Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1932-01-21

Don't think he's got a record" he
said. 'Dldnt joint the parade"
The fngerprint expert laughed.
Put vic in bull-pen and he'll
pace every time" he said. Then he
called to a man under the long, blue
lights.
Joe Barry, coming up
Again a record-always that record
always book, thirsting for informa-
ton. Joe faced the blue lights. A
camera clicked. They turned him to
a side position and again the shutter
worked. They moved him over to an.
other portion of the room, under more
blue lights and stood him souched.
against measuring post. Once more
a camera took its record. Then he
went back to his cell again, another
impartial, disinterested move had been
taken In the disposition OF something
that once had been human being.
There was little time for rest. Soon
Pete Maxwell was waiting In the
grilled cage again.
Lineup time" said the fat man
as he unlocked the cell.
Again Oh the move, Pete silent be
side him. Again the stairway and
offices and at last the elevator Again
a cage, where men waited and sweated
and rubbed their lips. Then a guard
called the name of Joe Barry and he
moved forth to big. pleasant room.
Detectives milled about In a roped
enclosure before movable rostrum
and movable stage with a back wall
from which extended a battery of
dazzling lights. Joe was shunted up
the three little brassbound steps lead
Ing to the stage. Merciless lights
cleaned down upon him . at short
range, other and greater lights bazed
from above. out there the milling fig
ures blurred he saw faces and forms
dlstantly as through yellow smoke. A
man stood on the rostrum before him,
with sheaf OF typewriter papers.
Eight Sqnad, 274," be read, "Joe
Barry, "a, Sixteenth street and Third
avenue, United States. restaurant en-
tertainer. Arrested by Detectives
Chuven and Maxwell, Lane and Gros-
sett. No criminal record. Complain
ant, People of the State Of New York.
Charged with violation OF the Sulli-
van law and"
Joe Barry reeled, his dull eyes turn
Ing glazedly to the merciless blaze OF
the lights above For the impersonal
voice OF the inspector had continued.
Wanted at Orr's Mills for double
homicide"
After that, his clicking teeth and
the fact that he could obey commands
were the only evidences that he gave
Of mental direction. He was told to
walk. and he did. to and fro, continu-
ing after the inspector had given the
command to halt. He was made to
talk. answering questions about his
work and his whereabouts. And all
the time. a sharp word. carrying with
1t the acrid odor of powder smoke,
danced and tumbled over the burrows
of his fevered brain: homicide-homi-
cide-homicide--
Out of the room and down the ele-
vator he went. Homicide. Into the
cage and back to his cell.
They came for him again, and led
him out once more, past more Offices,
past more places where typewriters
clicked and coatless men In black
sleeve protectors came and went: Joe
saw It all and saw nothing. Then they
were all In room again, about d
table, and Pete Maxwell was question
Ing him anew. But Joe could only
stare and say:
4 can't tell you. | don't know"
Gradually, through the medium OF
examination, he learned the details OF
the accusation. During the wind and
rain OF that storm. truck laden with
Canadian contraband had slithered
along greasy road, while cutting
across country to intercept 1t had been
two members of the state police, one
bearing In pocket a roll OF currency |
marked that night for use In q later |
case. There had been shots: one had |
punctured a rear tire, the truck had |
overturned and the driver had died. |
Then the insistent spurts Of yellow
red had come from the vicious muzzle |
u Thompson machine gun in the
hands Of the second rider. one trooper
had dropped before the vicious apit
II the Tomcat; then the other had |
and gone face downward In
he mud. But when aid arrived. the
pockets Of the state police had been
urned inside out, every mark of identi~
ication had been taken from the body
If the dead driver. his hands crushed
o defeat comparison of fingerprints
Ind his features mutilated beyond
,hances of recognition. The chop
,er,' or machine gunner had disap-
,eared. Joe was accused of being
hat man. But he could only gasp
md say.
Il don't know anything about it!
lon't know / don't know y
They came at him from three sides.
he sheriff, Chuven and Maxwell.
they asked swift questions, they
sked slow ones thew pressed him