Storm Warning Page #5

Mr. Barr!

We're all in this together, all of us.

That's what you said.

Marsha, don't believe him.

Get it straight.

You say it was the Klan,

and I promise you he'll hang.

Give them something to go on

and they'll be howling for blood.

And if it comes to that, he's their meat.

Mr. Barr, you always said

that what happened...

Up to now we've covered up for him, Lucy.

But let it get out of hand

and we'll turn him over

to Rainey ourselves.

- Hank.

- You!

You always said that

what happened to one of us

- happened to us all.

- Get away from me!

Figure it out, miss.

Think it over.

Hank! Hank.

I didn't mean to do it. Honest.

I had a few drinks

and when they brung Adams out of jail

I got excited, I guess.

He's no good, Lucy. He murdered Adams.

You can't possibly stay with him now.

Where you going?

- You got to stick by me.

- Lucy, he's no good.

- Don't listen to her.

- I don't know.

Lucy.

- Im going to pack your things, okay?

- You gotta stick by me, Lucy.

- Okay?

- She ain't going!

Are you, Lucy?

You have to leave him.

Somebody's gotta take care of you.

Ill take care of her. I always have.

Listen, don't spoil everything now.

All the plans we made. The baby and all.

If you run out on me now, they'll hang me.

You don't know what you're doing,

after what he's done.

He isn't bad. Id know if he was.

How could you?

I don't care what he's done.

Im not gonna leave him.

Marsha.

What are you gonna say?

Well, he's taking a shower.

Oh.

Ring, ring, ring.

All that phone has done is ring,

- all the time you've been upstairs.

- Okay, Mom.

Look, Burt, there are

23 witnesses subpoenaed.

You're splitting the town wide open.

Bad feeling. We're not defending the Klan.

- We don't like it any better than you do.

- We're thinking of the town now.

Its bad for business, Burt.

Christmas is coming on.

Fellows that knocked Adams off

did it at the wrong time. Is that it?

A week after Christmas

it would've been all right.

You know who you're fighting.

A man can be removed, you know.

Remove me.

You know, I might say thanks.

Hello?

Hold.

Burt, Mr. Pike wants to talk to you.

Oh, tell him Ill call him later.

That phone's been ringing all day.

Threats and promises.

"Open the inquest and shut it.

The quicker, the better. Or else..."

"Don't blacken the name of our fair city,

Mr. Rainey. Or else..."

Ive heard everything you could say.

Now if you can't think of anything new,

I have to get down to the courthouse

and get started.

You're making a national spectacle

out of us.

Stick your neck out and believe me,

your whole career goes down the drain.

If you go on with this, you won't get

one vote for dogcatcher next year.

- Listen, I don't give a good...

- Burt.

Look, I know you, all of you.

At some time or other

there isn't one of you

that hasn't tried to help me.

You're good men. Decent men.

None better anywhere.

You've all done me favors

and now you're asking me

to do something for you.

You have a right to.

Well, Im turning you down.

It isn't easy to go against

the advice of men like you.

Makes a man wonder whether

he's doing the right thing.

- But Ive got to do it.

- But why, Burt?

- lf you respect our opinion, why?

- Let me ask you something.

Whose idea was it for you

to come here and see me?

Who got up this committee?

It was Faulkner, wasn't it?

And Charlie Barr.

I thought so. You think you're doing right.

Well, I think you're doing exactly

what the Klan wants you to.

But, Burt, believe me,

none of us are members of the Klan.

Charlie Barr wouldn't have picked you

if you were.

When it looked as if

I wasn't getting anyplace,

where were you then?

There were no committees, no uproar.

The minute I get the Klan on the run,

it's inconvenient.

"We can't stand the publicity."

"Bad for business." "The Christmas rush."

A hundred reasons for dropping

the whole thing like a hot rock.

Well, not for me.

Don't come to me

carrying Charlie Barr's bundles.

I won't be home.

You know, the last time I didn't.

But the next time he runs for anything,

Im going to vote for him.

Well, son, what did they offer you?

The governor's job or a seat next to me?

- Aren't you gonna see the fireworks?

- I don't like to see a good man get hurt.

- You think Ill lose, huh?

- Good luck, son.

Thanks, Pop.

We've been here in Rock Point

since 7:
00 this morning

to report to you the results of the inquest

and the reaction of the town.

Get off that cable.

Many times today on the streets,

in the restaurant in the hotel,

people have come up to us and asked us

not to judge their whole town

by the brutal, criminal action

of hoodlums last night.

Clear that cable. Get off the line.

Bob? Bob.

These decent individuals,

sincerely upset

by the ugly flare-up of violence

which has brought sudden

national prominence to their small town,

tell us the great majority

of people here, 75,

85% of them want no part

of the Ku Klux Klan or mob rule.

That's right, young man.

Official studies and authorized

social surveys support that view.

But looking out at the faces

of the men and women here this afternoon

at the courthouse,

it isn't always easy to tell

on which side they stand.

No doubt a good part of this crowd

is made up of curiosity seekers

out for a holiday.

Undoubtedly, many of these people here

are seriously concerned

about the good name of their town,

about its future.

As you look at them,

you can see the deep shame that they feel.

Many of these people also feel,

however, these respected folk,

a serious resentment.

A resentment against the press.

Against outsiders.

Against the national coverage

that this inquest is receiving.

Why don't you go back

where you came from and let us alone?

And you can also see

plain, ordinary, unadulterated hate.

Lots of it.

in a town whose streets

and show windows already are decorated

with bells, with reindeer, holly

and season's greetings,

there are very angry people here,

sullen and hostile.

You're a great speechmaker, mister.

Why don't you go home?

And even your radio reporter speaking

to you now won't be surprised

if somebody comes up from behind

and bops him on the head.

So if this microphone

suddenly goes dead on you,

- you'll know why.

- Smart aleck.

- You, sir, may I ask you a question?

- Nothing to say.

- You think they're gonna catch the killers?

- Ain't likely.

- No? Why not, sir?

- A man would be a fool to testify.

If I knew something,

it'd be awful hard to get it out of me,

Ill tell you that.

Not for $500,

or not for all the money in the world.

Well, thank you, sir.

You see, I was working

in the back of the shop...

Could you speak in here?

Will you talk up, please?

Well, I was working

in the back of the shop

when the driver came in.

He was pasty-faced.

He was white and scared.

The boss took one look and he said,

"Did they get him?"

And the driver said, "Did they get who?"

And the boss said, "You know who."

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