An American Tragedy
900
“Well, now if we wanted to we could have him have that
camera of his in his hand or not, just as you think fit”
“Yes, I see what you’re driving at.”
“Well, whether he keeps it in his hand or doesn’t, there’s
some misstep on his part or hers, just as he says, or just
the motion of the two bodies, causes the boat to go over,
and he strikes her, or not, just as you think fit, but
accidentally, of course.”
“Yes, I see, and I’ll be damned!” exclaimed Belknap. “Fine,
Reuben! Excellent! Wonderful, really!”
“And the boat strikes her too, as well as him, a little, see?”
went on Jephson, paying no attention to this outburst, so
interested was he in his own plot, “and makes him a little
dizzy, too.”
“I see.”
“And he hears her cries and sees, her, but he’s a little
stunned himself, see? And by the time he’s ready to do
something——”
“She’s gone,” concluded Belknap, quietly. “Drowned. I get
you.”
“And then, because of all those other suspicious
circumstances and false registrations—and because now
she’s gone and he can’t do anything more for her, anyhow—
her relatives might not want to know her condition, you know
——”
“I see.”
“He slips away, frightened, a moral coward, just as we’ll
have to contend from the first, anxious to stand well with his
uncle and not lose his place in this world. Doesn’t that
explain it?”
An American Tragedy
901
“About as well as anything could explain it, Reuben, I think.
In fact, I think it’s a plausible explanation and I congratulate
you. I don’t see how any one could hope to find a better. If
that doesn’t get him off, or bring about a disagreement, at
least we might get him off with, well, say, twenty years,
don’t you think?” And very much cheered, he got up, and
after eyeing his long, thin associate admiringly, added:
“Fine!” while Jephson, his blue eyes for all the world like
windless, still pools, looked steadily back.
“But of course you know what that means?” Jephson now
added, calmly and softly.
“That we have to put him on the witness stand? Surely,
surely. I see that well enough. But it’s his only chance.”
“And he won’t strike people as a very steady or convincing
fellow, I’m afraid—too nervous and emotional.”
“Yes, I know all that,” replied Belknap, quickly. “He’s easily
rattled. And Mason will go after him like a wild bull. But we’ll
have to coach him as to all this—drill him. Make him
understand that it’s his only chance—that his very life
depends on it. Drill him for months.”
“If he fails, then he’s gone. If only we could do something to
give him courage—teach him to act it out.” Jephson’s eyes
seemed to be gazing directly before him at the very
courtroom scene in which Clyde on the stand would have
Mason before him. And then picking up Roberta’s letters
(copies of them furnished by Mason) and looking at them,
he concluded: “If it only weren’t for these—here.” He
weighed them up and down in his hand. “Christ!” he finally
concluded, darkly. “What a case! But we’re not licked yet,
not by a darn sight! Why, we haven’t begun to fight yet. And
we’ll get a lot of publicity, anyhow. By the way,” he added,
An American Tragedy
902
“I’m having a fellow I know down near Big Bittern dredge for
that camera to-night. Wish me luck.”
“Do I?” was all Belknap replied.
An American Tragedy
903
Chapter 17
THE struggle and excitement of a great murder trial!
Belknap and Jephson, after consulting with Brookhart and
Catchuman, learning that they considered Jephson’s plan
“perhaps the only way,” but with as little reference to the
Griffiths as possible.
And then at once, Messrs. Belknap and Jephson issuing
preliminary statements framed in such a manner as to show
their faith in Clyde, presenting him as being, in reality, a
much maligned and entirely misunderstood youth, whose
intentions and actions toward Miss Alden were as different
from those set forth by Mason as white from black. And
intimating that the undue haste of the district attorney in
seeking a special term of the Supreme Court might possibly
have a political rather than a purely legal meaning. Else
why the hurry, especially in the face of an approaching
county election? Could there be any plan to use the results
of such a trial as this to further any particular person’s, or
group of persons’, political ambitions? Messrs. Belknap and
Jephson begged to hope not.
But regardless of such plans or the prejudices or the
political aspirations of any particular person or group, the
defense in this instance did not propose to permit a boy as
innocent as Clyde, trapped by circumstances—as counsel
for the defense would be prepared to show—to be
railroaded to the electric chair merely to achieve a victory
for the Republican party in November. Furthermore, to
combat these strange and yet false circumstances, the
An American Tragedy
904
defense would require a considerable period of time to
prepare its case. Therefore, it would be necessary for them
to file a formal protest at Albany against the district
attorney’s request to the governor for a special term of the
Supreme Court. There was no need for the same, since the
regular term for the trial of such cases would fall in January,
and the preparation of their case would require that much
time.
But while this strong, if rather belated, reply was listened to
with proper gravity by the representatives of the various
newspapers, Mason vigorously pooh-poohed this “windy”
assertion of political plotting, as well as the talk of Clyde’s
innocence. “What reason have I, a representative of all the
people of this county, to railroad this man anywhere or
make one single charge against him unless the charges
make themselves? Doesn’t the evidence itself show that he
did kill this girl? And has he ever said or done one thing to
clear up any of the suspicious circumstances? No! Silence
or lies. And until these circumstances are disproved by
these very able gentlemen, I am going right ahead. I have
all the evidence necessary to convict this young criminal
now. And to delay it until January, when I shall be out of
office, as they know, and when a new man will have to go
over all this evidence with which I have familiarized myself,
is to entail great expense to the county. For all the
witnesses I have gotten together are right here now, easy
to bring into Bridgeburg without any great expense to the
county. But where will they be next January or February,
especially after the defense has done its best to scatter
them? No, sir! I will not agree to it. But, if within ten days or
two weeks from now even, they can bring me something
that will so much as make it look as though even some of
the charges I have made are not true, I’ll be perfectly willing
to go before the presiding judge with them, and if they can
An American Tragedy
905
show him any evidence they have or hope to have, or that
there are any distant known witnesses to be secured who
can help prove this fellow’s innocence, why, then, well and
good. I’ll be willing to ask the judge to grant them as much
time as he may see fit, even if it throws the trial over until I
am out of office. But if the trial comes up while I’m here, as I
honestly hope it will, I’ll prosecute it to the best of my ability,
not because I’m looking for an office of any kind but
because I am now the district attorney and it is my duty to
do so. And as for my being in politics, well, Mr. Belknap is in
politics, isn’t he? He ran against me the last time, and I
hear he desires to run again.”
Accordingly he proceeded to Albany further to impress
upon the Governor the very great need of an immediate
special term of the Court so that Clyde might be indicted.
And the Governor, hearing the personal arguments of both
Mason and Belknap, decided in favor of Mason, on the
ground that the granting of a special term did not militate
against any necessary delay of the trial of the case, since
nothing which the defense as yet had to offer seemed to
indicate that the calling of a special term was likely in any
way to prevent it from obtaining as much time wherein to try
the case as needed. Besides, it would be the business of
the Supreme Court justice appointed to consider such
arguments—not himself. And accordingly, a special term of
the Supreme Court was ordered, with one Justice Frederick
Oberwaltzer of the eleventh judicial district designated to
preside. And when Mason appeared before him with the