Міжзірковий мандрівник
Chapter 4
ItisthewrittenlawoftheStateofCaliforniathatalifetimerlikemeisguiltyofacapitalcrimewhenhestrikesaprisonguardlikeThurston.Surely,hecouldnothavebeeninconveniencedmorethanhalfanhourbythatbleedingnose;andyettheyaregoingtohangmeforit.
And,see!Thislaw,inmycase,isexpostfacto.ItwasnotalawatthetimeIkilledProfessorHaskell.ItwasnotpasseduntilafterIreceivedmylife-sentence.Andthisistheverypoint:mylife-sentencegavememystatusunderthislawwhichhadnotyetbeenwrittenonthebooks.AnditisbecauseofmystatusoflifetimerthatIamtobehangedforbatterycommittedontheguardThurston.Itisclearlyexpostfacto,and,therefore,unconstitutional.
ButwhatbearinghastheConstitutiononconstitutionallawyerswhentheywanttoputthenotoriousProfessorDarrellStandingoutoftheway?NordoIevenestablishtheprecedentwithmyexecution.Ayearago,aseverybodywhoreadsthenewspapersknows,theyhangedJakeOppenheimer,righthereinFolsom,forapreciselysimilaroffence...only,inhiscaseofbattery,hewasnotguiltyofmakingaguard’snosebleed.Hecutaconvictunintentionallywithabread-knife.
Itisstrange—lifeandmen’swaysandlawsandtangledpaths.IamwritingtheselinesintheverycellinMurderers’RowthatJakeOppenheimeroccupiederetheytookhimoutanddidtohimwhattheyaregoingtodotome.
