Gunsmoke 59-11-15 (397) The Square Triangle

·24 min·2 clips

A cattle buyer is found knifed in the back at Buffalo Flats, and his partner Red Lawson is accused of the murder.

The episode opens with Marshal Matt Dillon and his deputy Chester encountering Ava Morley on Front Street at night, where Dillon warns her about the dangers. Ava is looking for her husband Al Morley, who is planning a cattle-buying trip with Red Lawson. Later, Jesse Wells arrives to inform Dillon that Al Morley has been murdered at Buffalo Flats, knifed in the back, and accuses Red Lawson of stealing $10,000. Dillon and Chester track Lawson to a water tank, where a confrontation results in Lawson being shot and mortally wounded. Before dying, Lawson denies killing Morley, claiming he only stole the money. Dillon becomes suspicious of Jesse Wells, who was also on the trip, and accuses him of framing Lawson by killing Morley himself. Unable to prove it, Dillon plants a rumor through Kitty, the saloon owner, suggesting Wells visit Ava Morley. That night, Dillon and Chester stake out Morley's house, where Wells arrives and confronts Ava, believing she and Dillon are conspiring against him. When Dillon arrests Wells for murder, Wells draws his gun, leading to a shootout where Wells is killed by Dillon and Chester. Doc Adams confirms Wells's death, and Dillon notes that Wells did not implicate Ava in the crime. The episode concludes with Dillon and Chester reflecting on the three deaths and Ava's indirect role, though she remains free due to lack of evidence.

As heard by us

A terse western chase built from a dead man, a missing sack, and a fast pursuit.

A dead man, a missing $10,000 sack, and Red Lawson slipping out before daylight give the story its hard edge. The pace stays plain and clipped, with Jesse sorting out what happened at the fire while Marshal Dillon chooses to ride back through Dodge and work from the east to…

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Why you'd press play

A murder, a missing $10,000 sack, and a train ride that turns watchful.

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