# The Trial of Frank Merrill explained — The Man Who Knew

> Chapter companion for The Man Who Knew by Edgar Wallace.

## What happens

Frank Merrill is tried for the murder of John Minute. The prosecution presents a theory involving an accomplice, Rex Holland, and suggests Jasper Cole may be that accomplice. The defense challenges the evidence, and after a sixteen-day trial, the jury returns a verdict of 'Not guilty.'

## Themes in this chapter

### Crime and Justice

The chapter focuses on the trial process, the prosecution's theory, and the eventual acquittal of Frank Merrill.

### Identity and Deception

The prosecution suggests that Jasper Cole may be Rex Holland, highlighting themes of hidden identities and deception.

## Character check-ins

### Frank Merrill

The defendant, on trial for murder, remains calm and self-possessed throughout the proceedings.

### John Minute

The deceased, whose murder is the subject of the trial.

### Jasper Cole

Cross-examined about his movements and possible connection to Rex Holland; denies any knowledge of Holland.

### Rex Holland

Alleged by the prosecution to be Merrill's accomplice; described as a mysterious forger.

### The Girl

Present in the courtroom, her eyes meet Frank Merrill's during the trial.

## Key lines

> The trial of Frank Merrill on the charge that he 'did on the twenty-eighth day of June in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred—wilfully and wickedly kill and slay by a pistol shot John Minute' was the sensation of a season which was unusually prolific in murder trials.

Frank Merrill's murder trial was the most sensational of a season filled with many murder cases.

_Sets the scene for the high-profile nature of the trial._

> The jury was absent from the box for twenty minutes and returned a verdict of 'Not guilty!' The judge discharged Frank Merrill without comment, and he left the court a free but ruined man.

After only twenty minutes of deliberation, the jury acquitted Frank Merrill, but he left the courtroom free yet financially destroyed.

_Concludes the trial with an acquittal but highlights Merrill's ruined state._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_man_who_knew_se/chapters/xii-the-trial-of-frank-merrill
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_man_who_knew_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_man_who_knew_se/chapters