Page:Abraham Lincoln, A Story and a Play.djvu/74

 Judge, jury, Lawyer Lincoln, William Armstrong, accused of murder, witnesses, crowd of on-lookers.

(excitedly talking together),—Guilty! Guilty! Guilty!

,—Look at Armstrong's face. He turns away his eyes. Of course he is guilty.

,—But as one of the witnesses shows, Metzger might have been hit by the yoke on his oxen. That is, if he got in the way and stumbled.

(laughing),—Ha, ha, ha! But the last witness! Of course he is guilty.

,—Order! Will the court please come to order? William Armstrong, you may speak in your own defense.

(speaking to the judge),—I am charged with a terrible deed. I am innocent, sir, indeed I am. It is true that I struck Metzger in anger. I struck him with my fist. But the blow was not a hard one. It did not harm. I am sure of it.

(jeering),—Guilty! Guilty! Guilty!

,—Let the last witness speak.

,—I saw Armstrong and Metzger