Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1943-08-07

CUSTODY ana IL IS his right TO re-
fuse.
"All right All right" the cor
oner said.
Max sat down.
Stay in your seat. It's all right. %
Max whispered to Bigger.
Bigger relaxed and felt his heart
pounding. He longed for something
to happen SO that the white faces
would stop staring at him. Finally
the faces turned away The coroner
STROBE to the table and lifted the
kidnap note with slow, long, deli
cate and deliberate. gesture.
Gentlemen" he said, facing the
six men III the rows of chairs, you
have heard the testimony of the
witnesses. think, however, that
you should have the opportunity
to examine the evidence gathered
by the Police Department"
The coroner gave the kidnap
note to one of the jurors who read
it and passed it on to the others.
All of the jurors examined the
purse, the blood-stained knife, the
blackened Ratchet blade, the Com
munist pamphlets, the rum bottle,
the trunk and the signed confess
sion.
Owing to the peculiar nature of
this crime, and owing to the fact
that the deceaseds body was all
but destroyed, l deem it impera-
tive that you examine one addi-
tional piece Of evidence 1t will
help shed light upon the actual
manner of the death of the de-
ceased" the coroner said.
He turned and nodded in the di-
rection of the two white-coated at
PENDANTS who stood at the rear door
The room was quiet. Bigger Won
dered how much longer it would
last; he felt that he could not
stand much more. Now and then
the room blurred and a slight gid
dlneSs came over him: but his mus
cles would fleX taut and it would
pass. The hum of voices grew sud-
denly loud and the coroner raped
for order. Then a commotion broke
out. Bigger heard a mans voice
saying, Move aside, pleased"
He looked and saw two white
coated attendants pushing an OBJ
long, sheet-covered table through
the crowd and down the aisle.
What's this? Bigger wondered. He
felt Max's hand come onto his
shoulder
take it easy, Bigger. This'll soon
be over"
What they doing?" Bigger ask
ed in tense whisper.
For long moment Max did not
answer. Then he said uncertainty,
IT don't know"
The oblong table was pushed to
the front of the room. The coroner
spoke in deep, slow voice that
was charged with passionate mean
ing:
"As Deputy Coroner, have de-
cided, in the interests of justice,
to offer in evidence the raped and
mutilated body of one Bessie Mears,
and the testimony of police Off
GERS and doctors relating to the
cause an dmanner of her DEATH"
The coroner's voice was drowned
out The room was in an uproar.
For two minutes the police had to
pound their clubs against the walls
to restore quiet. Bigger sat still as
stone as Max rushed past him and
stopped few feet from the sheet
covered table.
Mr.. Coroner" Max said 'This
is outrageous! Your indecent ex-
hibition of that girls dead body
serves no purpose but that of an
Indictment to mob violence"
ut will enable the jury to de-
terlnine the exact manner the
death of Mary Dalton, who was
slain by the man who slew Bessie
Mears," the coroner said in a
scream that was compounded of
rage and vindictiveneSs.
1.-THE confession of Bigger Thorn
as covers all the evidence neces-
sary for this jury" Max said. ''You
are crirninaliy appealing to mob
That's for the Grand Jury to
determine" the coroner said. And
you cannot interrupt these proceed
ings any longer If you persist in
this attitude. you'll be removed
fx1.,. &1>;c roor,,I r houo tho 1oroI