—Excerpt from “The Strange Case of Howard Unruh” by Robert M. Yoder, from the September 16, 1950, issue of The Saturday Evening Post
He was a law-abiding young man of totally innocent appearance. He was a faithful church member, whose Bible-class teacher regards him as “a genuine Christian.” Without exception, his employers had tabbed him as a quiet, diligent, inconspicuous fellow, “who never caused anybody any trouble.”
Other than being quieter than most and better-behaved than some, Unruh was anybody’s neighbor, the one you notice least. He looks and acts as sane as the man who sells you gasoline or cashes your check at the bank or fills your prescription at the drugstore.
He is quiet, sensible, well-behaved. He always was, except for those ten terrible minutes.
This article is featured in the September/October 2025 issue of The Saturday Evening Post. Subscribe to the magazine for more art, inspiring stories, fiction, humor, and features from our archives.
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