robinson guilty

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MAYCOMB TRIBUNE

03/08/1936

       ROBINSON GUILTY !

Tom Robinson of Maycomb County was accused of having sexually assaulted Miss Mayella Ewell.

    This case is like no other.

 The case began with the prosecution by Mr Gilmer having his witnesses up the stand for cross examination. The first witness was Mr Tate who gave a clear but insignificant account .Mr Ewell was next and gave his account with a lot of swear words to back him up which ended up upsetting the judge . Both the Mr Ewell and Tate claim to have seen the accused on the same day.

 

     Next the prosecution witnesses were cross examined by Mr Finch who was calm. He examined each with all the respect he could master even for Mr Ewell who continuously mocked him and threw abusive language. Though  he managed to prove his point that in fact Robinson wasn’t capable of having committed the act and indirectly suggested Mr Ewell  did it.

 

    Next on the stand was Miss Mayella Ewell. She was from the start very hostile to Mr Finch. Her account was incoherent and eventually ended up contradicting her fellow witnesses.

   On the whole the prosecution had a weak case as they didn’t have any medical documentation to back their accounts which had ‘holes’ in them. Even though Mr Gilmer knew their case was weak but surely a warning sign  in the court room where every one seemed to hate each other and the tension extreme. Mr Robinson was next on the stand and was calm and assured with an air of innocence. Mr Finch ensured the jury knew everything about Mr Robinson. From his past of having committed ABH (actual bodily harm) to his present where he is incapable of doing much with his right hand. Though his case seemed to have some faults as the ABH it seemed to have its strengths as his incapability to use his right hand to even rape a woman while beating her.

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Still as we know his case is supposed to be about justice but it doesn’t seem to be. It’s purely a case of white against black. Tom’s case was strong but he still lost it. It was a black mans word against a white mans and so it settles it. Or maybe it wasn’t that  but the crime of rape versus the best defence to rape.

Whatever was held in the secret chambers of the men’s hearts o the jury we will never tell only God Knows.

 

Still it remains; Tom Robinson a ‘guilty’ man waiting for ...

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