Abner’s Kidnapping Has the Whole Town Upset

Originally Aired: September 6, 1935

Lum & Abner #190, "Abner's Kidnapping Has the Whole Town Upset,"

In a misguided attempt to restore his reputation and become a hero, Lum concocts an elaborate scheme to stage Abner's kidnapping. After reluctantly agreeing to the plan, Abner is now hiding at Lum's house while the whole town of Pine Ridge buzzes with excitement over the supposed crime. A ransom note demanding fifty dollars has been left on Abner's pillow, and news of the kidnapping spreads like wildfire through the community. As Lum returns from town, he finds a nervous Abner hiding under the dining room table, terrified that someone might discover him.

The townspeople are inventing increasingly wild stories about the kidnapping. Ezra Seastrump's wife claims she saw Abner in a black car with a handkerchief in his mouth, while Luther Phillips insists he saw suspicious characters in Abner's yard. Lum even adds his own false lead about a man matching Abner's description being spotted at a Mount Idy filling station. When Sister Simpson calls to discuss the terrible news, Lum cleverly plants the idea that whoever rescues Abner will be considered a real hero, setting the stage for his own triumphant "rescue."