Read Online The Just And The Unjust by James Gould Cozzens - Free Book Online
Authors: James Gould Cozzens
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balanced on his toes. His voice had a sudden, cocky, assertive note, and Abner looked at him, astounded. He looked at Bunting, but Bunting was biting his lip; and, jolted, Abner had to admit his own slow-wittedness in only then grasping the bold manœuvre. Harry said coolly, 'How do you try to account for one bullet having so much more force than the other? I suppose you admit it must have had?'
The play on Doctor Hill's conceit of knowledge and touchiness about his dignity was perfect. Unable to help his witness, Bunting winced; and Doctor Hill said with asperity, 'I do not "try'' to account for it, Mr. Wurts. I account for it without difficulty. There is no reason to suppose that one bullet had more force than the other. The longer passage through the tissues of the body would add up to offer more resistance than the relatively short passage through the head. The skull is only relatively hard, Mr. Wurts. A bullet fired at it point blank, at close range, would be retarded very little.'
Harry Wurts said, 'Do you mean to tell me that bullets of identically the same calibre, from identically the same gun, could behave so differently?'
'I do, indeed,' said Doctor Hill.
'Then in your opinion both bullets came from the same gun?'
'No, Mr. Wurts, I did not say that. I —'
'You said both could have come from the same gun.'
'Why, yes. I see no reason why not —'
'You see no reason why not. That is all.'
Bunting said, 'Just a moment, Doctor.' To Abner he said, 'We'll have to show he doesn't know anything about it.'
'Have trouble without crossing him,' Abner said. He saw Harry, back in his seat, looking at them with amusement.
'Yes,' said Bunting. 'You're the goat. When Harry kicks, I'll cover you with the Judge as well as I can. It's better that way, because you couldn't cover me. See?'
'Yes,' said Abner. 'Want me to barge right in?'
'Might as well.'
Abner got up and walked around to the witness stand. He paused a moment, wishing he could find a way to do it cleverly; like Harry Wurts, to make Doctor Hill out of his own self-importance, apparently of his own accord, declare now, with the same pompous insistence, that though one shot came from one gun (Bailey 's), the other probably came from another (presumably Basso's). However, if you tried being clever and failed, you were worse off for being caught at it than if you never tried. Abner said as disarmingly as he could, 'I believe that you said that the wounds made by these separate bullets were somewhat similar. Did you reach that conclusion from the diameter of the bullet holes?'
'Diameter,' said Doctor Hill, 'yes.'
'Did you judge just by eye?' Abner said, and caught himself up, waiting in apprehension. Bunting would see that it was a dumb question. You should know the answers when you questioned your own witness; and, for all Abner knew, Doctor Hill had some scientific form of measurement which might show that they were not merely similar but exactly the same. To his relief, Doctor Hül said, 'Just by eye. But—'
Abner cut in, speaking quietly, trying to offer, along with the question, a sort of encouragement or reassurance that Doctor Hill might take as a sign that he should assent, 'You are not, of course, an expert in bullet wounds, Doctor?'
'Oh, now!' said Harry. He laughed out loud. 'I object! He can't cross-examine his own witness! I never heard of such a thing!'
'Your Honour,' said Bunting, 'the Commonwealth simply is clearing up a line of questioning Mr. Wurts opened and then, having established a very misleading impression, tried to drop.'
'He can't continue my cross-examination!' Harry said. 'What is your witness? Ignorant? Unwilling? Perjuring himself? I don't know any other grounds.'
Bunting said, 'I think it is the province of the Court, and not of Mr. Wurts, to decide what questions may be put. We respectfully ask his Honour to rule.'
'He may answer,' Judge Vredenburgh said. 'There is no prejudice to the defendants if the witness states
The play on Doctor Hill's conceit of knowledge and touchiness about his dignity was perfect. Unable to help his witness, Bunting winced; and Doctor Hill said with asperity, 'I do not "try'' to account for it, Mr. Wurts. I account for it without difficulty. There is no reason to suppose that one bullet had more force than the other. The longer passage through the tissues of the body would add up to offer more resistance than the relatively short passage through the head. The skull is only relatively hard, Mr. Wurts. A bullet fired at it point blank, at close range, would be retarded very little.'
Harry Wurts said, 'Do you mean to tell me that bullets of identically the same calibre, from identically the same gun, could behave so differently?'
'I do, indeed,' said Doctor Hill.
'Then in your opinion both bullets came from the same gun?'
'No, Mr. Wurts, I did not say that. I —'
'You said both could have come from the same gun.'
'Why, yes. I see no reason why not —'
'You see no reason why not. That is all.'
Bunting said, 'Just a moment, Doctor.' To Abner he said, 'We'll have to show he doesn't know anything about it.'
'Have trouble without crossing him,' Abner said. He saw Harry, back in his seat, looking at them with amusement.
'Yes,' said Bunting. 'You're the goat. When Harry kicks, I'll cover you with the Judge as well as I can. It's better that way, because you couldn't cover me. See?'
'Yes,' said Abner. 'Want me to barge right in?'
'Might as well.'
Abner got up and walked around to the witness stand. He paused a moment, wishing he could find a way to do it cleverly; like Harry Wurts, to make Doctor Hill out of his own self-importance, apparently of his own accord, declare now, with the same pompous insistence, that though one shot came from one gun (Bailey 's), the other probably came from another (presumably Basso's). However, if you tried being clever and failed, you were worse off for being caught at it than if you never tried. Abner said as disarmingly as he could, 'I believe that you said that the wounds made by these separate bullets were somewhat similar. Did you reach that conclusion from the diameter of the bullet holes?'
'Diameter,' said Doctor Hill, 'yes.'
'Did you judge just by eye?' Abner said, and caught himself up, waiting in apprehension. Bunting would see that it was a dumb question. You should know the answers when you questioned your own witness; and, for all Abner knew, Doctor Hill had some scientific form of measurement which might show that they were not merely similar but exactly the same. To his relief, Doctor Hül said, 'Just by eye. But—'
Abner cut in, speaking quietly, trying to offer, along with the question, a sort of encouragement or reassurance that Doctor Hill might take as a sign that he should assent, 'You are not, of course, an expert in bullet wounds, Doctor?'
'Oh, now!' said Harry. He laughed out loud. 'I object! He can't cross-examine his own witness! I never heard of such a thing!'
'Your Honour,' said Bunting, 'the Commonwealth simply is clearing up a line of questioning Mr. Wurts opened and then, having established a very misleading impression, tried to drop.'
'He can't continue my cross-examination!' Harry said. 'What is your witness? Ignorant? Unwilling? Perjuring himself? I don't know any other grounds.'
Bunting said, 'I think it is the province of the Court, and not of Mr. Wurts, to decide what questions may be put. We respectfully ask his Honour to rule.'
'He may answer,' Judge Vredenburgh said. 'There is no prejudice to the defendants if the witness states
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