Men of Boys Town Page #8

when they first come in here.

I saw it, I tell you. I can still see it.

We'll go to the Superintendent.

He'll convince you, you're wrong.

You're just seeing shadows.

You killed him.

Yes, that's too bad about Fenely.

But he always did have a weak heart.

You know he didn't. He was beaten up.

The doctor reported heart failure,

didn't he?

That's right. Signed the death certificate.

- You must have been imagining things.

- No, I wasn't.

Or seeing shadows.

Fenely was dead for hours, poor boy.

You know what happened to him.

I saw him beat up, all right! I saw him.

Now, look, Whitey.

You seem to be an intelligent boy.

I could use you doing clerical work

in my office.

No, you don't. That boy was beaten up.

You're smart enough to take

a doctor's report about how he died.

You've got the doctors bulldozed, too.

Things can be easy for an inmate here,

or very tough...

just as he makes them himself.

I saw him keel over, and you can't talk me

out of it, you can't buy me off.

Take him back to solitary.

Think it over, all by yourself.

And when you realize that

you've been seeing things, send me word.

Come on.

Flip. I want to talk to you some more.

You're just covering up,

trying to keep it quiet to save your job.

Trying to scare Flip into lying.

Well, you can't scare me!

- Do you hear that? You can't scare me.

- Take him away.

Now, Flip.

I'd like to see Whitey Marsh.

- Got a pass?

- No, I haven't.

You can't go in then.

The rules call for a pass.

- Well, where can I get a pass?

- The Superintendent, I guess.

Well, then,

I'd like to see the Superintendent.

He ain't seeing anybody just now.

- When does he see people?

- Well, now, that's hard to say.

- You'd better let me see him.

- I can't.

- Why not?

- He's away on vacation.

I want to see Whitey Marsh.

I said I want to see Whitey Marsh.

- Who did you say?

- Whitey Marsh.

I don't care what he's in,

I want to see Whitey Marsh.

I'm telling you, he's in solitary.

Nobody can see him.

And I'm telling you, and I'm telling you

for the last time, I want to see him.

If you was the President... He's in solitary.

Nobody can see him.

And if you had that collar turned around,

I'd convince you pretty quick.

I told you I want to see Whitey Marsh.

Okay.

- I came as soon as I heard, Whitey.

- I knew you would, Father.

How did all this happen?

Well, there was a kid.

He thought he was tough.

His name was Flip Bryer,

and I tried to help him.

There's no crime in that.

Yeah, but I didn't want to drag

Mr. and Mrs. Maitland into it.

- They've been so good to me, in a way.

- Sure. I know.

Well, this kid had my gun,

he got it out of my den.

He had it at the pawn shop,

he'd already held up the gas station...

and I had the money on me.

Well, you certainly fixed yourself up right

while you were about it, didn't you?

Yeah, I didn't do any credit to you

or Boys Town...

getting it in the papers and everything.

I don't blame you if you're sore at me,

Father.

Why should I be sore at you?

On the contrary, I'm proud of you.

If you had turned your back on that boy...

if you had played safe

and ignored the plea for help...

I'd have been ashamed of you,

but you didn't.

You may not have been wise, Whitey...

but you certainly lived up

to the best teachings of Boys Town.

Then you're not ashamed of me?

I'm prouder of you

than any boy I've ever known.

Gee, you're a great guy.

I think this is about enough

of the mutual admiration, don't you?

Yeah.

- Yeah, let's see what we can do for Flip.

- Yeah.

Mrs. Fenely's inside.

She wants to see you.

- How is she?

- Taking it hard.

No wonder.

I thought that maybe...

Well, a man of your cloth...

Perhaps you could talk to her, Father.

Get Whitey and Flip ready.

I'm taking them over to see the Judge.

All right. Come on.

I heard you were here, Father.

I just had to see you.

This horrible place,

it must be wiped out, Father.

You must stay here and help wipe it out.

Then I'll know that my boy went

for some reason.

You'll do it, Father?

You won't leave Marysport

till you've done it, promise?

Well, I'm needed at Boys Town at present.

- A promise I...

- No, no.

If you go, something else,

there'll be something else.

You must help the boys here, Father.

You must.

I have learned that boys

have an inflexible sense of honor.

And that they never betray a trust.

Give them confidence

and they will return you loyalty.

And that is why this system

of punishment for boys is wrong.

It's based upon the wrong principle.

It's based upon suspicion

rather than belief.

There is no redemption for youth

in the lash.

There is no healing of the wounded spirit...

in lonely confinement in a cell

on bread and water.

Such institutions

cannot bring about reform.

They feed their victims on the poison

of revenge, on the red lore of criminality.

They turn out youths who are resolved

to take vengeance on society.

Such misnamed reform schools...

which are really prisons for boys...

should be wiped out of existence!

Father, this now paroles Flip

into your custody.

Thank you, Your Honor.

You can go back to Boys Town

proud of the work you've started here.

- I promise you we'll carry it on.

- Well, I am proud of the work.

It's a crusade that must be stirred

in every section of the country.

- We'll keep it going here, Father.

- I'm sure you will.

Whitey, are you still determined

to go back to Boys Town?

Yes, sir, I am.

But think, Whitey...

do you want to give up golf and tennis

and your car, and everything?

I want to be with Father Flanagan,

Mother... Ma'am.

Well, thanks again. Goodbye. Thank you.

Dave, my boy, there's a great decency

inherent in the human race.

Well, I'm glad to hear you think so.

Personally, I've got my doubts.

Dave,

the people of Marysport are aroused.

There'll be a Boys Town there

one of these days...

and that's a start, Dave, a great start.

So that's where you were all this time,

starting another Boys Town.

- Trying to. What about you?

- Me? I've been trying to keep one open.

Now, Dave, no mountains, just molehills.

I'm going to run over

and have a little talk with Ted.

You're not going to find him very talkative,

Eddie.

Why, you wired me

that the operation was successful.

- The surgery was.

- Then what went wrong?

- You, Eddie, you.

- Me?

You promised the boy you'd be here.

Well, I know, but I had to stay

at Marysport, Dave.

It meant so much to so many boys.

It meant a lot to this boy, too.

Come on,

I'll walk down to the infirmary with you.

- Father.

- Sister.

Well, Ted, I'm back.

I had to help another boy, Ted.

As a matter of fact, a lot of boys.

Ted, look at me.

Don't you know that I wanted to be here

with you, Ted?

Please try.

Please have faith, Ted.

I promise you

that everything will be all right.

Please try.

That's the works, Eddie.

The court has shut down.

Yes.

I tried to get the bank

to put me on the cuff...

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