登陆注册
5260400000145

第145章 Chapter XLII(1)

The trial moved on. One witness for the prosecution after another followed until the State had built up an arraignment that satisfied Shannon that he had established Cowperwood's guilt, whereupon he announced that he rested. Steger at once arose and began a long argument for the dismissal of the case on the ground that there was no evidence to show this, that and the other, but Judge Payderson would have none of it. He knew how important the matter was in the local political world.

"I don't think you had better go into all that now, Mr. Steger," he said, wearily, after allowing him to proceed a reasonable distance. "I am familiar with the custom of the city, and the indictment as here made does not concern the custom of the city.

Your argument is with the jury, not with me. I couldn't enter into that now. You may renew your motion at the close of the defendants' case. Motion denied."

District-Attorney Shannon, who had been listening attentively, sat down. Steger, seeing there was no chance to soften the judge's mind by any subtlety of argument, returned to Cowperwood, who smiled at the result.

"We'll just have to take our chances with the jury," he announced.

"I was sure of it," replied Cowperwood.

Steger then approached the jury, and, having outlined the case briefly from his angle of observation, continued by telling them what he was sure the evidence would show from his point of view.

"As a matter of fact, gentlemen, there is no essential difference in the evidence which the prosecution can present and that which we, the defense, can present. We are not going to dispute that Mr. Cowperwood received a check from Mr. Stener for sixty thousand dollars, or that he failed to put the certificate of city loan which that sum of money represented, and to which he was entitled in payment as agent, in the sinking-fund, as the prosecution now claims he should have done; but we are going to claim and prove also beyond the shadow of a reasonable doubt that he had a right, as the agent of the city, doing business with the city through its treasury department for four years, to withhold, under an agreement which he had with the city treasurer, all payments of money and all deposits of certificates in the sinking-fund until the first day of each succeeding month--the first month following any given transaction. As a matter of fact we can and will bring many traders and bankers who have had dealings with the city treasury in the past in just this way to prove this. The prosecution is going to ask you to believe that Mr. Cowperwood knew at the time he received this check that he was going to fail; that he did not buy the certificates, as he claimed, with the view of placing them in the sinking-fund; and that, knowing he was going to fail, and that he could not subsequently deposit them, he deliberately went to Mr. Albert Stires, Mr. Stener's secretary, told him that he had purchased such certificates, and on the strength of a falsehood, implied if not actually spoken, secured the check, and walked away.

"Now, gentlemen, I am not going to enter into a long-winded discussion of these points at this time, since the testimony is going to show very rapidly what the facts are. We have a number of witnesses here, and we are all anxious to have them heard. What I am going to ask you to remember is that there is not one scintilla of testimony outside of that which may possibly be given by Mr. George W. Stener, which will show either that Mr. Cowperwood knew, at the time he called on the city treasurer, that he was going to fail, or that he had not purchased the certificates in question, or that he had not the right to withhold them from the sinking-fund as long as he pleased up to the first of the month, the time he invariably struck a balance with the city. Mr. Stener, the ex-city treasurer, may possibly testify one way. Mr. Cowperwood, on his own behalf, will testify another. It will then be for you gentlemen to decide between them, to decide which one you prefer to believe--Mr. George W. Stener, the ex-city treasurer, the former commercial associate of Mr. Cowperwood, who, after years and years of profit, solely because of conditions of financial stress, fire, and panic, preferred to turn on his one-time associate from whose labors he had reaped so much profit, or Mr. Frank A. Cowperwood, the well-known banker and financier, who did his best to weather the storm alone, who fulfilled to the letter every agreement he ever had with the city, who has even until this hour been busy trying to remedy the unfair financial difficulties forced upon him by fire and panic, and who only yesterday made an offer to the city that, if he were allowed to continue in uninterrupted control of his affairs he would gladly repay as quickly as possible every dollar of his indebtedness (which is really not all his), including the five hundred thousand dollars under discussion between him and Mr. Stener and the city, and so prove by his works, not talk, that there was no basis for this unfair suspicion of his motives. As you perhaps surmise, the city has not chosen to accept his offer, and I shall try and tell you why later, gentlemen. For the present we will proceed with the testimony, and for the defense all I ask is that you give very close attention to all that is testified to here to-day. Listen very carefully to Mr. W. C. Davison when he is put on the stand.

Listen equally carefully to Mr. Cowperwood when we call him to testify. Follow the other testimony closely, and then you will be able to judge for yourselves. See if you can distinguish a just motive for this prosecution. I can't. I am very much obliged to you for listening to me, gentlemen, so attentively."

同类推荐
  • 明伦汇编皇极典君德部

    明伦汇编皇极典君德部

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 淮海词

    淮海词

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 台湾舆图

    台湾舆图

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 观所缘论释

    观所缘论释

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 天台林公辅先生文集

    天台林公辅先生文集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 回波辞

    回波辞

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 快穿之九公主吉祥

    快穿之九公主吉祥

    这是一部快穿文,古代穿至现代,当刁蛮公主遇上腹黑总裁,且闹且缠且珍惜!在这里,“小三”来了不怕,九儿有的是撩夫技巧,情敌来了不慌,霍少多的是宠妻绝招。“太太有没有说今天想吃什么?”某少问。萌宝跳出来替管家回答,“娘亲说她想吃手撕面包,手撕牛排,手撕包菜……”某少打断,“照做!”这时,萌宝趴到他了耳边悄悄地说,“爹地,娘亲还说了,她想...手撕爹地。”霍逸然大惊!他告诉儿子,“小孩子不可意会也不可言传”!《欢迎加入拂晓灵粉,书群号:724742842》
  • 长袍与牢骚

    长袍与牢骚

    民国是一个充满魅力的时代,也是一个动荡不安的时代。本书聚焦普通教科书上看不到的人与事,被遮蔽与被掩盖的历史真相。本书分三编。上编“社会思想”介绍了林森、张澜、张君劢、胡适等人许多鲜为人知的故事。他们致力于推动现代中国的转型,其情切切,其心拳拳。中编“文化传奇”讲述了成舍我、夏衍、柳亚子、张伯驹等人的风骨铮铮,蕴藉风流。下编“时代变迁”讨论了物理学家饶毓泰、新闻人杨刚、地方绅士牛友兰等人的坎坷命运,发人深省,耐人寻味。
  • 情吻:血族殿下独宠妻

    情吻:血族殿下独宠妻

    她,从小便被家族遗弃,就是因为她是百年一遇的召唤师,脖子上的印记,证明了一切,超凡的记忆能力与推理能力,和一只超凡的猫咪,带领她走上了不平凡的道路;他,因为与人恩怨沉睡百年,偶然间被她所召唤,他是王子,是血族下一任国王,是英国伯爵,而她区区平民,他十分憋屈的接受了一切,而他没想的是,她是千年一遇的自我召唤术奇才,更没想到,被人尊称为禁欲血王子的他,竟然会对一个不起眼的女子动了凡心……
  • Tartuffe

    Tartuffe

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 工作那么好,你为什么选择放弃?(蓝狮子速读系列-职场008)

    工作那么好,你为什么选择放弃?(蓝狮子速读系列-职场008)

    我们在工作中,总会遇到各种各样的瓶颈问题。很多人一旦遇到瓶颈,就想着放弃——我再换一份工作吧!再换一份工作就能解决问题吗?也许,换了工作,同样的问题接踵而至。所以,仔细分析一下你现在的工作,也许,不是工作出了问题,而是你出了问题。那就让我们努力解决它们吧!
  • 职方外纪

    职方外纪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 林东的无限崩坏之旅

    林东的无限崩坏之旅

    一切都凌驾于读者的想像之上。一场灾难于1999年袭击了我们。无数的引人入胜的故事和无法想像的恐怖正在等候你。见证在下首屈一指的杰作《崩坏之旅》的重生吧!对了,记得祈祷自己不会被这杯毒药吞噬。
  • 感谢折磨你的人

    感谢折磨你的人

    “人可生如蚁而美如神”,这是著名诗人顾城对人生的一句美好的描述。人生在世,你不可避免地会遭到很多的不快和打击:对手对你的攻击、世事对你的刺激、上天对你的不公……在这个世界上,一个人就像一只蚂蚁一样,一生匍匐在大地上劳作,备受折磨。于是,很多人在面对折磨的时候,听天由命,最后就真的成了蚂蚁,平庸地度过了一辈子。但有的人却会把折磨当作一种历练、一种激励、一种教训,他们先是被折磨着,但在折磨中获得了成功的经验,继而成就了他们人生的辉煌!
  • 重生之校草随便追

    重生之校草随便追

    [女扮男装]一朝大意陆莫柒居然重生了,重生在一个温馨的家庭。原主不是废物,相反她是个公认的天才。原主交际很好,朋友很多,她重生在原本就受瞩目的原主身上,真是过意不去呢,明明她应该,享受的啊。