stories by modern american authors-第19节

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liable　to　delusion　or　fraud；　is　safest　and　most　powerful。　　The

machinery　of　human　justice　cannot　guard　against　the　remote　and

improbable　doubt。　　The　inference　is　persistent　in　the　affairs　of

men。　　It　is　the　only　means　by　which　the　human　mind　reaches　the

truth。　　If　you　forbid　the　jury　to　exercise　it；　you　bid　them　work

after　first　striking　off　their　hands。　　Rule　out　the　irresistible

inference；　and　the　end　of　justice　is　come　in　this　land；　and　you　may

as　well　leave　the　spider　to　weave　his　web　through　the　abandoned

court　room。〃



The　attorney　stopped；　looked　down　at　Mason　with　a　pompous　sneer；

and　retired　to　his　place　at　the　table。　　The　judge　sat　thoughtful

and　motionless。　　The　jurymen　leaned　forward　in　their　seats。



〃If　your　Honor　please；〃　said　Mason；　rising；　〃this　is　a　matter　of

law；　plain；　clear；　and　so　well　settled　in　the　State　of　New　York

that　even　counsel　for　the　People　should　know　it。　　The　question

before　your　Honor　is　simple。　　If　the　corpus　delicti；　the　body　of

the　crime；　has　been　proven；　as　required　by　the　laws　of　the

commonwealth；　then　this　case　should　go　to　the　jury。　　If　not；　then

it　is　the　duty　of　this　Court　to　direct　the　jury　to　find　the

prisoner　not　guilty。　　There　is　here　no　room　for　judicial

discretion。　　Your　Honor　has　but　to　recall　and　apply　the　rigid　rule

announced　by　our　courts　prescribing　distinctly　how　the　corpus

delicti　in　murder　must　be　proven。



〃The　prisoner　here　stands　charged　with　the　highest　crime。　　The　law

demands；　first；　that　the　crime；　as　a　fact；　be　established。　　The

fact　that　the　victim　is　indeed　dead　must　first　be　made　certain

before　anyone　can　be　convicted　for　her　killing；　because；　so　long　as

there　remains　the　remotest　doubt　as　to　the　death；　there　can　be　no

certainty　as　to　the　criminal　agent；　although　the　circumstantial

evidence　indicating　the　guilt　of　the　accused　may　be　positive；

complete；　and　utterly　irresistible。　　In　murder；　the　corpus　delicti；

or　body　of　the　crime；　is　composed　of　two　elements：



〃Death；　as　a　result。



〃The　criminal　agency　of　another　as　the　means。



It　is　the　fixed　and　immutable　law　of　this　State；　laid　down　in　the

leading　case　of　Ruloff　v。　The　People；　and　binding　upon　this　Court；

that　both　components　of　the　corpus　delicti　shall　not　be　established

by　circumstantial　evidence。　　There　must　be　direct　proof　of　one　or

the　other　of　these　two　component　elements　of　the　corpus　delicti。

If　one　is　proven　by　direct　evidence；　the　other　may　be　presumed；　but

both　shall　not　be　presumed　from　circumstances；　no　matter　how

powerful；　how　cogent；　or　how　completely　overwhelming　the

circumstances　may　be。　　In　other　words；　no　man　can　be　convicted　of

murder　in　the　State　of　New　York；　unless　the　body　of　the　victim　be

found　and　identified；　or　there　be　direct　proof　that　the　prisoner

did　some　act　adequate　to　produce　death；　and　did　it　in　such　a　manner

as　to　account　for　the　disappearance　of　the　body。〃



The　face　of　the　judge　cleared　and　grew　hard。　　The　members　of　the

bar　were　attentive　and　alert；　they　were　beginning　to　see　the　legal

escape　open　up。　　The　audience　were　puzzled；　they　did　not　yet

understand。　　Mason　turned　to　the　counsel　for　the　People。　　His　ugly

face　was　bitter　with　contempt。



〃For　three　days；〃　he　said；〃　I　have　been　tortured　by　this　useless

and　expensive　farce。　　If　counsel　for　the　People　had　been　other　than

play…actors；　they　would　have　known　in　the　beginning　that　Victor

Ancona　could　not　be　convicted　for　murder；　unless　he　were　confronted

in　this　court　room　with　a　living　witness；　who　had　looked　into　the

dead　face　of　Nina　San　Croix；　or；　if　not　that；　a　living　witness　who

had　seen　him　drive　the　dagger　into　her　bosom。



〃I　care　not　if　the　circumstantial　evidence　in　this　case　were　so

strong　and　irresistible　as　to　be　overpowering；　if　the　judge　on　the

bench；　if　the　jury；　if　every　man　within　sound　of　my　voice；　were

convinced　of　the　guilt　of　the　prisoner　to　the　degree　of　certainty

that　is　absolute；　if　the　circumstantial　evidence　left　in　the　mind

no　shadow　of　the　remotest　improbable　doubt；　yet；　in　the　absence　of

the　eyewitness；　this　prisoner　cannot　be　punished；　and　this　Court

must　compel　the　jury　to　acquit　him。〃



The　audience　now　understood；　and　they　were　dumfounded。　　Surely　this

was　not　the　law。　　They　had　been　taught　that　the　law　was　common

sense；　and　this；this　was　anything　else。



Mason　saw　it　all；　and　grinned。　　〃In　its　tenderness；〃　he　sneered；

〃the　law　shields　the　innocent。　　The　good　law　of　New　York　reaches

out　its　hand　and　lifts　the　prisoner　out　of　the　clutches　of　the

fierce　jury　that　would　hang　him。〃



Mason　sat　down。　　The　room　was　silent。　　The　jurymen　looked　at　each

other　in　amazement。　　The　counsel　for　the　People　arose。　　His　face

was　white　with　anger；　and　incredulous。



〃Your　Honor；〃　he　said；　〃this　doctrine　is　monstrous。　　Can　it　be　said

that；　in　order　to　evade　punishment；　the　murderer　has　only　to　hide

or　destroy　the　body　of　the　victim；　or　sink　it　into　the　sea？　　Then；

if　he　is　not　seen　to　kill；　the　law　is　powerless　and　the　murderer

can　snap　his　finger　in　the　face　of　retributive　justice。　　If　this　is

the　law；　then　the　law　for　the　highest　crime　is　a　dead　letter。　　The

great　commonwealth　winks　at　murder　and　invites　every　man　to　kill

his　enemy；　provided　he　kill　him　in　secret　and　hide　him。　　I　repeat；

your　Honor；〃the　man's　voice　was　now　loud　and　angry　and　rang

through　the　court　room〃that　this　doctrine　is　monstrous！〃



〃So　said　Best；　and　Story；　and　many　another；〃　muttered　Mason；　〃and

the　law　remained。〃



〃The　Court；〃　said　the　judge；　abruptly；　〃desires　no　further

argument。〃



The　counsel　for　the　People　resumed　his　seat。　　His　face　lighted　up

with　triumph。　　The　Court　was　going　to　sustain　him。



The　judge　turned　and　looked　down　at　the　jury。　　He　was　grave；　and

spoke　with　deliberate　emphasis。



〃Gentlemen　of　the　jury；〃　he　said；　〃the　rule　of　Lord　Hale　obtains　in

this　State　and　is　binding　upon　me。　　It　is　the　law　as　stated　by

counsel　for　the　prisoner：　that　to　warrant　conviction　of　murder

there　must　be　direct　proof　either　of　the　death；　as　of　the　finding

and　identification　of　the　corpse；　or　of　criminal　violence　adequate

to　produce　death；　and　exerted　in　such　a　manner　as　to　account　for

the　disappearance　of　the　body；　and　it　is　only　when　there　is　direct

proof　of　the　one　that　the　other　can　be　established　by

circumstantial　evidence。　　This　is　the　law；　and　cannot　now　be

departed　from。　　I　do　not　presume　to　explain　its　wisdom。　　Chief…

Justice　Johnson　has　observed；　in　the　leading　case；　that　it　may　have

its　probable　foundation　in　the　idea　that　where　direct　proof　is

absent　as　to　both　the　fact　of　the　death　and　of　criminal　violence

capable　of　producing　death；　no　evidence　can　rise　to　the　degree　of

moral　certainty　that　the　individual　is　dead　by　criminal

intervention；　or　even　lead　by　direct　inference　to　this　result；　and

that；　where　the　fact　of　death　is　not　certainly　ascertained；　all

inculpatory　circumstantial　evidence　wants　the　key　necessary　for　its

satisfactory　interpretation；　and　cannot　be　depended　on　to　furnish

more　than　probable　results。　　It　may　be；　also；　that　such　a　rule　has

some　reference　to　the　dangerous　possibility　that　a　general

preconception　of　guilt；　or　a　general　excitement　of　popular　feeling；

may　creep　in　to　supply　the　place　of　evidence；　if；　upon　other　than

direct　proof　of　death　or　a　cause　of　death；　a　jury　are　permitted　to

pronounce　a　prisoner　guilty。



〃In　this　case　the　body　has　not　been　found　and　there　is　no　direct

proof　of　criminal　agency　on　the　part　of　the　prisoner；　although　the

chain　of　circumstantial　evidence　is　complete　and　irresistible　in

the　highest　degree。　　Nevertheless；　it　is　all　circumstantial

evidence；　and　under　the　laws　of　New　York　the　prisoner　cannot　be

punished。　　I　have　no　right　of　discretion。　　The　law　does　not　permit

a　conviction　in　this　case；　although　every　one　of　us　may　be　morally

certain　of　the　prisoner's　guilt。　　I　am；　therefore；　gentlemen　of　the

jury；　compelled　to　direct　you　to　find　the　prisoner　not　guilty。〃



〃Judge；〃　interrupted　the　foreman；　jumping　up　in　the　box；　〃we　cannot

find　that　verdict　under　our　oath；　we　know　that　this　man　is　guilty。〃



〃Sir；〃　said　the　judge；　〃this　is　a　matter　of　law　in　which　the　wishes

of　the　jury　cannot　be　considered。　　The　clerk　will　write　a　verdict

of　not　guilty；　which　you；　as　foreman；　will　sign。〃



The　spectators　broke　out　into　a　threatening　murmur　that　began　to

grow　and　gather　volume。　　The　judge　rapped　on　his　desk　and　ordered

the　bailiffs　promptly　to　suppress　any　demonstration　on　the　part　of

the　audience。　　Then　he　directed　the　foreman　to　sign　the　verdict

prepared　by　the　clerk。　　When　this　was　done　he　turned　to　Victor

Ancona；　his　face　was　hard　and　there　was　a　cold　glitter　in　his　eyes。



〃Prisoner　at　the　bar；〃　he　said；　〃you　have　been　put　to　trial　before

this　tribunal　on　a　charge　of　cold…blooded　and　atrocious　murder。

The　evidence　produced　against　you　was　of　such　powerful　and

overwhelming　character　that　it　seems　to　have　left　no　d