page1 (1/2)

A PREFACE TO TRIAL

BY ALEX CROSS

A few er halfway around the world, I began to think seriously about a book I had been wanting to write for years I even had the title for it: Trial The previous book I’d written was about the role of forensic psychology in the capture of the serial killer Gary Soneji Trial would be very different, and in so

Oral history is very randina Cross, who is known in our household and our neighborhood as Nana Mama Nana’s famous stories cover the five decades when she was a teacher in Washington—the difficulties she faced during those years of civil rights turmoil, but also countless tales passed on from times before she was alive

One of these stories—and it is the one that stayed with me the most—involved an uncle of hers as born and lived most of his life in the small town of Eudora, Mississippi This man, Abraham Cross, was one of the finest baseball players of that era and once played for the Philadelphia Pythians Abraharandfather to ettable and best-loved characters in our family history

What I now feel co the time that Theodore Roosevelt was president, the early part of the twentieth century I believe it is a story that helps illury, hurt, and lost in this country, even today I also think it is important to keep this story alive for my family, and hopefully for yours

The ton, a sood fortune that Corbett kept first-person journals of his incredible experiences, including a trial that took place in Eudora A few years before he died, Mr Corbett gave those journals to Moody Eventua

lly they wound up in randmother’s hands My suspicion is that what happened in Mississippi was too personal and painful for Corbett to turn into a book But I have come to believe that there has never been a better time for this story to be told

Part One

A GOOD MAN IS HARD TO FIND

Chapter 1

“LET HER HANG until she’s dead!”

“Take her out and hang her now! I’ll do it myself!”

Bam! Bam! Bam!