Original subtitles

All right.

What are you doing in my place? What kind of a...

Too bad you come busting in here like that, old man.

If I weren't looking for no trouble, I probably would have just come in and

your old chicken and gone home.

Well, uh, now listen.

Now, you go on.

You go on and take it. I won't tell.

Well, uh... No. No, now listen. You're in trouble with the law.

I don't care. It ain't none of my business.

And I got some cornmeal, too, that you can have.

The FBI.

A Quinn Martin production starring Ephraim Zimbliss Jr.

Also starring Philip Abbott, William Reynolds, with guest stars

Catherine Justice, Wayne Rogers,

Tom Skerritt.

Tonight's episode.

The Legend of John Rimm.

On the night of May 12th, convicted murderer John Clarence Rimm led a mass

escape from police custody.

and fled to the swamp country in which he had been born.

Facing a life sentence for the bomb slaying of three sailors in a Gulf Coast

bar, Rim had killed again to keep his freedom.

36 hours later, all except Rim had been recaptured.

But he had crossed state lines in his flight, and on May 14th, agents of the

entered the case under the provisions of the Fugitive Felon Act.

Well, this is the heart of it.

Orkin Swamp.

It's half the size of Okefenokee and twice the trouble.

330 square miles of wilderness, 90 % of it uncharted.

Rim was born and bred here.

And if he slips through the police roadblocks, he's going to be about as

find as a particular grain of salt in the ocean.

Did he know this missing farmer? I mean, would he have headed there for help?

I doubt it.

Swire's a hill man, and hill and swamp people don't mix very much.

If Rims stopped there at all, I don't think it was by any prearrangement.

Did Swire have a car?

Yes, sir.

And that's missing, too.

That's why the sheriff happened to be over at the farm in the first place.

Swire was going to drive into Torrance to pick up a new headlight.

When he didn't show, the garage man thought he might have had an accident.

Then the sheriff decided to investigate.

He called me when he found the place wide open.

He said he was sure that Swire would have locked it up if he was going

in that car.

What's his conclusion?

He thinks that Rim was in the house.

Hello? Mr. Ward?

Just got a call from Orkin.

Search helicopter spotted a car at the south edge of the swamp. Turned out to

Swire's. John Rim's prints are all over it.

Well, that's it.

Better get back there as soon as you can, Leon. We'll keep the direct line

I'd like an hourly report.

By the way, have you met my new associate, Tom Colby? Senior resident

Leon Butler.

Oh, Tom. Hey, how are you? Leon, you can draw your extra men from Atlanta and

Columbia first. And if you need more, check with Birmingham, Charlotte, or

Louisville. Well, Mr. Ward, that's one of the things I wanted to talk to you

about.

I'm not sure that extra manpower is the answer in this case.

Why not?

Well, Rims pulled this particular trick before.

He beat up a man badly when he was 17, and half the state police force couldn't

track him down in that swamp.

He just waited until he was sure the man was going to be all right, and then he

came out by himself and took a six -month sentence for assault.

What's your point, Leon?

Well, I think that two or three men might get more cooperation from the

people than a small army would.

And the state police agree.

They're willing to pull back if we give the word.

Do you think Rim's neighbors would be apt to help us?

Well, they're clannish, but they're just.

Yes, I think they might help.

If they thought they weren't being pressured into it.

What is Rem's reputation down here?

Oh, he's a hero.

They'll tell you that he was railroaded for that Gulf Coast crime.

But he once saved a whole busload of kids from drowning.

And that's what they remember.

I'd like to go down to work on myself, Art.

Uh -huh.

With how many others?

Tom and Leon.

All right, go ahead.

I need a complete background.

Yes, sir. What about family?

Well, he's got a wife named Yuli and one brother, Frank.

Frank, somebody will see.

What do we care if people see us?

He's back.

So he's back.

All we got to do is find him out there in that swamp and tell him the truth.

Truth.

Johnny, it's like he was dead and we were thinking to ask you for a legal

divorce so we could get married. I mean, there wasn't any point to your escaping

back here.

You're just messing everything up.

Tell him that.

Is that the truth?

Is it or isn't it?

you know what you were doing when you were 15?

Just because a man saved your life, that don't mean that you belong to him or

that that makes him a good husband.

Frank, we did wrong. No, no, we didn't do no wrong. Not until he left here and

went down to the Gulf Coast.

You could have starved to death for all he cared.

We did wrong.

All right, then.

We'll fix it.

Ain't nobody ever going to find him in that swamp. And the first chance I get,

I'm going to go in there and I'm going to tell him.

I think they're trying to pull. Did you see?

Howdy, Ms. Wren.

Mr. Greer.

What's who trying to pull?

Oh.

So they're leaving, huh?

Kit and Caboodle.

Why?

Oh, don't you threaten on now, Miss Rim.

They ain't caught him yet.

They never will.

Will they, Frank?

Be like trying to catch smoke and cage it.

They got something else in mind.

Yeah, like what?

Well, maybe they figure Johnny will get careless, come out of the swamp and into

town.

Maybe they figure one of Johnny's friends will do the job for him.

Shoot him.

Turn him over to the law.

What, are you crazy?

Nobody's doing nothing like that.

No, I guess not.

Not in Oregon, anyway.

I mean, unless they had a real big reason for

wanting to get rid of him.

Now, what you getting at?

Oh, and I sure can't think of none.

I mean, they're even making up songs about him.

Johnny Rim's the biggest hero we ever had.

Anybody would...

Hurt Johnny Rim.

I guess they'd be all drawn and quartered before they knew what hit

I'll be getting on home now.

You want me to drive you?

No, I want to walk.

Tell you one thing they're being smart about, though.

They ain't even bothering to offer a reward.

I guess they know.

There ain't enough money in the whole world to get one of Johnny's friends to

cut him up.

No, sir.

Money could never do it.

Butler, welcome back. I'd like to have you meet Inspector Erskine. This is

Special Agent Colby. This is Sheriff Ray Goddard, Sheriff. How do you help? Good

to meet you.

I was hoping we'd have something concrete by the time you got here,

but I'm afraid things are kind of ground to a halt.

No sign of Swire, huh?

We've been over the house, the grounds.

I put out an APB on him Tuesday.

No results on that.

I understand you've known him quite a while, Sheriff.

Better than 30 years.

I'm his closest friend.

You might say I was his only friend.

Ed Swire wasn't what you call the social butterfly type.

Any relatives he might have gone visiting?

No. Ed never married. Folks are dead.

Couldn't get him off this farm unless you carried him off feet first.

Ray, there's an empty well over by the Fred Dickerson property. We've already

been down it.

It's still empty.

There's no sign of freshly turned earth anywhere.

No, and none of Ed's rakes or hoes or shovels has been used for the last

of days, as far as we can see.

But your lab might be able to tell better about that.

Way to keep his tools.

Little shed.

Over there.

Let's take a look.

Morning.

Your report said there were no signs of violence.

The place never looked neater.

The door was wide open when I got here.

The rifle usually hung over the fireplace.

The brackets are still in order.

No apparent struggle for the gun.

No bloodstains?

Nothing.

There is one thing that might have happened.

Ed had a couple little strokes last year. I noticed his mind wasn't as clear

it used to be.

I suppose he might have just wandered off.

What a housekeeper was this Swire.

Terrible.

Why do you suppose he put a fresh patch of linoleum down here?

Unless... Are you taking all the pictures you need? Yes, sir.

I'll send a sample back to Washington and let serology take a look at it.

He must have tried to wipe it off.

Say, Rims shot him here.

He would have wiped the blood off the linoleum.

But he had to cover the stains that got on the floor.

Say, Sheriff, shouldn't a farmer have a wheelbarrow?

We couldn't locate one.

Well, get some more agents. Go over every inch of this area if you have to.

Inspector, I still can't see why Brim would waste all this time.

I mean, he's an escaped prisoner.

Why would he take so much trouble to hide what he did here?

Well, maybe he's protecting his image, Sheriff.

Don't forget what a hero we're dealing with.

How you been, Yuli?

Hmm? Fine.

Brother Frank?

How's he been?

Oh, me, oh, my.

I never saw nobody walk as pretty as you, Yuli.

I used to think back in jail how you'd see me out of that house and you'd come

running out.

And you'd kiss me.

What's the matter?

You shouldn't be this close to the house. I've seen the troopers leave.

Mr. Greer said they'd be looking for you to come clear into town. You tell Greer

not to worry none, because I can wait a lot longer than they can.

As long as I got somebody to help me out.

I'm going to need a hammer and chisel for this.

Where am I going to find them? I'm going to get them from Frank. Look, you need

a hammer, chisel, and cartridges. I only got four left.

And anything else you can think of. Anything you're going to need.

Skillets, thread.

Oh, tools for me, because I'm going to build us a new house out there in the

middle of the swamp.

What?

Well, we're married. We're going to hide out together.

Huh?

Yeah, sure, but I'm... Well, we just can't go on like nothing's different.

Nothing is, honey. I'm back.

Johnny... Oh, now, don't worry, now.

It ain't gonna be as bad as you think it is.

Now, you, uh... You just get out into town and tell Frank I'm all right,

he's gonna worry about me.

And then you tote everything you can carry out to Writer's Pond, you

And meet me out there around 2, 3 o 'clock. I'll be looking for you.

who I feel like at all.

Because I got my paradise and I got my Eve.

Lord helps the snake who tries to take him from me, huh?

Afternoon. Howdy. Howdy.

I, uh, I wonder if you could help me. I'm looking for a man named Frank Rim.

Frank Rim? That's right.

Oh, uh, you, uh, police?

No, FBI.

Oh, my.

Well, Rim's Grocery's straight down across the street, right on the corner.

can't miss it.

Is he there now, do you know?

Well, most likely.

It's business hour.

That's one thing Frank and Julie be tending to from now on.

Business.

Newman.

Thank you.

Oh, uh, mister.

Uh, groceries that way.

Yeah, I'll register first.

No use.

Ain't no room.

Well, suppose I talk that over with the desk clerk.

You already have.

I'm him.

I don't suppose there's another hotel in town.

No.

Why don't you just give up, mister, like them state troopers did?

You ain't gonna catch Johnny Rim.

Well, now, Mr. Newman, I wouldn't say that anybody's given up.

Sheriff's got cars and helicopters all around that swamp.

It's just a question of the best way to take it. Oh.

And you figured to do that?

All alone?

Oh, no, no. I'll need cooperation.

From us?

You're out of your mind.

It reminds me of the time they sent them lawyers down from the county seat to

try and steal the best land we had for a highway.

You remember that, Greer? Yeah, I remember.

Cooperate. They talked a lot about cooperate.

They just about cooperated us into the poorhouse.

That meant for Johnny Rim.

Said he'd tar and feather the first man that broke and sold.

He said if we hung together, they'd find a new route.

And they did.

Johnny's the smartest man I ever knew.

He's also a convicted murderer.

That's a lie.

Oh, he busted out of jail.

He never murdered nobody.

He got in a fight in a bar. He left, came back an hour later with a homemade

bomb, killed three men and wounded six others.

Not true.

He was positively identified by four of the victims.

Well, they lied.

Johnny's a rough one, all right.

There ain't a mean bone in that man's body.

Ain't a family in this whole town.

Doesn't bless the ground that man walks on.

Saved my boy's life once.

That bus accident.

You really think you're going to find somebody around here to help you chain

him?

Couldn't tell him.

You wouldn't have been able to either if you'd seen his face.

Now, wait a minute. What are you trying to say?

You don't want to go back to him, do you?

No, but... Well, then, wait. Listen to me.

Nobody thinks more of Johnny than I do. You know that.

I cut off my right arm before I'd seen her.

That's why I never so much as smiled at you until he left.

And I wouldn't have come to you then, except he said he was clearing out for

good.

Oh, yeah, that's right, Yuli. For good.

He never intended to come back here.

And he wouldn't have if he hadn't needed a place to hold up.

Listen to me, Yuli.

I'll help him till the day I die.

But I love you.

And he never did.

I don't want you to go back there.

He's expecting me. I know he's expecting you, but I can take him when he needs.

Yeah. And then you say, where's Yuli?

And then there'll be a fight, and what if he comes into town?

So what if he comes into town? The police are all gone.

Afternoon.

Frank Wren?

That's right.

My name's Erskine.

I'm with the FBI.

Going home, honey.

Are you Mrs. John Wren?

Yes, sir. Now, wait a minute.

She's not under arrest or anything. She doesn't have to answer any questions,

does she?

No, not if she doesn't want to. Go on, you stay there.

Well?

You happen to know where your brother is?

No, not an idea in the world.

You realize it costs the crime to aid a fugitive.

How does that compare, say, with a crime of putting an innocent man in jail for

life, Mr. Erson?

Convinced your brother's innocent, huh?

That's right. Sure am.

Well, how can you be so sure when a jury of 12 men found him guilty?

Juries can be wrong. They've been wrong before.

They didn't know Johnny.

They listened to lies.

You know a farmer named Ed Swire?

Nope. He's missing.

Well, that's too bad.

You give him my best when he shows up, huh?

Suppose he shows up dead and we can prove your brother murdered him.

Will you believe us then?

That's impossible.

Johnny couldn't murder anybody.

You couldn't prove it.

It'd be just like trying to prove that an elephant was a mosquito.

Just suppose.

Yeah, I might believe it.

Thanks. Take that as a bargain.

has been worked over pretty well.

It's far.

Yeah.

I will have to take some prints to make sure, Paul.

We still need to find the murder weapon.

Swire's jug.

Blood on it. Here.

If Rim left any prints, we've got him.

Well, that's real good.

Roger, they just pulled in. 31 clear.

All quiet on this front?

Peaceful as the tomb.

Here are the photographs.

He tossed the jug into the grave right at Swire's feet.

I also found some more prints after we contacted you.

Some were Swire's, but some of them were Rem's. The coroner's office said they

notified Goddard the second they were positive about the cause of death.

I especially reminded them about his history of strokes.

I said that you didn't want to leave any room for doubt at all.

Were his prints on file, by the way?

No, they're still trying to establish a positive identification using his dental

work.

Leon, you know Frank Wim by sight, don't you? Yes, sir.

He's in the store now.

I don't think he'll try to contact his brother knowing he's under surveillance.

I don't want to take any chances.

Stay here and keep an eye on him.

Oh, and Leon.

See those two fellas up there?

Don't let them get to you.

See what the wife thinks of this little development.

Rem? FBI, we'd like to talk to you.

You go away.

It's about your husband.

Mrs. Rem?

You ain't caught him yet, so don't lie to me and say you have.

May we come in?

Have you called him?

Not yet.

Oh, this is Special Agent Colby. Mrs. Wren?

Well, what's happened?

He's killed another man.

We found the body about noon.

What do you want to lie to me for?

Never killed anybody.

Mrs. Brim.

Has it ever occurred to you that you may be lying to yourself?

What kind of a husband has he been to you?

Look at this place.

Has he provided for you?

Taken care of you?

Do you trust him?

Is he really as wise, as generous, as kind as the people in this town say?

You know, just because he saved those kids, it...

Doesn't mean he's a saint.

I'm talking about the man now, not the legend.

Do you really think that man's incapable of killing?

Mrs. Rim, listen to me.

We drew the police away from Orkin to save lives, including your husband's.

Now, if it doesn't work...

If we don't get any help from you or the others, then we'll go in after him with

as many men as it takes.

Point is, we'll get him.

How do you know where he is?

He's my husband.

Is there any way you can signal him to come out?

No.

time if you should change your mind.

Contacted her once before. He may try again.

Better take a walkie -talkie and watch the cabin.

Check. Thank you very much.

Thank you, sir.

We just got the coroner's report.

The blow on the head from the clay jug is confirmed as the cause of death.

And the body?

It's Swire, all right. He was positively identified through the dental work.

Tom's watching the cabin. Stay with the walkie -talkie.

What do you think he's up to?

You say he's a Johnny's prince on this jug?

There isn't the slightest doubt.

Well, listen, just because... A lot of proof, Mr. Rem.

There it is.

You say it's proof.

Well, use the telephone.

Call the coroner's office in time.

Suppose Swire attacked him first.

Swire was killed by a blow to the back of the head.

A lot of other blows.

They were all to the head and face, so he couldn't be recognized.

This supposed to be Swire?

What's left of him.

You trying to tell us Johnny Rim did this? That's the murder weapon. The clay

jug, his prints are all over it.

Oh, now, I don't know nothing about Prince, but I know Johnny Rim.

I guess all of us here do.

I'm blessed if I can believe Johnny would do a thing like that.

How about you, Frank?

Well, I'm blessed if I see why the FBI lied about it.

It'd be easy enough to check out.

you're not just trying to find a reason to help the FBI?

Now that's a funny thing.

I'd say it'd be much more tempting not to help.

That way people would never say he turned his brother in to get his wife.

You're saying it'd be easier if I didn't want his wife.

Wouldn't it?

Yeah.

Frank. All right, you proved your point.

He killed a man.

He should be punished.

I'll show you where he is.

He's lying to you, Frank.

They're just trying to use you.

Colby, Butler.

This room's leaving the cabin, Leon.

Looks like she's heading into the swamp.

Shall I follow her?

Is she on a marked path?

Yeah, more or less.

Follow her, but stay well back.

And let her go if she leaves the path itself.

You'd be in quicksand in five minutes without a guide.

We'll catch up to you as soon as we can.

Right.

Frank, you can't do this. He's your own kind.

Think on it, John. He's your brother.

Stop hitting it, Green. It's on us now.

It ain't decided.

All right.

Say you do take him.

How do you think you're going to get him out of this town?

We're going to pick up Rem.

Keep an eye on him.

He's a troublemaker.

or for a couple more units to stand by just in case.

Colby, check that. The woman's gone into the swamp. He'll try to keep her in

sight. Can we head in from the cabin?

Yeah. Good luck.

Thank you.

Can you hear me, Lou?

She's gone, all right.

By the way, where's your partner?

I can't seem to raise it.

Well, it's a tricky country.

He could have gotten in some kind of trouble.

Is there more than one way in there?

Yeah, there's a couple.

Six, one, half dozen, nothing.

Wouldn't make any difference which one.

Tom, come in if you read me.

Johnny? Johnny?

You can shut your mouth and keep it shut. Come on.

What kept you?

See, you didn't come here with nothing except police.

I wouldn't do that. You know what time it is?

You're supposed to be here at 2 or 3 o 'clock.

Frank said he wanted to come. Oh, Frank wanted to come, huh?

Yeah, well, I don't see him around here neither.

Oh, it's some family I got, I'll tell you.

What'd Frank want to come out here for anyway? You told him I was all right,

didn't you?

He said he wanted to talk to you.

About what?

Huh? He say?

Yeah, he said.

What'd he say?

Johnny, do you love me?

What? What's that got to do with what I'm trying to... You love me.

Yeah, yes, you love me.

Then why'd you... Why'd you leave me?

Oh, come on, honey bun.

Was it another girl? Oh, now, I don't have to count to you for nothing, Yuli.

Lots of other girls.

A man's only on this earth here once, you know, Yuli. I mean, my... Not an

organ.

Johnny, did you kill them three sailors in the bar?

And the farmer whose car you stole? Oh, now you know me better than that.

Where are you going?

Back to Frank.

Back to... What's that supposed to mean?

Means I love him?

I'm going to divorce you, Mary.

We gotta be careful from now on. There's quicksand all around here.

Just around that bend up there is Ryder's Pond.

Along the edge is a two -foot ridge.

And that's solid ground.

So you stay close to me, huh?

Hello?

Tom, where are you?

Hello?

I, uh... I'm on a path.

I'm just north.

Uh...

I'm somewhere north of the cabin.

That's one of the other ones.

Moxon bit me.

I got the one. I think I... I got all the venom out.

Just see him in town if we could get him there quick enough.

Hold on.

How long would it take to get back to him?

Not long. If I could cut straight across, but I'd have to go alone.

You better go ahead.

Wait a minute. I'd better get to him in time. Might as well pick up your brother

now that I'm this close.

Tom, hang on.

Don't move.

Frank Rim will be there in a minute.

All right, now remember, that ridge is only two feet wide, and that's not as

wide as it sounds.

Don't let anything happen to you.

Grab it.

All right, take him away.

Easy now.

No need to fret.

A liar like him is too mean to die.

Is that my old pal Greer talking?

My old drinking buddy?

What happened, old buddy?

I'll tell you what happened.

I made a phone call to Torrance, to the corner.

He didn't have to go and kill that old man.

Why don't you go get Pius?

I ain't Pius.

I'm just sick to my stomach.

My feet wasn't even made of clay.

Just plain mud.

Well, go on.

Come on.

How's John?

I beg it, how are you?

We'll be all right, won't we?

We will now.

You ready to go home?

Tomorrow we go down to the county seat and get that divorce.

John Clarence Rimm was sentenced to a second life term for the murder of

Swire and is now in a state prison.