Word: spivey
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1940-1949
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Short for Turrets. Headed for gunners' wings and immediate transfer to combat outfits, the new graduates marched past Fort Myers' lean, brown-eyed commander, Colonel Delmar T. Spivey, and a party of visitors. There were a few tall men among them, but most of the new gunners were undersized, were stretching their legs to the limit to make a regulation pace. "Good for these tight turrets," observed Del Spivey. "They can shoot, too, I'll guarantee that...
...Negro prayed. The other prisoners looked through the barred window at the growing mob, and told him to come look. Spivey talked with his Lord and asked Him to save him. He told the Lord that he was going to tell the truth; suddenly he was no longer scared or worried, and lay back on his bunk and slept. About dark the boys woke him. He looked through the bars at the scene swimming in the hot Southern twilight, a string of 100 cars drawn up before the jail, 700 white men circulating under the trees. Strong in his faith...
Half a dozen men held him by the arms and legs and dragged him out to their car. It streaked over the eight miles of road to the scene of the crime, other cars following. Out in the woods beside the field, somebody built a bonfire. Somebody asked Spivey if he had raped Mrs. Peacock. He said he had not seen her in five years. Somebody asked Spivey if he knew where his potato patch was, near there. When Spivey said he did not, the man said, "You're a God-damned liar" and hit him on the head...
...Spivey sat oa the ground. A double plowline was fastened around his neck. The blow had deafened him; he could not hear the questions. Somebody kicked him in the back and on the head. He was rolled over on his face, and his legs twisted. Blood was running into his nose and mouth from the cut on his head. He heard something about gasoline and knew they were going to burn him. He said he did not do it. He said it again. Somebody yelled: how many want to kill him? How many want to take him back to jail...
This focusing of responsibility troubled Elzie and Early. They crossed the fields to ask their mother what to do. She told them to take the Negro back to jail and let the law take its course. At midnight, bruised but still unafraid, Spivey was back in his cell. The boys in his cell said they had figured there was a better chance of seeing their mothers come back from the grave than of ever seeing him alive again...