The Loeb-Leopold case - The Clarence Darrow Collection

The Loeb-Leopold Case
grace to their honored families, and they are a
menace to this community. The only useful thing
that remains for them now is to go out of this life
and to go out of it as quickly as possible, under
the law.
As I said, we have been traveling considerably
since this trial began. We have been through dream-
land; we have been through the nursery. When I
came into this court I thought the playthings of
these two perverts were bloody chisels, ropes, gags,
guns and acids. But one of those wise men from
the East told me that I was mistaken, that their
play toys are Teddy bears, soldiers' uniforms, police
uniforms, and the toys that all healthy-minded
children delight to play with.
We have been in psychopathic laboratories; we
have been in hospitals; we have been before the
legislature, and we have been addressing meetings of
communists and expounding doctrines that I con-
sider as dangerous as the crime itself. I think it is
about time that we get back to the Criminal Court.
I think it is about time that we realize that we are
before the Chief Justice of this court, that we are
engaged, not in experiments, not in philosophical
discussions, but we are back here trying the murder
case of the age, the details of which fill with horror.
But Mr. Darrow says: "These poor little sons
of multimillionaires. It is their wealth that is their
misfortune; if it were not for their wealth, there
would be no interest in this case."
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