"Heaven and Earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." Matthew 24:35
Scopes Trial
George Rappalyea
There never would have been a Scopes trial if it wasn't for George Rappalyea. He was born in New York and already had distastes for religion, especially Christianity. He came to Tennessee on an expedition, but when he found a vein of coal that had been 'lost' under a fault, he was made manager of Cumberland Coal and Iron Company.
He had become even more mad at religion when at a funeral he heard a misinformed preacher saying that a boy would go to hell only because his parents didn't baptize him.
Around that time Tennessee had made a law that prohibited teaching evolution. Rappalyea was still mad about the the funeral, so he wrote to the ACLU asking if they would agree to try the new law. They agreed, so he asked John Scopes, a local teacher, to break the law.
John Thomas Scopes
Scopes was the defendent in the trial. He graduated from the University of Kentucky. That is where he was taught evolution. He got his first teaching posistion in 1924, in Dayton Tennessee. He was an athletic coach and also a science teacher.
At the time of the trial, Scopes was only 24. He never testified at the trial, and it has been said he didn't even remember teaching evolution in class.
Judge Raulston
Judge Raulston was popular around Dayton. Although he often favored the procecution and obviously liked William Jennings Bryan, he was known as a fair judge, and listened to the evidence. The judge was very religious though no one was sure whether he was a Christian or not. He had a Reverend pray in his court whenever he could.
William Jennings Bryan (prosecuting attourney)
William Jennings Bryan had run for president three times, but he had lost each time. But in 1925, the time of the trial, Bryan helped pass the anti-evolution law in Tennessee.
In the trial, he made many anti-evolution statements, including,"The Rock of Ages is more important than the age of rocks." But Scopes even described him as "sympathetic, kind, and understanding."
At one point in the trial, Darrow (defense attorney) asked to examine Bryan. Bryan agreed, hoping to examine Darrow next. Darrow was willing to do that, but he told Scopes to plead guilty the next day so he could not be examined by Bryan. The next day the verdict was handed down. Scopes was guilty and was fined $100.
But 5 days later, having accomplished his mission and stood up to Darrow, William Jennings Bryan died in his sleep.
Bryan College
At one point in the trial, Bryan said he wished that a school could be built in the area teaching the literal interpretation of the Bible. During the trial, he even pointed to a hill and said that that is where it should be. After his death a memorial service raised money for 'Bryan College'. It took 5 years, but standing on that hill now is Bryan College.
Clarence Darrow (defense attorney)
Of all his clients, Scopes was the only one he represented for no charge. That was because Darrow was completly intolerent of religion and he wanted to face William Bryan.
Darrow was considered one of the best lawyers in America, and a strict evolutionist. During the trial he had tried his best, but Scopes would still have never been acquitted, even without such great men as William Jennings Bryan.
Darrow was not popular around the town during the trial, and usually when he was walking down a street, it was empty. He went on to live longer and as far as anyone knows, died an evolutionist.
A. Thomas Stewart
Stewart was the Attourney General of Tennessee at the time. It is not sure whether he was a Christian or not and he might have been an evolutionist, but he saw it the legal way. Scopes had violated the law, so Scopes must be punished. He was very intelligent and was one of the chief prosecutors.
Dudley Field Malone
Before, Malone was actually Bryan's under-secretary of state. So this wasn't the first time he had met Bryan. He was a divorce attourney so why wou;d he be in this trial? His partner, Hays, was interested in it so he and Hays became defense attourneys. After the trial, Malone turned back to divorce work, but he lost a lot of customers because of his drinking. So Malone became an actor, and was recognized all over.
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