Murder! Page #3

---

of dual personality in her.

One of these persons

is violent and cruel

and the other,

just an ordinary woman.

If we set this bad

personality free,

we must be prepared

to show her

the responsibility.

If we let her go and

anything should happen...

The blood would be

on our hands.

Do you wish to alter

your verdict, mrs. Ward?

Now, mr. Daniels...

After all you've heard,

does your opinion still

remain the same?

Well, you know, I find it

very difficult to believe

that a girl of that sort

should do such a thing.

After all, she looks perfectly

riveting, you know.

Well, you know

what I mean?

A sort of girl one

would like for a daughter.

I presume, sir,

that an ugly woman

would stand very little

chance at your hand.

The thing you've

got to decide,

mr. Daniels,

has nothing to do

with the qualities

of the young lady

as they appeal

to you.

Yes, of course.

I know that.

But, that's all, well,

you know what I mean.

It's...It's pretty

awful and all

that sort of thing.

Besides the thing

you're thinking of,

what's your verdict?

Well...

Well...

Oh...

Guilty, I suppose.

Well, now we're

practically complete.

There's just sir John.

Well, don't dismiss me as

easily at that, mr. foreman.

Yes? We mustn't be long.

Time is money, you know?

Time in this case,

may I remind you, is life.

If I'm delaying you all,

I apologize.

I admit that I am not...

A man of business.

I'm a poor actor.

Oh, come now,

dear sir John.

I repeat...

The poorest

of poor players.

And my time on the stage

will be shortened

had I not for years

trained myself to...

How shall I put it...

To apply

the technique of life...

to the problems

of my art.

But today,

ladies and gentlemen,

that process is reversed.

I find myself applying

the technique of my art

to a problem

of real life.

And my art

is not satisfied.

In the first place,

I am fairly convinced that Diana

Baring was telling the thruth

when she said

she remembered nothing.

In fact,

I have been impressed

by her behavior

all through the trial.

But my dear sir!

Oh, I say, sir John.

Oh, please don't

think I'm taking

the same line as our

friend mr. Daniels here.

He made a very

gallant attempt,

but I assure you my reasoning

goes a little deeper.

I am convinced further

that she was again

telling the truth

when she said she had

drunk no brandy.

Buy you've forgotten

the evidence

of the police sergeant.

He said she

smelled of drink

and appeared dazed

on arrest.

How do you know that was not

the wine she had at dinner?

What about

the evidence

of Markham,

the stage manager?

He found the empty

brandy flask

right on the spot.

Yes, but--

What about the evidence

of the actor, Stewart?

He said the women

had been enemies

for some time.

Ah, he was the one

who said

prisoner was rough to mrs.

Druce on the stage once.

All pointing to her violent

nature, sir John.

Yes, but that

was not altogether

borne out by Fane.

You know, the, um...

Well, the female

impersonator man.

But his evidence was

of little use.

He was so obviously in

love with the prisoner.

In any case, everything

was perfectly clear

when the body

was discovered.

Why, the woman

was actually caught

in the room

red-handed.

And found with a poker

by her side.

And her dress

all over blood.

And quarrelling

over a man.

That's right.

Any answer to that,

sir John?

Think of her personality.

She's not the kind

of girl to get drunk.

Brandy in the flask,

was there?

She doesn't deny it.

That's right.

Any answer

to that, sir John?

Not at the moment.

Was there anyone entered

the house that night?

Landlady says not.

Girl says not.

They were alone.

Any answer

to that, sir John?

Not at the moment.

But have we taken it

too much for granted

that no one else

could've done the murder?

They were alone.

Says they quarelled.

Admits it.

Any answer

to that, sir John?

She does not admit it.

She says she

doesn't remember.

Is that

a guilty woman's answer?

And her dress

all over blood.

Make an exhibition

of yourself.

Waste of time, waste of money.

Quarelling.

Hands all over blood.

Any answer?

Any answer?

Any answer

to that, sir John?

Well, now that we've all

agreed on our verdict,

I can inform the judge

that we're ready.

Stand up.

Ladies and gentlemen

of the jury,

have you agreed

upon your verdict?

And do you find the prisoner

guilty or not guilty?

Guilty.

Diana Baring,

have you anything to say?

My sentence of death

should now

be passed upon you

according to law.

It's absurd,

I tell you.

It's absolutely absurd.

oh, yes,

oh, yes, oh, yes

Praise silence,

all of you,

on the pain

of imprisonment

while sentence of death

is passed upon the prisoner

at the bar.

Adjourned

until tomorrow.

The Baring murder trial

came to

a conclusion today

with a verdict

of guilty,

and sentence of death

was passed on Diana Baring.

And that

is all the news.

But here is an S.O.S.,

which has just been

brought into the studio.

We've been asked by the

commissioner of police

to broadcast

the following--

The brandy cocktail

you ordered, sir.

Right.

Ring up mr. Bennett,

will you?

And ask him to bring me the

details of the receipts

for the last 3 nights.

Also,...booking...

With New Scotland Yard to

telephone Victoria 7000

or with

any police station.

This is

the national program.

Our concert tonight

is an orchestral one,

given by the radio

symphony orchestra.

They start by playing

the overture

to Tristan und Isolde

by Wagner.

Funny that S.O.S.

Coming on top of that other.

Save her soul.

Save her.

If I'd stood up longer,

I might have worn them down.

Why couldn't they see

the girl as I did...

The rest of the fellows

on the jury.

But anyone standing

in the dark

on a charge like that...

Probably looks different

from the same person

somewhere else.

Ah, amusing the way

she stood up to everybody.

There's no doubt

that did her a lot of harm.

Yet, it was that

manner of hers that...

Very attractive I thought.

And I wonder what

her feelings are now.

Who drank that brandy?!

Why didn't I force

that point home to them?

Easy to figure these

things out afterwards.

The girl said

she didn't drink it.

Yet she admits she might

have killed Edna Druce.

That's queer.

Why admit a big

thing like that

and yet be sure she

didn't do a small thing

such as drink

a drop of brandy?

All that came

to light to me today.

I'm sure I was right

when I raised that.

Quite frankly,

more certain now.

How do we know that someone else

didn't drink the brandy?

Perhaps there

was someone else,

that's the whole thing.

Whoever drank that brandy!

Mr. Bennett has come up

to see you, sir John.

Bennett.

Glad you're back,

sir John.

Been reading

about it all.

Plenty of publicity.

Been awful

for you, though.

You having

met days before.

Well, she wanted

to become a star,

a year ago that was.

I suppose you can say

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes