Slaughter's my name.
Luke Slaughter.
Cattle's my business.
It's a tough business.
It's big business.
I've got a big stake in it.
There's no man west of the Rio Grande big enough to take it from me.
Luke Slaughter of Tombstone.
Civil War cavalryman turned Arizona cattleman.
Across the territory from Yuma to Fort Defiance, from Flagstaff to the Wachukas and below the
border through Chihuahua and Sonora, 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.
Get used to all kinds of people in Tombstone.
Miners from above and below the border.
Cowboys legitimate and illegitimate.
Chinese who cook your meals or your shirts.
All kinds.
But one afternoon Wichita and I spotted a new brand.
Say, will you look at that dude with the white hair and goatee.
If he ain't a high mucky muck of something, I miss my guess.
Looks more to me like a traveling preacher.
Yeah, but the other ain't no deacon from his looks.
Ah, good afternoon, gentlemen.
Afternoon.
I wonder if you could give us a direction, sir.
I'm not too familiar in these parts and let me introduce myself.
I'm Colonel Everett.
This is my business associate, Mr. Granby.
Howdy.
Slaughter is my name.
This is Wichita.
Howdy.
What is it you're looking for, Colonel?
Well, we're heading for the Meeker place.
I believe it's just outside of Tombstone somewhere.
That's right.
Kalamaker spreads about three miles north.
The lazy M. You can't miss it.
Thank you.
Thank you for your courtesy, sir.
Not at all.
Oh, uh, Mr. Granby.
Yeah?
Haven't we met somewhere before?
Met?
No, I don't guess so, mister.
It's the first time I've ever been in Arizona.
Well, now I haven't spent all my life here either.
I'd swear we'd met someplace.
Well, thank you for the directions, Mr. Slaughter.
We'll get along to the lazy M. Come on, Granby.
So that's the way of it, Mr. Meeker.
I'm sorry, sir.
No, no, wait a minute, Colonel Everett.
This is my land.
I homesteaded it.
Got my title straight from the government.
You don't listen very good, Meeker.
The Colonel told you he's got the original grant on this land, dated way back in 52,
before you ever saw Arizona.
That's right, sir.
My title's all official and registered.
But Mexico sold this land to the U.S. in 53.
And the United States honored all prior claims.
Right so, Granby.
Now, I am ordering you to get off my property in two days, Meeker, and I'm giving you a
choice.
A choice?
Give your cattle off this spread within two days or leave them, and I'll give you $5 a
head for them.
$5?
Why, that's robbery.
And what if I refuse?
Then we'll have to drive them off ourselves.
That's your choice.
Choice.
Get off my ranch and stay off.
Both of you.
Put away that gun, Meeker.
Get going, I said.
Get going around the bush.
Okay, Colonel, get back or I'll shoot.
Oh, no you won't.
Oh, drop the gun.
Oh, drop it.
You might hurt somebody.
You don't think we mean business, Granby.
Show him.
Yeah, that'll give you a rough idea, Meeker.
I'd suggest you start moving off this land now.
You're taking over day after tomorrow.
Now, Cal, let me get this straight.
The Colonel claims he has an old Mexican grant to your land.
That's right, Luke.
Signed by Santa Ana himself, he said.
And not just my spread either.
He claims all the land out my way.
I wonder why he'd wait all these years to claim it.
Golly, well, ain't there something you can do, Luke?
I don't know.
It's a fact the government did recognize prior claims when they bought this territory from
Mexico.
So if his grant's on the level...
You know this had ruined me.
All of us up there, Luke.
I know.
Where's this Colonel located?
He told me he's got a land office in Bisbee.
All right, then.
Wichita, you and I'll take a little ride down to Bisbee to see what we can find out.
And you, Cal, we'll go back to your spread and don't do anything until you hear from
me.
This may all be on the level, but every time I think of that business associate or the
locals, I wonder...
There's the place, Luke.
See the shingle?
Yeah.
Land office.
Colonel Justin Everett.
Real party name.
Seems to me that shack was vacant a month ago.
You wait here, Wichita.
I won't be long.
Right, Luke.
Yes, sir.
What can I...
Well, we meet again.
Mr. Slaughter, isn't it?
That's right, Colonel.
Well, what brings you down to Bisbee, sir?
In the market for some land?
Like the Lazy M Ranch.
Well, now that tract won't be available for a couple of days, but we can talk about it
now.
Yeah, I think now's the best time to talk about it.
Cal Meeker's a friend of mine, Colonel, and a member of the Cattlemen's Association.
He tells me you're laying claim to his spread.
Yes, yes.
That's correct, sir.
Suppose you tell me all about it.
Well, I don't know why I should, Mr. Slaughter.
This is a private matter between Meeker and me.
I'm the head of the Cattlemen's Association up at Tombstone.
Anything that affects the members interests me.
Now, let's hear about it.
Well, all very simple, sir.
I hold a permanent grant on the land up there signed by Santa Ana himself.
It was a gift to my father, sir, who did some favors.
That land is United States territory now.
I'm aware of that.
You're glad your claim is certified?
Of course I am.
The document's been verified and declared legal by your own Judge Harris in Tombstone.
Oh?
When?
Not more than a month ago.
I'd like to take a look at that paper, too, if you don't mind.
I do mind, sir.
This is none of your business.
I just got back from Tombstone, Colonel.
The judge said...
Slaughter.
What are you doing here?
El Paso.
You ever live in El Paso, Granby?
You still trying to make out you know me?
No, I never lived in El Paso.
Well, I guess I must be mistaken.
Thanks for the information, Colonel.
Information?
Yeah.
You sure you never got fouled up with that man, Granby?
Because if you did and he remembers...
I swear, Colonel, I never saw him before in my life.
All right.
I just hope he never saw you.
Yes?
Good morning, Judge.
Well, Luke Slaughter, what can I do for you?
Oh, nothing special.
Just dropped by for a chat.
Come in.
Thank you.
You know, I haven't talked to you since you lived in that little house up on Safford Street.
It's quite a fancy layout you've got now.
Well, thanks, Slaughter.
I like it.
I don't see how you can swing it on a judge's salary.
Oh, well, you see, a relative of mine died in Kansas City.
Left me some money.
Yes, quite a lot of money.
When did you buy this place?
Why, it was just a month ago, next Monday.
I see.
Judge, I wonder if you could give me a little information on a land deal.
What kind of land deal?
Well, a fella named Everett, Colonel Everett, claims he has a Mexican grant on a lot of
property around here.
Oh, Colonel Everett, yes, eh, that was a surprise to me, too.
Yes, sir, quite a surprise.
I had no idea such a grant existed.
He tells me you certified the title.
Is that right?
Oh, yes, yes.
I went into it very thoroughly.
Studied the grant, checked Santa Ana's signature, and didn't leave a stone unturned.
No, sir, not a stone.
Well, I certainly hope so, Judge.
I wouldn't want to see you mixed up in a crooked deal.
Crooked?
Why, what do you mean by that?
Well, I haven't seen the grant myself, but, well, somehow it's got an unpleasant smell
to it.
For your own good, you better have another look at that paper.
Now, Slaughter, if you question my integrity...
I never have, Judge, and I'm sure I won't have to now.
You know, it's quite a coincidence, that relative of yours dying in Kansas City, exactly the
same time Colonel Everett came to Arizona.
Now, see here, sir...
Just a coincidence, I'm sure, Judge.
That's it, boys.
Get those cattle moving and keep moving till they're clear off the place.
Hey, hey, what is this?
My cattle, Granby.
I figured you'd be showing up, Meeker.
Stop those men.
They can't drive my herd off like that.
They won't.
If you want to take the Colonel's offer of $5 a head...
This is my ranch and these are my cattle.
They may be your cattle, but this is no longer your ranch.
All right, keep moving, boys.
Come on, keep moving.
Yeah.
In a moment, Luke's Slaughter of Tombstone returns.
Last September, Carmen Basilio defeated Sugar Ray Robinson for the World Middleweight Championship.
Tuesday night in Chicago, they'll meet for the return match and you'll hear the broadcast
only on CBS Radio.
Right at ringside will be Jack Dries giving you a blow-by-blow account of the fight.
Dr. Joyce Brothers, the young psychologist from Brooklyn who set the nation on its ear
with her amazing knowledge of boxing, will provide the between rounds commentary.
Join us on most of these stations Tuesday night as CBS Radio broadcasts exclusive the
exciting rematch between Carmen Basilio and Sugar Ray Robinson.
And now, Act Two of William M. Robeson's production of Luke's Slaughter of Tombstone.
Hey, Luke, you've got to come help me.
Well, sure, Cal.
What's the trouble?
That Colonel Everett.
What about him?
His men are driving my cattle off.
How many men has he got, Cal?
Granby and three others.
They're driving my herd toward the East Line.
All right.
Keep your shirt on.
We'll get your herd back if we have to make the Colonel drive them back himself.
Yeah, they are, Luke.
They're driving them right down that oil.
Pull up here.
They'll be scattered all over the territory.
I'll lose half my herd.
Forget the cattle.
We'll get the men first.
Cal, you ride around that butte and come in on it from the other side when I signal you.
All right, Luke.
All right, Wichita.
We'll move in from this side.
Yeah, I'm right with you, Luke.
Hold it.
Close enough.
If this is the Colonel's land, we're the ones breaking the law.
First things first.
We'll worry about the law later.
Look, there's Cal waiting for your signal.
All right, then.
Here we go.
So that's the way he wants it.
I've got one of them, but he's sticking on his horse.
Hold your fire.
They're making a break for it.
I guess they ain't wanting any more of it, Luke.
Looks that way.
Think you and Cal can get the herd back on the lazy emmer, right, Wichita?
Why, sure we can, but where are you going?
I'm making a fast trip to Bisbee.
Now I know the Colonel's playing for keeps.
It's time for a showdown.
Hey, Colonel.
Don't bother me, Granby.
I'm figuring.
Slaughter's out front.
Who?
Slaughter!
You didn't waste any time getting down from Tombstone.
Hello, Colonel.
You've got your nerve coming in here, Slaughter.
You wounded one of my men when he was doing his legal duty.
Legal duty?
He was a rustler.
What do you want?
Well, I figured maybe we could stop any further violence around here if I had a look at that
grand of yours.
Get out of here, Slaughter.
Tell your friend to keep his hand away from his holster, Colonel.
You don't want your office messed up, do you?
Tell him.
He's got a right to defend himself.
Yeah, sure he has.
Go ahead, Granby.
Defend yourself.
Go ahead.
Draw.
I thought so.
Now, Colonel, the deed.
I don't have to show it to you, Slaughter.
That's right.
But you're going to.
There.
You're so curious.
Have a look.
Pretty document.
Mighty fancy engraving.
Just as legal as it is pretty.
Might help if you could read Spani.
Well, if it just so happens, I can.
Dated September 11th, 1852.
Signed by...
Say, this fellow really took a liking to himself, didn't he?
His most serene highness, Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana.
Perpetual dictator of Mexico.
You'll notice the grant is perpetual, too.
I noticed that.
Hope it's more perpetual than Santa Ana was.
Yes, sir.
That's mighty pretty engraving.
Well, you...
You satisfied, Slaughter?
Yes, indeed I am.
I've seen all I need to for now.
And now that I've seen it, Colonel,
I'm sure our next meeting will be under much different circumstances.
You're right.
I certainly hope so, sir.
Good day, gentlemen.
Slaughter, you must be out of your mind
demanding I issue an order for the arrest
of Colonel Everett and Mr. Granby.
I repeat, Judge, I want them brought up from Bisbee
and held without bail.
Oh, and by the way, be sure and subpoena that deed of the Colonel's.
But I can't issue an order for their arrest.
There's no charge against them.
Listen, Judge, I guess I've read as much law as you have.
You want charges, I'll give you a few.
Fraud, intimidation, cattle rustling.
You want any more?
I'll sign the complaint.
But you don't understand slaughter.
You'd have to have evidence.
I'll produce the evidence at the proper time in court.
I can't do it.
No, sir, I just can't.
Maybe you'd rather be a defendant in this case, Judge.
You better be able to prove your charges in court.
You'd be surprised what I can prove.
See you in court, Judge.
The court will come to order.
Luke Slaughter, being the complaining party
on behalf of the Cattlemen's Association,
he gets first say.
Go ahead, Slaughter.
Give it to them good, Counselor.
Quiet, Wichita.
Thank you, Judge.
Now, these men are being tried on a charge of fraud.
We'll forget a few other charges.
This is preposterous. He can't prove a thing.
The Judge knows that.
Could we have a little order in the court, Your Honor?
Thank you.
Now, if it please the court,
I have in my hand the Mexican land grant
by which Colonel Everett's claiming land around here.
If it wasn't for just two things, he'd be in his rights.
First of all, this grant is dated September 1st, 1852.
That date looked kind of odd to me some way, so I looked it up.
Now, it just happens that in September of 52,
Santa Anna, who was supposed to have signed this deed,
was in exile in South America.
He didn't become President of Mexico until more than six months later,
April 15th, 1853.
So he couldn't very well give away land when he wasn't even in office, could he?
Order! Order!
Now, that's one thing. There's another.
The first day I saw Colonel Everett's business associate, Mr. Granby,
I had a feeling I'd met him someplace before.
The thought kept nagging at me.
Then when I saw this document, I put two and two together,
and the whole thing came to me.
I was wrong. I hadn't met Mr. Granby at all.
I'd just seen his picture a while back
on the wall of a marshal's office back in Abilene, Texas.
It's no wonder this document looks so pretty.
Mr. Granby is an expert at making things like this.
He's wanted by the United States government for forgery and counterfeiting.
That's a lie!
Now, there's one more way I'm going to prove this case,
by Judge Harris himself.
The judge can tell you a few things about these men that'll prove their guilt.
Can't you, Judge?
Well, when the Colonel and Mr. Granby first approached me...
I'll teach you to keep your mouth shut, Harris.
Luke, Granby's got a deputy's gun.
Get down behind that desk, Judge.
Keep away from me, Slaughter.
I'll fix you, so's everybody. I'll keep away from you.
Now!
See, he doesn't get away again.
All right. Come on out, Judge.
Let's have some order here.
Yes. Yes, all right.
I don't think we need to carry this farce any further.
Judge, you ready to make your decision?
Yes. Yes.
I find these two men guilty as charged.
They will be brought to this court tomorrow morning for sentencing.
This court is adjourned.
Well, say, that was real nice work, Luke.
Why, you saved the judge's life.
Yeah, I guess I did.
You go ahead, Wichita. I'll be along in a minute.
Yeah, okay.
Well, I guess that takes care of everything, Slaughter.
Almost.
There's just one thing more.
How soon are you leaving town, Judge?
What? Why, I'm not leaving.
I say you are.
We like our courts to be honest around here.
I'm afraid you don't quite fit the bill.
Yeah, I guess I did make a mistake, Slaughter.
Maybe you can profit by it in the next place you go.
There's a stage out of here tomorrow afternoon.
See that you're on it.
So long, Judge.
Good luck.
Supporting Mr. Buffington were John McIntyre, Jim McCallion, Bill Quinn, Junius Matthews, and Ed Jerome.
Music composed by Wilbur Hatch and conducted by Amariego Marino.
Next week at this time, we return with...
Slaughter's the name.
Luke Slaughter.
When we meet up again, you can call me that.
Luke Slaughter.
Music
Butcher, baker, candlestick maker, lawyer, bricklayer.
No matter what your work is, the course of American business from day to day affects you in a hundred ways.
Beginning tomorrow and right through the week, follow our business news reports on most of these stations
with Walter Cronkite and Bill Downs doing the reporting.
Now stay tuned for Frontier Gentlemen, which follows immediately over most of these same stations.
This is the CBS Radio Network.