All language subtitles for Perry Mason s01e04 Drowning Duck.eg

Welcome back to Logan City,
Mrs. Reed.

I'm Donald Briggs.

I've got a cab waiting over here.

I booked you a room here, 6D.

You still haven't told me
what I have to do.

I've got some calls to make.
We'll discuss it later.

The lady can manage for herself,
driver. I'm running late.

Wait for me, driver.

Mrs. Adams,
I'll be as brief as possible.

I supplied you with enough facts
so that you would come to Logan City.

I've got a proposition.

What makes you think I'd be interested
in any proposition you might make?

All right, Mrs. Adams.

You have a son.

He's a chemical engineering student
at the state university.

He's engaged to Helen Waters,

the daughter of one of this town's
leading citizens. Enough?

Everyone's quite aware of those facts.

But everyone's not so aware
of the facts concerning the boy's father.

I know most of them.

What I don't know
I intend to learn from Lois Reed.

She just got into town.

If you dare do anything
to hurt my boy's happiness, I--

All I wanna do is enhance
my own happiness,

say, $5,000 worth,

within 48 hours.

I'm at the Sands Motel.

You contemptible blackmailer.

Around here, a man earns his living
digging up potatoes and beets.

I dig up information.

Now, what's the difference?

The difference
is in the kind of dirt you use.

[KNOCKING ON DOOR]

Hey, Mom, what are you doing
at Logan City?

How did you know I was here?

I was walking by in front of the hotel
and saw the pickup truck.

You know, there aren't two trucks
like that in the world.

- This is Mr. Briggs.
- How do you do, sir?

How are you, Adams?

See you soon, Mrs. Adams.

Hey, Mom,
what did that guy do to you?

JOE: Hey, you two, break it up.
Come on, break it up.

All right, what's this all about?

It's just a little misunderstanding,
that's all, officer.

What did you see, Charlie?

Nothing, Joe,
except this kid jumped my fare

when he was about to get in my cab.

Aren't you visiting out
at the Waters' place?

Yeah, that's right.

I'm Marv Adams.

I'm on vacation from the university.

Well, since you're Mr. Waters' guest,
we'll forget it this time,

but no more of this college scrimmaging
in Logan City. That clear?

Yes, sir.

And you have proof that Marv Adams
was Ben Deveraux's son?

Yeah.
Soon as Deveraux was executed,

his wife changed their name
to Adams,

moved from Logan City,
and until I got to work on it,

seemed to drop off the earth.

The name of Clyde Waters
has as much prestige

as any name in the valley.

Getting him mixed up with
a murderer's son won't do it any good.

Here's payment for your services.

Waters,

what do you plan to do?

If my daughter insists
on marrying Marv Adams,

there's no reason to think
the boy's real identity

would be revealed
after all these years.

Oh, there's a way to make sure.

Just add another 5,000 to this
and send it to the Sands Motel.

Do you really think
I would do a thing like that?

Well, I don't know you that well,
Mr. Waters,

but I could ask Lois Reed.

She just got into town.

I see.

Well, I suppose the boy's mother
is here at your request too.

Why not?

Maybe I'll arrange for all you old-timers
to have a coffee klatch,

unless I get my business attended to
and leave town before there's time.

Goodbye, Mr. Waters.

It's been a pleasure to work for you.

MASON: Let's get to some
of the pertinent facts, Mr. Waters.

My daughter met a young man
in college and became engaged.

I was concerned about it.

- Any special reason?
- Helen came to us quite late in life.

Her mother died
when she was born.

Well, as you can imagine,
I've sheltered her a great deal.

Marv is a perfect gentleman.

Strangely enough, he didn't seem
to know much about his father,

said he had died
when he was quite young.

Well, it worried me
and I wanted to know more.

So I hired this fellow Briggs.

And Briggs discovered the boy's father
was Ben Deveraux,

the man who was executed
for murder?

That's right.

Murdered his partner
right in Logan City 18 years ago.

Or at least that's how the jury voted.

[KNOCKING ON DOOR]

Come in, Paul.

You wanted to see me, Perry?

Mr. Waters, this is Paul Drake
of the Drake Detective Agency.

- Mr. Drake.
- How do you do, sir?

Then you will look into the trial,
Mr. Mason?

I'll look into the transcript anyway.

Well, that's fair enough.

I'll expect to hear from you.

- Right.
- Goodbye, Miss Street, Mr. Drake.

PAUL:
Bye, Mr. Waters.

Paul, what kind of luck
do you think you'd have

investigating an 18-year-old
murder case?

I got trouble enough
with the modern ones.

Another detective might help you.
His name is Donald Briggs.

Better find him.

Della will give you all the information
we have so far.

- Going out?
- Logan City. I'll be in touch.

Well, Mason,

did the trial transcript interest you?

Yes, it did, judge.

I wanna thank you
for digging it out for me.

Sit down. Sit down.

How come a little burg like this

could interest you
in an 18-year-old murder case?

Murder is murder
wherever you find it.

So is justice, which was carried out.

Was it?

What are you getting at?

You didn't mention that you were
the prosecutor in that case.

You didn't ask.

Now, look, Mason,

let's you and I
stop beating about the bush.

All right, I will.

All through the testimony,
there was reference to a Miss X.

Why wasn't her identity revealed
during the trial?

Because she wasn't involved
in the murder or the motive.

So it was decided there was no use
to have an innocent girl's name

dragged through that kind of thing.

And the defence counsel
agreed to that?

Of course he did.

Now, look here, Mason,

we don't have any desire
to have you come into our community

and start retrying our cases.

The man's dead.

What's to be gained
by bringing it up again?

Something with which
we are both familiar:

justice.

Is it always this hot in Logan City?

This is a cool one, mister.

You're Perry Mason?

- That's right.
- I'm Chief Glass, Logan City Police.

Miss Martha would like to see you
before you leave town.

- Who?
- Martha Norris.

Owns the Norris Farms.

I'm afraid I'm running late--

I'd suggest that you take the time,
Mr. Mason.

Follow me.
I'll show you how to get there.

Come on in.

My wife should be in right away.

Some problem concerning
one of the warehouse crews.

You're not active on the farm?

Oh, no, I'm retired. Best thing
I could do is stay out of the way.

Oh, George, did you fix
a cold drink to Mr. Mason?

Thank you, but not right now,
Mrs. Norris.

I hope I didn't inconvenience you.

Oh, that's all right.

I assumed it was urgent since
you had a policeman wave me down.

Well,

I'm not as imperious
as it might seem.

It's just that in a small community,

we're all willing to do a favour
for one another.

And who did you the favour
of reporting I was in town?

Judge Meeham.

Mr. Mason,

you've read the trial transcript,

you know the facts
of Ben Deveraux's conviction.

Yes.

Well, then, I'll tell you a fact
you don't know.

The man Ben Deveraux killed
was my first husband.

Deveraux paid for his crime,
it's over.

There's no use stirring it all up again
just to hurt innocent people.

Your motives are admirable,
Mrs. Norris,

but having read the transcript,
I don't think I can drop it so easily.

Then you're...

- You're going to proceed further?
- Yes, I am.

I plan to see Mr. Waters right away.

Well, good. Suppose we drive over
to the Waters' dairy farm together.

Yes, we're going over
for the annual barbecue

Clyde Waters and I have
for our employees' children.

He's holding it this year.

[PEOPLE CHEERING]

[CARNIVAL MUSIC PLAYS]

You know,
magic is the wisdom of the ages.

It's created by night
and revealed by day.

It contains secrets
of the vast and shrouded unknown.

Do we dare penetrate
these secrets?

Do we dare enter into darkness
and unveil the mysteries?

Then watch carefully.

Do not take your eyes from my hands
as I pour the magic elixirs.

Just fix your mind on the mysterious
words of disenchantment.

Now we begin.

Abracadabra

Alakazam

Swirl magic waters

Bubble and boil

And presto

Do the duck trick.

Oh, but first I must have a duck.

BO Y:
I'll get one.

Oh, it's a fine duck.

Is it your thinking
that all ducks can swim?

CHILDREN:
Yes.

Then you do not believe there's such
a thing as a duck that can drown.

- No.
- Oh, well, let's watch carefully.

All right, back away
from the trough now.

Back around, come on.

Move around. Come on.

This magic water I have here
makes fish walk and pigs fly.

It also can make a duck drown.

Now, watch carefully.

Now, here we go.

[CHILDREN LAUGHING
& CLAPPING]

They loved you, Marv.

- Oh, I'm glad.
- By George, that sure beats me.

How could you make the duck sink?

It's a chemical mixture
I made at school.

It takes the oil
out of the duck's feathers.

Oh, I get it.

Come on,
I want you to meet Mr. Mason.

- My husband-to-be, Marv Adams.
- How do you do? Pleased to meet you.

- How do you do?
- Mr. Mason,

you're wanted on the phone.

- Excuse me.
- Yes, sir.

- Hello?
- Perry, this is Paul.

I'm in Logan City.

What are you doing here?

Well, this is where
the job brought me.

That detective, Donald Briggs,
is up here.

He's registered at the Sands Motel.

- I got a look at him.
- Anything else?

Well, I checked on him.
He hasn't got much of a reputation.

He hangs out mostly in San Diego.

I can't figure
why he's staying around here.

Suppose we call on him together?

Fine. Want me to pick you up?
We could have dinner together.

No, I have some business
with Mr. Waters.

You have dinner in town.
I'll meet you at the hotel.

Okay, I'll see you about 8 or so.

All right.

That's Briggs' room.

Oh, uh, I thought you were my taxi.

MASON: Sorry.
- Oh, I don't think he's in.

Somebody came by for him
about a half hour or so ago.

- I think he left with them.
- Thanks.

Perry.

What do you make of this?

Old newspaper clippings.

Funny odour in here. You notice it?

Yeah.

Beginning to get me.

PAUL:
Well, there's Donald Briggs.

- Well, doctor?
- Been dead a couple of hours, I'd say.

The gas got him as if he'd been hit
over the head with a baseball bat.

- Any idea what it was?
- Think so.

It seems like someone set a can
of hydrochloric acid in the kitchen,

and when it suited them,
they tossed in a few cyanide pellets.

Something a chemical student
like Marv Adams

would be quite familiar with.

- Marv Adams.
- I think he's our boy.

I stopped a fight
between him and Briggs yesterday.

- And that's your motive?
- Well, it's a start.

Besides, the woman in 6D

saw a pickup truck outside
Briggs' place earlier this evening.

It matches that beat-up heap
that Adams boy was driving today.

Better go out the Waters' place
and pick up that Adams boy.

Paul, I wanna talk to Marv.

Looks like the police
have first priority.

No. Marv told me he was leaving
for college a day early.

Taking a bus.
Maybe we can catch him.

Hey, what's the idea?

Mr. Mason wants to see you.

- I'll miss the bus.
- He's parked right around here.

Follow me.

- Get in, Marv.
- I gotta be at school by--

- I'll take you there.
- Come on, fella, time's wasting.

- I'll see you back in town, Perry.
- Right.

I swear that's all I know about it,
Mr. Mason.

I saw Briggs just that once
when we mixed it up.

What did you do
after you left the barbecue?

Well, I took the pickup truck
to my mother.

- Your mother was in Logan City?
- Yes, sir.

Why didn't she didn't go out
to the Waters' farm?

Well, I asked her to but she seemed
to be in a rush to get home.

Look, Mr. Mason, the police can't
seriously believe that I killed Briggs.

[SIRENS WAILING]

There's your answer.

All right, Adams. Get out.

I'll take it.

I don't appreciate this, Mr. Mason.

I don't appreciate it one bit.

You knew I was planning
to talk to this boy.

MASON: You'll have your opportunity.
- No thanks to you.

Mom always told me
Dad had been killed in an accident.

Never seemed to wanna talk
about it, though.

Now I can see why.

It may have been a terrible miscarriage
of justice, Marv, and if it was--

And if it was?

What do you intend to do about it,
bring my father back to life?

- Of course not.
- Then forget it.

I told you, I'm not gonna fight this.

Are you afraid
by proving yourself innocent

you might prove your mother guilty?

Guard.

Where is your mother, Marv?
Let me talk to her.

Let him out.

Mason, you're wanted on the phone.

You can take it right here.

- Hello?
- Mr. Mason, this is Lois Reed.

Remember I had the motel room
near Mr. Briggs?

- I remember.
- I, uh...

I read in the paper that you're gonna
handle the Marv Adams case.

- That's right.
- Ask Judge Meeham

who really defended
Ben Deveraux 18 years ago.

You're the defence counsel now.

So the less you and I have to say,
the better.

Unless you'd like to talk
about a change in venue.

Why?

Don't you know
everybody in this town

is prejudiced
against the Deveraux family,

or the Adams'
as they call themselves now?

This is a different generation.

There are only a few left
I'd suspect of being prejudiced.

You phrased that like a direct
indictment against certain parties.

Just who did you have in mind?

Let's start with the attorney who
defended Ben Deveraux 18 years ago.

His name was James.

And he's dead.

James did the trial work.
Who prepared the case?

Who was the attorney who agreed

to leave the name of Miss X
out of the trial?

It was George Norris.

Oh, you're digging up skeletons,
all right,

but you're not getting any closer
to proving

that Ben Deveraux was innocent.

Or his son either, for that matter.

Let's start with your particular skeleton,
and see.

Well, you, uh...

You're familiar with the basic history
of that case, of course.

Deveraux and Martha's
first husband,

David Latwell,
were partners in this place.

But they never did get along.

They had violent arguments
about everything.

Including the Miss X
who went unnamed?

I told you she was only a side issue.

Why must you keep harping
on that one thing?

Because that points up
the whole failing of the case.

The defence was completely
mishandled, Mr. Norris.

What, you--?

You think I set up the case
that way deliberately?

I didn't say that.

Oh, you don't have to.

Was that how it was, Mr. Norris?

No.

No, it was just a shameful
lack of ability.

Maybe the man was innocent,
maybe guilty, I don't know.

But I do know that the way
I set up the defence

is what killed him.

And this Miss X
everyone was trying to protect?

No one was interested
in protecting the girl, it was her father.

The finest man I've ever known.

Reverend John Logan.

What happened to her?

She left town shortly before the trial.

Got married, divorced.

She didn't even come home
when her father died,

or when we held the services
renaming the town after him.

Where is she now?

It appears that she was a friend
of the dead man, Donald Briggs.

Her name's Reed now, Lois Reed.

Shall we continue
this straight-from-the-shoulder bit?

All right.

What did you
come back here for, Lois?

It was Briggs' idea.

He wrote me a letter
offering a thousand dollars

if I'd visit Logan City
for a couple days.

Why?

Well, I was never really quite sure,

except that he seemed to think
by producing me, that--

Thanks.

That he'd shake everybody up
real good.

When you lived here,

you knew David Latwell
and his partner Ben Deveraux

quite well, I understand.

It was a small town, Mr. Mason.

Do you have any idea
who killed David Latwell?

Why get so hot and bothered

over something that happened
18 years ago?

Your client is Marv Adams.

Right.

Except

whoever killed David Latwell
very likely killed Briggs also.

Could be.

About two hours
before Briggs' body was found,

he came in here
and told me what he planned to do.

I told him I quit.

And then he--

He walked over here

and he picked up this pad

and he wrote down three names.

Then he circled one of them
and he said...

...that was the murdering goose
that had laid him the golden egg.

- Did you see those names?
- No.

And you did not see Marv Adams
with Briggs?

Well, no, but who else but the kid
would have been driving that old truck?

His mother?

She would have had
a real good motive, wouldn't she?

According to Briggs, three people
would have had a real good motive.

As a matter of fact, you.

And what happened when
Mr. Briggs came out of the hotel?

He was gonna get in my taxi.

This young fella twisted him around,

wanted to know
what he did to his mother.

Well, they spit at each other
for a minute

and then this young fella
took a poke at him.

CORTLAND:
The young fella you're talking about,

do you recognise him
in this courtroom?

Sure, that's him sitting right over there,
next to that city lawyer.

CORTLAND: Have the record show that
the witness is pointing to the defendant,

Marvin Adams.

And have you seen your fiancé
perform various magic tricks before?

Yes.

Always involving
some chemical formula

such as making smoke
or invisible writing?

Why, yes, Marv knows
all about those things.

He studied chemistry in college.

And he would also know

that to mix hydrochloric acid
and cyanide of potassium

would create a deadly gas,
would he not?

Objection. The prosecutor
is leading the witness.

I am only trying to make a point
that as a chemist,

Marv Adams
would have known how to--

I have placed an objection
before this court.

I have a right to a ruling without
you continuing to make your point.

Mr. Mason, up here we're not used to
having one counsel shout at the other.

I beg the court's pardon,

but I do ask for a ruling
to be made on my objection.

Sustained.

Yes, the defendant did do
a so-called drowning-duck trick.

Which consisted of chemically treating
a duck's feathers

so they were no longer
water-repellent,

thereby allowing the duck
to sink and drown?

Well, Adams did not let
the duck drown.

But did he pull the duck from the water
when he saw it was sinking?

He didn't have a chance to.

One of the children became frightened
and did it first.

So there is no way to know

that the defendant
wouldn't have let the duck drown.

Objection.

Once more, the prosecutor
is leading the witness.

Then I will rephrase the question.

Not regarding any conjectural
tendencies of sadism

on the part of the defendant.

That would still call for a conclusion
from the witness.

Just one moment.

I realise this court, as well as this trial,
is not up to the dimensions

the defence counsel
usually specialises in,

but since he has taken the case,

he will allow the bench
to make the necessary decisions.

Again, I am sorry, Your Honour.

Defence counsel is well aware
that all decisions in this court

as well as any other
must come from the bench.

Good.
Then we understand each other.

Objection sustained.

But, judge--

Harry, when a man's right,
he's right.

You can get on
with your questions later.

It's time for noon recess.

Court's adjourned till 2:15.

You really did yourself up fine,
counsellor.

Don't let this country court
fool you, Della.

Judge Meeham knows his law,
so does prosecutor Cortland.

If we don't get up a head of steam
from somewhere,

we're gonna get beaten.

How is it going?

Up to now, just doing
a lot of sidestepping,

hoping for some kind of break.

- Marv Adams still won't help?
- No.

Maybe I've found
an incentive for him.

I've been up to Southmore again,
trying to get a lead on Mrs. Adams.

I had a long talk with a woman
who nursed her for a while.

Here. Take a look
at what she had to say.

You and Della get lunch
at the drugstore. I'll meet you there.

That report correct, Marv?

Yeah, Mom's had a heart condition
for years.

And her life expectancy
is no more than the nurse stated?

Most of the doctors said
she's been living on borrowed time.

How come you're asking me all this?

Well, have you ever thought

that maybe something
has happened to her?

What do you mean?

Your mother must know
you're in trouble.

Well, do we check and see
if she's all right?

We bought a house
outside of Westfield.

Used to go there on weekends,
do some work.

Mom likes it there.

There's a filling station
about five miles east of town.

The mechanic there
will tell you how to find it.

Forget it, Della.

PAUL: Hi, Perry.
- Hi.

I have Marv's permission
to open that box, Paul, so go ahead.

- It did belong to his mother, didn't it?
- Mm. Here.

At the time of his father's death,

she packed all the effects
from his desk in that box.

Here.

Bills, invoices, order forms,

they're all dated years ago.

About the time Marv's father
was accused of murder.

Still, what's so important about--?
Oh, wait a minute.

- Know her?
MASON: I think so.

PAUL:
Sure, that's Lois Reed.

A little less mileage on her.

Hair darker, she's thinner,
but same face.

Several snapshots here.
They're all Lois Reed.

And this letter.

[MASON READING
ON-SCREEN TEXT]

When a marriage is over,
the only thing to do is admit it is over.

And I am in love now
for the first time.

I'm leaving town for the weekend,

and when I return, we can discuss
a property settlement and--"

That's all. Just like he was interrupted
and never got back to it.

Sort of a Dear John letter in reverse.

DELLA:
How is this going to help Marv?

I don't know that it is.

When I put it together
with Lois Reed,

see what we come up with.

Hello, lawyer.

Like a beer?

Dance a little?

MASON:
Sorry, Lois,

I don't have a lot of time.

Too bad.

You know, I ought to be real mad
at you and the police,

keeping me in this burg.

It's like death warmed over.

I don't think you'll have to stay around
much longer.

You wanna know something?

It doesn't really make
a lot of difference.

A room's a room
no matter where you put it.

And a can of beer

is a can of beer,

if you can find a way to open it.

Lois. Lois, you said you wanted
to help Marv. Now I think you can.

How?

During the trial of his father
18 years ago,

there was a Miss X introduced.
She was never identified.

That woman was you.

Give the counsellor a brass ring.

Both the prosecution
and the defence counsel

felt that your part in the case
was incidental. I don't.

You think I killed somebody,
counsellor?

I think you can help me
find out who did.

Here is a letter written
by Ben Deveraux to his wife

just before his partner, Latwell,
was killed.

[LAUGHS]

- You think I was gonna marry Ben?
- Weren't you?

Do you know what Ben Deveraux
looked like?

He was a short, dumpy little man,

square and as bald as a post.

That letter and this picture
were both found in Deveraux's desk.

Deveraux and his partner,
David Latwell, shared the same desk.

I ought to know.

I was up there often enough,
counsellor.

David Latwell was my friend.

He was quite a guy.

Quite a guy.

Latwell?

I took that picture

on August 23rd, 19--

Never mind the date.

It was my birthday.

He gave me this.

Sounds like a cheap little romance,
doesn't it?

But it wasn't like that at all.

We were in love with each other.

There was nothing
we could do about it.

He was the married man
and I was the minister's--

And so we lived
unhappily ever after.

Before we proceed, I should like
to express the grief of this court

over the sudden death
of the defendant's mother,

Wilma Adams.

Also, if defence counsel moves
for adjournment, it'll be granted.

On behalf of the defendant,

we thank the court
for its kind and gracious consideration,

however, we believe that any delay
in proving the defendant's innocence

would be contrary to the last wishes
of the deceased.

We are ready to proceed,
Your Honour.

So after we cleared out the gas,
we removed Donald Briggs' body.

And what was the condition
of the room, Chief Glass?

Neat enough. Seemed Mr. Briggs
was entertaining when he was killed.

What makes you think
he was entertaining?

There were two glasses
in the kitchen filled with ice,

so he was mixing drinks.

There were two different brands
of cigarettes found in the ashtray.

CORTLAND: Had anyone at the motel
seen Mr. Briggs receive visitors?

Well, only the lady in the room
a couple of doors down,

Mrs. Lois Reed.

She saw Marv Adams' truck
parked in front of Mr. Briggs' room.

Thank you.

No further questions.

MEEHAM:
Mr. Mason,

you may question.

Chief Glass,

you've stated that Lois Reed

saw a pickup truck in front
of Donald Briggs' motel room.

- That's right.
- To whom was the truck registered?

Why, the boy's mother, Mrs. Adams.

Then why did you infer
it belonged to Marv Adams?

Well, because--

Well, because
I'd seen him driving it.

But on the night of the murder,

is it not possible that someone else
was driving that truck?

Well, nobody actually saw Adams
driving that night, but--

Thank you, that's all. Della.

Find out what's keeping Paul,
will you?

Right.

CORTLAND: And there is no doubt
that the pickup truck you just identified

was the same as the one Marv Adams
had been driving that day.

It was the same truck.

Thank you, Mrs. Reed.
That will be all.

Mr. Mason?

Mrs. Reed, why did you come back
to Logan City?

Why, Mr. Briggs asked me to.

What was his reason
for wanting you back?

Well, he--

He planned to make some people
give him money.

He said my being here
would make sure they did.

In other words, blackmail.

[CHATTERING]

The blackmail
of more than one person?

I don't know who they were,
but there were more than one.

Thank you, Mrs. Reed. That's all.

Mr. Briggs' death
was caused by gas,

a substance formed
by the mixture of hydrochloric acid

and cyanide of potassium.

And these elements
are difficult to obtain?

No, the farm would have it,

for insects, pests, things like that.

Then, in such a farm community,

one would not have to be
a trained chemist, as Marv Adams is,

to know the results of such poisons
on human beings?

- Well, no, they wouldn't.
- I see.

[DOOR OPENS]

Your Honour,
may I have a moment, please?

Go ahead.

How'd it go, Paul?

They wouldn't let me take
Briggs' copies out of the building.

I found the date of the papers
and got my own copies

at the newspaper morgue.

It's just what you hoped it'd be,
Perry.

See, I marked the spot.

Mm-hm.

Now it all fits.

Thank you, Your Honour.

I have no further questions
of this witness.

Your Honour,
the prosecution rests its case.

I would now like to call
Mrs. Martha Norris.

- You are the wife of George Norris?
- Yes.

You were married before?

My first husband was David Latwell.

What became of your first husband,
Mrs. Norris?

He was killed, murdered,
right here in Logan City.

Are you still familiar with the facts
surrounding that case?

One doesn't forget things like that
so easily.

I object to this entire line
of questioning.

Counsel is changing the issue
to another crime

long since solved
and handled in the court.

Your Honour, the evidence I seek

is only for the purpose of showing
a connection with the crime

for which the defendant is on trial.

Very well. I will overrule the objection
with the understanding

that pertinent facts relating
to this present case are forthcoming.

Thank you, Your Honour.

Now, Mrs. Norris,

I believe you stated
during the Ben Deveraux trial

that the day before your husband
was killed, you'd sprained your ankle

and were unable to walk.

Yes, that's right.
I'd fallen off a tractor.

Did you call a physician in?

On a farm we learn to take care
of those things with no outside help.

But the sprain
was completely disabling,

to the point that it would have been
impossible for you

to have gotten out of bed
the night your husband was shot

on the road leading to your farm.

Of course.

Mrs. Norris,

what was the relationship
between you and your husband?

I mean, were you happy together?

CORTLAND:
Your Honour, I object.

Counsel has no right to delve
into the private life of this witness.

If the--

If the court will allow the witness
to answer this one question,

I shall be able to make clear my reason
for this line of enquiry.

Your Honour,
I want to answer the question.

Very well. Go ahead, Miss Martha.

My husband and I
were very much in love,

before our marriage,

during our marriage,

and right up until--

MAN:
Oh, well...

Order.

If you were very much in love,

then how do you account for the fact

that your husband
was planning to divorce you

and marry another woman
at the time he was murdered?

That's not so.

Your Honour, I should like to show
the witness this letter.

CORTLAND:
Objection.

The letter should first be shown
to the prosecution.

I... I still object to this procedure,
Your Honour,

since no proper foundation
has been laid for such evidence.

I am trying to establish a motive
other than a fist fight

which could have brought
about the murder of Donald Briggs.

Objection overruled.

What about this letter?

Your Honour, this is a trial copy
of a typewritten letter

from David Latwell
to his wife, Martha Norris.

It has been held all these years
by Mrs. Deveraux,

under the mistaken impression that
it was written by Ben Deveraux to her.

That is pure hearsay
and inadmissible.

Such evidence was never introduced
at the original murder trial.

Exactly. It was never introduced

because the defence
failed to introduce Miss X,

the one person
who could have testified to that fact.

Mr. Mason, you are trying
to use this court

as a stage for some
of your well-known theatrics.

Gentlemen, there will be no more
outbursts like that in this court.

Mr. Mason, I'm inclined to agree
with the prosecutor in this matter.

If you have any more questions,
I'll listen.

Your Honour,

it is my contention

that the marriage of David Latwell
and his wife was a far from happy one.

Which would have no bearing
on this case even if it were so.

It would have bearing
if she murdered her husband

and Donald Briggs
found out about it.

Harry, you were there,
you know I was in bed for a week.

- Are you gonna let him--?
- Then, Mrs. Norris,

there is no doubt
that you were incapacitated

at the time
of your husband's murder?

Everyone in town knew I was.

Your Honour,

I submit to the court
this newspaper clipping.

It shows some of the crowd
at a stock auction

during the county fair at Midland.

It was taken from a newspaper
dated the same night

of David Latwell's murder.

It shows David Latwell in the crowd
with a young woman

who was the Miss X
of the Ben Deveraux trial,

the present Lois Reed.

And standing
in the background there

is the woman who swore
at the Deveraux trial

and has also sworn
here again today

that she was unable to walk
at that time,

Martha Norris.

That clipping is identical
with the one found

in the possession of Donald Briggs.

It led Briggs to believe

that Martha Norris
had murdered her husband.

Briggs approached Martha Norris
for reasons of blackmail

and Martha Norris

killed him as well.

She had no right to him.

She had no right to any of them.

David's better off dead.

Look what he would have had.

Just look.

[SOBBING]

Mr. Mason,

there seems to be no probable cause
for action against the defendant

and he is ordered to be released
from custody.

And I instruct the district attorney
to take the necessary steps

to instigate further investigation
in this case

as soon as possible.

Court's adjourned.

I still can't believe that Martha's
responsible for all this.

To think that she could murder
her husband

and then keep his picture around
as a constant reminder.

That was the key
to the whole thing, Helen.

The only reason to keep the picture

was to remember
his great devotion for her.

But Mr. Latwell
wasn't devoted to her.

He was planning to run away
with Lois Reed.

So Martha had no valid reason
and it must have been a cover-up.

And my father was executed because
nobody here would believe him.

Oh, Marv, you've gotta try
not to think about that.

How can I help it?

My mother died because of it.

Now, listen to me, Marv.

Eighteen years ago,
a mistake was made,

a horrible mistake.

But you won't undo the wrong
if you let it colour the rest of your life.

I only saw the whole town
turn against me overnight.

Did you, Marv?

Helen's part of the town.

Well, don't just stand there,
do something.

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