The Falls City tribune., 1910-03-25
Judge Lindsey and Billy.

knees crying ami begging the judge
not to send him. when sentenced to
Golden.
Billy said the judge, you are
crying because you are scared. What
are you scared of? Me? Why
should you be afraid of me? Hav-
MT l given you a square deal? And
hayn't | given you every chance |
could, helped you every way to be
a good boy at homer"
Yes Billy sobbed, but
You can't be a good boy at
home. You want to move on all the
time, and by and by you'll just be a
'vag.' Now you don't want to grow
up to be a bum; do you? No, you
wan a chance to learn a trade and
be a man
The judge explained at length
that Golden was not Il reformatory
or Il prison. 1t was only a school,
a good industrial school, where a
poor kid that hadn't a chance at
home could learn a trade. Why"
said the judge, I've been there. !
like to go there. And | tell you
everybody up there just loves a kid
that tries to do his best, they help
him. Nobody hates a kid at Golden.
No. stree"
BY and by the tears ceased to
flow. The judge described the school
and its shops, its military organiza-
tions, its base ball mines, and then,
as the judge says, when fear van
ished, and interest began, | appeal
ed TO the boys nobility, to his hon
or, pride. his loyalty to me- Judge
Lindsey seized for this purpose the.
very preparations the police had
made for their Joke on the Judge"
He introduced Billy to the report
ers.
What do you think the oops have
told these reporters, Billy" he said.
"They have told them that that fool
judge was going to trust little Billy
b, to 90 to the industrial school all
by himself, and that they were GO
ing to have the laugh ON the judge
because they knew Billy better than
the judge did. They say they know
you'll w so and they are say
ing what a fine joke it will be to
have the reporter write a story to-
morrow telling how the judge trust
ed Billy, and Billy threw the Judge
away. But | believe in you, and I'm
going to trust you. I'm going to
give you your commitment papers;
We'll see whether you stay with
me, or stay with the police. | want
these reporters to tell just what hap
pens, so it will be up to you, Billy,
You go to Golden or skip"
As the judge proceeded, Billy's
head began to go up in the air. by
and by he pushed the cold tear out
of his eyes, and when the judge
ceased to speak, those eyes We're
blazing.
"Judge,' he said, you know John
Handing. don't you?"
The judge hesitated.
you know, Judge; the kid tn fel-
lers call Fatty Felix
Eyes, yes" said the judge.
"Well,' said Billy, he's my chum,
Fatty Is. Now here's my shine-box.
You give that to Fatty, you gimme
them papers. I'll show EN-. You
trust me, and I'll stay wit ye, Judge,
and We'll fool 'em all right"
And off went Billy b, twelve years
old, out Of the court room. down
through the streets-the streets he
loyed-to the car; then over three
railroads to the town of Golden where
asking his way. he climbed the long,
lonely hill road to the industrial
school-just to show "a doubling
world that .it' works.
Was the world convinced? No.
The grown-ups maryeled and even
the boys sneered. The Judge Fix
ed the boys. He heard that they
called Billy a "chump" up at Gold
en-. so he went up there, and he told
the story in a speech which made
Billy's face shine like his old shine
box. That speech, repeated again
and again, at Golden and in Denver,
and all over the state, has made il
an honor to go alone to Golden; a
test of pluck, loyalty, and self-con.
troll. And, on the other hand, to
ditch your papers and run is a
disgrace in Boyville now.-Lincolr
Steffens, in McClure's Magazine.