Tom Robinson vs. The Ewells- Just the Facts
By: Braxton Bragg Underwood August 27, 1935
A lot happened at the Tom Robinson vs. The Ewells case yesterday, almost the whole county was present for it. First Heck Tate, our sheriff, was called to the witness stand by Mr. Gilmer, Bob Ewell’s attorney. The sheriff said that on the night of November 21, 1934, Mr. Ewell wanted him to come to his house because his daughter had been raped. He found Mayella Ewell lying on floor, in the middle of their front room, well beaten up. Mayella told Heck Tate that she had been beaten up and raped by Tom Robinson. "She was pretty well beat up, but I heaved her to her feet and she washed her face in the corner and said it was Tom Robinson- asked her if he beat her like that, she said yes he had. Asked her if he took advantage of her and she said yes he did. So I went down to Robinson's house and brought him back. She identified him as the one, so I took him in," said Heck Tate. In Atticus Finch’s cross-examination, it became known that a doctor was not called for Miss Ewell. After Mr. Finch asked about Miss Ewell’s injuries, and much lost time of figuring right from left, it was determined that she had a black eye on the right side of her face and marks around her neck.
The second witness called to the stand was Bob Ewell. It was Mr. Ewell’s first time in court. Robert E. Lee Ewell said that just before sundown on November 21, he was coming home from the woods cutting firewood. He had gotten to his fence when he heard his daughter scream. Mr. Ewell ran up to his window, which is about three feet off the ground and saw his furniture slung about with Mr. Robinson having sexual intercourse with his daughter. He ran into his house, just as the defendant ran out the door. Mayella was lying on the floor so Mr. Ewell went to get Mr. Tate. Atticus Finch asked if Bob Ewell ever called a doctor. Bob said there "Wadn't no need to. I seen what happened;" he never called a doctor before in his life. Mr. Finch confirmed that Mayella’s right eye was the one beaten up, then asked Bob Ewell to write his name for everyone. He is left-handed and ambidextrous. Next, Mayella Violet Ewell was called to the stand. Miss Ewell is nineteen years old and the oldest of seven brothers and sisters. On that November evening, Miss Mayella claimed to have been on her front porch when Tom Robinson walked by. Her father had asked her to chop up an old chiffarobe, but she was not feeling well. Miss Mayella told Mr. Robinson to chop up the furniture piece for a nickel. He ran up behind her, grabbed her around the neck, cussed, and started to beat her up while she yelled. He threw Miss Ewell on the floor and took advantage of her. She screamed and kicked as much as she could. What came next became a blank for Miss Mayella. In cross-examination, Miss Mayella said that her father is okay and easy enough to get along with, except when he is drinking. Before the night’s events, Miss Ewell had never asked Mr. Robinson to come inside her fence. She also did not remember if Mr. Robinson hit her in the face since everything happened so fast. Mr. Finch questioned if Tom Robinson beat Miss Ewell up, or if Bob Ewell did. After a break, Mr. Finch called up his only witness, Tom Robinson. Mr. Robinson is twenty five years old and a crippled Negro. His left arm is unusable and shorter than his right. He got it caught in a cotton gin when he was a child. In his past, he received thirty days of jail time for getting into a fight with another man because he tried to cut Mr. Robinson. Tom Robinson had to pass the Ewell’s house everyday going to work. Last spring Miss Mayella asked Mr. Robinson to come inside her fence and chop up a chiffarobe. She offered him a nickel, but Tom declined. Ever since then, Miss Mayella would call Mr. Robinson inside the fence for chores and talk to him. He never went on the Ewell property without an expressed invitation. On November 21, Mr. Robinson was going home from work and he passed Miss Ewell on her porch. She asked for his help on a door that went off its hinges. He stepped into the house and Miss Mayella slammed the door. She saved seven nickels for her siblings to go to town and get ice cream, so no one was home. Miss Ewell grabbed Robinson around the legs and scared him so he turned over a chair. That is the only thing he claims to have disturbed in the room. Tom Robinson turned around and Miss Mayella hugged him. She wanted him to kiss her and Mr. Robinson tried to pass by her. Then Mr. Ewell yelled through the window and Tom Robinson ran. In Mr. Gilmer’s cross-examination, it was determined that theoretically Mr. Robinson was strong enough to choke a woman and throw her on the floor. Tom Robinson was willing to do Miss Ewell’s chores all that time because he felt sorry for her. As for Mayella Ewell’s testimony, Tom Robinson said, "I don't say she's lyin', Mr. Gilmer, I say she's mistaken in her mind."
|
Comment Box is loading comments...