How long did scopes trial last

Although Bryan had won the case, he had been publicly humiliated and his fundamentalist beliefs had been disgraced. Five days later, on July 26, he lay down for a Sunday afternoon nap and never woke up.

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The trial took eight days in the sweltering Tennessee summer. National newspapers covered it in detail, including dramatic confrontations between Darrow and Bryan both in and out of the courtroom. Whether Scopes actually taught evolution to his biology class remains unclear. A New York Times editorial pointed out that the case, 'gives scientific men a better opportunity than they have ever had to bring their teaching home to millions.

Darrow responded with an unusual trial maneuver that paid off. He called opposing counsel, Bryan, as an expert witness on the Bible and proceeded to publicly humiliate him over the course of days by questioning him on his literal interpretation of the Bible.

Bryan fell into every trap and further undermined his credibility by stating, 'I do not think about things I do not think about. The trial lasted only eight days with the jury returning a verdict of guilty in less than nine minutes. The ACLU hoped to use the opportunity as a chance to take the issue all the way to the Supreme Court, but the verdict was reversed by state supreme court on a technicality.

It is at least clear that by May 5 the following met with Doc Robinson at his drug store to discuss a possible test case of the evolution law: Rappleyea, Superintendent of Schools Walter White, lawyer Wallace C. Haggard, city attorneys Herbert B.

Hicks and his brother Sue K. Since the regular biology teacher, W. Ferguson, refused to be a part of a test case, Scopes was asked to help even though he was the football, basketball, and baseball coach and taught math, physics, and chemistry. At least he had substituted for a few days in biology class when Ferguson was sick, but Scopes confessed.

Because Bryan was a former Secretary of State, three-time presidential candidate, leader of the Democratic Party for some fifteen years, popular silver-tongued orator of the Chautauqua circuit, and famous spokesman for Christian fundamentalist ideas, his arrival on the scene raised the trial to major-league status and broadened the issues. The thing to do is to make a fool out of Bryan. Neal of their availability. Darrow was radical and sensational, and Malone did not have the best public image, being an international divorce lawyer and a divorced, backslidden Catholic de Camp 74, , ; Fecher ; Scopes The next eight weeks were marked by a mixture of serious legal maneuvers and comic interludes.

Chattanooga leaders tried unsuccessfully to get the trial. Dayton leaders countered successfully by recalling Scopes from vacation in Kentucky, speeding up the legal process by two months, and arranging for two fake fights to maintain media interest. Back in Dayton the population swelled from about to about at the height of the trial.

And then there were the media people: three news services and reporters, whose stories totaled about two million words and whose ranks included H. The official chief counsel for the defense was Dr. John R. McElwee former student of Neal and replacement for John L. Godsey, who resigned the first day of the trial after being active in the planning and preparations.

In addition, the defense had as librarian and Biblical authority Charles Francis Potter Modernist Unitarian preacher Scopes 65,; de Camp , , In charge of the prosecution was A. Hicks from Dayton , Herbert B. Haggard F. Those officiating and assisting at the trial were under much pressure because of the significance of the issues, the importance of some of the lawyers, the hot July weather, the presence of the media, and the crowded conditions of the courtroom, which was built to seat about but had about twice that number seated and standing.

The court reporter was Mrs. Cartright to open in prayer. Because Judge Raulston had been so eager to get the case that he had allowed Scopes to be indicted on May 25th by a grand jury whose term had expired, the judge convened another grand jury to indict Scopes a second time Ginger Eight prospective jurors were examined and excused for various reasons.

In the order of their appearance, the following were selected for the jury: W. Roberson farmer, no church affiliation , J. Dagley farmer, Methodist , James W. Riley farmer, Baptist , W.

Taylor farmer, Southern Methodist , R. Gentry farmer and teacher, Baptist ; Jack R. Thompson jury foreman, former U. Marshall, farm owner, Methodist , W.

Smith farmer, Baptist , Jess R. Bowman farmer and cabinet maker, Methodist Episcopal. William G. Day farmer, Baptist , R. West farmer and carpenter, Baptist , and John S. Wright farmer, Baptist. Trial ; de Camp On the second day, Monday, July 13, the Reverend M. Moffett was asked to lead in prayer. The indictment was discussed at length, and a motion by Dr. Neal to quash it failed. The prominent speakers on this day were Dr. Neal, General Stewart, and Clarence Darrow, the last of whom concluded the day with a speech on freedom that takes up 13 of the 42 pages of the trial record for this day.

When Judge Raulston called on the Reverend Dr. Stribling to begin in prayer on the third day, Tuesday, July 14, Clarence Darrow objected to the practice and to the jury being present at the discussion of the matter. After heated discussion on both sides, the judge overruled in favor of opening the court with prayer.

Court was then adjourned for much of the day in order to allow the judge to formulate a decision regarding the question raised on day two about the constitutionality of the law and the motion to quash the indictment. Charles Francis Potter, the Unitarian minister from New York who assisted the defense as an expert on religion.

Judge Raulston then read his lengthy and carefully worded decision about the motion to quash the indictment. Finding the indictment adequately clear and the law appropriate in its relation to freedom of thought and expression, Raulston overruled the motion. In the afternoon session, Scopes pleaded not guilty. Then the prosecution called the following witnesses: Superintendent of Schools Walter White; school board chairman F.

Scopes at the time of the May 25th hearing and Darrow at the time of the trial both coached some of the prospective student witnesses on the details of evolution so they would appear to have learned the subject from Scopes. Darrow, in fact, roomed at the home of one witness, Howard Morgan Allem 66; de Camp ; Scopes