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. And there's no man west of the Rio Grande big
enough to take it from me. 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 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. The time finally came when I decided that be more profit in raising my own cattle and
driving other men's herds up to Tombstone for Mexico and Texas. And about the same time, I
heard that Aaron Holcomb's spread was for sale. So one day Wichita and I rode down toward the
San Pedro Valley to look it over. Well Wichita, what do you think? Well, if you wish to ask me.
I am. You are? Well, I think it's a pretty good proposition all around. You get a good,
healthy herd of beef cattle and several hundred acres of grazing land, and Aaron Holcomb gets out
like he wants to. I don't see how either one of you can lose. That's the way I look at it.
Let's ride over to Aaron's and close the deal. Howdy Aaron. Howdy Luke. Wichita. Howdy Aaron.
Well Aaron, I'm ready to talk business. Good. Come on into the house and I'll see if I can get
Sarah to rustle up some coffee. It's a mighty nice herd you got there Aaron. How many head you figure
you're running? Well, not counting calves. Somewhere between 450 to 475. Let's count the calves and
make it 500. That's mighty generous of you Luke. Got company Sarah. Well Mr. Slaughter and Wichita,
how are you? Hello Mrs. Holcomb. How are you mom? Suppose you could find some hot coffee for these
gents? I would be the least bit surprised. Sit down Luke. Over there Wichita. Sarah,
Mr. Slaughter is interested in buying. Well I must say that's a relief. I said to Aaron, Mr. Slaughter,
I said if Mr. Slaughter won't take the place off your hands, who will? Well it isn't exactly a
matter of taking it off your hands Mrs. Holcomb. Aaron's built up a valuable spread here. Yes,
but who in Tombstone's in a position to buy it but you? And I declare I'd go out of my mind if we
had to wait around here for goodness knows how long selling it off piece by piece and cow by cow.
Well I don't think that'll be necessary. Aaron, I'm prepared to offer you $5,000 for your outfit.
Lock stock and barrel. Five thousand? Well now that's a pretty fancy price if you ask me. Nobody
did Wichita. Wichita's right Luke. It is a fancy price but I'll accept it. Good. I've drawn up a
bill of sale and a deed Aaron. You'll just sign here. All right Luke. How about the money? You want me
to deposit it to your account in the bank in town? No Luke, I never did trust banks. They get robbed
too often. I prefer cash. I thought you might. So I brought it with me. There you are. Five thousand
and hundred dollar bills. Count it. I don't have to Luke. I know it's all there. Well that's an awful
lot of cash to have laying around Aaron. No it won't be laying around Wichita. I've got my own
private hiding place. Where? Well I don't aim to disclose it to a swindling old coot like you. But
I will say it's under a board in this kitchen but I ain't specifying which board. You always was a
cautious one Aaron. Reckon that's why you live so long. No Wichita. Sarah's why I've lived so long.
Well I reckon she is at that. Say what are you two talking about? You see Aaron you've been
reformed so long that green horns like Luke here don't even know what a bad man you once was. What?
You mean to tell me Luke you never heard of a gunslinger named Big Aaron? No I guess that was
before my time. Biggest was why Aaron here was once the fastest gun in the panhandle. How many men
was it you helped along to their reward Aaron? Some say 12 others 14 I never did rightly know.
Wichita you talk too much. That's what Luke says. But be that as it may truth is Luke Aaron probably
could have outgunned you in his prime. Well I don't know that was a long time ago and before
Sarah came along and showed me the error of my ways. Well don't get the idea I was exactly a
gospel singer Mr. Slaughter. You don't learn many hymns at the birdcage in Abilene but I loved him.
So I hung up my gun and for nearly 20 years I ain't used it on anything bigger than a rattlesnake or
a coyote. You see I preferred a live husband to a dead legend. And you live to regret it. Not a
single day on it. Mr. Slaughter when will you want us to move off the place? There's no hurry Mrs.
Holcomb you just take your time. Where you two heading on west? Oh Mercy no we're going back
east to Missouri. Well I never folks don't go back east not when they got themselves a going outfit
like you have or had. Oh but I've still got kinfolk back there. Well kin ain't no reason to leave
God's country. And I've got a hankering to see green fields again and to grow something else
besides beef cattle. You gonna be a farmer Aaron? Looks like it. If that's what Sarah wants then it's
what I want. Aaron ain't you carrying this devotion thing a little too far? All right come on let's
head back for Tombstone Wichita. Yeah I know I know I talk too much. Good evening Mr. Slaughter.
Evening Nellie what's on the fire tonight? Well there's fried pork chops and fried steak. I'd
recommend the pork chops. What's the matter with my cattle? Well I didn't mean that Mr. Slaughter.
Evening Luke, evening Nellie. Evening Wichita. Pork chops and steak Wichita. Don't make no
difference I'm hungry in a woodpecker with a headache. Steak I guess. No I'll bring it
along as soon as I get these other gentlemen sorted. Where you been? Oh I just dropped by
the Appataff office to pick up the evening paper. Well well well what you know? What? Here's your
name in the paper, big as life. What does it say? We understand Luke Slaughter has decided to settle
in these parts. Yesterday we heard he bought Aaron Holcomb's spread down on the San Pedro River. We
also understand Luke paid a very purty penny for it. I wonder how that got in the paper. Well I
don't know Luke. I'll bet you don't. You know between that nosy nose of yours and that waggon
tongue somebody's gonna get into trouble someday and I hope it'll only be you. No Luke I was only.
My business is my business and nobody else's and I don't like reading about it in the newspaper.
Is that clear? Why sure Luke sure. Stop it please. Stop what? I was just trying to be friendly.
If you just give me your order. Piers, Nellie's having a little trouble. Why those two Wichita?
You know them? Never laid eyes on them before strangers most likely. Must be. Well they'd know better.
What seems to be the difficulty gentlemen? Huh? Oh we ain't having any difficulty. We just being
friendly with this little filly here. It's all right Nellie. I'll take care of this. Thank you Mr.
Slaughter. I guess you boys aren't very well acquainted in Tombstone or you'd know that this
is the dining room of the San Jose house not the bar room of the Occidental. Rough stuff doesn't
go here. Who are you? The owner of the hotel? No. Maybe a sky pilot then? No. Then what right you got
buttoned in? The right any man's got to help a lady when she needs it. You boys better mind your
manners or go get your supper someplace else. You know mister I just may have to cut you down to size.
I wouldn't try it son if I was you. Why not? Pop? Guess you don't know who you're talking to. That's
right. I don't know and I don't care. Well you better care. This here is Luke Slaughter and watch
me. Luke Slaughter? Well you're quite a famous man Mr. Slaughter. Say this is the fellow we was
reading about in tonight's paper Thad. Yeah well buying up ranches is one thing and pushing people
around is another. I'm not pushing anybody around I'm just telling you to mind your manners. Come
on Wichita let's tie on the feed bag. I guess I must have discouraged the two Randy Ranahan's
because a couple of minutes later they left presumably to find a dining room where it was
permitted to pinch the waitresses and I forgot all about them since my business is primarily
not the protection of tombstones women folk but cattle. I was tending to my business the next
afternoon when Wichita busted into my office at the cattleman's association. A terrible thing has
happened an awful thing. What Wichita? It's Sarah Holcomb. What's the matter with her? Well
Erin just brought her into the doctor. She's cut up something terrible. Who cut her? Erin don't know
and she can't talk she's unconscious. We better go over to the docks and see if there's anything we
can do. We got to the doctor's office on Toughnut Street. We found Sarah lying on a big bed in the
back room. Erin's huge body seemed shrunken as he knelt by the bed holding her tiny hand in his.
The doctor waves us back into his office and closed the door behind him. How is she doc? She's dying
Wichita. What happened to her? Luke I've been doctoring out here for a long time and I've seen
people die in a lot of different ways. I've treated bullet wounds dug out arrows sewed up knife
gashes but I've never seen anything as rotten as what somebody did to that poor woman. What did they
do to her? Spurs big riled chihuahuas. They must have kicked her for a long time. She's got holes all
over her body. A dirty sidewinder. Is she conscious? She won't be for long. Can I talk to her? Well I
guess it don't make any difference now. Go on in. How do you feel Mrs. Holcomb? Not too good Mr. Slaughter
but I'll be all right in a few days Dr. Sitzel. Of course you will. Mrs. Holcomb who did this to you?
I don't know. I never saw him before. There were two of them. They rode up to the ranch just before
noon. I was down in the wash looking after new drop care fluid. They say go on Mrs. Holcomb.
They said give them the money you paid us for the ranch. I told him I didn't know what they
was talking about and then one of them knocked me down and the other began kicking with his spur.
Can you tell me what they looked like Mrs. Holcomb? Anything about them? There was two of them. I
think I heard one of them call the other Thad. Thad? Yeah he was a little one. He's evil. He's
cruel and mean and evil. It was him that did this to me. All right Mrs. Holcomb you just lie back and
rest now. She tell you anything Luke? Weren't she knew she did Wichita. One of them is named Thad.
Does that mean anything to you? No can't say that it does. Those two cowboys in the San Jose house
last night. Didn't one of them answer to the name of Thad? The little one. By Tulford I think he did.
Wasn't he wearing Chihuahua spurs with long rallows? Yeah he was. Doctor come quick.
The huge figure of Aaron Holcomb filled the doorway behind Wichita's dead wife. His broad
features sagged with shock and grief and tightened in determination. He pulled out his gun,
which had not been drawn against a man in nearly 20 years. Slowly he spun the chamber making sure
that it was fully loaded. What are you aiming to do Aaron? What do you think I aim to do? This is a
job for the law Aaron. The sheriff will have those men by nightfall. They'll both be dead by nightfall.
If you kill them you'll hang. Let the law handle this and they'll hang. Maybe or maybe they'll go
to Yuma for life. I can't take that chance. They'll get a fair trial. Did they give Sarah a fair trial?
Bushwhacking a defenseless woman? They got no more guts than their father had. Their father? Yeah.
You heard Sarah say one of them's named Thad. Yeah. I know who they are now. Thad Jenks boys. Who's Thad
Jenks? Last man I outdrew back in Abilene nearly 20 years ago. A yellow coward who went for his gun
when my back was turned but he never got it out of the holster. Yeah that's right Luke I was there.
Quiet Wichita. You see Luke they weren't after the money. At least that isn't the reason they came up
here to Tombstone. They came a-feuding. Well they got a feud now all right a blood feud. But Aaron
you can't take the law into your own hands. I aim to. Then I got to remind you Aaron I'm a deputy
sheriff and it's my duty to stop you. I wouldn't try it Luke. Aaron listen to me. What would Sarah
think if you put the gun back on? Sarah can't think no more Luke. No if you Jenks don't mind
I'd like to be alone with her for a little while. Wichita. Yeah Luke. Go over to the sheriff's
office tell him he's gonna have a shooting on his hands if he doesn't lock those two up before
Aaron finds him. How you know they're still in town? I don't but I'm sure gonna find out if I have to
search every saloon on Allen Street. Let's go. That's just about what I did. They weren't in
Hereford's or Bob Hatch's. They weren't in the oriental or the Occidental. Just about decided
they'd been smart enough to skip town when I found them in the Alhambra.
Hey Bartender. Let's have another bottle here. This one's empty. Sure can't you see we're dying of thirst. Never mind Bartender.
They've had their last drink for a while. Well if it isn't Mr. Luke Slaughter. What's the idea of the gun Mr. Slaughter?
It's deputy sheriff Slaughter. Signifying? I'm arresting you two for the murder of Sarah Holcomb.
You must be mistaken Slaughter. We don't know no one named Sarah Holcomb. Those spurs you're
wearing look mighty sharp. Well they are. My horse has awful tough hide. It's too bad Sarah Holcomb
didn't have a tough hide when you used him on her. Now move. Nobody's moving unless he wants to be
stuck with a bullet. Aaron listen to me. Put your gun away Luke. It's too late to play lawman. Aaron I
can't let. Just step to one side out of the line of fire. These boys and me are gonna talk business.
If you try it I gotta defend them Aaron. It don't matter much to me Luke. If I have to kill you to
get them well then I'll have to. Who is this crazy old fool? We never saw him before. That's right Sonny
but I bet you heard about me all your life. I'm the fella who killed your papi but I killed him in a
fair gunfight just like I'm gonna kill you. Not the sneaky sneaky way you killed my wife. He's out of
his mind Slaughter. I tell you we didn't kill his wife. He's convinced that you did and so am I. I'm
putting my pistol back in its holster so everything will be fair and square. Now you boys can take off
your guns and try me or you can go for them and try me. Don't make any difference. Either way I'm
gonna kill you and either way it'll be a quicker and easier death than you gave Sarah. Look mister
you're making a mistake. Leave us out of here. We'll get out of town and never come back. You're
never leaving this town. You're staying right here on Boothill. Now draw. Aaron you go for your gun
and I'll have to go for mine. You do that Luke but I won't be aiming at you. I couldn't draw on Aaron
and he knew it. There was nothing I could do to stop his vengeance. Silence of waiting death
hovered over the room. Smell of fear was there too. Aaron stood facing the two terrified brothers
his feet wide apart. His open hand hovering an inch away from his holstered gun. The seconds that
seemed like hours they stood there. Finally Harv Jenks went for his gun. Aaron's arm was a blur as
he pumped shots into Harv before he could get his gun out. As he fell dying he fired once and across
Aaron's chest a red stain slowly spread. Thad Jenks stood in frozen terror his gun still holstered
and he found his voice. Alright Aaron that's enough shooting. You're right Luke a bullet's too good for this one with those nice
sharp spurs. Of course I ain't wearing spurs honey and I've got no knife to cut you up like you did
Sarah but I got two hands. Big hands. Hands big enough to crack your bones. Big enough to choke the
life out of you little by little. Arms swinging his great hands outstretched like a huge gorilla.
Aaron slowly moved across the room toward the terrified killer. Thad Jenks backed away from him
until he bumped into the bar. He seemed to remember his gun. Taking it out the board shot that shot at Aaron but he never
stopped advancing. The gun was empty. Thad threw it away tried to make a break for the door but Aaron
grabbed it with one hand and smashed it in the face of the other. That's enough Aaron let him go. Let him go Aaron he's dead. Dead? You sure?
Yes Aaron you've had your revenge. I'm sorry Luke I had to do it. I know. I'll go get the
doc Aaron. No no Luke there's nothing the doc can do for a man that stopped six slugs. Luke? Yes Aaron. Luke this is the only time I ever broke a promise to Sarah.
I know. But there's one last promise I don't want to break if you'll help me. Sure I will Aaron. I I promise Sarah we'd go back to
Missouri together with the rest of our days. Luke will you see to it that we do?
Luke Lutter of Tombstone starring Sam Buffington was written by Thomas Houghton and adapted for
radio and directed by William N. Robeson. Editorial supervision by Tom Hanley. Supporting Mr. Buffington
were Irene Tedrow, Dee Tatum, Sam Edwards, Chet Stratton, Dick LaGrand, Junius Matthews and Lou
Merrill with music composed by Wilbur Hatch and conducted by Amerigo 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. Luke Slaughter of Tombstone has come to you through the worldwide facilities of
the United States Armed Forces Radio and Television Service.