Gunsmoke (1955–1975): Season 4, Episode 1 - Matt for Murder - full transcript

Matt is suspended by the War Department, after Red Samples comes to Dodge with his gang and an alleged witness, claiming Matt shot an unarmed man in cold blood.

starring
James Arness as Matt Dillon.

Mr. Dillon, when'd you get back?

Hello, Chester.

Oh, got in late last night.

Well, if I'd known
you was a-coming

I'd have been here early

and built that pot of coffee
for you.

Well, how about trying
a cup of mine, for a change?

Well, thank you.

How was things
up at Fort Wallace?

Oh, fine, fine.



That's a two-day ride
from here, ain't it?

Yeah. I stopped off at old
Abe McFarland's for a few hours.

You remember him, don't you?

Oh, yeah, Abe.

That's how I happened to get in
so late last night.

Oh, I see.

Well, that... Where did you ride
from yesterday, though?

Pawnee Creek.

Spent the night
before that up on Rocky Bend.

Oh, yeah. That's a good camp.
I remember it.

You left the chicory
out of there, didn't you?

I don't miss it any.

Any mail?

Yeah, I put it in your, uh,
desk there in the drawer.



Morning.

Good morning.

Marshal Dillon?

That's right.

My name's Tom Samples.

I run cattle up north of here.

What can I do for you?

I'd like you to step outside
a minute.

I want you to see somebody.

Who's that?

Lou Price.

Lou Price?

Hmm. The same man you run out
of town about a month ago.

The way I heard it,
you was pretty mad at him.

Well, I was.
He tried to stick a knife in me.

Hmm.

Nobody saw him try.

That's right.

You coming?

These two men work for me.

Reeves and McCall.

That's Huggins.
He's just a drifter.

Hello, Marshal.

I thought you said
Lou Price was with you.

Take a look here.

He's dead, Marshal.
He got shot.

What happened?

Lou Price was a partner of mine.

I didn't know that.

I'm buying up cattle,
lots of 'em, all over Kansas.

I'm going to have me
a big spread one day

up on Pawnee Creek.

That so?

You was camped on Pawnee Creek
night before last, wasn't you?

Yeah.

- At Rocky Bend?
- That's right.

That's where Lou Price
got shot, Marshal...

Rocky Bend.

Poor Lou.

Never had a chance.
He wasn't even armed.

Happened yesterday morning.

I seen the whole thing myself.

Tell us who killed Lou Price,
Huggins.

He did.

What?

You killed him, Marshal.

I seen the whole thing
from behind them cottonwoods.

All right, what's your game,
Samples?

My partner was murdered,
Marshal.

You had a grudge against him.

And you just admitted before
witnesses you was at Rocky Bend.

And Huggins identified you
as the man he saw kill him.

Now you got it all
figured out, haven't you?

We're going to bury him,
and then we're going down

and swear it out legal on paper.

And then I'm going to send it
to the governor.

I wouldn't try to get away,
Marshal.

We'd run you down sure.

Wait a minute.

How'd you happen to be tied in
with this man?

I never seen Huggins
till yesterday.

I'm just passing through
the county, Marshal.

And I'm only trying to do
what I think is right.

Well, mister,
let me tell you something.

You better do a lot more
thinking about what's right.

Let's go, men.

He can't get by with nothing
like that, Mr. Dillon.

Well, that Samples has got about
as good a case against me

as I ever heard of against
any man, Chester.

But he's lying.
You know he's lying.

What are you going
to do about it?

Well, there's only one thing
I can do.

What?

Wait and get that Huggins alone
and find out why he's lying.

He must have some good reason.

...and it's my night to howl!

Hey, watch me take...

- Let go of that.
- Give me that.

Oh, oh, it's you.

You better go sleep it off
somewhere, cowboy.

I'll give you this
in the morning.

You don't tell me nothing...

no marshal what's done murder.

Everybody's talking about it.

What are you doing
wearing that badge, huh?

Get going, cowboy.

- You...
- Get going!

Huh...

Don't pay them no personal mind,
Mr. Dillon.

Everybody's looking at me

like I was a white buffalo
or something.

Well, you ain't heard from
the governor yet, though.

Well, I don't work
for the state, Chester.

- I work for the War Department.
- Well...

I'll be hearing from Washington
soon enough.

Well, it just ain't right.

What's going on?

Uh, nothing.

Nothing.
I-I just, uh...

Well, I-I stopped by the
telegraph office a while ago.

- Oh, I see.
- I was...

just walking by,
and I thought I'd go in.

Was there a telegram
from Washington, Chester?

How'd you know?

What'd it say?

Well...

You read it, Mr. Dillon.

I don't want to read it,
Chester.

Just tell me what it says.

Well... says you're suspended.

You're suspended
as a U.S. marshal.

But that ain't all, though.

They... they didn't say who,
but they're sending some lawman

down here to arrest you.

What?

Take you up to Hays City
for trial.

Let me see that.

They said that's the only way
that they could clear it up

legal and proper like.

Well...

That's that.

Oh, my goodness, Mr. Dillon.

It looks to me like you ought
to just get that Huggins

and beat the truth out of him.

And I'll do that, Chester,
when the time comes.

Well, it looks to me like
the time has come.

Washington is sending
a man down here to arrest you.

Right now I'm only going to do
one thing... get a drink.

Come on, I'll buy you one.

Looks to me like

they'd have more faith in you
than that, don't it?

Just... I don't think none
of this'd have happened

if it hadn't been
for that Huggins.

Come on.

Hello, Kitty.

Are you back?

Kitty, you're too smart a woman

to turn down
a good business proposition.

- I did it, though.
- Now, Kitty, listen,

let me just put a couple
of faro tables in here.

I'll supply everything,
including the dealers.

And I'll cut you in
for 15%% % of the winnings

and absorb all the losses
myself.

- Nope.
- Oh, I don't mean right away.

Maybe in a few days.

I'll let you know
when the time comes.

We've been through that,
Mr. Samples.

You're just throwing away
good money.

But I'm keeping my self-respect.

What do you mean by that?

I don't like your kind, mister.

I just don't trust you at all.

Because I proved your friend
the marshal murdered my partner,

is that it?

You make me sick.

Now, look here...

Hold it.

Trouble, Kitty?

Now, you stay out of this,
Mr. Dillon.

We're just having
a little business talk.

You talk kind of rough,
don't you?

It's for her own good.

I don't care what it's for.

I don't want you running
faro tables in here.

As a matter of fact, I don't
even want you drinking in here.

Don't matter.

There are plenty
of other saloons.

Samples, I didn't know
you were a gambler.

Oh, this will be the first time
in Dodge,

but I think
I'm going to like it.

Mm-hmm.

Oh, I see you're not wearing
your badge today.

Well, I guess Dodge will breathe
a lot easier

without you around as marshal.

And what about you?

I guess you'll probably breathe
a lot easier, too, won't you?

I always heard you was
too strict here.

Mm-hmm.

Well, I hope I'm around
when they come to arrest you.

You probably will be.

Mr. Dillon,
I-I thought that Samples said

that he was a cattleman
getting hisself a big range.

He did.

Well, then what's he doing
talking about gambling...

running faro tables for?

Well, buying ranches takes
money, Chester... big money.

Oh. Sure,
and with you out of the way,

he could run them tables
just as crooked as he wants to.

That's the way it looks to me.

Well, what are you going
to do about it?

I think we better look up
that witness of his...

that, uh, Jim Huggins.

You know, I don't think I've
seen him around here lately.

Well, I better find him before
some tinhorn sheriff comes along

and locks me up.

So long, Kitty.

Mr. Dillon, Huggins
wasn't at the Texas Trail,

the hotel or Delmonico's.

And he wasn't at any
of these places, either.

Samples's probably got him
hidden out somewhere.

Sure looks like it, don't it?

Yeah. Well, we'll never
find him tonight.

Well, you know,
I don't think he'd talk

even if you did find him.

Not unless I could find
some way to make him talk.

Trouble of it is,
there ain't much time left.

Yeah.

Mr. Dillon.

Hmm?

A nice cold beer would sure
go good today, wouldn't it?

Well, you get finished washing
those windows, we'll go get one.

Yeah...

Washing windows
sure ain't no job for a man.

Ha!

Ha!

Whoa!

Ha!

Nah...

That ain't him.

You want to bet?

What'd he be doing here?

I said you want to bet?

Okay, a dollar.

You're on.

Excuse me, mister.

Uh, can I help you?

You, uh, looking for something?

Nope.

Well, please, uh, no offense,

but me and my friend here
got a bet on

about, uh, who you are.

Sheriff at Abilene.

Mr. Dillon,
Wild Bill Hickock's coming.

- What?
- Uh...

Wild Bill Hickock's coming.

What are you talking about?

Matt...

Bill Hickock.
How are you, Bill?

Fine, Matt, just fine.

- Hello, Chester.
- Mr. Hickock.

You been behaving yourself?

When'd you get in town, Bill?

On the stage, just now.

Well, I'll be darned.
How's things in Abilene?

Nobody's shot me yet.

Oh, there ain't nobody
gonna shoot you, Mr. Hickock.

They keep trying, Chester.

Yeah, but they keep on missing,
don't they?

Well, maybe that's because
nobody's tried

to shoot me in the back yet.

What brings you to Dodge, Bill?

They didn't tell you?

I might have known they wouldn't
send some tinhorn after me.

Maybe they figured
you wouldn't take easy.

What do you think, Bill?

They sent me
to bring you in, Matt.

Come on. Let's have a drink.

It's a long ride from Abilene.

You, too, Chester.

Well, thank you, Mr. Hickock.

I'd be right proud to,
but, uh...

well, I got some things
to do here.

I'll see you directly.

All right. Matt?

I figure you get a couple
of drinks in you, Matt,

I might be able to find out
your side in this business.

Would that keep you
from arresting me, Bill?

No.

I didn't figure it would.

It's for my own information.

Don't you believe
their side of the story?

I'll say this, Matt:

If I were to hear you judged
and watched you hang,

I'd still never believe
you killed an unarmed man.

Thanks, Bill.

Marshal, Marshal,
I gotta talk to you.

Oh, Ed, I'm busy.

- No, please.
- So, get me tomorrow, will ya?

Listen, Marshal.

You ain't listening!
Listen! Li...!

Why, it's Bill Hickock.

Hello, Kitty.

What are you doing in Dodge?

Oh, just a little business.
How have you been?

I'm just fine.

You oughta come and see us
more often, Bill.

Yeah, I should.

Hey, Kitty, you haven't found
anything out yet, have you?

Oh, you mean about Jim Huggins?

Mm-hmm.

Well, you only asked me
last night, Matt.

I haven't had much time.

Yeah.

I haven't found out anything.

I don't know where he is.

Well, if you find out anything,
let me know, will ya?

It's kind of important.

Hey, wait a minute.

You're still sheriff up
at Abilene, aren't you?

That's right.

So, that's why you're here, huh?

Kitty, Bill and I are going
on down to the Long Branch

and have a drink.

Why don't you join us later?

Well, I have some shopping
to do, Matt.

I'll be back.

See ya later, Kitty.

Sure, Bill.

Marshal, I gotta talk to you.
It's important

Now, Ed, look...

This bottle, it ain't
for me; it's for a fella.

He's hiding out over
in the stable in a stall there.

What are you trying to tell me?

Well, he gives me money to get
him a bottle every now and then.

He's hiding out, all right.

What's his name?

Um, Jim somebody.

I don't know.

That sounds like my man.

Now, will you give me enough
for a bottle for myself?

- Yeah, sure.
- I told you about him.

- Sure, Ed, there you are.
- Thank you, Marshal.

Now, look, uh, stay away

from that, uh, stable
for a while, will ya?

Sure, sure. Thank you, Marshal.

All right.

Let's get that drink later, huh?

Let's go back to the office.
I got an idea.

Sure, Matt.

Wake up.

Get up!

Get on your feet. Come on.

- Marshal!
- Shut up!

Shut up and listen to me.

You make any noise or try
to run out of here and I'm

gonna bend a six-gun over your
skull, do you understand?

I understand.

- All right, let's go.
- Who is he?

- Never mind.
- What's going on here, huh?

No! No! No!

No... no...

Oh, hello, Chester.

Ain't they here yet, Doc?

No. No, they haven't showed up.

Well, what do you want
me to do with this stuff?

Well...

Good heavens,
is that all you got?

Well, it's all Mr. Dillon
give me money for.

Here, I'll take it.

Ain't that enough?

Yeah, I think
this oughta be plenty.

Get me a glass from over there,
will ya?

Oh! Oh, hey, come right on in.

What are we doing here, Marshal?

What are you gonna do to me?

Where do you want him, Doc?

Well, put him right there
on the couch.

You'll want him to be
comfortable.

On the couch? What for?
What are you gonna do?

Go on. Just do what he says,
Huggins.

You ever have
any heart trouble?

Heart trouble?

Yeah. I don't want anybody
dying in here, Matt.

Business is bad enough
as it is.

Dying? What are you gonna do
to me, Doc?

Chester.

Here it is.

- Oh, fine, fine.
- Got it all poured.

Good. Now just have
a little taste.

No. No!

Go on, taste it!
It's not gonna hurt you a bit.

Go on now and taste it.
Just taste it!

That's whisky.

You betcha, that's whisky.

That's good whisky, Doc.

Yes, sir.

For once in your life, Huggins,

you're gonna get
all you want of it.

Just go right ahead.

I don't know why you fellas
are doing this,

but it's all right with me.

Whoa! Wait a minute now.
There's plenty of it.

You don't need to rush it.
Just take your time.

Here, Chester,
fill it right up again.

This is liable to take
quite a while, Bill.

We might as well sit down.

There you are, now.

Just... take your time.

Thanks, Doc.

Oh, I took the money.

Over $500.

Ain't often I can get my hands
on $500.

I guess we heard enough, Matt.

Yeah, whisky'll sure start
a man to braggin', won't it?

Yeah, give him quite
a hangover, too.

He's gonna be pretty unhappy
tomorrow, Matt.

He's gonna be unhappy
in more ways than one, Doc.

Oh, did you find 'em?

Yes, sir, they're over
at the Long Branch.

Good.

Where you going, Matt?

Well, I'm going over
and lock up Tom Samples

before he finds out
his witness is missing.

Well, ain't you forgettin'
something?

What's that?

You can't arrest anybody.

I guess I forgot about that.

Well, this isn't
your problem, Bill.

Look, I tell ya.

I'll go over and throw him
in jail without arresting him.

You don't mind if I just
come along to watch, do you?

Okay, but don't forget,
he's mine.

Wait a minute, Matt.

Before we go in there,
I want to ask you something.

Go ahead.

Supposing things had worked out
different.

What would you have done then?

You mean, would I have fought
you when you tried to arrest me?

I've been thinking about it.

Bill, I've been working
for the law too long

to break it just 'cause
it's going against me.

That's a good reason.

All right, Samples.

What are you doing here?

You're going to jail.

You gone crazy?

You're the one
who's going to jail.

It's no use, Samples.

Huggins told me the whole story.

What?

You murdered Lou Price,
and you paid Huggins $500

to claim I did it.

He's lying.

Ain't nobody gonna believe
a story like that.

I believe it, and I'm gonna lock
you up, mister.

You ain't locking up nobody.

You ain't a marshal no more.

Let's go.

It ain't legal!

We'll fight you.

Won't we, men?

You bet we will.

He ain't got a chance.

Wait a minute.

Who are you?

Sheriff up at Abilene.

- Hickock.
- Sure is.

I thought I knowed him.

It's true Matt Dillon
can't arrest you, but I can.

And I'm deputizing him
right now to help me.

It don't matter none
about Hickock, boys.

It's still three against two.

Well, that's good enough odds
for us.

Start shooting.

Wait a minute, Bill.

I want Samples alive.

You ain't taking me alive.

You nor Hickock or nobody.
I ain't gonna hang!

We ain't shootin'.

All right, get out of here...

fast!

Why didn't you take their guns?

It's no use hobbling a horse

that's already got a busted leg,
is there, Bill?

Let's have a drink.

Got the mail, Mr. Dillon.

Here's one from Washington.

Must be the one
that you been waiting for.

Well, I doubt that, Chester.

It's only been a month

since Hickock sent in
his report.

Yeah. That's only a paycheck.

It's made out to me, all right.

Oh, is that all there is?

Yeah.

Hey, wait a minute.

This isn't right.

What's the matter?

That's only my regular paycheck

with the amount
of my suspension deducted.

No.

Huh!

Well, that leaves
just about enough

to pay for the liquor
we poured into Jim Huggins.

Well, Mr. Dillon, I got a few
dollars hid away in a sock.

You'd sure be welcome now.

Well, it isn't quite as bad
as all that, Chester.

Well, now...

What do you say we go over
to Delmonico's

and have breakfast, huh?

It's about as good a way

to start the day
as any I know of.

Well, yes, sir, I think it is.

Wait a minute.

That makes it official.