Дуглас Престон - Jennie

Let’s see now. Mr. Alterman asked the interpreter to ask Jennie who the man hurt and why. So the interpreter asked: Man hurt who? and Jennie replied: Sandy .

Another murmur rose up in the courtroom and the judge was banging on his gavel. It was so thrilling, just like that television show, “Ironsides,” you know, the Perry Mason show. Jennie stood up and started bobbing and hooting with excitement, and Hugo had to sit her down fast. I suppose the whole thing was highly irregular from a legal point of view, but it was great fun. And nobody was having more fun than the judge. It wasn’t a real trial, you see, so he didn’t have to worry about all the legal niceties.

The interpreter asked again, Man hurt Sandy?

And Jennie repeated it, Man hurt Sandy , a perfect witness. At this Russo jumped up and got all huffy with the judge. He was outraged. It was ridiculous, he said. Was the judge going to believe this monkey over him? Who was on trial here? What kind of kangaroo court was this anyway? He certainly made himself look like the fool that he was.

By this time the judge was completely on our side. He leaned back with a smile and said, “Correction, Officer: What kind of chimpanzee court is this?” That got a great laugh. So then the interpreter asked, How man hurt Sandy? What man do?

Well! Jennie departed from the script again. She signed Bite. Man bite . But when had Jennie ever kept to a script? If there was a way to create excitement, Jennie would find it.

Russo jumped up again. The poor man didn’t know when to keep his mouth shut. He hollered out, “Your Honor! I didn’t bite anybody! It’s a lie!”

Oh my goodness, that just brought down the house! Everyone was helpless with laughter. The judge was trying not to laugh but he couldn’t help it. Finally he banged his gavel and assumed a grave face, and asked Mr. Alterman what the relevance of all this testimony was. He said, “Surely you weren’t going to allege that Officer Russo bit the ape?” He was laughing before he could even get out the question! Honestly, I’d never laughed so hard in my life. Russo and that horrid dog catcher sat there with these sour expressions on their faces. Fiorello was banging his gavel and laughing at the same time, but then he finally got mad and threatened to clear the court.

Mr. Alterman explained that he was merely trying to establish Jennie’s “state of mind” at the time she nipped the officer. So the judge let him continue.

Jennie signed apple, give apple! You see, we had coached her by feeding her apples, so she kept expecting a reward. From her point of view, she was answering the questions right but no one was giving her an apple! The interpreter signed No, apple later. Bad Jennie. No eat now. Man do what to Sandy?

Jennie signed Hurt!

The judge interrupted and said that he was giving Mr. Alterman one more minute to elicit information from the witness. So he said to the interpreter: “Could you please ask the witness why she bit the police officer?”

Why Jennie bite man? the interpreter signed.

Jennie replied, Man hurt Sandy .

At that point Mr. Alterman was all smiles. He said, “That is all, thank you, Your Honor. And thank you, Jennie!” And the whole courtroom broke into applause, while the judge banged away.

When Mr. Alterman summed up, he said something like, let’s see if I can remember it. He said that Jennie obviously believed the policeman was hurting Sandy, even though he wasn’t. Jennie mistakenly thought that her best friend and brother — that is, Sandy — was being hurt or attacked by a strange man. She responded to protect her friend and brother. It was a mistake. But it was a noble mistake. She was protecting someone she loved. Did the judge really want to destroy this kind, loyal, and brave chimpanzee for making a mistake? Of course not. He went on and on like that. I think the judge found her not guilty in about a minute. I don’t mean to say not guilty, because she was guilty. It was really a hearing to determine whether Jennie was dangerous and should be destroyed. She was guilty of biting Officer Russo but not guilty of being dangerous.

And then! Oh my goodness. That little reporter’s story got everyone else interested. The Globe and the Herald Traveler and the Kibbencook Townsman all carried the story on their front pages. And then the television stations carried it and it got picked up and was even written up all over the country, in the Los Angeles Times , the Chicago Tribune, People magazine, the New York Times , everywhere. Actually, the New York Times ran a very good article on Jennie. It was the only intelligent thing written about Jennie during all those years. What was that reporter’s name? He was such a nice man. Sullivan. Walter Sullivan. Anyway, all the talk shows called again. We were offered unbelievable sums by some of these drugstore newspapers. We turned them all down. We were a little shaken up by the incident. We didn’t want to risk more public appearances by Jennie. She was getting toward puberty and becoming unruly and difficult. And strong. She could twist a heavy metal doorknob right off a door. Actually, she was becoming a major problem. It wasn’t a laughing matter.

[A transcription from the data files of Dr. Pamela Prentiss, in the archives of the Center for Primate Research at Tufts University.]

Setting: under the crab apple tree, July 20, 1973, 1:00 P.M. Jennie has just had her lunch and is hanging off one of the lower branches. She climbs down and sits in front of Pam. [Editor’s note: This was the last session between Dr. Prentiss and Jennie.]

Jennie: Chase-tickle. Chase-tickle Jennie .

Pam: No, Pam tired .

Jennie: Chase-tickle .

Pam: Jennie, sit down. Jennie talk with Pam now .

Jennie: No . She stands up and stamps her foot.

Pam: Jennie please be good. Pam talk to Jennie. Important. This is important .

Jennie: Continues to stand.

Pam: Pam going away. Pam going away for long time .

Jennie: Sits down.

Pam: Pam going away for long time. Jennie understand?

Jennie: No reaction.

Pam: Jennie understand? Pam going away for long time. Jennie not see Pam for long time .

Jennie: Bad .

Pam: Pam going away for long time. Jennie understand?

Jennie: Bad Pam .

Pam: Pam love Jennie .

Jennie: Bad bad .

Pam: Pam love Jennie. Jennie love Pam?

Jennie: Bad .

Pam: Jennie understand? Yes or no? Pam going away for long time .

Jennie: Jennie bad .

Pam: Jennie good. Jennie very good. Pam love Jennie .

Jennie: Bad .

Pam: Jennie good .

Jennie: Bad bad .

Pam: Pam love Jennie. Jennie hug Pam?

Jennie: Doesn’t move. Bad .

Pam: Please Jennie hug Pam?

Jennie Doesn’t move. Hair gradually goes into piloerection.

Pam: Please Jennie hug Pam .

Jennie: Jennie bad. Sorry sorry .

Pam: No, Jennie good. Jennie good .

Jennie: Bad angry .

Pam: Please Jennie hug Pam. Pam hurt .

Jennie: Bad bad bad bad .

Pam: Stands up and takes Jennie by the hand. Jennie brushes away the hand and turns away. Pam sits down and starts grooming Jennie’s back. Jennie gradually relaxes her hair and finally rolls over to have her tummy scratched.

[Editor’s note: The transcription ends with the following exchange, which took place next to Dr. Prentiss’s Jeep.]