Witness for the Persecution is the ninth episode from season two.
Boss Hogg, a key witness in an upcoming federal trial for a criminal racketeer, enters the Witness Protection Program after his life is threatened. His hideout place: the Duke farm. While Boss constantly must dodge assassination attempts, Rosco takes over his "little fat buddy's" administrative duties, wearing Boss' white continental suits and relishing the job's absolute authority.
Balladeer: To the folks of Hazzard county, the sound of a fine tuned engine is downright musical. Of course every once in a while even the hottest country band hits a few clinkers. Meantime back at the farm, Jesse was entertaining something that was as rare as a mule with feathers. An honest lawman. Him and Tom Pryor went back a long ways.
While driving, Bo and Luke are happy with the state of the General. Luke things they got her just right and Bo says he’ll believe that after the hill. Bo jumps and the General cuts out, upsetting them. They look over the engine.
Duke Farm
Jesse sits down for coffee with an old friend who is a federal agent. Tom asks Jesse if he would be willing to watch a witness, but cautions him that whoever watches them will be in danger as well.
Road
Two hit men take a practice shot with a rifle, discussing how they were sent to kill a large 'fat man'. Bo and Luke, who they had no idea where there, are startled. Bo asks who could be shooting at them and Luke says any of the fathers of the girls Bo has been chasing. Bo and Luke go to find out who it is but they realize they don’t know the men. The men start shooting at them and they run for the General.
Duke Farm
Jesse agrees to watch the witness and Boss is brought in. Jesse and Boss start to bicker and Tom leaves. Boss tells Jesse what he wants him to do while he’s at Jesse’s place, handing over the menus for his meals. While Boss says he needs the phone and food, Jesse starts hiding food around the kitchen from Boss.
Town
The Hit men go to town and look for Boss. Seeing Boss Hogg’s car with the top up, they think they have him, but Cooter gets out and they leave. Bo and Luke arrive in town and head for the court house. They run inside as Cooter is trying to give Rosco the bill for Boss’ car. Bo tells him they have to report a shooting and Rosco and Enos are interested until they explain they were the ones shot at. Rosco writes it off saying that it was probably Ned Benson shooting at them for being on his property but Enos offers to type up the report. They all discuss where Boss is and find none of them have the same story. Rosco says he won’t pay the bill and Cooter says if they don’t pay then they don’t get the car. Rosco threatens Cooter and the mechanic tells Rosco not to send him anymore business as he can't afford it. The boys and Cooter leave and Rosco throws Enos out too.
Farm
Balladeer: It wasn’t very often old Boss had a chance to keep ol’ Jesse hopping. And he was really in Hogg Heaven.
Jesse gets Boss some lemonade and Boss has him move his chair first. When Boss remarks about Jesse not wanting him there, Jesse says it really doesn’t matter what he wants as he promised the feds he’d take care of Boss. Boss brags about his role in the coming case and Jesse fills his ears with cotton as he reads the paper. Boss gets annoyed and yells for Jesse.
Boar’s Nest
The two hitmen arrive at the Boar’s Nest and meet Daisy and Enos. They pretend to be bible sales men and Daisy and Enos argue about where Boss is, as Enos heard something different from Judge Druten and Rosco. The two leave and go outside, concluding that Boss is still in town. Bo and Luke arrive at the Boar’s Nest for a few beers but the two groups see each other. Bo and Luke flee and the two follow them. The two pull up along the General as he is having car trouble and Bo slams on the breaks before turning around. The back window gets shot and Bo slams his head off the steering wheel. They try to figure out who those guys were.
Jail
Rosco is going through papers when Enos comes in and admits he’s worried. He says even Lulu thinks Boss is somewhere different. Rosco says he’s opening a can of worms and he knows where Boss is. Rosco tells Enos to go on patrol and Enos leaves.
Duke Farm
Bo and Luke arrive and Luke says to forget about what happened. They go inside and are shocked to see Boss. Bo assumes he foreclosed on the farm. Jesse says that Boss is his guest and the boys will be nice to him. Bo and Luke argue and Jesse scolds them and tells them they are going to be nice. Luke asks why Boss is really there and Jesse admits he’s a witness. Jesse suggests the guys shooting at them are the ones after Boss.
Daisy arrives home from work and gets ready for bed only to find Boss in her room. She freaks out, attracting Jesse and the boys. Jesse explains he told Boss he could sleep in her room and Daisy argues that he can’t. They all leave to go back to bed.
Hazzard Garage
Enos arrives at the Garage in the morning to see Cooter, who invites him to join him for breakfast. Enos refuses at first and Cooter asks if he can do anything. Enos says he’s worried about Boss and Cooter admits there was someone looking for Boss. Enos concludes that the only people who will take his concerns seriously are the Dukes and decides to go talk to them, taking Cooter’s donuts as he leaves.
Duke Farm
While Daisy, Bo, and Luke work around the farm Jesse is helping Boss move his chair. Jesse and Boss talk about the past and Jesse says they can’t lose Boss now as they need each other to fight, amusing them both. Luke figures what is wrong with the General and Enos arrives. Boss says if Enos spots him it’s over. Bo and Luke put Boss in the General and drive off. Enos chases after them, begging them to stop as he needs to speak to them. Enos says he’s desperate and tries to pull them over for impeding traffic. Rosco overhears it from the jail and radios Enos saying he will not and sends him to Wilton Creek to deal with a herd of cows. However the hit men see Bo and Luke and chase after them. Bo avoids a truck in a tunnel and they loose the hit men. Boss is still mad and Jesse calls to tell them that Boss needs to be back in an hour to be picked up. The hit men get out of the ditch before heading to town.
Hazzard Garage
Rosco changes into a white suit and offers Cooter $25 for fixing Boss’ car, offending and upsetting Cooter. Rosco tells Cooter he’s the temporary Boss and Cooter says if that is the case then he won’t fix the starter on the patrol car. Rosco says that if J.D. Hogg dies then he’ll be taking over the job. Rosco leaves in Boss’ car, annoying Cooter. Bo and Luke suddenly rush into his garage and he closes the door for them and asks them who they are running from this time. They show Cooter that they have Boss and they explain the situation as they all get Boss out of the General. Cooter agrees to let them borrow his pick up on the condition that Boss pays him the rest of what he’s owed for fixing Boss’ car. Boss hands it over. As they get ready to go they see Rosco to Boss’ fury. Bo and Luke notice the hit men and realize that Rosco is going to be killed. Bo gets a bucket of oil and tosses it on Rosco as they pass. The hit men see Boss in the pickup when he yells at Rosco for using his suits.
Road
The hit men chase after the pickup. When they start shooting at the pickup, Bo calls for Daisy. Daisy arrives and cuts off the hit men. Bo and Luke call Jesse to find Pryor is waiting. Boss, seeing the hit men come, grabs the C.B. from Bo and screams for help. Enos hears the conversation and calls Rosco. Rosco concludes it’s a kidnapping and sets out to help arrest the boys. When Rosco’s starter doesn’t work he takes Boss’ car.
Duke Farm
Bo, Luke, and Boss arrive. They go to put Boss in Pryor’s car but Barnes shoots out the radiator. The three get back in the pick up and leave with Jesse and Tom covering them. As they drive they meet up with Rosco on the road. Luke jumps over to Boss’ car and Boss jumps over with him. Luke tells Bo to be careful and they turn off. Bo takes down a sign to warn of a washed out road and the two drive and jump into the water.
Balladeer: The minute them hit men hit the lake it was all over. Enos showed up just in time for the arrest, after Bo drug them out of the water. Daisy made sure Boss tided up things just the way he found them. Cooter collected for every last bullet hole them thugs put in his pickup while it was under rent to Boss. But the real clog in the buttermilk came when the feds phoned to say the racketeer changed his plea to guilty. Robbing old Boss his chance to testify himself into the Governors’ mansion. And Jesse and the boys got a certificate of valor from the feds for risking their lives for their country, even though they misspelled Jesse’s name. Just goes to show you that you never how things are gonna end up, when it starts out with the Dukes of Hazzard.
Enos arrives and arrests them as Bo pulls them both out of the water. Daisy makes Boss and Rosco clean her room, and Boss pays Cooter. Boss learns he is no longer needed for the trial and sobs.
Main Cast[]
- Tom Wopat as Luke Duke
- John Schneider as Bo Duke
- Catherine Bach as Daisy Duke
- Denver Pyle as Uncle Jesse Duke
- James Best as Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane
- Sorrell Booke as Boss Jefferson Davis Hogg
- Waylon Jennings as the Balladeer
- Ben Jones as Cooter Davenport
- Sonny Shroyer as Enos Strate
Guest Stars[]
Continuity[]
- Jesse has another long time Federal Agent friend introduced, Tom Pryor
- Enos mentions Judge Druten. Judge Druten is first seen in the season three episode Baa, Baa White Sheep.
- Rosco says that in the event of Boss Hogg passing, he will take over for Boss. This will later be proven true.
Trivia[]
- This is one of the few times in the series where the convertible top of Boss Hogg's car is up. The other episodes are Daisy's Song and Duke of Duke.