If anyone thinks I missed something, please contact me. I watched the episode a number of times, trying to make sense of it. I generally enjoy the Hoppy episodes.
****spoilers****
Anyway, Ben Samuels has the stage robbed of a shipment of gold from the US Mint, and the driver and guard are killed. But the body of the guard is hidden away, so no one knows if the guard is dead or alive. Then a second stage is held up. Then Ben has his foreman lie that Jim Adams killed Ben! Paying off the local doctor, they present the dead body of the guard, and claim that that dead body is Ben. (Both Ben and the guard had leg infirmities, but shouldn't someone have noticed that the dead body was not Sam? Incredible!) Jim Adams is sent to prison for murdering Ben! Ben later shows up (with hair dyed white or blond), and claims to be Frank Samuels, the brother of "dead" Ben Samuels. He gets away with it .... .., till Jim Adams breaks out of jail and has Hoppy solve the case.
I find it incredible (and impossible) in so many ways: (1) why would the bad guys want to frame Jim Adams for a nonexistent murder (Samuels'), and have Jim sent to prison? It is never explained. It is just mentioned at the very last second of the episode that Jim had suspected Ben Samuels as living a false life in town. OK, maybe. But you'd think it would be easier and better for Ben Samuels to kill Adams rather than frame him and fake his own (that is, Samuels') death. (2) after the two stage robberies, why wouldn't Samuels just leave town and go elsewhere with the money, leaving all the entanglements behind him? Why go to the trouble of showing up as his brother? (3) unbelievable that the Samuels gang could pass off the dead stage guard as Ben Samuels, even with the paid cooperation of the town doctor. Or is it possible? Still, why bother -- just leave town with the money!
Otherwise, it was a pretty entertaining epiosde.
****spoilers****
Anyway, Ben Samuels has the stage robbed of a shipment of gold from the US Mint, and the driver and guard are killed. But the body of the guard is hidden away, so no one knows if the guard is dead or alive. Then a second stage is held up. Then Ben has his foreman lie that Jim Adams killed Ben! Paying off the local doctor, they present the dead body of the guard, and claim that that dead body is Ben. (Both Ben and the guard had leg infirmities, but shouldn't someone have noticed that the dead body was not Sam? Incredible!) Jim Adams is sent to prison for murdering Ben! Ben later shows up (with hair dyed white or blond), and claims to be Frank Samuels, the brother of "dead" Ben Samuels. He gets away with it .... .., till Jim Adams breaks out of jail and has Hoppy solve the case.
I find it incredible (and impossible) in so many ways: (1) why would the bad guys want to frame Jim Adams for a nonexistent murder (Samuels'), and have Jim sent to prison? It is never explained. It is just mentioned at the very last second of the episode that Jim had suspected Ben Samuels as living a false life in town. OK, maybe. But you'd think it would be easier and better for Ben Samuels to kill Adams rather than frame him and fake his own (that is, Samuels') death. (2) after the two stage robberies, why wouldn't Samuels just leave town and go elsewhere with the money, leaving all the entanglements behind him? Why go to the trouble of showing up as his brother? (3) unbelievable that the Samuels gang could pass off the dead stage guard as Ben Samuels, even with the paid cooperation of the town doctor. Or is it possible? Still, why bother -- just leave town with the money!
Otherwise, it was a pretty entertaining epiosde.
