1165 - December 11, 1970

[bunniefuu]

NARRATOR: Collinwood in the year .

Quentin Collins, deposed the heir to the Collins fortune,

is in jail awaiting trial on the charge of witchcraft.

He is unaware that his imprisonment has been

engineered by his good friend, Gerard Stiles,

who has become the new master of Collinwood.

And at the great house, Daphne Harridge has received another

in a long series of terrifying notes, which she believes

have come from her sister beyond the grave.

I am coming for you now, but please do not be afraid.

What I must do, I do with love.

Your sister, Joanna.

Joanna?

Joanna, are you here?

Joanna, please don't hurt me.

Joanna, can't you help me?

Joanna, help me!

[loud thudding]

[mysterious music]

[gasping]

Joanna, it's your cape.

Joanna, why, why are you doing this?

Joanna, please, don't you understand?

You could help me, please help me.

Joanna, let me have the love that you had.

Joanna, if anything is going to

destroy me can it be that love?

Why must it be you?

Joanna, please.

Please, Joanna, can you hear me?

Please help me!

[door creaking]

[eerie music]

[dramatic music]

Daphne, what are you carrying on about?

DAPHNE: Nothing, nothing.

I heard you yelling all the way upstairs.

Who are you talking to?

No one, Mrs. Collins, I was just frightened, that's all.

SAMANTHA: Frightened of what?

Well, I was alone and I thought I heard someone,

and I saw a cape there in the hallway.

A cape?

I saw no cape.

It's by the clock, missus.

You were frightened by your own imagination.

Yes, I suppose that's what it was.

I've known all along that you weren't fit

to be my son's governess.

DAPHNE: Mrs. Collins, please don't say that,

it isn't true, I'm devoted to Tad.

I've never believed that for a moment.

My husband hired a pretty face, not a governess.

Oh, my God!

DAPHNE: What is it, Mrs. Collins?

There was a figure there by the trees.

There was someone there and it disappeared.

DAPHNE: Who was it?

Tell me what she looked like.

It was a woman.

How did you know that?

Uh.

I, I didn't, I didn't.

SAMANTHA: Yes, you did, you knew what I saw.

It was some kind of spirit.

No!

That's why you were hysterical when I came in the room,

because you knew that you weren't alone.

Mrs. Collins, that's not true.

I know what I saw, Miss Harridge.

I could feel its evilness.

You brought it into this house.

Miss Harridge, I want you to stay away

from my son from now on.

Do you understand?

You are to stay away from Tad.

Mrs. Collins.

QUENTIN: Alright, tell me what happened this morning.

The new judge arrived today, Judge Vail.

I had a long talk with him.

He denied a motion to postpone the trial.

Then that means I go on public display tomorrow?

I'm afraid so.

And there was one other development.

Amos Fuller, the county prosecutor, resigned.

Resigned?

Well, who's going to handle the prosecution?

They have until tomorrow to decide.

If they keep up their current pace,

I wouldn't be surprised if they name Trask.

No, they can't do that.

Quentin, they can do anything they want.

There are no rules of reason anymore,

there is just hysteria and fear in this town.

We can only hope that they choose a prosecutor

with a streak of decency in him.

[ominous music]

Tad, what are you doing up at this hour?

You should be in bed.

I was, but I couldn't sleep.

Why not?

Was something troubling you?

I keep thinking about tomorrow,

and what's gonna happen to father.

He hasn't done any of those

things that they say he's done.

Mother, he doesn't practice witchcraft.

I don't understand why they arrested him.

Well, there's no good thinking about it.

We must wait and hope for the best.

Come along, darling, let's go upstairs.

Not yet.

You've got to go to court tomorrow.

They'll listen to you.

You've got to tell them everything

that they've said about father is untrue.

Will you do that?

[dramatic music]

Why won't you answer me?

You will try and help father, won't you?

Darling, you must try to understand.

This will not be an ordinary trial.

We don't yet know what will be accepted and what won't.

All I know and all I care about

is the innocence of my father.

Yes, darling, I understand, but you must be reasonable.

There's been so much tragedy recently.

And the people in the village are terribly disturbed by it.

Well, they know he wouldn't hurt anyone.

SAMANTHA: Well, yes, but when people

are so terribly frightened by something or someone

they don't act with reason.

Well, you've got to go to them and show them the truth.

Yes.

Desmond will do everything in his power to tell them that.

Don't you want to help father?

Well, yes, of course.

I want to tell you something that no matter what happens

I love you very deeply, and I ask you to have faith in me.

Will you?

I will, of course I will.

Then we will see this together.

The two of us, we will see this through together.

Cousin Desmond!

Have you seen my father?

Yes, Tad, he's fine, just fine.

Hello, Samantha.

Hello.

Tad, why don't you go upstairs to bed?

Desmond and I have some talking to do.

When you see my father, will you tell him

that I've been thinking of him and praying for him?

I'll do that, Tad, I'll do that.

Good night.

How is he taking it?

How would you expect him to take it?

Desmond, there must be some way

that I can get Tad to leave this place.

At the age of , Tad inherits the Collins fortune.

If he leaves this house he gets nothing.

Do you want it?

No, no.

But I can't let him stay here any longer.

This place is unhealthy for him.

You can't have both ways, Samantha.

Besides, everything depends on the trial.

If we can establish Quentin's innocence,

Tad's place in the will becomes academic.

Quentin will return to Collinwood,

and everything will be just the way it was.

I should think you would prefer that instead of Gerard?

Like choosing between two evils.

Samantha, no matter what your personal feelings are,

Quentin is not an evil man and you know it.

What do you think his prospects are tomorrow?

DESMOND: I don't know, I can only guess.

Now turn around and look at me!

Now there's no use trying to hide it.

Something's wrong and you're going to tell me about it.

DAPHNE: I don't know how to tell you about it.

It has something to do with Joanna, doesn't it?

Yes.

Quentin, Joanna has come back from the grave.

I'm sure of that now.

[dramatic music]

Quentin, I found another one of Joanna's notes tonight

and every moment after that I could feel her presence.

QUENTIN: What'd the note say?

What difference does that make?

I just want to know what it said.

Dear sister, you're in danger and I must save you.

Better here with me than with Quentin Collins.

I'm coming for you now.

Please do not be afraid.

What I must do, I do with love.

Your sister, Joanna.

I don't believe it.

Joanna would never do a thing like this.

I know it's Joanna, Quentin.

I found her cape.

Then when I went back to look for it, it disappeared.

Did you see her?

No, I didn't but Samantha did.

Samantha?

DAPHNE: We were in the drawing room, we were arguing,

and then suddenly she looked up

and she saw Joanna's spirit across the room behind me.

She saw the ghost?

Did she know who it was?

No, of course not, she's never seen Joanna.

She accused me of bringing evil into the house.

And she told me she never wanted me to go near Tad again.

Now, you listen to me, she has nothing to do with that.

I hired you.

If anything happens you go to Gerard and talk to him.

You can depend on him.

Do you understand?

Yes, I understand, but.

But what?

DAPHNE: I'd do whatever you want me to do.

Alright, now listen.

I don't want you to go to the village.

A lot of people are talking about a witch's cult.

I don't want anybody connecting you too closely with me.

DAPHNE: I'm not afraid of those people.

Now when you leave here try not to be seen.

You didn't show these notes to Samantha, did you?

DAPHNE: Of course not, I didn't say anything to her.

Alright, that's good.

It's hard to tell what she'd do if she found out about this.

DAPHNE: I shouldn't have told you about all this.

You've got enough to worry about with the trial tomorrow.

Tomorrow.

[dramatic music]

[gavel banging]

According to the provisions of the statute invoked

on Tuesday night, this high tribunal is now in session.

Your Honor, the defense respectively asks

how it is possible to be in session

in the absence of a prosecuting attorney?

As you know, counselor, the local county prosecutor

tended his resignation early yesterday morning.

Yes, and I just learned the reason why a few hours ago.

The defense now requests that it be put into the record

that Amos Fuller resigned his post as county prosecutor,

because the very idea of these proceedings

was repugnant to him.

I want it known that there was at least one voice of reason

in this wilderness of hysteria and fear.

[crowd chattering]

[gavel banging]

The request is granted, counselor.

There is no need to editorialize on it.

I also move that this trial or whatever it is to be called

be terminated on the grounds that it is unconstitutional.

This tribunal is empowered to act by a law

that you are already familiar with, counselor.

Your motion is denied.

[crowd chattering]

Earlier today, it fell upon this tribunal

to name a new prosecuting attorney.

Mr. Collins, your adversary has just arrived.

Mr. Charles Dawson.

[dramatic music]

This is impossible.

Your Honor, I apologize for the delay, but due to the

lateness of my appointment to this post I have only now

the credentials necessary for me to appear here.

I trust the court will find these in order.

[crowd chattering]

I know how shocked you must be, Mr. Collins.

But someone had to prosecute this case

and I promise you at least a fair trial.

Nothing you can say here can make me believe

that, only the way you conduct the prosecution.

Thank you very much, Mr. Dawson, for your concern.

Desmond, why are you so upset?

He's Gerard's friend.

That is precisely why I am so upset.

This man is not here to make the law,

he's here to crucify you.

Now listen to me.

We've got to give him the benefit of the doubt.

We can no longer blame Gerard for everything that happened.

Has anyone given you the benefit of the doubt?

Your Honor, I object to this man

being named county prosecutor.

As a non-resident of Collinsport,

he is not pliable to practice law in this court.

Mr. Dawson has been a legal resident

of Collinsport since last week.

That is not long enough.

The law states that a man must be a resident

for at least three calendar months!

That law applies only in standard

court room cases, counselor.

It does not apply in these proceedings.

JUDGE VAIL: That's quite true, Mr. Collins.

Your objection is overruled.

Exception.

[gavel banging]

I must ask you to bear in mind, Mr. Collins,

that this is a tribunal designated to hear

a charge of witchcraft brought against your client.

It is the duty of the presiding judge to lay down the rules.

And the duty of both sides to abide by them.

Mr. Dawson, you may present your opening remarks.

Thank you, Your Honor.

Now you are going to get

an opportunity to see for yourself.

In recent months, the people of this community

have been victimized by a series of regrettable incidents.

The cause of which was not immediately discernible.

However, thanks to the diligence and perseverance of certain

prominent citizens it became known that these incidents

were the results of the practice of witchcraft.

These same citizens soon pinpointed the

And it is the intention of a prosecution in this case

to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that these willful acts

of sorcery were perpetrated with malice brought forth

by the defendant, Quentin Collins.

His guilt shall be determined here.

And when it is, the prosecution shall ask for the ultimate

penalty under the law which has convened this tribunal.

Quentin Collins shall be publicly beheaded.

[dramatic music]

[crowd chattering]

DESMOND: Well?

Would you send for Gerard?

I wanna talk to him right away.

[gavel banging]

Do you have any opening remarks, Mr. Collins?

The defense only wishes to reiterate its objection

to the legality of these proceedings.

I have nothing more to say, Your Honor.

Very well.

Mr. Dawson, you may call your first witness.

If it pleases the court, Your Honor, the prosecution had

intended to call as its first witness, Mr. Lamar Trask,

whose testimony it considers vital to this case.

However, I should like to postpone Mr. Trask's appearance

in favor of another witness.

One who came forth this morning with the information

that I feel may expedite a decision in this case.

JUDGE VAIL: Who is this new witness, Mr. Dawson?

Samantha Collins.

[dramatic music]

Objection!

Under the law, she may not take the witness stand.

CHARLES: May I ask why not?

You know very well why not.

She is the defendant's wife.

And he would have to waive his constitutional rights,

and he will not waive them.

The estate would point out to the counselor that the law

which applies here predates the constitution

by almost a hundred years.

JUDGE VAIL: Mr. Collins, there is nothing in the law

that states that a wife may not testify against her husband.

There is indeed ample evidence that in the trials

of this nature, wives were allowed

to take the witness stand.

Your Honor, may I have a ruling?

JUDGE VAIL: Yes!

Your objection is overruled.

The tribunal calls Samantha Collins.

[crowd chattering]

State your name.

Samantha Collins.

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

this court shall be the truth, the whole truth

and nothing but the truth so help you God?

I do.

[crowd chattering]

Mrs. Collins, how long have you been

married to the defendant?

Almost years.

CHARLES: How long have you known, for an absolute fact,

that Quentin Collins indulged in occult practices?

For as long as I have been married to him.

I object.

I demand that the counsel define the term occult practices.

Oh, the court would interpret this phrase

to mean any act of witchcraft or sorcery

perpetrated upon another human being.

The defense is very happy with that definition,

Your Honor, and so asks that counsel rephrase the question.

JUDGE VAIL: Mr. Dawson, I must ask you

to rephrase the question.

I withdraw the question, Your Honor.

Now then, Mrs. Collins, I know you must have searched

your conscience long and hard before deciding to come here

to take the stand against your husband.

Will you tell the court what specifically

brought you to this decision?

My husband has always dabbled in the occult even though he

has been repeatedly warned not to do so by his own father.

Objection, Your Honor.

The witness is not giving a direct answer to the question.

JUDGE VAIL: Objection sustained.

Mrs. Collins, the counsel for the prosecution

has asked you to testify to a specific incident.

Please do so.

I have witnessed the fact that my husband

has communicated with the dead, and been responsible for

bringing an alien spirit into the house.

[gavel banging]

I do not know why he has done this,

except possibly to terrorize all who live there.

But I swear, the spirit is at large in the house.

CHARLES: Tell the court how you know that, Mrs. Collins.

Because I have seen it.

Am I to believe that the court will

accept this hysterical testimony?

It is not only possible, but highly likely that what

Samantha Collins saw was a figment of her own imagination!

I did not imagine it.

And I am not the only person in this court room

who has seen the ghost.

Tell the court, Mrs. Collins, who else has seen it?

That woman, there.

Daphne Harridge.

Not only has she seen the ghost, but she has known

of its existence for a very long time.

[dramatic music]

[eerie music]