american tragedy

Chapter 128 (1)
Chapter 3 20 (1)
It took Mason and Belknap five days to select the jurors.Finally, the twelve men who interrogated Clyde were sworn in! Among them were farmers and country grocers, a broker who worked for Ford, and a hotel manager on Lake Tom Thickson. The boss, a salesman in Bridgeburg, a Hamburg silk shop, and an insurance salesman who lives in Beit, north of Grass Lake, travels around every day.Only one of them is unmarried.And except for one, the rest are very Christian, but not necessarily moral.Before they came to court they were convinced that Clyde was a murderer.For almost all of them considered themselves impartial and broad-minded, and were keen to serve as jurors in such a sensational case, and they were therefore convinced that they could do justice to the facts presented to them. judgment.

So they all stood up, and immediately after taking the oath, Mason stood up and said, "Gentlemen of the jury."

Clyde, Belknap, and Jefferson stared at them, not sure how Mason's first impression of his accusation would be.In such a special situation, it is impossible to find another prosecutor who is more capable than him.But his chance came.Isn't the entire citizenry of America staring at him? At least he thinks so.It was as if someone suddenly shouted: "Light! Shine!"

"No doubt many of you have felt drained and confused over the past week," he began. The name list is carefully and carefully selected. Twelve persons are to be selected, so that the factual information gathered in this sensational case will be provided to them, and they will be judged according to the objective impartiality and wise judgment stipulated in the law. Don’t think it’s simple. As far as I’m concerned, the reason why I’m prudent and prudent is only for one purpose, that is, the country can bring justice to citizens. There is no prior prejudice, and there will never be any malicious intentions. Until On July [-]th, I learned that there was such a defendant, and I also learned that there was such a victim, so I learned that I am now suing him. But, gentlemen, when I first heard about this case, I did not believe that the defendant I could hardly believe my ears that such a man, with such training, at this age, and with such closeness to the victim, should be charged with a crime of this nature. Later, the facts compelled me to I had to change my skeptical attitude at the beginning, and then eradicate all the doubts in my mind at the beginning, and draw such a conclusion from a large number of conclusive evidence. I myself have the responsibility to prosecute this case on behalf of the people.

"But even so, let's look at the actual situation first. There are two women involved in this case, one dead and the other" (he turned to where Clyde was sitting, Pointing to the positions of Jefferson and Belknap with one hand) "Due to the prosecutor's consent and the consent of the defendant, it is inconvenient for me to reveal her name, because there is no benefit at all in causing unnecessary damage. I now present to you Explain that, in fact, every sentence and every fact is prepared by the prosecution with the sole purpose of serving real justice under the laws of our state and the crimes the defendant is charged with. Real justice, gentlemen, justice, and True. But you, the people of the State of New York and Karakie County will be outraged, and quite outraged, if you do not take a fair verdict on the facts and evidence, because they look to you for the final trial and interpretation of this case An exact statement."

At this point, Mason paused, then turned dramatically to face Clyde, pointed at him with the index finger of his right hand and said, "The people of the State of New York." (And he deliberately emphasized the word, as if to make the word as earth-shattering as lightning and thunder) "The prisoner in this court,—Clyde Griffiths, was guilty of murder. We charge him with willful, brutal, cruel, Roberta Alden, the daughter of a farmer who lived for many years in Rice Valley County Beards Village. They accuse,' (At this point, as Jefferson muttered admonitions, Clyde leaned back in his chair with as much aplomb as he could, and looked nonchalantly at the picture of Mason, who was staring at him. face) "This is Clyde Griffiths, even before he commits the crime, spends a few weeks working out the criminal plan and how to carry it out, and then doing it with willful savagery and brutality This terrible crime.

"The people of the State of New York, in indicting the facts, expect, can and will give you proof of every fact. You will have the facts, and you, and not I, will have the honor of being the sole judge of all facts. "

At this moment, he paused again, shifted his position, and at the same time, the eager people crowded together, listening to every word he said, leaning forward.At this moment, he raised a hand and swept back his lock of hair in a dramatic way, and continued: "Gentlemen, I don't need to spend a lot of time explaining what kind of person that girl was, she was brutally murdered. Lost at the bottom of Great Bedton; and it won't take you long in this case to see what kind of girl this girl was. She was only twenty years in this short but whole life. (Mason also clearly remembers that she is 20 years old, and is two years older than Clyde) "No one who knew her has ever criticized her character. Moreover, I can say with certainty that the trial process It is impossible for anyone to find any evidence to condemn her character. About a year ago, on the nineteenth of July, she came to Lycurgos, hoping to support her family by the labor of her hands." (At this time , the whole court could hear her parents, siblings crying)

"Gentlemen," Mason went on.He then preached about Roberta's life: from her leaving home to be with Grace Marr to meeting Clyde on Crane Lake.It was because of him, who had quarreled with his friends and the Newtons, and agreed to his proposal that she should live alone, with strangers, and concealed the truth from her parents, that he had at last been deceived— —she wrote to him from Beards, telling him all the steps of the matter.At the same time he spoke at length of Clyde and his activities in the Lycurgus society, and of his interest in the rich and charming Miss So-and-so.Because of this young lady's innocent and kind-hearted (and of course infatuated) performance, he interpreted it as wishful thinking that he could marry her.In this way the young lady inadvertently aroused in him a desire which altered his affection and attitude towards Roberta.As a result, (as Mason was quite sure he would elaborate on this) led him to conceive of a malicious intent to kill Roberta.

"But," he said suddenly, he yelled loudly: "I accused him of these things, who is he after all? He is sitting here now! Could his parents be social scum? Maybe he A product of some ghetto. A man who has no taste for honest life, and has never had a chance to experience true elegance? Is he really? Quite the contrary. His father and his father started a huge, The owner of a highly creative enterprise, the Griffiths Collar Shirt Company, was the family. He was poor, no doubt, but by no means poorer than Roberta, but his character was not affected. any influence of poverty. His father had been a missionary in Kansas City, Denver, and before that, Chicago, and in Great Falls, Michigan, as a non-commissioned and voluntary preacher. , exhorting people to believe in religion. According to my comprehensive conclusion, they are indeed religious and moral people from any point of view. But this man, their eldest son, who is supposed to be deeply educated by them, early Abandoned their world to live a life of luxury. Later, he worked as a waiter at the Greene Davidson Hotel, a well-known hotel in Kansas City."

This further shows that Clyde has always been a changeable person, perhaps a hobby, and only wants to wander around.This again demonstrates how he took a more important position in a factory run by his uncle, becoming head of the department.He then gradually entered society with his uncle and his children, while the girl he had killed lived in a dilapidated house in a back street.

"However," he went on, "certain people have been emphasizing how young this defendant is," (He sneers at this point.) Call him a boy in the papers, how can he be a boy. He has a beard and is a grown man. He is slightly above any of your jury members in social status, education, etc. He is everywhere. Traveling around. In hotels, clubs, and the social scene of Lycurgus, who is closely related to him, he has always been well-behaved and honest, and even socialized with those who have status and ability. In fact, only in When he was arrested two months ago, he had been one of the proud upper class, summer vacationers of the district. Don't overlook this. His heart was a mature one, by no means It's developing. The heart is fully grown, it's sane, it's lucid."

"Gentlemen, as this State will testify," he continued, "he was only four months in Lycurgus, and this dead girl was a member of the department he was in charge of, Worked under him. Only two months after that he moved her from the respectable and religious home of Lycurgus, which she had first chosen, to another home which she was completely unfamiliar with. For example, by moving into this family, he can act secretly, conceal himself, and not be detected by others, and he has long harbored ill intentions towards her."

"Griffiths has a rule, which can explain many things. It was explained in the trial that no matter whether it is a senior employee or the head of a certain department, it is forbidden to talk to the female workers under him or the female workers in other departments of the factory. Contacts, no matter inside or outside the factory. Because this kind of contact is not beneficial to the morality and reputation of the female workers in such a large factory, it is forbidden. This person arrived there soon, the company will Informed him of the factory rule. But why didn't the rule work for him? Didn't his uncle's recent care for him stop him? Not at all. Secret! Secret! Start all over again! Seduce! Seduce! Reproduce The covert, deliberate, unlawful, and morally depraved ravages of her body are cast aside by society, apart from the serious marriages of future generations of mankind!

"That's what he was for, gentlemen! And yet, was anyone at Lycurgus or elsewhere aware of his relationship with Roberta? No one. As far as I know, the girl died. In the past, there was no one who knew anything about this relationship! God, think about it, no one!

"Gentlemen of the jury," he said, his tone becoming serious at this point, "Roberta Alden loved this defendant with all her heart and soul. Her love is the kind of love that the human mind, the heart, and the heart are the most powerful." The great secret, say it's strong or weak, but it's really beyond a girl's fear, or even the fear of God's punishment. She is a loyal, loving, kind good girl, a passionate , vivacious, lovely girl. And only a broad-minded, self-sacrificing, sublime soul could love like her! She loved him so much that she gave him all that a woman can give a man!"

"My friends, this has happened countless times on this planet and will happen countless times in the future. It is nothing new and rare, and it will never be unfashionable!

(End of this chapter)