Speaker 1: Slaughter's my name, Luke Slutter. Cattle's my business. It's a
tough business, it's big business. I got a big steake
in it, and there's no man west of the Rio
Grand big enough to take it from me.
Speaker 2: Luke Slaughter of Tombstone. Luke Slaughter of Tombstone. Civil War
cavalryman turned Arizona cattleman. Across the territory from Yuma to
Fort Defiance, from Flagstaff to the Wachucas, and below the
border through Chihaha and Sonara. His name was respected or feared,
depending on which side of the law you were on.
Man of vision, man of legend, Luke Slaughter of Tombstone.
Speaker 1: Like a violent storm or an earthquake, you could feel
a lynching coming on long before it arrives. And there
was lynch in the air that afternoon in Tombstone. Well,
a few chants.
Speaker 3: He's so uncommon, concerned over a few rustlers.
Speaker 4: Why don't you catch.
Speaker 1: Them same as I do? Tell us something, afternoon, Slaughter.
Speaker 3: I got me one in jail right now. My boys
picked him up red handed last night.
Speaker 1: You wanted to see me.
Speaker 4: Yeah, we may be in for trouble.
Speaker 3: Listen, there's only one thing good enough for rustlers, I say,
and that's hanging. I caught me one, and that's what's
gonna happen to him. Mccardoye, we're looking here, two stalwarts
of the Cattleman's Association. Huge Gent's gonna come around to
the courthouse and see the fun.
Speaker 1: What fun, mccondal, what fun?
Speaker 5: Why ain't you heard?
Speaker 3: My wranglers caught a rustler on my spread last night,
caught him red handed, butcher in the yearland.
Speaker 6: We're gonna hang him this afternoon.
Speaker 1: It's not up to the judge.
Speaker 3: A judge, why this is a plane case out, not
a law breaking and I aim to see justice done.
Speaker 1: When is the trial the trial?
Speaker 3: Oh yeah, the trial is gonna be a two o'clock
and all you chances invited.
Speaker 1: Come on, everybody, let's go to.
Speaker 4: See what I mean slaughter.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I do something. We'd better go to the courthouse.
You see to it that McCardle doesn't do something, we'll
all have to answer for.
Speaker 5: The carts will now come to order.
Speaker 7: The deputy bring in the prisoner.
Speaker 1: Say sudden, what is it? Slaughterer? I think I know
that man?
Speaker 4: What's your name?
Speaker 5: Yancy Bell?
Speaker 1: I do know him?
Speaker 4: You know the charge, cattle Russell.
Speaker 8: How do you plead guilty or not guilty?
Speaker 5: Neither one? Well, you gotta plead one or the other. Well,
I don't who's the plaintiff in this case?
Speaker 1: Why you know, dang?
Speaker 3: Well, I am judge, and he pleached Killee. My man
caught him butcher in a yearling with my brand on
it my property.
Speaker 4: Now, come on, let's.
Speaker 1: Get this over with.
Speaker 3: Hold your horses, mccondlery, hold no horses. You make your decisions,
horse law a biden. People can string this home up, Hurler.
Speaker 8: Man, man's entitled to a fair trial.
Speaker 3: He's getting it not Come on say it your honor, slaughter.
Speaker 1: You stay out of this, your honor. I know this man. Hello, Luke,
Luke slaughter. It's been a long time since Vicksburg I recognized,
even without the cavalry uniform. What is this? I'll tell
you what it is, McCardle. This man and I soldiered
together in the Illinois Cavalry during the war. Unless he's
changed a lot since those days, he's not a thief.
Speaker 6: You're button into my business.
Speaker 3: Laughter.
Speaker 1: This is a public trial, mccardal, and I'm taking on
the job of this man's attorney any objections, your honor?
Speaker 7: Why no?
Speaker 1: I tell the court Yancy, did you butcher that yearling?
Speaker 6: Yes?
Speaker 5: Yes I did? Why because because I was hungry. I
don't know this part of the country, and I didn't
know if us are close to town?
Speaker 1: You intend to pay for it?
Speaker 5: I would have if there'd been anybody to pay.
Speaker 1: Do you have any money?
Speaker 5: I had five hundred dollars Mexican until last night.
Speaker 1: What happened to it?
Speaker 5: The men who jumped me took it?
Speaker 1: Lie? That's a lie, a lie.
Speaker 3: You're going to take the word of a stranger against my.
Speaker 1: Man being a stranger. It doesn't make him a liar.
He's not a stranger to me. McCardel. Now what do
you figure that yealing was worth? What's that got to
do with it? I'm going to pay for it and
request the court to release the accused fifteen dollars that
i'll of coverage.
Speaker 5: You can't do that.
Speaker 1: I am doing it if the court so pleases.
Speaker 7: Well, well, yes, under the circumstances restitution having been made
and motive explained.
Speaker 3: Why are you going to let this Stephen Rustler go?
Speaker 4: Yes, yes I am.
Speaker 3: I put you on that bench and I'm going to
take you off of it.
Speaker 1: You can't get away within.
Speaker 8: This is a court of law, mister McCardle, you cannot
intimidate the bench with throats case dismissing.
Speaker 1: Why you.
Speaker 5: Thank you, Luke, thank you.
Speaker 1: I'm staying down at the San Jose House, Yancy. Let's
get your stuff and go down there so we can
talk in private. You'll pay for this slaughter. I already
have fifteen dollars. Come on, Yancy, this feels good.
Speaker 5: I haven't been on a bed and over two weeks.
Speaker 1: You weren't on a bed for two years during the war.
Speaker 5: Yeah, that's right. You realize it's been nearly fifteen years.
Speaker 1: The kids on, Yancy, greenhorned kids you've been doing since.
Speaker 5: Went east for a while New York McDonald's too much
for me though. Finally went home to Quincy a couple
of years back and I got married.
Speaker 1: That too much for you too.
Speaker 5: She died six months ago in childbirth. Kid died too.
Speaker 1: I'm sorry, Yensie.
Speaker 5: So that's why I come out here starting all over again.
You might call it, how about you.
Speaker 1: Luke O Cattle's been my business since the war. Kansas,
Texas tombstone.
Speaker 5: You must be mighty big in these parts. That was
quite a show you put on in the courtroom.
Speaker 1: Now you were getting a raw deal.
Speaker 5: You mind if I take my boots off. Peter kind
of swelled in.
Speaker 1: Go ahead and stretch out. You welcomed anything I've got
to you get organized, and that's money.
Speaker 5: Nice of you, Luke, especially since I've been cleaned.
Speaker 1: That's at least I could do. I remember a sniper
one about four weeks into the siege of Vicksburg, and
what you did about him. That's long ago, Luke.
Speaker 5: Forget it.
Speaker 1: Man doesn't forget things like that. You've lost a spur.
Speaker 5: Yeah, those Jaspers weren't very polite when they jumped me
last night.
Speaker 1: Took five hundred Mexican silver.
Speaker 6: Huh yep.
Speaker 5: I aim to get it back, though.
Speaker 1: Well I'll handle that for you. You just take it easy.
I had some work to do over at the Cattle
Association office. And see you aren't leaving anything out on
this yelling butchering? Are you?
Speaker 5: When I get ready to lie to you, I'll let
you know in advance, Luke.
Speaker 1: Yeah, Well you'll get some rest. I'll be back about
supper time. Hold it.
Speaker 4: Something was just closing the office.
Speaker 1: Well, i'll close up later. I want to check on
the bills of sale on that last herd I brought
up from Texas.
Speaker 4: All right, See, that was quite a stunt you pulled
in court today.
Speaker 1: Well, the way I figured it, Yancy Bell was being railroaded.
I would have stopped that even if I didn't know him.
Speaker 4: Some of the boys thought you was taking a little
too much into your own hands.
Speaker 1: Wasn't that just what mccardinal was trying to do?
Speaker 4: Yes, I suppose. So how do you know he's innocent?
Speaker 1: He says, so.
Speaker 4: Yeah. Well, thank our town feedback. See you later.
Speaker 1: It's along sudden, Slater, He's s wake up, wake up
cool something. I must have dozed up. See what time
is it? Anyway time it's almost eight o'clock. I forgot
all about Suffer.
Speaker 4: Slaughter, listen to me.
Speaker 1: What are you so all fired upset about that?
Speaker 5: There's been a.
Speaker 4: Shooting at the crab Tree livery stable right next to
the San Jose house where you're staying.
Speaker 1: Shot Drake mccordal.
Speaker 2: In a moment, Luke Slaughter of Tombstone returns a trio
of rough and ready prospectors make trouble for our frontier
gentleman JB. Kendall in his next dramatic exploit on CBS Radio.
The trouble starts when a young hitchhiker whom Kendle is
picked up, discovers gold. For more Western thrills, stay with
us on CBS Radio right after Luke Slaughter, as most
of these same stations bring you another exciting adventure with
our frontier gentleman, and now Act two of William and
Robeson's production of Luke Slaughter of Tombstone.
Speaker 1: Let me through, Hello Slaughter, Hello, serf, I've been wondering
if you'd show up, let me see your gun? What for?
Speaker 6: Excuse to me? You'd know the answer to that. There
was bad blood, Queen McCardle, and you wasn't it here?
Speaker 1: Look at it? Uh huh. It ain't been fired all
It's been cleaned awful fast. That gun hasn't been out
of its holster all day.
Speaker 6: All right, now you know anything about this?
Speaker 1: I only heard about it five minutes ago, Serf? When
did that happen? About an hour ago? Where's the body
inside the livery stable there said? Where it happened?
Speaker 6: You're asking an awful lot of questions, Slaughter, now, let's
get one thing straight, Serff, I as interested in who
committed this murder as you are, maybe even more so.
Speaker 1: If I get him before you do, I'll turn him
over to you.
Speaker 6: All right, all right, Why you cattleman can't leave things
to the letter? That happened right here in the alley
in front of the livery stable. Anybody say it? Jack Crabtree,
the owner of the stable, did Jack, Yeah, yeah, sir,
You commanres Gent wants to know what you've seen?
Speaker 5: All right, I'll tell him, I sure will.
Speaker 9: Poor Hello there, mister slaughter, mister fun didn't you where
during this thing I ever saw? I was telling the
sheriff from the boys.
Speaker 1: You just tell me what happened, Jack.
Speaker 9: Well, I was sitting back there by the harness rack,
working on a snaffle bit, and I heard somebody singing
out here in the alley, you know how man was
singing when he's had a couple of snorts appeared from
the sound that he was coming in.
Speaker 5: About that time.
Speaker 9: I looked up, but I couldn't see very well because
it was dark, and I was back inside there under
the lantern, you see. Then the scene stopped and somebody said.
Speaker 4: Drake I'm gonna kill you.
Speaker 9: Then it was a shot, and mccardo fell right here.
Of course I didn't know it was mccardo.
Speaker 1: Then you know who made the threat?
Speaker 5: No, nope, don't.
Speaker 9: I doused the lantern in a hurry. Of course I
was a setting duck, you see. Then I got down
behind a.
Speaker 1: Baill of hay and waited, do you hear anything else?
Speaker 9: Just one thing, a man a sobn.
Speaker 4: Oh, it's a awful thing to hear a man sob.
It's just well.
Speaker 9: I got up then come out here and looked around
real cautiously.
Speaker 4: There was nobody in the alley, cceptain drake mccardo's body.
Speaker 9: That's when I ran to get sheriff.
Speaker 1: Thank you, Jack, you reckon, you know who did it?
Speaker 6: That's my job, Jack. You just give me the information.
I'll take care of finding the killer for sure.
Speaker 4: Sure, sure, Well that's all I know.
Speaker 1: Jack. Would you reckoncognize that voice if you heard it again?
Speaker 9: Well, now that's that's good question.
Speaker 4: A good question. Couse.
Speaker 9: When a man says I'm going to kill you, he
don't use a voice like he was saying, give me
a glass of beer.
Speaker 4: It's a real, uh, real strange strange.
Speaker 9: If you know what I mean, it makes you shugar.
Speaker 1: Kind of Yeah, I know what you mean, Slaughter.
Speaker 6: Was that friend of yours at wrestler you bought out
a jail this afternoon.
Speaker 1: He's not a wrestler, Sheriff. I don't know where he
is right now. I'll find him. If I think he
did this, I'll turn him over to you. Where are
you going up to my room? Wash up and get
some supper. Any objections, don't try to leave, Tom, don't worry.
Speaker 5: Oh look, he misticks.
Speaker 1: You know about it?
Speaker 5: Couldn't very well help it. Quite a commotion out there
in the alley.
Speaker 1: Come you didn't go out and join the crowd.
Speaker 5: Well, I look at it this way. I'm new here
and none too popular with the law and some of
the people. Somebody might jump to conclusions figured out. I
just stay out of it.
Speaker 1: I see you're cleaning your gun, Yancy. Mm Do you
mind if I take a look at him?
Speaker 5: Yes, Luke, I mind?
Speaker 1: Why?
Speaker 5: Because a man's gun is his own business unless he's
done something wrong with it?
Speaker 1: Have you?
Speaker 5: Depends on how you look.
Speaker 1: At it, Yncy. I want to see that gun.
Speaker 5: Then you'll have to take it away from me, Luke,
give it to me.
Speaker 1: No, I said give it to him. This gun's been
fired recently, Yancy.
Speaker 5: I didn't say it.
Speaker 1: Did you kill Drake McCardle.
Speaker 5: It isn't the question you're asking, Luke, it's the way
you're asking it. I'm not going to answer you.
Speaker 1: I'm trying to help you, Yancy. I'm trying to help you.
Speaker 5: Then you'll have to find some other way to do it.
Speaker 6: I told you.
Speaker 5: When I get ready to lie, I'll let you know
in advance.
Speaker 6: Crazy fool, Well, Slaughter, I thought she was going out
for some supper.
Speaker 1: And changing my mind. Serh, do you have anything new
on the killing.
Speaker 6: I'm working on this, Slaughter, and I'm working on it.
Ain't very much to go on so far. Well what
about my Chitl's enemies? Well, yeah, lots of them. He
was a pretty bullheaded man. If he couldn't get his
way by asking for it, he got it by force.
Speaker 1: I know that you know of anything that happened today
that it makes somebody want to shoot him.
Speaker 6: You're about the best man to answer that question. You
beat him out in court, and he didn't like it
at all.
Speaker 1: To turn up any clues in the alley next to
the body clues, empty cartridges, footprints, anything like that.
Speaker 6: There were some cartridges, but there was old ones. As
for footprints, with all them people milling around afterwards, there
was lots of them. Nothing at all. One thing might
not mean nothing at all. Again, it might this.
Speaker 1: Broken spur.
Speaker 6: Yeah, well, I see you got both yours, so that
lets you. Uh. But when I find the man who's
missing one, I sure want to talk to him.
Speaker 1: Can I borrow that for a little while? What for?
I saw a man with one spur missing today, This
might make two missing.
Speaker 6: Just point him out to me.
Speaker 1: No, Sheriff, this is my play. I'll make it alone.
Speaker 6: We had one killing. We don't want another.
Speaker 1: It won't be if I can help it, Yetsi, Yetsi, No, what.
Speaker 4: Hey?
Speaker 1: Pop? Oh oh yeah, miss slaughter. He's been on duty
all evening, oh yeah, ever since supper. That man I
brought in with me this afternoon. Yancey belle, did you
see him go.
Speaker 6: Out about ten fifteen minutes ago.
Speaker 1: You say where he was going? Well, he asked me was.
Speaker 6: Their place to get drunk? Good and drunk?
Speaker 5: I told him he could do that most anywhere.
Speaker 6: But at the crystal palace Us was the biggest saloon
in town.
Speaker 1: Did he go there?
Speaker 6: And I can't say.
Speaker 1: He just headed out the door.
Speaker 3: Say he looked awful, like he'd been in a fight
or something.
Speaker 1: He had he may be in another one. Where'd you
get the money to buy that liquor? Yen? See? Hello?
Speaker 5: Look you have a drink?
Speaker 1: Where'd you get the money?
Speaker 5: I got it?
Speaker 1: Where?
Speaker 5: And the people who owed it to me?
Speaker 8: There?
Speaker 5: Help yourself?
Speaker 1: Should take it by force?
Speaker 5: You might say that, but it was mine in the
first place.
Speaker 1: Let me see your spurs, yen, se spurs? Just let
me look. Sure you were missing one this afternoon, Now
you're missing two?
Speaker 5: Sure I am?
Speaker 1: Does that one fit where the left one's broken off?
Speaker 5: Can't tell without trying gain we let's see, Yeah it fits.
Where'd you find it?
Speaker 1: In the alley back of the San Jose House, near
Drake mccartial's body.
Speaker 5: I guess it must have broken off there.
Speaker 1: Than you were in the alley, Louke.
Speaker 5: It's customary for a man to put his horse up
at the stable nearest to his hotel. Sure I was
in that.
Speaker 1: Out antsy, Let me have your gun. I'm gonna turn
you over to the Sheriff.
Speaker 5: You're going too far, Luke. Man's entitled to his privacy
and his pride, and you're going too far.
Speaker 1: I'm taking in.
Speaker 5: Or you're not.
Speaker 1: Drop your gun belt, yancy.
Speaker 5: I'm warning you, Loop, I'll shoot. Now, make your play.
Speaker 1: Do you want to know who killed him? Mconnile, I'll
tell you who killed him.
Speaker 9: It's a judge, drunkard the hoodo.
Speaker 8: You can't push a man around forever. I told him,
the man's got some rights. A man can be pushed
so far. And I did his dirty work for him.
I was covering up for his rustling and the first
decent thing I do, letting that fellow off.
Speaker 5: He has his riders jump me and beat me up.
Speaker 8: I told him, I said, I said, I Drake, I'm
gonna kill you. And he didn't think I could.
Speaker 4: Do it, but I did. I did it just this.
Speaker 8: He was mean and he deserves it.
Speaker 5: I didn't.
Speaker 1: Easy, Judge. It's all over now, I'll take him slowly,
all right, Sheriff, Come on, judge, Yeah, Luke, hey made
a mistake.
Speaker 5: A man can't always be right, Luke, I understand. Thanks
about my gun and this money.
Speaker 1: No, you don't have to tell me like you said
a man's entitled to his privacy.
Speaker 5: I want to tell you. I was out east of
town late this afternoon, practicing on rattlesnakes when one of
the hands that jump me last night came along. I
guess I got a little mad. He had twenty dollars
on him, so I took that on deposit.
Speaker 1: Why were you practicing shooting?
Speaker 5: Because no man living? And call me a cattle wrestler.
If the judge hadn't gotten him first, I had to
kill mcconel.
Speaker 1: Was it that important to you?
Speaker 5: Pride's real funny thing, Lue. I guess I don't have
to tell you that.
Speaker 1: No, I guess not. Can I buy you a drink?
Ancy now?
Speaker 5: That would make me right happy, Luke?
Speaker 10: And then I'm going to buy you one, Luke.
Speaker 2: Slutter of Tombstone, starring Sam Buffington, was written by Alan Butzer,
with editorial provision by Tom Henley, and directed by William N.
Speaker 1: Robeson.
Speaker 2: Supporting mister Buffington were lou Merrill, Howard mcneer, Barney Phillips,
Sam Edwards, Junius Matthews, and Normalden. Music composed and conducted
by Wilbur Hatch. Next week at this time, we return with.
Speaker 1: Slaughter's the name Luke Slaughter. When we meet up again,
you can call me that Luke Slutter.
Speaker 2: I'll stay tuned for Frontier Gentlemen, which follows immediately over
most of these same stations. This is the CBS Radio
Networks at