Witch Hunt in Wise County: The Persecution of Edith MaxwellThe southwest Virginia murder trials of a young schoolteacher named Edith Maxwell made her a cause celebre of the 1930s. No newspaper reader or radio listener could avoid hearing of her case in 1935 or 1936, and few magazines neglected to run at least one story on the case. In the media attention that it received, the Maxwell case rivaled the Scopes monkey trial of the 1920s, and for some it seemed to involve many of the same sociological issues--the conflict between modernism and tradition, between urban and rural values, between the sexes, and between generations. Feminist organizations like the National Women's Party and other women's business and professional organizations rallied to Edith's defense because women were not allowed on criminal juries in Virginia in the 1930s. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
The Death of Trigg Maxwell | 21 |
Preparations Publicity and Prosecution | 37 |
Copyright | |
7 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Anne Maxwell apparently appeal autopsy blows brother Earl caused Chant Kelly Charles Henry Smith conviction court crime daughter December Dotson drinking drunk Earl Maxwell East Radford Edith Maxwell Edith recalled Edith wrote Edith's defense evidence Folliard Foust girl Governor Peery Governor Price guilty heard Hearst incident jail Jenkins Judge Carter Judge Skeen jurors jury justice kill her father kitchen Lee Skeen little Mary Catherine living Lonesome Pine Mamma Maxwell home meat block mother mountain movie National Woman's Party never newspaper night Norton November 20 pardon Peery's Pound River prison prosecution prosecution's reporter result says second trial self-defense sister slipper story tell testified testimony tried Trigg Maxwell Trigg Maxwell's death Trigg's death Uncle Lee verdict Vernon Maxwell Vicars Virginia State Archives Virginius Dabney Washington Post whip Wise County woman women Women's Moderation Union York Daily Mirror young