The Fugitive (1963–1967): Season 2, Episode 20 - Scapegoat - full transcript

You defended Briggs.

You said you believed
he was innocent.

You must have some
influence with those boys.

I take this to mean
you do have an interest

in the welfare of
Janice Cummings?

Why do we keep
coming back to that?

Because somehow you two have
become a torment to this town.

By nightfall, shame and guilt

will be oozing over
our doorsills, Mr. Fry.

The town is gonna feel
compelled to purge itself.

I think it's going to
want blood sacrifice,



and if I thought that you alone
or you and Janice together

wanted this to happen or
permitted it for any reason,

I'd give you to them
right now as an atonement

before some innocent
person gets hurt.

A QM Production.

Starring David Janssen
as Dr. Richard Kimble.

An innocent victim
of blind justice,

falsely convicted for
the murder of his wife,

reprieved by fate when
a train wreck freed him

en route to the death house.

Freed him to hide
in lonely desperation,

to change his identity,
to toil at many jobs.

Freed him to search
for a one-armed man

he saw leave the
scene of the crime.



Freed him to run before
the relentless pursuit

of the police lieutenant
obsessed with his capture.

The guest stars
in tonight's story:

Diane Foster, John
Anderson, Harry Townes.

The name on the
time card is Hayes.

A name is easily changed,
dropped and forgotten.

Every identity Richard
Kimble has borrowed

has vanished for good
when he moved on.

Fry? Eddie Fry.

Wait a minute, Eddie. Hey.

Aren't you Eddie Fry?

Got... Got me mixed
up with somebody else.

Sure. Gee, when
I saw you just now

you sent a chill
right through me.

My name is Hayes, Bill Hayes.

Aw, come on, Eddie, no two
guys could look that much alike.

I told you my name is Hayes.

Do you want me
to spell it for you?

Yeah, sure, I guess I'm wrong.

The guy I'm thinking
of was murdered

back in Black
River, South Dakota.

Murdered?

Yeah, he's dead.

All right, I'm Eddie Fry,
but I don't know you.

I used to work in the
hardware store for a while.

I shaved my moustache off.

What made 'em
think I was murdered?

Well, the way you
dropped outta sight.

Everybody figured you was dead.

Then all that bad blood
business coming out at the trial.

What trial?

You sure you don't know?

Justin Briggs?

That's right.

They arrested him
and put him on trial.

Well, what happened?

They judged him guilty.

Everybody knew you
and him had some trouble.

Nobody liked Briggs too much.

Well, Briggs is about a half
a century behind his time.

If you don't know that...

I guess you could have trouble.

Maybe I didn't make myself
clear when you first come here, Fry.

Take the book
back to the library

where it come from.

Pa, there might be
some good in that book.

Modern Business Trends?

Something wrong with the
way I do business at the shop?

W-well, no... No, Pop,

but I was just thinking
of the future and... And...

Mr. Briggs, I didn't think
there was any harm in...

Now, Fry, you don't think

it's up to the hired
hand to run the house.

No, no, I didn't mean that.

Well, all right, all right, now.

I, uh, raised these
boys for 14 years. Alone.

Taught 'em two things
boys don't learn from books.

One you seem to know:

how to give an
honest day's work.

The other: mind
their own affairs.

Miss Cummings?

Uh, you know where
to get your supper.

In the kitchen.

Now, we're about ready to set.

Hey, stupid, what makes
you think you can read, huh?

I don't see any harm
in reading a book.

Honest work with
the hands, boys.

That's what counts.

I'm sorry. I'll dish up for you

just as soon as I
get them served.

Thank you.

Hey, you.

Did you call anybody
yet or anything?

I don't know what I'm gonna
prove with a phone call.

Buddy, you better do something.

Just can't leave Briggs sitting
there waiting to be executed.

He's innocent.

Well, I guess you
got some good reason

for changing your name.

Is that why you don't
call the local police

and let them handle it?

I'll handle it.

I just don't want to
wire or telephone,

because somebody in Black
River either lied or made a mistake.

I don't know which or why.

Hayes.

I don't know what
it might mean to me.

Bill Hayes.

Yeah.

Two days and two hours this week
and an hour overtime yesterday.

You quit, your group
insurance cancels out.

You want the papers?

No, you keep 'em.

Hey, um, I'm sorry, Eddie,
I popped off back there.

That's all right.

Just do me a favor.

Forget that you saw
me. Yeah. Well, listen,

maybe I can
give you a little tip.

You remember that housekeeper?
Uh, Janice Cummings?

Were you friends with her?

Just friends.

Well, you know, she used to
cook and keep house for Briggs.

Everybody figured someday
she was going to marry him.

Funny thing: she was the
only witness to the murder.

She's the one that said
she saw Briggs kill you.

Thanks.

Fry?

Eddie Fry, I been
looking for you.

I been looking all over town.

Hey, where's
your girlfriend, Fry?

Pa, now, you
been drinking again.

Hey, you, uh, been around
here for quite a while now.

Man like you oughta
have a girlfriend.

What does she mean to you, Fry?

Who?

Janice Cummings!

I don't even know
why you should ask.

Hey, Pa, now, what's wrong?

You tell me.

Why you'd rather be
here with him than home?

Come between me and
the woman is one thing,

come between me and
my son, I don't understand.

How many times have I
warned you, Fry, don't meddle.

Why don't you fire him,
Pop, run him outta town.

Maybe I won't stop at that.

Maybe I'll break this man Fry.

Maybe I'll just finish him.

Oh, I... I'm sorry, Eddie.

I-I-I just came over to...

To warn you that, well,

Mr. Briggs has been drinking.

I know that. Why?

Well, I, uh... I had to tell
him that I'd never marry him.

Well, does that have
something to do with me?

No.

It's just that, uh, well, the
way he's been treating you,

it's made me see how mean he
is to Roy and, well, to everybody.

Since I've been working for him

I lost every friend I
ever had in Black River.

I-I said to him... I said:

"Roy's a fine boy and...
And you're a fine man."

And... And I told him that

I'd call the constable if
he ever tried to hurt you.

Has he hurt you?

Oh, no, he wouldn't do that.

It's... It's you that he
blames for everything.

I don't need a constable.

Come on, you go home.

Suckers.

I found you.

I found you.

You're drunk and
you're wrong, Briggs.

No, Mr. Fry. No, Mr. Briggs.

I'll call the constable!

No!

You're killing him!

No, wait a minute.
Wait. Wait. Don't. Don't.

Oh. Oh, my God.

Take it easy.

Well, I didn't mean
to shock everyone.

I tried to find you
first, constable.

Eddie Fry.

I came as soon as I heard.

Where were you?

Well, that's not important now.

Where is Justin Briggs?

I went to the jail.

Where were you? Why
didn't you come forward?

I found out about
the trial yesterday.

I've been traveling ever since.

Well, Briggs is innocent.

Where is he? What
do I do to clear him?

Oh, tell him!

Justin Briggs is dead.

We had him in jail.

He broke away.

We hunted him
down... We shot him.

And watched him die.

I don't know what chance
he had for a new trial.

I know they put in the appeal,

but I could see the waiting

was eating at him
every day a little worse.

Good morning, Bertram.

Would you mind
looking this over?

It's Mr. Fry's statement
of what occurred

on the night of
the alleged murder.

Who's been informed
of Fry's return?

Only you, officially,
but it'll get around.

What did occur
that night, Mr. Fry?

Mr. Bertram Ballinger,
the lawyer here.

He defended Briggs at the trial.

We fought.

I got away. I ran
into the woods.

I got lost.

Did you ever think of
yourself as a coward,

Mr. Fry?

You wouldn't be
looking for a scapegoat,

would you, Mr. Ballinger?

Why would I be doing that?

I don't know.

I don't know what kind of
case the state presented

that you couldn't break by
demanding a victim or a body.

The state didn't need a body.

Had an eyewitness.

One witness: Janice Cummings.

And a corroborator.

I was there.

She came over to my
house yelling for help.

I ran back with her.

To the Briggs' barn,

that lean-to where you lived.

It was a mess.

Full of evidence.

There was some blood around.

We took samples,
had them tested.

We showed it wasn't his blood.

It had to be yours.

We even found a weapon.

I saw him use that.

He stabbed him.

I saw it.

Miss Cummings, I think
you better go outside and wait

a while until I get...

Briggs.

Briggs, where's your hired man?

Pair of sinners.

You killed him.

Briggs, she's
accusing you of murder.

Knows he deserved
it, that's why.

Where is he?

Forget him, he's gone.

Forget him, he's gone for
good. Constable, look at his feet.

He was wearing those.

I impounded 'em.

We proved there's only one place
that mud could have come from.

There's a quicksand
bog in those woods

out near his house.

Yes, I know.

That bog's been known to
swallow a full-grown deer.

He had time to carry a
body over there and...

Does your signature
on a piece of paper

erase all this from your
conscience, Mr. Fry?

There doesn't seem to
be much more I can do.

So you'll run away.

You ran away
before. I wonder why.

I have a better question
for you, Mr. Ballinger.

His appeal was pending,
he knew I was alive.

Why did Briggs run away?

Uh, I don't think we
ever thanked you, Fry,

for coming back.

I don't think you ever will.

Eddie. Eddie, I-I
got to talk to you.

Could you please
sit down for a minute?

All right.

Janice, I didn't... I didn't want
to walk in on you this morning,

but I didn't know that you
were working at the tavern.

Did you think I'd still be
working for the Briggs'?

I came back to clear him.

I didn't know it was
going to be like this.

Eddie, are you
gonna see the boys?

I don't think so.

They know their
father was innocent.

That's good enough.

Well... Eddie, you
got to see the boys,

'cause you could talk to Roy.

I think it would only make
things worse for them.

It's for me.

I'm asking it for me.

I-I sat in there in
that witness stand

and I swore to God

that I saw their
father kill you.

Well, you believed
it, didn't you?

Fry, there's no bus out of
here till tomorrow morning.

Well, I won't need a bus.

The older boy, Vin, he's
been drinking quite a lot.

Oh, now, don't exaggerate
it, Bertram. He'll come around.

How's that going to affect Miss
Cummings in the meantime?

Eddie, it all began with you.

Things might have quieted
down, but, well, here you are again.

Do I have to face it alone?

Vin, no, don't.

I told you that woman lied, Roy.

Vin, they all swore.

Scales, Curry, and
even Constable Gibson.

They know what they
saw and what they heard.

Even you did that, Roy.

But here comes Eddie
Fry back to town alive.

He was the only person that
swore to what never happened.

All for nothing.

Our pa was killed for nothing?

Justice, Roy.

They showed us
how to do justice.

Hey, Vin, wait.

Maybe Scales was wrong.

Maybe it wasn't Eddie he saw.

Eddie Fry is your problem, kid.

The one I want is that
lousy, lying woman.

Vin?

Roy.

My pa was innocent.

He was innocent all the time.

Where is Vin?

Where did he go? I
wanted to talk to both of you.

Why? Did you want
to tell him you're sorry?

Well, I'll take him the message.

Roy, it was not my
idea to come here,

but there is something that
should be said before I go.

Yeah, I understand you're...

You're kind of a rolling
stone, aren't you?

If you remember, I was
going to leave that night.

Then something happened.

Janice Cummings saw it happen.

You ran out on me.

Eddie, don't you know
what you did to me?

You know, I liked you.

I-I thought you were my friend.

And I-I believed you. And I
believed Janice Cummings.

Against my own father.

And now he's dead and
he can't even forgive me.

Roy, I...

I wish you could forgive
Janice Cummings.

She thought she told the truth.

Well, you better
tell that to Vin.

And you better tell
her to get outta town,

because she swore
my father's life away.

And Vin's gonna pay her back.

Janice.

All right, I bear no grudges.

Get back into your apron.

Least till I can get
another waitress.

Hold on.

Never mind.

Just get out and
don't come back.

Out the back door. Out. Out.

Wouldn't do to keep her anyway.

Just about to open the bar, Vin.

I saw that woman come in here.

I couldn't let her stay.

That... That Fry,
he brought her in.

Vin, I took an oath
on the witness stand,

and they made me
say certain things,

because I take my oath serious,

but I couldn't lie
about what I heard.

Your pa did make
a threat to Fry,

we know that,

but Vin, I don't want
nothing to make it look like

I had any hard feelings.

I-I bear no grudges, Vin.

And... And you
just remember, Vin,

I was not part of that
posse that ran your pa down.

I was out there,
yes, but I had no gun.

I did not have a gun, Vin.

You defended Briggs.

You said you believed
he was innocent.

You must have some
influence on those boys.

I take this to mean
you do have an interest

in the welfare of
Janice Cummings?

Why do we keep
coming back to that?

Because somehow you two have
become a torment to this town.

By nightfall, shame and guilt

will be oozing over
our doorsills, Mr. Fry.

The town is gonna feel
compelled to purge itself.

I think it's going to
want blood sacrifice,

and if I thought that you alone
or you and Janice together

wanted this to happen or
permitted it for any reason,

I'd give you to them
right now as an atonement

before some innocent
person gets hurt.

Mr. Ballinger, I don't
want to see Janice shot.

On the other hand,
I can't go to Gibson

and file a complaint
against those boys.

I think they've been
through enough.

What do you think?

I think that for the moment,
Vin Briggs is legally insane.

These are the keys
to my own car out front.

You find Janice Cummings
and get her out of town.

Leave my car at the
railroad depot at Hyattsville.

He could kill her and
you too, for that matter,

in full view on Main Street,

and I could get
him off scot-free

with the same jury that
judged his father guilty.

Maybe you'd better try to
get word to the constable.

Word about what?

He's grieving. He's been bereft.

He's got a right.

But having it all brought
home so sudden, though,

and if there's a gun...

Oh. Eddie Fry
said there's a gun.

I don't see one.

Listen, there's one thing
you gotta give 'em credit for.

They always minded
their own business.

They never bothered nobody.

I know.

My wife was on that jury too.

What a shame.

Yeah.

Who is it?

Eddie Fry.

Come in.

Are you packing?

I've been asked to leave.

Will you excuse us?

Thank you.

Hurry up and finish.

I've got Ballinger's
car outside.

You got what?

We're leaving town.

Oh, no, I'm not.

Janice.

I'm going to the
hotel on Main Street,

and I'm gonna take a room
there, and I'm gonna stay.

I'm staying here in Black River.

I know what you're
trying to prove,

but this isn't the time.

Eddie, if I leave now, you
know what they're gonna say?

They're gonna say
that I lied on purpose.

They'll say that
anyhow, some of them.

Look, Janice, there's a
kid out there on the street

with a gun.

Well, I've got nothing to
be afraid or ashamed of.

Let's give him a chance.

Let's give Vin Briggs a
chance to get his senses back.

Let's get out of town.

Look, I don't know where Vin is,

so will you just quit
asking me about it?

What's the matter, boy?
Are you and Vin determined

to have a murderer
in the family?

You stop it.

Just stop it now.

Look, I don't care what
any of 'em think of us.

Vin is looking for
one thing: justice.

And that's all.

All right, son.

A terrible mistake took
your father from you,

but if anything
happens to your brother,

it won't be by error.

So you just be ready
to shoulder the blame

that you're asking for.

Eddie Fry.

I can still see you.

Don't do this, Vin.

I smashed the distributor, Fry.

Now, you walk away
and leave her there.

I want her.

Where are you?

Look, Vin, your
father and I did fight.

He did try to kill me.
Janice wasn't lying.

Now, if you protect her,
Fry, I'm gonna get you too.

Come on.

E-Eddie. Oh.

Oh.

I need two men.

The usual pay.

Gonna hunt down
the son, I guess.

Same as you did his daddy.

I've got two innocent people
inside here, I just want...

"Innocent," he says.

I wish he could have seen
them together in her room.

Justin Briggs was
innocent too, John.

Curry, what about you?

All I want is to get
these two out of town

before there's any more trouble.

John, if Vin Briggs
gets in the way,

or if like a while ago
when he fired those shots,

would we be expected to shoot?

I think there's something going
on around here someplace.

Where are they?

Oh, they're in the courtroom.

Fry took her in there
so she could lie down.

I think I should go now.
Relieve some of the pressure.

Well, let me advise you.
Now, wait until it's dark.

Those people out there
think that Vin Briggs is right.

The rest of 'em have gone home

and turned up the
sound on their radios.

Wait.

I decided to, uh,
drive over to Hyattsville

and get the sheriff.

You're leaving town?

I can't get any help here. I...

Well, give the sheriff a call.

Better if I go.

Better for who?

Not for her and
not for this town.

Shut up.

Bertram...

I let Justin out of
his cell that night.

Let him eat
supper in the office.

I knew in my heart that
he'd never killed a man.

I knew when he made the
break that I'd have to go after him.

I knew I'd bring him back dead.

If Vin was to walk
in here now, I...

I don't think I could
raise a finger to stop him.

I'll go get the sheriff.

Vin.

Vin, come on, let
me hold the gun, huh?

You never used to know Pop, Roy.

You always used to
argue with him so much.

Vin, he whipped us.

You know he...

He whipped us a lot
when he was drunk,

like you are now.

I'm not drunk anymore, Roy.

Pa wasn't drunk either.

But he was that night.

And he... He asked that
woman to take ma's place,

and she turned him down,

and she ran straight
to that Eddie Fry.

Eddie Fry.

I'm going back up on the
roof so I can keep watch.

Vin.

Vin, now, wait a minute.

You're gonna do this

and they're either
gonna kill you

or they're gonna take you away.

I'm gonna be left all alone.

Vin, look.

Why don't you let 'em go?

Let 'em go. You
scared 'em plenty, Vin.

Vin. You know...

You know it's only Mr. Ballinger
down there with 'em now.

Let me... Let me go out there

and tell him that
my brother says

that Fry and Janice Cummings

have got to get
out of Black River

and never come back.

He's our friend,
Vin. He... He'll do it.

He'll make 'em go.

Won't that be
enough for Pa, Vin?

Please, Vin.

Please, I'm scared.

I never thought about
you being alone, Roy.

Okay, you go and...

Go and tell him to come
here and I'll wait for him.

I'll give myself up.

I asked him to join the lodge

when he first came to
town seven years ago.

But no, he'd rather
keep to himself.

He has ever since.

I submit that the prosecution
is merely producing the excuse

this town has always wanted

for ridding itself of a
man it simply doesn't like.

He interfered in
my family affairs.

I thrashed him for
it. That's all I did.

That's all she saw.

Why won't somebody
look for Eddie Fry?

Why? Why did he run?

Didn't he know that
they'd kill him if he tried?

I'm sure he knew they'd try.

He had to try either way.

He ran because running was
the only hope they gave him.

Mr. Ballinger.

Mr. Ballinger, my
brother wants to see you

down at the cabinet shop.

Vin Briggs is down
at the cabinet shop.

That's where Roy just come from.

Ballinger's going down to
see Vin at the cabinet shop.

All right, all clear.

I told 'em and they
followed Ballinger.

Now, Vin, I'm glad
you come to me, boy,

'cause like I told you, Vin,

I bear no grudges.

I'm with you, son, and
lots of us are, believe me.

Now, I know you won't
do anything wrong, Vin...

That's why I'm glad to help out.

I mean, Vin, nobody wants
to see the innocent suffer.

Right, Vin?

Eddie, please take me with you.

I'm afraid to see him.

I can't do that, Janice.

I'm leaving tonight. You
take the bus in the morning.

Eddie, you can't do that.

Vin will think I-I turned
him in just to let you go free.

Roy, if it's any comfort to you,
I'm taking this wound with me.

That's one less piece
of evidence against him.

Eddie... Eddie, you're
running out on me again.

Why? Eddie? Why?

Okay, back up.

Vin... Vin, you did
this on purpose.

You made me out a liar.

Don't you worry
about nothing, Roy.

Nobody's gonna care.

I care, Vin. Vin, I-I care.

Oh, boy, isn't this
something, huh?

Now, you remember how it was

when they had pa
in here, huh, Roy?

Your father did attack me.

He did try to kill me.

Is that right, Janice?

Answer me!

Okay, okay. Now, you...

You get up there on
that stand, you hear me?

You get up there and
let me hear you say

like you said before
about what a...

About what a rotten
killer my father was.

No.

You better get up there, Janice.

He accused Mr. Fry and me of...

Of something awful and he said:

"I ought to kill that man."

He picked up the chair
and he hit him with it.

His head.

Mr. Fry fell. He was bleeding.

His head was bleeding.

I can't.

I can't.

You better tell me, Janice.

You better tell me the truth.

I remember what I
saw and what I said,

and I swear to you, if I
saw it again right now,

I'd still say that
he was killing him.

Vin... Vin, can't you see
she's telling the truth?

He never showed me any kindness
or asked for anything but work,

but he did offer me
a home of my own,

and I wanted that.

I never loved him,
but I never hated him,

and if he was
killed because I lied,

well, I'd just as soon die.

Vin, can't you see? Sh-she
wouldn't lie about that.

Oh, yes, she would.

They both would.

Eddie? Eddie, I can't
let you have a gun.

He's my brother.

He's the one Pa loved, not me.

I owe Pa something.

I-I gotta keep Vin alive.

Even if he kills somebody?

You better stop that.

Nobody's gonna get killed.

Roy, Roy, we got
to pay him back.

She... She ran off and
left us, and she ran to him.

Now, they're... They're
both wrong and he knows it.

That's why you
ran away, isn't it?

Roy, my name isn't Eddie Fry.

I was convicted of a
murder I didn't commit

just like your father.

That evening, when
Janice went for the police,

I had to run away.

I ran for the same
reasons your father ran.

Now, if they take me,

I'll die for
something I didn't do.

Vin.

Vin, did you hear that?

I betcha you're telling a lie.

I don't care. That... That
doesn't change it, Roy.

Oh, Vin. Vin, it does change
it. It does. Don't you, see?

He came back.
He tried to help us.

You can't blame him now.

But... But then
where's Pop, Roy?

Where is he?

He must be alive somewhere.

Hey, I'll bet he's hiding.

Come on, Pop. Come
on. Come on back.

Nobody killed ya.

Vin, Pop's dead.

He's dead, but it... It's
not any one person's fault.

It was the... It
was the two of 'em.

Vin...

Don't! Don't hurt
them! Don't Vin!

No, Vin!

Should break.

Now.

Go get a doctor,
Roy. Hurry up. Go on.

What happened?

I don't think he's
too badly hurt.

I, uh... Well, he came in here,

been drinking too much.

He was out of his head.

I shot him.

What will this mean
for the town, Ballinger?

Wait.

Could you...? You come
home and see me tomorrow?

But I need somebody to talk to.

Miss Cummings,

um... you dropped your
bags in the street before.

I put 'em back in your
room where they'd be safe.

Send them to the hotel.

Ballinger, why would
both Roy and Fry

confess to shooting Vin?

Now, I just don't
believe Roy done it.

Now, I-I say we better find
out before Fry gets away again.

Fry. You're too late.

Fry left here a
half an hour ago.

Go home, you pack of hyenas.

Go home.

I don't think
Gibson will be back,

but I called the sheriff.

He'll be here.

How soon?

It's the law you're
afraid of, isn't it, Fry?

And not much of anything else.

I wonder why.

Uh, Vin will tell you
when he comes to.

Anything that I can do to help?

You can just help the kids.

If I'm not back here in 10
minutes, go out the window.

He will use many other names

and move through
many other places,

searching for Richard Kimble,

dreading each backward look

as long as he must
remain a fugitive.