The title refers to the accounting of sins and punishment, an accounting conducted quietly by a WWII veteran and hero decorated several times, who murders the pastor of his church, Methodist, after having thought it over in every way - and thereafter refuses to comment, responding with "I have nothing to say" to any query when he has to respond, if at all.
................................................................................................
The book reminds one of a forest home showed on Extreme Homes, a normal house turned on its side with a staircase replacing the corridor that connects the living areas with bedrooms, and in this case inverted so the living areas are at the top over the trees.
In this work Grisham begins with a detailed, leisurely even, account of the murder, the subsequent legal procedure and the families dealing with it, until the end of the trial and the resolution. The book is less than half at this point. One wonders if now he'd tell about the families discovering the reason. Or dealing with the aftermath.
Instead he goes back to the story of Pete Banning, the war hero, from the beginning - his meeting his future wife, his courtship and marriage, his change of career to farming his family's lands, and back again as he's called up in 1941.
The author reserves his mystery till the very end, with glimpses that aren't tantalising as much as convincing, and with good reason - Dexter Bell being a womaniser is not just a rumour but is known to his wife and painful, Pete Banning could have confronted him and thrashed him but for the question of honour of a Southern lady and gentleman that had him simply shoot him dead and then button up with "I have nothing to say" until the very end except telling his sister the day before execution, and then there is the greedy Jackie Bell and even more mean Errol McLeish whose grabbing the opportunity one despises but can only say, they'll come to no good given their ways.
But finally, as one reflects, it's really the South, and in particular, especially the laws of Mississippi that are the villain in the story, and then one marvels at the way Grisham has had the atmosphere ever present in the work like a thin veil of mist wafting and weaving through, generally surprising a reader of his works because he's usually not into social commentary, apart from the first work Time To Kill that is, which wasn't subtle but more of fist punching the face of racism.
Referring to General MacArthur coaxed out of retirement and appointed in east in 1941, the author says:-
"He had repeatedly warned Washington of the Japanese threat. His warnings were heard but not heeded. The challenge of getting his army on a war footing looked impossible, and there was little time.
"Upon taking command, he immediately began demanding more troops, armaments, airplanes, ships, submarines, and supplies. Washington promised everything but delivered little."
Grisham might review the general atmosphere surrounding FDR in particular and around U.S. in general, by reading two extremely diverse authors - Upton Sinclair and Patrick Buchanan, and realise that FDR had an extremely difficult task in defending civilisation despite the Nazi aim of annihilating it and enslaving the world, because the fellow travellers of nazism conducting their propaganda had it so easy - not just fear of communism but also superiority of blond blue eyed tall males exhibited around for show that convinced people against joining the war on the axis, and general unwillingness of U.S. to join the war that FDR had to circumvent to help U.K. survive her lone vigil for years.
Send help to MacArthur he couldn't have, not without the senate and the comgress erupting against him, until Pearl Harbour, as propaganda against FDR even today on the internet shows, blaming him for war against Japan, just as Buchanan blames Churchill for WWII and claims Hitler was all for peace as was Kaiser Wilhelm II.
The authors description of the pathetic state of Philippine army differs very little from what one has read about the Poland military on eve of WWII, except for such details as use of coconut shells. Understandably, Poland had none.
...............................................The book reminds one of a forest home showed on Extreme Homes, a normal house turned on its side with a staircase replacing the corridor that connects the living areas with bedrooms, and in this case inverted so the living areas are at the top over the trees.
In this work Grisham begins with a detailed, leisurely even, account of the murder, the subsequent legal procedure and the families dealing with it, until the end of the trial and the resolution. The book is less than half at this point. One wonders if now he'd tell about the families discovering the reason. Or dealing with the aftermath.
Instead he goes back to the story of Pete Banning, the war hero, from the beginning - his meeting his future wife, his courtship and marriage, his change of career to farming his family's lands, and back again as he's called up in 1941.
The author reserves his mystery till the very end, with glimpses that aren't tantalising as much as convincing, and with good reason - Dexter Bell being a womaniser is not just a rumour but is known to his wife and painful, Pete Banning could have confronted him and thrashed him but for the question of honour of a Southern lady and gentleman that had him simply shoot him dead and then button up with "I have nothing to say" until the very end except telling his sister the day before execution, and then there is the greedy Jackie Bell and even more mean Errol McLeish whose grabbing the opportunity one despises but can only say, they'll come to no good given their ways.
But finally, as one reflects, it's really the South, and in particular, especially the laws of Mississippi that are the villain in the story, and then one marvels at the way Grisham has had the atmosphere ever present in the work like a thin veil of mist wafting and weaving through, generally surprising a reader of his works because he's usually not into social commentary, apart from the first work Time To Kill that is, which wasn't subtle but more of fist punching the face of racism.
................................................................................................
Referring to General MacArthur coaxed out of retirement and appointed in east in 1941, the author says:-
"He had repeatedly warned Washington of the Japanese threat. His warnings were heard but not heeded. The challenge of getting his army on a war footing looked impossible, and there was little time.
"Upon taking command, he immediately began demanding more troops, armaments, airplanes, ships, submarines, and supplies. Washington promised everything but delivered little."
Grisham might review the general atmosphere surrounding FDR in particular and around U.S. in general, by reading two extremely diverse authors - Upton Sinclair and Patrick Buchanan, and realise that FDR had an extremely difficult task in defending civilisation despite the Nazi aim of annihilating it and enslaving the world, because the fellow travellers of nazism conducting their propaganda had it so easy - not just fear of communism but also superiority of blond blue eyed tall males exhibited around for show that convinced people against joining the war on the axis, and general unwillingness of U.S. to join the war that FDR had to circumvent to help U.K. survive her lone vigil for years.
Send help to MacArthur he couldn't have, not without the senate and the comgress erupting against him, until Pearl Harbour, as propaganda against FDR even today on the internet shows, blaming him for war against Japan, just as Buchanan blames Churchill for WWII and claims Hitler was all for peace as was Kaiser Wilhelm II.
The authors description of the pathetic state of Philippine army differs very little from what one has read about the Poland military on eve of WWII, except for such details as use of coconut shells. Understandably, Poland had none.
................................................................................................
One cannot but help recalling Bridge On The River Kwei reading this part.
"According to the master plan for defense of the Philippines, the air force commander, General Lewis Brereton, put his entire fleet on full alert. At 5:00 a.m., General Brereton arrived at MacArthur’s headquarters in Manila to request permission to mount a B-17 bomber strike on the Japanese airfields on Formosa, two hundred miles away. MacArthur’s chief of staff refused a meeting with the commander, saying he was too busy. The prewar plan was well established, well rehearsed, and called for such an attack immediately, but MacArthur had to give the final order to go. Instead, MacArthur did nothing. At 7:15, a panicked Brereton returned to the headquarters and again demanded an audience with the general. Again he was rebuffed, and told to “stand by for orders.” By then, Japanese reconnaissance planes were being spotted and reports of enemy aircraft were pouring into Brereton’s headquarters. At 10:00 a.m., an angry and frantic Brereton again demanded to see MacArthur. A meeting was refused, but Brereton was ordered to prepare for the attack. An hour later, Brereton ordered his bombers into the air, off the ground, to protect them from a Japanese attack. They began circling the islands, without bombs.
"When MacArthur finally ordered the attack, Brereton’s bombers were in the air and low on fuel. They immediately landed, along with the squadrons of fighters. At 11:30, all American aircraft were on the ground being refueled and armed. Ground crews were working frantically when the first wave of Japanese bombers arrived in perfect formations. At 11:35, they crossed the South China Sea and Clark Airfield came into view. The Japanese pilots were stunned. Below them were sixty B-17s and fighters parked in neat rows on the runways. At 11:45, the merciless bombing of Clark Field began, and within minutes the U.S. Army’s air force was almost entirely destroyed. Similar attacks were made simultaneously at other airfields. For reasons that would forever remain inexplicable, the Americans had been caught flat-footed. The damage was incalculable. With no air force to protect and resupply the troops, and with no reinforcements on the way, the Battle of the Philippines was decided only hours after it began.
"The Japanese were confident they could take the islands in thirty days. On December 22, a force of forty-three thousand elite troops came ashore at various landings and overwhelmed the resisting forces. During the first days of the invasion it appeared as if their confidence was well-founded. However, through sheer stubbornness and uncommon courage, the American and Filipino forces, with no hope of rescue or reinforcements, hung on for four brutal months."
Funny, one never heard a word of criticism of MacArthur, although republican propaganda against FDR is quite poisonous! And yet, without exception he was the best president of U.S. ever, which is saying little when one thinks in context of what he fought with what odds stacked against him!
"Conditions on Bataan rapidly deteriorated. For weeks the Americans and Filipinos fought with little food in their stomachs. The average soldier consumed two thousand calories a day, about half the number needed for hard combat. Their hunger was acute and the supplies were dwindling. This was primarily due to another inexplicable mistake by MacArthur. In his rush to solidify his forces on Bataan, he had left most of their food behind. In one warehouse alone, millions of bushels of rice had been abandoned, enough to feed his army for years. Many of his officers had begged him to stockpile food on Bataan, but he had refused to listen. When informed that his men were hungry and complaining bitterly, he placed all units on half rations. In a letter to his men he promised reinforcements. He wrote that “thousands of troops and hundreds of planes are being dispatched. The exact time of arrival of reinforcements is unknown.” But help was on the way.
"It was a lie. The Pacific Fleet had been severely crippled at Pearl Harbor and had nothing left to break the Japanese blockade. The Philippines was thoroughly isolated. Washington knew it, as did MacArthur."
"By February, there was not a single mango or banana left on Bataan and the men were eating grass and leaves. The Bataan Peninsula was surrounded by the South China Sea, known for its abundance of fish. Harvesting it, though, proved impossible. Japanese fighter pilots took great pleasure in attacking and sinking even the smallest fishing boats. It was suicide to venture onto the water.
"Malnutrition was rampant. By early March, the physical fitness of the troops was so impaired they were unable to mount patrols, stage ambushes, or launch attacks. Weight loss was staggering, with each man losing thirty to fifty pounds.
"On March 11, MacArthur, following orders from Washington, fled Corregidor with his family and top aides. He made it safely to Australia, where he set up his command. Although he performed no acts of combat valor, as required by law, and left his troops behind, MacArthur was awarded the Medal of Honor for his gallant defense of the Philippines.
"The emaciated men he left on Bataan were in no condition to fight. They suffered from swelling joints, bleeding gums, numbness in feet and hands, low blood pressure, loss of body heat, shivers, shakes, and anemia so severe many could not walk. The malnutrition soon led to dysentery with diarrhea so debilitating the men often collapsed. Bataan was a malaria-infested province in peaceful times, and the war provided countless new targets for the mosquitoes. After being bitten, the men were hit with fever, sweats, and fits of chills. By the end of March, a thousand men a day were being infected with malaria. Most of the officers suffered from it. One general reported that only half of his command could fight. The other half were “so sick, hungry, and tired they could never hold a position or launch an attack.”"
What follows is a description, of Japanese guards having taken U.S. and philipino soldiers prisoners and the Bataan Death March, a horror that matches descriptions of Nazi concentration camps, with addition of tropical heat and more.
They were led to O'Donell in San Fernando. After a day in scorching heat, as usual, the Filipinos were separated from U.S. soldiers.
"General Ned King had been appointed by the commandant as the prisoner commander, and he met his men at a second gate. He shook their hands, welcomed them, and when they grouped around him he said, “You men remember this—you did not give up. I did. I did the surrendering. I surrendered you. You didn’t surrender. I’m the one who has the responsibility for that. You let me carry it. All I ask is that you obey the orders of the Japanese so that we don’t provoke the enemy any more than he already is.”"
"They were dying of starvation. On average, they were given fifteen hundred calories a day, about half of what they required. Added to the fact that most had been starving for four months on Bataan, the diet at O’Donnell was lethal, and intentionally so.
"Like water, food was plentiful in the Philippines."
"His new pal was Clay Wampler, a cowboy from Colorado who had been a machine gunner with the Thirty-First."
"The remnants of the Twenty-Sixth Cavalry were housed in the northeast compound, as far away from Pete as possible. .... April 9, the day of the surrender, the Twenty-Sixth had lost fourteen officers and about two hundred Scouts. At O’Donnell, thirty-six of the Americans were together, including Sal Moreno and Ewing Kane. Six of the missing were known dead, including Pete Banning. Others had evaded capture and were still at large, including Lieutenant Edwin Ramsey, the leader of the last cavalry charge at Morong. Ramsey was on his way to the mountains, where he would organize a guerrilla army."
They informed the families of officers known dead, and since Pete was last seen fallen, and Japs were known to finish off those fallen within earshot of those marching ahead, he was amongst those mentioned as missing in action, presumed dead.
Clay saved Pete from dying of malaria. Later, during his trial in Slant on, he arrived to help, and promised organising veterans for the purpose. As a reader would know, having read that part before this.
The family was informed by the army about Pete.
"Liza wanted nothing more than to go to her bedroom, lock the door, get under the covers, and cry herself to sleep. But that would be indulgent and was not an option. She had two wonderful children who now needed her more than ever, and while she wanted to collapse into a puddle of tears, she instead stiffened her spine and took the first step.
"“Joel, get in the truck and drive down to Florry’s. Bring her back here. Stop along the way and inform Nineva. Tell Jupe to get on a horse and spread the word among the Negroes.”
"Word spread rapidly enough, and within an hour the front yard was filled with cars and trucks. Liza would have preferred to spend the first night in quiet mourning with just her kids and Florry, but things were not done that way in the rural South. Dexter and Jackie Bell arrived in the first wave and spent a few moments alone with the Bannings."
One cannot but help recalling Bridge On The River Kwei reading this part.
"According to the master plan for defense of the Philippines, the air force commander, General Lewis Brereton, put his entire fleet on full alert. At 5:00 a.m., General Brereton arrived at MacArthur’s headquarters in Manila to request permission to mount a B-17 bomber strike on the Japanese airfields on Formosa, two hundred miles away. MacArthur’s chief of staff refused a meeting with the commander, saying he was too busy. The prewar plan was well established, well rehearsed, and called for such an attack immediately, but MacArthur had to give the final order to go. Instead, MacArthur did nothing. At 7:15, a panicked Brereton returned to the headquarters and again demanded an audience with the general. Again he was rebuffed, and told to “stand by for orders.” By then, Japanese reconnaissance planes were being spotted and reports of enemy aircraft were pouring into Brereton’s headquarters. At 10:00 a.m., an angry and frantic Brereton again demanded to see MacArthur. A meeting was refused, but Brereton was ordered to prepare for the attack. An hour later, Brereton ordered his bombers into the air, off the ground, to protect them from a Japanese attack. They began circling the islands, without bombs.
"When MacArthur finally ordered the attack, Brereton’s bombers were in the air and low on fuel. They immediately landed, along with the squadrons of fighters. At 11:30, all American aircraft were on the ground being refueled and armed. Ground crews were working frantically when the first wave of Japanese bombers arrived in perfect formations. At 11:35, they crossed the South China Sea and Clark Airfield came into view. The Japanese pilots were stunned. Below them were sixty B-17s and fighters parked in neat rows on the runways. At 11:45, the merciless bombing of Clark Field began, and within minutes the U.S. Army’s air force was almost entirely destroyed. Similar attacks were made simultaneously at other airfields. For reasons that would forever remain inexplicable, the Americans had been caught flat-footed. The damage was incalculable. With no air force to protect and resupply the troops, and with no reinforcements on the way, the Battle of the Philippines was decided only hours after it began.
"The Japanese were confident they could take the islands in thirty days. On December 22, a force of forty-three thousand elite troops came ashore at various landings and overwhelmed the resisting forces. During the first days of the invasion it appeared as if their confidence was well-founded. However, through sheer stubbornness and uncommon courage, the American and Filipino forces, with no hope of rescue or reinforcements, hung on for four brutal months."
Funny, one never heard a word of criticism of MacArthur, although republican propaganda against FDR is quite poisonous! And yet, without exception he was the best president of U.S. ever, which is saying little when one thinks in context of what he fought with what odds stacked against him!
"Conditions on Bataan rapidly deteriorated. For weeks the Americans and Filipinos fought with little food in their stomachs. The average soldier consumed two thousand calories a day, about half the number needed for hard combat. Their hunger was acute and the supplies were dwindling. This was primarily due to another inexplicable mistake by MacArthur. In his rush to solidify his forces on Bataan, he had left most of their food behind. In one warehouse alone, millions of bushels of rice had been abandoned, enough to feed his army for years. Many of his officers had begged him to stockpile food on Bataan, but he had refused to listen. When informed that his men were hungry and complaining bitterly, he placed all units on half rations. In a letter to his men he promised reinforcements. He wrote that “thousands of troops and hundreds of planes are being dispatched. The exact time of arrival of reinforcements is unknown.” But help was on the way.
"It was a lie. The Pacific Fleet had been severely crippled at Pearl Harbor and had nothing left to break the Japanese blockade. The Philippines was thoroughly isolated. Washington knew it, as did MacArthur."
"By February, there was not a single mango or banana left on Bataan and the men were eating grass and leaves. The Bataan Peninsula was surrounded by the South China Sea, known for its abundance of fish. Harvesting it, though, proved impossible. Japanese fighter pilots took great pleasure in attacking and sinking even the smallest fishing boats. It was suicide to venture onto the water.
"Malnutrition was rampant. By early March, the physical fitness of the troops was so impaired they were unable to mount patrols, stage ambushes, or launch attacks. Weight loss was staggering, with each man losing thirty to fifty pounds.
"On March 11, MacArthur, following orders from Washington, fled Corregidor with his family and top aides. He made it safely to Australia, where he set up his command. Although he performed no acts of combat valor, as required by law, and left his troops behind, MacArthur was awarded the Medal of Honor for his gallant defense of the Philippines.
"The emaciated men he left on Bataan were in no condition to fight. They suffered from swelling joints, bleeding gums, numbness in feet and hands, low blood pressure, loss of body heat, shivers, shakes, and anemia so severe many could not walk. The malnutrition soon led to dysentery with diarrhea so debilitating the men often collapsed. Bataan was a malaria-infested province in peaceful times, and the war provided countless new targets for the mosquitoes. After being bitten, the men were hit with fever, sweats, and fits of chills. By the end of March, a thousand men a day were being infected with malaria. Most of the officers suffered from it. One general reported that only half of his command could fight. The other half were “so sick, hungry, and tired they could never hold a position or launch an attack.”"
What follows is a description, of Japanese guards having taken U.S. and philipino soldiers prisoners and the Bataan Death March, a horror that matches descriptions of Nazi concentration camps, with addition of tropical heat and more.
They were led to O'Donell in San Fernando. After a day in scorching heat, as usual, the Filipinos were separated from U.S. soldiers.
"General Ned King had been appointed by the commandant as the prisoner commander, and he met his men at a second gate. He shook their hands, welcomed them, and when they grouped around him he said, “You men remember this—you did not give up. I did. I did the surrendering. I surrendered you. You didn’t surrender. I’m the one who has the responsibility for that. You let me carry it. All I ask is that you obey the orders of the Japanese so that we don’t provoke the enemy any more than he already is.”"
"They were dying of starvation. On average, they were given fifteen hundred calories a day, about half of what they required. Added to the fact that most had been starving for four months on Bataan, the diet at O’Donnell was lethal, and intentionally so.
"Like water, food was plentiful in the Philippines."
"His new pal was Clay Wampler, a cowboy from Colorado who had been a machine gunner with the Thirty-First."
"The remnants of the Twenty-Sixth Cavalry were housed in the northeast compound, as far away from Pete as possible. .... April 9, the day of the surrender, the Twenty-Sixth had lost fourteen officers and about two hundred Scouts. At O’Donnell, thirty-six of the Americans were together, including Sal Moreno and Ewing Kane. Six of the missing were known dead, including Pete Banning. Others had evaded capture and were still at large, including Lieutenant Edwin Ramsey, the leader of the last cavalry charge at Morong. Ramsey was on his way to the mountains, where he would organize a guerrilla army."
They informed the families of officers known dead, and since Pete was last seen fallen, and Japs were known to finish off those fallen within earshot of those marching ahead, he was amongst those mentioned as missing in action, presumed dead.
Clay saved Pete from dying of malaria. Later, during his trial in Slant on, he arrived to help, and promised organising veterans for the purpose. As a reader would know, having read that part before this.
................................................................................................
The family was informed by the army about Pete.
"Liza wanted nothing more than to go to her bedroom, lock the door, get under the covers, and cry herself to sleep. But that would be indulgent and was not an option. She had two wonderful children who now needed her more than ever, and while she wanted to collapse into a puddle of tears, she instead stiffened her spine and took the first step.
"“Joel, get in the truck and drive down to Florry’s. Bring her back here. Stop along the way and inform Nineva. Tell Jupe to get on a horse and spread the word among the Negroes.”
"Word spread rapidly enough, and within an hour the front yard was filled with cars and trucks. Liza would have preferred to spend the first night in quiet mourning with just her kids and Florry, but things were not done that way in the rural South. Dexter and Jackie Bell arrived in the first wave and spent a few moments alone with the Bannings."
................................................................................................
Pete and Clay were among those taken from O'Donnell to be shipped to Japan for working in coal mines.
"The emperor Hirohito refused to ratify the Geneva Convention, and from the beginning of its war in Asia his imperial army treated its captured prisoners as slaves. With a severe shortage of labor at home, the Japanese devised a grand scheme to ship American POWs to the coal mines on their mainland. To do so, they used every available cargo vessel, regardless of age and seaworthiness. All ships were commissioned and stuffed with soldiers bound for the Philippines and then restuffed with sick and dying American boys bound for the labor camps.
"Throughout the war, 125,000 Allied prisoners were shipped to Japan, with 21,000 dying on board or going down with the ships. On August 6, 1945, four hundred American POWs were underground digging for coal in a mine near Omine, only fifty miles from Hiroshima. When the first atomic bomb landed, the ground rolled and shook and they knew it was something far beyond the usual daily bombings. They fervently prayed it was the beginning of the end.
"Among their many great miscalculations in the war, the Japanese failed to build enough boats to haul troops and supplies. Added to this was their failure to eliminate the U.S. submarine fleet at Pearl Harbor and elsewhere during the early days of the war. By the summer of 1942, U.S. subs were roaming like lone wolves in the South Pacific and feasting on Japanese merchant ships. To overcompensate, the Japanese simply crammed more of their soldiers onto their ships to go fight, and more of their POWs to bring home to work. Their freighters were perpetually overloaded, slow, outdated, easily stalked, and unmarked.
"They were known as hellships. Between January of 1942 and July of 1945, the Japanese hauled 156 loads of war prisoners to the mainland to work in labor camps, and the voyages were worse than any abuse the Americans had yet to encounter. Locked below deck with no food, water, lights, toilets, or breathable air, the men succumbed to fainting, madness, and death.
"And torpedoes. Because the Japanese did not mark their troop carriers, they were fair game for Allied submarines. An estimated five thousand American POWs crammed into the holds of Japanese freighters were killed by American torpedoes."
Pete and Clay jumped off when their ship was hit, and rescued by a Filipino fishing boat, fed and taken to land. They'd chosen fighting. They managed to find camp of the guerrillas and the few U.S. soldiers among them. They met their commander, a British war hero of WWI, General Bernard Granger, and admired him from first.
MacArthur took credit for their exploits when news reached Australia.
"When news of the Stotsenburg raid reached Australia, General MacArthur was ecstatic. He immediately cabled President Roosevelt and, characteristically, took full credit for an operation he knew nothing about until a week after it was over. He wrote that “my commandos” executed “my detailed plan” with incredible brazenness and bravery and suffered only minor losses. His guerrilla forces were striking the Japanese in similar raids throughout Luzon, and he was orchestrating all manner of havoc behind enemy lines."
By the time U.S. troops were in the vicinity, Pete and other guerrillas under General Granger had done much, including blowing up a difficult bridge, which subsequently had Pete injured in legs and some men missing. He was brought by clay and other men carrying him to Granger's location, and he was treated, but they lacked the equipment. Later they connected with U.S. forces and he was brought back to us after immediate treatment in field in Philippines, and called home from San Francisco. Liza came to see him, brought the children next, and then he was sent to a hospital in Jackson before coming home.
Pete had left land and house to children, and other assets in trust to Liza, and Joel badgered the lawyer Wilbanks into having him appointed as Liza's guardian. The two went and met the doctor, who was not unfriendly this time.
"“Eighteen months ago our mother was fine, or at least she certainly appeared to be. Now she’s suffering from what sounds like a severe nervous breakdown. What happened, Doctor? What caused this?”
"Hilsabeck was shaking his head. “I don’t know. But I agree with you in that it was something traumatic. From what I gather, Liza and the family managed to survive the news that your father was missing and presumed dead. His return was a joyous event, one that I’m sure brought great happiness, not severe depression. Something happened. But, as I said, she is not very cooperative and refuses to go into her past. It’s quite frustrating, really, and I fear that we may not be able to help her until she is willing to talk.”"
They met their mother, who was happy to see them, and spent the day. The doctor asked them to return next day, so they checked into a hotel in Jackson. But meanwhile, Errol McLeish filed a suit against the estate for half a million dollars on behalf of Jackie Bell, using a Tupelo lawyer and the federal court in Oxford. The children wanted to take a break, but Florrie insisted they go on and convinced them. Joel joined law school in Oxford.
...............................................................................................
The case in federal court had Joel attending, and Burch Dunlap as the Mississippi lawyer argued. John Wilbanks told Joel they should consider settling.
"Errol McLeish scoffed at the suggestion that Jackie settle so cheaply. Nor would they consider $25,000. McLeish wanted it all—the land, the house, the livestock, the people who worked there—and he had a plan to get it.
"Late in February, he and Jackie drove to Oxford and checked into a hotel on the square. Same room, though they were not yet married."
Burch Dunlap used every trick possible in court, including making it seem that it was about a rich man killing a poor preacher, while his rich kids were grudging the poor orphans some security.
"Judge Stratton had presided over many trials, and he had a hunch this jury would not take long. He sent them away at 6:00 p.m. and adjourned court. An hour later, the jury was ready.
"In a unanimous verdict, it found Pete Banning and his estate liable for the death of Dexter Bell, and awarded $50,000 in actual damages and $50,000 in punitive damages."
Joel met Hilsabeck, who wanted to discuss Liza. They spoke about the reasons why she wasn't recovering, and both suspected a connection with Dexter Bell. Hilsabeck suggested Joel ask the workers at home. Joel had to keep on until Nineva spoke.
"Nineva grimaced and rubbed her temples as if coaxing something painful from her memory. Softly, she said, “There was one time.”
"“Let’s have it, Nineva,” Joel said, on the verge of a breakthrough.
"“She said she had to go to Memphis, said her mother was in the hospital there and in real bad shape. Said she had cancer. Anyways, she wanted the preacher to go visit with her mother in her last days. Said her mother had drifted away from the church and now that she was at the end she really wanted to talk to a preacher to, you know, get things right with God. And since Liza thought so much of Dexter Bell she wanted him to do the Lord’s work with her mother in Memphis. Liza hated to drive, as you know, and so she told me one day that she and the preacher would leave early the next day, after you and Stella got off to school, and go to Memphis. Just the two of them. And they did. And I didn’t think anything about it. Reverend Bell came in that morning, by hisself, and I fixed him a cup of coffee, and the three of us sat right here and he even said a little prayer asking God for safe travels up there and back, and for His healin’ hand on Liza’s mother. It was real touchin’, as I remember. I thought nothin’ of it. Liza told me not to tell you kids about it because she didn’t want you worryin’ about your grandmother, so I said nothin’. They took off and they were gone all day and came back at dark. Liza said she was carsick and had an upset stomach and went to bed. She didn’t feel good for a few days after that, said she thought she caught somethin’ at the hospital in Memphis.”"
They discussed it, it had been in fall of 1943, a year and half after army had informed them that Pete was missing, presumed dead; Liza's mother was alive, and if she'd had cancer Liza should have visited with children, instead of asking Nineva to keep it from them. Joel knew there was more.
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The second case was in Clanton, and the town wasn't sympathetic about a non state resident attempting to deprive a family of land that had been theirs for over a century.
"Jackie Bell and Errol McLeish left the courtroom without a word to anyone and went straight to the car. They drove to a home a few miles from town and lunched with her closest friend from the Clanton days. Myra was her source of gossip and information about who was saying what in church and in the town, and she didn’t like the new preacher, Dexter’s replacement. Few in the church liked him and she had a list of grievances. The truth was that everyone missed Dexter, even now, almost two years after his death.
"Nor did Myra like Errol McLeish either. He had shifty eyes and a soft handshake, and he had a quiet way of manipulating Jackie. Even though he was a lawyer who owned properties and put on airs about money, Myra suspected that his real objective was Jackie and whatever she might get out of the Bannings.
"He had far too much influence over Jackie, who, in Myra’s opinion, was still fragile from her tragedy. Myra had voiced this concern, confidentially of course, to other ladies in the church. There were already rumors that Jackie had designs on the Banning land and fine home, and that McLeish would be calling the shots.
"A source at the Bedford Hotel leaked the gossip that they signed into one room as Mr. and Mrs. Errol McLeish, though Jackie had assured Myra she had no plans to get married.
Two unmarried adults in the same hotel room in downtown Clanton. And one was the preacher’s widow."
Pete and Clay were among those taken from O'Donnell to be shipped to Japan for working in coal mines.
"The emperor Hirohito refused to ratify the Geneva Convention, and from the beginning of its war in Asia his imperial army treated its captured prisoners as slaves. With a severe shortage of labor at home, the Japanese devised a grand scheme to ship American POWs to the coal mines on their mainland. To do so, they used every available cargo vessel, regardless of age and seaworthiness. All ships were commissioned and stuffed with soldiers bound for the Philippines and then restuffed with sick and dying American boys bound for the labor camps.
"Throughout the war, 125,000 Allied prisoners were shipped to Japan, with 21,000 dying on board or going down with the ships. On August 6, 1945, four hundred American POWs were underground digging for coal in a mine near Omine, only fifty miles from Hiroshima. When the first atomic bomb landed, the ground rolled and shook and they knew it was something far beyond the usual daily bombings. They fervently prayed it was the beginning of the end.
"Among their many great miscalculations in the war, the Japanese failed to build enough boats to haul troops and supplies. Added to this was their failure to eliminate the U.S. submarine fleet at Pearl Harbor and elsewhere during the early days of the war. By the summer of 1942, U.S. subs were roaming like lone wolves in the South Pacific and feasting on Japanese merchant ships. To overcompensate, the Japanese simply crammed more of their soldiers onto their ships to go fight, and more of their POWs to bring home to work. Their freighters were perpetually overloaded, slow, outdated, easily stalked, and unmarked.
"They were known as hellships. Between January of 1942 and July of 1945, the Japanese hauled 156 loads of war prisoners to the mainland to work in labor camps, and the voyages were worse than any abuse the Americans had yet to encounter. Locked below deck with no food, water, lights, toilets, or breathable air, the men succumbed to fainting, madness, and death.
"And torpedoes. Because the Japanese did not mark their troop carriers, they were fair game for Allied submarines. An estimated five thousand American POWs crammed into the holds of Japanese freighters were killed by American torpedoes."
Pete and Clay jumped off when their ship was hit, and rescued by a Filipino fishing boat, fed and taken to land. They'd chosen fighting. They managed to find camp of the guerrillas and the few U.S. soldiers among them. They met their commander, a British war hero of WWI, General Bernard Granger, and admired him from first.
MacArthur took credit for their exploits when news reached Australia.
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"When news of the Stotsenburg raid reached Australia, General MacArthur was ecstatic. He immediately cabled President Roosevelt and, characteristically, took full credit for an operation he knew nothing about until a week after it was over. He wrote that “my commandos” executed “my detailed plan” with incredible brazenness and bravery and suffered only minor losses. His guerrilla forces were striking the Japanese in similar raids throughout Luzon, and he was orchestrating all manner of havoc behind enemy lines."
By the time U.S. troops were in the vicinity, Pete and other guerrillas under General Granger had done much, including blowing up a difficult bridge, which subsequently had Pete injured in legs and some men missing. He was brought by clay and other men carrying him to Granger's location, and he was treated, but they lacked the equipment. Later they connected with U.S. forces and he was brought back to us after immediate treatment in field in Philippines, and called home from San Francisco. Liza came to see him, brought the children next, and then he was sent to a hospital in Jackson before coming home.
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Pete had left land and house to children, and other assets in trust to Liza, and Joel badgered the lawyer Wilbanks into having him appointed as Liza's guardian. The two went and met the doctor, who was not unfriendly this time.
"“Eighteen months ago our mother was fine, or at least she certainly appeared to be. Now she’s suffering from what sounds like a severe nervous breakdown. What happened, Doctor? What caused this?”
"Hilsabeck was shaking his head. “I don’t know. But I agree with you in that it was something traumatic. From what I gather, Liza and the family managed to survive the news that your father was missing and presumed dead. His return was a joyous event, one that I’m sure brought great happiness, not severe depression. Something happened. But, as I said, she is not very cooperative and refuses to go into her past. It’s quite frustrating, really, and I fear that we may not be able to help her until she is willing to talk.”"
They met their mother, who was happy to see them, and spent the day. The doctor asked them to return next day, so they checked into a hotel in Jackson. But meanwhile, Errol McLeish filed a suit against the estate for half a million dollars on behalf of Jackie Bell, using a Tupelo lawyer and the federal court in Oxford. The children wanted to take a break, but Florrie insisted they go on and convinced them. Joel joined law school in Oxford.
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The case in federal court had Joel attending, and Burch Dunlap as the Mississippi lawyer argued. John Wilbanks told Joel they should consider settling.
"Errol McLeish scoffed at the suggestion that Jackie settle so cheaply. Nor would they consider $25,000. McLeish wanted it all—the land, the house, the livestock, the people who worked there—and he had a plan to get it.
"Late in February, he and Jackie drove to Oxford and checked into a hotel on the square. Same room, though they were not yet married."
Burch Dunlap used every trick possible in court, including making it seem that it was about a rich man killing a poor preacher, while his rich kids were grudging the poor orphans some security.
"Judge Stratton had presided over many trials, and he had a hunch this jury would not take long. He sent them away at 6:00 p.m. and adjourned court. An hour later, the jury was ready.
"In a unanimous verdict, it found Pete Banning and his estate liable for the death of Dexter Bell, and awarded $50,000 in actual damages and $50,000 in punitive damages."
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Joel met Hilsabeck, who wanted to discuss Liza. They spoke about the reasons why she wasn't recovering, and both suspected a connection with Dexter Bell. Hilsabeck suggested Joel ask the workers at home. Joel had to keep on until Nineva spoke.
"Nineva grimaced and rubbed her temples as if coaxing something painful from her memory. Softly, she said, “There was one time.”
"“Let’s have it, Nineva,” Joel said, on the verge of a breakthrough.
"“She said she had to go to Memphis, said her mother was in the hospital there and in real bad shape. Said she had cancer. Anyways, she wanted the preacher to go visit with her mother in her last days. Said her mother had drifted away from the church and now that she was at the end she really wanted to talk to a preacher to, you know, get things right with God. And since Liza thought so much of Dexter Bell she wanted him to do the Lord’s work with her mother in Memphis. Liza hated to drive, as you know, and so she told me one day that she and the preacher would leave early the next day, after you and Stella got off to school, and go to Memphis. Just the two of them. And they did. And I didn’t think anything about it. Reverend Bell came in that morning, by hisself, and I fixed him a cup of coffee, and the three of us sat right here and he even said a little prayer asking God for safe travels up there and back, and for His healin’ hand on Liza’s mother. It was real touchin’, as I remember. I thought nothin’ of it. Liza told me not to tell you kids about it because she didn’t want you worryin’ about your grandmother, so I said nothin’. They took off and they were gone all day and came back at dark. Liza said she was carsick and had an upset stomach and went to bed. She didn’t feel good for a few days after that, said she thought she caught somethin’ at the hospital in Memphis.”"
They discussed it, it had been in fall of 1943, a year and half after army had informed them that Pete was missing, presumed dead; Liza's mother was alive, and if she'd had cancer Liza should have visited with children, instead of asking Nineva to keep it from them. Joel knew there was more.
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The second case was in Clanton, and the town wasn't sympathetic about a non state resident attempting to deprive a family of land that had been theirs for over a century.
"Jackie Bell and Errol McLeish left the courtroom without a word to anyone and went straight to the car. They drove to a home a few miles from town and lunched with her closest friend from the Clanton days. Myra was her source of gossip and information about who was saying what in church and in the town, and she didn’t like the new preacher, Dexter’s replacement. Few in the church liked him and she had a list of grievances. The truth was that everyone missed Dexter, even now, almost two years after his death.
"Nor did Myra like Errol McLeish either. He had shifty eyes and a soft handshake, and he had a quiet way of manipulating Jackie. Even though he was a lawyer who owned properties and put on airs about money, Myra suspected that his real objective was Jackie and whatever she might get out of the Bannings.
"He had far too much influence over Jackie, who, in Myra’s opinion, was still fragile from her tragedy. Myra had voiced this concern, confidentially of course, to other ladies in the church. There were already rumors that Jackie had designs on the Banning land and fine home, and that McLeish would be calling the shots.
"A source at the Bedford Hotel leaked the gossip that they signed into one room as Mr. and Mrs. Errol McLeish, though Jackie had assured Myra she had no plans to get married.
Two unmarried adults in the same hotel room in downtown Clanton. And one was the preacher’s widow."
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Joel and Stella travelled to visit Liza's parents, and under guise of a paper Stella was working on, discussed family health history.
Liza's mother had never had any health problems and had never visited a hospital except for births of her children.
The court cases went against the banning family eventually on appeals, and they stood to lose home and lands and farm. Errol McLeish argued for taking even the land that belonged to Florry, and wouldn't hear of letting the banning keep even their home - Jackie Bell wanted it.
Liza escaped and came home one night, having planned it well. She called Florry, who came over, and Liza spoke to her. Later while Florry was asleep she walked over to the family graveyard, and resting on Pete's grave, finished her life.
Joel and Stella travelled to visit Liza's parents, and under guise of a paper Stella was working on, discussed family health history.
Liza's mother had never had any health problems and had never visited a hospital except for births of her children.
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The court cases went against the banning family eventually on appeals, and they stood to lose home and lands and farm. Errol McLeish argued for taking even the land that belonged to Florry, and wouldn't hear of letting the banning keep even their home - Jackie Bell wanted it.
Liza escaped and came home one night, having planned it well. She called Florry, who came over, and Liza spoke to her. Later while Florry was asleep she walked over to the family graveyard, and resting on Pete's grave, finished her life.
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"In the spirit of the season, and with the promise of a brighter future, Jackie Bell and Errol McLeish were married in a small ceremony two days before Christmas. Her three children were dressed up and proud, and a few friends joined them in the small chapel behind an Episcopal church.
"Her parents were not invited. They did not approve of the marriage, because they did not trust Errol McLeish and his motives. Her father had insisted that she consult with a lawyer before the marriage, but she refused. McLeish was far too involved with her lawsuits and her money and she was certainly being set up for financial disaster, according to her father."
"Jackie was thrilled with the plan to leave Rome and return to Clanton. She needed space from her parents, and more important, she was eager to assume ownership of the Banning home. She had been there many times and never dreamed it would one day belong to her. After a life in cramped parsonages and rentals, a life where every house was too small and too temporary, she, Jackie Bell, was about to own one of the finest homes in Ford County."
They took over, evicted Nineva and Amos, and planned to charge the field hands rent for their poor shanties and also cut their wages.
Florry was now living in New Orleans with her friend Twyla who had plenty of room, but Florry had a series of heart attacks, and Twyla called Joel and Stella and said she'd told Florry to tell them the stories their parents had told her, each before their deaths.
She first told them what Pete had told her. When he returned from the war, she seemed unwilling to resume marital relations, and this was completely opposite to how they had been together. She said she'd had a miscarriage after he left for Pacific, but then he recalled he was injured the month before, and if she'd had a miscarriage after three months Nineva would have known. Nineva said there was no pregnancy or miscarriage that time. So Pete hired a detective and gave photographs of Liza and Dexter Bell, whom he suspected, because Pete had always thought he was a womanizer and had heard rumours about a young woman.
The detective found a doctor who recognised the photographs and wanted substantial amount of money. Pete paid him two thousand dollars to find out that Liza had had an abortion in 1943, which explained the visit to Memphis that Nineva had told Joel about.
"“So he confronted her?” Joel asked.
"“He did. He picked the right moment, and ambushed her with the proof. The result was a complete and total breakdown. Nervous breakdown, emotional breakdown, call it whatever the doctors want to call it. She admitted everything: the affair, the abortion, the infection that wouldn’t go away. She begged for forgiveness, again and again. In fact, she never stopped begging for forgiveness, and he never offered it. He never got over it. He’d come so close to death so many times, but he kept going because of her, and you. And to think that she was having fun with Dexter Bell was more than he could stand. He saw John Wilbanks. They went to the judge. She was committed to Whitfield, and she did not resist. She knew she needed help, and she had to get away from him. Once she was gone, he tried to go about his business, but he reached a point where that was not possible.”"
But Liza had told a different story. It wasn't Dexter Bell, it was June, the son of Amos and Nineva who was the man Liza had been with. It was consensual and unplanned, but they continued, and Liza had got pregnant.
"“Please continue.”
"“Okay, I’m trying, kids. This is not easy. Anyway, the frolicking came to an end when Liza realized she was pregnant. For a month or so she was in denial, but then she started to show and realized Nineva or someone else would get suspicious. She was in a panic, as you might guess. Her first idea was to do what white women have always done when they get caught—scream rape. That puts the blame somewhere else and makes it easier to take care of the pregnancy. She was at her wit’s end when she decided to confide in Dexter Bell, a man she could trust. He never touched her in a bad way. He was always the kind, compassionate pastor who provided comfort. Dexter convinced her not to go through with the rape story, and in doing so saved Jupe’s life. They would’ve strung the boy up in a heartbeat. At about the same time, word got to Nineva and Amos about the grandson and the boss lady carrying on. They were terrified and got him out of town.”"
Florry asked the children to not think Liza was bad - as far as she had known, she'd been a widow then for over a year. If she'd known that Pete might be alive, Florry assured the children, she'd never have looked at anyone.
"In the spirit of the season, and with the promise of a brighter future, Jackie Bell and Errol McLeish were married in a small ceremony two days before Christmas. Her three children were dressed up and proud, and a few friends joined them in the small chapel behind an Episcopal church.
"Her parents were not invited. They did not approve of the marriage, because they did not trust Errol McLeish and his motives. Her father had insisted that she consult with a lawyer before the marriage, but she refused. McLeish was far too involved with her lawsuits and her money and she was certainly being set up for financial disaster, according to her father."
"Jackie was thrilled with the plan to leave Rome and return to Clanton. She needed space from her parents, and more important, she was eager to assume ownership of the Banning home. She had been there many times and never dreamed it would one day belong to her. After a life in cramped parsonages and rentals, a life where every house was too small and too temporary, she, Jackie Bell, was about to own one of the finest homes in Ford County."
They took over, evicted Nineva and Amos, and planned to charge the field hands rent for their poor shanties and also cut their wages.
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Florry was now living in New Orleans with her friend Twyla who had plenty of room, but Florry had a series of heart attacks, and Twyla called Joel and Stella and said she'd told Florry to tell them the stories their parents had told her, each before their deaths.
She first told them what Pete had told her. When he returned from the war, she seemed unwilling to resume marital relations, and this was completely opposite to how they had been together. She said she'd had a miscarriage after he left for Pacific, but then he recalled he was injured the month before, and if she'd had a miscarriage after three months Nineva would have known. Nineva said there was no pregnancy or miscarriage that time. So Pete hired a detective and gave photographs of Liza and Dexter Bell, whom he suspected, because Pete had always thought he was a womanizer and had heard rumours about a young woman.
The detective found a doctor who recognised the photographs and wanted substantial amount of money. Pete paid him two thousand dollars to find out that Liza had had an abortion in 1943, which explained the visit to Memphis that Nineva had told Joel about.
"“So he confronted her?” Joel asked.
"“He did. He picked the right moment, and ambushed her with the proof. The result was a complete and total breakdown. Nervous breakdown, emotional breakdown, call it whatever the doctors want to call it. She admitted everything: the affair, the abortion, the infection that wouldn’t go away. She begged for forgiveness, again and again. In fact, she never stopped begging for forgiveness, and he never offered it. He never got over it. He’d come so close to death so many times, but he kept going because of her, and you. And to think that she was having fun with Dexter Bell was more than he could stand. He saw John Wilbanks. They went to the judge. She was committed to Whitfield, and she did not resist. She knew she needed help, and she had to get away from him. Once she was gone, he tried to go about his business, but he reached a point where that was not possible.”"
But Liza had told a different story. It wasn't Dexter Bell, it was June, the son of Amos and Nineva who was the man Liza had been with. It was consensual and unplanned, but they continued, and Liza had got pregnant.
"“Please continue.”
"“Okay, I’m trying, kids. This is not easy. Anyway, the frolicking came to an end when Liza realized she was pregnant. For a month or so she was in denial, but then she started to show and realized Nineva or someone else would get suspicious. She was in a panic, as you might guess. Her first idea was to do what white women have always done when they get caught—scream rape. That puts the blame somewhere else and makes it easier to take care of the pregnancy. She was at her wit’s end when she decided to confide in Dexter Bell, a man she could trust. He never touched her in a bad way. He was always the kind, compassionate pastor who provided comfort. Dexter convinced her not to go through with the rape story, and in doing so saved Jupe’s life. They would’ve strung the boy up in a heartbeat. At about the same time, word got to Nineva and Amos about the grandson and the boss lady carrying on. They were terrified and got him out of town.”"
Florry asked the children to not think Liza was bad - as far as she had known, she'd been a widow then for over a year. If she'd known that Pete might be alive, Florry assured the children, she'd never have looked at anyone.
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February 07, 2020 - February 12, 2020.
eBook ISBN 978 1 473 68440 9
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