Maycomb Press
By: Farrah & Lexi
Tricky Trial
Atticus Finch takes on an impossible task defending a negro.
Mr. Finch is defending Tom Robinson, a black man that was accused of rape at the Ewell house on November 21st, 1934.
Mayella Ewell is the woman that convicted Tom Robinson of this crime.
"I was home alone working and saw him walking by. I needed help with my chiffarobe so I asked him for help and said I'd pay him. I went inside to get him a nickel and when I turned around to go back out there he was all over me. He took advantage of me." said Mayella Ewell, the prosecutor.
They found that she was bruised on the right side of her face and had marks on her throat from being held down.
Her father Bob Ewell said, "I heard a scream from our house and knew it was my Mayella. I ran over there and looked in the window. It was that black man, Tom Robinson, all over my daughter. He saw me through the window and ran away as soon as he could."
The trial will take place at the Maycomb County Court House on August 26th.
The victim gives up
Tom Robinson was convicted guilty for rape of Mayella Ewell on November 21st. They thought for sure with the solid evidence from Atticus Finch that they would win the trial.
Right after the trial Tom Robinson was put back in jail. The day after, his wife Helen got terrible news. Tom got shot trying to escape the jail.
"The worst thing was that after all that work we thought we would win. we told each other to stay strong and that we would get through it, but he couldn't take it any more. The second Atticus came to my house to give me the awful news I knew something terrible happened. I couldn't believe it." said Tom Robinson's wife, Helen Robinson.
Atticus Finch the attorney of Tom was also in shock. "We had solid evidence and everyone knew it too. I didn't expect to win the trial what so ever, but I didn't expect Tom to do something like try to escape. I cant imagine what he went through."
Robinson and Finch weren't surprised when they lost the trial, just disappointed. Tom went through a lot and they think he is in a better place and doesn't have to suffer through the past anymore.
Boo!
The quiet town of Maycomb was struck with horrifying news the night of Halloween.
The Finch kids were attacked while walking home in the dark from the Maycomb Pageant on the evening of October 31st. Bob Ewell was found dead at the scene of the crime. Arthur Radley came out of his house after hearing a scream and rescued the Finch kids.
Bob Ewell was found with a kitchen knife in his ribs that he fell on. He was trying to kill Jem and Scout Finch in the process, but was stopped by Arthur Radley (Boo), the Finch's next door neighbor.
Heck Tate, the sheriff of Maycomb county said, "I got a call from Mr. Atticus Finch saying his boy was in trouble and got hurt. I got to the house as soon as I could and saw Jem layin there with a broken arm and gash on his head. I went to look at the scene and found Bob on the ground with a knife right through his ribs."
Jem Finch was unconscious until the next night. Scout finch had no injuries but a couple scratches. She came running home in a ham costume she wore to the pageant that most likely kept Bob Ewell from stabbing her.
"There was a knife mark in her costume but it didn't go all the way through. It saved her life." said Sheriff Tate.
"I couldn't see much through my costume at all. I reckon Mr. Ewell went to get Jem and pushed me over, but I couldn't get up in my costume either. I heard them fighting and Jem tried to get me up but Mr. Ewell took him down again." said Scout Finch, one of the kids that was attacked.
Scout added, "After a little bit I heard a third person come in and take Bob down. Bob's voice vanished, and the figure picked up Jem and carried him home. I ran after them as fast as I could and saw that it was Mr. Radley that saved my brother and I. Jem was very brave that night."
After a long night and a lot of investigating, the Finch family is okay and can pick up where they left off knowing they are safe from Mr. Ewell.
The end of a new beginning
An airship called the Hindenburg, caught on fire and went out in flames.
On the way to Lakehurst, New Jersey, the Hindenburg was destroyed by an awful explosion. The airship was originally always supposed to be filled simply with a helium gas. The problem was that instead of the helium gas it was filled with an extremely flammable hydrogen.
The Hindenburg contained ninety-seven passengers on their departure for New Jersey. Out of that ninety-seven, tragically there were only sixty-one survivors.
The airship was a reliable for more than thirty years. It has carried over tens of thousands of passengers with a distance reaching more than a million miles and never having injuries. Back then the Hindenburg was the best way to travel across the Atlantic Ocean if you needed to get there quickly.
This tragic event has stopped Zeppelins air travel completely for the safety of the many passengers previously carried.
work cited:
Klein, Christopher. "The Hindenburg Disaster: 9 Surprising Facts" History in the Headlines. 5/4/2012.<www.history.com/news/the-hindenburg-disaster-9-surprising-facts>
Dance the night away
Maycomb County High School held their 50th annual prom with a bit of twist.
Students of MCHS prepared themselves for a magical night underneath their gym lights. Everyone was having a good time at the dance until suddenly Martha Strudal, a MCHS junior had a sudden asthma attack.
"We were dancing to a fast paced song when she grabbed me at the neck and was barely breathing." said Strudal's prom date, Jimmy Newtron.
Mr. Doomy, the principal of MCHS, said," The dance was going great, until I heard a group of kids yelling my name, and there was Martha, lying down unconscious."
Martha is in the hospital recovering fast. Send her your prayers.
Maycomb sports
For the first time in the history of Maycomb athletics, they have won a game. The Lady Ants have come through for Maycomb and won their very first ping pong game. This is the first victory in any sport in MCHS history.
Martha Strudal came back after a terrible asthma attack at their annual prom. She recovered quickly and came back with a boom.
'It was a rough couple of days in the hospital, but I knew I had to get through it for the ping pong team. I am the team captain and had people counting on me." said Strudal.
Strudal won the game 102-101 with zero breaks.
Letter to the editor
I am writing to respond to your article regarding Atticus Finch. I think it is ridiculous that a highly respected white man is defending a disrespectful black man like Tom Robinson. He has guts to even show his face to the public after what he did. Taking advantage of an innocent white women like Mayella Ewell is the most disgusting thing I have ever heard of, and he should be put to death for this unimaginable crime. I don't want my kids ever hearing about something like this. Maycomb is a good town and will now have this burden on it. Atticus Finch needs to get his act together and stop being a nigger lover.
I hope the people of Maycomb county hear me out on this and think of what this black man really did. I don't care what is done to him or where he goes, but I want him out of this town for the sake of our people.
-Anonymous
Letter to the editor
Ever since the trial of Tom Robinson this town has been a complete mess. the prosecutors, Bob Ewell and Mayella Ewell, made the situation even more of a mess than it already was. They are a disrespectful group of people that have no right to be rude to Mr. Atticus Finch like they were.
With Bob Ewell gone, this town is a safer environment. Atticus couldn't even have his kids go outside without thinking Bob would do something to them. It was a terrible thing for those two innocent kids to have been attacked by that filthy animal. It is harsh to say that I am glad he is gone, but it is what is best for the town of Maycomb county.
I also send out my prayers for the Robinson family. People need to step in their shoes and realize what they have been going through this last year. Helen just lost an innocent man to a lying family who has no concern of anything but themselves.
-Nathan Radley