Your pal just drove into town,
Mr. McCarthy.
I'll have one more, Toybo.
I'm afraid I'll have to pay
my bar bill tomorrow.
- You're good with me, Mr. McCarthy.
- Thank you, Toybo.
- Good night, Toybo.
- Good night, Mr. McCarthy.
Operator.
Operator, I want...
...489 Thunder Bay.
I want to speak to Mrs. Manion.
M-A-N-I-O-N.
This is Paul Biegler speaking.
Iron City 700.
- Will they know when she'll be there?
- No, they don't.
I see. You just leave a message.
Tell her to call this number.
- What do you say there, Counsellor?
- Save your money.
- What's in the brown paper bag?
- It might be a cabbage head.
But it wouldn't be.
You're a very suspicious man.
True.
I'm everlastingly suspicious of...
...andlor fascinated by...
...the contents of brown paper bags.
- Can I sneak a peek?
- You do that, Counsellor.
You do that.
After you sneak a peek,
why, you uncork whatever you find.
Shall I pour?
- Your privilege.
- My pleasure, sir.
You fought this soldier by yourself.
You've been drinking alone, Pauly.
I don't like that.
Drop the stone, Counsellor.
You live in a glass house.
My windows were busted a long time ago,
so I can say as I please.
- Have an Italian cigar?
- No, thanks.
Those stinkweeds
are another sign of your decadence.
Pauly, it's a fact.
Since Mitch Lodwick beat you out
of the office of public prosecutor...
...you haven't been worth salt for peanuts.
Not that I don't understand how you feel.
A man who gets beat out of an office
he's held for a long time...
...feels his community has deserted him.
The finger of scorn is pointed at him.
None but the lonely hearts
shall know my anguish.
Pauly, you are a good lawyer.
You ought to make like one.
Be here ready for clients, not fishing...
...and playing that rooty-tooty jazz.
I'm making a living.
I run a few abstracts and divorce Jane Doe
from John Doe every once in a while.
Threaten a few deadbeats.
And in the evening I sit around...
...and drink bourbon whiskey and read law
with Parnell Emmitt McCarthy.
One of the world's great men.
That was a kind word, Pauly.
You know, I might have been.
That's one of the reasons I hate to see
your talent pushed aside by lesser men.
I look at you and see myself years ago,
with the same love for the smell...
...of the old brown books in a dusty office.
Here's a rose, a lily...
...a sweet lupine.
The United States Supreme Court Reports.
What shall we read this evening,
Counsellor?
How about a little Chief Justice Holmes?
Restrain Chief Justice Holmes for a minute.
I might have a client. Waiting for a call.
- Hello?
- Mr. Biegler?
This is Paul Biegler speaking.
Hello, Mrs. Manion?
- What?
- Mr. Biegler?
I'm sorry I missed you.
Did you get my message?
Who? What is that name?
Just a minute, please.
We seem to have a bad connection.
It's a woman named Manion.
Maida took a message from her.
In Thunder Bay? If she wants you
to represent her husband, say yes.
- I don't know what it's all about.
- Pretend you do and say yes.
- Hello?
- Mr. Biegler?
This is much better now.
Yes, I can hear you fine.
I waited for your call all afternoon.
Yes, well, I just got in a few moments ago.
You've read about my husband?
Muffy, please.
Yes.
Mr. Biegler,
have you read about my husband?
Yes, I have. A little.
Will you defend him?
I don't know.
I'd have to know more about it.
Will you talk to him?
He's in the county jail.
Will you see him in the morning?
He's very anxious to see you.
You've been so highly recommended.
I have?
Yes, someone told him about you.
Will you see him?
I suppose I could.
I'll see him tomorrow morning.
- Would you want me there, too?
- I think that would be fine.
Let's make it about 10:00.
- Thank you so much.
- You're quite welcome.
What's this all about?
A man named Barney Quill
raped Mrs. Manion.
Her husband is a lieutenant in the Army.
There's a base in Thunder Bay,
gunnery or something.
The lieutenant goes to Quill's place
and plugs Quill about five times...
...which causes Quill
to die of lead poisoning.
- When?
- A couple of nights ago.
If you hadn't been out fishing in some
godforsaken place, you'd have known.
Good morning, Maida.
- There it is.
- What?
The newspaper.
I thought maybe they didn't bring it.
We haven't paid the bill.
Did you get my note?
We may be in the case.
I'm reading up on it now...
...before talking to Lt. Manion.
Doesn't he ever go home?
You mean Parnell?
We were up late last night.
Is that a fact?
I think maybe you'd better cancel
all my appointments for today.
What appointments?
People think you've migrated to the woods.
If this refrigerator gets more fish in it...
...it'll swim upstream
and spawn all by itself.
May I have your attention
for a moment, please?
Yeah.
I went over your cheque-book yesterday.
I can't pay me my salary.
What happened to the fee
for the Walkers' divorce?
Help salt a uranium mine or something?
I bought a few bare necessities.
Like a new outboard motor.
I wish I could be classed as a necessity.
- Aren't you going to have any toast?
- No.
I'll call you.
Let you know how things are going.
Now, don't let him pay you off
in Purple Hearts.
Those professional soldiers
never have a dime.
I ought to know, I was married to one.
Pardon me. Are you Mrs. Manion?
- Hi.
- I'm Paul Biegler.
- I'm Laura.
- How do you do?
- This is Muff.
- Hello, Muff.
The jail's right here.
You're tall!
- Hello, Pauly.
- Hi, Sulo.
You wait here, Muffy.
- Good to see you.
- How're you feeling?
Fine. I guess you've come
for the soldier boy?
Yes. Do you think we could talk
in the sheriff's office?
Sure, I'll bring him down.
Would you mind taking your glasses off,
Mrs. Manion?
Gee-whiz. Barney Quill do that to you?
More than that. You should see. All over.
You can put them back on,
if it's more comfortable for you.
This is Pauly Biegler.
This is the bucko, Pauly.
- Lt. Manion?
- Hello, there.
- Hi, Manny.
- Hello, Laura.
I wonder if you could meet me
down at my office about 2:00 p.m.
It's 305 West Barnham.
- Of course.
- Fine.
- Is there anything I can get you, hon?
- I'm all right, hon.
Right in here.
Wanted: The Big 10.
They got the 10 best-dressed dames,
the 10 top teams, the 10 top tunes...
...and now the 10 most-wanted.
Don't knock it. That's the American dream.
Those boys made the grade.
You were the district attorney around here,
weren't you?
Yes. Ten years.
What's your experience
as a defence lawyer?
Not very much.
How do I know you can handle my case?
I guess you don't know.
Shall we talk about it?
I suppose so.
Come on. Don't be so bored.
You know, it might very well be
that no lawyer can "handle" your case...
...if you mean getting off scot-free.
You seem to be forgetting:
Barney Quill raped my wife.
I have the unwritten law on my side.
The unwritten law is a myth.
There is no such thing
as the unwritten law.
Anyone who commits murder
on the theory it does exist...
...has bought himself room and board
in the state penitentiary.
Maybe for life.
With that in mind, perhaps we can proceed
with a few questions and answers that...
Can I borrow your lighter?
We can proceed with a few questions...
...that might be of some help
in your defence.
But probably won't be.
That's a nice lighter.
- How old are you?
- Twenty-eight.
- How long have you been in the service?
- Since '50.
- Have you seen any action?
- Korea.
- Do you have any decorations?
- Plenty.
- Is this your first marriage?
- No.
You're not on the witness stand.
You don't have to answer yes or no.
Just give me the matrimonial rundown.
Is this necessary?
I'll be the judge of that.
My first wife divorced me.
Charged cruelty.
Eating crackers in bed,
you know, the usual stuff.
The truth was, she found another guy
when I was in Korea.
I met Laura four years ago, in Georgia.
We were married right after her divorce.
Did you know the husband?
He was in my outfit down there.
You mean you were buddies?
I'll withdraw the question.
That's a little old-fashioned.
Have there been any children
by or from any of these marriages?
- No.
- Any present prospects?
Not unless Barney Quill started something.
What kind of a gun did you use on Quill?
War souvenir. Luger.
The police have it now.
I suppose you've read
the newspaper stories about your case?
Some of them.
- Are they substantially correct?
- Yes.
And you didn't see Quill
rape and beat your wife?
No. When she got back to the trailer,
she told me what had happened.
How long was it
before you went to Quill's and killed him?
I don't know exactly. Maybe an hour.
That long?
The newspapers say your wife volunteered
to take a lie-detector test.
Know anything about this?
Only what I read and what she told me.
Do you know
how the lie-detector test turned out?
- They didn't tell her.
- Yes, Sulo?
Pauly, we got lunch served for the jail.
Do you want to eat with us?
- Does your sister still cook for the jail?
- Sure, she cooks.
You give her my compliments, Sulo.
I've got a luncheon date downtown.
- Nice going...
- I'll be back after lunch.
I'm sorry if I offended you a while ago.
No, you're not.
Come on, bucko.
Pass the salt, Pauly.
Thank you.
Did you give the lieutenant
the well-known lecture?
If you mean,
"Did I coach him into a phoney story?" No.
Maybe you're too pure, Paul. Too pure
for the natural impurities of the law.
Could be that you owe the lieutenant
a chance to find a defence.
You might guide him, show him the way
and let him decide if he wants to take it.
- Want some salt?
- No, I'm not ready.
I'm not the right lawyer for this fellow.
He's insolent, hostile.
You don't have to love him,
just defend him.
What's the matter, don't you need a fee?
You know something?
I think you might be a little bit afraid.
- Afraid of what?
- That you might get licked.
You know, there's only one thing
more devious than a Philadelphia lawyer...
...and that's an Irish lawyer. Pass the salt.
Put it down!
- Hello, there.
- I usually answer to the name Paul.
Are we gonna have some more jokes?
Not unless you want to be the comic.
- I brought you some cigarettes.
- Thanks.
- Peace?
- Sure.
Fine. Now, Lieutenant...
...there are four ways I can defend murder.
Number 1: It wasn't murder.
It was suicide or accidental.
Number 2: You didn't do it.
Number 3: You were legally justified.
Like protecting your home or self-defence.
Number 4: The killing was excusable.
Where do I fit into this rosy picture?
I'll tell you where you don't fit.
You don't fit in any of the first three.
Why wouldn't I be legally justified
in killing the man who raped my wife?
The time element.
If you'd caught him in the act, the shooting
might be justified. But you didn't.
You had time to get the police.
You didn't do that, either.
You're guilty of murder,
premeditated and with vengeance.
That's first-degree murder
in any court of law.
- So I should plead guilty?
- When I advise you to cop out, you'll know.
- Cop out?
- That's plead guilty and ask for mercy.
If you're not telling me to cop out,
what are you telling me?
I'm not telling you to do anything.
I just want you to understand
the letter of the law.
- Go on.
- Go on with what?
Whatever it is you're getting at.
You're very bright.
Let's see how really bright you can be.
Well, I'm working at it.
Because your wife was raped, you'll have
a favourable atmosphere in the courtroom.
The sympathy will be with you
if all the facts are true.
What you need is a legal peg...
...so the jury can hang up
their sympathy in your behalf.
- You follow me?
- Yes.
What's your legal excuse, Lieutenant?
What's your legal excuse
for killing Barney Quill?
Not justification, huh?
Not justification.
Excuse.
Just excuse, huh?
What excuses are there?
How should I know?
You're the one that plugged Quill.
I must've been mad.
- How's that?
- I said I must've been mad.
A bad temper's no excuse.
I mean, I must've been crazy.
Am I getting warmer?
Okay, Sulo. I'm going...
Am I getting warmer?
I'll tell you that
after I've talked to your wife.
In the meantime, see if you can remember
just how crazy you were.
Is Mrs. Manion here yet?
She's been waiting quite a while.
She's been through all your albums
from Dixieland to Brubeck.
What do you think of her?
Soft, easy. The kind men
like to take advantage of, and do.
Did you get any money?
- Huh?
- Money.
I haven't decided to take the case yet.
You surprise me, sometimes.
Why? I've been around.
Yeah, well...
- Hi.
- Hi.
I hope you don't mind.
I think we'd better talk.
You're a funny kind of a lawyer.
The music, I mean.
Aren't lawyers supposed to like music?
Not that kind of music.
I guess that settles it.
I'm a funny kind of a lawyer.
Where's your home, Mrs. Manion?
Where'd you go to school?
Where did you grow up?
No place in particular. We moved around.
My father was a boomer.
Construction boomer.
Building dams mostly. Call me Laura.
- Is your family still alive, Laura?
- No.
I have some cigarettes
around here someplace.
- Want a cigarette?
- No, I wanted to offer you one.
- You could light it for me.
- Oh, yes.
Here.
That's just like your husband's, isn't it?
He gave me this because I liked the one
he had. He's like that.
He gives me presents all the time.
You have a happy marriage?
Yes.
What went wrong with the first marriage?
What went wrong
is when I went for Manny.
- That's honest enough.
- It was more than just that.
Like I told you, I grew up on the move,
and Jack, my first husband...
...didn't like to move.
He wouldn't even take a transfer.
I was really bored. Manny likes to go.
We're always going.
Whenever we get the chance.
We've been all over.
I'm thirsty.
Water? Or would a beer do?
I think a beer would do fine.
Bring me a bottle of beer, will you?
- Are you married?
- No.
That's nice.
What do you do alone in this house
if you aren't married?
It's a family home.
I'm the last of the family...
- There you are.
- Thank you.
- Aren't you having one?
- No, not right now.
There you are.
Could Muff have a little?
In that ashtray, maybe? He loves beer.
You want a beer for the dog?
Well, here we are.
He'll go to sleep now.
- Isn't he cute?
- Yeah.
Well, how about it? Are you ready?
I mean, are you ready to tell me the story?
I know what you mean.
Suppose you tell me
everything you told the state police...
...plus, everything you didn't tell
the state police.
Where shall I begin?
What time did you leave for Quill's bar?
Right after dinner. About 8:30, I guess.
Manny was late getting home
from the firing range. So, we had dinner.
He laid down and went to sleep.
I hadn't been out of the trailer all day,
so I took Muff and a flashlight...
...and walked over to the bar.
I bought a drink
and played the pinball machine.
Many people in the bar?
Not many. Barney came over
and challenged me to a game. For drinks.
How well did you know Barney?
He owned this bar where Manny and I went
sometimes, that's all.
- Had he ever made a pass at you?
- No, nothing like that at all.
Was he drinking heavily that night?
He didn't seem to be.
At least, not when we were playing pinball.
Were you with him
the whole time you were there?
No, there were other people playing.
What time did you leave the bar?
About 11:00, I guess.
I left by the side door.
Muff was carrying the flashlight.
He carries it in his mouth.
He's so cute,
running along with the light shining.
Was he sober?
Muff? Of course he was sober.
You're joking now, aren't you?
Yes, I'm joking. Go on.
Well, Barney came from somewhere,
not the door I left by.
He said he was going my way
and he could drive me home.
He said the bears were prowling around
and I oughtn't to walk home.
The bears come out at night to scavenge.
They're harmless enough, aren't they?
I suppose I wouldn't have been afraid
in the daylight, but...
...the dark isn't the same.
Yes, I know.
Now, you got into Barney's car...
I got in and he drove to the trailer park.
He made overtures?
No, nothing.
When we got to the trailer park,
the auto-gate was closed.
Mr. Lemon closes it about 11:00,
or a little after.
I thanked Barney
and started to get out of the car...
...but he said
there wasn't any need for me to walk.
That he could drive me into the park
on another road.
I didn't know there was another road,
but he drove on...
...before I could say yes or no.
- Were you alarmed?
- No, I'm not usually afraid of men.
And anyway, he hadn't touched me
or even said anything out of the way.
Doesn't a woman sort of instinctively know
when a fellow's on the make?
Sure, but that's only usual with me,
with almost all men.
Ever since I was a kid.
You, for instance. You're interested.
But there isn't any reason to be afraid
of you. It was like that with Barney.
Mrs. Manion, believe me,
I'm not in the least...
Call me Laura.
Laura, I'm only interested in helping
your husband. Nothing more.
I don't mean you'd try anything.
I just mean, it's the way you look at me.
It would be very difficult
not to look at you.
The way I dress, you mean?
You don't like it?
I love it. I just love it.
We'd better keep moving along
with this thing.
How were you dressed that night?
In a sweater, like this, and a skirt.
And the rest? What about that?
Underneath? I had on a slip
and panties and a bra.
No girdle?
I don't need a girdle.
Do you think I need a girdle?
I don't know. How should...
I'm only concerned with the few facts
that might be of help to me...
...to defend your husband. That's all.
- Well, I don't wear one.
- Okay, no girdle.
All right. Now, go on.
He turned off the highway into a lane
in the woods, and he stopped the car...
...and turned off the lights.
And then he grabbed me and he said,
"I'm gonna rape you." Just like that.
He used those words?
Exactly those words. Muff began to bark,
so he threw him out the window.
I could hear little Muffy whining
outside the car, all through it.
Barney began to try to get at me
and I fought him off as best I could.
But he was terribly strong.
Did you cry out? Did you scream?
Didn't seem to be much use,
out there in the woods.
He began to shout names at me
like "army slut" and some other names.
Then, he drew back
and hit me with his fist.
He hit me again and I didn't fight anymore.
I must've been only half-conscious...
...but I know that he tore my panties off
and did what he wanted.
The newspapers said
a doctor examined you...
...and he didn't think you'd been raped.
I don't care what the doctor thought,
a woman doesn't mistake these things.
All right. Go ahead.
I don't know exactly what happened then,
I must've fainted.
The next thing I remember,
the car was moving.
Barney was driving very fast
and he was breathing hard.
An ugly, gasping sound.
We were on the main road
to the trailer park...
...and he swung in by the gate
and stopped.
I opened the door to get out.
Muffy jumped out
with a lighted flashlight in his mouth.
Wait a minute.
You said he'd thrown Muff out of the car,
back in the woods.
He did, but he must've let him back in.
I don't remember.
All right. You opened the door
and Muff got out first.
Before I could get out, Barney grabbed me
and said he was gonna...
...tear all my clothes off
and attack me again.
I got away and ran.
I could see Muff at an opening in the fence.
He was scooting back and forth
with the flashlight.
Barney caught me from behind
and I fell to the ground.
He fell on top of me
and began to beat me with his fists.
I thought he was gonna kill me.
I screamed and somehow
I got to my feet again and ran.
I went through the opening in the fence,
followed Muffy...
...who was running ahead
with the flashlight.
I kept following the light
until he led me to our trailer.
And you didn't see Barney again?
I never laid eyes on him again,
dead or alive.
I think that's enough for now.
I've got lots of time. All you want.
Where can I reach you?
I'm still in Thunder Bay,
but I can drive down again in the morning.
- Was there something else?
- No.
- Thanks for letting me play the records.
- You're very welcome.
- Who was that?
- The lady in the case.
You're not gonna take the case?
I don't know. That depends on
what Manion has to tell me tomorrow.
He's thinking things out.
That's more like it.
If I take the case, I'll want you in it.
Me? In a big murder case?
The sight of this whiskey-drinking old man
at the counsel table would ruin you.
I need you.
You mean that?
Why else would he say it?
I'll be glad to work with you outside
the courtroom, but not in the courtroom.
You suit yourself about that.
Either way, I'm gonna have to be able
to depend on you.
Will you lay off the booze?
I don't know about that.
Why don't you know?
Do you think I could lay off the booze?
Have you ever tried it?
Try it.
I've never been in a big murder case.
Not once in all my life.
Well, it's up to you, Parn.
Will you be around tonight?
Yeah, I'll be around.
Maida, darling, I might manage it.
I might manage to be a real lawyer again...
...for a little while, anyway.
I tried remembering.
There were still some pieces missing.
I remember...
...going to Quill's bar with a gun.
And I remember Quill's face
behind the bar...
...but I don't remember anything else.
Not even going home.
Don't you remember firing the gun?
Five shots. That's a lot of noise to forget.
I remember hearing shots,
but they don't seem connected with me.
They seemed far away, like somebody else
was doing the shooting.
Lt. Manion, I'll take your case.
Thanks, Mr. Biegler.
There's the little matter of the fee.
$3,000. That's reasonable enough, isn't it?
More than reasonable.
I'll pay you later. I'm broke.
- You're what?
- I'm flat busted.
I don't have $3, much less $3,000.
Can you raise it?
Yeah, as soon as I get out of jail.
Next week's payday,
I'll be able to give you $150.
If you get me off,
I'll give you a promissory note for the rest.
Suppose I don't go along with you
unless you pay me half the fee?
I'll have to take a lawyer
the court appoints. I got my defence now.
Right? Insanity?
I think I'll stick around
and make damn sure you get off.
- Where do we start?
- We're gonna need a psychiatrist.
As neither one of us has money...
...do you think
the Army'll stir one up for you?
I know a colonel in the Pentagon. I'll write.
Good, do that. Sulo?
Where are you going now?
I'm going to see your wife, for one thing.
Why? Didn't you see her yesterday?
That's right, I did.
She's a very pretty woman, your wife.
A man gets used to the way his wife looks.
Yeah, I guess he does. I'll see you.
Come on in, Pauly.
You haven't been in here
since you vacated.
Hardly recognise the old place?
Mary did it for me.
She just finished a decorator's course.
Smart girl.
- Look at this, a real genuine Picasso print.
- Very nice.
Try this chair.
It sort of does things for you.
Here, sit right down.
Great, isn't it?
"Good for the nerves," they say.
How do you shut it off?
Here we are. Feel better?
I feel all shook up.
I just dropped by to tell you
I've got both feet in the Manion case.
- You're going to cop out, aren't you?
- No.
That's a mistake. It's open and shut.
Maybe. We'll see.
Judge Maitland's in the hospital.
Maybe you'd like a continuance
until he gets back.
If we go now, we'll have to try...
...before some grab-bag judge
they'll send in.
- I'd rather have Maitland.
- Yeah, so would I.
But, of course, that also means my client
lies around in jail another two...
...or three months before the trial.
If you drop the charge
down to manslaughter...
...so he can get out on bail,
we'll agree to a continuance.
You wouldn't do that if you were still D.A.
I don't know, I might.
I might, since a big fat lie-detector test
on his wife has given proof...
...to the rape story.
The jury'll be with him.
How did you know what the lie...
- Bit, didn't I?
- Yeah, you did.
A lie-detector test
isn't admissible evidence.
You can't use it.
No, but it carries moral weight.
I wouldn't sit in that chair too much.
It could shake a fellow's brains loose.
I'll see you later.
He remembers you, Paul. He likes you.
He likes the beer in my icebox.
What's the occasion today, a buffalo hunt?
No, I bought these in Arizona
when we were stationed there.
Aren't they smart?
We can sit in my car.
Here you are.
Several things have occurred to me.
The undergarments
that Barney Quill tore off:
Who has them now? The police?
You mean my panties?
All right, your panties.
I haven't seen them since.
I gave the torn skirt and sweater
to the police.
Then I went with them into the woods
to look for the panties...
...but we couldn't find anything
but my glasses.
Your glasses!
You mean,
you were wearing glasses through all that?
I had them in a case in my hand.
I wear them for reading,
playing pinball, things like that.
I must've tried to get out of the car
and dropped them.
You might be interested to know
that your lie-detector test turned out...
...in your favour.
Of course it did.
I could've told you it would.
You weren't worried about it?
No, why should I be?
Would you like to have something
to worry about?
Silly.
Like your husband watching us
from his cell window?
All right, let's have it.
Did he say something to you?
Just enough. Are you afraid of him?
Yes.
Is that why you volunteered
for a lie-detector test? For him?
Yeah.
Does he have reason to be jealous?
He was jealous
even before we were married.
I should've known how it would be.
It's funny, though.
He likes to show me off.
He likes me to dress the way I do,
and then he gets furious...
...if a man pays any attention to me.
I've tried to leave him, but I can't.
He begs, I give in.
Now, if you think
I've forgotten my question, I haven't.
I have.
Then I'll ask it again. Does your husband
have any reason to be jealous?
No. Not once.
Not ever.
Like the place all right?
I was just looking at those pictures.
That was Barney Quill, wasn't it?
- That's right. Barney Quill.
- I'm Paul Biegler...
I know who you are.
I've seen you around Iron City.
You didn't tell me your name.
Paquette. We don't open till 5:00.
That's all right. I can wait.
I don't have the shakes yet.
You were on the job that night,
weren't you?
The night Barney Quill was killed.
Like the newspaper said, I was present.
You were the fellow
that stopped Lt. Manion outside.
That's right.
He pointed the gun at me and said,
"You want some too, buster?"
And you said no,
because your name isn't Buster.
Wasn't anything funny about it.
No, there wasn't anything... I'm sorry.
Where were you
when Barney Quill was killed?
I gather you don't want to talk
about that night?
That's right. I don't want to talk about it.
You'll have to talk to me about it in court,
why not now?
'Cause I don't have to now.
Reason enough, okay?
Okay.
Old Barney, he was
kind of a rugged character, wasn't he?
Ex-prize fighter and muscleman,
and fancy with guns.
He paid his debts, ran a clean place.
Me, I liked him.
You run the place now?
No, I just work here.
Mary's running things.
Mary? Was that Barney's wife?
No. He didn't have a wife.
Mary was his manager.
I wonder who's going to inherit the place.
- Mary, I guess.
- Mary again, huh?
What's the matter with that?
You mean, what's the matter with Mary?
I don't know.
Mary what?
Pilant. Mary Pilant.
She's in the back booth.
We don't talk about our customers here,
but if we did, which we don't...
That's her. That's Mary Pilant.
Do you know Lt. Manion's wife?
Sure. I know the lieutenant, too.
He's a good officer.
She's all right, too. Friendly, a good kid.
- What do you know? Knock it off.
- I didn't mean anything. She's a dish.
What's wrong with that?
You want this lawyer to get wrong ideas?
What chances has the lieutenant got?
Pretty good, I'd say, with a couple
of character witnesses like you.
I'd like to help him out,
I sure would, but we're moving out.
The whole outfit. Berlin.
Tell me, who is this "babe" at the hotel?
Her name is Mary Pilant.
She was Quill's private property.
- Would you like a table, sir?
- Yes, please.
Will you be alone?
No, I'll be joined by two others.
- May I take your hat?
- Thank you very much.
How was the manicure?
Ask me any questions about anybody.
I've got all the dope.
Can you tell me about a woman
by the name of Mary Pilant?
Easy. Mary Pilant may
or may not have been...
...the mistress of the late B. Quill.
The manicurist is in favour
of the mistress theory...
...but the hairdresser is against it.
However, they both agree that some kind
of hanky-panky must've been going on.
To be continued.
- Menu?
- Thank you.
- Pretty, huh?
- Yes, very pretty. Well, go on.
There's one story that says that Barney's
wild night with Mrs. Manion was...
...somehow triggered by Mary Pilant.
Seemed she'd been seeing some soldier
and Barney blew his stack.
He got tanked up and exploded.
- Is Mary Pilant local?
- No, she's a Canadian.
Barney brought her in
to dress up the place...
...and she stayed on to manage it for him.
Looks like she's done all right.
It's better than all right.
She's in for the estate.
She doesn't look like a bad sort, does she?
Where?
What do you mean, "where"?
The pretty one with the menus.
This girl, right here?
Miss Pilant, may I introduce myself?
I'm Paul Biegler, attorney for Lt. Manion.
This is Mrs. Rutledge and Mr. McCarthy,
my associates.
Could you sit with us for a minute?
- Yes, I can take a minute.
- Thank you.
I'd like to ask you a few things,
if you don't mind.
What sort of things, Mr. Biegler?
Like, what kind of man your employer was?
A very nice man.
If that's true, how do you explain
what happened with Lt. Manion's wife?
I don't know what happened
with Lt. Manion's wife...
...so there isn't anything for me to explain.
Your loyalty to the dead Mr. Quill
is very touching.
Barney was well-liked here by everyone,
Mr. Biegler.
It's very generous to overlook his little
faults, like raping other men's wives.
If you will pardon me.
The waitress will take your order
when you're ready.
Nice to have met you,
Mr. Biegler, Mr. McCarthy, Mrs. Rutledge.
You've just been ginned, Lieutenant.
Manion?
- Any word, Lieutenant?
- Yeah, this. From Washington.
They'll let a doctor come to testify,
but there's a string on it.
They want me to go to an army hospital
in Detroit for an examination.
Doesn't the Army understand
you're in jail on a non-bailable offence?
That's it, as far as the Army's concerned.
I don't know how I can get around this.
I'll try to think of something.
My wife hasn't been here for two days.
- Have you seen her?
- No. Not for a while.
- Where the hell is she?
- You've got other things to worry about.
I'll get in touch with her
and tell her you miss her.
Yeah, you tell her that.
- Thanks, Sulo.
- Okay, Pauly.
I know just how you feel, Lieutenant.
I'd be tearing my hair out, too,
if I had something like that outside.
Something like what outside?
You know what I mean. Something
like that running around on the loose.
Now, what's the big noise, buckos?
It's me, dummy.
I hit my elbow on this lousy iron bar.
You want some rubbing alcohol, maybe?
No, but a little bourbon might help.
Knock it off, buckos!
Let's finish the game, Lieutenant.
Hey, what a crazy lawyer we got!
Hi, Pauly.
That's what they call you, isn't it? Pauly?
That's a crazy name for a crazy lawyer.
- Thanks for letting me sit in, Pie-Eye.
- You're not splitting the scene, man?
- I mean, you're not cutting out?
- No, I'll be back.
Hi, Pauly. Fellas, this is Manny's lawyer.
- Sit down, won't you?
- Sorry, I can't right now.
Mrs. Manion, may I talk to you
for a moment outside?
Mrs. Manion? I thought we dropped
the formalities a long time ago.
We'd better pick them up again.
This is important.
- All right, I'll go with you.
- All right, come on.
- You're coming back, aren't you?
- Sure, what do you think?
- See you later, Pie-Eye.
- Okay.
Did you get my phone message?
Yeah, but I got busy.
Why haven't you been to see
your husband?
I don't see why I have to go every day.
It would be a very good idea if you did.
All right. I'll see him every day.
- Okay?
- No, it's not okay.
- Where's your car?
- I came with them.
- Mine's right over here.
- Now wait, I got friends inside.
Friends or not, you're going home.
Who do you think you are?
I'm the lawyer trying to save your husband.
Remember?
- What's that got to do with...
- You listen to me!
Until this is over, you're going to be
a meek little housewife...
...with horn-rimmed spectacles.
You're going to stay away from men,
juke joints, booze and pinball machines.
You're gonna wear a skirt
and low-heeled shoes.
And you're gonna wear a girdle.
Especially a girdle.
Believe me. I don't usually complain
of an attractive jiggle...
...but you save that jiggle
for your husband to look at...
...if and when I get him out of jail.
Now, come on. Let's go.
I'm sorry. I really am.
I wouldn't hurt Manny's chances
for anything.
Come on.
Is this about where
Barney knocked you down?
Yeah. Right over here.
Over there's the opening in the fence
where Muffy...
...was running back and forth
with the flashlight.
Where's your trailer?
Up there on the hill.
This is my favourite place.
Sometimes when Manny was sleeping,
I'd come out here and just sit.
I had to get out of that trailer.
I couldn't stand
being cooped up all the time.
I'm lonely, Paul. I'm awful lonely.
I wouldn't have gone to that roadhouse
if it weren't for that.
Maybe you're getting in
some good practise for being lonely.
You think maybe Manny won't get off?
That'll be up to the jury
and you never can tell about them.
If he didn't, it'd be one way to end it.
No, I don't mean that.
I may think it sometimes,
but I don't really want it.
Hello, sweetie. Did you miss me?
Of course you missed me.
You want to come in, Paul?
You can if you want to, you know.
No, thank you, Laura.
I'm sorry I had to spoil your fun
over at that place.
- Good night, Laura.
- Good night.
Hear ye, hear ye.
The Circuit Court for the County
of Iron Cliffs is now in session.
You can be seated.
For those of you I haven't met,
my name is Weaver.
I'm from downstate
and I'm sitting temporarily...
...while your good Judge Maitland
is recovering from a severe illness.
There's no need, I think,
to dwell at length upon my methods.
One judge is quite like another.
The only differences may be
in the state of their digestions...
...or their proclivities
for sleeping on the bench.
For myself, I can digest pig iron...
...and while I might appear
to doze occasionally, you'll find...
...that I'm easily awakened...
...particularly if shaken gently
by a good lawyer...
...with a nice point of law.
We will now take up the criminal docket.
Case Number 1:
The People versus Clarence Madigan.
Breaking and entering in the nighttime.
Will the defendant rise and come forward?
That's me, Your Honour.
"State of Michigan, Court of Iron Cliffs.
I, Mitch Lodwick, prosecuting attorney...
"... come into said county
and give the court to understand...
"... that Clarence Madigan, alias 'One-Shot
Madigan,' alias 'Smoky Madigan'...
"... did enter the dwelling of Casper Katz...
"... and did there commit the felony
of larceny on said premises."
Does Mr. Madigan have an attorney?
No. A man's got to have money
to ask them fellows the time of day.
Mr. Madigan, if you're impoverished,
it's my duty to appoint an attorney...
...on your behalf.
I wouldn't bother, Your Honour.
I stole the whiskey. I'm guilty as hell.
It was a full case of expensive bourbon.
Did you sell this whiskey?
No. I drank it.
- All of it?
- You bet, Judge.
Are you aware that it will be necessary
to punish you for this crime?
It was worth it.
I'll accept your plea of guilty.
You'll be sentenced later.
- You may now return to your place.
- Thanks, Your Honour.
Case Number 2:
The People versus Frederick Manion.
The charge: Murder.
Paul Biegler for the defendant.
My formal appearance is already on file.
Which of these men is your client,
Mr. Biegler?
None of them.
Mr. Sheriff, will you produce the prisoner?
I'm afraid I can't do that, Your Honour.
Perhaps someone should explain.
I'm not clairvoyant.
The defendant is in Detroit
being examined by a psychiatrist.
Shouldn't the court have been consulted...
...before the defendant
was allowed to leave its jurisdiction?
We're dealing with the Army in this matter.
They only gave us one crack
at one of their psychiatrists.
The court was not present
and it was urgent...
...to get the defendant to the psychiatrist.
What does the attorney for the People say?
It was done with my knowledge,
Your Honour.
I've always heard this Upper Peninsula
of our fair state...
...was a queer place.
If it's customary here to allow a man
charged with first-degree murder...
...to wander about at will,
I don't suppose it behoves an outsider...
...to point out that the law makes
no provision for such quaint liberalism.
The defendant is in the care of a deputy
and will be returned this afternoon.
We'll formally arraign the defendant
on his return.
For the sake of the docket,
can you give me a clue as to his plea?
The defendant will waive reading
of the information and stand mute.
A plea of not guilty will be entered.
The case of Frederick Manion
will be placed first on the trial docket.
Can you hurry it up?
If the judge hears the prisoner
was lounging at the railroad station...
...he'll really give it to me.
It'll just take a minute. Come over here.
Lieutenant, how did things turn out?
I was temporarily insane.
- Did he tell you that?
- Yeah.
He said he'd write you a letter,
but I took notes on my own.
- The doctor's name was Smith.
- Smith?
Anatole Ludwig Smith
or Ludwig von Smith, I hope.
- Name like that would impress the jury.
- Just plain Matthew Smith.
He said when I shot Quill...
...I was suffering from
"dissociative reaction."
Dissociative reaction.
Sounds pretty good, doesn't it, Parn?
What does it mean in English?
It means I had an "irresistible impulse"
to shoot Quill.
That's okay, isn't it?
Did he say you knew the difference...
...between right and wrong
when you shot Quill?
I don't think he said anything about that.
Is that important?
We'd better not keep the sheriff waiting.
You'd better go.
You ever heard of a Michigan court
accepting irresistible impulse as insanity?
No. Maybe we'd better switch
to self-defence.
Even Mitch Lodwick
would make a monkey out of us on that.
Damn strawberry soda.
- Here, do you want a peanut?
- No, thanks.
Tomorrow is Saturday.
We just have the weekend before the trial.
When do we start working?
Tomorrow morning. Early.
- Pauly!
- Hey, listen to this, Parn.
Never mind that. Just find:
"People versus Durfee,
That's it. I have it right here in the A.L.R.
Listen.
"The right and wrong test,
though deemed unscientific...
"... is adhered to by most of the states,
but..." Listen to this.
"But, the fact that one accused
of committing a crime...
"... may have been able
to comprehend the nature...
"... and the consequences of this act...
"... and to know that it was wrong,
nevertheless..."
Dear, sweet, endearing word,
"nevertheless."
"Nevertheless, if he was forced
to its execution by an impulse...
"... by an impulse,
which he was powerless to control...
"... he will be excused from punishment."
Why, the Michigan Supreme Court
did accept irresistible impulse, Parn.
This is precedent.
I think we got a hold of something here.
Good old Durfee, 1886. How about that?
Give me a pad.
By the saints, this strawberry soda pop
is beginning to taste like whiskey.
Don't get drunk yet.
We've got to convince a jury...
...that our client was irresistibly impulsed.
Remember that.
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury.
Before we proceed, it will be necessary
for me to examine you...
...on your qualifications to sit as jurors.
Please remember that you are under oath.
Are all of you citizens?
Will you please raise your hand
if you are not?
Are there any justices of the peace
or law enforcement officers among you?
No.
Are any of you related by blood
or marriage to a law enforcement officer?
No.
So much for qualifications.
I will now examine for cause.
Does anyone have business pending with
the prosecuting attorney, Mitch Lodwick?
No.
Does anyone have business pending
with Paul Biegler, attorney for the defence?
No.
Is anyone acquainted with the defendant...
...seated there on Mr. Biegler's left?
Will the defendant's wife please stand?
- Do any of you know Mrs. Manion?
- No.
Thank you, Mrs. Manion.
You may be seated.
Counsel may challenge the jury for cause.
Before counsel's challenge, may I introduce
Mr. Claude Dancer to the court?
Mr. Dancer is an assistant attorney general
from Lansing.
Because of the peculiar nature
of this case...
...I asked the attorney general
for Mr. Dancer to sit with the prosecution.
Your reputation precedes you, Mr. Dancer.
- It's a privilege to have you in my court.
- I'm sure it'll be instructive.
Do any of you have any business pending
before the attorney general's office?
No.
I must apologise
for my disparaging remarks...
...about the Upper Peninsula
and its customs.
I've seldom seen a murder jury selected
and sworn in less than half a day.
You've won my heart completely.
Mr. Dancer, you asked for the recess.
What's your problem?
There was a little suggestion
I wanted to make.
By all means.
Since the defence plea is insanity,
the prosecution has retained a psychiatrist.
By statute, we have the right to request
a mental examination by our own doctor.
Are you familiar with that statute,
Mr. Biegler?
Moderately.
It would only delay things
to file a formal petition...
...so why don't we informally agree...
...to ask for an adjournment?
Only a day or so...
...and our doctor can see the defendant.
It would save a great deal of time.
- Yes, I'm sure it will.
- Good.
But, suppose you just go ahead
and file that formal petition anyway?
You're a little late,
but maybe His Honour will overlook that.
I'd sort of like the jury to see that
you think our insanity plea has some merit.
There's no need for our doctor
to examine your client.
- I was only following the usual procedure.
- I'm all for it.
Do you wish to file the petition?
- Yes...
- It won't be necessary.
It won't be necessary.
Skirmish over.
Shall we join now on the field of battle?
The body of Quill had sustained
five gunshot wounds.
One of the bullets
had passed through the heart.
Death, in my opinion,
was almost instantaneous...
...and was directly caused by this wound.
Dr. Raschid,
may I have your detailed report?
Certainly.
I ask that this report be marked
"People's Exhibit 1" for identification.
So received and marked.
The People hand the defence
a copy of the report.
Counsel may cross-examine.
Dr. Raschid, your primary purpose was
to ascertain the cause of death, was it not?
Yes.
Yet I read in your report...
...you checked to determine
if spermatogenesis was occurring...
...in the body at the time of death.
Objection, Your Honour!
The People call this witness
only to show the cause of death.
Your Honour,
the entire report was offered as evidence...
...and it contains this information
about spermatogenesis.
Overruled, Mr. Lodwick.
The witness may answer.
Yes, I made that examination
on the deceased.
Would you tell the court your findings?
Spermatogenesis was occurring
at the time of death.
In other words, the deceased,
in life, was not sterile.
- He could produce children.
- Correct.
If a woman says she has had intercourse
with a certain man...
...who is proven fertile, though no evidence
is found in the woman's body...
...could a lawyer, a prosecuting attorney...
...could he use this as evidence
that the woman is lying?
Your Honour...
...I object to this line of questioning.
We are not concerned here with relations
between a man and a woman.
As long as an examination
for spermatogenesis had been made...
...at least we're entitled to know why.
Overruled. You may answer.
Yes, prosecution could use that...
...though it certainly would not be
conclusive that she was lying.
Why not?
There could be several reasons
why the test on her was negative.
The use of a contraceptive...
...or possibly, there was no completion
on the part of the man.
In this post-mortem,
were you asked to determine...
...if the deceased
had reached sexual climax...
...shortly before death?
- No, sir.
- Could you have determined it?
- Yes.
So, you were only asked
to make such examinations...
...that might be useful to the prosecution,
but not the defence?
I object, Your Honour.
The question is argumentative.
The defence is trying to impugn the intent
of the representatives of the People.
Mr. Biegler, you must be aware
that the question is improper.
I withdraw the question and apologise.
The question and answer will be stricken...
...and the jury will disregard
both the question and the answer.
That's all.
No redirect.
The People now call Lloyd Burke.
Will the witness step forward, please?
How can a jury disregard
what it has already heard?
They can't, Lieutenant.
They can't.
...the whole truth and nothing
but the truth, so help you God?
I do.
Will you state your profession, please?
I'm a commercial photographer.
Were you called upon by the police...
...to take photographs of the body
of the deceased, Bernard Quill...
...before and after he was removed
from the scene of death?
Yes, sir.
Were these photographs of the deceased
made by you?
They were.
The recorder will mark these photographs:
"People's Exhibit 2A to 2D"
for identification.
Photographs are tendered to the defence
for examination...
...and we move their admission
as evidence. Your witness.
No questions, no objections.
- He took pictures of me that night, too.
- Just a minute, Mr. Burke.
Mr. Burke, these photographs
offered as evidence:
Are they the only photographs
you took that night?
No.
The others didn't turn out?
All my pictures turn out.
Of course. I beg your pardon.
Did you give the other pictures
to the police?
Yes, sir, I did.
What were they?
Were they side shots
or a shot of the moon, perhaps?
Or a black bear scavenging
in the Thunder Bay dump?
I object. I can't see how other photographs
are relevant.
The photographs
were introduced to show...
...that the deceased
met with a violent death.
Your Honour, any photograph
pertaining to the case would be relevant.
The point is good, Mr. Biegler. Continue.
What were these other photographs of,
Mr. Burke?
Lt. Manion's wife.
These photographs showed how she looked
after Barney Quill was killed?
- Yes.
- Your Honour, how she looked is irrelevant.
No evidence has been introduced
to connect her appearance to the murder.
- Sustained.
- I'm sorry, Your Honour.
I wanted to be sure the prosecution
wasn't withholding evidence.
Now, look here!
I protest to the defence attorney's
persistent attacks...
...on the motives of the prosecution.
The jury will disregard the remark made
by the attorney for the defence.
There is no reason to believe
the prosecution hasn't acted in good faith.
My apologies to the prosecution
and the court.
But, Your Honour...
...as long as protests are being made,
I'd like to make a protest myself.
I'm perfectly willing to take on
these two legal giants any time, any place.
But, in all fairness,
it ought to be one at a time.
I don't want these two pitching
knuckle balls at me at the same time.
It seems to me
you're batting close to 1000...
...but your point is well-taken.
Whichever attorney opens
with the witness...
...he, alone, shall continue
with that witness until they are excused.
Thank you, Your Honour.
No more questions.
No questions.
We're doing well, aren't we?
- Where is Parnell?
- Why? Isn't he here?
No, nor in his rooming house.
He hasn't been there all night.
You saw him last. Where is he?
I promised not to tell, so don't ask me.
He hasn't fallen off the wagon?
No. He was sober.
Has he gone somewhere?
He did borrow my car for something.
Your car? That was smart.
He hasn't driven a car in 20 years.
He'll kill himself. Where's he gone?
My word is my bond.
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.
You may proceed.
Your Honour...
...the defence notices a third person
at the prosecution's table.
We were wondering if the court
shares our curiosity about him?
I was about to introduce him.
Your Honour, this gentleman
is Dr. W. Gregory Harcourt.
Dr. Harcourt is the People's psychiatrist
in this case.
We ask that Dr. Harcourt be allowed
to sit at our table as an observer.
What will he observe? The constellation
of Taurus or the life of a bumblebee?
He'll observe the defendant.
That's fine.
The defence has no objection.
I just wish to express my relief...
...that the new recruit is not additional
legal reinforcements from Lansing.
We call Alphonse Paquette.
Raise your right hand, please.
You do solemnly swear
that the testimony you give...
...shall be the truth, the whole truth
and nothing but the truth?
- I do.
- Take the seat, please.
Will you state your name, please?
Alphonse Paquette.
- You work at the Thunder Bay Inn, right?
- I'm bartender there.
Were you working the night
Mr. Quill was shot by Frederick Manion?
- I was.
- Were you witness to the shooting?
I was.
Will you tell us in your own words, please,
what happened?
I was at a table by the door
when Lt. Manion came in.
Did you know Lt. Manion
by sight and name?
- Yes, sir.
- Go ahead.
He came in and walked over to the bar
and began to shoot.
He shot Barney
when he came up to the bar.
When Barney fell, he kept on shooting
down at Barney behind the bar.
Then he turned and walked out.
When Lt. Manion entered the bar,
how did he appear to you?
Well, he walked slow.
Kind of deliberate.
Did he speak to Barney Quill?
Not a word.
He just walked over
and pulled out his gun and "bang."
- And then he walked out?
- Yes.
When he walked out,
how did he appear to you?
He seemed just like he did
when he walked in.
Like he was the mailman delivering mail.
When Lt. Manion walked out of the bar,
what did you do?
It happened so fast,
I guess I was stunned...
...but then I ran after him.
- Did you find him outside?
- Yes, sir. He was walking away.
- Did you speak to him?
I said, "Lieutenant,
you'd better not run away from this."
Did he reply to you?
He said, "Do you want some, too, buster?"
Was he pointing the gun at you?
He was holding the gun in my direction,
but the muzzle was low.
When he said,
"Do you want some, too, buster?"...
...how was that expressed?
Did he shout it? Was it hysterical?
Was he hoarse? Did his voice tremble?
No, sir. He just said it cool and hard,
and looked right at me.
Did he appear to you,
as far as you could tell...
...to be in complete possession
of his faculties?
Yes, sir, as far as I could tell.
- Your witness.
- Did you see Laura Manion...
...Lt. Manion's wife, in the bar that night?
There he goes again.
This is immaterial and irrelevant.
I don't see what the prosecution's
jumpy about. I haven't gone any place yet.
Let's see where he's going
before we start objecting, Mr. Lodwick.
You may proceed, Mr. Biegler.
Did you see Mrs. Manion
in the bar that night?
- She was there.
- Did Barney Quill leave the bar that night?
- Yes.
- Do you remember when he returned?
Around midnight.
From which entrance did he come?
Did he come from the lobby entrance
or from that outside entrance?
It was from the lobby.
- How did he appear to you at that time?
- How do you mean?
You understood the prosecution...
...when he asked
about Lt. Manion's appearance.
He was just old Barney, like usual.
You mean,
he was just good old, sober, reliable...
...gentle, salt-of-the-earth,
friend-to-man Barney?
- What kind of a question is that?
- I withdraw the question.
Mr. Paquette...
...had Barney changed his clothes
since he left the bar?
I don't remember.
Might his clothing have been different
when he returned?
That is,
might he have changed his clothes?
I couldn't say. I didn't notice.
Was Barney drinking that night?
He always had a few shots
while talking to the customers.
- He was friendly.
- Sure he was, good old Barney.
How many shots would you say
good old Barney usually had?
I don't know exactly.
Wasn't he, in fact,
pretty loaded that night?
Objection.
Even if the deceased was dead drunk,
it's no defence to this charge.
Sustained. I suggest you get off this.
Mr. Paquette.
What would you call a man
with an insatiable penchant for women?
A what?
A penchant: A desire, a taste, passion.
A ladies' man, I guess.
Or maybe just a damned fool.
Just answer the questions, Mr. Paquette.
The attorneys will provide the wisecracks.
What else would you call a man like that?
We can't see the drift of this.
You mean you do see, Mr. Lodwick.
You may answer.
Can you think of another name?
- Woman chaser.
- Try again.
- Masher?
- Come now, Mr. Paquette.
Mashers went out
with whalebone corsets and hairnets.
- Did you ever hear the expression "wolf"?
- Sure, I've heard that.
- It just slipped my mind.
- Slipped your mind. Naturally, it would.
Clanking around in there
with those rusty old mashers.
Have you ever known a man
who you could call a wolf?
- I'm not sure.
- Was Barney Quill a wolf?
- I couldn't say.
- Or wouldn't.
- Objection.
- Sustained.
The question was answered.
He said he couldn't say.
Mr. Paquette, when Barney returned...
...from wherever he had gone...
...did he relieve you at the bar?
- Yes.
- What did he say?
- He said, "I'll take over."
Coming out from behind the bar,
where did you go?
I went over to the Pedersons' table.
You testified that you were by the door
when Lt. Manion came in.
You were by the door
because the Pedersons' table was there?
Yes.
How long was it
before Lt. Manion came in?
I don't know exactly. Maybe 30 minutes.
And you remained with the Pedersons
all that time?
Yes. They're my friends.
Is there also a window beside that table?
- I think so.
- You think so.
How long have you worked
at the Thunder Bay Inn?
Six or seven years.
Does this window beside the table
suddenly vanish...
...and then reappear,
and come and go in a ghostly fashion?
It's there all the time.
While you were talking to your friends,
did you look out the window?
- I might have.
- When you looked out...
...were you looking for something?
- No, I wasn't looking for anything.
Didn't Barney Quill tell you to go
to the window and watch out for Manion?
Did he tell you to look out for Lt. Manion?
He did not.
Barney was quite a marksman, wasn't he?
With guns.
He'd won prizes for shooting, hadn't he?
- Yes.
- Did he keep any guns behind the bar?
He might have.
Isn't it a fact that there are three
concealed pistol racks behind the bar?
The defendant's plea is one of insanity,
not self-defence.
I'm sure Mr. Biegler hasn't forgotten that,
Mr. Lodwick.
You may answer.
Are there concealed gun racks
behind the bar?
- Yes.
- How many people know of the gun racks?
I couldn't say.
Isn't it a fact that Barney
would sometimes take the guns out...
...twirling them on his fingers,
to demonstrate his skill to the patrons?
- I don't remember.
- Try and remember.
Did you ever see him do that yourself?
Once or twice.
That's all, Mr. Paquette.
No further questions.
The witness may step down.
Call George Lemon.
Biegler's going off in all directions.
What's he getting at?
I have a feeling he's afraid
of what we'll get at.
Mr. Biegler's putting up a smoke screen
for some reason.
- I do.
- Take the seat, please.
- Will you state your name, please?
- George Lemon.
What kind of work do you do?
I'm caretaker of the tourist park
in Thunder Bay.
I see the place is clean and orderly.
I check people in and out,
lock the gate at night.
What is your authority for these duties?
I'm paid by Mastodon township
and I'm also a deputy sheriff...
...just courtesy, sort of.
Did you see Lt. Manion
on the night of the 15th...
...the night Barney Quill was killed?
- Yes, sir.
Will you tell the court...
...about how and when
you saw Lt. Manion?
About 1:00 a.m.,
a knock on my door waked me up.
I went to the door
and Lt. Manion was standing there.
He said, "You better take me, Mr. Lemon,
because I just shot Barney Quill."
I told him to go to his trailer
and that I would call the police.
How did Lt. Manion appear to you
when he asked you to take him?
He said what he had to and did what I said.
There wasn't any fuss.
Did he appear to be,
as far as you could tell...
...in complete possession of his faculties?
As far as I could tell, yes, sir.
Take the witness.
Mr. Lemon,
did you go to the Manions' trailer?
Yes, sir.
- Did you see Mrs. Manion at the trailer?
- Yes, sir.
What was her appearance?
She was a mess.
Objection.
No evidence has been introduced...
...to make Mrs. Manion's
appearance relevant.
No evidence was introduced to make
Barney Quill's appearance relevant...
...but you didn't object to that.
Is that because you know
that Barney Quill bathed and changed...
...after he raped and beat
this poor woman?
Everybody in this court is being tried
except Frederick Manion. I protest...
This is a cross-examination
in a murder case, not a high-school debate!
What are you trying to do,
railroad this soldier into the clink?
Mr. Biegler,
you are an experienced attorney...
...and you know better
than to make such an outburst.
I will not tolerate
intemperance of this sort.
If you once again try the patience
of this court...
...I shall hold you in contempt.
Sorry.
Your Honour...
...I apologise.
It won't happen again.
The witness' answer will be stricken
and the jury will disregard the answer.
Now you may proceed, Mr. Biegler.
Yes, sir.
Mr. Lemon.
On the night when Lt. Manion
awakened you and turned himself in...
...had you been awakened before?
- Had anything else disturbed your slumber?
- No, sir.
There were no soldiers singing?
No, sir. Not in my park after 10:00.
There were no women screaming?
Those screams were down by the gate.
Objection!
I see no reason for objecting yet.
Tell us about those screams, Mr. Lemon.
I didn't hear them myself.
Some tourists from Ohio in the park
heard them and told me the next day.
Mr. Lodwick?
This testimony is incompetent, hearsay...
...irrelevant, immaterial, inconclusive...
That's too much for me.
The witness is yours.
No questions.
The witness may step down.
Call your next witness.
Detective Sgt. James Durgo.
- Hi, Pauly.
- Hi, Jim.
As soon as we break,
you'd better phone that Army psychiatrist.
- Tell him to be here day after tomorrow.
- Will do.
Will you please tell me
where Parnell has gone?
Won't do.
You're fired!
You can't fire me till you pay me.
Were you called to Thunder Bay
by Deputy Sheriff Lemon...
...on the night Barney Quill was killed?
- Yes, sir, I was.
My companion officer and I
were first on the case.
Sgt. Durgo, when you arrived
at the Manion trailer, who was there?
Lt. Manion and his wife.
What did Lt. Manion say to you?
He said his wife had had some trouble
with Barney Quill...
...and that he'd gone to the tavern
and shot Quill.
He asked whether Quill was dead or not,
we told him he was.
How did Lt. Manion take this information?
He didn't seem surprised.
What did you do then?
I asked for the gun he'd used.
Did you take Lt. Manion
to the jail here in Iron City that night?
Yes, sir. We drove the lieutenant down
with his wife.
On the drive to Iron City,
did the lieutenant talk about the shooting?
He said that if he could do
the whole thing again, he'd still do it.
During all this,
at the trailer, the drive to Iron City...
...how did Lt. Manion appear?
He was very quiet most of the time.
Seemed clear-headed.
Would you say he was
in complete possession of his faculties?
He seemed so to me.
Your witness.
You testified that Lt. Manion
told you that he shot Barney Quill...
...after he had learned that his wife
had had some trouble with Quill.
Were these the words
Lt. Manion used: "some trouble"?
No, sir. Those were my words, not his.
Was it your notion to use your own words?
No, sir, it was not.
Was the suggestion
to call it "some trouble"...
...made by somebody in this courtroom?
Yes, sir, it was.
Would you tell the court
what words Lt. Manion actually used...
...to describe the trouble his wife had?
Objection. We've been over this before.
This would not be relevant
to any issues before the court.
The statement "some trouble" came out
during the examination of Sgt. Durgo.
Up to now, you've adroitly restricted
all testimony concerning Laura Manion.
The cat's out of the bag,
it's fair game for me to chase it.
This is a sore point, Mr. Biegler,
and it's getting sorer.
I'd like to hear the prosecution.
The burden is on the defence...
...to prove temporary insanity
at the time of the shooting.
If the reason for the alleged insanity
is important to this case...
...then it's a matter
for a competent witness.
An expert on the subject
of the human mind.
What the defence is trying to do...
...is introduce some sensational material...
...for the purposes of obscuring
the real issues.
Your Honour, how can the jury accurately
estimate the testimony being given here...
...unless they first know the reason
behind this whole trial:
Why Lt. Manion shot Barney Quill?
Now, the prosecution would like
to separate the motive from the act.
That's like trying to take the core
from an apple without breaking the skin.
The core of our defence is that
the defendant's temporary insanity...
...was triggered by this
so-called trouble with Quill.
I beg the court...
I beg the court to let me cut into the apple.
Our objection still stands, Your Honour.
Objection overruled.
Tell the court how Lt. Manion
described the trouble...
...his wife had with Barney Quill.
He told us that Quill had raped his wife.
Can you recall what Lt. Manion
told you about the rape?
Yes, sir.
He said he'd been asleep
since right after dinner.
He was waked up by some noise,
screams, he thought.
He got up,
opened the trailer door and went outside.
His wife came running out of the dark
and fell into his arms.
You saw his wife in the trailer.
How'd she look?
She was a little hysterical.
She'd been pretty badly beaten up.
She had big, black bruises
over her face and arms.
Did Mrs. Manion tell you
about this rape and beating?
She did.
Did she take you to where it happened?
Yes, the next morning.
Did you find anything?
Any evidence pertaining to the story
that Mrs. Manion had told you?
On the lane in the woods,
we found tyre tracks and dog tracks...
...and a leather case
with some horn-rimmed glasses inside.
We also looked for a certain undergarment
of Mrs. Manion's, but we didn't find it.
Will the attorneys for both sides
approach the bench, please?
Mr. Biegler, you finally got
your rape into the case...
...and I think all the details
should now be made clear to the jury.
Do you agree, Mr. Lodwick?
Absolutely.
What exactly was the undergarment
just referred to?
Panties, Your Honour.
Do you expect this subject
to come up again?
Yes, sir.
There's a certain light connotation
attached to the word "panties."
Can we find another name for them?
I've never heard my wife
call them anything else.
I'm a bachelor, Your Honour.
That's a great help. Mr. Dancer?
When I was overseas during the war,
Your Honour, I learned a French word.
I'm afraid it might be slightly suggestive.
Most French words are.
All right, gentlemen, back to your places.
For the benefit of the jury,
but more especially for the spectators...
...the undergarment referred to
in the testimony was, to be exact...
...Mrs. Manion's panties.
I wanted you to get
your snickering over and done with.
This pair of panties will be mentioned
again in the course of this trial.
When it happens, there will not be
one laugh, one snicker, one giggle...
...or even one smirk in my courtroom.
There isn't anything comic
about a pair of panties...
...which figure in the violent death
of one man...
...and the possible incarceration of another.
Proceed, Mr. Biegler.
Did you give Mrs. Manion
a lie-detector test?
Objection. A polygraph test
is inadmissible evidence in our courts.
I only asked if he gave the test.
I didn't ask the results.
He may answer that.
I gave her a lie-detector test
at her request.
Now, after all this investigation,
did you believe Mrs. Manion?
I did.
- Even after the lie-detector test?
- I object to that question.
It constitutes flagrant subterfuge
on the part of the defence counsel.
Objection sustained.
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury,
a polygraph or lie-detector test...
...is not admissible in evidence,
because no one has ever been sure...
...that some people couldn't lie
to a lie detector and get away with it.
Go ahead.
In any case, Sgt. Durgo, you, yourself,
in your own heart and mind...
...are quite convinced
of Mrs. Manion's honesty.
- Yes, sir.
- That's all.
Just a moment.
Did you look for the panties
elsewhere than the lane in the woods?
We looked in Barney Quill's car
and his room in the hotel.
We didn't find the panties.
Do you know why Mrs. Manion
requested a lie-detector test?
- I know what she said.
- What was that?
She wanted everybody to believe her story
as she knew it would help her husband.
Was that the only reason she gave?
Said she'd already sworn to her husband
and she wanted everybody to believe it.
One moment please, Your Honour.
Ask him in what manner she swore.
Did Mrs. Manion say
how she had sworn to her husband?
Yes, sir.
She said she had sworn on a rosary.
Sergeant, this lane in the woods:
What's it used for? Where does it go?
It used to be a logging road.
Doesn't go any place, just stops.
Who uses it now?
I think it's a road kids drive down to park.
- It's a lovers' lane?
- I think so, yes.
- The witness is yours.
- No more questions.
The witness may step down.
In view of the evidence concerning rape,
which Your Honour has ruled admissible...
...we ask for a 30-minute recess
in order that we may...
...bring in a witness
we had not anticipated using.
All right, we'll take a 30-minute recess.
Recess.
Why didn't you tell me about that rosary?
We forgot it.
We didn't forget it. Manny said,
maybe we shouldn't tell that again.
It might've looked like something else.
Like I didn't believe her.
How much more didn't you tell me?
Everything else.
We told you everything else.
Is that right, Laura?
Yes, everything else.
All right, now get this, both of you:
When you get up on that stand,
I want you to tell the truth.
I don't want you to tell anything
but the truth.
Don't try and lie or conceal anything,
or you'll get skinned alive.
This fellow Dancer's gonna move in.
Doctor Dompierre, did you have occasion
to come to the county jail...
...the night of August 15 of this year?
I did.
- Who called you to the jail?
- The police authorities.
What did they want you to do?
They wanted me to make a test
for the presence of sperm...
...on the person
of a Mrs. Frederick Manion.
I made the test.
In making this test,
what was your conclusion?
Negative. There was none.
Your witness, Mr. Biegler.
In making these tests,
did you notice any bruises or marks...
...on Mrs. Manion at that time?
I did.
Were you asked about
the reason for these bruises?
I was not.
Where did you do the lab work
on your test for sperm?
St. Margaret's Hospital in this city.
- Who worked up the slides for you?
- A technician at the hospital.
Wouldn't it have been better to have
these slides worked up by a pathologist...
...or an expert in this field?
Yes, but the police were in a hurry.
I knew this fellow came on at 7:00 a.m.
Wouldn't it have been better
to wait for the expert...
...if the possible question of rape
hung on the result?
It would've been.
In the newspaper,
on the evening of August 16...
...it was stated you found
no evidence of rape. Is that true?
It is not true. I made no such statement.
Did you form an opinion as to
whether Mrs. Manion had been raped?
- No.
- Why didn't you form an opinion?
It's impossible to tell if a mature,
married woman has been raped.
That's all.
Did you have an opinion about whether
she'd had any recent relations with a man?
Insofar as no sperm was present...
...it didn't appear that she had had
recent relations with a man.
Just one more question:
The fact that no evidence was present
in her body...
...does not mean that she was not raped,
does it?
No.
Do you know what constitutes rape
under the law?
Yes, sir. Violation is sufficient for rape.
- There need not be a completion.
- No further questions.
The witness may step down.
The People recall Alphonse Paquette
to the stand.
Your Honour, since counsel for the defence
has forced the question of rape...
...it's necessary to take
additional testimony from Mr. Paquette.
You're still under oath, Mr. Paquette.
Will you look at Mrs. Manion,
seated behind the defence table?
Was she dressed like this
on the night of the shooting?
- No.
- How was she dressed?
She had on a real tight skirt
and sweater kind of thing, sort of glued on.
She was wearing
red shoes with high heels.
Was she wearing hose?
No, she was bare-legged.
- Was she wearing a hat?
- No.
What kind of hair does Mrs. Manion have
under that hat?
We'd be very happy to show the court
Mrs. Manion's hair.
Mrs. Manion,
would you take off your hat, please?
Thank you, Mr. Biegler.
Mr. Paquette, was she wearing glasses
that night?
I think she was when she played pinball.
Considering the tight skirt
and the tight sweater and the bare legs...
...what was the result in her appearance?
Would you say Mrs. Manion's appearance
was deliberately voluptuous and enticing?
You could pretty much see
everything she had.
The defence will concede that Mrs. Manion,
when dressed informally...
...is an astonishingly beautiful woman.
Mrs. Manion, stand up, please.
As a matter of fact, it's pretty easy
to understand why her husband...
...became temporarily deranged, seeing
such beauty bruised and torn by a beast.
I protest.
Mr. Biegler is the least disciplined...
...and the most completely out-of-order
attorney I've ever seen.
The jury will ignore Mr. Biegler's oration.
Was Mrs. Manion drinking heavily
that night?
I sold her six drinks myself,
and then Barney got some more for her.
I don't remember how many.
Would you say that she was tight?
She was high all right.
What did she do
to make you think she was high?
She took off her shoes
and went barefooted.
When she played pinball...
...she'd swish around
to give the machine inkling.
You mean,
she was flipping her hips around?
Anything else?
When she made a good score, she jumped
up and down and squealed like women do.
She was playing pinball
with Barney Quill that night, wasn't she?
What was her attitude
toward Barney Quill?
Friendly, I guess.
More than friendly?
- I thought so.
- Why did you think so?
She'd kind of lean on him...
...and a couple of times
she bumped him with her hip.
Would you say that Mrs. Manion
was making a play for Barney Quill?
Objection. That calls for an assumption
on the part of the witness.
Would you say that Mrs. Manion
was free and easy with Barney Quill?
I would.
Your witness.
The attorney for the People asked you
if Mrs. Manion was "tight"...
...and you said she was "high."
Speaking as a bartender,
what's the distinction between the two?
I don't think I understand.
When we say a person is tight,
we usually mean they're a little...
...stupid with drink, isn't that so?
I guess that's about it, yes.
If they're high,
they're gay and enjoying themselves.
Yes.
In other words, Mrs. Manion was happy.
Is there anything wrong with being happy
in Thunder Bay Inn?
Thunder Bay itself is a resort, isn't it?
Swimming, fishing, that sort of thing?
Is there anything unusual about seeing
a barefooted woman in Thunder Bay?
So, Mrs. Manion's taking her shoes off
in Thunder Bay...
...doesn't necessarily mean
she was being unladylike, does it?
- I guess not.
- Yes or no?
No.
You testified that Mrs. Manion
was squealing and jumping up and down...
...and "swishing her hips"
around the pinball machine.
Was she creating a disturbance?
Was she attracting a crowd?
Were all the men at the bar
standing around watching Mrs. Manion?
But you were very conscious
of Mrs. Manion.
You were so conscious
that you can tell us all this.
Barney Quill was conscious of Mrs. Manion
because he was playing pinball with her.
Wouldn't you say so?
So, it seems only you and Barney Quill
were acutely aware of Mrs. Manion...
...her actions and her appearance.
Maybe when good old Barney
came to get some drinks from you...
...maybe he winked and said,
"I'm gonna take this babe and rape her."
No, he didn't.
Yeah, and maybe you said,
"Do it once for me, boss."
Objection!
Counsel is attacking the witness.
No more questions.
The court's had about all of this dogfight
it can take for one day.
I'm sure the jury
is equally tired and hungry.
Tomorrow, the defence takes over.
With expedition, prayer,
and a little self-discipline...
...on the part of the counsel, perhaps
we can reach an end by Saturday night.
Will you adjourn court?
This court stands adjourned
until 9:00 a.m. Tomorrow.
He's banged up a little, but nothing else.
We'd like to watch him for a day or so.
How much damage did he do?
He wrecked a gate and a barn door
and he hasn't got a driver's license.
He'll have to appear in the J.P. Court
when he's able, the old fool.
Speak kindly of the dead.
- Can I have a minute with the corpse?
- Sure, Pauly.
Was it worth trying to kill yourself
for whatever it is you've been up to?
How's the trial going?
I'm making a lot of noise.
Dancer's racking up all the points.
Where've you been?
Quill hired Mary Pilant
up north of Sault Sainte Marie.
It struck me funny he'd go up there
to hire somebody just to work for him.
I've been up there nosing around.
Did you find anything useful?
Not until I looked up her birth certificate.
Born: Blind River, Ontario, 1934,
out of wedlock.
Mother was a waitress. Simone Platt.
Father was a lumberjack
named Barney Quill.
I'd like to see Miss Mary Pilant.
It's late, mister.
I know. This is important.
- Real important?
- Real important.
Miss Pilant? Sorry if I woke you.
There's a guy to see you.
Says it's important.
- What's your...
- Biegler.
I don't wish to see him.
She said it's not important enough.
You call her back and tell her
I mentioned Blind River, Ontario.
I'll be in the bar.
Drinking, Mr. Biegler, or just snooping?
I'll try a little of both.
What do you say we start out with a beer?
On the house.
That's all you get: A beer.
No questions, no answers.
I'm just a lawyer trying to do my job.
What are you so afraid of, Al?
Sit over there, please.
Miss Pilant, I owe you an apology.
I was a little rough
when I was out here before.
I didn't know Barney Quill was your father.
You didn't come here just to apologise.
No, but the apology was part of it.
To tell the truth, I sort of hoped
maybe it would thaw you out a bit.
All I want you to do is listen to me,
just for a few minutes.
I need some strong evidence to back up
Laura Manion's story about the rape.
The prosecution's gonna attack
that story pretty hard.
If the jury thinks she's lying,
it could turn the decision against Manion.
Isn't she lying? Barney didn't do
what she said he did. He couldn't have.
What did you know about your father?
All I needed to know. He took care of me
and my mother for as long as she lived.
He was always there when I needed him.
That's what I know about my father.
Will that back up Laura Manion's story?
I don't want to get at you.
I don't want to hurt you.
I appreciate your affection for your father.
But, as a lawyer, I've had to learn
that people aren't just good or just bad.
People are many things.
I kind of have a feeling
that Barney Quill was many things.
I don't wanna hear it.
Please, hear me out.
I believe that Barney told Al Paquette...
...what happened that night.
He told him to go to this window
and wait for Manion.
Barney stayed behind the bar,
next to a gun rack.
Just waiting.
Manion came in and fired
the minute he got inside that door...
...and the first shot
went through Barney's heart.
Here's what I want you to do.
I want you to try and persuade Al
to come to court as a defence witness...
...and tell them exactly
what Barney told him that night:
That he'd raped
and assaulted Mrs. Manion.
Al wouldn't conceal a thing like that.
Why wouldn't he tell it if it were true?
I don't know.
But I know this:
Everybody loves something or someone.
Me, I love fishing
and an old guy by the name of Parnell.
Manion loves his freedom,
he'd like to have a little more of it.
Barney loved you, maybe so does Al.
I wouldn't blame him.
But he doesn't want to hurt you.
He doesn't want you to know the truth:
That Barney could be dangerous and brutal.
If you just ask Al...
If you just ask him straight out...
Mr. Biegler knows
that Barney was my father.
He thinks you know something
about the night my father was killed.
Something you won't tell.
Lawyer, I told you once, I'll tell you again:
No questions, no answers.
Wait, Al.
Did my father rape Mrs. Manion?
Barney wouldn't hurt a woman.
Is there any reason
you wouldn't tell me the truth about that?
What reason?
Anything else, Mr. Biegler?
I'm gonna leave a pass
for you and Al at the trial.
You might like to watch
Lt. Manion get convicted.
You gonna talk about
Mary being Barney's kid?
No, I'm not gonna spread it around, Al.
Thank you for the beer.
- Good night.
- 'Night.
All right, now let's get at this rosary thing.
It's been testified
that your wife swore to you on a rosary...
...that she'd been raped by Barney Quill.
Now, did you ask your wife
to swear on a rosary?
My wife was hysterical
and she wasn't making much sense.
I thought if I asked her to take an oath
on a rosary it might serve to calm her.
Make her think more clearly.
Did the rosary help?
She was able to tell me, in detail,
what had happened.
All right, go on from there.
Now, what did you do then?
I had her lie on the bed
and I got some cold cloths for her head.
I gave her a drink of brandy.
After a while, she became calm
and seemed to go to sleep.
Then I went to the closet,
I got my gun and I loaded it.
- Was it in your mind to kill Barney Quill?
- No.
Then why did you go to the closet
and get your gun and load it?
I knew I had to go to his place,
I thought I'd need it.
Why?
I knew Mr. Quill kept guns behind the bar.
I was afraid he might shoot me.
Might shoot you if you did what?
What were you going to do?
I'm not sure.
I remember having some idea
of finding him...
...and holding him while I called the police.
Well, that Mr. What's- his-name...
Mr. Lemon at the tourist court
was a deputy sheriff.
Why didn't you get him to go with you?
Maybe because he always seemed to be
just the old caretaker of the park.
Maybe I wasn't thinking about anything
too clearly, except finding Barney Quill.
Why didn't you call the state police
before you went to the bar?
I don't know.
I was in sort of a daze.
It was a horrible thing to see
what had been done to my wife.
You say you were in a sort of a daze.
When you got to the bar,
did you see that the bar was crowded?
I didn't see anyone at the bar
except Barney Quill.
He was the only person I saw.
What was he doing?
I think he was just standing there
behind the bar.
Did he make a threatening move
to get a gun?
I don't know.
He may have, I don't know.
You say you went there to find him,
to hold him for the police?
Why did you shoot him?
I don't remember shooting him.
When you left the bar, do you remember
Alphonse Paquette coming up to you...
...saying,
"You'd better not run away from this"...
...and your reply,
"Do you want some, too, buster?"
Remember that?
I seem to have a vague recollection
of someone speaking to me...
...but I don't remember what I said
or what was said to me.
When did you realize you'd shot Quill?
I was getting a drink of water.
I remember my throat was so dry it hurt.
When I put the glass down, I saw the gun
on the kitchen sink beside the tap.
I noticed the gun was empty.
I'd like you to show the court and jury...
...just how you knew this gun was empty.
This gadget here, when it sticks up,
you know the last round's been fired.
On the night of the shooting,
did you love your wife?
Yes, sir.
Do you still love her?
Very much.
The witness is yours, Mr. Dancer.
How many men have you killed?
Now, wait a minute!
A man's war record,
in Lt. Manion's case a great record...
...shouldn't be used against him.
I'm as patriotic as the next man...
...but the simple truth is war can condition
a man to killing other men.
I just want to know how conditioned...
...the lieutenant may be to the use
of firearms on other human beings.
I don't like the question...
...but I don't see how I can exclude it.
Let him answer.
I know I killed at least four men in Korea.
Three with a hand grenade
and one with my service automatic.
I may have killed others.
A soldier doesn't always know.
In these acts of killing,
did you ever have a lapse of memory...
...like when you killed Barney Quill?
- No, sir.
- Ever have a memory lapse during battle?
- No, sir.
Were you ever submitted
to a constant barrage...
...in a sweat for many hours,
constantly under attack?
Many times.
Ever treated for shellshock
or war neurosis?
No, sir.
Did you ever experience
any unusual mental state during the war?
- I remember having one great urge.
- What was that?
To get the hell out and go home.
You would do well to consider
the seriousness of the situation you are in.
Sorry, Your Honour.
I sympathise with the lieutenant.
I expect he has the same feeling
about getting out of jail.
The point is that during your service there
was never a record of mental disturbance.
- You were always completely sane?
- Yes, sir, that's right.
No more questions.
No redirect, Your Honour.
Step down, please. Call your next witness.
We call Laura Manion to the stand.
- Up these stairs to the right.
- Thanks.
How long after you told your husband
what happened did he leave the trailer?
I don't know exactly.
Everything was kind of fuzzy.
I was faint and I lay down on the bed,
he sat beside me.
I vaguely remember
his getting up and going out.
I remember wondering if he was going
for a doctor, and then he came back in.
It seemed like just a few seconds,
but it must've been longer.
I must've gone to sleep.
When he came back in, he sat on the bed
and he had a gun in his hand.
And I said, "What are you going to do?"
He said, "I think I've already done it.
I think I've killed Barney Quill."
Are you sure he didn't say,
"I've killed Barney Quill"?
No. I remember distinctly:
"I think I've killed Barney Quill."
Then what did you do?
I put my arms around him
and began to cry.
I said, "You'd better go to Mr. Lemon."
My husband said, "I forgot about that."
What did he mean? Forgot about what?
He meant he'd forgotten
Mr. Lemon was a deputy sheriff.
And he said,
"Yes, I'll go turn myself in to Mr. Lemon."
I have no other direct questions
at this time.
But, since I'm sure it's difficult
to visualise the part...
...a little dog played on this night...
...I should like to show the court
this remarkable little animal.
Do the People object?
I'm sure if we did...
...Mr. Biegler would declare
that we're haters of small, furry animals.
A creature that cannot talk
will be a welcome relief.
Bring in the dog.
Thank you, sir.
Will the deputy bring in the dog, please?
Now, you can put him right there.
Come on.
That's a boy!
Now, I'll ask Mrs. Manion
to bring a flashlight for the dog.
I'll ask the court to notice
that the dog turned on the light.
It's easy to see that Muff doesn't know
who his enemies are.
Remove the dog, please.
Witness will resume the stand.
There we go, Muff.
Mrs. Manion, may I congratulate you
on your well-trained pet.
May I also say that I'm pleased to see...
...you are not hiding your lovely hair
under a hat.
Is the assistant attorney general
from Lansing pitching woo...
...or is he going to cross-examine?
Let's get on with it.
What was your occupation
before you were married?
Housewife.
You were married before?
Yes, once.
I suppose your first husband died?
No.
Did you divorce your first husband
to marry Lt. Manion?
If counsel wants to know the grounds
for her divorce, let him ask that question.
- What were they?
- Mental cruelty.
Naturally. How long after your divorce
did you marry Lt. Manion?
I'm not sure.
May I refresh the witness' memory
for Mr. Dancer?
By all means.
I believe she told me that they were
married three days after the divorce.
- Is that correct, Mrs. Manion?
- Yes.
Then unless yours was
a whirlwind courtship...
...you must've known Lt. Manion
before your divorce.
Yes.
Mrs. Manion,
what is your religious affiliation?
I'm a Catholic.
A Catholic in good standing?
No, the divorce, you know.
You were ex-communicated
because of the divorce?
Yes.
Wouldn't you say that a Catholic...
...who can blithely ignore
one of the cardinal rules of her Church...
...could also easily ignore
an oath taken on one of its artefacts?
Say, an oath taken on a rosary?
I don't think that's true.
Wouldn't there be some doubt
about the integrity of such a person?
I don't know. All I know is
the rosary means something to me.
I see.
I'll pass on to something else.
You testified that your husband came
home late on the night of the shooting.
Were you a little angry
about his being late?
I guess I was a little put out.
- Did you have an argument?
- Not much. A little.
When you left to go to the inn,
did your husband know you were going?
He was asleep.
Was part of your reason for going without
his knowledge because you were vexed?
I'd been ironing all day...
Yes, I guess that's true.
Counsel has deliberately cut off my view
of the witness.
I'm sorry, Mr. Biegler. I wouldn't interfere
with your signals to Mrs. Manion.
I object to the implication I was signalling.
This is the shabbiest courtroom trick
I've ever seen.
You haven't lived, Mr. Biegler.
I ask the court to rule on my objection.
Will you be careful not to place yourself
between Mr. Biegler and his witness?
Of course, Your Honour.
Anything else, Mr. Biegler?
You do it again, I'll punt you all the way
out into the middle of Lake Superior.
Gentlemen, this rowing has got to stop.
The next one of you that speaks out of turn
will have me to deal with.
Now, get on with your cross-examination.
Would you have gone to the inn
if your husband had been awake?
He would have gone with me.
Would you have gone alone?
- Not if he didn't want me to.
- Would he have not wanted you to?
I'm not sure.
I don't know how to answer that.
Had you ever gone
to the Thunder Bay Inn...
...or elsewhere in Thunder Bay,
alone at night?
Yes. Sometimes.
Did your husband know you were going?
Not always. He goes to sleep early
and sometimes I'm restless.
Where did you go on these occasions?
I'd take a walk by the lake,
or to the bingo place, maybe to the inn.
Did you ever go to meet another man?
No, I didn't. I never did that.
You mean to say a lovely woman
like yourself, attractive to men...
...lonely, restless, that you never...
Objection, the witness has answered
the question about other men.
Counsel is now making
a veiled suggestion to the jury.
I withdraw the question.
On these occasional excursions into the
night, did you always return home alone?
Of course.
You testified that the reason
you got into Barney Quill's car...
...was that you were afraid
to go home alone.
Why were you so frightened
on this particular night?
I said that it was because he told me
bears had been seen around.
Was this the first time you'd heard
that bears came around Thunder Bay...
...to pick up scraps?
Had you seen the bears before?
Yes.
This was just the first time
you were afraid of them?
No. I was always afraid of them.
This was just the first time
you were enough afraid to allow a man...
...to take you home after an evening prowl?
Objection. The use of the word "prowl"
is meant to mislead the jury.
- Sustained.
- I apologise, Mrs. Manion.
I didn't mean to imply
that you were a huntress.
Was this the first time
you were enough afraid...
...to allow a man to take you home
from one of your evening walks?
It wasn't just that. It was...
You should be able
to answer that straight off.
That's a simple enough question.
How can the witness answer straight off,
if counsel keeps interrupting the answer?
The witness seemed a little slow to me,
Mr. Biegler.
However, let her complete her answers
before you interrupt.
In any case, Mr. Biegler's objection
has given Mrs. Manion sufficient time...
...to think of an answer.
You've thought of one, haven't you?
What I was going to say was that...
...I didn't want to offend Mr. Quill
by making him think I didn't like him.
He'd been very pleasant to my husband
and me when we'd been in his bar.
That's very good. Very good indeed.
Your Honour, please.
The attorney for the People will reserve
his comments for the arguments.
I will ask you this question, Mrs. Manion:
Was this the first time you had been
in Barney Quill's car at night?
Mrs. Manion, did you hear the question?
Yes, I heard.
Yes, it was the first time.
Would you raise your voice a little?
I said it was the first time.
I'm quite concerned about the lost panties.
Would you describe this article
of clothing to the courtroom?
They were nylon and had lace up the sides.
There was a store label in them
from the Smartshop in Phoenix, Arizona.
What was their colour?
- I believe white.
- You believe?
I have white and pink.
They may have been pink.
You're not sure. Haven't you checked
to see which pair of panties is missing?
When your husband came home late
and you had this little spat...
...were you already dressed to go out?
- No.
- When did you dress?
After dinner. When he was asleep.
It's been stated
you were bare-legged in the bar.
- Is that true?
- Yes.
In your anger and haste
to get out of the trailer...
...perhaps you forgot your panties?
Objection. She testified
as to what she was wearing.
Sustained.
Do you always wear panties?
Your Honour,
I object to this line of questioning.
Now, it's immaterial
what she does all the time.
The night of the attack,
she was wearing panties.
That's all we're concerned with.
Mrs. Manion seems a little uncertain about
what kind of panties she was wearing.
Since they've not been found...
...I submit that it's possible
she wasn't wearing any and has forgotten.
That's all I'm getting at.
You may answer, Mrs. Manion.
Do you always wear panties?
No.
On what occasions don't you?
When you go out alone at night?
Objection. He claims to go after
one thing and goes after another.
I'll sustain the objection.
Strike out the last two questions
and Mrs. Manion's answers.
Now, Mr. Dancer, get off the panties.
You've done enough damage.
Yes, Your Honour.
Mrs. Manion,
is your husband a jealous man?
He loves me.
I'm sure of that,
but is he excessively jealous?
How can the witness answer that?
What's the norm of jealousy?
Can you put your question differently,
Mr. Dancer?
Has your husband ever struck you
in a jealous rage?
Mr. Dancer's fishing now.
What's the relevancy of this question?
The shoe is squeezing Mr. Biegler's foot.
In his own words, this isn't a debate,
it's a cross-examination in a murder trial.
Proceed, Mr. Dancer.
Mrs. Manion.
Did you ever go out socially
in Thunder Bay?
A few times.
When your husband's outfit moved there...
...didn't Mr. Quill throw a cocktail party
for the officers and their wives?
Didn't your husband strike
a young second lieutenant at this party?
There was a little scuffle. It wasn't much.
- What was it about?
- I'm not sure I remember.
- Were you too drunk to remember?
- No, I was not.
I think it was because the lieutenant
was cutting in too much...
...when I danced with my husband.
Shortly afterwards, on the veranda...
...didn't your husband slap you hard
enough so that you fell against the wall?
He was drinking.
- Wasn't it a jealous rage?
- I don't know.
- Do you remember why he struck you?
- Yes.
Wasn't he enraged because he thought
you'd encouraged this young lieutenant?
He might have thought so.
There are witnesses to this.
I'll ask you again,
wasn't this a jealous rage?
I guess you could call it that.
Now I'll ask you:
On the night of the shooting,
what did you swear?
What oath did you take on the rosary?
It was about Barney Quill raping me.
Why did you swear on the rosary
that he'd raped you?
For the reason that he gave:
I was hysterical.
That is why he asked you to swear.
- Why did you swear?
- So he'd believe me.
Why shouldn't he?
Objection. The reason for the rosary
has been established.
These questions are immaterial.
No, I think I'll take the answer, Mr. Biegler.
I'll ask you again.
Why shouldn't he believe you?
Because I wasn't making much sense.
Did he think you'd lie about such a thing?
Objection. Lt. Manion has already testified
as to what he thought.
Sustained.
Did your husband strike you that night?
Did he hit you that night?
He may have slapped me
because I was hysterical.
Didn't you swear to a lie
to stop him hitting you?
No. I didn't.
Didn't he beat you at the gate
upon your return from...
...lovers' lane with Quill?
Objection. She testified
she was beaten by Barney Quill.
- Quiet.
- No more questions.
I think the witness has had enough,
Your Honour.
The witness may step down.
We'll recess for lunch.
Recess until 1:00.
It's all right, you were fine.
Dr. Smith?
I've come to meet you, sir.
My name is...
Sorry, you're mistaken.
Maybe I'm the one you're looking for.
Are you Mr. Biegler?
No, I'm his associate in the case.
Don't tell me you're Dr. Smith?
That's me.
The Army psychiatrist?
Maybe you expected me to be in uniform.
No.
I didn't expect anybody so young.
I'm forty.
I sort of hoped you'd have a beard
and wear a monocle.
- Is that better?
- It helps.
You're on the stand this afternoon.
Have you formed an opinion
as to Frederick Manion's...
...mental and emotional state
when he killed Barney Quill?
- I have.
- And what is it?
He was temporarily insane
at the time of the shooting.
At that time, do you believe he was able
to distinguish right from wrong?
He may or may not have been.
It doesn't make much difference.
As clearly as you can...
...will you explain
Manion's temporary insanity?
It is known as "dissociative reaction."
A psychic shock which creates
an almost overwhelming tension...
...which the person in shock must alleviate.
In Lt. Manion's case, a soldier...
...it is only natural
that he would turn to action.
Only direct, simple action
against Barney Quill...
...would relieve this unbearable tension.
This is not uncommon.
For example, in combat,
some of the more remarkable heroics...
...take place in this state of mind.
Is there another name for this state
we might be more likely to recognise?
Yes, it has been known
as "irresistible impulse."
A man in the grip of irresistible impulse,
would he be likely to go...
...to his neighbour for advice,
or call up the police to come to his aid?
Completely incompatible.
Yes, but our man was able
to take out a gun and load it...
...before setting out to find Quill.
That was his conscious mind.
But if no gun were available,
he would've gone anyway.
How would a man look
in the grip of dissociative reaction?
He might appear to be deadly calm,
fiercely deliberate.
Would you describe his behaviour as being
like a mailman delivering the mail?
Yes. Like a mailman, he would have
a job to do and he would do it.
Your witness.
Did you find any psychosis
in Frederick Manion?
- I did not.
- Any neurosis?
I found no history of neurosis.
- Any history of delusion?
- None.
- Loss of memory?
- Not before this instance.
Can you spot Mary Pilant?
She didn't come back after lunch.
I think you'd better give up on that one.
Doctor, you stated that the defendant
might or might not...
...have been able to distinguish
right from wrong...
...but it wouldn't have made a difference.
- Is that what you said?
- Approximately.
So, at the time of the shooting,
he could have known the difference?
He might have, yes.
Dr. Smith...
...if the defendant could have known
what he was doing and that it was wrong...
...how can you testify
that he was legally insane?
I'm not saying he was legally insane.
I'm saying that in his condition
it wouldn't have made a difference...
...whether he knew right from wrong.
He would still have shot Quill.
Dr. Smith...
...are you willing to rest your testimony
in this case on this opinion?
Yes, I am.
Your Honour,
I'd like to ask for a short recess.
We would like to meet with Mr. Biegler
and the court in chambers.
- Mr. Biegler?
- Glad to oblige, Your Honour.
Short recess. The jury will remain.
Someday I'm going to horrify tradition
and lay a dense cloud of tobacco smoke...
...in that hallowed courtroom.
What's on your mind, Mr. Dancer?
In view of Dr. Smith's testimony,
the defence might like to change their plea.
- Change it to what?
- Guilty, of course.
No, we'll still go for broke.
No one's considered nuts
unless he didn't know right from wrong.
- Why don't you get this over with?
- Your Honour, would you turn to page 486?
What's that?
Appears to be a law book, Mr. Lodwick.
I'm sorry, Your Honour.
I make those to help me think sometimes.
- For perch?
- No, it's for frogs.
What case is he citing?
We gig frogs
down in my part of the country.
It's the same up here.
I'm a trout man,
but this is a new wrinkle I'm gonna try.
They do it a lot down in the bayou.
The idea is to get a great big long pole
and a 10-pound line.
Just drift along a high bank in a boat.
Then you see that great big old bullfrog
in a crevice, and you float this along...
...in front of him
and that old tongue snaps out.
You got frog's legs for supper.
I'll be darned.
Keep it. Try it sometime.
Thanks. I will.
- What is it, Your Honour?
- People versus Durfee, 1886.
Looks like a precedent.
Would you like to read it, Mr. Dancer?
No, thank you. I think I recall the case.
We're hooked, like the frog.
Dr. Harcourt, where did you receive
your university training?
Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Maryland.
And where do you practise now?
I'm the medical superintendent
of the Bonder State Hospital for the insane.
It's been stated that dissociative reaction
or irresistible impulse...
...is not uncommon
among soldiers in combat.
- Do you agree with that statement?
- I do.
But not as it was put by Dr. Smith.
Where would you depart from Dr. Smith?
Dissociative reaction is not something
that comes out of the blue...
...and disappears as quickly.
It can only occur,
even among soldiers in combat...
...if the individual has a psychoneurotic
condition of long standing.
It has been testified here
that a psychiatric examination...
...of the defendant showed
no evidence of neurosis...
...and no history of dissociative reaction.
You've also heard it testified
that the defendant's behaviour...
...on the night of the shooting
was cool and direct.
- As an observer, do you remember this?
- Yes.
Have you formed an opinion
about the defendant's sanity...
...on the night of the shooting?
Yes. I'm of the opinion...
...that he was in sufficient possession
of his faculties...
...so he was not dominated
by his unconscious mind.
In other words, he was not in the grip
of irresistible impulse.
In my opinion, he was not.
Your witness.
Psychiatry is an effort to probe into
the dark, undiscovered world of the mind.
In there, the world might be round,
it could be square.
Your opinion could be wrong, Dr. Smith's
opinion could be right, is that true?
I'd be a poor doctor
if I didn't agree with that.
But, I believe my opinion to be right.
Might you have changed your opinion...
...if you'd examined the defendant
like Dr. Smith?
I don't believe so.
But Smith's opinion was made
under better circumstances?
If you mean that he was able
to examine the man, yes.
Yes. Thank you, Doctor.
That's all, Dr. Harcourt.
Is there more rebuttal?
We're over a barrel, Mitch.
We have to use him.
We call Duane Miller to the stand.
Will the sheriff bring in the witness?
What can he tell?
Nothing.
He can't tell anything.
Raise your right hand.
Do you swear the testimony you give...
...shall be the truth, the whole truth
and nothing but the truth?
I do.
State your name, please.
Duane Miller. Most folks call me Duke.
Where do you presently reside?
Across the alley, in the jail.
You know the defendant, Lt. Manion?
I got to know him recently.
His cell's next to mine.
When was your last conversation?
Except for "hello" this morning,
it was last night.
Did you discuss his trial last night?
Yeah, some.
Would you tell the court
what Lt. Manion said about the trial?
I said, "Are things looking up, Lieutenant?"
He said, "I got it made, buster."
He said, "I fooled my lawyer,
I fooled that head-shrinker...
"... l'm gonna fool
those corn-cobbers on the jury."
You're a liar!
A lousy stinking liar!
I apologise for my client, Your Honour.
His outburst is almost excusable
since the prosecution has seen fit...
...to put a felon on the stand to testify
against an officer in the U.S. Army.
I don't know who is the worst offender:
Manion or his lawyer.
We're close to the end.
In the name of heaven, let's have peace
and courtesy for these last few hours.
Mr. Dancer, you will continue
your interrogation without comment.
Mr. Biegler, you will not sound off
at every opportunity.
The defendant will remain seated
and keep his mouth shut.
- Now, go ahead.
- Mr. Miller.
Are you certain that Lt. Manion said:
- "I've got it made, buster"?
- That's what he said.
- Did Lt. Manion say anything else?
- Yes, sir.
He said when he got out,
the first thing he'd do...
...was kick that bitch
from here to kingdom come.
- To whom was he referring?
- To his wife.
Your witness, Mr. Biegler.
- What're you in jail for, Mr. Miller?
- Arson.
I copped out
and I'm waiting for a sentence.
How many other crimes
have you committed?
I was in reform school when I was a kid,
but that's all.
I'd like to see this man's criminal record.
Do you have his record?
Yes, sir.
Here it is.
Your record shows you've been in prison
six times in three different states.
Been in three times for arson,
twice for assault, once for larceny.
It also shows you've done
short stretches in four city jails...
...on charges of indecent exposure,
window-peeping...
...perjury and disorderly conduct.
Is this your true record?
Them things are never right.
How did you get the ear
of the prosecution...
...to tell them about this conversation
you had with Lt. Manion?
- The D.A. Was taking us to his office.
- Taking who?
Us prisoners, in the jail.
All at once, or one at a time?
One at a time.
Him and that other lawyer
took us to his office...
...and asked us questions about Lt. Manion.
Were you promised a lighter sentence
if you went on the witness stand?
- The People object...
- Overruled. Answer.
I wasn't promised anything.
You just thought it would help you...
...if you dreamed up this story
to please the D.A.
I didn't dream it up.
- You're sure that's what he said?
- I'm sure.
As sure as you were about your record?
I guess I kind of goofed on that one.
I don't feel I can dignify this creature
with any more questions.
Take the witness away.
Would you like a conference
with your client?
I can see how the last witness
was quite a surprise.
No, we don't need a conference.
I'll recall Lt. Manion to the stand right now.
You've heard the testimony of this Miller.
Is any part of it true?
None.
Do you have any idea why he might come
here with a tale like that?
No, sir.
Have you ever talked with this man?
Yes.
What did you talk about?
Nothing important.
Certainly nothing about my personal life
or my feelings.
That's all I wanted to know.
Lt. Manion.
Have you ever had any trouble with Miller?
What do you mean?
An argument, something like that?
Did you ever attack Miller?
Physically attack him?
Your lawyer can't answer the question
for you.
Did you ever attack Miller?
I wouldn't call it an attack, exactly.
I pushed his head against the bars once.
- Why?
- He said something ugly about my wife.
Do you remember pushing or bumping
his head against the bars?
Sure. I just told you.
Then this was not dissociative reaction?
- The defendant isn't qualified to answer.
- Sustained.
Lt. Manion.
Wasn't your action against Quill
the same as your action against Miller...
...and against the lieutenant
you struck at the cocktail party?
All in the heat of anger, with a wilful,
conscious desire to hurt or kill?
I don't remember my action against Quill.
How long had you known
your wife was running around with Quill?
I never knew anything like that.
I trust my wife.
I suppose you beat her up occasionally
just for fun?
Nothing has been established
to permit such a question.
He implies things
without getting to the point.
Let him ask, "Did he ever beat his wife?"
I'll sustain the objection.
Would you like to rephrase your question?
No, thank you.
I've finished.
Then I'll ask it.
Did you ever beat your wife,
on the night of the shooting...
...or at any other time?
- No.
Is there any doubt in your mind
that Quill raped Mrs. Manion?
- No, sir.
- That's all.
Step down, Lieutenant.
- Are we hurt?
- We're hurt bad.
Paul.
I know time is pressing,
I don't want to ask for a recess.
I'd like to leave the courtroom briefly.
If it's important,
we can be at ease for a minute.
Thank you, sir.
This is highly irregular, Your Honour.
There's no reason
to make a federal case out of it.
Thank you, Your Honour.
We now have another rebuttal witness.
The defence calls Mary Pilant.
We must protest this whole affair.
The noble defence attorney
rushes to a secret conference...
...and the last-minute witness
is brought dramatically in.
It's obviously been rigged
to unduly excite the jury.
It's just another cornball trick.
Your Honour, I don't blame Mr. Dancer
for feeling put upon.
I'm just a humble country lawyer,
trying to do my best...
...against this brilliant prosecutor
from the big city of Lansing.
Swear the witness.
Raise your right hand.
Do you swear the testimony you give...
...shall be the truth, the whole truth
and nothing but the truth?
- I do.
- Sit down, please.
- Where do you live?
- At the Thunder Bay Inn, in Thunder Bay.
- How long have you lived there?
- For two years.
- What's your profession?
- I manage the inn.
Miss Pilant.
How is the laundry handled at the inn?
It's chuted down to the laundry room.
Where is that chute on the second floor?
Between Room 42 and 43.
Who lives in those rooms?
I live in 42, Mr. Quill lived in 43.
Would Mr. Quill,
coming up from the lobby...
...have to pass by that chute
on the way to his room?
- Yes.
- Would it be easy for him...
...to drop something
into that chute as he passed?
Yes.
Have you ever had occasion
to go down into the laundry?
Yes. Part of my job is to sort
various pieces of laundry...
...as they come out of the machines.
Would you tell us
what you found among the laundry...
...the day after Mr. Quill was killed?
I found a pair of woman's panties.
- What did you do with them?
- I threw them in the rag bin.
When did you learn the significance
of those panties?
Here. This morning in the courtroom.
- You went and got them out of the rag bin?
- Yes.
- Did you bring them with you?
- Yes.
I offer this article of lingerie
as "Exhibit Number 1" for the defence.
They're white.
They have lace up the side...
...and they're badly torn.
As if they'd been ripped apart
by powerful hands.
The label reads:
"Smartshop, Phoenix, Arizona."
If there is no objection,
the exhibit will be received in evidence.
That's all.
Did you ever talk to Mr. Lodwick
about Quill's death?
Yes. He came to the hotel several times
after Mr. Quill was killed.
Did you tell him you didn't believe
Quill raped Mrs. Manion?
Yes, I told him that.
- Did you ever talk to Mr. Biegler?
- Yes.
- In connection with Quill's death?
- Yes.
Did you tell him
you didn't believe Quill raped her?
- How many times did you talk with him?
- Twice.
- When was the last time?
- Last night.
Have you now changed your mind?
Do you now believe
Quill raped Mrs. Manion?
I don't know now. I think he might have.
When did you change your mind,
last night?
No, it was here, this morning.
When were you given the panties?
Last night?
- Just wait a minute!
- Use the proper form of objection.
On second thought, I don't object.
I'd like the jury to hear her answer.
The witness may answer.
No. I was not given the panties,
last night or any other time.
I found them exactly as I said.
Do you know that Quill
put the panties in the chute...
...or did you assume it?
- I assumed it.
Had you thought someone else
may have put them there?
Someone who wanted them found
in the laundry?
I hadn't thought of that.
In the grip of what Mr. Biegler
might call "irresistible impulse"...
...you rushed in with the panties...
...wanting to crucify Quill's character?
- No, it was my duty.
- Your pride was hurt, right?
- I don't know what you mean.
He's trying to confuse the witness.
Let him ask a question she understands.
Yes, Mr. Dancer. I, myself,
would like to know what you're driving at.
When you found the panties...
...was your first thought that Quill
might have raped Mrs. Manion...
...or was it that he might have been
stepping out with Mrs. Manion?
I don't know what he means.
Mr. Dancer, once again, I must ask you...
...to put straight questions to the witness.
Here is a straight question, Your Honour.
Miss Pilant,
were you Barney Quill's mistress?
No, I was not!
Everyone knows you were living with Quill.
That's not true. Barney Quill was...
Was what?
Barney Quill was what, Miss Pilant?
Barney Quill was my father.
No more questions.
That's all.
The witness may step down.
We will recess for 15 minutes, after which
we will hear the closing arguments.
If possible, I would like to charge the jury
before nightfall.
Think they're gonna stay out all night?
Can't somebody say something?
What do you want me to say,
Maida, darling?
Tell me we're gonna win.
I'm counting on getting that
promissory note from the lieutenant.
I hope we can borrow some money on it.
I need a new typewriter.
Half the time, the "P" and the "F"
don't strike on mine.
"Party of the first part" sometimes
comes out "arty o the irst art."
Doesn't make sense. It's embarrassing.
"Arty o the irst art"?
I kind of like that.
It has a ring to it.
Twelve people go off into a room.
Twelve different minds.
Twelve different hearts.
Twelve different walks of life.
Twelve sets of eyes,
ears, shapes and sizes.
These twelve people are asked to judge
another human being...
...as different from them
as they are from each other.
In their judgement, they must become
of one mind, unanimous.
It's one of the miracles of man's
disorganised soul that they can do it.
In most instances, do it right well.
God bless juries.
I don't know what I'd do
if I were on that jury.
I really don't know.
Do you?
I loved that, Pauly.
I loved that "humble country lawyer" bit.
You had Mr. Dancer dancing.
I'm afraid he got in the last dance.
That's the best summary I've ever heard.
I liked yours much better, Pauly.
Do you have to play that?
Can't you play Danny Boy
or Sweet Isle of Innisfree?
Paul Biegler's office.
Yes, sir. Right away.
They're ready.
Hey, sweetie!
Go on.
- The jury's coming in.
- Yeah, I heard.
You can tell my loving husband
I'll be in the car.
- You're sure he's gonna come out?
- Sure.
He's lucky.
Some people have all the luck.
You can tell him I'm waiting
to get kicked to kingdom come.
Hey, sweetie.
I have a souvenir for you.
You'd better keep that.
You might need it again sometime.
You never know.
No, you don't, do you?
I like you, Pauly.
I warn all those present
not to interrupt the taking of the verdict.
I will stop the proceedings
and clear the courtroom...
...if there is any demonstration.
Proceed, Mr. Cray.
Members of the jury, have you a verdict?
- If so, who will speak for you?
- We have. I'm the foreman.
The defendant will rise.
What is your verdict?
We find the defendant not guilty,
by reason of insanity.
Did Maida give you that promissory note?
Right here,
ready to be signed by our happy client.
I used to think the world looked better
through a glass of whiskey.
It doesn't.
I think I'll keep it this way.
It looks nice.
I got one good thing out of this case:
A new law partner.
If it's all right with him.
He'd be mighty proud to have his name
on a shingle with yours.
I guess you're looking for Lt. Manion,
aren't you?
He gave me this note for you.
Felt real sorry for Mrs. Manion.
She was crying.
Left a mess, didn't they?
We'd better get busy here.
"Dear Mr. Biegler:
"So sorry, but I had to leave suddenly.
"I was seized by an irresistible impulse.
"Frederick Manion."
How in the world
are we gonna face Maida?
Gin.
I knew there was something wrong
with that guy.
I never saw a gin-drinker yet
you could trust.
Partner, what do you say
we go and see our first client?
Who might that be?
Mary Pilant. We're going to administer
Barney Quill's estate.
Now, that's what I call
poetic justice for everybody.
Yeah.