Til Death Do Us: A Righteous Man, a Terrible Marriage, and Four Shots in a Barn

Originally Aired: October 21, 1956 In Gunsmoke #237, “Til Death Do Us,” a sanctimonious farmer, Jezreel Cobb, and his cowed wife, Minerva, drift into Dodge—and into danger. After shots are fired at their buggy, Matt Dillon follows a rumor to a braggart gunman who claims he was offered $300 to kill Cobb. When the gunman forces a showdown at the Long Branch, Matt drops him—but the truth is darker than hired vengeance. Back at the Cobb place, Matt learns Minerva paid for the killing after decades of beatings “for her transgressions.” When Jezreel suspects the plot and reaches for his hickory stave, Minerva meets him in the barn and calmly empties her gun. In a chilling, matter-of-fact confession served with warm plum pie, she tells the Marshal: Jezreel won’t be beating her anymore. Cast: William Conrad, Parley Baer, Howard McNear, Georgia Ellis, Virginia Gregg, Ralph Moody, Don Diamond, John Daner Tags: western, frontier, DodgeCity, MarshalDillon, domesticabuse, selfdefense, moralhypocrisy, saloon, LongBranch, WilliamConrad, ParleyBaer, HowardMcNear, GeorgiaEllis, VirginiaGregg, RalphMoody, DonDiamond, JohnDaner, oldtimeradio, classicradio, 1950sradio, radioDrama, justice, grimtwist