The Warrant: Have Gun, Will Travel (August 21, 1960)

“The Warrant” is an episode of Have Gun, Will Travel, the old-time radio show, first broadcast August 21, 1960. Listen free on Stupid Potato.

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What happens

Paladin is confronted in his San Francisco hotel room by bounty hunter Chig Simpson, who presents a wanted poster offering $500 for Paladin's capture, dead or alive. Paladin insists the poster is fake and explains he killed a man in self-defense in Hogan four weeks ago when the young man forced him to draw. Simpson reveals that the dead man was Sheriff Walker's son, which explains the warrant. Despite Paladin's warnings that Sheriff Walker wants him alive and Simpson will never collect the reward if he kills him, Simpson remains determined to take Paladin to Hogan.

San Francisco, 1875. Paladin's room at the Carlton Hotel and the surrounding area as Simpson takes him to Hogan.

Characters: Paladin, Hey Boy, Chig Simpson, Sheriff Walker

Listen for: The escalating tension between Paladin and Simpson as Paladin tries to convince the bounty hunter that the poster is fraudulent and that killing him will prevent Simpson from collecting his reward.

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.