 city and in the territory on west there's just one way to handle the killers in the spoilers and that's with the u.s. Marshall and the smell of gun smoke gun smoke starring William Conrad the story of the violence that moved west with young America the story of a man who moved with it Matt Dillon United States Marshall it was the dust the heat was bad enough in dodge city but out on the plane it was the dust the sun was a burning red-brown chip in the sky and the sweat on a man never had a chance to drop it was blotted and dried with dust doc Chester and I had written to old man Gores place 10 miles out he'd had some trouble with one of the hands I'll have gone local with liquor and have been shooting up the cattle we found him stripped naked nearby on his haunches crying drunk over a arched waterhole doc had got him to bed and fix him up some and now we were heading back for dodge darn horse since he just bound to stomp all the dust and candles in my eyes maybe the Marshal buy a camel Chester this keeps up we'll all buy camels I remember the time back in Waco when I was just a small Chester you see something ahead on the side of the trail there yeah maybe it looks like some poor calf straight off and drop I don't think so it looks like a man Chester get the water bag yes let me have a look yeah heat is he all right depends on how long he's been lying here open up a shirt Marsha Chester get some of that water on his wrist looks like an Easterner sure not dress for this country that's better that's better try to get a few drops in him not too much chest not in his nose Chester his mouth my gracious I'm sorry mr. Dylan but he moved his head it's not so easy to hey look he's awake you're all right mr. just take it easy for a bit no no that this too too solid flesh would melt and resolve itself into what you what did he say it's out of his head just for this relief much thanks forget it Chester get around the other side and shade him from the sun yes son I came to be a weary of the sun I don't blame you know what happened my wagon shed a wheel I feel along the high road I know not where I am you're about four miles out of Dodge City that Kansas Kansas I would give all me fame for a pot of ale and safe we better get him to town quickly he's in a bad you think you can make it on a horse we'll take you into it we'll take him at a dodge and he passed out again we tied him across Doc's horse Doc and I doubled up and Chester wrote behind the stranger was a tall skinny man with a face like a friendly mule big hands and thin wrists stretched out from his sleeves he had no papers on him nothing until he woke up we wouldn't even know his name Doc settled him down in the back of his place and he was still asleep when Chester and I rode out to where we figured he'd left his wagon wasn't hard to see when we found it what color wagon would you call that mr. Dylan puse Chester puse I guess so seems to be some writing on the side there oh Irving Henry thespian supreme disciple of the immortal barred I should have known he was a religious man he's an actor Chester the immortal barred Shakespeare William Shakespeare wrote plays do you think he let the horses go I was wondering that seems to me he'd have ridden for help instead of trying to walk horses couldn't have got out of the harness ourselves let's take a look at the wheel wish we could wiggle the sun goes down it's gonna be awful hot work mr. Dylan yeah it's not too bad pen fell out must be another in the box at the back and take a look will you Chester yes I'll prop the wheel up here hey yeah can't you find it will you come here a minute oh what's the matter take a look in there it took a second or two to get used to the darkness inside the wagon and then I saw the hand sticking out from behind a trunk he didn't have to be the doc to know that it was a dead hand the body was of a man about 40 he was dirty and in a greasy torn west good I found a pocketbook with his name Sam match it and that was all below his left shoulder and his back was a patch of dried blood and in the middle a bullet hole we got the wagon wheel on hitched up our horses and drove into dodge doc get that fellas wagon fixed up yeah brought it in is he awake oh I haven't looked in the last half hour I was making coffee once I'm no thanks it's funny thing about coffee when it's hot weather like this break it's called it and makes you feel cooler outside doc I got to see that fall I want to ask him a couple of questions why so I found a dead man in the back of his wagon you don't say you better take a look Chester's bringing him in the side oh sure sure sure you want to go on back yeah thanks mr. Henry mr. Henry wake up yeah oh your name Irving Henry oh Irving Henry what is this now you got to listen to me for a minute we found your wagon did you let the horses go before you sat on your own of course I could not let them remain to die how come you didn't take one to ride I have a loathing of horses I cannot bear one under my body there is a carafe of water beside the bed would you be good enough mr. Dylan Matt Dylan I'm the marshal here in Dodge City here you my thanks now what were you doing with a dead man in your wagon mr. Henry dead man a dead man shot in the back line in your wagon this is very mid summer madness I won't argue about that but I'll thank you to answer my question but it is impossible it isn't true I say it is you lie on your throat if you say that I'm any other than an honest man look mr. I didn't say you weren't honest you're an actor and you got a fine way of saying things but murder is murder I don't care how you say it now I'm asking questions and I want straight answers your pardon sir what you tell me in in truth if it were played upon a stage I would condemn it as an improbable fiction I swear to you I know nothing about it you come through Hayes City yeah you know a man there called Sam match it no you have no trouble in Hayes City no what are you doing in these parts mr. Henry I'm I am touring the provinces an actor eating the bitter bread of banishment and my talents are not taken for their worth in the east and therefore I bring the immortal barb into the hinterlands and now so that the interview was ended pray give me leave to depart I'm sorry I can't do that you'll have to stay until we get this thing cleared up Dylan doc would like to see you all right Chester stay here with mr. Henry will you what sure mr. Dylan sure it how you feeling by now mr. Henry what you find well there's one thing this man didn't die right away I mean not right when we shot that's so no more likely blood to death inside you think he might have been able to climb up in the wagon after he was shot might there's another thing yeah you see the way he's dressed now you take a look at them he must have gone through the window Marshall I tried to get it back window take care of Chester duck I'm going after him we will return for the second act of gun smoke in just a moment but first do you know how old the school building in your community is if it's over 25 years old the chances are that it's woefully inadequate to the present demands on it certainly thousands of schools all over America are unable to meet the needs of a greatly increased enrollment and all our school children will suffer unless all of us work actively to improve conditions join with the groups in your community working for better school conditions remember better schools build a stronger America now the second act of gun smoke when I went out of there I didn't know how badly Chester was hurt there was a lot of blood on his head and over his face it was nearly dark outside and the street was empty it was supper time I could see the women through the windows getting food ready the kids were inside too sure look peaceful but with Henry out with a gun well that wasn't a good thing to have running around loose and dodge just see a man run down the street Ms. Fletcher well no you better get inside and lock your door don't come out again there's a killer loose I walked the length of the street listening waiting when I got to the end there was nothing he hadn't taken a horse I'd have heard that and in a way I was sorry because if he tried to hide and dodge there'd be no way to get out of shooting that wouldn't get women and kids hurt a breeze came up and swirls of dust flew around and then settled as the air became still and hot again I went back to Doc's police no how's Chester oh I'm fine Mr. Dillon just creased my head more mess and hurt oh good Chester look you want to go home or you want to work I want to work all right go down to the office get yourself another gun and round up some men many as you can as long as Henry stays in town we're in trouble now keep your eyes open meet me back here yes and take my gun with you if you see him watch out all right I get going yes now doc I'm gonna have to make you a deputy too well maybe instead of digging out bullets I'll be putting some in it's not funny doc come on all right we'll start here I'll take this side you take the other get them in to go through their houses and tell them to look for their horses tell them what's happening but 10 o'clock that night as far as we could tell Henry hadn't left town there were plenty of places for him to hide though we had 50 men off searching Chester and I were working along back of the express office there were a couple of houses there we hadn't covered you wouldn't think a man like that it'd be a killer no would you mr. Dillon I never saw a man yet couldn't be Chester depends on your reasons for killing I guess now let's take a look behind these boxes you could have got this far I might a lot of back streets to sneak around the dark that's miss Cullen's place there enough yes sir looks like she's still awake light burning back there yeah seem a bit cooler to you tonight mr. Dillon yep it well even miss Cullen I'm sorry to get you up but we're looking for a man a stranger around me tall thin yes in any one about tonight no no I haven't how's the kids oh they're fine thank you mr. Dillon fine huh oh you keep the place locked tight miss Cullen don't let anybody in tonight unless you know who it is all right good night mr. Dillon good night ma'am well now that's strange she didn't even say hello to me and I know her better than you do mr. Dillon Chester round up the others get them over here I don't know why she's in there with it I think he's got the kids in the sleeping room well sent her out to get rid of us now I'm gonna try and get in don't do anything when you come back just put the men around the house yes I'd seen miss Cullen make a move with her head and her eyes said the rest when I told her to lock up I shook my head and I hope she understood I wanted that front door to stay open he was in there all right I could hear it I wanted him alive but I wasn't gonna risk hurt to miss Cullen or the kids get me I did what you asked don't hurt the children please you'll never know this night in the morning when they said you're not the dog after you know don't don't I shall keep the pistol turned for the girl someone's here they're trying to take me where is it mr. Dillon go away you lied you lied oh tigers half wrapped in a woman's hide listen to me Marshall Dillon throw your pistol in here and then come in with your hands before you I have no stomach for child killing but I will not hesitate to do so now give me the gun Henry no you won't be able to get out of this I must that is living to be done you know that fancy talk isn't gonna help either now why don't you climb down what happened to match it nothing happened to match why'd you kill him I didn't in five minutes or less there'll be 50 men or more around here now what are you gonna do I don't know you didn't kill match it you'll get a chance I'll see to that there's no use going on this way give me the gun I cannot it is my proper salvation no gun is salvation to anybody put it down you must tell the men to go away Marshall Dillon I'd have to take one of these children with me for my protection no shed a tear for me madam I have the greater need you do a lot of talking mister I'd like to see you turn the gun away from that kid's head that'd take more than talk wouldn't it though I have no skill with such a weapon why should I match with you I want to live you're going about it the wrong way the smallest worm will turn being trod upon meaning you gave me no choice when you brought me here would have been better to have left me lying in the dust you don't understand you you don't know why don't you tell me what good would it do it depends my life has been the theater as a boy I I was a student of Shakespeare and look at me who would accept this face for Hamlet this little shape of body for Romeo his speech has become my speech but the fools only look they cannot listen for laughing they've been ugly men before you hasn't been caused for murder why'd you kill magic in New York there was a man a gross stupid man who fancied himself an interpreter of the Bard he took me me as his apprentice and together we set out for the tour I would play only the voices never Richard never Henry never Leah only only the voices he stumbling drunken he muddled and tore to a tattle the words that I should have spoken you killed a man because you wanted to play a hero how easily murder is discovered yes sometimes I guess yesterday we were leaving Hayes City we played there for two days and it made me a laughing stock it was night and he became drunk and threatened to leave me in the next town I made him stop the wagon and taking up a pistol I shot him he did not die when I saw what I had done I I wanted him to live and I put him into the wagon and I drove on hoping to find a doctor then as the night passed I saw that he had died and I was afraid the wagon broke down yes I put my purse into his clothes and took his name for mine how I've hated the name of Sam matches but you wouldn't understand I wouldn't I want to live I want my child you've done a murder I can't let you go you know that don't make it harder I lost my husband two years ago I know what it is to be alone you've been alone haven't you I'm soft but you kill someone we may pity though not pardon me yeah I'm going now Marshall if you walk out of there with your gun you're a dead man death's a great disguiser I must have my child don't do it match it there'll be killing madam forgive me I would not have found your children match it put down your gun there are a lot of men waiting for you out there match it you know what'll happen if you open the door don't do it match it sleep dream there's the rob but in that sleep of dead dreams match it though he was going to die the minute he opened that door he knew it and maybe he wanted to because he fired first a single shot we buried him in back of the church and I found some words in a book to put on his grave he that dies pays all debts gun smoke under the direction of Norman McDonald stars William Conrad as Matt Dillon U.S. Marshall tonight's story was spurtly written for gun smoke by Anthony Ellis with music composed and conducted by Rex Corey Hans Conrad was featured as Henry with Mary Lansing is Mrs. Cullen parley bears Chester and Howard McNear is doc join us again next week as Matt Dillon U.S. Marshall fights to bring law and order out of the wild violence of the West in gun smoke and speaking remember gang busters going to action Saturday nights on the CVS radio network