Originally Aired: June 3, 1956

In Gunsmoke #217, “The Pacifist,” a drifter named Harden Hook arrives in Dodge, poor and half-starved, carrying only a haunted past. Once a violent Missouri raider, Hook swore never to kill again after a single, shameful act during the Kansas border wars. But old enemies Sutters and Hoagler track him down and stir up the brother of a man Hook killed, hoping to provoke vengeance. Marshal Dillon tries to protect Hook, but a plot unfolds to frame him for murder. In a tense showdown, Hook risks his own life to save another, revealing that true bravery can mean refusing to kill—even when everyone expects it. A powerful story about war, conscience, and the courage to break the cycle of violence.

Cast:
William Conrad, Parley Baer, Georgia Ellis, Howard McNear, Vic Perrin, Harry Bartell, James Nusser, Paul DuBois

Tags:
western, pacifism, redemption, WilliamConrad, ParleyBaer, GeorgiaEllis, HowardMcNear, thepacifist, oldtimeradio, lawrencekansas, civilwar, Missouri, 1950sradio, classicdrama, conscience, bravery, suspensepodcast