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there onct, but they sang ‘Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow,’ and we’d heard that before, and besides, there didn’t seem to be no blessings flowing our way.”

It was the officials’ turn to smile, and the ministers, they also ceased to cross-examine. The boys were left to talk, watched by Mickey and frankly guided by the Judge. It went on for an hour or two, then a preacher rose.

“My God,” he said, “this has gone far enough! It is too, too horrible!” And, as he left, Governor Peabody got up.

“Gentlemen,” he said, “I never in my life heard or knew of so much rot, corruption, and vileness as I have learned this day from these babes — almost — and I want to say that nothing in my administration will be so important to me as signing Judge Lindsey s bills. I don t care to read those bills. If he says they are designed to correct these conditions, I am satisfied. And, turning to the representative of Frank Adams, he added, “if Judge Lindsey is crazy, I want my name written right under his as one of the crazy people. And as to those boys lying, anyone who says they have been lying to-day must be himself a liar.”

With that the meeting broke up. The Judge went back to the boys, and he thanked them