The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-02-05
HACKMAN = By Harry Kermit

,-epped out and counted the ma
chimes q the hack line. Six ahead
Ct him. With a break he might catch
somebody OF the 7:45. he walked 70
. news stand and bought the Daily
Anrcr. Then he returned to his
wheel. At tbs three more cabs left.
zoe finished the papcr, raced his mo-
tor, then got out and looked over the
-22ck line again. He glanced into
the car in front Of him, Anderson
was aSl2ep at the wheel, his long
.sss doubled Up to his chin. ICE be-
2an to shiver. lie returned to his car.
The clouds looked ominous. 1t was
lark and cold.
The 7:45 was empty. One cab
pulled out, Then another. Joe
-lonked loudly. That fool Anderson.
Anderson pulled cut with call. Joe
opened the rear door OF his car. A
middie-aged man had hailed him.
Where to?" Paramount Building. :"
Two bits, Joe thought. Two bits for
two hours. He stepped on the gas
ansrily. The cab shot forward.
When he returned to Grand Cen
tral the cops were at work. He sew
the bootblacks running. "The sons
Of bitches" New York's finest. Chas-
ing hackmen and bootblacks. He
su7ned into Park Ave. and cruised
downtown. He was driving along
fifth Ave. at Gas with 80 cents
booked when he realized it was time
for court.
TRAFFIC Court was crowded when
Joe entered 1t always was.
Joe had parked his taxi on a side
street. He scanned the courtroom
end shared seat in the rear. The
clerk was droning the arraignments.
A line o. traffic Y!olators filed in
srcnt Of the bench. The clerk called
each name and then asked rapidly.
Gully or not guilty" A man and
girl pleaded not guilty but their SEN
cences conformed to the order Of the
morning. Five dollars OF a day" The
magistrate looked bored. He was
red-faced and jowled.
Another line formed In front Of the
bench. The magistrate told he clerk
to make it snappy. That was the day
he got into the newspapers. That was
he day justice triumphed. EIGHT
hundred cases disposed Of in FIVE
hours. Two thousand dollars COL
-ected in fines. Joseph Bonasera,"
the clerk called.
Joe hurried up front. A line Of de-
PENDANTS formed at his side. The
clerk went into his song and dance.
"Bonasera, guilty or not guilty?" Joe
was desperate. Guilty with an ex-
planation,' he said. The magistrate
looked Up. The old man had ap-
peared suddenly from behind traf-
1ic stancllion, Joe explained. It
couldn't take my hands off the wheel.
If the car behind me had been its
proper distance there wouldn't have
been no crash" The magistrate
lrummed his fingers impatiently. 81
haven't any money" Joe ended
!amely.
Five dollars Or q day"
The clerk was calling d new batch
Of prisoners An attendant escorted
Joe to the cell room. The others had
paid their fines. I've got my CAB
outside" Joe tod the funky. He
dipped half-dollar into his hand,
The dunlIy looked ut the silver piece.
You'll have to make it doIlar,
buddy" That's all I got" Joe said.
lie showed the attendant IS cents.
An rt@ht." In half an hour Joe was
behind the wheel Of his cab.
IT WAS II O'Clock now. Joe looked
j at the As cents. He had made Is
cents in tips. OF the so cents he had
booked, SO cents belonged to Weiss.
He was Is cents to the bad. He
5hiftsd gears angrily and drove in the
direction of Fifth Ave. lie was hun
Try but lit a cigarette instead. There
were two cigarettes left in the pack.
He hacked feyer:shly until 3
o'clock. He played the big stores, all
the way up the line. Macy's, Lord
and Taylor, Arnold Constable. He
9ided up to every store entrance un-
til the traffic cop on duty made for
him. He was weak with hunger. His
back ached, The cigarettes were
zone. The bookings had increased to
$1.90. At Fifth and 56th blonde
girl in mink ccat hailed him. She
Graded a shivering Pekingese doy.
Park Ave. and 72d ST. she said.
Joe opened the rear door. His stom-
ach was tightening. He caught him.
self nodding. He was driving in
haze.
II knew I shouldn't have come
North this early" the girl was say
ing. "But it was SO warm at Pine
hurst, thought it must be mild back
home also" She fondled the peke,
Poor Jeanne"
IT'S cold today" Joe said.
les warm in the taxi" the girl
said.