“THESE AWFUL CRIMES”
                                         A Murder in Time

                                               PROLOGUE

                                                Monday, October 10, 1904
                                           Bentonboro, NC

      “The prosecution will prove by testimony and by physical evidence that those two negroes,” Solicitor Bradley intoned, pointing toward the defendants who were seated at the table with their attorney, “did willfully and wantonly murder and kill Mrs. Jennie Baker Talbot in a most heinous manner.” He paused to take a breath, looked at the two defendants again, and continued with his opening statement, “We shall further prove, again by expert testimony and by the physical evidence we shall present, that those two negroes” he paused again to look at them, “did assault this white woman, beat her unmercifully, and also did attack and rape her.”

     There was a stirring in the back of the courtroom, where the few negro spectators were seated. Judge Wilson rapped his gavel for order and motioned for Solicitor Bradley to continue.

     “This respectable young woman, well thought of in the community, deserves to have her death avenged and we shall prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that these two here, committed these awful crimes.”