Attempted Murder on Finch Children
By: Braxton Bragg Underwood November 1, 1935
Right after the Halloween pageant last night, participants Jeremy and Jean Louise Finch were attacked as they were walking home alone. The children heard something behind them as they walked by the Radley house. The sounds that were once footsteps suddenly turned into running. Then, the attacker, identified to be Robert Ewell, tackled Jeremy to the ground. In the meantime, Jean Louise lost her balance and fell to the ground as well, her metal Halloween costume crushing her.
“I kept hearing something behind us as we were walking. Turns out we were being followed,” says Jeremy Finch, age thirteen. “Before Scout (Jean Louise) and I could even run away, I was knocked down to the ground by our follower, Mr.Ewell.” Jeremy freed himself from Ewell and picked up Jean Louise. Afterwards, they walked to the road but Jean Louise’s costume’s entanglement prevented them from getting very far. Once again, Jeremy was attacked but this time he was hurt. Ewell had fractured the boy’s left arm in the tackle.
According to Jean Louise, age eight, “Jem’s(Jeremy) hand left mine again and all I heard was a lot of scuffling, a soft crack, and then Jem’s scream! I tried to run toward him but Ewell grabbed me and started squeezin’ the life outta me.” The children somehow saved themselves and were able to get home. Clearly something, or someone, had caused Ewell to stop attacking. The children’s aunt, Alexandra Finch (head of the Missionary Society) was terrified by the state they were in when they got home and immediately called Eula May to send over Dr. Reynolds. Their father, Atticus Finch, did the same to call our county sheriff, Heck Tate. “The bad break in Jeremy’s elbow looks as if someone tried to pull his arm off”, says Dr. Reynolds. Heck Tate says, “As I examined the remains of Jean Louise’s costume, I noticed a big slash cut right into it. This was definitely attempted murder. The costume saved her life.” As Heck Tate examined the crime scene, he found Robert Ewell dead. That was why the children could get away with no further harm done to them. Apparently, Ewell stumbled over a tree root and fell on his own weapon, a kitchen knife. The knife went through his ribs and his body weight drove it in. Ewell's body was taken away soon after the event. |
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