The Prisoner of Shark Island Page #3

War Department's orders!

Ha! Didn't know they had one!

- Shh!

- Well, the dad-blamed-

Good night, Sam darling.

The government will now present its case

against Dr. Samuel A. Mudd.

Tell them I've got to speak.

I've gotta defend myself.

L- I can't let them treat me

the way they've treated all these others.

General Ewing.

You will instruct the defendant

to remain silent and respect this court.

I'm confident, Mr. Erickson...

that after observing

the conduct of these trials...

Dr. Mudd's respect for this court...

is every whit as great as my own.

Frank J. Thomas will take the stand.

Tell the court what you know...

of Dr. Mudd's loyalty

to the federal union.

Dr. Mudd was

a dyed-in-the-wool slaver.

Yes, sir! Slaver!

Dr. Mudd's name

was on the prescription which I filled.

Dr. Mudd served

in the Confederate Army.

Dr. Mudd denied

that he'd ever seen Booth.

Dr. Mudd denied everything...

until I showed him Booth's own boot

right in his own home.

Dr. Mudd, when I examined him in prison,

confessed to me...

that he set Booth's broken leg

and then aided him with directions...

how to reach the Potomac

and Virginia.

- The case is ended.

- No! No!

The case is not ended!

Here's one defense you're gonna

hear whether you want it or not.

- The prisoner will observe order.

- Why? Why?

What more could you do to me?

What threat have you got left?

You can hang me. You can hang us all-

the innocent as well as the guilty!

Because you-you nine gallant officers

and gentlemen-

have stripped yourselves

of your pride and your honor.

But I'll not go without a fight.

I'll not go without trying to blacken

your memories with the insane injustice...

you'll carry on your souls

till the day you die!

And till the day you die, you'll ask

yourselves in your heart three questions:

Does an assassin confide

his plans to anyone?

Was I, a physician, in the plot...

because it was part

of John Wilkes Booth's plan...

to break his leg and to need me?

Does a man, whose first devotion is no longer

to a lost cause or to any flag that flies...

but to his wife and his child...

risk any act that could only cause

misery and heartbreak...

on their innocent lives?

In the sight of the holy God I worship,

I'm innocent.

The court will ignore

the remarks of the prisoner.

Sergeant! And-

And you still can't tell me

what they've decided?

Lady, I must have told you

that I don't know any more

than them bulletins.

He's coming now.

Oh, but, General, isn't-

isn't there any possible means...

of- of stopping things,

just for a little while anyway?

My child, I'm using

every legal means that I know of.

Be brave, my dear.

Peggy.

Martha.

- Now, now.

No, darling.

Don't do that.

It won't be long now.

We'll all be back together again.

Darling.

Sam.

Don't you know?

- Haven't they told you?

- Told me what?

You mean that you've heard?

Sam, the verdict...

was guilty.

Guilty.

I don't know.

It's... like a nightmare-

The way you can't fight,

you can't run, you can't do anything.

All the time,

it's coming towards you.

Oh, but, darling, we haven't given up.

We're not through, not yet.

No, Peggy, no. We're not giving up-

you and Martha and me.

But if Daddy has to stay away

a little while longer.

I want you to take care of Mama.

You know? Dry her tears,

try to make her happy.

Tell her, too, that in-

in the bottom drawer of the rolltop desk...

there are a lot of old bills-

bills that-

Well, Daddy never got around

to collecting them.

Maybe they'll get enough,

though, to send you to school...

buy you some new dresses.

Try not to forget Daddy, won't you?

Come on. Come on.

Let's go.

We're not giving up, not yet, dear!

Hey, bring him downstairs.

My cell is here.

You ain't going to need a cell anymore.

- I'll see General Hunter. I know him very well.

- Oh, Martha.

Martha.

Shoulder! Halt!

Oh, not now! No, no. Not now!

Please!

No!

Steady.

Steady, dear.

Say, you got the best place

in the yard, lady.

Over yonder's where

they're coming out.

Courage.

Courage, my dear.

Right face!

Forward march!

Right face!

Forward march!

Sam! Darling!

Courage. Courage.

Well, looks like that's all.

He's going to live! Live!

Present arms!

- Well, I guess the show's over.

- Phew.

- What about him?

- Life imprisonment on Dry Tortugas.

A new bunch from

Washington prison, sir.

Hard ones.

Report 'em

to the officer of the guards.

Yes, sir.

Mudd- Number 6.

All right. Left step!

- Next.

- William A. Dunger.

William Dunger-

insubordination, striking an officer.

- Ten years.

- Left step!

- Next.

- Otto Lehrman.

Otto Lehrman- desertion, 20 years.

You'll never make it, Otto.

You're too old.

The mosquitoes will get you.

Left step!

- Next.

- Samuel A. Mudd.

Dr. Samuel A. Mudd.

Dr. Mudd, I've been waitin' for you.

So all they gave you was life.

Couldn't hang you, eh?

Well, by Judas, you're gonna wish

they had fore I'm through with you!

Take a look at him, you filthy rats!

Take a look at the man

who killed Abe Lincoln...

the greatest man who ever lived.

Look at him! Watch him get

what's coming to him!

Next.

Left step!

All right.

Drop your chains.

Attention.

Now, before we go

any further here...

I want you to listen to me...

because I know exactly

what you're thinking...

every mother's son of ya.

You're figuring on whether

you're gonna be able to break out of here.

Well, we got a little way here

of putting thoughts like that...

out of your heads.

Follow me.

You first, Doctor.

Come on. Get up!

Halt!

Now, whenever you slops

get to figuring...

on breaking out of here...

I just want you to give

a little thought to this moat.

It runs all around the island.

It's 75 feet wide...

and 35 feet deep.

And you know what we keep in it?

We keep pets in it.

Nice little pets.

We got more pets in that moat

than you can count.

And sometimes we feed 'em.

Not often. Oh, no.

But just for you,

because I like you...

I'm going to give 'em

a little treat.

Now watch close.

Buck!

Move on, white man.

- A prisoner, sir.

- Just a minute.

Now, you know,

that's quite interesting.

Those are mosquito larvae.

See there.

But not very interesting

to anyone but a medico, I'm afraid.

Well, I'm also a physician, sir.

No.

Now I am pleased.

That's Dr. Mudd.

Oh.

Well, l-

I thought that-

I thought that, that as another physician,

you would understand the circumstances-

the obligation of a doctor to-

to give aid to anyone, whoever he might be.

Mr. Mudd...

if you assumed you might find sympathy here,

get rid of the idea.

The profession you have dishonored

is ashamed of you...

ashamed of your membership in it.

As a doctor, I may tell you that I despise you

even beyond the rest of the world.

It would be of no use for me...

to swear to you on the- on the honor

of the profession we both respect...

that I had nothing

whatsoever to do with-

with the death of Mr. Lincoln?

It would be of no use whatever.

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