"How about San Francisco or Los Angeles, have you been there?" "No, I have not been farther west than Colorado."

We walked in silence for a short distance and suddenly he reached down to grope me. I resisted this manuever and remarked that I didn't go for this

on the street.

"Do

you

"No."

have any place to go?"

"Do you have a car?"

"No."

We walked a ways further when he started up a dark alley, motioning me to follow. "No," I said, "there are too many patrol cars roaming the streets." I then told him of my recent stroll around the Court House shortly before meeting him. I was walking slowly along the streets when I became conscious of a patrol car slowing down and the occupants looking me over very carefully. I was the only person on the block at the time and I felt conspicuous. I was dressed in Levis, T-shirt and boots, the clothes I regularly wear in my construction job. It occurred to me that the cops had taken me for a suspicious looking individual and were giving me a thorough looking over. I walked on without stopping and pretended not to be disturbed. It was only ten minutes later that I had met this fellow who had taken such an interest in me.

"Boy, I sure wish I had a place to sleep tonight. I am bushed." This was, of course, an opener for me to invite him to my room. I told him I had no place but he was welcomed to come with me if he wanted to chat for a while. When I told him I was staying at the "Y" he lost all interest and immediately changed the subject.

In the mean time we had walked back and forth along the same three blocks, all in the vicinity of the County Jail, without ever getting to this tavem we were supposedly going to. I was getting bored with the whole thing and said I was going to walk back to the bright lights.

Suddenly, this fellow changed his whole personality. He stood up straight as if to over tower me, took on a very stern, officious expression and said, "Yes, I think we are both going for a walk but this time it will be to the jail!" He quickly pulled out a thick wallet and flashed an impressive identification card.

"I am with the military police at Camp Carson and we have been watching you for some time. I am working with those police cars you saw a short time ago."

Frankly, I was scared. I knew I had done nothing illegal but my conversa tion could have been sufficient to involve me with the law. We walked a short distance toward the county jail and I tried to act calm when I asked, "On what charges are you taking me to jail?"

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mattackine REVIEW

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"I don't have very much right now but when we get to jail we will have plenty on you. You see, everything you have said has been recorded on this recorder I have on my arm."

This was indeed alarming. I didn't know the police had such devices and some of my statements could certainly be used as evidence if a police offi cer was out to entrap a person. That this was the case was becoming more and more apparent. I had read about such cases and the unfortunate results of the persons entrapped. Little did I ever believe I would get caught in such a situation. But here I was being led off to jail. I kept going over the conversation we had had and just what I said that could be held against me. I tried to appear calm but was far from it.

This fellow realized he had me scared. We were within a half block of the jail when he spoke, "Now, for a sum of money maybe I won't have to take you in." This was music to my ears. I felt quite certain now this individual was in the wrong and that blackmail was a far worse crime than any I could be held for. Without asking him what his price was (for which I later was sorry not to find out) I said, "Lets go to the jail. I am curious to find out just what you fellows will do. I have never been in a jail and this will be a new experience."

We were now opposite the county jail and instead of going there we continued up the street toward the business section. "I am taking you to the city jail which is uptown. We will wait on this corner for the squad car to come by and pick us up."

We waited a few minutes. I had butterflies in my stomach, not knowing what was in store for me. I was married, had a child, was in a sensitive job. 'I could lose everything that was near and dear to me if the police wanted to misconstrue my conversation with this fellow. On the other hand, I had done nothing to involve me with the law and I was curious to know just what they could pin on me. Furthermore, this individual had tried to blackmail me. Whether my testimony to this fact would hold water was, I believed, very unlikely. He could deny everything.

Then a curious thing occurred. This fellow told me to wait there on the corner while he went to get the squad car. This seemed very odd. He made it quite clear that I was not to leave but to wait there. He would be right back. He went off down the block and across the street toward the county jail. I waited a few minutes trying to decide whether to run for it or to stand on the comer as I was ordered to do. I knew full well that if I ran it would be held against me as an admission of guilt. I also knew if would be difficult to do far without a squad car spotting me. On the other hand, I really didn't want to go to jail and here was a chance to get away. So, without further ado, I walked towards the business district. At first I thought I should disappear in some alley or hotel lobby but as I approached them I decided to walk on as

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