 This is the case of Cadet Jerry Dugan, charged with intentional malicious action. Captain Lockhart, are you ready to open for the prosecution? Yes, sir. Is the defense ready, Captain Radford? Yes, sir. Very well. Captain Lockhart, you may open for the prosecution. Gentlemen of this court, the prosecution intends to prove the guilt of Cadet Dugan in intentionally loosening the cinch strap on the horse splendor. Captain Radford. Yes, Dugan. What'll I say if they ask me about going out to the stable? I'll have to tell the truth. Don't you worry about that. I'll ask you the questions and you just answer them. Yes or no? This is going to be a tough enough job for us. But we'll do the best we can. But there isn't one thing in my favor. I wish now I didn't go out to see the police. Listen. The witnesses I will call upon will be members of the faculty, a classmate of yours, and the school physician, Dr. Campbell. Hey, what does he know about it? He's just going to tell about Warren's condition. Shh. Dr. Campbell, if you please. Now, Dr. Campbell, I'd like to establish the fact that Cadet Paul Warren was hurt. I'm sorry. Dr. Campbell, if you please. Now, Dr. Campbell, I'd like to establish the fact that Cadet Paul Warren was hurt, seriously. Will you please tell the court the extent of his injuries? The injuries Cadet Warren suffered are bruises of the hip and right leg, a torn ligament of the right forearm, abrasions on the forehead and temple, and the multiple fracture of the right clavicle. The clavicle injury being the worst. Oh, yes. That word, clavicle. That's the medical term for collar bone. Am I right, doctor? That's right. And would you call that a serious injury? Yes, by all means. Thank you, Dr. Campbell. That will be all your excuse. Gee, I guess Warren was hurt pretty bad from what the doctor said. Well, let's see who this next witness is going to be. As my next witness, I'm going to resort to an unusual procedure by calling our chief of staff and the officer presiding over this court. If you please, Cadet Major Ted Metcalf. Yes? Will you tell the court the threat Cadet Dugan made in your presence? I recall the words very clearly. He said that if I don't get the right splendor, no one else will. Every mark you made, Dugan is bad. Was there any other threatening language used? No, there wasn't. Well, that'll be all for now. Thank you. I'd like to call on Cadet Dugan's roommate at this time. Cadet Lee Phillips. He's calling on Lee. Don't worry about that. It's all right. Yes, sir? Cadet Phillips. You were with Cadet Dugan when you talked with Major Metcalf the day before yesterday out near the drill field. Is that right? Yes, sir. Did you hear him make the remark that Major Metcalf heard? Well... You were right there with him. Did you hear him say it or didn't you? Yes or no? Yes, sir. You were with Cadet Dugan before that meeting and after. Did you hear him say anything else about riding Splendor? I don't think so. Does that mean you might have? No, sir. Well, did he or didn't he say anything more? Answer please, Cadet Phillips. Well, he said he was disappointed in not getting to ride Splendor. And did he say he was going to take matters into his own hand? No, sir. He did not. Have you ever heard him say anything against any Cadet or against Ferox? I... Well, I... Please answer my questions. Yes or no? Did you or didn't you? Well, I don't recall that he ever said anything. No, sir. Did Cadet Dugan have anything to say about Sergeant Alden's choice in picking Cadet Warren to ride Splendor? No, sir. He didn't. But he did repeat his threat that if he didn't get to ride Splendor, no one else would. Answer yes or no. Well, uh... I'll speak up. His being your roommate has nothing to do with this. I didn't get the question, sir. I asked you if he repeated the remark he made to Major Metcalf. Well, I... Well, we were walking over to... I don't care what you were doing. I want you to think and then tell me truthfully, did he or did he not repeat that threatening remark? Yes or no? Well, I believe he did. But I wouldn't say that was a threat. Your thoughts in the matter have no bearing on the case. Now, one more question. Your being Cadet Dugan's roommate, it's safe to assume you're on very friendly terms with him. You like him a lot, don't you, please? Objection! That question is immaterial. The police is this court. I'd like to say that it is safe to assume that all the cadets at Fair Oaks Military Academy are on friendly terms. Objection sustained. Well, let us frame the question differently. Phillips, you'd help Cadet Dugan if you could, wouldn't you? Yes, sir, I would. But I'd help the other cadets, too. Oh, he's calling for me, isn't he? That's all, Phillips. You're excused, Phillips, until the defense calls you. May I leave the room now? Thank you, sir. Gentlemen, my next witness is Sergeant Alden. Sergeant Alden, please. Oh, hello, Harold. Does it look like Jerry will get out of it? No, to tell you the truth, it looks bad for Jerry. What are you doing around the corridor here? I'm orderly for Major Metcalfe today. Oh, I didn't know that. Yeah, but I haven't got anything to do, because he'll be in there all afternoon. What's the matter with your ears? Certainly, just now. This is going to work out swell. Listen, I've got an idea. Come on, let's get out of here. Come on, Harold, hurry. What is it? What's the idea? I'm supposed to stick around here. Well, I'll tell you as soon as we get out of the building. Come on. Hey, where are you going? Now, listen, you can help. We're going to be able to help Jerry. You want to, don't you? I'll say, sure I do. I don't think he had anything to do with loosening that saddle. I'd take his word any day. Me, too. He's too regular to do a thing like that. All right, now get this. When they were questioning me, I got to thinking. It just came to me all of a sudden. What? Wait a minute. Let's see where that fella's going. He's heading out to the gym. Yes, I guess he is. Well, as I said, it came to me all of a sudden. I got to thinking of our last class yesterday. You have mechanical drawing last, don't you? Mm-hmm, Captain Bogart's class. Hey, wait a minute. What are we going this way for? We're going over to Trent Hall. Oh, no, we're not. We've got to if we're going to help Jerry. We're not loud in Trent Hall. You know that. You are. What do you mean I am? You're orderly. You can go any place on the campus. Hey, that's right. Sure. Come on now. But you can't go into Trent Hall. Well, I'm going to. Well, what if you get caught? I've got to take that chance. You're going to help or aren't you? Sure, I want to help. But you might tell me what this is all about first. All right, I will, but I just wanted to save time. We've got to hurry. Then tell it to me quick. Well, look, yesterday afternoon in Captain Bogart's class. Yes. About a half hour before we were dismissed, Red Morrison asked Captain Bogart if he could be excused. He said he felt kind of hot and thought he might have a cold coming on. Red, huh? Mm-hmm. He asked Captain Bogart if he could go over and see Dr. Campbell. And Captain Bogart let him go. Hmm, I think I know it's coming. I don't interrupt. Okay, go ahead. Well, I didn't think anything of it at the time. But while I was being questioned in the court, Marshall, I figured it out. Figured what out? I figured Red might want to loosen that saddle and have Warren get hurt. Thinking that maybe then he would get to ride Splendor. Probably for no more reason than to get Jerry's goat. Hey, that might be a... Sure, it's a possibility and a good one. You see, it all fits in. Red got excused from class so he could go out to the stable and do his dirty work and then get back so he wouldn't be noticed. But how about going to the doctors? All that wouldn't take long. Besides, he could stop off at the infirmary on the way out to the stable. I think you've got something there. I'm almost sure I have. But what's us going over to Trent Hall got to do with it? Well, I want to get into Red's room to see if I can dig up any evidence. Without some kind of proof, we can't do anything. They could ask Red about it. Oh, yeah, and he'd have alibis a mile long. He's just the kind that has all his answers ready long before they ask him questions. We'll be taking an awful chance, especially you. If an upperclassman catches you in Trent Hall, there's no telling what they might do. I know that. But think of the punishment Jerry will get if he's found guilty. And would you want to see Jerry suffer for something he didn't even do? I should say not. Come on. I may be all wrong, but it's a chance and I think a good one. So do I. Now listen, if you're stopped by any of the upperclassmen, all you have to do is say you're on orderly duty. They won't ask you what it is. Okay. I suppose they won't, but what about you? Well, I can't be seen, so you've got got to help me. How? Well, Red's room's on the first floor, isn't it? Uh-huh. I think the third room on the left as you go in. Okay. You can go in first and see that no one's in the corridor. And then give me the okay signal. Oh, I get it. I'll get into Red's room and see what I can find. And while I'm in there, you can stand guard in the corridor and give me a signal if anyone's coming. What kind of signal? Oh, I don't know. Let's see. But you can't give it away that it's a signal. I've got it. You can whistle, can't you? Well, yes, a little. Okay, then that's it. All right, now here we are. You go in first and see if anyone's around. I think we just hit it at a lucky time. Go ahead, Harold. Gee, I sure hope I can find something. But what would it be? Well, this is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Okay, the course is clear. You sure? Do you hear anybody in there? I don't think so. It's not a soul in the building. Good. Well, here's the third room. Is this Red's? I think so. Open the door and see. Yeah, now this is it. There's this picture on the dresser. All right, now look, I'll close the door a little more than halfway. Like this. I've got a keen idea. What? I'll walk back and forth. One of the door and be humming. If somebody comes, I'll stop. Yeah, that's better. That's good. But hurry. Let's see now. I don't know. It's tough and you don't even know what you're looking for. What's this? A piece of hay. And these aren't his riding boots. These are his regulation boots. The ones he wears to class. Oh, boy, you're some detectively, Phillips. This is more than I hoped for. Say, then, now, this. I don't know what you're looking for. I don't know what you're looking for. I don't know what you're looking for. Say, then, now, this inches it. You should have cleaned these gloves, Morrison. Did you find anything? Oh, you bet I did. Hey, is the coast clear? Okay, no one around. Let's hurry now. We've got to get back to that court, Marshall. There's not a minute to lose. Where'd you find Lee? Oh, plenty. They'll just listen to me now and look into... See if anyone's out in the quad. Quick. I've found enough to prove Jerry's innocent and pinned the whole thing on Red Morrison. Come on, let's run for it. I've got to get back to that court, Marshall, before it's over.