In Old Chicago Page #5

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You may proceed, | Mr. O'Leary.

Your Honor, it is no secret | that multiple voting...

for years has been | a common practice...

in that section of Chicago | known as the "Patch. "

So common, it has come to be regarded | as one of the minor evils...

in that district.

Men who occupy the highest | offices in this city...

openly and brazenly | bid against each other...

for that very vote.

Any mention of it is dismissed | with an indulgent smile...

as something that | should not be talked about.

There are men in this very courtroom, | Your Honor...

who control every election | in this city...

with such illegal votes.

Men who sit in their | fine saloons...

surrounded by every luxury | that money can buy...

or that they can steal...

while public officials bow and smile | before them and fight for their favor.

Until today, nobody has ever obtained | sufficient evidence to convict them.

Now, however, we have | an eyewitness...

who was actually present | when the defendant, Edward Mitchell...

was caught attempting to register | under four different names...

The last time, as the beloved | Bishop Cornwall himself.

You know, he's really good.

- Some day he'll be a great lawyer. | - I think he's all right now.

Mr. Clerk, call Carrie Donohue | to the stand.

Carrie Donohue | take the stand.

- She can't do this to me. | - Shh! Quiet!

Stand up. Raise your | right hand.

Do you swear to tell the truth, | the whole truth and nothing but the truth...

- so help you God? What's your name? | - I do.

- Carrie Donohue. | - Sit down.

- Miss Donohue, you know this defendant? | - Do I know him?

- Hmph! That big squirt. | - None of that now.

- I'll haul off... | - Quiet!

- Order in the court. | - Refrain from personal remarks.

Tell the court what you know | about this man's registration.

- Well, my gentleman friend's... | - Face the judge.

hired to watch the registration | and I'm keeping him company...

when this big squirt | walks in.

- Well, he don't see me | and I don't say anything...

but when he keeps comin' back, | I get suspicious...

and I'm just about to tell my friend | that something funny's going on...

when, sure enough, | back he comes again...

and, this time, | he says he's a bishop.

Well, that's too much even for me.

Order in the court.

- That's what you get for marrying 'em. | - You married to this woman?

- What? | - Can you imagine it?

- Ever divorce her? | - No! - Your Honor!

May it please the court, | we ask that this woman's testimony...

be stricken | from the records...

and this case dismissed | on the grounds that the law says...

a wife cannot testify | against her husband!

- That woman is my client's lawful-wedded | spouse.! - Madam, is this true?

- Well, I married him once, | if that's what you mean...

- but I can tell you... | - That will do.

- Well, I mean that he... | - That will do.

Well. Hmph.

Mr. O'Leary, | you distinctly told me...

that you had had time to familiarize | yourself with all the facts in the case...

and, yet, you take up this court's time | allowing your only witness...

to testify, although | she's clearly unqualified.

Your Honor, I assure you, this is | as much a surprise to me as it is to you.

I ask the court's pardon.

Case dismissed.

- Tough break, kid. | - Yeah.

- Congratulations. | - Aw, you can never tell about these women.

They'll put it over on you every time, | if they can...

but you were great yourself, | I was proud of you.

Wait'll I go after the big fish, | the higher-ups...

- then you'll really hear something. | - That's the way to talk.

- How about meeting Belle? | - It's about time.

Belle, this is brotherJack. | Jack, Miss Fawcett.

- How do you do? | - I've been looking forward to this for a long time.

- You have? | - Yes.

Dion isn't the only admirer | of beauty in the family.

Thank you.

- That was a very nice thing to say. | - I couldn't help...

but look at you | all through the trial.

Maybe that's why you lost your case.

- Uh, can we drop you someplace? | - Oh, no. No thanks.

I've, uh... I've got some things | to do here in the building.

You know, it seemed kind of funny, | you and Dion on one side...

and me on the other, | fighting each other.

When we were kids, | we were always fighting.

I bet if any other Irishers tried | to horn in...

it was the O'Learys | against the world.

- Oh, you said it. | - You two must've had fun when you were little.

- We still do. - Even though | we don't always see eye-to-eye.

Well, I've got | to leave you here...

but I'll tell ya what you do, | Miss Fawcett...

- or shall I call you "Belle"? | - Please do.

Let Dion bring you up the house | some time for dinner, meet Ma.

Well, I'd be | delighted.

I wanna show you | some pictures of Dion...

in his First Communion | suit at the age of nine.

And some of you without any suit | at all at the age of six months.

I wish you'd keep | an eye on this fellow for us.

He's getting up in the world so fast, | it might go to his head.

I'd kind of hate | to have to knock it off.

I'll try.

Good-bye. | See you soon.

Good-bye, Jack.

- You know, I like him. | - They don't make 'em any better.

That was nice of him, | wanting me to meet your mother.

Well, yes. I've been thinking | about that myself.

Oh, don't. I understand how | she feels about me.

Oh, Ma's all right... | A little old-fashioned, perhaps.

Oh, please.

I had no idea he was so... | so human.

Oh, sure. | Takes after me.

You know, there's something | almost normal about him.

He just looks so real, you know | he believes everything he says.

Honestly, it just makes me sick | to think of a man like Gil Warren...

trying to run Chicago when there | are men here like your brother.

Can you imagine the mayor | he'd make if he had the chance?

Well, if he hadn't gotten mixed up | with that reform crowd...

Wait a minute.

- I've got an idea. | - What?

I just thought what do with that check | Gil Warren gave me.

Back to The Senate.

In brief, we've come here | to ask you to run for mayor.

- What? | - We have canvassed the field, and you're the man we want.

Well, this is all | very flattering, gentlemen.

May I... May I ask | whom you represent?

The respectable | people of Chicago...

citizens who want a new deal | in our city administration.

We're organizing | a reform party.

- I'm not sure I'm the man. | - We're willing to take that chance.

- It's a great opportunity. | - Decent people are waiting for an honest program.

You'll carry every district, except, | perhaps, Gil Warren's Patch.

I'm not so sure | he won't get that too.

Your brother's influential there. | Surely he'll support you.

I'm afraid you can't | count on my brother.

You see, we O'Learys | are a strange tribe.

- Then we'll win without the Patch. | - Chicago needs you.

- Yes, Mr. O'Leary. | - Will you do it, sir?

Thank you, gentlemen. | I'll run.

What did he say when you suggested | that I would support him?

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