{"id":"01KG16QGSMEP26BKD134QHJJ4M","cid":"bafkreifzpam2lzfhgxdzm54puyzaxeves554wyqvqiw4uqsdv7snyzdqqq","type":"chunk","properties":{"end_line":6086,"extracted_at":"2026-01-28T02:25:42.542Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"Chunk 1","source_file":"01KG0K71QZ8KK7RGEGSNTB5534","start_line":5977,"text":"Now a witness was called who testified that he found Muff Potter washing\r\nin the brook, at an early hour of the morning that the murder was\r\ndiscovered, and that he immediately sneaked away. After some further\r\nquestioning, counsel for the prosecution said:\r\n\r\n“Take the witness.”\r\n\r\nThe prisoner raised his eyes for a moment, but dropped them again when\r\nhis own counsel said:\r\n\r\n“I have no questions to ask him.”\r\n\r\nThe next witness proved the finding of the knife near the corpse.\r\nCounsel for the prosecution said:\r\n\r\n“Take the witness.”\r\n\r\n“I have no questions to ask him,” Potter’s lawyer replied.\r\n\r\nA third witness swore he had often seen the knife in Potter’s\r\npossession.\r\n\r\n“Take the witness.”\r\n\r\nCounsel for Potter declined to question him. The faces of the audience\r\nbegan to betray annoyance. Did this attorney mean to throw away his\r\nclient’s life without an effort?\r\n\r\nSeveral witnesses deposed concerning Potter’s guilty behavior when\r\nbrought to the scene of the murder. They were allowed to leave the stand\r\nwithout being cross-questioned.\r\n\r\nEvery detail of the damaging circumstances that occurred in the\r\ngraveyard upon that morning which all present remembered so well was\r\nbrought out by credible witnesses, but none of them were cross-examined\r\nby Potter’s lawyer. The perplexity and dissatisfaction of the house\r\nexpressed itself in murmurs and provoked a reproof from the bench.\r\nCounsel for the prosecution now said:\r\n\r\n“By the oaths of citizens whose simple word is above suspicion, we have\r\nfastened this awful crime, beyond all possibility of question, upon the\r\nunhappy prisoner at the bar. We rest our case here.”\r\n\r\nA groan escaped from poor Potter, and he put his face in his hands and\r\nrocked his body softly to and fro, while a painful silence reigned\r\nin the courtroom. Many men were moved, and many women’s compassion\r\ntestified itself in tears. Counsel for the defence rose and said:\r\n\r\n“Your honor, in our remarks at the opening of this trial, we\r\nforeshadowed our purpose to prove that our client did this fearful deed\r\nwhile under the influence of a blind and irresponsible delirium produced\r\nby drink. We have changed our mind. We shall not offer that plea.” [Then\r\nto the clerk:] “Call Thomas Sawyer!”\r\n\r\nA puzzled amazement awoke in every face in the house, not even excepting\r\nPotter’s. Every eye fastened itself with wondering interest upon Tom as\r\nhe rose and took his place upon the stand. The boy looked wild enough,\r\nfor he was badly scared. The oath was administered.\r\n\r\n“Thomas Sawyer, where were you on the seventeenth of June, about the\r\nhour of midnight?”\r\n\r\nTom glanced at Injun Joe’s iron face and his tongue failed him. The\r\naudience listened breathless, but the words refused to come. After a few\r\nmoments, however, the boy got a little of his strength back, and managed\r\nto put enough of it into his voice to make part of the house hear:\r\n\r\n“In the graveyard!”\r\n\r\n“A little bit louder, please. Don’t be afraid. You were—”\r\n\r\n“In the graveyard.”\r\n\r\nA contemptuous smile flitted across Injun Joe’s face.\r\n\r\n“Were you anywhere near Horse Williams’ grave?”\r\n\r\n“Yes, sir.”\r\n\r\n“Speak up—just a trifle louder. How near were you?”\r\n\r\n“Near as I am to you.”\r\n\r\n“Were you hidden, or not?”\r\n\r\n“I was hid.”\r\n\r\n“Where?”\r\n\r\n“Behind the elms that’s on the edge of the grave.”\r\n\r\nInjun Joe gave a barely perceptible start.\r\n\r\n“Any one with you?”\r\n\r\n“Yes, sir. I went there with—”\r\n\r\n“Wait—wait a moment. Never mind mentioning your companion’s name. We\r\nwill produce him at the proper time. Did you carry anything there with\r\nyou.”\r\n\r\nTom hesitated and looked confused.\r\n\r\n“Speak out, my boy—don’t be diffident. The truth is always respectable.\r\nWhat did you take there?”\r\n\r\n“Only a—a—dead cat.”\r\n\r\nThere was a ripple of mirth, which the court checked.\r\n\r","title":"Chunk 1"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG16QE5JXV48P44TE5AY7170","peer_label":"Witness Testimony","peer_type":"scene","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG0K71QZ8KK7RGEGSNTB5534","peer_label":"tom_sawyer.txt","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KFXT0KM64XT6K8W52TDEE0YS","peer_label":"More Classics","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG16QGTFE167PRVTFDE6G5Y4","peer_label":"Chunk 2","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"next"}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-01-28T02:25:42.888Z","ts":"2026-01-28T02:25:43.910Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF0H3YRP9ZSM033AM0QJ47H"}}