Death Shaft: Tales of the Texas Rangers (September 30, 1951)

“Death Shaft” is an episode of Tales of the Texas Rangers, the old-time radio show, first broadcast September 30, 1951. Listen free on Stupid Potato.

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What happens

A skeleton is discovered in an abandoned mine in Black Hawk Canyon, Texas, identified through wallet and dental records as Gilbert Madden, a mine broker who vanished eight months earlier. Ranger Jase Pearson begins investigating the murder, learning that Madden's widow received a final letter from her husband around March 18th and discovering that a strange old man named Willie, who lives near the mine, had pestered Madden about inspecting his worthless claim.

Black Hawk Canyon in the Big Bend country of West Texas, and the Sheriff's office in the nearby town, in 1941.

Characters: Ranger Jase Pearson, Sheriff Benson, J.C. Wilford, Fred Blaisdell, Gilbert Madden, Mrs. Madden, Willie

Listen for: The discovery of the body with a bashed-in skull; the suspicious new padlock on the mine entrance; Mrs. Madden's account of her husband's disappearance and his last letter mentioning Willie's pestering; Ranger Pearson's investigation into whether Willie had a motive for murder.

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.