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1957 - BROKEN ARROW: The Trial
Dir.: Albert S. Rogell
Based on "Blood Brother" by Elliot Arnold
Prod.: Mel Epstein
Tom Jeffords: John Lupton
Cochise: Michael Ansara
Hawkins: Damian O'Flynn
Winnoa: Leonard Nimoy
Baldwyn: Don Beddoe
Marshall Neilson: Arthur Space
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A robbery is going on as Tom Jeffers comes to a shop.
The owner is knocked down and a woman is dying of a stab wound. While he is still caring
for the nearly unconscious man, an Indian escapes through the back door. Tom pursues him
and is shot in the knee. This gives the Indian a chance to escape, but not before Jefferson
shoots him.
In town, an Indian has been taken prisoner. Already a rope is hanging around his neck and
several men are ready to whip the horse the Indian is sitting on to make it move
away.
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Some men want to wait for the judge or Jefferson to arrive while some can't wait to hang
the Indian.
The marshal insists in waiting for a judge, but the men push for a hanging.
One of them, Hawkins, even gives testimony that he has seen this Indian coming out of
the store at the time of the robbery.
The moment one of the cowboys wants to hit the horse with a whip Tom rides into town and
Winnoa smiles when he sees him coming. Tom recognizes Winnoa, son of one of chief Cochise'
elders and assures the people that he knows Winnoa, who would never commit a crime.
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Still
arguing with some of the men, he takes the rope from Winnoa's neck.
Riding out to meet Cochise, Tom talks to him and Cochise is sure that Whites will judge
for the color they see instead of going for facts. If Winnoa is harmed he assures Tom
to start a war.
In court Tom, who takes the defense, learns that the judge is a man whose son has been
killed and whose ranch had been burnt down by Indians. In the stand the witness, Hawkins,
identifies Winnoa as the man who has killed the shop owner and his wife.
Coming in for
his defense Tom calls Red Jones for witnessing.
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Answering his question Jones states where
he has found Winnoa: In the opposite direction from town where he had pursued the real killer.
Unexpectedly Cochise enters the saloon where court is held. He wants to see how justice
is done and came to take Winnoa home. Again Hawkins is called to come forward in the
witness stand, this time by the defense. He is asked what type of guns he's brought into
town for sale, the box of guns he saw the Indian steeling riffles from. Hawkins also
identifies a riffle as one of the missing guns but he denies the ownership of Mexican coins.
The next witness is Chief Cochise.
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The chief orders Wionnoa's father to bring in the body
of the real killer and witnesses that they do not want him. He is a renegade Indian who
came to buy guns from Hawkins. The killer had come to Chief Cochise's camp because he
was dying of a bullet wound inflicted by his pursuer. That way Cochise had learned from
the killer what had happened in town.
Jefferson now confronts Hawkins: He had sold guns to the renegade Indian and a struggle
began about the money. That way the woman who came in at that moment was killed.
Not denying anything any more Hawkins is arrested and Winnoa free to go. He is leaving
the court with Chief Cochise and his father.
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