<Begin Segment 14>

FA: After the war, when you were recuperating in Laramie, some people I talked to thought that you had gone "sour." Why would they think that?

SH: Well, everything was in order. There was nothing I could help anymore. We're, we're in a vise. You know, it was, it was going to court. What is there to do? So I stayed out, and then you know, stayed out, and then more like recuperating, you know, outside, in the outside society, I was out. And I, I told this jail, I told him, I says, "I'd as soon as stay here for another month before the trial." He said, "Come on. Come on. Get out, will ya?" [Laughs] "You don't have to stay here."

FA: Over these years, some people have thought that old Sam kind of felt bad about what he did.

SH: No.

FA: They're wrong.

SH: No. Only thing is, everything was in the vise. Everything was in the place. There was nothing you could do anymore. Now is the courtroom, to go to court. And then, I didn't want to but if something happened, you don't like chew about it, past and gone. So I didn't, that was my view. What is to talk about? We're in a vise, you gotta, the court is coming, that's it.

FA: So there are, so I, I can tell the people they're wrong.

SH: Well, you don't --

FA: Sam is --

SH: Well, I don't resent it. Maybe they did think that way. But, to me, no. I was, everything was in the pot. It was in the... it was in the groove now. What is it? Trial. Nothing you can do about that.

FA: I'm talking about after the trial.

SH: After the trial, true, like right now, same thing. I didn't take very much movement. You know, many people asked me, "Let's get together. Let's get together. You say you're a good, good organizer." You say he could get the people together. But my age, my health, I just couldn't do it. I had a handful. You know, it's very strained and draining. That's it. I mean, that and all the people that I met out, out here time to time, huh? I told them, "This is my position. I'd like to, but I can't."

<End Segment 14> - Copyright © 1993, 2005 Frank Abe and Densho. All Rights Reserved.