Episode Details

Originally Aired: July 19, 1959

Gunsmoke #380, "Second Arrest," Marshal Matt Dillon faces a frustrating legal setback when his key witness, Will Hunter, fails to appear in court to testify against Mort Seely, a man accused of horse theft. Without Hunter's testimony, Judge Brooker has no choice but to dismiss the case and release Seely, despite everyone's certainty of his guilt. Dillon suspects foul play, especially after visiting Hunter's uncooperative wife, who refuses to answer questions about her husband's whereabouts. Chester searches Dodge City thoroughly but finds no trace of the missing witness.

The situation takes a grim turn when Doc Adams discovers Will Hunter barely alive in the bushes near his fishing spot, severely beaten and left for dead. When Dillon and Chester ride out to the Hunter place to investigate, they're met with unexpected hostility. Mrs. Hunter, standing on her porch with a loaded squirrel gun, warns them to stay away. Traumatized and protective, she insists that Will has only been hurt by those who've tried to help him, setting up a tense confrontation as Dillon tries to get to the bottom of what happened and who's responsible.