Tell Your Children (1938)

1. It must be stopped.

2. You and all the school-parent groups about the country,

3. and you must stand united on this,

4. and stamp out this frightful assassin of our youth.

5. You can do it by bringing about compulsory education

6. on the subject of narcotics in general,

7. but reef marihuana in particular.

8. That is the purpose of this meeting, ladies and gentlemen,

9. to lay the foundation for a nationwide campaign by you

10. to demand by law such compulsory education,

11. because it is only through enlightenment

12. that this scourge can be wiped out.

13. Out of the traffic in these drugs,

14. a lawlessness that we can scarcely estimate

15. has grown and is now flourishing.

16. It exists in almost every city and hamlet in the country.

17. It might be interesting

18. and important for you to know

19. some of the methods used

20. in bringing these drugs into the country

21. and the work of the forces of law and order,

22. which are daily combating the traffic,

23. always at the risk of life by their agents.

24. This ceaseless fight against the drug traffic

25. is directed by the Department of Narcotics, Washington.

26. I have received a letter of vital importance

27. from a member of the Narcotics Bureau.

28. I'm going to read this letter to you.

29. "My dear Dr. Carroll,

30. "the suppression of the use of marihuana

31. "and of the forces lurking behind it

32. "are the most important jobs

33. "this department is now engaged in.

34. "At the outset of this letter,

35. "there is one vital fact I would like to submit.

36. "There is a powerful agency.

37. "I speak of the school-parent associations

38. "of this country, which can be invaluable

39. "in stamping out this scourge.

40. "Their help, their eternal vigilance

41. "could be the deciding factor in our fight against it.

42. "The weed marihuana is grown in every state in the Union.

43. "Recently, in the city of Brooklyn, New York,

44. "a field of marihuana was found behind a tenement court.

45. "The weed was here being cultivated,

46. "regularly stripped, and dried and sold in schools

47. "and at government army posts in and around New York.

48. "The dried leaves and berries are ground up

49. "and made into cigarettes by a simple hand machine.

50. "The deadly narcotic is that quickly

51. "and easily prepared for its market.

52. "The sale of marihuana is even more difficult

53. "to detect and halt than the traffic in drugs

54. "such as opium, morphine, and heroin.

55. "They are hidden in fake jewelry cases,

56. "in the heels of shoes, women's shoes especially,

57. "because the drugs can be secreted in,

58. "Hollowed shaving brushes are another medium.

59. "Books with false centers are often used.

60. "Watch cases are convenient hiding places.

61. "The value of drugs thus seized is enormous.

62. "Recently, a huge supply of heroin was taken.

63. "It was concealed in an apparently harmless shipment

64. "of 35 barrels of olive oil.

65. "The deadly drug was burned in the incinerator

66. "of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

67. "And more vicious, more deadly even than these

68. "soul-destroying drugs is the menace of marihuana.

69. No doubt, many of you do not believe

70. that these things do happen,

71. that they cannot happen to you.

72. You may also believe that the facts have been exaggerated.

73. Let me tell you of something

74. that happened right here in our own city.

75. You probably read about it in the papers.

76. However, I'll give you the real facts behind the case.

77. There was an apartment near one of our high schools.

78. It was run by a woman known as Mae Coleman.

79. Hey.

80. Come on, Mae, get up.

81. What time is it?

82. Time to get up and give this place a going over.

83. It looks like the marines had landed.

84. That bunch last night was high enough

85. to take over the marines and the navy.

86. You better get on the job.

87. Some of the kids may be up this afternoon.

88. Oh, Jack, we can get along without dragging

89. those young kids up here.

90. Oh, why don't you button up your lips?

91. You're always squawking about something.

92. You got more static than a radio.

93. Ah, greetings.

94. Well, hello, fella, how are you?

95. Fine, how are you?

96. Come in, come in.

97. Glad to be here.

98. Is the Mae in?

99. She'll be right here.

100. Just sit down, make yourself comfortable.

101. Hey, what kind of a joint is this, Eddie?

102. Oh, it's all right, Gwen.

103. See, they probably had a party last night.

104. Ah.

105. A couple of your customers, Mae.

106. Yeah?

107. They're old enough to know what they're doing.

108. Not like those young kids you bring up here.

109. All right, all right.

110. Listen, I'm gonna blow.

111. Where are you going?

112. I gotta make some deliveries

113. and I'll probably drop by Joe's place

114. and bring back a couple of the kids.

115. Oh, I wish you'd lay off those kids.

116. Oh, why don't you get over your complex?

117. Oh, by the way, Ralph,

118. I'm sort of giving a little party

119. Saturday afternoon over at my grandmother's.

120. You know the place with a swimming pool?

121. Like to come?

122. Thanks, Eddie, maybe I will.

123. I should like to have you.

124. Okay, I'll probably drop over.

125. - So long, Ralph. - See you later.

126. Hey, Ralph.

127. Hi, kid.

128. - Hi, Jack, and you? - Oh, great.

129. - Where you headed? - Oh.

130. Hey, how do you like that?

131. That's the one I was telling you about.

132. Very nice.

133. I don't know why you wanna make

134. such a fuss over that Ralph Wiley.

135. Oh, he's a swell swimmer.

136. He made the freshman team at college.

137. Yeah, and that let him out.

138. My dad knows his family.

139. None of them are any good.

140. Father and mother just got a divorce in Paris.

141. Yeah?

142. You know, Ralph runs around pretty much on his own.

143. He's been in a couple of jams.

144. Well, I only kind of say hello to him.

145. I don't go around with him.

146. Well, you better know

147. that he's a little too old for us.

148. That's what my dad said.

149. Hello, Mary.

150. - How are you, Bill? - How are you, Ralph?

151. Hey, hello, Ralph.

152. You know my brother, Jimmy, don't you?

153. - How are you? - Swell.

154. I'd like you to meet a friend of mine, Jack Perry.

155. Mary, Bill.

156. - How are you? - How do you do?

157. Glad to know you.

158. We're going over to Joe's place.

159. Why don't you come along?

160. We have a date to play a set of doubles.

161. Or you can play any time

162. Come on, we'll have some laughs.

163. Oh, we can't today, Ralph.

164. Some other time.

165. - Can I go along with you? - Sure.

166. Hey, I'll see you at dinner, sis.

167. - Don't be late, Jimmy. - I won't.

168. - Jimmy, Jimmy. - Hi, Agnes.

169. Hey, he ain't no paper man.

170. Why, don't you know him?

171. That's Hot Fingers Pirelli.

172. Boy, he really swings out hot with a mess of jive.

173. - Do you wanna dance? - Do I?

174. Mae is expecting us at the apartment a little later.

175. Any new prospects?

176. Maybe.

177. Oh, Jimmy, you're wonderful.

178. You're just finding that out?

179. - Why can't we go now? - Hmm, good.

180. Say, kids, we're having a little party

181. at my girlfriend's apartment.

182. Wouldn't you like to come?

183. Oh, I'd love to.

184. You wanna come, don't you, Jimmy?

185. Oh, sure.

186. Any place with you.

187. Oh, come on, we can all go in my car.

188. See you later, Joe.

189. It's sweet of you to help me, Bill.

190. I'll show you anything except domestic science.

191. I see, don't you wanna learn something

192. about running your own home?

193. The answer is no.

194. You know, after that session we had yesterday,

195. I went home and told Mother

196. that the trouble with her pot roast gravy was

197. she hadn't added three heaping teaspoonfuls of olive oil.

198. What did she say?

199. She didn't say anything.

200. She just threw me out of the kitchen.

201. I don't wonder.

202. Hello, children.

203. - Hello, mother. - Hello, Mrs. Lane.

204. That was sweet of you, mother.

205. Gosh, hot chocolate!

206. Thanks, Mrs. Lane.

207. I know you can't study on empty stomach.

208. Go on and enjoy yourselves.

209. - He will. - She will, too, Mrs. Lane.

210. May I?

211. Oh, thank you, kind sir.

212. You're so very, very kind.

213. Mary, before we do that math,

214. how about reading some of this?

215. It's swell.

216. Romeo and Juliet?

217. - Don't you like it? - Uh-huh.

218. You know, when I study this, I kinda think of you.

219. I just thought I feel as though you're there beside me.

220. Listen.

221. It is my soul that calls upon thy name.

222. How silver-sweet sound lovers' tongues by night.

223. Like softest music to attending ears.

224. - Romeo! - My dear?

225. What o'clock tomorrow shall I send to thee?

226. - By the hour of nine. - I will not fail.

227. 'Tis 20 years till then.

228. Well, I'll see you tonight, Mary.

229. Bye, Mrs. Lane.

230. - Goodbye, Bill. - So long.

231. Oh, Bill!

232. I guess I'm all right.

233. Bye, bye.

234. - Hey, Daddy. - Oh, Junior.

235. Hey, Dad, you got anything for me?

236. Don't bother your father every night.

237. Have you?

238. There you are.

239. What made you so late, Bill?

240. I was getting worried.

241. Oh, I had to study, Ma.

242. He was not.

243. I saw him, Ma, walking with his girl.

244. Bill's got a girl.

245. He's got a girl.

246. - Ma, make him cut it out. - Junior!

247. - Well, Bill has got a girl. - Quiet.

248. And put that candy away till after dinner.

249. Henry, you shouldn't have given it to him.

250. Well, I haven't got a girlfriend

251. and the name is Mary.

252. I'll shut you up.

253. Bill, Junior, quit that carrying on.

254. Junior!

255. Oh, let them alone.

256. They're all right, they're young.

257. Mary's little lamb.

258. Mary's little lamb.

259. I didn't mean it, Bill, honest, I didn't.

260. Oh, well, what I'm burned up about is that

261. you didn't say Bill has a swell girl.

262. Gee, it must be love.

263. She has to be swell for you to like her.

264. Uh-huh, sounds like you want something.

265. Come on, what is it?

266. Well, it's my model airplane.

267. It won't work.

268. Gosh, Bill, you could fix it.

269. You can fix anything.

270. Okay, I'll fix it.

271. Hey, dad, read me the funny papers, will you?

272. Got it, you got it.

273. Hey, Bill.

274. Oh, hello, Jimmy.

275. Mary told me to wait and tell you

276. she's got to go home.

277. Her mother wanted her to go to the dressmaker with her.

278. Oh, thanks, Jimmy.

279. Hmm, must be getting grown up.

280. I see Mary let you have the car.

281. Yeah.

282. Can I take you any place?

283. I wasn't going any in particular.

284. Well, then, how about driving over

285. to Joe's the place with me?

286. I'll buy you a soda.

287. I never drink that stuff.

288. Okay, I'll buy you something else.

289. Okay, you're on the hook for one root beer.

290. Swell.

291. Hi, Bill, hi, Jimmy.

292. What'd you have?

293. Hey, Jimmy.

294. Hello, Jimmy, hello, Bill.

295. Come on, slide in.

296. Hello, Blanche, hello, Ralph, how are you?

297. Two sodas, no, I mean one soda and one root beer.

298. How's Mae?

299. Oh, she's fine.

300. We're going up to her apartment later.

301. - Couldn't Bill come along? - Mmm-hmm.

302. - I don't know— - Come on, Bill,

303. you'll get a kick out of it.

304. - Thanks, but— - Oh, come on, Bill.

305. Mary won't be jealous.

306. Why, sure, a lot of the kids

307. will be there entertained.

308. I don't know, I really shouldn't.

309. Well, okay.

310. - Hi, kids. - Hello, Jack.

311. What do you say?

312. Yeah, come on in.

313. Hi, Agnes.

314. Come on, Bill, don't stand there.

315. Hillbilly, hillbilly, hillbilly.

316. Hi, kids.

317. Mae, this is Bill Harper.

318. He's okay.

319. Hello.

320. Well, if you say so, he's all right with me.

321. I'll be back in a minute.

322. Hiya, kids, how ya doing?

323. Okay, hiya, Mae.

324. There's a new one in today.

325. Yeah, Bill Harper.

326. He's all right.

327. Blanche has got herself quite a yen for him.

328. Hmm, not bad.

329. I didn't think she had that much taste.

330. She knows what she's doing.

331. She got Ralph not to bother her

332. and now she's got her hooks out for this new kid.

333. Hey, we haven't many more smokes.

334. You'd better go on over and get some.

335. Why couldn't you find that out

336. when I was here this morning?

337. Now I've got my car in the shop.

338. Well, I was.

339. That kid out there, Jimmy.

340. He's got a car, he'll take you.

341. Come on, get going, hurry up.

342. - Hey, Jimmy. - Yup?

343. I've got to run over to Cedar Avenue for a minute.

344. You've got a car, haven't you?

345. Why, yeah, my sister's.

346. Mind giving me a lift?

347. - Why sure, come on. - Okay.

348. No, thank you.

349. - Well, here we are. - Oh, thanks.

350. Oh, Mae, don't forget me.

351. I never forget you.

352. Oh dear, if you want a good smoke,

353. try one of these.

354. I thought you were a sport.

355. Of course, if you're afraid.

356. That's better, that's more like it.

357. I know you'll like it really well.

358. Just take a puff of it.

359. Just be a minute, kid.

360. Hey, Jack, give me a cigarette before you go, will you?

361. - Hello, Jack. - Hiya, Boss.

362. How's business?

363. Getting better everyday.

364. Those kids sure go for it.

365. Swell.

366. Had to run over for a couple more cartons.

367. Ran short today.

368. All right.

369. Danny?

370. Pack 10 gross for Jack Perry.

371. Who?

372. Pete Daley?

373. All right, send him in.

374. It's all right, stay where you are.

375. I wanna talk to you.

376. All right, go ahead, Jack's okay.

377. What's the beef?

378. Listen, you never heard no beef

379. when I had to sell that rotten gin.

380. Right for the dough, aren't you?

381. Yeah, but I don't need dough that bad.

382. Taking two-bit pieces from kids.

383. There are millions of two-bit pieces

384. just begging to be taken.

385. Don't be a dope.

386. I'm just doped enough to draw the line

387. selling after kids.

388. All right, Pete.

389. You know what my policy has always been.

390. If the boys are not satisfied,

391. I'm always glad to have them retire.

392. Retire permanently.

393. So long.

394. I only wish you had a couple of kids

395. so I could— - Get out!

396. All right, Jack, pick up your stuff from Danny.

397. It'll be ready by then.

398. Okay, boss.

399. Let's go, Jack, I'm red-hot.

400. Better be careful how you drive

401. or the first thing you know you'll be ice cold.

402. Take it easy, kid.

403. Slow down, you'll kill somebody.

404. Mary, you're not eating your breakfast again.

405. Bill Harper hasn't been around lately.

406. Anything wrong between you two?

407. Why should there be anything wrong?

408. There shouldn't be, I'm sure.

409. And whatever it is isn't serious, I know.

410. I'm sorry, mother, for snapping at you like that.

411. Don't worry about it, dear.

412. Why don't you speak frankly to Bill?

413. He'll be honest, whatever the trouble is.

414. I'm sure Bill Harper never lied about anything.

415. Yes, that's right.

416. Bill's mother says he never lies.

417. There, you see?

418. You think it'd be all right if,

419. if I speak to him about it?

420. Why, of course.

421. Oh, Jimmy.

422. Hello, Ma.

423. Sit down, darling, and I'll have your breakfast

424. for you in a moment.

425. Jimmy, there's something worrying you?

426. What have I got to worry about?

427. Why don't you tell me?

428. Oh, for Pete's sake, don't start

429. to cross-examine me, will you?

430. I'm all right.

431. Jimmy!

432. Don't let Mother see you like that.

433. There is no doubt that there is an organized gang

434. distributing the narcotic to students,

435. not only in my school, but all over the city.

436. You government men have got to find

437. some way to put an end to it.

438. Of course, I agree with you, Dr. Carroll.

439. But do you realize that marihuana

440. is not like other forms of dope?

441. You see, it grows wild in almost every state in the Union.

442. Therefore, there is practically

443. no inter-state commerce in the drug.

444. As a result, the government's hands are tied.

445. And frankly, the only sure cure

446. is a widespread campaign in education.

447. Oh, it's all right to talk about education, Mr. Wyatt?

448. But we educators can't do anything

449. until the public is sufficiently aroused.

450. Let me show you something.

451. In 1930, the records on marihuana

452. in the Washington office of the Narcotics Division

453. scarcely filled a small folder like this.

454. Today, they fill cabinets.

455. All of these, devoted to marihuana records.

456. Here is an example.

457. A 16-year-old lad,

458. apprehended in the act of staging a holdup,

459. 16 years old and a marihuana addict.

460. Here is the most tragic case.

461. Yes, I remember.

462. Just a young boy.

463. Under the influence of the drug,

464. he killed his entire family with an axe.

465. Then there is the most vicious type of case.

466. Here.

467. In Michigan, a young girl, 17 years old,

468. a reefer smoker, taken in a raid

469. in the company with five young men.

470. Here is a particularly flagrant case.

471. Yes, I remember.

472. The newspapers made quite a play of it.

473. In West Virginia, wasn't it?

474. Yes, and there are hundreds of them coming up,

475. new ones everyday.

476. I'd like to take these records, if I may.

477. I feel they would be of invaluable assistance to me

478. in combating the evil in my school.

479. You're very welcome, Dr. Carroll.

480. Thank you.

481. Sit down, Bill.

482. There seems to be something wrong.

483. What is it?

484. You were always a fine student.

485. You always had excellent grades.

486. I guess the work is getting a little harder, Dr. Carroll.

487. No, no, it isn't that.

488. Bill, I'd like to help you.

489. But of course, I can't unless you let me.

490. You're undermining your health.

491. There's nothing, Dr. Carroll, really there isn't.

492. I'll study harder, honest.

493. Honest?

494. If you were being honest with me

495. and honest with yourself,

496. I'm afraid you'd tell me an entirely different story.

497. Bill, I'm going to ask you a straightforward question,

498. and I'd like to have a straightforward answer.

499. Yes, sir.

500. Isn't it true that you have, perhaps unwillingly,

501. acquired a certain harmful habit

502. through association with certain undesirable people?

503. Well?

504. No, sir, I haven't, Dr. Carroll.

505. Well, that is, you see, I'm...

506. I'm worried about something at home.

507. All right, my boy.

508. We'll just have to let it go at that.

509. But remember, if you ever want to confide in me,

510. no one will ever be the wiser.

511. Thank you, Dr. Carroll.

512. Hello, Mary, want to play a set?

513. Thanks, Teddy, but I'm waiting for someone.

514. Look, if you're waiting for Bill,

515. he hasn't been here for weeks.

516. Come on, Jimmy, play something hot.

517. Okay.

518. Come on, Billy!

519. Dance with me!

520. Didn't take that kid long to catch on.

521. Don't take any of them long.

522. Hey, don't you ever get fed?

523. You're feeding me, can't you see?

524. Give me a knife and fork, will you?

525. Get it yourself.

526. Come on, Bill.

527. Come on.

528. Come on.

529. Come on, Bill.

530. Come on.

531. Come on.

532. Good morning, miss, we're with the police department.

533. Good morning.

534. We're tracing a hit-and-run driver.

535. Someone caught the license number

536. at the place of the accident,

537. but the didn't get it quite right.

538. So we're checking all numbers like it

539. and yours is one of them.

540. Well, I'll try to help you.

541. Do you remember what you did on the 29th of last month?

542. That was the day before mother's birthday.

543. Oh, yes, I remember that because I left school

544. and went directly to the dressmakers with mother.

545. I was there all afternoon.

546. Did you happen to loan your car to a couple of men?

547. No, no, I had the car all afternoon myself.

548. Thanks, Miss, sorry to trouble you.

549. Tell me, did they,

550. was the person killed?

551. Fortunately, he wasn't, but that's still

552. no excuse for hit-and-run driving.

553. Has Jimmy Lane been here today?

554. He was in.

555. He went over to Mae's place.

556. You know where that is.

557. Well, he was gonna wait for me here,

558. so he didn't give me Mae's address.

559. Are you sure Jimmy didn't leave

560. any message for me, Mary?

561. No, he didn't.

562. But I guess you're okay.

563. I'll write it down for you.

564. Mary, come right in.

565. Is Jimmy here?

566. Oh, why, he is around somewhere.

567. I think he went out to take Agnes home.

568. But he'll be right back.

569. Come in and sit down, Mary.

570. And let me take your coat.

571. Who's the new kid just came in?

572. Oh, it's that gal that Ralph's gone overboard for.

573. Funny, we've never been able to get her up here before.

574. Hey, hey, scram, will ya?

575. Smoke, Mary?

576. Thanks.

577. Are you sure Jimmy will be back soon?

578. Sure, any minute.

579. Say, what's the matter?

580. Am I an orphan?

581. Where do you put it?

582. You got a hollow leg?

583. Thanks, dear.

584. Here, Mary.

585. - Oh, Mary, give me a kiss. - Don't.

586. - Mary. - No, don't!

587. Please help me.

588. Oh, Mary.

589. You leave me alone.

590. Go away!

591. Mary, everybody's—

592. Leave me alone.

593. Oh, leave me alone!

594. Please!

595. - Everything's over. - Leave me be!

596. Romeo.

597. What o'clock tomorrow shall I send to thee?

598. Bill's got a girl.

599. It's sweet of you to help me, Bill.

600. - Bill's got a girl. - Oh, thank you, kind sir.

601. Leave me alone!

602. Oh, leave me alone!

603. Ralph!

604. Ralph!

605. Look.

606. Jack, is she all right?

607. She's dead.

608. Mae, get me some water.

609. Now listen, you two.

610. I want you to get out of here.

611. Get out of here and forget

612. you were ever in here today.

613. I'll handle this.

614. Now get going.

615. Give it to me.

616. Here.

617. Mary.

618. Mary.

619. Mary!

620. What happened?

621. You killed her.

622. Mary.

623. Oh, Mary.

624. Look, after I scram, you call the cops.

625. And this is your story, remember it.

626. These two kids came up here for a couple of beers.

627. You're up in the kitchen, you heard the shot.

628. When you got in here, that's what you found.

629. Just stick to that story.

630. Mary.

631. Mary, speak to me.

632. Mary.

633. Hello, Jack.

634. I was just talking to a friend of mine.

635. A cop.

636. Sergeant on the homicide squad.

637. The guy you hit that day died.

638. Died?

639. You, I mean you didn't— - No.

640. I didn't crack, and I'm not going to.

641. Nobody will ever know you were driving that car.

642. Thanks, Jack.

643. After this moment, you keep you mouth shut

644. that you were ever up in Mae's apartment.

645. Why sure, Jack, sure.

646. Okay.

647. Your honor, I'd like to recall

648. Dr. Alfred Carroll to the stand.

649. Call Dr. Alfred Carroll to the stand.

650. Dr. Carroll, as principal of the Lakeside High School,

651. did you, during the last three months,

652. notice any changes in the demeanor and attitude

653. of your student, William Harper?

654. Yes, in a number of things.

655. For example, at times, disassociation of ideas.

656. In another instance, I happened to attend

657. the recent inter-scholastic tennis matches.

658. And while Bill Harper had been considered

659. an exceedingly good player,

660. I saw him miss the ball

661. by as much as three or four feet.

662. This, I understand, could be attributed

663. to the use of marihuana.

664. It causes errors in time and space.

665. Objection, your honor!

666. The witness isn't qualified to express opinions

667. upon the effects of narcotics.

668. Sustained.

669. Dr. Carroll has been called merely as a character witness.

670. Well then, although you didn't know

671. to your own knowledge

672. that the defendant was using marihuana,

673. did you notice any changes

674. that would lead you to believe, as an educator,

675. that he was under some severe mental strain

676. which might possibly have been induced by some drug?

677. Yes, I recall distinctly, a few weeks ago.

678. It was during a class of English literature.

679. There was a serious discussion

680. of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet,

681. when he suddenly burst into

682. an uncontrollable fit of hysterical laughter.

683. Oh, by the way, Dr. Carroll, six months ago,

684. what would have been your opinion

685. regarding the character of my client?

686. He was a fine, upstanding American boy,

687. a good scholar, a good athlete,

688. and representative of the caliber of young men

689. we are proud to graduate from our school.

690. Oh, snap out of it, will you?

691. It's not our fault.

692. Why'd I ever bring him up there, anyway?

693. He's just a kid.

694. They can't hang him.

695. Shut up, shut up!

696. Why don't you let yourself go?

697. Talk.

698. Go off your nuts and have me that way, too.

699. It's his own fault, wasn't it?

700. Shut up!

701. They've got us hidden out, haven't they?

702. The cops can't find us.

703. Jack, Jack, I wanna get out of this place.

704. You're gonna stay here as long as we have to keep

705. those two out there under cover.

706. Till the trial's over,

707. or the boss gets a better idea.

708. But they're getting on my nerves.

709. It can't last much longer.

710. I'm not worried about her.

711. We gotta keep him gagged.

712. He's about ready to crack.

713. What you're gonna do is keep him

714. from having too many reefers.

715. Any day now, that punk will get hot.

716. He'll probably spill and tell all he knows

717. if he gets the chance.

718. I don't think he'll get it.

719. I'll see you later.

720. Where are you going?

721. I'm gonna see the boss.

722. - Hello, Jack. - Hello, Boss.

723. What are we gonna do about that Wiley guy?

724. Still jittery, huh?

725. I don't know what the punk's gonna do.

726. Keep feeding him with hot sticks.

727. That's what Mae's been doing.

728. That's no good.

729. I got a hunch that he's due to crack

730. when that Harper verdict comes in.

731. He's down the tee, he's about to take a powder on us

732. and blow his topper to the D.A.

733. You mean you think we'd all be better off

734. if he never heard the verdict?

735. Well, what are you waiting for?

736. You, ladies and gentlemen of the jury,

737. have a duty to perform,

738. a duty to yourselves and to our community.

739. Mary Lane is dead.

740. The evidence you've heard at this trial

741. could not have failed to convince you

742. of the guilt of the defendant.

743. By his own admission,

744. he pressed the trigger of the weapon

745. that sent lovely and innocent Mary Lane

746. to a tragic and untimely death.

747. We are not so much concerned

748. about the motives behind the deed

749. as to the deed itself.

750. While the defendant has told you

751. that he saw someone attacking Mary Lane,

752. and that his mind went blank from that moment on,

753. the defense has been unable to produce

754. one witness to substantiate that statement.

755. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury,

756. you've heard able men testify at this trial,

757. men who have tried to bring out the fact

758. that the defendant might have become momentarily insane

759. when he fired the shot that killed Mary Lane.

760. But the defense has been unable to prove that he was insane.

761. William Harper was sane when he visited the apartment

762. where the tragedy occurred.

763. He was on the habit of visiting the place.

764. He was sane when he went to a bedroom

765. with another young woman.

766. You all heard what went on in that room.

767. You heard it from the defendant's own lips.

768. Involved as he was in a tawdry love affair,

769. Mary Lane was in the way.

770. She had found him out.

771. In a moment of anger,

772. he deliberately and willfully killed her.

773. If such deeds are permitted to go unpunished,

774. this community would cease to be a decent and safe place

775. for us or our children to live.

776. I do not believe I have to plead, or even demand,

777. that you bring in a verdict to punish the defendant

778. for the crime that he has committed against society.

779. You are upright citizens.

780. That is why you were chosen to judge another.

781. And as honest, upright citizens,

782. there is only one verdict which you can find.

783. And that is a verdict of Guilty.

784. And this court will be adjourned

785. until the jury's verdict is reached.

786. I suppose you all feel the same about this case.

787. But he might have been insane while he did it.

788. No, he wasn't, he knew what he was doing.

789. But supposing he was insane?

790. You can never make me believe it or anybody else.

791. We'll take a first vote.

792. 11 for conviction, one for acquittal.

793. But there's a reasonable doubt

794. about the boy's sanity.

795. We can't— - No doubt about the fact

796. that he murdered her.

797. He admitted it himself.

798. That wasn't the first time he was there.

799. We gotta make an example

800. before boys like that contaminate all of our children.

801. We can't have every murderer hiding

802. behind the gag that he's insane.

803. Sure, they see red before they kill somebody.

804. But whose fault is it?

805. Have you reached a verdict?

806. We have.

807. The defendant will rise.

808. What is your verdict?

809. We find the defendant guilty as charged.

810. No!

811. No.

812. Stop that racket.

813. Stop it!

814. What's the matter with you?

815. You give me the creeps.

816. Mae.

817. Mae!

818. What do you want?

819. Bring me some reefers.

820. They're going to hang him.

821. Blanche, they're going to hang him.

822. Oh, come on, get a hold of yourself.

823. Here you are.

824. Well, cut that crazy laughing.

825. Where's Jack?

826. I wanna get out of here.

827. They'll pick you up and hang you

828. if you don't pipe down.

829. I wanna see Jack.

830. Jack.

831. I wanna see Jack.

832. Jack.

833. You'd better quiet him.

834. I can't do anything with him.

835. I've got to see Jack.

836. We can't let that kid hang.

837. He'll be here, don't worry.

838. He'll be here in a little while.

839. I've got to see him.

840. I've got to.

841. Come on, darling.

842. Everything will be over soon.

843. You want me to play something for you?

844. Yeah, yeah, that's it.

845. Play something.

846. All right.

847. Come on.

848. Sit down.

849. Honey, give me a smoke, will you?

850. Faster.

851. Faster!

852. Play faster!

853. Faster.

854. Play faster.

855. Faster.

856. I know what you want.

857. You wanna kill me.

858. You're crazy.

859. Take it easy, kid.

860. I just wanna talk to you.

861. Hurry, hurry!

862. There's a terrible fight going on.

863. Yes, yes, apartment 32.

864. Stop it, stop it!

865. Let go of me!

866. Take your hands off of me.

867. Stop it.

868. Take your little dick.

869. Stop it!

870. No.

871. Who hired you and Jack Perry?

872. Are you ready to tell what you know?

873. Yes.

874. I'm fucked.

875. If we can gain some measure of leniency for my client,

876. she's prepared to enter a plea of Guilty,

877. and in addition, turn state evidence

878. in the case of William Harper.

879. I regret that this court is not prepared

880. to bargain with justice.

881. I'll tell anyway.

882. I was there, I saw it.

883. I know who killed Mary.

884. And I'll tell you who killed Mary Lane.

885. It wasn't Bill.

886. It was Jack.

887. Jack Perry.

888. He shot Mary Lane and he put the gun in Bill's hand.

889. We were all at the apartment one afternoon.

890. And Mary came in looking for her brother.

891. Bill and I, we'd been in another room.

892. And Bill came in, he caught Ralph with Mary.

893. Then they started to fight.

894. But it was Jack who had the gun.

895. He was going to hit Bill over the head with it

896. to make him stop.

897. And then, then the gun went off.

898. I saw it.

899. I can see it now.

900. It was horrible!

901. Before we knew it, Mary,

902. Mary was dead.

903. But you see, Judge,

904. Bill didn't know he hadn't killed Mary.

905. He was so doped up, they made him think he had.

906. Ralph wanted to tell you, too.

907. Oh, if they'd only let him.

908. But this is the truth, Judge.

909. I'm telling you the truth.

910. After Jack saw that Mary was dead,

911. he put the gun in Bill's hand.

912. It was Jack's fault.

913. And it was my fault, too.

914. I got all of them to come up to the apartment.

915. I'm just as much to blame.

916. I am.

917. I am.

918. Do I understand you wish to plead guilty

919. to a charge of fostering moral delinquency

920. in the case of William Harper?

921. Yes, yes, I'm guilty, I am.

922. Prepare a statement for signature,

923. and also an order setting aside the jury's verdict

924. in the case of the People versus William Harper.

925. In the interest of justice,

926. I shall direct a verdict of Not Guilty.

927. Sign here, please.

928. You shall be brought into court on Thursday, the 17th,

929. when sentence will be pronounced.

930. Meanwhile, you will be held as a material witness

931. in the case of the People versus Ralph Wiley.

932. We have come in the hearings before this court today

933. to what I hope will be the final actions

934. revolving about an unhappy and unfortunate case,

935. one whose horrible tragedy will forever remain with me.

936. I am happy to have been enabled,

937. before it was too late,

938. to order the verdict of the jury

939. in the case of the People versus William Harper

940. to be set aside.

941. But, young man, although this court is convinced

942. that to declare you guilty would have been

943. a gross miscarriage of justice,

944. we cannot condone your acts.

945. And we can express only the hope that your experiences

946. may not alone keep you, but thousands of others,

947. from the vicious pitfalls of marihuana.

948. Thus, I am ordering you to remain in this court

949. during the next case,

950. so that you will be obliged to witness

951. what you yourself so narrowly escaped.

952. Call the case of the People versus Ralph Wiley.

953. Bill.

954. Bill.

955. Your honor, in this case the State

956. waives trial of the defendant, Ralph Wiley.

957. It is recommended, your honor, that the defendant

958. be placed in an institution for the criminally insane

959. for the rest of his natural life.

960. The defendant's counsel joins the State in this request.

961. Since counsel for the defense

962. as well as counsel for the State

963. seem to agree on this,

964. I see no reason why the request should not be granted.

965. That happened right here, to your neighbors.

966. It is not too much to say that in your hands

967. lies the possibility of averting other tragedies like it.

968. We must work untiringly so that our children

969. are obliged to learn the truth,

970. because it is only through knowledge

971. that we can safely protect them.

972. Failing this, the next tragedy

973. may be that of your daughter,

974. or your son,

975. or yours,

976. or yours,

977. or yours.