SHE DONE HIM IN COPYRIGHT 2013 RZEVANS
The jury of twelve had listened to only one day of testimony during a hot windless week of August 1931. Burt Levins, the tobacco chewing county surveyer, was the jury foreman. The rest of the jury consisted of three farmers, four retired businessmen, a livery worker, a road worker, and two store clerks. The judge asked Burt if the jury had reached a decision, and Burt replied, "Yes sir Judge, she done him in."
The judge said that the word "guilty" was sufficient. Burt replied, "Yes sir Judge, she's guilty, she done him in."
Maybell Faraday sat stone faced next to her attorney, the Major Alan Phelps. Phelps had painted Maybell's husband as a no good cheating, promiscuous, philanderer of the worst sort, but that hadn't been a good enough reason in the jury's mind to justify the shooting. Maybell had never exhibited in public any signs of physical abuse by her roving husband. If she had shown off even a few bruises, she might have had a chance. The sentencing was scheduled for a little over a month away.
Maybell sat in her cell wondering how she ever came to be in this terrible situation. She knew she had been a naive, inexperienced soul, but she had honestly thought that Lowell Faraday was in love with her. She had her head down on the thin pillow and sobbed lightly; the few tears she had left made their way down the side of her nose, and she had to wipe her nose as well as her cheeks. She was in a kind of numb state and sought again to escape the reality of the situation by sleep but wasn't having any success. As a guard entered the locked wing of the jail, she heard the clanging of the closing door. He walked down the corridor and stopped before her cell. "You have a visitor." he said, "get ready and follow me." She didn't have any idea who could have wanted to see her; what few friends she had, seemed to have deserted her upon her conviction. She was shown into a crude conference room where a young man of about twenty-eight awaited her; she couldn't remember ever having seen him before.
"My name is Jeffrey Boone Lacy," he said, "I live in Memphis, and have a law practice there. I am trying to establish myself as a trial attorney. I have been sitting in on as many difficult cases as I can, hoping to see an opporunity to win some case reversals. I think the Major Phelps could have explored and exploited a few more avenues. I want you to hire me as your new attorney."
"Mr. Lacy, I don't have any money left; if they let me out right now, I dont' know how I would live. We didn't own the house and all the furniture has been sold. There is nothing."
The young lawyer paused for a minute, looking thoughtful, "Mrs. Hendricks, let's take things one step at a time, that's the way to proceed. The first thing is to establish me as your hired attorney. There has to be some type of remuneration to do that. Next we will seek any new avenues we can find for your defense."
Maybell bowed her head and ran through her mind for any possessions she might have left. She lifted her head and said, "there is only one thing I can think of. There is an acre of land that was left to me by my grandfather; it is located in southern Louisiana."
That will have to do," said Lacy, "now let's get down to business right away."
Lacy had Maybell to tell him he entire story, beginning with how she and Faraday had met and ending with the shooting. On the witness stand she had said that she and her husband had been in a shouting argument, and she had taken his pistol from a bedroom drawer after he had threatened her, but she swore that the actual shooting had been an accident. The gun had gone offf when her husband shoved her across the foot of the iron bedstead.
After a lengthy discussion of Maybell's marriage, Lacy came to the conclusion that Faraday was a very materialistic, mercenary type individual. From what Maybell revealed, Faraday had never done anything without expecting a sizable profit in return. Lacy thought to himself that Maybell was attractive in a way, but she was not a mantel piece, that is, not a prize to show off to the world to induce envy. The question then was if Faraday didn't really love her, which was reflected by the way he treated her, then why did he marry her.
As Maybell's new attorney, the court afforded Lacy a court order to examine Faraday's telephone records. The only long distance calls that were of interest were three calls to Nashville. The quickest way to investigate those calls, which were all to the same number, was to call the nummber. A sweet voice announced, "Good morning, this is Myers and Lewis Insurance Agency, Miss Andrews speaking, how may I help You?"
Lacy was prepared, and without stumbling, he declaared, "Good morning, this is Jeffrey Boone Lacy, attorney for the Lowell Faraday family. I need an appointment to discuss the terms of the policy Lowell Faraday set up for the family; I may advise that they increase benefits. Can you connect me with the individual who set up the policy please."
Miss Andrews, anxious to please, said, "I believe that was Mr. Lewis; I remember because I was here the day Mr. Faraday came in to sign the policy. He is such a charming man. I was just today sending out a reminder for the last two monthly payments. He must be extremely busy."
Lacy repliied, "Yes that is why I am calling. Also, there are some facts he didn't give me before he left on his current trip. Can you please tell me the date the policy was taken out and the amount of coverage."
Mis Andrews said, "Surely, if you will give me just a minute." When Miss Andrews returned to the telephone she gave Lacy more information than he expected, "That coverage was one hundred thousand dollars, and there is a double indemnity clause. The issue date is March 1, 1930, and the effective date of coverage is March 1, 1931."
Lacy replied in the most polite voice he could muster., "Thank you very much, Miss Andrews. Now I can complete my files, and I'll see that the premiums are put in the mail right away. Oh, I almost forgot, could you please read the entire beneficiary section to me?"
"Surely," said Miss Andrews, "but it is quite simple, upon the death of Lowell Faraday, all benefits due from this policy shall be paid to William M. Farley."
Lacy again assumed a sugary voice, "You have been so helpful Miss Andrews, I shall speak to your employers of this. Thank you aagain."
Lacy had expected that the policy would probably have insured against Maybell's death. Well this was a surprise, and who in the world was William M. Farley. Things were really getting interesting and he thought to himself that he would have to be very careful in finding out who Farley was.
A visit to the local newspaper office and a perusing of their old issues provided him with part of the information he needed.
In orde to obtain more background information on Faraday and Farley, Lacy made some discreet inquiries as to the illegal purchase of good alcoholic beverages, and finally was put in touch with a man named Turney Cabot. Turney was a little apprehensive about talking to Lacy, but after Lacy gave him twenty dollars and assured him that he didn't want to buy anyhthing but wanted sone information, Turney relaxed.
"What do you want ot know? asked Turney.
"What can you tell me about a man named Lowell Faraday? asked Lacy.
"Not much," said Turney, "but that noise about him being a woman chaser is bunk; all I ever saw him with were ------", and Turney wetted a finger and drew it over his eyebrow.
"The one I saw him with the most was the sheriff's brother-in-law."
Lacy said, "His name is not Farley, is it?" Turney made a face and said, "Yeah , that's him, Bill Farley."
Bill Farley's residence was five miles south of town, and that is where the Federal Marshals found William M. Farley and Lowell Faraday. They rounded up the sheriff and the invollved deputy later in town.
A staged death, a tight knit "investigation", a quick fake burial, a murder conviction, and a postponed insurance claim, was all part of the plan. That way there was no messy insurance investigation, and the "boys" could retirre to the Bahamas for awhile on "douoble indemnity."
Lacy not only won a reversal of Maybell's conviction, but filed a civil suit against the sheriff and his brother-in-law, and won for Maybell enough money to purchase a cottage and sustain her long enough for her to find gainful employment.
For himself, he gained notoriety as the young rising star of the legal profession.
The jury of twelve had listened to only one day of testimony during a hot windless week of August 1931. Burt Levins, the tobacco chewing county surveyer, was the jury foreman. The rest of the jury consisted of three farmers, four retired businessmen, a livery worker, a road worker, and two store clerks. The judge asked Burt if the jury had reached a decision, and Burt replied, "Yes sir Judge, she done him in."
The judge said that the word "guilty" was sufficient. Burt replied, "Yes sir Judge, she's guilty, she done him in."
Maybell Faraday sat stone faced next to her attorney, the Major Alan Phelps. Phelps had painted Maybell's husband as a no good cheating, promiscuous, philanderer of the worst sort, but that hadn't been a good enough reason in the jury's mind to justify the shooting. Maybell had never exhibited in public any signs of physical abuse by her roving husband. If she had shown off even a few bruises, she might have had a chance. The sentencing was scheduled for a little over a month away.
Maybell sat in her cell wondering how she ever came to be in this terrible situation. She knew she had been a naive, inexperienced soul, but she had honestly thought that Lowell Faraday was in love with her. She had her head down on the thin pillow and sobbed lightly; the few tears she had left made their way down the side of her nose, and she had to wipe her nose as well as her cheeks. She was in a kind of numb state and sought again to escape the reality of the situation by sleep but wasn't having any success. As a guard entered the locked wing of the jail, she heard the clanging of the closing door. He walked down the corridor and stopped before her cell. "You have a visitor." he said, "get ready and follow me." She didn't have any idea who could have wanted to see her; what few friends she had, seemed to have deserted her upon her conviction. She was shown into a crude conference room where a young man of about twenty-eight awaited her; she couldn't remember ever having seen him before.
"My name is Jeffrey Boone Lacy," he said, "I live in Memphis, and have a law practice there. I am trying to establish myself as a trial attorney. I have been sitting in on as many difficult cases as I can, hoping to see an opporunity to win some case reversals. I think the Major Phelps could have explored and exploited a few more avenues. I want you to hire me as your new attorney."
"Mr. Lacy, I don't have any money left; if they let me out right now, I dont' know how I would live. We didn't own the house and all the furniture has been sold. There is nothing."
The young lawyer paused for a minute, looking thoughtful, "Mrs. Hendricks, let's take things one step at a time, that's the way to proceed. The first thing is to establish me as your hired attorney. There has to be some type of remuneration to do that. Next we will seek any new avenues we can find for your defense."
Maybell bowed her head and ran through her mind for any possessions she might have left. She lifted her head and said, "there is only one thing I can think of. There is an acre of land that was left to me by my grandfather; it is located in southern Louisiana."
That will have to do," said Lacy, "now let's get down to business right away."
Lacy had Maybell to tell him he entire story, beginning with how she and Faraday had met and ending with the shooting. On the witness stand she had said that she and her husband had been in a shouting argument, and she had taken his pistol from a bedroom drawer after he had threatened her, but she swore that the actual shooting had been an accident. The gun had gone offf when her husband shoved her across the foot of the iron bedstead.
After a lengthy discussion of Maybell's marriage, Lacy came to the conclusion that Faraday was a very materialistic, mercenary type individual. From what Maybell revealed, Faraday had never done anything without expecting a sizable profit in return. Lacy thought to himself that Maybell was attractive in a way, but she was not a mantel piece, that is, not a prize to show off to the world to induce envy. The question then was if Faraday didn't really love her, which was reflected by the way he treated her, then why did he marry her.
As Maybell's new attorney, the court afforded Lacy a court order to examine Faraday's telephone records. The only long distance calls that were of interest were three calls to Nashville. The quickest way to investigate those calls, which were all to the same number, was to call the nummber. A sweet voice announced, "Good morning, this is Myers and Lewis Insurance Agency, Miss Andrews speaking, how may I help You?"
Lacy was prepared, and without stumbling, he declaared, "Good morning, this is Jeffrey Boone Lacy, attorney for the Lowell Faraday family. I need an appointment to discuss the terms of the policy Lowell Faraday set up for the family; I may advise that they increase benefits. Can you connect me with the individual who set up the policy please."
Miss Andrews, anxious to please, said, "I believe that was Mr. Lewis; I remember because I was here the day Mr. Faraday came in to sign the policy. He is such a charming man. I was just today sending out a reminder for the last two monthly payments. He must be extremely busy."
Lacy repliied, "Yes that is why I am calling. Also, there are some facts he didn't give me before he left on his current trip. Can you please tell me the date the policy was taken out and the amount of coverage."
Mis Andrews said, "Surely, if you will give me just a minute." When Miss Andrews returned to the telephone she gave Lacy more information than he expected, "That coverage was one hundred thousand dollars, and there is a double indemnity clause. The issue date is March 1, 1930, and the effective date of coverage is March 1, 1931."
Lacy replied in the most polite voice he could muster., "Thank you very much, Miss Andrews. Now I can complete my files, and I'll see that the premiums are put in the mail right away. Oh, I almost forgot, could you please read the entire beneficiary section to me?"
"Surely," said Miss Andrews, "but it is quite simple, upon the death of Lowell Faraday, all benefits due from this policy shall be paid to William M. Farley."
Lacy again assumed a sugary voice, "You have been so helpful Miss Andrews, I shall speak to your employers of this. Thank you aagain."
Lacy had expected that the policy would probably have insured against Maybell's death. Well this was a surprise, and who in the world was William M. Farley. Things were really getting interesting and he thought to himself that he would have to be very careful in finding out who Farley was.
A visit to the local newspaper office and a perusing of their old issues provided him with part of the information he needed.
In orde to obtain more background information on Faraday and Farley, Lacy made some discreet inquiries as to the illegal purchase of good alcoholic beverages, and finally was put in touch with a man named Turney Cabot. Turney was a little apprehensive about talking to Lacy, but after Lacy gave him twenty dollars and assured him that he didn't want to buy anyhthing but wanted sone information, Turney relaxed.
"What do you want ot know? asked Turney.
"What can you tell me about a man named Lowell Faraday? asked Lacy.
"Not much," said Turney, "but that noise about him being a woman chaser is bunk; all I ever saw him with were ------", and Turney wetted a finger and drew it over his eyebrow.
"The one I saw him with the most was the sheriff's brother-in-law."
Lacy said, "His name is not Farley, is it?" Turney made a face and said, "Yeah , that's him, Bill Farley."
Bill Farley's residence was five miles south of town, and that is where the Federal Marshals found William M. Farley and Lowell Faraday. They rounded up the sheriff and the invollved deputy later in town.
A staged death, a tight knit "investigation", a quick fake burial, a murder conviction, and a postponed insurance claim, was all part of the plan. That way there was no messy insurance investigation, and the "boys" could retirre to the Bahamas for awhile on "douoble indemnity."
Lacy not only won a reversal of Maybell's conviction, but filed a civil suit against the sheriff and his brother-in-law, and won for Maybell enough money to purchase a cottage and sustain her long enough for her to find gainful employment.
For himself, he gained notoriety as the young rising star of the legal profession.