In Cold Blood (Part Four)

As I had anticipated, Part Four included the “Court Room Scene.” But there’s much more.  First, the long wait behind bars before the trial, and then later the much longer wait for the execution.  Not a lot of big surprises in this section, but quite a few intriguing details and asides.  The author takes this opportunity to enlighten us with some cogent background regarding the history of capital punishment and its important cases, not only in Kansas, but in the country as a whole.  The descriptions of the prison in Leavenworth and of prison life in that time and place are worth the time spent on them. 

Capote also takes time here to thoroughly cover the documentation surrounding the case which explores the ideas around insanity pleas and what constitutes the justification for altering cases based on finding a defendant not culpable by reason of insanity.  The fact that in this case, the issue didn’t come up – indeed was not allowed to come up – is interesting in itself.  The psychiatric evaluators involved were commanded by the court not to give details of their findings, but we are treated to documentation on what they would have brought forth if allowed.  This is compelling reading, prompting a thoughtful reader to take a look inward to see where he stands; the line between a healthy mentality that would never consider murder and the mind of a so-called murderer gets blurred in this evaluation and one wonders just how little it would take to be pushed across that line. 

The trial itself is not particularly eventful, though not exactly your typical television courtroom triteness either.  The actions and reactions of the various players are explored and some interesting sidelights are revealed.  It’s a satisfying rendition, if not very dramatic.  The reaction of the defendants to hearing the death penalty pronounced are fascinating; following a quip made by one of them they both burst out laughing, a fact made widely known by a photo of the incident which appeared in the papers. 

The subsequent incarceration at Leavenworth on death row is nicely rendered.  We get to know other death row inmates, some of them rather high-profile.  More asides describing other murders, cases, outcomes are provided adding, again, some illuminating background on such cases in general.  The mechanisms of the legal wrangling that so notoriously makes headlines regarding stays of execution, delays of capital punishment proceedings and the like are looked at in some depth.

 

The closing sequences describing the hangings themselves are well executed (pun alert).  Some morbid humor is passed around among the witnesses to the event, including members of the press.  The scene, as noticed by Agent Dewey who was in attendance, is surprisingly lacking in dignity, being carried out in a decrepit old warehouse-type building.  The actions and words of the condemned men are decidedly low-key, and the hangings themselves described in a not overtly grisly manner.  But, all in all, a very satisfying conclusion to what has been justly described, in my opinion, as “A masterpiece – a spellbinding work” and quite possibly “The best documentary account of an American crime ever written.”


In September we'll be reading "Legend in Green Velvet," by Elizabeth Peters!  It should be easy to find a copy at a library or used book store.  The first comments should wait until September 7th, and cover the first two chapters.  So we'll take an extra week to it get started, as this is a busy time for everyone who is involved in getting school underway.  Enjoy!