Gunsmoke (1955) s01e20 Episode Script

ANNOUNCER: Starring James Arness as Matt Dillon.
Night on Boot Hill gives a man quiet to think in.
And something to think about.
Lot of 'em are here.
The big talkers, the fast guns, the braggers.
Shoulder to shoulder.
Keepin' each other company under the prairie sod.
I'm a lawman with headquarters over there in Dodge City.
Matt Dillon, United States marshal.
A good many of these Boot Hill men were my customers.
Yesterday, the quick, today, the dead.
Who'll be here tomorrow? Did you see him? Look no use takin' a load of trouble on to yourself, Jerry.
There's plenty of trouble in the world without- You did see him.
How close? Ten feet.
Was it him? I don't know.
H- How can a man be sure after ten years? Look, it's all over and done with, Jerry.
Let it be.
No use stirrin' it all up again.
If I get ten feet from him, I'll know him.
Where is he? Long Branch.
Don't go in there, Jerry.
That's no place to start trouble.
You don't know Dodge.
You don't know Matt Dillon.
He just went in there.
You don't want to fool with him.
Go on back to camp.
This is my play.
Wait.
What if it is him? What are you gonna do? I don't know.
Kill him maybe.
You don't want to get mixed up in anything like that.
Come on, you need some air, Chester.
Oh, Miss Belle.
Sometimes I- I think you're just after my money.
Chester, you're right.
Know what my mother told me? "Never trust a man with brown eyes.
" Don't you believe her.
There ain't a word of truth to it.
You're a sweetheart, I love to be with you, and I'll see you on payday.
Now scoot.
Oh, Miss Belle, uh- I mean, couldn't we-? Well- Wouldn't you like just one more drink? Good night, Chester.
Well Chester.
Huh? Go inside and get my cape.
Why? What's the matter? A little too much rye, I guess.
Go on, Chester.
Get my cape.
You know where I left it.
All right.
Oh, and Chester- Tell them I'm going home.
Tell them I don't feel well.
Hurry.
Well- Well, thanks for the drink, Andy.
Oh, it's all right.
Good to see you.
Nice to see you again, fellas.
See you some more.
Yeah.
Nearly ten years in the state of Kansas, and each one bigger than the year before.
Started out by drummi'' lamps and lanterns, and small tools and such.
And I took on farm equipment.
Farmers' hardware, barn paints and whitewash.
Excuse me, Andy.
What'll you have, mister? Whiskey, please.
Evenin'.
You new in these parts? Yeah.
You'll like it.
Dodge is a great little town.
Great little town, isn't it? Seven years this month, is it, Andy? Yeah.
And this is only the beginnin'.
Kansas is growin' like a weed.
I wanna show you somethin'.
Heh-heh.
This here is gonna make a fortune for me.
Wire with barbs in it.
Fellow named Haish, or Hyche, uh- Fellow back East invented it.
Hm-hm.
I'm gonna have the franchise of the whole doggone state.
I've heard about this somewhere.
Yeah, you'll hear a sight more when Andy Culley starts drummin' it.
Yeah.
The sodbusters are comin'.
The open range is goin'.
And those sodbusters'll fence up Kansas like a checkerboard in ten years.
What do I owe you, Sam? I'll buy it, Sam.
Well, that's real generous of you.
I'm in a generous mood.
Have another one.
Thanks.
Here's to you.
No, no.
Let's make it to the old hometown, huh? Good.
To the old hometown.
Let's see, uh, that'll be, uh, Dallas? Fort Worth? San Antone? No.
Lawrence.
Lawrence, Kansas.
Good.
To Lawrence.
Thanks.
Now, wait, wait, wait.
Let's have another one.
Come on.
This is my party.
To the old hometown.
She's gone to her room.
Huh? Belle Archer.
She wouldn't even let me walk her home.
She was feeli'' fine, then just all of a sudden took sick.
Not comin' back either.
She's a strange one.
I said, "She's a strange one.
" Hm? Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
I wonder about her sometimes.
She never talks about herself, where she came from, or what brought her here.
Now, why would she get up at five minutes past 9 and go home? I got one for you.
Why is that cowpoke tryin' to start a fight with the hardware drummer? Well, that's only three, mister.
Have another one.
I'm sorry, I gotta get back to the hotel.
Wait a minute.
You don't want to get insultin', do you? If Andy says "no," he means "no.
" Leave it there.
Now drink.
I said I was goin'.
Drink it! And get another bottle, Sam.
Andy here's gonna drink to the old hometown till he drops.
Let go! Let go.
I was right! I ought to kill you.
Damn you! What are you doin'? Stand back! I'm not finished! Man's crazy! Yes, you are.
You keep out of this, marshal.
I'm not through with him.
I got a ways to go yet.
Yeah, you got a ways to go.
About 200 feet to the jail.
Let's go.
Can you beat that? What's he got again' you, Andy? What do you suppose was eatin' him, Andy? Jerry Shand, huh? Must be tough where you come from.
You played it real big in there, roughin' up a paunchy hardware drummer.
Real two-fisted cowboy, huh? Real talkin' marshal too.
I got more patience than some.
What's your outfit? Lazy K, Pecos Valley.
When did you get in? This evenin'.
What call you got to pick on Andy Culley? What you got against him? You don't even know, do you? Just lookin' around for a fight.
And you figured he'd do as well as somebody who could fight back.
That's what you think it is, huh? Well, you tell me then.
It's personal, between him and me.
All right.
You got $25 bail money? No.
Good.
Then you can spend the night in a jailhouse bunk.
Maybe teach you and your Texas friends to keep your hands folded north of the deadland.
Come on.
Evening.
What do you want, Andy? I don't want to butt in, marshal.
I, uh just wanted to tell him I was sorry.
You're sorry? For startin' the fracas in there.
I maybe said somethin' I shouldn't.
Heh.
You ain't bringin' battery charges again' him are you, marshal? 'Cause I won't sign any complaint.
Well, he roughed you up in there, Andy.
You heard me, marshal.
No complaint and no charges.
I don't want no trouble.
Yeah, but disturbin' the peace is a misdemeanor.
What's the bail? Twenty-five dollars.
There you are.
Least I can do, boy.
Just a minute, Andy.
There's your receipt.
Thanks.
Sorry I caused you the trouble, boy.
Jerry.
Hold.
It's me, Andy Culley.
Get down.
I want to talk to you.
What do you want? What- It's all over and done with, Jerry.
I'm sorry.
All my life I'll be sorry.
We were crazy-mad then, Jerry.
We were out of our heads.
I wanna make it right with you.
I wanna do the right thing.
I'll pay you.
Buy it back, eh? Wash it all away with money.
What else can I do? Get out of Kansas! I can't.
Gettin' fat off Kansas now, ain't you? Slap-on-the-back Culley.
Fast-talkin' Culley.
Everybody loves Andy Culley! I'll give you $500, Jerry.
Maybe 6.
I'll make it 6.
Take you a couple of years to make $600 wrangling cows.
I can't leave Kansas.
Almost ten years in business, and- Ten years come August.
The 21st it was.
Bright and early.
Don't talk about that! I wonder how many Kansans would buy your stinking barbed wire if they knew they were doin' business with a murderer! Shut up! I said, "Shut up.
" Now then, we'll see who's through in Kansas.
Let me through, boys.
Any of you men see this happen? There was nobody here but them.
Well, one of you men better go get Doc Adams.
We'll need an autopsy.
Listen.
Listen, wait a minute.
I- Aw, shut up! Come on, men.
Let's get him.
All right, now hold it.
Don't let's get riled up without reason.
But he shot Culley down in cold blood.
All right, if he did, he'll hang for it.
After he gets a trial.
All right, just stick where you are, all of you.
Now scatter.
Go on back about your business.
Fast.
But Culley was a good man.
He wasn't a gunfighter, he was our friend.
He didn't even carry a gun.
You say he had a pistol.
Where did it go? It was a silver- model derringer.
Anyone in that crowd could have picked it up and made off with it.
He pulled it on me.
I drew and beat him.
That's all there is to it.
Why'd he pull it on you? Why'd he want to kill you? I told you, personal.
I think I know what it was.
That tattoo on his arm.
He was a Quantrill man, wasn't he? He was at Quantrill's elbow when he rode into Lawrence in '63.
His name ain't Culley at all.
It's "Bloody" Bill Ashley.
I was only a kid, but I remember it like yesterday.
My ma got me out of bed, hid me in the woodshed.
And I saw that peace-lovin' hardware drummer kill my pop in cold blood not 20 feet away.
And I saw that Quantrill tattoo on his arm.
And I saw him carry off my ma.
There was nothin' left when they went.
Nothin' but the bodies of men women children smokin' buildings.
You're sure he pulled a gun, huh? Yes, sir.
He pulled a gun.
Matt.
Hello, Kitty.
Lot of lynch talk goin' on around town.
Yeah, I know.
The boy claims Culley had a gun on him.
I guess one of those lynch talkers must have picked it up and put it in his pocket.
Why'd he do it, Matt? Oh, he had his reasons.
He claims Culley pulled a gun on him.
They have a hard time shovin' that down their throats after that fracas in the bar.
The only thing can save him now is a witness.
There just aren't any.
Belle? Belle, you up there? What do you want? How long you been up there? It's important, Belle.
Not long.
Ten minutes maybe.
Did you see what happened down here? No.
Belle.
You must've seen it.
You couldn't have missed it.
You left the Long Branch just before it happened.
Where did you go? Here.
You mean to say you stayed up here all the while and didn't hear anything? No ruckus in the street? No gunshot? I don't know anything about it.
You're lyin', Belle.
Why? Give me time to think.
There isn't any time.
This Jerry Shand's in real trouble.
I can't help you, Matt, that's all.
I can't.
Why not? Why can't you stand up and testify at that inquest tomorrow? All right, Matt! All right, all right, all right! You wanna know?! I'll tell you! I'll tell you.
I didn't see anything.
You're lyin', Belle.
You saw it all.
You saw whether Culley pulled a derringer or not.
I didn't.
I didn't.
What are you hidin', Belle? What are you afraid of? What do you got against this kid? What have I got against him? That's a wonderful joke.
I've got nothing against him.
I saw nothing, I heard nothing, I know nothing.
Now get out! Leave me alone! Please.
Please, get out.
Belle? Belle, you in there? It's Marshal Dillon.
Belle! All right now, uh you say, uh, you were sittin' not over 10 feet away when the accused rode up.
Is that right? That's right, Doc.
You sure it was Jerry Shand? Positive.
Someone he knew was waitin' for him.
"Is he in there?" he says.
And then this other feller said, "What are you gonna do to him, Jerry?" And then the accused said, "I don't know.
Kill him maybe.
" I remember them exact words.
Ed Mayberry will back me up.
He was sittin' alongside me when it happened.
All right.
All right, I did say it, but I didn't mean it.
I was mad enough to kill him, but I never would have.
Just a minute now.
You'll, uh have your chance to talk when the time comes.
Now, then two witnesses testified that they heard you say you were gonna kill him.
And a whole bar full of people heard you pick a fight with him.
And nobody found that gun you say he had, yet you're claimin' self-defense.
Why would Andy Culley want to kill you? I told you he was trying to shut me up.
Why? He was a bushwhacker with Quantrill.
You saw that tattoo on his arm.
Tattoo doesn't make a man a bushwha- Well, that one does.
I saw it on his arm when they came after my ma and pa.
That's why I was sure.
They killed 'em both.
When they was done, they went across to where my girl lived and they took her.
I never saw her after.
Hello, Jerry.
Ellie? No.
I'm Belle Archer now.
Matt tells me either I talk or they take you away.
If it weren't for that, I couldn't do this to you Jerry.
The bushwhackers did enough to you already.
I- I didn't want you to see me now.
I mean- I didn't want you to see what happened to me after they came to Lawrence that day.
I can tell you all about last night, Doc.
I saw it all from my window.
They were right below me.
Andy CulleyJerry.
I heard what they said, I saw Andy pull his gun.
Everything he told you was true, Doc.
I saw it all.
Marshal, I don't know how I can- It's over and done, Jerry.
Forget it.
Yeah.
Well, you better get goin'.
Yeah.
Ellie? Ellie! Ellie's gone, Jerry.
Yeah.
Good night, Belle.
Goodbye, Jerry.
Ellie, I- Goodbye, Jerry.
Goodbye.