An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser

who ruled that Titus might answer subject to a motion to

strike out his testimony if not “connected up.”

“She went there to get work,” replied Titus.

“And why did she go there to get work?”

Again objection, and the old man allowed to proceed after

the legal formalities had again been complied with.

“Well, the farm we have over there near Biltz hasn’t ever

paid so very well, and it’s been necessary for the children to

help out and Bobbie being the oldest——”

“Move to strike out!”“Strike it out.”

“‘Bobbie’ was the pet name you gave your daughter

Roberta, was it?”

“Objected to,” etc., etc. “Exception.”

“Yes, sir. ‘Bobbie’ was what we sometimes called her

around there—just Bobbie.”

And Clyde listening intently and enduring without flinching

the stern and accusing stare of this brooding Priam of the

farm, wondering at the revelation of his former sweetheart’s

pet name. He had nicknamed her “Bert”; she had never told

him that at home she was called “Bobbie.”

And amid a fusillade of objections and arguments and

rulings, Alden continuing, under the leading of Mason, to

recite how she had decided to go to Lycurgus, after receipt

of a letter from Grace Marr, and stop with Mr. and Mrs.

Newton. And after securing work with the Griffiths

Company, how little the family had seen of her until June

fifth last, when she had returned to the farm for a rest and

in order to make some clothes.

“No announcement of any plans for marriage?”

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956

“None.”

But she had written a number of long letters—to whom he

did not know at the time. And she had been depressed and

sick. Twice he had seen her crying, although he said

nothing, knowing that she did not want to be noticed. There

had been a few telephone calls from Lycurgus, the last on

July fourth or fifth, the day before she left, he was quite sure.

“And what did she have with her when she left?”

“Her bag and her little trunk.”

“And would you recognize the bag that she carried, if you

saw it?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Is this the bag?” (A deputy assistant district attorney

carrying forward a bag and placing it on a small stand.)

And Alden, after looking at it and wiping his eyes with the

back of his hand, announcing: “Yes, sir.”

And then most dramatically, as Mason intended in

connection with every point in this trial, a deputy assistant

carrying in a small trunk, and Titus Alden and his wife and

daughters ‘and sons all crying at the sight of it. And after

being identified by him as Roberta’s, the bag and then the

trunk were opened in turn. And the dresses made by

Roberta, some underclothing, shoes, hats, the toilet set

given her by Clyde, pictures of her mother and father and

sister and brothers, an old family cookbook, some spoons

and forks and knives and salt and pepper sets—all given

her by her grandmother and treasured by her for her

married life—held up and identified in turn.

All this over Belknap’s objection, and on Mason’s promise

to “connect it up,” which, however, he was unable to do,

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957

and the evidence was accordingly ordered “struck out.” But

its pathetic significance by that time deeply impressed on

the minds and hearts of the jurymen. And Belknap’s

criticism of Mason’s tactics merely resulting in that

gentleman bellowing, in an infuriated manner: “Who’s

conducting this prosecution, anyhow?” To which Belknap

replied: “The Republican candidate for county judge in this

county, I believe!”—thus evoking a wave of laughter which

caused Mason to fairly shout: “Your Honor, I protest! This is

an unethical and illegal attempt to inject into this case a

political issue which has nothing to do with it. It is slyly and

maliciously intended to convey to this jury that because I

am the Republican nominee for judge of the county, it is

impossible for me to properly and fairly conduct the

prosecution of this case. And I now demand an apology,

and will have it before I proceed one step further in this

case.”

Whereupon Justice Oberwaltzer, feeling that a very serious

breach of court etiquette had occurred, proceeded to

summon Belknap and Mason before him, and after listening

to placid and polite interpretations of what was meant, and

what was not meant, finally ordered, on pain of contempt,

that neither of them again refer to the political situation in

any way.

Nevertheless, Belknap and Jephson congratulating

themselves that in this fashion their mood in regard to

Mason’s candidacy and his use of this case to further it had

effectively gotten before the jury and the court.

But more and more witnesses!

Grace Marr now taking the stand, and in a glib and voluble

outpouring describing how and where she had first met

Roberta—how pure and clean and religious a girl she was,

but how after meeting Clyde on Crum Lake a great change

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958

had come over her. She was more secretive and evasive

and given to furnishing all sorts of false excuses for new

and strange adventures—as, for instance, going out nights

and staying late, and claiming to be places over Saturday

and Sunday where she wasn’t—until finally, because of

criticism which she, Grace Marr, had ventured to make, she

had suddenly left, without giving any address. But there

was a man, and that man was Clyde Griffiths. For having

followed Roberta to her room one evening in September or

October of the year before, she had observed her and

Clyde in the distance, near the Gilpin home. They were

standing under some trees and he had his arm around her.

And thereafter Belknap, at Jephson’s suggestion, taking her

and by the slyest type of questioning, trying to discover

whether, before coming to Lycurgus, Roberta was as

religious and conventional as Miss Marr would have it But

Miss Marr, faded and irritable, insisting that up to the day of

her meeting with Clyde on Crum Lake, Roberta had been

the soul of truth and purity, in so far as she knew.

And next the Newtons swearing to much the same thing.

And then the Gilpins, wife and husband and daughters,

each swearing to what she or he alone saw or heard. Mrs.

Gilpin as to the approximate day of Roberta’s moving into

her home with one small trunk and bag—the identical trunk

and bag identified by Titus. And thereafter seeming to live

very much alone until finally she, feeling sorry for her, had

suggested one type of contact and another, but Roberta

invariably refusing. But later, along in late November,

although she had never had the heart to say anything about

it to her because of her sweetness and general sobriety,

she and her two daughters had become aware of the fact

that occasionally, after eleven o’clock, it had seemed as

though Roberta must be entertaining some one in her

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959

room, but just whom she could not say. And again at this

point, on cross-examination, Belknap trying to extract any

admissions or impressions which would tend to make it look

as though Roberta was a little less reserved and puritanical

than all the witnesses had thus far painted her, but failing.

Mrs. Gilpin, as well as her husband, was plainly fond of her

and only under pressure from Mason and later Belknap

testified to Clyde’s late visits.

And then the elder daughter, Stella, testifying that during

the latter part of October or the first of November, shortly

after Roberta had taken the room, she had passed her and

a man, whom she was now able to identify as Clyde,

standing less than a hundred feet from the house, and

noticing that they were evidently quarreling she had paused

to listen. She was not able to distinguish every word of the

conversation, but upon leading questions from Mason was

able to recall that Roberta had protested that she could not

let him come into her room—“it would not look right.” And

he had finally turned upon his heel, leaving Roberta

standing with outstretched arms as if imploring him to return.

And throughout all this Clyde staring in amazement, for he

had in those days—in fact throughout his entire contact with

Roberta—imagined himself unobserved. And decidedly this

confirmed much of what Mason had charged in his opening

address—that he had willfully and with full knowledge of the

nature of the offense, persuaded Roberta to do what plainly

she had not wanted to do—a form of testimony that was

likely to prejudice the judge as well as the jury and all these

conventional people of this rural county. And Belknap,

realizing this, trying to confuse this Stella in her

identification of Clyde. But only succeeding in eliciting

information that some time in November or the early part of

December, shortly after the above incident, she had seen

Clyde arrive, a box of some kind under his arm, and knock