Obituary

Byron Claremont, a newspaper man and his lovely wife, Eleanor came to North Fork after he wrote a story about Ben Russell, a resident of

North Fork. Ben was a fast draw in his younger days. This article left Ben open for men who was out to build a reputation by killing him. Micah tried to talk Ben out of this fight. Ben thanked Micah, but he knew no one could stop this fight. Panama would be just the first of many to follow. Ben didn't stand a chance, he was facing the sun. He knew it had to come to this sooner or later. They both fired. Ben grazed Panama on the right side of his face. Panama stands there bewildered. He knew his shot hit Ben, yet Ben turns to walk over to talk to Claremont. "This is how it always ended Mr. Claremont.....one way or the other.....this is how it always ended." With that Ben fell to the ground. He was dead.

Mark and I had just got into town when this all happened. I didn't understand how Ben could walk into something like this. Micah told me how Claremont wrote stories about the west. He had wrote about a town that Ben tamed when he was U.S. Marshal. The last line of the article turned out to be Ben's 'Obituary.' Claremont called him the fastest gun in the west. The article never mentioned that this was twenty years ago. Ben hadn't had a gun in his hand since he retired. "As ye sow, so shall he reap, huh?" Micah headed on over to his office and Mark and I went to the Blacksmith's. Before Micah could get to his office Claremont called to Micah. He felt that Micah thought him somewhat responsible for Ben's death because of the article he had written. He wanted no blame on his part. "I don't create the facts Marshal, I merely report them," said Claremont. It was because of him that Ben Russell was dead, but Micah knew there was nothing he could

do about it. The pen was mightier then the sword.

Mark and I had finished at the blacksmith's and went over to talk to Micah. He introduced me to the Claremont's. "McCain, I heard of you. You and your rifle suppose to be a legend in these parts." He knew that Micah and I felt the same way about what had happened to Ben. He felt that Ben Russell had out lived his time. Just then Panama called to Claremont. "My name is Panama Billings. When you write about what happed here today, you can say Ben Russell was a good man, until he came up against a better one." Panama had heard about me. He heard I was a bear with my rifle. He wanted to show me what fast was. I told him I already knew what fast was. He then rode off. Claremont started for the hotel. Mrs. Claremont apologized for her husband's actions. As we shook hands Claremont called to her, he could see she was flirting with me, and he was jealous. Claremont decided to start building up my reputation with my rifle. Besides getting a story, he was hoping for me the same result that had bestowed Ben Russell. "I'd sure hate to be married to him," said Mark.

We were loading the wagon with supplies. Mark asked me if I thought Mr. Claremont was really to blame just cause he wrote that article.

I tried to explain to him that just because he wrote the article, didn't make him responsible, but the way he wrote it, he's at fault. He didn't quite understand, "he told the truth didn't he?" I told him yes, the way it was a long time ago, not the way it was today. "You see, a man who's responsible for telling the truth has to look at the way things are, not how he likes them to be. Or else he fails in his responsibilities everywhere. Do you understand?" "I guess so," said Mark. With that he took an apple out of his pocket, which he had taken from the basket in the buckboard and tossed it to me.

I had told Mark to run a letter over to Eddie's and to tell Eddie to make sure it went out the next day. As he headed over to the hotel, Panama was standing in the doorway. Mark turned and stood up against the post. Panama walked up to Mark and asked him if he was my boy. Marked answered him saying I was his Pa. When he tried to get passed Panama, he stopped him. He wanted to know how good I was with the rifle. Mark hesitated, remembering what happened to Ben. "No, Pa he, he can't hardly hit the side off of a barn." Panama laughed and knew Mark was scared and told him so. He told him that I should be scared too, that way nobody would get hurt.

Panama was gettin' ready to leave town when he saw Mrs. Claremont walk out of the hotel. He told her he was sorry he didn't get to talk to her husband before he left, he could have told him a lot of things to use in those newspaper stories of his. Just then Mark came out of the hotel. Before Panama left he reminded Mark not to forget what he had told him and not to forget to tell me too. "Never mind, I'll tell him myself." He then tried to run me down. Mark came running over to me asking me if I was alright. I asked him what

Panama had said to him. "Nothing." "Son." "He asked if you could use a rifle." "And what did you say?" "I guess I told him you couldn't." "You guess or you know?" "I guess I know," said Mark.

A young gun by the name of Billy Benson came riding into town. He was looking for Claremont. Claremont overheard him asking about him. "Billy Benson, that's me, maybe you heard? I killed Panama Billings." He had been reading a lot about me, "The Rifleman," in the paper and ask Claremont why he's been writing so much about me. "Mr. McCain is news Billy. A rifleman faster then any known pistol man." "Well how about a six gun?" Asked Billy. Claremont felt they were the same thing. "Well in that case.....I'm gonna be news real soon," said Billy. Claremont was gloating. This was Claremont's way of getting revenge. He was jealous of the attention his wife showed me. He had achieved what he had set out to do. A story and me dead, so he thought.

I was working on the roof to my house when we saw a buggy approaching the ranch. It was Mrs. Claremont. She came to warn me about Billy Benson. She showed me several articles that her husband had wrote about me. We hadn't been in town for three weeks, so we had no idea that Claremont had wrote these articles. I told Mark to see that Mrs. Claremont got back to town and to go straight to

Micah's office and wait for me.

Billy and Claremont were in the saloon toasting a drink when I rode into town. Micah saw me ride in and told me he wanted to talk to me. We went to his office. He told me that Claremont has handed me a problem. He ask if the impression I made on Mrs. Claremont was the result of this. He warned me that if I answer to Billy Benson, I would have to answer to every gun around. We agreed that Claremont had to be stopped. Killing Billy wasn't going to make all this go away. It would just make it worst. Just then Mark and Mrs. Claremont rode into town. I walked out of Micah's office and helped Mrs. Claremont down from the buggy. Claremont came out of the saloon. This angered him. He went to the hotel. I saw Billy standing outside of the saloon, I asked him what he wanted. He wanted a notch for his gun. His newest one was from Panama Billings. I told him a notch wasn't much in the way of a marker for a man. I asked him if that's what he wanted. "There's a lot of room left on the handle of my gun, mister and I aim to fill it up," said Billy. "Maybe so Billy, but not with me." I gave him a demonstration with the do-dadds on the sign to the Madera House.

"That's right Billy, I'm good. I hit what I shoot at and I'm fast. But I've been hit a few times myself and I don't like it. Also I don't want to come dragging into town every time some young gun wants to see how good he is. So if it's all the same to you, Billy Boy, this time I pass." Billy looked again at the sign, smiled, tipped his hat, turned and started to walk away. As I started to walk away I heard a shot and turned. I thought Billy had took a shot at me. I shot him, hitting him in the hand. He grabbed his hand and motion to me. There was Mr. Claremont. He was getting ready to shoot me when Billy saw him and shot him. That was the shot I had heard. Billy saved

my life.

Mrs. Claremont left on the next stage. Mark and I was there to say goodbye. "Pa, did you like Mrs. Claremont?" "Better then I liked her husband," I said "I don't mean that," said Mark. "Well say what you mean!" "Well, I mean, did you like her?" Asked Mark "I said I liked her. Look Mark, huh, a man, especially out here comes to expect very little that's pretty. When he does stumble across it he can stop and admire it for what it is, Beauty. It's like looking at a sunset, or a pretty picture painting. You can admire them or appreciate them without wanting to own them." Mark just couldn't figure how a woman can be as pretty as a picture. But looking at a horse, now that was a horse of a different story, according to Mark.

Piddlin' stuff.....Alexander Scourby played Byron Claremont. The writer who would instigated the shootouts/killings.
He appeared in 3 soaps - "The Secret Storm" ~ "Another World" ~ "All My Children." He was married to stage and soap opera actress Lori March, they appeared as husband and wife during the 1970's in "The Secret Storm."
He had a great speaking voice which lead him to many of narrating jobs. He also had read the entire Bible onto cassette. Ran and did readings for his own company, Lectern Records, in addition to the hundreds of recordings he has done for 'The Talking Books for the blind.'
He appeared in many great show such as "Giant" and "The Shaggy Dog."

Joanna Moore played the lovely Eleanor Claremont in this episode. She later appeared with

Chuck in "Cowboy in Africa." For all you "Andy Griffith Show" fans, Joanna Moore played Andy Taylor's girlfriend in the early episodes as Peggy McMillan. She was a great actress and appeared in so many films - TV and movies.
She was once married to Ryan O'Neal and is the Mother of Tatum and Griffin

Brian G. Hutton as Deecie in 'Long Gun from Tucson'.
In the 'Obituary' he played Billy Benson, the young gunfighter who came to North Fork to add Lucas as a notch to his gun.
He also appeared with Chuck in "Good Morning, Miss Dove" in 1955 and in 1962 as and Indian Scout in "Geronimo."
He has appeared in "Gunsmoke" ~ "Perry Mason" ~ "State Trooper" ~ "Sugarfoot" ~ "Rawhide" ~ "Wagon Train" to name a few.

He is know for his success as the director of Clint Eastwood silver screen vehicles "Kelly's Heroes," and especially "Where Eagles Dare."

He also appears as an actor in "The Gunfight at O.K. Corral" and "Last Train from Gun Hill."
Thanks Glenn Gilbert for your input!

Chris Alcaide played Panama Billings, a fast gun who came to town to kill Ben Russell in this episode of 'Obituary'. How many times did he star on the show? 'Squeeze Play' - 'The Wyoming Story' (2) - 'The Wyoming Story' (1) - 'Dead Cold Cash' - 'Meeting at Midnight' - 'A Time for Singing' - 'A Case of Identity' - 'The Journey Back' ~ 'The Trade'.
Chris Alcaide played a really great bad guy. I think out of all the episodes I like him best in 'The Wyoming Story.' How about that nasty scare on his face? I bet Lucas gave that to him! teasin'
He appeared with Chuck in "Branded" - 'Leap Upon Mountains' & 'This Stage of Fools'
Gee how many times did John Anderson star in "The Rifleman?" Who appeared in the most episodes Chris Alcaide or John Anderson? How about John Milford?

Steve Darnell played Ben Russell in this episode. He's the man who was killed by Panama Billings [Chris Alcaide] in the beginning of this episode. He also appeared in another episode - 'Dead Cold Cash' as Eli Benson. He was the cousin of Stacey Beldon, the gunslinger Sarah Caruthers hired to kill Lucas.
He appeared in "Winchester '73" as Bat Masterson. He was cast as a regular in "Tales of Wells Fargo" as Sheriff Hal Humphrey. He was in many of the oldies such as "The Gene Autry Show" - "Annie Oakley" - "The Lone Ranger"―Speaking of Annie Oakley - I got me a set of her cut-outs in great condition! A set just like I had as a kid.

Steve's smooth, easy going mannerisms complemented man pictures during his career.

Last but never least - Ian Murray as Harley Hannabury. Ian Murray played Harley Hannabury in six episodes - 'The Challenge' - 'Blood Brothers' - 'Obituary' - 'Meeting at Midnight' - 'The Hangman' - 'The Illustrator' He's one of the regular townfolks. In this episode he's the man in the beginning of this episode running and telling everyone that Mr. Russell is here.
[Can't see him here - but in the show he's in the opening scene.]

*If anybody has any information on any of the stars, and would like to share it, please get in touch with