The trial of cotton worker Tom Robinson, who was accused of raping nineteen year old Mayella Ewell back in November, has begun. Robinson was arrested on November 21 after Mayella identified him as her attacker. The accused worked for Mr. Link Deas and is married with three children. None of the other Ewell children nor their father were home at the time. The trial started off with the first witness Sheriff Heck Tate. Horace Gilmer, the prosecutor, started off with the questions. He asked what had happened on the night November 21. Mr. Tate said he was leaving his office when Mr. Ewell came “very excited”, he told him that some black man had raped his girl. It was Atticus Finch, Tom Robinson’s lawyer’s turn to question the Sheriff. He …show more content…
He was asked to recount the events on the day of his daughter’s attack. He was coming from the woods, when he heard Mayella screaming. He said he saw Tom Robinson “rutt’n” on his daughter. Mr. Finch asked Mr. Ewell if he could write. He could, demonstrating for Finch using his more prominent hand, his left. The victim, Mayella Ewell was called to testify. She was also asked to retell what happened to her. She started off with how she asked the defendant to come and cut the chiffarobe, and she went to fetch a nickel. She said ’fore I knew it he was on me. Just run up behind me, he did” Mayella was asked if she knew the accused, she said he passed by everyday. Mr. Finch asked her to identify the person who raped her, she pointed at Tom Robinson. The defendant was asked to stand up. His left hand was crippled. Mr. Finch called his client to the stand. He like the other witnesses was asked to tell his side of the story. He said that Mayella asked him to help with the chiffarobe long before the day of her attack. On that specific day he said she asked him to fix the door hinge. Next thing he knew Ewell had “jumped on him and kissed him”. He said he tried to leave, but he saw her father and ran for his