How to Die for Nothing: Gunsmoke (October 10, 1953)

“How to Die for Nothing” is an episode of Gunsmoke, the old-time radio show, first broadcast October 10, 1953. Listen free on Stupid Potato.

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What happens

A Texas cowboy named Bulo is arrested after his brother attempts to shoot Marshal Tillen in a drunken confrontation. When Bulo threatens revenge, Tillen jails him, but the trail boss of Bulo's outfit demands his release, insisting he did nothing wrong and threatening to take him by force with his eighteen men.

Dodge City, Kansas during a cattle drive from Texas

Characters: Matt Tillen, Bulo, Chester, Kitty, Will Jacklin, Howard Bueller

Listen for: The escalating tension between Marshal Tillen and the Texas cattlemen, and whether Tillen can prevent violence without giving in to the trail boss's demands.

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.