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02x20 - Witness for the Defense

Episode transcripts for the TV show, "The Life & Legend of Wyatt Earp". Aired: September 6, 1955 – June 27, 1961.*
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Series is loosely based on the life of frontier marshal Wyatt Earp.

02x20 - Witness for the Defense

Post by bunniefuu »

( Men vocalizing )

♪ Wyatt earp, wyatt earp

♪ Brave, courageous and bold

♪ Long live his fame

♪ And long live his glory

♪ And long may

His story be told. ♪

Narrator: the friendship

Between wyatt earp

And ben thompson--

Outlaw, k*ller,

And one of the fastest hands

With a .

In the western country--

Was a great trial to

Marshal earp

He had won ben's gratitude

By saving his drunkard

Brother bill from the gallows.

In return,

Ben had saved wyatt

From being bushwhacked

In wichita.

Now as marshal

Of dodge city,

Wyatt would have been

More than satisfied

To call matters even.

All right, get your

Bets down, men.

Here comes

The next card.

Jimmy.

Harry.

Charlie.

Hold it, ben.

What's wrong?

We want to see

That deal box.

You calling me a cheat?

Yeah.

You're a cheat.

( g*nf*re )

Let's finish him off.

( g*nf*re continues )

He got sandage.

Looks like

Thompson's finished.

Come on,

We gotta help buck.

He looks pretty bad.

Get him into dodge.

Ben?

Ben!

You sure

Thompson's dead?

You k*lled him,

You dirty tr*mp.

( Grunts )

That's a fine thing.

Get myself all

Busted up

So I can't use a g*n.

Shh.

They might come back.

You're gonna have to

Hole up in your room.

No, we'll make

A run for it.

You can't.

You can hide upstairs.

All right,

If it's got to be.

Dooley.

Dooley, give me

A hand here.

Wyatt.

You still friends

With ben thompson?

What'd he do now?

He just plugged

Buck sandage.

Foreman at

The circle bar.

Sandage was dead

Before they could

Get him to town.

Well, when you start

Gunning with ben,

That's what you're

Gonna expect.

According to talk

Around the saloon,

Sandage got it

In the back.

Ben wouldn't do that.

- Where's ben now?

- I don't know.

Some say he's dead,

Some say he's only

Wounded.

Where'd all this happen?

Out at the old

Three forks tavern

Out in county.

Ben had set up

A faro game there.

Come on,

Tell me inside.

Now the circle bar boys

Sent for their boss.

Riggs miller.

They say if ben thompson's

Not dead already,

They're gonna hang him.

Well, if he's

Still alive,

I should let them

Hang him.

He never does anything

According to the law.

Well...

Did sandage

sh**t him up?

Not by himself,

No sir.

They say there was

About a half a dozen

Circle bar boys

In on it.

That sounds like ben.

He never did think

About the odds on

A gunfight.

Blasting away against

A half a dozen g*ns.

You know he's fast,

But he's not that fast.

There's nothing I can

Do to help him.

- You can't expect me to--

- Wyatt.

How about me taking

A couple deputies

And riding out there?

Why?

Look, wyatt,

I don't know

Ben thompson,

But I do know riggs miller

And the circle bar boys.

They're nothing but

A bunch of murdering hoodlums.

Say they've never

Ridden into dodge,

sh**ting marshals.

But ask anybody

About them.

Now if I'd ever

Been friends with

Ben thompson,

- The first thing

That I would--

- All right.

All right.

I'm still

Friends with ben.

Lord's punishing me

For my sins I reckon.

Well, we all of us

Got a cross to bear.

Some kind or another.

I'll go.

If ben's still alive,

He'll be expecting

His dear old pal.

Don't you mention this

To anybody, you understand?

Don't you want me

To come along?

No.

I can't mess

In this officially.

I gotta think up

Some kind of a trick.

Get out there

So the circle bar

Won't know who I am.

Whoa.

Well, howdy.

I'm dr. Murdock.

You got a

Mr. Ben thompson here?

You'll find him

Upstairs, doc.

My name's miller.

Riggs miller,

Owner of

The circle bar.

Well, mr. Miller,

I'm glad to know you.

- Here. Give me a hand?

- Sure. I'll help you.

Thank you.

Well, doc mccarty said

There'd been quite a gunfight.

Thompson k*lled

My foreman.

Oh, well there must

Have been a lot of

Lead flying around, huh?

He shot buck sandage

In the back.

We want to know if thompson's

Well enough to hang.

Ah.

I'll tell you later.

Howdy.

Hold it.

Who are you?

Well, I'm dr. Murdock.

Come to see

Mr. Thompson.

You from

Dodge city?

Yep.

The only doctor

I know from there

Is doc mccarty.

Well, I'm his--

His new helper.

Now you want me to see

Mr. Thompson or not?

I suppose you'll do.

Go ahead.

Thank you, ma'am.

Oh no.

Not you.

( Chuckles )

Howdy, ben.

Wyatt, this is the most

Darn beautiful thing.

I told marcia

You wouldn't risk it,

- But you did.

- Nothing like

That at all.

What do you mean?

I'm here to put you

Under arrest.

What kind of

A pal are you?

What are you

Arresting me for?

Well, riggs miller

Told me that you shot

One of his foremen

In the back.

Now you know me

Better than that, wyatt.

He was shot by

One of his own

Stupid friends.

That buntline

Is really something.

Will you just lay back?

Take it easy.

Doc mccarty gave me

Some medicine

To douse you with here.

Try and get you

To his office

As soon as possible.

( Groans )

How many circle bar men

Are waiting downstairs?

Oh, about

A half a dozen.

Well, I don't want you

To make no fight for me.

You just get me

To a horse

And let me make

A run for it, all right?

Nope.

You're my prisoner.

Can't you quit thinking

Like a john law

For two minutes?

I could end up

In jail.

Then what?

I'd have to stand trial.

Maybe get the rope

Oh something.

Will you hold

Your hand still?

I had to know.

How is he, doctor?

Doctor?

( Laughs )

He isn't a doctor?

No, angel.

This is my pal,

Wyatt earp.

Wyatt, this is

Marcia duvall.

Howdy.

Are you really

Ben's best friend?

Oh, his best enemy.

What a mind for fun.

He don't waste words

Like I do, angel.

He puts them all

In a nutshell.

Best enemy,

What's that?

Let me explain it

To her, wyatt.

My dear friend here

Is gonna take me down there

Through those

Circle bar men.

Then to dodge city

To stand trial for m*rder.

You call him

A dear friend?

He's not a friend.

If you were

A true friend,

You'd k*ll those

Men outside

And turn ben loose.

Now honey,

You just keep--

Please, both of you.

Look, ben's got

No other choice.

If he doesn't come with me,

One of the circle bar's

Gonna lynch him.

If he does go with me,

I promise him

A fair trial in dodge.

You can get in that

Buggy of mine

And follow us

To dodge.

I'm with you, pal.

But ben, you can't--

Now honey,

You just keep still

And listen to wyatt.

Go ahead, wyatt.

Here. Sit down.

I think I can

Stall riggs miller

For a few minutes

By telling him that

You're about to die.

Where are your horses?

Out back.

They were.

I'll see.

They're still there,

But a circle bar cowhand

Is watching them.

Well, there's men who got

Their horses in the stable,

Huh?

Mm-hmm.

While I'm talking

To miller,

I want you to go out

And set fire to the stable.

Can you do that?

Of course.

I told you

He had brains.

I'll sneak down

The back stairs.

When all the excitement starts,

I'll make a break

For the horses, right?

No.

You hide in the doorway

Until I get a chance

To go around there

And cover you.

He thinks of everything.

Look, ben,

There may be a hitch.

Miller may

Get suspicious

And not talk

Too long.

So when you--

When you come out

And head for the stable,

You kind of

Cry a little bit

And just sort of

Wander that way.

If you hear

Any sh**ting,

You know something

Went wrong.

Get yourself on your horse

The best way you can

And point him

Towards texas.

Wait a minute.

How do you know

I ain't gonna

Do that anyway?

You agreed to

Go back to dodge.

Never have

Lied to me yet.

He always was

A mind reader.

But if you've got to go

On trial in dodge city--

Shut up.

Go start the fire.

Well, doc,

How is he?

Not good.

Not good at all,

Mr. Miller.

He's in a coma.

He's got blood poison.

Maybe last an hour.

Maybe less.

Are you sure?

Mr. Miller,

I'm just giving you

My professional

Opinion.

We don't have any

Drugs out here

To treat

Blood poisoning

- In mr. Thompson's case--

- ( Sobbing )

Well, I guess

It happened.

Kind of sudden,

Wasn't it?

Mr. Miller, you can't

Hold a stopwatch on death.

Guess I'd better

Go up there

And sign

That certificate.

Mind if I go along?

No.

Just a second,

Mr. Miller.

I've decided that this

Is none of your business.

What?

Yeah, you're not

A relative of mr. Thompson.

As a matter of fact,

You're not even

A close friend.

You can't go up there.

I said you couldn't

Go up there.

Why, you--

Boss went up

To have a look

At ben thompson.

Let's go up and have

A look ourselves, huh?

Okay.

Marcia: help! Help!

The stable's on fire!

Help!

The stable's on fire!

- ( Shouting )

- ( Horses whinny )

Come on,

Get the horses out, boys.

Hey, you men

In the bunkhouse!

There's a fire

Out there!

Come on,

Get the horses out.

( Horses whinny )

- Ben?

- Put some water

On that fire.

Let's go.

Hurry up.

Get those horses

Out of there.

Come on--!

Look, there's ben

And the doc.

It's a trick.

( g*nf*re )

Hit the saddles, men!

After them.

Hyah!

What are we

Stopping here for?

We don't have

Too much of a lead.

You need a rest.

Come on.

Just give me a drink,

I'll be all right.

- It's right here in my pocket.

- I'll give it to you

On the ground.

Come on.

Bend your leg over.

Now watch it.

( Grunts )

Watch it.

Here.

Come on.

Come on.

( Sighs )

How do you feel?

Pretty sore.

Wyatt, they're

Gonna be along here

Any minute now.

Those people

Down in dodge

Will probably turn in

A hanging verdict anyway,

So why don't you

Just go ahead on

And save them

The trouble?

Because I don't like

Riggs miller.

Anyway, those cowhands

Don't know how far

This old buntline

Can sh**t.

Try and pick

A couple of them

Off their horses.

They'll think

It's a buffalo g*n

sh**ting at them.

Well, here they come.

( Grunts )

( g*nf*re )

They got a r*fle!

Take for cover.

Go ahead. cr*pple

The rest of them.

There's no point

In it, ben.

They've had enough.

Have you gone loco?

We've got three men hit.

They're getting back

On their horses.

Yeah, but I'll

Make you bet

They turn around.

How much you

Want to bet?

Quart of

Ice cold milk?

Done, you reckless

Plunging gambler, you.

One quart of

Ice cold milk

I owe you.

You know,

You're pretty good

With that

Overgrown colt.

It's no colt.

It's a stallion.

I'll never stop thanking

Mr. Buntline

For having it

Made for me.

Can you make it

To dodge?

I'll be there

When they hang me.

( Grunts )

Come on.

( Horse approaching )

Well, I'll be

Doggone.

Angel, you've got wings.

Get your hands up,

Mr. Earp.

This is as far as

Ben goes with you.

Now honey,

We don't point g*ns

At our friends.

So give mr. Earp

The g*n.

It's not what he says.

It's what the jury will say.

Are you gonna

Give him that g*n?

It's foolish

To trust a jury.

Ben, I'm begging you.

You know better--

Marcia, give me that g*n.

Give the man

The g*n!

What will you do

If they convict him?

Miss marcia,

I promised ben

He'd get justice.

Here. Ride in

The buggy with her.

You know, if I could

Use my hands, angel,

I'd give you

A good spanking.

He's already saved me

From the circle bar rope,

And if I gotta

Hang in dodge,

We'll be square.

I owe him a hanging.

Come on.

I'm afraid

You've put mr. Hunt

In a difficult position

As circuit attorney, wyatt.

He thinks thompson's

Sure to be convicted.

Why?

Circle bar outfit

Has witnesses

Ready to swear thompson

Shot their foreman

In the back.

Now who's gonna

Testify for thompson?

Well, I can't betray

A confidence.

Anyway, I don't think

Mr. Hunt would want to

Take unfair advantage.

No no no,

But I still think thompson

Ought to plead guilty.

I'll be as moderate

As the evidence allows.

Thank you, judge.

But ben says

He's innocent.

Very well.

One last point--

I hope you don't

Get involved, wyatt.

I know you feel

Indebted to thompson,

But there's a limit.

Goodnight, wyatt.

Goodnight, sir.

That'll be all,

Mr. Thompson.

Your honor,

The defendant

Has told his story

Of what happened.

Since he is not

Represented by counsel,

The court should

Be reminded

That the defendant

Is entitled to offer

Witnesses in support

Of his character

And reputation

For the truth.

( Laughing )

( Gavel banging )

Mr. Thompson,

You wish

To offer witnesses

To your character?

Well, my pal--

I mean,

Marshal earp said he'd

Put in a word for me.

Marshal earp.

Marshal?

The defendant

Wishes you to testify

As a character

Witness.

All right,

Mr. Hunt.

( Men chattering )

Do you swear to tell

The truth, the whole truth,

And nothing but the truth

So help you god?

I do.

Take the stand.

( Clears throat )

Marshal earp,

How long have you

Known the defendant?

About four years, sir.

And what would you say

Is his general reputation

On telling the truth?

I'd say it was

Good, sir.

Judge: on what do you

Base your opinion?

Wyatt: well, mr. Thompson's

Never lied to me

Or anybody else

As far as I know.

You say he

Tells the truth.

What is your opinion of

His character in general?

It's bad, sir.

Judge: the court asks

That you explain more

Specifically

To the jurors.

Well, sir, mr. Thompson

Is a gambler,

And sometimes he cheats.

Isn't he

A notorious g*nman?

Yes, sir.

Mr. Thompson has k*lled

Several men in gunfights?

Yes, he has.

And what would you say

Of his reputation

For morals?

You mean with women?

Yes.

Well, his reputation...

Is bad.

( Chuckling )

Judge: a crooked gambler,

A k*ller,

A man with no

Moral scruples

In his treatment of women,

And yet you say

That his story here

Of the k*lling

Of buck sandage

Can be the truth?!

Yes, sir.

Mr. Thompson doesn't have to

sh**t anybody in the back.

He's as fast with

A g*n as I am.

And is he as truthful

As you are, marshal?

I think so.

Yes, sir.

Isn't his truthfulness

Inconsistent with

The rest of his character?

No, sir. You see,

Mr. Thompson's done

A lot of bad things,

But he has a great

Respect for the truth.

And he's always been

Loyal to a friend.

Are you a friend

Of his, marshal?

No, sir.

Mr. Thompson thinks of me

As a friend,

But I can't honestly

Say that I am.

He's usually on

The other side of the law.

Then you're not

Qualified to testify

As to his loyalty?

Yes, sir. I am.

Judge: now how's that?

Well, sir, when I was

Bringing mr. Thompson

Into dodge,

Why miss marcia there,

She got the drop on me

With a g*n

And mr. Thompson

Could have escaped,

But he didn't.

No, sir. Instead,

He had miss marcia

Hand the g*n over to me.

Out of loyalty to you?

Well, we made a deal.

A deal?

Yes, sir.

I told mr. Thompson

That if he and miss marcia

Would cooperate with me

I'd try and save him

From being lynched

By the circle bar outfit.

Just what does the word

"Cooperate" mean

In this so-called deal?

He agreed to come

To dodge with me

And stand trial.

And in refusing

To run away,

He kept his word?

Yes, sir.

He sure did.

Mr. Hunt?

Your witness.

The state has

No questions,

Your honor.

You may step down,

Marshal earp.

In fact,

The state will waive

Closing argument

And ask the court

To instruct the jury.

Very well.

Gentlemen,

The issue in this case

Is quite simple.

Did the defendant

Mr. Thompson

Tell the truth?

Now, if you believe

That he did,

It's your duty...

Here's how I see it.

Marshal earp told

The whole truth.

Good and bad

About thompson.

Telling point to me was

That ben is faster

Than a snake's tongue

With a . .

He don't have to sh**t

No men in the back.

Come to think of it,

I never heard of ben

Lying to anybody,

Did you?

( Men agreeing )

So my vote

Is for acquittal.

All in favor?

All: aye.

We'll go tell

The judge.

Ben ain't guilty.

Jury sets me free

And right away

You gotta run me

Out of town.

I don't want

Any trouble.

I can understand that,

Wyatt.

But is this any way

To treat your pal?

Not even letting him

Have his g*ns?

What are people

Gonna think?

I don't care

What they think.

You're a bad character

And you never caused me

- Anything but trouble.

- Shh.

Quit calling me pal.

Stop bragging about

Us being friends.

Now I know you

Don't mean that.

I love you

Like a brother.

Look, ben--

What is it?

Riggs miller and

One of his hoodlums.

That doorway

Yonder.

Give me a g*n.

- You can't sh**t.

- Yeah, I can.

Yeah, I can.

Just put it in

My right hand here.

All right.

If they jump us,

You take miller.

I don't want to

Be tempted.

You'd better quit

This sh**ting to

cr*pple, wyatt.

One of these days

It's gonna be fatal.

To you.

( g*nf*re )

Where are you

Hit, pal?

In my leg.

Here, take my arm.

Never mind.

It's just a nick.

Wyatt, you're hurt.

Yeah, he's hurt.

A couple of you men

Help me get him over

To the doc's office.

Look, leave me alone.

I'm all right.

I can do it myself.

( Groans )

There, you see?

You can't be too careful.

Marcia?

You and me are gonna

Have to stay with wyatt.

Nurse him night and day.

Marcia: yes, ben.

What did I ever do

To deserve this?

Look, will you leave me alone?

I can do it myself.

I can get there all right.

Marcia, you run on ahead.

Get the doc ready.

A couple of you men

Get this street

Cleaned up here.

♪ Well, he cleaned up

The country ♪

♪ The old wild west country

♪ He made

Law and order prevail ♪

♪ And none can deny it

♪ The legend of wyatt

♪ Forever will live

On the trail ♪

♪ Wyatt earp, wyatt earp

♪ Brave, courageous and bold

♪ Long live his fame

♪ And long live his glory

♪ And long may

His story be told ♪

♪ Long may his story

♪ Be told.