Old Time Radio Westerns: "Hanged but Not Dead"

Show: The Lone Ranger | January 22, 1941
Hosted by: Andrew Rhynes
Date Released: November 29, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of Old Time Radio Westerns presents a digitally-restored broadcast of The Lone Ranger, titled "Hanged but Not Dead." The story unfolds in a tense frontier town plagued by a notorious cattle thief gang. The tale centers on the capture and hanging of the gang's infamous leader, Dan Jagger—but when a murder is committed after Jagger’s supposed execution, fear spreads that Jagger may have risen from the grave for vengeance. The Lone Ranger and Tonto work to solve the chilling mystery and bring justice to the terrified townsfolk.

Key Discussion Points & Story Breakdown

1. Setup: The Cattle Thieves and Jagger’s Arrest

• Sheriff Standish interrogates Sid, a captured member of Jagger’s gang, pleading for him to testify against Jagger in exchange for safety (05:11).
  • Quote: “If you’ll tell me some of the things I want to know, I’ll guarantee you won’t get more than 30 days in jail... Just to keep you safe during the trial of Dan Jagger.” —Sheriff Standish (05:11)
• Sid refuses, fearing retribution from Jagger’s gang more than the law.
• The Lone Ranger (in disguise) and Tonto assist during this tense standoff, hinting at a plan to manipulate Sid into confessing by faking a poisoning incident (06:27).

2. Dan Jagger’s Trial and Threats

• Sid ultimately agrees to implicate Jagger after believing his life is genuinely at risk.
• Jagger is arrested and stands trial for murder. The town is electrified as he’s found guilty and sentenced to hang (09:25).
  • Quote: “I’ll get you if I have to come back from my grave to do it!” —Dan Jagger, issuing a chilling threat at sentencing (09:31)

3. The Hanging and Mysterious Revenge

• Jagger is apparently hanged; the Lone Ranger observes the strict precautions taken but suspects Jagger may have an escape plan (11:51).
  • The town’s fear is palpable following Jagger’s ominous promise to haunt his betrayers.
• That night, Sid is murdered in his cell by someone resembling the late Jagger, sparking hysteria—did Jagger return from the dead? (15:02)
  • Quote: “I swear I’d come back and I done so.” —Knife-wielding assailant, believed to be Jagger (15:08)

4. Investigation into the “Resurrected” Jagger

• The Lone Ranger and Tonto investigate, suspecting not the supernatural but a clever ruse involving a faked death (18:49).
• Sheriff Standish consults the doctor and Belden, who swears the execution was genuine, and no one saw tracks near Sid’s window or Jagger’s grave (20:05).
  • Quote: “Ever hear of a man coming back to life?” —Sheriff Standish (20:53)
• The town’s surviving jury feels threatened—they might be next.

5. Tonto’s Tracking and the Trap

• Determined to expose the truth, Standish organizes a posse, including the surviving jurors and Tonto, to follow the killer’s trail after dark (23:53).
• Tonto’s keen skills lead them directly to a man lying in wait; he’s captured and accused of Sid’s murder (24:47).

6. A Second Hanging — and the Lone Ranger’s Ruse

• The posse, convinced of the man’s guilt, prepares a swift frontier hanging at dawn—without a formal trial (26:41).
• During the execution, a twist is revealed: the condemned man is the Lone Ranger himself, who survives due to planning with an ally (27:25).
  • Quote: “The doctor’s lying. I’m no more dead than any of you.” —The Lone Ranger “returning from the dead” to expose the plot (27:55)

7. Unmasking the Conspirators and Final Justice

• The Lone Ranger’s gambit exposes Belden (the deputy who arranged both hangings), Dr. Potter, and others as co-conspirators who orchestrated Jagger’s fake death and Sid’s murder.
• The captured gang members, now facing certain punishment, begin turning on each other, offering confessions to save themselves.
  • Quote: “Now that you have the whole gang, I’ll tell you all I can!” —Repentant gang member, under pressure from the Lone Ranger and Sheriff (28:13)
• The episode ends with the Lone Ranger restoring order and promising further pursuit of justice.

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• Dan Jagger’s Threat from the Gallows:
  “I’ll get you if I have to come back from my grave to do it!”
  (09:31, Dan Jagger, at sentencing)

• Supernatural Fear and Skepticism:
  “Ever hear of a man coming back to life?”
  (20:53, Sheriff Standish, questioning the doctor after the murder)

• Reversal at the Hanging:
  “The doctor’s lying. I’m no more dead than any of you.”
  (27:55, The Lone Ranger reveals the ruse and exposes the plot)

• The Lone Ranger’s Dedication:
  “Good friends of mine suffered greatly because of the Jagger gang. I promised to do all that I could to smash that gang.”
  (14:50, The Lone Ranger, to Sheriff Standish)

Important Segment Timestamps

• 05:11—Sheriff Standish’s plea to Sid for testimony
• 09:25—Jagger’s trial and threats of vengeance from beyond the grave
• 11:51—Hanging of Dan Jagger; speculation by the Lone Ranger about Jagger’s real plans
• 15:08—Sid’s murder, believed at first to be at Jagger’s ghostly hand
• 20:05—Doctor and Sheriff debate whether Jagger was really hanged
• 23:53—Town jury forms a posse with Tonto to pursue the murderer
• 27:25—The hanging of the disguised Lone Ranger; the big reveal of the scheme
• 28:13—Gang members confess, order is restored

Tone and Atmosphere

The episode maintains a suspenseful, classic Western tone, filled with frontier justice, tension between law and outlaw, and moments of clever investigation and derring-do. The dialogue captures the style and era of 1940s radio drama, with plenty of rural colloquialisms, dramatic climaxes, and the stalwart virtue of The Lone Ranger.

Summary

"Hanged but Not Dead" offers a quintessential Lone Ranger adventure—combining suspense, clever detective work, and a dramatic twist that unravels a supposed supernatural event as an audacious criminal scheme. Through careful teamwork, cunning disguise, and quick thinking, the Lone Ranger and Tonto ensure justice is served and peace is restored to the town.

For listeners interested in vintage radio storytelling, tense mysteries, and classic Western heroics, this episode is a prime example of the genre, lovingly restored for modern ears.