WEBVTT 00:00.000 --> 00:19.000 Slaughter's my name, Luke Slaughter. Cattle's my business. It's a tough business. It's big 00:19.000 --> 00:24.360 business. I've got a big stake in it. And there's no man west of the Rio Grande big 00:24.360 --> 00:34.360 enough to take it from me. Luke Slaughter of Tombstone. 00:42.360 --> 00:49.720 Luke Slaughter of Tombstone, Civil War cavalryman turned Arizona cattleman. 00:49.720 --> 00:55.000 Across the territory from Yuma to Fort Defiance, from Flagstaff to the Wachukas, 00:55.000 --> 01:00.480 and below the border through Chihuahua and Sonora, his name was respected or feared, 01:00.480 --> 01:07.880 depending on which side of the law you were on. Man of vision, man of legend, Luke Slaughter of 01:07.880 --> 01:24.960 Tombstone. The time finally came when I decided that be more profit in raising my own cattle and 01:24.960 --> 01:30.720 driving other men's herds up to Tombstone for Mexico and Texas. And about the same time, I 01:30.720 --> 01:36.880 heard that Aaron Holcomb's spread was for sale. So one day Wichita and I rode down toward the 01:36.880 --> 01:44.200 San Pedro Valley to look it over. Well Wichita, what do you think? Well, if you wish to ask me. 01:44.200 --> 01:51.600 I am. You are? Well, I think it's a pretty good proposition all around. You get a good, 01:51.600 --> 01:57.200 healthy herd of beef cattle and several hundred acres of grazing land, and Aaron Holcomb gets out 01:57.200 --> 02:01.920 like he wants to. I don't see how either one of you can lose. That's the way I look at it. 02:01.920 --> 02:22.440 Let's ride over to Aaron's and close the deal. Howdy Aaron. Howdy Luke. Wichita. Howdy Aaron. 02:22.440 --> 02:27.920 Well Aaron, I'm ready to talk business. Good. Come on into the house and I'll see if I can get 02:27.920 --> 02:33.880 Sarah to rustle up some coffee. It's a mighty nice herd you got there Aaron. How many head you figure 02:33.880 --> 02:41.840 you're running? Well, not counting calves. Somewhere between 450 to 475. Let's count the calves and 02:41.840 --> 02:49.480 make it 500. That's mighty generous of you Luke. Got company Sarah. Well Mr. Slaughter and Wichita, 02:49.480 --> 02:54.400 how are you? Hello Mrs. Holcomb. How are you mom? Suppose you could find some hot coffee for these 02:54.400 --> 03:02.280 gents? I would be the least bit surprised. Sit down Luke. Over there Wichita. Sarah, 03:02.280 --> 03:10.320 Mr. Slaughter is interested in buying. Well I must say that's a relief. I said to Aaron, Mr. Slaughter, 03:10.320 --> 03:15.440 I said if Mr. Slaughter won't take the place off your hands, who will? Well it isn't exactly a 03:15.440 --> 03:20.720 matter of taking it off your hands Mrs. Holcomb. Aaron's built up a valuable spread here. Yes, 03:20.720 --> 03:26.560 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 03:26.560 --> 03:31.680 had to wait around here for goodness knows how long selling it off piece by piece and cow by cow. 03:31.680 --> 03:38.120 Well I don't think that'll be necessary. Aaron, I'm prepared to offer you $5,000 for your outfit. 03:38.120 --> 03:44.200 Lock stock and barrel. Five thousand? Well now that's a pretty fancy price if you ask me. Nobody 03:44.200 --> 03:52.960 did Wichita. Wichita's right Luke. It is a fancy price but I'll accept it. Good. I've drawn up a 03:52.960 --> 04:02.680 bill of sale and a deed Aaron. You'll just sign here. All right Luke. How about the money? You want me 04:02.680 --> 04:07.720 to deposit it to your account in the bank in town? No Luke, I never did trust banks. They get robbed 04:07.720 --> 04:14.840 too often. I prefer cash. I thought you might. So I brought it with me. There you are. Five thousand 04:14.840 --> 04:21.880 and hundred dollar bills. Count it. I don't have to Luke. I know it's all there. Well that's an awful 04:21.880 --> 04:27.320 lot of cash to have laying around Aaron. No it won't be laying around Wichita. I've got my own 04:27.320 --> 04:34.560 private hiding place. Where? Well I don't aim to disclose it to a swindling old coot like you. But 04:34.560 --> 04:42.440 I will say it's under a board in this kitchen but I ain't specifying which board. You always was a 04:42.440 --> 04:50.360 cautious one Aaron. Reckon that's why you live so long. No Wichita. Sarah's why I've lived so long. 04:50.360 --> 04:57.360 Well I reckon she is at that. Say what are you two talking about? You see Aaron you've been 04:57.360 --> 05:03.880 reformed so long that green horns like Luke here don't even know what a bad man you once was. What? 05:03.880 --> 05:11.320 You mean to tell me Luke you never heard of a gunslinger named Big Aaron? No I guess that was 05:11.320 --> 05:17.840 before my time. Biggest was why Aaron here was once the fastest gun in the panhandle. How many men 05:17.840 --> 05:23.720 was it you helped along to their reward Aaron? Some say 12 others 14 I never did rightly know. 05:23.720 --> 05:31.240 Wichita you talk too much. That's what Luke says. But be that as it may truth is Luke Aaron probably 05:31.240 --> 05:37.480 could have outgunned you in his prime. Well I don't know that was a long time ago and before 05:37.480 --> 05:44.000 Sarah came along and showed me the error of my ways. Well don't get the idea I was exactly a 05:44.000 --> 05:50.960 gospel singer Mr. Slaughter. You don't learn many hymns at the birdcage in Abilene but I loved him. 05:50.960 --> 05:57.720 So I hung up my gun and for nearly 20 years I ain't used it on anything bigger than a rattlesnake or 05:57.720 --> 06:06.920 a coyote. You see I preferred a live husband to a dead legend. And you live to regret it. Not a 06:06.920 --> 06:14.000 single day on it. Mr. Slaughter when will you want us to move off the place? There's no hurry Mrs. 06:14.000 --> 06:19.200 Holcomb you just take your time. Where you two heading on west? Oh Mercy no we're going back 06:19.200 --> 06:26.560 east to Missouri. Well I never folks don't go back east not when they got themselves a going outfit 06:26.560 --> 06:32.200 like you have or had. Oh but I've still got kinfolk back there. Well kin ain't no reason to leave 06:32.200 --> 06:36.840 God's country. And I've got a hankering to see green fields again and to grow something else 06:36.840 --> 06:45.160 besides beef cattle. You gonna be a farmer Aaron? Looks like it. If that's what Sarah wants then it's 06:45.160 --> 06:51.040 what I want. Aaron ain't you carrying this devotion thing a little too far? All right come on let's 06:51.040 --> 07:08.080 head back for Tombstone Wichita. Yeah I know I know I talk too much. Good evening Mr. Slaughter. 07:08.080 --> 07:13.760 Evening Nellie what's on the fire tonight? Well there's fried pork chops and fried steak. I'd 07:13.760 --> 07:18.960 recommend the pork chops. What's the matter with my cattle? Well I didn't mean that Mr. Slaughter. 07:18.960 --> 07:25.000 Evening Luke, evening Nellie. Evening Wichita. Pork chops and steak Wichita. Don't make no 07:25.000 --> 07:30.200 difference I'm hungry in a woodpecker with a headache. Steak I guess. No I'll bring it 07:30.200 --> 07:35.760 along as soon as I get these other gentlemen sorted. Where you been? Oh I just dropped by 07:35.760 --> 07:43.400 the Appataff office to pick up the evening paper. Well well well what you know? What? Here's your 07:43.400 --> 07:50.480 name in the paper, big as life. What does it say? We understand Luke Slaughter has decided to settle 07:50.480 --> 07:58.280 in these parts. Yesterday we heard he bought Aaron Holcomb's spread down on the San Pedro River. We 07:58.280 --> 08:05.200 also understand Luke paid a very purty penny for it. I wonder how that got in the paper. Well I 08:05.200 --> 08:11.040 don't know Luke. I'll bet you don't. You know between that nosy nose of yours and that waggon 08:11.040 --> 08:16.200 tongue somebody's gonna get into trouble someday and I hope it'll only be you. No Luke I was only. 08:16.200 --> 08:20.520 My business is my business and nobody else's and I don't like reading about it in the newspaper. 08:20.520 --> 08:26.800 Is that clear? Why sure Luke sure. Stop it please. Stop what? I was just trying to be friendly. 08:26.800 --> 08:32.440 If you just give me your order. Piers, Nellie's having a little trouble. Why those two Wichita? 08:32.440 --> 08:41.880 You know them? Never laid eyes on them before strangers most likely. Must be. Well they'd know better. 08:41.880 --> 08:48.160 What seems to be the difficulty gentlemen? Huh? Oh we ain't having any difficulty. We just being 08:48.160 --> 08:52.840 friendly with this little filly here. It's all right Nellie. I'll take care of this. Thank you Mr. 08:52.840 --> 08:58.120 Slaughter. I guess you boys aren't very well acquainted in Tombstone or you'd know that this 08:58.120 --> 09:03.240 is the dining room of the San Jose house not the bar room of the Occidental. Rough stuff doesn't 09:03.240 --> 09:12.080 go here. Who are you? The owner of the hotel? No. Maybe a sky pilot then? No. Then what right you got 09:12.080 --> 09:17.400 buttoned in? The right any man's got to help a lady when she needs it. You boys better mind your 09:17.400 --> 09:24.000 manners or go get your supper someplace else. You know mister I just may have to cut you down to size. 09:24.000 --> 09:31.720 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 09:31.720 --> 09:37.320 right. I don't know and I don't care. Well you better care. This here is Luke Slaughter and watch 09:37.320 --> 09:44.040 me. Luke Slaughter? Well you're quite a famous man Mr. Slaughter. Say this is the fellow we was 09:44.040 --> 09:48.560 reading about in tonight's paper Thad. Yeah well buying up ranches is one thing and pushing people 09:48.560 --> 09:54.200 around is another. I'm not pushing anybody around I'm just telling you to mind your manners. Come 09:54.200 --> 10:06.880 on Wichita let's tie on the feed bag. I guess I must have discouraged the two Randy Ranahan's 10:06.880 --> 10:11.520 because a couple of minutes later they left presumably to find a dining room where it was 10:11.520 --> 10:17.080 permitted to pinch the waitresses and I forgot all about them since my business is primarily 10:17.080 --> 10:23.160 not the protection of tombstones women folk but cattle. I was tending to my business the next 10:23.160 --> 10:28.120 afternoon when Wichita busted into my office at the cattleman's association. A terrible thing has 10:28.120 --> 10:33.000 happened an awful thing. What Wichita? It's Sarah Holcomb. What's the matter with her? Well 10:33.000 --> 10:38.480 Erin just brought her into the doctor. She's cut up something terrible. Who cut her? Erin don't know 10:38.480 --> 10:42.640 and she can't talk she's unconscious. We better go over to the docks and see if there's anything we 10:42.640 --> 10:54.320 can do. We got to the doctor's office on Toughnut Street. We found Sarah lying on a big bed in the 10:54.320 --> 11:01.280 back room. Erin's huge body seemed shrunken as he knelt by the bed holding her tiny hand in his. 11:01.280 --> 11:10.200 The doctor waves us back into his office and closed the door behind him. How is she doc? She's dying 11:10.200 --> 11:16.320 Wichita. What happened to her? Luke I've been doctoring out here for a long time and I've seen 11:16.320 --> 11:23.000 people die in a lot of different ways. I've treated bullet wounds dug out arrows sewed up knife 11:23.000 --> 11:28.960 gashes but I've never seen anything as rotten as what somebody did to that poor woman. What did they 11:28.960 --> 11:37.120 do to her? Spurs big riled chihuahuas. They must have kicked her for a long time. She's got holes all 11:37.120 --> 11:46.720 over her body. A dirty sidewinder. Is she conscious? She won't be for long. Can I talk to her? Well I 11:46.720 --> 12:00.640 guess it don't make any difference now. Go on in. How do you feel Mrs. Holcomb? Not too good Mr. Slaughter 12:00.640 --> 12:10.600 but I'll be all right in a few days Dr. Sitzel. Of course you will. Mrs. Holcomb who did this to you? 12:10.600 --> 12:19.200 I don't know. I never saw him before. There were two of them. They rode up to the ranch just before 12:19.200 --> 12:25.200 noon. I was down in the wash looking after new drop care fluid. They say go on Mrs. Holcomb. 12:25.200 --> 12:32.920 They said give them the money you paid us for the ranch. I told him I didn't know what they 12:32.920 --> 12:40.560 was talking about and then one of them knocked me down and the other began kicking with his spur. 12:40.560 --> 12:49.040 Can you tell me what they looked like Mrs. Holcomb? Anything about them? There was two of them. I 12:49.040 --> 13:00.800 think I heard one of them call the other Thad. Thad? Yeah he was a little one. He's evil. He's 13:00.800 --> 13:12.760 cruel and mean and evil. It was him that did this to me. All right Mrs. Holcomb you just lie back and 13:12.760 --> 13:24.000 rest now. She tell you anything Luke? Weren't she knew she did Wichita. One of them is named Thad. 13:24.000 --> 13:31.320 Does that mean anything to you? No can't say that it does. Those two cowboys in the San Jose house 13:31.320 --> 13:39.080 last night. Didn't one of them answer to the name of Thad? The little one. By Tulford I think he did. 13:39.080 --> 13:46.360 Wasn't he wearing Chihuahua spurs with long rallows? Yeah he was. Doctor come quick. 13:46.360 --> 14:11.960 The huge figure of Aaron Holcomb filled the doorway behind Wichita's dead wife. His broad 14:11.960 --> 14:19.040 features sagged with shock and grief and tightened in determination. He pulled out his gun, 14:19.040 --> 14:27.440 which had not been drawn against a man in nearly 20 years. Slowly he spun the chamber making sure 14:27.440 --> 14:35.000 that it was fully loaded. What are you aiming to do Aaron? What do you think I aim to do? This is a 14:35.000 --> 14:40.600 job for the law Aaron. The sheriff will have those men by nightfall. They'll both be dead by nightfall. 14:40.600 --> 14:46.560 If you kill them you'll hang. Let the law handle this and they'll hang. Maybe or maybe they'll go 14:46.560 --> 14:52.040 to Yuma for life. I can't take that chance. They'll get a fair trial. Did they give Sarah a fair trial? 14:52.040 --> 14:58.600 Bushwhacking a defenseless woman? They got no more guts than their father had. Their father? Yeah. 14:58.600 --> 15:07.480 You heard Sarah say one of them's named Thad. Yeah. I know who they are now. Thad Jenks boys. Who's Thad 15:07.480 --> 15:14.680 Jenks? Last man I outdrew back in Abilene nearly 20 years ago. A yellow coward who went for his gun 15:14.680 --> 15:20.200 when my back was turned but he never got it out of the holster. Yeah that's right Luke I was there. 15:20.200 --> 15:25.600 Quiet Wichita. You see Luke they weren't after the money. At least that isn't the reason they came up 15:25.600 --> 15:33.840 here to Tombstone. They came a-feuding. Well they got a feud now all right a blood feud. But Aaron 15:33.840 --> 15:41.440 you can't take the law into your own hands. I aim to. Then I got to remind you Aaron I'm a deputy 15:41.440 --> 15:47.000 sheriff and it's my duty to stop you. I wouldn't try it Luke. Aaron listen to me. What would Sarah 15:47.000 --> 15:55.520 think if you put the gun back on? Sarah can't think no more Luke. No if you Jenks don't mind 15:55.520 --> 16:04.920 I'd like to be alone with her for a little while. Wichita. Yeah Luke. Go over to the sheriff's 16:04.920 --> 16:08.520 office tell him he's gonna have a shooting on his hands if he doesn't lock those two up before 16:08.520 --> 16:14.360 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 16:14.360 --> 16:26.960 search every saloon on Allen Street. Let's go. That's just about what I did. They weren't in 16:26.960 --> 16:33.680 Hereford's or Bob Hatch's. They weren't in the oriental or the Occidental. Just about decided 16:33.680 --> 16:38.400 they'd been smart enough to skip town when I found them in the Alhambra. 16:38.400 --> 16:48.160 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. 16:48.160 --> 16:57.880 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? 16:57.880 --> 17:04.120 It's deputy sheriff Slaughter. Signifying? I'm arresting you two for the murder of Sarah Holcomb. 17:04.120 --> 17:09.360 You must be mistaken Slaughter. We don't know no one named Sarah Holcomb. Those spurs you're 17:09.360 --> 17:17.320 wearing look mighty sharp. Well they are. My horse has awful tough hide. It's too bad Sarah Holcomb 17:17.320 --> 17:23.720 didn't have a tough hide when you used him on her. Now move. Nobody's moving unless he wants to be 17:23.720 --> 17:29.880 stuck with a bullet. Aaron listen to me. Put your gun away Luke. It's too late to play lawman. Aaron I 17:29.880 --> 17:35.720 can't let. Just step to one side out of the line of fire. These boys and me are gonna talk business. 17:35.720 --> 17:44.000 If you try it I gotta defend them Aaron. It don't matter much to me Luke. If I have to kill you to 17:44.000 --> 17:51.200 get them well then I'll have to. Who is this crazy old fool? We never saw him before. That's right Sonny 17:51.200 --> 17:58.920 but I bet you heard about me all your life. I'm the fella who killed your papi but I killed him in a 17:58.920 --> 18:05.440 fair gunfight just like I'm gonna kill you. Not the sneaky sneaky way you killed my wife. He's out of 18:05.440 --> 18:10.000 his mind Slaughter. I tell you we didn't kill his wife. He's convinced that you did and so am I. I'm 18:10.000 --> 18:17.940 putting my pistol back in its holster so everything will be fair and square. Now you boys can take off 18:17.940 --> 18:25.800 your guns and try me or you can go for them and try me. Don't make any difference. Either way I'm 18:25.800 --> 18:31.720 gonna kill you and either way it'll be a quicker and easier death than you gave Sarah. Look mister 18:31.720 --> 18:35.200 you're making a mistake. Leave us out of here. We'll get out of town and never come back. You're 18:35.200 --> 18:45.120 never leaving this town. You're staying right here on Boothill. Now draw. Aaron you go for your gun 18:45.120 --> 18:53.280 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 18:53.280 --> 19:00.800 and he knew it. There was nothing I could do to stop his vengeance. Silence of waiting death 19:00.800 --> 19:09.960 hovered over the room. Smell of fear was there too. Aaron stood facing the two terrified brothers 19:09.960 --> 19:17.720 his feet wide apart. His open hand hovering an inch away from his holstered gun. The seconds that 19:17.720 --> 19:24.160 seemed like hours they stood there. Finally Harv Jenks went for his gun. Aaron's arm was a blur as 19:24.160 --> 19:29.480 he pumped shots into Harv before he could get his gun out. As he fell dying he fired once and across 19:29.480 --> 19:38.640 Aaron's chest a red stain slowly spread. Thad Jenks stood in frozen terror his gun still holstered 19:38.640 --> 19:50.480 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 19:50.480 --> 19:59.240 sharp spurs. Of course I ain't wearing spurs honey and I've got no knife to cut you up like you did 19:59.240 --> 20:10.480 Sarah but I got two hands. Big hands. Hands big enough to crack your bones. Big enough to choke the 20:10.480 --> 20:17.440 life out of you little by little. Arms swinging his great hands outstretched like a huge gorilla. 20:17.440 --> 20:23.200 Aaron slowly moved across the room toward the terrified killer. Thad Jenks backed away from him 20:23.200 --> 20:31.200 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 20:31.200 --> 20:37.120 stopped advancing. The gun was empty. Thad threw it away tried to make a break for the door but Aaron 20:37.120 --> 21:01.120 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? 21:01.120 --> 21:17.040 Yes Aaron you've had your revenge. I'm sorry Luke I had to do it. I know. I'll go get the 21:17.040 --> 21:45.920 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. 21:45.920 --> 22:03.680 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 22:03.680 --> 22:20.240 Missouri together with the rest of our days. Luke will you see to it that we do? 22:34.400 --> 22:40.960 Luke Lutter of Tombstone starring Sam Buffington was written by Thomas Houghton and adapted for 22:40.960 --> 22:48.000 radio and directed by William N. Robeson. Editorial supervision by Tom Hanley. Supporting Mr. Buffington 22:48.000 --> 22:55.360 were Irene Tedrow, Dee Tatum, Sam Edwards, Chet Stratton, Dick LaGrand, Junius Matthews and Lou 22:55.360 --> 23:01.840 Merrill with music composed by Wilbur Hatch and conducted by Amerigo Marino. Next week at this time 23:01.840 --> 23:08.800 we return with Slaughter's the name Luke Slaughter. When we meet up again you can call me that 23:09.920 --> 23:15.840 Luke Slaughter. Luke Slaughter of Tombstone has come to you through the worldwide facilities of 23:15.840 --> 23:32.640 the United States Armed Forces Radio and Television Service.