Manhattan Melodrama Page #7

Well, darling, the man's been asking for it.

He's made hundreds of enemies.

But it shouldn't upset you, dear.

I know.

Well, I guess it just must be the relief.

Hello?

Yes.

Police headquarters?

It's for you.

Wade speaking.

What?

- All right, I'll be down in just a little while.

- What is it?

- They made an arrest.

- Who?

Blackie.

Nice of you to come and see me like this.

Put you to a lot of trouble.

You're crazy to come here.

Suppose somebody spotted you.

I can see the headlines now,

"DA's wife in secret visit to slayer. "

- That'd be fine.

- But I had to come, Blackie.

It was because of what I said to you

at Belmont.

You said you'd do something about Snow.

You've got it all figured out, haven't you?

Hey, look, what are you going to wear

on the witness stand?

Blackie, please. I haven't told Jim yet.

I wanted to see you first.

And I thought you were smart.

That's what I always liked about you.

You were even smart enough

to walk out on me.

- But I'll have to tell him.

- That's great.

The one thing they haven't got on me

is a motive.

So the DA's wife pops out with a pip.

But Jim will understand. Jim will help you.

Blackie, you've got to tell me.

Did you kill Snow?

Now, don't be silly.

You don't kill rats like Snow.

You don't have to.

Hey, look, tell me something.

What?

You in love with Jim?

I love Jim more than anything else

in this world.

I never knew what love was, Blackie,

until I met Jim.

All right, then if you love Jim

as much as you say you do,

and you want to see him governor,

keep quiet!

Hey, look, you don't know that guy

as well as I know him.

Above everything else in the world,

he's the district attorney, remember that.

Now, if you tell what happened

at Belmont,

he'll put you on the witness stand.

And then where will he be when he comes

to his campaign for governor?

Well, what about you? It's your life.

They haven't got a thing on me

as long as you keep quiet.

You know, Blackie,

for a while I was almost ashamed

of having loved you,

but I'm not now. I'm proud.

Yeah? Well, I think you're okay, too.

Time's up.

Okay. So long, Eleanor.

Goodbye, Blackie.

Everybody rise.

The prosecution will proceed.

Your Honor,

District Attorney Wade intended

to make the closing address himself,

but as you know,

he is in the midst

of his campaign for governor.

He apparently has been delayed.

We expect him any minute.

Well, the court sees

no reason why politics

should be permitted to hinder or delay

the conduct of such an important case.

The prosecution will proceed.

With or without Mr. Wade.

Just a moment, please, Your Honor.

What a break for us.

- I shall insist on starting without Wade.

- Sit down.

We'll wait.

- But it'll gives us a chance to...

- Chance, my eye.

As far as you're concerned,

this trial is over.

I'll hand you one thing, though,

you've been licked by the best.

Now keep your eyes open

and learn something.

Your Honor.

Gentlemen of the jury,

I...

I've started.

I beg the court's pardon

for this unfortunate delay.

We were about to proceed without you,

Mr. Wade.

Hereafter, I trust you will not again allow

your political activities to cause delay.

I trust not, Your Honor.

Class, it's written all over him. Class.

Your Honor.

Gentlemen,

there's very little more

that I can say to you.

The state has tried Blackie Gallagher

for the murder of Richard Snow.

The defense was quick to point out,

as their only defense,

that we could establish no clear,

indisputable motive for the crime.

Well, gentlemen, murder without motive

seems to be the fashion of the day.

And it is just this vicious practice

which we must stamp out.

For years, men and women in this country

tolerated racketeers and murderers.

Because of their own hatred of prohibition,

they felt in sympathy with those who

broke a law they felt to be oppressive.

Crime and criminals became popular.

Killers became heroes.

But, gentlemen, prohibition has gone

and these gangsters and killers

who came with it must go with it.

The defense has pointed out

Snow's shady character,

has indicated his large number

of personal enemies.

I concur with their opinion.

I found it necessary myself

to dismiss him from public office.

But Richard Snow was a man

killed by another man.

The law makes no distinctions.

Murder cannot go unpunished.

Our testimony against Blackie Gallagher

could not have been more complete

if we had had an eyewitness

to the murder.

We have proved that he was practically

caught in the act.

You have heard a fake,

blind beggar testify.

He heard the shot

and saw Gallagher come out of the room

in which he had been alone with Snow.

There is conflicting testimony

from various parties

at the Garden that night.

But Gallagher's own party

is the only one to insist

that he did not leave his box.

We have eight witnesses

to the fact that he did.

Gentlemen,

in finding Blackie Gallagher

guilty of murder,

we are faced with more

than the avenging of one death.

We are faced with the choice

which we must make.

Either we can surrender

to an epidemic of crime and violence

which will destroy our homes

and our community,

or we can give warning to the host

of other gangsters and murderers

that they are through.

In 1904, when the General Slocum burned,

I made a boyish effort

to save Blackie Gallagher's life.

Today, I demand from you

his death.

Gentlemen of the jury,

you are instructed that the defendant

is under the laws

of the State of New York,

presumed to be innocent

of the crime with which he is charged...

Who? Oh, yeah.

...until he is proven guilty

to your satisfaction

by competent evidence

and beyond a reasonable doubt.

This presumption remains with

the defendant throughout the trial.

And unless you are satisfied

that he is guilty of the crime charged,

and this beyond any reasonable doubt,

then you must acquit him of the charge.

A reasonable doubt is such a doubt

as a man of reasonable intelligence

can give some good reason

for entertaining,

if he is called upon to do so.

- Is he coming? Have you heard from him?

- I haven't heard a word. Not a word.

We've been waiting

more than half an hour outside.

Mr. Wade, the district attorney's

office wants you on the phone right away.

Hello. This is Wade.

The jury just came in

on the Blackie Gallagher case.

Verdict, guilty, first-degree.

You're practically up in Albany right now.

Say, if that doesn't put you

in the governor's chair

and me in the district attorney's office,

I'll miss my guess.

Well, congratulations, to both of us.

Come on, Governor.

They'll be tearing up the seats in a minute.

I'm afraid they'll have to tear.

I can't speak, not tonight.

Why, what's happened? Bad news?

Wife?

Friend.

Sick?

Going to die.

Blackie Gallagher has been convicted

of first-degree murder.

I'm sorry.

The defendant will rise and face the bench.

Have you anything to say

before sentence is pronounced upon you?

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