Richard Boone: Hec Ramsey

Quotes 

• Doc Amos B. Coogan : [identifying the blood on Tim's boots as cow's blood]  I don't expect it helps you any, Tim Riley working for the Munson Cattle Company. There's nothing unusual about him getting cow's blood on his boots.

  Hec Ramsey : Well, I don't know, Doc. See, the Munson Cattle Company doesn't do any slaughterin'.

• Doc Amos B. Coogan : I pulled the tooth ten minutes ago.

  Hec Ramsey : Well, he purely seems to be enjoying the anesthetic.

• Harry Munson : You're not being paid to hurt innocent people.

  Hec Ramsey : Well, I haven't had too many complaints lately from innocent people.

• Hec Ramsey : What the blue-eyed, buck-naked hell is that?

• Hec Ramsey : I don't know why it is on this case, but nobody will answer a direct question.

• [Deputy Ramsey, Chief Stamp and Doc Coogan observe a fully dressed young man dead on his bed] 

  Chief Oliver Stamp : Hec, the man obviously died a natural death. Why are you trying to read something else into it?

  Hec Ramsey : Because sometimes things just look too natural to be true.

  Chief Oliver Stamp : For instance.

  Hec Ramsey : For instance, this room and the way he's laid out there. You know, a man comes in sick, he gone take off his jacket and his boots 'fore he lies down.

• [a fully dressed man lies dead on his bed with wet blood stains on the sole of one boot] 

  Hec Ramsey : Now, a man tryin' to get from that door to that bed, would you say he'd have to step on that rug?

  Chief Oliver Stamp : He'd almost have to.

  Hec Ramsey : Well, take a look at the rug. There's no blood on it, and the blood on his boots are still wet.

  Doc Amos B. Coogan : Are you sayin' Tim Riley didn't walk to the bed?

  Hec Ramsey : That's right. He was carried there.

  Chief Oliver Stamp : Why would they do that?

  Hec Ramsey : Well, I'm not sure, but if he had died someplace else and somebody had killed him, they'd have a pretty good reason for doin' it.

  Chief Oliver Stamp : He does look like he was just set there.

  Doc Amos B. Coogan : Yeah, the bedspread isn't even wrinkled.

  Hec Ramsey : Yeah, it's too neat.

• Esther Helpinstall : And I insist you press charges!

  Hec Ramsey : Esther, I'm too busy tryin' to keep the law around here. I haven't got time to help you change it.

  Esther Helpinstall : You're just another rotten male supremacist.

  Hec Ramsey : Never mind what I am. Now, you git outta my jail before I start charging you room and board. Come on, move it!

• Hec Ramsey : What's that smell?

  Chief Oliver Stamp : Maybe it's the tar and feathers Munson's planned for me.

  [Hec laughs]