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Show 42 THE READER’S DIGEST And we could suggest that we alone, of all nations, fought in two World Wars and asked no indemnities, no acquisition of territory, no domination over other nations. We could prove our advancement of the spirit of compassion by the billions of dollars we have given to save millions from famine and governments from collapse. Much as I feel deeply the lag in giving a full equal chance to our Negro population, yet I cannot refrain from mentioning that our 14 million American Negroes own more automobiles than all the 200 million Russians and the 300 million Negroes in Africa put together. All of which is not boasting but just fact. And we could say a good deal more. What does all this mean? It means that freedom of mind, of spirit and of initiative still lives in America. It means that our people are strong in religious faith. Here human dignity is not a dream but an accomplishment. These ideals of freedom and religious faith guarantee that there will be no decline and fall of American civilization. XXX Extra Dividend A PRACTICED desperado from Memphis, Henry Bondurant, decided that the bank of the sleepy little town of Middleton, Tenn., would be a push-in. He overlooked that fact that the Middletonians, while they may like their sleep, also like their hunting. On February 21, 1952, Bondurant swaggered into the Bank of Middleton and announced a holdup. When cashier F.L. Simpson tried to slam the vault door, Bondurant expertly shot him through the hand and promised to kill anyone else who interfered. Then he collected more than $18,000 and headed for his getaway car. But the shot had been heard, and by the time Bondurant reached the street the embattled Middletonians were converging with their shotguns, fowling pieces and squirrel rifles. They promptly shot the tires off the getaway car. Bondurant dodged to another car, then to a pickup truck, firing as he went. But the Middletonians were throwing much more lead. Within a few seconds the bold, bad Bondurant had collapsed, badly wounded, into the arms of a deputy sheriff. During the running gunfight the loot was scattered up and down the street. Turning reluctantly from the chase, the good citizens of Middleton gathered up the bills and coins and carried them back into the bank. Officials made an audit; then, incredulous, they made another. The bank had exactly 80 cents more cash than when the robbery began. So far as I know, this is the only time on record that a bank showed a profit on a robbery. - Beverly Smith in The Saturday Evening Post |