![Find Madeleine on Amazon](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMDczZTFhYzItMWUwMy00ZWJiLWJiMWItMGQ3MzAxYzIzNDBlL2ltYWdlL2ltYWdlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjc1NTYyMjg@._V1_SX300.jpg)
Madeleine Page #8
- APPROVED
- Year:
- 1950
- 101 min
- 420 Views
that she procured poison in some unknown,
underhanded way,
and that L'Angelier's first illness was the result of
his visit to Blythswood Square the night before,
recollect the evidence of Christina Haggart.
Now, you prepared the cocoa and took it up.
- I did.
- It was usual for them to have cocoa?
Yes.
Were you there when it was poured out?
- Yes.
- Did Miss Smith drink her cocoa?
Yes. There was none left
when I took the tray down later.
So much, gentlemen, for the first charge.
Now, we all know that on the occasion
of the second illness,
the prisoner did possess arsenic.
But one person may be in possession of poison
and another may die of the effects of poison.
And yet that proves nothing.
You must have motive,
and I shall come to motive by and by.
And you must also have another element:
opportunity.
The opportunity of the parties
coming into personal contact
so that poison can be administered.
Now, there is a letter,
an all important letter.
"Why, my beloved, did you not come to me?
I waited and waited for you, but you came not."
When was it that she waited and waited?
It was upon the Thursday evening,
that was the twist.
But L'Angelier never kept that appointment.
same hour and arrangements. "
That was on the Friday evening.
And believing he was still in Glasgow,
she no doubt waited for him again.
Waited as she had on the previous evening.
But he came not.
In fact, L'Angelier did not keep his appointment
on either the Thursday or the Friday evening,
neither did he appear on the Saturday.
Why then should she expect
that he would come on the Sunday?
Let us see what happened in the Smith
household on this all important Sunday.
Madeleine and I were in bed
the same time that night.
Are you sure, Janet?
I want you to answer very carefully.
Do not be frightened. Just tell the truth.
I am sure. There was a storm. Madeleine was
in bed with me before I was asleep.
Did that always happen?
No, sometimes she gets undressed
but sits in a chair with a book.
But this night she went to bed?
Yes, I have told you.
Gentlemen, neither within the house,
nor without the house,
is the slightest ground for suspicion that the
appointment made in that letter was ever kept.
(Gallery murmurs)
I do not attempt to disprove the medical
evidence that L'Angelier died by arsenic.
On the other hand, I intend to prove,
and I think conclusively,
that the arsenic from which he died was not
the arsenic purchased by the prisoner -
indeed, could not have been.
Dr. Penny, in your examination of the body,
did you find any colouring matter?
Colouring matter?
I did not particularly attend to that.
- Why not?
- I was not asked to.
But surely your attention was directed
to the whole matter for analysis.
Aye... it was.
And in point of fact,
you did not find any colouring matter.
- I did not search for it.
- You did not find it.
No.
Now, the druggist who sold the arsenic
to the prisoner made a statement about it.
All the arsenic I sell is coloured
with soot.
Ordinary coal soot, Mr. Murdoch?
Aye. It is a safeguard against careless use.
It may be very well for Dr. Penny to say now
that his attention was not directed
to colouring matter.
But fortunately an experiment was made.
I gave a dog arsenic
which I bought in Murdoch's the druggists.
Did it contain colouring matter?
It contained a small proportion of soot.
Did you have any difficulty in detecting
the soot in the dog after death?
No, I did not.
Gentlemen, probably no man can ever tell
how L'Angelier met his death,
and His Lordship will tell you that, in the
prisoner's defence, I am not obliged to try.
But aspects of his character
have emerged during this enquiry,
which certainly suggest an answer.
He was at times subject to very low spirits.
Did he actually at one time tell you
of his intention to commit suicide?
Yes. He went to the Dean Bridge
Why did he do that?
I believe because a lady jilted him.
But whether he met his death
by accident or by suicide,
the question for you is: is this
murder proved?
Was the poison administered
by the hands of the prisoner?
What motive had she to commit this murder?
It may be that it would have been an advantage
to her that this man should cease to live.
But what possible advantage could she expect
so long as her letters remained?
Her object, her greatest desire was
to avoid the exposure of her shame.
L'Angelier's death only defeated
that object.
He died with the letters still in
his possession.
"Why, then," ask the prosecution,
"did she buy arsenic? "
The prisoner says she used it as a cosmetic.
This might be startling at first sight
to many of us here.
And we have had the medical gentlemen
shaking their heads and looking wise,
and saying that such a use of arsenic would
be a dangerous practice, but, gentlemen...
It is a practice of which
I am certainly aware.
- From your personal experience?
- Aye.
It is not rare for ladies to come
into my shop
and ask me to sell them arsenic
as a toilet preparation.
They've read it somewhere
or a friend has told them.
Gentlemen, I have laid before you,
as clearly as I could,
what I conceive to be
all the important facts of this enquiry.
And I now ask you to bring your judgment
to the performance of your most solemn duty.
The time may come, it certainly will come -
perhaps not before the great day on which
the secrets of all hearts shall be revealed,
and yet it may be in this world -
when the secret of this extraordinary story
of Madeleine Smith may be brought to light.
Dare any one of you here,
dare any man here or elsewhere
say that he has formed a clear opinion
against the prisoner?
For if on anything short of clear opinion
you convict the prisoner,
reflect, I beseech you,
reflect what the consequences may be.
May the spirit of all truth guide you
to an honest, a just and a true verdict.
But no verdict will be either honest
or just or true,
unless it leaves undisturbed and unvexed
the tenderest conscience among you.
(Applause)
CLERK:
Clear the court!(Footsteps pace the corridor)
There. Now you can see for yourself
how becoming it is.
a great deal of trouble with it.
I'm almost sorry the court has been cleared.
It would have been a good advertisement
for her.
The judge was very wise.
I never saw such unruliness.
You are very kind, Miss Aiken.
I think you purposely suggested that
I change my dress to keep me occupied.
Nothing of the kind.
Miss Aiken, will the jury be much longer?
Try not to think about it. Now, hurry
and finish as I must take that back.
It's against regulations.
I'll be back presently.
(Hubbub)
(Bell rings)
(Door opens)
CLERK:
James Christie,James Pearson, James Walker,
Charles Thompson-Coombe,
William Sharpe, Archibald Weir,
Alexander Morrison, Andrew Hugh Wilson,
Translation
Translate and read this script in other languages:
Select another language:
- - Select -
- 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
- 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
- Español (Spanish)
- Esperanto (Esperanto)
- 日本語 (Japanese)
- Português (Portuguese)
- Deutsch (German)
- العربية (Arabic)
- Français (French)
- Русский (Russian)
- ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
- 한국어 (Korean)
- עברית (Hebrew)
- Gaeilge (Irish)
- Українська (Ukrainian)
- اردو (Urdu)
- Magyar (Hungarian)
- मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
- Indonesia (Indonesian)
- Italiano (Italian)
- தமிழ் (Tamil)
- Türkçe (Turkish)
- తెలుగు (Telugu)
- ภาษาไทย (Thai)
- Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
- Čeština (Czech)
- Polski (Polish)
- Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
- Românește (Romanian)
- Nederlands (Dutch)
- Ελληνικά (Greek)
- Latinum (Latin)
- Svenska (Swedish)
- Dansk (Danish)
- Suomi (Finnish)
- فارسی (Persian)
- ייִדיש (Yiddish)
- հայերեն (Armenian)
- Norsk (Norwegian)
- English (English)
Citation
Use the citation below to add this screenplay to your bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"Madeleine" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 30 Aug. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/madeleine_13135>.
Discuss this script with the community:
Report Comment
We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.
If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.
Attachment
You need to be logged in to favorite.
Log In