The Wild Wild West (1965–1969): Season 3, Episode 7 - The Night of the Hangman - full transcript
When West and Gordon are present when a town's philanthropist is shot and West chases the shooter and finds him just sitting clutching the gun as if nothing happened. At his trial, a witness claims that he's the shooter. And the banker who denied a loan he asked for, who appears to have been the actual target, testifies that the man threatened him. The defendant claims to have no memory from the night before till West found him. He's found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging withing two days. When Gordon raises some anomalies, they decide to look into it deeper. They start by talking to the defendant who tells them of why he woke up just as West found him. They check it out and find a device that was used but someone burns the place and they have no evidence to give to the judge and the prosecutor convinces the judge not to delay the execution so they have to rush to prove the man's innocence.
God bless you.
Thank you.
Change in temperature
will do it every time.
No, it isn't that.
It's my hay fever.
All I have to do is
go through Kansas,
I become a handkerchief case.
How did you get in the
Secret Service with hay fever?
Kept it a secret.
Hey, we've stopped.
Hey, Jim, I just had a thought.
As long as we're here anyway,
why don't we spend the night?
Because, Artie, it's still day,
and two hours is plenty of time
to find all the trouble we need.
Please, boys.
Boys, this morning we shipped
our last roundup of steers
on the eastbound rail,
making this the biggest year
in the history of
the Rawlins Ranch.
You've worked long and hard,
and you've done
yourselves proud.
In appreciation of your efforts,
Mrs. Rawlins and I want
you to share our humble table.
Eugenia, come on up here, honey,
and show your pretty face.
I just want to echo what
my husband has said
and add my thanks to all of you.
You make an Eastern
girl feel very much at home.
I just have one more thing to
say to you, my good friends.
Have fun.
Say, uh, think they'd
mind if we joined the party?
My stomach's sending up messages
for a little of that
rare roast beef.
I don't think they'd mind.
Mrs. Rawlins.
Good afternoon, Mr. Creed.
Nice party you have here.
It must be costing your
husband a pretty penny.
He's showing his
employees how grateful he is.
Well, he must pay them
a good wage, doesn't he?
Money's not the only
way a man can say thanks.
Amos, you're
spoiling these people
with all this fancy celebration.
They should be
out doing extra work.
They all owe the bank money.
They'll pay you, Roger.
They're good, honest
citizens. You'd find that out
if you treat them like men
instead of account numbers.
That's easy enough to say.
Well, the truth always is.
It's 12:00, Roger. Sit
down. Feed your face.
Well, if you don't mind, I'll...
Amos!
Amos, what's wrong?
What's happened?
There he goes,
the man who did it!
I tried to stop him!
I tried to stop him.
Which way did he
go? There. There.
He may go out the
back. I'll take him.
Who are you?
James West, United States Agent.
Well, what do you want?
Nothing, but I got an idea
the State of Kansas
wants you. For murder.
So that while the
defendant, Lucius Brand,
had no intention of
killing Amos Rawlins,
he coldy and with calculation
did intend to take the
life of Roger Creed.
Ladies and gentlemen of
the jury, my path is clear.
I will prove to you that
Lucius Brand is guilty of murder
in the first degree.
That's him.
That's the man I saw
pull a gun and shoot.
Uh, he was sitting on
the bed when I got there.
The gun was in his hand.
Had it been fired, Mr. West?
Yeah, it'd been fired.
Mr. West, do you
recognize this coat?
Uh, the defendant
was wearing that coat
when he was apprehended.
And this pocket?
Uh, that was given
to me by Abigail Moss.
And Miss Moss already
has testified that she ripped it
from the coat of Lucius Brand.
Fortunately, I was
able to remove myself
from the path of the bullet.
Poor Amos Rawlins
wasn't so lucky.
Mr. Creed, tell the
court of your dealings
with Lucius Brand.
Well, my bank loaned
him money for his farm.
The drought last year caused
him to forfeit his payments.
I was forced to foreclose
on his mortgage.
I see.
And what was
Mr. Brand's reaction?
Well, you might
say it was violent.
He threatened to kill me.
And just before Mr. West
busted in, I woke up.
That was past the hour of noon.
Mr. Brand, you're a
farmer, aren't you?
I was.
Oh, yes. There was the
matter of your lost farm.
Tell the court what
happened after that.
Well, I just sent my wife
back to live with the family.
And then I come to Kirby
Gap looking for a job.
And just like that you
stopped being a farmer, hm?
Uh, I don't understand
what you mean.
Farmers get up at sunup
before the roosters start crowing.
Everybody knows that.
Yet you tell the court
on the day Mr. West
broke into your room,
you slept past the hour of noon.
Why, Mr. Brand?
Well, I g... I guess, I just
had a mite too much to drink
the night before.
Mr. Brand, do you
recognize this coat?
Yes, sir, but I don't remember
tearing that pocket on it.
I see. And is this your gun?
Yes, but I...
I didn't...
Didn't what? I didn't fire it.
Gentlemen of the jury,
what we have here
is Mr. Brand's coat,
which he claims he didn't tear,
and Mr. Brand's gun
which he claims he never fired.
The next thing
we're likely to hear
is that Amos Rawlins
was never really murdered.
The jury has found
you guilty of murder.
I therefore sentence
you to be transported
to the state prison at Hastings,
where two days from
this day, at sunset,
you will be hanged
by the neck until dead,
And may god have
mercy on your soul.
Hold your fire, sheriff.
You're kind of quick
on the draw, aren't you?
This man wasn't going anywhere.
Yeah, well, you can't be
too careful with these killers.
Why didn't you
let him get killed?
It would have been kinder.
I'm sorry, Mrs. Brand.
You have a lot to be
sorry for, don't you?
Don't you know that... That
Lucius couldn't have done
what all those others and
you said that he went and did?
All wives and close relatives
always become
emotional at times like this.
Yeah, they do, don't they?
Come on, Jim.
We're two days late
for St. Louis already.
Yeah, let's get to St. Louis.
Come on, Jim. It's an
open-and-shut case,
for pete's sake.
Artie, that's the
part that bothers me.
Yeah, I know. I know you.
You're probably still wondering
why Brand would lead
you right to his very home.
Since you brought that up.
Well, you know as well as I do
murderers do strange
things under stress.
Now, forget about
it, will you? Come on.
Plus, if you'd
brought up the matter
why he wasn't even out of breath
when you finally
caught up with him
after chasing him all that time,
or why he wouldn't even
bother to throw away his gun
when he knew that
we were chasing him
right after the murder.
Artie, what were you saying
about an open-and-shut case?
Hm.
Yeah.
Help me, you say?
If you want to help somebody,
you help my wife when
she winds up a widow
and my son when he
gets around to being born.
Just run through the events
of the night of the murder
again, won't you, Mr. Brand?
Why?
Because I think you might
be innocent, that's why.
All right.
I had dinner at the
Kirby Gap Hotel.
Then I had two or three drinks
with a couple of cowhands
from the Rawlins Ranch.
They must have
been pouring triples
because I... I
guess I passed out.
Then the next thing I remember,
I woke up in a sweat,
and you come busting in.
What about the gun?
Well, when I woke up,
I spotted it on the floor,
and I just picked
it up. That's all.
And the coat?
I wore it the night before,
but I still don't remember
tearing that pocket off of it.
How did you happen to wake
up just before I busted in?
I... I heard...
I had a nightmare.
You never mentioned
that in court.
Well, because they just would
have hooted at me, that's all.
Because it wasn't
really a nightmare.
I was awakened by a...
A train that was
bearing down on me.
Well, now you can go
ahead and hoot at me too.
Guard.
Listen, now...
Now, wait a minute.
I didn't shoot Creed.
It's true I hated him,
but I didn't shoot him
and I didn't kill
Amos Rawlins either.
Now, what are gonna do about it?
I don't know, but
you got two days
for us to think of something.
Find anything yet, Artie?
I'm not quite sure
what it is I'm looking for
now that I think about it.
Well, when you
find it you'll know.
How about behind the pictures?
Artie?
Artie?
No need to shout, Jim.
I hear you perfectly fine.
You mind giving me
a clue where you are?
Not at all. Just
follow my voice.
Come on, Artie. Keep talking.
The minute you say keep talking,
I can't think of
anything to say.
Come on over here, will
you? I think I got something.
"When in the course
of human events
"it becomes necessary
for one people to dissolve
the political bands which
have connected them..."
I found you, Artie.
Congratulations.
Now, where's the rest of you?
Just walk in the living room,
sit down in that armchair,
and move the right arm panel.
Will you ever find out.
Well, we know how Brand's
double got out so quickly.
Right. The minute he came inside
he tossed the gun
into Brand's bedroom,
had himself catapulted
up through the ceiling
and left Brand to hold the bag.
Remember the sound
of the oncoming train
that Brand said he
heard which woke him?
Mm-hm. Get a load of this.
Nice work, Artie.
Now we'd better
go and have a talk...
Don't look now, Artie,
but I think we're on fire.
You know something.
I think you're right.
Suggest we make a hurried exit.
I like your thinking.
Now, let me get this straight.
A chair that brings
you through the ceiling,
and a black box that sounds
like a train. Is that right?
That's right, judge.
And that's your evidence
that Brand was framed?
It was the evidence.
Unfortunately, it
was burned in a fire.
Well, what do you want me to do?
I'd like you to
give me a few days
so I can prove
Brand is innocent.
Hm, well, I don't suppose
it would do any harm
to give you another day or two.
Excuse me, judge.
Lucius Brand did more
than just kill a man.
He snuffed out the most
loved man in this town.
Now, if you grant him a stay
without any show of evidence,
why you're just
begging for mob action.
Yes, yes. Uh, I was
coming to that. That's right.
No, it's, uh... It's out of
the question, Mr. West.
I'm sorry.
What makes you so hot
about this anyway, West?
The man's innocent.
Prove it, Mr. West. Prove it.
I hope you're having
more success with that
than I had with Judge Blake.
Jim, come here
a minute, will you?
I want you to see something.
I've been studying
these plates for hours.
Now, this is the first one,
which was made just
before the shooting.
All right? Now look at this.
That's the other plate.
And that's Abigail Moss.
Right, and the gentleman there
in the tweed jacket
and the rolled collar,
that's our own Lucius Brand.
Or the man Abigail
claims was Brand.
Exactly. It's too bad
that we can't see his face.
If we had, maybe Brand
wouldn't be the man
being hanged tomorrow.
Uh, I've been examining
this thing for over an hour.
Trying to find one thing
that didn't show
up at the trial.
And?
I think I found a balloon.
Uh, a balloon.
According to my calculations,
released one second
after the shot was fired.
Artie, that balloon
was a signal.
Exactly.
That's the device,
which set the entire
complicated machinery
into synchronized motion.
There was a man sitting in
the attic looking out the window.
When the balloon began to rise,
that was a signal that
the shot had been fired
and the murderer was on
his way to Brand's place.
At which point Brand
was roused by the sound
of that oncoming train.
It was just beautiful.
Artie, blow up the picture
with the balloon hawker.
That is my first stop
tomorrow morning.
Why don't I have a little
chat with Abigail Moss.
Why don't you.
Rent $12 a week in advance.
No pets, poker or parties.
Supper $2.50 extra.
First come, first served
till victuals is gone.
Well?
Uh, no... Uh, you... Uh,
you don't understand.
I am not, uh, really
here about a room.
Reverend, if it's
about a contribution
to one of those
heathen missions...
No. It's not money that I want.
It's just information.
Information?
With all the chores
I'm saddled with?
Well, I...
All right, young
lady. Thank you.
Would you be good
enough to tell your mother,
the woman of the
house, that I was here?
It happens I'm the
woman of the house.
You're joshing?
No.
Why, it doesn't seem
possible. You seem so young.
Well, it's information
you want, Reverend.
Won't you step in?
Oh, thank you.
Thank you. Thank you so much.
Oh, my.
Oh, my goodness.
Oh.
Oh, oh, oh.
Oh.
Oh, of course, it ain't
Buckingham Palace,
but we call it home.
Yes. How fortunate
that Miss Abigail Moss
can call this home too.
Oh, it's about her
you're here, eh?
Yes. Well, let me tell you
that she's...
Oh, mercy. My burgoo.
Oh, excuse me, Reverend,
but where were we?
Uh, we were, uh...
Uh, speaking about Miss Moss.
Oh, yes. Her.
Well, this morning,
bright and early, she...
Oh, Reverend? Hm?
Would you mind
giving me your opinion?
Oh, uh, not at all.
Manna from heaven.
No, no, no, no.
Truly, I wouldn't think of
depriving you of any more.
Moderation in all
things, you know.
You sure you ain't
just being polite,
turning down thirds?
No, truly, Mrs. Peacock,
I couldn't put
down another bite.
Now, uh, about...
Uh, about Miss Moss.
When did you say
she'd be arriving?
She won't. Early this
morning she left town.
I see.
Uh, where, uh...?
Where did our bird of
passage fly to, dear lady?
Well, it seems some uncle
left our bird of passage
a fortune in jewels. At
least that was her story.
If you ask me, she has
more than her share of uncles.
Yes, well, perhaps she
has very large family.
Uh, where did she go to?
She came downstairs this morning
wearing a diamond brooch
and a sapphire bracelet,
neither of which ever came
from no novelty counter.
I'm quite sure, Mrs. Peacock.
Her destination,
uh, where did...?
No notice. No nothing.
Just up and went.
Where did...?
Miss Moss go to, dear lady?
Well, land sakes. She
ain't gone nowhere yet.
What do you mean?
Well, she said she was
taking the noon stage,
but that don't leave
for another hour yet.
Thank you, Mrs. Peacock.
Thank you very much indeed.
Wait, Reverend! Wait!
Are you sure you wouldn't
like some more of this burgoo?
Mrs. Peacock, never
before in my entire life
have I been more
sure of anything!
Whoa. Whoa. Whoa.
Uh, my... My horse went
lame over that hill, there.
Are you by any chance
going by Paradise Flats?
That's our next stop,
mister. Climb aboard.
Oh, thank you.
Thank you very much.
Thank you, yes. Thank you.
Golly!
What a collection of sparklers.
Sparklers?
What sparklers? I
didn't see any sparklers.
Whatever you do,
don't come any closer.
Mister, I never saw such
sparklers in my whole life,
especially that blue one.
I don't know what
you're talking about.
I-I'm sorry, young lady,
but you understand.
Hey, you...
You like nice jewelry, huh?
More than anything
else I can think of.
Oh, that's so nice.
You know, around here,
100 miles from nowhere,
the women, they don't
know the difference
between fine jewelry
and Indian beads.
They think a carat
is to feed a horse.
Oh.
You... You... You
like nice jewelry.
I... I show you a
little something, huh?
Here.
I think sure you
will love to see this.
Ah, look, don't touch.
Now, this is a
brilliant cut gem.
It was cut from the
Star of Kimberley.
That is 12 carats of
absolute perfection.
Golly.
It's the most beautiful
thing I ever saw.
Yeah.
Well, this certainly
isn't in your class,
but it's nice, isn't it?
Oh, yes, that's
very nice, indeed.
It certainly is, for
costume jewelry.
Costume jewelry?
Yes. But it's a very
fine reproduction,
but I just deal in
genuine diamonds.
Oh, these are genuine diamonds.
All right.
Very nicely cut glass,
but, uh, no matter how
you cut it, glass is glass.
You mean it's worthless?
Worthless?
Oh, absolutely not.
Why, you can get
for that, uh... 3, $4.
Whoa!
This is it, folks,
Paradise Flats.
Driver, when is the next
stage back to Kirby Gap?
I thought you was going
to Kansas City, ma'am.
Well, I changed my
plans. When is it?
Next westbound Number 6.
Be through here in an hour.
All right, Henrietta.
Time for you to go
to work, sweetheart.
There we are.
That's a good girl.
That's right.
Carry the little
message back home.
Now, whatever
you do, sweetheart,
don't stop to talk to any hawks.
Well, what do you got
there for me, Henrietta?
Hm?
Okay, girl, you take
care of the place, huh?
There are laws against
trespassing, Mr. West.
You should know that.
I do, Mr. Poore.
And there are laws
against murder.
You should know that.
The murder of Amos
Rawlins is a closed case.
Lucius Brand goes to the gallows
in just four hours.
You paid Abigail
Moss to lie in court?
Or should I ask her,
since she just left town?
I'm not under
cross-examination, West.
You and I are gonna have
a talk with Judge Blake
before Brand hangs for a
murder he didn't commit.
Well, now, that seems
reasonable enough.
His office is just
across the street.
All right, now.
In here now, quickly.
Hello there,
Henrietta, sweetheart.
How are your pinfeathers, huh?
You just hold on
to them, sweetheart,
because by this time tomorrow...
You'll be dead.
We've been waiting
such a long time
for you, Mr. Gordon.
We?
Me and the baby
that my husband
will never live to see.
Um...
may I ask what you intend
to do with that, Mrs. Brand?
Lucius is gonna die
for a killing he didn't do.
And so why not you,
and after you, Mr. West too?
He'll die too.
Oh, no, Mrs. Brand.
Whatever else you do,
you be very, very
careful not to kill me.
Because if you do,
your husband will surely die.
What do you mean?
I mean I'm going to save him,
because he's not guilty.
And unless I've become
a complete and total idiot,
I can prove it too.
Now put that silly
thing away, will you,
and give me a hand here.
You can start by turning
down those wall sconces.
Now I have here
two daguerreotypes,
which I have studied until
my eyes almost gave out.
Here's the first one.
You recognize those
people, don't you?
If you're gonna tell me that
my husband's in that picture...
Now, wait a minute, Mrs. Brand.
Please, just let me show
you the second daguerreotype
right over here,
taken immediately
after the murderer fired.
Notice, if you please,
that standing between
your husband's look-alike
and the murderer's
victim is this gentleman.
That's it!
That's just what I figured!
Look.
These grids convert
the two-dimension
of the daguerreotype
into a kind of a
mathematical three-dimension.
Now,
look at that.
Grid A-3.
Rawlins, the murderer's victim.
Grid B-4.
Creed, the target
for the gunman.
Grid B-7.
Mr. Lucius Brand's look-alike,
right next to dear Abby.
And Grid G-2.
Our obliging cowboy friend,
standing right
between the murderer
and his intended victim.
You... You mean
that... That Lucius...
Is going to be a free
man, Mrs. Brand.
As soon as I can get these over
to the district
attorney's office.
Ah, there you are, Mr. West.
You'll pardon me if I keep
on working away at this.
Of course.
I assume the Secret Service
has a substantial insurance plan
to comfort your loved ones.
Double indemnity if I'm
barbecued in the line of duty.
Good.
Now, this should give us some
time for unfinished business.
Before my accidental
death by fire.
Exactly.
When the candle burns down...
Oh, let me guess.
The candle burns
down to the rope,
the rope burns,
and the lamp falls
and the room is on fire.
And James West goes
out in a blaze of glory.
That's the same method
you used in the livery stable.
You're in a rut, Poore.
I wouldn't be concerned.
You'll be in a
grave soon enough.
Let's go.
Rawlins' position at
the head table was here.
Mm-hm.
Mr. Creed was right
next to him over there.
Now, somewhere in the crowd,
a man identified
as Lucius Brand.
Brand, the pawn.
Hm.
Now, the main point is this.
Optical measurements of two
daguerreotypes have shown
that a man seated on a horse
was directly in the line of fire
between Rawlins and Brand.
Brand's double could
not have fired the shot
that killed Rawlins.
It was physically impossible.
Mm-hm.
Roger, he presents
an interesting challenge.
Yes. I think we know
what must be done,
and quickly.
Yes. There's very little
time before the execution.
Your execution, Gordon.
There's a chill
to the air, but, uh,
you'll be warm soon enough.
You know, that's not
a bad arrangement.
You know how I'd
do it, though? I'd put...
Excuse me for cutting in,
but we don't have much time.
Oh, I... I know that.
I was just, uh, commenting
on the arrangement, that's all.
Artie.
This is a firing mechanism.
The trigger man was a female.
Wild guess:
Mrs. Rawlins, the
bereaved widow.
You're quite right, gentlemen.
Mrs. Rawlins.
Because of Poore's bungling,
I've spent two more days
in this town than I planned.
Oh, you're leaving Kirby
Gap, just when it's all yours?
I despise this
godforsaken place.
I bet not as much as you
despised your husband.
Kindly Amos Rawlins?
I was a lady of breeding
before he brought me here.
You consider that a
ladylike thing to do,
murdering your husband?
Search them.
Jim.
Well, of course, I no
longer can tell for sure,
but I say that we may
have about 30 minutes
in which to save Lucius
Brand from hanging.
You will join us, won't you?
You know what I
can't understand?
I don't know why
we didn't figure that...
Of course.
The solution to the whole thing
was right there all the time.
On a chess board?
Everybody knows the queen
is the most powerful
piece in the game.
Boy, walking out of that cell
was the happiest day of my life.
Well, I hope you left it
neat and clean, Lucius,
because it will probably
be housing Mrs. Rawlins
and Creed and Poore.
Mr. West, Mr. Gordon,
If it hadn't been for you...
Oh, now, come on, you
promised, Mrs. Brand.
All right.
Here's to good friends.
Would, um, one of y'all
tell me what Mrs. Rawlins
figured to get out of all this?
Rawlins brought
her here from Boston.
She was the daughter of a very
wealthy man who went bankrupt.
She hated it here,
and she hated him.
So she enlisted Creed's
aid to help her get rid of him.
All Creed had to do
was duck that bullet
and, uh, make me
the perfect suspect.
Well, uh, what about Mr. Poore?
Oh, he ran the rest of the show.
The drugging of your drink,
the theft of your gun,
the tearing of your coat.
Creed was to get half
of Rawlins' interest.
Poore hoped that Creed
would back him politically.
It was a real neat plan.
Um,
Mr. West, if you don't mind,
uh, I'd just as leave you'd
change that slide there.
It kind of gives me the willies.
My pleasure.
Whoa, my pleasure.
Hey, she's lovely.
Just say the word, and
I'll arrange an introduction.
Well, consider the word
said. What's her name?
Uh, Jennifer Colt,
alias Prudence Mallery.
And if you lighten
the hair just a little,
you'll know her as Abigail Moss,
wanted in four states.
Why do you always
have to spoil everything?
Artie, I didn't spoil a thing.
If you want to see her, you can,
the first Sunday of every month.
All right.
Thank you.
Change in temperature
will do it every time.
No, it isn't that.
It's my hay fever.
All I have to do is
go through Kansas,
I become a handkerchief case.
How did you get in the
Secret Service with hay fever?
Kept it a secret.
Hey, we've stopped.
Hey, Jim, I just had a thought.
As long as we're here anyway,
why don't we spend the night?
Because, Artie, it's still day,
and two hours is plenty of time
to find all the trouble we need.
Please, boys.
Boys, this morning we shipped
our last roundup of steers
on the eastbound rail,
making this the biggest year
in the history of
the Rawlins Ranch.
You've worked long and hard,
and you've done
yourselves proud.
In appreciation of your efforts,
Mrs. Rawlins and I want
you to share our humble table.
Eugenia, come on up here, honey,
and show your pretty face.
I just want to echo what
my husband has said
and add my thanks to all of you.
You make an Eastern
girl feel very much at home.
I just have one more thing to
say to you, my good friends.
Have fun.
Say, uh, think they'd
mind if we joined the party?
My stomach's sending up messages
for a little of that
rare roast beef.
I don't think they'd mind.
Mrs. Rawlins.
Good afternoon, Mr. Creed.
Nice party you have here.
It must be costing your
husband a pretty penny.
He's showing his
employees how grateful he is.
Well, he must pay them
a good wage, doesn't he?
Money's not the only
way a man can say thanks.
Amos, you're
spoiling these people
with all this fancy celebration.
They should be
out doing extra work.
They all owe the bank money.
They'll pay you, Roger.
They're good, honest
citizens. You'd find that out
if you treat them like men
instead of account numbers.
That's easy enough to say.
Well, the truth always is.
It's 12:00, Roger. Sit
down. Feed your face.
Well, if you don't mind, I'll...
Amos!
Amos, what's wrong?
What's happened?
There he goes,
the man who did it!
I tried to stop him!
I tried to stop him.
Which way did he
go? There. There.
He may go out the
back. I'll take him.
Who are you?
James West, United States Agent.
Well, what do you want?
Nothing, but I got an idea
the State of Kansas
wants you. For murder.
So that while the
defendant, Lucius Brand,
had no intention of
killing Amos Rawlins,
he coldy and with calculation
did intend to take the
life of Roger Creed.
Ladies and gentlemen of
the jury, my path is clear.
I will prove to you that
Lucius Brand is guilty of murder
in the first degree.
That's him.
That's the man I saw
pull a gun and shoot.
Uh, he was sitting on
the bed when I got there.
The gun was in his hand.
Had it been fired, Mr. West?
Yeah, it'd been fired.
Mr. West, do you
recognize this coat?
Uh, the defendant
was wearing that coat
when he was apprehended.
And this pocket?
Uh, that was given
to me by Abigail Moss.
And Miss Moss already
has testified that she ripped it
from the coat of Lucius Brand.
Fortunately, I was
able to remove myself
from the path of the bullet.
Poor Amos Rawlins
wasn't so lucky.
Mr. Creed, tell the
court of your dealings
with Lucius Brand.
Well, my bank loaned
him money for his farm.
The drought last year caused
him to forfeit his payments.
I was forced to foreclose
on his mortgage.
I see.
And what was
Mr. Brand's reaction?
Well, you might
say it was violent.
He threatened to kill me.
And just before Mr. West
busted in, I woke up.
That was past the hour of noon.
Mr. Brand, you're a
farmer, aren't you?
I was.
Oh, yes. There was the
matter of your lost farm.
Tell the court what
happened after that.
Well, I just sent my wife
back to live with the family.
And then I come to Kirby
Gap looking for a job.
And just like that you
stopped being a farmer, hm?
Uh, I don't understand
what you mean.
Farmers get up at sunup
before the roosters start crowing.
Everybody knows that.
Yet you tell the court
on the day Mr. West
broke into your room,
you slept past the hour of noon.
Why, Mr. Brand?
Well, I g... I guess, I just
had a mite too much to drink
the night before.
Mr. Brand, do you
recognize this coat?
Yes, sir, but I don't remember
tearing that pocket on it.
I see. And is this your gun?
Yes, but I...
I didn't...
Didn't what? I didn't fire it.
Gentlemen of the jury,
what we have here
is Mr. Brand's coat,
which he claims he didn't tear,
and Mr. Brand's gun
which he claims he never fired.
The next thing
we're likely to hear
is that Amos Rawlins
was never really murdered.
The jury has found
you guilty of murder.
I therefore sentence
you to be transported
to the state prison at Hastings,
where two days from
this day, at sunset,
you will be hanged
by the neck until dead,
And may god have
mercy on your soul.
Hold your fire, sheriff.
You're kind of quick
on the draw, aren't you?
This man wasn't going anywhere.
Yeah, well, you can't be
too careful with these killers.
Why didn't you
let him get killed?
It would have been kinder.
I'm sorry, Mrs. Brand.
You have a lot to be
sorry for, don't you?
Don't you know that... That
Lucius couldn't have done
what all those others and
you said that he went and did?
All wives and close relatives
always become
emotional at times like this.
Yeah, they do, don't they?
Come on, Jim.
We're two days late
for St. Louis already.
Yeah, let's get to St. Louis.
Come on, Jim. It's an
open-and-shut case,
for pete's sake.
Artie, that's the
part that bothers me.
Yeah, I know. I know you.
You're probably still wondering
why Brand would lead
you right to his very home.
Since you brought that up.
Well, you know as well as I do
murderers do strange
things under stress.
Now, forget about
it, will you? Come on.
Plus, if you'd
brought up the matter
why he wasn't even out of breath
when you finally
caught up with him
after chasing him all that time,
or why he wouldn't even
bother to throw away his gun
when he knew that
we were chasing him
right after the murder.
Artie, what were you saying
about an open-and-shut case?
Hm.
Yeah.
Help me, you say?
If you want to help somebody,
you help my wife when
she winds up a widow
and my son when he
gets around to being born.
Just run through the events
of the night of the murder
again, won't you, Mr. Brand?
Why?
Because I think you might
be innocent, that's why.
All right.
I had dinner at the
Kirby Gap Hotel.
Then I had two or three drinks
with a couple of cowhands
from the Rawlins Ranch.
They must have
been pouring triples
because I... I
guess I passed out.
Then the next thing I remember,
I woke up in a sweat,
and you come busting in.
What about the gun?
Well, when I woke up,
I spotted it on the floor,
and I just picked
it up. That's all.
And the coat?
I wore it the night before,
but I still don't remember
tearing that pocket off of it.
How did you happen to wake
up just before I busted in?
I... I heard...
I had a nightmare.
You never mentioned
that in court.
Well, because they just would
have hooted at me, that's all.
Because it wasn't
really a nightmare.
I was awakened by a...
A train that was
bearing down on me.
Well, now you can go
ahead and hoot at me too.
Guard.
Listen, now...
Now, wait a minute.
I didn't shoot Creed.
It's true I hated him,
but I didn't shoot him
and I didn't kill
Amos Rawlins either.
Now, what are gonna do about it?
I don't know, but
you got two days
for us to think of something.
Find anything yet, Artie?
I'm not quite sure
what it is I'm looking for
now that I think about it.
Well, when you
find it you'll know.
How about behind the pictures?
Artie?
Artie?
No need to shout, Jim.
I hear you perfectly fine.
You mind giving me
a clue where you are?
Not at all. Just
follow my voice.
Come on, Artie. Keep talking.
The minute you say keep talking,
I can't think of
anything to say.
Come on over here, will
you? I think I got something.
"When in the course
of human events
"it becomes necessary
for one people to dissolve
the political bands which
have connected them..."
I found you, Artie.
Congratulations.
Now, where's the rest of you?
Just walk in the living room,
sit down in that armchair,
and move the right arm panel.
Will you ever find out.
Well, we know how Brand's
double got out so quickly.
Right. The minute he came inside
he tossed the gun
into Brand's bedroom,
had himself catapulted
up through the ceiling
and left Brand to hold the bag.
Remember the sound
of the oncoming train
that Brand said he
heard which woke him?
Mm-hm. Get a load of this.
Nice work, Artie.
Now we'd better
go and have a talk...
Don't look now, Artie,
but I think we're on fire.
You know something.
I think you're right.
Suggest we make a hurried exit.
I like your thinking.
Now, let me get this straight.
A chair that brings
you through the ceiling,
and a black box that sounds
like a train. Is that right?
That's right, judge.
And that's your evidence
that Brand was framed?
It was the evidence.
Unfortunately, it
was burned in a fire.
Well, what do you want me to do?
I'd like you to
give me a few days
so I can prove
Brand is innocent.
Hm, well, I don't suppose
it would do any harm
to give you another day or two.
Excuse me, judge.
Lucius Brand did more
than just kill a man.
He snuffed out the most
loved man in this town.
Now, if you grant him a stay
without any show of evidence,
why you're just
begging for mob action.
Yes, yes. Uh, I was
coming to that. That's right.
No, it's, uh... It's out of
the question, Mr. West.
I'm sorry.
What makes you so hot
about this anyway, West?
The man's innocent.
Prove it, Mr. West. Prove it.
I hope you're having
more success with that
than I had with Judge Blake.
Jim, come here
a minute, will you?
I want you to see something.
I've been studying
these plates for hours.
Now, this is the first one,
which was made just
before the shooting.
All right? Now look at this.
That's the other plate.
And that's Abigail Moss.
Right, and the gentleman there
in the tweed jacket
and the rolled collar,
that's our own Lucius Brand.
Or the man Abigail
claims was Brand.
Exactly. It's too bad
that we can't see his face.
If we had, maybe Brand
wouldn't be the man
being hanged tomorrow.
Uh, I've been examining
this thing for over an hour.
Trying to find one thing
that didn't show
up at the trial.
And?
I think I found a balloon.
Uh, a balloon.
According to my calculations,
released one second
after the shot was fired.
Artie, that balloon
was a signal.
Exactly.
That's the device,
which set the entire
complicated machinery
into synchronized motion.
There was a man sitting in
the attic looking out the window.
When the balloon began to rise,
that was a signal that
the shot had been fired
and the murderer was on
his way to Brand's place.
At which point Brand
was roused by the sound
of that oncoming train.
It was just beautiful.
Artie, blow up the picture
with the balloon hawker.
That is my first stop
tomorrow morning.
Why don't I have a little
chat with Abigail Moss.
Why don't you.
Rent $12 a week in advance.
No pets, poker or parties.
Supper $2.50 extra.
First come, first served
till victuals is gone.
Well?
Uh, no... Uh, you... Uh,
you don't understand.
I am not, uh, really
here about a room.
Reverend, if it's
about a contribution
to one of those
heathen missions...
No. It's not money that I want.
It's just information.
Information?
With all the chores
I'm saddled with?
Well, I...
All right, young
lady. Thank you.
Would you be good
enough to tell your mother,
the woman of the
house, that I was here?
It happens I'm the
woman of the house.
You're joshing?
No.
Why, it doesn't seem
possible. You seem so young.
Well, it's information
you want, Reverend.
Won't you step in?
Oh, thank you.
Thank you. Thank you so much.
Oh, my.
Oh, my goodness.
Oh.
Oh, oh, oh.
Oh.
Oh, of course, it ain't
Buckingham Palace,
but we call it home.
Yes. How fortunate
that Miss Abigail Moss
can call this home too.
Oh, it's about her
you're here, eh?
Yes. Well, let me tell you
that she's...
Oh, mercy. My burgoo.
Oh, excuse me, Reverend,
but where were we?
Uh, we were, uh...
Uh, speaking about Miss Moss.
Oh, yes. Her.
Well, this morning,
bright and early, she...
Oh, Reverend? Hm?
Would you mind
giving me your opinion?
Oh, uh, not at all.
Manna from heaven.
No, no, no, no.
Truly, I wouldn't think of
depriving you of any more.
Moderation in all
things, you know.
You sure you ain't
just being polite,
turning down thirds?
No, truly, Mrs. Peacock,
I couldn't put
down another bite.
Now, uh, about...
Uh, about Miss Moss.
When did you say
she'd be arriving?
She won't. Early this
morning she left town.
I see.
Uh, where, uh...?
Where did our bird of
passage fly to, dear lady?
Well, it seems some uncle
left our bird of passage
a fortune in jewels. At
least that was her story.
If you ask me, she has
more than her share of uncles.
Yes, well, perhaps she
has very large family.
Uh, where did she go to?
She came downstairs this morning
wearing a diamond brooch
and a sapphire bracelet,
neither of which ever came
from no novelty counter.
I'm quite sure, Mrs. Peacock.
Her destination,
uh, where did...?
No notice. No nothing.
Just up and went.
Where did...?
Miss Moss go to, dear lady?
Well, land sakes. She
ain't gone nowhere yet.
What do you mean?
Well, she said she was
taking the noon stage,
but that don't leave
for another hour yet.
Thank you, Mrs. Peacock.
Thank you very much indeed.
Wait, Reverend! Wait!
Are you sure you wouldn't
like some more of this burgoo?
Mrs. Peacock, never
before in my entire life
have I been more
sure of anything!
Whoa. Whoa. Whoa.
Uh, my... My horse went
lame over that hill, there.
Are you by any chance
going by Paradise Flats?
That's our next stop,
mister. Climb aboard.
Oh, thank you.
Thank you very much.
Thank you, yes. Thank you.
Golly!
What a collection of sparklers.
Sparklers?
What sparklers? I
didn't see any sparklers.
Whatever you do,
don't come any closer.
Mister, I never saw such
sparklers in my whole life,
especially that blue one.
I don't know what
you're talking about.
I-I'm sorry, young lady,
but you understand.
Hey, you...
You like nice jewelry, huh?
More than anything
else I can think of.
Oh, that's so nice.
You know, around here,
100 miles from nowhere,
the women, they don't
know the difference
between fine jewelry
and Indian beads.
They think a carat
is to feed a horse.
Oh.
You... You... You
like nice jewelry.
I... I show you a
little something, huh?
Here.
I think sure you
will love to see this.
Ah, look, don't touch.
Now, this is a
brilliant cut gem.
It was cut from the
Star of Kimberley.
That is 12 carats of
absolute perfection.
Golly.
It's the most beautiful
thing I ever saw.
Yeah.
Well, this certainly
isn't in your class,
but it's nice, isn't it?
Oh, yes, that's
very nice, indeed.
It certainly is, for
costume jewelry.
Costume jewelry?
Yes. But it's a very
fine reproduction,
but I just deal in
genuine diamonds.
Oh, these are genuine diamonds.
All right.
Very nicely cut glass,
but, uh, no matter how
you cut it, glass is glass.
You mean it's worthless?
Worthless?
Oh, absolutely not.
Why, you can get
for that, uh... 3, $4.
Whoa!
This is it, folks,
Paradise Flats.
Driver, when is the next
stage back to Kirby Gap?
I thought you was going
to Kansas City, ma'am.
Well, I changed my
plans. When is it?
Next westbound Number 6.
Be through here in an hour.
All right, Henrietta.
Time for you to go
to work, sweetheart.
There we are.
That's a good girl.
That's right.
Carry the little
message back home.
Now, whatever
you do, sweetheart,
don't stop to talk to any hawks.
Well, what do you got
there for me, Henrietta?
Hm?
Okay, girl, you take
care of the place, huh?
There are laws against
trespassing, Mr. West.
You should know that.
I do, Mr. Poore.
And there are laws
against murder.
You should know that.
The murder of Amos
Rawlins is a closed case.
Lucius Brand goes to the gallows
in just four hours.
You paid Abigail
Moss to lie in court?
Or should I ask her,
since she just left town?
I'm not under
cross-examination, West.
You and I are gonna have
a talk with Judge Blake
before Brand hangs for a
murder he didn't commit.
Well, now, that seems
reasonable enough.
His office is just
across the street.
All right, now.
In here now, quickly.
Hello there,
Henrietta, sweetheart.
How are your pinfeathers, huh?
You just hold on
to them, sweetheart,
because by this time tomorrow...
You'll be dead.
We've been waiting
such a long time
for you, Mr. Gordon.
We?
Me and the baby
that my husband
will never live to see.
Um...
may I ask what you intend
to do with that, Mrs. Brand?
Lucius is gonna die
for a killing he didn't do.
And so why not you,
and after you, Mr. West too?
He'll die too.
Oh, no, Mrs. Brand.
Whatever else you do,
you be very, very
careful not to kill me.
Because if you do,
your husband will surely die.
What do you mean?
I mean I'm going to save him,
because he's not guilty.
And unless I've become
a complete and total idiot,
I can prove it too.
Now put that silly
thing away, will you,
and give me a hand here.
You can start by turning
down those wall sconces.
Now I have here
two daguerreotypes,
which I have studied until
my eyes almost gave out.
Here's the first one.
You recognize those
people, don't you?
If you're gonna tell me that
my husband's in that picture...
Now, wait a minute, Mrs. Brand.
Please, just let me show
you the second daguerreotype
right over here,
taken immediately
after the murderer fired.
Notice, if you please,
that standing between
your husband's look-alike
and the murderer's
victim is this gentleman.
That's it!
That's just what I figured!
Look.
These grids convert
the two-dimension
of the daguerreotype
into a kind of a
mathematical three-dimension.
Now,
look at that.
Grid A-3.
Rawlins, the murderer's victim.
Grid B-4.
Creed, the target
for the gunman.
Grid B-7.
Mr. Lucius Brand's look-alike,
right next to dear Abby.
And Grid G-2.
Our obliging cowboy friend,
standing right
between the murderer
and his intended victim.
You... You mean
that... That Lucius...
Is going to be a free
man, Mrs. Brand.
As soon as I can get these over
to the district
attorney's office.
Ah, there you are, Mr. West.
You'll pardon me if I keep
on working away at this.
Of course.
I assume the Secret Service
has a substantial insurance plan
to comfort your loved ones.
Double indemnity if I'm
barbecued in the line of duty.
Good.
Now, this should give us some
time for unfinished business.
Before my accidental
death by fire.
Exactly.
When the candle burns down...
Oh, let me guess.
The candle burns
down to the rope,
the rope burns,
and the lamp falls
and the room is on fire.
And James West goes
out in a blaze of glory.
That's the same method
you used in the livery stable.
You're in a rut, Poore.
I wouldn't be concerned.
You'll be in a
grave soon enough.
Let's go.
Rawlins' position at
the head table was here.
Mm-hm.
Mr. Creed was right
next to him over there.
Now, somewhere in the crowd,
a man identified
as Lucius Brand.
Brand, the pawn.
Hm.
Now, the main point is this.
Optical measurements of two
daguerreotypes have shown
that a man seated on a horse
was directly in the line of fire
between Rawlins and Brand.
Brand's double could
not have fired the shot
that killed Rawlins.
It was physically impossible.
Mm-hm.
Roger, he presents
an interesting challenge.
Yes. I think we know
what must be done,
and quickly.
Yes. There's very little
time before the execution.
Your execution, Gordon.
There's a chill
to the air, but, uh,
you'll be warm soon enough.
You know, that's not
a bad arrangement.
You know how I'd
do it, though? I'd put...
Excuse me for cutting in,
but we don't have much time.
Oh, I... I know that.
I was just, uh, commenting
on the arrangement, that's all.
Artie.
This is a firing mechanism.
The trigger man was a female.
Wild guess:
Mrs. Rawlins, the
bereaved widow.
You're quite right, gentlemen.
Mrs. Rawlins.
Because of Poore's bungling,
I've spent two more days
in this town than I planned.
Oh, you're leaving Kirby
Gap, just when it's all yours?
I despise this
godforsaken place.
I bet not as much as you
despised your husband.
Kindly Amos Rawlins?
I was a lady of breeding
before he brought me here.
You consider that a
ladylike thing to do,
murdering your husband?
Search them.
Jim.
Well, of course, I no
longer can tell for sure,
but I say that we may
have about 30 minutes
in which to save Lucius
Brand from hanging.
You will join us, won't you?
You know what I
can't understand?
I don't know why
we didn't figure that...
Of course.
The solution to the whole thing
was right there all the time.
On a chess board?
Everybody knows the queen
is the most powerful
piece in the game.
Boy, walking out of that cell
was the happiest day of my life.
Well, I hope you left it
neat and clean, Lucius,
because it will probably
be housing Mrs. Rawlins
and Creed and Poore.
Mr. West, Mr. Gordon,
If it hadn't been for you...
Oh, now, come on, you
promised, Mrs. Brand.
All right.
Here's to good friends.
Would, um, one of y'all
tell me what Mrs. Rawlins
figured to get out of all this?
Rawlins brought
her here from Boston.
She was the daughter of a very
wealthy man who went bankrupt.
She hated it here,
and she hated him.
So she enlisted Creed's
aid to help her get rid of him.
All Creed had to do
was duck that bullet
and, uh, make me
the perfect suspect.
Well, uh, what about Mr. Poore?
Oh, he ran the rest of the show.
The drugging of your drink,
the theft of your gun,
the tearing of your coat.
Creed was to get half
of Rawlins' interest.
Poore hoped that Creed
would back him politically.
It was a real neat plan.
Um,
Mr. West, if you don't mind,
uh, I'd just as leave you'd
change that slide there.
It kind of gives me the willies.
My pleasure.
Whoa, my pleasure.
Hey, she's lovely.
Just say the word, and
I'll arrange an introduction.
Well, consider the word
said. What's her name?
Uh, Jennifer Colt,
alias Prudence Mallery.
And if you lighten
the hair just a little,
you'll know her as Abigail Moss,
wanted in four states.
Why do you always
have to spoil everything?
Artie, I didn't spoil a thing.
If you want to see her, you can,
the first Sunday of every month.
All right.