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Published: Monday, April 9, 2007

Kinsman to honor Clarence Darrow with day of events

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By REBECCA SLOAN

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

He was a study in contrasts— a cool agnostic with blazing eyes, a defender of laborers who proclaimed himself lazy, a compassionate humanitarian who once represented thrill killers.

Crisp intellect defined his life, yet he was a hedonist who cheated on his wife.

He is remembered as the greatest American lawyer, yet he was once indicted on a charge of attempting to bribe a jury.

Wherever he went, an electric charisma seemed to cling to him, and his eloquent courtroom speeches swayed jurors and brought judges to tears.

That electric charisma hasn't exactly dissipated, even though he's been dead since 1938. After all these years, just mention Clarence Darrow's name, and watch people react.

Some bristle at the thought of the infamous "Scopes Monkey Trial" where Darrow defended a teacher's right to teach evolution in the classroom; others sing the praises of a man ahead of his time who fought for racial equality and justice for the weak and oppressed.

But whether or not you deem Clarence Darrow a hero, no one can argue he's the most famous person to ever come out of this quiet farm country of Trumbull County. Now the town of his humble beginnings will honor him on what would have been his 150th birthday.

For the first time, April 18 will be declared Clarence Darrow Day in Kinsman, and the public is welcome to attend various events to celebrate and examine Darrow's complex character and fascinating life.

Sponsored by the Kinsman Historical Society, the Ohio Civil Liberties Union and the Arts and Lecture Committee of the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Youngstown, the day's highlights will include tours of Darrow's birthplace home in Farmdale and boyhood home in Kinsman; a commemorative service and eulogy at the Darrow monument in Kinsman township park; afternoon lectures and panel discussions; and an evening performance by renowned Clarence Darrow portrayer Gary Anderson.

How this began

Susie Beiersdorfer, a member of the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Youngstown and one of the initiators of the event, said the idea for Darrow Day was born after she and some friends saw Gary Anderson perform in Erie, Pa.

"I didn't know much about Darrow before seeing Gary Anderson perform, but I was very intrigued by what I saw," Beiersdorfer said. "I was intrigued by Darrow's untiring pursuit of justice for the downtrodden."

After the performance, Beiersdorfer and fellow church member Pat Rosenthal contacted Eleanor Brown, owner of Darrow's boyhood home — Kinsman's octagon house — to learn more about the famous lawyer.

"We met with Eleanor and talked about Darrow, and Eleanor mentioned that she'd always wanted to have a Darrow Day in Kinsman," Beiersdorfer said. "We decided to make it happen and have been planning the event since last fall."

Beiersdorfer is excited about Darrow Day because she said many of the issues Darrow defended remain highly relevant today.

"This is a very timely event with our freedom of speech being challenged. Darrow was a protector of freedom of individuals," Beiersdorfer said. "Darrow was a man ahead of his time. He was larger than life."

Anderson heartily agrees.

"It's almost like portraying an epic figure like Moses," said Anderson, who has been traveling across the United States for the past three years portraying the famous lawyer.

"Darrow's parents encouraged free thinking, and his whole life he was a free thinker who stood outside the herd. He never knew fear. At the Bill Haywood trial, he had people spitting on him and calling him names, but he walked through the crowd, and it parted like the Red Sea." Hayward was a labor leader accused of murdering the former governor of Idaho. Darrow successfully defended Hayward against the murder charge.

What impersonator said

Anderson, who manages American Legends Theatre in Redding, Calif., said American Legends explores the making of American figures, flaws and all.

"Some people embrace Darrow's legacy, while others don't want to talk about him. Even today I encounter people who have a negative response to him. There was always controversy surrounding him, and there still is," Anderson said.

Anderson believes that when Darrow and fundamentalist attorney William Jennings Bryan went head to head in the "Scopes Monkey Trial," the two men set the stage for the liberal and conservative battles that still rage in America today.

"It's interesting because Bryan and Darrow were actually very good friends despite their different views on religion, but when they went head to head, it was as if the country had to side with one or the other — as if you either had to be for science or for religion," Anderson said. "There couldn't be an in-between. We are still struggling with that today."

Anderson said portraying Darrow has been challenging because he initially had little to base his character on besides reading material and photos.

"This was an era before there were televisions in courtrooms," Anderson explained. "I had to fill in a lot of blanks."

Then, after a few years of doing Darrow, Anderson finally got to see a courtroom film clip of the lawyer toward the end of his life.

"I was struck by his fierce presence," Anderson said. "He was like this old lion of the courtroom. He turned toward the camera with these intense blue-topaz eyes that seemed to reach through the ages, and he spoke very powerfully. He never stammered or stuttered even though he was 77 years old."

Jonathan Kinser, a graduate student at Youngstown State University who has written a research paper about Darrow's involvement in the trial of a Warren bootlegger, said he hopes Darrow Day will help keep the legendary lawyer in the minds and hearts of future generations.

As a substitute high school teacher, he's "run into students who don't even know who Darrow was," said Kinser, who lives in Kinsman and is helping with Darrow Day. "I think it's important for us to embrace our local history and to recognize Darrow's accomplishments and not take for granted what he fought for."

Monday, April 9, 2007