Auto Light and its 98,000 dealers bring you Mr. Victor Mature in tonight's presentation
of Suspense.
Tonight, Auto Light presents a true story, the tragic and mysterious history of the most
famous early California bandit, as told in The Love and Death of Joaquin Murrieta, our
star Mr. Victor Mature.
Hello, Harlow.
Hi, Senator.
How's life in the legislature?
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How's that, Senator?
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Ask for operator 25, and she'll gladly tell you the location of your nearest Auto Light
spark plug dealer, the man with ignition engineered Auto Light spark plugs.
And remember, from bumper to tail light, you're always right with Auto Light.
And now, Auto Light presents transcribed, The Love and Death of Joaquin Murrieta, a
true story starring Mr. Victor Matur, hoping once again to keep you in suspense.
To whomever it may concern.
I leave this letter to explain how with justification, the son of a grandee in Mexico, the son of
wealth and prestige and courtesy can be turned into an outlaw and a killer.
The beginning was near Calvary's in a peaceful summer evening, given over to the singing
of birds and the peaceful occupation of such as I, a peace which was interrupted.
Joaquin!
Joaquin, help me!
She's going to die.
Let's get away from here.
Joaquin!
Help me!
Help me, Joaquin!
Joaquin, where are you?
Joaquin, I need you.
Come to me, Joaquin.
Carmen, Carmen, what have they done to you?
Help me.
Take me home.
That I would die in our home.
Yes.
Help me up.
No!
I cannot.
Carmen, the moving is not good.
Help me.
Help me.
Carmen, Carmen.
Joaquin, Joaquin, Joaquin.
Joaquin, Joaquin, Joaquin.
Joaquin, you were hurt, man.
What fighting have you done?
They've killed Carmen.
What is this?
They fought and they killed her.
But why, man?
But nothing.
We were where we were.
That is why.
At our claim.
I was working and they came.
I recognized one.
That O'Brien from down the stream.
He said to me, we want this claim.
You have no right to it.
And I said to him, clearly I have right.
All in California have rights.
It's written down that way.
But they left their horses and O'Brien beat me for my words.
Two of them holding me and O'Brien with his fist and then his gun.
In great braveness.
When I went down, it took me much time to get up.
So much I don't know.
But I heard Carmen calling me.
Then I came to her.
And they had heard her.
And she died.
What did you do with her, Joaquin?
First I cried with her until now my tears are gone.
Then I swore to her that never would I rest until I avenged her.
Avenge her?
The life that will lead to?
That is what you want, truly?
Yes.
More than anything.
There is nothing else left?
I know your feeling.
I am with you, Joaquin.
How did she die?
By this knife.
That of O'Brien.
Yes.
I remember him.
Here it is.
And I plan to return it.
Joaquin, help me.
Help me.
Help me.
Help me.
Now as part of the justification,
I remark that my wife Carmen and I left Sonora, Mexico
to go to the California gold fields
with dreams of happiness and wealth.
When we arrived in that country, we found it invaded by many
without faith or decency of law to govern them.
They wore their evilness as they wore their beards
without shame professing only hatred for our people,
seeing in us only a conquered race without any right or privilege.
Thus came about the death of my wife
and bad fortune, not my own instead.
I believe that I died partly
the night she died fully.
Part of my mind went with her.
And that which I kept would allow nothing but hate
and desire for revenge to come to it.
Later that same night on the road to the place where I was sleeping,
I saw a figure riding towards me.
This was the first time I was sure that part of my mind had gone with Carmen.
The moon was high and white.
When I saw this man, it was one of them.
I knew it was O'Brien.
Amigo, Amigo, I'm lost.
Which is the way to Calvary's?
You're way off, way off.
What is this way off?
You're going in the wrong direction. Calvary's is that way.
Which way? The shadows, Amigo.
It's hard to see which way you point.
I don't see why it should be right back there.
What's the matter, Amigo O'Brien?
My name's not O'Brien.
I've got my bridle.
What do you want? You don't need a knife to find the way.
No, Amigo. No.
No, leave me go.
You stay, Amigo O'Brien.
Leave me go. I've done nothing to you.
What you've done to me.
What have you done? You've killed half of me.
Now you will do something else for me.
And then I looked at him.
And with the moon right, I saw it was not O'Brien.
And then I knew I was a killer.
And that a price would be put on my head.
Those things were true.
And I quickly drew around me those who had been hurt also.
Though none so deeply.
Though none so deeply.
We have come, Joaquin.
You were cautious.
We never rode together until we were near this place.
That's good. Who came with you?
Manuel Garcia?
Come on.
Greetings, Joaquin.
What I hear of you must have been very hard.
Of very much emotion.
That part's finished.
You choose to ride with us, Manuel.
I am here, Joaquin.
For what other reason?
To smell the night air?
What they did to your brother, is it enough?
Enough.
He bought a horse from them.
And committed the crime of riding him home.
On the way, others stopped him, accused him of stealing the horse.
They tied him to a tree and horse-whipped him.
Then, without the privilege of being conscious,
they hanged him from the same tree.
Would you judge that to be enough?
Welcome, man.
I will kill well, Joaquin.
Who else, Manuel?
Luis Guerra.
Yes, Manuel.
Here is one you do not know, Joaquin, but he is conditioned.
Luis Guerra.
Good evening.
You are young, Luis.
Young enough to come to California with my mother and father.
The land of gold.
What you found instead?
They are dead.
Our claim is worked by others.
Is it enough, boy?
To ride with us?
You are young and none of us know how long we will ride or how long we will live.
I saw them die.
It was enough.
Pedro Gonzalez and Fernando Fuentes.
And there were more, lots more, all carrying hate in their hearts.
We left that place all pledged to do the same thing.
Revenge for the wrongs done to us.
Auto Light is bringing you Mr. Victor Mature in The Love and Death of Joaquin Murrieta.
Tonight's presentation in radio's outstanding theater of thrills, Suspense.
Say, Harlow, you mentioned both Auto Light standard and resistor type spark plugs.
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You can bet your Homburg on it, Senator.
Friends, see your Auto Light spark plug dealer for a spark plug checkup soon.
To learn his location, just phone Western Union by number and ask for operator 25.
And remember, from bumper to tail light, you're always right with Auto Light.
And now, Auto Light brings back to our Hollywood soundstage, Mr. Victor Mature,
in Elliot Lewis's production of The Love and Death of Joaquin Murrieta,
a true story well calculated to keep you in suspense.
There was much killing near Calvary's and soon much looting.
I searched for O'Brien, whose knife I carried, but found him not.
Then there was more killing in many places, San Jose, Marysville and many others.
In the beginning, I had an excitement so great that I cannot tell it.
But during that time, I listened and I didn't hear the bird.
The excitement started to pass away.
And I found that I followed my men instead of leading them.
It was after an attack near Orr's Timbers that Manuel Garcia and boy, Lewis,
came to me when we were at camp near the ranch of San Cepatero.
They knew I no longer received satisfaction.
What is it, Joaquin? You do not drink with us. You do not laugh.
In seriousness, Lewis, and I have been speaking of this.
You're not like before. In the raids, you only watch. You do not fight.
There's nothing. I have good men.
And a leader who listens for the call of a bird. There has been talk of this.
Let them think what they wish.
What is it, Joaquin? We are your friends. Tell us.
Look, I have no stomach for it anymore.
For what, man?
For all the killing.
This? This I hear from you. You who brought us together.
Who was something very barbarous in the beginning.
Was something very brave in the beginning.
Yes, yes, Juan. From that one you hear all this. I'm going back to Calvary's.
Oh, yes. To listen for the bird or to fight the posse that was so cowardly as to drive us away.
My mind is set.
Back to Calvary's? Why?
Is it truly the bird, Joaquin?
In this, to me, there is something more personal and terrible.
More than to any of you.
In the beginning it was part of me. Yes, yes, call it the bird.
But now this general killing. One camp than another.
To me it only builds a reputation for our people that's not good.
There is much gold that builds too. It has a reputation.
I didn't start for gold. I started to kill a man and I haven't found him.
You have found many.
None who is personal. And that I don't like.
The O'Brien. Whose knife you carry.
Yes, O'Brien. If I could go back and find him, then I would join you again.
You go alone?
That is not my choice. One to go with me.
If your mind is set, I will go.
There is a smaller price on Luis's head. He is not known so well.
I'll go, Joaquin. If that is what you want.
Thanks, Luis. I waited many weeks so that I would not have to ask you.
If I had known, Joaquin.
Thanks. I wish the morning would come so that we could leave.
Luis. Listen, Luis. Juan.
What, Joaquin? What is there to hear?
Nothing, my friends. Nothing. You do not comprehend.
I knew my thinking was right from the omen of the next morning.
A golden sunrise and a soft south wind.
Luis and I did our journey in leisure and without hiding.
And in four days we reached Calvarez.
Which had increased to a city of tents and rough buildings.
And the sun was shining.
And the sun was shining.
And the sun was shining.
And the sun was shining.
Which had increased to a city of tents and rough buildings during the time we had been gone.
This place has missed us. We had it burned to the ground.
Perhaps we'll come back someday.
I hope so.
For now, look around for anyone who seems to recognize us.
I am looking, my friend. But for anyone who would not know Joaquin Murrieta.
The town was filled with strangers.
We clearly found this to be the truth.
All had heard of Joaquin Murrieta. But none alive had seen him.
Luis and I found sleeping room on the border of the town.
And for three days I searched for O'Brien.
On the fourth night I heard news of him.
Luis. Wait.
Luis. We'll have a drink in this place.
Come.
Before I got here, and I'm glad of that.
You get crazy people like Murrieta out killing nobody safe.
Well, he was chased out of here. He'll be chased till he's dead.
Will I, Luis? Who knows?
I heard he had a pretty good reason for going on the warpath.
That his wife was killed. Joaquin?
That ain't true. He was trespassing where he didn't belong.
Working a claim that didn't belong to him.
Joaquin, help me. Help me.
Luis. No.
Joaquin, no.
I didn't hear that part of it.
Well, I did from a man that ought to know.
Matt O'Brien. He knew him. Was there when it started.
Says Murrieta was a born killer.
O'Brien, he's in a new posse now that's going to start out hunting for him.
Well, I'm glad it's O'Brien and not me going out to hunt Murrieta.
Joaquin, no.
Let go, Luis.
What I hear, he's got a bunch of cut throats big enough to beat it.
Oh.
Buenas noches, senors. Pardon the intrusion.
I heard you speak of two things close to me.
Well?
This Matt O'Brien, who is a friend of mine and the other is Joaquin Murrieta.
What about Murrieta?
I've just come from the south and I heard where this Murrieta is.
I would like to tell Senor O'Brien.
There's a price on Murrieta's head.
Why should you want to help somebody else get it?
Senor, I am of the same people.
And I don't sell my people.
Murrieta, he was sent crazy by what happened.
The rest of us are not crazy.
Where did you hear he was?
At the ranch San Sopateros.
You know where?
See, but I tell only Senor O'Brien.
Senor, there's no reason for that gun.
I know who you are. You all look the same.
Come on, Sam, keep him covered with me. Take his gun.
Yeah.
All right. You want to go to Matt O'Brien, do you?
Si, Senor.
Then Sam and me will take you.
Go on.
You say it was south. Why?
They were selling horses.
Where?
Los Angeles.
How did you hear about Murrieta?
I'm a friend of mine.
You don't talk straight.
We'll see what Matt O'Brien has to say about this.
Help me. Help me. Help me!
It was a rare situation with many possibilities.
I'd seen Louis slipping away when I went to the table to these men.
And I knew clearly that he was a man of the heart.
And I knew clearly that he would come to my aid if he could.
But my worry was that he would come too soon
before these men could take me to O'Brien.
Then my worry was that he would not come at all.
Lamp's on. You must be home.
Hey! What?
Thank you, Luis.
For nothing.
O'Brien will come out with this noise.
You want my gun?
No, friend. I have his knife.
And that's as it should be.
Oh, what's the matter?
There. Stay here, Luis.
What happened?
Help me.
What happened?
There's been some trouble, senor.
What are they shooting for?
Some man. They took my gold, senor. I'm shot.
Get out of those shadows where I can see you.
Si, senor, but don't shoot.
Keep coming.
Si, senor.
Murrieta!
Remember well, O'Brien.
Remember well.
Look in!
From that moment to this, Luis and I have been only a jump in front of the posse.
But last night we heard them ride by as we lay hidden.
And all this day we have heard or seen nothing.
We've rested, feeling safe.
And I've used the time for the writing of this history, which now has ended.
I know the debt can never be paid.
There is no way ever to avenge Carmen's death fully.
But I've done my best.
But now I've had enough.
I hope to follow this letter soon to senor.
And take up the peaceful life of the gentleman again.
My loss will never be.
What is it?
I think I heard something. I don't know.
Where?
From below.
How close?
I don't know.
There, look, a horseman.
Won't we ever stop running?
Come on.
Luis, above us.
Look.
This is no good, man.
That way, Luis.
Then towards the grove.
Wait.
They're there, too.
What did this day of rest do to us?
Watch it.
Oh, man.
Perhaps that was the end of the history that was written there in a canyon,
which is now a residential section of Los Angeles.
But supporting details are scarce, and rumors are many and varied.
There were many rumors about the man who was killed in the
last night of the last night of Los Angeles, but supporting details are scarce,
and rumors are many and varied.
There were those who said that Murrieta did die that day.
There were others who said that only one body was found,
and that there was some doubt as to who it was.
And there are others who said that during the following days,
traveling by night, it could have been Murrieta, they said,
moving toward Mexico, perhaps following the sound of a bird,
but it was no longer a voice.
Suspense.
Presented by Auto Light.
Tonight's star, Mr. Victor Matur.
This is Harlow Wilcox again, speaking for Auto Light,
world's largest independent manufacturer of automotive electrical equipment.
Auto Light is proud to serve the greatest names in the industry.
That's why during these early months of 53, the Auto Light family joins together
in saluting the leading car manufacturers who install Auto Light products
as original equipment.
Our Auto Light family is made up of the nearly 30,000 men and women
in 28 great Auto Light plants from coast to coast,
and in still other Auto Light plants in many foreign countries.
Our family also includes more than 18,000 people who have invested
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as well as 98,000 Auto Light distributors and dealers in the United States
and thousands more in Canada and throughout the world.
Our Auto Light family will salute the Plymouth Division of Chrysler Corporation
on the next Auto Light Suspense television program.
If you live in a television area, check the day and time of suspense on television
so that you'll be sure to see this program.
Music
Next week, the roaring 20s and the violent people who occupied them.
As with song and story, we tell about St. James Infirmary.
Our star, Miss Rosemary Clooney.
That's next week on Suspense.
Music
Suspense is produced and directed by Elliot Lewis.
With music composed by Lucian Morawick and conducted by Lud Gluskin.
Portions of the program were transcribed.
The love and death of Joaquin Murrieta was adapted for Suspense by Gil Dowd.
The guitarist was Jose Barroso.
In tonight's story, Harry Bartel was heard as Luis, William Conrad as the narrator,
Virginia Gregg as Carmen, Joseph Kearns as O'Brien,
Harley Bear as Juan,
Hi Aberback as Joe,
and Jack Crouchon as Manuel.
Victor Mature appeared by arrangement with 20th Century Fox,
producers of Taxi, starring Dan Daly.
And remember next week, Miss Rosemary Clooney in St. James Infirmary.
Tonight, Autolite is pleased to congratulate the Boy Scouts of America and their leaders
on their 43rd year of guiding boys to a future of fine citizenship.
This is the CBS Radio Network.