Tombstone Territory

- Season 3

(1959)

Because of Tombstone's low water supply and inadequate fire fighting equipment, RC Tuttle starts a campaign to encourage residents to move to Benson. A resentful Howard Mansfield sets fire to his own Mercantile store to blame Tuttle.

With a long standing feud between the Caswells and the Harpers, and Jeff Harper arriving in Tombstone after 5 years in jail, Sam Caswell hires a gunfighter Chuck Ashley to deal with him. Harper's pride makes him want to face up to Ashley.

Hollister finds Anita Torison with stolen jewelry, and escorts her on a warrant to Tucson on the stagecoach. An incident at a way station en route raises his suspicions, and he has to find which passenger is her accomplice Boone Cahill.

Ferguson, President Chester Arthur's personal agent, and Elizabeth Blythe, a beautiful reporter, travel to Tombstone to report about the lawlessness that appears to be rampant in the boomtown. Both agent and reporter are captured by the notorious Chandler gang with Elizabeth being held hostage until Hollister releases Joe Chandler from his jail.

An ex-convict recently released from Yuma prison convinces a wheelwright shop owner to give him a chance when the man's assistant was found murdered under mysterious circumstances. He soon proves his worth with his tools and his fists and is given the job of delivering a mine owner's newly repaired buggy, just when the mine payroll is expected.

Local hardcase Jess Buckhorn tries to kill Little Hawk, whom he accuses of stealing the mission's horses. Sheriff Hollister insists that the Apache be held for trial, angering attorney Fred Griffin who leads a lynch mob to the Tombstone jail. While Harris Claibourne holds the mob at bay with his shotgun, Clay and his deputies slip Little Hawk out the back door and into the old Spanish mission. The Indian breaks out of the room where he's held prisoner, forcing Clay to track him into the nearby mountains where other Apache renegades roam.

Jay Pell, an Eastern journalist looking for stories about the Wild West, arranges for a stagecoach hold-up that turns deadly when outlaw Sam Crane guns down the shotgun guard. One killing wasn't enough for the story the reporter is determined to write, so Pell tries to prod Sheriff Hollister and Crane into confronting each other in a deadly gunfight.

Neer-do-well Ron Browning tries to pay for his own obituary in Harris' newspaper before the subject is even dead. When Harris refuses, Browning pulls a gun and attempts suicide but the newspaper editor manages to wrestle the pistol away before the young man can do himself harm. Clay learns that Ron didn't want to face his fiancée who wrote him that she would soon be arriving by stage and locks him in jail for self-protection. When a criminal in the next cell breaks jail, he forces Ron to join him as a hostage.

After an altercation with the Thomas brothers, Paul Hayden (a drifter coming to Tombstone), is given probation to work at the Epitaph under the custody of Claibourne. While courting Karen Thomas, he faces opposition from her brothers.

After Clay Hollister kills Wally Anson in self-defense, Flint Anson offers $10,000 reward for the first person to bring proof of the death of the man who 'murdered' his son. Marshall Jack Bolton assists Hollister to confront the father.

When Tom Beldon is shot and payroll money for the ranch is taken, Hollister makes a plaster caste of the killer's horse's hoof print, which clearly shows a missing nail. Enquiries with blacksmith Todd Gantry enable him to find the killer.

At the hanging of Reed Barker, the rope breaks and he survives. The judge says that since the rope wasn't criminally tampered with, Barker is absolved of all crimes he was charged with. Hollister has to determine how the rope broke.

A mine collapse kills yet another man, but Anson Gurney sends his workers back inside to dig another shaft. When Claibourne uses the Epitaph to try to improve safety at the mines, Gurney has plans of his own to ruin him and his business.

Hiding in a stable, Adam Kirby witnesses the murder of a man who wanted a refund after buying stolen cattle. Hollister takes Kirby to Charleston to identify the killer, but he is too afraid to say anything, until the truth finally emerges.

Kyle Dodge is escorted by a Marshall to Yuma prison. Both arrive in Tombstone wounded from ambush. Hollister is suspicious that a number of strangers in town may be part of Dodge's gang and has to use his wits to keep Dodge in custody.

After a gang robs the saloon, the leader kills two of his men and flees Tombstone. A fake headline in the Epitaph stating one man is recovering leads to Claibourne kidnapped as hostage for the outlaw's release, but Hollister is too smart.

On his way to meet his friend Sam Barrett, a newspaperman from Denver, Claibourne witnesses Vic Reel kill him. In his efforts to uncover the motive for the murder, Hollister succeeds in the capture of the Taylor gang.

Bert Magraw arrives from Denver with his new young bride Jeannie. Hollister has to deal with Vince Sanders, who wants to kill Magraw. Some investigation into Jeannie's past leaves Hollister suspicious of her collusion with Sanders.

Renee Carter is convicted of armed robbery and assault and taken to Yuma prison. The victim later dies, but Hollister believes that she is taking the rap for her beloved Frank Fallon, and so he plans to see that justice prevails.

Congress Mine owner Big Jim Gerson infers in the Epitaph that a slump in the ore output is due to mine manager Feeny Spindler. Newly arrived lawyer Gay Monahan represents Spindler after he is accused of murder at the Tombstone Ice Company.

Hollister suspects Lily Murdoch, who runs the Lucky Claim Saloon, is involved in several silver miner killings and disappearances. Hollister avoids attempts to end his investigation and devises a clever but risky plan to trap her.

Quartz Hill Marshall Vern Fawcett takes Bray Holcomb into custody and kills him when he tries to escape. Fawcett quits his job and moves to Tombstone. Hollister sends him to Tucson and has to deal with the vengeful Holcombs.

Sam Hoskins takes a nurse and the critically wounded Eddie Casper from the Tombstone Hospital to Galeyville, a town occupied by the lawless. Using a clever message from the educated nurse, Hollister is determined to resolve the situation.

John Whittaker places ads with hidden codes in the Epitaph, telling his gang where and when to rob the Argus mine shipments.

Liz Dolthan persuades Sam Wade to place her jewelry overnight in the Wells Fargo safe, and remembers the combination as she watches him open it. Hollister's sharp mind and keen observations help him solve the subsequent $20,000 theft.

Jonas Bell is killed in a scuffle with Hollister after a bank clerk murder and robbery. Siblings Noah and Lady Bell conspire to avenge their father, and Lady finds work in Tombstone. Hollister's kindness to her leaves her in a quandary.

John Edwards prevents the hanging of his brother Sam with the threat of dynamite and by taking Claibourne as hostage. Hollister swaps clothes with his deputy in order to capture the brothers and save Claibourne in an old mine tunnel.

A stagecoach driver and agent are dead and Governor Armstrong, who is coming to Tombstone to inspect a new heliograph system of communication, is missing. Hollister risks his life to save him from a kidnapping by Frank Banter and his gang.

Hope Jensen returns a bag of stolen money from her barn, which her husband Dan is forced to hide by Ben Jensen and his gang, to Sheriff Hollister. Hollister is kidnapped and forced to write a note for the return of the money.

Belle Reed comes to Tombstone for protection from Ben Quaid, who sets off an explosion to lure Hollister out of town. Belle is shot by Quaid and, unknown to him, she dies. Belle's sister Gwen then poses as Belle to trap Quaid in Mexico.

Returning to Tombstone, Hollister is captured near the Lucky Mule Mine by three escaped convicts from Yuma prison, who are trying to decide who is going to kill him. He has to be sharp-witted to stay alive with no guns and his hands tied.

Hollister learns that Tom Holden, an escaped convict, is innocent of his crime, given new evidence. He sets out for the foothills of the Mule Mountains and teams with Sheriff Eli Parsons and deputy McQueen to take Holden for a re-trial.

Lola Curtis kills a hotel clerk when he bends to pick up a dropped purse, but Hollister suspects a tall man by the downward bullet angle. After a second murder, an insurance investigator assists Hollister find the so-called Siesta Killer.

October 20, 1883 - Territorial Governor Armstrong arrives in Tombstone just ahead of Kansas Joe Barton, who has been released from Yuma Prison and has sworn to kill him. However, Lt. Governor Owens is actually the man who's trying to assassinate the Governor. Clay knows that Kansas Joe Barton is innocent of the written threat on the Governor's life because Kansas Joe never learned to read and write.

After a bank robbery Hollister pursues and captures a wounded Lafe Jackson in the desert, who kills both his and Hollister's horse. With a 20 mile hot walk back to Tombstone, Jackson expects his gang to catch up and deal with the Sheriff.

During truce talks between and the Army and Geronimo, his chief warrior Manatou stages attacks on innocents, and so the peace talks are in jeopardy. Hollister uses a specially equipped stagecoach to trap Manatou.

Claibourne believes that the wanted outlaw Nate Storm has been living in Tombstone under an assumed name. Hollister gets clues from a strange poker result and a spur taken in a mugging. Two residents become the prime suspects.

Hollister goes to the Travers ranch in Tucson, convalescing after an injury to his hand. Ed Keel is out for revenge after Hollister's part in the hanging of his brother Willy, particularly since Clay is injured and not wearing his badge.

After a bank robbery in Tombstone, the Burnett brothers are hidden by Will and Viola Gunther in a barn cellar at their ranch. However, a love interest between Viola and Horn Burnett leads to a confrontation with Hollister and Will.

Hollister assumes the identity of the jailed Burt Taggert to try to stop Juan Diego attacking Tombstone, since Taggert has links with Diego to supply dynamite and they have never met. He uses confiscated items to pose as Taggert.