Mississippi Burning Trial英.docx

Mississippi Burning Trial英.docx

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MississippiBurningTrial英

2019年MississippiBurningTrial（英）

（U.S.vs.Priceetal.）

byDouglasO.Linder

　　Itwasanold-fashionedlynching,carriedoutwiththehelpofcountyofficials,thatcametosymbolizehardcoreresistancetointegration.Deadwerethreecivilrightsworkers,MichaelSchwerner,AndrewGoodman,andJamesChaney.AllthreeshotinthedarkofnightonalonelyroadinNeshobaCounty,Mississippi.ManypeoplepredictedsuchatragedywhentheMississippiSummerProject,aneffortthatwouldbringhundredsofcollege-agevolunteersto"themosttotalitarianstateinthecountry"wasannouncedinApril,1964.TheFBI'sall-outsearchfortheconspiratorswhokilledthethreeyoungmen,depictedinthemovie"MississippiBurning,"wassuccessful,leadingthreeyearslatertoatrialinthecourtroomofoneofAmerica'smostdeterminedsegregationistjudges.

　　SamBowers,theImperialWizardoftheWhiteKnightsoftheKluKluxKlanofMississippi,sentwordinMay,1964totheKlansmenofLauderdaleandNeshobacountiesthatitwastimeto"activatePlan4."Plan4providedfor"theelimination"ofthedespisedcivilrightsactivistMichaelSchwerner,whotheKlancalled"Goatee"or"Jew-Boy."Schwerner,thefirstwhitecivilrightsworkerbasedoutsideofthecapitolofJackson,hadearnedtheenmityoftheKlanbyorganizingablackboycottofawhite-ownedbusinessandaggressivelytryingtoregisterblacksinandaroundMeridiantovote.

　　TheKlan'sfirstattempttoeliminateSchwernercameonJune16,1964intheruralNeshobaCountycommunityofLongdale[LINKTOMAP].SchwernerhadvisitedLongdaleonMemorialDaytoaskpermissionoftheblackcongregationatMountZionChurchtousetheirchurchasthesiteofa"FreedomSchool."TheKlanknewofSchwerner'sMemorialDayvisittoLongdaleandexpectedhimtoreturnforabusinessmeetingheldatthechurchontheeveningofJune16.About10p.m.,whentheMountZionmeetingbrokeup,sevenblackmenandthreeblackwomenleftthebuildingtodiscoverthirtymenlinedupinmilitaryfashionwithriflesandshotguns.Moremenweregatheredattherearofthechurch.Frustratedwhentheirsearchfor"Jew-Boy"wasunsuccessful,someoftheKlanmembersbeganbeatingthedepartingblacks.TengallonsofgasolinewereremovedfromoneoftheKlanmemberscarsandspreadaroundtheinsideofthechurch.MountZionChurchwassoonengulfedinflames.

　　NewsofthebeatingsandfirereachedMichaelSchwernerinOxford,Ohio.Schwernerandhistwenty-one-year-oldchiefaide,anativeblackMeridiannamedJamesChaney,wereinOhiotoattendathree-dayprogramsponsoredbytheNationalCouncilofChurchestotrainrecruitsfortheMississippiSummerProject.AmongthosebeingtrainedforasummerofworkaimedatimprovingthelivesofblackMississippianswasaQueensCollegestudentnamedAndrewGoodman,whoSchwernerconvincedtocometoMeridian.AnxioustogetbacktoMississippitolearnwhattheycouldaboutthedisturbingeventsinLongdale,Schwerner,Chaney,andthenewly-recruitedGoodmanloadedintoablueCORE-ownedFordstationwagonintheearlymorninghoursofJune20forlongtripbacktoMeridian.Thenextday,afterashortnight'ssleepandabreakfastinMeridian,thethreecivilrightsworkerswereagainintheCOREwagonheadingnorthwesttowardsLongdale.

　　LongdalewasinNeshobaCounty,knownasahighriskareaforcivilrightsworkers.LawrenceRainey,NeshobaCountySheriff,andhisdeputy,CecilPrice,werebothmembersoftheKlan.AlthoughtheirKlanmembershipwasnotgenerallyknown,bothhadreputationsasbeingtoughonblacks.RaineyhadbeenelectedsheriffthepreviousNovemberaftercampaigningas"themanwhocancopewithsituationsthatmightarise."InNeshobaCounty,itwaswellunderstoodthatthe"situations"RaineyreferredtomeantmeddlesomeinterferencebyoutsiderswithMississippi'sstate-enforcedpolicyofsegregation.SchwernertoldMeridianCOREworkerSueBrownthattheyshouldbebackintheCOREofficeinMeridianby4:

00.Iftheyweren'tbackby4:

30,sheshouldstartmakingphonecalls.

　　Schwerner,Chaney,andGoodmanbegantheirMidsummer'sDayvisittoNeshobaCountywithaninspectionoftheburnedoutremainsofMountZionChurch.Theythenvisitedthehomesoffourblackmembersofthecongregationtolearnmoreabouttheincident.Atoneofthehomes,thethreecivilrightsworkerswerewarnedthatagroupofwhitemenwerelookingforthem.About3p.m.,thetriowasreadytoheadbacktotherelativesafetyoftheirMeridianoffice.ThereweretwopossibleroutestoMeridian.Themostdirectroutewastheroadtheyhadcomeup,Highway491,anarrowclayroadintersectedbynumerousdirtroads.Anambushwouldbeeasyon491.Theother,lessdirectroute,wasablacktoppedHighway16,whichwouldtakethemwestthroughPhiladelphia,thecountyseat.ChaneyturnedontoHighway16.

　　DeputySheriffPricewasatthattimeheadingeastonHighway16.AfewmilesoutsideofPhiladephia,Pricespottedthewell-knownCOREwagonheadinginhisdirection.SchwernerandGoodmanmostlikelywerecrouchedlowintheirseats,allowingPricetoseeonlytheblackdriver,JamesChaney.Priceshoutedoverhisradio,"I'vegotagoodone!

GeorgeRaymond!

"（RaymondwasablackcivilrightsleaderhatedbyKlanthroughoutMississippi.）PricedidaquickU-turnandheadedbackafterhisquarry.ChaneypulledtheCOREwagonovertothesideoftheroadjustinsidethePhiladelphiacitylimits.PricearrestedSchwerner,Goodman,andChaney,allegedlyforsuspicionofhavingbeeninvolvedinthechurcharson,anddepositedthethreeintheNeshobaCountyjail.SoonthereafterhemetwiththeNeshobaCountyKlankleagle,orrecruiter,EdgarRayKillentotellhimofhisexcitingcatchandtoplanthedeadlyconspiracythatwouldunfoldlaterthatnight.

　　SomeofwhathappenedoverthenextsevenhoursintheNeshobaCountyjailisknown.WeknowthatSchwerneraskedtomakeaphonecall,buthisrequestwasdenied.Ifhewasn'tconcernedabouthisphysicalwell-beingbeforethattime,hewouldhavebeenthen.Wealsoknowthatacallwasmadetothejailat5:

20intheafternoonaskingwhetheranyonetherehadinformationconcerningthewhereaboutsofthethreeoverduecivilrightsworkers.Weknowalsothatthejailerwhoansweredthecall,MinnieHerring,lied.Weknowthatshortlyafter10:

00P.M.CecilPriceshowedupatthejail,tellingthejailer,"Chaneywantstopayoff——we'lllethimpayoffandreleasethemall."Priceledthemtotheirparkedcar,thentailedthemastheyheadedeastoutoftownonHighway19.

　　Thethreecivilrightsworkersbythennodoubtsuspectedthattheywerebeingledintoatrap,andinfacttheywere.SincereceivingwordfromPricethatSchwernerhadbeencaptured,EdgarRayKillen,theKlankleagleandanordainedBaptistminister,hadbeenbusyrecruitingmembersoftheNeshobaandLauderdaleCountyklavernsforsome"buttripping,"asheputit.AnafternoonmeetingattheLonghornDrive-IninMeridianwithlocalKlanbigwigswasfollowedbyalatermeetingatAkin'sMobileHomeswitheager,youngermemberswhowouldparticipateintheactualkillings.KillentoldthedozenormorerecruitstobuyrubberglovesandtobeinPhiladelphiaby8:

15P.M.AfterofferingtheKlanmenadrive-bytouroftheNeshobaCountyjailandgoingoverthedetailsoftheplannedrelease,Killenheadedofftoseeadeparteduncleatthelocalfuneralhomeandtotherebyestablishhisalibi.

　　AfterfollowingtheCOREstationwagonoutoftown,PricereturnedtoPhiladelphiatodropoffanaccompanyingPhiladelphiapoliceofficer,thenracedbackontoHighway19inpursuitofthethreecivilrightsworkers.Meanwhile,twoothercarsfilledwithyoungKlanmemberswerealsospeedingdownwiththesameobjectinmind.Price'ssouped-upChevysawtheCOREwagoncomeintoviewlessthantenmilesfromthecountyline.Chaneydecidedtorunforit,andahighspeedchaseensued.ChaneyswervedquicklyontoHighway492,butPricemadetheturnaswell.Secondslater,forreasonsunknown,Chaneybrakedhiscarandthethreesurrendered.

　　AccordingtoJamesJordan,aKlanmemberwhowouldlaterbecomeakeyFBIinformant,Pricesaid,"IthoughtyouweregoingbacktoMeridianifweletyououtofjail?

"WhenChaneysaidthat'swheretheywereheaded,Pricesaid,"Yousureweretakingthelongwayaround.Getoutofthecar."ThethreewereplacedinDeputyPrice'scar.Soonthreecars,Price'sandtwofullofKlanmembers,weretravelinginaprocessiondownanunmarkeddirtturnoffcalledRockCutRoad.

　　Itisnotknownwhetherthethreewerebeatenbeforetheywerekilled.Klaninformantsdenythattheywere,butthereissomephysicalevidencetothecontrary.Whatisknownisthatatwenty-six-year-olddishonorablydischargedex-Marine,WayneRoberts,wasthetriggerman,shootingfirstSchwerner,thenGoodman,thenChaney,allatpointblankrange.（FBIinformantJamesJordan,accordingtoasecondinformantpresentatthekillings,DoyleBarnette,alsofiredtwoshotsatChaney.）Thebodiesofthethreecivilrightsworkersweretakentoadamsiteatthe253-acreOldJollyFarm.ThefarmwasownedbyPhiladelphiabusinessmanOlenBurragewhoreportedlyhadannouncedataKlanmeetingwhentheimpendingarrivalinMississippiofanarmyofcivilrightsworkerswasdiscussed,"Hell,I'vegotadamthat'llholdahundredofthem."ThebodieswereplacedtogetherinaahollowatthedamsiteandthencoveredwithtonsofdirtbyaCaterpillarD-4.

　　Whilethebodieswerebeingburied,PricehadreturnedtohisdutiesinPhiladelphia.Around12:

30A.M.,PricemetwithSheriffRainey.GiventheirKlanmembershipandthecloserelationshipbetweenthe