Originally Aired: December 29, 1957

In Gunsmoke #299, “Where’d They Go?” a late-night holdup at Wilbur Jonas’s general store sends Marshal Matt Dillon and Chester riding into a brewing winter storm to arrest local homesteader Clint Dodie. Identified by voice and manner alone, Dodie swears he’s innocent—but with no clear alibi and a blizzard closing in, Dillon takes him into custody anyway.

What follows is less a manhunt than a test of patience. Before heading back to Dodge, Dillon and Chester find themselves chopping firewood, patching drafty cabin walls, rounding up drifting cattle, and tending to every chore Dodie can think of—all while his pregnant wife looks on sweetly. As the storm deepens, so does the marshal’s suspicion that he may be working harder than the accused.

By morning, the truth rides in with Doc Adams: the real culprit has already confessed. Dodie’s innocence is clear—but so is the fact that he played his cards just right. A lighthearted frontier tale of suspicion, stubbornness, and a long winter’s night that leaves Dillon outworked and outwitted.

Cast: William Conrad, Parley Baer, Howard McNear, Georgia Ellis, Joseph Kearns, Virginia Gregg, Ralph Moody

Tags:

western, frontierlife, MattDillon, Chester, DocAdams, KittyRussell, winterstorm, falseaccusation, humor, DodgeCity, oldtimeradio, classicwestern, radioDrama, 1950sradio, blizzard, frontierjustice, homesteaders, Gunsmoke