Gunsmoke: Luke’s Law - When Pride Has a Price

When old Luke Burris was beaten half to death by Smed Moley and left by the creek, his son Jess did what his father never would - he rode into Dodge and asked Marshal Dillon for help. Luke was frontier stock, the kind who had carved a life out of hard land before there was any law to speak of. He knew who had done it. He just was not about to say so. Men like Luke settled their own trouble, and he had been doing it that way his whole life.

Matt Dillon could see where things were headed. Moley was bragging at the Long Branch, Luke was still talking about handling it himself, and the next visit to the Burris farm ended with young Jess shot at point-blank range. Dying, Jess named his killer with his last breath. Luke drove his boy into Dodge, buried him, and then headed south on Moley's trail. When Dillon finally caught up to him in a Texas shack, Luke had already settled the matter. Now the law - the law Luke had refused his whole life - had something to say about that.

Episode Quotes

“You did that all right. And your boy wouldn’t have had to die at all if you’d let me move in in the first place.” - Marshal Dillon

“Nothing’s changed. We don’t need you any more than we ever did. We can take care of our own.” - Luke Burris

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

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SPEAKER_03 0:32

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 a U.S. Marshal and the smell of 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.

SPEAKER_02 1:11

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 chancy job, and it makes a man watchful. And a little lonely.

SPEAKER_03 1:41

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SPEAKER_05 2:44

I got a letter from Brother Van. I brought it to green for you, Paul. Paul? Where are you? Where you at? Paul, where are you? Down here. What are you doing here, Paul? Pa you sick? Fetch me to the house. You can peek. Who done it, Paul? The house. Fetch me there, boy. Sure. Sure, Paul. Do that right and up. Oh, up.

SPEAKER_01 3:55

Up his cute.

SPEAKER_05 3:59

Can you make it on your feet? You'd rather I'd carry you, Paul? Oh I I can walk.

SPEAKER_01 4:12

Tell me, Paul.

SPEAKER_05 4:14

Who done this to you? Just get me into bed, Paul. Do you know who done it? Have you seen him before? No, I. I know him. Tell me his name, Paul. No. You're new. Sure there is. Sure I'll go after him. No. How do you view it for no place? Well, then it's a law, Paul. It ain't right for him to go all free. Don't leave it bee, boy. I never had no need for the law. But Paul. I said leave it be. You go ahead. Open the door for me. I'll walk in by myself. Son, what can I do for you? I can come to see the marshal. Well, you come to the right place. I don't see him here. Of course you don't see him. Because he ain't here. He coming back. Sure, he's coming back. Yeah, well, I'll wait for him. All right, son. Have a seat. Thanks. Might be that I could help you. Me being the marshal assistant, you might say. Oh, wait. Oh, sure. I just thought I might maybe could save us some time before he got here. I said I wanted to see the marshal. All right, son. All right. Ain't no call to be so huffy about it. Oh. Mr. Dillon, I'm glad you come. Oh, you got trouble, Chester? It ain't exactly trouble, but this young fella is mighty all pirate serious about seeing you. I couldn't do nothing for him at all. That's some. You want to see me, son? Yeah, Marshal. Yeah, I sure do. Oh, what's your name? Jeff Burris. Burris? Are you Luke's son? Yes, sir, I am. Well, what can I do for you? I want you to arrest the man that beat my car. You can do that, can't you, Marshal Dillon?

SPEAKER_04 6:32

You better tell me more about it.

SPEAKER_05 6:34

Well, I. I found him yesterday laying down by the creek, all beat and bloody. I'd have come sooner, but we needed tendons. Did he tell you who did it? No, sir. No, he wouldn't. But I know right enough. It was Smed Moley. Well, if your Pa wouldn't tell you, how do you know? I've been asking questions. See, Pa had some bad dealings with Smed, Marshals. He seen him here in Dodge yesterday morning and called him down good. He called him a cheat and a liar and a horse thief. Oh, Paw can give it to you good when he's up in mind. That's right, Mr. Don. It happened right out there on Front Street while you was over in Hayes City. Mr. Bruce really gave it to him good, all right. And Smed got himself liquored up and come out to our place and beat up Paul. He might have died, Marshal. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 7:23

I'm sorry to hear it, Jess. Your father's a good man.

SPEAKER_05 7:27

You can arrest Smed, can't you, Marshal Dillon? Well, yes, I can arrest him if uh if your Paul swear that he's the man. He ain't gonna do that, Marshal. Well, why not? Is he afraid? Paul ain't afraid of nothing. That's most of the trouble. Well, how's that? Well, he ain't never needed to call on nobody for help. He don't figure to start now. He's root stubborn. Well. There's not much I can do to change that. Maybe not, Marshal. But maybe you could stop a killing. You figure that this isn't the last of it, time, huh? No. No, it sure ain't the last of it. Unless you lock Smed Moley up for a while. All right, Jeff, huh? I'll go talk for your paw.

SPEAKER_07 8:16

In the thing, think dirty. And un and Luke.

SPEAKER_05 8:40

Luke Burrows. Who's your heir? Matt Dillon. I'd like to talk to you. Come on in, Marshal. I'm back here. Well. Sorry to see you laid up, Luke. What do you do it out this way?

SPEAKER_04 9:09

Well, I uh heard you were off your feed.

SPEAKER_05 9:14

You didn't come to pay no sick call, Marshal.

SPEAKER_04 9:18

No, I I guess I didn't, Luke. I was hoping uh you'd help me out.

SPEAKER_05 9:23

How would that be? I need you as a witness, Luke, as soon as you're able to travel. Witness for what? Witness against Smed Moley. Uh I told the boy to leave it be. Jess is trying to protect you, Luke, and see that there's no more trouble. I don't need no help. I ain't never needed no help. Looks like you might have used some yesterday. He jumped me when I wasn't ready for him. But I can handle Mole, Marshal. Don't you worry about that.

SPEAKER_04 9:52

You let me lock him up and he won't have to. The law hasn't.

SPEAKER_05 9:55

No. I come out here before the law, Marshal.

SPEAKER_04 10:00

Maybe, but times have changed.

SPEAKER_05 10:02

Not for me, they ain't. When I come out here, a man had to do his own settling with the land and Indians with whatever stood in the way of his carving out of the place. Folks learned to live and die without the law. Yeah, and some of them died when I didn't have to. How a man dies is his own business. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 10:24

If he's the only one dying.

SPEAKER_05 10:27

Marshal, you got something to rest me for? You gonna take me here? You know better than I, Luke. And then, Marshal, I'll sure think you'd lead me alone and get along. Locking Molly up might save you a lot of trouble, Luke. I'll handle my own trouble. All right. All right, you handle it.

SPEAKER_04 10:46

There may come a time when I'll have to move in.

SPEAKER_05 10:48

I ain't never needed a law yet.

SPEAKER_04 10:50

You better hope you won't be needing it from now on.

SPEAKER_03 11:16

Peek.

SPEAKER_07 11:18

Oh ma.

SPEAKER_05 11:19

Hello, Kitty. Good on. Thanks.

SPEAKER_01 11:23

Well, the lab business must be pretty good. Oh? How's that? You're usually in here early, isn't it?

SPEAKER_05 11:31

Yeah. Well, it's not that business is good, I can tell you that. Matter of fact, Kitty, I'm having a hard time selling the law.

SPEAKER_01 11:40

What do you mean?

SPEAKER_05 11:41

Old man Burris.

SPEAKER_04 11:43

He got beat half to death yesterday. And he won't let me haul in the fellow that did us.

SPEAKER_01 11:49

Mad Molly.

SPEAKER_04 11:50

Yes, Mad Molly.

SPEAKER_02 11:52

No, I'll be winning.

SPEAKER_01 11:54

How did you know? Everybody knows. He's been here at the bar all day bragging about it. How the old man got uppity with him and how he fixed it. Yeah, he's still here. Gone at the far end to.

SPEAKER_04 12:08

Yes. I see him.

SPEAKER_05 12:11

I guess I better have a torch with him. He ain't talking about TikTok. All right. I showed it. Ain't nobody gonna talk about horse whipping Smith Mowy. I'll later. Marshal. Yeah. I'll talk to you. All right, you go right ahead, Marshal. You go right ahead. Ain't nothing you can do to me. I don't count on it. I know ain't nothing you can do, Marshal. I seen a boy. What boy? Luke's boy, Marshal. Big fella like him, nearly the crying. You take the beeping him too, like you did the old man? Oh, sure not, Marshal. Sure not. He feels bad enough. You know why he feels so bad, Marshal. Suppose you tell me. He feels so bad because he comes running to you for help and he can't get none. This old man won't take no help from the law. Well, that's lucky for you. We got a big marshal out here, and he can't do nothing. Holly. Well, you know it's true, Marshal. You can't risk me if the old man don't say so. And he ain't gonna be saying so. Well, that's the old man's business. Yeah, yeah, I know. And I'll tell you something.

SPEAKER_04 13:34

If you ever go out there again, he means to take care of it. I ain't worried. You should be. Because if the old man doesn't handle you, I will.

SPEAKER_05 13:48

Oh, Marsha, you can. Yes, Molly, I can. But if you're smart, you won't make me prove it.

SPEAKER_01 14:15

Hey, goodbye.

SPEAKER_05 14:17

You there. You ain't got no business coming out here no more. Oh, see me I got business here. Unfinished business. What do you want? I want to see your old man. You seen him enough. Yeah, that's the way I figured it too. I figured I seen him enough. But I've been hearing different. What do you mean? Been hearing from folks around town, your pa been talking unkindly about me. Downright unkindly. How'd you expect him to talk? Well, I figured I closed his mouth some other day, boy. Pa ain't afraid of you. No, no, I guess he ain't yet. I guess I got to show him some more. You ain't going after him again. Boy, now you ain't figuring this truth. Well, you got a gun, ain't you, boy? And I can use it.

SPEAKER_06 15:14

Hmm.

SPEAKER_05 15:16

All right, boy. Seeing you got the drop on me. I'll just ride off the You shouldn't have threatened me, boy.

SPEAKER_01 15:27

You collar. You duty collar.

SPEAKER_05 15:32

Jerry. Jess, what's happened? Boy. Shot me. Who's a murdering he even shot my boy and rode away. Next time I see him, I'll kill him short. Jess. Yes, sir. Are you hurt bad, boy? Okay, but it ain't nothing. Yes, nothing at all. I'll get you to the dark and he'll fix you up in no time. Don't you fret now? I'll go and fetch the wagon. It's pretty nice, ain't it, Mr. Dillon, just setting out here watching the world go by. Uh-huh. Of course, ain't much of the world going by, I gotta admit that. I ain't saw more than three or four wagons in a buggy or two since been sitting here. That's funny, Shester. Seems to me you've been sitting here most of the morning. I've had to step over you every time I went in or out of the office. Oh, well, I may uh dozed off once or twice. Yeah. Yeah, you may have. But you said yourself it's been a slow warm, Mr. John. I figured I might as well rest up so to be ready in case something happened. Looks like it might be going to happen right now. Why, what do you mean? That's old Luke Burris driving that wagon, isn't it? That's how yes. He must be feeling better. Well, he may be, but there's somebody in the wagon bed who isn't feeling frigid. I declare. You're right, Miss Dillemag. Somebody's forced out in there. Luke. Luke Burris. Ain't even looking at you, Mr. Duper. But that's his boy. He's got there. Yeah. Come on, let's give him a hat. How is he, Doc? He's not good, Matt. Is he gonna make it? He hasn't got a chance. The bullet was fired at point blank range. It's a shame. Yeah. Can I go in? You can't do him any harm now. He's only got a few minutes. Come on.

SPEAKER_04 18:21

I'm sorry about this one.

SPEAKER_05 18:23

Oh, leave us be, Marshal. Oh, there's a time I can't. Can I speak to the boy, Doc? Be easy, man. Yeah, sure.

SPEAKER_04 18:36

Jess? Jess. It's Marshall Dillon. Marshall. Can you tell me who did it?

SPEAKER_05 18:49

You don't have to talk to him, Jess.

SPEAKER_04 18:52

I can get him if you tell me, Jess.

SPEAKER_05 18:54

I can lock him up this time. Lock him up. You tell me his name. He ain't got no right to cuss to you, Jess. You don't have to tell him nothing. What's going on? Yeah, Jess. It was Moly. Smith. Molly again. You did him.

unknown 19:30

I'll get it.

SPEAKER_07 19:35

Yes.

SPEAKER_05 19:40

He's gone, Matt. I'm sorry, Luke. I did the best I could. I've seen you try to save him, Doc. I thank you. Luke. I still ain't got nothing to say to you, Marshal. I could have asked you to let him die in peace.

SPEAKER_04 19:58

I'm sorry you feel that way, Luke. But I have to step in. This is murder.

SPEAKER_05 20:03

I gotta get into this now, whether you want me to or not. I can't stop you, Marshal. No, no, you can't stop me. And I'll tell you something. What's that? Nothing has changed. I can't stop you from coming into this thing. But we don't need you, Marshal. Jess and me. We don't need you any more than we ever did. He can take care of our old. Uh-huh. Failing the man for a day and a night can sure wear a fella down. Ain't that right, Mr. Dillon?

SPEAKER_06 20:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 20:52

Wouldn't be so bad if a body didn't have to keep his eyes so open, Everman. Yeah, I know that's particularly hard on you, Chester. Well, you gotta keep looking out for so many things that you don't get to enjoy the scene in them tall hard to. You're not missing much in this part of you. No, I don't know, Mr. Dillon. I kinda like it out here. So it's nice and flat. And hot and dry. Well, sure, but you can just see you forever. You gotta admit that, Mr. Dillon. Yeah, Chester, you're right. I gotta admit that. There's nothing in the way. There, you see. That's what I mean.

unknown 21:24

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_05 21:27

How long you reckon it'll take us to catch that Smed Mole, Mr. Dillon? I don't know, Chester.

SPEAKER_04 21:34

We may not catch him at all.

SPEAKER_05 21:35

Oh, my gracious me, we'll catch him, all right. You saved yourself the trail was nice and clear as can be. Yeah, it's too clear. What do you mean by that?

SPEAKER_04 21:45

By not the only ones following us.

SPEAKER_05 21:47

You mean that somebody else to trail with him?

SPEAKER_04 21:49

Yes. Got about a half a day's start.

SPEAKER_05 21:53

Think it's that old Luke Burris? Yeah, I'm afraid it is. Well, she just ain't got good sense. Keep on with a thing like this, does he? Allie thinks he's right, Chester. It's awful hard to talk sense to a person who thinks he's right. Suppose you're right at that. What down, Mr. Dunn? Seems like if the shack stuck way out here. Yeah. Now let's head for it. Keep your eyes open. Yes, I am. I believe the horse is here.

SPEAKER_04 22:46

Bring your rifle.

SPEAKER_05 22:47

I got it, right? Don't worry, Marshal. Well, you won't need your guns. There's a Luke. Yeah. Come on. I've been ahead of you all the way. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 23:09

I know. I saw your trail.

SPEAKER_05 23:11

No sense both of us making this trip.

SPEAKER_04 23:14

I told you, Luke, when it's murder, it's my business.

SPEAKER_05 23:17

Well, there ain't no need.

SPEAKER_04 23:19

Now we'll see.

SPEAKER_05 23:20

I already seen. What do you mean? Come inside, Marshal. Come on, inside. Come on, Chester. Why? Why, Mr. Dillon. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 23:41

Stand back, Burrows.

SPEAKER_05 23:42

Yeah, Marshal. I'm all dead. Mad Mole. He's hung him right here inside. I told you, Marshal, I got no need for the law. He's been dead quite a spell. Yeah, since sun-up.

SPEAKER_04 24:01

All right, Chester. You better start digging. We'll have to bury him.

SPEAKER_05 24:10

You should listen to me, Marshal. I meant it when I said we took care of our own. Ridley had no need for the law to do it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 24:19

And now the law has to take care of you.

SPEAKER_05 24:22

Yeah, that don't matter now. My boy's dead, and I took care of the man that killed him. I took care of it, Marshal, like we're always done. Without no law.

SPEAKER_04 24:33

Yeah, you did that all right. And your boy wouldn't have had to die at all if you'd let me move in in the first place. All right, come on, Luke. You can help Chester dig the grave. Like you helped dig the grave for Jess.

SPEAKER_03 25:10

Gunsmoke. Produced and directed in Hollywood by Norman McDonald about William Conrad as Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshal. The story was specially written for Gunsmoke by Marion Clark, with editorial supervision by John Meston. Featured in the cast were Ralph Moody, Dick Krenner, and Lawrence Dobkin. Harvey Bear is Chester, Howard McMare is Doc, and Georgia Hawkins is Kitty. This is the CBS Radio Network.

SPEAKER_00 25:38

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