The System Page #7

Very well. The Committee will

accept Mr. Merrick's apology.

But we'll tolerate no

further display of rowdyism.

Thank you, Senator Ketteridge.

The witness is excused.

Thank you, Ms. Stuart.

Before we call Mr. Merrick,

the Committee will take one hour recess.

We ask that all interested

persons, please be punctual.

Pardon me.

Maybe I can get the stipulation.

You wait here and I'll try to see Wiley.

Dad!

Hello, Dad.

What are you doing here?

I thought maybe there was

something.. something..

Beat it!

- Sorry, Mr. Merrick.

I can slug you for this.

But Dad, I thought..

- You thought, you thought!

Look, Rex, this is no party.

Go back to school where you belong.

Anything that's part of you, Dad,

it's part of me too.

What happened, Dad?

Why did Mr. Allen do this to you?

Maybe if I talk to him?

- No!

Well, maybe I can help! - How?

Why? What could a kid like you do?

Don't be such a big shot, wise guy!

I only wanted to be with you..

- Now, you listen to me!

You go back to school where you belong.

I don't want to find you

hanging around here anymore.

You'll be nothing but trouble.

Understand?

Pardon me.

When I got out of law school, I felt mighty

important about being admitted to the bar.

But this man Wiley, he talks as though

he were ordained by the Bar Association.

You alright, Johnny?

Sure.

- Something I can do for you?

Yeah, buy me a cup of coffee.

What do you want?

- What happened? I came to see if..

Those slugs already coming look

like 38s, but those exit wounds

you'd need the wallop of a heavy 45.

Drop those slugs to ballistics

right away, Adar. - On my way.

Johnny Merrick's kid!

Johnny send you here?

What do you want?

I came to see Mr. Allen.

Come on.

Jerry's in bed.

Filled with bullets.

He's dead.

I told him..

mixing with Merrick..

gangsters..

How will I tell the children?

Buster, what are you doing here?

Hello, Charlie.

What's a matter with you kid, you sick?

How come you ain't in school?

Mr. Johnny ain't going to like

you coming home like this.

Buster, what's the matter with you?

Remember when we lived near the house,

huh? Over there by the river.

Let's go inside.

I get dizzy out here with

all that sun and high up and..

Here like the time I fought

Butch [?] in Pittsburgh.

Yeah in Pittsburgh! It was my

first outdoor go in the daytime.

You'd think it was..

Butch had knocked me out.

You know what beat me?

Sunstroke!

How's that bout come back to you?

Huh, Buster?

Can I get you something?

Anything?

Buster!

Buster!

Buster?

Buster!

Buster!

Buster!

The city was shocked this morning by

the mysterious shooting of Jerry Allen.

The body of the 53 year old

newspaperman was

found on the sidewalk close

to his modest home on Alden Road.

Mr. Allen was shot and killed

by an unidentified gunman, as he left

his home to attend the first sessions

of the Ketteridge Committee hearings.

The reporter had ten days ago

launched a by-line crusade

against Clarkton's organized

gambling syndicate.

Police have indicated that they believe

the killing resulted from Allen's crusade.

And that the gunman was

imported from another state.

Allen is survived by his wife,

Elizabeth and two children.

Leona 12 and Jerry Jr 18.

The latter a student at state university.

Your next newscast will be at 4:15.

Committee will come to order.

News has been brought to us

of a shocking crime committed on

the streets of Clarkton this morning.

It is not a situation that this

committee can concern itself with.

But one that must be handled by

the local police authorities.

We do however wish to read into the

record, a tribute to Jerry Allen.

From the members of this committee.

He was not an exceptional man.

But he did have community conscience.

He took the burden of

Clarkton's fight against organized

racketeering on his shoulders

and made it his fight.

For this, it appears

he paid with his life.

For this, he achieved greatness.

Will you proceed with

your witness, Mr. Wiley?

Mr. John Merrick!

Thank you.

Do you solemnly swear that the testimony

you're about to give to this committee,

is the truth, the whole truth and nothing

but the truth, so help you god. - I do.

For the record, will you

state your full name?

Barry X. Brady.

You're a member of the bar? - I am.

And I'm appearing as an attorney

for Mr. Merrick. - Senator Ketteridge!

Mr. Merrick received a subpoena for

certain records.. - That is right.

The records of Merrick Enterprises,

they're not forthcoming.

- If you will permit me to explain, Sir.

Mr. Merrick did tell his office manager,

the man in charge of those records to

produce them. - Where are those records?

They were sent to

New York, Senator, for audit.

Merrick Enterprises employs a firm

of accountants in New York.

Very eccentric.

Aren't there any accountants in Clarkton?

None in which Mr. Merrick can

sincerely place his confidence though.

Look here, Counsellor,

do you expect us to swallow that, eh?

Swallow that?

You're obstructing

the work of this committee.

And important work, I might add.

And this business about

New York accountants..

Why a child could see..

a mere child, any child!

That this was nothing but a dodge.

And I do not hesitate

to use the word:
a dodge.

I concur with Senator Svalgard's

aptly expressed sentiments.

Now Mr. Merrick will be perfectly

willing to produce.. - Willing!

It's not a matter of

whether he's willing or not,

those records have been subpoenaed.

And we want them.

The records were sent to New York

before the subpoena was served.

Then you have orders to get

those records back from New York.

That I will do, Sir.

Providing of course,

they have not been lost in the mail.

They had better not be.

You may proceed, Mr. Wiley.

- Please, sit down.

Will you state your full name.

John Merrick.

- Your address?

400 Courant Avenue.

I have an apartment there.

You also own the building?

- Yes.

What is your business, Mr. Merrick?

- Real estate.

Anything else?

- I have interests in various things.

Such as?

Clarkton Hotel, Clarkton Laundry,

wholesale liquor, a truck line.

You um..

also have an interest in the

Clarkton Fight Stadium? - A small piece.

Are you engaged in any

illegitimate enterprises? - No.

Are you not engaged

in organized gambling?

I don't know what you mean

by organized gambling.

Are you engaged in gambling in any kind?

- I never gamble.

You mean that for you, it's a sure thing.

Mr. Chairman, I object to Counsel

putting words in my client's mouth.

Counsel, will limit

himself to asking questions.

Please tell us the nature of the business

in which Merrick Enterprise is engaged.

It's a holding company,

it heads up all of my investments.

You have any investments in Chicago?

- No.

St. Louis? - No.

- Kansas City? - No.

Are you engaged in gambling?

- No.

Do you know Angelo Bruno?

Yes.

How does he earn his living?

- I don't know.

It's obvious that either Mr. Merrick

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