that if that struck you.

Oh.

You want... You want me

to see after her.

- She's a regular customer of mine.

- Yeah.

I think she...

she's sweet on me too.

- That Mollie, - she's easy to like. Yeah.

- Yeah.

Full blood estate, at that, too.

- Full... Full blood estate.

- Full... Full blood estate.

Now, that's something

a man can work with, hmm?

You got a good face,

you know that?

Think you can be

the marrying kind?

- Marrying kind?

- Mm-hmm.

Uh, how do you mean?

Well, we mix

these families together,

and that estate money flows

the right direction, it'll come to us.

That's a full blood estate. And she

gets that money of the mother Lizzie.

Now, that's good business there.

And legal, not against the law.

That's smart investment.

They told me you was... you was

going with Matt Williams for a time.

You talk too much.

Nah. Nah, I don't talk too much.

Just thinking who I gotta beat

in this horse race, that's all.

I didn't realize

this was a race.

I don't care

for watching horses.

Well, I'm a different

kind of horse.

What?

What was that?

That's how you are.

I don't know what you said, but it

must've been Indian for "handsome devil."

All right.

"I am an Osage brave.

A long time ago,

we Osage took our name

from Missouri and Osage Rivers."

"Ni-U-Kon-Ska,

Children of the Middle Waters.

'Move, ' said

the Great White Father,

from Missouri, from Arkansas,

from Kansas.

Finally, another strange land,

Oklahoma,

where famine walked by day

and hungry wolves by night.

Can you find the wolves

in this picture?"

All right, let's go. Come on.

"Osage weren't ever

part of the Five Civilized Tribes."

- You remember Blackie Thompson?

- Howdy, boys!

"Of the Five Civilized

Tribes, the Cherokee, Chickasaw,

Choctaw, Creek and Seminole."

Don't move!

Ooh, that rock still shines

in the dark, boys. Give me that.

Just take the car. Don't take

my ring. My father gave it to me.

Don't want the

car. Just want the jewels.

Y'all didn't do nothing

to earn this anyway.

You like these?

Got us

some rich Indians, boys!

Come on!

Come on! Come on!

I'm going all in, boys.

What are you thinking, Ernest?

No. That's crazy, Ernest!

I love money. I love money!

Turn that card over! Boom!

- Come on!

- Yeah! Do it! Hell yeah!

Take a chance!

Fairfax horseshit

right there, boy. Goddamn!

- Queen gets the jewels.

- God! Shit!

"Dawn was always

a sacred time for prayers."

"They

call the sun 'Grandfather.'

The moon, 'Mother.'

Fire, 'Father.'

They call it the 'Flower Moon'

when tiny flowers spread over

the blackjack hills and the prairies.

There are many.

So many, it's as if Wah-kon-tah

looked down upon the earth,

smiled,

and sprinkled it

with sugar candy."

"Wah-kon-tah means 'God.'

You're given your Osage name."

Your name is Sun Hawk Woman.

"It's how

you will be called to the next world.

Your Osage name can never

be taken away from you."

Here. Put this on.

Hmm.

You want dinner?

Yeah.

Don't you want a bite of this?

I got too much sugar.

Can never be too sweet, now,

can you?

It makes me sickly.

You live in this house

just... just with your mother?

I take care for her.

And you live with your uncle?

- Yes. Yes. You know him?

- Mmm.

- Since I can remember.

- Hmm.

He's a nice man.

Why did you come here?

For what?

To live here.

Yes. Um, I... I live here.

- Why?

- Oh.

- Uh, for my uncle.

- I work with him. - Mmm.

And your brother is Bryan?

- Byron, that's right.

- Byron.

You scared of him?

My brother? Who?

Your uncle.

Well, no.

No, he's... he's the king

of the Osage Hills.

He's the nicest man

in the world.

- I know if you cross him - what he could do.

- Mmm.

No, I'm... I'm

my own man. I do my own work.

I'm a businessman.

Yeah, thanks.

Here you go.

What's your religion?

- Catholic.

- Mmm.

You don't come to church.

- Oh, yes, um, I've been away.

- Hmm.

How come you don't have

a husband?

I'm a man, and I want to know why a

woman like you doesn't have a husband.

You know, you got...

You got nice color skin.

What... What color

would you say that is?

My color.

Well, I think it's... I think

it's real pretty.

You got nice color skin. You-You

got... You got a nice house.

I think you just pretend

to be so severe.

Bet you... I bet you got a

soft belly on the inside there.

Oh, you just

called me a coyote, didn't you?

Coyote.

Coyote wants money.

- Well, that money's - real nice.

- Mmm.

It's real nice, especially

if you're lazy like me.

I mean, I wanna sleep all day, and I

wanna make a party when it's dark.

What's so funny, hmm?

You like peh-tseh nee?

- Whiskey.

- Mmm.

I don't like whiskey,

I love whiskey.

I have good whiskey,

not bad whiskey.

I think we should try some

and find out.

No, no. No. No, don't close it.

- What?

- Uh, we...

We need to be quiet for a while.

The storm, it's, uh...

Well, it's powerful.

So we need to be quiet

for a while.

- It's good for the crops, - that's for sure.

- Just be still.

Bill Smith.

Bill Smith.

- Ernest. Ernest Burkhart.

- Good to meet you, Ernest.

I'm Minnie's husband.

It might make you feel a little

better if you eat something.

No, not again. Aw!

He's not that smart...

...but he's handsome.

He looks like a snake.

No, he looks like Coyote.

Those Blue Eyes.

His brother is handsome, too.

I like the brother more.

That red haired rat?

Better than your possum

playing dead...

...and lazing around the house.

He's a possum around you...

...he's like a rabbit to me.

Oh!

Be quiet...!

...Coyote's watching.

He wants our money.

Of course he wants money...

...but he wants to be settled.

He's not restless.

His Uncle has money...

...it's not money he wants...

...he loves you.

Slow down.

Your hand looks

on my skin...

You're gonna marry me, Mollie.

I want you to be my wife.

Will you do that?

Can you stand her kind?

I love this girl. Mollie.

Uncle, I...

I really do think she's a lady.

Well, then you found a wife.

Mollie.

Ernest.

I've known

Mollie and her sisters

since they were little girls running

around, making a lot of trouble.

Mollie's dear

departed father, Nah-kah-e-se-y,

was a dear, dear friend of mine,

a beloved friend of the heart.

He always used to tell the

white men just to call him Jimmy,

but I always called him by his

proper name, Nah-kah-e-se-y.

We had great respect

for each other.

You and me.

Whoo!

Keep going right.

I'm going right.

Minnie.

What do you need for, Minnie?

No, sir.

You well taken care of?

Yes.

You have proper medicines?

'Cause I want you to know you

have the best care if you need.

I don't want you to be afraid.

So many troubles that we've

brought upon you, all of you.

I'm so sorry.

I'm so sorry.

Minnie. My sister.

Wasting illness.

Anna.

Ernest.

Yeah?

Ernest, it might be best

for you to sit outside.

What... Well, why's that?

It's just the way this is going.

If you don't mind.

"The way this is going"? You...

You're saying you want me outside?

Yes, sir, if you would.

All right.

- Bill Smith.

- Mmm.

Yeah.

It shows itself to you

that Bill Smith didn't take the proper

care of Minnie the way he could have.

To have her sick and die, take

her headrights and her land?

That oil, which should go

to her sisters, your wife,

well, he's taking money that,

by rights, should go to Mollie.

The mother, Lizzie.

She's not in good shape.

She won't last.

Most Osage don't live past 50.

With these women dying,

with how Osage suffer

from illness,

you have to make it

the headrights come to you.

You see?

Yeah.

Minnie's gone now,

and after her, that leaves...

Reta... Mmm.

...Anna,

and then, of course,

there's Mollie.

Yeah.

How's Mollie feeling?

She's... She's all right.

Takes care of the little one.

- She's got the, uh... the diabetes too.

- Yeah.

I worry for her sometimes.

She's... She's sick most days, King.

Of course she is. How could she

not be? This diabetes is a trial to bear.

Like it says in the book of Job,

the days of affliction

have taken hold upon her.

Well, Mollie, she's still

strong, King. She's strong.

Yeah, for now.

We hope, forever, but...

What about Anna? You know

Anna carries a gun in her purse?

Hey, what the hell?

I know you get around...

Shit!

What the hell?

Fucking crazy squaw!

Now, I love Anna,

but she's gonna pick a fight

one day with the wrong person.

And then what?

Hey. Stop

it. Put it all on the table.

- Stop it. Manners.

- Nobody's got any manners here.

Did you see the Owl?

When you do...

...it's a sign that we are dying.

Because... of you.

You all marry white men.

Our blood is getting white.

Where's Anna?

I want Anna.

I'm here.

I don't want you.

I want Anna.

Let's get all of them.

This one's whiter than that one.

You'd never know this one's

a half-breed, would you?

They're both a couple of little half-assed

savages, as far as I'm concerned.

Bless their little hearts, now,

they can't help it.

One dark and one light.

And it's like an eclipse.

The Lord put his hand over the

earth and made it shake for nothing.

Oh, goodness.

- Take care, Anna.

- Oh, thank you, sir.

Are you laughing?

Not yet... but...

I brought blankets for Momma.

You're drunk already?

I'm still drunk from last

night, you woke me up.

Don't let Momma see you this way.

Don't fuss on me.

Hello, Anna.

You steady?

Oh, I am pickled.

You got any whiskey?

Well, you drank it last night.

Only my man can drink

my whiskey.

I'm not your man.

Well, maybe you don't have

a choice.

Are you making threats?

Hey, hey.

Keep yourself settled down

in here, Anna.

You'll do right.

You're making threats, Anna.

Don't do that.

I'm telling you a secret.

You think I open my legs

for any man?

Well, I get that feeling.

- Hey! Hey!

- Come on, now.

Get her in the other room now.

You are no different,

Ernest. Hear me?

- You are no different.

- Get in the other room!

Older sister, calm down.

Yeah, I'm all right.

You are so pretty.

You know me?

Yes.

What do you know?

Fuck yourself, Byron Burkhart.

- Anna! Anna!

- Hey! Come on, now! Anna!

I will cut you, talking to my man!

I'll kill that woman, then I'll kill you!

- Stand down.

- I'm not your man. I'll do as I please.

Get her out of here!

Give me that. She's got a gun!

Give me that. Come on!

Stay away

from these white women!

Stay away from those

wahk' oh nohn-hohn!

Move!

Get out!

Savage!

Come on, Charlie. Right up here.

This one French soldier, he came

up, he tried to grab that saucer pan.

I saw his leg blown clean off.

A lot of them came back

like this. Shaking.

Hey.

Mmm.

Did you hear they found

Charlie Whitehorn dead?

Aye. Aye. Who did that?

I don't know.

Was it his wife?

Mm-hmm. Most likely.

Now, Anna...

It's time for me

to take her home now.

You're...

...wild.

Anna.

Anna, mahn-theen eh-txahn.

Byron's waiting. Come on.

- Mmm.

- Come on, now.

Mmm.

You're my best blessing.

I'm your favorite?

...stay with me here.

- Anna, come on, now.

- Stop banging.

Time for

me to go, Ernest?

Yeah.

You don't want me here, do you?

You trying to get rid of me,

aren't you, snake? Aw.

You're afraid I'll say too much.

Yeah, I see you're afraid.

You look better.

Why, thank you, Sister.

You're my wealth, you know that?

Don't go out tonight.

You worry

too much, oh-theh-zhoo.

Come on. Let's go.

Okay.

Goodness, let's go find

another drink.

No, I'm taking you home, Anna.

No, you're taking me

to Whizbang.

Byron's taking her home now.

I'm too drunk.

You don't say.

He's taking her home.

Mollie,

it's your sister, Anna.

Come on, now.

Come on, now, sweetheart.

Come on, now.

Come on.

Is this your sister, Anna Brown?

Pardon me.

Is this your sister, Anna Brown?

Yes...

Two members of our tribe,

Anna Brown

and Charles Whitehorn...

...were both murdered.

These ahn-shdah-heh

are murdering us.

In the case of Anna Brown,

her family here on the west side

have raised funds

of the amount of about

$2,000 to $5,000

for the arrest and conviction

of the murderer.

Mollie Burkhart has hired

a private investigator.

When this money started coming,

we should've known

it came with something else.

'Cause it's the white man's money.

It's not what we were taught, coming

out of Missouri, Arkansas and Kansas.

What has come to our reservation

that doesn't belong here?

And it's them. They're like

buzzards circling our people.

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

They wanna pick us body clean,

leave nothing.

When we left Missouri,

we didn't even leave

our dead babies.

We laid 'em down and we rode

our warriors over 'em

to tell everyone that we'll

never leave this place again.

Or we'll die here,

to the last one.

Yeah. Yeah.

Switch.

Hey, Mollie. Mollie,

words can't express my grief,

but she's with the Lord now.

She's with the Lord.

And they even

come here now to marry our young women.

I employ some of them.

They say they are my friends,

but I don't think they really are.

Some of them

don't even pretend to work.

They walk around, they

act like they own the place.

- Okay, gentlemen. Hold still, please.

- We got it!

I mean, these people are bums,

nee-shdah-heh, common vags.

We can't turn to the county

to help us.

We can't go to the state

of Oklahoma to help us.

Why have we ever even thought

they would?

We were here before them.

This is our homeland we came to.

Yeah. Yeah.

Why we put our children here is

because Mother Earth allowed us here.

Yeah.

No one takes us off this earth

until God calls us all home.

Yeah.

And we've got to realize that,

but we've also got to realize

this evil that's come here.

You have something it wants.

- Yeah.

- It didn't want you when we was coming through genocides,

our coming home.

But now we put the original

25 families together in this room.

Yeah.

And we're here to go with you.

The old saying says is that...

that Osage is dying by the enemy.

Do not let them die alone.

You go join them.

So we can go to heaven

knowing we're still warriors.

We have to change, but before we

do, we need to be like a fire on this earth

and get rid of all that stops

or gets in front of us.

My council, I ask you

for your support.

All of you men. And our women,

these mothers, these ee-nahn here.

All of our elders have

come through this landscape,

and we... only thing we know

is that we have each other.

We have a Lord

that's been good to us.

And this... this other... We

never prayed for the great life.

We just prayed for life.

And that's what

I'm gonna be praying for now,

is that we get that life

for these kids coming.

And, see, our days are over.

We're just barely

living out a sundown,

but their days are starting.

And I want 'em to be Osages, just

like the gift that Grandma gave me,

just like the gift

that Grandma gave you.

Thank you, Chief.

I would like to add a thousand

dollars to that reward money...

...for any information

about these murders.

That means if anyone knows

anything about it, you must come to me.

You all know where I am.

I'm easy to find.

Thank you, Mr. Hale.

Your friendship has always been

greatly appreciated.

I'll do anything, anything, to

help the Osage in their plight,

in their vale of tears.

I move that we send Mr. Barney

McBride to Washington, D.C.

I will second that.

Mr. McBride, Mrs. McBride.

Yes, Chief. I'm here.

Resolution 23. Mr. McBride

will travel to Washington, D.C.

to meet with

the Indian Affairs Commission,

where he will ask for private

investigators and additional police

so that they can look into

this matter of all this death.

Do you accept this?

Yes, I do.

Bill. Reta.

How are you, Ernest?

So you're, uh...

you're here now, huh?

Reta was a comfort to me

when Minnie died.

Hey, listen. Leave the

jewels be on this one, all right?

Oh, I... I do it

so nobody notices.

No, no. Come on, Frank. Just... just

leave it be, just this one time, for me.

It's my wife's sister,

all right? There.

$25 for a hearse rental?

Uh... $1,650 for-for

a mahogany casket?

You charging me Osage prices.

You think I'm thick, huh?

No, everybody pays the same.

Come on, now. McAllister's

entire funeral wasn't more than 300.

This here...

This here's 2,000, Frank.

McAllister's daughter

was just a youngster.

I'll tell you what. I'ma talk

to King Hale about this.

See what he has to say.

Well, if you want her in a

wooden box, I'll put her in one.

I... I don't want no wooden box, all

right? You are charging me Osage prices.

Your wife even said

she wanted an open casket.

But there's no face.

There's no face, Frank.

Why would she want it open, huh?

You trying to steal our money?

Is that what you're trying...

It ain't...

It ain't your money.

It's easy for you to get me

more money and pay my bill.

I work for my money.

Just like the good Lord says,

you sow and reap, Ernest.

When was the last time you've seen

one of them Osages working, huh?

Well, your

sister, Anna, leaves an estate

of approximately $100,000

to be willed to your mother, Lizzie

Q., and you, Mollie, and you, Reta.

You know, I was thinking, that

is a substantial amount of money.

I heard that Tall Chief hired

the Emmett Miller minstrel show

to come in and play

for his birthday party,

and I thought, "Why... Why couldn't we

do something like that with this money?"

Maybe have a party for the town,

and maybe invite another band out.

It does not do

to talk to this man.

Evil surrounds my heart.

Many times, I cry,

and this evil around my heart

comes out of my eyes.

I close my heart

and keep what is good there,

but hate comes.

And they say I ought to kill these

white men who killed my family.

Mrs. Burkhart. Bill Burns.

I solve crimes.

This is my card.

My address is New York,

London, Paris,

Montreal, Chicago, Los Angeles,

Cairo, Berlin, Boston

and wherever else

a law-abiding citizen...

Mr. Barney McBride? Yes.

Telegram

for you, sir. Just arrived.

...hasn't been to Anna's

place to corroborate Byron's story.

Now, I stopped by there, and

I did find her alligator purse,

which could suggest that Byron

is not lying. He brought her home.

Well, my...

my brother's not a liar.

Uh, your youngest sister, Minnie, who

died of the wasting illness two years ago,

she was married

to a "Bill Smith."

Yes.

And that is the same Bill Smith

currently married to your sister, Reta.

Yes.

Same Bill Smith.

Two sisters.

Mr. Smith, he is a busy fellow,

talking around town,

conducting his own investigation

into Anna's death.

- Much obliged, Sheriff.

- Thank you, sir. - Thank y'all again.

Appreciate it.

Were you aware of that?

You were?

Yes.

Now, you went straight

to Mollie's house?

We didn't

go straight there.

Where'd you go?

Graveyard out past Florer's.

She wanted to look at her land,

then she wanted to visit her father.

Mm-mmm,

I cannot see my daddy

with my hair flying everywhere.

Did you know I was gonna have

a little baby?

- Oh, my goodness, no.

- Oh, it's true.

I'm gonna name her

Minnie too.

Give Minnie my love.

Did you know

that Anna was pregnant?

Anna?

Yes.

Anna was pregnant.

She was pregnant.

Did he say Byron?

No.

Me?

No. No.

Well, you make sure

we steer clear of that.

Mr. Smith says that he has a pretty

good idea who killed your sister.

He says that he will tell all

when he has the true facts.

So what, uh...

What's he found out?

I just don't know that part yet.

What's he found out?

Nothing.

I'll go see Blackie.

On that, what we talked about...

About it, yeah.

To see what he may say on that.

That's right.

Ah, yeah. Yeah! Boy,

we gonna be rich tonight, boy!

- Ernest.

- Where's Blackie?

- That's it, huh?

- Yeah.

Osage graves.

That's disgusting work,

right there.

It's dirty. It's real dirty.

You want something

to pay big, Blackie, hmm?

You can't be working

with them trouble boys.

You gotta use your head.

You gotta think, Blackie.

Hale, he's been... He's been

talking about us partnering up.

Hmm.

You know Bill Smith? He's... He's

been going around town talking a lot.

Now, if someone were to knock off

Bill Smith and... and Reta too, right?

If she was gone, all that estate money

would go to my mother-in-law, Lizzie Q.,

and she wills it to my children.

Now, that's a good deal, that.

It's a real good deal.

- For you, it is.

- Mm-mmm.

For all.

Smith and her,

they're gone a lot from home.

All you gotta do is go down there,

and you plant the stand in the house.

- And when they come in...

- ...you get 'em.

They got... Reta's got three or four

diamonds. She got some ear screws.

Bill Smith, he always carries

two or three hundred in his pocket.

You could have that.

You could have that, and... and I know

Hale would pay you a thousand for the job.

That sound like

a good one to you, Blackie?

Hmm.

You know my little

Buick roadster?

You know, the red one

you always got your eye on.

Yeah?

How about I throw in

my Buick roadster?

It's insured more

than it's worth.

Now, I'd get the insurance

money, and you'd get the Buick.

That... that's just a little side

deal between me and you.

Hale doesn't need to know

about that one.

But that's real generous.

Goddamn, you're a greedy Jew, Ernest.

Well, I just love money.

It's true. It's true. I damn near

love it as much as I love my wife.

Ernest?

Yeah.

Come here.

What is it, huh?

Feeling better

than this morning, huh?

A little.

Yeah. You just... You just

need sleep, I tell you, hmm?

Sleep.

That's the first thing now.

I don't sleep anymore.

I know. I know. Just... Just try.

You try to get some rest, all right?

Come on, now.

I don't even know

if you love me anymore.

Mollie, of course I love you.

I need you here.

I'm right here, Mollie.

I am right here.

I love you.

Oh, you gonna

try to wake the kids up now.

You gonna wake the kids up.

Yeah. Yeah.

They're calling it "insulin."

It's from Toronto and costs dearly.

There ain't more than five

people that can afford it.

It ain't officially for sale yet, but

Bill Hale has seen to it for you.

Did you hear that, sweetheart?

This one. This one.

It's from a cow's pancreas.

- It'll come down to us - once a week.

- Mmm.

Look at that.

Wow. A cow's pancreas.

- Diabetes can be - an awful misery.

- Mmm.

- Have you eaten - in the last hour?

- No.

Lift your blouse, please.

There you go.

Have you had

anything to drink?

Goat's milk. Hotcakes.

Well, she's had, uh...

taffy and bacon too. Go on. Tell 'em.

You gotta tell 'em.

If you don't stop eating sweets,

this won't matter.

You will lose your feet, or

worse, if you eat like a white.

Hear that?

It's all right.

Goddamn it.

Hey, Blackie, stop! Blackie!

Oh, shit. Stop!

Goddamn it, Blackie!

Stop running!

- Where are you - gonna go to?

- You gotta catch me first!

Ooh, look at that.

Hey there.

You brought the Buick out, huh?

Get in. Get in.

Byron.

Brother, come here.

- Here?

- Yeah, right there.

Kneel, please, Ernest.

Kneel.

Did you make a deal

with Blackie Thompson

to steal your red roadster

and cash the insurance?

Um...

I, um...

Yes, I did.

Well, Blackie's been arrested

for stealing your car.

What were you supposed to do?

I was... I was supposed to feel

him out on, uh... on Bill and Reta.

So who takes care of Bill Smith

and his blanket now?

I... Hmm?

I don't know, sir.

Remove the book.

I...

I'm sorry.

All right, Brother. Stand up.

Stand up.

Elbows on the table.

I'm a 32nd degree Mason.

I am imbued

with confidence, trust and

responsibility, among other things.

Yes, sir.

You know what that is?

No, sir.

Shit!

Damn.

Now get up! Sit over there.

Are you challenged

to lead your house?

Mm-mmm. No.

She's hired

a private investigator

who noses and brings

unwanted eyes.

She got the tribal council to pay for

Barney McBride's trip to Washington.

- I know.

- She's a very hard-headed woman

and she's gonna make it

harder on you!

I'm sorry, King. You know

she's just... she's just stubborn.

Ernest, handsome son,

what do you think's gonna happen

to Mollie a-and all of them?

I love 'em, but in the

turning of the earth,

they're gonna go.

Their time is over.

That's it. Gone.

Ernest, there will be no lightning

strike and it stops happening.

It will happen.

These headrights

must go to Mollie,

not to the mother, not to

the sister, Reta, not Bill Smith.

Yes, sir.

You've got to take back control

of your home.

Now, you hear me, hmm?

- Yes, King.

- Hmm.

World champeen roper

Henry Grammer...

...finest and biggest

moonshine dealer in the county.

Look at all that blue.

Is that gold, Henry?

Better than gold.

It's recognition.

Now, Henry,

what I need is someone

who can do a job,

someone who can take a proposition

to do an old man and his blanket.

And I just don't want any man. I

need someone who can do it right.

'Cause I need them both to go

at the same time.

So it can't be poison whiskey

or something like that.

- It's gotta be foolproof.

- Mmm.

- Hey, John?

- Yeah.

Take this on up the house,

stash it for me.

Don't let Maggie see it.

Oh, now, she got eyes, Henry.

She caught me last time,

and I don't want that woman...

Give it to me.

Why don't y'all just go talk

to Blackie Thompson?

- Well...

- Blackie? Mmm.

Well, he's, uh... He's in...

in a penitentiary right now.

Tell him why.

Um...

Well, I messed up and, uh...

Go on. You tell him.

'Cause he had a harebrained idea

to get him nabbed

on insurance money on his car.

- That's bad luck.

- I'll say.

There's Dick Gregg.

No. Dick's wanted in Arkansas.

Hell, he's wanted in Kansas.

Son of a bitch is so hid,

he can't even find himself.

You need a yegg man...

somebody,

if youse want explosives,

who'd make damn sure you get in

there and get them both, same time.

Soup under the house.

Nitro or dynamite.

Blow 'em up.

I think that'd be Acie Kirby.

- Acie?

- Oh, yeah.

- Where's he at?

- I don't really know.

He's pretty squirrelly.

The son of a bitch right there

might though.

- Hey, John?

- Yeah.

Where's Acie Kirby hiding out

these days?

I don't rightly know. Hiding out in

his old hole somewhere, I suspect.

Why don't you take your

skinny ass up to the barn,

see if you can find a shovel

and go dig him up?

Mmm. Now?

All right. I'll ask around,

see if I can find him.

Acie Kirby.

Acie. That's your man.

Ready?

Come on.

- Afternoon, ma'am.

- Mrs. Burkhart.

Set up right here. All right.

Tsk, tsk.

What?

Fellas, I'm gonna have to ask

you to just step outside for me a minute...

...while I speak to my wife.

- Outside?

- Of course, Ernest.

Just for a minute.

Well...

What now? What now?

We need

the shots and the insulin.

What then, Mollie? What?

All right.

All right, all right.

So, fellas, uh, just give me that.

I'm gonna go ahead and do it.

You're administering the shot?

Yeah. Yeah.

Ernest, Bill Hale has

entrusted us with this care.

I know, I know. It's just the

way it's going right now, all right?

We're still gonna

have to charge you for this visit.

We made the trip out here.

Gas, time...

Fuck a duck. You're gonna

charge me for this robbery? Is that it?

It's only right.

Give me that.

I'll get it back to you. Go on

now. Get outta here. Go on.

Goddamn it.

There you go.

- Made me send the doctors away.

- The doctors.

What, am I a doctor?

Are you a doctor?

Stupid, stubborn bitch ought

to let them men do their work.

That's what you should do...

So I'm the doctor now?

I'm the doctor and the nurse

and the housekeeper, babysitter,

God knows what else all, right?

It's not helping.

It's not any good.

King Hale has gifted this

to you.

He has gifted this. You...

Five people in the whole world

are getting this,

and you're one of them, Mollie.

You're one of the lucky ones.

Think of the children.

That's gonna save your life

right there.

But no, no, you think

you know everything, right?

With your...

With your Indian ways.

You think you're gonna get

better with all them medicine men

and all them roots and all them

herbs and all the...

All that horseshit?

You ain't, Mollie!

That's real medicine!

You think... You think

someone's gonna hurt you?

You think... You think

I'm gonna hurt you?

You don't say nothing to that?

Give it a chance now, all right?

Maybe it's gotta get worse

before it gets better, Mollie.

I am to take care of you.

No one... No one is gonna

hurt you when I'm in front.

Open. Ah. Ah.

How are you feeling, Henry?

Good.

Well, sometimes I feel sad.

That's not a health issue

for us.

Oh, he's fit as a fiddle. Come

on, Henry, he's healthy as a horse.

That he is, Bill. So what are you

gonna do? You gonna kill this Indian?

How'd you know?

Better watch out.

Well, no, he just needs

to be insured, that's all.

It's just a formality,

but he needs it.

Well, what about my melancholy?

A little whiskey can help that.

You better watch out.

I don't know, Bill.

It may not look very good.

It's hard to justify this one.

He owes me a lot of money.

Bill, my guardian won't give me

what's mine.

What do you need?

I wanna buy some moonshine.

No, no, Henry. You don't

need that stuff. It's hurting you.

Doctor said I should use it.

I don't care what he says.

He don't know what the hell

he's talking about.

- Come on, Henry.

- Hi, Pearl.

- My wife's on Roy Bunch.

- What?

My wife's on Roy Bunch.

Who cares about Roy Bunch?

You got women all over you,

my friend. You're lucky with that.

And be at peace with what you

have. And don't do anything stupid.

I wanna hurt myself.

That's not a man's way out.

A man's to get what's his.

They won't give that to me.

A wife's to give respect.

I don't wanna be here anymore.

I'm ashamed. I'm ashamed

to be an Osage Indian.

Just give me some moonshine

or get me a gun.

Now, Henry... Now, Henry,

you have a good time with Pearl.

Don't you do anything stupid,

you hear?

I need you, my friend.

I need you.

Henry, no! What you doing

here, Henry? Henry, no.

- What do you think - you're doing?

- Henry, stop it!

- Think you can touch - my wife?

- Get him off me!

You stay off my wife!

You stay off my wife!

I've done nothing to

you. You're the...

I'm tired of asking friends for

things when I can pay my own way.

Henry, you've got

to bring your guardian.

Who tells you how to spend

your own money?

Just stop, Henry.

My ancestors had a free life

before you got off your stinky boats.

You think

you're better than me, huh?

- Think you're better than me?

- Come on.

I told you not to do anything stupid.

You went and hit Roy Bunch. Come on.

I knocked him down, Reverend

Hale. I knocked him down.

Why do you take care of him?

'Cause he's a melancholic.

You know he tried to do

away with himself last year?

Oh, yeah?

I take care of that man

because he's my neighbor

and he's my best friend.

That's $25,000 laying there.

I got an insurance policy

on him.

It's against what he owes me.

So, if he succeeds in demising himself

before the end of the year, I forfeit.

Hmm.

So, he needs to stay alive

at least a few more months.

I might even get a chance

at his headrights.

Something you should know...

Hmm?

Mollie's first husband is that

man right there on the floor.

What do you mean,

"first husband"?

Osage, they don't divorce.

And they were. They were married

in a ceremony on the reservation.

What do you mean? You... She...

You mean, she's still married to him?

No, no. They were 15. It's

traditional. Doesn't mean anything...

If I was married, I'd be telling

her that. She didn't tell me that.

How's she treatin' you?

She treats me just fine.

She's a good one, you know.

Well, you let her have

her secrets.

That way, you have yours.

Is there anyone?

Pitts Beaty's trying

to get his Klan

to find the killers

who killed Anna.

He said they're... they're helping to

take the lazy men away from town.

Well, Pitts and his Klan are trying to

have authority here, and they have none.

They need to let the police

do their job.

I'm very disapproving

of the Ku Klux Klan, Mollie.

They're very hungry for a power.

- And they ain't gonna get it.

- Hmm.

Is there anyone?

The tribe tried Barney McBride.

He didn't come back.

We hired a private investigator, but...

You paid him?

- Yes.

- Well, he ran off, didn't he?

Ernest, he ran off.

Ernest, he ran off.

- Yeah. Yeah.

- Yeah.

Seems that way, King.

Seems that way.

Seems that way. Mm-hmm.

I think we should be

a little more considerate

about how we spend

Mollie's money, Ernest.

I don't mean that as a

criticism, I'm just saying.

You bought a farm. Yeah.

Okay. You didn't consult me.

Maybe you should've consulted me

because I'm there for you, Ernest.

I'm there for both of you.

You met Mollie because of me.

You're here because of me.

Let me help you. Let me give you

my advice, my consultation.

Judson, he didn't tell me about

a hog sickness that was going on,

but now... I learned my lesson,

King. Won't happen again.

Just a bad investment,

that's all. Bad investment.

Mollie?

There's something different

about you tonight. What is it?

Uh... Well, now's a good a time

as any, so...

- Mollie, she's pregnant.

- What?

- Oh!

- Oh!

- Yeah.

- Oh, my goodness! Oh, my...

Yeah? That so?

Yeah.

Oh, my goodness.

Yeah, we got the... We got the

news that Mollie's having a baby, King.

Oh, my goodness.

Oh, my goodness.

Blessings.

Blessings upon this house.

- Wonderful. Congratulations.

- Thank you.

Bless you.

- Congratulations.

- Thanks.

- Congratulations.

- Congrats.

- Thank you.

- Congratulations.

We are just thrilled.

Thank you, Willie.

Henry! Oh, Henry. Come on in here.

We just got some wonderful news.

Mollie is pregnant again.

I have a feeling it's a girl. I

am never wrong about these things.

Congratulations.

I can feel it

in my bones.

...a baby quilt.

We'll pick out colors. We'll go to...

Congratulations.

We'll go

to the dry goods store...

Sorry to bother you.

Uncle, I just need to have

some words with you, please.

Of course, Henry. You just go

sit over there. I'll be right there.

I just gotta talk to them.

- You go.

- Wait for me there. - Thank you.

You been loving with her

in this sickness?

She's my wife, King.

It's, uh... That's what happens. Yeah.

Mmm, maybe it's just

a "preversion" of yours.

Yeah. God bless you

and the child.

First husband, huh?

You think that means

he's got a claim on the family?

Henry.

Uncle.

Ramsey, I know

you're in bad way in this life.

Lots of kids. Seven or eight,

I heard.

Yeah, I got a passel of 'em,

don't I?

King Bill Hale wants to know

if you'd like a job

getting someone done.

Oh, I can't do that. I didn't

sign on for that kind of work.

Well, it's an Indian.

Now, that's different.

You know Henry Roan?

Nah, I don't know him.

Well, what you think?

Lookee here.

I'm gonna take you right now.

I'm gonna buy you a roadster so you

can drive around and do this for him.

It's gonna take a lot more than a

roadster to get me out of the bind I'm in.

Well, we'll work something out.

I hope you don't rumble

over this killing neither.

The Indian, he's...

He's a melancholic.

He's tried to do away

with himself twice't already.

That's what Hale's been saying.

He even wants you to make it

like Roan did it to himself.

In the front of the head, you

understand? Front of the head.

Knights come marching in.

That's it, Pitts.

Hey, Ernest.

So Ernest had me meet this

Indian over at a restaurant in Fairfax.

- John.

- John Ramsey. John Ramsey.

- Henry. It's a pleasure.

- How you doing?

He sat down beside me, and I

smelled whiskey on his breath.

...you might be in the market

for a little hooch?

I told him

I could sell him some.

- Yeah.

- Yeah, I'm the man to see for that.

I told him to meet me out on the road

running through Sol Smith's pasture

about ten o'clock.

Whoo-hoo. Partner. Look what I

done found in the possum hole.

Come on. Don't be

stingy, now. - Yeah.

Mmm. Oh.

Boy, that'll make your liver

turn inside out.

A few times after I met this Indian,

well, we kind of got to liking one another,

what with his troubles

being respected and all.

And then sometimes

we'd go to Mrs. Mackie's place.

So he took it.

Can you imagine that?

What kind of sheriff goes around

selling cocaine? You tell me that.

Don't you tell me that.

This went on for a while.

I was trying to rib up

a little more courage,

and one day I decided to pull

the job, everything being favorable.

So I told this Indian

we get us a jug and some girls

and meet me out on the road

running through Smith's pasture.

Trust me, this is better

than the last stuff we had.

Goddamn.

- You got a minute?

- Yeah, yeah. Watch Cowboy for me.

What? What is it?

Where's Hale?

I don't know.

Whizbang, Pawhuska. What?

Tell him it's done.

You did it? You did it where?

Out on the road running through

Sol Smith's pasture. And that's it.

Take this.

I don't want it no more.

- John.

- I'm done with this outfit.

Henry Roan's dead.

Did he kill himself?

Don't know.

He was always sad.

Always.

You knew him well, right?

Since we were children.

Does your uncle know?

They were friends.

Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

He knows.

Was he murdered?

Don't know.

He tried

to kill himself last year.

Did you know that?

Mm-hmm.

Was he murdered or did

he kill himself? Do you know?

I...

I don't know.

You know, Roy Bunch, he was

making a lot of noise about killing him.

You know, he's on his wife,

so...

...don't need to look

too far, right?

Maybe he, uh, just killed

himself, you know, like you said.

It was supposed to be a suicide,

you dumbbell.

You didn't tell him

to leave the gun?

I told him to leave the gun.

I told him exac...

- You told him - to leave the gun?

- Just like you told me, King.

I don't know why he didn't.

I don't know why.

I told him

just like you told me.

You told him to do it

in the front of the head?

Then why'd he do it in the back?

It's so simple. The front is

the front, the back is the back!

Ma... He has to make it look

like he done it himself!

It just looks like murder. It's not

supposed to be that way, you hear?

I told him the front of the head.

Just like this. Just like you told me.

I promise you. I promise you.

I swear on my children.

- Don't do that.

- Calm down. Settle down. - I swear on my children, King.

And don't swear on your

children. Makes you look foolish.

I ain't. I ain't foolish

'cause I've done it right.

What is this, King?

'Fraid lights.

They're putting up lights

to keep the murder away.

Go, go, go.

There he is.

Pull up the car.

Hey, Roy! Roy!

This is not the place

you should be at right now.

And I have a line

that says you should leave town,

'cause the sheriff's office is

looking to charge you in this killing.

They know you was

on shooting terms with Henry.

If I run, I'm guilty. I ain't got

nothing to be guilty about.

If you run...

You don't run, you're gonna go to

prison for this, you done it or not.

Just... Just my friendly word.

I would run.

Thank you, Bill.

I don't think I will.

And you're not my friend.

Take my chances

right here in Fairfax.

You are of the Elder Sky People.

Little Anna...

...your name is Wah hre lum pa.

What is

this wasting illness, Mollie?

Wasting? Wasting away?

Minnie died from it.

Momma died from it too.

Anna was shot.

This blanket is

a target on our backs.

Why don't we just leave?

Go to Colorado Springs.

Look at me.

I can't make that trip.

How are you being

taken care of, Mollie?

I have Ernest and my children.

- Ernest takes care of me.

- The best he can.

- Nettie?

- Yes.

Can you get my sister

some toast, please?

- Of course. And a bit more coffee too?

- Thank you.

Little sister.

Thank you.

So you and Mollie

staying in town now too, huh?

Yeah, we're here now, so...

Hmm.

You made a nice place

for yourself, Bill. Real nice.

Thank you, Ernest. Shoun

brothers gave us a sweet deal

and they left some nice things

here for us too.

Is that right?

Well, not nearly as nice as what you've

been buying but good enough for us.

Well, you know Mollie.

She likes her nice things, so...

Not as much as you do.

Almost sounded to me like you...

...you was calling me a squaw man, Bill.

Oh, now, Ernest, that's something

I'd never call another man.

Right, right.

No offense taken.

You need a drink?

Yeah. I'll take a drink

if you got one.

No.

Then why di'ya ask?

Well, you seem nervous,

that's all.

See, the thing is, Bill, I

ain't got no nerves. None at all.

It's just that I don't like

talking to you.

That's mostly it.

Well, have I done something

to bother you, Ernest?

Something that's bothering me?

No, no. Just...

Just the way you are that

bothers me. That's what it is.

Well, Lord made me, Ernest.

Ain't nothing I can do about that.

No. There ain't.

Unless you aim to kill me.

Or is that

your big brother's job?

Mollie?

It's time to go, sweetheart.

- Jim?

- Myrtle?

If you have anything special

in the house,

get it out as soon as possible.

Okay.

David?

- You all right?

- Yeah.

I'm off to Fort Worth

for the Stock Show,

but I want you to find Acie Kirby

and tell him it's time on the Smith job.

- Mmm.

- You hear me?

I just don't know him.

I... I don't know Acie Kirby. Wh...

Where does he find Acie?

Just find John Ramsey.

He'll know.

You got that? Find John Ramsey.

Tell Ramsey to tell Acie it's time.

We're off to Fort Worth.

We're off to Fort Worth.

Look at me

like this makes sense.

I am. I understand. I'll

find Ramsey and I'll tell him.

Okay.

- Uh, John?

- Yeah, that's me.

I got a message for you

from King Hale.

He wants you to find Acie Kirby

and tell him to take care

of Bill and Reta, all right?

- It's time now, John.

- I can't do it right now. My wife's sick.

Well, my wife's sick too.

My wife's sick too.

Why don't you do it?

Why are you always trying to get

somebody like me to do your work for you?

Well, 'cause I don't know...

I don't know Acie Kirby.

I don't know

what he looks like even, right?

I would do it, but I can't do it 'cause I

don't know what he looks like, John.

- All right.

- I'm sorry.

All right. I'll do it,

but I can't do it right now.

You can't get to it right now,

so you know,

this needs to be done straightaway,

not to wait on it, for Hale.

It has to be done straightaway.

Right now.

You know, you're being

mighty pushy, Ernest.

- I gotta get back to work.

- Let me tell you something.

You got one more chance, John.

This is it. One more chance.

I'ma talk to King Hale. I'ma tell

him you're gonna do it right now.

I don't wanna lose this job.

John, you ain't got no choice!

It's time.

- Tryin' to be nice to you now.

- I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna fix it.

I'm tryin' to be nice

to you, John!

- I'm doing it. I said I'm gonna do it.

- Yeah, you best do it.

Right now, John. Right now.

Acie. Acie.

Yeah.

It's John. Don't shoot.

You got your soup with you?

Momma! Mommy!

Where were you, huh?

I was at Reta's.

Well, you're supposed

to be home.

Come on.

- Cowboy had an earache.

- Oh, boy. Really?

And you know Bill ain't too

kind to Reta when I'm not there.

Listen, Mollie,

I... I...

I don't want you going out so much

right now, with all that's going on.

But I was just at my sister's.

You and the kids stay

in the house.

All right?

- Oh, Lord!

- What was that? What was that?

I don't know! I don't know.

- Vera!

- Oh, Lord.

Vera!

Lizzie!

- What happened?

- Cowboy to Mommy.

This is just like Tulsa.

It's just like Tulsa.

Careful,

there's glass everywhere!

Where the hell

did that come from?

Whose house is it?

Whose house is it?

It's Bill and Reta's!

Bill and Reta's house.

Nettie stays in the back room,

that way!

Nettie's

back there!

Nettie Berkshire!

She lives here!

Nettie!

- Nettie!

- That's Bill Smith!

Shoot me! Shoot me!

Shoot me, goddamn it!

Shoot me!

It's Reta!

Reta's over here!

It's Reta, come on! It's Reta!

- Can you hear me, Reta?

- Reta. Reta. Reta.

Reta.

I think she's dead.

Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!

Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!

Mommy! Mommy!

Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!

Ernest?

Welcome to the

Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo.

We invite you to head on over to ring 1

and meet rodeo champion Henry Grammer.

Get your autographs, be seen,

and talk with the man

up over there in ring 1.

Too much dynamite.

You know, you're pronouncing

yourself too much, Bill.

Nettie, the maid.

They're still finding

pieces of her.

Mollie Burkhart, incompetent.

Allotment number 285.

Three, two, one.

You want $300

to go to Washington, D.C.?

Yes.

Well, that's a hard trip

for an ailing woman, Mollie.

And I can't let you have

this money or make this trip.

That would do a disservice

to you and your children.

I want to go now because I

will not be alive much longer.

This may be the last thing I do.

It's nice to see you.

Thank you, Chief.

Thank you for your... Chief Bonnicastle.

President

Coolidge, ladies and gentlemen,

please, look this way.

Three, two, one.

Mr. President, Mollie Burkhart.

Please send help.

There's murder in Osage,

and the police do nothing.

I lost my mother and my sisters.

So many Osage are killed

for the oil money. Please.

Yes.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Keep giving

your wife her insulin...

and, uh, add this.

That's this whole vial.

Now, make sure you get

the balance right, Ernest.

Now, you keep the shots regular.

It's just to slow her down.

That's all

it's gonna do. Slow her down.

Mm-hmm.

That's all it'll do.

Same time every

day, 30 minutes before a meal.

The whole vial.

Ernest,

you believe in the Bible?

- Mmm. Yeah.

- Miracles of old?

Mmm.

Expecting a miracle

to make all this go away?

- Mm-mmm.

- You know they don't happen anymore.

I know.

I know, King. She's, uh...

She's gone to Washington, so...

Just gotta...

s... slow her down, right?

Yep.

Just gonna slow her down some.

I'm afraid, Sho-meen-kah.

What are you afraid of?

I'm afraid to eat in my house.

Why are you afraid

to eat in your own house?

I'm afraid.

Do you have any

idea who might want to harm you?

I wanna bring the upstairs

bed down, into the back room.

We will eat food only

made by Vera, no one else.

Baby Anna is sick

with whooping cough.

She needs care.

I want her to live with

Brother and Sister Bigheart.

This will make her better.

It'll cure her cough.

Mommy!

Ernest, you pick up my insulin

from the train, you alone.

Do not take it

from the Shoun brothers.

Yes, Mollie.

My mother came to me.

She asked me to dance with her.

I told her

I can't dance anymore.

She told me I was dying.

She didn't want me to die alone.

Well, dreams, they can

make you feel like dying...

...for just a little while,

and then... then you come back.

Hmm?

She said the man is here.

What man?

The man in the hat.

- Hmm.

- I wanna talk to the man in the hat.

Well, there's a lot of

fellas with hats, right?

Shh.

Shh, shh, shh.

You just rest.

Mr. Burkhart?

Who is that?

My name's Tom White. I'm with

the Bureau of Investigation.

How do you do?

Bureau... What? What is that?

Oh, I was sent down from Washington,

D.C., to see about these murders.

Hmm. To see...

see what about 'em?

See who's doing it.

Mmm.

You a detective? Mmm.

- You a Pinkerton? What are you?

- No, sir, I was a Texas Ranger.

I'm now with

the federal government.

It's called

the Bureau of Investigation.

Um...

I tell you what,

if you got questions...

If you got questions, uh,

y'all go talk to the sheriff.

He can probably tell you

what you need to know.

Oh, yes, sir, I have, uh...

I talked to him.

But I'm here to speak with Mollie Burkhart

whose... whose sisters and mother is dead.

Yeah, Mollie? Yeah, no, she's

my... She's my wife.

She's... She's sick, real sick right now.

I'm... I'm her husband Ernest Burkhart, so...

You can call on her

another time.

But right now,

I don't know what to tell you.

She's not doing too well, so...

How's tomorrow?

Tomorrow? Well, it's... That...

That's too soon.

It's just... ...like I

said, she's not... not doing too well.

But you can come back... Come

back on Friday, how about that?

Well, is she home right now?

Well, she... she...

She got the diabetes,

you understand? Yeah.

- Oh, does she?

- Yeah. Yeah.

She's resting right now,

and I'm caring for her, so...

Well, you come back on Friday,

all right?

- Friday?

- Yeah. Friday.

I'll do that. Thank you, sir.

This is John Wren.

Friend of Cousin Mary.

He's come looking for family.

- - Welcome to Osage country.

- Thank you.

Welcome to Fairfax.

Welcome to Wahzhazhe land.

Yeah, thank you. I've been told I

have Osage relations in Hominy.

Where are you from?

I gotta talk to you, King.

Gotta talk to you. Sorry about that.

- Not now.

- No, I can't wait.

I gotta talk to you... You're

gonna have to wait.

Can't wait. They came to my

house. They came to my house.

- What is the matter - with you?

- Gotta talk to you.

What's the matter?

Ernest.

I'm worried, King. They came to

my house. They came in the house.

Private investigators.

- Your house?

- My house, yeah.

- Who told you that?

- I don't know what they wanted.

- They just... They...

- They came to my house. - You... What'd you do?

Look, I'm getting worried, all

right? They knew something.

- They're gonna know - we did something.

- Settle down.

King, we gotta talk

about this right now.

You've got to settle down.

Settle down.

- Do you understand me?

- I do. I do.

- Get hold of yourself.

- I am.

Get hold of yourself

and settle down.

I'm trying.

I am trying, but you... Settle down.

When are we... When are we

gonna talk... Right now. Now. Now!

- We'll talk later.

- Not now. Not now. - All right, all right.

King, wha... Not now.

Are you

here because McBride was killed?

That white man?

Or is it because we had to go

to Washington

and pay United States government

$20,000 to get you here?

Well, I don't believe it's too late

to find out who's been doing this.

- Um...

- Who?

We have so many deaths,

we've lost count.

We have hundreds down.

In the old days,

we would fight these people.

Twenty years ago, when I fought

overseas in the Boxer Rebellion,

I could see my enemy,

and I knew who I had to kill.

If we could find these people,

we would kill them.

No, no, no, no. It's $25,000

come due on Henry Roan.

He's been dead months.

He's been dead months.

Please, just give me

my Henry Roan money.

You're gonna have to argue that out

with Denver. They're contesting the claim.

- Who are you?

- I'm J.T. Jones, from the Denver office.

Well, J.T. Jones,

I want to tell you something.

This is a Fairfax problem.

It's not a Denver problem.

The claim went to Denver.

They are contesting it.

You keep saying Denver.

It's not Denver, it's Fairfax.

Now, I want my Roan

money, please. Write that note.

Mr. Hale, I'm sorry, but until

I hear from Denver, I can't...

- Do you know who I am?

- Yes, sir.

You're not gonna honor this?

You're not gonna give me that money?

- No, sir.

- Well, you're gonna regret this.

You're gonna regret this,

Mr. Insurance Man.

Gentlemen, come in.

- Hey, Mr. Hale?

- Yeah.

CJ Robinson's here to see you.

- Mr. Hale.

- CJ.

Wanna make a price on this?

Well, thought

I'd take a look first.

All right. Make it quick.

Not too long.

She has no face.

They took her head.

We didn't smoke her to the sky.

Wah-kon-tah won't know her.

We smoked the house.

We smoked the house, darling. You

jus... just don't remember, that's all.

You don't remember.

We... We was there with Bill and...

and Reta and Joseph and Bertha.

We... We was all there together.

We was there together for hours.

It's just...

You don't remember, that's all.

Mollie?

You just rest now.

James and David Shoun,

Bureau of Investigation.

We'd like to ask you a few questions

about the death of Anna Brown.

Get dressed.

We'll be right back.

I think you need to see the, uh,

justice of the peace.

He has the inquest records

about Anna Brown's death.

Those records have gone missing

from his desk.

- So, then you need the undertaker, Turton.

- Turton.

Yeah, he, uh... He has

all the details you might need.

- Uh... He kept the skull, - didn't he, David?

- Oh, yes. Yes.

Seen him too, and that's

what brings us to you.

Possible you lost the bullet

that killed her?

Well,

no, because we never found it.

That's why you were tearing up

the brain, looking for the bullet?

Yes, that's right.

The condition of the corpse was so bad

because she had been dead for five or...

- Six. Six days.

- Six days.

And, uh, then we exhumed her.

Why did you cut the body up

into small pieces

and cleave the flesh from

the limbs with a meat axe?

We were looking for the bullet.

Uh-huh.

We couldn't find it.

Yeah.

You know, this is a matter

for the Indian tribal council.

You should see Chief...

- Bonnicastle.

- Bonnicastle.

Oh, what's he gonna tell me?

This is Indian country.

Go talk to the Indian.

Excuse us, gentlemen.

Well, well, well.

What took you so long

to get here?

Well, I was just assigned

to come down here a week ago.

Oh. Assigned by who?

The president?

No, sir. By J. Edgar Hoover.

Well, I don't know him.

Well, uh, I hear you're

the king of the Osage Hills,

and you might be

the man to talk to.

I can give you

my opinion.

Most likely this death business

is at the hands of a band of

men from outside these parts,

possibly Nigras.

You saw what happened in Tulsa?

Yes, sir.

Then again,

there's just bad luck.

Mmm.

Anna Brown, nasty mouth.

A friend, but a nasty mouth.

Bound to happen.

Henry Roan, he was a

melancholic. You must know that.

Then, of course,

there was Charlie Whitehorn,

one of the nicest people

you'd ever know.

What about the other dead Osage?

- Twenty-five, it's gotta be - almost 30 now.

- Yeah. Yeah.

It seems more like an epidemic

than bad luck to me.

Yeah, it seems to me you need to

speak with our justice of the peace.

I did. Uh, I visited with him,

and he was not very helpful.

He wasn't?

Principal Chief?

I visited with him too.

They said to...

...come see you.

Well, we want to put a finish

to this death business,

but this isn't the place

to do it.

I'd be happy to talk to you and answer

any questions, whenever you have them.

We can meet somewhere else. But

here...? Not quite the place.

Hmm.

I guess I-I'll find you

at a later date.

Thank you for your time, and

I'm sorry to disturb your shave.

Oh, that's all right. That's all

right. I'll wait to hear from you.

Hey, Blackie.

Don't turn.

Government men have been

coming around. Stirring.

I've done my time.

No use staying around

someplace when there's trouble.

I owe you for what you've done

for my nephew.

You stood pat

on that roadster debacle.

Just spend time down

someplace else. Stay out of town.

That place might be Drumright.

- Drumright?

- Drumright.

Try and get there early.

Nigra janitor opens at sunrise.

Appreciate the payday.

Goddamnit!

- Hands in the air!

- Don't you move!

Damn it.

Plié and straight.

Plié and straight.

Thank you, Bill, for

your support of this town

and all the things you've done

for this community.

And now this beautiful

dance school.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Mr. Bill Hale, our sponsor.

We brought you an offering

to invite you into our home,

to bless us with medicine.

You made this?

Did your girls get a pony?

- Yes, they did.

- Thank you, Bill. - Course, course.

Uh, Bob, I'd like you to keep a

watchful eye on your business tonight.

Yeah, I've heard that they're setting

up a robbery of your store at 11:00 p.m.

So, maybe it's those gems

you stashed.

Two whites and a Nigra.

Thank you, brother.

Course.

Acie, here's the rest I owe you,

with great appreciation.

You aware there's

federal agents around, right?

- Uh-huh.

- They're looking into that blast.

Well, this ain't federal land.

This is Indian land,

so there's no trouble

that can come.

Good time to take a trip.

I have a nice opportunity for you if

you'll let me tell you of something.

Hmm?

- Sure.

- Okay.

C'mon!

Stop,

you thieving bastards!

How do you do, sir?

Is this Henry Grammer's setup?

Any idea where

we could find him?

An angel done come down and wrapped

her big old wings right in his chest.

Now he's down with the snakes.

When this happen?

Yesterday.

Put that away, brother.

- What?

- Come on outside.

Goddamn it. I quit.

What is it?

Hey, Byron.

What is it?

Ernest,

if you're charged,

if anything happens, you're

gonna beat it. It's okay.

What are you... You're gonna beat it.

What are you talking about?

What are they gonna charge me

with? What could they charge me with?

Ernest, I have many friends.

Many, many friends.

That means I have

the best attorneys.

They protect me,

and they're gonna protect you.

So you don't have to worry.

Nobody's coming after you, Son. Nobody.

Thank you, King.

- What?

- It's a... just a...

What? What is it? What?

His stomach's all torn up.

- You all right?

- Yeah... ...Myrtie's a mess.

- Willie is hysterical. And I didn't...

- I don't know how to...

I don't know

what to do about it, but...

But you need...

You need to sign this here now.

Something happens to you, the

headrights got to stay in the family.

This is the only way to do it.

They got to stay in the family.

You know that.

Well, well... What if something

happens to me... What...

If something happens to me,

what? What... What would happen to me?

Nothing's gonna happen to you.

It's just... just a formality.

Nothing's gonna happen to you

because I'm gonna make sure

nothing's gonna happen to you.

You, did you...

Did you sign this paper?

Oh, yeah, he signed it.

Yeah, he signed.

My wife's not sick.

His wife's not sick,

but he signed it.

We all have to sign this.

This way, for sure,

the money stays in the family.

Mmm.

- Hmm.

- Hey, Son...

Hey, Byron, give us a minute.

Sure, King.

You all right?

Yeah, I'm... I'm...

I'm... I'm fine, I guess.

Mmm. You're not afraid? 'Cause

there's no reason to be afraid.

No. I'm not...

You giving her the shots?

- Shots? Yeah.

- Mm-hmm.

Yeah, I'm doing wha... I'm doing

what I'm supposed to be doing.

Giving her all of it?

Yeah. Yeah.

You just gotta remember

to give her all of it.

I am, King. I am.

I'm doing like we said. I'm

keeping her... I'm keeping her quiet.

She's... She's quiet.

Well, just make sure

you do it. Hmm.

Now, Ernest, I know you love

Mollie, and I know I love her too.

But the truth is

she gonna pass on.

You know that.

There's nothing we can do

about that. It's in God's hands.

And he's waiting on her now.

Now, you... You got to stay by her side and

give her this medicine to ease her pain.

And you're never gonna regret

spending this time with her

before she returns to the eternal.

You're never gonna regret that.

And you're strong now.

Right? You're strong.

Yeah.

Be there for her.

And you need to sign this.

- You want me - to sign that? Hmm.

- You have to sign it, Son.

All right, King.

Evening, boys.

John.

This is what I got so far.

I was over in Ralston yesterday.

I met this old-timer

by the name of Alvin Reynolds.

Told me a lot.

I knew

every Indian they murdered.

That bunch would give poisoned liquor

to dogs just to see what would happen.

They'd even kill coyotes.

I don't care so much

about coyotes,

but it ain't right to kill 'em like that

when they could have a natural death.

My son-in-law tells me

I ought to keep quiet

or that bunch will come

after me and kill me too.

But my time is up already,

so I'm gonna tell you who did it.

I was sitting right here,

and I saw Byron Burkhart driving

Anna Brown right down this road.

Kelsie Morrison and his wife

was in the back seat.

They took Anna and got her

good and drunk.

And they were all together.

Kelsie, Byron and Anna.

I ain't lying.

Kelsie Morrison?

Kelsie Morrison runs dope and whiskey

from Fort Worth to New Orleans to Dallas.

You remember Bill Stepson,

the rodeo roper?

Bill Stepson died of corn whiskey.

There was no investigation.

Bill's wife was Tillie Stepson.

Kelsie drops his first wife Catherine

and marries Tillie

two weeks after Bill dies.

Two months after that,

Tillie dies from poison.

Kelsie runs off with

Tillie's kids down to Mexico,

but he comes back 'cause

some smart lawyer tells him

he's gonna be in much

bigger trouble if he doesn't.

So my dead wife has two kids,

and they have my name.

So, if I adopted them proper,

and if these two kids were to

die, would I inherit their estates?

They're Osage.

Well, one of them's half Osage,

but they have headrights.

Kelsie, you realize

that this indicates to me

that you're planning on adopting

and killing these children?

No, not if it's not legal

and I don't get the money.

Then I'm not gonna do it.

Kelsie Morrison?

- Who?

- Kelsie Morrison.

My name is Lloyd Miller.

Oh. Oh, come on over here, Lloyd.

We wanna talk to you about that.

I always admired

Kelsie's ambition.

Told him so, and he thanked me.

Kelsie, I have always admired

your ambition.

Thank you.

What can you tell us

about Byron and Ernest Burkhart

and those murders?

Byron and Ernest Burkhart?

I think we can

help each other out here.

I'm in real good

with the people now.

The Wahzhazhe,

they tell me things.

I'm a trusted friend of Father

Albert too. He confided in me.

Told me everything that was

going on with Mollie Burkhart.

Said she fears for her life.

He say who

she was most afraid of?

Come on now, Tom.

You got a better chance of

convicting a guy for kicking a dog

than killing an Indian.

That's Bill Hale's ranch.

I sold him a $30,000

fire policy last month.

Well, Mr. Insurance Man, looks

like you got some work in the morning.

You're next.

Well...

here we go.

Here we go, huh? Well...

I got something to tell you.

You, uh...

I got something to tell you.

My wife's... My wife's real sick.

I got... I gotta get home and

see my wife. She's real sick.

S-Son? Come... Come with me now.

Gotta go talk to my wife. She's,

uh... She's not doing too well, so...

We're gonna go home, and, uh...

We're gonna go home and...

and take care of her, right?

All right, Son. Boy.

You got this all wrong.

You got this all wrong.

Whatever you think you know,

you don't know.

Son, you go with him,

all right? All right.

My wife, she's real sick!

Been real sick.

Can I, uh...

Can I sit down?

Standing's good.

Wanna talk to you about the murders

of Reta and Bill Smith, and Anna Brown.

I need to sit down.

Yes, you do.

But you're standing.

I'm standing now,

but I'm gonna have to get

some sleep.

You can't be holding me here

like this... ...much longer.

Were you alone when you put

the explosives under the house

or was Blackie Thompson

with you?

Who?

Blackie Thompson.

No. He was nowhere around me.

Mm-hmm.

I don't even know him so much,

just... just from around town. That's all.

And did you put the explosives

under the house?

I don't know nothing

about no explosives.

You didn't rob a bank

in Oilton with him, did you?

No.

You did, uh,

help Blackie Thompson

steal your own Buick in 1921

for the purposes of collecting

insurance money on it, didn't you?

Uhm-uhm.

- You didn't?

- Uhm-uhm.

I let him use my bucket

for a while, but that's...

I told him he could

ride around. But, uh...

What did he want it for?

I don't know

what he wanted it fer.

That ain't my business.

Probably to enjoy hisself.

If a man wanted to borrow my car, I

might ask him what he wanted it for.

Hmm.

Someti... Sometimes people

just wanna take a ride.

I don't ask no questions.

So you loaned it to him? You

didn't ask him what it was for?

Yeah.

Just a neighborly guy.

- You got me.

- I loaned it to him.

I loaned it to him. I guess

that's against the law, right?

All right.

How are you doing, Ernest?

Blackie.

Um, uh...

May I talk to this man?

May I talk to this man alone

for... for a while?

They got you turned around?

Me turned around?

No, they ain't got me

turned around, Blackie.

Go on now. What'd

you tell 'em? What'd you tell 'em?

I told them when I came out of

prison, to make things right with you,

you gave me $1.50.

You just told us we all knew

the chances we were taking.

Yeah, we did. We knew

the chances we were taking.

But I didn't give you $1.50,

I gave you a twenty.

No, you didn't. It was $1.50.

I didn't give you $1.50. I gave

you a t... I meant to give you a tw...

Nah, I did give you a twenty. No, I

remember now. I gave you a twenty.

- Bullshit.

- Listen.

You gotta just...

You gotta tell me what you told them,

Blackie. All of it. What you tell them?

- I told them all of it.

- All of it?

I told all of it. I told them how you and

your uncle are too much goddamn Jew.

Jew?

Yeah, I'm sitting here doing

life for that Drumright cop.

Well, I'm telling you

right now, Ernest.

You can't handle

any prison, boy.

You're better off

telling them what you know,

for your sake, for your family's

sake, and for your pleasure.

Y-Y-You know something.

Youse is as dumb as a washboard.

- You know that?

- Oh, am I?

Yeah, you go on yapping first

chance you get, huh, Blackie?

We...

We were supposed to be partners.

It ain't my fault

that you... Partners?

It ain't my fault you got caught

with the car, you dumbbell.

Call me a goddamn partner?

You didn't give me shit.

Oh, let me tell you something.

Hale's got a whole plan.

And I'm gonna talk to him,

make sure you ain't a part of it

'cause you're so thick

in the head.

He always said you was thick

in the head. You know that?

This is the plan. I'm sitting

here because of his plan.

Mollie...

Are you real?

I could be real.

All right, all right.

That... That's enough.

Ernest, you're a good man,

aren't you?

Yes, sir. I am. I suppose so.

You suppose so?

Are you or aren't you?

I am, sir. I am.

You love your wife and children?

Yes, sir. I do.

You served your country

in infantry and...

and I don't think this is how

your life was meant to turn out.

Now, it seems to me

your family back home,

they're more of a blessing to

you than your uncle, King Bill Hale.

You and I both know he presents

himself as a very righteous man.

And that's just not who he is.

He's done nothing for you, son...

except...

make you do bad things

and take advantage of you

because of your... disposition.

So what do you say

we start over?

I, uh...

I wanna get home to see my wife,

so you, uh...

you tell me what I gotta do.

You know who killed Henry Roan?

Don't you run now.

I'm here to take you in.

I understand you know

something about the Henry Roan murder?

Why, I don't know nothing

about it.

Well, I have a man here

who says he's your friend,

who says you do know something

about it.

Who is he?

So this is on my neck?

Yes, sir.

Get your pencils.

Where's my husband?

Does she have a doctor?

No. She won't see one.

Let's take her.

Are you real?

Ready?

Ma'am.

Where's my husband?

We're gonna get you some help.

Mrs. Burkhart. Mrs. Burkhart.

I need heroin, two milligrams.

You want protection?

- Mm-hmm.

- From who?

From, um... From my uncle.

- Hey, Harve.

- Bill.

I understand I'm wanted. Well,

I'm here to turn myself in.

Wh... What you supposed

to have done?

Killed somebody,

if you can believe it.

Oh, now, Bill,

I wouldn't go that far.

Arrest me, son.

Uh... We don't need to do that.

Oh, it's all right.

Come on, son.

- Mr. Hale, a statement?

- Mr. Hale!

What do you know

about the murders?

Just a statement?

Just, "I'm innocent"?

Innocent as a

newborn baby. Even more.

Mr. Hale! Mr. Hale!

When am I gonna

get to talk to my wife?

You told me if I testified,

I could see my wife.

Well, she is in the hospital

in Pawhuska right now.

She's in the hospital?

Is she all right?

She doesn't seem it.

You tell her I wanna get a

letter to her. I got a letter...

Where they

taking you, Mr. Burkhart?

I'm, uh... I'm going the

other way for a while now.

Where are they taking you, sir?

Where are you taking me?

We're not charging you with

anything because you're going to testify.

I know you wanna get back

to Mollie and the kids,

but right now it's best we

take you out of state for a while,

keep Hale and his wolves at bay.

Understand?

Just for the record,

where are you currently residing?

Penitentiary.

- - Serving for how long?

- Got a life sentence.

- For the Drumright job, right?

- Yes, sir.

And that was William Hale

that arranged that, right?

That he did. Yeah, that he did.

Funny, ain't it?

Take a letter.

"Judge not" by William K. Hale.

Who asked you to kill

Bill and Reta Smith?

William Hale

and Ernest Burkhart.

Have you had any recent contact

with Mr. Hale?

Yeah, I have.

Matter of fact, I have.

He got a note to my jail cell.

Asked me to kill his nephew, Ernest.

Mr. Thompson.

The vilest criminal

may rightfully demand a chance

to prove his innocence by

a jury of his land. Judge not.

Yeah, he got a note to my jail

cell saying he could help me exscape.

And when I got out, take his nephew

Ernest to old Mexico and kill him.

I sent a note back saying that I

wouldn't testify if he got me out.

And how did that work out

for you?

How did what work out for me?

Mr. Hale's promise

for a grand escape.

Shit, I'm sitting here

talking to you, ain't I?

Damn, it didn't work out

too well.

Judge not.

Put that in

the Pawhuska Daily Journal,

Fairfax Chief,

The Hominy Journal,

and The Osage County News.

Yes, Mr. Hale.

Your mama's walking.

Doesn't she look wonderful?

Hold steady, son.

Narrow is the way.

I demand to confer privately

with Mr. Burkhart!

This is unheard of.

Ernest Burkhart is my client!

The rules prohibit this.

I demand the opportunity

to speak with Mr. Burkhart!

This man cannot represent both

the defendant and the witness.

It is a conflict.

He has been missing

for two months!

And I have not had a chance to

communicate with him before he testifies!

This is tantamount

to witness tampering!

Mr. Burkhart, is this man

really your attorney?

I don't know.

I don't have

a contract with him, but, uh...

I'm willing to sp...

talk to him. Yeah.

The

rules prohibit this, Your Honor.

The prosecution will not allow

any conference between

Mr. Hamilton and this witness

before the beginning

of these proceedings!

The

Wahzhazhe people deserve justice!

Give him to us!

I'll be his executioner!

Mr. Burkhart will be remanded

over to the custody of the marshals.

Marshals, get him out of here.

Court is adjourned until ten o'clock

tomorrow. Clear the courtroom.

I'm sorry...

for all troubles.

I'll take you home now.

Brother.

Brother.

Freeling and Hamilton wanna

see you at Hale's tonight.

Talk things over.

Sheriff.

Ernest.

Aunt Myrtie.

Ernest, uh, you know

Mr. Solowey? Uh, Solowey Oil?

And, uh, of course,

Mr. Kraceon, Kraceon Oil.

Here. Come sit.

If you testify

against your uncle,

you realize that this can be held

against you for the rest of your life

and you can be convicted

for the Smith murder,

spend the rest of your days

in prison? Do you see that?

No, I suppose I didn't

think that through too much. But, uh...

They're giving you the rope to

hang yourself. Do you see that?

He doesn't see that.

He doesn't see that.

- Ernest!

- Yeah. Yeah.

If you do this, you will

be murdering your uncle.

Ernest, you wanna do that,

have him die in prison?

Do you, Ernest?

No. Course... Course I don't want

that, Myrtie. You know I don't want that.

Yes. You have all the power

to save his life.

He is saving you, dumb boy!

Do you wanna go home right now?

Yes. Yes, I do.

- Wanna see - your wife and kids?

- Yes, sir, I do.

These government men,

they beat you

and they tortured you.

Well, no. No, they didn't. B-But

they-they did keep me up for days.

- No!

- They beat you! They beat you!

- Yes, they beat me.

- They beat me, sir. - Thank you.

I had a dream.

Oh, yeah?

We went to Colorado Springs.

You told me all your secrets,

and I held them in a box for you.

Then we went to the river

and dumped them all away.

We were happy there.

Did I tell you how beautiful

you look now? Look at you.

Hmm?

You're glowing.

The insulin is working,

ain't it?

I told you. You gotta get worse

before you get better.

What's gonna come now?

All I know, Mollie, is it's...

It's real complicated.

White men's laws,

they're ju...

Sometimes you gotta do

one thing,

even though you mean

to do another thing.

And I know that's hard for you to

understand as... as Osage, but, uh...

What I have to do is go now

and tell the real truth,

the real truth about what these government

men have done to make me lie to them.

You kn... You know

they beat me, right, Mollie?

They beat me. They...

They tortured me.

They kept me up for days

so I would make up these lies

and say that my uncle did

these awful things. It's...

I'm in my right way now.

I'm in my right way, and I'm...

...not gonna say

those lies. I'm gonna do the right thing,

and I'm... I'm gonna protect

my uncle 'cause he needs protection.

What?

What is it?

When will you come back?

Couple days.

I'm gonna come back

in a couple days.

Now, listen,

they're... They're gonna arrest me

and all that just to make a show of it.

But I'm not in

any kind of trouble at all.

None at all.

I haven't done nothing wrong

in this world.

They can arrest me

all they want.

Just make sure

you know the road.

You gonna testify for us?

No, sir, I will not.

You've decided not to testify

for the government?

That's right. What I told

y'all was a pack of lies.

All right. You turn around.

You're under arrest for the

murder of Reta and Bill Smith.

So how did you

come to kill Anna Brown?

I was hired by W.K. Hale.

And what did he say to you?

I was to get

a thousand dollars,

plus the money I owed him,

which was $600.

- So you say - you killed Anna Brown?

- Yes, sir.

You took her down

into that canyon there

into what was commonly known as

the Three Mile Canyon, didn't you?

- Yes, sir.

- What'd you shoot her with?

Automatic.

And where'd you shoot her?

Shot her down through the top

of her head. Guess it killed her.

Mm-hmm.

Now, you say

you were pretty drunk.

Yes, sir.

But you knew you were

killing her though, didn't you?

Yes, sir.

And how did you get her down into

that place where you killed Anna Brown?

Mmm. Byron and I

carried her down there.

And did you make her drunk

so you could kill her?

- Yes, sir.

- Was she laying down while you killed her?

No, sir.

Well, what position was she in?

Sitting up.

Byron raised her up, pulled

her up, kind of held her up.

So you stood there

and directed him

how to hold this drunken,

helpless Indian woman

down there at the bottom

of that canyon

while you got ready to

shoot a bullet into her brain?

- Yes, sir.

- Then what happened after that?

Turned her loose

so she fell back down.

Did she make an outcry?

No, sir.

And did you stand there

and watch her die?

- No, sir.

- Y-You were satisfied with your work?

- Yes, sir.

- And you just turned and left?

Yes, sir.

Have you seen that canyon

where you killed Anna Brown?

I've seen it a hundred times,

I suppose.

A hundred times since. You wanted to go back

there and see where you killed Anna Brown?

No, sir.

No?

No, sir.

Well, what did you wanna

go back there for?

It's okay.

You can tell the jury.

Well, it's a good...

It's a good place to park

and drink, put on parties.

It can't be seen

from the road, so...

Where'd you go

after you killed Anna Brown?

Went to sleep at Bill Hale's.

Mm-hmm. What'd you do then?

We stayed drunk.

Where did Byron go?

Back home to Mollie's.

Thanks, Mollie.

You're welcome.

Mmm.

Watch your step right there.

Watch my step. If you

brought me out here to kill me,

- I'll kill you.

- No, come on with that.

Sit down here. You'll be

more comfortable.

Okay, stop. Come on. Get up.

Hold her up there. Sit her up

straight. Sit her up straight now.

There you go. Get up.

Set her up straight

now. Yeah. I got her.

You wanna kill me,

I'll kill you.

There you are.

Ernest.

Wake up, Son.

Yeah.

What? What?

What is it?

Well, there's no easy way

around it. Uh...

I'm to tell you

that your child has died.

What... What child? What child?

I don't know the name.

Who? Is...

Cowboy? Which one?

Is there a child

that had some lung trouble?

- Yeah. Yeah.

- Like the whooping cough?

No...

No, who told you this?

Who... Who told you this?

It was one of our agents

there in Fairfax informed me.

Mollie went to see to it...

and take it home.

There's no... It... It's Anna.

It's Anna, ain't it?

There's no easy way

around it, Son.

No! Goddamn!

They took my baby.

God bless you, Son. I...

Sorry for your loss.

What happened?

The baby died.

- Which one?

- Little baby.

The little one?

Oh, my son. My son...

Oh, my God.

They took...

No.

Ernest.

Oh, oh.

Little Anna's

with the Lord now, Son.

Ernest.

Lord, have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy on us.

Lord, Lord, Lord.

Oh.

Hello, King.

How's everyone?

They're... They're not good.

I know, Son. I feel it too.

You...

You know I'm gonna have to take

care of the two kids and Mollie now.

So...

What are you...

What are you saying?

You know what that means, right?

Well... I'm... I'm gonna testify.

Well, that's a strong choice

to make against adversity.

Mmm. Well... You sure you wanna do that?

Yeah.

Um, I have to, so...

They gave you a deal?

- They gave me a deal.

- Yes, they did. - Mmm.

They won't hold to it.

Yeah, well, it's the federal

government, and that's what they told me.

It's the federal

government. That's why I say that.

Uh, all this is not

gonna mean anything

except the family's

gonna be broke up.

Is that what you want?

It's not gonna

make a difference.

I tell you this from the

deepest part of my heart.

The deepest thing that I ever

know in my life, my experience,

is that this will not

make a difference.

Hmm.

You know things are different

now, right? You know that?

The Osage, they ain't gonna stand by

you. No one's gonna stand by you no more.

- Osage? They love me.

- No, they're not gonna listen.

No. They... They know. They know

who gave them the streets,

who gave them the hospitals, who

gave them the schools. They know.

I've brought them

into the great 20th century.

Mm-hmm.

They're not gonna

stand by you, Bill.

- Oh, yeah. No?

- No.

They're not gonna stand

by you, Bill. It's over.

I mean, there might be

a public outcry for a while.

But then you know what happens?

People forget.

They don't remember.

They don't care.

They just don't care.

It's just gonna be another

everyday, common tragedy.

Yeah, it's... It's not common.

Don't do something you're

gonna regret for the rest of your life.

You're gonna regret... I ain't got

nothing but regret, Bill.

You have a family.

Children. You lost one already.

Don't make it more of a tragedy...

It's already...

...a goddamn tragedy.

I don't want you near my family.

Not no more.

- Well, I'm sorry - to hear that.

- Yeah.

- It's over now.

- Please, don't throw it all away.

- No, I can't. I can't.

- I'm sorry to hear that.

- No, I can't.

- I love you, Son.

I can't, Bill. Can't.

Don't throw it away, Son.

Mr. Burkhart,

you're here of your own accord?

Yes, sir.

No one

has promised you anything?

No. No, sir.

Did you seek out John Ramsey at

your uncle's behest to kill Henry Roan?

Yes, sir.

Did you drive

from Fairfax to Ripley

to tell John Ramsey

to tell Asa Kirby to do a job?

- Yes, sir.

- And who asked you to do all this?

My uncle, William Hale.

Can you see him?

Yes, sir.

Would you point to him, please?

Yes, sir. He's right there.

Let the record reflect the witness has

identified the defendant, William Hale.

And what was the job that your

uncle wanted Asa Kirby to do?

Uh, to... To blow up, uh,

Reta and Bill Smith.

Why would he want them blown up?

So to get their money.

Are you a married man?

- Yes, sir.

- What's your wife's name?

Mollie Burkhart.

She's Reta's sister?

Yes, sir.

She's also the sister

of Anna Brown, who was murdered?

Yes.

And her mother is Lizzie Q.,

who is dead?

- Yes.

- And her sister Minnie is also dead?

Yes.

And all these dead women

are Indian women, are they?

Yes, sir.

If Mollie, your wife, died,

who would get her oil money?

Me and, uh,

our... our children.

Did your uncle present you

with a plan

by which you would benefit from

the deaths of all these Indian women?

Yes, sir.

And you helped your uncle

on your own making?

Yes.

And was part of this plan that you

would meet and marry Mollie Kyle

and kill her family and her

for their Indian oil money?

No, sir.

I met and married my wife

because I... I picked her up in my cab.

You didn't marry her because

your uncle directed you to?

No, sir.

I loved my wife from...

because that's what happened to us

when... when I picked her up in my cab.

H-How's my Cowboy?

Well.

He miss his pops?

Yes.

Elizabeth too.

They, uh... They know

what's happened?

Not so much.

Have you told all the truths?

Yes, I have.

My soul is clean now, Mollie.

It's, uh... It's a relief to me

to be out from under all this.

I wasn't gonna let him

get anywhere near you...

near you and the children.

What did you give me?

What?

What was in the shots?

My medicine you gave me.

What was in it, Sho-mee-kah-see?

Insulin.

Right had won.

True Crime Stories

has been brought to you

through the courtesy of J. Edgar Hoover

and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

This brings to a close

the authenticated story

of the Osage Indian murders.

As we take our leave

from Osage County, we conclude.

The doctors, the Shoun brothers,

were never pursued by the legal system

for having certainly helped

poison Mollie.

Ernest's brother, Byron Burkhart, was

tried as an accomplice to Anna's murder.

Kelsie Morrison said

at his trial...

Byron got her drunk...

...and I did the rest.

Byron was released

after a hung jury.

William Hale, the ringleader

of the deadly plots,

was found guilty and sent

to Leavenworth for life.

He would write letters back home

to his Osage friends.

"Dear friends, how are you all?

I never had better friends

in my life than the Osages,

and I was a true friend to them.

I'd rather live at Gray Horse

than any place on earth.

I will be back with you

before many moons.

How is my friend Dah-kah-hee-ke?

Your true friend, W.K. Hale."

Hale was released in 1947.

The parole board cited his record as

a good prisoner for his early release,

but not everybody was happy.

This man, he is being released

because he paid off politicians

and nobody cares

about the Osage lives.

Hale was not supposed

to set foot in Oklahoma again,

but according to relatives,

he often visited them.

What do you want for lunch,

William?

If only that damn thickhead

Ernest had kept his fool trap shut,

we'd be in clover today.

William Hale died

in an Arizona nursing home.

He lived to 87 years.

Ernest Burkhart was sentenced

to life imprisonment

at the Oklahoma

State Penitentiary.

Aren't you

the one who tried to kill

his "Injun" wife

for the oil money?

Years later, he was granted

a pardon for his crimes

and, once again,

moved back to Osage County

where he lived out his days with

Byron in a trailer park north of the city.

Pass me a beer, Brother.

Got a light for my Lucky Strike?

After Mollie divorced Ernest,

she lived with her new husband,

John Cobb, on the reservation.

She died of diabetes

on June 16th, 1937.

Her obituary in the local paper

said simply...

"Mrs. Mollie Cobb,

50 years of age,

passed away at eleven o'clock

Wednesday night at her home.

She was a full-blood Osage.

She was buried in the

old cemetery in Gray Horse

beside her father, her mother,

her sisters and her daughter."

There was no mention

of the murders.