Gunsmoke (1955–1975): Season 3, Episode 36 - Chester's Hanging - full transcript

...starring James Arness
as Matt Dillon.

Boot Hill's just a rise
on the Kansas flatlands,

a few tufts of buffalo grass,
some weathered markers

and soapweed blowing
in the wind.

But over there in Dodge City,
they don't think much

about how ugly it is

or the useless killing
that puts men here.

The just fill up on tanglefoot
whisky, ease their gun belts

and go on the prowl,
looking for high living.

Yet more often than not,
they end up here,

having found
only a shallow grave.



Matt Dillon U.S. Marshal.

Ow!

Hold it there!

Hold it!

What happened here?

I was just having a drink.

These two guys

jumped me.

Him?

Yeah.

I wasn't
doing nothing.

All right,
pick him up.

All right,
over this way.

Things sure get to be a mess.



Yeah, one thing
right after another.

One...

two...

three.

There ain't nobody
gonna believe me!

One...

two...

three.

Oh.

Hello, Mr. Dillon.

I just, uh, finishing up here
is what I was doing.

Uh-huh.

Well, uh, how are you
this morning?

Oh, good, good.

What, uh, what'd you get
there in the mail?

Uh, just "Wanted"
circulars, mostly.

Oh. You mind if I take
a glance at them?

Uh, well, I tell you,

let's get the prisoners out
of here first, shall we?

Oh, that pair.
Oh, I tell you,

they was surly as
they could be

when I took them coffee
this morning.

Oh, well, I can't say
as I blame them for that.

All right, you men,
if you repent,

then the law's ready
to forgive you.

Don't be smart.

Still got some fight
left in you, huh?

You'll find out.

Yeah, well, ain't gonna
need to fight with me about it.

Go out into the office
and fight with Mr. Dillon.

He's the one
that throwed you in jail.

Come on. Let's go.

You're a rough bloody lawman,
Marshal.

Am I?

There's no cause for you
to bust our skulls open

with that gun
of yours.

What's your name?

You were too drunk

to tell me last night.

What do you want to know
my name for?

You want to get out of here?

It's Jim Cando.

What's yours?

Lee Binders.

How long you
been in Dodge?

We come in on the stage
yesterday.

You planning to stay?

I ain't so sure

we are
after the welcome you gave us.

I probably saved your life
last night, mister.

You were fighting with everybody
you ran into.

You didn't have no cause
to buffalo me.

I wasn't doing nothing.

How come you

threw me
in jail, anyway?

Well, let's just say
for good luck.

That don't make sense.

No?

Well, maybe this does:

If I hear any more trouble
out of either one of you,

I'm gonna throw you out
of Dodge for good.

You sure keep
a tight town, Marshal.

Good. You've learned that much,
anyway.

You're pretty sure
of yourself, Marshal.

Mister, you talk too much
for a gunman.

Now get out of here.

Come on, Binders.

I'm hungry.

You're gonna get yourself killed
someday, Marshal.

I'm gonna be real glad about it.

Well, he sure is
a mean one, he is.

Yeah. Mean and shifty.

That, that's it,
Mr. Dillon.

That's exactly right.
Shifty.

You know, he don't even look
a man in the eye.

All the time that
he was a-talkin' to you,

he was looking down
at the table

at them circulars
all the time.

Well, he'll probably
wind up on one of them.

Yeah. Well, one thing,
he's sure the boss of that pair.

That Binders, he-he didn't
seem none too bright to me.

Chester, if it took brains
to start trouble,

Dodge'd be as peaceful
as Boston.

Well, I've never
been to Boston.

I wouldn't know
about that.

Well, why don't you
go there sometime?

Well, it's kind of
a long trip for me.

There you are.

Lazy man never gets
to see the world.

Well, it ain't that...

Lazy ain't the thing.

You're forgetting,
Mr. Dillon,

that I'm kind of poor.

Oh, don't worry
about that, Chester.

I'll see that you get
a proper burial

when the time comes.

Here, you want to take
a look at those?

Oh, yeah.

Proper burial.

That's something to look forward to
- proper burying.

Mr. Dillon.

Hmm?
Looky, here at this.

Looky here.
What?

Look at that. No wonder he
was staring at them circulars.

He must have knowed
he'd be on one of them.

And I had him right in jail.

They're probably headed
clean out of town by now.

Well, I doubt it. There's
no train or stage out.

Let's try the stable.

Cando.

What do you want, Marshal?

You're not going very
far on that horse.

He's spavin.

Don't matter much.

I'm renting him cheap.

Yeah, it doesn't matter.

You're not going
anywhere anyway.

Maybe you'd better start
talking straight, Marshal.

You're wanted for murder.
I'm talking you in.

I wouldn't mind
shooting you, Marshal.

I wouldn't mind it at all.

Killing people don't mean
nothing to me,

especially lawmen.

I told you once
before, Cando,

you talk too much
for a gunman.

Mr. Cando has changed
his mind, Chester.

Take care of those
horses, will you?

Yes, sir.

Wh-Where's Lee Binders,
Mr. Dillon?

Well, he's probably out getting
supplies or something.

That doesn't matter.

This is the man
we want right here.

All right, sir. I'll meet you
back at the office.

You're real tricky, Marshal.

But you won't hold me in jail.

Let's go find out.

Mr. Dillon, I run into
Binders on the street.

I told him
what happened.

I got to talk
to him, Marshal.

You got to let
me talk to him.

How'd you find
out I was here?

Chester told me.

I come out of the store,
I seen Chester.

He told me.

He tell you why?

They got a circular on you.

That circular's lying.

I ain't never been
near Cheyenne.

Now, who said anything
about Cheyenne?

I just said up north.

Well, wherever
it was supposed to be.

What happened?

Did he hold the driver
while you cut his throat,

or was it the other
way around?

It don't say
nothing about me.

Said he had a partner.

It wasn't me,
and they can't prove it.

Binders...
I want out of here.

Oh, sure, Cando.

But what can I do?

I don't know.

But you'd better
start thinking.

I ain't gonna stay here.

Sure. Sure, I understand.

If you understand so well,

you'd better start
doing something about it...

right soon.

You hear?

Give me time, Cando.
Give me some time.

Binders...

your time's up.
Let's go.

Sure, Marshal.

I'll be back, Cando.

You'd better be.

Sure.

So long.

Thanks, Marshal.

You know, Mr. Dillon,
it-it sounded to me

like, uh, Cando
was mad at him.

Well, it ain't Binder''
fault that Cando's in jail.

He was doing that
on purpose, Chester.

He was threatening him.

Well, what for, though?

Well, he was telling Binders
to get him out of jail,

or he's going
to start talking.

I think Binders
was his partner in that murder.

His partner?

Well... well, if he
was his partner,

don't you think
that you ought

to have throwed
him in jail?

Well, it may be clear
to us, Chester,

but it wouldn't
hold up in court.

Well... do you
think that Binders

is going to try and
bust him out, then?

I mean, he's got to-
otherwise, Cando

will start talking
and they'll both hang.

Well, I don't know.

Binders didn't seem like
too much of a threat to me.

He seemed more stupid
than anything else.

Well, he may be stupid...

but he's also desperate.

Where are
you going?

I'm sending this
telegram to Cheyenne

to get somebody down
here to pick up Cando.

I want you to get
Sims and, uh...

and Carpel over
here right away.

Well, what for?

'Cause we're going
to need help.

Tell them I'll
meet them here.

Uh, Mr. Dillon?

Here... I got them
for you here.

Hello, boys.
Marshal.

Chester says you're gonna
have a jailbreak, Marshal.

Well, he could
be wrong.

Hmm? Depends on you boys,

whether you want
the job.

Oh?

Sure.

When do we start,
Marshal?

Right now.

It'll be deputy's pay, and
you'll have to feed yourselves.

That's fair enough.
All right.

I want somebody
out in back

and one of you
in front 24 hours a day.

Well, I can spell
one of you regular.

Uh, you know, we can work out
kind of a schedule.

All right, fine,
I'll help you out

when I can.

Must be expecting a whole lot
of company, Marshal.

Well, I don't know
what to expect.

This Binders is desperate,
and he's got money,

so he's gonna buy something
with it.

Now, it might be one man,
and it might be

half a dozen.

Come on inside, I'll get
your shotguns for you.

Who's there?

It's Pete,
Mr. Haney.

Anybody with you?

Nobody- just me.

Come in.

I hate...

to bother you,
Mr. Haney, but, uh...

What do you want, kid?

Well, I was down at
the telegraph office,

and this come.

I run right
over with it.

It's from
Dodge City.

Did you read this?

Oh, no, sir.

I just seen it's from
Dodge- that's all.

I didn't read
nothing.

That'll teach you
to snoop.

I'm sorry, Mr. Haney.

I didn't mean nothing.

Get out!

Yes, sir. I'm sorry.

Bed him down
and feed him, will you?

You looking
for somebody?

Don't I know you
from somewhere?

You the marshal here?

What's your name?

Jack Haney.

Oh, yeah.

Tascosa, wasn't it?

And you were trying
to be lawman there, too.

What are you doing here?

Anything wrong,
Marshal?

Could be.

Now, look, Marshal,

I ain't never caused
any trouble here.

You never been here.

Man needs a change of scenery
now and then.

Anyway, I'll be going

back south
in a couple days.

Lee Binders send for you?

Who's Lee Binders?

I think you know him.

I know a lot
of people, Marshal.

Did he hire you?

Why would anybody
want to hire me?

I'm a gambler.

You're a professional
gunman, Haney.

And I ought to run you
out of town right now.

But you won't.

Marshal, I know you better
than you think.

You don't like
being high-handed.

Man's got to do something
before you jump him.

And I ain't done a thing.

Pretty smart, Haney.

But there's something
else you ought to know.

What's that?

Jim Cando is
staying in jail.

And if you try to
break him loose,

you're going to get torn
apart with buckshot.

That's a bad way to die.

Kitty?

Oh, hello, Doc.

Hi, you seen Matt?

Mm-mnh.

Why don't you
sit down?

All right.

You want part
of the paper?

No, no, thanks.

There's probably nothing
in it but bad news anyway.

What's the matter
with you?

Don't you feel good?

I feel terrible.

Oh.

Well, you gonna
have a drink?

A drink,
in the daytime?

I should say not.

Certainly not.

Aren't you a little old to
be changing your habits?

Well, now, by golly,

that's what I like
about this town.

People just can't wait
to lay it onto you

for any little bad habit
you might have,

but if you do
something nice for people,

you don't hear anything
about that at all.

Are you gonna
have a drink?

Why, certainly.

I thought so.

Red, give Doc a drink
on the house.

Oh, right away,
Miss Kitty.

You know, you don't
fool me a bit.

What? You're not half has hard

to get along with as you'd
like people to think.

Well, now...

everybody ain't
as pretty as you are.

Doc, Kitty.
Hi.

Well, where you
been hiding out?

Oh, haven't you heard
about him?

He's a jailer now.

He spends all his time
over at the jail.

Hasn't Cando busted
out of there yet?

No, not yet, Doc.

Oh, well,
just give Binders time.

He's only had
a little while

to work on it-
they'll do it.

Do you really think
they're gonna try it?

They're fighting
for their lives, Kitty.

Why don't you just
take that key

and throw it away.

It would take
somebody forever

to saw him
out of there.

By golly,
I hope I don't land

in the jail
you're running.

Red, here.
Let's have a drink

before we go eat. No, I can't do it, Doc.

What, are you two
having dinner together?

Well, we were, but that's what
I came over to tell you.

I got to get back.

Oh, then you really are
expecting trouble, huh?

Yeah, I'm afraid so.

I'll see you later.

Well, good luck.

Hello, Marshal.

Sims, everything all right?

Sure- why?

Carpel out back?

Well, I reckon
he'd better be.

Well, Binders has gone
and hired himself

a gunman, a
professional.

Who is it?
You know him?

Man by the name of
Haney, Jack Haney.

Do you know him?

Never heard of him.

Well, he's a big
man, heavyset,

and he's wearing
a brown coat,

so keep your eyes
open for him.

Chester inside?

Yeah.

Chester?

Don't move.

Now, you just
keep your voice down

and turn around.

Get up
against that wall.

All right, Binders,
I got him.

I'd have yelled, Mr. Dillon,
have I couldn't.

Hurry it up,
Binders.

I want out
of this place.

Don't get jumpy. Hurry it up, I tell you.

He ain't got it
on him.

Where's the key,
Marshal?

Did you kill the guard out back?

I knocked him in the head-
I might have killed him.

I was on the cot,
Mr. Dillon.

They come in
the back door.

Marshal,

I want the key to that cell.

It ain't on the peg where it's
supposed to be, and he claims

he don't know
where it's hid.

He doesn't.

But you do.
That's right.

Quit fooling around, Marshal.

I want that key.

Haney, you're not any closer
to getting him

out of here
than if you were having

a drink at the
Long Branch.

I want that key.

Shoot him, Haney.

Well, listen, I got a
guard out front, too.

What do you think he's gonna
do when he hears the shot?

Then cut his throat-
the guard can't hear that.

Don't be a fool.

I'm the only one
who knows where the key is.

He's right, Haney.

But I got an idea.

What you gonna
do, Cando?

I'm gonna hang him.

No.

Staring at him ain't gonna
save his life, Marshal.

You want
to find that key?

Don't tell him, Mr. Dillon.

Don't tell him nothing.

Hang him, Cando.

We're wasting time.

No!
Hold it, Cando.

You gonna find that key?

Let him go.

No! No!

You all right,
Chester?

Yeah... he had me

choked out there
for a minute.

Carpel's hurt.

Get him up to Doc. Sure.

I'm the one that
needs a doctor!

You don't need
a doctor, mister.

You haven't
got long to live.

What do you mean?

You got nothing
on me except this.

Tell him, Cando.

Tell him what?

Tell him you're not
going to hang alone.

No.

No, I sure ain't.

I told you to get me
out of here,

but you didn't do it.

No... no, don't
say nothing!

He knows.

No!

He knows who helped me cut
that stage driver's throat.

No, Cando, no!

It was you, Binders.
No.

No.

All right,
get in there.

Feel sick.

Maybe a little coffee
will make you feel better.

Mr. Dillon, uh...

you know, there,
for a minute in there,

I was beginning
to wonder if I was ever

going to have another
cup of coffee.

Chester, you know,

you keep doing
things like that...

I'm gonna have to
give you a raise.

No.