Black Legion Page #8

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what you've just told me...

...we've got a pretty strong case

of self-defense.

- You better see her today.

- I certainly will.

It looks as if that lady is going to become

a mighty important factor in this case.

- Goodbye.

- Goodbye, sir.

Keep your chin up.

I caution everyone,

I shall clear this courtroom...

...if there is any demonstration

such as occurred yesterday.

You may proceed.

Now, Mrs. Danvers, you knew

the deceased, Edward Jackson, did you not?

Yes, sir, I did.

And is it true that you were

at one time engaged to marry him?

- Yes, sir.

- Who...

...broke off that engagement?

I did.

Why?

I was forced to.

Will you kindly tell the jury

what forced you to?

Please. I'd rather not.

We all appreciate your feelings,

Mrs. Danvers, but I must remind you...

...that the defendant's life is at stake.

The witness will answer the question.

Well, I broke off my engagement...

...because I found out

that Mr. Jackson drank.

I object. This testimony is incompetent,

irrelevant, and immaterial.

Sustained.

But Your Honor,

this testimony is relevant.

It is imperative to establish

the relation of these people...

...so the court may realize Edward Jackson

met his death as the unhappy result...

...of his own jealous passions.

You may proceed,

but confine yourself to the issues involved.

Did Mr. Jackson ever discuss with you

his attitude toward Miss Betty Grogan?

Oh, yes, sir.

He told me that he only pretended

to be fond of her...

...just to make me jealous.

Just to make me take him back.

Hmm. Now will you kindly tell the jury...

...what Mr. Jackson's attitude

toward you was generally...

...after you broke off your

engagement to him?

Oh, he was very angry

and kept threatening me all the time.

Then when he found out

that Mr. Taylor wanted to marry me...

...he said he'd prevent it

if it was the last thing he ever did.

I object, Your Honor,

on the same grounds.

Objection overruled.

Will you kindly tell the jury,

in your own words...

...what took place

on the night of the shooting?

Well, after we came out of the movies...

...it was such a lovely night

we thought we'd take a ride.

We were taking a short cut

through the woods to Silver Lake...

...when suddenly Mr. Taylor stopped the car

and began pleading with me to marry him.

After he could get a divorce

from his wife.

I told him he ought to consider

his wife and child...

...but he wouldn't pay

any attention to me.

Then suddenly Ed Jackson appeared

just as if from nowhere.

He was crazy mad

and began shouting and swearing at us.

Mr. Taylor got out of the car

to try to reason with him...

...but that only made Ed madder

and he began threatening us.

Threatening to do what?

To kill the both of us.

Go on, Mrs. Danvers.

Well, then Ed grabbed his gun...

...and Mr. Taylor tried to take it away

from him.

They struggled and the gun went off.

How many times?

Oh, a lot of times.

Would you say three or four?

I think it was four. Yes, it was four.

What happened then?

Well, then when Mr. Taylor saw

Ed lying dead on the ground...

...he got frightened

and sort of hysterical...

...and he just ran away into the woods.

And what did you do?

Well, I was so frightened

I didn't know what to do.

I couldn't stay there all alone so I...

...I just drove away.

Your witness.

Mrs. Danvers, why didn't you report

this shooting to the police?

- I couldn't.

- Don't you know by your failure to do so...

...you're liable to imprisonment

for compounding a felony?

Oh, you wouldn't want me to snitch and get

the man I loved into trouble, would you?

Oh, I see.

You don't like to make trouble.

Your method of avoiding is to encourage

a man with a wife and child.

Oh, but you don't understand.

I felt so sorry for Mr. Taylor...

...when he was so lonely and unhappy

after his wife deserted him.

This sympathy ripened into love,

eh, Mrs. Danvers.

Yes, sir.

Yet you're willing to let this man

divorce his wife so you can marry him.

Because I knew

it was his only chance for happiness.

That's all, Mrs. Danvers.

Your Honor, I should like to call

Mr. Frank Taylor to the stand.

Call the witness.

Frank Taylor, take the stand.

You understand...

...that you are within your

rights in refusing to testify.

- Yes, sir.

- Proceed.

Do you swear to tell the truth...

...the whole truth and nothing but the truth,

so help you God?

Yes, sir.

Now, Mr. Taylor...

...your wife recently left you,

did she not?

Yeah.

Will you please tell the jury

why she left you?

Well, my wife is a fine woman.

But she's awful ambitious

and wanted a lot of things I couldn't afford.

I tried hard and I finally got a break.

They made me shop foreman

and raised my pay.

Then we got along a little better.

I bought her a new car

and a vacuum cleaner.

I was gonna fix up the house a little bit

when I lost my job.

I couldn't afford to keep up the payments

on the things I'd already bought...

...and so she left me.

And it was Mrs. Danvers

who pitied your distress...

...and gave you her sympathy

after your wife left you?

Yeah.

Will you please speak a little louder,

Mr. Taylor?

Speak a little louder

so the jury can hear you.

Yes.

And your gratitude to Mrs. Danvers

gradually developed into love, did it not?

No! It's all a pack of lies.

The Black Legion made me do it.

I belong to it and so do a lot of other guys

sitting here in this courtroom.

- Your Honor.

- Let me alone.

- Let me talk.

- Let him go.

They'd kill my wife and kid

unless I helped them frame up this case.

There ain't one truth

in what Pearl Danvers has been saying...

...or what I've been saying.

I ain't never cared nothing

about any other woman except my wife.

About being in love with Pearl, all lies.

And all she said about Ed being

in love with her, that's all lies too.

We tried to make like the legion

didn't have nothing to do with Ed's death.

But they did and plenty.

I killed Ed Jackson because he found out

too much while trying to make me get out.

And I was afraid he'd go

to the cops and so I killed him.

The guys that helped me do it

are sitting over there.

Come on, Cliff, and you, Hargrave

and the rest of you guys...

...stand up and tell the truth.

- Sit back.

Oh, I don't care what you do to me.

If ever a guy had it coming to him, I have.

But I want you

to take care of Ruth and Buddy.

And don't let them rats make her suffer

no more than she has.

Lock those doors.

Don't let anyone leave this room.

You will identify every member

of the Black Legion.

Yes, sir.

Your Honor, I can't begin to tell you...

...what a shock Taylor's confession

was to me.

- And to me.

- Naturally, if I'd had...

...the slightest suspicions to the facts...

I understand, Billings.

Knowing you as I do, I'm positive

you had nothing to do with the perjury.

Thank you, sir.

May I have your permission

to withdraw from the case?

- Of course, Billings. Of course you may.

- Thank you.

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