39 pages • 1 hour read
Susan Carol McCarthyA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
The federal judge ultimately let the Klansmen go, saying the federal government had no jurisdiction over their alleged crimes. The Klan never again bothered neither the McMahon family nor the community in which they lived. Though Emmett Casselton was supposed to disband the Klan, Luther’s church ladies reported that the wives of the Klansmen probably did the most to bring it down.
The emerging river became a swimming hole for all the neighborhood children, and one day, Maybelle came to visit. Reesa pointed to the heart carvings on the tree, and Maybelle shyly acknowledged she recognized them. Years later, Reesa hears that Maybelle had warned Emmett Casselton that if he harmed a hair on anyone else’s head, she would report the discrepancies in his waybills to the IRS.
Warren became the community sage, and he received visits by members of the Black and White community alike.
The murder of Melvin Womack, who inspired this story, was never officially investigated. Harry T. and Harriette T. Moore were among the first Civil Rights leaders to die for the cause. Though the materials so carefully gathered by Warren and Luther and the church choir were never used, Agent James “Jim” Jameson remained true to his word in not revealing his sources. Perhaps the greatest victory took place, however, when Jackie Robinson and the Brooklyn Dodgers won the pennant in 1955.
A more recent battle was won in 2004 when the Attorney General, and later Florida Governor, Charlie Crist opened an investigation into the Moore’s murders and pronounced them the work of at least four Klansmen. Both Luther and Armetta died in their fight for the cause, but their daughter, Evangeline, was pleased that McCarthy had written about her father’s stories.