Native Son - Richard Wright [142]
“Had you had any relations with her while in the back seat that would have tended to make her, let us say, stunned, too weak to have gotten out alone?”
“No!”
“Is it not true, Mr. Erlone, that Miss Dalton was in no condition to protect herself and you lifted her into that front seat?”
“No! I didn’t lift her into the front seat!”
Jan’s voice sounded throughout the room. There was a quick buzzing of conversation.
“Why did you leave an unprotected white girl alone in a car with a drunken Negro?”
“I was not aware that Bigger was drunk and I did not consider Mary as being unprotected.”
“Had you at any time in the past left Miss Dalton alone in the company of Negroes?”
“No.”
“You had never used Miss Dalton as bait before, had you?”
Bigger was startled by a noise behind him. He turned his head; Max was on his feet.
“Mr. Coroner, I realize that this is not a trial. But the questions being asked now have no earthly relation to the cause and manner of the death of the deceased.”
“Mr. Max, we are allowing plenty of latitude here. The Grand Jury will determine whether the testimony offered here has any relation or not.”
“But questions of this sort inflame the public mind….”
“Now, listen, Mr. Max. No question asked in this room will inflame the public mind any more than has the death of Mary Dalton, and you know it. You have the right to question any of these witnesses, but I will not tolerate any publicity-seeking by your kind here!”
“But Mr. Erlone is not on trial here, Mr. Coroner!”
“He is suspected of being implicated in this murder! And we’re after the one who killed this girl and the reasons for it! If you think these questions have the wrong construction, you may question the witness when we’re through. But you cannot regulate the questions asked here!”
Max sat down. The room was quiet. The coroner paced to and fro a few seconds before he spoke again; his face was red and his lips were pressed tight.
“Mr. Erlone, didn’t you give that Negro material relating to the Communist Party?”
“Yes.”
“What was the nature of that material?”
“I gave him some pamphlets on the Negro question.”
“Material advocating the equality of whites and blacks?”
“It was material which explained….”
“Did that material contain a plea for ‘unity of whites and blacks’?”
“Why, yes.”
“Did you, in your agitation of that drunken Negro, tell him that it was all right for him to have sexual relations with white women?”
“No!”
“Did you advise Miss Dalton to have sexual relations with him?”
“No!”
“Did you shake hands with that Negro?”
“Yes.”
“Did you offer to shake hands with him?”
“Yes. It is what any decent person….”
“Confine yourself to answering the questions, please, Mr. Erlone. We want none of your Communist explanations here. Tell me, did you eat with that Negro?”
“Why, yes.”
“You invited, him to eat?”
“Yes.”
“Miss Dalton was at the table when you invited him to sit down?”
“Yes.”
“How many times have you eaten with Negroes before?”
“I don’t know. Many times.”
“You like Negroes?”
“I make no distinctions….”
“Do you like Negroes, Mr. Erlone?”
“I object!” Max shouted. “How on earth is that related to this case!”
“You cannot regulate these questions!” the coroner shouted. “I’ve told you that before! A woman has been foully murdered. This witness brought the deceased into contact with the last person who saw her alive. We have the right to determine what this witness’ attitude was toward that girl and that Negro!” The coroner turned back to Jan. “Now, Mr. Erlone, didn’t you ask that Negro to sit in the front seat of the car, between you and Miss Dalton?”
“No; he was already in the front seat.”
“But you didn’t ask him to get into the back seat, did you?”
“No.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“My God! The man is human! Why don’t you ask me…?”
“I’m asking these questions and you’re answering them. Now, tell me, Mr. Erlone, would you have invited that Negro to sleep with you?”
“I refuse to answer that question!”
“But you didn’t refuse that drunken Negro the right to sleep with that girl, did you?”
“His right to associate with her or anybody else was not in question