Gunsmoke: Old West Stories

Originally Aired: June 28, 1959 Gunsmoke #377, "Jailbait Janet," Matt Dillon and Chester investigate a brazen train robbery where three masked bandits made off with fifty thousand dollars in gold and left the baggage clerk mortally wounded. The trail leads them to what appears to be a simple homesteading family traveling by covered wagon—Dan Everly, his son Jerry, and daughter Janet. When Matt discovers their saddle horses and a third person hiding in the brush, the truth emerges: this desperate father and his two children are the train robbers. Everly claims he had a right to the money after the railroad burned his wheat field and refused to honor his claim, but his justification rings hollow when the baggage clerk dies from his wounds. With the Everly family in custody but refusing to reveal where they buried the stolen gold, Matt faces a dilemma. Railroad agent J.L. Crocker demands immediate results and grows suspicious of Matt's decision to let the eighteen-year-old Janet stay in Kitty's care rather than lock her up in the men's jail. As Janet settles into her temporary arrangement at the Long Branch, the pressure mounts on Matt to recover the missing money and deliver justice for a crime that pits a father's desperation against the law.

Originally Aired: June 21, 1959 Gunsmoke #376, "Carmen," opens with Major Randall confronting Marshal Matt Dillon about two murdered Army soldiers and a stolen government payroll. When Dillon refuses to investigate what he views as an Army matter, the furious Major threatens to impose martial law on Dodge City within the week. The threat ignites tension throughout town, with civilians like the drunk Shiloh demanding to know which side Dillon will fight on if the Army moves in. Dillon realizes the key to preventing bloodshed lies in discovering who leaked information about the secret payroll—information only a soldier could have known. Dillon's attention turns to a dancehall girl named Connie Dell, who works for Big Kate and spends considerable time with a corporal from the fort. When a telegram from Wild Bill Hickok reveals Connie left Hays City with a man called Billy Grounds, Dillon grows suspicious. Before he can piece together the puzzle, another soldier is shot dead in an alley, pushing Dodge City to the brink of open warfare between defiant civilians and the U.S. Army.

Originally Aired: June 14, 1959 Gunsmoke #375, "Kitty's Kidnap," Matt Dillon and Chester rescue a man from a lynching on the trail, only to discover their good deed has freed Pete Brass, a notorious outlaw wanted in three states. When Matt finds a Wichita Bank money sack in Brass's belongings, he hauls the unrepentant criminal back to Dodge and locks him up. Brass remains cocky behind bars, warning Matt that his boys will soon break him out and that the marshal will regret saving his life. The outlaw's confidence proves well-founded when two members of his gang, Milt and Jess, arrive in town and begin carefully studying the situation. Rather than rushing in with guns blazing, Milt insists on developing a plan. While gathering information at the Long Branch, they learn something valuable: Marshal Dillon is partial to the saloon owner, Miss Kitty, who happens to be leaving town the next day on the stage to Larned with Doc Adams. As the two outlaws watch Matt, Kitty, Doc, and Chester enjoying dinner together, they clearly have more than a simple jailbreak on their minds.

Originally Aired: June 7, 1959 Gunsmoke #374, "Doc's Indians," finds Doc Adams and Kitty Russell returning from house calls when they're stopped on the trail by armed Cheyenne warriors. The Indians force them to their riverside camp, where Chief Little Wolf reveals his desperate situation: his young son is gravely ill, and after the tribe's medicine man failed to cure him, Little Wolf wants Doc to use the white man's medicine he witnessed while imprisoned by soldiers. Doc agrees to stay and treat the boy, but only if Little Wolf allows Kitty to leave safely. Despite the risk that she might bring the cavalry, Doc gives his word that she won't, and the chief reluctantly agrees to let her go. Kitty arrives back in Dodge exhausted after riding through the night, but she refuses to tell liveryman Moss where Doc is, honoring the promise that saved her life. With Marshal Dillon out of town on other business, Kitty must wait anxiously for his return while Doc remains alone in the Indian camp, facing the challenge of saving Little Wolf's son and navigating the dangerous tension between his medical duty and the volatile situation.

Originally Aired: May 31, 1959 Gunsmoke #373, "The Deserter," finds Matt Dillon investigating a brazen army payroll robbery at Fort Dodge. When Doc Adams treats a wounded young man in army clothing who mysteriously flees his office, Matt suspects he's found his fugitive. Following a trail west out of Dodge with Chester, the marshal discovers the injured deserter collapsed near a creek bed. As they attempt to move him to shelter, a rifle shot rings out. The young soldier's father, Jed Morton, has found them first and refuses to let Matt take his son Louray into custody, insisting that army justice means certain death for deserters. Despite Matt's assurances that the young man will receive proper medical care and a fair trial, Jed holds the lawman at gunpoint and forces him to carry Louray back to the family homestead. The desperate father believes protecting his son from military justice is his only choice, even if it means defying a U.S. Marshal. Meanwhile, Chester lies wounded where Jed shot him, and the Morton family faces an impossible decision between a father's love and the demands of the law.

Originally Aired: May 24, 1959 Gunsmoke #372, "Wagon Show," presents a dilemma for Marshal Matt Dillon when Bannock's Grand International Circus arrives in Dodge City on a sweltering summer day. While Chester is thrilled by the sight of an elephant performing tricks on the plaza and townspeople eagerly anticipate the show, Matt learns that violence has followed this particular circus from town to town. Two people were killed in Hayes City, and riots have erupted wherever the show has played. When Matt tracks down the circus owner, Maggie Bannock, a former strongwoman who now runs the operation with her husband Jim Conger, he refuses to grant them a permit to perform in Dodge. Despite Matt's warning, Maggie defiantly leads her wagon train toward town, and the next morning a parade proceeds through the streets with elephant Jenny and all the circus fanfare. Even Doc and Kitty are caught up in the excitement, treating Matt's concerns dismissively as they look forward to some entertainment in the dull Kansas heat. Matt faces mounting pressure as the entire town anticipates the two o'clock performance, but he remains convinced that allowing this show to proceed will bring the same deadly trouble that has plagued other towns.

Originally Aired: May 17, 1959 Gunsmoke #371, "Scared Boy," begins when a violent confrontation erupts in the kitchen of Cora Meadows and her young son Tad. A desperate man bursts into their home seeking refuge, only to be shot down in cold blood by his pursuer. The killer warns both Cora and the boy to forget what they witnessed, threatening that young Tad will get his throat cut if he talks. The terrified widow promises their silence, but when she comes to Marshal Matt Dillon's office, she reveals that her son has gone missing and she fears he may have gone after the murderer. Matt and Chester investigate the scene, finding the victim's body carelessly discarded in the bushes and identifying him as a gambler named Rourke. Meanwhile, Doc Adams sends an urgent message to Matt about a young boy he found beaten on the road. The child has been brutally attacked and, strangely, refuses to speak at all despite being conscious. As Matt examines the injured boy, the pieces of this dangerous puzzle begin coming together, with a cold-blooded killer still at large and a frightened child caught in the crossfire.

Originally Aired: May 10, 1959 Gunsmoke #370, "Dowagers Visit," finds Marshal Matt Dillon facing an unusual challenge when Mrs. Junius Chamberlain, widow of a late senator, arrives in Dodge City demanding his help. The formidable dowager is searching for her runaway grandson, Junius Chamberlain III, who has left Yale College to seek adventure out West. When Matt refuses to organize an official search party for a young man who hasn't broken any laws, Mrs. Chamberlain decides to take matters into her own hands, vowing to stay in Dodge until she finds the boy herself. She begins canvassing the town like a determined Pinkerton detective, questioning everyone from bartenders to business owners. Meanwhile, a young drifter appears in the Long Branch trying to join a poker game, offering a solid gold watch fob as his stake. When the other players doubt its authenticity, Kitty Russell confirms the valuable piece is genuine gold. The situation grows more complicated when Mrs. Chamberlain confronts Kitty at the Long Branch with a description of her missing grandson, little suspecting that the young man she seeks may be closer than she realizes.

Originally Aired: May 3, 1959 Gunsmoke #369, "Unwanted Deputy," finds Matt Dillon facing an unusual problem when Vince Wiley rides into Dodge City with a hidden agenda. Wiley eagerly offers his services as a deputy, claiming he has a deep interest in law enforcement and exceptional skill with a gun. Though Matt politely declines, Wiley begins inserting himself into disturbances around town anyway, stopping fights and disarming troublemakers before they escalate. His efficiency impresses the townspeople, including Kitty, who praises his ability to keep the peace without the usual property damage. Even Chester finds himself defending his position when locals like Mr. Dobie suggest Wiley would make a fine official deputy. What Matt suspects but others don't realize is that Wiley has a darker purpose behind his helpful facade. In the opening scene, Wiley's woman Maisie tries desperately to dissuade him from his true mission: revenge against the marshal who turned in his brother Billy, leading to Billy's hanging. Wiley has devised a calculated plan to force Matt into a gunfight where the marshal will draw first, allowing Wiley to kill him and ride away free, having fulfilled his promise to his dead brother.

Originally Aired: April 26, 1959 Gunsmoke #368, "The Badge," finds Marshal Matt Dillon ambushed on a lonely trail by two outlaws, Rack and Augy. The simple-minded Augy shoots Dillon and becomes obsessed with claiming the marshal's badge for himself, believing it will make people think he's important. However, the cunning Rack has other plans. Rather than killing Dillon, Rack decides to keep the wounded marshal alive as insurance, reasoning that no lawman will risk harming their own U.S. Marshal as the outlaws make their way to the border with stolen holdup money. Rack crudely digs the bullet from Dillon's shoulder and promises Augy he can have the badge once they cross into safety. As Dillon recovers in an abandoned shack, he begins working on the weak-willed Augy, subtly playing on the outlaw's resentment of Rack's dominance and the beating he's endured. Meanwhile, back in Dodge City, Doc Adams, Chester, and Kitty Russell grow concerned when Matt fails to return from his trip to Larnage as expected. The episode builds tension as the wounded marshal attempts to manipulate the volatile relationship between his captors while they continue their dangerous flight toward the border.

Originally Aired: April 19, 1959 Gunsmoke #367, "Third Son," presents a tense struggle between a father's protective grip and a young man's desperate need for independence. When Matt Dillon locks up Rob Crandall for being drunk in the streets of Dodge, the young man's father James Josiah Crandall arrives at the jail with a grim mission. Having lost his two older sons to violence, one in the war and one in a barroom fight, James brought Rob west as a boy and is determined to keep him away from trouble by any means necessary. He promises Marshal Dillon that Rob won't be coming back to town. But Rob Crandall isn't content to live under his father's watchful eye forever. Despite his father's orders to stay away from Dodge, Rob returns to town and encounters two men who want him to join them in some kind of criminal venture. They mock him for being a "papa's boy" and taunt him about abandoning him when he got arrested before, but Rob refuses their invitation. When he returns home, his father is waiting, and Rob must confront the reality that he's a grown man still being treated like a child, torn between obedience and the need to make his own choices.

Originally Aired: April 12, 1959 In Gunsmoke #366, "Chester's Mistake," Chester Proudfoot returns to Dodge City after visiting family, feeling good about his trip until Marshal Matt Dillon reminds him about an important errand he forgot. Chester was supposed to pick up papers in Dalhart on his way back through the panhandle, but all the fun with his relatives made the task slip his mind completely. When Matt arranges for Joe Freeze to retrieve the papers instead, Chester's pride takes a hit, and his embarrassment deepens when he learns the whole town is talking about his forgetfulness. Stung by being the subject of mockery at the Long Branch Saloon, where Lud and others laugh at his simple duties like making coffee and cleaning lamps, Chester begins to question his worth as the marshal's deputy. He seeks reassurance first from Doc Adams, desperately asking what Matt really thinks about having him around for help. Chester's insecurity grows as he realizes his mistake has made him look foolish, leaving him wondering if he's truly useful to Marshal Dillon or just someone for the town to laugh at.

Originally Aired: April 5, 1959 Gunsmoke #365, "Trappers Revenge," When young Tom Carl reports hearing strange moaning sounds in the willows by the river, Marshal Matt Dillon reluctantly investigates what seems like a wild goose chase. Instead, he and Doc Adams discover Tug Marsh, a trapper they met months earlier, barely clinging to life with horrifying wounds. The old mountain man has crawled for miles on his hands and knees, somehow surviving injuries that should have killed him days ago. Tug claims a grizzly bear mauled him down in Indian Territory, but his real fury is directed at his partner Billy Adams, who left him for dead in the wilderness without even the mercy of a quick knife thrust. As Tug makes a miraculous recovery under Doc's care in Dodge City, his true intentions become clear. He's survived through sheer force of will, driven by one purpose: finding Billy Adams and exacting a slow, brutal revenge. Matt warns Tug that he'll face arrest for murder if Adams shows up in Dodge, but the vengeful trapper seems determined to settle accounts, no matter the cost.

Originally Aired: March 29, 1959 Gunsmoke #364, "Lauries Suitor," tensions flare in Dodge City when young Laurie Benson finds herself caught between two very different men. Andy Scott, a well-mannered Easterner on a graduation trip from Philadelphia, has been courting Laurie and even discusses marriage with Miss Kitty. But ranch hand Rad Dawson has other ideas. After seeing Andy with Laurie at the Long Branch, Rad warns the young man to stay away, threatening violence if Andy doesn't back off. Despite his partner Bone's teasing about his sudden concern for personal grooming, Rad makes his intentions clear: Laurie's evenings now belong to him alone. Frightened that Andy's stubborn refusal to be intimidated will lead to bloodshed, Laurie turns to Marshal Matt Dillon for help. She pleads with him to intervene and prevent a confrontation between the two men. Matt sympathizes but warns Laurie that matters of the heart aren't exactly his department, and he can't guarantee either man will listen to reason. As Rad continues his nightly visits to town with the loyal but bemused Bone in tow, the stage is set for a dangerous showdown.

Originally Aired: March 22, 1959 Gunsmoke #363, "The Trial," presents a compelling case of circumstantial evidence and witness testimony against an unlikely suspect. When Homer Tisdale, a starved-out homesteader, is caught stealing a handful of potatoes from Van Walcott's store, Matt Dillon refuses to jail him for such a desperate act, instead arranging for him to work at the Long Branch. Days later, while Matt and Chester are away at Fort Leonard, the stage office is robbed of ten thousand dollars and Charlie Reynolds is murdered in cold blood. Both witnesses, Walcott and stage manager Jay Buford, identify the masked gunman as Homer Tisdale. Upon his return, Matt finds Homer still in Dodge, with no alibi except his claim that he was sleeping in a shed behind the Long Branch at the time of the crime. Despite Homer's gentle nature and Matt's doubts, two witnesses are prepared to swear under oath that he's the killer. When Circuit Judge Stokes arrives in town, showing more interest in corn liquor than justice, a jury trial begins in an old dance hall to determine Homer's fate.

Originally Aired: March 15, 1959 Gunsmoke #362, "Incident at Indian Ford," finds Marshal Matt Dillon and Chester returning from Hayes City when they encounter a small cavalry detachment camped by the river. Led by the inexperienced Lieutenant Dick and seasoned Sergeant Cromwell, the patrol has just ransomed Mary Tabor from the Arapahoe Indians in exchange for a wagon full of trade goods, including guns and ammunition. The nervous lieutenant insists hostile Arapahoe have been following them for three days, waiting for a chance to recapture the woman. However, when Dillon scouts the perimeter, he discovers evidence of only a single Indian tracker, not a war party. The situation grows more complex when Dillon speaks with Mary Tabor herself. The young woman expresses deep shame and fear about returning to Dodge City, worried about how townspeople will judge her after her captivity, even though she insists her treatment wasn't what people assume. As tension mounts between the cautious marshal and the distrustful lieutenant, Dillon must determine the true intentions of the lone Arapahoe following them and help Mary face her uncertain homecoming.

Originally Aired: March 8, 1959 Gunsmoke #361, "Maw Hawkins," presents a peculiar predicament for Chester Proudfoot when he boards the Hayes City stage back to Dodge. The journey turns dangerous when a nervous young outlaw named Raz Hawkins attempts to rob the coach, forcing Chester and the other passengers to surrender their valuables along with twenty thousand dollars in bank money. The reluctant holdup man takes Chester hostage to help carry the heavy loot, leading him to a ramshackle cabin that serves as the Hawkins home. There Chester discovers the truth behind this unlikely robbery: Maw Hawkins, the family matriarch, has been pushing her sixteen-year-old son into a life of crime. With her husband and older sons all serving prison sentences, Maw sees the stagecoach holdup as young Raz's necessary initiation into the family business. Chester finds himself caught between a domineering criminal mother determined to corrupt her son and a boy who clearly lacks the heart for outlawry, creating an unusual hostage situation where the real danger may not be who it appears to be.

Originally Aired: March 1, 1959 Gunsmoke #360, "Big Tom," presents Matt Dillon with a troubling situation when Doc Adams comes to him with an urgent warning. Big Tom Burr, a lovable drunk who likes to boast about his fighting days in San Francisco, has been goaded into a bare-knuckle match by Joe Brady and Hob Clay. They've brought in a professional fighter from St. Louis named Creel, who apparently defeated Tom once before in what Tom claims was a foul fight. When Tom seeks Doc's help for dizzy spells, Doc examines him and delivers grave news: Tom's health is so poor that fighting could kill him. Tom refuses to back down, explaining that he was called afraid once and has lived with that shame ever since. Matt faces the difficult challenge of stopping a fight between two grown men while protecting Tom's pride and his life. The situation becomes even more desperate as Doc reveals that Brady and Clay seem to be orchestrating something more sinister than just a simple brawl, leaving Matt to untangle their motives before Tom steps into what could be his final fight.

Originally Aired: February 22, 1959 Gunsmoke #359, "Sarahs Search," Marshal Matt Dillon and Chester come across a stranded woman on the prairie road between Wichita and Dodge City. Sarah Howell's buggy wheel has broken, and she reveals she's traveling alone to find her fiance, Guy Porter, a tall, handsome, tow-headed man who headed west and never returned. Though it's highly unusual and improper for a woman to travel unescorted across the territory, Sarah is determined to find him, convinced something terrible has happened. Matt agrees to help locate Porter, though he doesn't recognize the name. Meanwhile, back in Dodge City, Sarah's inquiries and her detailed descriptions of the man she's seeking attract unwanted attention. A nervous man named Rance realizes Sarah's description matches his companion Joe, who's apparently hiding out after making off with money in Wichita. As Sarah settles into Moss Smalley's boarding house and takes an evening stroll hoping to encounter her beloved, Rance and Joe make ominous plans to ensure she won't be able to identify Joe to the marshal.

Originally Aired: February 15, 1959 In Gunsmoke #358, "Body Snatch," Marshal Matt Dillon hauls in a troublemaker named Joe Red after catching him digging into an Indian burial site looking for valuables. The grave robbing isn't just a criminal offense—it risks provoking a deadly Indian uprising that could endanger the entire territory. When Joe Red injures his leg during the arrest, Doc Adams is nowhere to be found, so a stranger in town, Dr. Milfred Brand from Philadelphia, steps in to treat the prisoner. The sophisticated Eastern doctor announces his intention to set up practice in Dodge City, bringing modern medical school methods to the frontier. Doc Adams welcomes the help at first, acknowledging that the growing town could use another physician. However, tensions quickly surface between the two doctors' vastly different approaches to medicine. Dr. Brand views Doc's rough-and-ready frontier methods as unprofessional and makes clear he has no intention of being anyone's assistant. Meanwhile, Chester is indignant that an outsider in a fancy city suit would dare intrude on Doc's territory, setting the stage for conflict as the old ways of the West clash with Eastern sophistication.

Originally Aired: February 8, 1959 Gunsmoke #357, "Groats Grudge," a brooding Southern gentleman named Yancey Groat arrives in Dodge City with deadly preparations on his mind. He visits gunsmith Walt Dow to have an old Confederate pistol restored to firing condition, telling him the gun "missed its chance once" and won't miss again. He orders a cheap Yankee-style army coffin from the storekeeper and asks Chester to arrange for a preacher, explaining matter-of-factly that the man isn't dead yet but will be soon. The man he's waiting for is Tom Haskett, who's riding into Dodge with a cattle herd. When Matt Dillon confronts Groat at the Dodge House, the somber visitor makes no attempt to hide his intentions. He freely admits he plans to kill Haskett with the restored Confederate pistol, saying he's already been waiting too many years and once made the mistake of saving Haskett's life. Despite Matt's warning, Groat remains coldly determined, insisting nothing the marshal says or does will stop him from settling this long-festering grudge when Haskett arrives in town.

Originally Aired: February 1, 1959 Gunsmoke #356, "The Bobbsey Twins," introduces Harvey and Merle Finney, a pair of twin drifters who casually murder a westbound settler named Joe after he refuses to share his meager food supplies. When Joe reaches for his rifle in self-defense, the twins gun him down without remorse, then sit down to enjoy his stew while his widow Lavinda flees into the prairie in shock, where she later dies of thirst. The brothers show no real guilt over the killings, only expressing annoyance at the woman's grief and justifying their actions because it happened on a Sunday, when their father taught them not to fight or kill. Marshal Matt Dillon and Chester discover both bodies and begin investigating the senseless crime. Meanwhile, the Finney twins continue their journey toward Dodge City, and when a cowboy named Bud Grant stumbles upon their camp seeking hospitality, he innocently mentions the murdered settlers. The twins, paranoid that Grant knows too much about their crime, quickly turn their violence on him as well, revealing themselves to be cold-blooded killers who murder with disturbing ease and little provocation.

Originally Aired: January 25, 1959 Gunsmoke #355, "The Boots," opens with a tense confrontation at the Long Branch Saloon when a young gunman named Hank Fergus humiliates Zeno Smith, forcing him into a showdown that exposes Zeno's paralyzing fear. The once-respected gunman freezes and crawls on the floor while Fergus mocks him, cementing Zeno's reputation as a coward and driving him deeper into the bottle. For ten years since that night, Zeno has struggled with alcoholism, working sporadically at the general store while being looked after by young Tommy, a thirteen-year-old orphan boy who lives with him. As Tommy's fourteenth birthday approaches, Zeno promises the boy a pair of boots he's been wanting, but when Zeno goes on another drunken binge and spends all his money, he finds himself unable to keep his word. Marshal Matt Dillon encounters Tommy crying outside the store window, staring at the boots he'll never receive. The situation takes an ominous turn when Hank Fergus returns to Dodge City after ten years, claiming to be broke and looking to make gambling money. As Fergus and Zeno come face to face once again, the stage is set for a dangerous reckoning.

Originally Aired: January 18, 1959 Gunsmoke #354, "Kangaroo," Matt Dillon and Chester encounter a disturbing scene while returning from a Sunday ride upriver. In a cottonwood grove, they find Iris Skurlock, a wild-eyed religious fanatic, brutally whipping a young cowboy named Jim Bright who had been strung up by his wrists. Skurlock's two armed sons stand guard as the old patriarch passes judgment on the cowboy for the "sin" of riding into Dodge City on the Sabbath. When Matt orders Chester to cut Bright down, Skurlock fixes his fury specifically on Chester, repeatedly warning that Chester himself will be judged for interfering with the Lord's work. The situation escalates when one of Skurlock's own sons, Dow, is caught drinking in a saloon. The fanatical father beats the young man savagely in the street before Matt intervenes. Throughout these encounters, Skurlock continues his ominous threats against Chester, insisting that a reckoning is coming. Despite Doc's advice not to worry, Chester grows increasingly unnerved by the old man's menacing promises. His fears prove justified when Skurlock's sons ambush him at gunpoint, forcing him onto a horse to face whatever judgment their deranged father has planned.

Originally Aired: January 11, 1959 Gunsmoke #353, "The Wolfer," begins when rancher Nate Guthrie confronts Wib Edmonds, a wolfer he's hired to clear wolves from his land. Wib has successfully eliminated most of the wolf population, but Guthrie's colts are still being slaughtered. Wib claims the killings are the work of a single massive white wolf called Slatefoot, but the suspicious rancher believes there's no such animal. Guthrie accuses the cold-eyed, half-breed wolfer of deliberately keeping one wolf alive to extend his employment through the winter, or worse, of killing the colts himself. When Wib refuses to leave, Guthrie threatens to bring in Marshal Matt Dillon. Back in Dodge City, Guthrie interrupts Matt's rare peaceful dinner with Kitty to demand action against the wolfer. He insists Wib is a natural-born killer whose snake-like eyes reveal his dangerous nature, though he admits he has no concrete proof of wrongdoing. Matt remains skeptical, explaining he needs evidence before he can act against any man, leaving the conflict between the rancher and the mysterious wolfer unresolved.

Originally Aired: January 4, 1959 In Gunsmoke #352, "The Coward," Marshal Matt Dillon faces a deadly threat when a young cowboy named Jack Massey is shot in the back while sitting in Dillon's chair at the marshal's office. The victim, wearing a hat similar to Matt's and matching his build, was clearly mistaken for the lawman himself. Doc Adams and Chester quickly realize someone is hunting Matt the coward's way, shooting from behind rather than facing him in a fair fight. As word spreads through Dodge City that someone wants the marshal dead, the situation grows more dangerous and unpredictable. The tension escalates when gambler Said Evie, a man Matt once publicly humiliated in Santa Fe for being a coward, approaches with information about overhearing a murder plot. Soon Matt encounters Matt Swan, a drunk and desperate man hoping to make a name for himself by killing the marshal. As glory hunters and would-be assassins emerge from the shadows, Dillon must navigate a deadly game where any dark alley or deserted building could conceal his killer, and where the real assassin hides among the opportunists seeking fame through murder.

Originally Aired: December 28, 1958 Gunsmoke #351, "The Choice," begins when a drifter named Andy Hill gets into a confrontation at the Long Branch. When a troublemaker threatens Kitty, the young Andy demonstrates lightning-fast gun skills in a deadly shootout. Despite the self-defense killing, Marshal Dillon senses something hidden in Andy's past but gives him a chance anyway, recommending him for a shotgun guard position with stage driver Jim Buck. That decision comes back to haunt Dillon when Andy refuses to fight during a stage holdup, claiming the empty strongbox wasn't worth killing over. Fired and unable to find other work in Dodge, Andy grows increasingly bitter. When a drunk gunman named Kerrick picks a fight with Andy at the Texas Trail, Dillon recognizes him from wanted circulars and realizes the terrible truth: both men are wanted outlaws who once rode together. Instead of arresting either man, Dillon makes a controversial choice, sending Kerrick out of town and jailing Andy overnight to sober up. Doc questions the marshal's risky gamble, but Dillon believes Andy deserves the chance to choose his own path, just as someone once gave Dillon himself a chance.

Originally Aired: December 21, 1958 Gunsmoke #350, "Where'd They Go," finds Marshal Matt Dillon and Chester facing an unusual dilemma when storekeeper Wilbur Jonas reports a robbery at his general store. Though the bandit wore a mask, Jonas insists he recognized homesteader Clint Dodie as the culprit. Despite the five-hour head start and an approaching blizzard, Matt decides to ride out the next morning to bring Dodie in. When they arrive at Dodie's homestead, they find him with his pregnant wife Madora, who insists her husband hasn't left the place in two days. What begins as a routine arrest quickly becomes complicated when Dodie points out the hardship his absence will cause. With a storm bearing down and Madora in her condition, Matt agrees to help chop firewood and repair the cabin's chinkin before taking Dodie to jail. As the marshal and Chester work alongside their prisoner, the simple act of decency raises questions about duty, justice, and whether Wilbur Jonas might have fingered the wrong man. The bitter wind and approaching blizzard mirror the moral complexity of enforcing the law in harsh frontier conditions.

Originally Aired: December 14, 1958 Gunsmoke #349, "Kitty's Injury," finds Marshal Matt Dillon making what should be a routine ride to escort Kitty Russell back from the town of Larnard. Despite good-natured teasing from Doc and Chester about the romantic nature of the journey, the trip turns dangerous when Kitty's horse is spooked by a rattlesnake. Thrown from her mount, Kitty suffers a serious head injury that leaves her feverish, disoriented, and unable to see clearly. With darkness falling and Kitty's condition worsening, Matt desperately seeks shelter at the nearest homestead, occupied by a poor family. What begins as a simple request for help quickly turns into a tense standoff when the family's simple-minded son Ludie becomes fixated on the beautiful, helpless woman brought into their home. As Matt struggles to get Doc Adams out to treat Kitty's injuries, Ludie hatches a dangerous plan of his own. With Kitty's life hanging in the balance and an unpredictable young man holding a gun, Matt must find a way to protect his injured friend before it's too late.

Originally Aired: December 7, 1958 Gunsmoke #348, "The Grass Asp," presents Matt Dillon with a dangerous situation when a stray bullet from celebrating cowboys strikes Melodia Bastian, wife of local farmer Red Bastian. The shot comes from a group of Lazy T trail drivers whooping through Dodge City's streets, firing their guns in the air. While Doc Adams fights to save Melodia's life, Red vows vengeance against whoever pulled the trigger, making it clear he'll use gun law himself if Marshal Dillon doesn't act fast enough. Trail boss Carl Willard insists none of his men are responsible, claiming they only fired into the air and that the riders he's worked with for years wouldn't lie to him. But Red refuses to accept this explanation, especially when his wife lies unconscious in Doc's office. Despite Willard's cooperation in allowing Dillon to question every man in his outfit, the investigation hits a wall of silence. With Red threatening to come back to town wearing a gun and the cowboys preparing to defend themselves, Matt finds himself racing against time to uncover the truth before frontier justice turns deadly.

Originally Aired: November 30, 1958 Gunsmoke #347, "Burning Wagon," Matt Dillon and Chester ride upon a burning wagon on the prairie outside Dodge City, its cartridges exploding in the heat. Searching the area, they discover a dead man shot in the back and scattered belongings that suggest a woman was traveling with him. Following the creek, they find her alive but gravely wounded with a gunshot to the head, muttering deliriously about "my boy." Doc Adams treats her, but she remains in a confused mental state, unable to provide answers about what happened. Back in Dodge, Matt spots a horse tied outside the Long Branch with a new army carbine just like the one found at the fire scene. The saddle bears the initials J.R., belonging to Joe Ramsay, a whiskey-soaked drifter who claims he simply found the weapon lying on the prairie. Matt arrests him for murder, but when the woman unexpectedly appears at the jail insisting on speaking with the marshal, she makes a shocking declaration about Ramsay's guilt that turns the investigation in an unexpected direction.

Originally Aired: November 23, 1958 Gunsmoke #346, "The Correspondent," brings an unwelcome visitor to Dodge City. Reed Norton, a cynical newspaper correspondent from St. Louis, arrives determined to write the "real story" of the West, not the romanticized accounts he believes dominate the press. Having been hazed by cavalrymen at the Rosebud, Norton is convinced that Western lawmen are all swagger and tall tales. He confronts Matt Dillon about a recent stage holdup, criticizing the marshal for not immediately capturing the bandits, one of whom was badly wounded. Despite Matt's explanations about cold trails and prairie winds, Norton spreads word around town that Dillon is sitting idle while criminals go free. When Joe Porter reports being shot at near the abandoned Hutchinson cabin, Matt and Chester ride out to investigate, with Norton stubbornly tracking along behind them. Though annoyed by the correspondent's interference and sharp tongue, Matt allows him to join the expedition, warning him to stay quiet and out of the way. As darkness falls, the three men approach the cabin on foot, where the wounded holdup men may be holed up. Norton is about to discover whether frontier justice lives up to his cynical expectations or proves more dangerous than any story he's written.

Originally Aired: November 16, 1958 Gunsmoke #345, "Brush at Elkader," begins with the cold-blooded murder of Ben Williams on the streets of Dodge City. When Marshal Matt Dillon returns to town at midnight, he finds Doc Adams and Chester crouched over the dying man, who manages to whisper only one clue: Elkader. The killer is identified as Lou Shippen, a wanted man from Wichita, who called Williams out of the Long Branch Saloon and shot him twice without warning before riding off into the darkness. Kitty Russell witnessed the murder but couldn't provide a description in the dim light. Dillon and Chester ride a hundred miles north to the remote town of Elkader, where they encounter a wall of fear and hostility. From the stable owner to the hotel clerk to the telegraph operator, every citizen refuses to help the lawmen, clearly terrified of Lou Shippen. Unable to get a description telegraphed from Wichita and surrounded by suspicious townspeople who might be sheltering the killer, Matt realizes Shippen has the entire town under his thumb. With danger lurking around every corner and no way to identify his quarry, Dillon must find a way to smoke out the murderer before Shippen strikes again.

Originally Aired: November 9, 1958 Gunsmoke #344, "Target - Chester," begins when Matt Dillon and Chester intervene to stop the Leach brothers from tormenting an old drunk. When Matt grabs Jabe Leach's gun to stop the cruel sport, it accidentally discharges and wounds Jabe's younger brother Burt in the wrist. Jabe, who dominates his brother's life with an Old Testament ferocity, makes a chilling vow that the shooting will cost the Marshal dearly. Doc Adams warns Matt that Jabe's eye-for-an-eye mentality makes him dangerous, but Matt dismisses the threat, believing Jabe is more bully than killer. Later that evening, while Matt and Doc play checkers in the Marshal's office, they notice Chester hasn't returned from the Long Branch. When Matt hears a noise out back and investigates, he discovers Chester badly wounded. The deputy manages to gasp out his attacker's name before losing consciousness: Jabe Leach. Now Matt faces the grim reality that his intervention to help a helpless stranger has made his loyal deputy the target of a vengeful man's rage.

Originally Aired: November 2, 1958 Gunsmoke #343, "Old Man's Gold," begins when Cassius Mayhew arrives late at night at Matt Dillon's office with an unusual request. His wife is gravely ill, stranded in Dodge City on their journey west to find a dry climate for her health. While asking Matt to fetch Doc Adams, Mayhew also leaves a mysterious suitcase filled with family treasures for safekeeping in the marshal's office. The situation grows complicated when Henry Brayles appears, claiming to be Mayhew's brother-in-law and demanding to see what's inside the suitcase, accusing Mayhew of stealing family property. Tensions escalate when Brayles attempts to force his way into Mrs. Mayhew's hotel room to confront his sick sister. Matt must intervene when Mayhew pulls a derringer to protect his wife from the intrusion. With Doc Adams confirming that Mrs. Mayhew is too ill to travel or receive visitors, Matt finds himself in the middle of a bitter family dispute. As suspicions mount on both sides about the true contents of that locked suitcase, the marshal must determine who's telling the truth and what's really at stake.

Originally Aired: October 26, 1958 Gunsmoke #342, "The Tragedian," presents a curious intersection of theatrical elegance and frontier justice. When Matt Dillon breaks up a crooked poker game at the Long Branch, he encounters Edward Vandermann, a down-on-his-luck stage actor who claims to have performed before the crowned heads of Europe. Now broke and desperate in Dodge City, Vandermann has resorted to marking cards to survive. Rather than running him out of town, Matt arranges for the aging thespian to work as a waiter and cook at Joe Carpey's restaurant, giving him a chance to redeem himself. Meanwhile, a darker threat looms over Dodge. Ray Kyler sits locked in Matt's jail, and his brother Brad remains at large somewhere in town, presumably planning a jailbreak. Ray brazenly boasts that he'll never stand trial, confident his brother will free him first. As Matt and Chester remain watchful for an attack that could come at any moment, the lawman's unexpected act of mercy toward Vandermann may prove to have consequences he never anticipated. The convergence of these two situations sets the stage for an unpredictable confrontation.

Originally Aired: October 19, 1958 Gunsmoke #341, "Kick Me," presents a tense situation when two drifters, Weiser and Durbin, come to Marshal Matt Dillon reporting that an old Indian named Tabil is threatening to kill them. The trouble began when the pair played a cruel joke on the aging former Army scout, giving him a letter of recommendation that he believed would help him find work guiding cattle herds. Instead, the letter described Tabil as a liar, beggar, and thief, humiliating him when he tried to use it. Now Tabil shadows the two men through Dodge City, claiming they will die by his medicine. When Weiser turns up murdered, stabbed and scalped in an alley, all evidence points to Tabil. His knife is present, and Weiser's scalp is found drying outside the old Indian's shack. Despite Tabil's insistence that he killed no one and that his medicine alone was responsible for Weiser's death, Matt must determine whether the proud old scout has committed murder or if something else is at work. With Durbin convinced of Tabil's guilt and demanding justice, Matt faces the challenge of uncovering the truth.

Originally Aired: October 12, 1958 Gunsmoke #340, "Doc's Showdown," begins with tragedy when young Lemmy Woods is brought home to his mother Sarah, shot in the back and tied to his horse like a butchered animal. Doc Adams arrives to treat the mortally wounded boy, learning from Sarah that Lemmy had decided to quit riding with some dangerous companions that very morning. Despite Doc's efforts, Lemmy dies before he can reveal who shot him, leaving Sarah grief-stricken and Doc determined to see justice done. When Matt Dillon cautions Doc to stay out of the investigation, the stubborn physician hatches a dangerous plan of his own. Doc begins spreading word around Dodge City that Lemmy talked before dying and revealed his killer's identity. Despite warnings from both Matt and Kitty that he's making himself a target, Doc persists in his reckless scheme to flush out the murderer. When a young boy arrives to fetch Doc to the Woods place, claiming Sarah is sick, the trap appears to be set. Doc heads out alone, knowing full well he may be riding into an ambush, while back in town Chester worries about the doctor's uncharacteristic and perilous behavior.

Originally Aired: October 5, 1958 Gunsmoke #339, "Tag You're It," begins when Matt Dillon encounters an old acquaintance on the streets of Dodge City. Carl Killian, a man Dillon once worked cattle with years ago, has arrived in town, and the marshal immediately recognizes the danger. Killian has become a notorious hired gun, goading his victims into drawing first so he can claim self-defense. Though Killian denies the accusations with cold detachment, his reputation precedes him, and Dillon knows his presence means someone in Dodge is marked for death. The tension escalates when a young man named Tex Barto comes to Dillon's office, convinced that Killian followed him from Pueblo to carry out a contract killing. As paranoia grips the town and citizens begin locking themselves indoors, Dillon faces an impossible situation: he has no legal grounds to arrest Killian, who hasn't committed any crime in Dodge. The marshal must navigate the dangerous game between his duty to uphold the law and his knowledge that his old friend has become a killer for hire, all while the question looms over who Killian's real target might be.

Originally Aired: September 28, 1958 Gunsmoke #338, "Kitty's Rebellion," presents a collision between Old South propriety and Western frontier reality when young Billy Critt arrives in Dodge City from Louisiana. The well-mannered Southern gentleman comes bearing greetings from his sister Lucy, an old childhood friend of Kitty Russell's. When Marshal Matt Dillon escorts Billy to find Kitty at the Long Branch Saloon, the young man is shocked to discover his family friend working in such an establishment. Despite his polite manners, Billy makes clear his disapproval, believing that a lady of Kitty's quality deserves better surroundings. The situation escalates when Billy takes Kitty to supper and rowdy cowboys from the Long Branch interrupt their meal with crude comments. Billy's Southern sense of honor compels him to defend Kitty's reputation, setting up a dangerous confrontation. Matt tries to explain Western ways to the headstrong young man, but Billy's rigid notions of propriety and his determination to protect Kitty's honor threaten to lead him into serious trouble in a town where he doesn't understand the rules.

Originally Aired: September 21, 1958 Gunsmoke #337, "Big Girl Lost," Marshal Matt Dillon finds himself caught in a delicate situation when Philip Locke, an aristocratic visitor from Philadelphia, arrives in Dodge City searching for his former fiancée, Laura Simmons. Laura had written her mother claiming she was teaching school in Dodge, but she never appeared at the schoolhouse. Matt discovers that Laura is actually working as a saloon girl at the Long Branch, having fled Philadelphia after Philip's wealthy family called off their wedding upon learning her father was a riverboat captain. Desperate to keep her current circumstances hidden, Laura hides at Ma Smalley's boarding house while Matt tries to discourage Locke's search. The situation escalates when the frustrated Locke threatens Matt, claiming he's hired a gunman named Pete Dulan to force the marshal's cooperation. Unable to hide forever, Laura makes a difficult decision about confronting her past. She returns to face Philip at the Long Branch, meeting him in her saloon girl dress and forcing him to see the truth about her life in Dodge. Philip's reaction reveals the limits of his devotion as he struggles to reconcile his feelings for Laura with his family's rigid social expectations and his own shallow values.

Originally Aired: September 14, 1958 Gunsmoke #336, "False Witness," finds Marshal Matt Dillon in a difficult position as he prepares to transport young Tom Moray to Hayes City for his hanging. The convicted killer has been desperately ill with fever while in Dodge City's jail, and Doc Adams has only just pronounced him well enough to travel. Tom maintains his innocence, insisting he wasn't even present at the murder scene, but the key witness against him, a weasel-like man named Romy Hawkins, swore in court that he saw Tom pull the trigger. Matt finds himself troubled by the case, particularly by Hawkins, who keeps appearing to check on the prisoner and remind everyone of his important role as a witness. The situation becomes more suspicious when Doc suddenly remembers seeing Hawkins before, testifying as a witness in another murder trial a year earlier in Meade. As Matt reluctantly carries out his duty to deliver the condemned young man to the gallows, doubts begin to surface about the testimony that sealed Tom's fate. With Hawkins proving increasingly eager to see justice carried out quickly, the question emerges whether this "important witness" might have more sinister motives than civic responsibility.

Originally Aired: September 7, 1958 Gunsmoke #335, "Tried It - Didn't Like It," Marshal Matt Dillon and Chester ride out to the Cates ranch on a blistering hot day to investigate a complaint from turkey farmer Hank Jurgen. Hank claims that twelve-year-old Eddie Cates has been shooting his prized turkeys with a Winchester rifle, and this isn't the first time. When they arrive, Eddie's father Grover becomes immediately defensive and hostile, particularly toward Hank. The tension runs deeper than a simple property dispute - Hank and Grover's wife Alma were once close before she suddenly married Grover, and old resentments clearly simmer beneath the surface. When Matt questions young Eddie, the boy vehemently denies shooting any turkeys and counters with an explosive accusation of his own: he's seen Hank visiting his stepmother Alma when Grover is away from the ranch. Eddie, who has never accepted Alma as a replacement for his deceased mother, insists this is why Hank is lying about him. As Alma desperately denies the allegations and Grover sits at home drinking in brooding silence, Matt must untangle the web of accusations, jealousy, and family dysfunction to determine who is telling the truth.

Originally Aired: August 31, 1958 Gunsmoke #334, "I Thee Wed," opens with a disturbing pattern of domestic violence in Dodge City. When Sam Blackett publicly beats his wife Hester outside the Long Branch, Marshal Matt Dillon intervenes, but Hester refuses to sign a complaint despite previous incidents, including broken fingers she'd tried to hide. The situation escalates tragically when Hester arrives at Doc Adams' office barely alive, brutally beaten by Sam after refusing to surrender her pearl brooch for him to sell. This time, the violence has left her nose broken, ribs cracked, and one eye severely injured. Through her pain, Hester reflects on happier times when Sam was kind and loving, wondering what forces – time, hardship, or the unforgiving prairie itself – transform good people into monsters. As Matt prepares to bring Sam to justice and Hester finally agrees to sign a complaint, the case heads to court. Judge arrives for a preliminary hearing, but proceedings are delayed when both Doc and Matt fail to appear as expected with the key witness. The tension builds as the judge grows impatient and Sam protests his innocence, setting the stage for a confrontation that will determine whether justice can prevail.

Originally Aired: August 24, 1958 In Gunsmoke #333, "The Blacksmith," Marshal Matt Dillon and Chester discover that Emil Wollheter, the gentle German blacksmith of Dodge City, is being harassed by a troublemaker named Tolman. When Tolman refuses to pay for horseshoeing work and falsely accuses Emil of crippling his horse, the situation grows tense. Emil confides in the Marshal that he's sent for a mail-order bride from St. Louis, having answered an advertisement from a young German woman seeking a husband. Despite his imposing size, the big blacksmith is nervous as a schoolboy when Gretchen Schiller arrives on the evening stage. The Marshal and his friends warmly welcome the pretty young bride-to-be, and Emil wastes no time preparing a home for her behind his smithy. After they marry, the happy couple hosts a festive wedding celebration with beer, food, and dancing. However, the joyous occasion takes an ominous turn when the drunk and belligerent Tolman arrives with his two friends Willie and Spooner. As Tolman makes unwelcome advances toward the new bride, the celebration threatens to explode into violence, testing Emil's legendary gentleness and the Marshal's ability to keep the peace.

Originally Aired: August 17, 1958 In Gunsmoke #332, "The Piano," Marshal Matt Dillon and Chester find themselves in a desperate pursuit after a brutal stagecoach holdup. When the stage rolls into Dodge City with its shotgun messenger Mike badly wounded and the driver dead, Mike manages to gasp out crucial details before losing consciousness: two men ambushed the stage at Hat Creek and made off with a twenty thousand dollar currency shipment. Despite getting only two hours of sleep, Matt and Chester track the outlaws through the night, following a distinctive cracked horseshoe print. The trail leads them to a remote shack near a creek, where a shootout leaves one robber critically wounded while his partner escapes into the gathering darkness. The real surprise comes when they carry the dying outlaw to the shack and meet its occupant: the eccentric Miss Hanford, a Southern woman living alone in genteel poverty who insists on protecting her "fine things" with a shotgun. Though her furniture is broken and worthless, she fiercely guards an old piano as her most precious possession. As Miss Hanford serves the lawmen supper and insists on nursing the wounded outlaw herself, Matt and Chester realize this strange woman has been living in her own carefully constructed world since her husband abandoned her years ago, training herself to ignore the harsh realities right outside her door.

Originally Aired: August 10, 1958 Gunsmoke #331, "A House Ain't a Home," presents Marshal Matt Dillon with a troubling family situation that tests the limits of his authority. When Kitty Russell asks Matt to check on old Jedro Haig at the Long Branch, the marshal discovers the rancher has been driven from his own home by his son Ramey, who has returned after three years away with two gunmen friends, Cardin and King. Jedro reveals that Ramey and his companions beat him, threw him out, and now threaten his daughter Diane's safety. Though Jedro carries a gun and contemplates desperate action, Matt convinces him to wait until morning. When Matt and Chester ride out to the Haig ranch, they're ambushed on the trail, and Matt kills one of the gunmen in self-defense. At the ranch house, Ramey and Cardin deny any knowledge of the attack, while Diane refuses to corroborate her father's story about being thrown out or threatened. With no formal complaint filed and the family members contradicting Jedro's account, Matt finds himself unable to take legal action despite knowing something sinister is unfolding at the Haig ranch.

Originally Aired: August 3, 1958 In Gunsmoke #330, "Miguel's Daughter," Marshal Matt Dillon finds himself caught between protecting an innocent young woman and preventing a desperate father from taking the law into his own hands. When Josefina Ramirez is accosted by two rough cowboys in Dodge City, Kitty Russell comes to her rescue and asks Matt to escort the frightened girl home. The ride to the rundown Grimes place nearly ends in disaster when Josefina's father, Miguel, opens fire on them, mistaking Matt and Chester for the men who threatened his daughter. Miguel explains his fierce protectiveness - as Mexican immigrants struggling to make a living on poor land, they've faced prejudice and danger at every turn, and he'll kill anyone who threatens Josefina. Despite Matt's stern warning about letting the law handle trouble, the two cowboys who originally harassed Josefina aren't finished. They track her to the isolated farm, determined to have their way. When Miguel orders them off his property at gunpoint, they retreat temporarily, but their departure is only tactical. As the episode reaches its climax, the men devise a plan to sneak back through the scrub and catch Josefina by surprise, setting up a dangerous confrontation that will test whether Miguel can protect his daughter without becoming an outlaw himself.

Originally Aired: July 27, 1958 In Gunsmoke #329, "The Cast," Marshal Matt Dillon faces a dangerous situation when Shell Tucker's wife swallows a nail and Doc Adams is called to help. Shell is notorious for his hatred of doctors, believing them to be nothing more than "croakers" who killed his father, but he's away on the prairie when his desperate wife sends their son Roof to fetch Doc. Despite Doc's best efforts to operate and save her life, Mrs. Tucker's heart gives out, and Matt must break the news to the grieving family. When Shell returns home to find his wife buried, his long-standing prejudice against doctors transforms into a deadly rage. He blames Doc Adams for his wife's death, calling it murder and vowing revenge with biblical fury. Matt warns Shell that any attack on Doc will result in jail or hanging, but the vengeful rancher's intentions remain unclear. After spending two days at the Caldwell place delivering a baby, Doc rides back to Dodge, only to report to Matt that someone has taken a shot at him on the trail.

Originally Aired: July 20, 1958 In Gunsmoke #328, "Marshal Proudfoot," Marshal Matt Dillon finds himself in an awkward predicament when Chester's elderly father, Wesley Proudfoot, arrives in Dodge City under a significant misapprehension. The old man, hard of hearing and nearly blind, believes his son Chester is the town marshal, apparently based on some creative letter-writing by his deputy. Chester had written home claiming to be marshal with an assistant named Dillon working under him. When Wesley arrives expecting to see his son as the law in Dodge, Chester panics and flees to the Dodge House, leaving Matt to deal with the confused situation. Doc Adams and Kitty Russell urge Matt to play along with the deception to spare the old man's feelings during his short visit. Doc even concocts an elaborate scheme involving a fake holdup staged by Moss Grimmick, which would allow Chester to play hero in front of his father. Matt resists the idea of staging such an elaborate charade, but pressure mounts from his friends to protect both Chester's dignity and his father's pride. The situation grows increasingly complicated as Wesley settles into town, proud of the son he believes has finally made something of himself.