The Five Books of Owen Deaver: Have Gun, Will Travel (March 22, 1959)

“The Five Books of Owen Deaver” is an episode of Have Gun, Will Travel, the old-time radio show, first broadcast March 22, 1959. Listen free on Stupid Potato.

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What happens

Paladin arrives in the quiet town of Three Winds to visit his old friend Sheriff Barry Deaver, only to discover that Barry has died and his son Owen has taken over as sheriff with strict new laws disarming all visitors and limiting alcohol sales. When Paladin encounters a gang of rough cowboys causing trouble, Owen's harsh enforcement leads to a knife fight and arrest, setting the stage for conflict between Paladin's code and Owen's rigid interpretation of law and order.

Three Winds, a small, quiet town in the American West, 1875. The sheriff's office and a local saloon.

Characters: Paladin, Owen Deaver, French, Mason, Enfield, David, Ma Deaver

Listen for: Paladin's arrival at the Carlton Hotel, the revelation of Sheriff Barry Deaver's death, Owen Deaver's strict gun control and alcohol rationing laws, the confrontation with the Enfield gang, and the knife fight that lands a prisoner in Owen's jail.

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.