Warren Robinson's Death Waits At The Depot

In the dark early morning of April 26, 1909, the lives of two southern Georgia families were forever changed. In Death Waits at the Depot, author Warren Robinson reaches into this family’s early American past to assemble a real-life account of the fateful night when his grandfather’s stolen gun was used to commit murder.

By the early 1900s, our author’s grandfather J.D. Robinson had made a name for himself as a banker and entrepreneur in Lenox, Georgia. South Georgia was envisioned as a refuge for debtors and the poor, and was valued for its good farm land and access to fresh water. In 1888 the railroad was developed through the South Georgia frontier, running from Macon, Georgia to Florida. The area grew quickly as towns sprang up along

By the time the Robinson family arrived in Georgia, slavery had been abolished. But, this was the Jim Crow South, an era which denied African Americans basic social, economic, and civil rights. Evidence of this is seen throughout the book. The focus of this non-fiction story is understandably the Robinson family’s drama about the stolen gun used in the murder rather than a comment on race relations. But, the story of a black man killing a white man during this time period is innately about race. I found myself wanting Marshall Lewis to be explored more deeply, but I understand the challenges in researching African Americans from this

I appreciated the book on several levels. The writing flowed well, and the tone was engaging. I enjoyed learning about South Georgia history and the railroad boom that set the stage for this story to unfold. The historical photos were a nice feature. They added interest and context to the story. Marshall Lewis’ repentant confession letter was a spellbinding inclusion. He sold the letter to the local newspapers as a way to raise money to transport his soon dead body back to his family in Oakfield. His reverence for his parents and for his God touched me and left me feeling he was genuinely