Podcast Summary: Old Time Radio Westerns

Episode: The Coward | Gunsmoke (10-09-55)
Host: Andrew Rhynes
Date: December 27, 2025

Overview

This episode of Old Time Radio Westerns presents “The Coward,” a classic Gunsmoke drama originally aired on October 9, 1955. Digitally restored for clarity, the episode delves into the insidious danger of cowardice and rumor in Dodge City. Marshal Matt Dillon becomes the target of a shadowy murder plot, only to confront that cowardice doesn’t always wield a gun—but often hides behind whispered words and manipulation. Vivid soundscapes and rich performances bring this tale of suspicion, courage, and indirect violence to life.

Key Discussion Points & Episode Breakdown

1. A Fatal Mistake: Jack Massey’s Death

[04:04–07:00]

• Marshal Matt Dillon is summoned to Doc Adams’s office, where Jack Massey has been fatally shot.
• Chester explains that Massey, a red-headed cowboy about Matt’s size, was sitting in Matt’s office chair—wearing a similar hat—when he was murdered.
• The implication: the shooter mistook Massey for Dillon, targeting him via stealth rather than a direct confrontation.

“Somebody’s out to kill you, Matt. To kill you the easy way.”
— Chester ([06:20])

2. Speculation and Fear Spread

[08:21–11:00]

• Matt visits the Long Branch Saloon and speaks with Kitty, who confirms rumors that someone is out to kill him.
• Kitty points out Ed Eby (Evie), a gambler with a history with Matt, who is now working at the saloon.
• Eby shares he overheard talk of someone planning to kill Dillon—admitting he does not like killing but only shares the information reluctantly due to personal animosity toward the marshal.

“I knew him out in Santa Fe one time, Kitty. He was bullying a man, and I showed him up to be a coward… He never forgave me.”
— Matt Dillon ([10:38])

“It’s the man who shoots out of the dark I’m afraid of. Nobody wants to die. But it’s even worse without a chance to fight back. That’s not dying. That's being slaughtered like a hog in a pen.”
— Matt Dillon ([11:00])

3. Target Practice: An Attempted Ambush

[12:05–14:15]

• Dillon ignores Chester’s advice to lay low, eager to confront the threat.
• They spot a suspicious man, Nat Swan, in an alley. After a tense moment, Dillon confronts and subdues him—discovering the would-be assassin is drunk and cowardly, motivated by rumors and the promise of notoriety.

“You’re a real coward, aren’t you, Swan? Even to shoot me in the back, you had to take on a load of whiskey.”
— Matt Dillon ([14:39])

• Swan confesses he simply wanted to make a name for himself, not due to personal hatred.

4. Escalating Paranoia and Tragedy

[17:34–21:08]

• Nat Swan is forced out of town, but Matt senses more danger lurking.
• In a deserted barn, Chester and Matt encounter another man, this time armed with a rifle. In the confusion, Matt kills the stranger, only to learn he was innocent—frightened and trying to protect himself, not part of any plot.
• The dying man urges Matt to find the source of the rumors rather than react to shadows.

“If there’s talk about somebody after me, I’d find out who’s making the talk… Somebody’s got you outsmarted.”
— Unnamed dying man ([20:22])

• Matt is remorseful:

  “Well, I killed an innocent man, Chester… I don’t even know his name. But we’ll fix him a box. We’ll fix him a good one.”
  — Matt Dillon ([21:06])

5. Confronting the Source – Eby’s Cowardice Exposed

[21:45–24:00]

• Matt methodically tracks down Ed Eby at the Long Branch.
• He accuses Eby of cowardice for spreading rumors to incite others to murder Dillon, rather than confront him personally.
• Eby denies everything, then fervently protests the “coward” label, threatening violence but never following through.
• Matt refuses to be goaded, declaring he’ll run Eby out of town, blaming his cowardly instigation for two innocent deaths.

“You were too cheap to hire somebody to get me, Eby, and too much of a coward to try it yourself… I wish I could hang you for it.”
— Matt Dillon ([23:12])

• In the final confrontation, Eby postures and threatens to shoot but cannot follow through, confirming Matt’s accusation.

“Why didn’t you shoot him, Matt? …I think he’d rather be dead than face everybody knowing what a coward he is. Well, he’s got his punishment coming for the rest of his life.”
— Kitty ([24:00])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Matt’s Reflection on Cowardice:

  “It makes a man watchful and a little lonely. Most people…picture [Dodge] as a wild, lawless town…But it isn’t quite complete. We got our share of cowards, too.”
  ([04:04])

• Matt’s Frustration with Indirect Threats:

  “It’s the man who shoots out of the dark I’m afraid of… That’s not dying; that’s being slaughtered like a hog in a pen.”
  ([11:00])

• Confrontation with Ed Eby:

  “Cowards don’t carry guns, Ed. …You’re the worst coward I ever saw.”
  — Matt Dillon ([22:04], [23:19])

• Kitty’s Wisdom:

  “I think he’d rather be dead than face everybody knowing what a coward he is. Well, he’s got his punishment coming for the rest of his life.”
  — Kitty ([24:00])

Key Timestamps

• [04:04] – Matt Dillon reflects on Dodge City & the reality of cowardice.
• [06:20] – Chester suspects the bullet was meant for Matt.
• [11:00] – Matt’s meditation on fear, cowardice, and dying without dignity.
• [14:39] – Matt confronts and exposes Nat Swan’s cowardice.
• [20:22] – Innocent victim’s dying advice to Matt.
• [23:12] – Matt reveals Eby as the cowardly instigator.
• [24:00] – Kitty and Matt discuss the punishment of a ruined reputation.

Tone & Atmosphere

True to Gunsmoke’s dramatic roots, this episode blends stoicism, tension, and the bleak realities of frontier justice. Matt Dillon’s world is gritty and uncertain, and the performances emphasize the psychological strain of being a target—not just from outlaws, but from rumors and cowardice itself.

For listeners:
This episode is a powerful meditation on the ripple effect of rumor and indirect violence in the Wild West setting, with a conclusion as morally complex as it is haunting.