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as well as mentally exhausted and emotionally revolted. I never thought so much of Will Bankhead as I did them, praying for him. “Oh, God, forgive this old chaplain for what he's doing to Will Bankhead.”
Then after he got through with this long speech he made a prayer. I'll never forget Steve Early's face as he saw that the old man was going to pray. Early's mouth opened wide, because, as Early said to me afterward, “There's no knowing what a man will do with prayer.” He prayed for a good half hour. Then the little parson rose and said a benediction without any more words.
Then we came out of the church. We got into our cars. The actual movement out was a great relief. You wondered how the people of Jasper, Alabama had been enduring it sitting out there on pine board grandstands outside of the church, out there in the sun. It was probably no worse actually than being inside. We went back to the station, solemn as owls, looking just like we'd been to a funeral, all the way to the funeral. We came out on the platform. We said goodbye to the Mayor and to the officers of the city, all as solemn as owls. Then one by one we went up those narrow steps into the Pullman car which was to take us back to Washington. You said goodbye and them walked up the steps,
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