The Lost Story of Emmett Till: Trial in the Delta

foreign the Carefree boy from the south side of Chicago I've never had a little Dan's life I've never seen him angry full of fun all of that he was a happy kid he was a jokester he loved to make people laugh and it turned 14 on July 25th 1955 and three weeks later on August 20th he and his best friend and cousin wheeler Parker and his great Uncle Moses Wright left Chicago to visit family in the Mississippi Delta once we find out that Emmett and Wheeler was coming to Mississippi man that was that was something we just get so much joy to see someone from the north to come down to visit four days into that trip Emmett made what turned out to be a deadly misstep in the staunchly segregated state he whistled at a white woman Carol and Brian Emmett whistle at her he gave this Wolf's wolf whistle and man we could have died I mean it just we couldn't believe it it scared us half to death but we couldn't get out of town fast enough it was time to go because this is a death sentence that was on Wednesday August 24th when nothing happened the next day or the day after that or even the day after that they all forgot about it after you know Thursday passed and Friday passed and nothing happened we forgot all about it I didn't think anymore about it but in the early morning hours of August 28th about 2 30 I hear them talking and I saw that we call this big ball-headed man coming in with a pistol and a flashlight and they recognized that I wasn't the one so they went on through the house so I'm getting ready to die if you're gonna kill us right now I was in the bed with Emmett and uh the noise they you know woke me up and you just got the pistol told me to lay back down and go to sleep I know what the situation man nobody in the house could help so I started praying and when my mother came in there and she was half talking and half pleading with them to leave them alone that she would give them money to leave them alone they don't find out it was JW minor you ought to me to lay back down and go back to sleep and he made him to get up dress and March them out to the truck they might see him and I am it didn't say one word it was pure hell I mean he was just it was horrible that was the last time anyone in the family saw Emmett Till alive later that same day August 28th Moses Wright reported Emmett missing to the leflore county sheriff's office he mentioned a Mr Bryant had come to the house George Smith visited Roy Bryant to interrogate him about the incident [Music] Roy Bryan admitted that he had taken Emmett from his home and let him loose taking him from his home was enough to establish kidnapping and he was arrested that next day Monday August 29th J.W Milam is also arrested while he was visiting his half-brother Roy Bryant in jail I guess the family was concerned about what Roy might do Under Pressure in the jail and J.W Milam apparently visited him in the jail intending to get arrested so he could keep an eye on him then on August 31 first a 17 year old boy fishing in the Tallahatchie River saw two knees and feet sticking out of the water he later learned a gin fan was attached to the body with barbed wire Emmett Till was so mutilated when they pulled him out of the the river that he wasn't immediately recognizable the body was barely decompose very much it had a blow about the head they did call his Uncle Moses Wright to the scene to see if he could identify the body and he said he believed it was Emmett Till but he wasn't sure he said well what about the ring Emmett left Chicago with his late father's ring it was silver engraved with the date May 25 1943 and the initials LT for Lewis till when Sheriff brought the ring out and was showing it to my dad and I said that's mobile that's what we call it on Friday September 2nd two weeks after arriving in Mississippi Emmett Till would finally go home his brutalized remains immortalized in an iconic photograph published in Jet magazine and ultimately seen around the world I mean the world needed this shock they needed it I think it really let us see the ugly monster that race hatred is it's almost as if it was embodied in in his appearance in his physical appearance because it is a monster as Emmett made his way home Roy Bryan and J.W Milam awaited trial for his murder that trial began 17 days later on Monday September 19th me [Music] listening [Music] thank you [Music] all right the honorable Judge Curtis m f Wango Jr provided you may be seated we are here today in the case of the state of Mississippi versus J.W Milam and Roy Bryant we have our jury and panel and the defendants are each represented by Council Mr Chatham you uh require any preliminary statement no sir and please call your first Witness we'd like to call Moe's ride to the stand please raise your right hand you swear to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth will help you go I do will you state your name for the jury please Moe's right Uncle Moe's where do you live money is that money Mississippi yes sir Uncle Moses are you a married man yes sir what kind of family do you live in Uncle Moe's oh I have 12. what kind of house do you have Uncle Moe's uh we live in a six-room house now specifically on the night of August 27th who was there with you at your home at bedtime well there was my two grandsons in Emmett Till my nephew I am his uncle and also my wife and two sons Uncle Moe's tell the jury about what time that Saturday night you and your family went to bed well my wife was already in bed me and my sons went to bed about one o'clock now I want you to tell the jury in which room of your house did Emmett Till go to bed the East room and who went to bed with them until that night a Simeon my baby and Simeon and Emmett Till were the only two boys in that room that right that's right now Uncle Moe's after you and your family went to bed that night I want you to tell the jury if any person or person's called about your home that night and if they did what time was it about two o'clock now what was the first thing that attracted your attention to the idea that there was someone about your presence well there was someone at the door and he was saying preacher preacher and then I said who is it and he said this is Mr Brian now I want to talk to you and that boy do you know Mr Bryant I just known him since he came up here I couldn't see him that night so well um only because of that flashlight there and I could see that it was another man um Mr Milam but I know Mr Milam you know Mr Milam do you uh I sure do and then what did you do I got up and I opened the door and what did you see when you opened the door well Mr Milan was standing there and he had a pistol in his right hand and a flashlight in his left hand now stop there a minute miss the most I want you to point out Mr Milam if you see him here today there he is and do you see Mr Bryant now tell the jury Uncle moles when you open that door and you looked out there and you saw Mr Milam and Mr Bryant there where were they standing we object to that Gianna he said he didn't recognize him out there he said he saw just a flashlight the objective would be sustained when did you see those two men that night that was about two o'clock in the morning and when the first man called out to you Uncle moles did he tell you who it was he sure did and who did he say it was he said this is Mr Bryant and do you see the man here in this courtroom now who was standing there on your porch that night that said he was Mr Bryant I sure do we object to that Gianna he said he didn't recognize him sustained now uncle Mose what did you say J.W Milam had in his hand that night when he was standing down your porch he had a pistol in his right hand and a flashlight in his left hand and what did he say to you he asked me if I had two boys there from Chicago and what did you say I said yes sir and will you tell the jury who those boys were a Wheeler Parker my grandson and Emmett Till how long have they been visiting in your home they was there a week and after you told Mr Milam and Mr Bryant that you did have two boys there from Chicago and that they were in your home what did they say and do then they said they wanted to see that boy that done that talking down in money and after Mr Milam and Mr Bryant got in your home that night tell the jury what you did we went to the first room and he wasn't there then we went past the second door and in the second room him and Simeon was in there sleeping a what if anything was said by Mr Milam or Mr Bryant to Emmett Till Mr Milam said for him to get up and what did he have in his hand then he had the pistol and the flashlight and what did Emmett Till do he got up and got dressed and what happened after that Uncle Moe's well they started out and then he asked me if I knew anybody there and I told him no sir I don't know you and then he asked me how old I was and I said I was 64. and then he said to me if you know anybody here you will not live to see 65. and did they leave out your house with Emmett Till yes sir and when they went did either Mr Bryant or Mr Milam have anything to say to your wife yes sir they did and what did they say well she had just gotten out of bed and he told her to get back in the bed and I want to hear them spring he said he wanted to hear the Springs yes sir and what did she do then well she got back in bed and did Mr Milam still have the pistol in his hand then he kept it in his hand all the time before Mr Milam and Mr Bryant got out of your house with Emmett Till I want you to tell the court and the jury if either you or your wife tried to induce them not to carry that boy out yes sir we did go ahead and tell the jury what was said well my wife she said we'll pay you whatever you want just release him let him go and what do they say they didn't say a word now what if anything did you see out there when Mr Milam and Mr Brian took Emmett Till out in front of your house I saw a car before Mr Milam or Mr Bryant got to the car with Emmett Till did you hear them make any statement or ask any question of anybody in that car yes sir I did will you tell the jury what it was well someone in the car asked if that was the boy and they said yes was that a man's voice or a lady's voice it seemed a little lighter than a man and what did they do with Emmett Till after they received that response from that person who was in that car if he knows your honor they drove off to money did you watch that cause they drove off towards money well I stood on the porch for maybe another 20 minutes have you since that night ever seen Emmett Till alive no sir did Mr Bryant or Mr Milam bring up it back to your home that night no sir now tell the court in the jury when was the next time was you saw Emmett Till I saw him when he was taken out of the river and when you saw him until was he living or dead he was dead they had him on the boat I want you to tell the jury whether or not you could tell whose body that was yes sir and who was it Emmett Till and when you first saw the body Uncle moles did you notice whether or not they had taken a ring off of Emmett's finger yes sir and was the ring taken off his finger in your presence yes sir well what did you do after that Uncle Moe's with reference to the body The Undertaker man took it back to Greenwood is that Chester Miller yes sir and what did Mr Miller do with the ring he put it on the seat till I asked for it and did he give it to you that's right now I hand you a ring on camos and I ask you to tell the court and the jury if that is the ring the Chester Miller took off the finger of Emmett Till and gave to you that morning thank you yes sir it is take the witness now Moe's when they uh came to your house that night as you say uh well was Mr Milam he was standing right there at the door and he had a flashlight in his left hand is that right yes sir and where was this a flashlight pointed it was out like this and did he uh ever turn it on his own face well he had it something like that when he was going through the house and when you started through the house you looked at them did you yes sir well then how did you know what boy they were looking for I heard someone say that this boy had done something or done some talking down in money you already knew about it then did you yes sir I sure did well then had you talked to Emmett about it I sure did we object to that sustained did you punish Emmett for that we object your honor the objection is sustained you say that one of the men asked you to turn the lights on that night yes sir but you didn't turn the lights on no sir I didn't now did you ever see this man that you pointed out as Mr Bryant and did you ever see the light shining on his face that night I did not and the first time you ever saw him was in this courtroom wasn't it the first time I saw his face that's right now let's go back to um Mr Milam shall we have you ever seen Mr Milam before that night I never had and isn't it a fact MO is that the only reason you thought that this was Mr Milam in your house that night was that he was a big man with a bald head isn't that right that's right and the first time you ever saw him was in this courtroom isn't that right I don't believe I understand the reason you say you know him is because the man had a bald head isn't that right no sir well then you've gone and changed your story then haven't you if they was at my house and the only thing you saw at your house the only man you saw was a bald-headed man isn't that right that's right now Moe's you didn't see Emmett getting to the car now did you I did not and you didn't see anybody put him into the car did you I did not and you did not see one of these men who were at your house get into the car did you I did not and you didn't see anybody in that car when it drove off did you I did not and the only reason you thought that Mr Bryant was there that night was because somebody came up there and said he was Mr Bryant right that's right now let's go up there to the morning on the river moles when they uh parked the car there could you see the body in that River I I couldn't see it good it was in the boat and did you walk down to where the body was yes sir I did was it blind face down or on its back on its face they turned it over and then I saw all of them who turned the body over I can't remember or then you looked at him did you that's right and you were sure that was Emma too that's right when did you first see this ring well on the boat there and that's the first time I've seen the ring do you mean to say that he was there in your home all week and you didn't see that ring no sir then you had never seen the ring before no sir I never seen it I tell me moles if Emmett Till had not disappeared would you have identified the body in the boat as Emmett Till what do you mean if Emmett Till had not been missing would you have thought that that was Emmett Till's body in that boat yes sir because he had this ring on his finger that's right but you had never seen this ring before that's right that is all Mr Wright you are excused next Witness the state calls Chester Miller to the stand he's raise your right hand you swear to tell the truth the whole truth to nothing but the truth shall help you go I do your name is Chester Miller yes sir where do you live Chester I live in Greenwood what is your occupation I'm an Undertaker how long have you been in the business of undertaking 16 years now honor about the 31st of August were you called upon to come to Tallahatchie County to pick up a body yes sir you went down to the river yes sir who called you and requested you to come down there Mr Coltrane who's Mr Cochran the deputy Chef when you got there did you see a body yes sir was it living or dead it was a dead body where was it when you got there it was uh laying in the boat was the body line face down or face up when you got there it was face down then what did you do relative to the body you just turned it over then what did you do uh we discovered a ring on one of the fingers what kind of ring was that it was kind of silver but would you recognize that ring if you saw it again yes sir I hand you here a ring that has marked on it engraved on the front of it May 25 1943 with the large initials LT I will ask you if that is the ring you removed off the finger of that dead body yes sir you can positively identify that as the same ring yes sir and when that ring was taken off what did you do with it I put on the floorboard of the ambulance now go back to the time the body was still in the boat was there any other thing there in the boat with the body yes sir what was it well there was a a big wheel a big wheel a wheel and a strand of barbed wire was it attached to the body yes sir and the barbed wire how was it attached to the body it was around the neck but now then you said you put the ring in the in the ambulance what happened after that well I went up to some colored men that was standing there and asked them if this boy had any relatives and uh this old man this man that was standing there told me this old man here is his uncle so I went and I asked him can you identify the body as the boy who was taken from the house we objected that your honor sustained did anyone present there at the scene identify the body as any particular person yes sir and who did they identify it as being that is if you know we object your honor overruled who did they identify that body as being if you know the body of Emmett Till did you later find out who that person was who identified that body that you testified to yes sir and who was that that's Moses right I know him will now then Chester I asked you about the ring a while ago and we got up to the place where you laid it in the ambulance what did you do with the ring there after I give it to Moses Wright you gave the ring to Moe's right yes sir and you have never had that ring since no sir when the body was laying there in the boat at the time you got there Chester how was the body clothed or was it clothed it wasn't closed did it have anything on it whatsoever except that piece of barbed wire no sir will you describe the body that you picked up there on the river down there that day we object to this your honor this is not overruled will you give the jury a description of that body as to the size age weight and so forth it looked to be about a five foot four inches in height uh would be about 150 pounds look to be that of a colored person could you tell if it was the body of a young person or middle-aged old person it looked to be that of a young person that is all we will excuse the witness at this time the honor next Witness your honor the prosecution calls Mr George Smith to the stand please raise the right hand do you swear to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth will help you God I do is this Mr George Smith yes sir Mr Smith What official position do you hold in leflore County Sheriff how long have you held that position four years as Chef Mr Smith I want you to tell the court and the jury whether or not on August 31st you had the occasion to investigate the death and disappearance of Emmett Till yes sir and during that investigation did you have an opportunity to speak to the defendant Roy Bryant yes sir objection overruled Mr Smith where was Mr Bryant when he made the statement to you sit in my car there in front of his store were there any other persons present at the time Mr Brian well I wish now Mr Smith that you would please tell the jury what your conversation was with Mr Brian at the time with regard to The Disappearance or murder of Emmett Till we object your honor the objection is overruled Mr Smith go ahead and tell about the statement Mr Bryant made to you that Sunday afternoon well I just asked him what happened what did you ask him I asked about going down there and getting that little [ __ ] will you go over that again I asked him why he'd go down there and get that little [ __ ] boy he told me he went down there to get him show him to his wife so she could identify him then he said she said it wasn't the right one and then he turned him loose and where did he say that he turned him loose well then from his store we object your honor that is a leading question I don't believe there's been any testimony in that respect did he tell you where he went to get Emmett Till the most rides and when you drove up to Roy Bryant store that Sunday afternoon was it open no sir where was Mr Brian at the time I used to sleep in the back of his stove and what time of day was that I was around two o'clock did he offer any explanation to you at the time as to why he was asleep we object to that your honor that has nothing to do with the case sustained did he say where else he had been the night before other than going down to Moe's Wright's house uh he said he uh he was with some of his people I remember who exactly uh he said he was playing cards there the rest of the night he said he played cards the rest of the night yes sir and did you later have an opportunity to talk with Mr Milam no sir I did not Mr Smith did you have an opportunity to see the body that was taken from the Tallahatchie River on August 31st by Chester Miller I did not when did you see the body I did not see the body you did not see the body no sir take the witness and Mr Smith uh how long have you lived in the Greenwood neighborhood since 1921 and you've been Sheriff of that County for the past four years is that right yes sir and by virtue of being an officer of that County you got over the county very much during your Administration is that right yes sir and during that period of time you got acquainted with royal Bryant right yes sir and of course Roy Bryant was acquainted with you yes sir and you were all friends isn't that right yes and you trusted him about matters and he trusted you about matters isn't that right well I hope so and when you went up to money that afternoon when you went up to his store you requested him to go out to your car isn't that right well Mr coffin told him to come out there that I wanted to talk to him was Mr Catherine in the car when you talked to him no sir so it was just you and heed together is that right that is also in other words the purpose of that was so that you could talk to him confidentially and privately isn't that right yes sir and what was said there in the car was just between you and Roy Bryant isn't that right yes sir now uh Mr Smith when you came up there to see Mr Bryant you didn't tell him that you come up there to arrest him now did you no sir not at that particular time you didn't have a warrant for him did you not at that time and did you later arrest him yes sir did you tell him that you were arresting him yes sir and just uh what with the word you said I told him I was going to have to arrest him and take him in he asked me to let him go put on some clean clothes which he did in other words you waited for him so that he could dress and change clothes well he waited on some customers and so forth first and you didn't have him in handcuffs or anything now did you no sir you just took him along with you to Greenwood and put him in jail is that right yes sir that is all Mr Smith after Mr Bryant made that statement to you that he did go down there to Moe's Wright's house that night and he got Emmett Till and then found out that it was the wrong boy where did he say that he had released him right there in front of his store do you know how far that point would be from Moe's Riot's house to where he had gotten him it's approximately three miles did he offer any explanation to you at the time as to why they didn't carry the boy back home when they found out he was the wrong boy said he figured he knew the way back hmm that is all we will excuse Mr Smith at this time and call Chester Miller back to the stand Chester we asked you about the body of a person taken out of the Tallahatchie River on August 31st did you examine the body when you took it into your possession yes sir did you notice anything unusual about the body relative to the the wounds or anything like that yes sir but what were those wounds well it seemed like a bullet won't be object your honor sustained Chester just describe the situation describe what you saw we'll the whole crown of his head from from here up was just crushed in were there any other wounds on the head well there were no other wounds except for what seemed like a a gunshot we object your honor the objective is sustained the witness should not State his conclusion just say what you know just describe what any wound on the head look like well the crown of his head was just crushed in and out and you know a piece of it just a piece of school just fell out right into the boat I believe it was objected to in your testifying about something over his ear what did it look like it looked like a bullet hole we object your honor sustained Chester just describe it I saw a hole in the skull and how big a hole was it about a half inch around just above there will you state whether or not the wounds which you have described here were sufficient enough to cause his death we object to that Johanna he is no expert to that I'm going to let the witness answer the question will you state whether or not the wounds you have described here were sufficient enough to cause his death yes sir your Witness Chester Miller what you saw about that Bonnet was a decomposed condition you couldn't tell what what caused that condition now could you well yes sir it was blown from some kind of instrument like like a like a gun the chord is already ruled on that and we move it be excluded Yona the conclusion of the witness will be disregarded by the jury now what you saw about the condition of that man as to his head you couldn't tell whether it was caused before or after his death could you no sir and you couldn't tell whether it was causing a car accident or otherwise could you you couldn't tell now could you also that is all take the witness foreign Hodges to the stand please raise your right hand do you swear to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you go what is your name please Robert Hodges what county do you live in Robert Tallahatchie and how old are you Robert 17. are you a fisherman yes sir and you live right out on the river I believe yes sir now Robert on the last day of August of this year did you go fishing that morning yes sir Robert did anything unusual happen while you were out there setting out the lines yes I seen two knees and feet and that would be from the top part of the legs down to the knees down to the feet is that right yes sir and what was the reason for being there was it hung up or floating yes it was hung up on a snag in the bottom of the river oh when you saw those two feet and legs sticking up there what did you do then Robert uh came down and told my father about it and he told the landline you can't tell what you told your father don't tell any conversation that you might have had with anyone then after you had run your lines what did you do I reported it to my father and he told the landlord to live with did somebody go down there later in the day three men was the only ones and the deputy sheriff Rob when you went back down there was the body in the same place yes it hadn't been moved oh when you got down there tell the court in the jury what you all did well the first thing we've done they brought the Rope back there and they had the Rope around the boy's legs and They carried it down to the river and took it out well when you pulled it back up the river did the body float yes I think so when you pulled it out on the bank what if anything was attached to the body an iron weight a weight oh a wait what kind of weight was it a gin fan Robert how was the weight of that fan as you say attached to the body with a piece of barbed wire how was the barbed wire attached to the body it was wrapped around the neck would you remember that fan oh wait if you saw it again yes sir I believe I would oh would you come down here and take a look at this Clark could you help me with this please [Music] foreign looks like it and does that look like the barbed wire that was attached to it yes sir and you say when you pulled it out on the bank that the barbed wire was wrapped around the neck of this body and attached to the fan is that right yes sir and that was serving as a weight for the body is that right yes sir have a seat did you have a chance to observe the body there relative to any blows or wounds or any kind it was beaten pretty bad in the back what about the head it was also gashed in on the side Robert what was done with the body after you all pulled it out on the bank with that heavy weight attached to it they unconnected the barbed wire from the weight and they put the body in the boat then they got the weight and put it in the back end of the boat and where was the boat taken if anywhere we carried it up to the land in there and when you got back up there what did you do with the body and that weight well we just left it there and then the ambulance come or the coach or whatever call it do you know who the Undertaker was driving that ambulance Chester Miller I believe his name was and when the Undertaker got there what did he do with the body he put it in a box what did he do with the Box he said it in the back end of the coach now Robin did you see anything in the boy's hands or fingers they're was a ring what kind of ring was it a silver ring would you recognize it if you saw that ring again I might well there's a ring Robert that has engraved on it May 25 1943 and the big initial is LT do you recognize that as being the ring that was taken off the finger of that body looks like it I I didn't get close enough to see the initials but that looks like the ring though yes sir take the witness no questions next Witness you're honor the prosecution calls John Edward Cochran to the stand please please raise your right hand peace way to tell the truth the whole truth to nothing but the truth will help you go I do [Music] is this John Edward Catherine he is a Mr Catherine where do you live Greenwood how long have you been in leflore County 30 years now what if any official position have you held in that county during the past four years deputy sheriff and you have been Deputy under Sheriff George Smith is that correct yes sir in Your Capacity as deputy sheriff I want you to tell the court whether or not you had occasion to investigate the death or disappearance of Emmett Till I did and in your investigation did you have occasion to talk to Mr J.W Milam one of the defendants in this case yes sir where was he when he talked to him in the leflore county jail who was president in the jail when you talked to him no one but he and myself now will you tell the jury Mr Catherine and I want you to yell out so the last person in the corner can hear will you state what you had to say to Mr J.W Milam that day in jail and what did he say to you in regard to the murder of Emmett Till I asked him if they went out there and got that little boy and if they had done something with him and he said that they had brought him up there to that store and turned them loose they had Roy Bryant stole did he say they went to the store or did he say they went and got that boy or did he say we went and got that boy I don't remember I couldn't say for sure did he say where they got that boy over at Moe's rides he told you they had gotten the boy over at Moe's Wright's house yes sir what did he say Mr Catherine with reference to what they did with the boy after they got him and brought him from Mose Wright's house he said they brought him up there and talked to him and then they let him go where did he say he brought him to talk to him up to Mr Bryant Stowe do you know how far it is from Uncle Moses house to Mr Bryant's house store at money I would say around three miles well how long did they say they kept him up there before they released him he didn't say take the witness do you think the body went in the river under its own power I don't know Yana we object to what he thinks yes don't ask the witness that of course you don't know Mr Cochran whether the body went in the river first or whether the fan went in first now do you no sir but those wounds on his head were such that they could have been made by this fan dropping on his head isn't that right yes sir and in your best judgment was it possible that wound over his right ear was it possible for that to have been made in a snag in the river yes it could have been now John Ed I believe you testified on direct examination that there was a no mutilation of the body except around his head that's right had the boys privates been mutilated no sir and what was the condition of his privates there when he was turned over with a swelled or stiff well swelled all stiff and were they well-developed Prophets yes no more questions next Witness [Music] the prosecution calls Mamie Bradley the mother of Emmett Till to the stand [Music] please raise your right hand do you swear to tell the truth to hold truth and nothing but the truth he'll help you God I do [Music] your name is Mamie Bradley yes sir where do you live Mamie Chicago Illinois Mamie did you have a son who in his lifetime was known as Emmett Till yes sir how old was Emmett 14 years of age Maybe in the last part of August were you advised that your son Emmett Till had been in some difficulty or trouble down here yes sir where was your son at that time he was visiting my uncle Mose Wright and Money Mississippi and after you got that information was the body sent to Chicago That was supposed to be the body of your son Emmett Till yes sir and where was the body when you saw it there at the funeral home the first time I saw it it was still in the casket did you see it later on I saw it later on after it was moved from the casket and placed on a slab when the body was placed on the slab was anything done then after it was removed from the casket the only change was that his body had been clothed Maybe please state to the court and the jury whether you could identify the body there at the funeral home is that of your son Emmett Till I positively identify the body in the casket and later on when it was removed and placed on a slab has been that of my son Emmett Lewis too will you please tell the court and the jury how you looked at it and what you did in identifying it I looked at the face very carefully I looked at the ears and the forehead and the hairline and also the hair and I looked at the nose and the lips in the chin I just looked at it all very thoroughly and I knew definitely that it was my boy without a Shadow of Doubt Maybe when your husband the father of Emmett Till was killed overseas where his effects sent to you yes sir they were well I will ask you if in his effects there was a ring yes sir there was a ring maybe I will ask you if your son had a ring and frequently wore a ring that was sent along in the effects of your dead husband yes sir I now hand you a ring Miami that has engraved on it May 25 1943 with the lodge initials LT and I will ask you if that was among the effects that was sent to you which were purported to be the effects of your dead husband yes sir what was your husband's name Lewis too in other words his initials were alt yes sir wow after you got the ring along with his effects what happened to it I kept the ring in a jewelry box it was too big for the boy to wear but since his 12th birthday he wears it occasionally with the aid of Scotch tape or string and on the morning of August 20th when he got ready to board the train he put it on his finger and left Chicago with it did he yes sir and was that the ring he had on when he came down here yes sir we would like to introduce these photographs if we may we have no objection all right there's been no objection now maybe I have a picture here which has been introduced into evidence in this trial and I ask you if that is a picture of your son Emmett Till yes sir that is him isn't it yes sir you may take the witness maybe where were you born I was born in Webb Mississippi and uh what is your age Maybe 33. and maybe did uh Emma never have any trouble up there in Chicago did he ever get any trouble in Chicago no sir we object to that your honor sustained by the way did you have any insurance out on Emma too yes sir we object to that your honor overruled did you have any life insurance on him yes sir how much did you have about four hundred dollars straight life you had about four hundred dollars life insurance on him yes sir how long have you had these policies out on him almost from his birth and to whom all those policies payable I was beneficiary on one and my mother on the other now have you collected on those policies no sir now maybe what newspapers do you subscribe to in Chicago do you read the Chicago Defender we object to that your honor I think it is perfectly obvious what council is trying to do and I think Council should be counseled on not to ask any questions like that anymore the objection is sustained the gentleman and the jury step back into the Jury Room a moment please continue do you read the Chicago Defender no sir I don't subscribe to the paper but I do buy it and read it and these papers are edited by colored people aren't they yes sir now I will hand you a portion of that particular paper and ask you to look at the photograph and and tell me if you have seen that I have seen this Photograph but not in the paper did you have several of those photographs made yes sir and did you furnish any of those photographs to members of the press yes sir now maybe I will hand you what purports to be a photograph of some person will you state whose photograph that is this is a photograph of Emmett Lewis too that is your son yes sir we would like to have that marked as exhibit for identification please all right uh there is one other thing your honor that I think we ought to go into before the jury returns and I think there might be some objection to it well whatever you have for the witness let's get it out while the jury is still out all right sir and maybe I'll hand you a paper the Chicago Defender which has a photograph that purports to be of some person would you look at that and state whether or not that is also a photograph of Emmett Till or the person you saw at the funeral home there this is a picture of Emmett Till as I saw it at the funeral home this is a picture of the bodies you saw it in the funeral home in Chicago Illinois yes sir you wanna we asked that this be marked as exhibit three to the testimony of this witness for the purposes of identification all right and maybe you said you discussed your son's trip down to Mississippi several times with him before he left your home in Chicago is that correct yes sir and did you caution him how to conduct himself and behave himself when he was down here in Mississippi before he left there yes sir now you have been quoted in the press as saying I told him several times before he left for Mississippi that he should kneel in the street and beg forgiveness if he ever insulted a white man or a white woman did you tell him that not those exact words well then what did you tell him I told him when he was coming down here he would have to adapt to a new way of life I told him to be very careful how he spoke and to whom he spoke and I told him to be very careful how he walked in the streets at all times and did you direct his attention how to act around white people yes sir and did you specifically caution him not to do anything to any white man so as to not bring about any trouble yes sir and did you caution him in those conversations not to insult any white woman I didn't specifically say white women but I said about white people because living in Chicago he wouldn't know how to act Maybe and I believe you will live on the uh south side of Chicago is that right yes sir and isn't that the part of Chicago referred to as the uh black belt is that right yes sir that was that all yes please bring the jury back in this has made me too is that right yes sir and you are the mother of Emmett Till yes sir now I hand you what purports to be a photograph of your son is that a photograph of your son yes sir and when was that picture taken in my home two days after Christmas of 1954. now I will show you what purports to be another photograph of your son will you look at it and tell the court and Jerry what this is this is a picture of my son after he was sent back to Chicago dead this is the way I saw him the second time he had his clothes put on his body then and how much time had elapsed from the time you first saw him without clothes until you saw him in the likeness of this Photograph here I saw the one without his clothes and the one with his clothes on the same day and everything was the same except that the clothes had been put on the body the second time you saw him the first time I saw him he had a hole in his head here and he had a gash in his jaw and his mouth was open and his tongue was out but from this picture it seems like the gash has been closed and the hole has been sewed up you may take the witness that is all if the court please next Witness your honor the prosecution calls William Reed to the stand please foreign right hand do you swear to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth will help you God yes sir your name is Willie Reed yes sir how old are you Willie 18. do you know Mr JW Milam if you see him yes sir do you see him here in the courtroom yes sir will you point him out please can you sitting right over there the man you pointed out is the bald-headed man is that right yes sir now will it going back to Sunday the 28th of August did you see Mr J.W Milam at any point during the day yes sir when did you see Mr Milam when I seen him he was coming to the web well well we're about to run over Mr mom's place really who do you live with the grandfather on that particular Sunday morning did you leave your home where you were living yes sir and where were you going to the store and then going to the store stay whether or not it is necessary for you to pass by Mr Milam's house we object to the leading form of the question the question is leading see if you can ask the question without leading the witness in going from your house to the store what place do you have to pass by I passed by Mr Marlins is there a shed or barn or other building or place there yes sir a bomb not really as you went from your house to the store that morning as you came towards Mr Milam's house did you see anyone out there I didn't see anyone around the bar but I seen the truck when they passed me by the truck passed by you yes sir a 55 Chevrolet and who if anyone was in that truck that you saw I seen four white mens in the cab and three color mens in the back and I seen somebody sitting down in the truck back there you say that with somebody down in the back end of the truck yes sir I seen another color boy there was one colored fella sitting down in the bottom of the truck in the back is that right yes sir now later on did you recognize a photograph that indicated to you who was the one sitting down in the back of that truck well when I looked at the paper well it seemed like I seen this boy someplace before but then it came my memory you did the same when I seen in the paper and was that Emmett Till we object your honor that is certainly leading the witness it is highly leading Willie I have a picture here that has been offered as exhibit one to the testimony of Mrs Mamie Bradley for the purposes of identification and now I ask you to look at that picture have you ever seen that boy before it's a picture of the boy I've seen on the back of the truck if the car please we object I believe the witness has stated that the picture which has been offered here for identification purposes is a picture of Emmett Till is the boy he saw on the back of the truck that morning now what happened with that truck what did they do with the truck really the truck was selling in front of the barn there was anyone in the truck then no sir now later on in the morning did you see Mr J.W Milam out there yes sir where did you see him when I passed back he came out to the well and was that JW Milam the man who was sitting over there yes sir will you state whether he had anything unusual on or about his person yes sir well what did he have you got a pistol on his belt and what what did Mr Milam do when you saw him he just came to the well and got a drink of water well what did he do then he went back to the barn did you see or hear anything as you passed by the bomb I can hear somebody hollering and I heard some licks like somebody was whipping somebody you heard some licks and you heard somebody hollering is that right yes sir did they holler once or did they holler twice or was it three times or what they got them more than once and what about the legs was it just one lick or was it two or was it three or more or what there were a whole lot of and what about the lyrics was that a human being or was it the sound of an animal well it sounded like a human being now when you went on down the road what did you did you miss mandis what did you do then well she just told me to come back down to the well and did you hear or see anything while you were way down there at the well I could still hear somebody hollering where did the hollering apparently come from from the barn and where did you go after you left the well I went to the store and on your way back from the store did you hear or see anything or hear or see anybody no sir I didn't see anything they were gone was the truck gone yes sir take the witness now on uh August 29th when you uh say you saw this truck was that the first time you would ever seen this truck yes sir and do you know Mr J.W model yes sir and how many times have you seen Mr Milan before on that Sunday I seen him about three or four times and when you first saw the truck on that Sunday morning who was driving the truck I didn't pay much attention we were driving was Mr Milam driving the truck I didn't notice who was driving did you see Mr Milam there in the truck I didn't see him in the truck but I seen him over about the bomb but you didn't see him in the truck no sir have you ever seen Emmett Till in his lifetime well Sunday morning was the first time but you had never seen him prior to that time no sir and you don't know if that was Emmett Till or not now do you well he favored the picture I just looked at how far were you from the truck when the truck passed by that is flies from here to the door how many men were in that truck four men yes sir and did you recognize Mr Milam was in the truck as one of those four men you saw no sir I want to say that and I believe you stated you heard something that sounded like licks there on the barn yes sir but you didn't see anybody in that bar at all now did you no sir and you don't know whether that somebody was hammering there trying to fix a wagon or a car or something like that now do you it was somebody whipping somebody we object to the conclusion of the witness sustained but you'll have to be careful objecting to answers to your own questions and you don't know what caused the noise there and you couldn't see now could you oh sir and you don't know who was in the bond because you never did look into the barn did you know and you don't know whether Mr Milam was in the barn or not now do you I've seen Mr JW when he left the barn oh but you didn't see him in the barn did you no sir I seen it when he was coming back towards in fact you don't know whether he went in the barn or behind the bond now do you no sir that is all really you testified that you saw a man that you identified as Mr J.W Milam come out of the barn and go to the well and then go back towards the bond did you see him before you heard some noise in the barn and some hollering in there or was it after you heard that after I heard it you saw him after you heard that is that right yes sir that is all uh we have no questions if the court please the state rests Mr Breeland you may call your first witness for the defense we'd like to call Mrs Roy Bryant to the stand [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] do you swear to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth will help you God what is your name please ma'am Mrs Roy Brown Ryan you are the wife of one of the two defendants in this case the defendant Roy Bryant is that right yes sir how old are you Mrs Brown 21. do you have any children yes and they are both boys I believe yes Mrs Bryant I direct your attention to Wednesday night the 24th day of August on that evening who was in the store with you if the court please we object to anything that happened on Wednesday evening unless it is connected up we will connect it well but Jerry please retire to the Jury Room if the court pleases it is the position of the defendants in this case that on direct examination of Moe's right the state showed that on the night of Wednesday the 24th one of these men wanted to see the boy that did the talking down at money now the state haven't introduced that testimony has raised inferences which the defendants believe they are entitled to explain and to show what happened if the court please I don't know on what statement Mr braylin bases his statement that we opened the thing up for anything that happened on Wednesday night prior to that particular Sunday morning the court is of the opinion that any accused in any criminal case can bring out anything relating to the continuation of any part of an alleged crime but the testimony being offered here of a prior event I I don't believe is admissible we wish to develop the testimony for the sake of the record Joanna you may proceed Mrs Bryan on that Wednesday who was in the store with you that night no one you were alone yes sir was there anyone in the living quarters in the rear of the store yes who was back there Mrs Milam and her two children and also our two children did any incident occur in that store on that evening which made an impression on you yes just tell the court what happened man this [ __ ] man came in the store and they had the candy what did you do then I walked up to the candy counter and what transpired at the candy cane I asked him what he wanted and did he tell you yes and did you get the merchandise for him yes and what did you do there I held out my hand for his money and did it give you the money no what did he do he caught my hand will you uh show the court just how he grasps your hand was like this was that a strong grip or a loose grip strong grip and will you show the court just what you did how did you get loose jerked it loose loose it's difficult to get loose was yes what did he say when he grabbed your hand he said how about a date baby and when you freeze yourself what happened then I turned around and started back to the back of the store and did he do anything further then yes he came on down that way and caught me at the cash register you see he caught you yes Mrs Bryant will you stand up and put my hands just where he grabbed you it was like this in other words he had his left arm on your back and his right arm on your hip yes and did he say anything to you then at the time he grabbed you there by the cash register dad what's the matter of baby can't you take it did he say anything further to you at that time and did he then use language that you don't use yes can you tell the court just what that word begins with what letter it begins with in other words it's an unprintable work did he say anything to you after that unprintable word he said with what women when you were able to free yourself from him what did you do then this other [ __ ] came in and got him by the arm he told him to come and let's go he got him by the arm and let him out and when he got out the door what did you do I ran out the door to go to the car where did you go to the castle for my pistol and when you went to the car did you see this man again yes and did he say or do anything at that time he whistled and came out in the road and can you give a sound something like the whistle he made there was it was it something like this when you got your pistol Mrs Brown where was this boy or should I say where was this man he was getting in a car down the road did you rush back into the store there yes and had you ever seen this man before no have you ever seen him since no and what sort of impression did this occurrence make on I was just scared to death Mrs Brown what kind of store is it that you run down there it's just a general store you know most of your customers Negroes or white people most of them are negros and you know most of them around there do you yes and was this man one of those no did you have any white man anywhere around there to protect you that night no was your husband out of town yes and what was the reason for Mrs Milam and the children being there with you so that I wouldn't be alone and we submit you I know that the testimony here is competent on the basis of the testimony which was introduced by the state to show that there was some talking money and to remove from the minds of the jury the impression that nothing but talk had occurred there the court has already ruled and it is opinion of the court that this evidence is not admissible please bring the jury back in we have no further questions Yana no questions next Witness foreign to the stand please raise your right hand you swear to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth will help you go I do this is Mr h.c Strider that's right what official position do you have in Tallahatchie County we will admit that Mr Strider is the sheriff of Tallahatchie County and a good one uh Mr Strider did you uh have occasion on August 31st to go down to the Tallahassee River to examine a body that had been found down there I did and had the body been brought to shore at that time it had and did you examine the body observe it and look at it as much as I could yes now uh just tell the jury about the appearance and condition of the body as you saw it that morning well is in Mighty bad shape was there any odor about the body that indicated it was decomposed or that decomposition had set in it was so bad we couldn't examine the body until the Undertaker got there he opened up a deodorant bomb some kind of liquid and he covered the entire body with it now referring back to the condition of that particular body could you tell whether it was a a white person or a colored person the only way you could tell it was a colored person and I wouldn't swear to it then was the hair you know I've seen white people with kinky hair was that body recognizable to be that of any particular person well it was one of my own boys had been missing I couldn't say if it was my own son or not I couldn't tell that I could only tell it was a human being you're a witness Mr Strider the day after you and the people got this body out of the river there was a death certificate prepared for Emmett Till was there not that's right and I believe you signed that death certificate is that right I did and that death certificate certified the fact that it was the body of Emmett Till isn't that correct no I didn't certify that body as Emmett Till I said it was a dead body I asked his uncle at the scene I said Moe's is this the boy missing from your home and he said I believe it is but I can't say it is for sure and I said what about that ring on his finger and he said I don't know I said you mean to tell me Mose that he's been living at your home for a week with that ring on his finger eating at the same table and you didn't notice that ring on his finger and he said no sir I don't know about the wreck Mr strata do you know whether the death certificate had the name of Emmett Till on it or not no I don't know that in your best judgment Mr strata was that not a bullet hole in his head I couldn't say if it was a bullet hole or not [Music] I believe that is all no questions the defend dance rest the defendant's rest what says the state we have nothing in rebuttal the state rests gentlemen please proceed to closing statements Mr Chatham gentlemen that murdered that boy Emmett Till and to hide that dastardly cowardly act they tied barbed wire around his neck into a heavy gin fan and tossed him in the river for the turtles and the fish the very first words that ended this case were literally dripping with the blood of Emmett Till I want that boy from Chicago they did that talking down in money this is not about race it's just another murder but I want to say to you that the murder of Emmett Till was a cowardly Act and a brutal and unnecessary killing of a human being his abduction at gunpoint was unnecessary this was a Summary Court martial and death penalty that boy had done nothing that would cause those defendants to invade the privacy of his home when those two defendants took Emmett Till from the home of Uncle Moe's right they were absolutely and morally responsible for his protection I was born in the south I will live and die in the south the very worst punishment that should have occurred if they had decided that boy had done anything to them at all would have been to get a razor strap Bend him over a barrel and give him a good beating I've whooped my boys you've whooped yours a man deals with a child accordingly as a child not as a man to a man the wicked flee when no man pursueth but the righteous are bold as the lion I tell you gentlemen Emmett Till was entitled to his constitutional right he was entitled to his Liberty and when we go taking away his rights then we go on the defensive and we can't complain what people do to us are those people outside agitators they want to see J.W Milam and Roy Bryant turned loose if they are convicted those people are silenced I am only concerned with what is morally right and morally wrong gentlemen if your verdict is influenced by anything but the evidence of this trial then you will endanger every custom and tradition that we hold dear they can't say the state of Mississippi didn't do its Duty foreign there are people in the United States who want to destroy the custom and the way of life of southern white people and Southern colored people there are people out to put us at odds who are willing to go as far as possible to commit any crime to widen the gap between us they would not be above putting a rotten stinking body into that River in the hopes that it would be identified as Emmett too if these people had the opportunity to create a commotion to stir up a trial such as this and focus national attention on Mississippi and national attention on the Australian relations here then they would do it every last Anglo-Saxon one of you men on this jury has the courage to set these men free now the prosecution here has taught generalities because the facts just didn't bear out the guilt of these defendants where's the motive where is the motive the state did not link up the dead boy with the defendants the only testimony to them until did anything in connection with the defendants was Moe's Wright's testimony that he heard the boy done something I mean if Moe's right had known him until I'd done something down there he would have gotten them out and whipped him himself had any of you gone to Moe's Wright's house with evil intent would you have given your name I mean how many Mr Bryants are there in the state of Mississippi there is nothing reasonable about the state's Theory I mean if that's identification gentlemen if that places these men at these scene then none of us are safe now I'll be waiting for y'all when you come out and if your verdict is guilty and I want you to come to me and tell me where is the land of the free and Home of the Brave now I say to you gentlemen that's your forefathers will absolutely turn over in their graves if these boys were convicted on such evidence as this and I want you to think of the future when your summons comes to cross the Great Divide and as you enter your father's house a home not made by hands but Eternal in the heavens you can look back to where your father's feet have trod and see your good record written in the sands of time and when you go down to your lonely silent tomb to asleep that knows no dreams I want you to hold in the palm of your hand a record of service to God in your fellow man and the only way you can do that is to turn these boys loose Gentlemen of the jury you will retire to the Jury Room to begin your deliberations foreign let the courtroom be in order the courtroom will remain in order when the jury comes in and brings its report there will be no demonstration and no pictures will be taken and the gentleman reached the verdict yes sir they have will you now read the verdict Mr Clerk we the jury find the defend if not guilty [Music] the jury is thanked and excused court is adjourned [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] foreign [Music] thank you [Music]

Channel: NBC Chicago

Views: 120,470

Keywords: Emmett Till, Emmett Till documentary, Emmett till documentary nbc, nbc emmett till

Id: n1193wXGZpg

Length: 94min 32sec (5672 seconds)

Published: Tue Jan 24 2023