american tragedy

Chapter 134 (2)
Chapter 323 (2)
I ask you, is this an open and normal engagement? Do you agree with it in your mind? Please note that I have no intention of mocking, despising, or criticizing the poor late girl.I'm just saying, factually, legally, the boy wasn't officially engaged to the deceased girl, he didn't say to her beforehand that he would marry her...never! This evidence, you have to admit it.It was only because of her physical condition that he agreed to marry, if... if," (he pauses here) "she was unwilling to let him go, as she said in her letter, she agreed to it for fear of revealing her deeds , in the eyes of the District Attorney, her term has become an engagement, and not only that, but a sacred engagement that no one but a scoundrel, thief, and murderer would try to break! But, gentlemen, there have been many Betrothals, arguably more public and sacred from a legal and religious point of view, were dissolved.Thousands of men and women, seeing each other change their hearts, their oath, loyalty and trust being teased, they cry to the corner, feel pain, and even commit suicide.As prosecutors say, it’s not new, it’s not out of date, and never will be!”

"However, I must warn you that the case you are now considering and about to decide is a case of this kind, involving the girl who was the victim of a transgression. However, the crime, serious as it may be morally and socially, is not Not really a crime in law, and only brought the accused here because of some bizarre, impossibly tight, yet totally misunderstood circumstances related to the cause of the girl's death. I swear to it, I do know That is the way it is. This can and will be fully explained to your full satisfaction before the case is concluded."

"However, regarding the previous paragraph, there is one more point that must be explained, otherwise it will be impossible to continue the matter mentioned below."

"Gentlemen of the jury, the man who is now on trial and awaiting sentencing is a coward in thought and morals, but by no means a criminal of conscience. Not unlike many who jump over a wall. Why? No. One can explain this. We are all mysteriously afraid of an imaginary monster, or have a mystical fear, and it was these two things that drove him to the corner. It was cowardice, fear of his uncle's factory rules, Afraid of his assurances to his superiors, he concealed his love for the pretty country girl who worked under him, and then concealed his association with her."

"However, there is no crime under the letter of the law. Whatever you privately think of the situation, you must not judge him for it. Later, the old love in which he was confident that he was beautiful became intolerable, It was that cowardice again, that intellectual and moral cowardice that kept him from saying it outright, that he no longer wanted to see her and talk about marriage, but would you kill a victim of fear? Besides, What do you want a man to do with a man who confirms that he can't and won't tolerate a woman anymore, and in turn, a woman treats a man that way? Marry? Why? So that they will later hate each other, despise each other, and torture each other? Will you sincerely regard this as a law? The defendant believes that in the circumstances, he has made a wise and just choice in this case. He made a proposal, not marriage, but unfortunately failed. He proposed separation, by He supported her by working and she moved to another place, and her letter read in court yesterday mentioned similar things. But, ah, the things that are better not to be done are often forced to do. No, there are too many examples of this misfortune! Then there was the last longer trip to Utiga, Grass Lake, and Bedon to persuade her, and it was fruitless, but by no means deliberate. Murder or trap her to death, nothing, we will explain to you."

"Gentlemen, I repeat again: it was cowardice, spiritual and moral cowardice, and not criminal conspiracy that drove Clyde Griffiths and Roberta Alden to the above places They used a few names when they traveled, which prompted them to change their names to 'Carl Grahams' or 'Clifford Goldens.' Ideologically, morally, they feared that they had committed socially significant crimes. Mistake, great sin, that is, to have had an affair with him, and therefore to be cowardly, intellectually and morally, about the consequences of this relationship."

"Also, because of his mental and moral cowardice, he didn't go to the Great Berton Hotel to announce her drowning after her accidental death in Great Berton. This is absolutely (mental and moral cowardice). He thought then of Lycurgus, his rich relative, and their factory rules, which he and the girl meant he had violated by coming to the lake; and the pain, humiliation, and anger of his parents. Besides, there was That Miss So-and-so, the brightest star in the brightest constellation of his dreams."

"We all admit it all, and we are perfectly willing to admit it: he had been thinking about it all. The prosecution charged that he had been fascinated by Miss -- and she was fascinated by him, so he was willing and eager to put Giving himself up to his first love and abandoning him for that young lady who was alluring because of her beauty and great wealth—as to Roberta Alden, he seemed more deserving of pursuit than anyone else. If she misread him , Obviously, she was indeed wrong. Could it be... Could it be that his obsessive pursuit was an illusion in the end? In the end, that person... Who can tell clearly? Could it be that he doesn't care about him? In short—he himself told us—his lawyer confessed to his timidity at that time, one of which was: If this Miss ---- knew that he had an old love, she would have cut off all kindness with him."

"I understand that, in your view, such conduct is inherently inexcusable. A man may be the victim of a conflict of two unjust emotions, but is guilty from a legal and religious point of view. Nevertheless, these Things do exist in people's minds, legal or not, religious or non-religious, and they have governed the actions of Clyde Griffiths in many cases.

"But did he kill Roberta Alden?"

"No!"

"Besides, he didn't use scheming, whether it was half-hearted or how to drag her there under a pseudonym, and then drown her because she continued to pester her? Absurd! Incredible! How crazy! His plan is completely another .”

"However, gentlemen," he paused suddenly at this point, as if suddenly enlightened, "in order for you to better understand my plea, and for you to make a better final decision, it may be best to do so so that you At least one eyewitness to Roberta Alden's death was heard—someone who not only heard a cry, but saw how she died."

At this point he looked at Jefferson as if to say: Now it's your turn, Reuben! Then Reuben turned to Clyde, very deliberate, but every movement was firm, and whispered: "Well, it's time, Clyde, it's all up to you now. But I'm with you, understand? I'm going to question you myself, we've rehearsed many times, you won't have trouble talking to me, will you?" He smiled kindly at Clyde with encouraging eyes. Clyde was almost overjoyed by Belknap's strong defense and Jefferson's satisfactory decision. He stood up and suddenly became enlightened: "Ah! I am very glad that you are in charge, and now I have nothing to fear."

Hearing that a real witness was going to appear in court, not proposed by the prosecution, but by the defendant, the audience immediately stood up and looked around.Judge Oberworth, dissatisfied with the particular commotion at the trial, struck his gavel vigorously, while his clerk yelled "Silence! Silence! Sit down, or the spectators will be terrified." Leave the seat, and the guard tells them to sit down." Then Belknap shouted: "Clyde Griffiths, go to the witness stand," and the audience fell silent in a tense atmosphere.The audience watched in astonishment as Clyde came out accompanied by Ruben Jefferson, ignoring the judge and the policeman yelling harshly, whispering nervously, and even Belknap was surprised to see Jefferson coming. , because it was originally planned that he would guide Clyde to testify, but when Clyde took the oath, Jefferson came over and whispered: "I'll come, Alvin, it's better for me to come, he His expression is a bit too nervous, and he is shaking too much, although it is not to my taste, but I am sure to save him."

The audience also noticed that they had changed, so they whispered.Clyde looked around uneasily, thinking: Ah, I'm finally on the witness stand. Of course, everyone is watching. I must be calm and cautious, because I am not the real murderer! Yes, I am not.But his complexion was blue, his eyelids were red and swollen, and his hands trembled slightly.Jefferson, tall, strong and vigorous, like a birch swaying in the wind, turned toward him, his blue eyes fixed on Clyde's brown eyes, and said:

"Now, Clyde, you must first let the jury and everyone hear our questions and answers; and secondly, when you are ready, tell everyone everything you remember, where you were born, where your parents were. What is your occupation. Finally, what do you do. I may interrupt you at any time to ask you questions. But generally I will just let you speak for yourself, because I believe you can explain it most clearly.” However, in order to encourage Clyde and let him know at all times that he was there, that he was a screen between his nervousness and his hostile crowd, he stood closer, sometimes almost so close that he put a foot in the witness stand. , or, he just leaned forward, supported Clyde's chair with one hand, and kept saying, "Yes... ah... yes... ah..." "What happened next?" "And what happened next?" Every time he made such a firm and protective voice, Clyde was startled, as if he had gained a supportive force, and fluently articulated his short and impoverished youth.

"I was born in Great Falls, Michigan. At the time, my parents ran a church there and used to hold open-air services..."

(End of this chapter)