1. The Man In the Dock

the prisoner; to commit a crime; to be tried for murder; the trial; to be held at the Central Criminal Court; the prisoner's appearance; an important point; a heavy stout man with bulging bloodshot eyes; muscular legs; features (of the face); an ugly customer; to show no signs of worry; to stare hard (at); without emotion; to sit with one's legs cros­sed; to wear a tight blue suit; a striped tie; to hire a lawyer; to plead not guilty; in spite of the facts; to murder smb in cold blood; to be all but found with the body; to have an alibi; to have one's innocence estab­lished; to be acquitted for lack of evidence; to get away with murder

2. Counsel For the Prosecution Presents His Case

to address the judge; the jury; to outline one's case; to present the charges; convincing proofs; to describe the circumstances; direct evi­dence against smb; to call four witnesses; to cross-examine smb; to admit no possibility of mistake; to prove the prisoner's guilt beyond reasonable doubt; to conclude one's statement

3. Witnesses For the Prosecution Give Evidence

to be sworn in; to swear to tell the truth; the whole truth, and noth­ing but the truth; to give evidence at the trial; the witnessbox (stand);

Mrs Salmon: a woman of fifty-six; the ideal witness; a slight Scotch accent; an expression of honesty, care and kindness; to speak firmly; without malice; no sense of importance; to give a detailed account (of); to suffer from insomnia (sleep lessness); in the dead of night; to hear a door click shut; to observe smb; to follow smb's movements; to make out the prisoner's features clearly; to see the look of horrifying and brutal fear in his eyes; to ring up the police station; to identify the mur­derer; without hesitation; to be as simple as that;

Henry MacDougall: two o'clock in the morning; to be driving home; to all but run down the accused; to see the accused walking in the middle of the road looking dazed;

Mrs Wheeler: a next door neighbour; to be wakened; a noise coming through the thin-as-paper wall; to look out of the window; to see the prisoner's bulging eyes.

4. Events Take an Unexpected Turn

a reporter; to report (cover) trials; frequently; to attend murder trials; to have a lot of experience; to know beforehand what line De­fence Counsel may take; to be right, up to a point; to plead mistaken identity; to follow the cross-examination carefully; to be unable to make out what smb is at; to remind Mrs Salmon that a man's life may depend on her evidence; to inquire about Mrs Salmon's eyesight; to invite the witness to examine the people in court; to draw smb's attention to smb; Adam's twin brother; identical twins; to be the exact image of smb; to be dressed the same; to have an alibi; to be unable to tell one brother from the other; to be puzzled; to look from one to the other; to shake; one's head; to be unable to swear to anything; to prove one's point; to win the case

5. The Extraordinary Day Has an Extraordinary End

an astonishing verdict; to be acquitted for lack of evidence; against common sense; an enormous crowd; to refuse to leave by a back way; to insist on leaving the court by the front entrance; to get caught in the crowd; to witness smth; one of the twins; by accident; to get pushed on to the road right in front of a bus; to be unable to tell whether the guilty or the innocent brother was punished; to live in constant fear