"Guilty"
(Original air date 10/30/67)
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Jarrod is strongly convinced his client was wrongfully convicted
of murdering a priest
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Writer: Harry Kronman
Director: Paul Henreid
Riding along on a quiet road, travelling salesman Walt Tenner (John Harmon) comes across an injured man who collapses in the middle of the road. When he rushes to his aid, the man knocks him down and flees with his horse. Tenner recognizes his assailant as convicted murderer Jeff Bowden (Norman Alden).
At the Barkley breakfast table, Jarrod is absorbed in his thoughts, churning over the case he lost on account of an eyewitness's testimony who saw his client, Jeff Bowden, flee from the scene of the crime. Jarrod is obstinate in his mistaken belief that the man is innocent of murder.
On his way to town. Jarrod asks Audra to drop him off at the Bowden's place to visit with the nine-month-pregnant Mrs. Bowden. (Joyce Ebert). Jeff's wife reiterates her gratefulness to Jarrod for trying his best to exonerate her husband of his crime, and assures him that she bears no hard feelings towards him for failing to obtain that verdict of innocent. She goes as far as asking Jarrod to be the baby's godfather.
As they exit the bedroom, Sheriff Madden (Douglas Kennedy) and two of his deputies, Alex (John Baxter) and Marty (Mel Allen), barge into the house to search for her husband who just escaped from prison. Jarrod turns down Fred's offer to join the posse, convinced that he can better reason with Jeff if he's not wearing a badge.
As soon as Jarrod and the men leave, Mrs. Bowden goes into labour and is helped back into her bed by the midwife Mrs. Haley (Sheila Bromley).
In town, Jarrod meets with druggist Sam Becker (Robert Nichols) who just got wind of Bowden's escape. He dreads the possibility that the convict has come back to exact revenge for his damaging testimony in court.
Down the street, the local baker (Joe Higgins) surprises Bowden hiding in a corner. He runs to the sheriff who scatters his men around to hunt for the fugitive.
Later, Nick and Victoria drive into town. They stop at the general store where Victoria intends to buy baby clothes for the Bowden's new arrival.
The shop owner, Arthur Kleeber (Harlan Warde) is shock to learn that Victoria could shop for a family he considers trash. She resents that snide remark, stating that she stands by Jarrod's conviction that Jeff Bowden is innocent.
At the school, Audra is helping student Stevie Becker (Frankie Kabott) with an arithmetic problem when two men erupt with rifles to search for Bowden. The man's name sends Stevie in a panic, thinking that Bowden is back in town to kill his father. Audra agrees to let the boy out of school to be with his dad. In his rush, he forgets his jacket. When Audra goes to the closet to get it, Bowden startles her.
The sheriff and his men continue to comb every inch of town while Bowden hides at the school. He won't accede to Audra's request to release the children for fear that they might squeal on him. He proposes to sit tight and wait for the men outside to call off the search.
Stevie runs to his dad's drugstore to tell him about the deputies searching for the escaped convict. He runs back to the school when he realizes he forgot his jacket.
There, he surprises Bowden. But before the man can grab a hold of the kid, Audra shoves him back out the door, telling him to run.
As she begs Bowden to allow her to fetch Jarrod, student Ollie Jamieson (Stephen Liss) starts hurling threats at the man, saying he's heard his father speak ill of him and that he'll hung for his crime. This has Bowden sweating bullets, desperately seeking a way out.
Becker is frantic. He urges the sheriff to deputize more men to nab the murderer whom Jarrod still believes is innocent.
Stevie comes running to his father with the news of Bowden hiding out at the school.
The sheriff rounds up his men and take position behind a wagon across the street to plan their next move.
While waiting for a decision, Jarrod suggests to Nick to drive their mother out to the Becker's house in order to shield her from the hostage situation.
Nick tries his best to keep the news from Victoria but gossipy Mrs. Kleeber (Rhonda Williams) blurts it out, leaving the mother incensed at her son for deliberately concealing the truth from her.
Before they take action, Jarrod persuades Fred to allow him to make a last-ditch attempt at reasoning with Bowden. He enters the classroom where he pleads with the man not to follow on his intentions to kill Sam Becker. Bowden quickly clears the misunderstanding by saying that he's in town solely to see his wife and newborn.
Jarrod accepts to help Bowden get to his wife in exchange for his solemn promise to surrender willingly. When the man agrees to the terms, Jarrod beckons the two men guarding the back alley to step inside, where they are instantly stripped of the guns and locked in the closet.
Jarrod allows Bowden a few minutes with his wife and son before he asks him to honor his promise. Bowden argues that he's innocent and that he has no intention of returning to jail, threatening Jarrod at gunpoint to let him go. When Jarrod stands in his way, he smacks him in the face and runs out the door.
Gunfire erupts, forcing Bowden to seek cover behind barrels. Jarrod stands in the line of fire to make one last attempt at hammering some sense into Bowden's head, using his family as an excuse to lay down his weapon.
When Bowden aims at Jarrod, Nick quickly guns him down.
Jarrod's last painful task is to sadly inform Mrs. Bowden of her husband's death. He learns that Jeff was indeed guilty of killing that priest after he surprised him stealing the church money. Her husband wasn't bad, just desperate to feed his family.
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