Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-11-20
Arnold Fails
In 'Dogma+ic'
PetriIIo Tilt
Enc o u Mt or With Word
Comes in Nick Of Time
By WESTBROOK PEGLfO

BY WESTBROOk PEGLLO1
YOU probably know that Thur
i man Arnold recently went
into the United States District
Court in Chicago to demand that
Jimmy Petrillo. the president Of
the musicians union, lift his em-
barge on canned music as dis
coursed by the juke boxes OF the
nation and on the transcribed
radio music, and was knocked
for a loop by Federal Judee
Barnes, who said that under the
laws and the Supreme Courts
decisions Jimmy was within his
rights.
Mr.. Petrillo, who comes from
the alleys OF Chicago. probably
was astonished to hear this, for
his action was very high-handed.
He runs his union by ear and
his mind runs back TO boyhood
experiences in which he gensr-
ally found himself behind the
eight-ball.
MIR. PETRILLO'S first experiI
AvA ence left him with a fear
which lasted for several year,
that he was fugitive from JUS
tice subject to arrest on sight|
and a long term. II
When he was 9 years old. his|
father, who was an Italian immi4|
grant and an earnest sewefI
digger. applied to his alderman|
on the north side OF Chicago for
a job for his boy, Jimmy.
The elder Petrillo was a mem4
Der of the alder1nan's organiza1|
ton as. indeed, even a pooH|
sewer digger had to be to obtain|
a job OF humble. toll with the
City Of Chicago.
The alderman got Jimmy s|
Job as Grandchildren on Local
running out OF Canal street -
before the Union Station
built. and James reported early|
in the morning for his first run
They gave him a uniform caI|
that came down over his ears
and face like a bucket and had
TO be wadded with paper to im+|
prove the At. and he was verx1
proud of the big brass badge|
across the front, which made|
him an official, like the con-
ductor. n
His store OF goods was In the
baggage car, locked in a littk|
trunk. and he was given 81
wicker basket from which eel
peddle his peanuts. crackerjackl
chocolate bars and igs.
JAMES sat in the baggage car
- all the way TO the end Of the
run and all the way back I'll
Chicago and his heart filled WITH
encouragement as the hours|
went on and nobody carte I'd
buy.
Neither the conductor nor tht|
brakeman thought 10 tell him
that he was supposed to All hid
basket and hustle the train and]
as he sat there. temptation GOT
him down and he sailed into his
store OF peanuts, crackerjackI
chocolate almonds and figs.
Arriving back in Chicago al
night, he lugged his little trunu
and the basket TO the commisl
sary OF the company which
owned the concession, and thd
boss unlocked the trunk. ran nd
a quick inventory and said I'd
Jimmy:
"All right. give me x1.85."
What for ?" Jimmy cried. s'N
aln't got $i.s5. ain't got
nothin'."
At that II dawned on him tina
he was in debt S1.S5 for his OVID
high living and, with fear 4sN
ing. he darted past the Chez
out the door and away through
the alleys in the dark.
NEXT. James got a job In tho
~ shipping department OF 4
wholesale clothing company. IN
which he was supposed 10 writt|
the names OF various cities, SUCH
as Rochester and Los Angeles on
the bills.
He couldn't spell Rochester Oh
Los Angeles but he could spell
Chicago and another terrible
moment befell when there was r
discrepancy Of thousands Of dol
lars worth Of merchandise and
he was suspected Of a plot I'd
steal the same with outstate'
confederates.
Sensing that something was
wrong. James whispered to an
other young man TO throw hid
coat and cap out the window OF
the tenth story loft, and nd
slipped down and into the alleyl
His coat and cap came down
but the coat III on some teie1|
phone wires and stayed there
and the cap blew off onto q
nearby roof and James became q
hunted man again.
DECENTLY, in a conference
IL with some radio employersl
one Of them said to President
petrilln.