Murder in the First Page #10

...harmed or attempted to harm

another human being, never...

...was now a murderer.

That is a fact, is it not?

- Yes. No, he tried to escape.

- t is equally a fact...

You can't let them get away with this.

If we let them get away with this,

where would we be?

- What? Should we let murderers roam free?

- Henri Young was not a murderer.

Henri Young was not a murderer

until Alcatraz got a hold of him.

Now, the prison runs under your guidelines,

so you created the murderer, didn't you?

Didn't you?

He tried to escape.

That's the thing, you see.

Ah... Hm.

Mr. Stamphill...

...do you have any further questions

for this witness?

- No, Your Honor.

The witness may step down.

But he tried to escape.

I'd been trained all my life for that day.

Control the witness, go for the kill.

Win, victory.

School prepared me well.

My brother, he had prepared me well.

Years later, he and I would reconcile.

Family's family, you know.

Mary congratulated me,

but we'd already begun to drift apart.

When you only try to win,

you sometimes lose sight of the goal...

...which should have always

remained Henri.

No way they're gonna

send you to the gas chamber.

Most is second-degree murder.

Maybe manslaughter.

Ten years, if you get clemency,

and you'll walk.

- You'll have your whole life in front of you.

- Monday morning...

...I want you to get up to that judge

and tell him there's been a change of plan.

I want you to get up there

and change my plea to guilty.

- That's a joke, right?

- Not to me, it's not.

I'm not doing it.

What the hell have I been doing here?

Why have I been wasting my time?

I never thought we'd win.

I thought you wanted to fight.

I just wanted a friend.

- Henri, I am your friend.

- No, you're not. No, you're not.

It's always about you.

It's never about me.

You don't understand.

I already lost.

You just keep talking and talking

and talking. And you never listen.

You certainly don't know

what you're talking about.

- You just don't know what it's like.

- What what's like?

Alcatraz!

Where do you think they're gonna send me

those 10 years you're talking about?

They're gonna send me back to Alcatraz.

- Henri, when it's over, you'll be alive.

- 'm Henri.

I'm the one that's gotta do the time,

not you.

And I can't do it. I can't do it.

I can't, all right?

Listen, it's not worth it.

It's not worth it.

Nothing's worth going back there.

Mm-mm.

Sixty-seven thousand fans...

...at Municipal Stadium in Cleveland...

...watching to see if Joe DiMaggio can keep

his 56-game hitting streak alive.

Jim Bagby on the mound, works the count

to 1 and 1, runner on first base.

Here's the pitch. Joe DiMaggio swings.

It's a ground ball hit out to short

to Lou Boudreau.

He flips it to Ray Mack for one out.

The relay to Grimes at first...

...it's in time for a double play.

Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak

is stopped.

Yeah?

- Mrs. Rosetta Dial?

Why are we in here, Jim?

Maybe there are some things

worth fighting for, Henri.

Henri?

Do I know you?

I'm... I'm Rosetta, Henri.

I'm your sister.

Um...

My, uh...

My baby's name is Henri.

You know, Mr. Stamphill says that...

I was...

...beginning to think...

...that you wasn't real. That I...

...made you up in my mind.

- want you to come...

- Rosetta.

I want you to tell Jim that I appreciate

him bringing you down here...

...and knowing that you turned out okay.

That means a lot. I want you to tell him,

come Monday morning...

...he's gonna plead me guilty

just like I said.

I wish I wasn't so scared of them,

Rosetta.

I wish to God I wasn't.

You take care of yourself now.

You may call your

next witness, Mr. Stamphill.

Your Honor, be just a second.

I'm your friend.

On the outside,

I'd be lucky to consider you my friend.

Therefore, I'm not gonna kill you.

Are you going to call a witness

sometime today, counselor?

Yes, Your Honor.

If you wanna change your plea, you go up

there and do it. I'm not gonna do it.

- Plead me guilty.

- don't think you are guilty.

- That doesn't matter.

- t does to me.

Okay, counselor, I am very close

to finding you in contempt of...

Your Honor, the defense calls

Mr. Henri Young.

No.

He just lost the case.

You wanna change your plea,

you go up there.

I repeat, I'm not gonna do it for you.

Counselor, unless...

He's coming, Your Honor.

Go ahead, tell them.

Tell them, not me.

- You better ask me the right questions.

- 'll ask what I want.

- And I'll answer what I want.

- Fine.

Fine.

Guilty, guilty, guilty.

Stand up. Put your hand on the Bible.

Do you swear to tell the truth,

the whole truth and nothing but the truth...

...so help you God?

- So help me God.

- State your name for the records.

- Henri Young. Henri Young.

Be seated.

Your Honor...

Wanna wait until I've asked a question?

- haven't asked yet.

- He's trying to trick me.

Please instruct the witness to refrain

from speaking until I ask a question...

...and then just to answer

the question I ask.

- He's your witness, counselor.

- He won't listen to me.

- He trying to trick me. I just...

Silence, Mr. Young.

Now, here's the way it works.

Mr. Stamphill will ask you a question...

...and you may answer that question.

However, Mr. Stamphill cannot coerce you

into testifying against yourself.

Now, you do understand that?

Yeah, I just want to...

Did you and I have a conversation in which

you told me you wish to change your plea?...

Mr. Stamphill, you will wait until

I have finished instructing the witness.

That's okay.

That's the question I wanted him to ask.

It is not okay.

And I do not need you to tell me

what is or is not okay.

In this courtroom,

I am the one who decides...

...what is or is not okay.

Okay?

- Yes, Your Honor.

- Well, thank you very much.

Counselors, approach the bench.

Now, you wanna tell me

what the hell is going on here?

I'm just trying...

I mean, your own defendant

is looking to me to protect him from you.

So, what's going on?

I know, Your Honor,

it seems very strange but...

As far as I'm concerned, you're an idiot

to put him on the stand for any reason.

Asking your own client

to testify against himself.

It doesn't seem to make a lot of sense,

but the prosecution isn't objecting so...

No, I'm not. Let him continue.

Shut up.

- Stamphill...

- Enough damage has been done.

- don't think I can mess things up any more.

- Oh, yes, you can.

All right. All right.

But you're on a very short leash, Stamphill.

A very short leash.

I will throw you in jail

for contempt myself.

Now, let's get this goddamn show

on the road.

Don't let him rattle you, James.

I think you're doing a great job.

Mr. Young, stop playing with that.

Now, do you or do you not wish

to continue testifying, Mr. Young?

It's okay. He asked me the right question.

Counselor, you may proceed.

Mr. Young, did you and I not have

a conversation last Friday...

...which you told me

you wished to change your plea to guilty?

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