Signed Confession

Originally Aired: July 13, 1938 The Lone Ranger #852, "Signed Confession," a deadly conspiracy threatens to cost an innocent rancher everything. When old Laif Catlett dies and leaves his Box B ranch to his son Larry, the young man finds himself framed for the murder of Bill Sweeney. Larry flees the district, but his uncle Jake Brimmer quickly takes control of the ranch. What Larry doesn't know is that Jake has made a sinister bargain with Sheriff Walt Travis, who witnessed Jake commit the actual murder and forced him to sign a confession. The sheriff promises to keep the document secret in exchange for half the ranch once Larry is hanged and Jake gains full ownership. Three months later, Larry returns to River City determined to confront his crooked uncle and the corrupt sheriff, but his plan backfires when he's spotted, shot in the shoulder, and thrown in jail. The sheriff refuses to let Larry speak to anyone, and Jake hints at a new scheme to permanently eliminate his nephew. When the Lone Ranger arrives and secretly visits Larry's cell, he learns the young man's desperate situation. Soon Larry finds himself sharing a cell with another prisoner named Clegg, who claims to have stolen the deputy's keys and offers a chance at escape.