TKAM Ch. 16-19 Journal #6: Atticus

Today is the day of the case. I don’t know if we’ll win, but I’m hoping that the jury will actually listen to what we have to say. They won’t be PREJUDICE with Tom even though he’s black. Everyone from all over came to Maycomb to see the case. They did not come with SUBTLETY either. They packed picnics and sat outside the courthouse. I asked the kids not to come downtown.
I was trying to be calm about the case. Heck Tate came to the stand first. He told what he said was what happened and I asked him some questions. I find it interesting that no one called a doctor for poor Mayella. Tate described her injuries and then Mr. Ewell was called up to the stand. There home and their family life is not a good one. The possibility that it was actually Bob Ewell who raped Mayella is a big one. When he said his story, it was hard for me to pay attention. I already know that Tom is innocent. As much as I hate to say it Bob Ewell is trash. I’m sure that he’s lying and he’s just putting the blame on Tom.
I learned in his questioning that he was left handed and Mayella was hit in the left eye. I know that it’s possible for someone’s right hand to hit someone’s left eye, but that is IRRELEVENT because she had bruise marks made by a left hand.
Then Mayella was called to the stand. She told her side of the story. Some things matched up, but the timing and people’s roles were wrong. She started crying and she was crying about me. I felt so sorry for her because I knew her father was probably the one who had done this FRAUD. I was somewhat surprised that she got mad at me for calling her ma’am and things like that. I know that she probably has never been treated with respect and when I called her that she thought I was making fun of her, which I wasn’t. I left Judge Taylor to deal with that PREDICAMENT. She was having a hard time describing the events that happened. I suppose it was hard to lie when it was your father who had done something like that to you.
I confronted her outright and asked if it were her father who had raped her, but she stated very clearly that he had done nothing to hurt her. I felt so bad for making her hate me, I wish I didn’t have to speak the truth.
Tom Robinson was called up next, as he was my only witness. He told his story, which to me made the most sense. He didn’t fumble at all while he was talking, except to say that something wasn’t fit for the children and women to hear. He’s a nice man and very respectable, Mr. Link Deas even stood up in court to say so. He was sent out then, but I thought it was very nice of him to say something like that.
When Mr. Gilmer questioned him, I got rather mad. He treated Tom like he was nothing, like he wasn’t important. Tom answered COMPLACENTLY though, he didn’t give any trouble. I saw movement up on the balcony and I wondered who had left. So far the case wasn’t going bad, but I’m not sure if the jury is in our favor. It’s hard to educate people in a courtroom.