Young Mr. Lincoln Page #7

I'm just not the sort of fella can swap horses

in the middle of a stream.

Then at least change your plea.

Accept sentence

for your guilty client...

and I'll guarantee the State

will be lenient with the other.

Well, that's a mighty temptin' offer.

Mighty temptin', but I -

I'm afraid it can't be done.

You see, I promised those folks

I'd stick with the game...

till the last available card was played.

But, man, you'll send

both defendants to the gallows...

as surely as the moon sets.

Maybe...

but that's the way it's gotta be.

Good evening, Judge.

Order in the court!

Hello, Judge.

Quiet, quiet.

Get going, Lincoln.

Your Honor...

the defense wishes, at this time, to...

cross-examine the last witness

for the State, Palmer Cass.

Palmer Cass?

What do they want with him for?

What's he calling him back for?

Mr. Cass...

yesterday you identified Matt Clay

as the killer of Scrub White.

- Yes, sir, I did.

- You're sure of that?

Why, sure, I'm sure.

Well, I just wanted to know.

You say you were about a hundred yards

from the scene of the fight?

Just about, yeah.

- Are you familiar with the land over there?

- Yes, sir.

What's the nature of the layout?

- Well, there's a little clearing -

- Any trees?

- A few.

- Where are they?

They're between the clearing

and the fairground.

And you saw

right through the trees?

No, sir. I was already through the trees

when I saw them fightin'.

Oh, I see.

Um...

I suppose the clearing

was all lit up...

by lights from the tar barrels.

- No, sir.

- How'd you see so well?

I told you,

it was moon bright, Mr. Lincoln.

- Moon bright?

- Yes, sir.

Of course, if it hadn't

been moon bright...

you couldn't have seen a hundred yards,

could you?

- Course not.

- But you did see it.

I told you I saw it, didn't I?

What's he driving at?

And, uh, the only reason

you're tellin' us this now...

is 'cause you feel sorry

for one of the defendants?

Well, I didn't want to see 'em

both get hung.

Well, I don't reckon you'd lie

about a thing like that.

You can step down.

No further questions, Your Honor.

Oh, Mr. Cass.

I forgot. There's just one other question

I want to ask you.

Cass, what'd you have

against Scrub White?

- Why, nothing. I -

- What'd you kill him for then?

- I don't know what you're talking about.

- Yes, you do.

Look at this. Go on, look at it.

It's the Farmer's Almanac.

Go ahead. Look at it. Look at page 12.

You see what it says

about the moon?

That the moon was only

in its first quarter that night...

and set at 10:
21...

before the killing took place.

So, you see, it couldn't have

been moon bright, could it?

You lied, didn't you, Cass?

And you weren't trying to save

these boys' necks, were you?

You were trying to save your own,

weren't you?

- Well, come on! Weren't you?

- No.

- Well, then what'd you lie for?

- I didn't lie.

Oh, yes, you did.

It's as plain as the nose on your face.

But why?

Why did you lie about the moonlight?

- I don't know what you're talking about.

- I'll tell you what I'm talking about.

You lied because you had a fight with

Scrub White, but it wasn't about politics.

You never mentioned politics.

That was your first lie, wasn't it?

- It was politics, I tell you. It was!

- No, you were fightin' about somethin' else.

- Maybe it was money.

- No.

- Maybe you owed him money,

or maybe he owed you some. - No. No.

Maybe he was gettin' a little graft here

and there, and you wanted to get in on it.

That ain't true.

- Maybe it was some girl.

- No, that ain't right.

- Well, what was it? It was one of those things.

- No.

Something made you

want to get rid of Scrub.

- You're crazy. Scrub was my friend.

- Maybe.

Just the same, you lied.

Now, why? Come on, tell us.

Why'd you say you saw what happened

when you didn't see?

- I -

- Well, I'll tell you what happened.

You heard a row,

and you saw the fight start...

and you come runnin', and you saw that Scrub,

was still livin'. - No.

- Right there on the ground, you saw

the knife that Matt had dropped. - No.

- You bent over him and picked up the knife.

- No.

- Your body hid what you were doin'.

- No.

- And you stabbed him.

- No, I didn't.

- You stabbed him in the back and killed him!

- No.

And these two boys,

Matt and Adam -

They each knew

that he didn't do it...

therefore, each thought

the other did it.

And their mother-

she saw the knife in Matt's hand...

but she couldn't say so

without puttin'the rope around his neck.

And you -you killed him!

And you lied.

And your lie tripped you up.

- No.

- That crude, cold-blooded lie...

that was gonna cover up the crime

that you committed.

- No.

- The lie you can't deny, now, can you?

- No.

- Can you?

Answer me!

You did kill him, didn't you?

- Didn't you?

- I - I -

I didn't mean to kill him!

I was drunk! I was drinkin' all day!

He was my friend! I didn't mean to kill him!

Honest! I didn't mean to kill him!

I was drunk.!

No more questions, Your Honor.

Your witness.

Mr. Lincoln, I -

I'm so glad you won.

Thank you, ma'am.

Mr. Lincoln, my congratulations.

Thank you, Mr. Douglas.

Yesterday I made some remarks about you

that I now publicly retract.

Furthermore,

I give you my sincere promise...

never to make the mistake

of underrating you again.

Well, Steve, I don't reckon neither of us

better underrate each other...

from here in.

Good day.

Hurry up, Abe.! The crowd's waiting.!

Well, ma'am, I reckon I better

say good-bye to you here.

You got quite a ways to go

before sundown.

- Good-bye, sir.

- Good-bye, Mr. Lincoln.

Bye.

We ain't got very much...

but after all you've done for us -

Thank you, ma'am.

That's mighty generous of you.

Watch out for the ruts, ma'am.

- Giddyap, mules!

- Giddyap.

I reckon I'd just about die

if I didn't kiss you, Mr. Lincoln.

Ain't you going back, Abe?

No, I think I might go on apiece...

maybe to the top of that hill.

Glory, glory, hallelujah

Glory, glory, hallelujah

Glory, glory, hallelujah

His truth is marching on

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