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4A COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL July 13, 2016 O PINION Offbeat Oregon History In trial, prime suspect became star witness against likely innocent man BY FINN J.D. JOHN For the Sentinel O n April 22, 1943, a jury of Albany-area housewives, millworkers and farmers brought back a verdict against the strange, well-dressed black man who stood facing them. It was “guilty.” The verdict brought to an end a trial that had been so laden with stereotypes and literary tropes that the following month, Sunday mag- azine “American Weekly” recapped the whole affair with a dramatic package headlined, “Actual Crime with All the Settings of Fiction.” It laid out, in sensationalistic prose with lurid illustrations, the offi cial storyline: Murderer Robert E. Lee Folkes, a cook in the train’s din- ing car – having spent the evening shirking his job duties, drinking cheap liquor and making boorish passes at random white maidens, and now afi re with carnal lust – tip- toes into the Pullman coach, plan- ning to rape the lovely young Mar- tha James at knifepoint. When she awakens and screams, he cuts her throat to silence her, then leaps out of the berth and races back to the kitchen, where he stations himself over a cold stove and pretends he’s been cooking eggs on it the whole time. Meanwhile, a brave and noble U.S. Marine has heard the scream and is racing to her rescue – alas, too late to do anything but help penetrate the murderer’s defenses, break his alibi and see that justice is served. Left unmentioned in the Ameri- can Weekly account were a couple other literary tropes that the trial fi tted so well. It was every bit as race-baity as the 1915 movie “Birth of a Nation,” depicting Black Man as a bestial creature with an uncon- trolled lust, ever yearning to “de- fi le” the daughters of middle-class white people. And in other ways, it was almost a straight rip-off of the railroad-train variant of the clas- sic “locked-room mystery,” like “Murder on the Orient Express” by Agatha Christie. And, according to Western Oregon University profes- sor Max G. Geier’s book about the case, that was not an accident. Also left out of the story are a wide range of inconvenient facts that make Folkes’ guilt almost impossible to believe in – chief among which are the fi ngernail clipping samples that were taken and tested after the murder and re- vealed traces of nothing but starch, grease, fl our and baking soda – ab- solutely no blood. Geier makes a powerful case that Robert Folkes was a scape- goat, a target of opportunity seized upon to solve a very specifi c set of problems faced by nearly everyone in a position of authority. To win a conviction against him, prosecu- tors tried, successfully, to distract from the lack of actual evidence by manipulating their story to make it as familiar as possible, and appeal- ing to the prejudices that had made “Birth of a Nation” such a popular movie in those dark pre-war years of nationwide Jim Crow-ism. In fairness to those jurors, this likely wouldn’t have worked on its own. But in combination with a confession that had almost cer- tainly had been either fabricated or beaten out of Folkes during a three-day interrogation session with Los Angeles Police Depart- ment offi cers at the city jail, it was more than enough. But one of the most striking things about this case is how over- whelming was the evidence against that Marine who claimed to have come too late to Martha James’ rescue – Pvt. Harold Wilson. Wilson, it turned out, had been released from the brig the day he boarded the train in Washington; he’d been locked up there for an alleged sexual assault. His com- manding offi cer was sending him to a combat unit, in the same way misbehaving German soldiers were sent to the Eastern Front. He might very well have been thinking this train trip would be his last few hours of freedom. And the witnesses’ accounts dovetail perfectly with an attempt- ed sexual-assault-at-knifepoint gone wrong. Each remembers the words slightly differently, but most agree it started with a woman say- ing, “I can’t stand this any longer!” followed by, “He’s killing me!” and a horrible scream. Sleep-fogged passengers poked their heads out of the curtains to see Wilson al- ready bending over the still-bleed- ing body. Then one of the passen- gers pulled the cord to summon the steward, and it was only after that bell rang that Wilson started shout- ing that murder had been done. Wilson’s story started out sketchy and changed almost every time he retold it. First he claimed to have run to the end of the train in pursuit of the killer and seen no one; then, when a trainman replied that he had to have seen at the very least a cook, a waiter and a stew- ard, he changed his story to include all three of those characters. He miscounted the number of cars he Please see OFFBEAT, Page 10A 'A resolve to police justly and thoroughly' A statement in response to the tragic killing of police in Dallas from the Oregon State Sheriffs Association W e are saddened by the horrifi c events that transpired in Dallas last week that resulted in the deaths of Offi cer Brent Thompson, Offi cer Patrick Zamrippa, Offi cer Michael Krol, Of- fi cer Michael Smith and Offi cer Lorne Ahrens. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of these slain police of- fi cers from the Dallas Police Department and the Dallas Area Rapid Transit Police Department. We also extend our strong concern and unqualifi ed support for the fellow offi cers and policing leaders from both agencies who now grieve this tragic loss. We understand the risks and challenges faced by law enforcement offi cers on a daily basis, and we laud the bravery CONTACT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS Lane County Commissioners: K. Michael Roberts, At Large: 942-5501 Faye Stewart, East Lane Commissioner Lane County Public Service Building 125 East 8th Street Eugene, OR 97401 Phone: (541) 682-4203 Fax: (541) 682-4616 Jeff Gowing, Ward 2: 942-1900 Cottage Grove Mayor Tom Munroe: 942-5501. We are very aware of the current ten- sions that exist between police and some members of our communities and we re- main resolute in our commitment to con- tinue to build trust and ensure that public confi dence in Oregon policing remains strong. As incidents of violence ripple across our nation, we will not be divided or defeated. Our hearts are steeled with a resolve to police justly and thoroughly, remembering both the offi cers who've gone before us and the good people who depend upon us to step into the gap. We want to thank the citizens of Oregon for working with us in partnership and unity to keep our communities safe. We are all stronger as we work together for a safer Oregon. We are asking all sworn offi cers in Oregon to wear their mourning bands on their badges from now until the day of the funeral(s) of the fallen offi cers, in honor of the lives lost in Dallas. Mike Fleck, At Large: 942-7302 Jake Boone, Ward 1: 653-7413 Cottage Grove City Hall: 942-5501. www.cottage- grove.org/ Cottage Grove City Councilors: and integrity of offi cers in Dallas who responded to yesterday's attack. In the face of an ambush and unknown assail- ants, police offi cers in Dallas continued to protect citizens at great risk to their own lives. These offi cers were simply doing their jobs by protecting a peaceful demonstration when they were viciously attacked. These events sadly illustrate the challenges that law enforcement face each and every day. Yesterday, these offi - cers left home to make their communities safer and sadly will never return to their loved ones. These tragic events have deeply affect- ed the law enforcement profession. All Oregon law enforcement offi cers took an oath to safeguard the citizens of the communities they serve. They are true professionals who will remain vigilant in keeping our communities and their fel- low offi cers safe! We want to thank Or- egonians for taking time to express their support for our brave police offi cers here and around the nation. Garland Burback, Ward 3: 942-4800 Amy Slay, Ward 4: 942-5501 Oregon State House of Representatives: Rep. Cedric Hayden (REP) District: 007 900 Court Street NE Suite H-288 Salem, OR 97301 Phone: (503) 986-1407 Fax: (503) 986-1130 Email: rep.cedrichayden@ state.or.us Oregon State Senate: Sen. Floyd Prozanski (DEM) District: 004 900 Court Street NE Suite S-319 Salem, OR 97301-0001 Phone: (503) 986-1704 Fax: (503) 986-1080 Carotenoids: Antioxidants that promote longevity BY JOEL FUHRMAN, MD For the Sentinel C arotenoids are yellow, orange, and red pigments present in fruits and vegetables. There are more than 600 ca- rotenoids; the most commonly consumed and well-studied carotenoids include beta-caro- tene, alpha- carotene, beta-cryp- toxanthin, lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin. Some ca- rotenoids are con- $ PUUBHF ( SPWF 4 FOUJOFM 116 N. Sixth Street · P.O. Box 35 · Cottage Grove, OR 97424 ADMINISTRATION: JOHN BARTLETT, Regional Publisher.............................. GARY MANLY, General Manager................942-3325 Ext. 207 • publisher@cgsentinel.com ROBIN REISER, Sales Repersentative...............942-3325 Ext. 203 • robin@cgsentinel.com TAMMY SAYRE, Sales Repersentative......... 942-3325 Ext. 213 • tsayre@cgsentinel.com SPORTS DEPARTMENT: SAM WRIGHT, Sports Editor...................942-3325 Ext. 204 • sports@cgsentinel.com CUSTOMER SERVICE CARLA WILLIAMS, Office Manager.................942-3325 Ext. 201 • billing@cgsentinel.com LEGALS.............................................................942-3325 Ext. 200 • legals@cgsentinel.com NEWS DEPARTMENT: JON STINNETT, Editor......................................942-3325 Ext. 212 • cgnews@cgsentinel.com GRAPHICS: RON ANNIS, Graphics Manager (USP 133880) verted to vitamin A in the body — beta-carotene, alpha-caro- tene, and beta-cryptoxanthin for example; these carotenoids are important for proper immune function. Carotenoids give the skin a healthy glow and defend the body’s tissues against oxida- tive damage, helping to prevent chronic diseases and premature aging. The richer your diet in carot- enoids, the greater the likeli- hood of longer telomeres (DNA sequences at the end of chromo- somes). The length of telomeres is thought to be an indicator of biological aging—the longer the telomere length, the slower the aging of cells. Many studies have connected a healthy diet and lifestyle behaviors to longer telomeres. In a recent study, data from 3660 U.S. adults were analyzed for serum carotenoids and leu- kocyte telomere length. When they compared the groups with the lowest and highest levels of each carotenoid, they saw 5-8 percent longer telomeres for the groups with the highest alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin levels. Researchers think that higher carotenoid levels may work by protecting telomeric DNA from oxidative damage, leading to protection against aging and chronic diseases. Lycopene, a carotenoid found in tomatoes, grapefruit, and pa- paya, is concentrated primarily in the prostate, where it has po- tent anti-cancer effects. Lyco- pene-rich foods also protect the skin against ultraviolet radiation from the sun. In one study, after twelve weeks of tomato supple- mentation by healthy women, reddening of the skin, mito- chondrial DNA damage, and markers of skin aging due to UV exposure were reduced. Lutein and zeaxanthin, which are found in leafy greens like kale and collards, are the only known carotenoids located in the human retina. Light must pass through lutein and zea- xanthin before being transmit- ted to the cells that send visual information to the brain. These carotenoids fi lter some of the blue light that enters the retina, and this function protects the eye from damage and improves several aspects of visual perfor- mance. Alpha-carotene is an excellent marker of high-nutrient veg- etable intake, since dark green and orange colored vegetables are the richest sources of alpha carotene. In a recent study, in- dividuals with the highest blood levels of alpha-carotene had a 39 percent decrease in risk of death compared to those with the low- est serum alpha-carotene. Get your carotenoids from colorful vegetables and fruits. Carotenoid supplements have consistently failed to produce benefi cial effects in clinical tri- als. In fact, supplemental carot- enoids are likely to be harmful. For example, high serum ß-car- otene has been associated with decreased lung cancer risk, but ß-carotene supplements may ac- tually increase the risk of lung cancer, especially in smokers. In addition to their own ben- efi cial effects, carotenoids like alpha-carotene, lycopene, and lutein in the blood are markers indicating the intake of thou- sands of additional phytochemi- cals from fruits and vegetables that work synergistically to keep the body healthy. Keep in mind that carotenoid absorption during a meal requires the pres- ence of fat — one of the reasons to use nut and seed-based dress- ings on salads and raw vegeta- bles. Dr. Fuhrman is a #1 New York Times best-selling author and a board certifi ed family physician specializing in lifestyle and nu- tritional medicine. His newest book, The End of Heart Disease, offers a detailed plan to prevent and reverse heart disease using a nutrient-dense, plant-rich eat- ing style. Visit his informative website at DrFuhrman.com. 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