Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-02-01

Ting silent, also colOred. For although
c0Wardice was not charged Il was i'm.
piled.
There was silence for moment as
the president concluded. Then he
arose
Officer" he said. as he tore the
charges into slips, my colleague and
have had few minutes of discus.
sion before we called you in after wit.
Messing your work In view of your
recent performance. we not only dis.
miss these charges. but will see il
there is any ground for malice be-
hind them-well?"
Patrolman Farrell had risen to his
feet and in husky voice that could
scarcely be heard had raised his hand
in interruption.
Those charges amt malicious. gen.
temen-they're true" he whispered.
For several moments nothing could
be heard in the board room save the
heavy breathing Of the patrolman
Once he raised an anguished face and
moaned:
"Gentlemen-if you'll give me a mo-
ment-if you'll give me a chance to do
what's right"
Again there was silence. Not a
member OF the board stirred as the
big policeman pressed his hands
against his face in a strong effort to
control his emotions. Then, with a
gulping sound, Farrell Strengthened
himself and commenced to speak in a
hard. expressionless voice.
Its the truth, gentlemen I'm
coward. I've tried not to show it, but
I've done It I've always been that
way. When I was boy, had a step.
father-he used to come home drunk
and beat me-beat me til the doctor
said my nervous system was shattered.
AT school. was bigger than most boys
Of my age-an' stronger. Yet smaller
boys could lick me. Somethin seemed
to turn to water In me, when went
to fight back would lose my
strength. In all my fights, gentlemen
| was licked. I grew up that way
and you don't know what it means te
boy. year after year. | lost conf
dence in myself-couldn't do anything
as well as the rest. An It's told or
me, it's told on me.
II learned how to use a revolver
the drill sergeant can show you my
record. When my mother and | moved
here, | thought I'd leave all the old
life behind me. 1t didn't take any
bravery in me TO kill that steer you
read about Just now. can shoot. sc
he never had chance. could have
dropped that drunken niger out there
before he ever raised gun. That
wasn't bravery. Yet let those fellow:
Up in my precinct bluff me, because
| couldn't use revolver in a little
scrap like that-an' if I'd fought them
Id have been licked strong as am.
It's the old yellow streak. comm back.
Them charges are right gentlemen
I'm a coward
The officer buried his face in his
hands again. For an instant no one
spoke. Then the president arose
softly. and put his hand on the police.
mans shoulder.
mo man whose nervous system has
been shattered can say he has yellow
streak. after the way you've acted,
Farrell he said, slowly. You've sim
ply been at disadvantage all your
life and don't realize now that you are
on an even footing with any adver.
sary, You have the law behind you as
we'll You are not a coward. either.
1t took moral courage 10 tell us what
you've just done. and we need moral
courage in this department just as we
need the physical kind Of bravery. You
haven't found yourself. that's all.
Now. listen The charges are dis.
missed. | will see you are made
desk man until you appreciate what
say-that confidence in yourself is
what you want and that you will be
supported when you do your duty DO
you want 10 try this new rum"
Policeman Farrell lifted his head
and his eyes were wet.
I'D like TO. sir" he said simply:
, land | hope, God willin', that if come
before ye again. it won't be as Farrell
the coward"
1t was at the next quarterly meeting
of the board that the president, with
grim chuckle, read the account of a
capture of two armed Italians, badly
wanted as witnesses in black hand"
case. by policeman who had knocked
them down with his night stick and
had dragged them to a patrol boz
through shrieking mob Of the prison.
ers' friends. who had been deferred by
the officers demeanor from trying to
: rescue his captives.
"The officers name is Farrell" re-
f. marked the president slowly. II rather
} think, gentlemen. that the young man
has found himself"