The System

Put your hands up!

Halt!

Gee, just a kid!

What do you know?

A water pistol.

Not much of a yarn for you, Jerry.

Nothing that'll stop your presses.

- Is he DOA? - Yeah.

Caught one in the stomach

and one in the chest. - Armed?

With a toy pistol.

Fool kid!

- Local?

Don't know. I've got his prints

upstairs, no make on him yet.

You see him before?

Yes.

But never like this.

Sorry to call you at this hour, Chief.

Nonsense. It's only after two.

Come in.

I don't suppose that

City Desk could handle it?

It isn't just another story, Chief.

Then I suppose it

couldn't wait until morning?

Well, maybe it could but..

I couldn't.

Before I retired last night,

I congratulated myself.

Roger, I said..

You smoked eleven cigars yesterday,

today it was only ten.

You're winning your fight.

Eleven.

Mr. Stuart, I've been

working for the paper..

I've been working for you..

a good long while now..

- Take a drink.

Thanks, I don't need it. It..

- Take it!

While attempting to burglarize the

Travelers Jewelry Company on

East Main Street at 12:27 this morning,

a man was shot and killed by

officers B. Lamb and F. Miller.

Police reports stated that

the unidentified burglar was armed

with a toy pistol.

I just identified that body.

It wasn't a man.

It was a boy! 18 years young!

You knew him?

- Since he was that high.

Name? - Don't mean nothing to you.

Gerber. Ricky Gerber.

His father runs that small

bakery over on Ostermeyer.

Just got out of Winauski High, last year.

Wanted to go to State U

with my kid this year.

Mr. Gerber said no. He needed

Ricky to help out around the bakery.

I just saw Gerber.

I had to tell him where to go

to pick up what's left of his son.

It wasn't easy.

- I can sympathize with the father.

It must have been a terrible blow.

We found out the kid

had been gambling: horses.

Hooked by some two-bit book.

Kid couldn't pay off.

Book let him double up.

Sucked in him over his head.

Kid was afraid his father might hear

about it. Panicked, hit the jewelry store.

18 years old!

The same age as my kid! The same

age as a 1,000 kids in this town!

Alright, Alan, make your point.

Gerber made it for me.

The way he looked at me.

He asked he, "Why, Jerry?"

"Why'd you let this happen to my boy?"

He meant me.

He meant you.

He meant the paper.

I'm no crusader, Mr. Stuart.

You know that.

I've always figured

crusades were for young men,

who give no thought

to personal consequences.

Now I know they're for old men too.

Old men who want to do one

decent thing before they check out.

What do you want to do? - I want go

after the Clarkton gambling syndicate!

Yeah.. - Smash it wide open.

Force the authorities to take action.

Root this corruption out at the source,

before it creeps into our

homes and threatens our kids.

How much do you know?

Really know?

I can wreck the whole operation.

- How?

By going after Johnny Merrick.

Alright.

Go ahead.

Write the first piece.

Slant it toward Merrick.

- Slant it?

Maybe you don't understand, Mr. Stuart,

I want to name Johnny Merrick.

Break up Merrick

Enterprises dollar by dollar.

I know.

But not just yet.

Not to begin with. - But if we go,

we have to go all the way.

I can't do that unless I'm free to

name names and places and things.

I agree.

But for now..

I just want Merrick worried, anxious.

But Johnny Merrick isn't the kind

of the man you just threaten.

Either kiss him or kill him!

I assure you, I have no

intention of kissing him.

Believe me, Alan,

I have a very good reason for

not mentioning his name just yet.

Yes.

I'm sure you have, Mr. Stuart.

- Agree?

Agree.

I'll tell you Strohm in the morning

to let you off all other assignments.

You'll be directly responsible to me.

I'll read your copy as you turn it out.

Good morning, Mr. Merrick.

- Morning. Any calls?

Judge Thayer, Mr. Angelo, Mr. Sweet..

Nothing important. - Any mail?

Routine.

- Anything from my son?

Your personal mail is on your desk. Mr.

Brady and Mr. Liggett are in your office.

Uh, traffic ticket.

You handle it.

- For you, Mr. Merrick?

I'll fix it. - No, don't fix it, just

pay it. I uh.. went through a red light.

Morning, Boss.

- Good morning, Johnny.

You know when my lawyer smiles,

I begin to look for trouble.

During my long and plaid career,

I've found that a cheerful aspect

confuses and makes uncertain my opponent.

Just read that, it'll do much good for

your adrenaline glands. - A minute.

It's important, Boss.

From Rex, this letter.

Why, this kid of mine is smart!

Tells me that he's got his program

with the university arranged so he'll go

through law school in 3 years instead

of 4. He's going to go summer school.

Rex Merrick, Attorney at Law!

Better watch your step, Brady,

there's tough competition ahead!

We may need him, along with

a couple of Supreme Court justices.

Brady ain't kidding.

It's a gun.

Old women! I'm surrounded by old women!

Yes, we're all getting along in years..

"Local gambling syndicate responsible

for Ricky Gerber's death".

By Jerry Allen.

"Two nights ago,

while attempting to burglarize

the Travelers Jewelry Company, "

"18 year old Ricky Gerber was shot

to death by Clarkton police officers."

"But it was not the police

bullets that took his life."

"The local gambling

syndicate had killed him."

"I had known Ricky Gerber

almost all of his brief life."

"He had gone through grade school and

through high school with my own son."

"There was very little difference

between Ricky and my boy."

"Or yours."

"Starting today, this newspaper

will publish a series of articles"

"showing how the

syndicate has gained control."

It's continued on page two.

You see, Johnny, it's that sort of

literature that inflames untutored minds

and arouses ignoble passions.

Who was this kid?

- Two dollar better.

He was getting down on Angelo's book.

You speak to Angelo?

He pressured the kid?

Well, the kid was into it for almost

a yard.. - Did he pressure the kid!

Well, he says, he only asked for a pay up.

See Angelo. Pack him up, he's through.

Angelo's been laying off

with us more than 12 years.

We can't just..

I'll pack him up.

Never mind. I'll do it myself.

Now, perhaps if I spoke to Stuart?

- No.

He's after something.

I think I know what it is.

Will you see this

Gerber's family, help them?

Maybe you can do something for them.

- No, Johnny, no.

What they want, we can't give them.

Mr. Merrick.

At the quarter, Mattie W a length

and a half. Bobo by two lengths.

Jolly Roger by half a length.

Romina by a neck.

Come on, Mattie W!

At the half, Mattie W by a length.

Bobo, Jolly Roger, Romina.

Hi, Johnny!

Haven't seen you in a long time.

Cigar?

What's the matter?

- Get out.

What is this?

I'm packing you up.

- Huh?

I warned you before

not to take play from kids!

Send you accounts. See Liggett.

Well, you think me..

you think maybe I..

Who says?

Fascinating, ain't I?

- Beautiful.

Women!

They can't keep their eyes off me.

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