Amelia's Story

by C.P. Murphy

Chapter Thirty

  Judge Harrison turned toward the jury and told them that the opening statements would begin and then turned towards the District Attorney and gave the sign to start. Richard Young had known this case like the back of his hand. He had spent two weeks refreshing his memory of what had happened in this small village when the innocent girl was killed. He remembered the family’s distraught faces as the then accused was found not guilty and set free. They had hoped to settle the case, then and there, but it didn’t turn out like they had planned. Before speaking, he once again glanced at Patrick Buchanan and pondered about the man’s relations with the family. Something must have changed for them to allow the man to sit so close to them. He decided that if this current trial lasted like most did and he was forced to spend time in Millersport, he would question the family and find out what had changed. Then he looked straight at the jury who were waiting for him to begin, and realized that he had a job to do. He began his opening speech. “Gentlemen of the jury,” he started, “Let me update you on what is going on here. On August 25, in the year 1813, Amelia Samuels was said to have argued with a friend, and then talked to her sister, and was last seen by two elderly ladies who regret to this day letting the girl leave their sight. She was within twenty rods of her father’s house when those two ladies turned leaving Amelia to walk the rest of the way by herself. Twenty rods,” he reminded them, “Isn’t that far but someone had stopped her from reaching her destination. Through-out this trial I will prove to you that the defendant here, Thomas Van Martin, abducted and pre-meditated the murder. With the help of witnesses who can vouch for the way Mr. Van Martin treated Amelia before she died and with an eye witness who had come forward to tell the authorities everything he saw, I will leave no doubt in your minds we have the right man on trial. I know that when all is said and done, you will find him guilty and the Samuels will finally be able to see their beloved’s killer receive the proper punishment.” He paused from looking straight at them and turned towards the residents sitting on the edge of their seats waiting to see how the events would unfold. “And I think it’s safe to assume,” he added without looking at the jury, “That it’s not only the family of the victim who want answers but all the citizens of Millersport. This is a small village where crimes of this nature never happen and they’ve been affected. It’s time to put their minds to ease as well. Thank you.”

  “Gentlemen,” Maxwell stood up as soon as Young had taken his seat. “If you know anything of this case at all, you would know that the last time someone was on trial for this same murder the local authorities didn’t do their homework. They put the blame on the first man they found convenient and now they’re doing the same. To be honest with you, I do not know who committed this crime but it wasn’t my client. What the District Attorney has failed to tell you was that Thomas Van Martin was engaged to marry Amelia Samuels. He couldn’t wait for their wedding day and couldn’t have been more proud to have a wife such as the young girl. You’ll find out throughout the course of this trial she didn’t want to marry him but as far as Thomas is concerned, he wasn’t the one forcing her into marriage, her father was.” The silent room of onlookers turned their heads towards Henry in shock.

  “Your Honor,” Young yelled out. “Mr. Samuels is not the one on trial.”

  Judge Harrison agreed with the District Attorney and advised the defending attorney to not make such comments against the family. Then Harrison told him to continue.

  “I’m sorry,” he apologized more to the judge than to Henry. Joseph Maxwell was the perfect match for the Van Martins, considering he presented himself like them. Even before becoming a successful attorney, he had come from a rich family and never failed to show his arrogance. “Furthermore,” he continued talking to the jury, “Another thing the authorities failed to check was where my client was on the night in question. He had been in Kaatskill and one grocer in that town even confirmed that when they searched for Amelia.”

  Henry glanced towards the constable who was looking back. They had a group of men find out if the neighboring town had seen anything but none of the information that the men came home with could help them. The grocer they spoke to had said it was too dark to even describe the man. Henry leaned forward and whispered what he knew into Young’s ear. The District Attorney turned and thanked Henry and told him they could use such information as the trial continued.

  “And in conclusion,” Maxwell finished his opening statement to the jury. “I will prove to you that Thomas Van Martin is just as much a victim in this case. The testimony that Mr. Young claims he will present to you is false and once again by someone who just wants this case closed once and for all. You will find Thomas not guilty, thank you.” Then he took his seat and knew that the fun would continue.

  They took a brief, ten minute recess, and when they returned, the prosecution called witnesses to the stand. The first person called up was Emma. Many people had snickered about a woman testifying at the last trial, and most of the same people let out an uproar again this time but the judge allowed her to speak. He knew that they were now fighting time and anyone who remembered anything would be a help to the case. She stood and placed her hand on the bible and was sworn in before taking her seat. Emma seemed to be very nervous and the defending attorney noted her behavior. Young began, “Please tell the jury who you are and how you knew the victim.”

  “My name is Emma Cooper,” Emma explained. She never thought she would be in this position but was glad to help. She hoped that everything she had to say would convince the jury that Thomas was the guilty one. “Amelia and I were best friends.”

  “Did you know the defendant?”

  Emma answered her questions without hesitation. “Yes Sir, I’ve known him all of my life.”

  Young updated the jury on the relationship between the girls and stated that Amelia had often told Emma that she felt uncomfortable around Thomas and when asked to confirm it, Emma agreed. “Now can you tell us about the last time you saw her?”

  Emma looked down. It was still a subject she didn’t want to talk about and hoped that too much information wouldn’t be forced out of her. She felt comfortable talking to the District Attorney but was uneasy about Maxwell. “She was angry,” she answered.

  “Was she angry with you?”

  “Not just myself,” Emma furthered her answer. “But I felt she had a lot of resentments towards me. She slapped me across the face which is behavior that Amelia had never shown before. I knew then that something was wrong with her.”

  “Did she say anything to you that would make you think that it’s possible for Mr. Van Martin to kill her?”

  Emma looked towards Thomas but continued to tell the truth. “She said that she knew what was going on and that she didn’t have to marry him.”

  Young paused and looked at Thomas. “Why would he want to kill her over such a statement?”

  “Because he was obsessive of her,” Emma responded.

  Young asked Emma to explain to the jury how Thomas would have known about what Amelia had said to Emma. “After she took off, Jacob, and I went to find him. At the time I thought nothing of it. I thought I would help her. I hesitated on telling him what she had said but Jacob thought it was for the best.”

  “And how did Thomas react?”

  “He was upset,” she cried out. “He took off straight away and said he had to find her. I don’t know what happened after that.”

  Richard Young then turned his direction back to the jury and told them that information was never given to the local constable before. The searchers had no idea that Thomas had been looking for Amelia the night she disappeared. They would’ve questioned him about it. Then he looked at Emma and the judge and said he had no further questions.

  Harrison asked Maxwell if he had questions for the witness and he did. He stood from his chair and walked towards the girl who looked scared. He wasn’t about to beat around the bush, he wanted to go straight to the girl’s weak spot. “Miss Cooper,”
he started unsympathetic. “Tell me why Amelia was angry with you.”

  “We argued,” Emma answered knowing that the two had never exchanged bad words to each other.

  “That’s a lie, isn’t it?” Maxwell shouted loud enough to be heard outside of the building. “Is it true she was angry with you for interfering with her deceitful relationship with Patrick Buchanan?”

  “What is your point?” Judge Harrison questioned.

  “Your Honor,” he continued. “And gentlemen of the jury, I’m trying to prove that Thomas didn’t run off to search for Amelia because he was afraid she wouldn’t marry him. Instead, he ran off looking for her to make sure she was safe from Buchanan.” Again he turned towards Emma and asked her to answer the original question.

  Emma burst in tears. They were still trying to pin the blame on Patrick even though she, and many others, agree that he didn’t hurt Amelia at all. She was shameful of her behavior and now would have to admit what she had done in front of everyone. “Yes,” she answered. “She was upset because I told Mr. Buchanan that she was just using him to get out of her marriage to Thomas. I thought I was protecting her but now I know that she didn’t need protection from Patrick.” She looked over to where he sat and again hoped that he would forgive her.

  “No further questions,” the attorney stated and then took a seat. Harrison looked to Young as the District Attorney again stood and called his next witness. He called David to the stand and when the brother was sworn in, he began his questioning. “How are you related to Amelia?”

  David answered, “I’m her older brother.”

  “You recently told the constable a story about your sister you hadn’t thought of when she disappeared. Can you share it with us now?”

  “Yes Sir,” David responded. Once again he told the story of Amelia’s behavior after her picnic with Thomas. He seemed to get upset as the story went on but could remain calm.

  “Did you believe what she’d told you,” Young quizzed. He knew that David’s testimony would make the jury realize how violent Thomas Van Martin was.

  David had no problem answering the question. “She had never told me lies. I had no reason not to believe her.”

  “Did she ever speak to you about Thomas in that manner again?”

  “No Sir, not to my recollection.”

  The District Attorney had set out what he wanted, and that was to inform the jury of Van Martin’s temper. He was finished with David and hoped that the defendant’s attorney wouldn’t be so tough.

  Maxwell stood and then paced back and forth for a few minutes before asking his first question. He needed a moment to make sure he had David’s story straight. “Were you there at the picnic, Mr. Samuels?”

  “No, I was home, and she came afterwards.”

  “Then how do you know she bit his tongue when my client told your father it was his lip?” Thomas was afraid that the picnic incident might come up so he had already told his side of the story to his attorney.

  David wasn’t afraid of Maxwell or the Van Martins, he was just telling the story as he heard it. “Because,” he answered, “Amelia, and I were close and I know that she would never tell me a fib. David knew that it would help to tell the jury that Amelia had also told the same story to Anna but didn’t want them to call Anna to the stand. He knew that she wouldn’t be strong enough to stand up to this man. David must have said enough to satisfy the attorney because Maxwell had too said he was done with questioning him. David could step down. He wasn’t sure if his story was convincing or not to the jury but he hoped that he helped. He took his seat with the family and prepared for more testimony but the judge had informed the court they would take a two hour recess.