In the Court (Chekhov)
Short summary
A district town in Russia, late 19th century. In a dreary government building, the Circuit Court was in session. The court was hearing the case of a peasant accused of murdering his wife.
The atmosphere in the courtroom was one of mechanical indifference. The judges, prosecutor, and defense counsel all appeared bored and detached. Witnesses testified that Harlamov lived well with his wife except when drunk, and that she was found dead with her skull broken by an axe. Harlamov claimed innocence, saying he had wandered the fields for three days after finding his wife dead, afraid of being judged guilty.
When presented with the murder weapon, Harlamov denied ownership of the axe. He suddenly turned to his military escort and asked what had happened to his own axe, implying the soldier might know something about the crime.
It was a painful moment! Everyone seemed to wince and as it were shrink together. The same fearful, incredible thought flashed like lightning through every head in the court... and not one person in the court dared to look at the soldier's face.
The court usher quietly left to arrange a change of guard. The proceedings continued as though nothing significant had happened, with everyone trying to maintain the appearance of normalcy despite the shocking revelation.
Detailed summary
Division into chapters is editorial.
The district courts dismal atmosphere
In the district town of N, the Circuit Court was in session on a dull autumn day in the cinnamon-colored government house. This building housed various administrative bodies including the Zemstvo, the Rural Board, and the Military Board. A local official had once joked that the building contained "Justitia, Policia, Militia" - like a boarding school for highborn ladies.
The government building had a dismal, barrack-like appearance that overwhelmed visitors with its decrepit condition and complete absence of comfort. Even on bright days, it seemed wrapped in dense shade, and at night it stood as an oppressive mass of stone above the modest landscape. Inside, the building resembled a barn, with whirring ventilation wheels, the smell of fumigating candles, and filthy, perspiring walls.
The cases came on one after another and ended quickly, like a church service without a choir, so that no mind could form a complete picture of all this parti-coloured mass of faces, movements, words, misfortunes, true sayings and lies...
The murder case begins: Introduction of Nikolay Harlamov
By two o'clock, the court had already processed several cases: two prisoners were sentenced to convict battalions, one privileged person was deprived of rights and imprisoned, and one case was adjourned. At precisely two o'clock, the presiding judge announced the case of peasant Nikolay Harlamov, charged with murdering his wife.
The prisoner entered the courtroom - a tall, thickset peasant of about fifty-five, completely bald, with an apathetic, hairy face and a big red beard. He was followed by a frail-looking soldier with a gun. As they approached the bench, the escort stumbled and dropped his gun, quickly catching it before it hit the ground. The soldier flushed red, either from pain or embarrassment at his clumsiness.
Indifference of the court and the prisoners realization
After the customary questions and swearing in of witnesses, the secretary began reading the charges. He read in a low, thick bass voice, rapidly like a sacristan, without changing his tone. Behind him, the ventilation wheel whirred indefatigably, creating a drowsy atmosphere in the hall.
The president, a shortsighted man with an extremely exhausted face, sat without moving, holding his hand near his brow as though shielding his eyes from the sun. During a pause in the reading, he suddenly started and asked the judge next to him about his lodging arrangements at Demyanov's.
The whole horror and hopelessness of his position lay just in this mechanical indifference. It seemed that if he were not to sit quietly but to get up and begin beseeching... it would all be shattered against blunted nerves and the callousness of custom.
Witnesses testify about the murder
The witnesses - two peasant women, five men, and the village policeman who conducted the inquiry - were questioned. All of them, mud-bespattered and exhausted from their long walk, gave the same evidence. They testified that Harlamov lived well with his wife, only beating her when drunk. On the ninth of June, at sunset, the old woman was found in the porch with her skull broken, an axe lying beside her in a pool of blood.
When they searched for Nikolay to inform him of the tragedy, he was nowhere to be found - not in his hut, the streets, or any of the village pothouses. He had disappeared, only to return two days later to the police office, pale, with torn clothes, trembling all over. When the president asked Harlamov where he had been during those three days, he replied that he had been wandering about the fields, neither eating nor drinking, afraid of being judged guilty.
Examination of bloody evidence and Harlamovs defense
The last witness examined was the district doctor who had performed the postmortem on the old woman. He told the court what he remembered from his report and what he had thought of on his way to court that morning. The president listened with half-closed eyes, absently wondering why the doctor wore a long jacket when everyone else wore short ones.
Behind the president, the assistant prosecutor approached to take some papers, whispering that the investigation had been sloppily conducted. The president sighed and suggested they take a break after finishing the case for the prosecution. When asked if death had been instantaneous, the doctor confirmed it was, due to the extent of brain injury.
The counsel for the defence unexpectedly asked if the wound dimensions could indicate the criminal's mental state, suggesting temporary aberration. The doctor hesitated, not understanding the question, which had been asked merely to break the monotony.
A fateful coincidence: The escorts identity revealed
Next, the court examined the material evidence. First was Harlamov's coat with a dark bloodstain on the sleeve. When questioned, Harlamov claimed the stain came from helping Penkov bleed his horse three days before his wife's death. However, Penkov had testified he didn't remember Harlamov being present at the bleeding.
Then they examined the murder weapon - an axe. Harlamov denied ownership, claiming he hadn't had an axe for a long time. He explained that he once owned a similar but smaller axe, which his son Prohor had lost two years before joining the army. Suddenly, Harlamov turned to the soldier escorting him and asked, "Proshka, what did you do with the axe?"
All raised their heads and, trying to look as though nothing had happened, went on with their work.... No one saw the escort's face, and horror passed over the hall unseen as in a mask.
A painful moment of realization swept through the courtroom as everyone grasped the same fearful thought - that the escort soldier might be Harlamov's son Prohor. No one dared look at the soldier's face. The president quickly reminded Harlamov that conversation with guards was forbidden. The usher quietly left the court, and half a minute later, sounds of a changing guard were heard. Everyone raised their heads and continued with the proceedings as if nothing had happened.