The Maycomb County Quarterly
1935
Attempted assassination on recent presidential election winner
Being the leader of the free world is a dangerous job. The world was reminded of this as shots from a .32 caliber pistol rang through Belmont park in Miami, Florida.
Our future president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, learned this first hand, on Wednesday, February 15th, just over two weeks before his inauguration, when he was shot at after giving a speech to the crowd from the back seat of his light-blue buick touring car. The attacker was 32 year old, Giuseppe “Joe” Zangara (pictured below), an unemployed bricklayer and Italian immigrant.
After shots were fired, Zangara was apprehended by surrounding citizens in the crowd.
Zangara fired five shots in the direction of the president-elect. While five people were wounded, Roosevelt remained uninjured. It is believed that Zangara’s narrow miss could be accredited to Lillian Cross, who claims to have grabbed the shooter’s arm before he could fire. Zangara was taken into custody and when asked why he did it, he was quoted saying, "I kill capitalists because they kill me, stomach like drunk man. No point living. Give me electric chair."
While Roosevelt was not hit, mayor of Chicago, Anton Cermak received a stomach wound that proved to be fatal. He later died of his injuries at the hospital.Giuseppe "Joe" Zangara's mugshot
World News Citation
Rosenberg, Jennifer. "Who Tried to Kill FDR?" About.com Education. About.com, 19 Nov. 2015. Web. 11 May 2016.
Local News
Ewell found dead after attacking two children
Jeremy "Jem" Finch and his younger sister Jean Louise "Scout" Finch were walking home from the Halloween pageant at the school house late Saturday night when they were attacked by Mr. Bob Ewell.
"Jem [Jeremy] and I were walking home from the school, and we heard a noise, but we thought it was just Cecil Jacobs because he jumped out and scared us when we were walking to the pageant," said Jean Louise, daughter of Atticus Finch, "so I yelled out to Cecil, but he didn't say anything back."
Jean Louise was, at the time, still in her ham costume, so she couldn't see or move very well. "We heard footsteps behind us, so Jem told me to run, but I fell because of my ham costume.", said Finch, " Jem grabbed me and tried to help me up, but he got pulled off of me."
The assailant then proceeded to break Jem's arm and knock him unconscious. "I heard a snap and then Jem screamed", said Jean Louise. Ewell then came after Jean Louise, but his knife didn't reach her through the chicken wire that lined the inside of her costume.
Jean Louise made her way home, and her father called the authorities. When Sheriff Heck Tate went back to investigate the crime scene, he found Ewell dead. "He fell on the knife he was attacking the children with.", said Tate, "It was stuck right in his ribs."
Jean Louise escaped with minimal injuries, and Jeremy's prognosis currently has a positive outlook; he is expected to make a full recovery.
The attack comes after the recent trial in which the children's father, Atticus Finch, defended Tom Robinson under the prosecution from Ewell's daughter, Mayella. Post trial, Ewell threatened Finch and spit in his face.
Rabies infected dog gunned down on neighborhood street
The dog was spotted by two young kids, Jeremy "Jem" and Jean Louise "Scout" Finch while they were out playing.
"Me and Scout were out playing with our new air rifles, and we saw Tim Johnson [the dog] walking kind of funny, so we went and told Calpurnia." said Jeremy Finch. After the children informed their housekeeper, Calpurnia, of the dog, Calpurnia called Atticus Finch at his law firm, who then contacted the Sheriff Heck Tate. Upon arriving and finding the dog, Sheriff Tate handed his gun off to Atticus.
"When we spotted the dog, he was standing in front of the Radley house, so if it wasn't an accurate shot, it would hit the house.", said Tate, "I gave Atticus [Finch] the gun to shoot because he's a better shot than I am." Finch then shot Tim Johnson, hitting him directly in the head.
The dog was owned by, local Maycomb County resident, Mr.Harry Johnson, who was saddened but relieved by the events."I'm glad he [Tim Johnson] didn't have to suffer,", said Johnson, "but he will be missed."
The afternoon's events have raised questions for local officials on public safety. As of now officials are unsure of how long the animal was or how it became infected with the virus. The sheriff recommends keeping a close eye on young children and pets when outdoors for the next few weeks.
Letters to the editor
A failure in the justice system
-Mr. Link Deas, cotton farmer and employer of Tom Robinson
classifieds
Found Shoes
Photo by Baylee Kram