The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-03-11

ana now many men have I sent
to death?"
II don't know!" Johnny's tone
was unnecessarily firm.
you don't want to know" Judge
Drannon said. "And neither do I.
It's one of the things we don't care
to think about" He sighed and
got up. I'll have my coat, Johnny.
he said.
Johnny helped him into his coat
- and handed him his hat.
Good night, Johnny"
Good night, judge. Why DOM
you get into a bridge game OF
something? Get something on your
mind?"
The judge didn't answer. He
went out into the corridor, down
|. the elevator and out side door
into a yard where he found his cal
and chauffeur waiting for him.
office, judge?" the chauffeur
asked.
mo, Jimmie" the Judge an.
sWered. Home"
There was no other word spoken
during the f1ve-mile journey to his
home. There he got out End walked
thoughtfully into his house. Flor
ence, his wife, looked up from a
book in the living room"
Hello, darling" She greeted
and saw Immediately the tenseness
about his mouth. She knew what
it meant. 1t was another Sentence
Day recurring after three weeks
And there was a death sentence
on the list. We're going to the
Fords for dinner tonight" She
said brightly. "You remembered
didn't you?"
NO." he said. "And you must
make our excuses. I'm-Im indis-
posed"
who is hep Florence asked out
OF long, straight-eyed pause.
John Kumcha. A laborer. Con-
victed of killing his wife. He was
drunk"
Well" Florence said, st suppose
we'll have to call off the party. I'm
SO sorry, DAN"
JUDGE DRANNON ratified hi;
~ paper. He forced himself te
read the black lines of type. The
type told him of the mysteriou,
death of beautiful actress. II
told him of plane crash in which
Is died. Thirteen Friday. the
18th. He saw that Gov. Hoffman
mad interested himself in the case Of
Bruno Hauptmann. There wasn'
anything about John Kuncha. That
was an unimportant case. Hi.
mouth was grim.
Ill have dinner in my room
he said.
of course" Florence said.
He knew that he was casting 8
blanket of gloom upon this house
He wished he could think of Other
things. But he couldn't. Hi.
mind was fastened on the dumb
eyes of the brute man he was t.
send to death tomorrow.
The night wore on. Alone in hi.
rom he sat pretending to read, but
really seeing John Kumcha. HI
couldn't. He would resign hi,
Judgeship. He was comfortabl,
liked. He could send Florence anc
Dan and Anne through school anc
college even if he didn't resume his
private practice. If he wrote his
resignation now, it would be in the
Governors hands tomorrow.
But 1t would be too late tomor.
row. He would still be a Judge ir
the Court of Common Pleas ano
With one of the duties of his office
10 be done Immediately. He hac
TO send % persons to prisons anc
penitentiaries for periods that ag.
gregated $50 years. He had to sen.
tence man to death. He had to.
He got up and paced the room. He
paused as he heard the town clock
strike. He went to the closet ano
look down a bottle of whisky anc
stared at it. He shook his head anc
put 1t back. He lay down upon the
bed. He heard 4 o'clock strike
AND .. And then he fell asleep.
NTHEN he donned his robe in his
w chambers and walked out into
MS courtroom the next morning his
mouth was grim and his ewes were
nard. With Probation Officer MUIR
ply beside him, he READ off the
sentences which the two had de-
termined upon after a searching
scrutiny of the record of the GRIM
inals. He hesitated as he came
upon the name of John Kumcha
He sighed.
John Kumcha," he said.
A heavy man, black-haired. dark
eyed and Sullen, stood up. Gone was
the attitude of repentance he had
shown when the verdict had been
announced. In it's place was a
glowering distrust and defiance of
laws that could exact a penalty.
John Kumcha," he repeated and
his tone was colorless. "a Jury
having found you guilty of the
murder of your wife, I hereby SEN
tence you 10 die in the electric
chair some time in the week begin
ning January 81. And may God
have mercy on your SOUL"
1t was done. His fingers trem-
bled as the man turned despairingly
away, He went back into his
chambers and found Johnny In the
act of filling glass from the big
bottle. Johnny handed him the
glass.
And straight" Judge Drannon
said. Thanks, Johnny. need this
one. I don't know what would do
without you"