Audrey Rose Page #6

She knows the truth.

She knows in her heart that I'm

her only hope, if her child is to live.

So, please, do as I say

and put her on the stand.

Her aim is to put you in jail, Mr Hoover.

Quiet in the courtroom. Rise, please.

Be seated.

Mr Mack, call your next witness.

The defence calls Mary Lou Sides.

Do you solemnly swear

that the testimony you may give

in the case now appearing

before this court

shall be the truth, the whole truth, and

nothing but the truth, so help you God?

I do.

11 years ago, Miss Sides,

1965, October 3rd,

you were driving

on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, correct?

Yes.

You were involved in an accident

with another car.

Yes.

An accident that left you paralysed.

Yes.

Who was in the other car?

A woman named Sylvia Flora Hoover.

And her daughter...

Audrey Rose.

Now, Miss Sides, I want you to tell the

jury exactly what happened that morning,

as you saw it.

I was on my way to work, travelling east.

It was stormy.

Sheets of rain and hail.

I couldn't see.

I tried to slow the car down,

but it began to skid.

I tried to control the car, but I couldn't,

the wheel just twisted around in my hand.

And then there was

this car coming toward me.

And we hit each other.

We crashed.

We crashed.

The other car went over the guard rail

and down this steep embankment

and landed in a gully.

And then I saw...

I saw the face of a girl.

A little girl.

She was looking

out of the window of the car.

She was screaming.

Screaming and crying.

"Daddy! Daddy!"

"Daddy! Daddy!"

And all at once the car went up in flames.

It was horrible.

And I can see the girl, screaming and

beating her hands against the window,

and screaming,

"Hot, hot, hot, hot, hot!"

(girls) # Old Man Winter, disappear

# Stay away for one more year

# Old Man Winter, cold and done

# Leave us be, we matter none

# Old Man Winter, go away

(singing continues)

(faintly) Stop her! Stop her!

Sister!

Stop her! Stop her!

(singing continues)

The child! Stop her!

Stop her!

The child! Stop her!

Stop her! Stop her!

Stop her! The child!

The child! Stop her!

(she screams)

(girls scream)

Lucky she was so well bundled

and there was all that snow around.

Her body was completely untouched.

Her face took some heat. However, there's

no indication of respiratory-tract damage.

Nothing like this

has ever happened at St Luke's.

And it needn't have happened this time.

What I'm saying is it was no accident.

Your daughter literally walked

then crawled into that fire.

I'd like a muffin.

- Baby.

- Hi, Daddy.

- Please don't touch her.

- Hello, angel.

They said

I walked into the fire on purpose.

- I don't remember anything about it.

- Who said you did that, honey?

- Mother did.

- She's wrong.

What do you build fires for?

What business has that in a convent?

We send our children to you for peace

and protection, and you build fires.

- What's happening to me, Daddy?

- It was an accident, honey.

But what made me do it?

Why? Why did I do it, Daddy? Why?

It's all right now, princess.

It's all over, honey.

Janice?

- And you had a visitor that night?

- Yes.

Er... Mr Hoover arrived at the apartment

house... er... some time around eleven.

- Did you ask him up?

- Yes.

- Why did you ask him up?

- Well, I needed help.

- But wasn't the doctor coming?

- I needed Mr Hoover's help.

Now, Your Honour, if it please the court.

It has come to my attention that Mrs

Templeton suffered a trauma yesterday,

brought about by the injury

of her daughter in an accident.

Mrs Templeton

is in a highly emotional state.

She should be spared

the burden of testifying.

This is a device by the prosecution

to prevent the witness from testifying.

He knows that this witness's testimony

will destroy the prosecution's case.

Mrs Templeton,

do you feel able to continue?

- Yes, I do. I want to continue.

- Proceed, Mr Mack.

Thank you, Your Honour.

And did Mr Hoover help you?

Yes, almost at once.

Ivy seemed to recognise him

and rushed into his arms

and, as he was comforting her,

she fell asleep.

Mrs Templeton...

do you believe in reincarnation?

I do now.

Mrs Templeton,

do you believe that your daughter lvy

is the reincarnation

of Mr Hoover's daughter Audrey Rose?

Yes.

(murmuring)

Order!

Mrs Templeton,

do you believe that Mr Hoover

kidnapped your daughter?

No, I do not.

I believe that the only help my daughter

will ever receive on this earth

is through Mr Hoover.

The only chance she has of living

is if this man is released from jail.

- (commotion)

- Order!

Order! Order!

(sparse applause)

Order!

Your Honour, that's our case.

Mr Velie, you may cross-examine.

Your Honour.

In view of Mrs Templeton's testimony,

and because

of her overwrought condition,

I request a recess

until tomorrow morning.

Very well. Court will reconvene

tomorrow morning at 9.00am.

Ruth, place a call to Doctors' Hospital

in Porchester.

I'd like to speak to the physician

in charge of lvy Templeton's case.

This whole thing is outlandish.

A test like that could not

possibly be conclusive

and it could prove dangerous to the child.

How about that, Mr Velie?

There is an element of danger here.

Well,

the father has granted his permission.

I've been assured by the doctor that she

is physically able to withstand the test.

He foresees no problems

from such an experiment.

He's even willing to provide

the facilities to conduct it.

- Any precedents for such an experiment?

- Yes.

In Wyler vs Fairchild,

the court permitted a witness to testify

after undergoing hypnosis and did not

consider it an abuse of discretion.

He is trying to stampede the jury,

a circus show for the sole purpose

of ridiculing my client and his beliefs.

All right, let's drop the formalities, boys.

Now, I've given you a hell of a wide

latitude in presenting your case.

And now you want me

to restrict the prosecution's right

to pursue its own path

to the truth on rebuttal?

Scott, I don't know

about this test of yours.

If I'm gonna permit it,

I want to know the specifications -

who's going to conduct it,

what his qualifications are,

and if there is any possibility

of it being harmful to the child.

I think I can satisfy your doubts,

Your Honour.

I'll reserve my decision until you do.

(phone rings)

Hello?

Judge Langley's office. Court will convene

this morning at Doctors' Hospital.

- The hospital? When?

- 9.00.

It's a hypnotic test on your daughter.

- Has my husband given permission?

- Mr Templeton has agreed to the test...

Dr Dorman, you are wanted in emergency.

Judge Langley!

Judge Langley, I object to this test.

I won't have my child submit to it.

Mrs Templeton, I have been personally

assured by the psychiatrist

that no possible harm can come

to your child as a result of the test.

Please, try to understand.

Your husband, who has equal rights of

consent in this matter, agrees to the test.

Now, I realise this

is a very unusual matter.

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