Police A

"Fruit Joint"

The term "fruit joint" is one from the 1950s that was used to refer to homosexual bars.

Picture of a small group of police officers and a crowd of people outside a bar

Greenwich Village during the Stonewall Riots, photo by Larry Morris of The Times, photo from BOOM-Boom.lgbt, 2015

We walk inside and I’m led to a room where I can tell immediately I will be interrogated. I sit down in front of one police officer and the one escorting me takes a seat next to him. Their badges read Kreuger and Swanson. I want this to be over. “Hello . . . Mr. David Sprecher, we are aware that you are employed at the Patent Office here in St. Louis, is that correct?” asked officer Kreuger. “Yes, that’s correct,” I responded sheepishly. “Do you like it there?” asked Swanson. “ . . . Yes, I’ve enjoyed my time there the past three years,” I said. My voice cracking a little, I ask, “What’s this all about?” “You are aware of the new policy Eisenhower has set into action . . . aren’t you?” inquired Kreuger. “About . . . cleaning house . . . yes but-” “The Patent Office is a government office, you were found in a well-known fruit joint, put two and two together, son. You’re gonna be out of a job,” sneered Swanson. My mind raced in fear. How am I supposed to deal with this? I soon realize that my attempts have failed to work, and my whole body is racked with twitching and shivers. “Th-th-this . . . this isn’t fair! There must be something I can do . . .” I trailed off. “Well, we could forget all about this if you were willing to cooperate with us,” suggested Kreuger. “What are you talking about?” I responded. “If you are willing to reveal the identities of other government workers you were with we are willing to let you go, and forget that you were ever at Uncle John’s this evening,” said Kreuger. “What, why would I ever do that?” I said angrily. “Look at it this way, you lose your job, and then any other government business will refuse to hire you. The damage will be done. Or you can tell us what we want to know and we’ll let you go free,” said Swanson. “I could never do that . . .” I respond but my fear makes me stop my thought. “Are you sure about that sonny? How would your family react if you couldn’t hold a job?” Kreuger questions me intensely. “Well, I-I-I . . .” I can’t give a firm response. I have no option to go back to my family. They would already be ashamed of who I am and it would cause so much trouble. I can’t go back to relying on them. That is why I left for St. Louis in the first place. “Come on. The sooner you tell, the sooner you get to leave. Then you can forget all of this and go back home. How does that sound?” pressed Swanson. “I can’t betray anyone like that. I won’t do it,” I barely whisper. I am trying to grab on my last bits of courage to get through this with a job and without betraying my friends in tact. “We’re going to go out and gets some paperwork then. To send to your boss, you know, telling them what you are. Better be ready for it,” Swanson says as they are both walking out of the interrogation room. The door shuts with a deafening click. I am all alone for the first time since I was arrested. Let me think through this. Should I give up names? I can’t lose my jobs, but I don’t want to betray anyone. I don’t think I can keep denying it or evading the officers’ questions, so what am I supposed to do? Uhh. Travis had a right to be scared, now I see that. What a fool I was to think I didn’t have to worry about this. Just then the door bursts opened with now frustrated officers. “Is it so hard to find some damn paperwork?” Swanson fumes. They drop the paperwork in front of me, along with a pen. I just stare at it. Next thing I know, I hear Kreuger say in an exasperated tone, “Well get a move on. We haven’t got all day.” I was pulled out my daze with such a start that I jump in my seat. Almost as I was expecting something painful to be inflicted upon me. With being backed into a corner in my fear, I finally come to my decision. “Umm . . . I . . . Alright!” I shout out of fright. “What is it I need to do to get out of here and for you to not tell my boss?” I inquire, back in my sheepish tone. “That’s more like it. Finally, we get some cooperation!” Swanson exclaims, cracking a smile. The pair sits down and I prepare my list. Dreading what is to come.

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Picture of a small group of police officers and a crowd of people outside a bar

We walk inside and I’m led to a room where I can tell immediately I will be interrogated. I sit down in front of one police officer and the one escorting me takes a seat next to him. Their badges read Kreuger and Swanson. I want this to be over. “Hello . . . Mr. David Sprecher, we are aware that you are employed at the Patent Office here in St. Louis, is that correct?” asked officer Kreuger. “Yes, that’s correct,” I responded sheepishly. “Do you like it there?” asked Swanson. “ . . . Yes, I’ve enjoyed my time there the past three years,” I said. My voice cracking a little, I ask, “What’s this all about?” “You are aware of the new policy Eisenhower has set into action . . . aren’t you?” inquired Kreuger. “About . . . cleaning house . . . yes but-” “The Patent Office is a government office, you were found in a well-known fruit joint, put two and two together, son. You’re gonna be out of a job,” sneered Swanson. My mind raced in fear. How am I supposed to deal with this? I soon realize that my attempts have failed to work, and my whole body is racked with twitching and shivers. “Th-th-this . . . this isn’t fair! There must be something I can do . . .” I trailed off. “Well, we could forget all about this if you were willing to cooperate with us,” suggested Kreuger. “What are you talking about?” I responded. “If you are willing to reveal the identities of other government workers you were with we are willing to let you go, and forget that you were ever at Uncle John’s this evening,” said Kreuger. “What, why would I ever do that?” I said angrily. “Look at it this way, you lose your job, and then any other government business will refuse to hire you. The damage will be done. Or you can tell us what we want to know and we’ll let you go free,” said Swanson. “I could never do that . . .” I respond but my fear makes me stop my thought. “Are you sure about that sonny? How would your family react if you couldn’t hold a job?” Kreuger questions me intensely. “Well, I-I-I . . .” I can’t give a firm response. I have no option to go back to my family. They would already be ashamed of who I am and it would cause so much trouble. I can’t go back to relying on them. That is why I left for St. Louis in the first place. “Come on. The sooner you tell, the sooner you get to leave. Then you can forget all of this and go back home. How does that sound?” pressed Swanson. “I can’t betray anyone like that. I won’t do it,” I barely whisper. I am trying to grab on my last bits of courage to get through this with a job and without betraying my friends in tact. “We’re going to go out and gets some paperwork then. To send to your boss, you know, telling them what you are. Better be ready for it,” Swanson says as they are both walking out of the interrogation room. The door shuts with a deafening click. I am all alone for the first time since I was arrested. Let me think through this. Should I give up names? I can’t lose my jobs, but I don’t want to betray anyone. I don’t think I can keep denying it or evading the officers’ questions, so what am I supposed to do? Uhh. Travis had a right to be scared, now I see that. What a fool I was to think I didn’t have to worry about this. Just then the door bursts opened with now frustrated officers. “Is it so hard to find some damn paperwork?” Swanson fumes. They drop the paperwork in front of me, along with a pen. I just stare at it. Next thing I know, I hear Kreuger say in an exasperated tone, “Well get a move on. We haven’t got all day.” I was pulled out my daze with such a start that I jump in my seat. Almost as I was expecting something painful to be inflicted upon me. With being backed into a corner in my fear, I finally come to my decision. “Umm . . . I . . . Alright!” I shout out of fright. “What is it I need to do to get out of here and for you to not tell my boss?” I inquire, back in my sheepish tone. “That’s more like it. Finally, we get some cooperation!” Swanson exclaims, cracking a smile. The pair sits down and I prepare my list. Dreading what is to come.

We walk inside and I’m led to a room where I can tell immediately I will be interrogated. I sit down in front of one police officer and the one escorting me takes a seat next to him. Their badges read Kreuger and Swanson. I want this to be over. “Hello . . . Mr. David Sprecher, we are aware that you are employed at the Patent Office here in St. Louis, is that correct?” asked officer Kreuger. “Yes, that’s correct,” I responded sheepishly. “Do you like it there?” asked Swanson. “ . . . Yes, I’ve enjoyed my time there the past three years,” I said. My voice cracking a little, I ask, “What’s this all about?” “You are aware of the new policy Eisenhower has set into action . . . aren’t you?” inquired Kreuger. “About . . . cleaning house . . . yes but-” “The Patent Office is a government office, you were found in a well-known fruit joint, put two and two together, son. You’re gonna be out of a job,” sneered Swanson. My mind raced in fear. How am I supposed to deal with this? I soon realize that my attempts have failed to work, and my whole body is racked with twitching and shivers. “Th-th-this . . . this isn’t fair! There must be something I can do . . .” I trailed off. “Well, we could forget all about this if you were willing to cooperate with us,” suggested Kreuger. “What are you talking about?” I responded. “If you are willing to reveal the identities of other government workers you were with we are willing to let you go, and forget that you were ever at Uncle John’s this evening,” said Kreuger. “What, why would I ever do that?” I said angrily. “Look at it this way, you lose your job, and then any other government business will refuse to hire you. The damage will be done. Or you can tell us what we want to know and we’ll let you go free,” said Swanson. “I could never do that . . .” I respond but my fear makes me stop my thought. “Are you sure about that sonny? How would your family react if you couldn’t hold a job?” Kreuger questions me intensely. “Well, I-I-I . . .” I can’t give a firm response. I have no option to go back to my family. They would already be ashamed of who I am and it would cause so much trouble. I can’t go back to relying on them. That is why I left for St. Louis in the first place. “Come on. The sooner you tell, the sooner you get to leave. Then you can forget all of this and go back home. How does that sound?” pressed Swanson. “I can’t betray anyone like that. I won’t do it,” I barely whisper. I am trying to grab on my last bits of courage to get through this with a job and without betraying my friends in tact. “We’re going to go out and gets some paperwork then. To send to your boss, you know, telling them what you are. Better be ready for it,” Swanson says as they are both walking out of the interrogation room. The door shuts with a deafening click. I am all alone for the first time since I was arrested. Let me think through this. Should I give up names? I can’t lose my jobs, but I don’t want to betray anyone. I don’t think I can keep denying it or evading the officers’ questions, so what am I supposed to do? Uhh. Travis had a right to be scared, now I see that. What a fool I was to think I didn’t have to worry about this. Just then the door bursts opened with now frustrated officers. “Is it so hard to find some damn paperwork?” Swanson fumes. They drop the paperwork in front of me, along with a pen. I just stare at it. Next thing I know, I hear Kreuger say in an exasperated tone, “Well get a move on. We haven’t got all day.” I was pulled out my daze with such a start that I jump in my seat. Almost as I was expecting something painful to be inflicted upon me. With being backed into a corner in my fear, I finally come to my decision. “Umm . . . I . . . Alright!” I shout out of fright. “What is it I need to do to get out of here and for you to not tell my boss?” I inquire, back in my sheepish tone. “That’s more like it. Finally, we get some cooperation!” Swanson exclaims, cracking a smile. The pair sits down and I prepare my list. Dreading what is to come.