last night around ten or eleven, i witnessed a lynch mob gathered around a circle of light in front of the Maycomb County Jail. In the center of the light sat one of my closest friends, Atticus Finch. If it wasn’t for this brave man, our newest arrival in the Jail would’ve been killed. Maybe even hanged.
Now i, for one, believe that Tom Robinson deserves a fair trial in our courts, but these young, and old, men seem to think otherwise.
Mr. Tom Robinson is a man of the black race. he is a resident in our town, and even goes to First Purchase Church regularly. that is, util recently when he was accused of rape against dear Ms. Mayella Ewell.
The men that made up the lynch mob last night seemed to be all white men, as far as i could tell. They were trying to convince Atticus to let them into the jail so they could drag Robinson out and hang him.
they felt as though he didn’t deserve a fair trial. they thought it was best that the innocent woman would not have to face her rapist in trial, and therefore gave them every right to serve him justice themselves. It was a blacks man’s word against a young white woman.
I overheard one of the men saying that the only other people that would’ve held them back had been called off on a hunt, which gave them a perfect chance to ” take care of him”.
Atticus was in a pinch, and mightve gotten hurt if it wasnt for his young son and his friends.
Right when something bad might’ve happened and i might’ve had to use the gun i was using to protect sir Finch his daughter, jean Louise Finch, showed up. She was followed by Jem and a young man named Dill, if i’m correct his name is actually Charles Baker Harris.
Her daddy asked them to leave multiple times, but the kids, not knowing they were in danger, insisted on staying. when there was a moment of silence, young Scout asked a question that made all the men think, without her knowing the effect she was going to have.
She asked Mr. Cunningham a question about his son and reminded him that their families knew each other, and have always been helpful to him.
it got me thinking too. After all this, our families are still going to be friends.
Now Atticus Finch stood his ground for this man. because he was determined for Tom Robinson to have a fair trial and for the truth to come out. After scout was finished, all the men left with cool heads and they all had a bit of thinking to do. Hopefully some of these men changed their minds and even if they don’t want Tom to win, they might let him have a fair trial at least.
Kathryn E. Bolender
11/18/16