Cooter

Originally Aired: April 16, 1961 Gunsmoke #471, "Cooter," Matt Dillon returns to Dodge City to find that a cowboy has been killed by a gunman named Pate, who claims self-defense. However, Kitty reveals the truth: the cowboy was drawing on Ben Sissel, a crooked gambler new to Dodge, when Pate shot him down. Pate is Sissel's hired gun, protecting the cardsharp when angry victims catch him cheating. Dillon confronts both men at Pate's hotel room, forcing the gunman to strap on his weapon. When Pate realizes the marshal is calling him out, he backs down and leaves town rather than face Dillon in a gunfight. With his protection gone, Sissel appears to reform, dealing cards honestly for a week while the whole town watches him closely. Just when things seem settled, Chester spots something strange on the street: Cooter Smith, a harmless simpleton who's never carried a weapon, is now wearing a six-gun. Dillon sends Chester to bring Cooter in for questioning, sensing that trouble is brewing again in Dodge.