fictiondramatrue crime

Gunsmoke - Custer

Yours Truly Johnny Dollar·Mar 16, 2026·25:02

About this Episode

Follow the thrilling cases of "Yours Truly Johnny Dollar," an insurance investigator with a knack for solving complex crimes. Perfect for fans of detective stories and classic radio dramas.

Hosts & Guests

CBS Radio

Host

Gary Owens

Host

George Armstrong Custer

Guest

Transcript

Tyler Reddick here from 2311 Racing.

Another checkered flag for the books.

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Now, sugar crinkles, the sugar rice treat

that's just right sweet is proud to present.

Dunn, smoke.

Around Dodd city and in the territory on west.

There's just one way to handle the killers and the spoilers.

And that's where the US marshal and the smell of gun smoke.

The story of the violence that moved west with young America.

The story of a man who moved with it.

Matt Dillens, United States marshal.

Take it easy, mom.

You know your young folks are going to eat

when you give them sugar crinkles for breakfast.

Yes, boys and girls love sugar crinkles.

And no wonder it's the sugar rice treat

that's just right sweet.

Makes breakfast more fun than a circus.

Now, the reason sugar crinkles suit young folks

to a tea is this.

Some sugar coated cereals they tried seem too sweet.

Others don't seem sweet enough.

But when they dip their first spoonful of sugar crinkles,

they've discovered a sugar coated cereal that's just right sweet.

And say those young folks of yours

love to dip into the pack and eat sugar crinkles as a snack too.

So better get several packages.

And now, gun smoked, starring William Conrad.

I got a horse, a saddle, Mr. Dillon.

I'm so hungry.

I could eat a whole hog.

Well, the hog you get this morning is cooking on that stick

right there, Chester?

Is it done?

That depends on how hungry you are.

It's done.

So it will be good to get back to Dodge tonight and sleep

in a bed again.

The civilizations made you soft, Chester.

Maybe so, but I get mighty tired of using my back

for a mattress and my belly for a covering.

Obviously, Chester, you were born for greater things

than rooting around on the prairie and living in the rain.

It hasn't been raining, Mr. Dillon?

No, no, it hasn't.

But it will, Chester, sooner or later, it'll rain.

That's true.

What's your box, one bacon?

Say, don't old man Granby live around here?

Maybe we can borrow a little from him.

Well, according to what I've always heard,

old Granby wouldn't loan anybody anything.

Do you really think he's a rich manager like to say?

Oh, I don't know, Chester.

Sometimes the man's entirely different from his reputation.

I only met Granby once or twice.

He seemed like a nice enough old fellow, though.

Well, I wouldn't want to live out here all alone

with nothing but a few horses for company.

Oh, he's used to it.

Well, even if he does have a lot of money,

he had to wait.

There's no place to spend it out here.

Granby's pretty old for the pleasure

his Dodge has to offer, Chester.

Well, I hope I am never that old.

At the rate you're burning yourself out, Chester,

you never will be, so don't worry about it.

Oh, and I miss you doing.

I live mighty quiet for a young fellow who's free

and still full of blood.

Sure.

Hey, look over there.

Well, that's spring and dust laying right on the ground there.

You haven't watched him, Chester.

It's not on the ground, though.

There's a dry wash, one's along there.

Somebody's driving stock down it.

He'll be told, man, Granby.

That may be.

Let's go say hello.

All right, Chester.

If it is, old man, Granby, we might just ask him

about a little bacon, huh?

No, we can ask, there's no harm in that.

Oh, no.

Hello.

Oh, that's horses down there, Chester.

Chester, I can see the head now.

I don't see anybody driving them.

They'll be along in a minute.

Let's wait here.

There he comes.

Yeah.

Hello.

He stopped.

That's not old, Granby.

Let's write down and say hello anyway.

Oh, man.

Now, that's Granby's brand on those horses, though.

He must have hired him a hand.

Yeah, may be.

Hello.

Are you working for Granby?

Nine working for nobody, Mr.

Oh.

And where is he?

Where is who?

Granby.

I don't know no Granby.

But those are his horses, your driver.

Oh, they are?

Yeah.

I ain't driving them.

What do you mean?

They got ahead of me in the wash here, that's all.

I see.

Your cowboy?

Yeah, sure.

I'm a cowboy.

All right, you don't look like one.

You don't ride like one, either.

You're asking me?

I don't know.

You're asking the questions, Mr.

No decent cowboy had run another man's horses down a dry wash

just because he didn't want to get up on the bank

and ride around them.

I told you they got in front of him, is it all?

I'll come you not carrying a gun.

Does a man have to carry a gun?

No.

I'll bet you the only man within a thousand miles there

who isn't carrying one.

Maybe I got a better conscience than the rest of you.

Maybe.

Look, Mr.

you've run those horses about five miles off of old Granby's place.

You want to give us a hand?

We'll run him back.

I'm in a hurry.

It won't take long.

The old man might be a couple of days fine in them if we don't.

You worry about him.

I've got to get in to die.

We'll ride in with you afterwards.

I ain't going to do it.

Look a lot better if you did.

I'd like to, Mr.

but I can't wait.

I'm leaving now.

So long.

You're going to let him go, Mr. Hill.

Wait a minute, Chester.

I'll let him hear what lead sounds like.

Now, how's your... how's your name?

All right, then, ride back here.

Don't tell me, Mr.

I'm not going to kill you.

I should try to run away.

Why would I try to run away?

You just did.

Chester.

Yes, you.

Right down the back and have those horses off.

Start them back up the wash.

We'll be out of here by the time they're back.

All right, Mr. Dealing.

You stay right close to me, fella.

Don't try anything smart.

When we got to Granby's, if he says it's okay,

then you can go wherever you like.

I don't know Granby.

You've never been there.

I will show you the way.

Come on, let's get up on the bank.

Tyler Reddick here from 2311 Racing.

Another checkered flag for the books.

Time to celebrate with Chamba.

Jump in at chambacasino.com.

Let's Chamba.

No purchase necessary.

VTW Group.

Boy, we're prohibited by mom.

CCNC.

21 plus.

Sponsored by Chamba Casino.

Finding great candidates to hire can be like,

well, trying to find a needle in a haystack.

Sure, you can post your job to some job board.

But then all you can do is hope the right person comes along.

Which is why you should try Zip Recruiter for free.

At ziprecruiter.com slash zip.

Zip Recruiter doesn't depend on candidates finding you.

It finds them for you.

It's powerful technology identifies people with the right experience.

And actively invites them to apply to your job.

You get qualified candidates fast.

So, while other companies might deliver a lot of hay,

Zip Recruiter finds you what you're looking for.

The needle in the haystack.

See why four out of five employers who post a job on Zip Recruiter

get a quality candidate within the first day.

Zip Recruiter, the smartest way to hire.

And right now, you can try Zip Recruiter for free.

That's right.

Free at ziprecruiter.com slash zip.

That ziprecruiter.com slash zip.

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Access to affordable credit helps me pay my employees.

But I don't really need it.

Infliction is killing me.

But who cares?

Big retailers are making record profits.

That's why we support the Durban Marshall credit card bill.

See, banks and credit unions help small businesses make payroll.

This bill would cut the vital resources they need.

While increasing Megastore profits.

They deserve it.

Don't they?

Tell Congress, stop the Durban Marshall money grab for corporate megastores.

Paid for it by the Electronic Payments Coalition.

Oh, man.

Grandby can find his horses all right now.

Mr. Dylan.

Yeah.

But I want this cowboy here to meet him.

Let's see if he's in the house.

How awake for you.

Get off that horse, fella.

Go on.

That's better.

Come on.

We'll take a look.

Well, what are you waiting for?

Nothing.

You go ahead, Chester.

Yes, you may.

Yeah.

Looks like I'll have to herd this, man.

You've been kind of bulky ever since we ran into you, Mr.

I don't like being dragged around.

I never did.

I just want you to meet old Grandby.

He'll be grateful for you, helping run his horses back here.

I know what you think, Mr.

You think I was stealing them horses?

Well, I never heard of the old man.

I was never near this place.

I saw you told me.

But you're here now.

I am afraid of you or nobody.

Then let's go into the house.

Come on.

Mr. Dylan.

Yeah, what is it, Joseph?

Old man, Grandby.

He's in there.

Oh, what's wrong?

Right in the room, Mr. Dylan.

He's hanging there.

What?

Somebody's gone and hung him right in his own house.

All right, I don't want to see him anymore.

You go take a look.

Pull your gun and hold it on this, man, Chester.

If he makes a move, shoot him.

Yes.

Now you just stand there real quietly.

I ain't going to do nothing.

Are you sure?

And just because I haven't been in the company,

I don't mean I killed nobody.

Mr. Dylan will decide about that.

Who is this Mr. Dylan anyway?

He's a United States marshal at who, a marshal,

looks like you run into the wrong people, fellow.

I'll hold your gun, Chester.

Search it.

All right, you.

Here.

Get it on your own.

All right.

Turn around.

The house is all torn up.

He must have been looking for old Granby's money.

I was never in that house.

There's nothing on him.

Nothing.

All right, Chester, here's your gun.

Catch it.

Thank you.

All right, now, what's your name, fellow?

Trimble.

Joe Trimble.

Where are you from?

Up north.

Where?

All over.

What are you doing down here, Trimble?

Making a change?

Yeah, sure.

And some cowboy you ran into told you about Granby being rich.

So you came here and kicked the old man around and hung him.

And then tried to find the money.

That's a lie.

This is the first time I was ever near the place.

I'm sure you did it, Trimble, but I wish I had more evidence.

A court of law just might not convict you the way things stand.

Are you going to let me go?

No.

I'm arresting you.

And you're going to stand trial.

And I'll do my best to see you hung.

I didn't do what I tell you.

And I'll go free to you, C.

There's something mighty wrong about you, Trimble,

and I can't figure it at all.

But I'll sure find out.

Mother, it does your heart good.

I know when your young folks eat all of their breakfast cereal.

That's why I'm so happy to tell you about new sugar crinkles.

Sugar crinkles, you know, is the sugar rice treat that's just right sweet.

Crisp golden nuggets of sugar-coated rice.

They make breakfast more fun than a circus.

While young folks love sugar crinkles so much, they disappear like magic.

Now, you've had experience with sugar-coated cereals that seem too sweet to you.

And others that just don't seem sweet enough to the youngsters.

Well, what a wonderful surprise sugar crinkles will be to your whole family.

For new sugar crinkles, really are just right sweet.

Remember sugar crinkles make great snacks too.

And there's even more good news about sugar crinkles.

Right now, there's a full-size package of charms that wonderful fruit-flavored candy

in every special package of sugar crinkles your dealer has.

Ten delicious fruit-flavored charms free of extra cost to you.

So hurry.

Get sugar crinkles as soon as you can.

Now back to gun smoke.

We let Joe Trimble dig a grave up behind the house.

Then we laid old Granby in it and covered him with dirt.

I was pretty sure now that the old man had never had an extra dollar in his life

and that he'd been killed for no reason at all.

Anyway, Trimble had done a pretty thorough job looking for the money and he'd found nothing.

On the right in the dodge, I tried to figure out just what he was.

But he didn't seem to fit anywhere.

He wasn't a cowboy or a hunter or a gambler or even just a dripker.

After we got him locked up in jail that night, Doc and I went over to the Texas Trail for a drink with Kitty.

And I was telling him about it.

Now then, this fellow Trimble, how old is he?

Oh, around 25, I guess, Doc.

Then he couldn't be running away from home.

No, he's a little old for that, Kitty.

Well, anyway, they all hang him.

Well, I hope the judge agrees with you, Doc.

Why shouldn't they?

Well, I got so far as circumstantial evidence.

But then you should have shot him out on the perch.

It's a good thing you're not a law man.

Well, maybe if I were, there'd be fewer killings around here.

I'd doubt that, Doc.

You going up to Hayes for the trial man?

Yeah, I'll have to, Kitty.

That'll take a week, I suppose.

No, Bob.

Well, yet.

Nothing. Only you've just been away for 10 days.

I'll have to wear an 11, Kitty.

You could make more money gambling right here and Doc.

No, no, Kitty. Don't start that.

Good evening, Marshall.

Oh, Major. Good evening, Doc.

Good evening, Major.

I'd like a word with you, Marshall.

Sure, Major.

We can go over to the bar there.

I'll be back, Kitty, Doc.

No hurry, Matt. Doc's got a lot of money.

Oh, now by your one drink, Kitty. Just one drink, man.

Oh.

Well, it's a stark Doc.

Let's go, Major.

I had to come to Doc, John.

Other business, Marshall.

But I wanted to pass the word to you

that we were looking for a man, Mike.

Oh.

The army?

Yes, a deserter.

Oh, not from Fort Doc.

Well, was he stationed, Major?

He was with the seventh cavalry at Fort Lincoln.

Oh, I'd let it go.

And for some reason, they think he hit it south.

No, I don't have much of a description of him,

just that he was a private, about 425 curly blonde hair

and a scar on his left hand.

Yeah, that fits.

What's his name, Major?

He enlisted as Joe Gould,

but his no wonder he used the name Trimbo.

Uh-huh.

Ali's right here in Dodge.

What?

I got him locked up in jail.

Well, that's fine, Marshall, but how did you know?

I think he murdered an old man

who lived a day's right north of here.

I'm going to have him tried for it.

Well, that won't be necessary now, Marshall.

I'll take over custody of him.

No, no.

Then he'd be tried at Fort Lincoln for desertion.

I want him tried for murder.

And I've got to be there to present the evidence.

You could go up to Fort Lincoln.

Now that Dakotas are out of my territory, Major,

besides this is a civil crime.

The army wants that man, Marshall.

How sorry, Major.

He's going to be tried and haze first.

He's still a soldier, even if he did desert.

Well, if the judge lets him off, you can have him.

But not otherwise.

Major, he tortured and hung an innocent old man

and I'm going to do my best to see him punished for it.

Well, I'll have to take this up with my superior, Marshall.

Hey, you better hurry.

I'm going to haze with him tomorrow.

I hope you won't regret this, Marshall.

I won't, Major.

Out of Trimble is properly punished.

I won't.

I didn't wait till morning,

but started off for haze with Joe Trimble at night.

The trial lasted a week,

and in spite of all the arguments I made,

the judge finally decided that there wasn't enough real evidence to convict him.

I even tried to make Trimble confess

that he was too smart for that.

So there was nothing to do but bring him back,

turning moment of the army.

I said word to Fort Dodge

and the next morning the Major himself appeared to take him into custody.

Well, Marshall, it looks as though you didn't have much of a civil case after all.

Ah, he killed old Granby.

I know he did, Major.

But after all, the law is the law.

Yes, and in the army, orders are orders.

I'm just sorry your judge didn't convict him after all.

Is that so?

That's just it.

Yes, sir.

Bring Trimble out, huh?

All right, Chief.

Major, I'll give the army credit for one thing.

What's that?

Trouble and I rode back some 80 miles yesterday,

and when we got here, he wanted to sit up and play cards with Chester.

There may be some bad men in the cavalry, Marshall, but they're all tough.

He is Mr. Dylan.

Well, he's yours, Major.

Private Trimble, sir.

You're under military arrest, private.

I'm not privileged to salute.

Besides, you are Mr. this private boob, not Trimble.

Yes, sir.

Report to the guard outside.

Yes, sir.

Just a minute, Trouble.

You know that you're mighty lucky, don't you?

You should have died for what you've done.

I told you I'd go free, Marshall.

It'll catch up with you someday, Trouble.

It always does, somehow.

That's all I wanted to say.

Yes.

Well, thank you, Marshall.

I'll be getting along.

Oh, Major, you said that you were sorry that the judge didn't convict him.

Well, why have you changed your mind?

Well, I have orders from General Terry to return him to the quotas to Fort Lincoln.

Well, they'll be tried there, but he won't be hung for just desertion.

Well, oddly enough, Marshall, he won't even be tried for some months, anyway.

He won't?

No.

It seems that the seventh cavalry needs every man available.

They're leaving Fort Lincoln on an expedition against the Sioux and the Northern Cheyenne.

Alasou, huh?

A wonderful sitting bull is still the chief medicine man with him.

Sitting bull?

Yeah.

I never heard of him.

But I expect the seventh will be heading into Montana territory.

I don't know if they're after sitting bulls try, they will.

He's always had a large camp over on the little big horn.

Marshall?

Yeah.

Oh, by the way, who's in command of the seventh cavalry now?

Oh, an officer I served under a couple of years.

I never did care for him.

A general custer.

In just a moment, we'll tell you about next week's adventure on gun smoke.

You know what you are tomorrow depends on what you eat today.

So, mother, be sure the big and little Indians at your house always eat a good breakfast.

And tell me, what could be better for breakfast than post toasties?

Post toasties, you know, are the heat good corn flakes.

The best thing that's happened to corn since the Indians discovered it.

But all of the talking in the world couldn't tell you how downright delicious post toasties are.

You have to taste those crackling crisp flakes.

Yes, you have to taste that sweet kernel corn flavor toasted.

Then you'll know how perfectly wonderful breakfast can be.

Put post toasties on your shopping list right now, mother.

Just watch how your whole tribe goes for them.

Remember, post toasties are the heat good corn flakes.

Gun smoke under the direction of Norman MacDonald,

stars William Conrad as Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshall.

The next story was specially written for gun smoke by John Meston

with music composed and conducted by Rex Coyne.

Featured in the cast were Sam Edwards and John Daenerd.

Folly Bear is Chester Howard McNear is Doc and Georgia Ellis is Kinney.

Ken Peter is speaking.

Join us again next week as Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshall,

fights to bring law and order out of the wild violence of the West in gun smoke.

Listen next week in this time when gun smoke will be brought to you by post toasties,

the heat good corn flakes.

Tyler Reddick here from 2311 Racing.

Another checkered flag for the books.

Time to celebrate with Chamba.

Jump in at chambacasino.com.

Let's Chamba.

No purchase necessary.

BTW Group.

Boy, we're prohibited by law.

CCNC is 21 plus.

Gunsmoke - Custer

About this Episode

Hosts & Guests

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