The Prisoner of Shark Island Page #4

Why, I suppose so.

Yes, yes, I believe I would.

- Was he here last night?

- Of course not.

Bring Mrs. Mudd down.

Here, if you harm my-

Say, what's the meanin' of all this?

You can't even guess,

I suppose, huh?

Sam! What does this mean?

What are they going to do?

- Now will you be good enough to tell us?

- Certainly.

Dr. Mudd is under arrest

for conspiracy...

in the assassination

of President Abraham Lincoln.

If this court

don't have the courage...

to hang these murderers

of Abraham Lincoln...

- we'll hang 'em!

Let's get 'em now!

Burn the traitors!

Burn 'em!

- Go! Grab 'em-

Gentlemen, Mr. Erickson,

the assistant secretary of war.

Good morning, gentlemen.

I suppose you all realize...

that as members of the court-martial

for the trial of the conspirators...

in the assassination

of our beloved president...

you have on your souls

a grave responsibility.

We realize it very deeply,

Mr. Secretary.

The object of this trial

is not to determine the guilt or innocence...

of a handful of rebels...

but to save this country

from further bloodshed.

The solemn truth, gentlemen, is...

that the federal union

is on the verge of hysteria.

That is why the trial of these conspirators

has been placed in your hands...

rather than

in a civil court-

because men of the sword

can be hard...

and hardness is all that can save this country

from riots, mob rule...

even a resumption of the war itself.

- Have you any suggestions, sir?

- Two, to help you to be hard.

First, you must not allow your judgment

and decision in this case...

to be troubled by any trifling

technicalities of the law...

or any pedantic regard...

for the customary rules of evidence.

Second, and most important...

you must not allow yourself

to be influenced...

by that obnoxious creation

of legal nonsense- reasonable doubt.

- Is that clear?

- Yes, it's clear.

Briefly...

the voice of this court

has got to be the voice of the people.

Before you start,

I want you to hear that voice.

Listen to it.

Bring the prisoners.

Prisoners to the bar.

This court is now in session.

- Mr. President.

- The Judge Advocate General.

The death of John Wilkes Booth...

who was shot down

while resisting arrest in Virginia...

has left us eight members...

of his criminal band.

So, in the name of the government

of the United States...

the crime of assassination

and conspiracy...

to assassinate Abraham Lincoln...

then-president

of the United States...

is charged against

the following:

David E. Herold...

Lewis Payne...

George A. Atzerodt...

Michael O'Laughlin...

Edward Spangler...

Samuel Arnold...

Mrs. Mary E. Surratt-

- And Dr. Samuel A. Mudd.

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