"Come along, Byrne," a bailiff interrupted his thoughts, "the
jury's reached a verdict."
The judge was emerging from his chambers as Billy was led
into the courtroom. Presently the jury filed in and took their
seats. The foreman handed the clerk a bit of paper. Even
before it was read Billy knew that he had been found guilty.
He did not care any longer, so he told himself. He hoped that
the judge would send him to the gallows. There was nothing
more in life for him now anyway. He wanted to die. But
instead he was sentenced to life imprisonment in the penitentiary
at Joliet.
This was infinitely worse than death. Billy Byrne was
appalled at the thought of remaining for life within the grim
stone walls of a prison. Once more there swept over him all
the old, unreasoning hatred of the law and all that pertained
to it. He would like to close his steel fingers about the fat
neck of the red-faced judge. The smug jurymen roused within
him the lust to kill. Justice! Billy Byrne laughed aloud.
A bailiff rapped for order. One of the jurymen leaned close
to a neighbor and whispered. "A hardened criminal," he said.
"Society will be safer when he is behind the bars."
The next day they took Billy aboard a train bound for
Joliet.
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