Gun Smoke, brought to you by L&M, the modern cigarette that lets you get full, exciting
flavor through the modern miracle of the pure white miracle tip.
Live modern.
Smoke L&M.
In Dodge City and in the territory on West, there's just one way to handle the killers
and the spoilers, and that's with a U.S. Marshal and the smell of Gun Smoke.
Gun Smoke, starring William Conrad, the transcribed story of the violence that moved West with
Young America, and the story of a man who moved women.
I'm that man, Matt Dillon, United States Marshal, the first man they look for and the last they
want to meet.
It's a chancey job, and it makes a man watchful and a little lonely.
I swear to goodness, Mr. Dillon, these times a man's got to choke his words right by the
back of his car, starting up a ruckus.
What's the trouble, Chester?
There's a fellow over at the Dodge house, a traveling drummer out of Baltimore, and
you know what he said.
Now what'd he say?
He said they got a railroad train over there in England somewhere, as it goes 150 miles
in three hours flat.
Oh, is that so?
He said they'll have trains like that here, one these days, going clean across the country.
In 30 or 40 years, according to him, a man can get on one in New York City and get off
a week later in San Francisco.
You don't say?
Well, now, you don't believe that, do you, Mr. Dillon?
Well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see, Chester.
I don't believe it.
A human body just ain't built to go that fast.
It'd get a man's innards all out of whack, choke him to death trying to breathe.
Maybe, maybe.
The good Lord wanted a man to go 50 miles an hour.
He'd have put wheels on him.
Well, yeah.
Good morning, Matt.
Chester.
Oh, come on in, Doc.
Oh, my, I just been at the livery stable, Matt.
Well, what's the matter?
Is Moss sick?
No, it's old crow-bait Bob.
Moss Grimmett's been letting him sleep in the hayloft in return for helping with the
chores.
Yeah, I heard he has.
Well, old crow-bait took sick in the night sometime.
He couldn't get up this morning.
Oh, what's wrong with him?
Nothing that 30 years off his age wouldn't cure.
And a thousand or so less bottles of rock-gut whiskey.
Well, if he's sick, we ought to get him out of that hayloft.
Well, I can't figure any place to move him.
He wants to see you, Matt, right away.
See me?
What for?
Well, I wouldn't say, but he claims it's mighty important.
It's something he wants to do before he dies.
Before he dies?
I'm just trying to make him comfortable, Matt.
That's all I can do.
Well, as I'm concerned, Marshall, you're the only man in Dodge City that's worth the hoot
and holler, except Moss Grimmett.
Except for him and Marshall, I'm a goddurn liar.
What do you mean, Bob?
Oh, there's lots of nice folks here.
Of course there is.
I reckon the only ones I'm really talking about is that highfalutin' niece of mine and
that sneaky old husband of hers.
And I was wondering, Bob, if maybe we ought to let Ruth and Elbin know about your being
sick.
No, sir, no.
Let them know nothing.
Let them sit out there in the precious ranch and rot.
They showed me no care for years.
Well, it's up to you, I guess.
Marshall, the reason I sent for you is because I want to make my will.
Make a will?
Oh, I know, I know.
It don't seem likely that a whithersole could like me and have reason to, but that's where
you're wrong.
Well, Bob, I'll do whatever I can, you know that?
I've only got one thing to leave.
Let's see, it's here.
Yeah, it's right here in this here leather box.
I want you to take care of it for me, Marshall.
See, it ain't open till after I'm gone.
Ah, Bob, that'll probably be years from now.
Oh, no, no, you don't know.
Doc's trying to fool me, too, but I know where I stand.
All right, Bob, I'll take care of it for you.
Look, Doc's gone after a rig and we're going to move you over to the jail.
At least you'll be warm there and there'll be somebody with you.
And I'll write up a will of some kind and you can sign it.
Yeah, I'm much obliged to you, Marshall.
That there box is mannabannable.
I want to be sure the right part of gets it.
Sure.
What does it go to, Bob?
It goes to Miss Kitty.
Kitty Russell.
Yep.
Yeah, she's fine girl, Marshall.
Just a girl turned angel, that's what she is.
Just a girl turned angel.
See yourself of old fashioned ideas.
Free up, freshen up your taste.
Today all over the country, more people are changing to L&M than to any other cigarette.
And it's all because only L&M gives you full, exciting flavor through the pure white
miracle tip.
L&M draws easier, tastes richer, smokes cleaner.
So free up, freshen up your taste.
Live modern.
Change to L&M.
It's America's fastest growing cigarette.
I've been looking for you, Matthew.
Hello Kitty.
How does it feel to be an heiress?
Oh, stop it.
That's all I've been hearing for the last three hours.
How's the old man, Matthew?
Oh, we got him moved over to the jail, Kitty.
He fixed up a cell for him.
Chester's staying there this evening to look after him.
Must be terrible to know you're dying.
To be all alone like that with nobody of your own.
I asked him about sending for his niece, Ruth Guttler, and her husband, but he was dead
set against that.
And I don't blame him.
Not the way they treated him.
Yeah.
It seems like they might have done something for him.
They could have found a place for him out there in the ranch.
So he drank too much.
Maybe he had a reason to drink.
Yeah, maybe.
Maybe he is worthless.
But he never meant any harm to anyone.
No, Corbett's all right.
I didn't know that you and him were so thick.
I treated him like a human being.
That's all.
Good evening, Mac.
Hello, Doc.
Well, Kitty, I hear you're about to inherit a million dollars.
That's foolishness, Doc.
Oh, Bob never had two quarters of a big other.
Never can tell, no.
At least you get it, Kitty, whatever it is.
I wish he hadn't done it, Matt.
I didn't expect any payment.
Payment for what?
Nothing.
Forget it.
Mac, you mean you didn't know?
Didn't know what, Doc?
Doc, you keep quiet now.
Where do you think Corbett's been getting his meals?
I suppose Mars, the delivery stable, was feeding him.
Mars has been letting him sleep there is all.
Doc, if you don't...
Kitty's been feeding him for the last two years.
Kitty is just...
All right, whatever.
They waste enough food here in a long branch to feed ten men like him.
It didn't cost me anything.
It was just...
Oh, come on, let's have a drink.
Well, how's it going, Chester?
Fine, Mr. Dunn.
We got visitors.
Oh, good evening, Miss Godler.
Alvin, what brings you people into town?
You know dang well what brings us, Marshal.
Poor Uncle Robert laying back there sick to his death, maybe, in this upstart saying we
can't see him.
Upstart?
Well, I'll be...
Now, just take it easy, Chester.
Take it easy.
Poor old Uncle Robert, would that be Crobat Bob by any chance?
Marshal, now you're insulting a dear relative of my wife.
What a thing to call Uncle Robert.
Why, we had no idea he was took down and ailing this way.
Now, I don't suppose you did, since you haven't spoken to him in the last five years.
Well, that was just a family misunderstanding, Marshal.
When one's own kin is took bad sick, a body'd be mighty heartless if they didn't let bygones
be bygones.
Yeah, sure.
Well, I even brung him some nice chicken broth and baked him a egg custard pie.
That's real thoughtful of you, Miss Gutter.
You must have heard the rumors.
Rumors?
About him turning out to be wealthy.
Well, we haven't heard a thing about...
That dancehall girl ain't getting one cent, Marshal.
No, sir.
We'll take her to court.
Why don't you do that, Elvin, if you know some way of beating the legal will.
Well, he was out of his mind.
Doc, and I'll say it different.
We demand to see him right this minute.
I'm sorry.
He left orders against it.
Well, then take that food back to him and tell him who brung it.
That'll change his mind.
All right.
Chester.
Yes, sir?
Take this back to the cell, will you?
All right.
He's asleep for a little while.
Well, if he's asleep, just leave him.
All right, sir.
You be sure and tell him we brung it.
Oh, I'll hire a brass band until the whole country's gone.
Now, Marshal, you know that's a terrible thing.
A woman like that to undermine a man's feelings for his own kin.
Look, Elvin, if you want to do something for him, why don't you pay off some of his bills
around town?
Pay off his bills?
That's right.
Ten to fifteen dollars to Moss Grimmick.
Twenty or so to Wilbert Jonas at the General Store.
Why don't you pay him his cell?
Wait a minute, Ruth.
Might just make him stop and think twice if we were to pay him off?
Good money on bills that work for those who...
Get up, Ruth.
All righty, Marshal.
We won't bother you no longer.
We'll be going now.
Elvin, what are you...
Come on, Ruth.
Good night, Marshal.
Mr. Dillon.
Huh?
What's wrong, Chester?
You'd better find a dock in a hurry, Mr. Dillon.
That old man don't look too good.
Free yourself of old-fashioned ideas.
Why don't you live modern?
Free up.
Freshen up your taste.
Why are more people changing to L&M than to any other cigarette?
Because only L&M lets you enjoy full, exciting flavor through the pure white miracle tip.
L&M draws easier, tastes richer, smokes cleaner.
So free up.
Freshen up your taste.
Get full, exciting flavor.
Live modern.
Smoke L&M.
Make today your big red letter day and start to live the modern way.
Live, live, live modern.
Smoke L&M.
It's America's fastest growing cigarette.
And a mighty good pie, Mr. Dillon.
You're eating the whole Mrs. Guttler did bacon.
Yeah, it looks real good, Chester.
Makes men feel kind of funny eating it, though.
No?
Well, I reckon old Colby wouldn't want to go to ways.
No, I don't think he would.
I wonder what is in that box, Mr. Dillon.
I don't know.
We'll find out as soon as Kenny comes over.
Died in his sleep, Doc said.
Peaceful as anything.
If you really ain't gonna eat that last piece of pie...
I haven't eaten any of it, Chester.
Why don't you finish it?
Yeah, he had Artin to go away and start it.
No.
Oh, oh, Kitty.
Kitty, come on in.
Doc told me, Matt.
I'm real sorry.
Yeah, I'm not kidding.
Poor old fellow.
Well I hope he had a good life somewhere back along the line.
His last years sure weren't very happy.
No.
Well, here's the box, Kitty.
It's all yours.
I wish you hadn't done it, Matt.
Why not?
Oh, I don't know.
Looks like I did things for him just because I expected something.
I just felt sorry for him, that's all.
Well I wouldn't count any chickens ahead of time.
I don't even care what's in it.
Just that I...
Marshal.
Oh, come in, Elvin.
Marshal.
You tricked us.
Oh, that's good hard cash.
You folks acquainted with Miss Kitty Russell here.
I know who they are, Matt.
How do you figure I tricked you, Elvin?
How do I...
Well, them bills are his.
I paid out $86.40 in that old soak before I run into Doc, found out he'd died.
And him without even knowing what we'd done for him.
You ought to be ashamed of yourself.
Oh, mighty fine talk for you, doing his kin out of what's rightfully theirs.
Oh, you beady-eyed old ghost.
Why, you little girl.
Take it easy.
You can do as you want.
All right, settle down.
So you think I tricked you, Elvin?
Well, you don't think I'd have paid them bills if I'd know he was that far gone.
I thought I was giving you a chance to do something decent for once in your life.
He ain't responsible for his debts.
No, not legally.
No, he's gone and died.
He left all his wealth to this here... this here woman.
The way I hear it, that box is full of diamonds and emeralds.
Whatever it's full of, it belongs to Kitty, so you may as well forget it.
Forget it?
When a fortune that's rightfully ours is laying right there on that table and about to slip
through our fingers?
You get your hands up, Marshal.
You too, Chester.
Elvin.
Elvin, that was a real foolish move you just made.
You know.
Now you hand over the gun.
Stay back, Marshal.
I'll shoot.
Elvin, I said, hand over the gun.
Marshal, so help me if you take one more...
You hit him!
You hit Elvin!
All right, drag him back and lock him up, Chester.
Yes, Mr. Dillon.
All right, come on.
You're locking up Elvin?
Assault with a deadly weapon.
Judge Bentle figure it's worth about a hundred dollars and good hard cash, Miss Guttler.
And court's at ten in the morning if you want to be there.
But what'll I do tonight?
Why don't you get yourself a room over at the Dodge house and meditate on your sins.
My sins?
Good night, Miss Guttler.
Well, now I suppose you want to take a look at your diamonds and emeralds, huh, Kitty?
Can't we just burn it, Matt, not even open it?
Crobate wouldn't have wanted you to do that.
Yeah, I know.
Anyhow, you got too much curiosity to do something like that and you know it.
Well, you win, Matt.
Okay, let's see now.
Yeah, I guess if we break the seal on the catcher, there we go.
Matt, it's full of banknotes.
Yeah, Confederate banknotes, Kitty.
Well, what do you know?
You suppose you thought they might fight the war over again someday, Matt?
Maybe.
Now, wait a minute.
There's something underneath it.
What is it, Matt?
It's an Army medal.
Bravery in action, field citation.
Awarded to Lieutenant Robert Danford Conroy.
So that was his name.
Aspicuous heroism during the storming of Chapultepec Heights, September 13, 1847.
Signed General Winfield Scott, Commander in Chief, United States Expeditionary Forces
in Mexico.
Here's a silver dollar, Matt.
Uh-huh.
Well, at least that's worth something.
Look.
It's a ribbon.
Silk hair bow.
If I do a curl, lock a hair.
Matt, I wonder who she was.
Well, whoever.
It was a long time ago.
Medal, a curl, dollar.
A box full of worthless paper.
A story of a man's life, Matt.
Yeah.
And there have been worse stories.
Well, I'll keep the curl and the medal.
And you know something?
What?
We'll spend the dollar on a drink.
All right, Kitty, I think that'll please him.
Come on.
In a moment, our star, William Conrad.
Every year in America, property losses through fire amount to around $800 million, and 90%
of these fires are caused by human carelessness.
We put a match to $720 million bills every 12 months unnecessarily.
Every 20 seconds, fire breaks out somewhere in the United States.
Three fires will start while this announcement is being read.
The cost in human life is even more shocking than the property losses.
11,000 people die every year in fires, and thousands more are severely burned and disfigured
for life.
These losses do not have to continue.
Each of us can protect his home from fire by following these simple safety rules.
Don't smoke in bed.
Clean out flammable debris and have it carted away.
Repair or replace worn and defective electrical equipment.
Use cleaning fluids that won't burn.
In other words, don't give fire a place to start.
This has been a CBS Radio public service announcement.
Hello, this is Bill Conrad, dropping the role of Matt Dillon for a moment to remind you
to cast your vote next Tuesday in one of the most important elections of our time.
After you've voted, don't forget, CBS Radio is going to be reporting to you over this
station the election story with the most comprehensive coverage and broadcasting history.
Be with us next Tuesday, won't you?
After you've voted.
Gunsmoke, produced and directed by Norman McDonald, stars William Conrad as Matt Dillon,
U.S. Marshal.
The story was specially written for Gunsmoke by Les Crutchfield, with editorial supervision
by John Meston.
The music was composed and conducted by Rex Corey.
Sound patterns by Ray Kemper and Bill James.
Join us again next week for another specially transcribed story on Gunsmoke.