Fury Page #6

and made a fool of me.

I must remind the spectators

of the dignity of this court.

An injury you suffered put you to bed

for a week, sheriff.

How did that happen?

The deputies that stuck with me...

...most of them disappeared...

...and I were holding off the mob

as best we could...

...with tear gas and rifle butts...

...when somebody slugged me

from behind, and l...

You said, "slugged," "tear gas,"

"rifle butts," "mob."

After all, this was an attempted

lynching then!

- Objection!

- The question was proper!

I disagree! Your constant use

of the word lynching...

If counsel's ears were as quick

as his objections...

...he'd know I said

attempted lynching.

If the state's evidence was

as breathtaking as its sarcasm...

...which I suggest is being employed

to hide from the jury...

...the failure of its own witnesses

to back up its hollow case...

Hooray! Hollow as a busted jug,

is what it is!

Quiet, will you?

Remove that man.

- I was just...

- Come here. You're going.

They hadn't ought to treat Uncle Billy

that way! Uncle Billy's right!

This is a shame against the good name

of our town.

- Bring that man before the court.

- Order in the court. Quiet.

He won't do nothing to me.

I ain't afraid.

Sit down, you. Sit down!

I order you held in contempt

with a fine of $ 100...

...or 10 days in the county jail.

I protest against this injustice!

The fine will be $200 or 30 days.

But he can't put me in...

Why, all I said was...

A trial for murder...

...is the most solemn occasion

upon which men can be called...

...to perform a public duty.

Any further demonstration

and I shall order the courtroom cleared.

- Proceed.

- May it please the court.

The state's own witnesses...

...have not been able to identify

these defendants...

...as having even been

at the scene of the crime...

...alleged in the indictment.

We must insist that the state

give us facts...

...instead of...

...tittle-tattle here.

Your Honor...

...in the last 49 years...

...mobs have lynched

...by hanging, burning, cutting,

in this proud land of ours.

A lynching about every three days.

And of the many thousands

that comprise these mobs...

...only 765 were ever

even brought to trial...

...because their supposedly

civilized communities...

...have refused to identify them

for trial.

Thus becoming as responsible,

before God at any rate...

...as the lynchers themselves.

I did not put these representative

citizens of Strand on the stand...

...to prove anything, Your Honor,

and ladies and gentlemen of the jury...

...except that on their oaths...

...to tell the truth and nothing

but the truth, so help them God...

...they are liars!

And that their contempt of truth

shall not go unpunished...

...I shall ask

their indictment for perjury...

...on the same evidence that

in one minute...

...will prove the identity

of these defendants...

... with that of 22 active members

of the mob...

... that stormed and burned the jail

and lynched Joseph Wilson!

I shall introduce that evidence now.

Will counsel for the defense

please approach the bench?

While the judge is hearing arguments

over the admission of evidence...

...l'll take this opportunity to remind you

this broadcast is brought to you...

...courtesy of No Make-A Me Fat,

that magic dessert...

Flash! Against the objection

of the defense...

...the judge has just admitted

this evidence, whatever it is!

Stand back, everybody.

Clear the door.

I warn the spectators

against any demonstrations.

At the slightest sign of disorder,

I will unhesitatingly clear this court.

- We are ready, Your Honor.

- Proceed.

By stipulation with defense attorneys

that this is a true film record...

...taken at Strand by Ted Fitzgerald,

in employment as a news cameraman...

...I hereby present this film

as state's Exhibit A.

Close the shutters.

- Ready?

- Ready.

- Ready?

- Let it run.

Defendant number one,

Kirby Dawson...

...who, according to testimony,

was in the Green Light Inn...

...during the hours of the commission

of this crime.

A stop action of the scene.

Defendant number two,

Mrs. Sally Humphries...

...who, according to testimony...

...during the hours of this crime

was on the farm of her fianc.

We identify her by stop action

of the same shot.

The first brand that transformed

that jail into a blazing stake...

...for Joseph Wilson.

The fire department courageously tried

to extinguish those flames...

...but overwhelming numbers

fought them back.

While in the meantime,

the defendant Frederick Garrett...

...peaceably armed with an ax,

destroyed the efforts of the officials...

...to save the life of an innocent man.

The enlarged stop action...

No, no! It's not true. He...

Order in the court! Order!

Order in the court!

- Come on. We're gonna be late.

- Couldn't get a car. There's a crowd.

That's all. That's all.

- Do you feel better today?

- Don't worry.

- Second floor. Traffic Court.

- Pardon me.

- Got a cigarette, Tom?

- Sure.

Peanuts.

Judge Hopkins' Court.

Come on. We're getting out too.

The last the sheriff, the jailer, or anyone

else saw of him was before the fire.

I must insist on my question.

Who proved that Joseph Wilson was in

that jail at the time it burned?

- The jailer threw the keys down.

- Are you ready?

Isn't there the possibility the prisoner

angled for those keys and escaped?

- Are you ready?

- We say that possibility exists.

It's up to the state to prove it false.

Is the state prepared to proceed?

We call Katherine Grant to the stand.

Do you swear to tell the truth

and nothing but the truth?

- I do.

- Be seated, please.

State your name, residence

and occupation, please.

Katherine Grant.

I'm a teacher in the

Washington Public School here.

I live at 96 Oak Street.

With your parents, Miss Grant?

My father and mother are dead.

Your relationship to Joseph Wilson was?

We were going to be married.

Will you tell the jury, in your own way...

...what happened on October 26th.

I fixed a little lunch of things

I thought he'd like.

With flowers on the table...

...and some salted...

...peanuts. He always liked peanuts.

Are you able to go on, Miss Grant?

Certainly I can go on.

I went to meet him at Sycamore Corners.

On the way, I bought him

some neckties for a present.

He liked blue.

He never thought of buying

things like that for himself.

And then I stopped at

the minister's to remind him...

... that Joe and I would be there

at 4:
00, and not to forget.

We'd been away from

each other so long.

More than a year.

And l... I loved him so.

I turn the witness over to the defense.

Miss Grant. According to

the fact of psychology...

...that under great emotional stress

the mind sees what it has expected to...

...whether the thing

is actually there or not...

...is it not possible that you

did not see Joseph Wilson...

...but only the image of him your

imagination had created in your head?

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