Ghosts of Mississippi Page #2

The 1860s and the 1960s.

I thought they found

that Beckwith fella not guilty.

Actually, there were two hung juries.

The reason I know is because

my late husband, Judge Moore...

...was a spectator

at both those trials.

He'd never miss a day.

And he told me...

...that they'd never convict Beckwith,

no matter how many trials they had.

It's just political. I don't

think anything will come of it.

Son, for your sake,

it had better not.

You want to be a judge someday.

You persecute a 70-year-old man,

guilty or not, over some n*gger...

...you'll have everybody in Mississippi

lined up against you.

-Hey, Howard.

-How you doing?

Y'all got any

of that crawdad chowder today?

Yes, sir.

-How many for crawdad chowder?

-Oh, come on!

Mrs. Evers, Mr. Dees, I'm Jerry Mitchell

from The Clarion-Ledger.

I broke the story on the jury

tampering in your husband's case.

-I talked to you on the phone.

-That's right.

Thank you for your good work. I can't

tell you how much it's appreciated.

I'm just doing my job, ma'am.

What do you think your chances are

of getting the D.A. to reopen the case?

I've passed this way before.

Let's just say I've adopted

an attitude of tempered optimism.

DeLaughter, hear the news?

President Lincoln just got shot.

Some guy named Booth did it.

The Sovereignty Commission, a state

agency, worked against the D.A...

...to ensure the jury had Beckwith

sympathizers to keep him out of jail.

That's grounds for a new trial.

With all due respect...

...those old files have been

leaking out for years.

They only ran background checks which,

while unethical, was not illegal.

We can't prove jury tampering.

I'd like you to meet Bob DeLaughter.

How do you do?

-Pleasure.

-Mr. Morris Dees...

...the Southern Poverty Law Center.

-How you doing?

-I was explaining...

...that in order for us

to pursue this...

...we'll need more

than an article in a newspaper.

We'll need new evidence.

In 1964, you had

a mountain of evidence.

All you gotta do is retry Beckwith.

On the basis of that alone,

you'll get a conviction.

As you can see, the mountain

has crumbled a bit.

What's this?

That's all that's left of the

state's case against De La Beckwith.

Just a few pages

of the old police report.

-Where's the gun? Where--

-Where's the bullet?

Where's the original trial transcript?

Where are the files? Beats me.

Are you telling us it is lost?

I'm telling you, we don't have it.

Well, that's outrageous.

Even if we had the evidence,

we'd never get around...

...to the Sixth Amendment right

to a speedy trial.

Mr. Dees would agree that 25 years

isn't exactly what you'd call speedy.

May I see that?

Mrs. Evers, this is

pretty strong stuff.

I'd like to see it.

"June 13, 1963.

To the Jackson Police Department:

When you catch whoever killed

the n*gger, pin a medal on him...

...because he just did Mississippi

one hell of a favor.

June 14, 1963.

A female who refused

to identify herself stated...

...that she'd heard a rumor

that Medgar Evers' wife...

...had gotten jealous of Lena Horne,

who appeared with Evers at a rally...

...and might have gotten

her brother-in-law to kill Evers."

Who wouldn't be jealous of Lena Horne?

What a beautiful woman.

Y es, ma'am.

The cops wrote that garbage down

because they actually took it seriously.

Mr. Dees.

Do you think the police in Washington,

D.C. would have written it up...

...if some nitwit said Jackie Kennedy

had a hand in J.F.K.'s death...

...because her husband ran around

with Marilyn Monroe?

What's your point?

The murder of Medgar Evers

was a race crime...

...a political crime.

An assassination.

Beckwith is free today...

...thanks to a racist jury,

a racist police department...

...and a racist D.A.'s office.

Twenty-five years ago,

Waller and this office...

...went after Beckwith

not once but twice.

I don't need to sit here and listen--

Twenty-five years ago,

I sat on the witness stand...

...and I watched as the former

governor of this state...

...shook hands with the man

who murdered my husband...

...while I was on the stand.

I don't expect you to understand...

...the pain and suffering

my family went through...

...but I did come here thinking...

...that this office might want

to see justice finally served.

You've given me all the reasons

why you can't pursue this.

Perhaps you can find

one reason why you can.

Good afternoon, gentlemen.

Ed Peters is a good man...

...but as you can see,

we simply don't have a case.

I know you've been living

with this thing for a long while...

...but maybe it's just time you....

Let it go?

I can understand why you'd

think that, Mr. DeLaughter.

For years, I said

the same thing to Medgar.

"Let it go.

Let's get out of Mississippi."

Do you know what he said to me?

" I don't know if I'm going

to heaven or to hell...

...but I'm going from Jackson."

Good afternoon, Mr. DeLaughter.

Hey, everybody, I'm home.

Hey, tiger.

Hi, Dad.

You sure you got enough distractions?

I can go get your Game Boy.

Dad.

Hi, Daddy.

Hi, Dad.

-Did you bring me a lollipop?

-I did. I got one for Claire too.

-Thanks, Daddy.

-How was school today, sweetie?

Did Miss Collins like

the bracelet you made?

Daddy, tell us a story.

-A real scary one.

-Claire, you want to hear a story?

Okay, but not too scary.

Let's go to Mommy and Daddy's room,

because we don't wanna disturb Burt.

-You want something to eat?

-No, I got something at the office.

Thanks for letting me know.

Honey, what are you doing up?

I can't sleep.

The ghost is back.

I'll go. I'll go.

The ghost is back?

Where is he this time?

In my bed.

Really? We'll just have

to see about that.

You were right.

He's right there on the bed.

No, Daddy.

Now he's over by the window.

I see.

Your bottle tree was

supposed to keep him away.

Maybe I don't have

the right kind of bottles.

You know, baby...

...when we lived in Natchez,

there was a ghost...

...that lived right next door...

...in the remains of this house

that got burned during the war.

And sometimes he'd come over

and get right in my closet.

How'd you make him go away?

Granny would come in

and sing a song...

...and before you knew it,

he was gone.

What'd she sing?

She sang the song every ghost

from Mississippi loves.

Sing it, Daddy.

All right.

I wish I was in the land of cotton

Old times there are not forgotten

Look away

Look away

Look away, Dixieland

In Dixieland where I was born

Early on one frosty morn'

Look away, look away

Look away, Dixieland

Oh, I wish I was in Dixie

Hooray, hooray

In Dixieland I'll take my stand

To live and die in Dixie

Away, away

Away down South

In Dixie

I'd ask what's new,

but I'm afraid you'd tell me.

My readers are on the edge

of their collective seat.

Will Mr. DeLaughter go after

Byron De La Beckwith?

The D.A.'s office will investigate

the possibility of reopening the case.

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