Fury Page #7

No, I saw him. I saw him

burning to death there!

You can see that picture now

too, can't you?

- I'll always see it.

- So perhaps after all...

...it was an hallucination of your tortured

mind that you saw there...

...just as you see it here.

What do you want me to say,

yes or no? I tell you I saw him.

Can you, from your

own personal knowledge...

...swear that Joseph Wilson is dead?

Why, no. That is, yes.

- I mean, one can assume.

- Excuse me...

...but that is exactly what must not

be assumed, but proved!

The state is asking the lives

of 22 people for one.

I don't care about the lives of 22 people!

They can't bring back

the life I cared about.

I only wish I hadn't fainted. I wish I could

have gone in there to him. With him.

That's all, Miss Grant.

I will remind the jury

that under the law...

...lives must not be taken on

assumptions but on facts!

Where is the corpse of Joseph Wilson?

The law is that the corpus

delicti must be established...

... at least by fragments

of the human body...

... or of articles known and proved

to have been worn by the deceased.

And in the absence of convincing proof

of the corpus delicti...

...I move this indictment

be wiped off the records...

...and the charges against

these defendants be dismissed.

I shall take the motion for dismissal

under advisement until tomorrow...

... and hear the state's arguments then.

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury...

...I have received an object...

...which, if authentic...

...must be considered

as evidence in this case.

As to its authenticity, I am not

permitted to have an opinion.

However, in order to present it to you...

...I must take the witness stand.

Mr. Clerk...

...please swear me.

Do you swear that you'll tell the truth

and nothing but the truth?

- I do.

- Please be seated.

This is a special delivery

letter postmarked...

...in this city at 11 p.m. Last night...

...and addressed "Judge Daniel Hopkins,

Hall of Justice, Courtroom 10."

Is this the letter you received,

Your Honor?

It is.

The communication is not handwritten.

It is formed by letters cut

from a newspaper...

...and pasted together to spell words.

It is, ladies and gentlemen, the

confession of a tortured conscience.

Listen.

"I can't hide the truth any longer.

I am a citizen of Strand

who helped clean up the jail mess.

In the ashes,

I found this enclosed ring.

Nobody knew it, so I was keeping it for

a mement... Memento.

But it is upsetting my conscience.

I don't dare sign this, or I would

probably get lynched myself.

A citizen of Strand."

I now draw your attention to this ring.

It's gold, melted and misshapen,

as if by fire.

Inside the ring is an engraved

inscription, reading...

I can decipher only the words...

..."Henry to K."

The rest is melted out.

But after that word, I can plainly read...

...in a different style of engraving...

..."To Joe," obviously meaning...

- Objection!

- Sustained.

Since when have anonymous letters

become gospel in law?

Who can say that ring was

the property of Joseph Wilson?

What proof is there that it was found...

...as that concocted letter

would have us believe?

Who sent that letter?

A man afraid to sign his name.

I believe that this fraud is

a fabrication of some soul...

...poisoned with hostility

toward these defendants!

The state recalls

Katherine Grant to the stand.

I will remind you, Miss Grant,

you've already sworn to tell the truth.

Have you ever seen this ring before?

- Yes.

- Where and when?

In the railroad station in Chicago.

When I was leaving to come here.

I gave it to Joe.

What did Joseph Wilson do with it

when you gave it to him?

He put it on his little finger.

It was too small for any other finger.

How can you be sure this ring

is the one you gave him...

...and saw him put

on his little finger there?

Because it was my mother's.

It had engraved "Henry,"

my father's name...

..."to Katherine," which was

my mother's name too.

After the "Katherine"...

...I had it engraved...

..."to Joe."

I want to confess!

Let me go!

I threw stones at him!

I helped kill him!

I'm guilty! We're all guilty!

Let me ask her to forgive me!

Please, please, forgive me!

Forgive me!

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury...

Forgive me!

...there is your answer to this case!

That letter cinched it for us, didn't it?

Yeah, why?

It was certainly lucky for us

that it showed up...

...wasn't it?

- Stop talking about it.

I mean...

...where does it get you?

- Why didn't you tell me Joe was alive?

- What?

- Are you crazy?

- I know he's alive, Charlie. I know.

Will you shut your mouth?

You can't keep me quiet.

What's happened to him?

Does he realize what he's done?

What we've all done?

- Where is he?

- You saw him.

You saw him in that fire.

Why ask me?

You testified, not me. I wasn't there.

You're losing your mind again.

Of course.

Of course you're right.

I don't know what's the matter with me.

Of course you're right.

He's dead.

But I haven't slept for so long.

I want to go.

I can't listen to any more.

I want to go home.

It was that letter that made her jump.

I don't know...

You're trying to make yourself important.

- Katherine suspicious? You're daffy!

- I'm daffy!

Take a look at your radio.

I tell you, that letter...

That letter was the best idea I ever had.

Yeah. Almost cost me my finger

getting that ring off.

But it was worth it. It would have been

worth the whole hand. Two hands.

Tom, why don't you stick with me?

You know as well...

Yeah, you're right.

What's the use of fighting with him?

Anyway, she's home now.

We got the landlady to put her to bed.

Must have been some sensation

when that woman collapsed.

They could stand seeing

me burned to death.

- They can't stand an honest trial.

- Cut it out!

I can't stand it!

I can't hear any more!

You haven't been watching them.

You didn't look in their eyes.

- Yellow-livered welsher, sorry for them.

- You're as bad! You're lynching me!

It's getting me too. I wish I hadn't

started the whole thing. I was with you.

But I got a feeling you talked

me into something.

If I could think of a way out...

Why don't you snitch on me!

- Nobody's talking about that!

- I am! I can't stand it any longer!

Be human, Joe.

We can get out of the country,

start over.

But let's tell them the truth.

Let's tell them you're alive!

I'll kill you first.

You might as well kill me too.

You brought her here, you lying...

No, Joe. I followed them!

I knew you were alive when I saw your

letter. Why not kill me! Do a good job!

What difference does it make?

Twenty-two, 23, 25!

- Listen to me, Joe.

- No!

I'm sorry.

I didn't mean to talk that way.

Joe, I understand how you feel...

...and I understand

why you feel that way.

When I thought you were dead...

...when I thought of what killed you,

I wanted revenge too.

But now I don't.

I want to be happy again. I want what

we've always promised each other.

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