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THE CHINA MAIL SATURDAY,., SEPTEMBER : 17,, 1960.
A CONFESSION YOU'LL HIT AND
I
NEVER FORGET...
What kind of man is behind those shocking headlines? A hit-run driver tells how a moment of panic turned
his life into a nightmare
TWILIGHT is a
bad
time to drive. You can't see properly. Turning on your headlights only makes it worse. It's Ordinary difficult to judge distances.
objects by the side of the road take on strange shapes and colours. That's the way it was on the spring evening three years ago when I was driving home from work.
I'd had a hard day. I was part owner of a small lumber mill and yard. Early in the morning we delivered a big order to a housing contractor -1,600 custom-cut door frames. They were the wrong size. The mistake was ours. It was go- ing to cost us plenty of money. I was wondering how I was going to tell my wife about it.
Now we had push buttons and à $30,000 house
Maybe We
wore in a little over our heads
me
7
RAN!
The terrible thing I'd done hit hind the wheel." One woman They wouldn't have punished
ot once. I'd hit grabbed the lapel of my jacket me unfairly, a child and left him for dead. I and SCT Camed, "You should When I got out of prison
feeling that my hung for this!"
Edith mude room for me in the had a queer body belonged to some heartless coward and that it had some- how betrayed me. Up to now i had always known right from wrong.
cry.
At home my wife threw her little apartment where she was arms around me. She said, "I'll living. There isn't much left of tell them I did it. They'll be war matringe, and nothing at all easier on a woman." I began to of my business career. I've Lhought of moving to some 1 looked across the table at The boy pulled through. But other city but I guess the story my own bright, sturdy Danny, they told me he would walk would get around, I still report
to & probation officer, He was topping of fried
They eggs with a ilmp for the rest of his with a bowl of cereal. He push- life. The charge i had to face took my driver's lence away. ed back his chair and rushed was reduced to assault by auto
No one will give me a respon- and leaving the scene. I pleaded sible job, guilty. I said I was unable to account for my behaviour.
--like with Edith's red sporta
But everything had looked from the room. pretty good up to now.
Suddenly, just as I turned into Little Bend-road, saw this kid-a skinny boy about eight years old car. wobbling along on a bicycle. I swerved to avoid tires. But it was too late. I hi him. I felt a slight thump. I heard a grinding clatter as my wheels passed over the bleycle.
I braked to a stop so hard my head sapped forward and hit the steering wheel, I started to get out. The little boy was ly ing about 20 feet away.
I thought, "God help me Tve killed hime"
My stomach started to have. This was dime to get sick. I put hand over my eyes until things stopped rocking.
Quiet
my
Broken
"Bye, Dad." he called. "Pin going to ride my bike to school today."
I suddenly realised that N far as Edith was concerned, she'd be better off if I was the one who got run down. You
ge! We can
insurance,
but there's no such thing us prison began to shake all over. Lasurance, it was 福 terrible Walth I culled. "Til drive thing to kill a child but wh t good could it do him
you!" now for
"No thanks," he yelled back. my family to suffer? looked " want to elde," I heard the at my eat. There dents, no stains.
garage doors lift and saw him wheel out his bicycle. Then he put his head in the door,
were nu
Before I went in the house I reached in the pocket of Edith's car and got out a flask we had stuck in there when we went to a football game last Autumn, I don't usually drink during the week but I needed something to steady me.
"By the way. Dad," he said, "did you know your right head- light is broken?"
The state I live In Is lough on hit-and-run. drivers. I wits sentenced to a year in prison. Most of that time I was a be- wildered man. I used to wake up wondering where was and what I was doing.
Her best
The parents of the boy sued me. The court
awarded the
Can't help
I think about my son, Danny. He was going to be an arch!- tect or engineer. I don't know what he will moise of his life now, and I can't help hirn.
I think about the little boy I in over, too, I ought to go and see him, but I can't Ince that right now. A couple of weeks ago I happened to see the desk sergeant who was on duty the far more than the ability in day they arrested me. He surance I curried, Edith sold my recognised me. He shook my Interest in the lumber mill. hand and asked how I was get- Together with the house, which g along. I asked him 3 was pretty heavily mortgaged, question that had been of my and some securities had, she mind for a long time. scraped the money together. Edith moved into a small apart ment with Danny. She went to work as a hostess in restaurant,
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"What do you sippose they'd you! have done to me if I hadn't nun?" I asked, "Let's say I'd and given the boy first nid stand called the police-what then?" model Edith did her best to
by me while
"What nothing," he said, "It I was in priso11, was an accident. It was as She came regularly to visit me much the kid's fault as yours." but she spent the whole time crying. Finally I told her not
only to come any mere. Danny cumme orce. He sold he had Bunked most of he subjects a
He pedolled away, I went out to the garage. The glass was missing from the right front headlight. It had shattered so I did the trick. I walked cleanly I hadn't even noticed it. briskly into the house,
kissed I knew now that they would It was utterly quiet on the my wife, then went
upstairs find me. Those sinte cops can suburban roud,
with my 15-year-old son, Danny,, take one I don't remem-
Ittle sliver of glass to check his homework. I went and tell you the make, ber what
through my went mind. I only know I stormed
to bed early and soon fell asleep and for all I knew, even the my door, started the motor and I refused to think about the milenge of the car it came from. went tearing down the road.. i recident,
I didn't dare drive it. I couldn't was doing at least 80. I WOY
love it fixed. skidding in sand at the curves. But it was almost drk now. If I could keep my foot off the brake, there wouldn't even be a tail light for anyone to foi low. I turned right at the Rrst Interscelina, ki at the second, I knew I had to keep off · the main fords. I had some crazy idea that if I could just get home; everything would be all right.
Good Guy
In the morning I didn't feel any different. I couldn't think of myself as a criminal, I know was basically a good guy,
The next few hours were the worst of my fc. I borrowed Edith's car. I told her mine had some motor trouble. I went to the mill and tried to work. My mind pushed me this way and that. I had a bloody vision of Danny
3
school and he had joined the Navy. His mother had given her okay. She never consulted me.! But Why should she?' Whe Edith always has the kitchen
had being run over by son
consulting radio on at breakfast. I had truck. It would serve me right sychologist who came in twice just sat down at the table when but surely God wouldn't do that a month, but he only looked at the announcer va the o'clock to Darmy,
the prisoners who wero newscast sold: "Police are
pected of being mental cars, 1 did have a couple of long iniks with the prison chaplain.
this "I've got to understand thing I nid" 1 told him! earnestly. "What happened to me?"
As I turned into our drive- searching for n hit-and-run My family was dearer to me Way my car broke the photo driver who struck a ten-year than my Iffe and there was no
spare electric" Łeum and the double old boy on Little Bend-road way I could
them, I thought of suicide. I could take garage doors flipped upen. What last night. The boy was nearly a kick Balth and I got out of run over a second time as he Elth's speedy little ear and the gadget! When we were waved his arm and called for. slams it against a tree. But I'd first married, I had only a part help. He suffered $1 broken put on the brakes at the lust time job. I quit college to leg and severe head Injuries and minute and only mess myself up, mary Edith and her father told la in serious condition at Com- me I'd never get anywhere. munity Hospital."
24
A British Crossword Puzzle
18
ACROSS
1 Chatterbox. (8)
IZ
114
16
4 Work legally or illegaly. (5)
7 Please pass! (0)
8 Elbow broken down. (5)"
10 They should be observed. (4)
12 Title for n viceroy of Egypt.
(7).
15 Solo, (6)
16 Individual scores. (4)
17 Somewhat ignorant girl.
19 Grievances may be. (5)
20 Rested on one's laurels7
4)
21 Spot marked by X? (4)
-23. And nasty? (B)
$21
22
24
DOWN
1 They plagued the RAF. (8)
2 Staunch Aupporter, (8)
3 "And on top of that." (4).
5 Works too hard? (8)
Some teenagers Aro In it. (0)
9 A girl's film hero, (6)
11 Is it sold by the illee? (4,
4)
(4)
12 Habit, (6)
13 Very poor clue! (8)
(3,
14 Business favours are. (8)
18 Rutland's copliol (8)
24 Really comical outburst? (6)
25 Light colour! (6)
26 D.naged by impact. (0)
YESTERDAY'S
22 Long.road in London! (4)
CROSSWORD--Across: 3 Bank-rate,
✡
Pace, 18 Order, 18
RAB-bit, 9 Tomatoes, 11 Groat, man, 12 Sires, 19 Inch, 22 Terminal, 24 New Issue, 29 Draper, 128 He- serves. Down: 1 Drugs, 2- Abboy, 9 Bitters, 4 A-Tom, 8 Kean, [ 0 ́A«vowal, '? Easter, 10 Mater, 14). Dises, 15 Hoamers, 10 D-
inner, 17 Acowls, 20 in-a-PT, 21. Alarm, 22 Teur, 23 Bürde,
#1
I had already proved what rotten coward I was. That was Etrange, too. I was an infantry man, I've got a Bronze Star.
Give up
The chaplah told me that if I felt truly repentint I didn't have to worry about my soul, 1 sald honestly that what really worried me most was what was going to do with the rest į of my pile. Would I ever be able to face crisis again? He
At noon I went to a phone said he didn't know, booth and put in a call to the hospital, "T
I had a lot of queer dreoms.
want to ask about Once I dreamed the warden
the Hille boy who was in the accident last night," I said.
was Mr Polk, a teacher · 1
"Is this a member of the had when I was in the seventh family?" parried the floor grade.
NUTSE,
"I'm a clergyman," I lied
"Pray for him," she said eagerly. "He may not make it -he needs your help."
Furious
I wasn't a bad id in those days, but I enjoyed a good
Police Headquarters was six prank. Once two of my friends blocks from my office. I walked and I brought some Brecrackers up to the officer at the desk and 10 school on April Fool's day. sald, I'm the hit-and-run driver, you're looking for."
We shot them off in class, Mr
Polk was out of the room
but the
The
Wa
I
broke a window
They let me call my lawyer, he walked back in just as They kept me in jail overnight firecrackers exploded. untli I could raise ball. Because charge was bigger than tho whole cummunity was thought. enraged at me, the judge set it pane. pretty high-$20,000.
He was furious. He said if the culprits didn't stand up Im- When my lawyer got me aut mediately be would make the of jail a bunch of hystericat entire class stay after women were waiting outside. A for a month. My
school morning television programme stood up and said they did it. two friends had called me "a monster
I tried to stand up, too, but i just couldn't. They never told
TARGET
RIPM
IPINE
IPT
E
be-
four letter He can you in a ke from th Joctors in the unre na tile 1.1
the, words, cach of
may, he used once, agils." Küch word must contain "Die Dorne felter, and there niitrine THE least one Gen • lekter würs In the Hat. No DILLERA 1 Bu mielan warda
BANITA 40 words TODAY'S TARI good words, very good f WINDA
Solution
De Monde leni
Yesterday's solalion; Peli felts Jeter age noor, torei, fiyer, rusl foolery, too fare furel forin Carme fast forte forty fret Etoni tafa loki jofter lofty: oife retout refl rani żęmion) TÜMFOOLERY,
pe London Express Service
on 130.
Another time I borrowed my father's watch without telling him, I dropped it and broko 11, I picked up all the pieces, avshed home sneaked the watch back in his bureau drwer and mattered the shreds of broken glass in among his bandker- chiefs. He found it that night; For weeks he went around saying. "How could it break, right in my drawer?"
Vict my teacher and my father were reasonable men,
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