Hangman's Mistake: Gunsmoke (April 9, 1961)

“Hangman's Mistake” is an episode of Gunsmoke, the old-time radio show, first broadcast April 9, 1961. Listen free on Stupid Potato.

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What happens

A man named Hart is released from jail when authorities arrest his brother Junius for a murder Hart was suspected of committing. Hart's father is outraged, insisting that Junius is innocent and couldn't have committed the crime, while Marshal Dillon must deal with the situation as Hart rides free and his family demands justice.

Dodge City, Kansas and surrounding territory, at the Long Branch Saloon and Marshal's office

Characters: Marshal Dillon, Hart, Hart's father (Pa), Junius (Hart's brother), Kitty, Doc, Dr. Galen Adams

Listen for: A case of mistaken justice unfolds as an innocent man may be punished for a crime he didn't commit, while the guilty party goes free.

Written from the episode itself; it never gives away the ending. Every recording is remastered for the stream: cleaned of rumble, hiss and mains hum (and the old TV whine where we found it), then levelled in two passes to steady broadcast loudness, so one show is never quieter than the next.