Perry Mason (1957–1966): Season 1, Episode 38 - The Case of the Terrified Typist - full transcript

Oh, Barney, when
you get a chance,

would you take this watch
up to Crawford Jewelry for me?

Right away, Mr. Mason.

Thank you.

Did you lock the door?

No. Hope you have the keys. I
seem to have misplaced mine.

Well, we'd better get
down to the airport

or we'll miss Baxter.

Going down, please.

Well, how do you do? I'm Baxter.

Is Mr. Jefferson
in or Mr. Lumis?



No, they're out.

Oh. I dare say
they're at the airport.

We seem to have
missed our connections.

They won't be back
for quite a while.

Well, please don't
let me disturb you.

You get right on with your work.

I say, um, I was just wondering,

how long have you worked here?

Ever since the office opened.

Three weeks, I think.

How's Walter been feeling?

Fine.

Would you excuse me?
I want to wash my hands.

I just changed the
ribbon on my typewriter.



Oh, yes, and, uh, Mrs. Lumis,

by the way, has she
got rid of her arthritis?

Well, yes. Of course, I
don't see her very often.

Excuse me, please. Young lady,

I think you'd better
stay right here.

There's something
distinctly fishy going on.

I don't believe you work
here at all. That's ridiculous.

For one thing you've been acting
very strangely and for another,

Mrs. Lumis never
had arthritis in her life.

Now sit down in
that chair over there.

Go on.

See here, the South African
Diamond Company's just been robbed,

a young woman. Get the police.

Yes, sir, right away.

Hello, operator?
This is an emergency.

Get me the police.

(SIRENS WAILING)

Can you hold it a moment, Miss
Street? I think she just came in.

Are you from the Mosher agency?

What?

Did Miss Mosher send
you over to do some typing?

Yes. Yes, she did.

Yes, she just came in.

Shall I send her in to do
some work in your office?

DELLA: That's a good idea.

How's it coming?

Fine.

Oh, these are very
nice, Miss, uh...

Wallis.

I'll have to make a note of that in
case I want to get you next time.

You let a dangling
participle get by.

You undangle it.

(KNOCK ON DOOR)

I'll get it.

Hi, beautiful. How do
you like all the excitement?

Excitement? What excitement?

Well, there have been cops over
the whole building all afternoon.

The diamond company
on the next floor

was robbed during lunchtime.

Somebody walked in and discovered
this gal taking the place apart.

And they have a
description of her?

Yeah, she's a blonde, about 5'3"

and she was wearing
harlequin glasses.

She was also
wearing a beige suit.

Did she, uh, did she get away?

Well, that's the funny thing.

They sealed the building like a
tomb a minute after it happened.

She just disappeared.

Hello, Miss Mosher?

This is Della Street,
Perry Mason's office.

Did you send a girl
over here this afternoon?

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Well?

It seems a girl from
here called this afternoon

and told Miss Mosher
to cancel our request.

Gertie's gone.

It's 7:00. No wonder
everyone's gone.

No reason to stop in
the middle of a sentence.

Well, she left these.

I guess she wouldn't take
a chance wearing them.

Paul, if that girl ran
out of here just now,

she might have
taken a nearby cab.

You check the cab dispatcher. I'll check
the South African Diamond Company.

(DOOR CLOSING)

Thank you, Barney.

Come in, sir.

My name is Mason.

I have offices on
the floor below.

Oh, how do you
do? I'm Walter Lumis.

I was so sorry to
hear about the robbery.

Well, that's jolly
decent of you,

but I'm afraid that's the least
of our worries at the moment.

You see, we hadn't
received our stock.

And a chap called Baxter,
he's one of the partners,

he brought our stones
from Africa today,

but we missed
him at the airport.

Well, he must have arrived here

just about the time that girl
was ransacking the place.

He alerted the elevator man,

gave a full description
of our young lady Raffles

to the police and
then vanished himself.

Vanished?

Yes. We phoned in
here from the airport.

Baxter was here at
the time with the police.

Well, I realized that
when I got back here,

I'd be tied up for a
while with inventory,

so I told him to
go on to the place

that the firm had rented
for him on Ventana Drive.

And he isn't there now?

Well, I've been
ringing him since 6:00

and I can't seem
to get any reply.

Sergeant, who's standing by
at the Ventana Drive house?

SERGEANT: Jim Baker.

Well, you tell him that Baxter
won't be home anymore.

They just fished
him out of the ocean.

Are you sure this statement
of yours is correct, Mr. Gilly?

Oh, yes, sir,
absolutely correct.

(INTERCOM BUZZES)

Yeah?

MAN: The lineup is ready,
Lieutenant. They're just waiting for you.

Right.

All right, you come
along with me.

All right, Gilly, take a
look at the men up there.

One fits the
description you gave

and he owns the
kind of car you saw.

Now, you tell us if
you recognize him.

Well?

Uh, yeah.

Mmm-hmm.

I see him.

That's the one.

The man on the end.

Will you come in,
Mr. Lumis? Oh, thank you.

Mason, have you had a cablegram

from my company in South Africa?

Retaining you to
defend Duane Jefferson?

Yes.

Well, just what is the fee?

$5000.

I see.

Because if you want my opinion,

the whole thing is
absolutely ridiculous.

Jefferson has been
a trusted employee

of the firm for
at least 10 years.

Now during that
time, millions of dollars

worth of diamonds must
have passed through his hands.

I assume from what
you're saying that

the diamonds Baxter brought
have not been recovered.

No, they have not. Is
there anything I can do?

Yes.

Make out a check for $5000. My
secretary will give you a receipt.

Della, have the receipt show

that the retainer is on
behalf of Duane Jefferson.

Well, just what does that mean?

Well, if I'm going to
defend an individual,

I want my entire loyalty to be to
that individual and not a corporation.

Any objections?

No, no, not at all. I just wanted
my own position made clear.

I'll have the check
with you within the hour.

Thanks.

Well, I'm afraid there's
not much I can tell you.

Police showed up
in the dead of night

and the next thing I
knew I was on stage

and a voice behind the lights was
shouting, "That's the man who did it."

And the witness claims

he saw you roll a body off the
Santa Monica pier last night.

Man ought to be examined.
He's mad as a hatter.

All right.

What did you do last night?

Take it from the time you
left Lumis at the airport.

Well, I had a dinner engagement.

Lumis said he'd deal with
the police, so I went home.

I have a flat in Beverly.

And what time was
this dinner engagement?

About 7:00 p.m.

What time did
you return from it?

After midnight.

Who did you have dinner with?

A friend.

Who's the friend?

Well, really, old man, I'd
sooner not discuss the matter.

Trying to shield someone?

All right then.

I was with a certain lady.

And that's all there is to
say, if you see what I mean.

I have to remind
you, Mr. Jefferson,

that you're charged
with first degree murder.

I'd hardly be here
otherwise, would I?

You know, I've taken
your case, Mr. Jefferson.

That doesn't mean
I can't give it back.

Well, I fail to see what
you're worried about.

After all, they may have
the word of an old wharf rat,

but isn't my word
as good as his?

There's nothing more you wish to
add to that? Just that I'm innocent.

Well, I hope that's
enough to convince a jury.

We've just got
to find that girl.

Do you think she's the one
that Jefferson's protecting?

There's no one
else on the horizon.

(KNOCK ON DOOR)

What's this? My bill.

Well, it isn't
the first... Della.

That's just Paul's
subtle way of telling us

he found the
terrified typist, right?

Right. Who is she?

Mrs. Ralph Taylor.

Senator Taylor's wife?

That's the one.

Paul, you're out of
your ever-loving mind.

Uh-huh. Well, Della pegged it.

The clothes were bought at Littauers
and charged to Mrs. Taylor's account.

I tell you, she is Senator
Ralph Taylor's wife.

Well, time tested
way of finding out.

Let's go. Excuse me.

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

"Duane Jefferson, a diamond buyer
residing at 3915 Quantico Street,

"was arrested last
night for the murder

"of his business
associate, George Baxter."

Perhaps these will help.

Who are you?

What are you doing here?
This is private property.

So is the diamond
company office.

My name is Mason.

This is Mr. Paul Drake,
my private investigator.

You're going to
have me arrested?

I don't know yet.

I still haven't
heard your story.

Well, you won't believe me.

But it all started when I was sending
packages to allied prisons in Korea.

There was this one man,

he was a captain in the
South African Air Force.

He kept on writing to me.

Were you married to
Senator Taylor at that time?

No.

As a matter of fact, I had just
been hired as his private secretary.

At that time, I thought he was
a pompous, old stuffed shirt.

So I drew ridiculous cartoons of
him and wrote ridiculous letters

and sent it to this
air force captain.

What was the captain's name?

Duane Jefferson.

Later on I found out how
wrong I was about Mr. Taylor.

He's a dear, kind and
wonderful man, Mr. Mason,

and I love him more
than anything in the world

and I'd do anything to
keep from hurting him.

So you wrote to Jefferson asking
him to return the letters and cartoons

and he refused?

Did Jefferson have a reason

for not returning those letters?

Yes. I didn't have
any money to give him.

My husband's a rich man,

but I certainly don't have access
to his money indiscriminately.

That's why I took Mr. Jefferson's
keys and went into his office.

What do you plan to do next?

Nothing.

If you don't turn me over
to the police, Mr. Mason,

I promise that I will stay as far away
from Duane Jefferson as possible.

I may call on you
again, Mrs. Taylor.

Oh, by the way, Paul.

What's that?

The key to
Mr. Jefferson's apartment.

Where did you get it?

From Mr. Jefferson.

When the police picked him
up, they didn't give him a chance

to get a decent suit of clothes.

I won't be able to
get there till tonight.

That's all right.

Of course, while you're there,

if you want to
take a look around,

that's a matter between
you and your conscience.

(GASPS)

When you told me your story
this afternoon, Mrs. Taylor,

I was inclined
to believe all of it.

Now I've a feeling that
it was all a pack of lies.

But it isn't. It's true.

Here are the pictures I
found in the apartment.

Do you recognize the
woman in this picture?

Never seen her
before in my life.

All right, then. Do
you recognize this?

I don't understand this. I've never had
a picture taken with Duane Jefferson.

I don't know when it
could have been taken.

Was it taken on the
night of the murder?

Of course it wasn't.

How can you be so sure?
You didn't even know it existed.

What difference does it make?
You don't believe me anyway.

That's right, I don't.

Well, what do you
want me to tell you?

I just want you to
tell me the facts.

Very well then. Let me tell you.

You're a young woman who's married
to a man a good deal older than you.

In order to avoid being bored,

you decided to indulge yourself

and now in attempting to keep
your indiscretion covered up,

you're willing to let a man die.

That is not true. I would
never do anything like that.

Remember one thing, Mrs. Taylor,

your husband could
possibly excuse you

for being out with another
man on the night of the murder,

but in the case of Mr. Jefferson

there's no going
back if he loses.

All right, Mr. Mason.

You want me to
testify to the truth?

I will.

Who are you calling?

Hamilton Burger,
the district attorney.

Gentlemen, the jury has
been selected and sworn.

The prosecution will proceed
with its opening statement.

Your Honor.

Ladies and
gentlemen of the jury.

The state intends to prove

that the defendant in this case,

an employee of the South
African Diamond Company,

had reason to learn that a director of
that company, George Baxter by name,

was coming to this country
with a large number of diamonds,

worth approximately
half a million dollars.

That the defendant subsequently
murdered George Baxter

in order to gain possession
of those diamonds.

We will introduce witnesses

to prove that this murder
was done with premeditation,

deliberation and with
diabolical cunning.

And on the strength
of our evidence,

we will ask for a verdict of first
degree murder and for the death penalty.

Mr. Gilly, can you tell us where you were
on the night of June 5th at about 10:00?

I was in a row boat,
fishing, right near the pier.

Were you close enough to the pier so
that you could see what happened on it?

Oh, yes, only about 35 feet.

In your own words then,
will you tell us what you saw?

Well, I saw a man up on the pier

roll a body off and then
he kicked something after it.

Just a moment, Mr. Gilly.

How do you know it was a
body that he rolled off the pier?

Well, because it had arms and
legs and it looked like a body.

Well, let's for the moment assume that
you saw a man roll something off the pier

that looked like a body.

Okay, if that's the
way you want it.

Did you subsequently
notify the police?

And did they recover a body
from the water in your presence?

Yes, sir.

Now about this object that you
saw the man kick off the pier,

what did you do about that?

Well, I rowed over
and fished it out.

Is that what you mean?

If that's what you
mean, that's what I mean.

Can you tell us what it was?

Yes, it was a hat. A derby hat.

Did you examine it? Yes, sir.

Well, not right then. When I
got back to my boathouse, I did.

It had the name George Baxter

in gold letters on
the sweatband.

Mr. Gilly, I show you this hat and
ask if you've ever seen it before.

That's the hat that I
fished out of the water.

If it please the court, I would like
this hat marked for identification.

Now, Mr. Gilly,

could you see the
man on the pier?

Oh, yes.

Clearly enough so you could
make an accurate identification of him

if you saw him again?

Oh, yes. As a matter
of fact, I did that already.

And is that man
in this court now?

Yes, sir. He's
the fellow on trial.

Let the record
show that the witness

is pointing to the
defendant, Duane Jefferson.

Thank you, Mr. Gilly.
You may cross-examine.

Now, Mr. Gilly,

you said you did not examine
the hat at the time you recovered it.

No, I waited till I got
back to my boathouse.

What made you do that? I mean, why
didn't you examine the hat immediately?

Well, I wanted to get it
in the light, that's why.

Then, while it wasn't light enough to
see a hat you were holding in your hand,

you could see what was
going on 30 feet away from you.

I object, Your Honor.

That question is incompetent,
irrelevant and immaterial.

It's also argumentative and
not proper cross-examination.

No matter what the light was,

reading a name inside a hat is obviously
much different from seeing a man on a car.

I think Mr. Mason's question

is permissible on
cross-examination.

Objection overruled.

Now, Mr. Gilly, will you
answer the question?

Well, like I said, I could see him
almost as plain as I can from here.

No further questions.

And when you recovered the body
of George Baxter from the water,

did you find that it had
been weighted down?

Yes, with a cement
building block.

Can you identify
this, Lieutenant?

Yes, sir.

It's the building block used
to weight down the body.

Is there anything distinctive
about this particular building block?

Well, yes, sir. One of
the corners is missing.

Do you recognize
this piece of cement?

Yes, sir and you will notice
that this broken corner

will fit perfectly on
the cement block.

And also, there's blood
on that broken corner.

Now, you heard
Dr. Walder testify

that the blood on
this piece of cement

matches the blood
type of the deceased?

Yes, sir. And where did
you find this piece of cement?

In the trunk of Duane Jefferson's
car on the night of the murder.

Thank you, Lieutenant.

Your witness.

No questions.

You may step down, Lieutenant.

I call Joseph Henrich
to the stand, please.

Mr. Joseph Henrich,
take the stand, please.

Raise your right hand, please.

Who is he? Do you know?

(BAILIFF CHATTERING) Never heard
the name or seen the man in my life.

I do.

State your name,
please. Joseph Henrich.

Be seated.

Mr. Henrich,

would you please tell this
court where you reside?

I reside at 400 Ventana Drive.

Do you also work there?

Yes, sir. My wife and I are
domestic workers in the house.

Is it true that this
house where you work

was rented to Mr. George Baxter?

That is right.

Our regular employers
rented the house to Mr. Baxter,

but my wife and I
stayed with the house.

On the fifth of June,
were you at the house?

Yes. That was the day
when Mr. Baxter arrived.

I stayed with him in the
house until about 6:30.

Then I went out
to polish my car.

Did anyone else come
to the house that day?

Yes, sir.

At about 7:00,

it was getting dark by then,

I heard a car pull
up, so I went to look.

It was that man.

You mean the defendant?

Yes. He came and
went in the house.

Now, to the best
of your knowledge,

Mr. Jefferson and Mr. Baxter
were the only ones in the house?

Yeah, that's all.

Could you tell us what
happened after that?

A short while later,
I heard loud voices.

They were both arguing.

Then I heard Mr. Baxter shout,

"Don't be a fool.

"You'll never get away with it."

Then I heard a
sound like a groan.

Then it was all quiet.

What did you do after that?

I was getting very worried,

so I went to talk
to my wife about it.

She told me not to interfere.

At about 8:00 we heard
sirens and the police arrived.

Did you then enter the
house with the police?

Yes, sir. And was
Mr. Baxter there?

No, sir. Thank you,
Mr. Henrich. That's all.

Your witness.

Mr. Henrich, you talked
about living in the house

at 400 Ventana Drive.

Specifically, do you mean
that you live in the house itself

or somewhere near the house?

No, sir. My wife and I
don't live in the house.

We have an apartment
over the garage.

Now, you stated on direct
examination that after the argument

and after the time
you heard the groan,

when the following
silence took place,

you went to discuss
the matter with your wife.

Now, where was
your wife at that time?

She was in our apartment.

And when you were in your
apartment over the garage,

is it possible for people to
leave or enter the main house

without your hearing it?

Yes, sir. That
time, it is possible.

I assume that it's also possible

for something to
happen inside the house

that you don't hear?

Oh, naturally, sir.

However, you heard the
argument and the groan

while you were outside?

Yes, sir.

And you were worried
about what had happened?

Well, yes, sir.

But you did not go inside
the main house at that time?

No, not until the
police arrived at 8:00.

So you cannot swear
from your own knowledge

that anything did happen

which would have resulted
in the death of George Baxter

at the hands of Duane Jefferson?

No, I cannot swear that.

Thank you,
Mr. Henrich. That is all.

You may step down, Mr. Henrich.

That concludes the case for the
state, Your Honor. The prosecution rests.

Does the defense
wish to make a motion?

Yes, Your Honor.

At this time, I move that
the court instruct the jury

to bring in a
verdict of not guilty

on the ground that the
evidence as at present

before the court
is not sufficient

to support a verdict of guilty.

The motion is denied.

Are you ready with your
first witness, Mr. Mason?

The defense is
ready, Your Honor.

I call the defendant,
Duane Jefferson.

BAILIFF: Mr. Duane
Jefferson, take the stand, please.

Raise your right hand, please.

Do you solemnly swear the
testimony you're about to give

in the cause now
pending in this court

to be the truth, the
whole truth? I do.

State your name.
Duane Jefferson.

Be seated.

Now, Mr. Jefferson, will you
also state where you were born?

South Africa.

And are you at this moment,

a citizen of the
Union of South Africa?

I am.

Mr. Jefferson,

you've heard the prosecution
introduce witnesses

from whose testimony this jury
is expected to draw the inference

that you were
criminally responsible

for the death of George Baxter.

Now is there
anything you can say

that will contradict
that testimony?

I can only say that it's completely
false and that I am innocent.

Do you have any facts that
will support that statement?

Well, for one thing, I
spent the entire evening

in the company
of another person.

This other person, was
it a man or a woman?

A lady.

Could you tell us what
time you met this lady?

About 7:00 p.m. At the
Toreador for cocktails.

How long would it take you to get
from the Toreador to 400 Ventana Drive?

At least an hour.

And what time did
you leave the lady?

A little after midnight.

Now, Mr. Jefferson,

would you please tell this jury

the name of the lady?

You know very well, Mr. Mason,

I can't tell this jury or anybody
else the name of the lady.

Why?

Simply because it would be
ungentlemanly and completely improper.

Can you give us the reason?

Because the lady
happens to be married.

And you are refusing
to disclose her identity,

knowing full well
your life is in jeopardy?

I'm afraid there's
no alternative.

Mr. Jefferson,

are you well acquainted with
a lady named Patricia Taylor?

I object, Your Honor.

Defense counsel
can create a situation

tantamount to criminal slander

by insinuating with
any name at random.

Just a moment, Mr. Burger.

I agree completely with the prosecutor's
feelings on this matter, Mr. Mason.

I beg the court's
indulgence in permitting

me to perform my duty
as a defense attorney.

If I'm permitted
to speak my mind,

may I say that I agree
completely with Mr. Burger?

If it please the court,

I don't need any
support or agreement

from the defendant in this case.

Order, gentlemen, order. This
matter is getting completely out of hand.

I will allow
Mr. Mason to continue.

But I warn you, Counselor,
of the direct consequences

if you fail to connect
this name in your case.

Your Honor.

Now Mr. Jefferson,

I ask you once again,

do you know Patricia Taylor?

I am acquainted
with Mrs. Taylor.

And will you now state that
she was the lady in your company

on the night of the murder?

I have told you
repeatedly, Mr. Mason,

I was with a certain lady

and that's all there is to say.

Your witness, Mr. Burger.

Mr. Jefferson,

am I correct in assuming that
you're presenting yourself here as

an example of the last
stronghold of chivalry,

sort of a modern Sir Galahad?

I am simply withholding
information I have no right to reveal.

Well, then will you state
for us flatly, here and now,

that Mrs. Patricia Taylor was
not your companion of the evening

on the night of the murder?

I can only tell you that
I will not name the lady.

And while you pretend to protect
the lady who shall be nameless,

you're willing to vilify and
besmirch Mrs. Patricia Taylor.

I think we can use less
gentlemen like you, sir.

No more questions.

You may step down.

Will you call your next
witness, Mr. Mason?

Your Honor...

Your Honor, I call

Mrs. Patricia
Taylor to the stand.

Please! Mr. Mason,
you can't do this.

I forbid it.

Your Honor, I object to this obvious
attempt on the part of the defendant

to win the sympathy of the jury.

The defendant will sit down.

Sit down, sir!

And you will refrain from
these prejudicial outbursts.

Call the next witness.

Mrs. Taylor,

are you acquainted with
the defendant in this case?

I am.

Did you have certain
correspondence with him

while he was still
in South Africa?

Yes.

Would you say this correspondence
was of a friendly nature?

Up to a point.

Would you tell us
what that point was?

Well, he refused to send back
some letters that I'd written to him.

Did you then illegally enter
his office and apartment

in order to recover
those letters?

Yes.

You heard Mr. Jefferson testify

that on the night of the murder,

he spent the evening
with a woman.

A woman he refused to name.

Were you that
woman, Mrs. Taylor?

Yes.

I was with him for
about 15 minutes,

but there was nothing
romantic between us.

I despise the ground he walks on

and I had the pleasure
of telling him so.

No further questions.

Just a moment, Mrs. Taylor.

I appreciate Mr. Mason's
kindness and consideration,

but unfortunately he
didn't go far enough.

Let's talk about the letters
the defendant sent you.

Were they completely
gentlemanly?

I object, Your Honor, on
the grounds of best evidence.

If Mr. Mason is calling for the
letters, I have them right here.

And if counsel will stipulate

that these are in the
handwriting of the defendant,

I will introduce them
in evidence now.

May I see the letters?

First stipulate.

I assure you in open court

that I know from statements
of unimpeachable witnesses,

that these letters are in the
handwriting of the defendant.

Very well, I'll stipulate,

upon that assurance
of the district attorney.

I enter them in evidence.

Mrs. Taylor,

with regard to the
letters and other items

that you sent to the defendant,

did you write and ask
him to return them?

Yes.

I call your attention now
to this particular letter,

which the defendant sent you.

I quote you from
the third paragraph,

"There will be some delay in
returning the cartoons by mail

"as you have been requesting.

"My reason, I should
like nothing better

"than the prospect of
returning them to you personally.

"This, I think and hope,

"will take place in
the very near future."

End of quote.

Did you receive
this letter? Yes.

Did you subsequently
meet the defendant? Yes.

Did he return the letters and
cartoons to you at that time?

No.

Did he give you any reason
for his withholding them further?

He said he could use
them against my husband.

Could use them
or would use them?

He could, unless I prevented it.

What were you supposed
to do to prevent it?

Give him money.

Well, that's blackmail,
pure and simple, isn't it?

I suppose it is.

Now on the night of the murder,

you admitted that
you went to meet him

and did meet him. Yes.

What time was the appointment?

7:00.

And what time did
you arrive? 7:00.

What time did the
defendant arrive? 8:30.

And when did you
leave him? 8:45.

Then if, as the defendant
himself has testified,

it takes him an hour to
drive from the Toreador Cafe

to 400 Ventana Drive,

it would be perfectly possible
for him to have seen you as he did

and still have
committed the murder.

Objection! That's calling for
a conclusion of the witness.

Sustained.

The facts in evidence indicate
that the body of the deceased

was in the trunk of
the defendant's car.

Could your presence
in his company

from 8:30 to 8:45 that evening

have possibly
prevented the defendant

from getting rid of the
body at 10:00 that night?

Objection! That's
being argumentative

and calling for an
opinion from the witness.

The asking of this question and
any further examination along this line

is prejudicial and I
assign it as misconduct

on the part of the
district attorney.

Sustained.

The prosecution will refrain from
continuing with this line of questioning.

Redirect, Mr. Mason.

Mrs. Taylor,

do you know if the
defendant had a meeting

with another married
woman after you left him,

a meeting which might have kept
him at the Toreador until 10:00 or after?

If he did, he didn't
tell me, Mr. Mason.

Thank you. That's all.

You may step down, Mrs. Taylor.

(KNOCK ON DOOR)

Come in, Paul.

The, uh, jury still out?

Yep.

Well, I regret to report I
still have not been able

to identify this woman in
the picture with Jefferson.

I still say I know that
woman from somewhere.

Here. Look at these pictures.

Isn't that the same
man and woman

at the adjoining
table in both pictures?

Look at that hat.

I can't tell.

The faces are too small, Perry.

I'm only saying if it is the
same man and woman,

then both of these
pictures were taken

on the same night
at the same place.

The night of the murder.

Paul...

(PHONE RINGING)

Hello?

Oh, thank you.

The jury's ready to
return with the verdict.

Well, what's there
to do now, Perry?

I don't know.

Have these pictures blown
up. I'll see you in court.

Ladies and
gentlemen of the jury,

have you reached a verdict?

We have, Your Honor.

Will you state it, please?

We, the jury impaneled to
try the above entitled case,

find the defendant

guilty of murder
in the first degree.

I will convene the jury tomorrow

for the purpose
of taking evidence

bearing upon the sentence
to be given the defendant.

Is that agreeable
with the defendant?

It is, Your Honor.

I will further stipulate that
Friday will be satisfactory

for presenting a
motion for a new trial.

JUDGE: Mr. Burger?

Perfectly all right, Your Honor.

Very well. So ordered.

The defendant is remanded
to custody of sheriff.

Court stands adjourned.

(PEOPLE CHATTERING)

Well, it's all in the
evening edition.

Jury fixes death penalty
for Perry Mason's client.

Mason to appear in court
Friday on motion for new trial.

I know. I was there.

Why can't I remember that face?

Have you heard from Paul yet?

Not yet.

(INTERCOM BUZZING)

Yes, Gertie?

Mr. Lumis on the phone.

(KNOCK ON DOOR)

He can't talk to anyone
right now, Gertie.

Here are the blowups,
Perry, and you were right.

That couple in the background
is the same in both pictures.

Then it was the same night.

Now if we could only
think who this woman was.

Wait a minute, I've got it.

I saw this woman coming
out of the diamond office

when I went up
there to see Lumis.

Perry, is there a Mrs. Lumis?

Let's find out.

Paul, you ready for
some night driving?

Sure. Where are we driving to?

I'm not sure myself yet.

We'll keep in touch,
Della. Come on. Let's go.

Ah, Mason.

Hello, Lumis. May I come in?

Yes, of course.

Would you excuse us for a
moment, please, my dear?

I'd like Mrs. Lumis to
hear what I have to say.

I told you in the
beginning, Lumis,

I'd use anything I could find
in defense of Duane Jefferson.

Well, you're not trying
to implicate me, are you?

Calm down, Walter.

Mr. Mason hasn't
accused you of anything.

I think he has something
else on his mind.

I have.

Unless I can establish a
10:00 alibi for Jefferson,

the night he was supposed
to have gotten rid of the body,

I haven't a chance on
my motion for a new trial.

I've got to find the woman he was
with after Mrs. Taylor left the Toreador.

But I've already told you

I have no idea who the woman is.

Are you telling me there's still a
chance to save Duane Jefferson?

It's not too late?

Yes, there's still a chance.

Walter, there are limits

beyond which a decent,
self-respecting person cannot go.

Mr. Mason is being very direct.

But what he
implies is quite true.

I'm sorry, but I have
been seeing Duane.

What?

I hoped to spare you, Walter,

hoped that Duane
wouldn't need my testimony.

But after I heard
about the verdict,

I made up my mind.

I was coming to see
you anyway, Mr. Mason.

I was with Duane Jefferson
the night of the murder,

up until midnight.

Are you willing to take the
witness stand and testify to that?

Yes.

I know you'll never regret it.

I'll be in your office
first thing in the morning.

You can count on that.

I'm sorry, Mr. Lumis,

truly sorry.

(DOOR OPENING)

(DOOR CLOSING)

How could you
do a thing like that?

You do want to
save him, don't you?

You might be risking
all our lives with this.

We're in the clear. A couple
more hours and we'll be in Mexico

and all this rotten
business will be behind us.

That's right. We'll be there.

But he'll be here.

Well, he asked
for it, didn't he?

When you and I
went into this together,

we didn't bargain for
blackmail or murder.

That was his idea.

And I think he's rather
got it coming to him.

If you're that afraid,

why don't you take
off for Mexico tonight?

I'll join you there as
soon as I've cleared him.

Very well, I will.

If that's the way you like it.

Walter.

You won't forget that there's
somebody else you have to take with you?

I won't forget.

Don't worry.

How is he? About the same.

Any trouble?

Trouble from him?

I hope you're ready
to take a long trip.

I want to get out of here.

Lie down. You're not
going anywhere yet.

Now, if you go quietly,

it may not be too
unpleasant a trip.

See who that is, but be careful.

What do you want?

Don't put your hands
in your pocket, Lumis.

I don't think you have
to worry about Mr. Lumis.

(PEOPLE CHATTERING)

This is the time fixed for
hearing a motion for a new trial

and for pronouncing judgment in the
case of people against Duane Jefferson.

Do you wish to be
heard, Mr. Mason?

Yes, Your Honor.

Will Mr. Duane
Jefferson please stand?

Come forward, please.

Wait a minute.
Let's get this straight.

Here's the defendant
standing within the bar.

But Duane Jefferson
is standing here.

I'm moving for a new trial

on the ground
that the entire trial

of Duane Jefferson
for first-degree murder

took place in his absence.

Your Honor, defense counsel
can't confuse the issues like this.

It doesn't make
any difference now

whether this is Duane
Jefferson or John Doe.

He's the man who
committed the murder.

He's the man who
was tried for the murder.

And whether he uses the
name of Duane Jefferson

or any other name
that's not his own,

he's the man that's going to
be sentenced for the murder.

But you introduced evidence

directed against the
real Mr. Jefferson,

and letters written by the real
Mr. Jefferson were part of that evidence.

What about it?

Well, it's false evidence.

It was admitted only on
your assurance it was true.

Now, just a moment, Mr. Mason.

The court's going to require that you
make a full explanation of this matter.

Of course, Your Honor.

Your Honor, the
man standing here

is the real Mr. Jefferson.

He was sent to
this country together

with Walter Lumis
to open a branch

of the South African
Diamond Company.

Then who is that man
standing at the defense table?

MASON: His name
is James Kincaid.

He conspired with Walter
Lumis to take the place

of the real Mr. Jefferson.

For what purpose?

For the purpose of absconding

with $500,000 worth of diamonds,

which were brought
to this country

by the deceased, George Baxter.

Lumis planned to accept
delivery of the diamonds

from Mr. Baxter and
then disappear in Mexico.

When Mr. Jefferson refused
to go along with his scheme,

why, Lumis then
recruited James Kincaid.

And he then replaced Jefferson?

That's right, Your Honor.

Almost immediately, Baxter
realized something was wrong,

refused to hand
over the diamonds.

So Kincaid then
disposed of Mr. Baxter.

Your Honor, this is
just another wild-eyed,

dramatic, grandstand play

for which counsel is so noted.

Now, just a moment, gentlemen.

Before I make any ruling,

I suggest that court take an
adjournment for 15 minutes

while I ask counsel for both
sides to meet in chambers.

The defendant,
meantime, is in custody.

He will remain in
custody. Stand adjourned.

(PEOPLE CHATTERING)

I can't get over it.

Poor Burger, all that work

and now Judge Hartley
orders a new trial.

Well, he'll still wind up a hero

if he doesn't forget to try
the phony Duane Jefferson

under his right name
of James Kincaid.

He and Tragg are
celebrating tonight.

I wonder why
they didn't invite us.

Isn't this nice?

What's that, Della?

It's a wire from
Senator Ralph Taylor

thanking you for not exposing
those cartoons in court.

Hmm.

Fortunately, we were
able to clear up the case

without using them.

Speaking of clearing things up,

why was Burger so sure
of Jefferson's handwriting?

Well, simply because he had

Pat Taylor's innocent assurance

that those letters had been
written to her by Jefferson.

Neither Pat nor
Burger had any inkling

that the defendant wasn't
the real Duane Jefferson.

Now I have a question.

Why didn't Mrs. Lumis join
in that phony alibi right away?

Her husband was
afraid that if she did,

the whole thing
would be exposed.

And of course, that's
why Kincaid held out.

He really believed
the jury would go

for that gallant routine of his.

Well, I hope you'll
both be gallant

when we have dinner
with them tonight.

Dinner? Dinner with
whom, Burger and Tragg?

No, with Senator
and Mrs. Ralph Taylor

and the real Duane Jefferson.

It's right here in the wire.

Well, read it to
us, Della, read it.

Oh, no.

Della has been the
detective on this one.

Here. You read it.

"I wish to thank you

"for not exposing those
cartoons in court, stop.

"Pat and I would like you
to come to dinner tonight..."

That's enough.

Now, would you like to
take a couple of notes?