The Prisoner of Shark Island Page #5

Dr. Mudd?

I'm General Ewing.

With your permission,

I should like to act as your counsel.

Thank you, General.

Thank you.

We'll fight together now,

as we once fought each other.

With the permission of the court...

we will begin the cases in order.

We will start with the charge

against George A. Atzerodt.

Uh-

But isn't there any kind of news

you can give us about- about Dr. Mudd?

That's all they're gonna tell, lady-

just what you see on the board.

That's War Department's orders.

War Department's orders!

Ha! Didn't know they had one!

- Shh!

- Well, the dad-blamed-

Good night, Sam darling.

The government will now present its case

against Dr. Samuel A. Mudd.

Tell them I've got to speak.

I've gotta defend myself.

L- I can't let them treat me

the way they've treated all these others.

General Ewing.

You will instruct the defendant

to remain silent and respect this court.

I'm confident, Mr. Erickson...

that after observing

the conduct of these trials...

Dr. Mudd's respect for this court...

is every whit as great as my own.

Frank J. Thomas will take the stand.

Tell the court what you know...

of Dr. Mudd's loyalty

to the federal union.

Dr. Mudd was

a dyed-in-the-wool slaver.

Yes, sir! Slaver!

Dr. Mudd's name

was on the prescription which I filled.

Dr. Mudd served

in the Confederate Army.

Dr. Mudd denied

that he'd ever seen Booth.

Dr. Mudd denied everything...

until I showed him Booth's own boot

right in his own home.

Dr. Mudd, when I examined him in prison,

confessed to me...

that he set Booth's broken leg

and then aided him with directions...

how to reach the Potomac

and Virginia.

- The case is ended.

- No! No!

The case is not ended!

Here's one defense you're gonna

hear whether you want it or not.

- The prisoner will observe order.

- Why? Why?

What more could you do to me?

What threat have you got left?

You can hang me. You can hang us all-

the innocent as well as the guilty!

Because you-you nine gallant officers

and gentlemen-

have stripped yourselves

of your pride and your honor.

But I'll not go without a fight.

I'll not go without trying to blacken

your memories with the insane injustice...

you'll carry on your souls

till the day you die!

And till the day you die, you'll ask

yourselves in your heart three questions:

Does an assassin confide

his plans to anyone?

Was I, a physician, in the plot...

because it was part

of John Wilkes Booth's plan...

to break his leg and to need me?

Does a man, whose first devotion is no longer

to a lost cause or to any flag that flies...

but to his wife and his child...

risk any act that could only cause

misery and heartbreak...

on their innocent lives?

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