April 28, 2015Chevy Chase, Maryland Why would someone up and leave his home, family, business and professional contacts, and budding political network to relocate 1,500 miles away, where he’d be virtually starting over, all alone? And, why go from Florida to rural Illinois in January, for goodness sake? I’d been […]
September 18, 2015The American UniversityBender Library Source: The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.), 29 June 1905. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn87062268/1905-06-29/ed-1/seq-5/ During the Summer of 1905, Emmett had a decision: To stay in Marianna with Cephas in the law firm, or to move to Sterling, Illinois, to […]
September 11, 2020Chevy Chase, MD I suppose Emmett could be considered lucky — in his life, he had at least three mentors looking out for him, shepherding him during his career, impressed by Emmett’s intelligence and potential. Emmett had a lot of potential, energy, charm, and those who know him […]
April 30, 1905Cephas and Lula Wilson’s HouseMarianna, Florida7:25 pm I’m standing outside of Ceph’s house, in the front yard, looking up at the huge oak tree near the sidewalk. The tree has curtains of gray moss dangling, drifting with the soft wind. The sun’s set already, and it feels like […]
Wilson & Wilson Law OfficesMarianna, FloridaApril 30, 1905 Cephas waited until we were back at work the next morning before he brought up the Daniels case. He brought Godfrey Long into the room, sat us both down, and he asked us both what happened. I speak up immediately; I tell […]
April 29, 1905Marianna, Florida6:10 p.m. The footsteps pounded the hallway; my office door swung wide open; reflexively, I stood. “Emmett!” Walter Kehoe, who’d broken away from Cephas and the other gentleman, leaving them to talk in the hallway. He comes around to my side of the desk, and clasps my […]
April 29, 1905Marianna, Florida5:45 p.m. After Long had shut the door behind him, and I knew I was all alone, I turned again to gaze out of the window at the courthouse; the shadows of the oaks around the building growing longer with the sunset. I didn’t want to go […]
April 29, 1905Marianna, Florida4:30 p.m. Although my office door was ajar, there was a slight knock. It was Long. “Here’s the afternoon mail,” he said, placing a stack of letters and a rolled up newspaper on my desk. “Anything you need doing before I leave?” “No, nothing. Have a good […]
October 2, 2015Marianna, Florida After touring St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Sue and I continue to walk around downtown Marianna; she points out several buildings that are still standing from Emmett and Cephas’ time — The Acme Restaurant, Dr. Wilson’s office (no relation to Emmett, Cephas or Frank Wilson of Chipley), […]
October 2, 2015Marianna, Florida Sue and I walk down Lafayette Street, also known as US 90, towards Jefferson Street, where we turn right, and walk for two more blocks. It’s mostly businesses and a church; there were homes here once upon a time. There’s an old house or two that […]
Tell my story. 