 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 story of the violence that moved west with young America, the story of a man who moved with it, Matt Dillon, United States Marshal. It's another one, Mr. Dillon. Laying near his wagon, the horse was still hitched and was grazing. Another stabbing. Yes, Mr. Dillon. Two buffalo hunters found him earlier this morning on the road leading out to Simron Crossing. We just brought him back. Who was he? His name was Jones, Les Jones. Been in town a couple of days, buying supplies, food. Where'd he come from? Well, some of the boys told me he's got a little farm on up there, Kansas, peace. Got a wife, too. For a little thing, they tell me. Yeah. You know anything more about him? He was a tab-flayed saloon last night, playing pharaoh. Drunk? Oh, he'd had a bell or two, but not drunk. Did all right at the pharaoh table. He must have had $20,000. $3,000? With a woman on the Arkansas River. Big pardon, Mr. Dillon? Yeah, nothing, Chester. The money's gone, of course. Yes, sir. Ask Doc to come down when he can with you, Chester. Right. Doc, come down a minute. Mr. Dillon wants you. Coming! Did Jones have a gun on him, Chester? We found a sharp special in his spring wagon. He wasn't carrying anything on him. It's outside. You want to see it? Had it been fired, no, sir? Good morning, my child. Want to see me? I want to ask you a question, Doc. Yeah? There have been two stabbings in two months. Jones makes a third. You think the same person killed the other two? Well, there's no way to be sure, but from the position of the wound and the body, and from the angle of the knife thrust, I fear the killer or killers use the same... Doc, I just wanted a simple answer. Yes, I think the same person murdered all three men. Anyway, are you telling how long Jones has been dead? I'm not a picketed man, but I'd say sometime after midnight. Between three or four in the morning, maybe. And I'd also say from the amount of bleeding... Okay, Doc. Chester, get my horse. I'm going to ride out to the Jones place. I figure Ms. Jones will want to know. Howdy, bub. I live here. Where are you from? I'm from Dodge. Dodge? Need to you ride all the way from Dodge? Sure. Get down and I'll water your horse. All right. What's your name, son? Alvin Jones. My dad is Les Jones. I guess you know him, huh? Yeah, sure. I guess most everybody knows him. And your mother in the house? Are you going to stay for dinner? Well, I don't think so. Is she in the house? Yeah, she's there. Just go on up. Don't worry about your horse. Thank you, bub. It's not Alvin, Ms. Jones. Sorry, I thought it was my son. My name is Dylan, Ms. Jones. Marshall, Dylan at Dodge. Come in, Marshall. Thank you, ma'am. Get care for some buttermilk or maybe out here men don't drink buttermilk like they do at home. Thank you, but nothing for me. Ms. Jones, I got some unpleasantness for you. Yes? It's about your husband. He's in trouble? I left Dodge four hours ago. I thought I should be the one to tell you. He's hurt bad. More than bad, Ms. Jones. Nice to meet you. Good one. Well, thank you, son. Alvin, this is Marshall Dylan from Dodge. From Marshall? Uh, Alvin, your paul won't be home for a while than Marshall did. Well, not for how long? Well, not for how long, ma'am? Not for quite a time, son, so you will have to run things a while longer. Makes sense. I can take care of them all, right? Sure, you can. We'll just date him. No, no, no. Thank you, ma'am. I gotta get back to Dodge. Uh, Ms. Jones, could I? Yes, Mr. Dylan. Talk to the boy, Ms. Jones, explain it so. He won't be bitter. Too many gunfighters got their start for him. Make sure you've got enough whiskey to finish the night this thirsty weather. Oh, we've got plenty, Mr. Slade. If no fight starts then... Oh, Mr. Slade, huh? There's a company coming. Marshall Dylan just walked in. I'll set the bottle of rye up on the bar. Howdy, Matt. Join me in a drink? Thank you, I will. What kind of drive? Been traveling? Yeah, been up to the river a bit, to the Jones place. Jones? Tell his wife she's a widow. Oh, yeah, I heard about that. It's too bad. He was in here last night, wasn't he? Oh, yes. Matter of fact, he was. You wouldn't know anything about his being killed. Who are you asking me, Dylan? Straight question. You saying I killed him? I asked a question, Slade. I don't know anything. Someone left that man after he left here. He was taking a lot of money out of your place. You had a reason. I wasn't even here last night. The partner of Ben and the Mirrors has run the place. Where were you? I was with his sister. Oh, even there? Still late enough? Where's Ben and his sister now? I don't know. Home, I guess. And Slade, if you have any big winners tonight, make sure they get home safe. He's not at home. Or his sister. What's the matter? You don't believe me? You thought I would be in the house? Why, when the night is so beautiful? You want to talk with me? Talk with your brother. But he's not here. So why not talk with me? My name's Matt Dylan. I'm Marshal of Dodge. I know. I've been wanting to meet you. I've come on business. I like business. Talk with me. Last night, maybe after midnight, a man was killed on the river road. Killed? By a knife stabbed in the chest. Why do you tell me this? He was carrying $3,000. He wanted Slade's. And so? Tab Slade told me he spent last evening with you. He came for dinner. He often does. He thinks he loves me. Your brother was he here? Tab Slade and Ben owned the saloon together. They're partners. They think at least one should be there all the time. Ben went down after we ate. Did Slade... was he here long? Slade? He's my fiance. So it's all right. Isn't this Marshal? Well, that's your business, Miss Ramirez. My name is Avalita. You could call me Eve. Well, when do you expect your brother? I don't know what my brother does. He may be home soon. He may be late. I've seen you when I've been in town, Matt Dylan. Yeah? Slade's such a fool. He and my brother don't like me to come to town. Well, Dodge is rough, Miss Ramirez. Always he has to protect me. He may not touch fools. But Matt Dylan is not so. You wouldn't keep me out of town? Well, that's not my affair, Miss Ramirez. It'd be for your brother and Tab Slade to say. Tab Slade thinks we will marry. Well, we won't. Because I don't love him. I don't love anybody. Then, Miss Ramirez... Don't you find me attractive? Well, yes, I'm... Oh, why don't you kill me? Well, no, I didn't mean to do... Dylan? I've got a gun pointed at the back of your head. Ben, I want to... Morning with another man's fiancé and smart Dylan. Ben, please. He's gone inside. All right. Say anything, Dylan? What do you want me to say, Ben? By this time, most men are be crawling. You're a hard one, Dylan. You're the man who's behind me in the dark with his gun drawn. Is that better? You can see me now. It takes a small man to make love to another man's woman. You can't haze me into a draw. I'm not trying to. I don't want a gunfight. I just want to talk, Dylan. What are you calling me? I saw Slade just a few minutes after you left this place. Told me you were trying to tie us with a medic. I said he was wrong and came up here to get the straighter things. From what I saw a minute ago, you might have been right after all. You would like his woman, so it would be handy to have him out of the way. Is that the way you figure it, Romero? Yeah, that's the way I figure it. The only reason I came to your place was to talk to you. I want to find the killer of Mr. Jones and thought you might be able to help. Well, you're not going to get any information sniffing around Eve. What's your plan, Merid? I'll give you some advice, Marshall. Tab Slade's been a good friend of me and I'll help him protect anything that's his. Eve's here, so stay away. I'm not going to find a killer while you're saying pretty things. Are you through? All right, then listen to me. You say Slade had nothing to do with those killings. I won't say he did because I don't know, but I'm going to find out who did it. And if it was Slade, I'll get it. How do I ride back to town? Yeah, ride back to Dodge, Marshall. And between here and where your horse is tied, it's not so much as a twitch up the finger. I don't know whether you're a fool or a brave man, Ramirez, but just let me give you one bit of advice. Don't tie to the wrong brand. It's easy to do. Just walk away, Marshall, to your horse, and walk easy. Yeah. If you find out who killed Jones, let me know. I'll do that, Ben, I sure will. We will return for the second act of gun smoke in just a moment. But first... Hello, I'm Kathy Lewis, the girl who plays Jane on My Friend Irma. Irma, tie this string around your finger to remind you that starting Sunday, we go on the air at 9.30 p.m. instead of 6 p.m. Eastern daylight savings time. All right, Jane. Good girl, now what's that string to remind you of? To buy some more strings. That's My Friend Irma, whom you can now hear on Sunday's 9.30 p.m. Eastern daylight savings time. Remember, My Friend Irma is now heard at a new later time on Sunday's. Check your local schedules. Now, the second act of gun smoke. Most foreign to morning, Mr. Dillon. Four. Yes, sir, I'm sorry to have to wake you, but you better get dressed and come right away. They've got tabs laid. Slaid? Who's got slaves? Some of the ranchers. They're going to lynch them right in front of his saloon. Well, go and try and hold them for a minute. I'll be right along. Yes, sir. We're going to hang tabs. Listen, you're too smart a man to be the head of a model. I kiss and I'll tell your men to burk it up and go home. I'm sorry, Marshall. I can't do that. Slaid killed another man tonight, and he's going to pay for it. All right, now listen to me. All of you. If tab slave killed a man tonight, I'm going to say it. If you can prove tab slave killed a man tonight, I'll take him to jail and hold him there for trial. Marshall, tab ain't going to be alive to stand trial. Do you know Slaid killed anybody? If one of these men lays a hand on tab slave, I'll start shooting. There'll be a lot of men dead. How about you, Marshall? You might be able to get hurt, too. That's right, John. You could kill me, all right. But what you use is going to shoot first. And die first. Huh? Well, which one? Chester? Yes, sir. Go pull Slaid off that horse. Cut the ropes and take a gag out of his mouth. Yes, Mr. Dillon. And you men. Don't anybody make a mistake. Don't you move a shadow. All right. All right, Slaid, get on off there. Thank you, sir. All right, Chester. Give me a chance. Now you and Slaid walk back to the far side of the street. Slow. Yes. I tried to tell him I had nothing to do with it. The rest of you just stand where you are, looking right here at me. First man so much as moves his eyes will be in real trouble. We're across the street and it's killing me. Good, Chester. Now walk Slaid down to the jail and put him in a cell for safe keeping. Now, Harrison, you and your boys head for home. And if you got any sense at all, forget to tell your families what you were almost a party to. Now, good night, gentlemen. Man named Olson, a rancher, was at Slaid's place. Gamblin? Yes, sir. And he did pretty fair. He left around midnight and was found about two hours later. He'd been stabbed. His money was gone. You talk with him? Yes, sir. He just mumbled about having tried to be friendly. He said that several times, Mr. Dillon. Just being friendly. Then he said, I fired a couple of times. I think it hit. You mean he hit whoever stabbed him? I think that's what he meant. You say anything else? Nothing. Well, that's not much help than just that. He can't tell us anymore. And I'll talk with Slaid and I'll bring him out. Yes, sir. Man, you gotta believe me. I don't know anything about the killing. This one or any of the other. I don't have to believe anything, Slaid. I'll find out for myself. But I didn't do it, man. Why is everybody sure you did? Why are they so sure that they're trying to lynch him? Does a lynch mob have to be sure of anything? Slaid, before you came here to dodge, you were a gunfighter. You had a bad reputation. You were in with the Kansas Raiders, too. That's right. The Raiders were killers and thieves. Some work? Now, when a man with your background goes straight, he's always suspect. Man, I didn't have anything to do with the killing. What about this partner of yours? It's Ramirez. I met up with Kansas. Him and his sister. We joined up and came out here. So we make good a team. Where's Ramirez now? I don't know. Matt, please listen to me. You're gonna marry his sister. No. Matt, I don't know. Why isn't Ramirez around now that you're in trouble? Please. Maybe he doesn't know. I don't know. He'd know by now. The news is all over Dutch. Chester? Yes, Mr. Dillon? Put Slaid back in his cell, then load your shotgun and keep a close watch on it. Well, where are you going, Mr. Dillon? I'm gonna take a ride out to the Ramirez place. I want to have a talk with Mr. Ben Ramirez and his sister Eve. I talked to you. I had a gun in my back. Now your gun's on your hip and I'd be smart to keep it there. Keep it there. I'll be no reason for anyone to draw. I just want the answer to some questions. What questions? Where's Eve? What do you want her for? I ask you a question, Ramirez. I want an answer. Where's Eve? She's in bed. Where was she around three this morning? Here, I suppose, asleep. I think you better get her out here, Ramirez. What's so important about Eve? A man was killed this morning and I think she might have done it. You know what you're saying. Yeah, I know. You're calling my sister a murderer. That's right. And if you're going for your gun, Ramirez, make sure you're ready to die. I told you before, I'm not a fool. But if I can trick you out, kid, don't try, Ramirez. Why do you say my sister killed a man? No hand around these parts and stop for anyone on the road at night. Not unless it was someone they knew or someone they didn't have to fear, like a woman. Like your sister. You don't know anything, Dylan. You're guessing wrong. I didn't know when I got here, but now I'm sure. What do you mean? The man who died the night shot at and hit the person who stabbed him. There's no blood on you, but there's blood on the floor over there by the door. Blood that could have come from a gunshot wound. That doesn't prove anything. And there's blood on the table by you there. It's not blood, it's just a shuttle for the lamp. Does it hurt, Ramirez? Inside. Bad. She do it, Ramirez. Your sister killed those men. She's not my sister. She's my wife. That's why she didn't marry Slade. She's the other Rome. One of the money they had. Is he dead, man? Did you kill him? He went for his gun, Eva. He was kind to me. I tried to love him. I didn't love anything. But, man, he did not. I could have loved very lonely. Would you do something for me? Sure. Would you hold my hand? It's unwarmed the soft behavior of Ramirez and her husband were buried on the outskirts of Dodge City. The city was alive with saddle bums, ranchers, cattlemen. Searching the dark of a Kansas night for excitement and life. Unsmoke under the direction of Norman MacDonald stars William Conrad as Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshal. The new music for tonight's story was composed and conducted by Rex Corey. Featured in our cast were Georgia Ellis, Hiaverback and Jack Krushen with Richard Beals and Morrison and Herb Ellis. Polly Bear is Chester and Howard McNair is Doc. Join us again next week as Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshal fights to bring law and order out of the wild violence of the West in Gun Smoke. Don't Miss Gangbusters and the Case of the Variable Blonde will be available later tonight on most of the same CBS radio stations. This is Roy Rowan speaking and this is the CBS Radio Network.