Originally Aired: January 12, 1958

In Gunsmoke #301, “Second Son,” an English drifter named Sedgely Carstairs rides into Dodge City determined to win back the horse he lost in a poker game to the ruthless Pete Newson. Polite, soft-spoken, and stubbornly honorable, Carstairs seems out of place in the rough Kansas cowtown. But beneath his refined manners lies a wounded pride—and a quiet desperation to reclaim what he sees as his dignity.

Rumors spread that Carstairs is wealthy, fueled by bank drafts from England and his willingness to keep playing cards despite mounting losses. When Newson returns to town with his gang, greed overtakes opportunity. Instead of simply beating Carstairs at the table, they lure him away, intent on taking everything.

Marshal Matt Dillon’s instincts prove right—but he arrives too late to save the earnest “second son” who never quite learned the brutal rules of the frontier. In a grim and sobering end, Newson discovers that murder brings him nothing but three dollars—and the weight of a wasted life.

A tragic meditation on honor, pride, and the harsh cost of misunderstanding both fortune and men.

Cast: William Conrad, Parley Baer, Howard McNear, Georgia Ellis

Tags:

western, frontierjustice, MattDillon, Chester, DocAdams, KittyRussell, poker, greed, honor, DodgeCity, oldtimeradio, classicwestern, radioDrama, 1950sradio, tragedy, gambling, manhunt, Gunsmoke