The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1934-09-20


loom. To the left Of the center
aisle a half hundred whites, the
women in summer dresses, the men
with shirt sleeves rolled high and
neckbands open, lolled hstlessly on
the straight backed benches. Beads
of sweat slowly gathered on their
temples, grew to drops and then
rolled down their cheeks. Some
mopped their faces with handker-
chiefs already wringing wet; 9TH
ers vainly stirred the close hot air
with palmetto fans. To the right
sweat poured likewise from the
cleaning faces of a smaller num-
Ger of blacks, segregated from the
whites by the wide aisle. The
drone of lazy, whispered CONVEX
sation rose from both groups and
merged above their heads in a
monotonous, lulling buzz that filled
the whole courtroom and made you
want to bury your head in your
arms ard sleep this weary day
away.
The wide doors at the rear swung
open, necks craned and then the
whole count rose as old Judge Had
ley slowly shambled down the aisle
to take his place behind the flat
topped desk that served as bench.
He looked neither to the right nor
to the left, but, with a look of
mild annoyance on his face picked
away industriously at piece Of
food caught between his teeth. He
had Just finished lunch.
The Judge was a spare wiry man
in his middle fifties. His gaunt
face was carved in heavy lines
running from his nose to the cor
ners of a sardonic mouth and along
the sides of a lean jaw He was
in shirt sleeves and without
collar. He sat down, having fl
nally extracted the bit of food
from between his teeth, whitfield
off a generous portion of plug to-
bacco. chewed with deliberation a
moment or two and then spat I'M
erringly into the mouth of the
brass cuspidoT to the left of his
desk. He looked pleased and then
Sc tied back in his chair. Court
was in session.
The first hour passed swiftly,
enlivened by the Judges biting
sallies at the expense of the un-
fortunates who came before him.
A wizened Negro charged with
running crap game. The arrest
ing policeman introduced a pair OF
dice as evidence. The Judge toyed
with them on his desk.
boy, you like to gamble. don't
you?"
"Yas sub. Judge, guess All does
sur"
"All right! Take those dice anC
roll your own sentence. Well JUS
see how good you are" A titte1
ran through the courtroom.
The Negro rolled the dice out OF
the desk. The Judge grinned il
satisfaction. GA pair of fives! AnC
, you call yourself gambler! Why
boy, you need to be protected from
; men that know how to handle
those bones. Pm going to do yol
a favor and put you away where
they can't get at you. Six months
on the county roadsl Next case.
: A hard looking white girl charged
: with improper dancing in a publi
dance hall.
; "Just what did you do, girl 2"
"Why Judge, Your Honor, All
was jes' shimmyin' little whel
that man arrested me. I've neve
been in no trouble befo'."
LETS see what this shimmyin
: is. Do it right here"
The girl smiled up at him. Sh
= shook her shoulders, her full
breasts wobbled drunkenly and he
hips writhed.
"Turn round and shimmy dow
5 that aisle" Obediently the gir
moved down the aisle. "Now kee,
on goin' through that do and DON
come back!" the Judge yelled a
/ her.
3 The young prosecutor turned i
!, mock alarm as the girl disappeare
S why, Judge, aren't you going t
fine that girl?"
Cline her hell!-But I'll sure
FIND her if she's in town tonight
G The courtroom roared and tn
. Judge settled back complacently.
Harry Parson and Gene Ferris.
. The clerks voice cut sharply thr
the laughter.
: The courtroom was packed nov
1 Even the space between the las
n row of seats and the wall was fiji
led with standing white men. Tn
crowd leaned forward, tense, ez
: pectant. They had been waiting
S for this. A mutter of excited com
y ment filled the room. The Judg
raped sharply for order.
e A short square-built white ma
rose quickly from the front ro'
where he had been seated betwee
t pair of cops and faced the Judg,
o His head was thrust forward ae
f gressively and his bright blue eye
surveyed the Judge and the prose
cutor with an air at once wary an
r somewhat amused. Beside hi
J. stood tall young Negro in blu
- work shirt and overalls.
The prosecutor leaned his elbo
on the Judges desk in confidel
n tial attitude. "This is might,