Lum Escapes from Prison

Originally Aired: January 5, 1940 Lum #240, "Lum Escapes from Prison," Lum and Abner find themselves in serious trouble with the Post Office Department after opening an unauthorized post office in their Jot'Em Down Store. While Abner has been released and sent back to Pine Ridge, Lum remains detained in Little Rock, facing multiple federal charges including selling stamps below regulation price, issuing personal checks instead of proper money orders, and tampering with United States mail. As Abner discusses the situation with Grandpappy Spears at the store, he struggles to follow Lum's instructions to hold a sale and raise money for a lawyer, though his attempt to save on advertising by simply telling customers about discounts after they've already made their purchases proves questionable at best. When Squire Skimp arrives with grim news, the situation becomes even more dire. He warns that any one of the charges against Lum could result in ten years in the penitentiary, possibly at Alcatraz. While Abner initially misunderstands Alcatraz as some kind of resort, the reality soon sinks in that his partner faces serious federal time unless they can mount an effective defense.