435 - February 23, 1968

[bunniefuu]

[narrator] -A séance has been held in the great house at Collinwood,

a séance, which has suspended time and space,

and sent one woman on an uncertain

and frightening journey into the past,

back to the year .

As another day comes to a close,

Victoria Winters finds herself closer to being convicted

on a charge of witchcraft,

for which the penalty is death by hanging.

[lid creaking open]

- Mr. Barnabas?

- What is it, Ben?

Is anything wrong?

- Aye, it's Ms. Winters,

the word's out that the trial will be over on Monday

and she'll be convicted.

- But why?

You told me the trial was going well for her.

You said, that Trask was unable to sway the judges

over to his side.

- Aye.

That's the way it was.

Until Ms. Abigail died.

- What does Abigail's death have to do with it?

- Mr. Trask has been saying

Ms. Abigail was m*rder*d by the witch.

Mr. Barnabas, we both know she didn't have

anything to do with it.

- Yes, we - we both know that.

- Somebody has got to do something.

If they find her guilty, they will hang her.

Mr. Barnabas, she don't deserved to hang for something--

something you did.

♪♪

[eerie theme music] ♪♪

I never dreamed that Abigail's death

would be blamed on Ms. Winters.

Ben, that is impossible.

What proof has Trask got that she k*lled Abigail?

- When did that man ever need proof?

- In a court of law, he does.

What kind of - of evidence he's even using

to convince the judges?

- He used a snake, that's what he'd done.

- What do you mean?

- He got that Lieutenant Forbes to testify against her.

- Nathan Forbes testified against Ms. Winters?

- Aye, and lied in his teeth.

- Why would he lie?

- I don't know.

But every word he said was damage into her.

- You are right, Ben.

Something must be done to help Ms. Winters.

- But what?

You can't go into that courtroom and testify for her.

- I know.

But you can and you must.

- Me? Mr. Barnabas--

- You're the one and only person

who can go into that courtroom and tell the whole truth.

- What do you mean, "the whole truth"?

- Only a complete revelation of the truth would save her.

You must tell the court about Angelique,

about how she practiced her witchcraft on my family.

- I'm sorry, Mr. Barnabas, but I can't do it.

- Then what choice do we have?

If you don't do it,

well, then, Ms. Winters is going to hang.

- I want to help the girl as much as you do,

but I won't be able to.

- Why not?

- Angelique, she wouldn't let me.

She'll never let me tell the truth about her.

- She cannot stop you from telling it!

- She can. She'd done it before.

Once, when I tried to warn you about her,

and again, when I tried to tell Ms. Abigail,

both times, I was struck mute

and I wanted to speak out, but I couldn't.

It ain't - ain't just Angelique I'm scared of,

it's your father, too.

I don't want him to send me back to prison, Mr. Barnabas.

- Ben, if you go in there and tell the truth,

my father will be grateful to you.

- He'd never been grateful to me for anything before.

- He will be now, I promise you.

- You make it sound like there wasn't anything to it,

like I - I'd just go in there and speak my piece

and everybody believe what I said.

- It won't be that easy. - Why not?

- Mr. Trask, he will tell the court I'm a convict.

Maybe, then, they won't believe a word I say.

- Trask cannot prevent you from taking the stand.

And once you're on the stand,

your story will convince everyone

that Ms. Winters is innocent.

- I don't know.

It seems to me that too many things could go wrong.

- Oh, Ben, you want to help her, don't you?

- Of course, I knew but-- - Then you must put aside your fears

and your doubts and be there

when the court opens tomorrow morning.

Tomorrow morning, Ben.

♪♪

- This court is now in session.

Mr. Trask, you may resume the case for the prosecution.

- Your Honor, may I first place a motion before the court?

- What is it, Mr. Bradford?

- I move that in light of Naomi Collins' testimony

this morning that the testimony of Nathan Forbes

be stricken from the record.

- I object! - Just a moment, Mr. Trask.

- Does the defense have grounds for such a request?

- Nathan Forbes stated that Ms. Winters pledged

to k*ll Abigail Collins.

This morning, Naomi Collins,

perhaps, the most respected woman in this community,

testified that he was lying.

- Mr. Bradford, it was Mrs. Collins' opinion

that Lieutenant Forbes was lying.

I'm afraid that does not constitute proof.

- The motion is denied. - But, Your Honor, I--

- Mr. Bradford, the testimony of both witnesses will stand.

You may be assured

that the court will weigh them both impartially.

Resume the case for the prosecution, Mr. Trask.

- Your Honor, the prosecution rests its case.

- Very well.

Mr. Bradford, you may begin the case for the defense.

- Your Honor, I--

I am not fully prepared at this time.

- You have no witnesses to call?

- The fact is, sir,

I have had a great deal of difficulty

getting anyone to testify.

- Ben!

- Your Honor, may I have a moment of consultation

before I present my case?

- I object, Your Honor. The time for consultation is--

- Whenever the court says it is.

Objection overruled.

- I hope you've changed your mind, Ben.

- I wasn't going to come,

but when I heard they will blame you

for Ms. Abigail's death, I couldn't let them do it.

- Thank you, Ben.

I'm so grateful to you for coming here.

- I've got a lot to say.

I hope they will believe it all.

- I'm sure they will.

Your Honor, I call my first witness,

Ben Stokes.

- Raise your right hand.

Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth,

and nothing but the truth, so help you God?

- I - I do.

- Ben, you know the defendant, Ms. Winters? - Aye.

- After she was accused of witchcraft

by Abigail Collins and this gentleman,

she was forced to hide out from them for several days.

During that time, you were one of the few people

to protect her, that's correct, isn't it?

- It is.

- Why did you do that?

- Because I knew she was innocent.

She wasn't a witch then, she ain't one now.

- Your Honor, I would point out to the court

that this man has a prison record.

- He is under oath, Mr. Trask.

He is therefore as qualified to testify

as any other witness.

- Continue Mr. Bradford.

- Mr. Stokes, will you tell the court

how you know that Ms. Winters is not a witch?

- Because...

because I know who the real witch was.

- You mean the strange things

that have been happening in Collinwood

- really have been the result of witchcraft? - Aye.

- She even put a spell on me

that's why I could never come forward before.

- Your Honor, I submit that this man is still under

the spell of a witch.

- You would have ample opportunity to determine that

when you cross examine the witness.

Continue, Mr. Bradford.

- Mr. Stokes, will you tell the court

the name of the real witch?

[tense music] ♪♪

- Mr. Stokes, speak up, please.

Speak up.

It was--

it was Angelique Collins. She was the witch.

♪♪

You actually witnessed Angelique

performing acts of black magic?

- Aye.

She even forced me to help her.

- Will you explain that?

- She made me go into Mr. Jeremiah's room

and get a lock of hair.

- What for?

- She made a potion of it.

Then she put Mr. Jeremiah and Ms. Josette under a spell.

How do you - how do you know what her reason was

for putting them under them a spell?

- She wanted Ms. Josette to be unfaithful to Mr. Barnabas.

- Why?

- Because she was in love with Mr. Barnabas

and she wanted him for herself.

- And in the end, she got it, didn't she?

- Aye.

She got him.

- Your Honor, I call the court's attention to certain facts.

Josette DuPres came to Collinwood

to marry Barnabas Collins,

but after she arrived, she suddenly,

for no apparent reason, decided to run away

and marry a man she hardly knew,

Jeremiah Collins.

It is clear now that she was acting

under the spell of a witch.

It is equally clear that Ms. Winters

had nothing to gain by these actions.

But Angelique, Angelique had everything to gain.

And in the end, she got what she was after.

She married Barnabas Collins.

Your Honor, I've been looking all along for a reason

behind the witchcraft which has occurred.

Now that I found that I ask

that the case against Victoria Winters be dismissed!

- The court cannot entertain such a motion

until the witness has been cross examined.

Have you finished your own examination?

- Yes, Your Honor.

Return please to your desk.

- Mr. Trask.

- Mr. Stokes, you have testified

that it was Angelique Collins

who performed acts of witchcraft at Collinwood.

- That's right.

- If you are so certain of that,

perhaps, you can tell us where we can find

Angelique Collins now.

- I don't know what you mean.

- What has happened to Angelique?

Where is she?

- I don't know.

- You must know.

You said you were under her spell.

- I was, but--

- But what?

- But I ain't anymore.

- Why not?

How could you get out from under the spell of a witch?

Well, it - it must have happened after she--

- After she what, Mr. Stokes?

- After she went away.

- You mean, Angelique Collins is no longer in this community?

- That's right.

- Where did she go?

- I don't know.

- All right, then, when did she leave?

- The day after Mr. Barnabas left for England.

- You're quite certain of that?

- Aye.

- And how long ago did Barnabas Collins leave for England?

- It was more than a month ago.

- Your Honor, I submit that the testimony of this witness

has been nothing but a series of lies.

- I object to that!

- Mr. Trask, could you kindly explain

your statement to the court?

- The witness first claims that Angelique Collins is the witch.

He then tells us that Angelique left this community

more than a month ago.

But the fact is, Your Honor,

that acts of witchcraft have continued.

Indeed, they have been intensified since that time.

Three more members of the Collins family

had died since then.

The town of Collinsport has been subjected

to a wave of violence and evil.

These acts were committed by one who is still among us.

They were committed by the defendant, Victoria Winters.

- No!

No, that ain't true.

Ms. Winters is innocent. It was Angelique.

She was the one who caused all the suffering.

I've seen her do it.

I was there when she turned Joshua Collins into a cat!

She was the one who stuck pins into Ms. Sarah's doll

and made the poor child sick and finally k*lled her!

It wasn't Ms. Winters! It was Angelique!

Angelique.

- Angelique.

- Oh no, it can't be.

The woman - that woman is dead!

♪♪

- Your Honor, the witness has obviously

taken leave of his senses.

- I tell you, she's dead.

I've seen her in a coffin.

I - I buried her in the woods near the cemetery.

- I move that this man's testimony

be stricken from the record.

- And I demand that he be given a chance to explain!

- Explain what, Mr. Bradford?

On the one hand, he tells us that Angelique Collins

has left Collinsport.

And when the lady makes an unexpected appearance

in the court,

he makes a ridiculous statement that she is dead.

- She is dead, I swear it!

She died in the mausoleum at Collinwood!

- I was there when it happened! - Silence! Silence!

- The motion is granted,

the witness will leave the courtroom.

- But, Your Honor, you haven't given--

- Mr. Bradford, the witness will do as ordered!

- Your Honor, before Mr. Bradford resumed his case,

I have a request to make.

- What is it?

- In view of the incredible statements by the last witness,

I ask that Angelique Collins be allowed to take the stand.

- The defense have any objection?

- Your Honor, I would like a moment with my client.

- You may.

- If you don't want her to take the stand,

I can object.

- Peter, it's true.

She really is a witch.

I've never thought of it until now

after hearing what Ben said.

There were all sorts of things

I didn't pay any attention to at the time

that are beginning to make sense.

Look, if we don't let her take the stand,

it may look bad for you.

- All right.

- Your Honor, I have no objection.

- Angelique Collins, approach the bench.

Raise your right hand.

Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth

and nothing but the truth, so help you God?

- I do.

- Mrs. Collins.

I have only a few questions, Mrs. Collins.

You know the defendant, Victoria Winters, do you not?

- Yes, I do.

- In fact, you were both servants of the Collins family

in the old Collins mansion, isn't that right?

- Yes, It is.

- What was your opinion of Ms. Winters at that time?

- She always treated me with courtesy and kindness.

- Did you ever notice any strange behavior on her part?

- No, no.

- Shortly after the Collins family

moved into their new home, you married Barnabas Collins

and moved in to the old house with him, isn't that right?

- Yes. Yes, it is.

- Were you and Barnabas Collins,

the only persons living in that house?

- Well, no.

- Who else was there?

- Ms. Winters.

- Why?

- My husband did not believe that Ms. Winters was a witch

and he was protecting her.

- Didn't it frighten you living in the same house

with the witch?

- Objection!

- Sustained.

- Mrs. Collins, do you recall the day during that week

when the Collins family called upon me

to exorcise the evil spirits from the old house?

- Yes, yes, I do.

- Would you please tell the court

what happened that day?

- Well, you came to our house

and you stated that were there witch in the house,

the ritual you were about to perform would

force her to come out.

You began to perform this ritual--

- And where were you at that time?

- I was upstairs in the master bedroom.

- And what did you hear from that room?

- After a moment, I, suddenly, I heard a scream.

And someone was yelling fire.

- Who was it?

- It was Ms. Winters.

She kept screaming that there was a fire in her room.

- During the rite of exorcism,

who was the first and only person

to be driven out of the house?

- Victoria Winters.

After Ms. Winters was driven from the house,

did you go to examine her room?

- Yes.

- Did you discover any signs of fire in her room?

- No.

None at all.

- I have no further questions, Your Honor.

- Does the defense wish to cross examine the witness?

- I have no questions, Your Honor.

- The witness may step down.

The defense may proceed with its case.

Call your next witness, Mr. Bradford.

- Your Honor, I--

I don't have a next witness.

- Are you resting your case?

- If it pleased the court,

I would like more time to find additional witnesses.

- Your Honor, I believe that both sides

have had sufficient time to prepare

and present their cases.

If Mr. Bradford is not ready at this time,

I don't think he ever will be.

- Your point is well taken, Mr. Trask.

- Your Honor, please.

- I will recess this court until o'clock Monday morning.

If you have not come up with additional witnesses

by that time, I will call this court into session

and we would declare a verdict.

Until that time, this court is adjourned.

[gavel banging]

[tense music] ♪♪

[Angelique laughing]

[eerie theme music] ♪♪