Mr. Underwood's News Column

On Monday evening a trial was held on behalf of the accused Tom Robinson at Maycomb's very own Courthouse. Robert E. Lee Ewell accused Tom Robinson of raping his 19 year old daughter, Mayella Violet Ewell. The accusation was brought up a few months prior to the date of the court case to give Tom's lawyer Mr.Atticus Finch, as well as Mayella's lawyer Mr.Gilmer time to prepare. The first person to give his testimony was Heck Tate, sheriff of Maycomb. Heck Tate gave his testimony and described what happened on the night of November 21. He described Mayella Ewell's injuries and was let off the stand. Naturally, most of Maycomb's citizens are going to trust him because his role is maintaining law and order however, there was still three testimonies to be heard and a ton of gossip whirling through both white and black crowds. Next on the stand was Mr. Ewell. Mr. Ewell argued that he asked the county to clean up the nest of Negroes by his house for years but nothing had been done. Agreeing to the injuries Heck Tate had said still left Mr.Atticus Finch's question of why didn't he call for or seek out any medical attention for Mayella unanswered. During Mayella's testimony she told her side of the story of what happened on the night of November 21. She claimed she invited Tom Robinson into her home to chop up a chiffarobe for her as she was feeling slightly weak. Her statement did seem valid until she sat there in silence as Atticus asked the same question repeatedly, "Where were the other children?". When Tom Robinson's turn arrived he got up to the stand and began speaking in a tone that was very believable. Tom's side of the story was the same as Mayella's during the first portion although the last portion had a whole different approach to the truth behind the case. Mayella's statement was he had jumped on her and she was unable to get away but Tom's stated was Mayella seemed very lonely as she said she had never kissed a man so she might as well have kissed a black one and shortly after she kissed him Mr. Ewell arrived home and Tom ran away scared because he didn't want anything like this event to happen. No matter how fast Tom Robinson would have ran he could not escape the inevitable.

Everyone on the stand pledged themselves to the truth so it was left to the jury to decide who was telling the truth and who pledged themselves to the truth but lied anyways. Tom Robinson was found guilty of his crime and was sent to jail. Maycomb's citizens have much controversy over this subject because many believe Tom was not treated fairly as racism was still a major part of developing peoples opinions of people as well as situations they are in.