The Newsies
Chapter 1
"--But, until further notice, Jack Kelly is guilty of murder and shall be sentenced to death!" The Judge's heavy wooden hammer slammed hard against the wooden plate below, making a crash that rang through every man's ear. The crowd, some cheering, some booing, began chattering immediately.
"SILENCE!" Shouted the Warden. "I say that this statement is approved by Jury and Judge along with the many others here and shall be carried through." The Warden snatched his papers and walked away, mouthing the words 'Thank you' to both the Judge and Jury. The shouts of the crowd rang again through the enclosed walls.
"NO!" Crutchie tried to stand but slammed back down in his chair, due to his broken leg.
"Crutchie, there ain't nuttin we can do now, but wait." Davey said, smacking his hand on Crutchie's shoulder. Crutchie grew furious.
"Wait!? You want me to just sit down and WAIT for my best friend to get killed!? If it were you you wouldn't want us to just 'WAIT'!!" Crutchie's face grew long as he spoke. The more and more he spoke the more tears built up in his eyes. The Warden put his hand on Jack's back and said for him to follow him out.
"Yes, sir...." Jack replied, not making eye contact with a soul. He just stared straight down at the hand cuffs tightly cuffed around his arms and legs. Stumbling every once and a while, Jack followed the Warden out.........
LODGING HOUSE
Jack hopped out of bed smiling. Today was going to be an easy selling day, for there was a parade in town sent by Pulitzer. Pulitzer's son, Ralph, was having his twenty-first birthday and he wanted to have it perfected. Also, it was a bright June, and many people were out.
"Hey, Jack..." Crutchie forced himself to drowsily lift his head. His hair was in all directions and his eyes were squinted, for the morning sun shone inside the windows brighter than ever. "Couldja pass me my crutch?" He asked dropping his head down into his pillow, making his voice muffled, and reaching his hand out for the crutch. Jack chuckled a bit.
"Sure thing, kid." He smiled and tossed the crutch into his friend's hands. "Galley!" Jack exclaimed, and threw open the blinds. "It barely looks like New York anymore! Its too beautiful out." Jack smiled once more and leaned towards the window. Out of nowhere, Davey hopped up and slammed his fist on the window, smiling brightly with Les hooked in his arm. He beckoned for Jack, who was still startled by his sudden appearance, and backed up.
"What was that?" Mush asked, throwing his brown hat on and grabbing his walking stick.
"Looked like, Dave." Race said, sticking his nose in the air and popping his suspenders.
"Nah, Nah, it wasn't Dave. It was Les." Specs said, fixing his glasses. All the newsies shook their heads.
"Les was with him, yah Stoop!" Cried Romeo, rubbing his dark black hair.
"Hey, hey, HEY!" Jack screamed. All newsies stopped and stared. "Who cares who it was! Lets go!" Jack punched his fist in front of him, beckoning the rest of the group.
All different voices cried different headlines to the streets of New York. Some saying one thing, another saying a completely different thing and others forgetting what the headline even read.
"PASTOR MARRIES A MAN--AND A WOMAN!" Cried Jack, with astonishing lying skill. You see, what it was all about was a woman got married to a man and the Pastor helped marry them, but no no no, that was NOT enough for Jack Kelly. Oh no! Jack always 'Improved' the truth a little. Newsies all around Jack nudged him, laughing and complimenting him.
"Hey, son. Give me one of those papers." Said a man dressed in black. He handed Jack a coin and yanked the paper from him. Without looking back, he secretively ran into an alleyway, hoping not to be seen.
"Hey, uh, fellas!" Jack shouted over the Parade's trumpets and beats. "Didja see dat?" No newsie seemed to listen to him. All were to busy selling thousands of papes. Crutchie, puzzled as well, limped up to Jack and tapped his shoulder.
"I saw it.... Should we see what he's up to?" His voice, trembling as always, seemed to have an odd questioning tone in it, as if he was seeking great information but couldn't reach it. Jack nodded, silently and took off for the alleyway, not making a peep and never being seen.
"SILENCE!" Shouted the Warden. "I say that this statement is approved by Jury and Judge along with the many others here and shall be carried through." The Warden snatched his papers and walked away, mouthing the words 'Thank you' to both the Judge and Jury. The shouts of the crowd rang again through the enclosed walls.
"NO!" Crutchie tried to stand but slammed back down in his chair, due to his broken leg.
"Crutchie, there ain't nuttin we can do now, but wait." Davey said, smacking his hand on Crutchie's shoulder. Crutchie grew furious.
"Wait!? You want me to just sit down and WAIT for my best friend to get killed!? If it were you you wouldn't want us to just 'WAIT'!!" Crutchie's face grew long as he spoke. The more and more he spoke the more tears built up in his eyes. The Warden put his hand on Jack's back and said for him to follow him out.
"Yes, sir...." Jack replied, not making eye contact with a soul. He just stared straight down at the hand cuffs tightly cuffed around his arms and legs. Stumbling every once and a while, Jack followed the Warden out.........
LODGING HOUSE
Jack hopped out of bed smiling. Today was going to be an easy selling day, for there was a parade in town sent by Pulitzer. Pulitzer's son, Ralph, was having his twenty-first birthday and he wanted to have it perfected. Also, it was a bright June, and many people were out.
"Hey, Jack..." Crutchie forced himself to drowsily lift his head. His hair was in all directions and his eyes were squinted, for the morning sun shone inside the windows brighter than ever. "Couldja pass me my crutch?" He asked dropping his head down into his pillow, making his voice muffled, and reaching his hand out for the crutch. Jack chuckled a bit.
"Sure thing, kid." He smiled and tossed the crutch into his friend's hands. "Galley!" Jack exclaimed, and threw open the blinds. "It barely looks like New York anymore! Its too beautiful out." Jack smiled once more and leaned towards the window. Out of nowhere, Davey hopped up and slammed his fist on the window, smiling brightly with Les hooked in his arm. He beckoned for Jack, who was still startled by his sudden appearance, and backed up.
"What was that?" Mush asked, throwing his brown hat on and grabbing his walking stick.
"Looked like, Dave." Race said, sticking his nose in the air and popping his suspenders.
"Nah, Nah, it wasn't Dave. It was Les." Specs said, fixing his glasses. All the newsies shook their heads.
"Les was with him, yah Stoop!" Cried Romeo, rubbing his dark black hair.
"Hey, hey, HEY!" Jack screamed. All newsies stopped and stared. "Who cares who it was! Lets go!" Jack punched his fist in front of him, beckoning the rest of the group.
All different voices cried different headlines to the streets of New York. Some saying one thing, another saying a completely different thing and others forgetting what the headline even read.
"PASTOR MARRIES A MAN--AND A WOMAN!" Cried Jack, with astonishing lying skill. You see, what it was all about was a woman got married to a man and the Pastor helped marry them, but no no no, that was NOT enough for Jack Kelly. Oh no! Jack always 'Improved' the truth a little. Newsies all around Jack nudged him, laughing and complimenting him.
"Hey, son. Give me one of those papers." Said a man dressed in black. He handed Jack a coin and yanked the paper from him. Without looking back, he secretively ran into an alleyway, hoping not to be seen.
"Hey, uh, fellas!" Jack shouted over the Parade's trumpets and beats. "Didja see dat?" No newsie seemed to listen to him. All were to busy selling thousands of papes. Crutchie, puzzled as well, limped up to Jack and tapped his shoulder.
"I saw it.... Should we see what he's up to?" His voice, trembling as always, seemed to have an odd questioning tone in it, as if he was seeking great information but couldn't reach it. Jack nodded, silently and took off for the alleyway, not making a peep and never being seen.