The Baron of Arizona Page #7

---

to sit wherever and whenever it wants...

and we've decided to hold

court here in your home...

to avoid a mob riot in a public hearing.

Mr. Reavis, we have legal proof...

that will indict, convict and

sentence you to the penitentiary.

Proof? My forgery is flawless.

Remember this?

The 1748 volume of the Spanish land grants.

I must admit this is the finest

example of forgery I've ever seen.

Now, we had the ink on this page analyzed.

It contains the tannin acid of oak.

No, that's impossible.

I made that ink myself.

And the monks haven't changed

their formula for over 500 years.

A monk named Brother Paul came to

Alcntara from the north of Spain.

He brought his own ink.

Every word on this page was

written by him with his own ink...

except this account of the grant awarded

to Peralta by King Ferdinand of Spain.

This was written with ink which had no oak.

You used the ink made in the

south when you forged this page.

You didn't need my confession, did you?

No, not now.

Will it be a

- a long prison term?

It's according to how much money

you return to the landowners.

The lavish manner in which

you spent the money...

will determine the years

of your imprisonment.

There's all the money.

I'm tired. I need a rest.

Father Guardian told me to meditate.

I should have listened to him that night.

The court cannot guarantee the rest...

but you'll have sufficient time to meditate.

Well, I will help you gather up all

my records and receipts and papers.

You'll need them. They're at my office.

Mr. Alvarez, I'm going to

request leniency for you.

Frankly, Your Honor, I don't see

criminal intent in his conspiracy...

just ignorant devotion and sentiment.

Are you ready?

Loma...

I've never thanked you for

all you've done for Sofia...

the influence you've had on her.

I'm -

I'm grateful.

Court is now adjourned.

- Are you ready, Mr. Griff?

- Yes.

By the way, Mr. Reavis...

did you read my book?

It was my bible.

The land in Arizona don't belong to no baron!

It belongs to you and me! We paid for it!

We paid for it with money, and

we paid for it with our hard work!

Now, maybe these government

men mean all right...

but I'm sayin' it takes 'em too long to act!

We gotta do somethin' now!

There's only one thing about

this case I can't understand.

What's that?

After devoting so many years to

this scheme, what made you confess?

I fell in love with my wife.

Get that sign down!

The Baron is comin'! The Baron is comin'!

Joe, I don't like this quiet.

Yeah.

Funny. I never seen this square

so empty this time of night.

Quick!

This'll learn ya! You don't take

land that don't belong to ya!

Hoist 'im!

- James!

- Go on and hang me, you stupid idiots!

Hang me, and the land'll

never be proven yours.

Go on and hang me!

What's the matter?

Haven't you got any brains?

Isn't there one man among you

with sense enough to realize...

that once I'm dead you'll

never be able to prove anything?

Ask the government man. He'll tell you.

That's why he was with me

- to question me, to save your property.

You know the law.

Tell 'em what'll happen if they hang me.

Tell 'em what'll happen to their land!

- What's lynchin' got to do

with provin' the land is ours?

Hang me, and you hang your ranches

and farms and shops and mines.

Hang me, and you'll never give

Griff a chance to get at me.

He can't try a dead man. I've got to be alive

if you want to prove that the land is yours.

I've gotta answer questions.

I've gotta identify documents.

I've got to be legally cross-examined

by the United States government.

What do I have to do to pound

it into your thick skulls?

Hang me, and you hang

all your claims with you!

Go on! Hang me!

I thought I told you to leave me.

Get in.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes