american tragedy

Chapter 130

Chapter 321
Next comes the witnesses.Witnesses, witnesses... a total of 120 seven witnesses, it's unbelievable.The testimony of these witnesses, especially the three guides, several doctors, and even the testimony of the witness who heard Roberta's cry, were all rejected by Jefferson and Belknap.The bold and careful defense of Clyde required persuasiveness, and where weaknesses did not correspond to the facts, the case dragged on until November.At this time, Mason was elected as a judge, which was exactly what he dreamed of. It was because the trial of this case caused a sensation in the city, and the trial was so exciting and exciting. The enthusiasm and interest of the public were completely aroused, and the time passed in a flash. In the eyes of the reporters attending the trial, Clyde deliberately killed people.Clyde was not incompetent either. He followed Jefferson's instructions and calmly faced every witness who gave evidence.

"Sir, may I know your name?"

"Titus Alden."

"Then you are Roberta Alden's father?"

"Yes, I am her father."

"Now, Mr. Alden, will you explain to the jury what kind of girl your daughter Roberta is, and why she went to Lycurgus?"

"I object to this. It is completely unnecessary and inappropriate." Belknap stopped.

"I'll connect them, you don't have to worry," Mason rebuked Jefferson, looking at the judge.The judge decided that Titus Alden could continue to testify.There is just one premise: If it cannot be connected to the case, the defendant has the right to ask the court to remove this passage from the testimony.

"She goes there looking for work," Titus replied.

"Why is she there?"

Objection was raised again, legal procedure was passed again, and the old man was allowed to continue to speak again.

"Well, our fields around the Beards have never been fruitful. The children should be subsidized, and Baobei is the oldest child..."

"Revoke!" "Revoke this paragraph!"

"'Babe' is your nickname for your daughter Roberta, isn't it?"

"be opposed to".

"That's right, sir. 'Baby' is what we used to call her, and we used to call her 'Babe.'"

Clyde listened attentively, bearing the same stern and exasperated glances of the village's melancholy Priam.He couldn't help being a little surprised when he heard someone call him the nickname of his former lover.He had nicknamed her "Bert," but she never told him that she was called "Babe" at home.

In the midst of a flurry of arguments, Alden, guided by Mason, went on to tell how she had decided to go to Lycurgos and stay with the Newtons after receiving a letter from Grace Marr.After finding a job at Griffith Company, she couldn't see her at home until June [-]th, when she returned to the farm for a rest and made some clothes.

"Did you mention any plans to marry?"

"Nothing was said."

But she had written long letters, to whom he did not know at the time.In addition, she has been depressed and uncomfortable.Twice he saw her weeping, but he kept his mouth shut because she didn't want to be noticed.There had been several phone calls from Lycurgus, the last of which was July [-]th or [-]th, the day before she left anyway, he was sure of that.

"What did she bring with her when she left?"

"Her suitcases and trunks."

"If you saw her suitcase now, would you recognize it?"

"No problem, sir."

"Is this it?" (An assistant DDA presents a suitcase and places it on a small square table.)

Alden looked at it, rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, and said seriously, "Yes, sir."

Then, because Mason had arranged every step of the trial, an assistant dramatically brought in a small box.Titus Alden and his wife and children burst into tears when they saw it.After recognizing that it belonged to Roberta, the suitcase and the small suitcase were opened successively.Clothes made by Roberta, some shirts and drawers, shoes and hats, the toiletry set Clyde gave her, pictures of her parents, sister, brothers, an old family cooking guide, and some spoons, knives and forks , salt shaker, pepper shaker, etc. were all given by her grandmother, and she has been collecting them for use after marriage. Each of these things was held up high and identified one by one.

This was all done when Belknap raised objections and Mason promised to "connect", but he couldn't, so the evidence was ordered to be "revoked".In this way, the effect of pathos inspired by the matter has been deeply etched on the minds of the jurors.Belknap's criticism of Mason's tactics only aroused the gentleman's fury: "Who is in charge of the prosecution?" Belknap replied: "In my opinion, it is the Republican candidate for the county judge!" laugh.Mason was about to roar angrily: "Mr. Judge, I protest that this kind of attempt violates morality and law, and wants to involve some political issues that have nothing to do with this case. Its intentions are so vicious. It wants the jury to think that because I am the judge of the city and county The Republican nominee, therefore, will not be impartially charged with prosecuting this case. I demand an apology from him, and an immediate apology before this case proceeds."

Judge Oberworth considered this a serious breach of court order, so he called Belknap and Mason in front of him and asked them to explain the meaning of the sentences in an orderly manner. Finally, he ruled that the two parties must not involve politics in any way, otherwise they will be treated with contempt. Court proceedings.

Still, Belknap and Jefferson congratulated each other, proving before juries and courts that their criticism of Mason's campaign and the use of the case to campaign had paid off.

However, the witnesses are still coming!

Now, Grace Marr steps up to the witness stand to explain where she first met Roberta and how she is so pure and godly.However, after meeting Clyde on Crane Lake, how changed greatly.She became evasive, such as: going out in the morning and returning late at night; saying that she was going out on the weekend, but there was no such thing, and later, because she criticized Roberta, she left without saying goodbye.A man was involved, none other than Clyde Griffiths.Because in September or October last year, she followed Roberta to her residence, not far from Gilpin's house, and saw her and Clyde hugging under a tree.

Afterwards, under Jefferson's prompt, Belknap began to interrogate, and with sly words, trying to find out whether Roberta was as pious and conservative as Grace Marr said before she came to Lycurgus.Miss Komal paled and insisted with disgust that, up to the day she met Clyde at Crane Lake, she had been convinced that Roberta was an absolutely honest and spotless person.

Then, the Newtons testified under oath as if they were reference materials.

Then, the Gilpins.The whole family testified under oath to what they had seen and heard.Mrs. Gilpin gave an approximate date of Roberta's moving into her house, and said she had a small trunk, a suitcase, exactly as Titus had recognized.After moving in, it seemed to be alone.She felt sorry for her, offered her some social opportunities, but was declined one by one.However, in late November, after eleven o'clock, Roberta seemed to occasionally entertain someone in the room, but they had no way of knowing.Because she was so sweet and dignified, it never occurred to her to mention it, and only she and her two daughters knew about it.Here, during the interrogation, Belknap tried again, in vain, to elicit words or impressions which would bring Roberta and the witnesses into a puritanical state of affairs.Mrs. Gilpin and her husband clearly liked Roberta, and it was only under pressure from Mason and Belknap that Clyde's late-night visit was brought up.

The eldest daughter, Stella, then testified that in late October or early November last year, shortly after Roberta moved in, she had walked past her with a man whom she now recognized as Clyde.She saw them standing a hundred feet from the house, heard them arguing, and stopped to look around.She couldn't remember the exact conversation, but Mason asked and guided her. She said that she remembered that Roberta was firmly opposed to letting him enter her room. arms, as if begging him to come back.

During this process, Clyde was astonished.Because in those days, he thought his relationship with Roberta had never been discovered.This obviously confirmed to a large extent Mason's charge that he deliberately induced Roberta to do something she didn't want to do.Such testimony could easily turn judges, juries, and conservatives throughout the county, mostly farmers, against him.Belknap was also aware of this, and wanted to cause confusion in Stella's recognition of Clyde, but things backfired.In November or early December, shortly after the above-mentioned incident, she saw Clyde come with a box containing something, knocked on Roberta's door, and entered.She had concluded at the time that the young man who had quarreled with Roberta was Clyde.

Then Whigan, and then Richie, testified successively to the dates of Clyde's and Roberta's arrivals, and to the factory records between the department heads and the female workers.They think Clyde and Roberta are superficially above reproach and different (says Ricky)

And then some of others.Mrs Peyton testified about what she knew about her home and her social activities.Mrs. Alden testified that last Christmas Roberta had told her that her boss at the mill, Clyde Griffiths, nephew of the mill owner, was courting her, but that she confidential.Frank Harriet, Harry Baggett, Tracy Duble, and Eddie Sells testified that Clyde had been invited to several Lycurgus social events last December.John Rembert, a grocer in Schnackdart, testified that within a month a young man, whom he now recognized as Clyde, had come asking for abortion pills.Olin Short testified that at the end of January Clyde had asked him which doctor could help a young woman, the poor wife of a Griffith employee.According to Clyde, her husband had asked him about it.Then Dr. Glenn testified that Roberta had come to see him, and he had seen a picture of her in the newspaper, but he also said that for reasons of professional ethics, he was still reluctant to give any advice.

Then there was Wilcox, a neighbor of the Aldens who was also a farmer.He testified that on June 29 or No. 30, he was in the laundry room behind the kitchen when Roberta came to take a long distance call from a man in Lycurgus who called himself Baker.He heard her say to him, "But, Clyde, I can't wait that long, you know I can't. I don't want to." Her tone sounded agitated and distressed.Wilcox was sure he had heard the name Clyde.

Then there was Ethel Wilcox, the man's daughter, a short, fat, tongue-in-cheek who testified that three times she got long-distance calls looking for Roberta, and each time it was Lyco. Gus called from a man named Baker.Once, she heard her mention that the caller's name was Clyde.Another time she heard her say, "In any case, she couldn't wait that long." But she didn't know what she meant then.

Next came Roger Beaner, the postman.He testified that between June [-]th and [-]th and July [-]th and [-]th there had been no fewer than fifteen letters written to him personally by Roberta and dropped in the post-box at the crossroads at Alden Farm.He was sure that most of them had been written for Clyde Griffiths at the Lycurgus Post Office.

Then there was Amos Showalter, the clerk at the Lycurgus post office who left the mail.He testified that, as far as he could remember, from June [-]th and [-]th to July [-]th and [-]th, Clyde had come to ask for letters, and had received no less than fifteen letters, and he knew the name Clyde.

After that came Bacon, the manager of a gas station in Lycurgus.He testified that on the morning of July 170th, about eight o'clock, he went to Fielding Street.It was at the far west end of the city, at the far north end near Lycurgus, a gas station on the Fonda tramway.He had seen Clyde in a gray suit and straw hat, carrying a brown suitcase with a yellow camera tripod attached to one side and something else, probably an umbrella.He knew where Clyde lived, so he was suspicious of his trip, because on Central Road, his house was not far from his house and he could catch a car between Fonda and Lycurgus.When Belknap examined this witness, he asked him how he could testify on oath that he saw a tripod when the distance was [-] feet.Bacon insisted it was true, and said it was of shiny yellow wood, with a copper head, and three feet.

Then there was John Terrow, master of the Fonda station.He testified that on the morning of July [-]th (he remembered it well, because there were other events that day), he had sold Roberta a ticket to Utiga.He remembered Miss Alden, because he had noticed her a few times last winter.She looked haggard and ill, and carried a brown suitcase, and said he had one in his hand, too.He didn't see him seeing the girl or accosting her.

Then Quincy Dyer, the conductor on the Fonda-Utigana train.He noticed Clyde sitting in the rear compartment.He remembered it.He saw Roberta, too, and the picture reminded him.He also said that the suitcase she was carrying seemed a bit heavy, and that he called a luggage handler to help her out of the car when he arrived in Utiga, and she thanked her.He saw her get off the train at Utiga and disappear after the stop, and he didn't see Clyde.

Then, Roberta's suitcase, which had been left in the luggage room of Utiga Station for a long time, was also identified.After this, Jerry Knossing, manager of the Renfro Hotel in Utiga, attested to the guest book of July [-]th, which read "Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Golden." The signature on this book , Immediately the handwriting experts compared it with the two registers in Caohu and Great Patton, and the experts confirmed that it was from the same person.These handwritings were compared with those on the card in Roberta's suitcase, and all were shown to the jurors, and also to Belknap and Jefferson.These two people have seen all these things, except for that card, so Belknap protested again, thinking that the District Attorney should not illegally detain physical evidence, and a long and intense debate ensued.The hearing on the tenth day effectively ended with this.

(End of this chapter)