Hangmans Mistake

Originally Aired: April 9, 1961 Gunsmoke #470, "Hangmans Mistake," Matt Dillon reluctantly releases Ark Bernie from jail after receiving word from Abilene that another man has been arrested for the murder—Ark's own brother, Junius. Despite his certainty that Ark is guilty, Matt has no choice but to let him go. When Ark learns that Junius is being held for a crime Ark knows his brother didn't commit, he rushes back to Dodge to confront the marshal, insisting that Junius was nowhere near the holdup that night. Matt tells him the only way to help his brother is to testify in court, but Ark refuses to walk into any courtroom. The tension escalates when Matt and Chester prepare to escort Junius to trial in Hayes City. As they transport the prisoner, Ark appears in a cloud of dust, desperate and determined to free his brother before the trial can proceed. When Ark threatens to draw on Matt, the marshal calls his bluff, forcing a dangerous confrontation that will test how far Ark is willing to go to save Junius from paying for a crime he may not have committed.