
The Jury Full Episode – Bonanza, Season #04, Episode #14
In the murder trial of Jamie Wrenn (Jack Betts), eleven out of twelve jurors have reached a guilty verdict. The lone dissenter is Hoss Cartwright, who clings to the principle of “reasonable doubts.” Suspicion arises when it seems that Hoss may have been bribed, prompting his brother Adam to intervene. The episode also features James Bell as Olson, Don Haggerty as Murdock, Arthur Space as Judge Crane, and Tol Avery as Breese. Penned by Robert Vincent Wright, The Jury debuted on network television on December 30, 1962.
Explore the plot details and captivating trivia, or enjoy watching the full episode below.
Table of Contents
Watch the Full Episode of The Jury
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Main Cast
The Jury, the fourteenth episode of Bonanza’s fourth season, featured some of the program’s recurring and supporting cast members. The cast of the episode includes:
- Lorne Greene as Ben Cartwright
- Pernell Roberts as Adam Cartwright
- Dan Blocker as Eric ‘Hoss’ Cartwright
- Michael Landon as Joseph ‘Little Joe’ Cartwright (credit only)
- Jack Betts as Jamie Wrenn
- Don Haggerty as Bud Murdock
- James Bell as Hjalmer Olson
- Ray Teal as Sheriff Roy Coffee
- Bobs Watson as Junior
- Arthur Space as Judge Crane
- Tol Avery as Breese
- Byron Foulger as Taylor
- Sara Haden as Mrs. Taylor
- Bob Harris as Deputy
- Michael Hinn as Williams
- John Bose as Townsman (uncredited)
- Bill Clark as Townsman (uncredited)
- Russell Custer as Townsman (uncredited)
- Betty Endicott as Saloon Girl (uncredited)
- Martha Manor as Saloon Girl (uncredited)
- John Rice as Townsman (uncredited)
- Cosmo Sardo as Bartender (uncredited)
- Jack Tornek as Townsman (uncredited)
- Bruno VeSota as Townsman (uncredited)
- Sally Yarnell as Townswoman (uncredited)
Full Story Line for The Jury
Hoss encounters scorn and allegations of bribery as he steadfastly refuses to align his vote with the other jurors in convicting a man of murder. His stance is rooted in skepticism towards convicting solely based on the testimony of the victim’s brother, who claims to have witnessed the crime on a night.
Full Script and Dialogue of The Jury
♪♪ That'll be all, Judge. You may step down. You have heard the evidence, gentlemen of the jury. You will weigh that evidence in privacy and render your verdict. A sober and unenviable task, but... you must face it with responsibility. ♪♪ You bet, Judge! Send those good men into their little hate closet, that's right. Send them in there so they don't have to look at me - when they tie that rope around my neck. - Wrenn... Weigh the evidence, huh? Seems to me around here lies weigh up heavier than facts. And you, you gapin' bunch of sheep. Like a medicine show, ain't it? That's right. Step right up and get your tickets. See a man do a rope dance! - See him kick! See him squirm! - Wrenn! Wrenn, stop it! And don't forget your box lunches! You're not doing yourself any good! Whew, it's mighty hot, gents. Mighty hot. Well, I guess it's best to get this over and done with. - I got chores waiting at home. - We all got things to do. Right. Well, let's get to voting. I think all of us see this the same way, don't we? - Murdock? - What else? Guilty, of course. Murdock said it. What else? He's guilty. Yeah. I-I mean guilty. I had a field of wheat once and had to plow it under. Bad seed, bad crop. Sometimes people are the same. You know, Wrenn's pa was no good... Town drunkard... and his kid's following in his footsteps. I vote to hang him. - Guilty. - Good, good. Barton? He done it, all right. Guilty. And now Williams? Oh, you look disturbed. - Don't tell me. - Yes, Mr. Breese, I am disturbed. Disturbed by this talk of getting out of here because it's hot... or because there are chores waiting. Like all the rest of you, I feel that Jamie Wrenn is guilty, and I'll vote that way... but I want it known that it's because of the logic of what I heard in the courtroom, not because I'm all-fired anxious to get this over with. Oh, of course, Williams. Point is, if we all think he's guilty, what's the use of dillydallying around? Oh, one more vote, we'll have this behind us. Just give us your guilty; we've had enough oratory. I ain't much on oratory, Mr. Breese. Just remembering what the judge told us. He called it "reasonable doubt." I reckon that's what I got. Are you gonna tell me, Hoss, that you doubt Jamie Wrenn's guilt? Yes, sir, I guess that's exactly what I mean. I got to vote not guilty. - Jamie... - Can't talk to him now, boy. Go away. What's the rush, Sheriff? Gonna polish up that badge some more? Hey, Junior. Some pal you turned out to be. I-I know I wasn't in court, Jamie, but I was right out here all day waiting. H-How did it go? A-Are you gonna be... I mean... did they... Set me up for hanging? No, not yet, but they'll get around to it for sure. Seems there's a squeamish chap on the jury, and hanging don't set too well with him. The one friend you've got in this world, and you can't say a good word for him? Junior's the only friend I got. That guy on the jury ain't any friend of mine. Only reason he's holding out for so long is for the buck a day he gets for sitting on his duff. Let's get you back to your cell. You can talk to him later, Junior. Yeah. That's right, you can. Why don't you come by later, Junior. We'll have us a regular ol' tea party, huh? How about that? Let's go. How'd it go, son? Not so good, Pa. Hoss Cartwright. Have you taken leave of your senses? Wanting to turn a killer loose in the streets? If I thought Jamie Wrenn was guilty, I'd have voted that way. Seems to me somebody's been talking out of turn. What goes on in the jury room is not subject for gossip. You can't keep such disgraceful goings-on a secret in this town. Hoss Cartwright, I've known you a long time, but I must say you're a real disappointment to me. Come, Henry. You know, Hoss, she's right. Everybody in town feels the same way. Maybe that'll make you change your mind. Mr. Murdock, it's how I feel that matters to me. Now, let me put it this way. I don't intend to stay cooped up in that jury room sweatbox because of your muley attitude. Best we be heading home, son. Hoss. Hoss Cartwright. I hear tell you're holding out, Hoss. Holding that Jamie Wrenn ought to be let off. That's true, Mr. Olson. But we ain't supposed to be talking about it out here. - The judge said... - Don't figure how you can really feel that way, Hoss. Jamie Wrenn did what I said he did in court, and that's plain fact. Well, sir, I... tell you, Mr. Olson, I did what I thought was right, and that's plain fact. I'll hold you no grudge for that, Hoss. A man can only vote what he thinks is right. But... Pa, you've remained silent through this whole thing. Come on home. Here's your dinner, son. You mean swill, don't you, badge man? You must pocket a mean profit from the money they give you to feed us prisoners. Huh? Look, Wrenn, most jails, you want your grub, they make you cook it. Now, this is restaurant food. Same identical as they serve to their customers. Oh, I do believe you. I do for a fact. Difference is, you probably scraped it off the plates they sold yesterday. The law says I got to feed you. You don't have to eat it. Well, I'll try and choke some down, badge man. Otherwise, I might just pine away and die of starvation, and you'd be cheated out of your hanging fee. That'd be plumb terrible, wouldn't it, you being cheated out of your hanging fee? What I don't like about it is all the rules they're always setting down for me. What rules? Oh... Well, Breese and the rest of 'em are always... they're always telling me that the law says an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. How come it don't say nothin' about turning the other cheek, or loving thy neighbor. What are you getting at, Hoss? Well, Pa, dad-burnit, poor little Jamie Wrenn'd have a better chance if he was a total stranger. Dad-burnit, I just... I just can't see him killing a man in cold blood, that's all. Hoss, you got to be careful about something. You got to be careful not to let your heart rule your head. A man who sits on a jury... has got to be logical. He's got to look at the evidence, to weigh the evidence... Pa, that's exactly what I'm doing. The only evidence I've heard, the only evidence, is Olson's word that Jamie Wrenn killed his brother. Are you saying that Olson lied? No, I ain't saying that. But what I am saying is that it was dark that night, Pa. It was real dark. It could have been real easy for Olson to have made a mistake. Too easy to hang a man on the strength of it. Answer me this. Am I wrong in what I'm doing? A man is never wrong... doing what he thinks is right. You'd better get saddled up. You're gonna be late for jury duty. I'd just as soon rassle a bear. Oh, Hoss? You know you're gonna take a real beating from those other jurors today. No chance of you changing your mind, I suppose? Mr. Williams, I can't understand. Everybody expects me to change my mind. Has it ever occurred to any of 'em that they might change theirs? I'm telling you, Judge, dismiss this jury and start over again. That muley Cartwright's the only man in town thinks... Mr. Murdock... get one thing straight... No one tells me how to run my court. You'll go into that jury room and you'll return with a unanimous verdict, whether it takes today, tomorrow or the rest of the month. Do I make myself clear? Well, now, let me make myself clear, Judge. I got a ranch to run... I can't waste all this time. You call it a waste of time, deciding whether a young man should die? Well, I don't mean that, Judge. What I mean is, the rest of us jurors has decided like we were supposed to, and that fool Cartwright's holding us up. Everybody's here now; let's get going. - Yeah, sure. - Oh, Mr. Breese? It's come to my attention that certain jury members have been discussing the deliberations of the jury with outsiders. That is something I will not tolerate. Yes, sir. Well, now, Hoss, how about it? Changed your mind yet? Oh, surely you want to get this thing over with. Getting this thing over with is not exactly my notion of our purpose in being here, Mr. Breese. Now, we all know why we're here. To find Jamie Wrenn guilty. Yeah, but don't you see, I still think he's innocent. Now, Hoss, we can't stay here day after day. Why don't you get off your high horse and swing over to our side? Because he likes to hear himself talk, that's why. Hold on, Murdock. I don't agree with Hoss, but he's got as much right to his opinion as the rest of us. Opinion? Oh, come on, Hoss, be reasonable. None of us here likes this job any better than you do. The law says we got to do it. Do you think I want to see that young man hang? I don't, but I don't make the laws. I just do the best I can. Now, Hoss, we're going to try to convince you of Wrenn's guilt. I want to appeal to your logic. Now, if you'll remember when Olson was on the stand, under oath, he had no hesitation in making a positive identification of Wrenn as the man who killed his brother. After all, the man is guilty. Judge Crane, has the jury come to a verdict, or is that Hoss Cartwright still acting like an obstinate donkey? Mrs. Taylor, I must remind you that what goes on in that jury room is not your business, nor is it mine. To answer your question, the jury is still in session. Good morning, ma'am. Ladies. Why do you keep holding out? I heard one other thing that judge said, too. I heard him say "reasonable doubt," and I got a reasonable doubt about Jamie... What is the doubt you're having? All day we've been arguing with that pigheaded fool. All day. We got to do it again tomorrow. I tell you, I'm getting fed up. Cartwright must be a stubborn one, all right. He is. Why is he against stringing up that young killer? Well, Taylor... Cal, give me a whiskey. Howdy, Hoss. Howdy, Mr. Olson. Word's out that you're still wanting to turn Wrenn loose. I'm sorry, Mr. Olson. Yeah, I'm sorry, too, Hoss. I'm sorry about that young Wrenn boy. I hate to see a man die, but he did kill my brother, and the law says he... Mr. Olson, please, Mr. Olson. I'm sorry. You know, Mr. Olson, us jurors ain't allowed to talk. Seems like some of us don't want to talk, but you can, Mr. Olson, you can. Now, come on, Mr. Olson, tell us again, just like you did in court, how Jamie Wrenn killed your brother. I don't see how it could do any good, Mr. Murdock. But I wasn't there, Mr. Olson, I didn't hear it. Go ahead and tell us. Well... there ain't that much to tell. It's, it's just that... my brother and I woke up that night in our cabin and we saw Jamie Wrenn stealing our money box from the fireplace, where we hid it. We jumped him, but he had a gun. He shot my brother and, and run off with the money box. Every cent we had in the world. Yes, sir, that's just how he told it in court under oath, but it appears some of us weren't listening real good. Mr. Murdock... Jamie Wrenn has already had a fair trial. We're not gonna hold a kangaroo court in here. You got a guilty conscience or something, Hoss? I ain't holding no court. Just refreshing my memory on what happened. Cal. This bill... it's got my mark on it. It's part of the money Jamie... Jamie Wrenn stole the night he killed my... killed my brother. Mr. Olson, you say all your money was marked like this? Yes, sir, Sheriff, it was. And Jamie Wrenn stole every cent of it, right? That just about decides it, don't it, Judge? You got no choice but to call a mistrial. There is no need to declare a mistrial. The jury will reconvene in the morning. I'll hear no more talk on the subject. Hoss, you're just going to have to figure out where you might have picked up that money. Dad-burn it, Roy, I've been trying to... backtrack myself. I paid a bill over at the livery stable, then I, I bought some stuff from Jake and a couple other things, I don't know... I must have got it back in change or something, I don't know. You had another thought, Mr. Olson? Well, it was real late that night when I saw Wrenn rob us and shoot my brother. I run over to the sheriff and got him out of bed... He grabbed Wrenn before morning. Then, Jamie couldn't have spent any of that money. It had to be a bribe. Murdock, that ain't so, and you know it. Listen, Hoss, you vote guilty like the rest of us. Then, maybe nobody can say you took the bribe. I'd better not hear anybody say that nohow. Hoss, it's been a long day. Come on, let's get out of here. Good night, boys. - Well, go on in. - Y-Yes, sir. Don't take too long now, you hear? N-N-No, sir. Th-Th-They've been doing a powerful lot of squabbling down in that jury room, Jamie. I-I've been listening to 'em from out in the alley. It's just an act, pal. No, no, no, it ain't, Jamie, no, it ain't. That, that big fella... Hoss Cartwright... He's been taking a heap of abuse and lip from them other jurors. He can stand it for the dollar a day he's getting. He'll give in when he's made his money and had his fun. If he does, they'll... That's right, Junior, they'll string me up and they'll waste no time about it either. Look, quit trying to save my feelings, will you? 'Cause I ain't afraid to... I ain't afraid of 'em. They'll get no satisfaction out of me, no crawling, no whining, no nothing. And for something that you never done. It just ain't fair, Jamie, it just ain't fair. There ain't nothing fair in this world. You're either born lucky or you're born to spit on. The way I look at it, Jamie, you only got one chance. Y-You got to get out of here. Now, why didn't I think of that, Junior? You know, I think I'll just call that deputy over here and ask him to unlock the cell. Please, Jamie, you've been the onliest friend I, I ever had. I'm gonna get you out of here. What, with a hunk of...? Clay. What are you going to do... Shape up an Indian totem and get rid of the evil spirits? Oh, no, no, no, Jamie, no, I'm not going to make an Indian totem. I figured, I figured, if I could get the key... I'll get him over here. Say, uh, Deputy, you mind stepping over here for a second? Thanks for dropping by, Junior, thanks a lot. See you later, huh? Now what, Wrenn? Uh, tell me, can a prisoner make a complaint around this here jail? What do you mean, complaint? Just what I said. There are a few things I don't like around here. First of all, the food... It stinks. Then, there's that other thing there. What are you getting at? Hey, kid, hey. Hey, kid. I-I-I-I didn't do nothing. Well, now, nobody said you did. I just want to talk to you a minute, that's all. You know who I am? Wh-Who don't know that? You're Hoss Cartwright... The one that's been holding out, and Jamie says you're just doing it for the dollar a day you get. Now, Jamie's wrong. Now, I know you're a good friend of Jamie's, and that's why I want to talk to you. I want to talk to you about that money that was stolen from old Olson. Some of it was found in my pocket tonight. Huh? You wouldn't know anything about that, would you? Hey, now, y-you ain't accusing me. Ain't nobody accusing you of nothing. Just some of the fellers are talking like maybe Jamie might have given you some of that money to keep for him. Oh, so, so Jamie's right, ain't he? Y-Y-You don't think he's innocent. Well, well, let me tell you something. He couldn't have given me that money 'cause, 'c-c-cause he didn't steal it and he didn't shoot Old Man Olson neither. Boy, how can you be sure of that? Let me tell you something, and it's the gospel truth. I told Jamie I'd lie for him. I-I-I said that I-I was with him th-the night of the killing, give him an alibi, but he wouldn't let me, not Jamie. He said that, that he was innocent and, and he didn't need no lies to prove it. Maybe, maybe you wouldn't understand that. Yes, I do. I got to go. That proves we're right, Taylor. Them Cartwrights, them high and mighty Cartwrights. Listen, you boys spread this story real good. Tell everybody Cartwright had some of that stolen money on him. Spread it real thick, you hear? We'll see to it, all right. Hoss, why don't you get to bed? This standing around fretting isn't going to do any good. Don't reckon anything is going to do any good, Pa. I wish old Roy could find some more of that stolen money. Well, maybe he will. Meanwhile, go on up to bed; you need the rest. Tomorrow is not going to be an easy day for you. Ain't none of 'em been very easy lately. Well, it's going to get rougher. Wonder who that could be. - Adam. - Pa. Well, what sort of a mess have you gotten yourself into? What's the matter with you? Thanks. What sort of a mess have you gotten yourself into? And what are you doing here? Where's Joe? He's back in Carson City with the stock. Cattle buyer sent word he wouldn't be there till Monday, so we flipped a coin to see who'd come home for a couple of days, and it looks like I lost. What a reception I got in Virginia City, thanks to you. What do you got stuck in your craw? What happened to your hand? I had to fatten a couple of faces because of you. Where did this happen? Oh, down at the Sazarack. Wasn't my seeking. Couple of guys were shooting their mouths off about how you were taking a bribe to get Jamie Wrenn off, and they kept it up until I had to plow into them. Well, that ain't the half of it. I know. Sheriff Coffee told me the rest of it. Seems that, uh, Bud Murdock and his friends have got the whole town suspicious of you. I don't understand that fellow Murdock. He wants to hang Jamie Wrenn so bad, he can taste it. Always figured him for a pretty decent fellow. Well, sometimes even pretty decent fellows are too much in a hurry. I'm going to bed. I suggest you two do the same. Tell me something, Pa. How do you feel about Jamie Wrenn? Do you think he's guilty? Well, I'm not gonna discuss it in front of a member of the jury. Good night. Never figured anything would come up me and Pa couldn't discuss. But I reckon the law changed all that. Oh, now, don't get him wrong. He's not feeling bad because of the family name or anything like that. It's because of you. He knows you're in a heck of a spot, and he also knows that you got to make up your own mind. Well, listen, since you got me this, how about giving me a hand with my horse, hmm? Yeah. ♪♪ Well, if it ain't the big, brave badge man. Yes, sir, you got that badge shining like a new mirror, huh? And you got no rope, so I guess it ain't hanging time, yet, huh? Bet you can hardly wait. The jury's still out, son. You know, I can't figure you out. I can't understand you at all. I've tried to treat you fair. Fair?! You call throwing me in this cage for something I didn't do, then hanging around like a hungry vulture waiting for the happy okay to string me up, fair?! Dad-gumit! You've been yammering at me for days. Now the time's come for me to do a little yammering. I told you I wasn't much on oratory, but I think the time has come for me to speak my piece, and by gum, you're gonna listen to me. That's right, Cartwright, you talk. You talk. I'll listen, I sure will. Tell us how Jamie Wrenn got to you with his stolen blood money! That's the way the guilty ones always act! - All they know is violence. - Now, enough of this! Sit down, Murdock! You, too, Cartwright. Like I was saying, there's a young fellow, Jamie Wrenn, and he's sitting over there in the jail all alone. Sitting there, wondering when somebody's gonna come and get him. There can't be no fear like the fear he knows. Fear of being taken out and put under a hanging tree. His hands tied behind him and a rope around his neck. That's part of the punishment, Hoss. If he's guilty, Mr. Breese, if he's guilty, but what if he ain't? What if he ain't guilty? Then you're guilty of murder, ain't you? But they ain't gonna put you in that jail, none of you. They ain't gonna tie your hands behind your back and take you out and put you under a tree and put a rope around your neck, are they, huh? That's a lot of "ifs" Hoss. None of us here have any doubt, any doubt at all, that Jamie Wrenn is a killer. Ain't there, Mr. Breese? Ain't there no doubt? Is that true, Mr. Breese, or is it just that all of youse got a... got it in your head to hang Jamie Wrenn? And there just ain't no... There ain't no room left in your heart for any doubt? The law's a mighty peculiar thing. It's all black or white. Yes or no. There ain't no in-betweens. It appears to me that you fellows have been thinking a lot in the black while I've been dwelling in the in-betweens. You can't half hang a man. That's right. That's right, Mr. Breese, you can't. Well, I'm going over to the restaurant for my supper, son. I'll bring yours back with me. Don't stuff yourself, badge man, or there won't be any scraps left for me. All right. Psst! Jamie? Psst. Jamie? And I got two horses out in the alleyway. Hey, Hoss, you still in town? Yeah. Hi, Roy. Hey, Roy, you run on any more of that stolen money? No, I ain't, and I checked every store in this town. You know, Hoss, it does seem likely that if somebody else stole that money like you think that there'd be more of it around. Yeah, it does. See you in the morning. Yeah. Good night, Roy. Sheriff? Hey, Sheriff! I got your killer. He's trying to make a getaway. Tell me where you hid the stolen money! Admit you killed poor Olson! - Hold it now, Murdock! - You hear? You hold it now! I'll take over now. You tried to escape, huh? You bet he was. He'd have made it, too, if it wasn't for me. You seen that, Cartwright. You seen this murdering whelp make his escape? You think he's innocent now? Mr. Murdock, you better come along with me. As soon as I lock him up, you can give me your full story. Come on. I-I... I-I... I-I tried, Jamie. I... I really tried. You come along, too, Junior. Come on! You tried, Junior. I reckon we both did. How did it go today? Not too good, I'm afraid. How's the hand? It's coming along real good. Sheriff Coffee find any more of that marked money? No. Jamie Wrenn tried to escape jail tonight. Well, that sure doesn't do him any good. No. Makes me wonder if I ain't been wrong about him all along. You're changing your mind, huh? Yeah, I reckon I am. I guess it's about time I started doing like Pa said and start thinking about the evidence, and not so much about my feelings. That's kind of what a juryman's supposed to do. There's just one thing that bothers me. Adam, you do me a favor? Yeah, sure. What is it? Well, look, I... I got to know for sure, I got to know for certain that Olson recognized Jamie Wrenn that night, and not just thought he did. Well, Sheriff Coffee said they tested his eyes in court. Oh, they gave him a printed page of small print to read, and he read it right off, but that ain't the same as recognizing a man in the dark. And from a distance. Especially when you're in shock from seeing your only brother shot down right before your own eyes. See what you're getting at. What would you like me to do? I'd kind of like for you to go out there and talk to him. Go out there while he's calm and collected and talk to him, check on him. Make sure, Adam. I got to know absolutely sure. Why haven't you talked to him yourself? Well, I thought about it, but the judge said we jurymen are not supposed to talk to anybody about the case, except in the jury room. But I... I figured, you being my brother, you know. I understand. All right, Missouri Mule, I'll talk to him. It's nice and dark tonight, too. I'll find out just how good his eyes really are. Well, that'll take care of the paperwork. Now if you'd just sign this report, Mr. Murdock. - Thank you very much. - Think nothing of it. Just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Say, Sheriff? Did you catch the look on Cartwright's face when he realized Wrenn was trying to escape? You know, Wrenn, I think the jury will finally reach a verdict of guilty tomorrow. You got a dirty soul, ain't you, Murdock? A dirty, vicious soul. And you got the devil's taste for pushing misery on those that can't fight back. You talk about me killing. You got your own special way of murdering. Listen, if I had killed ten times over, I wouldn't trade my soul for yours! I don't have to take that from you, Wrenn, you... Mr. Murdock, I'm gonna have to ask you to leave. I don't allow nobody badgering my prisoners. Come on. Ah, just remember something, Sheriff. He wouldn't be your prisoner no more if it wasn't for me. That sort of makes him my prisoner, too, doesn't it? Hmm? Yeah. Hey, Sheriff. Yeah? Is that true, what he said, I mean, about... about the jury coming in with a verdict tomorrow? I don't know. Wouldn't surprise me none. After all, Hoss Cartwright was the only juryman who's holding out for you, and you had to go and pull this foolish jailbreak right in front of him. Well, it's like I've said... there's some people born lucky, no rhyme, no reason, just born lucky. And there's others that have trouble dribble on 'em all their lives, like... like sand in an hourglass, dribbling down and piling up. N-Now, don't get too down in the dumps, Jamie. I mean, after all, we don't know for sure if Hoss is gonna change his mind. Say, badge man, where's that supper you was gonna bring us, huh? Yeah, yeah, we're hungry. - That's right. - You'll get it, boys, just as soon as my deputy gets back. Adam. Adam Cartwright. Yeah, Mr. Olson. Uh, over here, Adam. Evening, Hjalmer. I just came by to pay my respects. I'm sorry about your brother. Glad to see ya, Adam. Come on in, I'll light up the oil lamp. Yeah, I didn't see your light when I rode up. I thought maybe you were asleep. I don't burn the lamp much, Adam. Oil costs money. Besides, I got eyes like a cat. Yeah, so I just found out. Won't you sit down, Adam? Thanks. Did Hoss tell you to come out here? Yes, Hjalmer, as a matter of fact he did. I just got back in town and... we were talking about it and... he's still kinda concerned about the testimony at the trial, you know, as to whether or not you saw what you said you saw. Well, we talked, and I agreed to come over and maybe, you know, go over it with you once more, real careful like, and maybe help him make up his mind. Well, you can see for yourself what good eyes I've got. Yeah, sure gave me a start out there in the dark. Well, if you went back and told that to Hoss, wouldn't that satisfy him? Yeah, maybe. Well, then, Hoss could vote with the jury, and then they can bring in a verdict of guilty against Jamie Wrenn. Yeah, but I can't tell Hoss how to vote. Oh... I know that, Adam. All I'm looking for is a way to end it once and for all. First I... wanted to see Wrenn hung for what he did. I wanted vengeance for my brother. Adam... maybe the jury could just give Jamie a life sentence? Well, of course the jury doesn't determine the sentence. It'd be up to the judge. But, I dunno... Crane's kind of got his hands tied. Jury comes in with a guilty verdict, I feel pretty sure he'll sentence him to hang. So be it then. Tell me, Hjalmer, where exactly was that box when Jamie took it? Oh, oh, I'll tell you all about it, Adam. You see, I was over sleeping in that bed, and my brother was over here. - Yeah. - And this noise woke me up, and I looked over and I saw Jamie Wrenn at the fireplace. And, uh... he found the money box behind this stone. My brother was scuffling with him. I jumped out of my bed, and ran to help him... and there was a shot. My brother, my brother fell... Jamie grabbed the money box and ran. How do you suppose he knew where the box was hidden? Oh... folks around here know we're frugal, Adam. They figure we got a hoard hidden someplace. Where else in here would you hide a money box, except in the fireplace? Yeah, you're right. That's a nice one, too. Matter of fact, you and your brother did a very good job on this place. My brother didn't help me. I did it all by myself. This whole place, with my own hands. My brother wasn't very good with tools, Adam. Yeah, I understand. Uh... this whole thing's been a sorrowful mess. Yeah, sure has. Oh, Adam... um, tell me, Jamie Wrenn, after they hang him, what then? Boy comes from a poor family. End up on Boot Hill I suppose. Well... Adam, I want, I want to make a contribution. See to it that... Jamie gets a headstone. That's very generous of you, Hjalmer. Well... thanks for your time. I'm sorry about your brother. I better be getting along. Oh, I'll walk you out, Adam. Say, Hjalmer, it's, uh, kind of a long ride back, and all that talk made me thirsty. I think I'll have some of your well water. A-Adam, uh, I got a fresh bucket in the house. I'll go get it. Oh, don't trouble yourself. The well's right here. Now wait a... Wait a minute, Adam. You're my guest, please let me. Oh, thanks, Hjalmer. You got a loose stone there. You ought to get that fixed. Thanks, good night. ♪♪ ♪♪ Well, I guess you could say the whole thing was kind of accidental. Anyway, when I rode off... all the pieces sort of fell together. I decided to double back, and I found him there with the money. What do you got to say for yourself, Mr. Olson? My brother was always wanting to spend our money, buy land. Money is too precious to squander like that. We argued and argued, and I killed him. But what did you want to try and throw the blame on Jamie Wrenn for? 'Cause he was the easiest one. Always gettin' into trouble, sassin' people. Everybody knew he was no good. Who'd ever think he was innocent? Sorry I put that dollar in your pocket, Hoss. I just had to do it. I wanted them to think you was mixed up in it. Mr. Olson, I don't understand. How could you let an innocent man die for a crime you'd committed? Well, it was the law said he had to die, not me. I was willing to chip in for a headstone for him. That's mighty big of ya. Would you listen to that now? Would you listen to that? Well, badge man, are you gonna let me outta here, or are you gonna keep me cooped up in this stinkin' hole all night long? Now you take it easy, Jamie. Come on, Olson. You got the wrong man in here. Come on, let me out of here. Yes, sir, badge man, you keep that badge polished. Who knows? Someday you might even make U.S. Marshal, huh? Well, you're a big man, Cartwright. Yeah... you really are a big man. Well, see you around, citizens. You know, Pa, you was right. About what? You said, uh, a man was never wrong... when he stood up for what was right. Them jury trials are gonna be the death of me yet. Now I got to go out and arrest that Ralph Black for stealing chickens, and he'll probably want a jury trial, too. Where in the world am I gonna get anybody to sit on a jury for... Hey, you fellas could help me out. Just this once, huh? It pays a dollar a day. All you have to do is sit...
Behind the Scenes of The Jury
In the concluding moments of the episode, Sheriff Coffee voices his frustration, remarking, “These jury trials will be the death of me! Now I have to arrest Ralph Black for stealing chickens, and he’ll probably demand a jury trial, too!” Interestingly, Ralph E Black, a regular assistant director on Bonanza, played the same role in this episode.
Looking for More Bonanza Episodes?
Bonanza is an excellent, wholesome show to enjoy either solo or with your family. The Jury is the 114 episode out of 430. NBC produced Bonanza and ran on its network from September 1959 to January 1973. The whole series lasted 14 seasons.
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