Perry Mason (1957) s01e04 Episode Script
The Case of the Drowning Duck
Welcome back to Logan City, Mrs.
Reed.
I'm Donald Briggs.
I've got a cab waiting over here.
I booked you a room here, 6D.
You still haven't told me what I have to do.
I've got some calls to make.
We'll discuss it later.
The lady can manage for herself, driver.
I'm running late.
Wait for me, driver.
Mrs.
Adams, I'll be as brief as possible.
I supplied you with enough facts so that you would come to Logan City.
I've got a proposition.
What makes you think I'd be interested in any proposition you might make? All right, Mrs.
Adams.
You have a son.
He's a chemical engineering student at the state university.
He's engaged to Helen Waters, the daughter of one of this town's leading citizens.
Enough? Everyone's quite aware of those facts.
But everyone's not so aware of the facts concerning the boy's father.
I know most of them.
What I don't know I intend to learn from Lois Reed.
She just got into town.
If you dare do anything to hurt my boy's happiness, I-- All I wanna do is enhance my own happiness, say, $5,000 worth, within 48 hours.
I'm at the Sands Motel.
You contemptible blackmailer.
Around here, a man earns his living digging up potatoes and beets.
I dig up information.
Now, what's the difference? The difference is in the kind of dirt you use.
[KNOCKING ON DOOR.]
Hey, Mom, what are you doing at Logan City? How did you know I was here? I was walking by in front of the hotel and saw the pickup truck.
You know, there aren't two trucks like that in the world.
- This is Mr.
Briggs.
- How do you do, sir? How are you, Adams? See you soon, Mrs.
Adams.
Hey, Mom, what did that guy do to you? Hey, Briggs.
Hey, what's wrong with my mother? Get lost.
JOE: Hey, you two, break it up.
Come on, break it up.
All right, what's this all about? It's just a little misunderstanding, that's all, officer.
What did you see, Charlie? Nothing, Joe, except this kid jumped my fare when he was about to get in my cab.
Aren't you visiting out at the Waters' place? Yeah, that's right.
I'm Marv Adams.
I'm on vacation from the university.
Well, since you're Mr.
Waters' guest, we'll forget it this time, but no more of this college scrimmaging in Logan City.
That clear? Yes, sir.
And you have proof that Marv Adams was Ben Deveraux's son? Yeah.
Soon as Deveraux was executed, his wife changed their name to Adams, moved from Logan City, and until I got to work on it, seemed to drop off the earth.
The name of Clyde Waters has as much prestige as any name in the valley.
Getting him mixed up with a murderer's son won't do it any good.
Here's payment for your services.
Waters, what do you plan to do? If my daughter insists on marrying Marv Adams, there's no reason to think the boy's real identity would be revealed after all these years.
Oh, there's a way to make sure.
Just add another 5,000 to this and send it to the Sands Motel.
Do you really think I would do a thing like that? Well, I don't know you that well, Mr.
Waters, but I could ask Lois Reed.
She just got into town.
I see.
Well, I suppose the boy's mother is here at your request too.
Why not? Maybe I'll arrange for all you old-timers to have a coffee klatch, unless I get my business attended to and leave town before there's time.
Goodbye, Mr.
Waters.
It's been a pleasure to work for you.
MASON: Let's get to some of the pertinent facts, Mr.
Waters.
My daughter met a young man in college and became engaged.
I was concerned about it.
- Any special reason? - Helen came to us quite late in life.
Her mother died when she was born.
Well, as you can imagine, I've sheltered her a great deal.
Marv is a perfect gentleman.
Strangely enough, he didn't seem to know much about his father, said he had died when he was quite young.
Well, it worried me and I wanted to know more.
So I hired this fellow Briggs.
And Briggs discovered the boy's father was Ben Deveraux, the man who was executed for murder? That's right.
Murdered his partner right in Logan City 18 years ago.
Or at least that's how the jury voted.
[KNOCKING ON DOOR.]
Come in, Paul.
You wanted to see me, Perry? Mr.
Waters, this is Paul Drake of the Drake Detective Agency.
- Mr.
Drake.
- How do you do, sir? Then you will look into the trial, Mr.
Mason? I'll look into the transcript anyway.
Well, that's fair enough.
I'll expect to hear from you.
- Right.
- Goodbye, Miss Street, Mr.
Drake.
PAUL: Bye, Mr.
Waters.
Paul, what kind of luck do you think you'd have investigating an 18-year-old murder case? I got trouble enough with the modern ones.
Another detective might help you.
His name is Donald Briggs.
Better find him.
Della will give you all the information we have so far.
- Going out? - Logan City.
I'll be in touch.
Well, Mason, did the trial transcript interest you? Yes, it did, judge.
I wanna thank you for digging it out for me.
Sit down.
Sit down.
How come a little burg like this could interest you in an 18-year-old murder case? Murder is murder wherever you find it.
So is justice, which was carried out.
Was it? What are you getting at? You didn't mention that you were the prosecutor in that case.
You didn't ask.
Now, look, Mason, let's you and I stop beating about the bush.
All right, I will.
All through the testimony, there was reference to a Miss X.
Why wasn't her identity revealed during the trial? Because she wasn't involved in the murder or the motive.
So it was decided there was no use to have an innocent girl's name dragged through that kind of thing.
And the defence counsel agreed to that? Of course he did.
Now, look here, Mason, we don't have any desire to have you come into our community and start retrying our cases.
The man's dead.
What's to be gained by bringing it up again? Something with which we are both familiar: justice.
Is it always this hot in Logan City? This is a cool one, mister.
You're Perry Mason? - That's right.
- I'm Chief Glass, Logan City Police.
Miss Martha would like to see you before you leave town.
- Who? - Martha Norris.
Owns the Norris Farms.
I'm afraid I'm running late-- I'd suggest that you take the time, Mr.
Mason.
Follow me.
I'll show you how to get there.
Come on in.
My wife should be in right away.
Some problem concerning one of the warehouse crews.
You're not active on the farm? Oh, no, I'm retired.
Best thing I could do is stay out of the way.
Oh, George, did you fix a cold drink to Mr.
Mason? Thank you, but not right now, Mrs.
Norris.
I hope I didn't inconvenience you.
Oh, that's all right.
I assumed it was urgent since you had a policeman wave me down.
Well, I'm not as imperious as it might seem.
It's just that in a small community, we're all willing to do a favour for one another.
And who did you the favour of reporting I was in town? Judge Meeham.
Mr.
Mason, you've read the trial transcript, you know the facts of Ben Deveraux's conviction.
Yes.
Well, then, I'll tell you a fact you don't know.
The man Ben Deveraux killed was my first husband.
Deveraux paid for his crime, it's over.
There's no use stirring it all up again just to hurt innocent people.
Your motives are admirable, Mrs.
Norris, but having read the transcript, I don't think I can drop it so easily.
Then you're - You're going to proceed further? - Yes, I am.
I plan to see Mr.
Waters right away.
Well, good.
Suppose we drive over to the Waters' dairy farm together.
Yes, we're going over for the annual barbecue Clyde Waters and I have for our employees' children.
He's holding it this year.
[PEOPLE CHEERING.]
[CARNIVAL MUSIC PLAYS.]
You know, magic is the wisdom of the ages.
It's created by night and revealed by day.
It contains secrets of the vast and shrouded unknown.
Do we dare penetrate these secrets? Do we dare enter into darkness and unveil the mysteries? Then watch carefully.
Do not take your eyes from my hands as I pour the magic elixirs.
Just fix your mind on the mysterious words of disenchantment.
Now we begin.
Abracadabra Alakazam Swirl magic waters Bubble and boil And presto Do the duck trick.
Oh, but first I must have a duck.
BO Y: I'll get one.
Oh, it's a fine duck.
Is it your thinking that all ducks can swim? CHILDREN: Yes.
Then you do not believe there's such a thing as a duck that can drown.
- No.
- Oh, well, let's watch carefully.
All right, back away from the trough now.
Back around, come on.
Move around.
Come on.
This magic water I have here makes fish walk and pigs fly.
It also can make a duck drown.
Now, watch carefully.
Now, here we go.
[CHILDREN LAUGHING & CLAPPING.]
They loved you, Marv.
- Oh, I'm glad.
- By George, that sure beats me.
How could you make the duck sink? It's a chemical mixture I made at school.
It takes the oil out of the duck's feathers.
Oh, I get it.
Come on, I want you to meet Mr.
Mason.
- My husband-to-be, Marv Adams.
- How do you do? Pleased to meet you.
- How do you do? - Mr.
Mason, you're wanted on the phone.
- Excuse me.
- Yes, sir.
- Hello? - Perry, this is Paul.
I'm in Logan City.
What are you doing here? Well, this is where the job brought me.
That detective, Donald Briggs, is up here.
He's registered at the Sands Motel.
- I got a look at him.
- Anything else? Well, I checked on him.
He hasn't got much of a reputation.
He hangs out mostly in San Diego.
I can't figure why he's staying around here.
Suppose we call on him together? Fine.
Want me to pick you up? We could have dinner together.
No, I have some business with Mr.
Waters.
You have dinner in town.
I'll meet you at the hotel.
Okay, I'll see you about 8 or so.
All right.
That's Briggs' room.
Oh, uh, I thought you were my taxi.
MASON: Sorry.
- Oh, I don't think he's in.
Somebody came by for him about a half hour or so ago.
- I think he left with them.
- Thanks.
Perry.
What do you make of this? Old newspaper clippings.
Funny odour in here.
You notice it? Yeah.
Beginning to get me.
PAUL: Well, there's Donald Briggs.
- Well, doctor? - Been dead a couple of hours, I'd say.
The gas got him as if he'd been hit over the head with a baseball bat.
- Any idea what it was? - Think so.
It seems like someone set a can of hydrochloric acid in the kitchen, and when it suited them, they tossed in a few cyanide pellets.
Something a chemical student like Marv Adams would be quite familiar with.
- Marv Adams.
- I think he's our boy.
I stopped a fight between him and Briggs yesterday.
- And that's your motive? - Well, it's a start.
Besides, the woman in 6D saw a pickup truck outside Briggs' place earlier this evening.
It matches that beat-up heap that Adams boy was driving today.
Better go out the Waters' place and pick up that Adams boy.
Paul, I wanna talk to Marv.
Looks like the police have first priority.
No.
Marv told me he was leaving for college a day early.
Taking a bus.
Maybe we can catch him.
Hey, what's the idea? Mr.
Mason wants to see you.
- I'll miss the bus.
- He's parked right around here.
Follow me.
- Get in, Marv.
- I gotta be at school by-- - I'll take you there.
- Come on, fella, time's wasting.
- I'll see you back in town, Perry.
- Right.
I swear that's all I know about it, Mr.
Mason.
I saw Briggs just that once when we mixed it up.
What did you do after you left the barbecue? Well, I took the pickup truck to my mother.
- Your mother was in Logan City? - Yes, sir.
Why didn't she didn't go out to the Waters' farm? Well, I asked her to but she seemed to be in a rush to get home.
Look, Mr.
Mason, the police can't seriously believe that I killed Briggs.
[SIRENS WAILING.]
There's your answer.
All right, Adams.
Get out.
I'll take it.
I don't appreciate this, Mr.
Mason.
I don't appreciate it one bit.
You knew I was planning to talk to this boy.
MASON: You'll have your opportunity.
- No thanks to you.
Mom always told me Dad had been killed in an accident.
Never seemed to wanna talk about it, though.
Now I can see why.
It may have been a terrible miscarriage of justice, Marv, and if it was-- And if it was? What do you intend to do about it, bring my father back to life? - Of course not.
- Then forget it.
I told you, I'm not gonna fight this.
Are you afraid by proving yourself innocent you might prove your mother guilty? Guard.
Where is your mother, Marv? Let me talk to her.
Let him out.
Mason, you're wanted on the phone.
You can take it right here.
- Hello? - Mr.
Mason, this is Lois Reed.
Remember I had the motel room near Mr.
Briggs? - I remember.
- I, uh I read in the paper that you're gonna handle the Marv Adams case.
- That's right.
- Ask Judge Meeham who really defended Ben Deveraux 18 years ago.
You're the defence counsel now.
So the less you and I have to say, the better.
Unless you'd like to talk about a change in venue.
Why? Don't you know everybody in this town is prejudiced against the Deveraux family, or the Adams' as they call themselves now? This is a different generation.
There are only a few left I'd suspect of being prejudiced.
You phrased that like a direct indictment against certain parties.
Just who did you have in mind? Let's start with the attorney who defended Ben Deveraux 18 years ago.
His name was James.
And he's dead.
James did the trial work.
Who prepared the case? Who was the attorney who agreed to leave the name of Miss X out of the trial? It was George Norris.
Oh, you're digging up skeletons, all right, but you're not getting any closer to proving that Ben Deveraux was innocent.
Or his son either, for that matter.
Let's start with your particular skeleton, and see.
Well, you, uh You're familiar with the basic history of that case, of course.
Deveraux and Martha's first husband, David Latwell, were partners in this place.
But they never did get along.
They had violent arguments about everything.
Including the Miss X who went unnamed? I told you she was only a side issue.
Why must you keep harping on that one thing? Because that points up the whole failing of the case.
The defence was completely mishandled, Mr.
Norris.
What, you--? You think I set up the case that way deliberately? I didn't say that.
Oh, you don't have to.
Was that how it was, Mr.
Norris? No.
No, it was just a shameful lack of ability.
Maybe the man was innocent, maybe guilty, I don't know.
But I do know that the way I set up the defence is what killed him.
And this Miss X everyone was trying to protect? No one was interested in protecting the girl, it was her father.
The finest man I've ever known.
Reverend John Logan.
What happened to her? She left town shortly before the trial.
Got married, divorced.
She didn't even come home when her father died, or when we held the services renaming the town after him.
Where is she now? It appears that she was a friend of the dead man, Donald Briggs.
Her name's Reed now, Lois Reed.
Shall we continue this straight-from-the-shoulder bit? All right.
What did you come back here for, Lois? It was Briggs' idea.
He wrote me a letter offering a thousand dollars if I'd visit Logan City for a couple days.
Why? Well, I was never really quite sure, except that he seemed to think by producing me, that-- Thanks.
That he'd shake everybody up real good.
When you lived here, you knew David Latwell and his partner Ben Deveraux quite well, I understand.
It was a small town, Mr.
Mason.
Do you have any idea who killed David Latwell? Why get so hot and bothered over something that happened Your client is Marv Adams.
Right.
Except whoever killed David Latwell very likely killed Briggs also.
Could be.
About two hours before Briggs' body was found, he came in here and told me what he planned to do.
I told him I quit.
And then he-- He walked over here and he picked up this pad and he wrote down three names.
Then he circled one of them and he said that was the murdering goose that had laid him the golden egg.
- Did you see those names? - No.
And you did not see Marv Adams with Briggs? Well, no, but who else but the kid would have been driving that old truck? His mother? She would have had a real good motive, wouldn't she? According to Briggs, three people would have had a real good motive.
As a matter of fact, you.
And what happened when Mr.
Briggs came out of the hotel? He was gonna get in my taxi.
This young fella twisted him around, wanted to know what he did to his mother.
Well, they spit at each other for a minute and then this young fella took a poke at him.
CORTLAND: The young fella you're talking about, do you recognise him in this courtroom? Sure, that's him sitting right over there, next to that city lawyer.
CORTLAND: Have the record show that the witness is pointing to the defendant, Marvin Adams.
And have you seen your fiancé perform various magic tricks before? Yes.
Always involving some chemical formula such as making smoke or invisible writing? Why, yes, Marv knows all about those things.
He studied chemistry in college.
And he would also know that to mix hydrochloric acid and cyanide of potassium would create a deadly gas, would he not? Objection.
The prosecutor is leading the witness.
I am only trying to make a point that as a chemist, Marv Adams would have known how to-- I have placed an objection before this court.
I have a right to a ruling without you continuing to make your point.
Mr.
Mason, up here we're not used to having one counsel shout at the other.
I beg the court's pardon, but I do ask for a ruling to be made on my objection.
Sustained.
Yes, the defendant did do a so-called drowning-duck trick.
Which consisted of chemically treating a duck's feathers so they were no longer water-repellent, thereby allowing the duck to sink and drown? Well, Adams did not let the duck drown.
But did he pull the duck from the water when he saw it was sinking? He didn't have a chance to.
One of the children became frightened and did it first.
So there is no way to know that the defendant wouldn't have let the duck drown.
Objection.
Once more, the prosecutor is leading the witness.
Then I will rephrase the question.
Not regarding any conjectural tendencies of sadism on the part of the defendant.
That would still call for a conclusion from the witness.
Just one moment.
I realise this court, as well as this trial, is not up to the dimensions the defence counsel usually specialises in, but since he has taken the case, he will allow the bench to make the necessary decisions.
Again, I am sorry, Your Honour.
Defence counsel is well aware that all decisions in this court as well as any other must come from the bench.
Good.
Then we understand each other.
Objection sustained.
But, judge-- Harry, when a man's right, he's right.
You can get on with your questions later.
It's time for noon recess.
Court's adjourned till 2:15.
You really did yourself up fine, counsellor.
Don't let this country court fool you, Della.
Judge Meeham knows his law, so does prosecutor Cortland.
If we don't get up a head of steam from somewhere, we're gonna get beaten.
How is it going? Up to now, just doing a lot of sidestepping, hoping for some kind of break.
- Marv Adams still won't help? - No.
Maybe I've found an incentive for him.
I've been up to Southmore again, trying to get a lead on Mrs.
Adams.
I had a long talk with a woman who nursed her for a while.
Here.
Take a look at what she had to say.
You and Della get lunch at the drugstore.
I'll meet you there.
That report correct, Marv? Yeah, Mom's had a heart condition for years.
And her life expectancy is no more than the nurse stated? Most of the doctors said she's been living on borrowed time.
How come you're asking me all this? Well, have you ever thought that maybe something has happened to her? What do you mean? Your mother must know you're in trouble.
Well, do we check and see if she's all right? We bought a house outside of Westfield.
Used to go there on weekends, do some work.
Mom likes it there.
There's a filling station about five miles east of town.
The mechanic there will tell you how to find it.
Forget it, Della.
PAUL: Hi, Perry.
- Hi.
I have Marv's permission to open that box, Paul, so go ahead.
- It did belong to his mother, didn't it? - Mm.
Here.
At the time of his father's death, she packed all the effects from his desk in that box.
Here.
Bills, invoices, order forms, they're all dated years ago.
About the time Marv's father was accused of murder.
Still, what's so important about--? Oh, wait a minute.
- Know her? MASON: I think so.
PAUL: Sure, that's Lois Reed.
A little less mileage on her.
Hair darker, she's thinner, but same face.
Several snapshots here.
They're all Lois Reed.
And this letter.
[MASON READING ON-SCREEN TEXT.]
When a marriage is over, the only thing to do is admit it is over.
And I am in love now for the first time.
I'm leaving town for the weekend, and when I return, we can discuss a property settlement and--" That's all.
Just like he was interrupted and never got back to it.
Sort of a Dear John letter in reverse.
DELLA: How is this going to help Marv? I don't know that it is.
When I put it together with Lois Reed, see what we come up with.
Hello, lawyer.
Like a beer? Dance a little? MASON: Sorry, Lois, I don't have a lot of time.
Too bad.
You know, I ought to be real mad at you and the police, keeping me in this burg.
It's like death warmed over.
I don't think you'll have to stay around much longer.
You wanna know something? It doesn't really make a lot of difference.
A room's a room no matter where you put it.
And a can of beer is a can of beer, if you can find a way to open it.
Lois.
Lois, you said you wanted to help Marv.
Now I think you can.
How? During the trial of his father there was a Miss X introduced.
She was never identified.
That woman was you.
Give the counsellor a brass ring.
Both the prosecution and the defence counsel felt that your part in the case was incidental.
I don't.
You think I killed somebody, counsellor? I think you can help me find out who did.
Here is a letter written by Ben Deveraux to his wife just before his partner, Latwell, was killed.
[LAUGHS.]
- You think I was gonna marry Ben? - Weren't you? Do you know what Ben Deveraux looked like? He was a short, dumpy little man, square and as bald as a post.
That letter and this picture were both found in Deveraux's desk.
Deveraux and his partner, David Latwell, shared the same desk.
I ought to know.
I was up there often enough, counsellor.
David Latwell was my friend.
He was quite a guy.
Quite a guy.
Latwell? I took that picture on August 23rd, 19-- Never mind the date.
It was my birthday.
He gave me this.
Sounds like a cheap little romance, doesn't it? But it wasn't like that at all.
We were in love with each other.
There was nothing we could do about it.
He was the married man and I was the minister's-- And so we lived unhappily ever after.
Before we proceed, I should like to express the grief of this court over the sudden death of the defendant's mother, Wilma Adams.
Also, if defence counsel moves for adjournment, it'll be granted.
On behalf of the defendant, we thank the court for its kind and gracious consideration, however, we believe that any delay in proving the defendant's innocence would be contrary to the last wishes of the deceased.
We are ready to proceed, Your Honour.
So after we cleared out the gas, we removed Donald Briggs' body.
And what was the condition of the room, Chief Glass? Neat enough.
Seemed Mr.
Briggs was entertaining when he was killed.
What makes you think he was entertaining? There were two glasses in the kitchen filled with ice, so he was mixing drinks.
There were two different brands of cigarettes found in the ashtray.
CORTLAND: Had anyone at the motel seen Mr.
Briggs receive visitors? Well, only the lady in the room a couple of doors down, Mrs.
Lois Reed.
She saw Marv Adams' truck parked in front of Mr.
Briggs' room.
Thank you.
No further questions.
MEEHAM: Mr.
Mason, you may question.
Chief Glass, you've stated that Lois Reed saw a pickup truck in front of Donald Briggs' motel room.
- That's right.
- To whom was the truck registered? Why, the boy's mother, Mrs.
Adams.
Then why did you infer it belonged to Marv Adams? Well, because-- Well, because I'd seen him driving it.
But on the night of the murder, is it not possible that someone else was driving that truck? Well, nobody actually saw Adams driving that night, but-- Thank you, that's all.
Della.
Find out what's keeping Paul, will you? Right.
CORTLAND: And there is no doubt that the pickup truck you just identified was the same as the one Marv Adams had been driving that day.
It was the same truck.
Thank you, Mrs.
Reed.
That will be all.
Mr.
Mason? Mrs.
Reed, why did you come back to Logan City? Why, Mr.
Briggs asked me to.
What was his reason for wanting you back? Well, he-- He planned to make some people give him money.
He said my being here would make sure they did.
In other words, blackmail.
[CHATTERING.]
The blackmail of more than one person? I don't know who they were, but there were more than one.
Thank you, Mrs.
Reed.
That's all.
Mr.
Briggs' death was caused by gas, a substance formed by the mixture of hydrochloric acid and cyanide of potassium.
And these elements are difficult to obtain? No, the farm would have it, for insects, pests, things like that.
Then, in such a farm community, one would not have to be a trained chemist, as Marv Adams is, to know the results of such poisons on human beings? - Well, no, they wouldn't.
- I see.
[DOOR OPENS.]
Your Honour, may I have a moment, please? Go ahead.
How'd it go, Paul? They wouldn't let me take Briggs' copies out of the building.
I found the date of the papers and got my own copies at the newspaper morgue.
It's just what you hoped it'd be, Perry.
See, I marked the spot.
Mm-hm.
Now it all fits.
Thank you, Your Honour.
I have no further questions of this witness.
Your Honour, the prosecution rests its case.
I would now like to call Mrs.
Martha Norris.
- You are the wife of George Norris? - Yes.
You were married before? My first husband was David Latwell.
What became of your first husband, Mrs.
Norris? He was killed, murdered, right here in Logan City.
Are you still familiar with the facts surrounding that case? One doesn't forget things like that so easily.
I object to this entire line of questioning.
Counsel is changing the issue to another crime long since solved and handled in the court.
Your Honour, the evidence I seek is only for the purpose of showing a connection with the crime for which the defendant is on trial.
Very well.
I will overrule the objection with the understanding that pertinent facts relating to this present case are forthcoming.
Thank you, Your Honour.
Now, Mrs.
Norris, I believe you stated during the Ben Deveraux trial that the day before your husband was killed, you'd sprained your ankle and were unable to walk.
Yes, that's right.
I'd fallen off a tractor.
Did you call a physician in? On a farm we learn to take care of those things with no outside help.
But the sprain was completely disabling, to the point that it would have been impossible for you to have gotten out of bed the night your husband was shot on the road leading to your farm.
Of course.
Mrs.
Norris, what was the relationship between you and your husband? I mean, were you happy together? CORTLAND: Your Honour, I object.
Counsel has no right to delve into the private life of this witness.
If the-- If the court will allow the witness to answer this one question, I shall be able to make clear my reason for this line of enquiry.
Your Honour, I want to answer the question.
Very well.
Go ahead, Miss Martha.
My husband and I were very much in love, before our marriage, during our marriage, and right up until-- MAN: Oh, well Order.
If you were very much in love, then how do you account for the fact that your husband was planning to divorce you and marry another woman at the time he was murdered? That's not so.
Your Honour, I should like to show the witness this letter.
CORTLAND: Objection.
The letter should first be shown to the prosecution.
I I still object to this procedure, Your Honour, since no proper foundation has been laid for such evidence.
I am trying to establish a motive other than a fist fight which could have brought about the murder of Donald Briggs.
Objection overruled.
What about this letter? Your Honour, this is a trial copy of a typewritten letter from David Latwell to his wife, Martha Norris.
It has been held all these years by Mrs.
Deveraux, under the mistaken impression that it was written by Ben Deveraux to her.
That is pure hearsay and inadmissible.
Such evidence was never introduced at the original murder trial.
Exactly.
It was never introduced because the defence failed to introduce Miss X, the one person who could have testified to that fact.
Mr.
Mason, you are trying to use this court as a stage for some of your well-known theatrics.
Gentlemen, there will be no more outbursts like that in this court.
Mr.
Mason, I'm inclined to agree with the prosecutor in this matter.
If you have any more questions, I'll listen.
Your Honour, it is my contention that the marriage of David Latwell and his wife was a far from happy one.
Which would have no bearing on this case even if it were so.
It would have bearing if she murdered her husband and Donald Briggs found out about it.
Harry, you were there, you know I was in bed for a week.
- Are you gonna let him--? - Then, Mrs.
Norris, there is no doubt that you were incapacitated at the time of your husband's murder? Everyone in town knew I was.
Your Honour, I submit to the court this newspaper clipping.
It shows some of the crowd at a stock auction during the county fair at Midland.
It was taken from a newspaper dated the same night of David Latwell's murder.
It shows David Latwell in the crowd with a young woman who was the Miss X of the Ben Deveraux trial, the present Lois Reed.
And standing in the background there is the woman who swore at the Deveraux trial and has also sworn here again today that she was unable to walk at that time, Martha Norris.
That clipping is identical with the one found in the possession of Donald Briggs.
It led Briggs to believe that Martha Norris had murdered her husband.
Briggs approached Martha Norris for reasons of blackmail and Martha Norris killed him as well.
She had no right to him.
She had no right to any of them.
David's better off dead.
Look what he would have had.
Just look.
[SOBBING.]
Mr.
Mason, there seems to be no probable cause for action against the defendant and he is ordered to be released from custody.
And I instruct the district attorney to take the necessary steps to instigate further investigation in this case as soon as possible.
Court's adjourned.
I still can't believe that Martha's responsible for all this.
To think that she could murder her husband and then keep his picture around as a constant reminder.
That was the key to the whole thing, Helen.
The only reason to keep the picture was to remember his great devotion for her.
But Mr.
Latwell wasn't devoted to her.
He was planning to run away with Lois Reed.
So Martha had no valid reason and it must have been a cover-up.
And my father was executed because nobody here would believe him.
Oh, Marv, you've gotta try not to think about that.
How can I help it? My mother died because of it.
Now, listen to me, Marv.
Eighteen years ago, a mistake was made, a horrible mistake.
But you won't undo the wrong if you let it colour the rest of your life.
I only saw the whole town turn against me overnight.
Did you, Marv? Helen's part of the town.
Well, don't just stand there, do something.
Reed.
I'm Donald Briggs.
I've got a cab waiting over here.
I booked you a room here, 6D.
You still haven't told me what I have to do.
I've got some calls to make.
We'll discuss it later.
The lady can manage for herself, driver.
I'm running late.
Wait for me, driver.
Mrs.
Adams, I'll be as brief as possible.
I supplied you with enough facts so that you would come to Logan City.
I've got a proposition.
What makes you think I'd be interested in any proposition you might make? All right, Mrs.
Adams.
You have a son.
He's a chemical engineering student at the state university.
He's engaged to Helen Waters, the daughter of one of this town's leading citizens.
Enough? Everyone's quite aware of those facts.
But everyone's not so aware of the facts concerning the boy's father.
I know most of them.
What I don't know I intend to learn from Lois Reed.
She just got into town.
If you dare do anything to hurt my boy's happiness, I-- All I wanna do is enhance my own happiness, say, $5,000 worth, within 48 hours.
I'm at the Sands Motel.
You contemptible blackmailer.
Around here, a man earns his living digging up potatoes and beets.
I dig up information.
Now, what's the difference? The difference is in the kind of dirt you use.
[KNOCKING ON DOOR.]
Hey, Mom, what are you doing at Logan City? How did you know I was here? I was walking by in front of the hotel and saw the pickup truck.
You know, there aren't two trucks like that in the world.
- This is Mr.
Briggs.
- How do you do, sir? How are you, Adams? See you soon, Mrs.
Adams.
Hey, Mom, what did that guy do to you? Hey, Briggs.
Hey, what's wrong with my mother? Get lost.
JOE: Hey, you two, break it up.
Come on, break it up.
All right, what's this all about? It's just a little misunderstanding, that's all, officer.
What did you see, Charlie? Nothing, Joe, except this kid jumped my fare when he was about to get in my cab.
Aren't you visiting out at the Waters' place? Yeah, that's right.
I'm Marv Adams.
I'm on vacation from the university.
Well, since you're Mr.
Waters' guest, we'll forget it this time, but no more of this college scrimmaging in Logan City.
That clear? Yes, sir.
And you have proof that Marv Adams was Ben Deveraux's son? Yeah.
Soon as Deveraux was executed, his wife changed their name to Adams, moved from Logan City, and until I got to work on it, seemed to drop off the earth.
The name of Clyde Waters has as much prestige as any name in the valley.
Getting him mixed up with a murderer's son won't do it any good.
Here's payment for your services.
Waters, what do you plan to do? If my daughter insists on marrying Marv Adams, there's no reason to think the boy's real identity would be revealed after all these years.
Oh, there's a way to make sure.
Just add another 5,000 to this and send it to the Sands Motel.
Do you really think I would do a thing like that? Well, I don't know you that well, Mr.
Waters, but I could ask Lois Reed.
She just got into town.
I see.
Well, I suppose the boy's mother is here at your request too.
Why not? Maybe I'll arrange for all you old-timers to have a coffee klatch, unless I get my business attended to and leave town before there's time.
Goodbye, Mr.
Waters.
It's been a pleasure to work for you.
MASON: Let's get to some of the pertinent facts, Mr.
Waters.
My daughter met a young man in college and became engaged.
I was concerned about it.
- Any special reason? - Helen came to us quite late in life.
Her mother died when she was born.
Well, as you can imagine, I've sheltered her a great deal.
Marv is a perfect gentleman.
Strangely enough, he didn't seem to know much about his father, said he had died when he was quite young.
Well, it worried me and I wanted to know more.
So I hired this fellow Briggs.
And Briggs discovered the boy's father was Ben Deveraux, the man who was executed for murder? That's right.
Murdered his partner right in Logan City 18 years ago.
Or at least that's how the jury voted.
[KNOCKING ON DOOR.]
Come in, Paul.
You wanted to see me, Perry? Mr.
Waters, this is Paul Drake of the Drake Detective Agency.
- Mr.
Drake.
- How do you do, sir? Then you will look into the trial, Mr.
Mason? I'll look into the transcript anyway.
Well, that's fair enough.
I'll expect to hear from you.
- Right.
- Goodbye, Miss Street, Mr.
Drake.
PAUL: Bye, Mr.
Waters.
Paul, what kind of luck do you think you'd have investigating an 18-year-old murder case? I got trouble enough with the modern ones.
Another detective might help you.
His name is Donald Briggs.
Better find him.
Della will give you all the information we have so far.
- Going out? - Logan City.
I'll be in touch.
Well, Mason, did the trial transcript interest you? Yes, it did, judge.
I wanna thank you for digging it out for me.
Sit down.
Sit down.
How come a little burg like this could interest you in an 18-year-old murder case? Murder is murder wherever you find it.
So is justice, which was carried out.
Was it? What are you getting at? You didn't mention that you were the prosecutor in that case.
You didn't ask.
Now, look, Mason, let's you and I stop beating about the bush.
All right, I will.
All through the testimony, there was reference to a Miss X.
Why wasn't her identity revealed during the trial? Because she wasn't involved in the murder or the motive.
So it was decided there was no use to have an innocent girl's name dragged through that kind of thing.
And the defence counsel agreed to that? Of course he did.
Now, look here, Mason, we don't have any desire to have you come into our community and start retrying our cases.
The man's dead.
What's to be gained by bringing it up again? Something with which we are both familiar: justice.
Is it always this hot in Logan City? This is a cool one, mister.
You're Perry Mason? - That's right.
- I'm Chief Glass, Logan City Police.
Miss Martha would like to see you before you leave town.
- Who? - Martha Norris.
Owns the Norris Farms.
I'm afraid I'm running late-- I'd suggest that you take the time, Mr.
Mason.
Follow me.
I'll show you how to get there.
Come on in.
My wife should be in right away.
Some problem concerning one of the warehouse crews.
You're not active on the farm? Oh, no, I'm retired.
Best thing I could do is stay out of the way.
Oh, George, did you fix a cold drink to Mr.
Mason? Thank you, but not right now, Mrs.
Norris.
I hope I didn't inconvenience you.
Oh, that's all right.
I assumed it was urgent since you had a policeman wave me down.
Well, I'm not as imperious as it might seem.
It's just that in a small community, we're all willing to do a favour for one another.
And who did you the favour of reporting I was in town? Judge Meeham.
Mr.
Mason, you've read the trial transcript, you know the facts of Ben Deveraux's conviction.
Yes.
Well, then, I'll tell you a fact you don't know.
The man Ben Deveraux killed was my first husband.
Deveraux paid for his crime, it's over.
There's no use stirring it all up again just to hurt innocent people.
Your motives are admirable, Mrs.
Norris, but having read the transcript, I don't think I can drop it so easily.
Then you're - You're going to proceed further? - Yes, I am.
I plan to see Mr.
Waters right away.
Well, good.
Suppose we drive over to the Waters' dairy farm together.
Yes, we're going over for the annual barbecue Clyde Waters and I have for our employees' children.
He's holding it this year.
[PEOPLE CHEERING.]
[CARNIVAL MUSIC PLAYS.]
You know, magic is the wisdom of the ages.
It's created by night and revealed by day.
It contains secrets of the vast and shrouded unknown.
Do we dare penetrate these secrets? Do we dare enter into darkness and unveil the mysteries? Then watch carefully.
Do not take your eyes from my hands as I pour the magic elixirs.
Just fix your mind on the mysterious words of disenchantment.
Now we begin.
Abracadabra Alakazam Swirl magic waters Bubble and boil And presto Do the duck trick.
Oh, but first I must have a duck.
BO Y: I'll get one.
Oh, it's a fine duck.
Is it your thinking that all ducks can swim? CHILDREN: Yes.
Then you do not believe there's such a thing as a duck that can drown.
- No.
- Oh, well, let's watch carefully.
All right, back away from the trough now.
Back around, come on.
Move around.
Come on.
This magic water I have here makes fish walk and pigs fly.
It also can make a duck drown.
Now, watch carefully.
Now, here we go.
[CHILDREN LAUGHING & CLAPPING.]
They loved you, Marv.
- Oh, I'm glad.
- By George, that sure beats me.
How could you make the duck sink? It's a chemical mixture I made at school.
It takes the oil out of the duck's feathers.
Oh, I get it.
Come on, I want you to meet Mr.
Mason.
- My husband-to-be, Marv Adams.
- How do you do? Pleased to meet you.
- How do you do? - Mr.
Mason, you're wanted on the phone.
- Excuse me.
- Yes, sir.
- Hello? - Perry, this is Paul.
I'm in Logan City.
What are you doing here? Well, this is where the job brought me.
That detective, Donald Briggs, is up here.
He's registered at the Sands Motel.
- I got a look at him.
- Anything else? Well, I checked on him.
He hasn't got much of a reputation.
He hangs out mostly in San Diego.
I can't figure why he's staying around here.
Suppose we call on him together? Fine.
Want me to pick you up? We could have dinner together.
No, I have some business with Mr.
Waters.
You have dinner in town.
I'll meet you at the hotel.
Okay, I'll see you about 8 or so.
All right.
That's Briggs' room.
Oh, uh, I thought you were my taxi.
MASON: Sorry.
- Oh, I don't think he's in.
Somebody came by for him about a half hour or so ago.
- I think he left with them.
- Thanks.
Perry.
What do you make of this? Old newspaper clippings.
Funny odour in here.
You notice it? Yeah.
Beginning to get me.
PAUL: Well, there's Donald Briggs.
- Well, doctor? - Been dead a couple of hours, I'd say.
The gas got him as if he'd been hit over the head with a baseball bat.
- Any idea what it was? - Think so.
It seems like someone set a can of hydrochloric acid in the kitchen, and when it suited them, they tossed in a few cyanide pellets.
Something a chemical student like Marv Adams would be quite familiar with.
- Marv Adams.
- I think he's our boy.
I stopped a fight between him and Briggs yesterday.
- And that's your motive? - Well, it's a start.
Besides, the woman in 6D saw a pickup truck outside Briggs' place earlier this evening.
It matches that beat-up heap that Adams boy was driving today.
Better go out the Waters' place and pick up that Adams boy.
Paul, I wanna talk to Marv.
Looks like the police have first priority.
No.
Marv told me he was leaving for college a day early.
Taking a bus.
Maybe we can catch him.
Hey, what's the idea? Mr.
Mason wants to see you.
- I'll miss the bus.
- He's parked right around here.
Follow me.
- Get in, Marv.
- I gotta be at school by-- - I'll take you there.
- Come on, fella, time's wasting.
- I'll see you back in town, Perry.
- Right.
I swear that's all I know about it, Mr.
Mason.
I saw Briggs just that once when we mixed it up.
What did you do after you left the barbecue? Well, I took the pickup truck to my mother.
- Your mother was in Logan City? - Yes, sir.
Why didn't she didn't go out to the Waters' farm? Well, I asked her to but she seemed to be in a rush to get home.
Look, Mr.
Mason, the police can't seriously believe that I killed Briggs.
[SIRENS WAILING.]
There's your answer.
All right, Adams.
Get out.
I'll take it.
I don't appreciate this, Mr.
Mason.
I don't appreciate it one bit.
You knew I was planning to talk to this boy.
MASON: You'll have your opportunity.
- No thanks to you.
Mom always told me Dad had been killed in an accident.
Never seemed to wanna talk about it, though.
Now I can see why.
It may have been a terrible miscarriage of justice, Marv, and if it was-- And if it was? What do you intend to do about it, bring my father back to life? - Of course not.
- Then forget it.
I told you, I'm not gonna fight this.
Are you afraid by proving yourself innocent you might prove your mother guilty? Guard.
Where is your mother, Marv? Let me talk to her.
Let him out.
Mason, you're wanted on the phone.
You can take it right here.
- Hello? - Mr.
Mason, this is Lois Reed.
Remember I had the motel room near Mr.
Briggs? - I remember.
- I, uh I read in the paper that you're gonna handle the Marv Adams case.
- That's right.
- Ask Judge Meeham who really defended Ben Deveraux 18 years ago.
You're the defence counsel now.
So the less you and I have to say, the better.
Unless you'd like to talk about a change in venue.
Why? Don't you know everybody in this town is prejudiced against the Deveraux family, or the Adams' as they call themselves now? This is a different generation.
There are only a few left I'd suspect of being prejudiced.
You phrased that like a direct indictment against certain parties.
Just who did you have in mind? Let's start with the attorney who defended Ben Deveraux 18 years ago.
His name was James.
And he's dead.
James did the trial work.
Who prepared the case? Who was the attorney who agreed to leave the name of Miss X out of the trial? It was George Norris.
Oh, you're digging up skeletons, all right, but you're not getting any closer to proving that Ben Deveraux was innocent.
Or his son either, for that matter.
Let's start with your particular skeleton, and see.
Well, you, uh You're familiar with the basic history of that case, of course.
Deveraux and Martha's first husband, David Latwell, were partners in this place.
But they never did get along.
They had violent arguments about everything.
Including the Miss X who went unnamed? I told you she was only a side issue.
Why must you keep harping on that one thing? Because that points up the whole failing of the case.
The defence was completely mishandled, Mr.
Norris.
What, you--? You think I set up the case that way deliberately? I didn't say that.
Oh, you don't have to.
Was that how it was, Mr.
Norris? No.
No, it was just a shameful lack of ability.
Maybe the man was innocent, maybe guilty, I don't know.
But I do know that the way I set up the defence is what killed him.
And this Miss X everyone was trying to protect? No one was interested in protecting the girl, it was her father.
The finest man I've ever known.
Reverend John Logan.
What happened to her? She left town shortly before the trial.
Got married, divorced.
She didn't even come home when her father died, or when we held the services renaming the town after him.
Where is she now? It appears that she was a friend of the dead man, Donald Briggs.
Her name's Reed now, Lois Reed.
Shall we continue this straight-from-the-shoulder bit? All right.
What did you come back here for, Lois? It was Briggs' idea.
He wrote me a letter offering a thousand dollars if I'd visit Logan City for a couple days.
Why? Well, I was never really quite sure, except that he seemed to think by producing me, that-- Thanks.
That he'd shake everybody up real good.
When you lived here, you knew David Latwell and his partner Ben Deveraux quite well, I understand.
It was a small town, Mr.
Mason.
Do you have any idea who killed David Latwell? Why get so hot and bothered over something that happened Your client is Marv Adams.
Right.
Except whoever killed David Latwell very likely killed Briggs also.
Could be.
About two hours before Briggs' body was found, he came in here and told me what he planned to do.
I told him I quit.
And then he-- He walked over here and he picked up this pad and he wrote down three names.
Then he circled one of them and he said that was the murdering goose that had laid him the golden egg.
- Did you see those names? - No.
And you did not see Marv Adams with Briggs? Well, no, but who else but the kid would have been driving that old truck? His mother? She would have had a real good motive, wouldn't she? According to Briggs, three people would have had a real good motive.
As a matter of fact, you.
And what happened when Mr.
Briggs came out of the hotel? He was gonna get in my taxi.
This young fella twisted him around, wanted to know what he did to his mother.
Well, they spit at each other for a minute and then this young fella took a poke at him.
CORTLAND: The young fella you're talking about, do you recognise him in this courtroom? Sure, that's him sitting right over there, next to that city lawyer.
CORTLAND: Have the record show that the witness is pointing to the defendant, Marvin Adams.
And have you seen your fiancé perform various magic tricks before? Yes.
Always involving some chemical formula such as making smoke or invisible writing? Why, yes, Marv knows all about those things.
He studied chemistry in college.
And he would also know that to mix hydrochloric acid and cyanide of potassium would create a deadly gas, would he not? Objection.
The prosecutor is leading the witness.
I am only trying to make a point that as a chemist, Marv Adams would have known how to-- I have placed an objection before this court.
I have a right to a ruling without you continuing to make your point.
Mr.
Mason, up here we're not used to having one counsel shout at the other.
I beg the court's pardon, but I do ask for a ruling to be made on my objection.
Sustained.
Yes, the defendant did do a so-called drowning-duck trick.
Which consisted of chemically treating a duck's feathers so they were no longer water-repellent, thereby allowing the duck to sink and drown? Well, Adams did not let the duck drown.
But did he pull the duck from the water when he saw it was sinking? He didn't have a chance to.
One of the children became frightened and did it first.
So there is no way to know that the defendant wouldn't have let the duck drown.
Objection.
Once more, the prosecutor is leading the witness.
Then I will rephrase the question.
Not regarding any conjectural tendencies of sadism on the part of the defendant.
That would still call for a conclusion from the witness.
Just one moment.
I realise this court, as well as this trial, is not up to the dimensions the defence counsel usually specialises in, but since he has taken the case, he will allow the bench to make the necessary decisions.
Again, I am sorry, Your Honour.
Defence counsel is well aware that all decisions in this court as well as any other must come from the bench.
Good.
Then we understand each other.
Objection sustained.
But, judge-- Harry, when a man's right, he's right.
You can get on with your questions later.
It's time for noon recess.
Court's adjourned till 2:15.
You really did yourself up fine, counsellor.
Don't let this country court fool you, Della.
Judge Meeham knows his law, so does prosecutor Cortland.
If we don't get up a head of steam from somewhere, we're gonna get beaten.
How is it going? Up to now, just doing a lot of sidestepping, hoping for some kind of break.
- Marv Adams still won't help? - No.
Maybe I've found an incentive for him.
I've been up to Southmore again, trying to get a lead on Mrs.
Adams.
I had a long talk with a woman who nursed her for a while.
Here.
Take a look at what she had to say.
You and Della get lunch at the drugstore.
I'll meet you there.
That report correct, Marv? Yeah, Mom's had a heart condition for years.
And her life expectancy is no more than the nurse stated? Most of the doctors said she's been living on borrowed time.
How come you're asking me all this? Well, have you ever thought that maybe something has happened to her? What do you mean? Your mother must know you're in trouble.
Well, do we check and see if she's all right? We bought a house outside of Westfield.
Used to go there on weekends, do some work.
Mom likes it there.
There's a filling station about five miles east of town.
The mechanic there will tell you how to find it.
Forget it, Della.
PAUL: Hi, Perry.
- Hi.
I have Marv's permission to open that box, Paul, so go ahead.
- It did belong to his mother, didn't it? - Mm.
Here.
At the time of his father's death, she packed all the effects from his desk in that box.
Here.
Bills, invoices, order forms, they're all dated years ago.
About the time Marv's father was accused of murder.
Still, what's so important about--? Oh, wait a minute.
- Know her? MASON: I think so.
PAUL: Sure, that's Lois Reed.
A little less mileage on her.
Hair darker, she's thinner, but same face.
Several snapshots here.
They're all Lois Reed.
And this letter.
[MASON READING ON-SCREEN TEXT.]
When a marriage is over, the only thing to do is admit it is over.
And I am in love now for the first time.
I'm leaving town for the weekend, and when I return, we can discuss a property settlement and--" That's all.
Just like he was interrupted and never got back to it.
Sort of a Dear John letter in reverse.
DELLA: How is this going to help Marv? I don't know that it is.
When I put it together with Lois Reed, see what we come up with.
Hello, lawyer.
Like a beer? Dance a little? MASON: Sorry, Lois, I don't have a lot of time.
Too bad.
You know, I ought to be real mad at you and the police, keeping me in this burg.
It's like death warmed over.
I don't think you'll have to stay around much longer.
You wanna know something? It doesn't really make a lot of difference.
A room's a room no matter where you put it.
And a can of beer is a can of beer, if you can find a way to open it.
Lois.
Lois, you said you wanted to help Marv.
Now I think you can.
How? During the trial of his father there was a Miss X introduced.
She was never identified.
That woman was you.
Give the counsellor a brass ring.
Both the prosecution and the defence counsel felt that your part in the case was incidental.
I don't.
You think I killed somebody, counsellor? I think you can help me find out who did.
Here is a letter written by Ben Deveraux to his wife just before his partner, Latwell, was killed.
[LAUGHS.]
- You think I was gonna marry Ben? - Weren't you? Do you know what Ben Deveraux looked like? He was a short, dumpy little man, square and as bald as a post.
That letter and this picture were both found in Deveraux's desk.
Deveraux and his partner, David Latwell, shared the same desk.
I ought to know.
I was up there often enough, counsellor.
David Latwell was my friend.
He was quite a guy.
Quite a guy.
Latwell? I took that picture on August 23rd, 19-- Never mind the date.
It was my birthday.
He gave me this.
Sounds like a cheap little romance, doesn't it? But it wasn't like that at all.
We were in love with each other.
There was nothing we could do about it.
He was the married man and I was the minister's-- And so we lived unhappily ever after.
Before we proceed, I should like to express the grief of this court over the sudden death of the defendant's mother, Wilma Adams.
Also, if defence counsel moves for adjournment, it'll be granted.
On behalf of the defendant, we thank the court for its kind and gracious consideration, however, we believe that any delay in proving the defendant's innocence would be contrary to the last wishes of the deceased.
We are ready to proceed, Your Honour.
So after we cleared out the gas, we removed Donald Briggs' body.
And what was the condition of the room, Chief Glass? Neat enough.
Seemed Mr.
Briggs was entertaining when he was killed.
What makes you think he was entertaining? There were two glasses in the kitchen filled with ice, so he was mixing drinks.
There were two different brands of cigarettes found in the ashtray.
CORTLAND: Had anyone at the motel seen Mr.
Briggs receive visitors? Well, only the lady in the room a couple of doors down, Mrs.
Lois Reed.
She saw Marv Adams' truck parked in front of Mr.
Briggs' room.
Thank you.
No further questions.
MEEHAM: Mr.
Mason, you may question.
Chief Glass, you've stated that Lois Reed saw a pickup truck in front of Donald Briggs' motel room.
- That's right.
- To whom was the truck registered? Why, the boy's mother, Mrs.
Adams.
Then why did you infer it belonged to Marv Adams? Well, because-- Well, because I'd seen him driving it.
But on the night of the murder, is it not possible that someone else was driving that truck? Well, nobody actually saw Adams driving that night, but-- Thank you, that's all.
Della.
Find out what's keeping Paul, will you? Right.
CORTLAND: And there is no doubt that the pickup truck you just identified was the same as the one Marv Adams had been driving that day.
It was the same truck.
Thank you, Mrs.
Reed.
That will be all.
Mr.
Mason? Mrs.
Reed, why did you come back to Logan City? Why, Mr.
Briggs asked me to.
What was his reason for wanting you back? Well, he-- He planned to make some people give him money.
He said my being here would make sure they did.
In other words, blackmail.
[CHATTERING.]
The blackmail of more than one person? I don't know who they were, but there were more than one.
Thank you, Mrs.
Reed.
That's all.
Mr.
Briggs' death was caused by gas, a substance formed by the mixture of hydrochloric acid and cyanide of potassium.
And these elements are difficult to obtain? No, the farm would have it, for insects, pests, things like that.
Then, in such a farm community, one would not have to be a trained chemist, as Marv Adams is, to know the results of such poisons on human beings? - Well, no, they wouldn't.
- I see.
[DOOR OPENS.]
Your Honour, may I have a moment, please? Go ahead.
How'd it go, Paul? They wouldn't let me take Briggs' copies out of the building.
I found the date of the papers and got my own copies at the newspaper morgue.
It's just what you hoped it'd be, Perry.
See, I marked the spot.
Mm-hm.
Now it all fits.
Thank you, Your Honour.
I have no further questions of this witness.
Your Honour, the prosecution rests its case.
I would now like to call Mrs.
Martha Norris.
- You are the wife of George Norris? - Yes.
You were married before? My first husband was David Latwell.
What became of your first husband, Mrs.
Norris? He was killed, murdered, right here in Logan City.
Are you still familiar with the facts surrounding that case? One doesn't forget things like that so easily.
I object to this entire line of questioning.
Counsel is changing the issue to another crime long since solved and handled in the court.
Your Honour, the evidence I seek is only for the purpose of showing a connection with the crime for which the defendant is on trial.
Very well.
I will overrule the objection with the understanding that pertinent facts relating to this present case are forthcoming.
Thank you, Your Honour.
Now, Mrs.
Norris, I believe you stated during the Ben Deveraux trial that the day before your husband was killed, you'd sprained your ankle and were unable to walk.
Yes, that's right.
I'd fallen off a tractor.
Did you call a physician in? On a farm we learn to take care of those things with no outside help.
But the sprain was completely disabling, to the point that it would have been impossible for you to have gotten out of bed the night your husband was shot on the road leading to your farm.
Of course.
Mrs.
Norris, what was the relationship between you and your husband? I mean, were you happy together? CORTLAND: Your Honour, I object.
Counsel has no right to delve into the private life of this witness.
If the-- If the court will allow the witness to answer this one question, I shall be able to make clear my reason for this line of enquiry.
Your Honour, I want to answer the question.
Very well.
Go ahead, Miss Martha.
My husband and I were very much in love, before our marriage, during our marriage, and right up until-- MAN: Oh, well Order.
If you were very much in love, then how do you account for the fact that your husband was planning to divorce you and marry another woman at the time he was murdered? That's not so.
Your Honour, I should like to show the witness this letter.
CORTLAND: Objection.
The letter should first be shown to the prosecution.
I I still object to this procedure, Your Honour, since no proper foundation has been laid for such evidence.
I am trying to establish a motive other than a fist fight which could have brought about the murder of Donald Briggs.
Objection overruled.
What about this letter? Your Honour, this is a trial copy of a typewritten letter from David Latwell to his wife, Martha Norris.
It has been held all these years by Mrs.
Deveraux, under the mistaken impression that it was written by Ben Deveraux to her.
That is pure hearsay and inadmissible.
Such evidence was never introduced at the original murder trial.
Exactly.
It was never introduced because the defence failed to introduce Miss X, the one person who could have testified to that fact.
Mr.
Mason, you are trying to use this court as a stage for some of your well-known theatrics.
Gentlemen, there will be no more outbursts like that in this court.
Mr.
Mason, I'm inclined to agree with the prosecutor in this matter.
If you have any more questions, I'll listen.
Your Honour, it is my contention that the marriage of David Latwell and his wife was a far from happy one.
Which would have no bearing on this case even if it were so.
It would have bearing if she murdered her husband and Donald Briggs found out about it.
Harry, you were there, you know I was in bed for a week.
- Are you gonna let him--? - Then, Mrs.
Norris, there is no doubt that you were incapacitated at the time of your husband's murder? Everyone in town knew I was.
Your Honour, I submit to the court this newspaper clipping.
It shows some of the crowd at a stock auction during the county fair at Midland.
It was taken from a newspaper dated the same night of David Latwell's murder.
It shows David Latwell in the crowd with a young woman who was the Miss X of the Ben Deveraux trial, the present Lois Reed.
And standing in the background there is the woman who swore at the Deveraux trial and has also sworn here again today that she was unable to walk at that time, Martha Norris.
That clipping is identical with the one found in the possession of Donald Briggs.
It led Briggs to believe that Martha Norris had murdered her husband.
Briggs approached Martha Norris for reasons of blackmail and Martha Norris killed him as well.
She had no right to him.
She had no right to any of them.
David's better off dead.
Look what he would have had.
Just look.
[SOBBING.]
Mr.
Mason, there seems to be no probable cause for action against the defendant and he is ordered to be released from custody.
And I instruct the district attorney to take the necessary steps to instigate further investigation in this case as soon as possible.
Court's adjourned.
I still can't believe that Martha's responsible for all this.
To think that she could murder her husband and then keep his picture around as a constant reminder.
That was the key to the whole thing, Helen.
The only reason to keep the picture was to remember his great devotion for her.
But Mr.
Latwell wasn't devoted to her.
He was planning to run away with Lois Reed.
So Martha had no valid reason and it must have been a cover-up.
And my father was executed because nobody here would believe him.
Oh, Marv, you've gotta try not to think about that.
How can I help it? My mother died because of it.
Now, listen to me, Marv.
Eighteen years ago, a mistake was made, a horrible mistake.
But you won't undo the wrong if you let it colour the rest of your life.
I only saw the whole town turn against me overnight.
Did you, Marv? Helen's part of the town.
Well, don't just stand there, do something.