Around Dodge City and in the territory on West, there is just one way to handle the
killers of the spoilers and that's where the US Marshal and the smell of guns smoke.
Guns Smoke starring William Conrad, the story of the violence that moved West with
young America and the story of a man who moved with it. 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.
he
Doc! Oh, Doc!
Huh? Oh, hello, McLooney.
Can you spare a minute, Doc?
Well, I...
Oh, Nellie, oh, now.
Now, you stand right there.
McLooney, if you've got another one of those ore samples you want me to test for you, I'll tell you right now.
It wouldn't take you no time at all, Doc.
You know, I've got some real high-grade peninsistence.
Well, then take it up the street to the assay office.
Oh, no, I don't trust him.
Not on wet assays.
Oh, no, besides, they'll charge us, is that it?
Well, you...
McLooney, I'm running a doctor's office, not a metallurgical laboratory.
Oh, shucks, you've got the scales there and acid and everything.
But I haven't got the time, and the answer is no.
It's against the law for a doctor to refuse medical help when it's asked of him.
Oh, hello there, Dr. McLooney.
Now, it's got nothing to do with medical help.
McLooney here wants me to test another one of those sacks of pyrites he drags in out of the hills.
It ain't pyrites, it's gold.
I've run a half a dozen of them for you in the last three years, and every one of them was pyrites.
Well, you might have used some bad acid or something.
Oh, bad acid.
Why don't you take the stuff over to the assay office?
Because they'll charge him for it, that's why.
And he figures I'll do it for nothing.
Well, I'd pay him for it, Marshal, if I had any money.
When did you ever have any money, you mean, you old fool?
Maybe.
Marshal, you're not well, are you?
Well, I do not. So you finally come sneaking in out of the Rockies, did you?
Why don't you go to Denver instead of coming clear back here all the time?
No, me and you, I like it here.
Marshal, do you know what this scrawny old goat done to me, old McLooney here?
He just slipped my mind to time, so help me a did.
Last time he was in town, better than six months ago, I washed up all his dirty duds for him.
Done him up nice and clean, and then by golly, he took off for Colorado in the middle of the night and didn't pay me a cent.
Well, I just forgots all, but I got me a job now, loading hides over the railroad.
I'll pay you at the end of the week, honest I weep.
Now, I suppose you got every stitch you own dirty again now, and you probably think I'm gonna wash them for you.
Well, it's mighty kind of you to offer me.
Oh, for the love of...
All right, where are they?
I got a bundle right there on my horse.
You got any shirts that need washing this week, Marshal?
As a matter of fact, I do, Miss Dugs, if you'd stop over at the jail, Chester will give them to you.
Here you are. And I sure am obliged to you, Mamie.
I'll say you are. For two washings now, and you ain't getting this in back till you pay me for both of them.
Oh, I'll pay you. Now, don't you worry now.
And money. Money, too.
Now, that fool's gold you keep lugging back from Colorado territory.
Why, it's real gold, Mamie. I keep telling you that.
Oh, sure you do.
Well, I'll pick up your things, Marshal. Get them back to you tomorrow.
Thanks, Miss Dugs.
Oh, Doc, let me leave one of these sample sacks with you, just in case you find some time.
I won't find time.
Well, I'm much obliged to you, Doc.
Wait a minute. Come back here.
So long, Marshal.
Wait a minute.
Come on, McWilliam.
Come on, boy.
Oh, a confounded lunatic.
I don't know, Doc. He's pretty good at getting people to do things for him.
Oh, he's a loony man. This here is nothing but fool's gold.
And he's got that shack of his down the river bottom, stacked full of it.
Well, as long as you're sure of that, why don't you bother testing it?
And you said I was going to test it?
I did.
Oh, Matt, you're out of your mind. I wouldn't waste five minutes on this.
Yeah, you want to bet.
Matt, wake up.
Matt?
What? What is it? What's the matter?
Is that you, Doc?
Of course it's me. Open up, Matt.
All right. All right. Don't knock the door down.
Here, what is it? What's the matter?
I just went over to old Pop McCloney's shack to take him the results on that assay I run for him.
Oh, what's all the excitement about? You find gold?
Oh, of course not.
It was just pyrite, same as ever, but somebody must have figured he had gold.
What do you mean?
Well, you better get dressed, Matt. McCloney's dead. He's been murdered.
Another visit with Joe and Daphne Forsythe.
Joe?
Yeah, Daphne?
Look at this story about savings bonds in the paper.
Yeah, what about it?
Do you think that's the best way to tell people about savings bonds?
Why not? Look, see, it says here that savings bonds are a guaranteed investment.
Right now they pay off at the rate of four bucks at maturity for every three bucks invested.
Uh-uh.
You're not convinced?
Mm-mm.
Why not?
No salesmanship.
No salesmanship? What more do you need to know?
Why, right now, more than eight million Americans are buying savings bonds regularly through the payroll savings plan.
So?
So what?
That's what I say, so what?
Now, look, Daphne, if millions of Americans are convinced that savings bonds are their best investment,
not only financially, but for the future of their country, what the heck is bothering you?
Well, I think they could sell a lot more with salesmanship. You know, slogans and jingles.
Listen, if you're spending more and saving less, try a savings bond.
Oh, boy.
Or maybe a savings bond pay good, like an investment should.
Daphne.
You get a lot to like in a savings bond. Interest earnings guaranteed.
Wow.
Well, did I sell you?
Yeah, but I forgot what it was you were selling.
Savings bond.
I'll take a hundred.
Oh, Joe.
Uh, Miss Kitty?
Huh? Oh, hello, Chester.
Uh, Miss Kitty, you ain't saw Mr. Dillon, have you?
Oh, no. I guess he's pretty busy trying to find who killed old Pop McLooney.
Well, yes, he's doing that all right. We both been.
But he's supposed to meet me here around about now.
Oh, he'll be showing up. Sit down and wait for him.
I'll just do that.
Sweet spirit, my feet is plain killing me.
Uh, Chester, Matt have any idea who killed McLooney?
Uh, no, Judy ain't.
He took Indy and Joe out there this afternoon to look at some horse tracks we found around the shack.
Horse tracks?
Well, somebody rode all around the place sizing it up, I guess.
If the horse is still in town, Indy and Joe can probably find it from stepping the tracks.
Oh.
You know, say, if you don't mind, Miss Kitty, I...
Yeah?
I think I'll just ease these boots off a minute.
Oh, sure. Go right ahead.
There you go.
Oh, my, that feels good.
I know it's a shame, Chester.
Old Pop was nice, even if he was a little crazy.
I was thinking he'd found gold.
Well, he must have convinced somebody he had.
They took up a couple floorboards and dug around underneath the shack.
How was he killed, Chester?
Somebody hit him over the head with a chunk of stowed wood.
Died right away, according to Doc.
That's too bad.
Poor old fella.
All he had in that shack was a wood stove and a bunk and a table and his clothes stacked on a shelf in the corner.
And, of course, some sacks of fool's gold piled up all over the place.
Fool's gold.
Maybe that's the only kind there is.
Well, they kindly worked out that way for him, I guess.
At least he died thinking he was rich.
That's more than most people can ever do.
Look, there's Mr. Dillon now.
He looks tired.
Well, my start ain't been to bed since Doc woke him up last night to tell him about it.
Ah, hello, Kitty.
Chester.
Sit down, Matt.
Yeah, thanks. I'll go well.
Want a glass of beer?
Uh, no, I don't think so.
Any luck, Mr. Dillon?
Oh, a little, maybe. It's hard to tell you.
Matt, why would anyone do it?
The whole town knew Pop was kind of queer.
They knew he didn't have any gold hidden out.
Yeah, but somebody from out of town might not have known it, Kitty.
Oh, what do you mean?
I mean a stranger who didn't know Pop, who might have believed his stories.
Yeah, but it has to be a stranger.
Everybody who lives in Dodge knows about him.
Like last night.
All the boys were pretending to believe him, but they didn't, of course.
They were just egging him on to keep him talking.
Oh, was Pop in here last night?
Oh, sure. He always came in here as soon as he hit town.
Waiting for somebody to set up the drinks and talk about his big gold strike.
Yeah. Kitty, uh...
Was there anybody paying special attention to him last night?
Oh, not that I remember.
I didn't particularly notice.
Was there a gambler in here last night?
A new man in town who calls himself Jack King.
Jack King? Oh, yeah.
He was here, and he was talking to Pop. I'd forgotten about it.
Why him special, Mr. Dillon?
Alindy and Joe located that horse a while ago.
It had one shoe that had worn thin and was partly broken.
It belongs to the livery stable.
They hired it out a couple of days ago to this Jack King.
He brought it back this afternoon.
You think he killed Pop?
Well, he was out there last night. There's no doubt about that. The tracks prove it.
What did he say about it?
I'll know better when I find him.
I've been looking everywhere.
Well, it's no wonder the government don't pay peace officers much.
When they spend all their time loafing around sleuths.
Mr. Dillon just this minute got here, Doc.
Chester.
What in the world are you doing with your boots off?
You living here now?
No, I'm not living here now. I reckon a man's feet can hurt here as well as they can any other place, can't they?
Doc wouldn't know, Chester. The only way he gets tired is from sitting here.
Oh, is that so?
Well, how are you, kid?
Fine, Doc. Say, Matt, here's a letter that came for Pop McClooney.
It's just a high tower with the depot. He didn't know what to do with it.
Here, let me have it. I'll take care of it.
I suppose you've got the killer under lock and key.
Well, I will have as soon as I locate him, Doc.
Oh, you mean you know who he is?
I'm betting on a fellow named Jack King.
That gambler?
Then you better get moving, Matt.
Oh, why?
Because I just saw him over at the depot, buying a ticket on the Santa Fe to St. Louis.
He must have got scared and decided to make a run for it, Mr. John.
Yeah, it kind of looks that way.
Sure don't see no sign of him there on the platform.
Yeah, he might be on the train.
Mr. High Tower said that he was still here a few minutes ago.
He couldn't. Wait a minute.
Where is he, Mr. Young? What's the matter?
Over there. With a baggage truck there.
Hmm, back's turned. I guess he hasn't saw us.
He's seen us all right.
You leaving town, Mr.?
Oh. How are you, Marshal?
Your bag already on the train?
No, it's right over there.
What difference would make where it is?
I'm afraid you're going to have to postpone your trip.
I didn't do it, Marshal.
Oh, you didn't do what?
I know why you come looking for me, but you're wrong, Marshal, because I didn't do it.
You'll have a chance to prove it.
I went out there last night, yes, I did, but he was already dead.
Is that so?
Well, you can search my bag. I didn't rob him.
I believe that. But Coney didn't have anything to steal.
He kept talking about his gold all the time.
That gold of his was a pipe dream, and everybody in town knew it.
If you'd only been here a couple of days, so you wouldn't have known it.
Got his bag, Jesse.
Yes, sir.
I know what you're up to. You lawmen out here, you're all alike.
We are.
Anything that happens, try to hang it on to some stranger in town.
You don't care who killed him. All you want to do is string up somebody.
I've already told you, if you're innocent, you'll get a chance to prove it.
What will I do with these, Mr. Young?
I will take them over to the jail.
All right, King, you're under arrest.
No, no, you're not taking me in.
Oh, yes, I am.
I'm not going to hang for somebody else's killing.
Look out!
You crazy fool!
All right, Chester, pick up his gun.
Mr. Dillon, did you shoot him in the arm of purpose?
Matter of fact, Chester, I was aiming for his other arm.
Come on, let's just start walking.
We'll start walking.
You wouldn't need a bite of breakfast, Mr. Dune.
That's his privilege.
Just sit there in his cell staring at the floor.
Act like we're fixing to hang him or something.
Yeah.
Now he's got his mind made up about that, all right?
I told him he was all wrong.
We don't go around hanging people here without a trial.
Not usually, no.
I guess by now he's mighty sorry.
He went and killed old man McCluney.
Chester people aren't usually sorry for what they've done.
They're just sorry that they got caught, that's all.
Well, he'll be sorry enough after he's convicted.
And I doubt he'll be convicted.
What do you mean?
We just haven't got much of a case against him when you come right down to it.
By a jing, I sure would hate to see him go free.
Crazy or not, old Pop McCluney was a real nice old thug.
Yes, he was.
Oh, did I show you this letter to McCluney?
Letter?
No.
It came a day after he was killed.
Doc picked it up at the depot, wasn't it?
My dear Mr. McCluney, this is to...
But Mr. Dillon...
There have been a dozen more like it over the last two years.
I telegraphed Denver last night and I got an answer this morning.
Well, my gracious sakes, I just can't believe this.
They are coming.
One in, my sir.
Mr. Chester.
Come on in, Miss Dug.
Thank you kindly.
I brought your washing back.
Oh, thanks.
You can just leave it there on the table if you want.
Oh, yes, sir.
That feller confessed yet, the one that killed old man McCluney?
No, no, not yet.
Well, hanging is too good for him.
I was always joshing Pop, but I had a fondness for him.
Yeah, I guess everybody in town liked him.
A person who just never knows why who'd ever thought that that afternoon I run into all
of you there in the street would be the last time I'd ever see him alive.
That was the day before he was killed.
You took some clothes of his to wash, as I recall.
He'd always come back out of Colorado with every stitch he owned needing washing.
That's funny.
You wouldn't expect him to live like that, a man as rich as he was.
Rich?
Him?
A letter came for him yesterday from an assay office in Denver.
It's a report on a sample of concentrates that Pop sent him.
It shows 60% free gold.
60%.
And that's only the last of a dozen samples Pop sent in the last few years, all of them
just as rich.
He was smart, Miss Duggs.
That act of the fool's gold was just a blindsail that nobody tried to rob him.
Well, I guess he not smarted himself in the end.
So did you, Miss Duggs.
Me?
What did you do with it?
You might as well tell me.
We're going to search your cabin and we'll find it.
I don't know what you're talking about.
I'd have probably guessed sooner if I'd known he was rich, but I was looking for a stranger
in town.
You just said you hadn't seen him since that afternoon on the street.
But I saw his clean laundry stacked on a shelf in the corner of his shack.
Well, I guess he's the side of all that gold that done it.
I walked in on him that night and caught him counting it.
I've worked hard, Marshal, my whole life, and it just didn't seem fair.
Dirty old codger like him having all that gold hid out.
So you killed him and took it up.
Forgetting to take that laundry back with me.
That's where I made my mistake.
You really believe that was your only mistake?
Well, of course.
If you hadn't seen that laundry, you never would have guessed.
I wasn't exactly what I meant.
What else did I do wrong, Marshal?
You killed a man.
But I guess that doesn't mean much to you.
Gunsmoke, produced and directed by Norman McDonald, stars William Conrad as Matt Dillon,
U.S. Marshal.
The script 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 were by Ray Kemper and Bill James.
Featured in the cast were Parley Bear as Chester, Howard McMear as Doc, and Georgia Ellis as
Kitty.
George Walsh speaking.
Join us again next week for another specially transcribed story on Gunsmoke.
This is the United States Armed Forces Radio and Television Service.