|
es
HUMAN
A
BOM
stimulate that single frantic spasm toward mass murder?
I walked out with questions rushing through
my mind. Runyon
followed his cuppe hands shielding the dynamite from sight.
He made m get into the car first. Then it hit me—I had to
was
les
e:
yoog!
stoppe
it
4
“Good.
I
tricks!”
view
m
sit
at a table facing the wall
of the door. When polic came
He
while he
fle
in he would
how many I take with me—except my kids. I
care
wouldn&# have. killed them I just said that to scare
my wife.”
He was talking! That was a minor triumph, I thought, It
kep his mind off.those two wires. He was telling me about his
marital problem and the drinking and gamblin that caused
The
Suddenl he stopped talking, His head-jerked angrily:
are
you pulling Carl?” he snarled.
Captain Thinks
:
meetin
with
my
wife
Left
stunned.
I’d triéd stalling, tricks,-and cajoling, all
One thing was left:
getting tough and forgetting
went
rigid
oo
in “his chair.
my back. “How
me?” he asked.
“No, but I’m
Do you, want to
I don’t
the
and just
suicide-murder, he came
dynamite.”
will
on
shoot
immediately
“Why do you want to die Don?” I asked. I was stalling now
just to. give myself time to think how I ¢ould gain mastery of the
situation. Precio time had been lost; there might not b
much more’ of ‘it left.’ “Life ‘can’t be that bad,” I added.
“I&# not afraid of death Carl,”’ he-replied, calm again. “And
“What
following’mornin
The hardness in my startled even
me..“Don, you& not
ieavin here with that dynamite, Set it off if you want or give
-it to me. But. you don’t. walk-out
the street with sit.”
on
spot them
.
was
the
arrange
you
without success.
the possible consequences.
isolated area. All I’d succeeded in doing
wa moving him
from a bus bar to a more crowded restaurant in the heart
of the shoppin district. Runyo was: in
complet control and
a
Whe
Only One Approach
an
commanded
how
then you& get the
“When we rolled into Mandy’s parkin lot, I was both frightened
and disgusted I hadn’t been able to stall
Runyo or get him into
knew it. He made
peop
agreed
Runyon
was a hysterical
no
the-
All
/
to set up a meetin at
my home the
as I thought I had talked
him out of
up with the shocker.
coul do was repeat our destination, hopin the station
would hear and get officers there ahead of us. Mandy’s was
only
three minutes away, so I decide to stall to give polic more
time. I signaled’a left turn, and immediately
tensed.
you,
funny.
“That’s
By the time she left, Runyo was almost calm again, I asked
him whether I could hel him, and he
replied onl one thing could
hel him—a talk with“his wife about reconciliation:
All I
~
talking again and said,
enoug to eat.” Even as I said it, I
insane the statement. was. Runyo whirled around,
once
again driven to the edg of despération Just then a
waitress saved the day Phyllis. Woodruff, who had once
worked
wit Runyon’ wife, had volunteered to stay behind to make
things seem more natural. At just the right mument she
cam to
with a refill of coffee talking pleasantl to us
us
just as if her
life wasn’t right on the line with
ours.
realized
.
“That&# not the way to Mandy’s!” There
edg in his voice. “Head straight—I warned
Seite
hav left the place.”
“I guess the had
get that mike open! If not, the boy at the station couldn&# help
And another questio arose: Could the electrical impuls from the
transmitter set of the dynamite?
chance it, sweeping the mike off the hook as I sat down and
shoving it under my thigh. Then I took a dee breat and turned
on.
Nothing happene
2
“Let&# get going,” Runyon said. I took a moment to catch
my breath. “Head for Mandy’s,” he insisted.
“Let’s just ride around, huh Don?”
His eyes searched me suspiciously ‘‘Mandy’s,” he said.
“I’m not falling
for any of your traps.”
_B Detective Sg CARL SPINALE
letting
you walk away with that dynamite.
wife? Okay, I& take care of it. Or do
you want to blast. us both off? Okay it’s
up to you.
We haggled Would
promis he would see his wife?’ Yes.
Would he go to jail? No We went back and forth.
Slowl he reached dee into his pocke and drew out the «
dynamite. I couldn’t see anything but those two sticks coming
toward me. Then, at the last minute, he drew them
away. This
was too much. I decided to
go for him—I’d ha all
I could take.
Then almost casually, he spok again: “Let me disarm this,
You kill us~both.”
“Give it to me!”
patience had run out, and that was-bad,
I checked myself. Let him have his
way just a little longer,
told myself. He-was an expert with
dynamite but I wondered
how stead he was now,
particularly handling such a delicate
type ofexplosive. My eyes fixed on his finger; it probe inside
one stick and twisted,
M breath caught. He pulle out the
detonator cap and handed me the
dynamit
not
see
your
;
.
°
ay
.
Fast
I-could feel my heart speed up. What had I said wrong?
“Why i Captai Phippe here?” he asked.
I looked around and saw the
eaptai approachin the
restaurant
manager, Ken Gilbert. When I turned to Runyo his
finger were tightening their grip on the batteries. Oh Lord,
I thought, it& come.
Words came’ out of me without me fully
|
realizing it:
“Wait, Don wait. Let ask Phippe why he’s here. Don&
jump off!” Rage fear, and perplexity were all mixed in
Runyon’ expression I took advantag of his confusion to call
to the captain: “What are you doing here?”
“We&# havin a
meeting,” Phippe replie
peace-
without hesitation. “I’m making arrangements for the dinner.”
Then he and the manager went to the cash register and began.
talking casually—so casuall that Don soon lost interest in
them and resumed his story.
Actually, ‘ofcourse, Captain Phippe was asking Gilbert to
approa the customers and tell them to leave the premise as
“naturall as possible It was several ‘minutes before Runyo
My shirt was sticking to the
sto me, Carl? Will you
you
EOE
ea
aba
tele
tarenint
“Everythi Don, I insisted, “The cap, too.” He handed over
the cap, wires, and batteries, There was
a rush of noise and
motion .as. other ‘officers moved in on us and
secured him. I
hardl noticed, just ‘staring at the dynamite equipmen
“Whe
are
the taking
me,
Carl?”
was just a poor, frightened creature.
“To ge you some help,” I answered.
we& hel you. W will.”
I hope I
right and that Don
Runyo asked. Now he
V
:
“Don’t
;
worry.
I said
.
Runyo could be helpe I
wa
certainl didn’t-intend to deceive him— save his life and mine.
And I&# wondered since how many other lives as well.
(Editors’
Note
The
of the “human bomb” has been
The real “Don Runyon
subsequent
mental institution for psychiatric care.)
name
change in this-true story.
wa
committed to
a
state
8
ILLUSTRATI
BY BOB HANDVILLE
Family Weekly, February 21,
1965