Gunsmoke: Ben Slade's Saloon

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 smeller gun smoke. Gun folk starring William Conrad, the story of the violent that moved West with young America, the story of a man who moved with it. Matt Dillon, United States Marshall.

Well Chester, 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 up him around crossing. We just brought him back Who was he his name was Jones less Jones Been in town couple of days buying supplies food where did he come from?

Well some of the boys told me he's got a little farm on up there a Kansas piece my wife too for a little thing to tell them You know anything more about him? He was at Tab Slade in saloon last night playing Ferrell.

Drunk? We'd had a bell or two, but not drunk. Did all right at the Ferrell table? He pretty much had $2,000. $3,000 and a widow woman on the Arkansans River. Big pardon, Mr. Dylan? Yeah, nothing, Chester.

The money's gone, of course. Yes, you. Ask Doc to come down when he can. Was he just wrong? Right. Doc, come down a minute, Mr. Dylan wants you. Coming! I'm coming! The Jones have a gun on him, Chester.

We found a sharp specimen in his spring wagon. He wasn't carrying anything on. It's outside. You want to see it? Had it been fired, no sir? Oh, well. Good morning, my killer. Want to see me?

I want to ask you a question, Doc. Yeah? There have been two stabins in two months. Jones makes the third. You think the same person killed the other two? Well, there's nowhere to be sure, but from the position of the room and the body, And from the angle of the knife thrust, I did the killer, or killers used the same.

Doc, I just wanted a simple answer. Yes. I think the same person murdered all three men. Anyway, telling how long Jones has been dead. I'm not a pickety man, but I'd say sometime at the midnight, between three or four in the morning, maybe, and I'd also say from the amount of bleeding.

Okay, Doc. Chester? Yes, Mr. Deone? Get my horse, I'm going to ride out to the Jones place. I figured Ms. Jones will want to know. Howdy, bub. I live here. Where are you from?

I'm from Dodge. Dodge? Did you ride all the way from Dodge? Sure. Get down on the water, your horse. Alright. Yeah, here you are. What's your name, son? Alton Jones. My dad is less Jones. I guess you know him, huh?

Yeah, sure. I guess most everybody knows him. Eh, your mother in the house. You gonna 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, brother. Alvin, Alvin, stop that, don't you, Ma? It's not Alvin, Ms. Jones. Oh, I am sorry I thought it was my son. My name is Dylan. Ms. Jones, Marshall, Dylan, and Dodge. Come in, Marshall.

Thank you, ma'am. Just care for some buttermilk or maybe out here men don't freeze buttermilk like they do at home. Thank you, but nothing for me. Miss Jones, I got some unpleasantness for you. Yes?

It's about your husband. You can trouble? I left Dodge four hours ago. I thought I should be the one to tell you. You heard bad. More than bad, Miss Jones. Good one. Well, thank you, son.

Alvin, this is Marshall Dillon from Dolph. The Marshall of... Alvin, your poor won't be home for a while than Marshall did. Well, not for how long? Well, not for how long, Mom? Not for quite a time, son, so you'll have to run things a while longer.

Makes sense. I can take care of Mom, right? Sure you can. No, no, no, thank you, mam. I got to get back to Dodger. Uh, Ms. Jones, could I... Yes, Mr. Gillen. Talk to the boy and Ms. Jones, explain it so. He won't be bitter.

Too many gun fighters got their start from a killing like you. I'll try not to do it. I'll try. Good afternoon, man. Make sure you got enough whiskey to finish tonight to Thursday weather. This is Thursday weather. Oh, we've got plenty, Mr. Slade.

If no fights are dead, well, Mr. Slade, there's company coming. Marshall Dillon just walked in. Sit the bottle of rye on the bar. Out of my... Join me in a drink? Thank you. I will.

What kind of drive been traveling? Yeah, I've been up at a river a bit to the Jones place. Jones? Tell his wife she's a widow. Oh, yeah. I heard about that. Too bad. He was in here last night, wasn't he?

Well, yes. Matter of fact, he wasn't. You wouldn't know anything about his being killed. Who were you asking me, Dylan? Straight question. Are you saying I killed him? Just asked the questions, Lee. I don't know anything.

Someone knifed 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, my partner Ben Ramirez was running the place.

where were you I was with a sister only now you're late enough where's been in this sister now I don't know home I guess I think I'll write out and have a talk with him and slave yeah if you have any big winners tonight make sure they get home safe huh You can't see you.

Well, it won't be mad at you. I'll come to where you are. You think one's got a big shadow? He's not a young man. Who do you want? I'm looking for Ben Ramirez. He is not a tomb.

Or his sister. I am, he's sister. What's the matter? You don't believe me? Well, yes, I'm not, but I thought that. You thought I would be in the house? You thought I would be in the house?

Why, when the night is so beautiful. You want to talk with me? I want to talk with your brother. But he's not here. So why not talk with me? My name's Matt Dillon, I'm Marshall with 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 what do you tell me this he was carrying three thousand dollars he wanted slaves and so tab slayed told me he spent last even

with you. He came for dinner. He often does. He thinks he loves me. Your brother was he here? Dad played in piano in the saloon together. They're partners. They think at least one should be there all the time. Then went down after we ate. Then slayed the... what was he here long. Yeah. He's my fiance. So it's all that. Isn't this

Marshall? Well that's your business Miss Romaras. My name is Avelita. You could call me Ease. When do you expect your brother? I don't know what my brother does. He may be home soon. He may be late.

I don't know. I see you when I get in town, Matt Dillon. Yeah? I don't ride in Austin. Slades such a fool, he and my brother don't like me to come to town. Well, Dodge is rough in this room.

How is he asked to protect me? He's missed, but you fool. But Matt Dillon is not still. Are you? You wouldn't keep me out of town? Well, that's not my affair, Miss Romeras, I'm so embarrassed to be for your brother and tab slave to say.

Tab slave thinks we will marry. But we won't because I don't love him. I don't love anybody. But I think maybe. And Mr. Marisa. Don't you find me practice? Well, well, yes, I'm fine. Well, why don't you kill him?

Well, no, I didn't mean to be. No. I've got a gun pointed at the back of your head. Ben, I want to. Voting with another man's fiance is smart Dylan. Ben, please. You've gone inside.

Where? Aren't you going to say anything to him? What do you want me to say, Ben? Oh, by this time, most men will be crawling. You're a hard one Dylan. I can't fight a man who's behind me in the dark with his gun drawn.

Is that better? You can see me now. Takes a small man to make a love to another man's You can't haze me into a drawer. No, I'm not trying. I don't want to go on the fight. I just want to talk, Dylan.

What are you calling me? I saw a slave just a few minutes after you left this place. Tell me you were trying to tie us with a murder. I said he was wrong and came up here to get the straight of things.

From what I saw a minute ago, he might have been right after all. You would like his woman so to be handy to have him out of the way. Is that the way you figure it remotely?

Yeah, that's the way I figured it. The reason I came to your place was to talk to you. I want to find a killer, Mr. Jones, and thought you might be able to help. You're not going to get any information, snooing around Eve.

What's your plan, Maris? I'll give you some advice, Marshall. Tab Slade's been a good friend of me, and I'll help him protect anything that he is. Eve's here, so stay away. You're not going to find a killer while you're saying pretty things.

Are you through? All right, then, listen to me. You say Slate 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, Slate, I'll get him. Now, do I ride back to town? Yeah, ride back to Dodge, Marshall. And between here and where your horse is tied, I'm so much as a twitch up finger.

I don't know whether you're a fool or a brave man, or a maris, 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.

You're hoist. And walk easy. I'm Marshall. Yeah. If you find out who killed Jones, let me know. I'll do that, Ben, I sure will. Turn 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 9.30pm instead of 6pm Eastern Daylight Savings Time.

Alright King, 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 9.30pm Eastern Daylight Savings Time. Remember my friend Irma has now heard at a new later time on Sundays. Check your local schedules.

Now the second act of gun smoke. Mr. Dillon. Mr. Dillon. Yeah, why? Who is it? It's Chester, Mr. Dillon.

Oh, Chester. Wait a minute. What time is it? Almost four in the 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 tab slayed.

Slayed? Who's got slayed? Some of the ranchers are going to lynch you right in front of his saloon. Well, go and try and hold them for a minute. I'll be right along. Yes, sir. He'll go ahead with this mission.

Mr. Dillon's gonna have to be one of you. I don't know where he's going to get hurt. Alright Chester, I'll take over. Marshall? We don't want to have trouble with you, but we're gonna hang tab-slade.

Alright, now listen to your two smarter men to be the head of a mob like Kiss, and I'll tell your men to perk it up and go home. I'm sorry, Marshall, I can't do that.

Slade killed another man tonight, and he's gonna pay for it. Alright, now listen to me. All of you. If tab-slade killed a man tonight, I'm gonna be dead. If you can prove tab slate killed a man tonight, I'll take him to jail and hold him there for trial Marshall Dad ain't gonna be alive this damn trial

Do you know slate killed anybody? If one of these men lays a hand on tab slate, I'll start shooting There'll be a lot of men dead How about you, Mark? That's right, John. You could kill me. All right, but what you use gonna shoot first and and die first.

Huh? Well, which one? Chester? Yes, sir. Go pull Slade off that horse. Cut the ropes and take a gag out of his mouth. Yes, Mr. Jones. And you men don't anybody make a mistake. Don't you move a shatter?

I just... Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. All right, Slade, get down off there. Thank you, sir. All right, Chester. Give me change. Now you and Slade walk back to the far side of the street. Slow.

Yes. 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. Good Chester. I walk slayed 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. Good night gentlemen. Chester what happened tonight. A man named Olsoner, a rancher with his slaves, please. Gablin? Yes, certainly 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. You just mumbled about having tried to be friendly. He said that several times, Mr. Dylan. Just being friendly. And he said, I fired a couple of times.

I think it hit him. You mean he hit whoever stabbed him? I think that's what he meant. He'd say anything else. Oh, there's not much help in just that. He can't tell us anymore. I'll talk with Slade, not bring him out.

Mr. Dillon, won't you, Slade? I meant you got to believe me. I don't know anything about the killing. This one or any of the other. I don't have to believe anything, Slade. I'll find out.

But I didn't do it, Matt. Why is everybody sure you did? Why are they so sure that they're trying to lynch you? Look, does a lynch, Mom, have to be sure of anything? Slade, before you came here to thought you were a gunfighter. You had a bad reputation.

You're in with a Kansas Raiders, too. The Raiders were killers and thieves. I want 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? You're just Ramirez.

I met him with Kansas. Him and his sister, we joined up, came out here. Thought we'd make her to team. Where's Ramirez now? I don't know. Matt, please listen to me. You got to believe me.

No. You're Matt, I don't know. Why isn't Ramirez Iran 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 you missed Dylan put sleight back in itself and load your shotgun and keep a close watch on it well where are you going with Dylan 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 where you are Ramirez there's life for a social call Dylan why you're still dressed I was just gonna turn in last time we talked you had a gun in my

back. Now your guns on your hip and I'd be smart to keep it there. I'm not gonna try to shoot out with you, Dylan. I wouldn't chance it, especially in this lamp. There'll be no reason for anyone to throw. 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 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 murder that's right

if you're going for your gun Ramirez make sure you're ready to die I told you before I'm out of pool but if I can trick you out kid you don't try a Ramirez why do you say my sister killed a man No hand around these parts that stopped 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, don't you? I guess he wrong. I didn't know when I got here, but now I'm sure.

What do you mean? A 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. I'll buy ya there. Not loving just a shuttle from the lamp. The lamp won't light. Does that hurt Ramirez? I hurt him inside.

Bad. I won't be around for the trial. Did she do it Ramirez? Your sister kill those men. She's not my sister. She's my wife. Wife? Yeah, that's why she didn't very sleep. She's the other room.

Hurt that. Get a doctor for her. Ramirez, she's not good, but I hope not. She's got a horse. I saw your horse grazing when I taught that slope. Matt, what are you going to do, Ritzi?

Take you back to Dodge. Have you up for trial? There's no point. I wouldn't live long before, but I have been too much already. Yeah. Is there anything I can do to make him more comfortable?

No. No, I'm not kidding. Eve, can you tell me why? Why you killed four men? What are they simple for you, sir? I wanted the money they had. I wanted it pretty much. I've been thinking about my... Is he dead man? Did you kill him?

He went for his gun, Eva. I killed him. He was kind to me. I tried to love him. I didn't love anything. But, Mom, you didn't matter. Could have lost. Oh, he's not. What if he's not?

Yeah. It's very lonely. Would you do something for me? Sure. Would you hold my hand and just rest? Her dark hair framing her face.

The spring grass crushed by her body. A red stain across her silk glass. The morning sun warmed the soft wind that moved across the land. Later that day, he Vermares and her husband were buried on the outskirts of Dodge City.

Not far from the banks of our Kemzas River. And later that night, Dodge City was alive with saddle bums, ranchers, cattlemen. Searching the dark of a Kansas night for excitement and life. Under the direction of Norman McDonald's stars, William Conrad as Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshall.

Special music for tonight's story was composed and conducted by Rex Corey. Richard and our cast were Georgia Ellis, high-everback and Jack Crucion, with Richard Beals and Morrison and Herb Ellis. Polly Bears, Chester, and Howard McNair 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. Don't miss gangbusters and the case of the variable blonde later tonight on most of these same PBS radio stations.

This is Roy Rowan speaking, and this is the CDS Radio Network.