The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1943-06-05

. =. OF the public mind,
,s.v ~ this Court is clear
se1I said and paused
|,,,,,r CROPPED for the edge OF
mi. with his hand and chung
!. yumber scs-Sss, indictment
-rrder. the sentence OF the
j. /. that you, Bigger Thomas,
Il A, on or before midnight
nitsy March third in a man
prescribed by the laws OF this
r.
FrAs Court huds your age to
frenzy.
N, sherir may retire with
prisoner"
slrrsr understood every word;
\, seemed not to react to the
N, but to the judges face.
al not move; he stood look
70 INTO the indge's white face.
ares not blinking Then he
hand upon his sleeve; Max
milling him back into his
\ The room was in an uproar.
hdge raped with his gavel.
r was on his feet, trying 10
something there was too
a noise ard bigger could not
what n was The handouts
kn clicked mon him and he
\, led through the underground
,mre back 70 his cell. He lay
! he COZ and something deep
H. in him said, It's over now.
| Ms all over d.
|Lsier on the door opened and
b came in and sat softly be-
y, bin on the cot Bigger turn
J Ne face 70 the wall
|Ta see the Governor, Bigger.
!. roi over yet
|'co war bigger whispered.
|'iru've go io.."
|SiE. Go way.
lie fet Max's hand on his arm;
" he left He heard the steel
~ clang shut and he knew that
rs alone He did not stir: he
trlll, feeling that by being still
would siaye of feeling and
|rslng. and that was what he
|red above all right now. Slow
ks body relaxed In the dark
" and silence he turned over
Ms hack and crossed his hands
'tn bis Ghost His lips moved in
Tilnper Of despair.
h 'sli-deicnse he shut out the
ssi and day from his mind, for
be had thought OF the SUNS
Ing and setting OF the moon
ihe stars Of clouds or rain. he
'uldhsve died a thousand deaths
fore they took him TO the chair.
secusiom his mind TO death
much az possible. he made all
: world beyond his cell a vast
y land where neither night nor
: vas peoplcd by strange men
women whom he could not
csrs'and, but with those lives
lcnEed TO mlngle once before
vent.
he did not eat now: he simply
'''o food down his throat with
ns'lng Il. 10 keep the gnaw-
pain Of hunger away. TO keep
~ Telling dizzy. And he did not
VI az intervals he closed his
" for awhile, no matter what
norr' then opened them at
e later time 10 resume his
'0''ng He wanted to be free
"sryihine that stood between
! and his end. him and the
ana terrible realization that
vas over without meaning.
1oa' ANYTHING being settled.
"0ul conflicting impulses be-
resolved
~ mother and brother and
y had come to see him and
u'o Told them TO stay home,
% come again, TO forget him.
negro preacher who had Civ
l'm The cross had come and he
uFl'en him away. A white priest
.''ed 70 persuade him to pray
ne had thrown a cup OF cof-
mo his face. The priest had
% see other prisoners since
= oa' had not stopped to talk
MN That had evoked in
So sense OF his worth al
: AZ keen as that which Max
FUSED 10 him during the long
:. nat night lie felt that his
' ''s' TOT ref~ing TO accept the
'''suons Of religion was a
u recognition OF his person
=, Piane Other than that
!, ! the priest was ordinarily
'ns to make.
= mad told him that he was
: 70 see the Governor, but ne
~sa.o no more from him. He
. IVY nope that anything would
~ II; he referred TO II in
-, thoughts and feelings as
, y. happening outside Of
~ which could not in any
"''sf or Influence the course
= as old want TO see Max and
I'm MIN again. lie recalled
's.e'n Max had made in court
,,e~emoered with gratitude
~.no. impassIonsd tone. But