Around Dodge City and in the territory on west, there is just one way to handle the killers and the spoilers, and that's with the U.S. Marshal and the smell of gun smoke.
Music
Gun smoke starring William Conrad, the story of the violence that moved west with young America, and the story of a man who moved with it. I'm that man, Matt Dillon, United States Marshal.
The first man they look for and the last they want to meet. It's a chancey job, and it makes a man watchful and a little lonely.
Music
Hey, Matt.
Huh?
Wait a second.
Ah, hello Doc.
I was on my way over to jail after you. You heard about the lady gay?
The lady gay? What about it?
You haven't heard or you wouldn't ask.
Heard what, Doc?
Well, I'll walk along with you if you're heading that way.
As a matter of fact, I was. What's all that crowd out front?
In due time, Matt. In due time.
You know, Doc, there's only one thing that makes you happier than having a secret, is to collect your coroner's fee.
You might get a fee out of this too before it's over.
Well, no wonder you're all worked up.
Good morning, Mr. Dillon.
Chester.
You heard about the lady gay?
No, Chester, I have not heard about the lady gay.
What?
He's upset, Chester. He's the only man in Dodge who hasn't seen me.
So help me, Doc, if this is one of your practical jokes.
No, no, no. I had nothing to do with it. You'll see.
Ah, pardon me please. Will you let me in?
Yes.
Thank you. Will you pardon me please?
Well, Mr. Dillon?
What do you think of it, Matt? Aside from the misspelled words.
The lady gay saloon will open up at eight o'clock tonight with new management and new policy.
Everybody welcome. Sign the new manager, Mamie.
A woman.
Lately of Kansas City, St. Louis, and points east.
A woman can't run a saloon in Dodge.
Oh, I don't know.
Miss Kitty.
I've been doing pretty well at it.
Yes, ma'am, but what I mean was...
You're not a woman, Kitty. You're an institution.
Well, that might be a compliment, Matt, but I'm not quite sure.
The reason you manage it is because you've got respectable patrons like me and Matt and Chester.
I'm not sure I'd call any one of you respectable.
Oh, now, Kitty. You three know anything about this Mamie person?
Nobody ain't even sorry, Miss Kitty. She must have come to town last night sometime.
Probably some frilly little piece of Boston fluff.
You sound jealous, Kitty.
Why should I be jealous? There's enough business in town for both of us.
Well, satisfy your curiosity and then come on over the long burns for a decent drink.
Well, now, Kitty, I'll have to wait until I get a look at her.
Yeah, and you just might lose our trade, you know.
I kind of doubt that. I'll see you boys later.
Goodbye, Kitty.
Say, Mr. John, is this Mamie is the new manager? What went with Herman Bleeker?
I don't know. Maybe he sold the saloon tour, but he sure didn't say anything about it yesterday morning.
That's right, and I seen him over at the liver sale yesterday afternoon, showing off one of them fancy vests he's always ordering.
He never said a word about it.
Well, you know that little poppin, Jay, he's flighty. It probably happened suddenly.
Too sudden, Doc, even for Herman.
If they come to think of it, I ain't saw him all morning, and he's usually struttin' up and down Front Street,
preening himself like a powder pigeon.
He's probably upstairs there, sleeping in, getting ready for the opening night.
We gonna be here for opening night, Mr. John?
Yeah, Chester, I think maybe we better.
["The Star-Spangled Banner"]
My boy's getting kind of rambunctious, Mr. John.
Yeah.
I was talking to the bartender earlier, Matt, asking him what she looks like, and he said if he told me, I wouldn't believe it.
The fella I'd like to talk to is Herman Bleeker.
Howdy, strangers!
Uh-oh, yeah.
Welcome to the Lady Gay, and Mamie, the new owner.
Oh, she's jumping, gee, hot as fat.
A hundred and ninety pounds, or she weighs an ounce.
Oh, that bartender was right. I wouldn't have believed it.
Boys, looks like we're gonna be doing business together, so let's get things straight right in the beginning.
Now, in the first place, the minute you stick your foot inside that door, you're on my stomping ground.
I'm the boss of this shebang, and don't ever forget it.
When I tell anybody to hop, he hops, and I clear!
Oh, I see, I see.
I aim to give the square its deal in town.
All the liquor here is gonna be aged over thirty days, and the dancing girls aged under thirty years!
Who cares how old the dancing girls are?
The liquor's straight! The girls are graceful!
There's only four aces in every deck, and the cards only read from the front side.
We'll never see another deck, right?
You'll get a fair shake for your money, but there ain't gonna be no fan deck.
Well, right, I know.
And another thing!
I know, it happens.
Mister! I'm talking!
So am I, you old battle axe?
Excuse me, boys.
I see.
He paid for his drink, vinegar?
Yes, ma'am.
All right, you warlike ass!
Yeah, huh!
Throw his hat out after him!
Now, as I was saying, boys, I just won't stand for no fan deck.
Maybe some of you figured I was wearing this thick shoe for decoration.
Well, just cast your eyes on that ace of spades and get tacked up on the back wall.
You ready?
Now!
Did you see that dog, Phyllis?
Yeah, and she got the card, too.
All right, boys.
The first one's on the house, and it's the last free one you'll get.
The only credit I give is for funeral expenses.
Belly up, boys!
Belly up, boys!
Well, Mr. Hill?
I'll be right back, Chester. I want to have a talk with her.
Mimi?
Oh, you're the Marshal, huh?
That's right. My name's Dylan.
Proud to shake your hand, Marshal.
Oh, thanks, Mimi.
Welcome to Dodge.
Mighty decent of you to express your sentiment, Marshal.
I reckon you won't get much business around the lady gay.
I'll take care of any trouble that's got.
That'll be quite a change. The boys used to push Bleeker around every now and then.
Ah, runny little prairie dog.
I didn't know that he was planning to sell.
He must have made his mind up in a hurry.
Yeah, I made him an offer and he took it. Just like that.
Ah?
Found himself some new living quarters, I suppose.
Oh, yeah, he moved out last night.
I see.
There were a couple of things I wanted to talk to you about.
Well, now I'm afraid he left town, Marshal.
I think he said something about taking the train to St. Louis.
Oh, that's too bad.
I'd like to have seen him.
Well, I'll probably be dropping in now and then, Miss Mimi.
Sure, any time, Marshal.
Did you find out anything, Mr. Dillon?
Let's get out of here, Chester. You coming, Doc?
Sure.
Ah, gracious alive, I sure would hate to meet her in this place.
Hate to meet her in the dark.
She's got a voice like a bull buffalo.
Ain't it awful? Just itches your ear or something.
What'd she say about Herman?
She says she thinks he left town.
Now, Chester, I want you to check all the rooming houses
and the hotels along Front Street.
I'm going to the railroad station on the stage lines
and I'll meet you back at the office, huh?
And, Doc, I think Herman keeps a horse over the livery staple.
Would you look into that for me?
Sure, I'm happy to.
You know, Mr. Dillon, she's an awful straight shot.
Yeah, Chester, I know.
You here, Matt?
Yeah, come on in, Doc.
Well, Bleaker's horse is still a little stable.
He didn't tell them anything about leaving.
He didn't leave, Doc.
Mimi came in on the nine o'clock train last night.
Only one train out after that around midnight and he wasn't on it.
And he didn't buy a ticket on the stage.
Oh, let me tell you, Matt, that sucks.
Excellent.
Mr. Don, Manuel wants to see you.
Oh, come on in, Manuel.
Gracias, Senor Dillon.
What's on your mind?
I was at the railroad depot when I hear you ask about Senor Bleaker.
Yeah, go on.
Senor, last night I see something which is strange.
Huh?
I came home very late, one hour, two hours before dawn.
I was visiting a friend, you understand?
Yeah, I understand.
I walk home in much hurry, you know.
It's very dark, Senor.
All at once I see this lantern in the arroyo behind the Lady Ge Cantina.
Lantern?
I think to myself, what is this?
So I wait.
This lantern keeps coming toward me.
And when it's closed, this woman who I have never seen, no one like her, this maimie, what a scare.
What was she doing in the arroyo?
Quien sabe, but she's carried something in her hand.
Well, what was it?
A jewel, Senor.
Matt, finding anything?
There's something here, Doc, but I can't quite...
Just hold the lantern over here, huh?
Yes, sir.
Found something here, but it...
I can just get it loose.
All right, can you see it?
Yeah, that's fine, Chester.
I got it.
That's a boot.
Here's another one.
Oh, yes.
And all that fancy stitching.
Matt, those are his.
I've seen them on him.
Yeah, so have I.
Yesterday, in fact.
Here, take them, Chester.
There's a bundle of some kind here.
A bundle?
The body?
No, no, it's clothes, I think.
Have a look.
Well, that's all there is, too.
The hole doesn't go any deeper.
There's hard pan on the bottom.
Here, hold the lantern down, Chester.
Let me get this unwrapped.
I'm not sure about that coat, Mr. Don.
Bottom like that around town.
Yeah, I know.
Take a look at this vest.
Oh, yes.
Yes, that's Herman's.
Yeah, nobody else in Dodge City would wear
a thing like that.
Yeah.
And from the looks of it, he won't be
wearing it again, either.
How you coming, Doc?
Now, don't, don't rush me, man.
I haven't made one of these blood tests in years.
If you ask me, I don't see the use of making one now.
But we'll see here, pour the precipitants into here.
Yes.
Now, what other kind of blood could it be except human?
Doc, I only want to be sure, that's all.
All right.
All right.
And let me see here, five drops of sulfate.
And yeah, man.
You sure look uncomfortable, man.
Would you like to try arresting Mamie, Doc?
It's not my job to arrest her.
You're lucky.
And now we'll shake this up and warm it a bit.
One thing, Mr. Dunn, shooting at a mark's not the same
as a gunfight.
Maybe she won't resist.
You really believe that, Chester?
I'm sure.
Well, there's still a chance we may be going off half-cocked
here.
That blood could have got on Herman's vest a dozen
different ways.
We'll soon see.
Now then, a couple of drops of reagent and look for the
color change.
Turn up that lamp a little bit, will you, Chester?
Yeah, I know.
Well, well, Doc?
Too bad, man.
It's human blood.
I'm sure it's human blood.
Matt, I thought we were going to open Lady Gay
and talk to Mamie.
Yeah, so did I.
Chill, Keith.
She's not going anywhere.
It looks cut and dried to me, Matt.
You might not if you were in my shoes.
Come on in the office.
You know, Mr. John, I talked to that barkeep Finnegan.
He said when he showed up this morning to open a saloon,
this woman was inside waiting for him, told him to come
back at eight o'clock tonight.
She never seen no sign of Herman Beaker.
Well, there's another nail in your coffin, Matt.
You know, Doc, I ought to deputize you and take you along
to help me.
I will not lift a hand in anger against a woman.
I just keep thinking that we could still be wrong.
Especially that woman.
Suppose Herman hurt himself some way.
How?
And he wanted to get away by himself and recuperate.
Why?
Suppose he didn't want anybody to know about it.
Why?
So he decided to stay with some friend.
Who?
And maybe...
Oh, all right, all right, but it could have been something like that.
Well, even if something had happened to him,
Mamie may have not had anything to do with it.
But then how come she's running the Lady Gay,
calling herself the new owner?
Oh, okay, Doc, you're probably right.
Come on, Chester, let's get it over with.
Well, there she is at the end of the barn.
What are you going to do, Mr. Young?
Take her in, Chester.
Maybe she'll talk when she's arrested.
And I've got to get that gun away from her somewhere.
My thing is not going to be easy.
It's got to be done.
I've never drawn a gun on a woman yet.
I'm not going to start now.
You got a plan?
Yeah, come on.
Yes, sir.
Well, Marshall, mighty glad you dropped back here.
Just wondering how you were getting along, Mamie.
Like a kid with two tongues and an all-day sucker.
Oh, did you find that little weasel Herman Bleaker?
I, uh, I thought you told me that he left town.
Well, I was just guessing, Mr. Dillon.
He said something about planning to.
Here, step up and have a shot of poison.
Uh, no, thanks.
As a matter of fact, I came back here for a particular purpose.
You see, Chester and I have a bet on.
We do?
What kind of bet, Marshall?
Well, it was that shooting trick of yours
hitting the center of that playing card.
Chester figures it was nothing but luck.
So he's betting me that you can't do it five times in a row.
Ha-ha-ha!
Well, now, we'll soon settle that.
The card's still up there.
Stand aside, boys.
Mamie's gonna limber up a-shootin' on it.
All right.
There's one.
A couple of them.
You're doing fine so far.
How am I doing up there, boys?
All day, Sinner, so far.
Three down and two to go.
There's four.
And one more can...
Oh, yeah.
What's the matter? What are you stopping now for?
I got some rules I go by, Marshall.
One of them's never to fire my last shot and leave my gun empty.
I see. Well, that's a pretty good idea.
Sorry to lose your bet for you, Marshall.
I just guess you're not a gambler, Miss Mamie.
Who says so?
I'll take a fair bet it even odds any day of the week and twice in Philadelphia.
Oh? In that case, I'll make you one.
I got a pretty fair gun here.
Or at least I thought so until I saw yours in action.
I'd say yours is every bit as good as mine.
Then how about a bet, huh?
You're gone against mine.
One cut for a high card.
Well, uh...
Well, it's, of course, all right with me if you'd rather back out.
Who's backin' out?
You got yourself a bet, Marshall.
Finnegan?
Yes, ma'am?
Shuffle us a deck.
Yes, Miss Mamie.
If it's a battle or a fight, Mamie never backs out.
Aye, aye, Miss Mamie.
Now, who goes first, Mr. Dillon?
Ladies, always.
All right. If your friend Lester will cut him for us once...
Chester, if...
Never mind, cut the card.
Yes, ma'am.
Now, let's see what we've got.
Well, a jack of spades. That's not bad.
Pretty good, Marshall.
Bloody good enough to beat anything.
Oh.
King of diamonds.
All right. I'm beat fair and square.
You won yourself a gun.
Thanks. Here, Chester, will you take it?
Now the handcuffs.
Hey, what's the...
Mamie, you're under arrest.
Well, of all the sidewine and double cross and backhanded power...
Mamie, you're gonna stay fastened to me until I get you in a cell.
So you might as well make the best of it.
Why, you know...
And as far as that's concerned, you'll be safer in jail than out of it.
Once word gets around, people here in Dodge thought a lot of Herman Bleecker.
Oh, that little sod off ground.
That's no excuse for killing him in cold blood.
What? You hear him, Mamie? You killed me.
Bleecker.
Oh, my, this is the biggest night of my whole life.
To hear somebody finally shut Mamie up and make her like it.
What's this all about, Herman?
Well, I'll tell you what it's all about.
This little grub worm ran out on me in Cincinnati three years ago.
I've been hunting him ever since.
And last night I found him.
I've wailed the living daylights out of him.
Yeah, he looks it. But why did you bury his clothes?
Would you want to be married to a man that dressed like that?
She... she put in there and murdered me, Marshal.
I've been up there in bed all day, just too bruised and embarrassed to hobble downstairs.
Ah, we've had our ups and downs, Marshal, me and little Herman.
But you know how it is.
Yeah.
Chester, give me the keys to the handcuffs.
Yes, sir, I got them right here in the...
Maybe they're in...
No, I guess they're...
What's the matter, Chester?
Well, Mr. Doane, when we was digging out there, well...
I guess I maybe lost them keys.
Chester, can't you file that thing any faster?
Now, you might just as well relax, Mr. Doane.
It took me nearly an hour to get the other half on Miss Mamie's wrist.
All right, but hurry it up.
Pat, Mamie sent this bottle of whiskey to make the waiting a little easier.
Oh, fine. Chester, let that go for a minute.
Open up the bottle, huh?
Oh, yes, sir.
Can you imagine that, Doc?
Little Herman Bleeker married for years to a woman like that.
Oh, I don't want to imagine. I get nightmares.
Here you go, Mr. Doane.
Ah, thanks, Chester.
And one for you, Doc.
Yeah, thank you.
Well, boys, here's to the weaker sex.
Whichever one that is.
Gun Smoke, produced and directed in Hollywood by Norman McDonald, stars William Conrad as Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshal.
The story was especially written for Gun Smoke by Les Crutchfield.
The editorial supervision by John Messerman.
Harley Bear is Chester, Howard McNear is Doc, and Georgia Ellis is Kitty.
This is George Walsh inviting you to join us again next week when CBS Radio presents another story on Gun Smoke.