Tom Robinson Trial Report

LAST WEEK- The Maycomb courthouse was overflowing with people, an anomalous situation. Everyone crowded the courtroom hoping to catch a bit of the Ewell vs. Robinson case that had been the talk of the town for months.
Tom Robinson is facing trial for Mayella Ewell’s accusation against him. She claims Robinson assaulted her last year on November 21. The first testimony was given by Mr. Heck Tate, county sheriff. He retells that evening’s events when asked to by Mr. Horus Gilmer, the standing prosecutor. That night Bob Ewell, the victim’s father, approached the sheriff and said his daughter had been raped. He then went to the scene of the incident- during the trial he accounted for what he saw there. There he saw Mayella, knocked down and beaten, her right eye especially. Those accounts were later confirmed by Mr. Ewell when asked by Mr. Atticus Finch, standing defendant. Afterwards, he asked him to comply with an idiosyncratic request: to sign his name. When doing so it was revealed that Mr. Ewell was left-handed.

When questioned by Mr.Gilmer on the events that took place she disclosed, " I said come here, n*gger, and bust up this chiffarobe for me..." (Lee 241). When she looked away to get a nickel, as remuneration, he grabbed her by the neck and began battering her. This was all she could remember before the memory of waking up to see her father. Then, Mr. Finch followed up with his own set of questions. His questions gave insight into Mayella’s life. She lived in the town garbage dump which had been the negro cabins. Alongside that she was the eldest out of eight siblings; all part of a family who relied on relief checks. The integrity of her father became questionable and this prompted questions from Mr. Finch. He questioned whether it truly was Tom who beat her or if it was her father. In turn these engendered no response from her, only