 Around 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. Marshall and the smell of 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 marshal mr. Dillon Would you mind stopping at the alf again to hear for a minute pretty early in the day, isn't it just here? Oh, I don't want to drink The bar keeps holding some money for me. I won a little last night and I didn't want to put it back in the game Ah, but you want to get it now so you can put it back tonight. Is that it? Yes, sir. I'm afraid it is Here money jester. Yep Hello there marshal dillon. How are you mic? Yep Here you are three four five six Thanks mic here Buy yourself a drink. Yeah, I sure will See you tonight. Just sure Excuse me Yeah, I heard the bartender call you marshal dillon Well, that's right. I got something to tell you marshal Go ahead. It's important Oh, okay You're going to die marshal Who are you mister? Wilbur Hawkins. I'm a whiskey drummer. First time I've been to dodge though I worked around st. Louis till they sent me out here I did better in st. Louis. There are lots of important people there. Wait a minute. What are you talking about? You're going to die marshal. I heard them saying something. You heard who's saying so? I don't know their name. It was dark and they weren't there long I didn't dare say anything or they'd have known I was listening and then of course I'd never heard of you till just now that is You're not making much sense. Oh, it makes sense. All right You see I ruled the Santa Fe out here from st. Louis and one night I was all wrapped up trying to sleep And these two men came by and stood there in the aisle One gave the other three hundred dollars He said it was to kill marshal dillon But he didn't say where so of course. I didn't know till just now Is that all you know about it mr. Hawkins? Yeah, that's all marshal. Hmm. I've done my duty now. I'll be going Bye Well, what do you make of that mr. Dillon? I don't know jester. He acts are crazy like I don't know whether to believe him or not No But I suppose we'll find out soon, isn't it? Is your sound asleep already and it's only just got dark out mr. Dillon Well, he's got nothing else to doodle tom smith gets here. Is that who you're holding him for? I thought I told you jester. Yeah, but tom smith's giraffe atascos ain't sure why? I thought this fellow was wandering ably Oh, they never heard of him and I believe that's why I worried tom I'm going out back for a minute jester. I think I left my new bridle on the hitching rail out there Yes, well, I better get this place swept up a little bit. That's a good idea. Stay there jester. Stay there. He's killing you You've been shocked Well, I was trying to play possum jester I wanted to get him to come up where I could see him. Oh Now he's gone now. You scared him away You're around down the alley there. He'll be lost in the crowd, but now. Oh, I'm sorry. Well, it doesn't matter jester What he probably thinks I'm dead So I'll just go on play and possum. How do you mean? Come on. Let's go up to doc's office. I'll tell you there If you say that whiskey drummer's name is mad wilbur hawkins doc, but you never heard of him This is his first time in dodgy Well, you think you'd have sense enough to follow those two men there find out who they were Now he was probably scared to death. Yeah, and anyway, he kind of acts like he got hit by lightning somewhere Even when he's standing still he gives you the feeling that he's sort of walking sideways like a crab If you know what I mean No, I don't but I sure think twice before asking you to explain chest Well, what is it you have in mind to do now matt? Nothing doc. Nothing Now chester's gonna do the work for a while I'm just gonna sit up here in your office and wait wait. We'll wait for what? Well when chester spreads the word around that i'm dead whoever wants me that way he's gonna make his play He'll come right out into the open and do whatever he's got planned And then i'm gonna give him a little surprise Oh, mr. Dillon that's a wonderful idea. Now. Why didn't I think of that? You better get going chester I'm kind of anxious to meet this man Him and his gunman. Yes, sir. But only one thing Ain't the boys likely to run a little wild when they hear you're not around keep the lid on things Now they might That will have to take the chance Okay, sure I'll get started Well, I think chester's right matt. There's a lot of men in dodge. You're just waiting for an excuse like this If it gets too bad, I'll just have to come to life again. Oh, yes Tell me something doc What are you gonna do to uh entertain me while i'm waiting up here, huh? Say, I never thought about that. I oh, I suppose I gotta feed you too It could be a mighty poor host if you didn't well, how long do you figure on steam here anyway? I don't know doc, but I don't think it'll be very long Well, you want to play a little cribbage or uh Then she'd rather fix supper first. Oh, yeah the first dead man. I ever saw it with an appetite Then I'll go get the cribbage board that I'm making no promises about supper Doc what time's it get to the beam? Ah It's nearly midnight, man. Yeah How long are you gonna wake up? Well, there's something happens. I guess Not chester. Let me know Town seems quiet enough so far Maybe nothing's gonna happen It didn't try to kill me just for the fun of it, but no, no, I guess not man All right, answer doc after I get to the back room Maybe it's a patient. I'll be holding a gun on him anyway Kitty, what are you doing here this time of night? I might tell you if you ask me and doc Well, of course. Come in. Come in. Where's the corpse doc? What's the body? I expected to find him all laid out. Oh, you mean Matt You uh Don't seem too upset about the corpse kitty Oh all that talk and fool me just didn't make sense chester running around telling everybody you've been killed No, why not? I know chester too well If you were dead, he wouldn't be acting like that No, I guess he wouldn't Where is he anyway? I haven't seen him for a couple of hours, but Most everybody else believes it matt how they do Good I don't know what you're up to but I figure someone's been trying to kill you. Is that right? Yeah ambush kitty That's not the way he's telling it matt Not the way who's telling it? I never saw him before but there's a man standing at the bar the texas trail bragging about out drawing you You mean he's admitting he killed me. I kind of thought you'd like to know that she met This is what you've been waiting for. Is anybody with him kitty? No, he's alone as far as I know Anyway, you better come to life again matt. There's gonna be trouble if you don't there hasn't been any trouble yet has her No, but they're working themselves up to it. Yeah Well, maybe I better not wait any longer But I'd like to take that gunman's employer along with me though You can find out who it is matt beat it out of him. You better come with me kitty so you can point this man out Yeah And you take cover in case he wants to fight any man who's cowered enough to shoot you in the dark Isn't gonna face you now matt. Yeah, maybe not doc, but uh You never know Okay, kitty you wait outside when I see how he's going to behave Thanks I'm marshal dillon mister Oh Who are you and tom roger? I thought you was dead marshal I changed my mind What do you want? You've been bragging about shooting me Just talk marshal. I didn't mean nothing by it. I was just talking And a dangerous talk Everybody said you was dead Well, I was waiting for you to come out of your hole rogers You know, I don't like getting ambushed marshal. I never even seen you before I didn't ambush All right, turn and face the bar while I take your gun go on I ain't gonna try nothing. You got the wrong man marshal Okay, you can turn around You can't arrest a man just for talking the jails right across the street rogers. You lead the way Well, it was just talk. I tell you you can't prove nothing get going I swear I didn't try to kill you marshal straight ahead rogers When we got there you're gonna do some more talking I want to know who hired you nobody hired me. I ain't even got a job Hey, mr. Dillon. I want to Mr. Dillon, what are you doing out here? Who's this fella? His name's rogers chester He's been bragging about shooting me. I was just having a little fun. I ain't no gunman It doesn't take much of a gunman to try to ambush a man, but I didn't do it marshal I heard him talking about it and I don't know why I started saying I uh, mr. Dillon. Yeah, what chester Mr. Dillon, I was on my way up the dock that I was coming to tell you something Well, I've been over to ala for ganza. I declare. I just don't understand it Well say it chester. Yes, sir. Well, there's a fella over there and he's been bragging about shooting you too What yes, that's right. He's saying he outlawed you and killed you Of course he's a little drunk Yeah Of course he is There was rogers here till I scared him sober. Sure Sure, I've been drinking marshal. I wouldn't have talked like that if I'd been plumb sober Here, here's your gun rogers You turning me loose It's like you say rogers. You're just a big talker. What about the fellow over at the ala for ganza? I don't even want to see him chester. He'll shut up fast enough when he hears i'm still around And you're going back to the bar rogers unless the men laugh you out of town. Yes, I'm sure sorry. I'd done it All right get going. Sure. I'm going I don't know what's the matter with me chester not figuring this I might have known there'd be at least a couple of Drunks wanting the reputation for having killed me. Yes, sir Dog done it now. We're right back where we started from Yeah Hey, maybe that whiskey drummer was lying too No, you're forgetting I got shot at chester And there's a man somewhere and dodged still waiting to kill me We will return for the second act of gun smoke in just a moment But first this monday night on most of these same cbs radio stations Here i'd a lapino and edmund o' brian in the stirring screenplay adaptation of the star on the luxe radio theater It's a hard-hitting drama about a has been who attempt to come back in a juvenile role This will be luxe radio theater drama at its best monday night at the star's address Now the second act of gun smoke It wears a man down living from day to day Waiting for a bullet in the back And not knowing who to expect it from or when Makes you feel kind of helpless And before long in spite of everything you try to do to stop it you get kind of spooky And you start shy and at the most ordinary noise Especially if it comes from behind you No way to stay alive Because this is the one time you need to be as calm and clear as you've ever been in your life And I had a week of it And nothing happened And old chester came into the office one day with a telegram from sheriff tom smith of tascosa I thought i'd better get right over here at this mr. Dillon might be important You told me it was from tom smith chester Yes, sir, it is Well, if you know that how come you don't know what the message is Oh, well, I didn't read it too close mr. Dillon Thanks He's coming for his prisoner He'll be here on the stage Day after tomorrow. Well, I figured now Anything else? What? Well, is that all it says here? Yes, sir, that's all That's just one thing you miss chester What's that the date it was sent they got delayed somewhere along the line comes during the day He is yeah, what time is it? About noon again on that stage ought to be here right now. Come on. Let's go see. All right Well, there it is mr. Dillon must pull in just a minute ago I don't see no passengers. So that may be because they haven't got out yet chester I hear they come Ain't that tom smith? Yeah, that's him Who's that other fella? He looks kind of familiar. Now, that's wilbur hawkins chester that little whiskey drummer. Oh, yes Well, I've been wondering where he's been Matt Dillon, hello tom Hey, how are you matt? Hello chester. Hello mr. Smith Hey, I'm sure glad that trip's over next time. I'll come horseback Now the stage is easier when you're taking a prisoner back though I guess you're right at that matt and I hope you still got him. I'd like to make this trip for nothing Oh, he's there anytime you want him. Hey, where's wilbur hawkins going ain't even gonna say hello You know that little fella. Oh, yeah, we know him. He told me you're staying at the dodge house Crazy talkingist man. I've run into I told him hawkins if you tried thinking a little first You might make a whole lot more sense a whole lot faster. Well, he means well Well, maybe But he tells some mighty strange stories. Oh, what do you mean? Well Of course could be true, but he told me he heard a couple of men in a bar talking about me He didn't know who they meant till I introduced myself on the stage and he recognized my name Well, what are you looking like that for man? Uh, no, no, no go ahead tom. What did hawkins here? Well, he said this one fella was gonna give the other fella 300 dollars to shoot me Ain't that the darndest thing? Yeah, that sure is I don't know matt. There's a lot of men who'd like to kill me, but I don't believe that they stand around talking about it that way I kind of think he made it all up. No, he didn't make it up tom. Not quite. Uh You know something about this You mean someone is out to shoot me? Yeah who? I'll tell you about it on the way over to the dodge house You wait here chester just in case he gets past us. All right, he ain't gonna get past us But I can't figure matt Why hawkins didn't want to kill you and me now that doesn't make much sense tom Now here it is Is it it's tom smith and matt dillon hawkins What are you doing here? We want to talk to you Open up hawkins How'd you know he was gonna shoot matt? Well, I just sensed it. I guess Look, I can kick that door open with one foot Then you cover me. All right, you ready? I'm ready You kill him matt. Well, I tried not to hawkins I'm Had to shoot hawkins But why did you want to kill us smith and me love people want to He'll say Nobody said nothing You made all that up hawkins. You took a shot at me last week, didn't you hawkins? Didn't you? No, I can't kill anybody now Why? Why did you want to hawkins? Tell me Hey, she's another man Important man I told him about it first And then they let you But why hawkins? I don't know I had to I had to do He's dead tom matt What the devil was he talking about? I don't know Now it doesn't matter much. I don't understand it I never saw him before yesterday. Now hawkins was a murderer tom That kind of doesn't need any particular reason Nobody'll ever know why he did what he did. Yeah, he was crazy if you like Sure was crazy You think he's done a lot of killing matt? Yeah, probably That's the most dangerous kind of man there is tom A murderer with no reason at all Innocent looking little whiskey drummer Gun smoke under the direction of norman mcdonnell stars william conrad as matt billin u.s. Marshall Tonight's story was specially written for gun smoke by john meston with music composed and conducted by rex quarry Featured in the cast were edgar barrier john daner and vick perron parley bearish chester howard mcnear is doc and georgia ellis is kitty Join us again next week as matt billin u.s. Marshall fights to bring law and order out of the wild violence of the west in gun smoke You've heard fictional crime cases many times, but there's nothing like the real thing We're talking about night watch this monday night following the bob trout news You'll be on the scene when a burglar is caught in the act You'll hear him break a glass window and trying to get away You'll hear the officers handcuff him and take him off to jail You'll hear this authentic case unfold from beginning to end on night watch monday night george waltz speaking john lond as yours truly johnny dollar brings you colorful mystery tuesdays on the cbs radio network