The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll

A story of how a journalist was born

I think I can trace the earliest murmurs of my lifelong career in journalism way back to the lonesome death of Hattie Carroll in 1963. No, not the Bob Dylan song, but the actual murder and disgraceful trial. I have a vivid memory of the day the verdict made the headlines and how I had a surprising reaction to it and all the surrounding news events of th…