the financier-第81节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


uldn'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　monththe　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　believeMr。　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。〃

He　then　put　on　Arthur　Rivers；　who　had　acted　for　Cowperwood　on　'change　as　special　agent　during　the　panic；　to　testify　to　the　large　quantities　of　city　loan　he　had　purchased　to　stay　the　market；　and　then　after　him；　Cowperwood's　brothers；　Edward　and　Joseph；　who　testified　to　instructions　received　from　Rivers　as　to　buying　and　selling　city　loan　on　that　occasionprincipally　buying。

The　next　witness　was　President　W。　C。　Davison　of　the　Girard　National　Bank。　　He　was　a　large　man　physically；　not　so　round　of　body　as　full　and　broad。　　His　shoulders　and　chest　were　ample。　　He　had　a　big　blond　head；　with　an　ample　breadth　of　forehead；　which　was　high　and　sane…looking。　　He　had　a　thick；　squat　nose；　which；　however；　was　forceful；　and　thin；　firm；　even　lips。　　There　was　the　faintest　touch　of　cynical　humor　in　his　hard　blue　eyes　at　times；　but　mostly　he　was　friendly；　alert；　placid…looking；　without　seeming　in　the　least　sentimental　or　even　kindly。　　His　business；　as　one　could　see　plainly；　was　to　insist　on　hard　financial　facts；　and　one　could　see　also　how　he　would　naturally　be　drawn　to　Frank　Algernon　Cowperwood　without　being　mentally　dominated　or　upset　by　him。　　As　he　took　the　chair　very　quietly；　and　yet　one　might　say　significantly；　it　was　obvious　that　he　felt　that　this　sort　of　legal…financial　palaver　was　above　the　average　man　and　beneath　the　dignity　of　a　true　financier　in　other　words；　a　bother。　　The　drowsy　Sparkheaver　holding　up　a　Bible　beside　him　for　him　to　swear　by　might　as　well　have　been　a　block　of　wood。　　His　oath　was　a　personal　matter　with　him。　　It　was　good　business　to　tell　the　truth　at　times。　　His　testimony　was　very　direct　and　very　simple。

He　had　known　Mr。　Frank　Algernon　Cowperwood　for　nearly　ten　years。　He　had　done　business　with　or　through　him　nearly　all　of　that　time。　He　knew　nothing　of　his　personal　relations　with　Mr。　Stener；　and　did　not　know　Mr。　Stener　personally。　　As　for　the　particular　check　of　sixty　thousand　dollarsyes；　he　had　seen　it　before。　　It　had　come　into　the　bank　on　October　10th　along　with　other　collateral　to　offset　an　overdraft　on　the　part　of　Cowperwood　&　Co。　　It　was　placed　to　the　credit　of　Cowperwood　&　Co。　on　the　books　of　the　bank；　and　the　bank　secured　the　cash　through　the　clearing…house。　　No　money　was　drawn　out　of　the　bank　by　Cowperwood　&　Co。　after　that　to　create　an　overdraft。　　The　bank's　account　with　Cowperwood　was　squared。

Nevertheless；　Mr。　Cowperwood　might　have　drawn　heavily；　and　nothing　would　have　been　thought　of　it。　　Mr。　Davison　did　not　know　that　Mr。　Cowperwood　was　going　to　faildid　not　suppose　that　he　could；　so　quickly。　　He　had　frequently　overdrawn　his　account　with　the　bank；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　it　was　the　regular　course　of　his　business　to　overdraw　it。　　It　kept　his　assets　actively　in　use；　which　was　the　height　of　good　business。　　His　overdrafts　were　protected　by　collateral；　however；　and　it　was　his　custom　to　send　bundles　of　collateral　or　checks；　or　both；　which　were　variously　distributed　to　keep　things　straight。　　Mr。　Cowperwood's　account　was　the　largest　and　most　active　in　the　bank；　Mr。　Davison　kindly　volunteered。　　When　Mr。　Cowperwood　had　failed　there　had　been　over　ninety　thousand　dollars'　worth　of　certificates　of　city　loan　in　the　bank's　possession　which　Mr　Cowperwood　had　sent　there　as　collateral。　　Shannon；　on　cross…examination；　tried　to　find　out　for　the　sake　of　the　effect　on　the　jury；　whether　Mr。　Davison　was　not　for　some　ulterior　motive　especially　favorable　to　Cowperwood。　　It　was　not　possible　for　him　to　do　that。　　Steger　followed；　and　did　his　best　to　render　the　favorable　points　made　by　Mr。　Davison　in　Cowperwood's　behalf　perfectly　clear　to　the　jury　by　having　him　repeat　them。　　Shannon　objected；　of　course；　but　it　was　of　no　use。　　Steger　managed　to　make　his　point。

He　now　decided　to　have　Cowperwood　take　the　stand；　and　at　the　mention　of　his　name　in　this　connection　the　whole　courtroom　bristled。

Cowperwood　came　forward　briskly　and　quickly。　　He　was　so　calm；　so　jaunty；　so　defiant　of　life；　and　yet　so　courteous　to　it。　　These　lawyers；　this　jury；　this　straw…and…water　judge；　these　machinations　of　fate；　did　not　basically　disturb　or　humble　or　weaken　him。　　He　saw　through　the　mental　equipment　of　the　jury　at　once。　　He　wanted　to　assist　his　counsel　in　disturbing　and　confusing　Shannon；　but　his　reason　told　him　that　only　an　indestructible　fabric　of　fact　or　seeming　would　do　it。　　He　believed　in　th