The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui

Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses violence.

A trial is held to investigate the warehouse fire. Giri publicly accuses a man named Fish of starting the fire. Fish seems incapable of responding with anything other than “arlarlarl” (48), though the court doctor accuses him of pretending to be unable to respond. The doctor is seemingly in cahoots with Giri, while the Judge denies a request that a second doctor be sought. 

Giri claims to have been taking a walk near the warehouse, which meant that he saw Fish with a can of gasoline. The Defense Counsel alleges that Fish visited Chicago for the first time only the day before the fire. Furthermore, he was seen being dragged unconscious from a restaurant on the day of the fire—a restaurant outside which Giri’s car was parked for several hours. Giri insists that he has an alibi while his bodyguards laugh at his obviously conflicting testimony. The Judge joins in the laughter.

Hook is called as a witness. He does not know Fish but he claims to have seen Giri and his men carrying cans of gasoline on the day of the fire. Amid a commotion from the press gallery, the bodyguards boo and threaten Hook, the Defense Counsel, and others.