Brush at Elkader: A Town’s Silence, A Marshal’s Trap

Originally Aired: October 23, 1955 In Gunsmoke #185, “Brush at Elkader,” Marshal Matt Dillon investigates the cold-blooded murder of a quiet rancher named Ben Williams, gunned down in the streets of Dodge City. The only clue: the name of a remote town—Elkader. Riding north with Chester, Dillon finds a town gripped by fear and silence, where every door is closed and every word cautious. As suspicion narrows on a wanted man named Lou Shippen, Dillon devises a dangerous bluff to expose the killer hiding in plain sight. A tense, slow-burn western thriller that pits courage against control in a forgotten outpost. Cast: William Conrad, Georgia Ellis, Parley Baer, Howard McNear

Tags: Western, marshal, Gunsmoke, classicradio, 1950sradio, LouShippen, Elkader, frontierjustice, WilliamConrad, oldtimeradio, classicdrama, suspense, vintagewesterns, MattDillon, radiotheater, radiohistory