The Winslow Boy Page #11

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will tell firmly tell the jury

that a verdict for Ronnie...

will simultaneously cause mutiny in the Royal

Navy and triumphant jubilation in Berlin.

Catherine, your father's ill.

- Father! - Promise me you

won't come to court tomorrow.

The verdict certainly won't come

through until the day after tomorrow.

Promise me you'll stay at home.

Come along, dear, we'll get back home.

- Hey. You that Winslow boy?

- No, I'm the brother.

- Wait a minute, our American readers want to

know... - What is your profession, Winslow?

- I'm a banker. - A banker, what

are your views on this case?

I don't know I have any.

Except, I mean, I hope we win and all that.

- Were you in court?

- No. I just came from Reading.

- Reading? - That's where I work. I came

up for the last two days of the trial.

- What's your brother like? - Quite an ordinary

sort of kid just like any other, makes a noise...

- Does fretwork, doesn't wash...

- Doesn't what ...?

Doesn't wash.

I say, don't take that too literally.

I mean he does, sometimes.

Nobody in.

- Hello, Dickie!

- Hello, Mother.

Extra! Winslow Boy latest!

Read all about it!

Winslow Boy - new witness!

Read all about it!

Winslow Boy - new witness!

Captain Flower...

at this inquiry at the college, Cadet Winslow

was given every chance to defend himself?

- Certainly. - And after hearing all the

evidence, what conclusion did you come to?

- That he was guilty.

- Beyond the faintest shadow of a doubt?

- Yes sir, beyond the faintest

shadow of a doubt. - Thank you.

I thought you said, sir, that in this

preliminary inquiry at Osborne...

as a result of which Cadet Winslow

was branded as a forger and a thief...

I think you said that the boy had

every chance to defend himself.

Yes, sir. That is so.

Tell me, Captain, Have you

ever been court martialled.

- Milord, I protest most strenuously!

- I agree.

- You don't have to answer that question.

- But I'm quite ready to.

Yes sir. I was court martialled once

about... about 25 years ago.

What was the charge?

Conduct unbecoming an

officer and a gentleman.

Indeed. What more specific

conduct was that?

Stealing a policeman's

helmet in Portsmouth.

Speak up, please.

Stealing a policeman's

helmet in Portsmouth.

I see - and what was the

result of the court martial?

- I was acquitted.

- I'm delighted to hear it.

How old were you then, Captain?

About 22... I think.

And you conducted your

own defence, I suppose?

No, I had accused's friend.

Oh, you had accused's friend?

A fellow officer to defend you.

And at his inquiry, did Ronald

Winslow have anyone to defend him?

- That was different. - Different?

Ah, yes, of course it was different.

You were a man of 22, but

he was a child of 13.

Thank you, Captain. That is all.

You were quite positive, Mr. Ridgeley-Pierce,

that the handwriting was that of Ronald Winslow?

Quite positive.

And you arrived at that conclusion with the

aid of every available scientific device...

and after a lifetime's

study of handwriting?

I did.

You said, I think, Mr. Ridgeley-Pierce, that

you used every available scientific device...

in identifying this handwriting?

- Yes, that is so.

Now you must have been called the greatest

handwriting expert in the country. Haven't you?

That is very good of you. I daresay I have.

So naturally, you used the

Schwutzbacher system.

- What system? - The Schutzbacher system.

You use it, of course.

I'm afraid, I've never heard of it.

Never heard of it?

Never heard of the Schwutzbacher system?

No.

What is it?

You are not cross-examining me,

Mr. Ridgeley-Pierce, I am cross-examining you.

What system, then, do you use?

My own system.

The Ridgely-Pierce system.

Oh, the Ridgely-Pierce system, of course.

That was the system you used in the

Madison murder case, wasn't it?

Yes, that is so.

You gave evidence that Madison

had written a certain letter...

in a disguised hand

confessing to the murder.

- Yes.

- Why, then, was Madison acquitted?

Because the jurors were idiots.

Oh - idiots were they?

Because they disagreed with you and

saved an innocent man from the gallows?

No, I mean...

And this jury...

should they disagree with you too, and save an

innocent boy from the... waging a young innocent...

stigma of forger and thief...

Would you call them idiots, as well?

- No, I didn't mean...

- That is all, Mr. Ridgely-Pierce.

Now, Miss. Hawkins, how long have

you been postmistress at Osborne?

23 years. Of course, I started very young.

I can see that.

Miss. Hawkins, I'm going to ask you to answer

a simple and straightforward question.

Are you quite, quite positive...

that the boy who bought the

postal order for fifteen and six...

also cashed the postal

order for 5 shillings?

Yes, quite positive.

I see.

Had you any particular reason for

noticing him? If there was -

Well, I thought he was such

a nice-looking little boy.

Would you say exceptionally nice-looking?

Better looking than, say, the boy Elliot?

- My lord, I consider that question... - My

lord, I insist the question be answered!

- Proceed, Sir John... - Milord. The

jury has to decide an issue of fact!

- Not act as judges of a beauty

competition! - I will have...

Milord, it is truly neither right

nor proper for my esteemed...

Perhaps you had better leave me to decide

what is right and proper, Sir Robert.

I have had occasion to

reprimand you before.

I must warn you for the last time that you

must not presume on the patience of the court.

As your lordship pleases.

Perhaps this might be an

opportune moment to adjourn.

The court is adjourned until two o'clock.

- Are you alright, sir?

- Yeah, all right.

Morton, what you and I both need

is a glass of good sherry wine.

I suppose next you're going to ask for a postponement

on the ground of ill health, ay, you sly dog?

- Desmond...

- Don't go, Kate, I want to speak to you.

I have a matter of some urgency

to communicate to you..

- Yes? - The fact of the matter is, Kate,

I have a question to put to you...

which, if I had refrained from

putting until after the verdict...

you might have thought - who knows...

was prompted by pity,

if we lose it, or...

if we win, your reply

might - again who knows...

have been affected by gratitude.

Do you follow me, Kate?

Yes, Desmond, I think I do.

Then possibly you have an inkling of what

the question is I have to put to you?

Yes, I think I have.

Oh, you have. I am glad you have guessed.

It makes my task the easier.

You see, Kate, I know what your

feelings for me really are.

- You do, Desmond?

- Yes, Kate.

I know that they've never amounted to

more than - shall we say, friendliness.

A warm friendliness, I hope.

Yes, I think we can definitely say, warm.

When I was younger it might have

been a different story, perhaps.

When played cricket for England...

perhaps even that wouldn't

have made any difference.

My athletic prowess is

fading, I'm afraid...

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