The Warden (bass)
The Turnkey
A Matron
Choral effects, courtesy of Congressional Records under the direction of The Hon. Hale Boggs, Paul Shafer, Edward Martin, Overton Brooks, Frank Bow, Clarence Kilburn, Morgan Moulder, et al.
SCENE 1
The Sing Sing counsel room at 11 a.m., Tuesday, June 2, 1953. JAMES is standing near the back wall under a huge diagram, much larger than life, of an electric chair with its various auxiliary elements: a dynamo, excitor, rheostat, volt and ampere meters, switches, attachment sockets, and so on, all of it wired up, labeled, and complete with instructions, JULIUS is brought into the room by the TURNKEY, who then retires, closing the door behind him. JULIUS glances curiously after the TURNKEY’S departure, since this is the first time he has ever been alone with anyone without an officer or Sing Sing official present. JAMES allows JULIUS to do a few anxious turns onstage, then steps forward to commence the Overture:
JAMES (Overture:) Mr. Brownell, the Attorney General, sent me to see you and he wants you to know that if you want to cooperate with the Government you can do so through me.
Furthermore, if you, Julius, can convince the officials that you have fully cooperated with the Government, they have a basis to recommend clemency!
JULIUS
(visibly shocked but struggling to maintain his temper and self-control)
In the first place, we are innocent!
That is the whole truth, and therefore we know nothing that would come under the meaning of the word “cooperate!”
JULIUS
JAMES (Duetto angoscioso:) It isn’t necessary to beat me with clubs, but such a proposal is like what took place during the middle ages!
It is equivalent to the screw and rack! Why, do you know that I didn’t sleep last night when I knew I had to see you and Ethel the next day and talk to you about this matter?
I was terribly worried!
JULIUS
How do you think we feel, sitting here waiting for death for over two years when we are innocent?
(Aria:) My family has gone through great suffering!
My sister had a breakdown!
My aged, ailing mother is tormented!
Our children have known much emotional and mental agony!
Then you talk to us about this?
Remember, Mr. Bennett, we love our country!
It is our home, the land of my children and my family!
We do not want its good name to be shamed and in justice and common decency, we should be allowed to live to prove our innocence!
JAMES
No — not a new trial. Only by cooperating will there be a basis for commutation. Look here, Julius, you didn’t deny that you do not know anything about the espionage.
JULIUS
I certainly did, and furthermore, did you read the trial record, sir?
JAMES
No, I did not, but you had dealings with Elizabeth Bentley.
JULIUS
I never did, and if you read the record, she said on the witness stand that she did not know me and never met me.
JAMES
But you had dealings with Gold, didn’t you?
JULIUS
Of course I didn’t. Gold also said on the stand he never met me or knew me. You should have read the record to be familiar with the facts!
JAMES
Oh, I read the newspaper accounts of it.
JULIUS
(aside to the audience)
It is interesting to note how they become convinced of their own lies and will not stick to the trial record of the case!
JAMES
Listen, Julius, I was just sent here, but if you agree, I will bring someone to see you who is thoroughly familiar with the case and you will try to convince him you have cooperated with the Government….
JULIUS
JAMES (Duet:) What do you want to do?
Have him convince me
I am guilty when I am not!
You want him to put ideas in my head!
You will only be satisfied when I say the things you want me to say, but I will not lie about this matter! Look, Julius, Gordon Dean, the head of the Atomic Energy Commission, is a very good friend of mine and if he is convinced that you have cooperated fully and told all you know about espionage he will see the President and recommend clemency!
JULIUS (Aria:) Our country has a reputation to maintain in the world and many of its friends are outraged at the barbaric sentence and the lack of justice in this case!
JAMES
I know there has been a lot of publicity in the case, but that is not germane….
JULIUS (Aria:) You yourself, Mr. Bennett, as head of the Prison Bureau, You know
that Greenglass and Gold were together in the Tombs for nine months discussing the case, studying notes from a big looseleaf book, rehearsing testimony, talking to FBI agents, the prosecution, and their attorney! You know this
because the records of the Tombs will show it, and yet your department refused to give us an opportunity to subpoena these records to prove this! You know
that Greenglass was coached on the A-bomb-sketch testimony, both verbally and from notes! You know
that the prosecution has exculpating evidence that they are withholding from the court!
In short, we did not get a fair trial and we were framed! Now you want us
to admit that this big lie is the truth!
That we can never do!
The history of our country in freeing war criminals, Nazi and Fascist, in not putting to death traitors and spies, and yet, for the first time, making the Rosenbergs the worst criminals in all our history — you know this is not right!
JAMES
But, Julius, I am giving you the opportunity to cooperate!
JULIUS
Sure! Judge Kaufman made a terrible blunder with the outrageous sentence and he has the bull by the tail and he can’t let go!
JAMES
(as the CHORUS enters behind him)
That’s right, Julius! He needs you to help him change this sentence and you can do this by telling all you know!
CHORUS
Judge Irving Kaufman has served with dignity and propriety!
Judge Irving Kaufman is a Jew by birth, by affiliation, and by religious beliefs and practices!
Yet, in this amazing society of ours, a judge of the Jewish faith sentences two spies of Jewish origin for treason!
Americanism triumphed!
Not even the most vindictive anti-Semite can ignore the heartbreak of the judge in this case!
Yet he has, in his own words, been “hounded and pounded!”
Never before has a judge in an American court been subjected to such organized mass pressure!
Even the life of that wise and courageous jurist has been threatened!
Judge Kaufman’s life and the lives of his wife and children!