 Around Dodge City and in the territory on West, there's just one way to handle the killers of the spoilers, and that's with a U.S. Marshal and the smell of gun smoke. Gun 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, the United States Marshal. The first man they look for and the last they want to meet. It's a chance they job, but it makes a man watchful. At a little lonely. How's the coffee? Fine, fine. Pour yourself a cup. Gee, thank you. What were you doing out there, Matt? Washing the prisoners? I haven't got any prisoners out, Doc. Oh, then you're falling down on the job. Off-hand, I can think of a dozen men around Dodge that ought to be in jail. Now, will you give me a list? I'm going to need somebody to bring the trial next week. Oh, well, what do you mean? Well, there's a new circuit court judge coming. He's going to be disappointed if there's nothing for him to do. A new judge? What happened to Judge Brookings? He just needed help, I guess. After all, he has to cover about the whole of western Kansas. Well, who is this new man? What's his name? His name is Stokes. Judge Stokes. That's all I know about him. Stokes? I hope he's a good one. I've seen some remarkably unlearned judges in my town. That's not an easy job, Doc. And out here it doesn't pay enough to make it worthwhile to most men. You know, Judge Brookings could probably do twice as well back east. And so could I, man. I know, Doc, but then he wouldn't have anything to complain about. And if you didn't have anything to complain about, you would just shrivel up and die. Well, at least I wouldn't go to the poppers grave I'm headed for now. I'd say, Doc, I'm not alone in me a hundred dollars. A hundred dollars? A hundred dollars, I think it was a dollar. Go on in, Homer. Who's this you got? Well, this is Homer Tisdale, Mr. Don. There's a complaint against him. Oh, a complaint? Yes, sir. You know, Van Walcott, who's took over that little store next to the stage office? Yeah, I know him. Well, he's coming over here in a few minutes. He claims Homer was trying to rob him. Oh. I figured it'd be best to settle a thing right here, Hugh. Now, uh, were you trying to rob him, Homer? Yes, sir. I see. With a gun or what? No, sir. No, I ain't got no gun. He was trying to steal something out of his store, then, is that it? Yes, sir. Where you from, Homer? I haven't seen you in dodge before. No, sir. I've been homesteadin', saline river. But I got starved out ahead to quit. Didn't have no luck at all. Yeah. Now, you sure don't look as though you'd been eatin' very regular. No, sir, I ain't. Well, you got him here. Whoa. Of course I got him here, Wilkett. He's a little thief. Marshall, I want to sign a complaint against this man. Mr. Wilkett, you've been in dodge about a month now, haven't you? What's that got to do with it? Back east, I guess they're a little more formal in the way they handle things. Now, why don't you just tell me what happened, huh? Well, I was next door at the stage office telling the J. Buford. We heard a crash over in my store or somethin' fallin'. So we run out, and there he was. We caught him red-handed, Marshall. Caught him doin' what? Stealing, that's what. You haven't told me what he stole. He had a whole handful of potatoes, Marshall. A man that faithfully belongs in jail. A whole handful of potatoes, huh? Is that true, Homer? Is that what happened? Yes, sir, Marshall. Yes, sir, it's true. I was hungry, and I seen the potatoes. I thought he wouldn't miss a couple. I couldn't pay him back later. A man who steals belongs in jail. Look, Wilkett, he shouldn't have done it. I admit that, but, uh... But I can't do that. Why? Well, for one thing, Chester and I have to write up the Fort Launed for a few days, and there wouldn't be anybody here to watch him and feed him. Leave him some water, that's all he needs. Chester. You take Homer over to the long branch. Maybe Sam Newman can put him to work sweepin' out, or washin' glasses or somethin', huh? Now, look here, Marshall. You ain't gonna make a fool of me. Get goin', Chester. Marshall, I'm tellin' you... Mr. Wilkett, why don't you get back to your store? Maybe somebody's found a few pennies and wants to buy that handful of potatoes. This is right. There probably were a dozen men around Dodge. It should've been in jail. But if the law was gonna start lockin' up men like Homer Tisdale, I figured they wouldn't need me to handle the job. At least that's what I thought on the way to Fort Launed. It was four days later when we got back, and I found out different. We were ridin' up Front Street past the stage office when Jay Buford, the stage company manager, and Van Walcott spotted us and started yellin'. I had Chester take my horse while I got down and went over to see what they wanted. You've come back just in time, Marshall. You've done what I said, it wouldn't have happened. I was just tellin' Walcott. If you didn't get back today, we'd have to do somethin' ourselves. What's the trouble, Buford? Murder. Murder and robbery, Marshall. Right there in the stage office. Charlie Reynolds is dead and $10,000 is gone. Half of this mornin'. Hold up. It's about eight o'clock, Marshall. I just opened up my store and gone into the stage office to say good mornin' to Jay. He was standin' there talkin' to Charlie Reynolds, and, well, I no sooner got inside than the voice out back yelled at us to throw up her hand. And we did, too. And then this gunman come forward wearing a mask. He knew right where the money was, too. I had it in the treasure box waitin' for the stage to go north, Marshall. And this gunman opened it up if it was all bills. And he scooped him out into his pocket. And then he stood there, Marshall, and he told us not to try to follow him. And before we could even move, he pulled the trigger on poor old Charlie Reynolds and killed him. Just like that. No reason at all. You didn't follow him. He got away. Now, who's gonna follow a killer like that? We ain't crazy. Any idea who it was? You bet we do. Oh. That mask. That didn't hide nothin'. Well, who was it? Homer Tisdale. What? Just as plain as day, even if he hadn't spoke. Homer ain't some meek as he looks, Marshall. He's a killer. That's what he is. All that other is just pretendin'. You should've put him in jail first off. Any idea where he is? He must be halfway to Texas by now. But you better find that Marshall. Yeah. Have Homer's a mighty cool woman if he is still in dog, Mr. Jones? Maybe he hasn't heard about it yet, Justin. You don't think he did, do you? Well, I'll ask him if he's in here. There he is. Sweepin' out back in the table. Yeah. Oh, Marshall. Chester. Oh, Homer. The fella's lookin' for a drink. Same 10 o'clock. Yeah. Oh, man. How long have you been here? Oh. Come into work about... Well, about 8.30, Marshall. Why? Where were you before that? Out back. Sam leaves me sleepin' that shed he's got out there. Homer, can you prove that you were out there at 8 o'clock this morning? Prove it? Did anybody see you? No. Nobody ever come out there. Why, Marshall? Well, the stage office was robbed this morning, and a man was shot and killed. No. J. Buford and Van Wolk had witnessed it. They say you did it. Me? They're willing to swear to it. Well, I... I didn't rob them. I didn't kill nobody. I wouldn't do nothin' like that, Marshall. You don't believe them, do you? Doesn't matter what I believe, Homer. There are two witnesses. You haven't even got an alibi. Well, I was right out back there, Marshall. I was eatin' a little bread and some bacon. Well, you promised me something, Homer. Well, sure, Marshall. What? You promised me that you won't leave Dodge. I mean, bad trouble, isn't it? Well, I won't run. I promise. Three days later, Judge Stokes' circuit brought him to Dodge. I went over and talked to him about Homer Tisdale. And it was like talkin' into a rain barrel, or rather, a whiskey barrel. Judge seemed to have more interest in corn liquor than in the law. Now, all I could get out of him was that a jury would have to decide the case. So the following Monday morning, court was open in an old man's hall across the railroad tracks. A jury was sworn in, and Judge Stokes took over. First he put Van Walcott on the stand, and then J. Buford. Chester and I sat with Homer on the watch. Marshall, something I don't understand. What, Homer? Well, that Judge, he'd been talkin' to Walcott about me. Now he's gonna talk to Buford. Is he gonna ask me anything? Well, sure, Homer. He'll put you on the stand, but you'll have your lawyer to help you. What? That man said right over there. He's the lawyer that the Judge appointed to defend you. How can he help me? He didn't talk to me. He won't know what to say. Oh, he will talk to you. I guess there's no hurry. I never seen this lawyer before. Now he's a stranger to me, Chester, but Judge Stokes doesn't know him. I don't understand why they ain't no first year. Prosecutor, Chester. But I asked a judge about that, and he said that there's no need for one. Yes, he knows what he's doin'. Yeah. The whole truth and nothing but the truth will help you God. I do. Mr. Buford. We've heard the testimony in detail from Mr. Wilcoff. Go to speed things up a little. I'll just ask you a few questions. Yes, sir. You were at the stage office when the holdup took place, right? That's right, Your Honor. You saw everything Mr. Wilk had saw. That right? Yes, sir. The bandit came in, took $10,000 in bills out of the box, then shot and killed, what is it? Charlie Reynolds, Your Honor. Charlie Reynolds. All right, excuse me. Now, I want you to tell the gentlemen in the jury who that bandit was. It was Homer Tisdale, Your Honor. Homer Tisdale. How did you know it was him? He had a mask on, but it didn't really hide nothin'. It was him, all right. And besides, it was his voice, plain as day. Then you knew him before? Sure. Sure. The day we caught him robin' work at store. He's been a thief ever since he come to God. Oh, now look here. Yep, Your Honor. You're out of order, Marshal. But, Your Honor, he's giving the jury a wrong impression of this man. I believe me. You sit down, Marshal, or I'll hold you in contempt. Your Honor, don't you understand? That's better. The jury is competent to judge the evidence, Marshal. All right, Mr. Buford, you may step down. Yes, listen to the facts. Take over, Mr. Shipp. Marshal, he didn't talk to me. He didn't ask me nothin'. You said he would. Just wait a minute, Homer. We'll see what your defense says about it. May it please the court and the gentlemen of the jury. You've heard the evidence. I rest my case. What? Marshal? That ain't no defense. What does that mean, Marshal? He's sittin' down already. Marshal. You can't do that. You will retire to consider the evidence. And it'll return with its verdict in, uh, say, a half hour. And it better be the right verdict or I'll hold you all in contempt. Get to work. Marshal, I don't understand, Marshal. I thought a man had a right to say something for himself. Yeah, so did I, Homer. And that defense, fella, he didn't help none. Where's the judge going now? Outside for a drink, I expect. But what? You wait here with Chester. Will you talk to him, Marshal? Tell him I didn't do it. I'll be back on it. I didn't do nothin'. Have a nip, Marshal. No, thank you, judge. I always like to get the jury out. Give the man time for a little refreshment. That's good corn you make here. Yeah. You know, Marshal, I'm a drinkin' man, but I've never been drunk in my life. Never once. Oh, that's fine, judge. Marshal, I'm sorry I had to sit you down so hard in there, but a court's got to be run by one man or to get out of hand. I know. I've seen it happen. I've seen some things happen in court, too, judge. I never saw an accused man not get a chance to defend himself before you heard the evidence, Marshal. What defense could he make? We just a waste of time. I see. I don't want to get this trial over with. I got to take the train up to Abilene at midnight. That doesn't give me much time to see Dodge, does it? No, I guess it doesn't. In fact, a half hour's too long for that jury. I'm going to call him back now. Excuse me, Marshal. Sure, judge. Maybe you will change your mind and have that drink with me after, huh? Yeah, judge. Maybe. Are you sure it doesn't give you that jury much time? Get him, Mr. John. No, it doesn't, Judge. Marshal, what do you think they'll say? They have much choice, Homer. Oh, gentlemen. Have you reached a verdict? We have, Your Honor. Let's hear it. We find the defendant, Homer Tisdale Gilly. Oh, my goodness. Homer Tisdale? I ain't guilty, Marshal. Stand up. I didn't do nothing. Stand up when we're going. It ain't fair. Homer Tisdale, you've been found guilty. Where's the money? What did you do with that $10,000? They got it. Judge, I didn't take it. I didn't take it. Silence! If you won't tell us where you buried that money, I'm going to sentence you. For robbery, you'll get 20 years in prison. 20 years? But you will never serve him, Homer Tisdale. You're a double-dyed monster, and your hands are steeped in human blood. Creatures of your life aren't fit to live. Away with you. And for murder, I sentence you to be hanged by the neck until you are dead. Horns dismissed. Marshal. Marshal, did you hear him? Did you hear what he said? I never seen anything like this. It might just as well not have been no trial at all. Take Homer to jail, Chester, and keep him there. Well, it ain't right, Mr. Bill. It just ain't right at all. Do it, Chester. Yes, sir. Where are you going? I'm going to have a drink with Judge Stokes. What? Yeah. We're going to become real good friends. No more, Miss Kitty. I've got to be going. Ah, poor him, one. Kitty, he's got an hour yet before his train leaves. Tell me a judge. Sure. You'll have another judge. There you are. You can't sit around a whole hour without a drink. I told you I... Aren't you enjoying yourself, Judge? Oh, it isn't that, Miss Kitty, but, uh... Well, I haven't been alone all day long. Well, it's been my pleasure, Judge. I don't often get a chance to be with a man like you. I know, I know, but there must be things you have to do. I just don't feel right taking up all your time this way. Oh, don't worry about him, Judge. People don't get really serious about breaking the law around here until after midnight anyway. That's right, Judge. I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll put you on the train and then I'll get to work. No, no, I don't want anyone to put me on the train. Well, it's less than an hour from now. Marshall, I insist I go alone. I'm going to leave now. Well, it doesn't take that long to get to the people, Judge. I want to walk around to the first by myself. I like being alone sometimes. Well, everybody does. Okay, Judge, sure I understand. You go on alone if you want. Well, I'm grateful to you, Marshall, for all you've done. Well, it was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Kitty. Goodbye, Judge. Look me up when you come back. Of course. Goodbye. Goodbye, Marshall. Goodbye, Judge. Goodbye. Let me know when he gets out the door, Kitty. I don't know what this is all about, Matt, but I hope I did what you wanted. Oh, I got pretty tiresome, but we came in here. There it goes. You better hurry if you're going to follow him. Yeah, I'm going to pick up Chester first. I think I know where the judge is going. I'll see you later, Kitty. Yeah, sure, Matt. I'm telling you, Mr. Dope, him crazy. Mr. Dope, you dogged him around that way. I worried him some, Chester. That's how I knew I must be right. We better watch through the side window there, and they'll see us. Yeah. Can you see anything, Mr. Dope? Yeah. Right there, all right. Judge Stokes is with him. All right, come on. We'll walk right in the front door. You get to one side when we go in, Chester. Yes, sir. What are you doing here? I thought you wanted to be alone, Judge. Shoot him. Shoot him, I tell you, he knows. Walk it. Which one of you is going to shoot me? Now, one of you must have a gun somewhere. You shot Charlie Reynolds. Then get your hands up while he's searching. I got a gun, Marshall. Here. Get his gun, Chester. It's still in his pocket. Tell me, Judge, how much money did they give you out of the $10,000? I don't know what you're talking about, Marshall. But I'll have you in court for this. Oh, I'll be in court with you and in front of Judge Brookings. You know, you overplayed your hand today, Judge Stokes. You and I bought the fence for you, and I'll find him before the night's up. You wouldn't dare arrest a judge who ever heard of such a thing. Well, I guess maybe a judge is a pretty important man, isn't he? Well, I tell you, since you are the most important man here, I'm going to give you a sell by yourself. You can have homer to sales. He won't be needing it anymore. Produced and directed by Norman McDonald, stars William Conrad as Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshall. The story was specially written for Don Stokes by John Meston. Featured in the cast were Lauren Stobkin, Big Karen, Joseph Kearns, and Harry Barthel. Harley Bear is Chester, Howard McNeer is Doc, and Georgia Ellis is Kitty. This is George Waltz inviting you to join us again next week for another story on gun smoke over the CDS Radio Network.