It: Derry: The Third Interlude Summary & Analysis

Mike Hanlon recalls the incident with the Bradley Gang, which occurs thirteen months before the burning of the Black Spot, in October 1929. As with the burning of the Black Spot, citizens of Derry pretend not to remember the incident. Mr. Norbert Keene, who was around during the ambush on the outlaws, says that maybe around 20,000 people lived in downtown Derry at that time. Mr. Keene asks if Mike is sure he wants to hear the story, and Mike says he is. Mr. Keene confirms that Sheriff Sullivan was present that day, though there is no record of it. The gang, Mr. Keene says, comes to Derry, thinking that they will be safe so far from the Midwest.

The Bradley Gang lays low for a while, then decides that they want to go hunting. They are a bit low on ammunition, so they go to Lal Machen’s sporting goods store to buy some. They order hundreds of rounds for their various guns. Lal has some of the ammo but has to order the rest. Lal invites them to come back at two in the afternoon the next day to pick up the remainder of the order. The robbers agree.

Around 1:30 PM, there are men everywhere, sitting with guns. Little Zack Denbrough passes by and is warned to leave, for there is going to be a shooting. Things remain quiet for a while, then, around 2:25 PM, the Bradley Gang’s cars arrive. Al Bradley, the leader of the gang, suspects something is up and tells one of his associates to move back. That’s when Lal Machen tells Al to put his hands up. Before Bradley can turn his head, Lal starts blasting and tears a hole into Al Bradley’s shoulder. Bradley gets back into his car and throws it into gear, which is when everyone starts shooting.

Norbert Keene recalls that the whole incident is over in four or five minutes. There must have been fifty or sixty men firing at once. Members of the gang try to fire back. Marie Hauser, one of the girlfriends, tries to surrender, Keene thinks, but crawls back inside of one of the cars after being hit in the hip. Later, she walks into crossfire. The men of Derry keep shooting. Keene figures that when men get their blood up, it does not go down easily. Sheriff Sullivan joins others on the courthouse steps and pumps rounds into the outlaws’ dead vehicle. Shortly thereafter, the picture-taking starts. Mike asks how something of that magnitude was covered up. Mr. Keene reasons that no one really cared because it was a group of outlaws and the women were “whores.” Also, it happened in Derry—not a big city.

Mike asks Norbert Keene one more question—if   Keene has seen the clown. Keene mentions that he was, indeed, there and wearing a pair of biballs (overalls). Keene figures that he was someone trying to disguise himself. What Keene finds strange is that the clown cast no shadow.