A convicted prisoner that happens to be in Dodge while in route to a neighboring county saves Ms Kitty life from runaway wagon and gains the favor of the Lone Branch owner. The prisoner, Steven Downing (Jon Voight), is being carried to Madison County for hanging by a bounty hunter for $5,000. Ms Kitty wins the prisoner from the bounty hunter while gambling and she sends for Doc to tend to his injuries.
The prisoner tells Ms Kitty that he was falsely convicted of killing Bob Mathison's wife. Seems that Mathinson controls all functions of government inside the neighboring county of Madison and an impartial trial is impossible.. With Matt Dillon out of town, Ms Kitty sends a telegraph to Matt concerning a possible new trial for the prisoner. But with the Sheriff from Madison County in route to Dodge with a death warrant will Matt arrive it time to stop the hanging. Even with Ms Kitty hiding the prisoner, Bob Mathinson offered $5000 to the person that tells the hiding place of the prisoner, human nature will kick into action.
A very simple plot that was played out well by the cast. There a lot of fluff in this episode to carry it to the hour mark but the story was strong enough to hold the viewer's attention.